you are home

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20

The morning was cold and bleak, but in contrast, the sky was now an offset blue. Sasuke was surprised at how bright it was outside. Considering that it was November, he expected some type of wind to hit him instead of the warmth of the sun.

"Are you alright?" he heard ahead of him.

A woman, wearing her blonde hair in four symmetrical ponytails, didn't struggle when supporting her brother's weight.

Gaara's voice, tired and quiet, whispered back, "I'm fine, Temari."

Sasuke adjusted the backpack strap around him, walking a little faster to catch up to the siblings. They passed the school gate, heading toward a black-and-white car parked on the side of the street. Gaara's older sister helped him into the car, buckling him in.

Sasuke stepped forward to hand Gaara's backpack to the woman. She put it in the car, resting it by her brother's feet. One look into the car let Sasuke know that Gaara had fallen asleep again.

"Thank you..." the woman said, stopping to let him continue.

"Sasuke," he finished. 

"Right," Temari nodded, looking over at Gaara to make sure her brother was settled in before glancing back at the boy in front of her. "Thank you, Sasuke. I hope it wasn't too much trouble... I mean, you know..."

"It wasn't any trouble."

Temari nodded solemnly, turning back to shut Gaara's car door. Multiple thoughts racing through her head at once—with more pouring in by the second. None could be verbalized, not with a stranger standing right next to her.

"We have the same classes," Sasuke said, awkwardly albeit, though he tried to pass it off as a means to ease the woman's worries. "I could copy some notes down for Gaara and let him know what he's missed. I'll give it to him tomorrow, if he'll show."

"That'd be great," Temari thanked, seemingly less worried than before. "Thank you again, Sasuke."

She hesitated, rocking back and forth on her feet for a split second. Gesturing toward her car, she struggled to say anything else. Sasuke nodded at her, understanding (not really) and stepping back.

He watched as the woman forced her feet to move, skittishly hovering toward the driver's side of the car. She hopped in, face red with embarrassment, eyeing him from the window and giving him a small smile.

With guilt on his conscience, Sasuke returned the uncomfortable smile. The engine of the car revved before it pulled off into the street, leaving him standing in the parking lot.

The weight of Sasuke's backpack reminded him that he had to go back to class.

The contents of the bento box disappeared quicker than anyone could've imagined. Itachi didn't realize how hungry he was until he scraped the bottom of the lunchbox, surprised when his spoon came back empty.

Itachi begrudgingly set the lunchbox aside, picking up his dessert. He bit into the dango piece he was saving for the end of his meal.

"You know, Itachi," the oldest beautician whispered, drawing closer to the man, "Yuki has a niece."

His eyes drifted across the room towards the beautician working on her client's hair. The woman brushed through long platinum blonde strands, snipping off the ends with meticulous precision.

"That's Yuki's niece," the oldest beautician pointed out. "Right in the chair. The one getting a new haircut."

"Family discount?" Itachi wondered out loud.

Considering Auntie Yuki was cutting her own niece's hair... 

If Itachi knew how to cut hair, he'd cut Sasuke's hair for free, but that was just him. Everyone was different. 

"Yuki always offered to do that girl's hair for free, but..." The old beautician shook her head, clicking her tongue. "That girl always pays for her services. Even sneaks in a couple of bucks into the cash register. I don't know when she learned how to pick the lock."

"It's quite easy to pick locks," Itachi claimed.

"Of course you'd say that."

Itachi hummed, going in for another bite of his dango treat. It was perfect; his taste buds were soaring.

"She's really pretty," the oldest beautician mused. "Don't you think so?"

"She looks like Auntie Yuki," Itachi observed objectively, mouth full as he chewed.

"I think she's around your age. She's headed for medical school. She's a genius, just like you."

"I'm flattered to hear that you believe I'm smart."

The oldest beautician smacked the back of his head, glaring slightly when the Uchiha smirked. She settled back, looking over at Yuki and her niece before eyeing Itachi again.

"Say, Itachi," she whispered with a knowing glint in her eyes. "Yuki's niece is doing well for herself. It's about time she thought about finding someone to settle down with."

Itachi, having caught on to where the conversation was going, turned back to the last piece of dango he had left.

"And aren't you single, too?" she continued. "What do you say, huh? Both of you would make such pretty babies."

Itachi choked on the last bite of his food, heaving over when it wouldn't dislodge from his throat. He felt the old beautician patting his back, telling him to breathe and 'not be so dramatic, Itachi, sex is a normal part of most relationships.'

"Boy!" Auntie Yuki called out from across the room, glaring at the older woman next to him. "What did you do this time?!"

"Why do you blame me?!" the oldest beautician yelled back in defense. "Maybe it was the dango Aoi bought him."

"You're going to blame Aoi for something you clearly did?!"

"Oh, Itachi, I'm so sorry!" Miss Aoi rushed over with a cup of water in her hands. "If only I'd known this would happen..."

Itachi shakily took the cup, downing the water before clearing his throat. The first clear breath he inhaled was utterly heavenly.

"I know you said some shit to bother him!" Auntie Yuki countered, waving a pair of shears at the oldest beautician.

"You watch your mouth," the older beautician warned. "Is this how you talk to your elders?!"

"Itachi," Aoi said, patting his back ever so gently. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm fine now," Itachi said, smiling up at the woman. "Thank you, Auntie Aoi."

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Miss Aoi," the beautician sighed. "I'm not that much older than you."

"I apologize.” 

The arguing in the background stood no chance in letting up. It only grew louder, waging a war no one would win.

With the customer long forgotten, Itachi looked across the room to find her, strictly out of curiosity—nothing more. Auntie Yuki's niece quickly slid out of her chair and tiptoed to the cash register. She ignored him, taking off a hairpin tucked on the sleeve of her shirt and reaching over his head, swiftly using it to crack open the lock on the register.

Even Miss Aoi's mind lingered on the interaction, Itachi was sure of it. The silence of the actions went unnoticed by the other two beauticians, yet standing so close to him, Auntie Yuki's niece could care less that he was observing her.

He kept watching, studying the now-open cash register and the rose velvet wallet in the niece's hands. The woman pulled out a few notes of cash, reaching over his head once more to stuff the bills in their correct slots. Only then did she look at him, catching his gaze. They stared at each other in the upmost silence, slightly oblivious to the background noise that they chose not to acknowledge—

"—yet you're so ignorant to the idea of him dating a man—"

—up until that point.

Itachi was suddenly too conscious of the argument surrounding him. Slack-jawed, not even he knew where the statement came from. 

"Stop with your nonsense," Auntie Akari hissed. "You have some nerve!"

"Oh, I have the nerve?" Auntie Yuki argued back. "You're the one that keeps assuming! For fuck's sake, just look at the boy!"

Itachi stared at himself—his worn-out clothes, his semi-calloused hands, his rundown sneakers—becoming increasingly puzzled at what he was supposed to look like. He heard a snort, and he looked back up, meeting the gaze of Auntie Yuki's niece once more. 

She smirked in an ever-knowing way, rolling her eyes at him. If Itachi was taken aback, he didn't let it show.

The niece closed the cash register, using her hairpin to lock it again. She tucked one side of her hair out of her face, clipping it back with the hairpin. As swiftly as she could, she ran out of the room, much more successful in her attempt to get out of the salon undetected than Itachi was. As the salon's glass doors creaked open and began to shut on their own, she caught the man's eyes once more, putting a finger up to her lips to silence him.

Don't tell anyone—

—as if Itachi had anyone to tell.

"She always does that," Miss Aoi reminisced, a slight smile on her face. 

"Auntie Akari said that too," Itachi nodded, having watched the scene live for the first time.

"What happened, anyway? What did Ms. Akari say?"

Even with the words caught at his tongue, he managed to tell her, "That Auntie Yuki's niece and I would make a good match."

"Hmm," Miss Aoi pondered, looking at the scene in front of her. "I think Ms. Yuki figured that much out."

The yelling surrounding them, once hinting toward his sexuality, was now comprised of the absent niece. The older women went back and forth, too engrossed in each other to notice two new customers at the door—fleeing once they sensed the tension in the salon.

"You're shameless," Auntie Yuki cried, standing a little too close to the older beautician as she pointed sharp shears at her face. "You're just pimping out my niece to any man that walks into our salon?!"

Auntie Akari scoffed, "No one wants your crusty niece anyway!"

Itachi sighed, looking away from the scene and down at the counter he was seated at. He managed to finish all of his food; all that was left was to go to class.

"I'll drive you," Miss Aoi said, already having her keys in her hands.

Itachi shook his head. "I'll be fine. Thank you for the dango, Miss Aoi."

"I insist! It's been a while since I've seen you. Come on; if we go now, we can beat traffic."

The clock in the salon told him there was still an hour left to get to his campus. Going there early meant that he could catch up on some homework and studying he'd been putting off.

Between riding the bus or carpooling, the latter option sounded nicer.

Sasuke looked over the notes he had taken throughout the school day. Each one of his notebooks had at least something written down. He even made sure to talk to his teachers to make sure he had all the work he needed to catch up—not a thing he'd ever done before.

First time for everything, Sasuke thought to himself.

He made a mental note to photocopy each of the assignments he received. Surely Gaara would need them too. They both had the same classes; he could go the extra mile and type up the notes he wrote for Gaara. They'd see each other every day; he might as well make a good impression on the guy.

Besides, Sasuke figured the redhead had a hell of a day already.

He managed to stay by Gaara's side until the boy's older sister came to pick him up. He helped Gaara up off the cot, carrying his bag for him as they went outside.

He didn't have to. At any point, he could've just gone to class and called it a day. He already had enough on his plate—way too much to worry about some other student.

Oh, but guilt. Guilt was a torturous emotion.

Even if there was no hint of guilt, Sasuke didn't quite mind; it gave him something to do. If he wanted to, he could explore the school's library while he made a copy of everything.

It would allow him to spend a couple of hours away from home. That worked out perfectly. 

Sasuke started to walk towards the library, reading the signs in the hallways to guide him. Students lingered in every other corner, even toward the end of the school day. Their eyes didn't drift toward him—as odd as it sounded.

The school library came into sight as he rounded a corner. Nearing his destination, he made an abrupt stop. Had he forgotten something important; he couldn't, for the life of him, remember. Students behind him huffed as they passed around him, almost having bumped into him.

Their eyes didn't linger on him more than necessary.

He shook his head. Other students weren't a priority. He had to remember. As he searched his mind, he finally managed to recall.

He forgot to ask about extracurriculars. It was the one thing (of many things) he stressed about in the morning.

He could go to the library later on. For now, he started to head back to his homeroom.

Hopefully Mr. Hatake was still there.

Itachi yawned, covering his mouth to excuse himself. His classes ended with nothing but lectures upon more lectures. He managed to catch up on most of his homework; he even managed to squeeze in some studying. Midterms were just nearing the corner; he had one tomorrow, in fact. 

As the man stepped outside, he took in the sun and basked in its warmth. It was still only four o'clock in the afternoon. He had time to get home and report back his findings for work. 

He started down the sidewalk, walking in the direction of the bus stop when he heard several honks behind him. Itachi turned to see where the commotion was coming from, surprised when he saw Miss Aoi waving at him from inside her car. He jogged back to her, hunching over to talk to her from her rolled down window.

"I came to pick you up!" Aoi explained. "Come in, the car's unlocked."

"I'm grateful," Itachi said, "I could've taken the bus though."

"Nonsense, I've got a bit of time before my break ends. Hop in!"

Itachi looked down at his phone. Only a few minutes had passed. He could easily make it to the bus stop and still catch the bus, but the invitation to get home faster by car was certainly better.

He rounded the car and opened up the passenger side door, sitting inside and buckling himself. The car took off a moment later.

The ride was peaceful, to say the least. Low radio music played from the car stereo, adding to the ambiance of the ride. Itachi looked out of the window, watching other cars go by on the road. He remembered doing that when he was younger—when his parents would take him and Sasuke out to shop for groceries over in the next city. They always rewarded him with dango for his patience (and mostly for keeping Sasuke in check). 

Sasuke never really had a sweet tooth. He always begrudgingly handed his dango to Itachi, who acted as though he was doing a favor to his little brother by eating something so ‘revolting’ (note: it was the best thing he’s ever had).

Itachi made a mental note to check the fridge to see if the omelette was eaten. If not, he could make something savory for dinner. Perhaps a bowl of white rice and grilled mackerel, with some vegetables on the side. Even though the omelette was made just that morning, it would be better to eat a warm meal.

"Thinking about something?" Aoi asked him.

Itachi shook his head to clear his thoughts, looking away from the window and facing front. 

"Really?" Aoi pressed gently. "I could've sworn you were lost in thought about something..."

"Just dinner," Itachi answered. "Sasuke might be starving."

"How is he doing, by the way? You should bring him over to the salon! I'm sure the other ladies would love another kid to baby. All you've shown us were pictures of him."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea, considering..." 

The business. The cover-up that the salon hid. Association to the gang.

"Oh, right," Aoi sighed. "Sometimes I forget about all that stuff."

"He's doing alright," Itachi said, trying to lighten the dampened mood. "He's almost gotten to be my height now."

"Already? I thought he was still tiny."

"No. He's already sixteen," Itachi chuckled. "He's at the age where he thinks he's old enough to run the world."

"Aren't all teenagers?" Aoi laughed, clicking her blinkers to make a lane change. "You used to be like that. Oh, I remember! You only warmed up to me when I bought you dango. Tons of it, in fact."

"You tricked me into liking you," Itachi came to the conclusion.

"Of course, I did. And now look: I'm giving you a ride back to your home. The world works in mysterious ways."

Itachi looked back out of the window. Indeed, the world worked in mysterious ways. These mysterious ways were the reason why he was in the position he was in now. 

He watched the streets as they passed by. They were already getting closer to the new apartment he lived in. If he didn't rot on the couch, he'll be able to freshen up a bit before making the call to his boss. There was so much more time on his hands now, since he didn't take the bus.

"I asked Ms. Akari for your new address," Aoi said, breaking the silence. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Itachi placated. "Thank you for driving me back home, Miss Aoi."

"Back at the salon..." Aoi nibbled at her bottom lip, not knowing how to proceed. "With what happened... 'Tachi, you didn't deserve that."

Itachi remained silent, only looking over at Aoi as she spoke.

"Ms. Akari and Ms. Yuki argue over the tiniest things, and you know that more than anyone else," Aoi explained, dipping her voice lower as she then said, "But they shouldn't have spoke about you like that, dear. They shouldn't have... I talked to them about it, so the next time you come into the salon, they'll apologize. But it shouldn't have happened. Hell, they shouldn't be playing matchmaker either! Don't they know that it could make someone uncomfortable?! I'm sorry for not taking you out of the situation sooner."

Itachi watched the women tap her index fingers on her steering wheel. It was a nervous habit of hers. Miss Aoi didn't seem the most comfortable—even in the most tranquil moments. A part of her was always hovering over distress, despite being the beautician that always had a smile on her face.

She didn't fuss over him the most, but it was clear that she cared.

Thinking back to the morning at the salon, humor replaced his initial confusion. The argument was silly, if not outright hilarious.

There was, respectfully, no one out there for Itachi—neither a man nor a woman. There was a girl once, when he was younger (much younger than now), but that girl became merely a fragment of his memories in the past few years. To hear the beauticians argue about something so minuscule was amusing, as if he was a normal person with a normal life to live.

But, oh, how Miss Aoi always worried over the littlest things...

"Miss Aoi," Itachi began, "I didn't mind what happened in the salon. At all. I just thought it was a normal day."

"Really?" Aoi breathed out, almost relieved. "Are you sure? You know you don't have to lie to protect my feelings, or anyone's feelings. Those two are still going to apologize to you."

"I understand. Really, I didn't take it the wrong way. I appreciate you worrying for me, Miss Aoi. I wasn't troubled."

"If you say so."

Aoi's fidgeting lessened. The tapping on the steering wheel halted. Her rambling ceased until all that could be heard was the low music on the car stereo. 

The car slowed to a stop when the streets became all too familiar. Parked in the lot of his new apartment complex, the two sat in silence.

This was his stop.

"Itachi... well, if you're interested," Aoi stuttered, reaching for her phone, "Ms. Yuki's niece. I have her number. If you're interested, that is! No pressure. And I won't tell Ms. Yuki about it."

Itachi considered it, only to falter. His fingers had already swiped through his own phone, opening up his contacts before he could stop himself. He had so few. One more couldn't hurt, but then again, he barely used his personal cell phone—unless it was to contact Sasuke, which rarely happened these days.

"Miss Aoi," Itachi paused, not daring to look up from his cell phone. He wanted to be honest. "I don't know what I'm interested in."

Whether or not Aoi took that as a hint, she nodded and put down her phone.

"No, don't worry. I understand," Aoi said, even offering, "And if you're ever interested, Ms. Yuki also has a nephew. You know, if you want options. Ms. Yuki's family makes models look average, so you know you're in for a treat. Again, only if you're interested, and Ms. Yuki won't hear a word from me."

Itachi, once again, considered it. 

He willed himself to close his phone and pocket it. Picking up his schoolbag, he opened the door and let himself out. 

Pausing just before he closed the door, he hesitated to thank her.

He didn't have to say anything. Miss Aoi waved him off, smiling widely.

Truly, she somehow always understood.