Disclaimer: Still don’t own ‘em.

Serendipity

Orochimaru has never been one to believe in Fate. He makes decisions and they have consequences – whether he makes the right decision or not lies entirely in his hands. His future, whether good; whether bad, is ordained by he and he alone.

He chose to attack Konoha. Losing the use of his arms was just an unfortunate consequence.

He chose to give Sasuke a curse seal. Ending up with the Kyuubi-brat out for blood was just an annoying consequence.

Finding Kabuto... Well, perhaps that may have just been good luck. Sasori had offered him to Orochimaru as if he were an old piece of furniture he was trying to re-home instead of throw away. Sasori didn't want to present Orochimaru with a fabulous gift; it was purely the fact that discarding Kabuto would have been a terrible waste of talent.

Always a sucker for an impressionable young orphan, Orochimaru agreed to take Kabuto under his wing. The discovery of the boy's medical talents had been a wonderful surprise – and as soon as he'd dispelled the brain-washing jutsu Sasori had used on Kabuto, Orochimaru decided that Kabuto was his best find to date.

A few years on and Orochimaru still believes this. If anything, things have just improved. Kabuto's the perfect devoted minion with just enough mystery surrounding him to keep things interesting: for a boy who speaks so much, he reveals very little. But Orochimaru hasn't seen a doctor with such talent since Tsunade, so he happily gives Kabuto the freedom to do as he pleases – just so long as Orochimaru does not object, of course.

It's not just Kabuto's intelligence that Orochimaru admires; far from it. Kabuto is superlative in many respects: Orochimaru has certainly never had a minion quite as attractive as Kabuto before. Their relationship developing into something sexual was unavoidable, really. Not that either of them minded in the slightest. Although Kabuto's research may help Orochimaru fulfill his lust for power, Kabuto also helps with other lusts Orochimaru has, too: especially the one that leaves them lying next to each other exhausted and breathless but very, very content.

These moments seem very odd to them both.

If there is one thing that neither of them can stand, it's weakness. In other people, it's aggravating; in themselves, it's humiliating. Except, however, when they're laying there next to each other and they realise that they're in the exact same state as each other, which makes them seem emotionally closer (somehow), although Orochimaru thinks that that's ludicrous and he hates getting sentimental because that's worse than being exhausted and exposed.

Then Orochimaru can't help but look at Kabuto fondly: that grey hair which constantly reminds Orochimaru of what he's trying to avoid (Kabuto likes to joke that grey hair makes him seem like a wise, old sage; Orochimaru secretly loves the way that it looks in candlelight); those pretty lips and skilled tongue ('It's not the length; it's how you use it,' quipped Orochimaru once, although he is ever so proud of his freakishly long tongue); that perfectly toned and incredibly enticing body... Something so physical is a relief to Orochimaru, who is sometimes worried that he might forget that he doesn't need to have a particularly strong emotional bond with Kabuto: Orochimaru discovered long ago that his heart wanted nothing more than jutsu and power; not emotional wastes-of-time like love and compassion.

That's not to say that Orochimaru doesn't like Kabuto; the two of them get on very well and he does enjoy the medic-nin's company: there aren't many other people in the Village he can talk with and use big words in conversations with as Kabuto. Kabuto really has made Orochimaru's life a lot more pleasurable.

Even when Kabuto wraps one arm around Orochimaru's chest and snuggles into his Master's shoulder with the words 'We shouldn't be this happy’ (a despicable show of utterly uncalled-for affection), Orochimaru doesn't mind.

He is happy, after all and he knows that some people wouldn't think that that's very fair. Tsunade, the benevolent doctor, lost her beloved little brother and the love of her life; Jiraiya, whose books bring joy to thousands, just can't seem to get a girlfriend; the many orphans of shinobi villages who grow up without the support of their parents; all these people (and many more besides) are miserable whilst Orochimaru, the detestable missing-nin who killed his own teacher and countless others, is smiling happily with his pretty little doctor who thinks the world of him.

"Life isn't fair," smirks Orochimaru, who really doesn't care that this is the case.

"Good," agrees Kabuto, who places a string of kisses along the line of Orochimaru's collarbone. Kabuto's fingers on his free hand may or may not be entwined with Orochimaru's under the covers: they're already sharing so much sickening affection that one more show couldn't really hurt.

"You know, Kabuto," says Orochimaru, who places a kiss on Kabuto's head (he's not wholly sure why, but it seemed like a good idea at the time), "this is like love."

"What a nauseating thought."

Neither of them says anything else until they wake up the following morning.

Orochimaru isn't entirely sure of what it was that brought Kabuto into his life.

But now that he's got him, he's not letting him go.