Something to believe in
Author: Lily-Lis
Beta-reader: Ioio-Chan (Thank you so much for your contribution :D Lurv you!)
R&R
Please tell me what you think ?
The ringing of the phone woke him up quite abruptly from his poor excuse of a sleep. It was past midnight when he blindly reached for the answer button.
"Hello?"
"..."
"Hello, is anyone there?"
"... I am going to kill someone ... it is safe to say that you will find me in jail."
"Sasuke-"
Click.
Great. What now? Sasuke was drunk, that much was obvious. He was probably searching for someone to pick up a fight with, too, and whether he would carry out his threat or not, Itachi was not sure he wanted to find out. But the fact that he called established that he was indeed seeking attention, and he was not going to be satisfied until someone broke down.
Something had his brother upset, and Itachi could wait until he decided to show up on their doorstep (if he ever decided or had the opportunity to) or he could swallow a painkiller and search for him right now.
The choice was already made before his head mentally formulated the two propositions.
Itachi pushed the bar doors open with a growing anxiety after recognizing his 19 years-old brother's loud, cursing voice above the chattering inside and indeed, he was in the process of shouting and trying to intimidate the guy sitting at his right, and from what his brother could perceive, said guy asked for nothing.
"Sasuke." He called out and put a hand on his shoulder. "That is enough, let's-"
The raven whipped his head back and glared at his brother as if the hand on his shoulder was made of acid.
"You." he threatened, eyes wide and voice drawling, "I am not in the mood to deal with you so shut up before I decide to get angry."
Of course as expected, when drunk, his pride grew exponentially and the simple thought of being ordered around, especially with other people in the same room to witness it, was enough to set him on fire. Itachi should have known.
Maybe if he was ignored, he would stop making a show, the logical part of his mind provided helpfully. This was not that serious, he was not going to die. Unfortunately, like in every situation in which Sasuke and alcohol was involved, every attempt at being rational was shot down.
"Sasuke, why must we fight?"
"Youare the one fighting with me! You just had to waltz in here where no one asked for you! What the hell is your problem?"
"Okay, can we just forget about this and go home now?"
He should normally be happy if he was given the position of power, hopefully he would cooperate, thinking that he is the one taking pity of his brother.
"Later. I have important business to attend to." He said haughtily, of course he would be the one to impose his terms.
"I will wait for you here then."
"No."
But Itachi did not move, not until Sasuke physically moved him outside the door, after what Itachi simply proceeded to re-enter the bar and re-position himself beside his sibling.
x
The older brunette nearly tripped as his sibling dragged him by his arm all the way to their home.
"You can unhand me, I am able to walk alone."
No reaction, but he probably wanted to say a 'You should have done so earlier'. The walk was more of a run, as Itachi hopped from time to time in order to avoid tumbling, and Sasuke himself nearly made the two of them fall as he lost his balance.
Itachi pulled his arm free and opened their apartment door before Sasuke had the opportunity to make yet another drink-induced comment.
"You should sleep, little brother."
"No, we must talk right now. Sit, I have something to say." Of course, what did he expect?
"Tomorrow Sasuke, I have a headache."
The raven seemed distraught for a moment before pushing past his brother to regain his own room with a curse.
x
With the sun glaring at him through his window, Sasuke decided that the best course of actions was to pretend that he didn't know what happened the night before, so he smiled pleasantly (as pleasantly as Sasuke could) when his brother emerged and asked Itachi for a soup.
"What got to you yesterday? You seemed pretty upset."
"Ask Madara." Madara, the distant uncle that was occasionally looking after them after their parent's deaths. He was quite influent in their lives these days, and Sasuke, while taking his help, couldn't stop himself for being absolutely disdainful about it.
Do you expect this to be without cost? He asked Itachi once, but Itachi already made up his mind that he would be in his uncle's moral debt for a lengthy period of time.
"I am asking you."
"He humiliated me!"
"How so?" He treats me as if I am not worth the mud at the bottom of his shoes when his employees are around!"
Madara and Sasuke were the same, give or take decades of experience and maturity, but it was likely that with their similar personalities, they would clash.
"He made me wait for him for hours! I went to grab myself something to eat and when I came back he just shouted at me before everyone! I am not a little child and I am not at his service!"
"Do you want us to talk to him about it?"
"No, what I want us to do is cut the ties. I'm fed up, I don't want to see him anymore." Sasuke was always one for drastic measures.
But they couldn't, because Madara was the one who paid Sasuke's college fees, of course. He provided them what Itachi couldn't even after accumulating two jobs. Sasuke claimed that he didn't care, but Itachi cared about Sasuke's future. If only he was not such a poor excuse of a brother these days.
Sasuke's ego had been wounded once again, it was bound to happen and Itachi would have told him to act mature if he had been sure that it was not been exactly Madara's intentions. A part of him was caring, because he was one of those family-persons with a strong sense of duty, but that doesn't mean it makes him less of Madara: scrutinizing, life-intruding, judgmental, especially if you owed him somehow.
He gave Sasuke a pointed stare before sipping slightly on the tea he made himself a little while ago. The younger was in the process of arguing again when his phone ringed loudly, he briefly looked at the caller ID before putting the cell-phone back in his pocket, when the blaring sound died, he discreetly shut off the device.
His older brother noticed it anyways.
"You are avoiding him. Why do you refuse to discuss the matter?"
Because it was likely that his temper would be flaring, because he refused to sit down and talk calmly, all he wanted was shout back at his uncle's face too, but then he would have to bear the consequences later.
Sasuke was not a coward, he was not, but he felt scrupulous about letting Itachi's commitment for the last years go to a waste. Any meeting of any sort right now would call off the deal.
The deal was pretty simple; Itachi would work for Madara he said, in exchange for Sasuke's education that would be taken care of. Working for relatives was never a good thing, especially when they proposed more than they should give, if you were anyone else. He was not going to treat Itachi prettily. Sasuke saw it coming. Itachi insisted that they must take the opportunity.
They argued for hours.
It was in vain because apparently, Itachi was a person who did not know the meaning of dignity.
"I am not avoiding him, I just don't want to see his face!"
The discussion would lead nowhere, Itachi knew, Sasuke would refuse to see reason, no matter what. Whatever happened between Sasuke and Madara was merely a fuse that blew up all of his brother's resentment.
He knew he would defend Sasuke anyways, but it might be a difficult task if the latter avoided all encounters and any attempts at mature talking.
"You need to calm down, we will discuss this later."
"I won't change my mind later, brother."
"Whatever, we will sensibly talk about it once you get over your temper."
x
Later that day, Itachi received a call from a discomposed uncle, the brunette knew it was not about Sasuke right away. The man rarely ever lost his facade.
It was Izuna he said. Come right away, I need you to watch over him. As much as Madara and Sasuke's traits conflicted, Izuna's smooth and serene personality expectedly made Itachi and him go along quite incredibly. He would pass the time of the day with the man, on occasions, and they would complain about their brother's antics and whatnots, sometimes, he would even take his defense against his brother when he deemed the latter's attitude to be too much overbearing, which, in Sasuke's opinion was always.
He found the older of their uncles surrounded by cigarette butts, one still in his mouth, trying not to look agitated and tear his hair out. It was quite a horrible sight.
It was a common accident, really, days ago, the man was in a hurry and got hit by a reckless driver. Rather quickly, it was clear that the physical trauma and head injury he underwent caused a form of amnesia. He remembered who he was and trivial things, his short-term memory was damaged though.
He was already home, recovering, but apparently he was quite a pain to take care of, and could not be left alone, for he might just unconsciously harm himself. That was why Madara called, this day. He had an important business meeting to attend to.
"Itachi." Izuna called.
"Yes?"
"Be a doll and fix me a meal, would you?"
He did not mind, well he wouldn't have minded, if the demand was not formulated for the fifth time already, and he was not sure if it was good for the man to eat that much.
"You ate minutes ago, why not later?"
"I doubt so." The younger was eyed suspiciously; he was usually a sweet child who never caused any fuss.
"I am not lying." While talking, Izuna kept grabbing the little things within his reach and hiding them under the bed, did he not remember that they were his?
"If you don't want to fix me a meal, you just have to say so."
"It is not that, but I would have liked a short time to see this TV show." Ridiculous, but chances were that he would forget the conversation altogether, given a few moment of silence, so Itachi could always delay it.
"Ah, fine"
Silence, then:
"Can you make me a meal? I haven't eaten since this morning."
x
"What is with your face?"
"It's my face."
"Could you try and change it into a nicer one?"
"No."
Sasuke was in a bad mood, he tried to appear as if he was not affected but with Suigetsu, that guy who stubbornly followed him since kindergarten -though they truly were friends but he was not in the mood to admit that yet-, it failed quite miserably.
"Your phone is ringing, are you going to sit there and pretend not to hear it? Are you afraid?" He sang.
That was all it took to make the raven pick the device without even looking at the screen. He was so predictable sometimes.
"What!"
"Wo-wow is that any way to address one's uncle?"
"What is it, uncle Izuna?"
"You're still not dead from gastritis, I see."
"My brother is talking trash about me behind my back?"
"Cut him some slack, will you?"
"Whatever, your point being?"
"Oh I just wanted to talk with you, but while you're here, what do you take for stomach pains? You are accustomed to them aren't you? Mine feels funny."
"I don't know, try Tylenol or whatever." He said dismissively, the discussion was getting too long and made him slowly go on the defensive, which he hated.
"Oh Sasuke, you are too cheerful for your own good sometimes. Okay I leave you to drown in your misery as you wish."
Izuna hung up. His body felt quite horrible, and his stomach complained for a while now. Waiting for Itachi to arrive was boring so he went and rummaged through the bathroom's drawer, reached for the medicine his nephew mentioned and played with the bottle for a while.
How much time was it since he sported this physical discomfort? Hours, for sure.
Then he remembered the bottle in his hand, those supplements he just bought. He would settle for those now.
x
His feet swept softly across the marble floor, after going through the same ritual of refusing his uncle's repeated requests, Itachi finally decided to make a walk outside because he felt that his patience was beginning to crack.
He was shaken in his musings by booming, menacing footsteps. Madara looked absolutely furious, so Itachi was not really surprised when a hand gripped the front of his shirt.
"I told you to look over him. Yet, you are here, leaving my brother on his own." He hissed venomously. "If something happens to him, Itachi, I won't let you out of this."
"I apologize, I did not realize it was this important. I ... should go home."
"I don't care!" And Madara was gone.
He was tired, Sasuke was probably home by now, he hoped he was not drunk and landed in a sewer. He knew he might have done something wrong but he couldn't bring himself to care right at the moment.
And he should have.
x
11:58 pm, not that late. Sasuke frowned when the door was locked under his grasp. No any noise was heard inside as he knocked more and more furiously.
Utterly exasperated, he forced it open.
No Itachi lying unconscious on the floor and after inspection, no Itachi at all, just a note that there was a meal prepared for him in the fridge.
He decided to call him. It ringed on the other line but no one picked it up.
It was late so he expected his brother to be home since he obviously wasn't at their uncle's place according to the call he received. A little part of Sasuke supposed that Itachi probably had a life outside of him and things that were related to him but his anxiousness promptly told this part to shut up.
Itachi was late and he did not answer the phone. Was he dead?
So he called again, and again and finally:
"Sasuke? Sorry I did not hear-"
"Leave it, where the hell are you? ...And why is your voice trembling?"
"I should have called you, Sasuke, uncle Izuna died this evening."
" ...Why?" While him and Izuna were not particularly close, that did not mean he was not affected by this piece of news.
"An overdose of medication."
"What? He was addicted?"
"No, no. He ... did not think clearly ... and I did not watch him ... he said he was hungry so that might be why..."
Watch him? What was this nonsense again?
Now that he took some time to cool his head down, flashes of previous phone calls played again to Sasuke's head. No, how was he supposed to know he didn't think clearly? He sounded pretty normal!
No one told him anything.
What's worse, he hated feeling Itachi so distressed, now his own senses went haywire. It made him feel as if he had been so self-absorbed.
Now was not time for self-questioning.
"Itachi-stop, now tell me where you are, I'm coming."
x
Sasuke's nerves were strained, Izuna was dead and Itachi was with Madara, from what Sasuke could understand. It was safe to assume that the elder was infuriated and would be in search for a scapegoat.
Itachi could defend himself.
That was unless he chose not to, and after the discussion they just had, Sasuke thought it was best to hurry.
x
"None of this would have happened if it hadn't been for you! I should have left you and your stupid brother to starve on the streetsbut no! I helped you! And look what I got for it!"
"I am so-"
"Sorry! You think sorry is going to bring him back! You killed my brother! This is all your fault!" His breath reeked of alcohol.
Itachi's back slammed against the wall. He braced himself for the next blow but Sasuke's fist reached Madara's jaw first.
Pieces of furniture flew everywhere in his passage and in a second, Sasuke delivered a second blow.
"If you can't stand alcohol then don't fucking drink!"
There was an awkward silence during which Itachi reached for his brother and slowly pulled him outside.
They walked side by side for a while and then Itachi stopped.
"Sasuke, I think ... I ruined everything but don't worry, I will find a way."
The younger did not look at his brother, did not know how to deal with the guilt that was gradually increasing in his brother's mind. He hated seeing him like this, even more when he knew he was the cause. He hated feeling useless.
He felt useless for quite a few years now.
"No, you don't worry, I am the one who will find a way." His words were devoid of any meaning for he did not know how he would manage to keep such a promise, but he wanted to try so much, he wanted to say something of importance.
Then Itachi laughed.
Sasuke resisted the urge to feel offended. It was such a long time since he last heard that sound and it comforted him into thinking that even though dark days waited for them, as long as his brother would be close, everything would be right.
x
The light went out just as he got rid of his rain-soaked shoes; it was due probably to the raging storm taking place outside. He came in at still reasonable hour for once so unsurprisingly, the younger one found himself alone.
The two brothers parted ways shortly after Shisui decided to come and claim his best friend, a few days after catching up with what happened within the family. Sasuke took this opportunity to hang out with his own friends, which he was secretly grateful he still had.
Dring.
"Itachi."
All the sounds coming from the mobile phone made his brother's voice almost inaudible.
"Little brother, I think you might want to come and get me." The tone was light and teasing.
An uneasy pause on Sasuke's part then.
"Don't tell me you landed yourself in jail?"
"Why would I do such a thing? No, you know what? I will tell Shisui to bring you here."
"Whe-"
And then the line went off. Sasuke suspected it was Itachi's way to get back at him for the time he hung up on his brother in the middle of the night.
He had so much to learn yet.
x
Shisui came in like a hurricane, sporting a grin that threatened to split his face in two. He laughed and promptly ignored Sasuke's demands to know what was happening while leading him to a bus station.
The whole travel was punctuated with 'it's a secret' and 'my lips are sealed'. It was utterly ludicrous in Sasuke's opinion.
That was until their cousin suggested to blindfold him and had to dodge the punch sent his way.
He put his hands on Sasuke's eyes anyways, a few moments before the vehicle came to an halt, and the latter let him do so because, whatever, if it made that brother of his happy.
Through Shisui's fingers, he could make out blinding colors and his ears were deafened by blaring electronic sounds, added with people's loud could tell there was a gathering.
The fingers on his face slowly slipped off, and in the middle of the fuss, Itachi, a glass of wine in his hand.
Looking around, he could notice the place was surrounded by slot machines. So this is where Shisui decided to drag his sibling. He would have laughed if his curiosity didn't decide to get the better of him.
"Looks like someone hit the jackpot."Shisui whispered
x
And now, just a little bit of trivia, so we have fun; why should the Uchihas be the only ones laughing?:)
*The few things Izuna kept doing even after the accident: eating food supplements like candies, bantering with Sasuke and never being able to cook.
*Madara never does you a favor if he doesn't gain anything from it; expect to become his brand new secretary slash slave for the next yearsif he ever helped you with anything.
*Neither of the brothers was actually fond of their uncles. Especially not of Madara.
*Sasuke was not only angry because of him getting humiliated; he hated that his brother also got the same treatment.
*Itachi was never one for playing at slot machines; unfortunately Shisui was. Seeing as 'friends always help each other at need', that's why Itachi didn't have money to pay for Sasuke's scholarship himself.
*Shisui still owes Itachi a pretty high amount of money.
*Sasuke was actually one of the last persons to find out about Itachi's win: Shisui called his whole bunch of buddies the second he saw the winning ticket, while Itachi settled to buy himself some wine first, to celebrate.
*Madara was the only one disappointed in Itachi's win. But being who he is, he's now bossing around the second person in need of money: Shisui.