Neither of them had made a fuss when there was only one double room available at the inn. They were both professionals, after all. They could handle having to sleep in the same bed. It was merely a minor inconvenience. And Kisame suspected he would end up with no duvet, because Itachi tended to hog it, or he had done on previous occasions that they'd had to share a bed. Still, he didn't complain as they settled down to sleep for the night, carefully located as far from each other as the mattress allowed.

He woke up at some point in the night, feeling warm and content. At first he sleepily assumed that Itachi hadn't stolen all the blankets for once, and then, as the fog of sleep drifted away leaving his thoughts clear, he realised that the warmth was coming from Itachi himself. Who appeared to be snuggled back against his chest. And if Kisame wasn't very much mistaken, he had his arm over the young Uchiha's waist, keeping him there.

He hoped very much that Itachi wasn't secretly awake, because he had no idea how to explain such a happening. Perhaps in his sleep he'd reached out for comfort, or warmth, or perhaps Itachi had moved closer unconsciously and he'd automatically moved to embrace him. Whatever the reason, he knew the younger nin would take a very dim view of Kisame snuggling him in the dead of the night. Kisame, on the other hand, had always held a soft spot for his murderous, deranged partner. But that was the point; Itachi was murderous, and dangerous, and had never given any indication that he would enjoy or even allow Kisame to touch him any more intimately than perhaps dressing an unreachable wound.

Slowly, painfully slowly, so he wouldn't trigger Itachi's devastatingly fast reflexes, he started to move his hand by millimetres, sliding it across his partner's stomach. He was just starting to move past the navel when a hand clamped over his.

"Ah…Itachi-san…" He began, fingers flexing involuntarily.

"You will not move your hand." Itachi dragged Kisame's hand back to where it had been when he'd first woken up. "I don't know which of us moved first, but this is comfortable."

Kisame stared at his younger partner for a few seconds, wondering if he had heard and understood correctly. A sharp squeeze of his fingers told him that he had. "Okay, Itachi."

He pulled Itachi closer, holding him more tightly. There was a murmur of approval from the Uchiha, and then the sound of peaceful breathing as he fell back to sleep. Listening to the exhalations of his partner made Kisame consider his own breathing, the steady rise and fall of his chest, pressing him tighter and then less tightly against Itachi's naked back. The rhythm soon lulled him off to sleep.

When he woke up the next day, Itachi was already up and dressed. As Kisame readied himself for their next mission, the Uchiha polished his kunai, looking as blank as usual. The only indication Kisame had that he remembered the night before was as they left the room.

"I hope the next inn is as…comfortable as this one has been." Itachi said softly, straightening out his sleeves.

"I'm sure it will be, Itachi."