Back Against Darkness

by

KnowingNoMore

Summary:

High school AU. Sasuke is torn between restarting his life and shedding off his past. After years, he finally reunites with his brother. Would they be able to resolve the hatred and misunderstanding that haunted them? Being new in town, could Sasuke reach beyond his hard shell and reciprocate what Naruto offers? ANGST. YAOI. Eventual NaruSasu. Ex-KakaSasu.

Warning:

Angst. Yaoi. Not your dish? Pray leave. Thank you ;)

Rating may change in the future.

Disclaimer:

Naruto belongs to the great MK sensei.

I: The Color Blue

1

Droplets of rain splattered against his windshield as he pulled his Volvo into the airport parking lot. The sky was of a dull, grayish blue, adding an even gloomier atmosphere to the already melancholy Friday. Friday wasn't always his favorite, though from now on he could hope for some change since, starting from today, he wouldn't be spending all his weekends alone. Yes, the days of dark living room, heavy old novels and sloppy suppers would soon become bygone memories.

The idea of not being alone bringing him a rush of relief fascinated him. He usually regarded himself as someone who was good at being left alone. He had always been rather secluded. As a child, his early signs of genius made it impossible for him to blend in with peers. Even if he wanted to hide amongst the crowd, his intelligence wouldn't allow it. He always knew before he was told. His mind always took him to the terminus when everyone else was only halfway there.

It was tiring. He couldn't care less to explain information (which he took for granted) to people with baffled faces (this would be the reason why he had lost his previous job, but now he knew better). And truth be told, he would like to have friends and companions (no, he wouldn't say that he longed for them...because it was not probable); he was also very practical—it was impossible for someone like him to make a bunch of friends, for he was inhumanly cool, far too pragmatic, and an impossibly obsessive-compulsive perfectionist.

He couldn't help smiling when he thought about it. There was at least one good thing—he had a good sense of humor, and whether people understand it or not, he knew when to laugh at himself and made the bad situation bearable. After all, he wasn't Itachi Uchiha for nothing.

2

Inside the airport terminal it was crowded with people and their unnecessary luggage. Itachi picked a quiet site and stood next to a vending machine; he thought that he would be easier to find this way, but he hadn't been worried. He knew that no matter what, he would be found. It was somewhat like an instinct. (And, yes, he believed in instinct.)

Ten minutes later, he saw someone approaching him. It was a boy around the age of sixteen, dressing in a plain black turtleneck and dark jeans, with a navy blue backpack hanging loosely on his left shoulder. Itachi recognized the boythe moment his eyes met with the latter's.

Rather than waving at him, Itachi greeted the boy with a simple nod. The boy blinked and looked straight back. Two pairs of coal-dark eyes met one another.

"It's been a long time. You are taller," Itachi said. "Sasuke."

The boy stuck his hands into his pockets and shrugged. Itachi almost smirked. He did not change at all, he thought to himself. Or did he?

"Would you like something to drink? I suppose some icy beverage after a long flight would be refreshing. After all, we have another two-hour drive to my place," Itachi gestured the vending machine.

Sasuke looked up, glancing the machine briefly.

"Tomato juice?" Itachi suggested.

"Sure," Sasuke said. And it was the first time after three years Itachi heard his little brother's voice. It had become deeper and a little bit grittier. Has he been crying over his uncle's untimely death? Itachi wondered.

As much as he wanted to look at his brother more closely, Itachi suppressed it and, after buying the juice for Sasuke, started to walk toward the exit; Sasuke followed without a word. Their reunion moment was so brief that Itachi couldn't tell whether Sasuke was glad, or upset to be here. But it was though his little brother's skill of masking emotion had become just as good as his. It wasn't something Itachi was happy to see. He had received the phone call only a month ago, informing him his uncle (and, once, his guardian) Obito's sudden death and that Sasuke would be staying with him. Sasuke had then written him some short e-mails telling Itachi that he had chosen to move in with him instead of with some distant relatives, even if it meant that he would have to transfer to a new high school and settle down in a new town.

Three years. Three long years since they last saw each other. Itachi wondered if anything between them had changed. The last time they saw each other it was at an airport, too. Itachi was leaving for graduate school. Sasuke was there with Obito and they stood there watching him walk away. Itachi had noticed the way Sasuke's black eyes smolder...

"Oi," a voice called him back to reality.

"Yes?" Itachi stopped and looked back.

"You live alone in that small town…what's its name?" Sasuke was asking.

"Yes, it's called Konoha. I don't exactly live in the town. It's more like the outskirts of Konoha."

Sasuke nodded and replied with a noise made by his nose.

"I guess it's been hard for you these days?" Itachi asked, walking up to his parked car.

"Not really," Sasuke said with a blank face, getting in the car after Itachi. "Uncle Obito died in his sleep. I suppose that's a good thing."

Itachi didn't know if the words were meant to be bitter, or it was his imagination again.

"He was always healthy, and was only in his mid-forties..." he sighed.

"Yeah, he was."

"He was an athletic man," Itachi said, and then, "You seem very athletic, too," he added.

"Hn," Sasuke blushed faintly and Itachi smiled again. Since he had memories, he had been very good at making his little brother self-conscious. Sasuke had always made it too easy. The fact that this little thing hadn't changed much suddenly made Itachi felt a little bit warm.

It fell back into silence again. Itachi turned on the radio. The rain had gotten heavier, and the loud noise brought a cold feeling down Itachi's gut, mixing with the previous warm sensation and cooling it down.

"How about school? Aren't you worried about transferring to a new high school?" Itachi asked.

"No," Sasuke deadpanned.

"Why?"
"School work doesn't worry me," Sasuke said nonchalantly. "It's easy."

"I wasn't talking about your school work," Itachi said. "You are going to have to adjust to new surroundings."

Sasuke didn't say anything, so Itachi continued. "You have to part with friends, and make new acquaintances."

"I don't have friends," was all Sasuke said.

3

Itachi got out of the car and waited for Sasuke, who gathered his belongings and silently got out as well. Itachi started to walk toward the two-story house.

"You live alone in this place?" He heard his brother asking, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Yes," Itachi replied. "It's my house. It's not rented, if that's what you're asking."

"You're well-off on your own," Sasuke stated plainly.

"I guess you could say that," Itachi said good-humoredly.

They stopped at the front porch, waiting for Itachi to open the door. When Itachi walked into the house, he could feel something different—something had changed. He couldn't quite describe it. He was never with someone else in this house (the short visits of Kisame or Nagato doesn't count); he never had someone stayed overnight.

He didn't need to turned the lights on to find the door to the living room. For a moment, he kept walking in the dark, until he heard Sasuke's voice again.

"Are you going to turn on the light or not?"

"Ah, yes." He remembered. The long hallway was suddenly lit. He watched as Sasuke glanced at the beige wall decorated with some framed postmodern artworks. He then led the way to the living room, which was behind the first door on the left side.

Sasuke followed him into the large living area and dumped his bag on one of the black leather couch.

"Now I'm going to prepare for dinner. You could come with me, or stay here and watch the television."

.:.

He was frying fish when Sasuke sneaked into the kitchen. He said 'sneak' because Sasuke was quiet and stealthy as a cat. He turned to gaze at his brother, who seemed very out-of-place, and smiled gently.

"Bored?" He guessed.

"By the news. There aren't anything new, if you think about it," Sasuke said. Or, was he grimacing?

"I don't think it's the right way to put it. The events may be similar, but they are new occurrences."

"You just have to prove me wrong," Sasuke smirked slightly, and all of a sudden it was very familiar to something they used to have—he and Sasuke, arguing over small, trivial things.

Itachi smiled and turned back to the pan and the fish. It had started to smell very delicious.

He'd liked to have more conversation with his brother.

"There are two guest rooms upstairs," he said. "You can make one of them yours."

Sasuke nodded. Itachi knew because he glanced back when he didn't hear a reply. His brother had become rather stoic. Itachi thought about it and sighed. It was expected, but he didn't like it. He had hoped that after all these years, Sasuke would progress into someone more communicative.

.:.

"So, how are you, Sasuke?"

The younger brother looked up from his plate, continuing to chew on his food and looking slightly confused.

"I'm fine," he said.

"It was hard for you."

"It was okay," Sasuke said, with some emphasis.

"Uncle Obito died."

"Yes he did," Sasuke agreed. "What exactly do you want to say?"

"Nothing. I just wasn't expecting you with such calmness..." Itachi pressed.

Sasuke's face went blank.

Itachi studied his brother's face. He had grown up, a lot. He was still about two inches shorter than Itachi, but he wasn't a boy anymore. His shoulder broadened, his frame lean but wiry. His face was still smooth and pale, still somewhat resembled a girl's. But Sasuke would never be mistaken for a girl, something in his expression would always tell.

He had become more good-looking. No way to deny that. It was in the Uchiha genes.

"What?" Sasuke frowned.

"Nothing," Itachi smiled. It was good to have his brother back.

.:.

It was hard to tell from Sasuke, so Itachi had to guess and deduce.

He guessed the dinner was fine, since Sasuke sat on the couch the rest of the night and didn't move much. He could only assume it was because his brother had have too much to eat despite his obvious tiredness after the long flight.

He could also safely assume that Sasuke found the house comfortable and the hot bath comforting, for Sasuke spent quality time in the bathroom and when he came out, Itachi found his younger brother with relaxed expression and gait.

But he had to worry about Sasuke's life before he came here. Had he been eating properly? Had he been sleeping well? Had their uncle taken good care of him? He used to write letters to Sasuke regularly, but Sasuke never replied. Their correspondence stopped long time ago.

He watched Sasuke's back as he walked toward the guest rooms. For a brief moment, Itachi wanted to follow him and just asked him those question, or, no, just put his hand on his brother's shoulder, making sure that he was there at all. Maybe Sasuke would tremble and all of his shell would shattered beneath the touch.

Sasuke closed the door behind him, leaving Itachi standing on the empty hallway. Itachi turned off the light. He knew the way in the house. He didn't need any light.

4

Sasuke walked into his new room. It was a cozy room furnished in the similar fashion as the rest of the house—simple, neat, and elegant. The wall was painted in light blue instead of beige, which was probably why Sasuke chose it; blue was his favorite color ever since he was little (even thought he like navy blue better). There was a couple of floor-to-ceiling window leading to a small terrace, but the view was currently blocked by purple curtains. There were a double bed, a desk, a chair, and even an armchair by the windows. And bookshelves. The walls were lined up with bookshelves. It was also a main reason why Sasuke liked this room. There would be plenty of room for him to store his books. He had to part with his collection of books coming here since he didn't feel like bringing a lot of stuff with him, and the burdens of memories that came with those things. He wanted a fresh restart. But, still, he knew the bookshelves would soon be filled up.

Presently he sat on the bed and removed his shoes, placing them at the foot of the bed. He stripped to only a pair of sweatpants and crawled under the covers. For a while he just stared at the ceiling; it was a strange feeling—not in the bed and the surrounding he were so used to, and knowing that he would never go back to that place ever again.

But he didn't care. All he cared right now was that he had survived, another day. Tomorrow was another new step forward, and he would keep that in mind.

(tbc)

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