Title: Aime Moi

Rating: M

Disclaimer: There's no money made in the process of writing this. Characters might be harmed, but hopefully not permanently. The address was picked at random and if there is anything standing there, let me say, that I don't own it either.

Synopsis: After almost getting his wallet stolen by Ino -and actually not caring- Itachi lets Naruto show him to his hotel. On the way Naruto speaks, Itachi not so much and general insanity assaults them, albeit gently. When Itachi tries to give Naruto more money than what they agreed on earlier, the boy refuses. There's a deal made. Naruto will get the money when he has done something for it. Oh, Itachi, if only you knew...

Music: Blackout, Muse

Heaven knows if you promise not to go
I will pay you back in kind
I don't want to be alone
I'm alive, so alive

by Placebo~

Chapter 03: Yasashii Yoake/ Gentle Dawn

The beginning and the end of it was that he couldn't not sleep.

Situations that robbed others their shut-eye and made them cranky, situations that made them nervous for weeks with trembling hands clenched tight under the table, touched him, certainly, but didn't hold him awake. It had something to do with the view out of Naruto's window, something about his world and how it wasn't only insane for a day or two but for as long as he cared to remember. Things could happen, and maybe they'd even shock him somewhat, break a tile in his worldviewfloor somehow, but when he was tired he slept.
(It was easy that way. It wasn't.)

So, at this moment of time, Naruto did just that.

Sleep, sprawl across the bed in a tangle of limbs and fabric that looked painful but wasn't. He was one of those people who lie on their back, face not exactly, not really turned away, mouth open but not soft. Naruto didn't grin in his sleep, didn't grin often at all when he was in bed, in fact, just breathed a bit loudly and kicked a bit fiercly without holding still. Naruto dreamt and you could see it clearly, easily. Face and body changing, moving, showing so much that it simply couldn't be denied. That it was a fool's job even to attempt to do so.

Naruto-the-sleeper, he was. Naruto-the-dreamer, too.

Naruto-the-dreamer's dreams were usually nonsensical things; fast-paced, multi-coloured and just as off-balance as his waking life he usually didn't remember them, when awake, and whatever fragment stayed with him did nothing more than make him blush when he spoke about it, hand on the back of his neck, uneven fingernails scratching at his skin. All there was to the dreams was that there had never been much to begin with (and yet who dreamt of giant snakes and toads drinking sake? Discussing how and when to eat him?)

The dreaming, it didn't keep him awake.

Good nights and interesting people might, and Naruto would stay awake the way children stay awake when they have the chance. Stay awake simply to see, to enjoy and laugh a little bit longer; to live a few moments more with all their senses tingling wildly. When there were no people and no laughter, Naruto slept best, slept fast when he was bored. In turn, haste and exitement ever changed so very little for him. That was why even with meeting Itachi today, darkdarkeyes and mouth that didn't promise anything there was no change in his routine. There really couldn't be.

Somehow there was the expectation that the world would continue to be off-kilter tomorrow, the day after that, forever.
He'd go to bed in a crazy world and would wake up in one and things would change but others wouldn't (and maybe this explained why he'd wanted to paint houses orange and talk to strangers while walking crookedly straight, without ever having learned how to lie).

Naruto had gone to sleep unconcerned and was dreaming mostly unconcerned things.

Right now, the only part of Itachi that touched him was his dream and within it, endless and not, immortal and dying, the weasel hushing rightleftright through his legs, leaving tiny black holes instead of paw prints behind. And the only thing he thought about was how he'd better not fall in these, because they promised to be deep and dark and... looked downright hungry. That was enough for him to think with the sunlight stumbling in through the blinds and casting thoughthin shadows on his walls. Or maybe it wasn't enough, really, because the alarm clock was halfway suffocated beneath his body, any and all sound long since chocked off.

Not being concerned, not thinking, it would take Naruto another half an hour to rise, Ebisu and the brat fighting a floor beneath him startling him awake and up. It would take him five minutes to get his bearings, four to brush his teeth, chuck a gulp off milk down and brush his teeth again. 20 minutes afterwards he'd jump over Ebisu, flipping him the bird and avoiding, miracously any and all accidents waiting to happen. All in all it would take him less than an hour to reach 8-12-15 Nicho. It was a stellar time. It was also too late

and wouldn't save him from crashing right into someone when he took the very, very last corner.

It was a rather typical day, after all.

Drabble-length...I don't even...maybe this will help? When Imperial Mint told me she had recc'ed this story (ftw and Thank You, here) I told myself to rewrite it (or face the consequences). While hammering the first two chapters into shape, this piece came into being. Sheesh.