a/n: I'm so sorry about the wait! I've been really busy

So without further wait here's the chapter! I hope to have more up soon!

Kisame POV

It’s a long walk back to the Akatsuki base. Normally three days away from the mayhem that is Deidara’s explosions would not bother me, but three days is a long time to have to stay quiet, knowing that Itachi is keeping a secret from me. I’ve asked him about what he meant to do with Sasuke, and what he meant by the fact that Sasuke is addicted. I’ve also asked why now. None of these questions have been answered, but there has to be something strategic to it, or Itachi would not be doing any of this now. He’s back to himself though, talking as little as possible and sleeping straight through the nights. To admit that I miss his presence next to me would be a lie, but the warmth is something I could dearly use. We’ve both been freezing in the fall air.

I’ve been planning on going to the bathhouse near the base since we ran into Sasuke. But I don’t know if I could talk Itachi into going with. I hope that I can, though. Maybe he’ll talk more after a warm bath. Besides, if he doesn’t go I’m going to have to track down someone that will. Not that that would be too difficult.

We arrive back at sunset, just as the air is getting unbearably cold to walk in. I’m sweating from the sun, and so is Itachi, but the cold breeze causes me to pull my cloak tighter in around me. It’s miserable, but I just keep my mind on the warm waters of the bathhouse.

As we walk into the cave a familiar face grins over at us.

“Hey Kisame!” Deidara waves, “Hey Itachi, un!”

“Hey, Deidara, where’s Sasori?” I walk over and Itachi actually pauses behind me.

“Sasori-danna’s in our room, he’s getting extra clothes so we can go to the bathhouse, un. We just got back from a mission and I really wanted to go.” He pauses and then adds, “You want to come with, un?”

“I was actually planning on going myself,” I grin. Then I look to Itachi, “You coming too?” I don’t care that there is a hopeful lilt to my voice, it’s not like we have anything to hide here. I’m sure that once Sasori shows up him and Deidara will have to restrain themselves from jumping each other in the hot water.

Itachi, upsettingly, shakes his head, “I’m going to rest.”

“Aw, come on, Itachi, un, you can rest at the bathhouse!” Deidara encourages, and slyly adds, “I’m sure you could talk Kisame into carrying you!”

This earns Deidara a dangerous glare. I keep my mouth shut, but truth be told if Itachi needed me to I would. I know that he’s not weak, and I’m not the sentimental type, but I’m still willing to help him out. We are partners, in more sense than one, after all.

Itachi turns to Deidara and is about to say something exceedingly scathing when Sasori shows up. Sasori glances quickly between Deidara and Itachi and sighs out, “What did you do this time, Deidara?”

“I was just teasing, un!” Deidara whines.

Sasori shakes his head and turns to Itachi and me, “I’m sure Deidara already told you…”

“I’m not going,” Itachi states, “Kisame is.”

“Of course the shark would want to go for a swim, un!” Deidara treads on thin ice once more. This time he even earns a glare from me.

I turn to Itachi to see that he is mimicking the glare that I was just giving to Deidara and that’s enough to put my mind at rest. It’s not a large show of affection, but it’s a defensive move coming from Itachi, and that he would defend me makes me feel better. Looking past the glare I can see in his eyes that he’s tired. Something has drained him and I know better than to assume that it’s his eyes.

I place a hand on Itachi’s shoulder and turn back to Sasori, “Actually, I think I’ll pass. I’ll go tomorrow.”

Sasori turns to address us both, “Well, then we should be going, before Deidara can get himself into more trouble.”

“Sasori-danna, un” Deidara looks genuinely shot down, “I was just joking!”

Sasori places a gentle hand on Deidara’s back, and then moves it to Deidara’s neck, rubbing circles into the sensitive flesh there. Deidara practically purrs. I do dare to do these things with Itachi, but I would never get away with it with other people around.

They leave and Itachi and I quickly walk back to the room. On the way he watches me out of the corner of his eye before finally asking, “Why didn’t you go? You kept saying you wanted a hot bath.”

“It can wait,” I grin, “I’m tired too and I just want to get somewhere where it’s warm, and a bed counts.”

He sighs, “You should have gone.”

“What is your problem, Itachi?” I ask, concerned but with a tone of anger.

He glares at me and then stops, turning to me, “Why didn’t you go to the bathhouse?”

“Because I saw that you were tired and I wanted you to have someone here with you!” I almost yell, but I’m beyond that point, my voice changing to a feral growl.

“I don’t need your help,” he states, anger leaking into his voice.

“I want to help any way,” I growl.

He continues to walk, since we’re close to our room, and the conversation drops for the moment. I glare at his back as I follow him, not wanting to have to even out my paces just to be glared at the rest of the way back to the room.

When we reach the room he slams the door open and after I enter I slam it shut. Before I can react he’s standing inches away from me, and I’m pinned to the door. If he’s truly angry with me he could kill me right here, right now.

His eyes are a red that I’ve never seen the sharingan reach before, and they seem to be changing for a moment. I fear that he may torture me with his Tsukuyomi, but before any other fear can pass through me his eyes go black and he winces, retreating a step. I push off of the door and stand ready to take him into my arms or back down again, which ever he needs more. He turns in my general direction but I can tell that he’s not seeing me clearly. I pull him into one arm, carefully holding him at my side.

“Is this what’s been bothering you lately?” I ask carefully.

He shakes his head. He rubs his eyes once, twice, three time before he can see clearly, or clearly enough to make it to his bed without my arm around him. I move beside him and sit down next to him. He turns to me and kisses me, hard, without warning. I kiss him back and he melts in my touch. If Itachi cried, that’s what he’d be doing now, but he doesn’t so instead he just melts into my touch, curling in against me.

I stroke his back when our kiss is finished and he sighs, pulling up on my cloak so that his head rests by my ear, and he whispers, just loud enough for me to hear, “I’ve been disobeying a direct order from Pein.”

I turn my head so my mouth is pressed to his ear, “What?”

“Pein has ordered me not to make any moves concerning Sasuke for a while considering what happened with Jiraiya last time. I can’t stop though. I don’t think that it’s just him who’s addicted. Ever since I left him alive the decision has haunted me. He either has to be in my control, or dead,” he growls, “but I can’t seem to make either happen.”

With this confession his muscles seem to loosen, he seems to be much calmer.

“Is that what’s been bothering you?” I whisper.

“I don’t want you involved,” he demands suddenly.

“Why not?”

“If Pein found out…”

“I don’t care.”

“Possession of him, Kisame, that would mean…”

“I know,” I interrupt, “and I know that you can’t replace of me, not that easily.”

“Kisame…”

I genuinely smile into his neck, a fleeting expression for us both, and pull him closer, “Maybe your brother’s not the only one who’s addicted to you.”

Without any verbal answer I can tell that he’s relieved. I can feel it in the way that his hand travels across my back, across my neck, across my cheek. I can feel it when I run my hands through his hair, across his neck, down his spine. There’s a relaxation that he hasn’t experienced in a long time that I can feel in every fiber of his body.

“You really should have gone to the bathhouse,” he sighs.

I grin with all my teeth displayed, “And why is that?”

“To get warm.”

“Keep me warm,” I growl, pushing him back onto the bed and straddling his hips.

He pulls himself up to me and kisses me, hands grasping roughly at my shoulders. I wrap one arm down and around his waist, holding him level with me. He doesn’t even seem to notice that we’re both sweating a cold sweat, nor that we’re grimy from sleeping on the ground. After a moment even I can forget all this. We both can’t help it, as he rolls me over and kisses me fervently from on top of me. He then breaks the kiss and lies down on top of me.

“Keep me warm, Kisame,” he whispers into the cold room.

I undo my cloak, working around him as he shifts every once in a while to help, and then wrap him inside with me. I feel warmer instantly.

“Don’t worry about Pein, Itachi,” I whisper as we both start to drift off to sleep, him pulling the covers over us, “I’ll be here to back you up no matter what.”

There’s no answer, but as the covers settle over us there is a certain peace to the room that has never been there before.