I feel so alone up here, someone want to help me find someone to talk to? Pweaz? Anyways, welcome to chapter five. Party time! Guess who you finally get to meet! No, not him….Not him either. Man, you suck at guessing.
Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto. And guess what! I never will!
"Hi, Naruto," said blonde breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hey, Pein, stereo's in the same place it was last time you were here." Naruto said, going back into the living-room and pushing furniture up against the walls to make room to dance. Hinata had already set up a table with food and drinks, but Naruto wasn't surprised when he smelled sake.
"It isn't a party without alcohol," Pein said. "I need your help carrying it out. I'll lead." Naruto nodded and followed he sound of Pein's heavy footsteps to the storage room. The sound system was large and often took two people to carry. Naruto lifted his end of the stage-like station, his shoulder and back muscles tightening under the weight. He heard Pein grunt as he lifted his end.
"You haven't been taking care of yourself," Naruto scolded, sighing. "Hinata!" he called. "Can you help us out?" He felt bad for always asking her for help. He would have to make it up to her some time soon. He heard her footsteps, felt the load lighten slightly, and sighed with relief. They moved awkwardly down the hallway and into the living-room, setting the sound system on the ground close to one of the walls. Naruto heard Pein step up onto the platform and organize the CDs he had brought, no doubt most of them would be head-splitting, words completely lost in screams. Naruto closed the curtains, felt around in a drawer, extracted a remote, and pushed a button. Hinata shrieked loudly and Naruto knew he had pushed the right button. It was simply to change the lights, so instead of normal yellow light strobe lights flashed and colored lights painted patterns on the floor. Pein was playing his first song, full of yelling and throbbing base, high-pitched guitar squealing and drums pounding, when there was another knock on the door. It was five minutes to nine.
Naruto opened the door, staring out blankly, trying to catch the scent of whoever it was.
"Hey, Naruto," Gaara said, touching Naruto's shoulder. The blonde automatically smiled and stepped aside to let his friend in. There was a cool breeze as Sasori followed his little brother in and sat the couch. "It looks the same as always," Gaara said, walking towards the sound station. While Gaara and Pein talked about music Naruto turned to Hinata.
"You didn't bring anything to have a party in, did you?" Naruto asked, frowning a little. Hinata's face turned bright red.
"N-no, I only brought my normal clothes."
"That's okay!" Pein called loudly. "I brought something for her." Naruto heard the zip of a bag, the rustle of cloth, then the surprised shriek from Hinata.
"It's sort of…dark," Hinata said, looking at it as if it were something from a different planet. It was black with lots of fishnet, Pein also handed her a spiked necklace and a pair of chunk-heeled boots.
"Put these on, there's a pair of earrings in the pocket." He nudged her towards the bedrooms and Hinata disappeared into hers.
"Don't tell me it was the one that Konan used to wear," Naruto said, smiling slightly. He had been familiar with the outfit, and the girl he always associated it with. Konan was Pein's ex-girlfriend from a few years back; they had been more like brother and sister than anything else, though. Which was probably why they had broken up.
"Yup, the one with the miniskirt," Pein said, clearly reminiscing.
"Get back to the music, you idiot," Naruto said, pushing his brother as the doorbell rang for the third time. Out of pure coincidence, Let's Get This Party Started by Korn came on. Pein was shouting curses while Naruto opened the door.
"Naruto!" he knew that voice, pictured the pudgy body that used to go along with it, sighed, and smiled.
"Hi, Chouji," Naruto said, stepping aside to let the boy in.
"I brought my girlfriend," Chouji said, stepping inside. Naruto could smell her perfume. "Ino, this is Naruto."
"It's nice to meet you," the feminine voice said. Naruto bowed and repeated the sentence before showing them to the living-room.
"My friend will be coming by as well; he's a lazy ass so he'll be late. Oh, snacks!" Naruto shook his head as he heard his friend approach the snack table. Just as Pein found a satisfactory song to play, the doorbell rang again.
"Naruto, un!" Arms wrapped around him, squeezing him tightly. "It's good to see you, un! I drove Kiba over."
"Hi…Deidara," Naruto gasped, smiling to his fellow blonde. Deidara seemed to realize he was suffocating his friend and let go of him. He cleared his throat and turned to the doorway. "Hi Kiba."
"I'm not hugging you no matter what," Kiba warned. Naruto smiled and held his hand out to his friend, who took it and shook it hard. Naruto heard another car pulling up, his heart in his throat.
"You know where the living-room is," Naruto said by way of invitation into the house. He waited for the newest person to approach. The slam of a car door, heavy footsteps, and there was someone in front of him.
"Oh, it's you," a voice said. Naruto was taken aback.
"Shikamaru?" he asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, Chouji didn't tell me whose party we were going to. What's your name again?"
"Naruto," the blonde said, motioning for Shikamaru to follow him into the house. People were dancing; Hinata had even come out of her room in the ridiculous outfit with a skirt that showed her perfect, pale legs and a low-cut neckline that showed almost all of her breasts. Naruto was telling Deidara and Pein about his books when there was another ring of the doorbell.
"What time is it?" Naruto asked, standing up from the couch.
"Nine thirty," Deidara said, not moving. Whoever it is, their really late." Naruto's heart pounded staccato notes against his ribcage as he approached the door. They were late, but there was only one other person invited that hadn't come yet. He opened the door.
"Hello?" He asked, unable to discern anything from scent or sound.
"Hello, Naruto," a chilling voice said, sending shivers up the blonde's spine. "Have you missed me?" He could remember that velvet-smooth voice, an image of the face instantly coming to mind.
"Hello, Itachi," Naruto said, his voice devoid of emotion. For years Naruto had contemplated what exactly he would say if he ever saw his ex-boyfriend again. He would apologize, say how wrong he had been, tell him everything. But all her could say was, "Please come in and make yourself at home." There were light footsteps as Itachi walked off towards the living room, then a chilling breeze accompanied with the scent of pure fire as a second person walked by. He was unfamiliar with the smell and pondered over who Itachi could have possibly brought with him as he closed the door. When he walked into the living-room he could tell that Itachi's arrival had shifted the mood of the entire place. Even the music, with its unrecognizable lyrics, had somehow turned darker, more foreboding. Naruto sighed; maybe it had been a bad idea to invite them.
"Dance with me, Naruto, un!" Deidara said, oblivious to the dark mood of the room. He dragged his fellow blonde into a clear space and started dancing, Naruto moving to the beat of the music. Slowly the forbidding atmosphere melted away back into the party mood Naruto had had in mind, Evil Angel by Breaking Benjamin coming on next. They had danced through three songs, Naruto's breath coming in slight gasps, when he felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned to face the person, staring at them with unseeing eyes.
"Can we talk?" Itachi asked, his voice still emotionless. Naruto nodded wordlessly, leading the way out into the hallway.
"What's up?" Naruto asked, leaning against a wall. He decided that if Itachi had a problem with how he had acted two years ago he would play it cool. After all, he had a right to be pissed off.
"I'm not going to rip your head off or spout fire over you," Itachi said, his voice soft. Naruto found himself caught off guard; he hadn't expected such a gentle voice from someone so coarse. He had only heard that tone a few times, all of them after sex, and only because the black-haired man had been near sleep.
"I just want to talk," the back of a cool hand brushed his cheek, eliciting shivers that ran through the blonde's body. He remembered that touch, how Itachi had used it in the most intimate of moments. The touch made him relax, if only slightly; made him feel as if her were completely forgiven for every wrong he had done in life. He leaned into the touch of the cool hand, closed his eyes, and felt his heart flutter with the old love that had rested there.
"Why did you leave so suddenly?" a soft voice whispered in his ear, sending more shivers up the blonde's spine. "No one wanted you to leave. No one hates you for what you did. The children have come to terms with it, he's even remarried. No one hates you, Naruto," the whisper had moved and now the lips were nearly brushing his. The blonde inhaled sharply, his every nerve sizzling with anticipation.
"It was…personal," he mumbled, his heart racing. "I needed a break."
"We didn't have to break up," Itachi said softly. "I could have gone with you, we could have stayed together. I could have helped you. We could have been lovers."
"What we could be and what we will be are two different things," Naruto responded, aching for the intimacy that Itachi was hinting at. Two years of celibacy he was ready, burning in fact, for sex. But not with Itachi, he had left for a reason. He had harmed him, destroyed him. He could never forgive himself for causing the person he loved so much pain.
Naruto was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that Itachi had leaned in even closer, their lips nearly touching, their noses brushing against each other. He did notice, however, when the smooth lips that belonged to Itachi came in contact with his, moved against his in a bruising kiss. A tongue slid between his lips, taking immediate control and exploring the sweet, wet cavern of Naruto's mouth. The blonde's head was spinning from confusion and lack of breath, he tried to decipher which way was up, fished for the right response to such a sudden, passionate action. His body moved without his minds consent, hands planting firmly against a well-muscled chest, Itachi was pushed away. The blonde stood there for a minute, panting slightly, his eyes widened in an unconscious sign of surprise.
"You don't want me anymore?" Itachi asked, astounded.
"It's not that, it's just–" he was interrupted by a sexy, dark-velvet voice.
"You have a phone call, Itachi," the voice said. Naruto didn't remember every hearing that voice, couldn't put a face together with its unique roll.
"I'll be right there, Sasuke," Itachi responded immediately. Naruto could feel Itachi's black eyes settle on him once more, he shivered involuntarily.
"Think about what I said, Naruto," he said, brushing his cheek again. "No one hates you." Then the dark man was gone to take his phone call, but Naruto was still far from alone in the hallway.
"I won't let you take my brother again. I won't let you take away his happiness," that same dark-velvet voice said, so much like Itachi's.
"I'm sorry," Naruto said. Despite his attraction to the voice, the person behind it was beginning to piss him off. "Do I know you?"
"I'm Itachi's little brother, Uchiha Sasuke," the voice said with pride.
"Oh," Naruto said, smirking. "So you're the little bitch that's a failure sibling."
"Usuratonkachi," there was the gentle sound of feet padding away, leaving the blonde alone in the hallway.
"Teme," he muttered to himself. He leaned against the wall for a moment longer then turned and walked back into the living-room where someone snatched him and started dancing with him. The soft hands and hesitant movements alluded to Hinata, her scent swirling around him in a heavenly perfume. The pure bliss of the dance mixed with the angst of the music and the laughter of (most) of his friends banished the anger that had been boiling down in his belly moments before. Not to mention the sake, which left him feeling a little tipsy and a lot more relieved.
Right….sorry this is so late. It's not my fault though. We went out to celebrate my birthday this weekend, and I had a lot of homework. Then there's finals (yay! not) so I have to study for those. Chapters will be sparse until I'm done with finals, unless I don't have to study too much.