*Four years later*

A/N: Yes, I know "Icy, how tf can it be 4 years later?!" lmao! If you can remember, the very first chapter of this rollercoaster started with "4 years ago". Now, I owe all of you an apology for the previous chapter LOL. I received more than 25 VERY ANGRY comments – OVERNIGHT. All of them aimed at my poor Itachi lol. In the following chapters, you will come to understand his behaviour – I'm not going to explain it in an author's note because ew lol. I did post an announcement about Chapter 33 but I don't think anyone ever checks announcements lol! I tried to reply to as many furious comments personally as possible but I thought I best make up for it with these chapters. My Icy heart is sorry for the torment I've put you all through lmao...Without further ado – Icy presents the PRESENT part of the book! Enjoy!

Sweat dripped off Itachi's forehead as he threw his head back in pleasure.

Kakashi had just released inside of him...for the third time in a row. Feeling the hot liquid inside of him satiated a long standing need he had. It reminded him of something he couldn't quite place his finger on – a ghost of a sensation, to be felt but never properly identified.

"I-I'm all out", Kakashi huffed, his muscles taut from how hard Itachi was clenched around him.

"Thank you", was all Itachi said as he got up off Kakashi's member, some of the older male's seed slipping out in the process. Itachi was careful not to step on any of Kakashi's criminology notes they had shoved off his bed before starting their, often spontaneous, sex.

"Do you mind if I shower first?" Itachi asked in his forever monotone voice, putting on his bathrobe he had picked up from the floor.

"No, go ahead", Kakashi huffed out, his eyes slowly drooping from exhaustion – his chest heaving from laboured breaths.

Itachi left Kakashi's room – softly closing the door. Itachi's apartment was quite spacious – but nothing too hedonistic and large. Three bedrooms and two bathrooms. He had chosen the apartment strategically – it was placed in equal distances from Konoha High and Konoha University. Sasuke had decided, when he turned ten, that he wanted to attend Konoha High – similar to his older brother, being pushed into higher and higher grades based on performance.

Itachi kept his objections to himself.

He entered one of the bathrooms – between his and Kakashi's room – shed his robe and got in the shower. He found the perfect water-heat balance and let the warm water relax his muscles and soak his sweat-damp hair. He took his time, thoroughly cleaning himself, conditioning his hair then finally getting out.

He blow-dried his hair, and once dry it was perfectly straight.

He put his robe back on, went to his room and took note of the time – 2:05 pm.

Sasuke would be home soon.

Throwing on a random black outfit – which is really the only colour of clothing he had – he heard the front door open and close.

Itachi stepped into the hall while tying his low ponytail.

Sasuke dropped his backpack at the front door and took off his shoes.

"How was school?" Itachi asked. He really tried his best – he tried every day to add some semblance of emotion to his voice; some form of animation to his face whenever he spoke to his twelve year old brother.

He failed every time.

"Fine", Sasuke's dead voice replied.

Sasuke turned to go to his room, as he did every day after school – where he would remain until the next morning.

Itachi saw the same look in his little brother's eyes. The eyes of a corpse. Dead – they had no light.

At the age of ten, Sasuke had been diagnosed with clinical depression. He had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital, in hopes of addressing his illness. Nothing came from it except for medication – anti-depressants and mood stabilizers.

He still attended group therapy sessions every Saturday.

Itachi lightly grabbed Sasuke's wrist as Sasuke passed him on his way too his room.

"It'll get better, you know." Itachi said, trying his best to be supportive, scolding his emotionless tone each and every time.

Sasuke retracted his wrist free of Itachi's hold, "Stop saying that – it won't. You say that every day – but you're not even better. So, don't look down on me and focus on fixing yourself first, Itachi."

Nii-san, Itachi thought.

You used to call me nii-san.

Sasuke closed his bedroom door.

After two hours, Kakashi emerged from his room, went to shower and got dressed for his last class of the day – which he shared with Itachi. They studied different courses, him majoring in Forensic Sciences and Itachi focusing on Social Studies – aiming to be a social worker.

Kakashi understood the career choice.

They never spoke of his parents' death...nor Shisui.

Kakashi hadn't heard from Shisui in years. After Itachi left Konoha High, he tried calling the oldest Uchiha – even showing up at his old house. It was vacant.

Shisui wasn't at school either – it took Kakashi a few days to notice that. He graduated alone, at the top of his class – neither Shisui nor Itachi taking the first place, as they weren't seen at Konoha High ever again.

Kakashi was devastated at first – naturally. But one month turned into one year and morphed into two years – next thing he knew, he had graduated. He applied to study at Konoha University immediately after graduating and was offered a full scholarship based off his grades.

His first day of class – Psychology 101 – he sat at the very back. The lecture was rather straight forward so his bored eyes wandered over the back of the attending students' heads.

Then, at the very front of the packed lecture hall, he saw long black hair tied into a low ponytail. He didn't believe it at first. Of course he didn't. His eyes remained trained on the back of the head, expecting a completely different face.

The lecture ended and students filed out of the lecture hall in a herd. Kakashi, however, made his way against the sea of leaving bodies, toward the front of the hall.

He couldn't believe his eyes, sitting there and calmly packing up his notes was Itachi Uchiha.

Overjoyed Kakashi pulled him into a hug. The Uchiha did not respond – it was like hugging a coffin. Cold, unresponsive.

It wasn't long before he decided to move in with Itachi – once the Uchiha actually started speaking to him again. Kakashi insisted on paying rent – to which Itachi aggressively (although stoically) declined. Stating that if Kakashi gave him any money, he would be kicked out of the apartment.

Kakashi resorted to paying for groceries instead – to which Itachi just sighed but left the issue unspoken.

"Are you ready?" Itachi asked Kakashi, breaking him out of his trance.

"Yeah."

*****

It was an everyday occurrence. It didn't annoy Itachi, nor did it bring him any form of pleasure. Kakashi had, yet again, taken his hand.

He did it every day on the way to class, on the way home and during sex.

Itachi always let go of Kakashi's hand, finding something else to hold onto. He wasn't oblivious – Kakashi had feelings for him. Feelings he did not share. Feelings he did not have at all.

They entered the lecture hall and split up – Itachi preferring to sit at the very front of the hall while Kakashi preferred the back. Itachi took his seat, taking out his notebook and started taking notes.

Kakashi found himself sitting on the second isle seat, with an unoccupied one next to him. Leaning on his hand, he listened to the lecture begin – extremely bored already.

There was a crash and a flurry of papers falling to the floor. Most students turned to see what the commotion was – including Kakashi.

On the floor next to him, in the dim lighting provided by the projector was a man hurriedly picking up papers, mumbling furiously to himself. Kakashi sighed and got down on all fours, helping pick up the pages.

"You tripped again, way to go", the man muttered to himself still oblivious to Kakashi's presence.

He has a nice voice, Kakashi noted.

Their hands touched and the man looked up – Kakashi's curiosity was immediately piqued. The man had boyish features – not as defined as his. Short spiky hair, and wide innocent eyes.

"I'm so sorry! I tripped which I guess is my thing..."

"No sweat", Kakashi responded, handing the man the pages he picked up.

"Thanks", the man smiled.

Living with the Uchiha brothers, it had been a while since Kakashi had seen an animated smile – genuine and...hopeful.

"There's...uh...an empty seat next to mine."

"Oh, that would be great – half the class knows my presence now", the man whispered as if the whole hall would hear him.

Kakashi helped the man up off the floor, "I'm Kakashi by the way", he held out his hand.

The man took his hand in a light shake – already distracted by the lecturer, "Obito, nice to meet you."

*****

Itachi packed up his books when Kakashi and a man he didn't recognise stopped in front of his desk.

"Yo, I'll see you at home", Kakashi said.

"Are you going somewhere?" Itachi asked tonelessly.

"Obito", Kakashi motioned to the man standing nervously next to him, "And I are in the same classes and he doesn't understand a forensics practical. He asked if I wouldn't mind explaining it to him."

"Hi! I'm Obito", the man spoke up – holding out his hand.

Itachi looked at the man's smile, then at his hand. He took Obito's hand and shook it – barely.

"Itachi Uchiha."

"I know – the whole class does. You get perfect scores on all the assignments!"

Itachi didn't know what to say so he said nothing and returned to packing up his things. The pair left after a few seconds of awkward silence.

The hall was quickly empty and Itachi left.

He walked along the street-lit campus path on his way to his apartment. A gentle gust of wind blew passed him, undoing a strand of his hair from his ponytail. Itachi tucked it back behind his ear.

The scene was familiar.

Like a lifetime ago, he thought.

His thoughts didn't wander any further. It's not that he stopped them, they just didn't bother going further.

"Obito and Kakashi", Itachi said softly. There was no jealousy, no malice. Only two names – names that seemed to fit well together...

"Sasuke has group therapy at nine tomorrow", Itachi reminded himself nonchalantly.

"Focus on fixing yourself first, Itachi." Sasuke's words echoed in Itachi's mind.