"Let's go on a date."

Kisame leaned back in his chair, folded one arm so his hand was behind his head. "A date? Ah. Geez. I don't know if my boyfriend would like that very much."

"Kisame…."

He chuckled. "What did you have planned?"

"That's a secret."

Kisame tapped his pen against a scrap piece of paper on his desk. "A secret, huh?" He cradled his phone between his chin and shoulder. "A surprise," he mused, grinning. "I can think of a few surprises I wouldn't mind seeing from you."

"Oh." Itachi's voice was dry.

"Oh." Kisame's smile didn't fade. "What are you up to?"

Itachi hummed. "Just made some lunch. I am behind on grading papers so I need to finish them before my student gets here."

"Why are you behind? That isn't like you."

Itachi scoffed. "As if you don't distract me all the time."

"Aw, come on. I don't distract you that much. Only the right amount." He fiddled with a dog-eared piece of paper. "You need to work less, anyways."

"And to think that it took so long for you and Sasuke to get along. You're the same person by now."

Kisame laughed. "I should certainly hope we aren't the same person in too many ways."

Itachi snorted. "Why does everyone think Sasuke are inappropriate with each other? Naruto constantly makes those comments, too."

"Oh, jeez," Kisame drawled, "I couldn't imagine why. Could it be how obsessed you two are with each other?"

"I won't apologize for you having cold expectations about how brothers should show affection with each other," Itachi sniffed.

Kisame grinned, leaning back in his chair. "Wanna get a little more real on me, there?"

"No."

Kisame could hear the smile in his voice.

Itachi sighed on the other line. "Well, as absolutely charming as this conversation is, I should probably let you go."

"No," Kisame immediately protested. "I'm on lunch break anyways."

"Uh-huh."

"Don't hang up. For the rest of the day. I don't want to do anymore work." He grinned, crooning, "I would rather do you."

"Okay, goodbye now."

"No!" Kisame groaned. "Baby, don't be cruel. What did you have for lunch?" He asked, thinking of anything to keep Itachi on the phone.

Itachi made a defeated noise. "I fried up some tofu on top of sesame rice and cabbage."

Kisame wrinkled his nose. "Rice and cabbage? Babe."

"Do not criticize my lunch choices," he chuckled. "What did you have?"

"Haven't eaten yet." He yawned. "I just brought left overs."

"You should eat soon," Itachi said. "You get grumpy when you go too long without food."

"I get grumpier when I go too long without you."

"Well, be thankful you don't have to go very long without me." Kisame heard the shuffling of papers on the end of the line. "You know I love talking to you, but I do need to go."

Kisame frowned. "What happened to the date?"

"You're interested in that now?"

"Hey. No take backs."

Itachi chuckled. "The date is still on. I am sorry I cannot talk to you longer. I wish I could."

"You can text me. I bet your student wouldn't even mind."

He could visualize Itachi rolling his eyes.

"I'll meet you at your work when you're done, okay?"

"Okay." Kisame couldn't keep himself from smiling. "I'll look forward to it. I love you, baby."

"I love you, too, Kisame," Itachi murmured. "I'll see you soon. Work hard and I'll be very good to you tonight."

Kisame groaned. "You love to torture me, don't you? Tease."

"You'll survive. Goodbye, now."

"Yeah, yeah. Bye."

He tossed his phone off to the side of his desk and sighed. After a few seconds of pursing his lips and staring at the wall in front of him (and contemplating quitting work just to constantly be in his beloved's presence,) he got up to go to the break room and grab his lunch. He had the pleasure of eating leftovers from a few days before, when he went over to Itachi's and made spaghetti with homemade meatballs and sauce.

He was settling down into a chair when Rhea popped her head into the breakroom.

"Mind if I take a seat?" She asked.

He waved a hand, stabbing a meatball with his fork. "Be my guest."

She sighed, sweeping her long, glossy black hair behind her shoulder. "Today's one of those days that's going to take some extra energy to get through."

"I get it," Kisame sympathized, his mind wandering back to spending the evening with Itachi. "Still have all your family in town?" Kisame asked.

"Yes," she replied, nose wrinkling. She peeled the lid off her glass container. "I love my family, of course, but hosting so many people…can get tiring after several days."

"At least all the parties means you have lots of food."

"I guess," Rhea said around a swallow of pancit. "Do you want me to bring you some? I have enough to last me for months."

Kisame chuckled. "I can't say I would mind a homemade meal or two."

Rhea hummed, smiling. "I'll remember that when I get home." Then, she asked, "What about you? What's making the day drag for you?"

Leaning back in his chair, Kisame said, "Just looking forward to being with my man."

"Ah." Rhea looked awfully pretty with that smirk of hers. "Your boyfriend."

"The very one."

"How's that going for you?"

"Uh…" Kisame started, blinking a little. "It's going well. Just about as well as I could ever hope anything to go."

"Good!" Rhea laughed. "How long have you two been together, now?"

"We're—" Kisame grinned and thought it over. "We're coming up on a year."

"Your first milestone!" Kisame appreciated how genuine her smile was. "From the way you talk about him, I get the feeling you're pretty serious about your relationship, right?" Her phone buzzed on the table, and she brushed off the kitten charm laying on the screen to read the text. Her eyes darted back up for an answer.

Kisame didn't need to think about it. "I genuinely cannot imagine my life without him at this point."

"Aw, how sweet," she crooned, only a little teasing. Another coworker came into the break room to microwave his food. The conversation paused, Kisame returning to eating. "I remember Adam and me at a year," she continued, nostalgia curling her lips. "It doesn't feel like that long ago."

Kisame stared at her for a second, eyes intense. "Rhea?"

"Mm?" He eyes were clear, curious.

"When did you know?"

"Know what?"

Kisame pressed his lips together, eyes flicking from his pasta to the ceiling and then back to his coworker. "When did you know…that you and Adam—were meant for each other."

She eyed him. "To be forward with you, Kisame, I don't think that any two people are made for each other at all. I think that two people can work their lives together to be compatible, but made for each other? Relationships aren't that flawlessly easy."

Kisame sighed leaning back. "You know what I mean."

She smiled a little, twirling her fork. "Why, Kisame? What's going on in that brain of yours?"

Kisame glared at her. "You are my most unhelpful friend, Rhea. And I didn't even kill your cat when I babysat her."

Rhea laughed, covering her face with a hand when she snorted. "You owed me that favor for covering your ass when you came to work hungover!"

"And you owed me that favor from when I lied to our boss that you most certainly weren't hiding Adam in the copy room that one time."

She laughed again, taking a few more bites. "Ah, Kisame. We have good times, you and me."

He grunted his agreement and nudged a meatball with his fork.

Someone else came into the breakroom to toss leftovers away; Kisame and Rhea said hi, made small talk, and went back to silence when he left.

Kisame looked up to find Rhea fixing him with a stare. "I knew really early," she said softly. "I mean—within weeks."

"Weeks?"

She nodded. Leaning her head onto one palm, she hummed. "It's a hard feeling to describe, but I just…knew. I had this feeling in my gut that we were gonna get hitched. And as time went on, everything I wanted in a person he showed me. He knew when I was upset and knew how to take care of me, he was so thoughtful and considerate. He brought out the best in me, he helped me accomplish my dreams and was so supportive of me." She smiled, her whole face warm. "And—I'm good for him. I help him. It brings me joy to encourage him, his accomplishments fulfill me, too."

Kisame nodded slowly, staring down at his food.

Rhea observed him carefully. "Come on, Kisame." She tilted her head. "Tell me what you're thinking. You know I'm on your team." She smiled and held up a hand. "Architect buddies!"

"Nothing," he grunted, ignoring her request for a high five.

Rhea didn't seem satisfied. She kept glaring at him, but Kisame was accustomed to Sasuke and Itachi glaring at him—mere civilians couldn't affect him anymore.

"Kisame," she groaned, poking him. "Don't just shut off on me now. Talk to me."

He wrinkled her nose at her, but eventually relented. "I'm just thinking about the future."

"A future full of your pretty boyfriend," Rhea added.

"That's…that's the goal," he said, setting his fork down and pushing his food away. "That's the goal."

Rhea stood up, heading to the sink to wash her hands and throw her food scraps away. "And you're worried about that?"

"Who said I was worried?"

Water sloshed against the metal sink. "You just seem so subdued," she commented.

He shook his head slowly. "I'm not worried. Definitely not worried. But it's…a big decision. It means a lot and I just…." He tilted his head up, as if he could find the words he was looking for on the ceiling. "I just want to do him right."

"Does he know?"

Kisame sent her a quizzical look.

"That you're thinking so long term," she explained.

"I…think so."

She smiled. "You should talk with him about it. If you can't express those feelings to each other without getting embarrassed, is it even appropriate to have them to begin with?" She gathered her things to leave the room. "If you want a future with him, you should make sure they align. And if you're nervous? Just talk to him. Ask him if he wants to get married—it's really that simple."

She let the word out, and Kisame's breath paused in his lungs. "Right."

"As someone who has already started on that journey, I promise that communication is always the right way to go."

"Right."

Rhea's face softened, then, a fond smile taking over, and she reached out, tousling Kisame's hair (hair which was only blue on the tips, now, the chocolate brown roots growing out and taking over). "You're gonna be fine, Kisame. Everything is gonna be fine."

Kisame stared down at his spaghetti. "Yeah, that's—yeah, okay. Thanks for the advice, Rhea."

"Anytime."

The day, miraculously, did manage to end. Kisame was elated as he clocked out, grabbing his stuff and heading to ground level. He had to consciously keep his gait calm and slow as he exited the building.

Itachi was there, casually leaning up against a pillar, with his hair and his soft smile and—

Kisame made a beeline for him, speeding up.

"Hi," Itachi started, stepping away from the pillar and walking towards him.

Kisame grabbed him by the face and immediately slotted their mouths together.

"Mm!" Itachi' eyes shot open in shock before fluttering closed as Kisame kissed the daylights out of him. He eventually managed to pull away, pressing the back of his hand to his lips. "Okay," he breathed, "that certainly was a nice 'hello.'"

"Not done," Kisame murmured, pressing a forearm to his lower back and yanking Itachi tight to his chest. He restarted the kissing, his second hand securing itself into Itachi's hair.

"Maybe," Itachi murmured, partially against Kisame's lips as he pulled back, "we should do this in private?" He pressed both palms to Kisame's chest.

Kisame pulled back enough to study his face. He grinned. "We can do a lot in private besides just kiss."

"There he is," Itachi said with a laugh, pulling back farther. "There's the Kisame I know."

Kisame laughed a little, reaching out to hold his hand. They headed towards the car. "How was your day? Get all that grading done?"

"Yes, I did, not with any of your help."

"Yeah, well," Kisame grinned over at him, eyes shining. "I can't control it. Wanna be with you all the time."

Itachi sighed, tightening his fingers around Kisame's. "I understand."

"Do you?" Kisame asked, pulling out his key to unlock the car. "Do you miss me all the time, baby?"

"I do," he said softly, rolling his eyes when Kisame opened his door for him. "How was your day?"

"Nuh-uh," Kisame said, getting into the driver's seat. "We aren't done talking about yours yet."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"So." Kisame twisted around as he pulled out of the parking spot. "What else did you do? I want all the details."

Itachi leaned his head against the seat, looking up. "Ah, I don't know. I did laundry. Naruto snuck a bunch of his stuff into Sasuke's clothes."

"That or they got left there after boning," Kisame said, grinning over at him, ignoring the dark look he got for it. "Also, you gotta tell me where I'm going. I have no idea what the surprise is, remember?"

Itachi hummed, eyes scanning the street signs. "Get on the freeway going west," he said.

"West? You aren't taking me to the coast, are you?"

"No, I didn't think we would have time today. I'd be more than happy to plan a weekend at the beach, sometime, though."

"A whole weekend?" Kisame reached his hand out for Itachi's again. "You'll give me a whole weekend?"

"You love the beach." Itachi gave him a simple smile. "I could watch your surf for the first time. Maybe you could teach me?"

Kisame's heart fluttered, the grin on his face faltering, overwhelmed for a moment. "That sounds really fun."

Itachi hummed in agreement.

"What else happened today?" Kisame asked, voice soft.

"Hm," Itachi leaned his head back against the rest. "Well—oh!" His eyes flew open, and he turned excitedly to look at Kisame. "How could I forget! Sasuke's application got accepted at The Atlas."

"Yeah?" Kisame grinned. "I thought he was working at the university?"

"Yes, but The Atlas pays more than the campus bookstore, and he gets free coffee."

"And can he extend that favor to any…friends or family?"

Itachi smiled. "I'm sure he would, though offering it to you might take some time. He still does love to tease you."

Kisame chuckled, changing lanes to get out from behind a particularly slow truck. "Ya think he's ever going to stop that?"

"Doubtful," Itachi said, voice affectionate. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Nah. It's all in good fun. He's finally starting to let me rib him back without getting all prickly."

"And you're lucky for that!" Itachi laughed quietly. "I can barely tease him, and I'm the older brother." After a moment of thinking, Itachi turned to him again. "Don't be mistaken though, Kisame. Sasuke is very grateful that you came into our lives."

"Mm." Kisame lifted their hands up again, pressing Itachi's to his cheek. "Ditto."

Itachi tilted his head, studying him. He looked like he had something to say, but then his expression softened into something more tender. "Don't get distracted now," he murmured. "You're supposed to have both hands on the wheel."

"I'm a good driver, Itachi. I only need one hand on the wheel." He grinned. "You wanna see what else I can do with my other hand?" It wandered, still linked with Itachi's, over to his boyfriend's pants.

Itachi snorted. "Ten and two, big guy." He squeezed Kisame's hand. "We can do such things in private."

"Technically, this is private."

"We are surrounded by cars. Speeding…" he peeked at the speedometer, "…a whole ten miles an hour over the legal limit."

Kisame chuckled, ignoring the last part. "Don't forget that you promised to be very good to me tonight."

"Ah, yes, but the stipulation was that you worked very hard. I somehow doubt you got much work done after I called you." Itachi smirked over at him.

"That's your fault for calling me in the first place." Kisame protested, chuckling.

"Is that so? I'll refrain from ever calling you at work again, then."

"Wait!" Kisame laughed harder, saying, "rewind, undo that entire conversation. That is the opposite outcome that I wanted." He looked over to see Itachi pressing silent laughter into his wrist, eyes crinkled.

"Oh, stay left at the fork." Itachi said suddenly, remembering that he was giving directions. "Merge onto the 172."

"Yes, sir." Kisame switched lanes and brought Itachi's hand up to kiss several times, pressing his lips to each knuckle.

"Having fun?" Itachi asked.

"I am, actually," he murmured against pale skin. "Will you come home with me after this surprise?"

"Why?"

Kisame rolled his gaze over to him. "Just wanna leave my fingerprints on every inch of you."

Itachi laughed a little, and Kisame's heart swelled at the sound. "Perhaps that can be arranged."

They chatted happily for the remainder of the ride. Once Kisame was happy with how thoroughly Itachi described his day to him, he talked about his own. He finished a blueprint edit for a new wing of a hospital in the city over, and he and a coworker started up betting pool about how long it would take the boss to get right the name of the new guy, Negasi. He left out the conversation with Rhea.

He voiced his suspicions a few times about where they were going; Itachi scolded him each time.

"You just want to ruin all the fun."

"I'm not good at surprises."

Itachi laughed quietly. "Neither of us are. I'm not sure why we keep insisting on doing it to each other."

Kisame eventually pulled into a bustling parking lot in the middle of a complex of restaurants. There was almost no parking, and Kisame circled a few times before finding a space. The bright restaurant signs illuminated the sidewalks and the patrons waiting to be seated outside of a busy ramen shop.

Kisame held out a hand. "Take me away."

Itachi rolled his eyes and took hold of Kisame's arm instead. "Just over here," he said lightly.

They ended up in front of a gray building with a multi colored sign that read 'Oke Poke.' Kisame paused.

"Poke?" He asked, edging on flabbergasted. "You brought me all the way out here for poke?"

Itachi tilted his head. "You made a comment the other day that you missed it. There's nothing good where we live, but Maria said she stopped here with her husband once and it's really similar to what you can get in Hawaii."

Kisame let his mouth hang open for a second.

Itachi looked hesitant. "Are you…unhappy? I probably should have asked if you were okay with driving this far, I just—"

"Itachi," he interrupted. "I'm not unhappy. You just…take my breath away sometimes."

"I didn't do much." He took Kisame's hand again. "When I get a license, I'll be the escort."

"Escort?" Kisame grinned widely at that and squeezed Itachi's fingers. "I won't mind that at all."

Itachi shook his head, tugging him forward. "You are so eager tonight."

The restaurant was modern and trendy inside, with cute wooden tables and booths and unshaded lights hanging from the ceiling. The build-your-own bar had several different fishes and toppings to choose from, as well as sauces and seasonings. Kisame got the largest bowl offered and filled it with mashed spicy tuna. Itachi chose a more reasonable size and got salmon. He ignored Kisame's jiving that he was still a baby for not being able to handle spice.

"I'd like to keep my tastebuds without burning them off, thank you."

"Itachi, that's not even how it works and you know it."

They settled at a table by the wall under a soft LED outline of a shark. Kisame grinned his approval.

"We should go on a vacation," Kisame volunteered, popping off the cap of his beer.

"To where?"

"Mm." Kisame looked contemplative, pressing his fork against his meal. "Hawaii doesn't sound all too bad, now that I think of it."

Itachi hesitated in between bites. "I'm not…sure that I'll be able to afford that type of vacation, Kisame."

"We can take some time to save," he assured. "I know a few people that live there, so we can skirt around a few costs."

Itachi let himself smile. "Hawaii sounds very nice. I would love to do that with you, Kisame."

He grinned. "Good. Or, actually, we should just go back to Upolu. I could get just about everything free but the plane tickets."

Itachi sat back in his chair. "You want to take me home?"

"Of course I do!" He laughed and licked a grain of rice off of his lips. "You gotta meet my family."

"You want me to meet your family?" Itachi's heart picked up a notch.

"Why are you surprised? Of course I do. You have to meet them since we're in this for the long haul." He paused before taking another bite, eyes flicking up to meet Itachi's widened ones.

Itachi just stared at his food. His mouth suddenly felt a little dry. He picked up his fork, then set it back down again.

Kisame's brow furrowed. "Are you upset?"

"No."

He gave him a look. "Are you sure? You seem off all of the sudden."

Itachi avoided eye contact, mouth open, looking for words. "I just…"

Kisame leaned forward, one hand reaching out for Itachi's. "Hey, don't worry about it. I thought we were…on the same page about our future, but we don't gotta get into that all now."

"No—" Itachi met Kisame's hand, "that's not—" He paused for a second. "I'd love to meet your family, but—" He shook his head. "Let's not talk about it right now, yeah?" He offered a tiny little smile. "It's not important right now."

Kisame looked a little concerned, but let it slide. "Alrighty. Another time?"

Itachi nodded. His eyes dropped back down to his food, eating slowly.

"Hey, babe."

"Mm?" He looked up to see Kisame smiling mischievously, obviously trying to bounce the mood back to light hearted.

"I like my fish how I like you."

Itachi was a little hesitant, trying to outthink Kisame and knowing he wouldn't be able to. "In a bowl? On a bed of rice?"

"Raw."

It took a second to click. "Ha. Ha."

Kisame grinned with that infectious grin of his, and Itachi felt every last drop of worry leave his body. "Come on, babe, admit that I'm a comedic genius."

"Because your jokes are laughably bad?"

"Ouch." Kisame took a sip of beer. "You can insult me all you want, but you still let me hit it."

Itachi set his fork down and folded his hands under his chin. He met Kisame's eyes. "Why are you so horny."

Kisame laughed out loud. "I honestly don't know. Can't stop thinking about getting' inside you."

"Vulgar." He was only a little pleased with the attention. Only a little.

"I think it's just because I'm so in love," he crooned.

"Oh, is that it?" Itachi picked his fork up again. "It's all because of your heart? Nothing to do with your dick?"

"I don't even have a dick."

Itachi snorted. "I know firsthand that that is a lie." He grinned. "And you said you would never lie to me!"

"Are you sure I'm lying?" Kisame frowned. "I can't remember. Should we go home and find out?"

"I can't stand you. I fully cannot stand you, Kisame." Itachi laughed behind his hand.

"Sit on me, then."

Itachi's mouth fell open.

Kisame winked.

Kisame managed to let Itachi finish his meal without too many more inappropriate comments. Kisame took the last swig of his beer and tossed it in the recycling. He held out his hand for Itachi squeezing it tight and ducking down to kiss his temple as they left the restaurant.

"That," Kisame crooned, feeling lighter than air, "was a date for the scrapbook, baby."

"It's not over yet," Itachi replied lightly. He smiled a little, swinging their hands between them.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Itachi almost tripped over a curb staring at Kisame's grin.

They got back in the car to go to their next destination, which Itachi still wanted to keep a secret until they got there. Kisame, as instructed, pulled into a parking lot only a couple miles from the poke bar. It was much quieter than the last one; no one else was milling about, and the lot was only about half full, so Kisame grabbed Itachi by the waist, shoved him against the car door, and kissed the daylights out of him for a few seconds.

"Oh," Itachi breathed when Kisame pulled away.

Kisame licked his lips, vulgar. "Been wanting to do that for a little while now."

"Yeah? Since when?"

"Oh, let's see," Kisame said, looking at his watch. "Since about 8:45 this morning."

Itachi laughed, playfully shoving him away. "You're one of a kind, Kisame."

The ice cream shop was small, kind of hole in the wall, with only one attendant. She waved one hand when they walked in, welcoming them quietly, and moved from her slouched position at the register to stand behind the glass display.

"What do we have here?" Kisame grinned over the ice cream, reading the names off. "Thai tea, pog, green tea, lychee rose—hennessy honey?"

"Made with real alcohol," the server piped up, smiling a little, "and organic honey."

"Oh, hoh, is that so?" He grinned over at Itachi, who looked pleased with himself. "How did you find this place?"

"Yelp."

Kisame snorted.

Itachi got a cup of lychee rose (which he ate with the sample spoon, instead of a regular one, much to Kisame's disgruntlement) and Kisame got hennessy honey (which he ordered with a wink to the cashier).

They sat in the back, next to each other instead of across from each other, their hips touching, and snickered quietly to each other while they ate. Kisame was still full of jokes; they were a little bit less of the dirty variety, since he didn't want the innocent bystander to overhear.

Itachi let Kisame scrape the bottom of his cup before smiling and taking his hand again. "Are you ready?"

Kisame's eyebrows lifted. "Is there something else you have planned?"

"Was this not enough?" Itachi teased. Before letting Kisame reply, he leaned forward, lips right against his ear, and said, very quietly, "We could go do something else, but I figured there was something awfully fun we could do at home."

"Quick, up, to the car," Kisame said, sitting up and almost knocking the trash off the table in his haste to grab it.

Itachi laughed. "Oh, stop pretending."

"Pretending?" Kisame faked a scandalized expression. He grabbed Itachi by the waist, locking an arm around him and squeezing.

"Gentle!" Itachi admonished, trying to hide his uncontainable smile with his hair.

"Gentle? Is that how you want it? I was thinking something else, but that works, too."

"Enough."

Itachi thought he was safe after he had gotten in the car, since Kisame hadn't attempted to shove him up against the door again and steal the breath out of his lungs.

Kisame had other ideas. He started the car and let Itachi buckle the seatbelt before pinning him back against the seat and effectively stifling any stray protests Itachi might have had. He, evidently, did a pretty good job of kissing Itachi into goo, because Itachi reached up to grab hold of his face, keeping him there.

Itachi was surprised, because Kisame had been teasing and flirting and vulgar all night, but he didn't kiss like that now. He kissed so deep and presently and intensely that it made Itachi's face and mouth go completely warm and soft. Just like what Kisame's favorite rum did to him. Just like what Kisame's grin did to him.

Everything about Kisame, the whirlpool of his existence and everything surrounding him, made Itachi so goddamn warm and soft.

Kisame pulled away before Itachi was really ready (his brain didn't like to work all that quickly when he was kissing) and smiled a little.

And that was almost worse than the grin, because while the grin turned Itachi all sorts of lovestruck with its haughty, teasing charms, those little smiles made Kisame look so fucking content and at peace with the world and that settled so deeply in Itachi's gut that he could barely breathe.

Itachi's thumbs stroked over his cheekbones. Kisame leaned forward to kiss his forehead.

"Just something to hold myself over," he said lowly, licking his lips. "You know, like a snack before a meal."

"Oh, that's it? I'm a snack to you?" Itachi asked, recovering his breath well.

"Whole lot more than a snack, baby. A full, five course meal. A la mode. Extra sauce on the side."

Itachi shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense. Nothing you have said all night has made any amount of sense."

Kisame just grinned and reached for his hand again. He kissed all of his knuckles, in a row, like he was so fond of. "Here", he said, letting go to reach for the aux chord. "Put something on."

"What do you want?" Itachi asked.

"Anything you want, baby. I want anything you want." Kisame handed Itachi his phone, which already had both of their thumbprints in it. "You know I got that Spotify premium." He clicked his blinker on and merged onto the onramp. "You should download it. I'll give you my login info."

"There's no need for all that," Itachi replied, unlocking the phone and plugging it in.

"There is absolutely a need." Kisame grinned over at him. "We can make joint playlists like all those cornball couples."

Itachi's lips twitched. "You want to turn into those cornball couples?"

"Sure. Why not? There's nothing wrong with them. They're happy."

"We're not happy?"

"We're so goddamn happy," Kisame said, grin shining.

"You're just saying that because you're going to get some."

"I'm gonna get more than some, baby, just you wait."

Itachi snorted softly. "You truly are insufferable."

"When have I made you suffer?"

"By making me choose music when I don't know anything." Itachi frowned at the phone. "What do you want? Sade?"

"No," Kisame sing-songed, "That's not the only artist I listen to, babe. 'Sides, I'm not trying to go to sleep. Not for a long time baby; we're staying up for a long time."

Itachi ignored the comment. "So you want something exciting."

Kisame rolled his eyes. "Okay, we really have got to get you more educated about music."

"I'm plenty educated about the classics of eastern Asia," Itachi sniffed.

Kisame snorted, hiding a chuckle against the back of Itachi's hand.

"It's amazing how willing you are to make fun of me when you're so desperately trying to get in my pants."

"Aw, come on," he crooned, "are you gonna weaponize our sex life already?" Another noisy kiss to his hand. "Don't make me seduce you."

Itachi shook his head, eyes still on the phone. "We are far too old to be having conversations like this."

"And yet here we are," Kisame laughed. "You pick a song yet, slowpoke?"

One wrinkled noise and pointed glance later, Itachi picked a song.

I was just coastin'
Never really goin'
Anywhere

"Ah, didn't take you much for a country guy." Kisame grinned, squeezing his hand. "Not that I mind."

Itachi gave a one-armed shrug. "I'm not, really; the album art is pretty."

And out of the blue
I fell for you

Kisame chuckled. "Yes, it's very pretty," he conceded. "Is that how you make all your choices? So vain," he teased.

"That's how I picked you."

Kisame sniggered. He bobbed his head absently to the music. Itachi could tell that he knew the song well.

It was good, he thought. She had a lovely voice. The lyrics were poetic, hit Itachi a little closer than he was expecting.

Cloud nine was always out of reach
Now I remember how it feels like to fly
You give me butterflies

"This isn't very exciting, is it," Itachi said quietly, fidgeting with the phone.

"Those were your words, love, not mine," Kisame said, eyes squinted into a smile.

Itachi pursed his lips, scrolling through Kisame's playlists again. "You didn't want to fall asleep."

"You really think I'm gonna fall asleep, babe? I'd never put you in danger, c'mon."

"And yet you asked me jack you off while you drive."

Kisame guffawed loudly, pressing his head back against the head rest. "I remember that. I almost got you to do it, too!"

"Maybe someday," Itachi mumbled, hiding a smile. He tapped on another song; it was a little more upbeat, and an artist that Itachi recognized and enjoyed.

Babe, there's something tragic about you
Something so magic about you
Don't you agree?

Kisame knew all the words and tried to get Itachi to sing along; he stubbornly refused.

Babe, there's something lonesome about you
Something so wholesome about you
Get closer to me

"I just got the most amazing idea," he said suddenly, stopping his singing halfway through a word, face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"And what's that?" Itachi asked, a little skeptical, thumb absently brushing over the locked phone screen.

"Oh, no, that's a secret. You'll see."

Itachi thought that his cheeks must hurt from how widely he was grinning. "More secrets? I thought that we already discussed this."

"Sorry; this one only works as a surprise."

"And if I refuse to play along?"

Kisame feigned hurt. "You would do that to me? And here I thought you trusted me. You trust me, don't you?"

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "That's unfair."

Kisame waited.

Itachi heaved a sigh. "You know I trust you." He yanked on his arm. "I still want to know."

Kisame still looked like the cat who caught the canary, all teeth and wild eyes. "Hmm. It may involve a karaoke bar."

"No."

"Oh, come on—"

"Absolutely not."

"If I remember correctly, you promised Maria a double date a long time ago. Are you just not going to follow up on that?"

Itachi grumbled. "I was thinking dinner."

"And you think Maria is the type of person that is going to settle for just dinner?"

Itachi rolled his head over to look at him, pouting just a little. The next song started playing. He didn't bother changing it.

"Come on, baby, I'll make sure you have a good time."

"I wont sing."

Kisame shrugged. "You say that now."

"I'll say it then, too."

"Until I get a few drinks in you." He winked. "You said you trusted me, didn't you?"

Down for the ride
Down for the ride
Take me anywhere
I hope you will

Itachi shook his head. "The things I let you get away with."

"I cannot wait to push your boundaries on that."

Itachi sent him a dry look.

Kisame drummed his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the song. Itachi watched silently, the hand he loved so much tapping against black leather. He pulled their connected hands to him so he could lean his head against them. He stared out the window, at the red brake lights, at the random jumbles of license plate numbers, at the drivers and passengers frustrated with the traffic.

Itachi didn't mind the traffic.

Itachi could spend the rest of his life in the truck, with his love, watching the world pass by around him.

His eyes shifted back to Kisame.

I can give you everything you need
Need you in my reach
You know I fall really, really deep

"I'm sorry," he said, abrupt, interrupting the soft melody of the song.

Kisame raised his eyebrows, throwing him a glance in between checking traffic. "What on earth do you think you need to apologize for?"

Itachi stayed silent for just a second, eyes heavy with emotion. "I don't have a family for you."

"Wh—what?" Kisame turned in his seat to look at him, concerned and a little affronted. "What are you talking about."

Itachi looked away, back out the window. "You talked about how you want to bring me home with you so I can meet your family." He pressed his lips together. "I can't take you back to Japan and show you off to anyone. I can't introduce you to my parents. There's no one else; they're all gone, already. I have no family for you."

"Oh, Itachi," Kisame said softly. He let go of his face so he could cup his jaw. "Itachi that's nothing that you need to apologize for. Ever."

Itachi avoided his gaze. "You should keep your eyes on the road."

Kisame sighed. He reluctantly turned back to the road, but his eyes kept flicking right, watching Itachi.

Itachi looked sullen. "I have such a broken life," he said eventually, voice so quiet it was almost a whisper. "It doesn't feel fair. Like I'm not bringing enough to the table, or something." He wrinkled his nose. "I wish I could give you family, too." And then, so, so quiet, "My mother would have really liked you."

Kisame's whole heart ached. "Itachi, you're more than enough for me. I'm not worried about any of that." He tried not to sound too crestfallen for Itachi's sake. "And trust me, I have a big enough family for both of us." He reached over to grab his hand again. "I know I would have loved your parents, too. I already do, even if I never met them."

Itachi managed a brief ghost of a smile that didn't touch his eyes.

"Besides, you are giving me family."

Itachi tilted his head.

"You're giving me Sasuke, aren't you?"

Can I take your pain and make it go away?

Would you let me be your get away?

I bet you never knew

That there's a universe inside of you

Itachi's lips twitched. "Yes. He's definitely coming with me."

Kisame smiled, feeling Itachi's mood start to shift. "And hey—a sibling is the only thing I don't already have. So I've officially completed the collection."

Itachi snorted, shifting in his seat so he could get a little closer. "I see. Is that all you've been after this whole time?"

"Obviously." Kisame grinned again. "You think I wanted you? Please. I just wanted a brother."

Itachi smiled fully, pressing his cheek to the back of Kisame's hand again. "Well, you picked a good one." A few seconds of silence. "Thank you," he murmured.

Kisame let the words sit. "Is that what threw you off in the restaurant?"

"A little," he admitted. "I don't…I've never…." He frowned. "I have not had family for a very long time, and I certainly never operated in an extended family ever. I don't quite know…if I'll fit in."

Kisame shook his head, face soft. "You're going to fit right in, babe. Like you were made for us." Because Kisame thought he really might be. Fuck what Rhea said.

Itachi gazed at him. "And Sasuke?"

"Is absolutely going to love teaming up with my older cousin to make fun of me."

Itachi managed a little laugh. "Yes, that sounds like him."

If the world should end tomorrow

And we only have today

I'm gonna love you

In every kind of way

Kisame ran his thumb over Itachi's fingers. "You don't need to worry about that. About any of that. I promise you're overthinking it. And I'm going to take care of you no matter what."

"I don't need taking care of," Itachi mumbled.

"That is so insanely incorrect!"

"It's not," Itachi protested. "I can take care of myself just fine."

Kisame rolled his eyes. "Oh, is that so? Itachi, up until like a month ago you were eating one meal a day."

Itachi gestured to himself. "Do I look dead to you?"

Kisame's brows pinched. "If your standard of health is just not being dead, we definitely need to raise the bar."

Itachi dug his thumbnail into Kisame's hand. "You're bullying me again."

"Bullying you?" Kisame let his jaw fall open. "By wanting you to eat?"

Itachi grumbled again, feeling cornered. "Not everyone has to eat two thousand five hundred calories a day."

"No but they should eat more than, like, fifteen."

Itachi glowered. "Okay, fine, I didn't eat enough. You have one thing against me."

"Oh, so we're really going to be playing this game?"

"We are."

"You never slept enough. You were constantly running on fumes. You worked too much, you went days where you never stopped to take care of yourself. You didn't value your own personal care. You didn't do things you enjoyed, you never asked for help, you lied about everything, you refused—"

"Okay," Itachi interrupted, "I didn't ask you to kill me, geez!"

"You said we were doing this game."

Itachi glared at him. "So, this is really what you think of me, huh? I see. Everything is coming to light now."

Kisame snickered. "Never said any of that made me not love you. Just some observations. Are you still going to pretend you were even a halfway put together person when I met you?"

Itachi resisted, and then finally muttered, "No."

"S'what I thought," Kisame mumbled smugly under his breath.

They drove in silence for several extended seconds. Itachi stared out the window again, feeling the words deep in his chest.

"When you met me."

"Hm?"

"You said I was that way when you met me," Itachi clarified, pushing hair out of his face.

Kisame nodded, unsure of where he was going with this.

"But I'm not anymore? Is that what you mean?"

Kisame smiled slowly. "But you're not anymore," he agreed. "You're a different person. A better person—a whole person." He squeezed his hand again. "Still my favorite person on the whole goddamn planet."

Itachi blinked down at his lap. "And are you taking credit for that?"

Kisame pursed his lips and shook his head. "Nope. You changed. You did that—you made the choice and followed through with your actions. That was you." He shrugged one shoulder. "It's up to you do recognize what may have helped you along the way." He grinned again. "I can't say I won't enjoy a little credit."

Itachi let his head drop back to their clasped hands, and he slowly nuzzled against Kisame's knuckles.

Where you go I'll follow

No matter how far

If life is a movie

You're the best part

After Itachi was done trying to bury himself between Kisame's fingers—feeling incredibly vulnerable and fully out of words—one of Kisame's favorite songs came on. This was much more upbeat, and in Spanish. Kisame tried to get him to sing along again (never mind that Kisame barely knew half of the words).

"I don't speak Spanish," Itachi tried to protest.

Kisame raised his brows. "All those languages and you never bothered to learn Spanish?"

"That's grand from someone who barely knows two," Itachi responded.

"_"

"I was referring to your English tongue," Itachi said smartly.

"Oh, okay, we're really trying to be hurtful tonight, I see how it is."

Itachi squinted, not releasing his tight grip on his boyfriend's hand. "You got to point out all of my flaws this evening."

"Oh…." Kisame looked sad, and for a second Itachi thought he was going to be nice, but then, "Itachi, those weren't nearly all of your flaws."

Itachi shook his head and looked away, hiding his grin. "I can't stand you."

"We already discussed that you can sit on me instead."

Traffic sped by them out the window. "That's what you want tonight? For me to ride you?"

"No," Kisame said through a wicked grin, "as tempting as that sounds."

Itachi leaned over the console, letting his eyes drip into dark honey, the way he knew made Kisame hot and bothered. "What did you want tonight, then?"

Kisame licked his lips, flashing him smoldering glances. "Gonna fuck you senseless, babe. Gonna get you so loud the pillow won't do shit to muffle you."

Itachi kept his composure through the flutters in his stomach. He still wasn't used to not being in control; it was unknown waters, but turned him on so unbelievably much to think about completely surrendering to someone else, especially someone who already had his whole heart. "Is that so?"

Kisame looked so sure of himself.

Itachi's eyes flicked to the speedometer. He was driving even faster.

Good.

"I'm going to touch every inch of you. Gonna make your body mine. And if you ask nice enough, I'll follow it up with my tongue."

Itachi kept his expression neutral. "Oh, I'm asking, now?"

"I know what you want, Itachi, and it's not just my tongue or my fingers." He turned wicked again. "Although, I could keep you going all night with just that, if I wanted to."

Itachi clenched his jaw.

"I could make you beg."

Itachi just barely suppressed a shudder. "I could make you beg, too."

"Yeah," Kisame agreed easily. "But I have no shame in that. But you? Proper, elegant, spotless you? Drunk off of my body and begging for me to put my cock in you? Not the same."

Itachi shifted in his seat.

Why did Kisame's teeth look so sharp all the sudden? "Getting eager?" Why did Itachi want him to sink them into the skin all over his body?

"No," he replied, completely unconvincing, absently tracing Kisame's wrist.

Kisame chuckled, dark.

Itachi fondly remembered the first time they fucked, when Kisame was so nervous he could barely get Itachi undressed without tripping over himself.

Itachi could handle that. Itachi could stay in control like that.

But this…this wicked mouth, these implied fantasies—they were lighting Itachi on fire. They were making him want to give in and submit.

And Itachi Uchiha did not submit.

His previous sexual experiences had been clinical, dutiful. They weren't enjoyable, or erotic; he always kind of assumed it would stay that way. But now, with Kisame, he found he was more and more enjoying it and craving it.

And that was uncharted territory.

"We should talk about it sometime," he said, eventually, throat dry, heart thrumming.

"Talk about what?"

"Sex." His eyes flashed up. "I'd like to know all the things you're into. I'd like to know what to expect."

Kisame grinned. "A conversation like that will end only one way."

Itachi almost shivered at the thrill that swept through him. "Okay."

Kisame's eyes glinted. "And do I get to know all the things that you are into?"

Itachi shrugged a shoulder. "You know I don't have much experience."

"Ah, true. I guess our only option is to find out through practice.

Itachi let his eyes close. "Looks like it."

He was acting bolder than he felt, encouraging Kisame the way he was, since he was almost sure he didn't fully anticipate what he was getting himself into. It didn't help that Kisame had suddenly become uncharacteristically quiet, that impish grin faded but not gone. Itachi kept his hand, thumb brushing over it lightly, until they parked in Kisame's driveway. Itachi got out and stretched, eyes locked on Kisame, waiting for him to pounce like a predator. His body language was languid, though, and he spun his key around his finger lackadaisically as they walked to unlock the front door.

That changed once they were inside.

Itachi turned around to close and lock the door—and abruptly found himself smashed against it, Kisame's large, warm body pressing impossibly close. Teeth were at his neck, hands already grasping him under his shirt.

"Well, then," Itachi said breathlessly, turning his face so his cheek was pressed against the door, "you didn't wait long."

Kisame groaned, hand drifting down to cover Itachi's crotch. "Want you so bad."

"Good thing you have me, then."

Kisame whirled him around at that, so he could kiss him.

And oh, did he kiss him.

Itachi was fully ready to submit his body to Kisame's hands and mouth. Every cell in his body was encouraging him to do it. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, giving into Kisame, letting himself beg, and all those other dirty things he had said; it would be so good, Kisame would make him feel so good….

Kisame got his shirt off effortlessly, (he barely even registered it, too focused on licking Kisame's tongue), and those big, calloused hands found his waist. He let out a breath, mouth slipping open, at the feeling. Kisame's nose nudged under his jaw, tilting his head back so his neck was exposed to be kissed all over. Kisame grunted, pushing him back against the door again, and pressed tight against him.

"Ah, Kisame," Itachi murmured, feeling like he was truly melting, eyes fluttering. He wanted to kiss him more, just to do something so it didn't feel like he was drowning, but Kisame was quite occupied with his skin. He gripped onto Kisame's arms, warm, soft, but firm with muscle.

Kisame bent down to kiss his chest, and then even farther to lick over the very gentle swells of his ribs. "I want to devour you," he muttered, voice so dark it edged on a growl.

"Do it, then," Itachi breathed, one hand tangled in hair (hair that was only blue at the tips, now, since Kisame was growing it out).

Yes, he decided, it would be worth it to let Kisame have the reigns.

Kisame paused for a moment, as if he was analyzing Itachi's encouragement, and then dropped down to his knees, two fingers eagerly hooking into the band of his pants. He licked across Itachi's belly button, and then bit down in the soft skin just beneath it. He hurried to pop the button of Itachi's jeans.

Itachi's jaw slacked open, slow, silent, head falling forward, and he yanked Kisame's hair. "Ah—bed. Kisame, bed."

Kisame grunted, standing up and taking hold of Itachi's arms. He grinned as he pulled him towards the stairs. He didn't waste any time once they reached the bed. He made quick work of Itachi's pants, leaving the teasing behind. He pulled them down his thighs, biting over Itachi's hipbones, which got the sweetest, tiniest grunts out of Itachi.

He was tugging them off Itachi's ankles when they started vibrating. He paused, eyes flicking up to Itachi, who sent him an exasperated glance.

"Ignore it!"

Kisame grinned and kissed back up his body. He got to Itachi's neck and licked over his adam's apple. "I'm gonna fuck your brains out. Gonna make your toes curl, baby, gonna make your vision swim, gonna keep you feeling me for days."

And then, completely unexpectedly, and a little breathlessly, "Bet."

Kisame blinked, pulling back. "Who taught you that?"

Itachi snickered. "I listen to Naruto and Sasuke argue a lot. Did I use it correctly?"

"Yes. But that was a little rude, Itachi, while I'm trying to dirty talk you."

Itachi tugged on him, pulling him back down. "Why don't you stop talking, then, and make me feel you for days."

Kisame situated himself on top and grinded down slow and rough, pinning Itachi's left wrist to the bed so he could feel it flex as Itachi squirmed.

Itachi wiggled a little, getting his legs to fall open more, eager.

His pants started buzzing again.

"Oh for fucks sake," Kisame muttered, leaning up to kiss Itachi.

He had about three seconds of bliss (as Itachi locked his legs around his back) before the phone started buzzing again.

Kisame groaned, dropping his head down. Itachi sighed and let his legs down. "Let me get it."

"Can't you just turn it off?" Kisame suggested hopefully.

Itachi kneeled and leaned over the bed, snagging his jeans and fishing the phone out of the pocket. He glanced at it, and then wiggled the screen at Kisame, which had the infuriating caller ID "Otouto (spinning heart emoji)" and smiled. "No dice." He did hold a hand out for Kisame to take, guiding him back against him, and nuzzled into his neck while he answered.

Kisame snapped his underwear band.

Itachi pinched him.

Kisame thought that Itachi's patience might be the death of him.

"Yes, Sasuke?" He asked, voice impressively clear.

Kisame kissed against Itachi temple, head still swimming with how damn hungry he was. He wasn't so lost in his mind that he didn't notice the way Itachi suddenly stiffened in his arms.

He pulled back a little, tilting his head. Itachi had the most horribly distraught expression on his face.

"Oh."

"Babe?" Kisame whispered, cupping his cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke, I should have never—"

Kisame's brow furrowed, one hand stroking over his hair.

"Okay, yeah. Okay." His eyes flicked up. "I'll talk to Kisame about it." He paused, nodded, and then realized that Sasuke couldn't see that on the other line. "Of course. And—Sasuke? Stay with Naruto or Suigetsu tonight, okay? I'm not going to be home. Love you; I'll talk to you tomorrow." He hung up the phone and frowned down at the mattress.

"Itachi?" Kisame pulled him a little closer. "Itachi, did something happen?"

"Kind of," he said after a moment. "Shikamaru found Marcus."

Kisame paused. "Oh."

Itachi laughed. "Oh," he echoed. "He traced the emails he sent. He had to get around a few proxies, but he managed to pin down the IP and trace the address. Apparently, he sent it from Best Buy, the one down by Costco. We're thinking that he works there."

"What a dumbass," Kisame interjected, brow furrowed.

"Yeah," Itachi repeated. "Maybe he thought he would get some anonymity if it wasn't a personal address." His brow furrowed as he fiddled with some fuzz on the blanket. "He apparently tried to retaliate against Shikamaru by hacking into his computer. Shikamaru's computer detected it, and thankfully he knows much more about software and data protection, so Marcus wasn't successful."

Kisame shook his head and let out a breath of air, jaw flexing. "He's such a piece of shit."

Itachi nodded a little absently.

Kisame kept his eyes on him. "Guess that means we're taking a field trip soon, huh?"

He nodded again.

They sat in silence for a few seconds. Itachi suddenly shook his head as if he was clearing it.

"Ah, Kisame, we don't need to talk about this right now." He grabbed his hand. "We were in the middle of something—"

Kisame wrinkled his nose. "Nah. That was kind of a mood killer, not going to lie."

Itachi paused, frowned, and then flopped back onto the bed. "It was."

Kisame laid down on the bed next to him. After a beat, "Well, that sucks. Things were really getting good, too."

He snorted, pressing a palm to his forehead. "That has got to be the worst cock block in recorded history."

"Yeah," Kisame agreed, "this is up there."

Itachi rolled his head to the side so he could look at him. "I wanted to have sex with you."

"I assure you, I wanted that too. It's no worries, though. We have," Kisame grabbed the back of his hand, kissing his skin, "all the time in the world to have sex. We have a whole future of having sex." He kissed him again. "I will make sure of it."

Itachi smiled a little. "I'm sure you will." He reached out, brushing the back of his fingers against Kisame's cheek. "It is your fault, after all."

His eyebrows shot up. "My fault?"

"Yes." Itachi looked very coy, and very sure of himself. "This is karma for being so nasty all night."

"Are you telling me the universe is a prude?" He laughed. "I don't know if I quite agree with that. If anything, I think the universe wants us to bone."

"And why is that?"

"'Cause we look hot as fuck when we get it on." He ignored the eyeroll. "Besides, isn't that how the natural order goes? More fucking so you get more reproduction and life goes on?"

Itachi laughed a little. "I hate to break it to you, Kisame, but I don't think we will be reproducing any time soon."

"No? We'll just have to try really hard, lots and lots of times, to be sure."

A snort.

More silence. The clock ticked on the wall.

Itachi properly twined their finger together and let out a sigh, turning his head back toward the ceiling.

"Hey," Kisame said softly, still looking at him. "You wanna talk about it?"

"'Bout not having sex?"

Kisame rolled his eyes. "No, silly. About Marcus."

Itachi shrugged after just a second of hesitation. "If you want."

"It's not about what I want." Kisame squeezed his hand. "It's about what you need."

Itachi rolled his head back to him. His eyes were so dark and, tonight, encrypted. They held Kisame's gaze for several seconds before he turned his head away again.

"I'm excited."

"Excited?" That was definitely not was Kisame was expecting.

"I am ready for resolution. To put this behind me. To prove to myself that I am stronger than he wants me to believe." He smiled. "And then, maybe then, I can finally have uninterrupted sex with my super hunky boyfriend."

Kisame chuckled. "Super hunky?"

"Yes. Go on, take the compliment and get a big head, as you always do. Crow like a rooster."

Kisame closed his eyes and laughed softly. "I suppose I shouldn't comment on the 'big head' thing."

"Not if you ever want big head."

Kisame grinned. He stared at a fixed spot on the sheet for a minute. "Hey. Seriously. I'm so proud of you for being able to say that you know you're stronger. For acknowledging that you didn't deserve to go through that."

Itachi smiled a little, eyes still on the ceiling.

"I love you, Itachi." He squeezed his hand again, tight, meaningful, portraying what words couldn't.

Itachi looked at him again, and then fully rolled over onto his side. "I love you, too."

"Love you more."

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh."

Itachi smiled fully, pulling Kisame's face toward him to kiss. "And you say we aren't a cornball couple yet."

Kisame pinched his waist. "So now you're gonna make joint playlists with me, right?"

"I think tonight proved I don't know nearly enough about music, Kisame," he said. Kisame started kissing his neck, squeezing him tight, and he couldn't help but laugh a little. "I can't stand you."

"You just said that you love me."

"I lied."

"I don't think so." Kisame kissed his temple. "You also said something about bemoaning not having sex with me."

"I just want you for your body, Kisame."

"Ha!" Kisame snorted loudly at that. He reached his other hand up, cupping Itachi's face. They stayed silent for several seconds. Kisame's gaze traced every curve of his face, memorizing, for the millionth time, the appearance of the most precious thing in his world. Then, quietly, nearly a whisper, "You are amazing beyond words, Itachi Uchiha."

Itachi met his eyes again. And, instead of a witty comeback, or a denial, or playful banter, his expression stayed calm, a little somber around the edges. "Thank you," he said softly.

"I'm never going to let you forget that."

His lips twitched. "Never? Not ever?"

"Never," Kisame repeated. "Not for the rest of our lives."

Itachi scrubbed the dishes a little angry.

Kisame had dropped him off at his apartment two days before with a nuzzle and a kiss, that heart melting grin, and some crooning about seeing each other again soon.

It was an exceptionally good date, despite the evening going a bit awry. And that was because….

Itachi's hand paused over the red plate he was cleaning, watching suds slip off of his skin and melt back into the water.

They had had a very…casual conversation about getting married. Neither of them said the word, but that's what it had to have meant, right? They talked about their families coming together, Kisame even said something about Sasuke being his brother….

Itachi should have been on cloud nine. He should have been overjoyed, that the man who completed his heart was so naturally talking about committing to him for the long run.

But there was something about the night that hadn't sat well with him; it was an off kilter, uncomfortable little knot in his chest. He couldn't shake the feeling.

Why had Marcus emailed him from his work? He didn't even use a throwaway—his name was in the address. And then to go and harass Shikamaru? Why was he trying to make himself so noticeable? That didn't seem to match his plans. Itachi already knew it was him, he had for a long time; he had been so sly for so long, just taunting him—so why make himself so obvious now, when Itachi was clearly ready to retaliate?

It wasn't right.

Something was wrong.

And he clearly wasn't done. He had something else planned, and the bolder he got, the more Itachi felt the need to fret about what that something could be.

Itachi had thought that it was for the sake of anonymity, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was just a really good excuse.

So what was he trying to do?

Itachi knew him. He knew that he did not act randomly, that it was not a mistake or a coincidence. He wanted something. He was trying to tell Itachi something.

Itachi didn't think he was going to like what it was.

"You are such a moron!"

Naruto laughed with uncontrolled glee.

Sasuke glowered, trying to wipe the brownie batter off of his face—he only succeeded in smearing it around.

"Hey, now," Suigetsu unhelpfully called from the couch, "you two love birds better just be baking, no foreplay, ya hear?"

"Could you fuck off?" Sasuke growled, barely allowing Naruto to wipe down his cheek with a damp cloth.

"I am keeping an eye on them," Juugo said, looking at the back of the box. "Did anyone preheat the oven?"

"Yes!" Karin said from her seat on the couch. "It should be ready in a few minutes."

Sasuke decidedly took the brownie bowl from Naruto and stirred it himself to avoid anymore confectionary attacks. He glared at him every time he tried to get close.

"Aw, come on, Sauce, let me help!"

"You lost those privileges."

Naruto wiggled closer, eyes mischievous. "Would you have rather me licked the batter off you?"

Sasuke elbowed him in the chest.

He collapsed to the ground with a wail.

"I think this is ready," he spoke to Juugo, ignoring his boyfriend's dramatic deathbed speech on the floor.

"I've already greased the pan," Juugo replied.

Sasuke shook his head, relieved. "At least one person here is helpful."

Juugo smiled.

"Hey," Suigetsu said again, still not looking up from Breath of the Wild, "remind me why we're making normal brownies again?"

"You dumbass!" Karin yelled. "You know Juugo gets drug tested for vet school! Think about someone other than yourself for once!"

"Can we not make two pans?"

Sasuke ignored them both, letting them bicker their hearts out, as he poured the thick, brown goo into the pan in folds. Juugo helpfully set the timer and opened the oven door for him. He slid the pan onto the top rack, blinking at the billow of heat that hit his face.

Naruto scrambled up off the floor, gave Sasuke a fat kiss on his cheek, and then fled to the couch.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He sat down on the couch next to him, anyway.

"Suigetsu, can't we at least play a game we can all play?" Karin protested, pouting.

"It's my switch."

"And it's my house," Sasuke shot back, wrapping his hand around Naruto's ankle when he sprawled out.

Suigetsu groaned. "First no weed, and now I can't even play Zelda? This friend group is a prison."

"Then leave it," Karin sniffed.

They did manage to wrangle the controller away from him to put in Mario cart. They took turns playing, since they didn't have enough controllers for all of them. This featured Naruto throwing himself over Sasuke's back and yelling in his ear when he was losing, which in turn had Sasuke swearing at him in Japanese. It also included Karin and Suigetsu endlessly calling each other names when either got anything other than first place.

Sasuke took solace in Juugo. At least there was one sane person amongst them.

When the oven beeped, Sasuke set the controller down mid match to rescue the brownies.

"Sasuke," Naruto squawked, scrambling for the remote, "you're in first place, what are you doing?!"

"It's a video game," he deadpanned, donning a pair of blue oven mitts.

"What's with the brownies, anyways," Suigetsu asked just as he ran straight into a banana peel. "Fuck you, Karin, I know that was you!"

"You don't know jack shit!"

Suigetsu huffed. "You've never been much of a baker, Sauce."

Sasuke was ever annoyed that that particular nickname caught on. Fucking Naruto.

Naruto snickered. "You didn't tell them?"

"Tell us what?"

"Shut up," Sasuke muttered darkly, setting the hot pan on the stove.

"Tell us what?" Karin insisted, not even noticing that she was getting inked and racing off a cliff.

Sasuke carefully slid a spatula around the edges of the pan so it wouldn't cool off stuck to it. "Maybe I just like brownies, huh?"

"Except you definitely don't like sweet food," Suigetsu fired back, "especially not chocolate, so your story isn't adding up."

Naruto giggled again, hunkering down as if he could physically avoid Sasuke's seething gaze.

"Tell us!" Karin insisted, getting excited. "What's going on!"

"Nothing," he snapped, "is going on. Enough, play your stupid video game."

Naruto, deciding that whatever Sasuke would retaliate with was worth it, piped up, "The neighbor made Itachi brownies the other day, and he loved them. So Sasuke wants to make them for onii-chan, too."

Sasuke glared absolute daggers.

"Aw, Sauce," Suigetsu crooned, giving a toothy grin. "How cute."

"Shut up," he muttered.

"Don't get all tsundere on us now, Sasuke!"

"Could all of you stop trying to speak Japanese? It hurts to hear my language butchered." He took off the oven mitts and threw them on the counter. "Only Juugo has permission since he took Japanese lessons."

"And me!" Naruto cried. "I have permission!"

"You," Sasuke said, pointing, "have less permission than anyone here."

"Boo! I'll get onii-chan's permission!"

"Stop calling him that!"

"Onii-chan! Onii-chan, onii-chan, onii—"

The door opened; no one heard it unlock through the yelling.

"Is someone calling me?" Itachi asked, tilting his head.

"Onii-chan!" Naruto shouted happily, throwing his hands in the air.

Itachi smiled a little. "Hello, there, Naruto." He paused as he closed the door behind him. "It smells good in here."

"Sasuke made you brownies," Suigetsu supplied helpfully.

Sasuke's bad mood was soothed at the warm look Itachi sent him.

"Arigatou, Otouto," he murmured.

"Do you want to come play Mario Kart, Itachi?" Karin asked, swiveling around on the recliner.

"Ah," he replied, setting his keys on the counter and taking his bag off, "maybe in a bit. I have some things to do, and I need to call Kisame first."

"Video call?" Suigetsu leered.

Itachi sent him a dry look.

Karin slammed a pillow straight in his face.

"Thank you," Sasuke muttered to her.

Itachi chuckled, filling a cup with water before retreating back to his room.

"Man," Suigetsu said, stretching out, "I still can't believe my cousin is banging your brother."

"That's it," Sasuke snapped, dodging forward and snatching the controller from his hands. "You're in time out."

"What? No fair!"

"Yes, fair," Karin said. "You've been hogging this whole game. Let Juugo play for once."

Suigetsu grumbled, tried to fight back, but eventually settled into the couch with his arms crossed and his expression disgruntled. He watched them play another round, in which Naruto won, something no one could explain. He tried to weasel his way back in, but the others stubbornly refused to give up a controller.

He eventually wandered into the kitchen to snag a brownie.

"Cut them neatly," Sasuke ordered.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered.

He was chewing on a corner piece (Sasuke made a damn good brownie; he could admit to that internally, although he wasn't going to say it out loud) when he saw Itachi's head poke around the corner of the hallway.

He motioned to him with one finger.

Suigetsu raised his eyebrows, but otherwise didn't protest, shoving the rest of the brownie into his mouth and following Itachi down the hallway.

"Wassup?" he asked. Itachi looked off. "Everything okay?"

"Of course." A flash of an unconvincing smile. "I have a favor I need from you. And I would ask that you keep this between us."

This is a bad idea.

Itachi very pointedly ignored the voice in his head, and gut, and heart, as he walked through the parking lot.

Nothing could go wrong. Itachi was in control. Everything was going to be fine. As long as Sasuke or Kisame didn't find out, Itachi knew everything would go smoothly.

God, he hoped Suigetsu would be smart enough to keep his mouth shut. Hopefully Kisame didn't talk to him this afternoon; wouldn't that just be his fucking luck?

It was times like this he kicked himself for not getting a license sooner.

He fidgeted with the car key in his pocket. Suigetsu had a ridiculous dead pool figurine attached to the key chain, and Itachi let his thumb run over it again and again, trying to memorize each bump and curve. It was something to do. Something to distract himself.

He stepped up onto the sidewalk, around a man smoking and glaring, and stepped out of the way for someone holding a giant computer monitor.

The air conditioning made him shiver, the blast from the doors ruffling his hair.

"Hello, would you like to become apart of our membership program?"

Itachi gave a half-hearted smile to the girl at the door. She was short, with a thick black braid, brown skin, and thick glasses. "No, thank you," he murmured, walking by her.

His eyes scanned the store. He had no idea what he was looking for.

"Hello, sir, can I help you choose a smartphone today?"

His eyes flicked down; the display of Samsung Galaxies was completely innocuous, but they still agitated him. "No," he mumbled, moving through that department.

He walked through an aisle of phone cases and accessories. There were people walking on all sides of him, and it all felt like some kind of obstacle. His fight or flight response was keening high in his mind, but he ignored it.

He was not weak. He was going to prove it.

He stopped again in the camera section, still not finding what he was looking for, and ducked away from a worker before he even had the chance to ask if he needed help.

And then—

He pressed his lips together as he slipped around a display of macbooks, eyes set on a large sign that said 'PC customer service center.'

There was only one person at the desk, who was looking down at a tablet. He had shaggy brown hair. Tan skin. Itachi could picture each freckle across the bridge of his nose.

Itachi stepped in front of the table. The man did not look up; rude. Itachi rapped his knuckles on the desk, impatient.

He finally looked up.

That smile.

That really was his weakness, wasn't it?

"You finally came," the man said, chocolate brown eyes radiating false warmth. "I've been waiting for you."