The Family Business
TyKae

Iruka ran a hand through his hair as he moved for the door, just off of the couch he'd gotten comfortable on after a long few nights worrying. He was frazzled, in loose pajama pants and a t-shirt, sighing as he opened the door, only to find Kakashi standing in the hallway with a box of chocolates and flowers.

"Hey," Kakashi said with a smile. Iruka leaned against the door frame, poking his head out.

"Hey."

"May I come in?" Kakashi asked, gesturing with the chocolates. Iruka nodded and opened the door more, walking back to the couch. "It's been a busy few days. I thought you could use a little pampering." Iruka felt a blush creeping up his face as Kakashi smiled.

"You didn't have to," Iruka said. Kakashi sat down next to him and ran a hand over his cheek, turning his head.

"But I want to," Kakashi said. Iruka smiled, and Kakashi pressed a soft kiss onto his lips. Iruka moved his head to deepen the kiss, but Kakashi pulled away. Iruka started to ask why, but Kakashi put a finger to Iruka's lips, stopping him.

"You're exhausted," Kakashi said. "Tonight's for pampering. Not for anything too... vigorous," he said with a grin. Iruka nodded a little and Kakashi stood to take off his trench coat, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. When he was done, he sat down next to Iruka and pulled him into his lap, laying down with Iruka against him. Kakashi ran his hand over Iruka's chest, down to his stomach and over his thigh, pressing a kiss to the back of Iruka's head. Iruka let out a heavy sigh.

"I don't deserve you," Iruka said. Kakashi kissed his way over to Iruka's ear, sucking on the lobe.

"You deserve so much more, little dolphin." Iruka smiled as a hand ran up under his shirt, running along his belly before pulling him back against Kakashi's own body.

"Where'd Sasuke take Naruto?" Iruka asked, his voice soft.

"No clue," Kakashi said.

"Will they be okay?" Kakashi whispered a hush into Iruka's ear.

"Just sleep. Sasuke's more than capable of protecting someone, especially someone he cares about."

"He really cares about Naruto, then?" Iruka asked. Kakashi nodded against Iruka's cheek.

"For as long as I've known him, I've never seen him this distracted by someone."

"And you? I mean... distracted?" Iruka turned to look at Kakashi as he asked, his eyes dropping and his mouth open just a little. Kakashi chuckled, hugging him closer.

"Completely." Iruka smiled and buried his face into Kakashi's chest. Kakashi ran his fingers through Iruka's hair, and a few minutes later both were asleep on the couch.

Sasuke followed Naruto up the stairs to his apartment, watching him, waiting for the perfect moment. And as they reached the top of the stairs, where they turned and were walking for the apartment door, that was the moment. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's shoulder and pushed him back against the wall in one fluid motion, holding Naruto's wrists and working them up over his head. Sasuke pressed his forehead to Naruto's as Naruto squirmed beneath him, Sasuke working a knee in between Naruto's legs, securing him, ghosting a gentle kiss over Naruto's lips. He breathed a warm puff of air that all but melted Naruto underneath him.

Naruto bucked into Sasuke's thigh, grinding himself as his eyes fell shut and Sasuke took his lips. It was all Naruto could do to grip the fabric of Sasuke's coat, hanging onto his shoulders, as Sasuke starting grinding his thigh and driving Naruto harder and harder against the wall, Sasuke's tongue working through Naruto's lips—

The door creaked and Naruto's heart stopped. Sasuke's weight continued to support him for a second or two, until it was gone as fast as Sasuke had been on him. Naruto nearly fell to the floor. Metal slipped against leather as Sasuke pulled out his gun and had it trained directly between Kakashi's amusement-squinted eyes. Even despite his mask, Naruto could tell his grin was nothing short of sadistic, as opposed to Sasuke's frown, which was an icy cold kind of furious. Naruto took shallow breaths as a few seconds of silence passed, Sasuke still frozen with his gun aimed at Kakashi's head, almost as if he were still deciding whether he should or not. But Kakashi walked forward and reached over the gun to poke Sasuke's forehead. Sasuke let his arms fall, his eyes still fixed in a piercing glare.

"Damn you," Sasuke said, frigid. But Kakashi just patted Sasuke's shoulder as he walked past.

"Come on, lover boy, say good night. Naruto needs the sleep," Sasuke started to say something, but Kakashi cut him off, adding, "Because your bedtime activities aren't sleep-friendly." Sasuke's glare turned into a sneer and he started to raise his pistol again, only to jam it back in his holster and turn back around to Naruto while Kakashi laughed his way down the stairs.

"Hey, uh..." Sasuke started, his pause turning into a broken thought as Naruto's fingers slipped through his own. Sasuke swallowed, trying to force down the lump that was beginning to form in his throat. "Today was..." he said, taking a deep breath.

"Yeah," Naruto said, nodding. "It was." They stood there for another few seconds, holding hands, Sasuke leaning forward to press another gentle kiss on Naruto's lips, before he pulled back.

"I'm sorry about him, he's an idiot."

"He's right though," Naruto said, moving out from between Sasuke and the wall. "I am still a little worked over." Sasuke nodded, blushing just a little as he thought of the afternoon, and moved forward to kiss Naruto's forehead, brushing a strand of hair out of Naruto's face.

"You should have said something."

"It's not that it was too much. Really, I needed to get out. This day's been amazing." Sasuke was caught off guard by that, making Naruto grin. "It has! All of it. And I'd love to do it again soon..."

"Sure," Sasuke said, nodding. "Definitely soon." Naruto smiled and turned for his apartment, stopping and turning before he opened the door.

"How's Itachi?" Sasuke leaned against the wall, letting out a deep breath.

"Better. I'm moving him into my new place for a while. And I'll figure out something to keep his rent covered, he just doesn't need to be alone right now, you know?"

"Yeah," Naruto said. They stood there, a long few seconds passing, before Naruto smiled again. "Tell him I hope he feels better, yeah?"

"I will," Sasuke said. "I'll, uh... see you tomorrow, maybe? Or at least the day after, definitely."

"Yeah, I'll see you then." They stared at each other, Sasuke's body still winding down. Sasuke stepped forward and placed another gentle kiss on Naruto's forehead, whispering in his ear.

"Sleep well."

"You too, Sasuke." When Naruto shut the door and the door latch clicked, Sasuke let out a long breath. He turned and headed after Kakashi, running a hand through his hair. And, of course, Kakashi was waiting for at the bottom of the stairs, leaning against the wall.

"I should have shot you," Sasuke said, not bothering to look at him. But he knew Kakashi was smirking at that, following him as Sasuke walked for the car. "And what the hell are you doing here, anyways? It's ten o'clock."

"I came by to check on Iruka. He told me you'd taken Naruto out, so I kept him company. You know, to help put his mind at ease while you were busy romping your blond in the backseat of your car." Sasuke opened his mouth, about to yell, but Kakashi cut him off, adding, "Or something."

"'Putting his mind at ease'," Sasuke said, "which in pervert translates to, 'having my way with him while he's alone.'?"

"Between that accurate translation and the fact you were just snogging poor Naruto into the drywall, I'd say you're nearing graduation as a pervert yourself," Kakashi said, walking around to the other side of the car and opening the door. He looked back up as Sasuke stood frozen, his brain trying to work up a response. "Horny perverts in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, Sasuke."

"I should have shot you."

The elevator let out a ding before the doors slid open, Sasuke and Itachi walking off with suitcases in hand. They both looked down at the floor as the doors slid shut behind them, waiting for the elevator attendant to start for another floor.

"You really don't have to do this, Sasuke, I'll be fine on my own," Itachi said once he was sure the attendant and the elevator were gone. They walked down the hallway, mostly empty with only a few doors. Paintings of flowers filled the wall spaces.

"It's fine, aniki," Sasuke said, digging into the last word to emphasize sentimentality. "Really. I only got this place for your sake. You don't need to be alone right now, and besides. We need to be making up on lost time, right?" Itachi nodded as Sasuke put his own suitcase down, digging the key out of his pocket.

"I just don't want to crowd you in your ohhh—..." The last word hung unfinished as Sasuke opened the door and walked inside, into the spacious, elegant suite. Dark, polished wood outlined the velvet reds of couch and loveseat cushions, white walls with the slightest hint of pink and violet drapes. Blue vases held orchids – blue orchids against the walls, white orchids in the center of the room. A grandfather clock was in the corner next to a glass display case filled with porcelain figurines. In the other corner, a writing desk with a lamp and typewriter was next to a window that looked out over the nearby park. And covering the white carpet that sprawled out two feet from the wall was a large, oriental rug that separated the room's main furniture, facing towards a fireplace, from the walkway and two doors that led to the bedroom, bathroom, and small kitchen space. "Oh, shit."

"Yeah," Sasuke said, grinning. "I don't think either of us will be too crowded."

"And the couch does look pretty comfortable," Itachi said.

"The bed is even more comfortable, which is where you'll be sleeping," Sasuke said. "Period."

"Sasuke..."

"It's not up for discussion," Sasuke said.

"This is your place," Itachi said, "I can't take your bed. How would explain sleeping on the couch? I mean, you said I was an assistant or something, right?"

"They don't need to know which of us is sleeping on the couch. And if it's such a big deal to you then we can both sleep in the bed. It's big enough, and it'll be like old times, right?" Sasuke tried to grin it away, but Itachi could see the memories creeping into Sasuke's eyes, memories of crawling into his aniki's bed every night because he was scared of the dark, scared of the monsters he heard when the branches of the oak tree scratched against their window, of howling winds during storms and acorns falling onto the ground. The memories of suddenly facing all of those monsters alone when Itachi disappeared, when the warm bed he had felt so comfortable in suddenly turned cold and empty. Itachi looked around the suite and nodded. It had taken him years to stop waking up and crying when realized his arms were empty of an overly sensitive little brother clinging to his only secure source of love and attention. Knowing that his brother was hundreds of miles away and alone.

Before Itachi knew it, he was hugging Sasuke as hard as he could.

"Aniki?"

"Yeah," Itachi said, holding Sasuke's head against his cheek. "Like old times."

Zabuza stood by the back alley door of the cabaret, leaning against the brick wall as he smoked a cigarette next. The smoldering end hung suspended like a burn in the fabric of the dark night air. The moon was on the other side of the building, shadows from the trash cans stretched long and faded down the length of the alleyway from a light somewhere far off in the distance, down the alley and across the street, halfway down the distant sidewalk. Zabuza took in a long drag, holding it in his chest, eyes closed as he breathed it out in a long sigh.

The door swung open and hit the wall hard, bottles clanking against each other as Haku dragged the bag and worked it over the side of the dumpster, a muffled chaos as it landed on top of how many other bags that clinked and clanged. Haku rubbed his shoulder and leaned back against the wall next to Zabuza, who snuck a hand behind Haku's neck and massaged it a little.

"How late tonight?" Zabuza asked. He took another drag and slipped his fingers down the neck of Haku's shirt, fingertips ghosting over tired shoulder muscles before they stopped to feel each vertebrae of Haku's upper spine.

"Late," Haku said. He looked down the alley before he leaned his head against Zabuza's arm. "Stay here tonight."

"Can't," Zabuza said, his cigarette dangling from his lips as he let his other hand reach behind his own neck, leaning his head back against the wall.

"Please," Haku said, pressing his head harder against Zabuza's arm. Zabuza stared at the far wall of the alley. "It's been almost a week."

"Because it's not safe," Zabuza said, a mumble as the cigarette bobbed up and down between his lips. He snapped his hand out from behind his neck and threw the cigarette on the ground, stepping on it and grinding it with his foot. "Why don't you get that?"

"So what is safe?" Haku asked, shoving off of the wall, hand clawing through his hair that he had tied back into a loose ponytail. "You fucking that Anko whore to take the edge off? Is that what I should do? Get some drunk guy from the bar to do it? How about I get one of the officers a little tipsy and have him drill me hard? Hell, maybe he'll be better than you and we won't even need to have this conversation ever again!" While Haku glared at him, arms back and out of breath Zabuza looked down the alley, staring off at that distant streetlight. Then he grabbed Haku by the shirt and slammed him against the wall, pressing on Haku's chest until Haku shook a little, struggling for air. Zabuza grabbed Haku's chin and jerked it upwards, leaning in close so they were eye to eye, shaky breaths puffing against Haku's cheeks.

"First," Zabuza said, "she sucked me off, and it was one time. I was drunk. I don't remember it. She can rot in hell for all I care. And second," Zabuza said as he gripped Haku's jaw harder, the heel of his palm pressing on Haku's throat as Haku's fingers dug into Zabuza's wrist, "If you ever let a boxhead touch you like that I'll cut off his balls and shove them into your slit throat, do you understand me?" Haku nodded fast, tears rolling down his face as Zabuza shook him against the wall one last time before letting him go.

Haku crumpled onto the crowd, gagging between coughs. Zabuza watched as Haku caught his breath, keeling over onto his side and rolling onto his back. He kept his hands in his pockets, eyes closed after the first few seconds, waiting until Haku let a few gentle slobs slip past. Then he knelt down next to Haku, picked him up, and carried him next to the dumpster, where he sat down and held Haku in his arms, gently rubbing Haku's face in the darkness of the alleyway. They sat in silence for almost an hour, long after Haku had wrapped his arms around Zabuza's neck and buried his face into Zabuza's shoulder, every once in a while letting out deep breaths that had him shaking, fresh tears and Haku's red cheeks heating up Zabuza's shirt and skin.

"Sorry," Zabuza half-said, half-mouthed as a truck roared past.

"Same," Haku said, finally lifting his face, resting his chin on Zabuza's shoulder. "I'd never do it for real, I swear." Zabuza nodded, slipping his fingers underneath the waistband of Haku's pants as he rubbed Haku's back.

"Hey," Zabuza said. "I, uh..." Zabuza closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall, mouth open to say it but nothing coming out.

"I know," Haku said. They both held still as a soldier's boots clicked on the pavement, echoing off the walls. A few minutes later, after he'd gone inside the front door, Haku said, "I love you too." Zabuza pressed the side of his head against Haku's.

"It's getting late," Zabuza said. Haku nodded. Zabuza moved his hand up to the back of Haku's neck. His thumb wrapped around and rubbed Haku's throat where a bruise was forming. "Tell me what you want." Haku turned his head and looked at Zabuza, who turned his head to look back at him.

"How sorry are you?" Haku asked as he watched Zabuza's eyes. The shadowed corners of lips in the darkness pinched a little. Zabuza looked away and shrugged.

"Sorry enough," Zabuza said. "If you still want to, I mean."

"I do," Haku said. Zabuza nodded and held Haku tight, letting a deep breath out. "I mean, since the foreplay's out of the way..." Zabuza laughed a little, standing up and helping Haku up from off of the ground. As Haku walked for the door, Zabuza came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Haku's waist, gently pressing him against the wall and kissing the soft spot behind Haku's ear.

"I know I don't say it enough," Zabuza said, "but I really do love you." Haku smiled and leaned his back against Zabuza's chest, reaching a hand up to Zabuza's head, his fingers curling to grab a fistful of Zabuza's hair. Zabuza leaned down and kissed Haku, sloppy at first, then turned Haku around and pushed his tongue fast past Haku's lips, reaching down and lifting Haku up by his thighs as Haku's legs wrapped around his waist. Another truck roaring past broke them apart, Haku almost dropped onto the ground. Haku was laughing a little as he grabbed Zabuza's hand and led him into the cabaret, up into a room where, as quiet as they could, Zabuza fucked him for over an hour, fifty feet away from a room full of drunk Nazis whistling at the half-naked women dancing for them.

The man chained to the table gasped for breath as Deidara leaned against the stone wall of the interrogation chamber. Deidara tapped the bottom of the modified acetylene torch against it, each metal clang ringing through the air as he listened to the groans and whimpers of the man, whose skin was peeling off like snake sheddings, exposing the pink and red muscle, sometimes the bone, from underneath charred outlines of puffy black.

"So," Deidara said, the clicking of his boots replacing the ringing of his torch can. "You'll tell me where your friends are, yeah?" The man took a deep, ragged breath.

"Told you," he said, voice broken, "everything." Deidara nodded, dragging the can along the table by the man's head.

"Well, that's just no good, yeah? You've told me everything you know, and I still don't have what I need." Deidara walked to the foot of the table and sat down, running the nozzle along the bottom of the man's food. "What do you suggest we do about that, huh?"

"Please," the man said.

"Alright, if that's what it takes. Can you tell me where your friends are, please?"

"I don't know," the man said, shaking his head and crying. He screamed out as Deidara turned up the gas and pressed a trigger for a spark, the blue flick from the nozzle turning into a sheet of orange fire that crept up to the man's toes. Deidara stopped the torch and took in the smell of burning flesh, smiling.

"If you had to guess?" Deidara said, eyes still closed in bliss, "Take a stab at it. Where do you think they might be?" He looked at the man who was shaking his head and mouthing to God for help. "Where did you meet up with them? Where do they live? How do you know them?"

"Warehouse," the man said as Deidara poked the burned flesh with the nozzle. Deidara nodded and stabbed the nozzle deeper, through the weakened muscle and against the bone. The man screamed out as Deidara ground the nozzle against the bones of his foot.

"So you know more than you said, yeah? I even said please." Deidara pouted his lip at the man, stood, grabbed the can by the middle and brought it down on the man's burned groin, the hairs singed away. "You lied to me, over and over again. Even after I said please. How am I supposed to take that, huh?"

"Please," the man said again, shaking his head. Deidara stopped him by shoving the nozzle up the man's nostril, the man groaning as metal scraped cartilage.

"You lied when I said please," Deidara said, "so shouldn't I kill you when you ask me not to? You're pretty self-centered, yeah? So here's what we'll do. You tell me where the warehouse is, and I'll consider not preparing your brain flambé."

"It's by the docks," the man yelled. "A furniture warehouse, please let me go!" Deidara nodded again and pulled the nozzle out of the man's nostril. The door to the interrogation room swung open, two men walking in. One of them clapped, walking in and putting his hand onto Deidara's shoulder.

"Madara," Deidara said, laughing as he hugged the man.

"Deidara, it's always a pleasure seeing your work. Brilliant, as always," Madara said.

"Remarkable," the other man said.

"Deidara, I'd like to introduce Orochimaru," Madara said, stepping back as Deidara and Orochimaru shook hands. "In an experiment on integration of the Schutzstaffel and Wehrmacht, our Generaloberst friend here will be assuming command until further notice."

"I see," Deidara said, looking over Orochimaru.

"I assure you," Madara said, "that the Generaloberst and myself have discussed at length how there will be no interference with Gestapo activities. And I'm confident," he said, turning towards Orochimaru, "that the Generaloberst will be accommodating towards your unique abilities. Crackdown on resistance here in Paris has been set as a priority for the new command, and your skills will be in high demand over the next few weeks. As well, I'll be bringing in the rest of your team to facilitate the increase in demand. Your team leader will assume command of the Gestapo while your current commanding officer will be reassigned to the Eastern front."

"Ah, all of Akutsuki?" Deidara asked.

"They'll be arriving next week. You'll all be kept busy," Madara said with a grin. The man on the table closed his eyes and rolled his head to look away. Deidara moved to the table and reached for a canister set by one of the table legs.

"Well then," Deidara said. "In honor of your arrival and celebration of such wonderful news, I think we can do something special, yes?" Deidara splashed liquid from the can all over the man's body, the smell of gasoline filling the chamber, droplets running down the table legs. After the man was completely doused, Deidara smashed his face with the acetylene torn bottle, blood pouring as teeth broke and cut into the inside of the man's lips. As the man gasped for air, Deidara poured what was left of the gasoline into his mouth, throwing the can over into the corner and closing the door. He joined Madara and Orochimaru in the observation room on the other side of the one-way glass.

"And?" Orochimaru asked. Deidara pointed to a wire hanging in the corner of the chamber.

"The room used to have an intercom system. It was a bothersome little fucker, people always interrupting me. Not conducive to a peaceful environment at all. So I ripped it out and told the electricians to finish uninstalling the wires."

Deidara flipped the intercom switch on the wall. As electricity ran through the wires, the gasoline fumes ignited, the room exploding into an inferno. Still chained to the metal table, the man thrashed as his body burned, fire roaring from his mouth, over his skin. Deidara laughed, clapping his hands, then turned to Orochimaru with a face-splitting grin.

"Apparently they forgot," Deidara said. Shadows danced on his face as he pressed his forehead to the glass, lost in the flames that covered the man's body. Madara nodded, smiling as he watched.

"I think we'll get along great," Orochimaru said.