Authors' Notes: Thanks for the reviews. We hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 6
Despite Kagami's rather ambitious schedule, his son had stayed up late into the night so the two of them could talk. Shisui had finished his dinner quickly and run out to meet with Eri before she started her night shift, though Itachi had yet to meet the girl himself.
Though he'd been tempted to follow Shisui to ensure that everything was safe, Itachi had refrained, and had instead spent several hours with Kagami, learning more and more about his son's very interesting life.
Though he still felt guilty about the struggles that Naomi had faced in raising Kagami alone and in poverty, he admired the strength of the woman who didn't have it in her to give up. She worked hard to provide a good life for her son and raise him with good values. There was a part of him that missed her, it was true, but he knew now that though he felt affection and love for the woman who had borne him a son, it was not the same as what he felt for his mate. How could it ever be?
Still, one of these days, he planned to go to her grave and pay his respects to the woman who had given him a family he never knew he had. A gift he would always be grateful for. For now, he would take his time and get to know his son and grandson. If that meant listening to hours upon hours worth of stories of Kagami and Shisui's childhoods, then Itachi was more than happy to listen.
Kagami had gone to bed several hours ago, after ensuring that Shisui was home safe after his date, then stayed up a few hours more until nearly three in the morning. Itachi appreciated the attention, and had told Kagami a few stories of his own in return, but was surprised when Kagami invited him to stay the night.
Itachi had accepted the invitation and had settled down in the living room with Nila, their loyal pet, as sleep was not something he felt in dire need of. The night was a vampire's domain, and he always felt more awake during the hours before dawn than in the hours after it.
Scratching behind Nila's ears, Itachi smiles as he flips through an old photo album, one filled to the brim with pictures of Shisui when he was in primary school. It was clear to see that Kagami loved his son more than life itself, and sought to show that by capturing every little memory. Every achievement Shisui had ever made in sports, academics, even the first time the boy caught himself a fish on one of their fishing trips, as well as a poem Shisui had written that won a local contest when he was ten. No matter how poor they might have been when Shisui was a child, Kagami made sure that the boy experienced everything life could offer.
That grew even more true in the second album, which marked the start of their lives in Australia, after Kagami had made enough money working for the Yakuza that he could afford to relocate himself and Shisui. The photos grew far more varied, including everything from skydiving to ski trips to surfing competitions that Shisui had won as a teenager. It warmed Itachi's heart to see their lives so visibly take a turn for the better.
Itachi flips the pages of the photo album until he comes upon Shisui's high school graduation photos. He knew that Shisui was popular as a fighter and as a streamer, but it hadn't occurred to him that Shisui's popularity extended to high school. In every photo, he was surrounded by people. Classmates, teachers, friends.
However, it's the last few pages of the album that now rule his attention. Itachi flips slowly through the pages, examining them closely as he looks through pictures of Shisui, and sometimes him and Kagami, posing with a girl with swirling hazel eyes and rich auburn hair.
Curious, Itachi looks through the photos and finds several on the back page that answer every question he could ask about this girl. And a warm happiness blooms in his heart.
The back page is an artful collage of pictures of the two of them, with stickers and writing squeezed between photos of Shisui holding the girl in his lap, laying with her in the grass, and gazing lovingly at her as if she were his whole world.
And in the center, a sparkling heart encircles a photo of the two of them holding hands and gazing into one another's eyes, magic swirling all around them as their eyes gleam gold with the power of their magic. And penned by Shisui's hand in silver ink are three words.
To love eternally.
"Shisui should praise all his ancestors that I was the one who discovered this and not Sasuke. Isn't that right, Girl?" Itachi smiles as he admires the smitten artwork his grandson had created in honour of his love while stroking soft, golden fur. "He'd never let him live this down. A sparkling heart. Though to be fair. Sasuke would be sappy enough to write 'to love eternally' as well. I think it'd be the heart that would earn Shisui an eternity of teasing."
Nila huffs and presses her nose to Itachi's hand, licking the skin there affectionately. Her paws splay out over his thigh as her tail whacks the armrest of the well-worn leather couch.
"I think you'll get along just fine with the dragons." Itachi smiles. Well, if she could get beyond their formidable appearance anyway. Then again, she apparently wasn't scared of vampires. So, there was hope.
With another huff, Nila buries her head under Itachi's arm, her soft snuffles soon turning to snores. Warmth oozes from her furry form, just like the innocent love lavished on their immortal guest.
Under the gentle snores, however, there's the faintest sound of footsteps, then of a door opening, closing, and locking towards the back of the house.
"Sorry, Nila. It seems I have some investigating to do." Itachi chuckles as he ever so gently untangles himself from the pile of loving fluff in favour of slipping off. Just where was Shisui going at this hour?
He follows his grandson's almost invisible trail out back, where he catches sight of Shisui circling around the house in dark clothes before vanishing from sight.
"You've got to be kidding me." However did Kagami manage to corral a teenager who could simply disappear not so very long ago?
Itachi shakes his head. The essence of his magic was faint. Expertly disguised but he manages to tack the trail of Shisui's lingering scent.
He follows the disappearing traces of Shisui's scent as the young fighter jogs down the street, invisible to anyone outside a thirty meter radius. As Itachi tries to keep his distance, Shisui routinely vanishes and reappears, as if cloaked in a spell to conceal his presence.
From this distance, Itachi makes out the headphones on Shisui's head, nestled in his curly black hair, as well as the form-fitting workout clothes and tightly laced runners on his feet. His pace is strong and steady, without a single falter in his step.
"He's being this sneaky for a morning jog?" Itachi arches an eyebrow. It seemed excessive, but then he recalls that Shisui had been attacked before. Well, he supposed there was nothing wrong a little caution. Strange that he would be so subtle in this area of his life and so obvious in his love life that the sweetness was threatening to give even Itachi cavities.
After a half minute more, Shisui glances back over his shoulder, his eyes glowing in the darkness of the early morning as his gaze falls upon Itachi. A smug little smirk curls his lips, then he focuses back on the path ahead and picks up the pace, easily tripling his speed in a matter of seconds.
Itachi rolls his eyes. He wasn't so obtuse as not to notice when he'd been caught or challenged. The vampire glances around to ensure they were alone before bolting after his grandson. Vampire speed was a marvelous gift. "You're fast for a human, even one with magic."
"Actually, I'm not using any magic to increase my speed." Shisui laughs, but keeps his voice low so as not to attract attention as he slows his pace back down to a fast jog. "I've always been naturally fast, even when I was a kid. Got me into all sorts of trouble."
"Perhaps you should have tried your luck at the Olympics." Itachi smiles as he keeps pace without missing a beat. "I imagine Sasuke will be impressed. He's always trying to encourage me to engage in more physical training beyond the bedroom." Though his stamina had benefited greatly from the more carnal forms of training.
Shisui's laughter grows louder, warmth and joy suffusing the sound. "Is that so? I can definitely recommend it. Regular physical training does wonders for clearing all of the gunk out of your brain." Shisui smiles cheekily. "Not to mention it has its own range of bedroom benefits."
"Oh, believe me, I know. It's impossible to be a child of Kakashi or the mate to Sasuke without undergoing harsh physical training that would make even the most dedicated of athletes break down sobbing." It had taken quite some time to get used to it. Itachi did enjoy exercise. Truly. But he wasn't about to become a Spartan anytime soon. "I've just always been more of a scholar at heart. Sasuke and I are two halves of a whole and balance one another out."
He turns his gaze over towards Shisui. It was strange that his grandson looked physically older than his lover. And for that matter so did his child. Sasuke was probably used to such things by now but he did hope neither of them would tease the elder Uchiha about it. That could get ugly.
He'd probably have to warn Sasuke of the possibility. Speaking of which..."I hope you don't mind. Your father did show me quite a few pictures. Your girlfriend seems lovely and I won't be offended if you don't want to bring her into this. I know she's a witch and that means explaining things is far easier, but not all witches have a high opinion of vampires..."
Shisui's gaze softens, a wisdom unusual for his age glimmering in the depths of his onyx eyes. "I know, but in the end, it's better to explain it to her so that we can work through it together, rather than keep her in the dark and have her resent me for keeping secrets later. She and I…we don't keep secrets from each other. We don't lie, even by omission. I know everything about her, just like she knows everything about me."
"You know I'm rather jealous. I was about three times your age before I found that sort of love." Itachi laughs, ruffling Shisui's hair. Bless this boy. "Perhaps Sasuke and I are just late bloomers compared to you."
"Maybe." Shisui grins and ducks out from under Itachi's hand, running his fingers through his curls to try in vain to tame them. "Dad says I've got an old soul, that I'm wiser than I should be. I think he's full of shite and that I just know how to use my brain properly."
"Sounds like you inherited his wisdom. Though your eloquence is a bit hit or miss." Itachi's lips curve into a teasing smile as he pokes Shisui's forehead instead. That would teach him to resist his hair mussing.
"Hey!" Shisui's smile lights up his eyes as he rubs his forehead. "My viewers think I'm perfectly eloquent. Maybe you should sit in on one of my streams and really watch me talk up a storm."
"I've watched one of your streams before. That's why I said it was hit or miss. You must save your hits for them. Smart of you really to play to your audience." Itachi smiles and kisses the top of Shisui's head. The boy was precious. "We did our research before approaching you."
Shisui's eyes widen and he blinks bemusedly. "You…watched one of my streams?" He stares at Itachi for a few beats of his heart. "You…you actually watched me play?"
"Of course. Two friends of mine spotted you during one of your fights." Itachi pats Shisui's shoulder, the amusement never leaving from his eyes. His grandson's reaction was priceless. "Naturally, the family resemblance was remarkable and we all took the internet to see what we could find."
"You needn't look so surprised, though." Itachi chuckles. He was trying not to laugh. That would be cruel, but Shisui made it difficult when he was being so adorable. "I'll admit that I'm elderly by human standards but by vampire standards we're approximately the same age. While video games aren't my primary form of entertainment, I do enjoy them from time to time. I've even coaxed Sasuke into trying one or two. He quite enjoys combat but all the customization options and gamer slang elude him a bit."
Not that Itachi could blame him. It was akin to mastering another language and on some games there were thousands of possibilities. Still, if you could put him in front of enemies...Sasuke was just as lethal a force in a game as he was on an actual battlefield.
"Sasuke Uchiha plays video games?" Shisui raises an eyebrow quizzically. "I was under the impression that older vampires disdain modern technology, that they have no patience for it and prefer to do their research and entertain themselves the old-fashioned way."
"Most do and in general he falls into that pattern. Sasuke isn't opposed to modern technology when it benefits him, though. And," Itachi smirks feeling rather pleased with himself, "there are very few matters that Sasuke won't indulge me in."
"Hn." Shisui snorts with amusement. "I see. I think I'll have to reevaluate my opinions on the Oni of Edo when I finally get the chance to meet him. I-" Shisui freezes in his tracks, his eyes gleaming gold with magic as a flicker of malice registers in his extended wards.
"Perhaps." Itachi chuckles only to frown at Shisui's abrupt change in demeanor. "Shisui, what's wrong?" The hairs on the back of Itachi's neck tense up as he subtly surveys his surroundings.
Shisui's golden eyes scan the street, before narrowing in an instant. "Get behind me." He shakes his right wrist, bracelets jangling and sparking against his skin. He flicks his left hand, producing a long, curving silver dagger.
"Shouldn't I be saying that to you?" Itachi arches an eyebrow, but indulges Shisui's request. His body language and tone were enough to convey the potential seriousness of their situation.
"Not unless you feel like dying today." Shisui bites his lip irritably as a pair of dark blurs dart into the shadows out of the corner of his eye. "Vampires…they must have tracked me down again." He closes his eyes and drags the knife across his palm, letting the scent of blood fill the air. He breathes deeply, mumbling incomprehensible words under his breath as he spreads the blood over his fingers.
"You're using blood magic?" It was an ancient practice and not one that Itachi was well-versed in but it was a risky fucking strategy to employ against vampires.
"I don't have all of my tools on me. Sometimes I need to improvise." Shisui's eyes open, glowing with golden light as he drags his fingers over his left arm, painting his skin with strange markings.
"You don't need to go to such lengths." Itachi snarls, his fangs lengthening past his bottom lip as his fingernails sharpen. His eyes flash crimson, like the blood coating Shisui's arm.
The vampires streak from the shadows, crazed looks in their eyes. Then, bright light floods from Shisui's body as the bloody runes on his arm shine like the sun. "Sowilo!"
Light erupts in a cone that envelops the street, spreading outwards like a blindingly bright volcanic ash cloud. The leaping pair make it within twenty feet before turning to run, only to crumble to dust as sunlit flames consume them from back to front.
Itachi blinks, and slowly his fangs and claws recede. "...Bit dramatic don't you think?" He stares at the brilliant display of death and destruction as the vampires turn to ash, before turning his attention back to Shisui. "Are you alright? You know I could have handled them."
"I'm sure that you could have. But I wasn't just showing off for kicks." Shisui exhales slowly, his eyes fading from gold back to black. He straightens and closes his fist around the bleeding wound in the middle of his hand. He glances at Itachi, a hard, determined look in his eyes. "They've been harassing me for almost a decade now. It's true that I couldn't handle them at first, I have the scar to prove it."
Shisui turns to face him, his features resolute, and his face looking so much older than his twenty-three years. "But, I needed to prove to you that I CAN handle them now. I know what young vampires feel like, and those two were no match for me. Had they been older, then yes, I would have deferred to you. I know you see me as a child, but I'm not. So, understand that when push comes to shove, I won't sit here helplessly. I know very well which battles are safe for me to fight, and which aren't."
Itachi sighs as he wraps his arms around the stubborn boy. What was he going to do with him? "Just because you can handle something doesn't mean you HAVE to. I've missed so much with you. The least I can do is to save you the trouble of dealing with the dregs of my kind."
Though, Itachi knew this wouldn't wouldn't get them anywhere. Shisui had the same determined look in his eyes that Sasuke got from time to time. His grandson was a warrior to the bone. "Come on. Let's go home. We can look into this matter further later, but there is always a chance any 'friends' they might have could show up if we linger for too long."
"Yeah…" Shisui looks down the street uncertainly. "But if they're here, then…" He gasps, clutching at his chest as he doubles over, his face pale with pain. "No!"
"Shisui! What's wrong?" Itachi scans his grandson's body in alarm, looking for the source of his pain. The vampires were gone. He hadn't seen any other spells fired off in the area. Was it possible that his blood magic was a double-edged sword?
Shisui's eyes gleam with pain, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he bites down on his lower lip. His fingers twitch, then clamp down hard on Itachi's shoulder as magic flares through Shisui's eyes.
All at once, Itachi's vision darkens, and he sees before him the street they stood on, only he was alone, and time appeared to stand still. Then, time accelerates, and his body moves without direction down the street, past three intersections, and off to the northwest, where he streaks around the edge of the downtown core and into a rather seedy-looking area. At the end of the path, he sees a flash of auburn, before the vision fades and he returns to the present with Shisui in his arms.
Understanding dawns on Itachi, and he hauls Shisui to his feet. "Is Eri in trouble?" And why did it seem that Shisui felt it the moment she was in pain?
"Get me to Eri!" Shisui pants and holds a fist to his chest as the blood drips down his chin. "Please…"