AN: There are about 4 chapters left! I haven't decided on an epilogue yet.

"Are you always this grumpy?"

Disregarding the slurred question, Tokuma opened the door to the suite. Taking his time, he carefully ushered Shisui in the room and closed the door behind them. The role of babysitter wasn't new to the Hyuuga. But that didn't mean that he liked it. Still, it was better than being at home with his wife. The constant nagging and the subliminal degradation that he constantly received from Amari was enough to drive anyone insane.

Shisui was leaning against the wall, silently giggling at nothing in particular. He appeared younger, almost childlike, when he was inebriated. There was an ever present blush on his face, his dark curls were disheveled, and he wouldn't stop smiling. He was also very affectionate. While they were at the bar, he constantly touched Tokuma on his shoulder, his knee, and even his face. Tokuma didn't think much of it. Shisui came off as the type of person that did not care about personal space.

He'd observed Shisui the entire day out of habit. The Uchiha was very personable, confident, and optimistic. Normally, he would have already concluded if he liked or disliked a person by this point. He liked Itachi. The Uchiha heir was very genuine. However, Tokuma didn't know how he felt about Shisui.

"Toku-chan," Shisui whined. "Why did you let me take so many shots?" He slid down the wall, taking a seat on the carpeted floor.

Tokuma wanted to punch him, but remained impassive. "You should know your limits. And I don't understand why you spent so much money on this room."

"I don't want to go home. It's cold there."

He had no idea what Shisui was talking about, so he dropped it. Kneeling down, he started to remove Shisui's shoes. "Why do you want to fight me again?" he quietly inquired.

Keeping his eyes closed, Shisui's thoughts were in a different place and time. Before he graduated college, he came back home during the holidays. Itachi had tried to open up to him, but he had been too busy complaining about his own problems. What if he'd taken the time to really talk to Itachi? Would he have been able to prevent Itachi from taking that razor to his veins?

"Shisui?" Tokuma touched him on the shoulder.

Shisui opened his eyes. Laughing, he staggered to his feet. His shoes were already neatly placed by the door. "I want to fight you when you're at your best." He clumsily unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. The task seemed too tiring, so he gave up.

"What if I don't want to fight you again?" asked Tokuma.

"I'd have to do something about that then," he replied under his breath.

Flopping on the bed, Shisui immediately regretted the action once the room started to spin. This wasn't like him. Shisui did not allow himself to be this vulnerable. He knew the exact reason for the out-of-character behavior, but there wasn't much he could do about it. Itachi needed him more. He wouldn't make the same mistake again. His arranged marriage, the loss of Amelia, and work related stress would have to just wait.

"I should leave. Do you think you'll be alright?" Tokuma sounded as though he were on the other side of the room.

Blinking rapidly, trying to adjust his eyes to the brightness of the room, he felt as though he were looking through a kaleidoscope. Then, Tokuma came into view. There were three of him, that gradually morphed into one. Reaching up, Shisui touched the man's chin. "Stay with me," it was more a of plea. "Toku-chan."

For a brief instance, Tokuma had been moved, and then the moment was ruined. "Stop calling me that!" He brushed the man's hand away. "Besides, it would be inappropriate, seeing that I am a married man."

"But it suits you." Shuisi completely ignored the last comment. "You're pretty hot by the way. Even though you have a stale face majority of the time."

Tokuma sighed. "Go to sleep. I will leave after you do." It was the least he could do.

"Do you love your wife?"

There was a long pause. The answer was obvious by that point. Still, he explained himself anyway. "I don't even know her. We've been married for almost a year and I don't know her at all." And the few things that he did know about her, he hated. "We're from two different worlds."

Sitting up, Shisui propped himself up on his elbows. "Two different worlds?"

It wouldn't matter. Shisui was drunk, he wouldn't remember their conversation. "I am a branch member, while Amari is a member of the main house." He saw the way Shisui took in the information. For a man under the influence, he was very attentive. "She is privileged, lazy, and materialistic. At the start of our marriage, I honestly thought that we could grow to at least see eye to eye. But she still looks at me as though I am a servant. We haven't shared the same bed since our wedding night and..."

Shisui thought about his wedding that was steadily approaching. In less than three months, he'd be tied down for the rest of his life. He felt caged. The inability to choose his own path in life was finally starting to get to him. Working for Fugaku wasn't so bad. In fact, Shisui loved his job. He just hated the idea of his love life being controlled by someone else. People were supposed to follow their own hearts.

"...I am also at fault. I don't care about her enough to take the time to talk to her about certain things. I know that we were both thrown into this situation without warning, so I don't hold a personal grudge towards her."

"So what are you going to do?" Shisui interrupted. "Continue to sleep in the guest room and avoid her all of the time? It's not like you're married to her to uphold a business alliance. Why can't you just divorce her or move out?"

"Actually, Neji recently told me about the revised Senju Laws." Something that the higher-ups in their clan had failed to inform them. "I am old enough to leave the compound and consequently end my marriage."

"What are you waiting for? Do it now!" Why did the idea of Tokuma being single excite him? Shisui frowned.

"I'm not leaving without Neji," he stated flatly. Wasn't it obvious? There was no way he was going to leave Neji alone in that compound. Natsu had also agreed that she wouldn't leave until Neji could accompany them both. Whatever college Neji chose, they would move with him. They were supposed to be compensated for all of the years they'd worked without pay. Once they were settled they would both find jobs. That was the game plan.

Shisui's arms began to wobble slightly and he opted to lie back. "You really care about Neji, huh?"

"Yes."

"Itachi is in love with him. Does that bother you?"

"No." And it honestly didn't. "Neji and I are aren't compatible. Any relationship we would have had would have been forced." They were two angry, bitter individuals. All of their problems would have been solved by yelling at each other or exchanging blows. Their relationship would have been toxic, and Tokuma cared too much about Neji to ruin their friendship.

Shisui's eyes were closed and his breathing was calm. He appeared to have fallen asleep. That was Tokuma's cue to leave. It was late enough that he wouldn't have to deal with Amari whenever he made it home.

He moved to stand, trying not to stir the sleeping man.

"Why were you holding back?" asked Shisui. Yawning a little, he sat up and blinked owlishly around the room. "I think you could have beaten me."

All of the questions were starting to get on his nerves, yet he answered despite that. "I wasn't holding back. You won. Why is it so hard for you to accept that?"

Inwardly, he continued to observe and analyze Shisui's behavior, an old habit that he couldn't quite shake. Instead of playing with the other kids as a child, he would sit on the sidelines and watch everyone. When they thought no one was looking, people often revealed their true nature. He and Neji shared that habit. While Tokuma observed merely out of habit, Neji did it in order to always have the upper-hand in a situation, he used it as a weapon.

"I want to fight you when you're at your best. I demand a rematch..." His eyes widened when Tokuma moved closer. Their chests were almost touching.

"You don't want to fight me," whispered Tokuma. "You're stressed out. You feel like fighting will help you alleviate that stress, but it won't. What you need," dragging out every syllable, he trailed his hands up the man's broad shoulders, "is to find another stress reliever."

Shisui audibly gulped and immediately scolded himself for appearing so eager. "What do you have in mind?" He unconsciously licked his lips. When pale eyes tracked the movement, warmth pooled in his lower stomach. This was really happening. Thank god he didn't have his Super Mario boxers on.

Leaning closer, Tokuma slid his hands up to rest at the back of Shisui's neck. "Meditation usually works for me. You should try it when you wake up in the morning." Shisui had enough time to frown in confusion before everything went black. When his head hit the pillow, he was already snoring lightly.

Targeting the pressure points was a Hyuuga specialty. There would be no bruising or soreness in the morning. Shisui's ego would probably be the only thing bruised in the morning. Tokuma pulled the comforter back and tucked Shisui in. He emptied the man's pockets, placing his phone and wallet on the nightstand. Sitting a trash bin near the bed, he also got a bottle of water from the minibar.

Then, Tokuma left.

Sex with Itachi was a transcendent experience for Neji. Endless. Itachi's love for him seemed endless if the amount of times he pushed Neji over the edge was anything to go by. He was insatiable; they both were. Eyes shut, mouth wide open, Neji muttered Itachi's name like a litany of prayers. Neither of them were religious, they'd already had that discussion, but, in that moment, Itachi was Neji's religion. And vice versa.

Itachi took him from behind on his bedroom floor. How they got there, Neji had no idea, and he wasn't complaining. They moaned in unison when Itachi's hips pressed against Neji's ass, and the former rolled his hips, going as deep as he possibly could. Itachi wasn't the biggest that Neji had ever had, yet there was something about the man that made him feel so full. Fuller than he'd ever been. It was like Neji had been born as a puzzle with missing pieces, and, finally, after years of walking through life partial, he was complete.

His head was spinning, reminding him of that one time he'd tried Ecstasy. His skin had been flushed, his heart rate elevated, and his mind hazy. He had never thought he would experience a high like that again, but there he was. High above cloud nine, somewhere in the cosmos with Itachi balls deep inside of him.

'Fucking ruin me!' Neji silently pleaded. 'Break me down!'

Deconstruct him. Break him down, piece by piece, and, when there was nothing left of Neji's former self, he wanted Itachi to rebuild him, mold him however he saw fit. It was insanity. The entire concept was fucking ludicrous. Allowing a single person to have that much control over him was appalling. It was amazing what good dick could do to a person.

Outside of the bedroom, Itachi was kind, gentle, and respectable. During sex was a different story. Itachi went from "Hi, how are you, sir," to "Your daughter calls me daddy too." Neji would have laughed at the thought if it weren't for the fact that he was practically drooling at the mouth. He had a man that could do both and he was fucking ecstatic.

Above him, Itachi slowed down, taking Neji with deep, unhurried strokes. Despite the thin layer of latex separating them, Neji could feel the veins of the man's cock as it pulsated inside of him. He thought about Itachi taking him raw, in that same position, fucking him at that same pace until he released inside of him. Neji had never wanted that from anyone in the past. The idea of being marked like that had never sat well with him.

But he wanted Itachi to mark him. "Fucking destroy me, Itachi!" he lowly growled.

Did he just say that out loud? Oh god. Bloody hell. He did not just say that...

Itachi stiffened. Neji feared the man would go limp from the insane demand. He had been way too kinky, and, despite the roughness, he doubted Itachi would be cool with actually ruining him.

But Itachi was full of surprises.

Itachi pressed his palm down on Neji's back, angling the younger male in a position that raised his ass higher in the air. Unbeknownst to the Uchiha, it was also the perfect angle to target Neji's prostate. Then, with a feral groan, he obliged Neji.

The sounds that Neji made were embarrassing. He mewled, whimpered, and everything in between. Unabashedly, he begged Itachi to do his worst. The sensual lovemaking earlier had been appreciated. Still, Neji liked this side of Itachi better. Because it was so raw and gritty. It was a side that no one else got to see and that, that was what Neji wanted.

Licking the shell of the younger male's ear, Itachi whispered hotly. "I can't believe I almost robbed myself of this," his voice was strained, adding emphasize to the sincerity of his words, "I would have died without knowing this, without knowing you..." He growled before biting down on Neji's earlobe.

Neji came so hard that he blacked out. When he came to, Itachi was lying beside him, panting heavily, with the filled condom still on. Neither of them said a word while they laid on the floor, spent. Side by side, Itachi and Neji stared at the dimly lit ceiling, while the former caught his breath. The air in the room was thick, suffocating, but not unpleasant.

Minutes passed when Itachi finally walked to the bathroom. He came back with a wet towel and gently cleaned Neji's stomach. The towel was discarded haphazardly on the floor. He scooped Neji up, ignoring the soreness of his own muscles, and placed the teen in the bed. Then, he joined him.

Sun filtered through the blinds, illuminating the small specks of dust particles. It was the first time in years that Neji had been able to sleep in on a Monday. Even during school breaks, he'd still had to get up at the crack of dawn for training. His body had grown accustomed to waking up early without the need of an alarm or any other wake-up call. Surprisingly, he didn't stir early that morning. Not until Itachi started to shower his naked back in kisses.

If it had been anyone else, Neji would have rebuffed their actions. Sex was as intimate as he had gotten with past lovers. Of course he knew that Itachi was nothing like anyone he'd ever slept with. He allowed the kisses. In fact, he welcomed them with open arms because a part of him felt as though he deserved it. After everything he'd been through, didn't he deserve Itachi's love? Maybe even more than that.

Lightly, fingers traced circles on his hipbone. Itachi just couldn't keep his hands off of Neji, and the Hyuuga did not mind at all. Itachi and Neji weren't talkative by nature. The majority of their time spent together in the past had been filled with comfortable silences, and today was no different. Though, the atmosphere surrounding them was very different. They felt more in tune with each other.

The kisses were an apology. Itachi was ashamed of his rough treatment last night. Which, in actuality, hadn't been that rough. He'd treated Neji the way Neji had wanted to be treated. Cherished and respected. There was nothing to apologize for. Neji turned on his back and kissed Itachi on the forehead to assure him that everything was fine.

Neji could get used to this, but he shouldn't. His future plans did not involve Itachi. He had made sure to exclude the man in order to prepare them both for the inevitable. Still, he held on. Itachi loved him, and Neji...he wasn't quite there yet. And Itachi knew that. He was aware of that, yet that did not sway his feelings for the younger male.

The Greeks referred to it as agape—unconditional love. Neji referred to it as idiocy.

"Stay with me," said Itachi, as if he'd read Neji's mind.

If only it were that simple. "I can't," Neji's voice cracked and he swallowed. "I've been away for a week. It's time I went back." The idea of Hiashi's hands touching him made him shudder in disgust. After being treated with such care by Itachi, it seemed unfair for him to endure Hiashi. It wasn't fair. Neji wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. It wasn't fair!

That wasn't what Itachi was referring to. Neji knew that, and Itachi was aware of it. "Every time you leave me, you come back with a new bruise." He slid Neji a gaze out of the corner of his eye, gauging his reaction.

"And, now, I have new bruises thanks to you." Itachi flinched. An apology was in his eyes, moving to the tip of his tongue, but Neji stopped him. "You didn't do anything that I didn't want you to. I like having your mark on me," he murmured, moving closer, purposefully pressing his hip to Itachi's hip. "It makes me feel like I'm yours." 'And only yours. Not Hiashi's or anyone else's.'

"You can be. I want you to be."

"Itachi..."

"Say you don't want me." His voice was thick, guttural, and oddly commanding. "And mean it."

Neji looked over and gasped at the smoldering intensity of Itachi's gaze. Who was this person? Neji wanted to see more of him. Excitement weaved through him, flowing through his bloodstream, making him feel warm all the way down to his toes. Neji wanted Itachi. He wanted to hold his hand in public, go on dates, take pictures together and brag about his boyfriend on every social media outlet. He wanted the entire city, no, the world, to know that Uchiha Itachi was his. He needed Itachi. He needed him like he needed air in his lungs.

How fucking disgusting.

"I," he licked his dry lips nervously, an action that was so unlike him. "It's not about what I want, Itachi. It never has been. You know how this works." What a shitty excuse. Itachi wasn't the meatheads he picked up at the clubs. He wouldn't fall for something so half-assed. "You're the heir apparent. It doesn't matter what I want or what you want. You know that."

"I'll give it all up for you." All Neji had to do was say the word. "You'll be eighteen soon. They won't be able to keep you there anymore. We could leave Konoha together." Itachi had put a lot of thought into it. He had no idea what was going on inside of the Hyuuga compound, but he knew he wanted to take Neji away from it all.

"Why would you give up your title for me?" Neji's heart was pounding, his mouth felt dry and he had to blink back tears. "Don't be stupid, Itachi! This isn't some shitty shoujo manga! We just had great sex. Don't mistake it for anything more than that!" he yelled at Itachi as if the man hadn't filled his vision with galaxies every time he had come last night.

And Itachi smiled at him. Fucking smiled, as if Neji hadn't just shattered his soul to pieces with his words. "You think the sex was great?" he quietly asked.

Neji smiled despite himself. "I was actually shocked that I enjoyed it so much. I guess sex is better when you actually love the person you're screwing." What in the fuck did he just say?

It was too late to take it back now. The look on Itachi's face said it all. No amount of denial or verbal bashing was going to make the man give up on him. Not after that. Neji wanted to punch himself for allowing that to slip. He had known that his feelings for Itachi were strong, but not that strong. However, it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. His hair didn't shed, he didn't combust, and the the world didn't end. In fact, his acne cleared, his crops were growing, his rivers were flowing, and his hair was still voluminous.

World order had been restored.

Neji was thankful that Itachi didn't make a big deal about it or rub it in his face. Itachi only hugged him. They stayed like that for a long time in each other's arms. Or maybe it just felt like a long time. Regardless, Neji couldn't think of a better place to be.

"I can't leave until I'm eighteen," he finally whispered. The law wouldn't permit it and Itachi could be charged with kidnapping. Hiashi would make sure of it. "I still don't know what college I'll go to. And what are you going to do if you break ties with your clan? How will you make a living? What about your sessions and..." He was still trying to make excuses for them both. Being pessimistic as usual.

"Neji, light of my life, please shut up and enjoy the moment."

"Light of my life?"

"It's an inside joke. Something Shisui says to me when I'm being annoying."

"Oh." A long silence. "Is it bad that I'm turned on by you telling me to shut up?"

"Nothing can be worse than you demanding me to fucking destroy you."

Neji laughed and Itachi joined in.

There was a knock at the door. Shisui announced that he'd brought breakfast. It was at that moment that Neji remembered his empty stomach and full bladder. The embrace ended with a promise to talk about everything later.

Under the safety of the veranda, Hiashi enjoyed a quiet brunch. Today was warmer than he'd expected, but it wasn't too unbearable. His yukata was light, breezy, and expensive. The fabric kept him cool and comfortable. From a passerby's perspective, the clan head was in a relatively good mood. He even hummed quietly in between bites of his yakizakana.

In reality, Hiashi was infuriated. During his absence, two Uchiha had stopped by looking for Neji. When his plane had landed early that morning, he had been informed of Tokuma's involvement with the Uchiha heir apparent and his adopted brother. The child that Fugaku had taken in out of guilt.

Hiashi had just as much dirt on Fugaku as the man thought he had on him. They had always been, subliminally, at each other's throats. Hiashi knew the Uchiha clan head didn't like him, and the feeling was mutual. It was Fugaku's fault that Hizashi had deluded himself with thoughts of freedom. Because of Fugaku's meddling, Hizashi had forgotten his place. After his twin's unfortunate demise, Hiashi had intended to spite him. He wanted to prove to Hizashi that he had never really owned anything. Everything belonged to Hiashi. Even his son.

The first time hadn't meant anything to him. Hizashi had threatened to kill him if he'd ever touched Neji. His brother had even raised his hand at him, all in defense of Neji. Hiashi had taken Neji out of spite. But he had become addicted to the sounds the child made and the hatred in his large eyes. The older Neji got, the more he resembled Hizashi, in more ways than one.

It was like he had a second chance to have the love he'd always wanted from Hizashi. But they both hated him. For good reason too, if he were being honest. Soon, Neji would be eighteen. If he decided to run away, Hiashi wouldn't be able to make him stay.

His hand trembled. The hold on his chopsticks faltered, dropping the morsel of fish. The idea of Neji leaving him as well was frightening. He couldn't lose his only link to Hizashi. He couldn't lose the only other person that he loved.

"Hoheto," he spoke quietly. "Fetch Tokuma and bring him to my office." He threw his napkin on his plate, stood up, and headed to his office.

Hoheto bowed and walked off to do as he was told. Why couldn't Neji be as obedient as that? Another thorn in the clan head's side was Tokuma. He had never thought that the man would be so difficult. Not after everything Kenji had put him through. His lips quirked in amusement while he thought about the horrendous things the councilman had told him.

Kenji was one sick bastard. He had not only raped Tokuma, but he had forced the boy to do the same to other children. The councilman had been working on training Tokuma to become a mirror image of him. Then, one day, he had stopped. Kenji claimed that he had become bored with Tokuma, but there had been unspoken fear underlining his tone. Hiashi hadn't cared enough to pry.

As punishment for getting in the way of him and Neji, Hiashi had arranged for Tokuma to marry the niece of the man that had ruined his childhood. Any child that Tokuma and Amari had would be closely related to Kenji. It was also a reminder that he could hurt Tokuma without touching him. However, the man seemed unfazed.

He could tell that Tokuma wouldn't be easily swayed. If he wanted to keep Neji on a tight leash, Hiashi would have to give him a reason to stay. First, he would have to bend Tokuma to his will. By any means necessary.

Their parents were downstairs playfully flirting with each other. The earlier consumption of alcohol made them way more annoying than usual. Sasuke couldn't fault them for that. They were his parents; they were supposed to annoy him. He tuned them out, paying close attention to the way his older brother stared at him with such adoration that it made his heart flutter.

Itachi's love for him was unconditional. Who else was going to love him that much? No one. Absolutely no one.

"...They always get like this after they drink," commented Itachi. "We could watch a movie downstairs to tune them out..."

Sasuke always wanted to watch a movie with his brother. Anything that would allow him to be in the older man's presence. Although he pretended otherwise, he viewed Shisui as another older brother and even loved the man. Still, there was no denying how happy it had made him when Shisui moved to Suna. That meant that he could finally have Itachi all to himself.

His older brother's cologne had his head feeling fuzzy. Sasuke became drunk off of that scent alone. That inebriation made him feel bold. It was now or never. He was finally old enough to be taken seriously.

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke took a confident step forward. "Itachi, I love you." His tone alone was enough to indicate the depth of those feelings.

Itachi's response was automatic. "I love you too, Sasuke."

And then Sasuke kissed him. Itachi pulled away right before their lips could connect, and the kiss landed on the corner of his mouth. Embarrassed, Sasuke took a step back. He opened his mouth to explain himself, but he was interrupted by the voices of their parents. They were making their way up the stairs.

"Goodnight, boys," Mikoto chimed, completely oblivious to the tension in the hallway. She kissed Sasuke on the forehead and then turned towards Itachi. "Itachi, don't stay up too late. Remember, you have a busy day tomorrow."

Itachi smiled and nodded his head. Only Sasuke noticed that it was a forced gesture. Fugaku stopped to add more to what Mikoto had already said. Even while under the influence, the clan head constantly reminded Itachi of his duties. Any other time, Sasuke would have cared, but, he was still reeling from the pain of rejection. All of his parent's attention was on Itachi, as usual, so they didn't noticed when he walked off.

After a week of avoiding each other, Sasuke decided to break the ice. He'd walked into Itachi's room without bothering to knock. When he found the room empty, his first thought was to try downstairs. Nothing, absolutely nothing, was going to stop him from having the inevitable conversation with his older brother.

A muffled cry pulled his attention to the closed bathroom door...

The car stopped, and Sasuke discarded the memory. Another session with another person that wasn't going to understand him. Great. Therapy didn't work. Talking about his feelings wasn't going to change anything. If his father was so intent on wasting money, he could at least buy him a car. Being chauffeured around everywhere was starting to annoy Sasuke. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he told the driver to come back in two hours to pick him up.

Sasuke thought about the graduation ceremony yesterday. He kept replaying the way Neji had grabbed his brother's hand and walked away. When in the hell had they become a thing? He had wanted to ask Shisui about it, but the man had been too busy chewing him out. If his mother hadn't intervened, Sasuke was certain that Shisui would have done more than yell at him.

The older man was scary when he was pissed off. Sasuke wasn't foolish enough to believe that he would have stood a chance against Shisui. Still, he was arrogant enough to think that he could have held up against the Hyuuga prodigy. What did Itachi see in him anyway? Neji was a pompous, stuck up prick, always looking down on others. Just thinking about it was making him angry.

"Who pissed in your cereal?"

Lifting his head, Sasuke scowled. There was a boy around his age, leaning against the wall and smoking a cigarette. At first glance, he was attractive. Upon closer inspection, he was strikingly beautiful. Full lips, fuller lashes, dark eyes, alabaster skin, and an unreadable expression. If Sasuke didn't know any better, he would have assumed the boy was related to him. Still, he felt like he'd seen the boy before. Looking at his ripped jeans, Chuck Taylor's, and cropped t-shirt that showed off his toned abs, Sasuke labeled him as a delinquent right off the bat.

Or better yet, a deviant. Sasuke felt somewhat out of place in his loafers, collared shirt, and expensive watch. He just knew that he looked like a preppy asshole. And that was exactly what he was.

The stranger flicked the cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. "Was it your father? Or a distant relative?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"One of my neighbors took my virginity," he replied casually. "It wasn't so bad, but my brother thinks it's the reason why I turned out like this. I assumed that most of the people that came to see Dr. Shiho had been touched by some creep once or twice when they were a kid."

Sasuke blinked. The stranger continued. "My name is Sai. What's yours? He stared at Sasuke intently, with the same deadened expression on his face.

"I have an appointment to get to." Sasuke brushed past him and headed for the front door.

Sai seemed unbothered by the terse response. "I guess I'll just call you, Ahiru."

Halting his steps, Sasuke turned around to glare at the boy. "Duck? Why in the hell would you call me that?" The longer he stood in the boy's presence the more annoyed he became.

Sai smiled. It was such an eerie sight. "I'm sure you know why."

"Ah, I see," Sai said as though he'd solved a mystery. "You lack self-awareness. That's odd. You strike me as the self-centered type."

"What in the fuck did you just say?" Sasuke took a threatening step closer.

Sai didn't even bat an eye. "I have to go to work. But I'll be seeing you around, Ahiru-kun." He walked towards the bus stop.

The entire encounter had been peculiar from start to finish. Yet, nothing unnerved Sasuke more than the way he openly stared at the other's boys retreating form. Mainly Sai's nice ass. Something inside of Sasuke wanted to punch the other boy in the face, repeatedly, until he was a bloodied mess. And another part of him wanted to fuck Sai raw.

Disturbed by his own thoughts, Sasuke finally walked inside of the building. He wasn't even gay. He'd slept with enough girls at his school to be sure of that. Itachi was the only person of the same sex that he'd ever been attracted to. And that infatuation hadn't been about sex. He'd just wanted to be the center of Itachi's universe and the only person capable of making his brother smile. Sex hadn't been the main goal, but if Itachi had wanted that, Sasuke would have been willing.

Though, now, he didn't feel that way anymore. The illusion had been shattered. Itachi wasn't as invincible as he'd thought. Sasuke was starting to feel as if he had never really known Itachi at all. Had he really been that delusional?

When Sasuke was sitting in the waiting room, he overheard the desk receptionist talking to another woman. Apparently, one of Dr. Shiho's newest clients was a minor celebrity. Their lack of professionalism made him roll his eyes. As he continued to listen to the receptionist describe how shocked she had been when she realized who the client actually was, Sasuke suddenly came to a realization of his own.

Pulling out his phone, he opened the web browser. Chromat was a fashion label known for its bizarre clothing. The majority of the pieces were better suited for the runway with a few exceptions. Sasuke would be lying if he said he hadn't admired a couple of their magazine ads. He was a teenage boy. Seeing half-naked, gorgeous women dressed in latex and mesh obviously intrigued him.

Chromat's newest model, Jun, was a personal favorite. Staring at her picture on his screen, the dots started to connect. He had never paid attention to the they/them pronouns before. Ignorantly, he'd assumed it was some kind of hip trend that models did in order to appear mysterious. Again, he was a teenage boy. A very ignorant one at that.

In the picture, Jun was dressed in what could easily be described as high fashion lingerie. They were glancing over their shoulder, giving the viewer a full view of their back. The latex thigh-highs looked as though they were painted on and stopped right under the model's rear. Even the thong, garter belt, and bustier were latex.

He stared at Jun's red, pouty lips, and shoulder length, dark hair. There was no way that this model was actually male. Sasuke didn't want to believe it. According to the gossiping receptionist, Jun was indeed male. Not only that, but the model was the same weirdo that he'd bumped into outside.

What were the odds?

"Uchiha Sasuke," the receptionist chirped, "Dr. Shiho is ready for you."

Standing up, he pocketed his phone. Later, he would take the time to actually read one of Jun's interviews. Not because he was interested in them or anything. He just wanted to know how Sai was able to look so convincing as a woman. It was just simple curiosity.

The Nara clan head had taken the news about Hizashi's sexual abuse better than Fugaku had expected. He had been worried that he would have to console Shikaku. Anyone that knew him, knew that Fugaku absolutely sucked at consoling people. Awkward back pats and tender kisses only worked on Mikoto. Though, he suspected that his wife just went with it because she knew how terrible he was.

Shikaku had always been private with his emotions. He would mourn whenever he was alone and out of hearing range. Fugaku envied the man for his levelheadedness. He still had trouble accepting it. Mikoto still didn't know, and she wouldn't until there was enough solid evidence to charge Hiashi. Public humiliation and rotting away in prison for the rest of his miserable life just seemed too lenient for the likes of Hiashi.

Fugaku wanted him to suffer. He wanted every waking moment of Hiashi's life to be filled with agony. Hell, he even wanted the man to be tortured while he slumbered. The Hyuuga clan head deserved a punishment far greater than Prometheus's internal punishment. Having his liver devoured on a daily basis was too good for Hyuuga Hiashi. Even death was too good for him. Because, no matter what, none of it would bring Hizashi back.

His driver had called him hours ago and informed him that Sasuke was finished with his session. It reminded him of the boy's behavior at the graduation yesterday, making him angry all over again. Yesterday, he had tried talking to Sasuke. He had tried to be as calm and understanding as possible. Of course, it hadn't worked. In the end, he had decided to leave it to the professionals.

Dr. Shiho had done wonders with Itachi. Fugaku figured she could do the same with Sasuke. He had to switch their appointments so they wouldn't bump into each other. Itachi obviously wasn't ready to deal with Sasuke's anger. Perhaps it would be different if Sasuke had been actually talking about why he was so angry rather than taunting Itachi.

Fugaku also felt like he was missing something, like there was more to the story. With a sigh, he attempted to reply to a couple of emails. The work day was drawing to a close, and he had promised Mikoto that he wouldn't stay too late. His secretary opened the door, poking her head in apologetically. She told him that a young boy had dropped off a package for him. After leaving it on his desk, the woman scurried away.

Why was she so afraid of him? To be fair, he wasn't Mr. Refreshing. He rarely smiled or socialized while he was in the office. It was too late to change it. If he lightened up now, his employees would get comfortable and start slacking. Fugaku couldn't have that.

Without removing the brown wrapping, Fugaku already knew what the contents were. Strange. Why hadn't Neji brought it to him directly? He would ask later. He quickly ripped off the paper like a kid on Christmas morning. A note slipped out and he skimmed over it first. According to the note, Neji didn't want to risk taking the journal back to the compound. He wanted to make sure that Fugaku had it just in case.

Fugaku didn't expect anything less from Hizashi's son. Neji even had someone else to deliver it. Now, it was time for Fugaku to know the truth. Holding the book in his hands, he stared long and hard, before finally opening it.

Itachi read people like he read open books, and in a lot of cases people were easier than books. He didn't have to read between the lines, he only had to watch them unravel before him; people betrayed themselves quite efficiently and all on their own. It wasn't something the he did often. After he had offended Neji during their first encounter, he'd ceased his observations. Or at least telling people what he'd deduced.

There had been instances when he hadn't been so sure. Actually, that wasn't completely true. Itachi was right most of the time. He just had a habit of ignoring certain things to the point where he would convince himself that they didn't exist. Itachi had conditioned himself at a young age to ignore anything that could possibly lead to an awkward situation. For instance, Sasuke's true feelings for him. He may have picked up on it before Sasuke was even aware of his own feelings, but Itachi had long discarded the assumption, not allowing it to take root in his mind.

As an act of self-preservation, he'd subconsciously overlooked every hint that Sasuke may have dropped. The weeks leading up to his suicide attempt, Itachi had been withdrawn. Everything had been executed mechanically, even the interactions with his family. After the confrontation at Neji's graduation, Itachi figured that Sasuke's anger had stemmed from that.

Itachi had shut Sasuke out. He had resorted to trying to kill himself rather than confiding in his younger brother. It wasn't necessarily the real reason for Sasuke's grudge, but it was the conclusion that Itachi had come to. And seeing that that mystery was solved—or so he foolishly thought— Itachi could give his full attention to another puzzle that had been heavy on his mind.

Shisui had treated them to breakfast. When he had retreated to the guest room for a nap, Neji and Itachi had shared a bath. Itachi had finally mentioned his visit to the Hyuuga compound last week. From there, they took turns talking about their separate conversations with Fugaku. Neji, his father, and the Nara clan head were conspiring to expose Hyuuga Hiashi for all of his past transgressions.

The Hyuuga clan head had raped his own twin brother. It started when they had both been twelve years old and had ended sometime before Hiashi ultimately killed his younger brother. The last part was an assumption. A very likely assumption, but there was still no solid evidence. And, while Itachi had been devastated learning about Hizashi, he could not help the brief giddiness that he'd felt.

Before anyone judged him, Itachi needed to clarify. He had always been fascinated with puzzles, riddles, and all of the other National Treasure type shit. After solving a puzzle, no matter the difficulty level, he always felt giddy. He was a dork. Sue him.

However, that time, Itachi's moment of triumph had died quickly. Realization had hit him and nearly knocked him off of his feet. Thankfully, Shisui had suggested that they all leave the penthouse and spend the day together. Neji hadn't been ready to leave, so he had been eager to do anything to prolong his stay. Though, by that point, Itachi had decided that he was never going to allow Neji to return to the Hyuuga compound.

They were all in the den now, watching an action movie that Itachi had seen a million times. Neji was snuggled up next to him while Shisui was on the floor, sprawled out like a child. Itachi had refrained from mentioning anything to Neji. It was a conversation that they needed to have in private when they were the only ones there.

Gods, it took everything in him to keep his composure. The bruises, the promiscuity, and the dreaded look in Neji's eyes whenever he had to go home. Itachi had picked up on the signs earlier, yet he had never come to the right conclusion.

But, Neji had unknowingly given Itachi the final clue that he'd needed. And, Itachi did not have to be fucking Sherlock Holmes to finally solve the mystery of Hyuuga Neji. Times like that, he hated how his mind functioned. He hated how he was almost never wrong when it came to things like this. For the first time, in a very long time, Itachi really hoped that he was wrong.

Hiashi had raped his brother for over thirty years. Hyuuga Hiashi had raped his own twin brother for over thirty years and no one had done a damn thing about it. The clan head may have already felt invincible due to his stature within his clan. The Hyuuga clan treated the clan head as though the sun rose by his will alone. Perhaps he was over-exaggerating.

The point was all of that power and reverence made Hiashi unstoppable. According to his father, Neji was a spitting image of Hizashi. Old habits died hard.

"Pause the movie!" Shisui groaned as he sat up, pulling his vibrating phone from his pocket. Taking a look at the caller ID, he shot a quick glance at the couch where Itachi and Neji were seated before answering the phone. Before he could greet the caller, the person on the other end spoke hurriedly.

Out of his peripheral, Itachi watched Neji check his phone for the fifth time. Itachi wanted so badly to kiss him. He wanted to assure Neji that there was no reason to check the time. He wasn't going back to the compound. Itachi would be damned.

Shisui ended the call. "Um...I have to go help a friend!" He hurriedly walked out of the den before anyone could question him. "It was nice hanging with you Neji. Text you later, Itachi!"

Itachi and Neji shared a look, until Itachi broke the contact.

"I think it's time for me to leave," Neji announced. The dread in his voice pulled at Itachi's heartstrings. "I think I may have missed the last bus. Do you mind dropping me off?"

Terror was present in Neji's eyes. The idea of leaving terrified the younger male. Now that Itachi knew the truth, everything was so clear. This wasn't a teenager that wanted to stay out longer just because it was fun. No. No, Neji hated going home because that was where the real monster resided. Itachi had always admired Neji's fearless attitude.

Of course it was deeper than that. The shady back alleys and filthy clubs crawling with sleazebags didn't scare Neji. Itachi had noted from the start that Neji was someone that had had to shed too many layers of skin too early, too soon, too fast. Neji must have lost a piece of himself in the process, Itachi had thought.

Itachi took a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat. 'Rip it off, like a band aid. Dig your fingers in the wound. Tear out the stitches. Get it over with, get it over with.' He saw how Neji was watching him. Their gazes locked, and it gave Itachi the strength he need. This was the boy that he was in love with. Someone was hurting him—had hurt him. What kind of person would he be if he stood idle?

Tenderly, he cradled Neji's head, hands resting on either side of the younger male's face. As light as a feather, his thumbs caressed Neji's throat. Itachi thought about the bruises he had seen on that same neck. Unintentionally, his mind supplied him with images of how the bruises could have gotten there. Viciously, he shoved them far out of his mind. With every second, his anger spiked.

First, he would focus on Neji. Later, he'd seek his own retribution. Itachi kissed Neji, softly on the mouth as a silent apology for what was to come. What he was about to do was cruel. He would pose the question to make it appear as though he already knew the answer. This time, he wouldn't allow Neji to lie to him. Even if he refused to answer the question directly, Neji would give Itachi the answer he really needed.

It was a cruel, manipulative tactic that he hated to use on the people he loved. But, he was desperate. Itachi needed to know for sure in order for him to put an end to it. "How old were you?" his throat tightened. Tears threatened to fall, but he blinked them away. "How old were you when the clan head first took advantage of you?"

Regardless of if Neji answered the question or not, the truth was written all over his face.

TBC

AN: That cliffhanger tho. Promise not to take too long on the update~