A/N: I posted this first to AO3, and it was relatively well received, so I decided to send it here, too, for those who prefer this website.

I'm not happy with this chapter, if I'm being honest, but here it is.

I tried to translate the personalities from the manga as best as I saw fit for a modern setting, so I hope nothing seems too off. Kisame is especially different but hey, he didn't grow up all messed up and murderous, right? I'm filing it under 'artistic license.'

I originally got the idea from an OTP prompt on tumblr where person A rescues person B from someone who won't leave them alone at a bar. Supposed to be a oneshot for KisaIta week on Tumblr, it evolved and here we are.

Anywho, here's chapter one.

Edit: the page breaks in the original document disappeared! I didn't know what would happen! Sorry about that, I've fixed it now.

Itachi pressed the slowly warming rim of the beer bottle to his lips. The pounding beat of a song beating from the speakers above dance floor thrummed in his eardrums. His eyes glanced over every now and again to see Sasuke dancing with Suigetsu, or Karin, or Naruto. Suigetsu bounced over to the bar intermittently to grab a few more drinks.

Somewhere between a song by The Weeknd (Sasuke was slowly teaching him how to recognize popular artists) and something with enough bass to make his ears sore, a body pressed up against him, arm snaking around his waist. He stiffened instantly, head snapping around to the unwelcomed guest.

"Hey, sweet thing," a man murmured at his hear. He smelled of alcohol and arrogance, Itachi thought. He grinned at Itachi. "What's a gorgeous thing like you doing sitting all alone?"

Itachi frowned, unsuccessfully trying to shrug the arm off of him. "I'm not a 'thing,' and I'm sitting alone by choice. Please go."

"Don't be like that, sweetcheeks. There's no fun in being alone at a bar."

"There's plenty. Please leave."

The man slid his arm down Itachi's waist and—

"Please do not touch me," Itachi snapped, grabbing the man's wrist and holding it away from him.

"Come on, don't be like that, baby. I just want to show you a good time."

"I thought I was quite clear: I am not interested." Itachi replied, patiently, calmly.

"You don't even know me, love."

Exactly?

"How about I take you out on the dance floor and show you a good time?" The leer in his voice was making Itachi frown.

"I'm not looking for your company," Itachi insisted.

The other man laughed. "Only because you haven't—"

"Sorry I'm late, babe," a voice suddenly said to the right of him. Itachi felt a large hand grip his shoulder. Looking up he saw someone tower over him, a very…sharky grin on his face. "Who's this?"

Ah.

The other man stuttered for a second. "Uhh, wait a second…is he your...?" He took a step back. "Shit man, he didn't tell me he was taken, I didn't know he was yours, I wouldn't have—"

"Wouldn't have what? Is there something I should be worried about?" The other asked, a sharp edge of threat sheathed behind the grin in his voice.

"Uhh, no absolutely not," he replied, "nothing like that, we're all good here."

"Yeah? Fantastic. Now, if you would excuse us…?"

"Yeah, yeah," the guy mumbled, disappearing to the other end of the bar. Itachi blinked after him. He turned back to the other, taller man, whose hand slipped from Itachi's shoulder to cross his very broad chest.

"He wasn't too much of a bother, was he?" The man asked, still staring after their departing company.

Itachi shook his head. "No, just a pest." He glanced up under his eyelashes. "Thanks for the help, I guess."

"No problem. That dick head is a regular over here, likes to harass all the pretty ones."

Itachi's head upturned a little at the 'pretty' comment, suppressing a small huff. "Was that a directed compliment, Mr…?

"Kisame. Call me Kisame." The man's eyes and mouth both maintained their grin. "May I sit?" He asked, gesturing to the empty bar stool next to Itachi.

"Well, I suppose I the least owe my knight in shining armor is my company," Itachi replied with a joking lilt to his voice, taking a short swig of beer and pushing his long hair off of his shoulder. He swiveled to face Kisame, leaning one elbow against the dark wood of the bar top, eyes scanning his face. "My name is Itachi," he tacked on.

"It's my pleasure," Kisame replied, extending an arm. Itachi took his hand, feeling a silent laugh vibrate through the muscles roping down Kisame's arms. He blinked for a moment at how small and pale his hand looked in the others.

"So is this what you do around here?" Itachi asked, letting his hand slip back down onto his lap. "Save people from bar rats?"

"No," Kisame laughed, "I often meet up with my cousin here after work. I'm just here a lot; it gets old seeing all the slime bags who can't take no for an answer. Sometimes it's fun to scare em a little, put em in their place. 'Sides, you're too gentle with them it looks, figured you could use some help."

"Too gentle?" Itachi asked, eyebrow arching up.

"Yeah. You gotta tell people like that to fuck off, straight and simple. They won't leave if you're so nice, they'll think you're stringing them along."

Itachi wrinkled his nose. Well, he didn't favor being rude. He cocked his head to the side, staring at his new companion for a moment. "Well, at least now you're here," he joked slightly, "I'm sure no one will dare approach me with the biggest guy in the bar holding my attention."

"How'd you know I was the biggest one here?" Kisame asked, eyes bright with a joke Itachi didn't quite get.

"What do you mean, you're clearly—" Itachi snapped his mouth shut, the double innuendo finally clicking. "Oh."

Kisame laughed. "Did I scare you off?"

Itachi's eyes rolled over the tribal looking tattoos crawling up past Kisame's shirt to lick at the base of his neck and spill down his arm on one side, the shark teeth and wood carved necklaces laying against his dark chest, the almost gill marks cutting across his distinct cheekbones. More tattoos perhaps? Probably. He had piercing all up one of his ears, a single bone decorated with intricate, shallow carvings pushed through the other. Through the dim lights of the bar, his hair looked to be blue.

No, definitely not scared. He pressed his beer to his lips again. "No, not scared."

Kisame chuckled, tapping the bar to get the tender's attention. "How long have you been nursing that beer? That's not even a very good beer."

Itachi was sure it wasn't a good idea to admit he didn't really know jack about what was considered 'good' alcohol. Beer tasted like carbonated street water, tequila burned his throat like gasoline, and he was sure that vodka was literally nail polish remover. "I think its fine."

"Have you ever had anything from Hangar 24?" Kisame asked.

Itachi swirled his bottle. "How offended will you be if I answer no?"

Kisame laughed, watching as the bar tender came over. "Here's an idea: why don't I buy you a better drink?"

"I'm gonna have to pass," Itachi replied, tilting his bottle back and forth, letting his stool swivel slightly. "I'm the designated driver, so I have to watch what I drink. Hence the one beer."

"Damn shame," Kisame replied. He ordered something Itachi had never heard of before. "I can't stand being in a bar without a drink in my hand."

Itachi gave a shrug. "I don't mind," he answered lightly. "I'm not the biggest drinker."

"What's your poison?" Kisame asked, receiving the glass the bartender slid to him.

"Wine?" Itachi guessed.

Kisame snorted as he took a sip. "Is that a question?"

"It's really the only thing I care for. Like I said, I don't drink a lot."

The song changed, becoming louder and more upbeat. Kisame leaned forward and scooted closer so they wouldn't have to yell. "I guess the only other reason to go to a club if not to drink is to find good company, right?"

Itachi let his lips quirk. "Is that so?"

Kisame grinned. "So how come you got stuck with the keys?"

"Mm. My younger brother loves to come out with his friends, I drive them all home."

He snorted. "That's one way to spend your Saturday nights."

"I don't really mind, actually. He's young and reckless, why not let him enjoy his party years."

"Now that's the kind of logic I can stand behind."

Itachi rolled his eyes, suppressing a smile, and ran a hand through his hair.

"Are you from around here?" Kisame asked, that grin never for a second fading from his eyes and lips. He looked at Itachi in a way that somewhat unsettled him; it was intent, and searching. Itachi bit his lip because—damn Kisame's eyes were hypnotizing.

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I've lived out here for a while now."

"So how often do you come here?" Kisame asked. "I don't think I've ever seen you before."

"I don't particularly make a scene out of myself," Itachi murmured above the thumping base, "so I don't see any reason why you would be able to pick me out. But—not often. Only if Sasuke wants to come."

Kisame's eyes snapped from his drink to Itachi's face, face going strangely serious for a moment. "Wait, did you just say Sasuke?"

Itachi blinked, retracting into himself somewhat. "Why." There was a wary edge to his voice.

"Sasuke as in…duckbutt?" Kisame leaned forward. "Is that…is that your little brother?"

"I beg your pardon."

"Sasuke? Uchiha?"

Itachi tilted his head, brows furrowed. "How do you know my younger brother?"

"Youre shittin' me!" Kisame exclaimed. "How do I know him? My dumbass baby cousin is practically surgically attached to his side!"

Itachi blinked again. "…Suigetsu?"

Kisame laughed. "Holy shit, talk about a small world."

"Wait," Itachi paused, still reeling slightly. "You're cousins with Suigetsu? So you know Sasuke?"

"And Karin, and Naruto, and Juugo." The grin was even stronger, now.

Itachi leaned back, and looked up into Kisame's eyes. "How have I never met you, then?"

"Fuck, I don' know, but I'm pissed that we haven't."

And Itachi had no words.

"I can't believe I didn't connect the dots when you mentioned your name. Shit, Sasuke never shuts up about you." Kisame rubbed a hand through his hair. "Itachi, duh, of course! Itachi!"

Itachi gave a mystified smile about why Kisame seemed so excited. And why did he say his name like that. "Good to meet you, too," he responded. Tilting his head, he asked, "What exactly does Sasuke say about me, if he 'never shuts up about me'?"

Kisame shrugged. "Nothing, really, that's what's so funny. It's just 'Itachi this' and 'Itachi that.' Then again, I've only been around him a couple of times, at parties."

"Parties," Itachi repeated, one eyebrow raising.

Kisame laughed. "And by parties, I of course mean Bible Studies."

Itachi let himself smile again, returning to his beer. "Of course."

Kisame stared at him with a very intense gaze for a moment.

When he noticed, Itachi blinked at him, fiddling with his bottle. "What?"

The look quickly disappeared from Kisame's eyes, hidden behind that grin of his. "Nothing, nothing. I was just thinking that we have some stuff in common, don't we?"

Itachi held Kisame's gaze until his eyes turned into something dark and stormy. "Looks like it." And then he turned back to his beer and took another swig, because those eyes, and that grin—they were messing with his head.

"Seriously man, sipping on one beer over, I don't know, however the fuck long you've been, here isn't going to impair your driving. Just order another one."

Itachi stared down at the bottle. "Honestly, I'm only drinking so I have something to do. I don't even fancy beer, really," he replied, twisting his mouth to one side.

"Then…" Kisame started, trailing off a little, eyeing him sharply, "do you want to dance?"

Itachi paused, eyes involuntarily flicking over to the dancefloor. "Dance?"

"Well, why not? You want something to do, and if you can't drink, then…" his voice was hopeful, with an edge of something Itachi couldn't quite place.

Itachi pursed his lips. "I haven't been dancing in quite a long time."

"Now's a time as good as any to get back into it then, right?" And the winning grin was back.

Itachi looked down into the bottle, at the liquid sloshing around at the bottom. "I think I might need to be a bit drunk to get back out there. One slowly sipped beer isn't going to cut it when it comes to soothing my nerves."

"Ah, alright." Kisame dropped it, resting his head on his palm, elbow on the bar top.

Itachi paused, biting the inside of his cheek. "Maybe another time," he said around a clear of his throat, "when I'm not responsible for transportation."

Kisame's eyes lit up and his grin flashed back to full capacity. "Another time?" His voice was playful.

Itachi held the beer bottle to his lips. "Another time," he repeated, somewhat tight lipped.

Kisame stretched out, folding his arms behind his head, and Itachi definitely did not notice the way his muscles wrapped around his arms and pushed out under his skin.

"Nii-san!" came a voice.

Well, what a welcomed distraction.

He spun around in the stool, smiling at his tipsy brother who came tumbling into his lap. "Sasuke?" he chuckled, a surprised note to his voice.

"Nii-sannnn," Sasuke whined, "I don't know what the fuck is going on"

"Language," Itachi reminded with a hum.

Sasuke wrinkled his face, trying to crawl into his big brother's lap. "Shut up."

"How much have you had to drink, little brother?"

A grumble.

"Speak up."

"Not that much, okay!" Sasuke exclaimed, throwing his hands up and nearly falling down.

"Are you sure?" Itachi clarified, eyes flashing to Kisame, who was currently shaking with silent laughter. "You're a bigger lightweight than me; I thought Suigetsu promised not to get you wasted."

Kisame snorted at that, and Itachi sent him a glare.

"I don't remember. And I am not a worse drunk than you!" Sasuke insisted. "Don't insult me!"

Itachi hummed, pushing hair out of Sasuke's face. "What's wrong with you, little brother?"

Sasuke stared at the ground. "Naruto kissed me."

Itachi smiled. "Did he now?" How utterly unforeseeable.

"Yes." Sasuke huffed, finding himself too big to sit on his brother anymore, not like when he was a kid and would climb into Itachi's lap and arms every time he had even the smallest of problems. "We were just dancing—all of us—and then Naruto kind of singled me out and then next thing I know—stop laughing at me!" His head snapped over to Kisame. "You too! Who the fuck even are you?"

"You don't remember me? I'm hurt," Kisame jested.

Itachi sent him a look. "Sasuke, calm down."

"I can't!" Sasuke looked down. "I don't want to lose him," he whispered very quietly. "But—"

"But you're drunk and neither of you are sober enough to be in this situation," Itachi completed. "So maybe the two of you should call it quits for tonight."

"Yeah," Sasuke muttered, slumping away. "Yeah…."

"Yo, Sasuke!" another voice sounded. Suigetsu appeared, grinning.

Itachi had been seeing a lot of that type of grin. "Suigetsu, how is everyone feeling? I think maybe Sasuke and Naruto have had enough."

"Yeahhhh, Naruto is freaking the fuck out and—holy shit, Kisame!"

Kisame waved from his place leaning against the bar. "'Sup."

"What are you doing here?"

"I came here to chill with Mangetsu, but he ended up meeting some other guy who could talk about weaponry with, and I," Kisame gestured to Itachi, who gave him a little look, "ended up meeting…Itachi."

Why was Kisame saying his name like that.

"Shit, probably should have introduced you guys sooner. Uh, Kisame Itachi, Itachi, Kisame!" He swung his arms happily. "Now that we got that out of the way, Naruto is an emotional wreck. Also, some guy went to far with Karin and Juugo might have started a fight over it so—"

"Good god," Itachi muttered. He gently pushed Sasuke out of his lap, offering a placated smile for the glare he got from it. "Go and get everyone together, I'll get the car, okay?" Well, Suigetsu's car.

Sasuke groaned, but turned back towards the dancefloor anyways, Suigetsu jumping on him and hollering. "Hurry, before we get kicked out!" was lost in the baseline as they disappeared into crowd.

Itachi let out a breath and turned back towards the bar.

"Have fun dealing with that when you get home," Kisame commented with a chuckle.

"Thanks for the support." Itachi sighed. "It was inevitable, really. Ever since the two of them met, there's been this strange tension. That tension has…evolved in the past couple of months." Pulled a couple of crumpled bills out of his jean pocket to tip the bartender. "As you may be able to tell."

Kisame chuckled. He eyed Itachi's movements for a second, flicking between the money and Itachi's face. "I guess this is goodbye?" Kisame asked.

Itachi slid off of the stool, padding his pant pockets for his wallet and keys.

"It was great talking to you," Kisame said again, clearly a hint of disappointment to his voice. He downed the rest of his drink.

Itachi turned to him, teeth clamped around the inside of his lip. He leaned forward, abruptly, and snagged Kisame's phone off of the bar top.

"What are you doing?" Kisame laughed.

Itachi ignored him, flicking his phone unlocked and putting his number into the contacts. He locked it quickly and tossed it back to Kisame. He paused, staring at Kisame for a moment. "It was great talking to you," he echoed.

Kisame's eyes were bright, an open, slightly confused smile on his face. "What was that?"

Itachi looked at him for a second. "If you ever want to take me up on that 'next time'," he replied.

Kisame lit up and he quickly glanced between his phone and Itachi, but Itachi was already making his way to the door.

Suigestu winked at him knowingly as he exited the bar, tugging a very emotional Sasuke behind him.

Three days later found Itachi at his and Sasuke's kitchen table early in the morning, bills and receipts spread out in front of him, a pen in between his teeth, and a cooling mug of coffee to his left. He had black framed glasses resting on his nose, and his hair was tied up in a bun atop his head, messy and straggling from his sleep.

Sasuke stumbled down the hallway, wayward nest of black stuck to his head and face as an excuse for hair. He took a seat next to his brother, head immediately hitting the table. "I feel like shit."

"I think you may have lied about what you had to drink the other night," Itachi hummed, taking his pen from his mouth and tapping it against the table, "if you're still feeling hung over."

Sasuke grumbled something against the wood, something Itachi guessed was snarky. "It's not from Saturday night." After a moment, he sighed, "It's because of Naruto. What do I do?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's been avoiding me. He doesn't text me anymore. He won't talk to me when we hang out as a group. He avoids me on campus. And now I don't know if… that's it and we aren't…friends at all anymore?" Itachi's heart twanged at the pain in Sasuke's voice. "Or if he only wants to date me, and friendship isn't even an option now. Fuck, I don't even know if he wants to date me." He knocked his forehead against the wood again.

Itachi glanced up from the billing. He paused. "Sasuke…you and Naruto belong in each other's lives. You both know that, including Naruto. How many times a day do you call him a dense idiot? He's scared; you both are. It's never that pleasant to develop feeling for a friend, because of all the strings." He took a sip from his mug. "If you only want to be friends, I know the two of you will be able to make it work."

"But he was so upset the other night," he muttered.

"Freaking out and running away isn't the gentlest of rejections," Itachi replied easily, folding a stack of receipts into a paperclip. "I'm sure he's only worried about your friendship."

"I was just surprised," he muttered. "And if he's so worried about our friendship, why won't he even look at me?!"

Itachi hummed. "You haven't made any effort to talk to him, yes? He probably thinks you're avoiding him just as much as you think he is."

A few seconds went by as Sasuke thought. "What if I…do like him that way?"

Itachi smiled. "I think you're covered in that department."

Sasuke lifted his head. "Okay, but. What if we…date, but then it doesn't work out, and then we can't even be friends. Is it worth it?"

Itachi hummed. "I can't answer that for you, baby brother."

Sasuke glared at the table. "You're so unhelpful."

"Which is why you ask me for my advice on everything you do," Itachi replied, taking another long drink of coffee, eyes roaming over numbers.

Sasuke sighed, heading rolling back to the ceiling. "I don't know what to do."

He looked back up and smiled, reaching over to ruffle Sasuke's hair. "My best advice would be to talk to him. If you are open to different type of relationship, talk out your concerns. But do so after class. Because you are going to be late if you don't hurry up." He began to fill his binder with the bills and papers.

"But I feel like shit," he whined. "I don't want to go."

Itachi chuckled. "Of course you don't."

Sasuke listened absently to the tick of the clock for a few seconds. "Who were you talking to the other night? I've been meaning to ask you."

"Kisame? He said he's met you before."

Sasuke bumped his chin on the table. "Oh, yeah. Suigetsu's older, giant cousin." Sasuke looked at Itachi from the corner of his eye. "What did he want?"

"He didn't 'want' anything."

Sasuke pursed his lips. "Guys always want something from you."

Itachi sighed. "That was almost two years ago, Sasuke…"

"I know. Doesn't change the fact that it happened."

Itachi picked his accounting book up, standing from the chair. "Don't worry so much about the past; I've learned from my mistakes. I'm going to go shower and get ready for work, there's some omelet in the fridge if you want to eat before you leave."

Sasuke muttered something again.

At 9:30 Itachi was showered and dressed, minimal housework done, room cleaned. The middle schooler he had a tutor appointment with had to cancel last minute; and since he was planning on using his tip money to buy groceries for Sasuke's and his dinner on the way home, he still had time before he needed to leave for work. With nothing else to do, he laid back in bed with a good book, treating himself to reading since he had already gotten so much done and felt more or less relaxed about their finances. He was flipping through chapter three when his phone buzzed on his nightstand. It was a number he didn't recognize, from the city over. He almost ignored it, since he didn't feel like dealing with telemarketers or solicitors, but answered it anyways.

"Hello?" he answered, eyes skimming the page.

"Ah, hey. Itachi? It's Kisame."

Itachi blinked. "Kisame," he repeated, surprised. He…really didn't think that Kisame would follow up on that 'next time.' "Hey." He bit his lip, closing the book and scooting up to lean against the headboard. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"I was actually calling you ask if you want to go to dinner with me tonight."

Itachi paused, staring at the bedspread. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

A beat. "That's alright, isn't it?" He sounded a little worried. "I mean you gave your number, I figured—"

"Yes," Itachi answered immediately recovering, from the initial shock. "No, of course, that's fine. Where did you have in mind?"

"There's a great little circle of restaurants over in Hillside, and—uh—you're Japanese right?"

Itachi cocked his head. "How observant of you."

"Well, I heard your brother call you 'Nii-san' over at the bar, and—I just ended up asking Suigetsu," he confessed with an awkward chuckle.

"Doing research for this date, are you?" Itachi let a smile tilt the side of his lips.

Kisame gave another chuckle. "Anyways, there 's this great sushi place I go to as often as I can. Does that sound good to you?"

Itachi ran a hand through his hair, pushing some of it behind his ear, and replied, "Yeah, that sounds fine."

"Great, great," Kisame sounded relieved and hopeful. "When's the best time for me to come pick you up?"

"Don't worry about that, I can drive myself." Or, rather, take the bus—since he didn't own a car, and all.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely, it's no trouble at all."

"Okay, sure. The place is called Ocean Drum, it's near the theater. I can send you the address?"

"I'll be able to find it easily," Itachi assured. "Can I meet you at seven?"

"That sounds great," Kisame said, and it sounded like he meant it. "I'll see you then, Itachi."

It wasn't until he hung up the phone that the actual conversation sunk in.

He was going on a date.

A date.

He hadn't been on a date since…was it Luke? The guy from the movie house? Fuck, it had been so long, he could barely remember. He hadn't had a boyfriend for almost two years, and only a handful of dead end dates since.

He wasn't sure he even knew what to do on a date anymore.

He returned to his book, only a slight fluttering in his stomach.

He texted Sasuke, later, that he would be on his own for dinner, but he would leave money on the table if he needed it, and that there was pasta sauce in the fridge and some meatballs in the freezer, as well as bread and fruit. Not a lot, but enough for one meal. He apologized for not being able to be home for dinner, but Sasuke assured him it would be fine and reminded him to be safe and kick the guy to the curb if he was shady. A stream of dirty jokes and innuendos followed, so Itachi assumed that Suigetsu had stolen his phone.

The time to leave for work came quickly enough, but when he finally got on the familiar bus route he was grateful. Work was the same pattern that gave his hands and mind something to focus on.

He clocked out at 6, and quickly moved to the bathroom to change and brush his hair out. He put his bag of work clothes and apron in one of the little lockers in the back; he could come early and change tomorrow.

The bus stop was a short walk from the pho restaurant he worked at. He subtly counted his tip money in the bus, brain whirring through numbers. He would be able to buy dinner for himself and still put some groceries in the fridge and pantry for Sasuke. He could stop by the market on the way home, since the date most likely wouldn't go that long, and hopefully not have to skimp on anything. That was a good feeling.

He had to walk quickly to the restaurant, since the bus stopped about two blocks away. He was only five minutes late, but Kisame was already there with a table off to the side, where it was less crowded. The waiters greeted him with a chorus of 'Irasshaimase!' as the bell chimed daintily above his head. He immediately made his way to Kisame—who was grinning. Of course.

"Hey, glad you could make it," he said, looking at Itachi appreciatively.

"I'm glad I could come," he responded softly, taking a seat.

"I'm curious—do you at all speak Japanese?" Kisame asked.

"Fluently," Itachi nodded.

"I've always wondered, what is it they always say right when you walk into a sushi place?"

"Oh—irasshaimase?" Itachi picked up the menu, glancing over the pictures of the sushi rolls. "It's just a greeting, kind of like 'welcome to the shop.'"

"Huh, good to know." Kisame picked up his menu as well. "You speak English and Japanese fluently? Damn."

"Yes, as well as French, and some Mandarin," he said easily, glossing over the menu. Shit, this was expensive. "I can also communicate through American Sign Language."

"You say that like it's no big deal, holy shit, four and a half languages?"

"I wouldn't quite say 'and a half', I'm quite rusty in Mandarin," Itachi muttered absently. If he was going to split the bill, he would have to order really modestly. What if Kisame ordered a lot, though? He mentally counted through his tip money again. He didn't want to spend that much of it, and definitely not all. He internally groaned.

"I know what that look means," Kisame commented.

Itachi's head snapped up. "Huh?" He blinked.

"You're looking at the prices of everything."

Itachi stiffened from head to toe.

"I don't want you to worry about that; I called you out here, I don't care what you order, so please don't avoid something you would normally like just because I'm paying."

"Wait, no, we're splitting the bill."

Kisame grinned. "No, I'm treating you."

"Kisame—"

"I insist. When I ask people out, I pay for the date. That's my rule."

Itachi floundered for a moment. "But—"

"I insist."

Itachi stared at the menu. "…fine. But the next date, we are absolutely splitting the cost."

Kisame's whole visage brightened like it had been set on fire. "The next date? You already want another date?"

Itachi took a moment to examine just how far into his throat he had just jammed his own foot.

Kisame's eyes were knowing. "So what kind of sushi do you like?" He said with an undertone of a laugh, graciously changing the subject.

Itachi lifted his wrist to press a smile into his own skin. "Uh…whatever," he replied with an absent wave. "I'm honestly not picky." Came with perpetually empty pockets.

"Well, good, I won't disgust you no matter what I order," Kisame conceded with a grin.

Itachi looked up at him for a moment. "I'm flattered and all that you asked me out, but, may I be blunt, Kisame?"

"Please do; honesty is the best policy after all," Kisame encouraged, tapping the menu with a ringed finger. That grin was back.

Itachi snorted, but leaned back, pursing his lips. He had no idea to phrase what he wanted to say without sounding rude, or pretentious, or…high maintenance. "I'm not really one for small talk, or fake pretenses."

Kisame cocked his head, smiling. "Good? Neither am I."

"So, can I ask you why you asked me out?" Itachi inquired.

"Yep, and I'll tell you," Kisame responded, motioning to the waiter, "right after we order. I'm fuckin' starving."

Itachi hummed in consent. He ordered modestly, but something still extravagant for his budget. Kisame ordered largely, and…expensively. Itachi was suddenly very glad that Kisame insisted he pull the tab, or else he might not even be able to pay for the full half.

Kisame turned back to him, grinning as always, leaning forward on the table. "You want to know why I asked you out?"

"If it isn't too much to ask," Itachi said lightly, sipping his water.

Kisame chuckled. "I don't know what answer you're looking for. I just wanted to get to know you better, isn't that why people go on dates to begin with?"

"Why, though?"

"You intrigue me. There's something about you that I caught just from our limited conversation Saturday night that just…drew me in. You are very different than most people, and I didn't want to pass you by when you stood out to me so much. I think I would always wonder if there ever could have been something."

Itachi blinked, not expecting that answer, but rather along the lines of 'to have fun,' or 'because you're hot.'

"You wanted blunt, did you not?" Kisame laughed.

Itachi gave a little smile. "Yes, I did, your answer just threw me off."

"Do people not feel that way about you?" Kisame asked, honestly surprised. "I did wonder how you were single."

Itachi pushed hair behind his ear, knowing that it would still fall forward again. "It's been a trend of wasted time with wasteful people," Itachi quipped.

Kisame tilted his head to the side. "I honestly can't understand that."

"Well," Itachi added, "I have to admit that I haven't been looking for anyone since my last boyfriend. Not because I'm necessarily closed to the idea," he tacked on.

Kisame chuckled. "Good for me."

Itachi looked up through his lashes. "Good for you," he repeated quietly, thinking. "And you?"

"What about me?"

Itachi searched his mind for the right words. "Have you been looking for someone? Or have you been content with the single life and I was just magical enough to sweep you off your feet," he asked jokingly.

Kisame laughed. "Something like that."

Itachi tilted his head. "As in…?"

"You intrigued me." Kisame grinned.

Itachi pushed his lips together. On one hand, he was flattered that Kisame seemed to be so attracted to him. But on the other hand…why? There's no way that Kisame could be so drawn to him after one meager conversation. A sinking feeling dripped down his stomach, one that told him he should have stayed home and had dinner with Sasuke.

"What are you thinking?" Kisame asked quietly, an intense look in his eyes.

"Honestly?"

"Always."

"That I should have stayed home tonight."

Kisame's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Did I scare you off? I know this isn't what you normally cover on a first date, but I got the impression that you like to skip the bullshit."

Itachi sipped his water. "You're right."

Kisame looked at him keenly. "Did I upset you?"

"It's not that you've upset me, it's that—" Itachi let his eyes roll to the ceiling before he met Kisame's. "I fear you are going to fall into the list of wasted time with wasteful people," he quoted himself.

Kisame's eyebrows rose up his forehead. "Really? I tried to make it very clear that I had honest intentions."

Itachi looked off to the side, silent.

"Hey," Kisame said softly, earnestly, leaning across the table. "If I've made you too uncomfortable, you can go home. Don't worry about it, I'm not going to expect something from you if it's not on your terms."

Itachi considered twisting his water glass on the table.

Kisame kind of deflated against his chair, that charming grin gone.

Would he look so upset if he really wasn't honest?

Kisame rubbed his hands together, starting to stand up. "Okay, I can walk you to your car if you want, or—"

"Sit down, Kisame," Itachi murmured gently.

Kisame hesitated, but sank back down in his chair, looking at Itachi intently.

"It's not that you've upset me, or offended me or anything like that," Itachi voiced with a clear of his throat. "I just…don't believe you."

Kisame looked surprised. "What?"

"You say that theres something so special about me that you have to get to know me. But I'm not special in any way, and ive done nothing to make you feel otherwise."

Kisame looked a touch shocked.

"And if you talk me up all evening and then try to take me home with you, I swear I will—" Itachi ran a hand over his face. "Just—don't do that."

Kisame stared at him with a serious gaze. "I'm not here for that," he promised. "I don't know how you want me to prove that, but I mean it. I just want to get to know you." He gave something of a goofy smile.

There was a moment of silence, and Itachi ran a hand over his face again. "I've ruined this, now, haven't I?"

"Ruined?" Kisame waved a generous hand. "Not at all. Think of the story this will be for our Grandkids."

Itachi gave a delicate snort. He felt himself smiling despite himself as he looked up under his eyelashes. Kisame was awfully…gracious to repeatedly work around Itachi's horrible faux pas.

"Hey," Kisame said, reaching a hand across the table to touch Itachi's fist, "you can relax, you know? Everything's fine, you haven't done anything wrong. I did allow you to be blunt, right?"

Itachi's eyes flicked to Kisame's hand on top of his, and then immediately went to his face. Their hands touching, their gaze held, Itachi felt lost in place for a small moment, shoulders relaxing from their tension, chest breathing easier.

The waiter came then with long, white dishes lined with sushi rolls.

"Put everything in the middle," Kisame instructed, "but put that one near him." He gestured to what Itachi ordered and one of the plates.

"If you want to share I'm more than happy to—"

"You're fine, you're fine. I like to order a ton and pick around, so please eat whatever you want. Whatever we don't need we can always take home, right? Just don't make fun of you if I can't use chopsticks as well as you."

Itachi hummed thoughtfully, breaking his chopsticks apart. "Thank you."

Kisame grinned. "I want this to be a good date. I am hunting for that second one."

Itachi looked away, trying (and failing a little) to suppress a smile (again?). "Kisame, I mean it when I say you're giving me too much credit. You barely know me."

"And that's why we're here, to change that." His eyes never did stop grinning, did they? "Now that we've officiated that I am here to get to know you."

Itachi let his lips tilt, rolling his eyes. "Okay," he sighed, tapping his chopsticks against his plate, "what would you like to know?"

"Well, let's get the required first date questions out of the way?" Kisame suggested. He laughed, clearly having fun.

Itachi cocked his head to the side. "Take it away."

"What do you do? Professionally, I mean."

Itachi paused. "I'm a waiter, actually. I also tutor students k-12." He placed a sushi roll in his mouth so he had an excuse to stop talking.

"Yeah?" Kisame asked, raising an eyebrow. He didn't look put off by it, just surprised. In a good way, thankfully. "What do you teach them?"

"Anything they need, really. I prefer helping with linguistics and history, just because I find it more enjoyable than other subjects and it's relaxing to me. I like teaching chemistry and anatomy and biology, too. Trigonometry and calculus is hard to tutor kids in, mostly just because of how many struggle with those subjects. Government and economics are my least favorite."

"So, do you just, know everything?" Kisame asked, sounding impressed. "I've never heard of a jack-of-all-trades tutor."

"Not by a long shot," Itachi replied easily.

Kisame shook his head, giving Itachi that look again. "You know damn well a lot more than me."

Itachi shrugged one shoulder. "That's an opinion. What do you do?"

"I'm an architect, I work at an architectural construction contracting firm in my city. I've been there a few years."

Itachi suddenly felt himself pale considerably in comparison to his dinner partner. "Ah. And do you plan out the buildings, or make them?" he asked, wishing he knew better terminology.

"Both, if I can. There's nothing worse than creating something beautiful only to watch someone execute it the wrong way. I usually just get stuck behind the blueprinting desk, though."

Itachi tapped his chopsticks against his plate. "I can imagine. What else do you enjoy?"

Kisame swallowed another mouthful of rice and fish. "I love to surf, when I make it to the ocean. I like to wash my car, and my motorcycle. When there's something to build or fix Im always up for a challenge. You?"

"Hmm. I like to read." He searched his brain wildly for what he actually enjoyed doing. So much of his time was swept up in responsibilities, he actually had a rather boring recreational life. "Art festivals are always a treat when I can make it to one. I'll be honest though, most of my time is eaten up with work, tutoring, and taking care of Sasuke."

Kisame laughed a little. "Taking care of him? He's an adult, isn't he?"

Itachi gave a fond hum. "He's still my little brother and—to be brutally blunt—not very good at taking care of himself. Too many bad decisions. Reckless, thinks all with his emotions."

Kisame cocked his head. "You guys are really close, aren't you?"

Itachi gave a one shouldered shrug. "He's important to me."

"That's good. Family is important." Kisame got a waiter's attention and ordered a beer.

"What about your family?"

Kisame grinned. "No siblings. I was kind of a handful of a kid, think I scared my parents out of having any more. The whole of my family—that I know any ways—lives in Tutuila or Upolu."

"You're Samoan, then?"

Kisame grinned. "Mostly Samoan, Nigerian, and a little Norweigan."

Itachi raised his eyebrows with a little laugh. "Norweigan?"

"Yeah, how else do you think I'm related to Suigestu and Mangetsu's pale asses?" He laughed. "Can't tell much, I guess, with my complexion and all." He took a swig of beer. "I know I've got family in Norway but I've never managed to stop by to meet them. My cousins both have spent extended time there, though."

Itachi hummed. "Do you like it?"

"Like what?"

"Having such a big family."

Kisame grinned. "They can be annoying, but at the end of the day, yeah, it's great. What about you?"

Itachi rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. "Well—my dad had a falling out with his family when I was still in the womb, and they ended up moving to America from Japan. When I was thirteen they passed away. My brother and have never met our other family."

Kisame's grin was gone. "Shit…thirteen? And here I was ribbing you for being so close with Sasuke, no shit you guys are close."

Itachi shook his head forgivingly. "Don't worry about it."

"Is your family still holding a grudge against you, then?"

"Not terribly uncommon in Japan for one person's grudge to extend to future generations. There was one cousin who tried to contact me for a while. Actually managed to get a hold of me, and was able to explain the extent of the family fued." Itachi smiled fondly. "He was actually quite a guy, I really liked talking to him when we visited. He was…drowned, though, and since then I haven't spoken to any other extended family."

Kisame stared. "Are you serious?"

Itachi poked a roll on his plate with his chopsticks. "I know, it's a little gruesome for dinner conversation."

Kisame shook his head. "You're fine. I'm just surprised is all. I hope you didn't feel pressured into telling me that or anything."

Itachi shrugged. "I don't find it a secret anymore. I used to try to cover it up as much as I could, but Sasuke hated the way I treated the whole situation. It got exhausting after a while." Itachi cleared his throat. "Sasuke tells me I should be more open."

Kisame chuckled. "More open? But, you're practically an open book!"

Itachi rolled his eyes.

The dinner conversation rolled on as one of the easiest conversations Itachi had had in a long time. Kisame kept the banter light, and had no problem filling the gaps in conversations when Itachi's rusty social skills failed him. Damn if Itachi knew why he was so comfortable around Kisame, but he was.

Itachi lost track of time; both had finished eating long ago, but stayed at the table talking. They didn't run out of things to talk about, and Itachi didn't get bored even once. Kisame had a lovely voice to listen to, as well; that helped.

"I think they might need this table," Kisame commented after several minutes, glancing towards the people waiting outside the door.

"Oh," Itachi said, quietly disappointed, "of course." He stood, and Kisame followed suit. The two exited the building and moved away from the cluster of people outside, over to an empty flat of bricks lined by huge white pillars.

Itachi was running through his head the appropriate goodbye. He—he did kind of want that second date. Should he say that? What if Kisame didn't want to go out again, though? He didn't think that he would—

"You know, if you have time, we can hang out a little while longer."

Itachi blinked up. He suppressed the bubble of happiness in the chest. "What did you have in mind?"

Kisame smiled, sidling forward. "There's this killer ice cream shop a street over. They make it with liquid nitrogen, which is how it got popular. It's the best ice cream I've ever had, I promise." He reached up, his finger brushing a tendril of Itachi's dark hair. "If you want we can stop by."

Itachi met his eyes, swimming for a moment in Kisame's, and nodded. "Yeah, I don't need to get home right now. Ice cream sounds…good." Damn, where did his extensive vocabulary go?

"Ice cream sounds good?" Kisame teased, leaning forward.

He was going to try to kiss him, wasn't he?

Itachi froze.

But no, Kisame laughed and leaned back.

Itachi unfroze.

"This way," Kisame motioned, pointing towards the end of the street. Itachi walked next to him, the crisp, light night breeze helping to keep his hair behind his face. The two of them walked down the long street. Itachi looked up to see the glow of traffic lights reflecting off of Kisame's skin. They turned the corner and Itachi pushed hair out of his face. When he dropped his hand, it brushed against Kisame's.

The ice cream shop was close, and they got there quickly. Kisame ordered some coffee flavored clusterfuck, and Itachi stayed with simple vanilla.

The walked up one of the more secluded streets as they talked and ate. Kisame started up one of those dumb games, would-you-rather. It was a good way to get to know someone, though Kisame's questions could be odd. The red bricked sidewalks were wet on the edges from sprinklers for the small planters at the edge of the street. The quaint shops lining both sides of the street were dark; their only company were the dim glow of the street lights and a lone car every now and again.

Itachi was laughing—he didn't even remember why, but he had this very light, easy feeling in his chest that bred laughter. Kisame was grinning over at him. God, he was already growing attached to it.

They reached a bench that was partially obscured in shadows. Kisame pulled him down to sit, turning and leaning his arm against the back to he could face him. Itachi scooped up the rest of his icecream and tossed the empty paper cup in a nearby trash can.

"Would you rather," Kisame hummed, looking up at the dark night sky, "be eaten by a shark, or torn apart by tigers?"

Itachi snorted, bringing a hand to his face. What kind of question…? "Eaten by a shark," he answered, pushing his hair off of his shoulder.

"Me too," Kisame agreed. "Your turn."

Itachi stayed thoughtful for a moment. "Would you rather work a job you hated but got rich off of, or work a job you loved but always struggled to make ends meet?"

"Should have known you would choose a philosophical one." Kisame rubbed his hand together. "It depends."

Itachi cocked his head to the side. "On?"

"If I have a family, or people to provide for I would work the first job, so I could ensure that my kids could go to college and shit. Ya know? But if I'm just on my own, the second one."

"Thoughtful," Itachi murmured.

Kisame grinned over at him, leaning back on the bench and stretching out his legs. He let his hand slide off of his lap and pressed his fingers against Itachi's. Itachi glanced down at their hands, Kisame's large fingers just slightly resting over his. He thought that it felt…really nice.

Kisame's fingers twitched nervously between his.

"This was fun," Kisame commented quietly.

Itachi nodded, gently pushing his bangs behind his ear. "It was," he repeated honestly.

Kisame let his head roll to the side to look at him. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." His thumb tapped against Itachi's a couple of times.

He looked straight forward, staring at the cracked sidewalk. "So…what did you have planned for that second date?" He asked, feeling somewhat brazen.

Kisame let a slow smile spread across his face. "Yeah?" He squeezed Itachi's hand. "You'll go out with me again?"

Itachi looked up. "What makes you think I wouldn't?"

Kisame gave somewhat of a goofy shrug. "I don't know. I'm just really fuckin happy you're still sticking around me."

Itachi huffed. "Don't be over dramatic."

They stayed like that in the quiet darkness for a couple minutes, hands linked together in between them.

"It's late," Kisame commented, breaking the silence. "We should both probably head home now. I'm sure your brother is wondering where you are."

"Shit," Itachi muttered under his breath. He checked his phone—8:23. The last bus left at 8:30 holy shit if he didn't catch it he would be stuck in downtown all night. Or, more likely, he would have to call suigetsu for a ride home. And even more unpleasant option. "Yeah, I got to get going."

Kisame stood up.

"I'll walk you to your car."

"Uh," Itachi replied quickly, "it's fine, you don't need to bother." Now wasn't the time to explain, 'hey, I'm kind of poor as shit and don't own a car.'

"It's late, and you never know who's out here. I'll walk you."

"I can defend myself if need be," Itachi insisted.

"Are you sure? There's no harm in it—"

"I'm sure."

Kisame paused, a clearly please frown smeared across his mouth. "Fine, but I don't know why you're being so stubborn."

"I'm not being stubborn," Itachi sniffed.

Kisame stared at him for a moment before a smile cracked across his face like an egg. "Okay, whatever you say." He reached one hand up to touch Itachi's cheek, then, pushing into Itachi's dark hair. "I'll call you," he promised, voice gruff.

"Yeah," Itachi replied.

"And I'll plan a great second date, I promise."

"Yeah."

"Is that all you can say?"

Itachi smiled a little. "Yeah."

Kisame chuckled and brought his hand up, thumb on Itachi's chin. "I'll see you again soon, hopefully. Bye, Itachi." And Kisame dropped his hand, took a couple steps backward with a lingering look, and turned away.

"Bye." Itachi pursed his lips as he watched Kisame leave.

Fuck, the bus!

He walked as quickly as he could without looking panicked until he hit the next street; rounding the corner he broke out into a full on sprint. He was almost completely out of breath by the time the bus came into sight. He clambered onto the bus just in time. A couple of the other passengers glared at him for the overtop entrance, which he ignored.

The bus ride felt long as he leaned against the window. He felt the afterglow of the night swirl around in his belly like a warm bowl of soup. His date had gone unexpectedly, that was undeniable, but it left him feeling giddy and rather optimistic. He had never been so open and…affectionate with someone he knew for a total of a few hours. With his last boyfriend, it took Itachi over two weeks to even kiss him.

The bus dropped him off at the stop closest to his house just after nine o'clock. The streets were mostly empty, here, and the brisk night air had him pressing his arms close to his sides. He hurried along the quiet streets in the small walk it took to reach his apartment complex, accompanied only by the bright glare of the moon and the distant hum of cars from the highway.

His cold fingers managed to jam the key into the lock after only a couple of tries—damn his unreliable circulation—and he was greeted nearly instantly by a very impatient looking Sasuke.

"Well did you fuck him?"

Itachi blinked owlishly.

"Because I've been trying to think of how a first date that started at just past six could run almost four hours, and while I was sitting in this damn cold kitchen trying to brainstorm where the hell you were, that's all I could come up with!"

Itachi slowly took his coat off. "Sasuke, I didn't—"

"And you didn't call, or text, and I figured that the only way you would refuse to just tell me that you were going to be home later than expected was if his dick was so far up your ass you could only concentrate on the back of your skull!"

"Sasuke—"

"So if you think that—"

"Sasuke," Itachi interrupted. "Were you—worried about me?"

Sasuke huffed, looking down. His pale fingers knotted in the old, thinning white tshirt he wore to bed nearly every night. "You never get home a minute late without telling me first. How was I supposed to know where you were."

"Sasuke," Itachi said gently. "That's so…cute!"

"Shut up," Sasuke snapped, "and explain yourself."

"I'm sorry," Itachi began, walking over and kissing Sasuke's temple, "for making you worry. I didn't think you've ever even noticed when I text you that I'll be home late. For starters, no, I did not sleep with anyone. We just ended up…talking a lot." He moved to the kitchen sink to wash his hands.

"Talking," Sasuke asked incredulously, crossing his arms. Itachi thought that, though he was trying to look authoritative, Sasuke looked nothing but adorable in crumpled sweatpants and a messy head of black hair.

"Yes, talking." Itachi stayed focused on the foamy clumps of soap bubbles slipping off his fingers and splattering against the metal sink.

"Is that code speak for sucking on each other's tongues?"

Itachi looked over his shoulder to give his brother a gentle glare. "No, Sasuke, it's real speak for talking."

Sasuke let out another pouty breath. After a moment of silence broken only by the running water, he asked, "So…was it…a good date, then?"

Itachi shook the water off of his hands, turning the faucet off and rubbing a towel over his skin. "Yeah, it was a really good date, actually."

Another pause. Itachi turned around to lean against the kitchen counter. "Are you going on another one?"

Itachi's lips twitched up in one corner. "If he asks me to join him again, I'll say yes."

"Hm."

"Is that a problem?"

Sasuke's neck looked tense. "You know how I feel. You know my concerns."

Itachi murmured, "I know."

Sasuke crossed the room and grabbed Itachi's hands in both of his. "Your hands are cold as shit; you're going to get sick."

"I just had them under cold water," Itachi reminded.

Sasuke glared and reached up to clamp his fingers around Itachi's near freezing nose, to which Itachi had no defense.

"I may have slightly under dressed for the weather," Itachi conceded, smiling against Sasuke's wrist, which hadn't left his face.

"Frickin' idiot," Sasuke muttered, releasing Itachi's nose, "you're always so damn cold, you're going to get pneumonia one of these days. You want that?"

"No," Itachi hummed, smiling as Sasuke grabbed his ears.

"You're sleeping with me tonight. Otherwise I'm going to wake up tomorrow with a popsicle for a brother," Sasuke huffed, turning abruptly and leaving the room.

"At least then maybe you would have a decent breakfast!" Itachi called after him, alluding to the constant jokes Sasuke made about his cooking. It was true, though, that the weather was dropping more and more at night, and Sasuke and Itachi only even touched the thermostat when it was absolutely necessary. Sharing a bed was often enough to take the edge off of some of the colder nights.

Itachi took a quick but warm shower to get his blood flowing again, and after a 'don't you even dare think about going to bed with wet hair!' from Sasuke, he towel dried it vigorously and finished it off with the blow dryer. After brushing his teeth and combing his hair as best he could, he collapsed in Sasuke's bed and watched him type up part of a literature paper.

"What book is it on?" Itachi asked, laying on his stomach, feet (covered in fluffy socks to not further anger Sasuke) crossed at the ankle and dangling in the air, cheek resting on his folded (and somehow still cold) hands.

"Farenheit 451," he replied absentmindedly.

"I loved that book," Itachi hummed, but he got no response, so he remained quiet. He closed his eyes, listening to the soft tap of keys, and intermittent pauses where Sasuke took a sip of tea, and then the clunk of the heavy mug against the wooden desk top.

Close to an hour later, Itachi was drifting off into some form of half-sleep when Sasuke muttered 'move over' and yanked the covers out from under him. He settled in next to Itachi, who sat up to set an alarm on his phone. He saw a message on his lock screen that said, I hope you got home safely, Itachi. Sleep well. I'll talk to you again soon. –Kisame

With a smile that tried to disappear between clamped teeth, Itachi settled back into bed next to Sasuke, who grabbed his chilly hands and rubbed them.

"I'll knit you mittens tomorrow," he muttered gruffly.

Itachi let out a sleepy sigh.

"Hey, Suigetsu."

"'Sup? It's late, man, what are you doing calling me?"

"I just need to talk to you about something."

"Yeah? Sure."

"How well do you know Kisame?"

"Uh, I mean, kinda well? I've known him my whole life, but he's almost ten years older than me, ya know? Didn't leave a lot of room for intimate talks and sleepovers when we were kids. He lived with his family for a while, too."

"Is he a good person?"

"What? Yeah, I mean—yeah. Why are you asking me all this?"

A pause. "He took Itachi out on a date tonight, and I'm pretty sure they're going out again."

"For real? Dude, that's so crazy!"

"I need you to promise me—" A harsh breath. "I'm…not letting another Marcus into Itachi's life, not even for five minutes. So I need you to promise me that I can trust Kisame."

"I mean, I can't say he's an angel, but—he's no Marcus. Why, though? Was their date that big a deal?"

"…Itachi was in a really good mood when he got home. And he got home later than he expected, too. He had fun, and he likes Kisame, I can tell. Fuck." He ran a hand over his head. "Fuck, Suigetsu, if your cousin even looks at Itachi the wrong way…."

"Kisame's a good guy. I mean, you've met him before, right? He's not a fuck up."

"Yeah. Yeah, okay. Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow; don't forget to show up to statistics this time, I'm not letting you copy my notes anymore."

Sasuke let out a sigh, ending the call and glancing down at the soft form of his sleeping brother next to hm. Part of him wanted to kick Kisame clean out of Itachi's life before he even had the chance to hurt him. But part of him knew…that Itachi was lonely, lonely in a way that Sasuke couldn't soothe. And Itachi didn't deserve even a second of unhappiness, much less the years he had already gone through. And if even one date with Kisame could make his mood so notably brighter….

He guessed he would just have to wait and see how things turned out.

A/N: Let me know what you think if you want!

I have a ton of this written, update times shouldn't be too long.

I hope you stick around for the next chapter!