Disclaimers: Naruto is not mine, sadly. This is purely a fanfic using someone else's characters.
Warnings: This story includes strong language, violence, sexual assault, torture, sexual content (yaoi), & angst.
It's All In Your Head
Chapter 35: Forget
--
Naruto's feet and palms were on the mend, but it was a slow process. And, so far, he had spent most of it trapped in the same house with the same Uchiha- just not the one he wanted to be stuck with.
He hated Itachi for a while after the last illusion he had forced him in- when he had brought back so much trauma that Naruto had desperately tried to forget. And, interestingly enough, that seemed to bother Itachi.
It was clear that he regretted how he treated him, even if he didn't say anything, which was quite surprising. He didn't think the guy was capable of feeling remorse. He seemed so fucking cold all the time, and cruelty appeared to be second nature to him, and yet.. something was different now.
Naruto was still his prisoner, and Itachi was still quick to remind him of that fun fact anytime he pressed his luck, but besides that he was actually being weirdly nice to him. It should make his time stuck here feel a little better, but he couldn't help but be alarmed by it.
There's no way he's just suddenly a nice person, he thought to himself. He has to be doing this for a reason. He probably wants something, right?
I mean.. why else would he suddenly be nice to me?
It made absolutely no sense, and he repeatedly had to remind himself not to trust it. No matter how kind he was, or how many times he cooked for him, or helped him get around the house, or talked to him like they were old friends instead of a warden and his prisoner. Because that's exactly what he was, and he had to remember that.
Naruto knew what it meant to trust a Uchiha.. and to have that trust become suddenly, horribly broken. He wasn't sure he could even do that again with Sasuke. In what bizarre universe could he trust his brother?
--
It was mid morning when, feeling restless as usual, Naruto scooted himself over to the kitchen and pulled himself up to balance on the heels of his feet. Truth be told, he came here because of the pleasant aroma drifting through the house. His mouth was watering, and even though it was Itachi making it, and he was the man's captive, he couldn't help but crave whatever was in that pot.
He cleared his throat. "Ahhem.. what are you- what are you making?" he asked, attempting to sound nonchalant and knowing that he didn't.
Itachi looked over at him, amused. "Ramen."
Blue eyes widened and he saw a flicker of happiness shoot across them. Itachi turned away, letting his long raven hair cover his smile.
"Why are you making ramen?" the blonde asked curiously. He was excited to have his favorite comfort food but couldn't help but be suspicious. Definitely seems too good to be true.
"Because you like it."
Those blue eyes grew even wider. "And why would that make you want to make it..?"
Itachi gripped the wooden spoon hard. "Are you going to keep asking questions, or can you just accept that I made it."
"I have one more question."
Itachi sighed and shot dark eyes his way. "What."
"How did you know I like ramen?"
The raven studied him, reading the hesitant happiness and growing concern. "You talk in your sleep."
The blonde gave him a doubtful look. "And this is what I talk about?"
Itachi's eyes gave him away, and Naruto instantly knew that he was stretching the truth. Maybe he talked about ramen once, but that was definitely not what the majority of his dreams were about.
The raven shrugged. "For the most part."
Naruto shook his head and gave him a perplexed look. "I'm surprised" he said.
Itachi grabbed a small spoon and scooped out some of the broth, giving it a taste. He nodded to himself, satisfied with the result. He turned the heat down to a low simmer then turned his attention back to the blonde. "About what?"
Naruto tilted his head, studying the Uchiha with newfound curiosity. Deep in thought, he crossed his arms and his balance starting to give way. He stumbled back, trying to stay perched on the heels of his feet, but he could already feel them slipping. A gasp broke through his lips as Itachi's hand shot out and grabbed his arm- holding him steady.
"Woah" Naruto breathed, his voice shaky. "Close call there.."
His voice trailed off as Itachi's hand dropped down to his, finding the tips of his fingers and guiding them to the counter.
"Hold onto this" he said softly.
Naruto looked up, confusion flashing in his wide cerulean stare, but Itachi was still looking down at his bandaged hands, his fingers still pressed against his own. "You said you were surprised by something" the Uchiha murmured, keeping his gaze averted.
Naruto blinked. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Just that, you're actually a pretty bad liar" he said, nodding to the ramen that he supposedly talked about in his sleep.
Itachi finally lifted his head, his dark eyes cast in shadow beneath quirked brows. "Do I have a tell?"
"You mean besides your entire face?"
Itachi laughed and for a moment Naruto forgot he was a prisoner, that this man had tormented people with his sharingan, that he had been after the Nine Tails for years, that he had ruined Sasuke's life.
For a moment, he was just a man making him ramen.
.. and making him smile.
--
Kyuubi?
Still nothing.
He had been in this house for over a week, not including the time it took to get here. If he included the days he spent in Sasuke's room before that, that means.. that I haven't heard from Kyuubi for almost three weeks.
His eyes widened as the reality of that set in.
Shit. What if he never comes back..?
It shouldn't take this long. This doesn't make sense. How could he still be gone?
He didn't understand and he was afraid to know the answer. Though where would he even find such answers without Kyuubi's help? The only other option was Itachi and there was no way he was going to help him get Kyuubi back. Because that would mean Naruto would be able to access the Nine Tails' chakra again.
Meaning he'd be able to escape.
If anything, Itachi greatly benefited from the demon's absence. Hell, if Kabuto hadn't given him that drug, Itachi probably would have-
Naruto's stomach dropped. He stared after the raven as he walked by, suddenly regretting the way he interacted with him before. I can't forget who he is, what he is, he reminded himself. Because it's definitely possible that he is a lot worse than I thought.
Is that really what's happening to me? he wondered. Why I can't reach Kyuubi at all..?
Is Itachi doing this to me?
--
After that horrifying epiphany, Naruto avoided Itachi for the rest of the day. Well, he tried to. He interacted with him as little as possible and kept quiet everytime he tried to talk to him. He felt a little awkward about it, but he knew it was the right thing to do. He needed to set some serious boundaries. Because Itachi seemed to be changing them.
Naruto didn't like how familiar the Uchiha was getting with him, how casual he suddenly was. All of it just felt… wrong. This man killed people, innocent people. He traumatized Sasuke, and Naruto was here because Itachi and the rest of the Akatsuki wanted to tear Kyuubi out of him and dispose of what was left.
Naruto needed Itachi to go back to acting like the monster he knew him to be. Because this was confusing. And uncomfortable. He wasn't here as a friend; he was kidnapped and forced to stay here.
So why was it so hard to remember that..?
The day passed in near silence, and Naruto's discomfort grew as he waited to see what would inevitably end it.
Whatever he expected it to be.. it wasn't this.
Night fell, darkened, and Itachi approached him with a determined look on his face. Naruto flinched back from him, not knowing what to make of that look, but it did little to fend him off. Itachi simply pulled him into his arms and carried him away.
"Where are you taking me?!" he shouted, shoving his elbow against his chest, trying to make a lunge for it.
"If you just calm down, you'll see for yourself."
Naruto stopped and his eyes shot up to stare at the raven, half convinced that he'd see Sasuke smirking back at him. But it wasn't. It's not him. It's Itachi. Itachi. But it sounded exactly like something Sasuke would say- even the way he said it was the same.
The Uchiha noticed the conflicting emotions flicker in his eyes, but he chose not to put words to it. He had a feeling he knew what that look was about, or rather who it was about, and he didn't want to give it anymore power than it already had.
Itachi stepped out the front door and stepped halfway across the clearing, still refusing to explain himself. He lowered the blonde onto a blanket in the grass and then took a seat next to him. When he looked over, he saw Naruto staring at him like he had gone insane.
"Yes?"
"Why am I out here?" He asked, completely bewildered. "Aren't you worried that I'm going to yell and someone's going to find me?"
"I put up a barrier. Sound won't go through it." He glanced over. "Nothing will."
"Well that's reassuring" Naruto mumbled, his sarcasm not lost on his warden. "Does this mean you don't plan on letting me go anytime soon?"
Itachi pushed him down on his back and Naruto stared up at him in fear, but the raven pulled away and laid down next to him instead. He knitted his fingers behind his head and stared up at the bruising sky, a thoughtful look on his usually expressionless face.
Naruto was more confused than ever, and at a complete loss as to what to do. Eventually he looked up at the sky too, at the shocking number of stars he could see and the darkness that threatened to overwhelm all of them.
"You never said why I'm out here" Naruto said quietly.
Itachi tilted his head to look at the blonde beside him- the blonde who didn't want to be there.
… The blonde he didn't want to let go.
He turned to look back at the darkness pressing in on them, at the small dazzling lights that broke through it- all of it so close and yet so.. so far away.
"I didn't want to see the stars alone."
--
After a long, star-gazing silence, Itachi rose to his feet and walked back to the house. Naruto didn't mind, in fact he preferred to be left alone.
It didn't last long.
He could hear Itachi coming back and sighed. Great.
When he looked up, he saw him putting something down on the ground. Then Itachi dropped down beside him and helped him sit up before handing it to him. It was a mug, filled with something warm and sweet. Naruto looked from the tempting drink up to the bizarre individual who gave it to him.
"Stop being so nice to me, you're freaking me out."
Itachi raised an eyebrow. "And what should I do instead?"
Naruto shook his head and went to place the mug down, but Itachi grabbed it and put it back in hands, not letting go until his fingers were securely around it. Naruto sighed. "I.. I don't know" he muttered, "but this is just.."
"Just what?" the Uchiha asked curiously. Like he didn't see it, like he had no idea what he was doing. Which the blonde highly doubted.
"It's weird, ok! You're acting like-"
"Like?"
Naruto placed the mug on the ground and kept his gaze down with it. "Like.. Sasuke" he murmured, his chest aching just thinking about him.
"And that bothers you."
"Yes!" Naruto shouted, exasperated that he even had to say it.
"Why?"
"Because.." I don't want to fall into a trap.
I don't want to get confused and do something thinking you're him.
"I see.."
Naruto was sure he didn't say it out loud, but Itachi seemed to know what he was thinking anyways. "So, you would like for me to keep doing things that remind you that I'm not Sasuke."
The blonde nodded, his eyes back on the ground.
"Then tell me. What's something he wouldn't do?"
"I.. I don't know."
"Then I suppose you'll just have to tell me when it happens."
That's what I'm worried about…
--
Naruto wrapped his arms around the sudden source of warmth, snuggling into it. It felt nice. He had been so cold earlier and then that nightmare.. the horrible constant nightmares. He couldn't break free of the last one, and then suddenly there was this warmth beside him and naturally he gravitated to it. And the nightmares stopped, the fear dispersed, and all that remained was the soothing comfort of something that calmed the chill in his mind and the tension in his chest. He sighed, his body relaxed, and he fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.
A few hours later he started to stir again. He could see the insistent sunlight from behind his eyelids and it was getting to the point where he could no longer ignore it. He finally gave in to the irritant and slowly blinked the dark from his cloudy blues. He glanced up and through the blur saw familiar raven strands of hair and the side of a pale face. His heart skipped a beat, and a smile already began to grow. "Sasuke?"
The face turned and he realized his mistake. His eyes widened as reality seeped in. He looked down and saw that he was practically laying on top of him, snuggled against his chest, his arm draped across his middle.
And it wasn't Sasuke.
"Fuck!" He jolted back fast, scrambling to put distance between them, but Itachi wasn't ready to have him leave. His hand shot out and wrapped around his forearm, holding him still. Naruto tried to yank his arm free, but he merely tightened his grip. "Wh-what are you doing?!"
"You seemed happy before."
Naruto stared at him incredulously. "That's because I thought you were someone else."
"Then pretend I am."
Naruto swallowed hard and dropped his gaze to the hand on his arm. "I'm not going to do that."
Keeping Naruto still, Itachi scooted closer. The blonde stiffened but his discomfort did little to deter the Uchiha. The Uchiha that wasn't his Uchiha.
"Why not?" Itachi murmured. "You liked being close to me and I-" He paused, knowing he shouldn't say it and yet unable to stop himself, "I liked being close to you."
Naruto's head shot up to stare at him. "You said you wouldn't force me" he breathed.
"I won't." Itachi said, shifting even closer.
"Then why are you even in my bed? What are you doing?"
"Hoping you'll come to me."
Tears filled his eyes. "Just because you're suddenly nice to me doesn't mean I owe you anything."
"I know."
"Then why are you doing this?!"
"Because you're a good person, and I like that."
Naruto laughed humorlessly. "You like that I'm a good person. And that's why you're with the Akatsuki, right? Because you prefer being around good people?"
"I'm not with the Akatsuki" Itachi said, his face now inches away from Naruto's, his eyes seeking out his deep nervous blues. "I haven't been for quite some time."
"So what- I'm supposed to believe you changed? After what you did to Sasuke, to your family- after how you treated people.."
Itachi switched his hold on Naruto's arm to his other hand, then reached up and gently buried his fingers in soft honey locks. Naruto flinched, fear flickering in his eyes as he looked back at him.
"Let me show you" Itachi murmured.
"What are you-"
"Mangekyou Sharingan."