3. Family

"I hope it will be quick. There's a clan meeting after this, and you're coming, aren't you, Itachi?" Fugaku asked.

His wife laughed a bit. "Now, now, there's no need to hurry. This won't take long." She patted Sasuke's spikes.

Sasuke wasn't listening to them; he was busy with his own thoughts and looked at Itachi. His older brother looked stern at the moment, but it was just the lines on his face that made him look that, Sasuke knew.

The family was going to the clan's photographer to take the yearly picture of the four of them. Fugaku was irritated, Mikoto excited and Itachi didn't say anything. He just kept on walking beside Sasuke. The youngest Uchiha stayed close to him. He liked to be near his brother.

When it was time to take the photography, the four of them lined up in front of a bright yellow cloth– Sasuke in the middle between his parents, Itachi next to Mikoto.

"Smile, everyone", their mother said and placed on of her hands on Sasuke's shoulder.

Once the picture was taken in the studio, she admired the result but sighed. Sasuke looked over her shoulder.

Both Itachi and Fugaku looked pretty near angry, Mikoto was the only one smiling. Sasuke stood between his parents, with a look of innocence on his little face.

"Let's take a new picture", she suggested, frowning a little when she noticed the lack of engagement on the oldest boy's faces.

The lined up again and Fugaku grunted in disapproval. He was stressed.

Itachi still didn't say anything, and his gaze only softened when he looked at Sasuke. The little boy wondered what was wrong with his nii-san – was Itachi mad? But then again, the older brother rarely smiled these days.

A new picture was taken. Mikoto was clearly bothered by the other's – especially her husband's – grim behavior. Wanting to cheer them up, she suddenly pulled both her sons into a one-armed hug, with each of her arms behind their shoulders. "My boys", she smiled. "I'm so proud of you two."

Itachi actually smiled a bit, the grim expresson was washed away from his face a moment later. He reached out for Sasuke's hand. Sasuke took it, smiling as well. Fugaku seemed less stressed and he uncrossed his arms and placed his hand on Sasuke's head in something close to affection.

Click!

The whole family gave a start. The photographer smiled. "This picture is much better!" he called out and showed them.

"Why didn't you tell us that you were still photographing!" Fugaku barked, embarrassed over this less-serious picture of him. "I look…I look…weak!" he spat.

"Look, darling", Mikoto chirped and tried to calm him down. "You look fine. And how cute our sons are…!"

"They're boys, Mikoto. They're not supposed to be cute…"

She didn't listen to him. "Aww, look, Itachi, Sasuke… my angels!"

"Mom…" Sasuke protested, a bit embarrassed as well. Itachi ruffled his hair.

"It has been a while since Itachi smiled on a picture… you're too serious, darling. And look, they're even holding hands! We must keep this picture!"

"Delete it!" Fugaku protested.

But Mikoto didn't fall back. "We have to take another picture, just with our boys!"

After a while, Fugaku gave in. "But it must be worthy of viewing", he warned.

And so the brothers lined up. Sasuke was placed in front of Itachi.

"Smile" Mikoto ordered, beaming. Itachi placed one of his hands lightly on Sasuke's shoulder. "Smile, otouto", the weasel said. Sasuke looked up at him and met his brother's warm gaze as he did as told.

.

"Aw, this is adorable!" Mikoto chirped. "I'm so glad we decided to do this even this year!" She was rummaging through boxes and shelves in their living room.

"I wish we never did", Fugaku muttered grumpily. "I'm going off to the clan meeting now."

"Bye, darling", his wife mumbled, to deep in her joy to really notice. "Itachi, Sasuke…look here!"

"What, mom?" Sasuke asked. He was sitting in the kitchen, eating.

Mikoto's voice was bright with excitement. "I'm going to look through all your baby pictures again!"

"No…" Sasuke called out, horrified. He remembered all too well how all his aunties and female cousins had fussed over him from the day he was born.

It was always: "so cute! He is so cuddlesome!" It made him want to puke. He hated it when they planted kisses on his face and let their fingers sweep through his hair, saying things like "Aw, Mikoto, so beautiful he is! So soft hair! And big puppy eyes! He grows so fast!" like he was some kind of pet.

"Aren't you afraid of this, nii-san?" he asked, dispirited.

To his surprise, Itachi laughed. "They never took a single picture of me before I was six years old", he said, somewhat triumphantly.

"Don't be so sure about that, young man!" Mikoto said as she reached up to take down a blue, decorated binder from a shelve. "Aha! Look, Sasuke, here we have your pictures from when you were newborn!

Sasuke groaned. Whyyyyyyy?

"Come and sit here with me! I want to show you!" Mikoto insisted and gently shoved her sons at the couch.

"Do I really have to? I have homework…" Sasuke tried, to escape this.

"You're only seven, darling, don't try to get away! We'll have a great time!"

"You'll like it, otouto", Itachi said and helped to get Sasuke sit down.

"Fine. But don't fuss to much." Sasuke pouted childishly, crossed his arms as he sat down between his mother and older brother.

Mikoto opened the folder. "Here I've collected the first pictures of you, Sasuke, until you were two years old."

They were met by the sight of a little white band at the first page – the plastic bracelet he received at the hospital where gender and number were written. And several congratulation cards in different colors. And so, a picture of a little bundle with a round face and big, sleepy black eyes.

Sasuke's cheeks began to heat. "Mom… can't we just move on already?"

"Don't be embarrassed, honey", Mikoto mumbled, lost in memories. "I still remember it so clearly... You were so small and cute, Sasuke…"

He hated to be called cute. He wasn't a girl, for God's sake!

Sasuke's embarrassment grew even more when Itachi gently let his fingers brush against the picture, smiling to himself. "My little baby brother", he mumbled.

Mikoto smiled tenderly as they looked at the other pictures. Sasuke as a little baby, with his tiny fists clenched in front of his chest and some black, spiky hair visible. He already had his trademark duck ass hair from day one.

Itachi put his arm around Sasuke's shoulders and they looked at a picture where a six-year-old Itachi was holding his newborn little brother. Mikoto had written "Proud Big Brother – Sasuke's Birth" below the picture.

"That's my favorite picture of you two", she said.

The stark red blush on Sasuke's cheeks began to fade and he realized – although he never would admit it – that it was a bit interesting to look at the pictures. Except the ones where he was naked, of course. He was a bit annoyed – why did parents keep taking pictures of their children in situations where they wore no clothes?

"Let's see… You and Itachi in the bathtub… You and Itachi sleeping together in the same bed… when you were little you could scream your head off when I or your father was holding you… but you always slept peacefully with Itachi, so we put you in his bed sometimes... Look, here's a picture of him when he was just some months old!"

Sasuke smiled triumphantly. He looked up at his nii-san, and to his surprise and amusement his brother's cheeks were slightly pink colored.

"You're blushing, nii-san!" he exclaimed. "Ha! There was a baby picture of you!"

"No, I'm not, Sasuke", the elder defended himself. "Why should I…"

But it was quite obvious for Sasuke. He looked at the picture.
The baby was like a copy of himself at that age, except for the lines below the newborn Itachi's eyes. He could actually admit… that that little bundle with pink skin looked cute.

"You were cute, nii-san!" Sasuke said before he had time to stop himself.

Itachi looked at him with astonishment. Although he was good at conceal his feelings, Sasuke could easily read them now.

Mikoto giggled. "I thought you hated to be called or call other people that", she laughed.

Sasuke realized his mistake. But Itachi laughed as well. He leaned forward to kiss his brother's forehead. "Maybe I was, otouto, but you are even cuter!"

Now it was the younger's turn to blush sheepishly. "Nii-saaaaaaan!"

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