Ohayo Nii-san :D Soft light through a window. A shuffle beneath the sheets. A stifled yawn. Sasuke sat up slowly from where he lay on his bed, his vision still hazy from sleep. He yawned yet again as a pallid hand rose to meet his face, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He mumbled to himself incoherently as his bare feet met the cold, hard floor. Coal colored eyes rose to meet the small, hand drawn picture that he had made of himself and his family not two days ago, and his eyes flashed with realization. Today was his Aniki's birthday. As he thought, his sleepy pout slowly turned to a mischiveous grin. He quickly, but carefully, hopped down from his bed and made his way over to his door. Cracking it open ever-so-slightly, he peered into the hallway. Passageway clear. Tiptoeing into the hallway, he made his way to the door adjacent to his. Pausing to listen, he made sure that no one else was awake before placing his hand on the door. He slowly applied pressure, and was rewarded with a small gap to peek through. With one eye he scanned the room for his prey. His breathed hitched in his throat as he spotted a large lump on the bed located in the corner of the room. Target identified. His face once again broke out into a grin, this one wider than before. He waited a few moments before pushing the door open a little further. Squeak. He froze, heart beating frantically in his chest, and he was sure that the horrible pounding could be heard a mile away. As if to confirm his fears, the figure on the bed shifted slightly and an almost inaudible sigh could be heard. Unconsciously, his grip on the doorframe tightened, his face somehow managing to pale even more than his already pale complexion. Discovery was inevitable and he silently braced himself for what was sure to come... But nothing happened. There was no more movement from the bed or anywhere else in the house, and he let out a breath that he didn't even remember taking. Finally realizing that he was in the clear, Sasuke's grin returned full force as he slid the door open the rest of the way and dashed into the room on silent feet. Without even bothering to stop, he launched himself into the air and bellyflopped right ontop of his unsuspecting victim. What happened next, however, was not according to plan. As soon as he made contact with the figure, the entire room did a 180 and he found himself on his back, pinned firmly to the matress in a most uncomfortable position. Sasuke's eyes, which had squeezed shut on impact, opened cautiously, and he was greeted with the sight of his brother. He pouted. " No fair Niisan, you chea--" Sasuke was about to go into a full fleged poutfest when he felt something cold press itself lightly against his neck. It was so light in fact, that he wasn't even sure if it was even there. His brain took a moment to fully process the situation. He was sprawled out on his back in the middle of his brother's bed. His brother, Itachi, had him pinned, one foot up somewhere by Sasuke's waist, while the other leg was folded, his knee on Sasuke's other side. He had his left forearm across Sasuke's shoulders, his elbow pinning one, while his hand and wrist pinned the other. His brothers' right hand, however, Sasuke had failed to notice... The tickling sensation on his neck brought back his attention, and he wriggled impatiently. He winced slightly when the grip on his shoulder tightened. Curious, he looked over at the hand that held him down, then back up to the person it belonged to and his playful pout turned to one of confusion. Itachi's eyes were closed...and if Sasuke was correct...they had never once opened. He continued to stare at the one above him, that is, until the sensation on his neck turned from slightly irritating to slightly painful, and a heck of a lot colder. He squirmed again to get a better look, and was rewarded with getting pushed even further into the matress, the pressure on his chest making it slightly harder to breathe. Sasuke gasped in surprise as he was finally able to catch a glimpse of what was touching his neck out of the corner of his eye. This unusually cold, slightly painful feeling...it was because of Itachi. The right arm, no...the hand that he had somehow failed to notice earlier is what held the source of his discomfort. In his Niisan's hand, being held so dangerously close to the artery that held his life blood...was a kunai. There was a kunai in his older brother's hand and it was being held to his throat. There was a kunai in his older brother's hand and it was being held to his throat. Sasuke whimpered softly as a shiver ran up his spine. The kunai...the steel of the blade...it was so cold, so cold that it almost burned his skin where it made contact. And yet he couldn't seem to move. He couldn't seem to be able to get away from this bone numbing cold because his brother was keeping him there, trapped underneath that icy blade. Sasuke was scared...but worse than that, he was uncertain. " A...anik--" Sasuke was cut off for a second time as the freezing blade was pressed to his neck again, this time drawing blood. He whimpered as the blade slid to the left a little, slightly increasing the bloodflow, and his eyes widened in fear. He squirmed desperately to get away and Itachi, unconsiously, shifted a little, locking his ankle over both of Sasuke's, cutting off any and all chances for movement. " An-aniki... Ita-Nii...wake up, p-please..." Sasuke pleaded desperately, his fear causing him to stutter and choke. His pleas fell on deaf ears, however, as Itachi had not yet opened his eyes. The pain in Sasuke's neck was increasing steadily as his brother pushed down harder with the kunai. Oddly enough, there was not enough pressure to pierce his jugular...just enough to draw blood. If possible, his eyes widened even more as Itachi leaned closer, their faces merely inches apart. A few loose strands of hair swayed gently, tickling Sasuke's nose as Itachi leaned in slowly, and Sasuke could feel his breath on his face. He squeezed his eyes shut and shivered...from what he didn't know. Was it fear? Anticipation? Before he could decide, he felt a soft pair of lips brush against his chin, and then he felt the warm breath fan across his neck. Biting his lip to hold back another whimper, he forced himself to keep his eyes closed. Itachi inhaled deeply, taking in the metallic scent, before a small pink tounge darted past slightly parted lips to taste it. A shudder shook Sasuke's entire body as he felt Itachi leaving a warm trail across his wound, stopping somewhere in the middle. Itachi's tounge retreated, his breath making the saliva dampened area grow cold, and his lips twitched at the taste. He pulled away slightly and his lips twitched again, this time into an almost microscopic frown. " Sa...suke..." Itachi whispered, recognizing the scent, or rather the taste, of his brother. At the sound of his brother's voice, Sasuke reopened his eyes and stared down at the mass of raven colored hair. Did he hear right? Was he just imagining it or had his brother finally awakened? If so, why did he still have a kunai pressed to his neck? " Aniki...a-are you awake?" He inhaled sharply as, suddenly, Itachi's eyes fluttered open and his gaze locked with that of his brother's. He noted, with some surprise, that his Aniki's eyes were clear and focused, even though he had just woken up. His were nothing like Itachi's in the morning; his were muddled and unfocused. _" Itachi..." _Sasuke was sure that if Itachi slept with his eyes open that they would be clear...those eyes would always be able to pierce his soul. Itachi's eyes widened, if only by a fraction, when he realized what he was doing. He quickly removed the blade and climbed off of Sasuke. Sasuke sat up slowly, taking deep breaths as he did so, but never once took his gaze off of his brother. In his eyes he could see anger and confusion. Itachi turned away, placing the blade on a small bedside dresser, and then turned back to find Sasuke curled up in a ball at the far end of his bed. He climbed back onto the bed, and crawled slowly over to Sasuke. He didn't want to scare his little brother more than he already had. " Sasuke? " He spoke his brother's name softly, soothingly. When he got no response he tried again. " Sasuke..." he repeated, but still no answer. He reached out cautiously and touched Sasuke's shoulder, and the boy stiffened visibly. He was still shaking slightly as he drew his hand away, and Itachi sighed heavily. What the hell happened? The last thing he remembered was going to sleep. How the hell did he end up with his brother pinned beneath him on his bed with a kunai pressed to his throat and the taste of blood on his lips? " Sasuke...I don't know what happened, but i'm sorry." Sasuke shivered and raised his head a little, peeking over his arms with huge watery eyes. That look made Itachi feel like crap. Sasuke's next words made him feel even worse. " N-niisan...I...I just wanted...t-to...to...tell you happy...b-b-birthday..." Sasuke's lower lip was trembling so badly that he could barely get the words out. Not to mentioned the choked sobs every few seconds. Quite frankly, he looked like a kicked puppy. Itachi winced a little at the look, but reached out again to touch Sasuke's chin. He was a bit surprised when Sasuke suddenly pulled away, almost falling off of the bed in the process. Itachi almost frowned, but forced himself to keep his expression as open and friendly as possible. He even gave Sasuke one of his rare smiles...well...more of a friendly smirk, but it's the thought that counts. He reached out again, but when he got the same reaction he decided to just sit where he was. " Otouto, why won't you cooperate? I need to see your throat to see how deep the cut is. " Sasuke feverently shook his head 'no', and winced as his wound began to sting from the movement. Itachi sighed and decided that the only way would have to be throught slight manipulation. " Otouto, you don't want to bleed to death do you?" Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, but he dare didn't lift his chin. Instead he pouted stubbornly, his lower lip still trembling. Itachi stared at Sasuke for a few moments before pressing further. " You know..." he said nonchalantly, settling down on the bed and leaning back onto the palms of his hands, " I don't exactly know how deep that cut of yours is. I could've piereced your jugular, and by the looks of it, I just might have." He paused here for effect, and glanced over at his otouto. Sasuke still hadn't budged, but his eyes were noticably wider, and he was shaking visibly. What surprised Itachi was that Sasuke had somehow managed to hold that pout in place the entire time. " Well..." Itachi inspected his nails as if they were the most interesting thing in the world, " ...since you obviously don't want my help, I guess you'll just have to bleed to death. Do me a favor, otouto, and get off of my bed; I don't want to have to explain to mother why my sheets are covered in blood. It's such a pain to get out--" Itachi stopped as something like a choked whimper met his ears. He looked over at his brother and saw the most pitiful sight that he had ever seen in his life. Sasuke was still sitting on the edge of his bed, but he had drawn his knees up to his chest, and his hands were covering his ears as he rocked slightly. But that wasn't what got Itachi. It was the look on Sasuke's face that made his heart clench painfully in his chest. The pout that he had grown so accustomed to was replaced with a look of pure horror. Tears were running down his face from eyes wide and dilated. His lips were parted slightly and his chest heaved as he tried desperately to breathe in his panicked state. " Otouto...?" Itachi got up and crawled back over to Sasuke, but the boy didn't seem to notice. He waved a hand in front of Sasuke's face, and still nothing. Sasuke didn't respond until he felt his Aniki encircle his trembling frame in a warm embrace. He uncovered his ears and clung to Itachi's shirt, his hands fisting in the soft fabric. Itachi rubbed his back in slow, soothing circles as Sasuke buried his face in his shoulder. His eyebrows knitted in confusion as he heard Sasuke mumbling something into his shirt. " What otouto? I can't heard you." he said, pulling away slightly. Sasuke looked up at him with the 'kicked puppy' face again and he flinched. Why the hell did he have to be so damn sadistic? " Aniki...I don't wanna die...p-please..." Sasuke's voice trailed off as another sob constricted his throat, and he immediately hid his face in his brother's shoulder again. Itachi heaved another sigh and squeezed his brother in a hug before moving away and sliding down off of the bed. When Sasuke looked up at him with panic and confusion in his eyes, Itachi did his best to reassure him. " Relax otouto. I'm not leaving you here by yourself, i'm just getting what I need to tend your wound, now stay put. " With that he turned away again and rummaged through his drawer. He pulled out all that he needed and set his things out on the bed; a roll of gauze, a small cloth, and a container of ointment. He took the cloth and went into his bathroom to wet it, and when he returned he found Sasuke poking around at the jar of ointment curiously. He was knocking it around, like a cat playing with its' food, and pouting slightly as he could'nt seem to get the damn thing open. Itachi chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement, and Sasuke looked up blushing slightly. " Um...I...was just...uh...what's this Aniki? " Sasuke finally asked, holding up the small egg-shaped jar. " That, otouto, is ointment. It's used to heal small injuries like cuts, scrapes and burns...we've used it before. Remember the time you fell and hurt your knee? That is what we put on it to make it feel better. " Sasuke's face brightened and he nodded vigorously. " I remember! But..." his face scrunched up like he smelled something awful, " that stuff was cold..." Itachi walked over and climbed back up onto the bed. He beckoned for Sasuke to come closer, and placed the gauze and ointment in his lap. Using one hand, he lightly grabbed Sasuke's chin and tilted his head up slightly. With his other he used the dampened cloth to clean the tender area. Sasuke whimpered as he felt the fabric drag across the torn skin, and he clenched his hands into tight fists to keep himself from moving. He sighed with relief when the cloth was finally taked away. Itachi released Sasuke's chin for a moment as he grabbed the jar of ointment. Sasuke eyed it skeptically, and when Itachi smeared two of his fingers with the healing cream, he shied away. " Otouto? What are you doing, I have to apply the ointment. " Sasuke gulped. " But...it's..." " What? " " It's cold! " Itachi sighed. This was not his day. He reached out for Sasuke and Sasuke backed away, pouting and shaking his head. Damn this kid is stubborn. " Otouto, am I going to have to pin you on the bed like I did earlier?" Itachi almost snickered as Sasuke complied willingly, scooting closer and lifting his chin without objection. Itachi made sure to grip Sasuke's chin again as he applied the ointment, and it was good thinking on his part as Sasuke flinched repeatedly. When he was done, he wiped his hands on a clean end of the damp cloth and retrieved the gauze. " Otouto, I need you to sit still. If you move around too much it might not get done right and we'll have to start this all over, understand? " Sasuke nodded once and lifted his chin again to give his brother better acess to his throat. Itachi moved closer and began wrapping Sasuke's wound. The pair sat in silence, one concentrating on the task at hand while the other waited patiently. Itachi leaned away suddenly, still holding the roll of gauze in one hand while searching around in his drawer with the other. When he found what he was looking for, he returned to his previous position in front of Sasuke. Sasuke glanced down curiously to see what his brother had gotten from his drawer and froze, his blood suddenly running cold in his veins. Itachi had another kunai. " N...n-niisan...?" Sasuke's voice was barely above an audible whisper. Itachi looked up in question and, seeing the fear in his otouto's eyes, realized his error. " Sasuke, there's no reason to be afraid. I'm just cutting the gauze. You don't want the entire roll hanging from your neck do you?" Sasuke seemed to relax, but tensed up again as Itachi positioned the kunai closer to his throat. He began to tremble slightly, and his breath quickened. Itachi leaned in a little closer, and with a quick flick of his wrist, severed the gauze. He quickly replaced the kunai on his shelf next to the slightly bloody one, along with the gauze and ointment, and turned back to Sasuke to make sure he was okay. There was no longer fear in his eyes, but he was still shaking slightly and his breathing was faster than normal. Itachi reached up and secured the gauze, making sure that it would not unravel, before leaning in to plant a gentle kiss on the area that covered the wound. He looked back up to find Sasuke flushed slightly and looking off in another direction. " Sasuke. " Itachi sat up straight and grabbed his brother by the shoulders, commanding eye contact. As soon as Sasuke turned, he continued, " I need you to tell me what happened this morning. " Sasuke shivered slightly at the seriousness in Itachi's voice, and looked down at his lap blushing slightly as he recalled that mornings events. " I...I was going to tell you happy birthday...so I snuck in your room and jumped on your bed..." He looked up to see Itachi's reaction and smiled sheepishly. Itachi was staring at him as if he was the most boring thing in the world. The only thing that gave away his slight amusement was a single, delicately arched eyebrow raised upwards. There was an akward silence before Itachi sighed heavily, releasing Sasuke's shoulders and settling down on his bed with his back leaning against his pillows and headboard. Sasuke blinked in confusion before crawling up next to Itachi and resting his head on his chest. He curled up next to his brother's warm body and continued. " When I jumped on you...you kinda...popped up and pinned me on the bed...and...at first, I thought you were playing, but then I felt something cold on my neck..." Sasuke's voice trailed off as he unconciously raised his hand to brush his fingers against the bandaging, shivering slightly. " What happened after that otouto?" Itachi asked softly, draping one arm lightly over Sasuke's shoulders. " I...tried to move, but you held me down..." Sasuke began shaking at the memory. " And...and I felt...the kunai ..." he bit his lip to hold back a sob. " It's okay...shhh...you're fine now...I won't hurt you...shhh..." Itachi cooed softly into Sasuke's ear, pulling him into another hug. Sasuke was once again clinging desperately to his shirt, burying his face into his brother's chest for comfort. And Itachi sat, holding him that way until his tears subsided. " Otouto..." Itachi began, carefully manuvering Sasuke's head until it was resting on his chest again. " You need to know that you can't do that anymore." Sasuke looked up, and Itachi reached up to brush away his remaining tears. " I can't do what anymore, Niisan?" " You can't jump on me when i'm sleeping." Sasuke pouted indignantly. " Why not? " " Well, for one thing it's annoying. " Itachi teased, poking Sasuke's forehead. " Itai! " Sasuke squeaked in surprise, scrunching his face into an angry pout. He did not like getting his forehead poked. Itachi chuckled lightly before continuing. " Another reason is because of my training. " " Nani? " " Well..." Itachi's voice turned serious," now that i'm training more and more, and at higher levels, i've obtained certain...reflexes. " " Reflexes?" Sasuke asked, perplexed. " Yes, reflexes. It's something your body does automatically without your brain telling you to do it. Kind of like...when you touch something hot and you immediately pull your hand away." " Oh...so...what you did...was a reflexes?" " Reflex. " Itachi corrected. " And yes, my body knows how to automatically defend itself now. I don't know how to control this reflex yet, so you can't surprise me for a while without possibly getting hurt..." " Oh..." Sasuke mumbled sadly, laying his head back on his Aniki's chest. This meant no more games for a long time...sigh. " Otouto...I just want you to know that I would never hurt you on purpose, do you understand? Never." Sasuke wrapped his arms around Itachi's waist and yawned sleepily. " Sasuke, did you hear what I said?" " Hai...I know you would'nt hurt me...Anou...Niisan... " " ...Hai, otouto?" Sasuke looked up at Itachi with a contented smile. " Aishiteru...happy birthday..." Itachi's eyes widened as Sasuke placed a chaste kiss on his lips before laying his head back on his chest and snuggling closer. He smiled softly at the top of his otouto's head before laying down slowly and pulling the blanket over both of them. Sasuke yawned again and snuggled right up to Itachi, burying his head in his neck, and drifting off to sleep. Itachi wrapped his arms lovingly around Sasuke's shoulders as his vision began to blur. " Aishiteru...otouto..." {draw:rect} Vocabulary Aniki: Big brother Niisan: Big Brother Otouto: Little Brother Itai: Ow, that hurts, etc...( I think - -; ) Anou: Hey Aishiteru: I love you Hai: Yes Nani: What?