Serendipity
Chapter Six:
A month and a half had gone by in what felt like a blink of an eye. Sasuke, begrudgingly, had brought himself to acknowledge that he had spent the past six weeks under Itachi's care.
The kitten paused, claws digging into the plush carpet under him. Okay, maybe that had been easier to accept than he thought it would be.
He glanced up, watching Itachi comb through his hair. The demon was currently getting ready to go to work and Sasuke was glued to his side, keeping a close eye. The demon was making plans without him and it had his tummy turning on itself. He didn't like it.
Once more his claws dug into the plush carpet.
In the past weeks he had stopped thinking about leaving. His focus solely became being there for Itachi, wanting so badly to be able to do more than just watch.
He wanted to be in the middle of the action!
Sasuke wasn't sure if he should feel shocked at himself for getting caught up in Itachi's pace instead of making plans to escape. There was no denying though. He was warm, well taken care of, and he was stronger than he had ever been.
He could concentrate his energy better, and now could shapeshift into his toddler form.
Sasuke had been alone in Itachi's bedroom when he had been able to shift in what felt like the first time in forever. He had been so happy to be able to do it as easily as he remembered. He had done a little dance before he noted the full length mirror, and he froze as he gazed at what he could only assume was himself.
He was a small, with raven hair that fell into two bangs at the front and the back spiked up much like a ducks butt. His eyes were large, deep, and black. His skin was pale, almost with little to no color in it, but it glowed healthily. Placing his tiny hands on the mirror, he tilted his head trying to figure out his age.
If he had understood correctly due to the ages marked in Itachi's files, then he fell on the ages of three to four…
Either way, Sasuke smiled. He had never seen himself before and it was nice to be able to. His mind had spun in circles, wondering what Itachi would think of him. Would he think that he was cute and worth keeping around, he didn't look too bad did he?
The more he stared at himself, his face started to remind him of his mother and he missed her.
He had not spent much time with him mother to fully understand what he really was. Closing his eyes, he remembered her saying something about appearance and age being different.
What was it that she said…
His mother said that their appearance was a façade, because they had energy of two different creatures in them. He was a creature, and he was a demon. Both of his bloodlines gave him different abilities.
Creatures aged faster because it meant the difference between life and death.
Demons aged slower, they had parents that took care of them in their period of adolescence. At some point Demons stopped the physical process of aging, but not the mental one.
That meant that his body was at odds. Sasuke was sure he wasn't normal in the least, but he wasn't fully sure what that would mean for him. That was why he understood some things and he couldn't grasp others.
As to how old he was as a creature, differentiated from his demon form that would follow belatedly. Sasuke knew this. Back then, his mother had said not to worry, that she would guide them as they changed and grew.
Obviously at this stage he was small and weak. As a creature that meant death. Was this the age that his mother said they would need to be in order to get on and start their own life.
By now, wouldn't she have followed her plan to show them how to navigate the world?
Sasuke wished she was still here to teach him.
He couldn't even fathom how he would ever understand anything about himself, much less about the world.
For example, he couldn't always grasp everything that Itachi's coworkers talked about. Maybe some of it was funny, but he could tell not all of it was good. Itachi had commented that his friends were simple minded and liked to talk about stupid meaningless things.
Said friends retaliated that Itachi was too smart and mentally constipated to function properly.
Well then, what was wrong and what was right to believe then. The entirety of his situation frustrated him.
Sasuke knew he still had a lot of growing to do in order to understand what was happening and being said around him. Maybe the older he got the more he would understand more about the world.
Other things he knew he was still learning about were his emotions. Sasuke had strange reactions to different things, in particularly towards Itachi.
For example, loneliness, he still couldn't really grasp it but knew that he felt it…but why. Well, because Itachi talking about leaving him home alone made him feel scared and lonely. Another part of his mind was telling him that this was his chance to run away from the long raven haired demon.
He should be independent now!
He could shift, and was more than able to take care of himself.
He didn't need Itachi anymore!
But another part of him thought back to the warmth and snuggles and how he didn't want to leave it. Itachi's gentleness made him waver in his thoughts about escape. Instead he wanted to bury himself in Itachi's bed covers and drown in his scent.
Ah! No, he had to be independent!
He gasped as Itachi tied his hair and made his way out of the bathroom, barely dashing behind him as the demon closed the door. Sasuke grumbled deep in his throat as he followed the demon into the kitchen and sat, watching him as he went about.
What if his father could be out there trying to still kill him?
He had to get strong and not rely on Itachi anymore. It was making him weak! He couldn't let Itachi deal with his problems, he had to grow up and solve this himself.
But Itachi cooked such delicious meals just for him. He even gave him milk. How could he leave that behind?
A nice full belly, not even his mother had been able to provide that every day.
She had done her best and always asked that they forgive her for it. They loved her so much they could easily agree to forgive her and work together to make the best out of a bad situation. Now that he knew how wonderful having a full belly every day, and a warm bed, he didn't want to let it go.
Yet! Sasuke froze.
In his time with Itachi he had learned that the man was no joke.
If anything, Sasuke was sure that he was stronger, scarier, and had nothing on his father.
He had learned that Itachi was twenty-one, and had come into his inheritance that same year. Something that Sasuke learned meant that Itachi's physical aging had stopped and his power was at a dangerous peak.
Although Itachi was considered incredibly young by society standards, he was dangerous, powerful, as well as feared amongst even older demons than himself. No one messed with Itachi who along with his friends had started their own organization and they conducted some gory deals, assassinations, and crime solving.
They were on a gray scale of the justice system, neither good but also not completely bad.
Their hands weren't clean by any means.
They easily killed with no remorse…why had Itachi saved him then?
His gentle hands were a lie in the face of ending another's life.
Swallowing hard as he recalled Itachi's demonic features pulled over sharp canines, his strong body lean but deceptively muscled. He was a solid driving force…he was so cool.
Fleetingly he thought, It would be nice if Itachi were to call his name, wouldn't it?
To be able to stand at his side and aide him in his work, to be someone that Itachi relied on. To be someone that could confidently stand at his side…
Sasuke shook his head, dropping all his silly thoughts. No, he couldn't tell Itachi his name, not without risking being found out. Letting Itachi know that he was really a shapeshifter and he had been lying to him. Would he react just like his father in that regard and kill him?
Would Itachi hate him?
He didn't want that.
Itachi was by no means a poor man. No he was high born and pureblooded demon.
He was not only born into money, the man had his own money and lived comfortably as he chose. Sasuke had learned from Itachi's friends that the man had refused to work in his parent's company, breaking his father's heart when it was handed instead to his older cousin, Shisui, whom Itachi saw as an older brother.
Of course, it was not like he had been explicitly told.
It was only what Sasuke had gauged out because Itachi's friends liked to tease Itachi on how he was still breaking his old man's heart.
Itachi's friends were interesting in themselves as well. All of them were talented and had their own deadly set of skills. But they were clowns.
They liked to joke in other ways that right now confused Sasuke as he tried to understand what certain things meant. Terms like 'that's what she said,' and 'hitting it from the back,' were terms Sasuke couldn't grasp but knew from Konan's reactions that they were not good things.
Sasuke was sure that they were naughty things, like that sex thing that they liked to compete about. He knew that because the men giggled in a very odd way when they said them and leered with large grins. The same way that they did when talking about sex, whatever the hell that was…Sasuke wanted to know!
Sasuke didn't know anything about sex. It was not something that his mother had ever mentioned. What he did understand was that it was not nice to talk about it. If you did, it was to brag about it to others because you did it better.
Itachi tended to ignore his friends and refused to act like them.
Sasuke was just glad Itachi didn't act like them.
Why couldn't everyone be more like Itachi?
Refined, smart, proper, warm…perfect! Just the simple thought of him had Sasuke purring uncontrollably.
But- snapping himself back into reality, right now mindless things were not what he was trying to comprehend.
What he was trying to understand was, why was Itachi talking that way?
Why was he leaving him behind?
Sasuke wasn't ready. Couldn't he see that he wasn't?
No matter how much he meowed, or rubbed himself against Itachi, it seemed like Itachi didn't understand him! How frustrating! Come on Itachi you are good at these things usually, why couldn't you understand now!
The idea terrified him. He didn't want to. He wanted to stay close to Itachi, where he felt loved and cared for. Where he could make sure that Itachi wasn't being stupid, he needed Sasuke to guide him!
Sasuke inwardly groaned. Damn it, he shouldn't be feeling like this. He needed to be independent, but right now he didn't want that!
He wanted Itachi to understand him.
The next second he took that thought back. No, he needed to remember, if Itachi ever found out that he was lying, that he was actually a creature that shapeshifted and a demon… Itachi would certainly be mad and throw him out…or worse kill him like his father had tried to do.
Sasuke felt so useless and weak.
Itachi wouldn't even miss or hesitate, he was sure.
No…the thought of Itachi, whom cuddled and fed him, ever being that cruel towards him seemed like an idea that he could not comprehend. It just didn't seem possible-but the what if lingered, echoing deep inside of his little head.
Gosh darn it! Too many thoughts at once, Sasuke just didn't want to be left alone!
Sasuke meowed loudly, sinking his claws into Itachi's shoes, trying to keep him from moving. Kisame and Itachi were going over a file that they were going to need for today's boring meeting. The excitement of another company wanting the assassination of someone high in power was a big deal to them, but a bore to Sasuke because he couldn't participate.
He suddenly jumped high, climbing up to Itachi's shoulder and snuggled him.
Sasuke gasped as he was gently placed back on the floor and Itachi moved about the kitchen, reaching for some food inside the fridge.
He meowed, notice me Itachi, and when the man finally did he perked up, getting up on two legs begging to be picked up.
Itachi crouched in front of him, "Mushkitty you have to stay home my sweetheart," Itachi gently said, running his fingers tenderly over his head, behind his ear and over his back. They dug so deliciously into him, melting him like they always did. Itachi's touch was truly magic.
No, please, he meowed, big red eyes watered over as he pleaded.
"Aw man Itachi. I don't think he is ready." Kisame looked like he was feeling sorry for the little thing. Itachi hesitated at Kisame's comment.
Yeah, it was probably too soon, he should take him for today and try tomorrow…pausing in his thoughts, Itachi found that he was going to have to be strong about this. He couldn't keep pushing off everything to tomorrow.
So far he had let his kitty alone a few hours at a time, and he usually slept through it. He was sure that the eight hours he would be away would be easy for him to handle now…
"I know, but if not now, then when?" he wondered. "Kitty, try to stay home today. Make me proud and be a good boy okay, we will try to come back early," Itachi muttered, petting him once more. When the kitten became a mess of purrs melted on the floor that's when they decided to leave.
Both men then rushed to get away from him.
Sasuke cried out the moment he noticed that he had been tricked, running to the door that slammed in his face and started to desperately claw at the door. No, Itachi don't leave me!
As Sasuke dramatically clawed and wailed at the door he finally, teary eyed, shifted to his little four year old self, and started to kick and rip apart anything in his way. It was a bad tantrum from the toddler, but he couldn't help it.
The more he cried, the more his transformation faltered, and his kitty ears mixed with his demon side, his tail appearing to lend him more balance as he toddled around in his means for destruction.
By the time he was finished and had exhausted himself, he ended up buried in a dark corner refusing to move. His kitty form looked so dejectedly torn, betrayed, and he couldn't care what he looked like or that he had practically demolished the living room.
Itachi was looking over the new files he received after the latest meeting, when he was approached by a man he rather have nothing to do with. The man grinned, his yellow eyes lighted with mirth. "So, Itachi, I heard that you have a new pet,"
"Where in the world did you hear that, Orochimaru?" Itachi asked, not even sparing the man a glance.
"I've heard some rumors going about how Uchiha Itachi has a new tiny assistant," Orochimaru gleefully said, "One that rests upon his shoulders, how curious I thought to myself. I just had to see it. Sadly, no little creature seems to be with you…"
"Such silly rumors," Itachi said. "Hard to believe that you would believe them," Itachi walked away.
Orochimaru's smile dropped for a frown as he watched him leave. Itachi, there was always something about him that called his attention. Orochimaru often felt like he drove himself insane with the obsession he felt about needing to know every last thing about the young demon.
His fingers curled into his palms, digging in painfully. Just what was Itachi hiding now, he needed to know!
By all means, he was going to find out what it was. "Just you wait Itachi, everything you have, own, posses, will become mine." The demon chuckled under his breath as his mind plotted.
"Boss, it's time for us to go," One of his associates called. Orochimaru took note that they were the only ones left in the room and nodded.
"Right, let's go!" he said, leading the way. As they walked, Orochimaru started giggling to himself once more, making his associate shrink away from him. His boss was weird.
The more time he spent buried in his corner, the angrier that Sasuke felt.
The angrier he felt, the hungrier he got.
Shifting back to his four year old self, he glanced behind himself to make sure his tail was gone and reached up for his head to check that no cat ears adorned his head. Satisfied that he had made a perfect shift, he looked around the kitchen, noticing that Itachi forgot to leave him water and food.
Must have happened because he was trying so hard to ignore him!
Sasuke's cheeks puffed out in a pout as he felt his anger rear its head back, deep in his small chest, much like a burning fire. Itachi, that stupid demon had a tendency to forget to feed himself, and at times Sasuke because of it. All it took was a reminder, but Sasuke wasn't there now to remind him of it…
Reaching for the fridge, he struggled to pull the heavy doors open and rummaged through all he could find. Opening packages of sausages, wieners, breaking a few eggs, and dropping other containers Sasuke pouted when nothing tasted good and warm like when Itachi got it for him.
In fact, it all tasted wrong!
Slamming the fridge door close he walked back to the front door, his eyes locked with determination on the handle. He'd seen Itachi use it countless times, how hard could it be.
Jumping, he effortlessly reached it and frowned when it wouldn't turn. Thinking back to the times he had seen Itachi do this, his brain clicked onto the issue.
Oh right, the lock.
Unlocking the door, Sasuke finally got the door open.
He jumped down, feeling a slight thrill at the sight of the outside world. Usually he didn't walk out on his own. Itachi would always pick him up and carry him to the car. Sasuke placed a tentative step out, glancing down to see that he had no shoes, or anything else on for that matter…
Come to think of it, other demons wore a form of clothing…
"If I plan to run away I need something warm to cover me for my demon form," Sasuke muttered to himself and ran back into the house. His destination was Itachi's room where he looked in the closet, where Itachi kept his clothing.
Sasuke frowned when he struggled to drag on one of Itachi's shirt, only to find that not only was it too long, it also dragged on the floor, and fell off his shoulders.
Sighing, he figured this was going to be difficult without fitted clothes. As his eyes roamed the boxes on the floor of the closet, Sasuke perked up when he saw one that said old clothes for donation. Sasuke was glad that Itachi had a habit of reading aloud to him. Before he knew it he was reading along, following the words as Itachi slowly whispered them to him.
Shaking his head away from the nice memory, he let his anger come back and fuel his actions.
No! He was mad at Itachi right now because he was mean. Itachi was not nice, he was a big meanie!
Reaching for the box, Sasuke found clothes that were about his size, maybe a tiny bit bigger but the shirt fit, and the shorts, well after he tied a shoe lace over his waist, stayed up. There was nothing else, little to no other clothes were this small. Sasuke had to wonder if they were Itachi's when he was a child, because if they were, it seemed Itachi wasn't that much bigger than him at this age.
Sasuke smiled, slightly amused at the idea that Itachi could have ever been small.
Maybe someday he would be as tall and cool as Itachi too!
Humming to himself now that he had clothes, Sasuke once more remembered what he was planning. Right! He was angry at Itachi for leaving him, and he also found his chance to finally leave this place.
He was running away!
It was his chance to go out there and make it on his own.
Obviously Itachi no longer wanted him.
He silently thanked Itachi for everything that he had done for him as he set the box back the way he had found it, and walked out the front door.
Pausing for a second he looked back, hesitating.
No, Itachi didn't need him to stay. There was no room for him here. He left him all alone with no food. Itachi didn't want him. With that thought, he ran off.
Sasuke breathed the fresh air, looking up at the vast clear blue sky. It was immense and endless to him as he openly looked at the world around him.
The world sure looked big now that he wasn't in the apartment.
It was a bit intimidating.
Nervously tugging at the shirt he was wearing, he tried to find comfort in the fact that it belonged to Itachi and made his way out of the apartment complex building. The only way he knew was the usual path that Itachi always took. Walking towards the elevator doors, he clicked the button that was always pressed.
Down.
When it opened his heart jumped in slight fear, hesitantly he walked inside. He tensed up when the doors shut and the elevator started its decent.
Okay, not too hard and nothing out of the normal.
The elevator opened into the parking lot. Sasuke looked around, walking to where the car was usually parked. Right, they must have taken it when they went to work, but from there they drove towards an exit…Sasuke jumped when a white car zoomed by.
He watched, fascinated as it halted in front of a slowly opening gate.
Realizing that it was the exit, Sasuke quickly rushed after the car, running next to it as it exited. Sasuke noted how the cool floor suddenly started to change temperature under his bare feet. He hissed when it got too hot and he tried to find relief from it. He quickly noted that any shaded place was safe ground against the burning ground.
Sasuke whimpered, why was the floor so hot?
That had to be why shoes were needed. He would have to find a way to get some as well then. But for now…
Trudging for a while through the grass, Sasuke found that it was not only cooler but also had his body flinching when he stepped on rocks, spikes, and odd jagged debris. It was uncomfortable since he wasn't used to it, especially when it cut into his small feet. Ignoring the pain, he continued to walk his path, hoping the answer as to where to go would eventually come.
Could he find his way back home where he lived with his mother and his siblings?
Before Sasuke knew it, he was walking down a busy street, following the shadows along the tall walls. His eyes glanced up at the people walking and had to move out of the way quickly. People didn't notice him and would push past him, nearly stepping on him.
He wanted to snap at them that he was there, why couldn't they see him!
Stopping at a bus stop Sasuke curiously watched as people sat around either with their faces buried to their phones or reading books. He wondered why they were gathered there until a large bus stopped in front of them. It was similar to the one on the sign next to the bench. He watched as they got on once the doors opened and then they closed only for the large thing to drive off.
It was certainly bigger than Itachi's jeep.
Did it just pick people up?
Sasuke moved to sit down on the deep gray bench and waited to see if it would happen again. It gave relief to his small legs that were not used to walking such long distances. Sasuke sighed, he was not only hungry but incredibly thirsty now.
Where did people usually find water?
The more he waited, the more people came to sit beside him or stand around him. Sasuke flinched when a man walked over, swaying and loudly singing. He noticed the other people immediately looked away from him, pretending that he was not there.
Sasuke, of course, openly and curiously stared at him, and the man noticed him as well.
His pointy face and his bad breath were soon in Sasuke's personal space, looking the boy up and down with deep speculation.
"You're cute… kinda, what are you doing here? Is this kid yours!" the man then turned to the woman that was seated on the other end of the bench.
She was the only woman there dressed in a nice dress, with a large purse and long hair tucked to one side. The woman desperately seemed to keep to herself, tucking her hair round her round face even more, to keep from looking at him. Her arms hugged her bag closer to herself the more the man stared her down.
"YO! Fucking bitch, I'm speaking to you!" he snapped at her, "Dirty wench I'm just asking if this boy is yours!" the man continued.
That was when the large bus came by again, coming to a stop. The people rushed to get on, ignoring the screaming man who kept yelling profanities at the innocent woman as she moved around him to get on. When the old man tried to catch her, another person stepped to block him and asked him to move aside.
The old man scoffed, crossing his arms, muttering about careless women and not taking care of children like they should.
Sasuke was frozen in his seat, looking up at the man's scary face as he turned to look at him once more, his blood shot eyes, yellow teeth, and bad smell striking fear in him.
"COME!" the man snapped, snatching his small arm.
Sasuke flinched at the harsh pull, "No! stop! I don't want to go with you!" Sasuke screamed, eyes wide, heart racing as he tried to pull away. The man didn't listen. Sasuke was forced to walk on the hot ground, flinching. The man's hold on him only tightened and Sasuke felt completely terrified, tears prickling his eyes, "ITACHI!" he called.
His mind was racing. All he could think about was the stupid demon.
He kept screaming, trying to get the man to let him go.
No matter how many people they passed, no one seemed to care that this man was pulling the small frightened and screaming child along with him.
Sasuke cried…he wanted Itachi!
Thank you to who is reading and for the reviews. :) Hopefully it doesn't drive anyone crazy how long it will take for Sasuke to reveal who he is to Itachi. This is gonna be slow burn.