Part 7: Like a Whirlpool, You Succumb to Me

"Who was that yesterday?!" Naruto shrieked in his face first thing.

Sasuke flinched, giving Naruto's shoulder a small shove to distance the blond from his face. "Could you not make a scene?" Sasuke sighed. "Sit down."

The blond plopped himself into the booth and tossed his backpack next to him.

It was Sunday morning, and they had met up to work on a project for class. It was the first time in twenty-four hours that Sasuke finally had some room to breathe away from Itachi, and this was what Naruto wanted to talk about?

"So? Who was he?" Naruto pressed.

"Just someone who won't leave me alone," Sasuke responded.

"Is he like a stalker or something?"

The blond must have mistaken Sasuke's wince as a resounding 'yes' to his answer because his eyes widened, and he jabbed a finger in Sasuke's direction.

"I KNEW it! When I came yesterday, you looked freaked out. I've never seen you look like that before." The blond's brows furrowed.

Of course he was terrified… for Naruto's safety. He didn't know what Itachi would have done to Naruto if he did not kick him out immediately. The blond was like a rabbit stepping foot into a lion's den. Sasuke had known though that, despite how persistent and overprotective his Aniki was, Itachi would never hurt him… but that didn't mean that concept applied to others.

"Where did he come from?"

A blue-eyed gaze fixated on him, serious.

"… Japan," Sasuke muttered. No point in hiding such a thing if everything would eventually be out in the open anyway.

"I'm sorry… what? Did you just make a joke? Hahahaha, that's so funny. I didn't know you could be so funny… HAHAHAHAHA— WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, SASUKE! What do you mean he followed you here from Japan? That's more than 5,000 miles away!"

Naruto had known that Sasuke had come from Japan because the boy had previously mentioned it, but Sasuke never mentioned why he moved. He smiled grimly. Now, that's what you call an appropriate reaction to someone stalking him overseas.

"I'm just irresistible," he replied nonchalantly.

Naruto paused, mid-panic, staring at him like he was nuts. A second passed before they both collapsed into incredible laughter.

"What if I act like your boyfriend?" Naruto suggested, wiping away tears from the corner of his eye. "You think that will make him give up?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Look! Check out my acting skills."

Before Sasuke knew what was happening, Naruto had stood, clasping his chin in his hold as he leaned over to gaze deeply into the boy's eyes.

"Sasuke~," he whispered dramatically as if he was on a grand stage. His other hand was outstretched akin to a prince offering his hand to a maiden.

Sasuke's eyes widened, and he was just about to howl in laughter when something over Naruto's shoulder caught his attention.

A figure dressed all in black sat three booths behind theirs, tucked away in the corner of the cafe. It wasn't his attire that caught Sasuke's attention because black wasn't an uncommon color. It was the shape of the figure; the back was broad and clearly muscular even from the distance, and even though the hair was swept over one shoulder and tucked out of sight, he could ascertain that it was long.

The man's shoulders seemed to be vibrating, reminding him of an angry child who clenched his fists, but Sasuke couldn't confirm due to the distance.

Any trace of amusement slid from his features and he swallowed hard, jerking his chin away. "I'm going to go to the bathroom," he muttered while standing up, bypassing the blond who shrugged and began piling out his materials from his backpack.

Sasuke didn't make it three steps inside the bathroom before he heard the door creak open and slam shut. He bent down and slashed cold water on his face and heaved a heavy, anxious breath before he turned around and leaned against the sink.

"Aniki," he mumbled.

"I woke up and you were gone."

Itachi's low voice carried through the bathroom, resonating in Sasuke's ears. He shivered.

"Sorry," he mumbled again. His Aniki did not look happy as he pressed himself against the door, as if he was forcing himself back. "I left you a note."

"Is that supposed to help?" Itachi asked, eyebrow raised.

Geez. What did his Aniki want him to do? Take him everywhere he went like a four-year-old?

"You disappear as soon as I take my eyes off of you," Itachi continued, stepping forward. "Makes me never want to look away again."

Sasuke swallowed hard. The man was obviously pissed, yet spoke with such a calm voice. He didn't know what to say, or if anything he said would have helped, so he kept his mouth shut and glared at the floor.

Why did he feel like a child who was being chided after breaking a vase?

"And then I find you, and you're flirting with that thing out there as if you don't already have me."

This time the words came as a hiss, much less calm and much more menacing.

"Tell me: were you going to let him kiss you, Sasuke?"

Fuck. The man had addressed him using his name. Sasuke's head snapped up in Itachi's direction, and he realized the man was much closer to him than he anticipated. Only less than an arm's span separated them.

"Of course not! We were just joking around, Aniki."

"Joke? Do boys your age joke like that? Because it looked like he was going to kiss you, and you were going to let him. Did you forget your promise to me?"

The deadened eyes bestowed upon the boy racked up another shiver, and Sasuke shook his head vehemently and wrung his fingers together. "I'm sorry, Aniki."

"I haven't touched anyone since you left, Sasuke. You're the only one I can even think to be with, and here you are the complete opposite. Didn't you ask me to tell you when things bother me? I'm telling you now that I'm upset. I wake up and you're gone, and I find you on this little coffee date flirting with that piece of trash out there. It breaks my fucking heart."

Sasuke flinched. Why did Itachi sound like he had just caught his lover cheating on him?

His Aniki was now so close to him that, if he lifted his head, his hair would brush against the man's chest.

"See? You asked me not to yell, so I'm not yelling."

Fucking hell. Sasuke bit down on his lip. His Aniki might as well open his mouth to yell at him instead. In fact, the boy honestly believed that would have been better than this calm, cold Itachi who spoke so elegantly. This version of him scared the shit out of him.

And then, a thought struck him. Maybe Itachi was lashing out because he felt betrayed by Sasuke's actions.

"You asked me not to be mean to your friends, but how can you expect that of me when it's these friends who want to do unspeakable things to you?"

"A-Aniki, you're wrong. We're not like that," Sasuke whispered, barely finding his voice.

But it seemed as though Itachi did not hear him.

"What should I do so you don't slip from my hands again? Do I need to kill him so he doesn't get in my way?"

"NO!" Sasuke panicked, lurching forward to grip onto Itachi's shirt. "Don't, Aniki!"

This… this was what he was afraid of that night he ran. Because even though he bathed in the pleasure deep down and he enjoyed feeling wanted and loved irrevocably by his Aniki, he had a feeling from Itachi's reaction to seeing Neji's photo on his phone that he would act this way.

"I was just joking around," Itachi deadpanned, causing Sasuke to flinch back from having his own words thrown back at him.

He highly doubted the man was joking.

"I'm sorry, Achi. We'll go home, okay? Let's go home right now," he pleaded, terrified that, if he loosened his grip, his Aniki would stomp through that door and carry out his 'joke'.

After a moment's silence, Itachi yielded. Sasuke knew the moment his Aniki did so because the tensed muscles underneath his touch relaxed a bit and his shoulders dropped a fraction of an inch. Itachi's gaze was still bone-chilling cold, but he leaned down to place a peck on the corner of Sasuke's quivering lips.

"Why do you look so scared, Otouto?" he asked as if he hadn't just threatened to murder another human being. This time the man didn't wait for his response. "Let's go home. Aniki will make you pancakes."

H.J.

When Sasuke was a child, Itachi spoiled him rotten.

Whenever something new hit the market, Itachi bought it for him. Whenever he saw Sasuke eye something out of interest, he'd secretly add it to his cart and present it to him when they got home. If his Otouto wanted a bedtime story, Itachi would read till the boy fell asleep. If Sasuke said he liked something, Itachi would buy heap loads of it for him. Anything his Otouto asked for were in his hands before he even finished speaking.

He was surprised his Otouto did not turn out to be the devil. In fact, much to Itachi's chagrin, Sasuke grew up to be a minimalist and rarely asked for anything from him. The older he became, the more mellow he grew.

When he was eighteen, he ended up buying Itachi something instead for his birthday: a sterling necklace with twin dog tags. One tag had the Uchiha emblem engraved on one side with 'Aniki' on its other, and the second tag in an elegant font read, 'Love, Sasuke.' Itachi had never been more delighted. Except for when he showered, he wore it proudly everywhere he went like a badge of honor and never took it off.

So for Sasuke's birthday that year, Itachi had a sterling silver ring made for his Otouto. Engraved on the inner surface of the ring were three dainty words: Otouto~ Love, Aniki.

Sasuke wore that piece on the fourth finger of his right hand, and Itachi had never seen him take it off, so he, too, rejoiced at that fact.

Even when Sasuke disappeared months ago, Itachi could not find the location of that ring in their home, which meant his Otouto had not abandoned it. He had taken it with him because it was important to him.

That mere thought gave him hope.

As if he was riddled with so much anxiety he was about to burst, he glanced over to confirm that, yes indeed, the shiny object was still sitting nicely on his Otouto's finger. A mere glimpse of it put his jitters to ease.

He wanted to reach out and grasp Sasuke's hand, but his fingers tightened in his lap to resist temptation. He wanted some comfort that he wasn't another figment of his imagination. All those months alone had done its toll on him, and now sometimes he could hardly decipher a hallucination from reality.

His Otouto was sitting at his desk at home, going through piles of books and papers while typing on his laptop. Itachi wasn't very preoccupied, so he lazed on the couch while the low buzzing of the television was in the background.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of being ignored, Itachi finally heard his Otouto sigh and his ears perked up.

"What?"

Oh. He had been caught staring. He didn't even realize he was doing it.

The boy sounded defeated and mumbled a few other things under his breath about "you would think… this is why… left…." He couldn't quite string together the meaning behind the mutters.

His fingers trembled slightly against his thighs. "Hmm?" he off-handedly responded, eyes never straying.

Let me touch you.

"Why do you keep staring at me? If you have something to say, just say it," replied an exasperated Sasuke.

Hmm… well, if Itachi could actually just come out and say it without Sasuke running away from him, he wouldn't be gazing at him from afar.

"You're mad at me," Itachi stated.

"Oh?" Sasuke responded sardonically. "When did you figure that out?"

The man frowned. His silent treatment was one thing, but it was rare when his Otouto took that tone with him.

"I don't like it when I wake up and you're gone," Itachi said.

"Yeah, I got that part," Sasuke said with a scowl. He pushed his laptop aside and crossed his arms. "I don't like it when you follow me. You never used to do that. Why did you start following me?"

Itachi's gaze lulled to the side briefly. Sure, he had tracked his Otouto's phone and checked up on him, but it wasn't particularly unreasonable.

"I… just needed to know where you were."

"Why?" Sasuke grounded it. "Everything was written in that note I left."

Itachi gritted his teeth. Fuck. His tremble was getting worse and holding himself back from touching and comforting the boy only made it shake more. He laid one palm over the balled up fist, hoping to cover it up.

If he touched his Otouto now, he'd be rejected. He was positive that, if Sasuke rejected him, he'd flip.

Let me touch you. Just a hug. That's all I need.

"I thought you were going to run away again."

That much was true. He wasn't lying at least.

The boy sighed and pressed two fingers on his temple, rubbing at it quite harshly. "I won't run away again," his Otouto said. "You'll just find me again anyway. I'll save myself the trouble."

Those words didn't serve the correct purpose. In fact, instead of easing his worries, he became that much more anxious. His Otouto had said that last time, too, and Itachi had woken up to a cold bed and empty house… just like this morning.

It was like Sasuke could tell what he was thinking because he heaved another defeated sigh. "If you want to know where I am, just call me. If I'm not in class or whatever, I'll answer. How's that?"

"Then, don't laugh and smile at people like you did today," Itachi said. "That's how you attract creeps."

Sasuke gawked, but Itachi ignored his flabbergasted expression. He just didn't know the human heart as well as Itachi did.

"You're impossible!" the boy shrieked.

"Did you forget that scumbag who attacked you when you were 14?" Itachi deadpanned, bringing Sasuke from yelling to silence in a second. "You act cold and distant, but you're warm and sweet inside. Anyone can tell, Otouto."

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Being pegged as "warm and sweet" wasn't every boy's dream. "Whatever," he scoffed. "You could have at least called me 'cool' and 'handsome.'"

"No, those are unfitting. You are beautiful and sweet."

Sasuke blew a raspberry and gave a thumbs down.

"See? Even now when you're angry, you're forgiving and kind."

"Tch. Don't make me out to be a saint."

Weeell… Itachi saw him more as the devil than a saint since his mere existence was temptation in the flesh. But his personality was definitely on the angelic side.

"Agh, because of you, now I have to do twice the work for this project because I couldn't stick around and finish it with Naruto," Sasuke grumbled.

"I believe in you, Otouto."

"Oh, shut it, Aniki."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I'm sorry for upsetting you."

Sasuke's brow quirked again, and he leaned back against his chair. "But not sorry for following me or threatening my friend's well-being."

Itachi shrugged.

"Aggghhh… Buddha, God, Jesus, whoever, bestow upon this soul some much needed patience," Sasuke groaned.

Itachi had the audacity to blink innocently as if he wasn't sure what he was referring to.

Finally, his Otouto sighed as if he had given up on the conversation and his attention refocused on the open textbook in front of him.

"Can I hug you?"

Itachi noticed Sasuke's surprised expression, which morphed into a look of confusion and suspicion.

"Why?" he demanded.

As if Itachi needed a reason to hug his Otouto.

"Because I love you."

Sasuke's brows furrowed. "I meant why are you asking me when you do whatever you want anyway?"

If Itachi did whatever he wanted, he would have had Sasuke bareback and legs spread wide when he first arrived at his doorstep. But not only did Itachi behave himself, but he also didn't bring up the topic when his Otouto asked what was considered "touching."

The man frowed, the lines across his cheeks becoming more prominent. His Otouto had no idea how much he held back for his sake.

"Would you let me do whatever I wanted?" he questioned, voice slightly lower than usual. He had sat up at the edge of the couch, now much closer to Sasuke.

The subtle bobbing of the boy's Adam's apple and his round eyes were his reply.

"Would you let me touch you? Would you let me shower with you? How about keeping you in bed with me all night so I can love you? Can I fill you up with my cum again? Would you let me, Otouto? Would you? How is it that I'm doing whatever I want if I can't even touch you?!"

Of course not. Of course his Otouto wouldn't let him do whatever he wanted. There wouldn't be so much physical space separating them right now if he allowed Itachi to do as he pleased.

Itachi was breathing hard, his trembling hands no longer hidden from prying, widened eyes. He glared at his jean-clad thighs because he couldn't bear to look at the taken aback expression on his Otouto's face.

"Do you know how frustrating it is that I can't even touch the person I love without asking first?" Itachi grounded out.

"We… We're not lovers, Aniki" came Sasuke's unsteady voice.

Itachi's head shot up and his body followed suit, his sudden stance causing Sasuke to flinch back. "We are!" he rebutted. "I've held you in bed, Sasuke. I took your virginity. I came inside you many times. You said you were mine forever. We are lovers. We are!"

"Stop it! Stop it! We're not! How can two brothers be lovers? Don't be ridiculous!" Sasuke yelled.

"What's wrong with being brothers? Wasn't I a good Aniki to you growing up? Didn't I love you with everything I had? I wouldn't give you up for the world, and my love for you is sincere. I can love you like no one else. How could I not be a suitable partner, Otouto?"

"You're beyond reason!" Sasuke yelled, frustrated. "It doesn't matter how well you treat me. It's because you're my Aniki that you're not suitable!"

"So are you going to find someone else then?" Itachi spoke through gritted teeth, fists shaking at his side. "I won't let you. No one else will be able to love you the way I love you."

"Who says I want someone to love me the way you love me?" yelled Sasuke, face turning red. "I left for a reason! I wanted some space. I wanted time to figure out what the hell was going on. But here you are anyway. You're so goddamn persistent to the point that I don't know what to think anymore."

"Since you don't know, I'll tell you what I know, Sasuke." The wooden floorboards creaked underneath his footsteps as he slowly approached the boy. "You loved it, but you're scared of the repercussions of loving it."

An odd kind of dread filled the boy's eyes as if Itachi hit the nail on the head.

"You tell me you regret it, but you didn't regret feeling good. Your body remembers me. It remembers the way I touched you, the way I kissed you, and especially the way I fucked you," Itachi stated, pressing his hand firmly on Sasuke's desk to lean over the sitting boy. His bangs swished before Sasuke's widened eyes. Itachi lowered his voice to a bare whisper, his breath tickling Sasuke's lips. "You loved it as much as I did."

It looked like Sasuke was holding his breath, unable to breathe comfortably with the man invading his space, and Itachi inwardly smirked. See? The boy's body remembered him. He would overlook Sasuke's guilty conscience and slowly maneuver forward one step at a time.

"Your body accepts me, Otouto." Only your mind trails behind. "Let me touch you," Itachi murmured, eyelids drooping a slight fraction as he eyed the alarmed boy. "Let me love you, my sweet kitten. I'll love you forever." He reached out a hand to lightly caress the boy's soft cheek, not missing out on the unmistakable sound of Sasuke's hitched breath.

If his Otouto refused his love, then he would take what he could get and build from there. Who said Aniki and Otouto were an unsuitable pair? How preposterous.

The boy stared at him unwaveringly as if in some kind of trance, unable to speak and unable to move a muscle. Itachi's lip twitched involuntarily, and he bit the inside of his cheek to hold it in.

Just a little more.

"Don't you want Aniki to make you feel good again?" he whispered, gaze flickering over the boy's face fondly. His eyes softened considerably while his face remained an inch from Sasuke's. "Don't you miss Aniki's kisses?" the man's saccharine voice murmured.

Sasuke made a little hoarse noise akin to the combination of a low groan and growl. The noise was so sudden that it nearly caused Itachi to lose it.

He was so close. He could see the flicker of uncertainty in his Otouto's gaze. He just needed to sweeten the deal just a tad.

"We don't have to talk about it after. I won't bring it up. You can pretend it didn't happen," Itachi reassured. Like he said, he'd take what he could get. There was no way his Otouto didn't love him. One day, Sasuke would admit it, and Itachi would wait till he was ready to confess. "I'll take it slow, and I'll be really gentle with you, baby. Let me make you feel good."

The fingertips trailed down the boy's nape, and he reveled in the shiver he felt underneath them.

"You don't hate it when I'm this desperate to have you, do you?" Itachi murmured, his lips replacing his fingertips. Instead of placing kisses along the column of the boy's neck, Itachi simply trailed his lips up and down, breath fanning over the expanse of skin before him.

"A-Aniki…" came the meek voice, so low it was nearly inaudible.

Itachi rested one palm each on the boy's thighs, and he deeply inhaled a scent that was purely Sasuke like it was crack. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he had to steady himself on his feet. He could feel the slight tremor in his hands as he did his best to control his urges. A random person who saw his current state would call him an addict, but he didn't care. As long as Sasuke was willing to overlook this part of him. He didn't dare ask for his Otouto's acceptance. If Sasuke would turn a blind eye to his addiction-like behavior, that was good enough for him.

"You don't have to say anything." Itachi pulled back slightly and lifted a hand out in the boy's direction. "All you have to do is grab ahold of my hand, and I'll consider that your permission. Let me make you feel good."

Itachi waited patiently with his hand outstretched, gaze remaining steady on the uncertainty going in and out of Sasuke's gaze as if he was inwardly considering the pros and cons of accepting. The boy was gnawing on his lower lip so much that a dark shade of red had replaced the original pinkish tint.

Finally, as if the boy had snapped out of his musings, Itachi felt the feather touch of a trembling hand in his.

His heart soared.

He swallowed hard, cock twitching uncontrollably in the confines of his jeans.

"My sweet kitten," he whispered, voice full of adoration. "I promise I'll be gentle this time."