Chapter 24: Etched in Truths

Sasuke stretched his arms, back aching as he twisted away from the pain with a frown. He was lying on something hard. The floor? Why was he on the floor? Frowning into the pillow, Sasuke pushed himself up onto his knees as he looked around the room. Itachi had obviously moved him down to the floor, the bed having been stripped and probably already being washed. It irritated him mildly that he would bother to change the sheets for Shisui.

Glancing down, Sasuke noticed that Itachi had gotten him dressed, wondering just how deep of sleep he must have been in. But then it wouldn't have been normal sleep, would it have? Itachi had done something to him last night. He stared down at the bandages on his arm, tracing over his wrist where he remembered seeing the jutsu banded around it. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that Itachi wouldn't have deceived him the way he had while putting it on his skin if it were innocent.

A blush rose to his face as he remembered their night in the stars. Itachi had proposed to him. He had kissed his love into his lips and told him he wanted him forever. Sasuke blinked the dream from his eyes, feeling mystified by his brother's powers as he so often did—mystified by the way he always seemed to surprise him.

Heading to the bathroom to relieve himself and freshen up, Sasuke let his nose be his guide as he followed the scent of sizzled bacon coming from the kitchen. A smile slowly rose to his face, fondness swirling in his belly at the stacks of bacon and eggs waiting on the counter. Itachi was sipping coffee at the dining room table, looking over a set of scrolls with concentration, and Sasuke ached with everything in him for this to be their life.

Feeling beyond lovesick after the night before, Sasuke was emboldened to wrap his arms around Itachi's chest, leaning in to press a kiss of adoration on his cheek. "Morning. Did you already eat, or should I serve us both some?"

Itachi didn't turn to him, continuing to stare at the parchment as he scrolled across it. "I'm not hungry. Get yourself some."

Sasuke didn't pull away, content to rest his chin on Itachi's shoulder as he snuck a peak at whatever he was working on. It looked like a battle formation. "Suit yourself." His finger snuck out, turning Itachi's chin towards him as he smiled at him before leaning in to properly kiss him good morning.

The kiss was chaste, nothing more than a brush of lips before Itachi pulled back. "Go get breakfast, Sas. I have to work on this."

He simply shrugged, used to Itachi's moods when he would be working on prep for a mission. Sasuke piled the bacon and eggs high, not wanting it to go to waste if Itachi wasn't eating. He grabbed for the coffee, pouring it as he brought his plate and cup to the table to dig in. He couldn't stop himself from glancing over every now and then to try to discern just what kind of mission had captivated his brother's focus when he selfishly wanted it all on him.

"Is that for work?" He finally asked after finishing his meal and shifting back and forth as he felt needy in a way he hadn't since the very first time they had slept together, and he saw Itachi in the kitchen.

"No," Itachi answered briefly, reaching for his coffee. "Can you get me a refill?"

Sasuke practically bounded from the seat to be useful, stumbling forward to grab for the cup as Itachi didn't so much as look his way as he grabbed the pot to fill the piping hot liquid to the brim. He set it carefully in front of Itachi, grabbing for his own dishes as he carried them over to the sink to clean up. He discarded the remaining breakfast, not wanting the food to seem suspicious to Shisui when their dinner from the night before was already in the fridge.

The moment he saw Itachi roll up the scroll he was working on, Sasuke let himself strike, sliding to the side of the chair and allowing himself to crawl up onto his lap before Itachi could tell him no. He smiled to block the irritated look Itachi shot his way, wrapping his arms around his niisan's neck, while allowing their hips to fully slot together. "Why are you so grumpy?"

"Grumpy?" Itachi questioned, eyebrow arched as he leaned back in his chair, hands coming to rest on either side of Sasuke's hips. "I'm just busy. You should get ready to go. I don't know when Shisui will be back."

A frown darkened his face before he could help himself, fingers clutching into Itachi's hair as he glared at him. "Why are you acting so distant? You proposed to me last night, and now you're shuffling me out the door. What's wrong?"

Sasuke felt his entire body go rigid when the bastard underneath him had the fucking audacity to roll his eyes when he mentioned the proposal. …Because it wasn't a proposal, was it? Not really. It was a fairytale that Itachi had fed directly in his mind so that he could do something to him. "What's on my arm?" He released his hold around Itachi's neck, extending his bandaged arm in accusal as he glared down at his brother. "What did you make me complicit in?"

Itachi's dark eyes flickered over to the bandage, and Sasuke felt his blood run cold when he saw for just a moment a look of disgust cross his features. "I just need to focus on this. I don't have time to deal with a tantrum."

"A tantrum?" Sasuke bit out, ripping at the bandages to try to get to the marking underneath. The jutsu band underneath finally saw light, and Sasuke once more saw the flicker of revulsion in his brother's eyes. Cold dread fell into his stomach like a block of ice, his body still and poised to run at a moment's notice as he curled his wrist in front of his face. "What is it?"

"A binding," Itachi said simply. "I told you—I have one too."

"A binding jutsu. What does it do?" Sasuke's eyes were guarded, stiff as a board atop the other as he fought the sick feeling in his gut. "Because it's not a fucking proposal, is it?"

Itachi's hands smoothed their way along Sasuke's thighs, trailing back up to grab him around the waist, thumbs circling the dip of his hip bones as he watched him. "I'll get you a ring if you want it. But I can't right now. I lost my head yesterday, but now we don't ever have to worry about anything like that happening again."

Sasuke was speechless, nostrils flaring as his muscles tightened in fear at just what that could mean. Of just what he allowed to be put on his wrist. "You're right." He tried to keep his voice steady while internally all he wanted to do was rip those repressive hands off from his body. "I should go. We don't want Shisui to catch me here."

He went to slip out of the chair, actually shuddering when he felt those arms around him tighten. "Sas, I'll explain later. It's not important right now." The fuck it wasn't. "We have 48 hours before we have to leave."

"Before we leave?" Sasuke repeated, mind filling with haze as he felt numbness begin to creep up from the exact point Itachi was holding. "You mean?" He swallowed hard, eyes going blank as he remembered just why they were here, and it wasn't so that a boy could ask him out on a date…and it wasn't so that he could wedge himself in-between Itachi and Shisui. It was…

"Hey!" Itachi snapped, actually shaking him as Sasuke was jarred out of his thoughts. "I don't have time for that today. You need to keep it together, and then we'll be gone. Go have a last day with your friends, and spend tomorrow morning with our parents. See anyone you think matters."

"Yes, Aniki," he said mechanically, feeling his stomach lurch as it turned in on itself. "Let go. I have to hurl." He ripped at Itachi's arms, relieved that they relented as he sprinted back towards the bathroom as the bacon and eggs toppled back up out of his throat and into the porcelain bowl.

Itachi was waiting for him after he cleaned up, swishing some water and wiping at his mouth as he observed the subtle blocking of the doorway. "Let me leave." He couldn't stand to be in this apartment one more second. He couldn't stand to be in a dead man's home any further. "I'll go and do as you said."

His brother was scowling now, eyes raking up and down his form in distaste. "You knew the time was coming. Obito contacted me this morning. Everything is set." Itachi's eyes were tracking his every movement like a cornered wolf, and he couldn't bring himself to reassure him about anything.

"This morning while I was fawning over you, you were planning the death of our parents? Weren't you?" He didn't hide the accusation from his tone. "And countless women…and children…and people not even involved in the coup. How could they be?"

"I don't care what your opinion on the matter is. Just stay out of the Uchiha district tomorrow night until I come get you." Itachi stated with thinly veiled patience. "If you were as righteous as you're currently acting, you would have told Otoson and Okasan by now. You would have told Kakashi. You would have begged the Hokage for a stay of execution, but you didn't do any of those things. Instead, you let me put my cock in you twice last night."

"Fuck you," Sasuke bit out, wanting to vomit again as the callow voice washed over him.

"As I said. We already established that turn of events." Sasuke wished he could slap him. "This isn't the moment when I beg your forgiveness, Otouto. I don't need it anymore. You can't leave me even if you want to. So get your head on straight, and then go see to your affairs."

Sasuke reached over, fingers swirling around the band on his wrist as he realized just what he had agreed to. "A Dominion Jutsu?" his voice was far away, not even reaching his own ears. "You put a Dominion Jutsu on me?" He blinked, not able to form a rational thought as it was all too much. "You enslaved me to you? You did that to me?"

"Cover it up while we're still in the village," Itachi managed, no emotion in his tone as he seemed more or less annoyed with the entire ordeal.

"Why?" Sasuke asked hollowly. "Afraid people might have questions as to who my owner is?" He inhaled deep. "You're psychotic."

"It was necessary."

"You're delusional," Sasuke countered.

"If you can't control yourself, I'm going to have to lock you up until it's time to go." Sasuke teared up, unable to help himself as his nails dug into the marking. He wished he could rip it from his skin as the realization of the forbidden jutsu that had been placed upon his flesh and called love.

Sasuke wiped furiously at his eyes, beyond annoyed that Itachi had managed to make him cry yet again. That Itachi had managed to trick him in such a way. "Please get out of my way." The urgent plea in his tone just succeeded to piss him off even more as he felt beyond panicked, eyes flickering from his wrist to Itachi's own. "I won't tell anyone. Just please move."

"You won't tell anyone what exactly?" Itachi asked, voice low and dangerous as the sharingan came to his eyes. "It's not dirty like you're making it sound. I have one too. It's just to bind us. To make it so that we can't leave each other." He rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. "You're making me sound like a crazy person. That isn't it, and I do not have the capacity to deal with you and what I have to do."

"You don't have to deal with me," Sasuke assured him. "Just get out of my way and let me leave." His bowels tightened in fear at the cold calculating look Itachi gave him, feeling the temperature drop as that head tilted in question.

"Don't villainize me in your head, Otouto. This is all for us." Sasuke stood stark still, unwilling to give Itachi another reason to keep him trapped in here. "Tell me you still love me, and I'll move."

He fucking hated his guts.

That jutsu now sealed into their wrists was forbidden centuries ago when the world progressed and stopped keeping slaves, and Itachi had put on his wrist out of some stupid notion he was going to leave him. As if that were even possible.

"I love you," he said dutifully, knowing that even if the sight of him right now made his skin crawl, he was still his soulmate. "Now please move and let me get some air." He refused to make his voice a beg, knowing that Itachi was fully cognizant of the emotional turmoil he was putting him through right now. "I just need a break, Tach. I just need to go think about this."

Itachi sighed, stepping out of the way of the door. "I'm not your captor," he said, even as his branding was etched into Sasuke's skin.

The entire thing made him want to vomit again as he moved carefully through the doorway, holding his breath as he slipped past Itachi and headed stiffly to the door. He could feel Itachi's eyes drilling into his back, but he didn't dare look behind him as he could only focus on getting to the door and out of this apartment.

Blood was pounding in his ears as he reached for the door, fingers extending to open it as the handle turned on its own. He nearly jumped out of his skin, bouncing back as the door opened to reveal Shisui on the other side. Sasuke immediately bent his arm back behind him, grabbing his opposite elbow to hide the mark as he forced a polite smile onto his face upon seeing their cousin.

"Shisui," he greeted, feeling Itachi come up behind him as that pit of dread tightened in his stomach. "It's good to see you. I was just heading out." He tried to slip around him, practically snarling in frustration when their cousin grabbed at his hip.

"Sasuke?" Shisui questioned. "What are you doing here?" He looked between the two in suspicion, his face settling in worry upon Sasuke's face. "Are you alright? You're as white as a sheet."

"Just need some air," Sasuke stated, feeling faint as he didn't dare paw Shisui's hands off him and reveal his wrist. "Can I get by?"

"No," Shisui replied, hand tightening on his hip as Sasuke wanted to scream in frustration. "What happened?"

"Take your hands off of him," Itachi stated, a cold warning in his tone. "He doesn't feel well, and was just going home."

"That's fine," Shisui lifted his hand off Sasuke's hip. "Can I walk you back?"

"I'm staying with Naruto," Sasuke denied him, frowning at the anger he could feel emanating from Itachi.

"Even better," Shisui assured him. "I have to pick up a few ingredients for dinner tonight anyways. Just wait for a second while I put my bag away." Not really knowing another choice, Sasuke made his chin move in agreement, doing everything he could not to scream.

"I look forward to it," he said politely, forgetting the pretense of hating Shisui. How could he hate him now? He just felt sorry for him—he felt envious that for him it was nearly over, and Sasuke had a lifetime of suffering ahead of him. He pressed against the doorframe as Shisui smiled at him and ruffled his spikes, slipping past him to head to their room.

Itachi didn't follow, just continuing to watch him with that predatory gaze as Sasuke quickly grabbed the bandages out of his pocket and rewrapped his wrist. His brother moved over to him, and it took every bit of self control he had not to claw the bastard's face when he leaned into his ear. "Tell Shisui to come to the river down by where we train when he's done with you."

Pure terror had consumed every inch of him, but he nodded anyways, finishing tying up his wrist. Itachi stepped back before Shisui came out, crossing his arms as he nodded to their cousin and then to Sasuke. "Try to get him something to drink to help settle his stomach. Our parents brought him here last night with the flu."

"Oh?" Shisui asked, sounding actually concerned over suspicious. "You're sick?"

Sasuke nodded, leaning into the lie. "Otosan and Okasan had a council meeting. They asked Itachi to watch me. I'm sorry for being here."

Shisui rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "This all turned into quite the state. Sasuke, obviously you don't need to apologize for something like that. I'm sorry you're not feeling well, but I would still like to walk you back if that's alright with you?"

He didn't know if he was strong enough mentally to play this game, but he also didn't think he had a choice. He could still feel the whisper of Itachi's proposed death rattle against his ear, and knew he had to be a participant in this particular plot. He nodded to his cousin, arms wrapping around his stomach as he knew he had to be strong. He couldn't break down again. He couldn't go back into that quiet place where the world didn't seem quite as horrific. It was horrific, and it wasn't going to get any better from here.

"Good-bye, Aniki," he bowed to his brother. "Thank you for taking care of me last night."

"Bye, Sas," Itachi replied, fingers swiping over his own bandaged wrist deliberately as Sasuke wanted to absolutely spit in his face. He wanted to run to his arms and beg an explanation on why he had done this to him. He didn't do either, turning his back to him instead as he headed out to the village with Shisui by his side.

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A.N- This chapter was short because the next will be Sasuke and Shisui centric and less of anxiety inducing Itachi. I made myself claustrophobic writing that bathroom scene. Thanks for reading!