Part 8

The next morning Itachi was extra twitchy.

Toward everyone.

This "extra twitchy" came with a heaping side of clingy and laser beam, glaring showdowns with anyone who attempted to get close to Sasuke.

Mikoto had stopped by in the morning to check on her boys, and she didn't make it two steps into the room before Itachi had wrapped himself around Sasuke in bed, hiding the boy from sight while growling. The mother of two had brushed it off with a laugh and dropped their breakfast tray off on Sasuke's desk before leaving them alone.

Sasuke had stayed home from school that day to help his aching body recover, so he spent most of it in bed with Itachi fussing over him in the most ridiculous of ways. He bathed Sasuke, dressed him like a doll, fed him, and stuck to his side like glue while unnervingly staring at him the entire day. To top it off, when Sasuke said he needed to use the bathroom, the man followed him in. That's where Sasuke drew the line. He had stared at the man incredulously when he was basically chest-to-back with the boy when he crossed the threshold to the bathroom. When he had told Itachi to take care of him, half-jokingly mind you, he didn't mean to go overboard and be an idiot. He was sure his brother had the best intentions, but Sasuke was achy and slightly feverish, not crippled and blind.

Even Naruto, who had stopped by afterschool with Kyuubi to drop off Sasuke's assignments for that day, got the memo that the man was totally and completely bonkers when he felt Itachi's agitated and unwavering gaze on the back of his head.

"Could you stop smiling at Sasuke like that?" Itachi had opened his mouth to say, causing Sasuke's jaw to drop wide open in disbelief.

Okay, at first, Sasuke had thought it was kind of cute the way Itachi fussed over him. Eye-rolling sappy even. He'd never outwardly done it to that extent before, so he felt kind of adored. But as the day winded down and Itachi became more and more outrageous, he wasn't the only one ready to snap.

Naruto had scratched the back of his neck sheepishly and apologized while simultaneously backing away and closer to Kyuubi. Because what else could he do when Itachi was a brooding mess the day after?

However, unlike Naruto who was used to putting up with people's shit, Kyuubi was the opposite. The elder Uzumaki snapped first, annoyance etched deep into his pores. "The fuck?" he muttered at first, the same disbelief embedded on Sasuke's face reflecting in his tone. Then, his voice grew progressively louder the more he repeated the expletive to himself. "Did you re-emerge from that basement as a delusional prick?" he asked. "'Stop smiling at Sasuke like that?' Like what? He wasn't even smiling! They were just chatting."

Kyuubi rubbed his temple with a heavy sigh. He was used to this, but entirely fed up with it. Sure, the man had returned from his feral state only twelve hours ago and, yes, Kyuubi did use an experimental drug on the man, but this was a whole new level of asinine. Yes, he knew the temporary marking coupled with the rut had not made it easy for Itachi's brain to distinguish between a mock mate and a real one, and the fact that he was in charge of the aftermath was only logical. And, sure, Sasuke's body was emitting large doses of Itachi's scent, evidence of their coupling, so perhaps the man deluded himself into believing they were actually mated. Biology was definitely at play for this behavior, but also unbelievable idiocy. Itachi should have known better than this.

Kyuubi silently voted that Sasuke do something about this before it got out of hand. Perhaps, a slap in the face would suffice. Kyuubi volunteered to do it for free. No payment needed.

Of course, Itachi had ignored Kyuubi, and instead beckoned for Sasuke to come to him. When the boy obliged, Itachi pulled him to straddle his lap from his seated position on the carpeted bedroom floor and cuddled him close.

Kyuubi blew a fuse, an irk mark appearing on his temple, before he tugged on Naruto to take their leave. With a final glance over his shoulder, Kyuubi pinpointed Sasuke's smaller frame wrapped up in the alpha's arms. "Sasuke, he should go back to his normal self in a few days. If he doesn't, call me and I'll come knock some sense into him."

The blonde paused briefly at the doorway. "'Stop smiling at Sasuke like that?'" he muttered again, repeating Itachi's words while still in complete disbelief the man had said that. "Fucking dick."

When the brothers were finally alone, Sasuke sighed and pressed a palm against Itachi's chest to look him in the eye. "You're too much," the boy murmured. When all he received in response was a chaste peck on his forehead, he gave up. "Aren't you bored spending the whole day with me?" the teenager asked. He was starting to feel a bit cooped up. "You never even used to give me the time of day."

The man remained silent and simply nuzzled cozily into Sasuke's neck. "Hey, Itachi! Are you even listening to me?" Sasuke grumbled.

"I'm listening," his brother replied. Itachi's tone sounded solemn almost, which quieted the teen down. "Are you hungry? Should I go make you some dinner, Otouto?"

Sasuke fixed an exasperated look on Itachi, mouth slightly agape with a grumbling sigh. "Why do you insist on feeding me all the time? Are you planning on roasting me over a spitfire soon?"

"Is it so bad I want to make sure you never go hungry?" Itachi asked him in return, causing Sasuke to pout.

"Of course not, but at this rate, I'll grow fat and no one will want me." Sasuked gasped as if overtaken by a sudden realization. "Is that what you're trying to do?" he asked with narrowed eyes and an accusing finger.

He felt the man's shoulders twitch, and he swore he saw the slightest hint of upturned lips.

Sasuke folded his arms, body still nestled in his brother's lap. This was no laughing matter!

"I will always want you, Otouto. You worry too much."

A look of disbelief flashed across Sasuke's face. "Are you really saying that to me right now? You're the one worrying. I keep telling you I'm fine, but you keep fussing. And don't think I don't notice you overthinking, Aniki."

As soon as those words left his mouth, Itachi turned a sad gaze on Sasuke, reminding him of a beat down puppy. As quick as it appeared on his face, it disappeared without leaving a trace. However, Sasuke knew to look for it and caught sight of it.

"What do you mean?" Itachi asked, fingers subconsciously wrapping tighter around Sasuke's waist as if he was afraid the boy would run away at any moment.

"See, that's what I mean. That look on your face," Sasuke said. "Why do you look so sad?"

Sasuke reminded himself that he needed to give his Aniki some time before interrupting or demanding more answers. It had to have been a delicate subject if it had been bothering Itachi all day.

Seconds later, he felt a gush of hot air on his shoulder and noted with a sideways glance that the man had lowered his head while staring intently at his nape.

"Did I try to mark you?" A bare whisper of a question that both ached for and denied wanting an answer.

The hesitant words were followed by the briefest of touches along the base of Sasuke's neck, a bare graze of fingertips, which startled him.

Sasuke suppressed a shudder when he felt the man's fingertips trace along the column of his neck, but Itachi seemed to note his sensitive reaction because the man withdrew and placed some distance between their faces.

He nodded shyly, noting the way his brother's shoulders tensed drastically in response.

"Did I scare you?" the man muttered, half hooded eyes staring at Sasuke with an incomprehensible gaze.

Sasuke had to hone in on his listening skills to make out what Itachi was saying. It almost seemed like he intentionally spoke softly because he didn't want to know the answer.

And Sasuke couldn't necessarily lie to Itachi. For starters, his lie would be seen through immediately. And secondly, he didn't have the heart to do anything other than tell the truth.

"A little." The boy gulped, watching a variety of emotions flit through the elder's eyes before he was drawn tight into an unrelenting embrace.

"I'm sorry, Otouto. I couldn't control myself. I never want you to be afraid of me."

Desperate were those words that made Sasuke's stomach churn and do flips. He swallowed the sudden thickness that coated his throat as his arms tightened around Itachi.

"Baka, Itachi-nii. Is this what's been bugging you all day?" he asked gently, feeling the man tremble in his grip. "I'm okay, you know. It was consensual, and I knew you wouldn't hurt me." Sasuke's eyes softened as he stroked Itachi's back. "How could you hurt me when you love me so much, right?" he asked.

The man nodded fervently against him, and Sasuke smiled.

"So stop feeling guilty about it, okay?"

"Okay."

Finally, the arms around his body loosened and withdrew. Instead, Sasuke felt warm hands slide underneath his shirt on both sides and felt thumbs peek out to rub soothing circles against his obliques.

Sasuke sighed and rested his head on Itachi's shoulders, allowing him to do his thing, but when the hands slowly started to creep toward the middle of his abdomen he couldn't suppress his wince.

Itachi's large hands paused flat against his belly, and Sasuke tried his best to keep his breathing normal, but his discomfort was evident. The man pulled back instantly as soon as he felt the boy's stomach, and next thing he knew, Sasuke was picked up in Itachi's arms and laid down onto the bed.

With a look of confusion etched onto his face, Sasuke peered up at his Aniki whose eyes were blown twice as wide open. Without a word, the man pushed his t-shirt up, bunching it around his chest, and stared at his abdomen. When Itachi spoke, his voice was louder than normal.

"Why is your stomach so bloated, Sasuke?" It came out harshly despite being undercut by panic. He could see the silent storm beginning to arise in Itachi's eyes as his gaze remained rooted on Sasuke's belly.

Sasuke tilted his head, unsure of what Itachi spoke of, and caught sight of his stomach. Sure enough, even from his position on his back, he could tell that his stomach had swelled three times its normal size. Other than the discomfort, he hadn't realized that it had become that bad. It almost looked like he was four months pregnant.

"Fuck!"

Sasuke directed his gaze at Itachi when he heard the curse.

Itachi met his gaze directly. "Did I knot you?" he asked, the words coming out in a less favorable tone than Sasuke was used to.

The boy blinked, and when the words registered in his brain, a blush overtook his face. He turned his head away from the man and began fidgeting underneath his gaze.

"Sasuke, look at me."

It was times like this when the don't-fuck-with-me and obey-me tone of an alpha made Sasuke clam up. He swallowed hard and immediately turned his gaze toward his brother. The man's hand was still poised on his distended abdomen as he demanded a response.

"Answer me, Otouto. Did I knot you?"

Sasuke shook his head vehemently, denying the allegation. The man didn't sound too happy. If Itachi found out he had involuntarily knotted Sasuke while he was in rut, he would come to loathe the boy. After all, a knot was saved for a mate, a fated pair, not for someone like Sasuke.

Like a twig snapping in half under pressure, Itachi's alarmed gaze turned cold and his demeanor hardened. "What?" he asked as if he was giving Sasuke the opportunity to rescind and change his answer.

That single word chilled Sasuke to the bone. Next thing he knew, Itachi had climbed on top of him, caging Sasuke's body between the mattress and his own. Sasuke bit his lip and did his best to maintain the eye contact that was demanded of him.

A hand pressed down on his belly, and Sasuke winced, biting down on his lip harder. God, that felt so uncomfortable.

Itachi's eyes hardened. "If I didn't knot you, then why does it look like you're bloated from your intestines absorbing a large amount of cum?"

The low, quiet rumble in Itachi's voice freaked Sasuke out. He had only heard it during a small handful of times, and none of those situations ended well. Not when an angry alpha reared his head.

But Sasuke debated telling the truth because the truth had the potential to tear them apart. He had heard from his kaa-san that alphas did not knot their partners unless they had already resigned to spend the rest of their lives with that person. Itachi's knot was supposed to be saved for his mate, but Sasuke had stolen it when Itachi was at his weakest. It almost felt like he had taken advantage of the situation, and it made him feel despicable especially when he had an inkling that Itachi already met his fated pair.

"A-Aniki, stop," he croaked when he felt the palm on his distended stomach add more pressure. The area felt hard, yet tender, and an uncomfortable void filled his insides.

"Did someone else fuck you while I was away?" Itachi asked, his emotionless voice causing a shiver to race down Sasuke's spine. "Are you carrying some other alpha's baby?"

Tears welled up in Sasuke's wide eyes as he squirmed to get away from the large hand. How did things go so wrong so quickly?

Itachi's eyes narrowed when he noticed Sasuke trying to pry himself away from him. He clenched his hands around the boy's wrist and slammed them flat against the bed. "Didn't I tell you what would happen if you let another alpha impregnate you?"

No, Sasuke thought. He didn't want this kind of misunderstanding between them, especially when everything had gone so well. He understood that senses were heightened after a coupling, but it wasn't like Itachi was actually his mate. It was only a fake. But why was he getting so worked up?

He absolutely hated the look that his Aniki was giving him. If this was the end result of his lie, then there was no point in lying.

"Stupid, Itachi!" he finally yelled at the top of his lungs, thrashing against the man. "Why are you asking me that to begin with? Can't you use your stupid nose to smell me? I don't smell like anyone else, but you, so why would you say something like that?" He began sobbing. Fuck, he got butthurt. All because he wasn't treated as someone special anymore by his Aniki, whom he liked so much. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid, Itachi."

Itachi couldn't explain what caused him to snap out of his daze first. If it was the yelling, or the words that struck him, or the big, fat tears that rolled down Sasuke's cheeks.

But he let go. Immediately.

It almost felt like he had blacked out and received an outer body experience, but he knew that wasn't the case. He couldn't explain it. Other than the temporary marking and the rut jumbling his senses and forcing him to go wild, he had no excuse.

What the fuck was he doing?

Sasuke was right. He knew the boy had only been with him, because every crevice of Sasuke's body leeched Itachi's smell, but for some reason the lie had sparked something nasty inside him to manifest and go against logic.

Fuck. He looked down at the sobbing boy who was rubbing away tears that continued to drip from his eyes. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

"Sorry," he fretted. "Sorry. I'm so sorry, Otouto," he chanted verbatim as he reached down to cradle the boy in his arms. "It's all my fault. I don't know what's wrong with my brain. I'm so sorry, Otouto. Please don't cry anymore."

It took Itachi nearly an hour to console his Otouto. Between that and Sasuke allowing him to bathe with him after, Itachi understood that that was the length of forgiveness he would be given that day. He sighed in relief when Sasuke didn't say a word when he pulled him into his arms that night and rubbed his belly gently to ease the discomfort. The boy had fallen asleep like so, heaving small puffs of air as he slept soundly.

And that was when Itachi's phone vibrated on the nightstand. He picked up immediately so it would wake the boy up and quietly stepped out into the hallway to answer.

"Yo."

It was Kyuubi.

"So I talked to Granny Tsunade…" the blonde said.

Itachi gazed at the opposite hallway wall blankly as Kyuubi beat around the bush.

"Apparently, the drug I gave you is still in the clinical trials phase."

No shit.

"It seems the reason it isn't on the market yet is because it has too many worrisome side effects."

"You don't say," Itachi deadpanned.

He had thought about this for the latter half of the evening. It wasn't enough to blame his actions on the rut nor the marking. He had suspected, but he couldn't confirm until now.

"Side effects," Kyuubi went on, "include, but are not limited to, irritability, aggression, irrational behavior, and insomnia."

"How peachy."

"I mean you're forcing a rut, which can last up to a week, to end in 24-36 hours. You could only imagine the side effects that come from such a thing."

"Yet, you decided to turn me into your guinea pig." Kyuubi was lucky Itachi didn't harm Sasuke because of the side effects of the experimental drug.

The man had the audacity to laugh sheepishly. "My bad, my bad. But you were so much worse than in your previous ruts so I had to do something about it."

Itachi hung up. He was done dealing with interruptions and nonsense today. When he returned to the bedroom, he noticed that Sasuke was slightly tossing and turning in bed.

The long-haired ravenette frowned and climbed into bed, pulling his precious Otouto into his chest and wrapping a firm arm around his waist. The fiddling disappeared almost immediately as if Sasuke was calmed by Itachi's presence. A gentle smile formed on Itachi's typical nonchalant facade and he leaned closer to place a kiss on the boy's cheek before settling in himself.

"Goodnight, my fated pair," he whispered, allowing the tender words to hang in the air.