Author's Note: After more than two and a half years, I'm back! This story got lost among my folders and was never finished, until I decided to rewrite it as a Christmas gift for a dear friend. So this is for Grace, minai28 as a thank you and a Christmas gift. I hope you like this, dear.
Sasuke is 6 years old, Itachi is 12.

I wish all my readers Happy Holidays!

22. Winter

Little Sasuke woke up one night with a strange feeling in his body. As he hurried to the bathroom, he suddenly grasped his stomach when nausea overwhelmed him. He had felt a bit strange at dinner, but he had never felt like this before.

Itachi found him there on the floor after hearing strange noises all throughout the mansion. "Looks like stomach flu," he established calmly as he lifted his brother up in his arms and carried him to Sasuke's bedroom.

"Nii-san… I threw up…" the younger mumbled miserably.

"How are you feeling?" Itachi put a hand on his forehead and was surprised by the heat. "Wait here," he ordered, not that Sasuke was capable of moving on his own anyhow. Sasuke just clutched his stomach and whimpered.

"I feel sick…"
Itachi returned with clean towels, a glass of water and a bucket.

"It's okay now," Sasuke mumbled, another kind of heat adorning his cheeks. Itachi tucked him among the towels. "Don't worry, otouto, I'll let mother check up on you in the morning."

Itachi supported his head so he could lift the glass to his lips. Sasuke grimaced after the first sip. "You need to drink it all," the older coaxed.

Afterward, Sasuke laid back on the pillows with a miserable expression on his small face. Itachi gently put his hand on his cheek.
"What's the matter? Do you need -"

The younger boy gloomily shook his head. "I'll miss the entire Holidays! I don't want to be stuck in bed…"He groaned quietly and closed his eyes.

Itachi smiled. "Just give it some time, otouto. Before you know it, you will be out there playing again. I'll be here for you."

Sasuke's frown didn't disappear. Itachi softly kissed his forehead. "Just try to be patient, otouto. Now you need to rest." He sat by the bed until he was sure that his little brother was fast asleep.

...

Shisui entered the kitchen with his trademark grin. "How're ya feeling? Natsumi has been nagging me about you for days. She wants her 'coolest cousin' back again to play with, I'm getting a headache from the fussing."

"There is no snow yet, anyway." Sasuke was gnawing on a tomato with a pleased expression on his face. "This is the only thing I can eat without feeling sick," he stated delighted and picked up another one. He was sitting on Itachi's lap, looking rather content with life.

Itachi couldn't help but smile and Shisui chuckled and looked at him. "Must have been a rather amusing three days, eh?"
Itachi ignored him. Sasuke turned his attention on the window and sighed. "Let it snow already!" he whined and started jumping up and down. "Let it snow, let it snow…"

"That kid certainly needs to get outside," Shisui remarked.

Sasuke suddenly dropped his tomato and almost threw himself at the window. With big eyes and mouth agape, he stared out at the fine flakes that were slowly falling toward the ground, creating a white pattern that steadily grew.

"Look, nii-san!," he gasped. Itachi smiled and brushed his fingers through his hair.

"I feel much better now, can I go outside?" Sasuke looked pleadingly at Mikoto who just entered the room.

She smiled. "Just make sure to stay warm."

Sasuke beamed. "Nii-san, will you come with me?"

"You really did get well just in time, kiddo," Shisui grinned. "I'm glad you did, or else Itachi would have stayed inside and resigned from his shinobi duties. I thought I would have to call in sick for him!" He laughed at his own joke and was nudged – hard – by his cousin.

...

Sasuke gaped at the scenery in front of him. The ground was covered by a shimmering white blanket and delicate snowflakes were falling down around him, landing on his clothes. The whole world around him glimmered like thousands of tiny crystals.

"Snow…" he mumbled, overjoyed. He lifted his thick glove to examine the fluff, and was almost overrun by his by his eager cousins, led by Shisui's little sister. With a fervor that would have put Madara Uchiha to shame, Natsumi declared:

"SNOWBALL FIGHT!" and everybody, with the exception of Itachi, immediately started preparing.

Sasuke's eyes shone with joy. "Look, Nii-san! We will get lots of snow after all!"

Itachi smiled down at his red-cheeked little brother, his eager breathing creating large clouds of steam in the air.
Natsumi and their other cousins had already started a dead-serious snowball fight, but Sasuke glomped his brother instead. "Watch out, Nii-san!"

They tumbled down in the snow and Sasuke laughed as the flakes swirled all around them. He sat on top of Itachi and dodged an attack from his most persistent cousin before standing up.

"Hey, Sasuke! Join us!" Natsumi exclaimed. She had taken her army of smaller cousins to an ice slide that started on the roof. Sasuke joined them while Shisui walked over to Itachi.

"Watch out kids, in a moment I'll show you how it's done!" he called.

Itachi raised his eyebrows at his cousin. "Talking about shinobi duties…"

Shisui grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Guess I'm just too caught up in the moment", he grinned.

"Nii-san, here I come!" Sasuke exclaimed happily as he rushed down the slide. Itachi knelt down and spread his arms, allowing his little brother to land safely in his arms. "Have fun, otouto."

As the kids continued playing, Shisui looked sheepishly at his cousin. "You need to let loose, for once, Itachi. Let's see if you can defeat the body flicker… No Sharingan allowed." Shisui grinned and threw himself at the younger teen but Itachi was gone from the spot a moment later. He appeared behind his cousin and pulled him down into the snow.

They playfully wrestled for a bit, but Shisui's usually fast techniques seemed to be impaired in the current weather.
"I was so sure I would be able to beat you this time… Damn prodigy," Shisui muttered.

"You should start practice for entertaining the kids this holiday too", Itachi teased.

"No way! Last year Sasuke threw a tantrum because he didn't get his tomato candy, remember that? No, Itachi, this year you are so kind and put on the fake beard and take care of the kids."

Sasuke and Natsumi were throwing as much snow as they possibly could at each other, not even bothering to form proper snowballs. Their younger cousins watched with big eyes.

"Ueck!" Sasuke gasped when he got snow inside of his jacket. The cold lump slided down his back, creating ice-cold sensations that sent shivers through his whole body. He got his revenge by hitting his cousin's face with a snowball that had her spitting and rubbing her eyes for a couple of minutes straight.

"I'm stronger than you", he remarked gleefully. Natsumi glared at him. "You think so, itoko?" she said challengingly before throwing herself at him again and their playfight started over.

After a while they got tired of the games. Sasuke built one small and one bigger snowman, side by side, proudly announcing that they were him and Itachi. Itachi and Shisui were having another wrestling match which Itachi was about to win. Again.

Natsumi came rushing over to her favorite cousin and laughed. "Itok- ouch!" She slipped on the ice that surrounded the slide and hit her bottom hard. That gave her a brilliant idea for her next prank. With a smirk of victory on her face and her eyes set on her older brother, she covered the ice puddle with a thin layer of snow. Then she happily rushed over to the slide again, accompanied by her brother.

Sasuke strode over to his brother who was standing by the side, watching Shisui with an amused smile. The younger boy rubbed his reddened fingers together – he had lost one of his gloves in the snow fight. Itachi took his own gloves off. "Take them before you catch a cold."

"But aniki, you'll start freezing too!"

Itachi raised one eyebrow. "I'll be fine."

"Really?" Sasuke looked up at him through frosty eyelashes.

The older nodded. "I promise. I'm used to this coldness, anyway." Sasuke gratefully let Itachi put the gloves on him and then rubbed his numb fingers.

Sasuke was such an adorable sight – his toque was about to slide of his rebellious spikes and his cheeks were delicately rosy. His eyes were clear and shining and some snowflakes rested at the frozen tips of his hair.

"I'm going to the slide, nii-san!" He turned to run after his hands were warmed, but the ground was treacherous.

He stumbled on the hard ice and felt himself go even colder when his shoes slipped on the ice. His heart skipped a beat as he in a fraction of a second felt himself moving through the air.

Just when he thought he was going to crack his head against the ice he felt two strong hands grip his waist. A moment later he was lying in Itachi's arms. He took a deep, shaky breath and tried to steady himself.

"Be careful, otouto", Itachi reprimanded gently and helped him to stand up properly. He had ice nails on his shoes and could move fast without any trouble.

The sky was darkening and the snow continued falling at a steady pace. Sasuke looked up. "Nii-san, I want to feel the snow!" Itachi lifted him up and Sasuke spread his fingers, allowing the crystal flakes to slowly sweep through them.
"It's so beautiful!" He stuck his tongue out and let the snow land on his tongue and immediately melt. It felt funny, almost ticklish.

Itachi watched him, smiling from the bottom of his heart.

"Otouto, close your eyes", he said suddenly.

"Why, aniki?" Sasuke was puzzled, but complied.

Itachi watched him for a moment before he tilted his head to the side and softly, carefully touched Sasuke's pink lips with his own. The younger's eyes flew open and he stared at him with flushed cheeks.

Itachi pulled back, with a kind expression in his eyes. Sasuke's arms tightened around his neck and he rested their heads together. Together they watched the snowfall surround them and cut them off from the rest of the world.

Sasuke nuzzled his hair. "I love you, Nii-san."

"I love you, Otouto." Itachi smiled. "Getting sick isn't so bad after all, is it?"

Sasuke tried to count the endless snowflakes, but soon gave up and closed his eyes. The day's activities had left him exhausted. "Good night…"

He heard a soft chuckle. "It's only afternoon, otouto." Itachi gently pressed his lips against his forehead and Sasuke was sure that nothing would ever bring them apart.

Reviews are very welcome!

Love, Crystallinee