He watched his younger brother take off from the dinner table like his life depended on it. Good god. He knew he was intimidating but not that much. The raven was slightly offended that even his own flesh and blood seem to possess the same opinion as everybody else: the high and mighty Itachi Uchiha.

So it seemed that there would be more things to talk about with Sasuke after all other than that snake and the after school matter.

The teenager was about to take off to his own room when Mikoto interrupted him.

She told him to sit down, on the grounds that "Kaasan wants to talk to you."

Itachi shuddered and made up a reason, "...I have a project I should attend to. My partner and I agreed to meet online in thirty minutes."

Then he looked at his father then at his mother. "I can't stay long."

"Oh, but Itachi, there's this wonderful girl I want you to meet. The one I told you about earlier? You have a date with her this Saturday, since you couldn't make it today." Mikoto smiled.

His mother's sweet smile was truly something to be frightened about.

Itachi simply stared at the woman and shrugged. "Oh."

Looking back at his parents, the teenager then looked at the wall clock and excused himself. "...If that's the case. Kaasan, please fill me in on the details tomorrow. I'm running late."

He greeted them good night and made his way to his room.

On his way, the Uchiha knocked on Sasuke's door, reminding him to show up for their "talk"

Sasuke's shoulders tightened a bit when Itachi knocked on his door, and he took a deep, slow breath before standing up from his bed and exiting the room.

Even though he was invited, he couldn't help but knock on the door before entering.

"Come in."

Itachi was by his laptop, typing away to his research partner and swiveled his computer chair when he saw his younger brother come in. He hastily said BRB/AFK to the other and placed the computer on stand by.

"Glad you came then," he said as he removed his reading glasses, "I have three things I would like to settle with you, tonight. It is in my agenda that we come to at least some kind of compromise if not a real agreement about what we're to do with such an ordeal."

The Uchiha motioned to the chair nearest to him with his extended arm, telling the other wordlessly to sit closer to him.

"Or do you prefer we sit on the bed together now?"

Sasuke entered, sitting on the edge of Itachi's bed, a reasonable distance away from his brother.

"No, this is fine." He murmured, staring directly to the left of his brother's face.

"What do you mean, we have to reach a compromise? About what?"

Itachi didn't mind their distance and nodded, consenting to the boy's want of sitting far off. A part of him wondered where the small boy he used to be so fond of went. It was as if, there was a void in which the Sasuke from the past just evaporated into the air and in place was this quiet, awkward acting and grown up version. He frowned at the thought and decided to give the boy the benefit of an answer already.

"A compromise. A half hearted consensual decision between the both of us with regards a situation. Though I would prefer that we both truly agree upon what we're about to talk about because that way, it's more democratic. Don't you think?"

He noticed that the boy was only feigning attention his person, as if directly looking at him but his eyes were actually elsewhere.

Indeed, where did that bold little child who would look at him fearlessly and grabbed his hand, pulling him out to play go?

The Uchiha rested his reading glasses by the side of his lap top, swiveling as he did so then faced Sasuke once more. "Ready?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I know the definition of a compromise, Aniki. I meant, what are we meeting an agreement on?"

He slowly moved his eyes to look directly into his brothers, but he couldn't make himself hold the gaze for long.

Itachi smirked as he swiveled his computer chair and rested the pair of glasses by his laptop which was on standby. He raised his three fingers and pointed to one.

"One. About the incident in the car. Two. About that Orochimaru. And lastly about the both of us."

Then he rested the hand on his thigh and asked, "So which one would you like to talk about first?"

"Let's just go in the order you listed them in... You wanted to talk, Aniki, you start." Sasuke tensed a little at the last one. Did Itachi know? Probably.

He kept his breathing even, however, refusing to show his inner panic.

"Alright then."

The raven regarded his younger brother and after taking a deep intake of breath, began to speak, "First off, I am sorry for letting you drive. As the older sibling, it's my responsibility to take the wheel and take care of the both of us. It was a lapse of my duties. But I am thankful nonetheless. Why?

One: Your driving has improved. Two: You actually saved my ass back there.

For that I am quite thankful. For both. Maybe you should start driving to school every once in a while. Since we both leave at the same time, I'm proposing we take turns so you get some practice."

He looked at the boy, extending his hand in a handshake and asked, "Deal?"

It had come to his notice how the boy was growing up too soon. Although he missed the cute little brother he was so accustomed to, at some point that boy had to go away nonetheless. Not to mention Sasuke wanted to be acknowledged and to learn. Why not give him the opportunity?

Sasuke shook his brother's hand, trying hard not to smile. "Deal."

That was the easy one, though. It wasn't much of a battle, as the two brothers had the same opinion.

Sasuke was glad he would be able to drive, but also happy he would get to spend more time with his brother. Either way, the first agreement was most definitely a plus in his life.

He had a good feeling on his chest when they shook his hands. Even if Sasuke tried not to smile or show his true emotions, Itachi could tell. They weren't blood related for nothing now.

"Next..." He paused a little before moving on to say the man's name. "Would be about Orochimaru."

The teenager's expression darkened immensely before he regarded him seriously, "Orochimaru was actually an alumni of our dear school. A very gifted student with high intellect and promise. Though despite that he wasn't able to succeed as he would have liked and turned towards a life of crime soon after. So it's no surprise for Tousan to have had a run into with the man every now and then."

He looked at Sasuke, giving him some time to take in the information as well as his personal reflections. The kid could put one and one together.

"For short, we are in danger. You, me and Kaasan. So it's rather surprising that he allowed her to leave. Knowing how cunningly cruel Orochimaru is capable of. I advise you to be wary of your surroundings, Sasuke. There are reasons why I carry a knife on my person at all times."

Of course Sasuke didn't know that because he didn't know it was actually hidden in his pants. ((OOC: That sounded wrong... O_O))

"And oh by the way... Orochimaru---has a taste for young, pale skinned boys."

Then did not continue further, not wanting to insult Sasuke's intelligence in terms of induction.

The look of shock and disgust on Sasuke's face would have been comical at any other time, but the atmosphere between the brothers was too somber and intense for laughter.

He would need to start carrying a weapon around as well, most likely... and he'd have to warn his friends. Especially the paler ones. He shuddered at the mere thought of the man touching him anywhere, much less touching him there.

"I'll make sure to be careful, Aniki."

"Good."

One of the things he liked about talking to Sasuke was that he didn't have to bother explaining further. The boy was smart and quick minded enough to catch on what he was meaning.

It spared him of wasting his saliva and drying his mouth trying to make sense of what was happening around them.

Though he didn't intend telling the boy that Orochimaru was hitting on him once upon a time.
The look on the man's face when he figured he was Itachi UCHIHA, son of the man who was trying to get him behind bars was priceless though.
But at the same time signed his own death warrant.

The raven frowned at the memory and shrugged.

"And lastly... About the both of us. Our relationship together."

Sasuke slowly nodded, that knot of dread in his stomach tightening.

He shouldn't assume. Assuming was bad. He could not assume that Itachi knew, but he also could not assume that he didn't. So he waited for the man to continue hoping it was the latter.

"Recently it's been our parent's concern how we've been dealing with one another. They find us too distant."

Of all the concerns he wanted to talk about with the spiky haired sophomore, in his opinion this was the funniest and somewhat strangest of them all three. At least the first two were somewhat logical. This one just escaped Itachi.

He continued trying to sound somewhat in control though in reality, he wasn't quite sure of what to say. Despite that, the senior was still able to keep his voice flat and deep as it was. No hint of worry or hesitation could be determined at all.

"Especially Kaasan, but that's a given isn't it? Tousan often asks about your performance in school if it interests you. -pause- From me. He frowns when he hears I don't help your or follow up on you."

The raven turned to Sasuke, looking at him in the face and asked, "And you... What can you say about that?"

He really had no problems about their working relations really. Sasuke minded his own business. He minded his though recently the boy exhibited interesting behavior and soon Sasuke became HIS business. "How do you feel about that?"

Inwardly, Sasuke heaved a huge sigh of relief. Itachi didn't know.

"I don't mind things staying the way they are. We are distant in nature; it's the way we were raised, it's the way we'll always be. We could talk a little more, though, if only to satisfy them." Sasuke suggested, much more relaxed now that he wasn't having a stress-caused brain aneurysm.

The raven found himself nodding to his brother's words, agreeing to every little word that had been said. What in the world was wrong with that now? They were perfectly fine with the old ways of how they were. It was so strange for Itachi when one day it seemed like he was being an awful brother to Sasuke!

Kaasan had looked at him that he ought to strive more and even their father seemed to have agreed upon it as well. Though it amused him how fatalistic the spiky haired teenager was.

Smiling somewhat, he crossed his legs and turned to him, "So you're saying there's never room for us to be the close siblings that they're somewhat implying us to be?"

It was fun to tease the other anyways.
___

Sorry for the late replies. Upsettage. Chest hurts and...life in general ; ;

Sasuke shook his head. "No, I'm not saying that..." No no, he wanted to be closer to Itachi... but he wasn't entirely sure what his Aniki wanted.

"We could become closer... if we wanted to."

He found himself turning towards the other teenager, all jokes gone and seriousness flooding in. Itachi uncrossed his legs and settled both on the ground as he looked at the other with question in his dark eyes. The senior had been taken by surprise by the reply, finding it not exactly what he had been expecting.

"...Did---Sasuke"

It was a once in a blue moon experience for the prodigy to find himself tongue tied but here he was. Unable to say something sound and concise. But then he was in shock, somewhat.

Clearing his throat, Itachi pinched the bridge of his nose and asked him to quietly leave now. There was a forehead, a migraine from too much computer use. He was still getting used to his new reading glasses and would like to rest. "I hope you don't mind... We'll continue this talk tomorrow. Wherever you wish. I just want to rest for a while."

A clear lie to all that he was simply trying to find a cover for his confusion. Wanting to be rid of the responsibility to come up with a reply, the Uchiha feigned a head ache. Not to mention, thinking about it really did hurt his head.
___

I was thinking...maybe you'd like a OOC thread where we could discuss and interact about our RPs? :3

We could even gameplan and stuff. Also... D: My net hasn't been the kindest thing on earth ; ; That sorts...What do you think?

Sasuke immediately regretted saying anything. What the hell had he been thinking? He mentally beat himself with a large, blunt object.

He left the room quickly, wishing he could turn back time, maybe bludgeon himself before he said that stupid thing. It was so obvious Itachi was lying...

----
I was going to wish you well in my last post, but I forgot... D: Sorry. I hope you feel better.

That seems like a good idea. Um... Do you want me to go start that, then?

Itachi did not say anything or do anything after.

Though after a few minutes the boy left the room, he couldn't help but stare at the door and somehow found himself darting there and looked outside---as if Sasuke would still be lurking about in the hallway.

But he wasn't quite sure why either.

"Sasuke..."
___

>w< I'll go start one! Hehe!

Sasuke retreated to his room, plopping down on his bed with an undignified 'oof'.

Everything had been going so well too...

He picked up his pillow and dropped it over his face, feeling childish. Whatever. He was in his own room and anyone would knock before entering...

Besides, he had to have at least a little room to act childish, since he was so serious the rest of the time... right?

---
Okay. ^^

Once inside his room, he returned to his school work. He didn't bother with apologizing since he was a good fifteen minutes late. Itachi had said he would only be gone for a while after all.

He wondered how tomorrow would be like.

It seemed like the talk only widened their gap as it was.
__

I already started a thread! o: We can talk about anything regarding our two RPs there!