The mountains we climb [ShiItaSasu] AU

Part 2, Twenty eight

"It's been a week already," Itachi said as we were cleaning up after eating dinner. "How are you adjusting, is everything going well?" He handed me a plate to dry after he washed it.
"Shisui fell asleepa at work today," I put the plate into the cabinet and waited for another one. "I don't think he's handling things as well as he's pretending to."
"Have you been that busy?"
"I still can't really make any distinctions between what it looks like when he's actually busy and what's normal, but he's been taking work home basically every day."
"He's always sort of done things like that," Itachi handed me a mug. "He's a workaholic, especially when he doesn't have anything else going on in his life at the same time."
"Maybe he should get a pet or something?" I played around with the image in my head. "Does he even like animals? I could see him with a dog."

**

It was June 9th, the day of Itachi's birthday. He was still at work when I heard the buzzing noise ring throughout the apartment, telling me that Shisui finally showed up. I opened the door for him with the intercom and waited until he walked up the stairs. Soon, he was already passing by me, taking his shoes off. It was strange, seeing him outside of the office or his car. He was holding a box with a big, red bow on top of it. He put it on the dresser by the wall and closed the front door, not letting me go past him. I didn't look away from him when he put his hand on my chest and pushed me against the wall and I didn't push him away either. He moved both of his hands into my hair as he connected our lips.

"We have a lot to do," I said when he finally took a moment to breathe. I could feel my cheeks burning. "You have a lot to do."
"I'm very efficient," he nuzzled my neck softly before he kissed my ear. "Plus the way you're looking at me," he caressed my cheek with his thumb, gazing into my eyes. "I can tell you only want me to stop because you're worried you might not be able to hold back if this goes on for too long."
"Shut up," I pushed against his chest, in no avail. "Let's just prepare the food. Itachi will be home in less than four hours."
"The food will be done in two hours max, so why did you ask me to come this early?" He curled his lips into a smile. "Was it because you wanted some alone time with me?"
"If I wanted alone time with anybody, it would have been Itachi." I pushed against him again, using more strength. This time, he let go. I must have hit a nerve, because the smile vanished from his face. "Let's just go cook."
"You mean I should go cook and you'll watch?" He asked, seemingly back to his normal self.

He wasn't wrong, because as I tried to help him around, I was getting in his way more than anything. Both Itachi and Shisui were good at cooking and neither really appreciated my help. I was sitting by the table, watching as he moved around the kitchen, not having to ask where anything was, while all I could think about was what exactly was going on between us. It was confusing, ever since he kissed me a couple of days ago, he wouldn't stop. It was our little deal, he said. I felt absolutely horrible, there was no way I could tell Itachi and put our relationship in danger while we were doing so well, but if I didn't comply with Shisui, he would get in between us. Either way, I had to keep it to myself.

"So, how come you got the job here?" I asked, trying to hold a conversation. "Do you know Itachi's father?"
"You mean your father?" He stopped what he was doing as he said that, "Right, I forgot. Itachi surely isn't your brother." He added after he noticed the look on my face. "Yes, I know Fugaku quite well. I worked for him before."
"How do you know him?" I asked, ignoring what he said. I wasn't surprised that he either figured it out or Itachi told him, but I was expecting him to be more judgemental about it.
"Did Itachi not tell you?" He raised his eyebrows. "I suppose it's no surprise he wouldn't."
"Tell me what?" I asked. "He told me you two met a long time ago, that you were best friends and dated for a while. That's about it, well, apart from what you told me about how you broke up."
"Did he ever tell you how we met?" He turned his attention back to preparing the food. "Mikoto, your biological mom, is my mother's sister."
"Does that mean-" I couldn't believe my ears.
"Yes, we're cousins."

**
Either you you kiss me, or I kiss him. You know he will kiss me back. It's your choice.
His words were stuck in my mind as he held me on his lap with one of his hands on my lower back under my shirt, while he was playing with my hair with the other. The way he was kissing me was so different from Itachi. With Itachi, more often than not, every kiss we shared was full of the emotions we both feel for one another, it was passionate and made me feel connected to him. With Shisui, it wasn't about love. It was raw and rough. It was intimate. I could feel how much he needed the physical contact by the way he never fully let go off me. He would always hold me somehow, although he often put his hands in my hair. I could see why Itachi would love him. When we heard the keys in the lock, I quickly got up from Shisui's lap and sat in the armchair, trying to calm down my breathing again. When I glanced at Shisui, he was wiping his lips with his thumb, his eyes still glazed over.

"Shisui?" Itachi walked into the living room, putting down the bag with his laptop next to the door. "What are you doing here?"
"Sasuke invited me over for the special occasion," he said, not paying me any more attention. There was no sign of what we were just doing anywhere on his face, while I could still feel the blush on my cheeks carried by the memory of his lips on mine. "Happy birthday. Twenty eight, you're getting quite old."
"He did?" I watched as he walked towards me, bending over so he could kiss my forehead. "Thank you," he whispered to my ear before he straightened out his back. "By the time I'm your age, you'll be already an old man."
"That's fine with me," he replied. "You know I always had a sweet spot for younger people. They're much more fun to play with." He added, smiling at Itachi as if nothing ever happened. Suddenly, I got up from the armchair, my cheeks still bright red. I grabbed Itachi's hand, dragging him out of the room.

"What's going on?" He asked, looking at me with a confused face.

"I want to give you your present early." I said, briefly looking over my shoulder at Shisui. "I'm sure he won't mind."

***
A/N: I am aware that it was never really revealed if\how closely related Itachi and Sasuke were to Shisui, but given the fact they're all Uchihas, for the purpose of this story they will be cousins. Their mothers will be sisters.

I was just doodling and this came out, so uh, yeah-