AN: Wha, I'm starting this earlier then I thought I would x3 I should really be doing math homework… but I always work best after letting my creative thoughts flow… or something. Either way, thanks to all those that reviewed and gave me the strength to write this chappy - Now, to address every post individually…
Half-Devil: Yeah, I used realize on purpose, since it ends up sounding sort of childish and, well, just a little… unbalanced, I guess, when used in this tense. And though this chapter isn't directly in Sasuke's pov, it was sort of meant to be more or less. And glad you like it
thuyhy-thuyhy: I'm confused… are you a itanaru fan? is having a moment of slow-dom where she feels she should be able to see through the post but just isn't sure >. ;;;
xxSNOWxxDROPxx: There's totally more… and yeah… maybe I did make him a little too harsh… but there was a reason behind Itachi's one-sighted-ness for Naru… Other then that moment, though, Itachi is a pretty good older brother, as older brothers go…
animedude2004: Heh, sad. Sad Good, heehee.
Patty: Mmm… there may be moments of fluff… but it will always leave one party depressed ; And I'm glad their relationship seemed good. I was a little worried about that…
Now! Onto the chapter, gao!
Oh! Wait! Almost forgot!
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto… there'd be more Itachi. Itachi is just so damn cool. Gaara's cool too, though.
- - -
Chapter Two – Band-Aids
- - -
I wake up every morning at the same time. Oka-san and Oto-san are gone, no one is home. But today, you're there. I know you should be gone, but you're there, staring at me with always even eyes.
Why are you here, Aniki, when you should be gone? Don't you have more important things to do, Aniki? Why are you here? Why are you here?!
- - -
House birds awoke with cries across the Uchiha's stretch of land, their shrill voices echoing through the long and empty halls. They were trained birds, taught to cry at the stroke of seven, their intelligence great enough to decipher time by the sun.
Sasuke had already been up since five.
The young boy stumbled in through the back entrance, nearly tripping on the ledge of the door frame as he struggled to take his muddied shoes off. His brow and exposed limbs were coated with a thin layer of sweat and both his knees were scratched and slightly raw.
"Oka-san! Oka-san! W-wait…" Sasuke shouted between pants, rushing towards the front of the large house. His small arm shot out to tightly grip the edge of a screen door as he rounded into the room.
"O-Oka-san… where's… where's Oto-san?" Sasuke feebly asked, more out of breath then before. His mother was just leaving herself, a loose coat half on, half off. For a moment Sasuke's eyes caught on the Uchiha crest that was sewn into the back of the garment, though his eyes quickly fleeted back to his mother's eyes.
He'd awoken especially early today, with the one goal of training with his father in mind. It was only yesterday that he'd had his term exam, and a short break rested ahead of him. A break he was determined to use to show his father how great he was.
Since Aniki obviously doesn't care anymore…
He dug his thumb into his palm as that thought crossed his mind, not allowing it to go further. It was a lie. He wasn't just doing this to forget about Itachi and his horrible treachery the day before. He just wanted to spend time with his father. That was all. All the other children in town did it…
"Oh, your father left some time ago with Itachi." She replied carelessly, not understanding the impact her words would have with the young boy staring up at her intently.
"Oto-san… he left? Already? But… but he said…" Sasuke's voice hushed into a whisper as he locked his hands behind his back, his gaze already set on the wooden floors beneath his bare feet.
"Mmm? What did he say, Sasuke-kun?" His kind mother questioned further, kneeling down to her son's level and sweeping her black hair out of her face.
"… Nothing. Nothing at all, Oka-san…" Nothing except that he'd train with me…
There was a moments pause before Sasuke's mother straightened to her full height, and even another before she shifted her gaze from the top of her son's head.
"Okay, Sasuke. I'll be back in a bit. Be careful, and if you need anything urgently, call upon one of your cousins."
"Itte rasshai…" The young Uchiha mumbled in farewell, his head still swimming in misgivings and melancholy that any child would feel at being forgotten by a parent.
"Itte Mairimasu." She replied, followed closely by the sound of a closing screen door.
Sasuke stayed where he was a few moments, his head still bowed, his silky black bangs forming a wall before his eyes.
Fleeting moments of this morning passed before his mental eyes. Sasuke always had a good memory for a kid, and the events that took place earlier were still fresh in his mind.
He remembered his father's odd stare when he had asked to train with him, and his stiff reply of 'In a moment, Sasuke'. He still remembered the way the small, pointy rocks in the yard hurt under his feet as he pounded against them outside, waiting in ready for his strict father to arrive.
And he didn't come… so Sasuke began to train, imagining all the scenarios where his father would step in during some grand show of skill. And he'd applaud from the shadows, smiling and laughing as he stepped forward, singing nothing but praises for his younger son and not a word for his elder son.
And then the birds had sounded, and the young boy was filled with distress.
And now he was here, biting back burning tears and staring with blurred eyes at the natural swirls in the wooden floors.
Why… why does everyone ignore me? Aniki, Oto-san… do they hate me? Why don't they ever spend time with me? Aren't I… aren't I a good son? A good brother? What…?
A muffled sob threatened to escape Sasuke's grasp, and he scolded himself for being so weak. Itachi would never cry over something as meaningless as this. Never ever. So he wouldn't cry either. Simple as that.
The young Uchiha boy repeated that over and over in his head before he felt a familiar stony feeling in his gut. It was like all the bad feelings were rolled into a tight ball and just left floating in the odd liquids that resided in the pit of his stomach.
It wasn't a nice feeling, and at this present time it left a bitter taste on Sasuke's tongue and the roof of his mouth, but it gave him the strength to get past all the event of the morning.
Sasuke made a face and disdainfully swallowed before setting off towards the kitchen. It really did leave a bad taste in his mouth.
His family was the head of the Uchiha clan and, as such, had the biggest property of the clique. With less then half of it currently being used, and more then a half dozen rooms gathering dust (of course, in theory only, for the Uchihas were a very neat clan and would never let that happen), Sasuke found himself traveling empty hallways more times then not.
In fact, his house alone had two kitchens, though the one near the back was hardly to never used.
But the second kitchen was the farthest thing from his head at the moment, his mind set on nothing but getting a glass of water to clear the bitter flavor from his mouth.
The black marble counters were high in the kitchen, and Sasuke had to go through the childish process of fumbling to the top. Even then, he had to carefully balance upright as he swung the cabinet door open.
Sasuke fought to keep the blush from his cheeks, finding solace only in the fact that no one was here to see him through all these troubles. Really… all this for water… If Itachi had seen, he didn't know what he'd do.
Aniki… what would you say if you saw me like this?
It was odd, how memories sometimes resurfaced, and at that moment, a long forgotten moment passed before Sasuke's eyes.
He remembered being in much the same situation as now, struggling for a simple glass of juice, except he was smaller, and the cupboards higher. Climbing onto the countertop was quite a grueling task, as he remembered, and he'd been just about to give up when two strong arms locked around his waist and placed him back on the ground.
Who else could it be but Itachi? And then his elder brother had smiled that barely-there smile before patting his head fondly, murmuring how cute he was as he easily withdrew a red-tinted glass.
Most of Sasuke's earliest memories had Itachi in some form or the other, and it made him nostalgic when he thought of them. Itachi had changed over the years… or had he himself? No, it was definitely Itachi…
"Biiiiii biiii!" A bird shrieked from outside, shocking Sasuke and forcing him out of his mournful daze.
"Aa…" He started, still startled, as he found himself unintentionally leaning back. It was a second later when he felt the heel of his foot stumble against the edge of the counter, and then the powerless, dizzying feeling that accompanied the realization that he was going to fall.
And then, he fell. Hard. His eyes forced themselves shut the moment his feet lost all grip on the counter. Both his shoulders and head split the impact of the fall, his head making a dull thud with the landing and his thin shoulders cracking audibly. A hiss escaped his lips as a shot of pain traveled through his body.
The glass made a disastrous shattering sound of it's own as it landed beside Sasuke's, his face contorting as he worked to conceal the emotions that alighted as he felt the light touch of glass shards.
Aniki… why weren't you here to help me? To keep me from getting hurt and falling? What happened? Why did you change so much?
Sasuke's mouth lazily hung open as his dark eyes slid half-open. All he was greeted with was the somewhat blurred sight of the hanging lights in the kitchen, too lazy to shift his head for a better view. He could already feel two clean cuts on his cheek, each slowly beginning to flow. Feeling the sudden urge to see his own blood, Sasuke's eyes shifted as far to the right as they could, resulting in a shooting pain in the corners of his eyes that built into a blinding ringing.
Once again, the young boy's eyes fluttered shut and he took a husky breath, feeling all the energy and force drain from his body as blood traveled down his cheek to gather on the floor.
Oka-san will be upset I stained the floor…
Even with his eyes closed, the feeling that the room was spinning was not lost on Sasuke, and his eyes shifted against their lids.
Aniki… I feel sick… please come, Aniki… Please come and help me again…
- - -
"Nnn…" Sasuke muttered as he felt sense return to his limbs. His fingers twitched as a tingling feeling passed through every joint. It was an unusual feeling… nothing like waking up from sleep… if anything, more like waking up from a comma, not that Sasuke knew anything of what that would feel like.
A moment passed before Sasuke was prepared to sit up. His mind still felt clouded and his body still heavy. Not a very nice feeling at all.
Still, it only got worse when he sat up, and he was more then surprised when a cold, damp cloth fell from his forehead into his lap. Not understanding how he'd overlooked the cooling sensation in the first place, Sasuke stupidly picked it up and stared. A second later he became very conscience of two Band-Aids on his arm and three on his cheek.
Weird… I thought there were only two cuts on my cheek…
Sasuke put light pressure on one of the covered cuts on his cheek, dimly wondering if it was still bleeding and wincing at the whisper of pain he caused.
Suddenly awake, the boy glanced to his right, his silent queries answered when he saw no traces of broken glass.
It took Sasuke a few seconds of senseless staring at the cloth before realization finally broke through. The Uchiha's eyes lighted with excitement as he jumped to his feet, ignoring the swooning feeling in his head and indifferent to the cloth that tumbled to the floor.
He… came to help me!
Running caused even more of a head rush for Sasuke, who'd been on the floor for far too long, though it didn't stunt him in the least.
"Aniki! Aniki! Aniki, where are you?! I… I know you came! You did come, right, Aniki? You're… you're the one that helped…? Aniki?!" Sasuke called out, his voice echoing uselessly against deaf walls. The house was still dark and empty. He slowed to a stop as he burst into the main sitting room.
Panic flared in his chest, with sadness and anger threatening to overtake it.
Aniki… isn't here? But…
"But he helped me…" Sasuke whispered, his words finishing the thought running through his mind. It didn't make sense. It just didn't. Who else would do something like this if not Itachi? He bit his bottom lip, refusing to seriously consider that Itachi wasn't behind this.
"He… he probably just didn't… he just… it's probably that…" Sasuke started softly, each thought dieing on his lips before it even had a chance to catch.
He… He's different, Aniki… There's no way I can understand what he's thinking or why he does stuff… This… this could be his way of showing he cares, that he's sorry for yesterday… this can be him helping in his own way…
The mind of children can be easily manipulated, and Sasuke was already glowing with joy at his new revelation. Itachi did care about him, and this was his way of showing it. He just needed to use some logic, and then it all made sense.
Of course it makes sense. I am his younger brother… we understand each other easily…
Complete contradiction to what the boy had been thinking earlier, but still enough to put a smile on his face. His small fingers ghosted over the Band-Aids on his arms and he could just imagine Itachi's skilled fingers placing them on, sending shivers through his bones with every gentle touch.
A heartbeat passed as Sasuke stayed planted in that moment, but a shy glance out the nearest window told him that the sun was still high in the sky. He grinned a slightly more mischievous grin than the smile before as his hands balled into tight fists. There was still time to train before his parents returned.
And tomorrow, he'd wake up extra early, just to train with Itachi.
Thank you, Aniki, for helping me with my cuts and pains. If you hadn't come, no one would have. You're the only one that ever comes, Aniki. The only one…
- - -
E-N-D
AN: Still looking for a beta, but a big thanks to Klamp-nii for helping me beta this chapter tightly huggles Wha Thanks
Klamp: Wait… is this implying incest at all? >.>.
…
Go ItachixSasuke!
Neko: Nuuuuuu! ItachixNaru! hiss ItachixNaru! Go play Mirahato! >:u