"Itachi," Sasuke whines.
Itachi opens one eye. "What?"
"You were snoring," Sasuke whispers, giggling.
"I was asleep." Itachi looks ready to turn over and go back to sleep but something in Sasuke's eyes stops him. "What?" he asks again, a bit crossly.
"Um, is it okay? That I stay here?" Sasuke fidgets.
"What are you talking about? I know how you get about thunderstorms."
"Well, dad told me I should stop sleeping with you. He doesn't want other people to think we're weird."
Itachi grits his teeth. His father has a bad habit of meddling. Itachi holds Sasuke tighter against him. "Never mind them, Sasuke." Itachi pauses. "But I wouldn't tell anyone at school."
"Hai!"
A thought occurs to Itachi. "Do I really snore?"
"No. I, um, just don't like it when you fall asleep before me." Sasuke gives Itachi the cutest sheepish look in the history of cute looks and Itachi will be damned if he doesn't melt a little at that. But he has an image to maintain…
"So you woke me up."
"Hai." Sasuke lowers his eyes before flicking them back up to Itachi's face. "Are you mad?" Sasuke eyes grow huge. "Please please please don't be mad. With a cherry on top?"
Itachi's inner monologue replies with: I don't like cherries. His lips quirk of their own accord as he says, "It's okay."
Oh, Otouto. Are you so scared of me leaving?
"Itachi, do you have a weakness? I know you're real strong…But even you have to be scared of something."
Itachi says nothing.
"Snakes? Dying? Blood? Uh…C'mon tell meeee."
"I'm not afraid of anything."
"How about people?" Sasuke guesses. "Dad? Mom's pretty scary sometimes…Uh…Kakashi?"
Itachi laughs out loud. "Kakashi?"
"The way he smiles…And there's just this aura of power around him. I dunno…"
Itachi shakes his head. "How is knowing what my weakness going to help you go to sleep? Did our cousin Shisui put you up to this?"
"Well, we were talking about it…."
"Tell him it's water," Itachi says after a moment of deep thinking. It's worth a shot, he thinks.
You're so scared of me leaving. But I'm the one, Sasuke, who scared of being left behind.
"See, because I want to be able to protect you." Sasuke's refusal to let a subject drop, his persistence is startling akin to Itachi's own.
"Thank you, but I can protect myself."
Sasuke isn't buying it. Itachi decides to distract him.
"So, now. What can I do to make you go to sleep?"
It works.
"Tell me a story."
Itachi stares at him in disbelief, a clear have-you-gone-mad look.
"Please." Sasuke bats his eyelashes. Itachi doubts that Sasuke will ever have trouble getting a girlfriend.
You're my weakness. It's cliché, but you're the one thing I don't want to get hurt.
"Oh, fine." Itachi gives in, for even he is not unaffected by the epitome of cute. "About what?"
"Two best friends," Sasuke says after a long pause.
"Why don't you tell me a story instead?" Itachi prompts.
"Okay." Sasuke seems fine with this alteration. "Well, once upon a time there were two best friends. Their names were, uh, Sachi and Itsuke."
Itachi can't help but smile softly at that.
"Itsuke is older and she's amazingly good at everything. She has- Nii-san, what's wrong?"
Itachi chokes down a snort. "Itsuke's a girl?"
Sasuke glances at him and smiles brightly. "Yes. She has long blue-black hair and really pretty eyes that sometimes go red. Sachi admires her a lot. Sachi looks a bit like Itsuke only he has short, weird, spiky hair. So…Itachi, don't fall asleep!"
"I'm awake. Continue with the story, you're doing a great job."
"Really? I am?"
"Yes," Itachi replies tiredly.
"Right, and they do everything together. Itsuke would go on missions and Sachi would wait for her to return. Finally Sachi got good enough and caught up to Itsuke. They go on missions together and have fun. They…Hey, nii-san are you awake?"
Itachi stifles a yawn. "Yes, go on."
"Well, so…um…"
"Do they fall in love?"
"How did you know?"
"I had a feeling."
"Nii-san you're amazing."
"Stop stalling."
So long as I live, I will protect you always. Until you grow up and become a fine ninja.
"So they go on a mission with Itsuke's best friend Naruto- why are you making that face, Itachi? Don't you like Naruto?"
Itachi shrugs.
"Well, anyway. They're on a mission and Naruto gets killed."
"Wow, this is pretty depressing."
"Nii-san?"
"What?"
"Don't interrupt."
"Sorry. Do continue."
"Okay. I'm not really mad, you know."
"Sasuke…"
"Oh. The story, right. Well, Itsuke and Sachi are laying together. Kind of like we are now. And um, Sachi kisses Itsuke and tells her he loves her. And-"
"Is it their first kiss?"
"Whose?"
"Sachi's."
"Yes."
"And Itsuke's?"
"Yes."
"How does he kiss her?"
"What do you mean 'how'? I can't explain it."
"Then show me?"
"Nii-san I can't. That's weird."
"Come on. Please?"
"Then you have to kiss me."
"What?"
"Well, I'm Itsuke and you're Sachi."
"Wait a second. You made yourself older? And a girl?"
Sasuke blushes. "Well…it's just a story."
"Hn."
"Are you mad?"
"No."
….
"Sasuke?"
….
There's silence. Itachi opens his eyes and looks down at his baby brother.
"I can't believe it. You're asleep. Well, good night."
Take me with you, to your fairy tale land of dreams. Where stories of make-believe are made true. I want to go there…Will you take me?
Maybe it's the sight of his little brother looking asleep and innocent. Maybe it's the story of an impossible love. Maybe it's the hope that the future won't turn out like Itachi knows it will. Maybe it's all those things or none of those things. But Itachi looks a bit heartbroken, and is glad the snoozing Sasuke can't see the sheen of tears in Itachi's light-less eyes. Itachi can protect Sasuke now while they live under the same roof, in this bed that will soon no longer fit the both of them. Right now it's perfect. And Itachi's body curls just so around Sasuke, cocooning him. But what about the future?
He wants to wrap Sasuke up in a blanket and hold on and never let go. He wants to tie him to the bed and not even in the perverse way, just so he can know Sasuke won't leave.
But Sasuke wouldn't like that. He'd try his hardest for Itachi, because he loves Itachi, but then he would ask with those large shimmering eyes if he can leave and see Naruto. And Itachi can't deny Sasuke anything.
So. He'll just hold on to Sasuke while he can.
"Sachi…" Sasuke mutters in his sleep. He remembers the story Sasuke just told him. He half smiles.
He draws the blanket up around Sasuke's shoulders, securing it with his arm, binding Sasuke to him, wishing they were closer.
But for right now, let me hold you. You cling to me, a death grip. Don't let go. I implore you. Never let me go. Be my little Sasuke for always...
~Fin