Mistletoe

"No! I told you to get lost!"

"But…Sasuke-kun…"

"Stop calling me that! I'm not interested in you! Now get lost you stupid whore!"

Sasuke slammed the door in the blonde's face. He heard her run away in tears. He stormed to the neighboring room from the front door and flopped onto his couch in a fury. Christmas was in two days and Sasuke's fangirls were constantly rapping at his door offering him gifts or a chance under mistletoe. He hated the mistletoe the most. Why were they so desperate for a kiss?

It's not like I'm the best kisser in Konoha or anything. Why are they all so attracted to me? I can't be that handsome.

Sasuke flipped the television on but the first channel had a Christmas romance on and there was a couple kissing under some mistletoe. Agitated, Sasuke changed the channel. The next channel had a stupid "Hallmark" commercial where a wife received a mistletoe ornament as a Christmas present. The third channel was a "Dentyne Ice" commercial where a boy and girl were sharing their minty breath with each other under mistletoe. Sasuke turned off the TV and screamed into one of the couch pillows.

Mistletoe! Mistletoe! Mistletoe! What's with this sappy plant? Why won't it leave me alone? I hate this holiday!

There came another soft knock at Sasuke's door. Furious, Sasuke stormed to answer the door. This time, it was Sakura.

Go away! Go away! Go away! He wanted to scream.

"Hey Sasuke-kun—"

"Don't call me that," he snapped.

"Oh. Um, okay. I was just stopping by and noticed Ami leaving here. She was crying. She seemed really upset. Did something happen?"

"Why are you here?"

"Sasuke? Did you hear anything I said?"

"I don't care Sakura. What do you want?" Sasuke asked through gritted teeth.

"Uh, I…well…"

Sasuke slammed the door in her face without waiting for her answer. She was just another fangirl.

Now what? There's nothing good on TV, I can't show my face in public without getting mauled…

A rapid series of knocks broke into his thoughts. Bellowing in frustration, Sasuke thundered to the door. He was greeted with a punch in the face. Sasuke looked up in a state of shock. It was none other than Naruto.

"What the hell was that for you Dobe?"

"You stupid bastard. Why do you to be such a Scrooge?"

"What did you call me?"

"A Scrooge! That's what you are! I don't know what your problem is but why do you have to be such an ass to Sakura?"

"Sakura? What the? Are you spying on me?"

"Actually on Sakura. She was trying to be nice to you! Everyone's trying to be nice to you! But you keep on being such a bastard! Maybe if you had an ounce of generosity in you, you may have some friends to celebrate Christmas—"

"Maybe I don't want to celebrate Christmas! I just want this stupid holiday to end so these dumb girls stop trying to get me under mistletoe! I just want to be left alone!"

Sasuke slammed the door in Naruto's face. He rushed up to his room and flopped onto his bed in a flood of emotion. He was full of fury, depression, loneliness, and longing. He was furious that all of the girls in Konoha wanted to catch him under mistletoe, regardless of his feelings. He was depressed because Naruto was right about him not having friends. He was lonely because he had no one and he longed for someone. Staring at the ceiling in attempts to rid Naruto's words, Sasuke became deaf to the world around him. If someone else was pounding on his door, he didn't notice. Sasuke drifted to sleep with dreams of what he wished for Christmas: a family.

…..

Sasuke awoke a few hours later when the sky was dark and carpeted in stars mistaken for snowflakes. He glanced at the clock, rubbing his head. It was 10:00p.m. Sasuke sighed and went to the kitchen for a late night snack. He didn't have much to eat: riceballs and two packs of ramen. He picked up and apple from the fruit bowl instead and left to the living room to try the TV again.

Mistletoe…Mistletoe…Mistletoe…All the channels were still running sappy movies and advertisements. He flipped the TV off, gnawing at his apple. Naruto's words still rang in his head.

"Maybe if you had an ounce of generosity in you, you may have some friends…" Friends. He's right. I have no one…

Sasuke tossed the apple remains in a waste basket and curled up on the couch, hugging a pillow to his chest.

I have no one.

The words kept ringing through his head like a police car siren. He wanted someone. He wished for a lover…someone he could celebrate this holiday with. But, he didn't like any of the girls that had tried to give him their hearts. They only saw him as sexy and handsome. They didn't see his feelings or who he hid behind his icy mask. He buried his head in the pillow and sighed. He was brought out of it by a steady series of knocks on the door. Curious, Sasuke got up and answered the door. Who would come to see him so late?

When Sasuke opened the door he was terrified of what he found. Itachi Uchiha was standing at his door looking calm and collected, and easy smile on his face. Sasuke's heart was racing. What was he doing there? What did he want? What was Sasuke supposed to do? He was frozen to the spot. He didn't know what to do.

"You've grown up Otouto," he said coolly.

Sasuke stared at him in disbelief. Was he really there? Was he still asleep? Sasuke blinked but he was still there.

"Wh-What do you want?" Sasuke asked, trying to make himself sound brave.

"Christmas is in two days. I have an early Christmas present for you."

Itachi produced a hand held, red box from his pocket and offered it to Sasuke. Sasuke stared at it, his heart racing and his mouth dry. Was it poison? A bomb? A piranha? Sasuke didn't want to accept it. He took a step back and shook his head.

"You don't trust me. I should have guessed. I can't expect you to feel comfortable accepting a strange little box from me."

Itachi took a step toward Sasuke who hurriedly stepped back.

"Go away. I don't know what you want, but, I don't want anything to do with you!"

"You will when you accept this gift."

Itachi took another step and Sasuke responded the same way.

"I don't want it! Just leave me alone!"

"Aw, Sasuke, that hurts. After I went through all the trouble to find this for you…"

As Itachi made his way forward and Sasuke made his way backwards, Sasuke realized Itachi was inside of his home. Sasuke panicked and his mind went blank.

What do I do? Why can't I think? What do I do? I need to kill him. This is my only chance…

Sasuke observed the scene once more. Itachi was inside the house now and the door was closed. Sasuke reached back and felt the wall only inches away from his back. He was trapped. Why was he so intent on giving him this gift? What was so important? Sasuke was up against the wall and Itchi was only inches away, offering him the red box. Realizing Itachi wasn't going to leave with the box, Sasuke accepted defeat. Itachi smiled when he heard Sasuke's sigh of defeat. With a trembling hand, Sasuke took the box from Itachi's hand.

"I think you'll like it," Itachi said.

Sasuke glared at him but Itachi just kept smiling. Sasuke gulped and stared at the package. He was afraid to open it. It could be a venomous snake, a killer plant, or a rabid mouse. Sasuke's eyes kept traveling nervously from Itachi to his gift. He didn't have a plan. He wasn't sure what to do. Nervously, he lifted the lid of the box and squeezed his eyes shut, awaiting a painful impact. But, there wasn't an explosion or a growl or a puff of poisonous smoke. Sasuke looked into the box and his breath hitched. There was MISTLETOE inside the box.

Sasuke dropped the box and frantically tried to edge away from his brother. Despite that Sasuke had fled to the living room, Itachi calmly picked up the mistletoe and walked after him. Sasuke spun around to face Itachi and desperately backed away from him. He fell over the arm of his couch. He scurried back on the couch, Itachi climbing over and on top of him. Itachi had Sasuke pinned down.

"I assume you're aware of what occurs under mistletoe," Itachi said, holding the plant above their heads.

Sasuke felt himself turn hot and his heart rate began to slow for some reason. He was calming down? Before Sasuke knew what was happening to him, Itachi leaned forward and kissed him. Sasuke felt frozen in time. Was he still asleep? Was it all a dream? Itachi moved away and looked at his still in shock little brother.

"Do you have anything to say about this?"

Sasuke trembled, his face as hot as a furnace. He was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say? His brother had just kissed him! Sasuke shook his head to get over it.

"What the hell was that! Are you crazy!"

"Just a little."

"Why did you do that?"

"What? Kiss you? Because I love you."

"Since when?"

"Since the moment I saw you."

Sasuke was cut off when Itachi engulfed him in another kiss. Sasuke wanted to scream. He was scared. But, his heart rate kept calming. The kiss was calming him! Sasuke tried to push Itachi off of him. Itachi decided when to end the kiss. When he did he waited for Sasuke to say something.

"What are you doing to me?" he snapped.

"I'm just kissing you and nothing else."

"You're using some kind of jutsu on me…"

"No, Sasuke, my hands are clean. There's no jutsu behind this."

"Explain yourself."

"Explain what?"

"Why you're here, what you want, what you're doing…"

"I already gave you those answers."

"Because I love you isn't a proper answer!"

Itachi sighed, his breath washing over Sasuke's face, making him tremble.

"If I explain everything to you, how will you feel about me?"

"We'll find out when you explain."

"The first Christmas that I was away from you, I felt like crap. I remember that I couldn't concentrate. Everything I looked at reminded me of all the Christmases we spent together. Every Christmas at the Akatsuki I dreamt of you. This year, I couldn't handle it…I had to see you again."

Itachi stroked Sasuke's bangs. Sasuke wanted to slap his hand away but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Ever since I first saw you I was in love with you. I watched you grow up through all those years trying to find the right moment to tell you how I felt. But I couldn't find the right time. I've been plotting this moment for a long time. I figured Christmas would be a good time to tell you because I felt that we were closest around this time of year."

Sasuke stared back at him in disbelief.

"I know you're angry at me for what I did but I was hoping that if I explained, then, you could put it behind you."

"Put it behind me? How do you expect me to put that behind me!"

"There's no need to yell. It's true that I killed everyone to probe my skills. That was because I was blinded by desire and ambition. They were holding us down. Look at how you look now compared to back then. Now that they're not pinning you back, you're strong, smart, handsome…"

"Stop. It's not going to be that easy."

"I figured," Itachi sighed.

Sasuke tried to look as angry as he possibly could. But, he was actually thrilled that his brother had feelings for him all this time. He had at a time as well. They left for a while but Sasuke felt them gradually returning. Looking at Itachi's face, he longed to kiss him again. His eyes were honest and his face was desperate. He wanted to laugh at the look on his face but he knew he couldn't.

"I don't know what else I can say. I was hoping the truth would be enough."

Itachi met Sasuke's eyes and realization dawned on him.

"What are you holding back?"

"Who says I'm holding something back?"

"In your eyes…"

Sasuke couldn't hold back his laughter. He burst into hysteria. Itachi sat there confused for once. Sasuke laughed for a long time. He even felt tears at his eyes from laughing so hard.

"What's so funny?" Itachi asked irritatedly when Sasuke's laughter quieted.

"The look on your face! I can't believe how desperate you are!"

Itachi relaxed, knowing that he had won the love of his brother.

"Does that mean you'll take me?" Itachi asked, offering him the mistletoe.

Sasuke leaned forward and gave Itachi a deep, passionate kiss.

"I do."

"Thank you."

"Merry Christmas Nii-san."

A/N: MERRY XMAS!!! Hang lots of mistletoe!!