"Aniki!"
"What is it Sasuke?"
"Itachi – look at me!"
So the twelve year old Itachi turns around and gets an armful of something…yellow?
"Sasuke?"
"Mmm?"
"What on earth are you wearing?"
"I'm a bolt of lightning! It's Halloween silly!" Sasuke grins. He wriggles out of Itachi's arms and does a twirl.
Itachi can only blink. Sasuke is wearing a bright neon yellow jumpsuit. He's wearing a cape made of silver aluminum foil. It is clear that while Itachi does not condone Halloween, Sasuke obviously endorses it. Itachi does not believe Halloween to be a holiday and does not understand why people celebrate it. Unfortunately, it seems Sasuke is among the many who are easily thrilled by the prospect of costumes and candy.
"How nice." Itachi is still trying to get over the fact that Sasuke owns anything of that horrid color.
Sasuke squints at his brother. "Do you like it? Aniki, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing. You look adorable. Are you going trick or treating with Sakura and Naruto?"
"I guess so yes. I mean, I was thinking I might hang here with you. And give out candy or something." The hope in Sasuke's voice is so bright, so cheerful that Itachi knows there is only one answer. No. Because Itachi cannot get too close to Sasuke.
And as tempting as that sounds, Itachi knows he cannot break his meeting with Shisui. So he says, "Otouto, how about you go trick or treat for me as well, and when you get back we'll divide the candy."
Itachi smiles, charming Sasuke into agreeing.
"Okay!"
To an outsider it sounds like Itachi is making Sasuke do all the work so Itachi can get candy, but this isn't so. Itachi knows the only way for Sasuke to have a normal childhood is if he spends more time with kids his own age and less time with his older brother, who secretly dreams of touching Sasuke in ways no brother should. And the only way Sasuke will leave Itachi is if he knows he'll have Itachi to himself later.
*
"Do you want this chocolate bar, Sasuke? Personally, I don't like chocolate so it's fine. I see you took all the jelly beans…Is there something wrong, Sasuke?"
Sasuke just continues to stare at Itachi.
"Sasuke?"
"Ohhh, my poor Itachi!"
Sasuke lets out a sound like a wounded animal. He launches himself at Itachi over the pile of candy. Latched onto Itachi, Sasuke buries his head into Itachi's chest.
"Sasuke?" Itachi looks down, bewildered, not for the first time, by his brother's actions.
"I'm so sorry, I never knew!"
Itachi is stunned to find there are actual tears gathering in Sasuke's wide, dark eyes.
"Sasuke?"
Itachi is beginning to fear Sasuke may start to howl if he doesn't calm down.
"You really don't like chocolate? How is the world so cruel to my Aniki?"
Sasuke begins to hiccup, a sure sign a flood of tears is about to start.
"Sasuke, I'll…eat the chocolate." A devious thought enters Itachi's head as he opens his mouth.
"If you feed it to me, that is."
"Okay!"
So Sasuke unwraps a few chocolates and feeds them to Itachi. Sasuke doesn't know why, but his attention is drawn to Itachi's tongue, how pink it is, and how it wraps around the candy. It makes Sasuke feel uncomfortable, but he doesn't know why and he can't look away. And then…
"Here, let me give you some too, Sasuke."
Itachi's voice is low and deep and sleepy. It has the opposite effect on Sasuke, who all of a sudden feels high, as in on the top of a mountain high, and very awake. His breathing quickens, is shallow even as he opens his mouth. He expects Itachi to put the chocolate in his mouth, using his hand to place it on his tongue…But instead, Itachi puts the candy in his own mouth, leans over and slips it into Sasuke's mouth.
We're almost kissing, Sasuke thinks giddily. He doesn't understand exactly why Itachi looks so pleased or why his eyes, already dark, are gleaming red with…desire? But he does know that the chocolate is soon gone, dissolved in the combination of heat and wetness. And he wants more. He knows Itachi does too. Because even if he's not used to Itachi looking at him like that, he likes it, knows he can get used to it. It makes him feel special, like he got an A on a project, or thrown a kunai with perfect accuracy.
"Itachi…did we just kiss?"
"No, Sasuke. I would never steal your first kiss." Unless you want me to…
"I want you to, Itachi. You're the one I love the most."
And it's true.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Close your eyes."
Sasuke does. And he feels something amazing, something soft on his lips. It's Itachi, he just knows it. And it's so velvety and smooth and warm. Sasuke's tongue flicks out of its own accord and he hears Itachi's moan of satisfaction. Oh, Sasuke realizes, Itachi's lips…they're covered in chocolate!
Mmm, Sasuke thinks dreamily, chocolate kisses.
I love you, Itachi.
I know, Sasuke. I love you too.
*
"It's Halloween Aniki."
"I know what day it is."
"Look at what I am this year."
Itachi looks. And very nearly regrets it. Sasuke's a cat. With ears and a painted black nose, wearing a very thin, stretchy black leotard. And...Oh, god, Itachi thinks, there's a tail.
"I think you're staying home this Halloween, Otouto."
I don't want anyone else to see you looking so…slutty…
Itachi often communicates with Sasuke in this way, without words. But Sasuke always understands. There's no mistaking that look.
I want you. On the bed. Now.
Sasuke leaps onto the bed, already purring.
"Here." He tosses a pair of scissors.
"Arigatou." Itachi takes his time, carefully cutting away the material until Sasuke is naked before him, soon to be under him, over him, and with him in every way possible.
"How far can we go this time, Aniki?" Sasuke asks softly as he dutifully spreads his legs as far as he can.
"Hmmm?" Itachi is paying half a mind to what Sasuke is saying as he kneels on the bed and begins to peel off his own shirt. And then his pants. He leaves his socks on.
Sasuke grins. "Aniki! You're not wearing any underwear…." Which means that…" "Oh, Aniki, you knew I was coming." Sasuke pouts all the while flushing at the innuendo. "You said last week we'd do anything I wanted."
"I did." Itachi bends his head for a quick kiss and Sasuke wastes no time in sealing his lips to Itachi's. "So, what do you want, Sasuke? What can Aniki do for you?" He asks this, but his hand is already on Sasuke's rock hard member, where Sasuke desperately needs him the most. Itachi kisses the side of Sasuke's neck before moving down, down, over, to lick and nip at a collar bone, flick a nipple with a free hand, rake his teeth down the center of Sasuke's chest, feel the vibrations, the moans as Sasuke bucks into Itachi's talented hands.
"Can you…with your mouth…?"
"Sorry, Sasuke, you'll have to be more specific. What do you want me to do with my mouth?" Itachi grins devilishly, which Sasuke thinks makes him look even hotter.
"I want you to suck…"
"Say it."
To show he's serious, Itachi pulls away and-
is nudged in the side by a big shoe.
"Yo, Itachi!"
Reflexively Itachi grabs the ankle and squeezes painfully. There is a yelp of pain and then-
"Jesus, someone get this lunatic off my ankle!"
"It's your fault Deidara. We told you not to wake up the sleeping dragon."
Deidara and Itachi think simultaneously that Kisame really needs to stop sounding so condescending.
"Sorry, Itachi-kun, but you were moaning in your sleep…It sounded like you were in pain…Oh..Uh…" There is a harsh silence as Itachi finally opens his eyes to see a half interested, half scared Deidara trying in vain to get his leg away from Itachi's vice-like grip.
"Itachi, I know we're not allowed to ask about your past or anything but just now…"
"Deidara," Itachi speaks calmly, his shadow filled eyes flashing the sleep away. "You'll shut up if you know what's good for you."
Deidara nods, because he's not that brave.
But Kisame is apparently.
"Itachi, you want some chocolate?" Kisame proffers a bag of chocolate they pilfered from a town nearby.
Itachi looks away.
Deidara laughs. "Kisame, don't you know? Itachi hates chocolate."
Kisame looks confused. "But I saw him eat some yesterday!" he protests.
"Oh?"
"Yeah…"
They both at Itachi who shoots them a look that is equal parts venomous and boredom.
"It's too bittersweet." And then Itachi's face completely shuts down as he looks up towards the moon.
"He was talking about the chocolate, right?"
"Yeah, I mean, what else could he be talking about?"
~Fin