Chapter 11: Delusional

Kyuubi fiercely rubbed at his eyes trying to rid away the exhaustion. He was struggling to keep focus on the material in front of him. The notes he had taken in class no longer made sense, important details he needed to comprehend for any chance of completing his final project now appeared meaningless. He sighed, closed the notebook shut, and leaned back against his chair. How did the week go by so fast? How was it already the start of the weekend?

He rested his head on the table, listened to the soft chatter of the students nearby. Other than that, the library was quiet, peaceful. He just needed a few minutes to close his eyes. It was so quiet.

BANG!

Kyuubi jolted awake, startled when the table beneath him rattled, the heavy textbook slammed against it still loud in his ears.

"What the hell's your problem?" Kyuubi grumbled, again rubbing at his eyes before the sunglasses quickly fell back in place.

Yugito laughed, pulled up a chair beside him. "What's with the sunglasses indoors?"

Kyuubi yawned, stretching out his arms. "Today's really not a good day to bother me. I got a lot on my mind."

"Yeah that seems to be your niche nowadays." The condensation of her iced coffee dripped down on the table as she sat it down. "What's the matter with you? You're usually on top of your shit."

"Yeah, well, life's kicking my ass right now."

Yugito raised her drink and sipped it slowly, closely studying her friend. From the corner of the sunglasses, she could see the healing black eye hidden behind it. She swallowed down her drink, a stern look on her face as she placed it back down.

"Kyuubi."

"What do you want?" he said, not paying her too much attention as he reached for another textbook. "Don't ask me for a ride. I got plans after school."

"Kyuubi, look at me for a sec." Her voice was soft yet firm.

Kyuubi turned and gave her an odd look. "What do you want?"

"Take off those glasses."

Kyuubi frowned. "What part of today's not the day to bother me, wasn't clear?"

"We've been friends for what, ten years? Since middle school." Yugito moved her seat closer to him. "Look, we fuck around with each other a lot. That's our relationship, I get that. But this is getting weird Kyuubi and I don't fucking like it."

"Then leave," Kyuubi said, irritably. "You're not doing shit but distracting me anyways."

"Wow, that's harsh. That's you talking or your boyfriend."

Kyuubi tried his best to look unfazed. "I'll get up and leave."

"Go ahead. I'll just follow you until you tell me the truth."

"Truth about what?" He almost yelled.

"That black eye you're trying so desperately to hide and why you're being so damn defensive about it."

"Maybe I'm not being defensive and as usual you're making something out of nothing."

"Or maybe it's not life that's kicking your ass. Maybe it's your boyfriend."

Kyuubi laughed. He had to laugh. Either that or he would've broken down right there and then. This was exactly what he wanted to avoid. Everything blowing up in his face. Everyone finding out the truth and throwing him a pity party. It was humiliating, embarrassing. He wasn't weak. He didn't want people thinking he was weak, treating him differently. He didn't want his friends to know. He didn't want their high opinion of him to change.

After his laugh, he's quiet, deadly serious. "Don't ever say that again. That's not something to joke about."

Yugito shrugged. "Wouldn't be so farfetched."

"You're letting your personal feelings of him cloud your judgment."

"Alright, if what I'm saying is complete bullshit, how did you get that black eye?"

Kyuubi turned to her, a bored look on his face. "Naruto and I got into it the other day. He was lucky and landed a shot on me. He already apologized. I'm over it."

Now it was Yugito's turn to laugh. "You expect me to believe that?"

Kyuubi pulled out his phone and slid it across the table. "Call him and ask yourself if you don't believe me." He watched Yugito, waiting for her to test his bluff. He's relieved when it seemed to work. He took back his phone, hid his relief behind a sarcastic comment spoken softly underneath his breath.

"i don't like that guy," Yugito said.

"You don't know him."

"I do know him." She frowned when he laughed in her face. Still, she continued. "Everyone fucking knows him. But you for whatever fucking reason choose to see a different person. You're living in a fucking delusion thinking you can change him, Kyuubi. When are you going to wake the fuck up? It's like you don't think straight when it comes to him. Like he has some weird fucking voodoo spell on you. It's fucking scary."

Kyuubi chuckled. "Now you're just saying anything."

"Yeah?" Yugito challenged him. "What about that whole thing with, Aiya? It's like you genuinely believed her bullshit. Why were you so angry?"

"I just had a bad day."

Yugito's dark brown eyes went stern. "Has Itachi ever cheated on you?"

Kyuubi toyed with the pen in his hand. "No," he replied softly.

"You're lying."

"Fuck you!" Kyuubi spat. "What the fuck do you know?"

"I know if he's never cheated on you, you wouldn't have snapped like you did."

"If you don't fucking shut up, I'm gonna snap on you." Kyuubi gave her a warning glare, holding Yugito's unflinching gaze for some time before she finally raised her arms up in defeat. "I'm trying to study and if you can't keep your mouth shut, get the fuck up and leave."

"Looked more like you were sleeping from where I was standing." She chuckled and Kyuubi again shot her a glare. "Alright, I'm done."

They spent about an hour studying until Yugito had to leave for her final class of the day. Done with his single class for the day, Kyuubi decided to walk her to class before he'd have to leave for work. As they walked down the hall, Yugito suddenly turned and asked him.

"Did you give Yuta a ride this morning?"

"No," Kyuubi replied. "He said he was getting a ride from Saiken. Why?"

"I haven't seen both of them all day."

"Saiken's been avoiding me lately so you're barking up the wrong tree. Maybe they decided to skip."

"Speaking of Sai, I have noticed a weird tension between the two of you." She laughed. "Lover's quarrel?"

Kyuubi found her gaze instantly, a coldness in his eyes. "That's not funny."

"Oh sorry, didn't mean to offend your boyfriend."

"I'm not kidding."

"Lighten up." Yugito gently nudged him. "When did you become so damn sensitive?"

"I'm not."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure you're not."

They continued down the hall. Kyuubi was lost in his thoughts. Yugito thought she was only making a harmless joke. But for Kyuubi, it brought back painful memories. It wasn't just their friends that saw the close relationship he and Saiken had. Itachi at some point had noticed it too and had made it clear he had no intention of sharing. He made it very clear that night when they got into a fight over a hug that had appeared too intimate.

Suddenly, he winced when he collided into something hard. He saw the white sneakers first, slowly raising his eyes to see Yahiko's friendly face.

"Damn, I forget just how massive you are."

Yahiko laughed, showing his white teeth. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"You shouldn't," Kyuubi said, a small smile pulling at his lips.

"No, I think I will. But I'm actually glad I ran into you," Yahiko said. "I was going to give you this later when we met up but since you're here, I might as well give it to you now." Yahiko searched his bag and pulled out a small white envelope. "I told her not to do this but she swore it was important. Apparently, she found something belonging to you and she wants to give it back." He grinned. "As a sign of good gesture."

Kyuubi frowned. "You're talking about Aiya?"

"She said it's very important. So much that you might not survive without it. I keep telling her she should consider drama. Put her talents to use."

Kyuubi took the envelope from him. "Thanks."

"I'll catch you later, Red."

"Thought I told you to stop calling me that."

Yahiko grinned. "No chance."

Kyuubi watched him as he walked away. Yugito came and stood beside him, a wide grin on her face. "Well, he's handsome." She nudged his arm suggestively. "Looks like you're type."

"And what's my type exactly?"

"Tall, muscular..." She shrugged. "Troubled."

Kyuubi rolled his eyes, then asked. "What makes you think he's troubled?"

"Any guy who dyes his hair orange and has that many piercings and tattoos clearly has some issues."

Kyuubi didn't entertain her with a response.

Yugito nodded to the small envelope in his hand. "What did he give you?"

"He said it's from Aiya, that she wants to make amends."

Yugito frowned. "Kyuubi, just throw it away."

Kyuubi had already intended to do that. He didn't need Yugito to tell him. Yet, his curiousty encouraged him otherwise. He ripped the envelope open without a second thought.

"Kyuubi!"

Kyuubi reached inside and froze when his fingers touched the cold metal. Slowly, he pulled out the gold Rolex, the lights bouncing off it's lavish exterior. He removed the small piece of paper attached to it. He read over the single word written in a thick black marker.

SORRY

"A watch?" Yugito looked at it, perplexed. "That's not yours, is it?"

Silently, Kyuubi shoved the watch back inside the envelope.

"Why would she give you a watch?" Yugito asked. "I don't get it."

"Just drop it."

"Whose watch is that, Kyuubi?"

"I said-"

"Just tell the fucking truth!" Yugito saw the cracks in his mask as he struggled to keep a straight face. "That's Itachi's watch. Isn't it?"

Kyuubi swallowed down the lump in his throat. "This has nothing to do with you. This is my business."

Something was wrong. She couldn't pretend to not see it anymore.

"Please, Kyuubi, whatever is going on you can tell me. For fuck sakes, we tell each other everything. If this has something to do with Itachi, I'll listen. I won't judge. I'll keep my mouth shut. Just talk to me."

Kyuubi heard the concern in her voice, loud and tortured and still, he chose to ignore it.

"My relationship, my business." He regarded her coldly. "Stay th fuck out of it."

"That's bullshit!"

"I have to go." He started down the hall, not sparing a single glance back.

"Kyuu!" Yugito watched helplessly as Kyuubi walked farther away.

Outside, Kyuubi pressed his back against the wall and cried softly into his hands. The thick tears streamed down his face, wetting the envelope crushed between his fingers.

—

Itachi slammed his phone down on the large desk. Behind the desk, his hands clenched the sides in tight fists, his eyes glaring ahead at nothing in particular.

Beside him, Hidan watched him silently, waited until the chilling look in Itachi's eyes dissipated before he asked quietly. "It's a go?"

Itachi turned to him, silent, but then said with a sarcastic smile. "He can't wait to see me."

"When?"

"Next week," Itachi replied. "Monday."

Hidan considered the date. "Two days from now. That's pretty close. You think you're ready?"

Itachi threw his head back, huffed out a deep sigh. "You got what I asked for?"

Hidan held out a small plastic bag of pills. "Right here."

"This is it?" Itachi grabbed it and inspected it closely. "Is this a joke? These look like the ones I'm already taking."

"That's because they are," Hidan explained. "Just thought I would up your dose."

Itachi looked at him. "Where's the ones I asked for?"

"Told you, it's not happening. The whole point of the therapy is to help you cope with your past. Taking those pills to help you cope with the therapy sessions is well… counterintuitive. If Deidara finds out—"

"Since when was Deidara my fucking babysitter?"

"He might as well be."

"Hidan, I think you're purposely trying to piss me off."

Itachi turned his attention to the papers scattered over his desk and began shuffling them into a stack. He set them neatly to the side, turned around and found another small bag of pills held up in front of his face.

"Even still, it's not in my nature to turn down a valuable customer." He moved the bag away before Itachi could grab it. "If Dei finds out about this, you'll tell him I cautioned you against it, won't you?"

Itachi held out his palm. "Give it to me."

"Give me an answer."

"Yes, I will tell him." Itachi snatched the small bag and held it beside the previous one he was given. He noted the clear differences and smiled. "It's not gonna fucking kill me, is it?"

"Only if you want it to."

"Funny."

"You're good," Hidan assured him. "It's strong. If you're going to start this one, you have to stop the one you're currently using."

"You said one a day. Is that enough?"

Hidan walked over to the bar section in Itachi's office. By the large casing where Itachi stored his liquor, he grabbed a favorite amongst them and twisted it open. "It's effective. But I'd advice you take it when you're already in somewhat of a good mood. Think of it as an enhancer. Within a few minutes, you'll be on fucking cloud nine, a high like you've never experienced." He looked at his friend. "So, tell me what makes you happy, Itachi."

Itachi didn't have to think too hard. He smiled as he glanced down at his crotch. He then looked at Hidan, conveyed a silent message that was quickly understood as Hidan erupted into a laugh.

"With any one or just Kyuubi?"

Itachi pressed the back of his hand against his mouth, hiding away his amusement. "You're trying to get me in trouble."

"You do a good job of that on your own my friend." Hidan handed him the shot glass full of liquor before he picked up his own, held it up high. "Let's toast to Kyuubi, whom I shall pray for strength and endurance."

They laughed as they downed their drinks in one gulp.

—

Hidan decided to busy himself downstairs in the company of the house servants. He laid casually in the long sofa, watching as Ino moved back and forth dusting the room. For the past week, he has stayed over at Itachi's house, refusing to leave until his father returned from his business trip. He's also been enjoying teasing poor Ino, taking it as a task upon himself to make sure she laughed at least once at some of his jokes. So far, he's been unsuccessful. But he's been enjoying their little game, and he's happy to let it continue for a while.

Itachi came downstairs dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a sweater. Hidan's eyes followed him as he walked over and sat down beside him.

"You're supposed to be bed ridden," Hidan told him. "Doctor's orders."

"Who's going to stop me?"

Hidan stretched out his arms, yawning. "Where are you going?"

"Taking my boyfriend out on a date," Itachi replied. "Is that okay with you?"

Hidan chuckled. "I was wondering when you'd start feeling guilty."

Itachi leaned forward, sighed as he propped his arms over his thighs. "She's been messing with him. Getting him riled up. That's what she does." He grinned, impressed by her cunning. "She's like a fucking cat toying with a mouse caught in her grasp."

"Just like the other bitch often did with you."

Itachi heard the hatred in his voice, saw the anger behind his scowl. "Isn't it about time you went home?" He thought it best to change the subject.

"It gets lonely when the old man's away. And when he's not around, mom gets all paranoid." He crossed his legs over one another. "I'm just not in the mood to deal with her when she gets like that."

"You're the oldest. It's your responsibility to take care of the family when your father's not around."

"She has more than enough servants for that. I'm sure she'll be fine."

"You're an asshole." Itachi stood up. "You should've went to Italy with your father if that's the case. Could've used it as an opportunity to see Isabelle."

"I'm probably the last person she wants to see at the moment."

"Don't blame her."

The doorbell rang, denying Hidan the chance to respond. Itachi turned to Ino and she quickly bowed before rushing to the door. Itachi thought of who it might be and he instantly frowned. "Did you call him here?"

Hidan playfully kicked his leg. "I don't even have his fucking number."

"Keep fucking with me, Hidan."

Hidan laughed.

They simultaneously turned their heads to Ino when she returned. Instead of Deidara who they were expecting, Itachi stood up seeing two of Kyuubi's friends follow in behind Ino. They stood by the entrance of the large room.

"Didn't know you were expecting guests." Hidan doesn't sit up, merely turned his head, his eyes following Ino around the room.

Itachi extended a handshake to Utakata who eagerly accepted his hand with a grin on his face. When he turned to Saiken, he dropped his hand and forced a smile. He was seething though he did his best not to show it. After all, he didn't allow just anyone inside his home. Especially these people. He knew the kind of people they were. If he allowed them too close, they'd start asking for favors. They'd be a constant fly in his ear. He made it no secret to Kyuubi how he felt about them and so Kyuubi had done well to keep them away from him. To see them standing here now in his house, he's beyond irritated.

Still, he had to keep up appearances.

"I'm a little surprised," Itachi said, tilted his head and shoved his hands inside his pockets. "Usually, I know who's coming to my house ahead of time. I rarely get surprise visitors."

Utakata nervously scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, man. We don't have your number and we didn't want Kyuubi to know we were coming here so we kinda just showed up."

"Okay," Itachi said in a calm voice. "What can I do for you fellas?"

"We're here on Kyuubi's behalf," Saiken said, with bitterness that wiped the fake smile right off Itachi's face. "Cut the shit, we know you don't like us."

"Saiken!" Utakata looked at him. "Chill out. How about showing a little respect? We're not here to pick a fight."

"You can fake laugh with this asshole all you want. Leave me out of it." Saiken held Itachi's gaze, not backing down. "How about showing some hospitality and offer us some drinks."

Itachi grinned, forcing restraint when Saiken roughly brushed past him. He's surprised by his own level of self-control. He unclenched his fists as he softly cleared his throat and instructed Ino to bring some drinks. He walked back to his previous spot on the sofa and sat back down beside Hidan.

"Looks like someone's finally putting you in your place, Itachi." Hidan threw his head back, his boisterous laugh filling the quiet room.

Itachi wasn't laughing. No, he wasn't amused at all. "Hidan, why don't you go busy yourself somewhere else."

"Yes sir, boss."

Itachi waited until Hidan was fully out of the room before he leaned forward and clasped his hands together. "You said you're here on Kyuubi's behalf. In what sense?" He kept his voice leveled, his face free of any expression.

"In the sense that you are going to tell us the fucking truth and if you don't, so help me I'll kick your ass in your own house."

Itachi chuckled, not able to hide his amusement any longer. The idea of Saiken being a threat was too good of a joke to not laugh at. He instantly apologized. He had to press his lips together to stop from laughing again.

"You think I'm joking?" Saiken stood up, frustrated when Utakata grabbed his arm and forced him back down.

"You need to chill the fuck out," Utakata told him in a whisper. "Remember who the fuck we're dealing with."

It was quite strange seeing his usually composed friend act so differently all of a sudden.

Itachi sat there cool as a cucumber, unfazed and the least bit intimidated. He sported a mocking grin as he leaned back and waited until the two friends had settled their quarrel.

Utakata looked around the room, observed Itachi's calmness as he silently watched them. Yuta wondered what was going through his head. He wasn't the biggest fan of the guy either but he recognized him as one of their peers, their best friend's boyfriend which in extension should've made Itachi their friend as well. Yuta felt like they never really gave him a chance. They instantly vilified him based on his reputation. Yuta wondered how different things would've been if they had embraced Itachi warmly.

Ino came back and offered both Utakata and Saiken their drinks. Yuta happily took up a bottle of juice while Saiken refused the refreshments altogether. In the silence, Yuta cleared his throat awkwardly. He knew he would be the one to lead the conversation civilly. Saiken was too angry and the way things were going, he knew whatever this was, it wouldn't end well.

"So, Itachi, again sorry for popping up unannounced, man. We really meant no disrespect." He was mindful of his tone to be stern but unoffensive. Beside him, Saiken balled his fists. "Kyuubi, he uh…" He paused for a moment. "The other day we saw a bruise on his face and well, I guess we're concerned. I mean, he's been acting pretty weird too." He gestured between himself and Saiken. "We were just wondering if, um, you've noticed it too."

Itachi stretched his arm atop the couch, crossed his legs comfortably. "If I've noticed what?" he asked. "The bruise or his strange behavior?"

Utakata gripped Saiken's arm tightly when he tried to get up.

"Both," Yuta answered him.

"If I have noticed, exactly what are you asking me?"

"Well, that, um-"

"This is fucking bullshit!" Saiken abruptly stood up. "You're a fucking psycho."

"Sai-"

"We all know you have a temper," Saiken continued. "At Kyuubi's party, we all saw you lose it. But before that, I saw the way you were looking at Kyuubi and I when we were dancing. I know you was fucking seething seeing us together. He fucking chose you, what more do you want?"

Itachi remained relaxed on the couch. "So this all comes down to your own bitterness about Kyuubi choosing me over you, is that it? Not that you actually care whether I'm hurting him or not."

"Fuck you!" Saiken clenched his fists tighter, fingernails digging dents inside his palms. "It comes down to whether you're sick enough to beat your own fucking boyfriend because he shared one dance with his best friend. Are you really that fucking sick?"

Itachi uncrossed his legs, chuckled as he leaned forward, his eyes looking up at Saiken. "You think… I could actually hurt him?"

Saiken lunged at him, pulling Itachi up by the collar of his shirt. From the side, Ino screamed, terrified of the pending violence.

"You think I'm fucking around?"

Itachi laughed in his face. "I think if you don't get your fucking hands off me, I'll beat your ass until you're fucking unrecognizable."

Itachi fell to the ground when Saiken punched him hard across the face.

"Try it motherfucker, I'll fucking kill you, you son of a bitch!" Utakata rushed over to restrain his friend before things got further out of hand.

Itachi groaned on the floor, laughing as he rolled around his tender jaw. "And I'm the one with the temper."

"You're out of line!" Utakata shoved Saiken aside. "You're taking this too far."

"You think I'm fucking scared of him?"

"You should be," Utakata again pulled him aside when he tried to get at Itachi. "This isn't some guy at the bar we fight and never have to see again. He's the grandson of a billionaire. Dude, look at the fucking house he lives in. This looks like someone you wanna fuck around with?"

Saiken shrugged. "I don't give a damn."

"What you just did is assault. He can press charges, have you locked up over a suspicion we don't even know is true."

"He just admitted it!"

"He didn't admit shit! You're letting your emotions get the best of you," Utakata exclaimed. "Fuck, you saw a bruise on Kyuubi's face. That could've been caused by anything. We don't know for a fact it was him!"

"You said it yourself, he flinched just from the mention of his name. Why are you pretending not to see it?"

"Kyuubi knew the kind of guy he was getting himself involved with."

Saiken frowned, roughly shoving Utakata. "And that makes it okay?"

Utakata shoved him back. "That means he can handle himself. Kyuubi's not the kind of guy to lay there and take a punch to the face. I mean, we're talking about Kyuubi."

Saiken shook his head. "You didn't see the look on his face at the party. He was terrified."

"Yeah?" Utakata crossed his arms. "If you were so concerned, why didn't you go after him?"

"Because it didn't make sense then," Saiken said, defending himself. "But now it does. And I'm not going to let this asshole get away with it."

By now, Itachi was on his feet. He grinned as he opened his arms. "By all means, do what you have to do."

Utakata grabbed Saiken by the arm. "We're leaving."

Saiken angrily pulled away from him. "Don't touch me."

"Sai..."

"Leave!" Saiken violently pushed him away. "You wanna be a fucking pussy, get the fuck out of here. Leave!"

"Fuck this." Yuta scoffed. "I'm out. You wanna get yourself thrown in jail, suit yourself." He left the room without another a word.

Outside the house, he pulled out his phone and quickly dialed Kyuubi's number. Just then, Saiken came out of the house. He doesn't look his way as he rushed down the marble pathway. Utakata ended the call and hurriedly ran after his friend.

—

Kyuubi approached his car. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the person leaning against it, waiting for him. He frowned, his hand around the keys clenching tighter.

"What are you doing here?"

Sasuke pulled off the car, smiling as he took a carefree step forward. He stopped when he saw Kyuubi tentatively back away from him. "Naruto told me you went here. I recognized your car and thought I'd wait for you."

"You should go. I don't want you anywhere near me," Kyuubi said, his voice shaking. "Don't ever come back here again."

"What-"

"No, I'm not fucking around," he said, frantic and nervous. "I may have given you my blessing to see my brother but that's where it ends. We're not friends. We're nothing. If your brother finds out I'm talking to you, I'm done for."

"That's why I wanted to see you," Sasuke said timidly. "Please, I need you to help me. I just need to speak to him."

"No!" Kyuubi exclaimed. "Please, just stay the hell away from me. For your own good."

Sasuke looked wounded. "Please," he begged.

Kyuubi walked around him to the front of the car. He sat inside and slammed the door shut. Again, his phone rang inside his pocket. He pulled it out and saw the flashing picture of his boyfriend. He threw the phone aside, once more ignoring the call. Yet, the noisy phone wouldn't stop ringing.

—

Kyuubi glanced down at his watch as he walked up the pathway to Itachi's house. He had a few hours before he had to turn in his assignment. He decided against going to help out at the bakery. He had too much work to do. Entering the house, he took his time walking down to the living room. Hidan was lounging on the sofa, cellphone in hand.

"You're still here?" Kyuubi teased him, not stopping as he turned towards the kitchen.

"Kyuubi." He grinned. "Wasn't expecting you till later." His eyes followed Kyuubi out of the room.

"Got some work to do!" Kyuubi replied. Inside the kitchen, he saw Sakura busy washing the dishes. "Sakura, can you make me something light to eat?"

Sakura turned around, wiped her hands on her apron. "Anything in particular you'd like?" she asked.

"Anything will do." When Sakura walked over to the fridge, Kyuubi again called out to her. "Don't spit in my food, please?"

Sakura smiled. "I wouldn't dare."

"Thank you." He walked back to the living room. Hidan patted down the seat beside him and Kyuubi contemplated on whether he should sit down or not. "Where's Itachi?"

"Upstairs," Hidan replied. "Sit down, I wanna ask you something."

"Can it wait 'til later?"

"It's important," Hidan said, a smile on his face when Kyuubi reluctantly plopped down beside him. "How was class today?"

Kyuubi chuckled. "That's the important thing you wanted to ask me?"

Hidan playfully nudged him. "I'm trying to work on my people skills."

Kyuubi shook his head, very much amused. "Um, it was okay."

"Awesome." He was suddenly very serious. "Do you remember Kakuzu? He was a guest at your birthday party." When Kyuubi nodded, he continued. "He's getting married later on this year. He and his fiancé are hosting an engagement party and as his best man, I'll personally like to extend an invitation to you."

Kyuubi glanced down. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Hidan leaned back against the cushions. "Why's that?"

"Is Itachi going?"

"Of course."

Kyuubi bit the inside of his cheek. "He hasn't mentioned it to me so I'm guessing that means he doesn't want me there."

"I want you there," Hidan said, a big grin on his face. "Be my date. Say yes."

"Be your date?" Kyuubi chuckled, quickly shaking his head. "No, I don't think I can do that. Itachi won't approve."

"Like I said before, I can handle Itachi."

Kyuubi turned to Hidan and saw the amusement behind his eyes, but there was some seriousness behind his words. Hidan's always struck him odd. For the past week, he's gotten to know him a little and still, it was like he really didn't know him at all. He still couldn't tell when he was playing a character or being genuine.

"Kyuubi?"

Kyuubi took himself out of his thoughts, quickly forcing a smile. "I can't give you the answer you want."

"Why are you so scared?" Hidan asked with an expression Kyuubi still can't interpret.

Kyuubi sighed. "I'm sorry."

Hidan chuckled. "You have no idea the amount of control you give him, do you?"

Kyuubi frowned. Before he can open his mouth to say anything, he quickly stood up when he saw Itachi descending the stairs. He quickly glanced down at Hidan, saw the same unusual look on his face before he quickly replaced it with a smirk as Itachi came forward.

"Hi lover," Itachi held Kyuubi's waist, leaned down and softly kissed his lips. "Thought you were going to work today."

"Took the day off. I got a lot of assignments to complete." Kyuubi raised his hand and pressed the back of his palm against Itachi's forehead. "Hard to believe just a few days ago you were battling a fever over a hundred. Now, it's like you were never sick at all."

"What can I say, I had an angel looking after me." Itachi leaned down and gently kissed beneath Kyuubi's jaw. "I've been calling you."

"Yeah, I know." Kyuubi gently pulled away, observing the coldness in Itachi's gaze, the scowl making it's way over his face. "I was going to call you back."

"No, you weren't." Itachi suddenly chuckled. "You're a fucking liar, you know that?"

Kyuubi glanced at Hidan, silently hoping he would intervene and get Itachi's attention off him. Instead, Hidan simply watched him back, a bored look on his face like he was watching a soap opera he was no longer interested in. On edge, Kyuubi involuntarily jumped when he heard the call of his name. He turned around to see Sakura standing behind him.

"Your food's ready," Sakura informed him.

Kyuubi grabbed his backpack from off the couch and moved inside the kitchen. He sat down at the island and pulled out his laptop. Just as he took a bite out of his sandwich, Itachi walked inside.

"How was your day?" Kyuubi asked him, slowly chewing his food in apprehension.

Itachi hopped onto the counter opposite the island, a carefree look on his face that helped to calm Kyuubi down a little. "Uneventful, until your friends came in and assaulted me."

Kyuubi muffled his laugh behind his hand. "What?" His amusement slowly faded when Itachi continued to look at him with a straight face. "Wait, you're serious? How's that possible?"

"You tell me."

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

"Turns out they saw a bruise on your face. And according to them, you've been acting strange and as your knights in shining armor, they ran to the castle to kill the big bad dragon to make sure he never hurts the precious princess again."

Saiken, Kyuubi thought as he brought his head into his hands. And knowing Saiken, he probably found some way to intertwine Utakata in his mess. That also explained why both of them were missing from school. Naruto must've gave them Itachi's address behind his back. Kyuubi suddenly felt sick. He hated this. He hated how everything was unraveling and slipping through his fingers.

"I'm truly sorry, baby," Kyuubi said softly. He doesn't even know what he's apologizing for. He wasn't the one who had asked them to come.

Itachi clenched his jaw. "You're sorry? That's it?"

"I didn't tell them to come here and play hero," Kyuubi said firmly. "You can't hold me responsible for what they did."

"Do you have any fucking idea how much restraint it took for me not to put that cocky bastard in his place?" His anger was rising with every word he spat. "You plotted this, didn't you? Can't fight your own battles so you get that lovesick fucking loser to do it for you."

"He's not a loser, don't ever call him that, alright? You don't fucking know him."

"Kyuubi, I'm choosing to be very calm right now but that can quickly change if you don't watch your tone."

"I didn't do anything, Itachi. Why would I send them here?"

"To make me angry. For me to lash out so you can run back to your soldiers, cry crocodile tears."

"Get fucking real." Kyuubi rolled his eyes.

"Last warning," Itachi said.

Kyuubi struggled to swallow down the food in his mouth. "I need to finish my assignment. I already apologized to you. Just let it go."

"Just let it go?" Itachi chuckled. "You take assault that lightly?"

"There's barely a scratch on you. If one of them did hit you, it obviously wasn't that hard. If it was, you wouldn't have let them get away with it."

"Who said I let them get away?"

Kyuubi stood up, walked over and stood in front of Itachi. He looked up at him, a frown on his face. "Okay, go ahead."

Itachi swung his legs back and forth, each moving past Kyuubi's waist as he grinned. "Go ahead what?"

"Hit me," Kyuubi said. "That's what you want, right? Saiken or Yuta hit you and you didn't get them back. And since you think I sent them here, might as well get even with me. You know I won't fight back."

"Sit back down, Kyuubi."

"Then just stop," Kyuubi said, frustrated. "Stop with the fucking mind games."

Itachi hopped off the counter, towering over his boyfriend. He raised his hand to Kyuubi's face, stroked his cheek and leaned down until their faces were mere inches apart. "Why is it only you who gets to play the victim every fucking time, hm? You have no idea how much it fucking irks me."

Kyuubi shoved him away, hard. "I'm not a victim." He held Itachi's gaze before he turned and wiped a hand down his face. He reached inside his pocket and threw the gold Rolex over the counter. "Did you even notice it was gone?"

Itachi slowly lifted the watch into his hands. "Where did you get this?"

"Aiya kindly asked me to return it to you."

Itachi continued to stare at the Rolex in his hand, felt the coolness of the metal against his fingertips. He doesn't say anything. For the first time in a long time, he stood at a loss for words, stunned by his own carelessness. He ran a hand through his hair. Usually, he's good at talking himself out of these situations. This time, he's not so sure he can smoothly lie his way out of the situation.

"Look, I…"

"Don't, say anything." Kyuubi stopped him. "I don't care."

Silence.

Itachi didn't want to look at Kyuubi, see the hatred once again in his eyes. But hearing those words, spoken so sincerely he couldn't help but look up and instead of the burning hatred he's used to seeing when he'd get caught in another instance of unfaithfulness, this time he saw just emptiness. Brokenness and sadness in those bright green eyes that now looked so dull. It wasn't until now, he noticed just how red they were, that Kyuubi had been crying.

"Just tell me," Kyuubi said softly. "Tell me when it happened."

"Thought you didn't care," Itachi said.

Kyuubi scoffed. "Okay," he said. "Fucking coward."

"I went out with Hidan," Itachi explained, spitting his words out quickly. "I got really fucked up. She was there and it just happened. I didn't call her. She didn't stay the weekend. It was just one night."

"Okay," Kyuubi said plainly.

"Okay, what?" Itachi said bitterly, suddenly angry. "I never lied to you."

"It doesn't matter whether you did or not," Kyuubi said. "I can't leave. You won't let me fucking leave. I'm just as bad as you. All I ever do is lie. I lie to everyone. I keep pushing everyone away. Everyone who loves me, I push them all away, all for you. We're both the same. We deserve each other."

Itachi reached out and grabbed Kyuubi's hand when he turned to leave.

Kyuubi broke down, the tears running down his face. "Why do you keep destroying me?"

Itachi pulled him in and held him close to his chest. Kyuubi cried, his tears wetting Itachi's shirt as he held him tighter. Kyuubi accepted his fate now. Whether he was happy or not, he could never leave. Deidara said he had the choice to leave, but turns out he was a liar just like them.

"I need to finish my assignment." Kyuubi wiped the tears from underneath his eyes. He went back to his seat, pushed the plate of food aside, no longer having an appetite to finish it.

Wordlessly, Itachi left the room.

—

Late in the night, Itachi paced the length of his bedroom whilst Kyuubi laid soundly asleep on the large bed, his body buried beneath the warm covers.

Itachi pressed the phone closer to his ear. "I know it's a late notice. Will you be able to make it happen?" He waited eagerly for the man's response, smiling when he's not disappointed. "We'll be there tomorrow morning. Thank you for this. I owe you."

Downstairs, Itachi met Hidan down the hall as he was coming out of the guest room.

"Can't sleep either?" Hidan's excited to have company for the night as he followed Itachi inside the kitchen.

The place was spotless, Ino had wiped down the counters while Sakura had packed away the leftover dishes inside the fridge. No one had an appetite that night, except for Hidan who had eaten more than his fill. Itachi grabbed a glass from the cupboards and poured himself a shot of bourbon.

"Aiya," Itachi said, downing the drink in one smooth gulp. He set the glass down and quickly refilled it. "Fucking Aiya."

"I've been considering the possibility of her being a witch." Hidan watched as Itachi downed his third shot. "She can't be that fucking good in bed."

Itachi cringed, felt the deep burn at the back of this throat. That doesn't stop him from pouring another shot. "She wants me to react."

"You're giving her too much power." Hidan walked over and took the bottle from Itachi's hand when he poured another shot. "Now's probably the time to keep a clear head."

"Give me the bottle, Hidan."

"Be careful. I'm not Deidara."

"Fuck you." Itachi laughed, his hand on his forehead as he leaned down on the marble island. "I promised I wouldn't break his trust again. I fucking made a promise and I intended ented to keep it. I want to stop but I can't. I see her face and it's like, it's like her all over again."

"You're not sixteen anymore," Hidan said calmly. "No more excuses. Get out of your head."

Itachi kept his eyes downcast as the guilt washed over him. "Hidan, you don't know how much I've broken him."

Hidan does know. He saw it just a few days ago when he accidentally walked in on Kyuubi getting dressed and saw the black and blue lining his torso. Or that day when Kyuubi had rushed into the mansion begging to know if Aiya had been around. Hidan could still hear the desperation in his voice, the mixture of anger and sadness that had been in his eyes. He knew it all. Everyone did.

"Tell him the truth," Hidan said. "Aiya, the bitch from the past. Everything. What do you got to lose? Chances are he runs away and never look back. But, knowing you, a week'll pass and you'll have him right back beneath your fists." When Itachi doesn't respond, Hidan continued. "Do the therapy shit, alright. Get the help you need."

"Don't fucking tell me what to do."

Hidan frowned. "What about Kyuubi?"

"He's not leaving."

Hidan chuckled, said nothing.

Itachi straightened himself, met Hidan's discerning gaze. "I'm taking him to my grandmother's house for the weekend. I think it'd be good for us to get away for the weekend."

The past years of Itachi's trauma rushed through Hidan's mind. Most of them occurred in that house, all of his afflictions. Hidan gripped the bottle in his hand and brought it to his lips, downing two gulps in seconds.

"You think that's a good idea?" He slammed the bottle down, wiped his lips. "Think of what you're doing."

"I am."

"She's gone, Itachi," Hidan said softly. "Don't you think it's time to let her go?"

Itachi looked down at his hands, his empty palms stared back at him, pale and clean. He continued to stare and then a for a moment, a sudden flash of red coated them, dirtied them with the horrors of a day he had pushed to the deepest, darkest part of his mind. He blinked, horror filling his eyes just for a second before he saw the sight of his palms again, clean and now trembling. He held his head, gripping the strands of his black hair.

"Itachi." Hidan called out to him.

"I'm fine," Itachi quickly responded. He took in a deep breath, blinking, regaining his composure then found himself again in full control of himself.

"I can't change, Hidan," he whispered. "I'm not a good person."

Hidan hated when he got so vulnerable. It made him think of his own insecurities. It was no secret that Itachi was deeply scarred with too many scars to count. But, so was he. He just knew how to conceal his a little better. Hidan again brought the bottle to his lips and gulped it down, felt it burn in his throat.

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