May I Love You?

Standing alone in the pouring rain, a little dark haired boy watched a figure approach him. His rain boots had him tempted to jump in puddles, but knew if he jumped too high, he'd get his clothes wet. Twirling the yellow umbrella in his tiny hands, his dark eyes stared innocently up at the taller person that came up to him.

"Ready?"

The smaller boy cracked a smile, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink before nodding. Taking the hand of his older brother, the two headed home. 'What was this feeling?' the little boy wondered as they walked through the many puddles. His grip on his brother's hand tightened and he scooted closer, smiling to himself as he looked on the ground, still blushing.

'I like Itachi.

He's so good to me.

He makes me happy.

I think I like him like

mommy likes daddy.' he thought to himself.

"What's on your mind, Sasuke?" Itachi asked him.

Sasuke looked up, tilting the umbrella so he could see his brother's face. "I like you, Itachi!" He gave a cheerful smile, lighting up the gray and gloomy day.

Itachi smiled back at his little brother, wondering what was really going on in Sasuke's head. "I like you too, Sasuke. You know I do. Why do you say this all of a sudden?"

"I...I dunno." Sasuke's cheeks turned a darker pink as he looked down again. "Hey, Itachi?"

"Yes, Sasuke."

"How do you feel when you love someone?" the younger boy asked in a small voice.

Itachi's smile faded, thinking he knew where this was leading. "Why? Is there a certain girl at school you like?"

"Itaachi!" Sasuke said in embarrassment. "Just answer the question. Okay? I wanna know."

The older Uchiha paused for a while, trying to figure out what to tell his little brother. But all he came up with was a dictionary definition. "Love is a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person."

"No, no, no. How does it feel?" Sasuke shook his head. Itachi's definition of love wasn't what he was looking for...because what he was feeling needed an explanation, since he couldn't put it in his own words. But to his disappointment, not even Itachi could explain it as he stayed silent, still struggling to find a way to say it.

"Why don't you ask Mom when we get home?" Itachi finally gave up trying to answer Sasuke's question.

There was a silence between the two brothers for a while, the only sounds being the rain falling against Sasuke's umbrella and the splashing sound of the little Uchiha's blue rubber rain boots. Itachi's movements on the other hand, were almost soundless. "Um, Itachi?"

"Yes, Sasuke."

"Do you love anyone?" the younger boy asked suddenly.

Itachi stopped abruptly, frowning down at Sasuke's curious expression. "Why do you ask?"

"Well...because..." The smaller boy's grip on Itachi's hand loosened and fell to Sasuke's side. Sasuke searched for words. "Because...I just want to know." was the best he could come up with.

Itachi just shook his head. "Then, no, Sasuke. I don't love anyone...or at least anyone I can have." Sasuke's head tilted as his curious expression turned into a confused one. The umbrella in the younger Uchiha's hands shifted.

"You love...someone you can't have, Itachi?"

"Yes, Sasuke. Now can we please stop talking about this?"

Itachi took his little brother by the hand once more and they kept walking a while more, not realizing that Sasuke struggled to keep up, making more and more splashes in the puddles he walked over. In the younger boy's mind, he wondered 'Was this love? This feeling I have for Itachi? It has to be! What else could it be?' And then Sasuke asked in a quiet voice, "Th-then...may...may I love you?"

The older Uchiha stopped once more, this time with a surprised expression on his face. "Sasuke...do you know what you're saying?"

"Yes." Sasuke nodded. "I do. Cause I love Itachi and I want Itachi to love me!"

"But I thought you didn't know what love felt like." Itachi pointed out, now bending down to eye level with his little brother. The two were now under the little yellow umbrella.

"Itachi...I get this feeling inside when you're around." Sasuke frowned, trying to express these feelings as best as he could. "It's like...I have butterflies in my stomach and my heart pounds faster. I feel really happy and I want to be with you all the time. I want to be with you forever, Itachi!"

'He's right in front of me.

Right in front of me and he

loves me like I love him, and

yet we still can't be together.' The older Uchiha thought sadly.

"I will be with you forever, Sasuke." Itachi smiled at the smaller boy, though it faded slightly, as he felt his heart hurt inside.

"You promise?"

"I do. I promise." Itachi patted Sasuke on the head, about to take his brother's hand once more to finally get home, but was stopped as Sasuke stood on his toes to reach Itachi's lips. A small kiss was placed on Itachi's lips and the older Uchiha felt his heart skip a beat, but the pain inside was gone. He smiled as Sasuke looked up at him with the same embarrassed expression he wore earlier.

"Thank you, Itachi." Sasuke beamed up at his older brother just before Itachi cupped his face in his hands, leaning in closer. Then their lips touched once more and the two of them shared another kiss, hidden beneath Sasuke's yellow umbrella. 'I love you, Itachi, even if you don't love me back. But...if this kiss means you do love me, then I'd be even more happy.'

Then Itachi thought to himself, 'For now, this will have to do.'

End.

...

Yep. Review, okay? I'm in a happy mood.

iluvitachi93