Part 7

It must not have been long after Sasuke slipped away that Itachi stirred in his sleep. His eyes snapped open when his fingers flexed and came in contact with an empty space next to him in bed. His body lurched up, hurriedly scanning the cell for any presence, and when none was detected, he released a roar. A hysterical screech that revealed the ache simmering in his soul at the loss.

The large alpha soaked profusely in the stench of sweat and semen, body splayed out on the bed with his tongue flickering out into the air to collect the rapidly diffusing particles and his hand rooted firmly around his erection. His brain tried to comprehend and battle the haze of his actions, but the rut brought to the forefront his basic instincts. And currently his biological instincts told him that he needed his mate.

Itachi needed the warmth of an omega, but not just anyone with the title will do. He needed Sasuke. He needed the teenager bent on all fours in front of him, spreading his cheeks open to offer him his cum-soaked, sweet hole. If Itachi slipped inside right now, it would be warm and wet inside.

Fucking God, he wanted to impregnate Sasuke. He wanted to fill the boy to the brim. To the point where no more cum would fit. To the point his body would absorb it all inside. To the point Itachi could sense he had successfully allowed his seed to create life.

His hazy brain told him it must be done, and it must be done now. If he didn't knot, the boy would get impregnated by another alpha. He would get snatched up so fast. He would disappear from Itachi's life. He would belong to someone else.

So Itachi knotted as soon as he got the opportunity. Sasuke had pressed his own palm against his belly while Itachi was claiming him deep inside. Itachi couldn't comprehend nor recall what he was saying at that moment, but Sasuke must have been asking Itachi to knot him. Sasuke wanted Itachi's baby. He wanted to get filled, and Itachi instinctually obliged. He needed to give his mate what he wanted, what he was asking for.

So he did his best as Sasuke's alpha to cum deep inside every single time. Each time he came, his erection remained uprooted, begging for more. It was perfect for the alpha. That meant he could provide more for Sasuke, so that they could create their beautiful baby.

But if Sasuke wanted Itachi's baby, the man couldn't rationalize when and why the boy had disappeared. Itachi needed more time. If his mate asked for a baby and he couldn't deliver, he'd be a fucking failure. He needed to provide what Sasuke asked for, but he needed the boy bent over so he could do his job.

Of course, the consideration that an omega who had not reached his heat yet could not bear children did not cross his mind as he yanked and rugged at his dick, savoring the remnants of the scent lingering in the air.

When he came in his palm, he absent-mindedly glanced at the load, noting that it would have filled his mate up well. His harsh exhales floated around the cage, but didn't reach any listening ears.

The exasperation he felt in his chest was incomparable to anything he had ever felt in his life. He felt unfulfilled, unsatisfied, and alone. As those thoughts began to emerge at the forefront of his brain, his eyes snagged the checkered blue piece of cloth sitting innocently on the ground. Forgotten, like Itachi was.

He didn't know what crossed his mind, but the next second it was snagged up by his hand and he was inhaling deep mouthfuls of it while he jerked off. It smelled like his mate the more he inhaled, and somewhere in the back of his mind, had he not been in rut, he must have known that sitting in the fucking dark sniffing Sasuke's boxers while thrusting his dick into his hand didn't leave a favorable impression on the typical bystander.

And that's how Kyuubi found him a few hours later.

"You waited too long," the blonde man said, as he leaned against the adjacent wall. Not close enough to be on the receiving end of an attack, but not so far that he couldn't see what Itachi was doing. "I told you that you'd end up going off the rails," Kyuubi said, eyeing the man who finally began to slow down.

The blonde sighed when he didn't receive an indication of the other alpha hearing him. He pushed himself off the wall and approached the bars. He pulled something long and thin out of his pocket, bit onto the cap, and spit it out on the floor. "Come over here, you idiot," he said.

Itachi remained in his spot. The only indication he had heard the man was the warning growl that he had released.

Kyuubi sighed exasperatedly. With his unoccupied hand, he dug into his back pocket and retrieved something sleek and black and dangled it between the bars like a dog treat. Not so much as five seconds passed before Itachi's nose twitched and he lunged from his spot in an attempt to grab the proffered collar.

It was the same one that Sasuke had worn. If Kyuubi had it unlocked and carefree in his hand, that meant the boy was marked by someone else. The mere thought of it made his blood boil and claws sharpen as he went for the jugular.

But as soon as he got his hands on the collar, Kyuubi tugged and jabbed a needle through his arm, injecting every last drop that was in the syringe he held. Then, he released the collar and allowed the man to take possession of it, satisfied with his job well done.

"That's a triple dose I got from Granny Tsunade. Since it's been over a day, that should do the trick so you can stop acting like a fucking psychopathic caveman."

Kyuubi combed through his locks and found a chair nearby to hang out in as he waited for the magic potion to do its job. He propped his feet on a low rise table and whistled as he scrolled through his phone.

Fifteen minutes later, he heard some rustling and idly glanced over to see Itachi pulling on his sweats. Kyuubi stuck his phone back into his pocket and swiveled around in his chair.

"You good?" he asked, as if surprised the suppressant had worked.

"Let me out," Itachi's hoarse voice whispered.

"Show me your eyes," Kyuubi demanded, gaze rooted on Itachi's head, which angled toward the ground.

It took a minute before Itachi lifted his chin and made eye contact with Kyuubi. When he did, the blonde did not see ruby eyes. He did not sense any lethal intent. Even the pupil dilation disappeared.

Kyuubi exhaled and finally stood. He grabbed a liter of water from the table and walked over to hand it to Itachi. "Drink it all," he said. "And then I'll have Mikoto come double check, and if she gives the okay, we can let you out."

A sense of shame flooded Itachi's system in one go. Of course, they were treating him like he was batshit crazy. He couldn't even recall what he had done, and that part scared him the most.

Where was his Otouto? He was terrified to ask, but he so desperately wanted to see the boy and pull him into his arms. He needed to confirm with his eyes that Sasuke was okay.

Where was he? His grip on the plastic bottle tightened, welcoming his biceps to flex with it.

"He's okay," he heard Kyuubi finally say. "He's just sleeping. I suggest you shower before you even think about seeing him though."

Itachi's tense shoulders sagged noticeably in relief. He's okay. Sasuke's okay. He's okay. Itachi repeated that to himself and chugged down the water. He needed to go see his beloved.

H.J.

Itachi had heeded Kyuubi's advice and stepped into the shower prior to stepping foot in Sasuke's room. He noted with huge relief that there was not a trace of blood anywhere on his privates. His thighs and member were only coated with their fluids.

The feeling of washing the slippery substance off his body made him sigh shakily. Good God, everything that he was washing off had come from inside of Sasuke. His Otouto's juices, his slick, and his cum.

Itachi has always known that he was a goner the moment his Otouto was born. He knew that his soul would forever stay with Sasuke, but now that he had actually done the deed with the boy, he felt an unrelenting sense of guilt… and an overwhelming sense of desperation.

His heart wouldn't stop pounding harshly against his ribcage while his thoughts raced a mile a minute. He wanted to cherish Sasuke. He wanted to take things at the teenager's pace, but he fucked it up by going into rut so early. Itachi had no fucking idea why it had come so early this year; he hadn't expected it for at least another month, but it reared his head as soon as Itachi was given the opportunity to temporarily mark Sasuke.

For all he knew, now the boy was terrified of him. Maybe he ran away while Itachi slept because Itachi wouldn't let him leave the bed. Maybe he had been so jacked up by pheromones that he became belligerent and scary. What other reason would there be for Sasuke to run away?

But how the hell should he know if he had such a hard time recalling any of it? Did he do something he wasn't supposed to? Did he ruin the trust that he worked so hard to build with Sasuke over the years because he couldn't keep his dick in his pants?

Itachi's nails dug into his palms. No, he thought. Even if he was acting batshit crazy, he wouldn't even think to harm his Otouto. He would only do things to protect him, not hurt him.

He turned the knobs off when he had cleaned his entire body and padded himself dry with a towel. Then, he slipped on a t-shirt and a pair of black sweats before he padded down the hall to Sasuke's room.

Itachi hesitated briefly before he gently pushed open the door. He nearly forgot to breathe as he stepped inside the room; it was dark, and the only stream of light came from the full moon that shone brightly through the half-drawn up curtains.

The alpha closed the door quietly behind him before he approached the slumbering boy. He knelt down on his knees next to Sasuke's bed, his hammering heart calmed by the peaceful look on the boy's face as he slept on his side facing Itachi.

Itachi didn't know if he was overthinking it, but as soon as he knelt down next to the boy, his Otouto's fingers twitched and shuffled to peek out from under the covers as if he was extending his hand to him.

Itachi's anxious gaze softened as he moved his hands to clasp onto Sasuke's. However, as soon as he did, the sheets covering the boy's body slid away from his shoulders and arm, exposing a naked upper body.

A naked, battered upper body.

Itach's eyes morphed into the size of saucers, and he bit his lower lip harshly to refrain from screaming at himself.

Everywhere he looked, he saw angry marks, purple bruises, and bite marks that looked like they were caused by a vicious animal. They were everywhere. On the hand that he held. On his chest, around his nipples, arms, shoulders, neck, every-fucking-where. He was terrified of removing the blanket to see how bad it was down below.

Itachi's body shook. He wanted to curl up into a ball and scream. He wanted to grab a knife from the kitchen and slice down his own flesh a few times to see how he would feel.

Was his Otouto in pain when Itachi did that to him? Was he scared of Itachi when he was in rut? Did he beg Itachi to stop, and did Itachi just ignore his wishes and took what he wanted without regard for his well-being? He looked the furthest thing from "okay."

"Mmm, Aniki?" a groggy voice said, startling him out of his self-battery.

Itachi's face shot up from being buried in the comforter next to their hands when he heard his name. He felt the single palm in his grasp flex as if it was returning his hand hold.

Itachi didn't get it. Why wasn't Sasuke jerking his hand away from him and running away? Why wasn't he yelling profanity at Itachi and kicking him out of the room? Why wasn't he looking at him with contempt and absolute disgust?

"Why are you crying?" Sasuke asked gently as he slowly propped himself up and swung his legs over the side of the bed so that he was sitting in front of his brother.

He was crying? He glanced at the spot he had just buried his face in and saw a damp spot. He didn't realize he had been crying.

"Do you need a hug?" the boy asked. And without receiving an answer from Itachi, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Itachi's neck. "Don't cry. It's okay," he cooed, pressing his body close.

The man shook in Sasuke's gentle hold because he knew that, when he held his Otouto prior, he was anything but gentle. But here this boy was acting like Itachi wasn't the monster who hurt him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered gravely, face pressed against the boy's torso. "I'm sorry, Otouto."

"Why are you sorry?" Sasuke asked. He was aware of the fact that his hug had yet to be reciprocated. In fact, the alpha's hands remained by Sasuke's hips, fisting the sheets instead, as if he was afraid to touch Sasuke.

"I didn't mean to," Itachi forced out. "I didn't mean it."

Sasuke sighed quietly. "Don't say you didn't mean it. You did mean it. Lucky for you, I liked it."

Itachi's body shot up in surprise, as he eyed the boy whose cheeks became dusted with a light shade of pink.

"What?" Sasuke challenged when Itachi did not stop staring.

"I… didn't hurt you?" Itachi asked slowly as if he was trying to comprehend what Sasuke had just said. "But there are so many bruises on your body."

"It's fine," Sasuke said, looking away.

"You don't hate me?" Itachi asked.

Sasuke glanced back, noting Itachi's desperate tone. "Why would I?" he retorted with a raised eyebrow.

Any tension left in Itachi's body dissipated almost immediately, and he pulled Sasuke into his arms without a second thought.

"I love you," Itachi murmured.

"Yeah?" Sasuke asked as he felt a soft kiss being placed on his shoulder. "Want to cuddle and sleep in bed with me?"

Sasuke smiled when he felt the vigorous nod against his body. He scooted back in his bed and made room for Itachi before pulling the covers over the both of them.

"Also," Sasuke said as he laid his hand on top of the one coiled around his waist, "you're going to have to take care of me for the next few days."

Itachi didn't know why, but that statement sounded vaguely familiar. He didn't pay much heed to it though.

"Can I do that for the rest of my life?" he asked seriously.

"Pfft," Sasuke huffed a small laugh. "Don't push it," he responded.