Hold On Tightly, Let Go Lightly

Reviews from AFF.net

 

Golden Kitsune: Always nice to throw a bit of yaoi in there :D

 

Moodysavage: Hehe Poor Naru, totally wants more but has to hold back. But he’ll get some soon enough!

 

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A few minutes later found Sasuke heading back into the living room after ordering his food, sitting next to the blond on the couch, wrapping an arm around the boy’s shoulders.



"Anything good on?" he asked, noticing the channel was at a commercial break.



“Not really. There’s some crappy action movie on, but that’s about it,” Naruto answered with a shrug. “You can put a movie on if you want. It’s your pick this time. Plus, I didn’t really get to watch it with you last time, since I got sick.” He smiled at Sasuke and shifted his nude legs a bit, giving him more room to settle on the couch.



Taking the remote in hand, Sasuke immediately switched to the movie channels and went through the stations, finally settling on one that had just started.



"How about this one? It's kind of obscure but it's really good, it's about the Yakuza." Looking down at the blonde, now snuggled up against him, Sasuke couldn't help himself any longer. "So... care to tell me about your little panty fetish?" he asked with a smirk, gently snapping the waistband of Naruto’s underwear.



Naruto laughed, his eyes gleaming as he looked up at Sasuke. “There’s not much to tell, to be honest. I, um... Well, I got kinda mugged one day and the guy took everything in my backpack, including my clothes. I have no idea why, maybe that’s what he got off on. I had a little money with me, so I went into the cheapest store I could find. Have you seen the prices for underwear? Seriously! But they had this bin of cheap panties so I bought a bunch of those. They honestly feel better than boxers, anyway, and they’re totally hot. You should try them sometime.” He laughed again and settled back down against Sasuke. “Why? You like me in them? I have way sexier pairs now, thanks to you.”



Shaking his head a bit, Sasuke just pulled Naruto closer, kissing the top of his head. "I do like them actually. Although I haven't seen you in the sluttier variety, I'm sure they'd look sexy on you."



“Well I’ll have to show you sometime soon,” Naruto smirked.



Sasuke wanted to say more but his cell chose that moment to ring. Motioning that he'd be just a minute, Sasuke opened his phone and went into the kitchen.



The teen worried his bottom lip as he heard the voice coming from the kitchen, not sounding too happy.



Two minutes later he came back out looking a bit worried but trying desperately to not let it show as he sat back down, pulling the blonde against him once more.



“What’s wrong?” Naruto asked when the raven returned. “Who called?”



Letting out a suffering sigh, Sasuke set his phone on the coffee table. "Nothing bad, it was just my brother... he felt it necessary to come into town on my one week off."



“Oh....” Naruto frowned. He knew that Sasuke had issues with his family, now, so he wasn’t exactly surprised by the anxiety the older man was showing, even if he didn’t know it. “So, are you gonna meet up with him then?”



The raven nodded. "He's decided to stay here... he's such a prick." The last part was muttered but he really didn't care if it was heard or not.



The blonde’s eyes widened and he shifted awkwardly against Sasuke. “Do you want me to go then? I can disappear for a few days if you need me to. We’re still working things out and I don’t want it to turn weird between us... When’s he coming? I can leave by then.”



"No... You’re not leaving." Sasuke couldn't just let Naruto go like that. The kid was just starting to kick heroin, he was not about to let a kid loose on the streets with a bottle of methadone. "It'll be ok... he's really not that bad, just a bit pretentious and a bit full of himself. Trust me, he won't care that you're here or why."



“Okay...” Naruto sighed. “I’ll try to behave myself. I don’t think you’re ready for PDA’s, even in your own home.” He smiled and leaned back against Sasuke. “So, when’s he coming then? I have to know so I don’t walk out in my panties and find some guy sitting on the couch,” he teased.



"10am tomorrow morning..." The doorbell rang and he stood to answer the door and pay for his food. Heading back inside, he set the bag in the kitchen and headed for the couch once more.



“Early,” Naruto grimaced, settling back on the couch. He couldn’t help wondering what Sasuke’s brother was like, and honestly, he felt a little nervous. Another Uchiha... what would his brother think of him? A homeless kid mooching off Sasuke? Yeah, it probably wasn’t going to go well.



He spent the remainder of the night curled up on the couch with the raven, watching the rest of the movie and then another. They went to bed afterwards and Naruto cuddled up to him, sleeping soundly through the night.



XX



The next morning Naruto awoke needing another pill to curb his symptoms, and by the time 10am came, he was freshly showered and dressed in a pair of tight skinny jeans and a snug t-shirt, ready to try and impress their guest.



Sasuke was less eager to make a good impression as he dressed casually in a pair of grey pants and a white button down shirt. He sipped his coffee on the couch as he waited for his brother to arrive, not really looking forward to all the questions he knew were going to be asked.



Looking over at Naruto, Sasuke couldn't help but think how good the boy looked, tight clothing really suited him.



The doorbell rang and it was almost like a death sentence and Sasuke gave Naruto a squeeze to the hand and stood to answer the door. Upon opening it he locked eyes with his only sibling, Itachi Uchiha.



"Sasuke, it's so good to see you." The man was a bit shorter than the young lawyer with the same pale complexion and the same eyes but his hair was waist length and tied back in a neat ponytail. Reaching forward the older man took his brother in a warm embrace before inviting himself in and looked around.



"Nice to see you too Itachi. Now what is the exact reason you're here." Sasuke knew it was impossible for Itachi to visit without wanting something from him; usually it had to do with his work.



"Oh nothing special. I can't visit my only brother?" Heading into the living room, Itachi's eyes landed on a figure on the couch and almost stopped in his tracks as he looked upon the familiar blonde hair and scarred face.



Naruto was swimming with nerves. He sat, back straight and wringing his hands in his lap, on the couch. His heart started beating as he heard footsteps approaching him, and he plastered on his brightest smile as he turned his head to greet Sasuke’s brother. It disappeared immediately.



“I-Itachi?!” he gaped, jumping up from the couch. “Oh my god, Itachi Uchiha! I didn’t put it together! I feel so stupid!” Smacking his palm against his face, he raced forward and threw his arms around Itachi’s neck, hugging him tightly. “God, I haven’t seen you in way too long, ‘Tachi! How are you?”



Sasuke stood there, a bit awkwardly as he tried to figure out what was happening. How did Naruto know his brother?



Itachi's arms encircled the slim waist and he pulled the boy in close. "I know it's been so long. I'm sorry I haven't been able to come out recently, I've been really busy."



Looking back at Sasuke, Itachi just smirked. "So... how did the two of you meet?"



Sasuke had no words; he was too overwhelmed with this new discovery.



“I thought you forgot about me,” Naruto pouted exaggeratedly, his bottom lip jutting out as he pulled back so he could look at Itachi. His eyes trailed over that pale face with its gorgeous features - and now he felt really stupid for not noticing it. They totally looked like brothers. “Mmm, you look as good as always,” he teased, reaching back to run his fingers through that beautiful, long hair. Letting his arms slide away, he tucked himself into Itachi’s side and turned so he could look at Sasuke. “We, um... I ran into him, one day. Literally. We kept running into each other - again, literally,” he laughed. “I was having a hard time and Sasuke offered to let me stay with him...”



"Well that was nice of you Sasuke. I'm glad you were able to see how wonderful he is." Itachi ran his fingers through Naruto's hair obviously familiar with the action.



Sasuke could feel something in his stomach clenching and he wasn't sure if it was jealousy, anger, or both. But in the best interest of Naruto, he wasn't going to make a scene.



"So... may I ask how you two know each other?" He was looking more toward Naruto than to his brother, not really wanting to look at the man right then.



Naruto grinned brightly and leaned into Itachi’s touch. God, he’d missed the man. He was naturally a cuddly, affectionate person and he didn’t see that what he was doing was wrong, even if he was in a relationship of sorts with Sasuke.



“You know, I don’t really remember how we met... it was not long after I left home, though. ‘Tachi visited me every time he was in town, and we... well. He was a client, I guess.” Naruto frowned, and then shook his head. “No, he was... is more. He’s my friend. He always took care of me, whenever he came to town. We’d spend the whole weekend, or week... whatever, together.” He smiled fondly at the eldest Uchiha and squeezed him with the arm that was around him.



Sitting down on the couch, Sasuke just frowned and stared at nothing. He didn't like it, the fact that Naruto and Itachi had been together before.



Itachi smiled and looked at Sasuke, knowing exactly what his brother was thinking. "Don't worry Sasuke... I can take a hint from you. Plus, I don't see myself as someone who breaks up relationships."



Naruto sighed and extracted himself from Itachi. He sat gingerly on the couch beside Sasuke and reached for his hand.



“Look, S’uke... You know how I lived, and you know what I’ve done. I can’t change it, and... I can’t say if I really regret it. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t even be here right now if it weren’t for Itachi, and now you’ve saved me...” He leaned his cheek against Sasuke’s shoulder and smiled softly. “But it’s different now. That was before. Now I’m with... well, we haven’t made it official... but I want to be with you. What happened in my past doesn’t matter and I’m not gonna be with ‘Tachi again... though I’m probably going to stay close with him...”



The long haired raven nodded in agreement. "Sasuke, you have no reason to worry, I'm even in a stable relationship of my own, even though Naruto is great company." he said, winking at the blonde.



“Hell yeah I am,” Naruto laughed, and then laced his fingers with Sasuke’s.



The younger raven sighed but nodded. "It just took me by surprise I guess."



Turning to Naruto, Sasuke placed a kiss on the blonde's forehead. "I want to be with you too Naruto, you know... after we get over some obstacles."



“As much as I used to like Itachi, it’s... it’s always been different with him. I think we were both lonely - well, I know I was - and I needed someone.” The blond shrugged. “And I don’t want to get all mushy or anything, but consider me yours even if we haven’t made it official.... Now that we’ve got this awkwardness out of the way...” He reached for Itachi’s hand and tugged him to sit on the couch. “You’re seeing someone? Tell me about it, ‘Tachi. We need to catch up,” he grinned.



The three talked for a couple hours, well, Naruto and Itachi talked mostly. Sasuke threw in a few things but it wasn't a mystery that he wasn't a very talkative person.



As noon came closer, Sasuke began to feel hunger gnaw at his stomach and waited for a break in the conversation to finally speak after an hour.



"Naruto, how's your stomach feeling today?" he asked, his hand having been holding onto the tan one for a while.



“Mm... it’s still iffy,” Naruto frowned, his chest fluttering at the concern he could hear in Sasuke’s voice. It was nice having someone that cared whether he ate or not. “I know I should probably eat something, since I haven’t in a while, but what if I get sick again? I really don’t want to...”



Itachi's arm went around Naruto's shoulders and pulled him in close to his side. "I know this must be hard for you Naruto, but you're doing the right thing and I know Sasuke will take care of you."



Naruto smiled softly and leaned against Itachi. “It is hard. The other night, before Sasuke got these pills... I thought I was going to die. Honestly.” He shuddered, just remembering how bad he’d felt.



The younger raven smiled at his brother's words, not really used to compliments from the man but took what he could get. "Let's try giving you some broth... you can drink a little and if your stomach is ok after that then we can upgrade you to rice or something."



The teen nodded to Sasuke after a moment. “I’ll try it. I know I have to try eventually anyway; might as well be now...”



Nodding, Sasuke stood and headed toward the kitchen, planning on ordering something for himself and Itachi. They had some vegetable stock in the refrigerator and pulled it out to heat up for the blonde while he looked in his drawer for something to order. Pulling out a menu for Chinese, Sasuke made his way into the living room once more, mug of heated broth in hand.



As Sasuke left, Itachi scooted a bit closer to the teen placing an arm across his shoulders. "So... you really like my brother don't you?" he asked with a smile. It wasn't hard to see how much Naruto had taken a liking to the younger raven.



Naruto waited until he was sure Sasuke had left before leaning into Itachi, cuddling right up to his side. “I do. I’m honestly surprised how much I like him. I’ve been with a lot of people, ‘Tachi, you know that... but none of them has ever affected me like this.” He playfully nudged the older man in the side, grinning at him. “You were holdin’ out on me, huh? Why didn’t you tell me you had such a hot brother?!”



Itachi chuckled. "Well... I’m sure you know already, he can barely say a word to someone he likes and when he does, he usually comes off as an asshole."



"Well thanks for that..." Sasuke stepped into the living room placing the menu on the coffee table and sitting back in his spot, carefully handing Naruto the soup. "It's not too hot so it's safe to drink, just remember to take it slow."



“You should have seen him the day I met him, ‘Tachi,” Naruto laughed, taking the warm mug in his hand. “I knocked him right down in a puddle, wearing an expensive suit - by accident of course.” His eyes sparkled as he lifted his gaze to Sasuke’s, smiling brilliantly for him. “I thought he was gonna kill me.” He took a careful sip of the broth, reveling in the warmth as it spilled down his throat and into his stomach. “Instead, he took me out for dinner...”



"Oh my... making Sasuke look less than perfect in public is a big no, no." Itachi picked up the menu and perused the choices, he wasn't too fond of Chinese food, he preferred Thai but he wasn't about to complain.



"Well I didn't really know what else to do... I was kind of conflicted." Sasuke took the menu as it was offered to him to look through it as well. "On one hand I was pissed off at the world in general that day so I was just a jerk on principle. But then I couldn't just let him go hungry, especially after he had just lost his stolen food... sort of because of what happened with me"



Naruto shook his head. “You weren’t a jerk, S’uke. I’ve never considered you a jerk. Not even when you hit me with your car,” he teased, laughing as he sipped at his broth again. “Naw; that was all my fault. Worth it, though, ‘cus I’m here with you now.” He switched ravens, and curled up against Sasuke, instead, pulling his feet up onto the couch as well. “So, you really don’t care that I’m kind of with your brother?” he asked Itachi, poking him with his foot. He didn’t know why, but he craved Itachi’s approval. He had always looked up to the older man, ever since he’d met him.



Itachi just shook his head, letting out a chuckle. "Trust me Naruto, if Sasuke makes you happy then I have no reason to disapprove."



Naruto nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. It actually meant a lot to him. Not that he would have ended it if Itachi hadn’t approved. He felt much too invested already. “Thanks, ‘Tachi,” he whispered. He felt surprisingly tired all of a sudden. He knew his body was still adjusting, and he really needed a nap. He decided to finish his broth, first. He sipped at the warm liquid until his stomach felt full. “I think I’m gonna take a nap, S’uke. I’m exhausted,” he sighed as he stood and entered the kitchen to wash out his cup.



Sasuke nodded and kissed Naruto's cheek before the blonde stood and watched as he headed to the bedroom.



Turning to his older brother, Sasuke just stared for a moment. "So... you were that desperate?"



Sighing heavily, Itachi shook his head. "Sasuke don't start, I thought we were ok?"



"We are... I just want to know..."



Scooting closer to his brother, Itachi placed a hand on the slender shoulder. "We only had sex once... I didn’t really feel comfortable screwing someone so young so it was platonic after the first time we met."



Nodding stiffly, Sasuke stood and pulled out his cell phone before calling the Chinese place to order lunch. He wasn't exactly angry at his brother, they had been involved in the past so it wasn't relevant now but... he did feel a bit betrayed by the man he called his brother.



Naruto pouted once he was alone in the bedroom, sitting heavily on the edge of the bed. He’d half-hoped Sasuke would have followed him into the kitchen, just so he could have a moment to corner him... But oh well. Stripping from his clothes, he crawled into bed and under the covers, sighing as he lay down. Pulling Sasuke’s pillow to his chest, he hugged it tightly and curled up, drifting off not long afterward.

TBC