Sasuke was glad no one could see them from back there, because his face was definetly about to explode from all the blood rushing to his cheeks.

"A-Aniki... I thought you meant a place still in the mall..." He muttered, his face reddening even more as Itachi fondled his cheek.

His eyes were rather large, looking up at Itachi. He felt trapped in the man's gaze, like he couldn't escape... Like he would drown if he tried to.

Itachi realized what he was doing and ceased to do it. At that same moment, his cellphone vibrated in his pocket. Perfect timing, thought the Uchiha.

He checked the ID before answering and seeing that it was their mother, he flipped it open, "Hello?"

Ignoring Sasuke momentarily, he assured their mother on the phone that yes they were fine and they were just about to have dinner. Sasuke's choice even. His treat. After mentioning the boy's name, Itachi laid his eyes on his brother as he spoke now to his father.

"We'll be fine. Our assignments are taken cared of already. I can vouch for Sasuke and myself on that account. Don't worry."

The moment was broken in an instant, and Sasuke cursed his own weakness and succeptability to his brother's gaze. He sat down on the bench, looking away from his brother as he was ignored.

He could almost hear the questions his parents were undoubtedly asking; it was the same thing every time. Their mother would be concerned over whether they ate or not and how their days had been, while their father just wanted to make sure the boy's homework had been done.

He tried to keep the call short and simply agreed and said yes, yes... Nodding as he went along before he flipped it shut with an inner sigh of relief.

His parents seriously needed to learn how to loosen up the leash on them both really.

Itachi walked towards his brother and leaned down to his eye level, "So where were we? Oh yes...dinner. Truth be told Sasuke, I'm starving. Lead the way?"

Upon saying the last line, he stood at full length and moved aside to give the boy room to stand and walk ahead of him.

And yes for this instance, the older Uchiha would walk behind him. Not the other way around.

Sasuke was a little surprised at his brother's actions, but took it in stride, leading the way to his favorite of the Chinese food places. There were a few in the mall, but some were better than others. Hey, if Itachi wanted to pay, that was fine with him. Both he and his brother tended to eat like birds anyway.

The walk towards dinner was in silence. Itachi had not initiated any form of conversation, finding no real need for it in the first place. He found his eyes roaming about the mall and felt restless. There had been times that he found himself looking at his brother's back more intently than most.

Then he stopped and noted something that made him inwardly snarl.

It was fine by him anytime of the day to be stared and looked at like some fine piece of jewelry at a shop but...Sasuke? Something in him stirred and made him feel almost angry even.

The brother quickened up his pace and then took his place beside his brother and stood closely to him.

Gawk at him all they want. But not at his precious little brother now.

Sasuke looked up at his brother curiously as he moved to stand beside him, but said nothing. They made it to the desired resturant soon enough, ordered their food, and made it back to the bench with little to no consequence.

Sasuke ate his rice first, occasionally taking a sip of his soup.

He didn't bother explaining himself to the younger teenager and simply did as he wished. They had take out and brought their dinner back to the place Sasuke had picked, proceeding to have their fill of food.

Itachi took out his chopsticks and began to poke through the steamed rice take out in the styrofoam box, eating modestly. As he chewed on the food in his mouth, he could tell what kind of ingredients more or less. The process would be difficult to figure out as most Chinese run restaurants had secret ingredients and manners that were only kept within the family hence he could be quite mistaken with the composition of the meal.

"Sasuke... How old are you again?"

Though both of them knew how old the boy was in age wise, what Itachi meant was the implied you're old enough for many things and yet...

Lovers...Friends. Cliques. Even future dreams. He was old enough to have a taste of those.

What were they like?

((They have an age difference of five years... @[email protected] That complicates things a little... Wanna shorten it to two-three years? xD))

Sasuke gave his brother a weird look. "Aniki, you know how old I am. What do you mean by that?"

A small frown was on the younger Uchiha's face as he paused from his eating to speak to his brother.

"You're a sophomore. It won't be long you'll be in my shoes and you'll have to start deciding what you want to do with your life, Sasuke. Have you...given it thought somehow?"

Itachi had a feeling it would end up that way and had somewhat prepared some more things to say. Poking through the styrofoam box for some more food to feed himself, the raven turned to look at his brother. "The food you ordered was very good. Next time, it would be nice if we ate there instead don't you think?"

"If it helps give you a hint. Let's not beat around the bush and go straight to the point, how's your dating sprees...or life for that matter?"

Sasuke shrugged, staring down at his food. "I haven't really dated anyone, Aniki. There's no one I'm interested in."

That was a lie, but he couldn't exactly tell his brother that he was in love with... well, with him. Yeah, that would be a pleasant conversation...

"I see. It's not really healthy to be just cooped up in the house in the company of a brother who's never there and the house helps, Sasuke. I doubt your school's that interesting it keeps you THAT preoccupied now. You should go out when you can. Least mother starts to notice and introduce you to the daughters of her friends."

Oh Itachi knew that feeling all too well. When he was younger, Mikoto had a habit of dragging her eldest to parties and introducing him to every eligible young girl of his age and bearing. He ended up breaking their hearts or disappointing them because the raven was more interested in topics that were usually beyond them.
The only 'girl' he did get along with didn't turn out to be a girl and now that they were classmates, Itachi's opinion of Deidara seemed to change as he got to know the blond better though some part of him still recognized the blue eyed teen as a friend nonetheless.

After he was done with his meal, Itachi muttered a quiet thanks and then placed his box inside the plastic it had come in. "...Do you want to go home already, Sasuke?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I have my friends to occupy me, I guess... I don't really feel the need to date." He avoided his brother's eyes, almost afraid to meet that hypnotic gaze.

No, he didn't want to go home. As soon as they got back home, Itachi would ignore him again. Despite his feelings, he shrugged again. "If you want to, we can. I don't care."

Itachi chuckled, "You don't care? Hmm. Then I'd say your body language says otherwise. You don't realize it but you're quite an honest person Sasuke... How your eyes betray you."

The raven stood up and gathered the remnants of dinner into a bag for easier disposal. "Well. Before we go let's pass, I'd like to pass by the video shop to pick up some DVDs I've purchases online. I'm due to pick them up today anyways. Was planning to do so tomorrow but we're here so... Shall we?"

He beckoned to Sasuke to follow him.

Sasuke nodded, stepping behind his brother to hide the tiny smile that had started to make it's way towards his face.

Sometimes he thought his brother's knowledge of him as a curse, othertimes a blessing. Today it looked like it was a blessing, since he wasn't teasing him.

'I'm only so honest around you, Aniki...' He thought.

The shop keeper's overly enthusiastic greetings was enough to rival that of a certain green spandex loving teacher back in their own school. Upon seeing one of his beloved patrons - Itachi -, he sprang out from behind the counter, livid than ever, to personally greet and even dared to grab the teenager's hands, shaking and holding them as they spoke.

"It has been quite a while my dear patron! How can I be of service?"

"I am here to pick up the videos I ordered through your shop."

The man paused and then let out a large aah of enlightenment. He was so animated that all that was needed was a proverbial lightbulb above his head as he realized what the Uchiha meant.

"THOSE." The shop keeper's expression changed, from enthusiasm and now mischief, "Hehe... What youthful tastes you have...Gotta get the monkey going!" Going back behind the counter, he handed around 2-3 DVDs wrapped in plastic in such a way that they wouldn't be easily opened.

Before they left the man gave a final comment, "Don't let it get to the wrong hands now! ...If you know what I mean. HA HA!"

Itachi nodded and shoved it in his backpack, as quick as possible.

Now...the question is: What kind of videos were those?

Sasuke smirked at his brother, raising his eyebrow. Either the man was acting like that on purpose in a sad attempt to fluster Itachi, or Itachi was buying videos he certainly would not want their parents to see.

As they left the store, the smirk didn't remove itself from his face. "What videos did you order, Aniki?"

"Movies," was Itachi's one worded reply.

The Uchiha continued to the parking space in silence, not wishing or wanting to elaborate further on what kind of movies or how much they were. He simply put it as "movies".

He did not feel obligated to explain further to the boy his tastes for what he wanted to view when he was in a state of boredom from everyday life.

"Sasuke, I enjoyed your choice of dinner," he declared as he started the engine. "I don't mind repeating this some other evening..."

Sasuke's eyes widened, a pink, dusty blush rose to his cheeks, and he nodded. The movie subject seemed forgotten, for now at least. "Okay, Aniki. Sounds good... Anytime you want is good for me."

Itachi wanted to spend more time with him? Sasuke tried to hold back his smile until he made it back into his room alone, when he could smile all he wanted and it wouldn't matter. He had a reputation to keep up, you know. It wouldn't do to smile and ruin it.

The raven nodded, glad to have taken Sasuke's attention off the controversial set of DVDs in his back pack. Itachi paid the carpark attendant with respect to his stay at the mall and drove for home.

While waiting for the red light to flash green, the senior noticed hair spilling out of his ponytail and on his face. Growling softly, he undid his hair and allowing them some time free from the day old bind. There was a slight indent at where the hair tie had gripped the hair tight. Shaking his head a little and running a hand through his scalp, he seemed to have forgotten the little brother sitting across him.

He only did when he reached for the glove compartment and got a comb. Itachi then quickly finished with his hair right before the green light flashed and got them both home safely.
___

I didn't know what else to make Itachi do >_>; And it would be so... "..." empty/silent on the way home xD;

Sasuke watched in silent amusement as Itachi brushed out his hair. It was a rare occurance to see the man with his hair down, and he savored it.

They got home too soon in his opinion, but there they were. He grabbed his backpack and went up to his room, giving his mother a wave as he walked past.

---
That's okay. xD It was filled with awkward silence, I bet... >.>;;

Itachi stepped out of the car and waited for Sasuke to do the same, bringing all his stuff before locking the car for the night. The eldest son acknowledged his seniors when he saw them with a quiet nod and greeting before proceeding to his room himself.

Once inside, the raven lowered his back pack and took off the hair tie he had hastily placed on in the car. In his room, Itachi kept his hair down, giving it some air to breathe. He took out his house clothes from his cabinet and decided to take his after school shower to freshen up. Nothing soothed the tired and sore Uchiha better than a warm shower.
___

Ah yes. Awkward silence. Especially after the shop keeper embarassed Itachi so much in front of Sasuke. Good thing the Uchiha has a nice sense of control. XD

Sasuke sat down at his desk, taking out his homework.

Well... drat... it was all math homework.

He had to go borrow Itachi's calculator.

He smirked to himself, shaking his head.

It only took a few seconds to walk down the hall to his brother's room, and he knocked politely on the door. "Aniki?"

No answer.

A frown settled across his face and he opened the door. The room was empty. But Itachi's backpack was in here, so he must be returning soon. Sasuke sat on his brother's bed to wait.

The Uchiha let out a small moan of contentment after the shower. It never failed to do the trick. He patted his skin dry before wrapping a towel around his waist and throwing the soiled clothes into the clothes basket, he padded back to his room a little next to naked so he could change and start studying already.

Itachi was more than shocked to find his baby brother sitting on his bed. Running a hand through his shower wet hair, the Uchiha blinked and then asked, "What are you doing in my room? Who said you could come in here without my permission?"

The Uchiha was ready to scold him but at the last moment, decided against it. He waved his hand in dismissal and proceeded barefoot to his cabinet, taking out new house clothes. "So what brings you here?"

Sasuke blushed, looking away respectively as Itachi entered the room nearly naked. He had been taking a shower? No wonder it had taken so long...

"I need to borrow your calculator, so I knocked on your door and you didn't answer. So I came in and you weren't here. I figured you would only be gone a short while and decided to wait..." He muttered, face still flushed as his brother changed.