This will probably be the last chapter of "Curse of The Cat" and it will be beautiful and if you don't love it I will cry. All over the place and it'll be ugly…So yeah. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. So, regular PV and stuff.
-

Naruto lay next to Kyuubi who had his arm snuggly holding the blond in place so he wouldn't get away. He had come to his older brother for some comfort when his latest plan had failed. It had actually kept him awake all night with fear. He was just so anxious about what his future was going to hold if Itachi couldn't change back. Sasuke hadn't done what he was supposed to do because Naruto already knew most, if not all, of Sasuke's secrets. It annoyed him to no bounds but what else was he supposed to do? Tell Sasuke to confess to the cat? And actually mean it? He didn't think so and there really wasn't much else to do. Naruto rolled so that he was facing away from Kyuubi. The red head was snoring awfully loud this morning and it wasn't helping his lack of sleep at all. If anything it was giving him a headache. He wanted to give up and just go back to his room but Kyuubi wasn't letting go anytime soon. He sighed a little and tried to relax his reeling mind but sleep wouldn't come. He knew he had to be rested because the wedding now was two days away and he still had to think of a plan for how he was going to change Itachi back. If he couldn't, well, Itachi would remain a cat forever and Naruto and Sasuke would be married. There was no chance of salvation after that point.

The blond sighed and rolled so that he was lying face up and away from Kyuubi's strangling grip. It was still pretty tight on him but not nearly as bad as before. Naruto's eyes were twitching, falling closed then springing back open. He was exhausted. His eyes screwed shut as sleep finally overcame him.

The room fell silent, except for the infrequent and loud snores of Kyuubi which poured out before muffling themselves as he buried his face in the pillow beneath his head. Naruto's breathing evened as he fell into a deeper sleep. His muscles relaxed and his face softened as his body surrendered to the relaxing, restful sleep.

But it was short lived. Naruto's eyes sprang open as he heard his phone vibrating and ringing on the side table next to the bed. He whined as he rolled onto his side, pulling Kyuubi slightly with him as he did so. The red head cracked one eye as the blond unlocked the screen of his phone and answered the call. Kyuubi noticed the blond was a little baffled looking as he answered the call; he leaned in, resting his head on Naruto's chest so he could hear better.

"Hello?" Came the short greeting from Naruto; he sounded genuinely confused, Kyuubi noted.

"Naruto, I have good news and bad news." It was Itachi. And both of them could tell that something was different, that something had happened. It was just in his tone. It couldn't be…Could it? Naruto noticed how intensely his brother was listening and put his phone on speaker so both of them could hear clearly.

"What is it? What's happened?"

"Well…" Itachi's voice trailed off. Both knew that the older Uchiha wasn't one to prolong things longer than necessary so that must have meant something important happened. "The good news is I changed, but the bad news is I didn't change fully."

"What do you mean you didn't change fully?" Kyuubi asked, obviously being he more impatient of the two. He nearly snatched the phone from the blond's hand to talk to the Uchiha personally. Naruto slapped the impatient red head's hand away and Kyuubi stuck his tongue out childishly.

"I sent you a picture. And before you get too excited Kyuubi, it's from the waist up."

"Knows me well, that one." Kyuubi said with a slight smirk coming to his features. Naruto opened a picture message from Itachi and Kyuubi nearly squealed with joy at the contents. Not only was the infamous Uchiha Itachi shirtless, muscles taut and perfectly sculpted, but he had cat ears and from the blur in the corner, he could surmise that he also had a tail as well. It was like every perverted Japanese businessman's fantasy come to life. Kyuubi started to chuckle, an evil chuckle building in the back of his throat and making Naruto shake his head. "I don't see how this could possibly be bad news, this is probably been the greatest thing to ever happen. In fact, I'd like to thank God for this moment. I've worked very hard and am obviously getting rewarded for it."

"Naruto, hit him, I cannot do it personally." The blond complied and smacked Kyuubi upside the head and the red head frowned, nursing his injury. "This may be your time to celebrate Kyuubi and thank whatever gods gave you your annoying powers but it's a little difficult for me."

"Why's that?" Kyuubi asked, obviously not giving a single thought before he opened his big mouth. Naruto smacked him again and the red head winced, unhappy with the more aggressive treatment from his little brother.

"Fool! He can't just go gallivanting around town looking like that! Who knows what kinds of weird people and perverts would try to attack him? It was bad enough before, there's no telling what kind of stalkers he would have now!"

Itachi was silent on the other line and then he let out a sigh of frustration at the moronic Uzumakis. "Have you two forgotten my current living situation?"

"Oh yeah…" Kyuubi said as though he forgot about Sasuke completely and that Itachi was practically being held captive by his younger brother. "I think Sasuke will like it, he'd think it was all cute and stuff. Plus, people get weird plastic surgery all the time. You can say you had it done in Taiwan. Totally believable."

Naruto, once again, laid a smarting slap upside Kyuubi's head. "You're making me hurt you so much more than normal. It's like you're trying to piss me off."

"It's my mission in life, you know? You get so…Fuckable when you're angry."

"I'm going to ignore than comment. Anyway, what should we do Kyuubi? We gotta do something about this…"

"Sexual tension between us? Agreed. Let's mate."

"I'm being serious, we need to do something."

"Mating solves problems." The red head smirked at Naruto. The blond was about to raise his hand against his brother again but Kyuubi interjected before he could, "Okay, okay, I get it. I'll transport him here. Itachi hold onto your phone, it's going to be quite an interesting ride."

Kyuubi snapped his fingers and the sound seemed to change something in span of time because everything to Naruto seemed to slow down. The blond blinked and then Itachi was there, eyes slightly widened and shaking his head as though to shake the magic from his body. Teleportation was strange when one wasn't used to it. Everything flashed and spins around as the body moves through the cracks and holes in space and time. He wobbled slightly on his feet and grabbed the wall for support as his body regained its connection to the dimension. Kyuubi hadn't been kidding when he said it was going to be a wild ride. His entire body felt like it was vibrating through the very fabric of existence and defying all the laws nature had stretched forward. It was just so…Shocking.

"And this, children, is the wild Uchiha Itachi. He's not very sociable but he's quite the marvelous creature. I mean, look at that penis, such a creation is not to be taken for granted." Kyuubi said and whistled right at the end. Itachi looked down and frowned. Of course Kyuubi wouldn't give him the time to steal a pair of his brother's pants or anything. Though, he slightly wondered why he was naked since he had been clothed at the time of the change…Where exactly did those clothes go anyway. However, those were questions for later. And the problem was swiftly solved by Naruto, who was mumbling under his breath about hitting Kyuubi once again. He grabbed some clothes from Kyuubi's dresser that were probably a little too small for the red head, since he body was much too big to fit into the shirt Naruto tossed his way. But of course the shirt was a bit too large for Itachi since his muscles weren't obnoxiously toned. He worked out to stay in shape; Kyuubi did it so he could 'throw things' as he put it once. The jeans were also a tiny bit too large but it was better than nothing. If anything it was good since he had a tail, it wouldn't crush the flailing appendage against his back.

"What exactly were the two of you doing before I got here, if you don't mind me asking? Not judging or anything…" Itachi said with a slight smirk. Naruto flushed slightly and turned towards Kyuubi, who, in all honesty, wasn't exactly making the situation any better by how he was sitting on the bed. He was sitting, legs open, on his side, with a foxy grin on his face. He was supporting his head in his hand and blew a kiss at Naruto, who frowned deeply and turned back to Itachi.

"We didn't do anything. I sought comfort in Kyuubi which lead to him snoring in my ear all last night."

"Don't deny our passionate mating." Kyuubi teased, rolling onto his back. "Also, gunna throw this out there now, I'm down for a threesome. You know, double the Uzumaki, double the fun."

Naruto and Itachi exchanged glances and started to move towards Kyuubi's door, ultimately leaving the red head's room and retiring to the blond's. The red head leapt up though, effectively cutting the un-amused duo off. He slammed his large body against the door and slightly kicked Naruto in the shin so he would slow his roll. "Are you two crazy?!" Both of them blinked at the sudden slightly ridiculous question from the Uzumaki. "Did the two of you forget who also lives in this house?"

"Mommy dearest…" Naruto said instantly, understand why Kyuubi was being so protective all of a sudden. Itachi sighed a little and sat down on Kyuubi's bed. "Okay, so what do you suggest Kyuu?"

The red head purred at the nickname and petted his brother's head. He hadn't been called that since they were still in school together. Kyuubi moved from the door and lay down next to the Uchiha on his bed. "Obviously we can't let Itachi go out looking like this, but we can play with the fact that no one besides you, Naruto, come into my room often. So we can just shove Uchiha in here until we figure out everything else; for example why he only made a partial change and not a whole one. Did he kiss you or something?"

"No, the last time Sasuke kissed me, I changed back only for a short time and even then it wasn't a full change. He did tell me he loved me, but I thought he was speaking to the 'Itachi' as the cat, not my human form."

Kyuubi eyed his brother curiously and then stood up to poke the boy in the head. "That potion you gave Sasuke had mind erasing properties correct?"

"Uh, it has the same effects at drinking large amounts of alcohol, minus the vomiting and chance of poisoning. So yeah, Sasuke won't remember much. He definitely won't remember anything after I put him to bed. He was the most obnoxious and drunk seeming at that point…Why?"

"Because that potion could have given him a slight case of 'clear sight' and so he could have seen Itachi for what he really was. It seems a little strange that he would just blurt out to his cat that he loves his brother, don't you think? I just hope he doesn't remember that moment because he'll wake up very confused…"

"OH SHIT!" Naruto exclaimed as he grabbed one of Kyuubi's long abandoned sweatshirts from the ground and threw it over himself. It was baggy on him, even if it was one from when Kyuubi went to high school. Naruto was much shorter than Kyuubi and not nearly as built as him, so obviously Naruto wasn't going to fill it out. Both the Uchiha and other Uzumaki were surprised about Naruto's sudden outburst. "I gotta open a window."

Kyuubi and Itachi exchanged confused glances as Naruto bit his thumb and drew a small circle on the wall. Itachi instantly recognized Sasuke's name in the circle but not any of the writing around it. Naruto suddenly disappeared leaving Kyuubi and Itachi alone. The red head sat up and wrapped his arms around the Uchiha's shoulders. He didn't tense, but kept his face blank. He knew his companion wouldn't do anything weird to him. Even after he and Kyuubi separated for the last time, they still had a decently good relationship.

"Sitting here, like this, in my room, reminds me of the good nights we've spent together." He could hear the smirk in Kyuubi's voice but then the grip in which he was holding the Uchiha tightened slightly, making Itachi feel slightly odd being held so closely to the red head. Maybe he shouldn't put Kyuubi so high on a pedestal just yet; his moods were almost as unreadable as Itachi's own. Kyuubi could very much be trying to get one more night, well technically morning, out of him. But when he opened his mouth again, he knew that was no longer the case. "But more than that I see now how much I've hurt everyone." Itachi knew it was hard for him to actually say that, Kyuubi had been stubborn from the day he was born, so admitting things like this were even more difficult because he was the one at fault for doing them. "I had no idea that it would turn out like this…That it wouldn't just hurt you. I've hurt Sasuke the most, I realize but Naruto is coming up a close second. This has forced them both into a situation neither truly desires but really cannot get out of otherwise. Naruto knew how I felt for a long time, but unlike me, you have never let Sasuke know what you feel. It fills you full of regret, you know? Not being able to say those words that you've longed to say for years and years. I bet when Sasuke still thought you were missing he believed he would never have had the chance to tell you, alive, what he really felt deep inside."

"I've been in denial for a very long time Kyuubi. I've been trying to convince myself that this feeling inside would leave. I've been trying to blame Sasuke's affections for me on hormones. I've been lying to myself and others for too long…" Itachi paused for a moment. Kyuubi had been one of the few people he had always been completely honest with. He supposed that was what Naruto is and will always be to Sasuke. Maybe he and Sasuke could get a relationship like that, one day, once the trust had been restored. "But I suppose when I stop the wedding and admit to Sasuke what I feel and he can properly break the curse and we can finally all move on with our lives. I'm going to make a promise to him, to Sasuke…that I'll never leave him again, that he'll never have to worry about me again. I'm never going to leave his side, I will protect him with everything I have Kyuubi…"
-

Naruto landed softly on his feet in Sasuke's apartment, listening closely for the soft snores of his fiancé. When he still heard them he knew he had time to enact his plan. It seemed so simple. Sasuke would obviously notice Itachi's disappearance and he would be confused about why the cat would no longer be around, so he had to improvise. Obviously if he said the cat ran out the door, Sasuke would be angry with him for not catching him. That meant there needed to be a better, more thought-out plan to explain the missing kitty. An open window would do just that. Naruto couldn't have gone after Itachi if he never knew the cat was missing. Sasuke would be upset of course and hope the cat would come back but he would gain his brother so Sasuke wouldn't complain for long.

The blond opened the kitchen window and smirked to himself. All he had to do now was leave and he would be scot free. He walked out of the kitchen and was about to walk out the front door when arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him back into a strong, familiar smelling chest. It was Sasuke. He was awake. Naruto's heart started to race at the thought of Sasuke seeing him open the window. How was he going to explain that? He had no idea. The Uchiha turned him around and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I know I gave you a key and all but would you at least call before coming over? I was sleeping. And I could have thought you were a burglar and karate kicked you in the face."

Naruto felt relief flood him. Sasuke hadn't seen him; otherwise he would have said something about it. The blond smiled a little and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I saw that and I was going to leave. Can't disturb the beauty sleep of my favorite princess."

"Princess? You haven't called me that since we were in high school." Sasuke smirked a little and he kissed the blond on the forehead. "Feeling nostalgic today Dobe?"

"Oh yeah totally, think I'll call up Kiba and we'll have a nice boy's day out like we used to." Sasuke instantly frowned when those words fell out of his fiancé's mouth. The last time they had 'a boy's day out' with Kiba, the brunette ended up totaling his car and assaulting an officer. Somehow he managed to get off the hook. Kiba was far too lucky to be alive, or in jail.

"Count me out."

"Not like we could anyway. Today we're getting our finalized fitting." Both Naruto and Sasuke frowned at the thought and then smirked a little at the other when they both realized they had the same level of enthusiasm. They laughed a little and Sasuke wrapped his arm around Naruto's neck, kissing him on the forehead.

"Soon we'll be together forever."

"Psh, even if we didn't get married we still would be together Teme. I wouldn't let you go so easily."

"Is that a promise?" Sasuke muttered and Naruto felt a sudden stab in his chest. He was thinking about Itachi again. He had always kept Sasuke out the loop or at arm's reach. So it was only natural that Sasuke would reach out and grab for someone who wouldn't so easily abandon him. Itachi never kept Sasuke in his inner circle. Hell when Itachi and Kyuubi were together that seemed to be the only time he ever let anyone in. But that was all about to change. Naruto could feel excitement about that, at least. Soon Itachi would allow Sasuke in and then they would start a new relationship that way. It would be good for them to finally express their love and then Naruto could finally address the Kyuubi problem for himself.

Naruto smiled at Sasuke and got on his tip-toes to give Sasuke a small kiss on the forehead. He was only a few inches shorter but it was still a notable difference. "Even in death Sasuke, you couldn't escape me. Believe it." The Uchiha smirked and went back into his room, tugging the blond along with him. Naruto fretted for a moment but when Sasuke didn't drag him to the bed or do anything of a sexual nature he relaxed.

"Let me get dressed and we'll head out to the fitting."
-

It was a few hours before Sasuke arrived back home. It felt empty without Naruto here and he noticed right away that his cat was missing. And he also noticed the open window in which the cat could have easily escaped through. He mentally cursed himself for leaving a window open. It didn't seem like himself, and he generally would say that he didn't do it but last night, well…It wasn't exactly an average night for him. He must have been quite drunk to not remember the last few hours.

But, Sasuke knew he must have been drunk. A picture stood out oddly in his mind. He was lying down in his bed and Itachi came in, strutting about his bed and cuddling up with him after Naruto had put him to sleep. Itachi was a cat and so he must have been relatively attached since he would sleep with him every night, just like all good cats did. However something strange must have happened in his mind since when he opened his eyes after a short time, his brother was lying there, where his sweet cat was, staring at him with a soft, affectionate gaze. And the words just slipped out of his mouth, he confessed his love for the man who was so much like himself; the one who was sweet, arrogant, mysterious, breath-taking…His Itachi. But that wasn't possible, right? His brother was still separated from him; in some other country or place, putting a physical distance between himself and his little brother.

Sasuke knew Itachi would make good on his promise. He always did, he lived by his word; which is why Itachi seemed to be as laconic as he was. It made sense to Sasuke when his brother said it to him the first time. He never said anything he didn't mean. He never DID anything he didn't mean. Of course, that only made Sasuke's mind wander to that kiss he received when he was thirteen, when he caught Itachi coming home drunk at god knows what time in the morning. He had kissed him then, in the doorframe of his room. His lips burned with the inexperience they had and had been bruised the next morning. There was passion in that moment, a soft burn in his very soul from the brief moment of when he and his brother kissed.

That moment, was the single most misleading and confusing of his entire life. If Itachi lived by his words and actions then wasn't that kiss out of love? There was no way, even if Itachi was drunk, that he would kiss Sasuke without meaning it, right?

The Uchiha flopped face first on his bed. A small part of him…Wished. It wished that Itachi would burst into the ceremony, right at the moment where they would ask for objections and he would stand up, push Naruto away from him and object. Then, he would pull Sasuke into his arms and kiss him. But that was just a wish, just a fantasy of his sick mind. If anything Itachi would sit quietly through the ceremony and more than likely apologize to Sasuke personally at the reception, after a few sip of liquid courage to take the edge away.

Itachi would make it up to him, for scaring him. He had a habit of disappearing and randomly showing back up at any point. He did it constantly during college. He didn't need to attend classes and since he and Kyuubi were so tightly packaged they would just leave and come back in time for finals. And when Itachi found out Sasuke had been worried, he would supply Sasuke with whatever would soothe his young mind. That would be the case here as well, and Sasuke would forgive him easily, just as he did when every time.

He hated that relationship though. He hated worrying. He hated not having all the information. He just hated not being with his brother. It was tearing him up on the inside, driving him completely crazy. Not being able to hear his voice, see his face, and know about where he was and how he was doing. Itachi was Sasuke's drug and without him, Sasuke's heart started to burn with withdrawals.

Sasuke flopped down, face first, on his bed. He threw his phone under his pillow and let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. He rolled over onto his back and stared up at his ceiling. Sometimes he wondered if this wedding was a mistake. Sasuke loved Naruto, Sasuke loved him so much. But, it wasn't the same love as Itachi. Sure, he had lust for the blond, but that's because he hadn't been laid in a very long time and he and Naruto had been slightly active sexually since they were sixteen and all those years had built up his desire. And yes, he could see himself living a happy, relatively normal life with the blond. Naruto promised that he would never leave Sasuke so it made him wonder sometimes if this wasn't JUST a mistake for him, but for the blond as well.

The Uchiha didn't know why but it seemed that Naruto had very similar feelings for his older brother as well. The only real difference was that Kyuubi reciprocated those feelings. He had seen a few situations between the Uzumaki brothers that just didn't seem quite 'family' love. But then again, Kyuubi had always been and will always remain, weird. That was fine. And if Naruto wasn't going to tell Sasuke the truth about his feelings for Kyuubi, whether they were unrequited feelings or not, then that was that. It would become the only thing they talked about, especially when drunk.

Sasuke yawned a little. After today there was only a day left until the wedding. They finished their fittings and his mother and Kushina finished the other details. It was ready. And the only thing left was the rehearsal dinner tonight. He rolled over and sighed. The dinner was at eight and he had three hours to get ready and show up. Naruto had left for that purpose, even though Sasuke could have dressed the Dobe better than anyone else. Oh well. Sasuke would bring extra things with him just in case he needed to redress the idiot.

The room was silent and Sasuke shut his eyes, just meditating in the silence that surrounded him. Everything was moving so fast. His life, in a day's time, would be changed forever. A part deep within his body had wished that this day would have been shared with Itachi, but that was his childish fantasy, no means going to be a reality. And that was fine. Sasuke had accepted this fate the night his brother shut the door in his face, symbolically severing them from ever being one entity.

The Uchiha frowned when he heard his phone going off on the side table next to him. He supposed the blond menace could be calling him but when he saw the caller ID his heart nearly fell apart. It was Itachi. He was calling. Could this be a hallucination? He answered the call, praying that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

"Hello?"

"Sasuke, I've arrived back in town. Don't tell mother and father quite yet."

This conversation they were about to have…To Sasuke, it was a typical. Itachi had made calls like this when he suddenly reappeared after his random vacations. He would show up at the Uchiha manor or at college, and he would ask Sasuke not to tell his parents that he had come back. Usually that meant he was avoiding getting a lecture as long as possible. And this lecture was going to be a doozy.

"Yeah, I figured as much. Does that mean you're going to camp out in Kyuubi's room with him until the wedding or something?" Itachi was silent on the other end and then Sasuke heard a small chuckle and the younger felt a flush creep up his cheeks. "What?"

"You know me all too well little brother. But don't fret; I will speak to mother and father personally tonight so they won't disrupt your wedding procession. That would be the worst."

Sasuke smirked a little into the phone. If Itachi was going to speak to mother and father tonight that meant he was more than likely going to the rehearsal dinner. Kyuubi was invited and Itachi had a place at the table as well, in the case he finally showed up. He actually hadn't assumed Itachi would show up a couple days early. He had thought it would be right before the wedding. His brother worked mysteriously like that. "So you're coming to the rehearsal then? That's good."

The brief pause was broken with chuckle. "Of course, how else will mother complain about working with Kushina when they decided the decorations?"

A smile bloomed across Sasuke's features, making his normally stoic face burst with life. Itachi always made him smile like this. It was like Itachi knew exactly how to pick the lock of Sasuke's heart to let the happiness flow through him and consume him. "I'll see you later Itachi, I love you."

"I love you as well and I will be very delighted to see you tonight. But until then I will have to appreciate this goodbye."

With that Itachi hung up and Sasuke felt his heart fluttering. There was relief, there was happiness. But on the back of his tongue was the burning acidic taste of sadness. It was like the final nail in the coffin. Itachi wasn't going to stop the wedding at this point. He seemed completely content with the idea and if that was how it was going to be, then it would come to pass as planned. No changes would be made. Sasuke sighed briefly as he stood up and headed towards the shower. He might as well start getting ready for this evening, after his shower he could wallow in his self-pity some more.
-

"Fuck." Itachi swore under his breath as Kyuubi entered the room, freshly showered, a towel still wrapped around his waist.

"Talk to 'mini-Itachi' then?" The red head asked, almost as though it wasn't really a question at all. He knew Itachi couldn't keep silent and away from Sasuke for too long, especially since he could now contact his little brother. "What did he say? He asked you about the rehearsal dinner, right?"

Itachi felt very apprehensive about that. Sasuke expected him to go and he knew he needed to because if he continued to hide out until the last minute, his parents would leap on his during the wedding and wouldn't let him out of their sights until it was all over. It was better to have them yell at him and get out their lecture during the practice than when he really needed the time to watch and wait for everything to pan out.

"Can you use your magic to hide my newly acquired appendages?" Kyuubi paused for a moment and turned slightly towards the Uchiha, letting his towel drop in the process. Itachi was used to the sight of the red head naked and wasn't going to shy away from him. That would be more awkward than just staring full on.

Kyuubi shook his head, "No, mommy would see right through it. And then the three of us would get in so much trouble. It would be better if we hid them…" The Uchiha raised his eyebrow, unsure of how exactly a person would hide such strange additions. Kyuubi slipped on a pair of boxers, which fit tightly in the right areas before he walked over to Itachi. He looked down at Itachi's head, which had the twitchy, soft, black ears. He gently stroked them then flattened them slightly. "It would probably hurt too much to pin them down with bobby pins. A hat could work, but it would have to be something subtle otherwise someone will know something is up…You couldn't really ever be considered a hat person." Kyuubi ran his hand ever so slightly down the Uchiha's head, brushing his fingers through the silken mane. The red head snapped his fingers and a small, flat gray, knitted beret fell into his open hand. He placed it over Itachi's ears, which flattened and pushed themselves back when the material was slipped over them. After a couple adjustments from Kyuubi, the red head pulled back, an approving look on his face. "Very nice, this way, it'll look like you spent a little free time in France."

Itachi rolled his eyes and went up to the mirror hanging on Kyuubi's bedroom wall. It was true that Itachi looked good, even if he didn't particularly like the hat on his ears. It was only minimally uncomfortable though and that was the best part. "And I suppose I can easily shove my tail down a pair of pants. It doesn't move much anyway. I just have to be careful not to sit on it." Kyuubi snapped his fingers again and Itachi felt a rush of magic around him. The red head smirked before turning back towards his closet. Kyuubi had dressed him in a suit, something a little more casual than what he would wear to work, but Itachi hadn't realized how he missed the smooth black material against his skin. He tucked his tail into his waistband and resettled his jacket so that it would hide his tail if it so happened to create a bulge.

"If looks could kill you would have had to shot me twice…I mean… You were fine before but obviously your hotness brought me back from the first time you killed me, making me a zombie and then you had to get all dolled up and shoot me again."

"What? Was that you attempting to be clever?" Itachi said with a small smirk.

"I'm tired, leave me alone. Making fun of my words…hurting my soul."
-

Kyuubi and Itachi arrived in a flash of magic, leaving a bit later than his parents and Naruto. It made it look as though the two arrived together, like that had been planned all along. It would match whatever Sasuke thought about what was happening. The pair walked in together and everyone paused, a gripping silence filling the room. Mikoto, unable to hold her tongue any longer was the first to speak, "Itachi, you're here!"

The Uchiha smiled a little and took his assigned seat at the table next to the red head that was being nit-picked by his mother also. "Wouldn't miss this for the world, mother. You should know that by now."

"Well maybe if you called, your mother and I would know your plans. Isn't that right?" Itachi rolled his eyes. Not even two minutes in the room and his parents were all over him.

His parents continued to drone on and on about the proper ethics of keeping them informed but Itachi let his ears go deaf, rendering their complaints unintelligible. He sat like that for about a good five minutes before he felt a hand fall tenderly on his shoulder. Only one person in the world knew how to break the silence he forced upon his senses. Itachi turned away from his parents who had given up as soon as they saw their youngest son walk in the door and spy Itachi. Sasuke had a small smile on his lips. Itachi stood up immediately and embraced his little brother.

It felt good, so very good. Holding Sasuke's smaller frame in his arms felt so natural, like he was completing a part of himself. Itachi got a brief smell of Sasuke's hair, which rested perfectly under his nose. The sniffing was concealed by Itachi dropping his head into the soft spikes as a sign of affection. They stood like that for a moment, just embracing each other, feeling each other. It hadn't been more than a couple weeks but the emotional damage because of the distance had been done. Itachi had wanted to hold Sasuke for a very long time now and this was the perfect moment to just let out all of that frustration. His goal was within arm's reach, both literally and figuratively.

"How touching." Naruto said with a slight smirk on his face. Kyuubi suddenly stood up and grabbed Naruto, holding him in a similar manner as Itachi was holding Sasuke. The blond was blinking, struggling but was ultimately confused. Itachi and Sasuke pulled away from each other, staring at the other set of brothers with amusement and annoyance. "What are you doing?"

"Itachi was being dramatic so I decided it would be good for me to do that too. I look like I care about you on a super deep level now." Kyuubi replied as he sniffed Naruto's hair in a similar manner Itachi was doing. Obviously he had been caught by the red head's sharp eye. But this situation seemed more like Kyuubi was making fun of him, the cheeky devil.

"No, you look like a creep. Quit being creepy and let me go. I'd like to shovel my face with food before the nights out." Naruto said, trying to shove his brother off. Kyuubi, however, was much stronger than the smaller blond and was able to hold steady.

"Why do you deny my love?!"

"Why do you force the love?!"

Kushina stood up then, clearing her throat. "Enough! Kyuubi let go of your brother and sit down!" The red head complied instantly. He didn't want his mother to smack him in a public area. It would be embarrassing. He was a big boy now and that was the last thing he wanted. It was one thing to make an ass out of himself in public, but it was just a whole different brand of humiliation when your mother was the source of embarrassment. "And you Naruto, sit down too so Kyuubi doesn't decide to do something else stupid." The blond huffed a little and took a seat near the head of the table, where Sasuke was supposed to sit.

Itachi ruffled his brother's hair before returning to his own seat, his mother was staring at him from across the table and that's when Itachi noticed for the first time that this was a decently small dinner rehearsal. "Is there a reason for this size? Do you not have bride's maids or groom's men yet?"

"Nah, we just have one of each." Naruto replied. "Kyuubi is the maid of honor since, well, he pretty much begged me to be." The red head turned away with a slightly cheeky look on his face. Of course he would ask for such a strange position in the wedding. "And since we decided to downscale everything people wise, Sasuke was going to ask you to be his best man." Itachi's eyes widened when he heard that statement. He was supposed to be the best man at a wedding he was going to crash? Oh, could this have gotten any better? He sent a slight silent glare the side of Kyuubi's head, which, Itachi noticed, had a slightly wavering in the lips like he was laughing silently to himself. "It's small, only really close family and friends are attending."

"Otherwise everyone the Dobe has ever met would show up. We'd run out of room." Sasuke said with a quick quip on the tongue. The blond choked on the sip of water in his mouth and glared over at Sasuke. He took a victory sip of water as a teaser to the blond.

"At least I could fill the room, princess." It was Sasuke's turn to choke when he heard that. The blond was chuckling softly in his throat, making the Uchiha shake his head at the comment.

"They're so cute when they're being snippy with each other." Kyuubi said with a sigh. "Reminds me of when I was young."

"Kyuubi, you're twenty-six, you're not old." Kushina said pulling on the red head's cheek. "When you turn forty, you can complain about being old."

"We both know I can't because then you'll pull me over by the cheek again and tell me to start complain when I'm sixty."

"Then don't complain!" She said and she let go of her son. He grumbled to himself as he rubbed his sore face. His mother could be so mean. Kyuubi huffed slightly and turned his head away from his mother. He was staring at the side of Itachi's head when he noticed the hat was slightly off. And there it was… Bam, right there. One of the most delicate, silky, black ears softly sticking up from Itachi's hair, splitting it. Kyuubi nearly screamed at the sight. He caught the blond's eye from the diagonal direction across the table and he kept twitching his head towards Itachi. The Uchiha blinked a few times and turned his attention towards the red head.

Kyuubi turned away, grabbing his glass of water from the table. He was mentally panicking and slightly thanking every God that his mother was sitting on the other side of him. He needed to do something to fix the hat because someone who needn't know of the Uchiha predicament would find out. He swallowed a little and thought about tossing his water on Itachi. That wouldn't work. Itachi would just stand up and maybe make the predicament even worse.

Naruto noticed Kyuubi's distress but couldn't fully understand what he was trying to communicate. He was never very good at reading visual cues and this was definitely testing his knowledge of incognito charades. Naruto coughed a little when he saw a slight twitching coming from the side of the Uchiha's head. Oh no, he understood completely now. Kyuubi and Naruto made brief eye-contact before turning their attention to Sasuke who was clearing his throat.

"Well Itachi, what do you say about being my best man?" Itachi felt slightly annoyed when he was asked that. He knew that Sasuke was in love with him and he was still putting up this giant front. The older Uchiha wanted to frown and shake his head. He wanted to deny the request and put the whole charade to an end. It was time for the act to stop. He was going to open his mouth and say something but then there was a slight gleam in Sasuke's eye. Shit. There was such a sweet, innocence in that gaze. He almost felt like Sasuke would be horrified if he said something out-loud, especially in front of their parents. That… What if Sasuke didn't accept or forgive him for that? And that in itself would crush Itachi. So, the Uchiha did the only thing he could think of.

"Of course I will. How could I ever say 'no' to you, little brother?"

Kyuubi felt an acidic taste in the back of his palate. Itachi had calmly agreed to do it. He didn't even seem to consider it for very long. The red head sighed quietly under his breath. He felt that Itachi wouldn't give up that easily this time but it seemed that almost nothing had changed. However, Kyuubi did notice that if this had been anywhere else, Itachi probably would have been far more open and honest with his feelings. His mother and father were sitting right across from him, staring, and almost expecting Itachi to do his duties. Also, Kyuubi's own parents were there as well. It may as well be assumed Kushina would cause some sort of a scene if Itachi denied the proposal.

A brief flicker brought Kyuubi from his thoughts as his eyes slanted to his parents. As much as he would love to dwell on Itachi's battle there were still larger matters at hand. Such as, the ear, which was moving more and more from underneath the hat with every passing second. Kyuubi knew he had to do something quickly and something that was directly out of the line of sight of the people around him.

Well, there was really only one thing he could do at the moment…

"SPIDER!" Everyone paused as Kyuubi leapt from his seat and jumped into Itachi's arms. The way he landed caused the chair to teeter back and spill the two of them onto the ground. In the commotion, Kyuubi pulled the hat ever so gently over Itachi's exposed ear. It was perfect timing because the now very annoyed Uchiha shoved him off and sat back up. Kyuubi calmly took his place again and incognito signaled Naruto that everything was good.

"No wonder you're the Maid of Honor…" Itachi muttered under his breath.

"ARE YOU QUESTIONING MY MASCULINITY?!"

"Kyuubi your masculinity has been in question since I popped you out." Kushina quipped. The red head continued to pout for the remainder of the evening.
-

"So, what will you do?" Kyuubi asked as he flopped down next to Itachi on his bed. It had been a while since they had shared a bed for reasons other than sex. The Uchiha was facing away from him, deeply staring at the wall, eyes penetrating the egg shell whiteness. Kyuubi rested his face on his hand as he observed Itachi's struggle. Sasuke seemed happy, it was true. The boy always shined his brightest when Itachi was around and it was obvious that Sasuke would play as though he was happy as long as it kept his brother within arm's reach. "You could still crash the wedding, if anything it will be easier to do so now."

"I have not changed my resolve Kyuubi. Sasuke is waiting for me, I know it. He still has hope in his eyes and a wish in his heart. A silent one, yes, but it calls to me. I know what he wants from me and I would walk to the ends of the Earth to make sure I could fulfill everything he desired. I've just been lost for so long I forgot what the path of truth looked like, eventually I will fall into his arms and I will be home." Itachi said as he rolled onto his back to look at the ceiling. He was smirking. "We just need to hold him in suspense for a little longer, don't you think?"

"Well if you've been holding out this long, what's a day more?" Itachi rolled back onto his side so that he was facing Kyuubi, a small smirk on his lips. "Hey Itachi, do you wan-"

"No Kyuubi, I'm not going to sleep with you."

"I was going to ask, before I was so rudely interrupted, if you wanted to play truth or do something sexy like we used to." Kyuubi said with a brief smirk.

Itachi sighed and shook his head a little. That was how Kyuubi and his relationship had stated. They had been playing that very same game when the feelings came out, of course, they had been drinking at the time and Kyuubi was highly suggestive under the poison of the drink. Things had led on from there. "Even if I said 'no' you'd ask me anyway, we both know that…"

"You take all the fun out of everything, you know that?" Kyuubi jabbed before rolling onto his back, staring up at the ceiling, an amused look on his face. "But since you agreed, then it'll bring the fun back." There was a cheeky, fox-like grin on the red head's face. "Truth or do something sexy?"

"Truth," came the glib reply from Itachi, who was smirking a little at this point.

"What are you going to do at the wedding? I've been wondering what approach you're going to take in that situation."

Itachi was silent. He hadn't actually thought about it. Since the wedding was only going to consist of people that were only important to both families, it would be a rather small gathering. So, it wouldn't really be that big of a deal if he just spilled his guts then and there, he supposed. He would have preferred it to be in a more private setting so that Sasuke and he could get the privacy they deserved but beggars couldn't be choosers. Sasuke would be married to Naruto in short time and he seemed quite serious about it. He wouldn't just abandon the blond after they were married. Itachi had to do it at the wedding; he needed his confession to be in person. He owed Sasuke that much, at the very least.

"I'm not sure really, I guess when the priest…Or whatever you got asks for an objection, I will say mine and tell Sasuke everything. "

"Really? In front of everyone?" Kyuubi pried a little more.

"What other option do I have? If Naruto and Sasuke get married, they probably won't get the marriage annulled. Not just for us. They do love each other, that's apparent." Kyuubi nodded his head. "Truth or do something sexy…"

Kyuubi smirked a little when he heard that coming from Itachi mouth. "Lay the truth on me."

"What would you do if I kept my mouth shut so Sasuke and Naruto could be happy together?" Itachi asked softly.

"Oh that's an easy one. I'd kill you." The red head said with a nod, "Yep, definitely kill you."

"Don't play around." Itachi muttered.

"Fine, fine. To be honest with you Itachi, I'd be very sad if you didn't say anything to Sasuke. For one, Sasuke would live in a world where he thought his feelings were weird, that they SHOULDN'T be reciprocated and that he could never be truly loved by the person he wants to be with the most. It's really quite disgusting to think about. And then I'd also be sad because Naruto wouldn't accept our relationship. He wouldn't sleep with me at night anymore, wouldn't come into my room when he's had a nightmare. My life would be really empty without him and he wouldn't care because he would have Sasuke. He could easily replace me with Sasuke and sometimes, I hate to admit, it drives me crazy. I've always wanted to be the one who Naruto relied on for comfort. I wanted to be his number one…"

"It seems as though I'm not the only one who feels so strongly about what I have to do…Don't worry Kyuubi, nothing will stand in the way this time. We will be able to tell our brother's how we feel, we will be with them. And there's nothing this little ceremony can do about it. I won't let Sasuke slip away again, I won't let his pain grow any farther. I will bring the storm of his mind to an end and then bring you the comfort you desperately long for as well. I know now I can no longer be selfish about my life choices. This isn't about me anymore, this is about Sasuke, this is about Naruto, this is about you, and it will be me who acts as the catalyst."

"Beautiful speech, nine outta ten. Nine because it needed victory fireworks."

Itachi shook his head. "Just shut up and go to bed."
-

Naruto stood anxiously at his window. He was looking at the eerie dark and calm morning which the sun was piercing through. Soon it would be full of sound from the animals as they roused from the slumber. And the house too would be full of life as well. Today was the day, the day that he had been waiting for, for some time now. His wedding loomed with the rising of the sun. When it was high in the sky he would no longer be in his bedroom, he would be in a church with Sasuke, with his family, praying Itachi didn't break his nerve. That all of the reserve had not left his bones and blood just yet. This was Sasuke's last hope to be truly happy and though Naruto did feel a spike a jealousy when he thought that he could not bring Sasuke true happiness on his own, he knew that he could not dwell on the vilest of feelings. Itachi had been the one Sasuke had pinned for, not him. Naruto knew that. He respected it. And since he was sixteen, he had accepted it.

The knocking at his door pulled him away from the window. He peered sideways as his mother stepped in, a fresh, happy look upon her face. Naruto pulled himself away from the window and smiled. His mother came over and clasped her arms around her youngest son, pulling him softly into her chest. "Today's my baby's big day. Too excited to sleep, I see. Not very good to do but you'll pull through. I made enough coffee to supply a small army."

"Thank the Gods, you're benevolent this morning. " Naruto muttered as he freed himself of her grasp, smiling a little sheepishly. Kushina shook her head and ushered her son into the hall. "Do you want me to wake Kyuubi?" His mother still had no idea of the curse or that Itachi was actually in the house with them. He snuck in the window after his parents had arrived home from the rehearsal. He didn't really want her to get two shocks at one time and then beat Kyuubi right before the wedding. Too messy.

"Don't bother with the big lummox. You're the only one who really needs to be up and ready this early. Let your brother sleep in a little longer. I'm sure Itachi or your father will rouse him when the time comes for the wedding. But we only have five hours to prepare you so you'll look like the shining diamond you are." His mother looked so happy. This wedding was going to shatter her heart when the resolution ended with Sasuke and Itachi slipping away together and not Sasuke and him. Hopefully she wouldn't be mad for too long. "We're meeting with Mikoto and Sasuke at the church so we can get you two proper and beautiful before the time comes."

"Isn't it a little early for that?" Naruto questioned as the clock just changed to six in the morning. The wedding wasn't until noon. He really didn't want to sit around in his tux, sweating, getting more and more anxious, for five or so hours.

"Naruto, we still have some last minute decorating to do. Not to mention that we still need the cake to be delivered, and the DJ to come for the after party." She grabbed securely onto Naruto's wrist and started leading him to the door. "Oh I almost forgot." She walked back into the kitchen and came out shortly after, two thermoses full of coffee. She handed them both to her son. "You're going to need the energy kid." She ushered Naruto to the car and got into the driver's seat. Naruto opened one of the thermoses, noting that the coffee was just the way he liked it. Completely laced with sugar and cream to drown out the bitter flavor. "You'll have to forgive me Naruto. I'm just so excited for today. I thought for a while it was going to be Itachi and Kyuubi to march down the aisle first and then you'd follow with some other man. But when they broke up and you and Sasuke got back together…I was just happy that you both decided to take the plunge."

Naruto gulped a little, choking down the first swig of coffee. Today was going to be a disappointment to his mother, Naruto knew that much. But he didn't realize the extent until now. She had really put everything of herself into this wedding. She was just so happy. Naruto reclined in his seat and shook his head a little. Maybe it would almost be better for his mother that he and Sasuke got married. But then what happiness would come then? Naruto knew it didn't matter much at the moment. He just had to suffer through his mother's disappointment and her anger long enough for her to realize that Sasuke and he were making a mistake.

"Although, to be honest, I always had a nagging feeling that you and Kyuubi were finally going to get together. You seemed adamant about it when you were young." Naruto spit his coffee on the dash and started coughing.

"MOM!"

"What? It's true, I really thought you'd give into Kyuubi incessant nagging one day and just get hitched. You know your father and I support it. There are napkins in my purse by the way."

"Well, I guess I'm sorry to disappoint you both." Naruto said as he grabbed a napkin from his mother's purse and started cleaning up his mess.

"As long as you're going to be happy, I don't care who you're with."

Naruto rolled his eyes and sat back. He supposed that was true at the very least, as long as he had support to do whatever and whoever he wanted, that was all he really needed. And maybe his mother wouldn't be as busted up about the marriage as he previously surmised. She seemed as though she would take it very well.
-

Kyuubi moaned and rolled over, smacking Itachi's chest with his arm as he did so. The Uchiha coughed slightly and pushed the large red head off of him. He sat up and stared at the alarm clock by the side of Kyuubi's bed. It read nine in the morning, which meant there were three hours until the wedding. The Uchiha got out of the bed and walked towards the door but instantly paused when he heard the fall of footsteps coming down the hall. They were slightly heavier meaning they were Minato's. In his panic, Itachi leapt into Kyuubi's closet, quietly closing the door.

The blond man entered Kyuubi's room and started to shake his son so that he would wake from his slumber. The red head muttered some curses in his sleep and pulled the blanket over his head. Minato sighed. "Come on Kyuubi; get your lazy ass up. I know you'll be upset if you miss the ceremony. "

The red head sighed loudly and very dramatically as he sat up in his bed. His face was confused for a moment and then he seemed to drop the subject from his mind. "I'm up now; you've served your purpose well. Now leave me to make myself beautiful."

"If I come back in an hour and you're still sleeping, I'll throw you out the window." Knowing his father made good on his promises, Kyuubi got up from his bed.

"Okay, okay. I got it." He opened his closet door, seeing Itachi hiding inside. He handed Kyuubi his folded dress pants from the floor and Kyuubi grabbed the jacket portion and threw them on the bed. Kyuubi had been wondering when Itachi had disappeared too and he was glad he did because the last thing he needed was his father spilling the beans about Itachi's change to his mother. "Make use of yourself and get me a cup of coffee. I need to hop in the shower anyway. Ya got me, homie?"

Minato rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah." He waved a hand dismissively at his son and exited the room. Kyuubi re-opened the closet door so Itachi could come out. He was frowning a little but other than him having to hide, it could have been considered a great success. "The best part of waking up, is finding a sexy man in your closet." The red head sang out a little.

Itachi rolled his eyes and looked out the bedroom door. "I bet you wouldn't be at all put off if I suggested we shower together, would you?"

There was a sparkle to Kyuubi's eyes. "Why, now that you mention it, I haven't seen your naughty bits in ages. I would be honored."

Itachi threw his shirt in Kyuubi's face and walked out the door. "Hurry up or you won't see my 'naughty bits' at all."

Itachi was slightly relieved when the shower was over, mostly because he was getting really sick of Kyuubi smacking his ass. That man really needed to have better control over himself and his actions. It was disgraceful. The Uchiha was drying his long, silken hair while Kyuubi put on his tuxedo for the noon's wedding. He was fumbling with his tie and Itachi got up from the bed to help the struggling red head. He then set out to remove small pieces of lint from the black material and straighten out the red head's collar. "If I hadn't known you to be such an idiot, I would have thought you were an upstarted, young gentleman."

"Milady, I take that as a great compliment." Kyuubi brushed a stray hair from Itachi's face and then poked at the twitching ears atop his head. "Today will be even more of a challenge to hide these. It's far stranger for you to wear a hat at a wedding. It's one thing to wear one at the rehearsal but a completely different matter for you to do so elsewhere." The red head hummed as he wound a little magic to make bobby pins. He handed them to the Uchiha and he sat in front of Kyuubi's vanity, now thinking it was the perfect addition to the red head's room. He put his ear flat against his head and pinned it to his head, noting the slight pinching sensation that accompanied it. Soon, he hoped, it would end but he wasn't too sure. Besides, he only had to suffer through this for a few hours. It was nothing compared to other things he'd suffered through during the span on his lifetime. He looked at his hand work and figured as long as he fixed his ponytail high enough, there would still be enough slack to hide the ear under his hair while it was pinned. Itachi nodded and started on the other, pinning it in place as well. He grabbed one of his hair ribbons from the vanity and started to tie his hair back, slightly higher than he usually did. He covered his ears while readjusting and eventually he found the perfect balance.

"There. You'd never know I had ears." Itachi said with a triumphant wave of his silken tail. It was far easier to put that away. "That reminds me, however, that I have no fitted, pretty suit for this occasion."

"I'll magic you something real nice, promise." Kyuubi said as Itachi stood up from the vanity. "Do you have a preferred color? Mine's white because it matched Naruto's. Sasuke is going to be decked out in black. The decorations also follow that pattern. Black and white is so classy nowadays. "

"I'll leave it to your best judgment." Itachi muttered as he smoothed his hair a little more to make sure the ears wouldn't break the surface. Kyuubi sized Itachi up for a moment before snapping his fingers softly. The Uchiha felt the rush of magic engulf him, like soft hands touching all over his body. He was becoming far more accustomed to the feeling of it on his body. When he opened his eyes and turned towards the mirror, his body was draped in a very-well fitted tuxedo. It gleamed in the light, as though the fabric had been polished, but Itachi soon felt why. The outside was layered with a very fine, soft silk. The jacket was buttoned in the middle showing off a starched white dress shirt which was a nice breathable Egyptian cotton. It was perfectly flat like it had just been ironed, yet still was perfectly moveable. The waist of his pants sat perfectly and there was enough room to comfortably shove his tail down the leg of his pants.

"And just one more finishing touch…" Kyuubi muttered as he went through his closet. He pulled out a crimson tie and handed it to Itachi. The Uchiha tied it perfectly and smirked a little. "Ohhh gurl, just get you a pair of sunglasses and you'd be ready to break all them hearts." Itachi admired his reflection a little longer before Kyuubi shoved him out of the way. "Okay, now is Kyuubi pretty-time. Sit your hot self down before you set me ablaze."
-

Sasuke arrived early with his father and mother, and now all three of whom were waiting for Itachi to show up. They figured the missing Uchiha resided with the always fashionably late Uzumaki Kyuubi. Sasuke was with the anointed priest who actually agreed to marry him to Naruto. The wedding was supposed to start soon and people were filing in. It was about thirty minutes to noon and they needed everyone to come soon as well as to get into position. Sasuke was about to sigh and shake his head, almost feeling that his brother disappointed him, yet again, when a shock of red and black hair caught his eye. Kyuubi was rushing to his place while Itachi followed behind him. Sasuke couldn't help but think that Itachi looked breath taking. His tuxedo was perfectly fitted; he just looked perfect. Sasuke hid the heat in his cheeks by looking down at his tux and brushing invisible lint from it.

"Forgive our absence; Kyuubi is far too vain for his own good." Itachi muttered as he plucked one of Kyuubi's hairs from his sleeve.

"It's quite all right, we haven't even started. We were just starting to get worried about you." Mikoto said as she smiled to her son.

"Does anyone know if Naruto's ready?" Sasuke asked, a little impatiently. "We're also waiting on him…"

"Give Kushina time. She's probably holding him up by crying on him." Minato said as he sat down in an empty pew. And just as he said that he received a hand upside the head from his wife, who was looking down at him.

"What was that?" She asked, her temple throbbing with annoyance. Minato stood up and kissed his wife on the forehead.

"You look so beautiful right now…Let's get remarried. I'm willing, if you'll have me?"

"Sit down and quit making an ass of yourself." She muttered, a bright red flush on her cheeks from her husband's bold statement. He smiled a little and kissed her hand. Everyone else couldn't help but roll their eyes at the scene before them. "And Naruto is ready; he's been ready for more than an hour now. He's just been waiting for me to get perfect for the occasion. We still had time, just start up the piano and he'll be ready to be walked down the aisle." She pushed her husband slightly and Minato stood up to take his place and walk his son down.

Sasuke felt his heart race a little. It was so close to the moment and he was actually feeling nervous. This was an occasion for the rest of his life. He was going to spend the rest of his life with his new bride, not his brother. This day…Was going to shatter every fantasy he ever entertain in his mind. But it would allow him to get over his childish whimsy.

Itachi caught many glances of his brother. His hands were shaking slightly and his forehead was starting to glisten softly with sweat. The older Uchiha could tell it was because of his nerves. But soon Sasuke would be sweating and blushing more than he probably ever faced in his entire life. Kyuubi was smirking across from him, giving him a secret thumbs up. Itachi rolled his eyes a little and that's when the music started. It was time for the bride to be paraded down the aisle with her…His father to give him away.

When the priest called for objections, Itachi knew that was his moment to strike. Naruto walked in rhythm with the piano and Minato looked on proudly as he guided his son towards his new husband.

Once Naruto had arrived and clasped hands with Sasuke, the priest opened his book and looked upon the couple.

"Dearly Beloved, we have gathered here today to join Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto in holy matrimony. But this union must be honorable by all men and this union needs to be fully advised and governed by others. So, if there is a reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

There was a pause as people seemed to be completely content with the marriage. Itachi felt a sudden pressure on his chest and sweat broke down his forehead. This was it, this was his moment to break up the marriage for good. He needed to do it now.

"Wel-"

"I object." Itachi's voice rang out sharply and Kyuubi made an 'o' noise as the silence filled the room. Sasuke turned his head back so he could peer back at his brother.

"Itachi, I thought you were fine with Naruto now."

"Sasuke let him speak." Naruto commanded calmly. The Uchiha turned his attention to his bride. It seemed as though he knew what was going on. He turned back to his brother, his face looking so innocently confused.

"Sasuke, I cannot… No, I will not let you and Naruto get married." Sasuke's face looked desperate and puzzled. He was grasping for answers that eluded him. Yet there was something else there. A small glint of hope. Itachi smiled a little knowing that his brother's hope would not be for nothing. "Sasuke, for a long time now I ignored very important feelings. Feelings that I kept very far away from my heart and now, I realize, that it was foolish of me to keep them buried because…"

Everyone was looking at him and Itachi felt himself go slightly pale with the pressure being put upon him. He wished he could just freeze time and allow he and Sasuke to only indulge in the confession he was about to utter.

"Sasuke, I love you. I've loved you for a very long time now and it took all of this time for me to finally breathe the words I had longed to tell you…" It felt like the weight of the world fell off his chest and he could stand a little straighter. "I will never love anyone as much as I love you…Sasuke…"

Sasuke's face was beet red and he looked away from Itachi. He had to sit down on the small set of stairs before him to keep himself from collapsing with shock. Itachi knelt down at his brother's side and petted the soft spikes of his hair. "Tell me…Tell me you love me too, Sasuke. Please."

"But you…I…This…" Sasuke couldn't properly form sentence and instead he just pulled Itachi head down and kissed him. He kissed him like he had wanted to do for many years, many sunsets and moon rises. Itachi's eyes closed instantly as the passion flew through his body like lightning. He had been denying himself the pleasure of his brother's company for far too long. Sasuke's hands flew into his brother's hair, pulling him as physically close as possible.

"Oh come on! It was hard enough for me to agree to a gay marriage. I cannot even fathom an incestuous, gay one. This is where I draw the line man...That's it, I'm out. Peace. " The priest said as he pulled his collar out of his robes. Kyuubi blinked when the priest flipped deuces in his face. Never had he seen a priest so…Hip…

Itachi was filled with dread as soon as he felt Sasuke's hands in his hair. And what was worse was the fact he could feel the pins in his hair moving. Which meant…?

"EH?! WHAT IS THAT?!" Mikoto exclaimed, finally speaking out as she saw the inhuman additions of her older son. Sasuke pulled away from his brother and saw what his mother was talking about. The fluffy black ears that seemed to spring and twitch from his hair. Itachi's face went pale, which was saying a lot since Itachi was pale anyway.

"Okay, enough of this…" Kyuubi muttered and he snapped his fingers, freezing everyone in the room who didn't know of the curse. Everyone except his mother who stood up and made her way over to the red headed boy. She was glaring him down, hard. And Kyuubi squealed a little and covered his face.

"Mom, can we save you brutally beating Kyuubi for later?" Naruto asked.

"It won't be just Kyuubi, little blondy. I'm gunna tan your ass too! You knew about this didn't you?" Naruto was still and silent as his mother was about to scold him. But then she raised her arms in resignation. "You know what, tell him Naruto. Tell Sasuke what you really are. Shed the light he desperately needs."

"Naruto?" Sasuke's voice called to him and the blond turned and he felt a flush creep up his features.

"I suppose I should explain from the beginning, for your sake…" Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sasuke…I'm a Warlock. I have magical powers. So does Kyuubi and my mother. I've been keeping this a secret for a very long time now. And this does have relevance to Itachi's current condition…For you see; Itachi was cursed by my kind. In fact, he was cursed by my own blood. Kyuubi bestowed upon him the beast curse which is very similar to the Disney movie. You know the 'Beauty and The Beast' one. He didn't have a time limit however; he just had to find someone who truly loved him to lift the curse. I've been helping him in his quest. And every way we looked, every time we tried to break the spell, it never worked until you came farther into the equation."

"Naruto…That cat I brought home…It was Itachi wasn't it?" The blond nodded and he got down next to his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. "No, no I've finally gone crazy. I've lost it, haven't I? This can't be…"

"Sasuke…" it was Itachi who called to him this time. "Sasuke believe what you see, believe what you feel. This is all real. I'm real as are my feelings." He grabbed the younger Uchiha's hand and placed it against his heart. "Do you feel that? It's hammering madly for you. I didn't want you to have to find out like this…Sasuke, please, tell me you love me. Kiss me. Lift me of this burden so we may always be together. I no longer want to be from your side. I love you, Sasuke. Please…Tell me I am not too late to change your mind about this marriage."

"But, Naruto, what about you? You can't just selflessly do this for me…I want us to both be happy."

The blond blushed softly and looked back at Kyuubi, who was wiggling his eyebrow suggestively. "I'll manage with someone else. But Sasuke, this isn't about me. We've been working very hard for this moment. Please tell Itachi all the things you've told me. Allow your heart to be worn on your sleeve and rectify all past mistakes."

Sasuke was still. It felt real, everything seemed to line up. And his hopes, his dreams…They were bursting to life before him. Sure it wasn't the ideal situation. But beggars can't be choosers. He grabbed Itachi's hands in his own. "That night when you shut me out…I thought I was wrong. Why did you decide to leave me then? Will you tell me the truth now? I've always…Wanted to be with you. "

"Sasuke, you must understand, I was confused. I didn't know what I was feeling. It hurt me Sasuke because I knew I rejected and hurt you. I sent the pain below and it made me feel as though I was suffocating. I was stifling who I really was but I had lived like that for so long that it was difficult to rid myself of the habit. Now I see, now I know. I love you Sasuke. Please believe those words. I'm sorry Sasuke. I'm so sorry. I've been lying to myself, denying was what so obvious from the beginning. I love you. I love you so much. More than I can put into words. When I hear your voice, when I look upon your face. I feel the need. I can't push it anymore. So please Sasuke, tell me you'll have me. Please allow me to make up for the lost time, at your side. I will never leave you again…"

Sasuke pulled his hand away from Itachi and he saw a solitary tear escape from the younger's eye. Itachi reached up to brush it away but Sasuke started laughing. "Wither shall thee go, I will follow. Thou hast held my held my heart tenderly and taken great pride in keeping it. Ne'er only death shall separate thee from me…" Sasuke paused and wiped the tear from his face. "I suppose now it is my turn to hold your heart and care for it…I love you too, Itachi. So, ungodly much." Sasuke leaned in and gave his brother a soft kiss on the lips.

Itachi could feel his body changing. The magic that once surrounded his frame seemed to be shattering. He pulled away from Sasuke and opened his eyes seeing his ears fall off his head and float down before disappearing into a small pile of shimmering gold dust. He could feel his tail shrinking and pulling back into his body. He blinked a few times and then his body was wracked with coughing. He spit out a small talisman, shaped like a cat and Kyuubi smirked as he walked over to grab it.

"Slipped it into your coffee that day." Kyuubi said with a shrug. "Since this is what gives the curse life and shape and you've spit it up that means the curse is officially, and finally, broken. You, Itachi, are a free man now."

Sasuke smiled, his face lightening up at the scene around him. Everything was finally falling into place around him and he forced himself into Itachi's arms. The older Uchiha was smiling too. His life was in the correct direction now. He was curse free and now he could spend the remaining years of his life cuddle closely to the love of his life. He kissed the top of Sasuke's head and just held him, refusing to let the boy up. He wasn't going to waste any more of their time now. They were going to be together for all times.

"This is well and good, and do believe me when I say that I'm happy for you two, because I am…" Kushina interrupted. "But, there still is the matter of everyone else and what they saw here today. What do you exactly propose to do about that?"

"Mind-wipe?" Kyuubi suggested. "We can rid them of the past few moments before the slip of Itachi's ears and then just end the wedding from there. I mean, the priest made it halfway to the door before I managed to freeze him."

"Sounds good. The two of you can handle this…" Kushina snapped. Naruto and Kyuubi looked at each other, their mouths hanging open.

"Just the two of us on this many people!?" Naruto exclaimed. "I might pass out from exhaustion!"

"Then let that be a reminder to the two of you not to curse people and lie to me." She smirked a little and patted the Uchiha boys on the shoulders. "I'm so happy for the two of you. Now if Kyuubi and Naruto would be so honest with each other, we would really have quite the interesting scene, yeah?" She smiled and walked back to her spot.
-

The sun was setting over the crystalline grains of sand and coating the water, making it shine as though it was pink and purple, not the original blue-green gem when the sun was high in the sky. It was starting to cool down as well, no longer settling to cause sweat to burst from every pour. The lapping waves against the shore and the calling of water birds could be heard in the distance but Itachi wasn't to be bothered with the far off sounds. He was laying on his towel on the sandy beach, his arms resting behind his head.

"We should head back soon…" Itachi said aloud and then he looked over to the smaller frame resting beside him on the sand. Sasuke's head popped up from his own towel and he shrugged.

"No one will be looking for us so let's enjoy the calm while we can. As soon as we get back to the hotel it'll be noisy and crowded. I just want to spend as much peaceful time as I can with you." His tone was full of sleep from the long day they had spent together. And truthfully, deep down, Itachi knew he should have ushered his brother back to the hotel. But, he was feeling particularly selfish at the moment. If he brought the boy back to the hotel, that meant he would have share his beauty with whoever walked by them. He did not want that. At least not now.

Itachi nodded and Sasuke laid his head back down. He shut his eyes and Itachi couldn't help but feel that his brother was the most beautiful when sleep had his power grasp around the younger Uchiha. His features soften and looked at peace. Itachi leaned over and started to pet the silken black spikes his brother possessed. When they were alone like this he was thankful. Thankful for everything he had gone through to accomplish this means. He was finally spending his time with Sasuke. Sure they weren't doing extremely exciting things, but it was enough to just bask in each other's presence.

Sasuke caught his brother's hand and gave it a kiss on every knuckle. "Quit lulling me to sleep with your touches. I don't appreciate it. I want to spend my waking hours with you."

"Sasuke, you spend a vast majority of your time with me." Itachi said with a small chuckle. "If you are tired, we can return to the hotel now so you may get all the intimate sleep you need."

Sasuke got to his feet, slowly but steadily. "Yeah, yeah."

Itachi got up as well, gathering their beach gear and heading back to their rental car. Once everything was packed away Itachi noticed that Sasuke wasn't waiting for him in the car but rather was standing by the edge of the sand, looking out into the water.

"What is it, Sasuke?" Itachi asked coming to stand behind his brother. His hand landed softly on the porcelain skin of the younger Uchiha and he just continued to stare.

"If I had had come to such a place with anyone else, at any other point in my life, I would have just brushed it off. I suppose, maybe, when you're in love the colors are a little brighter, the air a little sweeter. The sand beneath my feet is not at as harsh and hot, but soothing. There is no one else I'd rather be with right now. No one else I'd rather share this sight with. I want us to share these memories together so when we grow old, we can say we'll always have our memories of the things we did, the people we met. That is why I will always be selfish around you Itachi, so when those days come, we will never had to go fishing for memories and have to explain things to each other. We can just…Already share everything. Our bodies, our minds…Our souls."

Itachi smirked a little as he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist; bringing his head to rest right on top of his little brothers. "If that is what it is to be selfish, Sasuke, then I've been selfish all my life. And, I suppose, with you it's okay to be a little selfish. You actually make it sound like you're doing me a favor instead of savoring everything for yourself. It is beautiful really…Just like you, my dearest love."

Sasuke moved so that he was facing Itachi. Their lips met instantly as the sunset slowly behind them, bathing their pale bodies in the warming, yet fading purple, pink, and yellowed light. They stayed like that for a while not being able to pull apart from the other. A few months ago if someone said Itachi would be like this, he would have laughed in their face. But now he knew better. He couldn't be apart from Sasuke. It would be like ripping out his own heart and stomping upon it. The ice that used to encase and protect him had finally melted away, bringing the blooming love of spring to kill out the bitter cold that had inhabited his life before. Sasuke was his heart now. His life now. Everything he had ever needed was just in arm's reach…

He just needed to be pushed in the right direction.
-

LE FIN

Finally, Curse of the Cat is finished. I'm glad it's done and I really hope all of you enjoyed this bumpy ride. I'm really sorry for the long wait for the conclusion but I hope you'll forgive me.

Itachi: Huh, how touching.
Me: It's beautiful really.
Itachi: No, I meant you trying to getting the fans to love you again.
Me: Oh hush up. I go to University. What do you do? Hide in my closet all day in the deep recesses of my mind.
Itachi:…Touché, Hitoko-sama. Anyway, this was Hitoko-sama and she very much appreciates all the support and love! Until next time!