Part 13: Stories of the Past
It had been a week after Sasuke's little jealous fit, which induced a full blown love session, when trouble knocked on their door. Literally.
It happened on a cold evening. Despite his very, very active sex drive and attraction to his Otouto, Itachi had recently been taking it easy in the bedroom with Sasuke in favor of gaining his affection. And affection and attention he received as his Otouto grew more accustomed to having Itachi in different aspects of his day.
They ate together, slept in the same bed, watched TV and movies side by side on the couch (occasionally with Sasuke's head in Itachi's lap), and most recently the boy even allowed Itachi to shower with him daily.
Okay, no, that was a lie. Over the last week, Itachi got the chance to shower with his Otouto once. He spent the first six days sneaking into the bathroom when Sasuke was already in the shower only to be on the receiving end of a row of unkind words while he was pushed back out. When Itachi pulled the sliding door aside on the seventh day, Sasuke merely glanced at his naked body before looking away. Clearly, he had either accepted it or could no longer be bothered to kick Itachi out.
Eventually, the topic of their relationship re-emerged, brought up by Sasuke of all people.
"Do you still want to be my lover?"
"More than anything," Itachi replied in a heartbeat. It was a quiet Friday night and the both of them were sitting on the couch watching a movie that the boy had picked out.
Rain beat against the window at a very noticeable vertical slant, hammering mercilessly against it like little pellets. Sasuke was curled up with a fuzzy blanket, and the only reason Itachi was under it with him was so that he had an excuse to scoot closer to his Otouto and feed off his warmth.
"I want you to be honest. If I say no, what would you do?"
Itachi turned sharply in the boy's direction, color draining from his face as if he hadn't even begun to consider that possibility. The shadow of a frown blossomed on his deadened gaze. He wasn't watching the movie anyway. He'd been paying attention to Sasuke the entire time, distracted by his scent and warmth.
Sasuke kept his attention on the screen, the bright glow of the television illuminating his pale features within the dark living room. Even in the dark, Itachi could tell he was attempting to hide his emotions behind a layer of nonchalance. It didn't matter anyway, because the hesitation in Sasuke's voice gave him away.
"Why would you say no?" Itachi pushed the words out slowly as he tried to reign in his temper. His words tumbled out of his lips filled with confusion and dismay.
His Otouto still refused to look at him, keeping his eyes on the television and making Itachi feel like he was the only one taking this seriously. He felt shut out, pushed away… ignored.
Itachi panicked, anxiety welling up in his chest like an unexpected monsoon. The feeling in the pit of his stomach made it difficult to swallow or breathe.
"Otouto, look at me. I've been gentle, haven't I? I give you space. I've been patient, and I haven't gotten into any fights. I've done everything you've asked."
"I'm not saying no. I'm just asking, Aniki." Sasuke sighed, seemingly in a bind. "You say that, but how long is that going to last?"
The man bit his lip, eyes flickering away guiltily. They both knew Sasuke was right. Sure, he was making an effort, but how long was that going to last? He couldn't make any guarantees. If Sasuke did end up agreeing to date him, then his attitude might worsen and get even more overbearing.
"I just want to be with you," he mumbled, forehead resting on Sasuke's shoulder dejectedly. "Is it so wrong to love you so much?"
When he looked up, the boy was blushing. A flicker of hope erupted in Itachi's chest. Instinctively, his palms reached out to cup his Otouto's face, pulling him gaze in his direction.
"I've been good, haven't I?" Itachi murmured, eyes flickering left and right, searching.
"Yeah…." Sasuke replied, seemingly uncomfortable under his prying gaze.
"So you should reward me."
Sasuke's Adam's apple bobbed. "What do you want?" he whispered.
"Something sweet," Itachi said, leaning closer.
"I… can bake you chocolate chip cookies," Sasuke said, the dodgy response nearly making Itachi laugh.
This was what he got for always having a dirty mind. Not everyone shared his libido. Or maybe it was just pure innocence that rolled off Sasuke in waves, the boy wanting to make things as platonic as possible while Itachi did the exact opposite.
"I want something sweeter," he said. He was so close now, lips almost brushing against Sasuke's. If the boy would move even a centimeter, their lips would brush against each other's. Itachi's mind urged Sasuke to react. It practically begged for it as if suffering from drug-induced withdrawals.
Kiss me, it lured. Kiss me. Kiss me. Kissmekissmekissme. KISS ME.
Both of their eyes were still wide open, staring at each other. One pair glazed over and seductive while the other remained wide and hesitant, indecisive.
"I love you, Sasuke," Itachi murmured, his quiet voice so unbelievably soft, leaving no room for doubt. The sparkle in his eyes of the vision of a man in love, enraptured by the person of his affections, reflected back at him through the boy's eyes.
Perhaps, there was something in his words that prompted the boy to act, or perhaps it was the way he uttered such sentiments, because Itachi found arms wrapped tightly around his neck and zealous hands digging into his hair.
The kiss happened so quickly with such urgency that Itachi was taken aback, but it passed almost immediately as he drew the boy closer to his massive form. The muscles in his back rippled among the shadows as he found himself pushing the boy down onto his back so that he could hover over him on the couch.
Their breaths mingled harshly against each other's lips, and Itachi didn't even hesitate to slip his tongue past the boy's lips and invade his mouth. A moan was somehow able to escape between the two of them before it was siphoned off. When Sasuke's breathing became so irregular that his kisses slowed down and his chest began to heave incessantly, Itachi pulled away, his unfocused gaze attempting to readjust to see Sasuke's face clearly.
The boy's lips were bruised a dark shade of red, and they were wet, evidence of their transgression. He was sucking in large mouthfuls of air while staring back up at Itachi. His arms finally fell deftly to the couch, and one hand swiped his spikes from his face.
"You crazy, beautiful man," Sasuke gasped hoarsely, cheeks a beautiful shade of pink, reminding Itachi of cherry blossom trees in the spring.
Itachi felt charmed. He grinned brightly, taking it as an absolute compliment. Of course he would. Why wouldn't he? His Otouto kissed him first and Sasuke admitted to finding him handsome. He was on Cloud Nine.
It was when he leaned back down, greedily ready to continue their snogging session, that the sound of the doorbell echoed throughout the house, causing both to freeze. A series of knocks on the front door followed.
Instantly, Itachi felt Sasuke's palm pressing against his chest, pushing him aside on the couch as he rushed to sit up. In his haste, the boy missed the dark look that overtook the man's face, turning his countenance as rigid as his body.
"Were you expecting someone?" Itachi asked stiffly. It was difficult to hide his expression, so he looked away at the foyer instead. Displeasure rolled off of him in waves, and Sasuke must have had some inkling because he began moving away from him and toward the door.
"No… I don't really get unannounced visitors."
"Then, leave it," Itachi demanded, his tone coming out harsher than he anticipated, and he noticed that Sasuke paused and glanced back at him nervously. He met the boy's gaze dead on. "Leave it," he repeated. "Come back to me."
The knocking continued in the background, and the doorbell sounded again.
Itachi could see Sasuke's Adam's apple bobbing amidst the dimly lit room.
"It'll wake the neighbors if I don't answer," he said, eyes pleading. "Just give me a minute, okay, Aniki?"
Itachi looked away silently and crossed his arms. His Otouto must have taken that as his cue to go answer the door, the silhouette of his back mocking Itachi.
He watched irritably as the boy gazed through the peephole before his brows furrowed adorably as a mixture of surprise and confusion settled in.
Itachi stood abruptly. His Otouto's expression didn't sit right with him. He was supposed to acknowledge that it was a stranger, a simple salesman, and send them on their way. A look of recognition wasn't supposed to spark on his face.
"Who is it, Otouto?" Itachi questioned, coming to stand behind the boy as he unlocked the door.
The door swung open before Sasuke could answer, and a chilly gust of air hit them, causing his Otouto to shiver involuntarily. Without even glancing at the visitor, Itachi yanked him back into his arms and tucked him away behind him, using his body as a shield against the cold air and the guest.
"Ohayo, Itachi! Long time no hang!"
One of Itachi's eyebrows twitched involuntarily at the sound of a familiar voice, and he turned to set his deadened gaze on a figure just an inch shorter than him.
The newcomer was wearing a dark, olive green rain coat and had a black duffel bag slung over one shoulder. Even with his hood on in the dark, Itachi could catch a clear view of blond hair with tips dyed a bright red.
It was Kyuubi.
Itachi flipped the man off and gave a death glare, and his hand automatically reached out and slammed the door shut.
"You fucking asshole!" came the immediate screech from the other side. "This is how you treat your best friend?! I demand shelter!"
"…Aniki?"
Itachi was still staring silently at the door he just closed, a look of disdain clearly written all over his face.
"Aniki, is it okay to leave him outside?" came Sasuke's worried voice. "It's raining really hard."
"Leave him. He's an eyesore."
"Hey! I heard that! Let me in! It's freaking freezing out here, and I'm soaked down to my briefs."
Itachi leaned his forehead against the wooden door momentarily, feeling a set of eyes on him from behind. Finally, he willed himself to turn around and face Sasuke, who had a concerned look written all over his face.
With a sigh, Itachi pushed himself off the door. "I don't want him anywhere near you," he admitted, a slight crazed look settling into his gaze before it disappeared without a trace.
His Otouto looked at him like he'd grown another head, but Itachi had received that look too often recently to care.
"How about I go make some tea and you let him in so you guys can talk? If you leave him there, the neighbors are going to complain."
"He'll fuck off soon enough."
"No, I won't!"
Sasuke frowned, disapproval written all over his face. "Don't be mean, Aniki. Isn't he your friend?"
Itachi remained silent for a moment before he ultimately relented, defeated by the look on his Otouto's face. "Fine. He can stay for five minutes and then I'm kicking his ass out."
He waited for his baby to disappear into the kitchen before he yanked open the door, dragging the man in by the front of his coat. He locked the door after, slamming the man against it with a hiss. "I told you not to come."
"But I haven't seen your ugly, desperate mug in months," the blond whined. "Why are you so grumpy? Did I interrupt something good?" He waggled his eyebrows, and Itachi released him with a scoff, returning to the living room. The man followed, dropping his bag by the door.
"Hey, I need a favor. I came into town early and I can't check into my hotel until tomorrow morning. I need to stay for the night."
"Over my dead body," Itachi deadpanned.
"Let me stay, or I'm going to start spewing some hefty, embarrassing stories of yours."
"Embarrassing?" A soft voice joined in, causing both men to look in that direction.
"Ah, hey, Sasuke! Long time no see. How goes it?" Kyuubi sent a wave and a grin.
The boy looked between Itachi and Kyuubi, curiosity brimming in his eyes. "I want to hear embarrassing stories about Aniki," he said finally.
Kyuubi's face lit up. "You don't say!"
"Don't you fucking dare," Itachi hissed on the sidelines, anger directed at the blond. Itachii was getting more antsy and irritable with each passing second.
Kyuubi must have realized that Itachi could not do much to him with the boy in the room, and, once it was evident, his cheshire grin grew exponentially.
"How about I exchange some stories for your shower and a night's stay?" he asked Sasuke.
"Deal."
"Hooray!"
H.J.
Like Sasuke said before, Itachi's personality was drastically different when he was with other people. As if someone had flipped the switch, he was more astute, irritable, and impatient with the typical person. In comparison, he was sweet, gentle, and kind to Sasuke.
The boy wondered to what extent did his Aniki realize the extremes of his personality when dealing with different people. He had no interest in pointing it out either, taking on the role as a mere observer in the phenomenon.
Curled up on the couch with his new cup of green tea, he was getting the stink eye from his Aniki next to him. Kyuubi was seated adjacent to them in a single seater nursing his own mug.
"Why do you want to hear embarrassing stories about me?" his Aniki mumbled, annoyance written all over his face.
"So there are embarrassing stories to tell!" Sasuke exclaimed, eyes lighting up. One could call it a sense of thrill.
"Otouto."
Sasuke almost wanted to laugh. The man was almost pouting, the whine in his voice opening up an avenue of rabid curiosity for Sasuke. After all the events his brother put him through, he now had the opportunity to dig some skeletons out of Itachi's very well hidden closet.
"Pay up, Kyuubi," he said, staring intently at the blond as he waited for him to begin.
The man grinned in return, setting his mug down on the coffee table. "Shall we start with the prepubescent years?"
"Yes!"
"NO."
Sasuke looked over at Itachi with a pout and gestured for Kyuubi to go on, which the man happily obliged after receiving another vicious glare from Itachi.
"Okay. Imagine Itachi and Kyuubi: ripe age of eleven," Kyuubi began, eyes glazing over as if reminiscing. "All the boys in class are talking about who their valentine is. It's lunch time, and people are coming and going. This guy's desk is filled with chocolates so we're eating at my desk, right? The most popular girl in school comes up to us, or should I say Itachi, and she's got something tucked behind her.
"She's looking at Itachi, but, of course, he's too busy eating his bento to care. So, this girl pulls out a gigantic heart-shaped box of chocolates from behind her and offers it to him, right? And in the most delicate, cutesy voice she says, 'Will you be my valentine, Itachi-kun?'" Kyuubi's voice turned high-pitched as he mimicked the girl's voice before he broke down and started cackling.
"And you know what this guy says?" he continued, jutting a thumb in Itachi's direction.
"What?" Sasuke responded, at the edge of his seat.
"He says in his usual nonchalant, fuck-off-you-plebeians voice, 'I already have a valentine.' Of course, my jaw dropped because this was news to me and the girl. She gasps like it's the most unbelievable thing in the world, which it really is. Then, Itachi says, 'My valentine is cuter than you.'"
Kyuubi's laughter resonated in the apartment. "Who says that to a girl?!" he screeched, incredulous, amusement seeping through his words.
"The girl finally leaves, and I'm dying to know, so I ask Itachi how he had gotten a valentine without me knowing. And I kid you not. You know what this guy says?"
"Tell me. Tell me."
Kyuubi's eyes flickered between Sasuke's and Itachi's, and, then, in his best impersonation of Itachi, said in a deep, matter-of-fact voice, "Sasuke already asked me this morning, and I said yes."
Sasuke's eyes immediately flickered to his Aniki, and he noticed that the man turned his head away to avoid his prodding gaze, a very faint tinge of pink on the apples of his cheeks.
How loyal and honorable. Honestly, Sasuke was touched.
"You know, speaking of brocons, did you know that Itachi called me a while back crying about how you were going to reject him? I mean, he was so distraught about it, he actually called to tell me about it. I mean, all he talks about is you anyway, so it wasn't that big of a surprise, but it'd be nice if he changed the topic once in a while, you know."
Sasuke blinked twice, his gaze still zeroed in on Itachi, whose head snapped so fast in Kyuubi's direction, he was afraid he'd get whiplash.
"That's enough!" he hissed, rising to his feet.
Sasuke reacted quickly, immediately latching onto his Aniki's hand to stop him from stepping in the blond's direction. Itachi refused to look at him, however, opting to stare daggers at the man across the way as if imagining how to murder him a thousand different ways.
Kyuubi didn't look the least bit miffed as if used to Itachi's temper tantrums.
Sasuke sighed. "Thanks for telling me that story, Kyuubi. Why don't you get some rest for the evening? I laid out a futon for you."
The blond winked and popped up onto his feet. "Sure thing, chibi! I'll tell you more stories another day."
"You wouldn't dare."
Sasuke felt his Aniki's hand jerk in his grip as he tried to advance in the blond's direction, but Kyuubi had already hopped over the couch and moved toward the futon behind it. "Goodnight!" he sang.
"Let's go to bed, too, Aniki," the boy interjected before Itachi had time to react to Kyuubi. Instead of waiting for a response, he tugged his Aniki toward the stairs. The apartment that he lived in was technically a townhouse, with the kitchen and living room on the first story and the master bedroom on the second.
As they got ready for bed, Itachi was surprisingly quiet and kept to himself. Usually, he'd be reaching out to touch Sasuke or helping him in ways that didn't help him at all (such as undressing him), but, this time, he simply brushed his teeth, pulled off his long-sleeved shirt and kept on his black tank top, and left his briefs on before he crawled into bed first.
Sasuke watched with rapt attention. This was an unusual side of Itachi that he'd never experienced before, and his bemused expression gave him away as a pair of dark eyes popped out from under the covers to stare quietly at him.
"You'll get cold during the night if you go to bed like that, Aniki," he said, a pair of matching flannel covering his body. Instead of getting the man to add a layer of clothing, he got an armful of Itachi instead when he climbed into bed.
"Then keep me warm, Otouto," the man mumbled, tucking Sasuke underneath his chin.
"…I didn't think you took me seriously back then," Sasuke mumbled, squirming slightly to get comfortable. "I was only six."
"It's one of my happiest memories."
"Oh. I had no idea."
Silence.
"...Anything else you haven't told me?" the boy prompted, pressing his forehead to Itachi's chest.
"Who knows."
The arms around his body tightened, squishing him against his Aniki's warm body. He waited quietly, listening to the thumping in the man's chest slowly pick up its pace.
"Just tell me no already instead of making me wait," Itachi said, voice sullen.
The statement gave Sasuke a start. For one, he didn't know that awaiting his response was making Itachi so anxious. He also didn't anticipate the negativity associated with his statement as if his Aniki doubted he'd say yes.
"Should I tell you no?"
"No," Itachi said instantly, burrowing his nose into Sasuke's spikes.
"Then, why are you telling me to say that?"
"I don't know. I've never done this before."
Sasuke didn't mean to, but he snorted. "Clearly." A pause. "Will anything change if I say yes?"
"No. I'll love you and protect you like I always have."
"What if, one day, we break up?" he whispered, nuzzling his Aniki's chest.
"Never."
"I'm scared that you'll treat me differently one day if we end things," he admitted.
"Otouto, look at me."
Suddenly, Itachi was on top of him, hovering over his body with hands and knees caging him against the mattress. Long wisps of Itachi's hair hung around them like a silky curtain. Despite his actions, his Aniki's eyes were serious, focused.
"If you say yes, we will never break up. Over my dead body. You can kill me if you really want to get away from me, because, otherwise, I'm never letting you go. And even if you do, I will chase you down in every single lifetime and reestablish myself in your life because that's how much I love you. I will love you over tens of hundreds of lifetimes if you'll have me. Even if I somehow disappear, I will always find my way back to you. Do you understand?"
Sasuke sniffled, rubbing his eyes vehemently. "Why?" he whispered. "Why do you love me so much? What have I done to deserve your love?"
Itachi's gaze softened. "Who else, but you, Sasuke?" He lowered himself to kiss away the tears, punctuating each word with a single peck to the boy's face. "My kind. Sweet. Loving. Beautiful. Thoughtful. Strong-willed. Precious. Otouto."
More tears pooled in Sasuke's eyes, and he broke down in a sob. He hid himself against Itachi's neck, fingers latching onto the man like his life depended on it. Was this what it was like to feel loved? It was a soul-encapsulating feeling.
Enigmatic. Overwhelming. Warm.
"Alright, Aniki…." Sasuke responded. "Yes. Let's go out." He looked to the side, suddenly feeling shy as a blush settled on his face.
His Aniki was beside himself, pulling Sasuke into a kiss so rushed and sloppy that he had a hard time keeping up, especially when a sudden bout of chuckles erupted from the man when their lips were still pressed together.
As if he could not contain his excitement, Itachi stood and picked Sasuke up with him, twirling him around in his arms with a gigantic, blinding grin plastered across his face.
"You've just made me the happiest fucking man alive," Itachi declared.
"Pfft. You act like I just agreed to marry you or something," Sasuke commented, eyes shining with mirth.
A flicker of fire combusted in Itachi's eyes, and Sasuke must have noticed because his face fell a bit.
"Let's get married," Itachi announced.
"You're crazy!" he shrieked, face in flames, and began to wiggle himself out of the man's embrace.
But Itachi refused to let him go, his chest feeling a thousand times lighter than it did in the last few days. He was…. Words could not possibly describe how ecstatic he was currently feeling.
Was it normal to feel this happy?
When Sasuke was finally placed back on his feet, they were both heaving from exertion. The boy allowed himself to fall back onto the mattress with a plop, a small smile playing on his lips. Gone were the uncertain tears and the gloomy mood.
"Hey, Aniki, did you really sell our house in Konoha?"
"..."