Warnings: Incest, Video-chat sex
A Family Affair
Chapter 15
About twenty minutes later, they were at Itachi's house. During the ride over, Sasuke had been able to calm himself slightly, enough that he didn't feel like his entire body was alight with nervous energy. But adrenaline was still coursing through his veins as he pictured, over and over again, what had happened—the way Itachi had moved, the way Naruto had hit the ground—and he ended up pacing back and forth in the living room while his brother watched him from the kitchen.
Silent.
Just like he had been the entire drive. Which bothered him more and more with each passing second, until he couldn't take it anymore.
"Why aren't you freaking out?" Sasuke finally asked, stopping mid-stride to look over at Itachi.
His brother raised an eyebrow at him. "Am I supposed to be?"
"Yes!" Sasuke answered immediately, like that was obvious. "I mean, you just — he lifted his hands and shook them nonsensically as if that was an articulate recap of events — and you're just standing there like nothing happened!"
"Because one of us needs to remain calm," Itachi said easily. He pushed himself away from the counter and walked over to Sasuke. "And, right now, I don't think that person can be you."
"Well, can you blame me?" Sasuke shot back, feeling jittery all over. "After all, we've—"
A sudden loud buzzing cut him off and made him jump. He looked over at the coffee table where he'd thrown his phone and groaned when he saw Sakura's picture on the screen. He moved to grab it but Itachi reached out and stilled his hand.
"I don't think you should worry about answering that right now," he said.
"She'll just keep calling if I don't," Sasuke replied. As if to prove his point, his phone quieted as the call went to voice-mail. But before the screen could even black out, Sakura's picture appeared again, accompanied by another loud vibration.
Seeing that it probably wasn't to be helped, Itachi moved his hand and shrugged. Sasuke reached down and grabbed his phone, answering it and putting to his ear in one swift motion.
"I can't really talk right now, Sakura," he said immediately.
Over the line, he heard a heavy sigh of relief. "Oh my god, are you okay?" she asked, her words tumbling one over the next. Before he could answer, she continued, "Did he hurt you? Where are you?"
"I'm okay," Sasuke said, opting to answer the easiest of the three questions. "I'm okay, but I really—"
"Thank god," she interrupted. "I know you went home, but I had to call and check. They found Naruto unconscious outside and I was so worried something had happened."
Sasuke looked down and worried at his lip. He didn't answer.
"Wait…" Over the line, Sakura fell silent for a beat. Long enough to suck in a deep breath before she asked, "Did something happen?"
"Well, I mean," he said softly. "You could say that…"
"You could—Sasuke," she hissed, cutting herself off to lower her voice. It made him wonder if she was around other people. "Did you do that to him?"
"No!" he exclaimed quickly. "Of course not!"
"Then who—what—"
"I did it," Itachi spoke up, having heard Sakura even though she wasn't on speaker. He leaned a little closer to him to make sure the microphone picked him up and reiterated, "It was me."
The two of them locked eyes. Sasuke wanted to ask Itachi just what he thought he was doing, but he found himself slightly mesmerized by how close his brother was. His eyes trailed down Itachi's features, following the angle of his cheek down to the strong line of his jaw and back up to the curve of his—
"Was that…who I think it was?" Sakura asked slowly, breaking him out of his trance.
He cleared his throat. "Possibly…" he answered, well aware of his brother's self-satisfied smirk as he leaned back.
There was a sigh over the line before Sasuke heard the sound of Sakura's backpack jangling as she walked. When it stopped a few seconds later, she spoke but her voice was still quiet, leading Sasuke to assume she'd gone somewhere a little more private.
"First off, I'm happy for you, okay?" she said. "I'm glad you stopped being so stubborn. But — she paused briefly — I need you to tell me what happened. Quickly."
Sasuke hesitated and looked at Itachi, silently asking if he should. His brother just shrugged and gave him a look in return that said, I don't know, it's up to you.
So, Sasuke told her.
He wasn't exactly sure why she needed (or wanted) to know so badly, but he gave her a very basic rundown of the events that had happened since they parted, adding to Itachi as an aside that Sakura had figured out the truth about them. Something that his brother didn't seem remotely surprised about.
When he was done, Sakura blew out a long breath.
"And where are you now?" she asked.
"Itachi's."
"Okay," she said. Then he could only guess that she pulled the phone away from her face as her voice suddenly grew faint while she repeated, "Okay, okay… It's okay."
Before he could really wonder what that was about, Sakura's voice was loud in his ear again. "Okay, the two of you stay there. Don't do anything. I'll be over there as soon as I can."
"Wait," he said, confused by her command. "What do you mean?"
"I'll explain when I get there," she answered hurriedly. "Just don't do anything until I'm there."
Without saying goodbye, Sakura hung up abruptly, leaving Sasuke and Itachi looking at each other in the silence she left behind.
"Does she do things like that often?" Itachi asked when Sasuke lowered his phone, putting it back on the table.
"Kind of," he admitted with a shrug. "You get used to it."
Itachi nodded slowly. "And…we're just going to do what she said?"
"It's usually easier than arguing with her," Sasuke said plainly. "So, yeah."
"Huh…" Itachi pressed his lips together like he was considering that before he let out a resigned, "Well, okay." And together they sat down on the couch to wait.
XxX
Thirty minutes later, Sasuke jumped up when he heard the knock on the door signaling Sakura's arrival. He rushed over, both eager and nervous to know why she'd been so adamant about coming over in the first place, and opened the door just as Itachi stood up from the couch. Sakura breezed past him before he could invite her inside, pausing only for a second to toe off her shoes before she stopped by the dining table and put her hands on her hips.
"You two are idiots," she said without preamble as she looked between the two of them. "Lucky idiots."
"Well, hello to you, too," Itachi said sarcastically.
At the same time, Sasuke shut the door and asked, "Lucky? What's that supposed to mean?"
Itachi gave him a peculiar look. "Is that really the part you're focusing on?" he asked. "Because I'd like to point out she called us idiots."
"Because you are," Sakura shot back at Itachi without hesitation. "I mean, only an idiot would do what you did, and only a lucky idiot wouldn't get caught doing it."
"Woah, woah, woah," Sasuke said quickly, holding up both of his hands to stop the two of them from bickering. He looked at Sakura and asked, "What do you mean 'wouldn't get caught'?"
"This is what I mean," she said before she pulled her phone out of her pocket. She tapped the screen a few times and held it out for him to look at. Sasuke stepped closer, narrowing his eyes when he saw the picture of a parking lot that filled her screen.
Something about it seemed familiar, but Sasuke couldn't place it so he just looked up at Sakura, confused.
"I don't get it," Sasuke said. "Where is that? What's so important about it?"
"That is the staff parking lot back at school," she explained, moving her phone over for Itachi to see when he came close. "And what's important is what you aren't able to see, which is Naruto, unconscious on the ground, because that is right over — she pointed with her index finger just on the outside of the picture — here."
Itachi's eyes widened and he stepped a little closer. "You mean—"
"This is from the school's security footage," she said with a nod. "And you two are the lucky idiots that somehow didn't get caught on it."
The words sent a chill through Sasuke. He hadn't thought to spare a single though to security cameras or anything else, hadn't taken the time to consider how much worse all of this could be for them. Apparently, Itachi hadn't either because his brother was shaking his head as Sakura pulled her phone back.
"Holy shit," Itachi muttered. "I didn't even think about it…"
"Well, you're lucky I did," Sakura said.
And Sasuke couldn't help but agree. Sakura was a few steps ahead, as always, though this time it did beg the question:
"But how did you even get it?"
Sakura rolled her eyes like it was obvious. But Itachi was the one who answered.
"She was an assistant in the office."
Sakura nodded. "For the last two years. And I helped principal Jiraiya set up those cameras after they were installed. Since I was still there and they hadn't gotten around to removing my access yet, I was able to check them."
Itachi nodded like that made complete sense. Like everything was explained, but Sasuke still had questions. This time for his brother.
"Wait, how do you even know that?"
"I saw her working in the office," Itachi answered simply, a silent obviously tacked on. Which Sasuke, graciously, decided to glaze over for now, mostly because he was too surprised to find out that Itachi had known that when he hadn't.
"Is there anything else you know about my best friend that I don't?" he asked. Aware even before his brother shot him a grin that he sounded unreasonably jealous.
"Well—" Itachi started to say, but Sakura interrupted him.
"You can tease him later," she reprimanded. "Right now, you need to focus on how serious this is. You might not be on video, but Naruto can obviously say something at any point. So, do you have a plan?"
Sasuke shook his head. "We have his phone, but it's broken and we have no idea whether he has other copies of the pictures."
"Great." Sakura sighed. "Well, I can tell you that you have — she checked the time on her phone — less than twenty-four hours to figure something out before they release him from the hospital."
Despite knowing that he had no real reason to, Sasuke felt himself immediately begin to worry upon hearing that.
"They're keeping him overnight?" he asked. "Is he…" The word okay died on his lips when he saw Itachi glance at him and he felt bad that he'd even asked.
Sakura, either not noticing or, more likely, not caring about the tension between them over the subjected, answered. "He'll be okay. I called on my way over. He's got a broken nose and a concussion from hitting his head when he fell. That's why they're keeping him overnight. But come morning—"
"He'll be out," Itachi finished. Sakura nodded.
"Okay, so that gives us tonight to think of a plan," Sasuke said. His nerves were starting to rise, but he pushed them down as best he could. "No pressure, right?"
Neither of them laughed, not that he'd really been expecting them to. But, he could admit, it would have been nice if they had. Then maybe, for a second, he could fool himself into believing everything wasn't as dire as it seemed. Or that the luck Sakura seemed convinced they had wasn't just hours away from running out.
Seeing the silence over them all as a cue for her to leave, Sakura gave him a small smile, but it was filled with pity.
"It's not over yet, Sasuke," she said, looking between them. "But I should probably go. Give the two of you time to think, yeah?"
"Yeah, probably a good idea," Sasuke agreed. He walked her the few steps back over to the door, watching her curiously as she put on her shoes.
"What is it?" she asked when she straightened and noticed him watching her.
"Nothing really," Sasuke said. He shook his head. "I guess I just don't really get why you did all this. You know," he gestured at her phone and general presence in the house. "Running damage control and all. I mean, you don't have anything to do with this. You don't have to help us. So…why?"
"Because, like I keep telling you, Sasuke." She leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You're my friend, and I'll always be here for you."
The sentiment made him smile and he reached out to hug her. "Thank you," he muttered into her hair. "For everything."
"It's no big deal," she said, shrugging nonchalantly when they broke apart. "Besides, restarting a relationship by going to jail would really suck."
Sasuke laughed at that. Behind them, he heard Itachi chuckle, too. Sakura smiled but when it faded, she was serious again.
"Just, whatever you do… Be careful, Sasuke," she said. "I don't want to see you hurt."
"I know."
They held one another's gaze for a moment before Sakura nodded at him and grabbed for the door. Before she pulled it open, she looked back at Itachi.
"And you," she said, pointing at him. Sasuke turned to see his brother's eyes widen slightly, not having expected to be called out. "Take care of him," she continued. "He's absolutely useless on his own."
"Hey!" Sasuke exclaimed.
But Sakura and Itachi laughed.
"I will," Itachi said simply.
"Good." She turned back to Sasuke and pulled the door open. "Let me know once you have a plan."
Sasuke nodded. "I will."
Sakura left after that. Sasuke shut the door behind her, putting his hand against it for a second as he thought over everything she'd said. From behind him, he heard Itachi moving and Sasuke closed his eyes when his brother's arms wrapped around him from behind.
"You have a really great friend," Itachi said softly as he held him close, his chest pressed against Sasuke's back.
Sasuke put his hands on top of Itachi's where they had settled on his stomach and sighed. "Yeah, I do."
And it was true, of course. Sakura had been there for him for years, always one step (or sometimes several) ahead of him. Looking out for him because… Well, because she wanted to, he supposed. And he appreciated it all the same. Even if, sometimes, she was too smart for her own good.
Like today.
However, today it had helped him more than it had annoyed him. And he couldn't deny that she had a point when it came to keeping them out of trouble.
Now though, left alone with his brother again, Sasuke realized he could still use her help. But, deep down, he knew this wasn't her problem. She had done enough. More than enough, even. And he knew that if he and Itachi wanted to be together, if they really wanted to build a life with one another, then they needed to be able to figure this out.
"Tell me what you're thinking," Itachi muttered, pressing a kiss to his shoulder when he'd been quiet too long.
"Probably the same thing you're thinking," he answered before he turned around in Itachi's arms. "That we need to figure out what we're going to do. And fast."
"Bold of you to assume that's what I was thinking," Itachi joked lightly. But Sasuke could see that it was a front—the facade his brother needed to put on right now to help him stay calm. Otherwise, he'd be swallowed by panic, by the reality of what he'd done in the heat of the moment to protect him. Protect them.
So Sasuke didn't chide him. He couldn't rip away the one coping mechanism his brother had. He wouldn't. Instead, he smiled and let himself play along, hoping he could capture some of Itachi's bravado. Even for a little while.
"Yeah, you think so?" he asked coyly. "Then why don't you tell me what you're thinking about?"
Itachi hummed softly and Sasuke enjoyed listening to the sound as he held his brother. "I'm thinking about how beautiful you are," Itachi said, his voice gentle.
Sasuke glanced down at that, feeling a little embarrassed. It was funny how even just a week away from his brother had suddenly made him so self-conscious. But maybe, he wondered, it was because he still felt bad about what had happened.
And maybe he always would.
Maybe he'd go through the rest of his life feeling guilty for what he'd done and how he'd hurt not just Itachi, but himself. He wasn't sure, but he didn't want to think about it now. Not when Itachi was here; not when they were able to be with one another again.
"You're beautiful, Itachi," he murmured. He looked up and caught his brother's gaze. Itachi smiled fondly at him.
"Would it be okay if I kiss you?"
Sasuke's heart warmed at the question and he let out a quiet, "Yes."
Their lips met softly, barely a brush before Itachi pulled away. But Sasuke pulled him back in, kissing him harder. Not like he had in his classroom, full of desperation and longing. No, there was just a happiness now. A fullness, a wholeness.
He moaned softly when Itachi deepened the kiss and he let his brother explore him again, like it was the first time. And he went willingly when Itachi led him over to the couch in between heated nips to his neck that made Sasuke's body begin to thrum with want as he laid down and pulled his brother on top of him.
It felt so good to have his brother's hands on him again, especially when Itachi pushed up his shirt and trailed his fingers across his stomach. Making his breath catch in between kisses from the hot, tickling sensation of the gentle touch.
But, eventually, Sasuke pulled away. He put a hand on Itachi's chest and mumbled against his lips, "We should stop…"
He didn't want to. In fact, he would have been happy to let them keep distracting one another all night. But the last thing he wanted was their first time back together to be little more than a distraction from the problem at hand. It would feel too much like how they'd left things a week ago, and he didn't want that. He wanted to enjoy his brother completely, wanted to focus on Itachi in the way he deserved.
And Itachi seemed to understand that. Sasuke could see it in his gaze, feel it in the way he reached up and caressed his cheek. Like he knew, and agreed — albeit begrudgingly — that now wasn't the time to take things any further.
Sasuke appreciated that and once they sat up and straightened their clothes, he leaned forward to peck his brother on the lips. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "For this. For all of it. For everything you've been through because of me."
"Please don't apologize," Itachi said softly. He slid a little closer so he could kiss him again while still keeping a somewhat respectable distance between them. "Because I already told you, I'm willing to give up everything for you, Sasuke."
Sasuke smiled a little at that, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was wrong somehow. Itachi shouldn't have to give up everything just to have him. It wasn't fair. But there wasn't much use in trying to argue with Itachi about it now. So, he didn't.
Instead, he just took his brother's hand in his own and moved closer until he could lay his head on Itachi's shoulder. "I love you," he whispered.
"I love you, too, Sasuke."
They stayed like that for a long while. Until the sun started to set. Until his eyes grew heavy and he closed them, happy to listen to the sound of his brother simply existing next to him. Until—
Buzzz
Until his phone vibrated loudly on the coffee table.
They both moved at the noise, reaching for his phone at the same time, but Itachi was closer and grabbed it. His mouth set into a small frown when he saw what was on the screen.
"Is it Sakura?" Sasuke asked worriedly. He leaned over to try and see what was on the screen. "Is there some update about Naruto? Did he get out of the hospital early?"
"It's worse," Itachi said, shaking his head. "It's mom. She wants you home for dinner."
The anxiety that had built from Itachi's words quickly vanished and Sasuke reached over to push his brother. "Don't say it like that!" he reprimanded. "You scared me!"
Itachi chuckled lightly, but there was no real humor in his gaze as he gave Sasuke his phone so he could read the text that had come in from their mother, asking where he was and if he were going to be home for dinner soon. Sasuke didn't move to reply.
"You can stay the night," Itachi said softly. More of a plea than an invitation.
Sasuke offered him a soft smile. "You know I want to…" he said quietly.
"But?"
Sasuke sighed. He didn't want to say it, but he figured Itachi already knew. "But it might be better if I go back to mom and dad's tonight."
Itachi was quiet for awhile after that and Sasuke knew his brother was upset. He couldn't blame him, though. After all, it wasn't like he didn't want to stay, like he wasn't desperate to cling to Itachi longer after the short time they'd been able to share together again.
"I'll miss you," Itachi finally said. The softness of the statement tugged on Sasuke's heart.
"I know, and I'll miss you, too," he whispered before putting his phone down beside him on the couch so he could take his brother's hands in his again. "But it's just for now—for tonight. We need to think of a way out of this mess we're in and…"
He trailed off and frowned, but Itachi finished Sasuke's sentence. "And maybe we'll be able to think more clearly if we're apart."
Sasuke nodded. He leaned forward to give Itachi a quick kiss like it would make up for what he was taking away from them by leaving, but his brother didn't fight it. He just kissed Sasuke back.
They spent a few more moments like that, exchanging sweet, soft kisses full of longing and tinged with sadness and a reluctance to part. But when, eventually, they did, Sasuke sent a text to their mother saying he'd be home soon before they stood up from the couch together. Itachi walked him to the door and gave him a kiss goodbye once Sasuke had put his shoes on.
"Can I call you later?" Itachi asked as Sasuke reached for the door.
The question made Sasuke smile. "Of course," he said. But immediately after he said it, he furrowed his brow. "But…wait."
"What is it?"
Sasuke shook his head. "Naruto," he said like it was the only explanation he needed.
Itachi raised a brow and asked slowly, carefully, "What about him?"
"He… Well, here, let me show you," Sasuke said before he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He tapped it a few times before he handed it to Itachi. "He blocked you and deleted your information out of my phone after he made me send you that message when he cornered me at Sakura's."
"Oh," Itachi said, nodding slowly like he realized something. "So, that's why you never read or responded to my messages."
"Yes," Sasuke affirmed. "And I don't know how to fix it, so—"
"Oh, that's easy," Itachi said.
He tapped at the screen for a few moments before he started typing. Once he was finished, he handed Sasuke's phone back to him. He looked down to see that Itachi had restored his contact information, complete with a little heart-eyed emoji next to his name.
The added little touch made Sasuke laugh, but it felt a little too good to be true. So, he looked up at his brother and asked, "Can I…?"
"Go ahead," Itachi said, catching his meaning. "Send me a text."
Sasuke did. He pulled up a new message thread, added Itachi's newly entered information and typed out a quick text.
"I think the heart-eye emoji might be too much."
A couple seconds after it sent, he heard a soft vibration from Itachi. His brother reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone and smiled. On Sasuke's screen he could see that his brother had read his message and was typing.
"I thought it was better than the eggplant."
Sasuke laughed out loud when he read that and reached over to playfully shove his brother. "You're ridiculous."
Itachi grinned. "You love me, though."
"I do," Sasuke admitted happily. "And I always will, but, right now I should probably—"
"Yeah, I know," Itachi said. Sasuke could see the disappointment in his brother's eyes and the way his smile faltered for a brief moment. "Just call me before you go to bed, alright? I miss having you there with me when I go to sleep."
The admission made Sasuke's knees go a little weak and he had half a mind to text their mother again to let her know that he wouldn't be coming home after all. But he managed to hold firm and give Itachi a little nod.
"I will," he said. "I promise."
He only lingered a moment longer after that, his heart thudding heavily in his chest before he finally opened the door and stepped outside. He cast a look behind him at his brother as he pulled the door shut, giving Itachi one last smile.
"It's just for tonight," he reminded himself as he began to trudge home. Knowing that he'd made the right choice despite how wrong it felt to walk away.
XxX
By the time he got home, dinner was ready, so Sasuke had little choice but to wash up and join his parents at the table. The conversation was sparse at first, the way it had been for the last week as his mother sought to give him space and the opportunity to open up on his own about whatever had obviously been bothering him, and his father… Well, he was just following Mikoto's lead. But just as Sasuke had nearly finished eating, freeing him from the table, Mikoto spoke up.
"So, how was your last day of school, dear?"
"It was fine," he said quickly, hoping he didn't grimace. "You know, not much going on."
From the other side of the table, Fugaku grunted. "That's not what I heard."
Both Sasuke and Mikoto turned to look at him, surprised he'd spoken. But where his mother looked interested and curious, Sasuke was terrified. Unsure if he wanted to know just what exactly his father had heard.
"Oh?" Mikoto asked. She looked from Fugaku to Sasuke. His father nodded.
"We had a call come in this afternoon from the school principal. Seems like there was an assault on campus after everyone had gone home for the day. Your friend, Naruto, was taken to the hospital."
Mikoto gasped and Sasuke felt himself go cold. His father hadn't done more than casually glance his way while he spoke, but Sasuke's mind was wild, repeating over and over that his father knew. That he had to know.
"Sasuke, did you hear about that?" Mikoto asked, putting him on the spot.
"I, uh," Sasuke stammered. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Sakura called me earlier and mentioned something, but I didn't get a lot of details." Then, because he felt he had to in order to keep up the appearance of someone who cared, he asked, "Do you know if he's okay?"
Fugaku shook his head. "It was Shisui who responded to the call."
Mikoto clicked her tongue in disappointment. "That's such a shame," she said. "Maybe you should check in on him tomorrow. I wonder why he was still there in the first place.
Without knowing why, Sasuke answered automatically. "There was a yearbook signing for the seniors in the cafeteria after school. He…" he paused, worried he might have said too much, but continued anyway, "He probably stayed for that."
"Oh, that's right," Mikoto said, nodding. But then she frowned at him. "Didn't you stay for it, too?"
It wasn't an accusatory question, but Sasuke felt his face go red. "Oh, uh, no," he managed to answer after floundering for what to say. "I left to, you know, to—"
Suddenly, his mother's eyes lit up and she gasped. "You left to spend time with your boyfriend, didn't you?" she questioned. "That's why you were running late, wasn't it?"
Not knowing what else to do, Sasuke nodded jerkily. After all, it wasn't, technically, a lie. His mother just didn't need to know anything more than what she'd come up with on her own.
"There's no need to be embarrassed about it, son," Fugaku added, clearly thinking that's what Sasuke's nervousness and hesitancy were signs of. "It's normal to want time for yourself."
Mikoto nodded in agreement and reached over to grab his hand. "Oh, I just hope I didn't ruin your date by making you come home."
"No, it's—uh, it's okay."
"Well good," she said before smiling and patting his hand. "Next time, just let us know you're on a date and I'll save a plate for you."
Sasuke just nodded, mortified at the turn this dinner had suddenly taken, but thankfully - graciously - the conversation died after that and he was able to finish eating in relative peace.
Well, if you could call replaying the last few minutes on loop in your mind peaceful.
Which, considering Sasuke's day, he could.
But by the time he had finished eating, it wasn't the entirety of the conversation that he kept replaying anymore. Instead, it was one sentence. One small comment that his mother had made that had decided to stick in his mind.
Maybe you should go check on him tomorrow.
It had been the vague concern of an empathetic parent. A throwaway suggestion that his mother probably hadn't thought twice about after she'd said it.
Maybe you should go check on him tomorrow.
But Sasuke thought about it.
He thought about it as he helped clear the table, as he did the dishes, even as he made his way to his room after bidding his parents goodnight.
Then he continued to think about it as he got ready for bed. Acutely aware of the fact that it was a terrible idea.
But…
Maybe you should go check on him tomorrow.
He hated to admit that there might have been some kind of twisted sense in it. After all, how else were they supposed to try and find out what else Naruto had on them?
The only probably, though — well, not the only one, but certainly the biggest one — was that Naruto would never agree to talk if Itachi were there. In fact, Sasuke knew it would probably just piss him off even more.
Which meant…
Sasuke sat down heavily on his bed once he finished changing and grabbed his phone from his nightstand. He pulled up Itachi's contact information, rolling his eyes at the little emoji that he'd decided to keep next to his brother's name as he clicked the video call button.
The call barely had the chance to ring once before his brother answered, his camera feed filling the screen. He was still in his living room, sitting on the couch from what Sasuke could tell, and he looked relieved to see him.
Well, at least until Sasuke said, "I have a bad idea."
After that, Itachi's expression fell.
"What is it?" he asked, his words slow, like he really didn't want to know.
Sasuke pursed his lips, considering the whole thing for one more second before he just blurted it out. "I have to go see Naruto tomorrow."
Itachi stared at him blankly. "What?"
"It's the only way," Sasuke said quickly. "I'll go to the hospital in the morning to talk with him. See what I can get out of him."
Silence fell between them. He could tell Itachi was thinking it over. Which was good. It meant that he wasn't outright shooting the idea down.
But, to be honest, Sasuke had sort of been hoping he would. Because it would mean that he was right. That his idea was as bad as he thought.
Instead, Itachi shifted uncomfortably. "I don't like this idea, Sasuke," he said finally. But, again, he didn't refuse it.
"Do you have a better one?" Sasuke asked. "Because I'd really like a better one."
"No," Itachi admitted with a sigh. "No, I don't."
"Great." Sasuke fell back against his mattress and threw his arm over his eyes as he let out a low groan of frustration. "Just great."
"Well, maybe it doesn't have to be all bad," Itachi said. Sasuke moved his arm to look at his brother and watched as Itachi got up from the couch.
"What do you mean?"
Itachi gave a half shrug. "You could see if Sakura would go with you."
"Yeah, I guess," Sasuke said, considering it while he watched Itachi move quietly through his house, turning off lights as he made his way to his bedroom. "But she's done so much already…"
"You could ask her, at least," Itachi commented. He put his phone down and Sasuke heard his clothes rustle, so he figured Itachi was getting ready for bed. From off-camera, Itachi added, "I'd feel better if you did."
Sasuke nodded. He could understand that and, honestly, he knew it would make him feel better, too.
"Okay," he conceded easily. "I'll call in the morning and ask her before I go."
"Good, thank you."
"You're welcome. Now," he paused and moved to lay in bed more comfortably. "I don't want to go to bed thinking about Naruto. So, can we talk about something else?"
"With pleasure," Itachi said, sounding relieved that Sasuke asked. A second later, Itachi picked his phone back up as he climbed into bed and Sasuke's eyes wandered down what he could see of his brother's naked chest.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" he accused, not unhappily.
Itachi looked down at himself and shrugged, but a smile pulled at his lips. "A distraction isn't always a bad thing, Sasuke," he noted. Then, like it was an afterthought, he casually added, "Plus, I thought I could pay you back for the show you gave me a couple weeks ago."
In the corner of the screen, Sasuke watched as his own face reddened at the mention of the morning he'd teased his brother. Now, like in the aftermath of it then, he felt embarrassed over his actions. But he couldn't deny he was interested in watching Itachi.
When he didn't respond though, Itachi gave him a soft, understanding look. "It was just a suggestion," he said. "I just want to let you know I'm here. I'm willing. And — Itachi licked his lips absently — I've missed you, sweetheart."
The endearment, like it always did, sparked something inside Sasuke, warming him from deep within. He shifted in bed, feeling his body already reacting to his brother, desperate to continue what he'd denied them earlier. So, this time he decided not to shy away from what Itachi was offering him.
"I… I'd like to watch you," he said softly.
Itachi grinned at his admission. But, as always, his brother didn't give him what he wanted that easily.
"You'd like to watch me…what, Sasuke?"
There was another surge of warmth in him, but it wasn't embarrassment or affection this time. Instead, pure need swept through him as he easily crumbled to give Itachi the satisfaction that he wanted.
"I want to watch you touch yourself," he breathed out.
Itachi needed no further invitation. He shifted, pulling his camera back in order to give Sasuke a better view. The fingers of his unoccupied hand slid up his abdomen and chest from out of frame until they stopped and began to play with his right nipple. A soft sigh escaped Itachi as he pinched the bud, teasing himself and Sasuke simultaneously.
"I've missed you so much," Itachi said, gasping quietly when he moved to show his left nipple similar attention.
"I've missed you, too," Sasuke muttered, watching every move his brother made. Intensely aware and enjoying the fact that Itachi was playing with himself the same way Sasuke had toyed with him before. "I thought about you every day."
Itachi hummed softly at that, the noise almost verging on a moan. "What did you think about?"
"The last time we were…together." The word caught briefly in his throat when Itachi's head tipped back slightly and his fingers started to trail down to his stomach. "I thought about how I touched you. About how good you felt underneath me."
Itachi glanced at the camera and smirked, stilling his hand as it splayed out over his stomach. "It was good, wasn't it?" he asked, his voice a little deeper than normal.
Sasuke nodded. His eyes flicked from Itachi's face to his hand a few times, knowing where it had been heading and dying to watch it continue as he felt his cock begin to stiffen. But disappointingly, frustratingly, Itachi wouldn't move further.
"Did you think about me?" Sasuke asked, wondering if that was what his brother was waiting for.
And it seemed to be because Itachi's hand began moving again, slipping lower and lower, along with the angle of the camera, until Sasuke could see his brother's fingers playing with the hem of his boxers. He tugged them down teasingly.
"How could I not?" Itachi answered. And before Sasuke could ask for details, he provided them. "I thought about that night, too. About how hot it was when you took what you wanted. But, mostly — Itachi slipped his hand down over the front of his boxers, moaning softly when he palmed his bulge through the fabric — I thought about what I said to you. The choice I gave you."
Sasuke let out a quiet groan and swallowed thickly. His eyes were completely glued to the screen in front of him. His own hand began to mimic his brother's as Itachi rubbed himself slowly. Because he remembered the subtle challenge - the threat - Itachi had leveled at him that night. And if Itachi was bringing that up now, then…
"Do you want that, Sasuke?" his brother asked, as if he were reading his mind. "Do you still want to watch me finger myself?"
"Itachi…" Sasuke moaned, barely remembering where he was and that he needed to keep quiet. But he bit his lip and took a steadying breath before he whispered, "Yes."
As soon as the word was out of his mouth, Itachi pulled his hand away from himself, confusing Sasuke until the camera tilted back up a second later and he saw the look on his brother's face. His cheeks were flushed, his pupils were blown out in pleasure, and a desperate smile played on his worried-red lips.
He looked devastatingly beautiful and Sasuke's heart yearned for him, aching to touch him, to please him, to worship every inch of him that he could. But he couldn't. So he had to settle for simply watching and waiting as his brother moved to get up. He set his phone up on his bedside table so that it faced the empty bed and then disappeared from view.
At first, Sasuke wasn't sure what to expect as he heard the sound of Itachi opening and closing the drawer of the table. But Sasuke's eyes widened and his cock throbbed when his brother climbed back into bed, completely naked. He took a moment to move a couple of his pillows before he turned to get comfortable on his back.
Itachi's hard cock bobbed with every slight shift and Sasuke's mouth went dry as he watched, unable (and unwilling) to stop himself from slipping his hand into his boxers. He stroked himself slowly, groaning at the slight friction as Itachi spread his legs, exposing himself completely and giving Sasuke a familiar view from a week ago.
This time, though, his brother finally made good on his threat. Itachi popped the cap open on the lube he'd grabbed from his drawer and squirted some on his fingers. Once they were slicked, he reached between his legs and prodded at his entrance.
"Sasuke," he gasped as he teased himself with his fingers, circling them around his hole as it twitched with want. The desire and desperation dripping from the sound of his own name made Sasuke grip the base of his cock as a hot wave of pleasure crashed over him.
Because he had done this to his brother. The mere thought of him, his simple presence and unwavering gaze had brought Itachi to the brink of breaking, and knowing that he had been able to do that made Sasuke feel powerful, feel dominant. And he wanted more of it.
"Does it feel good?" Sasuke questioned, his breath a little ragged from trying to keep himself under some kind of control.
Itachi nodded and moaned out a soft, "Yes," as he tilted his head back against his pillow. "But I want more."
It was a statement, but Sasuke could hear the plea in his brother's voice, could see the way he was begging for permission as he rolled his hips and dug the nails of his other hand into his thigh. And Sasuke was more than willing to grant it.
"Then fuck yourself," he ordered.
Itachi did without hesitation. He worked himself open slowly with one, then two, then three fingers, until he was panting and moaning and an absolutely beautiful mess. And Sasuke couldn't tear his eyes away.
He stroked himself in rhythm with Itachi's thrusting fingers, mesmerized by the way his brother's body moved and how desperately he pleasured himself. Trying again and again to reach deep enough inside himself, to fill himself up. But he let out a low groan when he couldn't.
"I need you, Sasuke," he uttered, looking shattered and disheveled as he stretched his fingers to open himself wider. "I need you inside me."
Sasuke tilted his head back to look at his ceiling when he heard that, trying to stifle the moan that wanted to rip from his throat as he remembered just how it had felt to bury his cock inside his brother's body, to have Itachi's nails bite into his skin, to take him and claim him as his own. And he was successful for a moment, even as his hand worked over his cock faster, but as soon as he looked back down at the screen, the sound escaped him when he saw his brother had moved and gotten onto his knees. Itachi spread his legs far enough apart so he could reach down and thrust his fingers back inside himself as he gave Sasuke an excellent view of him stroking his cock.
"Fuck, Itachi…" Sasuke gasped, finally pushing his boxers down to free his own cock so he could find his release. Because he knew he wouldn't last much longer, and he didn't think his brother would either. Not with the way Itachi was fucking down onto his fingers and then up into his hand as purposefully as he was.
And Sasuke was right.
After just a few more quick strokes, Itachi gasped and thrust his fingers inside himself roughly one last time before he let out a long moan and came, Sasuke's name falling from his lips in a whisper over and over as he milked himself slowly, lost in the haze of his orgasm. Sasuke was quick behind him, unable to hold on any longer once he watched his brother fall apart so completely in front of him. His eyes fluttered closed and he tipped his head back as he let out a low groan and came on his stomach.
Once his orgasm passed, leaving him panting and messy in bed, Sasuke looked back down at his phone in time to see Itachi slip his fingers out of himself with a soft noise. His brother then wiped his fingers on his sheets to get any remaining lube off of them before he reached to grab his phone, pulling it close as he turned to lay on his side.
"I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did," Itachi said with a satisfied smile.
Sasuke licked his lips and nodded, "I did."
"Good. Next time, though, remind me to get one of the toys from my closet instead of using my fingers."
He said it so nonchalantly that it took Sasuke's pleasure-addled mind nearly a full minute to process what his brother had said, but when he finally did, his eyes widened and he sat up a little bit in bed.
"I—what?" he asked incredulously, feeling his cheeks begin to warm as he glossed right over the fact that his brother had mentioned having a next time. "You have toys? Like…sex toys?"
Sasuke whispered the word like it was some filthy secret, but Itachi just laughed at him and nodded.
"Of course," he said easily, like this knowledge wasn't simultaneously embarrassing and intriguing Sasuke. "They're—hold on…" Itachi moved his unoccupied hand so he could tap the screen. The camera flipped once he did and Sasuke found himself looking at the familiar landscape of his brother's room. Itachi angled the camera toward his open closet door and pointed to a box on the top shelf of his closet. "They're right there."
The camera turned back around so Sasuke could see his brother as he gaped at him.
"I, you…I—I mean—" Sasuke stammered.
"We can play with them sometime, if you'd like," Itachi interrupted, grinning at how flustered he'd made Sasuke. "I'm sure I'll have something that you'll enjoy."
"Can we change the subject, please!" Sasuke said suddenly. His blush was spreading to his neck and he looked away from his phone so he wouldn't have to see for himself how ridiculous he knew he looked.
"Okay, okay," Itachi said as he laughed again, taking pity on Sasuke. "I'll let you off the hook. For now, at least. After all, I did have something I've been wanting to talk with you about."
"Oh?" Sasuke looked back at his phone, happy for the distraction.
"Yeah," Itachi said, nodding. "I haven't really been able to find the best time to bring it up today, but…" He pressed his lips together as if he were thinking how best to say what was on his mind, and that gave Sasuke pause.
"But…?"
"I found a place to live."
"What?" Sasuke asked, leaning toward his phone in surprise. "I mean, wow, that's—where?"
"In Oto," Itachi answered.
"Is that…" Sasuke started to say, but paused as he thought of why that name sounded familiar to him. "Wasn't that where you had that interview?" he asked. Itachi nodded. "So, did you get the job then?"
"No, I haven't heard back yet," Itachi admitted. "I was just, let's say, extra motivated the last few days to get out of the village as quickly as possible."
"Ah…" Sasuke intoned, acutely aware of Itachi's meaning.
"I think you'll like it, though," Itachi continued. "I'm just sorry that you didn't get more of a say in it."
"More of a say?" Sasuke repeated quietly, pulling in a slow breath as he understood what that meant. Though he didn't think he could quite believe it. "You mean, you still…?"
Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Did you think I wouldn't still want you to come with me?"
Yes.
That was exactly what Sasuke had thought. It wasn't like he knew how to navigate this strange situation they were in, after all. But he didn't exactly know how to say that, so he just ended up shrugging.
"Well, I mean…" he muttered.
"Sasuke, I'm not leaving you here," Itachi replied quickly. But then he frowned and turned onto his back in bed, holding the camera above him. "Unless… Unless that's what you want?"
"No!" Sasuke nearly shouted. He slapped his hand over his mouth at his outburst and glanced at his door, hoping he hadn't woken their parents. After not hearing anything from them for a few seconds, he looked back at his phone, lowered his hand, and said again, "No, Itachi. That's not what I want."
Itachi's expression softened into a look of relief. "Good, then it's settled."
"Yeah, I guess it is," Sasuke said quietly as a gentle warmth settled in his chest.
It was familiar, something that he'd come to expect whenever he was around Itachi. It was the feeling of home, and he was happy to feel it again after everything that had happened to take it away. He was happy to just see his brother again, to talk to him and Sasuke didn't want to let that go.
But, eventually, he yawned and Itachi smiled at him fondly.
"You should get some sleep, sweetheart," he said. "It's late, and if you're going to go through with this plan of yours in the morning, you're going to need some rest."
"Mm, I know," Sasuke mumbled. He yawned again. "Will you stay with me, though?"
"Of course," Itachi said. "I wasn't planning to go anywhere."
Sasuke gave him a tired smile. "And will you read to me?"
Itachi chuckled. "Let's both go clean ourselves up first, and then yes, I'll read to you."
That was the motivation Sasuke needed. He and Itachi both set their phones up on their nightstands before they left to clean themselves up. When Sasuke returned his room, he turned his lights off and snuggled under his blanket on his side. Itachi was only a minute behind him, but after he got in bed he grabbed his e-reader and got comfortable.
"I love you," Itachi said, looking over at him. "And I hope you sleep well."
"I love you, too," Sasuke said. He closed his eyes and listened as Itachi began to read. Within minutes, he was sleeping peacefully for the first time in a week.
XxX
When Sasuke woke up in the morning, the first thing he did was look over at his nightstand. He smiled when he saw that his brother was still asleep and spent a little while just watching him. Admiring how peaceful he looked with his mouth slightly open and his hair half out of the bun he'd never taken out last night. He looked beautiful and Sasuke wished he were there—in bed with his brother, not having to worry about anything other than how he could cuddle closer to Itachi without waking him.
But he knew there would be time for that, eventually. For now, though, he had something to do and somewhere to be. So Sasuke reluctantly reached over and grabbed his phone. He pulled it close, smiling again at Itachi before he pressed a kiss to the camera.
And, sure, it might have seemed silly, but it made him feel a little better before he finally ended the call. Like he could face the day—face what he was about to do.
Before he got out of bed, though, he sent Itachi a text, hoping his brother's phone was on silent and wouldn't wake him.
"Had to go so I could get ready to head out. I'll give you a call once I leave the hospital. I love you."
Once he saw that it had sent, Sasuke tapped the screen again. This time to pull up Sakura's contact information. He hesitated before calling her, feeling bad about even considering bringing her into his mess again. But since he still couldn't deny that it was the best idea to have her there, he hit the call button and got out of bed.
"Hey," Sakura answered after a couple of rings. "It's…early. What's up?"
Sasuke pulled his phone from his ear to check the time, surprised to see that it was 7:45 AM. He made a little face but put his phone back to his ear.
"Well, we agreed we'd do something together this weekend, right?" he asked.
"Yeah," Sakura answered slowly, cautiously. "But I figured you'd be, you know, worried about what you're going to do about Naruto."
"Well, that's actually why I called," Sasuke said as he walked to his closet to grab some clothes. "I figured we could kill two birds with one stone if you came with me to the hospital to see Naruto."
"Came with…" Sakura trailed off. She was silent for a beat before she sighed. "Please don't tell me this is your plan?"
"Okay, I won't tell you that," he answered as he started toward the bathroom. "But you're a really good guesser."
"Ugh, Sasuke! You've gotta be kidding me!"
"What?" Sasuke held his hands up defensively despite knowing Sakura couldn't see him. "It's the best I could come up with, okay?"
There was another sigh. Sasuke stopped and waited outside the bathroom door for her to say something.
Because she had to say something.
Right?
"Fine," she finally groaned.
Sasuke let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Thank you."
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered. "For the record, though, I just want you to know I think this is a terrible idea."
"And I completely agree," Sasuke said. "So, if you have some sort of last minute burst of Sakura genius, you've got, like, thirty minutes tops to throw it out before I leave."
She laughed. "Sure, I'll keep you in the loop. But, in case I don't, I'll meet you outside the hospital."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Yeah," she scoffed. "A bad one."
They hung up after that and Sasuke went to take a shower, hoping it would help calm his nerves, but by the time he was finished, he only felt more jittery. To try and combat it, he kept checking his phone, hoping Itachi would text him back with words of encouragement before he had to leave. But after he had stalled as much as he could, he hadn't gotten anything so he sent a message of his own instead.
"Heading out now. Wish me luck."
He counted to three as he watched the screen, but when nothing happened he sighed and left for the hospital.
When he arrived a little while later, Sakura was leaning against the wall by the main entrance, her phone in one hand and a coffee in the other. She glanced up when he was still several feet away from her and gave him a half wave with her coffee-laden hand before pushing off the wall so she could walk over and meet him.
"You still sure you want to do this?" she asked.
"Not at all," he said as she took a sip of her coffee. "But it doesn't seem like I have much of a choice, do I?"
It was a rhetorical question, but Sasuke was still slightly disappointed when she didn't jump to say Actually, before spouting some brilliant idea only she could have thought up.
Instead, she said, "Alright, well I got his room info while I was waiting, so," she paused and took one last, long drink from her cup. Gulping down the caffeine like she knew she needed all the help she could get going into this. Once she was done, she tossed her cup in the nearby garbage and motioned to Sasuke. "Let's go."
They trudged inside together, Sakura looking at the information she'd taken down on her phone before consulting a map of the hospital near the entrance. It was mostly for show, Sasuke knew, and maybe to give him time to steady himself. Because she knew the hospital like the back of her hand from her time volunteering over the years.
Still, Sasuke appreciated the extra few seconds if afforded him before they set off to room 307.
They walked in silence, the chatter in the hospital around them more than enough for them to listen to as they went along. Though every now and again, someone would recognize Sakura and wave or stop to say hello, and every time Sasuke got a little jolt of surprise as he expected Naruto to jump out from anywhere. After what felt like hours with his nerves on end, they finally stopped outside the closed door of room 307.
Sakura looked over at him. "Last chance to back out," she muttered.
Sasuke took a deep breath and when he let it out, he stood up a little straighter and squared his shoulders, trying to put up a confident front. Before he could answer, though, his phone vibrated in his pocket. His eyes widened a little and he quickly fished it out. A thrill ran through him when he saw he had a text from his brother.
"You can do it, darling. I love you."
He didn't reply but just seeing the message flooded him with a sense of relief that finally helped calm the anxiety clutching at his heart. His brother was there. He would be okay.
Sasuke held his phone tight, trying, for just a moment, to draw the same comfort from it that he would if he were holding onto Itachi's hand. Then, because he had to — because he knew he could do it — he slipped his phone back into his pocket and looked at Sakura.
"Let's get this over with," he said. She nodded and before he could find another reason to talk himself out of it, Sasuke led her into the room in front of them.
Before they even had a chance to open the door more than a crack, they heard a familiar groan from inside.
"I keep telling you guys, I'm fine! So, can I just…"
Naruto stopped talking the moment the door opened entirely and he saw them. His eyes widened a little and his demeanor quickly changed as he pushed himself up in his hospital bed.
"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked. He looked at Sakura before settling his eyes on Sasuke intently, and they all knew exactly who the question had been leveled at.
"I…wanted to come see you," Sasuke answered slowly. And while it wasn't a complete lie, the words still tasted disgusting in his mouth.
Naruto scoffed, not buying it for a minute. "Bullshit."
"Naruto…" Sakura warned, crossing her arms over her chest.
Naruto rolled his eyes at her, but Sasuke held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, you're right," he admitted. "But I did come to talk."
Naruto stared at him, his gaze cold and calculating. "Well, I don't really have much choice, do I?" he said. "So, what do you want?"
Sakura looked over at Sasuke like she was curious too and, for the first time since he'd committed to this idea, he realized that he actually had no idea what he was supposed to say. Which, he was sure, was coming across as glaringly obvious now. So he went with the only thing he could: the truth.
"I just want to know if you have any copies of those pictures."
Naruto's eyes widened, clearly surprised by the question. He looked over at Sakura and said, "I don't think you want to have this conversation in front of—"
"Save it," Sakura interrupted. "I already know everything."
"You know…everything?" Naruto repeated, looking from Sakura to Sasuke like he needed confirmation.
Sasuke nodded. "I didn't have much choice but to tell her."
"Because I figured it out," Sakura added.
"And you're just…okay with it?" Naruto asked, his voice wavering a little with surprise. Or was it disgust? "You're okay with the two of them?" he continued. "You're okay with what he did to me?"
"I love Sasuke," she answered calmly. "He's my best friend. And while I might not completely understand his situation," she paused and looked over at Sasuke. "If he's happy, then that's all I want."
"That's…" Naruto shook his head before he spat, "I can't believe you."
"Then don't," Sasuke said, surprising himself with how easily the words came out. But he was done, with this conversation, with Naruto, with the ridiculous antics he'd been putting up with to this point. "It doesn't matter what you like or what you believe. I just need to know whether you have any copies of those pictures."
"And why do you think I'd tell you that?" Naruto bit out.
"Oh, I don't know." Sasuke shot back, his voice rising. "Maybe because I thought you might have gotten some sense knocked into you yesterday?"
The words came out before Sasuke could stop them, before he was really aware that he'd said them at all. He was just angry—ready to take back some kind of control. But there was only one thought in his head when he watched Naruto's nostrils flare before the blond pushed himself out of his hospital bed.
I think I fucked up.
Because there was no fear in Naruto, no thought to the consequences that might come from his actions, either for himself or for anyone else. Sasuke could see that clearly as Naruto stalked toward him, his gait slow and steady, calm yet enraged.
But Sasuke didn't run. Not this time. Not even as everything in him screamed that he needed to fucking move when Naruto stopped just inches away from him.
"Make fun of me all you want," Naruto said, his voice low and dangerous. "But come Monday, we'll see which one of us is laughing."
It took a couple of seconds for the words to register, for him to think beyond this moment and the ones that had led him here, but once he had — once he understood what Naruto meant — a chill ran up Sasuke's spine.
"You—"
"Wouldn't?" Naruto interrupted. He tilted his head as a smile stretched across his lips. "Oh, Sasuke. Trust me when I say that there is nothing I'd like to do more than stand up in front of everyone at our graduation and show them exactly what you've done."
It was a threat, a warning, a promise, and it stilled Sasuke's heart. He began to feel the fear he'd been trying to ignore climb in his throat.
Because it was so familiar—all of it.
From the way Naruto stood in front of him and issued his threats with such a confident air, to the worried look on Sakura's face beside him. They were replaying what had happened a week ago, and, this time, Sasuke had walked right into it all on his own.
But something was different this time. He could feel it.
It was in the way he looked at the blond now, seeing him for who he was instead of who he'd been. It was how Sakura muttered his name as she stepped a little closer, like she was worried about something and wanted to stop him. It was in the way that Sasuke felt his fear turning into anger, filling him up, up, up as he recalled everything that Naruto had done to him until—
"Sasuke, don't!"
Sakura's voice rang out in the room. And before Sasuke realized what he was doing—that he had lashed out, wanting to hurt Naruto, to make him feel even half of the pain he'd put him through in the last seven days—Sakura's hands were on him, pulling him back as red bled into his vision.
She wasn't quite fast enough, though.
He had been able to get his hands on the blond, felt his nails bite into flesh, however briefly, and Sasuke saw the marks he'd left on Naruto. The small drops of blood that were pooling from the scratches.
And as he watched Naruto look down at them in shock, Sasuke felt a sharp feeling of vindication.
Because he wasn't a victim anymore.
On the contrary…
"Now we're even," Sasuke grunted, still staring at Naruto as he reached across himself to pull up his right sleeve, exposing the faded week-old bruise.
Naruto didn't say anything as his blue eyes flicked across the mark he'd left on him, but Sasuke could tell that he was thinking about something. Something that he never got the chance to say as Sakura reached out to tug on Sasuke's right hand.
"C'mon, Sasuke," she said softly. "Let's go. There's nothing else we need here."
Sasuke went without a fight.
He followed Sakura back through the maze of the hospital, barely noticing as it blurred past him while he waited to feel shocked about what he had done and scared about what Naruto had promised that he'd do.
But the feelings never came.
Instead a calm washed over him. A kind of resignation to what he knew was in store for him — for them — in just a couple of days.
And as he pulled out his phone after bidding Sakura goodbye, Sasuke sent Itachi a text as he wondered vaguely what he and his brother would do with the limited time they had left before everything blew up in their face.
"Heading over. I'll see you soon."