****To The Secret Sal: Thanks for being the 100th reviewer - as a reward, I've included a little something something - not anything big, think of it as a nod to one of your interests - in this chapter ;)

Kisame was tired.

First a six hour shift at Hozuki's from 4 – 10:30pm, a four hour nap back at Itachi's, and then a seven hour shift at the convenience store the next morning.

His rims of his eyelids burned every second he kept them open. Every blink was like a light switch being turned off. There were a few instances when his mind went blank and he disengaged from the world around him only to be brought back by the sudden jerk of his head snapping upright again. On top of that, his knuckles were still smarting from when he threw a punch at Sasuke two nights ago.

And as much as he wanted to go home and lock himself in his bedroom to pass out, another matter more pressing than his fatigue was weighing on his mind.

"Kisame?"

"Hey," Kisame smiled into the phone. "How's everything going?"

Miru hummed. "Uh…everything's going good. The kids are at art class right now and will be going to lunch right afterwards. What about you? How's everything going?"

I was in the hospital for punching a cabinet, my lawyer-in-training is ticked that I canceled my appointment with a real lawyer, and I'm ready to pass out in the street. "Good, good. Everything's going great."

"That's good!"

Kisame chuckled and moved out of the way of an oncoming couple walking in the opposite direction. A tall man with long, unkempt black hair holding the hand of a tan skinned man with long brown hair. Now Kisame wasn't one to judge based on sexual preferences so the fact that they were both men didn't bother him any. What bothered him was that these uniquely different people had someone who loved them for who they were – flaws included – whereas Kisame had a roommate with cancer who tolerated his stupidity and anger issues, said roommate's hostile brother who hated his guts and an old friend stuck in a dead-end relationship. "So…how's everything been with your boyfriend? Have you guys talked at all since the other day?"

He could hear Miru shrug into the phone and heard the crisp stacking of papers in the background. "Yeah, we talked about it and he apologized."

"That's it?"

"Hm-hm! That's it! Why?" She asked.

"And you're okay with that?" He asked, abruptly stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Yeah…I mean…I'm not like you, Kisame. I'm not going to throw a punch at every person who upsets me. For one, I'd break my hand!" She laughed. "And it's just easier to forgive and forget, you know?"

"I don't…actually."

"Excuse me," A young girl whispered as she inched past him.

Kisame's eyes followed her as she disappeared into the dimly lit restaurant he'd stopped in front of.

"Kisame? You still there?"

"Yeah. Yeah." He said and continued walking. Itachi's building was in sight. Just another block and he'd be there. "And I don't punch everyone who makes me mad."

"You used to." Miru giggled. "I spent too many nights bandaging your hand because somebody looked at you 'the wrong way' or 'said the wrong thing'. But maybe you've changed."

I really haven't though. That's the sad part. He mused. "But you were crying the other night, Miru. Your boyfriend probably had no idea where you were – you didn't come straight home and it wasn't until later on that you texted him saying that you were at the school."

"I know, Kisame, but that wasn't the first time we've had that argument—"

"And it won't be the last either." He cut in. "You don't seem happy with him, Miru—"

"I am happy with him, Kisame. Look, I know you don't like him, but you also don't know him."

"Because he doesn't like me!"

"Because he doesn't know you either!" She groaned. "Listen, I should go. This is my planning period and it's almost over."

"Wait, I'm not—"

"And I need to take the kids to lunch, Kisame. This conversation can wait."

"But you're not—"

"Bye, Kisame."

And just like that, the line clicked off.

-8-8-8-8-

"There you are." Sasuke said, rising from his chair. "We need to talk about scheduling another appointment with Kakashi."

This isn't what I need right now. "Can it wait?"

Sasuke regarded him with wide eyes before releasing a short, mocking laugh. "Can it wait? Can it wait? Are you fucking serious right now? Yeah it can wait! It can wait until the state claims the property and there's nothing we can do!" He laughed. "I've waited long enough to help you with this so no, this can't wait!"

"If Sasuke ever goes out of his way for you again…don't take it for granted, okay?"

Itachi's words rung in Kisame's mind and as much as he wanted to ignore the annoying little gnat buzzing in his face and lock himself in his room he wanted to at least try to reason with him. "I know I screwed up last time and I know I've made you wait but I worked all night last night and I need to lay down so can it please wait until another day this week?" He said "please." His mother would be proud that he remembered to use his manners when asking for something he wanted.

The corner of Sasuke's mouth twisted upwards. "I don't think you understand. I've tried really hard to work with you. I've waited to talk to you until you were free which is never considering that you're not the only one with two jobs—"

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Count to ten.

"—and…are you even listening?"

"Why is helping me so important to you?" Kisame asked.

"What?"

"Why do you care so much?" He asked again, turning to face the younger Uchiha. "Because every time you talk to me, you're always agitated—"

Sasuke furrowed his brow and took a step closer. "I wasn't agitated until you canceled that appointment!" He grit out. "I was calm and collected until you did that. Until you decided that canceling wouldn't be such a big deal – that I didn't pull several strings to give you the chance to meet with someone like Kakashi Hatake – that this 'important meeting' was so unimportant that you could just cancel by text! That's why I'm agitated!"

"And I apologized for it!" Kisame shouted and brought his fingers to his nose. Be patient with my brother. This…this isn't easy for him, especially since he's used to getting his way. And my being in the hospital has made him more irritable than usual and when that happens he'll say things he shouldn't… "I'm trying to be patient with you but it's kinda hard when you're hell-bent on attacking me every chance you get! I know you're upset that Itachi's in the hospital – I get that but—"

"No! No you don't get it!" He yelled. "You don't know me and you sure as hell don't know Itachi so don't go around acting like you do! Itachi's the only reason that I'm even helping you in the first place because if by chance he beats this cancer, I'd very much like to move back into my old bedroom so I can take care of him but I can't because you still haven't met with Kakashi to move back into that auto garage you call home! So there! That's why helping you is so important to me because if it wasn't for Itachi I would've thrown in the towel the minute I got that text message Tuesday!"

Be patient with my brother. The thought was laughable as Kisame clutched his phone so hard it would smash into a million pieces if he threw it into the wall. It was still a better option than smashing Sasuke's face into a wall, a thought that was becoming more and more appealing the longer Kisame put up with this bullshit.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Sasuke pulling out his phone.

Kisame was tired.

He was tired of being ruthlessly attacked by Itachi's kid brother and being expected to take the insults no matter how many times he apologized for cancelling that damn appointment.

He was tired of receiving a phone call from Itachi asking to meet him at the hospital so they could discuss his latest altercation between himself and Sasuke and having to explain himself in the face of his roommate. Of feeling sorry for causing the man so much trouble when he had enough on his plate. He chuckled once the elevator doors slid open upon reaching the lobby. At this rate, he and Sasuke had a dispute once a week. Itachi didn't need that.

Kisame himself didn't need any of this. Didn't need to be treated like this by a stuck up twenty-something know-it-all straight out of college. In fact, he never signed up for this. Never asked to put up with this kid while Itachi got treated fifteen minutes away.

Pretty soon, he wouldn't have to.

At twelve forty-five in the afternoon, the lunch rush was seated in a restaurant or diner somewhere enjoying their lunch breaks leaving the bridge fairly empty. Devoid of people.

And free of witnesses.

So I want to give you guys a heads up - I've got a lot going on in my life right now that I can't really talk about at this moment. Let's just say that it's depressing (please don't mention any of it in a review should you decide to leave one) and since this story has taken a rather depressing turn (one I've planned all along) it's taking me longer to write. So all I ask is for you to bear with me, okay? Be patient.

As for the next chapter - I think it'll be an Itachi chapter. I haven't really committed to the idea yet.

Until next time~!

Sasori33-001