Euphoria

A/N: I'm sorry for the delay. There was a bit of it that needed to be rewritten and before I knew it, I was writing the whole chapter from scratch.

This chapter contains a few firsts, unlimited amounts of fluff and romance. Enjoy!


Itachi-sama pushes his wet hair to the side and stands in front of the bathroom in just his towel. His extraordinary beauty is enhanced when he pushes a hand across his hair and moves towards me. "You want me," Itachi says once he comes closer. His eyes dip down to my crotch where I'm ready and throbbing for him. "Tell me how you want me," he whispers in my ear when he ditches the towel and straddles me with no hint of reluctance. His slim fingers skim across the hair on my nape and he holds my face in his hands.

My eyes drink in every inch of his face, memorizing every minute detail. "I want to know what you want," I whisper into his ear.

He smiles, liking my answer. "I want to…"

My ringtone blaring like there's no tomorrow jars me awake. I sit up completely disoriented and peer around for the device for a second. I pick it up and my pulse picks up pace. The very man who was about to tell me all the wicked things he wanted to do to me is calling me. I swipe right and clear my throat before putting it to my ear. "Hello Itachi-sama," I say, unable to hide the happiness from leaking into my voice.

Itachi inhales in my ear and it goes to places that were already waiting and alert for him. My cock jolts in response. "Hello Naruto-kun. Did I wake you?" the embarrassment is evident in his voice. He takes another breath.

I laugh dispelling his question with an airy wave of my hand and cringe when I realize he can't see it. "It's alright. I needed to wake up soon, anyway. Did you have some work with me?" I ask quietly, hoping against all hopes that he says yes.

Itachi sighs and lets out a small chuckle. "Actually, I'm right outside your door," he stops and I swear I'm not imagining it when I hear his feet shuffle.

I'm on my feet in the space of a heartbeat. I lunge towards the door to throw it open. Itachi stands on the other side with his back to me. He pulls the phone away from his ear and turns to me when he hears the knob moving. "Itachi-sama," I cannot hide the size of the grin I have on my face when I take him in. The door opposite mine opens then and I gesture towards my room. "Come inside," I say.

Itachi steps in and I immediately envelope him in a hug. I'm so happy right now, I'm almost ecstatic. Itachi lets out a little chuckle but returns my hug. We stand there for a full minute wherein I just breathe him in. That intoxicating perfume he wore last time tickles my nose and I bury my face in the crook of his neck to inhale it. Eventually we part and I giggle like an embarrassed teenager. "Is it okay to kiss you even if I haven't brushed my teeth," I ask him shyly.

His answers is a small nod and I brush my lips to his before kissing him sweetly. "So what brings you here?" I ask him. I'm grinning from ear-to-ear. He chuckles again.

"Since you said last night that you had nothing planned for the day, I was thinking we could go somewhere," he says.

I raise my eyebrows at him. "Are you taking me out on a date?" I ask cheekily, eyeing him from head to toe. He's wearing a white crew neck t-shirt with a sweater draped across his shoulders. He's paired the look with dark ankle pants and squeaky clean white sneakers. A silver watch glints at his wrist. He looks gorgeous.

He looks at me and smiles shyly. "If you're willing to go with me," he murmurs quietly.

I nod gleefully, making him smile. "You know I'll go anywhere with you," I say happily.

He nods. "Alright. I'm taking you with me to Tokyo," Itachi says as he seats himself on my desk chair.

I stand there like an idiot, smiling like a deranged person in front of him. "Is there any place special that you're taking me to?" I ask as I bend down again to kiss him.

He smiles at me as he tucks a lock of his hair behind his ear. The gesture is endearing to a point that I kiss him again. He pushes me away with the hand that was tucking his hair. "You can either stand here and do this all day or you could quickly get dressed and find out," he smiles at me cryptically and I chuckle despite myself.

"While both the offers are tempting, I'm dying to find out what you have planned for me," I say, finally dragging my feet towards the sink to brush my teeth.

He just picks up the manga I was reading and peruses through it silently.

It takes me fifteen minutes to rush through my shower. I grin elatedly as I stand in front of my door. I twist the knob and he's inside waiting for me. It feels like a dream come true. He's seated where I left him and I drop a kiss on top of his head before moving inside to sift through my clothes. I'm humming a song under my breath when Itachi's voice interrupts my off tune singing. "Wear the blue jeans," he says.

I raise my brows at him, smirking. "And why should I, pray tell?" I pull out the jeans, nevertheless. I'm glad I washed them when I did my laundry day before yesterday.

Itachi raises his own brows at me and returns my smirk with one of his own. "You know why. Don't go fishing for compliments all the time, Naruto-kun."

I grin as I slide my right leg into it. "Jeez, would it kill you to admit that my ass looks fan-fucking-tastic in it?" I grumble.

He walks over to me and flicks me on my forehead like I've seen him do to Sasuke. "Fine. It's as you say," his cheeks color ever so slightly and I love it.

I grab his hand. "I want you to say the words verbatim," I insist.

Itachi sighs and looks like he regrets his decisions as he rolls his eyes once. "Alright. Listen well because I'll only say this once," he takes a breath and then looks at me, "wear the blue jeans because your ass looks fantastic in it," he rushes through the words in a monotonous voice, making me laugh.

He clears his throat and moves to turn but then he eyes a shirt and throws it at me. "Put this on too." Before I can open my mouth, he shakes his head. "And no, it's not because you look fantastic in it or anything."

"Then why?" Like I'm going to be deterred by his statements!

He sighs exasperatedly. "Because it matches your jeans and you are wasting precious time! Don't make me regret this date, Naruto! Hurry up!"

I dress at a speed that could put military soldiers to shame. I hurriedly move towards the sink to comb my hair. Itachi raises his brows at me but doesn't say anything as he chooses to watch me now. I smile at him over the sink mirror and he smiles back. That smile does illegal things to my heart.

Once done, I quickly pocket my wallet and phone and Itachi stands up. I put on a light jacket and sneakers and kiss him again before we move out of the room.

"I'm so excited!" I gush as I rub my hands together and smile at him once I'm done locking up. I pocket the key and look at Itachi who's merely staring back at me.

"Me too," he says softly and there's no helping it when everything inside me melts to goo at his words.

This man, one day. I swear.


Café Canal is located in a place called Kagurazaka in Tokyo. It's lunch time when we arrive at the picturesque boathouse café and I inhale sharply when I see rows and rows of cherry blossom trees lined up on the waterside in full bloom. They sway gently against a pleasant breeze, depositing cherry blossom petals across the surface of the water`. The view is so spectacular, it's breathtaking.

"This is gorgeous!" I take it in and then the man who's brought me here.

Itachi merely nods as he moves downstairs to enter the outdoor seating area. We pick seats at the back of the terrace, closer to the water and the trees, shedding their pink petals. "You can take pictures if you want," Itachi's tone doesn't hide his amusement and at once I pull out my phone and move to take a few pictures. I slide the camera slightly towards my beloved and snap a few pictures with him against the cherry blossom background. The thick locks of his hair get caught in the wind. He tucks a lock behind his ear and I hastily snap a picture. He looks perfect. It makes my heart skip a beat and makes me sigh at this sheer perfection. This picture doesn't even do him an ounce of justice!

Our server arrives and we order their specialty pizza that Itachi recommends and the Sakura tea. Once she's gone, I look at him. "Have you been here before?" I ask.

Itachi tucks another lock of his hair disturbed by the breeze and regards me. A pink petal floats towards our table and he lifts it and plays with it. "No. It came as a recommendation when I was looking for a place to enjoy the cherry blossom season," he smiles at me. "I thought it would be a good place to bring you," he sighs as he smooths out the petal and then looks at me, "seeing as this is our first date," he shrugs nonchalantly but a smile plays about his lips and then he smacks his lips together and turns to look at the canal.

I briefly touch his hand playing with the petal. "It's wonderful, thank you."

He nods at that and then looks at me. "How were mid-terms?" he asks in formal Japanese.

I groan as I close my eyes and scrunch my nose at him. "This is a date, Itachi-sama! You can't bring in our formal classes into this!"

He crosses his right leg over his left and regards me. "Humor me," he says softly.

And I do. I launch into a diatribe of how tedious it was to stay away from him and concentrate on my education. His lips twitch as he fights his laughter and I keep encouraging it till he can't take it anymore and actually bursts out laughing. "I hate that you wouldn't let me see you during the exams. Who knows I could have done better had I been beside you!" I raise an eyebrow at him.

Itachi leans forward and my heart picks up pace. His hand stretches and then he hesitates. Finally, he gently points to where a petal has settled on my shoulder. I remove it, sensing his hesitation. One day, I'll make sure he doesn't stop to think before he touches me. "Stop making me sound like the tyrant I'm definitely not!" he complains bringing us back.

I shake my head at him. "That was a dick move, you know. Keeping me away from you. Especially when you knew all along that I would only be thinking of you!" I say accusatorily.

Our server who is a young woman blushes when she hears the last bit. Her eyes slide to me and then towards Itachi as she puts down our pizza and tea. She exhales a little too loudly and her smile is anything but professional as she eyes us, smitten. I pass her a happy smile when I thank her which makes her blush. Under the table, Itachi's foot brushes mine even as he merely mutters a polite thank you to her, accompanied by a nod. She hastily turns around and walks away. I watch her regroup with another female server as she looks at our table and giggles with the other wait staff. Her antics make me smile.

"See something you like?" Itachi's voice makes me look at him.

I smile at him, all teeth as I pick up my tea and take a sip. "I'm looking at him now," I say, keeping my eyes strictly on him.

He rolls his eyes and looks down at the pizza. "Let's dig in?"

I nod and watch as he very carefully slides a slice of the pizza on a plate and hands it to me. I take it with a gleeful thanks and wait till he's served himself. We bite into our pizza slices at the same time. I watch his eyes close as he savors his food. "Is it good?" he asks, once he's done chewing.

"It's excellent," I say, wiping the corners of my mouth with a tissue and taking another bite.

"Are we going out on the rowboats after this?" I ask looking at the boats.

"If you want to," he says.

"I very much want to," I reply.

Itachi nods and the conversation veers off to a different tangent from there as we exchange stories after stories. I'm in the middle of telling him something funny that happened and he actually puts down his pizza to cover his mouth with his hand as he laughs abandonly. A wind blows then, setting his hair and my thoughts astray. A petal settles on his hair and I don't even hesitate when I remove it. He looks startled but his smile widens when he sees me pocketing the petal. "Did you really just put it in your pocket?" he asks, clearly amused.

I nod as I look at him. "I needed a memento of this date," I say as I carefully smoothen it out in my pocket and pull out my hand.

"Won't a picture be better?" Itachi suggests as he casually places his forearms on the table and leans forward.

Progress. My heart turns over in my chest. "Then shall we take a picture together?" I test the waters.

"Come here," Itachi beckons me with his chin. I don't need another reason. I go to stand next to him but he pats the chair next to him. "Sit here. I'll take the photo," Itachi says as he takes my phone from my hand. I take the seat next to him and he adjusts the camera and quickly snaps a picture of us smiling.

It's a nice picture but we look too stiff, too formal. It's missing something.

I move back to my seat after that. Our conversation picks up again as we resume eating. I continue regaling him with one funny story after another. He snorts at one tale and hides his face in his napkin. I chuckle at his amused expression, wanting nothing more than to make him laugh all the time. It transforms his handsome features completely, adding a boyishness to it which just makes him outshine every person I've come across.

We order some taco rice after the pizza upon mutual agreement and I insist on some gelato for dessert.

Once we're done, I practically squeal like a child when he starts walking towards the rowboats. I pay at the counter for a boat and steer the oars perfectly. I've rowed before and the water in the canal is gentle so it's not all that difficult. Itachi is doing something on his phone which looks suspiciously like making a video of me and I confirm it when I lift my hand and make a cutesy peace sign which makes him laugh.

The wind picks up gently, bringing with it a fresh shower of cherry blossoms which float around the water. "Should I take over?" Itachi asks me and I shake my head.

"Just continue capturing this moment for me," I smile at him.

He smiles at my choice of words and then raises a brow. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I want to see what you see," I say.

Itachi lowers his phone as he glances at me. "You know what I see," he says softly.

I'm glad we've reached the narrower end of the canal where there are only trees surrounding us. "Come here," I coax him gently as I set the oars down and usher him to me.

He comes on shaky legs and nervous breaths. The boat rocks and he grapples for balance. I stand up and grab him immediately as I pull him to me. "What do you see?" I ask.

"You," it's an obvious answer but it becomes something else entirely because nothing about his tone, his body language, this moment is obvious. His gaze on me is soft, almost shy. The breeze brings with it the subtle scent of his cologne. I'm in love with this smell. I quickly pull out my phone as I bring my face closer to his, helpless at the urges this proximity brings. I adjust the angle of the camera and look at his face. My pulse races when his midnight eyes look back at me. Time stops as he captures my gaze. It is only when his hand lifts to press the camera button that I realize I'd stopped functioning. The warmth of his hand on mine shoots sparks up my spine. I don't even look at the camera lens when the shutter sounds.

A smile looms at my face when I see the picture we've taken. I turn and kiss him. His arms go around me when he kisses me back. On that boat which rocks dangerously under us, we kiss like we'll never kiss again.

And I know now why the Japanese call spring the season of romance.

This is it.

Picture perfect.


After lunch, we are coming out of the café discussing where to go next when Itachi suddenly says, "Harajuku! Let's go there," he looks at me and smiles excitedly.

I frown. "Why would you want to go there? Are you a fan of cosplay too?" I eye him sideways, pretending to frown at him.

He rolls his eyes at me. "I just thought you'd like to go there," Itachi shrugs casually.

I smile tightly at him. "Yeah, but not on a date!" I shrug.

"Then do it this time! I want to go with you," Itachi says softly and I nod enthusiastically, making him chuckle under his breath.

Once we're in Harajuku, I turn into the otaku I am. Only this time, I'm insanely happy by seeing him take interest in something I like. "What is your favorite anime?" he asks conversationally. I move to sidestep a young girl who smiles at me and walks away.

"You don't remember?" I stare at him aghast as I resume my pace beside him.

A man holding too many shopping bags in his hand comes dangerously close to Itachi. My hand touching a corner of the paper bag and pushing it away is the only reminder of me doing this. Both Itachi and the man eye me funny but I continue walking forward casually. The impulsiveness which acts the moment I sense danger around him is new to me. These primal instincts are a novelty I'm trying to grapple with. I need him to know that. The firsts are not his alone. I nod at the man and look forward again. My cheeks are aflame and now I'm nervous because I know Itachi is going to point it out. "It's really chivalrous of you, but you don't have to protect me all the time, Naruto-kun," Itachi's laugh is strained.

I need him to understand but I can't bring myself to talk about something that I myself haven't understood. "I'm sorry," I apologize and turn to start walking.

Itachi deflates as he grabs a corner of my coat to stop me. "I…that's not what I meant. I wanted to…uh…thank you for doing what you did." Itachi's eyes slide away from mine.

He needs to let this go now. "You're welcome." I say, making him nod slightly and let go of the sleeve of my coat.

We walk around in stony silence for a few minutes till he stops at a store. "Ah! I want to go here," he exclaims. "There's something I want to buy," he turns and enters the store. It's a shop with rows and rows of graphic t-shirts and every otaku's apparel dream. He moves purposefully towards a t-shirt and holds it out to me. He tilts his head as he presses the t-shirt against my chest. "Go try this," Itachi hands me the t-shirt and nods towards the trial rooms.

I look down and stare at the black t-shirt. It contains the picture of a nine-tailed fox. It's from my favorite anime. I grin like an idiot when I look at him. "You remembered!" I whisper. Itachi just shakes his head and mutters something about having to hear me harp on and on about it that made it difficult to forget. This man, one day. I swear.

I quickly pull off my coat and shirt and put on the t-shirt. I set my hair right before turning around and walking out of the trial room. Itachi studies me for a minute. "Go put on that shirt over it," he suggests. I grab it and put it on.

He nods then. "It looks good," he says quietly. I turn around to change out of it but he shakes his head. "Keep it on. We'll get the tags removed at the counter." He shakes his head in protest when I insist on paying. He turns to me. "You wanted a memento, I'm giving you one. You better keep it well."

Little does he know it's a treasure already! "I'll cherish it, Itachi-sama. Thank you," I bow even as I hug my chest. "Can I buy you one too?" I ask.

He looks at me for a full second. "The same one? You mean like couple t-shirts?" he asks.

I shake my head at him, laughing. "You don't need to wear it right now, Itachi-sama! You gave a keepsake of your choice, now I want to give you one of mine."

Itachi laughs. "No offense Naruto-kun but I'm not a fan of that anime. From what I've heard of your favorite character, the elder brother gets the saddest backstory. As an elder brother myself I find it particularly daunting that he would-" I drag him to the changing room and kiss him before he can finish that sentence.

He looks startled but then his mouth opens and that combination of fire and ice which sets every nerve in me aflame burns when my tongue meets his. A noise makes him break the kiss. "We should get going," Itachi says as his eyes slide to the floor and he makes his way outside. But not before I see the blush on his face or his hand brushing his mouth.

I make my way to the nine-tailed fox shirt and pluck out the right size. Once I complete my purchase, we exchange shopping bags. It feels so silly that it makes me chuckle when Itachi eyes my purchase dubiously. "You really didn't have to," Itachi murmurs quietly.

Someone bumps into me from behind, successfully pushing me closer to him. I take advantage as I bend down and move my mouth to his ear. "You may be complaining now but I can promise you that you'll wear it till it's threadbare." I press it further into his hands. "You'll fall in love before you know it." I wink at him.

He lets out a startled chuckle. "That's an awfully bold proclamation Naruto-kun," he looks at me disbelievingly again but I just shake my head and smile at him. He can see the conviction in my eyes. His cheeks color as he clutches the packet tighter and lifts it. "But I'll cherish it," a smile just like my own blossoms across his lips.

And I know. This man, one day. I swear.


Being in love is like walking on clouds. I don't think I've ever been this happy in my life. Well, unless you leave out the day, I got told I was selected for the exchange program or the day Itachi came to my room in his overalls to tell me his answer. Our perfect first date yesterday was dreamlike to say the least. Walking away from him at the train station burnt. I still wanted more time with him. But I feel like this bliss doesn't hold a candle to the feeling I have in my chest. It's like madness and magic merged into one.

I grin broadly when I meet Sasuke for dinner. He said he wanted to talk about something and I agreed. We meet in front of the diner we both like and quickly walk inside. Once we're seated, we hurriedly place our orders. I pretty much slept through the day and so I didn't eat much and am starving. And judging from Sasuke's tall order, he is too.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" I ask after taking a sip of my water.

Sasuke waves his hand. "It was just an excuse to get you to eat with me," he says, brushing it away.

I laugh. "Dude you could have just told me you were hungry and I'd have still gone with you," I tell him.

Sasuke smiles. "I'll keep that in mind," he says.

I kick him lightly under the table and he laughs. We make small talk after that, discussing anime, our classes and everything else we can think of. I'm glad that he doesn't talk about Itachi or even mention his name. I don't know what face I'll make. I'm scared of arousing suspicion.

Our food arrives and we dig in. I eat like I haven't eaten in days. "Still continuing your formal Japanese classes?" Sasuke asks just as I take a sip of my water.

It explodes out of my mouth as I choke horribly. I curse his terrible timing. I cover my mouth with a napkin as I cough. Sasuke pushes my glass of water towards me as he immediately rises and begins patting my back. It takes me a few seconds but once I've calmed, I glare at him. He frowns at me. Then I just shrug casually and nod. "Yeah. We started two weeks ago."

"But weren't we busy with mid-terms back then?" that thread of suspicion and his furrowed brows make my skin prickle.

I try to be as nonchalant as I can when I pick up cutlery and take the bite of mashed potatoes. Food tastes like ash now. "I needed some help with formal Japanese and he has been tutoring me so I figured I'll ask him." My voice shakes a little and I pray Sasuke doesn't notice it. If he gets wind of the only condition Itachi has imposed, then everything will be over in a flash.

I carefully slide my eyes to his and relief pools in my body when I see him smiling back at me. "I'm glad you two are talking again," he says as he looks down at his plate and smiles, embarrassed. "I just felt like what I said to you after our Business Japanese class about you getting taken from me was stupid. I was just being childish, I guess. But I didn't know how to make this right. The reason I tried suggesting we go to his place and you turned it down was for my sake, wasn't it? I'm sorry I put you in this position. I'm just very glad you two are talking again." He affirms my assumptions.

I should feel guilty for making him think all this. But I don't, I can't. His feelings are his own. Regardless of what he feels for me, I will never return his feelings. And that's why, this niceness makes me pity him. Had Itachi never returned my feelings and continued our classes, maybe I'd be the same. And that's why I muster a sincere smile on my face. "It's nothing, really."

I smile at him as I take another bite of my steak. I chew slowly, savoring the flavor when suddenly Sasuke chuckles as he looks at me. "I think he's dating someone," he says.

I bite my cheek instead of the meat. It stings like a bitch but something like panic has taken over my senses. "What makes you think that?" I ask, keeping my tone light and flippant.

Sasuke laughs. "Because yesterday he went out dressed to the nines! He said he was going to Tokyo to meet a friend but he fretted uncontrollably over his attire. All that for meeting a friend?" He looks at me and raises his brows, playfully. "Do you think he was…" he makes a circle with his left hand and begins moving his right index finger in and out of it.

I throw my napkin at him. "Don't be disgusting!"

He throws the napkin back at me. "Let's call a spade a spade! No one in their right minds would spend an hour trying on everything in their wardrobe and complaining about things if they were going to meet a friend, would they? And he was even wearing that fancy cologne of his!" he throws out a hand to emphasize his point. But I'm somewhere else.

I fight. I struggle with every muscle in my cheek to stop the smile that's looming across my face. It's a force of nature, this one. It threatens to spill out of me in a never-ending laugh. I cover my face to hide my expression. My shoulders shake with this feeling in my chest. Euphoria. And right now it's bigger than me as it takes over me. My Itachi-sama dressing up for a date. My heart can't even…

I compose my features as best as I can and school my laugh into one of hysteric disbelief. "An hour?" I manage to ask.

Sasuke laughs with me. "Yeah, maybe she is special," he muses. "He really hasn't told you anything about her? Not even her name?" he asks.

The euphoric feeling gets sucked out of me in an instant. I was willing to play along. But the word he's constantly using for his brother's potential date isn't sitting well with me. I clear my throat and Sasuke's smile diminishes a little. A rational me would have done better but I don't like this automatic assumption Sasuke has drawn. It burns me to the core.

"Stop prying Sasuke!" I end to pass it off standoffishly.

"No seriously! I felt like if there was someone who'd know of it, it would be you," he says.

I scoff at him. "Why me? Why would he tell me about it?" I ask.

Sasuke's eyes look away and then he looks back at me. "Since you two were so close to each other," he shrugs, "who knows, maybe he'd have told you?"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore." I inhale deeply before I force out the next words. "It's his private life," I say, waving a spoon dismissively.

Silence follows for a second. "What are your plans for the upcoming spring break?" I exhale when he forcefully changes the topic.

"I've got plans with a couple of my friends to go to Osaka and Kyoto," I reply, injecting warmth into my tone.

"Kiyomizu Temple will be the most gorgeous then. Nice choice," he says.

I ask him his plans and even after finishing the whole slice of banoffee pie, the bitterness in my mouth doesn't decrease a fraction.


I discuss the whole thing with Shikamaru.

Shikamaru just merely scratches his spiky black hair and smacks his lips, annoyed. "This Sasuke is just too nosy," he mutters.

"Exactly! Why does it matter to him?" I repeat for the nth time. "Do you think he knows I like Itachi? Do you think he did this to hurt me deliberately?" I ask my best friend.

"I'd have drawn the same conclusion but after what he thinks about your "consideration towards him", he wouldn't have said tried to be inconsiderate." Shikamaru closes his eyes and spins his rotating chair.

"Why not? Because he likes me, maybe he could've said this to hurt me a little?" I venture a guess.

Shikamaru opens his eyes and regards me. "You are overthinking Naruto," Shikamaru eyes me sternly. "Itachi has always dated women before you. It's the most obvious conclusion that anyone can draw."

I chew on his words. Try as I might, I still don't like it. This bitter taste just won't leave my mouth. That man has awoken a beast inside me that wants him, that wants the world to know he's mine. Shikamaru is right. I need to become rational about this. Our relationship has just begun! But how do I sate this primitive instinct inside me?

"You need to give yourself some room to breathe dude," Shikamaru is a master of observance. And he's never on my side.

"I am jumping the gun, aren't I?" I retreat hastily.

"I am not answering that for you. You know what you need to do. Now go away and pester your favorite sama," Shikamaru waves an airy hand.

I grin. "Am I that obvious?" I ask him.

He sighs and mutters 'troublesome' under his breath and then disconnects the call.

I laugh as I immediately scroll to Itachi's number and hit Facetime.

"Naruto-kun!" he grins happily when he picks up immediately. "Perfect timing! I was just about to call you!" he laughs.

My body vibrates with a sensation that's now becoming familiar to me when I'm in a moment with him. It calls to me as my body sings with it.

I revel in that happiness.

Euphoria.


Time flies in the handful of dates we've managed to squeeze in between our hectic schedules, mostly because Itachi has to take care of his son and the shop and I have school. I really hate the lack of Itachi in my life. It makes me think back of those three excruciating months without him. Our formal Japanese classes have also now reduced to once every two weeks. He takes those classes very strictly and every time I try to slip in a hint or an invite, he flicks me mercilessly on my forehead and primly reprimands me. But that hasn't deterred me from stealing a kiss here or two. The storeroom is a personal favorite. But that time is so limited that it leaves me wanting more. The worst is, ever since I got mad at the date conversation we had about Itachi, Sasuke's stopped making the suggestion of going to his store, altogether. What's even worse is the fact that my research paper is not going well.

It's mid-May now. I moan as I peruse through yet another research paper and consult the dictionary again for another kanji character for the thousandth time.

If only Itachi was here…

The idea that strikes me hits me so hard that I almost topple off the chair I was swinging on. I right the chair and rub my hands in utter glee. I quickly stuff my books in my book bag and move toward the library exit. As I step outside the library, I bump into Kiba who looks worse for wear. I shoot him my widest grin and he makes a sick face in return. I burst into laughter.

"Why, aren't you Mr. Sunshine today!" sarcasm drips from Kiba's voice but I don't care.

"And why are you walking like the very devil himself rained on your parade?" I ask him, looping an arm around his neck. I maneuver him towards the general direction of the bike parking lot. It takes a bit of an effort because despite being as tall as me, Kiba also comes attached with a setting for stubbornness.

"My research has gone to the dogs! Last week my tutor was on my tail to finalize my topic and now that we've got that out of the way, she's persistently reminding me to write my first draft. Honestly, if she weren't so cute, I'd have complained to our supervisor!" Kiba scratches at his spiky hair and I can see how frustrated he totally is.

"So, you have hots for your tutor, huh?" I ask, nudging him.

Kiba nudges me back. "Fuck yeah man! She's called Hinata and she's got the most adorable smile. And those glasses of hers… she just makes me want to…" I cover his mouth with my hand knowing the range of expletives that are going to burst forth. I don't want to hear it.

"Alright, alright. I can see how much you like her. Just don't…just don't make her uncomfortable, okay?" I say, nodding at him. While he may have a heart of gold, I'm not sure whether Kiba knows where to draw the line with his wayward thoughts and a mouth to match it.

"What do you take me for? I'm the most respectable, polite, and probably the nicest human being you'll ever encounter, Uzumaki Naruto! One day you're going to bow down to me!" He juts out his chest like a mighty, ferocious king while my arm still hangs limply from his neck. I pull out my arm and smack him at the back of his head. We've reached the area where I've parked my bike. I pull out my keys and get to unlocking it.

"Bro, we got tons of work! Where're you off to?" he asks.

I smile at him and he just shakes his head in dramatic horror. Oh, that's right. Itachi's secret dating plan involves not telling anyone and Kiba apparently belongs to that list too. The lengthy conversation/debate I had with the love of my life, has not only set things in black and white but also issued threats. Ergo, a secret it shall remain.

"Uh, I think I'll go back to the room. The library is way too stuffy for me." I ignore my flaming ears and the heat spreading to my cheeks.

Kiba shoots me an unsuspecting look before turning in the general direction of the library. He casts one long look at the tall building before sighing and hoisting his book bag higher on his shoulder. He turns to me just as I'm about to kick the stand and mount my bike. "You know what, fuck it! I'm coming back with you."

"But didn't you say your tutor is harassing you to write your draft?" I ask.

Kiba looks like he lightning struck him. His eyes widen as his mouth opens in a theatrical 'O.' "I'll write it there." He pauses for a moment. "But I can't concentrate in my room. What do I do?" he wails.

I muster what I think is a genuinely sad look. "It's alright, dude. I feel you. You go do your work and once you're done, I promise we'll play some games." I smile at him, small and sweet.

I watch for a moment as Kiba grudgingly turns and trudges towards the library. Then I kick off the stand and mount my bike. It doesn't take me more than two minutes before I'm pedaling hard towards the route I now know like the back of my hand.

Itachi, here I come!


"Can we drop by Itachi's shop super quick?" Sasuke asks as he rummages around in his backpack frantically.

"Why?" I ask, more nervous than curious or excited. Itachi and I have gone over and over on how to behave in front of Sasuke and now that the time for the charade is upon us, I can feel my hands and feet growing cold with anxiety. I know I have no self-control when it comes to Itachi. Trying to pretend is just going to make it more obvious than anything else. But Itachi has put his foot down very strictly about secrecy.

Sasuke spends two more minutes turning over every pocket of his bag. "I think I left the house keys at home. It's just that I have a night shift and I don't want to disturb them when I return," he explains.

I nod. That makes sense. But it doesn't stem the anxiety flowing through me at the prospect of being anywhere near my lover when his brother will also be present. I mean, if I'm being hopeful, someday, we might have to sit down for this confrontation, and I think I could live through that. What I don't think I can live through is being in the same space as Itachi and not touching him. He'll know instantly.

This is bad. This is really, really bad.

Sasuke frowns when he studies my face. "Hey, you don't have to go if you don't want to," he says.

I lick my lips, my eyebrows straighten. "Oh no! Nothing like that. I have no problem accompanying you Sasuke," I say, all good-naturedly.

Sasuke smiles, relieved. "It'll only take a minute. Itachi has a spare set in his shop. I'll borrow those."

My heart, as is always, ready to burst inside my chest. True Itachi and I met last night, but I feel like every second away from him is wasted. If I could, I would put banners all over the place announcing my relationship with this man and move in with him permanently.

I shake my head to clear it from the haze Itachi's thoughts cover it in and focus on how I am going to deal with not doing something stupid like professing my love in front of Sasuke, right there in the middle of the store. I am going to have to keep my distance. There's no other way I am going to survive this otherwise.

We lock our bikes and hastily climb the stairs to his store. He stands at the counter, handing out a receipt to a female with auburn hair who giggles at him as she replies in perfect accented Japanese. He smiles at her, pricking my ire. She bows sweetly as I come to stand beside her at the counter. I look down at the woman who got a slice of my man with narrowed eyes. Sure enough, her eyes are glazed and her cheeks are tinged pink. My nostrils flair as jealousy curls around my chest.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," Itachi's stiff voice makes me glance up at him and my breath freezes in my chest. He's wearing his off-white shirt and brown pants. This is the same combination he wore when I saw him for the first time. His ponytail is still loose, thick locks framing his beautiful face. My eyes meet his, my eyebrow twitching when I find a spark of something akin to dislike there. It takes a lot of strain to not blurt out the question sitting at the top of my tongue.

Instead I bow. "Hello, Itachi-sama!" I return his greeting, my eyes boring into his with the question I cannot voice.

"Is it alright if I look at the manga section?" Auburn asks, tucking some hair behind her ear demurely.

Itachi nods, smiling at her genuinely. She moves towards the manga section with an unneeded panache. I hate this girl. She makes me bristle with her tone and body language. I had come here with the single-minded determination to keep my distance. But now that I've seen how this is playing out, there isn't a chance in hell, I'm moving an inch from this spot. Itachi is mine.

Sasuke chooses that moment to jiggle the keys Itachi just handed him in front of my face. I force a smile to my face. My eyes cut to Sasuke's and it takes every muscle in my body to reign in my rampant emotions. "Got everything you wanted?" I ask. I want to stay. Auburn still hasn't exited the shop. I eye her as she watches us. She is, undoubtedly, waiting for us to leave. If only Sasuke wasn't here!

We turn to Itachi to tell him we're leaving. Then just as we turn around to head out of the store, Itachi clears his throat behind us. "Naruto-kun, the kind of shelf you requested last week has arrived," he says.

What shelf? What the hell is he talking about? I didn't ask for a shelf!

Itachi's eyes are giving nothing away. Sasuke glances at both of us, a frown forming on his face. "What shelf?" I ask, feeling stupid for forgetting something like this.

Itachi smiles at me. But it's tight and doesn't reach his eyes. "You asked me me last week when you did not come alone to look for it, Don't you remember? We saw some in the storeroom. It's here now," his voice emphasizes the word and I get it.

You me alone storeroom now!

This man, one day. I swear.

With eyes rounded in the revelation of what Itachi is playing at, I slap a hand on my forehead for emphasis. "Oh yes! Thank you!" I gush like he's handing me a lottery ticket. Sasuke's frown deepens.

"Would you like to come and see it?" Itachi asks, pointing towards the storage unit. His eyes are still politely blank.

"Oh yeah, sure!" I turn to Sasuke and ask, "Do you mind?" I pat his shoulder when he shakes his head, choosing instead to browse through some difficult book on Itachi's counter.

Itachi motions for me to follow him. His steps are unnecessarily long and hurried. I turn to look at Sasuke who's now reading a page with interest. Auburn studies us over some manga, her brows furrowed. I close the door shut behind me and turn around on Itachi. My hand snakes around his shoulders to pull him closer. We kiss with the passion of two starved souls. When we break away, he continues to press a series of kisses to my lips. I bend his neck and bite it.

"Liked what you saw?" I ask. A fraction of his left eyebrow rises higher than his right one.

My own brows quirk. "What?" he asks, confused beyond thought. I roll my eyes at him while my insides burn like molten lava.

"I saw how you smiled at her! She was blushing!" I tell him.

He just shakes his head as he moves to stand in front of a plastic shelf that looks like it has seen better days. "And you? What about you? You didn't even look at me!" he seethes.

As if I'd ever look at anyone else!

A small smile tugs at my lips but I quell it. "Did you want me to look at you?" I ask, turning towards him and taking his hand in mine. I brush my lips against the back of his hand while he just rolls his eyes.

"That's not the point, Naruto!" Itachi huffs. But he doesn't withdraw his hand. Instead he curls his fingers as they clasp mine. We smile at each other like two idiots who can't get enough. Unable to take it anymore, I pull him to me. He gasps at the jerk as his lips hover near mine. His mouth opens for the kiss that's coming and I indulge him. Our lips meet for the sweetest of kisses. Itachi deepens the kiss as he rubs his tongue along my lower lip. I'm only too happy to open my mouth under his ministrations. The kiss deepens into something more intimate when Itachi's hand clutches my waist in urgency. I choose that moment to steady myself with a hand against the shelf. It dwindles shakily and just as his hand brushes against the hem of my shirt, the shelf topples, and clatters noisily to the floor making us jump apart.

Sasuke is beside us before we can actually grasp the gravity of the situation, followed by Auburn. Luckily, the noise distracted us enough to step away from each other or else today was Doomsday.

Auburn immediately comes to stand beside Itachi who is blushing furiously. She asks him in her accented Japanese if he's alright. Itachi nods, moving his hand away before she can touch it under the guise of bending down to pick up the shelf. I push her not too gently away from Itachi as I bend down to help him right it. The shelf is not heavy per se, I just need a moment with him.

"Are you alright?" I ask as I bend near his ear, keeping my voice low. I busy myself with a corner that's come out of its place, setting it right.

Itachi's cheeks are still pink and he looks like he regrets this impulsive idea. His hand moves to steadying the plastic bit of the shelf when our fingers brush against each other. An accidental-on-purpose move I deliberately risk. If I don't touch him right now, I might actually lose my mind. Despite the mishap, I am nowhere near done with my quota of Itachi.

"Relax," I tell him, subtly running a pinky across the back of his hand. His brow lifts in something like alarm.

"I think I now understand what people mean when they say love makes you crazy," Itachi says under his breath as he "helps" me lift the shelf.

It falls noisily on the floor again, this time when my hands let it go. I'm too shocked to care. My brain is now completely and utterly stuck on that. It plays it on repeat like a loop while my heart sets new beating records.

Sasuke snaps me out of it. "Dude are you okay?" he asks from somewhere to my right.

No. No, I'm not okay. I cannot be okay. My lover, Uchiha Itachi is finally using the word love. How in the fucking world, can I be okay?

"Yeah, yeah. Absolutely! Nothing wrong with me. I'm as healthy as a horse! Totally fine. Yeah!" I babble nonsense as I put out a hand to high five him and he's got the most dubious expression on his face as he slaps his hand to mine.

"What happened here?" he asks his brother. Auburn is nowhere to be seen and I'm thankful for that.

Itachi's face is turning a disturbing shade of purple as he glances at his brother. I take a step back, not to give them privacy or anything, but to gain a vantage point to ogle my lover as he tries to wheedle out of this predicament, he got us in. "We were…um…checking the sturdiness of this shelf, right Naruto?" he turns to me, eyes beseeching. I pinch the bridge of my nose to stop the laughter bubbling inside me from spilling over.

"Yeah. We…er…we've concluded that my friend needs something else," I supplant, just to end this conversation so that I can resume the best conversation of my life with Itachi.

Itachi nods fervently. "I could show you a couple of others if you have the time. Or maybe you could drop by tomorrow and check them out?" he asks, pasting one of his shopkeeper smiles which I'm beginning to hate especially when they're directed towards me. But I get the underlying message. He's clearly asking me if I want to make out here right now or if I want to come by tomorrow.

After the words that have left his lips, he doesn't even need to ask. There is nowhere else in the world I'd rather be! I would happily walk through the gates of Hell if he so wanted. But I've already made plans with Sasuke. Besides, Sasuke's presence here is a complication. If he chooses to accompany Itachi and me, there is no way we can talk about it let alone act on it. I don't even want to venture into the logistics of the physical aspect of my needs with Itachi. And even if he chose to stay outside, the anxiety would drive me up the walls.

I sigh. "I guess I'll drop by tomorrow with…uh…my friend if that's okay with you?" I ask Itachi, keeping my tone as neutral as possible. Itachi's shoulders dip a fraction but he nods.

"Naruto and I have plans of studying at the diner near the park. I'll go for my part-time from there," Sasuke tells Itachi as he places a hand on my shoulder as a means to steer me out of the storage unit.

"I'll see you tomorrow Itachi-sama," I say, bending down politely in goodbye. Thankfully, that causes Sasuke's hand to fall from my shoulder. I hear Itachi exhale softly.

Sasuke turns and is out of the storage unit in three quick steps. I immediately cup Itachi's cheek and lean down to brush my lips gently against his, regret filling my eyes. "Good night, Itachi-sama. I hate that I cannot talk to you more, that I cannot stay. But I know this love isn't going anywhere. It's here to stay."

I turn back to see him where I left him, mouth slightly opened at me. I wink and blow him a kiss. He takes a step back and I chuckle when the shelf falls for a third time, startling poor Itachi.

Outside, Sasuke lets out a grumble, loud enough for me to hear. I laugh.

Yup. It's official as euphoria flows through me.

This man has ruined me.


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