A/N: Epilogue is done, and being edited.

Chapter 11

In all the years he'd known Naruto, he'd never known the kid to show worry. Not until this summer. He'd been wild as a boy, and sullen as he'd gotten older. But never worried. He didn't do worry, ever. Naruto was the one who was usually calm in a crisis, dependably clear-headed during any of the home's minor upheavals. His anger was usually directed inward.

Watching him pace up and down the main room was reminiscent of when Sasuke had first begun coming to the home. Then, too, Naruto had worried. Iruka watched him go to the window to jerk the curtains aside for the hundredth time.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know," Iruka said. All the other children were asleep. It was nearing ten pm. Just him and Naruto.

"He's never been gone this long. You think something's wrong?"

"Honestly? No."

"Has to be. Why would he stay away? This is his home."

Iruka considered the wisdom of saying anything, before unfolding his arms to join Naruto at the window. "I think Sasuke has a home, Naruto. And-"

"No." Naruto dropped the curtain to turn and face him.

"And," Iruka continued, surprised to see the way Naruto was now able to look down on him a bit. "I think the summer's over. He's been staying away from the home more and more often and now he's just…gone. All right? I know you miss him, but I never thought he'd stay as long as he did. You had a friend. That was-"

"What? What? What are you saying, oh my fucking God SHUT UP!" Naruto roared this last at Iruka's face, pulling back from him as if horrified. "What, you're saying that's it? That he won't come back ever?"

"He's definitely surprised me, but I never thought of him as the commitment type, Naruto. He's a drifter. Intelligent, but then intelligent people tend to get bored easily by…" His eyes lowered.

"No, go on," Naruto raged. "Bored by what? Dumbass people like me? Because he said I'm not dumb. And he wouldn't just leave me like that. He wouldn't. He likes me. He wants me."

Iruka studied the furious set to Naruto's face. The flared nostrils and lowered brows. The way his fists rhythmically clenched and unclenched. "All right. If you say so."

-oOo-

The knock on the door had Naruto whirling around. When he'd thrown it open, already chewing Sasuke out for scaring him, they were both surprised.

"Expecting someone else?" Neji said.

Iruka had to gently tug him out of the way by a handful of his shirt so that Neji could enter. Even so, Naruto stared. The whole time Iruka was quietly inquiring about Neji's health and Neji was answering, he couldn't seem to process what he was seeing.

Neji's head was shorn. His hair was a short, thick, silky cap of brown that had a few longer layers hanging between his pale eyes in a point. This was a shock, true, but it was more than that. Finally working up enough moisture in his mouth to moisten his lips, Naruto said, "Dude."

The conversation broke off. Neji looked in Naruto's direction, smiled, then sauntered over. His brows rose up in question. All Naruto could do was shake his head and lift a hand up to gesture at the rest of Neji's appearance.

Neji threw his head back in a laugh. "You like?"

"Huh…uh…" Naruto closed his eyes as his face reddened. Cleared his throat. "Thought you were in the hospital."

"Still? Nah. I had more surgery-" Neji ran a large hand over his hair. "But I was discharged a couple of weeks later. Had some headaches for a while. Spent the rest of the summer working out. Getting back full use of my arm, and the full range of motion in my torso. I'm good now. As you can see," he added with a chuckle.

Naruto thought it rather hard not to see. Neji had been athletic before. Solid. Now he was at least twenty-five pounds heavier. All muscle. "For the Academy?"

Neji's smile fell away. "Academy only takes people who've had no major health issues in their past. Brain surgery pretty much canceled my plans."

"Oh…even though you're fine? You are fine now?"

"Completely. I came by to thank Sasuke…and to see if you were okay."

Naruto blinked. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

Just then Hinata came into the room, shouldering her purse. Iruka intercepted her a moment, speaking to her while Neji stepped closer to Naruto, who'd been briefly distracted by Hinata's arrival. He jumped a bit at returning his attention to Neji to find the guy so close to him. "Actually," Neji said, "I came to see if you were up for more than friendship."

"…Huh?"

Studying the wide, confused eyes, Neji leaned down an inch. "Are you and Sasuke a thing?"

"I…what?"

"Hinata says you guys might be a thing. Are you?"

"What-" Naruto pulled his head back a bit, giving himself room. "What's that mean, a thing?"

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"Oh. No?"

"No?"

"No."

"You guys sleep in the same bed."

"…Yeah."

"You guys do more than sleep?"

"L-like what?"

Neji straightened up at last. "Just want to make sure I'm not marking someone else's territory."

Something about this conversation made Naruto very nervous. His heart was thudding in agitation. "Yeah. Okay." As if he had one clue in fuck what that even meant.

Those pale eyes raked him from head to toe in one long, slow glance of consideration. "Well. I'll be in touch then. 'Kay?"

He nodded. Licked his lips again, which had Neji smirking. Naruto felt his face heat up.

A minute later, Hinata left with her cousin. Iruka came over and waited for Naruto's puzzled eyes to leave the closed door. "The fuck was all that?" Naruto said shakily.

"I think," Iruka said with an attempt at gravity, "That Neji has just announced his intention to pursue you."

"Pursue me? What…you mean… Okay, what do you mean?"

Speaking slowly and clearly, Iruka said, "I believe he's interested in you. Attracted to you. And he intends to act on his interest and attraction. You, having said you're available, just gave him the green light."

Naruto's mouth dropped into an oval of shock. "I never gave him a green light!"

Iruka laughed. Made his way to the back of the home where he slept, and just laughed.

Left to lock up the home, Naruto paused with his hand on the kitchen light switch. He was half out the screen door to the backyard, looking at the wooden corners of his tree house, where they were visible through the leaves. He'd be spending the night alone. He'd spent very few nights alone this summer, and it felt strange. Worse, he didn't know why Sasuke was away.

It wasn't until moody, unanswered questions of Sasuke's whereabouts had finally subsided that Iruka's laughing statement came back to him. By then he'd tossed and turned for hours on his mattress. And then, while spread-eagled on his back, Neji's questions came to him, and his own answers to them, and he almost groaned aloud. Almost, because Sasuke's absence hurt him, and the realization that someone else might be interested in him might in turn hurt Sasuke. If he knew. And the idea of getting Sasuke back for leaving him like this was soothing. Fucked up, but soothing nonetheless.

And he isn't your boyfriend. He might have left the city entirely. This morning might have been the last time you'll ever see him again.

That thought made his heart do an alarming knockety-knock in his chest. As if someone had it in their fist and was squeezing as hard as they could, and his heart was struggling to free itself. A few deep, calming breaths through flared nostrils settled the worst of the arrhythmia, but he kept one palm over his chest anyway, waiting for the steady thump to resume. Once it had, he closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep.

Sasuke wasn't there in the morning. Or the afternoon. Or the next day, or the one after that.

Naruto, operating at a level of suppressed panic that made him physically ill, tried to tell himself it was for the best. A clean break. Panic aside, he grieved, and would have been the last person to realize or admit that he did any such thing. Others noticed. Iruka saw the way he stopped eating. How he spoke as little as possible, and stayed in his tree house most of the time.

If he did speak, it was in one word answers to questions asked of him…until he stopped answering entirely. The questions were all the same anyway. 'Are you all right? Do you want some lunch? Is there anything I can do?'

Iruka and Hinata soon left him alone. It was clear that he wasn't all right, and that there was nothing anyone could do. Sasuke had left, and that was that. What pained them the most was how, one morning, they heard a series of violent, raging screams coming from the tree house. When they went out to the backyard to investigate, it was to find a storm of books and notebooks being hurled out of the tree house window, to land in heaps on the ground. The screaming went on for a long time. Sasuke's name was heard more than once.

When Neji came by a few days later, Iruka and Hinata watched warily, as he was informed by one of the children that Naruto was out back. Iruka looked on from the kitchen window as Neji made his way out the screen door.

Neji strolled the length of the backyard. Stopped by the pile of books at its base. Studied the fluttering pages, some of which were torn. Then leapt nimbly up the ladder and disappeared.

Iruka exchanged a guarded look with Hinata.

-oOo-

It barely registered that someone was entering his space. He knew it wasn't Sasuke; Sasuke's approach was always heralded by huffing and puffing. Despite climbing the ladder for an entire summer, the dude never could seem to accustom himself to it. No, this person jumped in, bounded in, as if the ascent hadn't been ay trouble.

Neji's eyes met his, until Naruto looked away with a snort. "What."

"Told you I'd be by."

"Leave me alone."

"So you guys broke up?"

This earned a frown and more eye contact. "What?"

Neji, now wandering around the main room, stepped over Naruto's crossed ankles to study the furnishings. "You said you two weren't a thing, but clearly you were. Hinata says Sasuke's up and left, and you're pissed about it. You guys broke up."

Naruto spent some seconds blinking at the fascinating sight of Neji's muscular ass clad in faded jeans. "We weren't…like that."

The ass turned, presenting Naruto with a bulging crotch. At least a full minute passed before he realized he was staring, and that Neji was watching him stare. Glancing up at the amused grey eyes, Naruto forced a cough and used this pathetic excuse to avert his eyes.

"Whatever you were, you were into him. He's gone, now you're doing a Taylor Swift."

"A who?"

"Look." Neji came over and squatted, straddling Naruto's thighs. "I'm interested. Okay? Let's just get that out into the open here and now. I'm interested in you. Not in just fucking. You. M'kay? I get that you're hurting right now, but I'd like to know if I've got a shot."

Neji's squatting position put his crotch within touching distance. Naruto was visited by the overwhelming urge to reach forward and cup that bulge, right where it strained the seams of Neji's jeans the most. He had to consciously force himself to keep his eyes on Neji's face, also disturbingly close. What was wrong with him? "A shot at…?"

"You? I'm not promising marriage or anything, but I want more than a fuck, as you thought earlier this summer. Friendship. More than friends. I'm game. You in? Or do you need time?" The grey eyes crinkled in a questioning smile.

Had he the language or awareness of self to realize that Neji's open pursuit was a balm to the insecurities he'd lived with all summer, Naruto would still have hesitated. Just having Neji in the tree house felt like a betrayal to Sasuke. But what really unnerved him was how powerfully attracted he was to Neji. He hadn't realized it until a second ago, at seeing the smile, but Neji's tall, wide-shouldered, strapping authority made him feel things he'd wanted to feel all his life. Safe. Wanted. And he felt secure in Neji's articulation of what he wanted from him and why. Unlike Sasuke, who left him wondering what they were. Did he think he could feel for Neji what he felt for Sasuke? No. Never. But that was okay, because what he had with Sasuke was almost sacred. Never to be felt with another. Neji wanted friendship, or more than that, and that was fine. It was more than fine, it was what he needed right now. Something to ease the pain of Sasuke.

"Soooo…" Neji drawled, when Naruto only continued to stare. "Dinner tonight? I can pick you up. Or…we could head out now, spend the day doing things. No park, I promise."

If he weren't so pissed and resentful of Sasuke's absence he wouldn't even be considering this. But Sasuke was leaving. Or had already left. And Neji wanted to spend time with him. And I need somebody right now. "Okay."

Those first days with his brother were hell. Pure, black hell. Sasuke knew he meant well, but Itachi just wasn't much help.

The simple act of deciding to face the night his parents died did a lot more than he thought it would. He hadn't thought he'd undergo such a drastic change, that his emotions would be subject to such a cataclysmic reversal and upheaval. Simply saying that he would try broke down every barrier he'd erected to protect himself from the pain of that night. It flooded every pore, every crevice of his being, and he bathed in it.

Had he known he was capable of so much crying, he'd have thrown up in disgust. He threw up anyway, having regressed to hysterics on one or two occasions. He seemed to talk a lot when the crying was at its worst. He kept seeing the blood, all the blood, and the paramedics covering his parents' faces with sheets, and then the coroner coming to zip them in body bags and take them away. His brother was there in those memories, and there with him in the present, and for some time –he didn't know how long- he was too confused to know which was which or when was when.

Then he slept.

He woke up 28 hours later, face down in his bed, and said, "Itachi."

Movement to his side resolved itself into his brother's haggard face. Seemed he'd just woken up as well. "You had an episode," Itachi said. "Had to sedate you." He gestured to the nightstand, where a small glass bottle and syringe sat. "You hadn't had one since mom and dad died. Back then you had a couple every week. We hospitalized you in the psyche ward for a few weeks. Remember?"

He didn't. But that wasn't why he'd called his brother. "Itachi."

"Yeah, man." Itachi moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "I'm here."

"I killed them."

His brother gave a long, low sigh that might have been a curse. "I thought we'd been over this."

Sasuke displayed an unusual amount of energy by turning over quickly and sitting up. "No. You went over it. You laid out your argument for why you don't believe it's true, and I tried, okay? I tried to get with that and see it from your side, but I've been doing some thinking of my own. Ten damn years worth, and the truth is simple. I killed them. Trying to tell myself I didn't is what's fucking me up."

Itachi sprung from the bed, startling Sasuke into silence. He watched his older brother pacing up and down a minute, before flinching when Itachi turned.

Itachi's face was wild. "Fine. All right? Fine! You killed them…but I'm the one who left you there!"

"Wha-"

"Me. I left a kid in there with two wounded adults, by himself," Itachi roared. "You want to talk blame, let's talk blame. Let's talk about what I've been thinking on for ten damn years, yeah? I left you. You did what you did because I ran instead of picking up the fucking phone. I'm the reason you tried to save them, I'm the reason you broke when you couldn't, and I'm the reason you've been fucked up for all the years since. It's my fault, mine, I did this."

Sasuke shifted carefully, lest a sudden movement bring on violence as well as more yelling. "No, you-"

"I tried! I tried to fix it. Sent you to school. Tried to be there for you. Tried to-" Itachi did a weird snorting cough, and Sasuke realized his brother was about to cry. "Tried to hold on to you, to keep you from slipping away. Why do you think I took up medicine?" Here, Itachi shoved his fingers into his hair, clutching it hard a moment. "You have no idea how much I hate medicine. Hate it, fucking hate it, but I was trying to hold on to my brother, any part of him, any part of how he used to be."

He dropped his hands, leaving his hair loose and wild around his face as he finally met Sasuke's eyes with tears rolling down his cheeks. "Itachi," Sasuke said uncomfortably.

"You hate me. Maybe you don't, not really, but I think you do a little. At least a little. You have every reason to. But, you know…you're not the only one who lost parents. I lost them too. And I lost you. You want to say you killed them? Fine. But you didn't do it by yourself. I played my part. They're gone, though. You're not. And as bad as losing them was, it's nowhere near as bad as watching someone you love die a little each year, the way I've watched you. So if this whole 'I killed them' shtick is some prelude to you leaving here for good, save it. I can't take anymore. Really…I can't." Itachi's face crumpled. "I need you, okay? Fuck." This last was spat out in disgust, as Itachi turned and covered his face with the hem of his T-shirt.

Sasuke sat stiff and silent, wondering what to do. He couldn't recall ever seeing his brother cry like this, and he'd never, but never said the things he'd revealed tonight.

A shiver worked through him. So much of the past had been churned up between the night he'd come home and now that it was easy for him to look at his brother's shaking back and remember the boy he'd been. Back then Itachi had been a solemn, serious brother with dreams of entering the Academy. He'd been a good brother, making time for Sasuke when he wasn't training himself. Sometimes they'd had brotherly moments, when it was just the two of them. Sasuke remembered how those moments were laced with a tight, almost unbearable love he'd had for Itachi…and something hard and unyielding inside him cracked. It crumbled, and dissolved, so that he was inundated with that love once again. With it, the thought of his brother also in pain all these years sent him bouncing off his bed to throw himself at Itachi's back.

It couldn't be called a hug. It was violent, silent, and stiff-armed, but he squeezed his brother hard, as if he could murder Itachi's misery that way. He even dug the point of his chin into Itachi's shoulder for good measure. The thought of his brother hurting was suddenly intolerable. Itachi was the one who had it together, who was undamaged, and normal; the idea of him in pain beneath that façade made Sasuke grit his teeth and squeeze, squeeze, squeeze until he was shaking with the effort. It was a denial of his brother's hurt, a negation of it.

His brother needed him. "I'm here," he whispered.

Itachi, wincing at the hug, put a hand over both of Sasuke's, where they were clasped over his chest. "You haven't been, though."

"I'm here now." In some dark, amorphous part of Sasuke's mind he understood that if he'd known from the start how ripped up his brother was he himself would never have gotten as messed up as he did. Feeling Itachi's hot tears land on his clasped hands, he squeezed harder. "I'm here now."

-oOo-

After, they were awkward. Hands shoved in their pockets, or under their armpits, as they faced each other, and staring fixedly at their feet.

This period of silence gave Sasuke a revelation. An argument could be made for him having killed his parents, just as one could be made for his brother's culpability- itself a new and fascinating concept, if an ugly one. But if he believed, as he surely did, that an equal argument could be made for Itachi's innocence, he must then follow the same logic and say that one could be made for his as well.

But he wasn't, he concluded. He wasn't innocent, nor was he quite guilty. Was there no middle ground?

"It was an accident," Sasuke said slowly, tasting the words on his tongue. "I did it, but I didn't mean to do it."

Itachi nodded. "I know. And I shouldn't have left you, but I did. I panicked. Bolted."

It was painful to acknowledge for both of them, but it was a cleansing pain. Like pulling a thorn out of a festering wound. Sasuke raised his eyes and found Itachi looking at him. "It was an accident. And…I'll live with it." This he could do. Now that he could look it in the face, and knew the extent of Itachi's own feelings of guilt. "I'll live with it."

Again, Itachi nodded. "So will I. Nothing else we can do."

It was a heavy weight. Sasuke took a deep breath, expanding his lungs for what felt like the first time in years, and the weight seemed easier. "How come you never told me?"

Itachi lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "You were so unapproachable. After those first few weeks, once you'd been let out of the hospital, the subject was off-limits. You didn't talk about it, or let anyone else talk about it. Plus…I don't know, I was ashamed. Am ashamed. I should have been the one with his head screwed on straight. I was your older brother. Supposed to take care of you. I left you there, man."

"Well. Like I said, I'm here now." He watched his brother press a thumb and forefinger to his eyes, face clenched against more tears. He could relate; it was several moments before he felt in control of himself enough to say the rest. "I'm done running. I'm staying."

-oOo-

The next morning he woke up, saw the sunlight all over his room, and smelled pancakes cooking. Upon leaving his room he found Itachi at the stove with a dishtowel over one shoulder. There was a glance between them that they each quickly looked away from. Last night's revelations and admissions sat between them like an unwieldy burden. It would take some getting used to.

His eyes fell on the books Itachi normally spent his time with. They were strewn across the table, as usual.

The medical books hadn't been touched in days.

Sasuke wandered over to them and ran his finger across an embossed title. Flipped the cover, turned a few pages, then let them riffle shut. "I want to go to med school," he announced.

Itachi brought two plates stacked with eggs, pancakes, and sausages over to the table. "You sure?"

"Completely. It's what I want."

"Registration for MCATs opens next month," Itachi said, mouth full.

Sasuke eyed the books they'd stacked on the floor. "I'll be signing up."

"I see. And…Naruto?"

Sasuke froze. "Shit."

"Yeah…he might miss you."

"Fuck that, I haven't seen him in days." He sat there with a wedge of pancake dangling from his fork. "What's it been, three days?"

"Try eight," Itachi snorted. "Hey! Where you going?"

The door to the apartment slammed behind Sasuke.

"Naruto's not here," Iruka said once Sasuke had checked the tree house. "Neji took him out for the day. Same as yesterday. Where've you been?"

He ignored the children clustering around him. "Family issues. And I was sedated. Neji…" Something about that burned his insides. What- oh, right. Neji had wanted to fuck Naruto. "Naruto's out with Neji? Where? And how could you let him take Naruto anywhere after what happened the last time? How can you even trust Neji?"

"I think Neji's learned his lesson. So has Naruto." His eyes bored into Sasuke's.

"Man, whatever. Judge me all you want." He was already heading for the door.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke turned around at the quiet tone. "Look, if you know where they are-"

"I don't. I do know that you hurt Naruto. Left with no word. Naruto's had a hard week without you. If Neji can give him things you can't, I think you should let him. It would be kinder to Naruto than leading him on, if you understand my meaning."

What Sasuke understood was that he'd come to the home to find all Naruto's books scattered beneath the tree house in an obvious statement of rage. He'd expected to find Naruto a bit pissed, but happy to see him. Honestly, staying away for 8 days didn't seem like that big a deal. Not enough to start hanging with another guy. Naruto had to have known he'd come back, right? If he could accept Sasuke's past, couldn't he accept 8 measly days of separation? What the fuck, how did he just go off with Neji? "I'll be back later," was all he said.

Naruto stopped on the home's doorstep that evening, but only because Neji put a hand on his arm to prevent him from opening the door. "Hey," Neji said. And when Naruto turned, there was Neji's face, blocking out the wan light from the street lamp as it closed in for a kiss.

Neji smelled good, Naruto noted. His cologne wasn't overwhelming. Something light and clean and masculine, much as Neji himself was. All of Neji's face was in shadow, only his half-closed eyes catching a bit of light. They were silvery pale as they focused on his mouth. He could even feel Neji's breath, where it tingled across his lips. He wanted it. Wanted Neji to kiss him. But he said, "Don't."

"I'm sorry?" Neji didn't quite pull back; he hovered there, an inch away from Naruto's mouth.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Don't kiss me."

Now Neji did pull back, straightening to his full height. "Why not?"

"Because I like you."

"That seems like a reason to kiss, not avoid it. Am I missing something?" Neji's head tipped sideways in question.

Naruto turned so his back was leaning against the door, giving Neji his profile. "I like you. A lot. I'll be the first to say I don't know anything about the whole 'more than friends' thing, but…I kind of think I should feel more than like if I'm going to be kissing someone."

"Not necessarily. People kiss for a lot less."

"I don't think I'm one of those kinds of people then. Because there is someone I kiss, and even if we aren't a thing, like you said, he's more than my friend."

"Sasuke."

"Sasuke," Naruto sighed.

"Well. He's not here. And I am."

Naruto looked over at him. Neji, seeing the serious expression in those blue eyes that he couldn't seem to stop thinking about, stopped breathing. He almost missed what was being said.

"-I like you, but I'm really screwed up."

"I see."

"I do want to be friends, though. Bring my grand total up to two. I'll be leaving the home soon, and I'm going to need a friend."

Neji studied him for a long time, hands in his pockets. "I'm never going to get a kiss from you, am I."

Naruto looked down at his feet. He had on new sneakers that Sasuke had brought home one day with the take-out. First new pair of shoes he'd ever owned. "Probably not, no."

"I can fight for you, if you say someday. If I've got a shot, I can fight for you. I don't give up easily. So is it not right now, or definitely a no? Because if it's just the timing-"

"Neji."

"…Okay."

Naruto stared at his feet until he heard Neji moving down the home's front walk. "You coming back?" he asked without looking up.

When he got no answer, he looked around to find that Neji was gone.

And Sasuke was leaning against a tree not too far away, watching him.

-oOo-

Sasuke said nothing as he strolled over, so Naruto had no idea of knowing how much he'd heard or what he'd seen. It was a minute before he reminded himself that there had been nothing to see or hear. His guilt stemmed from the momentary attraction he'd had for Neji, not from anything Sasuke could have witnessed. By the time Sasuke made it over to him, he had himself more or less under control.

Except he hadn't seen Sasuke in days, and it only hit him now, as Sasuke was stepping onto the stoop to stand in front him, that he hadn't been able to breathe in all that time. Some tortuous machine that had been inserted into his skin and cranked tighter with each passing day suddenly loosened. Tension he hadn't known he'd been carrying released. A headache he'd been ignoring for days withdrew its claws from his brain. Acid that had been burning his stomach settled down. His lungs sucked in a deep breath, another, then another. Sasuke was back; he could breathe.

"Hey," Sasuke said.

I love you. "Hey."

Sasuke made a show of looking in the direction Neji had gone. "Came by earlier but you were out."

"You were gone."

"Yeah."

"Where were you?"

"Not out here. Tree house."

"Okay."

For once, Naruto used the ladder. His hands and feet barely touched thing as he went up, and he spent interminable seconds waiting for Sasuke to finish his ascent before he was able to look at him and try to assess what might be coming. Could be Sasuke was about to say he was leaving. Maybe he'd been off finalizing his departure plans. Naruto found himself cracking his knuckles nervously, and stopped. His hands were shaking. All of him was shaking.

Sasuke took longer than usual climbing up. He'd been waiting in front of the home for nearly an hour by the time he saw Neji and Naruto walking up. He hadn't been able to hear whatever was said between them on the stoop, but he'd seen Neji bend close to Naruto's face. Thanks to his angle, he hadn't been able to see the kiss itself. It had been short, that much he'd seen. And after, Naruto had looked sad. Right now Naruto looked panicked. Well, he should. Caught in the act.

Naruto wasn't his. He had to remind himself of that fact.

Fuck that. "You kissed Neji."

"What?" Naruto's eyes went wide. "No I didn't."

"I saw you."

"You saw wrong. He almost did, but I stopped him."

"Naruto-"

"I didn't kiss Neji."

The blue eyes darkened to a color Sasuke had never seen before. Something dangerous. The rage and jealousy stewing inside him was abruptly neutralized. Swept away by a flood of love and possessiveness that nearly choked him. Damn you, Naruto. Damn you.

He managed a nod. Naruto's face calmed somewhat at seeing it. "Well." Sasuke cleared his throat. "I-"

"Where were you?"

Right. He had legitimate crap to talk about. "With my brother."

"Saying goodbye?"

"Actually…" Sasuke met his eyes. "I was trying to make things right with him."

All the walls he was trying to erect to shield himself from the blow of Sasuke leaving, suddenly crumbled. He was left unguarded and defenseless in the face of this stunning news. "What…you mean…?"

"Yeah." Sasuke nodded.

"Man. How…how'd it go?"

Sasuke shifted from his stiff posture, and Naruto moved with him. They were thawing from their frozen, tense positions of uncertainty, as their attachment to each other reasserted itself the longer they were reunited. It happened without either of them realizing it. An unconscious thing, something neither had control over, so that they found themselves sitting side by side on the floor, backs against the wall. Sasuke stared at his lap. Naruto stared at his profile.

"Awful. It was awful. Itachi said I had some kind of psychotic break or something. Sedated me. I know I blubbered like a baby, but we talked. A lot. And cried. A lot. It was bad, man. I didn't even know what day it was most of the time. Had no clue so much time had passed, and then when I got here, Iruka said you'd gone off with Neji…" Sasuke turned and looked at him. "Thought you…I thought you…"

"Never," Naruto said. "Just never."

They were silent for a time. Letting their budding fears smooth out on their own. No one had left anyone, the silence said.

"So now what?" Naruto whispered. He was afraid of the answer.

Sasuke smiled. "I'm staying."

For a second, Naruto thought he'd misheard. "In Konoha? For good?"

"Going to try and get into med school," Sasuke nodded.

Naruto pounced. Tackled Sasuke to the floor, all but punching him in his relief and happiness. "Swear it!" he screamed wildly. "Swear it, you ass!" He could barely speak he was laughing so hard.

"I swear." Sasuke's laugh was a rich, throaty sound. Naruto sat up on his waist, but Sasuke lunged up and pulled him in for a kiss. When he released Naruto he said it again. "I swear, I'm staying."

They kissed for a long time, but afterwards they talked again. Or rather Sasuke talked and Naruto listened.

"So…as much as I hate it, if I want to pass my MCATs, I won't be coming over here as much."

"Why?"

"Today I gave my bro an assignment. Find us a new place. Someplace close to the college I plan on enrolling in, and Konoha Hospital. The test won't be for a couple of months, but I'll be studying like a fiend during that time. Did you know that Konoha has the largest medical library of all the neighboring townships? Even Suna?"

"No…"

"Hopefully, Itachi will find a place that's close to it. The library, college, and hospital are all in the same district of downtown. There are suburbs not too far from there. I need to be practically living in that library if I want to pass. I mean, I know I'll pass, but I'm rusty. Anyway, wherever Itachi finds a place for us, it's going to be clear on the other side of town. The time spent commuting from here to the library is time I need to study."

"But-"

"It's only for a little while. The test is in January. I'll come visit on the weekends. Stay over."

"I'm…leaving here in a few weeks."

Sasuke looked down at his hands. "I know."

Naruto waited for Sasuke to say something else. When he didn't, he tried to quell his resentment, and failed. "Didn't know you guys had money for a new place," he muttered.

"Where do you think I've been disappearing to at night? I mean, I hadn't made up my mind for sure to stay or go, but I knew I'd need more cash."

"You were off stealing?"

"Sure was. "Sasuke didn't even pretend to be apologetic. "Nearly got my ass shot off again one night; hit the mother load. Bunch of stoned fucks in a basement, snoozing around two trash bags full of money. I was only able to get away with one, but it was enough."

"Enough?" Naruto's heart was still pounding at the knowledge that Sasuke had been shot at.

"Yeah…"

He watched in wide-eyed awe as Sasuke casually swung his back off his back and unzipped it. Sasuke was speaking, but the words were washing over his ears like so much noise. Sasuke's bag was stuffed with money.

And down in the kitchen, he had to figure Iruka and Hinata looked about as shocked as he felt, as they listened to Sasuke saying he'd made some calls. Seems Sasuke had found that the plot next to the home wasn't for sale, but there was a shut down sports club a couple of blocks over that was. Once renovated, it would be an ideal setup for a group home. Sasuke said he didn't have enough to pay for all of the asking price, but he had more than half. He tipped the contents of the bag onto the table.

"Guy said if you contact him before the end of the week, he'd be willing to negotiate," Sasuke concluded, oblivious to the tears welling in Iruka's eyes, or the fierce pride on Naruto's face. "Think he wants the place off his hands. Did some research, found out that Konoha's charities don't pay property tax on their buildings. The home can easily be considered a charity, right? And there are a few places were you can get the supplies to renovate really cheap. No crew, but if you have the building and supplies, Naruto can do the rest. Right?" He finally glanced up to find Iruka, Hinata, and Naruto lined up by the sink, watching him. "What?"

Iruka and Hinata broke down crying, but Naruto only shook his head at him slowly, as if there were no words to describe Sasuke. "You, that's what," he said.

"You can't do it?"

"Oh, I'm sure I can do it."

"Good." Sasuke shifted uncomfortably. Iruka and Hinata were really howling. "Figured you could be busy doing that while I'm busy studying. We could hook up on the weekends. Rest. Or…whatever."

"You did all this in a day?"

"Few hours, actually. All I did was look in the classified, Christ. Not like I did anything special."

Just then Iruka rounded the table, reaching to pull Sasuke into a hug. Naruto watched as Sasuke tried to tolerate this.

On the one hand, Sasuke had made no comment on the fact that he would be homeless soon. On the other hand, he'd just provided the home's residents with a gift beyond price. He didn't quite know what to think or feel about Sasuke at the moment. A small smile quirked the corner of his mouth as he watched Sasuke forcibly pry Iruka's arms from around his neck. Nothing special my ass.

Though the next couple of weeks were fraught with a level of activity and happiness unheard of at the home, Naruto found himself sinking deeper and deeper into some hole he was powerless to climb out of.

The sale on the sport's club had been finalized with money left over to buy a modicum of construction supplies. Iruka had paired all the children up and led them, holding hands, the few blocks to the new facility. A good hour had been spent with the kids running around the spacious ground floor. The enormous swimming pools had been shrieked over, as had the many bathrooms and shower stalls. There was a rock-climbing wall on the lower level too, along with a closed restaurant that sat fifty. Upstairs were several modest offices, and large rooms that had belonged to the various fitness instructors as they gave their classes. Many were mirrored. And then there was what had been the weight room, an expanse of space that still had the rubber mat covering on its floor. Around the entire second floor was a track for those who elected to run indoors. The top floor held, of all things, a basketball court, complete with a huge closet that had equipment for volleyball, badminton, and floor hockey.

The children, not to mention Iruka and Hinata, had all gone berserk.

While they'd been thundering up and down the place, Naruto made a solitary inspection of the club from top to bottom. Beyond a few minor repairs, the place was in excellent condition. Honestly, it was more livable than where they were now.

And he was happy, really he was. He just hadn't thought it would be so hard to live without Sasuke.

To his credit, Sasuke now called the home every evening at 7 pm. Naruto would be waiting by the phone thirty minutes before, and snatch it up on the first ring. There would be twenty or so minutes of conversation- him discussing how the kids were all eager to move right way, or Sasuke talking about postoperative fistulas- before Sasuke would have to get back to studying.

He ached. Sometimes Sasuke would lower his voice on the phone and say how much he missed him. Naruto would do likewise, but he ached. He didn't just miss Sasuke. He missed knowing everything he was doing, every minute of every day. Sasuke now spoke of encountering other people at the library, other people who were also studying for that cat test. He'd talk about study groups, time spent trying to accustom himself to the disagreeable job of appearing normal to people, and Naruto would know sharp, unreasoning jealousy that Sasuke was talking to anyone but him. He liked it better when he knew Sasuke was too fucked up to allow that kind of interaction.

He felt like he was about to run off the side of a mountain. His birthday was around the corner. He'd be cast into the wind soon. Sasuke would get into med school and become completely unavailable. And he, Naruto, would be free falling, with nothing and no one to catch him.

It was impossible not to brace himself for the plunge. He knew Sasuke was trying to maintain their friendship, or whatever it was they had, but that made things worse, if that was possible.

Sasuke did come by on the weekends, just as he promised. For a while, Naruto would be out of the hole. He and Sasuke would laze about the tree house. Sometimes Sasuke treated the new blisters and cuts on his hands from working at the sports club, but most of the time they just sat and talked about their respective plans. The procedures for various surgeries Sasuke would be studying next, or the faulty wiring in one of the offices at the club. There was kissing, but it was different. Sometimes desperate, sometimes reserved and uncomfortable. They couldn't find the balance anymore.

Naruto never asked about Sasuke's new place, and Sasuke never volunteered the information. And so he was left with his slowly hardening feelings, looming fear, and growing confusion. How could Sasuke do so much and yet not do the one thing he wanted him to do? Why did he act like Naruto was important to him, and yet…?

Sometimes Naruto would catch himself staring at Sasuke with something that was almost hatred. Sasuke would see him looking, and look away.

The day of his birthday, it rained. Naruto stood in the middle of his tree house and looked at his belongings. Thanks to Sasuke, he had quite a few things now. His books had been rescued from the ground, and now sat stacked in piles of ten and bound with strong twine. His clothes were shoved into two huge knapsacks Sasuke had gotten from somewhere.

Typically the first rain of fall meant an end to his nights in the tree house; it was a sturdy structure, but leaky. Tonight, he wouldn't just be moving out of the tree house for a few months, but out of the home entirely. It gave him a fluttery feeling in his stomach.

Iruka was in the kitchen when he went down. It was still early, so most of the other residents were sleeping. "Happy birthday," Iruka said around his mug of coffee.

Naruto surprised himself by bursting into tears.

Iruka's hand landed on the back of his neck, squeezing gently. "I can hire you to work for the home," Iruka said quietly. "I won't really be able to pay you, though. Or you can simply stay with me. I have a nice big room at the club. I'm legally required to turn you out, but I will break any law for you, Naruto. No one has to know you're living there."

As suddenly as they came, Naruto tears vanished on a wave of rage. He pulled away from Iruka. "No. I'm done being a charity case. I'll make my own way. With…without anyone's help. When do I have to be out?"

"Naruto-"

"When?"

Iruka privately thought that he would never forget the look on Naruto's face just then. The frowning mouth, the violently darkened eyes. "Midnight."

"Fine. The repairs at the club will be done today anyway. Soon as I'm finished I'll come back, get my shit, and be gone."

Naruto slammed out of the kitchen, heading back to his tree house.

-oOo-

Hinata drove him in the home's dilapidated station wagon. Once there, she spent some time making up the beds, and making sure the tables and chairs in the former restaurant were all to her liking. Sasuke had provided the money for the furniture, as well as such things as linens and toys. When Naruto expressed his concerns about him going back to Oto to steal after having been shot at twice, Sasuke snorted. He'd used the last of the money he'd taken the night he'd stabbed that guy, he said. He was officially broke.

Some hours later, the club was done. Ready for habitation. Hinata smiled tremulously as Naruto asked her to take him back for his things.

The ride back was silent. Hinata was a slow driver, carefully observing all traffic rules. Naruto studied the rain-washed streets and wondered what he was supposed to do once the home's door closed behind him. The only place he knew how to get to was the park. Maybe the grocery store. He recalled tales Iruka had told him and the other kids in his youth. Stories about kids wandering away from the home, only to be snatched and sold on the black market as slaves. And that was if they weren't carted off to some dark alley and murdered for the sheer hell of it. Naruto suspected then, as he did now, that the tales were told to keep the more adventurous kids from sneaking out of the home, but the memory of his night in Oto hadn't left him. Predators were real. He didn't want to become some scavenging bum, but what were his options? If only he knew where to go.

The front room of the home was packed. Aside from all the kids shouting "Happy birthday!" at him, Sasuke and Itachi stood in the middle of the room, with Iruka.

Naruto flinched at the shout. "The fuck?"

"Surprise, freak." Sasuke shook his head, grinning. "Thought we forgot?"

"No, but-"

Naruto spluttered to silence as Neji detached himself from a crowd of older kids and came over to him. He held out an oblong box wrapped in brown paper. "I'd love to be friends," he said to Naruto's puzzled expression. "Though I'm still holding out hope for more." His grin was wide and devilish.

Itachi came up on Naruto's other side, looked Neji up and down with flat eyes, then pointedly ignored him. Maneuvering himself between Neji and Naruto, he said, "Sasuke and I –you know, Sasuke your boyfriend- have a present for you as well."

Neji raised a brow. "You got beef with me?" he said to Itachi's ponytail.

Before Itachi could answer, Sasuke pulled Naruto aside, leaving his brother to turn and face Neji with whatever smart comment he had ready. "You okay?"

Naruto finally got the brown paper ripped off and found a leather sheath. Inside was a spectacular hunting knife, the edge gleaming in the dim lighting of the home's naked bulbs. "Hoooooooo, sweet!" he howled beneath his breath.

"Naruto?" Sasuke said.

"Look at this thing!" Naruto held the blade up in front of Sasuke's face. "Double edged!"

"Naruto."

Raised voices had the kids and Naruto looking over to find Neji and Itachi standing almost nose to nose, jaws tight.

"All I'm saying," Itachi hissed, "is for you to keep your fucking hands off my brother's man. I don't give a fuck who you are."

Neji's reply was an inaudible growl, but Iruka hastily stepped over, hands raised for peace.

"Naruto."

Naruto looked back at Sasuke with a nervous laugh. "The hell's that about?"

Sasuke gave up and dragged Naruto out of the home by the arm. When the door was shut behind them, he forced Naruto to look at him. "Naruto."

"What."

"Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Iruka said you were upset today. And I told you I'd be coming by this afternoon, but you weren't here."

"Had to finish the club before I left. I'm fine." He studied his new knife.

Sasuke pursed his lips. "Itachi and I have a birthday present for you."

Naruto glanced up, then looked back at his knife. A minute later, he lifted his head properly and sighed. "I'm being an asshole. Sorry."

"It's cool."

"It's not. I don't want to stay here, but I don't have anywhere else to go. I'm…" His eyes gauged Sasuke's expression. "I'm scared."

Sasuke looked down and nodded. "I know."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I've been trying to find training programs for you, but they're all full. Jobs are just about non-existent too. I'm working on it, though. And so's Itachi. He just got a new job himself, so he's trying to see if there might be a position for you there. It's not great, but it's better than nothing. Says he doesn't want me stealing anymore."

"Oh." Naruto blinked in shock for a moment. Sasuke did care about him. "You didn't tell me you were doing all that."

"Yeah, well…I didn't want you to feel embarrassed or anything."

"Thanks. I think."

Itachi came out of the home then, face set in grim lines. "I know that asswipe in there thanked you for saving his life and all," he snarled to Sasuke, " but you'd do well to watch your back with him. You ready, Naruto?" Itachi strode past them to what looked like a new Jeep and climbed in.

Once buckled into the back seat with Sasuke, Naruto couldn't help smiling. A little trip was just the thing to take his mind off where'd he'd be after midnight. "Where, um…where we going?"

Itachi braked for a red light and twisted to face him. "Off to give you your birthday present. Once we're done, Sasuke and I will take you home, don't worry."

"Wasn't worried," Naruto said. "But I need to be back by midnight. No hints about the place we're going to?"

"Not a one," Itachi smirked. His eyes met Sasuke's in the rear view mirror for a shared smile. "But I think you'll like it."

Sasuke distracted Naruto with the information that his studies were positively killing him. "But you're a genius," Naruto laughed. "You know everything about medicine."

"No one anywhere knows all there is to know about medicine. I haven't studied in a long time, and there is tons I don't know. Besides which, medicine is an evolving science, constantly changing. You have to change with it, or risk getting left behind. I'm already behind. Summer school was a cake walk compared to this." He went on in this vein, with Naruto a fascinated listener, until Itachi interrupted him.

"Sasuke tells me you're sporty. What kind of sports you like doing?" he asked Naruto.

"Me? All kinds, I guess."

"Well, you got your contact sports, your non-contact sports," Itachi drawled. "From those, you got your full-contact, semi-contact, limited-contact. You got sports requiring strength, agility, dexterity. Team sports, solo sports. There's-"

"Okay, okay. I, um….guess I don't really know which sports I like since I've never really played any. Basketball? I've done that."

"So you like the idea of sports."

"Yeah, I guess."

"You like moving your body."

"Yeah."

"You're probably frustrated. Confined to that backyard, hence the whole Tarzan thing that Sasuke tells me about."

Naruto didn't know who Tarzan was. A moment later, Itachi parked the Jeep and said they'd arrived. Looking around, Naruto only saw the glass and steel buildings of what he knew to be downtown Konoha. "Where are we?"

Sasuke pointed. Naruto followed his finger until he was facing a huge dome that sat a few blocks away. "That's where we're going," Sasuke said.

"No," Naruto whispered. He took an unsteady step forward. "No way. You're kidding!"

"Nope." Itachi came around the front of the jeep, to where Sasuke and Naruto were standing. "You're going to The Arena."

Naruto had heard of it. The Arena was huge. It covered three square miles, and was entirely domed in Plexiglas. Konoha was known for this particular landmark, as it could be seen from virtually anywhere in the city. Walking the short distance to the entrance, Sasuke, Itachi, and Naruto entered its air-conditioned confines and just stared for a moment.

There were two baseball fields, a football field, several basketball courts, volleyball courts, and a racing track. In truth, there were a lot of sports represented that none of them had a name for.

"Fuck!" Naruto whimpered in joy. His eyes were as round as marbles.

Itachi beamed, but Sasuke privately thought that he'd just entered the gateway to hell on earth; he'd had no idea the place would be so…so energetic. He reached for one of the thick color brochures stacked beside the door as a guy wearing the blue and yellow T-shirt of Arena employees skipped over to them.

"Hi! First time here?" this man chirped. His smile was twice as wide as any normal person's.

Naruto said that it was, just as Itachi said he'd be back for him and Sasuke in a few hours. He left.

Sasuke read the brochure while absently noting that Naruto and the guy seemed to become immediate best friends. He heard Naruto somehow mentioning that he was a resident of the home, to which sympathetic sounds were made by the guy. Then Naruto said he'd be leaving soon, to which the guy crowed in delight. And then Naruto said it was his birthday, and the guy gave a girlish squeal of congratulations.

"Friend? Friend? Friend?"

Sasuke slowly picked his head up and realized the guy was speaking to him.

"I'm going to need to see your tickets, friend."

Itachi had given him the tickets before they'd even arrived at the home. Sasuke fished them out of his pocket and handed them over. The guy, whose name tag read 'Chuck', took them with a broadening of his already unnatural smile and a little bob of his head.

"Alrighty then!" Chuck looked up after inspecting the tickets. "All looks to be in order here. You've purchased five hours of playing time. What would you two like to try first?" His face was nothing short of radiant.

Naruto seemed to be trying to look at all the stations at once. "Everything."

"Excellent!" Chuck turned to Sasuke. "And you, friend?"

Sasuke glanced at Naruto's intent face, then held up the thick brochure.

"Ah, I see you have one!" Chuck announced. "It's pretty long, if I do say so myself. Over 300 activities. I'll understand if you want time to read it before-"

"Already read it."

"So fast?"

"Says in this thing that if anyone here is hurt doing your shit that you people aren't responsible."

"Uh, yes. That's true, but-"

"Well, I'm holding you responsible. Anything happens to Naruto, you'll wish you were dead." He slapped the brochure onto Chuck's chest and pulled a stunned Naruto aside.

"Dude. You don't have to worry," Naruto said awkwardly. His face was bright pink. "I'm not dumb enough to get hurt here."

Sasuke squinted around the noisy place. "Yeah, well if you did get hurt I'll be here to make sure it's not serious. Now, I'm supposed to be all in there with you, but I'd rather be shot, so I'm going to study a bit. Over there on those benches. If your new boyfriend gets curious, tell him I'm checking out one of the other activities. You mind?"

Naruto studied the way Sasuke's eyes seemed to be darting everywhere nervously. Every time there was a shout, or a ball was thrown, his eyes skittered in a new direction. And he hadn't missed the boyfriend comment. It was like some weird change had come over Sasuke the second he'd entered this place. "Does being here make you that uncomfortable?"

"It shows?"

"A bit."

"Can't stand sports of any kind. But I'm here, okay? Unless you really want me in there? With you?"

Naruto grinned. "No, it's cool. This is the best birthday present ever. Thank you." He considered hugging Sasuke, but thought better of it. Later. When they dropped him off home he'd have to say goodbye to Sasuke. He'd hug him then. Sasuke nodded in relief, though, at learning he wouldn't be required to participate in the activities. Naruto watched him walk to the benches near the food court.

Chuck was at his side instantly. "Your friend could do with an attitude adjustment. He is your friend, right?"

"You could say that." Naruto felt a warm weight against his arm and looked down to see Chuck standing very close to him. "Kind of complicated."

"Oh. Well, I don't mind what he said."

"What he said?"

"About me being your boyfriend. You're one cute stud, you know."

In shock, Naruto felt Chuck's sweaty hand worm its way into his own. "Uh…"

"Come on, I'll show you around."

Itachi pulled up to The Arena's entrance and honked the horn. Sasuke and Naruto came jogging out, with the addition of some round-cheeked teen. Naruto and his brother climbed into the backseat, but this other boy boldly opened the front passenger door and regarded Itachi with shining eyes.

"I've given Naruto some complimentary tickets so you can bring him back every day," the beaming boy gushed. "He killed it in here. Owned every activity station he set foot on. The records he set today, oh my God…" And off he went, recounting things Itachi had obviously missed.

A glance at the rear view mirror showed Sasuke ready for murder, and Naruto trying to hold in a laugh. "Yo," Itachi cut into the boy's rhapsodizing. "Close my door and move."

"Oh. All right…" The boy reluctantly closed the door, but pressed his nose to the window, smudging it. "Will you be bringing-"

Itachi peeled away from the curb, causing the boy to squeal and jump back. Naruto burst out laughing, just as Sasuke rounded on him and started yelling. The noise was deafening.

It was interesting, Itachi thought, seeing all the ways Sasuke interacted with Naruto. The argument was entertaining, to say the least. Especially with Naruto cracking up every time Sasuke cursed. After a minute, Itachi was laughing too.

Naruto used the hem of his shirt to mop his face. "God, I'm starving."

"Burger do you?" Itachi asked.

"Yeah!"

He pointed to the cargo space behind the boys, where a few paper bags of fast food sat. "Surprised you didn't smell it when you got in the truck. Seems like you had fun. Did you?"

"Yeah, I did. That place is amazing, man."

"Glad to hear it. Ready to go home?" Itachi ventured when they'd divided the food amongst themselves.

"Yup. Can't thank you enough, Itachi."

"Ah, don't mention it." Then, because he couldn't resist, he said, "Saw that fool's name tag. Did you fuck Chuck?"

Both boys snorted laughter at that. "No," Naruto gasped. Then he broke out laughing in earnest, nearly choking.

Sasuke was no better; his soda was coming out of his nose, and his eyes were leaking. Obviously, he was over whatever jealousy he'd gotten into the car with. "Seriously," Sasuke wheezed. "He looked like he would have paid you for the privilege, Naruto."

That set Naruto off again. "Not my type."

Itachi noted the look that passed between them. Looks like Sasuke's your type.

The laughter died down, to be replaced with the sort of grunting, greedy eating teen boys seemed to be known for. He noticed that Sasuke ate a lot more these days, too. Kid had shot up at least three inches this summer, and packed on a good ten or so pounds of solid meat. He switched to studying Naruto. "You're good people," he told him. "A magnet for boys, but good people. I like you."

Flushed with embarrassment, Naruto tried to speak around the food in his mouth. "Thanks. Like you too."

Itachi turned back to the road, smiling.

Sasuke distracted him again with gory illustrations and photos in the medical book he'd brought with him, so when Itachi announced that they were back, Naruto looked up in surprise. "We are? That took less time than getting to The Arena. Wait…where are we?"

"Home." Itachi got out, waited until they had followed suit, and beeped the truck locked. He and Sasuke turned and began walking toward a two-story brick house that had carriage lights outside its wide front door.

Looking around, Naruto saw that he was standing in a long, graveled drive that curved up gracefully from the street. There was another house about two hundred yards away on his left, and another couple of houses across the quiet street, also widely spaced apart. The street itself was lined with yellow and orange-leafed trees. Deserted.

He was in a rich neighborhood.

Turning back to the house, he saw Itachi and Sasuke standing there, watching him. "I…don't live here," he stammered. "My stuff's at the home."

Sasuke pushed the house door open, reached in, and retrieved something sitting just inside. It was one of Naruto's packed knapsacks. "What, this stuff? It's here, man. Your books too. You coming in?"

I'm having a heart attack, Naruto thought as calmly as he could. His heart was pounding so hard that his vision alternately brightened and dimmed with it. They waited. Eventually he moved toward them, his legs completely unable to bend at the knee. He shuffled in this manner, searching their faces, but their faces were neutral, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

They were only a few dozen feet away, but getting to them seemed to take forever. He had time to notice the black roof. The many windows with warm light shining behind them. The ornamental stone fountain on what looked like a lush lawn. A gazebo in the distance behind the house. Red and purple flowers in large ceramic pots on either side of the white stone walkway that led to the front door. The number on the door itself that read 28. Sasuke holding the door open for him, Itachi already in the house and standing at the foot of a hardwood staircase that led upward.

He was inside. Sasuke immediately shut the door. While he did, Naruto glanced down and saw his stuff sitting neatly next to a coat rack.

"So this is the foyer," Sasuke said matter-of-factly, clapping his hands. "Through here is the dining room. Nice, huh? Got a nice view of the front lawn. Hope you know how to mow that shit, because I don't. And over here is the living room. There's a study in here, where I've put all my med books and junk. Library's down through this hall. And here's the kitchen. Half bath. Full bath. This is the door to the basement. Boiler's down there, with the washer and dryer. I broke the dryer some kind of way, so if you could fix that when you have a chance…okay, now for upstairs. Oh, wait, didn't show you the backyard. Frigging huge, wait till you see it."

Naruto stumbled around, following Sasuke. He knew Itachi was behind him, following as well, but he was too busy trying to breathe, trying to understand the statements of mowing the lawn and fixing the dryer, to ask Itachi what this could all mean. And Sasuke kept right on talking.

"Right so there are four bedrooms total," Sasuke said once they'd reached the second floor. "I already showed you the guest bedroom downstairs. This one is Itachi's. Big and airy. He likes that. Those two down there at the end of the hallway are smaller. Got a bathroom here. There's one in Itachi's room too, but that's his. Said he'd cut my dick off if I used it, so I assume that applies to you too." They all went to the end of the hall, where Sasuke opened what looked like a closet door. Instead of storage space, there was a set of stairs. Sasuke flicked a light switch and began climbing up.

Naruto followed. Heart pounding harder than ever. Hoping, praying, while trying to tell himself to stop praying and hoping. This wasn't happening.

The door at the other end of the narrow staircase was set into the top of the stairwell. Sasuke pushed it up and open, where it flopped against the floor with a muffled thud. He climbed into what looked like a large space. Once Naruto had followed him, he saw that the area was the length of the entire house.

"Looks like two stories from outside in the dark," Sasuke announced. "But it's really two and a half. This is my room. Cool, huh? Way bigger than Itachi's. Best part? Three skylights, look!"

Naruto dutifully looked at the slanted attic ceiling. He looked at everything, from the CD player, to the bookcases, to Sasuke's bed up against one wall on the far side of the converted attic. All things he'd last seen in Sasuke's room at his old apartment.

But then he turned around and saw that there was another bed on the other side of the room. His rug, the one Sasuke had given him for the tree house, sat in front of the large bed. There were two bookcases opposite his bed, his froggy trash can that Sasuke had also brought, and a desk. With a chair. And a lamp. Itachi was just setting his knapsacks down by the foot of his bed when Naruto turned and saw all this. He straightened up, and the wide smile on his face had Naruto shaking his head slowly from side to side. "No," he said. His eyes were blurring, his voice clogged. "No." Oh God!

Sasuke came up behind him. "Well, if you really don't like it we can move all your things down to one of the smaller bedrooms, but I thought this would be better. We wouldn't have to be apart anymore."

Naruto whirled around. "What is going on?"

The smile on Sasuke's face matched Itachi's. "We said we'd take you home. This is home." But seeing the way the tears filling Naruto's eyes spilled over, and how his breath hitched in and out of him, Sasuke grew serious. "I didn't ask if you wanted to stay with us because I don't always get you. You…get weird over things, and I don't always understand why. Wasn't sure if asking would insult you, or if you'd be happy or not…but-" Sasuke stepped closer, making sure only Naruto could hear him. "But I miss you. I…and you miss me too. We're friends. Did you think I'd let you sleep in the street? I figured I'd bring you here, and you know…just hope you didn't hate me for it. Do you?"

Naruto covered his face with hands. Harsh sounds of crying and muffled speech came from him.

"What?" Sasuke bent to hear.

"I said I'm going to kill you!" Naruto roared, jumping at Sasuke.

Itachi beamed at his brother trying to block the mock punches. He walked closer and waited until Naruto's red-rimmed eyes found him. "I spoke to Iruka this morning while you were at the club. He knows and is fine with it. Happy, even. Sasuke made me wait till today to tell him in case Iruka gave it away before your birthday. For my part, I'm more than happy to have you live with us. Be like having another brother. We're your family now, if you'll have us."

Naruto tried to tackle Itachi as well, but he was a good deal more athletic than Sasuke. Naruto chased him around the entire attic before giving up. "I swear I will fix anything that needs fixing," he panted once they'd come to a stop. "And clean, and-"

Itachi held up a hand. "The fuck you will. That was Sasuke being an ass. Chores will be assigned; we'll each do our part. You want to fix the dryer, be my guest, but I can just as easily call a repairman. You're one of us, not our slave. You don't pay rent here, either in money or services. Okay?"

"I-I-I don't know wh-"

"It's okay," Itachi smiled. He came and patted Naruto's neck. "I wanted to take you when I saw you teaching my brother one night at the home. First time I heard your situation from Iruka. He convinced me that the headache of going through an adoption process was pointless seeing as you'd be out of the home in a few months. Then I wasn't sure if I'd do it, since Sasuke seemed to be leaving. But then he came to his senses- we both did- and bringing you here was one of the first things we discussed. Why don't you get settled in? We'll go over house rules in the morning."

Naruto watched him disappear into the stairwell with a bemused expression on his face.

"Sooo," Sasuke grinned.

Naruto turned to him, then kept turning, looking at every corner of their room. "This can't be real. Is this real?"

"Mhm."

"I'm home? I live here?"

"Yup."

"Sasuke…how could you do this for me?"

"How could I not?"

Naruto finally faced him. Looking at Sasuke, all tears gone now, he knew without a doubt that he would kill for him. He would kill for Sasuke. Words failed him then, but he smiled. It was slow at first, but it grew to encompass his whole face.

He had a family. He was home.