Parasomnia

Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto, nor do I make claims to The Cheesecake Factory; I just mention them.

A/N: So, I’ve only been to The Cheesecake Factory once and I’ve actually never had cheesecake, but Akiru suggested that it would be a good place to eat. It wasn’t until after I wrote it that I remembered her own story. I believe she has a small cheesecake fetish.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The square board sat innocently on the table’s surface while two sets of eyes glared down at it with fierce determination. Small white tiles with black lettering littered the board and they unknowingly were the cause of the intense battle between the two figures.

“Zephyr; z-e-p-h-y-r.”

“That’s not a word.”

“Is too; it’s a gentle breeze.”

Itachi snorted and looked over the tiles that were neatly arranged on the tray in front of him. All he needed was a single tile to make the word he wanted and he needed it soon. His hand reached into the small bag and his fingers curled around the tile before drawing it out. A smirk crossed his face as his eyes skimmed over the letter and he started laying his tiles down.

“X-e-n-o-p-h-i-l-e; xenophile, an attraction to foreign people, styles or manners.” He said, “Not to be confused with pedophile.”

Naruto snickered and rearranged his tiles again. He knew that playing this game with Itachi would be challenging, but he refused to let the older male get the best of him. The blond had a secret weapon up his sleeve and all he needed to do now was execute it. His hand reached forward, but it stopped as a pale arm reached over his and grabbed a tile.

“A-u-r-e-a-t-e, aureate.”

The blond tilted his head back so he could see who was standing behind him. He didn’t recognize the voice and he had never heard of the word either. Even though the man was upside down, he was still able to take in the features. Black hair draped over pale shoulders and lightly colored eyes that seemed almost yellow stared back at him.

“Hi?”

A familiar chuckle sounded and Naruto poked his head around the man and his eyebrows rose, “What’s up Jiraiya?”

The white haired man came closer and examined the board on the table before looking back at the blond, “Naruto, this is Orochimaru, he’ll be your agent. He’s the best agent in the company for young adult books and he really liked your first few chapters.” He exclaimed.

“Oh, I see.” Naruto chirped and glanced back at the board, “What was the word?”

“It’s used to define a golden color.” The agent exclaimed, “Often times used to portray an aureole.”

“A halo.” Itachi stated and his eyes narrowed slightly. He didn’t like this man and he didn’t like the way he looked at the young blond.

Orochimaru smiled, “And you are?”

“Itachi.”

The agent looked at the board, “You’re not an author that I know of, but you have an excellent grasp on the concept. However, I regret to inform you that in this game, you won’t win. Most authors command a great deal of knowledge for the use of words; you would have lost in the end.”

Naruto shook his head, “I don’t know, Itachi was doing really well, he probably would have won.”

“Regardless.” Orochimaru stated, “I didn’t come here to discuss board games. I came to discuss with you potential editors who would like to work with you. I have free time for lunch and your doctor already said you could leave for the day. There’s a new restaurant that opened north of here called The Cheesecake Factory, I hear that their desserts are excellent.”

The blond looked at Jiraiya for confirmation and at his nod, Naruto quickly bobbed his head, “Sure, I’d love to go.”

He started after them, but Itachi pulled him back, “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” He asked, “If they make you sign a contract without a lawyer, it could cause trouble for you later.”

Naruto tilted his head back so he could see Itachi’s face. He poked him in the forehead, “You’re going to give yourself wrinkles.” He warned and the raven’s face relaxed slightly before Naruto continued, “We won’t be signing a contract today. It’s just a meeting to set up an editor and pitch ideas on designs and such.”

Itachi frowned, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, but when they bring in all the boring business side, I’ll bring you to that lunch.” He answered with a grin, “Remember, you said that you needed to keep me out of trouble.”

The raven closed his eyes and let out a sigh, “I did.”

“You wouldn’t be able to go with them anyway, Itachi.” Kakashi stated from the side of the lobby, “I called your brother and he’s on his way over now. You two are going to have lunch together.”

Itachi released Naruto and watched as he trotted outside before turning his attention to the doctor, “What did you say?”

“I told you in your last meeting that I was calling your brother. One of my theories is that Sasuke triggers your sleepwalking. If you spend the day with your younger brother, we’ll be able to watch you tonight and see if there are any changes in your sleeping pattern.”

The Uchiha frowned in thought. He tried to remember when Kakashi had told him that he was going to call Sasuke; he was sure that he would have remembered that. His eyebrows furrowed and a small light clicked in his head. It had been that morning before the library incident; he had spaced out during the doctor’s little speech and hadn’t bothered to ask what he had said. He had been focused on other things.

“When will Sasuke be here?”

Kakashi smiled, “In a few minutes.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Itachi scowled as the scenery flashed by outside the car. His eyes flickered towards the passenger seat where his brother sat with a frown on his face, refusing to look at him. He knew that Sasuke was no doubt unhappy about the current situation at hand as well, and they were both doing their best to ignore each other in the small car. Itachi hated that it had come down to this, but he was slowly starting to accept that some part of Sasuke would always loath him.

A tall sign for a restaurant appeared on the side of the road and his mind took in the sign quietly before his body reacted. His foot slammed on the brake as he turned sharply into the entrance, ignoring the blaring horns from the other drivers.

“Shit Itachi, are you trying to get us killed?” Sasuke snapped.

The older raven parked in an empty slot and turned the car off, “No. This place just sounded nice.”

Sasuke slammed the car door shut and glanced at the sign, “The Cheesecake Factory? I don’t like sweets.”

“They have other foods as well; you don’t need to get a dessert.” He answered as he shut the door gently and walked towards the entrance while Sasuke trailed after him.

Itachi had never been to the restaurant before, but upon entering, he realized that he would have to come here more often. He had been expecting something less tasteful but he was instantly taken in by the interior designs of the building. His eyes skimmed the room, taking in the beautiful artwork to the ornate staircase and frosted glass balcony. Despite the time and day of the week, the place was decently crowded and he wondered if they would have a long wait.

As his eyes continued to take in the different paintings and lighting that made up the interior, his gaze fell on a familiar blond head. He faltered slightly and the brief thought of stalking entered his mind, but he pushed it aside. He wasn’t stalking; he was making sure that the creepy agent didn’t try something.

“How many?”

His gaze was torn from the blond and he focused on the woman in front of him. There was something familiar about this female and it nagged at him memories.

“Two.” He answered and his eyes fell on her nametag. Ah, that’s why she looked so familiar. “Sakura, do you think you can get us a seat somewhere in that section?” He asked as he pointed to a smaller section close to the blond.

An eyebrow rose at the question but realization dawned in the green eyes “Itachi?” He nodded and she peeked around his body, “Sasuke?”

Itachi felt his brother’s body stiffen, “What the hell are you doing here?”

Sakura sniffed as she picked up some menus, “Not like it’s any of your business, but I was transferred here to work on the interior design. We just opened the restaurant not too long ago and I’ve been staying here to make sure everything runs smoothly.” She glanced at Itachi, “What brings you two here? I haven’t seen you since I left your company when my internship finished.”

“Just brotherly bonding.” He answered; ignoring Sasuke’s gagging noise as they took their seats, “Thank you.”

Sasuke eyed the pinkette, “You’re not our waitress, are you?”

She scowled at him, “No, but I’ll make sure to warn your waiter about your blatant dislike for sweets.”

They watched her leave and Itachi chuckled, “She’s matured.”

The younger Uchiha grunted and skimmed the menu, trying to find something that sounded appetizing. He glanced up when glasses were set in front of him and their waiter poured water into the frosted stemware.

“Right, my name is Suigetsu and I’ll be your waiter today.” He looked at Sasuke, “And as your waiter, I feel it is my need to ask, what the hell is wrong with you? How do you not like sweets?”

Sasuke grunted, “I just don’t, now go away.” He waited until the man scurried away and glared at Itachi, “You’re doing this to me on purpose, aren’t you?”

“No.” Itachi answered casually while he shot another glance over Sasuke’s shoulder. He could just make out Naruto’s back from where he sat and his eyes shifted towards the older male at the table. They must have just ordered since they were talking still and no food sat on the table. The raven shook his head and focused on the menu in front of him, trying to ignore the long list of cheesecakes that were in the back of the menu; he would get one to go.

“Have you gentlemen decided what you would like to order?”

Itachi nodded and placed his order and the server looked at Sasuke with a raised eyebrow. The young Uchiha scowled at him before giving his order and shoving the menu into the man’s chest. They watched him leave and Sasuke sipped at his water.

“So what made you decide to come here?”

Ebony eyes blinked and settled on his younger brother, “No reason.”

“Uh huh, I see. So, is there any particular reason you keep glancing over my shoulder?” Sasuke stated and turned his head around; trying to see what had caught his brother’s attention. “Isn’t that…”

“No.”

Sasuke turned back around, “I think it is.” He stated and his fingers played with the sharp steak knife. “You know, I don’t think I’ve seen you so interested in a random person. It’s intriguing actually.”

Itachi growled, “How so?”

“Well, growing up, you never once expressed an interest in anyone, even people that we knew. Yet now, you seem to be following this random blond around that you barely even know.” Sasuke glanced at Itachi, “Why is that?”

“If you must know, I don’t quite trust his employer, and I’d like to make sure that he doesn’t try anything.” He paused as his eyes flickered to the table where the blond was sitting. He was quietly eating the meal that had been delivered, nodding at whatever one of the older men had said. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”

Sasuke snorted, “Is he the reason why you’ve stopped answering your emails and never finish your work anymore? If he is the reason the company is in a frenzy, I feel I should do something. I don’t think that either of us would like to see our deceased father’s company crumble because of a little blond annoyance.”

The raven narrowed his eyes and was pleased to see Sasuke shift slightly at his glare, “What I do and why I do things is none of your business, Sasuke. But if you so much as look at him the wrong way, you’ll find yourself in an uncompromising place.”

A smirk flashed across Sasuke’s face, “I understand, but what is your interest in him then?”

Itachi paused and he was reminded of his previous lunch with Kisame. Despite what had happened a few days ago in the library, he still wasn’t sure what he felt. He knew by now that it wasn’t just mere attraction, but he was hesitant to call it love. His father had done well in raising him to be a strong individual, but it was only now that he realized the mistakes his father had made. Sitting here and trying to face what was raging in his mind, confused and slightly scared him.

It was something new, and even though he could adapt well to new ideas and situations, this one was something hard to accept. He was certain that his parents had loved each other, even if they didn’t show it in public like others did. But he could always see the undertone glances and knowing looks that they shared when they thought no one was watching them. And in knowing that, he often wondered why his father was so obstinate on the subject.

For reasons that he couldn’t explain, the thought that he was attracted to Naruto was unnerving. And it was almost laughable once he thought about it. Here, everyone thought that he could do anything that was placed in front of him, but this one thing had brought him to his knees. Not that he would ever tell anyone that. But, it was the fear that he would ruin whatever was between him and Naruto that kept him from saying anything, and he already knew that he didn’t want the blond to push him away.

He couldn’t help but think this was some cruel joke and his father was finding some amusement through it all; wherever he may be.

Sasuke watched the emotions race behind carefully guarded eyes and his scowl deepened. He knew why their father had raised Itachi the way he did. His brother was the eldest and the most reasonable choice to take over the company; and you always wanted your own flesh and blood to take your place. Emotions, such as love, lust and attraction were often annoying at times and would get in the way. That was the reasons for marriages between company partners.

This helped to assure that you had a future heir and helped to strengthen two companies. But while he understood all his fathers’ teachings and thoughts on the idea, it seemed that Itachi had missed that part and the idea behind the new emotions was confusing him. Sasuke sipped at his water and wondered once again what Itachi’s attraction to the blond was. Sure, he was nice on the eyes, but nothing else stood out about him.

If his brother was attracted by the basic instinct of lust then it would be a quick fuck with no strings attached. Both would be sated and then they could move on; it was highly unlikely they would see each other again outside the center. Still, it brought to question why the blond was at the center in the first place. Whether through lust or love, it could cause problems for the future of the company if word reached the media on how they met.

He was pulled from his thoughts when a plate of food was placed on the table and the smell made his stomach growl. Sasuke pushed the previous thoughts aside and tucked them in his mind for later; he was hungry and there was no use in letting the food go to waste now.

Lunch was quiet with the exception of their waiter occasionally stopping by to check on them. The lunch rush was starting to filter through the doors, making the noise level rise slightly, but both brothers welcomed the noise. It was used to help fill in the silence that settled between them and hid the uncomfortable atmosphere that hung in the air. Despite Sasuke’s entire standoffish attitude toward Itachi, being forced to spend time with him was something they both were unused to.

“Anything else gentlemen, we have plenty of dessert in the back.” Suigetsu stated when he returned to the table and directed a smug smile to Sasuke, “Unless you believe you’re too good for sweets.”

Sasuke opened his mouth to retort but Itachi interrupted them, “I would like the Anniversary Cheesecake to go please.”

“Certainly, I’ll go get that for you and I’ll be back with the check in a second.”

Once the man vanished, Sasuke scowled, “I don’t like him, and he’s as annoying as the blond. And just looking at the picture of that cheesecake makes my teeth hurt.”

Itachi shrugged but didn’t say anything. Instead, he let his gaze travel back to the table where Naruto was sitting at, only to find that it was empty. He sighed and let it go; there was nothing he could do anyway, the blond didn’t even know that he had followed him to the restaurant. Protecting and worrying about someone often bordered with obsession and stalking and he knew when to pull back.

His cheesecake was set in front of him, packed inside a little black to go box and it was with amusement that he realized; a box sat in front of Sasuke as well. He noted the amused look in the waiters’ eyes and he knew that he had something to do with the box.

“I didn’t order any dessert.” He snapped.

“I know, think of this as compliments from the chief. When Sakura mentioned that you didn’t like sweets, the chief was determined to find something that you would like.”

Sasuke’s lips pulled back into a snarl, “Take it back, I don’t want it.”

Suigetsu shook his head, “I’m afraid I can’t do that; you see, the chief is a friend of mine and it would hurt him dearly if it was returned. You know how artist types are.”

“We’ll take it.” Itachi spoke up, “Please tell your chief that we appreciate his kind offer.”

“Thank you.” Suigetsu said before turning towards Sasuke, “You would do well to learn from your brother.”

Itachi reached forward to calm the younger Uchiha down, but Sasuke yanked his arm out of reach. The raven’s eyes narrowed at the waiter and he stood up quickly, making the chair slid back against the floor. Itachi groaned and ducked his head; there was a reason he tried to calm down his brother and now the only thing he could do was watch the drama unfold.

In his anger, Sasuke hadn’t realized that there was a waiter behind his chair holding a tray of water. He cringed at the loud crash that echoed throughout the restaurant and slowly glanced up through his eyelashes to assess the damage. His lips quirked slightly as Sasuke stared at a spot on the table and he wondered if his brother was searching for the knife. Dripping wet, Sasuke had lost his edge to look angry, and instead looked more like a young child who had been caught in the rain.

A snort of laughter escaped the waiters’ mouth but he quickly slapped a hand to his mouth to quiet his chuckles. His shoulders shook with the force of his laughter and perhaps later, Itachi would laugh as well, but he had the drive back to sit through still. Instead, he calmly stood up and directed his brother out towards the main lobby, ignoring the apologizing staff.

“Go wait by the car; I’ll take care of this.” He muttered and Sasuke stormed from the building.

“Mr. Uchiha, we’re so sorry.” Sakura stated in a formal tone, “Consider your meal on the house.”

Itachi shook his head, “It was just water; Sasuke won’t melt.” He pulled out his wallet, “Please give this to our waiter and tell him we enjoyed his services; or at least I did.”

He grabbed the bill from the silent girl and walked outside to the car. The tip had defiantly been worth watching Sasuke grow annoyed; and he didn’t have to do a thing to encourage it. He found his brother already sitting in the car and staring out the window.

“We’re done.” Sasuke stated as he slid into the drivers side and started the car.

“I figured as much.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Hey Naruto, look what my parents bought for me.”

Naruto turned around in his seat to see Kiba walking towards him. He cocked his head at the brunette when his jacket started to wiggle and he yelped when a small white head popped out. “Is that a puppy?” He asked.

Kiba nodded, “Yup. Gaara told Tsunade about the dogs he read about and she wanted to try it out. I’ve searched almost every pet store around and finally found this one.”

“He’s cute.” Naruto said as the puppy licked at his fingers. “What’s his name?”

“Akamaru.” Kiba stated and rubbed the puppy’s head lovingly.

“Naruto, you have a visitor.” Kakashi called out.

The blond grunted as he stood up from the chair and waved goodbye to Kiba. He wasn’t sure who was coming to see him and his curiosity was spiked. He was waiting for Itachi to come back from his meeting with Tsunade so they could finish their game. Naruto hadn’t seen the raven yesterday after he had left for lunch and had briefly passed by him on the way to breakfast this morning. They had agreed to meet in the lobby so they could continue the game.

His mouth turned into a frown when he noticed the spiky hairstyle and the indifferent glare directed at him. “What do you want?”

The younger Uchiha shook his head, “Do you have someplace we can talk privately?”

Naruto eyed him cautiously, but moved down a hallway where small, private rooms were located. He nodded to the doctor sitting at the desk and entered one of the rooms, closing the door behind him. Once the door was shut, he leaned against the table and glared at Sasuke, waiting for him to talk.

“You know, before Itachi killed our parents, our dad would always tell us not to let emotions get in the way of work. And being the perfect child that he is, Itachi listened and did just that; he never let anyone come close to him, even friends and family were kept at an arms length.” He paused, “But then he comes here and suddenly, all of that changed.”

“Probably because he’s relaxed a lot more.” Naruto stated.

Sasuke shook his head, “No, I know why he’s changed, which is the reason why I’ve asked to talk to you. You see, in the past few weeks, he’s stopped answering his emails and hasn’t finished any of the work sent to him.”

“I fail to see why this affects me.”

“Because it’s your fault that he’s not getting his work done.” Sasuke snapped, “I’ve never seen him interested in someone before and after watching him yesterday, I realized that you have somehow caused him to deviate from his job. That said; I want to know what you’re trying to accomplish.”

Naruto’s eyebrow rose, “I’m not too sure what you’re talking about. Yesterday I was talking with an agent for my book, all I want to do is get it published.”

“No, I meant my brother. What are you trying to accomplish with my brother; you seem to have him wrapped around your little finger. Yesterday we went to the same restaurant you were at because he was concerned about something. And because of that, I was humiliated in front of everyone.”

The blond scowled, “That’s not my fault you embarrassed yourself. Whatever you did was caused by you, not me.” He hesitated, “As for Itachi…it’s hard to explain. I, I’m attracted to him, and if I understand what you’re saying, then you’re worried he feels the same about me.”

Sasuke snorted, “For a blond, you catch on quick, but it runs a little deeper than that. You see, I did some research on you and I know the reason why you’re here.”

Naruto’s eyes widened, “How did you get a hold of that information, it’s supposed to be private.”

A smirk slipped across the raven’s face, “I have my resources. Anyway, considering the reason you’re here, I’m not just worried about the affect you’re having on my brothers’ work habits, but I hold a slight concern about our family name if the public were to find out about you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m only going to tell you this once, Uzumaki. I want you to stay away from Itachi; he doesn’t need to be seen with someone like you. I don’t want you to ruin the Uchiha name because he was seen associating with a whore.”

A growl escaped Naruto’s throat and before Sasuke could say anything else, Naruto’s fist found purchase in the raven’s face. The younger Uchiha stumbled backwards from the blow before he found himself pressed against the wall and he glared into angry blue eyes. “What?” He taunted, “Can’t take the truth, or are you scared that Itachi will find out about your little secret and look at you in disgust.”

Naruto tightened his grip on Sasuke’s collar, “Why don’t you get all of your information straight before you accuse me of something Uchiha. I may have that condition, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve ever raped or had sexual intercourse with someone.”

Sasuke chuckled, “Big words coming from someone who recently had a relapse. If you can’t control your disease inside these walls, what makes you think you’ll be able to control it outside these walls? You’re just the same as my brother.”

“You know nothing about Itachi.”

“I know enough. I heard that he relapsed as well. My information source couldn’t tell me who he attacked, but I do know that he relapsed a few weeks ago. Itachi will never be free of his crimes and he will pay for the murder of my parents.”

Naruto scowled, “They’re his parents as well; you don’t think that he’s hurting too?”

The raven snorted, “No. I’ll make sure that Itachi doesn’t go free of his crimes and he will pay for what he did; even if I have to see to it myself.”

“You would stoop so low as to convict your own flesh and blood for something that he couldn’t control?”

“I would.”

Naruto released Sasuke’s collar, “You disgust me.”

He shrugged, “That doesn’t mean much to me, coming from you. The only thing Itachi feels for you is lust, nothing more. You’ll only be good for a quick fuck before his desire is sated and you’ll be cast aside; forgotten.” A snort sounded from his throat, “I pity you if you thought he felt anything else for you. What do you think makes you so special compared to those who offer themselves to him daily. He could have anyone he wants, someone with a better background than you.”

Naruto curled his hand into a fist and it shook with a strong desire to punch the Uchiha again but he wouldn’t give Sasuke the pleasure in knowing that he was getting to him. Instead, he focused on controlling his emotions as they ran rampant through his body. “I don’t believe you.”

“Who do you think knows Itachi better; his brother of nineteen years, or you, whose only known him for a few months?” Sasuke asked as he made his way to the door and rested his hand on the doorknob, “I’ll tell you this now so it won’t hurt more in the long run; he feels no attraction to you besides lust. If there were something there, he would have said so already. There never was, nor will there ever be love for you; you were foolish to even think it in the first place.”

The door shut with a resounding click and Naruto dropped to the ground as his legs gave out on him. He shook his head and he tried to ignore Sasuke’s words as they wrapped around his brain. Even if they weren’t true, it still hurt to have someone tell him that. He struggled to his feet and shoved his hands into to his pocket while he wondered down the hallway, trying to prevent the tears that threatened to overflow.

He didn’t want to believe Sasuke, but some part of him knew that the younger Uchiha had made a decent point. Itachi ran a well-known company and if the media found out how they met, it could possibly ruin Itachi’s reputation. The media would stop at nothing to figure out the reasons for why they were in the center in the first place and once that news was found out, everything could go downhill. Sometimes to protect the ones you care for, you need to push them away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“We watched you last night and we’re pleased to say that nothing happened. You slept soundly through the night and we now find ourselves back to square one.” Tsunade stated and laced her fingers together as she studied the Uchiha.

“If Sasuke doesn’t cause the sleepwalking then, what does?” Itachi asked.

The doctor shrugged, “We can’t really say. I’d like to say it has to deal with a certain amount of stress and lack of sleep for an extended period of time, but I’m hesitant to put you under those conditions. I didn’t really approve of Kakashi’s idea at letting you see your brother again, but we still can’t completely rule out that factor.” She sighed, “The only thing we can do is watch your sleep patterns and hope for a breakthrough.”

“I understand.” He said.

Tsunade dismissed him and he walked back to his room. It was upsetting to know that they couldn’t figure out what triggered the relapse, but he was also glad to know that his brother wasn’t the main cause. He wouldn’t have been entirely happy with never being able to see Sasuke again; although, he was certain his brother wouldn’t mind. The raven froze when he heard a small shuffling noise coming from inside his room.

Itachi hadn’t bothered to lock his door since the meeting wasn’t supposed to last long, and there wasn’t much of value in his room. He poked his head into the room and an eyebrow rose when he recognized the blond figure.

“Naruto, what are you doing in my room?” He didn’t miss the tensing of the blonds’ body when his name was called and he stopped a few steps behind him.

“I, I’m just returning the book you gave me.”

He frowned, there was no way he could have finished the book that quickly and he had bought it for the blond to keep. “Why? It’s yours.”

“I just…” Naruto paused and the tension in his body drained away, “What do you think of me Itachi?”

Itachi blinked at the question and moved closer to the blond so he could turn him around. Naruto jerked out of his touch but the raven quickly caught his arm and spun him around, flinching when he took in the tear streaked face. The blond quickly wiped at his eyes, trying to erase the tracks, but it was too late.

“Naruto, what happened?”

“Nothing. I was just…overwhelmed for a moment, that’s all. I’m sorry you had to see me like this.”

The raven scowled, “If you think I’m going to buy that pathetic excuse, you’re mistaken.” He grasped the blonds’ chin and forced him to look at him, “Tell me what happened.”

Naruto was silent for a while and his eyes darted around the room, trying to find something to anchor himself to. Itachi’s eyes followed the quick movements and tried to read the emotions that were swimming in the cerulean eyes. Fear and doubt swam on the surface and he could see the smallest hints of pain on the tan face. He released his grip on the blonds chin and led him to his bed where he pulled Naruto down onto his lap.

He called the blonds’ name softly and he watched as Naruto’s gaze slowly focused on his face. He watched the internal struggle and when Naruto’s mouth opened slightly, he waited for the answer.

“Do you think I’m a whore?” He blurted out.

“Where would you get an idea like that?” He asked after finally shaking his mind from its stupor.

Naruto shook his head, “Never mind; I’m sorry I bothered you.”

He started to stand up but winced when Itachi grasped his arm to hold him in place. “Who called you that?”

“No one.” Naruto stated stubbornly, “I just thought that, given my background, you shouldn’t be seen with me. You have a successful business and if people found out about my history, they could find out why you’re here; I don’t want to ruin that for you.” A small chuckle escaped his lips, “See, this way I won’t distract you from your work and it’ll make everyone happy and Sas-”

Naruto’s eyes widened and he clamped his mouth shut as he realized what had just slipped out of his mouth. Itachi’s eyes hardened and his grip tightened, “Did Sasuke tell you all of this?”

He quickly shook his head, “No.”

“Naruto.” Itachi growled, “Did my brother call you that?” The blond shook his head again and tried to stand up but Itachi continued, “What else did he say?”

“Itachi, just forget it, please. All he wanted to do was talk, that’s it.” Naruto pleaded, “He’s your brother, you can’t hate him for this; he’s your family.”

“It still doesn’t give him the right to say that.” He paused, “Did he tell you to stay away from me?”

The blond was silent as he thought about the question. He desperately wanted to say yes and have Itachi tell him that he didn’t need to stay away, but he thought back to his previous decision. He chuckled weakly, “No, that was my choice. You must think I’m pathetic and annoying. I keep bothering you and trying to get you to spend time with me, when all you want is peace and quiet. You probably think I’m no better than everyone else who is after you.”

He didn’t realize he had started crying until felt warm hands caressing his cheeks. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the gentle touch but he couldn’t control the sobs that wracked at his body, “No, I’m only going to cause trouble for you, and you deserve someone with a better background than me. I’m not-”

His babbling was cut off when his body was jerked forward and he found soft lips on his own. His eyes widened in shock as a hand held his head in place while fingers threaded their way through his hair and another hand wrapped around his back, drawing him in closer. He found his eyes drifting shut as pleasure raced through his body and he started to respond to the kiss, but his eyes quickly snapped open and he pulled away.

“I can’t, your company, your name…”

Itachi frowned and called the blonds name, “That’s my brother speaking, not you.” He pulled Naruto closer and sighed as the blond rested his head on his shoulder and his arms snaked around the younger males’ waist. “I don’t want you to listen to my brother, he doesn’t speak for me; nor does the media control how I live my life.”

“I don’t understand.” Naruto said softly.

The raven tightened his grip, “I, this is something I’ve never done before Naruto. These feelings, the emotions that race through my body are all something new to me.” Naruto pulled away from Itachi’s grip and leaned back to look at the Uchiha’s features while Itachi gently cupped his face, “I know what I feel for you isn’t lust, it’s something more, something I’ve never felt.”

Itachi carefully ran his fingers under the blonds’ eyes, wiping away the wetness that had accumulated. “Naruto, to answer your question from earlier; do you think I’m a murderer?”

The younger male quickly shook his head, “No, you’re not a murderer Itachi. You shouldn’t listen to you brother; you couldn’t control that night,”

A hum sounded from Itachi’s throat, “Exactly. You’re not what he called you Naruto, and don’t ever let him or anyone else tell you that you are.”

Itachi watched as Naruto’s eyes vanished behind his eyelids and he dropped his hands from the blonds’ face. It wasn’t his choice to make him stay if he felt that he was only going to be a burden, the choice to stay or leave was the Uzumaki’s to make. He watched as Naruto slowly opened his eyes and blinked twice to clear his vision, “Who would have thought that the little emotions you normally take for granted would be the one thing to make you stumble.”

The raven smirked, “Then you’ll just have to help me understand.”

“I think I can do that.” Naruto answered and leaned in closer to Itachi. The older male met him halfway and was quick to draw the smaller body closer to his own as their lips pressed together. His body shivered in delight at the heat that pressed through the thin material of their clothing and Naruto gasped when the raven slipped his hand under his shirt and trailed his fingers up his spine. Itachi groaned as the blond pushed closer to his body and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into the blonds’ mouth.

It wasn’t something that he had done himself, but he wasn’t completely clueless on the subject and he found it oddly pleasing. His tongue mapped out Naruto’s mouth, running over the blonds’ teeth before gently stroking the wet muscle, coaxing it to join his. After a moment’s hesitation, he felt Naruto join him and he shivered at the pleasure that raced through his body.

They broke apart for air and Itachi lazily trailed kisses along the tan jaw line before he started to suck on the skin on his neck. He listened to the small noises that escaped Naruto’s mouth and smirked against the skin before the blond pushed his head away. He was about to question the action, but hissed as Naruto nipped at his own neck before kissing the abused skin. His arms found their way around the blonds’ body and he heard Naruto chuckled next to his ear.

“You followed me to the restaurant?”

Itachi scoffed, “I didn’t, and still don’t trust your agent. But I did get some excellent cheesecake out of the whole thing.”

He felt Naruto hum in agreement, “We’ll have to go there again then.”

A grunt escaped his throat; they should probably wait to go back, considering the mess Sasuke made the previous day. He tightened his grip at the thought of his brother and a scowl formed on his face; he still needed to deal with that little problem. But as he felt Naruto shift against him, Itachi buried his nose into the golden locks and he tucked the thought aside for the moment. He could have Kisame take care of Sasuke for him for now; he would deal with his brother’s ignorance later, when he least expected it.

For now, he was content to sit and enjoy the new emotions that ran through his body and the warmth of the younger males’ body.