My Lover's Keeper

46. Eighteen

Naruto was looking out the car window lifelessly until he saw a familiar face. It was foggy and rainy but he still could tell who that was.

"Stop the car! Stop the car!" Naruto shouted and got out as soon as possible.

The rain had stopped aggressively attacking his body so he looked up. The same yellow umbrella that had sheltered him from rain before and the same blond behind it.
"Itachi kicked me out" he said before he was even asked.

"Let's get you out of the rain okay?" Naruto took off his jacket and put it around his soaked ex.

"Why are you still nice to me?! Why aren't you-..." Sasuke started but he was interrupted.

"The day we broke up...before that you asked me how I knew I loved you. I told you to ask me later. It's not that I didn't have an answer." Naruto squatted in front of Sasuke, slightly wincing as it hurt. "And it's not that I wanted to break up with you either. I always asked Kaasan how he knew he loved Tou-san so much and he always said: 'you'll know when it happens'. It was that rainy day when your father came to pick you up and you smiled at me. Time froze, the air was thin and my heart wanted to follow you wherever you went. It ached but it was good pain. I can't really be mad at you. It's my fault we broke up. I should have told you everything earlier. And I can't be mean to you...it's not exactly one of my defining qualities, specially with how I feel about you." He offered his hand. "Now please don't be hotheaded and refuse my help. It won't do you good"

Sasuke didn't take Naruto's hand but he accepted his help. He got in the fancy black car and said nothing to the man who was with Naruto.

He was familiar with the condo they have arrived at. As the door opened, the numbered people inside shouted a "happy birthday" in unison but the boy in front of them was not the birthday boy.

"Sasuke?" Shikamaru wondered.

"Raiku-san, can you get Sasuke settled in one of the guestrooms please?" Naruto was holding Sasuke's duffle bag and looked at the decorations. Sai, Shikamaru, Neji, Youhei and Karin with her little sister were wearing birthday hats. "Hey guys,..." He was tired and couldn't even force a smile.

Sasuke didn't greet them at all and just followed Raiku upstairs.

"Naruto, bedroom" Yamato ordered.

"Hai" he said. "Sorry, I'll be right out" he went to the bedroom and stripped down to just his boxers. It was standard, Yamato would check his school bag, his clothes just to make sure he didn't smuggle anything.

He changed while they were at it.
"All clean" Yamato informed and left the mess that he had created as always for the blond to clean.

Naruto got out after he organized everything back and the party was pretty much dead.
"Dickless, you and Sasuke back together?"

"No, uhm...he got in a fight with Itachi...so he's crashing for a few days" he answered Sai truthfully. "Thanks for coming by, you didn't have to do anything, dattebayo?"

"Eighteen is a magic number" Shikamaru forced a smile "Youhei made the cake and we brought gifts!" He pointed at the pile.

"Kaasan would have lost his mind seeing all of that, 'ttebayo?" Naruto chuckled.

"Well Iruka, Kakashi and Kurama sent their gifts too so he doesn't get to complain" Shikamaru sat beside him. "How's school without me?"