The room was filled with rather soft conversations, the four people in the room not a rare occurrence because the Akatsuki were, in general, a rather solitary bunch. The door opened, and Itachi entered. He was adjusting his coat, looking down to make sure that everything was in order, not paying much attention to the inhabitants of the so-called 'living room' of the Akatsuki headquarters. A few moments passed before Itachi noticed that all the conversing had stopped, and there was the heavy silence that follows when you walk in to find a room of people that had been talking about you.

He lifted his head, his eyes far more amused than normal, something almost friendly about his face. His red eyes snapped to the blonde and the newbie on the sofa, who were the ones, obviously, who had been talking. One glance told him that his assumptions were correct. Tobi looked at him though, as is usually the case with people who wear masks, his face was unreadable. Deidara's head was lowered slightly, not looking at him.

Itachi's eyebrow raised a fraction of an inch. "Hey Deidara..." He stated, casually, not even looking at the other man as he walked past, "Last night was fun. But next time, don't scream so loudly. My ears are still ringing." 'Yeah, and I don't want to be blind and deaf...' He added in his mind, though luckily he didn't voice it. He walked passed, leaving a very red-faced Deidara behind him. His eyes smirked as he continued on, hearing Kakuzu's noise of outrage as he questioned the cringing blonde man. Oh, being a cold-hearted bastard was so much fun.

"You really shouldn't torment him like that." A voice to his left said as he was exiting the room.

"I shouldn't?"

"No. He doesn't deserve it."

"He doesn't?"

"'I shouldn't, he doesn't.'" He mimicked. "Stop being so fucking obnoxious, Itachi."

Kisame had fallen in step with him, his blue face annoyed as they traveled down the hallway together. It was so natural for them to walk together they automatically walked at the same pace, their feet moving together. Today, it was just annoying the tall, blue man.

"What would you rather I do, hm? Ignore him? He needed to be put in his place. Below me." There was a slight pause, and something akin to a snicker from the black-haired Uchiha. "Like he was last night."

Kisame, rather more dramatic than his unenthusiastic partner, rolled his eyes.

"We shouldn't fight within ourselves. It leads to everyone doing a poor job."

"But fucking within our ranks is just fine, right?"

"...You're hopeless."

"Mmm."

"You're only making trouble for the sake of it."

"Welcome to my life."

"He didn't do anything to you."

"Oh, he did quite a lot to me, now that you me-"

"You know what I mean!"

"It's fun to torment him."

"So?"

"I get bored easily."

"That's no reason to take it out on Deidara!"

"S'not like I care."

"That's bad manners!"

"..."

"Didn't your mother teach you anything?"

"... I killed her when I was 16..."

"But... ugh. You have no concern for anyone. We need to at least respect each other!"

"How am I supposed to respect a group of bumbling idiots?"

"You're the best, of course, but they have their merits!"

"Name one."

"You're obnoxious."

"Proved my point. I hate it when you lecture me."

"I'm not lecturing you! I'm just trying to teach you some respect!"

"Oh, are you?"

There was a long, long pause.

Kisame wasn't entirely sure he liked the tone in Itachi's voice. Or the glint in Itachi's eye. Or the fact that he had followed Itachi into his own rooms without wondering why Itachi had led him there. Or that they were standing with all together far too little space between them, and Itachi was resting his back on the wall.

As far as partners went, they were close. The only team that didn't bicker, that got along. And yeah, they'd slept together before. But that had been ages ago. Just being this near to Itachi was, Kisame had to admit, a big turn on. The tall man swallowed, but his face just barely reflected how he was feeling.

"Maybe I am." He took a half step forward, and the self-satisfied look on Itachi's face was urging him onward.

"Oh, really? Because, fish-boy, I doubt you could teach me anything. Unless it's to clap my fins and jump through a hoop." Itachi said, his eyes smirking, though his mouth was unaffected. He inched toward Kisame, his red eyes looking up. "Besides... I think you're too much of a coward."

"A coward, am I?" Kisame questioned, moving his hands to Itachi's sides, as though debating with himself, barely listening to what his partner was saying.

"Yes. A scared, worthless, useless coward." Itachi prodded. "You couldn't hold a candle to Sasuke, even." Kisame's hands lifted the shorter, black haired man bodily off the ground, throwing him against the wall, knocking the air out of him. Itachi's hair fell in front of his eyes, shielding his face from view. Kisame's body caught him against the wall, his arms held him up. Kisame watched Itachi in silence for a moment, nothing visible except Itachi's mouth under the veil of ebony hair.

"Someone has to teach you some respect, Ita." Kisame growled, watching the other for a few moments. Then the corners of Itachi's mouth started upward ever so slightly, and he laughed dryly, moving his eyes up to look at Kisame, whose own mouth was split into a smirk of amusement. Itachi tilted his head back, remembering how thrilling it was to have such a ridiculously strong lover, and rested it on the wall.

"We both know very well... that you could never teach me anything." Itachi stated, softly, glancing at Kisame with thoughtful eyes. Kisame didn't answer, just watched for a moment. Their eyes locked, the pale ones meeting with the hypnotic Uchiha eyes. Kisame tried to keep his mind off of what Itachi was implying. After this long silence, Itachi finally jerked back from whatever he'd be thinking of, the faraway look retreating from his eyes. He glanced at Kisame and, moving his head back to rest it on the wall, he said, softly, "Well, if you weren't a coward... you would kiss me."

Their eyes met again, and there was a dare dancing in the Sharinngan pair. Kisame looked thoughtful before smiling, hardly perceivably, "I'm not a coward." He said, his tone somewhere between angry and gentle.

He lifted his head quickly, crushing his lips against the all too tempting lips of Itachi Uchiha. He released the grip of his hands on Itachi's shoulders, holding the younger man up using the force of his own body. He pulled Itachi's legs up around his waist, lips moving against the smaller man's. The Uchiha rolled his hips gently against Kisame's, pulling him tighter by hooking his legs dexterously around the other.

Itachi's arms laced around his partner's neck, holding him as they kissed. He'd missed Kisame. Deidara had been fun, make no mistake, but Kisame was... Kisame. Itachi ran his tongue along Kisame's teeth, begging for admittance. Kisame's lips parted, and Itachi's tongue traveled invasive-ly through the other's mouth. After a few moments of this, Kisame's hand moved again, moving to the back of Itachi's head, pressing his hips against Itachi's. Itachi let out a slight noise, though it was caught by Kisame's mouth. Kisame grabbed a fistful of Itachi's hair, pulling his head back, breaking the kiss.

Itachi's eyes widened slightly, his head jerked back roughly, his neck bared and exposed. "Iie... what're you... mmnn..." Kisame's other hand quickly undid Itachi's coat, letting it fall off of his shoulders. Kisame slowly moved his lips to Itachi's throat, leaving a line of rough kisses and bite marks with his shark's teeth down his lover's neck. Itachi smirked slightly, looking down at Kisame, the dim light filtering through the window alighting on his neck.

Kisame might have been the one pinning him to the wall, but Itachi was by no means under his control.

Itachi took a hold of Kisame's hands, lifting them up above their heads and then lowering them to their sides. With one fluid motion, Itachi had pushed himself from the wall, and with that, twisted Kisame's arms behind his back. Itachi chuckled from behind his extremely bewildered partner. A husky voice was in Kisame's ear, and it was an order, not a request. "Get on the bed." Kisame shivered, but walked over to the bed anyway, Itachi behind him the whole while, holding back his arms.

Itachi dropped his coat in the meantime, helping Kisame out of his, while still not releasing his arms together. The pair moved to the bed, Itachi pressing down on the small of Kisame's back as he lay down on his stomach. Itachi muttered something, and Kisame felt his hand move a few times. Loose bindings appeared around his wrists. Kisame groaned, which only caused Itachi to pull at his arms. The smaller man lay down on him, moving his hands down Kisame's abdomen, tracing every muscle and dip of Kisame's body, slowly working his way lower. There was a burning sensation in Kisame's loins as he felt himself getting stiff.

Itachi's wandering hands worked their way down Kisame's beautiful pale blue skin, slipping deftly under the cloth of his pants, his fingers brushing Kisame's member through his thin briefs. He gasped ever so slightly, and Itachi pressed down harder on his back before cupping Kisame's crotch, massaging and squeezing rhythmically. Itachi bit his lip slightly, moving his own hips behind Kisame, rocking the other man into his hand. Soon enough, Kisame was groaning, hard in his hand. Itachi's own need was rather firm. He leaned forward onto Kisame, kissing his neck and lips again before retreating.

Itachi unbound Kisame's hands, moving deftly off of him and moving up the bed to lay on the pillows. He kicked off his shoes as Kisame gently stretched his arms. Itachi looked at him, amused, as he pulled off the mesh shirt that was clinging to his wiry frame. He slowly undid his pants, savoring every moment of torture Kisame had to endure. He slid them off his hips, the black and red of the bed making him look even paler and more alien. Red eyes trailed over Kisame for a second, who was sitting at the foot of the bed, looking at him.

He slid his pants off entirely, trailing his delicate fingers slowly back up his own thighs, his black hair falling into his face again. He moved his fingers about his stomach and hips, making a sporadic spiral, teasing himself even further into that high place. Finally he fisted his length, moaning and throwing his head back against the headboard as his pumped his own cock, finding it even more erotic knowing that Kisame was watching the whole thing.

Kisame swallowed. Itachi, and only Itachi, would be brash enough to jack off while he was sitting there with a hard-on. Kisame watched for several breathless moments, a fire rushing through his veins. He crawled over to Itachi, capturing his lips while his eyes were closed, his mouth open from a moan. He kissed him roughly, desperately, demandingly. Itachi slipped off the other's shirt, his pants quickly following suit. Itachi took a moment to admire the other's body. There was something so strange about Kisame's blue skin, something almost bestial about screwing him.

And Itachi loved every thrilling-ly perverse moment of it.

"Come on, Kisame. I want to feel you..." Itachi breathed, his voice husky and saturated with lust as he spoke into his lover's ear. The muscular figure above him shivered, leaning in to leave kisses on Itachi's cheek and neck. "Or are you still afraid?" His voice was no more than a whisper as Kisame's mouth lay claim to his body. "What if Deidara finds out...?" Itachi asked, more to himself than to his fascinated lover. Kisame's tongue teased one of Itachi's nipples, and the younger man stifled a groan, his ignored cock jerking in anticipation. "Who cares?" Kisame half-snarled, moving up to kiss Itachi, brutally.

"You're starting to sound more and more like me as the days go by." Itachi teased, gloating. "Or don't you remember what started this... endeavor?" Kisame frowned, trailing his tongue down his lover's navel. "You're bleeding heart tendencies... pathetic. An Akatsuki shouldn't have a conscience. Or does killing people for enjoyment seem like a righteous course of action to you?" Itachi mused, rambling, his mood bored and uncaring. Brutal blue hands forced him down to the bed.

"For fuck's sake, Itachi. Shut the fuck up!" And blue lips violently claimed his mouth.

For the first time in years, Itachi was happy to comply.

"Now, Kisame!" Itachi moaned, a few moments later. His partner eyed him, curiously. "I want you inside. Now... So hot..." Itachi's speech was becoming incoherent with his wanting, his need. Kisame nodded, brushing his lips over Itachi's, his sentiment clear. He grabbed a tube of lubrication from the bedside drawer, knowing where Itachi kept it. He was worried, thinking that Itachi wouldn't have mentioned it without him. Just how much of a masochist was his jaded partner?

Forgetting that notion, Kisame quickly complied with Itachi's demands, turning his partner over onto his stomach. He trailed a muscled arm down the pale back, delving lower until he reached his goal, applying the lube generously before he pulled Itachi to his knees, leaning over the smaller man. "Ready?" Itachi just clenched handfuls of the bed sheets in preparation. Kisame grinned, his rows of teeth gleaming as he drew a breath and slowly pushed in, the overwhelming heat forcing the stifled cry of his partner from his mind.

Itachi writhed, despite himself, as he did only with Kisame. Only with Kisame. His breath was quick, and he was in pain. His every nerve was tingling, burning, and it hurt... but it hurt wonderfully. Beautiful pain, beautiful, overreaching pain that kept everything except it's insistency away. His body being torn in two, his being torn from his existence... It was beautiful. He squirmed, unable to contain his yell as Kisame slammed into him again, more forcefully. Kisame, lost in himself for quite a time, eventually paid attention to his lover, his white eyes gracing over Itachi's flawless form.

Kisame pressed in again and again and again, making Itachi scream, moan. Scream for all the words he didn't say, all the conversations that Kisame didn't get. Kisame, as the blinding pressure built within him, thought that it was a fair trade.

Itachi shifted so he was on Kisame's lap, though Kisame barely noticed. Itachi's head was against his chest, however, and Kisame felt Itachi riding up and down his length, searching for that critical point. Kisame may have been the one taking him, he reasoned, but Itachi was ever in control. The notion pulled a noise half-way between a growl and a groan from the blue skinned man, who wrapped his arms possessively around Itachi's slight form, his dark nails digging into Itachi's back as his teeth sunk into Itachi's neck, breaking the surface, causing a trail of blood to dribble down between their slick bodies. Itachi's black hair was damp, clinging to his skin, framing his pale face. The Uchiha tilted his head to the side, groaning in blissful agony as he felt Kisame's teeth inside his neck, deep enough that he knew it would scar. But the pain was beautiful.

He felt the swordsman close to climaxing, though, and forced his eyes open. He wanted to watch, watch Kisame, who was wonderful and painful and feral and absolutely wild. Kisame, who gave him so much that the rest of the world could not. He'd never voice it, but Kisame understood, understood the thousands of things that he could never, ever say. He pressed his lips against the blue man's cheek, startling chaste and sweet. Kisame's warmth filled him as he let out a cry, the sound escaping from around Itachi's throat, still captured by his lover's teeth. Itachi rested his head again against the strong blue chest, his own seed spilling over Kisame's abdomen, as he groaned out the precious name. "Kisame..."

The older man released Itachi's throat and pulled out carefully, wrapping his arms around Itachi, holding him tightly. They sat there, panting, exhausted, for several long moments. Itachi was content, enveloped in his partner's strong arms, resting against Kisame, Kisame who was a wall, a haven, a resting place. Moments like that, sitting there, so comfortably with each other, was the closest to intimacy or love either of them ever got, with anyone. But they'd never say it, of course. Kisame lowered his face, pressing his lips gently against the other's forehead, then his eyebrow, slowly to his cheek, trailing downward to his lips. He kissed Itachi gently, caringly, and Itachi, exhausted, returned the slow, soft brush.

Then Kisame pulled back, his animalistic face set into a surprisingly calm smile, one that no one else in the Akatsuki ever got to see. He lay down, and pulled Itachi to him. He embraced Itachi, buried his face in Itachi's thick black hair, and closed his eyes slowly. Itachi lay awake long after Kisame was asleep, wondering what would happen to Kisame when the inevitable happened, wondering what would happen to them. But slowly, he rolled over, facing Kisame's sleeping form, and a small, simple smile danced over his lips. He pressed his body to Kisame's, burying himself in the other man, and fell asleep.

If nothing else... they had eachother.