New Years Kisses, Two Near Misses (Complete)

New Years Kisses, Two Near Misses Part II

"Naruto, will you take Sasuke to the kitchen? If I am not mistaken, we have a meal to eat that no doubt needs to be heated at this point."

The blond did as Itachi asked, knowing full well that this was what his brother needed. He gently grabbed Sasuke's hand and pulled his furious lover to the kitchen, leaving their brothers alone in the living room. He only hoped that Itachi got through to Kyuubi.

The redhead didn't look at Itachi, ashamed that he had overheard everything. He could imagine the impression that the other man had gotten from him now. He warily sat down and clasped his hands together, as if he were getting a scolding from Kabuto and waited for Itachi to dig into him, his long red hair hiding his face as he bowed his head in submission.

Pursing his lips, Itachi moved farther into the room. The position Kyuubi had assumed was a little alarming, a clear sign of abuse. No doubt it was from the relationship he vaguely remembered the redhead mentioning before he had passed out in Kyuubi's lap.

"I apologize for their behaviour," the doctor began. It was a little disconcerting that Kyuubi couldn't meet his eyes, but he pushed forward. "For years I protected Sasuke from the unspeakable, and now he believes it is his turn to protect me. As you can see, he takes that self appointed duty very seriously, and as you know, where Sasuke leads Naruto follows."

"It's not Sasuke's fault. The blame lies with me." Kyuubi muttered. "You don't have to apologize for something I deserved."

"Being reprimanded for trying to sneak off and abandon me without closure," Itachi mused, slowly moving closer. "Yes, I suppose you do deserve his wrath for such a thing. But is that what you want? To walk out that door and pretend we never met?"

"No," Kyuubi whispered. "I didn't want to hurt you like...before. You deserve someone more experienced than me, someone who won't hurt you."

"Hn." Itachi took a seat beside the rather submissive Kyuubi, but made no move to initiate physical contact. He was out of his element. At the present moment, he was absolutely humiliated and fighting the urge to turn tail and run. But he would face Kyuubi like a man and let him decide. "I suppose we are both broken in our own ways, but what happened was through no fault of your own. There was no possible way you could have known what you said would have triggered such a reaction. It was a one in a billion chance, and I apologize again for scaring you. I understand if you don't want to involve yourself with me after such a scare."

"I shouldn't be the one to decide that. You have nothing to be ashamed of like I do. If I had my way...well...I wouldn't leave you." Kyuubi said nervously, staring his hands.

"Then I suppose it's decided," Itachi said, standing once again. He held out his hand for Kyuubi to take. "I believe we have a dinner to eat."

Kyuubi blinked at the pale hand that was held out in front of him. He looked up to Itachi with questioning blue eyes. "Together?"

"I am starting to see where Naruto gets it from..." the doctor muttered under his breath. "Yes together." He'd hoped the extended hand would have made that obvious.

Kyuubi lightly grasped the paler hand and let himself be helped off the couch, catching his foot on the runner that was in front of the furniture. He fell into Itachi's arms, the older man steadying him before righting themselves, a dark blush deepening on the redhead's cheeks.

Itachi brushed the long fiery bangs that hid Kyuubi's face from view and smiled softly. Whether the security guard could tell or not, Itachi was just as nervous as Kyuubi. A relationship of his own choosing was something new. Three one night stands and a six month relationship with a woman his father had set him up with had hardly prepared him for this.

"Come on," the older man coaxed taking a tan hand in his own again. Hand in hand, they silently wandered into the kitchen where Naruto and Sasuke were setting the last of the reheated dinner on the table.

Naruto smiled brightly as he saw the intertwined hands of the two older men. He didn't say anything, just gestured to the food on the table before taking his seat next to Sasuke. He stealthily grabbed his boyfriends hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I'm surrounded by morons," Sasuke muttered, but he squeezed Naruto's hand back anyway. "Both of you sit and eat."

Itachi pulled out a seat for Kyuubi before taking his own and serving himself some of the salad his brother passed him. The bowl was then passed to Kyuubi, their hands brushing as the food was handed over. He looked up, his dark eyes meeting the bright blue, and the corner of his lips twitched upwards.

The redhead returned the smile as he took the salad bowl and set it down on the table between them. He leaned over and quickly pecked Itachi's cheek. "Thank you," he whispered reverently, not referring to the salad but something else altogether.

Understanding the meaning behind Kyuubi's words, Itachi nodded respectfully and returned the kiss. "No, thank you."

"I don't need thanking," Kyuubi said smiling.

"Tch..." Sasuke winced when Naruto elbowed him in the side.

Hearing the noise, Itachi turned back to the other two and chuckled. "I suppose we are being rather sappy. Let's eat."

Dinner was eaten with light conversation between the four men. They kept away from the subject of what had occurred earlier that evening. Kyuubi smiled as he basked in the peace that had settled over them. When he finished his food he looked to Itachi and noticed that the other was finishing up his dinner as well.

"Was there anything you wanted to do tonight?" The redhead asked as the Uchiha turned to him.

Eyebrow raised, Itachi looked to the man beside him. "Well, I wasn't planning on running into the mysterious kitsune from the party but I have no plans. Did you have anything in mind?"

"Maybe a walk through the park?"

"I like the sound of that. Perhaps we can sit by the lake for a bit and talk."

Kyuubi smiled brightly. "That'd be perfect."

"Great, we'll handle the dishes and you two get the hell out," Sasuke said pushing back from the table.

With a chuckle, Itachi stood, pulling Kyuubi to his feet as well and towing him down the hallway. Making a quick pit stop, he grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair in the living room and then made his way to the front hall. He slipped on his dress shoes, and patiently waited for Kyuubi to tie his sneakers.

The redhead quickly tied his shoes and followed Itachi out of the house, grinning as the door closed and the couple headed to his truck. He couldn't believe that this man still wanted a relationship with him even after the episode from this afternoon, but he wouldn't question it.

Naruto sniffed as his brother left the house with Itachi. He stood in the kitchen doorway for a few minutes just staring into the living room, not even startling when Sasuke came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist.

"You okay?"

"My wittle baby is all grown up!" The blond whined as he turned around and buried his face into Sasuke's neck.

With an exasperated groan, Sasuke let his idiot boyfriend hang off him for a few moments before shoving him off and towards the dirty dishes. "Mourn over your loss while you clean. I'm going to take a shower."

"Why do I get stuck with the dishes?" Naruto wailed as Sasuke sauntered out of the kitchen.

***

The drive was silent for the most part, the only interruptions to the amiable quiet were Itachi's murmured directions to his favourite park to walk in. It had a small lake at the centre, but many people didn't know about the second entrance. When they pulled up, the doctor slid out of the truck and patiently waited for the other man to join him.

Kyuubi stumbled out of the truck, steadying himself as he landed and then shut the door. He walked over to Itachi and silently held his hand out, afraid that the other man wouldn't take it. He still didn't know the other man that well and was afraid that at any moment he was going to be dumped.

The pale hand of the Uchiha slipped into the tan one. Itachi could feel Kyuubi trembling and squeezed his hand in reassurance. It was clear that they were both very new to this. Being the senior resident at the hospital, Itachi was extremely busy, rarely having personal time, and when he did have the rare day off, he spent it with his brother. Relationships had never been a priority until now. He wanted this to work with Kyuubi, but he could see he would need to tread lightly. Kyuubi was a victim, like himself, of abuse. Their relationship would take work.

"Come on," the older man murmured, tugging the redheaded security guard along with him. "I want to show you my favourite place to visit."

Kyuubi let himself be led around the park. It was fairly warm outside since they lived in southern California. "I'm surprised it's been so nice lately."

"The weather? Really now Kyuubi, I think we can do better than that," Itachi chuckled softly. His mother had always told him that if he couldn't think of anything polite to say, then to restrict his comments to the weather. The thought made him laugh a little harder. "Tell me, what do you do for a living?"

"Well I'm the head security guard for the delivery warehouse over on the docks," Kyuubi began. "It's a job and it pays well, but I've been thinking of going back to school."

"You could start going back part time," Itachi immediately encouraged. "What would you like to do?"

The redhead shrugged. "There's not much I'm good at really. But I did enjoy history class in high school. But I don't really have the money right now to even do part time classes."

"I see." Itachi guided Kyuubi off the main path onto one that looked rarely used and which wound through the darkening woods. "I'm sure when you find your passion, then you'll find a way. There are many scholarships and grants for those going back to school later. And you're young, you're only..." he trailed off realizing he didn't actually know Kyuubi's age. All he knew was the man was younger than himself.

"I'm twenty-four," Kyuubi answered. He tried not to let the comment about him being young bother him. "Most people think I'm younger than that..."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "I was going to guess around twenty five, and if I remember Naruto's ramblings correctly, your birthday is coming up within a few months, so I wouldn't have been far off. For myself on the other hand, most seem to think I'm a lot older than I am, but it's understandable."

"You're a doctor right?" Kyuubi asked unsure if that was correct. He remembered Sasuke grumbling quite a bit when Itachi didn't make it to dinners.

"Hmm? Yes. I'm the senior resident in pediatrics at Konoha General," Itachi said, pushing past the last bit of foliage and bring Kyuubi to a stop at the lakeside. They were just in time to watch the sunset on the horizon, the light shimmering on the rippling surface of the lake. "I've worked there for the last six years."

"Oh really? That's cool! I started at the warehouse just after high school and was promoted to head security guard back last year. It's fun...but I want to do something more," the redhead replied as he looked out over the lake.

Head nodding in understanding, the doctor led the taller man along the shore until they came to large evergreen with a large flat rock that created a natural bench. Waiting until the younger man had taken a seat, he nudged Kyuubi's legs apart with his knee before turning and taking a seat between the muscular thighs and leaning back against Kyuubi's chest.

"I'm not crossing any boundaries am I?" he asked after only just then realizing he may be acting too forward.

"No," Kyuubi mumbled into dark hair. "This is just perfect." The redhead tightened his hold around the other man.

Relaxing into the warmer body, Itachi let out a soft moan. He hadn't been so at ease with another person in years. "Anything you'd like to ask me? I've been prying. Ask me anything."

"It's not prying," the redhead chuckled. "I guess...I should ask how many relationships you've had."

"Hmmm... that's a tough one to answer," Itachi admitted. He hoped Kyuubi didn't think any less of him after hearing his history. "I've had one with the daughter of an important client to my family that could be considered long term. My father arranged it and I was a somewhat unwilling participant, but my father was paying for medical school so I deemed it to be a suitable course of action at the time. I was only seventeen. Other than that, I've had three one night stands- two male, one female. Work at the hospital has never left me with time for much else."

"Ah," Kyuubi muttered. "I guess that makes sense since you're more than likely on call twenty-four seven."

"Not exactly," the doctor confessed. "In the past few years I've had three days off a week on average."

"Oh..." Kyuubi said dumbly.

"Okay, my turn... same question I guess." He was a little curious as well.

"Well...my first relationship was with a girl, but she moved away after a few months. And my other relationship was with Kabuto...the psychiatrist. He fucked me up real good...so much that it's been hard for me to find another lover," Kyuubi stated sadly, squeezing Itachi's chest.

Itachi froze in Kyuubi's arms. "Kabuto... Kabuto Yakushi. The head psychiatrist at Konoha General..."

"Umm yeah...we dated for years..." Kyuubi said, not liking where this was going.

"Hmmm... I'll make sure you never run into him if you visit me at work." The pieces were falling into place. For years he and Kabuto had been at odds. The man was sick and twisted. He hated the thought of Kyuubi with such a despicable man.

"Oh...okay. If he's a friend of yours...I don't expect you to end it..." The redhead said as he nuzzled the side of Itachi's head.

Tilting his head, Itachi caught Kyuubi in a tender kiss. "Yakushi is anything but a friend. The last four years have been devoted to uncovering the evidence to have him fired."

"Are you a detective like Matlock?" Kyuubi asked snickering.

"Hn." The doctor frowned.

"Did I say something wrong? Fuck!" Kyuubi hissed, pulling away slightly.

"No, it has nothing to do with you. Calm down," Itachi said softly, soothing the other. He'd have to be careful with how he responded and reacted if Kyuubi was that skittish.

Kyuubi took a deep breath and calmed himself down. "I'm sorry I overreact. It's something I haven't gotten over and has ruined a lot of potential relationships."

"It's understandable, but why don't you ask me something else." Itachi patted Kyuubi's hand that was resting on his abdomen.

"What's your favorite movie?" Kyuubi drawled lazily.

"The Princess Bride. You?"

"Mine would have to be District 9," Kyuubi answered before nipping at Itachi's neck.

Itachi moaned softly, tilting his head back and exposing the pale throat to the man holding him. "How about your favourite position," he breathed, eyes falling closed.

"I love to ride and be ridden, you?" Kyuubi muttered as he undid the suit jacket, pulled the dress shirt out of his pants, and slipped a hand under the Uchiha's shirt as his fingers danced over the skin.

A pale hand reached up to loosen the black tie around his throat. Itachi found he was content to sit back and allow Kyuubi free reign over his body. "I... I wouldn't really know..." he gasped. "I've only ever been with a man twice."

"Mmmm, then we'll have to find out." A tanned hand moved up the smooth skin and brushed over a pert nipple as Kyuubi nibbled on the arched neck.

Panting lightly, Itachi let his hands fall to Kyuubi's thighs rubbing up and down the firm muscle as his back arched off Kyuubi's body. "Please..."

His confidence building, the redhead moved his free hand down to cup the slight bulge in Itachi's pants, "please what, lover?"

A sharp gasp escaped the parted lips. The passion Itachi had felt on New Years was back, the raw need pulsing through his veins. It burned like a wild fire. For the first time in his life, the proud Uchiha was rendered speechless, his mind slowly turning to mush as Kyuubi teased him.

Kyuubi lightly ran his one hand over the growing erection while his other toyed with the pert nipples, relishing in the moans that were escaping Itachi's lips. His own erection was awakening and he couldn't help the fire that burned within him. "I want you so bad right now..."

Itachi was in heaven. He'd never been touched like this. There was such tenderness in the way Kyuubi's hands moved over his body but it also spoke volumes about the younger man's desire for him. His mouth opened and closed soundlessly, his mind and mouth unable to work together to form words as he panted and moaned. The warm breath ghosting over his ear sent shivers down his spine, Kyuubi's words only stoking his arousal.

Kyuubi quickly undid the zipper and button to Itachi's trousers and slipped his hand underneath, taking the velvety, heavy erection in his hand. He pumped it as Itachi arched up, his head hitting the redhead's shoulder.

"Kyuu..." The name was barely more than a breathy whisper.

"Do you want to come?" Kyuubi purred as he slowed his hand down and brought his thumb over the tip, slightly teasing the slit.

Itachi whined in the back of his throat, his head nodding fervently as he pressed his face into the tan throat. His body was practically humming with the need to find release. On pure instinct, he licked the salty skin before nipping at Kyuubi's neck and sucking on his pulse point, unconsciously determined to leave his mark.

Kyuubi moaned, his stroking faltering for a moment. But he regained himself and began to pump the erection in his hand heavily. The redhead bucked up into the other man, trying to find somewhere to rub his erection. "'Tachi...you have to move..."

Kyuubi's words barely penetrated the foggy mind of the Uchiha who was lost in the sweet tortures of the warm hands pleasuring his body. Slowly he lifted his legs to lay over Kyuubi's thighs, his hands coming down to rest flat against the surface of the rock. Using his strength, he pushed himself up until his rear was grinding directly into the hard bulge of Kyuubi's cock. His mouth continued its assault on the caramel skin of the younger man's neck, teeth lightly grazing the skin as he moaned and whimpered.

The redhead ground his hips up into the pert ass, loving how the swells felt around his erection. "Fuck 'Tachi..." he whispered with a heavy breath into the others ear.

Arms trembling, Itachi's mouth moved up. He nibbled along the stubbled jawline, teeth gently tugging at Kyuubi's earlobe before his tongue traced over the shell. His breathing became ragged as he struggled to keep his hips moving. "I... I need to cum... please, Kyuu..."

"Do you now?" Kyuubi said as he slipped a hand down to cup Itachi's balls, gently massaging them.

The dark inky eyes that had previously been closed flew open in shock, Itachi choking on a loud needy moan. Nobody had ever touched him there, so he'd never learned how sensitive he was or how responsive he was to this type of stimulation.

"Mmmm...I see you like that," Kyuubi muttered as he pinched a nipple the same time as massaging the sensitive balls.

Itachi's mouth fell open in a silent cry as a finger slipped down between his ass cheeks to tease the puckered entrance. He'd never been taken, but he found himself wanting it so desperately. His hips bucked, his cock seeking the delicious friction it was being denied.

Kyuubi continued to tease Itachi's entrance, adoring the moans the man let slip past his lips. Tired of the position, Kyuubi hauled the smaller man up and soon they were both on the ground well out of view with Itachi hovering over him, looking down at Kyuubi with hooded dark eyes.

Dizzy from the sudden movement, Itachi found himself straddling Kyuubi's thighs, chest heaving as he stared down at the young security guard sprawled beneath him. Clumsily, he hurried to release the straining cock from the confines of Kyuubi's jeans, but his hands didn't seem to want to co-operate with him as he fumbled.

"Slow down...take your time," Kyuubi rumbled as he felt the hands brush against his erection.

Sucking in a few deep breaths to clear his mind, Itachi followed Kyuubi's instructions, his fingers deftly moving over the button and tugging down the zipper. The erection was heavy in his hand, a tiny bead of precum dribbling down the length as he gave a few experimental pumps. Leaning in, he brought his own cock into contact with Kyuubi's, their heated flesh rubbing erotically against each other.

Kyuubi arched his hips at the touch, his hands quickly moving to Itachi's ass and kneading the muscles, pulling the smaller man closer to him. He moaned as the other moved faster against his erection, losing all sense of where he was. There was only him and Itachi in this moment, his blue eyes pinned on intense dark ones.

Leaning down, Itachi attacked the tan column of flesh, his marks already littering the smooth skin. His teeth nipped lightly, Kyuubi's moans of appreciation sending a shudder though his body. "Gods, I want you so badly. More than I've wanted anyone or anything," he moaned, his hips never stilling. His tongue ran up the salty skin littered with his love bites.

"Fuck," Kyuubi moaned as Itachi bit into his neck. He grabbed the other's ass cheeks and brought him against his erection, trying to speed up the pace between them.

"Kyuu... I'm... I'm gonna..." The pleasure tightly coiled low in his gut finally snapped. Itachi barely had the presence of mind to push Kyuubi's shirt up to expose the taut six pack as his seed sprayed over the toned abdomen.

The warm spray hit his abdomen and the redhead came with a loud roar, pressing as much of his body as he could up into Itachi's. Kyuubi fell back to the ground, panting. His orgasm was something that he had never felt before. It had never been like this before where he had felt so amazing. A lazy grin spread itself over his lips.

Panting heavily, the euphoric high of his orgasm slowly fading, Itachi rested the weight of his body on his elbows so as not to crush the man grinning up at him. Hair falling out of his ponytail, he rolled to the side and sprawled on the grass beside them. His suit front was splattered with cum from Kyuubi pressing their bodies together. "I'm going to have to send this out for dry cleaning," he chuckled.

"Hmmm..." Kyuubi murmured, rolling over and resting his head in the juncture between Itachi's shoulder and chest. "I'll pay for it if you want me to." He said, playing with the lapel of the suit.

Tucking his softening penis back inside his pants, Itachi lightly nudged Kyuubi off and sat up. The stained jacket was shed and laid out beside them. "That's not necessary. I was just thinking of how to explain the stains."

"Ahh," Kyuubi answered as he tucked his own penis back into his pants. "What do you want to do now?"

"How about we just star gaze," the doctor suggested, lying back in the grass again. "I would love to learn more about you as well."

"Mmmm, you wanna go home and get cleaned up? And maybe grab some blankets?" Kyuubi suggested as he lay down next to Itachi.

Snagging one of Kyuubi's hands in his own, Itachi sighed contently. "No, I think we'll be okay with body heat. As you commented earlier, it is rather nice weather."

"M'kay," the redhead muttered as he sidled up next to Itachi, their hands intertwined. "What did you want to know?"

"Hmmm... how about your birthday. It's coming up soon, is it not?"

"It's actually February twenty-ninth. I was born during a leap year."

Itachi snorted. "So you're really only turning six then," he teased, his thumb rubbing circles over the back of Kyuubi's hand.

"You know...that was funny back in grade school." Kyuubi smirked as he answered the other man. "But I don't mind hearing it from you."

"Hn. I'm glad."

"How old are you?"

Itachi was quiet for a moment. "I'm twenty seven," he finally answered. He could almost hear the gears turning in Kyuubi's mind.

"So you were what? Twenty one when you started working at the hospital?" Kyuubi asked, drawing circles on Itachi's chest.

"Yes, fresh from med school and starting my residency," Itachi confirmed. He vaguely wondered if Kyuubi realized the significance behind his age and position. "My training ended well over three years ago, but I'm debating doing a fellowship in pediatrics."

"What's a fellowship?" Kyuubi asked confused. "I'm sorry if I don't understand things..."

"It's fine. I'd be rather surprised if you knew the in's and out's of becoming a doctor," the Uchiha said loosening his tie with his free hand. "A fellowship would be an additional one to three years of training to specialize in a particular field such as pediatrics."

"Oh! What did you do with the residency? Or am I asking that right?" Kyuubi prayed to God that he didn't sound stupid as he nervously fiddled with Itachi's shirt.

Itachi chuckled, a warmth bubbling up inside him. Kyuubi seemed genuinely interested in what he did. "You seem rather curious. Did you want me to go over the steps for you?"

"If you don't mind, but can ya dumb it down for me?" The redhead asked as he moved his body so that his arms were propped on Itachi's chest. He rested his head on his arms and looked at the Itachi with curious blue eyes, red hair spilling everywhere.

"Well..." Itachi had to think for a moment what schooling was required for his occupation. He gazed absentmindedly up at the smattering of stars across the heavens while his hand carded through the fiery red hair. "Everyone starts out by completing an undergraduate program, usually a Bachelor of Art or Science, which would be a four year program. Then one would need to be accepted and earn their doctor of medicine degree which is another four years. After those two undergraduate programs are completed, they would need to enter a residency program at a hospital that could be anywhere from three to seven years of professional training depending on their specialty." He hoped that was simple enough to follow.

"So you're basically spending more than a decade to become a doctor," Kyuubi muttered as he leaned into the hand that had moved to his face.

Itachi hummed in agreement, his thumb gently caressing a tan cheek. "I suppose that's true in most cases."

"So wait...how old were you when you started? Cause if I'm doing my math correctly, you should be thirty-two!"

The only sound for a long while was the hushed rustling of the wind through the swaying trees. Itachi had been hoping Kyuubi wouldn't have noticed the time gap. Most people didn't, but once someone uncovered the truth, without fail, that person treated him differently. It was also the main reason those who met him believed him to be much older.

"I graduated high school when I was fifteen," the apprehensive Uchiha finally said. "And now you see why I had very little time for relationships."

"Why the hell would you want to be with someone as dumb as me?" Kyuubi sputtered out the first thing that had come to mind. Here he was with a genius and he couldn't accept the fact that a man of that caliber wanted to be with him. He was nothing compared to the other man.

Without a word, the doctor sat up abruptly. He pulled Kyuubi up, their eyes meeting for only a moment before Itachi caught Kyuubi in a passionate and hungry kiss. The inky black eyes fluttered shut and the world fell away. It was as if it were only the two of them, and that was all that mattered.

When they finally parted, Itachi was panting lightly, his pale cheeks tinted with a light pink flush. "That's why."

Kyuubi melted into the smaller man, his hands clutching at Itachi's shirt. He placed his head under the other's chin and nuzzled the pale throat in front of him.

"I guess I should doubt you more often if it'll get me a reaction like that," he teased as he nipped the throat under his lips.

A low chuckle rumbled through Itachi's chest. The slender arms wrapped around the broader body of the Uzumaki and hugged him tightly. "Did you want to stay out here, or should we head back?"

"Mmmm, I hate making decisions like that." Kyuubi said as he tried to burrow deeper into Itachi's chest.

Losing his already precarious balance, Itachi fell back, Kyuubi safely cradled in his arms as his own body absorbed the impact. His breath was forced from his lungs. "Well, I suppose we can stay here longer," he choked, struggling to catch his breath.

"Sounds perfect to me," Kyuubi answered as he slid a hand under Itachi's shirt and began to draw lazy circles on the warm skin.

"Alright then... Do you know anything about astronomy?" Itachi inquired while fighting the urge to giggle at the tickling sensation on his lower belly. Only two people knew he was ticklish and where, and he wasn't about to alert Kyuubi. At least not quite yet.

"I can pick out Orion and the Dippers, but that's about it," the redhead answered as he rubbed his head into Itachi's chest. He honestly hoped that the other didn't mind him being so affectionate. It was a part of who he was.

"Well, since we're looking north right now, you can see the little dipper there," Itachi said, pointing to the cluster of bright stars that Kyuubi was already familiar with. "And the north star at the tip of the handle, but if you look just below it, there's the long winding line of stars that create the constellation of Draco." His finger followed the long sweeping line that made the dragon. "Of course the big dipper is there," he said, pointing out the well known constellation. "But there's more to it as a whole of Ursa Major. The back end that points out like a triangle, and the back leg, and the front legs, and finally the head." Each part of the complex constellation was pointed out with a long slender finger tracing over the invisible lines in the sky.

Kyuubi watched the slender finger with rapt attention, taking in everything that Itachi was saying. The man would have made a wonderful teacher with how easily he was teaching the redhead things. Soon enough the smooth baritone of Itachi's voice was lulling him to sleep. Unable to keep his eyes open, Kyuubi fell asleep with a peaceful smile on his face.

Startled out of his train of thought by the hand drawing lazily on his stomach falling limp, Itachi looked down to find Kyuubi fast asleep on his chest. A manicured eyebrow rose at the cute, but surprising sight. He hadn't thought he was that boring.

Sighing, the doctor made the decision to permit Kyuubi to use him as a pillow and nap for a bit. But what worried him was that it was only nine in the evening. According to Naruto, it was strange for Kyuubi to be sleeping so long, especially after working a night shift.

Tearing his attention away from the peaceful face, he continued to watch the skies. With little to do to occupy himself, he located Mars and Uranus on the horizon, and Jupiter not too far off from the Moon that hung brightly in the sky. Eventually ten rolled around, and he determined it would be best to wake the sleeping beauty, but first he made a wish that he could make a relationship with Kyuubi work when he spotted a shooting star.

Blue eyes were unfocused as they opened, someone was shaking him and he couldn't exactly remember where he was. When he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked up into the most breathtakingly beautiful face he'd ever seen, everything came back.

"I thought it was a dream," Kyuubi muttered as he flopped his head back to the chest.

"Thought what was a dream?"

"Today..." Kyuubi whispered, not meeting the dark eyes.

"Oh..." Itachi said lamely.

"Are you disappointed in me?" Kyuubi asked worriedly, biting his lower lip as he pulled away from the warm body.

Itachi followed the warmth, refusing to allow Kyuubi to roll away from him. It may have been nice weather, but it was still the middle of winter. "Why would I be disappointed in you?" he asked, cuddling into Kyuubi's side. One attribute he had taken notice of was that the Uzumaki was an extremely affectionate individual, and if he was dealing with an abuse case, it was better for him to be very physical with his affection.

"It was your tone, you didn't sound enthused..." The redhead trailed off, diverting his eyes.

Instead of answering, the Uchiha swept Kyuubi up in a tender kiss, crushing their bodies together. A hand wandered down to cup the firm backside and he moaned softly into the pliable lips while kneading the muscles. "I'll work on my tone," he promised when he resurfaced. "You may or may not have noticed, but it's an Uchiha trait."

"I'm sorry...I don't want you to think I'm high maintenance." Kyuubi said, resting his forehead against Itachi's and closing his eyes, trying to not give in to his desire.

In a failed attempt to hide the quiet snicker, Itachi buried his face in the broad chest of the younger man. "High maintenance? You have met my brother, right?"

"Fuck, you're right!" Kyuubi murmured into the dark locks. "He's prissier than a Siamese cat."

Unable to hold back the laughter that was bubbling up, Itachi rolled onto his back, threw his head back, and burst into laughter. Just the thought of comparing his baby brother to a Siamese was hilarious.

"What's so funny?" The redhead asked, wrinkling his nose.

With great gasping breaths, Itachi managed to calm himself enough to answer. "Just picturing Sasuke with little pointed ears and a tail."

"You know that Naruto has been trying that for years right?"

"How much you wanna bet I could have him in them in less than five minutes." There was a strange gleam in the dark onyx eyes.

Kyuubi arched a red eyebrow. "You know that Naruto would owe you forever don't ya?"

The night air was getting chillier and without his jacket, Itachi was beginning to shiver. Sitting up, he pulled out his phone to discover it was after ten thirty. The older man shrugged and smirked over his shoulder at the redhead sprawled on the grass. "He already owes several, this would just be the icing on the cake."

"Really? What for?" Kyuubi asked with curiosity.

Climbing to his feet, Itachi offered the younger man a hand, pulling Kyuubi to his feet. "Well, there was the whole threesome episode, Sasuke's twentieth birthday present, and the sex toys when they were underage, to name a few."

"Threesome episode?" Kyuubi asked as he steadied himself. "And sex toys? Sasuke's birthday present? Please elaborate!"

Bending down to pick up his soiled jacket, Itachi chuckled in amusement at Kyuubi's avid curiosity. "Well, if you remember, two years ago they went to Paris for two weeks during summer vacation," he explained linking his arms with the younger man and casually strolling in the direction of the truck. "It was over Sasuke's twentieth birthday, but you know as well as I do that they're poor students. So, Naruto sold me his soul, so to speak, and asked me to front the money as a surprise for Sasuke."

"He sold you his soul? What has he done for repayment?"

"He pays me a hundred dollars a month, so as of now, he's paid off their flights there. The interesting part was when Sasuke found out where he got the money."

"I bet he didn't like that," Kyuubi commented as he stuck his hands in his pockets, Itachi looping an arm through his as they walked through the park. Their heads close together.

A small smile crept onto the normally stoic features of the Uchiha as he recalled his younger brother's reaction. "Actually... it was quite the opposite. Something about risking life and limb to do something so sweet."

"Really? Sometimes I wonder about our brothers. Now tell me about the threesome!" Kyuubi demanded glancing down into glittering dark eyes.

The small smile turned into a naughty smirk. "Oh, you mean the time our brothers sat me down, fed me my favourite meal, and then proceeded to ask me to join them in bed?"

"Really?" The redhead asked, stopping dead in his tracks. He wasn't quite sure how to process this information. He had nothing against incest he wasn't one to judge. He had trouble processing the information and memories tried to surface but he knocked them back. He didn't want to come off as needy.

Brow furrowed, the raven haired man stopped, his arm still looped through Kyuubi's. He looked up into the expressive blue eyes. There was an emotion present in them that he couldn't place, and it worried him. He prayed to a higher power that he hadn't just chased off what could potentially be the best thing in his life. Incest was rather taboo, especially for brothers, not to mention illegal.

"Nothing ever came of it," Itachi quickly explained. Hesitantly, he reached with his free hand and placed it comfortingly on Kyuubi's shoulder and squeezed. "I simply informed them that I would need to think about it. When they didn't hear from me for a few days, Naruto showed up on my doorstep. Evidently Sasuke was concerned. The two of us sat down and talked, and your brother, I must say, is quite persuasive when he wants to be and I agreed, though I was hesitant." Slipping his arm free, Itachi wrapped his arms around Kyuubi's waist, eyes still locked on the crystalline gaze. "I love my brother very much, and I'll be the first to admit he's extremely attractive, but I've never seen him in that way. In the end, it didn't matter. The whole adventure, much to my relief, was called off when Sasuke decided he didn't want to share. But to this day, Naruto still owes me."

A crooked grin spread across Kyuubi's lips, it was almost self deprecating. "Sasuke never did like to share. I remember when he first met Sai."

Relieved, Itachi let his head drop to Kyuubi's chest. "Ah, the clone. In Sasuke's defense, your brother is an idiot."

"Sai's a good friend who doesn't know boundaries. But when Naruto wanted to make a point, he came in handy." Kyuubi snickered.

Pulling back, Itachi wrapped an arm around Kyuubi's waist, and slowly began towing him out of the woods. "Sai is also the reason for their near break up a year ago," he reminded the younger man. "From what I've seen, the little punk knows exactly what he's doing, and this resulted in Sasuke staying at my house for three weeks because of him. As I said, your brother is an idiot."

The trees around them were beginning to thin and Itachi could see the brightness of the parking lot floodlights penetrating the thick branches of the evergreens.

Kyuubi sighed. "Sai actually doesn't. He has autism and doesn't understand social situations. Naruto is trying to help him improve on it but he doesn't want anyone to know. He sees it as a weakness."

"I hate to be the one to tell you, but Sai isn't being quite honest with you. Working in pediatrics, I've dealt with a number of autistic children. From observing Sai, I picked up on the signs, but I also noticed that after a few mistakes, he learns to correct himself. In the case of Naruto, he's learned by now that he's doing wrong and hurting Sasuke, but he refuses to correct himself."

"Sai has been a close friend of Naruto's for basically his whole life. He'll be heartbroken to hear of this," Kyuubi said sadly.

The arm around Kyuubi's waist tightened in a brief sideways hug. "I'm sorry."

The redhead buried his face into Itachi's neck, arms wrapping around the thin waist. "Do I have to tell Naruto?"

"Well, no..." Itachi said slowly, halting them in the middle of the path as Kyuubi threw himself on him. "But Sasuke knows which is why he's always so upset by it."

"It would devastate Naruto to learn of this, but I can't help but feel that he needs to know. I don't know how to tell him." Kyuubi said, nuzzling the neck before him.

With a sympathetic nod, Itachi hugged the younger man close to his body with one arm, his semen stained jacket squashed between them. When he pulled away, the older of the two once again began to guide Kyuubi towards the truck. In minutes, they stepped out of the treeline and onto the brightly lit concrete of the parking lot and weaved through the surprisingly high volume of vehicles still parked.

Kyuubi unlocked his truck and quickly slid in, opening the passenger door for Itachi to enter the vehicle as well. As the Uchiha pulled his seatbelt on and he started the truck, Kyuubi opened his mouth and asked, "your place or mine?"

Whatever Itachi had been expecting, that wasn't it. "You... oh... I..." he trailed off and collected his thoughts. The question had been completely unexpected, but not unwelcome. "Well, I should pick up my car first, but mine I suppose."

"We can leave my car at Naruto's for the night. I don't have to be in to work for a few days." Kyuubi said as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed to their brother's house.

The drive was peaceful and quiet, the soft sounds of jazz in the background as Itachi dozed lightly with his head resting against the passenger window. At some point, Kyuubi had reached over to take his hand, and they now lay on the armrest between the seats. The atmosphere was stress-free and the silence comfortable. Itachi hadn't felt this at ease in a long while. With a hectic schedule and a demanding job, he rarely found himself in social situations, and when he did, he felt out of place. He had a wonderful bedside manner with the children he worked with and anyone that knew him would be shocked until they witnessed him speaking to the parents.

When the truck pulled into the driveway, Itachi noticed the house was still lit up. "Sasuke must be waiting up for us. We should check in with them before leaving."

"Yeah, you're right." Kyuubi muttered as he turned the truck off and slipped out of the vehicle. He waited for Itachi at the front of the car and smiled at the Uchiha when he joined him.

Tilting his head towards the house, Itachi started for the front door, the sound of Kyuubi's heavy footsteps falling behind him. He didn't even bother knocking, just walking in the front door as if he lived there and closed the door loudly behind them. The house was strangely quiet, too quiet considering it was the home of one Naruto Uzumaki.

"Hello?" Itachi called. His eyes went wide when Naruto came skidding into the hallway, his bright blue eyes wide with panic.

"It's Sasuke! I don't know what happened! One minute he was fine and then he just collapsed!" the blond said, unaware of his state of undress. He grabbed Itachi's hand as he dragged the older man through his house to his bedroom.

TBC