A/N: Wow, my frosty friends! I am so beyond giddy at all the comments this book has been receiving! I love hearing you interact with the characters and some comments even compliment me - and that just blows. my. mind! Please carry on - it always brings a smile to this little icicle's face :) If you see that sneaky vote star, catch it and press it! ILY, enjoy!

The cold, syrup-like ice cream meandered down Sasuke's hand. He lapped it up every now and then – his eyes focussed on the play area of the restaurant.

Despite his vicious battle against his fatigue, Itachi was always hyperaware when it came to Sasuke. Itachi sat next to the distracted Sasuke – with Kakashi on the opposite side of the table.

"Do you want to go play?" Itachi asked gently – tiredly.

Sasuke licked his ice cream with his little tongue, his large eyes still focused on the play area. The blue room emanating giggles and laughs. Childhood within a room.

"Mhm", Sasuke said in agreement.

"Well go on then!" Itachi said excitedly, "But don't make a mess with your ice cream."

Sasuke smiled, chocolate around his mouth, "I'll be good!" He hopped off the booth and walked carefully on little legs so as to not spill his ice cream.

When his little brother was inside the blue room of happiness, Itachi let out a heavy sigh and placed his head in his hands.

"Why don't you want to go home?" Kakashi asked softly.

Itachi sighed, where would he begin? How would he explain it? Perhaps he could switch topics or lie.

But you don't want to. You want to tell him, his mind whispered.

"My parents...they're going through a bad time..."

Itachi's eyes focussed on Kakashi's hands that rested on the table, and when he answered Kakashi's question rather vaguely, Kakashi's fists balled up angrily.

"Are they hitting you and your brother?" Kakashi sounded normal – at ease. But his tone carried a subtle wavelength of rage.

Itachi shook his head, "Not exactly. The first time my brother and I saw them fighting...Sasuke tried to stop them. It was a crazy blur of scratching and tugging and my father accidentally kicked Sasuke out the way. His head hit the corner of a night stand and was sent to hospital..." Itachi explained while twirling his straw in his milkshake. It wasn't exactly the easiest thing to talk about.

Kakashi was quiet, Itachi knew him well enough to know that he wanted the rest of the story.

"A picture by the staircase. My father and mother were smiling fondly in the background while Sasuke and I played in the foreground. I loved that picture. It was so colourful – it was my family...Now, it's shattered on the floor somewhere. My idea of...love...has turned sour. It's funny though", Itachi added, still swirling his straw.

"What's funny?" Kakashi asked.

"Even in all that turmoil and inner conflict about what 'love' is, I still cared enough about Shisui to push him away. To keep him away from this deplorable life I have found myself in."

"You didn't push me away..." Kakashi added.

Itachi looked up with tired eyes, "It's different with you. I hope you don't take offence, but if you do I have nothing to lose anyway. Whatever 'feelings' you have for me are purely sexual – I speculate. There's no emotional attachment, making it safe for you to stay because you wouldn't be sucked into the dark hole that is slowly becoming my existence. Melodramatic I suppose – but I don't have other words to describe it..." Itachi's voice weakened near the end.

Kakashi didn't have a response and Itachi returned to playing with his milkshake, taking small sips time and time again.

"It...My father", Kakashi began, struggling with his words, "When he was...alive, worked for the Konoha police force. My mother stays in contact with his friends that are still on the force...I cou-"

Itachi was lightening quick, "No. No, I've got it under control. I know what I'm doing", Itachi knew he sounded panicked. Itachi knew Kakashi noticed. Despite the temptation that was Kakashi, his strong jawbone and pearl white hair – Itachi couldn't bring the police into it.

Sasuke can never see his parents dealing with the police.

"Itachi, ple-"

"Nii-san, I'm tired", Sasuke mumbled, crawling onto his older brother's lap. The sugar high had dissipated. Itachi was so thankful for his younger brother right now.

"I am too, let's go home", he smiled down at his chocolate-covered younger brother.

Kakashi got the hint and the three of them left the restaurant and got into Kakashi's car. Sasuke fell asleep on Itachi's lap, his little head resting on Itachi's chest – snoring ever so softly.

Kakashi was quiet. Quieter than usual, and, in his despondence, Itachi knew his previous comment must've upset him – offended him.

The car came to a stop in Itachi's driveway.

Welcome back to the house of horrors.

"Thank you for the ride...I-I'm sorry if I offended you", Itachi quickly apologised and reached to open the car door.

Kakashi caught Itachi's other wrist – the one holding Sasuke against his chest.

"I'm not mad, I'm not offended. You made some impressive deductions...but one of your premises were incorrect", Kakashi said calmly yet...afraid. He released Itachi's wrist.

Sasuke began stirring, "Awe we home?" He asked sleepily.

Distracted now by Sasuke, Itachi smiled fondly – with utmost force,
"We are!"

Itachi got out of the car, thanked Kakashi again and closed the door. He walked up to the front door of his house, putting Sasuke down and fishing out his keys. He unlocked the door and took a cautious step inside.

The house was silent. But the anger was stagnant in the air. The house was so cold – lacking love. Itachi could feel it all. The betrayal and revenge. The loss of love was, indeed, chilling.

"I want to nap", Sasuke began climbing up the stairs – oblivious to the cold atmosphere.

"Can we nap together?" Itachi asked hopefully. His parents weren't home and he didn't want to be alone – he didn't want his brother to be alone.

"Mhm", Sasuke agreed sleepily.

Itachi led Sasuke to Itachi's bedroom and tucked his younger brother in his red sheets. Sasuke was almost immediately asleep. Itachi's fatigue recognised its doom and got the better of him.

Itachi fell asleep right beside his beloved younger brother, the heaviness of the day lifting with each second his eyes got heavier and heavier.

*****

The shatter was so loud, so forceful, that it shook the walls.

Itachi immediately jumped out of bed – his eyes darting to his brother who was still sound asleep.

"Then go stay with her! Leave me to take care of our children!"

Please no. Please no. Please no.

Another shatter, accompanied by a clang. Of all that were the terrifying sounds coming from the kitchen – one was the scariest.

A dry chuckle. Humourless...dangerous.

Itachi grabbed his phone, huddled Sasuke in a blanket and gently picked him up. Praying with his erratic heart, at the altar of his widened eyes that Sasuke wouldn't wake up. Begging that his colourful brother would be spared from the haunting gray.

He was close to the front door now, "I'll kill you Fugaku", Itachi heard a knife being unsheathed from its place holder.

Itachi's heart beat faster and faster.

Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!

And the only place there was to go in the middle of the night...was Shisui's house. He dashed out the front door – not bothering to close it and sprinted across the street.

"Nii-san, what's happening?" Sasuke sounded scared.

And that broke Itachi's heart. But, he needed to be strong. He needed to be brave.

"We-We are sleeping over at Shisui's house tonight!" Itachi wanted it to come out excitedly, friendly and playful.

But there was no disguising his hysterics.

He put Sasuke down on Shisui's porch and knocked rapidly on their front door. His heart was beating so fast it hurt – it physically beat against his rib cage. Sweat rolled down his forehead despite the chilled night breeze.

Shisui's father, Kagami, flung the front door open, "Wha-"

"They're going to hurt each other! Please help!" Itachi tried to say in his playful voice – but he sounded erratic. His resistance and the steel that ran down his back was rusting and crumbling.

"Who is it?" Shisui's mother, Hae, asked from the corridor.

"Please!" Itachi begged again.

"Hae, make Itachi and his brother some chamomile tea to calm them down. I'll be right back", Kagami said as we walked over to Itachi's house.

"Come dear, let's sit you guys down", Hae said gently, picking Sasuke up.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked in fear again.

And Itachi cracked. His life, that he duck taped and glued back together vigorously...broke into shards.

He fell to the floor and sobbed.

Sasuke knows. Sasuke is scared. I failed!

Sob after sob wracked Itachi's body so violently his lungs hurt.

"Nii-san!" Sasuke screeched in fear.

Itachi's head was pulled into a chest, a warm hand rubbed circles on his back and the scent of earthly pine gently caressed his nose. He knew it was Shisui. He knew it was his saviour. His mind tried to escape by focussing on irrelevant things – such as the fact that Shisui slept shirtless.

"Mom, take Sasuke to the kitchen please..." Itachi couldn't open his eyes. He couldn't look at his frightened brother. He did, pick up that Shisui knew this. Without talking, Shisui somehow understood.

Shisui's warm fingertips gently tucked a stray piece of Itachi's hair behind his ear, "It's okay, Itachi. My parents will figure it out."

"Sasuke", Itachi whispered in a raspy voice, "Oh my God, Sasuke saw me like this." More tears welled in Itachi's eyes.

"Shh", Shisui hugged Itachi harder.

The exertion, the anxiety and responsibility was too much and Itachi slowly fell asleep in Shisui's arms.

"I still love you..." Shisui whispered to a sleeping Itachi.