Naruto Fan Fiction / Naruto Shippuden Fan Fiction ❯ My Big Gay Path Wedding ❯ To Love And To Cherish ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: The characters, items, places etc of Naruto are property of Masashi Kishimoto. These objects are used without permission for entertainment only, not for making money. No infringement is intended.

Chapter 8: To Love And To Cherish

In compliance with usual wedding traditions, the night of August 2nd was spent apart by the husbands-to-be. Deidara was to stay with Sasuke- Itachi could already see the fireworks- while he spent the night with Kisame.

The next day, his father would pick both he and Kisame up while Sasuke escorted Mikoto and Deidara to the hotel. Itachi had successfully changed the arrangement so he and Fugaku would be walking down the aisle instead, much to Sasuke's glee.

In his mind, it was all very neat and tidy. In reality, it was eight at night and he was seated at Kisame's living room table playing Monopoly with his best friend. He had arrived earlier in the evening to find three rather bedraggled-looking cats curled up on the front doorstep, wondering if he was at the right house.

"Poor things were dumped in a skip," Kisame's mother had explained when she had let him in, before crushing him in a hug that rivalled Kisame's and congratulating him on his impending marriage.

She had told him there was plenty of alcohol on offer if he needed any Dutch courage, and that she promised to keep the cats out of his way if he wanted.

As it was Itachi rather liked cats, so was quite happy to have one curled up on his lap as they played. How he had got into this situation he didn't know, but it was at least keeping his mind off of the events of the next day.

"Are you excited?" Kisame asked as he threw the dice, somehow reading Itachi's mind and throwing him into turmoil again.

"Worried," Itachi shrugged. "But yes, excited too."

"What are you worried about?"

"Would you like a list?"

"Sure. A list of things that don't relate to being perfect?"

"Not a chance."

"Then suck it up and know he loves you, you idiot."

"Thank you for the encouragement. You owe me rent."

"What?"

"You were talking to me to distract me from the fact you owe me rent for landing on my property."

"You little weasel," Kisame sighed as he handed over the notes. "How do you notice stuff like that?"

"Because when playing such games with you, I have to always be on my guard."

"You're such a jerk sometimes. Why am I going to be your best man?"

"Because you love me."

"Sorry, I don't screw guys, that's your-"

"Don't even finish that sentence else you won't be able to screw anything ever again."

Much to Kisame's dismay, Itachi managed to bankrupt him in the timely sum of a mere three hours- short for Monopoly, especially when they played. Kisame's mother treated them to a home-cooked meal before retiring to bed, leaving them alone with a bottle of coke and another of Malibu.

"Malibu is such a girly drink," Kisame sighed as he poured himself a shot of it.

"It's a kind offer- she didn't have to get us anything. Besides, I like Malibu."

"Of course she did, she's nuts about you- she always wished I was more like you. And I'm not surprised you like Malibu."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Kisame replied innocently as he tipped a more than generous shot into Itachi's outstretched glass. "Nervous yet?"

"Of course."

"You'll be fine."

"I would like to remain sober. I can't imagine I'll be fine if I'm hung over. Deidara wouldn't appreciate it either."

"I think we're having a better evening than him," Kisame snickered. "He's with Sasuke. I can only imagine what's going on in that house."

"I don't want to even think about it. I'm rather just hoping they don't kill one another."

"Nah, Sasuke's alright with him. He's all talk."

"I know. He's my little brother. I can see through these things- it's part of the job description."

"What about... Breaking into someone's locker and shredding all their coursework for bullying him?"

Itachi stared at Kisame before a smirk crossed his face. "You broke into the locker."

"And you tore up all the work. You can be evil when you want to be."

"He ignored my request to leave Sasuke alone."

"Sasuke punched the guy and got suspended for it! He could take care of himself."

"He was a Year Seven. It's tough- we've all been there, being the new ones in school."

"And I was in the Upper Sixth helping a Year Eleven destroy a first year's work. Talk about catty."

"You volunteered. You also set a kid's hair on fire, locked that other kid giving me hassle in a cupboard, and I also seem to remember an incident I only heard about later where you overheard someone being rude about me and-"

"If you're going to talk about the time I apparently flushed that kid's medicine down the toilet, that didn't happen," Kisame interjected. "I swear! Even I'm not that much of a jerk! It was just his glasses."

Itachi raised one eyebrow quizzically. "No, I didn't hear that one. I heard something about tossing someone's bag onto the roof of the school."

"Ah. Well, I may have done that one."

"So what you're saying is, you acted like the big brother I didn't have yet you are taking issue with how I defended Sasuke?"

Kisame answered by pouring another shot and knocking it back, refilling Itachi's glass again. "One more then we try to get some sleep," he responded, earning another smirk for his dodging of the subject. "Let's hope the other two are sensible enough to have an early night as well."

Deidara and Sasuke had been attempting something of an early night, but only to avoid one another. Deidara had fallen asleep on the sofa, leaving Sasuke to retire unsuccessfully to bed.

Too many thoughts whirred through his mind, mostly about the wedding and how the hell he was going to make so many cupcakes the next day, so he had got up again and seated himself on the edge of the sofa by Deidara's feet with a book.

It had been quiet and reasonably blissful, right up until Deidara murmured something and shifted in his sleep. Sasuke had glanced at him slightly, hearing a slight whimper in his voice. Rolling his eyes he had reached over and jabbed his side to startle him slightly, hoping it would wake him from whatever nightmare he seemed to be having.

"Nooooo," Deidara had muttered. "My unicorn, it's mineeeeeee..."

"Deidara," Sasuke hissed at him, leaning over him and shaking him again. "Wake up you fool, no-one's stealing your fucking unicorn."

This was how Sasuke ended up with a black eye, when Deidara punched out in his sleep to fend off the apparent unicorn kidnapper. He had awoken with a start when Sasuke jabbed him repeatedly in the ribs, hissing in pain with one hand covering his eye.

That left them where they were now, Sasuke holding an ice pack to his eye and using his other one to glare at Deidara across the room at half one in the morning.

"It was an accident!" Deidara said for the hundredth time.

"So you keep saying," Sasuke snapped back through clenched teeth as he slowly removed the ice pack.

Deidara winced as he did so, which told him all he needed to know. "So go on. How bad is it?"

"It's going to be noticeable," Deidara replied apologetically. "You can probably get some cover-up makeup tomorrow-"

"I am not wearing makeup."

"It's either that or have a black eye in all your brother's wedding day photos, yeah."

"A black eye that you gave me!"

"It was an-"

"An accident, yes. Do you think it would be an accident if I threw you out right now?"

Deidara wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Now go back to sleep," Sasuke told him firmly as he got up to head to his own bedroom. "The last thing I want is Itachi panicking because you don't turn up thanks to oversleeping."

The following morning they didn't oversleep, though Sasuke was rather surprised (and silently grateful) to find Deidara had risen early as usual and made him breakfast. He had also apparently stolen the house keys and gone to the nearby town, since a small pot of cover up makeup sat on the table next to his toast.

"It's a really good one," Deidara told him, still sounding apologetic. "I explained everything to the woman behind the counter, yeah. She said this will take the darkness down really well."

Sasuke said nothing, resisting the urge to scowl as he angrily ate his toast. His eye ached and a glance in the mirror had told him it was yellowing around the edges of the blackness- there was no way out of the makeup situation it seemed, since he refused to attend the most important event of his brother's life with a black eye.

"You can't cook, can you?" He said instead.

"Um... Not really. That's why you have toast"

"Can you follow instructions?"

"I can do that, yeah."

"Good. Forget the black eye for now- we have about a hundred cupcakes to make and ice in the next couple of hours or so. Help me with it and I'll forget all about this, and I won't even tell Itachi it was you."

"You should tell him," Deidara replied immediately. "He'll only worry otherwise."

"I'll make it clear it was an accident, then."

Deidara grinned at that, holding a hand out to shake. "You have a deal, yeah."

Sasuke stared at the outstretched hand and ignored it in favour of his breakfast. "Don't push your luck," he warned.

Deidara quickly withdrew his hand, getting up to hunt down ingredients in the kitchen instead. Sasuke was clearly in a docile mood thanks to the upcoming plan for the day, and if he could stay out of the younger Uchiha's line of fire, then he would definitely do so to keep things calm.

Unfortunately his ineptitude in the kitchen got him thrown out within ten minutes by one now-irate Sasuke, leaving him to sit idly on the sofa and think about the planned day. He knew Itachi would be nervous- he'd been saying it for days, but Deidara himself hadn't understood.

Now, when it was right on the horizon, he felt tendrils of panic nipping at him- he was unsure why, but it was there. It left him calling Itachi as a distraction, wishing to hear his voice to calm him.

"Hello?"

Itachi sounded anything but calm, which didn't help Deidara at all.

"Morning," he said cheerily, disguising it easily. Of the two of them, Itachi would be having more trouble than he pushing it down so it was up to Deidara to make him feel better. "Did you sleep well?"

"As well as can be in such circumstances. You?"

"I suppose," Deidara hummed, deciding not to tell Itachi about the night's incidents just then. "How are you faring?"

"Terribly," came the predictable response. "I can't wait for it to be over so I can relax again. I've already called the hotel to make sure everything is still as planned."

"Did it help?"

"No."

Deidara had to smile slightly at that. "I'm not surpri-"

He was interrupted by Sasuke's angry voice behind him, glancing to see the younger Uchiha scowling at him brandishing a wooden spoon coated in cake mix.

"Stop socialising and get back in here and help me you imbecile!" He snapped before stalking off, leaving Deidara smothering laughter.

"It sounds like my little brother is just as stressed as everyone else," Itachi noted with a hint of amusement in his voice. "I'd better let you go. It'll be good to see you again this afternoon."

"And you, yeah. Relax! I'll see you later."

He hung up, heading cautiously back to the kitchen and wisely staying quiet about the fact he had been thrown out, hence his absence. "What do you need me to do?"

Sasuke handed him a wooden spoon and pointed to a bowl of cake mix. "Mix," he said simply. "Even you can't fuck that up."

Deidara did as requested, a small smirk on his face and the retort 'don't try me' staying in his mind and not on his lips.

Fortunately for Sasuke's blood pressure, the cupcakes went well and were soon being escorted to the reception hall. All that was left to do was decorate his Skyline, which had become the impromptu wedding car. Deidara had immediately jumped at the chance to do the honour.

Sasuke, who loved his car very much, originally disagreed. However he eventually relented when he caught Deidara making beautiful bows out of the white ribbon he had bought, deciding to take the time to get himself presentable and plaster his black eye in make up while the idiot wasn't looking. The kimono tying would wait until his mother was present, he had decided. He didn't fancy Deidara's help with trying to do it.

"I wonder how Itachi's faring," he mused mostly to himself once he was standing on the path, watching Deidara put the finishing touches to the car. He had to admit, it looked fantastic- strewn with red and white ribbons, it looked professionally decorated.

"Probably panicking as we speak," Deidara replied as he stepped back to admire his handiwork. "Kisame has his work cut out for him, yeah. How does it look?"

The usual biting responses Sasuke would normally given died away in his throat- there was excitement in the air, and his mood had lifted with it. "It looks good," he praised instead. "Now go and get dressed- I'll call Mum and tell her we'll be coming for her soon."

Deidara smiled, Sasuke smiled back, and the universe didn't explode at the shared act of niceness. Sasuke felt it was going to be a rather good afternoon.

Kisame did indeed have his hands full- full of kimono that was, since he was the one attempting to tie Itachi's elaborate outfit. He had no idea what he was doing, which had led to him instructing his mother to Google the answer for him.

She was doing so, calling instructions to him from her laptop while Itachi stood in the Hoshigaki living room feeling exposed and clenching the folds of the fabric closed around himself.

"How hard can it be?" Kisame had originally said.

Within ten minute he had retracted his words, though he turned down his mother's request to help. He was a man- he didn't need help with anything, but he'd take instructions. That was different, or so he told himself.

"I think I've got it," he told Itachi as he folded fabric slowly and carefully, grabbing the kaku obi from his side and slipping it around his friend's waist. He tugged it lightly, eventually getting tighter and tighter when he realised tying it loosely wouldn't keep it in place.

"It's too tight," Itachi hissed at him.

"If I don't tie it tightly it'll fall apart! Shut up and let me get on with it!"

"Be nice to him," Mrs. Hoshigaki scolded. "It's his wedding day!"

"Stop it!" Kisame yelled as Itachi attempted to tug on the kaku obi. "Itachi!"

"Loosen it then."

"Sure, and then it'll fall apart while you're walking down the aisle. Do you want to give yourself things to worry about it?"

Itachi immediately stayed quiet, allowing Kisame to do what he needed to do. It had taken an hour and a half, but Itachi finally stood fully dressed and presentable even if his breathing was restricted thanks to it. The fabric was mostly red with white patterning- nothing floral, but nothing too masculine either. It suited him perfectly.

"Untie it," Itachi instructed, ruining the perfect image moments later.

"What? No!"

"I'm going to pass out if you don't."

"Man up and deal with it. You're the one that chose a kimono, now you have to get on with it."

"Actually it's a tradition in my family, and if I was going to break the usual tradition of marrying a woman I figured I could keep something sacred."

Kisame ignored him and went to get changed into his own suit while Mrs. Hoshigaki took it upon herself to brush Itachi's hair for him, cooing all the while about how nice it was to see the lovely boy from Kisame's school years settling down and being so happy.

And how she wished Kisame would find someone and do the same, and how she hoped his marriage worked out better than her own- Itachi simply nodded along in the appropriate places, allowing her to put his hair up in his usual ponytail with no fuss before she, too, vanished to get ready.

Itachi took the moment to hunt for a mirror, finding one on the bathroom wall. It was floor length which was just what he wanted, staring at himself in disbelief. Here he was, dressed in wedding attire and looking 'stunning' (or so Mrs. Hoshigaki had said), and all the while all he could see looking back was the old Itachi.

The one with a perfection complex, the one who never dared to get close to people outside of Sasuke, the one who didn't understand how his own mind even worked- that same Itachi stared back at him, imploring him to make this day as perfect as possible or simply cancel the whole thing.

It was perfect, he told himself. It would be perfect as long as he and Deidara were there. That was all that mattered, not how everyone's eyes would be on him, not how he was dressed in uncomfortable clothing, not anything else at all. Just he and Deidara.

"How are you coping?" Kisame's voice from the doorway asked, causing Itachi to jump and turn around. Kisame was dressed in his suit, looking smarter than Itachi had ever seen.

"As well as can be expected," Itachi replied with a wry smile. "I'll be glad when the serious part is over."

"I thought you'd appreciate this," his best friend replied, holding out a bag. Itachi took it, seeing a suit inside with a smart red tie. "For the aftermath."

Itachi smirked at that, handing it back with a grateful smile. "Thanks. You're right- I'm not staying in this all evening. I did at Nagato and Konan's wedding and it was horrific."

"Your Dad's going to be here soon. Any last minute things you want to do as a free man?"

"Hide in your cupboard?"

"Anything that isn't melodramatic," Kisame sighed.

Itachi turned back to the mirror, staring at his own reflection again. It was still him- perfect Itachi. The steps he was taking today were the biggest against his old self. He caught Kisame's gaze on him through the mirror, meeting his eye again.

"Ready?" Kisame prompted again.

"No," Itachi replied truthfully. "But I'm never going to be."

Kisame grinned at that and laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it affectionately. "Come on. Let's wait outside."

Once out in the summer sun, Itachi closed his eyes to the rush of cool breeze that assaulted him and willed himself to relax. He watched Mrs. Hoshigaki's taxi arrive, waving her goodbye as she left.

He watched a man walk his dog past Kisame's house. He watched one of the cats Kisame's mother now owned jump up onto the fence next to them. Normal things. Normal things, that didn't involve marriages and perfection, and and and- Oh no.

"What the hell am I doing?" He whispered to Kisame, sudden panic taking him over.

"Going to get married."

"Open the door. Let me back inside."

"Why?"

"Because. Because!"

This was how Fugaku found them when he pulled up moments later, Itachi tugging on the front door and practically begging Kisame to let him back inside.

"Itachi!" He barked as he stepped out of the car, causing his eldest son to halt immediately. It seemed he hadn't even noticed his father's arrival. "Are you ready?"

"Of course I'm not!"

Fugaku held his hand out for Kisame's house key, taking it and letting them back inside. Leading Itachi to the living room sofa, he fetched a glass of water and handed it to Itachi before kneeling down in front of him.

"Calm down," he instructed, seeing the glass tremble in Itachi's hand as he squeezed it tightly. "I've been told to inform you everything has gone to plan so far.

"The buffet is prepared and ready, Sasuke has delivered the cupcakes, and Deidara is currently on-route. Now pull yourself together, son! You want this- you know you do, so allow yourself to have it."

He left and went back to the car, leaving Itachi in Kisame's care. Kisame sighed and knelt down where Fugaku had just vacated, catching Itachi's eye as he did so.

"He's right," he said, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "As soon as you're ready we'll leave, and you will be ready- I promise you."

Itachi nodded in response, slowly sipping the water and willing himself to calm down. Once the glass was finished his hands were no longer shaking, and he allowed Kisame to gently nudge him towards the hallway and out of the front door.

As Kisame locked the door, Itachi steeled himself- no turning back now, he told himself. This was going to happen, and he was going to embrace it.

The venue for the marriage was to be a hotel. Very different from the church Konan and Nagato had been married in, with its high ceilings and echoes. This room was homely and smelt of flowers, which was Deidara's first impression as he walked down the aisle with Sasuke by his side.

The guests had begun to arrive and it was about half full each side, all of them glancing at the two of them as they headed for the front.

"There's so many people I don't recognise," Deidara whispered to Sasuke.

He had invited his mother and his old neighbour Tobi- the rest of the room was filled with Uchihas and friends of Uchihas and really, he felt quite out of place despite being one of the stars of the show so to speak.

"You'll probably never see most of these people again after this," Sasuke whispered back. "We have a lot of distant relatives that would have invited each other. That's the way it works with our family."

Once at the front the celebrant greeted them with a smile and a nod, gesturing for them to sit down whilst waiting. They took the offer, listening to the chatter in the room. To Deidara it all seemed very informal, but he didn't mind. All he cared about was Itachi summing up the courage to actually show up, which was a very real concern for him.

"He'll come, won't he?" He said to Sasuke worriedly.

"If he doesn't I'm going to kill him," Sasuke replied helpfully, tactfully ignoring Naruto's frantic waving and yelling of 'HEY SASUKE' from a few rows up.

"Your friend is calling you," Mikoto whispered into Sasuke's ear from the row behind them.

"He's not my friend."

"Oh now come on dear, don't be like that."

"Do it," Deidara hissed at Sasuke, who had suddenly gone quiet. Sasuke replied by smacking Deidara on the arm, but he did turn around and catch his mother's eye.

"I mean he's my boyfriend," he whispered back, a furious blush staining his cheeks. "Just do me a favour and don't tell Dad yet, will you? It's nothing serious or anything."

Mikoto, to her credit, only blinked in confusion for a moment. "Whatever makes you happy," she finally shrugged. "Tell your father in your own time."

"That wasn't so hard was it?" Deidara laughed softly when the conversation ended, unable to stop smirking at the look on Sasuke's face. "You feel better now, don't you? More free? Liberated?"

"Shut up."

"I'll take that as a yes."

They didn't converse again, both of them taking in the steady stream of guests arriving. There was a hush of voices near the back, with a few people peering out of the doors. Someone turned to the celebrant and nodded excitedly, who in turn nodded at Deidara and Sasuke to take their places.

"Good afternoon," the celebrant greeted the guests, who immediately quieted at his voice. "It's a pleasure to be here with you to celebrate the civil union of Itachi and Deidara. Love comes in all forms, and I'm sure they are both delighted to have so many people here supporting them. Deidara? Please step forward."

Deidara stood where instructed, Sasuke at his side. His heart was racing- now Itachi was here, the next part was the worst. He knew Itachi had his doubts about the whole thing, but he didn't expect to have them too. He was an artist, and artists were free! Artists didn't settle down to one thing. Artists didn't-

His train of thought cut off immediately as the doors opened, unable to help himself as he turned to see his partner. The whole room did the same, smiles on everybody's faces in anticipation.

Itachi stood in the doorway on his father's arm, looking shy and nervous. However there was a smile on his face, which only widened when he spotted Deidara's gaze on him. A gentle tug from Fugaku later and he was walking down the aisle, Kisame a few steps behind them.

"This isn't quite how I imagined my eldest would marry," Fugaku chuckled lightly as they walked.

"But you're happy with it?" Itachi asked hurriedly.

"Of course, son. I wish you both the very best."

They reached the front of the aisle, Fugaku bowing to the celebrant before taking his seat next to Mikoto. Kisame took his place next to Itachi, who was facing Deidara with that same small smile on his face.

"You came," Deidara said softly.

"Of course," Itachi replied back. "So did you."

"Ladies and gentleman, we are gathered here to witness the civil union of Itachi and Deidara," the celebrant spoke, his clear voice ringing out in the small room loudly.

"Itachi, Deidara. Today we are here to celebrate one of life's greatest moments for you. I ask you treat yourselves and each other with respect, and that you remind yourselves of what brought you together often. By doing this your union will be strong, and will withstand any barriers that cross your paths."

He turned to Itachi first, smiling at him and earning a nervous nod back in response. "Itachi Uchiha, do you take Deidara Andersen to be your life partner?"

It was such a simple question with such a simple answer, yet it still took a moment for Itachi to find his voice. "I do."

"Do you promise to love, honour, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him forevermore?"

"I do."

"Deidara Andersen, do you take Itachi Uchiha to be your life partner?"

Deidara didn't have to hesitate to reply. "I do."

"Do you promise to love, honour, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him forevermore?"

"I do."

Kisame and Sasuke stepped forward, holding out the rings the couple had selected. Two simple gold bands, that Itachi and Deidara took and held out to one another.

Deidara slipped his on Itachi's finger first, followed by Itachi. The celebrant softly said the appropriate words for them to follow and repeat, which they did.

"With this ring I take you as my life partner," they said in unison, which mentally they thought wasn't normal but really was the day normal in itself? "To have and to hold, from this day forth, in joy and sorrow, I promise my love to you."

"Itachi and Deidara, as the two of you come into this partnership uniting you as life-partners I would ask that you always remember to cherish each other as special and unique individuals."

"Be able to forgive, do not hold grudges, and live each day that you may share it together- as from this day forward you shall be each other's home, comfort and refuge. Your union will be strengthened by your love and respect for each other. Please join hands."

The two of them did so, and both of them noted the other was shaking.

"Itachi and Deidara, by declaring your love for one another, joining hands and exchanging rings you have promised your love to one another. I now declare you to be life partners. Congratulations- you may seal your union with a kiss."

A soft round of applause was the backdrop to the kiss, Deidara throwing his arms tightly around Itachi's neck as he did so. Once they broke apart, Itachi buried his head in Deidara's shoulder with a chuckle.

"We did it," he said needlessly.

"We did. Are you happy now?"

"I was happy before."

"But are you happy right now?"

"Of course I am," Itachi scolded as he pulled away, some of his nerves seemingly falling away with the important part of the day done.

"Good," Deidara grinned before grabbing his arm and tearing up the aisle, pulling Itachi along behind him. Itachi resisted for a few minutes before realising it was futile, a tiny smile on his face as was pulled out of the room into the waiting summer sunlight.

"Look at that," Deidara breathed once he'd spun his new husband around a few times in glee, shielding his eyes and glancing up to the clear skies. "Look, Itachi. Remember this, yeah. It's a beautiful day."

"It would have been beautiful even if it was stormy. Look what we just did!"

"I think it will take time for the shock to wear off, yeah."

"You don't say," Itachi sighed as the occupants of the hall began to join them.

The photographer was amongst them, giving them his congratulations before instructing them where to stand and what to do. Deidara, always one for spontaneity, improvised a couple of the suggested shots including one where he lifted Itachi up and span him once, while Itachi yelped out in surprise.

With the photographs out of the way the true celebrating could begin- guests began to file off to the reception hall, while Itachi sought Kisame immediately to get the suit he had brought with him.

"Congratulations," Kisame remarked as he handed the bag over. "How do you feel?"

"Like I'm going to pass out if I don't get changed out of this kimono."

"Good, good. Nothing's changed, then."

Itachi snagged Sasuke on his way to the bathroom, suit in hand and a smile on his face. Once the door was closed behind them, Itachi closed his eyes and took a breath to bring his senses together before launching himself at his brother and hugging him tightly.

"I did it," he whispered. "Sasuke, I- I married him, I actually did it."

"You wanted to, didn't you?" Sasuke replied, seemingly confused.

"I did," Itachi replied as he turned towards the mirror on the wall. "But you know what I see when I look in the mirror? I see my old self, with a perfection complex, begging me to somehow stop all of this. But I can't stop it now, and I don't want to."

"The wonders of medication," Sasuke smirked dryly. "Though I admit, I'm surprised you saw it all the way through. I was half expecting you to chicken out."

"Deidara mentioned you told Mum about your relationship," Itachi said slyly. Sasuke scowled at him, cheeks reddened again. "Well done. You're halfway there."

"I'm not marrying him."

"No-one asked you to."

"I'm glad you got married though. I'm happy for you. Both of you."

Sasuke initiated the hug that time, and it didn't pass Itachi's notice that he was shaking slightly. He wasn't sure why, and he knew Sasuke wouldn't want it to be pointed out. Instead he flicked his little brother on the forehead once they broke apart, giving him a smile and indicating his kimono.

"I'm going to get changed," he said. "How about you?"

"Mum packed me a suit, apparently. I'll do it soon. For now I'm going to calm your nerves and check everything is going to plan in the reception hall."

"Thank you. That would be appreciated."

Itachi was left alone, staring in the mirror at himself. Kimono-clad and smart Itachi stared back. He carried on studying himself for a moment before splashing water at the mirror and obscuring his reflection with droplets.

"Go away," he whispered with a proud grin on his face. "Go away, perfect Itachi."

Chapter End