Back To You [Shisui X Itachi]

Chapter 55 [MATURE]

The red numbers in the dark of his room read 4:38 a.m.

Itachi wanted to dismiss his sudden awakening and go back to sleep – he prepared himself to. Then, in the pitch blackness, there was the slightest bit of light flowing into his room from under the door.

He knew it was coming from Sasuke's room. He was slightly concerned as to why his brother would be up this early. Lucky, Itachi didn't have to wiggle out of Shisui's hold as Shisui was dead asleep. Itachi's fiancé had spent the previous day heavily working out.

Itachi got out of bed, threw on a random hoodie lying around and quietly left his room so as to not wake the older male. He was right, Sasuke's room light was on. Itachi walked over and knocked on the door, he then peeked inside.

Sasuke sat on his bed, his posture was one of sadness. It gripped at Itachi's heart.

"Do you think...Do you miss them too?" Sasuke asked softly, staring at the picture he was holding of their parents.

Itachi closed the door behind him and sat down on Sasuke's bed. The younger Uchiha just kept staring at the framed photo in his hands. There was clearly a longing – a nostalgic craving.

"Sometimes I do miss them...Sometimes – to be honest with you – I find myself hating them..." Itachi opened up, speaking just as softly as his brother.

Sasuke stroked a thumb gently over the photo, "They didn't know better – there's no manual for parenting..."

Itachi drew his legs up onto the bed, "That's true, but there is common consideration of the children – they lost that around the end..."

"I miss them..." Sasuke whispered, "There are so many questions, so many things I want to tell them..."

"I have things I want to tell them too...Mostly angry points to prove...But there are some things I want to thank them for", Itachi spoke honestly.

"I could use one of mom's hugs or dad's proud pats on the back right now", Sasuke confessed.

Itachi tried his best to play both roles for his thirteen year old brother – he tried to be both mother and father for Sasuke. He failed that task miserably.

Itachi stood up, "Get changed, and bring your backpack."

Sasuke looked up in confusion, "It's four in the morning, I can't go to school yet."

"I'm not taking you to school, we're going to go visit mom and dad – then I'll drop you off at school", Itachi smiled gently. But inside...inside he was scared.

*****

The sun had just started rising over the horizon when Itachi parked by Konoha Cemetery. Mellissa had done all the funeral arrangements – Itachi refused to be involved in anyway. He did, however, remember her saying lot 106.

He and Sasuke walked along the many paths on their search for their parents' lot. The gentle rays of sunlight made Itachi feel determined yet frightened as it was still mostly dark.

"There, 106", Sasuke pointed at the lot. He all but ran over to the headstones.

Itachi froze. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and on stiff legs walked over to his parents' eternal resting place.

Your resting place...deep underground, a fitting place for you two – Itachi's mind spat at his parents.

Sasuke knelt before the headstones:

Here Lies Mikoto Uchiha

Loving Wife And Mother.

To the right of his mother's headstone was his father's: