Night 15

Painted…

The world is full of color, it almost seems impossible. Whether it is day or night there never seems to be a lack of anything that would arouse the mind. Colors, light and dark, bright and dim. Always have an opposite, and always another half, and then we are all tied down into one. And then I met your eyes, god, that color is amazing.

The shade, it makes me smile, and my heart beat a little faster. Brother, dearest brother of mine, let's celebrate this day…and make it ours.

Chapter 15

Our Beginning Starts Here

Sasuke watched his mother from the corner of his eye, wondering why she would not let him go to bed in his room, at the same time wondering what she wanted to show him and talk about. She seemed to be drawing out clothes and disregarding them all at the same time. Sighing, he turned to fully face her and quirked and eyebrow when she brought out an old, black book. At least, it looked like a book to him but the soft cover of it was odd, and the shape of it also told him that it was not just any book. His mother smiled at him when she saw him staring and walked over to him, sitting next to him in the bed. She touched the cover softly before speaking "This is where I have placed each of my most cherished memories, all of them starting from when I met your dad"

"Oh" Sasuke said as the cover was lifted, and the first picture was of his mom as she is now, young and beautiful with his father. His father always had a hard face, but he looked happy as well, his tanned arm over his mother's pale shoulders. His mother wore a dark gray tank top and black baggy capris and short black boots. His father was dressed in a casual brown shirt, and beige khaki pants over some sneakers. Below that one, was another picture of them, facing each other. His mother smiling and his father…blushing. Sasuke smiled "This is when you met?" he asked.

"Well, not really, this was more like our first date. When I first met your father, I was a young girl of six and still having trouble sleeping through the day." She shrugged "I saw him, for the briefest moment, and he was talking to some other boys around him. However, I rather felt something when I heard him laugh. I wanted to get to know him then, but I was told that I couldn't and that I had to forget him-that was hard to do" This made Sasuke frown. It reminded him that he too, did not know Itachi and wondered back to what Shisui had first said. Did he have to forget Itachi as well? If so, why?

"Why did you have to forget him?"

"Because, I was too young, and so was he we had to wait, but the wait was worth it. When I saw him again when I was twenty three," she ran a finger over the gloss of the photo and Sasuke watched her pale fingers run through it "I was confused as to why I was suddenly going to be going around during the day, I couldn't believe it." She shrugged "but that day, I was told to stay up and my mom kept fussing over me wearing a dress. I hated dresses"

"Like you are making me stay up during this day? I'll make it clear, I'm never wearing a dress" Sasuke asked and stated all at once when his mom gave him an amused look. Outside, Sasuke could see that the night was waning away and the sun was soon going to rise, but Sasuke had been forbidden from going to bed. He was even kept away from Itachi even more when his parents had learned about the stunt he had pulled. Right now, he craved to see Itachi, but was also confused as to what his parents had in mind.

"Well, tonight is your birthday, like I and your father" She told him. "You get to see Itachi from this day on-well, this night so you can wake up with him to meet the morning sun" She encouraged with a smile and this perked Sasuke up.

"Really? No messing around, I get to see Itachi, finally?"

She nodded her head at Sasuke's childish enthusiasm "It's great, isn't it? You'll get to be with him now, every day and night" She smiled when Sasuke looked eager. Although, Sasuke still felt scared about what his mother said, the day, but in a sense he felt ready from the stories he had heard from Kimimaro whom he rarely saw nowadays. Sasuke felt anticipation mix in with his anxiety at the prospect of feeling complete, and all the wonders that Kimimaro had mentioned he would learn and share with Itachi.

"So, are you going to tell me about you and dad's first date then?" Sasuke asked, quirking his eyebrow again making Mikoto laugh at him.

"Alright, well, I saw him that day, mid day actually, and it was a celebration. He saw me and asked me out, and I agreed. We headed over to the park with a couple of friends, Kushina and Minato, and took pictures together. Your dad and I got along well. I liked him, and that's how we started after that fun day in the park" Mikoto could remember it, the first words she had been finally able to speak with Fugaku. And their first kiss, how sweet it had been at the curve of her lip, and the emotions that rushed her heart. God, she loved that man. She even loved that with him, she had been able to start her own family, and he had given her two wonderful sons to love. Well, technaily she had given them to him, but either way, Sasuke and Itachi were hers and his babies.

"Um, mom" Sasuke called, seeing as his mom had gotten lost in her own thoughts and was a little freaked out when she started to giggle to herself. Sasuke sighed, shaking his head and reached for the book in her lap so he could look over it. The pictures, the houses, everything looked so beautiful and incredible. His mom and dad really had a strong bond. He vaguely wondered if he and Itachi would have that kind of bond. The fact was that he and Itachi were brothers, how did it work out all at once for them to also be lovers?

"Hm, I remember that" Mikoto said, "That's when your brother was born"

"Mom," Sasuke said, while looking at baby Itachi who sat in their mother's arms, covered in a white blanket "Why am I destined to be with my one flesh and blood, brother?" The question would have taken Mikoto aback if she herself had not asked something similar when she had been so young. Of course, she had not received a solid answer back then and she did not have a solid answer now. Therefore, closing the book in her lap she fiddled with the corners of it before she turned to face Sasuke with a sad smile. "Is something wrong mom?" Sasuke's eyes looked so expressive with the worry that shone in them.

Flesh, blood, his own brother, why was he destined to be with him.

There was no solid rule that he could and could not, it was like written in air. It was like breathing, you never told your body to breathe, it was just the automatic response for you to live and get the much needed oxygen to your lungs. There was no right, no wrong, and no sin within the carnal stage of need when it came to the flesh….and the desires only completed through the flesh.

"No" Mikoto smiled at him, her eyes shining with pride at him "There just isn't a real reason as to why you and your brother are meant to be together, I've watched brothers, even sisters before come together, but there was never a real reason other than love, and no one can understand that yet. No one can label it or touch it-it's just that pure" She sighed, "And perhaps that destructive as well. Either way, your father is actually my half brother" This caused Sasuke's eyes to widen.

"What…how" With what Sasuke had learned in their population, half siblings were a big no, at least they never happened.

"Well, like anyone else, people tried to not believe that they could be with a certain person, they questioned it and pulled away. Our mother, for one second, doubted herself and slept with another man. She regretted it so deeply she wished to claw out her own heart, but she wanted to believe in her friend's motives that they could change, and be with whom they wanted, with whom they lived, during the night." Mikoto shrugged, remembering the stabbing pain her mother hand showed her as she prepared for her own journey. What her mother had mentioned that trying to deny, and being with someone else was like hurting the person she loved, at the same time hurting herself repeatedly. "But it just ended up with dead people, and mother nearly dead as well, before my father had a much of a sense to pull her to his side and forgive her"

Mikoto reached to run her fingers through Sasuke's soft hair, remembering when he was a baby. Even so, she still spoke the words her mother had told her, "Although, my mother had mentioned, even if he had forgiven her, it didn't matter. She could never forgive herself."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes trying to fill in all the gaps of the story his mother told him so loosely and so powerfully. "Grandmother's first child was father that means"

"Umhuh that is how you and Itachi earned the Uchiha blood" Mikoto smiled once more as she tried to push the horrible thoughts out of her mind. She had no idea what strong pull compelled her own mother to pull away from her father for that one fling, but she could never picture herself doing it. Although, nothing was impossible, s he guessed. "Fugaku was to my parents a strange child, as they would call him. His father had been a great man-one that Fugaku never met, but it rather brought a change. And in respects to him, mother decided that Fugaku will claim his last name and not my father's. It would not seem fair, Fugaku deserved a better mother, at least that is what she belives"

"It sounds so complicated," Sasuke said, allowing slight confusion to cross his eyes, but in a sense, he understood. He painfully understood, and yet a part of him did not want to accept and believe that something like that could happen.

"Yes, well, not a year later mother was pregnant with me, in the need that a child between her and father would bring some peace." She sighed, "It did, but it seems my father did not fully accept Fugaku, not until I ended up being his chosen mate." Mikoto said, opening the book up again and showing a picture of all four of them together. His mother, his father, Itachi, and himself as a baby "Fugaku, your father was pleased to have you both in the family, but other than that, he fully understood when Itachi became utterly attached to you, and you to him that it meant you two were meant to be together"

Mikoto remembered how hard it had been to separate them.

"It's still not proven though, right?" Sasuke cautiously asked, "There could be a chance that we're not" Even as he said the words, something stabbed at the lonely part that was missing in his heart.

"Oh Sasuke" Mikoto chuckled "Believe me, there is no one more than you brother that is meant to be with you" She smirked. "Of course, that means that you and your brother will start a relationship, a long one, but never reproduce, that will be your cousin's Shisui's doing, he will be the one to continue the bloodline on our end"

Sasuke made a disgusted face, he didn't think he could ever handle having children "Now I see why we are so minimal, and live in a small village"

"Well, in a sense, there always has to be death, and there always has to be limitations, Sasuke, but life is as life is,"

"I guess it is"

"Are you second doubting, your reunion with your brother?" She asked, worriedly. She did not want either of her children to go through any kind of pain. She felt compelled to have this talk with Sasuke just to know what he was thinking. She knew that right now, Fugaku would be having this talk with Itachi as well.

"No" Sasuke grinned "Of course not, I am more than looking forward to it, and start dating him" Sasuke quirk an eyebrow "Do I have to ask him out"

"I'm sure he will like to be the one to ask you out"

"And if he doesn't"

Mikoto could have rolled her eyes "Then you ask him out, as simple as that"

"Not likely" Sasuke said, "My brother will have to impress me, and he will have better be good, so I can decide for him to be my boyfriend" At this Mikoto laughed. She knew, for a fact, that Sasuke was not going to be able to resist melting into Itachi's arms, and at his charm when he was as his presence. Talk was always cheap, especially when you found you could hardly bring yourself to separate from the one you were meant to be with.

"As you say my dear," She smirked "So, you want to hear about how your father and I finally bonded together"

"Sure" Sasuke said, leaning against her. His mother had opened the book again, this time slowly flipping page after page of her and his dad's smiling faces. The always looked so happy, never a sad moment, but Sasuke knew those existed somewhere, just not here. Not in their memories, but always in the passing moments….

"Well, it all happened at a park…" she started. "Where our first date took place, but a year later and your dad was being so dammed nervous, but over chivalrous that he was driving me nuts" Sasuke watched as his mother moved her hands up and down in her explanations. "I kept looking at him with suspicion wondering what he was up to, only for him to surprise me later that night" Mikoto drifted off, remembering how bright the moon had been that night and Sasuke was left with just staring at his mother who had a dreamy look passing over her face. He wondered for a second if he should snap her out of it, but settled on looking at the pictures in the album instead, wondering if he and Itachi were going to build any like them, maybe better...

Itachi had woken up that morning intent on getting ready, and head to school. It had been the full week since he had last seen Sasuke. It had been fun, to have Sasuke place panic in his parents and cousin's heart, but Obito had found out what was going on and placed a stop to it all. It had been disappointing, but at the same time, Itachi learned that Sasuke could be incredibly playful. He allowed his mind to go back to that moment when he had been snuggled up next to his brother in the bed sheets, and was interrupted when someone knocked on the bedroom door. He frowned for a second, wondering who it was, seeing as his cousins always barged in it might be his parents. "Come in" he said as he sat down on his bed, fixing his shoes.

"Good morning son"

"Father" Itachi greeted as he stood up.

"You are not going to school today Itachi, I want to have a small chat with you please," His father gestured outside into the hallway. Itachi simply nodded his head and followed his father towards the kitchen.

"What do you need to talk about father?" Itachi finally asked as they sat down to eat their breakfast. His father watched him for a few seconds before deciding to start.

"Sasuke's birthday is today, and tonight we are going to celebrate" Fugaku started "Your cousins do want to provide a distraction until later in the night, as you will meet with Sasuke late into the night." The man snorted "Sorry son, it's just your mom and she wanted to provide a, and I quote, 'romantic ambiance', as for me you two would already be hitched right now." Itachi laughed at his father's disgruntled look "Anyways, she also wanted me to have this little chat with you, to see if you have any questions as to why, you and Sasuke are meant to be together and if you ever felt like you need to choose or something like that"

Itachi arched an eyebrow "I thought it would be clear that Sasuke's all I want. Why would mother wonder if I am wavering from my choice?"

"Because, son, it has happened" Fugaku picked at his food "It happened with me, seeing as I am your mother's half brother" Itachi's eyes widened at this.

"What, but"

"I know Itachi, the disgust of it all. What kind of woman would lay with another man than her intended one, who would blame what, happens in ourselves to be conditioned. It has been tested, has it not, with Sasuke forgetting who you were, only for him still wanting to be with you" Itachi shook his head.

"It seems I will have questions. Why would it be necessary for Sasuke to forget me?"

"Attachments, Sasuke could not sleep during the night, he could not see you but he knew you were there. A little like you, I am just amazed you didn't forget him, but then again you've always had a sharp young mind" Fugaku shrugged "But then again, you were already old enough to remember your own built memories"

"Father, if it is possible, you mean there is a chance Sasuke could reject me?" Fear gripped Itachi's heart at the thought of Sasuke not wanting anything with him.

"Possibly, but it seems doubtful" Fugaku thought about it and then sighed, "This is why we are having this talk"

"I see"

"You'll be alright Itachi, just don't let him slip away from you, but don't force yourself on him either" Fugaku made an odd face "Sasuke has always been a spontaneous child with all his emotions" Fugaku remembered Sasuke's sharp temper tantrums when he was younger. Sasuke had a knack for always wanting to get his way and would do just about anything to get it, and the boy could hold a grudge tighter than anything else. Sasuke was really a strange and scary at the times, but Fugaku knew that at least one of his boys had to inherit Mikoto's temper. Itachi on the other hand was always more calm, more like him.

"Spontaneous?" Itachi's lips quirked into a smirk, as he tried to keep himself from smiling fully at the thought-after all, spontaneous did not seem to fit his baby brother.

"Yeah, spontaneous" Fugaku sipped his morning tea.

"Sounds interesting" Itachi could not help himself but laugh, and Fugaku shook his head. Although, it had been a long time since he had seen his own son laugh so joyously.

"What's so funny?" Shisui asked as he entered, followed by Obito. Shisui had continued to date Akihime, but Itachi had no idea what the relationship was heading to these days. Shisui grinned as he saw breakfast, happy to be out in the sun. He had asked Akihime to be his date and join him today for a day out with Itachi and Obito.

"Nothing" Itachi prompted.

"Yeah yeah" Shisui murmured.

"Hey, Itachi is just happy that he and Sasuke will finally be together!" Obito smiled, and winked at his little cousin. Itachi frowned. Either way, they ate breakfast, chatting about the upcoming event tonight and as soon as they were done, they were heading out the door.

"So, do you already know what you are going to buy for Sasuke's present, Itachi?" Shisui asked as he followed Itachi out the front door.

"Yeah, I know, will you stop pestering me?"

"No way"

"Shut up already Shisui, why don't you talk about your date with Akihime this afternoon, huh" Obito shot back as he followed as well. Shisui flushed a deep red, stuttering over his words as his mind seemed to slow down. Obito and Itachi laughed as they decided to go ahead of their sputtering cousin and leave him there to look awkward. Just as they shut the door and left, Sasuke and Mikito headed down the stairs and into the kitchen where Fugaku had finished his breakfast but was reading the newspaper and drinking another cup of tea.

"Good morning father" the word was long and awkward in Sasuke's lips, but still, he was glad and happy. Today marked a big turning point after all. His mother had spent some of her time also teaching him the right terms for the day. Fugaku looked at his youngest son's smiling face, and smiled as well.

"Good morning son, are you excited for today?"

"Yes" Sasuke said, digging into his breakfast. Fugaku nodded and glanced at his dear smiling wife, for once seeing as his family was finally coming together.

Itachi, Shisui, and Obito had been walking and chatting together as they reached a store. The store was small, and it held many charms and other types of things, even clothing. Obito had told Itachi it was a great place to get a present. Of course, Itachi had never felt compelled to get a present for anyone, so did not really know what to give. He wanted to pretend that he did know, but what do you give the person you love? He knew his parents had given his presents before, but he had never given one to them, nor anyone. No one. That alone made him frown. But he was not the only one, neither Shisui nor Obito had given a present either. So, today, all three Uchiha's were buying present for their special someone.

Itachi felt like his present needed to have meaning, but could not see how something inside the store that had never had contact with Sasuke would ever have meaning to his brother. "Do you see anything Itachi?" Obito asked.

"No" Itachi said as he looked over sparkling jewelry and moved on to see what looked like silver watches. How could one choose what to get? "Are you sure this store is good for gifts?" he asked.

"Well, yeah, I think it is" Obito said, "I always see people buying presents for others here"

"Hey, look at this you guys!" Shisui called, he was fretting about something and both his cousins approached him to see what it was.

"DVD's?" Obito remarked, "What's so special about that"

"Think about it" Shisui said, "This is the cartoons we used to watch ever Saturday morning, remember Itachi? And we would always want to watch it no matter what, but sometimes your mom would make us go out and play?" Itachi glanced at the boxes of DVD's reading each title, some of them becoming familiar to him as he read them.

"You're right," He murmured, but what did that have to do with anything?

"I think this is perfect, I could share a part of my childhood with Akihime this way" Ah, realization hit Itachi. It did not hold meaning to Shisui's girlfriend, but it was a part of who Shisui was, and presumably is now. That was not something he really wanted to share with Sasuke first though. He wanted something different.

"I guess that's not so bad, us night dwellers rarely watched television. There was nothing good on" Obito mumbled, looking distressed. "Well, I have to keep searching." Shisui ignored them as he kept looking at the DVD's and becoming more and more excited. It seemed like he was going to buy the whole row of films. Itachi moved away as well, seeing as Obito was already off in his own search, he had to continue his own. He looked around; scanning the whole store for anything that he might think would suit Sasuke. As he was coming to the last row of the store, he looked at everything in the lower shelves before glancing up to see if there was anything interesting in the upper shelves.

That was when he saw something that brought back memories of an infant Sasuke, all of them rushing forward from the back of his mind. He leaned forward as his hand reached up to grasp the desired object and brought it down to further scan it. He had found what he had been looking for. With resolute, he headed to the front of the store to pay for the item only to see that Shisui had a stack full of DVD's and Obito had something as well, although he was not sure what it was. It looked like two books "Hey Itachi, found what you wanted?" Obito asked.

"Yeah"

"Oh, that's so cute!" Shisui gasped. Itachi frowned and Shisui moved to pick his purchase. He did not need Shisui's teasing, but he was sure Sasuke was going to like it. Obito smiled at him, and decided not to say anything. If he did not say anything about the object in his own hands, then Itachi would not either. After all, it was not every day that you bought your boyfriend hot trashy porn novels.

Obito and Itachi soon paid for their things and headed out. They still needed to head towards a few more places.

It was already late in the afternoon and Sasuke had showered and changed into a simple black shirt, dark jeans, and black sneakers when he came down stairs to see that his mother had, for the most part, finished decorating for the party. He had been allowed to invite his friend, Kimimaro for lack of the fact that no one else had yet matured as he had. Sasuke watched the multiple colors of balloons that surrounded the otherwise plain interior of the house. The dining table was pulled out to the center and it plain white, and plate adorned every single seating. He had to wonder how many people had been invited "Sasuke, can you get in here and give me a hand" his father suddenly called. Sasuke went into the living room to meet with his father who placing some sort of decorations around the interior of the room.

As soon as Sasuke was in the living room, Mikoto appeared to the entrance of the house and opened the door, as she waited. Itachi was soon going to be here. And on cue, she saw them walking towards the manor, and she couldn't contain herself as she rushed towards them. Even more excited to see Itachi had more than one bag in his hand and she wondered what he had gotten for Sasuke. The suspense was going to kill her! But maybe Sasuke more than her "Itachi" She said, with a smile on her face that caused Itachi to give her a confused look, wondering why his mother was here. At least why couldn't she wait until he got home "Come one sweetheart, I'll sneak you into the house and make you appear really handsome for your brother's party tonight"

Itachi, still staring at his mother incredulously, nodded "Mother, you really don't have to do this, I can prepare myself you know" Even though, his father's words from this morning came rushing back. His mother was going to be orchestrating this whole event.

"I can help it; I want it to be perfect darling" His mother grabbed his arm and started to drag him "Obito" she called to her cousin "I want you to get ready and keep Sasuke entertained, all that boy can think about is Itachi" She rolled her eyes and Obito grinned as he followed both of them. Itachi looked so much like an indignant child as his mother dragged him into the house, and up the stairs in quick succession, that Sasuke would not see him.

Obito soon found that Sasuke was helping Fugaku with a couple of decorations. "Hey Sasuke" he called. Sasuke turned towards him and smile, but because of that, the decorations he had been helping his father carefully set fell.

"Damn" Sasuke hissed, and Fugaku glared making Obito laugh.

"I'll just go get ready for the party" He said and rushed away. Sasuke and Fugaku setting to finish the job once more.

"Sorry dad"

"It's alright Sasuke" Fugaku was mostly angry with Mikoto for making him 'decorate.' He huffed and took the decorations from Sasuke "Let's go dump these in the trash and tell your mother nothing" Sasuke nodded his head in agreement. From then Sasuke and his father were in the kitchen picking at the food his mother had already set on the table. The food looked stunning, and most importantly delicious. It made them both hungry just to stare at the sweets, and the tasty morsels that were set before them at the table. This party was going to be something new and special, especially for Sasuke who had never really celebrated his birthday before-and it was not as if he cared to do so anyways. The theme for Sasuke here was not to celebrate his birthday, but something more.

"What are you two doing" Mikoto asked when she came in to the kitchen to see them picking at the food. Fugaku nearly jumped out of his skin and moved away from the food, looking apologetic to his wife. Sasuke was more subdue of his mother's anger.

"Nothing" Sasuke murmured, his eyes trained on a dish that had tomatoes. Mikoto sighed, and then smiled when the door rang.

"Seems like some of the guest have started to arrive" She said, pleased as she clapped both hands together. She heard Obito open the door and greet the couple, who was her mother and father. "Now Sasuke, are you ready. The night is about to start, and this means a lot is about to change in your world" Sasuke watched her, and then nodded. As long as that change brought Itachi, Sasuke's heart fluttered, and he was more than ready. "Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yup, ready" He said. All three of them then headed into the living room to greet the guest-or for Sasuke, his grandparents. Although, in the back of his mind he kept wondering where Itachi was, and when was he going to get to see him.

It has just begun.

The anticipation, of having you near me, is but a torturous pain that has barely started and already it strangles me. Don't make me wait too long.

Brother, dearest brother of mine, let's celebrate this day…and make it ours.

:) Hello there cool cats! Thank you for all your reviews. And Happy new years...belated. ^^; Ah, yeah. Decided to update this story after re writing this chapter twice. I had Like three different idea's for it, and it seemed to be pulled all over. But then I thought it would be disappointing if i went with the fleeting idea that hit me. I had to get rid of it before i decided to set this straight. Well hope you liked it. See you around!

Please review.