Title: you know better than that
Summary: It was the first time he'd seen his brother this way—but he couldn't let it go on.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Prompt: Misguided
Rating: K
Warning(s): LOTR!AU. Prequel to the smut, but there's no sexiness in here. Only angst and minor fluff.
Comments: NEVER GONNA GET TIRED OF WRITING THIS STUPID AMAZING AU MEEP.

Itachi notices it the moment they are safe, as he turns and sees them stumble out of the mine caves after him.

The way he hovers around her shaking, breathless form, ignoring the wound that he is sure feels scathingly painful, eyes set on the pink haired dwarf with such worry and care that he almost feels like he is intruding something he is not supposed to be seeing in the first place. And when she looks at him with kind eyes and a reassuring, weak smile, whispering something about being alright, he feels himself falter.

Because this thing between them, that they are likely not aware of, it's—it's mutual.

His mouth parts a little when he watches his little brother straighten his back, shifting his weight to his left leg while he winces a bit, with barely more than a grimace. But his gaze is still set on the exhausted dwarven girl, carefully surveying her every move, as if making sure that she is well and truly fine on her own.

This isn't like Sasuke to let his guard down, to show his emotions so fully, so freely, even in the aftermath of such a life-threatening battle. He is the embodiment of controlled apathy, a perfect elven warrior, trained at a very young age by their very own father in the art of archery, agility, and mastery of emotions. Itachi had always been their father's favorite, and Sasuke had always sought to prove himself—and in the process, he had become their elven clan's most regarded warrior.

To this day, he has never seen his little brother lose control.

That is, until now.

Something like a smile tugs at his Sasuke's lips, then, when she grasps her broad axe and shifts to her feet, groaning a little. He seems pleased with her ability to push herself onwards even when her body demands rest.

Sasuke has always admired fighters, he thinks to himself. Then, he frowns a bit. I always knew the first girl you'd fall for would be a warrior, little brother. But I never thought it would be a dwarf. Eyes narrowing sadly, Itachi nearly sighs. Oh, Sasuke. You stupid, hopeless boy.

"Let's take a quick break," he hears Naruto holler out, his brow noticeably damp with sweat as he continues to support a half-conscious Kakashi. They'd almost lost the wizard in the fight against the guardian of the dwarven mine caves-he'd pushed himself to his very limit to save them all. But Naruto was Naruto, and he never was the kind to leave anyone behind.

Tilting his head forward, Itachi acquiesces softly, shifting his gaze back to the other two. Sasuke's eyes are already upon him, and he looks a bit surprised towards his easy agreement. He knows why—their father had taught them long ago that there was to be no resting near their last battle ground until they had found some place they knew to be safe. But his attention easily sways back to the girl at his side as she plops back on a rock and groans, ripping away her spiked helmet with a heavy pant before rifling through the pack attached to her side.

"Up," she says to him after a moment, gesturing to his bloodied shirt.

"It's nothing," his little brother tries to reply, shrugging off the arrow quiver from his back to check for damaged ends. He chucks away one of them with a busted fletching, before nodding in satisfaction at the rest and slinging the bag back across his shoulder blades. "You should tend to that leg, instead, Sakura." He turns to his bow, next. It is obvious that he is trying to downplay his injury. "We're moving in a few minutes."

"Nothing more than a minor sprain," she replies softly, finally drawing out the medical sutures from her pack. "You, on the other hand—you're bleeding pretty bad."

"It can wait," he says calmly.

"Stupid elf," she chided, looking tender. She is so obviously smitten by Sasuke that Itachi feels his chest tighten for the impending heartbreak that he knows is to come someday soon. Even the dwarven girl seems to have forgotten the forever present violent hate and intensive discord between their two races.

With a teasing smile, she whispers to his little brother, "Come on, just lift up your shirt. It won't take long."

He expels a long, slow breath when Sasuke finally relents, watching him sliding his bow carefully to his side before he pushes back the cape on his shoulders and tugs his shirt out of the way, swallowing subtly as Sakura leans forward, bracing one elbow on his thigh while she worked on cleaning his wound and stitching him shut. He sees a conflicted look burning within those dark eyes as his little brother proceeds to stare at the dwarven girl as she works.

But when Sasuke leans back on his hands, mouth twisting in a restrained grimace every now and then, he finally manages to catch his gaze. He looks almost surprised and taken aback, but something solemn takes over when Itachi nods at him and jerks his head back a little—a sign to get going.

He knows something is up.

"We need to get moving," Sasuke finally announces once Sakura is done sewing him up. He gives a light nod of gratitude towards the girl, before rearranging his shirt and grasping his bow, taking light steps towards his elven brother. "It won't be long before the orcs find a way to get here."

Sakura nods at him in complete understanding. However when he looks at Naruto, he finds him hesitating to do so. His mouth opens in a half protest, but when he feels the wizard at his side squeezing his shoulder and shaking his head, he shuts his mouth and agrees as well. Sasuke nods to himself, satisfied, and proceeds to finally join his side.

He says nothing, but Itachi knows from his little brother's tense shoulders and tight jaw, that he is expecting important words.

Tilting his head a little, he manages a tiny smile. "You did well," he tells him, his tone filled with familial affection and pride. He keeps his gaze on Sasuke's small gathering of strange, traveling friends. "Fought like the true elven warrior you are. Father would be proud."

He sees the tension ease in him, as if he is relieved. Itachi fights not to let a frown to his lips.

"How long until we reach home?" Sasuke asks, turning his head to look at him. "Do father and mother know we're coming?"

"We'll be there by the fall of this night," he replies, nodding towards the start of the sunset. "And yes, they know all about your little friends."

Sasuke nods in assent, and opens his mouth to likely murmur some words of gratitude, but his attention is immediately taken by Sakura as she laughs quietly at something Naruto says. Itachi shakes his head in surrender when he notices the way his brother's mouth parts in awe, the affection in his eyes so blatant and strong that it makes him grimace.

He has to put him back on the right track again, before it's too late-no matter how much it pains him to shatter his first real and ever dream. He cannot let his beloved brother continue on this misguided path, where he will only end up alone and inconsolable. Sasuke's duty was to his family—his father always saw to that. Falling in love with a dwarf would only get him thrown out.

With careful hesitation and a tight throat, Itachi opens his mouth and says, "Forget about it, Sasuke."

The elf in question stiffens in reply, and out of the corner of his eye, he can see his fists clenching a bit. He knows then, that this is exactly what he has been fearing.

"…I don't know what you're talking about," Sasuke eventually replies, throwing a bland stare his way.

"You and her… it can't happen," Itachi murmurs, contrite. He shakes his head again, giving him a remorseful look. "She's a dwarf. You're an elf." His eyes draw themselves to the dwarven girl again, as she gives a shout and waves at them. It pains him to have to do this to the both of them. "You know the rules, little brother. You can't marry anyone out of the elven clan." He pauses to look at him again. "Especially not a dwarf."

Sasuke doesn't say anything, but his jaw is noticeable tighter. And when Sakura calls out to them again, exclaiming some happy cry about catching on and guiding them to their elven home, he can see the flickers of deep, hurt. He can see the crushing reality settling in once again, the hopes being torn down.

He can see him silently and wistfully saying goodbye.

"…I know."

Nodding, Itachi continues, "Then I can expect you to—"

With a low growl, Sasuke interrupts and moves past him, but not before he spits out dismissively, "Áva sorya."

He feels his heart clench then, sadness flooding in at the ache in his little brother's voice, despite his apparent harshness. Fist clenching a bit, Itachi watches him make his way towards the others with a heavy heart, unable to ignore the way Sasuke's jaw clenches when Sakura turns to him with a blinding smile. The confusion and brief disappointment that washes over her face at this only makes the feeling worsen.

Exhaling a breath full of quiet repentance, Itachi murmured, "I always do, little brother."

(And even when he can see him building his walls, once again, even when he watches him prepare himself to push her away, to distance himself from this girl who tore everything down, who almost ruined everything, locking away his heart to replace with logic and duty…

He can see: it's already too late.)

A/N: I'm so in love with this AU I can't even begin to tell you. Anyway, so, I hope this somehow clears up the dynamics of the smut. How it's not just them hating each other cause of their races—that's never really been a problem for them. It's because Sasuke became a jerk because he couldn't let himself be any more misguided and he believed the best way to handle that was to push them all away and stop being so darn friendly and concerned. More on that in future drabbles.

Oh, and

Áva sorya = Don't worry.

I'm technically not pleased by the way this turned out at all, but I'm hard on myself so maybe I'm wrong...

DeepPoeticGirl