Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor do I make any money from this

Warnings: Well, there was a lemon in this chapter but its been edited out. Sorry, blame the redbutton thing.

A/N: Two notes for ya'll today. I know I said I was posting a new story this week, but I didn't expect this chapter to be so easy to write. So I switched them around; new chapter this week and new story when I get back in a week.

Enjoy the last chapter. :D

Wedding bells tolled in the high towers, making birds fly away, cooing in annoyance as their peaceful day was disturbed. They took to the sky in a fit of falling feathers, allowing the soft winged objects to float down to the ground in a slow swinging motion. Amidst the pigeons that had been roosting there, a lone raven had taken shelter from the sun in the bell tower until it had been scared away as well.

Now, its lone black feather leisurely drifted down as well, landing softly on a head of blond hair. It stayed there until it was discovered and plucked away by pale fingers. They twirled it around before letting it go and allowing the wind to catch it.

"Outdoor weddings are ridiculous."

"I like them; you get to enjoy the fresh air that comes only in the country. You can't get it from the top floor of your office building in the middle of the city."

"It has a nice view."

"It's a nicer view out here."

Itachi opened his mouth to retort but bit his lip. His eyes scanned over the rolling hills and sparkling lake that bounced the suns reflection off it, occasionally catching the scales of fish. Finally, his eyes turned to the blond sitting next to him dressed in a crisp black suit and he threaded his fingers through Naruto's, bringing them to his lips. This, he decided, was the nicest view out here.

"You're right, it's a nice view."

Naruto flashed him a bright smile and leaned back into the white chair. While he loved to play in the snow during the winter months, summer was his favorite time. The sun was always out and the weather was never too hot or cold; it always seemed to be the right temperature. His eyes tilted up to look at the passing white clouds that blotted the blue sky before drawing his gaze to the person next to Itachi.

He frowned when he realized that the male was asleep and he reached behind the raven to give the other person a sharp pinch. Black eyes flashed open quickly and shot a glare at him, to which he responded with a shrug. "Don't fall asleep next time Sasuke."

"You were the one who dragged me to this wedding."

"You still shouldn't fall asleep; that's just rude."

Soft fingers brushed against the back of Naruto's hand and Itachi turned to his brother, "Hush Sasuke. It won't kill you to stay awake and watch; you might learn something."

Sasuke opened his mouth to argue but the sounds of the pipe organ silenced him. Almost as if on cue, all the bodies turned in their chairs to see the figure in white appear underneath the arch of greenery. A solemn and stern looking man stood next to the figure and despite the hard face that he wore; he silently worried his lip to keep the tears at bay.

In front of them, two young girls pranced down the aisle, tossing pink rose petals onto the carpet while a small boy tottered after them; proudly holding a pillow with rings. The procession made their way down the walkway and when they passed by the closet row to the front Naruto grinned and flashed them a thumbs up. The bride grinned back at him before continuing on her way to the alter.

"Did he propose himself?" Itachi asked, leaning over slightly so their shoulders brushed.

Naruto nodded and whispered back, "Yeah, and he bought the ring himself, but I think we know who wear's the pants in this relationship."

As if sensing that someone was talking about him, Shikamaru turned his eyes towards the first row of chairs. Naruto flashed an innocent smile and waved, making the genius sigh and turn his attention back to the female standing before him. He had wanted something simple for a wedding, something like getting married at the court; that was easy.

This; this was troublesome.

He heard Naruto snicker at him in the front row and he cast his eyes up to the few clouds that littered the sky before sighing again. A polite cough brought his eyes back to the female in front of him and he pushed the thoughts from his mind. He could deal with this troublesome wedding for her.

Sure, it was a pain to sit through the multiple meetings that dealt with the planning and he really didn't care which color napkins were set at the table. In fact, most of the time he had been away during the meetings with the exception of the ones that he was dragged to. But looking around the lush countryside, tucked away from any sights or sounds of the busy city, he knew it was worth it.

It was a nice day outside; just windy enough to provide comfort and it wasn't overly bright. All his friends were here and as far as weddings went, it was running rather smoothly.

And Ino looked gorgeous; he supposed that's all that really mattered.

His eyes shifted over to his blond friend who had pulled a few strings and was able to book the area for the occasion. Naruto's blue eyes shone with excitement while the Uchiha's were more concealed; wedding excitement was something the blond would enjoy more and his enthusiasm during the planning stages was contagious.

But despite the masked eyes that the raven wore, Shikamaru could see the soft glances that were directed towards Naruto when he thought no one was looking; they were filled with affection and kindness. Those looks alone were enough to put Shikamaru's mind at ease and now he didn't bother to drill question after question into the man as Neji had a few months ago.

Instead, he had sat on the sofa while Naruto ran through the doorway with boxes and listened to Neji question Itachi. The Hyuuga hadn't been pleased when he had learned that Naruto was moving in with Itachi and feared that the raven would try to take advantage of their friend. Shikamaru had to admit that he had been worried about that as well when he had first heard the news and his protective side flared up.

So while Naruto packed the small moving van with boxes, unaware of the ever-growing tension in the apartment, he watched the two debate. It was rather amusing to watch the two stand toe to toe as they argued and he could practically see the sparks shooting from their eyes. Several times, Naruto would pop back in and stare at them with his head cocked to the side, wondering why they would stop talking whenever he entered the room.

It was only out of the love for their friend that they stayed silent, not wanting to draw either his wrath or spark a concern over the subject. Instead, he would shrug it off and leave with more boxes, allowing the argument to continue. It wasn't until Naruto was finished packing the van and had launched himself at Itachi, that the genius had been able to see the hidden affection in Itachi's eyes.

He was waiting for the man to snap at Naruto for the harsh treatment, but instead, he accepted the tackle with a small chuckle. His arms moved back automatically to catch the young blond and keep him in place on his back while he turned slightly. His eyes danced with humor at Naruto's excitement and his lips tilted up softly as Naruto pressed closer to him.

The small display of care and affection made Shikamaru realize that Naruto would be in good hands. Because, despite what he thought would happen; the raven didn't turn back towards Neji with a smug look on his face but instead stayed focused on the blond, listening to him talk. All the anger and frustration from the earlier argument had vanished, leaving behind soft dark eyes that only wished to protect Naruto.

With that, Shikamaru stood up and ushered Neji from his own apartment, telling him that they should see Naruto off. Neji stared at him as though he had lost his mind but he ignored the look and continued downstairs. Itachi and Naruto followed shortly after, with the raven still carrying a happy Naruto.

"Do you, Shikamaru, take Ino to be your wife?"

Well damn, they were that close already? Maybe he should have been listening a little more carefully.

He responded quickly to the question and listened as Ino agreed as well before the priest stepped back to allow them their first kiss as husband and wife. They pulled apart and he watched as Ino smiled to the cheering crowd, and he allowed his mind to drift away one last time. His eyes settled on Neji, who was still upset about losing his roommate and was giving Itachi an evil glare.

Perhaps today would be the best day for Neji to come to peace with Itachi, after all, with Naruto around; anything could happen.

If there was one thing that Naruto wanted to help plan, it was the food. After sitting through the ceremony all morning, his stomach was growling for food and the sight of the large buffet before him made his mouth water. Itachi placed a calming hand on his shoulder and he squirmed in place as the line in front of him moved slowly.

He hadn't heard of the catering service, but it was someone that Itachi had used a few times before when dealing with company functions so he was able to get a discount for them. And because he knew the caterers, they were able to send out samplings of the foods offered and Naruto had had a field day trying all the different plates.

Behind him, Itachi could feel Sasuke shift slightly closer to his person as to keep the bridesmaids away. He chuckled a little and pushed his brother forward so he was sandwiched between Naruto and himself, earning a sigh of relief from the younger Uchiha. However, his stunt now had him standing next to Neji and he could feel the man drilling holes into his head.

"Aw, they didn't pick the cheesecake after all." Naruto stated from down the line.

Sasuke snorted, "Of course not, it would be expensive to get enough for everyone." He sighed and pushed the small dish of ice cream towards Naruto, "Here, you can have my ice cream if it'll shut you up."

Naruto stuck out his tongue at Sasuke but still accepted the offered bowl before walking off towards a table with Sasuke right behind. Itachi nodded his thanks as his plate was handed back to him and he followed the line. When he reached the end, his eyes skimmed over the servers standing by the wall and quickly found the one he was looking for.

"Mr. Uchiha, we have the package that you requested." The female said as she stepped forward to greet him.

He smiled slightly and accepted the black box, "Thank you."

She nodded to him and vanished back to the line of servers, as he made his way to the table. He took his seat next to the blond while Neji decided to take a seat across the table and glare some more. Itachi ignored the man and set the small box next to Naruto.

The blond cocked his head, making Itachi's lips twitch and he simply answered, "It's for you."

Naruto slid his finger under the opening, unclasping the small Styrofoam clasp, allowing the top to swing open. His mouth dropped at the item setting in the black box and the next moment, Itachi had a blond in his lap, happily nuzzling his face.

Sasuke scowled at the offending object in the box and pushed it further away from his plate; he didn't want the sugar anywhere near his food. It was bad enough that his brother liked sweets, but adding Naruto into the picture meant that something sweet was always found at his brothers' home.

"How'd you get that Itachi?" Neji asked, staring at the thick slice of cheesecake sitting innocently in the box.

Itachi looked over Naruto's head at the man and shrugged, "I know the caterer and asked if they could bring a slice for me."

"Why?"

The raven wound his arms around Naruto's waist, "Because it wasn't on the original menu and I knew that he liked it."

Neji was oddly silent as he picked up his glass of wine and sipped at it. His pale eyes stared at his food intently and Itachi wondered if he had broken the man but decided to keep his mouth shut. Naruto shifted on his lap and he loosened his arms so the blond could turn around and slid back into his seat, but not before pressing a quick kiss to Itachi's cheek.

"Come on Sasuke, you have to have one dance." Naruto coaxed, tugging at the Uchiha's hand.

"No." Sasuke firmly stated and turned his head towards the side in a pout.

Naruto grunted, "Fine, I'll just leave you alone and let one of those girls over there drag you onto the dance floor."

The raven bolted from the chair and Naruto laughed as he was pulled onto the dance floor. Itachi chuckled from his seat and sipped at a glass of water. He watched as Sasuke awkwardly tried to position his hands on Naruto until the blond huffed and did it for him. Sasuke's face was tinted slightly pink due to embarrassment as he bowed his head and admitted that he had never danced before.

Itachi watched with amusement as Naruto bit his lip to keep from laughing before carefully guiding his brother through simple dance steps. It took a while for Sasuke to get the moves down and he stumbled every now and then, but Naruto was there to help him along the way, putting him at ease.

"I thought that Uchiha's were supposed to be graceful."

Itachi turned around and regarded Neji carefully, "We're only human, like everyone else."

The Hyuuga was silent before answering, "Humans make mistakes and can sometimes hurt others."

"You're human Neji, as is Naruto." Itachi answered, turning his attention back to Naruto, who was trying to get Sasuke to two-step.

"I know and humans are also protective of the ones they consider close." Itachi turned back to Neji and allowed the man to continue, "I know he cares deeply for you and I want him to be happy but I also want to know that he'll be safe and cared for back."

A snort sounded from behind them, "I don't think you'll have to worry about that. The Uchiha cares about him." They both turned around and Gaara continued, "He may not show it like Naruto does, but instead, shows it more like we would. In a quiet and protective way."

Neji sighed, "I know, I just wanted to make sure." He moved away from the two, "But I'll always worry about him anyway."

"Charming." Gaara said as Neji walked away, "He reminds me of Minato in his protective ways."

Itachi shivered, "Please don't."

"Ah, so you met his parents more formally did you?"

"It was slightly awkward." Itachi answered, trying to keep that memory at bay. It wasn't as though it was awful, but it was one experience he wasn't in a hurry to repeat.

"Gaara!" A blond blur launched itself at the redhead and enveloped him in a hug. "Come dance with me!"

"No."

"Please?" Naruto pouted, "Sasuke isn't a good dancer and Itachi is tired."

Gaara sighed and ran a hand over his face before allowing Naruto to lead him to the dance floor. Sasuke groaned and flopped down in a chair next to Itachi, "He has too much energy. I don't know how you keep up with him."

The elder Uchiha chuckled as Sasuke let his head fall onto the table. Despite his protesting, he could tell that his brother was having a good time and it was an attribute of Naruto's personality to make sure that those close to him were having fun. He had done it countless times at the center and by doing the same to Sasuke, showed that he wanted the raven to relax more.

"Well, look who's here; the picky little raven who doesn't like sweets."

Sasuke tensed up at the voice and slowly turned around, "What the hell are you doing here?"

White teeth flashed in a grin, "Sakura and I are working with the catering and Sakura knew Ino to begin with, so here we are."

The raven stood up, "I'm going to get some fresh air."

The man snorted with laughter as Sasuke made a quick get away and then shouted when someone hit him over the head, "Suigetsu, be nice." Sakura scolded before turning to Itachi, "Hey Itachi."

"Sakura, how are you doing?"

"Life's good." She answered, shooing Suigetsu away while telling him to play nice. "I'm glad I was able to get some time off to come to the wedding, Ino is an old friend. Why are you here?"

"Naruto is friends with the groom." Itachi answered and shifted in his chair as Naruto trotted off the dance floor. "He didn't want me to miss out on all the good food."

Sakura grinned, "Yes, well, we all know about that cheesecake that you asked for Mr. Uchiha. But I think everyone seemed to find it rather endearing; but now you've lost your edge." A shout came from the front of the hall and the female turned her head towards the noise, "They're getting ready to throw the bouquet, are you coming?"

Itachi shook his head, "I'm fine right here." He said and watched as Sakura walked towards the large group of people standing near a chair. Now that Sakura was gone, Naruto came up and with a soft sigh, plopped down on Itachi's lap.

"I'm tired." He stated and let his head fall on the raven's shoulder.

"Too much dancing?"

"Your brother isn't very good at it and it required a lot of energy." Naruto answered, pressing his warm body against Itachi's, "He must not have learned from you in that department."

Itachi laughed and brought his arms up so they circled Naruto's waist. His eyes flickered towards the large mass of people and his eyebrow rose when he noticed his brother in the pack. He was certain that it hadn't been Sasuke's intent to be there, but now he was trapped by the females hopping to catch the small bundle of flowers.

There was just something about the whole thing that just made him chuckle and Naruto blinked sleepily at him before disregarding it. With a sigh, he closed his eyes again, allowing Itachi to watch the theatrics alone.

Sasuke scowled as he was jarred again and he wondered how he had gotten into this mess. He remembered seeing Sakura making her way towards his spot on the wall and he had tried to bolt the other way, only to be caught in this pit of people.

His eyes settled on a lone female standing on a metal chair with a bouquet in hand. He grunted as someone elbowed him in the stomach and he wondered what was so exciting about tossing flowers into a crowd. It wasn't like if you caught the thing you actually had to marry someone; the whole idea was just plain stupid.

He was too busy questioning the sanity of the wedding goers and promising himself that he would never do something like this, that he missed Ino tossing the bouquet. Screams were the only thing that pulled him from his thoughts and he glanced up in time to see the bundle bounce off outstretched fingers. It seemed to happen in slow motion though as gravity pulled the flowers down and smacked him right in the face before dropping into his hands.

At the same time the flowers were hitting his face, he was pushed to the side by someone trying to reach for the bundle and his feet tangled together. He hit the ground with a grunt but his body connected with something much softer than the harsh tile floor. When he blinked his eyes clear, they focused on an amused face who seemed to be having too much enjoyment with their whole position.

The disappointed wails of everyone were lost on Sasuke, as were the slight snickers of the perverted minds that slunk away. With a laugh, pale fingers reached up to pull the flowers from his tightly clasped hand and inhaled the scent.

"You know, most people don't give crushed flowers to people they like."

Sasuke scoffed and pulled the flowers back, "What makes you think I like you."

"You haven't moved yet and you have this small little red tint; called a blush across your face." He purred, "And since we had a rocky start when we first met, let's start over. Hi, I'm Suigetsu and you are?"

"Sasuke."

"Sasuke…" The man said, rolling the name on his tongue, "I know this great little coffee shop a few blocks from here, they have the best coffee and biscotti's this side of town."

The raven arched an eyebrow, "Are you hitting on me?"

Suigetsu chuckled, "If that's what you think then maybe, but you know you like the attention."

Sasuke scoffed and stood up, allowing the man below him to get to his feet as well. "My car or yours?" He asked, walking towards the side door. His eyes settled on his brother who was watching with mild interest and he paused when he reached Itachi. The smaller blond was passed out on Itachi's lap with his head pressed firmly into the raven's neck while his brother kept a watchful eye on him.

A smirk crossed his face as he flicked Naruto's ear, pulling him from his dreamland. He tilted his head back lazily, his eyes still heavy with sleep and Sasuke dropped the bouquet in their laps, "I think you two need this more than I do."

The blush that settled across Naruto's cheeks made him chuckle as he walked away and caught up with Suigetsu. Once they left, Itachi set the flowers off to the side and the blond slumped forward again, muttering curses to Sasuke for waking him up and making him lose his warm body. The raven ran his fingers through the blond locks and chuckled at his antics, knowing that if he hadn't just woken up, Naruto would be chasing after his brother.

But as it was, he was more content to stay close then leave Itachi.

"I want to be a racecar driver."

Itachi looked down at the blond head that was curled up against his side, "Should I ask why?"

Naruto gestured to the television, "Doesn't that look cool? Racing around at high speeds; legally."

The raven rolled his eyes at the explanation and trailed his fingers down Naruto's bare sides, drawing a gasp from the blond. Itachi leaned down to capture his lips while tanned arms wrapped around his back, pulling him closer. Ever since Naruto had moved in, they spent every Saturday night together watching a movie or doing something that Itachi had been denied in childhood.

Naruto was bound and determined to make Itachi relax more by pulling him away from his six-day workload. He stated that Itachi should have more fun in his life and the only way he could do that was if he took the entire weekend off and didn't focus on work. It had started simple, with the blond bringing home a movie from the store and begging to watch it.

After that, every weekend they would end up watching a movie and before Itachi could catch on, Naruto had been able to worm his way into his normal routine and break it apart. Not that the raven could complain to the change, as he loved to spend time with the younger male. And more often than not, their Saturday movie nights usually ended with cuddling, soft kisses and gentle touches.

And some not so innocent touches.

The remote fell to the floor as Itachi draped his body over Naruto's and the blond pressed himself into the cushions of the couch. He nipped at the tan skin before running a tongue over the mark, all the while wondering if Naruto was going to let him continue tonight. All the other past nights had been quiet, the two becoming reacquainted after being apart for so long.

And while Itachi wanted nothing more than to ravish the blond most of those nights, he held back until Naruto seemed ready. The whole incident from the center still stayed in the back of his mind during their moments of intimacy and he was always careful to keep his desires in check. Sure, it left him rather frustrated and horny at night but it wasn't worth continuing if it would harm Naruto.

So he would carefully watch his blue eyes and body language, waiting for the subtle change that showed he was uncomfortable before backing away. Naruto would always blink at him curiously, as the lust clouded eyes faded away, giving rise to understanding and he would retreat to his side of the couch to finish watching the movie. They would stay still during the rest and neither would make a move to get closer again; leaving Itachi to deal with his raging hard on.

But now, Naruto was frantically sucking on his neck while soft cries escaped his mouth whenever Itachi moved just right. His lips descended onto the blonds, their tongues quickly intertwining, drawing a moan from Naruto's throat. Itachi's fingers slipped up the bare chest to tweak the dusky nipples and Naruto broke the kiss as a keening noise escaped his mouth, making the raven chuckle.

He could feel the males' arousal straining against the boxers and his fingers trailed down to the waistband, pausing slightly to play with his happy trail. They dipped slightly inside and he could feel the curls of hair touch his fingers when the phone rang.

They both jumped and Itachi yanked his hand away while Naruto panted harshly; his cheeks tinted red and his eyes glazed over with unshed lust. The answering machine kicked on in the kitchen and Kisame's voice echoed throughout the room.

"Hey boss, just wanted to thank you for this vacation. The beach is awesome and the view from the hotel is amazing; did you know you could feed sharks here too? I'll have to take a picture or something for you, but anyway, just letting you know how your partner is doing and that I send my love. Haha. Tell the blond I said hi."

Naruto looked up at Itachi as the phone clicked off, leaving them in silence again, "You sent him on a vacation?"

"He deserved it." Itachi answered, "I know that he went through a lot to set up our meeting in the bookstore and we just finished signing a major contract; I can afford to give him some time off."

The blond smiled, "That was nice of you." He said with a smirk and raised his hips up, showing that he was still aroused. Itachi hissed at the friction and ground down harshly on Naruto's hips, drawing a moan from him. "I think you deserve something nice."

He gestured for Itachi to lay back and waited for his back to touch the sofa before nestling his body in between the raven's legs. His fingers swiftly attacked the button on the pants and then took the zipper in his teeth, pausing to glance at Itachi. He shivered when the smoldering dark eyes lingered on him and he pulled the metal clasp down.

With a quick tug, the pants were pulled off and Naruto's eyes gleamed with mischief as they eyed the bulge behind the fabric. A tentative tongue flickered out to tease the skin above the elastic band while soft fingers trailed down Itachi's sides, making him squirm at the touch. The ravens breath hitched as a wet mouth nipped at the fabric and just as those teasing fingers slipped inside the waistband; the phone rang, again.

Itachi's hips jerked at the noise, making Naruto tug at the boxers harshly. He hissed as the material rubbed against his rigid length and then froze as cold air hit his heated flesh. His eyes drifted back down towards Naruto who was intent on ignoring the constant ringing as his warm hand wrapped around his pulsing member and gave it a slow, leisurely pump.

The ringing stopped and by now, Itachi couldn't remember that it had been ringing to begin with as his eyes slipped shut. He faintly heard a click coming from the kitchen but he disregarded it until Kisame's voice echoed again, "Well, seeing as I'm being ignored and you never ignore me or a call; I think it's safe to say someone finally cracked and jumped the other and now you two are proceeding to screw each others minds out.

Naruto's hand stopped moving and Itachi's eyes snapped open.

"I can tell when I'm not needed so I'll just let you two keep going on your hump fest and pause only to remind you, Naruto to take it easy on my boss. He's still a vir-"

The answering machine went flying across the room and Itachi was pleased when it collided with the wall; breaking into several pieces. He'd attack the one in the kitchen later after he flew down to the beach Kisame was staying on and then proceed to murder the man. He felt Naruto's warm body roll away as he left the couch and disappeared down the hall quietly and Itachi cursed.

There was no way anything was going to happen tonight, the mood was ruined and his anger at Kisame had made any thoughts of lust vanish completely. And it would be a while before they had time again to themselves. Next week was a busy time for them since he had several meetings and Naruto was going across town to talk to some publishers.

Their time would be hit and miss for the next few weeks and he let out a groan. This couldn't be healthy for him.

Itachi sighed unhappily at the stack of papers in front of him; good help was so hard to find these days. He had asked his secretary to file the folders two days ago after making copies of them. Instead, she had done neither of them and now he would have to stay late to do it himself. The woman had already been fired and he had placed an ad in the paper but he couldn't wait to get the filing done until someone new came in.

Usually this wouldn't be a problem, but this was a night that Naruto was home as well and he had already promised him they'd do something together. He was dreading the call that he was going to have to make, but there was no way he could let this mess pile up. The accounting team needed to submit the monthly income report and they would need the papers tomorrow. If something was out of place, then it would slow down the process and they would be late in submitting the report.

He grabbed the stack of papers and started to place them on the copier while pressing the speed dial on his new phone. Naruto picked up after two rings and his cheerful voice made Itachi cringe.

"Naruto, I'm sorry, but I'm going to be home late tonight. My secretary didn't file the papers like I asked her and if we're late in submitting the income report we'll be in trouble." He said softly as the copier hummed in the background.

The blond was silent on the other end and for a moment, Itachi had feared that he had hung up, but finally Naruto's voice answered back quietly, "Its okay Itachi, I understand."

"Naruto…"

He laughed, "Really, it's okay Itachi. There are just something's that you can't help. We'll watch the movie next week, right?"

Itachi's head whipped in the direction of the phone, "Next week?" He asked, "Why next week?"

"I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon but it'll take five hours to get there, so I'm leaving in the morning."

Pale hands gripped the phone tighter. He knew that by the time Naruto came back, it would be late and that next week he had his own meetings now that Kisame was coming back tomorrow night. His eyes lowered slightly as he realized that it was getting harder and harder to see Naruto and he had never intended for it be this way.

"I'll try to hurry and come back as soon as I can."

"Don't rush Itachi; if you make a mistake then it'll turn around to bite you later." Naruto scolded, remembering the same speech Konan gave him every time he hurried to submit a new chapter. "I'll see you when you get back."

He didn't leave much room for argument and Itachi told him goodnight before turning back to the stack of papers. If he started now, he could be back home before ten and maybe Naruto would still be awake. He grabbed at a small folder and pulled it from the stack, shouting as the heap tilted to the side and slumped to the floor.

It was going to be a long night.

When Itachi walked into the bedroom, he wasn't surprised to see Naruto already asleep. He was going to have to leave in a few hours and he wouldn't want to drive and risk falling asleep. Silently, he moved around the bathroom so he could get ready for bed and then slipped under the heavy blankets. The blond shifted slightly at the subtle dip in the mattress but otherwise didn't wake up.

With a sigh, Itachi rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. It had been a long day and an even longer night, and all he wanted to do was go to sleep. Perhaps he would go into work tomorrow since Naruto would be gone all day and he could get a head start on his work. This way, it would clear up his schedule later on in the week.

Thought in mind, Itachi let his mind drift off and he slowly slipped into a light sleep.

Thirty minutes later, he felt something heavy drape itself across his body, followed by a wet feeling on his neck. His head tilted to the side as he tried to escape the feeling, but instead, something bit down on his exposed throat, sending a line of heat racing down his body. He shivered and felt slight pressure on his hips as the weight pressed down.

The action continued for a few more minutes and it wasn't until his hips were subtly rocking back that his eyes snapped open. They quickly settled on a blurry figure over him but the vision sharpened after a few blinks and his hands reached up to stop the grinding hips.

"Naruto." He called, trying to wake up the blond up. The motion stopped but Naruto didn't wake up, instead, he dropped his head to suck on a pale earlobe and Itachi bit back a moan. Finally, he seemed to stop and Itachi panted harshly as the blonds' head hovered next to his ear. "Are you still asleep?"

A chuckle sounded in his ear before a husky voice whispered back, "No."

Itachi smirked and rolled them over, looking down into amused blue eyes, "Good."

Naruto groaned as Itachi bit at his exposed neck and he felt the blond thread his fingers through his hair. "You know, you're very hard to wake up." He stated as his hands trailed down his back, "But look, you're not so tense anymore; you were so uptight when you came into bed."

The raven winced, "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

Another laugh escaped Naruto's throat, "Who said I was asleep?" He asked, as his hand dipped below Itachi's boxers, giving the length a harsh squeeze. "You took a little longer to come home then I thought, but sometimes I can be patient." His hand started to move and he felt the raven shudder above him, "I don't know why you would always stop all those times, but I can tell you're excited."

Itachi bit his lip to keep the groan at bay as he felt Naruto tease the tip and his control almost snapped there. "I didn't want to push you." He panted out, allowing his head to drop in the crock of Naruto's neck.

The hand stopped, "Really? Because I was concerned that you were either nervous or worried about staining the couch; and if it was the latter, I would have bought you a new one."

"I don't have a problem with my couch getting dirty." He murmured next to his ear and he heard Naruto groan at the words. With a chuckle, he wrapped his arms around the tan back as Naruto nuzzled his neck.

"Then we'll christen it tomorrow morning." Naruto replied sleepily. "And I'm not letting you go to work."

Itachi simply nodded, and decided that he wouldn't remind Naruto that it was the weekend. And even if it had been a weekday, he would have called in sick; they could handle things for a day without him. He rolled them to the side and tossed a leg over Naruto's drawing them closer before joining his lover in a peaceful sleep.

Flicking through the channels, Naruto shifted on the couch. Itachi was still asleep and after waking up with the urgent need to pee, he couldn't fall back asleep. The blanket fell around his bare shoulders and pooled at his waist. He wasn't dressed yet as he remembered Itachi's comment last night and the thoughts of defiling the couch only proved to further arouse him.

He yawned widely and wiped the wetness from the corner of his eyes. Footsteps sounded on the floor and Itachi looked slightly annoyed as he pushed his bangs from his face. Naruto cocked his head at the raven and he grunted, "My warm body left."

Naruto laughed slightly and tilted his head back as Itachi leaned down for a kiss. He could taste the minty toothpaste on his tongue and he hungrily sucked at it. When they broke apart, he licked at his lips and watched the raven sit next him, allowing him space to curl up next to him. Pale fingers ran through his hair and it was silent until Itachi spoke.

"I didn't know you were so knowledgeable until last night; it was rather interesting."

To his surprise, the blond flushed, "Well, you forget who my godfather is and what he writes. I've, uh, had many chances to read up on the subject."

Itachi's eyebrow arched as he pulled Naruto closer, "Should we see how far your knowledge extends then?"

Naruto sealed his lips over Itachi's for an answer and let his fingertips trail down the ravens' back, making him shiver. They slowly sunk into the couch, ready to become further acquainted with each other just as the doorbell rang.

Itachi tore his mouth away from Naruto's with a snarl and stormed to the front door; intent on killing whoever was on the other side. When he flung the door open, he didn't even blink at seeing Kisame standing by the doorway with a small bag in hand. Somehow, he should have known. The man looked slightly tanner than when he had left and didn't seem to notice the twitch that had quickly developed in Itachi's eyes.

"I thought you were coming back tonight." He growled.

"A storm was coming in so I asked for an earlier flight. I tried to call you last night but all the phones were off. Although it was kind of late at night." Kisame answered and dug through the small bag, "I also have presents for you and Naruto. Where is Blondie anyway? Oh and look! I have pictures of the sharks."

"Kisame."

The man looked up and noticed for the first time that his boss was barely dressed and an equally undressed blond was covering himself with a blanket on the couch. He tore his eyes away and gulped, "Yes?"

"Get out!"

With a yelp, the man squired away and Itachi rubbed the bridge of his nose; now he needed a vacation. The simple idea made him smile and he sauntered over to the blond and captured his lips again. When they broke apart, he stared into the sparkling blue eyes of his lover, "How does a vacation sound, Naruto?"

"Beach?" Naruto asked curiously.

The thought of everyone staring at his blond running around in swim trunks made him shake his head. No, he needed someplace where no one else would be able to see the delicious tan skin; somewhere snowy. Then again, Naruto did have a deadline coming up and if they happened to vanish, Konan would send Pein to sniff them out.

He was certain that woman had placed a tracker on Naruto somewhere.

Naruto nuzzled his face into Itachi's side and wrapped his arms around his waist, "As long as we're together."

Itachi ran his fingers through the blond locks and hummed thoughtfully. "Always." He answered and shifted so they were lying together more comfortably, "I have no intention on letting you go. Tomorrow I'll look up places that sound nice and schedule sometime off."

The blond leaned closer to press a kiss to his lips and they leisurely indulged themselves, enjoying the feel of the soft emotions that ran rampant through their bodies while the lazy haze of the weekend ran through them. Itachi watched as Naruto's eyes slipped shut and he drifted off into a light doze; his body still tired from their previous night.

His mind drifted back to the black book that was sitting on his bookshelf in the office. It was resting in a small book holder with a picture next to it of him and Naruto that Konan had taken. They were at a publishers gathering and despite all the prime and proper black suited people that were in the room, Naruto had refused to act like them. Instead, he was draped over Itachi's shoulder, flashing a grin with his fingers in the shape of a V.

Everyday he could look at that picture and remind himself that despite being in the world of business, sometimes the best approach was a casual one and that other times, things you once cursed could turn out to be a blessing. They were proof of that alone and Naruto's words to him in the story couldn't have been more true; going to the center had been a blessing in disguise.

While his relationship with Sasuke was nowhere near perfect, it was better than it had been before and the time away from work had allowed him to look at things in a different light. And Naruto of course, had made his life near perfect. He couldn't say it was perfect yet since Naruto wasn't fully his, but given time, he knew that one day that would change.

The hardest part would be convincing the blonds' father.

He chuckled at that and closed his eyes as he pulled Naruto closer. These thoughts could wait until later as could the christening of the couch; and the thought of dragging Naruto to his office for some fun made his length twitch. But for now, he was content with the blond and he allowed himself to drift into the thing that enabled him to first meet Naruto.

Sleep.

Second A/N: I know Imperial Mint mentioned in her latest chapter about doing an ItaNaru fic exchange and now it's my turn XD. Right now we're just seeing how many people would be interested so we know it'll work. Basically, it'll run like a secret santa, but with stories of course. You'll fill out a form on what you'd like in a story and what you're comfortable writing. Your form will be given to someone else and you'll get another persons; simple as that.

This is just a brief description and if we have enough people interested, more detailed information and rules will be posted along with when everything would be due. If we're lucky, we can get everything returned to the original authors by the time the holidays roll around.

If you have any questions now, feel free to ask and I'll be happy to answer them. A small heads up though, in case I don't answer your question right away; I'm leaving Friday morning to go see my grandmother and I'll be gone for a week and I won't have internet so I won't be able to answer anything during that time. But I'll get back to you as soon as I get back.

Akiru's Beta Note - Well I am sure I am not the only one sad about seeing this end... but you know what that means? We all get to beg for an Epilogue. lmao... I know DM just loves this. I know I do. Well I am thinking of one revolving around Sasuke and Sui with some scenes of what Itachi and Naruto are now up too... or vice versa... although I now blame this new chapter for making me love SuiSasu...

Oh well... whatever the case... Who wants an epilogue?