"You must be getting old, little wolf," the Uchiha called over his shoulder as he raced through the tree tops.
"You can't just call for a race and then give yourself a head start," Kakashi said with annoyance as he was closing the gap between the two. Since their kiss in the open field just weeks before, the two had been spending nearly all their free time together training.
Itachi couldn't help but smile. "Shinobi should always anticipate the unexpected."
Suddenly he felt those strong arms wrap around him, pulling his lithe form flush against a solid wall of lean muscle. "Fair enough… but you're still underestimating me."
Itachi attempted to escape from the elder boys grasp, but to no avail. "Why do you always grab me from behind?"
"Those pesky sharingan eyes make frontal assaults difficult. Besides," he whispered against Itachi's neck now, "ever since the kiss that left you adorably flustered, I've been trying to figure out how to take our relationship to the next level. We can just consider this cuddling-"
"Against my will?"
"I can live with that," he responded, nuzzling Itachi's neck, not loosening his grip.
Itachi rolled his eyes, an uncharacteristic move for the Uchiha, but one he'd developed out of necessity to deal with the ever playful Hatake. Only Kakashi could make him feel relaxed anymore. With Danzo's secret mission and his clan on the verge of self imploding, these "training" sessions with Kakashi let him feel normal for a short while.
"Should I swear off everyone else now? Go ahead and get it over with since wolves mate for life?"
Kakashi nodded, his clothed nose tucked in the crook of the Uchiha's neck. "Yeah," he said calmly, but Itachi didn't miss the way his voice had deepened. "Best to give up on finding anyone else. You're stuck with me now." He could feel the older boys hands start roaming as Kakashi inhaled deeply. "Fuck… you smell so good, tachi."
He was blushing as those hands groped and searched him, blindly caressing as if lost in a trance. Itachi found that he didn't actually mind. It was nice to be touched, even if it was by an oddly quiet Kakashi. When Kakashi removed one roaming hand to pull down his mask, Itachi took that moment to turn quickly in his arms and press his lips against the others. Kakashi returned the kiss tenderly at first, but within moments the raven haired teen could feel his lip being torn and tasted blood. He pulled back, bringing a finger to wipe at the fresh laceration.
"What the hell, Kashi?"
The white haired jonin was breathing heavily, staring down the Uchiha with a dark gray eye. The hitai-ate askew as always, but the usual cloth mask was bunched up around his neck. That was when Itachi noticed them, large, thick fangs hanging over parted lips. Itachi raised an eyebrow. While the feral shinobi before him looked impossibly sexy, he didn't want to chance triggering some fighting instinct in his "not so little"'wolf.
"Have you, uh, always had those," he gestured towards the impressively long canines. Kakashi seemed to come out of his trance as his eye refocused and a light blush reached his cheeks. Itachi found that the reaction cute, although at the same time he still looked fairly dangerous.
The mask was back in place within seconds and Kakashi had stepped back on the branch, moving closer to the trunk of the tree. "No, sometimes, I mean yes, but not always."
"Are you a vampire?" He couldn't help but tease the already flustered shinobi.
"I-" he fumbled to find words, "shut up, Itachi." The Uchiha snorted in amusement. "I can't help it."
"Uh huh…" the confused teen nodded, still not sure what was going on. "How so?"
The taller nin sighed and ran a hand through his messy, white hair. "I started wearing the mask when I was a kid because they were so long, even for my clan. Whenever I'd get excited, they'd grow and I'd feel like a dog baring his teeth. Everyone could suddenly read my current emotion and it was humiliating." The mask hid the blush, but Itachi knew it wasn't gone. He could hear it in his voice. "My dad said it was normal for our clan, but I still hated how it looked. Besides, the whole clan is gone so nobody really knows about it anymore and even if they did, mine are still… too large... for my comfort anyway. I thought when I got my adult teeth they'd get normal, but instead they just got worse. Stop laughing, I'm already embarrassed." He crossed his arms in a childish manner, which didn't help Itachi find him any less adorable. "They go back to normal when I calm down, but as a kid I couldn't control it at all. If someone smelled too good, or I had too much fun sparring or I got angry or felt threatened… Anything that made my heart race seemed to cause it. Now that I'm older, I have a little bit more control but-"
"It's not perfect?" Kakashi nodded. "The rumors about you wearing a mask to hide your nosebleeds were really just rumors then. So why read porn? Doesn't that make it worse?"
He seemed to think it over before responding, "I guess I really am just a pervert." He shrugged. "Besides, with the mask, it's not like anyone can see them. They'd never know I'm ready to take and mark my mate."
Itachi's eyes widened. "Wait, that's why they grow?"
Kakashi grinned, seemingly amused by Itachi's reaction. "My canines are impressive enough when they're normal, but I can't exactly pierce skin with them. Not cleanly, at least. I wouldn't want to accidentally rip my mates throat out. Although, I assume one could say they grow as a defensive or offensive mechanism when needed. Not really sure."
"You were going to bite me?!"
And now Kakashi was blushing again. "Heh… um… sorry?" He was scratching the back of his head, feigning an apologetic stance. "Come on, tachi. I'd never bite you unless you were ok with it."
"You almost did."
"It wouldn't mean anything to you, only me."
"Explain," he said, his tone becoming more frustrated. What had he almost gotten himself into?
"Wolves find a preferred mate and stay with them, like you said," both boys blushed and refused to meet each other's gaze. Kakashi continued, as if speaking to the trees off in the distance while Itachi intensely studied the ground below them, "unless we actually mate, the mark is useless. For you, anyway. I'd be able to sense you easier if you're near me, but that's about it. If I were to bite you and we mated, though-"
"Which isn't happening-"
"Yeah, I know, but you wanted the explanation. If we were mated, we'd always be able to find our way back to one another. Even if you don't have a strong sense of smell, it's just an awareness of where your partner is. From what I've read, being intimate with a mate is infinitely better than being with anyone else. You also feel more… at home? I guess, when you're together at least. I wouldn't know. I read a lot about this kind of stuff. I don't have anyone to ask firsthand anymore... I just keep my mask on and stay away from intimacy. I'd be miserable if I mated the wrong person because I was-"
"In heat?" He teased, a mischievous glint in his eye as he finally found the confidence to look back at Kakashi.
"Stop talking or I'll make you stop."
"A threat or a challenge, Kashi?"
"Both." The uneasiness had passed and Kakashi was grinning again, his one visible eye creasing shut. His unsure demeanor while discussing his situation before had all but vanished. "Better run fast, Uchiha… if I catch you, you're mine. Don't forget, wolves mate for life…"
Itachi smirked before he took off through the trees again, Kakashi chasing closely behind him.
How had he forgotten that memory? And why was it surfacing now? Seeing Kakashi recently must've stirred something…
Itachi wondered now if things would've been different back then, if Kakashi had caught him. Likely not and, if anything, only more painful. He'd already left Sasuke behind. The less emotional situations he entangled himself in, the better. Kakashi deserved to find a mate. A real one. Someone that could actually stay by his side, someone that wasn't a wanted criminal.
This is where Itachi belonged, he realized. His back resting easily against a snoring Kisame whose arms were curled tight around the Uchiha's stomache. Kisame knew Itachi couldn't return his feelings, but the two were kindred souls in another sense. Their friendship was complicated, to say the least.
Itachi had insisted they rent a room at an inn during their recent travels and he didn't regret the decision as he felt his vision blurring from sleep more than the disease. They never rented rooms. Kisame didn't ask why, but the Konoha missing nin could sense the questioning behind his actions. He had just needed to rest, that was all.
It was becoming more and more difficult to hide his illness. A night not spent sleeping under the stars on high alert would be a huge help.
He couldn't sleep now, though. Not with thoughts of a certain wolfy vampire-esque ninja running through his mind. He carefully slid away from Kisame and left the room. A cup of hot tea might help put him to sleep.
The bar downstairs was practically empty and Itachi found the silence welcoming.
"Can I get ya something, hun?" The bartender asked as he sat down. The white hairs mixed with chestnut brown gave away her age and she could have easily been his grandmother, but she had such kind eyes. The Uchiha's did not have kind eyes.
"Just some tea, thank you."
She turned to start boiling the water and he noted there were only two other patrons in the bar with them. They had packed their Akatsuki robes when approaching the inn at Itachi's request. He had removed his hitai-ate as well, now wearing simply a black shirt, blue shinobi pants and black shinobi sandals. He could blend in anywhere right now if needed, as long as they were far enough from Konoha.
"You're too young to look so troubled," she spoke softly, snapping his out of his daze. He had developed the habit as a child, early on in his training. Scan the room. Find the threats. Locate all exits.
"This isn't exactly a kind world we live in." She nodded, but didn't seem to agree.
"I don't mean that, hun. We've all seen war, some certainly more than others. No, no," she turned her attention to the tea kettle but continued to speak, "the look in your eyes is that of a broken heart. There's something weighing on you."
He watched silently as she made the cup of tea, but didn't acknowledge what she'd said.
"It's fine," she smiled sweetly as she set the steaming cup in front of him. "I understand all too well. The look of longing. I'll leave you to your thoughts. You'll let me know if you need anything else?" He nodded and she seemed to accept that as his answer.
He was thankful for the peace, but he wasn't granted nearly enough.
"How well do you know that man you came in with?"
Itachi took a sip of his tea, set the cup down, but didn't turn to face the man behind him when he answered. "Well enough. What business is it of yours?"
"A face like his is hard to forget. He's dangerous."
Itachi continued to focus only on his drink. He didn't want to fight, but this man knew Kisame. He would have to be careful to avoid a confrontation. "We'll be gone in the morning. I apologize if our presence has made you uncomfortable."
"Not yours, just his."
"He's sleeping. He's currently harmless."
The man huffed. "Yeah, he won't be for long. Look, you seem like a nice kid. Do yourself a favor and take off before he gets up. People like him are nothing but trouble."
"Thanks for the warning. I'll keep that in mind…" Itachi deadpanned, trying his best not to laugh at the irony of the comment. Between himself and Kisame, he knew who the real danger was.