Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Through New Eyes	By : Xiophelia Category: Naruto AU/AR > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1466 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do not make any money from this.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
Kisame was sauteing some vegetables on the stove while chicken breasts stuffed with cheese and marinated in herbs baked in the oven when Itachi walked in. He heard his friend pause upon entering the kitchen, but ignored him. Wheels turning in Itachi’s head could be heard from across the room.
“Don’t say anything,” growled Kisame as Itachi moved to take a seat at the island.
Itachi arched a brow. “I wasn’t going to say anything about your pink highlights. But, I will say it’s a good look for you.”
Kisame clenched the spoon in his hand. The temptation to chunk it in Itachi’s direction was nearly palpable. “Just shut up, Itachi or I’ll make you fend for yourself at meals.”
Itachi didn’t bother faking a hurt look. His lips merely quirked and he shrugged a shoulder. “At least Naruto is having fun.”
“I’ll let him have his fun for now.” Kisame grinned snarkily in Itachi’s direction. “He’ll pay for this eventually.”
“Oh, I’m sure he will.” Itachi plucked a raw mushroom from the counter and popped it into his mouth. “Dare I hope there is dessert?”
Kisame sent Itachi a glare. “Do I look like your personal chef?”
“Well, you do look good in an apron.” Itachi chuckled lightly before the smile faded from his lips. “Seriously, how was Naruto today.”
“His body is exhausted and malnourished...and he’s still mourning.”
Itachi stared down at his hands. “Some people never get over the loss of a lover.”
Kisame glanced at itachi. “I think he’ll move on eventually. He just needs the motivation.”
“What the hell do you suggest, speed dating? Sasuke hasn’t been dead that long.” Itachi slammed his hand on the island top. “He’s only been gone a year and a half.”
“Once his body is healed, his mind will follow. He’s young and the bodily urges will take over.” Kisame shrugged his wide shoulders. “He’ll start seeing people soon enough.”
Itachi frowned. “Care to wager on that?”
Kisame snorted loudly. “I barely have two quarters to rub together.”
A smile quirked up the corner of Itachi’s lips. “How about this, if Naruto is dating within the year, I’ll pay you five hundred thousand dollars.”
“And if he isn’t?”
“You work for me permanently...as my chef and bodyguard.”
The muscle in Kisame’s cheek jerked. He knew what Itachi was doing. It was a not so subtle offer for security regardless of the outcome. Either way, Kisame won, though he had a feeling even if he won the bet, he would still have a job with Itachi long after Naruto got on with his life.
“Deal.”
Itachi’s eyes twinkled. “Good, now go get Naruto. I’m hungry.”
Naruto warily made his way down the steps, it had been a while since he’d been seen and the smell of food was too tempting to resist. As he descended the stairs, he once again ran into Kisame. Blue eyes glared at the man as he smirked.
“Lemme guess, dinner is done and the watchdog was sent to fetch me?” He asked bitterly, annoyed with the fact that Itachi didn’t trust him enough to come to dinner on his own.
“Keep up that attitude, and I’ll make you live off of cold cereal, runt.” Kisame gave a teasing poke to Naruto’s shoulder. “And don’t think I haven’t forgot about that dye in my shampoo. You’re lucky I don’t throw you across my knees and spank you. God knows where you got the dye.”
The smile curled over Kisame’s lips, nearly morphing into a grin as he thought of the fun to be had with Naruto once he began training him. That pouting face was growing on him, though he had a feeling Naruto would look much better with a grin permanently plastered on his face. As he led him into the kitchen, Itachi was already spearing vegetables into his mouth with a satisfied look on his face.
“Couldn’t wait for us?” teased Kisame as he spooned a chicken breast onto a plate with some vegetables and setting it beside Itachi for Naruto before serving himself.
“I’m the boss here,” purred Itachi around a mouthful of dinner.
Kisame cut delicately into the breast. “So you say.”
“I can make my own plate,” Naruto grumbled as he sat down next to Itachi, poking the other in the arm. “And you’re so rude ‘tachi! You could have waited on us! Whatever ever happened to those Uchiha manners?”
Naruto grinned as he took a small bite out of the chicken, again Kisame’s cooking astounded him as he chewed. He let a little moan escape his lips after he had swallowed. “Can we lock him up in the basement so no one else can steal him?”
“That’s the plan if he threatens to leave,” said Itachi blandly. “I let him escape once into the military, I’m keeping him this time.”
“I did not escape. I was simply looking for a career.” Kisame glared at Itachi over the rim of his glass. “And you should thank my travels. They exposed me to more styles of cooking.”
Naruto watched the banter with a curious gaze, if he hadn’t known better he could have sworn the two were a couple. He shook the thoughts from his head as he thought about what sort of trouble he could cause with Kisame this time around. He took a drink of his water as he plotted, not realizing that there were two sets of eyes watching him. Naruto could bring up the fact that Kisame had admitted to a sexual relationship with Itachi, but didn’t know what the outcome would be. It could backfire and land him into deep shit. But, the amusement factor would be so worth it.
Naruto was about to open his mouth, but a large hand, darker than his own, covered his mouth. Blue eyes glared at the man who had dared to silence him. But Kisame wasn’t amused in the least if the expression on his face was anything to go by.
“Whatever is going through your mind on the way to your mouth stops here,” growled Kisame. “Dinner is not the place for crudeness. I haven’t known you for long, but I know well that gleam in your eye.”
Itachi lowered his fork and walked to the sink with his plate. “I’m going to go make a few phone calls. Try to get along.”
When Itachi left the room, Kisame pulled his hand from Naruto’s face. His gaze drifted over the tan skin, scarred cheeks, and back up to blue eyes. It was good to see the eyes more alive than they previously had been.
Naruto stuck his tongue out at Kisame, he knew the act was childish, but he couldn’t help himself. “Too bad you didn’t go to high school with me, lunch was always filled with crudeness.”
A mischievous wink was added onto the statement as Naruto smiled. He went back to eating his food, though he mostly played with it. He was hungry, but knew that only about half of this would fill him up.
A thickness hung in the air around them. Kisame rested his chin on his fist and stared at Naruto. “Something on your mind?”
“Can we go to my apartment after dinner?” Naruto asked, his gaze still fixed on his plate. “I need to get a few things...”
Kisame narrowed his eyes at Naruto’s seemingly innocent question. “I suppose as long as I’m with you. No funny business though. I don’t think I could take something weird happening like waking up tomorrow dressed in a clown suit with a tattoo of a naked woman on my ass.”
“Heh,” Naruto smiled amused, the action lighting his face up. “I didn’t think of that, but it’s not my style. I wouldn’t have a naked woman tattooed on your ass, it’d be my face. And no funny business, but you can’t enter my apartment.”
Naruto didn’t want Kisame to see his apartment, only to have the state of it reported to Itachi. The man had enough on his plate as it was and didn’t need his own problems added.
The smile dropped from Kisame’s face. “I don’t know much about you, but if you’ve got a stash of drugs at your apartment, I’m not putting my ass in Itachi’s crosshairs.”
Kisame watched Naruto give a small laugh. “I’m not joking. I’ll give you a full body search if I think for even an instant you’re getting shit to get high on. Besides, I don’t want to see you hurt. You’re a good kid.”
“You think I’m on drugs? I hate to tell ya, I hate them and don’t go near them. One of the kids in the old gang died from an overdose,” Naruto shuddered as he remembered that time. “I don’t want anything to do with them...even if I were suicidal. Itachi may think I’m dumb at times, but I know what goes on in that head of his...well kinda. But the point is, I don’t wanna die and have Sasuke kick my ass for something that stupid.”
Naruto wasn’t suicidal. Kisame agreed with that. He was depressed, desperately so, but not to the point of suicide and so far, he wasn’t displaying any signs of being a drug addict. “Alright, runt, I’ll take your word on it. I’ll wait outside the door, but one squeak from you, and I’m coming inside regardless of whether you want me to or not. Do we have an agreement?”
“If you don’t report what you see to Itachi,” Naruto said gravely. If Kisame didn’t agree with him, he would sneak out of the house later that night and get what he needed, mainly Sasuke’s cell phone. He had left it off the charger and it was dead now, just like his lover. He wasn’t able to hear the soothing voice that got him through most days and helped him fall asleep. Naruto had always been a cuddler, even back in his days on the streets. Kurama had spoiled him by letting Naruto curl up next to him no matter what. Now that Sasuke was dead, the next best thing was the cell phone.
“Fine.” Kisame felt a tendril of worry work through his gut. Whatever Naruto had in the apartment was obviously something Itachi would not like. He did not know what was so bad that Itachi could not be told, but he would keep anything he might see from Itachi unless it was something that could cause bodily harm to Naruto.
“I’ll do the dishes, you go grab your shoes. We should go while Itachi is busy with business.”
Naruto nodded as he went to grab his shoes, looking at them now he made a note to ask Kisame if they could stop by a shoe store. He needed a new pair since his were practically falling apart. It didn’t matter that they came from Sasuke, their time was over and he needed a new pair.
A part of him lifted at the realization, it was amazing what a simple pair of shoes could make one realize in an instant. With a sincere smile on his face, he put his shoes on. He couldn’t say for certain that he’d be okay, but it would be foolish to continue on the path he was on. Naruto would take baby steps and then maybe one day the hurt wouldn’t be as bad.
***
Naruto and Kisame turned down a street composed of several apartment buildings. The neighborhood was a nice one, Sasuke had made sure of that when they had started looking for apartments. It was a nice place that had nineteen twenties architecture and a few wrought iron balconies. Naruto had been ecstatic when they had managed to snag one. He suspected that Sasuke might have called in a favor with Itachi, but could never prove it.
“This is the place,” he said to Kisame as the other pulled into a designated parking space.
“Not bad,” drawled Kisame as he stepped from the car he was driving.
It wasn’t like he expected Naruto to live in a dangerous place. Itachi would not have ever allowed his brother to live in some place he wasn’t fully certain he would be safe and since the apartment was one Naruto had shared with Sasuke, it was certain the neighborhood was decent enough to pass Itachi’s stringent eye.
“The architecture is interesting. “ Kisame rubbed his jaw. “I’ll wait outside the front door. Take your time, but remember, one squeak, and I’m busting in.”
“Yeah,” Naruto grumbled as they got out of the car. “I know, I know.”
The trek up to the apartment was silent and Naruto pinned Kisame with a glare as he entered his apartment. He quickly turned the lights on and began to search for the phone. After a few minutes, it was still missing and he couldn’t remember where he put it.
Not watching where he was going, Naruto tripped over one of Sasuke’s shoes and went crashing to the floor, a string of curses flowing from his mouth as he fell and hit the floor with a very loud thud. He sat up and tried to move his ankle, but pain laced through his leg.
“Fuck!” He yelled, frustrated at his predicament.
Kisame didn’t wait for an invitation. Naruto had left the door unlocked, so Kisame walked right in. At first, he simply walked through the apartment in search of Naruto. He stuck his head into the first room he came to, which it turned out was a small office. He frowned when he saw the spread of papers across the desk and a few crumpled bits scattered around a trash can. Shrugging, he moved deeper into the apartment and stuck his head in the kitchen. A newspaper was folded on the table beside a blue coffee cup. The scene would not have bothered him so much if the date on the paper had not jumped out at him, being over a year old.
“Oh fuck.” His gaze darted around the apartment. “Poor kid.”
He understood why Naruto was so adamant about Itachi not knowing what was in the apartment. It was a response to grief he had heard of before. Everything was held in a sort of stasis just as how Sasuke left it. It was heartbreaking to see. “Naruto, where are you?”
“In the hallway!” Naruto called, staying still and not jarring his ankle. He didn’t know if it was just sprained or broken and didn’t want to risk anything by moving it. He heard Kisame move throughout the apartment and Naruto’s cheeks lit up in shame. He could just imagine what was running through Kisame’s mind as he trekked through the apartment, seeing how everything was left where it was since before Sasuke’s death.
When Kisame entered the hall, Naruto looked up to him with sad blue eyes. “Help?”
“You’re hopeless,” grumbled Kisame, compassion tinting his voice.
Kisame knelt beside Naruto and gently prodded the already swelling ankle. He kept his touch as light as possible, glad for the extensive first aid training he had. “It’s not broken, probably just sprained which does not require a trip to the hospital. I think you’ve had enough of those and god forbid Itachi hear that I let you get hurt.”
He sat back on his haunches and stared at Naruto sitting on the floor almost numbly. Compassion roiled through him at the desolate expression mixed liberally with embarrassment displayed on Naruto’s face. The man was still hurting emotionally and unable to relinquish what little hold he had on his dead lover.
Placing a hand on Naruto’s shoulder, Kisame gave the flesh a small squeeze. “We’ll just keep this between you and me, just as I promised. Now tell me what you are so determined to find so we can get you home.”
“Sasuke’s cell phone...I can’t fall asleep by myself anymore...” Blue eyes glanced to the side as Naruto worried his lower lip. “I...I used to be alright with the body pillow...but it didn’t have arms. So...I use Sasuke’s cell phone, I keep it charged at all times to call it at night.”
Kisame sighed and tugged Naruto to his feet. Half carrying him, he took him into the bedroom and settled him on a chair before moving around the room in a sweeping motion. He could feel Naruto’s eyes on him, and was careful to disturb as little as possible. Lifting up the corner of the bed comforter that had gotten pushed over to one side, he peered under the bed.
There, hiding against the wall was a small black phone. Kisame said nothing as he grabbed the device. It was Naruto’s business if he wanted to keep the phone active so to continue hearing his dead lover’s voice. There were worse ways to mourn for a loved one.
“Here.” Kisame tossed the phone to Naruto and folded his arms across his chest to stare for a moment. “You shouldn’t walk on that ankle. Think you can hold onto me if I carry you out on my back?”
“Like a piggy-back? I guess that’d be okay,” Naruto answered as he tucked the cell phone into his pant pocket. “I warn you though, these weak, skinny arms might not work all that well. I’m so disgusting!”
“You’re not disgusting. You’re just overwhelmed by grief.”
Naruto fell back onto the bed and looked at the ceiling, he couldn’t bare to look at the photographs that lined the bedroom. They were of happier times when he was healthy and actually taking care of himself. He wondered who in the world would have him now when he healed from Sasuke’s death.
The thought startled him for a moment, for the longest time there had been no one for him but Sasuke. It had hurt losing his lover and best friend, so much that he thought that he would never get over it. But maybe if he had someone behind him, he could it.
“Kisame...” Naruto said as he sat up, determined blue eyes settling on the larger man. “I want to be healthy again.”
“Glad to hear it,” grunted Kisame as he pulled Naruto onto his back and wrapped his hands around his thighs to brace him. “It’s easier if you are willing.”
Kisame frowned at how light Naruto was. He wasn’t a small man, by any means, but he should have been carrying at least thirty more pounds for a start. Maybe having someone bear witness to his secret was enough of a push to send him onto the road to recovery.
“It may not be my place to say anything, but you should probably talk to Itachi some about his brother. He doesn’t show it, but he isn’t dealing with it any better than you. He’s just better at hiding it. Since you are the two people who were closest to him, it might do you both some good to talk about him. I’ve heard it helps.” Kisame braced Naruto with one hand while using the other to close and lock the door.
“I...don’t want to burden him,” Naruto sighed deeply, Kisame’s earthy scent filling his nose. “He’s done so much for me already, I couldn’t...”
Naruto had to admit that Kisame was strong, and found the big build of his body suited the man’s personality. But he still a few tricks up his sleeve and even if he liked Kisame, the man would be subjected to a few more pranks.
“Just think about it. You should know by now that Itachi isn’t the sort to show his feelings often, especially ones he has taken particular effort to hide.” Kisame walked out into the parking garage, earning some stares from several people. He lowered Naruto to the ground and retrieved the key from his pocket, using the small button on the attached remote to unlock the door before assisting him inside.
“You could talk to Itachi.”
Kisame heard the undertone in the statement and shook his head, grinning ruefully to himself. “Itachi and I haven’t been like that in a while. I consider him a friend, but I would never allow myself to pry into things he has pushed behind that particular curtain. That boat has long since sailed and I don’t plan on swimming after it. Some people are better friends than lovers.”
“If...I talk to Itachi...will you help me clear out my apartment? I want...to move on...Sasuke would be so mad at me if I don’t, but, I can’t do it alone. I don’t think I could bear it.” Naruto said as he snapped his belt buckle into place. “I want to surprise Itachi, do you think if I showed him that I’m healing, that it will help him?”
“Can’t really speak for Itachi, but if you start taking better care of yourself, I would imagine he would notice. It’s not easy to heal from losing someone. I can’t really say I’ve lost anyone close to me but my mother. It leaves a scar so I’m told. I doubt you’ll ever stop hurting to some degree, you’ll just learn not to fixate on the loss.” Kisame shot Naruto a grin. “I sound like a regular shrink. Maybe I should double bill Itachi for my offered services as a grief counselor.”
“I’m sure he’d love that,” Naruto answered rolling his eyes. “You dated Itachi, right? So tell me, what do giants look for in a potential partner? Smarmy rich guys with enough arrogance and attitude to control a country?”
Naruto didn’t know what possessed him to ask the question, but he wanted to know the answer. He was genuinely curious what made the other man break off the relationship with Itachi. They were striking together, their skin tones contrasting with one another. It made his heart ache just a little thinking of the comparison.
Kisame arched a brow. “I don’t really have partners. For a while, with the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell rule, it was simply easier to avoid relationships.”
He lifted a hand and scratched his chin thoughtfully. “I suppose I’m still a bit stuck in that military rut. If I had to describe a partner who would be more than a quick fuck, I’d say he would need to be energetic, because I have significant needs.”
A grin spread wide across Kisame’s face at the red blush tinting Naruto’s cheeks. “Well, you did ask.”
“I guess,” Naruto answered, his face still red. “But...what do you look for personality wise? I mean, yeah, energy is good. But there’s more to a person than that...”
“Someone who I wouldn’t get bored with and is healthy enough to have fun with.” Kisame had not really given much thought to partners, more so than that they were attractive enough to arouse him enough for the aforementioned quick fucks. He generally forgot their faces and names shortly afterward. “A sense of humor is always a good thing, preferably one that is not demented. What’s with the questions? If you’re thinking about setting me up, I’ll pass. I’m too old for blind dates.”
“No, it’s not that!” Naruto protested with a wave of his hand. “I’m just naturally curious about people. I like to get under their skin, Sasuke hated that!”
His grin was wide as Kisame rolled the windows down. The wind tousled his hair and Naruto reveled in the warm spring air. He was always a fan of the warm weather while Sasuke preferred the cold.
“Since you answered my questions, is there anything you want to ask me?”
Kisame bit back some of the questions pressing in his mind, choosing not to pry into the still very fragile Naruto. He might put on a brave face and claim to want to heal, but saying the words was not the same as living them. It would be better for him not to ask too much for a while. Keeping things light between them would promote a healthier environment.
“Well, since I’m tasked with getting you back to a healthier state, what is your favorite food. I’m fairly skilled in several types of food as long as the ingredients are available. If I can’t cook it, recipies are a mouse click away.”
“Well...I like ramen a lot. Sasuke used to bitch a lot about it,” Naruto admitted, easily distracted by the subject of food. “But I have guilty secret, I cheat on it with fried chicken. Well, sometimes anyway...”
He had never admitted his addiction to fried chicken to anyone before and it felt odd. It was almost as if Kisame had some special power to get you to admit your secrets. Turning suspicious blue eyes to Kisame, Naruto eyed the man up and down as if he could decipher the man.
“Did you interrogate people?” He asked, before his brain actually stepped in and filtered his mouth.
“Not recently.” Kisame shot Naruto a wink.
He turned the wheel and deftly positioned the car on the road towards Itachi’s obscenely large home. Though he maintained his friendly smile to Naruto, his heart shifted a little at the sight of wide blue eyes expressing upbeat emotions for the first time since meeting him. There were times shadows of those emotions made their way to the surface, but none like now when true emotion showed.
“I might be willing to fry you some chicken tomorrow,” he began slowly, enjoying the excited expression slowly spreading across Naruto’s face. “If you talk to Itachi some.”
“It’s a deal!” Naruto exclaimed with excitement. “If I could hug you right now I would!”
He couldn’t help the upbeat emotions that filled his core. It was something that Naruto missed greatly and he hadn’t even known he missed it. There was an easiness he felt with Kisame and it was something that blindsided him. His smile grew more as they pulled into the driveway and the car was parked.
Kisame pocketed the keys and moved around the car to scoop Naruto out of the passenger side before he could argue. “First thing is getting some ice for your ankle.”
He carried Naruto bridal style into the house and settled him in a chair at the kitchen table. His eyes shifted over Naruto’s leg to his ankle, narrowing at the swelling. With a gentle hand, he lifted the injured limb and placed it on another chair before moving to the freezer to remove some ice and place it in a plastic bag before grabbing a dish towel and rejoining Naruto.
“Keep this on your ankle.” Kisame rubbed his fingers over the bony ankle before placing the cloth wrapped ice on the injury. He gave a mental cringe at Naruto’s wince, slowly picking up the leg and sitting before putting it on his lap. Fingers calloused from years of hard labor in the military began massaging the bottom of Naruto’s foot, making sure to stroke firmly over the pressure points in hopes of easing the ache of the injury.
His gaze softened as Naruto relaxed into his touches. A small bit of warmth awoke in his chest. Suddenly, he wanted very much to continue touching Naruto. He wanted to protect him and heal him. It was a strange thought since healing others was generally not a strong trait. He was more adept at killing than healing, but seeing Naruto injured brought out a side of him he did not know he had.
“Well isn’t this sweet,” commented Itachi as he walked into the room. “You certainly move faster than I remember.”
Kisame narrowed his gaze at Itachi. His hair was loose from its normal queue and the shadows under his eyes denoted deep-set exhaustion. There were tight lines at his lips and a distinctive lack of emotion in his eyes.
“Don’t be snide, Itachi.”
“It’s my house.” Itachi moved from the doorway towards the cabinet where he removed a bottle of scotch.
Kisame was on his feet in an instant, carefully placing Naruto’s foot on his vacated chair before moving to grasp Itachi’s hand before he could pour the alcohol. “You don’t look like you should be drinking.”
“If I look like anything, then it means I definitely should be drinking.” Itachi moved to pull his hand from Kisame’s grip, only to have it tighten. “Let go or I’ll fire you.”
“No, you won’t.” Kisame pulled the bottle from Itachi’s hand. “You don’t drink hard spirits.”
Itachi narrowed his gaze. “Things change and I find myself really needing a drink tonight.”
Kisame shot a glance to Naruto before lowering his head to Itachi’s ear and whispering. “Don’t let your grief destroy you.”
“Itachi?” Naruto asked concerned from his seat. He had been enjoying Kisame’s magical hands on his foot and was sad that they were taken were away. He had never seen Itachi like this and it broke his heart. He hobbled down from his chair and limped over to the Uchiha.
“Please don’t, Itachi, I’m sorry I survived,” Naruto whispered as he looked to the floor, uncomfortable with the atmosphere in the room. “I regret that everyday, you would be much better off-”
Itachi’s eyes closed and his unbound hand shot out to latch onto Naruto’s shirt. “Stop. Sasuke would kill me if I let you finish that sentence.”
Kisame released Itachi’s arm and moved to wrap his hands around his waist, easily pulling him back to the table while sending Itachi a look meant to encourage him to follow. “I’ll leave you two to talk.”
“Kisame, can I get that massage later?” Naruto asked in a low voice, afraid that asking it was a little out of line. He had enjoyed it and the hands on his foot didn’t last all that long, he wanted more. Sure it made him a little greedy but he liked it and wanted more.
Itachi snorted and Kisame chuckled. “Anytime, runt.”
Staring at Kisame’s disappearing back, Itachi sighed before speaking. “I was looking for some files and found photo albums instead.”
He did not have to go into details for Naruto to understand. There was a distinct lack of anything personal in the entire house, including Itachi’s bedroom. Photos and albums were boxed up almost immediately after Sasuke’s death. It was Itachi’s only way to cope with the loss, to simply deny it to the near point of erasing Sasuke completely. The only kink in that came with Naruto, who was just as dear to him as Sasuke, making pushing aside thoughts of Sasuke difficult.
“What ones did you find? Sasuke would never let me see his baby pictures,” Naruto admitted as he tried to keep his weight off his foot. He would have sat down, but he needed help to do so. He had badgered Sasuke day and night to have a peek at the mentioned pictures, but Sasuke always found a way to distract him, more often than not it was in an not so innocent way.
“Pictures from when our parents were alive, long before you came into the picture.” Itachi tapped his fingers gently on his knee. “Would you like to see? Knowing you haven’t seen them makes me wish I had pulled them out before...”
Itachi stiffened slightly, the action nearly imperceivable. The words ‘before Sasuke died’, stuck in his throat. He was never one for not knowing what to say, but recent days had strained him thin. Finding the albums and being unable to stop himself from looking only acted as the catalyst for his pent of grief; grief he refused to acknowledge.
“I would love to,” Naruto answered quietly as he leaned against the table. “But I think Sasuke would haunt me if I took a peek. He said...he looked stupid as a child. And that he didn’t want my opinion of him to change. I told him he was just being a bastard.”
“Oh, I don’t know if stupid was the right word. I think it was more along the lines that he looked cute.” Itachi gave a small chuckle. “Downright adorable. I think he got it from our mother. He probably didn’t want to hear you gush over how cute he was. Women always did that, old or young didn’t matter. He always seemed to drown in their attention, first for being so cute and then for growing up handsome.”
Itachi’s hand clenched in the material of his trousers. He hadn’t realized he was talking about Sasuke until the words were already leaving his mouth. The marble he had encased himself in was cracking, small hairline fractures threatening the stability of his hard earned emotional protection.
“Itachi?” Naruto inquired with a worried tone as he watched the man he called brother tense again. “Did I do something wrong?”
Itachi shook his head and swallowed the lump in his throat. “Talking about Sasuke in the past tense...doesn’t feel right.”
“Yeah, I was still talking about him like he was here up until a few weeks ago,” Naruto admitted as he looked at the tiled floor. And it had been true, he had himself believing that Sasuke was still there with pillows and the phone. “I still call his cell phone, I haven’t shut it off.”
Running a hand through his hair, Itachi stared at Naruto. “I wonder what he would say if he saw us? We’re both broken without him and forced to try and pick up the pieces. I never thought I would be able to admit to just how fucked up his death made me. I probably would have kept on as things have been if I hadn’t found those damn pictures. Then, I had to go and look at them.”
He brought his hands to his face, quickly covering the gleam of tears in his eyes. Itachi never cried. He did not cry when the phone call came nor did he cry while helping Naruto arrange the funeral. The stringent Uchiha control was all he had and he had never allowed it to waver.
Until today.
“It’s okay to cry, ‘tachi.” Naruto whispered as if he had spoken louder would have spooked the older man. “It’s okay.”
Pain so sharp it almost felt real pierced Itachi’s chest at Naruto’s words. “It’s not alright,” he whispered. “It won’t ever be alright.”
Instantly, Itachi was on his feet and walking determinedly from the kitchen before Naruto could see the wetness staining his cheeks. He passed Kisame without a word where he stood leaning against the wall, far enough away to give them privacy in the kitchen but close enough should they need him.
Kisame opened his mouth to comment when Itachi’s glare gave him pause. The tear damp face was a strange look for Itachi. He wisely snapped his lips closed and nodded. Rome was not built in a day and hearts did not heal easily either. It was a start though.
Moving towards the kitchen as Itachi made his way upstairs, he stood looking down at Naruto. “Good job, runt. He needed that, whatever was said.”
“He..won’t hate me?” Naruto asked in a whisper as he turned big, sad blue eyes to Kisame before throwing himself into the larger man’s arms. “He’s the only one I have left who cares for me.”
“I don’t think anyone could hate you,” said Kisame. He brought his hand up and ruffled his fingers through Naruto’s hair. “Itachi is a strange one. He doesn’t grieve like normal people because of who he is. He loves deeply and losing his brother scarred him, but he loves you so I wouldn’t worry.”
Kisame felt a shiver run up the length of his spine as Naruto wrapped his arms around him and buried his face into his chest. He looked young and sad. Kisame wasn’t old by any means. He had a couple of years on him, but not enough to be considered old, yet Naruto’s eyes were wide and innocent.
A small trickle of attraction worked through Kisame at having those wide blue eyes turned on him along with thin arms wrapped around his middle. It shocked him almost to the point of drawing away from Naruto’s grip. If not for the near death grip around his waist, he might have.
The kid was barely coming to terms with his loss and Kisame was already unconsciously putting the moves on him. He felt slightly annoyed at himself for even thinking about Naruto in a less than innocent manner. Defusing the bomb was his first priority.
“Hey, runt, why don’t we get you upstairs and settled in bed. Rest will do you and your injury good.”
“Can I have another foot massage? That was really nice,” Naruto asked as he looked up with hope. He was going to point out the fact that he had dyed Kisame’s hair, but thought it best to let the subject lie. He couldn’t shake the feeling of those strong arms around him and he suddenly craved them again. “Where did you learn that?”
Kisame helped Naruto up the stairs towards his room. “When you’re in the military, you get more than your fair share of muscle sprains and such. Generally, it’s not enough to bother the medics with since they have their hands full. If you have a few friends, you learn to patch each other up. I’m glad to see I haven’t lost my charm.”
He settled Naruto on his bed and took the position at the foot with Naruto’s leg across his lap. Feeling the heat from the swelling, he began stroking the limb, starting just below the knee and then moving downward towards where the swelling was worse. He was careful not to prod the injured area overly much, instead moving towards the pressure points on Naruto’s foot. His fingers gave strong strokes to the arch of his foot and then to meaty flesh of the heel.
Biting the inside of his jaw, he tried to keep his mind from the idea that Naruto looked cute laying there with drowsy eyes. The last thing he needed was to come off as creepy to Naruto. A certain amount of trust was needed for when the actual defense training began.
Kisame cleared his throat and glanced up at Naruto. “I haven’t forgotten that I owe you some fried chicken. There was this guy in my squad. He was raised in Alabama and his mother taught him to make the most delicious fried chicken. I asked him to teach me and he agreed. It was a bad time and he said that he owed it to his mama to pass on the recipe in case the worst happened before he could have kids.”
“I’m glad he taught you,” Naruto said smiling. “Can I keep you? Your hands are amazing!”
Naruto was so tired that there wasn’t a filter between his brain and mouth. And when that happened, the strangest things came out of his mouth. He couldn’t help but relax further as Kisame worked his foot. Sasuke had never been this good at massages. They normally hurt and Naruto would try to hide his stress if his boyfriend had been around.
“You’re not as bad as I first thought,” he admitted candidly as he wiggled his toes.
“Neither are you, runt.” Kisame put aside Naruto’s foot. “I’m sure you and Itachi would have worked things out between you eventually, but I can’t say I’m not glad he called me all the same. It’s good to feel wanted again.”
“You’re smart,” Naruto said as his eyes started to droop just a little. He didn’t want to fall asleep alone again and he felt stupid for asking but he had to. “Can you stay until I fall asleep, Kisame?”
Kisame swallowed at the trusting gleam in Naruto’s eyes. “Sure. I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”
He sat on the edge of the bed, watching the slow rise and fall of Naruto’s chest. It seemed like forever before the movements evened out, showing Naruto’s descent into sleep. With a careful hand, he slowly drew the blanket over his body and moved silently from the room.
Lifting his hand to his chest, Kisame closed his eyes at the small warmth taking root. It had been a while since he had gotten close to anyone. There was always a risk when emotions were involved. It was harder to make necessary choices. Naruto was quickly and easily worming his way in without even consciously trying.
He feared for his heart if he continued as he was. Naruto might have willingly made the choice to move forward with his life, but letting go of the past was a hard thing. Kisame feared for himself when faced with the small flicker of attraction that could only grow stronger. Knowing Naruto had loved as deeply as he had, made Kisame wary. Competing with a dead man was not something he relished in doing.
Heaving a sigh, he walked on silent feet towards his room with a final glance towards Naruto’s now closed door.
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Through New Eyes