Parenting 101🍡

Reckless🍂

(Kisame's POV)

It had been three days since the argument with Itachi-san. I wouldn't see him during the day or night. Feeling bad about the whole thing, I would leave food trays at the entrance of the room but to no avail. The food would be cold and untouched like the previous trays. Knocking on the door was hopeless as well. There would be no response or the door was locked. The only real sign I knew that Itachi-san was alive was when small whimpers and sobs escaped the cracks of the door. Every night I would hear the sound to the point that I got fed up and tried to investigate. During that time I was surprised that the door was unlocked, and when I walked in, I saw Itachi shaking in fear while whimpering in his sleep. I could never understand the words coming out of his mouth as he spoke asleep. With nothing else to do and help him with, I would just walk out and hope he didn't notice I was in the room. Yes, I was still mad, but I don't want him thinking that it would mean me stepping over boundaries like personal space.

After all, I was still his loyal partner as he was mine. There shouldn't be a reason not to give him his personal space. 

(Itachi's POV-2 days later)

I felt the rough hands of someone holding me down once more. Being held in lewd positions and touched in unwanted ways. My eyes teared up and I couldn't see the intruder doing these things to me. I cried and cried only to fall on deaf ears. My screams not calling attention to help. Never have I felt so weakened. A shinobi who showed weakness to others was not considered a shinobi apparently. Though people throw that word around like they know the true meaning of being a shinobi.

These feelings of pain suddenly washed over me. The wincing pain of my palms hit once more. They seemed to be healing slower than expected, but this made me realize that I was dreaming again. I shot up out of bed feeling a bit dizzy. The room was spinning and I was swaying before I leaned against the nightstand trying to steady myself. 

This dream... This horrible dream, it kept happening. Why? I had no idea. 

Was it stress? 

I sighed and stood up straight, looking at myself in a mirror arcoss the room. 

Dark eye bags, messy hair, sweat, rumpled pajamas. 

When was the last time I groomed myself? 

This reflection of me was not who I typically was? So why was I letting it be me now? 

Disappointment flashed across my face as I looked down at my messily bandaged and bloody palms. Deep down I knew what I had to do, but did I have the courage to do it? 

Guilt and anger still was previlant in the back of my mind. Anger that I, deep down, knew was not justified if I was the one primarily responsible for what happened some nights ago. But any time I remembered myself attempting to finally speak and apologize, my throat always seemed to dry up. Like that guilt was stopping me from staying anything to my partner, Kisame. 

Tonight, maybe just tonight I can finally come out with it...

Slowly I approached the door and unlocked it. 

(Author's POV)

As soon as Itachi opened the room door, he noticed a small tray of food beside the door. The water on the tray looked like it had sat there for a while and he decided it was best just to get a water bottle from downstairs. The walk downstairs was excruciating for the weasel. Who knew getting hurt in the palms could be that painful was what Itachi thought.

He expected downstairs to be quiet and dark, on the contrary, the kitchen lights were on and the sound of plates was heard as he stepped closer. It was 10 pm so Itachi didn't understand who would be up at this time. When he walked into the kitchen, there stood Kisame with his back turned and washing a few dishes. The kiri-nin didn't even know Itachi was behind him, and when he opened the fridge to get a bottle, it startled Kisame. He turned to look at his partner only to be met with tired and gentle eyes. The pale complexion was something normal to Kisame. Now the eye bags were not. His partner's palms were not bandaged correctly, and the weasel's body swayed a bit. Kisame knew his partner was tired and hungry most likely, he knew Itachi just wouldn't want to admit it, especially after an argument.