She Deserves Better
Silver's Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. There will be some pretty suggestive yaoi in this one, but no lemons in that flavor. Warnings will be put up before and after those scenes. You can skip them, if you want and the plot won't be altered. My coauthor and I do think that they are hilarious scenes though.
Chapter 25
At least this time when he started awake, there was no screaming. Sasuke woke without a sound, shivering at the feeling of that hissing voice slithering through his ears. He hated it, it tortured his sleep now as much as it had his life all those months ago. Relentless, unforgiving, a malicious presence that had rooted itself deep inside him, and was going to stay no matter what.
Knowing that there's no way he can go back to sleep after another nightmare like that, Sasuke dresses himself and heads downstairs. If he's awake, he might as well make breakfast for whenever Itachi wakes up. His big brother did like to sleep in as much as he did, even if Sasuke was in the habit of waking up early.
Heading into the kitchen, he notices long black hair splayed out on the arm of the couch. Itachi must have been anxious and stayed up too late. The idiot. Who got so worked up over their little brother fainting? He'd been in worse situations than that. Well, at least physically.
Warning Kakashi x Itachi Scene
So, grabbing a blanket, Sasuke heads over to the couch, intending to cover Itachi. Only… "Kakashi!?" What the hell was his commander doing here…naked…on the couch with Itachi!? He throws the blanket over them and turns around, covering his eyes as he backs away from the couch. "The hell?" What the fuck was the colonel doing cuddling in his birthday suit with his big brother!?
Itachi snuggles closer to the warmth. He was perfectly content at the moment, until he heard someone talking. "Mmm?" Rudely interrupting him from his afterglow sleep.
That voice sounded familiar. Familiar enough that Itachi's eyes slowly fluttered open and he sees his baby brother. "Sasuke?" Damn it. He had been caught snuggling up to a most likely still naked Kakashi on the couch...by his brother who was suffering from PTSD. Great. Now he had just traumatized him further!
Sasuke keeps his eyes covered, now knowing that Itachi is awake. "…Well, I guess I was half right. It wasn't Kisame topping you. Why the fuck did it have to be my commander, though? I thought you were still pissed at him!" Itachi wasn't fond of the military, Sasuke knew that very well. And yet, here he was snuggled up to a colonel. The colonel who lost track of Sasuke no less. Not that it was Kakashi's fault.
"I don't know what your obsession with my position preference is." Itachi rolls his eyes. "Give me a moment, keep your eyes covered. That's if you don't want another eyeful." Once he confirms the state of Sasuke's eyes, Itachi quickly throws on a pair of boxers to preserve some of his modesty and then walks over to him.
This probably wasn't his finest moment. "I wasn't angry with Kakashi." Getting caught by his baby brother sleeping with his Commanding Officer. "Not exactly, anyway. I was angry at the situation and he was just...within striking range."
"Right…" Sasuke opens his eyes carefully. "And you slept with Kakashi because…?" He pauses, a few gears whirring into place. "THAT'S why you asked me about which team he swings for!?" Oh no, what had he done!? He was never going to be able to burn these images out of his head!
This was going to sound awful. "Well he seemed a little too interested in whether or not Kisame was my lover." There was no way to make this sound not awful, Itachi decides. "So I thought that he might be jealous, but I wasn't entirely certain that he liked men." Itachi crosses his arms and looks away. "And...after everything that was going on, I guess I just needed a pleasant distraction. He's attractive, loyal, strong, and he cares for you. He's...helped me a lot since you went missing." What more was there to say really?
Sasuke looks determinedly away from Itachi. "Well…I guess if I have to pick my trauma, it should at least be the one that gets me good blackmail material."
"Well I suppose that's one way to look at it." After all, Itachi hadn't been thinking clearly the night before. "Though I'm not sure how much material you'll have." They hadn't exactly signed any exclusivity clauses. For all Itachi knew and it was probably more likely than not, Kakashi would pawn it off to being about comfort and feel guilty about sleeping with him because he was Sasuke's brother. "It was...something of a heat of the moment thing." Though he'd admit to thinking about it unconsciously for awhile.
"Heat of the moment…right." Like Sasuke bought that. He doubted that Kakashi would have slept with his brother if it were only that. "Well, I guess you DID have a use for the couch after all. Now you can't be annoyed about me and Hinata using it first."
End of Kakashi x Itachi Scene
Itachi couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You really are foolish sometimes." He glances back at Kakashi. "Well thankfully, he appears to be a rather heavy sleeper for someone in the military." Should he tell Sasuke now or later? Before, he could fully decide, Sasuke's cell rang. Text message.
Morning, Sasuke. Did you sleep well? ~ Hinata
Sasuke smiles sadly at his girlfriend's text. She was sweet, but she really should know better than to ask that question.
No, but I didn't wake anyone up this time. So that might be a good sign. ~ Sasuke
That's progress. I was wondering, if you could do me a really big favor. I completely understand, if you don't want to though. ~ Hinata
What's the favor? ~ Sasuke
He knew better than to make a promise he might not be able to keep before even hearing the conditions. After all, considering his situation, there was a lot of things that he couldn't do.
The others are really glad you're back. A few of our high school friends want to celebrate your return. Not that many. Just a handful. I know that it's a lot to ask, but I can make it worth your while later ;) Page 220? ~ Hinata
Page two hundred and twenty? Sasuke smirks at the thought of THAT page. But a party…well, if it was just their friends, then that was a small circle. That shouldn't be too bad, right?
Are Naruto, Suigetsu and Karin going? ~ Sasuke
Most likely. I doubt wild horses could keep them away. ~ Hinata
Itachi chuckles. "Well it sounds like you're going to be having some fun." He glances at the phone. "One way or another."
"Shut up, Itachi. Go back to letting Kakashi shove his "gun" where he wants to."Sasuke was never going to let that go, never. Now, Sasuke could get back at Itachi for all of the annoying stunts he'd pulled when they were younger.
To his utter mortification, Itachi feels his face burn with embarrassment. "You're a little sadistic sometimes and not so loud!" The last thing he needed was for Kakashi to wake up before Itachi had even decided what he was going to do or not do about the situation!
Sasuke chuckles at Itachi's discomfort, focusing on the text again. As long as he had people there who could keep him calm, and no one there he either didn't know, or who was shoving uncomfortable questions in his face, he could get through one private party.
Then I think I can handle it. ~ Sasuke
Great! Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do great. I love you. ~ Hinata
Maybe she'd even dress up for the occasion. There was a fancy department store nearby. She might be able to find something elvish…
Sasuke puts the phone away, smirking at his big brother, before raising his voice. "Hey Kakashi, get up, I'm making breakfast!" That was usually the quickest way to get his not-so-heavy sleeper of a commander out of bed. He was just lazy.
Itachi glares at Sasuke. "I'm going to tell Hinata that you're ticklish for that one." He grumbles under his breath. "Prick."
"Love you too." Sasuke snickers as he disappears into the kitchen.
When Sasuke is out of sight, Kakashi sits up with a smirk on his face. "What was that about my gun?"
He wasn't proud of it, but Itachi squeaks! "How long have you been awake?" It suddenly dawned on him that Kakashi might not have actually been asleep. He might have been faking it.
"Since Sasuke opened the door upstairs." He would be a poor excuse for a colonel if he didn't wake up at the slightest hint of movement. He just knew who it was, and was feeling lazy about it.
Itachi swats at him. "You let us get caught on purpose! You could have warned me that he was coming downstairs!" Instead of having his foolish little brother get an eyeful.
Warning Kakashi x Itachi Scene
Kakashi catches Itachi's wrist, pulling him down for a sloppy kiss. "At least it got his mind off the nightmare he woke up from."
The elder Uchiha Brother was less than pleased that his swat had been blocked, but he was planning on going in for another one. "Mmpf!" Until Kakashi kissed him, anyway. "I guess that's true." And despite the situation, he found himself kissing back.
"You two are NOT having sex again while I'm awake." Sasuke's voice floats out of the kitchen, accompanied by the smell of bacon, eggs, and the sound of sizzling grease. "Unless you want to be the subject of the platoon's next betting pool."
Cockblocked by his own brother. "We weren't going to have sex again!" Such cruelty! "Pervert!" Maybe, they would have. Maybe, they wouldn't have, but Itachi could have done without the commentary. "You had better saved me some bacon and those eggs better be sunnyside up!"
"There's two packs of bacon, and the eggs are sunny-side up, scrambled, and poached the way Kakashi likes them." There's some more sizzling, the smell swirling into the air. "Do you two want sausages, or have you got it covered?"
"I'm sorry, I thought my foolish little brother was twenty-six and not sixteen." Itachi rolls his eyes. "Unbelievable." Honestly! He was never going to live this down.
Kakashi chuckles amusedly as he slides his arms around Itachi. "It's good to hear him so lively again. It's one of the reasons he appealed to me when I was recruiting at the academy. This was quite normal in his platoon, it brought them all closer together." Jokes and the occasional prank, cooking and sleeping together, platonically for the most part. But it was like having a bunch of teenagers around, very intelligent and very skilled teenagers, but it was fun and lively whenever the situation didn't call for complete seriousness.
Itachi feels himself blush again at the arm wrapping. "Yes, I suppose so. Though I'll be sure to show Hinata, Sasuke's baby pictures." Apparently, Kakashi didn't have an issue with him being Sasuke's brother. Not if the kissing and the holding was anything to go by.
"Now that's something I'd like to see." Kakashi's eyes twinkle at the prospect of seeing the early years of his favorite captain.
"Don't even think about it, Itachi." Sasuke emerges from the kitchen, carrying three plates of food, setting to of them down on the coffee table. "And get dressed or I'll call Naruto over to arrest you both for indecency."
"Indecency?! It's my fucking apartment!" Itachi gives him a dirty look. "Even if your friend is a cop, I doubt he can arrest me for being naked in my own apartment." He nods at Kakashi. "I'll get you the pictures."
"Just get dressed, dammit." Sasuke sits in the armchair, picking at his full plate of food, looking anywhere BUT at his brother. The last thing he needed was to see what Kakashi was hiding under the blanket.
Kakashi shakes his head. "Sometimes, I wonder how you and Hinata have the gall to borrow the pool when you're so bashful, Sasuke." That turns a certain face beet red in an instant.
Itachi smirks at that and quickly goes to get dressed. "Oh I'm sure that he's less shy in private." Though he did honestly wonder how that worked. Hinata really did strike him as an extremely shy woman and Sasuke had inherited a few of Fugaku's more aloof tendencies.
Sasuke's glaring doesn't let up, even when everyone is fully dressed. This is not the kind of shit he needed to deal with this morning. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around how THIS happened. And why is Kakashi even here in the first place?"
"I thought that it would be best to have two people to watch over you last night." Itachi debates on telling Sasuke the real reason why. "We'll discuss why later. You still have a party to enjoy." But he didn't want to spoil the fun. "As for how, well...it just kinda happened.
Sasuke's brain immediately starts working over time. "Wait, you felt like someone else needed to watch me last night…and you called a highly trained military officer to come and spend the night?" He eyes Kakashi carefully, noticing the Beretta. "Armed?"
Itachi mentally braces himself. "It can wait until after the party. Sasuke, go ahead and have some fun." He didn't want to ruin it when Sasuke was so close to regaining some sense of normalcy. It could wait. Besides, there was going to be several military officers and two cops there. He'd be safe.
Eyeing his brother suspiciously, Sasuke decides if it's something urgent, Itachi would tell him now, and maybe not even let him go see his friends. Still…if it was important enough for Kakashi to get called in, it had to be something serious. "Fine, but you ARE telling me when I get back."
"Yes, I'll tell you then. Just be a normal twenty something for once." Itachi shakes his head as he looks at him with worried eyes. "Have fun. Go out with your friends. Be with your girlfriend." And for the love of God, don't think about being a POW for a few hours. When he got his hands on Orochimaru he was going to tear him to shreds. There would be nothing left to bury.
Sasuke rolls his eyes, getting up from the chair and heading towards the bathroom. "Fine, I get it, get me out of the house so you two can do…whatever it is you do when Itachi's on the bottom." Never letting it go. "Give me half an hour, and I'll be gone till tomorrow." After all, Hinata had promised him some fun. He'd probably be out all night.
"I still don't know why you assume that I'm on the bottom, stereotypical jerk!" He was going to get eyestrain from rolling his eyes this much.
"Because you've got the most hickeys, and Kakashi looks too smug to have been on the bottom!" Sasuke grabs some fresh clothes and shuts himself in the bathroom, drowning out any further conversation with the sound of a hot shower.
Itachi swats at Kakashi. "You gave me hickeys?!" Honestly, the man was even worse than Sasuke!
"You weren't complaining about that last night." Kakashi catches the swat again. Honestly, Itachi may have been an FBI agent, but Kakashi had been doing this since he was a teenager.
"That is not the point!" Itachi feels his face flush. If he didn't cover those hickeys, he might as well have it stamped on his forehead that he had just gotten very lucky.
"I do believe that WAS the point, but if you'd rather delude yourself into thinking otherwise, that's fine, I'll just have to teach you the point again." Kakashi chuckles at the embarrassed and flushed face before him. "There's more than just the couch available, after all."
Itachi really didn't know how to respond to that. While he had been selective in his choice of partners, he wasn't a blushing virgin. "You're awfully presumptuous." It was just he was used to being the aggressor. So Kakashi's behavior was making him feel a bit like a teenager again.
"Should I not be? You seemed to like it, though." Kakashi leans back against the couch, smiling amiably.
"I don't think you need me to stroke your ego. I'm certain your aware of what your skill level is when it comes to these...situations." Fucking fantastic, but he wasn't going to say that. "Still we should probably focus on keeping Sasuke safe first."
Kakashi nods. "That does have to be a priority. However, unless you plan to stalk Sasuke at the party, and then his girlfriend's house, there's no much for you to do. Unless…" He eyes Itachi cautiously. "You mentioned that there was a group forming to deal with the problem. Should I assume that you'll be going to join them soon?"
"You should." It'd probably be a good idea for him to take Kakashi with him. "You can come with me, if you want." Damn it. That sounded wrong!
"No, you should go and meet with this group alone." Kakashi reaches into his pocket for his phone. "I will see what I can do about tracking down some leads from my end. I've made some friends over the years who might be able to help. I can't guarantee any good information, but one of them might have something I can use."
Itachi glances at him. "Alright. Stay safe. Orochimaru is obsessed with Sasuke. His obsession might also apply to you." Albeit more indirectly.
Kakashi kisses him goodbye, getting up from his seat. "If Orochimaru approaches me, he won't be walking away from it." That much he could guarantee. If that snake got anywhere near him, he'd be dead faster than anyone could blink.
Itachi nods as he touches his lips after the kiss and heads off. "What have I gotten myself into?"
End of Kakashi x Itachi Scene
Sasuke would be lying if he said he wasn't a little nervous about this. But on the other hand, Naruto was going to be there, and Suigetsu and Karin, who would probably drag Jugo there, he was definitely fine around Hinata, and he doubted that anyone else was going to be a problem. Still, he wasn't quite sure what to expect as he walked towards Hinata's house.
It seems that they'd gotten the bright idea to hold the party there, in a place Sasuke was familiar with. That was fine, it meant that he could just stay over after the part. After all, Hinata had once suggested he move in. This was…baby steps.
Hinata smiles as she bounds over to greet him. "The others are waiting inside." She kisses his cheek. "You're so brave. Thank you for doing this."
"It's better than being where I just was…" Sasuke was still trying desperately to scrub the images out of his eidetic memory. With no success.
She kisses him lightly. "Mmm…I know. Ino and Naruto are the only ones that know about us." They were still outside. Everyone else was inside. "So it's up to you if you want them to know."
She knew? Oh hell no she didn't, but Sasuke would tell her about that later. No need to break THAT news just yet. Still, Sasuke kisses her back with a smile. "It's fine, I don't mind if they know. They'll find out sooner or later anyway." That, and he was sure he'd try to sneak in a few kisses during the party. Well, a few, or a few dozen. It didn't matter which.
Hinata smiles as she wraps her arms around his neck. "Good. I"d be lying, if I said the idea of showing you off a bit didn't appeal to me." She figured they were inside anyway, it wasn't like anyone was going to see a few passionate kisses anyway. So she deepens the kiss.
Smirking, Sasuke wraps his arms around her waist, wrapping his tongue around hers as he pulls her close. Vanilla, he was really starting to like that taste. Maybe he could suffer the sweetness of ice cream for the sake of tasting the vanilla.
She sighs softly into the kiss, getting lost in the moment. "Mmm." He was such a good kisser that she forgets about party for a moment an done kiss turned into two. Two turned into more and several minutes pass by without them realizing it.
Shikamaru glances at the clock inside Hinata's living room. "What a drag. Maybe, he decided that he couldn't do it." They were a half hour late.
"I don't think so." Naruto shrugs. "I did hear a car pull up awhile ago." Maybe, Sasuke was just having second thoughts and Hinata was trying to drag him inside anyway.
Ino frowns, looking out the living room window through the curtains. Then, she grins widely. "Oh, I doubt he's thinking much of anything right now. It looks like they're a little…preoccupied." She points out the window with a giggle, throwing the curtains open. "Take a look."
"What?!" Kiba's eyes widen to the size of saucers. "No way!" Was Sasuke seriously sucking face in a big way with the shyest girl from their high school days. Because that was beyond kissing. It looked like he was trying to devour her or something and she didn't seem to mind.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Tenten eyes the two incredulously. "H-how the hell did that happen!?"
"Dunno, but they look good together." Chouji munches away on a bag of chips he'd stashed away, a little surprised at the show. "And they're doing right out in front of the house too. Anybody could see them."
Naruto rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Well it's a funny story really." He didn't know all the details. "It's cool though. I mean...Hinata and I broke up forever ago and I have Sakura now." He smiles a the love of his life and kisses her cheek. "But I guess they got together sometime after he got back. Hinata's his physical therapist."
Shikamaru laughs and shakes his head. "Well...I'd say that she's taking the whole kissing it better thing rather literally in this case." He yawns and stretches. "What a drag. Sasuke is gonna be pissed, if he finds out that we saw."
Outside, Sasuke cracks an eye open to see the living room window open, and more than a few people gawking at him. Idiots. So, he kisses Hinata a little more fiercely, one eye trained on an open-mouthed Naruto as he flips his best friend the bird. Suck on that, Dobe.
Hinata didn't notice the rude gesture or the fact the windows were open. "I love you." She brushes her lips against his again, trying to find the willpower to tear herself away. "We should probably head inside though."
Naruto blinks. "He really is such a bastard!" The blond flips him off right back and makes sure Sasuke can see it!
Sasuke smirks at his best friend, before turning his eyes only on Hinata. "Sure." Hey, the idiot was staring, he had every right to tell his best friend exactly what he thought of the face he was making. "I think they're waiting for us." He points towards the window.
She blushes scarlet. Oh God! "They s-saw that?" Hinata couldn't believe they had seen her kiss Sasuke in that way. Not the I love you or I'm feeling playful way, but the 'I'm Gonna Rip Off Your Clothes' way.
"Don't worry, I think Naruto learned his lesson about gawking." Sasuke bites his lip for only a moment as he looks at the many faces in there. No…these were his friends, everything was going to be fine. "Come on, I think we've been out here a while."
"Alright." She couldn't believe she had just done that. "I mean you're right. They were going to find out anyway." When she had imagined showing him off she had thought maybe some cuddling or more innocent kissing. She hadn't imagined giving that much of a show.
Sasuke resists the urge to strut like that lion that Hinata keeps comparing him to as they approach the door. It swings open, revealing a grinning Karin. "Hey Sasuke, it's nice that you made it."
Sasuke smirks smugly as they step inside. "Who else is going to keep you and Suigetsu from having angry sex in the middle of the living room? Because obviously Jugo can't control you two."
Jugo puts up his hands like 'wasn't me'. "Who can blame me?" He glances at Suigetsu and Karin. "Those two are like animals." He grins. "Though it looks like they aren't the only ones." That comment prompts a small squeak from Hinata.
Well, Hinata did have a habit of comparing him to a lion, so Sasuke shrugs off the remark. "At least neither of us are exhibitionists." Well, as far as he could tell. Showing him off was different than Hinata wanting him to take her in front of everyone. But…she had surprised him a few times, so who could really tell?
Suigetsu shrugs. "Don't be jealous, Sassy!" Was it his fault he had a girlfriend with gorgeous legs that she insisted on showing off in tight, little shorts? Well, when she wasn't wearing her uniform. Still, though…that uniform.
"Not in the slightest." In fact he'd been seeing way too much today that he had no business seeing. "I'm perfectly happy not being an exhibitionist like you and Kakashi."
Hinata tilts her head in confusion. "I don't think reading erotic novels counts as exhibition."
"Says the one who didn't catch him sleeping with their older brother."Sasuke was pretty sure that Kakashi really did have no shame. "I've been trying to burn the images out all morning."
Karin blinks, then her eyes widen. "Oh no way…Itachi and Kakashi!?"
Hinata blinks. "Oh." Well that answered that question. "I always kinda wondered about those two."
Sasuke shivers as the image returns, so he leans down to bite on Hinata's ear. "We're never using that couch again. Ever."
She mews cutely. "Mmm alright." Then she blinks when she realizes what he meant.
Sakura saunters over, a smile on her face. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Sasuke nods, eyeing her cautiously. She was one of the fangirls at one point. That made him feel a little funny. But still, she was Naruto's girlfriend now, so that made her safe. "Yeah. Christmas three years ago, right?"
She nods. "It's good to have you back." Though she was a doctor herself, and she knew that his physical condition was…not the best. Of course, she worked in trauma, so the only time she saw him was when he first came in, to mop up some bleeding and stitch up a few errant cuts. She hadn't actually spoken to him, and she was bound by patient confidentiality not to tell Naruto.
Hinata knew that she was being a bit ridiculous, but she still found herself leaning into Sasuke just a little more than necessary. "So Shikamaru have you achieved world domination yet?" She didn't want to embarrass Sasuke. Sakura was just being friendly.
"World domination is such a drag. It takes far too much effort." He shrugs and yawns. "Though I imagine dragging Sasuke here took even more effort."
"I'm not THAT anti-social." Sasuke was just very selective in who he chose to socialize with. Well, and he was overseas a lot, so it was usually confined to his platoon.
"Well considering you just had your tongue shoved about halfway down Hinata's throat, I'd say the ice dick has warmed up a bit over the years." Kiba smirks and Hinata gives him a dirty look.
"It was never made of ice, Dog Breath." Sasuke glares slightly at the K-9 officer, wrapping his arm tightly around Hinata's waist. "And you were under no obligation to watch that."
Hinata giggles and smiles as she cuddles into Sasuke. "You two haven't changed in how you treat each other since high school." She looks up at Sasuke. "Be nice?"
"No promises." Kiba was one of the ones who annoyed Sasuke the most, even if they sort of…got along. And Sasuke wasn't going to lie, if Kiba threw a punch…well, the cop wasn't a civilian, so Sasuke would be fine knocking the idiot on his ass.
She shakes her head as if Sasuke was being a naughty child. "Bad Sasuke." It was a pity that it was probably too early to break out the cuffs.
Kiba rolls his eyes. "Well, we're all glad that you're back." And apparently getting laid, but even Kiba wasn't crude enough to actually say that.
The glare softens, before disappearing altogether. "Yeah, it's good to be back." It seemed that friendly faces was the way to go, because even after the initial bout of anxiety, he felt…warm, safe. These were people who cared about him, even if they liked to show it by being assholes. He would be one right back. It was…normal.
Tenten beams. "And Neji brought the champagne to toast your return!" She giggles, clearly happy about this development.
Well, Sasuke had never really been one for alcohol, but if there was champagne, and likely a mess of other spirits, what was the harm in getting a little buzzed? Jugo would probably stay perfectly sober, so he could cut back a little, at least for tonight. "Alright, sounds good." Maybe just a little alcohol would help dull his memories and let him have a little fun.