The fifth craptastic spring-cleaning post. Based off the five senses and this WB quote. NOT ItaSasu.

N o M a t t e r W h a t

"The eye altering, alters all."

-William Blake

The boy smells of blood. Sasuke can smell it from down the street, even at age eight. At the academy they'd learned how to recognize the most basic poisons and such by smell, and blood had been something that he's smelled for years, anyways. It smells tangy and almost sweet in a thick, sickening way, and the way it's so everywhere makes him want to keel over and puke his guts out onto the pavement.

Sasuke can hear the ragged breathing of the boy as they grow closer, and they're the quick efficient breaths of a trained killer. Sasuke has been running all of his life, for school and for otherwise, and he knows how it sounds when a winded boy breathes. A boy who's been running breathes loud and shallow, desperate to refill his lungs with air. This boy is different. His breaths are short and quick but they are so quiet Sasuke can barely hear them. This boy is so tired Sasuke can't pretend he hasn't been doing what he obviously has.

His clothing is wet. As Sasuke's fingers hit the dark fabric he flinches, the warmth spreading across his hands wetly. Sasuke can barely control his body as he leans into the boy's chest, but he flinches again at the warmth of the boy's armor. It's all sticky and wet and warm, and it's all Sasuke can do not to push himself away and sprint down the street to the river and scrub at his skin until he can't feel the blood anymore.

Sasuke can taste the sweat on the boy's skin as he kneels down. Sasuke can lean into the crook of his neck, and he can't keep his lips from kissing the skin lightly. Blood stings his tongue but beneath it is the salty taste of sweat. And now that he thinks about it the boy is so sweaty against him, and it runs down Sasuke's own forehead to taste so sickeningly hot against his tongue. Sasuke knows what the boy must have been doing to make him sweat so much. Boys only sweat this much when they fight for hours at a time. Boys only sweat this much when they've been fighting for a very long time against too many people. Sasuke can't pretend this boy hasn't been fighting.

Sasuke finally lets his eyes flicker open and up to meet the boy's; to meet his brother's. To meet the black eyes that stare down at him darkly. Sasuke winces under the gaze but can't force himself to back away, even as his brother's hands begin to push at his chest. Everything tells Sasuke something is wrong but as he gazes into his older brother's eyes he can't bring himself to look away. There's something there. Sadness? Guilt? Desperation? Sasuke can't keep himself from lacing his arms around his brother's neck, holding tight even as the older boy jerks in surprise and protest.

"Nii-san, I love you." Sasuke whispers, ignoring the smell and the feel and the taste of blood. Sasuke doesn't listen to the quick beating of his brother's heart. Sasuke opens his eyes and stares into his brother's, and now they're only a couple of inches apart.

"Sasuke, I-" Itachi begins, his voice cracking.

"I trust you." Sasuke feels arms grabbing him from behind and feels his brother pick them both up. Sasuke can still smell and taste the blood on his tongue but he ignores it, instead kissing his brother on the cheek lightly. "You're not going to hurt me. are you?"

"No." Itachi whispers, and Sasuke can hear something in his voice that he can't quite make out. Looking into his brother's eyes, he can see something almost apologetic. "No, I won't ever let anyone hurt you."

Before closing his eyes and letting himself fall asleep in his arms Sasuke looks into those dark black eyes one last time and smiles. He can see it in his brother's eyes. No matter what happens, Itachi will always be Sasuke's older brother.

No matter what happens, Sasuke trusts Itachi.