When music melts the heart

Hey Minna,

Thank you to every one who reviewed, they really inspire me to write.
I hope you'll enjoy this chappie.

Angelic Memories, my dear beta has worked her magic for me again, thank you sweetie.

Chapter 12

The two weeks went by very fast for the blonde and Hiroki. Naruto was busy with teaching his
students in the day and spent his evenings with Hiroki. The boy had told Naruto he wanted to
surprise Itachi when he came back, by playing Ave Maria for him, so Naruto had offered to help
him study in the evening and they could have dinner before that.

Iruka was complaining that it was like having a second Naruto. The boy studied every day to get
better and with Naruto’s guidance he was improving very fast. Hiroki was proving himself to be
just as much a musical prodigy as his teacher.

Sasuke came by a lot, not admitting a thing but he found the house eerily silent without his
aniki. Usually he would just listen to Hiroki and Naruto, but sometimes he would join them for
dinner.

Itachi called on the nights when Naruto was supposed to be with Hiroki, not knowing that they
spend every evening together. They would talk, well Naruto and Itachi would talk and Hiroki
would sign Naruto what he wanted to say.

Naruto picked up Hiroki for the weekend, for the first time without Itachi, they watched movies
and Hiroki practiced for some time during the days.

When Naruto brought Hiroki back the next Sunday evening, Tsunade asked to have a word with
him. He followed his Baa-chan to her office and sat down when she offered him a seat.

“Naruto, I wanted to talk to you about adopting Hiroki,” Naruto felt dread, fearing Tsunade had
decided they were not suited to adopt the boy.

“After evaluating the past months, I have decided that it will be in Hiroki’s best interest if the
adoption would be finalized as soon as possible. That is, if you and Itachi still have the desire to
adopt him?” Tsunade looked at her gaki, knowing he would want to start the procedure now if
that were possible.

“Baa-chan, you mean that?” Naruto held his breath as he waited for Tsunade to confirm what
she just said.

“Yes gaki. I have seen how in just a couple of months Hiroki changed from a scared and socially
impaired boy to an outgoing, happy child. All because of the love and care you and Itachi
showed him,” she said smiling fondly at her blonde gaki.

“You have no idea how much this means to me, to us. We love that boy so much, it seems
almost impossible how fast things have developed between the three of us, but we know this is
right.” Naruto looked at Tsunade with eyes glimmering with unshed tears.

“If you want, I can make an official request to place Hiroki with you and Itachi in foster care
until the adoption is finalized, that way he can stay with you.”

“I’ll call Itachi when I get home and discuss it. Even though I would like to scream and shout yes
this instant, it’s a decision we both have to agree on. I’ll let you know tomorrow what we
decided.” Tsunade looked at the blonde with pride. The boy had grown so much since she first
met him.

“You do that gaki. Making a decision like that will change a lot in both your lives. I know you and
Itachi love each other, but adopting a child will put a lot of strain on your relationship. So be
sure you both are well aware of what you are getting yourselves into.” She knew that this was
the right thing to do, but still had the need to make sure Naruto understood.

“We know Baa-chan. We talked about it a lot and this is what we both want,” Naruto said,
determination shining in his eyes.

“Do you have any questions?” she asked.

“Actually I have. How long will it take for the foster care request to be accepted?” Naruto just
wanted the boy to come home with him as soon as possible.

“I think that will be taken care pretty fast. Social services would rather have him in foster care,
so I will send in the report I made about your interactions with Hiroki and the boy’s progress
together with the request of placement and the request for adoption. I think you could have
Hiroki home with you in about two weeks, but it could take a little longer.”

“I understand. I also want to know about the adoption procedure, but I think it will be better to
discuss that with Itachi there too,” Naruto said, he couldn’t wait to tell Itachi the news.

“Good, now go home gaki and talk to your lover. I’ll hear from you tomorrow.” Tsunade stood
up to walk Naruto out.

She walked him to the door where he gave her a hug and a kiss. She hugged him back and gave
him a kiss on his forehead.

“Bye Baa-chan, thanks for everything,” the blonde said smiling brightly.

“Bye gaki and your welcome.” She let Naruto out and closed the door smiling.

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When Naruto got back home he quickly changed into his sweats and a shirt, made some coffee
and settled himself on his couch, ready to call Itachi and have a nice long talk.

He dialed his lover’s cell phone number and anxiously waited for him to pick up. His heart made
a leap when he heard his raven’s deep sexy voice.

“Hello Naru-koi,” Naruto could hear the smirk in his voice.

“Hey handsome, miss me?” the blonde asked with a smirk of his own.

“Of course, but to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?” the raven asked, not minding it one bit.

“Well I just dropped off Hiroki and Baa-chan wanted to have a word with me. She told me that
she thinks it is in Hiroki’s best interest to finalize the adoption as soon as possible, if we still
want to adopt him,” there was a silence on the other side and the blonde waited anxiously for
Itachi’s answer.

“We will have to make a lot of arrangements Naru-koi, including living arrangements.”

“I know Chi-kun. It’s going so fast, but I feel this will work out right for us. I love you and Hiroki
so much, but if you have doubts please tell me, I don’t want to force you to do something so life
changing when you don’t feel right about it.” Itachi was moved by Naruto’s consideration for
him, but even though things were going fast, he knew he wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Chi-kun there is one more thing Baa-chan told me. She said that she could place a formal
request to put Hiroki in foster care with us, so he could stay with us for the duration of the
adoption procedure,” Naruto told him excitedly.

“How long will that take?“

“She said that it could take two weeks, maybe a little longer, because social services would
rather see Hiroki in foster care than the orphanage. I told her I had to discuss things with you
first and that I would call her tomorrow with our decision.” The blonde was fidgeting with the
hem of his shirt.

“So, when are you going to move your things into the mansion?” Itachi asked, smirking when he
heard the surprised gasp on the other side of the line.

“Well as soon as possible I guess,” Naruto said, when he had recovered from his shock.

“Good, we’ll start planning as soon as I get back,” Itachi said, happy that his blonde conceded
without any hesitation.

“But what about Sasuke, how will he react to Hiroki and me moving in so fast?” Naruto hoped
the younger Uchiha wouldn’t object to the idea.

“Don’t worry about Sasuke. We already talked about the possibility of the two of you coming
and live with us. He said he wouldn’t mind,” the raven explained.

“Thank you Chi-koi, you have no idea how happy I am,” Naruto whispered holding back his
tears of happiness.

“Naru, you and Hiroki mean the world to me. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to make you both
happy.” There was a knocking sound then muffled voices could be heard by Naruto.

“Koi I have to go now. I will talk to you tomorrow when you’re with Hiroki,” came the raven’s
velvety voice.

“Okay talk to you tomorrow. I love you Chi-kun,” Naruto said tenderly.

“I love you to koi, oyasumi.” Then the raven hung up.

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On the Saturday before Itachi’s return, Sasuke called to ask if Naruto and Hiroki would like to
come to the estate. He was having his friends over for a little get together and admitted to have
bragged a little about their violin playing skills.

Naruto asked Hiroki what he thought about it and they decided to go. Though Naruto explained
to Sasuke that Hiroki wouldn’t play for anyone else until he had performed for Itachi.

Not long after that phone call, Itachi called to ask how things had been going. Without ruining
the surprise, Naruto told him how well Hiroki was doing with his violin playing and how Sasuke
would visit them. He told him about the Sasuke’s invitation for that night, telling the raven how
Sasuke had bragged about his best friend being a musical genius to his other friends.

Itachi said that if it got too late to go home, he and Hiroki could just use his wing to spend the
night. Naruto thanked him and conveyed Hiroki’s stories to the raven. Itachi said he expected to
be home on Tuesday late in the afternoon. He promised to let Naruto know what time they
would meet up. After saying their goodbyes Naruto and Hiroki got ready for their evening with
Sasuke and his friends.

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“Hey teme, sorry we’re a bit late, but Itachi called and well, we lost track of time while we were
on the phone.” The blonde rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin.

“Hn. Just get in here already, everyone is waiting for us to get back.” The raven let them in and
took their coats to put them up.

“Oh, Itachi said Hiroki and I could sleep in his wing tonight if we wanted. Is that okay with you?”
Naruto asked a bit nervous.

“Yeah, sure. If aniki said so, I guess it’s fine by me.” Sasuke led them into the living room where
Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo were talking amongst themselves. Hiroki greeted them all with big
hugs and even a shy kiss on the cheek for Karin, who started squealing about how adorable
Hiroki was.

“Guys, I’d like you to meet Naruto. Naruto these are my friends Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo,” the
raven introduced, pointing each one out for the blond.

“Hey, nice to meet you all,” the blonde greeted enthusiastically.

“Hiroki told us you play the violin for him, but Sasuke tells us you play that you’re very good at
it,” Suigetsu stated with a smirk.

“That’s right, and I thank Sasuke for his compliment,” the blonde smirked at his raven haired friend.

“So do you play in an orchestra or something or do you just play for hobby,” Karin asked.

“I used to guest perform with orchestras, but nowadays I’m too busy teaching. I love my job, it’s
more like an extension of my hobby,” Naruto said smiling brightly.

They all got seated and started talking about all kinds of subjects. To make sure Hiroki didn’t
feel left out, they played some games, the last one being charades. They all paired up; Sasuke
with Hiroki, Naruto with Juugo and Suigetsu with Karin. Needless to say Sasuke and Hiroki won.

After they all had some snacks and drinks Naruto picked up his violin and played for his
audience. Each one was captivated by the blonde’s playing. He played for quite some time.

When he was finished he was granted an applause, Hiroki, being his enthusiastic self, clapped
the hardest, which made all the others smile fondly at him. The blonde gathered his things and
turned to Hiroki saying; “Well kiddo it’s almost midnight, how about you and me go to bed.”
Hiroki nodded his head.

“Then go say goodnight to everyone,” the blonde said.

Hiroki gave each of the visitors another hug and Karin was given a kiss. He walked over to
Sasuke and gave him a ‘Bear’ hug, as they called it, and a kiss. He walked over to Naruto, who
was already waiting for him at the door, he waved one last time to the others.

“Goodnight everyone, it was a pleasure meeting you all,” the blonde said then took Hiroki
upstairs to Itachi’s bedroom.

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Itachi came back Tuesday early in the afternoon, he hadn’t told Naruto what time he would be
back so he could surprise him.

Naruto had asked if it was a good idea if Hiroki would come over Tuesday and spend the night.
Itachi had agreed, wanting to spend time with them.

Instead of going to the estate, he called Sasuke to tell him he would go to Naruto’s apartment
to surprise them.

When he got to the apartment he first took a long shower then dressed casual in a pair of dark
blue jeans and a light grey v-neck sweater. Then he went to the living room and made himself
comfortable with a book and a cup of tea on the couch.

After sometime he heard the door open and close, announcing their arrival. He closed his book
and put it ever so silent on the coffee table, waiting for them to come in.

Naruto opened the door and let Hiroki go in first. The boy immediately went to the bathroom,
while Naruto put away their coats and shoes. He walked into the living room and was startled
to see Itachi sitting there.

Itachi spread his arms, signaling the blond to come to him. Naruto flew in his arms and started
kissing him. They kissed passionately, tongues tangling together in that delightful sensual dance.

They broke off the kissing and Naruto snuggled close to the raven, which was the moment
Hiroki chose to come into the living room and upon seeing Itachi he threw himself in the
raven’s open arms and started sobbing. Itachi held the boy while Naruto rubbed soothing
circles on the boy’s back.

“You came back,” the words were spoken in a whispering voice, hoarse of disuse, but clearly
heard nonetheless by both adults.

Naruto and Itachi both had tears in their eyes from hearing the boy’s voice for the first time.
Itachi hugged the boy tighter and whispered; “I promised you, didn’t I.”

Naruto wrapped his arms around the two and let his tears of joy flow. Hiroki put one of his
arms around Naruto and they sat like that for some time, just basking in the warmth and love
they felt.

Itachi and Naruto came to the silent agreement not to make a big deal out of Hiroki’s spoken
words. They had talked about this matter before and decided that they would never force him
to start speaking. If the boy decided to never speak a word they would not love him less.

“Well boys, I promised that if you both behaved while I was gone I would take you out for
dinner. So did you two behave yourselves?” Itachi asked with a serious face.

The boys, as he so lovingly revered to them in his mind, looked at Itachi with faces like they
were the most well-behaved boys in the world and nodded their heads.

“Okay then, let’s get our shoes and coats and I’ll take you two for……..ramen,” the raven said.

It took less than ten seconds for Naruto to be in the hallway coats already in one hand and
fumbling to get the shoes out of the rack with the other. Hiroki was right behind the blond and
both looked at him expectantly and impatiently.

Itachi laughed wholeheartedly at the sight of the two, standing there all ready to go with a
gleam in their eyes.

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After they left Ichiraku’s, the company of three went back to Naruto’s place to pick up some
things and then left for the Uchiha estate.

Upon arrival they were greeted at the front door by a smirking Sasuke. After putting their stuff
in Itachi´s room, they went back downstairs. Sasuke led them into the parlor where they could
have coffee.

After about thirty minutes, Naruto and Hiroki excused themselves from the two brothers. They
walked to one of the many rooms on the ground of the Uchiha mansion. Naruto opened the
door to let Hiroki and himself in.

The blonde flipped the light switch. The room was lit, not to bright, creating just the right
atmosphere. The room had a color scheme of wood and earth tones. There was one cabinet for
storing the sheet music and some other attributes. On the wall were some paintings of
musicians playing all kinds of instruments.

In the middle of the room stood a beautiful red mahogany grand piano that looked to be in
good shape, with six armchairs around it. Behind the piano was a wall of floor to ceiling
windows placed in an arch, with a beautiful view of the garden and the gazebo.

Naruto and Hiroki walked in to prepare for their little recital. Hiroki walked to his violin case,
which he had left in the room this morning when he and Naruto left after rehearsing one last time.

Hiroki put up the stand for his sheet music, placing it slightly at the end of the grand piano. He
got out his violin, which Naruto had given to him when they started with the violin lessons.
Then they waited for the raven haired brothers to come. They could hear both brothers walking
and talking in the central hall.

“Close your eyes and keep them closed till I say you can open them,” they heard Sasuke say.

“Aren’t you a bit too old to play these kind of games Sasuke?” Itachi answered.

“ Just humour me this once Aniki,” Naruto could clearly hear the smirk in the young raven’s voice.

A moment later Sasuke led Itachi into the music room. The eldest Uchiha had his eyes closed, so
the young raven led him to one of the armchairs and sat him down. Itachi got comfortable in
the chair and asked; “Am I allowed to open my eyes yet otouto?“

“Just sit, relax and enjoy,” was the young raven’s reply.

Moments later he heard a piano and violin playing telling him were his otouto had brought him.
The music enveloped him, lulling him. He knew the melody in an instant, Ave Maria, his
favourite. He opened his eyes only to see Hiroki playing the violin accompanied by Naruto on
the piano.

He felt a peace come over him he had never experienced before in his life. Seeing and hearing
his two precious people play this beautiful music just for him filled him with pride and joy.

He saw his otouto sitting in the chair next to his and they looked at each other, understanding
this was one of the most precious moments in their lives.

The last notes faded and Hiroki and Naruto looked at him, their eyes filled with love and
adoration for the raven. Itachi stood up and walked over to Hiroki. He cupped his cheek and
gave him a kiss on his forehead.

“That was beautiful Hiroki. I’m so proud of you,” the raven’s voice cracked a little with all the
emotions flowing through him.

“Just like I promised.” Each one knew the boy was revering to the promise he made the night
he met the Uchiha brothers.

Sasuke, who had been informed by Itachi about the boy’s first spoken words, felt tears coming
to his eyes upon hearing the boy speak himself. Looking at the picture the three made, he stood
up to give them some privacy, but when he was about to open the door he heard his aniki’s
voice saying; “Where are you going Sasuke?”

“I wanted to give you some privacy, that’s all,” came his reply.

“Sasuke, come back here. You have every right to be here, seeing you are a part of this family
too.” He looked up in surprise at the words from his best friend.

“What do you mean ‘this family’?” the younger raven asked.

“It means, that if Hiroki wants, he will be allowed to come and live with us as our foster child.”
Naruto said with pride in his voice. Hiroki flung himself in the arms of both his foster
parents-to-be.

“But we would only be foster parents until we finalized the adoption,” Itachi said looking
tenderly at his little family.

“You mean, you two are filing for adoption?” Sasuke asked in amazement.

“Yes, little brother we are. That is to say, if Hiroki wants to be adopted by us.” The raven looked
at Hiroki waiting for the boys answer.

Hiroki nodded his head and Itachi lifted the boy up, Naruto stood beside them with one arm
wrapped around his lover. Hiroki whispered something in the raven’s ear, who started smirking
at the boy’s request.

Itachi then did something very un-Uchiha like, he wrapped his free arm around his otouto’s
shoulders and pulled him against him. Standing this close together, Hiroki wrapped one arm
around the youngest raven’s neck and the other around the blonde’s neck and rested his head
in the crook of Itachi’s neck.

“Now I will have two daddies! Tachi-otousan and Naru-chichi,” Hiroki suddenly exclaimed,
making the three adults burst into laughter.

“I know that you will be my ojisan, but can I still call you Sasuke-oniisan?” Hiroki asked looking
at Sasuke shyly.

“If that is what you like, you can still call me oniisan,” Sasuke said smiling fondly at the auburn
haired boy, who stretched his arms indicating he wanted to be handed over to the younger raven.

“Hey Teme, stop hogging my son, will ya? I’d like to hug him too, if you don’t mind,” the blonde
said giving Sasuke his best mock glare.

“Nope, I think I’ll hold on to him. I never had my very own cuddle chibi,” he said nuzzling
the chibi’s cheek, making the boy giggle.

“Well if you won’t let him go I’ll just have to hug you both,” the blonde proclaimed smirking and
proceeded to hug his best friend with a chibi squashed between them.

Itachi watched his three most precious people interact and couldn’t help but feel grateful for
having them in his life. ‘Look at how happy they are. I haven’t seen Sasuke smile like that in
years. This is my family.’


TBC