Hello all, sorry for the wait! I've been in college and working part-time for the last year, so it didn't give me as much time to write. But things have kind of calmed down for me and I've been able to find a lot more time to write. In fact, the draft of the next chapter is already finished, so it should be up in the next week or two. Also, we're just a few chapters away from the end of the story! I hope you all enjoy!

Warnings: Incest

Chapter 14

"What am I doing?" Itachi muttered, asking himself the one question that had been on his mind since he'd pushed himself out of bed thirty minutes ago. Exhausted after another sleepless night, he'd pulled on some clothes and immediately left his house just to end up in the one place he knew he shouldn't be: standing in front of his parents' front door.

But here he was. In fact, here he'd been for the last — he checked his watch — six minutes or so. Just standing here. Unable to do anything other than stare at the wooden door in front of him while he kept repeating the same question over and over.

"What am I doing?"

It wasn't like he didn't know the answer, though. After all, his fingers itched to grab his phone from his pocket. To pull up the email that had kept him up all night. To read it again because he still couldn't quite believe that he'd gotten it in the first place.

About Sasuke…

It had been surprising, to say the least, and Itachi had spent the night looking back at it every few minutes as if to make sure it were real, that he hadn't just imagined it out of his own grief.

But no.

Every time he'd check, up until the moment he'd walked out his front door, the email had still been there. Vague and apologetic, but built around one sentence.

"Naruto showed up."

And it had been that single line, that one piece of information, that had finally pushed Itachi to take this step, to march over to his parents' house in order to see Sasuke. Whether his brother liked it or not.

I just need to know… Itachi thought as he brought his hand up to knock on the door. I just need to make sure he's okay.

It was partly an excuse, of course. One that he intended to use if Sasuke asked him why he was here. That was if he was lucky enough that his brother was even home. But that's why he'd come now—early enough in the morning that there was no realistic way that Sasuke would have gotten out of bed and left for school yet.

So, Sasuke had to be in there. Just past the door.

All he had to do was—

"Knock," he whispered aloud. "Just knock already."

But like the other times he'd tried, he couldn't. He was scared to, plain and simple. Scared of putting himself out there, scared of being rejected yet again. But mostly, Itachi was scared of finally getting an answer to the question that had been burning him alive for days:

Just what the hell had happened on Saturday?

And it was that fear that made him lower his hand back down to his side, that shook his conviction in his plan, that made him second guess whether this was truly a good idea or not. Because he remembered how Sasuke had sounded on the phone early Sunday morning, could still feel the way his stomach had dropped when he watched the way Sasuke had outright ignored him yesterday.

His brother, very clearly, seemed to want nothing to do with him, and the acknowledgment of that to himself was what made him hesitate now.

"You need to talk to him…"

The words flitted through his mind, still burned onto his heart after he'd read them in Sakura's email. Her desperation had been apparent, matching his own, and thinking of them now made Itachi realize how ridiculous he was being.

It didn't matter right now whether Sasuke wanted to see him or not. He needed to see his brother. Needed to see with his own eyes and hear firsthand that Sasuke was okay.

So, he had to do this. He had to knock.

And he did.

Almost immediately, he heard a faint noise on the other side of the door.

No, not a noise. A voice.

"I've got it, mom!"

His brother's voice, to be exact. And before he knew it, the door swung open, putting him face-to-face with Sasuke who greeted him with a—

"What are you doing here?"

The harshness of the words stunned Itachi like a slap to the face. It wasn't like he hadn't been expecting it, though. However, that didn't mean hearing it made him feel any better. So, it took him a second to recover before he could respond.

"I came to talk to you," he answered.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at him. "Talk? About what? Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?"

Itachi frowned, feeling himself rock back a little. Sasuke's words were angry, almost everything about him seemed angry, in fact, but there was something in his eyes that gave him pause.

"You did," he said slowly. "But I—"

"Sasuke, sweetheart, who was at the—oh! Itachi! How are you, dear?" Mikoto asked as she walked into the room. Sasuke turned around to face her, clearly startled by her interruption.

"I'm fine, mom," he answered, offering her a polite smile. Mikoto smiled back.

"That's good to hear," she said. Then she asked conversationally, "What brings you over this morning?"

"I came to see Sasuke," he said.

At the same time, Sasuke bit out an answer of his own, "Nothing."

Looking between the two of them, Mikoto's smile wavered. It wasn't very noticeable, just the look of a mother who realized she had walked into something that she wasn't quite sure she was welcome into.

"Well, okay, dear," she said, keeping her tone light. "Were you planning to stay for breakfast?"

Together, he and Sasuke both quickly said, "No."

Their mother nodded, her eyes shifting again between the two of them, trying to assess exactly what was going on here. When it seemed that she couldn't figure it out, though, she let out a small laugh to try and break the tension that had been building.

"Well, in that case," she said gently. "I think I'll head out into the garden for a bit so you boys can talk, okay?"

Itachi nodded and then as quickly as she had appeared, she hurried off back toward the kitchen. They watched her go, neither of them making a move until they heard the back door open and close. But then Itachi took his chance.

"Sasuke, I—"

But Sasuke cut him off. "No," he said sharply, whipping back around to face him with another intense look.

Itachi couldn't help but narrow his eyes at that. Of course, it wasn't like he didn't expect Sasuke to try and shut him down, but to not even let him speak…

"Sasuke, I just came to talk to you," he tried again.

Sasuke, though, didn't seem to care.

"I heard you the first time," Sasuke said. "And I said no. We can't do this, Itachi."

That confused him. So he asked, "We can't do what, Sasuke? Talk?"

But his brother had no answer. Sasuke just stared at him, the strange expression Itachi had noticed in his eyes seeming to spread, creasing his brow now. Leaving Itachi to wonder what his brother was hiding.

"You need to go," Sasuke said after a beat. The dismissal clear and painful as it rang in Itachi's ears.

"Then push me away," he challenged. Then, almost unconsciously, he added, "You're good at that, aren't you?"

Sasuke's nostrils flared but he didn't shut the door. He just stood there, staring at him, his entire body tense like he was holding himself back from something.

And yes, there was a part of Itachi that dared to hope that Sasuke was trying to hold himself back from reaching out to him - whether to hold him or slap him, he wasn't sure - but he shook that thought away. It wouldn't do him any good right now. He needed to focus on what he'd come to do and getting into a fight was the last thing he wanted.

So, Itachi took a deep breath and tried again.

"Sakura emailed me," he said softly.

Sasuke's expression didn't change, but Itachi saw the way his brother's eyes started searching his own. Looking for a lie, hoping there was a lie.

"What?"

"Sakura emailed me last night," he repeated. "That's why I'm here."

"I…" Sasuke looked away from him without finishing his thought, so Itachi continued.

"She told me what happened Saturday or, at least, that Naruto came over. That the two of you fought about something."

"She shouldn't have told you anything," Sasuke breathed, seeming to choose his words carefully. "I told her not to tell you anything."

"Well, I'm glad she did," he said, stepping forward. Encouraged when Sasuke didn't step away from him. "I've been worried about you, Sasuke."

That, finally, caused Sasuke to falter. His jaw unclenched and something in his expression shifted, falling slightly like Itachi had just dealt him a blow he hadn't expected.

And maybe he had.

Itachi couldn't be sure, of course, but he was starting to suspect that Sasuke's angry and defensive act was just that: an act. One that started crumbling when faced with the fact that Itachi was here, that he cared, that no matter what Sasuke had done or said to him Itachi was still trying to help.

Of course, Itachi was aware that he could be completely wrong. That he was reading into things too much or just seeing what he wanted to see behind his brother's tumultuous gaze: guilt, shame, fear, and maybe just a tiny glimmer of hope. But when Sasuke turned his eyes to the floor and spoke, Itachi knew he had to be right.

"Why?" Sasuke asked, his voice so quiet that Itachi could barely hear him. "Why do you care?"

"Why?" Itachi repeated, confused. "You know why, Sasuke…"

He reached out, ready for his hand to be slapped away, but was surprised when it wasn't and then pleased when he was able to put his fingers under Sasuke's chin so he could raise his brother's head. Their eyes met and Itachi felt his heart constrict in his throat as he finally got to say the words he'd been desperate to say for days.

"Because I love you." The words landed gently between them and Sasuke pulled in a deep breath through his nose like it was the first time he'd ever heard Itachi say those words to him. Like they meant so much more in this moment than they had any other time before. "So, please, tell me what happened," Itachi continued. "Tell me why I can't… Why we can't…"

He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence but it didn't matter. The unsaid words hung around them, suffocating until Sasuke took a step back.

"I think you better come inside, Itachi," Sasuke said, a tinge of defeat in his voice. "We should talk."

Itachi did without hesitation, stepping into the entrance of their parents' home while Sasuke shut the door behind him. When he turned to face Itachi, there was no preamble, no small-talk. His brother just dropped two words on him like a bomb.

"Naruto knows."

"What?" he asked after a beat. Not quite sure if he'd heard correctly because that should have been impossible.

Except…

"He knows," Sasuke repeated, his shoulders sagging down like he'd been waiting to get the weight of those words off of him. "He found out about… About…"

Us.

It was the word Sasuke wouldn't say, but Itachi knew it was exactly what he meant.

"But how?" Itachi managed to ask despite feeling himself still reeling from the news. "How could he have—"

"He was following me," Sasuke answered quickly. "But that's not what's important."

"Not important?" Itachi shook his head, confusion and anger battling within him. "What do you mean, not important? Sasuke, if he was stalking you, then—"

"He has pictures, Itachi." Sasuke's voice dropped to a hissing whisper as he said it. "Pictures of us. And he told me if I didn't leave you that he'd send them to everyone. Starting with…" His eyes darted toward the kitchen, as if expecting their mother to pop out from around the corner any second.

Immediately, Itachi knew what he meant. "Starting with mom and dad," he finished for Sasuke. His brother nodded.

"I couldn't let that happen," Sasuke continued, his voice still quiet. Then he looked down and added, "I still can't let that happen, Itachi…"

And, for a second, Itachi didn't quite understand what Sasuke meant. Because of course, they couldn't let those pictures get out. That went without saying. But there was something deeper to his brother's words. Something pained. Something that made Itachi feel like he wanted to collapse in on himself as he dared to ask:

"Sasuke… What exactly are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" Sasuke pressed his lips together tightly. "I'm saying that it's better this way, Itachi."

"Better? Better?" Itachi repeated incredulously. "How is this — he stretched his arms out and gestured between the two of them — better?"

"It just is!" Sasuke shot back, looking up to stare him dead in the eyes. "Haven't you thought about it, Itachi? Because I have. Every moment since I sent you that text I've thought about it, and this—us… It never would have worked. Not for long. Something would have gotten in the way sooner or later."

"Then we would have worked around it!" Itachi argued, his voice raising slightly. He glanced back toward the kitchen, hoping that he wouldn't hear the back door suddenly open. Thankfully, he didn't. Still, he lowered his voice. "We would have figured it out, Sasuke. We can figure this out."

Slowly, Sasuke shook his head. "No, Itachi. It's…" he hesitated, his lower lip trembling just slightly, just for a second before he choked out a quiet, "It's over."

The statement hit him like a slap to the face and sent him spiraling hopelessly, wishing that he could stop time in this instant so he could breathe. If he could do that, if he could gather himself, then he could figure out the right thing to say to Sasuke to change his mind.

But he couldn't, so he could only say the first thing that came to mind. The one word that was trying to claw its way out of him.

"No…"

His voice was rough and ragged with the desperation that had seized his throat. He could hear it—how pathetic he sounded.

"Weren't you the one who fought for this, Sasuke?" he then managed to ask, his throat burning. There was an edge to his voice and part of him hoped it would hurt Sasuke enough to knock some sense into him—to make him see that he was wrong. "Weren't you the one who told me this was okay? That we could be okay?"

"I was wrong," Sasuke breathed. "I was wrong, and I'm… I'm—"

"You're what, Sasuke? Sorry?" Itachi questioned, but he didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he gave Sasuke a desperate look and stepped forward. "I don't want you to be sorry. I want…"

He stopped himself and reached up to caress Sasuke's cheek, needing to touch his brother again, to feel him for even a second, to let him know he was there. But before his fingers could make contact, Sasuke turned his head.

Itachi's hand hovered in the air for a moment, then two, before he dropped it back to his side. Feeling the last piece of himself, the one he'd been clutching onto like a fading hope, start to break.

"I just want you," he whispered. "I love you."

Silence sat between them after that. A deafening, thundering silence that seemed to stretch on for hours while Itachi waited for Sasuke to do something. To say something—anything.

Finally, Sasuke turned back to look at him and their eyes met. Itachi pulled in a long, shaky breath as he noticed that Sasuke's expression had softened and his eyes had cleared. He wondered, with hope beginning to burn in his belly, if he had finally gotten through. If he'd been able to break down the wall that Sasuke was so determined to build between them.

His brother opened his mouth, and Itachi felt himself unconsciously lean forward to listen, to offer his complete, undivided attention to whatever it was Sasuke wanted from him.

Because he would do anything if it meant that he could keep Sasuke by his side.

But then—

"Boys?"

—the back door opened and Itachi's heart crumpled when he saw Sasuke close up again as soon as their mother's voice sounded through the house.

"You should go," Sasuke finally said. His voice was cold, full of a finality that Itachi didn't want to hear.

"No, Sasuke. Please, just—"

"There you are!" Mikoto broke in again, sweeping into the room with her sleeves rolled up. She looked between them and smiled. "Are the two of you getting along again?"

And, like that, it was over. Sasuke turned away from him and Itachi felt his blood turn to ice.

"I'm gonna head out, mom," Sasuke said, looking over at their mother. His voice was now completely neutral, like he'd flipped a switch and cut off whatever feelings he might have been holding onto. "I told Sakura I'd meet her before school."

"Of course, dear," Mikoto said.

With that, Sasuke stepped away from him. He grabbed his jacket and then slipped on his shoes, but when he moved to open the front door, Itachi reached out in one last ditch effort to stop his brother from slipping away again.

He grabbed Sasuke wrist gently, stopping him in his tracks. Thankfully, instead of just pulling away and waltzing out the door, Sasuke looked back at him.

"I need to go now," Sasuke said casually, his gaze empty. When Itachi refused to let him go, Sasuke added, quieter, "You need to let me go now, Itachi…"

And, all at once, Itachi felt the fight leave him. His face fell, his shoulders sagged, and he did as his brother asked. He let Sasuke go, trying in that final instant to remember the quickly fading feeling of his brother's skin, of his warmth as Sasuke turned and opened the front door.

This time, Itachi didn't try to stop him. He didn't even say a word as he watched his brother leave, shutting the door behind him without even a glance back.

"I'm guessing you two weren't able to make up?" Mikoto asked softly from behind him once Sasuke was gone.

Itachi took in a deep breath.

XxX

"No," Sasuke grumbled when he walked out of his very last class on Friday afternoon to see Sakura looking at him with her pleading puppy-dog eyes.

"But everyone's going, Sasuke," she groaned.

It was the same argument he'd been hearing from her all day as she'd popped up after each of his classes, determined on pestering him. Like the times before, Sasuke rolled his eyes and kept walking right past her. And, as usual, this didn't deter her. Sakura started after him, linking their arms together when she fell into step beside him. Sasuke didn't shake her off.

"Just because everyone else is going," he said. "Doesn't mean that I have to."

Sakura frowned.

"C'mon, Sasuke," she urged, bumping against him gently enough that they didn't get off course and run into one of the many people who were rushing past through the hall, excited to leave school for the break. "There's only one signing like this every year, and this one is ours. Aren't you just a little bit excited for it?"

Sasuke sighed. "Honestly? No," he admitted. "After everything that's happened lately, I really think I just want to go home. I'm tired and the absolute last thing I want is to see Naruto anymore than I already have today."

They slowed down as they reached the main hall by the entrance. Around them, the younger classmen were heading out the front door while all of their fellow seniors were heading in the opposite direction. Going to the gym for the yearbook signing.

"You need to do what's best for you," she said, pulling away from him so she could step back and look him over. "I get it. I'll miss you, though."

Sasuke managed to give her a little smile. "I'll miss you, too, but we can hang out this weekend, alright? You can even be the one and only person to sign my book, if that makes you happy."

"It does!" Sakura laughed. Then she looked around them and Sasuke watched her expression soften. Immediately, he knew what was coming next, but he didn't stop her from asking. "And you're sure you don't want to talk to him?"

Her voice was nearly a whisper and Sasuke appreciated that. While none of the straggling students around them would know who he was, Sasuke knew, and his heart clenched painfully in his chest as he thought about his brother.

"There's nothing else for us to talk about," he answered.

It was the same thing he'd been telling her since he showed up to meet her for breakfast Tuesday morning after the last time he'd seen Itachi. She'd known as soon as she'd seen him that something had obviously happened — he'd guessed that his red eyes and tear-stained cheeks had probably given something away — and though he'd given her the silent treatment for the rest of the day for her, albeit small, part in what had happened, Sasuke ultimately couldn't keep her shut out forever. Especially not when she was the only person that he could talk about the entire situation with.

But opening himself up to her meant dealing with her continuing to push the subject, which was exactly what she had done every day. So, Sasuke didn't expect anything different now.

However, Sakura decided to surprise him, and after chewing on her lip for a second she just nodded slightly and said, "Okay, Sasuke, whatever you think is best."

The words stunned him and a small part of him wanted to fight back against her sudden defeat, wanted to tell her to say something that would finally convince him to stop being so stubborn and just go to his brother.

But he didn't say a word.

"I guess I'll see you this weekend, then?" Sakura asked when it was clear Sasuke had nothing else to say.

"Sure," he answered. "Just text me tomorrow and we'll figure something out, okay?"

Sakura nodded and turned to leave. As he watched her walk away, shouting after someone further down the hall, Sasuke sighed and started trudging toward the main door.

By now he was the only person left in the hall and acutely aware that once he stepped foot out of the door to leave today then that would be it. He would be marking the end of a chapter of his life, in more ways than just one. Because he wouldn't just be saying goodbye to his school days, but, consequently, his brother as well. Putting a final wall between them, a distance that he would never be able to take back.

It would make what had happened between them, what he had lost only days ago, completely tangible and real.

Too real.

There's nothing else for us to talk about…

His own words echoed in his mind along with each step that reverberated through the empty hall. No matter how true the statement had been, his heart still ached as he thought about it, as he considered Sakura's continued suggestions that he go back to Itachi. The damage was done, though; he'd pushed his brother away. Crushing any lingering thoughts Itachi might have had that they could fix things, if the last look he'd seen on his face Tuesday morning had been anything to go by. Defeat, hopelessness; both emotions that Sasuke was all too familiar with lately.

Still…

Sasuke slowed to a stop only a couple of steps from the door. The warm light of the sun spilled in through the windows on either side as Sasuke considered the exit before him.

He could go. Scratch that—he should go. He knew it, he felt it deep inside of himself. But something was holding him here, keeping him in this place—in this moment. Reminding him that Itachi's classroom wasn't far and that all he needed to do was turn around.

"It was his last day," Sasuke chided himself. Feeling silly for even entertaining the thought for a single second. "I'm sure he's already gone."

Why not go see for yourself? After all, you never know… whispered a voice in the back of his mind. It was the same one that had told him how wrong he'd been, that had reminded him over and over of how much he regretted everything he'd done to his brother. Pushing him to go to Itachi, to hold onto him, to apologize.

And while he'd been trying his hardest not to listen to that voice over the last week, now it was even more difficult than before.

So, for the first time in days, Sasuke decided to stop fighting it. He turned and started quickly down the hall, hanging a left when he reached the end of it. A couple minutes later, he slowed a few feet from Itachi's classroom.

To his surprise, the door was open and the light was on. He neared it semi-cautiously, a nervousness bubbling just under his skin that barely tempered the hope that was beginning to swim inside him at the thought that he might have been wrong. That he might be able to catch one last glimpse of his brother.

When he came closer, though, both feelings faded, replaced by disappointment as he took a few steps inside the room. Finding that it was completely devoid of anything that might have begun to even hint that Itachi ever inhabited the walls. The lack of his brother's presence in the room made Sasuke feel empty and he couldn't stop himself from walking further inside. Drawn in by the hole that Itachi's absence made up.

The room itself was nothing particularly interesting, just rows of desk facing the white board up front, but Sasuke's fingers skimmed along, jumping from desk to desk as he moved deeper into the room. Finally, he stopped at the desk by the white board, the biggest one in the room, the one that had, for some years, belonged to his brother. But during the next school year someone else would take Itachi's spot here.

Sasuke pressed his hand to the desk as he considered that, as he tried to imagine himself in a few months, in a year. Would he be able to move on as easily as this room would be able to? Would there ever be any possibility that he might one day find someone else? That he might find the audacity within himself to even try to be happy with another person?

He didn't think so.

The thought made him sigh, knowing that the void, that the feeling that his soul was collapsing inside of him would probably follow him forever. The thought of his brother would follow him the way he wished he could follow Itachi.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke spun around at the sound of his name. Every hair on his body stood on end as he tried desperately to brace himself for what he knew he was going to see, but he still found himself breathless when he saw Itachi standing in the doorway he'd just come through. His brother's eyes were wide, questioning and as shocked as Sasuke was.

"What are you doing here?" Itachi asked him.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke shot back. As soon as the words were out his mouth, though, he realized how ridiculous they sounded considering where he stood. So, he cleared his throat and quickly added, "I mean, I thought you'd already be gone. You know, since it's your last day…"

Itachi nodded slowly. If he had expected (or wanted) a different answer, it didn't show on his face. "I was just coming to get one last thing."

Itachi gestured in his direction and, for a second, Sasuke's heart skipped when he thought his brother meant he'd come back for him. But then Itachi's eyes shifted to a spot beyond him and Sasuke turned to see that there was a small box sitting in the chair behind the desk.

"Oh," he mumbled, his heart immediately falling. He nodded to himself. "Of course."

What else could he have really expected, after all? After pushing Itachi away as solemnly and absolutely as he had a few days ago, should he really have hoped that Itachi was going to keep chasing after him?

He knew the answer was no, but it didn't stop his stupid heart from yearning, from begging him to reach out to Itachi when his brother started toward him. Or from screaming at him to just open his mouth and fucking apologize already when Itachi stopped in front of him, mere inches away, instead of going to grab the box he so obviously had come back for and then leave.

Sasuke wanted to. He was desperate to. Especially when Itachi fixed him with a look. One he'd seen many times before now, before this, before them, but hadn't been able to recognize without the context of his brother's feelings for him. Itachi was guarded, pained, as much as he would allow himself to show it at least, but Sasuke could see it. In the slight crinkle in his eyes, the subtle downturn of his lips that Sasuke knew would have usually been set into some smug smirk any other day.

There was a longing there, too. But, for the life of him, Sasuke couldn't tell whether it was because Itachi wanted to savor this moment — this final moment — as much as he did, or if it was because his brother was just ready to get it over with.

Sasuke wasn't sure that he was ready to find out either, but when Itachi finally spoke, Sasuke found himself hanging onto the shape of each and every letter in the single word he said.

"Well?"

Sasuke swallowed, daring to ask, "Well, what?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow at him. "I answered your question, so you answer mine: what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the signing in the cafeteria with everyone else?"

"Oh." Sasuke shook his head. "No, I… I didn't want to. Wasn't feeling it, you know? I figured I'd just head home."

Itachi nodded slowly, then gave a pointed look at the room around them. "I think you might be lost then."

"Yeah, I guess I am," he managed to say.

The lie tasted bitter on his tongue, and he immediately wanted to take it back. But before he could open his mouth, Itachi stepped away from him, seemingly satisfied with the answer he'd gotten, and went to grab his box.

"Well, when you get home, tell mom and dad I said hi."

Sasuke nodded to himself, letting out a silent sigh as he watched his brother's back.

"I will," he said softly.

Itachi hummed and, without another word, without even an attempt at a goodbye, he turned to leave. For an instant, Sasuke saw Itachi's eyes flick toward him, his gaze passing over his features with that same pained look, and Sasuke couldn't help but wonder if Itachi was trying to commit his face to memory. Because it was exactly what he was doing—getting one last mental snapshot of the man he loved, the one he knew he would never be able to forget or move on from. That way, in his darkest moments, he would have something to hold onto even when his arms were empty.

Then, as quickly as their encounter began, it ended. Leaving Sasuke watching after his brother as he bit his lower lip hard, fighting the urge that was bubbling up inside of him. Getting bigger and more difficult to fight with each step his brother took farther away from him, until—

"Tell me something," Itachi said, stopping suddenly just steps away from the door. He put his box down on the desk nearest to him before turning back around to look at Sasuke, a sullen and serious look on his face. "Did you ever really love me?"

"I…" Sasuke spluttered, surprised by the question. By how much it hurt to even be asked. "Of course, Itachi. I loved you… I—" he paused and took a step forward before continuing, "I still love you."

"Then why are we doing this?"

Sasuke looked around, slightly confused. "Doing what?"

"This," Itachi repeated, gesturing between the two of them. "If you love me, then why are you doing this? Why are you pushing me away?"

"I already told you—"

"No, you didn't," his brother interrupted. "You just gave me some bullshit excuse. I want…" Itachi rubbed a hand over his face and sighed heavily. "I just want the truth. Please, Sasuke. You owe me that much."

Sasuke looked down at that, shame washing over him. Because his brother was right, about all of it. And he deserved to know the truth. Especially if this was the last time they would ever have this chance.

"You really want to know the truth?" he asked. He glanced up and saw Itachi nod, his gaze expectant. Sasuke pulled in a deep breath. "It's because I'm scared, Itachi, okay? And what I told you the other day wasn't a lie. I have thought about it every day since Naruto…"

He trailed off and shook his head. It was probably best, for both of them, if he didn't bring the blond into this. So, he waved his hand dismissively and tried again.

"I've thought about it ever since Saturday, and I'm scared of what might happen if those pictures get out. I'm scared of what could happen if mom and dad find out. I'm scared that…that maybe…" Sasuke sighed and shifted on his feet uncomfortably. "I'm scared that things might not work out between us. That no matter how much I love you…that it might not be enough."

"And you think I'm not scared of all those things?" Itachi asked after a beat. His expression softer. "Sasuke, I've been scared about all of that for years."

Sasuke licked his lips and nodded. "I know, but…"

"But what?"

"But it's different, Itachi," Sasuke answered, his voice cracking with emotion. "Because if those pictures get out that means… That means it's because of me, because I was friends with Naruto, because I hurt him enough to do all this. And if that happens, it means that I will have ruined your entire life, and I…" Sasuke clenched his fists at his sides and looked down, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall. "And I'm just not worth that, Itachi."

The admission sat between them, filling up the empty room with its meaning, with Sasuke's own guilt for a beat, then two, then—

"That's not true," Itachi said gently. Sasuke shook his head.

"It is, though, Itachi," he argued, finally able to look back up at his brother. "You know it, and—"

"No, I don't, because it's not true. Because you could never — never — ruin anything in my life, Sasuke. Don't you understand that?"

"But Naruto, the pictures, the…" he trailed off as Itachi shook his head slowly.

"Listen to me, Sasuke," Itachi urged. He came back across the room, only stopping when he was a foot away. "I'm sorry if I haven't made this clear enough, but I will now. Nothing that I have in my life is as important as you are, and I…" Itachi paused and looked him over, seeming to take in every inch of him before he continued, his voice lower. "I would happily give up everything if you asked me to right now. I've been ready to do it since day one."

Sasuke was surprised by the statement. Even after all he'd done, after all the ways he'd knowingly hurt Itachi over and over again, here his brother was, telling him that it didn't matter. That he was ready to do it all again if Sasuke just said the word.

And he wanted to. God, he wanted to so badly even as he shook his head.

"I can't do that, Itachi…" he mumbled shakily, hearing the uncertainty in his own words, the unasked: can I? that filled up the short distance between them.

"Yes, you can," Itachi urged. "You just have to ask."

It wasn't as easy as his brother made it sound, though. Not as fear gripped Sasuke's heart and sent him spiraling. All the possible consequences of what might happen if they decided to do this again running through his mind.

But Itachi didn't seem afraid. In fact, he looked confident, like he had nothing left to lose as he stepped closer to him.

"It's okay," he murmured quietly as if he could sense every thought running through Sasuke's head.

And maybe he could. Sasuke didn't know. He just knew that when Itachi put a hand on his hip and drew even closer, until their bodies were nearly touching, that something in him started to quiet. He could feel the pull of the moment, of his brother as, one by one, his thoughts, worries, and anxieties all fell away. Until it was just the two of them, standing in an empty room, breathing each other in.

"It's okay," Itachi repeated, reaching up to caress Sasuke's cheek. He looked into his eyes for a long moment before he added, slow and certain, "We'll be okay."

And, in that moment, Sasuke believed it.

So, he did exactly what Itachi wanted. What he wanted.

He asked.

"Itachi, will you—"

"Yes," Itachi breathed out, matching their lips together before Sasuke could finish.

At first, the kiss was gentle. Just a brushing of lips that set Sasuke's heart out of rhythm by a beat, but it wasn't enough. He threw his arms around Itachi's neck and kissed him back hard. Itachi's arms tightened around him and they held onto one another like their lives depended on it as their lips met again and again. Making up for the handfuls of kisses they had missed out until, finally, they broke apart. Though they didn't let one another go.

"I hope that means you'll forgive me," Sasuke said softly as he looked at Itachi. "And that we can start over?"

Itachi smiled at him. "Of course, Sasuke."

A smile of his own pulled at Sasuke's lips and he leaned forward to kiss Itachi again. This kiss was short and chaste but it made Sasuke feel whole again.

Like he could take on anything in the world. Even…

Oh.

Sasuke closed his eyes as the realization crashed back down on him.

"What is it, Sasuke?"

He let out a sigh and rested his forehead against Itachi's. "What are we going to do about Naruto?" he asked.

Before Itachi could answer they heard a loud peel of laughter from down the hall. Quickly, they detached themselves from one another and put a good two feet of distance between them as they remembered where they were and, decidedly, what they should not have been doing.

"We'll figure it out, Sasuke," Itachi answered once the sounded faded into nothing. "I promise, we'll figure everything out. But, for now, maybe we should get out of here."

Sasuke nodded in agreement, trailing a step behind Itachi as his brother went to pick up the box he'd abandoned earlier and then left the room. He continued to follow Itachi through the halls, taking a path unfamiliar to him that eventually led them to a door. When they walked through it, he found that they had made their way to the employee parking lot behind the school. Only a few cars remained in the lot, so it wasn't difficult to find Itachi's where it was slotted between two others a few feet away.

They walked to it, Itachi shifting the box in his arms as they grew closer so he could pull out his key fob and unlock the doors. Once he had, he stowed the box in the back seat along with a few others that Sasuke could see from behind his brother. Then Itachi shut the door and turned to look at him.

"I could give you a ride, if you want," Itachi offered. "To mom and dad's, or wherever…" He trailed off and shrugged, leaning his hip against the car as he left the interpretation of the end of his sentence up to Sasuke.

Obviously, he wanted to say yes. He wanted to hop in the car, ask his brother to drive them home, and then push him inside once they got to Itachi's house so he could show his brother how much he'd missed him. But Sasuke shook his head.

"You probably shouldn't," he said.

"No, you really shouldn't," came a voice from their left.

Both Sasuke and Itachi looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, when from around the car next to them someone stepped out.

"Naruto! What are you doing here?" Sasuke questioned, feeling his heart still for a moment as the blond came closer with his phone in hand, looking angry.

"I think I should be the one asking you that question, Sasuke," Naruto growled. "Or maybe I should ask him?"

Naruto gestured with his chin to Itachi. Sasuke glanced over at him and noticed that his brother looked just as shocked as he was.

"He didn't do anything, Naruto," Sasuke said immediately, trying to stay calm. "I—"

"You just couldn't stay away from him, could you?" Naruto spat. "I was nice; I gave you a chance. But now I'll make you stay away."

The blond lifted his hand and stepped forward. Sasuke's eyes immediately shot to the phone that he held aloft now, the screen bright, but before he could focus on what was on the screen Itachi stepped in front of him protectively.

"You need to go, Naruto," Itachi said sternly.

Naruto scoffed. "You think I'm going to listen to you?"

"You probably should."

"Why?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shifted behind Itachi to look around him in time to see the blond roll his eyes. "After all, in a few seconds, the two of you are going to have a lot more to worry about than me."

"Because I'm sick of you threatening my brother," Itachi said plainly.

Then, before Sasuke could stop him - truly before he even understood it was happening - Itachi took two long strides forward and swiftly punched Naruto in the face. There was a sickening crunch and Sasuke gasped when he watched Naruto fall to the ground half a second later, his nose bloodied and phone clattering as it hit the ground next to his unconscious form.

"God, he's had that coming for a while," Itachi muttered. He flexed his bloody hand gently, Sasuke assumed to make sure he hadn't broken any of his own bones, before he bent down and plucked Naruto's phone off the ground.

"What're you doing?" Sasuke asked. Panic was rising in his chest as he looked from his brother to Naruto's body and then back.

"I'm figuring it out," Itachi said, throwing a quick glance back at him. Then he looked down to fiddle with the phone in his hand, adding, "If I can delete those pictures then he won't have anything to hold over you."

It made sense and while some small part of him felt poorly for Naruto getting hurt, he couldn't deny the sense of relief he was beginning to feel.

Well, that was until—

"Fuck."

"What is it?" Sasuke asked. He stepped to his brother's side and looked at the phone. The screen was shattered and dark.

"It's broken now," Itachi explained. "It won't turn on."

"Fuck," Sasuke said, sharing in his brother's sentiment. "What will we do then?"

Itachi thought about it, taking in a deep breath as he assessed the situation. After nearly a minute, he slipped Naruto's broken phone into one of his pockets before pulling his own out of another.

"We leave," Itachi said bluntly, looking over at him. "I can't guarantee that he doesn't have those pictures backed up anywhere, so we should get out of here and figure out what we're going to do."

Sasuke nodded but then looked down at the blond again.

"We're not just going to leave him here, are we?" Sasuke asked softly. "I mean, we should, like, call someone, right?"

"As much as I might want to leave him here, I'm not a monster," Itachi said, holding up his phone for Sasuke to see. "Plus, it'll slow him down and give us more time to think if they take him to the hospital."

With that, Itachi unlocked his phone and called for an ambulance. He gave them the address and some vague details of what had happened, but made a point not to give his name. He hung up a minute later and turned to Sasuke.

"We've got to go now," Itachi urged.

When Sasuke didn't move, Itachi put a gentle hand on his back and guided him to the passenger door. He opened it and Sasuke slid into the seat, his mind reeling and repeating a slew of oh shit, oh shit, oh shit as he managed to buckle himself in.

A moment later, Itachi was in the driver's seat beside him. His brother started the car and drove off without looking back.

But Sasuke did. He stared at the shape of his former friend in the passenger side mirror as they drove away, sirens screaming in the distance, and could say only one thing.

"How are we going to figure this out?"