Part 9:

Flustered.

That's what Sasuke was when he opened his eyes and his face was inches away from a sleeping Itachi's. Lips parting in an inaudible gasp, he reflexively scooted away and sealed his palms over his mouth when the man's naked chest came into view.

Corded with thick muscles and overlaid with tattoos, his upper body dazzled in the dim room, enticing Sasuke to stare harder with each passing second. That was how he found himself unintentionally ogling his boss in bed at six in the morning.

Swallowing hard, the boy traced a finger very gently over a large piece on Itachi's pec, which sat above his heart. His index finger danced around the silhouette of what appeared to be some kind of intricate design surrounding a few words. He found himself inching forward, curiosity and awe filling him to the brim, but just as he was scrutinizing the details along Itachi's chest, a vibration buzzed through his fingers that were smoothing across Itachi's chest, and Sasuke froze.

When he looked up, his eyes widened considerably and a deer-caught-in-headlights look filled his expression.

Itachi stared down at him with sparkling eyes, amusement saturating his gaze like twinkling stars in the countryside. With an eyebrow slightly raised and a quirk of his lips, he appeared to be thoroughly enjoying how Sasuke was treating him like a carnival attraction.

"Having fun?" came the teasing remark.

However innocuous, it propelled Sasuke into a state of flustered panic. "I wasn't doing anything!" he squeaked, suddenly finding his throat parched. Hurriedly, he withdrew his hand and scooted away, creating nearly an arm's length distance between them before he was dragged right back. "'T-Tachi!"

Itachi's rumbling laughter echoed next to his ear as he tossed an arm over his waist and sandwiched him to his chest. The man's body shook against Sasuke's quickly shrinking one, causing the boy to nudge against his chest in a hmph.

"Don't stop on my account," Itachi's post-sleep voice rasped, earning him another sound of annoyance and a slight nudge to his chest.

Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and his cheeks puffed out. "Stop it," he whined, earning him a, dare he say, cute snort from the man.

"How is my lovely Sasuke this morning?" Itachi asked. "How is your body feeling?"

That was when Sasuke remembered three things. First, things transpired last night. Hot things. Toe-curling things. Things that required him to be stripped completely bare. Second, Itachi was half-naked in bed with him. And third, was he still naked?

Sasuke's eyes flickered down his own body to verify, but the sheets were covering both of their lower halves. His hesitation must have shown when he took too long to answer, because Itachi called his name again.

"I-I'm fine," he mumbled, feeling the temperature rise in his cheeks. Sasuke tried to shift his body slightly to rub against the sheets, covering his lower half, and upon feeling the telltale sign of a second layer of clothing between his groin and the sheets, he exhaled in relief.

"Sasuke," came Itachi's concerned voice, "look at me."

The boy found his chin being tilted up, and he caught a glimpse of Itachi's eyes for a split second before the man's forehead pressed against his. The man's eyes slid shut for a few seconds, and, mesmerized by the beauty of Itachi's features up close, Sasuke remained stock-still. Next thing he knew, he was staring straight into gorgeous, twinkling onyx gems…. and his breath was blown away.

Good God. Did Itachi know just how insanely attractive he was?

Perhaps, he never heard anything of it because the man was always wearing a cold expression at the company and had a bit of a temper, but when he was stripped of that, it was incredibly easy to acknowledge how ridiculously hot he was.

Sasuke swallowed hard and kept his mouth shut.

"Hmm. You don't have a fever anymore. How is your headache?"

"G-Gone," Sasuke stuttered out, causing Itachi to frown.

"But your face is still a bit hot, and your voice sounds a little funny. Maybe I should give you a bit more medicine just in case."

"No, 'Tachi. I'm fine," Sasuke groaned, attempting to turn away to hide his face. He was unsuccessful. His boss pinned him down with his unwavering, chastising stare.

"Better yet, I'm taking you to the hospital. Your body was really weak last night from the fever and nightmare, and then you passed out while I was eating you out. I thought I-"

Sasuke nearly choked on his own tongue. He scrambled to cover Itachi's mouth.

"I said I'm fine," Sasuke rasped, flushing even harder. "I'monlylikethisbecauseofyou!"

Sasuke felt Itachi's hand clasp over the wrist near his mouth, slowly and gently detaching it from his lips. Those lips that did wicked, dirty things to him. The boy shuddered.

"What did I do, baby?" Itachi asked, looking like a kicked puppy.

Sasuke wanted to facepalm himself. He ignored how that term of endearment made his heart flutter oh-so-slightly. "You… you went and did that last night. That was the first time I- that."

As Itachi's saddened, torn-down expression began to dissipate and was replaced with something more wicked and playful, Sasuke wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Heat crackled along his cheeks, and, the longer he was being ogled by Itachi, the more he was sure that he could fry an egg on his own face.

"Are you being shy, Sasuke?"

Good Lord. Sasuke covered his face with both hands. Why did Itachi have to say it like that?

"Should I tell you about how you I wiped your cum up and–"

"No!" he shrieked.

Sasuke's body shot upright in bed, and as soon as he was up, Itachi was laughing vicariously in the background. Without remorse, Sasuke tugged the pillow out from under the man and smacked him upside the head with it.

Itachi's grin was blinding.

That Adonis jerk.

"Let's just get ready for work," Sasuke muttered as he scrambled out of bed without looking back.

Itachi's good mood seemed to continue as they entered the building at work. In fact, it looked like he even had a slight bounce to his step, and Sasuke could only guess why.

In the lobby, everyone who passed them bowed and greeted them, and Sasuke was quite aware about the fact that they were whispering to each other in hushed tones. He wished he could say this was unusual, but given that Itachi was the Big Guy Upstairs, catching a glimpse of him was like winning the lottery.

When the elevator chimed and Sasuke nudged at Itachi's side with an elbow, breaking off Itachi's insanely concentrated stare into space, he could have sworn he heard some additional gasps around him.

Idly glancing around, Sasuke's brows creased as people avoided his gaze. His wandering eyes caught a glimpse of Naruto in the crowd behind him, and the blond shot him a look that said he was definitely going to stop by later.

"Sasuke, who are you looking at? Come." Itachi waved for him to step into the elevator, and when he did, the boy noticed no one else followed. It seemed like Itachi didn't think it was odd that no one else stepped into the elevator either.

"'Tachi," Sasuke called as the elevator rode up, "I was thinking, since it's been a few weeks, I should check in with my property manager about the progress of the repairs in my apartment."

As if someone had pressed pause, the humming underneath his boss's breath ceased. "…Why?"

"I figured I've been imposing on you for so long now. It wouldn't hurt to get an update so I can–" Sasuke was startled when the elevator suddenly jolted to a halt, courtesy of Itachi's finger jabbing the emergency stop button. He swayed slightly, and the only reason he didn't fall flat on his face was because his body knocked against Itachi's broad back.

"Stay. I want you to stay."

He couldn't see his face, but he was sure there was a quiver in his voice: the same one that preluded one of his episodes.

"What do you mean, silly? I'm not going anywhere."

Itachi's abrupt turn in Sasuke's direction wasn't a good sign. Neither was the odd look on his face. The tense brows, thinning of his lips, narrowed eyes, and slight tremble of his shoulders painted a distressing atmosphere.

"'Tachi?"

"Sasuke," the man said, stepping closer to him.

The boy suddenly found himself caged between the rails and his boss's unbelievably large body.

"Did I… say something wrong?"

"Why are you itching to leave? Did I do something to make you feel uncomfortable? Because if I did, tell me and I'll stop. I promise I will. Just tell me what I did."

Sasuke frowned. Why did Itachi sound so panicky?

"No, of course not. You've been wonderful. I just figured it'd be good to know how things are going on the home front."

"My home is your home," Itachi insisted, crowding the boy. "I am your home. There's no reason for you to move back to that place."

Sasuke found himself chewing on his bottom lip as Itachi's body and face drew closer with every sentence. "I… don't get what you mean. It's not like I can live with you forever."

"You can!"

Before he knew it, Sasuke was placing a soothing palm on one of the man's biceps. A small, appreciative smile dangled from his lips. "You're sweet, Itachi," he began. "You don't know how grateful I am for you welcoming me into your home, but I'm not your family or lover or anything. Plus, I'd hate to encroach upon your own space for so long. I'm not saying I'd up and leave today. I was just curious how the repairs at my place are going."

H.J.

Not his family or lover or anything?

Not his family or lover or anything?

Itachi could hardly breathe when those words smacked him in the face. Whether it was from panic or fury or disbelief, he could not tell. It hurt to breathe as if the reality of it all punched him, broke his ribs, and punctured his lungs, making it physically impossible to breathe and function and think rationally.

Then what did last night mean? Was that nothing, too?

Instead of soothing, Sasuke's hand on his bicep felt like a heavy anchor, which hammered his feet into place like heavy iron poles. He wasn't sure what his face looked like, but judging by the way Sasuke looked at him with worry, Itachi wasn't displaying any positive emotions.

What am I to you?

Itachi opened and closed his mouth, siphoning off the question that bombarded him. He didn't want to know. He wasn't ready to know. Perhaps, he was pushing for something that his Otouto wasn't ready for.

He'd managed to kiss the boy last night, and he had obtained his Otouto's permission to eat him out. Eat his sweet, little hole. Suck on it. Penetrate it with his tongue.

Sasuke had let him do that. Granted, he had a low-grade fever, but he was coherent. So that was a good start. And he was so shy this morning, adorably so, but he didn't act like nothing happened.

Itachi exhaled sharply. He just needed more time to convince his beloved Otouto that living with him was the best and only choice. They just needed to spend more time together, so that Sasuke could see that Itachi was someone reliable and considerate, someone worthy of him saying "yes".

And it wasn't like he was going to leave right this instant. He said he'd contact them for an update. Nothing more.

That's right. He's not moving out right now. Not right now. Don't worry. Everything's okay. Breathe. Breathe. Fucking brea-

His unfocused gaze was suddenly directed at Sasuke, who had grasped onto his cheeks and turned his head. His eyes bugged out and a gasp hung off his lips before he blinked a few times and his hands latched onto Sasuke's wrists for comfort.

"Breathe, 'Tachi. Breathe," he heard Sasuke say. "Breathe for me."

It was then Itachi realized his body was heaving and he was panting hard. He sucked in a harsh breath, pressed his Otouto's palms closer to his cheeks, and tried to follow the boy's cues for each inhale and exhale.

I'll breathe for you, Otouto. I'll always breathe for you.

His shoulders rose and fell with each puff, and by the time he was on his tenth exhale, Itachi's shoulders sagged. The man slid to the ground, taking Sasuke with him. Itachi dragged the boy between his extended legs, guiding the boy's arms around his neck before he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist and crossed his legs behind Sasuke's knees to keep him there.

He heard the boy huff a small chuckle at his antics, but Itachi didn't care and tightened his embrace. The boy shifted on his knees between his legs, and with relief, Itachi felt his Otouto lean into him.

"What am I going to do with you?" Sasuke said, one hand stroking Itachi's head.

"You're going to stay with me," he whispered stubbornly.

"Cheeky," Sasuke responded, but he didn't sound put off by his words.

"Say you'll stay with me or I won't let you go."

"You certainly have a way with words," Sasuke murmured, amused. "I don't recall the last time I was threatened to live rent free in a mansion by a handsome man."

Itachi dug his face into Sasuke's neck. "I'm serious," he grunted. "I'll keep you here forever."

"You know, if you were anyone else, I would have shoved you off and walked out of here by now."

"Then why don't you?"

Sasuke shrugged. "It just doesn't feel right to do that to you. Plus, I don't like seeing you sad."

"I'll be sad if you leave me."

Sasuke huffed another sound of amusement. "Why do you want me to stay so much? It's not like we won't see each other at work."

"Because you're important to me, Sasuke."

And I can't live without you.

"… Can I think about it?"

That wasn't a no. It seemed like this was the best he was going to get at this point in time.

"Okay."

Sasuke patted his head. "Good. Now can we stand up? My knees are starting to hurt."

H.J.

"Sasuke, I'm heading out for a few."

Sasuke looked up from his computer monitor and nodded. "Okay. Will you be long?"

"An hour tops."

"Do you need anything from me when you're gone?"

His boss shook his head, keys dangling from one hand. With his other, he ruffled Sasuke's spikes fondly. "Just be good, and don't talk to strangers."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Funny," he mumbled, waving the man off.

Not soon after the elevator doors closed, they chimed again. "Did you forget something, 'Tachi?" Sasuke asked as he clicked send on an email. When he looked up, it wasn't Itachi standing there, but Naruto.

"Oh. Hey. What's up?" Sasuke walked around his desk to lean against it, marveling at the confused look on the blonde's face.

"Did you just say ''Tachi'?" Naruto gawked, face paler than a ghost.

Sasuke cocked his head. "Yeah. Is something the matter?"

"Is there something the matter with you? You call Uchiha-sama by a nickname?!" Naruto shrieked, color returning to his cheeks as his eyes bugged out.

The ravenette's brows furrowed. "What's wrong with that?"

"What isn't wrong with that? In what universe does the grumpy Uchiha-sama allow anyone to call him by his given name, much less make up a nickname for him? He doesn't even like it when people address him by his family name! The last time someone did that, they were demoted one month's pay for insubordination and their office turned into a cubicle next to the bathroom!"

"I think that's just because he doesn't like people talking to him. Besides, don't you address him by his family name?"

"Ya think? Speaking to him, looking in his direction, breathing the same air as him, and god forbid someone touches him: it's safe to say he hates people. Also, the reason he doesn't do anything to me is because no one else can handle Neji-san's and his crap."

"He doesn't like people touching him?"

Sasuke was the recipient of Naruto's deadpan expression. "Have you ever seen anyone touch him?" he snipped. "In fact, have you ever seen anyone within a ten feet radius of him?"

Sasuke mulled it over before shaking his head. Not only did he never see anyone touch it, but Itachi was like Moses parting the Red Sea. Wherever he went, people stepped aside. Initially, the boy had believed it was out of respect, but it didn't seem like the case earlier this morning; the elevator had more than enough room to house the people standing behind them, but no one chose to enter.

"I guess not," he said slowly as he shook his head..

"Ya damn right. Speaking of, what was that this morning?"

"What was what?"

"How did you escape his wrath after you nudged him toward the elevator? As a matter of fact, why did he let you touch him? Usually, when anyone comes close to touching him, he freaks the fuck out and goes berserk."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "He does what?"

Naruto looked at him pointedly. "Did you think I was kidding about the 'no-looky-no-touchy' thing? Last year, a new employee accidentally brushed past him in the conference room, and instead of being the new assistant manager in sales, he became a window washer. I only heard about it after being called into Uchiha-sama's office to burn his clothes. Oh, boy was it tragic saying goodbye to an eight-thousand-dollar tailored Armani suit."

Sasuke looked mildly amused. "That kind of sounds like him," he commented with a quirk of his lips.

"Cheyeah, right?! Just before you came, he had fired someone else for 'incompetence.'" Naruto ran his fingers through his hair. "If the definition of incompetence was anything other than staring at him too long from a distance, then it was definitely a fireable offense."

Sasuke couldn't help himself. He snorted, but quickly realized it was the wrong time to do so when Naruto looked so completely befuddled and lost for words.

Oddly enough, instead of being put off by Naruto's descriptions of Itachi, the boy found it rather cute and very Itachi-like. He'd have to bring that up some time to see how the man would react.

H.J.

He didn't even need to use the spare key. The front door was left unlocked. His eyes trailed after the group of workers, who were laughing about something ridiculous as they stepped into a large truck and drove off for their lunch hour.

He took the stairs two at a time and slipped into the apartment. His feet were met with a loud rustling, courtesy of the large, blue tarp covering the entirety of the room. Easing his way through the rubble, he found his way to the kitchen and crouched low to inspect the repairs underneath the sink.

With a huff, he stood and made his way down the hall to the bathroom. A large hole was gouged out of the wall, revealing an intricate set of pipes running through the infrastructure. Parts were missing at the center of the damage. If he were to estimate it, another two weeks or so and the repairs would be completed.

With no hesitation, he walked back to the living room, picked up the drill he identified when he stepped inside and headed back to the bathroom. A few inconspicuous holes later, he set the drill back to its original location, but not before applying the same antics to the kitchen sink. Of course, his actions weren't intended to inflict harm or destroy livelihoods, though he wouldn't put it past himself to do what he needed to delay certain… happenings.

He wiped off his prints and dusted himself off before leaving. Honestly, he was tired of having to solve his problems like this on the side.

Before leaving the property, he turned the water back on.

After all, why not delay and turn two weeks into two months?

It wouldn't be the first time.

H.J.

"O…touto?" Itachi's nimble fingers rubbed against the mattress beside him in bed, but it was unbelievably cold to the touch. Not a hint of warmth at all. His hand shook. "S-Sasuke?" he called again. This time his voice hitched as his heart bounced off the walls of his chest and his throat grew parched.

The house, their house, echoed back to his words in mocking silence.

Itachi's bare feet touched the carpeted floor slowly, and his world spun as if he had entered the twilight zone. A trickle of cold sweat seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and began to slide down the side of his face.

Itachi did a slow turn around his bedroom, and when the love of his life was not in sight, perspiration began to pour down his body as if he had been suffering from the stomach flu.

He barked an incredulous laugh, denial tearing through his gut like cancer and multiplying at a rate too fast for his mind to manage. And because he couldn't comprehend and accept reality, he freaked.

Every single door in that house was sent flying, each pair of hinges rattling against its frame as he tore through the place in search of his lover, his beloved Otouto, his everything: the boy who had given him his virginity, the boy who had cried out his name so sweetly the night before, the one he had cuffed against his bed when they were in the throes of passion….

But his suitcase was gone.

Closet cleared.

The shoes at the front door vanished.

His presence had disappeared, creating the illusion that Itachi had lived in that house by himself all along.

Except, except, for the key that hung in the foyer, glimmering brightly in mockery.

It was abandoned, just like Itachi, himself, had been.

The deadbolt wasn't engaged at the front door, evidence that someone had left. As the silence of the house perforated his eardrums that morning after the best sleep of his life, Itachi's world spun out of control.

Like an addict after being hooked thoroughly on their drug of choice only for it to be removed from his reach, he went on a rampage. Glass after glass shattered in their quaint, two-story home until the carpet could only be considered a cheap rendition of a porcelain and glass fixture. Shards upon shards of it became a second floor coating, and it glistened underneath Itachi's feet as he walked over it without care for his well-being.

As a result, his blood painted the pieces he came across, but he'd been far too numb to feel the pain along his soles. He had trudged along the same carpeted path for the umpteenth time, phone pressed to his ear while muttering fretful words underneath his breath. The glass crunched and shattered further underneath the weight of his steps, but not once did it deter him from stopping.

"Pick up. Pick up. Come on, my love. Pick up. Pickup. Pickuppickuppickup. FUCK! Why won't you answer my calls?!" he screamed into the receiver, unoccupied hand pulling at the strands dangling over his face. His phone shattered against the opposite wall as fear, disguised as pure rage, robbed him of his sanity.

It was a surprise he didn't collapse from the number of emotional cycles he experienced that morning. Rage, fear, anxiety, despair, loneliness: each feeling torpedoed through him viciously on repeat, sucking away his livelihood and soul.

He snagged his phone from the ground, popped the battery back in, and smacked the shattered screen silly until it lit up in a dull, yet bright, light. Message after message was left. At long last, Sasuke's voicemail box was full and one-hundred-and-seventy-six unread text messages stared back at him, and the only thing that echoed in Itachi's ears was his own desperate pleas. He wept pitifully into the receiver from his stationed spot in front of the main entrance. He waited faithfully even though somewhere deep down, he knew it was never going to open toward him again.

He should never have unlocked those handcuffs.

How foolish of him.

H.J.

Itachi wouldn't stop staring at Sasuke the next morning at the breakfast table. He didn't even bother to hide the fact that he was staring, and as the boy shifted in his seat and chewed slowly on his buttered toast, he felt himself starting to become awkward.

"Um, is there something on my face?"

"No."

"Did I do something wrong then?" Sasuke uttered, tearing off another piece of bread.

"Of course not, Sasuke."

"Then, why are you staring at me like that?"

"I want to kiss you again. I want to kiss you for the rest of our lives."

Sasuke's eyes widened and he choked on the bite that he was in the process of swallowing, resulting in a massive coughing fit. He accepted the glass of water Itachi pushed toward him, nearly scoffing at the audacity of the man to look concerned when he might as well have gotten down on one knee and proposed to him at that very moment.

First, the odd behavior in the elevator. And now this.

Sasuke eyed the man suspiciously.

"I… uh… don't recall any gossip or rumors about you being a massive flirt at the company, 'Tachi," he said slowly with an awkward laugh.

Itachi, in the middle of reaching over to grab a napkin, froze, before he sat ramrod straight, indignant waves rolling off of his serious features without fail. "Of course not," he denied. "Never. I would never, Sasuke. I don't go around kissing anyone. You are the only exception, so don't make light of my words."

Oh shit. The man looked like he was on the brink of tears. Sasuke felt like shit now.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I just didn't expect that is all."

"Didn't expect what?"

"Well," Sasuke cleared his throat, "you kind of just implied we'd be together forever…."

Itachi cocked his head, bangs falling over his unreadable eyes. "Implied?" he repeated slowly. "Was I not clear enough?" The man began muttering to himself before he bore holes into Sasuke's eyes. "I said I wanted to kiss only you for the rest of my life. I want to spend the rest of my life being with you. I cannot fathom living in a world that doesn't have you. Is that clear enough for you?"

Sasuke swallowed hard, feeling his lower belly grow weak underneath Itachi's smoldering gaze.

"That's what a kiss means to me, Sasuke. It means that person is my everything, and I want to spend my entire life with them. It means that person is all I think about, all I see, and all I dream about. I don't give a fuck about anyone else. A kiss means I'm yours, body and soul. It means I will die for you without hesitation. It means you're precious to me. So let me ask you a question, Sasuke: if kissing you is my way of showing you the scope of my seriousness about you, what does our kiss mean to you? Or does it mean nothing at all?"

Itachi's heaving chest knocked against Sasuke's shaky, extended palms. The initial contact jolted his entire body, and he latched onto the boy's fingers with his own, entwining their hands together mid-air.

"Tell me, Sasuke," Itachi growled. "Don't tell me you kiss people and let them eat your asshole just for a night's fun."

The gods did not have mercy for Sasuke. He choked for the second time in a measly three minutes, but this time he choked on his own spit. A squeak spilled from his lips as he scrambled to tear his hands from Itachi's grip to shield his flushed features.

"'T-Tachi!"

Sasuke's face flared bright red. He didn't miss Itachi's narrowed eyes.

"Answer my question, Sasuke."

Holy fuck. Was this the intimidation that the people at the company have been whispering about for ages now? The same glare his reputation was staked on?

How was it that he felt embarrassed and intimidated, yet somewhat fluttery simultaneously?

"O-of c-course not! You're going off on a t-tangent. I don't even know how you steered our conversation into this direction," Sasuke said shakily.

A thin line grew between his Boss's lips.

"I can tell you," the man said, voice lower than normal. "You told me you want to leave me, and I told you to stay. You said you'd think about it, but it's been a day and you haven't given me an answer yet."

Sasuke stared, flabbergasted. "Exactly! It's only been a day!"

Itachi seemed to not hear him as he went on. "You told me I'm not your lover or family or anything. You don't seem to think our kiss meant anything, and that makes me feel shitty, Sasuke. It makes me feel like I'm just trash to you, trash you can discard after you've had your fill."

Sasuke's eyes were blown wide open as Itachi's words reached his ears. How the hell did he derive such a conclusion from only a few of his words?

Did a kiss amount to them being lovers? Was that what Itachi was expecting? Sasuke had been too flustered to even consider what it meant, but at the pace the man was moving, they'd be married by lunch time. Seriously, he could hardly keep up.

"Why are you flinching? You told me that, if something is bothering me, to talk to you about it instead of yelling. I'm not yelling, so why are you flinching?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to rebut, but he stopped short when his brain processed the man's words. When he did, his brows furrowed in confusion. "What? I've never said anything like that to you. Are you confusing me with someone else?"

Itachi paused, chewed on the bottom of his lip as if he was forcing himself to keep his mouth shut, and finally released Sasuke's hands. "Forget it," he muttered.

Itachi's suddenly deflated demeanor, as if he had the life and all emotions sucked out of him in three seconds flat, slapped Sasuke in the face, causing his chest to grow heavy.

"Wait!" Sasuke yelled as the man stood to leave. When Itachi didn't heed his request, Sasuke latched onto the sleeve of his dress shirt, effectively halting him. Despite how incredibly easy it would have been for his Boss to detach his grip and walk away, he didn't, and Sasuke realized how relieved he was that he didn't. "Did… something happen?" he asked carefully. "Are you feeling okay? Did you have a bad dream last night?"

Itachi's downward tilted eyes were shielded by his bangs, leaving the grim expression hanging from his lips in plain view.

Pain sliced through Sasuke's chest. The raw power of it startled Sasuke, and all he wanted to do was erase that look off of Itachi's face.

"'Achi? You know you can tell me, right? No matter what it is, I'll listen. I'm here for you."

As soon as those words reached his ears, Itachi began sobbing. His body shook and his eyes blurred as misery painted each one of his tears that dribbled down his chin. He stumbled forward and latched onto Sasuke in utter despair, giving off the impression of a lost baby duckling. Sasuke had seen the man cry during a few, rare occasions, but never to such a debilitating degree.

"I-I just c-can't l-live without y-you. I… I'm s-so t-terrified y-you're going to a-abandon me. P-please d-don't lea-leave me a-alone a-again."

Why was this sweet, gentle giant so attached to him?

Those words held so much pain, distress, and anguish. An abundance of loneliness latched onto Itachi like a blood-sucking leech, bleeding him dry of anything loving and safe.

Sasuke's cheeks suddenly felt strange, and when he reached up to swipe at them, his own tears coated his fingertips. Inconspicuously, he wiped them off on his pants and dragged the man closer in the tightest hug he'd ever given him, given anyone.

Why did this man's emotions resonate with him so much? Why could he not stand to see Itachi in so much pain? Why, for the love of the gods, did he get a strong sense of deja vu just now?

"It's okay, 'Achi. It's okay," Sasuke found himself whispering as if it was ingrained inside of his brain down to every nerve ending and firing synapses. "I'm not going anywhere. I won't abandon you. Everything is going to be okay, so don't cry."

Despite not thinking through the words coming out of his mouth, Sasuke wasn't surprised that he meant every word.