Heaven's Rain

by victimofmywoes

Little did I know my one-year exchange program in Japan would become so much more. NaruItaNaru.

25. The Little Parting

The Little Parting

A/N: Ahhhhhhhhhh! The last chapter! There are two epilogues to this.

Thank you to everyone who supported me through this journey. Your comments mean a lot. Thanks for loving Itachi and Naruto the way i do. It's been magical!

---

It doesn't take me long to realize that he's being making me drive us around to all the places we visited together. We're somehow walking along the familiar roads of my university where we've walked so, so many times together. And each road holds memories, both with him and without him. I fill him in on them. He listens with an interested smile and we make our way to a bench.

He watches me cross my legs in the blue jeans which are his favorite. His eyes admire the view and I smirk. He doesn't know I have a surprise planned.

"I just remembered something!" That straight side of his is adorable. Then he looks at me and then looks away. "Nevermind."

"You know that's the worst way to say something. Now you've got me all curious! So, tell me." I nod.

He blinks a couple of times. "All right. In that case, you must promise not to get mad."

I raise my eyebrows. Him 'fessing up to something? He's got me intrigued. "Fine. I'll try."

Itachi considers it valid enough for he looks away. "There's that Family Mart on the other side of that lane, right? Almost deep in the woods?" he asks for clarity.

"Yeah, what about it?" I think about the said convenience store and nod.

"One time I went there to get some prints and I saw a very good-looking part-timer. He was a…man. But he was so beautiful, it was hard to look away." He looks up at me through his lashes.

My eyebrows are lost in my hairline and my eyes are ready to pop out.

I'm the first man he's been attracted to. Forget that! I'm the only man he's been attracted to. So what bullshit is he spewing?

"There are people like that, aren't there?" Yes, calm, and mature, just like how I should be. "By the way, when was this?"

A smirk works up his face. "In my sophomore year, I guess?" I bristle. Getting jealous of his past is just the worst.

"I just thought, "Whoa! He's handsome," and that's it."

"That's it?"

He shrugs. "Yeah. I mean I didn't think I wanted to sleep with him or anything."

"Hmm," I eye him suspiciously. "Sure it wasn't your awakening?" I raise a brow.

He hums for a second and then shakes his head. "Nah, I don't think so."

"Sure it didn't involve accidental touches or prolonged eye contacts?"

He raises an eyebrow at me. "Was that your game too? Eye contacts and touches?"

"Well, usually it is but I had to deny myself both in your case."

"Liar! You stared every turn!"

I laugh. "Alright, guilty of staring. But it was hard."

"Oh really? Why?"

"Because the moment I see you, I stop seeing others. And the more I see you, the more I want to touch. And you know my body moves on its own when you're involved. So everywhere I was in that capacity, I really had to fight my urges."

Itachi laughs. "Idiot."

"You say that now, but I bet you'd not have laughed when I almost pounced on you during our classes." I laugh. "Maybe even before that."

"I wonder," he looks at me thoughtfully. "I mean, it could have been the catalyst for all you know. Speeded things up."

"As if! Think about our second or third meeting. Imagine me hauling you by your hand the moment you stepped into my room, and literally forcing a kiss on you. You'd have kneed me in the groin before it even registered."

Itachi winces. "Eh…but still…I don't think I'd have gone that far."

"I wasn't going to risk it. Besides I didn't just want your body, you know."

"Hmm." He looks at me. "Even when you can't get enough of it?"

"I can never have enough of all of you!"

He looks ahead thoughtfully "Have you ever dated someone seriously before me?" he asks me.

"Too late to inquire about my dating history, don't you think?" I lift an eyebrow at him. He doesn't look amused. He looks at me passively, all nonchalant about my answer. And I think he probably is. My past is mine, after all. God, I sound like the biggest hypocrite when I say that after I dug out his skeletons.

I frown. "Define serious."

"Serious as in long-term."

"There was one. In high school. We were together for three years. Broke up when things didn't work out."

"Did you love him?"

"At the time I think I did. He was also gay and we were both struggling with our own identities so somewhere our need to find someone like us took the forefront. But it was good. I won't deny that."

If there's one thing, I can be sure of a hundred percent, it's the fact that he's alright with my past. And while I'm still sore and petty about Itachi's marriage to Kaede-san, he takes everything in stride. And I know that this question no longer stems from the curiosity to learn about this world. His focus is now on learning about me.

"Did you…uh…bottom for him?" All the eclectic illusions I was harboring of him being okay with my past, come crashing when I look at him.

It bothers him. I know it does. And I regret it. Not being able to return the favor of bottoming for the first time for him. Trust me when I say, had I known there'd come a day when I'd find a man like him, I'd have saved it for my whole life. I'd have only given him that privilege.

"Uh…yeah." I clear my throat and look away. "He was my first."

"And then?"

"Then we broke up and I switched to topping only. Till you."

I think it irritates him a little more that he came second. I think he'd have been okay with coming third or fourth. It's the fact that there was only one person before him. Getting competitive with each other's past is a toxic trait we both share. And right now, we're exposing it in spades.

He nods, clapping his hands to let out the adrenaline that's rushing through his veins. Itachi in this journey has been so honest and so transparent that I've never second-guessed his motives or actions. And right now, the energy rolls off him in waves.

"And now? Do you still keep in touch?" he asks, buckling his leg.

"We do text each other sometimes and hang out if we're in the same town. He lives elsewhere, by the way." I milk it for all it's worth. I thought my not being a virgin back there bothered him. I didn't know it infuriated him to this extent.

I slide my eyes to him. "Also, he's in a live-in with his partner and I am blind to everyone else except you."

"I see." He smiles his plastic smile.

"Stop being jealous of someone you don't even know the name of."

"Aren't you of someone who I gave my first time to?"

I shrug, having made my peace with it long ago. "On the contrary, it turns me on."

"What part of it?" He covers his face as he struggles for words torn between offense and desire "That's not what I meant to say. I just…" he glares at me while I grin. "Pervert!" he whispers it under his breath.

My, my. Look my sweet at how easily I've turned the tables.

I laugh and lean closer. "The part when I think about how you'd look on your hands and knees over her, your cock inside her, navigating your first time, it turns me on." His face is red when I smirk at him. "How was she?"

Itachi smirks, putting his hand in his pocket to pull out his phone. "Why not show you a picture instead?"

"You still have her picture in your phone?"

"Why? You can keep in touch with him but I can't even keep her picture?"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! This and that are two very different things. For one, keeping in touch is not illegal."

"Neither is seeing pictures of people you are friends with on social media."

He trapped me.

"Hey, you're still in touch with her too! That's hypocrisy!"

"How so? I don't text her sometimes or hang out when we're in the same town. She lives elsewhere too." He shrugs. "And besides, you may be a pervert for getting off on it but I'm not you. So pardon me, if I get a little jealous."

"He's harmless. I told you I'm blind to everyone except you."

He fakes a cough. "Haku," he whispers discreetly and grins at me.

"I told you I admired his talent!" I look at him, affronted.

"Uh-huh, then was it me who admired his elegant, graceful and purposeful movements?" I open my mouth when he laughs. "Relax! I'm just messing with you."

"Itachi-sama," I lean in closer till our shoulders brush.

"Hmm?" he smiles lazily at me.

"I love this."

"Idiot."

Students are piling out of their buildings for lunch break. I put my head on his shoulder. "Let me just stay like this for a minute and then we'll go get lunch."

He just smiles silently and nods.

---

After we visit the parking lot near my dorm, my room, the library, and every café we've sat and spent hours in, we headed down to the stream and now we're finally going to the park. It holds a lot of significance. The bench, especially, is the place where it all started. Where I confessed for the first time. It's been a witness to the worst of me, of us and now it's the place where we have some of our best memories. Dusk falls slowly. His presence at every place important to me in this town, repaints everything. Adding more significance than it did before.

The ten-minute drive to the parking lot of the park close to the university goes on for much longer because I am the one driving us around today. It was me who volunteered, actually. He'd smiled like a delighted kid and had dutifully taken his place on the passenger seat.

He'd waited till I'd safely parked our car before he unclipped his seatbelt and pounced on me. All in broad daylight, mind you. He justifies it by saying he couldn't help it and I argue back saying it doesn't require a justification at all. He can pounce on me anytime he wants. His surprised face when he unzipped my pants to see no underwear. It took him a second to realize why I'd gone commando before he undid my pants to my knees and took me in his mouth and worked me skillfully to a climax.

He pulls away and a thread of my lust spreads to his lips. He licks it without hesitation, his tongue taking me in. "Christen it well," he winks at me.

I cover my face and laugh. "And you call me a pervert!"

"You started it. I'm just following through." He bats pretty eyelashes at me before he gently lifts me up to pull up my pants and gently tucks me in. He zips it up silently and then pats it.

"Thank you for the present. I love it." He rubs his lovingly again, making me wince when the inseam chafes against my still sensitive penis. "I'll cherish it."

He promises me with a wink.

This man, one day. I swear.

---

During the short walk to the park, I link our fingers together. He smiles at me and tightens them. I marvel at his growth, his journey to becoming. I am going to be his safe haven, no matter what happens. I cannot let this man go.

"Have you registered for your semester, there?" Itachi asks me.

I nod. "Yeah. And applied for a dorm room too. I rejoin in the first week of October. I'm staying home till then."

He smiles. "Ah, then you're going to be busy for a while."

"I guess. I have cousins of cousins waiting at home for their presents, after all." I reply sarcastically, making him laugh.

"And friends?"

I groan. "Don't even talk about them! Shikamaru wants to go drinking and other friends are organizing a homecoming party." I laugh when I look at him. "Yesterday, Mom told me a friend of mine went to visit them because he thought I was back."

"Looks like everyone is dying to meet you."

I laugh. "Nah, I'm sure it's the presents."

"Did someone ask you for something outrageous?" he asks, walking us leisurely around the tower structure that stands on the side. I have pleasant memories of being on my knees here. Itachi notices the smirk and laughs. "No distracting."

I lick my lips and think. A friend had asked me to bring her some ridiculously expensive face emulsion cream or something. And then there was… I look at him and he automatically smiles in amused anticipation. "There's this friend who asked me to bring her a dildo. Something called a rabbit or something."

"Rabbit? Oh I know of that."

My eyebrows could very well lose themselves in my hair at this point. "You've used one?"

He eyes me for a moment and grins in amusement. "No. But I've used others." His tone makes it sound like we're discussing laundry detergent, instead.

"What kind?"

"The kind that please the ladies." We take our seat on our bench.

"So vibes and rotors. Ever tried a cockring or an onahole?"

His face heats up like a tomato. "No. I've never really been inclined to…" he says it so primly that it makes me smile till his eyes meet mine.

"Then, you're missing out. When we're apart, feel free to catch up. I wouldn't mind seeing it." I wink at him.

"Hmm. But we could try it together…someday."

"Think of it as homework. Though now I really want to see your face when I press an egg-sized rotor against the places that feel good. I know this one place that could drive you half-mad with pleasure."

He imagines it. I know he does. And then he turns to me. "Fine. I'll think about it."

"Good."

I nod. My gaze drifts to the water with the stained-glass window reflection. It's one of my favorite sights. The water runs clear today without any obstacle or disturbance, giving me a clear view of the numerous colorful pieces of smooth glass.

"When I was in college, a friend told me her story. When she was eight, she was sent off to attend a boarding school. She studied there all the way till high school and no matter how many vacations she got, no matter how many times she travelled the same path, she said, there was this feeling that overcame her when they began the last stretch of the drive uphill. Each curve, each bend, just made her feel sicker and sicker like she didn't want to do it. Though she loved her life there, those curves and bends made her feel like she was eight all over again, ready to be abandoned. She wished it would stop. But the curves kept coming and then there was that last blind curve that revealed the majestic front gates of her school. She hated that curve more than anything."

"I'm listening," he says it softly, his hand squeezing mine between us.

I manage a small smile. "I think I now understand how that feels. I feel like I'm at that blind curve too."

"Ready to be abandoned?" Itachi's voice is on the crisper side of polite.

"No. Not that. The part where she'd never be ready to say goodbye only to have to. Probably for the better."

"She could have felt abandoned but it must have been harder on the parents to have to leave their child."

I know it's not easy. Parting from Kiyoshi will be very difficult. But right now, I'm the child too.

"Can you relate to that feeling?"

He contemplates it. "I think I can but then maybe I can't."

I smile and let it go. "It's alright." I don't, I really don't want to think about tomorrow night."

We sit there silently for a minute.

"When we're seated here like this, I think of the night you confessed. I'll admit I'd imagined it a couple of times. You wear your heart on your sleeve, you know. And of what I knew of you, I knew you'd confess. I kept thinking, "it's going to happen one of these days." And the day it did, I was blank when you said it. My first thought actually was, "Oh shit! He's done it." I got so nervous, I forgot how to function."

I look at him. "But you were so stoic when you told me you knew."

"It actually popped out of my mouth without thought. There's actually something I haven't told you." He looks at me. I raise my brows in query. "Of all the ways I imagined to turn you down, telling you my truth wasn't one of them. But when I did, I realized I wanted you to know. I wanted you to know all my truths and see if you still felt the same." His voice is quiet, thoughtful.

"Did you think I'd start liking you less once I heard of your past or Kiyoshi?" I ask him.

"I don't know. Hell, after I said it, I myself didn't know. There were so many things wrong with the idea of us. But I didn't think of that. All I knew was that if I pursued what we had between us, it would turn into something more than a fling. And I didn't want to lie to you in any way before I took that step. Every second around you felt like I was on tenterhooks." He looks at me and laughs. "And now, I feel so at ease with you that that time feels like a lie."

Night is beginning to settle in, stopping the footfall around us altogether. I lean my head over his and kiss the top of it. "I can't imagine you nervous. You've always been so self-assured around me."

He turns his head to look at me. "I was always on edge around you."

"Nope. Still can't imagine. You've always been the same. Confident and a little cocksure. Unlike me who must have made an absolute fool out of himself for sure. Especially, when you knew how I felt about you." I cover my face in embarrassment. He laughs and removes it.

"Watching you in love is cute. You're adorable, Naruto."

"Ugh! I must've looked so stupid trying to gain your attention," I mumble more into his shoulder than out loud. He laughs.

"I don't think there's a man on earth who could dislike being showered with so much attention. I liked every second of it."

"And yet you were so Zen about it. Weren't you disgusted, even the slightest bit? With me? With a man having feelings for you?"

"Why would I? I was attracted to you too." He smiles at me. "Besides, I've never had prejudice against it in the first place."

"Was there anything that made you think like this?" I ask him.

"No. Not really. Gender plays a very small role in liking someone, for me at least. To me, it's more like, the person I fell in love happens to be a man. Besides, I know someone who's gay and lives with his partner."

"Are you ready to be gay and live with your partner?" I ask him.

"I am gay and living with my partner."

"And how has that been for you?"

"Well, I do live with my younger brother and son, so adding one more person hasn't really changed much," he pushes back his hair and blushes. "But it does have its perks."

"And what could those be?"

He laughs, having anticipated this question. "Having a fully-grown man helping out with the household chores makes things much easier, among other things."

"Among other things? And what are these other things?" I ask him.

He cocks an eyebrow. "Why good sir, you're an adult man who willingly participates in them. I'm sure you have a very good idea of what other things I'm referring to."

"I'm afraid, I don't."

"Then someone really needs to replace you from your job and give you a lesson as soon as possible. Possibly, a practical one."

"I'll keep that in mind for when we get home tonight. You are my teacher after all."

"Which is funny because I remember giving you a lot of my firsts. So technically, you are my teacher in that regard."

"And have I been a good teacher?"

"Hmm. It's not bad," he teases, his face split in a grin full of mischief and laughter. It's the look I always want to see on his face. And better if it's because of me.

"Liar! I rock your world."

"How would I know? Before this, I've never felt like this, you see."

"That's the biggest first you've ever given to me. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he smiles. "Which reminds me, how have I fared as a teacher?" he asks.

"Hmm. Does this include our relationship?" I ask him.

"Well, since we only discussed your area of specialization, let's only include our formal classes together. Call it a feedback of sorts." I make a face, looking outright dumbstruck. He laughs and ruffles my hair, placating me. I consider his question.

"I think you can answer that question better than me. You watch me converse all the time. Have I taken my lessons seriously, sensei?" I tap the underside of his chin.

"You're an A plus student. I knew that from the day I taught you something and you comprehended it instantly. But how would you rate me as your teacher?"

"You're an excellent teacher, Itachi-sama. The second best I've ever had."

His smile freezes midway and he turns to look at me. I know how much he hates being second. I bite back the urge to laugh. I can read him like a book now. His eyes narrow. "Who's first?"

I grin. "Promise you won't get mad?"

Now his eyes really narrow to slits. "It's Tenten-san."

He blinks once then twice. Then licks his lips and tries to process it. "What…um…which…ugh where is it that I'm lacking?"

"Nowhere. You're perfect."

His narcissism won't have it. I've ruffled his feathers. "It's just…when I'm with you, I lose my inhibitions and come out as myself while in front of her, I can be her mentee, that's it."

"So, you're trying to tell me that if we hadn't gotten our feelings involved, you'd have perhaps liked me the most?"

"I love you the most, already."

"As your tutor Naruto!" he thunders.

"That's the issue. I can't separate the two with you. But me favoring her as my favorite doesn't change a thing. You are the only person I want for everything in my life. Every achievement of mine will belong to you alone."

"Then you better achieve a lot of great things. I've got plans to see them in person."

"Roger that. I'll get started on it ASAP."

"Glad we're on the same page. Kiyoshi will love knowing his papa is a rich man."

He blushes when he looks at me. "His Papa, huh? We've got to start training him to call me that. The faster he adapts to it, the better it'll be for him." I pause when another thought strikes me. "Will he call me that? Will he like it? Is it too early?" I ramble on going half-crazy imagining Kiyoshi calling me Papa. It'll be such a pleasant change from his usual "Naruto" or "sunshine," not that I mind him calling me both.

Itachi laughs at the look on my face. "Are you that happy just from imagining it?"

"You have no idea." I pause. "Do you think he understands what I am to you?" My tone is light.

He nods. "And does he not find it weird? Has he not said anything to you?"

"Why would he? He's growing up in a bigger world. I'm glad we can be the people who can teach him to grow up free of judgement in a country that is still moderately conservative about it."

"Of course, we will. But aren't you afraid of the day he could ask you the semantics of our relationship or what we are? What if he doesn't accept us?"

"That's impossible. He's already accepted you. Didn't he ask you if our home was your home? And if you can't see, he's really sad about you going away."

I sigh. "I know. Leaving him is going to be hard. And Mom and Dad are going to be on my tail to tell them about him."

"He's hard to dislike."

"Correction. He's impossible to dislike. Even Sai and Kiba are very fond of him."

"That's good to know." He softly ruffles my hair. "I can imagine what Kiyoshi will say at the airport when he begs you to stay. Be prepared to hear him scream, sunshine several times. He's going to make sure you go all goo-goo in front of him." He smiles sadly at me.

"What is it?"

"It's funny how he calls you sunshine and I feel like my sunshine is going to be taken away."

"I'm going to bawl my lungs out at the airport, okay. You better be prepared to get embarrassed."

"Alright. Alright. No talking about it."

"In that case, can I ask you a question?"

Itachi blinks and nods. "What are your plans?"

"About? Dropping you off at the airport? I can't imagine."

"No. After me. Don't you have something you want to do?"

"I'm doing what I want to do."

"Fair enough. But anything you want to achieve?"

"I don't know. I mean Kiyoshi is too young and you were…unplanned. I think I'm going to be like this for a while."

I nod, taking that in. "Okay. Any immediate plans?"

"I haven't made any yet. These days I'm looking for a good kindergarten school for Kiyoshi. He needs to enroll in spring."

"And why have you not discussed this with me?" I shake my head when I read the answer on his face. "And don't you even dare squeak a peep about this being none of my concerns. I'll hit you, I swear." I look at him with angry and sullen blue eyes.

He chuckles. "I've only started poring over the information. I have every intention of taking your suggestions." He laughs when I brighten up immediately.

"I would like it if you involved yourself more with Kiyoshi, as well." He says it softly.

"Of course! In every way I can. And I know asking this is too pompous of me, but once I start earning and become more stable, can I contribute to it financially as well? Maybe help with the college funds." Money is a very, very sensitive topic between us. We've never discussed this. Not in regards to how things will work and never in terms of Kiyoshi.

"Why? Rich papa is already dreaming of a trust fund, huh? No thanks. He's in good hands."

"Pampering him to my heart's extent doesn't count."

"Pampering doesn't cover college funds. I'm stable enough for us."

"And now you're alienating me when we're together."

"Alright, let's revise this when that day comes. It's not like I'm not averse to you helping out, but as for me, I am obligated…no…it is my right to save up for his future. As for you…it's putting a lot on your plate. I may love you and want you as a permanent part of my life, but there are lines I don't want you to cross."

"Will there be a day when you'll let me cross these lines?" I ask him.

"I'd like to think so." He cups my cheek gently and smiles. "We'll see how you behave."

"Kiyoshi is my child too. I'll buy him an island if I can afford it."

He laughs. "Now, you're jumping the gun."

"But wouldn't it be nice? To be able to have an entire island?"

"Maybe? As for me, as long as I have you, anywhere is good."

I raise a teasing eyebrow. "Even without the car and the ring?"

"No, that's non-negotiable." He smirks at me.

"Tell me the truth, you're sure I'm going to become a millionaire one day, aren't I?"

He smiles at me, all teeth. "While I can't be certain about your wealth but I know you have the potential to bring the world to its knees."

"Stop making me sound like a hero."

"My darling, one day you will see."

"What will I see?"

"The man that you become."

"And how will he be?"

"Someone I can proudly call mine."

"And what if I fail?"

"You won't. I won't let you fail."

"Itachi-sama, if there's anything you want to do, just say the word."

"I know. And that's why maybe, once I get things back together, I'll think about it."

I love that our love for us makes us grow. And Itachi, ever the loving partner tends to it with so much conviction that it makes my chest hurt. His interpretation of us is a beautiful rendition of faith. A lot of what he says sometimes sounds like he's saying it outside of romantic capacity and while that pinches a little, it makes me understand that he will always love me enough to push me on. That he will never stop feeling that way for me. That he'll never stop wanting me to progress. And I want the same for him.

"I know. You really make me feel like everything is achievable."

"That's because it is."

"And our dream to be together?"

"That's your North Star. Any time you find yourself at crossroads, just walk towards it."

"You've become awfully cheesy, you know?"

He sighs. "I live with you Naruto. Some of that cheese rubbed off on me."

"The only thing that rubbed off on you? Nothing else?"

"Pervert."

"I object. It's a generic question."

"Which is sexual in nature. Overruled." He shuts me down in an instant.

"But aren't we two mature adults who've rubbed unspeakable things against each other. What's the harm? You owe me a practical lesson anyway."

"TPO, Naruto-kun!"

"If I remember correctly, it was sometime right now when I suggested some interesting things we could do behind that tower and you came oh-so-willingly, Itachi-sama. So from where I can see, the time, place, and occasion, all fit perfectly." I join him when he bursts out laughing. I move to stand. "So shall we, milady?"

"What am I going to do without you Naruto?" he says it so exasperatedly that I have to smile. He looks at my face and chuckles once.

"I believe I've given you the answer to that. Use your hand."

He stands up and hits me once before he links our fingers together and leads us to the tower.

I kneel down in front of the only person who owns me and get to work.

---

On the drive back, we sit quietly in the car. I drive while he sits quietly on the seat next to me. The Bluetooth in the car connected automatically to my phone and now Spotify plays a playlist that carries a mix of English songs. Stephen Sanchez's Until I Found You comes on. He smiles when he hears it. He knows it. He listens for a chorus familiarizing himself with the lyrics and then the chorus comes on again. He turns towards me and smiles as sincerely as he can. I stop at a light and press my face into his shoulder. "I think this song defines my feelings for you," Itachi says, pressing his head on mine for a second.

"Then dedicate it to me," I start the car again.

"Dedicate?" he asks, his eyebrows furrowing.

"When Mom and Dad were in school, they had this custom of dedicating songs to each other. Songs that made them think of each other or fit their relationship. They do it even now."

Itachi smiles. "Ah, that way. Do I have to make a declaration or something?"

"Meaning?"

"I, Uchiha Itachi, dedicate this song to you Uzumaki Naruto. Something like that?"

"I, Uzumaki Naruto, gladly accept it."

He chuckles and ruffles my hair. "What happens next?" he asks.

"This song belongs to us."

"I'm sure the singer will definitely have something to say about that."

I laugh. "If that were the case, Mom and Dad would be neck-deep in lawsuits. They dedicate each other way too many songs!"

"Then they must love each other very much."

I nod. "And I aim to follow in their steps."

Itachi laughs. "They raised you well."

I grin.

---

It's almost ten by the time we make it home. Sasuke is watching over Kiyoshi today. He must have put him to bed by now. Itachi unclips his seatbelt of the passenger seat and looks at me. "Come here," he pats his thighs with his hand and orders me quietly.

I don't need to be told twice when I unclip and maneuver myself over to his side. He kisses me slowly. Leisurely. He's stoking the fire that is always banked inside me when it comes to him. We're doing it tonight. And he's setting the mood. I kiss his jaw. "What am I being rewarded for?" I ask him, pressing some more kisses to his cheeks.

He hums. "You were behind the wheel. Enough said."

"Do I really look that hot?" I ask him laughing.

He nods. "The hottest!"

"I promise to drive us around anytime you want."

He bends down and whispers, "Then you better find a car as sexy as you. I can't wait to christen it."

"The car or me?"

"Both. Fucking you in the car would be ideal. But I'm not opposed to leaving my mark in a different way."

I kiss him on the mouth. "Your mouth is going to be the death of me."

"And you behind the wheel is going to be mine." He sighs exaggeratedly. "We're really bad for each other, aren't we?"

I laugh. "Hazardous. Absolutely hazardous. Good thing, two negatives make one positive!"

"Does that even fit here?" he asks, looking at me.

"Of course it does. It's basic algebra, sensei."

He smacks me on my bum. "Don't try to get cocky in class, Naruto."

"But what do I do? I'm a cocky and a horny slut for you sensei." Filthiest words in the politest form of Japanese leave my mouth.

He lets out a snort at that before he buries his face in my neck and laughs till his shoulders shake.

Sasuke knocks at the window and peers inside.

Itachi removes his face from my shoulder and rolls down the window. "What are you two up to?" Sasuke asks.

"We're having a class in formal Japanese," I say it as dryly as possible. I'm seated on this man's lap, with my arms around his neck. Really does Sasuke need a map to know what we're "up to"?

It makes Itachi burst out laughing. "Yes Naruto, why don't you to tell Sasuke what you were just saying to me in formal Japanese?"

I put two and two together and laugh as well. "Can you two please stop flirting? Your son has been crying his eyes out wanting Naruto. He thinks Naruto left."

"But why didn't you call us?" I sober instantly, opening the door and moving from Itachi's legs. He follows me quickly.

"I didn't because it is your last night together."

I don't have it in me to argue when I grab Itachi's hand and make a run for it.

"Kiyoshi?" I call out loudly, stopping to take off my sneakers before I make a run.

Tiny feet run up and I'm sprinting towards him. I meet him at right at the end of the corridor and lift him up. He hugs me tightly. "Naruto, where did you go?" he asks, his midnight eyes filling up all over again.

"Little man, no crying." I wipe a fat tear that escapes his lashes. "If you cry, it'll make me cry too."

Kiyoshi ponders this for a moment. "When I cry, I look very ugly. Your sunshine won't look pretty anymore."

The lower lip trembles again. "Then I won't cry." I know he likes me pretty.

Would there ever be a day when he'll forget me or of my existence? What if the day comes when he does not accept his father or me for what we are, then what will we become? And how will I live with that? He's as precious to me as his father. I know I won't ever force Itachi to make that choice. Between me and Kiyoshi, there's no competition. None. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I separated them.

"Ah, Naruto's already crying." My lover who's watching the conversation from behind, remarks like it's some drab commentary. I blink and tears run down. My thoughts ventured to a district that just made things worse.

"I wonder who the bigger baby is," Sasuke says when Kiyoshi gently pats my wet cheek to console me. I hold the little kid to me and burst out crying.

Kiyoshi consoles me and then both Itachi and Sasuke join. Sasuke laughs when I hug him and cry. "Haha, your face is a mess bastard. Kiyoshi is afraid to even look at you."

I sniff loudly and Kiyoshi pats my face again. Our eyes meet and Kiyoshi gives me a bright smile. "Even while crying Naruto is the prettiest!" Itachi nods, silently agreeing.

Sasuke tuts, making me laugh.

"Come here, all of you!" I grab them and crush them to me.

"I'm going to miss you like hell!" I say with everything I feel.

"What's like hell?" Kiyoshi catches me in the act of pressing a kiss to Itachi's forehead while Sasuke chuckles.

Kiyoshi uses a free hand and lifts his hair from his forehead. I turn and press a huge kiss on his forehead too. "A lot. I'm going to miss you very, very much."

Kiyoshi smiles. "Naruto, I love you like hell."

Itachi begins laughing before Kiyoshi finishes, having guessed his son's train of thought.

"I love you too, my little heaven." I kiss his forehead once more.

He smiles and blushes. I bend down till I'm against his ear. "Kiyoshi, can you call me Papa?"

Itachi tenses beside me while Sasuke stares at me for a second and then smirks.

I look at Kiyoshi. Three year olds don't have the wisdom to decipher those words. But my little genius instinctively knows the weight of the word. He knows it's the word used for father. And he already has one. What if he thinks it's weird already? What if he thinks we're strange? That ugly whirlpool of thoughts drags me back. And now, somehow, if he was to say it to me, it would reassure me against everything my brain is hell bent on thinking.

"Papa?" the word I want without the interrogative tone. I nod. "Naruto Papa," the words I wish he'd always use but without the contemplative tone. He tests the words on his tongue when he looks at me, wondering if he can make the association. He must like it for he smiles and hugs me. "Naruto Papa, I love you."

It's amazing to look up to see Sasuke's face split into a grin and then to see Itachi fighting tears. It's even more amazing to know that I'm fighting tears as well. I sniffle and break down again when I look at him. "I love you more."

---

After putting Kiyoshi to bed, we wave at Sasuke who makes his way upwards, to the other side of the house. I've never been to his room but Itachi assures me enough that we have ample privacy from him at least. It's almost past midnight when I walk back into the room after my bath. I turn around to close the door when he grabs my hand and pulls me to our room. "Let me lock the door." He lets go till I turn the lock before he grabs my hand again. I hold it to go but he pushes me against the door and kisses me. Rough, urgent kisses. He bites my lip then licks the wound. He moves his hands impatiently over my body and I give him free reign. He kisses me over every inch of skin he can find. I turn us around, grab his face and kiss his mouth again and again and again.

He kisses me twice on the mouth before he moves his head to my neck and kisses me there. Then he proceeds to pull up my t-shirt and removes it for me. Each kiss is purposeful. There's no fanfare of bites. There's only the softness of his lips against my skin. His lips move across my collar bone and he drops a kiss there before returning to the base of my neck and kisses me there. I let him have his fill. I only move backwards towards the bed. He comes along, driven by his need to kiss. Once the back of my knees hit the corner of the bed, he lifts his mouth from my left nipple.

"Take it off." He eyes my jeans like it's offending him. I look down to unbutton my jeans when he speaks again. "Eyes on me."

He watches the minimalist strip tease like a hungry predator. His eyes darken with lust when he takes me in. I remove my clothes and stand in all my naked glory. He lunges again, pushing me back till my back hits the mattress and I look up at him. He only bends down and kisses a line down my chest. "Mine," his voice is rough, thick as if he hasn't used it in years. Honey over gravel, it goes straight down south to parts of me randy and raging to go. "Only mine."

He kisses my navel before he kisses the happy trail. My cock twitches when his hot breath touches it. I'm so turned on by his every movement. He lifts my legs and bends them in half. He spreads them wide before he bends down and kisses my balls, down to my taint, till he reaches my entrance. I sit up. "No, it's dirty."

"No part of you is dirty, Naruto." Itachi looks up at me and presses his lips there without looking away. "Mine." He licks the area around it. "Only mine." He pushes his tongue in.

And I lose it. I cover my face with a hand while bunch the sheets with the other. "No, not there. Please," I gasp. I've never been rimmed before and his tongue is relentless. My whole body twitches as if I'm being electrified. The sensation of a tongue inside me sends synapses so strong across every nerve ending, making me let out a sound I've never made before. The low whine that leaves my mouth is needy, desperate, frustrated. Itachi withdraws that unabashed tongue of his, only to plunge it deeper. It bumps into the membrane above my prostate and I come so hard, it knocks the air out of my lungs. It forms an arch before splashing against my chest and all the way up to my chin.

My body spasms and then I'm panting. He moves up to lick my cum. He licks it all the way to my mouth and presses his tongue in. His legs adjust their position around me and he only stays till we both taste the same before he spits into his hand and lubes himself up. He lifts both my legs and pushes into me all the way in a single thrust. My mouth opens in a silent scream. What little preparation I could do in the shower is the only thing that prevents my asshole from ripping. His hard length pushes all the way in till I feel it against every bump, every ridge inside of my sphincter. Tears run down freely but they are only a physiological reaction to this act. I rejoice in the pain. It pulls my concentration to only focus on it, on him.

The inside of my anal cavity burns like it's on fire. He withdraws once and then pushes back in. Pain and pleasure sweep me away in a turbulent wave, knocking the air out of my lungs. His pace is relentless. Quick, hard thrusts that hit right where they should. He doesn't ask me if I'm okay. He only straightens his back and pounds into me. His skin slapping against mine and my moans mixed with his gasps are the only sound in the house, in the neighborhood, in the fucking world.

Sweat flows down my skin and I press my face into my arm before my cock is ready to shoot again. It feels good. It feels too good. He pulls out and adjusts us till he's leaning over me, my legs wound on his either side. His breathing is shallow, but his eyes are intentional when they meet mine and he starts pounding into me like a relentless beast all over again.

"Ugh…fuck! Tighten up some more!" he orders pushing deeper. I squeeze his length inside me. It burns but I love this fire. I love this him. He who wants me like no one ever has. He who owns me like no one else has. He pulls out halfway and slams back in, grunting in pleasure. His eyes meet mine and bites his lip. "Tighter! Tighter!" he begs for the ecstasy only I can provide. I squeeze him once before moving my own hips. His nails scratch my ass impatiently, his cock wanting to go deeper. I'm there, I'm almost there. He thrusts to the hilt and I tighten up like a vice around him when I hit my peak again. He stills, his back arching like a bow when he comes. The heat sears my insides as his liquid pleasure coats me and fills me up. "Ah shit!" he covers his face with his arm as he comes.

I pull his arm away to grab his hand as we come down from our high. He pulls out with a low moan and looks at me. "Better?" I ask, pushing away some of his hair to kiss him on his neck.

He moans throatily. "No. I'm not better. And I won't be for a while. But I'll get better."

He shouldn't have said that. Sadness washes over me and I look away. I don't want him to be like this. Not when it's our last night together. But he's promising me something. He only wants my trust in exchange. "I wouldn't be here wanting my whole life with you if I didn't trust you. You are gambling on a game where you have more to lose than I do."

"You mean my family's support. My parents' acceptance, right? Don't worry about it. I'll find a way to break it to them. Just give me time."

I smile at him. "You don't have to ever break it to them if you don't want to. I've told you this before and I'll say it again, I don't mind us being permanent roommates, Itachi-sama. I can spend my whole life like this if this is how I get to stay beside you. If that's the only way I can have you."

He smiles. "Then I'm sure you remember I told you, I want them to know."

"Then, in that case, you can take all the time you need to figure things out. And if you want me there, just say the word."

"Thank you."

I smile at him. "I could die right now and never be happier."

"Don't say such unpleasant things! If you die, how do I live? Sending you away is bad enough!"

"Alright, fine. But sometimes I think this is how war soldiers must have felt when they were conscripted to wars."

"In that case, my darling, all you have to do is fight your hardest and come home victorious."

"It's going to be a tough war."

"Then you fight like it's my life on the line."

"Now who can win an argument against that?" I slap a hand over his face when he laughs.

"All this time you keep teasing me. One day I'm going to get back at you."

"Ah and speaking of time and getting back, how much more time do you need?" he asks, tapping his still hard length against my thigh.

"Time for what?" I ask. Two orgasms in under an hour and the serious pain in my waist and backside are hell to pay for. I don't think I have it in me to get it up for another hour at least.

"Time to recover, what else? We're going another round, aren't we?"

"We've got all night, no need to hurry."

"We've only got tonight." And he looks determined to put it to full use, so to speak.

"We'll see about that," I nod, patting the space beside me. "Come here."

"No. We're doing it again." Itachi runs his fingers over the plane of my right shoulder.

I grab his hand and kiss it. "With all due respect, Itachi-sama, you've drained me dry."

Itachi clicks his tongue. "You're already calling it quits? Is our marriage going to turn sexless, Naruto?"

"Jumping the gun to old age? Just give me a second."

"Here, I'll help." He nudges my legs apart and grabs my flaccid cock. He's back to hurting me again. I thought our parley was a truce after his outlet but he still wants more. And the fact that he wants more makes me want him all over again.

He smiles when my dick shows interest under his hands that have become rather skillful with time. Maybe that's why I like men more. They really know the best places to touch. He squeezes my hardening cock mercilessly. I look at him and he takes me in his mouth. He's giving me all the pleasure he can. This man has the power to make me go from a whirlpool of thoughts to blank in an instant. My cock hurts but the pleasure his clever tongue invokes is mind bending. I feel like my brain is melting, bleeding out with the tears that flow. I pull his mouth to me till I'm sure I'm choking him. Tears run down his face but he forges ahead and lets me fuck his mouth. My hands tighten in his hair to pain before I pull out and finish on his face.

He looks up at me, cum still running down his face. He moves his face up and pulls me down. His tongue readily shares my bitter flavor, mixed with his sweetness and I lap it up like a hungry man.

"What are you? I needed time to recover and you made me cum again. Before you!"

"I'm irresistible," he winks. "Now be a good boy and bend over. Let me do you one more time."

"I'm going to die, aren't I?"

He smirks. "We'll see about that."

This man, one day. I swear.

---

"Congratulations on your promotion, by the way," Itachi helps me to the shower and cleans me out.

"Ah yes, to Papa. Thank you. I'm leaving it to you to help him practice."

Itachi makes a face. "I'm not doing things for you. You can call him up yourself and remind him."

I wipe the water from my face. "I didn't think he'd take it in stride like that and say it to me."

"Naruto, that child worships the very land you walk on! He wants nothing more than to have you beside him, smiling at him, lavishing him with attention and presents. Besides, you've been stuck to me since the past two months. I'm sure he's been observing us and figuring things out."

"Then, can I take it to mean he'll approve of us?"

"What's not to approve? No offense to him, but this is between you and me first. It doesn't involve him in any way. And he doesn't get to choose."

"What if he could?" I wrap a towel around my waist and pick another to dry my hair. "What if he was older? Wiser? What if he knew, he understood what we are? What would you do then?"

"Threaten to disown my son. He doesn't have a say."

"Be serious about this. He could form a prejudice tomorrow. What will you do then?"

"Are you asking me to choose between you and my son?"

"No. There won't be any choice. You will choose Kiyoshi."

He exhales loudly when he turns on the shower. "Is that why you cried when you hugged him earlier?" He turns and beckons me over. I pad up to the shower and stay far enough to not get wet.

I nod. "I just got so caught up in my thoughts that I panicked. In fact, the reason I asked him to call me Papa was because I badly wanted to know if it was okay for him. It was a dirty move, I know. But trust me when I say, his opinion means the world to me. He may be small but even he knows his Daddy should have a Mommy and not…Papa. Although, I'm willing to fill in that role with equal dedication. But he sees the normal world around him. Wouldn't we seem…not normal in front of him?"

Itachi runs the soap under his armpits before he passes it to me. I move to lather his back. "Sometimes you say the craziest things. You've been parading me around the town like your trophy wife for the past six months uncaring about what people think of us, brimming with confidence and yet you're scared of what a three-year-old would think? A three-year-old who loves you the most in the world?"

"Kiyoshi is young. Too young. This three year window we have in between is going to alter a lot of things in his life. What if one day he really begins to think my involvement in your life is weird? Or that…he doesn't want me as his father anymore or even in your lives?"

"Then just keep yourself a constant and continue doing what you've always done. Kiyoshi may be young but even he understands how good you are. And he can see how happy you make us. Trust him Naruto."

I wrap my arms around him and pull him closer. "I do."

"Then do you also know he's going to cry the hardest at the airport tomorrow?"

"Are you sure you're not going to give him competition?" I pluck the showerhead and run the water down his back.

Itachi laughs. "Well, that remains to be seen." He turns over his shoulder. "How about you drop that towel and join me here?"

"All of that wasn't enough for you, my little minx?"

"What did I say about utilizing this night? I thought maybe you'd want to have your own turn."

I bite his shoulder. "Then bend over baby because I'm going to make you scream."

Itachi laughs as he places his palms on the shower tiles in front of him and spreads his legs. "You say that as if I'm scared of you."

"Scared? Oh you'll be terrified when I'm done."

Itachi's laugh turns into a gasp when my mouth lands on the tiny bud between his legs. It clenches in anticipation.

---

I open my eyes to find my nose buried in my favorite fragrance. His face is turned away from mine and he snores like there's no tomorrow. Makes sense. We fucked like rabbits till three in the morning and spent hours in between just talking about nothing and everything. Sleeping had felt like an unnecessary evil. But looking at his face now, all relaxed, stills the very breath in my chest. He's beautiful. I can never get enough of looking at him. How I love waking up to this!

There's so much of him that defines me, and that is such a beautiful feeling. And I've learnt it all from him. There'll never be a greater teacher for me. I'd follow him to hell and back if I had to.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, I retract my arm from under his neck, making sure to not wake him. It's only five in the morning and he needs his sleep. The house is dead silent, his soft snores the only music. I get out of bed and stay still for a second to see if I've woken him. I let out a soft sigh of relief when he continues sleeping.

With padded feet, I walk over to his desk, borrow some stationery, and begin to pen a letter. I write about everything I feel, everything I wish, I fear, I dream. Words come out easily, like they were always waiting to be written. Every minute particle of Japanese I've learnt from him. By the time I'm done, the sun is higher up in the sky. My Itachi-sama continues sleeping alone in the bed, sadness overtakes me when I watch him. He'll have to get used to this.

It feels like rewriting your life from scratch. Drawing new lines over old ones. Even when we're the same Itachi and Naruto.

And he's right. I'll have it easier. But I sincerely beg to differ. He doesn't know he's sending back a man who feels like a stranger to his homeland. A homeland that carries no trace of him.

But not today. He can acclimatize to it all he wants when I'm not here. Today, I'll let him have all of me. I smile and dive back under the covers just as swiftly as I'd gotten out of them. Cuddling him is something I've come to love even when I thought I wasn't too much of a cuddler. But here, I cling to him like a third limb as Sasuke puts it.

Slowly I move my hand across his stomach and gather him to me. His breathing changes patterns when he wakes and turns to look at me. "Sorry if I woke you up," I kiss him softly. "It's only six. Go back to sleep."

"Then just one more hour. I'm really tired." His grin is lopsided, his eyes closed, his face right where I can see it.

I press a kiss to his forehead. "I'll be right here, when you wake."

He nods, his eyes closing sleepily.

I bury my face in his neck and breathe in. Once, twice, thrice till sleep overtakes me.

Sleepily, I realize why I love this fragrance so much. It's the smell I associate with home.

He is home.

As if in answer, my home lets out a loud snore.

I'm sure, I fall asleep with a smile on my face.

---

After breakfast, Itachi goes to attend to some urgent work and I find Sasuke smoking at the spot Shisui showed me. I walk up to him. "Did everyone know this spot, except me?" I ask him, pointing to the ashtray.

Sasuke chuckles. "We weren't exactly friends when you unofficially moved in here. Besides, you stopped smoking so I saw no point."

He offers me his pack but I shake my head. Itachi has already laid down that law and I have no interest in breaking it. "No thanks."

He shrugs and pockets his pack. "Exactly why no one showed you. Which begs the question, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be stuck to my brother like a third limb?"

I laugh. "I'm not always dancing around him, you know."

Sasuke chuckles and rolls his eyes. "I beg to differ! You look like an oversized puppy wagging his tail at his master when you follow him around the house. Sometimes it feels like he's dating a devout dog more than an actual man."

"Aren't you glad you don't have to see it anymore?"

Sasuke flicks ash. "That's not why I said that." He smokes some more. "Do you have something to say to me?" he asks, voice going quiet when it loses its veneer of humor.

I look down at my hands. "Sasuke, meeting you has been one of the most beautiful things that happened here. You've always been like a brother to me, even when you felt…differently. And I know it's very thick-skinned of me to ask you this, but could we become brothers again? If that's okay with you…"

"Brothers? Putting labels on things already? We'll only become brothers once you've officiated things with him. Not a day before that." He stubs out his cigarette. "And if you want a label, I think we can work with being friends."

"Thanks Sasuke."

"Relax Naruto or Itachi who's spying on us from the kitchen window will think we're fighting or worse flirting."

I turn towards the said window but there's no one there. Sasuke bursts out laughing.

"He trusts me enough around you, I guess," I say to him.

Sasuke gasps. "Is that why you came with this absurd proposal today?" he asks.

I hit him on the back of his head. "Stupid! He doesn't hold sway over all my actions."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. And now that we've got our labels sorted, what else?"

I bite my lip. "It's just…Itachi…he…we…"

"Take care of him?" Sasuke taps me on the shoulder and asks with a smile.

I manage a nod. "It's just, don't let him be alone. Make sure he eats. And above everything else, keep him happy."

"He's a grown adult Naruto. He'll be fine. It's you everyone is worried about. Even he." He looks at me. "If you want him to be happy, you've got to stop looking like you want to die. He's only happy when you are happy, dumbass."

"Ugh Sasuke, you'd better take good care of him, you hear me?"

Sasuke chuckles and then laughs. "You're even stupider than I thought. But don't worry, I'll take good care of him." He leans an arm on my shoulder. "Speaking of, should I set him up on some blind dates while I'm at it? Maybe show him the light once again?" I growl and tackle him unthinkingly.

"Try that and I'll kill you if he doesn't do it first." I squeeze his face.

"Kill me? Why would he kill me when I'm helping him get laid?" Sasuke the fucker is pushing all my buttons. His eyes look into mine challengingly.

"Are you seriously disillusioned enough to think he would want someone else?" I ask him.

"Well, we can always put that to the test, can't we?" he asks, wearing an eat shit grin on his face.

I burst out laughing. "You really don't know him."

"Yeah, yeah. I know he's all about you. Don't go waxing poetic about him now. How in the world did you become this cheesy?"

"I'm not cheesy, Sasuke. I'm honest." I sigh. "And when it comes to him, I lose my filter." I smile.

Sasuke straightens. "I see it now. You used to smile like that each time we spoke of him!" Sasuke's brutal honesty punches. I look at him. After our temporary peace-keeping in the house, we've always skirted around that subject. "I used to think you were smiling at me like that because we were spending time together. I didn't think it was the topic that got you looking like that. Who knows if I had interpreted your gestures correctly, I could have actually let this go sooner. When I was less…invested. But never mind that." He claps me on the shoulder. "As for the record, I'm no longer interested in you. I've moved on."

I nudge him. "To someone I know?"

Sasuke clicks his tongue in irritation. "I knew you'd say that! Sai is not the only person in my life, you know!"

"It wasn't me who brought him up," I look down and safely nip the twincest in the bud. Heaven knows that if these two were to get together, I'd never be able to have a poker face in front of them.

"Liar. You and my foolish brother have been harping about him nonstop ever since you visited the store."

"You noticed?" I wonder if he knows about the twincest joke. Itachi will kill me if Sasuke finds out.

"Only a blind person can't see how transparent you two are. You haven't been together six months and you're already playing matchmaker. One year from now, you'll be planning weddings!"

"We were just happy seeing you happy. Sorry if we annoyed you."

"It's okay." He pulls out another cigarette but I shake my head.

"We should head back."

"Or what? Your bodyguard will come searching for you?" he rolls his eyes.

"Shut up!"

He lifts his hands in surrender.

---

I walk into our room to see him still on the phone. He turns to me and smiles apologetically, gesturing this will only take a moment. I nod and take my seat on his desk. I roll the chair around like an excited toddler. Itachi stops the chair and presses a kiss on top of my head and then frowns at me. He goes back to the conversation but quickly hangs up.

"Go take a shower."

I laugh, gathering him closer but he moves out of my grasp. "Did you forget we showered together this morning?" I ask, beckoning him closer.

"Yeah. But you're smelling of Sasuke's cigarettes."

"I didn't smoke."

"Doesn't matter. I can't stand that smell on you. So go rectify this before I push you in the shower myself."

"I'll go now," he moves to stand out of my way. I turn to look at him.

He only points towards the bathroom.

I move without saying a single word.

---

After my shower, I make my way back to the room to find no trace of him. I move towards the living room to find him seated on the sofa, lost in thought. His eye catches mine and he watches me walk up to him and take my seat beside him. He doesn't say anything when I lean closer and kiss his cheek. It's only when he smiles that all feels right again.

"What's on your mind?" I ask him, pressing my nose to his neck and sniffing it deeply.

"That's simple. You." Itachi runs his fingers softly through my still wet hair.

"What part of me?" I ask, pushing back his locks from his face.

"All of you."

"Precisely?"

"Nothing much. Just how different things are going to be now."

"Yeah, but don't you think a romance needs to have some angst in it?"

"Does this seem like a joke to you?"

"It's got my life on the line, Itachi-sama. I wouldn't dream of joking about it. But if we are going to be living in hell, why not become friends with it?"

"Easy for you to say."

"Nothing is easy when it comes to you, Itachi-sama. Absolutely nothing."

"Not even loving me?"

"Oh that's easy. As easy as breathing. But it's not easy not knowing where to hit the brakes."

"And who says you have to hit any?" he asks.

"I want to be with you. I want to sleep in the same bed beside you every night and wake up to my face in your hair. I want to go on dates with you and on walks that never end. I want to spend your birthdays, Kiyoshi's, and mine together." My breath trembles. "I want to bake you cakes and spoil you rotten. I want us to fight and make up. I want to watch Kiyoshi grow up, raised right under our guidance. There's a world I want us to see together, places I want to visit. I want to watch you laugh. I want to hold you when you cry. I want to be the first person you share your problems with and the first to offer solutions. I want us to share our lives. Each day. Every day. And I want it now. Not three years from now!" I exhale harshly.

He kisses my forehead. "Haste makes waste."

"But Itachi-sama, I just want to be with the person I love!" I look down and grit my teeth. "I hate this."

"You're really sly, you know. It's so easy for you, isn't it? To say what you want to say, knowing I can't say the same things back. Isn't that the truth Naruto?"

"And why can't you?"

"Because I promised myself I won't. I'm not going to be a shackle to you."

"And what if I want to be shackled?"

"Naruto, I've gone down that road once. It holds nothing but hate and resentment. And I'd rather live without you than have you resent me."

"I'd never! You know I'd never do that to you!"

"But let's get real. Maybe one day you could come to think you're only with me because you feel guilty about turning me to this side of the fence."

"What the hell are you talking about? Didn't you hear a word of what I said? Why would I…how could I…?" I look at him. "You really don't understand a thing!"

"At least, I'm being realistic enough to see the bigger picture! Three years is, after all, a long time. And are you sure we'll even want each other?"

"Why are you being like this?" I grab his arm, tears wallowing up. "Why do you sound like you'd rather cut tail and run than stay?"

He jerks his arm away. Tears shine behind his glasses. "If I had to cut tail and run Naruto, you wouldn't be here."

My breath trembles when I open my mouth. "Then never bring this up again because I'll say it only once. I don't, I won't ever resent you or feel guilty about turning you over to this side of the fence. And all that nonsense about staying with you out of sheer obligation and what not, that will never happen. Because standing beside you is a pleasure of mine and a privilege, I enjoy more than anything. So don't get carried away by thoughts of me wanting to give this position to anyone else. And you too! Bring up someone else between us and I swear I'll get mad." I flick him on the forehead. "All these were fears I harbored long ago and you yelled at me!"

"And who was it that brought in Kiba, Sasuke, Shisui and now Kyle between us?"

"Yeah, okay. But I'm only going to plead guilty for Shisui. Sasuke and Kiba invited themselves. Though I do really think Kyle is the real deal. If that fucker comes near you, you better break that Adonis's wrist at least."

He lets out a laugh when I switch tangents. "There you go insulting him and praising him at the same time! I'm beginning to think, you think more about him than you should. And while I'm glad you're worried about me, I'd rather you stop obsessing over him so much."

"Obsessing? I hate him, for your information!"

He raises his brows. "You keep calling him god and Adonis, not me. Sure you're not developing a crush?" he raises thin eyebrows at me cutely. There is, after all, a very thin line between love and hate, my darling. Sure you don't want a twincest fantasy of our own?" he teases me.

My face has to be showing my disgust at the very thought. "Shut up! Be serious!"

"But I am serious! Damn serious about you!"

"While harboring twincest fantasies about your own partner doing the deed with his rival?"

"Isn't that what modern fanfiction is all about?" he smirks.

"Ugh! Stop it. Seriously."

"Haha! Okay."

"I'm just worried."

"He is a phantom enemy. Remember."

"I'll try."

"There, that's better." He opens his arms for a hug and I grab him tight.

"I'm sorry if you felt I was unburdening on you or cornering you into telling me not to go. It really wasn't my intention. I just wanted you to know how I feel."

Itachi sighs. "I'm sorry too. What I said was hurtful." He draws away and looks at me. "The truth is I want the same thing too. Everything word for word. But I want it for life. And for that, I'm willing to wait. Because your future comes first."

"You really know how to break my heart." I brush a tear away. "How can I ever resent a man who wants my best for me more than me? Who loves me like this?"

"You're my darling Naruto. The only one."

"And you're the only Itachi-sama in the world. No one can even come a close second."

He puts his arms around me and hugs me. "Will you play me that song from last night?"

I pull out my phone and play the song. He holds out a hand. "Come, let's dance to the song I dedicated you."

I move and grab him by the waist. He grabs a hand and silently twirls me around, laughing when I do. We dance silently for most of the song, uncaring of the mistakes we make. Our feet move side to side when he pulls me closer and rests his chin on my shoulder. He turns to me and sings along, looking at me. Each word holds a deeper meaning when it's sung in his voice. I smile. I love it when he sings. The last chorus comes on and I join him, singing till the end, softly dancing, and just having my fill of him.

"I love you," he whispers softly.

"I love you too."

---

After lunch, Kiyoshi walks up to me, hiding his hands behind his back. I know what it is. My throat feels tight when he brings it to the front and gives it to me. He blushes when he pulls the drawing paper and looks at me. "Naruto Papa," he says it softly, so quietly that I'd have missed it.

My lover is in the bedroom getting dressed to drive me around the town for a couple of last minute errands and I'm sad he missed this monumental moment.

I take the drawing from him and look at it. "Daddy helped me a little," he mumbles, turning red all over again.

It's a simple drawing of Itachi, Sasuke, Kiyoshi, and me smiling when we stand together. I can see the finer lines that are no doubt Itachi's work. I'm holding something that they both drew for me. It feels like a masterpiece already! "Little man, this is beautiful! Thank you! I'm going to frame it and put it on my wall."

"Why?"

"So that when my friends come home, I can proudly show my son's work to them. Papa is going to brag about his genius artist son!"

Kiyoshi looks at me with a smile, beaming when I call myself his Papa. It really is too cruel that I have to go away now, when I've just earned this right. Although, I intend to have him call me that for the rest of my life, but I can take the next three years to solidify my spot. It's a pity that I'll have to do it over video calls because I wanted to enjoy it more in person. "But I don't want to be an artist! I just want to be like you," he hides his face in my neck, "Naruto Papa," he stage whispers.

I beam. "Then you need to eat your vegetables, listen to Daddy and Sasuke, and take care of them, till I come back home. Can my little man promise me that?"

Kiyoshi nods, seriously. "Yes! I promise."

"That's my son."

I smack a kiss to the top of his head and he giggles.

"Naruto Papa," he calls out sweetly again. It sounds like music to my ears. I look at him. "Bend down," he says and I move till our faces are at level. "You're my favorite!" he turns to murmur in my ear. "Don't tell Daddy that."

"You're my favorite too! But don't tell Daddy that."

I hold out my pinky and he promises with a smile.

---

Dinner feels pretty much like torture only because this time I'm restless as hell. It feels like torture to put food in my mouth even though it's Itachi who cooked. And what's worse is, he's cooked me my favorite meal of rice, miso soup, and fried chicken with salad. I force a bite of rice in my mouth and begin chewing it. Out of reflex, my eyes stray once again towards my left wrist which rises to show me it's seven o'clock. I've been doing that a lot. Looking at the time. I fight the urge to bite my thumbnail like I used to do till I was nine.

I look up at Itachi who's watching me silently. There's an impassive look on his face. I force my wrist down and lift my bowl of soup, just to stop fidgeting like a toddler under scrutiny. My left leg shakes with anxiety. I try to stop it but it has a mind of its own. The food tastes like ash in my mouth even when I know I won't get to eat his hand cooked meal for a long time. But I can't savor it. Not when it hurts to even breathe.

"You don't have to force yourself to eat if you're not hungry, Naruto." I abhor that colorless voice and that neutral expression.

I shake my head and get back to focusing on the food. The piece of fried chicken flies from between my chopsticks and bounces off the lip of my rice bowl before falling on the table. I slam my chopsticks on the table to go throw up whatever I ate. Once it's over and I'm rising out my mouth at the basin that I see him standing there.

He's still wearing that sick expressionless mask he's been wearing on his face since the evening. I don't say anything. Not till I know what he's thinking.

"Better?" he asks, his voice so colorless, so detached, it doesn't feel like him. This man standing in front of me is nothing of my golden-hearted king.

"I'm sorry."

I'm sorry I'm such a mess. I'm sorry I can't stomach the food you cooked for me. I'm sorry I'm so pathetic.

"For making it harder than it already is?"

I clash my teeth together. "I didn't choose to have a panic attack!"

"What're you getting weak already?"

"Meanwhile, you stand with no chink in your armor."

His face tightens. "I'm not going to talk about this."

He exits the washroom and I bend over the sink to keep it in check. I feel like I'm crumbling to dust here and he's asking me if I'm weak? My head is a mess. I am an absolute mess.

I walk out of the washroom to see him walk into our room. I follow quietly.

"Alright then, what should we talk about?" I walk up to where he stands, far away from all furniture.

"I read it's going to be raining there. Do you have a rain coat or an umbrella? I can lend you one."

"Do you really think I'll be giving a shit about rain when I get there?"

"Hmm, of course. You'll be too happy meeting your parents."

A muscle ticks in my jaw. "Yeah. Very," my voice is dry. And while I really will be happy seeing them in the flesh again, I'll be anything but happy.

"Can you please stop talking about it?"

Itachi sighs. "Fine then. You talk about something," he looks at me. "I just thought it would be good to inform you."

"I have four and a half hours left with you and you want to talk about rain in my country?"

"Yeah. Well, one of us has to stay sane for the both of us and we both know that's not you."

"I get that you're being like this to hold it together in front of Kiyoshi and Sasuke. But why are you being like this with me? If we can't be transparent in front of each other, then I'm doing something wrong."

"You are just unnecessarily thinking too much about it."

"No wonder you're just standing there so unperturbed."

"Unperturbed? No chinks in my armor? What do you know? What do you know?" Cold, dead silent. His voice shakes with the magnitude of his feelings.

"Yeah, because one of us can't turn off their feelings as easily as you can. Isn't that right, Itachi-sama?"

"Do you really have to make everything about yourself? Do you know how I feel?"

"I'm the one flying thousands of miles away, leaving you here. If there's someone who knows, it's me!"

"I'm done fighting with you over this. Please don't make it worse."

"I'm making it worse?"

"Stop talking or I'll hit you. I'm not averse to the idea of violence right now."

"Then come here and hit me."

That mask he wore on his face crumbles when he walks up to me. "I can't-" he says and hits me once. Twice. Thrice. "I can't, I can't, I can't," he chants hitting me with his fists now. They hurt less than the person before me. He looks angry. So angry.

He grabs my t-shirt and buries his face in my chest. "Don't go. Don't go. Don't go. Don't go. Don't go. Don't go. Please don't go."

He weeps like a heartbroken boy when I crush him to me. My heart feels like it's being squeezed to death in my chest. I fight back the tears that keep coming and then there's no stopping it.

I don't say anything. I just hold him to me.

---

By the time we calm down enough to get our act together, make love and finally make our way back to the living room where Sasuke unwittingly must be babysitting Kiyoshi, there's no sign of them. I check my phone to see a message from Sasuke. "Dinner's still on the table. Have taken Kiyoshi out to the park. This is the last favor I'll ever do you two."

You two, huh? Guess, I could work around that loophole. I smirk, walking up to the dining table.

Though our bowls have been cleared away, the food has been wrapped and kept on the table. I tear open the wrap off the plate of fried chicken and take one, chewing on it in bliss. I'm ravenous. Itachi leans over and I feed him one. "I've got to say this. I've had a lot of fried chicken here in Japan, but the ones you make are my favorite." I pull him close till he's seated in my lap. I grab another one and pop it in my mouth. "Is there a secret ingredient?"

His smile is so cheesy it could melt anyone's heart. "Love, Naruto. It's love!"

I tickle him and he squirms on my lap. "Of course it is!" I pop another piece and Itachi raises his brows. "I'd go easy if I were you. You're flying, you know."

"I have an excellent metabolism, Itachi-sama. A little bit of oil never bothered me."

"It wouldn't have bothered me either had I not seen your weak constitution."

"Oh I'll be fine. I think." I pick up the last piece and pop it into my mouth. When he continues to eye me warily, I lick the oil off my fingers and look at him. "What? Mama taught me not to waste food!"

"Ugh, shut up!"

I grin contentedly.

---

It's dead silent when we all get into the car, getting ready to go pick up Kiba before we all drive to the airport. It's the last hour I have with them. After we were done eating, Itachi took me to the bedroom once again. The sex involved tears, snot, and every other kind of body fluid and when I shuddered with completion, he trembled as well. We didn't talk. We didn't exchange a single word beyond me asking him if he was okay. And I think he was okay with that as well. But the limited communication was a welcome. If he was to say something, I'm pretty sure my heart wouldn't have been able to take it. And when he'd slipped out of the room, I carefully placed the jeans the letter over our bed before walking out. And now, my heart feels like it's being ripped apart.

As it is, I feel ready to shatter already. I'll just hold it together till the airport. I can't imagine ahead of my goodbyes and eventual check-in and customs. Nothing beyond that. It's like I'm being driven to the door of a shuttle that's going to eject me to a universe of nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I think I'll go crazy at this rate. My thumb squeezes Itachi's over the gearstick, needing physical reassurance. If Sasuke notices, he doesn't say a single word about it. And I'm truly grateful for his understanding. Itachi takes the left to the parking lot of our dorm and there Kiba is at the entrance with nothing but a duffel bag and a backpack. He jogs over to us and waves.

I step out of the car to greet him. I don't mind that he squeezes me a little tighter before he keeps his gets in, behind me while Sasuke sits behind Itachi, Kiyoshi in between them. He greets Kiyoshi and they make small talk. My hand rejoins Itachi's on the gear once again and he squeezes my thumb briefly before switching gears and accelerating towards the exit.

Deafening silence follows suit. Desperate to null it out I turn on CarPlay and let Spotify auto-connect. Our song comes on and his hand stills at the gearstick. His pulse turns rapid under my fingertip. I quickly switch songs and pass over my phone to Kiba to choose what to play when he complains. I don't care what he plays. I just want something to shatter this silence.

Kiba plays a song Sasuke approves of, along with Kiyoshi. The three get laughing and singing and I stare straight ahead, afraid that if I was to say something, I would turn to nothing. My head hurts and my stomach feels queasy.

He shakes my hand when we're on the highway. "All okay? Want me to stop the car?" he asks me quietly.

I nod. "I'm fine." I don't want to hurl. I want to sleep and wake up three years later in the same car, going in the opposite direction to ours. Going back home.

"Sure?" Kiba slaps my shoulder. Of course he's heard the conversation.

"Yeah man. I'm fine." I shrug off his hand in irritation. I see a service area up ahead.

"Actually, I need to use the restroom," Sasuke interjects politely.

Itachi silently turns on the blinker to go left and parks swiftly in an empty spot. Sasuke unbuckles Kiyoshi before he pulls him out despite Kiyoshi's protests. Kiba reads between the lines and gets out too. Once the door shuts behind him, I turn to him. "Can I get you anything? A coffee or something?"

He shakes his head but makes no move to unclip his belt or get out. "Why so quiet?" I tuck a lock of hair behind his ear.

"Nothing. I just don't have anything to say."

We sit in silence. His glasses reflect the bright lights of the rest stop. The deafening silence roars in my ears. I lift up my wrist and look at the time. He notices it. "What's the time?" he asks quietly.

"It's ten forty-eight."

He nods, opening the navigation route and glancing cursorily at the stats. "We'll get there sometime after eleven thirty."

"Thanks for telling me."

More painful silence. Never before have I wished to be interrupted by someone as much as I want at this moment. I look at where the trio vanished earlier. They're still nowhere in sight.

"Our little parting is almost here," I don't know what else to say. I'm seated next to someone I love to madness, yet I don't have the fortitude to turn towards him. My hand which is still in his over the gearstick is our only physical connection. And I'm too afraid to break it. He brushes his thumb across my wrist, before he turns his hand and takes mine. Slim fingers push aside mine for space when he interlocks them. Our hands together look perfect.

"Naruto," Itachi says and swallows, his hand squeezing mine briefly.

I don't turn to unclip my belt or even turn at the sadness in his voice. My stomach clenches and my throat feels like it'll explode. Breathing becomes difficult till I let out a shaky exhale. I can't form words. And this is not born out of panic. No. This is a reaction to seeing him sad.

"Yes, Itachi-sama," I look down at my other hand clutching my jeans like it's my lifeline.

"Can you look at me please?" That lingering melancholy in his voice, twists my guts.

I shake my head, fighting the urge to sniffle. "No." I force it out in a whisper.

"Please?"

"Ask me for anything else."

"You've already given me everything else."

I turn to him at that. He's sly even to the very end. "I feel like I'm going to die. I feel like I'm standing at the executioner's block ready to get my head chopped off."

He laughs unexpectedly, making me frown. He looks down at our twined fingers. "You're a mystery unto yourself! That is an exaggeration."

My frown deepens. "I'm really going to get angry."

"And I'm going to change the topic."

"Doesn't it matter to you? Me going away?"

"Because it doesn't! When I think about the possibility of you coming back to me, then it stops mattering. I'm holding you to that."

"I'm going to become the best version of me, you've ever seen when I come back."

"I hope I can say the same."

"You're my Itachi-sama. The only one in the world I can come home to. You understand?"

"So, taking potential partners to love hotels it is, I see."

Oh how he makes fury of a completely different kind overtake me in an instant.

"Ha-ha. That joke is old."

"Is it? I mean, you'll be gone and I'll be sad and lonely." He bats cute, cute eyelashes at me. Playing one of my antics against me is unfair because of the measly time left between us. He's flirting at the wrong moment. "And with what I've learned from you, sensei," he pushes up his glasses like the honors student that he is and smiles at me. "I believe I'll do well. Maybe we can put Kyle-"

I unclip my belt and grab him in a heartbeat. My lips crash on his to shut him up. Again and again. Painful, assaulting. I am hurting him when I taste his blood on my tongue. But he brings his arms around me and pulls me closer. It's his turn to take revenge and he claims it like he should.

"You definitely should have pounced on me sooner."

I bite his neck and lick it. "Mine. Understood. Only I can satisfy you."

I lean back into my seat.

"You know I was messing with you, right?"

"And you do know how I react to that. Jealousy is not an emotion I want to feel right now."

"At least it's better than feeling like you're going to die."

"Can you stop thinking about me and think about yourself first?"

He smiles. "I'm an Uchiha Naruto! When we love, the other person always comes first. But yes, I can try."

I perk up. "Say that again," I request, kindly. Happiness flows inside of me.

"But yes, I can try?" he raises his eyebrows at me.

"No. Before that."

"I'm an Uchiha Naruto. When we love, we…" he stops and looks up at a beaming me.

Uchiha Naruto.

I quite like the sound of that. Maybe I could add Uzumaki somewhere in the equation. I'll keep it to pick aside for later. For now, I'm happy with Uchiha Naruto. He opens his mouth to say something and then laughs and looks down. He leans over the steering wheel and looks at me. "Does it make you that happy?"

I nod, grinning at him. "I'm so happy, I feel like I'm going to die!"

He rolls his eyes. "Say that to me after we sign the papers, Uzumaki Uchiha Naruto."

"Nope. I'm saying it to you the moment I land here again." He lets out a laugh.

"Fair enough."

"Will you say it to me one more time?" I ask him and he chuckles.

"Uzumaki Uchiha Naruto, you better come back to me!"

"Where else will I go?"

"Ugh, this cheeseball!" he hides his face and laughs.

"You ask me questions like this and then you accuse me of being cheesy. Sly you have become, Itachi-sama."

"I was always like this. You're just slow on the upkeep, Uchiha Naruto." He pauses for a second. "I'm beginning to like the sound of it. The sound of you carrying my name."

"You are cheating again. Stop making me want to get handsy with you all the time. For a Japanese, you have no self-control!"

"My darling, you know nothing."

Oh but I do. I smile in pure happiness at that.

The door behind mine clicks open and Kiba gets into the seat. Sasuke puts a sleeping Kiyoshi down in his seat and clicks his seatbelt before taking his seat and closing the door.

"What's got Naruto looking like you've given him the moon?" His eyes move to Itachi's face and then he looks at Sasuke who shakes his head.

Itachi hums, signaling a smiling me to buckle up before he starts the car again. He's oblivious to what's transpiring in the backseat. And me, I'm too ecstatic to care. "That's because I probably did. Don't mind him."

Kiba rolls his eyes while Sasuke looks outside his window. "Is he like this everywhere?"

"Yeah, where my brother is involved. I've grown immune to them. Exposure therapy or something."

"We're not that bad, okay." Itachi is up to protect our honor. He looks at me and smiles. "Although, Naruto does tend to get a little dramatic…" I shoot him a glare at the insult. His smile widens. "Okay, very dramatic."

"As you all very well know." I mutter dryly.

Kiba laughs. "I'm dreading our college days already."

Sasuke laughs when he looks ahead. "I think I can relate to that," his eyes meet his brother's who looks away.

"Oh please! I'm scared it'll be otherwise." I say loudly.

"Get over yourself Naruto! You're not that amazing!" Sasuke laughs.

Kiba doesn't say anything. He looks outside and I don't comment on what Sasuke said, though I'm inclined to. Instead, I turn up front and look at the board ahead of us carries directions for Narita Airport and Itachi turns right. The terrain changes quickly to hilly. Something gathers in the pit of my stomach as begin to go uphill. My friend's story hits me in an all new way when I start feeling queasier and queasier with every curve. There's still distance, there's still time but they both grow lesser and lesser with each passing second, each inch of the distance we cover.

Kiba connects his music and plays something. I adjust the volume till it's almost background noise. Sasuke continues looking out of the window. I turn to look at Itachi. He just stares stonily ahead even when he knows I'm looking at him. I don't want to ask him if he's alright because I know he's not. The moot question will only earn me a dry affirmative and I don't want that. And that's also the reason I don't ask him to make me last minute promises regarding his health and well-being. He's promised me those already. Giving and taking comfort is all we've been doing recently and his various endeavors at talking about other things has not gone down well.

But that's not what's gnawing at my insides. It's the fact that despite the music, there's silence between us. Silence that needs to break. Silence I must break now. I open my mouth but nothing comes out.

And I realize how empty of words I suddenly am. So devoid of anything to say. When was there a time when I ran out of things to say to him? But the me right now is completely drained of anything I can possibly say. Talking to him is beyond me.

And maybe he is the same. Maybe that's why there's silence between us. Maybe he doesn't know what to say either.

It crushes me. The weight that's been pressing against my chest grows heavier. But I can't summon a single thing to say.

Kiba has his eyes closed and so does Sasuke.

"Can you drop the speed a little?" He does so wordlessly till he turns on the blinker and stops at the side.

Neither Kiba nor Sasuke wake. And even if they do, they keep their eyes tightly shut and I'm grateful for the understanding. Wordlessly he takes off his seatbelt and I follow suit. He steps out of the car and I do the same.

He walks over to a dark side and I move till I stand beside him.

"Any last words?" his tone is dry.

"Are you going to kill me?"

He manages a smile. "Depends on what you have to say."

"I didn't know goodbyes involved impromptu tests."

"Humor me," he says softly.

I'm in the mood to do anything but humor him. Fighting at a time like this is just stupid so I don't bring it up.

"I love you, Itachi-sama. And that's a feeling that will never change. Though the shape of it could change, the love never will. When you see me again, I'll definitely be someone you can proudly call yours in every sense of the term."

Itachi's lips rise. His first real smile. "I guess I won't kill you after all. Keep you around for a bit longer."

"Liar, you promised to keep me forever! I'm not settling for anything less."

"In that case, you better come back home soon because I'm not settling for a day longer."

"Are these your last words?" My voice shakes when I take his hand in mine.

He smiles and nods. "Oh and I love you too."

Our last kiss is soft and hard and needy and sad and desperate. It's everything we are, everything we signify.

Our last kiss seals our love together.

---

My heartbeat thuds louder and louder as we approach the huge airport I see in front of my eyes. Sometime after we started driving again, Kiba woke. He didn't strike conversation again and I was glad for that. Sasuke and Kiyoshi still sleep blissfully even as Itachi slows the car. Kiba tenses behind me, straightening and pulling out his phone undoubtedly to text someone.

We move forward slowly, nearing the gate for international flights. Itachi stops the car near the curb and moves to undo his belt before he turns to wake Sasuke and Kiyoshi too. "We're here." Words that force me to push myself out of his car. He's already moving to the boot to take out my luggage. I immediately dip my head inside to pull out a hefty suitcase.

He deposits the other suitcase to the curb and looks at me. But before he can say anything, Kiyoshi comes running and holds out his arms. I lift him up immediately. Sasuke follows him. Kiba comes to stand beside me. He looks at Itachi and smiles. "Take care of yourself Itachi or this sweetheart here will drive me crazy." Itachi surprises him with a hug, making me smile. Sasuke makes a face at that.

"Kiba that joke is seriously not funny." Itachi smiles genuinely at him. "Take care of yourself."

Next, Kiba eyes Sasuke before he extends a hand for a handshake. "Take care Sasuke."

"You too Kiba. I'm sorry for all the bitchiness." Sasuke says, shaking his hand.

"Forgiven and forgotten. But don't go being a jerk to either of my friends again. That won't go down nicely."

Sasuke chuckles. "Understood."

Finally, he walks over to Kiyoshi and extends his arms. "Come here, you little kid," he smiles when Kiyoshi goes into his arms. They hug warmly before Kiyoshi wants to come back to me. Kiba laughs as he ruffles his hair. "We'll keep in touch, yeah?"

Kiyoshi nods. "Bye, bye Kiyoshi," Kiba smiles at him. "We'll meet soon."

"Yes, when I'm taller. Naruto told me."

Kiba's eyes slide to mine. "Yeah, when you're taller. You're a good kid. Take care of your Daddy too."

Kiyoshi nods. "Yes. I promised Naruto." He laughs, looking at me and shaking his head. Kiyoshi looks up at him. "Bye, bye Kiba," Kiyoshi smiles at him and waves.

Kiba looks at me. "I'll wait for you inside," he pats me briefly on the shoulder, waves at everyone and lines up to get his passport checked.

I turn back to my family. Both brothers avoid eye contact when I look at them. "Well then, this is it," I proclaim it out loud. Kiyoshi looks up at me, his chin wobbling before he clutches my t-shirt and begins crying. I hug him to me tight.

"I'm going to miss you, little man," I whisper in his hair, planting kisses wherever I can.

Kiyoshi holds me like a lifeline. "Sunshine, don't go," he looks up at me with pleading eyes and I shake my head, looking at Itachi who's staring at my suitcase as if willing to set fire to it. I hold out my hand to him. He takes it quietly.

Sasuke smiles at that before he waves at me and is gone without a word. Kiyoshi continues crying. "Give him to me," he says, picking up a struggling Kiyoshi and settling him against himself. Kiyoshi cries harder, making my hands itch to take him back. I look at Itachi who's holding Kiyoshi and shushing him quietly. His eyes look into mine and infinite sadness grips me. It takes over all of my senses, blasting my resolve to not cry into smithereens.

I grab them both in a tight hug. "I love you. I love you." It's all I can get past my lips.

Kiyoshi smiles at that. "I love you too." I press kisses all over his face.

"Bye my little man. Remember to eat your vegetables and take care of yourself. And take care of Daddy for me."

Kiyoshi nods. "I promise."

I ruffle his hair, looking at my lover who's carefully looking away. "Good, now can you be a big man and sit next to Uncle Sasuke? I think he might be lonely." Kiyoshi looks from me to the car where Sasuke's head rests against the window.

Slowly, he nods. It's sly to lie but if I don't get a few moments with Itachi alone, I just might regret it for the rest of my life. I march up to the window and knock softly, Kiyoshi in my arms. Sasuke looks up and silently takes Kiyoshi. "Uncle Sasuke, Naruto said you are lonely."

Sasuke lifts him up and puts him in his booster seat. But he doesn't buckle him in. Sasuke makes an exaggeratedly sad face and looks at Kiyoshi.

"He'll…uh…be back in five minutes." I tell Sasuke, nodding my head in Itachi's direction. Sasuke nods turning to Kiyoshi but I grab his hand and pull him into a hug.

"Thank you, Sasuke. Thank you for everything." Sasuke nods, patting my back.

"Take care of yourself, Naruto." He releases me and slides back into the car. I quickly walk over to Itachi.

I pull him to me and hold him tight. "Anything you want to say to me?"

"Nothing I haven't said before." He stops, ends the hug, and looks at me. His smile is soft, generous, and so loving that it fills me up with happiness and equal amounts of sadness. "Did I tell you that I'm only giving you three years to make things count?" he asks, his voice carries the calm of a still ocean.

"Only thirty-seven times. Oh, forty-six if we start including the times, we added your dowry requirements."

He laughs amidst his sadness, looking heartbreakingly beautiful. I grab him in another hug. "Your dreams are my dreams and I'll do everything in my power to make them come true."

His eyes glitter before he blinks the tears away. "I love you, Naruto. Thank you for coming into my life."

"The pleasure is all mine." I lift up the handles of my suitcases and look at him. I bow deeply out of respect. "I'll go and come back."

"Come home soon," he smiles at me. "I'll be waiting."

I nod before turning around and moving to the doors. I pull out my passport and ticket and hand them to the guard. He looks at my face and then my passport before nodding at me. I turn once to look at Itachi who's still standing there.

I don't hesitate for a second before I run back to him. His arms widen when he looks at me. I hug him tightly to me for one last time.

He laughs, hugging me back. "Miss me already?" he asks softly.

"I love you Itachi-sama." I take in his face, recalling our journey from a shopkeeper to a friend's brother, to how he became my tutor only to eventually become my everything. I commit every feature to memory when I gaze at him one last time. This man who only knows how to give. My, Itachi-sama.

He joins our foreheads together before I jog back to where the guard looks at me once before he rolls out my suitcases from the side and hands them to me, looking like he's done this before.

I turn to where Itachi stands and wave at him once. He slowly waves back. Sasuke and Kiyoshi also lower the window and wave. Kiyoshi sobs quietly but waves. My heart folds in on itself. My family. My eyes move back to my lover's and he gives me a smile so bright, courage and conviction fill me up.

I'll be back. I promise myself over and over. Even when my heart is cracking and splintering into a million pieces, I hold it in and smile and wave.

I'll come back home. I'll come back to you, Itachi-sama.

Our story doesn't end here. It's only turning over a new chapter.

And for what that's worth, I'm willing to turn myself to dust. All for the man who dreams of me. All for the man who dreams for me.

My king.

I turn around and walk inside.

---

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