Brother, My Brother

by Hell Jashin

Reuploaded: Itachi doesn't believe that anyone is good enough for Sasuke, not even himself. So when Neji swoops in to disrupt their lives, Itachi has a choice to make: remain passive or fight for the one he loves. ItaSasu; NejiSasu

2. Parts 8-14

Disclaimer: All the characters in Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

Author's Note: I am reuploading one of my prized works here. I've combined all previous chapters below in two parts. New chapters will be released as a separately labeled chapter.

Brother, My Brother

Written by: Hell Jashin

Part 8

It was a bad idea to leave the house without anything.

Sasuke had no money, his phone was still sitting on his nightstand and his keys had been conveniently abandoned in the living room. Not smart at all. So as he was left wandering the streets, his mind worked fast to conjure a gameplan.

Where did Itachi least likely expect him to be? Gaara's house was a no-go; not only was Temari and Kankuro there, but Sasori was there, and Sasuke just wasn't so sure if the man would relay that message to Itachi. Even if he had told Itachi to find him when he pulled his head out of his ass, he wasn't going to make it particularly easy for the man.

And then there was Neji's place, which was God-knows-where. But he shouldn't. He didn't know Neji's living situation and he would certainly hate to impose, not that he currently had that option because he'd never heard a peep out of the brunette that hinted of the location of his dwelling.

His best bet was probably Kyuubi's house- the man was rather fond of him, his parents were out of town, and Naruto happened to be a rather good friend of his. Besides, should Kyuubi turn him away in some sort of loyal pact with Itachi, Sasuke could always explain the predicament to him- hell, he'd show him his raw bottom as proof; he was a reasonable man. He hadn't seen the elder Uzumaki on his way out the door, leading him to believe the early bird had returned home to mess with the younger drunk and indisposed blonde.

The Uzumaki house was about another ten minutes off, and it hadn't taken Sasuke more than a few minutes after his adrenaline died to notice the limping. The familiar soreness was one thing, but his shorts were chaffing his tender flesh, and he was pretty sure there was a smidgen of caked blood on them by now.

Despite the lack of appropriate, normal day attire, he noticed the way cars slowed down with what he hoped wasn't interest as they approached and passed him. He huffed, peeved, and shoved his hands into his pockets as he rounded the corner of a nice neighborhood. About halfway down the residential district, he finally reached his destination.

It didn't take long for someone to open the door after he rung the doorbell. It was Kyuubi, which hadn't been a surprise because Sasuke had seen the way Naruto was working that handle of vodka last night, and he gave a half-hearted wave like he couldn't be bothered with words. His forlorn appearance must have been alarming because whatever humor Kyuubi was nursing before he opened the door vanished and his lips pulled into a frown.

"What's crackalackin, chibi?" the blonde asked, allowing the teen to fall into his arms without hesitation.

"Don't tell Itachi," he pleaded, his very first words since the argument. wasn't how it was supposed to go. "Don't tell him I'm here. Please." His voice cracked on the spot until he was being shushed by Kyuubi and hustled past an unconscious Naruto on the couch and upstairs into a master bedroom that Sasuke knew too well.

He also knew the look on Kyuubi's face the moment he set eyes on Sasuke at his doorstep. There was no spark of surprise, no semblance of a question in the man's eyes. And if he knew his brother, which to be fair he did to a certain extent when it came to worrying over Sasuke, Itachi was sure to have already phoned Kyuubi to be his lookout.

The elder blonde pulled out his desk chair and swung it around, gesturing for him to take a seat. Reluctantly, Sasuke shook his head and as his fingers clutched onto Kyuubi's front, it finally registered in his mind how much his legs were shaking.

"Shit," he heard Kyuubi mutter under his breath. "That stupid asshat didn't tell me about this."

And it took Kyuubi a bottle of antiseptics, a big pile of cotton balls, a strawberry popsicle from his secret stash, and nearly an hour to calm the frantic boy down. For someone like him, who had a hard time tolerating anybody's shitfest, he had to give himself a pat on the back.

- H.J. -

"What do you want?" Kyuubi asked, annoyed. The door was propped ajar, but the available space was shielded by his body.

"I'm assuming the shift in behavior between the last time I saw you and now means that Sasuke is here with you?" Contrary to the snarkiness the statement invited, Itachi's forlorn expression increased the irritation that Kyuubi was feeling.

It had been quite a few hours since the incident if the darkness outside was anything to go by. He was surprised the man had waited that long before knocking on his door.

"I don't know what you're talking about." His answer was short, clipped, as if he didn't want anything to do with the man. And for good reason because Itachi knew that he wasn't the most patient man on the block. In fact, he had always been quick to irritation and, worse, anger, but he had always managed to curb it for Sasuke. However, as they grew older and Sasuke became more outgoing and sexual, Itachi gradually grew more anxious about what that held for their future together or lack thereof. And this Neji person was the manifestation of all that Itachi feared; loneliness, emptiness, his sanity. Sasuke was so taken with him; the boy practically melted in the man's presence, and that made Neji a threat.

Of course Itachi being Itachi thought it was a fantastic idea to physically abuse the only individual that he cared about in order to regain control of the situation. Naturally, just like all things he touched, he broke it.

"I need to see him, Kyuubi." He hoped his tone was firm enough to warrant acquiescence, but from the raised eyebrow he got from the blonde, he knew the man probably heard his pleading undertone.

"Can't see what isn't here." Another clipped answer. This time with boredom embedded.

Itachi's heart dropped. He needed to see his Otouto so that he could smooth things over; he needed to tell the boy that he was beyond apologetic and that his actions were the result of misguided intentions; and that, never in the bane of his existence, did he want Sasuke to be frightened of or hide from him. Itachi needed to reassure him that his love was unconditional, and his minor lapse of judgment did not change that.

And even though he knew what he needed, Itachi wasn't stupid enough to ignore what Sasuke blatantly needed now: space. He was aware that the boy didn't want to see his face or hear his voice or be in the same room with him, and Itachi needed to take a deep breath and take a step back to honor it.

"Just tell me that he's okay." His eyes darted over Kyuubi's shoulders and caught a glimpse of the wooden stairwell, before the man blocked his view by propping an arm on the door.

"Who is this 'he' you're referring to?"

Confusion painted the man's words, and Itachi knew that he wasn't going to get anything out of Kyuubi so he resigned to his fate and backed off.

"I'm sorry, Otouto," he called out, hoping that the boy was somewhere behind that closed door and was listening in and laughing inwardly at how pathetic his voice came out.

-H.J.-

"You're ruthless. I should be more like you." The somber words were accompanied by a small smile.

"That man needs to be put in his place sometimes. If you allow him back in your good graces with a simple apology and a puppy dog look, then he'll never learn," Kyuubi ridiculed, waving off Sasuke's words. Only he could diss Itachi in a normal fashion without any feeling of remorse or fear of backlash.

"You know, you didn't seem surprised when I showed up earlier. I thought it was because Itachi called you to be his lookout," Sasuke said, leaning his hip against the staircase railing.

Kyuubi mirrored his actions, propping his back against the main door. He stuffed his hands into his sweats as an angled knee allowed him to prop his foot against the frame. "Pfft. As if I'd cater to his whims. I'm not an enabler. I only knew because that brother of yours is a fucking idiot and a master of his own shitty fate."

Sasuke tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

It seemed like Kyuubi was editing out the explanation in his head as he debated whether to clarify his response, but the light chime that rang through the house put an end to their conversation and steered their attention to the door.

With an arched brow, Kyuubi pushed himself off the door with a finger pressed against his lips in a shush. He peered through the peephole for a second before he threw a monster grin over his shoulder at Sasuke, prompting the boy's own arched brow.

"Who is it?" Sasuke asked, descending down the last flight of stairs in hopes of getting a peek. Given the change in attitude, he assumed it was not his brother once more… unless Kyuubi was bipolar.

In a dramatic display that would have driven any normal person to hide in fear of being connected to a total geek, the man swung the door wide open nearly smacking Sasuke in the face and proclaimed loud and proud, "Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door!" with open arms.

Silence greeted the words, so Kyuubi extended a single arm as if he was Romeo and continued much to Sasuke's embarrassment. "Some late night visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door!"

More silence.

"That is it and nothing more!"

"Wow."

Sasuke stopped mid-temple rub as the person at the door finally spoke.

"I'm surprised you have friends."

The familiar, sultry voice wafted through the air and filled Sasuke's ears like a melody. He peeked out from behind the door to confirm the man's identity, which honestly wasn't necessary if his heart thudding against his ribcage was any indication.

His eyes feasted on the sturdy, tall gentleman standing in front of Kyuubi who looked as if he was shifting between amusement and nonchalance. It was his chocolate brown locks and bright eyes that stood out to Sasuke at first glance, followed by his regal elegance no matter what he wore.

His mouth had a hard time catching up with his eyes as he perused the length of the man's body. Why was it so easy for Neji to command Sasuke's attention, especially without even knowing he did such a thing? Sasuke would have scoffed if he wasn't so busy staring.

Kyuubi had brushed off the comment without so much of a huff and pulled the bottle of Lagavulin out the brunette's hands. "I'm assuming that's mine," he said. Quite stealthily, as he inspected the bottle, his other arm shot out to collect Sasuke from behind the door and fluidly ushered him into Neji's arms with a quick push and a permanent smirk etched on his face. "And I'm assuming this is yours."

With a yelp, Sasuke collided against Neji's chest. Neji, who he never doubted had good reflexes, caught him in his arms with a hint of surprise coloring his eyes.

"You kids have fun!" Kyuubi chimed, as he left the door partially open and sauntered into the kitchen in search of dinner.

Sasuke immediately buried his face in the brunette's chest and gripped tightly onto the man's T-shirt. Neji smelled of vanilla and lavender and all that was calming in the world.

"Babe, hey," Neji said softly, bringing his arms around the boy's waist. He started stroking Sasuke's back. "I've been trying to reach you all day." At his silence, Neji continued. "I thought you were avoiding me."

Sasuke shook his head vehemently against his chest and gripped tighter. "Itachi and I had a fight," he mumbled. "He hurt me, and I ran away."

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry to hear that. Let me see you." Neji pried the boy from his body and lightly grasped onto his face with his palms. His concerned, yet intense gaze roamed Sasuke's face, settling on his forlorn eyes.

Neji, the soul-crushingly perfect man that Sasuke knew he was, bent down and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. He sighed against the man's soft lips and his shoulders sagged, releasing the built up tension he didn't realize they stored.

"I wanted to find you," Sasuke started, "but I didn't know where you lived and I didn't want to bring my troubles to you. And I didn't have my phone so I didn't have my contacts."

A small smile graced the brunette's lips as he bent down and kissed Sasuke again and again and again. "I'm glad you're here with me now" was all it took for Sasuke to wrap his arms around Neji's neck and attach his lips permanently to Neji's.

God, the man made him feel. How could he be so accepting, so understanding, so perfect?

Neji's hands traveled down his sides and stopped at his thighs, hefting Sasuke's legs around his waist as he flipped a 180, simultaneously closing the door with both of them inside the foyer and pressing the boy against it.

The dull ache of Sasuke's flesh had faded over the extended hours, leaving his rump pressed against the door with minimal pain. He was sure the remnants of the welts were still present, but much less pronounced as his skin started to heal. He had surprisingly missed Neji's touches despite having seen him not even 24 hours prior, and the reality of it hit him so hard that he soaked in the man's kisses with fervor.

"I missed you," he gasped as Neji trailed butterfly kisses down his neck. He could feel Neji's hold on his thighs tighten at his words and felt his erection press between his legs. The kisses ended up back at his lips as Neji ate away at him at an excruciatingly heartfelt pace.

"I missed you more, Sasuke."

They say sex can bring souls closer together, and Sasuke wondered if this is what it felt like when those simple words strung together with his name making an atypical appearance made his heart ache.

"Oh my God, get a room" came the abrupt grumble as Kyuubi shuffled by with a bowl of cereal. The man started climbing the stairs. "Just not my room!" he added as an afterthought, effectively deescalating the mood for Sasuke and Neji.

The brunette carefully set the boy on his feet while rolling his eyes. "Never a dull moment, huh?" Sasuke laughed heartily, releasing his grip. They kept their gazes on the blonde until he disappeared into his room.

When they heard the click of Kyuubi's bedroom door, Neji grasped onto Sasuke's hand and led him to the couch in the living room. He sat down, pulling the boy into his lap in a straddle.

Sasuke looked down at their laps as he balanced himself with a hand pressed against Neji's chest. The man had not released his other hand despite their secured location. In fact, Neji's other hand came to rest upon Sasuke's lower back, stroking almost subconsciously, while his gaze was fixed on Sasuke's face.

"I've missed you," Neji delivered the words in a near whisper as his forehead came to rest on Sasuke's. He stared in the Uchiha's eyes with an intensity that set ablaze forests and mountains, so acute it made Sasuke want to look anywhere but at them. "Don't look away," Neji said hurriedly as if he sensed what the boy was thinking. "Look only at me, Sasuke."

The boy bit his lip to deter his body from squirming in the mann's lap. God, those eyes. Why did they look so devastatingly beautiful, yet lonely?

Sasuke felt the grip on his hand tighten as he forced himself to maintain Neji's scrutiny.

"What's wrong, Neji?" Sasuke whispered. They were so close. He was afraid anything louder would shatter this fragile world the brunette had created.

With a faint exhale, the man finally broke eye contact when his head dropped and rested on Sasuke's shoulders. Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at the sudden movement as his hand scrambled to wrap around Neji instead. Another moment's silence passed. "Neji?" he finally whispered again, and if possible, the grip on his hand turned nearly bruising. Sasuke gripped back just as hard.

"I thought I lost you," Neji murmured against the boy's shoulder. He turned to burrow his face in the arch of Sasuke's neck. "I'd been calling all day. When I couldn't reach you, I thought you didn't want me anymore. I thought I did something wrong or you were hurt." Neji laughed, a pitiful cry that was short-lived. "I didn't know what to think honestly."

The hand that had held on oh-so-desperately suddenly loosened, giving Sasuke the opportunity to wrap both arms around the brunette. He cradled the man against his warmth and sunk his fingers through the man's luscious locks.

"Baka, Neji, you hold me on too high of a pedestal and hardly give yourself any credit. If anything, you would be the one leaving me. You're a treasure mine, and I'm just your typical high school teenager. You do things to me that I can't explain. I look at you and wonder how I got so lucky." Sasuke continued to comb his fingers through the man's hair, feeling the anxiety in Neji's chest slowly draining away.

The man finally looked up at him, and his eyes brought Sasuke's world to a standstill. Those milky white eyes bore into him softly, tenderly, but hid amongst an emotion he could not put his finger on. Sasuke blinked twice to rid his frozen stare and leaned forward to kiss the man. It was a long kiss, not rushed nor heated, but soul-crushing and longing. When they finally broke it off, Neji had brought the both of them to a standing position.

"Come home with me, Sasuke," Neji murmured, holding his hand out for the boy to grab onto. The boy held on, ignoring the way his heart strings tugged and fidgeted in his chest.

-H.J.-

Itachi refused to show the CD to anyone. He couldn't.

His Otouto was naked throughout the entire recording. He was being defiled by another man the entire time. He was moaning and begging for another man's dick to stretch him open the entire time. And the name that Sasuke called out… Itachi hands tightened around the arm rests.

His lifeless gaze fixated on his computer screen, watching those hands work to caress every inch of that body. He hadn't even bothered to silence the video- might as well let it bare it all.

It had only been a day since the incident. There he sat- an empty shell of a man- in a big, empty office within a big, empty house on a dead silent Sunday morning, bloodshot eyes narrowing to protect themselves from the stream of light breaking through the curtains, as he watched something that was never meant for his eyes.

How many times had he replayed it already? Six? Seven? There was no doubt he was a glutton for punishment- a masochist.

His gaze followed the movements on screen almost mechanically as he gulped down the liquid that slid down his throat like water. His eyes flickered briefly to the last three fingers of whisky in the bottle, the bottle of Black Velvet his Otouto had taunted him with not long ago.

What was the point of drinking alcohol if it couldn't numb his thoughts? His body felt heavy, but his goddamn brain wouldn't stop working.

Why was he repeatedly watching his precious Otouto get fucked by a man that wasn't him? Why was he doing this to himself? Was this his punishment for what he did to his beloved?

"Oh, f-fuck, fuck yeah… Aghh, t-three f-fingers?"

Itachi's eyes flickered from the bottle to the screen. Yeah, if Itachi were to fuck his baby brother, he would need at least three fingers. Four to be safe. He was big to begin with, and his dick had a habit of swelling to comical proportions when it came to Sasuke. Only Sasuke.

"I don't want them anymore."

Would you want my dick instead, Sasuke? I'd tear you in half in anticipation. No, that's not the only reason. I'd dive into your body and carve my existence into your soul so you could never forget me. I want to ruin you so you'll never forget me.

"G-god, it's so fucking big."

Only for you, Otouto. Only for you does it get hard. If I let you, would you bounce on it like a good boy until you've filled yourself to the brim with me? Would you say the same thing to me?

Itachi brought the remaining liquid to his lips and gulped it down. He was right. The burn was nonexistent. The bottle fell from his fingertips and rolled to the side, clinking against an empty bottle of vodka.

"A-ahh, tell m-me you're mine instead… I want you to be mine, too."

I have been yours since the beginning of your existence, Otouto. I have always been yours. You are the reason for my existence. Without you, my life is not worth living.

The recording finally rolled to a stop. Itachi's arm felt heavy, and even if he wanted to, he couldn't lift it to hit replay. He rested his head back against his office chair, and it was only when he closed his eyes did he feel something drip down his face.

Tears. They were tears.

"Man, don't you look positively wretched?"

He heard a voice from the distance, but his eyelids felt heavy, and his long lashes laid flush against his cheeks. Whoever it was could go fuck themselves.

"You alive?"

He heard approaching footsteps, but his brain didn't feel a need to discern the owner of that familiar voice.

A big sigh. "I don't know why you insist on doing this to yourself."

Itachi felt his body being dragged out his chair and his arm being swung over someone's shoulder. He groaned unintentionally at being moved without warning.

"I'm taking you to the hospital, you idiot. You don't look so well."

"I-I'm fine," he slurred, unsuccessfully tossing out the words as his body remained limp.

"Tch. Dumbass."

"What the fuck?" Whoever it was must have glanced over his body to see his open laptop on his desk, because the man spewed out the same words as he thought when he first saw it.

What the fuck was right.

-H.J.-

Neji had brought the sweet boy home with him. He had shown him where he lived, had had the boy memorize his address and repeat it to him twice, and had given him a quick tour of his four bedroom and four bath townhome.

He had pulled out a towel for Sasuke and directed him to the master bath, watching with amusement and adoration as the boy flushed when he realized Neji didn't have any intention to shower with him.

For good reason, Neji might add. The ravenette had not told him what had happened with Itachi, and he did not want to intrude nor push his luck. If the boy told Neji to shower with him, he would have complied without hesitation. But Sasuke had been quiet on the way over. The Hyuuga supposed, after the long day Sasuke had, this was his first time being able to sit down quietly to reflect on his day. He was happy with holding the boy's hand in his when he had driven them home.

When Sasuke had finished showering and put on the clean robe that Neji had on hand, he crawled into the brunette's gigantic bed without a single peep. Neji, who had been washing up in another room, had returned to his and was greeted with a half asleep boy curled up under his duvet.

He turned off the lights and slid in on the opposite side of the bed and immediately felt the boy snuggle into his side. Sasuke let out a small content sigh as he dug his face into Neji's side.

"You smell good," he murmured in his sleepy trance, missing the way the brunette's lips curled into a smile.

Neji pulled the boy into his arms, resting Sasuke's back against his chest and tossing his arm around the boy's slim waist. He propped his free arm upright so that he could gaze at the elegant features before him.

Long, lush lashes, fair pale skin, plush full lips sweet as sin, and soft dark locks that scattered across one of the pillows.

"My beautiful Sasuke," Neji whispered. His grip tightened to secure the boy close to him, and the brunette leaned down to attach his lips to the nape of the boy's neck. It was meant to be a wet kiss, but as soon as he tasted the sweet skin and caught a whiff of his smell, his lips formed a tight circle around the boy's flesh and he sucked slowly but generously. He heard the boy groan in his sleep and murmur his name, which only fueled his desire to continue. When he finally removed himself, a dark mark was already forming. He kissed it and then fully laid down to spoon Sasuke.

"Goodnight, baby."

The following serene morning was ruined by Neji's cell phone buzzing away on his nightstand. He had picked up quickly so the vibrations did not wake Sasuke up and slid out into the hallway to answer.

"Is chibi with you?"

It was Kyuubi. He recognized the deep baritone that held an edge of sass.

"He's sleeping," Neji responded. He took another glance at the slumbering boy and silently closed the bedroom door. Then, he headed to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. "What's up?"

"I have a question for you, and I need an honest response."

So serious, Neji thought. And first thing in the morning, too. "Have you ever known me to be dishonest?" He pressed the phone to his ear and shoulder as he filled his coffee maker.

"When you had sex with Sasuke in my room, did you record it?" Kyuubi asked.

Neji's brow scrunched in confusion and his movements stilled. He held onto his device once his coffee began brewing and took a seat in the living room. "Why would you ask me that?" he queried. For Kyuubi to ask that, he'd either been perving, which didn't seem like him, or had a part two to his question. He sighed aloud when his question was met with silence. "No, I did not nor have I ever recorded anything like that with anyone, especially not Sasuke."

The man on the other end blew a deep breath, and Neji sensed the concerning issue before Kyuubi breathed a word about it. "Then, this turns into a doozy of a situation."

Instinctively, Neji's eyes narrowed. "Tell me what's going on, Kyuubi. It's rare that you call me and ask such a situational question."

"I called to tell you two things. The first is that I brought Itachi to the hospital for alcohol poisoning, and since Sasuke is his only existing blood relations, he has a right to know. I couldn't call his phone because he doesn't have it on him. Hence, this call to you. We're at Konoha Hospital, second floor: room 203."

"Is he stable?" Neji asked.

"All things considered, yes. They've given him an IV, and we're just waiting out the effects while his liver slowly detoxifies his body. However, I'm more concerned about the second thing, Neji."

"Someone recorded Sasuke and me having sex," Neji stated, a clear statement rather than a question. It was obvious based on what the man had thrown at him.

Another heavy sigh. "Yes. Itachi's still unconscious so I don't know the details, but here's what I know based on an at-a-glance. The recording was given to Itachi, Itachi has seen the contents of the recording from beginning to end, and what he did to Sasuke was a direct result of those two things."

Neji's grip tightened on his phone. He assumed that what Itachi did to Sasuke was a part of the argument that Sasuke mentioned him having with his brother. It would be a good idea to ask the boy when he woke up. "Appears to be malicious intent," he surmised.

"I arrived at the same conclusion. It seems as though Itachi was the only one given the recording. Since you were just as perplexed about my question, I'm assuming you didn't receive a copy."

Neji made a sound that offered confirmation. Leave it to Kyuubi to be so perceptive.

Kyuubi continued. "Working under the assumption that the recording was only given to Itachi and not you nor Sasuke, we can assume that the main goal was not blackmail. I don't know about you, but if I were to blackmail someone, I'd find trouble with the individuals directly involved. In this case, you or Sasuke. You're loaded- why wouldn't they take a jab at you? But, if you didn't know about its existence until now, I highly doubt Sasuke knows. Which means it was filmed with the intention that Itachi be the main recipient. Now, Neji, why would someone send something like that to Itachi of all people?"

Neji's brain was already reaching a conclusion as he took in Kyuubi's words, but he remained silent. He wanted to see if the man had similar thoughts.

"Well, from your silence, you've come to the same conclusion. I'm sure by now you've at least suspected something between Itachi and Sasuke- specifically how Itachi feels about Sasuke… Something like that coming from someone like Itachi, it's difficult to hide without it manifesting itself one way or another."

Neji butted in. "We're coming to the same conclusion because we've ruled out the other likelihoods," he stated. "If it was a hate crime, it would have been all over the internet by now. A hate crime would have exhibited different symptoms: rage, illogical behavior, a lack of control. But this seems calculated, thought out, and very much target specific."

"Exactly. This is why I've always liked you, Neji. I don't have to explain things to you. I'm guessing that this individual knew something of Itachi's relationship with Sasuke. Seems like an immature taunt from afar. Needless to say, be extra careful these coming days. Both of you."

"Sasuke will be staying with me for a while. I'll protect him."

"Also, bring him to see Itachi. I doubt he'd forgive himself if he didn't at least visit once. Even though he's mad at Itachi right now for a good reason, I hope he doesn't let that cloud his judgment and affect his actions. I'll leave it up to you what you decide to tell or not tell him regarding the recording."

"Thanks for looking out, Kyuubi," Neji said.

"I'll give you a call if I hear anything else," Kyuubi responded, then hung up.

Neji tossed his phone aside onto the sofa and ran his fingers through his hair with an agitated groan. Something disturbed him about the whole situation. If he was working under the assumption that the video was sent only to Itachi, then that meant Sasuke was at the epicenter of the ordeal.

If the video had been sent to Hiashi or TenTen or Hinata, then Neji would have assumed that the situation revolved around his involvement. But he would have heard something like that already, especially if it was given to a family member or his friend. Someone had their eyes on the younger Uchiha and was dragging everyone along with them.

He'd definitely be watching over Sasuke more than usual these next coming weeks.

Like hell he'd let anyone close enough to touch Sasuke much less harm him.

Part 9

It was minutes later when Neji was sipping on his freshly brewed coffee on the sofa that he felt the sweet embrace from behind. Black spikes filled his vision followed by an adorable kiss on his cheek. His lips twitched amidst pulling away from his mug, and he set it down and dragged the teen over the couch and into his lap effortlessly.

"How'd you sleep?" he murmured, leaning forward to place butterfly kisses down the teen's neck.

"So good," Sasuke sighed contentedly, squirming slightly in Neji's lap to find a comfortable position before relaxing and leaning into him.

Neji's lips quirked from their position at the base of the boy's neck. He was so cute. The brunette opened his mouth to suck on the juncture in front of him, earning him a hitched moan and hands in his hair. His hands caressed down the teen's waist and cupped his behind in his hands, kneading gently and bringing their bodies flushed against one another's.

He pulled away from Sasuke's neck to stare directly into his eyes, finding beautiful dark orbs peering at him with a mixture of curiosity and attraction. "I'm glad you slept well, baby," he said, coming forward to peck those enticing lips.

"Kiss me properly," Sasuke whispered, eyes half lidded while his hands pulled Neji's face back toward him for another kiss.

They both groaned when their lips met for a second time with more force and elevated passion. Sasuke's tongue snuck into Neji's mouth almost immediately, reminding Neji of their first time swapping saliva. He wrapped his tongue around Sasuke's without question, brushing and rubbing against the mild sweetness that invaded his senses, and pushed against the boy's lip with increased fervor. Neji bathed in the boy's moan as Sasuke's fingers tightened in his tresses to keep him as close to him as long as possible.

When they broke apart for air, Sasuke was finally willing to drop his hands from that beautiful hair. Instead, his fingers crept along the hem of the brunette's shirt while he stared down at Neji's groin.

Neji noticed his gaze and, within a flash, he had the boy on his back on the couch while he, himself, hovered over him. "Are you hungry, baby?" Neji breathed out, bringing his hips down to collide with Sasuke's when the word 'hungry' fell from his lips.

He reveled at the shaky moan he received and reached a hand down to tug off his own bottoms, erection bobbing vicariously before the both of them. Neji kept an eye on Sasuke's features as he leaned closer and guided his thick, long member to glide between the boy's slightly parted thighs.

The ravenette shuddered, fingers gripping tightly onto Neji's obliques. "So hungry," he whined, feeling the silky heat pool between his thighs. He wanted to thrust his hips forward, but was pushed down and stripped cleanly of his clothing.

Neji forced his legs apart with his hands as he pulled his body back to admire the view.

"It's been a little over a day and it's still so swollen down here, Sasuke," Neji murmured, spreading and pressing both of his legs up in the air to widen his view. Sasuke wrapped a hand around the back of each knee to keep them in place, groaning as he set eyes on the blatant look of hunger usurping those pretty white eyes.

The brunette pressed the pad of his thumb against the opening, marveling at the pinkish dark hue and how the soft opening gave way when he applied a bit of pressure. "Did you enjoy what I did to you here the other night?" he asked, allowing his thumb to sink three quarters of the way in before slowly dragging it back out.

Sasuke nodded his head, swallowing the lump in his throat when Neji brought that same finger that was inside of him into his own mouth to suck and lick it clean of his inner essence. God, the sound that pried its way from Neji's throat made Sasuke's dick twitch and leak profusely. When he spoke, his voice sounded strained as if he was trying to hold back and be sweet as to not scare the boy away even though his word choice betrayed such.

"God, I want to pry you open and eat you from the inside," he growled, both hands parting Sasuke's cheeks as wide as they could take before diving forward and smashing his face against that puckered hole.

Sasuke yelped, hands immediately tightening around his knees as they threatened to shake and give away.

"Aah!" he shrieked, head tossed back deep into the couch cushions as he felt Neji's insistent hot, wet tongue prying into his ass. Those strong, able fingers gripped tightly against his cheeks as Sasuke's body got pushed back to match the force of Neji eating his ass.

Wet, slurping noises filled the room and combined with unrestrained moans. Tears filled the corners of Sasuke's eyes as he became overwhelmed with the intensity of such pleasure.

The man pried and pried and pried with his tongue, feeling those muscles give slightly and soften against his mouth. Lord, it tasted so addictive to Neji. It made his mouth water and saliva dribble down the corners of his mouth the more he ate. How could Sasuke's ass taste so fucking good?

"Neji! Neji!" Sasuke cried, eyes pinched tightly shut. Holy fuck, it felt too good to be real. He could feel the overwhelming droplets of tears forcing themselves past his tightly lidded eyes. "Ahhh, fuck! Gentle, Neji. Gentle," he half whimpered, half moaned. His hips, however, wouldn't stop pushing against that forceful tongue.

"So sweet," the brunette muttered, words muffled against Sasuke's parted cheeks. "Can't stop. Give me more," the man demanded.

Embarrassingly, with Neji's hand on his ass and tongue inside, Sasuke's hips jerked up and his swollen dick spurted streams of cum onto his lower belly. Never in a million years had Sasuke ever came from only having a tongue in his ass. His hands and legs gave out and dropped, severing the contact between Neji and Sasuke's hole.

Neji looked up, licking his lips as he eyed the mortified Sasuke who covered his face with his hands. He moved closer, prying the boy's hands away, and littered his face with kisses. "So cute," he murmured.

He left it be after, rubbing his dick along Sasuke's belly to collect the cum. "Are you still hungry, baby?" Neji asked, half hooded eyes meeting the black ones that sparkled and followed his movements.

"Still hungry," he whispered, opening his legs once more and prying his cheeks open.

Neji's eyes darkened at the sight. Such a beauty he was. Seductive at the drop of a hat. "How can I feed it?" he asked, hypnotized by the sight he was offered. He palmed his dick, spreading the cum along the head and base. "Tell me how do I feed it, baby? My fingers? More tongue?"

"Give me your dick," Sasuke whimpered. "Fill up my ass."

"My baby needs my dick to fill his hole, hmm? I should have known from the way you were staring at it earlier." Neji groaned as he continued to slowly jerk his dick. With his other hand, he sunk two fingers into the boy's wet hole. They made their way in with less resistance than the first time and after a few thrusts, Neji managed to add a third finger.

"I don't want fingers," Sasuke whimpered, feeling fingers scissor and pry into him. He knew it had to be done, but he couldn't wait much longer.

Neji looked down at Sasuke's body sprawled under him, so gorgeous and wanton. "Tell me you like me, baby."

Was his demand ridiculous at such a pivotal moment? He just needed to hear that the boy wanted him. He'd give it to Sasuke whether the boy said it or not, but for some reason Neji needed to confirm these desires. He wanted Sasuke to acknowledge them.

He pressed the thick head against the opening, watching closely as the boy released his hold to wrap his arms around his neck and loosely wrap his legs around his hips.

Neji wanted to press his hips forward. God, he wanted to sink inside and feel Sasuke.

"N-Neji," Sasuke whispered, "I like you. I need you to feed me."

Neji planted his hands firmly on the couch behind their bodies, and with those words, he drove his hips forward and sunk his entire cock into the boy's sweet, tight hole.

"Aaaghh!" Sasuke screamed, fingers tightening around Neji as his knees fell open at the mere girth between his legs.

Neji growled, the sound vibrating from his throat to his chest, as his grip tightened on the cushion and he snapped his hips forward again and again and again.

His head hung between the two of them as he groaned and his hips plummeted repeatedly with no rhythm and no set speed. He was out of control, bathing in his own pleasure and Sasuke's screams and moans.

"So soft in here," he growled, dick dragging along Sasuke's walls. "I never want to pull out."

"F-Fuck! S-so big!" Sasuke squeaked, the weak thrusting of his hips overpowered greatly by the force to which Neji was shoving against and into him. "Feels so good," he went on as his hole was being stretched and filled to the brim. He could feel the tear from within from being forced open in one go, but it felt so incredible every time that wide, blunt head hammered against his prostate that it made his body weak and his moans multiply.

Neji was afraid to touch Sasuke. He kept his grip firmly on the sofa as he pummeled and wrecked havoc below. He knew Itachi had laid his hands on the boy, and he didn't want to lose control and leave behind marks unintentionally. All he wanted to do was drown the boy in an unbearable amount of pleasure.

"You like how big I am?" he pressed, pulling his entire dick out before filling the entire hole in one thrust. "Feel that, baby?" he grunted as he dug his dick as deep as he could. The boy arched against him with a scream. "Only you do that to me, baby. I've never acted like this with anyone else."

"N-Neji!" Sasuke called, digging his sweaty face into the man's neck. "Y-You feel so good. God, I'm so full!" he sobbed, holding on for dear life.

"I've never fucked anyone like this," Neji went on, grunting like a wolf in a rut. His hips never faltered, never ceased to snap forward, never slowed down. Veins were riddled along the back of his hands and up his arms whilst his blunt nails dug further into the cushioned material. Sweat dripped from his brow. "My dick belongs inside you. It was made for you, Sasuke."

"Fuck yes," the boy groaned. Every thrust he was given indirectly allowed him to rub his erection against those abs. He arched into the thrusts, feeling the heavy breaths against his shoulder and neck, as he was caged in between the couch and those constricting biceps.

"Are you still sore from last time, Sasuke?" Neji continued, the sounds of flesh slapping against one another echoing through the house.

"Nngh, y-yeah."

"Should I stop?" the man asked although his hips didn't give any indication of stopping.

"No, Neji. More. I want more." Sasuke's voice hitched as more tears spilled from his eyes. Lord, he was greedy even if he was being pushed to his limit. Any more and he'd go over a cliff.

"Yeah?" Neji asked, hips finally slowing down until he was filling Sasuke up in very slow, deliberate thrusts. He made sure to drag his cock along the ravenette's insides till only the head remained within; and then he filled the boy with a rough, extremely deep thrust to abuse Sasuke's prostate in the most painfully sweet of ways.

At last, Neji released his grip on the couch, untangling the boy's arms gently from his neck as he leaned back to allow his eyes to flicker down to catch a glimpse of Sasuke's abused hole. With Neji's size, it wasn't a surprise that the hole gaped slightly when he completely pulled out, yet it closed so quickly, swollen and bruised.

A glance up at Sasuke's face made Neji's heart skip a beat. The ravenette's cheeks were tear-stained and cherry red while his chest heaved up and down in congruence with the harsh breaths that escaped those soft, plump lips. But the half-dazed, lustful hooded eyes that stared at Neji from being lost in pleasure made his heart and swollen cock twitch.

"My sweet baby," Neji murmured, hand reaching up to soothe a thumb across one of Sasuke's blushing cheeks. "You drive me crazy."

"Like you, Neji," Sasuke responded, still in his own little world. "I like you."

The genuine smile that uplifted Neji's face made Sasuke's heart do little flips.

"I like you, too, baby." He pulled the boy up by his arms and dove in for a kiss. Their tongues met hot and messy while they're sweaty bodies press against each other's. When they pulled apart, Neji lifted the boy into his arms and carried him down the hall and back into his room.

When he set Sasuke down, the ravenette propped himself up onto his elbows and knees and offered himself up. He pressed his heated cheek against the duvet, looking back at Neji wantonly.

"More," he pleaded. Sasuke's heart nearly lurched in his chest as Neji shot forward, gripped onto his hips, and shoved his weeping dick into his hole without mercy. His fingers wounded themselves tightly into the blanket as an uncontrollable whimper left his lips. "So big," he marveled, words directed at himself more so than to Neji.

Sasuke swallowed him up so naturally that it greatly pleased Neji. He reached a hand around to envelope Sasuke's dick and jerk the boy off at a ruthless pace. The whimpers and moans were like music to his ears as he sunk his cock deep into Sasuke's ass while playing with the boy's dick.

"You're so perfect for me," he muttered as he looked down at Sasuke, whose flushed body quivered against his own. The hole obediently opened for Neji as he continued to pummel into the boy. "So tight and warm. I want to make you gape for my dick. Fuck."

Between his attention attached to the sight of the hole that he was filling and a naked Sasuke sprawled under him, Neji didn't know how close the boy was until the boy was screaming and streams of cum shot out to coat Neji's fingers and the mattress below. He retrieved his hand to stare at the juices dripping down his fingers, and without a second thought, pulled his dick out for a moment to lather it with Sasuke's cum, and proceeded to push it back in.

His sweet baby's upper body had given out and collapsed onto the mattress while his lower half was held up by Neji's grip.

Neji was relentless towards Sasuke's swollen hole as he repeatedly rammed his dick inside. "I'm going to fill you up with my cum, baby," he grunted, the words parting from his lips harshly as his breathing deepened. "I want you full of my cum."

"Fill me up, Neji," the boy whimpered below him, fueling his movements.

"Fucking shit," Neji groaned, eyes stationed on the hole that his dick couldn't stop fucking. He absolutely loved the way that tight, little hole opened up to swallow his thick dick each time he pushed back in. "Why do you make me feel this way? I want you to be mine forever. Fuck."

He wasn't sure if Sasuke had heard him. It wasn't something he had meant to say aloud. The boy was a moaning sweaty mess below him. If Neji could, he'd choose this exact moment to keep on replay for the rest of his life. He wanted Sasuke. He wanted to keep him forever.

"Fuck, I'm coming, baby. Going to fill you up so good," he groaned. With a final thrust deep within, his hips froze, flushed against Sasuke's ass as his grip on the boy's hips tightened drastically. Neji's hips jerked as his groans filled his bedroom, colliding with Sasuke's moans.

Hot liquid painted Sasuke's insides, and his body bathed in such a blissful feeling. There was so much that he could feel every single spurt as more and more continued to drip out. His body had given out a long time ago and his knees felt incredibly shaky at best. Neji's groans filled his mind, causing his dick to twitch simply from hearing the heavy breaths.

Sasuke felt Neji's chest against his back as arms wounded themselves around his shoulders and waist, pulling him up and backwards to lay as a small spoon against the brunette's sturdy body. He had difficulty opening his eyes so he didn't bother, releasing a sigh as he felt a warm kiss on his shoulder.

Just like before, the brunette had refused to pull out, keeping his soft dick nestled inside Sasuke. This time though, whether he was too tired or preferred not to admit that he liked the feeling, Sasuke didn't say anything in retaliation, opting to set his hand on top of the arm around his waist.

He felt the man bury his face into his shoulder and a small smile formed on the corner of his lips.

Sasuke must have dozed off because when he came to it was just a few minutes past noon. "Neji?" he murmured, automatically feeling the arm around him tighten.

"Should we shower?"

"Mhmm, whenever you plan on pulling out, we can shower," he said, getting a chuckle in response.

"But I like staying inside you, baby. You're so warm and snug here."

Sasuke yelped and scowled when he felt his ass getting pinched. He pushed back against the brunette, who released him and slowly pulled out. The ravenette winced slightly at the dryness he felt below before he heard rustling and felt Neji stand up. He rolled off the bed to follow suit, but as soon as his feet touched the ground, his body crumpled and a grimace shrouded his face. He didn't recall ever being this sore in his life.

Next thing he knew, he was swept up in Neji's arms bridal-style. He felt the gentle press of a kiss against his forehead as he averted his eyes with a 'hmph.'

"Sorry, babe," Neji whispered into that kiss, but the smirk that followed destroyed the half-assed excuse.

"Whatever."

Neji set the boy down on the toilet while he grabbed towels from the shelf and turned on the shower. When they stepped in, Sasuke had to lean against Neji to remain upright while soapy hands trailed down his body.

With his forehead pressed against the brunette's chest, Sasuke sighed. The heat helped to soothe his achy backside and legs, and he really liked feeling Neji's strong fingers kneading his tight muscles.

"Babe?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you know why Itachi hurt you?"

Sasuke opened his eyes at the abrupt question. "Because he's an ass," he said.

"I'm going to tell you something, but I need you to remain calm, okay?"

Sasuke's hands held onto Neji's biceps as he pushed himself back to stop Neji's ministrations and look at the brunette. "What happened?" he asked.

"Kyuubi told me this morning that someone filmed us together the first time we had sex. They gave a copy of that tape to Itachi."

Sasuke's eyes went wide, and he ducked his gaze to hide the emotions flitting through his countenance. He felt Neji's fingers caressing his wrinkled brow while his unoccupied hand supported his weight and held him close.

"So… you're saying Itachi watched the tape and saw everything that happened that night in Kyuubi's room?" he asked quietly.

"Yes."

An unsettling feeling formed in Sasuke's chest, weighing it down heavily. His hands covered his face in shock. "Do you know who?" he asked, swallowing thickly.

"I talked it over with Kyuubi, and we don't know either. But we're assuming it's someone both you and Itachi know."

"So the reason Itachi lashed out at me was because of that video?"

"The timeline matches his actions, so yes."

Sasuke remained quiet for a moment. Did someone have it in for him? Did someone want to ruin his life? But why give it to Itachi? It didn't make any sense.

"Still doesn't give him the right to touch me," he muttered.

"Of course not, babe. I want you to know that I'm not telling you this to scare you. I'm telling you this so you're informed."

Sasuke huffed a laugh. See, that was the difference between Neji and Itachi. Whereas Itachi never told him a single thing and in fact tended to keep things from him, Neji was straightforward and involved Sasuke in the decision-making process. For that, he was grateful.

"Kyuubi called this morning. He said that Itachi was having trouble after what happened with you, and he had drank so much that he needed to detox at the hospital. He figured you'd want to go see him. They're keeping him overnight for observation, so if you'd like we can go today."

Sasuke nodded. "Okay. Are you coming with me?"

"You can't get rid of me that easily."

"Pfft. I wasn't trying to." Sasuke huffed a laugh, which was followed by a help when he felt fingers sinking into his hole. He fixed a glare on the brunette who looked back innocently at him.

"I have to get it all out, or your stomach isn't going to feel well soon, baby," Neji said. He tilted his head slightly, allowing the hot water to drench his locks, sending rivets of water cascading down his cheekbones to his torso.

A blush blossomed on Sasuke's face from the combination of having the gorgeous man's long fingers digging inside him and the sight of water dripping down his prominent features. Good lord, how much could he take before he blew up under the intensity of those dancing, bright eyes?

"Let's go again," he found himself saying.

The amused expression on Neji's face turned dark and those pale eyes smouldered while the fingers that were working Sasuke's entrance gently began to curve and scissor their way within.

"You're getting greedy, Sasuke," Neji murmured, eyes flickering down to Sasuke's mouth, which hung open in a quiet moan. "I like you greedy."

Sasuke shivered under the powerful stare before those fingers disappeared and he was pressed firmly up against the tiled wall, caged within bulging biceps, and sucked into a kiss.

When they broke apart, the teen pressed his body further into Neji's as his leg came to wrap around one of Neji's. "I want more," he huffed as the brunette bent down to lick his nipples.

"I'll give you more," Neji promised before he hoisted the boy up in his arms, pressed his back flat against the tiles, poised that soft opening against the head of his dick, and sat Sasuke down on it.

"Nnghh! Y-yeah, God yes!" Sasuke yelled, head slamming against the wall as he saw stars. His arms wrapped tightly around Neji's neck as his hips moved erratically up and forward for added friction.

Neji gritted his teeth as his cock was sucked into that warm, inviting hole and he thrusted upward to bury himself fully into the ravenette. The boy was writhing against him like an incubus on a feeding frenzy, and that only encouraged Neji to move faster.

This beautiful boy wanted his cock, was deep in the valleys of pleasure because of his dick driving inside him, and he allowed Neji to satisfy him. How the fuck did he get so goddamn lucky?

By the time they got out of the shower, another hour had passed. They both had toweled off and Neji was running a towel through Sasuke's wet hair. When they were ready and dressed, Neji drove them to Konoha hospital.

H.J.

Itachi's eyesight was poor when he first attempted to open his eyes. His brain registered bright lights, a beeping sound, and the smell of disinfectant.

Fuck, he thought. He was probably in a hospital. His throat felt parched and an abomination of a headache pounded against his temple.

The second time he opened his eyes, his vision returned to him, and he could make out the closed door, the bedside chairs, and the nightstand next to the bed he was laying on.

There was a needle taped to his hand, which was attached to an IV, and everything below his chest was covered by white sheets. He was also dressed in a hospital gown.

Upon looking around the room, his gaze finally zeroed in on Kyuubi's apparent presence next to him. It was hard to ignore him when his feet were up on the bed and had been nudging at his side since he had regained consciousness.

"You look like you've had better days" came the snarky comment, and Itachi just wanted to turn around and ignore him, but this man was the reason he was laying in a hospital bed instead of dead at home, so instead he flicked him off.

The blond giant laughed as he always did at Itachi's antics before his amusement died and a serious look replaced it.

"You should be more careful. And use your words instead of resorting to shit like this. Is this your way of asking for his attention? Because I'm sure there are better ways to go about it."

Itachi remained silent, opting to look out the window instead.

Kyuubi sighed. "You know, you're lucky our Granny Tsunade owns this hospital and was in town when you were admitted. She says she's keeping you overnight, and then depending on your headspace, we'll revisit talks about your discharge. Hey, you sulking idiot- are you listening to—"

The blond paused at the knock on the door and his eyes flickered over to the entrance. "Come in," he said when he realized Itachi didn't give a single shit as to inviting whoever it was in.

Kyuubi caught a glimpse of Sasuke before he noticed Neji's towering frame behind him. He glanced over at Itachi, who remained unfazed and still had his sights outside the window, and pushed himself off his ass, declaring, "I'll go get the doctor to have a lookie" before he brushed past Sasuke with a pat on the head and dragged an irritated Neji away with him.

The door shut behind Sasuke, leaving the brothers together in the same room for the first time since the incident.

"You saw the video, huh?" the teen finally said after minutes of staring at the immobile Itachi.

His voice must have jolted his brother out of whatever mind trance he was in because Itachi's body physically jerked, flinching simultaneously at the sound of his voice.

The long-haired ravenette turned to look at him, eyes wide and blurry with tears. "Otouto," his raspy voice croaked, and he raised a pitiful hand in Sasuke's direction pleading him to take it.

Sasuke released a loud sigh, and his feet carried him toward the man a second later with little hesitation. Then, instead of grabbing the man's hand, he climbed onto the bed, sat down on Itachi's thighs, and pulled the man into a warm embrace.

Sasuke felt his brother's body shudder and tremble as the man silently dug his face into his neck, and the teen's shoulder blade grew damp.

When his brother was like this, Sasuke couldn't bear to hold a grudge. He was always weak to his brother's emotions, specifically when it involved his self-destructive habits. The man almost never cried and if he ever did, he made sure Sasuke didn't know about it, so the contrast between this large hunk of a man and his distraught, trembling form in Sasuke's arms made the teen sigh deeply in resignation.

"Idiot," he chastised, rubbing his palm up and down Itachi's back. "Why can't you just talk to me about these things?"

"I'm sorry" came the whisper against his shirt. Sasuke felt weak fingers gripping at the hem of his shirt.

Sasuke hummed quietly, bringing the same hand he used to pet Itachi's back up to stroke his hair. "If you're sorry, then I want you to start telling me things instead of keeping them from me. And stop making decisions for me. Instead, include me in the decision-making process."

"I'm scared," Itachi croaked. His beautiful face came into view when he pulled away from Sasuke's neck, and Sasuke's gaze softened at the anxiety-ridden eyes that befell his. Tears dribbled down that chiseled jawline as he continued, fingers tightening on the boy's black shirt. "I'm scared of losing you, but I— I can't seem to stop doing things that push you away… You are my life, Otouto. I live for you." Itachi gnawed on his bottom lips as his eyes casted downwards, stringing with the words he couldn't get out. "I need you. I need you so much it hurts here," he insisted, pressing his hand against his chest. "I don't know what to do with myself if you're not with me."

Another sigh flew through Sasuke's lips. "You love me that much, huh?" His eyes softened drastically. "Baka, Aniki," he said softly.

"Please come home," the man replied.

Now, that wasn't playing fair, Sasuke thought. He blew a breath. "Well, as long as you promise to try your best to talk to me when you have something bothering you, then I will try my best to be forgiving and open-minded," he responded.

"I don't like Neji" came the abrupt declaration.

Sasuke couldn't help it. He bursted into laughter. Aww, shoot, he just couldn't handle how childish that confession was. Sure, he did just ask Itachi to try his best to discuss matters that bothered him, but he didn't expect such an immature response.

He had to wipe away tears gathering at the corners of his eyes and endure a powerful glare from his brother in the process. "Sorry, my bad," he said when he finally calmed down, "but I think that's common knowledge."

Instead of saying more or attempting to alleviate the odd look in Itachi's eyes, Sasuke leaned forward and placed a kiss on Itachi's cheek, feeling the tender flesh underneath his lips before he smooched and pulled back. "You will always be my Aniki, and I will always love you, too," he said with a smile. "Even if I am mad at you, I will always love you."

The boy's body was encased one Itachi's arms as those words befell the man's ears. "I don't deserve you, Otouto," he said. "You are my world."

The heaviness of Itachi's last words didn't quite reach Sasuke. That's because the teen failed to peel back the layers of the onion to dissect the hidden depth that those words held. But Itachi would one day let him in on the full meaning while Itachi made Sasuke his.

Part 10

"Aniki, I have something I want to say, but I don't want you to think I'm angry." Sasuke attempted to pry Itachi's arms from his waist to catch a glimpse of the man's face, but Itachi simply burrowed himself closer to him and refused to budge.

The last time his brother acted in such a way was when he dragged into a child pedophile's house during Halloween as a kid. Itachi had beaten that man senseless; however, for hours after that, he refused to let Sasuke leave his embrace. The weeks after that were met with an anxious-ridden Itachi who wouldn't leave his side for a split second. Sasuke was the one who almost got assaulted, but Itachi ended up being the one who was traumatized.

The teen sighed and took the silence as his cue to continue. "I'm starting to notice that you're drinking more than usual. Being able to drink lethal doses of alcohol without blacking out doesn't mean you should, you know."

"... I can't help it. I just want to forget."

Sasuke's hand stilled on Itachi's upper back. "Forget what?" he asked, forcing his hand to resume stroking the man's back. Did his brother want to forget him? Maybe he was tired of all the drama and bullshit and wanted to forget being responsible for a teenager like Sasuke.

"Every time I close my eyes, I see his hands all over your body," Itachi whispered. His voice was low, hollow. "I see his dick inside you. It doesn't belong inside you. I can't handle it. It makes me want to kill him."

Sasuke's heart stopped beating for a mere second before it resumed by pounding twice as hard against his chest. Okay, this was so much worse than his initial thoughts of self-doubt. He swallowed the knot in his throat and tried to level out his voice when he spoke. "Why does it bother you?" he asked.

Itachi's grip tightened. Any more, Sasuke mused, and it would prevent him from breathing with ease. Maybe this wasn't exactly the right time to tread into this territory, but the words had already slipped past his mouth, so all he could do was embrace for any impact.

"He doesn't deserve you, Sasuke." Itachi's hard tone reached the teenager's ears, snaking its way into his belly and burrowing itself into his intestines. They were words that were meant to linger and create fantasies.

"You're starting to not make any sense again, Aniki," Sasuke sighed, hoping to remain emotionally neutral and failing miserably. "Why doesn't he deserve me? How could you say that without knowing him?"

"Because you're supposed to be mine!"

Suddenly, Sasuke's startled eyes were reflected in Itachi's furious gaze as his words jumped out at him and attempted to curl around his soul.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?" he stated, before blowing out a huge sigh, and rubbed his face in exasperation. "You know what? Let's not start this conversation again. If you recall, you're the one who pushed me away. You didn't want me."

"I've always wanted you, Sasuke."

"'But that doesn't mean you can allow yourself to have me.' Is that what you're going to say next?" Sasuke snapped. What a load of bull.

The silence was all the answer he needed. He removed himself from the bed abruptly, annoyed that such a topic of conversation riled him up so much. "Let me just be clear. I like Neji. He treats me well and looks out for me. He tells me the truth straight up and he doesn't hide things from me. And I can tell he wants me around. You and I are brothers. You've made that very clear since the very beginning, so I don't know what you want from me. If you want my support and companionship, I am always going to be by your side as your rock. But if you want to drag me through the mud with your indecisiveness, then I'd prefer not to tag along for the ride."

"I'm sorry."

Sasuke grunted. "Treat me like you love me, but don't treat me like you're in love with me."

"But I'm in love with you" came the whisper of words strewn together brokenly.

But the heavy door had already clicked into place seconds prior, leaving Itachi in a room as empty as his soul.

H.J.

Sasuke had trudged down the hall and smacked head first into someone's chest. His body propelled backward only to be caught by the same pair of hands. Neji's familiar scent wafted into his being, and Sasuke's squared shoulders sagged, releasing all the pent up tension.

"Baby, you're crying" came the sweet voice.

Sasuke peered up into those worried, pale eyes and quickly brought his palms up to swipe away the tears. He hadn't realized he'd been crying. Really, was there a reason to be sad as if he had lost something? Maybe he was crying out of frustration instead.

He felt a warm kiss being pressed against his temple and felt Neji's comforting arms envelop his body. "It's okay," the man cooed. "I'm here for you."

The teenager buried his tear-stained face into the man's chest for a second to recollect himself and sniffled quietly.

"Should we go home?" Neji's soothing voice asked.

He nodded against the man's chest and immediately found himself coaxed down the hallway by the possessive, yet comforting hand pressed against his lower back. This was what he needed. Someone who knew what he needed the exact moment he needed it. Someone who freely gave him affection without asking for anything in return. Someone who gave him butterflies in his belly, not heartache in his chest.

The teenager leaned his head against Neji's shoulder on the elevator ride down, before they passed Kyuubi in the lobby. The man whistled low at the sight of them. "That bad, huh?"

"We're going to head back. We'll leave Itachi in your hands," Neji said, arm curling around the boy's waist and tucking his smaller frame to his side.

"Can't blame ya," Kyuubi said, eyeing Sasuke's deflated form. "Man! He's so lucky to have a friend like me. For real, though." He ruffled the boy's hair before he skedaddled in the direction of the cafe.

Neji had Sasuke's and his entwined fingers on top of Sasuke's thigh as they drove home in silence. The teenager's fingers grasped tightly onto the brunette's, refusing to let go as his gaze remained rooted in his lap.

He couldn't decide if his thoughts were going a mile a minute, or if his brain was tired of all the drama, and only left behind a void. At one point, he wondered why Neji liked someone like him.

Neji was educated, intelligent, and witty. He had a great job and possessed an unrivaled body that he obviously worked hard to get and continuously maintain. Neji was kind, thoughtful, loyal, funny, and so sweet that, more often than not, Sasuke wondered if such a being truly existed without alternative intentions. Neji made sure Sasuke didn't doubt him nor his actions. Neji was basically a god reincarnated. A beautiful saint compared to Sasuke.

Sasuke knew that, aside from his features, he was nothing special. He was still finishing high school, he didn't have a job, his past relationships were questionable at best, and even his ability to protect himself, as shitty as it was to admit, was mediocre at best. His body had froze back when Orochimaru stalked him, he could never stand up for himself when he was sexually harassed at school because he was beyond embarrassed that a teacher would do such a thing to a student, and let's not forget about how they were filmed by someone and Sasuke was helpless to do anything about it. To top it off, even Itachi didn't want him.

Come to think of it, he couldn't think of one reason why anyone would want him. Let alone someone like Neji who had everything going for him. Maybe he'd get tired of Sasuke one of these days and toss him aside.

Sasuke bit his lip. Fuck, that was depressing.

By the time Neji pulled up to the driveway, Sasuke's grip was unrelenting. The man had to pry his fingers out of his own in order to turn off the engine and get the both of them out of the car. However, as soon as the car door locked, Neji, with his beautiful smile. had extended his hand for Sasuke to take without a single peep.

See what he meant? Neji was a beautiful soul.

As soon as they got inside the brunette's home, Neji pulled Sasuke toward the living room, sat down on the couch, and pulled the boy facing him into his lap. The long-haired male cuddled the boy, allowing Sasuke to bury his face into his neck, as he kept his arms firmly around his waist.

"Want to talk about it, babe?" Neji asked gently, pressing a kiss on top of his head. He caught a whiff of his shampoo emitting from those raven locks and couldn't help the elation he felt from such a simple thing.

Neji felt fingers gripping tightly at his shirt and decided not to push on. Instead, he leaned back on the couch, got comfortable, and allowed the boy to come to terms with his own thoughts. He didn't know how long they both sat there together, but eventually he heard some muffled words.

"Why is it that people say they want one thing, but their actions say the complete opposite?"

It seemed like a fairly simple question with a simple answer at first, but that was prior to peeling back the layers. Without hesitation, Neji responded. "Sometimes people don't understand the weight of their words. They don't understand that words create expectations, and unmet expectations breed distrust. Usually, though, people tend to want the easy way out; anything that gets you off their radar. If their words lead to a favorable outcome on their part, then they may do that without any intention of following through with actions. Each case is different though."

"I can't help, but notice that people only think of themselves. There's always an angle, and they don't care about anyone else as long as they get what they want."

Neji hummed in agreement. "Unfortunately, that is usually the case."

"Then, do you think that someone who you've trusted your entire life could do something horrible to you and claim that it's in your best interest?" Sasuke mumbled.

"Hmm, no. I think, in cases like that, they must truly believe they're doing something good for you, but who knows if that's even the right choice? Wouldn't they be biased in their own choices? Right or wrong follows a moral compass, and everyone's moral compass is a bit skewed to tailor their personality."

"Why is it that you can give me such straightforward answers?" Sasuke asked, looking up at Neji.

The brunette met his gaze with a small smile and propped the boy up so that he was sitting up and at eye level. "Well," Neji drawled with a minor pause, "because I want you to stick around for a long time, so I can't be the one to half-ass it."

Sasuke blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice.

Then, he felt his face heat up as he stared, stunned, at the smirking brunette. When he could no longer handle those teasing, pale eyes, he turned his head with a 'hmph.'

"You're shameless," he retorted.

"Only for you," teased the man, laughing loudly when Sasuke crossed his arms and his lower lip jutted out.

"Stop it," the ravenette nearly whined when the laughing continued. It was a beautiful sound, mind you, and it made his heart flutter, but he didn't like that it was at his expense.

"I can't stop," Neji said, eyes twinkling. "But I think I might be able to if I get a kiss from a certain someone."

After those words left Neji's lips, this man, this gorgeous, sweet man, closed his eyes and leaned forward, slightly puckering his lips. Sasuke could feel his cheeks redden exasperatingly in embarrassment as he squirmed in Neji's lap.

"Is it working?" Neji whispered. Outside of Sasuke's frazzled state, the brunette had peeked an eye open to glance at him as a smile continued to play on his lips.

With a huff, Sasuke pressed both of his palms on Neji's cheeks and pulled his face toward him, giving him a big smooch on the lips. "There," he said as he started to pull away.

Instead, one of the hands that was on his hip snaked behind his head and pushed him back toward man's super soft lips molded with his own, and Sasuke wrapped his arms around the brunette's neck and melted into the kiss, abandoning his anxious thoughts.

When they pulled away from each other, Neji rested his forehead against Sasuke's. "So sweet," he said as he licked his lips without batting an eye.

"Okay, that's it!" the boy uttered, attempting to climb out of the man's lap.

The arms around his body tightened drastically as Neji's shoulders shook with more laughter. "Okay, okay, babe. I'll stop. For real this time," he promised with a boyish grin.

Sasuke stopped squirming and pushing against the brunette's chest with a final groan. He covered his burning face with his palms.

Neji eyed the ravenette fondly, eyes softening as he gazed at the teenager in his hold. "But honestly, babe. I wasn't just saying that for fun. I want you to stick around for a long time. As long as you want me, I will always be here. Okay?"

He detached Sasuke's hands from his face and placed a kiss at the center of each palm.

"What did I do to deserve you?" Sasuke whispered, looking at Neji with an unreadable gaze.

The brunette smiled softly and pulled the boy into an embrace. "Just don't ever doubt me, Sasuke."

In return, Sasuke nodded fervently and clung to Neji.

H.J.

"Okay. Bullshit aside, tell me what exactly is going through your head," Kyuubi demanded as soon as he barged back into Itachi's hospital room. Before the heavy door clicked into place behind him, he had already dragged the chair to Itachi's bedside and sat his ass down quite dramatically.

Kyuubi grunted in exasperation as he eyed the man. Itachi's head was bowed, bangs covering his features so well that he couldn't see his expression. "Hey, Itachi. You hear me? I'm not leaving till you give me something. I'm getting tired of playing referee between the two of you."

Seconds ticked by. The longer the blonde waited for a response, the more convinced he was that he wouldn't receive one. Minutes followed, echoed by the tick tick tock of the clock hanging on the wall. When Kyuubi was ready to stand and literally shake some sense into the man, he noticed Itachi's hands scrunching into the fabric of the hospital's covers, grip trembling as if the energy from balling up his hands too tightly had nowhere to disperse.

And then, a scream. A loud, piercing scream that bounced off the walls and boomed in Kyuubi's ears, causing him to lurch in his seat.

It was the kind of scream that lasted an eon. The kind that made you think that the man was screaming at the top of his lungs. The kind of scream that came from a once tightly screwed glass bottle suddenly shattering, causing the contents to overflow in waves like a tsunami. The kind of scream that, because it had nowhere else to go for so long, was released into the world all at once.

Painful. Miserable. Wretched.

Kyuubi sat there silently frowning, heart stricken with sympathy for his friend. He wondered how long Itachi had kept that bottled inside.

When it finally ended, Kyuubi sighed. "It was never this bad, Itachi. Now, all of a sudden, Sasuke's crying and you're crying. What the hell is going on?"

No answer. The man was trembling in his spot, and had yet to spare him a glance.

"Hey, answer me. I thought you didn't want this. I thought you said a long time ago that you weren't going to pursue that route? Did you change your mind?" the blonde pressed.

Finally, Itachi looked up. His dull, bloodshot eyes pierced into Kyuubi in a way that communicated that he was there, but not really there. The epitome of a dead man. The only other emotion Kyuubi took away from that tearful expression was panicked desperation, and a whole lot of it at that.

"I love him" were the shaky, distraught words that reached Kyuubi's ears.

"I really do hate seeing you get like this, Itachi," Kyuubi said, gently cupping a hand on the man's shoulder. "You're looking for a best of both worlds, but it seems like whichever path you take, you're still going to have your worries. If you're going to be miserable like this, then you might as well take the scenic route and try to enjoy it."

The blonde combed his fingers through his hair in frustration when there was no shift in expression on the man's face. "Whatever. The decision is yours. But at this rate, Sasuke isn't going to have an Aniki to come home to. You get that, right? You need to make a resolute decision before you leave this hospital: what do you want Sasuke to be in your life? Do you want him as a friend? Brother? Companion? Lover? Or go back to the way things were prior? You need to decide because, if you don't, you may lose him altogether."

Kyuubi stood, dusting off his bum. "Granny Tsunade will check on you tomorrow morning.

I'll leave you alone to think about it I. The meantime. Don't do anything stupid, or Sasuke will be devasted."

The man left Itachi be after that, but not before notifying the nurse to do additional rounds to check up on him.

When Itachi was left to his own thoughts, he was an absolute wreck. It was always dangerous to leave him to his own thoughts because of the self-destructive nature of his anxiety-urging thoughts. When he panicked, he tended to carry out unthoughtful actions.

For instance, he knew that his Otouto was now with Neji. That meant that, even if Itachi wanted to become his lover, he wouldn't be able to. Sasuke would choose the brunette over him.

So he thought that perhaps he could homeschool the boy for the rest of his senior year and keep him sheltered. That way he would no longer be able to physically interact with Neji. Itachi could keep Sasuke close by that way. He would transition his courses online so he could keep an eye on the teenager. They could sleep in the same bed so that he could warm up to Itachi, and when he was ready, Itachi would give all of himself to the boy.

Or maybe he could force Sasuke to choose: be it Itachi or Neji, but not both.

Or they could sell their house and move somewhere far away, where they could enjoy each other's companionship without any interference and no one would know who they were or how close they were.

Or—

Itachi stopped dead in his tracks. The fuck was he thinking? These were all the things he was trying to prevent when he distanced himself from his Otouto. He wanted Sasuke to live a fulfilling, happy life, not a miserable, detached one away from his friends.

No. No. No. He refused to be hated by the boy for taking away his freedom. He wanted Sasuke to love him like Itachi loved him. He wanted his Otouto happy in his arms.

He couldn't stand it when Sasuke hated him, when his Otouto was mad at him. It made him ache deep within the crevices of his soul when Sasuke cried, and it seemed that all Itachi did lately was hurt the boy over and over again. He didn't want that. He never wanted that.

He wanted Sasuke to choose him. He needed the boy to choose him. Because without Sasuke, Itachi was nothing. And he had always known that.

Kyuubi was right. If he was going to fight an uphill battle either way, then he might as well take the scenic route and enjoy it.

If he had yet to reserve his first class ticket to the pits of hell, he sure as heck was buckled in now.

Part 11

Admittedly, this was one of Itachi's closer calls to death's doorstep.

Thinking back, he couldn't recall how serious this attempt was or if it could even be viewed as an attempt. All he remembered was this unbelievable thirst to quell the panic in his chest and cure his racing thoughts. He thought that, perhaps, if he had forbidden Sasuke from going to that party that night, all of this could have been avoided. No video would exist and no prickling thoughts of his Otouto getting rammed would be etched in his brain.

He had felt particularly anxious that night as if a sixth sense was warning him of the troubles to come. Itachi recalled feeling nauseous as he laid immobile on Sasuke's bed that night, staring at the clock tick tock away as his nerves grew restless. The last time he had felt such unease the night prior, their parents had died the next day.

These incessant musings made his skin crawl. As if bugs had burrowed underneath the top layer of his skin and nested there, making their presence known while exploring the territory when they got bored like cicadas buzzing away on a hot summer night. That was the feeling he got when he recalled watching the video. The mere thought of someone even touching Sasuke made Itachi want to puke.

Initially, this was why Itachi wanted Sasuke to be close by and tag along wherever he went. The older he grew, the more beautiful he became; and that tended to attract more creeps than he realized.

Sasuke always had a gentle nature about him growing up. He was beautiful, sweet, caring, and doted on his friends and family. This was why Itachi always had cookies to eat and homemade meals to enjoy: because Sasuke made them for him.

There was never an instance when Itachi's sweet tooth cravings went unnoticed by Sasuke, and never once did he have to open his mouth to ask for it. The boy would bring him big triple chocolate chunk cookies, buy him dango when he went grocery shopping, and observe his diet when he was particularly looking to make gains in the gym and adjust dinners accordingly. He never asked for validation nor for his efforts to be praised. As long as the people whom he shared his fondness for were happy, he was happy.

Itachi knew Sasuke was an incredibly sweet boy. And that was his blessing to be born in the same household.

Sasuke also gave Itachi warmth. Just by allowing Itachi to be within his spatial sphere. He made Itachi's heart so full and never once complained when Itachi pushed boundaries. He shared the warmth of his body, his care, and his presence.

The man recalled crawling into Sasuke's bed often after their parents' death. Sasuke liked to think that it was to provide him comfort on the harsh nights when reality set in that they'd be orphans forever. However, the reality was Itachi was the one benefiting the most from the boy's warmth. It made him feel accepted, loved, and wanted. If he had Sasuke, then Itachi didn't need anyone else.

He also silently thanked Sasuke who allowed him the honor of sharing his warmth on days when Itachi felt like absolute shit, because the boy was aware that skin contact comforted him and lowered his anxiety levels even if Itachi never outright admitted to it.

Even when Itachi went out of his way to ignore and avoid Sasuke in their younger days, the boy always made a comeback in some way that stole his heart. The sticky notes on the counter telling him there were newly stocked sweets in the fridge, the clean towel left for him in the bath, the cookies on his desk when he came home from school, and the souvenirs left on his bed whenever the boy went on a school trip. The list went on and on, an accumulation within all the years Itachi tried to distance himself from Sasuke. But every little gesture only served to make him fall deeper in love with the boy.

The way the boy loved was unconditional, and that in itself made him want to cry. It reminded him so blatantly that this boy resembled their Kaa-san down to the very last detail.

Sasuke always gave and gave and gave in his own way that made Itachi's heart so full, and he never asked for anything in return… until the night they shared their first kiss, and he begged Itachi to explain what he meant.

But Itachi was a coward, dodging the question by locking himself inside his room.

His heart had shattered that night when he left his Otouto alone like that. After they had reconciled after their parents' death, he had vowed that he would never make Sasuke feel unwanted again, yet for some reason, it was the one thing that he consistently did. The self-hatred he felt was tantamount to his feelings of powerlessness in this cyclical cycle he had dug out for himself.

Itachi smiled, a somber expression of how tight his chest felt.

He was a fucking asshole.

An absolute piece of shit.

And Sasuke deserved so much better.

The reality was that Sasuke was more mature than Itachi could ever pass himself off to be. There was never an instance Itachi felt the need to question the importance of his existence to Sasuke. The boy was always so open about his feelings and honest with his actions and words.

And, of course, Itachi swept all of that under the rug because he felt unworthy. He feared that, if he accepted such blissful words and feelings that he only ever dreamed about hearing, it would set him up to be heartbroken one day by the one person he couldn't live without. They hadn't even established a relationship at that point in time, and he was already anticipating the end.

At least, if they remained brothers, he'd always have an excuse to have Sasuke by his side. His entire universe revolved around the boy, and the mere thought of anything other than that crippled him. If anyone had paid attention to him and peered inside his chest cavity, they would most definitely report that there was nothing left inside other than shreds of torn muscle.

But, again, these were the words of the coward inside him. The one who lacked confidence. The one who knew he was nowhere near good enough for Sasuke.

But he didn't want to give Sasuke to anyone else. And he wasn't going to. He would rather die.

Up until recently, he had finally broken free of his crippling fears to realize that he was still thinking about himself. What was the point of thinking about himself if his world revolved around his Otouto? He had asked himself that countless times. Ultimately, the decision laid with the boy, but Itachi didn't even put up a fight and he never gave Sasuke a fighting chance nor opportunity.

How could he claim that Sasuke was his entire world, the light of his existence, if he pushed him away at every single instance? How could he say that he loved Sasuke with his entire being if he allowed someone to easily steal the boy from him? How stupid was he?

If Sasuke was so goddamn special to him, why did he hide everything from him, especially these emotions of his? Was he petrified of judgment? Of being abandoned?

What was there to fear anymore if he was already at rock bottom? Sasuke had stormed out of his hospital room as if he was walking out of Itachi's life. He was obviously fed up with Itachi's bullshit. He already lost the one relationship he fought desperately to maintain, and for what?

To end up feeling haunting regret because he should have included his Otouto in his decision making? That's right. Because he was arrogant and thought he knew better for both himself and the boy

Itachi couldn't even bring himself to care because he had arrived at his conclusion years too late. How much more damage could he do if Sasuke was already gone and in the arms of another man?

Fuck this.

He needed to do something.

H.J.

Sasuke had a decision to make the next evening. He had two choices: return home as he had originally promised; or return home to grab his backpack and phone, but head back to

Neji's and hitch a ride to school the next day.

One the one hand, he did tell his brother that he was going to return home, and he hated going back on his word. However, on the other hand, his brother was being insensitive and he wanted to avoid any dramatic or awkward encounters.

When he asked Neji about it, the man smiled and teased him relentlessly, calling him a "cutie" and kissing his forehead. Then, he proceeded to tell Sasuke that he would love for him to stay over, but would honor whatever decision he made.

Having covered Sasuke with a cozy blanket and left him a cup of tea, Neji was checking emails and taking calls at the dining room table while Sasuke chewed on his bottom lip while he mulled over his dilemma.

It felt beneficial to leave each to their own musings and space, Sasuke thought. It seemed like Itachi was struggling to convert thoughts into words in that hospital bed. However, despite being livid at the man, he still worried for him.

Kyuubi had phoned Neji earlier that afternoon with news of the elder's discharge. Almost immediately upon hearing that, Sasuke felt leaving Itachi at home by himself was a poor choice. Someone should, at the very least, be in the same house just in case anything were to happen. After all, his impromptu visit to the hospital was a result of being left unsupervised.

The boy blew a breath. Geez. He couldn't leave that man alone for the life of him.

That was how Sasuke found himself dropped off at his doorstep an hour later. The lights were off and the entire neighborhood was silent, but the front door was left unlocked. A brief, slight smile flickered past his facade before it disappeared. His brother was waiting for him to come home. Sasuke heaved a sigh, his breath escaping into the air as a wisp of white smoke, and beckoned Neji to leave.

Quietly, he twisted open the doorknob and stepped inside, closing and locking the door with a quiet click. He was met with a living room as dark as the night sky.

"Tadaima," he whispered.

He could make out oddly shaped furniture silhouettes and hear the quiet whirring of the kitchen fridge, but everything else was at a standstill.

Sasuke made his way upstairs, wondering where Itachi was and if he had fallen asleep already. When he arrived at the top of the stairs, he noticed that Itachi's bedroom door was ajar so he peeked in. He didn't have any intention of walking in, but when he glanced inside, what he saw, for a lack of a better word, was a messy room.

Crumpled papers littered the floor, some around the base of his brother's desk while others remained tossed aside on top of it. At the center of the carelessly strewn trash was a nesting Itachi, who was hunched over in his desk chair with his face cradled in his arms.

He nudged the door wider and absent-mindedly began to pick them up so he could toss them in the wastebasket, but that was also filled to the brim with more balls of paper.

His brows furrowed in confusion at the amount there was and wondered what in the world Itachi was doing. He unfurled the crumpled piece that happened to his hand and saw a line of writing at the top.

I am miserable without you.

Sasuke frowned and reached for the two closest to him on the floor.

You are my sanctuary.

Please don't leave me alone.

Then, he got greedy, snagging and flattening out every single piece that he could get his hands on. And just like that, at the very end, he had a thick pile in his hands and sat himself down at the edge of Itachi's bed to go through each one.

I live for you. You are the reason for my existence.

My heart belongs to only you.

I love you more than I could even begin to put into words.

You are my salvation.

Forgive me for being an idiot.

One after another, each piece of paper began with a single handwritten sentence, which was then crossed out and tossed aside. He glanced warily at the slumbering man a few feet away and back at the stack in his hands. Were these meant for him?

He didn't know whether to cry from the overwhelming feeling of being loved or smack the man silly for never opening his mouth to voice his adoration and fears. Maybe this was what you called a "tsundere," he briefly thought. Sighing, he set the stack of letters on the bed, pulled the blanket off the mattress, and gently draped it over his snoozing brother.

He proceeded to leave, closing the bedroom door until there was only a crack left open. When he got to his room, he charged his dead phone, packed his backpack for school the following day, and took a bath.

Sasuke realized that Itachi probably hadn't had much to eat since the hospital, and he highly doubted he ate much upon coming home, so when he dried off after his shower he went back downstairs to make some porridge. He figured something lighter on the stomach would be a good transition back into eating, and since it was almost eight in the evening, a heavier meal wouldn't bode well.

Rice, chicken broth, a dash of fish sauce and soy sauce, a bit of sliced marinated pork for protein and flavor, and cubed tofu. He'd add the chopped green onion and cilantro at the very end. Some tamagoyaki on the side would be perfect, too. The broth was bubbling wonderfully within fifteen minutes. Sasuke stirred the mixture to prevent clumping and leaned over slightly to take a whiff.

"Otouto."

The boy nearly jerked in surprise when he heard Itachi call him. He set the spoon down and turned around, noting with an edge of mirth that Itachi's usual straight-laced hair was in a cute mess. Half of it had escaped the ponytail and was dangling over his shoulders. He cleared his throat.

"Hey."

"You're here." Itachi's relieved words came with an edge of confusion.

"Well, this is my home," he responded with a smirk. He noticed the kicked puppy look Itachi was sporting, but chose to disregard it. Did his brother actually think he was never going to return?

"It is," the man said, giving Sasuke the impression that he was walking on eggshells.

"I'm not going to ask if you've eaten, because you probably haven't," Sasuke said, returning his attention to his bubbly pot. He picked up the spoon for another stir. "I'm making rice soup. Why don't you wash up? It should be done when you are."

The sudden arms around his waist from behind gave Sasuke a start. He felt the warmth of a chest against his back and the man's cheek pressed against the side of his face.

"Thank you for coming back," Itachi whispered to him, sending odd tingles up and down his body from the close proximity.

So the man really did think Sasuke had ran away from home forever. He had a bad habit of overthinking just like Sasuke did.

"Yeah," he murmured. "Thanks for leaving the door open for me."

Sasuke felt a lingering kiss on his temple before Itachi's body withdrew followed by the warmth of his body. Sasuke sighed, shoulders sagging. Man, that came as a surprise. He was so not used to his Aniki's blatant expressions of affection.

Was it just him or did their entire exchange seem robotic? He was willing to let it go and shove down the awkwardness by acting normal when need be; he didn't want to make waves, and if Itachi didn't bring it up, he wouldn't. He absolutely loathed conflict and drama, but recently these things have been wandering to his front doorstep.

Sasuke added the finishing touches to the porridge and turned off the stove.

Ugh, this was why he hated awkward exchanges. He knew he was an overthinker about a lot of things, but he just never knew anything when it came to Itachi. What was he thinking? Why did he even bother showing Sasuke his affection when he spent years keeping him at a distance? Was he just being brotherly?

Let's be real, though. Whether Itachi was showing brotherly affection or not, Sasuke wouldn't be able to recognize it to save his goddamn life since he's never known such a thing. Their relationship was always different than the typical pair of siblings. Siblings tended to fight and make each other's lives miserable. But between Sasuke and Itachi, they tended to live their own lives separately for the most part and stay out of each other's way…. Well, up until recently anyway.

Sasuke knew he was starved for Itachi's affection for years, but why did his brother have to pick now to be wishy washy and out of character?

Gah, Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair. Get a grip, he thought. What was the point of questioning things now when it seemed like his love life was finally headed in the right direction? Was he that tripped over from reading those letters? Then again, it's not like his name was written on them so he couldn't ascertain those words were directed at him. Even if they were, what was the intention behind them?

Words didn't mean shit without actions to back them up, and any idiot telling him otherwise would be lying.

Come to think of it, maybe they really did need to sit down and have an honest-to-God conversation about where they stood in each other's lives.

At this rate, he'd go crazy from the mixed messages.

H.J.

Itachi came upstairs with just enough time to spare to pick up a call from Kakashi. If the man was calling so late, it must have been important. Itachi answered as he settled down on his bed, noting the crinkly noise from underneath. He reached under him only to pull the letters he'd been writing stacked neatly in a pile. His brows furrowed as he set them aside.

"What did you find?" he murmured, making sure his voice was low. This wasn't a conversation he wanted his Otouto listening in on.

"I started with Kisame just as you suggested. Apparently, the name Orochimaru Sannin only goes back three-and-a-half years, Itachi," Kakashi's grave voice uttered on the other line. "Every piece of history tied to that name stems back to August 2017. Anything prior to that is a ghost town. Around that time, a high school teaching certificate along with a SSN, passport, driver's license, and any other paperwork you can think of surfaced. It was also in August of that year that he was hired at Konoha High."

Itachi's grip on his phone tightened. "That was the year Sasuke started school there."

"Exactly."

"What else?" Itachi demanded.

"Originally, I thought he had taken a fancy to Sasuke because he caught sight of him when he started teaching at the school, but when things felt fishy, I started digging some more. Did you know that, back then, that neighborhood around Konoha High, your neighborhood actually, had a few missing persons cases?"

"No, I wasn't aware." News outlets would have had a field day over something like that. It would have been hard to keep off the air, so Itachi would have heard whispers about it if anything.

"Well, that's no surprise there, because I wasn't either. There were no listings in the digital files, but Kisame had heard in passing from one of the gossiping senior officers, so we figured we'd try our luck and look for a connection. Kisame and I dug through the backroom where they kept paper copies of cold case files, and guess what we found tucked away underneath the grime and dust?"

Itachi felt his heart pound in his chest whilst an eerie feeling crept along his skin.

"Are you sitting down?" Kakashi murmured.

"Spit it out, Kakashi," Itachi said.

"Three files. Three boys. Ages 11-12. All with pale skin and black hair… Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Dread filled Itachi's lungs, making it hard for him to breathe. "Keep going," he muttered, although he didn't know how much more he could hear before he felt like hurling.

"Okay, listen carefully to this next part, and tell me your thoughts. All three files were dated in the summer and fall of 2013, and all three boys went missing six weeks apart. We rummaged through all the other files, but it seems only these three existed. Then, suddenly, after the fall of 2013, no more mentions of anything and the neighborhood went back to normal."

There was a pause of silence as Kakashi allowed Itachi to take in the information he had divulged.

"If this was his hunting ground, it would be unlikely that he moved to another location just for the sake of something different. It would even be more improbable to believe the culprit stopped because he controlled his urges," Itachi said.

"That's what Kisame said."

"So this person must have been caught and locked up during the fall of 2013," Itachi surmised.

"Hey, Itachi. I'm going to ask you something, but I don't want you to freak out, okay?" Kakashi responded, tone wary.

"What is it?"

"Do you remember that incident a few years ago when you took Sasuke trick-or-treating during Halloween?" Kakashi asked hesitantly. "Sasuke had disappeared for a split second, and you went crazy searching for him… Do you remember? That was in the same neighborhood, right?"

With each passing second and each word that he heard come out of Kakashi's mouth, Itachi's lungs felt like they were being filled with liquid as a revelation reared its head. It was worse than being punched in the gut or, god forbid, watching that live action video. It was something more sinister, more revolting, and it filled to the brim, threatening to explode and destroy everything in its path.

His unoccupied hand had white knuckles protruding, and before he knew it, blood was dripping from crescent-shaped slits in the palm of his hand.

"Are you with me, Itachi?"

"Yeah."

"When you found him that night, you went berserk, and that man you beat half to death was arrested. Your family wanted to distance itself from the whole fiasco after and forget it for Sasuke's sake, so you didn't know that that man was released on parole three years later for good behavior. But then he disappeared off the face of the Earth."

"What are you trying to say, Kakashi?"

Itachi was up on his feet as soon as he pushed the question through his lips.

"There are still a lot of pieces of the puzzle I'm trying to fit together, and this is only a hypothesis, but I'm saying there's a possibility that the man you beat up six years ago, the one who tried to kidnap Sasuke, is Orochimaru."

The ravenette made it to the bathroom just in time to empty his guts into the toilet. He must have retched on his knees for quite a while before he flushed nonchalantly as if he hadn't puked his guts out and pressed the phone back against his ear.

He was glad Kakashi ignored his moment of weakness, as if he had expected it, and went on when all was quiet.

"If you think about it, do coincidences on that level actually exist? A pedophile attempts to kidnap Sasuke, a child who matches the profile of other missing kids, in the fall of 2013 in the same neighborhood others went missing. Said pedophile gets arrested, and kids stop disappearing. Three years later in 2016, said pedophile was released on parole and disappeared into thin air. Then, in 2017, Sasuke starts high school and coincidentally the name Orochimaru surfaces out of nowhere with no previous record of an identity present. And now it's 2020, and only a few days ago, Sasuke told you that a man named Orochimaru was sexually harassing and stalking him. I wouldn't be surprised if kids started disappearing again."

"I can't let Sasuke go to school tomorrow," Itachi began, his brain in a huge state of panic and dread. Deep down, he knew that, in all these years, it was the right thing to do to keep Sasuke by his side. Even more so now that they suspected the man was up to no good. "If he disappears, I don't know what I would do."

"Don't panic, Itachi. For now, I highly doubt he would do anything at school. He wouldn't have the opportunity to. Plus, I'll keep an eye out for Sasuke, and I've also found someone reliable to monitor him like you asked. Let's maintain a normal facade, so he doesn't catch on for now."

Itachi hated to admit it, but Kakashi was right. Fuck.

He ended the call and tossed his phone aside, then proceeded to dig his hands into his hair in frustration. This helpless feeling ate up his insides, and he found himself dry heaving on the bathroom floor a second time.

That was how Sasuke found him.

Part 12

"Itachi!"

Itachi could hear the high pitched panic all the way from the hall. No doubt the boy could hear his unsuppressed dry-heaving. The sound of thundering footsteps added to the gnawing heachache eating its way through his brain as his knees rooted on the tiled floor and his hair started to sag over his shoulders. He pushed the palms of his hands over his forehead and through his hair to prevent strands from touching the porcelain bowl.

"Is this a side effect from the alcohol? Do I need to call 911?" Sasuke fretted from behind him.

He felt the tell tale sign of his Otouto's hand on his shoulder before delicate hands weaved themselves through his long hair and collected it back.

Sasuke had sat himself behind him, the warmth of his body easily seeping through his clothes and into Itachi's naked back, progressively warming up his pale, flushed skin.

His upper body was bare, a result of his previous decision to strip off his shirt on his way up the stairs as he prepared to abide by Sasuke's suggestion to wash up before eating. And currently, this had been a poor decision as he felt the faint splatter project itself onto his chest. How lovely.

"Get away. I'm dirty," he groaned between the retching.

He could feel Sasuke's gentle, cool fingertips against his scalp as they tenderly gathered his hair together and held it back.

"No! You're not dirty!" the boy retorted, fully seating himself behind Itachi. One hand had firmly grasped the hair while the other snuck its way around Itachi's waist and stroked his stomach up and down in slow, soothing strokes. "Stop trying to get rid of me," the boy growled.

His voice was close, and the warmth of his touch eased his pain as the convulsion of his esophagus slowed between sets and he finally managed to stop vomiting clear liquid: evidence of his empty stomach.

Itachi reached a hand up to flush, but otherwise remained on his knees with his head hung.

From his position, Itachi caught a glimpse of that slender pale hand moving along his abs. Up and down it went, never once hesitanting to touch him as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

And, in that moment, it really felt like the most natural thing in the world. So warm and comforting. Like a cup of hot cocoa on a rainy day.

Are you feeling better?" Sasuke whispered to him, but not once did his hand stop stroking his abdomen.

He wasn't sure if he was feeling better especially with the knowledge he gained minutes ago, but Sasuke's presence and knowing that he was safe next to him was good enough right now. He nodded as he pushed himself up onto his feet. "I need to shower," he mumbled, the gross sour taste of his stomach's contents lingering in his mouth.

Of course, the moment he forced his body upright, he stumbled, knees and shins numb from being immobile for far too long.

Sasuke caught him around the waist from behind, allowing him to lean back against him for support, and Itachi silently laughed himself silly at the thought that he needed his little brother to help him. How ironic.

"Ugh, stop trying to do things yourself, and let me help you!" Sasuke yelled. Itachi was inches taller and larger than Sasuke's five-foot-nine lean frame so, when the man leaned on him, he was quite heavy. The boy struggled slightly before cinching his arms tightly around Itachi, holding him in place as he slammed the toilet lid down and ushered the man to sit down. "I'll turn the shower on for you, so don't go anywhere."

Itachi eyed Sasuke's slender back as the boy leaned over the tub to turn the knobs. Was it odd that he felt content in this very moment? Sasuke was so funny, he thought half-heartedly. Why would Itachi go anywhere if Sasuke was already here with him?

"The porridge is done, and you're not feeling good, so I'm going to stay here to keep watch. So take off your clothes, get inside, and call me if you need help."

"So demanding, Sasuke" he uttered, but he did as he was told, nonchalantly kicking off his sweats and briefs. The sound of a shower spray echoed throughout the bathroom followed by hot steam filling the room.

"Shut it," Sasuke muttered, finally turning around. The boy had been running his fingers under the spray until he had deemed the temperature worthy of Itachi's skin. When he caught sight of a full frontal, naked Itachi, he yelped. "Why are you naked?!"

"You demanded I strip, Otouto."

"I meant after we switched places!"

Itachi tilted his head slightly, bestowing an odd gaze on the boy. "You've seen me nude before."

"Yeah, when I was five!"

"How are you going to help me in the shower later if you can't even look at me?" Itachi began. Sasuke's rosy cheeks were covered by his hands. Itachi's mood was improving by the second. "Hmm, you can look, Otouto," Itachi said as he walked past the boy and gingerly stepped into the tub. He pulled the curtain closed after. "My body belongs to you anyway."

"What'd you say?" the boy hollered over the shower spray.

"Nothing. Could you bring me a towel, please?"

"You got it!" Sasuke chirped, causing a small smile to form on Itachi's lips. So cute.

Itachi took the opportunity to brush his teeth and wash his hair in the shower, getting rid of the remnants of his anxious-ridden episode before he turned off the water. As soon as the water was off, an outstretched arm stuck between the curtain and wall with a dry, clean towel. If Itachi had been feeling better that evening, he probably would have smirked at the adorable attempt to make him appear decent before stepping out.

He accepted the towel and wrapped it tightly around his trimmed waist and proceeded to step out onto the bath mat. Immediately, his eyes locked onto Sasuke's and his gaze turned soft as he leaned down and pecked the boy's soft, pink cheek, ignoring his wet hair that was plastered uncomfortably against his skin. "Arigato, Otouto," he murmured as he began pulling away. "My hero."

He was quite serious in his sentiment, but had disguised it as a teasing joke. So when he was met with a full blown blush, Itachi's surprise was evident in his eyes.

"Gah! What are you talking about, Aniki? Go get dressed and come downstairs!" Sasuke said, flustered, before he left Itachi alone and ran downstairs.

Hmm, Itachi thought, as he rid the mirror of the dew. He gazed back at his own reflection, noting the long, wet strands draped over one of his shoulders, the tired eyes, his thick protruding Adam's apple, broad well-rounded shoulders, a muscular chest trailing down to the eight pack and V-cut he worked hard in the gym to earn, and the very fine and soft dark hairs right below his belly button. He was usually a bit more defined, if not larger, but recent events had put a burden on his body.

But Sasuke seemed to like it, or at least was embarrassed about staring at it. Either way, if he had known his naked body could cause the boy to blush so much, perhaps he would have done it sooner.

Itachi towel-dried his hair and tugged on gray sweats and a sleeveless top. When he made his way downstairs, he did it slowly, his stomach still churning. He didn't know how much of the soup he could stomach, but Sasuke would be sad if he didn't at least try a couple of bites. Plus, it felt like a lifetime since they had a meal together.

Itachi didn't find the boy in the dining room. Instead, he found Sasuke seated on the carpet in the living room in front of the TV with two bowls of soup on the coffee table.

"Sit," Sasuke said, patting the spot on the floor next to him. There were cartoons playing on the television, the bright glow of it contrasting the dimly lit room.

Itachi did so and was given a spoon.

"Eat as much as you can, okay?" Sasuke said, gazing over at Itachi. His gaze, Itachi noted, was hesitant as if he wanted to say something, but gentle at the same time.

"I love you."

The words came out of Itachi's mouth like the vomit earlier: uncontrollably and without hesitation. He hadn't meant to say those words, but it was the first thing that popped in his mind when he made eye contact with his Otouto. His brain was too frazzled to filter them out, so, of course, his mouth spit fired them out without a single thought.

Sasuke seemed to freeze upon hearing those words, an indication that his innermost being was struggling with how to to receive those words. However, a moment later, he seemed to relax as the tension eased itself out of his shoulders and countenance.

"Love you, too, Aniki," he mumbled shyy before he turned back to his bowl of soup and the TV.

Itachi had managed to get through a third of his bowl before his stomach protested and he had to stop. He gave Sasuke a small smile when the boy eyed him worriedly.

"I'll pack it up in the fridge for you to eat tomorrow," Sasuke said, turning off the television and pushing himself off the floor. "Why don't you go to bed, Aniki?" he suggested.

Itachi noticed that his Otouto made it a habit to call him "Aniki" more often when he wasn't mad or annoyed at him. He highly doubted the boy noticed that he, himself, did such a thing, but Itachi was never going to point it out. That was his indicator on Sasuke's mood. He latched onto Sasuke's sleeve before he could pick up the bowls and stopped Sasuke.

"Otouto?"

"What is it?"

"Can you sleep with me in my bed tonight?" Itachi asked quietly as he gazed up into a surprised face.

"Why?" Sasuke asked. "You never asked me that before."

"Because I feel lonely."

Sasuke's eyes widened. As if he had just heard Itachi say something outrageous and unlike him. And maybe he did because he had never outright told Sasuke how he felt at any given moment in his life that he could recall. The look on Sasuke's face was evident of his childish inclination to hide his emotions.

Sure, he had to force those words out of his mouth, but they were, by no means, a lie. He would never outright lie to his Otouto.

"It's okay if you say no," Itachi added. Albeit sadly. He wanted to cry. He didn't know if it was the result of that call, but the thought of losing Sasuke had scared him tenfold and made him extra sensitive.

"Okay," Sasuke breathed out. A small, sweet smile teased the corner of his lips. "Let me put this away and shower, and then we can go to bed. Do you want to wait for me in my room or yours?"

Ah, Itachi knew it. His Otouto was the sweetest, most caring person on the entire planet.

"Yours."

That was how Itachi found himself on Sasuke's bed as the shower ran along in the attached bathroom. After a weekend of Itachi's wrongdoings ruining a lot of things, sitting in his Otouto's bed waiting for him to come out of the shower made him feel a grand sense of relief. Like he was on cloud nine. For some reason, seeing Sasuke's gentle gaze on him and his sweet smile made Itachi feel loved.

He had never been so open about anything with Sasuke before, and doing it for the first time made him feel liberated. Was it really this easy to receive what he needed? All he had to do was open his mouth to ask? He wouldn't know since this was his first time doing such a thing.

He had always felt uncomfortable asking for things. Perhaps, he'd always felt like it was his job to provide so asking was a direct violation of his duties as an older brother and guardian. After all, it was his job to make Sasuke feel safe, loved, and cared for.

At times, he questioned his sanity and his ability to provide love. He questioned his ability to control his emotions, so he didn't spontaneously combust. He questioned his title as a guardian and the responsibilities that entailed. But, like he said once before, he never questioned Sasuke's love for him because the boy always provided it. It didn't matter if Itachi was being cold and ignoring him, or thoughtful and touchy, Sasuke never once took away his affection because of Itachi's behavior. His love was unconditional. It was pure.

"Aniki, you ready?"

Itachi looked up from his lap with a start. His eyes softened when they set sights on his beautiful Otouto. Sasuke had tugged on a blue t-shirt and a pair of checkered boxers, and if he didn't look like the most stunning being on the planet standing there in homebody clothes, then Itachi didn't know what did.

He nodded and stood, trudging along behind Sasuke as they walked to his room. When they got in bed, he allowed the boy to choose the side he wanted first before he crawled in after.

And there they were, staring up at the ceiling in the dark while they laid next to each other.

"It's rare to see you with your hair down," Sasuke murmured. His voice was quiet, but seemed to echo in the silent room.

Itachi hadn't realized it, but his tresses fanned out along the pillow. "Does it bother you?"

"No. It's beautiful," Sasuke responded.

"You're beautiful." Ah, oops. There goes that malfunctioning filter again. But Itachi didn't feel abashed. It was true after all.

"Pfft, what's with that? You've been acting weird today, Aniki. Is it because I was mad at you the other day? Come to think of it, I got mad at you twice this past week."

Sasuke was met with Itachi's silence, which meant he had probably hit the nail on the head. There was faint rustling followed by Itachi's hand grasping Sasuke's.

"I'm sorry, Otouto," Itachi murmured, voice down in the dumps. "Please forgive me for being an idiot."

The very vivid memory of those words neatly printed on paper flashed in Sasuke's mind. He huffed and turned on his side, mirroring Itachi's body. "You're forgiven, Aniki. Just don't do stuff like that in the future no matter how angry or sad you feel. Just talk to me instead."

Itachi squeezed Sasuke's hand. "Thank you, Otouto. I love you."

"I love you, too, Aniki. Let's go to sleep, yeah?" Sasuke began to turn away, but was stopped by Itachi's grip. "Do you need something else?"

"Can I… cuddle you?"

The boy wheezed out a laugh, obsidian eyes sparkling in the dark. When he found Itachi through the darkness, his eyes sobered more as if recalling something important.

"Will that make you less lonely?" he asked seriously. Itachi squeezed his hand tighter, reminding the boy of a small child. "Okay," he acquiesced, turning to face the other direction.

Itachi's hand was pulled along as Sasuke repositioned himself. The boy had dragged his arm over himself and laid it over his waist. The man inched closer, immediately feeling that soothing warmth seep into him, as he snuggled the boy against his chest and dug his face into the boy's nape.

He felt the light strokes on the hand he had strewn over the boy's waist and listened to the thump thump of his own heartbeat thudding in his chest. Itachi inhaled deeply and sighed.

He loved Sasuke's scent.

Sweet and light. It tickled his nose gently like the smell of daffodils in the summertime.

"Thank you, Otouto," he murmured, placing a kiss on the skin he found in front of him. He felt the boy pat his arm.

"Thank you for sharing with me how you feel," Sasuke said. "Goodnight, Aniki."

"Goodnight, Otouto."

H.J.

Sasuke woke up before his alarm Monday morning.

He groaned quietly as his body shuffled around in bed and yawned like a newborn cat. His eyes remained heavy and closed while he dozed off here and there. He debated whether to get up now or sleep in for another few minutes, but his body had felt really warm as if it was bundled up in a heaping pile of blankets so he settled for the former option.

When his heads popped open, he noticed that the sheets around his body were black instead of blue and he heard the gentle snoozing sounds of his brother behind him. Oh yeah, he had forgotten he had slept in his Aniki's bed last night.

A side glance back and he was grinning ear-to-ear. When was the last time he caught sight of Itachi's sleeping face? It must have been years if he didn't remember. He tried to scooch his body out of the man's embrace so that he could get a better look, but his movements caused the arm around his waist to tighten, dragging his entire backside flush against Itachi's front.

Sasuke yelped at the sudden movement, but his yelp was followed by widened eyes.

His entire body froze.

There was something hard nestled against his rump. Not brushing against it. Nestled into it.

He could feel the shape of it through Itachi's sweats as it propped itself between his cheeks, the only thing serving as a barrier was Sasuke's boxers. Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut.

It was big.

Really big.

And heavy.

He felt the man moving around lightly in his sleep, causing the length to brush against his hole. A low whimper escaped Sasuke's lips, and he slapped his hands over his mouth in retaliation.

"Nngh." Itachi groaned in his sleep, digging his face deeper into Sasuke's shoulder blade. The arm around Sasuke's waist remained locked in place.

The sudden sound nearly made Sasuke jump. He felt his body heat up to the degree that a sweaty sensation began to form along his hairline.

Holy fuck.

What kind of predicament was he in? He needed to maneuver himself out of Itachi's embrace without waking him up.

But good Lord, Itachi's length was getting hotter by the second as if it intended to burn its way through Sasuke. Agh, he didn't care anymore. He flicked the blanket off his body and jerked himself out of Itachi's hold, dashing out the room without even sparing a glance back.

He didn't stop running until he had slammed and locked his own bathroom door. Immediately after, he leaned back against the bathroom door and his shaky legs gave out. He sank to the floor, bottom smacking against the cold tiled floor. His dick twitched from between his legs, screaming at Sasuke to stop neglecting it.

His hands covered his face in embarrassment as he screamed silently into them.

Holy fuck. Holy fuck. Holy fuck.

What the hell just happened? Getting morning erections was normal for men. But why was he so surprised? Why was his heart thumping so wildly? Was it the embarrassing predicament? Was it because it was Itachi?

No, wait. When he woke up, he was fine. It was after he felt Itachi's hard dick grind innocently against him that he felt it.

Oh, god. Sasuke wrapped his arms around his drawn up knees and hid his face away.

He already knew the man was packing when he caught a glimpse of Itachi's naked body last night in the bathroom. The man had basically stripped without a care in the world, as if he was used to being nude in front of others. An unabashed nudist in addition to that.

However, at that point in time, he had been flaccid. And Sasuke was completely fine.

But he was anything but fine right now. How was it that, in the span of the minute when Itachi's length was against his rump, he felt and memorized the size, the shape, the length, the heat, the girth, and the weight of it? And he hadn't even seen it yet.

Yet? Yet? Why the fuck did he just think that?

Oh my God. He was nuts!

His knees pressed tightly together as he squirmed in his spot. His erection wasn't going away. There was something clearly wrong with him.

He had Neji. Cool, mature, sexy as hell Neji. And Sasuke and Itachi had agreed to put those feelings and kisses behind them in favor of maintaining their relationship as brothers. Sasuke had even gotten mad at Itachi for attempting to half-assedly reconcile and pursue him at the hospital a few days ago.

It was just so odd to witness such a predicament with his Aniki. This was the man he had always chased after, the man he wanted attention from far more than anyone else, and the man who raised him and took care of him. But he was also the man who gave addictive and heart-wrenching kisses, the man coddled and loved him, and he was also the man who, not even minutes ago, pressed his raging hard on against Sasuke in his sleep. Sasuke couldn't even blame him because he had done it unconsciously.

Maybe this was the extent of the kind of love Itachi spoke of weeks ago when they had first kissed. It wasn't as if he was ignorant to what the man was saying, but he also didn't fully understand the extent to which those words reached. Nor did he completely understand his Aniki at that point in time.

How much did his Aniki really love him?

This was the question that left him stumped since as long as he could remember. Itachi would always say one thing and do another; he would distance himself, then insist that Sasuke stick to his side. He would hide his emotions and thoughts. In the 17 years that Sasuke existed with Itachi in his life, you would expect him to know everything about the man.

However, it wasn't until recently that they had gotten closer. He remembered the days when his Aniki wouldn't even spare him a glance. He'd get ignored at the drop of a hat. The man would speak less words to him in one week than he now did in a day. So, Sasuke hated to admit it, but he didn't know as much about his brother as he would have liked.

Sasuke only knew a few things about his Aniki. He knew that Itachi hated when people touched Sasuke inappropriately. He knew that Itachi hated leaving Sasuke out of his sight. He knew that his brother was a worry wart and was probably a highly anxious person to top it off despite him trying to hide that part from Sasuke. He knew that the man was quick to anger when it involved things related to him, especially his safety and well-being. He knew that his brother loved his cookies and he preferred being a homebody. And recently, he found out his brother responded well to his touch when he was high strung.

That was about it. Mostly everything he knew about the man had to do with himself. He had no clue when it came to Itachi's personal life, much less his emotions and thoughts. He wondered if Itachi ever looked at himself in the mirror and appreciated his features, because Sasuke knew that he, himself, did. In his eyes, his brother has always been and will always be the most gorgeous person to walk the planet. He had admired that kind of regal elegance and grace as a child and the teenage version of him apparently remained forever hooked on that stunning beauty.

But he digressed.

The reality was that they had decided to remain platonic. And Sasuke's body was acting up inappropriately and getting riled up from Itachi's unconscious physiological reaction.

What he needed to do was worry less about himself and work on making sure his Aniki was well-taken care of. It seemed as though Itachi was beginning to open up. Sasuke didn't know what brought that on, but he was pleasantly surprised and proud of him for doing so. Whatever it was, he wanted to encourage and help Itachi so that they could communicate better.

Sasuke didn't know how long he sat on that bathroom floor, but when he heard a knock on the door and his brother's gentle voice call his name, he willed his crazy thoughts to go away and stood up.

He had returned to normal when he opened the door. He dared not spare a glance down, and instead noted the anxiety hidden in Itachi's voice when he spoke.

"I woke up, and you were gone."

Sasuke's heart clenched reflexively at those words. Since when did Itachi speak so openly about anything? He could tell that the man was desperately hiding his anxiety behind those words, and he sought to squash all of that immediately.

"Sorry, Aniki. I was going to get ready for school," Sasuke said as he reached for Itachi's hand. He gave it a light squeeze and then dropped it gently. "Do you mind dropping me off at school today?"

His brother nodded and his shoulders dropped slightly as if he was relieved.

Sasuke smiled. "I'll go make some coffee for you," he added.

"Thank you, Otouto," the man whispered. Sasuke didn't know where it came from nor why that thank you was so heartfelt, but he received a small smile from Itachi.

That's what he wanted, he thought to himself. He wanted to protect that rare, precious smile. The one reserved for him. The one that told Sasuke that his presence was wanted.

He needed to take care of Itachi so that he didn't feel lonely.

"Anything for you, Aniki," he uttered.

Part 13

Fall of 2013 (six years prior): Halloween

Eleven-year-old Sasuke bounced up and down at the end of the stairs in excitement. Every time he moved, the jingle of a bell resonated throughout the house.

Mikoto squealed, completely enraptured by the sight before her. Sasuke was dressed all in black, save for the single silver bell that dangled at the center of the collar he wore. Fuzzy, black cat ears were placed over his spikes, and he had a tail clipped onto the back of his shorts.

Mikoto had used eye liner to add on a button nose, light freckles, and whiskers onto his pale features, so that Sasuke could embody his true neko self.

He had been particularly fond of cats that year and insisted that he become a cat for Halloween. It was a sweet request, nothing of the outrageous sort, and Mikoto had been more than ecstatic to comply.

"My little boy is so adorable," his mother had gushed on repeat, snapping a ridiculous amount of pictures, as they both waited for Itachi to come downstairs to take the boy trick-or-treating.

The elder sibling had rounded the corner of the stairs up top and began his descent, but he paused midway at the sight of his Otouto. Like a lion unfurling after being woken from a nap, something rumbled in Itachi's chest as his eyes flickered once up and down the boy's body and took in his costume.

The shirt was barely long enough to brush against his hips, which meant ample movement caused it to ride up. The shorts hit mid-knee, splaying his thin yet somehow chubby calves for all to see. They were loose around the hem, but tight around the glutes.

It was the first time Itachi witnessed the look, and the mere sight caused a heavy storm to shift inside his brain. Anger boiled to the surface from what his eyes saw, and he shut down impending thoughts immediately like a light switch.

He didn't like the costume. It was like a beacon in the night, inviting others to look and notice. But Itachi couldn't say anything without appearing odd. Sasuke was only 11, and his outfit wasn't revealing to the typical person per say. Plus, he was a boy, so displaying his concerns otherwise would cause unwanted attention and issues.

So he left it be and waited at the door for Sasuke to grab his purple jack-o-lantern pail. The sun had barely started to set, and a few kids were out and about. Itachi shut the door behind them and headed down the driveway as Sasuke ran around him in laughter.

"Aniki! Aniki! Don't I look cute?" the boy chimed with a giggle as he twirled. The tail between his legs spun with him.

Itachi looked down at him briefly. He wouldn't have used the word 'cute' to describe what he saw, but the other words in his vocabulary bank weren't ones he could admit to or simply say aloud.

"Don't run, or you'll fall," he responded.

The boy pouted, but nevertheless walked next to him with a bounce in his step.

Their first house was two doors down on the same street of their house. Itachi waited below the porch steps for Sasuke as the boy rang the doorbell and said his spiel.

They repeated this around the neighborhood for a good hour, visiting homes that had their porch lights on, before Itachi noticed that Sasuke had piped down and became increasingly quiet. At first, Itachi thought that Sasuke had gotten bored of the routine or became tired, but when he looked at the boy, that didn't seem to be the case. The boy spoke up before he opened his mouth.

"You don't want to be here with me, huh?" Sasuke said. He wasn't making eye contact with Itachi, and his question didn't really sound like a question.

"What makes you say that, Otouto?" Itachi asked.

"You looked grumpy all night," Sasuke said, grumpy himself, yet managing to appear dejected simultaneously. "You don't have to be here if you don't want to, you know. I can go by myself."

"Nonsense, Otouto." As if Itachi would let him go out at night by himself. That was blasphemy.

"See? You should just go home! I'll go by myself!" Sasuke took off running by himself, crossing a patch of grass to the block around the next corner.

Itachi stood stunned at the sudden outburst, something he rarely saw from Sasuke. Had that been harsh of him? Had he really been looking grumpy all night?

Yes, the boy was absolutely adorable in his costume. And yes, Itachi thought Sasuke looked absolutely precious as a neko. He'd only hated the idea of his Otouto dressing up in that kind of costume for the world to see. He would have preferred to coddle that image close to home. The idea of monopolizing that image burned through his brain.

Fuck.

He took off running in the direction that Sasuke had disappeared, rounding the corner and darting past all the houses with porch lights on.

"Sasuke!" Itachi yelled, startling the kids in costume he ran past. He moved from house to house while a slow panic began to build in his chest like an orchestrated symphony prior to a cacophonous uproar.

Itachi had reached the last two houses on the block, one with the light on and the second one without a porch light. He stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes squinted on the path leading to the main door of the eerily dark and quiet house, where a purple jack-o-lantern laid innocently on its side with candy spilt all over.

Immediately, he sprinted up the driveway, heart hammering painfully in his chest. The front door was left ajar, and Itachi smashed through it without a single thought, the thud against his shoulder not registering in his brain.

"Sasuke!" Itachi shrieked while his eyes darted around frantically. He heard some muffled sounds and mumbling, so he ran in that direction only to find himself standing in the living room of a stranger's unlit house.

In front of his very eyes, he saw a large figure hovering over a tiny one. He wasn't exactly sure what he saw other than his baby brother being held down by an adult man, who had one hand sealed tightly over Sasuke's mouth and another hand down the front of his pants as the boy cried, kicked, and screamed.

A blind rage filled his chest as he slammed his foot into the man's side twice, causing him to roll over in pain. A ghastly crunch filled the room.

"Get the fuck off of him, you sick fuck!" Itachi lost his cool, the impact of his enraged voice loud enough that the windows shuddered.

Itachi pounced without a second thought, hammering his fists into the man's face without mercy. Crimson liquid spewed from the man underneath him as he put his weight into his tightly wounded fists.

"You piece of fucking filth! You have no right to touch him with your disgusting hands! I'm going to fucking kill you, you. Piece. Of. Fucking. Shit."

Each punctuated word was followed by the impact of knuckles to jaw as Itachi sunk his fists into the man's face until what was left was a face so incredibly bloody and swollen that facial recognition wouldn't even pick it up. Somewhere in his brain he registered the sound of crying in the background, but he was unable and refused to stop.

The man heaved and coughed blood underneath him, spitting out dislodged teeth like the tooth fairy was in town until he was no longer making noise. Itachi's harsh exhales reverberated throughout the room, intermingling with the ghostly creek of wood that echoed throughout the halls of the old house.

Outside, the wind bellowed.

Only when the body laid limp and no longer was capable of uttering a peep did Itachi finally scurry off of him in a fit of panic to find and secure Sasuke in his arms.

One look at his Otouto, and Itachi's heart broke. Sasuke's cheeks were streaked with red, his shirt was wrinkled, and the buttons of his shorts were undone. His cat ears were nowhere to be found, and his normally bright eyes had glazed over in fear, confusion, and hyperventilation.

"Otouto," Itachi had cried as he lifted the boy up into his lap and cocooned his arms around his body. He scooted away from the immobile body and pressed his back against the sofa in that room, cradling the boy's waist and head against his body. "It's okay now. Everything's okay. Aniki's here. Aniki's here," he said verbatim an infinite amount of times that evening.

"A-Aniki!" The boy had wailed, latching onto the front of his shirt for dear life.

Itachi had remembered that, at that point in time, it had been forever since he hugged his Otouto. Yet, when he finally did in that moment, he recalled how small and fragile Sasuke felt in his shaking arms. He'd never forget that sensation and how it made him feel for the duration of his life.

All the ruckus had drawn an audience at the front door, and someone had cried murder and called the police.

But not once did Itachi let go of his Sasuke.

In fact, he remained unmoving from Sasuke's side for the next several weeks, and he even went as far as insisting that he sleep with the boy in his bed every night. Their parents had been concerned and began talking about looking into therapy for both boys, but the talks dwindled down when Sasuke reverted back to normal with no lingering signs of trauma. It was Itachi that, upon denying therapy, Fugaku and Mikoto had to keep an eye on.

Approximately two months later, the man was indicted and sent to a maximum security prison in a different state. Only then did their parents note that Itachi slowly began to return to his normal self. Occasionally, he would still sneak into Sasuke's bed in the middle of the night and he continued to insist that Sasuke wait for him to pick him up from school, but otherwise he seemed better.

Sasuke realized the oddity of how, once you see something, your brain starts to form patterns and connections to identify it everywhere all the time. And the thing that Sasuke came to realize more and more was that Itachi was a very anxious person.

In fact, the glaring awareness of such a trait almost seemed to mellow Sasuke out a bit more, because he knew that Itachi wasn't being completely dismissive throughout his entire life because he wanted to be. By default, he started to become more flexible in his ways of dealing with his brother, and he tried his best to increase the amount of patience and compassion he had.

He wasn't sure when he first subconsciously became aware of this fact that was now in-his-face obvious. Was it the numerous times that it seemed like Itachi stopped himself from opening his mouth to say what he was thinking? Was it the nonstop worrying? The antisocial aspect of his personality? The drinking? The hesitant glances? Or perhaps the way Itachi seemed to be extremely wary of people's intentions? Or maybe the fact that his Aniki slept very little and often very poorly?

He had heard a psychiatrist once say that people who are diagnosed with anxiety tended to have at least one or two more mental illnesses, such as depression, piggyback their way along. Come to think of it, he wouldn't be surprised if Itachi was suffering from depression. It wasn't up until recently that the man started to hang around Sasuke more and include him in his life, so it was difficult to catch these things early.

The mere thought of his Aniki being depressed was depressing. Maybe that's why he needed Sasuke around. Maybe Sasuke was the only one he felt safe with. Maybe Sasuke was the one that made him feel less lonely. Or maybe Sasuke was over glorifying himself because, for once, Itachi made him feel special by sharing his thoughts with him, and he was getting ahead of himself.

Whatever the reason, Sasuke didn't care. He was upset at himself for not noticing these things sooner. The anxiety. The dread of being alone. The possible signs of depression. He needed to be more present and attentive with Itachi.

So when Itachi offered to drop him off at school, Sasuke accepted with a smile even though he preferred to walk in the mornings and enjoy the cold morning fog. He allowed the man to buckle him into the car, very much aware of his morning musings when he turned his gaze out the window as Itachi clicked the seatbelt into place. Itachi's fingers brushed against his hip, something that he didn't have the luxury to ignore this time around, and he silently hmphed, keeping his gaze averted.

"I'll be dropping you off and picking you up daily from now on, Otouto."

That gave him a start. So much for not staring at his Aniki. A look of confusion muddled his features. "Huh? Why?" he asked. He focused his attention on Itachi, who wore the same expression he did last night after he had hurled in the bathroom. "Did something happen?" he asked hesitantly.

"Can we talk about it tonight?" Itachi asked, settling his eyes on Sasuke.

This was a surprise.

A grand 'ol whopping surprise.

Since when did Itachi set aside time to actually address one of his questions?

Huh. Sasuke was speechless. And it showed.

He nodded his head dumbfoundedly.

Itachi brushed his fingers along Sasuke's cheek and smiled softly. "I'll pick you up and drop you off. Okay?" The man flashed another half smile.

Geez. He knew his brother was playing him, attacking his weak spots and his inner child who craved his attention and touch. At this rate, Sasuke would have to fan himself off. How could he fucking say no to that smile?

He nodded again even though he knew his brother wasn't really asking. It was more like he was coaxing him into his web with his sweet smile. But Sasuke would let him… for now. He wanted to know what was going on, so he willed himself to be patient. The boy cleared his throat.

"Then don't be late," he said.

"I would never," Itachi replied.

Sasuke eyed the man. He couldn't tell if there was another smile making an appearance at the corner of Itachi's lips, or if it was a mirage, and he couldn't decipher whether his Aniki was making fun of his demand or not. But he was a saint, so he let it go without another word as Itachi pulled out of the driveway.

When they got to Sasuke's school a few minutes later, he thanked the man for dropping him off, but before he could open the door and step out, Itachi had grasped onto his sleeve. Sasuke paused, looking back with the slightest hint of a head tilt. Upon gazing at the man, he became more and more certain about his previous conclusion.

Itachi looked highly anxious as he sat there, eyes settled on the hand that grasped Sasuke's shirt. Sasuke was sure that the man was debating a list of pros and cons in his head in regard to his next steps, and it was heartbreaking to see his brother so out of his element and so unsure about himself.

Sasuke reached out and transferred that tiny grasp into the palm of his hand, wrapping his fingers around the hand that touched him so hesitantly. "What's wrong, Aniki?" he asked. "What do you need?"

The wait time here was important, Sasuke realized. He couldn't rush the man because, then, he'd cinch up and brush it off. So Sasuke settled back into the passenger seat and waited patiently for Itachi's response.

"A hug."

The words came out much later than he anticipated, and they came out so quietly that Sasuke had to strain his ears to hear them. But when he managed to grasp and make sense of them, he sat a little straighter.

Man, the surprises never stopped coming at him.

He was never against skinship with Itachi to begin with. Rather, it was very welcomed, and he never felt like he had to force himself to touch the man. In fact, if a day shall come where he felt forced to touch Itachi out of disgust or any other unpleasant emotion, then that meant that was the day he turned into a big, fat liar.

"Of course, Aniki," he said immediately as he leaned over the midsection with his arms outstretched. He wrapped his arms around Itachi's neck and pressed his upper body against his.

The man hugged him back as if Sasuke was leaving overseas for a year. As if afraid to let him leave his sights. The only thing the boy could do was return the embrace with the same fervor.

"I'll see you after school, okay?" he said reassuringly when he let go. "Have a good day, Aniki."

"Be safe, Otouto."

When Sasuke got inside the school gates and away from view, he leaned against the adjacent wall and exhaled the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Aw, fuck. That felt weird.

Was it supposed to feel weird? His heart was beating erratically for some reason, but he ignored it. This was what he always wanted, right? To be closer to his brother who he admired so much. For Itachi to share his feelings and needs with him… right? And now that Itachi was actually starting to do so, why did it make him feel so weird?

But obviously he wasn't going to tell him to stop. He wasn't an idiot. He actually liked it a lot, so perhaps that meant this was a good kind of weird he was feeling?

Man, who knew? He wasn't going to complain now that he was receiving affection and attention at 17. Fuck, he'd soak it in shamelessly. Be it day or night, if Itachi offered his affection, he'd soak it up like a greedy sponge. Logic be damned. Shame and maturity be damned. He'd toss it aside like dirty laundry if that meant he could spend more time with his Aniki.

Some people were mommas' boys or daddies' girls. He just so happened to be a brother's boy. Sue him.

"You on crack?"

Sasuke looked up from his hunched position with a start. "What?" he asked as he peered into Gaara's sea green eyes. He didn't know how long he had been standing in front of him.

"You have a dumb smile on your face," the redhead responded.

Reflexively, he touched his lips.

"I've never seen you smile like that. Not with me, or anyone else. So what's got you so happy in the morning? Did you get some good dick?"

Sasuke stared at Gaara strangely before he bursted into laughter. He swung an arm around the redhead's shoulders and pulled him against his side as he swiped away some tears.

"Let's go to class, Gaara."

H.J.

"I thought you had class at this time?"

Kisame Hoshigaki raised an eyebrow over the opened manila folder in his hand.

"Hisashiburi dana, Kisame," Itachi responded. "Mind if we step out for a moment?"

"Sure."

It was barely nine in the morning when they stepped outside the precinct. Itachi leaned languidly against the cool brick wall as Kisame pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

He bummed a smoke from the taller man and blew out the first puff with a belated sigh. Itachi hardly ever smoked. Only one here and there in his teenage days before he abandoned tobacco for Sasuke's sake. He had come one day in his youth to a young Sasuke telling him he smelled weird, and that was the end of that. However, during this point in time, his nerves were high and he had a hard time reigning it in.

He took a second puff all too soon before he began talking.

"You and Kakashi were the responding officers six years ago."

"Yeah." Kisame didn't have to ask for clarification. It was pretty obvious what Itachi was referring to. After all, everything he opened his mouth to say always linked directly back to Sasuke.

"What do you recall about that night?"

"Hmm, let's see. We had just started our night shift. We got a call that there was a disturbance in the neighborhood and we were closest, so we responded. There was a crowd gathered at the residence. Kakashi was first through the door. We secured the house, then approached you guys. I checked for a pulse and called for EMT. When EMT arrived, Kakashi tried to coax Sasuke out of your arms so that the two of you could get examined, but you refused and started screaming. Then, we call Fugaku-taichou, and the rest is history."

"When you processed him, did he have any discerning marks on his body?"

"If you're talking about tattoos and piercings, then no. No markers like that. But he did have three moles situated equidistant from one another at the base of the right side of his neck. Like a triangle if you connect the dots."

"Did he have any odd ticks?" Itachi questioned.

"Not that I noticed."

"How about the video that Kyuubi handed over the other day? Anything on that?"

"Ooo, now we're getting to the good stuff. I mean, it was shot on a low quality camera, probably one of the cheap ones you buy at a thrift shop or small electronics business. Also, cheap cameras means manual activation: he had to have been there to record and stop recording. We checked for tampering and there wasn't any, so the video was shot and stopped at the same start and end times on the CD. No parts were cropped out, which means it started rolling a minute or two after Neji and Sasuke got into the room and stopped at the very end of it all. The sick fuck watched and recorded the whole time."

Itachi gritted his teeth. Ash dripped from the end of his cigarette butt. He caught the sideways glance Kisame sent him, but ignored it.

"Anyways, I pulled CCTV footage around that neighborhood and cross referenced it with the time frame Kyuubi gave me, looking for suspicious characters and running them through facial recognition. There was a camera half a block down at a four-way stop that caught a person in black with a baseball cap and couldn't see his face, because he was turned away; and he seemed wary of the cameras, so I figured that's our guy. So you're looking for a five-ten, light-skin male. Lanky build. And, me being the smart person that I am, cross referenced that description with footage from the local electronics stores and shops and found a matching person."

Kisame grinned, smearing his cigarette into the ground with a combat boot. "Let's head inside, and I'll pull it up for you."

Just as Kisame described: five-ten, light skin tone, long thin limbs holding a new camera in hand stepping out of the store. The figure from the night of the party matched the figure stepping out of the store. Even the hoodies matched, except the man wasn't wearing a baseball cap in the shot taken outside the store.

Itachi was presented with long, thin black hair, golden eyes, and narrow slit eyes. There was something familiar, yet unfamiliar about his facial features. Either way, Itachi's blood boiled as he was presented with a side by side copy of both photos.

"There was no hit on facial recognition, so he must not have been in the system."

Hmm, Itachi had suspicions of something else, but he didn't broach it just yet.

"Mind if I keep these?" Itachi asked, gesturing to the photos Kisame had printed. He would ask Sasuke to confirm the identity later.

"Sure thing."

Itachi headed out soon after. However, instead of heading to his university, he situated himself in a cafe two blocks from his Otouto's school with his laptop. There, he got to work. He was going to put his programming and computer skills to good use.

His priority was to first get that man away from Sasuke.

Hours went by without a fuss. Before he knew it, the early part of the afternoon was gone and he had succeeded in his tasks, but had forgotten to eat.

It was about a half hour before the high school let out when Itachi shut down his laptop, tucked the photos in the open slot on the side of his laptop bag, and headed out to pick the boy up. His stomach could wait.

He found a parking spot along the curb closest to the main gate, and instead of waiting inside his car like he usually did, he stepped out, locked it and found a spot underneath a palm tree closer and adjacent to the gate, and waited.

As he waited, he could feel the roaming eyes of nearby individuals perusing his form curiously as they whispered to each other and giggled. How annoying. If Itachi hadn't been in the perfect spot to catch a good glimpse of the sea of students waiting for a staff member to unlock the gate, he would have moved away from the gossip sooner.

Instead, what he got was the pinprick sensation of someone tapping his arm from behind. He nearly flinched at the unwelcome touch and his eyes narrowed as they glanced behind him at the offending digits.

A short brunette with red cheeks began to spew some spiel that, quite frankly, he couldn't be bothered with. To top it off, the highest annoyance was the hand, which initially tapped his bicep, had latched onto the hem of his black T-shirt, creating a nonsensical connection that infuriated him deep inside.

Fucking dimwit.

The audacity.

He hated being touched. Aside from his Otouto, no one was allowed to touch him so intimately.

But he didn't want to make a scene in front of Sasuke's school.

Itachi gritted his teeth. "Don't touch me," he grounded out as nonchalantly as his vocals would allow him. His words were followed by the recoiling of his body, which severed the connection.

Filthy.

The girl remained frozen in her spot, eyes wide as if she didn't understand his reaction, and Itachi was ready to snap back to create more space.

"I'm sorry, but my brother and I are in a hurry, so we'll be taking off first."

The gentle, yet controlled tone within Sasuke's voice and his sudden appearance replaced the blatant annoyance on his face with surprise. Itachi looked over and, sure enough, Sasuke was by his side as he spoke to the girl with a tight lipped smile on his face.

Next thing he knew, Sasuke had grasped one of his hands and pulled him along. The surprise melted into a pleasant sigh as Itachi allowed himself to be led to his car.

Sasuke took one glance behind him at Itachi and huffed a laugh. "Geez, Aniki. You're as crass as ever, huh?"

"Her touch felt disgusting." He replied without a second thought.

"Pfft. Only you'd say that about a pretty girl. She was complimenting your good looks, you know."

Itachi's head cocked to the side. "Do you think I have good looks?"

One of Sasuke's eyebrows quirked up as they stopped in front of the car. "Have you ever looked in the mirror?"

Hmm, Itachi dismissed his thoughts. He didn't care if some random stranger thought he looked good. He unlocked the car door and they both climbed in and pulled away from the curb.

"How was school?" Itachi asked.

"It was okay. Same as usual."

"Did you have any run-ins with that man?"

Sasuke cringed reflexively. "No. We have block periods, so I didn't have his class today."

Satisfied with that answer, Itachi nodded. If things went well, he'd never have to see that man again.

Their afternoon and evening went on quietly with Sasuke working on his homework prior to making dinner and Itachi hammering away on his computer.

When all was done, Itachi came to find Sasuke in his room. Much to his surprise. The man had followed through on his promise to explain, it seemed, and was lingering at his door for quite a while before Sasuke heard the grinding gears in his head manifest in shuffling footsteps.

"Come in, Aniki," Sasuke uttered as he held his door open. He noticed Itachi hesitating briefly before striding past him and situating himself by leaning against the side of his desk.

Sasuke shut his door silently and opted for his bed. A moment of silence stretched between them. The only noise came from Sasuke crossing his legs so that he could comfortably face his brother.

"So I thought about it," Sasuke began, staring at his hands in his lap, "and I figured if you're suddenly telling me you need to pick me up and drop me off daily, then it must be something involving my safety, right?"

"...Yes."

"Okay. I understand. I won't force you to tell me anything you don't want to tell me, so you don't need to push yourself if you're not ready to tell me."

"No, Sasuke," Itachi interjected, standing a little taller, causing Sasuke to settle his attention on him. "I have always kept things from you, Otouto…. I thought that, if you didn't know, it wouldn't be able to hurt you. I wanted to keep the bad things away from you, but it seems like my actions only pushed you away and made you hate me."

"Hey! Hold it! What are you talking about? I've never hated you, Aniki."

Sasuke was met with a solemn smile. Fuck. His heart quivered and protested against the sight of that facial expression.

"I want to make things right," Itachi said, and the boy couldn't help but wonder if he was speaking about something else.

"Okay," he breathed. "Then, talk to me."

"Do you remember the last time you ever went trick-or-treating. You were eleven. After that Halloween, we stopped going. Do you remember?"

"Hmmm, I think so. That was so long ago." Sasuke wondered why Itachi suddenly spoke of six years ago. The era before they became orphans.

"What do you remember about that night?"

"Huh? That's an odd question. Umm, let's see. Well, I remember kaa-san telling you to take me out to get candy, and also walking around the neighborhood. You looked pretty grumpy. I think you hated that you were stuck babysitting me." Sasuke pouted. "Oh, and I was really into cats that year, so I dressed up as a black cat, but you hated my costume."

Itachi cringed. Was he that standoffish when he was younger?

"I thought you were adorable in that costume."

Sasuke eyed him almost skeptically. "Oh, so now you tell me," he teased. "Anyway, I remember being annoyed that you felt obligated to spend time with me so I left and went to houses by myself, and then you found me."

"Do you remember what happened between the time you ran from me and me finding you?"

"I'm not sure. Didn't you run right after me?"

Sasuke could tell that the gears in his brother's brain were turning at light speed as soon as those words left his mouth. It seemed like the man wasn't sure if he wanted to deliver bad news or not to him. He cocked his head slightly in question.

"Otouto, you were molested that night."

Sasuke froze. An incredulous laugh fell through his lips. "I'm sorry. What?"

Thus came the explanations, a complete recap of the conversations Itachi had had with Kakashi and Kisame up until that very moment when they stood not five feet apart from one another in Sasuke's room.

Sasuke was left speechless, questioning whether wanting to be a part of the conversation and decision-making process was something he even wanted anymore. This was something beyond his control. It was beyond his grasp of understanding.

"I… must have wiped it from my memory," he finally said.

Sasuke's brain was on overload as it attempted to process the heap of information he was given. Basically, Itachi had said: 1) Sasuke was molested by a pedophile living in their neighborhood as a kid, 2) said pedophile could possibly be Orochimaru, his biology teacher, and 3) Orochimaru was most likely also the culprit behind the video. To break it down further for his brain to comprehend, Orochimaru= pedophile & voyeurist/stalker.

His brain blew a fuse.

His stomach grew nauseous.

And unbeknownst to him, his body shook.

All these things happened so simultaneously that Sasuke's head began to pound.

"Aniki, I feel sick," he muttered.

Immediately, upon uttering those four words, he felt Itachi tug him into his arms. The strength and tenacity of the movement jerked their bodies together and prompted them to lay on their sides cocooned in each other's arms. Strong, capable arms held Sasuke in a tight embrace as if attempting to control his trembling.

"I will keep you safe, Otouto," Itachi responded. "Nothing bad will happen to you because Aniki's here. I will always be here for you."

Sasuke's fingers clutched onto the hem of Itachi's shirt, and he rested his cheek against the man's chest. An odd sensation of deja vu tickled his mind at those words, but he was too mentally exhausted to chase it down.

"Thank you for always protecting me, Aniki."

"Silly Otouto. I would die for you without a second thought. You are the love of my life."

Sasuke's stomach churned. He didn't know if it was the remnants of the news or butterflies fiddling around from those words. "Do you mean that in a non-platonic way?"

"I mean that in whichever capacity you want to take it, but I want you to know you are the most precious person in my life and no one will ever even come close to being compared to you and your place in my heart."

"Am I that special to you?" Sasuke's words were so quiet that he thought he hadn't spoken them aloud.

"You are my everything, Sasuke."

Sasuke sniffled. "God, you're so sappy, Aniki. Why couldn't you have been like this growing up?"

As soon as he said those words, the boy felt the man's grip tighten around his waist, plastering his body against his chest. He looked up, attempting to catch a glimpse of Itachi's face, but all he could see was the man's chin and long tresses. He didn't know why, but for some reason, he had an inkling that the thoughts in the man's brain were churning at a hundred miles an hour. Sasuke was so preoccupied by this that he had momentarily forgotten their conversation minutes ago.

Finally, when he was just about to open his mouth to ask, Itachi had sat both of their bodies up, so their legs were dangling off the edge of the mattress. Hands found their way onto Sasuke's shoulders, and he was edged backwards to create space between their bodies. The teen looked at Itachi for direction, yet his brother's face was casted downward, bangs hiding his features.

"What is it?" Given the shift in behavior, he was almost afraid to ask.

"...I tried to stop loving you."

The whisper of those six words burned themselves into his ears.

A laugh of disbelief escaped Sasuke's lips before he could reign it in. Did he hear that right?

"What?"

In an instant, Itachi's piercing gaze settled on Sasuke, caging him in an eternal battle of emotions.

"I have always loved you, Otouto," Itachi confessed. "More than I ever should. Did you know that I was an abnormal child? I could not find an interest in anything. Before you were born, I thought that, surely, there was something wrong with me. Can you imagine a 5-year-old thinking that all there was to life was living the same day repeatedly just so one day he could die?"

Sasuke sat flabbergasted as Itachi's grip on him remained solid. His brain attempted to process what was being said to him, but the concept was so foreign that his brain didn't have the time to send a signal to his countenance to suppress his stunned expression.

"A-Aniki, what are you talk-"

"Otouto, please let me finish. I'm afraid if I don't say it now, I will never have the courage to open my mouth again."

Sasuke's heart stuttered painfully. Why did Itachi look so sad?

"I didn't understand the point of going to school, so that I could get a job, raise a family, and retire to the countryside. What was the point of all that if I would just end up dying someday? I didn't understand any of it. Life was supposed to be bright and alive, but I felt so dead inside. And then, one day, kaa-san came home with you in her arms. When I saw you for the first time, it was like seeing a brightly lit Christmas tree in the midst of a dark, stormy night. That dead feeling inside me disappeared as if it never existed, and since then, as long as I was with you, it didn't resurface.

"Otouto, I have loved you since the moment you were born. But as I grew older, I realized the extent that I loved you was also abnormal. I didn't love you like a sibling. I loved you like kaa-san loved tou-san, and the more I thought about it, the worst it got and the harder it was to control myself. I couldn't be like this growing up because you would have hated me. You would have been disgusted. So I tried to force myself to stop loving you…"

Silent tears began to stream down Itachi's face, and for some reason, Sasuke began to sob along with him.

"But I loved you so much, Otouto, that the harder I tried to stop loving you, the more I wanted to kill myself. If it was so easy, I would have stopped a long time ago. But each time I made the resolve to stop, I only ended up loving you more and more. I love you so much it hurts here," Itachi croaked, fist smashing against his chest right over his beating heart.

Sasuke's palms reached up to caress Itachi's cheeks, brushing the silent tears aside. "How long have you been suffering because of me?" he cried, eyes pinched shut to allow the overflow of his own tears. "Why do you love me so much?"

Itachi held onto Sasuke's hands, pressing them further against his face as if confirming his existence. "Because you brought light into my world. You gave me a reason to exist, Sasuke. Because you have always been and will always be the piece of my soul that makes me whole. Being with you makes me feel alive. You've always had the power to make me feel alive. Without you, I feel dead inside."

"You idiot! Why are you telling me all of this now?" Sasuke screeched.

"Because I feel like you're fading from me. You have someone else and no longer want me. I hate it. If only I hadn't been a coward."

Sasuke's hands slipped from the man's grip and hammered against Itachi's chest. "You always do this to me, you selfish asshole! How could you keep all that from me for seventeen years?" he yelled, a river flowing from his eyes. "And you choose the worst possible moment to say all of that. Do I mean that little to you for you to keep all of this from me? I thought you hated me! I thought I had done something wrong. I-I thought I was just a nuisance you had to raise. You were my entire world since as long as I could remember, yet all you did was push me away. I hated feeling like I wasn't worth your time. I hated that you never paid me any attention. I hated how you treated me like a stranger. Why couldn't you have just told me how you felt?"

Itachi bit his lip, reaching out to crush Sasuke's smaller form gently against his own. "I was scared that you'd find me disgusting. I was scared that you'd leave me, so I was adamant to keep you at arm's length as a sibling. I thought that at least that way I'd always have a reason to have you by my side."

"You fucking idiot. I would never think that you're disgusting. You would have known if you'd just talked to me!"

Itachi's gaze remained regretful as he stared at the ball curled up in his arms. Sasuke's face was red from crying, his cherry cheeks stained with salty tears, and his fingers tightly tangled up in Itachi's shirt. The boy truly was capable of bringing Itachi down to his knees.

"Forgive me, Otouto," Itachi murmured sorrowfully as he pressed a kiss onto Sasuke's forehead. "Allow me the rest of my life to make it up to you."

Part 14

Part 14:

"What's going on?"

Sasuke arrived in Biology class the next day to a bustling classroom. Normally, it'd be quiet as the dead of night, but today, after bracing himself in the hallway and sucking in a breath, Sasuke stepped into a room without Orochimaru. The sigh of relief that escaped him was admissible.

He noticed Gaara's odd expression fixed on him and found his way next to him.

"There are rumors going around all morning about Orochimaru-sensei forging his teaching credential, and he's been called to the principal's office," Gaara replied, the usual sass in his voice abandoned in favor of disbelief.

"What?" Sasuke's heart hammered against his chest as his sensitive ears began picking up the chatter around.

'Who checked his resume? They should be fired.'

'Did no one verify his credentials?'

'Do we get a free period?'

'They're saying his name isn't even his real name. What if he was a criminal?'

'I wonder if he'll get fired. He should, right? Teachers can't teach without a credential and forging one is a crime.'

The chatter was overwhelming.

Sasuke rested his head on top of his folder arms on the table. Anxiety welled in his chest. Did this mean the man would be chased out of the school? Or would the man simply receive a warning and the opportunity to earn his credential while teaching? Given how things always dwindled down to money and politics, who even knew anymore?

The boy's phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a text.

Neji: Hey, babe. Everything okay at school? I heard there were some news teams swarming outside the front gate.

Leave it to the man to be well informed. Must have been those connections.

Sasuke: People are saying that Orochimaru isn't a real teacher and that he forged documents. He's in the principal's office.

Now that he thought about it, he was sure he saw a few uniformed officers in the hallway earlier that morning.

Neji: That would explain a lot. That man has no business in a high school. Are you okay? Want me to come pick you up after school?

Sasuke bit his lip to suppress a smile. Good God, the man was as sweet as a jellybean.

Sasuke: I'm okay. Itachi's picking me up, so stop worrying, you worry wart.

Neji: How can I not worry about my adorable lover?

Fuck. A smile protruded on his lips, and he shoved his phone away and hid his burning cheeks in his arms.

"Hey, Sasuke. Just curious. By any chance, did you tell Itachi about what that perv's been doing to you at school?" Gaara's voice was low so as to not draw unwanted attention, but Sasuke heard him loud and clear.

He sat straight up in his chair, making eye contact with the redhead. "I did a while back. Why? What are you thinking?"

Sasuke had yet to process all the information he was given last night, much less tell Gaara or Neji about his ties to the snake-eyed man. He wanted to make sense of things before even considering widening the number of people who knew. Plus, it was embarrassing for him.

"Don't you think it's odd that, all of a sudden, out of the blue something like this is happening?"

"Hmm, I didn't really think of that."

"I mean, Orochimaru has been here for three years and not a peep about his credentials or him in general, but now it's like someone handed everything over to the Office on a silver platter and he's being accused of several things. Don't you wonder where they got that info from?"

Sasuke thought over the possibilities. Itachi had been acting weird the last few days, but it wasn't that much out of the norm for him to suspect anything was wrong. They did hash out the happenings regarding Orochimaru, but he wondered if his brother had left anything out.

"Isn't Itachi good at computers? I mean like really, really good?" Gaara asked.

"Aren't you thinking a bit too much about it?" Sasuke retorted, keeping a leveled tone. He had to admit, though, the redhead was right. His Aniki's programming and computer skills were indeed top notch, so much so that he'd been scouted a plethora of times by large corporations. Something as simple as forged documents would be child's play to Itachi.

Sasuke made a mental note to ask him about it later.

The rest of the day dragged on.

Another two classes later, an announcement was made that a long-term sub would be hired to take over the Biology class.

When Sasuke heard this, he almost passed out in pure relief.

H.J.

"Have you ever been in a relationship with anyone, Aniki?"

Itachi's fork paused midway in the air before he set it back down on his plate. He stared at his Otouto in silence, wondering where he pulled that question out of.

"It's odd that you're suddenly interested in my love life, Otouto," he said as he resumed eating.

They sat next to each other in the living room while they ate dinner in front of the television. It was something they did more often recently instead of eating in abnormal silence at the dining table. There was a cartoon playing, but it clearly served its purpose as background noise instead.

"It's not sudden. I've always been interested, but you didn't like talking about yourself so I never asked," the boy responded with a pout. "So will you tell me?"

"Why do you want to know?"

Sasuke grumbled. "Because I'm curious!" Obviously, he couldn't say that he thought Itachi was the most beautiful man to walk the Earth, and he was curious as to who had the capability to enrapture him.

A moment of silence ensued.

Itachi chewed on his chicken thoughtfully as he contemplated his decision to answer or not. Beside him, his Otouto had already abandoned his food in favor of staring expectantly at him.

"I'll tell you…" Itachi began, seeing the light ignite in Sasuke's eyes, "if you give me a kiss." The man tapped his cheek with his index finger twice, ignoring Sasuke's immediate jaw drop.

He didn't bother looking over as he forked up the roasted veggie medley and leaned over to take a bite. As he began chewing calmly while watching a rabbit on the TV do backflips, his face was suddenly jerked to the side in Sasuke's direction. The force of the unexpected attack surprised Itachi, but what tripped him over completely were the plush, warm lips that connected to his right cheek.

A smooch echoed in the room.

Itachi's eyes widened a fraction. He met Sasuke's blushing face, and his heartbeat thudded in his ears.

Fucking hell.

"I did it! Now, tell me."

Despite the light tinge on his cheeks, the boy seemed proud of what he just did.

But Itachi didn't feel proud. In fact, the wet sensation of saliva drying on his skin had the opposite effect. An intense pain radiated throughout his body, leaving a trail of blazing fire in its place. It was an unmatched type of pain, one that didn't physically scar the body, but left blistering welts bubbling on the inside. As he stared into Sasuke's hopeful eyes, he was reminded of who was already taken.

Sasuke was so close, yet so far away.

"No."

"No what?" the boy responded.

"No, I've never been in a relationship."

The elder could feel the boy's large eyes staring at him as if waiting for him to continue.

"That's it? Oh, come on, Aniki. Why not?" Sasuke edged closer until his chest was brushing against Itachi's shoulder.

Itachi's appetite gradually decreased. Finally, he set his fork down. "They weren't good enough," he replied.

Sasuke sat back down on his heels, nodding his head in acquiescence. Itachi probably only went for one night stands if he didn't have any interest in relationships. "That's true. You're way too good for them."

"You said you're with Neji, right?" Itachi nearly bit off his tongue asking that question. In fact, it flew out of his mouth before he could reign it in. This wasn't something he wanted to talk about. Even thinking about the topic made him want to hurl, but a part of him urged him to confront his fears and deepest regrets.

Sasuke nodded his head. It wasn't really a piece of information that needed to be hidden… especially when Itachi had already seen that unwarranted sex tape.

"Do you love him?" Itachi flinched at his own question and looked down at his lap instead. Even when his bangs shifted and covered his eyes, he could feel Sasuke staring at him.

All of a sudden, he no longer wanted to know the answer to his question. In fact, he wanted to close himself off in his room once again, but he knew he'd only spend hours if not days obsessing over his own insecurities.

"I think he's a great guy, and he's really thoughtful and sweet, but we just started getting to know each other, so it's a little early for that."

Itachi didn't know whether to feel relieved or more anxious. "Do you… love me?" he asked, so quietly he didn't know if Sasuke had heard him.

"Yes," Sasuke responded instantly. No hesitation. No pause. No room for debate.

Itachi glanced up at Sasuke, and he was greeted with the soft glow of his Otouto's smile and those warm, obsidian eyes.

"Really?" God, his voice reached his own ears, and he sounded beyond pathetic. It was pathetic times two.

"I bet I love you more than you think," Sasuke said before he added words that broke down barriers Itachi didn't even realize he had built. "You're worthy of love, Aniki. You deserve to be loved. To feel loved. To love freely. You deserve to be happy, Aniki."

"I can't be happy without you, Otouto," Itachi croaked. He allowed his temple to drop and rest on Sasuke's shoulder because he was too much of a coward to see what facial expression the boy was making in response to his words. "I want to fight for your love. I want you to acknowledge me as a romantic partner, a lover, a boyfriend."

"You want to be my lover," Sasuke repeated slowly as if processing the bold statement and asking for confirmation simultaneously.

"Yes."

Sasuke was quiet, and Itachi could hear the rusty engines of uncharted territory grinding in the boy's brain.

"You do realize that a lover is someone you have sex with, right?"

The question somewhat caught Itachi off guard. He had expected Sasuke to shove him aside and ignore him in favor of locking himself in his room, but he was taking his words surprisingly well so far.

"Of course," he murmured, brushing his cheek along his Otouto's nape as he cuddled an inch closer. Sasuke smelled of faint sweetness and tender tones of suppleness. It reminded him of cool summer breezes that carried the whiff of blooming daffodils. Itachi had always been addicted to his smell, and he wanted to drown in that luxury.

Sasuke had yet to reply to him, and Itachi began to doubt he would for the remainder of the night.

"Do you not believe me?" he asked as his hand sought out Sasuke's from his lap. Almost playfully, he entwined their fingers together and rested them on his own knee.

Itachi's gaze fixated on his grip and, for a split second, warning bells went off in his head.

He chose to ignore them.

"I get hard when I think about you, Otouto," Itachi murmured. He felt Sasuke's hand twitch in his hold. "My dick gets so hard I can't stand it. I want to lay you down and spread you open so wide that I can see inside you. I want to pour my cum into you until you cry because your stomach hurts. Does that make me a bad person?"

Dead silence rang like a gong in his ears. Itachi refused to look at Sasuke's face as he guided their linked hands to press against his groin.

"Did you need proof?" he asked, almost nonchalantly, as his hand remained rooted in place to prevent Sasuke's from withdrawing. Itachi exhaled shakily. Beneath Sasuke's trembling fingers, his erection twitched incessantly. "Only you can do this to me, Sasuke. I don't get like this for anyone else. Do you feel how big I've gotten? Do you believe me now?"

Sasuke's eyes were peeled so wide open that they began to blur. Reflexively, in a state of panic, his palm flexed and, immediately following the motion, his eyes stuck to Itachi's body obsessively as he watched the man's head tilt back in bliss while a sigh escaped his lips.

What the fuck was going on?

Immense heat radiated from underneath his palm. The sight of his Aniki tilting his head back as a whisper of a groan escaped his parted lips etched itself into Sasuke's brain. His throat ran so dry that he was convinced he'd been stranded in the desert for three days. And Sasuke's poor heart pounded rambunctiously in his chest.

"A-Aniki…" Sasuke couldn't recollect his voice to speak, and even if he could, he didn't have any words to grasp from. His voice came out low, strangled, and he tried to pull his hand back, but the grip on it only tightened, locking his touch into place.

His brother kept his eyes skyward, refusing to make eye contact with Sasuke, and something about that made the boy distraught. Why wasn't Itachi looking at him? What was he trying to hide?

"Don't run away," the man whispered, pitch black eyes closing. "Feel me, Otouto."

"Y-You're scaring me, Aniki," Sasuke forced out.

The death grip caused the boy to wince. It was as if Itachi was absolutely terrified of releasing him in fear of ensuing madness.

"Do you believe me now?"

Those five pitiful words rang in Sasuke's ears as his face burned tomato red and his lap grew uncomfortable. Was that all Itachi wanted him to know? His brother seemed very fixated on that question.

"I… believe you, so l-let go already," he heaved. He tried to jerk his hand away once more and only ended up grinding the heel of his palm into Itachi's erection. The action resulted in Itachi biting his lower lip as a throaty groan echoed in the room, making Sasuke feel very, very weird.

Seconds after, his boxers felt oddly wet.

With widened eyes, he tore his hand away without reserve and, surely enough, this time he abandoned the room. Sasuke ran. He ran out of the living room with frightful panic as a bead of cold sweat trickled down the side of his face. His body felt numb, and it felt like all the energy in it had leached out, but he forced it to move and didn't stop until he had slammed and locked his bedroom door.

Holy fuck.

The boy heaved and heaved, his harsh exhales a product of his embarrassment and surprise. He lifted the band of his pants and glanced down. Then, he proceeded to cover his face with the palms of his hands and scream silently into them.

Holy fuck. Holy FUCK. HOLY FUCKING FUCK. HOLY FUCKING FUCKITY FUCK.

He came in his pants.

No way.

All it took was that look on Itachi's face and that rough groan that leached pheromones. A face and a voice.

How did that even happen?

Sasuke sank to his knees. How could he ever face Itachi again?

H.J.

He must have been a man possessed.

Itachi hadn't intended to go that far, yet the panicking little voice in his head urged him to do something. He needed to speak up for himself and insert him into the field. Ultimately, he just wanted his Otouto to look at him.

'At least now he'll be thinking about you,' the purring voice of logic reasoned.

Itachi wanted to fill Sasuke's mind with only thoughts of him. He wanted Sasuke to desire him, love him, and need him desperately.

So he let him go.

He had laid out his cards.

He was clear about what he wanted.

There was no reason to hide anymore.

He needed his Otouto to choose him himself.

If he had ran after the boy, he would have been ten inches deep into his hole and making a mess out of it by now.

His erection remained lively between his legs, bobbing and twitching as it was released from its confines. It remembered the soft touch of Sasuke's palm even though there was a barrier between them prior and begged for his touch.

Right there out in the open in their living room, Itachi released a shaky sigh as he widened and stretched out his legs. He could hardly contain himself as he wrapped a palm around his dick and jerked it up and down slowly.

Sasuke had never touched him so intimately before because Itachi had never allowed for such a thing, but his mere first touch gave the man infinite butterflies in his lower belly. The tingle shot down his spine and radiated along his hip bone without warning, causing him to arch his hips slightly to shove his dick into his tightened palm.

Itachi wondered if his Otouto liked what he felt. He knew Sasuke had difficulty taking big dicks (his hand paused briefly as he grimaced while recalling the videotape), but it also seemed as though the boy really enjoyed it. Comparatively, it appeared that, whereas Neji and Itachi might be similar in length, Itachi knew unequivocally that he was heftier and wider in girth. He could gape his Otouto without even trying if he wanted to. And boy did he want to.

Itachi wanted to engrave his existence into his Otouto's body. He wanted to turn Sasuke into a sobbing, begging mess beneath him as the boy accepted him into his special place. He could see his Otouto clinging onto Itachi's body as he desperately tried to swallow his entire dick and keep it inside him. It would be a tight fit; and for that reason, the boy's body would fight to push him out, but Itachi would hold his ground.

Shit. His dick leaked precum at the thought.

He also wanted to dig his nose into that place and smell him. All he'd have to do was inhale deeply to memorize the scent. He could probe his tongue inside to soften the boy's hole and taste it. Would Sasuke taste naughty or sweet? Would he be embarrassed or beg for more?

Itachi had to be careful because a sliver of control lost would turn their lovemaking into a ravage fest. He'd fuck his Otouto so thoroughly that he would continue even if Sasuke had passed out in exhaustion.

He had to make sure he didn't scare the boy during their first time. He needed to love him a lot, but he also needed to be accommodating and love gently. Otherwise, Sasuke would run.

"Otouto…," he breathed as he kept his gaze on the ceiling. His hand sped up slightly as he imagined his sweet Sasuke sitting in his lap and holding on for dear life as Itachi fucked his brains out. He'd bounce in Itachi's lap at the sheer force and momentum driving up and into him that he would think of no one, but the man destroying his sweet, puckered hole.

Itachi would comfort the boy if he cried and told him to stop. Sasuke would bawl and insist it was too much for him to handle, but Itachi would guide the boy's fingers down to press against the spot where they were connected. He would show him that he could handle it because he had allowed Itachi to enter there all the way to the hilt. He would tell the boy how well he was taking Itachi's large dick, and the only reason he wanted to stop was because he wasn't used to this blinding level of pleasure.

Itachi would be kind with his Otouto, and one of the kind things was giving him everything. And that included every inch of his cock. It was a gift of his love, and he had to make sure that Sasuke received it all.

"Fuck."

The low baritone of his voice echoed along the walls in the living room. As a result of the nonstop amount of precum leaking from the tip, wet noises followed, melding with his gasps of pleasure.

Itachi knew he was a big guy. He had packed on a lot of muscle throughout the years, he was taller than most, and his downstairs situation was also a lot to handle. And when big men ate, they ate a lot. And all he wanted to do was eat right now. He had been starved for so long that, in this exact moment, he couldn't even remember how he was capable of holding back all these years.

He briefly wondered if Sasuke could hear him from his room upstairs. The walls were thin and the house was incredibly quiet, so it wouldn't have been unfounded if the boy heard his groans. But it wasn't like he was trying to hide it. Not anymore. He had already admitted to Sasuke that he used him to jerk off. Briefly, he wondered what expression the boy would have if he saw Itachi like this in a raw state of letting loose.

Would he blush? Stare? Would he fiddle in his spot and notice that he'd gotten hard from the display? Would he offer a hand? Or would he simply run away like he did earlier? The possibilities were endless.

Whatever it was, he was certain of one thing: he wanted Sasuke to be his lover, his life partner. He didn't trust anyone else to take care of his beloved Otouto. No one knew Sasuke better than Itachi did, and no one loved him more than Itachi did. And that was the end of that.

His Otouto's rightful place was next to him in his arms and his bed. And Itachi would make sure that the boy was thoroughly satisfied.

When Itachi's cum spurted all over his hand, it was to the thought of nuzzling Sasuke from behind while keeping his hole plugged with his dick. He thought of how the remnants of his cum that he secured inside the boy would stay there till morning because he would refuse to pull out. He wanted to stay as close as possible to his Otouto for as long as he could.

Sasuke would snooze like an angel and seek his warmth, and in the morning, Itachi would use his cum as lube to fuck the boy again.

The man released himself and wiped himself off with a napkin. His dark eyes peered at the bright, buzzing TV in a daze as Sasuke's and his own dinner laid abandoned before him.

He wanted to get up and go in search of his Otouto, but it was not his place. He was the cause of the boy's distraught behavior after all. His body twitched anxiously as the glaring reality of his insomnia stared straight at him.

If he was honest with himself, he couldn't remember the last time he slept decently at night if his Otouto wasn't next to him. Some nights weren't as bad as others, but there were times when he found himself propped up on the floor next to his bed late into the hours of the night while his brain screamed bloody murder.

Frustration would well up in his chest and he'd be on the brink of passing out due to exhaustion except he'd shut his eyes and his mind would be running a marathon.

However, when he slept with Sasuke, his mind was as quiet and mellow as the early morning breeze. But he'd never tell his Otouto that. Itachi hated the idea of burdening the boy because of his own issues. He didn't want Sasuke to feel obligated to sleep in his bed every night.

So for years, since the night of the incident, he kept his mouth shut… while his brain continued to demolish and eat up his insides.

Itachi heaved a sigh. It was going to be a long night.