The Family Business
Tycho Kouros
It was eleven forty-five when Sasuke finally walked out of the station.
"Is everything in my bag?"
"It doesn't matter."
"They better not have taken anything out of it."
"It doesn't matter," Sasuke said again, glaring back at Iruka. He handed him the bag and began digging in his pocket for the keys to his newly-issued car. "You wouldn't get it back anyways." Iruka didn't answer him. He knew that Iruka was just mad about the situation. Iruka knew that he was lucky his detention papers had landed on Sasuke's desk. And he was lucky that an interrogation and a few hours in jail were the worst he would be seeing for the night. They maintained the silence until they reached the car. Sasuke got in his side first, before reaching over and opening the door for Iruka. He sat in, shutting the door and holding the bag in his lap, hugging it.
"So is anything missing?" Iruka shook his head.
"It doesn't matter," Iruka said, sighing. Sasuke turned on the car and put it in reverse, backing out of the parking space before pulling out into the street. "I just want to get home." He lowered his head into his hands, rubbing at his temples. Sasuke nodded his head, not entirely sure what to say. "How do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Arrest school teachers for missing work, beat people during interrogations to force confessions, hold them for no reason – how do you do it?"
"I don't," Sasuke said. He didn't even think about the answer; he didn't need to think about it. "They shouldn't have arrested you to begin with. It was a waste of resources." Iruka turned his head, flashing a glare, but Sasuke corrected himself before the man could unload on him. "That's not what I meant. From an administrative perspective, it was an egregious waste of resources to hunt down, arrest, interrogate, and hold a school teacher for missing a few days of work. If I'd known about it, I would have stepped in before it ever happened, whether it had been you or not. There are far more productive things that can be done instead. And as far as the interrogations, I can only tell them what the official policies are; the unofficial policies, the policies that are actually promoted by officers, I have no control over. I certainly don't agree with them, but there's nothing I can do."
"The Revolution will do something." Sasuke chuckled, shaking his head.
"I suppose they will. That's one reason I don't like the current occupation strategy – it's breeding insurrection. I can't blame people for wanting to blow things up and shoot at patrols. But they have their policies. And unless I'm promoted to make the policies, there's nothing I can do."
"But you would change them if you could?"
"I would," Sasuke said. Iruka nodded, turning his head to look out the window. "You shouldn't talk about the Revolution."
"I suppose not."
"You'll get arrested again."
"I'll get arrested anyways, it seems. For one thing or another. Not waking up early enough, not reading the right books, having a wrinkle in my shirt. I suppose it doesn't matter what I do, so why not do what I want?"
"Because I don't want you to get shot." Iruka stared at him, caught off guard by the comment.
"Why do you care?"
"Because Naruto likes you, and Itachi likes, and you like Naruto and Itachi, and I like both of them, so I suppose that when all is said and done, I should like you too. And I do. You're a good man, and a kind man, and an honest man. You invited me into your home even when I wore the uniform of an army that you had no reason to feel anything other than hatred for. I have a deep respect for anyone with such a caliber of scruples."
"You saved Naruto," Iruka pointed out. "I owed you a debt."
"But that debt didn't have to include the hospitality you've shown us. A bitter 'thank you' would have been as much as anyone else would have given." Iruka finally sighed, relenting.
"That wouldn't have been right."
"And that is exactly why I like you," Sasuke said, earning a small smile from Iruka.
"Thank you, Sasuke. I like you too." Iruka laughed at the blush that burned its way up Sasuke's cheeks. Iruka looked out the car window at the blackened city; searchlights searching for planes and streetlights and the lights of the buildings in the center of the city – where the Nazi headquarters and offices were located – were the only lights in the entire city that he could see.
"Paris is usually such a beautiful city."
"It is a beautiful city."
"No, this isn't beauty. This is chaos, and ruin. There's blood on walls from executions and security checkpoints, and darkness. Look at this darkness! Half of the beauty of Paris is the nightlife. There is no life at night now. There is no life at all." Sasuke was quiet for a moment.
"It's still beautiful."
"It's dark, and dead. And lifeless."
"I'd love to see it when it's alive. Even dead, it's more beautiful than anything I've ever seen." Iruka only nodded, still staring out the window.
Sasuke parked the car in front of Iruka's apartment, his boots clicking on the dirty street as he stepped out. Two heavy thumps of car doors shutting seemed to hang in the empty air.
"Home. Finally," Iruka said. Sasuke nodded, standing next to him.
"Do you mind if I visit Naruto?" Sasuke asked. Iruka shook his head, moving to the front door of the building.
"I never mind, and I know Naruto doesn't. He likes you a lot, Sasuke." Sasuke nodded again, keeping his head down to try and hide the heat on his cheeks. "Thank you again, Sasuke. For getting me out, I mean. I'm not sure if I told you earlier."
"It's fine," Sasuke said. He waved his hand, dismissing the issue. The two climbed the stairs of the worn building. Sasuke stared at the holes in the wall of the stairwell, looking away as they passed them. Finally they reached the apartment; Iruka dug into his pocket for his keys, mumbling about needing a warm shower. He opened the door and froze.
The apartment was dark and empty.
Iruka dropped his bag on the floor as he ran to the bedroom. Sasuke picked it up and moved into the living room, turning on the light as he entered. Iruka burst out of the bedroom, panicking.
"He's gone! Oh God, no. Please no." Iruka raced around the room, throwing open the bathroom door before heading for the kitchen. Sasuke stepped in front of him, and grabbed his arms, holding him. His own stomach was beginning to turn at the situation, and Iruka's reaction wasn't helping him.
"Calm down," Sasuke said, shaking him lightly. "Calm down. I'm sure that he's safe. Maybe when you didn't come home, Kakashi took him to Itachi's. Why don't we check there before we jump to conclusions?" Iruka nodded, gasping for air. As soon as Sasuke released his arms, he began running his hands over his face and through his hair. Sasuke moved to open the door for Iruka, who staggered through on shaky legs. Sasuke was concerned enough to hold the man's arm while he walked down the stairs, scared of him falling. As they reached the bottom, the door of the apartment building opened, and a surprised Kakashi walked through. Before he could even make a sound, Iruka had launched himself at him.
"What did you do!" His fists were balled, ready to strike out, but Kakashi closed the distance and wrapped his arms around him, holding him too close to throw a punch. "What did you do with him!" Iruka continued thrashing in his arms, pounding on arms, chest, and anything else his fists could connect with. Sasuke cringed as Iruka managed himself free enough to connect a knee to Kakashi's groin. His eyes screwed shut, but the hold stayed firm.
"I trusted you, damnit!" Iruka said, before finally collapsing into the arms and bawling into Kakashi's chest. Sasuke watched as raw pain flashed across Kakashi's eyes, the words tearing through him in a way that no punch or knee ever could. The arms around Iruka tightened.
"I'm sorry. He was sick, and we were busy trying to get him to Itachi's. I didn't think about you getting home before I could make it back." Iruka shook his head against Kakashi's chest, squeezing the black uniform shirt in his hands. "Itachi said there's a doctor in his building. He's over there now." Iruka took a deep breath, but broke down with a harsh sob. Sasuke moved to open the door.
"Come on, I'll drive." Kakashi nodded, and began to maneuver Iruka out to the car. His boneless legs made it a long, slow walk out to the street. Kakashi settled Iruka in the back seat, moving around to the other side while Sasuke started up the car. Sasuke watched in the mirror as Kakashi paused, trying to decide how Iruka would respond to him. Iruka settled the issue when he moved over and curled up against Kakashi's chest again, breathing hard.
"He'll be okay," Kakashi said, kissing Iruka's temple. Sasuke started the car while Kakashi began whispering in Iruka's ear. Sasuke took the chance to occupy his mind by focusing on driving, but it was ripped back to the situation when he caught one of Kakashi's whispers that made his stomach turn again. "I'm sorry." Sasuke swallowed, gripping the steering wheel and staring at the stone of the streets beneath the headlights.
After a ride of heavy breathing, soft sniffles, and steering wheel clenching, Sasuke pulled in front of Itachi's building. The three unloaded from the car without a word, and it was only the clicking of two pairs of boots that broke the silence. They opened the door, climbed the stairs, and were quick to see Itachi standing outside an open door, a glass of wine in his hand. Iruka moved ahead of them, and Itachi turned his head to look at him after taking a sip out of the glass.
"He's fine. The doctor says it was just a bad reaction to the medicine. He's already given him a dose of some different painkillers, but he says he wants to watch him overnight. Just to be sure." For a second, Sasuke thought that Iruka was going to collapse, but Itachi was quick to grab the man around the waist, holding the glass of wine high in the air to keep it steady. Iruka started laughing – hysterical laughter as his nerves unwound. "Come on, drink," Itachi said, handing the glass to Iruka.
"That's always your solution," Iruka said, though Itachi laughed as he still took the glass and downed it in a single gulp.
"Der typische Deustche," Itachi said with a shrug. "It's the one German habit that I never kicked." Iruka smiled, handing him the glass before he headed into the apartment. Itachi leaned back against the wall, rolling his head to look at Sasuke and Kakashi.
"Will he really be okay," Sasuke asked, "or was that just for Iruka's benefit?" Itachi shrugged his shoulders again, and as he pushed off the wall Sasuke could see the small, almost nonexistent, pause before he gained his balance. The stagger in his step was near-invisible.
"The doctor said his ribs look fine. He'll feel shitty in the morning, I suppose, but that's the worst of it. He was sleeping, and he talked like he'd be out for the night. But if you can wrench him away from Iruka long enough then you can have some time with him for yourself. What about you, Kakashi? I have plenty more to drink," he said with a wave of his hand.
"I should probably stay with Iruka," Kakashi said. "Thank you, though." Sasuke and Kakashi headed for the apartment, but Sasuke stopped after Kakashi had entered.
"Itachi..."
"The door's open and the couch is yours. You're always welcome to use it, Sasuke. You never need to ask." Sasuke smiled, nodding before heading into the apartment.
Naruto lay on the couch; the warm, tan skin that Sasuke had become fascinated with had turned sick and pale. Iruka was kneeling by him, pressing a limp hand against his cheek. Kakashi stood behind them, by the wall, while the doctor – an old and stocky man with bushy white beard and a mustache – held a newspaper under his arm and puffed on a pipe. The man looked at Sasuke and sighed, smoke pouring out with the breath, then left for what Sasuke guessed was a study or bedroom. Sasuke moved beside Kakashi, leaning against the wall.
"My new apartment isn't far from here. I still need to requisition the furniture, but it should have a bed and couch, crappy as they may be. I can lend you my key if you want."
"It's fine. That armchair looks comfortable. Or I can just get comfortable on the floor here if Iruka won't be sleeping by Naruto."
"You'll do no such thing," Iruka said. "You've done enough for me, Kakashi. I won't ask you to spend the night curled up in an armchair as well. You're tired, and you need a decent bed."
"The standard beds they issue are anything but decent," Sasuke said. Iruka drew a breath to counter, but Kakashi cut him off.
"And anyways, I can get comfortable most anywhere. Years of tedious paperwork in the early mornings and late nights has taught me that sleeping reclined is a luxury. I also doubt that you'd be able to stay awake longer."
"I'm a teacher, Kakashi. That's a bet you will lose."
"We'll see," was all Kakashi said.
At three in the morning, after hours of empty conversation and silent staring at the unconscious Naruto, Sasuke finally found himself unable to stay awake, his eyes hurting and his butt numb from sitting on the floor by Naruto. Iruka had gone down two hours earlier, at which point Kakashi had moved him into his lap, leaning him back against his chest while he sat against the wall.
After a slight wobble, Sasuke found his balance and made his way to Itachi's apartment. Opening the door, he was surprised to find all of the lights still on. He was even more surprised to find Itachi passed out, his upper half sprawled out on the kitchen table , a glass on the floor and a wine bottle still in his hand. Sasuke turned off the lights, but found himself too tired to move Itachi. He threw his coat over the back of the couch, unbuttoned his shirt, and dropped his pants, before stepping out of his boots and letting his shirt fall to the ground on top of the pile. Then he fell onto the couch, barely curling up before he was asleep.
The dull thud and click of a door closing woke Sasuke up, though he slipped back into sleep without opening his eyes. An hour later, however, he'd edged his way out of the sleep, and finally sat up for the day. He rubbed at his aching eyes, though it did little good. He stood, stepping on his pile of clothes, and began to walk to the kitchen for a glass of water. But then he noticed Itachi standing by the window, staring out into the darkness. The only signs of morning were the streetlights dotting the city – it was past five, when curfew ended, and people would be on their way to work. He walked up behind him, and smirked to himself when he noticed the glass of wine.
"It's a bit early to be working on another bottle, don't you think?" The reaction he'd expected never came. Itachi continued staring out into the darkness. Sasuke moved next to him, and felt his chest seize when he saw the single tear slipping down Itachi's cheek. "Aniki?"
"Kisame was shot by a sniper last night."
"Oh, God." Sasuke grabbed his brother, pulling him into a hug. The glass of wine fell from his hand, the neck snapping and side cracking as it landed. Sasuke could feel his brother's body begin to shake as tears fell on his shoulder.
"It went through his left arm and nicked a rib before it punctured his lung," he said, a whine wavering before finally slipping out in a sob. "They said he might not make it." Sasuke leaned against the wall, moving one hand to hold Itachi's head while his other arm wrapped around his lower back. He rocked gently, whispering hushes in his ear. Itachi's hands clawed at Sasuke's back when he hugged him as hard as could. Finally Itachi broke into steady stream of sobs, before screaming in pain into Sasuke's shoulder. A sick chill spread through Sasuke's body at the sound; it was the same sound he'd heard a dying animal make once. He felt himself begin to cry as well. Itachi screamed again, not bothering to muffle it in Sasuke's shoulder. It pierced the air of the apartment, dying as it cracked and became a broken whimper. Sasuke continued rocking him, rubbing his brother's cheek with his own. Loud footsteps came from the hallway, before the door swung open. Sasuke looked up and watched as Kakashi and Iruka stood staring in the doorway. Iruka watched for a moment, before running back down the hallway. Kakashi stood, still, not sure what to do. Sasuke could feel Itachi's body begin to give, pulling him down. He slid down the wall, lowering them both to the floor.
"I can't do it." Itachi's voice was raspy and quiet. Sasuke started rocking him again, nuzzling him.
"Yes you can." Itachi shook his head, digging his nails into Sasuke's back.
"Not without him." Sasuke ran his fingers through Itachi's hair. Iruka walked through the door, heading straight towards them. He knelt down and grabbed Itachi's hand, whispering in his ear.
"I called her. She said she's seeing to him herself." Itachi sobbed, before nodding. "I'm so sorry." Iruka patted Itachi's hand, holding it for a moment longer, before letting it go. His arm fell limp at his side, hitting the ground with a thud. Iruka watched it, then backed away and walked out the door, grabbing Kakashi's hand as he left. They closed the door behind them.
"Don't leave me."
"I'm not going anywhere," Sasuke said, nuzzling Itachi's cheek again.
"Don't leave me." Confused, Sasuke turned Itachi's head to look at him.
His eyes were cloudy and dead.
"Please don't leave me." Sasuke brought Itachi's head to his shoulder again, rocking him as he continued to say the words over and over again.