Campaign of Distraction

Campaign of Distraction Ch. 3
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Sasuke had no idea sneaking out would be that simple. Although when his brother was pissed, he usually didn't pay too much attention to his surroundings; all the better for him! Now where could he go? He didn't really have any friends and there really were no parks or anything around; plus, he hadn’t eaten dinner and his stomach was starting to tell him so.

The young raven walked for about an hour until the sun was almost out of sight. He didn't want to stay out for too long, considering the fact that the area he was in didn't look all too friendly. Luckily, there was a coffee shop off to his right. It looked pretty empty and he hoped that it wasn't already closed.

Walking to the front door, he pushed it open and was relieved to find that he could enter. A cup of coffee and a sandwich sounded really good right about now.

A tallish blond looked up from behind the counter and stared only as long as politely possible. A kid had walked in just about 15 minutes before closing with a backpack and not much else on hand. Everything he knew told him that this was most likely another run away from a broken family on the verge of divorce or some other kind of family disaster. Gutsy though; being out so late in this part of town. "Hi. What can I get for you?"

Sasuke walked up to the counter and looked the blond up and down. He had to admit, the guy was very handsome; blond locks that went every which way, giving him a wild look about him, electric blue eyes that looked like they cold pierce your soul if they wanted to, and the most strange but most attractive were the whisker shaped marks he had running along each cheek. Yeah, this guy was hot. "Yeah, can I get a cup of coffee and..." he looked at the menu above the blonde's head. "...a basil avocado and tomato sandwich." He wasn't usually one for meat. So whenever a place offered vegetarian items, he never hesitated.

"One basil, avocado, tomato sandwich and a coffee. How would you like your coffee today Sir?" The blue eyed man turned around to get the sandwich and raised an eyebrow. The customer couldn’t be that old, definitely not into his mid teens, and drinking coffee? Most people only started liking the caffeinated gift of the gods when they got close to their twenties.

"Black is fine." Sasuke said with a shrug. "I don't like all that sugar and crap." He put the right amount of money on the counter for the blond to take and went to take a seat at one of the tables. He needed to figure out how to convince his brother to let him go to work with him, if only for a couple hours. He was probably making his Aniki miss work today, but that just served him right! Maybe now he'll get the point! He was startled out of his reverie when his sandwich and coffee were sat down in front of him. He looked up at the smiling blond. "Thanks." he said quietly.

The older man put his own coffee down on the table across from this black haired kid and took a seat without being asked. Now that he got a good look at his unusual costumer; the kid was dressed up really nice and had paid for his stuff without having to go picking through his wallet for change. Obviously his little friend here wasn’t from the area. "So, how's life for you?"

Sasuke was about to take a sip of his coffee but looked up at the blonde's question instead. "Why do you care?" He asked before continuing with his coffee sipping.

"It’s not often that school kids come in here just a couple of minutes before closing, asking for a vegetarian sandwich and black coffee… unless there’s some kind of problem. Starbucks is for casual things like girls and hanging out."

Sasuke scowled. What was up with this guy? "So what if there's something wrong? I don't think it's any of your business. As long as you get money..." he paused to take a bite of his sandwich. "There shouldn't be a problem."

"Touché." The golden haired man took a long pull form his latté and cautiously looked outside the little cafe for any sight of the nightly street people that frequented this area. The usual scattering of homeless were setting up for the night with the added bonus of traveling thugs looking for an easy mark to get cash from if it was a guy, or cheap sex if it was a girl they saw. Nothing good for someone the age of his rude costumer. "My name’s Naruto. This place closes in a few minutes and you might not like this neighborhood after dark unless you know the right kind of people."

Sasuke didn't bother giving his name. "Thanks, but I think I can take care of myself. You don't even know what I've been through tonight. So don't worry about me."

After finishing his sandwich and coffee, he rose to his feet, grabbed his backpack and headed out the door.

Once outside, he could instantly feel eyes on him. Looking over to the right, he could see a group of thugs waiting for him to cross the street. Maybe he should go back inside...

Grudgingly heading back in, he didn't even bother looking at the blond, already knowing the look he was receiving.

"So, how'd it go?" Naruto took another sip form his latte and cast a playful glance at the inexperienced kid. Aside from the underage bit, he suspected he'd go out with the dark haired costumer in a heartbeat or less. But even having the thought of wanting an underage kid in that way was starting to make him feel a bit sick. It wasn’t that he liked little kids; it was just that he liked the young look… He decided not to think on it further. That usually got him in trouble one way or another.

Sasuke turned his glare toward Naruto. "Shut up!" he sat down at a different table, purposefully distancing himself from the irritating blond. Now what was he going to do? He couldn’t walk home with those weirdoes outside waiting to jump him.

"You should call home for a ride. I'm sure someone must be missing a perky little whatever your name is." Naruto stood up with his empty cup of coffee and walked back to his counter to start closing up. Man he really hated the closing shift. It wouldn’t matter so much if the girl who worked before him emptied the cash register once in a while like she was supposed to.

Sasuke didn't answer for a while and then perked up. He had a plan. "I would call home, but the only other person there is mad at me, so..." he trailed off, looking like a lost little puppy. He tried to look as sad and pathetic as he could.

Naruto looked up at his nameless guest and felt something stand up in the back of his shirt. He knew that look! He knew that look and he knew that face! There must be some kind of class that taught pathetic looks and the best way to say anything because this little routine was pro. "Oh no! You're not staying at my place. I have friends over all the time and how am I suppose to explain you to any of them? Can’t you just... call a friend or something? I'll even pay for the call."

Sasuke lowered his head. He wouldn't give up on this. "I don't have any friends. And all I have is my brother and we're fighting and..." He started the waterworks, knowing exactly how much to put on. Let's see Blondie deny him now.

Naruto watched the display and had to admit it was getting to him. There had to be some kind of school for that kind of thing... "I don’t even know how old you are or what your name is! I could get in more trouble than you're worth having you in my place, let alone my car!"

Sasuke wiped his eyes and looked up at the blond. "I promise, if you take me to your place I'll let you call my brother, or I’ll even call him myself... please?" In truth, he just wanted to see how far he could take this, he didn't really care if Naruto called his brother; he was ready to go home anyway. He had a new plan for Itachi.

Naruto turned his back on the waterworks and tried not to get suckered in and failing utterly at convincing himself that the kid would be alright where he was. "People with no names don't get to go to my place..."

Sasuke sniffled a few more times and looked up. "Sasuke, my name's Sasuke. Now will you take me?" Oh yes, he had a plan indeed.

'Must resist urge to throttle the brat for playing me.' Naruto finished counting the money and went to the back room where the day’s earnings were locked every night, just to cool off. Screaming at the kid, Sasuke, wouldn’t solve anything even if the kid wasn’t the type to get scared off easily. He had a reputation to keep and babysitting someone else’s kid was not on his agenda. "Get your stuff ready, my cars out front, and don’t even think about touching the radio. The last girl who touched it..." Naruto tried to look impressive and deadly at the same time while turning off the lights, "...died. They still haven't found her body yet."

Sasuke scoffed at the attempt to scare him. "If I thought you were a murderer, I wouldn't have asked to go to your place..." he trailed off as he followed the blond out to his car. It was the nicest car he ever saw. A Lotus Exige S 260; and from the looks of it, very well taken care of.

Naruto locked the metal gating in front of the cafe and turned to unlock Sasuke's door before walking around to the driver’s side and getting in. He started the car and rolled down the street in near silence if you ignored the soft rumble of the engine. The silence stretched for a few minutes before the driver broke the relative calm. "Any particular reason you ran away from home?"

Sasuke jerked his head to look at Naruto. "Yeah, but I'm not telling you..." he was cut off there.

"Listen kid; you come in late at night, start up the waterworks and 'poor me' into getting me to take you home and all I got to show for the effort is your name and a migraine ready to happen, so spill."

"Well, sorry if I've cause you so much trouble. You could drop me off right here if you want! No one would blame you. I'm just a dumb kid right?" He didn't even try for the sympathy card anymore. He was pissed.

Naruto turned off the residential streets and to the more heavily traveled state routes that made throwing people from the car a near death sentence. "So that's it? You wander in the bad neighborhoods for fun and get random people to take you home?"

"I already told you there's a reason. But I don't feel like telling you what it is. My brother will probably rat me out anyway." He glared at Naruto and disobediently reached his hand out and turned on the radio, ignoring Naruto's outburst of anger at changing the station to what he preferred. A bit of classical music never hurt anyone.

"Did you not hear me??! The radio is off limits to everyone! And what is that crap anyway? It sounds like cats dying in a blender!"

Sasuke just ignored him and sat back in his seat. He always liked classical music, his brother always listened to it, so he figured he was a bit biased, but whatever.

He sat up when the engine was turned off and the blond was getting out of the car without so much as a word. He got out as well and followed Naruto up the stairs to the older man's apartment.

"Come on kid. The sooner I get to call your brother, the sooner I can hit the sack."

Naruto jammed his key in the lock and nearly broke it unlocking his door. It wouldn’t be the first key he'd had to replace though and it certainly wouldn’t be his last.

Sasuke followed Naruto into the small, but surprisingly clean apartment; a bit too clean for someone who seemed so anal... but then again, maybe not. He didn't bother asking to take a seat and plopped himself down on the nice looking white leather couch and picked up the remote neatly placed on the coffee table. He turned on the television and started to flip through the various channels that appeared on the enormous plasma screen mounted on the wall.

"Hey, hey; no, no, no, no, no! Was your mother some kind of trophy girl who didn’t even teach you how to shit in a toilet? You ask first! Now get your pasty ass off my couch and call your damn brother before you make me vomit blood from too much stress."

Naruto grabbed for the remote with one hand and thrust a phone at the sheltered kid’s face to make his point clear. It wasn’t that he hated being around other people but this boy was REALLY starting to crease him!

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the phone and then looked at the blond. "I thought you were going to call him? That's what you said isn't it?" He knew he was pushing it, but that was just his nature. "And by the way, I don't live with my mother; and even if I did, she probably wouldn't give a shit about me anyway."

Naruto leaned away from Sasuke just a bit and stared at the kid with a stunned yet strained expression. The little brat sounded like he was saying the truth damn it. Now he felt just a little bad for badmouthing the kid’s closest relatives; well just a little bit. The black haired brat’s ass was still firmly planted on the couch. "Then why don’t you go do something with yourself, OFF the couch, after you tell me the number to call, alright? I'm in no mood to put up with some stuck up brat with a pole up his ass."

‘Poor baby, you’re momma didn’t want you and now you look for cheap thrills on your own. Now get on with this whole charade so I can get rid of you and go to bed!’ Naruto gritted his teeth and glared daggers at Sasuke until the raven haired boy either flapped his gums once again or gave up the phone number.

Sasuke fumed at Naruto but got up nonetheless. "Fine" He gave the number to the blond and watched as he dialed and held the phone to his ear. Stupid ass kid, thinking he was all bad ass...

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Meanwhile, a pacing Itachi was fuming over his brother running off. He was furious; how could Sasuke even think that it would solve anything, let alone convince him to take him to his job... He turned sharply to Kakashi who was lounging on the couch with a cup of his favorite beverage. "How could he do this to me? After all I've done for him!"

Kakashi took a careful sip and set the cup down on the table before speaking. Itachi never threw things around when he was mad but it was best not to tempt him. "He's just at that age where he thinks he's a god and nothing can hurt him, probably believes that you'll 'See the error of your ways' or some nonsense like that. He'll grow out of it sooner or later; and I'm sure he'll come right back. He’s not the most street savvy person that ever lived."

Kakashi watched his neighbor and tried to gauge how his rather long statement would fly with the highly stressed man pacing about like a caged animal.

"That's why I'm so worried!!! What if he gets hurt, or kidnapped, or..." He wouldn't even let himself go on to the last statement. He wouldn't even think it. Luckily the phone rang, interrupting him from his thoughts; it could be Sasuke. He hurried to the phone and picked it up, jamming the on button harder than necessary. "Sasuke?"

"Yeah, no. But not a bad… WHAT DID I SAY? DON'T TOUCH A THING THAT INCLUDES THE FRIDGE! Sorry; did you lose someone named Sasuke? Please say yes, this kid’s a nightmare." Naruto almost cried when he heard someone on the other end of the line and hoped that he'd wake up really soon. After declaring that he was thirsty, the runaway stampeded toward the fridge and just started going through it.

Meanwhile Kakashi blinked and sat up straight hearing the shout from a perfect stranger. Seemed the little trouble maker had managed to find some place to make a call.

Itachi hurried to answer. "YES! That’s my little brother! I swear to God if you've touched him in ANY way..."

“I HAVE NOT! Now are you going to get over here and take him out of my hair or not, because I’m this close to kicking him to the curb! I never knew that a simple act of kindness would be so painful and I swear on my dead mother’s grave that I'll never be nice like that again."

Itachi calmed down a little. "Where did you find him?" He was a bit wary still but he figured a few questions wouldn't hurt. He gestured for Kakashi to stay put while he grabbed his keys and left the apartment.

"He walked into the cafe at Broadway and Iris. You know the one with the veggie sandwich? It was around closing time and he looked a little too pampered to be in the area."

Itachi started up his car and made his way down toward that direction. "Well... thanks for looking after him. Where's your place? I'm guessing he demanded to be taken there?" He could just see it. His spoiled ass little brother conning a poor coffee shop worker to invade his life and house.

"No shit he demanded; he did the Bambi eyes and everything else a chick does to get what she wants from people." Naruto took a deep breath and told this Itachi how to get to his place and prayed that this person showed up fast before Sasuke made him break down and curl up in a corner.

Itachi hung up after getting the address and sped up just a tiny bit more. Oh Sasuke was in for it...

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Sasuke looked over at Naruto once he hung up the phone, bottle of green tea in hand. "So is he coming?"

"You bet your ass he is. Get your stuff together Sasuke. You'll be out of my hair in five minutes tops.”

Sasuke just shrugged and took a swig of the pilfered beverage. "Whatever... You're an ass anyway."

Itachi pulled up to the right address and exited his car after finding a parking spot. He climbed the stairs two at a time, finding the right door and giving the wood a few knocks with his fist.

"Takes an ass to know an ass!" Naruto stormed to the front door and yanked it open so forcefully he made a sharp sucking sound at the insulating band and a strong breeze going inside. Standing there like some kind of super hot male model, was a man that could only be related to the little brat inside. Their eyes were the same. "You're Itachi right?"

Itachi nodded and looked around the hot sex God in front of him to spot his little brother, lounging on a strangers couch with a bottle of iced tea in his hand. "You, in the car, NOW!" He made sure Sasuke did what he was told before he turned back to the blond. "I'm so sorry for this. Please, is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

"Aside from a hot bath, a stiff drink and a restraining order against your brother?" The blond tried not to sound hopeful at the thought of getting a bath form the rather woman like man before him which turned him on pretty hardcore. Ladies were nice, guys better, but someone that looks like both at once and undeniably sexy was rare.

Itachi gave a faint apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry for this. I'll make sure he's dealt with." he said before giving a slight wave before walking down the stairs to give his little brother a good talking to.

The blue eyed man watched Itachi's ass as he walked away and down to his car. How did a tall glass of beefcake like that get stuck looking after a total brat like Sasuke? It made no sense. From what little he'd been able to gather from this Itachi person; they weren’t poor or poorly educated, and didn’t have many things to worry about if he read the body language correctly. He sighed, deciding not to dwell on it further as he made his way back inside. At least he’d gotten rid of the brat. It was time for a little comfort in the form of alcohol before he hit the sack.

TBC
There’s our Naruto. For some reason… I have a tendency to make him a total jerk in my fics.. but he’s just too cute that way!!!
Please REVIEW!!!
Sasu-Xin