Plushie Stickynote: I know ya'll waited a while for that. My bad. I've had a lot happening this last month and yeah. I've hardly had any time to do much writing, but here you are! New chapter and I've started the next one already. It's well underway so the next update should be fairly soon. Please be patient with me. ;-; Thank you
Warning: It's YAOI people! Boy x Boy action! Sexual action! So if it makes you uncomfortable, I'll have to please ask that you click the little red 'x' at the top right-hand corner of your window. I don't like homophobes! Thank you
Please enjoy!
XXXXXX
Awating Conviction
XXXXXX
The captain's office was atrocious.
Sasuke closed the door behind him once he had entered, training his eyes on the man seated behind the large desk, off towards the back of the room.
As he walked into the center, he absorbed the messiness of it. Pictures and posters hung hazardously all over the walls, held up by a mixture of duct tape and multi-colored tacks. The walls were colored a disgusting shade of blue and a few chairs were littered around. The room looked like a war zone with papers all over the place, stacked high, and about to fall over the edge of the decaying desk.
He could swear he saw a glimpse of something rotting as he leaned closer to grab the other mans attention. He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the musty smell that permeated through the room.
All was quiet.
He walked another step forward and coughed.
Nothing happened.
No greeting, not even a glance in his direction. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. The small orange book that rested comfortably in the other man's hand was holding all of his attention.
It would have been intimidating to have the man, who one could only guess was the captain, completely ignore him if he wasn't so intimidating himself. Sasuke glared holes into the book blocking his view of the silver-haired man's face, and stood in place, waiting for acknowledgement. He didn't have all day, but he wasn't going to take any crap from cops. Not on this case.
Kakashi sighed. Great. A lawyer. "May I help you?" Sparing more words to the man standing in the middle of his office then he would have liked to, Kakashi flipped a page in his book and continued to read.
Smirking, Sasuke walked up to the desk, happy to have won that little match, and placed his briefcase at his feet. He then laid his hands flat on top of the desk, papers shifting slightly under them.
"I'd like to request criminal records on a certain man. If you could be so kind as to get them for me?" Sasuke asked in a voice that faked respect with a hint of attitude.
Lowering his book, Kakashi sent the smug attorney a cheerful grin and leaned back in his seat, throwing the book carelessly onto the desk, narrowly missing a tower of important files. Sasuke braved a glance down and noticed the name of the book with slight disinterest.
Icha Icha Paradise? Typical. Most cops were perverts.
Sasuke's eyes snapped back up, hearing the captain's voice, demanding attention. "I'd love to help you sir, but I'm an officer of the law and as such, I can't reveal files on anyone without a court order and such. I'm sure you know all the rules. So if you'll please excuse me, I'm rather busy." Kakashi let his grin widen as he dismissed the raven-haired attorney, knowing it was annoying him.
Oh that was it! Today was not the day to be playing dumb with Uchiha Sasuke!
"Cut the crap, Kakashi. You know that's bullshit so give me the damn files so I can leave this disgusting place." Sasuke snapped, fed up. The game was only cute for a little bit, but now, it was time for business. He didn't have time to waste.
"Aw. C'mon now, Sasuke. You know you love me." Kakashi rose from his desk and walked over to the door, opening it and motioning for the younger man to follow him.
Grunting, Sasuke sent the man a glare and followed him out of the room. "No, I really don't." he replied.
"Don't be like that. It's unbecoming of an inspiring litigator to be." Kakashi replied.
With Sasuke in tow, the captain lead them through a maze of hallways, humming to himself. Sasuke ignored him and looked around, wrinkling his nose for the second time that day. This place had to be the sole reason he was a lawyer and not a cop right now.
"So, how's Itachi doing?" Kakashi asked after a while, turning another corner, Sasuke close behind.
The raven narrowed his eyes. "Please stop forcing me to listen to your annoying voice any more than I have to, and walk faster, dammit. I might catch something if I'm here too long and don't think I won't sue you for it."
"Don't get your panties in a bunch, princess, we're here." Kakashi stopped in front of a door marked 'Storage' and let them in with a swipe of his ID card.
Sasuke grumbled to himself and glared, unhappy at having the other mock him about his first murder case and continuously taking jabs at him for his appearance. "Shut up, pervert, and just get me the files."
"Fine, fine. No need to act so grumpy. Now, who am I looking up again?" the masked man asked, scanning the crowded room.
"Uzumaki, Naruto." Sasuke replied, crossing his arms.
"Oh?" Kakashi inquired, opening an old-looking file cabinet. "So you were put on this one, huh? And here I thought Itachi was taking this one. It's going to be pretty big. I wonder what he's thinking." He rummaged around, gliding his finger over tabs of colorfully labeled folders.
Frowning, Sasuke sent the police captain a filthy look and growled. "Are you questioning my ability to handle murder cases, Kakashi?" He better not have been, because if he was, Sasuke was so sure in his ability to try a murder case he'd kill the pervert right here and now.
"Not at all, Sasuke, but as I said, this is going to be a hard case and I'm curious as to why your brother would have your first case be so difficult." Making a small noise of discovery, Kakashi pulled out a thick folder and handed it to the raven, smiling encouragingly. "But then again, you've got to start somewhere."
Sasuke chose to ignore him, grabbing the file as Kakashi continued, unperturbed.
"Still, I think this is a little too tough for you. Naruto's case is delicate. He's been in trouble before, but nothing like this. I suspect that this is going to gain a lot of heat considering that the victim was an informant for a rival gang that he's been having some trouble with." Kakashi sighed and with a flourish, patted the raven on the back heavily, grinning as he did so. "Good luck rookie. You'll need it."
"Ha. Ha. Thanks for your oh-so-helpful words." Sasuke scowled and opened the folder, skimming the pages with new interest.
"Oh Sasuke. You thought I was trying to be helpful? You poor boy you, you're becoming delusional." Letting out a throaty chuckle, Kakashi walked back out of the room, waiting for Sasuke to do the same before locking it behind him with an audible 'click'.
Letting the comment drop, he followed Kakashi back towards the office. "If you're so worried about this kid, why aren't you on the case?" Sasuke asked, eyeing the contents of the file with a curious look.
"I've got my best men working on it. I don't think they need my help." Kakashi grinned, allowing his pride to be heard clearly.
"You always were useless, Kakashi." Sasuke quipped.
"Ouch. That hurts right here, Sasuke." Kakashi placed a hand over his heart dramatically and Sasuke rolled his eyes at the captain's antics, not amused.
"If you could quit acting like a girl for a second, may I ask why there isn't a picture of the kid in here?" The raven haired attorney smacked the folder in Kakashi's face, feeling highly agitated at having to deal with such idiocy again and again.
Kakashi jumped and clutched at his face, crying out indignantly. "Itai! Why is everyone hitting me in the face today? I'm just doing my job like a good man and you're all abusing me!"
As he continued to ramble about ungrateful brats abusing him for a few minutes, Sasuke's eye developed a twitch. Looking down at his watch, he growled. No time to listen to this idiot babble.
"Kakashi!" The other man halted mid-sentence and looked down at his companion questioningly. Sasuke sighed. "As riveting as you've made this visit, could you answer my damn question so I can get out of here? I do have other places I'd rather be."
"Hmm..? Oh, I guess Naruto must have taken them out." Kakashi shrugged and started back towards his office, his "abused" rant forgotten.
"Sorry. I didn't set my brain to 'moron' this morning. Could you explain how the kid got in there to do that, and why would he even want to?" Sasuke asked, on his last nerve by now. Why did everything in this place have to be so stupid? It was irritating him and he couldn't claim to enjoy the feeling very much.
"Well my dear, wannabe lawyer, Naruto is like family here so he's pretty much allowed anywhere. He's Iruka's godson, don't you know?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow, about to comment when Kakashi interrupted. "Yes, I know it's against regulations, but then again, both of us have never been good with following the rules, have we?" It was a rhetorical question. He sent the Uchiha an uncharacteristic smirk and continued. "Second, Naruto has this thing about getting his picture taken. He doesn't think they do him any justice."
"Cute." Sasuke muttered sarcastically. Just adorable. He was representing a narcissistic criminal.
"Actually, he's very cute. Maybe once they find him not guilty you could take him out. Who knows, you might finally get laid. Better late then never, I always say."
"Fuck you, Hatake."
"Thanks for the offer, but I have a date with Iruka tonight. So, can't! Sorry."
"You're an idiot." Sasuke grumbled.
"An idiot who's getting laid."
Sasuke sent the man a look that could freeze lava and moved past him as soon as they got back into the office. Once the file was neatly tucked away, Sasuke snapped his briefcase closed and shouldered his way back out of the room, scowling. Kakashi was leaning against the door, watching him.
Holding the door knob and standing between the doorframes, Sasuke addressed Kakashi once more. "Be sure to let me know if anything new comes up, and please try not to misplace him, will you." It wasn't a request. It was an order.
"Will do, boss." Kakashi mock-saluted and seated himself back behind his desk, grabbing the discarded Icha Icha Paradise. "Oh, by the way, I wanted to let you know: you're an asshole, and say hi to Itachi for me."
"Hn." With that, Sasuke left, slamming the door behind him. Picture frames rattled against the walls and lose papers blew restlessly as the breath from the slam scattered them around.
Kakashi didn't even lift his gaze from the pages of his book as he grinned and flipped to the next chapter.
"He's going to be a fantastic lawyer."
Great! Just great. He was late for lunch with Itachi. That'd be a good impression for his brother to get on his first case.
Leaving the police station, Sasuke jaywalked across the street and up next to a sleek black car parked innocently on the curb. He climbed in and threw his briefcase into the passenger seat, stabbing his key in the ignition and revving it up.
Pulling away from the curb, he flicked his radio on and let the soothing pop music that floated through the car calm him a little.
He was already late, there was no point in racing to meet his brother now. He knew Itachi would wait for him. so instead, he leaned back in his seat and drove steadily towards downtown New York, absentmindedly listening to Over my Head by "The Fray" as he drifted off into his own thoughts. His thoughts, consequently, centered around one, unforgettable blonde angel.
That man he'd bumped into earlier had left a huge impression on him. He just couldn't get that smile from his mind. The kindness that radiated from him had caught Sasuke off-guard and all the time he'd been in the police station, he desperately wished to see him again so he could bask in it just a little bit longer. These feelings were completely unfamiliar to him.
As he came to a stop behind another car at the red light, Sasuke muddled over these new feelings with a frown. He'd spent less then five minutes with the man, half of which was spent on the ground trying to breath, and already he was contemplating meeting him again and getting to know him better.
It was- alien to him. He didn't have many people that he cared about in his life. His parents has died in a mysterious fire when he was five, and now all he had left was his brother, who was fortunate enough to have escaped the fire without much injury. He'd stayed reserved after his parent's deaths, never making any friends and keeping to his work. Always busy. He never allowed himself to think about a social life.
Now, he suddenly wanted to get closer to another, whose smile and innocent blue eyes had captivated him.
There was no doubt in Sasuke's mind that he was attracted to the other, but that didn't explain his other feelings. A need to know the man behind the angelic mask. It was certainly very odd to be so taken with someone he'd never held a lengthy a conversation with. For all he knew, the blonde man could have been a murderer- or worse. An idiot.
Maybe he was looking too much into this? Sure the man was gorgeous but all these other desires were just plain unreasonable…Weren't they? Yes. Undoubtedly it was a silly impulse and Sasuke was hell-bent on ridding his mind of the thoughts.
He turned the dial of the radio all the way to high and rolled down his window, allowing the blaring music to drown out every thought he had and focused on driving.
The scenery was boring. Skyscrapers, condos and fast food restaurants lined the streets, reminding Sasuke of how utterly fucked the world really was. He looked up and winced when the sun blinded him, averting his eyes quickly to keep from having his retinas burned out. Once he'd blinked out the blurriness of the suns glare, he turned his attention back to the road, making a left turn at the next light.
After a while, the ear shattering volume of the music started to give him a headache and so, sulking, Sasuke turned the radio off, trying vainly to keep his unwanted thoughts at bay. For the next five minutes, Sasuke's mind wandered from how to fish, to trying to disprove Einstein's Theory of Relativity.
Still, the prospect of meeting the other man was again fresh in Sasuke's mind as he pulled into the public parking area of 73rd street.
Scowling for no other reason than for the sake of scowling, Sasuke found a parking spot between two mid sized vans and screeched to a halt, climbing out of his car, briefcase in hand, and slammed the door shut, pressing the 'lock' button on his key ring. A small beep from the vehicle told Sasuke that his car was safe and he calmly pocketed his keys, making his way from the parking area to the sidewalk. He merged flawlessly into the crowd and, with instant familiarity, followed the flow of traffic heading towards the other side of the block.
There was a quaint café just down the street, hidden creatively among the business offices of Uchiha & Uchiha.
Making his way inside, he paid little mind to the ringing above his head that alerted everyone around him of the new arrival and walked up to reception area. A young woman with a cheerfully fake smile greeted him and asked him for his preference in seating.
"Actually, I'm here to meet Uchiha Itachi. Could you please tell me where he's been seated?" Sasuke asked kindly.
The receptionist nodded and checked her list motioning for him to follow moments later. She led him to the exclusive seating area in the back, taking him to the table farthest away, where his brother sat, waiting patiently for his arrival.
"Aniki?" Dark eyes snapped in his direction and Sasuke held firmly against the urge to shiver. He slid into the booth across the other man and the receptionist excused herself, laying a menu down on the table with a promise to return in a bit for their order.
"Sorry about arriving late, brother, Kakashi was in a rather playful mood today." Sasuke started in with an apology, hoping that Itachi wasn't too angered at having been made to wait.
"It's quite alright, Sasuke, just be sure to not let it happen again." Dismissing his apology, Itachi picked up the menu and scanned it thoughtfully.
Figuring that his brother's silence was his cue to continue, Sasuke opened his briefcase and pulled out Naruto's rather bulky file and laid it out on the table. Sasuke couldn't help but be curious. "I have to ask, brother- why are we gathering all this information if the kid hasn't been charged with anything yet?" It was a valid question. There was hardly ever a time Sasuke could recall that someone lawyer'ed up without even being charged for anything.
Itachi didn't even look up when he replied. "Iruka's nervous. A witness places Naruto at the scene of the crime around midnight last night, and all evidence points to Naruto holding a grudge against the victim."
"How so?" inquired Sasuke.
"Apparently, they're from rival gangs and this was just the spark they needed to start a war. Without a doubt Sai is going to be down at the precinct in a few hours and charge the poor boy with something, they've been dying for a high-profile case like this one, and Iruka was getting us ready." Itachi sighed and put down his menu, knitting his hands in front of himself elegantly.
"If all the evidence points to him and it's obviously an issue of a street war, then why are we getting involved? You believe he's innocent?" Sasuke questioned his brother's motives with the highest level of curiosity.
Their firm was so wealthy Sasuke knew that they could pick from the cases they wanted without losing business, and his brother was sure to pick the cases for those he knew were innocent. Those who weren't didn't deserve the remarkable legal services of the Uchiha name and therefore would be sent to jail.
"Yes, Sasuke, I believe he's innocent and even if I didn't believe it, I still owe Kakashi a lot for all his help over the years. Plus he's a good kid. He'd never kill anyone. Which is why I'm putting you on the case, as well. I'm sure that with you on it, Naruto will be back home in no time. He deserves the best lawyer we have, and that is you."
Sasuke couldn't keep the smile from his face at the compliment bestowed upon him. His brother rarely gave them and he felt so proud that Itachi saw fit that he deserved one.
"Thank you, aniki." He nodded gratefully and turned his attention back to the file, sharp eyes tearing through the information like a whirlwind. Just old records of minor offenses, nothing out of the ordinary for a street punk. Petty shoplifting charges, a few fights in public areas, reckless endangerment, possession of illegal weapons. Damn, this kid had been busy during the years. What seemed odd was that he'd spent little or no time in jail. Said there that he'd been released on good behavior many times, and it looked like he got reduced sentences every time.
The receptionist, who apparently doubled as a waitress, came back and asked if they'd selected anything. Itachi ordered a slice of cheesecake and small coffee, and Sasuke just asked for some lemonade, claiming to not be too hungry. After she'd left with their orders, Sasuke turned back to Itachi, launching his next set of questions.
"You've represented him all this time, brother?"
Itachi nodded.
Remembering something, Sasuke's brows furrowed and sent his brother a frustrated look. "All this time and I haven't met him? His photo isn't even in the stupid file." Sasuke winced at how childish he sounded when he complained. He didn't really care about the stupid photo, but was more concerned with getting back to the precinct.
"What's the matter, Sasuke? Why so eager to meet someone who's going to be charged with murder?" Itachi inquired, uncharacteristically interested in his brother's affairs.
Sasuke held down a blush and cursed himself for being so careless. He couldn't let his brother know that he just wanted to get back to the station and find the 'angel'— as he had dubbed him—again.
Thinking quickly, Sasuke recovered and answered. "Well, if I'm going to represent him, I have to know what he looks like, don't I?"
"I suppose so, but you sound a little too enthusiastic to be just interested in the case. Is there something you want to share with your big brother? Hmmm?" Itachi smiled knowingly and watched, fascinated, as Sasuke turned an adorable shade of pink. His brother had always been the cuter of the two.
"It's nothing, aniki. Promise." Sasuke steadied his voice and looked his brother straight in the eyes, locking gazes.
Fine. I'll get it out of you later, little brother. Itachi let the conversation drop and thanked the waitress as she returned with their orders. Once she was gone again, he dug his fork into the cheesecake and savored the creamy taste with a delighted sound of appreciation.
Taking a sip of his lemonade, Sasuke watched his brother with amusement. Sweets, he'd found out years ago in a bizarre cooking escapade, were Itachi's biggest weakness. He was even known to get a tad violent when it came to his sugary treats. He's learned the hard way to never get in the way of his brother and anything with sugar in it.
Sometimes,it surprised Sasuke how calm and relaxed he could feel around his brother. Itachi seemed so human around him at the moment, a complete opposite to his attitude when in the courtroom. Itachi was a monster of litigation. Even the judges showed him the highest respect. And why shouldn't they? He was the best. A genius in his own right, his older brother had tried countless cases, all of which he'd won. Due part in fact to Itachi's ability to weed out the guilty files but mostly because he was a master defense lawyer.
There were days that Sasuke had to remind himself that his brother did not, in fact, write the law, which was hard to remember because Itachi always spoke so confidently that one couldn't help but come to the conclusion. He was a real sight to behold. Yes, Sasuke was proud of the legacy and he would prove his worth during this case. He'd make Itachi proud and…them. Sasuke hoped that wherever they were at the moment that they could see him now. He would make them proud of him, too!
He flinched. It was a touchy subject for Sasuke, so instead of dwelling on it, he leaned forward in his seat and began to review for his case.
Itachi, sensing something amiss, paused in his sugar-induced fantasy and looked up. His eyes softened at the sight of Sasuke buried nose deep in his file and he couldn't stop the smile that spread over his face as he spoke, "Sasuke, kaa-san and otuo-san would be so proud if they could see you right now."
His brother didn't look up, but Itachi could practically feel the happiness radiating from him as he feigned concentration. "Thank you, aniki. I really appreciate that." Sasuke whispered, but didn't lift his eyes.
"Don't thank me. It's the truth." Itachi returned, sipping his already cooling coffee.
And then they silenced, returning to their own thoughts that left them to finish their lunch in comfortable kinship.
Was it possible to be so obnoxious that even people who didn't know you disliked you? Kakashi wasn't sure how such a feat could be accomplished, but Sai Baikan pulled it off flawlessly.
As the young prosecutor strode smugly into his office, Kakashi had to bite back the urge to shoot the cocky little bastard. I've got to say that old age really has taken a toll of Jiraya's decisions-making skills.
"Mr. Baikan. To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the district attorneys office?" Kakashi asked as he watched the other man settle himself into one of his better seats and crossed his arms, looking for all the world like a prince who had finally arrived to his castle and demanded everything back under his power. Seemed like there was a lot of that going on today. It was his precinct! Damn lawyers.
"Oh. Jiraya-sama asked me to drop by here and see how everything is going with Uzumaki-kun. I hope he's well?" Sai asked pleasantly, annoying sugar-coated voice grating on the captain's nerves.
"I doubt anyone could be well with a murder charge hanging over their heads, Mr. Baikan." replied Kakashi.
"No, I expect not, but he hasn't exactly been charged yet now has he, Mr. Hatake? He's just a suspect until we get more evidence…" Sai tapped his chin thoughtfully, smirking back at the captain. "Unless, of course, you already have all the evidence I need to charge him now. Is that the case, captain?"
Kakashi grit his teeth, sharpening his glare. This kid was messing with him and he wasn't ever going to be in the mood to play word games with some cocky kid fresh out of law school. Kakashi stood from his chair, legs moving across the floor in an angry grind.
"I'm painfully sorry to cut this little chat short, but I have other business to attend to. So if you'll excuse me, all the evidence we've gathered so far is in this file here." Kakashi picked up a torn up folder from under a stack of papers on his desk and handed it to the other man. Wagging a finger playfully at Sai, he motioned to the door. "Now please- Get out of my office…or I'll have you arrested." Kakashi was sure to keep his tone humorous even going so far as to let out a small laugh, stepping over to the door and holding it open for the raven.
Sai tensed at the implied threat and lifted himself from his seat gracefully, tucking the file safely into his briefcase before walking up next to the captain his voice low and dangerous. "Watch what you say, Hatake, because I might just have you arrested."
Sending the irate man a pleasant smile, Kakashi leaned against the doorframe. "Now, now counselor, it was just a innocent joke between friends. Surely you wouldn't want to start something you couldn't hope to finish- right?"
The silence lasted all but three seconds when Sai smirked and started to walk away, throwing a parting comment over his shoulder. "I'll be back later to see if we can't get cute, little Naruto-kun permanent housing at Rikers.(1)"
"You do that. Please, send my greetings to Jiraya-sama." Kakashi called back. There was no response. God dammit…Why do they always send me the brats?
The exit door was slammed and Kakashi could no longer hold back the frown that had threatened to take over his face since Sai's arrival. He stood there for a couple more minutes, contemplating the huge drama that was soon to unfold in his life. Actually, he was sure he could have stood there for hours trying to figure out a way to keep this mess from happening, but a pair of warm, comforting arms wound themselves around his waist, jarring him softly from his torturous thoughts.
Kakashi looked down and almost drowned in the emotions he saw in those beautiful brown eyes he loved so much. Putting an arm around his lover he drew him closer and reveled in the feeling of Iruka pressed against him like a support beam, reassuring and gentle at the same time.
When Iruka spoke for the first time, he could hear his heart shatter. "Kakashi…I'm scared." Oh god...It was so horrifying to hear such a broken voice escape is usually strong-willed lover. There was nothing Kakashi could say to console the brunette, so instead, he pulled him into a fierce hug and held on tight, comforting the man in the only way he knew how at the moment. I know, baby…I know. I'm scared, too.
(1) Rikers is an actual prison in New York. Anyone who's seen Law and Order, the show will know what I'm talking about. It's the "man" jail. For murderers and criminals who have committed the heavier crimes.
Plushie StickyNote: Hope ya'll liked it and if you did, I'd really enjoy a comment letting me know that you did. They inspire me, so please review. And please give thanks to my lovely Uke, Sargie who was nice enough to do the beta'ing for this story.
Quote: "If you speak to God, you're religious. If God speaks to you, you're psychotic"
©2006 Ruby Plushie