Chapter 4: Birthday Surprise

Early the next morning Itachi walked around the downstairs of his home shirtless in a pair of grey sweatpants. His long hair draped over his shoulders like a curtain of black silk. He paced back and forth with his phone tightly held to his ear. The cracks on the screen felt uncomfortable against his skin and he's once again frustrated when he's directed to his brother's voicemail.

"Kagami, it's me again," he said after a long sigh. "When will you be back in town? Call me."

That was probably his twentieth recorded voicemail, all repeating the same thing. He was that desperate. He needed to know why his older brother, someone he held in such high regards, would betray him. He needed to hear the explanation from Kagami's own mouth. If Kagami was truthfully considering forgiving Sasuke for what he had done, then — the thought of it alone has him sick to his stomach.

Itachi turned speedily on his heels and ran straight into a tired Sakura. He caught her arm before she could fall. "Sorry."

"No, I should've looked where I was going," Sakura said, then smiling continued. "You're up earlier than usual?"

"It's Kyuubi's birthday. I wanted to make him breakfast."

"Oh yes it is," Sakura said, remembering the date from last year when Kyuubi had spent the night. "That's very sweet of you, Itachi. But, um, I don't think I've ever seen you cook before."

"No. That's your job."

"What did you have in mind to make him?"

Itachi reflected on the question for a moment. "I don't know. Any suggestions?"

"If you'd like, I can prepare something special for him. I don't mind."

Itachi wasn't smiling anymore as he trailed his eyes slowly over Sakura's body. "Really? You wouldn't mind."

"Of course not."

"Are you sure?"

Sakura was suddenly nervous. There's something in Itachi's tone she doesn't like. "Yes, I'm sure." Itachi took a step towards her and she stepped back, for the first time uncomfortable by Itachi's closeness. Itachi took another step forward and Sakura moved her leg to step back, startled when her foot hit the wall. She gulped nervously. "Did I do something wrong?"

She has never been afraid of her boss until now.

Itachi's hand flew past Sakura's face and she shut her eyes. Itachi's hand slammed against the wall just beside her head and she gasped, trembling when Itachi's finger moved under her chin to raise her head, and Sakura opened her eyes to meet his calm gaze.

"I heard you weren't very kind to Kyuubi last night. Is that true?"

"No, I mean, yes, but it wasn't just me. It was Ino, too."

Itachi almost laughed at how pitiful she sounded. "So you and Ino were very rude to Kyuubi last night. Did I get that right?"

"Yes sir," she admitted meekly. "I may have said some things I shouldn't have. But we were all worried about you and I assumed—"

"You assumed what, Sakura?" Itachi said, cutting her off.

"That maybe it was his fault."

"And why would you assume that?"

"I don't know."

Itachi nodded his head. "That's right, you don't know. Because my relationship is not you or Ino's fucking business. Now when you disrespect Kyuubi, you disrespect me. Would you ever disrespect me, Sakura?"

"No, Itachi."

"No, you wouldn't. So let this be your first and final warning. You will show Kyuubi the same amount of respect you show me. And if I hear you even so much as looked at him the wrong way, it won't be just your job that'll be in jeopardy. No, I promise you it will be much worse than that. Do you understand me?"

Sakura appeared pale as if she had seen a ghost. And in that moment she might as well had, because she had never been so terrified in her life.

"Sakura, I asked you a question."

"Yes, Itachi. I understand." Itachi moved aside, allowing Sakura freedom to leave and she bowed her head before she quietly slid away.

Itachi returned his attention to his plans for the morning. Walking inside the kitchen, he's already rethinking his choice of a romantic gesture. He's suddenly regretful not accepting Sakura's offer of assistance. He walked from cabinet to cabinet until he finally found a bowl. Just by the corner of the room stood a large pantry. Inside, Itachi glanced around, overwhelmed by the large inventory. He has no clue where to start. The gourmet style breakfast he had envisioned began to seem more and more less likely the longer he stood there with his eyes wandering, like a lost child in a marketplace.

"What the fuck have I gotten myself into?"

—

Kyuubi woke up later than usual that morning. He peered at the clock and saw it was almost noon. He moved to sit up and winced at the dull pain. He felt the aches throughout his entire body and he moaned in discomfort. He reached up and rubbed his neck. It felt as if fire had been set ablaze down his throat and as he brought his hands down over his lap, his eyes examined the red marks on his wrists, the faint outline of Itachi's handprint.

"Happy birthday to me," he mumbled hoarsely. He turned to the nightstand at the sound of his vibrating phone and he reached over, pulling it free of its charger. He smiled seeing the picture of his younger brother, Naruto. "What do you want?" he answered, his voice like rough sand paper on a piece of wood.

"Good morning to you too," Naruto said querulously. "You sound like crap."

"I just woke up."

"Yeah, from what? A fucking coma?"

"Shut up. I'm tired."

"Tired? You're supposed to be on vacation. What the hell have you been doing?"

"Um…" Kyuubi drawled, a bashful grin on his face. "Stuff."

"You know what? I don't even wanna know."

Kyuubi could picture the disgust forming on his face.

"So what's the plan for today?" Naruto asked. "Special day and all."

"What's so special about it?" Kyuubi grumbled. "I'm a year closer to my grave."

"Oh yeah, twenty-one. I can see the grey hairs now. Want me to ask grandma if you can use her walker from time to time?"

Kyuubi rubbed his temples, laughing. "Very funny."

"How's Itachi?"

Kyuubi looked down at the empty space beside him and frowned. "Just fine. Mom and dad around?"

"No. I'm not home right now," Naruto said, and Kyuubi heard the loud busy noise of the mall as Naruto put him on speaker. "Got any plans for the day?"

"Not really."

"What the fuck happened to your voice?"

Kyuubi cleared his throat. "Been screaming. A lot."

"All right, I don't need to hear the details. Listen, I gotta go. Love you, bro. Happy birthday."

Kyuubi smiled. "Thanks, man."

He hung up the phone. Just as he did, the door swung open. Itachi strolled in, naked, in just a pair of boxers and an apron wrapped around his waist. Kyuubi saw the tray of food and was suddenly more nervous than mortified at the sight of his boyfriend.

"You don't really want me to sing you happy birthday, do you?" Itachi asked, smirking.

"Not really."

Itachi started to sing and Kyuubi quickly hid away, burying himself underneath the white sheets. He began to laugh. It was rare for Itachi to show off this goofy side of himself and at times Kyuubi almost forgot that side of him existed. It had been these silly moments between them that had made Kyuubi fall in love with Itachi in the first place. It shouldn't have been a big deal, and yet Kyuubi couldn't stop blushing. The butterflies swarmed around in his stomach and his face felt warm.

Kyuubi felt the weight of Itachi's body on the bed, his closeness, then the bright light as the sheets were pulled from his head. He hid his face behind his hands.

Itachi chuckled. "Why are you hiding?"

Kyuubi shook his head but allowed Itachi to pull his hands down. He didn't have to look in the mirror to know he had a stupid grin on his face.

"Why are you acting so shy?"

"I'm not," Kyuubi said, for a moment lost in Itachi's longing gaze. "I'm happy."

"Two birthdays together," Itachi said softly.

"Many more to share."

Itachi leaned down and kissed Kyuubi's soft lips. "I made you breakfast."

Kyuubi gave him a look of skepticism. "You did?"

Itachi grabbed the tray of food and placed it down delicately over Kyuubi's lap. "Don't laugh at me. I tried my best. It looks good, doesn't it?"

Kyuubi looked over the platter of pancakes, eggs, and what looked like it should've been bacon, but looked more like two strips of charred leather. Though it didn't look like a five star meal, it did look somewhat appealing. He could tell Itachi really tried and he can't help but smile at the sweet gesture.

"You didn't have to do this. Thank you." He was hopeful as he picked up the golden utensils, cut out a piece of the pancakes glazed over with syrup and brought it past his lips. He chewed slowly and as soon as the taste hit him, he nearly choked from how fast he coughed it out of his mouth. "Did you taste this?"

"No," Itachi said, laughing. "I was too scared."

"It's salty."

"I must've mixed up the salt with the sugar."

"I'm not eating this."

Kyuubi set the tray down on the bedside table. Itachi reached over and took up the bowl of fruits. "Here, eat the fruits."

Kyuubi nibbled on some of the strawberries, a sense of calmness falling over him as he looked at Itachi, that silly apron tied around his waist. "Hey," he called out softly and Itachi turned around and looked at him. "You know we managed to go a whole day without fighting?"

"That's because we were busy doing other things."

"Still an impressive milestone if you ask me. How long do you think it'll last?"

Itachi forced a smile. "Are we that much of a lost cause that you have to ask?"

Kyuubi silently plopped a strawberry in his mouth, his expression suddenly solemn. He has been staying at Itachi's place for the past five days and the only good day they've managed to have without a single argument was spent with them mostly sleeping, or Kyuubi lying underneath Itachi, making up for the events of the previous nights. Remembering, Kyuubi quickly hid his bruises underneath the sheets. He looked up and flinched when he found Itachi's eyes watching him, a strange look in his brown eyes.

"How do you feel?" Itachi asked him, and Kyuubi glanced down.

He had expected that question sooner or later.

It was no point trying to hide the evidence now. He imagined Itachi had already seen the bruises, could hear the soreness in his throat carried through his voice. As best as he often tried to hide away the discomfort, Itachi always saw right through him. Itachi had always been rough, especially more than usual when he was in a terrible mood. Kyuubi thought they had moved past the previous night only to find out everything wasn't sunshine and roses just yet. Itachi was hurt. He wanted to get even. Their arguments were only ever settled once Itachi got even.

Kyuubi swung his feet off the bed and stood up. His entire body was hurting, but he wouldn't show it. "I'm fine."

"I'll get you an aspirin. I'll have Sakura bring you some tea for your throat."

Kyuubi nodded.

"Start getting ready," Itachi said, one foot out of the door. "We're heading out soon."

"Where are we going?"

"To get you some real food. Run a few errands."

"What kind of errands?"

"You'll find out when we get there."

Before Kyuubi could say anything else, Itachi was out the door.

—

The two years Kyuubi has been with Itachi, he's picked up over the years certain things he did that Itachi didn't like. He learned to chew a little quieter, wear looser fitted clothes, when to stop talking from just a look. It became easier to pick up on these things and if it was reasonable, he tried his best to appease his boyfriend. Eventually. His mother said it the best when she would playfully call him a stubborn bull. He wasn't a person who liked being told what he could and could not do.

But some things were reasonable. It wasn't until it went from little things, here and there, to Itachi all together wanting to change him as a person, did Kyuubi resort to rolling his eyes at Itachi's demands. Suddenly, he couldn't stare at a waiter for too long. He couldn't smile at another man without it turning into accusations.

Today was no different. Itachi had surprised him with a romantic rooftop reservation for lunch at one of the most luxurious restaurants in the city. The scenery was breathtaking. Kyuubi couldn't stop smiling. He was the most cheerful he's been in a long time, and on days where he felt like this, he couldn't stop talking to anyone that would indulge him. Their waiter was a young man a little over Kyuubi's age. The more questions Kyuubi asked about the dishes on the menu, the more overwhelmed and amused the waiter grew of Kyuubi's passion for the culinary arts. He was patient and answered all of Kyuubi's questions to the best of his knowledge. But Kyuubi was relentless, and at some point the waiter found himself blushing from Kyuubi's rather intense eye contact, his green eyes were like pools of gravity, pulling him in until it felt like it was just the two of them in the room.

Kyuubi hadn't realized the warning signs until it was too late. Until Itachi's strong grip on his arm pulled him to his feet and yanked him out of the restaurant. A peaceful date was suddenly a disaster as they shouted back and forth at each other.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Kyuubi was struggling to keep up with Itachi's fast pace. "Do you have any fucking idea how embarrassing that was?"

"What's wrong with me?!" Itachi spun around, his features twisted with anger. "You were flirting with that guy right in front of me, you fucking whore!"

"We were talking about shishito peppers!"

"I'm not fucking stupid, Kyuubi!"

"Well, you're sure as hell acting like it right now."

"Shut the fuck up." Itachi waved him off like he was some pesky fly. "Fucking slut."

Kyuubi looked around despairingly. They were right outside the prestige restaurant causing a commotion. He saw the stares around them, heard the silent whispers, and he wished he could just sink through the pavement beneath his feet. Just then, the valet arrived with their car and Itachi walked around to the driver's seat.

"Get inside," Itachi ordered, and Kyuubi had no choice but to follow. As soon as he shut the door, Itachi sped off down the street, the roar of the engine loud in the air.

Kyuubi stayed silent for a while before calmly addressing Itachi. "Don't ever talk to me like that in public again."

"Or what?" Itachi was seething as he kept a tight grip on the steering wheel. "Exactly. Shut up."

"Believe me, the last thing I wanna do is talk to you." Kyuubi scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You have some nerve."

"I have some nerve?"

"Yes! You of all people accusing me of being disloyal." Kyuubi laughed even though he found nothing about the situation amusing. "I had questions about the food. I'm a culinary student, I'm allowed to have interest in these things. Where in all of that did I give off the impression I wanted to fuck him?"

Itachi glanced at him. "I saw the way you were looking at him. Smiling and laughing. What the fuck was so funny?"

"It's my birthday, and he was being friendly," Kyuubi said, vehemently defending himself. "It's too damn bad I can't say the same for my own boyfriend."

"I took you out to eat, to spend time with you. I didn't spend all that fucking money for you to have a private culinary lesson."

"Yeah, well, I wish you hadn't taken me out at all," Kyuubi mumbled, yet loud enough for Itachi to hear him, and he did. Kyuubi listened to the strew of insults whispered beneath Itachi's breath and he ignored them, silently wiping away the single tear that fell down his cheek.

For the rest of the ride, he stared out the window and did not say a word. Suddenly, the scenery grew unfamiliar. He thought they were going back to the house and he's annoyed when Itachi instead parked outside a large high-end retail store.

"What are you doing? Take me home," Kyuubi said in a tone that left no room for debating.

Regardless, Itachi opened the door and stepped out. "Get out."

"Fuck you."

Itachi slammed the door shut and walked around to the passenger's side. He pulled the door open and leaned against it. He softened his tone. "Look, we've both said some things to each other we wish we can take back. I'll be the first to apologize. I'm sorry."

"Go fuck yourself." Kyuubi scowled, not budging from his spot. "I said take me home."

Itachi sighed and folded his arms over his chest. He looked at his boyfriend with sincerity. "I don't wanna fight with you, baby. I said I'm sorry."

"And I said, go fuck yourself." Kyuubi averted his eyes to the dashboard, still not budging.

"I lost my temper. Maybe I was jealous," Itachi said, twisting back and forth uncomfortably. "You wanted me to express my feelings with you, well I'm doing it now. I have this big surprise planned out for you, Kyu. Can you please get out the car?"

Kyuubi grabbed his phone and began scrolling through it, fully disregarding the man beside him as if he wasn't even there. Just as fast as a flash of lightning, the phone was snatched out of his hand. Kyuubi sighed and leaned back in his seat. Itachi grew more and more frustrated. He leaned inside the car until his face was just mere inches from Kyuubi's. He kept his hand above him on the roof of the car, and as they locked eyes, Itachi saw the anger set ablaze in Kyuubi's green eyes.

"Get out of the car, or I'll fucking drag you out." Kyuubi dared him with his eyes and Itachi grinned. "You know I will."

Kyuubi pulled off his seatbelt and hopped out of the car. "I fucking hate you."

Itachi had become numb to those words. He had heard it more than enough times to still feel the sting of them. He followed behind Kyuubi inside the large luxury store. At the front, a man approached them. He bowed his head and introduced himself as one of the assistant managers. He stretched out his hand to Kyuubi as a greeting and was taken aback when he was coldly ignored.

"Excuse him. He just received some unpleasant news," Itachi offered as an excuse.

The man, Hatake, who's an old friend of the Uchiha family looked at Itachi curiously. Itachi gave him a silent gesture and Hatake immediately understood it, deciding not to probe in a matter that didn't concern him. He was here for one job only. He smiled, poise as he led Kyuubi down to a secluded area of the store.

It was a dressing room, vibrant with bright lights, a wall of mirrors surrounding them. Kyuubi's presented with several options of fine suits, followed by a tray lined with jewelry that shun when the light touched it. Hatake chose the suit he believed would compliment Kyuubi the most. It was a cream, tan, colored tuxedo pants and jacket with a white casual button-up tucked underneath, and as Hatake explained the material and tailoring, Kyuubi envied his excitement, the wide smile on his face. But Kyuubi couldn't bring himself to listen to anything the man was saying. His mind was elsewhere. His emotions were still high. He'd rather not be here at all engaging in whatever Itachi had planned. He accepted the suit and quickly got dressed. Hatake brought him the tray of accessories and Kyuubi went along with the gold watch and diamond stud earrings that Hatake deemed best.

"Can I cut my hair?" Kyuubi suddenly asked, and Hatake turned and looked at him oddly.

"You want to cut your hair?"

"Yes."

Hatake thought for a moment before he reached in his pocket for his cellphone. "I have a friend who might be able to assist you. I can give him a call if you don't mind waiting."

Kyuubi shook his head. "I don't mind."

Itachi looked elegant in a fitted black suit with a black satin button-up, a few buttons left open at the top to give off a more casual appearance. He glanced down at his watch. He had been waiting at the front of the store for about half an hour when Kyuubi finally came out. Itachi looked at him, in awe by Kyuubi's new appearance, red hair that once reached Kyuubi's shoulders was now cut short and slicked back, enhancing his jaw line. Itachi liked what he saw, but concealed his emotions behind a blank stare.

"You look nice." Kyuubi didn't raise his eyes to meet his gaze and Itachi frowned.

Kyuubi offered his sincerest gratitude one last time to Hatake before he walked past Itachi wordlessly. He was just outside the doors when Itachi caught his arm and spun him around.

"How long are you going to keep this up?" Kyuubi raised his arm and Itachi caught his hand mid-air before it could strike his face. "Don't be stupid," Itachi warned him, still holding onto Kyuubi's hand.

"Get your fucking hands off me!" Kyuubi pulled his hand free, his gaze as fierce as a lion. "You don't get to disrespect me and act like everything is okay. Not anymore."

Itachi said nothing as they walked back to the car. The drive was painfully quiet and they drove for about an hour until they arrived at another place unfamiliar to Kyuubi. Outside the car stood a large event center. Itachi exited first and walked around to open Kyuubi's door. He offered his hand as an escort and was rejected coldly as Kyuubi stepped out and silently walked away. Itachi met him by the entrance where they were greeted by the staff and escorted inside.

The inside was grand and opulent. A massive space with tall ceilings and lavish decor, and though dressed for the occasion, Kyuubi felt very out of place. It appeared the center was hosting several events at the same time. Attendees draped in money walked the walls from room to room. Kyuubi stared in awe as he passed them, following close behind Itachi as they were led to a room at the end of the hall. There, they were left alone and Kyuubi looked at the large doors, confused, angry, and over all drained.

Itachi stood beside Kyuubi. "Can I hold your hand?"

"Don't touch me," Kyuubi said, and he sounded miles away.

Itachi sighed. "It's your birthday. How long are you going to keep sulking?" Itachi expected him to lash out, maybe try to hit him again. Kyuubi stood still like a statue. Itachi carefully grabbed his hand, surprised when Kyuubi didn't push him away. He opened the door and they stepped inside the dark room.

"What are you—?"

"SURPRISE!"

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