Parasomnia

Disclaimer: I own nothing
Warnings: Language, blood, eventually yaoi. Most of my information comes from Wikipedia and other websites, so if some of this information is wrong, please tell me so I can fix it. Also, this story is not meant to offend, insult, or make fun of anyone.
Beta-ed by Akiru chan, who told me to take a break and work on my other ItaNaru fic and who is always awesome and encouraging. Give her hugs and love her.
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The computer screen was brightly lit in the semi-dark room and the cursor blinked innocently on the page. Words flowed across the monitor while charts and graphs mixed in with them, making sense to those who worked in the business world. Numbers and figures were something that always made sense and were universal. And usually they came to him naturally.

Yet today, black eyes stared at the page blankly and his mind refused to process any information. Instead, his gaze flickered towards the small yellow blur in his room.

The sunflower that Naruto had given him two weeks ago was alive, surprisingly. Itachi didn’t exactly have a green thumb and he was certain that it was going to wilt and die the very next day. He surprised himself when the flower ended up lasting for more than three days and eventually found himself in the library checking out a book on gardening.

Naruto laughed at him when he brought the book to the front desk.

His mind drifted back to the afternoon that he had spent in the greenhouse with Naruto and he pushed away from the desk with a sigh. He was too distracted to work right now. Instead, he felt more inclined to just relax today and not worry about anything.

Perhaps he would spend some time in the library.

He moved towards his door and stepped into the hallway. It was unusually crowded and he pressed his body against the door as a large group passed by him, ignoring him in their rush to get to the elevator. His eyes narrowed at them and he turned towards the opposite direction of the crowd in favor of escaping the mass of people.

As he walked towards the library, the number of people lessened and the halls were filled once again with the comforting silence. He rounded the final corner to the library and frowned when he noticed that the lights were off. A quick tug on the doors showed that they were locked and he turned back around.

His feet found themselves leading him towards a room that he knew and before his mind could comprehend what his body was doing, his fist was knocking on the door. It wasn’t until there was a shout from inside the room that his brain was up to speed again and he realized that he was standing outside Naruto’s door.

“Hold on.”

There was a loud crash inside, followed by a curse before the door was flung open. A slightly wet hand wrapped around his wrist and yanked him inside the warm room before he had a chance to protest.

Once inside, he focused his attention on the blond who had dragged him inside and an eyebrow rose slightly. Naruto’s back was turned to him while a boxer-clad bottom was raised in the air as he dug through his dresser. He was complaining about letting the cold air in and that he had shown up early. Gaara sat on the bed and glanced towards Itachi but didn’t say anything to the blond as Naruto continued to spew questions.

“So, you’ve been outside already, is it really cold?”

Itachi didn’t answer, and instead found his eyes trailing over the tan back. They traced the water drops that slowly spilled over the blonds back and disappeared into the elastic band of the boxers. He brought his eyes back up to stare at a spot over the dresser.

“Hey, I know you said I have a cute butt,” Naruto wiggled his hips the statement, “but ogle at your boyfriends; not mine.”

Unbidden, Itachi’s eyes drifted down to the wiggling hips that were in his line of vision. He was reminded of that night two weeks ago and he quickly forced his mind onto a different train of thought.

“You know, you could at least answer me when I ask you a question.” The blond spun around and a finger was pointed in his face, “You…Itachi!”

“Yes I am.”

He watched in amusement as a blush quickly spread through tanned checks, and tipped his ears. Naruto’s mouth hung open and Itachi could see his jaw trying to make his mouth work but all attempts seemed to be failing.

“I-uh, um. Crap. Hold on.”

The bathroom door slammed shut and Itachi allowed a small chuckle to escape from his lips. He didn’t think there would be a time in which Naruto was speechless, but apparently, he could fall silent when he was almost naked.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto leaned against the bathroom door trying to will the blush from his face. Of course, Itachi would choose to come see him when he was wearing nothing but boxers. A groan escaped his lips and he slumped to the bathroom floor; life was unfair.

But he couldn’t stay locked in the bathroom for the rest of his life. Not only did he have plans for the day but his stomach was crying for food and he wasn’t one to deny his stomach food. He stood up and tried to force the blush off his face, although he was fairly certain that it was now permanent. He opened the door and poked his head out and he could feel his face heat up when he realized Itachi was still there.

“Tu-turn around.” He stuttered.

Itachi chuckled but submitted to the blonds’ request. He watched Gaara look at him and the insomniac shrugged his shoulder. Behind him, he could hear the slamming of drawers and the rustle of clothing.

“Where are you going today Itachi?” Naruto asked, bounding back into his view.

“Nowhere, are you?” His eyes tracked the younger male movements until Naruto finally settled in front of him.

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, “Yup, some of my friends are coming by today.” He held up two long sleeve shirts for Gaara to look at, “Which one looks better?”

“The black.” Gaara glanced at his watch, “I’m going to head down, Temari should be here by now; I’ll see you tonight.”

“Tell them I said ‘hi’”

The redhead grunted and disappeared from the room. Naruto waited until the door shut before looking towards Itachi, “I’m surprised you’re not going anywhere.”

Itachi cocked his head. He didn’t know what the young male was talking about, but it had peaked his interest. He gestured the blond over and grabbed the towel that was thrown on the bed, “Is today visiting day or something?” He jokingly asked, dropping the towel over the blond head and rubbing it gently.

Blue eyes peeked out from under the fluffy towel and confusion shone in them, “Kakashi didn’t tell you that we can leave the center today?”

Itachi’s hands slowed down, “No.”

If he had known that, he would have been gone hours ago. He didn’t want to call Kisame now since the man was probably swimming in paperwork and even if he were free, he wasn’t in the mood to talk business. Although, it made sense now on why the library was closed and the hallways seemed so busy; everyone was going to spend time with family and friends.

The thought settled uneasily in him. Sasuke wouldn’t come see him, even if Kisame managed to drag him, and no other family members were close enough for a day's visit. Not that he really wanted to see them.

Perhaps he could ask Naruto for the library’s key and just spend the day there.

“Itachi?”

Naruto’s voice broke his thoughts and he realized that his hands had stopped drying the blond hair. He pulled the towel off Naruto’s head and tossed the shirt to him. “Sorry, your hair was still wet and it’s cold outside.”

Naruto grinned, “I bet you were a good brother to your brother when he was younger.”

He chose to let the comment slide and simply waited until the blond was dressed. There was a knock at the door before Kakashi’s head poked into the room. If he was surprised at seeing Itachi there, he didn’t show it. Instead, he glanced towards Naruto and told him that his friends were on the way.

After the door was shut, Naruto tugged at Itachi’s wrist, “Come on, you can meet my friends; I think you’ll like one of them. And maybe you can ask Tsunade if you can call your-uh, fish friend.”

Itachi smirked but followed Naruto to the lobby. The blond was bubbling with excitement and Itachi’s lips twitched slightly at his energy. He was glad that Naruto would have the chance to spend some of his energy outside of the center’s walls. If not, it meant that Naruto would end up bothering him at some point in the day. Or at least that’s what he told himself.

He grunted when he ran into Naruto and glanced down at the younger male. He was about to ask him why he had stopped when the blond spoke first.

“Look, an Itachi clone!”

Ebony eyes snapped up and looked over Naruto’s shoulder. They widened slightly when he saw Sasuke leaning against the lobby’s counter. Sasuke’s eyes met his and they narrowed before he walked over.

“Don’t you dare call me his clone.” Sasuke hissed.

Naruto took a step back, his back bumping into Itachi’s chest, “But you look like him.” He paused, “Well, your hair is shorter and looks like a-”

Itachi quickly clamped his hand around Naruto’s mouth, “Hello Sasuke.”

“Itachi.”

The blond made a muffled noise but they both ignored him. Instead, they opted to glare at each, trying to get the other to back down first. Sasuke was the first to back off and his eyes flickered to the blond that was pressed firmly against Itachi’s chest.

“What are you looking at?”

Naruto grunted behind the hand and Itachi answered for him, “Leave him alone Sasuke, he doesn’t deserve your wrath.”

Sasuke huffed, “Don’t worry, that has all been directed to you.” He leaned in closer towards Naruto, “You do know that you’re being held by a murderer right now, or has he not told you?”

Itachi felt Naruto’s body stiffen before it struggled to escape his grip. He could feel Naruto’s mouth moving while muffled words tried to escape past his hand, and he could faintly make out some words, but the words arrogant and bastard came across quite clearly. His other arm wound itself around Naruto’s waist in order to keep the blond from launching himself at his brother.

“Relax Naruto.” He said softly in the younger males’ ear.

Azure eyes narrowed at the comment, but his struggling ceased and he let himself be cuddled against Itachi’s chest. He didn’t like this new Uchiha that made his presence known at the center. He always tried to look at people with a fresh outlook and tried not to hold what people told him against a new person. So when he had first realized that the mini Itachi clone was Sasuke, Itachi’s younger brother, he tried to look at him in a different light.

That hadn’t worked out so well.

The hatred that rolled off Sasuke towards his older brother was very much evident and his attitude was cold towards everyone else. He tried to figure out if Sasuke fit into the typical, rich kid equals spoiled child stereotype. But Itachi was from the same family and didn’t act like Sasuke; he presumed the death of their parents had helped to shape Sasuke’s demeanor.

He shook his mind from its thoughts and focused on the Uchiha in front of him. Although, it was hard to do that with the raven behind him. Every time Itachi breathed, his chest pressed against his back, making Naruto realize exactly how close they were. Unbidden, a blush started to creep up onto his cheeks and he fought to keep it down.

From the corner of his eye, he could see a familiar car drive by. He felt excitement build up inside him as he once again remembered why he was down in the lobby to begin with. There was only one problem; he was being held captive still.

He glanced down at the arm that was still wrapped around his waist and he contemplated his options. On one hand, he could let his friends see him like this and they would never let him live it down. On the other, he could try to get out and probably fail; Itachi’s grip was surprisingly tight. He huffed through his nose and tried to catch Itachi’s attention.

On his part, Itachi had forgotten about the blond. Vaguely, he knew that he was still there and he fairly enjoyed the warmth that was being emitted from the younger males’ body. However, his brother was making his intent known on how much he hated him right now.

“I still don’t see why Madara convinced the judge to send you here. Everyone knew that you were guilty and should have been sent to jail.” Sasuke paused, “Now I have to deal with your stupid business partner watching over me. Do you think I need a babysitter Itachi?”

“I just wanted to make sure that you were doing well on your own.” Itachi answered. “You’re only nineteen.”

“I’m old enough to take care of myself and make my own choices. Unlike you, I’m not stuck here in this god awful center.”

Naruto’s ears perked up and he scowled at Sasuke; it wasn’t that bad. And since when did Sasuke ever set foot in the building besides today? Something stirred in the pit of his stomach and he knew that he should leave now before he did something he was going to regret. His body tensed again when Sasuke’s eyes fell on him.

“And I’m sure that the people in this place aren’t any better than you.” Sasuke’s gaze drifted up towards Itachi, “I don’t know whose worse; you, or them.”

The doors slid open and Naruto could see his friend walking through the opening. He should have been ecstatic at seeing her again, but he had felt Itachi’s grip loosen around his waist and he knew that the words had stung Itachi. But with the loosening of the arm, he was finally able to break free and yank Itachi’s hand off his mouth.

“Hey, at least he doesn’t have a pole shoved up his ass!” He cried.

Naruto felt Itachi try to cover his mouth again, but he had a good grip on Itachi’s arm and refused to let it get close to his mouth. His anger was threatening to boil over already and hearing someone he didn’t even know insult him, just pushed him over the edge. Sasuke’s eyes were narrowed and they had him locked in place, but there was no way Naruto was going to back now.

“What did you say?” Sasuke hissed.

“You heard me, you little prick.” He twisted out of Itachi’s grip and soon found himself in Sasuke’s face, “You can’t just show up here and downgrade this place; you’ve never been here.”

Sasuke’s lips twisted into a smirk, “I’ve seen enough.”

Naruto’s eyes swept over Sasuke’s face, “I pity you, you can’t even see past your nose.”

“I’m not the one stuck here and even if this place declares my brother ‘cured’ I still won’t forgive him.”

Naruto nodded his head and backed away from Sasuke. Both Uchiha brothers watched him curiously, as he circled around Itachi and started to push him forward. He waved quickly to his blond friend who was waiting at the door and removed his hands from Itachi’s back once they passed Sasuke.

“Well, so you know; I’m kidnapping your brother today, since I’m sure you aren’t here to spend time with him.” He paused and tapped his chin in thought, “But before I leave…”

Itachi’s eyes widened as a loud crack sounded through the lobby. Naruto stalked up to him, his face set in a deep scowl and without another word, pushed him out the door, leaving Sasuke lying on the floor to tend to his jaw.

“Naruto, do you know what you just did!”

Stormy blue eyes glanced in the direction of the blond female before slamming the car door shut, “He deserved it.”

The car eased out of the driveway and the female turned around in her seat, “So, who’s your new friend?”

Naruto felt his mood lift and he turned to Itachi, “Oh, Ino, this is It-uh, Chi!”

“Chi?” She echoed.

He nodded his head, “Yup. Chi, this is Ino and the one driving is Neji.”

Naruto let out a yelp as Itachi pulled him across the backseat, “What are you doing Naruto?” He whispered harshly.

The blond laughed slightly, “I kidnapped you!” His eyes racked over Itachi, “Or did you want to stay with your brother? ‘Cause I can have Neji take us back.”

“Naruto, you punched Sasuke in the jaw.”

“Yeah, about that…” He trailed off, “I’m sorry, but he had no right to say that and it annoyed me that he wouldn’t listen or even think about considering anything new.”

“You punched him in the jaw.” Itachi repeated.

“Fine, I’ll kiss it when we get back if it’ll make you happy.” The blond huffed, “I don’t see what the big deal is.”

Itachi shook his head, “I don’t know what has me more shocked; the fact that you punched him or that you landed a hit.”

“Hey! I take offense to that. Are you saying that your brother is better than me?”

“No, he just rarely gets caught off guard.”

Naruto snorted and glared out the window, “I should have left you.”

The scenery flashed by outside as silence overtook the car and it let Naruto think. He wasn’t entirely sure what prompted him to drag the older Uchiha with him. He was content with just punching the younger one, but something had compelled him to bring Itachi with him and he frowned slightly. His gaze drifted towards Itachi who was glancing out the window.

The elder Uchiha was silent and he was worried he had upset him with his actions. He knew that Tsunade was going to have his head when he returned to the center, but that was hours away. Instead, his eyes swept over Itachi, noting his tense posture and how his jaw was clenched tightly; sure signs he was upset. But despite the tightened figure, his eyes weren’t overly hard and Naruto could almost say they had softened.

Itachi’s eyes left the window and Naruto quickly shifted his eyes to the scenery. He didn’t want Itachi to think that he had been staring at him; even if he had been, but Itachi didn’t need to know that. He could almost feel the dark eyes looking at him and he fought the urge to turn his head around, knowing that he would do something stupid if he did.

Luckily, the smell of a restaurant filled his nose and his stomach growled hungrily at the thought of good food. He was ready to bolt out of the car as soon as it stopped but an arm had found itself wrapped around his shoulders. He felt his body falling backwards as he was pulled down onto the cars’ seat, and his head settled on something soft. When he blinked his eyes into focus, Itachi’s face hovered over his.

“We’ll catch up.” He heard Itachi say before the car doors were slammed shut, leaving them alone.

“Yes?” He asked meekly.

“Chi?”

A laugh bubbled up from his throat, “Yeah, you know, Itachi, Chi; it’s a good fake name.”

“And I would need a fake name because?”

Naruto squirmed slightly, “Well, you said that people took advantage of you because of your name; if they think you’re someone else, you won’t get harassed. I mean, my friends wouldn’t say anything, but I figured it would be easier for you if they didn’t know who you were.”

Itachi listened to Naruto trail off and he could sense the blonds’ hesitation at his decision. He was surprised though at the blonds desire to make sure that he was comfortable today and he found himself comforted by it. He knew that Naruto didn’t bother him daily because of who he was and he found that it was a pleasant change.

The blond grinned up at him and Itachi shifted so that Naruto’s head settled more comfortably on his lap, “What am I going to do with you?” He asked.

“Nothing, just enjoy the day with me.” Naruto answered.

It was said so innocently that he found himself stunned momentarily. Never in his life had he simply taken a day off, it was unheard of growing up. Yet, the suggestion that Naruto had made seemed like the right thing to do.

He felt something poke at his forehead and he realized he had drifted off. He pushed Naruto’s fingers away and looked down at the younger male, “Yes?”

“Come on, please. I have money; I’ll pay for you even.”

Itachi quickly covered Naruto’s eyes with his hand, “No puppy eyes.”

Naruto’s body shook with laughter, “Please.” He asked, drawing out the last letters and stuck out his lower lip in a pout.

Itachi tilted his hand up and quickly recovered the blue eyes. Naruto was still giving puppy dog eyes and for some reason his resolve wasn’t holding very strong today. With a sigh, he leaned down and removed his hand, “Fine.”

“Yes!” Naruto cried and sat up as Itachi unwound his arm from his shoulders.

The raven watched him jump out of the car and walk over to his side of the vehicle. With an exaggerated bow, he opened the door and gestured with his hand, “This way Mr. Chi, your day of freedom awaits.”

Itachi rolled his eyes and climbed out of the car, pausing to ruffle the blond locks. Naruto ducked away from the offending hand and with a laugh, bounded after the raven.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Lunch was a quite affair and Naruto was quick to introduce everyone before demanding that they order. The conversation was light and Itachi felt it was a nice change from the many business lunches he dealt with. At first, he was concerned that lunch would be awkward seeing as he didn’t know anyone, but Naruto was always there to make sure he was included in the conversation.

He found that the oldest in Naruto’s group was the brunette driver; Neji and he was able to slip into an easy conversation with him. They were able to discuss the current issues with ease with input from a younger male that sat next to the blond female. When they first sat down, Naruto had leaned over and told him that the male; Shikamaru, was a genius. Itachi had doubted that, due to the lazy attitude of the male, but after seeing him split the bill so quickly, he changed his mind.

They paid for the bills and Naruto was quick to snatch Itachi’s bill, declaring that he had told the raven he was going to pay. They argued briefly about it until Naruto reminded him that Itachi didn’t bring his wallet with him. Itachi decided to humor the blond and let him pay, and the small group left the restaurant with Naruto grinning at his victory.

“Where are we going next?” Naruto asked as he laced his fingers behind his head.

“It’s a surprise.” Ino said, “You know, we should blindfold you.”

Blue eyes darted between the group members and he yelped as he felt arms embrace him from behind. There was a deep chuckle in his ear before his world went dark as soft fabric covered his eyes. He could hear the car door being opened and whoever was holding him guided his body into the vehicle. The arms didn’t let go of him, even when the car started to move and he struggled slightly.

He felt a warm breath ghost across ear as his captor whispered in his ear, “This is for dragging me with you.”

Naruto snorted and felt his body relax, “Come on, you know you’re having fun.”

“Only with you.” Itachi answered and leaned back against the car seat, allowing the blond to rest against his body. During lunch, Neji had told him where they were going and Itachi had volunteered to catch Naruto. Ino didn’t trust Naruto to sit quietly during the drive and she was certain that unless he was restrained, he would pull the blindfold down.

It was a short drive to their destination and when the car stopped, Naruto squirmed in Itachi’s lap. Itachi handed him off to Neji and then climbed out himself. There was a loud shout in his ear and he knew that the blindfold had been removed. It didn’t take long for the blond to vanish across the street and into the store, leaving the stunned group behind.

Ino shook her head as they followed Naruto, “That boy could live in a bookstore.”

“Troublesome.” Shikamaru muttered as he climbed out of his car, “He’ll be in there all day if we don’t watch him. We shouldn’t have brought him here.”

After tracking down Naruto inside the massive bookstore, they gave him an hour time limit. He tried to argue for a longer time, but they were able to resist his pleas by not meeting his eyes. He finally huffed and darted off to a different section, allowing the group to split up. Itachi was skimming the shelves, looking for nothing particular when the elder male of the group stopped him.

“Chi, can we talk?”

Itachi narrowed his eyes slightly but nodded. He had his suspicions that Neji knew there was something off about the whole situation, but he didn’t comment on it. Instead, he figured that if the male wanted to confront him, he would.

“You have your wallet with you.”

A smirk crossed Itachi’s face; it seemed that he wasn’t as subtle as he thought. “I did.”

“Why’d you let him pay then?” Neji’s eyes examined his, “More so, why did you let him win the argument? That’s not like you, Itachi.”

“I could ask you the same question.” Itachi answered, “Why didn’t you just tell Naruto you knew who I was, Hyuuga?”

The Hyuuga faulted, “Because he seemed so naïve when he said it, as if we would never guess. I wanted to protect that.”

“There’s your answer.” Itachi stated and walked towards the music section.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

An hour later Naruto found Itachi and Shikamaru locked in an intense game of shogi. He watched them as they glared at the board and tried to figure out where to move next. He’d never understood the game and preferred to play something else. He leaned over to Neji who was watching closely and asked who was winning.

“It’s hard to tell, they’re both down the same number of pieces. If they call it a tie, we can leave now and get back in time.”

“Ha, for once you’re not waiting on me.” Naruto exclaimed.

Ino tugged at Shikamaru’s arm, “Come on, we need to get Naruto back on time; he doesn’t need to get in trouble.”

He shrugged and stood up, “It was getting too troublesome anyway.”

The sun was setting when they pulled away from the bookstore and Naruto huffed as they left. Still he was satisfied, he had gotten a few books that would keep him entertained for a while, and he had picked up some new music as well.

“What books did you get?” Itachi asked.

“Just a few that spiked my interest and,” he dug through his bag and emerged with a thick book, “I picked this up for you. It’s not a business one or anything, but I remembered what you checked out before and I based it off that. I think you’ll like it. And this way you don’t need to keep borrowing them.”

Itachi took the book gently from Naruto’s hands and looked towards the blond, “What if I liked to check out the books because I liked to go to the library?”

The blond laughed and the sound filled the car with its gentle noise, “You can still come and read in the library if you want.”

Neji rolled his eyes as he pulled into the centers parking lot. It was lit up, casting light into the darkened night and making it easier to see Kakashi waiting at the front door.

The doctors’ eyes crinkled in recognition as the car pulled up the driveway and came to a stop. He nodded to Neji as the two passengers exited the car and Naruto grinned at Kakashi.

“Did you enjoy your day off?”

Naruto nodded, “Yeah, although, you didn’t tell Itachi about today.”

“It must have slipped my mind.” Kakashi stated, “I thought that I mentioned it though.”

The doors slid open and they filed into the building. It was quiet and Itachi shifted in the silence; it seemed too quiet, something was going to happen. He could hear Naruto following him as they made there way into the lobby. His steps slowed down as a familiar mass of hair came into his view and angry eyes flashed at their appearance.

He had forgotten about Sasuke.

The younger Uchiha stormed over to them and Itachi could see a purplish-black bruise forming on Sasuke’s jaw. Sasuke’s eyes shifted as he tried to see behind Itachi, where Naruto was talking to Kakashi. He could see the blond having an animated conversation with the silver-haired doctor and a smirk crossed his lips. There was no way the blond was going to get away with this mornings actions.

Naruto stomped over and Itachi could see the fury building in the blue eyes. Kakashi followed him and he shared a quick look with Itachi, “He needs to apologize, he did punch a guest.”

Itachi nodded and stepped out of the way so the two younger males could have some privacy. The doctor moved next to him so he could watch the exchange and gestured to the book in Itachi’s hand. “Where’d the book come from?”

“Naruto bought it for me.” Itachi answered and looked at the cover briefly.

“He’s unique, like his father.”

Itachi inclined his head slightly, “He seems to make friends easily and he is easy to get along with.”

“Fuck!”

The noise brought them out of their conversation and they turned in time to see Sasuke swing a fist towards the blond. Naruto caught the fist and yanked Sasuke forward while he kicked the ravens’ legs out. When Sasuke landed, he kicked his foot out, knocking the blond to the ground, and quickly flipped him over.

Naruto yelped as he was pinned to the ground and Sasuke straddled his hips. He gritted his teeth as the raven grabbed his collar and dragged him up so they were face to face.

“Say it, you little freak!” He snarled.

Naruto growled, “Make me, you don’t deserve my apology you bastard.”

Sasuke brought his hand back and curled it into a fist, ready to punch the blond when another hand curled around his own. He glanced back and winced as his brother pulled him off Naruto. He turned to glare at the Uzumaki but the silver-haired doctor had already helped him to his feet and was checking over him.

“Go home Sasuke.” Itachi said, “I would have expected better from you than this. Our parents would be turning in their graves if they could see your actions now.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed at the comment and he turned his attention from the blond to Itachi. “They wouldn’t be in their graves if you hadn’t decided to go psycho on them. Why didn’t you just kill yourself instead and save us all this trouble!”

The lobby fell silent and Kakashi was struggling to keep Naruto from attacking Sasuke again. The younger Uchiha threw one more glare at Itachi before storming out of the center.

After Sasuke had vanished, Naruto squirmed out of Kakashi’s grip and slowly made his way over to Itachi. The dark eyes were carefully guarded and it was hard to read the emotions that swam just beneath the surface. He hesitantly placed a hand on his arm and the slightest flinch was the only acknowledgement of his presence.

“I’m sorry.” Itachi’s voice was soft and Naruto almost missed it, “My brothers’ actions were inappropriate, I apologize.”

Naruto shook his head, “You shouldn’t be held accountable for you brothers’ actions, there’s no need to apologize. You don’t need to keep protecting him, he’s old enough to be responsible for his actions; he said it himself.”

A chuckle escaped Itachi’s lips and his posture relaxed slightly, “You sound like Kisame.”

Naruto laced his hands behind his head and walked in the direction of the elevator, “Feh, maybe you should listen to us then.”

“Perhaps.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Haw wa yar daa?”

“Spit first, I can’t understand you.”

Naruto spit his toothpaste into the sink and rinsed his mouth out, “How was your day?”

The redhead watched as Naruto crossed the room and crawled into bed, “It was alright, like it normally is. They both said to tell you, hello.”

A grin crossed Naruto’s face, “Aw that was nice of them. Where are you going?”

Gaara paused at the doors threshold, “I’m hungry; I want something to eat.”

“Isn’t it kind of late?” Naruto asked.

A pale shoulder rose, “I can get in.”

Naruto rolled his eyes and snuggled into the blankets while Gaara switched the lights off. The redhead moved quietly down the hallways that were bathed in soft lights, his body casting a dark shadow as he disappeared around the corner.

And once his shadow vanished, another took its spot.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: This chapter was the bane of my existence; it absolutely hated me and refused to be written. It was actually supposed to go into more detail about their day, but I went a little overboard in the beginning and it was already getting long. I’m truthfully not that happy with this chapter (sensory overload of fluff), but Akiru said she liked it, and I guess that’s what counts (haha).

ItaNarulover: Don't worry, they'll get there :D, also, I'm not as great as you make me out to be, but I appreciated the review, it put me in a good mood throughout my entire practice >.< *hugs* I'm not mad, it would be easier if they had an ItaNaru link though.