Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters.
This takes place before Itachi becomes Kakashi's business partner and before they move to a condo. I thought it would be a funny little one shot since a friend of mine just got her license and she was all excited. Ahh, seems like yesterday it took me three times to get my own license in a span of more than three years.
Gone Too Far: Side shot: Learning to drive
Itachi had dreaded this day since Sasuke had turned sixteen. At least once a week since he turned the right age for a permit, Sasuke gave small hints about how everybody around him was learning how to drive. He always talked about how Kiba was going for his license or how Naruto had just gotten his permit. Sasuke had his permit which Itachi thought would make the boy happy but . . .
Sasuke had yet to get behind the wheel. Itachi had been fully responsible for that move.
Itachi knew it wasn't fair but he wanted to keep the boy from driving as long as possible. Sasuke was still in school and only ever needed rides to and from there. Whenever Sasuke wanted to go somewhere, he was happy to drive the boy or have a friend's parent come and get him. Sasuke was close to turning seventeen now and the boy became more persistent in a ditch effort to get his older brother and lover to teach him how to drive. Itachi thought his own vehicle a bit too big to teach the boy so he opted to borrow Deidara's small Suzuki sedan. He was surprising the boy this Saturday with the awaited driving lesson he had been begging for. It was one night after dinner that Itachi planned to surprise the boy. As nervous as he was, he knew this was part of growing up and the teenage dream of being able to have your own car. Itachi remembered the refreshing feeling of freedom after he had passed his own test and his uncle bought him a new car. He had gotten the talk from Madara, and now as a parent, older brother and fiancee, it was Itachi's turn to turn over that same freedom and knowledge.
Sasuke hummed to himself as he stirred the rice on the stove. He tied his usual pony tail back behind his head as he sported his blue shirt, white shorts and his favorite yellow apron. Shutting off the oven he pulled another pot closer and scooped some rice onto two plates. He lined up the rice on the long plates, taking a ladle and scooping into the other pot. He poured beef broth, meat and veggies over the rice, testing the taste with his pinky finger. Satisfied that it wasn't too spicy he poured the curry mixture over the rice and picked up the plates. The bread was already on the table as the drinks as Itachi sat there going over some last minute paper work. Sasuke set his plate down as Itachi leaned over and kissed his cheek.
"It looks great, sorry we're eating so late. My meeting didn't get out until almost after six," he said, quickly digging into his meal. Sasuke smiled and shook his head as he sat with his own plate.
"Its all right, though I wish Kakashi would stop scheduling things last minute. Doesn't he have a secretary?" the younger asked, digging into his own food. Itachi rolled his eyes as he took a large spoon full of curry into his mouth.
"He does but he loses them in less than a month. That man is very hard to deal with let alone work for. Since his new secretary left, I've had to help him organize all the functions and there is even talk of another conference out of the country soon. My work hours might become longer but I don't plan to make it a habit." Sasuke stopped eating for a moment but continued after a pause. Itachi saw the action and was a little confused by it.
"You all right?" he asked Sasuke. The boy looked up from his thoughts and gave a small nod.
"I'm fine, I was just remembering I had soccer practice all week after next," he said almost quietly. It suddenly clicked and Itachi felt like an idiot for forgetting.
"Shit, the buses don't run that late and I'll be getting home even later. Is there any chance Naruto's father can give a ride home?" he asked. Sasuke looked up with a strained smile.
"Ah no, Naruto broke his leg so he's out for the season. Neji's in the student council but he leaves earlier in the day and Kiba goes to work after school at his dad's garage, I've already tried all my options," he said quietly. Itachi bit his lip at the news.
Damn . . . This is getting harder to avoid!
"But it's okay! I mean the walk isn't that bad!" Sasuke said as he took a bite of his dinner. Itachi frowned deeply as he swallowed the food in his mouth.
"Sasuke it takes at least an hour, I'm not letting you walk home so late after practice. Especially when parts of town have no sidewalk and heavy traffic," Itachi said sternly. In his mind it was a disaster waiting to happen. Sasuke sighed and set down his spoon as he looked at Itachi with his dark ebony eyes.
"I don't really have an option Itachi, it is what it is," Sasuke shrugged. Staring down sadly at his plate, Sasuke shuffled some food around on it. Itachi suddenly felt guilty as he chewed his own food. Sasuke didn't ask for much, hardly anything and the one thing he wanted the most in the world Itachi denied him at every turn with every excuse. Sasuke was too polite to push and Itachi, dare he say it, got annoyed the last time Sasuke begged him to teach him to drive. He hadn't meant to be mean about it but that night Itachi had been tired from dealing with Kakashi's shit and the boy was so persistent.
"I said no and that is final Sasuke, when I think you're ready and we absolutely need to then I will teach you how to drive god dammit!" Itachi yelled, whirling to face the shocked looking boy standing in his doorway. It was the fifth time that week that Sasuke had pestered him about wanting to drive and unfortunately the boy had begged him on an off day.
Sasuke suddenly became very quiet but looked on the edge of tears.
"That's not fair . . . Everyone else is . . . " Sasuke said quietly with moist eyes.
With a final small mutter of defeat the boy walked down the hallway and went into his room, not coming out for the rest of the night. Itachi sat on his own bed with a deep sigh, watching as the boy walked miserably back to his room.
"Dammit . . . " Itachi muttered, feeling like the biggest prick in the world.
Sasuke hadn't said a word about it ever since. He was almost seventeen now and the boy never mentioned driving or being taught ever again since Itachi had unfairly put his foot down. Sasuke had gotten his permit and knew all the written stuff but had been denied being able to get behind the wheel. He was far behind the needed driving hours especially after having the permit for almost a year.
The boy continued to eat quietly as he seemed lost in his own little word. Itachi knew Sasuke was itching to beg to be taught again but probably feared another out burst. Now that they were lovers, it wasn't kind to still treat the boy like a child now that they both equal standing as a couple.
Itachi cleared his throat as he set his spoon down. It was inevitable now, but Sasuke was getting older and needed to be able to drive when Itachi couldn't transport him. It was a form of independence that he had been robbing Sasuke of since the boy had turned sixteen. Madara had immediately relented and taught him, it wasn't fair to keep Sasuke from something that meant so much to him at this time in his life. It would be hard as hell and Itachi was going to be a nervous wreck but he needed to allow room for Sasuke to grow and become an adult, an adult capable to be behind the wheel correctly.
"Sasuke, if you really want to . . . I'll start teaching you how to drive this Saturday," he said in the quiet room. Sasuke dropped his spoon and stared at him like it was all a sick joke. He blinked a couple times and managed to pull back into reality.
"R-really? You really mean it this time?" he practically yelled. Itachi's smile was strained but he nodded regardless.
"Yeah Sasuke, I can't really . . . Deny the issue anymore. You need to be able to go places on your own now and . . . It means allot to you. Hell it's meant more to you since you turned sixteen. So, it's only right that I start teaching you now. It's been unfair of me to keep you from it for so long, especially after all your friends already have their own licenses," Itachi said. Sasuke looked like he was ready to burst out of his skin in joy. His smile suddenly turned a bit angry and it surprised Itachi a little at the sudden mood change.
"Oh sure, now you want to teach me after all the options had run out! I guess I'd have to be on my last thread before you decided to teach me the one most important thing at my age that every teen wants to know how to do! Do you have any idea how long I've wanted this Itachi?" Sasuke seemed to yell. The older raven was taken a back a bit but the boy did have a point.
"I understand that Sasuke but you need to understand . . . " Itachi tried.
"No, you NEED to UNDERSTAND something nii-san, I don't care what little hang ups you've had. I'm getting to the point where I'm about to ask someone else to teach me how to finally drive. I've had my permit for a year! A YEAR! And you haven't even taught me anything! I'll be lucky if I knew how to turn the damn car on if I didn't watch you do it so much!" the boy ranted. Sasuke was a little red in the face but Itachi deep down inside knew he had deserved the lecture. Regardless he sighed and looked at the aggravated boy.
"Like I said, better late than never. I'm borrowing Deidara's car because I don't want you driving mine, it's too big. But Sasuke, you're going to learn the right way and you're going to listen to every word I say or I'll keep holding off, understand?" Itachi said. Sasuke looked away but he turned back a moment later at Itachi with a sad face.
"So you held off and yelled at me because you thought I wouldn't listen to you?" he asked in a sad tone. Itachi's stern face was wiped clean in surprise.
"Wha- no! Sasuke I just . . . I just didn't think you were ready. There wasn't really a need for it either so I just held off even more. I'm sorry you thought it was because of that but it's not. And for that one time I yelled at you . . . I'm sorry. I'd had a really bad day and I got angry and took it out on you. I know you've been begging me with your eyes ever since but was afraid I'd get mad again if you mentioned something, huh?" Itachi asked. The older raven reached across the table and took Sasuke's hand into his own. The boy still looked sad but allowed the contact.
"It's all I've ever wanted you to consider. Is it really scaring you to teach me how to drive that much? You should know me better than anyone Itachi. I'm a very smart person and I'm not going to go out and get drunk and wrap myself around a telephone pole. I'd thought . . . You'd at least have a little more faith in me at the very least," the boy said quietly. Itachi squeezed his hand.
"I do trust you, more than you know. It's everyone else on the road that scares the fuck out of me. Personally I wish it was the last thing on your mind, but . . . It's only right, Madara taught me, so I should teach you now when you're interested and you know what to expect," the older explained. Sasuke brightened up a little and faced his palm up to interlace their fingers together.
"Finally, I've been waiting forever for you to say yes," Sasuke smiled, looking relieved. Itachi held back the horrible feeling of guilt at the complete and utter look of happiness on Sasuke's face. This simple little act meant everything to the boy and all he had done was shot the other down every time. No doubt Sasuke was eager to join his age group in the fun and exciting world of driving but Itachi wanted him to be safe more than anything.
"All right Sasuke, this Saturday, I'll start you off on the back roads near the mall, okay?" he said. Sasuke nodded eagerly with a huge grin.
"Yes! Thank you Itachi-nii!"
Itachi was a nervous wreck as his hands shook on the steering wheel of Deidara's silver car. The blond had been very willing to let Sasuke drive it to learn but if Itachi returned it with even one scratch . . . Forget that condo searches at a great price deal they had going. Sasuke was as happy and bright as a peacock as he sat in the passenger side. He familiarized himself with every inch of the blond's car, looking to where the mirrors were and how the seats adjusted. When Itachi finally parked on a side road in the woods behind the mall did the boy nearly jump out of his seat. Itachi took a breath before shutting off the car and undoing his belt. He got out of the car as did Sasuke and the boy was at his side in a heart beat. Itachi swallowed his excess saliva before looking at his eager little brother.
"You ready?" he asked the boy. Sasuke nodded and took a deep breath.
"Been ready," he breathed. Itachi nodded and leaned down to kiss the boy.
"All right, get in," he said.
Sasuke closed the driver door as Itachi sat in the passenger seat. The boy put on his seat belt and looked toward Itachi expectantly.
"All right, adjust your seat and your mirrors until you're comfortable and can see everywhere around you," Itachi said. Sasuke nodded and moved so he was closer to the wheel. He adjusted his rear view and looked to both his side mirrors.
"Check," he said. Itachi nodded and pointed toward his right foot.
"You only ever need to use your right foot when you are driving. Put your foot on the brake and start the car up," Itachi said. Sasuke pressed down on the pedal until it was on the floor. He turned the key and it started up quickly and Sasuke felt the pressure leave the brake pedal. He took his foot off and looked toward his brother.
"Okay, do I pull out now?" he asked. Itachi checked the road behind them.
"No, watch for traffic but put on your signal light first. Put your foot on the brake and shift the stick to drive," he instructed. Itachi swallowed nervously as Sasuke shifted the car and it gave a small lurch. The boy looked confused at it for a moment until he swallowed nervously himself. Sasuke took a breath as he turned his blinker to the left and looked at his side mirror. He physically turned his head around but that didn't quell his nervousness. Sasuke slowly took his foot off the brake and felt the car move forward. He stepped on the brake quickly to keep the car from moving. Itachi looked at him as he began to notice Sasuke was sweating a bit.
"Are you all right?" he asked carefully. He knew Sasuke wanted to drive but worried if the boy was actually ready. Sasuke took a breath before taking his hand off the wheel. The hand was shaking like crazy.
"I-I just can't believe I'm f-finally behind the wheel is all. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up from some bizarre dream," he trembled with a small smile.
Itachi nodded a little nervously. He remembered very well his own first time driving. His hands shook like crazy as his heart threatened to burst from his rib cage. Madara had looked at him in amusement but knew it was a huge thing, to do something you've never done before that would forever be part of your life. Sasuke calmed down and looked over his shoulder again. He took his foot off the brake and let the car drift onto the dirt road with little pressure to the gas pedal.
Itachi clenched the seat with his fingers but out of Sasuke's sight. He was glad he had chosen the dirt road behind the mall. It was a common spot parents took their kids to teach them how to drive and allot of people knew this and stayed clear of it. Sasuke started off really slow, testing the water which was good. It also did Itachi's nerves some good.
"All right, the trail road leads into a giant circle. Why don't you get a feel for the car and drive around a little bit?" Itachi said. Sasuke nodded, his hair swaying with the movement but didn't take his eyes off the road. His back was stiff against the seat and his hands continued to shake a little.
"O-okay, yeah, that sounds good," he said to his brother. Itachi breathed deeply and knew the measure was for both of them. Itachi needed to calm the hell down and just let Sasuke experiment with this. They drove around the woods a couple times and Itachi only spoke when he thought the boy was going too fast around some corners. He could see Sasuke visibly relax the more time went on and confidence when he pressed the brake. They did this for about an hour before Itachi decided that Sasuke had a feel for the wheel. All in all he admired the boy, Sasuke really did look very handsome behind the wheel of a car. It made him look older and sophisticated. It made Itachi's chest swell with pride as he gazed at the mature younger brother he had raised and whom he loved dearly. The sunlight did everything to highlight Sasuke's happy attitude and personality. Itachi briefly felt a few flames of desire stroke his stomach but he clenched them back for now. Instead he smiled as Sasuke made another smooth turn on the dirt road.
"How do you feel?" he asked the boy. Sasuke pulled to the side and put it in the park position. He took a deep breath and moved some hair away from his face. His pitch black eyes crinkled at the sides as he smiled at his older brother.
"It feels so weird. I like it though, it's easy once you get used to it," he said. Itachi nodded and licked his bottom lip.
"All right, we're going to try major turns. I want you to drive down this road a bit and take a right. It leads to a section of the path for turning traffic. Some stop signs have been put up so I'll teach you how to do that next," he instructed. Sasuke nodded and put his foot on the break to put it into drive.
Through the day Itachi's nerves had lessened as Sasuke seemed to be understanding the concept very well. When they were done, Sasuke begged to let him drive home on the back streets but Itachi wanted to do this at least one step at a time. When they got home Itachi felt better about letting Sasuke drive. The boy might have been right about whatever personal hangups he had about not letting him drive. He didn't doubt his brother's capability, maybe it was more like he wasn't satisfied with his own.
"YOU WHAT!" Itachi yelled standing up from his seat. The picture of Sasuke on his desk flipped over from the movement and Itachi angrily fixed it upright as he stared at the person before him. The quaking female in front of him trembled as his eyes almost seemed to be turning the color of fresh spilt blood.
"I-I moved the Hiashi appointment to six. You said Hatake-san needed a time section to invite the presenter from India to discuss the contract-" she tried.
"I don't care about that! You moved the appointment to six in the morning! Not six at night! Do you know the difference between AM and PM you idiot!" Itachi shouted, slamming his hands down on his desk. She seemed to have an embarrassed flush on her pale face and tried to hide behind her folder.
"I-I'm s-sorry, I m-must have p-put it in the wrong slot! I-I-I-," she stuttered terribly. Itachi turned away from her and kicked his chair.
"Get out! I'm giving this responsibility to someone with half a brain cell. Just tell Hatake-san I'll fix another mistake from his incompetent staff!" he yelled. The female didn't hesitate as she walked quickly out of his office, her heels moving rapidly on the thin carpet. She rushed past Hidan who stood in the doorway of Itachi Uchiha's office, looking a bit surprised. The white-haired man sighed and ran a hand through his silver hair.
"You know, you're going to get an aneurism and die, then Sasuke will have to move in with me and be my new wife," he joked but took a cautious edge to his tone. Itachi felt a vain pop somewhere about the comment but chose instead to ignore it.
"I need more capable people. Did half these morons lie on their resume about being professionals?" he growled. Hidan shook his head and crossed his arms.
"Dude relax, what the heck is your problem today? Usually you don't yell when you tell people off," Hidan commented. Itachi sat back down heavily and rubbed his temples. He looked at Hidan through his hair.
"I finally gave into to Sasuke about teaching him how to drive . . . My nerves are so frayed that I guess I'm letting it leak into my work life," he said. Hidan let out something that almost sounded like a chuckle.
"Jesus Itachi, you must be putting that poor kid through hell then if you're like this at work," he said, leaning against the desk.
"No, I would never take out my anger on Sasuke. I'm just . . . God Hidan, why do kids these days want to drive so badly anyway? I mean . . . With all the car accidents and kids drunk driving, how can Sasuke not see these kinds of things?" he asked no one in particular. Hidan made a disapproving noise in the back of his throat.
"He's young, it's something new that he needs to explore for himself. I'm not guaranteeing that something isn't going to happen but . . . You need to have faith in him man," Hidan said matter of factly.
"I have more faith in Sasuke than I do in Hatake-san actually knowing how to run this company. I just . . . I don't want him behind the wheel, at all!" he said finally. Itachi sat back in his chair and looked at the ceiling. He didn't want to lock Sasuke away from the world or his friends but he just wished the boy wasn't so passionate about this driving thing.
"Are you afraid that you won't be in control once he has that personal freedom?" Hidan suddenly asked in a strange tone. Itachi looked at him with a slight sneer.
"Meaning what exactly Hidan?" he asked in a clipped tone. The other man shrugged and stood up, smoothing out his jacket.
"I've seen the way you treat the boy Itachi. I understand your parents walked out on you guys and you're watching out for him but . . . There is a thinline between obsessive and love. Itachi, you're afraid to let go and its un healthy," Hidan admitted.
"What does that have to do with my stress of teaching Sasuke how to drive?" he argued back, tapping his finger on his desk in impatience.
"Maybe nothing, maybe everything. You think too much when you don't have to. I guess I'm just saying that let this happen naturally. Don't make the boy feel like a burden about something he has a natural curiosity about. Besides, isn't it better he asks you and not someone else how to drive? These kinds of moments are meant to be personal and make the best memories, good or bad."
Itachi couldn't get Hidan's advice out of his head as he drove Sasuke in Deidara's car toward their next practice spot. He had decided to try the mall parking lot since it was a Monday and hopefully not that busy. Itachi had taken the day off and Sasuke's school had a holiday so they decided to take advantage of it. Sasuke was just happy that he might be able to get some public driving in. Itachi parked the car at the end of the parking lot where no one but employees liked to park in order to avoid scratches and parking space loss. Sasuke sat in the driver's seat, adjusting everything and then looked at Itachi.
"What should we do today?" the younger raven asked him. Itachi sat down and put on his seat belt, trying to think about what the next step Madara had taken with him.
"On the test I remember that the examiner always watched my speed limit. Today we're going to do laps around the circle because the speed limits change on the other side of the lot compared to here," Itachi said.
"Does the guy fail you if you don't keep a constant speed?" Sasuke asked questionably. Itachi shrugged and leaned over to tap the speedometer.
"No, but he will if you go five miles over or under given the current speed limit you're driving on," Itachi answered. Sasuke's eyes went wide as he turned back to the wheel.
"Oh, talk about pressure," he said quietly.
"He also expects you to look out your rear view mirror about every sixty seconds. Side mirrors every forty and he expects you to keep both hands on the wheel at all time. I got points deducted because I did that thing where I put my arm on the back of the passenger seat to fully turn to look behind me when I was backing up," Itachi replied, giving a smirk.
Sasuke suddenly looked pale and Itachi wondered if Sasuke was realizing the situation. There was more to driving than most teens thought. Many of them thought it enough to just get the speed right and do what the instructor said at the time, but the instructor looked for things, like if the driver looked out their mirror or how long they stayed at stop signs or stopped the car over the crosswalk.
"Got all that?" Itachi asked the now quite boy. Sasuke snapped from his stupor and gripped the wheel harder.
"No problem, I can handle that," he said. Sasuke turned on the car and got himself ready. Itachi was proud of his confidence and he let it show.
"All right, show me what you got," he smiled.
TBC