~Chapter Thirteen~

A Broken Heart

"ITACHI!"

Jumping off the couch, again hearing the distressed and pained cries of his son, Iruka ran to Narutos' bedside. This was at least the hundredth time in the last two years that Naruto had awoken screaming for his lost lover.

As usual Naruto was soaked in sweat, tears staining his tanned skin, his ultramarine eyes probably bloodshot.

"ITACHI – ITA-!" his unopened eyes showed Iruka that his son was still asleep.

"Naruto WAKE UP!" Iruka shook his teen, begging him to open his eyes.

"D…dad?" Naruto opened his eyes, unsure of where he was for a moment.

"Yes Naruto, you were dreaming again…" Iruka's concern for his son was overly apparent in his eyes.

"Oh. What did I say this time?" Naruto was confused as to why he was drenched.

"All I heard this time was his name. You kept screaming 'Itachi'." He hated seeing his only child so heart broken and full of pain, but there was nothing he could do. If Ibiki found them, there would be no getting away again.

"Oh…" at the sound of his lovers name Naruto burst into renewed tears. It's been over two years…will I ever get over him?

"I'm sorry, Naruto…if there were anything I could do I –"

"I know…" tears choked his words. "I…I just miss him so much… I…can't even…close my eyes…without seeing his face…" he couldn't say another word, the vision of Itachi smiling at him was just to much to bear. He only wished that it was Itachis' arms holding him close instead of his fathers.

"Naruto please, it's not…you need to…oh you loved him so much!" Iruka couldn't put what he wanted to say into words, the hurt of his sons break down killing him inside. Naruto looked so…so broken.

"Please Chiuchi, I need to be alone for now. My heart just can't handle the company. I'm sorry, I'll try harder soon, I promise." His eyes were wounded, the tears finally slowing. The blond was broken porcelain, beyond any means of super glue. He had fallen into depression farther than anyone had expected while the only thing that made him smile, also caused him to break into a puddle of tears. Even though leaving Tokyo, leaving Itachi, had hurt him so badly, his love for that tall, handsome raven was still just as strong.

"…" in silence, Iruka kissed the blonds' forehead, and walked from the room, slowly closing the door behind him.

"Is he okay?" Kakashi looked distraught, no doubt curious about what was ailing Naruto this time.

"I hope so. He was screaming for Itachi again." Iruka sat on the couch next to his lover, all of his energy suddenly gone. "He said something interesting when he woke up though. He said while he was at the park yesterday he could've sworn he heard Itachi calling out to him." He looked at Kakashi, the worry dominant in his eyes.

"It is possible you know – Itachi did come here allot for work. Do you think he was really there?" Kakashi always was trying to find the logical side of everything.

"I'm not sure which would be better, Naruto imagining things or Itachi finding him alive. I don't know what to do."

I could hear my Kakashi and Iruka talking downstairs – worrying about me again. I closed my door and stumbled back to my bed. My arms wrapped themselves around me automatically as soon as the tears began to fall again. Itachis' voice was echoing inside my skull, "NARUTO!" I just couldn't make it stop. Could he really have been there?

These last two years have been complete hell for me. Living without Itachi has been unbearable and I'm not sure how much more of it I can take. Are my father's worries right? Could Itachi really be here? What if he finds me?

"Knock, knock." I recognized Kakashis voice. "Can I come in?" I rolled over to face the door, my swollen eyes still throbbing and the tears threatening to resurface.

"I guess..." I still didn't want company but I knew he was worried about me.

"Naruto, you need to get some fresh air. Get up, get dressed, I'm taking you out for awhile." He pulled the blankets from me to the floor.

"No Kakashi, I'm just not up to it today. Please, just let me sleep." I rolled back over and closed my eyes.

"Okay, that's fine, you don't have to do anything at all." I heard him turn and walk away from the bedside so I assumed he was headed out the door. I was wrong. He grabbed my arms and pulled me up to a sitting position. He pulled something over my head, then the same to my arms. I opened my eyes.

"What are you doing Kakashi?"

He looked at me like this was the first time I'd spoken in months. "I told you we were going out and you wouldn't have to do anything. So you're getting dressed and we're going out." He flashed his famous Kakashi grin at me, "So shall I get your pants or can you do that yourself?"

I rolled my eyes at him and grabbed my pants from him.

"Good," he smiled wider, "be downstairs in ten minutes."

I nodded before he left the room. Maybe this time Kakashi will see him too...I exhaled deeply and got out of bed to put on my pants. In ten minutes I would have to pretend to be okay again – in ten minutes I would have to face the public without him by my side.