Chapter Text
Konoha’s streets had long emptied of their daytime clamour by the time the blond boy lit the small lamp in his narrow kitchen. The faint glow cast shadows across cracked walls and worn tatami mats, reminders of the years he had survived alone in this place that called itself his home. Home... He wasn’t sure what that word really meant. Certainly not this creaky apartment, or the village that so often seemed to pretend he didn’t exist.
He was almost thirteen now. Old enough to walk home from missions alone, old enough to survive on instant ramen and water from the tap. Old enough, it seemed, to be ignored. It's been nearly a year since someone had come by his place... When the realisation first hit him he'd cried a bit, only a little bit, but soon found it wouldn't change much if he would lose tears over it or not as he had no-one to care for his tears either.
He sat cross-legged on his bed, towel draped around his shoulders, his hair still damp from washing the mud off. Sakura had knocked him into a puddle again, a very nasty one as well. Kakashi-sensei had an eye on them, so she said it was an accident, but he knew better. He’d beaten Sasuke in a spar today, and somehow, that was enough to ruin everyone's mood. Kakashi-sensei hadn’t said a word and just scratched the back of his head, flipped a page in his weird porn book, and called it a day. Naruto had laughed, really authentic even, and played it off like it didn’t matter, but it did. His heart always seemed too loud after sunset. The silence in the apartment pressed in on him, heavier than any mission scroll. There were no footsteps coming up the stairs, no knocks at his door. No Iruka, no Kakashi, no Sandaime. Well not that particularly wanted the Sandaime to visit or even talk to him but- Damn it would be something new, someone new.
But sometimes, just sometimes, there was him.
The window creaked and a figure stepped inside with the grace of falling snow, his black cloak brushing the floor with no sound at all. He moved like a shadow, but Naruto had never feared him. Quite the opposite.
Before he had the chance to turn, firm arms curled around his exposed torso. With the towel sliding off his shoulders nothing separated his bare back from pressing softly against his special friend's broad chest. Soon the other person retreated and stepped back a bit, a dark smile gracing his lips.
“Ita-chan!” Naruto whispered, his face breaking into an eager grin. His tiny legs scrambled off the bed, nearly tripping on the blanket, the towel falling completely to the floor. “Careful.” the man murmured, amused. His voice was deep and smooth, like rain on a tiled roof. “You’ll break something.”
“I don’t own anything worth breaking.” Naruto replied with a shrug. He rubbed his head sheepishly and looked up. “I wasn’t sure you’d come tonight.” his soft cheeks puffed with a slight pout at the thought before smiling up at his mysterious friend. The dark-haired man simply nodded unmoved and reached out to pet the blond mop of hair briefly but affectionately, his fingers disappearing in the golden locks. “Hn." One hand softly caressed the young boy's cheek before retreating back into the cloak. "I told you I would when the moon was full.” The man’s crimson eyes gleamed faintly, their strange pattern spinning slowly in the dark. He was dressed as always. Long cloak, pale skin, dark hair falling around his face like ink spilled over paper but loosely tied to a ponytail in the back.
Itachi.
Though when Naruto first met the stranger that appeared one day at his apartment, Naruto had problems remembering it and had, in a very much twelve-year-old fashion, renamed his special friend to Ita-chan. It had started as a trade-off cause it was close enough to match its owner's original name, but the strange man never corrected him. Instead, he only tilted his head slightly and said, “So be it.”
“You’re late.” Naruto said, not accusing, just glad that Ita-chan came at all. “I am. I was working.” Itachi sat down on the edge of the bed, graceful and slow. “A difficult assignment. Far from here.” he elaborated. “A mission?!” Naruto’s eyes widened. “Was it dangerous?” The older man chuckled darkly but Naruto didn’t notice, still, after all this time that they knew each other the boy was mesmerised by the fact his friend was a really cool and strong ninja.
“All missions carry risk.” Itachi replied. “But I came back, didn’t I?” Naruto nodded, sitting beside him, close enough to feel the faint chill that always clung to the older shinobi like dew. He drew his legs up to his chest and settled his chin on top of his knees. "You always do.”
For a few quiet moments, they sat like that, just breathing, the apartment bathed in the low golden hue of the oil lamp. Naruto’s fingers fiddled with the rippled threads of his pants. He noticed Ita-chan watching the action and quickly covered the ripped stitches with his fingers. It wasn't like he was totally attached to his clothing, but they were expensive and normally Iruka-sensei or someone who'd visit him give him some money to buy some new pairs but since they all seemed too busy there was no-one to comment on it anyways. Well, except for Ita-chan but he didn’t wanna worry his friend.
“I beat Sasuke today.” he said at last, voice quiet. Itachi hummed softly, “I know.” Itachi’s eyes didn’t leave his fingers covering the stitches. “You’ve been improving.” Naruto blinked. “How do you know?”
“I watch. When I can.”
“You do?!” Naruto tried not to let the flutter in his chest show on his face. Sometimes he got the feeling not even Kakashi-sensei was watching him and that pervert sure as hell even got paid for it. Naruto seemed to contemplate the information for a second. “Even though I don’t know you’re there?”
“Especially then.” The faintest hint of a smile played at the corner of Itachi’s lips. Naruto didn’t quite understand what Itachi was or who. A rogue? A friend? A ghost? A fantasy his own mind created to suppress his loneliness? He didn’t care anymore. He only knew that this man had saved him more than once, from villagers’ cruelty, from bleeding out on his futon, from hunger and his own loneliness. The world didn’t seem so heavy when he was around and all he wanted in return was for the twelve-year-old to keep their meetings and his existence a secret. Like it was hard? No-one ever asked him anything anyways, wouldn't it be for his training progress.
“Did anyone visit you this week?” Itachi asked suddenly. Naruto looked away, trying to hide the way his shoulders tightened. “I thought Kakashi-sensei would but- Uhm no, they're very busy you know? And Iruka-sensei got a really important job training new shinobi so...”
“No one? No friends?” He shook his head, tears threatening to fall. Itachi was silent. His gaze lowered, and when he spoke again, it was soft, almost a whisper. “They should be watching you.”
Naruto laughed bitterly. “No one watches me. You know that. They are focused on Sasuke. Or missions. Or pretending I don’t exist.”
“But you do.” Itachi’s voice sharpened slightly. “You exist. Loudly. Brightly. That’s why I watch.”
Naruto didn’t know what to say to that, so he looked down at his hands, fingers still stained faintly from mud and soap. He hadn’t gotten it all off. “I cleaned up because I thought maybe... if you came by…” he trailed off, embarrassed.
Itachi huffed briefly and rose and walked to the kitchen. He opened a small cloth bag and set out two rice balls and a thermos of hot miso soup.
Naruto stared. “You brought food again?”
“Of course, angel.” Itachi said without looking at him. The blond boy blushed at the odd nickname his friend would use sometimes. “You’ve grown thinner. Do not think I didn’t notice. You need real food.” Ita-chan scolded softly and gave Naruto a stern yet gentle glare. If he wanted to, his glares could be really scary, Naruto knew that. Sometimes they were a match for Sasuke’s mean glares but then, his Ita-chan would never push him away or insult him. He was nice. “You sound like Iruka-sensei...” Naruto said, laughing, but something about the warmth in his chest hurt a little.
They ate in silence. Naruto felt calm. The food was warm, perfectly salted. Itachi sat beside him again afterward, and Naruto leaned gently against his arm. The air outside the window was cool, but the space around them felt still, even safe. “Tell me a story?” Naruto asked after a while. Itachi hesitated and Naruto noticed, he always did. “About what?”
“Your training- no, your mission! Or... or where you'll go next or-” The older nin chuckled and placed a finger against the younger's lips, silencing him instantly. When Naruto’s voice stopped Itachi let his finger run gently along the edges of the boy's lips, tracing every curve before pulling away again. With a sigh he folded his legs and let his voice go soft. “Hm... how do I tell you... Ah, yes." He mumbled before cooking his head to one side, his hair falling over his darkening eyes. "There was a bad man in a cold land. He was hurting others and his village wanted him gone. So a traveller came to me, because they couldn't fight him alone. Me and my friends came to help and talked to the evil man. After that, he left, and the people were free.”
Naruto was silent for a moment. “Is that real?”
“Parts of it.” Itachi laughed quietly, his smile turning dark for a moment. The boy rested his head on the man’s arm and yawned.
“Ita-chaaaan?”
“Yes?”
“Do you think I will help people too one day? Just like you?” Itachi looked down at him, another smirk tugging at his lips. “Yes.” he said solemnly, eyes glinting with something unreadable. “I believe- no, I know that you're very special. You've got something very special inside you that will one day serve this world for the better.” he faltered briefly, and a gentle hand reached around the younger, pulling him closer. "When you're older you'll serve me a great deal... won't you, angel?"
Naruto smiled sleepily but nodded along nonetheless. He really wanted to help Ita-chan and protect people, just like a Hokage- No, better, just like Itachi!
A big yaw followed and he unconsciously snuggled closer against Itachi's side, almost climbing on his lap to hide in the cloak. “I like when you come here. I don’t feel so invisible.”
“You’re never invisible to me.” Itachi whispered.
And for once, Naruto believed it.
*
*
*
The wind stirred the curtains as the blond yawned again for the third time now, blinking heavily against the warm lamplight. His body was slowly giving out after the long day. Mud-soaked training, harsh words, some spoiled breakfast. All of it bearing down on him like a weighted armour and yet he fought sleep, clinging to wakefulness with a stubbornness that only someone like Naruto could manage.
“Ita-chan?” he murmured, rubbing his eye with the back of one fist. “Do you have to go soon?”
Itachi was again standing near the window, arms folded, his crimson eyes watching the night as if it might betray him. He didn’t answer at first, his face unreadable, half-lit by the moonlight. After a moment, he turned and walked silently back to Naruto’s side, kneeling by the low futon where the boy sat still wrapped in the black cloak with the funny red clouds on it.
“You should rest.” he said quietly, but firmly. “Sleep is important for shinobi.” Naruto pouted. “But I wanna talk more. And I'm not even a real shinobi yet... I bet Kakashi-sensei would rather burn his dumb book than train me properly." Although he fought back a sob it was obvious how deep this thought affected him. “You can’t protect what matters to you if you’re exhausted.” Itachi added, ignoring the younger’s self-conscious comment. “Sleep sharpens the mind. Even dreams can teach us.”
Naruto tilted his head. “You dream?” Itachi hesitated, the shadows flickering in his expression. “Sometimes. But mostly I remember.”
There was something strange in his voice, distant, strangled, like his voice evoke darker, more unpleasant, memories. Naruto felt the ache in his chest again. That pull he often had around Itachi. This man always felt like a mystery wrapped in kindness, cold, calm, but somehow warm in moments that mattered. "Well, I think you're a good person.” Naruto said suddenly, surprising even himself with the urge to comfort his friend. Itachi blinked like waking up after a dream and stared at the blond boy for a while, then gave the faintest of smiles. “That means a lot to me.”
“I mean it.” Naruto looked down, small, scarred hands fiddling with the familiar fabric of the cloak. “I... I don’t say that much. People don’t give me much reason to.”
“I know.”
Itachi reached out and adjusted the cloak draped over the boy’s shoulders, then, with uncharacteristic sadness, ran a hand gently over Naruto’s spiky hair. Naruto didn’t flinch. The gesture felt normal now, like it belonged. “You’re always kind to me, Ita-chan.” Naruto added, looking up at him with wide eyes. “Even when I’m annoying.” The older male's lips curved downwards for second before he quickly looked away across the room in order to avoid staring into naïve blue orbs full of trust.
“I’ve never once thought of you as annoying.” he whispered, still looking everywhere but at the blond and Naruto beamed. “Really?
Itachi nodded, then slowly moved to sit beside on the futon. For a brief moment, he looked down at Naruto like he was something rare, something too fragile to exist in the world as it was. The blond scooted to one side of the bed, pulling the cloak off his shoulders to hand it back to his friend. "Here." Small hands crumbled the soft fabric as he offered for Itachi to take it. With another big yawn the blond reached to huddle under his own covers, pulling the blanket open invitingly. “You can stay, right? Just for a bit?” Itachi's eyes widened in surprise at the hesitant offer. His mysterious friend would often make such funny faces when Naruto would offer him something nice, which made him really really sad because then he thought that maybe the other had never before been hugged or cuddled. That was a serious problem, Naruto had decided long ago, because Ita-chan was so nice to him all the time and no-one was calling him a monster for sure, so why was he so stunned when Naruto would offer him something other people had denied the blond himself all his life? After a long pause, Itachi finally accepted, lying down on top of the futon rather than under it. He turned on his side so he could face the boy more easily, his long hair pooling behind him like liquid night.
Naruto shifted until he could curl against him, a habit he had picked up over the last few visits. Itachi never pushed him away. If anything, he always responded with steady, calming presence and a steady arm pulling him further into the other's protective embrace. For a few minutes, they stayed like that in quiet.
Then Itachi’s voice cut through the silence, “Do you remember our conversation from last time? Is it still talking to you?” Naruto blinked slowly. “Hm...?” he hummed sleepily, "About the uhh strange voice in me?" Itachi gave a faint nod. “Yes.” Naruto said honestly. “I think it's the fox, but he's mean sometimes. I don’t like talking to him when he says mean things about my dream or... or you.”
“That’s very good of you. But tell me, what does he have to say about me?” There was something unreadable in Itachi’s eyes again, thoughtful, calculating perhaps. Naruto didn’t like these strange looks on him, it made Ita-chan look like the other kids whenever they were about to plan something mean or blame him. Naruto smiled faintly and looked up. “It's saying you're a bad man- But you’re not! And it's telling me that it's the only reason you're here- but you’re here because of me! Right? Because I- I told you about the fox so you... you didn't know before.”
“It sounds like a very rude and lying fox. It's a good thing you don't believe him, hm? A good angel.” Itachi replied, brushing a strand of hair off Naruto’s forehead. Naruto flushed slightly at the praise. “Of course I don't! You’re my only friend and nice and you don't forget me and- and you listen! Thanks, Ita-chan.”
Itachi looked at him for a long, quiet moment before pulling the boy closer. At first Naruto squirmed a bit but let his face be buried in the other's clothed chest. Small arms reach clumsily around the other to reciprocate the hug. For a while no-one made a sound until-
“Do you trust me, Naruto?”
The boy didn’t hesitate. “With my life.” A silence hung between them again, not cold, but heavy with something unsaid. Itachi exhaled softly, as if that answer brought him a mix of comfort and weight. “I’m glad.” he said at last. “Because trust like that... it’s not something I deserve easily.” The last part was more of a whisper than actually meant to be heard. Naruto didn’t understand what he meant but he accepted it. They lay like that for a while, the sounds of the night filtering in gently. Distant wind, a faint rustle of leaves, the far-off hoot of an owl. Naruto yawned again and curled closer.
“Do people ever ask about me?” Itachi asked, his voice low. The blond shook his head, eyes half-lidded. “Nope. They only ask about training. Or missions. Or stuff I don’t care about.”
Itachi hummed satisfied, nodding along pleased but then said, “That’s sad.”
“No, it's not... It's normal. I'm normal.” Naruto mumbled sleepily, not wanting to be reminded of the way others would interact with him. “I’m used to it.” Itachi made a soft noise, a hum or perhaps something deeper, but said nothing. “You’re really good to me.” Naruto whispered. There was a strange pause before Itachi smiled, barely visible. “You are very good too.” Naruto beamed and buried his face in the crook of the older's neck. His body shifted slightly, only just enough to tilt his face upward, his cheek brushing against the smooth line of Itachi’s jaw “You're my favourite person...”
For the briefest moment, the silence that followed was filled not with words but with the stilling of breath and he felt Itachi’s body stiffen against him. Yet there was a perceptible pause in the rise and fall of his chest, as though Naruto’s confession had landed somewhere deep and previously untouched within him. Then, almost imperceptibly, the older exhaled, a quiet breath that ghosted the crown of Naruto’s head, fingers tightening momentarily around his waist. He felt Ita-chan's silky hair brush his cheek as the older male nodded and the lean fingers tangled in his golden locks paused mid petting.
“Of course I am.”
*
*
*
“Naruto?” Ita-chan murmured after a while, “You're a very special boy, you know that?” Naruto blinked, the flickering shadows playing across his eyes unable to mask the wide-eyed surprise there, and yet he didn’t retreat. Instead, his hand found purchase against Itachi’s chest, fingers splaying as though to feel whether the words had come from somewhere real. It was a rather clumsy gesture, full of unspoken questions, but Itachi seemed to accept it silently, the curve of his pale lips lifting in the faintest, fondest suggestion of a smile. Naruto couldn't quite get what was so funny about it, but he guessed it was one of these odd adult things he didn’t understand yet.
Still holding him gently, Itachi tilted his head just slightly, his voice somehow more hoarse, darker and... excited? Naruto’s sleepy eyes looked up just to be met with strangely shaded eyes flaring briefly crimson. "I- It- Ita-chan?" The older male laughed again, now even more open and huskily. “Hey, angel, would you… Would you like me to show you something really cool? It won't be scary, I promise.”
Naruto's brows furrowed slightly in confusion, his nose wrinkling in that earnest way he often did when thinking too hard. “Something cool... hm? I'm a bit sleepy, do I have to get up?” he asked, curiosity lighting in his tone like a match to dry kindling no matter his tiredness. Itachi shook his head once, slow and deliberate, and then, in one fluid motion, he drew back just enough to lift the corner of the blanket and, without letting go of Naruto, slipped beneath it alongside him. The matres shifted, reshaping itself around their joined warmth, and Naruto’s eyes widened as he looked at the man beside him now lying at equal level, their bodies parallel and close enough for shared breath to blur the space between them.
“Were you cold, Ita-chan? I offered you to share just moments ago, huh...” he wondered aloud, his voice sounding confused but satisfied to help his friend. It was odd for Ita-chan to go back on his word or to change his mind but if he was cold Naruto was more than okay with sharing his blanket. It was a rather cold night after all...
With a slow, almost reverent motion, Itachi reached across the narrowing gap and drew Naruto gently in by the waist until their foreheads nearly touched. The younger's breath hitched at the familiar but somehow different touch on his skin. Itachi chuckled again but his breath somehow felt more like panting against the boy’s cheek. "It's alright, angel. I'm gonna show you what people do when they like each other very much. And you said you like me, didn’t you?"
The blond could simply nod in trance, hypnotised by the enchanting red sharingan illuminating the darkened room. Too occupied with staring, he failed to notice the older male's quickened breathing as he wetted his lips with a swipe of his tongue in anticipation. In the quiet of the room, where the wind held its breath and even the cicadas outside had gone still, a stunned Naruto felt the faint press of Itachi’s hand now rising to his face, fingers brushing his cheek, thumb gliding just beneath his eye in a gesture so intimate it made the twelve year old's chest tighten.
Just then, without further prelude, Itachi leaned in, and the distance between them was erased by a kiss. Warm and eager lips pressed against Naruto’s, a sensation he'd never known before. It tingled where Ita-chan's lips brushed his own and he couldn't help but gasp when the hand on his waist pulled him further into the older man. Taking advantage of his parted lips, something wet and hot slipped past them, invading his mouth without hesitation. Itachi’s panting was hot against his skin and as his movements got more tender, Naruto hummed confused but also happy to please the other's expectation.
Naruto's eyes widened instantly, his body going stock-still as his thoughts scattered like startled birds in all directions, leaving only sensation, the heat of Itachi's lips, the tender pressure of his palm against his cheek, the strange, fluttering ache in his chest that rose and fell like a wave breaking. Naruto felt the heat colouring his cheeks crimson as he realised what exactly Ita-chan was doing there. He'd seen some villagers do it after a wedding and some classmates at the academy had done it too, but in secret behind the bushes outside. He'd never kissed someone before but if Ita-chan wanted to show him it was fine. It was more than fine because his mysterious friend was right. It didn’t hurt at all and the tingle was a pleasant surprise as well.
When they finally parted, Itachi did not move far, his hand remained around the younger, and his eyes searched Naruto’s face. “Among those who care for each other, truly care...” he murmured, words slipping tentatively past his reddened lips, “...this is a sign of real devotion. Naruto, you're very special to me and I hope you'll be a good little angel and think of me fondly, too.”
Naruto lay still for a moment longer, the gears in his mind clearly turning behind wide, storm-blue eyes. Then, with a sudden boldness that surprised even himself, he pushed upward on his elbows, one hand tentatively finding Itachi’s chest again, and pressed his lips, less deftly and a bit clumsy, but with clear intent against Itachi’s. It was clear, his exhilaration showing on his face, how overwhelming Itachi’s word were for him. No-one had ever said such nice things to him, even less told him that they hoped to Naruto liked them too! It was exciting for his lonely twelve-year-old brain to face the possibility of having not only a friend but someone who really really liked him. Clearly he'd like to show Ita-chan just how much his words meant to him by reciprocating the odd gesture.
Itachi’s eyes widened, if only for a breath, and then softened as he received the kiss, allowing it to deepen. Eager hands gripped the younger’s neck, pressing their lips closer. "Naruto..." Itachi’s voice sounded strangely breathless as he began to rub soft circles against the younger's exposed back with his thumb. It got a bit hard to breath for the blond beneath Ita-chan's firm hands, but it was nice to know his friend enjoyed their action so much. Naruto had to suppress a giggle when he noticed the others uncharacteristic squirming against him and the way Itachi seemed to try and almost melt into him with how close he held Naruto. Another moan passed the older male's lips before he suddenly broke away like he just woke up from a bad dream and optioned instead for to letting his forehead rest against Naruto’s once more.
Itachi’s voice shock with hoarse laughter as he began to ease his fingers down Naruto’s back. "Mh... You liked that obviously. Good." Naruto merely hummed, languidly lying on the softly rising and falling chest of his frien- well... huh what was Ita-chan now? "It tingled nicely, but I guess it's because it's you. I like-like you, Ita-chan." A faint gasp was heard from the older and soon the blanket over them drew tighter as Itachi pulled it up to further shield the blond for the night. "I... I like-like you too, angel. We could do this more often if you like, but remember... It’s gonna be our little secret, that's really important."
"Why?"
"Because the mean people from the village don't like to see you happy, my poor thing. And they're going to try to make you sad when they know."
Wrapped in the muted hush of moonlight and drawn close beneath the shared cocoon of a blanket, their arms folded around one another like the final fold of a paper crane, the blond boy finally drifted slowly into sleep.