Dedicated to sommergymnastica for breaking my writer's block and healing my burnout syndrome!

Itachi kept his face blank – he wouldn't allow his guilt nor his anger to show as he sat down at the desk he shared with Shisui. He opened his biology textbook – hoping that he would be able to lose his nagging thoughts by focussing on the diagram of a mitochondria.

Students had already flocked into the classroom – joyous conversations, vapid gossip and tired faces. Yet, Itachi didn't dare look up, he didn't take the risk of looking Shisui in his twinkling, onyx eyes.

The chair beside him was pulled up and a presence sat on it.

Itachi's heart picked up in speed – he recognised it as nervousness. He refused to outwardly show it, taking a firm grip on his emotions – as he always did. He could feel Shisui's eyes on him – they bore a heated wave of expectation.

Expectation of acknowledgement.

Itachi kept his eyes calmly on the diagram in front of him.

"Itachi, please..." Shisui said softly.

Itachi didn't respond, although it did bother him to hear Shisui sound so hopeless.

"Can we please, please, talk this through?" Shisui asked desperately.

A kindling sparked in Itachi's heart. A small flame sprung lightly to life, and try as Itachi might, he couldn't extinguish it. He didn't want to stop...being with Shisui. Shisui always brought a smile to his face – but he didn't know how to verbalize his displeasure at what Shisui did.

"We can talk about it...but I don't know what to tell you", Itachi said softly – his eyes focussed on the diagram before him.

Shisui felt a ripple of hope flow over his ocean of anxiety.

And, all throughout class he couldn't stop bouncing his leg under the table.

*****

Itachi was drained as he made his way to his locker. Spending the day ducking and dodging Shisui – while remaining studious was exhausting. He could feel Shisui looming behind him as he opened his locker. A small, folded piece of paper fell to the floor as Itachi opened his locker and he picked it up.

"Thanks for spending the day with me – K"

A small smile broke out onto Itachi's lips, oblivious to the seething Shisui who read the note over Itachi's shoulder.

Calmly and slowly, Itachi put unneeded books into his locker and placed the required ones into his satchel.

He turned to face Shisui, "Let's go."

*****

Itachi was being sadistic and he took slight pleasure in it as he calmly walked home - Shisui following him impatiently.

Itachi wanted Shisui to feel restless. He wanted to make Shisui experience the frustration Itachi had the previous day. Itachi would periodically stop outside store fronts and pretend to window shop, enjoying the sound of Shisui's impatient foot tapping. Itachi would then shrug and slowly continue walking.

"Itachi, can we just talk already?" Shisui's huffed out desperately.

Itachi kept quiet for a few moments, prolonging the silence. If Shisui could make him frustrated, why couldn't he return the "favour"?

"We will speak once I get home", Itachi replied calmly, yet dropping all hints of politeness. He was still angry, but the anger had become hollow. It was a starving beast that had given up, accepting it's fate - it's death. Leaving nothing but a cold, empty corpse.

Itachi was not oblivious to Shisui's obvious anxiousness. And he wanted Shisui to feel that way - Itachi drew pleasure. It wasn't right, he knew that - but he didn't care.

Shisui's impatience had become a mountain in his mind. He wanted to, needed to, fix things with Itachi. He reached for the younger male's wrist.

Before he could make contact with Itachi's soft skin, he withdrew his hand. Resisting the urge to touch Itachi. He didn't want to make things worse - he wanted to fix things.

And with that, he had to respect Itachi's anger.

Shisui shoved his wandering, fidgety hands in his pockets.

*****

Itachi unlocked his front door, and without a word made his way up the stairs to his bedroom. Shisui closed the front door and followed suit.

Itachi dropped his satchel next to his bed and sat on his bed. Shisui sat next to him and this caused Itachi to move away - putting as much distance between them.

Shisui's eyes fell to the ground in discouragement.

The silence was a frozen air. A winter scream, ignorant of the sunlight. Rebellious of any warmth. The two sat in silence. Insecurities drifted in the air as solemn, unspoken words made themselves comfortable.

"I'm sorry..." Shisui eventually whispered ever so softly. Itachi picked up Shisui's undertone of expectation yet sincerity.

Itachi kept quiet, unsure of how to proceed. His mind buzzed with possibilities - some form of a coherent reply.

None of them conveyed his hopelessness.

"Say something, please, Itachi. Anything", Shisui whispered again, his eyes stuck to the floor.

Itachi sighed, how had everything gone so wrong? How had his paradise - his emotional sanctuary - become a ruined dream?

"I don't know what you want me to say, Shisui... That I forgive you? I don't think I do... That it's all okay? It's not. I really don't know what you want me to say..."

Shisui felt himself slowly crumble, he wanted things fixed and the midnight possibility that it might be unfixable taunted his mind. He mustered his perseverance - at all costs, he couldn't lose Itachi.

Shisui courageously lifted his gaze from the floor and looked at the raven beauty. He could see the sad light in Itachi's eyes - and it tore his heart.

I did this, he reminded himself.

"I like you, Itachi... I think that's obvious. Kissing you is like tasting happiness - and I don't want to lose that. I have these feelings - and I don't know how to...tell them to you. I just- I barely understand them..."

Itachi felt put on the spot - he wished he could convey his feelings as eloquently as Shisui.

The unburst bubble, his mind teased him.

"I liked the beginning..." Itachi mumbled, meeting Shisui's uncertain gaze. Itachi could see the question in Shisui's onyx orbs.

"When you were...touching me", Itachi dropped his eyes in embarrassment, "I really liked that part."

"I more than liked it", Shisui admitted boldly.

The room seemed to heat up, Itachi's breathing picked up ever so subtly. He felt the butterflies again, and they swarmed with a fury. He tried to remind himself that he was angry, that what Shisui did wasn't fair. But his body wanted something else entirely.

Itachi shuffled closer to Shisui, bit by bit - his eyes focussed on Shisui's lips. Shisui's hungry gaze zoned in on Itachi's lips in return.

Their faces were inches apart, "I'm still...mad at you", Itachi whispered - his eyes never leaving Shisui's lips.

Closer! His mind screamed.

"I'm sorry", Shisui responded huskily - fighting his inhibitions.

He lost the fight.

He crashed his lips to Itachi's and Itachi responded eagerly. Shisui's hungry hands found themselves on Itachi's waist as Itachi's slender fingers curled themselves in Shisui's black locks.

The kiss was desperate, their teeth clanged against each other from time to time. Their hearts pumped pure lust instead of blood. Without breaking the kiss, Shisui lowered them - kissing Itachi passionately, hovering above the younger male.
Itachi's legs wrapped around Shisui in a vice grip. He had no intention of ever letting the kiss stop.

Their chests were heaving, their bodies begging for oxygen.

But they were each other's air in that moment. They were breathing one another in - relishing the intimacy.

Itachi broke the kiss, "This doesn't mean I forgive you", he said breathlessly.

But he knew that he had forgiven Shisui. The moment their lips touched, his anger had dissipated. It had faded away, making room for his desire to have Shisui just closer.

Shisui huffed in air - he wanted more. He wanted so much more of the raven beauty.

"Will you go on a date with me?" He asked Itachi, his eyes scanning the panting Itachi underneath him.

A shy smile broke out on Itachi's lips, "I would love to."

A/N: Do you feel Itachi forgave Shisui too easily? Would you like to see more torturous Shisui? Let me know!

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