Author's Notes:
Many thanks to May for her incredible beta work, you're the best!

Special thanks to my dear friends Ianira and Melanie. I love you guys - I wouldn't be able to do what I do today without your endless love and support. The same goes for my returning readers and reviewers. I hope you will enjoy this chapter throughly.

Also, from now on I am writing this fic alone, without my former collaboration partner Noah. Don't worry, the plot won't change in the slightest and hopefully you won't even notice any difference. The quality of the fic will not be compromised at all. Now, enjoy!


Chapter 9: Ecstasy

Moving like a flash, Itachi was out of the bed in no time without disturbing Sasuke. But as soon as he entered the living room, he stopped dead in his tracks.

.

The sight that met him in the living room was highly disturbing. Naruto was standing there, cooing with Shisui while rocking him in his arms. The blond boy looked up at Itachi the moment he heard him enter the living room. He sent him a nervous grin. "Heh, sorry. I let myself in with the spare key."

He hadn't seen Itachi for quite a while; he had completely forgotten just how intimidating he could be. When he didn't get an answer, Naruto proceeded to ignore him and continued to rock Shisui in his arms. He smiled at the baby.

"Aw… You're such a cutiepatootie! Cuter than any puppy! You look just like your… mum? Which is lucky 'cause he's hot."

He poked the soft cheek once before putting the child back in his crib. Shisui looked up at him with his big dark eyes. His little hands reached up to grip onto Naruto's shirt. The blond gently removed his hands and placed a small kiss on his forehead.

Naruto sighed softly. If only Sasuke was this willing to get close to him instead of being with Itachi. It would've made his life a whole lot easier. He couldn't deny the thought that escaped from his subconscious now and then – sometimes, he imagined what life would be like if Shisui was his son.

He was sure he could make Sasuke happy, too. During the months when Itachi had locked himself in, he had started wondering whether Sasuke would let him take on parental rights if he asked him. One foster parent would be better than a mentally unstable biological parent, right?

Itachi stared at them for some seconds, not knowing what to do. But almost four months' worth of pent-up anger, jealousy, aggression, helplessness and sorrow was threatening to explode inside him. And the object of his rage was standing right before him.

Every muscle in Itachi's body was tense; he was trying his hardest to control himself from snatching the baby out of his grip. This was the final straw.

He had heard Sasuke whimper and call out for Naruto during his sleep tonight. And sometimes during the previous months, he could hear him crying out the blond's name in his sleep - it was audible in the entire house. It was impossible to determine whether the scream was out of lust, need or fear but they were probably a mixture of all three.

Often when he heard Naruto talk to Sasuke, the blond boy would stutter awkwardly, and it drove Itachi out of his mind. He just wanted Naruto to stay at a proper distance from his brother and keep his hands to himself.

Ever since Itachi fell into his depression, he utterly despised Naruto's presence in their home. It was his and Sasuke's home that they had bought together. It was their baby that Naruto always cooed and cuddled with. Sure, Itachi appreciated the help he gave to Sasuke, but the blond was intruding far too much. Itachi was already struggling with his self-worth as it was; he didn't need that extra competition weighing him down.

He could not – he would not lose Sasuke to that idiotic friend of his. After everything they had been through, he just couldn't let Naruto take his brother away.

Mark his words, this was going to end today. And Naruto had just called Sasuke 'mum' – how dared he? There was nothing Sasuke hated as much as being labeled that.

Itachi's Sharingan was spinning, and despite the fact that he had lost so much weight and was only a shadow of his former muscular self, he knew that he was just as threatening as ever to the blond boy. However, he quickly realized that his precious baby was far too close to the target that was about to be eliminated.

Itachi took a step closer to the blond, enjoying seeing the terror in his big blue eyes. He was hovering over him, speaking very, very slowly. "Your presence isn't needed here anymore."

It didn't take long for Naruto to realize that he was about to become an endangered and possibly extinct species. He instantly stepped away from the crib and took cover behind the couch. "Ehe, come on Itachi? I'm just helping Sas' out?"

He fidgeted nervously with his hands. He was like a deer caught in headlights. He kept hoping that Sasuke would appear in the doorway and somehow save him from his unstable brother. "... Itachi… Please don't kill me. I swear, I wouldn't hurt Shisui. Ever. You know I think he's adorable -"

He didn't want to die yet... He was too young! He hadn't even become Hokage yet! Besides, who was going to eat all the ramen at Ichiraku's and maintain business? What if they went bankrupt once he was gone? No, he couldn't let that happen.

Itachi only needed to move his tall body a couple of steps to have Naruto cowering in the far corner of the room, hiding behind the couch. The Uchiha couldn't control himself any longer. Moreover, knowing that the fox was able to lose control at any time and possibly kill them all was not making him any calmer. He realized he should get Shisui out of there. Itachi was not going to let him get hurt.

"As I said before, your help is not needed anymore," he repeated calmly as he walked over to the crib and gently moved it into the kitchen. Then he shut the door behind him, so that Shisui wouldn't be scared by the sounds that would soon fill the air.

He was alone in the living room with Naruto. Itachi smiled gently. The younger boy seemed to realize the same thing; his eyes widened with fear.

"I am not worried about my son," the Uchiha continued quietly, seemingly calm. In the next moment, he rushed forward and had Naruto pinned to the wall, his hand tightening around his neck tightly and closing off his airways.

Naruto let out a loud yelp as Itachi pinned him up against the wall. He stared into the raven's now crimson eyes. The other man looked positively murderous. He was truly getting worried about Ramen Ichiraku's business by now.

"You see, it is not proper to call someone else's boyfriend hot," Itachi breathed quietly before he delivered the first punch, right into his stomach. "Especially not in front of them." The last words came out as a fierce snarl. His voice was dark, boiling with barely contained rage. This was the aggressive, almost cruel side of him, protecting his territory – his family - like a lion. And Itachi was a lion in every way: wild, insatiable and strong.

He had thought he could trust Naruto. He had taken for granted that he would remain loyal to them as a family friend. But instead - Itachi knew what he was trying to do. Naruto wanted Sasuke all to himself and Shisui as well. He wanted to take Itachi's place. He was trying to take everything away from him, and Itachi wasn't having it.

"There is a reason our son has tear troughs," Itachi hissed through gritted teeth as he delivered another punch, as hard as he possibly could. "Because he is mine."

The blond had been about to blurt out an apology when Itachi hit him, knocking all of the air out of him. He gasped for breath as the pain slowly receded. He started panicking when he realized that he still couldn't breathe properly.

"Come on Itachi… Isn't there a way we can solve this without making Ichiraku poor? I even helped Sas' give birth!" He groaned and tried to rub his stomach. Who would've known that Itachi was a jealous person? He had always seemed so calm. But now he realized that the calm was just before the storm. He pressed his lips together as he tried to wriggle out of his grip, but to no avail.

"Sasuke's my best friend, okay? I know that Shisui is your child. I get it; I'm going to stay away from -"

Naruto's pathetic attempts of trying to soothe Itachi were useless. The older man was far too angry, and he certainly didn't trust the blond. He simply kept him pinned against the wall, enjoying his helpless squirming. He was going to make him see why no one could take his place.

Yes, Naruto might be in love with Sasuke, and Sasuke might have an unconscious attraction towards him, but Itachi was convinced that no one could come close to loving Sasuke the way he could. It was his baby brother.

"This is not about Shisui," he repeated, his voice dark with frustration. Naruto was even dumber than he thought. "The easiest way to solve this for both of us is for you to get gone." He couldn't help but feel his lips part, showing his perfect teeth as he leaned in and whispered in Naruto's ear:

"I am not a patient man. You should watch out before you make me demonstrate exactly what I mean." He tightened his hold around the blond's neck. Stupid little whiny fuck. "You don't need to 'help' Sasuke as long as I'm here. Are we clear?"

Itachi didn't know why he felt so insanely jealous. But he was sure of it; Naruto didn't have anything compared to him. Naruto could not make Sasuke happy the way he could. Naruto didn't have his lips, his sinfully skilled tongue and his ability to kiss Sasuke until he couldn't remember his own name. Naruto didn't know how to make Sasuke scream outright in pure pleasure. And damn right he wasn't going to either, as long as Itachi was around.

.

Sasuke had woken up when he heard a somewhat loud yelp followed by a thump from the living room. He looked around him, but Itachi was nowhere to be seen.

He let out a sigh and got out of bed. He grabbed his tiny silk bathrobe and put it on. It ended just below the middle of his thigh, but since only he and Itachi were home, it wouldn't matter. Hell, he didn't even feel like putting on his boxers. He ruffled his hair before leaving the bedroom and made his way down the hall.

The sight that met him shocked him.

"Itachi! What the hell are you doing?" Within a few seconds, he was right next to his brother with a tight grip on his arm. "Let him go, right now."

Naruto couldn't have felt more blessed at the moment. Sasuke had come to his rescue, and he had gotten a good glimpse of that porcelain-like, creamy soft skin. It looked perfect. Or at least it did, until he noticed some angry red marks on it. He didn't dare comment on them though - not because he was worried about Itachi murdering him for looking at Sasuke, but because he instantly knew what they were.

"I can't believe you, Itachi. Seriously?" Sasuke didn't know what to make of it. Was this Itachi's new way of taking part in their lives, almost murdering the only family friend they still had?

"And who's watching Shisui if you guys are fighting?" He looked over to where the crib was supposed to be and felt his heart drop. His hand tightened around Itachi's arm. "Where's Shisui?"

His presence was both calming and enraging for Itachi. He had wanted to finish Naruto off properly... but he couldn't put Sasuke through the stress. He simply opened his hand and watched the blond collapse onto the floor. Itachi glared at him.

"I was not going to wound him physically," he reassured Sasuke in a low voice, feeling the major part of his rage fading away when he saw him.

His little brother looked so lovely in that extremely thin bathrobe, which wasn't leaving much to the imagination. Sasuke liked to show off his skin, especially to his brother. Itachi knew it gave him a sense of satisfaction.

But it disturbed him that Naruto was gawking at him with an open mouth, his face turning red. Itachi turned his back against him and resisted the urge to punch him hard. He concentrated on his lover's worried face instead and tried to calm him.

"Shisui's just fine. Don't worry, Otouto. I put the crib in the kitchen. Naruto took care of him while we slept."

"I… I think I should leave," Naruto mumbled and made his way to the front door, thanking his lucky stars that he made it out with all his limbs intact.

Itachi took a deep breath and watched as his little brother hurried over to the kitchen. Through the open door, he saw him lift Shisui up and rock him gently, patting his back. When Sasuke turned towards the fridge to get one of the prepared milk bottles, Itachi was already there, taking a bottle from it and putting it in the microwave.

Itachi stood beside them, watching closely as Sasuke fed Shisui. Their gazes met. Only Sasuke's months of practice made it possible for him to meet Itachi's tense gaze while feeding the baby.

Shisui didn't protest for once and drank it all without trying to pull away. When he was full, he started getting sleepy. Itachi gently reached out and took him from Sasuke, cradling the baby in his arms. His feelings from the previous night hadn't disappeared. He softly kissed Shisui's forehead, stroked his black hair on his tiny little head before he put him down in the crib and tucked him in.

They watched as his eyelids got heavy and he fell asleep. The baby's small chest moved up and down slowly, calming them both. Carefully taking a hold of Sasuke, Itachi pulled him out of the kitchen and closed the door behind them, leaving Shisui to sleep undisturbed.

He knew that Sasuke was annoyed with him, and Itachi had all intentions of making it up to him. He knew he had been acting foolishly, trying to hurt Naruto. He slowly, carefully let his hands slide up and down his lover's waist, waiting to see if Sasuke would push him away. When he didn't, a light shone in Itachi's eyes.

The restrained anger, lust and frustration in Sasuke's eyes turned him on.

He knew his brother was in the mood too; had he really been angry with him, he would have pushed him away already and walked off. He just refused to make the first move.

Itachi's hands caught his waist and gently pressed him up against the wall, his lips crashing together with Sasuke's. The younger turned his head a bit, breaking their kiss. "No…" he protested. He placed his hand on Itachi's chest. He wasn't sure whether it was to caress or to push him away.

His voice was sharp as he looked Itachi in the eyes. "You can't just threaten my friend and then kiss me as if everything is alright. Naruto honestly didn't deserve that. He was only trying to help."

It actually annoyed him quite a bit that Itachi had taken the liberty to do that to Naruto. If someone was going to beat the idiot up, Sasuke would do it himself. He didn't need anyone to protect him.

"Maybe you should've come to me before freaking out on him?" He bit his lip and gave him a gentle push to create some distance between them before freeing himself completely. "If I have an issue with him, I'm fully capable of sorting it out myself. I don't want you to act for me."

Itachi backed off at once, staring at him with narrow eyes. He was hurt, but he knew that he deserved it. Now afterwards, his sudden fit of aggression seemed so strange. He didn't know where the sudden overflowing emotions had come from.

"I should have," he admitted, swallowing down his pride. "I overreacted, I admit it. Next time he comes over, I'll apologize. Considering my inexcusable absence… and despite my behavior, I am grateful for everything he has done for you and Shisui while I was… gone. But only that – I have no other reason to stand him, Otouto." He locked his gaze with Sasuke's to show him that he was speaking the truth.

The younger was glad that Itachi seemed to understand his point or that he at least was trying to do so.
"Thanks," he sighed in relief and leaned back against the wall. He didn't want to have to worry about such things. He was worried enough as it was. He still wasn't sure what was happening in their lives.

Then the elder's voice turned darker, his Sharingan glinting. He leaned closer again, feeling his little brother's scent intoxicating him with desire. "Otouto, I can see in his eyes what he wants to do to you. I don't know what happened before, actually. I am just so afraid of losing you. I just… can't stand the idea of him having you."

Sasuke met his gaze as he leaned in closer as well. "I know…" He sighed deeply. That was true. It was obvious that Naruto had had a crush on him since childhood. Probably because they had had a lot of accidental close encounters... Sasuke had noticed long ago.

"I know you don't like it, but you'll have to deal with it. At least we'll always have a willing babysitter."

Itachi shook his head. "You can't see it, but it's obvious to everyone else. The way he looks at you, it's not proper. If it makes you uncomfortable, I promise I will take care of him for you."

"Really, it's not needed. I can take care of him myself."

"At least, please remember - I won't ever force you to anything, Otouto. If you'd rather be with him, then I can't stop you. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. But you need to tell me right now what you want. I'm going crazy."

Itachi was so beautiful; it still took Sasuke's breath away. He was looking so sad and insecure, the fear of rejection in his eyes. Sasuke grabbed his brother's wrists and looked deep into his eyes, trying not to drown in their depths.

"I know you think I'm attracted to him, but I'm not. My eyes are on you, alright? It doesn't matter what he says or does. You know me, Nii-san, I wouldn't ever lie to you. There is no need to feel jealous, because I've never even thought of anyone else. You are my best friend and I will always be in love with you."

Sasuke gave him a light squeeze, wanting that sad look in his brother's eyes to go away so badly. The thought of ever leaving Itachi for someone else, or cheating on him, seemed completely crazy. There was no way he would ever do such a thing - how could he ever hurt him in such a way?

"You know I love you the most, Nii-san. My life is not the same without you. I don't want anybody else – you've been with me my entire life, and no one can ever take your place. You're the only one for me."

Itachi leaned in, locking them into a soft, deep kiss while grabbing Sasuke's hands and wrapping them around his neck. Although Itachi had known it all along, hearing it made him feel much calmer inside.

"I love you so much, Otouto. I don't know what I did to get such a perfect little brother."

While he massaged the younger boy's lips - feeling Sasuke's resistance quickly melt away - he pressed their bodies flush against each other, wanting nothing but to hear Sasuke moan again. Moreover, that tiny bathrobe he was wearing would look so much better scattered on the floor. He couldn't wait until he got to tear it off him, licking every inch of newly exposed, silky skin.

They both deserved a break from all this stress. He cupped his face and pressed their lips together over and over again, until he felt Sasuke open up for him. Sasuke let his tongue enter his mouth, but the elder met a surprisingly dominant resistance that told him that his brother rather wanted a taste of his mouth.

Sasuke let his fingers play with Itachi's long ponytail before loosening it. He ran his fingers through the smooth hair he loved so much before he took a light hold of it. He pressed their bodies closer together as his tongue invaded Itachi's mouth instead of the other way around.

Itachi would just have to suck it up, because there was no way he was giving this up now. Sasuke nibbled at his brother's lower lip before sucking on it. Kissing Itachi felt absolutely amazing every time. No matter how short their kisses were, he knew that they were filled with love. He lifted his leg a bit and let it rub against Itachi's. The friction felt so nice.

Itachi could feel both their breaths become quicker, and his skin felt good and hot pressed against his brother. As he let Sasuke ravage his mouth, he let his hands wander to the front of the silky bathrobe, opening it to reveal the front of his Otouto's beautiful body.

He started rubbing and massaging his brother's crotch in slow, sensual movements. He let the other hand run along the nice curve of Sasuke's back, feeling his soft, firm ass and thighs. He cupped it slightly and squeezed, moving closer. Every shiver that ran through the younger made Itachi even more aroused.

Sasuke's fingers took a hold of Itachi's shirt as he tried to steady his breathing. It was hard to keep himself collected when Itachi was rubbing his front and back like that. Every time he cooled down, the elder would do something that'd make his breath hitch. He pressed himself against Itachi's warm body and nuzzled his face against his neck.

The elder leaned down to whisper in Sasuke's ear, nibbling at his earlobe slightly: "Tell me what you want me to do, Otouto." His words went straight to Sasuke's crotch; he was getting harder by the minute.

"I can think of several things you could do," he trailed off sexily as he placed a few kisses on Itachi's exposed neck. He let go of the shirt again and let his hand go downward until it rested just above his brother's ass. He hesitated for a few seconds before cupping it and giving it a light squeeze. Teasing Itachi was always fun - even if it had consequences later on.

He briefly wondered whether Itachi would chase him to the bedroom if he made a run for it. They could fight for dominance before he'd succumb to Itachi and his amazing skills. It definitely was a tempting idea, but he also wanted to please him first.

"Well… Why don't you lose the shirt for a start?" he suggested and eyed Itachi's torso hungrily. He wanted to taste that skin right now.

Itachi slowly kissed Sasuke, not letting his lips get away. "Always so impatient, Otouto," he smirked. His own shirt was easily slipped off. Then his fingertips gently graced his brother's shoulders and the bathrobe fell to the floor, leaving Sasuke completely exposed.

The elder couldn't keep his lust under control any longer. But there was not only the raging lust - the love was even stronger, the need to join them together lovingly, erotically, with all the passion and romance he could possibly muster. He wanted to make love to his brother's mind, his body, his soul - with utmost care and gentleness.

This was not about sex. It was so much more.

His Otouto was exposed and Itachi felt his heartbeat run away, his body growing hotter. There wasn't a more beautiful sight in the world. And it belonged only to him. He let his hands grip the smooth waist for a moment, feeling the silky skin beneath his touch.

"Gods, you haven't changed a bit," Itachi mumbled softly as he slowly got on his knees. "You're still just as irresistible, Otouto." As his hands neared the stiff limb that was clearly showing the younger boy's anticipation, he felt him squirm a bit.

"Shh... just relax, Sasuke." With that, he took him all into his mouth.

The younger male let out a shaky breath and supported himself against the wall as Itachi went down on him. He placed his hands on his shoulders and let his nails dig into them.

He had really missed the feeling of being inside of Itachi's hot mouth. He couldn't resist the urge to move his hips along with Itachi's rhythm. His entire body felt like it was electrified, the sweet feeling returning as the bottom of his stomach tightened.

"Easy enough for you to say," he groaned. Itachi wasn't the one with his dick in someone's mouth. Besides, not having had sex for so long had left him overly sensitive.

He licked his lips and closed his eyes, his nails digging deeper in excitement. He wanted to do it for Itachi too. He let out a deep moan as Itachi continued to work with his stiff, aching member, lapping up every drop of pre-cum that spilled out of him.

He felt his hips move by themselves and Itachi hummed slightly, sending sweet vibrations through his body. Without any complaints, he let Sasuke gently fuck his face, deep-throating him with ease.

Sasuke leaned back and let out a series of grunts and gasps, feeling himself tense up. "Oh…fuck, Nii-san…" His hands gripped his hair, holding onto him as he continued to rock himself deeper into his warm mouth.

Itachi stopped for a moment, looking up at him. His eyes were hungry, a smirk on his wet lips. "Enjoying yourself, Otouto?"
"Dammit – don't stop!" Sasuke was out of breath, leaning back with closed eyes. It felt so amazing, he had almost forgotten how good it felt.

Itachi cupped his balls and stroked them gently while continuing to work on his member. He sucked and licked, paying extra attention to the sensitive slit, dipping in his tongue with a skill that came from years of practice. The cute little grunts and groans his brother emitted made him feel complete. Itachi could feel himself getting more aroused.

Sasuke was reduced to a panting mess, pulling Itachi deeper into his mouth as he let out a moan and spilled himself inside his mouth, thrusting his hips erratically and grabbing his hair.

Itachi swallowed it all, licking off some drops that escaped his moist lips. He let Sasuke ride out his sweet orgasm by rocking his hips until his body relaxed completely. Sasuke was slumped against the wall, panting heavily in bliss. Itachi slowly got up and kissed him. The sweet feeling was filling every inch of Sasuke. No one could bring him to the heights of ecstasy the way his brother could. He felt it in every inch of his body down to his toes.

He had nothing else on his mind; he felt lighter than he had been for many, many months. Distance and time could try to pull them apart, but eventually they would bounce back to each other.

He felt Itachi's arms around him, holding him tight in a protective, promising embrace. Sasuke felt his cheeks flush a lovely shade of pink and his heart beat quickly.

"Nii-san…" His voice almost shivered with desire. "Let's go to the bedroom, now."

The elder lifted him up in his arms and kissed him again. "Let's not start our day quite yet," he agreed and carried him to their double bed.

He entwined their hands, locking them tightly as he started kissing his brother in a way that made his heart strain, climbing on top of him. As Itachi moved down and placed his face between Sasuke's inner thighs again and nibbled slightly, the younger boy threw his head back. He was floating freely, reaching the absolute top of his mind.

Itachi smiled to himself. His absolute favorite thing in the entire world was to please Sasuke – to see his face filled with pleasure and mind-blowing sensations as he made his body do such beautiful things. It was the face he lived for, the face he had been aching to see for so long.

But he knew that his depression would never vanish just like that. It would take time; it would be a tough road, and he knew that he could fall back. But it was okay. Even if he relapsed, he wouldn't have to rely on himself anymore. Sasuke would be his helping hand, pulling him through this when he couldn't do it himself.

Sasuke was worth everything, every pain and tear, just to have him in his life. This day, this night – how could time possibly matter? Shisui and Sasuke were his reason to live.

Itachi decided right then and there that he would create the perfect world for them and – with a sly smile towards Sasuke's ecstatic face – all the Uchihas to come.


REVIEW! See you in next chapter, there'll be more smut to come...