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No Goodbyes	By : Lanie12777 Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1667 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any money off this story.

Chapter List
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Thank you so much to Ladydeath, dar, Zimmrie Kanoah and JtheChosen1 for your reviews. I‘m glad you guys like the story!:D

Chapter 2

I had to force myself not to slam my front door closed as I arrived home. I'm pretty sure my neighbors wouldn't have appreciated the noise. But like a five-year-old child I wanted to slam and pound the door until I felt better, even if only for a brief moment. At that second I didn't know who I was more angry at, Pein or Itachi. I mean Pein knew how I felt, the least he could have done was warn me about Itachi being there. He is so getting his ass kicked the next time I see him.

My earlier fatigue was rearing its ugly head, and I dropped onto my couch wearily with a groan, my head tilting back to stare up at the ceiling. Going to that party had been a big mistake, and I wish I'd listened to that part of my brain that had told me exactly that.

What the hell was Itachi thinking? Did he think I'd simply fall back into his arms just because he returned home? Even if I hadn't been so damned pissed off about him leaving without a word, the fact that his wife was at the party while he dragged me alone into an office would have set me off.

Sighing, I sat up on my slightly worn brown couch. My apartment wasn't anything grand, just a plain two bedroom, one bath. I'd had to adjust from living in a large 3,000-square foot space to a 600-square foot apartment. Sure, it wasn't fancy or elegant like the condo Itachi and I had shared, but it was livable (and affordable). The walls were a dull cream – I'm betting that at one time they were white – and a thin beige carpet lined the floor all the way to the border of the small kitchen. The only reason I hadn't painted the apartment is because I don't own it, and the landlord would have a shitfit if I did. I'd had to buy used furniture when I moved out of the condo, and that had taken what little money I'd been able to save up apart from the rent. I had just enough room to put a couch, a pretty nice solid oak coffee table, my favorite blue recliner from home (Itachi had called it an eyesore, but no way in hell was I parting with it), and a 20-inch TV on a tiny stand.

The kitchen area was a small section at the far end of the apartment. It had an old electric stove that had seen better days, a refrigerator that wasn't much better, and maybe four feet total of counter space. A dishwasher was placed just to the left of the sink, though it didn't work worth a crap. The counters themselves were an awful shade of avocado green, the Formica material peeling at several spots, and the cabinets a hideously stained dark wood. The floor was an ugly yellow and white tile; I'm pretty sure the kitchen had been remodeled in the seventies, as the colors were all the rage back then. I had enough space to put a small round table with two chairs at the corner of the room, right in front of the large window overlooking the street down below. The only truly good thing I found in the apartment was I had a small laundry room just off the bathroom; my parents had given me a stackable washer and dryer as a gift when I moved in. I was lucky; of all the places I'd looked at, this had been the only building equipped with a washer and dryer hook-up instead of having to share a laundry room with the entire building.

My bathroom was quite small, the floor done in the same god-awful tile as the kitchen. There was no tub, only a shower stall barely big enough to fit me. The tile on the wall was a nice white, the only pleasing thing about the bathroom. The sink and toilet were off-white, and what counter there was around the sink was in a faux marble of more yellow and white.

My bedroom wasn't much better than the living room. Again the walls were that dingy cream, and the carpet not as thin. I'd bought a double-sized bed, and it took up most of the room. I had just enough room to put a chest of drawers and a night table. My closet was small, but luckily I didn't own a lot of clothes. I remember Itachi had a walk-in closet full of clothes and shoes, and I used to shake my head at the absolutely huge quantity of suits and shoes he had accumulated. Personally I couldn't fathom even wanting to own that many clothes.

The second bedroom I used for in case I had guests over, namely my parents. I had room for a futon and a dresser, and the closet was even smaller than my own.

I glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was only a little past nine o'clock. My stomach had started growling in hunger; I hadn't eaten since that morning. I dragged myself to my feet and walked to the refrigerator, reaching in to pull out a plastic container of leftover spaghetti I'd made yesterday. My fridge was getting pretty sparse; I need to go to the grocery store. I made a mental note to go after work tomorrow.

As I heated up the food in my little microwave (I had to get the smallest one they had due to lack of counter space), I couldn't help but think about the time I had with Itachi. I remember the first time I saw him. I was working at the café as a waiter, I'd only been there for about a month, when he walked in. He'd been wearing a dark blue suit that showed off his pale skin and dark hair. I'd nearly drooled when his eyes met mine. I had been out for about a year, and both my parents knew and supported me. My mother had told me as long as I was happy, she didn't care. My dad wasn't too happy at first, but like my mom he wanted me to be happy.

I'd been serving a woman her lunch platter when he sat down in my section. There was me and two other waiters, and we each had our own part of the café to work. I can remember so distinctly walking up to him and asking him what he'd like, and the way he'd appraised me as I stood there in my uniform of black pants and white button-up shirt, notepad in hand and awaiting his order.

"Just a plain black coffee, no sugar," his voice had been so deep. I recall how his eyes watched my every movement as I took orders from other patrons, almost predatorily. He'd remained in the shop for almost half an hour before asking me out. I'd blushed like a schoolgirl, stammering out an excuse for not accepting. "I'm sorry, I-I have a lot of studying to do, and I have an exam on Friday-" I would have likely kept going on, but he waved me off with a little smile before paying for his coffee and leaving. I had watched him go, feeling bewildered that he'd actually asked me out. I'd wanted to say yes, but for some reason I held myself back. Nerves maybe? But he came back the next day, and every day after for three weeks until I finally caved and said yes.

Itachi had been the first boyfriend I had, and because of that we took our relationship slow. We didn't even have sex until nearly a year after our first date (he was my first, of course), and I moved in with him a few weeks later. He'd come to my apartment that I'd been sharing with another student, and taken me to a building his family owned in the center of town. It wasn't until I was walking through the condo and answering his questions about whether or not I liked it, or if it was too far from campus, that he finally told me it was for us. I don't think I quite knew what to say at that exact moment, but seeing how earnest he was as he waited for my answer snapped me out of my daze, and with another glance around I gazed at him and smiled. I mean, he pretty much knew what my answer would be. We were moved in by the end of that week, and I have to say it was the happiest two years of my life. Too bad it had to come crashing down around me.

The beep of the microwave brought me out of my memories, and opening the appliance I pulled out my plate of spaghetti and sat at my table to eat. My cell rang just as I finished the last bite, and hurrying to grab it out of my jacket pocket I checked the caller I.D. Seeing Pein's name on the screen, I hit 'ignore' and turned the phone off, setting it on its charger. I washed and rinsed the plate, placing it in the dish drain before heading to my bedroom. I picked out a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt for bed, throwing my pants and top in the hamper next to the door as I shut the light off and slid into bed. As much as I fought it, the last thing I thought of before sleep claimed me was Itachi.

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The next day went by slowly, the lunch hour being the busiest time of the day. I'd been fearing that Itachi would show up, but so far no sign of him. I was thankful; I just couldn't handle seeing him right now, if ever really. I was in the office getting ready to leave for the day when Travis, one of the new waiters, came to the door.

"Hey Naruto, there's somebody here to see you," he told me. My stomach instantly tightened into knots; please don't let it be Itachi. I thanked him and closed the office door behind me, walking slowly to the front of the café. It was a nice size, with square wood-topped iron tables and matching chairs. The entire front and side was plate-glass windows, letting in a good amount of sunlight and showing the view of the various trees and potted plants in the cobbled courtyard before the entrance. The floor was a simple white marble that the previous owner had put in. I thought it was a bit ritzy for a café, but it was beautiful when the sun shone on it and made it seem to almost glow. My breath whooshed out of me in relief when I saw not Itachi, but Sasuke and Sakura waiting for me. I'd know that head of pink hair anywhere, and Sasuke's hairdo was pretty distinct as well.

Sakura noticed me first, and a smile lit up her face. Sasuke was silent, while Sakura was waving me over to the table. Knowing how stubborn she can be, I gave in and headed over to them. Sakura smiled at me across the table from her seat next to Sasuke, while the raven nodded to me. Sasuke and I are complete opposites; I can be loud and hyper at times, and he constantly broods and barely talks. But for some reason ever since we met right after I began dating Itachi, we became good friends. And it was because of me that he met Sakura, who is now his fiancé.

Sakura and I had known each other in middle and high school; she was the sister I never had. She had been almost my protector in school from bullies who had liked to pick on me, seeing me as an easy target since I was always smaller than the other boys. She was the one girl no one wanted to piss off; her temper was well-known back then, and as several boys had found out, she had one hell of a punch. We'd both attended college together, and I'd set her up with Sasuke; the both of them had come on a double date with me and Itachi. I think the main reason Sasuke had hit it off with her so well was because she wasn't like the other girls he'd dated; she didn't care about him being an Uchiha, and she didn't fawn over him. She wasn't afraid to voice her opinion, and if need be she stood up to him. Personally I thought they were a perfect match.

"Naruto, I am so sorry; I had no idea you were going to be there last night. I would have warned you that Itachi would be there if I had," Sakura's soft voice floated across the table. Her jade green eyes were filled with concern and sadness for me.

"I know. But I couldn't avoid him forever, could I?" I tried to shrug it off, but both of them could tell I was more upset than I let on. I slapped on a fake smile, not wanting them to worry about me.

"Look, I'm alright. It was just such a shock to come face to face with him is all. I'll be fine." Neither one looked convinced, but Sakura let the subject drop.

"So what are you guys doing here?" I asked them. Not like I couldn't guess, after the fiasco last night.

"We just wanted to tell you that Itachi is getting divorced." Surprisingly it was Sasuke who spoke. My heart skipped a beat when I heard what he said, but I chased the feeling away as a frown quickly appeared on my face. "How do you know that?" Not like it really changed things; I meant what I said to Itachi last night.

It was Sakura who spoke up. "After you left last night, Itachi was there for maybe five minutes before he left also. I stayed over at Sasuke's last night – he lives in the apartment next to Itachi's – and we could hear him and Karin fighting nearly all night long. When we got up this morning, her stuff was in the hallway, and she was ranting and yelling about not granting him a divorce."

I sat back in shock. I honestly didn't know what to say. My mind was still digesting all the information I'd just learned when Sasuke spoke again. "They never slept together, Naruto."

My head jerked up. My mouth hung open, and I scrambled for something to say. "What?"

Sasuke nodded. "Itachi told me. My father doesn't know, but Itachi hasn't touched her. Their marriage isn't real. Itachi keeps up appearances in public, but they have separate bedrooms, which Karin isn't too happy about." Stunned, I just gazed at Sasuke. What he said next floored me completely.

"Itachi married Karin for me. My father was leaving the business to him, but Itachi could care less about it. He'd tried to convince my father to hand it over to me, but my father refused. The stipulation for Itachi becoming head of the company was he had to be married. He'd been groomed his whole life to inherit and continue the family line and take over the reins of the company, when it's not what he wants. He knows I love the company, and I was being overlooked by my father. So he decided to marry Karin and become CEO of Uchiha Corp., then as soon as my father retired he'd hand the company over to me and leave Karin. I had no idea what he was planning two years ago, or I would have stopped him. So it's my fault he left you."

I shook my head. I knew Sasuke had always been basically ignored by Fugaku, Itachi being the 'golden child'. Itachi had thought it unfair how his little brother was treated by their father simply because he was born second. I sighed. "No, it's not your fault, Sasuke. But as much as I can understand his reasons, he still could have told me he was leaving." I closed my eyes briefly; I could feel a headache coming on. "So why now? If he leaves Karin now then you'll lose the company."

Sasuke took a sip of his water; he and Sakura never did order anything. He met my stare straight on. "My father announced his retirement last month; his health has been in a bit of a decline the last few years, and Itachi had been pressuring him to sell all his stock of the company to him, which he did when he retired. That's why Itachi came back. He stayed away because he knew if he came back here he wouldn't be able to stay away from you. He just now has finished up the legal procedures to ensure my father can't take the company from me when he finds out Itachi is letting me have it; that's why he waited so long before ending his marriage to Karin."

Well shit. I didn't know what to say to that. I remember seeing a headline in one of the local papers showing a picture of Fugaku, but I'd had no idea what it said as I'd not bothered to pick it up. Seeing the name Uchiha had brought too many bittersweet memories.

"He still loves you, Naruto. He told Sasuke that he wants to be with you again." Sakura gazed at me, waiting for my reaction, but I was about to disappoint both her and Sasuke.

"This doesn't change anything. I can understand his reasoning, but the fact is he left me. No note, no phone call, nothing. I can't just overlook that because he's leaving his wife, or that he only married her to help you." Sasuke opened his mouth to argue, but I forestalled him with a palm raised.

"I know he's your brother, and you want to see him happy, but what about me? What happens next time there's another family crisis and I'm put on the backburner again? I can't go through this again. I'm sorry." I pushed my chair back and rose, avoiding their faces as I gathered up my keys and strode hurriedly out of the café. Sakura called out for me to wait, but I quickened my pace and headed for my apartment. I would just go grocery shopping later; all I wanted now was to get home. Why did it seem like my life just got more complicated?

~TBC~

**Horrible as it sounds, the description of the kitchen and bathroom colors was based off my last apartment. Even the refrigerator was that god-awful green!**
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No Goodbyes