Part 2:

"Who is this precious boy?" an old woman, the owner of the mom-and-pop shop cooed, standing next to Sasuke as she set down two steaming bowls of udon.

"Hi, I'm Sasuke," the boy responded politely. "Thank you for the meal."

The old lady looked to Itachi, who was picking up his chopsticks. "What great manners he has, Itachi-kun. I can see why you brought him here," she commented. Turning to Sasuke, she uttered to the boy as if he was chastising Itachi, "You know, Itachi-kun has been coming here since he was in middle school, but he has never brought a friend before. He's so used to being a lone wolf and that temper of his." She tsked, trailing off with a sigh.

Itachi felt the boy's gaze on him, but didn't meet his questioning stare, choosing to quietly slurp on his noodles. The old granny talked too much. He grumbled to himself.

"He can be nice, too," Sasuke uttered.

Itachi nearly choked on his noodles and spit them out at those words. He cleared his throat to allow the food to pass down the right tube, and his gaze finally flickered to the boy's, coming into contact with a knowing stare confirming that the silent joke was received.

Sasuke smiled innocently, as if he hadn't just regurgitated Itachi's own words about himself from that very morning.

Cheeky, the man thought. As expected of my Otouto.

"Sometimes, but don't let that boy's temper throw you off. He must think you're a good friend if he brought you here, and I can see why. You're such a sweetie. Anyway, I made tamagoyaki for you two. On the house to celebrate your first visit."

Sasuke smiled. "Thank you."

The old lady left them alone after that, and his Otouto began plucking every single piece of bok choy out of his bowl, setting it down on a side plate. He proceeded to pick out the onions and daikon until all that was left was the broth, noodles, and side of tempura shrimp.

Itachi didn't know whether to admonish or laugh at the boy who cleaned his bowl of veggies. Extinguished them from existence. "Eat your vegetables, Sasuke," he found himself saying.

"No, thank you."

Good lord, how could he say no to him so sweetly?

Itachi arched a brow. Chopsticks in hand, he began plucking the vegetables one at a time from the plate and placed them back into the steaming broth. He ignored Sasuke's incredulous stare as he finished transferring all the vegetables back.

His Otouto glowered in his direction, but Itachi didn't care.

"Eat," he said.

The boy muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?"

Another mutter, a repeat, but this time Itachi could make out the words.

"You're kind of bossy," Sasuke had said.

Itachi bit his bottom lip to stash away the quickly growing smile forming along them. Oh, his Otouto had no idea yet just how bossy he could get. "We're not leaving until you've eaten all of them. I have all day."

When he finally managed to swallow all of the vegetables, the last thing he did by the way, they both stood, and Itachi pulled out a couple hundred dollar bills and set them on the table. "Let's go, Sasuke," he beckoned, hearing the boy rush after him as they left.

"Thanks for lunch," his Otouto said as he came to walk with Itachi side-by-side. It was a cloudy day. Gray clouds lingered in the air and moisture was heavy, but that was a given because winter was quickly approaching.

"Of course," he responded naturally, because that's what it was. Why should Sasuke have to pay for anything if Itachi was here now? Why should the boy have to worry about anything if Itachi could take care of him now? He wanted to kick away any troubles his Otouto had, no matter the severity.

Even though these were Itachi's thoughts and the boy was within arm's length, he had never felt so far away from Sasuke. Since when, in the history of their lifetime, had his Otouto even stepped a foot outside of their radius, much less three feet? They always walked next to one another, the tips of their fingers flirting, their coats brushing, and their breaths intermingling.

But, from the corner of Itachi's eye, he noticed it was the exact opposite. Sasuke seemed so far away that it ached from simply standing next to him and not being able to feel at ease. What could he possibly do to have the boy in his arms? Why couldn't his Otouto just remember him? Was their previous lifetime so fleeting that the boy simply forgot about him?

He paused in his steps, mentally shaking his head. No way. Absolutely not. He knew Sasuke loved him. It was an undeniable fact. The way his Otouto looked at him when he uttered those words, the way his Otouto held him close and whispered in his ears when they made love, the way his Otouto sought him out for comfort and love, the promises they made to each other…. There was no way.

Maybe he was the messed up one, the one that stumbled upon a reincarnation that didn't wipe his memories. Maybe this was a punishment from the heavens above… or perhaps a blessing? As long as he remembered Sasuke, then he could do something about it. It didn't matter that the boy didn't remember. Itachi did, and he would do anything in his power to bring Sasuke back into his embrace.

"Sasuke," he found himself calling before he knew what he was doing. The boy stopped dead in his tracks, and it was then that the man realized he had gripped onto his wrist, tugging him to his side.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling dizzy again?" his Otouto asked automatically, concern coating his words.

If that's what it took to be able to physically touch his Otouto, then Itachi would agree to anything. He nodded deftly, finding himself being guided to the curb and urged to sit down. "There aren't any benches around, so we'll have to make do," Sasuke said, sitting beside him.

Itachi found himself curled next to the boy, who had offered his shoulder. He felt his eyes brimming with tears as he leaned his head against the boy's proffered shoulder. What did he do to deserve such a sweet boy? A sniffle permeated the air between them, and he found a palm flat against his forehead.

"It's the second time today. Are you sick? "

Absolutely not, he thought. The complete opposite if he was being honest. This must have been the most at peace he had felt in his entire life. Sitting next to the love of his life, feeling Sasuke's warmth seep into his skin, and inhaling a mild, sweet scent that emitted from the boy.

"Should I take you to see a doctor?"

There was still a childish innocence to his voice, light and sweet, kind and gentle. His Otouto was a saint. Even though he didn't know Itachi well, he treated him with such tenderness. A pang of sorrow zinged through his chest, and he found himself willing it to go away.

When would he be able to hold Sasuke in his arms? Kiss him whenever he desired? Make love to him in bed and show him how much he missed him? When would he be able to address him as his Otouto again?

Just love me already, his inner voice pleaded helplessly. Let me touch you. Let me love you. Let me be with you.

Fucking hell, he was a wreck.

Just like earlier, the boy's other palm was patting his hand that gripped the delicate wrist, as if silently beckoning him to calm down. "It's okay," Sasuke uttered. "I've got you."

Itachi gritted his teeth, his eyes pinched tightly shut as he tried to breathe.

I don't have you, he croaked inside. You're not mine. Why aren't you mine? You're supposed to be mine.

Fuck. This was another anxiety attack. He knew it. God, fucking piece of shit, he needed to calm down or he'd end up doing or saying something that he'd regret.

"Itachi?"

He heard his name being uttered softly. When he opened his eyes, Itachi was staring straight at Sasuke. Once they made eye contact, he could not look away, and he was horrified by the number of emotions his Otouto could see swirling in his eyes.

"What can I do to help you?" Sasuke asked. There was absolutely no judgment on his face nor in his tone.

Itachi croaked, his voice so hoarse that it was nearly impossible to understand. "H-Hug," he rasped. His body began to shake and wheezes left his lips. He couldn't simply reach over and tug the boy into his arms because there were boundaries, and his Otouto wasn't fond of his touches at one point in time.

"Hug?" Sasuke repeated as if confirming what he had said.

Itachi managed half a nod before the boy jerked his wrist out of his grasp and wrapped both arms around his neck. Sasuke pressed his body close, arms tightening to deliver a tight, secure hug.

"It's okay," Sasuke said. "It's okay. Whatever it is you're going through, it'll be okay. If you need someone to talk to, you can always come to me, okay?"

Those words were so achingly similar to his Otouto's, who always soothed him with his kind, gentle words.

"I don't know what's been going through your mind the last few days, but you don't have to force yourself. I'll be here when you're ready to talk, okay?"

Itachi's breath hitched, his throat dryer than the savannah, and the next thing he knew he had embraced the boy back so fully and completely in his arms that no parts of their bodies didn't touch. The man dug his face into Sasuke's nape, the shakiness easily detected from such close contact.

A palm, much smaller than his, stroked its way down his back while the other remained curled around his neck. Itachi took a moment to inhale deeply, excruciating snippets of his memories flashing before his tightly shut eyelids.

"Can I hug you?"

"Why?" Sasuke snapped.

"Because I love you."

Sasuke's brows furrowed. "I meant why are you asking me when you do whatever you want anyway?"

"Would you let me do whatever I wanted?" he questioned, voice slightly lower than usual. He had sat up at the edge of the couch, now much closer to Sasuke.

The subtle bobbing of the boy's Adam's apple and his round eyes were his reply. "We… We're not lovers, Aniki," came Sasuke's unsteady voice.

By the time Itachi recovered from his anxiety attack and they returned to the office, it was nearly 3:30. As soon as the elevator doors to the twenty-fifth floor dinged, Itachi allowed his Otouto to step out first out of mere habit, which was the absolute wrong decision that time.

"Oh, Jesus," someone swore under their breath. "Uchiha-sama, where have you been? Did you forget you had multiple meetings lined up this afternoon? Were you playing hookie again across town? I saw all those flowers at the front desk. I mean, I get that you don't like the whole social interaction thing, but it's necessary to- Oh. You're not Uchiha-sama. Who are you?"

"Uh… I'm Sas-"

"None of your fucking business," Itachi cut off, stepping in front of the boy while looking like someone had set his house on fire.

The newcomer's eyebrows shot up to his hairline and he tried to peer behind Itachi to get a good look, but it was impossible when Itachi's six-foot-three towering form blocked him from view.

Behind him, he heard a small, quite frankly adorable, gasp, notifying him that he'd forgotten to reign in his colorful speech. At this point, however, he couldn't give a rat's ass since the man before him was trying to maneuver around him to take another peek.

Itachi took another step forward, forcing the other person back. By doing so, he also gave himself enough privacy to lower his voice for only the two of them to hear. "Fuck off," he hissed underneath his breath.

The man had the audacity to whine, his sky-blue eyes widening into doe-shaped circles. "B-But… But Mister CFO over in the conference room is asking for you. It is a board meeting after all and you have the most shares in the company. He was the one who sent me to find you."

A little irk mark appeared on Itachi's temple. "Screw him," Itachi responded, this time with a snarl and venom poisoning his words.

"Agh, man! I can't deal with two cranky bosses under the same roof!" the other said, ready to kick the bucket. "Just fire me already! I don't know how much longer I can serve as the mouthpiece between you two. God! Just fire me!"

"Don't be so fucking dramatic," Itachi muttered, dismissing him with a wave.

The blue-eyed individual stomped his foot with a huff. "Fine. I'll leave."

"And don't come back," Itachi added fluidly, ignoring the ginormous frown on his face.

He stepped through the double doors, but just when they began to close, he sent a big wave and a grin in Sasuke's direction, the blonde hair so bright that it reminded the boy of Deidara's hair. The blonde yelled out, "My name's Naruto! Nice to meet you!"

Itachi peered at his Otouto, who stood quietly as he stared at the elevator. There wasn't any particular emotion on his face except for slight confusion. That, too, fled in a second as if he remembered something.

"Oh!" Sasuke exclaimed.

Itachi found himself staring at an empty spot as Sasuke walked briskly past him to where his new desk was, watching curiously as the boy hovered over something. "Otou-" Itachi cleared his throat, catching himself. "Sasuke, what have you got there?" He could not keep the curiosity out of his tone.

"I found something suitable for your office!" the boy exclaimed, hyped up on excitement.

Itachi's brows shot up. "Did you?" he said, surprise evident. "Something for me?"

Sasuke laughed, causing a wave of peace to settle in Itachi's chest. "Of course."

In five seconds flat, the boy came to stand before him with something behind his back. "Close your eyes and count to three," he said, giddy.

How could Itachi not oblige to such an adorable request especially when his Otouto was so excited about it that his eyes sparkled like diamonds?

He found his eyes easily sliding shut, and he counted absent-mindedly aloud. "One…" he whispered. "Two… three."

A slight fragrance tickled his nose just a second before he opened his eyes, during which he was presented with a vase of dahlias so purple that they were considered black in color. Black dahlias…. Sasuke got him black dahlias….

"You… bought me flowers?" he asked slowly, astonishment seeping into his voice as clear as day.

"Yeah! Aren't they beautiful?"

You're beautiful.

"They are," he whispered. Itachi could feel tears bubbling to the surface and he had to quickly blink them away and clear his throat.

His Otouto must have noticed the way he was staring at the flowers because his excitement was quelled by a scrunch of his brows. "Has no one ever bought you flowers before?"

No. It wasn't that. Itachi would get flowers all the time from business partners, all of which he'd trash without a single glance. But these were special.

Ages 22/27:

"I'm so proud of you, my love," Itachi said warmly, squeezing Sasuke tightly in an embrace.

Even before the boy returned his hug, he tugged off his graduation hat and attempted to get around Itachi's arms to slip off the gown. Itachi huffed a bout of laughter and released him, but he was gifted with the sweet boy in his arms thereafter.

"Thank you, Aniki," came Sasuke's muffled voice as he laid his cheek on Itachi's chest, nuzzling the elder gently.

Itachi's eyes softened even more, and he tilted his head slightly to press a kiss to Sasuke's head. It had been almost three years since they returned to Japan, and each day was as lively and bright as its previous. Any day was as long as his Otouto was there beside him.

"Aishiteru, watashi no ai."

"I love you, too, Aniki."

Itachi's heart fluttered when he heard the quiet mumble.

"I've got something for you."

"Hmm?" Itachi tilted his head as the boy stepped back to look at him. "For me?"

"Just wait here," Sasuke muttered.

Itachi watched with a frown as Sasuke's lithe figure darted out of the room. What was so important that his Otouto needed to do it right now? The man mentally crushed the stupid question with the heel of his foot. It wasn't as if his Otouto was running away from him. He said he was getting something. Besides, the door was behind him, not in yonder direction. He was simply pouting because Sasuke willingly left his embrace. So fucking stupid.

"Close your eyes!" the boy hollered from the other room. "...Did you do it?"

Itachi's lips twitched as he obliged. "Yes, my love," he said obediently.

"Okay, you can open them when I count to three, okay? But not before."

How fucking adorable was that?

The smile on his lips remained steady. "Yes, my love," he repeated, and he could practically feel the eye roll directed at him.

"One… two… three! I saw these last week when I was passing by the shopping district. Aren't they beautiful?"

"You're beautiful," Itachi immediately responded as if he was hardwired to do so.

Sasuke scoffed, but he looked away, redness tainting his cheeks. "These are for you," he said, gaze still averted. "I wanted to thank you for supporting me, Aniki."

Itachi's eyes smoldered underneath the gift presented to him, nestled carefully in Sasuke's hold: a large vase of flowers, black dahlias to be exact, with a white decorative ribbon around the neck of the vase. Their pedals laid soft and unwithered, as dark as the night sky, cascading with variances of black purple and crimson hues.

With careful hands, he reached for them and transferred them into his grip. "They're… beautiful, Otouto."

"They reminded me of you."

"You were thinking of me?" Itachi's ears perked up and he looked at Sasuke, startled.

His dear Otouto snorted, timidness disappearing. "Of course, Aniki."

An angelic smile spread so widely on Itachi's face that his cheeks began to hurt. "I love them. I love you. Thank you for thinking of me, Otouto."

Sasuke smiled, his obsidian eyes sparkling and his adorable cheeks lifting along with his lips. "Thank you for loving me, Aniki."

"Mochiron, watashi no ai."

Unequivocally. These flowers were special. They were proof that this boy, who stood before him staring at him with sparkling warm eyes, was the reincarnation of his Otouto, his beloved. Somewhere deep down inside, Sasuke must have been retracing the steps of their previous lifetime, repeating scenarios that had already occurred as if he had memorized them like the back of his palm or had a compulsion to be drawn to similar preferences.

Itachi felt his heart flutter in his chest. It was so evident and distracting that he nearly missed the boy's next words.

"Do you… not like them?" Sasuke asked hesitantly.

"I love them," he immediately responded, accepting the vase of dahlias. "They're perfect."

His Otouto's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Mochiron."

Sasuke seemed to be startled by the phrasing, the space between his eyebrows crinkling in thought for the slightest of seconds before they smoothed out evenly, and he smiled. "I told you I had good taste."

To which Itachi responded, "I've never doubted you for a second."

H.J.

Over the last week, Sasuke had begun to settle into his role as Itachi's assistant. The front office calls were routed through him, and he had full access to the man's calendar, scheduling appointments in chunks with breaks in between when possible.

He also met a few frequent fliers in his position. For one, he met a silver-haired man in his late thirties named Kakashi, who would stop by a few days a week without appointments, seemingly to check in on Itachi.

Kakashi seemed very down-to-earth and easy-going, always asking how Sasuke was doing when he came by. After a few visits from him, he realized that the man never made appointments and Itachi never hassled him about it, so he didn't follow up on protocol, allowing the silver-haired man to enter when no one else was in the man's office.

Another person he'd met was the young man he'd seen on his first day, the loud blonde with blue eyes. Naruto was his name, and Sasuke realized that his aura was as energetic as his hair color.

Naruto would also come by occasionally, usually to complain about something, whether it be the feud between the two high-ranking individuals or Itachi's lack of appearances at scheduled social gatherings or meetings.

He would chatter on, reminding Sasuke of Deidara in more ways than none, and would divulge personal details and gossip in waves.

"Did you know that the two of them go at it like cats and dogs? There was no history of them ever meeting prior to Mister CFO getting hired by the company. It was like hate at first glance or something. Now, every time one of them comes in contact with the other, no work gets done because they're too busy glaring at each other. And guess who has to be in the middle of it?" The blonde pouted.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Sasuke said. Even though Naruto spent the last ten minutes going on about the same thing, something akin to sympathy snaked its way into the boy's comment. The feud did sound awful after all.

Not only so, but Naruto brought up another good point, something that Sasuke noticed recently, too. He couldn't help but ask. "Does Itachi-sama typically miss meetings and events?"

Sasuke had resolved to refer to Itachi by his given name when he was in the man's presence, but refer to him as Itachi-sama when he was speaking to a third party.

"That's the problem!" Naruto shrieked. "He doesn't! He's always punctual and he's always professional… even if he's rude about it sometimes," the blonde trailed off with a grumble.

This caught Sasuke by surprise.

"But ever since he had those flowers in his office, he's been acting strange as hell! I mean, he had never ever decorated his office. I mean, what would be the point anyway? And then, all of a sudden, this place looks like a normal-looking office? What gives?"

Sasuke leaned forward on his u-shaped desk, suddenly attentive. "What do you mean by 'what's the point'?"

Naruto's gaze flickered to Sasuke, and then he realized the boy was new and didn't know. His voice suddenly grew hushed as he leaned forward to whisper. "You didn't hear this from me, but he typically trashes his office at least once a week. Actually, once a week is being too generous. More like every other day."

Sasuke frowned. "Why?"

Naruto shrugged. "No clue."

For a loud mouth like him to say that, he must have really been in the dark about it.

All Sasuke knew was that, for the past nine days since he started, not once had Itachi done such a thing.

The other thing that Naruto brought up that bugged Sasuke was that he, too, had noticed the recent decline in appointments that the man attended. He would set up all his appointments, call the man to remind him of them, and stick sticky notes all over as a triple reminder, yet Itachi refused to budge from the twenty-fifth floor as if he was a ghost tethered there.

Speaking of, now was actually one of those times. A 5PM dinner was scheduled to meet with the CEO of a sister company. Sasuke glanced at the clock. If they didn't leave now, they'd be late and, much to his exasperation, the man did not show any signs of showing his face.

With a grumpy huff, he pushed himself away from his desk and knocked on his door.

"Come in."

He opened the door, shut it behind him, and approached the desk. Itachi was simply sitting there. His computer was turned off, the paperwork looked untouched in the bin, and there was nothing in front of him. Then, what the hell had he been doing all day in his office?

The only thing that looked different about his desk was the vase of flowers that Sasuke had purchased for him, which sat directly in his line of view. The irritation in his chest quelled slightly, replaced with satisfaction. So the man actually did like the flowers and wasn't just saying it for shits and giggles.

"Sasuke."

The boy blinked, realizing he had stared at them for too long. When his eyes settled on Itachi, he noted a minor look of irritation, which disappeared instantly when his attention was on him.

"You have a five o'clock dinner reservation with Orochimaru-san at The Chase Lounge in Hotel North, Itachi."

Itachi quirked his brow, shoulders pressed against the back of his leather chair. "So?"

Sasuke frowned. "So if you don't leave now, you're going to be late."

"I'm not interested in attending."

The boy damn near snapped upon hearing the dismissive tone. "Well, what are you interested in doing? Because it looks to me like you're not doing anything in your office anyway. What's the point of me being here if you don't even need me to do my job?"

Something he said must have jolted the man awake because his palms suddenly slammed against his desk, startling Sasuke, and he leaned forward, voice in a low whisper. "What are you trying to say? That I don't need you?"

He sounded suspiciously angry, which befuddled the boy. "You're not letting me do my job," he said quietly. "I can't do anything if you don't."

Itachi straightened out in his seat, palms sliding slowly off his desk. Sasuke found the man, once again, glancing out the story window. "So all I have to do is do my job in order for you to be happy?" he asked.

The crinkle between Sasuke's eyebrows was evident. His boss had phrased that question so oddly that he couldn't even begin to understand where that sentiment came from. "Well, I guess so."

Upon hearing his response, Itachi stood abruptly. "Okay. Come with me then, Sasuke," he said, as he buttoned his suit and began walking toward the door.

Sasuke jogged after the man. "Come with you where?"

"To dinner."

That was something else Sasuke noted recently as the days passed by. Sometimes, he would get an inkling, a tickle in his brain, that Itachi was somewhat lonely and wanted his company. He'd get that feeling every time he told the man he was about to clock out, and the look on the man's face was instant panic as if Sasuke was going to quit and run away from his job. The boy liked to think that the man viewed him as a friend. Hence, the desire for him to hang around. It must have been rough, after all, to find decent friends when he was at the top of the food chain and had difficulty pinpointing other people's intentions and motives.

Sasuke was silent.

As if his lack of answer was denial, Itachi stopped at the door, turning to look right at him. "If you don't come, then I'm not going."

Sasuke couldn't help himself. When the astonishment left his face, he had to snort. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you sound like a child."

"I can be surprisingly childish," Itachi responded. His eyes filled with amusement when Sasuke openly gawked.

"I knew it!"