Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ A paper crane's memory ❯ Let’s fly together with an umbrella in our hands, ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Title: Let’s fly together with an umbrella in our hands, over a flying paper crane
Author: Shuu
Status: WIP
Genre: Light YAOI
Warning: OOC justified/Alternate universe
Pairing: Sasuke x Naruto / Itachi x Naruto / Sai x Naruto

Trailer:
Naruto is waiting for someone, silently watching over his sleeping form that hasn’t awakened for twelve years. What he doesn’t know is that someone else is watching him too, from behind the façade of a kind and reliable friend, and a new appearance that will set the wheels turning again in his world that had stopped moving the moment that person closed his eyes.

I

“Alright that’s it for today.” Naruto dropped the chalk to the table after a few rings of the school bell, hand already waving right to left as he erased the lectures on the black board. The once silent classroom was pierced with the murmurs and chattering of the cram school students leaving for the door.

“Ah! Wait I’m not finished yet!” Blonde unkempt locks swayed over narrow shoulders when he looked over his shoulder to look at the expected student rushing to scribble his lectures before all was erased on the board. Blue orbs darkened before the lids dropped with a heave of sigh.

“Konohamaru not again…” He put the eraser on the table sending the collected chalk dust to settle on the laminate surface and stacked the papers beside them.

“I can’t help it, I’m in the last corner so I can’t see the lectures well sensei! It’s not my fault I’m short!”

“Yeah, yeah quit your yapping already what’s new? Anyway I’m leaving first, erase the board before you go okay?” The blonde teacher motioned for the door to his right, pausing halfway when Konohamaru called with a pleading tone.

“Wait you can’t just leave me here! Let’s go home together sensei.”

“I can’t, I have another plan for today.” He quirked the corner of his lips upward, the barest hint of a smile before reaching for the door knob and was surprised when it turned itself and the door pulled open revealing a tall dark man in front of him.

“Heh? What you got a date sensei? I can’t believe it!” Konohamaru snickered, brown eyes quickly taking in the person who had just come in he recognized to be a biology professor in the third year level.

“Um… Itachi, what are you doing here?” The hand that was supposed to reach for the door knob went to rub on a tanned neck instead, and again a smile that the person in front of him had regarded to as a false one.

“You are going, right?” The stern face suddenly softened, onyx eyes moving to show that his cheeks were raised in a way that said that he was smiling a faint one.

“Yes…”

“Let’s go, it’s been a while. Let’s eat out after, my treat.” His voice didn’t have that warm intonation, nor did he have a cold one instead it sounded detached, as if he was talking to himself. This trait, Naruto thought to be was what most reminded him of that person.

“Itachi you didn’t have to, you have other plans right? Every time you’re always helping me I can’t help but be embarrassed, I’m sure you have other things you’d want to do than to hang out in that place with me. A date with the school nurse perhaps?” He joked which he soon realized to be a fail attempt at a change of subject, hoping for the tension to subside between them.

“I’m doing this also for myself, so you don’t have to do anything but let me. Come.” Before Naruto could come up with an unoffending protest he was already being dragged by the hand by Itachi out of the room, leaving the flustered Konohamaru alone in the room.

“What the hell? Don’t tell me they’re dating.” Konohamaru followed the pair with his eyes as they left the room, a dumb disbelieving look on his face.

+++

Silently they walked side by side, their feet leaving footsteps in the thick of the murky snow as every breathe created little balls of air before their mouths. Blue orbs quietly looked up at the starless night sky blocked by a barricade of clouds that seemed to sympathize with what he was feeling in that moment.

“Looks like winter’s going to be a long one, last year’s Christmas it wasn’t this cold.” Itachi got his attention, making him turn towards him.

“A-ah… What are you planning on doing afterwards?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… don’t you want to go to your hometown?” Itachi closed his eyes at the same time exhaling with a smirk.

“Don’t bother asking when you already know.” Naruto looked at him with a questioning gaze, brows furrowing with worry that bothered the receiver of that gaze with confusion.

“What?”

“Itachi… you have a family, I see no point why you have to do this. You have a place to go back to… unlike me. Don’t wait until it’s too late.” Beyond those words Itachi knew there was an infinity of meaning hidden behind it, but he never felt even an ounce of love or attachment to what Naruto called his family, let alone his nonexistent list of friends. To him there is nothing that he would call a treasure, there is no one he could feel the need to protect.

Only Naruto…

“People like you wouldn’t understand.” Itachi said, his voice rough compaired to its usual seasoned and controlled one leaving Naruto surprised at the tone he used on him.

“Yeah...” Naruto paused in walking, realizing that just like with Sasuke, it seems like he would never be able to understand this Uchiha. Alone in the bleak gray black and white of the winter season, Naruto looked melancholy even as his appearance betrayed none of that description. To Itachi he was a person of contradictions, like a hard shell encasing a fragile softness inside. And now as he let Naruto's mind drift off to somewhere between the unforgiving reality and of what could have happened if the past had been different only the howling wind could voice the sinful that maybe... just maybe time would be able to let this love be forgotten, like the unforgiving blanket of snow.

“What’s wrong? Let’s go. You don’t want to keep him waiting.” Itachi tilted his head to the side with a smirk, stretching out his hand for Naruto which the latter uneasily took.

Slowly as they neared he could feel Naruto’s grip on his hand tighten and another shivering hand clenched on his arm.

“Naruto-”

The blinding lights from a passing car and the buzzing sound of the engine against the silence of the night, the freezing cold of the snow and the warmth from bodily heat.

The memory of that night remained etched in his body, even as it had grown bleary in his mind from the passage of time. Reminding him always the guilt and the sorrow that's been plaguing him ever since.

Naruto stepped away from the road side even before they could start to walk across the road, his feet taking a few steps back he gasped as he felt a clothed arm wrap around his torso and pull him against that warm chest, a white gloved hand coming close to his eyes as it covered them and pushed his head to lean on the man's collar bone.

Itachi didn’t ask if he was alright, he didn’t ask what was wrong, he didn’t tell that everything was going to be fine because he knew it wasn’t.

“I’m here.” Two gentle words that rarely come from an insensitive mouth and a heart that feels no attachment to anyone.

“Shit...” Naruto tried to cover up his strangled voice as he tried to laugh the anxiety off. Seriously, he was never one to fall into deep deppression like this, he had friends, he had his family... He had Itachi. But sometimes he couldn't help but think that there's not a time where he could entirely feel that he's a man, a complete one as if there's still something missing. And there's nothing that could hurt more than feeling that sense of completion and watching it get snatched away from him.
Itachi embraced him tighter and for a long time they stood by the side of the road, the smaller of the two flinching every time the same sound and the same light passed them by.

“Do you want to eat first? We can go later.” He finally said, noticing that Naruto had already calmed down.

“N-no, we can go now…”

“But-”

“It’s fine…” With a fixed stubbornness and false bravery Naruto pulled out of reluctant arms, assuring Itachi with a forced smile they proceeded to cross the road when they saw that no car was about to pass.

+++

The hospital halls were silent and every step they made created a sound that reverberated on every single corner and wall, the staffs were either eating together on the desk or chatting while making a round on the patients’ rooms.

“I’m sorry but visiting hours are over, you can come back tomorrow if you want.” The nurse apologetically said, turning the radio on.

All I want for Christmas is you…

“Please just for a while, I just want to see him if he’s okay. Oh c'mon...” Naruto glanced down her nametag, flashing her a grin. "Yasukada, you know me. wfwon't stay for long-" But his plan to flirt his way out of this knot was interrupted when the nurse cut him off sternly, but with a sense of pity in her smile.

“Sir, I am sorry but we can’t disobey the hospital policy even if you are-” Itachi slammed the reception desk that shocked both Naruto and the nurse, a terrified look coming from the woman. Itachi lifted his hand, revealing a wad of cash in hundreds.

“That should keep your mouth shut. Let’s go.” Itachi hooked his hand on Naruto’s elbow, leading him towards the halls of the hospital and left the half surprised and half terrified nurse alone.

“Itachi you didn’t have to do that.”

“Money can bend anyone’s principles Naruto, even if it is your dignity on the line. Remember that.” Itachi said this without his eyes leaving the flight of stairs before them.

"But you didn't even see if she-" His attempt at an argument that he felt he should push through died down in his throat as Itachi gave him that look. A flash of annoyance that he didn't want to be in the receiving end off. After all, who would want to get in an argument at this time of the year? So silently they went up, the hand that was once on Naruto’s elbow now put securely on his waist leaving the blonde man uneasy with the gesture but to chose to just shrug it off.

It was a small room, with the lights turned off and the heater producing a trail of warm air, it appeared gloomy with the silent beeping of the machine connected to the still body on the single bed through tubes of blue and white.

Every single day that he would see him his heart would be broken.

Naruto walked towards the sleeping brunette on the bed, his appearance pale and still and the littlest sign of life can only be recognized by the little screen on the right side with the green line of light rising and falling with its beeping sound.

“Sasuke…” He voiced out a trembling name as he sat on the side of the bed and rested his head on his chest, closing his eyes and a pair of tear drops escaping them with a genuine smile at the feel of his chest moving. Twelve years and still he remained the same…

“Happy birthday…”

And every single day that he would feel the warmth of his skin his heart would be mended.

And Sasuke spent his thirty-second year under the warmth of his student, friend, and lover.

+++

Itachi sat silently on the couch by the door, legs crossed and arms folded while he watched with earnest the silent form sitting on a stool by the window staring on a red paper crane placed by the ebony frame of the window.

“It’s snowing…” Soft puffs of white snow started to fall from the dark cloudy skies, and the red paper crane, Naruto thought, to be a stark contradiction to the white behind it.

I love you

I hate you

I love you like I hate you that it’s impossible to let go.

/Ne, ne sensei!

What?

Do you think we can fly together if we jump on the building with an umbrella?

Stupid they only do that on T.V., you’re too heavy it wouldn’t hold out. It’s coz you’re always eating that stupid ramen.

Don’t call me stupid! You’re the one who’s stupid coz you’re always wearing that ‘fuck of or die’ look. Whose idea was it anyway to sleep on the roof top when it’s friggin’ cold ?!

You… do you realize who you’re talking to brat?! And whose fault was it that we got stuck in here in a friggin’ Christmas Eve!?

Ouch! Hey! You think it right to hit your precious number one student in the head? What if my brain got out or something!?

Oh that wouldn’t be possible, it’s got nothing but air anyway-ow! Hey that hurt!

Serves you right heheh!

Come back here-ow!

What’s the matter? Can’t walk?

You little…!/

“Naruto… Naruto…” Itachi tapped the blonde’s shoulder that was leaning on the window to wake him up but to no success, he sighed, calling him out again but still he didn’t budge.

“Hey… if you don’t wake up… I’ll kiss you.” This happened to be an effective alarm clock and Naruto began to groan, but only that and he went back to sleeping again.

Itachi observed the sleeping form and he could still see spots on the corner of his eyes, temples and on his cheeks the trail of dried tears, he held them, thumb tracing the vertical lines on both cheeks as he placed his lips on cold, parched ones but the warmth coming from his breath was much stronger than any kind of cold. Itachi continued, when he found a hint of acceptance as the blonde’s lips opened slightly letting him slide his tongue.

It was a kiss full of passion on both sides, but Itachi knew that the person Naruto was kissing, that the person Naruto was seeing behind closed lids wasn’t him.

“Mmmnn… Mmmn!” Naruto’s eyes snapped open, his dazed state quickly ending as he pushed Itachi away from him sending the stool to go down the floor along with him.

“Naruto…” Itachi looked unhappily at him who was currently panting in ragged breaths, his onyx eyes containing the fear of rejection come to reality.

“Itachi what did you…” A tanned hand clasped in partly open lips, Naruto’s mind contemplating the quick flashes of his memory in that previous event.

“I thought I could wait for you Naruto.” Itachi started, eyes full of bitterness as he looked down on the confused blonde still sitting on the floor. “Ever since childhood… your eyes have always been only for him. Even when he’s already nothing more than a useless puppet whose strings had been cut.”

Naruto recoiled away from him as he took a step forward, until the blonde could do no longer when his back had already met with smooth cold walls.

“No.” He said sternly and winced, head sinking deep under trembling shoulders that his chin was meeting his chest when Itachi kneeled on one knee before him, his emotions that he had always maintained smoothly at bay were set afire by the controlledn fear that Naruto was trying to hide from him.

“You cling to a person you’d only known for half a year but you’re frightened to the one who’d always been there with you ever since your mind can recall?” A pallid hand slammed at the wall beside Naruto’s head, making him wince again, so afraid and confused was he that he can do nothing but hold his trembling hands together close to his chest and close his eyes. It was because Itachi’s voice had turned from bitter to outright cold, the calm coldness of the intonation getting more emphasized by the way they would shake with every word.

“H-he’s different.” Naruto gasped, eyes shooting open in display of defending Sasuke.

“Then tell me… how is he different from me? When in every aspect I am millions of steps ahead of him. Like I’m alive and moving for example.” The fingers pasted on the wall began to curl into a tight fist, the other free one Itachi lifted to slam on the other side. “For you I did everything to show you I’m much better than him, in school, in sports, in popularity even in our workplace I wanted to be someone better than him in your eyes… even in wearing that mask of a friend when I wanted anything but a friend to you… I was the one who helped you all these years, got you your job, your apartment... I was the one… who convinced the doctors not to pull the fucking plug off him. I was the one who paid his hospital bills and medication all of it was because of you. And you’re still worshipping him like some fucking god, damn it!”

Those last words that came out eventually as a snarl fumed the blonde instead of intimidating him like earlier.

“If you’re just going to shove it all to my face… you shouldn’t have helped me at all. All this time Itachi, I thought you helped him because you’re his brother! If I knew that you’re just going to use it as a means to insult me then you should’ve just let us be!” Naruto shouted, the intimidation he felt towards the man kicking up the notch as Itachi followed it with a growl.

“And let him have you!?” Itachi’s resolve broke down that instant, his hand on the right side of the wall clutching blonde unkempt locks tightly, enough to draw Naruto’s head back like it would break. But Naruto didn’t look a bit fazed even as he flinched with the rough treatment, instead he followed his previous retort with another.

“I’ve told you I don’t love you Itachi! Even if I wanted to I can’t! And even if Sasuke is to be like this forever I will not leave him, not now not ever! I’ll stay with him-ah!” A tanned hand braced itself against the pallid one clenching blonde locks, the other one moving to push Itachi’s chest as tears began to well up on the corner of his eyes when the hair closest to his temple felt another powerful tug.

“Fine then. You can go rot in here and I wouldn’t give a damn.” Itachi neared his mouth to the blonde’s ear, snarling the words in a breathy whisper. “I wonder… what would happen when you could no longer pay the hospital bills… I’m sure the medicines cost quite a lot. And being a low paying cram teacher with a free loading geezer isn’t going to help at all. Not to mention that you’ve got debts… a pile of them.” Parched lips tightened, as his adam's apple bobbed up and down at the threat. Naruto knew Itachi was insinuating something. And he didn't like where this sudden confrontation was leading to. There were times when he felt understanding and forgiving, but letting the man who was especially close to you get near you again after several attempts to force him to a relationship, wouldn't you still feel repulsed just by the nearness of him? And yet here was the idiot who never learned a single thing and just after a few words of apology and he's going at it again.

“I’d still do it even if I were to work myself as a prostitute Itachi…” Naruto caught a bitter smile curve on the raven-haired man’s face through a side glance.

“Then why don’t you start working on it now?”

“Wha-” Both the back of the shocked blonde’s hands hit the wall at the same time, scraping as they did when Itachi put them above his head as he was forced on a kiss of both tongue and teeth which didn’t take long when Itachi pulled away with a twisted snarl on bleeding lips.

“Fuck!” Itachi cursed spitting on the nearest open space on the white tiled floor before turning his head back to face the blonde, taking in the glint of homicidal intent on tear glistened eyes and thin blood stained lips also twisted into a snarl. Instead of getting angered more he felt sparks of electricity skittering on every accessible nerve on his body.

“I’d let anyone do me any way they like… but you Itachi. Even if you grew apart outside the orphanage… Sasuke still treated you as his elder brother… he admired you and yet you… do this.” Itachi put both of the blonde’s wrist pinned in one hand, his hand ripping the button down shirt at the center without mercy.

“I-Itachi.” Naruto gasped, fear cascading over his small body as he looked down on how fast Itachi’s hand was unbuttoning his shirt, ears indifferent in his demand to stop.

"Stop it. Stop it Itachi! I swear if you don't stop now I'll... I'll...” Naruto turned his head away, eyes shutting tightly when Itachi ran his forefinger in the middle of a wide expanse of golden skin down to the tensed plane abdomen. Itachi stared on the wide expanse of skin, eyes both amazed and irritated at how his abdomen would tense every time he touches them.

“You’re not as innocent as I thought for your body to be this sensitive… to think that you let him fuck you at the age of fourteen. You’re such a bitch.” The brunette snorted mockingly.

“I don't care if you say I'm a bitch. What matter's is that I'm Sasuke's bitch. Not anyone else's...”

This only caused for Itachi's anger to reach a higher level of intensity as he was made to realize that even now Naruto acknowledged no one but Sasuke as his lover. The fluidity of his movements disturbed by the hurt and rejection, his hand impulsively grabbed the blonde's crotch hard enough that Naruto hit the back of his head when he thrashed.

"You fucking poor excuse of an eunuch!!!! Let go! It hurts damn it!"

“What does? This?” Itachi’s hand slid under the waist band after having unzipped his jeans, grabbing the semi-aroused member underneath it and smirking even more as it twitched with the movement. Ignoring the colorful profanities flying out of the blonde's mouth he started to pump the member, and his smirk grew wider when he realized that Naruto's curses were beginning to grow weaker by the second.

He was planning on proceeding, thinking of how an idiot he was to wait when he should’ve done this kind of thing sooner, but his thoughts snapped out of its wandering when he felt hot moisture drop and slid down the back of his hand and he noticed at how the form before him trembled uncontrollably.

Of course, he couldn’t see the blonde’s face, what with the cheek length bangs in the way and his head lowered down, but he was definitely crying.

“Please… please…” Naruto squeaked, all his efforts to break free from the man’s grasp completely gone and had resorted to begging instead.

“’negai… onegai… don’t do this… n’t… don’t…. I don’t want to… onegai…” Naruto continued on with a string of barely inaudible words through his sobbing.

Naruto’s hands dropped down the floor when Itachi let go completely, standing in the process with tight fists shaking so bad that his nails were digging painfully on to his palm, but that pain he didn’t recognize, in fact he couldn’t remember walking out the door and slamming it hard with an expletive. He just realized that he was back in front of the cram school on a cold snowing Christmas day without a jacket.

The sudden turn of events just made Naruto slump on that same place up until dawn when the nurse came in to check.

“Sir? Sir what happened?” Naruto hugged his knees to himself and ducked his head out, breathing a name as he closed his eyes, willing for his mind to take an image that was burned into his soul the moment they had met.

“Sasuke…”