Slave to a Shark - Chapter 3: Pain
-.-.-
"Get lost, water droplet." Sasuke said, irritated. He had been holed up in this cold cell for days with no one but Suigetsu for company. Sasuke had actual attempted to strangle the boy at one point but found he was unable to due to a sudden change in texture. The boy turned into water.
"That's not very nice you know."
At that moment the sound of the dungeon door could be heard opening and footsteps sounded towards the duo.
On closer inspection, Sasuke could see it was Itachi.
"Nii-san! I was worried about you." Sasuke immediately ran towards the iron bars of the prison and reached it towards his brother. "What happened to you? You were gone for four days!"
Itachi looked like a mess. Seeing it enraged Sasuke, and yet shocked him all the same. He was covered in bandages and limped as he approached.
"Sasuke." Itachi said. "I'm sorry, things happened and..."
"I'm sorry, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Suigetsu said, his white hair dripping at the edges as he materialized before Itachi.
"Who are you?" Itachi asked.
"He's a pain in the ass." Sasuke said with a tone of pure annoyance.
"I was sent here to guard Sasuke. I was told if anyone approached besides Hoshigaki-sama I was not to let them through or even speak to Sasuke. You must go." Suigetsu wasn't telling the whole truth, but it didn't matter. He wasn't entirely lying either. Jared could also come see Sasuke. And Kisame hadn't said anything about just talking, but Suigetsu had the feeling he shouldn't let this conversation continue.
"Guard Sasuke? Against what?" Itachi asked, intrigued. I wonder if by guard he means something else... Is he trying to hurt Sasuke, keep me away so he can sell him while I'm not looking? Maybe he plans to do things to him and doesn't want me to know so he won't let me see him. I can't let him do that.
Itachi turned to leave. "Very well, you need to follow your orders, I understand."
"Nii-san!" Sasuke called, almost desperately. How much longer would he be stuck in that godforsaken cell?! Sasuke groaned as he fell to the ground, concern for his brother flowing through him equivalent to the hatred he felt for both Suigetsu and Kisame.
-.-.-
Itachi wandered through the castle and back to Kisame's room, only to find that Kisame was no longer there. Instead, it was Jared cleaning up the bedroom.
"Can I help you, Itachi?" Jared asked, as he made the bed.
"Yes, actually. Where can I find Hoshigaki-sama?"
"He is probably either in the medical wing or in his office." Jared answered. "The medical wing is the west wing of the castle, and the offices are in the southern wing, by the back gardens."
"Thank you, Jared." Itachi said, leaving the bedroom without a backward glance. He needed to speak to Kisame as soon as possible.
-.-.-
"I have everything ready for the expedition, Kisame." Kakuzu said. "I'll be heading out later today and I expect to return within two weeks, if I do not please send a second search party."
"Got it." Kisame said, lying between his teeth. He had no intention of sending a second search party. If Kakuzu died trying to capture Uchiha's, good riddance. Kisame was getting tired of dealing with the man.
Kakuzu's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing, instead turning and leaving.
-.-.-
Kisame was reading through business papers when Itachi finally found him in his office. He entered without knocking.
"Hoshigaki-sama." Itachi said, approaching the shark.
Kisame looked up, irritated. "What the hell are you doing here?" I'm at work for crying out loud. I told him to get out, didn't he get the message? Does he want to be tortured more?
"I attempted to go back to my cell." Itachi began.
"And?" Kisame was not patient right now.
"One of your guards would not allow me to return."
Memories of Suigetsu came back. "Ah, yes. I'll let him know that you're allowed to enter the cell. Now get lost."
Itachi got closer to Kisame's desk, making Kisame raise an eyebrow. "Now what?"
"Why do you have Suigetsu guarding my brother? Against what?"
"That's not your business." Kisame said, his hand forming a fist under the table. I did it for you idiot, you should be grateful.
"Are you trying to hurt my brother?" Itachi asked dangerously, his eyes fierce and meeting Kisame's.
How the hell can he look at me like that, after all I've done to him? Clearly I haven't done enough. Tch. And that one moment of weakness, I not only let him into my room but I sat there talking to him for five hours. It was fun actually. No, no it was not fun. Kisame chided himself for thinking about it.
"Kisame." Itachi said, dropping any attempt at an honorific and driving Kisame back down to earth. "Are. You. Trying. To. Hurt. My. Brother?"
Kisame blinked. Rage filled him immediately and he stood up the palms of his hands slamming against the desk. "I was protecting your brother, you should be grateful."
"From what? Me? Is that why you kept me away from him? So I can't tell what twisted things you do to him?" Itachi asked accusingly, his teeth grinding.
Kisame slapped Itachi, hard, surprising the crow. Itachi fell back slightly, his eyes turning red. "No, I was protecting him from our resident doctor who has a thing for your family's red eyes. Moreover, you will not speak to me that way. You and your brother belong to me, to do whatever I like with."
Itachi was silent for a while, before speaking again. "Thank you for protecting him against the doctor. However, you will not hurt my brother." The arrogant prick. He really wanted to get himself brutally mutilated. Fine. Kisame would honor that decision.
Kisame grabbed Itachi's head roughly, pushing him to the side, and Itachi knew better than to fight back. His instinct had him moving his hands to grab Kisame's, but quickly releasing them when he remembered his seal and his place. Kisame shoved him to the ground and dragged him out, Itachi's body scraping against the floor.
Kisame dragged Itachi all the way to the torture chamber when he tossed Itachi against the wall and moved over to a breaking wheel. Kisame opened up each of the attached ropes before going back to grab Itachi and throw him onto the wheel as if he was nothing but a rag doll – and Itachi was visibly afraid.
Finally some damn emotion on his face. Using the ropes, Kisame tied up Itachi's hands and legs to the wheel on each side, until Itachi was attached to it in an X shape.
"Hoshigaki-sama… I'm sorry." Itachi's voice was breaking. Memories of the whip the last time he was here were flowing through him.
He's not as tough as I remembered… I thought he would last longer.
"Sorry isn't going to cut it. You keep forgetting your place." Kisame growled, as he adjusted the breakers of the wheel. They were several hammers connected to the top that would come down at random parts of Itachi's body and hammer into his bones. At the same time, as long as the wheel spun tiny spikes behind Itachi would continuously slice into his body.
"I don't understand why you do this." Itachi said.
"I make it perfectly clear why every time we do this." Kisame said, wondering where the intelligent boy of last night disappeared to.
"No, I mean… You don't enjoy torturing me. I don't know why you do it."
"Of course I enjoy it."
"No, you don't."
Kisame angrily spun the wheel once, and instantly Itachi's earsplitting screams resounded throughout the torture room as his back was sliced by tiny spikes inserting themselves into his body, leaving an unsatisfied clenching feeling in Kisame's gut.
"I haven't even started the hammers yet." Kisame said with a sharp, toothy grin.
Unfortunately, Itachi still had injuries from the whipping earlier and his eyes were already beginning to lose their shade as tears ran down his face.
"I'm sorry…" Itachi managed before losing consciousness again.
Damn it, I barely started. Kisame thought, wondering whether he should spin the wheel one more time just because. That thought was instantly put away the minute Kisame noticed in horror how much blood Itachi had lost during this short session.
Fuck. I went too far again. How is he so fragile?! No… It's not that he's fragile… It's that I don't want him to die.
Kisame picked up Itachi once more, sighing as he cradled the man in his arm, blood soaking through Kisame as he once again rushed to stop the bleeding. Every other slave who had ever been on that wheel had died. Most torture devices in this room led to death, mutilation or at the very least permanent scarring.
There was no doubt the wheel's spikes would leave permanent scarring on Itachi's back.
Kisame went through his usual Itachi torture ritual, cleaning and bandaging Itachi, before laying him down on the hospital bed. Itachi's words rang through Kisame's ears.
"You don't enjoy torturing me."
There might actually be some truth to that. Kisame thought, staring down at the angel like figure before him. What was it that drew Kisame to Itachi? It was something… different. Something Kisame couldn't place.
I haven't exactly been fair to him. Kisame admitted to himself. He had been significantly harsher with Itachi than any of his other slaves. He usually waited until they committed bigger crimes to torture them, or until he was in a particularly bad mood. But neither were the case with Itachi.
Kisame also personally addressed Itachi's wounds, something he had never bothered to do with other slaves. At first, he thought it was because of his high purchase value. But maybe it was also because of that growing respect Kisame had for Itachi – right up until the end he was completely selfless. He cared not for himself, but for his brother. Every step of the way. This bond that Kisame couldn't understand and yet desired so deeply, ached into his soul.
-.-.-
Itachi woke up the next day, once again in Kisame's room. This time, Kisame was not there. Getting up, Itachi could barely feel his back. The back of his arms, legs, torso, everything felt numb. Everything hurt. The pain ached and Itachi bit his lower lip, just to distract himself from his back, but it was useless.
Sasuke.
The thought of Sasuke managed to be all Itachi needed – he forced himself to get up and out of bed. When he realized that Kisame was not there, Itachi decided to stay in the room a bit longer. This was a good chance to learn about Kisame.
Itachi started with the place closest to the bed so he wouldn't have to move too much. Moving was painful. Every step was painful. Itachi opened up the bedside drawer and examined the contents, immediately regretting it and blushing slightly. It contained lubricants, oils, some things Itachi didn't recognize, hand cuffs… All things for sex. Itachi shut the drawer, and opened the one beneath it.
That drawer contained some books, all related to philosophy or politics. The Republic, The Prince, The Art of War, Leviathan, The Social Contract, Politics, A Treatise on Human Nature.
He has good taste. Itachi thought, putting the books back into the drawer. These were obviously books that were more interesting to him as they were not in the library, but near his bedside. Itachi crawled across the bed, feeling intense stinging pain in his back as he did so. Itachi opened the drawer on the other side of the bed.
The one on top was filled with various trinkets and items such as a tooth attached to a chain, keys and small boxes. Itachi closed the drawer and could no longer bring himself to move. Instead, he lay back down on the bed in pain and closed his eyes shut.
I'm sorry, Sasuke. I can't come to you right now. Forgive me.
Itachi closed his eyes buried his face into the pillow, clenching his fists into his hair and grinding his teeth. The pain was too much. It was all too much!
But this is better than Sasuke. It's better that I get hurt instead of him. I can't stop now otherwise Kisame might start torturing Sasuke. I have to be strong and handle this torture as long as possible. No, forever.
The sound of the door opening broke Itachi's thoughts and he groaned inwardly. It was too soon. Couldn't he be alone just a little bit longer? Such a bright future was obviously not in store for Itachi.
Kisame entered the room and noticed Itachi curled up, fists in his hair, shaking in pain.
What have I done?
"You're awake."
"Yes, Hoshigaki-sama." Itachi said this with as much strength as he could possibly muster. "I apologize for this position, I will get up." Itachi tried to sit up but the pain was so strong he moaned and fell back onto the bed, his eyes barely holding back tears.
"Just stay there."
"Yes, Hoshigaki-sama." Oh thank god. Itachi cheered inwardly. Oh god, why does he want me to just stay here? Is he going to torture me here?
Kisame approached the bed and sat down next to Itachi, then brought one hand close to Itachi's face, to touch it. Itachi flinched away, instinctively in fear, his body shaking. Kisame drew back and Itachi opened his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Hoshigaki-sama, I did not mean to flinch away. Please continue." What was he going to do? Was he going to grab my eyes and give them to that psycho doctor?
"Don't apologize." Kisame said, feeling intense guilt in his gut. "I'm sorry."
"No, no I insist I-wait what?" Itachi was dumbstruck.
"Don't make me repeat myself." Kisame growled, and instantly Itachi jumped back in bed, hitting his head against the headboard.
Kisame laughed, he shouldn't have, but he did.
"That wasn't funny." Itachi glared, rubbing his head, grateful for the distraction from the pain in his back.
"You're right, it wasn't." Kisame said gravely, thinking about how it was caused by tone of voice.
"Hoshigaki-sama, I apologize for speaking out of turn with you, and for losing consciousness before you could continue." Itachi winced thinking about the hammers that he didn't even get to start using yet. "If you would like we can return to the torture room and continue where we left off."
Kisame stared at Itachi, their eyes meeting yet again. His eyes… Even now, there is still no hatred. He's even asking me to take him to the torture room.
"Why do you want to go back there?" Kisame asked, seriously wondering if Itachi was a masochist.
"I don't want to." Itachi admitted. "But I would rather you torture me when you need to."
"Let me guess…"
"I'd rather you torture me then my brother."
"I won't touch your brother."
"Thank you."
"And we don't have to go back to the torture room." Kisame said. "Not yet anyway." He added as an afterthought. He wasn't going to remove that possibility. "You are forgiven for your actions up until now."
"Thank you." The relief on Itachi's face was like as if Itachi had just been given some great reward.
"Itachi."
"Yes?"
"…" Kisame didn't know what to say. He wanted to ask Itachi about his brother, to learn about Itachi's relationship so he could also learn how to have something similarly meaningful, but asking about it was not Kisame-like. He wasn't going to ask it. He wanted to ask Itachi to be his friend, but he couldn't bring himself to say it directly like that. He wanted a repeat of the night they discussed Plato, but he couldn't bring himself to ask. How do you open these conversations anyway?
"Hoshigaki-sama?"
"Yes?"
"What are you thinking about?" Itachi asked curiously, leaning forward as he did so. His dark onyx eyes were dilated and appeared larger than usual, and despite the circumstances his face seemed to be glowing.
He's so beautiful. Kisame felt something tugging at his heartstrings as he watched that face.
"Frogs."
"Frogs?"
What the fuck? "Yes, frogs." Kisame said confidently.
"Frogs." Itachi repeated as if unbelieving.
"Don't make me repeat myself." Kisame said, hoping he sounded dangerous.
Itachi actually smiled this time and Kisame felt his spirit soar out of his body at the sight.
"What about frogs?"
"That… they're slimy and green."
"They sure are."
-.-.-
Kisame awoke to an unfamiliar feeling for the second time. When he opened his eyes he realized he had his arms around the Uchiha, and the two were spooning in bed.
We're spooning. We're spooning. The Uchiha is in my arms. Panic mode set. Kisame panicked but did not move. He was enjoying this, but also confused until memories of the previous night picked up again.
Somehow Kisame had started a conversation about frogs which turned into a conversation about strange and exotic animals which turned into a conversation about the world, traveling, language and cultures. Kisame had found himself deeply interested in everything Itachi had to say, he was completely entranced. And then during their conversation, Itachi had been in too much pain and Kisame told him to lie down. Itachi could not disobey, so he did and they continued their conversation. At some point, Itachi fell asleep and Kisame had watched, finally placing his arms around the boy and falling asleep himself. Which led up to now.
What Kisame didn't know was that Itachi was awake and had been awake for a while now, but was too afraid to move for fear of angering Kisame. Instead he was lying there, his eyes wide with fear and discomfort.
Kisame did not want to move for fear of waking Itachi, so he stayed in that position.
The two ended up staying in that position for a few hours longer than necessary until Itachi could no longer hold still because of the pain and turned around to look straight into Kisame's eyes. Both stared at each other for a solid five seconds before jumping apart and profusely apologizing.
"I'm so sorry Hoshigaki-sama, I don't know what got into me." Itachi apologized, pain stabbing through his body.
"It's okay, I didn't know what I was doing, that is, I didn't want to wake you, that is…"
They both paused to actually listen to the other and realized that they had both been awake for a while now. Itachi's cheeks blushed red while Kisame's blushed purple through his blue skin.
"Let's pretend this never happened." Kisame offered.
"Great idea, Hoshigaki-sama." Itachi nodded.
-.-.-
"Damn it water droplet, I WILL KILL YOU." Sasuke was done with this shit. He was so done. He was contemplating suicide just to never have to see those annoying purple eyes again.
Suigetsu was enjoying himself. He hadn't had someone his own age to play with in a long time, and Sasuke was fun. He was so serious and uptight that anything made him angry.
"You love me."
"Sasuke punched Suigetsu, who turned into water immediately.
"Can't you at least be useful and tell me something about my brother?"
"I don't know anything." Suigetsu shrugged. "And frankly, I don't care."
"I don't understand why the master keeps you around."
"I don't understand why the master keeps you around."
"Join the boat!"
-.-.-
"Uhm…" Itachi began, hoping not to anger Kisame somehow.
"Hm?" Kisame asked, feeling like he might start humming. For some reason that he couldn't explain, he was in a good mood for the first time in years.
"C-can I see my brother?" Itachi almost stuttered. He had the bad feeling he was going to get tortured somehow.
"Sure, let's go down there together and I'll tell that guard to lay off for a while."
"Really?" Itachi almost had a sparkle in his eyes.
That's so cute. Kisame thought, before catching himself. That was not cute. I'm insane. I need to get laid. Kisame once again thought about his earlier plans to rape Itachi and found himself somehow disgusted with it. It wasn't anything he hadn't done already with other slaves – hell when was the last time he did it with a willing partner? Must've been … Kisame couldn't remember. Yet somehow the thought now disgusted him. This is going to complicate things.
"Yeah, let's go."
-.-.-
A/N: Thank you to elcric0sis of & HikariHaruno of DA for editing this chapter! You're the best ^_^.