When music melts the heart

Hey here is another update for you.

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I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 8

When Naruto woke up the next morning he felt very comfortable, warm and safe. He cracked
open one eye to look around for his alarmclock, what he saw was a much more pleasant sight
and for a moment he was sure he was dreaming.

Itachi had been awake for some time now and was contently looking at his sleeping boyfriend.
He saw how he was slowly waking up. When Naruto looked up into his eyes he gave a small
genuine smile. “Good morning koi,” he spoke almost lazily.

“Morning,” Naruto answered sleepy. He sat up a bit and wiped the sleep from his eyes and then
he stretched himself idly.

Itachi was mesmerized by the image Naruto formed, his arms stretched above his head, which
he tilted back a little, his face completely relaxed, his back arched with the sheets pooling at his
waist.

“What time is it?” Naruto asked.

“It’s eight thirty,” Itachi answered.

“Then I better get up,” Naruto got out of bed and walked to his dresser to get a pair of boxers,
black sweatpants and an orange wife-beater. “ If you want I have a pair of sweats here that
should fit you,” Naruto threw a pair of navy blue sweats to Itachi, who caught them mid-air. The
blonde walked to the bathroom to get dressed.

He walked over to the sink, turned on the water and grabbed a washcloth. As he started
washing his face he looked up in the mirror. ‘Now would be a good time to let him know. If he
really cares for me he will understand. If he doesn’t…’ Naruto’s mind trailed off.

He washed the rest of his body, turned off the water and got dressed. He walked over to
the door. He took a deep breath before opening the door and went into his bedroom, were Itachi
still was.

Itachi was sitting on the bed, his back turned to the bathroom door. “Itachi, there is something I
need to tell you, or better yet, show you.” Naruto said softly.

“What is it koi?” he didn’t like the tone of voice Naruto was using, but he would wait and see
what this was all about.

He was about to turn and face Naruto when he felt him wrap his arms around him from behind,
resting his face between his shoulder blades. He felt Naruto tremble slightly.

“Naru, what ever it is, you can tell me,” his voice was calm, which wasn’t how he felt at all. He
put his hands on the arms wrapped around the man’s waist.

Naruto took a deep breath to calm his nerves and started his story:

“When I was about eight I had one real close friend, his name was Sai. We were always
together. When I started violin lessons, he would come and listen. He even started studying
piano, so he could accompany me when I had a recital.”

“One day we were playing on the playground, we were playing cops and robbers. Sai was the
robber and I was the cop. Sai ran in to the building to hide himself and I ran after him. The door
he went through had a big window in it and I ran straight in to it. I crashed head first and my
face was torn open by the broken glass. I was brought to the emergency room and stitched up,
but it left a lot of nasty scars,” the blonde shuttered before continuing.

“When I was sixteen, an old friend of the head of the orphanage came to visit her. He is a plastic
surgeon, maybe you heard of him, his name is Orochimaru.”

“Yes I have heard of him. He is the best in his field,” Itachi answered.

“They were talking when I ran in to her office in total panic, cause someone had ‘misplaced’ my
sheet music, again. After getting scolded by Tsunade baa-chan, she introduced us.”

“He noticed the scars on my face, even though I had tried to conceal them the best I could. He
asked about them and Baa-chan told him what had happened. He asked if we had consulted a
surgeon already and she told him that the orphanage had no funds to pay for that kind of
medical treatment.”

“I told him it didn’t bother me that much, that I would conceal them when I had a recital or
went out. We talked a bit more about my recitals and music in general. Then he suddenly said
he would do the surgery for free.”

“So three months later I had the surgery. He had already explained that there would still be
some scarring, but not as bad as before,” Naruto finished his story with a sigh.

Itachi turned himself and Naruto so he could look at his face. There on each cheek were three
whisker-like scars. Even though they were prominent in his face, they somehow fit him. Itachi
couldn’t help but feel that they made Naruto look more sexy.

“Why do you keep concealing them?” Itachi wondered out loud.

“The first six months I wasn’t allowed to use any make-up. So I went without it, but people kept
staring at me. Being a teenager makes you feel uncertain about yourself without any reason and
having the scars only made it worse,” Naruto shrugged.

“Meeting Hiroki and seeing how people act around him made me remember how it was when I
was younger. Rejection and loneliness are things I can relate to very well,” he felt tears trickle
down his cheeks. Thinking back was becoming too much. He started sobbing, tears flowing
freely from his eyes.

Itachi’s heart ached for him. “It’s alright Naru-koi,” the raven held him tight, rocking gently
while whispering words of comfort to him.

When Naruto had calmed down, he lifted his face from Itachi’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, I normally
don’t let it get to me like this,” Naruto mumbled.

Itachi lifted his face so he could look at him. “Naru, I love you for who you are, not what you
look like.” Damn, if that wasn’t the biggest cliché in the world, but he did mean it.

Naruto looked at him with surprise, then he chuckled a little trough his tears. “Kami, you sound
corny,” Itachi snickered for thinking something similar.

“I do mean it koi. Besides, I think you look sexy with those whiskers of yours,” Naruto blushed a
bright red. Itachi leaned in to give him a chaste kiss.

“I love you too Itachi,” he laid his head on Itachi’s shoulder, sighing in contentment.

“Naru promise me one thing,” Itachi said still holding Naruto close to him.

“What is it Chi-kun,” Itachi looked at him with a raised eyebrow at hearing his apparently new
pet name. Naruto giggled innocently.

“Okay, make that two things to promise,” Itachi said half jokingly.

“But seriously, promise me you won’t hide your scars from me anymore. They are a part of
you,” Naruto nodded. Itachi gave Naruto a soft peck on his lips, then continued to kiss each
whisker. They hugged a little, when suddenly a loud roar was emitted for Naruto’s stomach.

“I guess we should make breakfast,” Itachi said with a smirk, Naruto just grinned sheepishly.

“Oh Chi-kun, I wanted to go to the orphanage today, spend some time with Hiroki. I was
wondering if you would like to come with me,” the blonde looked at his boyfriend expectantly.

“Sure koishii. I would love too,” Naruto gave Itachi a bright smile and kissed him.

“But would you mind if I met you there, I’d like to go home and change clothes,” Itachi said
chuckling at the blonde’s enthusiasm.

“Sure, you want to go now, or do you want to have breakfast first?” Naruto asked.

“How could I resist when you’re offering to make me breakfast,” Itachi teased his blonde.

Itachi got up to put on his clothes from yesterday. Naruto looked him over gasping at the sight
and almost had a nosebleed. Itachi saw the look on Naruto’s face from the corner of his eyes
and smirked.

He finished dressing, leaving a very disappointed Naruto on the bed.

“Naru, does Hiroki know of your scars?” Itachi looked over at him.

“I told him about them, but never showed them,” the blonde said honestly.

“Why don’t you show them today, it’ll save you the trouble of concealing and you already know
I don’t care,” Itachi shrugged.

“Okay I will, I don’t care either as long as you’re with me,” Naruto walked over and hugged the
now fully dressed Itachi.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They met up at the orphanage. Itachi had taken a shower at home and changed into a pair of
jeans, on top a light grey sweater. His hair hung loosely over his shoulders.

Naruto was already waiting for him at the entrance. He was wearing a pair of black cargo’s with
a light blue long sleeve shirt, wearing the sleeves on three quarter of his arm.

Itachi spotted him waiting and leisurely walked over to him. He gave Naruto a little peck on his
lips. They walked in together and were greeted by a surprised Iruka.

“Hello Naruto, what a pleasant surprise. Are you here to visit Hiroki?” Iruka asked.

“Hey Iruka-sensei. Yes we are here to see Hiroki. If that’s okay?” Naruto asked, looking at Iruka
hoping it would be alright.

“That would be just fine Naruto. And who is your friend?” Iruka asked with a very serious
expression, but chuckling inwardly, cause he could guess who he was.

Itachi took a step forward and put out his hand towards Iruka. “Hello, I’m Uchiha Itachi,
Naruto’s boyfriend. Nice to meet you,” the older man took the offered hand and shook it.

“Hello, I’m Umino Iruka, Naruto’s former teacher. Nice to meet you too,” Iruka said chuckling at
seeing Naruto avert his eyes slightly blushing.

“I’ll go and get Hiroki for you. Should I bring him to the music room or do you want to sit
somewhere else?”

“Why don’t we go for an ice-cream?” Itachi suggested.

“Eeh I don’t think that will be a good idea. Hiroki is still very insecure about his scars,” Naruto said,
thinking of an alternative. “Well we could go to the gazebo. It’s usually very quiet there,”
Naruto thought out loud.

“Sounds like a great idea. I’ll bring him to you then. Oh and I’ll bring you some refreshments as
well.” Iruka said smiling softly.

Naruto and Itachi walked outside into the garden where in the outmost corner was a reasonable
sized gazebo. They walked in and took a seat next to each other. Naruto was fidgeting with the
hem of his shirt while Itachi just sat back, waiting for what was to come.

Naruto saw Iruka and Hiroki approaching. When the boy saw the blonde he ran towards him,
throwing himself in the man’s arms. Naruto hugged him tightly. When he released the boy from
his hug he turned towards Itachi.

It was a good thing that Uchiha’s were so good at hiding there reactions, cause if it would have
showed the boy would have probably felt embarrassed. Itachi was shocked to the core by what
he saw. Naruto had told him about Hiroki’s scars, but this was beyond imagination.

“Hiroki, this is my boyfriend Itachi,” Naruto introduced him. Hiroki was blushing lightly and tried
to hide himself behind Naruto’s legs.

Itachi crouched down so he was at eye level with the boy. He put out his hand and said; “Hello
Hiroki, Naruto has told me many wonderful things about you. So I am glad to finally meet you,”
Itachi kept his hand out for the boy to take. After a few moments Hiroki took the appendage
hesitantly. Naruto smiled softly at the two people he cared so much for.

Iruka stood outside the gazebo watching the introduction. He too smiled softly at the scene in
front of him. He walked in and put the tray with lemonade and cookies on the little table. “Well,
I’ll be inside if you need anything, just let me know,” he turned around and walked back to the
building.

They sat down, Naruto and Itachi next to each other and Hiroki sat opposite to them. Naruto
poured drinks for them all and offered them a cookie. They sat in silence for awhile, just
enjoying their lemonade and cookies.

After finishing his drink Hiroki asked in some kind of sign language—which Naruto understood
perfectly, because he and Hiroki had invented it—if Naruto had brought along his violin.

“Sorry kiddo, not this time,” Naruto answered.

The seven year old turned to Itachi and asked him in the way if he played any instrument.

“I’m sorry Hiroki, I don’t quite understand you. Maybe you can write it in my hand. I know it will
take a bit longer, but I think I’ll understand you better that way,” Itachi replied.

Naruto held his breath in anticipation of Hiroki’s reaction. He hoped the boy didn’t felt hurt
because of Itachi’s blunt remark. He watched in amazement as the boy nodded solemnly and
walked over to Itachi and started to write the question in his hand.

After he was finished Itachi answered; “When I was younger I played the piano, but is has been
a long time since I played.”

Hiroki nodded his head to show he understood.

They sat and talked for a bit more, when Naruto got a mischievous glint in his eyes. He leaned
over to Hiroki and whispered something in his ear. Itachi was watching the two of them with a
bit of suspicion.

Suddenly he ticked Itachi on his shoulder jumping up together with Hiroki and yelled; “Tag, your
it.” Naruto and Hiroki ran out of the gazebo and it took Itachi less than five seconds to jump up
and start running after them.

Naruto was laughing and the child with him was grinning. Itachi tagged Naruto, who in turn ran
after Hiroki. Naruto was running away from Hiroki, but wasn’t watching were he was going and
bumped into Itachi, they both fell on the ground. Naruto was grumbling when he suddenly
heard laughing and it wasn’t Itachi.

He looked up and saw Hiroki was laughing, with sound. “Itachi, he’s laughing. He is actually
laughing,” Naruto said stunned. The child’s laugh was beautiful to Naruto, because he knew that
this was the first time in almost 4 years that the boy actually made a sound.

“You better stop laughing and start running Hiroki since you’re still it,” Itachi said smirking. He
got up and started jogging away. Upon seeing the glint in Hiroki’s eyes Naruto eeped and
jumped up running away. Still grinning Hiroki set pursuit after them. He finally caught Itachi,
who had let himself get caught by the boy.

Naruto jogged up to them. “So anyone for another round of lemonade and cookies?” he asked
grinning. They walked back into the gazebo and Itachi refilled their glasses, while Naruto offered
the cookies.

When Naruto and Itachi were seated again, Hiroki surprised them both by climbing on Itachi’s
lap. He snuggled close to him and rested his head on his shoulder. Itachi put his arm around the
boy supporting his back. The boy’s legs were on Naruto’s lap, who gently rubbed one of them.
After a while both Naruto and Hiroki had fallen asleep, with Hiroki still on Itachi’s lap and Naruto
snuggled to his side, head resting on his other shoulder. Itachi put his other arm around
Naruto’s shoulders, pulling him closer.

That is how Iruka found them, his two boys sound asleep in the arms of this amazing man. He
would have never guessed that Hiroki would so quickly get comfortable around someone like
Itachi, but then again, being so close with Naruto could do wonders.

“Should I take Hiroki to his room?” Iruka asked. He didn’t want to burden Itachi too much.

“No, that’s okay. I’ll wake them up in a bit and then take the boys to dinner,” Itachi replied.

“I don’t know if that is a wise idea.” Iruka was worried about the boy’s reaction to going outside
the orphanage.

“Don’t worry Iruka-san. I was supposed to have dinner at home with Naruto and my otouto. I’ll
just call for my car to pick us up right outside and he won’t have to cross the street,” Itachi
assured him. Iruka nodded hesitantly. “What time should he be back here?” Itachi felt Naruto
shift, signaling to the raven that he was awake.

“He could sleep over at my place, then I could bring him back tomorrow afternoon. If that’s
alright with you Iruka-sensei,” Naruto suggested.

Iruka thought for a moment. “Okay, he can go with you,” he said finally.

“I will call Sasuke to let him know we’ll be having another guest for dinner and ask him if he
could send the car to come and pick us in an hour,” Itachi gently put Hiroki on Naruto’s lap and
walked away to make the call.

Iruka sat down next to Naruto and the sleeping boy. “It seems you found yourself a keeper,
Naruto,” Iruka said smiling softly at him.

“Yeah he is a really wonderful man,” Naruto smiled gently watching his boyfriend talking on the phone.

“He must be, if you’re willing to show him your scars like that,” Iruka replied.

Naruto told him of the events since last night.

“Hello otouto. I wanted to ask you if you could inform the cook that another guest will join us
for dinner. The boy’s name is Hiroki,” Itachi told Sasuke about the boy and about his appearance.

“Sasuke could you also send the car to come and get us at the orphanage in an hour. Thank you.
I will see you then. Bye,” after finishing the phone call, he walked back to the gazebo.

Itachi took Hiroki back in his arms, afraid that the boy would panic if he woke up in someone
else his arms. Somehow this little boy had stolen his heart in just the couple of hours he had
spent with him. ‘I think it is because he and Naruto seem to belong with each other. It’s like you
can’t love one without the other,’ he mused.

Naruto and Iruka were still in a whispered conversation, when Itachi felt the boy rouse in his
arms. He started tossing his head from side to side and began to kick around him. Iruka noticed
too. He wanted to jump up and grab the boy from Itachi, but Naruto stopped him. “Let him
handle this. I get the feeling that somehow Itachi is the only one who can comfort him now,”
Naruto whispered to him.

Itachi tightened his grip around the boy and started to whisper soft words of comfort in his ear,
rocking him in his arms. Slowly the boy calmed down in his arms. He woke up, looking Itachi
straight in his eyes and started crying and sobbing uncontrollably, wrapping his arms around
Itachi’s neck. Itachi kept soothing and rocking him, stroking his hair. “Ssshhh It was only a
nightmare. It’s okay Hiroki. It’s okay. Naruto and I are here.”

Naruto was sitting next to them and rubbed the boy’s back soothingly. Iruka watched in
amazement how they looked like a real family sitting like that.

Hiroki calmed down with the gentle comfort provided by the two men. Itachi stopped rocking,
but kept petting the boy’s hair. Itachi looked at Naruto and his breath caught seeing the loving
look he was sending to both him and Hiroki.

He knew that this moment was burned in his memory. These we’re the people he wanted to
spend the rest of his life with. Not too long ago these kind of thought would have scared him to
death, but not anymore.

“Hiroki, Naruto and I are supposed to have dinner with my younger brother, would you like to
come?” Itachi had decided to ask the child to dinner, because he didn’t want to force it on him
after what just happened.

Hiroki looked at him with a little panic in his eyes. “Don’t worry, the car will pick us up right in
front of the orphanage and you won’t have to get out until we are at my home. And if you like
you can spend the night with us,” Itachi said with a reassuring voice.

Hiroki bowed his head thinking over the idea. He took Itachi’s hand and started writing. After he
was finished Itachi started chuckling. “Sure, we’ll have a slumber party with the four of us,” then
he loudly whispered; “But don’t tell Iruka-sensei or he’ll get mad at us for staying up late and
having all kinds of snacks,” Itachi winked at the boy, Naruto started snickering, Iruka pretended
he didn’t hear what Itachi had said, stifling his laugh and Hiroki was giggling.

“Well Hiroki, we better get you cleaned up for your dinner date. It’s bad manners showing up in
clothing full of grass stains and we should pack you some things for your sleep over,” Iruka said.
Hiroki got of Itachi’s lap and grabbed Iruka’s hand walking off to the building.

The blonde snuggled close to Itachi and looked at him with all the love and admiration
he felt for him. “That was amazing Chi-kun. You would make a great father someday. Maybe even to
him,” Naruto said.

“Koishii, I think I understand what you meant when you told me what you felt for Hiroki. I want
to protect him and love him,” Itachi said smiling softly to him.

When Hiroki and Iruka came back, they were accompanied by the head of the orphanage, Tsunade.

Naruto jumped up and almost hugged the woman to death. “Tsunade baa-chan how are you.
I’m so happy to see you,” Naruto released her from his death grip.

“Hey gaki, I’m happy to see you too. And what is this I hear about you having a boyfriend,” she
said with a mock stern face.

“This is Uchiha Itachi, my boyfriend. Itachi this is Tsunade baa-chan the head of the orphanage,”
Naruto rubbed his abused head after the knock Tsunade gave him.

Itachi put out his hand and she accepted. “Nice to meet you,” Itachi said politely.

“I hear you are having a sleepover with these to gakis,” Tsunade said grinning at the indignant
face Naruto and Hiroki made at her.

“Yes I am,” he said smirking.

“Then I will wish you the best of luck, you’ll have your hands full with those two,” Itachi, Iruka
and Tsunade started chuckling at hearing the little hmpf from Hiroki and the indignant squawk
of Naruto.

“Behave your self, both of you,” Tsunade said giving first Hiroki and then Naruto a hug.

“We will,” Naruto promised while Hiroki nodded his head in agreement to Naruto’s words.

A boy came running telling them the car had arrived. They said goodbye to Tsunade and Iruka.
Walking away Hiroki took both Naruto’s and Itachi’s hands.

“They really look good together like that, don’t they,” Tsunade whispered to Iruka, who only
nodded his consent.

The three walked to the car and left for the Uchiha estate.


TBC