The night was closing in as the sun started to sink under the horizon the many shades of orange starting to change to a dark blue the tiny sparkling stars began to stretch across the sky.

Itachi walked in step with his shark like partner. Their leader had given them a mission to take out a certain man who had previously done business with the Akatsuki but it turned out he had a rather loud mouth so him and Kisame had to keep him quiet. The mission was successful with no difficulties his guards were asleep and the man did the usual beg and bribe for his life. Kisame was given the honor of playing with him but his screaming got annoying so Itachi asked him to hurry up and he complied.

Now the two criminals were heading back to the base with a report of the mission and the sum of money the man owed him now that should keep Kakuzu's complaints at bay. Itachi was slowing down and tried to keep in step with Kisame but he just couldn't keep up. He became aware of the throbbing in his head and his vision began to blur.

He heard Kisame's footsteps stop "Itachi are you ok?" He felt a large and placed on his shoulder and another on his back gently rubbing up and down comfortingly. The weasel shook his head leaning in on his partner closing his eyes "I don't know it just came over me I don't think I can go on." By this time the pain was over whelming the thumping in his head was nearly unbearable.

The shark man frowned and worried about his partner he was having trouble with a lot of the missions and although he would never admit it he was growing weaker and his sickness was getting to him. Kisame moved his hand from Itachi's shoulder to his face cupping his cheek in his hand and gently stroking it with his thumb then whispered gently "We are almost at the base, love, I will carry you back to base just try to relax and go to sleep alright angel?"

Itachi just nodded and he felt Kisame gently lift him up bridal style and kiss his forehead stroking his face gently before setting off again. Although the pain was terrible, as he lay his head down on Kisame's chest and listened to the loud and lulling rhythm of his heartbeat he felt himself drift off to sleep.

Kisame looked down at his sleeping partner and grinned lightly seeing he was relaxed and not in pain. He arrived at the base and headed straight to the leader's office so he could take care of his sick partner as soon as possible. He knocked on the door lightly and heard the monotone voice answer "Come in."

Kisame walked in and Pain's eyes slightly widened at the sight of the usually formidable Itachi. Pain gestured for Kisame to sit down in the chair at the front of the desk and he quickly sat down. The leader glanced one more time at the weasel then looked straight up at the shark man "Was the mission successful?" Kisame nodded and handed Pain the money "We retrieved all the money requested and the mission went by without any problems at all and yes the mission was successful."

The rinnegan user nodded and was pleased to see that the mission went by fine but that didn't explain what was wrong with Itachi "I am glad this mission went by without fail as I usually expect from you two but what is wrong with Itachi if the mission had no problems?" Kisame sighed sadly brushing the hair out of Itachi's face "It wasn't until after the mission Itachi well got in this condition for lack of a better word he just suddenly slowed down when we were walking and said he couldn't go on so I carried him back over here."

Pain looked down at the sleeping Itachi whose brows were furrowed in his sleep and had an obvious fever. The leader folded his hands and asked without looking back up at the former mist ninja "You do know what is wrong with Itachi, correct?"

Kisame answered back a bit defensively "Yes, he told me some time ago and I know his sight will soon be failing him why do you ask Pain-sama?" Pain sighed and unfolded his hands to rub his temple his eyes closed. He continued this action for about two minutes and stopped to look up at Kisame straight into his eyes "There is no easy way to say this but I am thinking of assigning you a new partner."

Kisame eyes widened and his grip tightened on Itachi bringing his face closer to his chest causing the sleeping sharingan user to nuzzle his chest. Kisame's heart just dropped and he barely managed to stutter out "W-w-why we have been partners for so long and what about Itachi?"

Pain was trying his best to calm down Kisame, although he was actually the most laid back in the Akatsuki, when it came to Itachi he could be extremely hostile and dangerous "Kisame you must understand, Itachi is dying and you are going to need a new partner soon and Itachi won't need to depend on you anymore you know how prideful he is he won't want to live knowing he needs someone else, Kisame, just let him go."

Now Kisame was pissed, he wasn't about to let the person he met eight years ago that easily "Itachi knows he doesn't have to depend on me if he doesn't want to, Itachi wants me to because I care about him we been through too much together through all these years and I WON'T give up on him no matter what you hear me!" Kisame barely realized he was standing up, his fists were balled up into fists and he was pressing Itachi so hard to him that he started to squirm in his grip and he immediately loosened up and stroked his sleeping face glaring defiantly at Pain.

Pain nodded slowly standing up to try to be at even height with Kisame, though he still had to look up at the shark man to meet his eyes. Then he just whispered "If that is what you believe then I will let you stay partners for now but your success rate on missions should not go down or you will be getting a new partner, Kisame."

The former mist ninja was visibly relieved and one more time stroked Itachi's hair before he left the room. As the door closed Pain began to talk to himself "I swear these people here don't even listen to me anymore." He smiled despite himself "Although it is good to see that at least some of the members have discovered what is most important to them." He sighed, remembering the past when it was just him Konan and Yahiko, while getting to some paper work he needed to do.

Kisame practically ran to the room he and Itachi spent in for their entire partnership in. He laid Itachi down onto the bed they shared, and it should be mentioned that they basically spent almost a year begging Kakuzu for it. Itachi's face was flushed making him look a bit adorable as Kisame removed the smaller's clothes, leaving only his boxer on. He went into their bathroom and got a basin of water and cloth. Kisame kneeled by the bed next to the weasel and put the cloth in the cool water, wrung it out a bit, and began to delicately wipe his face and cool him off.

He wiped for about a good half hour until he heard a soft groan from Itachi "Hnn?" Kisame looked down at Itachi excitement making his eyes glow "Angel, you're awake how do you feel?" Itachi's groggy eyes lightened up a bit and he smiled lightly at Kisame, making Kisame's grin grow even wider "I feel better now, thank you, Kisame."

The shark man gently lifted one of Itachi's hands and covered it with both of his hands and lightly kissed the weasel "Anything for you, love." Although he was smiling at his lover Itachi knew something was wrong with Kisame "Kisame, I know there is something wrong and please don't lie to me."

Kisame squeezed his hand reassuringly "I would never lie to you, Itachi, but Pain-sama said that since you could possible…" Itachi finished the sentence "Die." Kisame nodded but cupped Itachi's cheek with one of his large hand "But I would never let that happen and yes he said I would need a new partner but as long as you're willing to except my help I will never give up on you, do you understand me love?"

Itachi blushed at his partner's devotion and nodded "Yes as long as it's you Kisame I won't give up either." Kisame gave his partner another huge smile and climbed in bed with Itachi pulling the smaller closer to his chest, stroking his hair lightly and Itachi deactivated his sharingan which was a rare sight even for Kisame.

Itachi's dark eyes began to close and he whispered "I love you Kisame more than words can describe and no matter what happens' I always will." Kisame noticed a tear slide down Itachi's cheek and he wiped it away with his other hand and whispered back lovingly "Shh Itachi, I will always be there for you to depend on me no matter what and I will never fail, I love you too angel, good night."

The shark man used the same and to close Itachi's eyes slowly and he placed one more kiss on his lover's lips, savoring the feeling of their two beings so close to one another, Itachi whispered back before drifting off "Good night my dearest." Kisame was touched by the name and nearly brought tears to his eyes he continued to stroke his lover's hair and gaze at his sleeping form lovingly before he drifted off into a contented sleep.

Did you like? I hope you did because I really put in a lot of effort, thank you if you took the time to read this I really liked how it turned out. Please review and tell me what you think it will really mean a lot to me good night peoples.