Kakashi was quiet as he led Sasuke up to his apartment. Sasuke, not being one to talk a lot normally didn't press the issue. He was worried but he thought it might have something to do with the mission that had just gone awry. Kakashi opened the door and held it as Sasuke passed by him and into the small bedroom. He immediately went to the bed and sat down on it, looking up at Kakashi as the older man went to his dresser and started to remove his vest. Sasuke shifted a little as he stared at the broad back of his lover, who had yet to utter a word since leaving Sasuke's house with the captives.

Finally Sasuke couldn't take it any longer. "What's wrong Kakashi?" he asked quietly. The question was only matched with more silence however as Kakashi continued to remove article after article of weaponry and clothing until he was down to just a basic shirt and pants as well as the forehead protector and mask. Sasuke bit his lower lip nervously. He knew something was wrong simply from the fact that his face was still covered. Those two things were always the first to come off whenever Kakashi was alone with Sasuke. Maybe he had gotten hurt worse then he had said in the fight. Sasuke could see the wounds from many kunai on his back.

Just as Sasuke was about to ask again, Kakashi turned to face him. The look on his face made Sasuke hold his breath in dreaded anticipation. Something wasn't right and it was written all over the handsome face of the older ninja.

Kakashi walked past Sasuke to the window and looked down at the street below him, finally speaking, "Sasuke…I've been thinking about a lot since earlier today…" Kakashi went silent again and looked over his shoulder at the boy that sat so innocently on the bed, looking at him with worry etched across his young features. Kakashi hesitated, not quite sure he was fully able to do what he was about to. He turned his face away to look out the window again. "I don't think we should be together like this anymore…" the words were barely above a whisper but Sasuke heard them clearly.

Sasuke leapt up from the bed and went to Kakashi's side, disbelief and horror at the words that were just uttered spreading through him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Kakashi refused to look at Sasuke as he kept his gaze downward, "I just don't think we should do this. We've had our fun, now its over. These things happen you know?" Kakashi felt like a bastard just for saying these things. He was lying through his teeth and he just prayed Sasuke couldn't tell. He just couldn't bare the thought of those ninjas coming after the boy again.

Sasuke's body trembled as he reached out and latched onto Kakashi's arm, "Don't say that…that's not like you…don't joke like this…I don't like it…"

Kakashi turned and walked over to his mirror, staring into the cold eyes. He looked so calm but inside his entire body was curling up into one big ball of disgust at his actions. He cast a look back at Sasuke briefly and it was enough to shatter the last remaining pieces of his heart as he saw the look on the boy's face. He closed his eyes and lowered his head, trying to summon up as much strength as he could to finish the task he had put before himself. "It's not a joke. I don't like you anymore so just get out of here."

"Lies! All lies!" Sasuke came up behind him and grabbed the back of Kakashi's shirt, pulling on it a little, trying to make him turn around, "its not true…"

"I'm sorry Sasuke…" that was all Kakashi could get out. His throat was starting to close up, he held back the tears that threatened to fall. He hadn't felt this emotionally terrible since what happened with Obito…

"I don't believe it…I refuse to! Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love me! Only then might I accept it as the truth," Sasuke stared stubbornly up at Kakashi, tears pouring from his eyes. Tears he had held back as long as he could.

Kakashi kept his eyes turned away for several seconds, then finally brought his one eye to meet the black orbs of his former lover. "I don't love you…"

Sasuke felt his heart shatter at that moment. "I…don't understand. I don't believe you!" Sasuke turned and fled from the scene. He just couldn't stay and listen to what he believed to be lies anymore. He didn't want to head home, but he didn't know where he was going, he just had to run.

Kakashi flinched as the door slammed shut behind the fleeing figure. He sat down heavily on the edge of his bed, placing his face in his hands, still forcing the tears to stay away. It hurt like hell to do what he had just done, but it was the only way he could think of to keep Sasuke safe.

"I'm so sorry…Sasuke…I just can't love you anymore…" Kakashi whispered to himself as he laid down on the bed and curled up into a little ball.

--

Sasuke ran as hard and as fast as he could until his lungs threatened to erupt from lack of adequate oxygen. He had practically done laps around Konoha just in an attempt to exhaust the anger and hurt that was cursing through him. When he finally came to a stop he looked around and found that he had come to a little lake that was towards the outskirts of town. He didn't come here very often but he did remember one time when him and Kakashi had come at sunset to watch the sun reflecting on the water as it went behind the trees. Fresh tears came to his eyes as he thought back to that time and the other times he had spent with Kakashi.

Walking up to the water's edge he kneeled and placed a hand into the cool water, looking down into his reflection. He looked terrible, his eyes red and swollen from crying. He sat down and brought his knees up to his chest, hugging them close. He felt young and stupid for ever thinking that Kakashi might want more from him then just a piece of ass to toy with until he got tired of him.

The memory of that evening at the lake came back to him as he sat there, staring into the darkness of the water.

Kakashi had his arms wrapped around Sasuke as they both sat near the bank of the lake. Sasuke was sitting between his legs and leaning back against kakashi's stomach as they both stared out over the water. The sun was casting an orange glow onto the water as it slowly set behind the trees and the distant wall that surrounded Konoha. Trees and bushes shielded the two lovers from view from the path that had led them down to his part of the lake. Kakashi nuzzled Sasukes neck tenderly and his breath was warm against the bare flesh.

"What if someone comes here?" Sasuke had whispered a little nervously. So far they had been successful in their attempts to be discrete and hide their relationship. This was the first time they had even attempting to be close like this outside of one of their homes. It was almost too much of a chance but Kakashi merely shrugged and hugged Sasuke a little tighter.

"Then I guess we'll have some explaining to do. I wouldn't worry though…no one ever really comes out here. We'll just have to be quiet in all that we do…" Kakashi voice suddenly got a little rougher and he bit the side of Sasuke's neck playfully, pressing his body against Sasuke's even more.

Sasuke trembled a little as his body started to react to Kakashi's teasing. "Kakashi…" Sasuke whimpered a little, "Not here…"

Kakashi smirked and his hands started to travel down Sasuke's stomach slowly, "Not here? Why not? What's wrong with it?" His right hand reached Sasuke's waistline and he slid it down into the white shorts of lover. His breath tickled Sasuke's ear as he whispered into it, "Actually…it looks like you aren't against it as much as you say you are…"

Sasuke blushed a bright shade of red and his gasped a little as Kakashi's hand started to explore. "Its too public…someone will see…"

"Don't be silly…" Kakashi brought his mouth once again to Sasuke's neck and he started to suckle on the soft flesh.

Just as Sasuke was starting to forget all his arguments he thought he heard a rustle in the bushes a few feet away and as his eyes started to shut a glimpse of something red and black seemed to flutter past. But at this point Sasuke didn't care.

--

As Sasuke sat at that same lake, the tears wouldn't stop running down his face and falling onto his knees as he sat curled up, looking out at the water. In such a short time he had lost the only one who cared about him. Perhaps he really wasn't meant to ever love anyone or anything. It was his destiny to always be filled with nothing but feelings of revenge and hatred. The lake reflected the moonlight, enlarging the moon before Sasuke. He stared at it, the tears leaving wet trails down his cheeks. His entire body hurt from running, but his heart ached more then all of those pains combined.

"Ninjas don't show such things as tears," a deep familiar voice said from behind him.

Sasuke turned towards the familiar voice, hatred for this person now mixing itself with the sadness that was radiating from his eyes. "leave me alone Itachi."

"What has now brought tears to the eyes of my foolish little brother? I thought I was the only one allowed to do such a thing," Itachi approached softly, stopping only when he stood just behind Sasuke, his knees almost touching the boys back.

Sasuke looked back at the water, wrapping his arms around his legs tightly again, "what do you care…you love seeing me in pain don't you?"

"Only if I am the cause of it," Itachi put his hand on his brother's head, "Care to tell me what happened?"

This rare sign of affection comeing from Itachi only caused Sasuke to tear up once again. He spun around where he sat and latched onto Itachi's cloak, buring his face into it, unable to bear the pain any longer. He needed someone to tell, someone to cry on, even if that one person was the one he hated more then any other one in this world. For the first time since he could remember Sasuke needed his brother. "Kakashi…he said he no longer wanted me…" His voice was a whisper but Itachi heard it perfectly.

Itachi knelt to the ground and Sasuke released his death grip on the black coat. Itachi then sat down completely and reached out, bringing Sasuke into his lap, wrapping his arms around the small frame of his younger brother. Itachi drew him close, cradling him as if he were only eight years old again. "You care enough about him to cry?"

"I loved him…" whimpered Sasuke. New emotions were now raging through him as his brother showed more compassion to him then he remembers seeing in all the years they had lived together. It was confusing for him and yet, it felt strangely right. Sasuke buried his face into his brother's shoulder, trying to hide the tears that refused to stop falling. He hated himself for appearing so weak before Itachi, but he couldn't help it. He felt broken inside and this sudden compassion was what Sasuke felt he needed most right now.

Itachi scoffed a little, "Love is a false emotion. One you wasted upon Kakashi."

Sasuke shook his head against his brother's shoulder. "I don't believe that…I thought…I was sure he loved me too…I just don't understand what I did wrong…" He hands gripped the black coat tightly as he laid his ear against his brother's chest, listening to the heart that was beating deep inside of him.

"It is probably not what you did, but rather that Kakashi showed you how fickle emotions can be." Itachi's emotionless eyes gazed out over the water.

"He was the one person who showed me any kind of love since…since you stole everyone away from me…"

"Hmph…I thought that might show you how useless it is to grow attached to anyone. They'll only leave you alone again."

Sasuke's body shuddered at the thought of being alone forever. He desperately needed someone in his life. He had longed for any form of loving attention since the death of his parents, and Kakashi had delivered more then he could ever have imagined. "Am I destined to be alone forever? Is this the future you have given me?"

"Perhaps it is the name of Uchiha that curses us to bare more pain then any other…"

"That pain which you caused…Why are you doing this now Itachi? Why can't you just leave me alone too…if that is my destiny…" Sasuke lifted his head up and looked up into the pretty eyes of his brother.

Itachi brought his right hand up and poked Sasuke in the forehead with his index and middle fingers. They landed square in the middle of the leaf on his forehead protector. "Foolish little brother…Perhaps I have chosen a new destiny for you…" Itachi dropped his hand back to its place around Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he brought his hand up to his forehead and touched where Itachi had poked. He hadn't done that in years and it brought up memories and feelings that he had bottled up inside of him since the massacre that had happened so many years ago. "Brother…"

Itachi stood up, lifting Sasuke with him, carrying him easily as if he was that small boy of eight that used to ride on Itachi's shoulders. "Let's go home…" Sasuke merely nodded as Itachi headed towards his home on the edge of town, not Sasuke's. This would be a direct violation of the restrictions that were placed on Itachi, but Sasuke wasn't going to say anything if Itachi didn't. This might be the only real chance Sasuke would get to see exactly what his brother was planning.

Sasuke closed his eyes and relaxed a little in the arms of his brother as they slowly made their way to the home that Itachi had been given by the elders.

--

(I may be added the scene at the lake on a website if anyone wants it. I'm not going to put it here since I don't want to remove my story for content. Thanks for reading!)