𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐎 (𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐒)

Until the Very End

(Okay so this is if the coup d'etat had never happened, and Shisui's alive, so is Minato and Kushina. Itachi's about sixteen in this fic, so Sasuke is about ten, and Shisui is around twenty)

         It had been two months, and Itachi was a nervous mess. On the outside he had a face of utter calm, but he was startled easily. He often found himself drifting off into space wondering where the hell his Shishi was, and that if he wasn't dead he was going to kill his cousin himself when he got back.
"Itachi." His father's bold commanding voice rang out, and hit Itachi like a slap across the face. Drawing Itachi's attention back to the Sunday night dinner. His father was staring at him with piercing eyes, and Itachi nearly recoiled from his father's icy glare. He felt vulnerable, like his father could see straight through his soul, and read every single word written on it. Every single word written for and by Shisui. His boyfriend. His first heart throbbing love and quite possibly his only.
"Sorry Father. I'm caught up in learning a new chakra nature with the ANBU." Itachi instantly threw the blame onto his work in the Black Ops, knowing that if push came to shove Kakashi would cover him seamlessly and without a second thought. Itachi let his hair fall into his face as he hid it from the knowing eyes of his mother. He knew that she knew. There had been multiple times Shisui had barged in the house after Itachi got back from a long grueling mission, and practically knocked Itachi off his feet with a large bear-hug, even more aggressive than his little brothers. Not that Itachi's complaining, he loves to cuddle Shisui. Or more accurately, be cuddled by Shisui. He curls up in his warm lap, and feel those strong wiry arms wind themselves around him in an impenetrable cage of pure bliss and happiness in those fleeting moments that they can share alone together. The way Shisui's large calloused hands caressed his thighs as the older boy moved his hips at just the right ang-
"Itachi!" Fugaku is mad now if he wasn't before. Itachi jumps about two inches in his seat, his chopsticks slipping out of his hand and into his lap. He bows his head again, a slight flush burning his cheeks as he realizes where his thoughts were tip-toeing off to.
"I'm sorry. This last week has been difficult. I think it would be best if I went to bed. I'm too exhausted to focus on anything."
Fugaku seems briefly satisfied with this answer, but just as he opens his mouth to speak and excuse his son from the dinner table, the door swings open with a gust of rushing night air, and a tall dark form comes stumbling in the room. Blood and dirt matted in his dark curly locks, and his nin uniform spattered with crimson and dark brown mud. He's leaning heavily on his left side, and his blazing mangekyou sharingan boring their sharp square edges right into Itachi's eyes as he stumbled towards the long-haired teenage boy, Itachi let out an involuntary whisper of the man's name, that spoke of such utter relief and hope tainted with worry,
"Shisui,"
___

Itachi visited the hospital every day, desperate for signs of him waking up. He often sat next to Shisui, never daring to press a kiss to his cheek, forehead or lips for fear someone might see. He didn't even touch him. The most contact he had from Shisui in the past week, was the panicked run Itachi had made to the hospital, clinging desperately to the older nin in his arms. He longed to feel Shisui's hands on him, and longed even more to press his lips to every inch of his cousin's skin, and to feel his heart beating against Shisui's. He brought stories with him when he visited, of Sasuke's first mission, of the latest in Uchiha news. Of Izumi's engagement to a fellow clansmen, and how he found Obito mercilessly fucking Kakashi into the wall of the ANBU Locker room two days ago. Which was a little scarring if he was honest, but gave him some ideas next time he and Shisui were alone. He couldn't wait to tell all of these to Shisui in person, so he committed every story to his perfect memory bank. Stored away for those late nights when he couldn't sleep, not even when entangled in Shisui's arms.
He had been waiting for three weeks when Shisui finally awoke. Shisui's coal grey eyes flickered open to be met with the ecstatic face of Itachi Uchiha, Sharingan blazing and whirring at a dizzying speed.
" 'Tachi, what's wrong?" His words are slurred from a sudden wave of drowsiness that overtakes him, and he reaches out to the smaller nin, hoping to suppress whatever overwhelming negative emotion he is currently nursing. Itachi shoves him violently back to the bed, and in one blurred movement moves to lie on top of him. Chest to chest, Itachi's face tucked into Shisui's neck as he sobs uncontrollably into the hospital gown, the tears and blood staining it darker, and his lithe body wracking with every breath as Shisui tangles his hands in long dark hair and presses himself fully against him.
"Hey, hey. I'm here now. It's all okay. I'm here" Shisui continues to repeat these words, gently rocking his kouhai in his arms. Humming softly as they sway together. Itachi's breathing slowly calms down, and he carefully pulls his face from Shisui's neck.
"I'm so glad you're okay. I was worried you wouldn't ever even wake up." The younger boy squeezes his eyes shut at his, tears cascading down his cheeks and getting lapped up by his greedy hair. Shisui is touched by the youngers violent reaction, so Shisui gently pulls back from the younger boy to look him in the eyes.
"I will never leave you,"
"You promise you'll stay with me?" Itachi's eyes are soft and vulnerable with fear and worry. Shisui is desperate to soothe his kouhai, and presses his lips softly to Itachi's whispering his most meaningful, and most likely to be broken, promise.
"Until the very end."