Chapter 2: A Call From the Past

It was about two hours later when Itachi returned back home. By then Kyuubi had freshened up and was curled up on the bed with a bowl of popcorn and Netflix on the large screen TV. The tension between them was still high. It only escalated when the couple got into another argument over Kyuubi eating on the bed. Itachi hated when crumbs got on the bed, and Kyuubi insisted he was a careful eater. To keep himself from not saying something he'll later regret, Itachi decided on a long shower. Afterwards, he dressed in silence then left the room to lounge downstairs with his housekeepers, three young women who took great care of him, and in turn, Itachi adored them greatly and was thankful for their companionship. Lounging with them during the evening when they had finished their chores was a normal thing between them. Whenever he and Kyuubi fought or had a disagreement, Itachi preferred to remove himself from the situation before things got out of hand. Usually Kyuubi would go after him, but slowly he was starting to understand distance was the best thing for Itachi when things got really heated.

Some time went by until Itachi finally decided to go back upstairs. Kyuubi had finished eating and had cleaned the bed. There wasn't much to clean but one or two crumbs. On the TV was one of Kyuubi's favorite romcoms. He kept his attention on the movie and pretended as if Itachi wasn't in the room.

"Don't you get tired of watching the same movie?" Itachi has seen Kyuubi watch this movie more times than he could count on his fingers.

Kyuubi turned and glanced at him. "You can go back downstairs."

"This is my room," Itachi said. "How about you fucking leave?"

"Gladly."

Itachi reached over and grabbed Kyuubi's arm before he could slide off the bed. "Lose the attitude, will you? I'm too tired for another fight."

Kyuubi shrugged Itachi's arm off, leaning back against the pillows. "Stop messing with me, Itachi."

"I'm not, baby."

Kyuubi could practically hear the amusement in his voice. "Where did you go?" he asked suddenly.

Itachi slid his Rolex off his wrist. "Went for a drive."

"A drive where?"

Itachi gave Kyuubi a look, the kind that warned him to quit while he was ahead. He placed the expensive watch back in its case before he rounded the bed to where Kyuubi sat. "I needed to clear my head."

"Where?" Kyuubi moved his head away from Itachi's touch, saw him grinning as he walked around to his side of the bed.

Itachi groaned, stretching out his arms. Kyuubi sat just a few inches away from him, his green eyes back on the movie. Itachi observed him for a while, silently admiring Kyuubi's soft features, a unique blend of masculinity and femininity. "Why are you sitting so far?" Itachi patted the space beside him. "Come here."

Kyuubi gave him a short glance, saw the playful smirk on Itachi's face. "Tell me where you went first."

Itachi buried his face in the pillow, groaning. "I just wanna cuddle, baby. Come here."

"Why won't you answer me?"

Itachi let out a loud frustrated sigh. "Kyuubi..."

His cellphone suddenly rang and he reached over the nightstand and picked it up. It was a short call with his childhood friend, Hidan. Hidan was throwing one of his wild parties and though Itachi was tired, it just wasn't in him to miss out on the craziness that was Hidan's parties.

Itachi hopped off the bed, walked over to his closet, and Kyuubi raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Let's just say my night's about to get a whole lot more interesting."

"What does that mean?"

"Hidan's hosting a party. Nothing crazy, just a few friends hanging out."

Kyuubi sat up, now fully intrigued. "Sounds like fun."

Itachi examined the black shirt in his hand. "Yeah, we'll see."

Kyuubi threw the warm comforter off his body. "I'll come with you."

"Sorry." Itachi chuckled. "But you're not invited."

"Well, who's gonna be there?"

Itachi dropped his arms, turned and gave Kyuubi a hard look. "I just told you. A few friends."

"Why can't I come?"

"If you seriously think I'm going to be the guy who shows up with his boyfriend everywhere because of some bullshit trust issues, you got another thing coming."

"Bullshit trust issues," Kyuubi repeated. "Is that what we're calling it now?"

"What do you want from me, Kyuubi?"

"For you to be honest!" Kyuubi yelled, quickly getting off the bed. "For once in your goddamn life."

"Then fucking leave." Itachi smacked away the pillow thrown at him, and not long after Kyuubi left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Kyuubi went inside one of the bathrooms on the floor. Alone, he broke down. He hated crying. It made him feel weak, less of a man. But every time they fought over Itachi's infidelities, it brought back all the hurt and pain he thought he had put away for good. Everyone congratulated him on snatching one of the most eligible bachelors in the city. His parents were happy for him. His friends teased him on being able to snag a rich man. But it wasn't roses and peaches like they all thought. Their relationship these past few weeks seemed to be more toxic than healthy, heading down a destructive path.

Kyuubi returned back to the bedroom some time later. Itachi was almost done dressing. He looked dashing in a black button up shirt and matching slacks. His gold Rolex shun on his wrist. He was in the process of fixing his long hair into a ponytail when Kyuubi came to him.

"You look nice," Kyuubi said, offering his help and fixing Itachi's hair to properly frame his face.

"Thank you." Itachi said when Kyuubi's done.

Itachi stepped around him, barely looking at him and Kyuubi frowned, grabbing Itachi's arm. "Don't walk away from me."

"Then stop acting like a fucking idiot and getting overly emotional!" Itachi spat, his eyes glaring.

"Do not talk to me like that!"

Itachi bit the inside of his cheek, his chest heaved as he took in deep breaths to calm down. "You're becoming way too sensitive," he said through his teeth.

"And you don't respect me," Kyuubi said, his voice carrying the same held back aggression. "I have feelings. You don't want me to cry, then maybe start treating me better."

"What did I say to make you cry?" Itachi asked him.

"It's not what you say, Itachi. It's how you say it."

Itachi chuckled, shaking his head dismissively. "Sometimes I feel like I'm dating a fucking girl."

Kyuubi was dumbfounded. "What makes you think it's okay for you to say that to me?"

Itachi spun around and took a threatening step forward. "We had a fucking small disagreement and you're making it out into something more than it needs to be. Playing fucking victim. Again!"

"Cheating on your partner over and over again is not a small disagreement!"

"Don't throw my mistakes in my face, Kyuubi!"

"Now who's playing the victim?"

"You know what, if you can't leave the past in the past, why are you still here?"

Kyuubi glanced down, suddenly ashamed. "Because I chose to forgive you."

"I'm tired of this conversation," Itachi said bitterly. "I'm tired of being sorry."

Kyuubi walked over and grabbed Itachi's hands and just as fast felt them slip from his fingers. He looked in Itachi's eyes and saw nothing but resentment behind them. Kyuubi felt himself shudder, seeing the same eyes that looked at him with so much love transform into something now dangerous, terrifying.

"I'm sorry," Kyuubi said, and Itachi stared at him, not saying anything. "I don't mean to bring up the past and I know I'm letting my insecurities get the best of me. I do want to trust you, Itachi, I do. But you need to give me time and you need to understand why I can't right now." Kyuubi sighed. "You're right, I can't follow you everywhere you go. You'll earn back my trust, until then I won't give up on us." The fire in Itachi's eyes had simmered. Kyuubi leaned forward and kissed him. "I love you." Itachi pulled him closer and Kyuubi felt himself melt in his arms.

Itachi finished getting ready, while Kyuubi went back to his previous position on the bed. When Itachi's done, he grabbed his car keys from the top of the dresser, ready to head out the door.

"Have fun," Kyuubi told him.

"Don't wait up for me."

Kyuubi glanced down on the bed and his eyes caught view of Itachi's phone left behind on the sheets. "Tachi!"

Itachi was by the door a second later. "What?"

Kyuubi found the words unable to leave his mouth. Discreetly, he covered the phone with his leg. "I love you."

Itachi left without a word. When Kyuubi figured Itachi was far enough away, he grabbed the forgotten phone. The screen lit on and the selfie of him and Itachi warmed his heart. He still remembered how difficulty it had been to get Itachi to take the picture. Itachi was twenty-three, yet his views on certain things seemed way past his years. He didn't like social media, said it was too distracting. Selfies were unnecessary. Pictures on special occasions and events were more sentimental.

Kyuubi felt the pit of his stomach twist and turn as he looked down at the phone. He rarely ever got a hold of Itachi's phone, not because Itachi was secretive, but because he never had the interest to do so. He had never stooped to that level of distrust. But Kyuubi could tell Itachi wasn't being completely honest with him about where he was going tonight. Itachi was hiding something, and memories from the past has Kyuubi acting out of character. Like now, as he was desperately trying to figure out Itachi's six-digit passcode. He tried every combination he could think of. Birthdays, anniversaries, simple number patterns, but nothing worked. Then he remembered there was one birthday he hadn't tried, Itachi's late mother's birthday, and the phone unlocked.

Kyuubi suddenly felt sick, but it was too late to turn back now. He investigated every app on the phone. There wasn't much. Kyuubi didn't know what to expect but what he ended up seeing didn't really shock him. Itachi's messages were full of mainly business related conversations, emails were all professional, and his contacts were strictly business partners and a few names he recognized as Itachi's friends. He didn't even use emojis in his text, no memes, nothing. Kyuubi threw the phone down, defeated and frustrated.

He laughed, shaking his head. "What am I doing?"

Suddenly something crossed his mind. Itachi mentioned he was going to a party with his close friends. Picking up the phone, Kyuubi called Deidara. He's familiar with the man, one of the only friends of Itachi's he knew personally.

After a few rings, the man answered.

"Itachi," Deidara said in that smooth baritone voice, and Kyuubi could hear the amusement trailing in his voice. "This is strange. You never call me." Deidara said, and now Kyuubi understood why.

"Hi, Dei, it's Kyuubi."

"Kyuubi." Deidara's even more confused, then suddenly concerned. "What's wrong? Is Itachi okay?"

"No, no. He's fine," Kyuubi assured him. "Um… Itachi forgot his phone at home."

"Where is he?"

Kyuubi felt the tension in his jaw as he gritted his teeth. "I was hoping you would know."

There was a moment of silence on the line. "Did he not tell you where he was going?" Deidara asked.

"He said he was going to a party, and that you and some friends would be there."

"Party." Kyuubi heard the hesitation in Deidara's voice, the pause as if he was thinking on what he should say next. "Oh, Hidan's party."

"Hidan?" Kyuubi asked, doing his best to keep his voice steady.

"Yes, he's a close friend of ours. This is kinda like his thing. " Kyuubi could hear the sincerity behind his words and he breathed out a sigh of relief. "He's hosting a party tonight. In my honor actually."

Kyuubi chuckled. "You don't sound very enthusiastic about it."

"No, I guess not. It's my birthday today and I had asked him not to do anything. But Hidan does what he wants."

"Reminds me of someone else I know," Kyuubi said, and Deidara laughed. "Oh yeah, right, your birthday is only a few days before mine. I completely forgot, and Itachi didn't say anything either so it totally slipped my mind."

"No, it's alright." Deidara said, and there's another long pause on the line. "Did you need something, Kyuubi?"

Kyuubi sat up and ran a hand through his hair. "I shouldn't ask you this but, can you keep an eye on him for me? Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble."

"Is he in some kind of trouble?"

"No, no." Kyuubi sighed, laughing. "I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing right now."

"He's put you through a lot," Deidara said. "But try to have a little faith in him. I can see that he's really trying. I'll keep an eye on him."

Kyuubi nodded even though he's aware Deidara can't see him. He desperately needed those words of assurance. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Some shuffling can be heard on the line. "By the way, if you don't mind me asking, where are you?"

"I'm spending spring break with Itachi. I've been staying at his place for about a week now."

"Oh, okay. Listen, I gotta go. He's safe with me. You got nothing to worry about."

Kyuubi hung up the phone. He exhaled, felt the nervousness only get worse. If Itachi ever found out about what he just did, he's done for. He suddenly regretted ever touching the phone to make the call. The knock on the door made him jump, his eyes wide with panic. He grabbed his chest, trying to calm his racing heart. He answered and the door swung open, and Hinata stepped inside.

"Kyuubi, dinner's ready."

"Okay, I'll be down in a sec," he said, his mouth in a tight-lipped smile. "Thanks."

Hinata noticed his strange behavior. "You alright, Kyuubi?"

"Just fine."

When Hinata left, he moved off the bed and switched his robe for one of Itachi's oversized T-shirts. He was about to leave the room when Itachi's cellphone rang. He figured it was Deidara calling back about something. Kyuubi reached over the bed and grabbed the phone. He stared strangely at the unknown caller. Curiosity got the best of him as his finger swiped over the screen and he pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

—

Itachi returned home a couple hours past midnight, hours since he had left. He opened the door of his bedroom, surprised to find Kyuubi still awake watching a movie.

"You're back," Kyuubi said, smiling. He tilted his head up to meet Itachi's lips in a kiss.

"What are you doing still up?" Itachi muttered, sounding annoyed and tired at the same time. "You hate staying up late."

"I was waiting up for you."

"Thought I told you not to."

"I wanted to make sure you were home safe."

"How very sweet of you," Itachi mumbled, stripping out of his clothes. "Turn up the air. It's fucking warm in here."

Kyuubi frowned. "What's wrong? You sound upset."

"Well, for start, I left my phone at home. And then at the party, Deidara had his eyes on me the whole night like a fucking hawk, wouldn't leave me alone. Followed me everywhere like a goddamn lost puppy."

Kyuubi swallowed the lump in his throat. "Maybe he just likes your company."

"No," Itachi scoffed, laughing. "We can't stand each other."

Kyuubi chuckled. "It's his birthday, Itachi. Cut him some slack."

Itachi turned and looked at Kyuubi, his eyes wide with suspicion.

Kyuubi scooted back on the bed nervously. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"How did you know it was his birthday?" Itachi asked, sending a chill down Kyuubi's spine.

Kyuubi's face went pale as a ghost. He began to tremble, unable to turn his eyes from Itachi's withering glare.

"Did you go through my phone?" Itachi asked. "Did you call him to keep an eye on me?"

"What?" Kyuubi said, laughing nervously. "No, of course not."

Itachi clenched his fists. "You did. Didn't you?"

"Itachi, no, I wouldn't do that."

"Then how the fuck did you know it was his birthday?!" Itachi yelled and Kyuubi jumped, frightened like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"I don't know. Maybe you mentioned it before, Itachi. I don't know."

"You called me when I was about to leave," Itachi said, his finger pointing accusingly at Kyuubi as he stalked towards the bed. "You knew I left my phone but chose not to tell me. Did you call him?!"

"Itachi, please, you're scaring me," Kyuubi whispered, his heart felt like it was trying to beat its way out his chest.

"Don't fucking lie to me!"

"Okay!" Kyuubi yelled, terrified. "I called him."

Itachi stepped back, completely at a loss for words. "Are you out of your mind?"

Kyuubi could see the betrayal reflecting in Itachi's eyes. "Itachi, I'm so sorry. I panicked."

Itachi walked over to his dresser and searched through the drawers for a shirt to wear. He found one and shrugged it on. Kyuubi ran over and caught him by the arm before he could step out the door.

"Itachi, I'm sorry. Please, let me explain."

"Sooner or later Kyuubi, you won't have to worry about me cheating on you because there won't be a fucking relationship for you to worry about."

Kyuubi wanted to get on his knees and beg. "Don't walk away from me. Please."

"Let go of my arm, Kyuubi." But Kyuubi held on, his grip tight around Itachi's arm. "Fucking let go of me Kyuubi, or I'll fucking hurt you." When Kyuubi loosened his grip, Itachi shoved him out of his way.

Kyuubi quickly regained his balance and ran in front of the door. He was desperate, frantic. Most of the time Itachi was the one begging for forgiveness, but the tables had turned. Kyuubi was now the asshole hurting the man he loved. He's spiraling, afraid, unsure on what to do. He didn't have the strength to force Itachi into submission, to listen, not like Itachi could do and often did with him.

Kyuubi stretched out his arms, blocking the doorway with his whole body. "Please, Itachi, please listen to me."

Itachi was standing in front of him, his height and muscles were intimidating, they were in completely different weight classes.

"Get out of my way, Kyuubi," Itachi said, his last warning, and Kyuubi hung his head in defeat and stepped aside. Itachi slipped past him, and Kyuubi watched him, still desperate, and before he could stop himself, he blurted out the only thing he knew would get Itachi to stop.

"Sasuke called."

Itachi froze. He turned and looked back at Kyuubi. "What did you just say?"

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Chapter 3 edited and posted soon.