Stolen Time

celestia193's Author's Note: Happy Holidays everyone! In celebration of the holidays, however you may or may not celebrate them, we give you...fluff! And a little angst. But mostly fluff! Enjoy the fluff and the Yuletide season.

Chapter 13

Waiting was one of the worst forms of torture known to man. Itachi had been told on more than one occasion he was a genius, but right now his brilliant mind was working against him. With each painful passing second, his mind conjured up yet another image of Shisui's anguish and his own role in causing said torment.

Sadly, he couldn't actually do anything about until Shisui sought him out. Sasuke had been right. Shisui would come when he was ready. For now, Itachi needed something to do. So he was reorganizing his closet. Did his closet need it? No. Was he going to do it anyway? Damn right he was. If nothing else it was busy work for his hands and a slight distraction for his mind. He'd try his best to focus on his wardrobe and not on Shisui for the time being. He'd be no use to the other man if he went insane with worry.

But then there's an almost inaudible knock on the door. Slow. Uncertain. Hesitant. Easily blown away, like smoke in the wind.

Itachi doubted he'd ever answered a door quicker in his life. As soon as he hears the quiet knock, he springs into action and opens it. "Shisui."

Dark, haunted, lonely eyes glace uncertainly at Itachi as the door opens. Shisui wasn't sure of anything anymore, but…if there was anything that might finally go right…maybe it would be this. "…Hey, Itachi." He shifts his weight from one foot to the other and his fingers fidget anxiously. "Could I…"

Itachi smiles as he brushes his lips against Shisui's, pulling the other man into the room. He wastes no time in locking the door behind him. He'd come. He was beyond devastated, but Shisui was here. Itachi wouldn't make things more difficult for Shisui than they already were. "Always. You can always come to me."

Shisui feels the warmth of Itachi's hand in his own. Itachi was always so warm… "Why?" Why was he worth it? Why did Itachi try so hard for his sake? Shisui was a mess and he knew it. His uncle had known it too and admitted as much. Taken responsibility for it, even.

"Because I love you and I know you're suffering." Itachi sighs, looking up into beautiful, but broken eyes. He gives Shisui's hand a soft squeeze. "But I'm here. You're not alone."

He gives Itachi's hand a weak squeeze and closes his eyes. "…I feel alone." Everything he had ever known had been stripped away from him, and now he knew why. "I'm Project Nightingale."

"I have only the vaguest idea what that truly means, but you're still Shisui." Itachi tugs on his hand leading him to the bed before nudging him onto it. Almost faster than one could blink, he'd straddled Shisui's hips. "To me that's far more important and while I can't pretend to grasp more than the smallest sliver of what you've gone through, you're still not alone."

Shisui offers no resistance, he merely stares up at Itachi bemusedly. "You don't want to know about it?" It seemed to be all that people wanted to know about these days.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious, but I know you. You already told Minato whatever you knew." Itachi sighs, pressing a soft kiss against Shisui's lips. "You've done what you needed to do today. Let someone else carry the weight of the world on their shoulders for awhile."

Dark eyes widen, then slide shut as tears stream down Shisui's cheeks. He inhales a tiny, staggered breath and raises his hands to wrap his arms tightly around Itachi's waist. His uncle wanted him to be happy. Itachi wanted him to be happy. He…wanted to be happy. It was just so hard to be happy when everything he touched left him eventually. He presses a desperate, trembling kiss to Itachi's lips. "Don't disappear…please…"

Itachi returns the kiss, caressing the side of Shisui's face. "It's alright. I'm not going anywhere. Just try to relax. It's okay. Really." He kisses his forehead.

Reluctantly, Shisui closes his eyes and rolls Itachi over onto his side. He presses Itachi close to him and tucks his face into the crook of Itachi's neck. Right now, Itachi was the most solid thing that he could touch. Everything else was just falling away piece by piece, but Itachi…Itachi was still here. Still solid. "…Itachi, I…I want to love you." He'd just never really let himself…feel like that before. Not since the last time. It was too risky, for both him ad anyone he loved.

"I know you do and it's alright if you can't say the words now." Itachi allows himself to be rolled over and held. "The feelings are there and that's what matters most."

Shisui nods slowly, the tears refusing to stop as they trail silently down his face. Then he begins to shake with quiet, trembling sobs. It was like when he was a child and his parents had just died. The loneliness, the uncertainty… And just like Madara had come to pull him out of the darkness, Itachi was here to offer him his hand. His heart. And Shisui hated that he could only offer Itachi the broken pieces of his.

"Shisui, just focus on me. You're safe now. Nothing's going to happen to either of us." Itachi kisses away his tears, rubbing Shisui's arm. He needed to be grounded.

After a time, Shisui's sobs soften slightly and his grip loosens around Itachi. He hiccups once, twice, then sighs as his head gently falls limply against the covers of the bed, still tucked against Itachi.

Itachi smiles and brushes the bangs away from Shisui's eyes. "Sleep well." He looked so different when he was asleep. So peaceful.

Shisui slowly wakes up tucked up against something warm. He couldn't remember falling asleep, but he felt…different. He wasn't sure if that was better or not, but it was something at least.

Slowly, he takes stock of his surroundings and lifts a hand to rub the sleep from his eyes. And when he finishes, he blinks and finds gentle onyx eyes staring at him. He blinks again bemusedly. "…Itachi?"

"Shisui." Itachi smiles and kisses Shisui's forehead. "You slept through the night." It had been the most endearing sight that Itachi had ever seen and he'd dozed off several times himself. The feeling of Shisui's body heat was soothing.

"…The whole night?" Shisui frowns slightly. How long had it been since he'd gotten a full night's sleep? He was rather glad he'd changed out of his armour after reporting to Minato now, otherwise he would be as stiff as a frozen twig after sleeping that long. He hums softly and the faintest smile curves his lips. "I…haven't slept that long next to someone since…I was sixteen, I think."

"The whole night and I'm flattered." Itachi curls against Shisui, enjoying the closeness. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired but…less confused now." Yesterday had answered a lot of questions for Shisui. It still hurt, but now it felt more like a dull ache than the sharp, throbbing pain of a knife to the heart. "I know why I'm here, now."

"To be my ridiculously attractive pillow? Absolutely." Itachi rests his head on Shisui's shoulder, but his expression grows softer. "Why?"

"Well, while I wouldn't put it past my uncle to ensure that I had a nice boyfriend to spend time with…not exactly." Shisui closes his eyes and lays his forehead against Itachi's. "Project Nightingale was my uncle's plan to take all of the information collected before the destruction of Inari and preserve it inside of a living host, someone who could protect it and be protected for as long as Inari was still standing. A trove of knowledge protected as a last resort…and meant to be retrieved in an era of peace."

"Then his plan succeeded and I'm glad that you're here." Itachi kisses Shisui's cheek, watching a million emotions reflect back at him from those soulful eyes. "I'm sorry for what you lost, but just be being here...you help their memory go on."

"I know." It had taken his uncle to pound it into his head, but…Shisui could tentatively say that…he was glad to be here too. Especially here in Itachi's bed. It was definitely the nicest place he'd ever woken up. "And you never gave up on me, even when I gave you more than enough reason to." He glides his fingers along Itachi's cheek and leans in to press a tender kiss to Itachi's lips. "You're a treasure, you know that, right?"

"Would it sound vain if I said of course I know that. I am an Uchiha." He laughs, returning the kiss, marveling at the feeling of Shisui's lips against his.

With a brief chuckle, Shisui's eyelashes flutter as his eyes close. He runs his fingers through Itachi's hair to tilt his head back and deepen the kiss. His other hand finds Itachi's hip and pulls the gorgeous man flush against him beneath the blankets. Yes, he could definitely use a distraction.

He returns the kiss and arches against Shisui. "Yes, you're definitely my favorite pillow."

"Good." But Itachi was talking rather a lot, and Shisui did always have a liking for talking with action rather than just words. So he slides his tongue into Itachi's mouth to silence and seduce him, then rolls Itachi onto his back to settle himself between Itachi's legs.

He smiles, kissing back with all his might. Itachi could only blush at where Shisui had settled. His heart was pounding and Itachi could swear he could hear blood pouring in his ears. "Very good." It looked like it was going to get even better, though. Fuck. Was Shisui about to do what he thought he was?

Shisui smirks and lowers a hand to rub where he felt Itachi's interest growing. He knew the look on Itachi's face well. But who would have thought that his bossy engineer would be so bashful. "You seem a little worked up, Itachi."

Itachi groans and bucks into that hand. "Well, that's because your face is in close proximity to my cock. Who wouldn't be worked up?" He was only human. "You're giving me a handjob too." And fuck did that feel good.

"Oh, so you want me to use my mouth on you Itachi?" Shisui smirks wickedly as he runs a hand up Itachi's stomach and places a kiss to flat, firm abs. "You want me to take your cock into my warm, wet mouth and use my tongue to rub and lick your cock and suck you off until you cum down my throat?"

He shivers at Shisui's wicked tone and suggestive words. "Fuck yes, I do." The images his...well, Shisui was evoking were sending a tsunami of lust rippling through his body.

"Then grab something and hold on tight." Shisui chuckles mischievously as he tugs down Itachi's pants to free the straining cock within the silky soft material beneath. He breathes a long, hot breath over the reddened, throbbing length and presses a kiss to the head. "And you don't have to hold back, I know how to play rough."

Itachi hisses in pleasure at the feeling of Shisui's breath teasing him. Of his kiss. "I'll keep that in mind." He pants, gripping the sides of the bed. This was like something out of an erotic dream. He almost couldn't believe it was happening.

Shisui laughs once, then takes Itachi's cock into his mouth and swallows it down without hesitation. His tongue flicks against the underside, rubbing at the sensitive flesh insistently. He grazes his teeth over the soft skin as a gentle preview of things to come.

He groans. Fuck. He had died and gone to some sort of paradise. Shisui's mouth was a wonder of the universe. He was sure of it. "Fuck!"

Shisui rides the growing thrusts of Itachi's hips and hollows his cheeks to increase the suction as he swallows around Itachi's cock. He presses the tip of his tongue into the slit at the head and tastes the precum dripping from the throbbing appendage.

It was taking all his willpower not to fuck that beautiful throat raw. "S-Shisui, I'm going to cum." His entire world was awash in desire. Pleasure cascading everywhere.

A hum races down Shisui's throat as he gives it another hard suck. Itachi was so beautiful when he was about to tip over the edge.

Itachi snarls out Shisui's name in pure bliss as he surrenders to the ecstasy swimming through his veins. Fuck. Who could possibly resist that perfect mouth sucking them off?

Shisui swallows calmly, then releases Itachi's cock from his mouth and presses his lips just below Itachi's navel. "I think I like hearing my name spill incoherently from your pretty mouth."

He pants and tries to catch his breath. The afterglow was still gloriously intense. "That's good. I definitely love you sucking me off."

"Then I'll be sure to do it more often." Shisui smiles languidly as he places his arms over Itachi's stomach and rests his head there. "You really are so beautiful, Itachi." Was this what his uncle had sent him here to experience?

Itachi smiles and plays with Shisui's hair. "So are you. You're the most stunning person I've ever met."

Shisui smiles softly. "Thanks." He leans into the touch and closes his eyes, humming softly in enjoyment. "You're really good at that."

"Really good at what?" He continues toying with the raven colored locks.

"Playing with my hair. It feels nice." It was a silly little thing, but it was something so…normal that Shisui couldn't help but feel happy about it. And it helped to chase some of the ache away.

"Oh well, I like your hair and the rest of you." Itachi smirks a bit, leaning down to kiss the top of Shisui's hair.

Shisui chuckles and climbs back over Itachi to plant a soft kiss on his lips. "And I'm sure that you'll like the rest of me when it's finally time for me to find something hard to bend you over on."

He kisses back and raises an eyebrow. "What makes you think it won't be the other way around?"

"Because you already take such good care of the mess of my emotions that I want to take care of you for a change." Shisui leans down to nibble along Itachi's ear. "And I'm going to do that the best way I know how."

"Nibbling on my ears is cheating. Those are sensitive." Itachi squirms and arches against Shisui. Still, how could he argue with that logic? "I can't bicker with you over who tops when you're being that adorable."

"I've been told that I do that well." Shisui laughs and presses his face to Itachi's neck. "But it's been a long time since I had a reason to be."

"Mmm well I'm so happy to inspire you to rediscover your adorableness." Itachi smiles and wraps his arms around Shisui.

Shisui would bet that Itachi was going to help him rediscover a lot of things he'd forgotten about himself. It had been so long since he'd had a chance to be normal…it might be nice to be normal again. Once his last mission was finally carried out. "Yeah…now I think you have somewhere to be, Itachi." He smacks Itachi's ass teasingly. "You do still have a job to do after all, and it's not all about babysitting me."

"I think I'll enjoy the moment awhile longer and then take a shower before leaving." Itachi stretches as he snuggles against Shisui. Work could wait awhile.

"Alright, nap first, then a shower, and then I'll go clean myself up while you work." Because Shisui knew that he was still a bit of a mess. After all of the crying and generally not caring about himself, Shisui knew he had a lot to start looking after.

"Deal." Itachi smiles, closing his eyes. He wanted to savor this moment. "I love you."

Shisui smiles and kisses the top of Itachi's head. "You are my light, Itachi."

"And you're my everything." He relaxes. Shisui may not have said it officially, but it was close enough. He loved Shisui and Shisui loved him. That was all that mattered.

Itachi had always loved his job, but today it had been almost impossible to concentrate. He'd never been so relieved as when he was finally allowed to leave and left to his own devices. Memories of his erotic encounter with Shisui were just too distracting to focus on much of anything else.

That had been about two hours ago. Now, he finds himself making his way into Shisui's room, carrying are rather large bag in his hand. "I'm back. I got you something. I figured it was about time you had your own wardrobe."

Not that Shisui had any reason to protest Itachi suddenly appearing in his room, especially if it involved clothes, or taking them off, but…this was a bit unexpected. He tilts his head as he stares at Itachi from where he lay reading from a tablet on his bed. "You want to play dress-up with me?"

"Maybe a little." Itachi feels his cheeks heat up. He could only hope he wasn't actually blushing. "You were going to need more clothes at some point anyway and I already knew your size." In more ways than one, but that was besides the point.

Shisui smirks darkly as he puts the tablet down to sit across his lap. "Are you sure you know my size, Itachi? I don't think dressing me up would be your first priority if you did."

He was definitely blushing now. "Pervert and I never said how long the clothes had to stay on." Itachi opens the bag, pulling out a silken shirt. "I thought it might make you feel more comfortable if you had your own clothes as well. Silk would probably look good on you." Itachi doubted anything wouldn't, but he wasn't going to puff up Shisui's ego anymore than it already was. That smirk was already causing a colony of butterflies to do backflips inside his stomach as it was.

Now THAT has Shisui raising an eyebrow. For almost as long as he could remember, he'd been a soldier, and that meant that he rarely saw such luxury outside of his most sensitive infiltration missions. It was an expensive and unnecessary luxury…but Shisui smiles. "Thank you, Itachi." He reaches for the shirt and holds it in his hands. And despite himself, he laughs. "Why do I get the feeling that if you have your way, I'll look like a member of high society in no time?"

"There's no IF in this scenario." He hands Shisui the shirt with a smile. Good. His...well, he wasn't really sure what to call Shisui at this point, his…whatever Shisui was to him wasn't going to protest Itachi 'spoiling' him. "I always get my way sooner or later and you will if you like. If you prefer more practical or casual styles, I've got options for those as well. I thought it was best to try a bit of everything. Variety is the spice of life."

"Well, that depends entirely on what I'm doing. This…" Shisui rubs the against his cheek and grins. "This feels like something I might wear when lounging around and wanting something soft. When I'm working out, I prefer stretchier fabric that can move with my body, especially since I put more than a few outfits through their paces and wore them right out. When I was a teenager and actually wore casual clothes regularly, I liked them form-fitting and comfortable." Shisui smiles wryly. "And I'll admit that I was more than a little vain back then, but I grew out of most of that."

"You grew out of it?" Itachi arches a skeptical eyebrow of his own, playfully pinning Shisui to the bed. "I'm not sure that's entirely the case, but it'd be...hard not to be a little vain in your place."

Shisui's lips twitch and he breaks from Itachi's grasp, grabs Itachi's wrists, and pins his partner much more firmly to the bed when he rolls them over and straddles Itachi's hips. "And you aren't? Looking the way you do, I'm surprised you haven't organized a pageant in your own honor."

"You're so competitive." Itachi chuckles, nipping his ear lightly. "Rolling me over like that, but I'm not usually. Outside beauty is based mostly on luck. It's what's here that matters most." He manages to free one hand and places it over Shisui's heart. It was all too easy to revel in the feeling underneath his touch. It didn't matter that fabric separated skin from skin, he could still feel the powerful heartbeat underneath. "And that's where you will beat me in a pageant every time, but I'm honest enough to admit that the pretty wrapping paper is a nice bonus."

Dark eyes glow a soft scarlet and Shisui uses his free hand to glide his fingers along Itachi's cheek. "So now I'm a present for you, am I? Dropped here right into your lap."

"Yes, it seems a rather apt metaphor." Itachi smiles, capturing one of Shisui's fingers in his mouth and sucking lightly. "Lovely to look at, but even more enjoyable to unwrap."

The scarlet eyes darken in an instant with suppressed desire. Shisui moves his fingers slowly against Itachi's lips and tongue. "Looks like someone wants to return that favor…"

He swirls his tongue around Shisui's fingers in a slow, playful way. "They do say it is better to give than to receive."

Shisui smirks and leans down to press a kiss under Itachi's jaw. "Whoever said that must never have gotten into bed with me. I think I could change your mind on that quickly once we've gotten to…know each other a little better."

"Promises, promises." Itachi smiles up at Shisui, mischief shimmering in his dark irises. "But you have my attention."

"Itachi, imagine a fire burning deep inside you pushing, pressing, filling you up. Hard, solid, flexible, and pounding deep inside you to touch all of the secret places that you wish that one special person would touch and never stop touching." He presses his kisses closer to Itachi's ear. "Imagine that feeling of being completely possessed by someone, feeling their hands all over you, worshiping you in every way that you deserve to be worshiped. Fingers exploring, lips kissing you everywhere, branding you with every touch."

Itachi shivers at the wickedly provocative words and sultry tone in Shisui's voice. The man had a talent when it came to the seduction using only his words. "You do p-paint quite the alluring picture." Was it possible to achieve climax just by listening to someone's voice? Itachi wasn't sure, but Shisui did make the possibility seem...more than plausible.

"Do I need to get you off again, Itachi?" Shisui smirks wickedly as he sits up and slowly lowers himself onto Itachi's lap, where one part of Itachi's body was definitely interested in what he was saying. "Should I make time in my daily schedule for sucking you off, Itachi?"

"I definitely wouldn't protest." Hell, Itachi might encourage hourly at this rate. He wraps his arms around Shisui, kissing his nose.

"Then I think nine in the evening sounds like a good time for it. But I'm more than willing to start a little early." Shisui laughs softly and nuzzles against Itachi's cheek.

It was slow. Unorthodox, maybe. Shisui could feel his broken heart starting to stir again. It hurt so much, but…Itachi helped to make it ache a little less. Itachi always seemed to make things ache a little bit less.