Chapter 4: Birthday Bash

Early the next morning, Itachi walked around the downstairs of his home shirtless in a pair of grey sweatpants. He sighed as he walked back and forth in his living room. The phone tightly held to his cheek felt uncomfortable as the small cracks on the screen pressed against his skin. He became frustrated when he's again directed to the voicemail of his brother's phone.

"Kagami, it's me again," he said after a long sigh. "When will you be in town? Call me back."

That was probably his twentieth voicemail to his brother all repeating the same thing. He needed to know why the older brother he respected so much would betray him. He needed to hear the explanation from Kagami's own mouth. If Kagami was seriously considering forgiving that brat for what he did, then... the thought of it alone was impossible.

With a speedy turn towards the kitchen, Itachi ran straight into a tired Sakura. Itachi caught a hold of her arm before she could fall.

"Oh, Itachi, you scared me," she said. "What are you doing up so early?"

"It's Kyuubi's birthday. I plan on making him breakfast."

"Oh." There was a noticeable sense of irritation in the way she said it. "That's very sweet of you. But, I can prepare something special for him. I don't mind."

Itachi gave her an odd look. "Really. You sure you don't mind?"

Sakura chuckled. "No, of course not."

"You sure about that?"

Suddenly, Sakura's nervous from the change in Itachi's tone. She grew more anxious as she looked around nervously. "No, I don't. After all, it's my job to cook for you, sir."

Sakura became nervous when Itachi took a step towards her, then another step. Suddenly, he's too close for her comfort and so she stepped back another step back until she felt the wall behind her. She shut her eyes tightly when Itachi's hand slammed loudly against the wall beside her head.

"Look at me," Itachi demanded. His hand moved underneath Sakura's chin to raise her head until they made eye contact. "I heard you spoke rudely to Kyuubi yesterday. Is that true?"

"I don't-"

"Don't lie to me!"

"Yes, sir," she admitted meekly. "I may have spoken too harshly."

Itachi pressed his lips together. "When you disrespect him, you disrespect me. Would you ever disrespect me, Sakura?"

"No, sir."

Itachi nodded.

"Listen carefully because this is your first and last warning. You will never even think to disrespect him in front of me. If I hear you so much as looked at him the wrong way or said anything remotely impolite to him, you won't just have to worry about losing your job. I promise you it will be much worse than that. Do we have an understanding?"

Sakura appeared pale as if she had seen a ghost. And in that instant, she might as well had because she had never been so terrified in her life.

"Sakura, I asked you a question."

"Yes, sir. I understand."

Itachi moved away, stepping back to allow her entrance to leave. "You are free to go."

The maid looked at him skeptically as she cautiously walked past him. She kept her eyes on the ground as she headed down the corridor to her room. Itachi watched her for a moment before he turned and walked inside his kitchen.

Now came the hard part and then he thought it probably wasn't the best idea to have yelled at Sakura before attempting to make breakfast. Because, truthfully, he had no idea how to even turn on the fucking stove let alone make the gourmet style breakfast he envisioned in his head.

"What have I gotten myself into?"

—

Kyuubi woke up at his usual hour. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was a few minutes past eight. He stretched out his limbs as he yawned. It suddenly dawned on him what day it was and although he wanted to smile as he always did on such a special day, he felt himself unable to do so.

"Happy fucking birthday to me," he mumbled hoarsely to himself.

Suddenly, his ringtone sounded through the room. He reached over and picked up his cellphone off the nightstand. He smiled seeing the picture of his younger brother, Naruto.

"What do you want?"

"Good morning to you too, dickhead," came the raspy voice of his brother. "How are you?"

"Tired."

"Tired?"

Kyuubi could practically hear the smirk in his brother's voice.

"I see you and Itachi have already gotten started on the morning festivities." Naruto teased.

Kyuubi rolled his eyes but he couldn't help but chuckle. "It's not even like that."

He turned and saw the man wasn't even next to him.

"How's mom and dad?" Kyuubi asked as a distraction to himself.

"They miss you."

"Mom usually calls or texts me at exactly twelve so she's always the first one to wish me a happy birthday. But I haven't heard from either her or dad."

"They've been pretty busy doing some work around the house. I'm sure they'll call eventually." Naruto assured him. "Got any plans for the day?"

"Not really."

"Are you okay? You don't sound like yourself."

Of course if anything, Naruto would be the one to notice that something was wrong. But Kyuubi wasn't trying to get into all of that so early in the morning, especially not on his birthday.

"Listen, I gotta hop in the shower. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

"Yeah. Happy birthday, bro."

"Thanks."

"Bye."

Kyuubi hung up the phone. Just as he did the door swung open. He glanced up to see a naked Itachi strolling in wearing only boxers and an apron around his waist with a tray of food in his hands. He was angry at the man, really, really angry. But Kyuubi couldn't help but laugh out loud at the sight before him.

"Happy birthday to you..."

Then it got worse as Itachi started to sing. It would've been cute, romantic even, if he could actually sing. Instead, he sounded like a whale and a dolphin having a fight. One minute he's singing at a high pitch, next minute he's at a low register.

Kyuubi stared at the tray of pancakes, bowl of fruits, and the glass of orange juice placed on the table. "Wow, you are a class act."

"Happy birthday, lover." Itachi leaned forward and kissed Kyuubi's lips.

Kyuubi caressed the sides of Itachi's face when he pulled away. He smiled as he stared into Itachi's big brown eyes. "Only being nice to me cause' it's my birthday?" Kyuubi whispered.

Itachi pecked Kyuubi's lips before he pulled away. "Here, try the food. I made it myself."

"Itachi, you can't cook," Kyuubi said with a small laugh.

Itachi grabbed the tray of food and placed it down over Kyuubi's lap. "Don't laugh at me. I really tried. Look, it looks good, doesn't it?"

Kyuubi glanced down at the food. Though it didn't look like a 5 star meal, it did look decent. He can tell Itachi really tried and he can't help but smile at the sweet gesture.

"It does look good." He was hopeful.

Kyuubi grabbed the gold utensils. He cut out a slice of the 3 stack pancakes glazed over with syrup. He brought a small piece into his mouth. He chewed slowly and as soon as the taste kicked in, he nearly choked from how fast he coughed out the food into his hand.

"Itachi, did you taste this?"

"No. I was too scared." Itachi admitted with a laugh.

"It's salty."

"Must've mixed it up with the sugar."

"I'm not eating this." Kyuubi grabbed a napkin from off the tray to clean his hands.

Itachi grabbed the bowl of fruits."Here, eat the fruits instead."

Kyuubi nibbled on the strawberries as he watched Itachi remove the tray from his lap.

Itachi was by the door when he stopped and turned to his boyfriend. "Get ready and dress comfortably. We're heading out soon."

"Where are we going?"

"To get you some real breakfast and run a few errands."

"What kind of errands?" Kyuubi asked. He wiped some juice from his lips.

"You'll find out. Get ready."

"Okay."

—

The breakfast date was going great, until it wasn't.

"Why do you always have to embarrass me like that? Dragging me out of the restaurant in front of all those people. What is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Itachi asked incredulously. "You were flirting with that guy right in front of me, you fucking whore!"

"I wasn't fucking flirting with him!" Kyuubi retaliated. "I'm not allowed to smile at people now?"

"Shut the fuck up, you fucking slut!"

"Asshole!"

Kyuubi looked around. Just outside the prestige restaurant, he could see the questioning stares, the whispers. Then it hit him, they were loud, really loud, and causing a scene. He sighed as he lowered his head in shame and walked after his boyfriend.

At the parking lot, Itachi was already in the car with the engine roaring. Kyuubi opened the passenger door and slid inside quietly. Right away, Itachi drove off, speeding out of the lot and into the street.

Kyuubi stayed silent for a while until he finally spoke up.

"Don't ever talk to me like that in public again."

"Whatever," Itachi muttered.

"No, it's not whatever. You need to stop. I don't need to remind you that in this relationship, I'm not the one who's fucking unfaithful. That prize is all yours."

Itachi glanced at him. "I saw the way you were looking at him. Smiling and laughing. What the fuck was so funny?"

"It's my birthday and he was being friendly," Kyuubi countered. "It's too damn bad I can't say the same for my own boyfriend."

"Whatever."

"Yeah, whatever." Kyuubi repeated with a roll of his eyes.

For the rest of the ride, he stared out the window and did not say a word. Suddenly, the scenery grew unfamiliar. He thought they were going back to the house and he's annoyed when Itachi instead parked outside of a large high-end retail store.

"Take me home, Itachi," Kyuubi said in a tone that left no room for discussion.

Regardless, Itachi opened the car door and stepped out. "Get out."

"Fuck you."

Itachi slammed the door shut and walked around to the side of Kyuubi's door. He wrenched the door open and leaned his back against it. He softened his tone. "Look, I'm sorry."

"I don't care," Kyuubi exclaimed, not budging from his spot. "Take me home."

Itachi sighed as he lowered his head. He licked over his lips as looked at his boyfriend with pleading eyes.

"I mean it, baby. I'm sorry."

Again, Kyuubi didn't budge.

"Look, I have a really big surprise for you. Can you please just get out."

At this point, Kyuubi wasn't even making eye contact with him anymore. Itachi grew frustrated. He pushed himself off the door and leaning his hand on the hood of the car, leaned into the car so he's close to Kyuubi's face.

"Okay, how about this. Get out of the fucking car or I'll drag you out by your hair." When Kyuubi glared at him, he smiled. "You know I will."

Kyuubi roughly pulled the seatbelt from across his body. "I hate you," he spat as he reluctantly got out the car.

Itachi shook his head as he followed after Kyuubi. Inside the extravagant store, a man approached the couple. He bowed his head as he introduced himself. He stretched out his hand to Kyuubi, and he's bewildered when the man doesn't accept his hand and instead walked past him.

"One of those days." Itachi offered as an excuse.

The man, Hatake, who's an old friend of the Uchiha family accepted the simple excuse. As he left after Kyuubi, another man approached Itachi, whisking him away to a different location within the store.

In the luxurious dressing room, Kyuubi's presented several options of fine suits. His mind is elsewhere, troubled and his emotions are high. He'd rather not be here engaging in whatever Itachi had planned. He accepted whatever suit the man deemed best. As Hatake began to get the affairs in order, Kyuubi suddenly spoke to him for the first time.

"Is there any way I can cut my hair?" he asked.

Hatake raised his brow. "You want to cut your hair?"

"Yeah."

"I have a friend who may be able to assist you. I can give him a call if you don't mind waiting."

Kyuubi shook his head. "I don't."

"If you'll just give me a moment." Hatake bowed and excused himself.

Itachi was finished getting prepared and had been waiting for half an hour at the front of the store. His tall stature looked handsome in a fitted black suit with a black button up underneath, a few buttons left open at the top to give off a more casual look.

Kyuubi was escorted out to meet Itachi by the entrance. Itachi stood up seeing Kyuubi and though he was shocked by what he saw, he hid his emotions behind a blank stare.

Kyuubi looked handsome in a white suit that complimented the vibrant color of his red hair and piercing green eyes. His long hair was gone, clipped short and styled in a manner that fit his face and showed off his angled jaw line. The new look made him appear more masculine, in contrast to his more feminine features.

"Damn, you look good enough to eat," Itachi said, a grin on his face.

His compliment though sincere was harshly rejected as Kyuubi walked past him without a word. Itachi exchanged goodbyes with the men before hurriedly leaving after Kyuubi. He was just able to catch Kyuubi and reach for his arm.

Kyuubi spun around and raised his arm but Itachi reacting quickly was able to step back and catch Kyuubi's hand mid air before it could struck his face.

"Don't be stupid," Itachi warned while still maintaining a strong grip on Kyuubi's hand.

"Get your hands off me." Kyuubi wrenched his hand free. "You don't get to disrespect me and act like everything is okay. Not anymore."

Itachi watched as Kyuubi walked to the car. He unlocked the car and they both slid in. The drive was painfully quiet and within about fifteen minutes, they had arrived at a large event center. Itachi exited first and walked around to open Kyuubi's door. He offered his hand as an escort and again, he was ignored as Kyuubi wordlessly stepped out and walked away. Itachi met him by the entrance where they were greeted and escorted inside.

The inside was grand and magnificent. It appeared to be holding several events at the same time. The couple were escorted to a waiting room where they were left alone. Itachi pulled out his phone and typed a short message. He waited until he received a text back before pocketing his phone.

"Can I hold your hand?"

"Don't touch me." Kyuubi stood a few feet away from him.

Itachi sighed. "Can you at least follow me then?"

Kyuubi followed a distance behind Itachi as he strolled out of the room. They walked down a corridor until they reached a large double door. Itachi opened the door and Kyuubi stepped inside the dark room. He looked around but could barely make out anything and then the nerves kicked in.

"What are you-?"

"Surprise!" The room erupted.

Cheers and shouts resonated as the lights sprung on revealing a great number of guests all dressed in beautiful, elegant attires. Kyuubi looked around, eyes wide as faces of family members and friends became familiar. He turned to the man beside him, completely at a loss for words.

"When did you do this?" he asked. His heartbeat was still racing.

"I planned it a few weeks ago," Itachi replied.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"That's the whole point of a surprise party."

"You didn't have to do this. I don't want this."

Itachi frowned. "Do you know how much fucking money and time I devoted into this?"

"And I guess that's all that fucking matters." Kyuubi turned to leave but was caught by Itachi's harsh grip.

Itachi quickly leaned down and kissed Kyuubi. Around them, the guests clapped and cheered them on. Itachi pulled away, held onto Kyuubi tighter as he tried to pull away.

"Let go," Kyuubi protested.

"Don't cause a fucking scene," Itachi growled, all while keeping the appearance of a happy couple. "Look, I know I can be an asshole sometimes. I know I can be hard to love at times. I don't deserve you." He cupped Kyuubi's face, forced him to keep eye contact. "You're the most important person in my life, Kyuubi. I want you to understand that. I want you see that."

"By throwing me a surprise party?" Kyuubi felt himself shaking, that's how angry he was.

"No, by doing little things I hope will make you smile, will make you happy. I could've been selfish and just kept you to myself today. But, I organized this event, invited your friends and family. I did all this for you."

"So that makes it okay for how you've treated me all day?"

Itachi stepped back. "No, it doesn't. I'm sorry. I need to be more mindful of the way I speak to you. You didn't deserve any of that. I'm man enough to know when I'm wrong and when to apologize."

"This is bullshit. You don't even believe half of what you're saying." Kyuubi turned to walk away, stopping when his arm was again grabbed and he's pulled into a hug.

"What does it matter whether I mean it or not. You knew the kind of person I was before you got with me. Your friends knew, your family knew, and they still encouraged you to be with me. You think they give a damn if you're happy? You gave them access to luxuries they could never experience in their wildest dreams. Are you going to deny them all of that over a stupid fight over a fucking waiter?"

Itachi glanced up and saw Naruto approaching. He loosened his grip around Kyuubi, smiled warmly. "Shut the fuck up and play the happy couple like we always do. Don't be selfish."

"Alright, alright, that's enough. Can't keep him all to yourself, Itachi," Naruto chuckled. With a smile, he pulled his brother into a hug. "Happy birthday, big bro! Were you surprised?"

"Did you not see my face?" Kyuubi chuckled.

"Yeah, you looked like you were about to kill someone. I'm like is he happy or angry, whats going on?"

"No, I'm very happy." Kyuubi forced himself to smile wider, desperately holding back the tears.

"What the hell?" Naruto reached up and touched Kyuubi's hair. "When did you cut your hair?"

"Today," Kyuubi answered. "You like it?"

"Do I like it? It's about damn time."

Kyuubi nudged him playfully. "Shut up."

Naruto then moved over and hugged Itachi. "Hi Itachi. I can't believe you pulled this off."

"Thanks to you."

Kyuubi looked oddly between them. "Naruto, you were a part of this?"

"I was in charge of getting everyone together," he said proudly. "But, Itachi planned the whole charade. He covered expenses, transportation, everything. You are so lucky to have such a caring boyfriend, Kyuu."

Kyuubi did his best to conceal the sadness in his eyes. To everyone on the outside, he and Itachi's relationship was practically rainbows and sunshine, and that was the facade Kyuubi always felt forced to uphold. If not, he risked everything exploding in his face.

"Yeah, I'm the luckiest person in the world." The sarcasm goes unnoticed by his brother.

Itachi, on the other hand, clearly understood the underlying message and he frowned.

"Come on." Naruto grabbed his brother's hand. "Mom and dad are dying to see you. Come say hi too, Itachi."

Itachi was quick to turn down the offer. "I need to attend to my friends, first. I'll come greet them later on, if that's okay with you."

Naruto continued to pull his brother. "Not a problem at all. Whenever you're ready."

Itachi watched the brothers walk across the room where he watched the parents happily embrace their son. He kept his eyes on the happy family for a moment before tearing his eyes away and heading to the opposite side of the room where his friends were mingling.

"Well, if it isn't the big man of the hour," Hidan greeted with a laugh. He opened his arms, embracing a more reluctant Itachi who simply gave him a pat on the back.

"Wouldn't the man of the hour be the actual birthday boy?" Deidara said from the side. He sipped his champagne.

"Always have to ruin the fun, don't you?" Itachi mocked him.

Deidara raised his glass to him. "It's always good to see you too, Itachi."

"Enough with the boring talk," Hidan drawled. "Now that you're finally here, let's get some shots in."

The three made their way to the small bar not too far from them. It's there they rendezvoused with the rest of the boys who were already partaking in some of the liquor. Hidan ordered a few rounds as they conversed and laughed with one another.

"How's your father, Hidan?" Itachi asked suddenly in a serious tone.

Hidan slammed the shot glass down when he's finished. "Pop's doing just fine."

"How's the investigation going?"

Hidan stepped forward and wrapped a long arm around Itachi's shoulder.

"The investigation's been done with for a while now. There was nothing to find out. No evidence. Look, I seriously could've messed up our whole organization, I get that. Pop's gave me a few slaps and that was it."

"If you ask me, he didn't give you enough," Kakazu voiced from the side. He was another one of Itachi's childhood friends and the oldest in the group. His father was an elite lawyer, and the one who often represented Hidan's family.

"Well, then, I guess it's a good thing no one asked you." Hidan gestured a gun with his hand and pointed it at Kakazu's head before making a gunshot noise. He laughed while everyone just rolled their eyes at his childishness. "Okay, I need another drink."

"No way. No more drinks for you." Deidara moved towards Hidan and gave the bartender a stern look. "Don't serve him anymore drinks."

The man nodded.

Hidan took a step forward, only to stumble and had to grab Deidara's arm for support. "Aww, you're no fun."

"Behave. Don't make a scene here, Hidan. You hear me?" Itachi warned.

"Yeah, yeah. Pipe down, I hear you." Hidan straightened himself as he combed his silver hair back with his hand. "By the way, when do we get to meet the birthday boy?"

As if on cue, Kyuubi approached the boisterous group of friends.

"Itachi," he called softly. "My parents want to say hi."

Itachi placed his glass down as he wiped the corner of his lips with the back of his hand.

"Hi," Hidan greeted.

Kyuubi turned his head when he felt a sudden presence behind him. He looked up to see a beautiful man with white, silver hair and a wide grin. He looked Japanese but at the same time foreign. He was also tall like Itachi, all of them were tall, which made Kyuubi feel even more shorter than he actually was. He was of average height but compared to these guys, he was a small fry.

"Hey," Kyuubi greeted back awkwardly. He unconsciously shrunk back into Itachi's side, already been scolded for flirting with a guy just by talking to him.

"My name's Hidan. You've probably heard of me. I'm a good friend of Itachi's." Hidan eagerly reached over and grabbed Kyuubi's hand in a handshake. "Itachi talks a lot about you. But, he likes to keep his treasures to himself and wouldn't let us meet you. I guess now I can see why. You're stunning."

Kyuubi recognized his name immediately. It was the name he saw on Itachi's phone, and now he had a face to match the name.

"I like your hair," Hidan complimented. "In the pictures I've seen of you, it was much longer."

"Oh, uh, I decided on a whim to cut it today. I wanted a new look."

"Well, it looks good on you, Kyuubi." Deidara chimed in. He opened his arms and Kyuubi eagerly embraced him. "You look absolutely breathtaking tonight, Kyuubi."

Kyuubi smiled shyly. "You're making me blush."

"Have you had your first legal drink yet?" Deidara asked him.

Kyuubi shook his head. "I'm not really a fan of alcohol."

Deidara smiled. "That makes the two us."

As the introductions furthered on, Itachi felt somewhat irritated. Too many questions were being asked regarding their relationship and Kyuubi was too quick to answer them.

"Really, he's that jealous?" Kisame asked with a laugh.

Kyuubi liked his laugh, it was contagious. He found himself laughing as well.

"I don't blame him," Hidan said, seductively eyeing Kyuubi up and down as if Itachi wasn't there. "If you were mine, you wouldn't be able to leave the house."

And that was all it took.

"Alright, that's enough." Itachi pulled Kyuubi by the waist and dragged him away. At a safe distance he peered down at his smiling boyfriend. "What the hell is so funny?"

Kyuubi looked up at him. "Your friends are nice. How did I get the bad apple of the bunch?"

"That's funny?"

"It's a joke."

"So you're a jokester now?" Itachi said bitterly.

"Come on, don't be angry. I was just-"

"Flirting with Deidara and now you got jokes."

Kyuubi stopped in his tracks, his blood boiling. "How fucking insecure are you?"

Itachi aggressively stepped towards him and leaning down beside him, whispered softly in his ears. "I'm already in a bad mood, Kyuubi. Don't fucking push it."

Kyuubi hid his frown when they reached his parents. He reintroduced Itachi to them with a smile and forced enthusiasm, doing well to maintain the mirage of a happy couple. After all, his first introduction of Itachi to his parents hadn't gone well, and it was clear tensions were still high, especially with Minato, Kyuubi's father.

"Glad you both could make it to the party," Itachi said formally.

"You look as handsome as ever." Kushina, Kyuubi's mother, hugged and kissed Itachi on the cheek.

"How are you doing, son?" Minato shook his hand.

"Itachi," Itachi corrected the man with a firm yet respectful tone. "I'm not your son. I'd prefer it if you just call me by my name."

Minato looked at his son and Kyuubi averted his eyes from his father to look down at his shoes. Kushina cleared her throat awkwardly and the atmosphere was suddenly more tense than before.

After a while, Minato spoke up. "It means a great deal that you did all of this for our son. We are very grateful."

"It's nothing at all, to me at least," Itachi said. He looked down at Kyuubi with a smile. "I love your son. Little things like this is the least I can do to show my love for him."

"Either way, it was very kind of you," Kushina added.

They stood in silence, both parents sipped their drinks. Then, Naruto said loudly.

"Oh Itachi, Kyuubi. I've been meaning to tell you something."

Kushina placed her hand on her son's shoulder. "Oh yes, Kyuubi. Your brother has been seeing a nice young man."

"Honey, I think Naruto wants to tell him himself," Minato said.

"You're seeing someone?" Kyuubi chuckled. "Aren't you too young?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "It might be a little weird for you both at first but, I really do like him and I hope you two can accept our relationship."

Kyuubi and Itachi exchanged looks.

"Why would it be weird for us?" Kyuubi asked.

Suddenly, Naruto's phone vibrated. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and looked at the screen.

"Actually, he's just pulling in. Wait here, I'll go bring him inside." Naruto rushed away.

With no further words left to exchange, Itachi returned to his friends while Kyuubi finally decided to go greet his own group of friends. As he approached them by the appetizer table, they whistled at him, teasing him as they pretended to take pictures with their hands.

"Well, if it isn't the rich descending down from mount high to mingle with the commoners." Saiken was one of Kyuubi's closest friends. He looked Kyuubi up and down, practically drooling as he bit the corner of his lip. "Damn Kyuu, you look good."

"Shut up." Kyuubi laughed, punching him on the arm.

He didn't mind the hungry look in those blue eyes. After all, he was well aware of Saiken's affection and feelings towards him.

"You cut your hair." Yugito was the only girl in the group and she was Kyuubi's best friend. "Good. Now, you actually look like a man."

Kyuubi looked at her. "Too bad you look more like a man than I do."

The two began exchanging small hits and shoves, laughing to themselves when their little banter was broken up.

"I'm surprised you're here, Shukaku," Kyuubi said with a chuckle. "'Mr. I'm too busy' actually had time for my little party?"

Shukaku walked over and wrapped an arm around Yugito's waist. "This one here would kill me if I didn't show up."

Yugito kissed his cheek. "You damn right, I will."

The group of friends laughed, wide smiles on all their faces as they caught up. Spring break was almost over and soon they would all be back on campus.

"Hey." Yugito suddenly said in an awkward tone. "Listen, I know I'm not really a fan of your relationship with that guy but it was really sweet of him to do this for you."

Kyuubi chuckled. "Wow, that must take a lot from you to say."

"He's just so full of himself. Not to mention the violence." She tried to explain. "But, I can see he makes you really happy and as long as he is treating you well, I'll back off."

Kyuubi nodded.

"How about a dance, Kyuu?" Saiken said with his hand stretched out.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

"Oh come on, it's bad enough you broke my heart. It's just one dance."

"Sure, why not?"

Saiken whisked Kyuubi away to the middle of the room where they danced slowly to the soft music being played. The guests continued to talk among themselves while some had stopped to watch the two.

Saiken held Kyuubi by the waist, his hand in hand with Kyuubi's as they swayed back and forth. They were closely embraced.

"This feels nice," Kyuubi whispered.

Saiken pulled back to look at him. "You smell so good."

Kyuubi laughed as he slapped him on the arm. "Don't get any ideas."

Saiken smiled. "I can see why you chose rich boy over me."

"I didn't choose him for his money," Kyuubi mumbled as he cuddled into Saiken's body.

"Is he treating you good?"

Kyuubi fell silent for a moment. "Yeah."

Saiken heard the hesitation. "You don't sound very convincing."

Kyuubi pulled back from Saiken. Still hand in hand, he peered across the room to see Itachi's eyes on him, his lips in a tight frown.

"Every relationship has its problems."

Saiken followed Kyuubi's eyes to Itachi's. "Don't tell me lover boy is jealous." He laughed.

"We should stop now," Kyuubi said as he pulled himself free from Saiken. They began to head back to their friends.

Suddenly, Kyuubi froze. "Oh no."

Saiken looked down at him, and it was as if Kyuubi had seen a ghost. "What's the matter?"

Kyuubi was quick to turn his eyes to Itachi's direction. He saw the dangerous change in his eyes as pure rage took over him.

Suddenly, commotion!

Pure terror was etched onto Kyuubi's face as he watched Itachi's friends struggle to restrain and hold him back. It was as if time had stopped, the room watched in shock as an enraged Itachi was dragged out of the room.

"What the hell is going on?" Saiken asked frantically as he watched the chaotic scene. From his side, he saw Kyuubi rush away from him. "What the hell?"

—

Outside the hall, the friends did their best to try and calm Itachi. They watched as he paced back and forth, rigid, agitated, and beyond pissed off.

"And he was telling me not to make a scene." Hidan scoffed. He stood outside the room where Itachi was currently being held.

"Shouldn't we go make sure the guests are okay?" Kisame said. He stood beside Hidan.

"Shit, you're right." Hidan stepped forward. "Alright, you stay here in case they need extra support. I'll go check on the guests."

Inside the room, Deidara did his best to control Itachi. He's usually the peace maker. The only one that could reach Itachi when he was like this. But this time, he was having some trouble.

"Watch him." Deidara directed sternly to Kakazu. He stepped out the room to find Kisame standing there alone.

"Where's Hidan?"

"Checking on the guests."

"Kisame, Hidan's drunk. For all we know, he's probably making the situation worse."

Deidara stepped back inside the room. "Kakazu, go make sure Hidan's behaving."

Likewise to Deidara and Itachi's relationship, Kakazu was the only one who could keep Hidan in order. Just as Kakazu was running down the hall, Kyuubi came running down to meet Deidara outside the hall.

"Dei, how is he?" Kyuubi asked frantically.

He's answered by a loud clash of objects falling and a string of curses coming from the room just behind Deidara.

"You shouldn't be here, Kyuubi. Go back, we'll take care of him."

"I didn't know he was going to be here. I really didn't know," Kyuubi said frantically.

"Shh, it's okay." Deidara calmed him. "No one knew. Now go back, your parents are probably worried."

Kyuubi looked at the door behind Deidara. "Can I talk to him?"

"You're crazy." Deidara eagerly dismissed the idea.

"Please, I can calm him down. Let me try."

"Absolutely not."

Kyuubi was desperate. "Stand outside. If you hear anything alarming, you can rush in. I'll- I'll scream if he does anything."

"Do you remember what he did to you the last time he was like this?"

Kyuubi nodded. "This time, it'll be different. Like you said, he's changing."

Deidara wasn't convinced, but he too grew desperate as the loud screams and clashes of chairs continued from inside the room.

"If I hear him so much as raise his voice at you, I'm coming in."

Kyuubi nodded. "Okay."

Deidara clenched his jaw as he moved aside and Kyuubi went in. He kept his eyes firm on the door and his ears open. Kisame stood beside him.

Suddenly, Kakazu came running towards them.

"Hey, the kid's refusing to leave," Kakazu informed.

"Damn it, Sasuke!" Deidara was frustrated. He turned to Kisame. "If you hear anything troubling, you go inside and you stop him, you hear me?"

When the man assured him, Deidara ran down the hall with Kakazu running by his side.

—

By the time everything was settled, Deidara returned, heart racing and eyes full of concern. He's reassured and there's a sense of relief washing over him when he sees Kisame still by the door.

"They're still inside?" Deidara asked frantically.

"Yeah, but it's been pretty quiet for a while," Kisame responded.

Deidara eagerly swung the door open. Inside, he saw Kyuubi on the floor cradling a crying Itachi in his arms. Deidara knelt down directly beside the pair, his eyes instantly fell over Kyuubi.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Kyuubi looked up at him. "Yeah," he whispered.

Deidara frowned. "Your lip is busted."

Kyuubi touched the corner of his lip that was bleeding. "I was trying to keep him still. He, uh, might have accidentally elbowed me."

"Is that all he did?" Deidara could see the irregularity in his breathing.

"Yeah, it's nothing."

Deidara doesn't say anything else. He helped his friend to his feet, only to be brushed off as Itachi stormed out of the room.

"Go after him. Try to keep him from leaving. I'll take him to my place for the night so I can keep an eye on him," Deidara said to Kisame.

The man nodded and hurried after Itachi.

Inside the room, Deidara saw Kyuubi barely able to stand up straight. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing. I'm okay." Kyuubi breathed out, his face twisted in pain as he turned his back to Deidara.

"I can see you wincing every time you take in a breath. Lift up your shirt."

Kyuubi shook his head. "I'm alright."

"Kyuu-"

"Dei, just drop it." Kyuubi swallowed down the lump in his throat. "Just make sure he's okay."

Deidara frowned as Kyuubi walked past him. "Where are you going?"

"Home."

Deidara's stomach turned. "Damn it, Kyuubi."

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This was a tough one to write. Thanks for reading. Leave reviews.