After Many a Summer, the Swan Dies

Kisame sighed as he folded his clothing. His examination was tomorrow that would determine if he would or wouldn't be the donor to Itachi. If so, Itachi's surgery would be later that week.

The man turned toward the window, staring out the the early morning sky and the rain as it wept.

It fell in crazy chaotic drops, the gusting wind carrying the droplets in wild vortices one moment and in diagonal sheets the next. It ran down his window as a thin layer, not as cold as it was in November, but without the warmth of summer.

He and Itachi used to love the rain.

"I never kissed in the rain before." Itachi muttered. "And my tousan wants me home so we have to hurry."

"Tachi." The thirteen year old spoke in a childish manner, laughing softly. "We really don't have to."

"No, I want to." the pre-teen muttered. "Father says he always liked kissing in the rain. And Obito says it's cute."

Kisame stared at the boy and shook his head. "Fine." Itachi made no move and he stared at Kisame, cold rain kissing his cheeks, which were reddened.

"Tachi." The boy hissed playfully.

The Uchiha put his head down. "I don't know how to advance on it. I don't know how to kiss."

Kisame sighed and grabbed his boyfriend's face. "You never kissed before?' Itachi blushed, opening his mouth to speak.

His expression was serious and Itachi wondered if the shark knew how weird it made him feel, how it made him want to feel every inch of his bluish skin. Itachi pulled his hand down and moved in front, toe to toe. Kisame rolled his eyes in that way he did when he was really happy but feeling too macho to show it and they kissed.

Kisame laughed softly as he grabbed a pair of his pants. He missed it all, he supposed. But now wasn't like that. Now he had to save his love.

The sound of the doorbell shrilled in Kisame's head. It was tinny and grating. It demanded that Kisame leave his work and go to the door.

Standing, the man once more looked toward the rain pouring.

The water droplets fell like they simply couldn't think of anything better to do. There was a laziness about them, as if they could barely be bothered to conform to the will of gravity. If Kisame held his bare arm out of the window, the droplets would splatter on his outstretched fingers. They were large and hard.

He watched the remnants of the drops run downwards like tiny rivers. Anyone outside at this time of morning and in this kind of weather had a deathwish.

He opened the door, only to pull the shivering man inside. "Itachi!" He hissed. "What the hell are you doing out here? It's three in the morning? Get in here. You'll catch something."

Itachi's teeth chattered as he tried speaking, but only shook further. "I-I-I got over h-here cause I snuck, shark man."

"Shh. Stop talking." Kisame muttered as he led the Uchiha toward the fireplace. "Calm down. I'm going to get you a change of clothes and a few towels alright?"

Itachi only forced a nod as the Hoshigaki walked away. He didn't understand why Itachi did such silly things. He knew that he had to look out for him. He knew Itachi needed help.

When he returned, he halted by the door. Itachi wasn't shivering so much anymore, but he still looked cold, jumpy even. He had taken it upon himself to remove his clothing and sit cross legged, obsidian eyes staring into the fire.

It was one thing Kisame always, and would always, love about him. Itachi was never afraid to flaunt everything he'd been born in. Whether his skin scraped his bones or there were pudges of fat upon his waist and thighs, he loved his body. Every flaw and imperfection was sacred to him. And not even a rock to the head could change that ideal.

The man advanced forward and instead of handing Itachi the large shirt, he gave the man a large fluffy towel that draped over the entirety of his upper half.

Itachi smiled gracefully. "Thank you." He whispered and Kisame smiled too. "Could I..may I have some tea please? I'd li-"

"Oolong tea." Kisame recited from several years prior. "Just one spoon of honey, otherwise you take the healthy out of it."

Itachi smiled softly, looking down as the Hoshigaki walked away into the kitchen.

It had taken ten minutes for Kisame to return with two cups of tea. He handed one to Itachi, who smiled gratefully, and sat before.

He wanted answers. He wanted to know why Itachi would risk his life and his safety to come to Kisame at three in the morning and when the thunder was just coming in.

And it came like the prelude to a great song, impetuous rumbling permeating the air every bit as much as the sudden rain. At first it was a crack, violent to the ears, but after came a rolling sound that dissipated into the surrounding hills of Konoha.

Itachi didn't need to be asked. Still staring into the fire, he lowered his cup from his lips.

"I'm not going to lose you." He muttered.

"What?" The shark man asked.

Itachi shook his head to the point where his silky hair fell before his eyes. To hide something maybe. "I...I found out that you offered yourself in my brain transplant. And no."

"No what, Tachi?"

The Uchiha looked up sharply then, his eyes wet and angry. "No. I refuse to let you become the way I am now. Just because you want to be my hero. I'm not going to let you leave me. You just can't."

"Tachi. What about your surgery." Kisame tried reasoning. "Don't you want to be norm-"

"I am normal." The Uchiha cried. But it wasn't the tantrum he'd had before. It was a heavy cry as if he were just tired of everyone trying to fight for him. And no one ever gave im the option of fighting for himself. "I realize that I am.

But I'm not going to lose you. I'll wait forever to get a donor, but I'm not going to lose you, Kisame."

It grew silent. Ever since the accident, it had never been his name. 'Shark man' was a necessity and although it was beautiful rolling from his tongue, Kisame was so foreign.

"I'm not going to lose you or Sasuke or Naruto. I'm not letting anyone go just because I miss the old me. I'll find a way. I'll find a way, I swear."

They sat in silence for a while. Sad, remorseful, and often, bitter.

"Tachi?"

"Yeah." The raven answered, his eyes not straying from the fire.

He scooted closer so that he was before the man, their folded knees touching. "I thought I'd be your hero. I thought that you'd forgive me for calling you a child. I thought you'd love me for bringing you back."

Itachi shook his head, a soft laugh almost moving the fire. He reached his hand up, holding it gently on Kisame's broad face. "Oh...I already loved you."

The first time, it had been scary for Kisame. Because the only Itachi he knew had the mind of a child. But this Itachi, one everyone but Naruto ignored, was a part of him not lost in the crash. This Itachi, Kisame was not ashamed to love.

And that unspoken bravery had led him and Itachi to his own bedroom as the Uchiha explored him, their clothing gone.

He didn't move. Itachi was exploring him; he could feel it in the way her fingers trembled slightly as he pushed his hair away from his face. His brave facade was crumbling, but he knew firsthand that the bravest were those who did things when they didn't feel certain. He watched Obsidian eyes dart around his features, saw Itachi take his bottom lip between his teeth while he steeled his nerves, and when he closed his eyes and leaned forward, the corner of Kisame's mouth turned up ever so slightly.

He let Itachi kiss him; he wouldn't ruin such a bold moment for the man, but despite every nerve in his body telling him otherwise, he didn't kiss back. He couldn't. He felt the Uchiha stiffen when he realized Kisame wasn't returning the affection and when he placed a hand on the pale shoulder, Tachi pulled back.

Tears stung the corner of his eyes and he watched the tip of his pretty nose redden. He was going to cry.

Of course he was going to cry. Kisame had done possibly the most boorish thing he'd ever done in his life. Not kissing his love back. What greater insult could he have bestowed upon the raven?

"It's not you," he whispered. "I swear it is not you," he repeated, his calloused hands cupping Itachi's chin. "For fuck's sake, if I've lost my faith, you are the proof that Kami does do wonderful things. You are everything, everything that I don't deserve."

Itachi nodded, making his move to continue. Before he kissed the Hoshigaki, he halted, his lips hovering over the others.

"What's wrong?" Kisame questioned.

Itachi smirked, not devilishly, but crooked. "I...I don't know how to kiss."

His breath stopped for a moment and Kisame sat up, grabbing Itachi onto his lap. Instead asking the man if he really remembered, he played along. "You never kissed before."

Itachi only shook his head as KIsame laughed softly and kissed him.

With ease, he'd successfully turned Itachi over so that the pale man straddled him close. He cupped Itachi's small nubs like he'd done before, gently brushing the nipple with his thumb.

And still, the gentle touch was enough for Itachi to arch his head back with a soft whine. Enough for the raven to tighten the lock of his legs and bring Kisame even closer, no living matter between their sweaty bodies.

He groaned as he felt himself harden. Itachi blushed deeply and moaned softly.

Kisame bushed himself against Itachi's thight ins an teasing matter and it wasn't long before he's positioned himself before Itachi's entrance, poised to enter.

Itachi nodded slowly, wrapping his arms around the pale blue neck as if he'd fall down down down.

With his own hands, he guided himself in, pushing in just enough to wet the tip in Itachi's sweat.

Pulling out, he pushed in once more, holding it there. He pushed in further.

Kisame smirked as Itachi moaned over the booming thunder above the home. So, he slid his length in slowly. Teasing. When Itachi growled softly, the man pushed in all the way until he was pressing against the wall.

He was hard, pressing against the raven's walls and holding it there.

Shifting his weight, he rotated his hips slightly, like piloting a ship, inching the wheel around so the rudder shifts.

Looking down finally, the man watched in amazement at Itachi put a hand in his. To stop the squealing, moaning, whining, screaming. Whatever it was, Itachi made it sound good.

So while his length repeatedly kissed the pale man's prostate, he reached forward, pulling the fingers from the other's mouth.

"Don't do that." He managed to let out. "I want to hear you, babe."

"Naruto. Now that Kisame isn't going to the hospital anymore, I want a CAT scan."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at his best friend the next morning. Sasuke was still asleep, Deidara was out with Sasori, Obito and Kakashi went food shopping, and Kisame had went to work.

It left Naruto and Itachi to themselves, which neither minded. Itachi figured he hadn't been able to spend much time with his best friend and Naruto needed advice with his book cover.

While he wrote, Itachi sat reading some old book he'd found around the house.

"A cat scan? You mean an X-ray image made using computerized axial tomography?"

"Yeah. One of those."

At a lost for words, Naruto came to sit next to his friend in concern. As soon as he sat, Itachi yawned and laid his head upon the blond's shoulder.

"Why would you like a CT scan?"

"I've been reading and I'll need you to explain something to me."

"Uh-huh."

Itachi sat the book on Naruto's lap and curled his legs on the couch, speaking slowly, but surely. "I was reading this medical book on brain analrisms."

In spite of himself, Naruto snorted, making Itachi blush and hit him. "I'm sorry, Ita. You mean an aneurysm."

Itachi laughed too. "Yeah that. The book says that it's weak area in the wall of an artery that supplies blood to the brain. In most cases, a brain aneurysm causes no symptoms and goes unnoticed. In rare cases, the brain aneurysm ruptures, releasing blood into the skull and causing a stroke."

"Yeah" The blond nodded in understanding, staring at the photos of how blood stops flowing toward the brain.

"But, in the rare rare cases, it said that sometimes, the aneurysm can cause a lack in development. Sometimes, it's called a flashback killer."

"Flashback killer?" Naruto once more raised a brow.

Itachi pointed to a picture on the page where a male human stood next to a child human. Although different in size, both were doing to same things, situating that their minds were the same. "It makes you mentally disabled I suppose, Naruto."

Naruto looked toward Itachi, only staring at the top of his silky hair. "Kami." He whispered in realization.

Itachi looked up then. "What?"

Naruto smiled, standing as he grabbed his jacket and threw Itachi his sandals. "You're a genius, that's what?"

Itachi smiled at the praise, but it dissipated as Naruto pulled him off the couch and out of the door. "Where are we going?"

"To the hospital. We're getting this CT scan now to find out if this is true, which most likely it is approximately 150 percent true." Naruto told his best friend. Excited, hopeful.

"You're right, Naruto." Tsunade stated in awe as she moved in her chair. A few nurses were around and Naruto wanted to ask them to leave, so to not scare Itachi when they removed him from machine.

"Not me." Naruto stated proudly. "Itachi figured it out all by himself. He read."

"He's a smart kid, despite his illness."

Naruto bit his lip. He wanted to scream. He wanted to hiss. He wanted to curse her and tell her it wasn't an illness. It was a gift. But simply, as a man would, he shook his head.

A soft knock on the door and Sasuke walked in, coffee in his hands. He'd come to the hospital faster than anything.

And yet, he'd left the room when Itachi went in the machine to ease his nerves. He wanted it to be true. He wanted Itachi to be right.

Before he asked, Naruto looked toward him and gave a simple nod. His smile was of soft relief and he blinked his tears away as he came to sit next to Naruto.

Itachi kicked his legs. "Can I come out now?" He sang, as if to rally say 'ready or not, here I come.'

Tsunade grimaced softly at his behavior and Naruto laughed loudly. Pressing a button, the plate Itachi lay on began moving outside of the tube that scanned his brain.

Itachi sat up, happy and hopeful. "Well?" He whispered.

"Your solution was correct, Ita." Naruto stated.

"How soon can he have surgery. And how will it go."

"Luckily, I've dealt with many aneurysms before." Tsunade began. "I wish I would have noticed sooner that there was no real problem. Itachi would have been back to normal three tears ago."

"That's not good." Itachi sulked. "I wouldn't have made friends with Naruto."

THe blond teasingly raised a brow. "What? If you think that you can avoid me like the plague, you're mistaken. Chances are, if everything is based on Nash equilibrium, we would have found a way to be friends. We would have chosen the best possibility with no relation as to how-"

"Naruto." Sasuke half whined, half teased.

Naruto simply smiled. "Sorry. Please continue, Tsunade."

"Aneurysms are easy to fix. With Itachi, Endovascular repair, most often using a coil or coiling and stenting, is a less invasive way to treat some aneurysms.

During the procedure, Itachi may have general anesthesia and a breathing tube. Or, he may be given medicine to relax him, but not enough to put him to sleep."

"He should be asleep." Naruto stated aloud, watching as Sasuke nodded.

Tsunade wrote in her clip. "Okay. A catheter is guided through a small cut in your groin to an artery and then to the blood vessel in your brain where the aneurysm is located. Contrast material is injected through the catheter. This allows the surgeon to view the arteries and the aneurysm on a monitor in the operating room. Thin metal wires are put into the aneurysm, which then coil into a mesh ball. For this reason, the procedure is also called coiling. Blood clots that form around this coil prevent the aneurysm from breaking open and bleeding. Sometimes stents are also put in to hold the coils in place. During and right after the procedure, you may be given heparin, which prevents dangerous blood clots from forming."

Sasuke nodded, happy that it didn't sound so life threatening. "And how soon?" Although he didn't want to rush.

"This surgery is fast. Which is why we can do it this week."

Itachi smiled big and nodded. Naruto and Sasuke watched him in awe and nodded too, agreeing with his choices.

One Week Later

Naruto smiled at Sasuke as he hung up the phone with Jiraiya, who'd told him that they finished making the copies. All they needed was a chosen book cover so that they could start making those.

"Why are you in Deidara's art room?" The Uchiha asked.

Naruto looked around. "He allowed me to send in a small work for the cover of my book."

Sasuke hummed and began looking around too. "What kind of drawing are you looking for?"

Naruto smiled. "Something that reminds you of the human race, you know? Something like that?"

Sasuke nodded. "What about this one?" He pointed.

Both men stared at the small painting. It was simple. A simple painting of a human body, different colors to signify the various aspects of the human race. But what kept them staring was the jagged edges of this human. One breast shadow to show that it was female and a missing one to show that it was male.

The legs were crooked as if this being had been walking walking walking for so long. Maybe it needed a rest. But it stood. It stood and Naruto kissed Sasuke.

"You're perfect."

"Me? You want to use me on the cover?" Sasuke joked, making Naruto grin bigger.

"Thank you."

"For?"

"Calming me down, Sasuke."

Sasuke shook his head. "You're the only one fretting about Itachi. He'll be fine, I know it. But it's good. It's good that I calmed you down. You ready?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Let's see him before he goes in."

The drive to the hospital was short and everyone already sat, saying that they'd seen Itachi already. He was only aloud to see one person at a time and his surgery began in ten minutes.

Sasuke went in first, taking five minutes to speak with his brother before coming back out and wiping his face.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked.

"Nothing." Sasuke smiled sadly, feeling silly. "I'll just miss this part of him."

Naruto frowned, walking to Itachi's room with poise. The Uchiha looked up and upon seeing him, smiled deeply.

"Hey." Naruto spoke. "How are you feeling?"

"A little nervous." The raven admitted without hesitance.

"Don't be. You're going to finish this and you're going to be wonderful. Just as wonderful as you are now."

Itachi smiled thankfully. "How's the book?"

"It'll be out tomorrow."

"Does it have me in it?"

Naruto's eyes widened and he tickled his best friend's stomach. "Are you kidding? You've taken more than half the book to yourself. You know, everyday I watched you. Become wiser, stronger, healthier. It wasn't my plan to interview and observe you because I thought you'd give me nothing. But it was you, Tachi. You're the beautiful mind. No matter what anyone has ever or will ever say. You're mind and other minds like yours are the beautiful ones."

Tears pricked at Itachi's eyes and he smiled big to block them. "I'm just... I'm glad you're my friend."

Naruto smiled, leaning down to hug him. "Me too. I'll see you in a few hours alright?"

Itachi nodded.

When Tsunade confirmed that Itachi's surgery was a go, they all waited patiently and calm, knowing the raven would be fine.

Naruto's phone buzzed and he looked down at his phone, seeing Jiraiya's name. When he answered, he spoke instantly.

"I have the cover. I'll bring it in tomorrow."

"No no, kid. Not that. The name. You never told us the name of the book."

Naruto bit his lip then, as he'd never thought of names for his own book. Unconsciously, he thought of his past months.

He smiled, kissing Sasuke as they danced to no music at all.

"You love me?" The Uchiha wondered out loud.

Naruto smiled devilishly and kissed his lover's fingers. "You know I do. I love every bit of you."

Sasuke laughed. Carefree and happy. Unlike some time ago. That laugh was filled with his heart.

NSNS

Itachi shook his head at the equation on Naruto's board. "I can't seem to solve it, Naruto."

"Think, Tachi. I know you can do this."

Itachi bit his lip It was a basic equation, but after being out of school for some time, he was supposed to start on the basics. Instead, Naruto had given him an energy equation.

"If Energy equals mass times the speed of light squared, the speed of light is 299,792,458 meters per second, and mass is 469 kilograms.."

Itachi trailed off, writing on the board, when finished, he moved to the side. "Then the energy is approximately 1.4 X 1012."

"To the twelfth…" Naruto trailed.

"Joules." Itachi finished. "Joules is the unit of measure for any energy."

"Genius." Naruto spoke, making Itachi smile.

Carefree and happy. Unlike some time ago. That smile was filled with his mind.

NSNS

"You what?" Naruto questioned incredulous.

"I forgive them." Deidara muttered at the kitchen table. "I'm not going to let my soul be tormented as I keep remembering my rapes and molestation. I forgive them. My fathers, the priest, the therapist, all of them. If I don't, I won't forgive myself."

Deidara wiped his tears away as Naruto smiled sadly. "Dei, you're so brave."

The long haired male cried then. But they were happy.

Carefree and happy. Unlike some time ago. Those tears were filled with his soul.

"Naruto?"

"Yes?"

"The name of the book?"

"Oh...um yes." He smiled softly. "The title is 'The Heart, the Mind, and the Soul: The Unexpected Beauty of Humankind.'"

There was some writing and then Jiraiya let out a soft laugh. "For a wonderful book like this, the title is perfect."

Ahh. ONE MORE CHAPTER. And before anyone asks, the brain aneurysm cannot actually cause mental disabilities. This is a fanfiction for a reason, people. Everything else is true. Anyway, please review.