Craving

Author's Note: Something else that was meant to be a one-shot, also started in class. I'll warn now that updates may be rather slow since this is a parted fic and I have other fics and duties to attend to. I would like to mention that this is an AU Itachi x Sai fic with Itachi x Tobi. Ages have been modified I guess, just a little. Also, from what I can read, Tobi is also Madara? If it isn't correct then oh well, as I just used the information I found and all. Also, they may be a bit OOC, which comes with moving them from their universe to another and I know it looks like things are moving fast, but they're really not. I know Sai and Sasuke probably would never really be friends, so this fic is more, "I'm only friends with you to get to your older sibling" kind of deals. There will be yaoi in later parts.

Summary: AU Itachi x Sai and some Tobi x Itachi. Itachi is a college student with a boyfriend and is currently in a rocky relationship and Sai is a friend of his brother's who has an interest in Itachi.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. No money is being made from this, I assure you.


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Craving

Part One

Itachi watches the slender body of the boy he was watching turn slightly to glance in another direction. He is pretending not to notice the older Uchiha was staring at him.

Itachi can see the glare on his brother’s face as he approached the high school. He didn’t really care though. Their parents have sent him to pick him up; he should be grateful, but he is Sasuke and he is not.

The other two boys notice that Sasuke is no longer speaking, but is staring. They turn to stare too. He recognizes Naruto Uzumaki and his shocking blond hair. The blond is being unusually quiet.

He figures that Sasuke has told them another story about him. That’s what brothers do. He ignores the blond and focuses his attention on the slightly taller black-haired boy with them. This one is new.

The new boy turns back from looking across the campus again, noticing Itachi in front of the other two. His hair is shorter than Sasuke’s but just as black. He has a rather emotionless stare, which reminds Itachi of himself for some reason.

He appears to be disinterested in everything and everyone around him; but Itachi knows that he craves more of the situations around his. He takes in every detail with those deadpan eyes, filing it away for later.

“Good afternoon boys,” he nods. From the looks he receives, Sasuke must have told them another made up story about his life at college.

“Good afternoon Itachi,” Naruto tells him, forcing a smile. He crosses his arms. The other two say nothing.

“Who is your new friend?” Itachi inquires, forcing a smile himself. The deadpan boy’s face suddenly breaks into a wide smile, like Itachi had told them a joke.

“I’m Sai,” he says, holding out a hand with black fingerless gloves. Itachi can see paint all over his finger and nails, or maybe ink.

His hands appear dirty none the less, and Itachi is wary of shaking it. Surprisingly, his hand is warm and soft.

“Pleasure to meet you Sai,” Itachi nods. He could have been related to the Uchiha.

“It’s all mine, meeting Sasuke’s older college brother. Is it true that you have a boyfriend?” Naruto and Sasuke’s jaws drop as they gave him disgusted stares.

Itachi isn’t sure what bothered him more about Sai’s question: The way he asked it or that he asked it? He looked straight into Itachi’s eyes, as if he knew it was true.

So that is what Sasuke had been telling them. He wonders if he should confess and be done with it or if he should lie and talk to Sasuke later.

“I’m not sure what Sasuke has told you, but that’s not the case,” he lies, with a faint smile, even if he did know what Sasuke had been telling them. The younger Uchiha has caught on sooner than Itachi anticipated or it is horrible coincidence and timing. Bad karma.

“Oh?” He was still smiling, which looked strange on his face. “Well Sasuke sa-“ He is suddenly quiet. There must have been a kick. “Well, nice to meet you anyway.”

“You too. Sasuke, are you ready to go?”

“Sai and Naruto are coming with me. We have a project.” He glares up at his older brother, his tone vicious.

“Fine then. Are we ready to go?” He keeps his tone even. He knew that would frighten Sasuke more than anything else he can think of on such short notice. The boys nod. “Follow me.” He listens to them trek across the brown grass behind him. That new boy is going to be in their home.

Neither Naruto nor Sasuke sit up front with Itachi. They push Sai towards the door. He doesn’t seem to care. He gives that silly smile again and buckles up.

While he may have been comfortable, or at least good at pretending, Itachi is not. He can’t stop glancing over at him. The teenager has pulled out a worn sketchbook and began to doodle.

His fingers are graceful but kind of deft from experience. Itachi is having a difficult time driving. Is this boy taunting him? Is this a test?

“Could you put that away?” he requests, staring straight ahead. He dares not look.

“Okay.” Sai follows the request without hesitation or question, but Itachi can tell it bothers him. His fingers twitched and he had trouble keeping his long legs from pumping; he is restless, craving something to do. “Can I turn on some music then?”

“Yes.” He tries to keep from watching as the slender boy leans ahead some, exposing the creamy pale skin of his lower back, just between his faded t-shirt and his black pants. He turns the volume knob, allowing loud rock music into the car.

He evidently knows the band for he starts keeping the beat with his feet and nodding his head. Itachi glances at the back seat to see Naruto and Sasuke just watching their strange friend.

Itachi knows this isn’t one of Sasuke’s favorite bands and is a little surprised that his friend likes them. They are a local group, most of the members attending the college with him.

“You like their music?” Itachi asks.

“I think like is an understatement.” Itachi just leaves him alone to the beats, trying not to watch. His mind is racing though.

Not even his boyfriend likes this particular music. Tobi puts up with it, but he doesn’t like it.

Once they arrive at the Uchiha household, the three boys disappear to Sasuke’s room. That was just fine, as Itachi has a phone call to make.

“Hey beautiful,” Tobi’s voice coos down the line.

“Hey Tobi,” he says, keeping his voice as always. His room was right next to Sasuke’s and he is keeping up with what the boys are doing, trying to fool himself that it is in the interest of keeping them safe.

“Something wrong?” Now Tobi’s voice grows serious.

“Just my brother has some friends over.” He doesn’t want to describe the friends, particularly the artist.

“Oh, I remember that age. Do you need to get away already?” he asks, his voice unable to mask the eagerness he was feeling for his boyfriend’s company.

“No, I’m okay for now. I think tonight I’m going to stay home if that’s alright.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” Itachi knows he would say it is alright, but he wasn’t going to like it. Tobi isn’t extremely jealous, but he liked his boyfriend’s company most nights of the week. He could hang out with their roommates for once.

Tobi and Itachi have been in a relationship for a long time without his family finding out. He knew his father wouldn’t appreciate him liking the same sex; Itachi can’t’ even imagine what his father would do if he found out that not only did Itachi date another man, but he had engaged in sex as well and it was with a relative.

Tobi’s name was actually Madara Uchiha, a distant relative attending the college.

Lately Itachi has been spending less time around Tobi though. He isn’t sure what was wrong with him. He felt restless and unenthused.

These feelings usually intensified when they engaged in intercourse. He tries to make it exciting, but somehow, it is still just one-sided pleasure for Tobi.

“I need to study, so I’ll talk to you later,” he says. Tobi would know it was bullshit.

“Alright Itachi, though if you want to come over, you can,” he laughs just trying to save face. Tobi sounds positively desperate. They never say ‘I love you’ anymore when they hung up.

Itachi isn’t sure if that was because it is in the ‘unspoken’ phase now or it they don’t love each other anymore.

He lies back on his bed, playing with his loose ponytail as he listens to the boys laugh. It is Friday night after all. Usually he stayson campus with Tobi, drinking and relieving tension from the week.

He wishes he could be his brother’s age again, to be that glorious carefree high schooler-age. Not innocent, but just not as worried.

He sighs, blowing his bangs out of his face. He wonders what Sai is possibly doing with the other two boys. He can’t hear his voice among theirs.

“Something wrong?” his mother asks, breaking his thoughts, as she leaves a stack of clean clothes on his dresser. He hasn’t even noticed her there.

“No, just tired,” he lies. She nods. Itachi wonders just how much she knows about his double life.

“I understand. Are you spending the night here for once? Your brother is having company spend the night and I was sure you would just go hang out with Tobi.”

“No, I don’t feel well. I just thought I would stay home instead.” Another half lie. It has some grains of truth in it, very small grains.

“Oh okay honey. We’ll be having dinner before long. You just rest and I’ll send one of the boys to wake you.” She leans in and kisses his forehead before walking out.

He shuts his eyes and rolls over on his side, trying to block out the sounds and sleep some. His body is exhausted from being two people.

It feels like forever since he has slept alone, without Tobi’s body behind his, his arm flung over Itachi’s waist. He figures he would feel cold, but he doesn’t.

He stares at the posters on his wall, concentrating on the colors until they blur in his sleepy eyes.

X

Itachi can feel eyes staring at his back. He groggily wonders if he were at Tobi’s dormroom, just waking from a night of drinking and hard sex. Tobi likes to watch him while he sleeps.

The colors and shapes of the posters greet his eyes again and he realizes he is still at home on Friday night.

He flips over on his back and finds Sai standing in his room, a very faint smirk gracing his pale pink lips. How long has he been watching?

“What?” he asks, wishing that Sai would just move or do something.

“Your mother sent me to wake you for dinner. I couldn’t resist sketching you though.” He holds up the drawing as proof.

Itachi knows that he should have felt freaked out, but a strange shade of flattery washes over him before he can restrain it.

“Oh okay,” he answers lamely as he pulls himself off the bed, trying to straighten his hair out. It was mess; he pulls the elastic out, shaking the dark strands free, before pulling them back again and adjusting his bangs.

Sai is still watching him, the smirk growing. Itachi looks at him for a moment.

“Let’s go,” he says quietly.

“Okay.” He obeys without question. Tobi would have whined at Itachi about the order. They walk down the stairs and to the kitchen where everyone else is.

“Itachi, you’re home?” his father asks. He is still wearing his officer uniform from work; or maybe he is getting ready to go; Itachi is never sure anymore.

“Yes, he isn’t feeling well,” his mother explains as the boys sit down. Sai ends up sitting beside him because Naruto and Sasuke are sitting across from them.

“Oh sorry to hear that Itachi, but it is nice to have you home for once,” his father smiles. Itachi feels like he is the favorite son; his brother glares and threatens to knock over his drink with his hand, taunting his father into giving him attention as well.

“Thank you,” he nods, looking away. Naruto and Sasuke are engaged in some kind of argument, while Sai is sketching again.

Itachi can feel the nervousness growing faster with Sai being even closer. It wasn’t a bad nervousness that though. It was kind of like when he and Tobi first met.

He forgets how much he likes dinner at home. It is nice, being with them and Sasuke’s friends. Sai seems perfectly at home too and it makes Itachi wonder about him.

Sasuke is even pleasant when the attention is taken off Itachi and on to him. Itachi can’t find it in himself to blame his brother. He doesn’t like being the center of their attention all the time. It makes it harder to do things.

X

The boys are all in the living room watching T.V with Itachi supervising from the couch with one of his books. His mother had asked him to stay up and make sure they stayed out of trouble. His father left for work right after dinner.

They are laughing at some show on, the loudest being Naruto. It is nice to see his brother joking around as he is normally a very stoic boy.

Only Sai doesn’t seem to understand as much as the other two. They have to explain different things to him.

Itachi pretends to study but he is taking everything in. He is curious about Sai’s knowledge and history. Just where was he from anyway?

Before midnight, the teenagers disappear upstairs. Itachi has started his second or third beer, propping his textbook open in his lap, keeping the television on for sound; at least at first. He only meant to use the alcohol as a way to loosen his tightly wound mind.

He isn’t tired at all. He settles for a late night sitcom as he tries to struggle through the words of law for Monday.

After another beer, he has given up on studying and is channel surfing.

“Anything on?” He nearly spills alcohol all over his mother’s perfect couch as Sai comes around the side and sits down beside him.

He had not heard him come up at all. How long he has he had been standing there was unclear. Itachi wonders if his senses are dulled from the beers or if the kid is that good.

“Not really,” he tells him. Sai is just sitting there, his eyes wide open. “What are you doing up?”

“I can’t sleep,” he says. “Naruto snores.” Itachi lets a small Uchiha grin form on his lips. Naruto did snore he knows from past sleepovers.

“Yes, he does,” Itachi agrees softly, tipping the glass bottle back. Sai has pulled out his sketchbook, his pencil moving quickly. “What are you doing?”

“Sketching you,” he says, studying Itachi’s face. He sits there dumbly. He hasn’t even noticed the book in his hands when he had snuck up.

He is quickly beginning to blame the alcohol. Maybe he has had more than he thought. Maybe he is dreaming.

“Why?” he questions. He doesn’t understand what would possess a high school senior to take interest in his looks. He considers himself lucky that Tobi even finds him attractive.

“You’re my new muse,” Sai answers, looking back at the book. A few more marks, the chewed on pencil scratches across the paper.

“But you just met me.” His buzzing mind can’t make any connections at the time. He is certain he has never met the boy before.

“So?” Sai looks at him again, leaning across the space to adjust Itachi’s bangs. His touches are light, as opposed to the steady grip that Tobi keeps on it, pulling from the roots. He closes his eyes, but the touch is gone. More scratching. “You like your hair being played with?”

“I guess,” he says. “My boyfriend tugs on it,” he confesses. He is only a little drunk and his tongue is loose already.

“You do have a boyfriend?” The pen stops and Itachi searches around for what he said. Sai is starting at him with his standard deadpan expression.

“Yes I do,” he sighs, polishing off the beer.

“What’s his name?” The boy is curious it seemed. Who wouldn’t be? Itachi didn’t really look like the type to date just guys. He is a Uchiha, revered by a lot of people in the community.

“Tobi, his name is Tobi. I would be spending the night with him, but I didn’t feel like it,” he confesses again. “We’re kind of having…problems right now.”

He has no clue why he is telling all of this to a probably seventeen year old kid. He knows his brother was seventeen and so he figured Sai is around the same age; though he is taller than both him and Naruto.

“Oh?” he asks. More scratching and then the sound of the eraser grinding along the paper.

“Yeah, I just don’t feel the same as I used to,” Itachi smiles sadly. “You know?” he asks, like Sai would know.

He isn’t even sure why he is still talking other than his tongue is under some type of alcoholic spell. He never speaks this much to anyone, especially a stranger. An underage stranger, he corrects himself.

“Like you don’t…love him?” He is scratching the paper again.

“I guess you could say that.” He did, after all.

“Becoming one-sided and physical?” Itachi is curious now to see what Sai is drawing. He is starting to feel uncomfortable with how accurate this boy has things. How he is professing the truth. He is foreseeing the possible end.

“Mhm.” He dares not add to that with the way his lips seem to be directing the conversation. He instead leans forward, nearly falling into Sai’s lap. The boy stares at him, then gives that strange smile the awkward one as if his face is not used to it. “Can I see what you’re doing?”

“Well…” He holds two slim fingers to his lips. “Okay.” He turns the sketchbook around so that the older boy can look.

The sketch is from earlier when he was studying. Sai must have memorized the pose or something, which meant that he had been watching Itachi more than he realized. Maybe he had the sketchbook then and Itachi just didn’t notice.

His hand is tangled in his hair as he holds the book on one knee, while chewing on his pen. It isn’t done in great detail, but it is beautiful somehow, none the less.

“You drew that?”

“Yes.” He gives another strange look.

“It’s very good.” He never gives compliments, even to Sasuke. Is it really the alcohol? Or is it some type of late night craving. He begins to think that maybe he should have stayed with Tobi.

He wants to kiss this boy, although he wasn’t sure why. It is a sudden need to feel this boy against him. It is complete and illegal intent, but it is there and he isn’t stopping it.

Sai is just sitting there, staring, no not staring, smiling. He is smiling at Itachi and he can’t figure out why the kid would have an attraction to him at all. But it is flattering.

Tobi wouldn’t have to know. Itachi leans forward and stops just before kissing him. Their breath is mixing as Itachi stares intently at his lips.

They’re perfect. He must use a lot of chap stick to keep them looking that delicious.

Before he can give it another thought, Sai’s lips press quietly against his. Itachi’s eyes remain wide open out of shock.

Sai’s lips are soft and supple. He pulls away from Itachi and looks at him. The older man’s mouth hangs open slightly. It is so quick that Itachi thinks he’s going insane.

“Is that a kiss?” Sai asks, almost innocently.

“Yes,” Itachi breathes as best he can with what feels like a puncture in his chest cavity. It was so simple but so good at the same time.

Tobi never kisses him like that anymore; he is never gentle.

“Can I try it again?” Itachi nods slightly, the guilt effect not coming into play yet. Their lips are together again, Itachi’s tongue tracing the lower lip of the younger man, like a bad habit.

No, this is wrong, all wrong. He just met Sai, he is a high-schooler, and he is a friend of his brother’s; not to mention that Itachi has a boyfriend.

Sai’s tongue gently massages his back, their saliva mixing. Itachi can feel the other body pressing into his, his frame is lithe and simple like Itachi noticed earlier in the car. He knows Sai will taste the cheap beer on his lips and in his mouth.

He reaches a hand up and tangles his fingers in the short black locks, pulling him harder to his mouth, trying to fulfill a guilty need.

Sai is very willing to cooperate with him. His artist fingers reach out and grab at Itachi’s shirt, curling in the material, scraping his chest some.

“This is…” He doesn’t finish the sentence as Sai is kissing his lips in an almost fevered frenzy now.

“What?” he asks, his black eyes penetrating Itachi’s very soul, as if challenging him.

“This is wrong,” Itachi tells him. He could give Sai probably a hundred legal reasons why, even though he is drunk.

“So?” the high-schooler asks, his voice is coated over with lust, his lips swollen. “Who would know?”

“Sai, I’m sorry, I can’t do this, not tonight.” He hasn’t moved his face away or released the grip on poor Sai’s hair.

“But you’re leaving it open for another time.” Sai has him there. He is interested in seeing Sai again, though he doesn’t want to admit it right away.

“Yes, another time when I’m not drunk and I know you better. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t care, as long as you’re leaving it open.” He is smiling, but Itachi feels guilty for stopping it; his body did. He rarely feels guilt and it feels like a weight.

“Will you sleep with me, just sleep, and then go back into Sasuke’s room in the morning? To avoid Naruto’s snoring?” The excuse is lame but it is out of his mouth before he can take it back. You can’t take back words once they hang in the air.

“Yes,” Sai nods. Itachi turns off the T.V and grabs his textbook as they head upstairs.

Itachi doesn’t want to be alone tonight. He craves that body next to his, that warmth.

Sai is burning through the sheets.

He has stripped down to just his boxers, like Tobi. Itachi curls up on his side toward the wall, while Sai’s body curls in behind him facing the other way, only the sheets separating them.

He listens as the high-schooler drifts off, his breathing soft. Itachi turns around, wrapping an arm around him, holding that body warmth to him, feeling cold.

He is almost asleep when he feels Sai’s hand hold his, interlacing their fingers, locking them together.

X

Author's End Note: Like it? Love it? Anything? Review.