Give Me Hope

"For the last time Deidara, no. I am not letting you and your boyfriend set me up. " Itachi said with a shake of his head.

"Why not, un? He is a really nice guy. I think you would really like him, un." Deidara argued.

"What would be the point? Every guy that I have ever dated has left me with 'its been fun but its over.' Itachi said

Deidara smiled. "Yes but this time could be different, un." He said putting his hand on Itachi's shoulder.

Itachi brushed the hand off and turned to look out the window. He would be damned if he was going to be dumped again.

"Oh come on, un. Your other relationships didn't end that badly did they, un?" Deidara asked innocently.

"Seriously? Take Shisui. We dated for two months only for him to leave me a message on my answering machine. "Itachi hey, its been a great two months but its time I was moving on. No hard feelings." That was the last I heard of him." Itachi said scornfully.

"Okay so that was one bad experience, un." Deidara said pointedly.

Itachi gave a scoff. "What about you? You and I dated for eight months. What did you say? "Itachi, I have had a lot of fun with you but we need to see other people." Remember that one?" Itachi asked skeptically.

Deidara smiled sheepishly. "Well we were young, un. You cannot hold me accountable for my actions then, un." Deidara said in astonishment.

Itachi rolled his eyes. "Okay maybe I can't but still I don't need a repeat of those unfortunate times." He said.

Deidara bit his lip. "Okay, Go out with the guy once and don't worry about the future, un. You may like him." Deidara said.

"No, Deidara. I don't want to go out with this guy and find that I like him but I was just another good time to him." Itachi said stubbornly.

Deidara sighed. He threw his hands up in the air and stood up. "Fine, un. I was just trying to help you because I care about you, un." He said dramatically.

Itachi was now kicking himself. This was Deidara's way of guilting him into going. It happened every time. Itachi glared at the floor. He was giving in.

"Okay, I will go. Just one date and that is it. I will not fall for this guy." Itachi said firmly.

"Okay, un. Yay, Thank you for going, Itachi un." Deidara jumped up and down in glee.

The date had turned out to be three or four more. Kisame was a charmer and Itachi was pulled in by everything the man said or did. Itachi was convinced that this guy was too good to be true.

Kisame was romantic in ways Itachi had never seen before. He held the doors for Itachi and always made sure that Itachi made it home okay. When he said he would call, he did. Always on time and never a minute too late.

Itachi was falling head over heels. It was killing him that this probably wouldn't last but he couldn't seem to help himself where Kisame was concerned. Itachi had been somewhat intimate in his other relationships but he had never gone al the way.

It should have raised red flags that Kisame was making him reckless. When Kisame took Itachi to bed for the first time in his life, Itachi was sure that hew as going to need major therapy when the relationship ended.

However a month later they were still going strong on the intimacy scale and they never seemed to run out of things to say. Itachi still couldn't let himself get to attached. He knew this was going to leave a bruise. One that would never heal.

Three months later Itachi was beginning to think that he had sealed his fate and his heart was going to be replaced by a black hole and he would never feel happy again. He had let this go way too far and he was going down with the ship.

But six months later he was thinking that maybe he had been wrong. Maybe this wasn't going to end as badly as he thought. However thoughts like that was what was going to ruin him. When Kisame finally left him he would be a shell of nothingness.

Two years later Itachi was thinking to himself that he had died and gone to heaven because he and Kisame were now living together. It had been a hard thing to believe when Kisame had asked him to live together.

Kisame knew of Itachi's fear of being abandoned by him which made Itachi question weather Kisame was doing it out of guilt. Kisame had assured him that he was in it for all the right reasons. Itachi silently hoped so but was scared it wasn't real.

Five years later Itachi had a ring on his finger and a baby in his arms. The adoption had been one of the best things to happen in Itachi's life. He didn't fear losing Kisame as much but still kept it in the back of his mind.

That night sitting on the couch after putting the baby to bed Kisame held Itachi in his arms. He whispered sweet words to him and Itachi felt emotional. Tears of happiness fell from dark lashes as Kisame kissed them away.

Ten years later Itachi and Kisame watched their angel get on the bus for his first day of school. Itachi couldn't let go of Kisame's arm for a second for the fear he would run up to the bus and drag the little boy back home.

Kisame smiled proudly at his son and cooed softly in Itachi's ear about how well their son would do in school. Itachi knew this was right but still feared for his precious child. Kisame pulled Itachi back into the house and eased his troubled mind.

Twenty five years later Kisame and Itachi sat on the porch swing. They had raised two wonderful kids a boy and a girl and they couldn't be prouder of them. Both had graduated with honors and were going away to college.

"Itachi what made you finally realize that I wasn't leaving you ever?" Kisame asked.

Itachi thought for a moment. He chose his words carefully. He wanted his answer to be worthy.

"You give me hope, Kisame." Itachi finally said.

Kisame smiled. He was so glad he had stayed with Itachi through all these years. If anyone deserved hope and happiness, it was Itachi.