A blue bird landed on the window sill and pecked around for any scraps of debris that might have fallen down from the oak tree next to his apartment window. It chirped while it moved along the outer edge of the window pane. Sunlight came through, smattering light rays across the light blue walls of his small work area. 

Naruto smiled and twirled his chair around so that he faced the wall. Any distraction right now wasn't acceptable. Not when he had Itachi on the other end of his phone. He could still hear traffic passing by in the normal quick pace for a Friday afternoon, occasionally giving way to few honks and shouts from angry drivers desperate to start their lunch hour. Even with the window closed, it was loud and noisy outside so he desperately tried to block it out when he heard Itachi clear his throat over the phone. 

"One date, Itachi," Naruto said while he switched his phone to his other ear and fiddled with the pen on his desk. "That's all I'm asking. I promise if you don't want another date, I'll leave it alone."

"Naruto..." Itachi's voice faded out for second before becoming clear again. "We've been through this. You're too important to me to casually date. If it doesn't go well, I don't want it ruin our friendship."

"But it wouldn't." Naruto leaned forward, his stomach pressing against the smooth wood of his desk. "I promise it wouldn't ruin anything."

"You don't know that. It's-" Itachi's voice dropped off for a moment. "Just leave it alone, please."

Naruto sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. A part of him wanted to insist but he knew better than to push Itachi into something he didn't want. Maybe he had read Itachi's body language wrong. But he had thought for sure...

"Alright. That's fine." Naruto sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I'll see ya later then."

Hanging up the phone, Naruto frowned. He was certain he had caught Itachi looking at him a few times, but maybe he misread the signals. Either way, it didn't matter. It wasn't like he could force Itachi to go out on a date with him, nor would he even want to. But damn, either way, it hurt like hell to be rejected so easily. 

Naruto frowned and pushed his phone across the desk. He had asked Itachi out three times already and the answer had always been no. He had always lived by the "three strikes and your out" rule, and this would be no different. Why then, did it feel so wrong, like he was missing something important?

~\*~

Itachi's hands gripped the steering wheel tighter. His tie fell back down from his shoulder and onto his chest. He had left work only fifteen minutes ago and still had about another fifteen before he was home when his vision became bleary enough that he could barely see the road in front of him. His heart pounded against his chest and it was hard to breath. It felt like he would have a panic attack if he didn't get himself under control. For the first time in his life, solid fear dug its claws into him, and he had no idea how to deal with it. 

His glasses had helped usually, and he had never had a complete loss of vision before. Not until a few minutes ago. Fortunately, he had managed to keep his car steady. It helped that this back road was for the most part deserted. 

Pulling off the road, Itachi cut the engine and sighed. His body shook a little, and his breaths were coming in and out too fast. Realizing he was hyperventilating, he forced himself to focus. Itachi looked around, noticing that his sight was starting to fade out again. Everything looked gray and hazy and looked dark, something he knew wasn't possible in the middle of the afternoon. His doctor had warned him a few times about driving, but he had brushed it off thinking he had more time than this. 

Now it seemed that his time had run out. He knew that the chances of regaining his sight if he lost it completely were slim to none. His doctor had been adamant about it, stating that Itachi should start making preparations so that when it happened, he'd be able to handle it better.  He had Naruto on the phone only a few hours ago. Now he regretted not taking him up on the offer for a date. At least then, he wouldn't be alone, stuck along side the highway, and barely able to see. 

The thought struck him on how he would get home. He couldn't risk driving. There was no guarantee his sight would last the trip home, nor could he call Sasuke. His brother was out of town on a business trip. No one else knew. 

Reaching into his coat pocket he pulled out his cell phone. His fingers shook, making him drop his phone onto the seat. Itachi quickly picked it back up and took a couple deep breaths. He needed to focus and calm down. He needed to call for help before the light in his eyes died completely. 

His vision blurred again and then Itachi sat back while everything in his line of site began to darken even more. Punching in Naruto's number, he waited. A truck drove by, shaking the car a little, when the phone rang a forth time. 

His fingers itched to jam on the end call button, but Itachi fought down the urge. If Naruto didn't pick, he wasn't sure he'd be able to use the phone again. Now instead of his vision being blurred, everything looked like dark gray blobs. A few more cars passed by, and Itachi listened closely, hoping no one would stop. He purposely left his blinkers off so that anyone passing by would think he had pulled over to talk on his phone. 

Finally, when he had thought he'd get Naruto's voicemail, he heard the other end pick up. Naruto sounded like he was out of breath. Most likely he had left the phone in another room. Relief washed over Itachi at his luck. At least now he could get help, and he didn't feel completely alone. 

~\*~

The voice over the phone sounded so weak and frightened that Naruto didn't recognize Itachi at first. "What's wrong, Itachi."

There was a long pause, and for a moment, Naruto thought that maybe the call got dropped or Itachi hung up. He had almost missed the call since he phone was charging in the kitchen while he worked at his desk. Judging by how Itachi sounded, Naruto felt grateful he hadn't missed it. 

"I can't get back home." 

For one Naruto was left speechless. Was Itachi lost? He had never known Itachi to get lost before. He had never met anyone with such an impeccable sense of direction. Sighing, he let the silence drag out for a little longer, thinking about what he should say to that.

"Why can't you get back home?" Naruto asked, attempting to keep the conversation moving forward. "Did something happen?"

For a moment there was only silence, and Naruto thought that maybe the call had been dropped. But then he heard a quiet, resigned sigh followed by the muffled sound of a car passing by. Even though he really wanted to press Itachi into talking, he held back and didn't say anything. When too much time had passed, Naruto opened his mouth only to be interrupted. 

"I... I can't see where I am." Itachi's voice was barely above a whisper. "Last time I could, I was pulling off on Route 26 East. There's a little area to pull over for emergencies. You shouldn't have any trouble finding me. Just keep driving straight until you see my car." 

"Wait, what?" Naruto's voice sounded a little panicked even to his own ears. "Are you hurt? You didn't wreck did you?"  

"I'm fine, Naruto. Please, just come and get me." Itachi's voice sounded exhausted and afraid. "I didn't want to trouble you, but Sasuke is out of town."

"Yeah, sure, no trouble at all. I'll be there as soon as I can." Naruto sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. He wanted to stay calm. He wanted to help. 

"When do you think you'll leave? If you can-" Itachi's voice faded out for a second before coming back clearly. "I'd appreciate it."  

Naruto had already slipped his loafers on and grabbed his car keys from the hook. "I'm leaving right now. I'll see you soon."

"Thank you." 

It came across the phone line so quietly that Naruto almost didn't hear it. He thought about offering to keep talking before realizing that Itachi had already hung up. Closing his front door behind him, Naruto quickly headed for the stairs towards the parking garage. He had a lot of questions, but he'd wait until he knew Itachi was safe and okay before asking them. 

~\*~

Naruto pulled off the side of the road and cut the engine once his car was parked securely in front of Itachi's. Looking back over his shoulder, he could see Itachi sitting in the front seat, staring straight ahead. Even though Itachi had probably heard his car pull up, there was no other indication that he was aware Naruto had arrived. 

Not wanting to get punched in the face from startling Itachi, Naruto pulled out his cell phone. It rang a few times before a quiet voice answered hello. "Hey, yeah, not sure if you realized, but I'm here."

"The doors are unlocked." Itachi replied, his voice sounding a lot calmer than before. "Just open the door. I'll need help to your car."

Naruto felt some of the tension leave him, relieved that Itachi no longer sounded so lost. He looked at the distance between Itachi's car and the road. While it was definitely possible he could make it safely without wondering out, it was probably better if Naruto helped him. 

"Hang on a sec." Naruto leaned over Itachi and grabbed his phone and briefcase. "Let me put your things into my car. Is there anything you don't want to leave here overnight?"

Itachi felt the briefcase in Naruto's hand. His fingers slid across the seat and then pulled back. "Do you have my phone?"

"Yeah, I got it." Naruto pulled back to give Itachi enough space to get out of the car.  

"There's nothing in the trunk or backseat, and I have my wallet on me." Itachi's hand felt for the edge of the door before grabbing on to it. "That should be all I need to take with me."

"What about... your car?" Naruto hesitantly asked. "Is there anyone you need to call to come pick it up?"

"I could but right now, I just want to get out of here." Itachi started to pull himself up before Naruto's hand stopped him. He tried to look in the direction he thought Naruto's face would be. "What's wrong?" 

"Let me stick your briefcase in my backseat first then I can help you to my car." Naruto took Itachi's cell phone and pressed it into his hand. 

Jogging back to his car, he opened to back door and set the briefcase on the floor. Naruto made sure to wedge it in between the bottom of the back seats and the back of the front so that it wouldn't move around while he was driving. He pocketed Itachi's phone and closed the door. When they got situated and were on their way, Naruto would give the phone back to him. 

Quickly heading back, he stopped when he reached the open door. "Okay, I'm ready." Naruto went to reach into the car only to step back when Itachi got out. "Do you have your car keys?" 

The last thing he wanted was to have the keys locked inside. 

"Yeah, I got them in my pocket." Itachi's head moved around towards the road, listening for the sound of cars coming by. 

"The road is clear." Naruto took Itachi by his arm and started walking to the car. He kept his pace slow enough so that Itachi didn't stumble. "Come on, let's hurry and get you home." 

They walked around to the passenger side of the car. Naruto carefully maneuvered around Itachi and opened the door. He gently nudged Itachi towards the opening and waited until he buckled himself in. Shutting the door, Naruto went around the driver's side, opened the door, and slid onto the seat. 

Once they were settled in his car, Naruto put his seatbelt on and turned to Itachi, who only stared straight ahead. "Where to?" 

~\*~

Naruto had been careful to help Itachi up the stairs that led to his apartment. For some reason, Itachi had been reluctant to go home so he suggested they come back here. With Sasuke being gone, he couldn't think of where else to take Itachi. From the way the entire trip had been quiet, Naruto didn't think Itachi wanted anyone else to know about his problem right now. 

Opening his apartment door, he guided Itachi inside and sat him down on the couch. Naruto went back and closed door. He slipped off his shoes and nudged them closer to the shoe rack. Hanging up his coat, he glanced over at Itachi and tried to figure out how to broach the subject. Naruto had so many questions he wanted to ask but figuring out where to start left him uneasy. 

"Do you need me to hang up your coat and take your shoes for you?" he asked Itachi while walking over to the couch. 

Itachi slipped off his shoes and shrugged his coat off. "If you don't mind, that would be a huge help."

Naruto busied himself with putting Itachi's coat and shoes on the hook and shoe rack. The awkwardness in the room started getting to him and any temporary distraction felt welcome. Going back into the living room, Naruto sat down on the recliner, which was directly across from Itachi. He thought about offering something to drink but it seemed inappropriate considering how uncomfortable Itachi looked sitting there. 

"How long has this been going on for?" Naruto eased himself back into the recliner. "Tell me. No more lies, Itachi."

"For about a year, though this is the first time I've lost it completely. Usually it'll just blur enough that I need to put my glasses on." Itachi leaned into the couch and rested his head on the back of it. 

"Have you been to a doctor?" Naruto quietly asked. 

Itachi frowned and turned his head in the direction of Naruto's voice. "Of course I have. I'm not stupid enough to let it go."

"How bad is it?" Naruto's voice softened while he tried to tactfully learn more about Itachi's situation. "I mean, you'll get better, right. They can do surgery and fix it can't they?"

"It's permanent, Naruto." Itachi sighed and moved his hand over his eyes so that they were completely covered. "Even with surgery, it's delaying the inevitable. And even then, my doctor doesn't feel surgery will do much of anything to slow down the process."

Naruto frowned, wondering why Itachi would keep something this important from him. "Why didn't you say anything? I would have found out eventually."

When Itachi didn't immediately respond, Naruto sighed, his shoulders slouching from worry. The silence in the room... he couldn't deal with it, yet he didn't want to push Itachi with too many questions. Right now, he was supposed to be supporting his friend. But how could he fully support Itachi if he didn't know the situation? 

"Did you think I would care?" Naruto reached out and took Itachi's hand in his. "You know me better than that."

"Can we not do this now, please?" Itachi whispered. "Later, I promise." 

"Fine." Naruto let out a heavy sigh and conceded to Itachi's wishes. "You can stay in my extra bedroom tonight if you want. Are you hungry? I can make us some dinner."

"A little." Itachi moved to stand up, but Naruto reached over and put his hands on Itachi's shoulders. 

"Stay here. I'll bring something in to you when I'm done unless you want to eat at the table."  Naruto stood up and headed towards the kitchen. 

"I wouldn't mind eating at the table. It might get messy." Itachi looked up, although he faced in the direction of Naruto's voice, his line of site was off and landed on Naruto's chin. 

Naruto didn't care if Itachi made a mess but decided not to point that out. "Okay, just gimme a sec then, and I'll help you in."

Opening up the fridge, Naruto pulled out some lunch meat and cheese. Given the circumstances, making a simple dinner seemed best. Itachi looked exhausted and would probably want to rest soon. He set the food down on the counter and got out a loaf of Italian bread from the pantry. Naruto then turned the dial on his oven to preheat it. 

When he turned around to get Itachi, he stopped. Itachi stood in the entryway to the kitchen, his fingers gripping the wood tightly. Naruto hurried over to help him out. 

"Here," Naruto took Itachi by the arm and steered him over to the table. 

Itachi felt around and then pulled out a chair. He slid into it, folding his hands on top of the table. "Thank you."

"Yeah, no problem." Naruto moved back over to the counter, sliced the loaf of bread in half, and began loading the bread up with meat and cheese. He pulled out a tray from the bottom cupboard and then popped the sandwich into the oven. "I hope you're okay with hot sandwiches. Dinner won't be too much longer, about ten minutes."

"It's sounds delicious. I haven't eaten anything since ten this morning." Itachi leaned forward and rested his head on the table. His hair hung down across his shoulders. "I could eat just about anything right now."

While they waited for their dinner to heat up, Naruto leaned against the counter and watched Itachi, who sat stiffly in the chair, looking tired and worn. It hurt to see his friend so down, but he wasn't sure he could do anything more tonight. Maybe tomorrow he could help Itachi get it sorted out. 

~\*~

Itachi sat on the bed and listened to Naruto move around the apartment. Even with the bedroom door closed, he could still hear soft shuffling noises along with occasional sounds of a cupboard opening or the tap running. Last he asked Naruto about the time, it had only been a little after nine thirty so he didn't imagine the quiet noises would stop anytime soon. 

Earlier, Naruto had lent him a t-shirt and some pajama bottoms. After Itachi changed, he had folded up the clothes the best he could and left them on top of the dresser near the bed. Brushing his teeth had proven to be more difficult than thought it would. When he felt along his mouth, he noticed toothpaste on his face. 

The room had a slight chill to it, but Itachi didn't want to call out to Naruto to see if he could get some heat into it. The blankets beneath him felt warm and once he got under them that would take care of it enough. His own body heat would do most of the work. For now the chilliness of the room helped him to focus on his surroundings, something he needed to learn to do, and the quicker he did that, the better. 

He pulled to covers down and got his legs tangled. Itachi took a deep breath and concentrated. Slowly, he untangled himself and slipped underneath the blankets. After tossing and turning for a bit, he finally settled on his right side. Judging from the sounds outside, he was facing a window and missed how he would normally be able to see the soft moonlight or street lamps. The sheet on the bed felt cool and the texture was soft to the touch. Most likely they were made of cotton. Itachi wondered what color they were and reminded himself to ask Naruto tomorrow. 

The muffled sound of music and traffic going by kept him from falling asleep right away. Not that Itachi thought he would drift into unconsciousness any time soon. The idea of waking up to darkness had his stomach in knots. Had he known today would be the day he lost his sight, he would have taken the time to appreciate the beauty around him. It wasn't that it never occurred to him he'd run into this, but at the time, it was so hard to focus when losing his vision seemed far enough away to think there'd be more time. 

A truck honked and he thought he heard tires skid. But when nothing more came of it, Itachi knew that whatever had happened, it probably turned out alright. Still, he listened for the sound of sirens. Instead, he only heard the noise of traffic occasionally going by. 

Itachi wondered what time it was. Another thing he had to check into was getting a new phone. When his doctor first told him about his condition, he searched online and found some nice phones for the blind. Maybe when Sasuke came back from his trip Itachi would ask for his help to pick one out. Learning brail... that wasn't something he felt ready for. How long would it take for him to learn and be able to read again?

His fingers gripped the pillow next to him tighter. He knew his eyes were opened yet if felt like they were closed. The black nothingness enveloped him and his eyes stung, but he wouldn't cry. Crying wouldn't help nor would it solve his problems. He could do this and learn to live his life even if it was in the shadows of what he once was. 

Sighing, Itachi pulled the blankets up to his chin and burrowed his head into the pillow. Finally he felt the pull of sleep take him for the night, his last thought on what he would tell Naruto tomorrow morning. 

~\*~

When Naruto woke up with morning, he realized he had overslept. Last night, after dinner, he made up the extra bedroom and left Itachi alone. He went back into his study and worked on his mid-term papers for a few hours before switching on his laptop to watch some anime. He also spent a lot of time thinking about Itachi. By the time he went to bed, it had been around one in the morning. 

Naruto set down a cup of coffee in front of Itachi. "How's it going?" 

They both knew what he was really asking. Had Itachi's eyesight come back yet? Naruto had been surprised to wake up and find Itachi sitting in his kitchen. He even experienced a brief moment of panic when he checked on Itachi this morning and found the guest bedroom empty. It shouldn't have surprised him at all since Uchihas seemed to bounce back quickly enough, but still...

"It's not back," Itachi smoothly replied, jolting Naruto from his thoughts. He wrapped his hands around the hot mug and sighed. "And it's not going to come back."

"Did your doctor say anything about this?" Naruto sat down across from Itachi, warming his hands up with his mug of coffee. "I mean, maybe, I don't know... maybe it will come back, you know."

"We've talked about this possibility, but I have no idea if I'll regain it or when." Itachi rested his cheek in the palm of his hand. "The likelihood of my sight coming back is slim. My doctor didn't seem to think it would happen. It's a genetic degenerative disorder, Naruto. It's not something they can cure nor will surgery work. My ocular nerves degenerated."

"This is going to... it's going to change a lot of things for you." Naruto felt a little lame stating the obvious. Of course Itachi had probably figured that out already, but still, worry had managed to crawl up inside of him and it made Naruto feel nervous. 

"I know." Itachi sipped his coffee and then sighed. "It'll make work more difficult let alone anything else."

Naruto frowned, fully realizing how much in Itachi's life had changed overnight yet not quite able to put all the pieces together. "What do you mean by that?" 

"I mean that work and learning to live with this will keep me busy and not leave much time for anything else," Itachi paused and then lowered his voice. "Especially a new relationship."

"Is that why you keep turning me down?" Naruto tried to keep his voice steady. The last he wanted was to fight with Itachi. 

"Naruto-" Itachi sharply turned his head in Naruto's direction, unsure of how to approach this particular topic. "Now is hardly the time for this."

"I disagree," Naruto argued. "All this time I thought I was reading you wrong, but I wasn't, was I?" 

"Taking care of an invalid is no easy task." Itachi had a lot of time to think this over last night, and now more than ever, he felt that dragging someone else into his problems would be a mistake. "Even if I can learn to do things on my own, it won't-"

"I would've helped you with that." Naruto's voice rose over Itachi's. He wanted to be heard before Itachi completely shut him out. "Wouldn't it be better than having some stranger help you?"

"Naruto, don't," Itachi said quietly. "I know you're only trying to help, but it's not."

"I don't care." Naruto looked up, his face determined and resolute. "I don't care if you're going blind or if it'll change things in my life. That doesn't change how I feel about you. It never will."

Itachi reached out and felt for Naruto's hands. He took them in his and smiled. "I'll be fine. I can do this." 

Even though he said it, Itachi could hear the uncertainty in his own voice. There were many things to consider. He would have to figure out how to still do his job and be able to get to work everyday. Dressing himself would be a bit of a problem. Going into work looking sloppy wasn't ideal. Itachi knew Sasuke would help out whenever he could. But the idea of being a burden to his brother left a nasty taste in his mouth. It wasn't an acceptable option. 

Blind people did this sort of thing everyday and made it work. So would he. He had to believe it would get better and easier. He had to hope he would eventually be self-sufficient otherwise he would go crazy. Tomorrow Itachi would start by getting a list of drivers that would get him to work. Maybe he could hire a housekeeper who could make sure he left his house somewhat presentable. 

Sasuke had already given him enough of a hard time for not telling anyone else. And now he would have to find some way of explaining himself or not. It wouldn't be the first time he had simply refused to confirm or deny something. Sometimes, it was better not saying anything at all and allowing other people to make up their own minds. 

Itachi had to admit not saying anything only made things more difficult, but he could work around that. Like everything else, he'd find a way and make it work. Maybe he would allow Sasuke to handle work for awhile and take a medical leave until he could get himself together. 

"What do you plan on doing now?" Naruto asked.

"I'll probably take a week or two off of work to get myself settled. If this is permanent, then I'll have to hire some help." Itachi attempted to explain in a way that Naruto would understand what his life would be like now. "I'll need a driver to take me to work. Someone to help out around my house-"

"I could help you out with some of that," Naruto quickly offered. "I mean, sure, I have classes but none of them are before or after you get off work, and I'm sure I can keep working around it."

Itachi smiled, sliding his fingers across the table until he felt Naruto's hand. He placed his hand on top, enjoying the feel of the warm skin underneath his own. "Naruto... I appreciate the offer, but I don't think you realize what all it'll entail." 

"I do know what it will entail. I'm not an idiot," Naruto groused, feeling a bit offended that Itachi would insinuate that he hadn't spent a good deal of time last night thinking it over. "And wouldn't you rather have someone you know helping you out than a total stranger?"

"There are people who get paid to do this sort of thing," Itachi insisted. "They'll be able to take care of it."

"Itachi," Naruto said, his voice low and serious. "I want to help. Let me do what I can for you. I already know now, and I want you to give me a chance, even if it's only as your friend."

"I don't think," Itachi started then frowned. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. You already have enough to worry about with college and your job. This would only add to it." 

"Try it out, okay." Naruto smoothed out Itachi's shirt and fixed the mismatched button. "I'm not asking for anything else, but let me help you. It'll be easier if you have someone by your side, to support you."

Itachi didn't say anything so Naruto got up and moved to the chair next to him. He moved his hands closer so that he didn't startle Itachi and pulled them together. When Naruto pressed his lips against Itachi's forehead he didn't expect the surprised exhale of breath from his friend or the tight grip to his shoulders. 

Naruto pulled back and exhaled deeply. His knee moved onto Itachi's chair and pulled him into a hug. Closer, he needed to be closer. He opened his eyes and looked down at Itachi's flushed face. "I don't care if you're blind. I want us to try even if we start out slow. I don't want to be shut out. I won't accept it. Not from you." 

 "Okay." Itachi replied, pulling Naruto's hand up and pressing his lips against it. "But I don't know if I want or can do anything serious right now, Naruto. I need to get used to this, get it worked out on my own. You can help if you'd like, but I can't promise anything more than that right now." 

Naruto wrapped his arms around Itachi's shoulders and pressed him closer. While it wasn't the answer he wanted, it was a start. He'd take it. And then maybe once Itachi got settled with his new life, they could see where it led them.