"Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke cringes as he hears his name, instinctively taking a step back as Orochimaru moves closer, one hand pressing firmly into the small of his back. His pallid breath ghosts past his neck, and the cold air makes Sasuke shiver.
"Yes?"
"Sit with me for lunch."
He has no choice but to obey, and chooses a table that is completely removed from the gaggle of actors sitting in the café. It is completely fenced in by a partition with a few gaps for the waiters. Orochimaru orders a salad (Sasuke had expected rats) and then chooses a soup for Sasuke.
"I hear you're filming with your brother today." The attempt at small talk is chillingly uncharacteristic. Instantly, Sasuke is suspicious.
"I am." He says. He offers no more information, and despite the raise of eyebrow he receives in response, he takes a sip of his pea soup. It tastes vile.
"Enjoying it?"
Sasuke smothers his snort and swallows the complaints that instantly spring to his lips, along with the vile soup that settles at the bottom of his stomach. And suddenly, his face is being held still by a vicelike grip, as Orochimaru looks into his eyes and searches intently for something.
And just when the grip is becoming painful, and just when Sasuke starts to wish he hadn't chosen such a secluded spot, Orochimaru lets go, apparently satisfied.
"You still owe me payment."
Though obviously, not satisfied enough.
…
"Don't you think you should go help him?"
Itachi looks at Naruto, and he smiles rather condescendingly.
"Why would I? He seems to be enjoying it."
Naruto splutters, looking back in Sasuke's direction.
"He's scared shitless."
"Sorry," Itachi amends. "I'm enjoying it."
Naruto bites back a few choice comments, and he looks at the disturbing scene as Sasuke shifts and Orochimaru tries to slip a hand under his shirt.
"Are you really going to do nothing?" He whines, and he freezes as Itachi spares him a cold look.
"Do you really expect me to help?"
…
Sasuke dabs water on his face and looks into his reflection in the toilet mirror. He can see bruises imprinted on his jaw line, and he ignores the ones around his wrists. They are the ones from last night. It hurts, and he scowls as he realises that filming is going to be even more difficult now.
It's stupid. The situation he is in, and he feels like a piece of rope that is in the midst of a game of tug of war. Only, two superhuman ninja elitists are pulling his two ends, and Sasuke doesn't feel like being ripped apart.
He wants to do the ripping, thank you very much.
Straightening his back, he adjusts his clothing and schools his expression back again. He has no choice, and he returns to the filming studio, ignoring the pain that jolts through him as he takes every step.
He frowns. Pitiful.
…
Scene threeKabuto finds Sasuke sitting beneath a tree, and it irritates him, to see the Uchiha meditating calmly whilst the whole of Sound is searching for him. Containers are all of one breed: arrogant, and dislikeable. Kabuto can see no apparent wounds – unfortunate – but Sasuke is sitting too stiffly for the position to be entirely natural. Kabuto eyes the rings under Sasuke's eyes and he feels the remnants of foreign chakra in his muscles.
Mangekyou.
"Orochimaru is not pleased."
Sasuke laughs, loud and slightly bitter. Kabuto carries on baiting, regardless of Sasuke's bad mood.
"I guess you're still inferior to your brother."
A glare of death is directed in his direction, and Sasuke stands, dusting his clothing off. Kabuto almost thinks this odd (Sasuke isn't one to ignore insults – especially when Itachi is involved,) until he is pinned with Sharingan and he feels the death stare become literal. He sighs, a little irritated.
To his dying day, he will always hate containers.
…
Sasuke twitches as Kabuto smirks at him, the other man removing his glasses and wig. The man is abhorrent, and Sasuke scowls at the floor.
The only thing that keeps him going is that he knows the glasses are real. Without them, Kabuto is blind as a bat. To compensate, Sasuke discreetly kicks Kabuto's glasses case under a bench, and inwardly preens as Kabuto glares at him. Though a little lopsidedly, since his pupils don't focus correctly.
Feeling slightly better, he whistles as he picks up his bag, and prepares to go home.
…
end
Itachi eyes the nail polish remover discreetly, absently changing his clothes. No one is present in the changing room, and he is slightly grateful for the peace. Despite enjoying their little sessions together, sometimes, working with his little brother can be absolutely exhausting.
He sheds his Akatsuki robe efficiently, and dresses into plain dark clothes. He is precise, efficient in his movements, and yet, he eyes the bottle of nail polish remover – almost longingly. He makes the decision. Itachi takes the bottle off the shelf and places it in his bag, ready for the weekend. He is grateful for the rest, and almost relaxes, until the door clicks open. He straightens and ignores the smile that comes behind him, and he pretends he doesn't hear the hiss of breath.
"I wonder if Sasuke-kun would like to join me for the weekend."
Itachi continues to ignore, preferring to pack up.
"What do you think?" The question comes out as a purr, and Itachi barely reacts. But it is a question, and so he is ready with an answer.
"What makes you think he'll agree?"
Itachi glances at his smile, and he wonders blankly if he should interfere. He decides not to.
"Trust me," Orochimaru smirks, continuing on. "He'll have no choice."
…
Later that evening, Sasuke opens his apartment door, and he finds his apartment trashed.
tbc
