a/n: I attached the Sasuke/Itachi part to this because I want to get to the next interlude more quickly. Thank you to Essenceof9 for the Starbuck's card! PLEASE LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER, AS WELL. MAIN SASUKE WILL BE THERE.

Dedicated to my wife from another life, Netamashii. Visit her tumblr.

Naruto was primping in the mirror of his bathroom when his phone started ringing. He'd been using styling wax, so he had to wipe his hands off on a towel before answering.

"Hey, you outside?" He asked, grinning when he saw it was Itachi.

"I'm here, but shall I make it more officially like a date by coming up to get you?" Itachi suggested in that deep, humor-filled voice of his Naruto loved so much.

"But then you'd have to meet my dad, and he'll try to give us the talk."

"Doesn't he know he's too late for that?"

"We don't usually discuss my sex life over breakfast, but, yeah, I imagine he's got some idea I'm not a little boy anymore," he replied. "Let me grab my jacket, and I'll be right down."

"Okay, I'm parked by the sidewalk."

"Mmkay. Be right there!"

Naruto rushed into his room to grab his wallet. He had his phone in his hand, so now he just needed to slip on his coat. He also opened his closet in search of a scarf and might as well bring a hat. It was cold when he'd come home from school this afternoon.

Ready now, he gave himself one last glance in the mirror hanging on the back of his door. It's not like it was a real date, but since they were going somewhere fancy to eat and then who knows what, he at least wanted to look presentable. Itachi always dressed nice whenever Naruto saw him, so he didn't want to embarrass the older man by looking like a total slob. He put on some nice jeans, a navy sweater with a denim button-up shirt underneath, and his favorite brown boots. For a second, he debated between the green coat he always wore and a leather bomber jacket that was a lot less casual. He decided on the leather. Oh, and cologne.

Not wanting to make Itachi wait, he bolted out of his bedroom, shouting a goodbye to his father who was reading his newest book on the couch. A small fire was crackling in their fireplace.

"He's not coming up here?" Minato asked.

"Nah! I told him I'd meet him at his car. I'm ready to go anyway! Don't wait up!"

"What do you mean don't wait up? You have school tomorrow."

"Yeah, but only a half day," Naruto complained as he put on gloves. "I'll sleep on the plane, or when we get to the hotel."

"Just, try to be home by midnight," said his dad. "That's all I ask."

"Alright! See ya later then!"

In the hallway, Naruto pressed the button several times, knowing it wouldn't make the elevator get here any faster. He'd been looking forward to this over the past couple of days, especially after that fight with Sasuke. Itachi gave him a call when he got in last night, and Naruto was happy just to hear his voice and know he was in town.

When the elevator doors opened, Naruto got in, again checking his reflection on the ride down to the lobby. Outside, it was blistering cold and windy, but the skies were clear. He spotted Itachi's car and jogged over, tapping at the window before opening the door and hopping in.

"Yo," he said, slamming the door shut. "Welcome home."

Itachi unsnapped his seatbelt. "At least give me a hug first."

Naruto reached across and threw his arms around the older man.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you," Naruto said, squeezing him.

"It's nice to be missed," Itachi replied, sitting back again and rebuckling his belt.

Naruto put on his, too, and, out of habit, flipped the visor up and down a couple of times.

"I'm starvin', by the way," he said. "I hope this place is good."

"Would I take you anywhere that wasn't?" Itachi maneuvered them out of the tight space he was able to parallel park in, and then they were on their way to dinner.

"I hope it's not, like, Pretty Woman fancy. Where my snail ends up bein' caught by the waiter. No escargot for me tonight, thanks."

"Don't you want to try something new on occasion?" Itachi asked, with a smirk.

Naruto eyed him. He looked as handsome as ever. When he smirked, he resembled Sasuke so much, except their humors really were very different, with Itachi's being slightly more sadistic. Also, Itachi had that amazing long, dark hair, and he was at least four or five inches taller than Sasuke (and him).

"I'll try if you make me," he said, "But I think I can carry on in life not eatin' snails."

"I won't make you do anything you don't want to." Itachi sent him a coy smile. "Unless that's something you're into these days?"

"Ha!" Naruto scratched at one of his cheeks. "Don't even try to act like you'd be interested. I know how you roll, Itachi. You're just a cocktease."

"Does that run in the family?" The older man asked as they stopped at a red light.

"Tch. I don't wanna talk about it," Naruto huffed, staring out the window.

"Fine. Let's not. He was especially grouchy last night, this morning, and this afternoon. He wouldn't even come out of his room when he knew I was headed to pick you up."

"He's such a brat, I swear. Would you believe he hasn't apologized to me yet?"

"It saddens me to hear that, but I do know how stubborn my foolish little brother can be," Itachi remarked in a regretful tone. "However, I hear that mother had a nice time talking to you. You can give me the details at dinner if you'd prefer, but she certainly had a lot of… questions."

"Questions?" Naruto asked.

"Well. How shall I put this? She mentioned on Sunday night she heard the two of you arguing. Her questions were very leading, so I'm curious as to what she heard, but all she really wanted to know was if the two of you were fighting, and, if so, why you were. That's all."

"Eh, that sucks. It wasn't my intention to get into it then, but he was… I dunno. I almost felt like he asked me to come because he thought I'd just forgive him, and we'd get on with it without him havin' to apologize or explain anything, which is what he always does."

"Of course." Itachi nodded. "I told her she'd have to ask Sasuke if she wanted to know, but I did hint that she ought to leave it alone for now."

"I feel bad now." Naruto frowned.

"Don't worry about it. You know how highly she thinks of you, Naruto. But, let's talk about something else. How's school, otherwise? Will you have straight A's this semester?"

Naruto snorted. "Yeah, right. I'll be lucky if I pull a 3.0 this semester, and that's because, well, up until October, your brother was still helpin' me out. Kayla tried, too, but, eh, I wasn't feelin' schoolwork this semester. I'm glad it'll be over for me after Wednesday."

"Don't use that as an excuse to sabotage the progress you've made. This is an important time for someone your age, now that you'll be applying to colleges."

"You sound like my dad," Naruto commented and smirked.

"It's too bad I'm not here, or I could tutor you."

"Uh, yeah. That'd be amazing, but what a waste of your talent tryin' to teach someone as slow as me. What are you, like, top of your class at Stanford? Am I gonna get an invite to your graduation?"

"Of course." Itachi smiled at him. "As long as you make up with my brother by then. I won't have any squabbling during my special day."

"Hmph."

"Christmas miracles do happen," Itachi teased.

"Yeah, well I won't be here on Christmas, so I don't expect a miracle. In fact, when I get back, I'm thinkin' about callin' up this girl I met on Saturday night. Woman I should say. She was older than me. Nineteen. Cute, too."

"I thought you already had that Kayla girl in your class," Itachi said. "Or, do you have so many girlfriends that I can no longer keep track?"

"Nah. There's her, and another girl I dated over the summer, but it's not gonna happen again. I hang out with Kayla sometimes. She's really nice. You'd like her, and she's on student council this year with Sasuke."

"I think I've heard Sasuke mention her before, and he only said very positive things."

"Eh, I just think she and I make better friends. It's almost like, I dunno. She's too perfect? In a nice way, I mean, but there's no…"

"Spark?" Itachi suggested. "It's always best to follow your instincts if that's how you feel. Tell me more about this new older woman who's captivated you so?"

Naruto chuckled. "Well, I bumped into her before a show that Sai and I went to see - "

"Is this the one Sasuke ended up subbing in for? And singing even?"

"Yeah, but I didn't know that at the time," Naruto explained. "If I had, I doubt I would've gone, but anyway. She made fun of me, we got to talkin', she told me she was the singer, and I'm sad to say I looked like a total dumbass 'cause I didn't research them before we went. Didn't know who she was, but she didn't act bitchy about it. She was cute, and funny, and, uh, very open about her sexuality." Grinning, he blushed at the memory. "I could date a bi girl. That's hot, right?"

"She told you that already?" Itachi asked. "My, everyone is so forward these days."

"I think it's kinda cool. It's like people wanna get that stuff out there. I like it."

"Yes, as I recall, you liked it when Sasuke came out to you right away."

"Yeah, well… I dunno how honest he is anymore," Naruto murmured. "I feel like he's changed. Or, maybe I see him differently these days. I keep thinkin' about the shit that went down in October, and then what he did when your dad was sick, and I don't get it. Like I said, he hasn't tried to explain it and acts like he doesn't care how bad he hurt me. Is that what friends do? Okay, I get it. You don't wanna date me, but don't rip out my heart and stomp on it, smear it across the walls for me to see. Be cool when a guy confesses his gay feelings. Jeez."

"Ah, yes. I quite agree as I'm sure you know. He could've and should've handled it much differently regardless of how shocked he was about father. Yahiko and I let him know we weren't very pleased with his behavior." Itachi was frowning now, which made Naruto want to drop the subject entirely. He was tired of talking about Sasuke all the time anyway.

"Eh. Let's forget about it. I'm excited for dinner. Is it very far away?"

"No," said Itachi. "It's on 5th, so not far at all. I kept in mind that it was a school night for you."

"So thoughtful," he mused dryly. "How about you? Any girlfriends you wanna tell me about… boyfriends?"

Itachi laughed softly. "You'd be the first to know. Unfortunately, my studies leave me little time for such things. I can always live vicariously through Yahiko and Konan."

"Yeah, I heard they were back together."

"Do you think he told Konan about the kiss the two of you shared?"

"I doubt it." Naruto brushed his fingers across his lips. "I know you're teasing me, but, not gonna lie, the guy's a good kisser."

"Is he? I wouldn't know."

Naruto leaned over, trying to study his expression. "I can't tell if you're kidding or not."

"I believe that's the point," Itachi replied.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" He wrapped his fingers around his seatbelt strap.

"Sure. What would you like to know?"

"I mean, you know you're an attractive guy, right? So, do you attract a lot of men and women to you without even trying? I feel like you would."

Itachi kept his eyes on the road, but appeared thoughtful. "If you're asking whether I've had both sexes come onto me, I'm sure you can imagine the answer given the circle of people I keep."

"I'm just curious, since I haven't heard of you datin' anybody yet, that I dunno how a guy like you would choose," Naruto tried to explain.

"A guy like me?"

"Well, if you told someone you liked them, they wouldn't refuse you, right?"

"I'm sure that it might be very easy for someone to reject me," he said. "Unless they're interested in me for especially shallow reasons. I honestly have no time to give a romantic partner right now, so I doubt I would subject anyone to that kind of neglect."

"That's a very diplomatic answer," Naruto said. "Sorry for askin' somethin' so weird. My longest relationship lasted a month, and I used to think I wasn't even all that into the idea of datin' while in high school, but lately I've felt like I want to… I mean, besides Sasuke. I just… want that."

Itachi sighed. "Naruto, when you moved to Seattle you'd recently lost your mother. It would make sense you wouldn't be interested in forming relationships where you could get hurt if it didn't work out, but it's also possible you're simply growing up. Maybe… if you'll forgive me for bringing up my brother again, you were able to realize you wanted something more because of the way you grew to feel about him. But, would you have been happy dating him?"

"I guess we'll never know," he commented under his breath. "I dunno how that would've gone, but I was willing to figure it out. I really thought he felt the same about me."

"You don't think he did feel the same?"

"No. Why would you reject someone you felt somethin' for like that?" He asked. "That doesn't make sense."

"To you, it doesn't," said Itachi. "To my brother, the notion might have been terrifying. Not only coming out to our parents, but Sasuke's still very immature. The most I've seen him care about another person's well-being was with you, Naruto, but if he felt cornered, it's hard to say how he would react. Or, I suppose we do know. As to why he won't apologize, I can't say I'm sure, but I am disappointed. Even if, for whatever reason, he thinks he's doing the right thing, that's no excuse for how he said it or for not apologizing and making it right with you."

"What do you mean 'cornered'?" He asked. "And what do you mean by 'right thing' exactly? How was what he did the right thing?"

"For example, let's say my brother's always had feelings for you but felt as though you didn't feel the same because you identify as straight. So, when confronted with your actual feelings, perhaps he panicked?"

"Hm." Naruto considered it, but it didn't seem right. "Then why did he act like he was, uh… into it? Like… afterward, when we were alone. It was only in the morning, after you took your dad to the hospital, that he unleashed all that crazy on me."

"Then maybe it's the other alternative, which is he thought he was doing the right thing, for himself as well as you. He decided that, because of our father's health, he couldn't say yes to you because he'd never be able to date you. He seems to think coming out would worsen our father's health since the ulcer was due to stress. Mind you, Naruto, that stress is due to my father's tendency to overwork himself and the neglect he shows for his health."

"So, what?" He asked. "If he can't date me, he decides to push me away by sayin' a bunch of terrible shit that he doesn't mean? Why go that far? Why not just ask me if I'd wait for him?"

"I would say because he doesn't want to make you wait," Itachi answered. "But, only Sasuke knows for sure, and there's a possibility even he doesn't know why he did what he did."

Naruto wanted to hit his head against the dashboard. "Why couldn't I have fallen for you, instead? You're clearly the less unhinged of the two of you."

"As an objective observer," Itachi chuckled. "As objective as I can be when he's my precious younger brother and you're my good friend, I'd like to tell you I've always thought the two of you were a very good match. I still think that, but if circumstances dictate you aren't able to get together at this time, perhaps it will be possible in the future."

"Meaning you think I should wait for him?" Naruto was surprised to hear that.

"No. I agree with Sasuke in that you shouldn't wait on him. He might have done this in a very backasswards kind of way, so to speak, but I do believe he's thinking about you, even while he's hurting you. If it's any consolation, it's abundantly clear my brother is miserable without you."

"Really?" Naruto asked, perhaps a little too eagerly. "I mean. Could've fooled me."

"It's Sasuke. I'm not excusing his behavior, but have you ever known him to be particularly good at expressing himself? Especially when it comes to his feelings?" Itachi tapped the index and middle finger of his right hand against the steering wheel. "We're a reserved family. It's the curse of being born an Uchiha. Ah, here we are."

Naruto looked out the window at the older brick building on the corner of the block. "Crow, huh?"

"I thought it would be nice to eat somewhere intimate," Itachi remarked. "Looks like there's someone leaving now." He, once again, expertly wedged the SUV into a tight parking space.

"You're gonna have to teach me how to do this one day. I'd be screwed if we didn't all have bumpers." He undid his seatbelt when Itachi turned off the ignition.

"Shall we?" Itachi asked.

"Yeah. It looks really nice. I can't wait." Naruto smiled affectionately at the older man. "It really does feel like a date now, huh? I might even start to get nervous."

Itachi, suddenly leaning over into his space, nearly gave him a heart attack. "I do wonder," he said. "That if such a thing were true, you might not be able to handle me."

"...If that's a challenge," Naruto replied, trying to keep cool. "I'm intrigued. And flattered."

"It was a jest." Itachi placed a hand on his head and ruffled his hair. "As annoyed as the both of us are with Sasuke at present, I wouldn't do that to him. He'd stroke out, I'm afraid."

Naruto sighed. "Ah, everything has to always be about catering to his fragile ego."

"It's because, in the end, we love him, isn't it?" Itachi asked.

"We'll see," Naruto said and unbuckled his belt. "Ready?"

"I am. Let's get in there before we starve to death. I haven't eaten much today either."

They both got out of the car and, side by side, walked into the restaurant where, the hostess - an attractive blonde in her early 20s - greeted them swiftly and led the way to their reserved table. The restaurant wasn't especially large, but it was warm and cozy. There were plenty of open tables, no surprise given the weather and projection for more snow tonight. There were several two-top tables and wooden booths, a bar at the rear, and exposed ductwork. They were sat in one of the booths, a candle already lit, and lots of fancy stem and silverware.

"I'm glad I dressed up," he commented as he picked up a menu.

The hostess asked if they'd like anything to drink, to which Itachi ordered a glass of wine, and Naruto asked for a Coke. After they had some time to think about what they wanted to order, they decided to split a cheese plate, Itachi ordered slow-braised beef cheeks (much to Naruto's amusement), and he ordered the house lasagne because it sounded amazing.

They chatted a while, leaving Sasuke out of the conversation, as Naruto grilled him more about life at Stanford and whether or not he'd brought him back a sweatshirt for Christmas.

"I suppose we won't know until you return from your trip," Itachi said, sipping at his red wine.

Naruto picked up a piece of the cheese and paired it with a cracker. "That's no fair. It's gonna be cold in Chicago!"

"As if it's not cold in Seattle now," Itachi replied, picking up one of the almonds on their shared plate.

"I didn't know you were such a big almond fan," Naruto remarked.

"I am. I love all kinds of nuts."

Naruto started cackling.

"Very mature," Itachi told him with a grin. "Would you like a sip of my wine?"

"Can I?" Naruto glanced around as if afraid they'd get caught.

"It'll be my only one tonight since I'll be driving you around."

Naruto took it from him, held the glass to his lips, and had a sip. "S'alright. I think I'm more of a beer kinda guy."

"Hidan would love to hear you say as much. Have you seen anyone lately, or have you been too busy partying on the weekends to give anyone a call?"

"Nah." Naruto pushed the wine back his way. "I've texted with Dei and Jiroubou. I saw Kimimaro at the club Sai and I go to, but he was preoccupied."

"Of course he was." Itachi smiled. "I'm sure we'll all be getting together while I'm here. Maybe we can figure something out when you return. Perhaps away from the house if you'd like."

"Sure, that sounds good. I don't have any plans for New Year's yet, although Sai talked about goin' to a party one of his older friends is havin' at his house, but it's all the way in Tacoma, so dunno how I feel about that." Naruto felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. "Sorry, lemme just check who this is in case it's an emergency."

Did you enjoy chatting with Sasuke the other night?

Naruto didn't recognize the number. Who is this?

I'll be sure to take care of him while you're gone, don't worry.

"Something wrong?" Itachi asked.

"I'm gettin' weird texts… although, I think I can guess who it is."

"Oh, who is it?"

"Do you know that Yagura guy very well? The one Sasuke plays with a lotta the times? The singer?" Naruto explained.

"I know of him, but I don't know him well," Itachi said.

"He pulled some weird shit the other night. After the concert… I won't tell you what it was 'cause I think you might kill him, but I have a feelin' it was kind of a set up."

"Set up? Also, maybe you should tell me what exactly he did that I'd need to kill him."

"No. I like you and don't want you to go to jail," Naruto replied, typing out another text. Get bent, Yagura. Say another word, and I'll share the photos you sent with Itachi. He's here now.

You've moved on from one Uchiha to the other, eh? Who's better in bed?

"Tch." Naruto put his phone away. "He's so stupid. He's obsessed with your brother and me. Or, maybe just obsessed with Sasuke. It's really creepy."

"Should I have a word with my brother?" Itachi's expression was a little scary, so Naruto decided to change the subject.

"It's nothin' he can't handle, so anyway. What's the family plannin' for Christmas?"

Itachi eyed him suspiciously before picking up his glass. "As far as I know, we're staying home and enjoying the day as a family."

"That's nice. I shoulda told your mom that the decorations looked nice. I saw the tree in the livin' room, but I was distracted. Tell her I said it looked nice?"

"I will."

Naruto felt his phone go off again, but this time, he didn't bother to check. "Say, are you gonna drink the rest of that?"

Itachi blinked at him. "You mean the rest of this wine I'm drinking now?"

"Yeah, that one." Naruto grinned.

"... I suppose not." He handed the glass over to him. "Are you trying to get drunk so that you can take advantage of me?"

Naruto laughed hard at that. "Doesn't it usually work the other way around?"

"I don't know." Itachi's dark eyes gleamed. "You tell me."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were flirtin' with me."

"Would that be so terrible?"

Naruto nearly spit out his wine. "...What?"

"Maybe this Yagura simply likes messing with you, Naruto. You are so fun to tease."

"Oh, that was mean! Don't get my hopes up like that. And, yeah, he probably does like it. Apparently, I'm very easy to rile. Sasuke always says so."

"Being a sadist does tend to run in our family." Itachi set his chin on his hand, eyes still twinkling in amusement.

"You're lucky you're really good lookin'," Naruto told him, finishing off the rest of the wine. "'Cause you could basically get away with sayin' anything."

"Who's more good looking, would you say?" Itachi asked. "Me… or my brother?"

"Is that a serious question?" He pushed the empty glass to the side of the table. "You're both really good lookin' and in different ways."

"Yes, but who's better looking?"

"Tch. I get it, I get it. I'm easy to fuck with… and I'm not answerin' that, 'cause you'll go home and hold it over Sasuke's head that I told you."

"That must mean it's me, am I correct?" Itachi asked.

"Hypothetically, let's say it was. Then what?"

"Considering we're already on a date as we speak, I do wonder."

"Stop - " Naruto had to touch his face, his cheeks were growing so hot. "Stop flirtin' with me, dammit! It's…" He made another noise of frustration. "You damn Uchihas. Just 'cause you're so smart and attractive and, at times, sexy… ugh. Why won't you use your powers for good?"

Itachi chuckled. "I do usually, but it's fun to dabble in both sometimes."

"True. If anyone's got some dark in him, it'd probably be Sasuke."

"Everyone has some dark in them," said Itachi. "Even you."

"Oh, I know it. I'd say I've got more dark in me than you or Sasuke combined."

Itachi lifted his chin off his hand, looking curious. "What makes you say that, Naruto?"

He shrugged. "It's just a feeling."

Their server arrived, bringing their entrees, both of which looked fantastic. After she left, they ate while Naruto talked about what he wanted to do while in Chicago, about the college visit he was going to make to Northern on Friday morning, and about the friends he wanted to see. It was nice to talk to Itachi because he was always seemed to enjoy listening to whatever Naruto had to say. He was never judgmental either, and asked questions when he felt like it. It was different than talking to Sasuke, but he wasn't sure exactly how, since they really were rather similar in a lot of ways, too. Itachi, of course, was slightly more imposing at times, but he never acted as if he was better than anyone despite being a genius. Naruto knew he was extremely intelligent, but he was also very down to earth. Being a contradiction was one of Itachi's more interesting qualities. Naruto liked him a lot. He was that older brother figure he'd secretly always wanted. He gave good advice, scolded him when necessary, and praised him sincerely when he deserved it. Plus, even if he was trying to not talk about Sasuke, when they did, it was good to hear Itachi's point of view because who else knew Sasuke as well as his older brother?

When they finished eating, Itachi grabbed the bill even though Naruto had his dad's credit card.

"Fine, then if we go somewhere for dessert, I'm buyin'," Naruto said.

"That sounds like a deal. I was thinking we could go to this piano bar downtown. There's a jazz band I wouldn't mind seeing. If that's okay with you."

Naruto was busy putting on his coat. "No, that sounds good. I don't think I've ever been to a piano bar, but yeah, that sounds… very date-ish, too."

Itachi handed him his scarf. "I wonder if that means I should prepare myself for a goodnight kiss?"

Naruto snickered. "Don't get too ahead of yourself. I'm not that easy."

"No?"

"Well, maybe a little." He threw the scarf around his neck, but stepping up to him, Itachi took hold of it and knotted it for him. "Yeah, I could definitely put out if you're gonna keep doin' stuff like that. Charming, bastard."

"Bastard?" Itachi also put on his gloves. "I thought that was a pet name reserved for my brother."

"Meh." Naruto slid his hands into his pockets. "No pet names for him anymore."

"Very well." Itachi briefly took his arm to get him moving, and as they went out the door, he had his hand on Naruto's lower back, something Sasuke constantly did.

"Thanks, by the way," Naruto said as they were walking outside. It had started to snow as forecasted. "For takin' me out tonight and getting my mind off stuff."

"There's that," replied Itachi. "But I also wanted to spend time with you. Since I know you won't be coming around the house while I'm at home."

"Yeah, well." Naruto glanced up at the sky and the falling snow. "Some things aren't meant to be, I guess."

The best thing about having a surrogate older brother when a teenager is the opportunities for access to alcohol. Naruto, while scarfing down this large slice of chocolate-raspberry cake, managed to confiscate Itachi's second glass of wine.

"If you're going to use me for alcohol," said Itachi, "Why not just tell me what you'd like? Didn't you say you prefer beer?"

"I can't help it! You offered. Do you want some of my cake as a fair trade?" Naruto asked while licking crumbs from his fork. "I don't think I can eat all of it."

"If you're offering."

Naruto chuckled as he pushed the plate toward him, content with the chill atmosphere of the downtown piano bar as he sipped at the remainder of Itachi's wine. Two glasses of that stuff, and he was feeling kind of light-headed. The place was dark and looked a little like the speakeasies he'd seen in various mobster movies. The music was relaxing, too. He didn't know much about jazz, but listening to the group playing now made it seem a very cool thing to do.

"Have you ever taken Sasuke here?" Naruto asked.

"No, I can't say that I have," Itachi replied, digging into the slice of cake. He'd also ordered his own dessert earlier. Naruto forgot how much the older man liked his sweets.

"This has been nice." Naruto spun the stem of the glass between his fingers. "You're easy to get along with, y'know that?"

"As are you," said Itachi. "Especially when you let me have your cake."

Naruto laughed. "You know you can order somethin' else, right?"

"Yes, but you have a curfew and it's," Itachi checked his watch, "It's almost 11."

"My dad said midnight, but also the weather may get worse, and I'd hate for you to drive home if it starts snowin' really bad."

"We'll stay just a little longer. It's been relaxing for me, too. I imagine I'll be attacked once I get home. Or, completely ignored. I suppose it depends on my brother's mood."

"I doubt he even cares you're out with me." Resting his elbow on the edge of the table, he dropped his chin onto his hand, staring at the tablecloth through the empty wine glass. Naruto set it down before he did something dumb like break it.

"I think he cares. Very much."

"Why?"

"Because he's acting jealous?" Itachi suggested. "Or, he feels betrayed I've taken your side. We didn't speak much on the ride from the airport to the house. The family had dinner together, and then Sasuke retreated to his room, claiming to have a big test today."

Naruto shrugged. "Dunno. I saw him in gym and English, but we didn't talk as per usual."

"I take it the conversation that happened on Sunday didn't smooth anything out?"

"Not really. Although, I was able to get a lotta stuff off my chest. When… that happened, that morning… I went home, and I really thought he'd come around, or he'd apologize. Like, the next day. We've fought before, but we're pretty good about workin' it out. Looking back, maybe it was me who always had to let stuff go, but when we fought, it was never over big stuff except maybe me datin' over the summer, the house party incident, and then this."

"Of course, you realize," said Itachi, "That those three things are all connected."

"Yeah, in that Sasuke's an asshole." Naruto frowned as he glanced at the jazz quartet.

Very briefly, Rin came to mind while he watched them. He still hadn't called or texted her. The timing seemed off, and he should wait until he got back. It felt weird to make plans with a girl when he knew he was going to Chicago to party and be wild. Hopefully.

"Hey, Itachi. About Rin. Do you think I should wait to call her until after I get home?"

"Why? Are you going to be doing things with other women while you're away?" Itachi asked, ever the perceptive bastard.

"So… wait then? She's gonna think I'm ignoring her, assuming she even remembers me or notices that I haven't texted her yet."

"Text her to say you're going out of town but want to catch up when you return. You're not making any promises. It's simply being polite." Itachi, having finished his cake, set down his fork on the plate.

Meanwhile, their server came around to give them the bill. Itachi attempted to grab it, but Naruto snatched it up first and put down his dad's credit card.

"Dessert's on me," he said. "Or, well, on dad. But he was appreciative you were gettin' me out of the apartment tonight."

"Oh. Are the two of you having some issues?" Graciously, Itachi let him pay the bill.

The server returned to pick up the billfold and disappeared again.

"I think he's stressed about bein' away from work for a week. No, stuff between us is better, but I think he and I are just so different. I was always more like my mom in a lot of ways."

"It's interesting how sons do tend to resemble their mothers, hm?" Itachi smiled.

"Yeah, looks-wise, both you and Sasuke look a lot like Mikoto. That's probably where you two got your sense of humors from 'cause she can be sadistic when she wants to, that's for sure."

"She certainly can." Itachi smirked. "I bet it's difficult raising two boys. I'm sure she would've liked to have had a daughter."

"Well, if you get married, she'd at least have a daughter-in-law."

"That would be in the very distant future."

The server returned again, and Naruto signed for his dad, making sure to tip generously since it wasn't his money, and the guy was really nice.

"It's funny," he said, setting down the pen. "Your mom was sayin' some weird stuff when the three of us were in the kitchen… like, that she wanted to marry me off to one of you? I've never heard her talk like that before, but that's about when Sasuke walked out."

Itachi appeared pensive. "Mother said something like that? Was father around?"

"No, he was upstairs."

Itachi sighed. "For a while, I've suspected mother knows more than she leads on, but just how much is the question."

"That could be good, right? If she knows Sasuke's gay, then it wouldn't be a surprise? I've always thought she has some idea, too, but then she asked me if Sasuke has any secret girlfriends he's not telling her about, so…"

"Perhaps she has her suspicions but isn't quite sure. I bet she also took you at your word, whatever you said… you might not realize it, but the friends act is surprisingly convincing, to those of us who don't know the truth. Frankly, I don't know how you haven't been caught."

Naruto cleared his throat. "Heh. There have been close calls. It helps that I usually lock the door - wait. Do you really want to hear about this stuff?"

"Not especially, but as long as it's you and not some creep. Are you sure you don't want to let me know what this Yagura boy is up to in regard to my brother?"

"Like I said," Naruto grinned, "I wanna keep you out of jail. Do you know what they'd do to pretty boys like you in jail?"

"I believe I could hold my own," Itachi replied.

"I know you could. None of it matters anymore. As for Yagura… well, whatever Sasuke wants to do with that guy is up to him now, isn't it?"

Itachi looked concerned. "You think there's really something going on between those two?"

Naruto shrugged. "To tell you the truth, I just don't know with Sasuke anymore. He stayed at his apartment after the show on Saturday. I know of the few times we've interacted, he's always been a giant dick, and does some pretty crappy things. Oh."

"What is it?"

"He did insinuate not that long ago that Yagura was hittin' on him. I thought the guy was straight. Then again, I thought I was, too." Naruto let out another sigh as he gave one last glance at the band. He should take his dad here some time. His dad liked jazz.

"I'm ready if you are," he said. "I'd hate to postpone the inevitable between you and Sasuke."

"It'll be amusing at the very least. I'm very surprised he hasn't texted me this evening. He's showing a considerable amount of restraint."

They got up from the table and put on their coats and scarves and gloves. Walking out, Itachi set his hand on Naruto's back again, making him smile. Itachi even opened the car door for him before walking around to the other side.

"Oh, yeah. You'd definitely get laid tonight if that was an option," Naruto joked when they were both inside the car.

It was snowing harder than earlier, so it was a good idea to go home.

"I'll take that as a compliment," said Itachi, "But the age difference does put me in a precarious situation. Even if the age of consent in Washington is 16."

"Yeah…" Naruto tried not to think about Yahiko and Sasuke. "Well, think of me on Wednesday night while we're flyin'. I'm not a big fan of planes."

"It's not a very long flight, so you'll be okay. Take a nap, or watch a movie."

"Hopefully there won't be a snowstorm…"

"They won't fly in unsafe weather conditions, don't worry, but planes are built to take a lot of various elements. It's, by far, the safest way to travel," Itachi told him.

"People say that, but I feel pretty good when I'm just walkin' on the ground?"

Itachi chuckled. "Well, text me when you get there, and let me know you're okay. I'll pass the information along to Sasuke. He'd want to know, too, even if he won't say so."

"Okay."

The drive was only 20 minutes, even with the snow. There was hardly any traffic except the buses. When Itachi parked on the side of the road, Naruto gave him a big grin.

"So," he said, imitating a girl's voice. "I had a really nice time tonight."

"Get out."

Naruto chuckled. "I did, though! I had a good time talkin' to you about everything. It was good to see you, too. You always make me feel so calm about stuff. It's not like I have anyone to talk to about this right now, so it helped a lot. Thank you."

"Keep talking like that, and I really will give you a goodnight kiss."

"Is that a promise?" Naruto asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Itachi rolled his eyes. "I understand what my brother finds so charming about you."

"Oh? Do you? Are you fallin' for me, Itachi?"

"Goodbye, Naruto. Have a safe trip. Text me when you get there and when you get back, or anytime in between. Or call if you'd like to talk. I'll keep you in the loop about what's happening here if you'd like?"

"No. It's okay. I'd rather keep it out of mind and that means… nah. I don't wanna know. I mean, not about him. I hope that's not offensive since he's your brother."

"No, I understand perfectly. I'll see you when you get back. Are you sure you don't want me to walk you to your door?"

"Nah." Naruto dismissed the suggestion with a wave of his hand. "I'd like you to get home as soon as possible. Would you mind textin' me to let me know you got home okay?"

"Of course, dear."

"Heh." Naruto opened the car door and gave one last wave.

He stood on the sidewalk, watching Itachi drive off, wondering if Sasuke really would be a dick about it once he got home. Sliding his hands into his pockets, Naruto stared up at the falling snow and closed his eyes. He felt the flakes hitting his face and sighed out. Getting out of Seattle for a while was definitely a good thing that he was looking forward to, although he'd be able to appreciate it a lot more once their plane landed safely at O'Hare. After that, he had every intention of doing whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Without feeling any guilt about it whatsoever since even he deserved to have some fun from time to time.

Itachi & Sasuke

It was sometime around midnight when his brother finally came home, not that Sasuke had been keeping track of the hours or anything. He knew Itachi would only make fun of him if he went out there and interrogated him about his "date" with Naruto. Sasuke figured that he must've been the topic of conversation at least once. It did feel as though he was being betrayed, but it didn't come as a surprise given how angry Itachi had been at him a month ago.

Meanwhile, he was attempting to read in order to distract himself. He predicted Itachi would eventually come knocking, which his brother did end up doing all of 10 minutes later. Itachi pushed the bedroom door open when Sasuke didn't immediately invite him into his room.

"What?" He asked. "I'm reading."

"At this time of night?" Itachi, seeming in a good mood, held onto the doorframe. "On a school night, you're usually in bed by 10.30 at the latest."

"There's only a few days left of the semester, I think I can manage."

"Very well. I only came to say goodnight. Now that I see you're busy, I'll just - "

"If you came to gloat, get it over with," he said, tossing the book toward his feet. "How was your date? Was it magical? Are the two of you going to get engaged in secret now?"

"I was saving that for the second date."

Itachi stepped into his room, quietly shut the door, and sat on the desk chair. Sasuke smirked. If only his brother knew the types of things that had happened on there.

"Why are you smirking so perversely?" Itachi asked.

"No reason. Well, how was it?"

"If I had to say," Itachi crossed one leg over the other, "Very nice. Very relaxing. We went to dinner, I gave him some of my wine, then we went to a piano bar for dessert. He let me eat what was left of his cake. Then I drove him home like a gentleman."

Sasuke glared. "Good for you."

"I do have questions I'd like to ask you after talking to him this evening," Itachi said, idly cracking his knuckles, which, for whatever reason, made Sasuke anxious.

He tried to keep his voice calm. "Oh?"

"First, do tell me. How was your evening?"

"You don't really care about that, go on and ask me your questions."

"Are you seeing a boy named Yagura?" Itachi asked.

"That's your question?" Sasuke grabbed his book, got out of bed, and returned it to its place on the shelf. "Why would you ask that? Also, why would it be any of your business?"

"Because some things Naruto told me tonight concerned me."

Sasuke took a seat on the corner of the bed, closest to his brother. "Is that all the two of you did tonight? Gossip about me like a couple of old ladies?"

"You did come up in conversation, believe it or not. That's to be expected and was the purpose of he and I getting together. While you're my brother, Naruto is a friend, and someone I do care about and think deserved better than what you did to him, Sasuke."

Sasuke could imagine his brother digging for information, and interrogating someone as clueless as Naruto would be easy, but since he had no idea exactly what Naruto said, he didn't know from what he should be defending himself.

"No," he said. "I'm not seeing anyone. Least of all Yagura. If I wasn't going to see Naruto, why would I see someone else?"

"Because I know you keep your secrets from me," Itachi said, his tone having grown rather dark, enough to set him on edge. "And you may think I'm unaware, but it's me being very lenient and understanding of the fact you're young and going to make mistakes in life."

Sasuke blinked, trying to grapple with the meaning of his words. Sweat broke out on his forehead. He didn't want to inquire about that comment because he was afraid what the answer might be.

"Well, thank you so much for allowing me to live my life as I see fit."

"Naruto doesn't seem to think he's a good influence on you," Itachi stated frankly. He didn't give me specifics, but I trust his judgment. I'd like to think you won't be doing anything rash while the two of you are fighting. I'd advise you not to do any more things you'll only end up regretting."

"Why are you talking in riddles? Just say what you have to say."

"Very well. I think you're foolish and immature for not having apologized to Naruto. He's more than willing to accept your rejection, but you hurt his feelings, and he's your friend. I think he's more to that than you, so I wish you'd treat him as such because, to the rest of us, he's already family. Even mother is starting to ask questions, in case you weren't aware."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Naruto said she was asking him about your love life. I don't know if you want to hear this, but I think mother has some clue. About you. Maybe even about you and Naruto."

"...Did she say something to you?"

"She asked me whether the two of you were fighting. I gave her an ambiguous answer, but you have to wonder how much she heard while you were arguing in your room on Sunday. Naruto said she was outside the door when he left. Are you prepared if she confronts you about it?"

Sasuke glanced down at his lap. "She won't ask. Because she doesn't want to know."

"I don't know if I believe that to be true. I only wanted to make sure you're aware."

"Fine. I'll be more careful."

"That's what you're going to do?" Itachi asked.

"Yes. What else is it I'm supposed to do? If you expect me to make things right with Naruto, your boyfriend hasn't made it very easy on me either. He ignores me when he can and doesn't want to be in the same room as me. The only reason we talked this weekend was because Yagura decided to interfere. Naruto called me that night, we talked. I decided to confront him, so I went to his apartment and waited for him to come home."

"He can't be too opposed to talking to you if you managed to bring him to the house."

"Naruto only came because I told him he should see mother before he went on his trip," Sasuke admitted. "I did hope that we might be able to talk. He shut me down."

"It's not as if you gave him a chance to respond to all of the things you said to him that day," Itachi remarked. "What you did wasn't fair. Whether you think it's right to push Naruto away, for whatever reason you've decided, it's also right that you apologize, especially when I know you still care about him. It's obvious to everyone but yourself. And, Naruto apparently."

He sneered. "It's his own fault if he's jumped to the conclusions he has about me. That's not my problem. If someone like Yagura knows me better than him, what does that say about Naruto?"

Sasuke got up and walked to his dresser, picking up a pen only to set it down again.

"What's so difficult about saying you're sorry? Don't you feel the slightest bit guilty?" Itachi asked, and Sasuke glanced at him over his shoulder.

"What does it matter? Feeling bad, or feeling guilty, those things don't change the situation."

"Who's asking you to change the situation? I just want you to do the right thing."

"The right thing according to your standards," Sasuke argued. "Why are you lecturing me? Did you lecture Naruto at all while you were schmoozing with him?"

"Don't be small, Sasuke. I didn't need to lecture him because he's done nothing wrong. I didn't paint you as the villain either. I know you have your reasons for what you did, and I do believe you think pushing him away is good for Naruto, too. But, is that for you to decide?"

"Yes, it is," said Sasuke. "It is for me to decide. Not you. Not even Naruto. Just because he pushed his feelings onto me means I have to accept them? I have to be with him when it would mean everything would change? Do you think father would be pleased to find out I'm gay? Do you even remember what happened with Shisui?"

"How dare you." Itachi's expression darkened, and Sasuke did immediately regret bringing it up. "Your situation is nothing like Shisui's. I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that to me, and as for our father, you give him far less credit than he deserves."

"You should get out," Sasuke said, shaking his head. "You don't understand. You couldn't possibly understand what it's like to be me, to be gay and a teenager, living in this house, to want something you know won't last, or that could drive the final nail into our father's coffin."

"You're being overdramatic," Itachi replied. "Save your hyperbole for someone who doesn't know you as well as I do. I know you better than you know yourself. I know your fears and your hopes. I know what you really want and the reasons you're afraid to go for it."

"Oh, do you?" He asked, his tone beyond sarcastic at this point.

Itachi got to his feet. "I've said my piece. I do know that if you let Naruto go now, you might never have a chance with him again. He's trying to move on, which is why he's avoiding you. Having a week to think about it away from you isn't likely to help your cause either, and when he gets back, he's going to call your friend Rin because even if Naruto is still in love with you, someone like that is smart enough to realize they shouldn't be with someone who treats them coldly. You're not cold, Sasuke. When he comes back, talk to him. Apologize. Tell him the truth. He's an adult, and he's not dumb, so he can take it if you don't want to date, but don't make him feel bad for having feelings for you or for being hurt by the way you treated him."

"Whatever," said Sasuke. "Mind your own business."

"You are my business," Itachi snapped, almost making him jump. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to text Naruto and let him know I got home safely."

"Fabulous. Go do that. Tell him to stop running his mouth about shit."

Itachi sighed. "I'm returning your Christmas presents for coal."

Looking disappointed, he left Sasuke alone in his room to dwell on the things he had said. Sasuke didn't know why Itachi thought ganging up on him would solve anything. After all, he'd tried that with Yahiko a month ago. Yahiko wouldn't talk to him at all anymore. Good. Good for him. Sasuke clearly had bad taste in men. Far too emotional and self-righteous. Itachi was wrong about Naruto, too. Naruto wasn't in love with him anymore. It was obvious. He didn't want to talk to him, didn't want to be touched by him, share the same space as him.

Why, because Sasuke had rejected him? Because he'd said mean things again? Because he'd ignored him afterward? Because what they'd done after Naruto confessed felt fucking mind-blowing? Because he loved Naruto and had made him believe otherwise?

Tch.

Even if he wanted to do something, how could he? Naruto was going to Chicago. Sasuke would be off for holiday vacation. He didn't have any plans other than to practice. There weren't any shows he was playing. If he hung out with Rin, he'd only imagine her and Naruto. Would Naruto really call her? At least Sasuke knew he hadn't called her yet. That was masochistic of him to give Naruto her number, but how could he not? He couldn't keep Naruto shackled to him.

Sasuke smirked. Well, he could fantasize about that… more literally than figuratively. It was getting frustrating. He hadn't done anything since Naruto was here in this bed. Had Naruto? It seemed unlikely, Naruto being the loyal idiot that he was, even when it came to sex.

He wasn't like Sasuke.

And Sasuke forgot that Naruto hated flying. He was curious about just what was going through Naruto's head to mention Yagura. Then it occurred to him Yagura's interference might be… ongoing. He should never have let him near his phone. If they ran into each other, he'd mention it, but otherwise, he'd prefer to be left alone. The thought of Naruto being with other people, out of spite or to get over him, knocked the wind out of him somewhat. If he would've said something when he'd had the chance on Sunday, could he have prevented it? Did he want to?

He could text him now. Wish him a safe flight. Tell him that he wanted to have a real talk when Naruto returned, but that would mean admitting he was wrong when he wasn't.

He could tell him to keep his dick in his pants and not fuck around while in Chicago just because Naruto was pissed at Sasuke because he'd treated him like shit. That would go over well, right?

Sasuke picked up his phone and got into bed, pulling the covers up to his chest since it was cold in his room. He turned the lamp off, double-checking the alarm on his phone. Not to be a stalker, but he scrolled through Naruto's accounts and read a thread on his Twitter feed between he and Sai. They were talking about his upcoming trip, and some of the things Sai said, which sounded like flirting, made Sasuke want to punch him in the face. Judging by the time of their tweets, the blond was still up. Was Naruto thinking about him at all, wondering what he was doing, or if he was alright? Did Naruto still care about him, or was he only trying to forget about him? If he texted him right now, would Naruto respond? A part of him wanted to, but his pride wouldn't allow it. So, he set his phone on the table, rolled onto his other side, and decided to leave it up to the universe to decide.

TBC

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