{sasuke}

A roar of laughter drifted up from downstairs and the paragraph Sasuke had been concentrating on for the better part of an hour developed a rip in his hands. He got up, threw the shief of papers and his purple highlighter down, and huffed. Running a hand through his hair, he decided a break was long overdue.

Trailing an aura of dreary fatigue, Sasuke exited the study, barely able to force one foot in front of the other. Sitting for so long had put them to sleep. He walked down the corridor stiffly, his mind was a tumble of exhaustion and his head was starting to throb. He couldn't remember the last nap he took or the last meal he ate.

A mixer had started downstairs roughly an hour ago but Sasuke had been too busy with papers – oh so many papers – with prints so small his eyes burned with the effort he had put in. He couldn't remember much beyond the papers he'd been drowning in all day. The only reason he knew the fête had started was because of the unbearable noise thumping up from downstairs.

He slunk up to the little cornerbar. It sat in the lounge, on the landing just upstairs from the revelry, yet out of sight. A private parlour his dad liked to smoke in.

Quiet as a soft-pawed cat, he slid out a glass from the cabinet and poured himself a strong drink, on the sly. Keeping all sounds to a minimum.

What Itachi doesn't know, won't hurt him.

Sasuke took a seat on the couch set closest to the railing as he took a couple quick swallows, eyeing the cast and crew gathered in the living room below. The mansion was a big one and Sasuke had spent many celebrations in exactly the same spot, perfectly hidden away.

With his vantage point, he could view everything through the balustrade but would not be forced to mingle. Sasuke was simply perusing the crowd aimlessly, making a half-hearted sport of trying to recall everyone's names in his head when his eyes stopped on a head of golden hair that looked like live wires.

The man was not too tall, his grin exactly what would be expected of an imp. He could easily be the youngest in the room and the expressions on his face added to that concept. Every move of his was wild, almost exaggerated, barely controlled.

Itachi was talking to him, probably going over what was to be expected of him in the coming weeks of filming the pilot episode. The blond had his hair tied back in a tiny pony, leaving just a few wayward strands around his hairline to flutter as he nodded frenetically. The way his eyes scanned the script was carefully focused despite his casual posture. His gaze lingering on the places Itachi was pointing out. Drinking in details with a lively sharpness.

Sasuke noted the way the attractive, young actor got up along with Itachi and started moving about, taking small, moseying steps. Unable to stay in one place for too long due to his excitement. Itachi, who wasn't much of a pacer was following him, falling into his relaxed pace with every turn in front of the empty fireplace. His stiff shoulders, geared up for a work event were slowly loosening, even his perpetual composed expression and tone slowly turned to one more... excited.

Sasuke couldn't remember the last time Itachi had been excited. And if Itachi qualified as excited, then, in comparison, the blond man was deliriously eager.

Who is that blond man? All in his vicinity seemed to gravitate to him - eyes seemed to be drawn to him wherever he went. Sasuke felt his eye twitch; even he felt a gravitational pull to the young heartthrob, even all the way upstairs. How annoying.

The lush blond hair moved and glowed in the soft lighting, as he walked, like it was a live creature. The infectious personality had people in closest proximity drop what they were doing and stare at hypnotising blues eyes.

Blue eyes the depth of a Caribbean pool, calling out invitingly. Come, have a drink. Come, have a dip. Swim, surf, drown in me.

Sasuke finished his drink, suddenly unsure of what to do with his mouth, but pretty sure what he wanted to do with it. Images flashed through his mind as he vacated his seat.

Even so, something was off. In fact, there were many things he couldn't add up. Many things about the blond he couldn't decide on. Sasuke observed so many inconsistencies, why does he grin like that? Why does he grin that way when his eyes harbour something that made Sasuke's stomach twist?

Who is this attractive, confusing young man?

Sasuke's eyes landed on his tan hands, noting the lack of jewellery or tan lines on the fingers. Just because he doesn't wear a promise band doesn't mean he is unattached. Sasuke sighed and brought the bottle of liquor with him to his little couch as he heard his older brother's production team being introduced to the blond man.

"Maa, maa, Sasuke, such a heavy sigh. What's weighing on your mind?" Kakashi sat down beside him and took a look at the bottle of whatever Sasuke was having, which happened to be rum. "Rum? Really? What are you, a pirate?"

"Did you come here to offer your verdict on my choice of drink? Or do you actually have something worthwhile to say?" Sasuke asked, looking at him sideways with thinly-veiled yet mild irritation.

"I see the way you're looking at our star. Want me to introduce you to him? Jumpstart your...uh, acquaintance-ship?" Kakashi asked with a glint in his eyes that wasn't exactly playful, but the closest thing the man could do to playful, which was probably dark-amusement.

Sasuke felt an answering smile tug at his lips but he didn't show his own amusement. "Who is he?"

Kakashi chuckled, almost unable to believe that Sasuke was actually taking an interest in the blond. Almost.

"What?" Sasuke arched an annoyed brow at him.

"What a surprised... Didn't think young, blond co-eds were your type." Kakashi smiled, wanting to hold back information for a bit longer, make the insolent brat work for it. "Then again, Itachi had a very surprising reaction too. A single look into those eyes at Gaara's house-warming and he started pestering me. 'Who is he? Where is from? Does he act? Can you introduce me?' I was surprised with the level of interest he was showing."

Sasuke felt his eyebrows go up. He could tell that Itachi, with his artist's eyes, and the general probing and meddlesome interest he showed anyone attractive was interested in the blond for purely professional reasons.

But stranger things have happened.

"Kakashi, who is he?" Sasuke asked again, a deeper frown of his face. His voice more demanding than questioning.

"You're no fun, Sasuke." Kakashi was probably pouting, not that anyone could tell. "Fine. I'll tell you. He's Naruto Uzumaki; he's mentored by Jiraiya, and, for a brief stint before that, by me."

"You? What could you possibly contribute as a mentor?" Sasuke snarked and Kakashi chuckled again.

"Not much, I guess, considering how easy it was for Jiraiya to steal him. Such a shame, he would do so great in PR."

Jiraiya actively sought out this man?

The idea shoved a wrench in the 'he's just another pretty face for the camera' concept Sasuke had deemed to be the case. Not only did Jiraiya steal him, Kakashi – who disliked being assigned a pupil – was salty about losing the blond.

Sasuke glanced sideways at the man wearing a surgical mask. Even under the mysophobia-induced mask-wearing habit, Sasuke could detect the affronted frown. Just as he opened his mouth for another question they were disturbed.

"Uh, Sensei?" A pink-haired trainee approached the men; her eyes were constantly skittering to Sasuke at the glare he shot her for the interruption.

"Ah, Sakura! How can I help you?" Kakashi closed his eyes at her and going by the shifting under the mask, he was probably offering her an amicable smile.

"Naruto was looking for you..." she timidly fidgeted with her scarf.

"I see. Alright." Kakashi patted Sasuke on the thigh, in a vague gesture of comfort or amity that Sasuke didn't understand the need for. Then Kakashi proceeded to get off the couch, and go down the stairs. He was off to meet Naruto, who grinned like the Cheshire cat and hugged him tight.

Sakura waited there for a few minutes, watching them interact, her eyes flashed to Sasuke once and right before she was about to leave Sasuke called out to her with a low, "Hey, you."

She stopped short and looked at him, her face starting to blend with the colour of her hair. "Ah, yes, Mr Uchiha?"

Tch. Sasuke immediately felt his headache strengthen, he disliked being recognised, and as she fidgeted with one of her seven bracelets he sighed. How was he supposed to escape his past if everyone looked at him in the same light?

"What can I help you with?" she probed when he didn't respond.

"This Naruto..." Sasuke started, paused, then went on. "Who exactly is he?" Sasuke asked with undisguised curiosity.

Sakura's eyes widened as she looked over the railing that Sasuke's gaze was going through to look at the blond.

"He's...um... Well... Honestly, like if I were being candid... He's hope in a bottle...made of sun flares and star dust," she said with a smile on her face, her fidgeting coming to a stop. She suddenly looked appropriately young and happy, so completely relaxed and...

"The... Wait, what?" Sasuke caught himself gape, rightfully so, what was this bashful girl happily babbling about? What kind of a reaction was that.

"Naruto isn't someone you can get to know just by asking me, Mr Uchiha. His personality is a force of nature. I can't condense him into few words of a report. Where he is right now, words can't fully explain him." She said with little hesitation even as she thought carefully about her choice of words.

Sasuke watched her admiring gaze drift to the happy blond. Did everyone open a brand new bag of something before he came in? Why was everyone behaving so unusual?

"Sakura! Get your skinny ass down here!" Naruto's voice carried over from downstairs, it was warm yet scratchy, his tone playful and somewhat juvenile. "We're opening the real booze!"

Sakura let out a laugh, her pale green eyes awash with humour. "Coming, Naruto!" she called back, then excused herself and went downstairs.

Sasuke got up and approached the railing and looked down at the revelry of the official cast and crew meeting together for the first time and opening a bottle of champagne, cheering about the success their new TV show, Rasengan, was going to be.

The drink in Naruto's hand was clear but by the face he made after he took a sip – Sasuke felt his lips curve with amusement at the blatant show of distaste – it was definitely not water. The blond was so easy to read, how will he ever be able to fool anyone into thinking he's any character?

Sasuke could clearly read the anxiety in his shoulders and the leg that wouldn't stop shifting around even when he sat down.

Sasuke made his way downstairs as everyone gathered around a projector and were going through blown-up sketches Sai had drawn as concept art for the first episode.

His eyes were on the blond the whole time, watching him practically hang out of his seat as they flipped through the concept art turned into sets and the outfits for the characters and angles for the scene to be shot at.

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, absorbing all the information Sai spouted through a dead smile that made skin crawl on even the best of the best. Sasuke couldn't tell if Naruto was just good at ignoring the sickening smile Sai was faking or if Naruto was entirely too absorbed by the slideshow to even look at Sai's face.

"So the setup is mostly indoors?"

"It is." Itachi replied.

"Do we have any shoot days on location?" Naruto practically vibrated with excitement at Itachi's nod. "Where is it? Tell me, tell me!"

Itachi smiled slightly and the room went silent at the man's fond reaction. "All in good time, Naruto."

"We better have some badass music playing every time my character enter the scene. That shit always gets me hyped!" Naruto grinned, his leg shaking even more now with nervous energy and anticipation. Sasuke could feel the reverberations of the people laughing in his own sternum. On pausing, he realised it was because he, too, was chuckling.

Sasuke found himself asking the question again, this time more wistfully and curious than before. Who are you, Naruto?

As if he'd heard the question Naruto's baby blues met charcoal blacks.

"Hey, Itachi, is that your ghost of Christmas past or am I hallucinating?" Naruto asked.

Itachi followed his gaze and replied with a gleam in his eyes. "That... happens to be my foolish otōto, Sasuke."

Sasuke couldn't believe Itachi called him foolish in such a cavalier manner, that too in front of Naruto...and everyone else. Itachi never openly expresses himself to anyone, not even something as small as a habitual pet name like 'foolish little brother'.

Who are you Naruto and what have you done to my brother?

"You have a brother?" Naruto gaped at him for a moment before joyously waving Sasuke over. "Hey, Uchiha Junior, come on over."

Sasuke felt his eye twitch at being summoned in that manner. Why couldn't the blond come to him? Who did he think he was? He sighed when the man yoohooed and kept waving at him to join them but before he knew it, he was halfway across the room pulled to the blond man as if by some physics-defying mechanism.

"What?" he asked curtly, earning a puzzled look from the Naruto.

"Wow, what crawled up your coochie and died?" Naruto asked bluntly.

Itachi coughed bemusedly into his hand. Sasuke almost bristled then paused, the blond was behaving like he had no idea... The blond didn't know who he was! The thought took him by storm. This was probably the best news he'd deduced all day.

"How is my coochie any of your business?" Sasuke found himself snapping back in an almost lively tone, several people in their vicinity looked up at the sound of his replying question. The pink-haired chick from earlier took a couple of steps closer.

Naruto looked at him with a small frown of barely-present offence, then his expression melted into gleeful amusement. He snickered. "Made you say coochie."

The tension dispelled immediately and Itachi laughed out loud.

Sasuke wondered, again, who Naruto was. He was young, so he couldn't be very experienced... Was he naturally talented at bringing a room together like this? Was he clueless as to the effects his presence was bringing to the room? Or did he know exactly how to play a room and play it off as something natural?

Sasuke shook his head in wonder, standing in front of the seated blond, not sure which of the options were more dangerous to his unbelievably high, inch thick shatterproof walls. Whatever the blond was doing it was working, Sasuke could see the look on his brother's face, the same sort of umbrella protection he held for Sasuke was being extended to Naruto. It was a mix of wanting to be in his happy bubble and wanting to protect the happy bubble.

"Are you always so childish?" Sasuke asked, with his tone a bit clipped. Itachi actually frowned at him, disapprovingly.

What have you done to my brother, Naruto? Turned him against me?

Naruto simply unleashed the full force of his grin upon Sasuke and Sasuke almost staggered, his heart lurching, his stomach twisting.

So that's what a solar flare feels like.

"Takes one to know one, buddy." Naruto snapped back. Then Naruto let his attentive blue eyes run over Sasuke once more, and the gaze was silently appreciative and caressing at the same time.

And that's what star dust feels like.