Disclaimer: Nope. Belongs to Kishimoto. Lucky Bastard...
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When Itachi opened his eyes he was instantly greeted by his otouto's picture perfect face.
Ivory skin, dark lashes so long that they seemed to cast shadows over his high cheekbones, obscured only by soft raven strands falling over his closed eyes. Sasuke's mouth displayed a tiny pout, even in his sleep, and Itachi couldn't help smiling at the sight of it.
How often had he seen exactly that expression on his beloved otouto's tiny face, all scrunched up because Itachi was too busy to train with him? A pang of regret followed that thought, but he quickly repressed it, there was no use in fretting over events long passed.
A ray of sunlight fell onto his little brother's still form, highlighting his pale skin and giving it an almost golden shine and Itachi found himself reminiscing.
There were times when Sasuke would creep into Itachi's bed at night because he couldn't sleep or had had a bad dream and needed his Aniki to comfort him. Itachi, of course, always obliged, happy his otouto would come to him when he was in distress.
The next day always found the both of them curled up in Itachi's bed, Sasuke's face turned towards his older brother, sometimes with slightly parted lips, sometimes with a small smile and sometimes with that adorable pout Itachi found himself presented with at the moment.
The pout was his favourite and the main reason he loved those mornings so much. They gave him the opportunity to marvel over his otouto's sweetnes without said brother scowling at him in all of his five year old glory that no, he was not cute!
Smiling, Itachi reached out as if to touch his brothers face, but held himself back just before his fingers grazed the surface of the painting he had pinned to the wall directly beside his bed. He had done it a short time before he had left Konoha, almost six years ago, and it was bleached and frayed at the edges. He rarely touched it nowadays, not wanting to damage one of the last things he had still left of his otouto.
With a sigh he stood up and took a quick shower, then dressed himself and grabbed his Akatsuki coat and hat. Ready for the day and an impending mission to the land of snow he walked out of his room, leaving the picture of his brother behind.
The image, though, never left his mind.
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A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated^^.