Series: Naruto
Setting: AU
Prompt: 02. I'm Here
Rating: K
Word Count: 1, 561
Warnings: None
Summary: Memories of friends of the past have long since been forgotten, time to move on to the future.

Fade Away

Forever. When spoken by someone it signified that whatever it was they were relating to was going to be for the long term. Marriages, partnerships, friendships. Everyone wishes for these things to exist for that long period but the consideration was never taken into account that in reality, nothing ever lasts that long. Death, divorce, boredom, temptation by infidelities ruined marriages, backstabbing dealings moving onto bigger and better things destroyed partnerships and friendships broke apart just the same. Although that promised that was made by two small five year olds seemed to bring optimism to their hearts as they said their final goodbyes on that chilling winter day, the reality of it was that nothing lasted forever. Forever was a long time and their time had expired.

For at least a year the two had kept in contact with each other via telephone and mail as they learnt to write, each time one of them would arrive in the mail it would bring a soft smile to Itachi's face, reading over the adventures of his friend over on the other side of the continent, just as if he was still there with him every day to grow up at his side. Daily visits to the mailbox greeting the mailman started to become an occurrence, paying no attention to the heaped up bills that his parents were receiving just looking for that one envelope that smelt as sweet as candy and always had a sticker of some sort near his address but time passed and trips were wasted with no reply. Over a month passed without contact that had him worried that someone terrible had happened, calls to his house only replied with the robotic female tone that the service was disconnected, letters finally came but postmarked return to sender. Nothing lasted forever and that was happening to their friendship. Deidara had abandoned him.

Years passed since that time moving forth through life progressing through schooling, onwards to high school with another relocation to start all over again at a new location. Itachi hadn't mind it one bit since there were no friends left behind, the only one that he had was since elapsed with age losing the details of his childhood, being replaced with an abundance of information crammed inside until one day there wasn't even the ghost image of his face in his memory. He too had forgotten that a friend like that existed finding one's self was the best company that you could have.

"Do you want me to pick you up from school?" his mother asked hanging half way out of the car to capture eye contact from her two boys to make sure they heard. They were teenagers; they never listened to what parent's had to say to them. She felt so much pride seeing them both dressed up, her youngest a freshman starting his first day at high school while her eldest was in his last, sporting new uniforms unfortunately due to another move that brought them to another school once again. Neither of them had complained about it except she wanted to see them both stable in a school for long enough to make friends.

Leaning forward into the car, Itachi shook his head. "We can walk home. Need to get used to the area" he replied flatly, long since that cute voice had been around now boasting a husky tone that brought girls falling to their knees when they heard it.

Complaints about having to walk home in the heat of summer received a backhand across his head, Sasuke didn't want to walk but thanks to being silenced it look liked he was going to have to. A motioned finger brought him closer to the car, half way hanging between the door balancing himself only to lose that with a wet kiss pressed into his cheeks making the young Uchiha cringe and scamper back out the way he came. "Mom!" he whined wiping away the invisible marks of his mother's kiss, dusting his cheeks rouge hoping no one had seen that.

Light giggles at her boys, Mikoto wished them the best and drove off leaving them looking up at the mammoth surroundings of their new school. This one was modern unlike the other private schools they had attended, most of them had churches which freaked Sasuke out but Itachi didn't mind them at all, so dark so gloomy and always quiet. Together they walked side by side up to the administrator office announcing that they were new and needed timetables and other necessities that would carry them through the day. Two pieces of paper printed off and slapped down in front of them along with a half ass smile, giving the parting words that she prayed they didn't get lost before sending them on their way out into the vast corridors fending for themselves in the carnage known as high school. A helping hand was given to Sasuke by a group of inquisitive young girls breaking him apart from his older sibling, guided through the hallways assaulted by questions of who he was, where did he come from, did he have a girlfriend, all on a fact finding mission to see if he was available. It had only been the first ten minutes and already Sasuke's popularity was skyrocketing. The curse of the Uchiha was still in full effect with him but it worked out well for him, he liked the attention.

All of Itachi's classes were on the other side of the school, glancing up every so often to see what rooms were around back down to his timetable to see if one of them corresponded with his own, taking a few notes where the ones he would be attending to afterwards would be. Sounds of the bells ringing overhead sent swarms of teenagers to their perspective class rooms, knocking around the lost student that fought to get to the sidelines crushed up against lockers until they died down, starting the trek once again. Class 5-1A was where he was supposed to be for home room, tilting his head up at the sign that overhung the classroom door finding the place finally, slipping off his shoes and placing the mandatory slippers on instead, bowing his head at the teacher on the way through apologizing for his lateness as well as in the customary greeting, taking his seat at the side of the room near the back right next to a window.

One more year until he was free of the juvenile nature of the classroom, catching a paper ball aimed at his head from the attempted hazing of the new student only it was rejected with quick reflexes. Soon he could move on to university where the standards were more to his liking, every class he was in was at the advanced level but even then he felt it to be too relaxed, IQ tests had him tested to be a genius that craved information only not to receive it up to his level that he required. Granted his priorities weren't exactly the same for kids his age not at all interested in sleeping around with everyone they could get their hands on, focusing on drinking underage and defying parent's rules, he wanted to get a good job afterwards instead of unemployment hoping that their dole cheques were going to be enough to see them through to next pay.

Hushed talking around him fell on deaf ears as he gazed outside the window snubbing all conversation held in the wonders of trying to figure out who he was, the same thing that had happened with Sasuke earlier but with less questions towards him personally, wanting to decipher what they could about him just from looks alone. Hah, they were going to be mistaken if they went by them. One by one they stopped for each of their names being called out, a raise of hands and a loud agreement called out informing their teacher that they were indeed in class and not skipping it to smoke behind the gym but one name was stuck on repeat. Over and over again like a broken records skipping it tracks as if they didn't heard it the first time. After two they should have gave up and moved on.

"Yeah yeah I'm here, un" the lazy deep male voice replied, causing a commotion as he bounced through the door fighting with the slippers that were too small. A small group of girls huddled and squealed from their idol finally arriving to school, to them he was the most coolest specimen to every have walked the earth knowing that he certainly would have been one of those kids hanging out having a quick cigarette before class.

Slowly turning his head around to look back at the front of the class their eyes met, staring directly at each other in what seemed everlasting blurring the surroundings with just the two of them in the room. Something about him seemed very familiar that he couldn't put his finger on, whatever it was it wasn't enough to hold his attention for long enough, turning back to the front of the class again, then out the window much more amusing then some rebellion blonde that wanted to arrive late. The fan girls might have been impressed with him but he wasn't.