The Colors of Autumn

Authors' Note: This is a collaboration between myself and celestia193. It's also a YAOI story. That means there will be male x male romantic pairings involved. If any of that bothers you, you might want to turn back now. For those still here, we hope you enjoy this story and reviews are always appreciated.

Disclaimer: We don't own Naruto or make any profit off of our fanfics.

Chapter 1

Itachi could feel it. The instinctive pull telling him it was time to act. It had been this way for far more seasons than he cared to recollect. As the eldest son of Father Time and Mother Nature, Itachi knew his role well. He was the personification of winter. Ice, snow, the cold, and everything of the like were his to wield and wield them he did. Exceptionally well.

This year would be no exception. Though he was feeling rather dramatic. Perhaps Summer, his little brother, was rubbing off off on him. The urge to 'show off' was more powerful than it had been in awhile. An intricate early frost would do the trick.

"A fine day for a frost." Itachi smiles as he summons just the smallest of slivers of his magic to his fingertips and waves his hands over some nearby leaves. Frost begins to form on the edges and he would have continued were it not for the sounds of giggles and sighs of pleasure.

Curious he follows the source of the sound, only for his eyes to grow wide in wonder and shock. It seemed some dryads were celebrating the last days of fall with one another and someone that Itachi had never seen before, but he instinctively recognizes as one of his own kind. He wasn't Summer, his little brother, but he couldn't possibly be Spring either. He'd always wondered if Autumn had taken on a physical form as well or if it was just a transition. It seemed the former was the case though.

"Haruna, Kyoko." A tousled mess of curly ebony hair sits atop the head of a young man with skin as pale as ivory. Jet black eyes glitter enthusiastically as he sweeps a young woman with soft brown hair and another with long red hair with matching flowing, glittering green dresses into his arms. "So then, should we have one last tryst for the season? I'm going to miss the both of you so much." Golden flecks glitter in his dark eyes as the soft afternoon light reflects off the vibrant autumn leaves.

One of the dryads smiles, kissing Autumn's cheek. "You act as though we could ever deny you anything."

Itachi wasn't certain if she was Haruna or Kyoko. Perhaps it didn't matter. The intent behind Autumn's words was enough to make his own cheeks heat with something that Winter had never experienced, but he recognized well enough. A blush.

"She's right." The second beams, wrapping her arms around Autumn's neck. "We'd be foolish to pass up such an opportunity. You're always so wonderfully affectionate. I'm hopeful you'll visit us again next year. You can bring your friend as well. As long as he's of like mind with you, I doubt my sister or I will have any reason to complain."

A dark eyebrow rises as those jet-black eyes glance away from the girls in his arms and towards the watcher in the wings. And for a moment, all movement in the world ceased. Autumn swore that even his heart stopped beating. His eyes widen slightly as he takes in the handsome sight before him. Long raven hair pulled back and tied over his shoulder, a dark cloak hanging about his shoulders, and fathomless onyx eyes. The man struck an impressive figure, the likes of which Autumn had never seen before.

It takes a moment, but he find the words on his tongue once more. "He's not a friend yet, but he's more than welcome to join us if it pleases him." It would certainly please him if the mysterious man were to join them and proved as alluring as he looked.

Itachi watches. He had been spotted, but he was a bit at a loss for how to proceed. That was an invitation and an inviting one, but he knew nothing of Autumn. Not really. Dyrads were easy enough to understand.

"Come and join us." The red-headed dryad, Haruna, beckons Itachi to them.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Winter approaches. With every footstep closer, he could practically feel their reaction. It wasn't as strong now as it would be in a few days, but the dryad's were already getting goosebumps on their lovely skin. They knew or at least suspected.

"I think perhaps we should take our leave." Kyoko bites her lower lip and glances at Autumn. "The seasons are changing faster than expected this year and though the thought of playing with both of you is pleasing, I should think this is something best discussed between deities. We'll await your return next year eagerly." She smiles before leading her sister off between the sunlit trees with their quivering leaves.

"I apologize. It appears I have interrupted you and your...friends. That wasn't my intention." Itachi watches the other man, tilting his head to the side. Itachi appreciated beauty in all forms. Be it feminine, masculine, or somewhere in the middle. There was no denying Autumn was exactly that. Beautiful.

"It's fine." Autumn shifts slightly, already feeling the chill in the air surrounding him. There was no question who this man was now. Even if he showed restraint, his very presence was enough to fill the air. "They know I'll return to these parts after the frost is gone." As gorgeous as the man was, Shisui could feel the power pouring off of him. It was titillating. He'd never felt someone who restrained so much power before. "…You're a little early, don't you think?" More often than not, he at least had some warning when Winter itself was going to walk through his sunset-coloured forests.

"Perhaps I was a little overeager this year. My goal was to create glorious first frost." He just hadn't expected to run into Autumn. Until that very day, the other man's existence had been more the product of speculation Itachi's part than anything else. More than once he had alternated between believing that autumn was short because there was no personification of it and believing there had to be. He and Sasuke were Winter and Summer, surely their counterparts had to be out there. "My name is Itachi. Had I realized that this season had a being tied to it...I would have waited longer."

"I don't blame you for it, I doubt that most know of my existence." Shisui's lips twitch into a smile. "I am Shisui, the spirit of Autumn, the one who brings the harvest days and the turning of the leaves." It was by far the most important part of his job, and really…the only part of his job that mattered. The rest of the time, he simply wandered about the woods, frolicking among the leaves with the dryads. But at the sight of Winter…of Itachi, he was rather tempted to reconsider leaving before the frost covered his leaves. "Had I known that you were such a sight to behold, I might have stayed around longer in past seasons."

He was very flirtatious. Itachi didn't know why that surprised him, but it did. Then again, he had never really thought about what Spring and Autumn's personifications would be like in terms of personalities if they did exist at all. "You are a flatterer, but I cannot lie. I find myself curious about you. It also gladdens my heart to encounter another of my kind." The only other one he had met was his Sasuke. Summer was his brother. Shisui wasn't.

"You must the other one's brother, you resemble Summer closely." Shisui had only ever seen the man from a distance, but there was a way that the two carried themselves, and something in the features of their faces that was unmistakably familiar. The two were also incredibly attractive, but he knew well that Summer's attentions lay elsewhere, and he would not begrudge his friend Summer's attention. He steps towards the spirit of winter and smiles warmly. "It's good to finally meet you."

Itachi tilts his head. "You know my brother?" Why had Sasuke never mentioned Autumn? The thought was a disturbing one, but the other being smiled so warmly. Appearances could be deceiving, but Itachi doubted that Autumn presented a real threat to himself or Sasuke. So why? "It's good to meet you as well. I would say that I heard a great deal about you, but it seems that Summer is far more secretive than I ever thought he capable of."

"I know of him, I've seen him at a distance from time to time." But Shisui had been careful to never get close during one of their spats. "I often watch him arguing with my cousin. The two of them are very animated about when spring ends and summer begins. And about any other topic that catches their fancy. He takes great pleasure in goading your brother."

Not only did Autumn have a physical form, but Spring did as well. "It appears that I have missed a great deal. Should I be concerned about this rivalry?" If his brother was in danger, he'd have to act. Though the lilt in Shisui's tone was so light...perhaps such actions weren't merited.

"I'm not worried, I know that my cousin can handle whatever fire Summer spits at him. He's quite surly, isn't he?" Shisui's dark gaze glitters with warmth. "I think that's why my cousin likes to provoke him, to get a rise out of him. He'll always say that 'Sasuke acts too much like an icicle and needs to thaw out and relax,' so he'll provoke your brother into an argument just to see some flames."

"I'm relieved to hear you aren't worried, but you say that as though there is something wrong with icicles. Those are some of my best work." He watches Shisui with amusement, uncertain how the other would react to his subtle jab. He understood the intent well enough. "It's good that it is nothing more than a spirited rivalry."

"I hope that they make it more than just a spirited rivalry." Shisui wanted all of the happiness in the world for his cousin, even if the term cousin was a…loose one. "But tell me more about these icicles of yours. All I ever seem to see of them is the little devils hanging off my leaves and stuck up immortal arses."

"For someone who claims to have never directly interacted with my brother, you seem to picked up on some of his mannerisms." Itachi's lips twitch upwards in something he knew was halfway between a smirk and the beginning of a laughter while he summons an icicle. "Whereas you might see little devils, I see a subtle beauty. Water is an interesting element. People take it for granted, but it's the most adaptable. At it's natural temperature, it is a liquid. It can become one with the air or if it grows cold enough it transforms into snow or ice. It may lack the colorful nature of your leaves, but if you stare closer...I think you'll see it has its own appeal."

He closes the distance by merely a couple of steps, but Shisui's gaze glitters playfully as it fixes on Itachi's face. "Yes, I think I can see something to that effect." Despite the chill in the air, there was something to be said for Itachi's unmistakable appeal, no matter how simply Winter had dressed. In dark clothes and soft furs, everything looked appropriately warm for the chilling weather. Warm enough for two, perhaps? "I suppose that anything can be more beautiful if it sparkles in the sunlight."

"I surmise I should take your wandering eyes that you value male companionship as much as your dryads?" Itachi had rarely seen someone so subtle and yet bold in their flirtation before. "Though I am glad that you admit the icicles are beautiful."

"I value what companionship I can find." Shisui's gaze heats slightly, sensing no immediate rejection in Winter's voice. "Though…I can't say I've ever had the chance to meet someone of your…stature before."

"You're a flatterer. Though in your case I imagine it's more that you wish to share my furs than out of fear." Itachi watches the other season, uncertain how accurate his statement was. Lust and fear were both powerful emotions, but fear did usually have the upper hand. "As far as our stature goes. I see little difference between us. We share the same...purpose to maintain the balance of nature. I'm actually rather pleased to have found you. For many eons, there was no certainty for me. I thought my brother and I were the only ones of our kind and yet, here you are."

"It's understandable, I'm a rather recent addition to our quartet." Much more recent than either of the brothers were, Shisui knew as much for a fact. "Autumn is fleeting enough that there hasn't been much of a place for me. Not like the well established places for the three of you." They were essential, he was an accessory.

"Recent or not, the dryads seem pleased enough to have you among our ranks." Itachi feels his smile grow more teasing. "As am I. Being what we are comes with great privileges, but try as we might it can be difficult to find those who truly understand us. I've always had more fortune with the larger species of winter faerie than tree spirits myself. They probably hold causing their leaves to fall against me, I suppose."

"I'm sure that they would like it if you found ways to strip away their leaves in more enjoyable ways." Shisui takes one more step forward and presses a single finger to Winter's chest. "Not everything in this life must be about the changing of the seasons, after all."

"Your youth certainly makes you bold." Itachi smiles, allowing the other season the liberty to touch him. His intention obviously wasn't to attack and curiosity was a powerful voice. Perhaps he wanted to know just how for Autumn was willing to push his luck as humans might say. "I suspect you're correct. I'd ask if you were territorial about such things, but you did invite me to join in your games."

"I did." A hint of challenge and another of tease seeps into Shisui's voice as the lightly trails his finger down Itachi's chest and towards his belt. But his fingers stop just shy of truly touching anything…compromising as he briefly eyes the tree just to the left behind Itachi's head. "Do you enjoy playing games?"

Flirtatious, but not foolish enough to venture further than that without his advances being returned explicitly, Itachi muses. "Sometimes. It depends on the manner of game and with whom. As you said, our existence isn't purely about our duties."

"And I'm sure that once your domain is blanketed in snow, you will have little to do but frolic about with fairies and spirits." Shisui's eyelids slower slowly, falling to half mast as his eyes glow with a soft, sunset orange hue.

"I do occasionally enjoy frolicking with faeries and spirits, but I do far more than that while I reign." Itachi finds himself mesmerized by Shisui's orange irises, feeling his own transform into silver ones. "This year though, something else has ensnared my interest more. Curiosity is a powerful force and I must admit that I am very much curious about you." Itachi smiles, willing his powers to their smallest manifestation as he slides his hand along Shisui's cheek.

"Is that so?" Shisui smirks and leans his cheek against Itachi's hand as he hooks two fingers into Itachi's belt and pulls Winter nearly flush against him. He gazes into those alluring silver eyes and rests his other hand on Itachi's hip. "Then why don't you show me what it is that the king of winter can do?" He brings their lips within a hair's breadth of each other and feels the cool touch of Winter's breath on his lips.

"It is and you should also summon all your power." His own magic was growing stronger by the minute and Shisui's influence was waning. Itachi would have to take great care not to turn Autumn into a handsome and ridiculously large icicle. "Still, I'll be glad to show you what I can do." Itachi's hands settle on the curve of Shisui's ass as he brushes his lips against the other supernatural. "There is something to be said for experience." Before deepening the kiss, savoring the warmth of the other man's lips against his own. The other man's wild scent and the taste of his kiss. Like pumpkin, cidar, and some spices that were intermingled in an indistinguishable, but intoxicating blend.

Shisui shivers as trickles of Itachi's power wash through him in a wave, pushed back only by Shisui's own residual power. The cool warmth of autumn coats his core, coats his limbs, and steadies him as he pushes Itachi back towards the tree, pushes back into Itachi's heady kiss with no small amount of the taste of mint on his tongue.

Itachi allows himself to be nudged against a tree as much out of surprise as anything else. Few would dare to assert any degree of dominance over him. "I find myself more and more curious about you with every passing moment." He sighs into the kiss, his own tongue exploring the other man's mouth and delighting in all the senses Shisui was evoking.

A heated whisper passes Shisui's eager lips. "And I'll give you even more to be curious about, I promise." Shisui's arms wrap firmly around Itachi's back. His fingers brush against the fur of Itachi's cloak, then curl into the soft fabric of Itachi's clothes.

Itachi smiles and pulls away from Shisui's lips in favor of leaving a trail of kisses along his jaw until he works his way to the other man's ear. He takes the delicate flesh between his teeth and tugs lightly before licking it. "I hope that you are a man of your word."

"I like to think I am. I certainly don't make promises I can't keep." Shisui lowers his head and noses along Itachi's collar, then bites down on the pale skin of Itachi's neck just below his jaw.

"Sounds p-promising." Itachi tries in vain to bite back a groan. "You're rather lucky or observant. How did you guess that my neck was one of my most sensitive spots so quickly?"

"I have a lucky streak." Shisui chuckles as a short, curly lock of ebony hair curling over his forehead pales and turns silver out of the corner of his eyes. "But that's very good to know, Itachi. I'll be sure to make good use of it." He licks the slowly reddening spot on Itachi's neck, then presses his lips to it to leave behind a vivid spot that would surely bruise.

"A lucky streak and a possessive streak." Itachi groans at the feeling of Shisui's lips against his skin, feeling the mark forming even if he hadn't looked down to see it. "I suppose that does make sense, though. You likely have as many sides to you as autumn leaves have colors."

Shisui smirks against Itachi's skin, then raises his head, his jet black eyes brimming with challenge. "Don't tell me you don't like it."

"I do find your occasional boldness quite refreshing. It's rare for someone to dare to take such liberties with me." Itachi smiles, watching Shisui closely as he interlaces his fingers with the other man's.

"Then was it you who were hoping to take liberties with me instead?" Shisui laughs teasingly and squeezes those cool fingers between his own. "Perhaps I should be more worried about protecting my own virtue than stealing yours."

"Perhaps you should." Itachi tightens his grasp ever so slightly. "Though when one gets to my age, such considerations grow ever more insignificant. I enjoy pleasing my companions and being pleased in equal measure."

"Is that so?" How rare was it that Shisui had a challenge? All of his conquests had been…easy, though pleasing to all parties. But the question of whether he could match Winter remained to be seen. "Then it's kind of you to indulge my childish fantasies." He brushes another kiss against Itachi's lips with a coy smile and presses his catch a little more firmly against the tree.

He returns the kiss with a smile of his own. "I might be inclined to indulge you, but somehow I'm quite certain your fantasies are anything, but childish."

"I suppose that they're not." Shisui runs a hand up into Itachi's soft, silky hair and twirls his fingers into it as he pulls Itachi back into a searing kiss. He breathes in the cool taste of mint and holly berry on Itachi's tongue and the crisp smell of winter in Itachi's hair. Perhaps it was true what the humans said. A man who had cold hands had a warm heart.

Itachi allows himself to surrender to the moment. Shisui was an exceptional kisser. Winter had always enjoyed the carnal arts as much as the next person, but never before had someone actually managed to take his breath away in such a fashion. "I could grow accustomed to this."

"I think I could too." Shisui sighs and presses on with the broken kiss once more, pushing and pulling and wrapping himself up in Itachi even as he wrapped Itachi in all that he was. The kiss sends freezing sparks throughout Shisui's body, setting his nerves aflame with tingling pleasure. No nature spirit held this power, this power that could seep into every nook and cranny and corner of his very being. It was intoxicating and Shisui couldn't help but fall willingly into its grasp, into Itachi's grasp.

"If you continue as you are, I suspect any lingering dryads will be treated to quite the show." Itachi smiles slyly as he ends the kiss by tugging on the sexy season's lower lip with his teeth. "You do not strike me as the shy sort, so perhaps that sort of display would be of interest to you."

Cloudy gray eyes open as Shisui smirks and pecks Itachi upon the lips to free himself. "Its rare enough that I find a bed and a partner at the same time, I'm no stranger to treating the local fae to a show."

"I imagine that they're exceptionally grateful that you do not mind performing in front of them." Itachi chuckles, but concern flashes in his eyes. Shisui's irises shouldn't be that color and several locks of his hair were taking on a silver hue. "As much as I am loathed to say this, I believe we should continue this another time. I'm...my reign is commencing and if you dally, you'll grow ill."

Shisui's smirk softens into a smile, then his smile saddens. "I know. I only wanted to enjoy this moment for a little longer." Had he been careful, Shisui would have fled the moment Winter arrived. But there was such a compelling presence about him that Shisui couldn't bear to leave without getting to know the man at least. He could feel the cold spreading through his skin, changing it as though smearing ashes beneath the surface. Soon it would turn brown and crack, as it always did if he lingered for too long. "So you are sending me away, then?" He holds Itachi's hand within his own, but it no longer felt so cold to him. It felt…almost warm.

"For your own safety. You'd make for a handsome icicle, but I can't imagine that's the form you'd prefer to spend the winter in." Itachi chuckles as he holds Shisui's hand as well. Still, he had to do the proper thing. Shisui's safety was at stake. "We'll meet again."

"I suppose that's better than being an ugly icicle." Shisui chuckles softly and steps back, his silver-streaked curly hair waving in the first winds of winter. "I do hope that we meet again. I enjoyed our time, even if it was as fleeting as my beautiful leaves." For Shisui, everything was fleeting, all except for the stubborn presence of one single person.

"You are many things, but ugly certainly isn't one of them." Itachi frowns as he watches Shisui begin to dispel before his very eyes. "We will see each other again. That I promise you." It was painful to see him go. Itachi knew it was foolish to become so enamored, so quickly, but he had. Perhaps this was how his mother and father had fallen for each other so many eons ago.

A smile plays about Shisui's lips as his power fades almost entirely. "Farewell, Itachi." His skin turns reddish brown and begins peeling away, his body dissolving into autumns last leaves as they swirl away on the last cool breeze.