Sasuke thought about it. One of us would have to take it then. Otherwise there wouldn't be any other room." he told him. This house only had three bedrooms, so there really wasn't very many options. He knew that Itachi would be the one to take their parents room. He was the oldest after all. Besides, he was fine where he was and there was no way he was going to let some stranger have what used to be his parents. It just wasn't right.

Itachi listened to what his brother was saying. The other was right. There were only three bedrooms and there would be three of them living in the house. He knew that Sasuke would probably want to stay in his old room, and there was no way that he was going to allow Orochimaru to have his parents room. So that meant that he would be moving into that room, and that Orochimaru would be living in Itachi's "old" room. He didn't really like that either since that would put him only steps away from his brother's room. He was pretty sure that the other wouldn't try anything, but he remembered the way that the other had looked at Sasuke when Tsunade had first brought him here. It wasn't a good look either. "You're right," said Itachi as he took another drink from his glass of water. "That would mean that he would get my old room. Then again we could always change the bed in our parent's room and make it into two beds if you want. Or you can stay in your old room it's really up to you."

"I'd rather stay in my own room." Sasuke stated. There was no way he was going to share a room with Itachi. Then he wouldn't be able to have his own space. And that was something he really needed right now. He needed a place where he could hide away from everyone when he needed to. He soon finished eating and quickly washed his dirty dishes. "I'm going to bed." he told him before turning and going upstairs to his room.

Itachi smirked a little behind his glass of water. He knew that the other was going to say something like that. "Very well," said Itachi as he finished the rest of his food on the plate. He watched as Sasuke went into the kitchen to rinse off his dish, and nodded his head when he heard the other was going to be heading off to bed. "Good night, Otouto." He figured that he should retire for the night as well. He would be meeting with the funeral planner tomorrow to pick out coffins and service packages, and all that stuff. He wondered if Sasuke was going to be joining him. Knowing him though the other would be doing anything to not acknowledge that his parents were gone. Hell, if he had a choice too then he wouldn't want to admit that his parents were dead either.

Climbing the stairs to his room he walked passed his parents room. He stopped and closed the door before slipping into his own room before closing the door behind him. Getting into his pajamas he slipped into his bed, turned out the lights, and was soon asleep.

Sasuke changed into his pajamas, but he had a hard time falling asleep. Even though he was exhausted. He just laid in bed, staring at the ceiling for hours. Sighing, he rolled out of bed and left the room. He went downstairs to get something to drink. He made some warm milk, hoping that would help. When he was done with his drink, he washed the cup and went back upstairs. But, instead of going to his own room, his feet took him to his parents. He laid in the center of their bed and closed his eyes. He was asleep in seconds.

Itachi awoke with a start. He was awoken from a rather unpleasant dream. Staring up at the ceiling he tried to calm his breathing down. As he laid there he was aware of a creaking in the house. Rolling over to his side he heard the creaking from Sasuke's room and then the sound of the other going down the stairs. He wondered what the other was doing, but then he heard the sound of the microwave. He knew that the other was making some warm milk. He decided that he would leave his brother alone because that is what he wanted ever since this morning. Rolling back over he closed his eyes willing himself to fall asleep. He heard his brother going up the stairs, but he didn't hear his brother's door close behind him. He heard his parent's door open though. Rolling back over so that he was facing the door he got out of his bed.

Opening his own door he walked out into the hallway. Pushing open his parent's bedroom door he eyed Sasuke sleeping on the bed. Walking over to Sasuke's sleeping form he leaned over and gently kissed the other on top of his head before he retreated back to his own room for the night.

When Sasuke woke in the morning, he did not want to get up. He was having a great dream. At least, great to him. In it his parents were still alive. And he knew that when he got up he would have to deal with the fact that they were gone. And that wasn't something he was ready to face. Sighing, he rolled out of bed and stumbled downstairs. He hoped Itachi hadn't noticed that he had slept in their parents room. That would be embarrassing.

Itachi continued to sleep as he dreamed of a better time. A time where it was just him and his family. A time before Orochimaru and abandonment. A time where he thought that he could smile. He didn't know if he could ever smile again since he knew that when he awoke that he would be brought back into a world where his parent's weren't there. However, Sasuke was still alive, and he would protect no matter what.

Opening his eyes he looked around and noted that the sun was streaming in through his blinds. It was morning again. Letting out a groan he stretched a little bit. He didn't hear his brother moving around so he just assumed that the other had been sleeping still.

Sasuke went straight to the kitchen and got a bowl of of the cabinet. He then pulled out his favorite cereal from the pantry before pouring some and putting it away. He got some milk and poured it in before getting a spoon and sitting at the table, taking a bite. While he ate, his mind was a million miles away. Before he knew it, the cereal was gone. He washed the bowl before heading to the living room and sitting on the couch and turning on the tv, hoping something good was on.

Itachi continued to doze as he let his mind wander. He had so many things that he needed to get done before it was time for Orochimaru to come to the house. There was the funeral to plan, that would happen later today, and then there was the fact that he had t start moving all of his things out of his old room, into his parents. Now that would be the hard thing. As he laid in bed he could here Sasuke moving around downstairs. Rolling over he looked at the clock that was on his nightstand. It was almost 10a.m. He had really slept in. Getting to his feet he made his way to the bathroom where he brushed his teeth, and did other forms of morning maintenance on his image before he walked to his room. Tossing on some clean clothes he made his way downstairs. He was always good at moving quietly so he was pretty sure that he had made it downstairs without being detected. He saw Sasuke lying on the couch facing the T.V. He just stood there for a few moments as he watching his brother before he broke the silence as he said,"Morning, otouto. Did you eat anything?"

Though Sasuke didn't hear Itachi coming, he didn't jump when his brother suddenly spoke. "Yeah. I had some cereal." he told him, keeping his eyes on the tv. Sure, the movie wasn't to interesting. But there wasn't anything on at this time. So, this was what he was stuck watching until he found something else to do. Though it was better than doing nothing. It stopped him from thinking about depressing things, like the fact that his parents were dead and some stranger was moving into their house.

Itachi nodded as he heard that his brother had already eaten. It was like blocking that conversation. That meant that he couldn't offer to make anything for the other male. Which honestly was perfectly fine with him because on closer inspection he could practically feel the waves of ice that were radiating off of his brother. He went into the kitchen decided that he too would make himself some cereal as well. He didn't know how he was going to bring up that he was going to see the funeral director in the afternoon, or if he wanted his brother to come along with him. He decided that he was just going to tell the other that he was going out, that he would be home later, and that if he could please order some form of take-out for dinner. Pouring milk over his cereal he sat down at the table and took a bite. He chewed it as he said,"Sasuke, I am heading out for the afternoon. I won't be back until the evening, can you please order something for the both of us for dinner, or make something for dinner please." He would let he other come if he wanted to, but it was completely up to him.

Sasuke briefly glanced at Itachi when he spoke. "Alright. I will." he told him before turning back to the tv. A part of him was glad that his brother was going to be gone. That meant that he could have some time to himself. And if he did get lonely, he knew he could call any one of his friends and they would come over. Not that he would. He didn't want to be a bother to them. So, he would be just fine here by himself.

Itachi nodded when he heard the other say that he was going to be staying home. He had never extended the invitation to the other, but he was glad that the other didn't ask too many questions about where he was going. Itachi knew that Sasuke was a silent griever. He was an avenger of sorts. A protector of the weak. He would help the other's around him with their grief, but when it came to his own he usually just bottled it up inside of himself. Once he was done with his cereal he walked back into the kitchen he washed out his bowl and placed it in the sink to be washed later. Heading back up the stairs he grabbed his wallet, car keys, and his sunglasses before heading back down the stairs. "Sasuke," called out Itachi. "I am leaving now. You be safe now you here, and no wild parties while I am gone." He added that as a last bit of humor. He knew that it probably wasn't in the best taste, but he wanted his brother to know that he still loved him.

"I'll try not to. Can't promise you anything though." Sasuke said back, joking of course. While normally he would go ahead and invite some people over, especially if he was told not to, he just wanted to be alone tonight. He knew that Itachi was just joking. It was easy to tell. But, it was a bit harder to tell why his brother was though. Not that it was going to stop him from joking back.

Sliding into his car he turned the gas on as he buckled his seat belt. He had fond memories of this car. He had gone to purchase it with his father when he had turned sixteen. Right after his birthday celebration lunch his father went and ourchased him the car. Fond memories indeed. Memories now that would forever stay etched into his mind every time that he would drive this car in the future. Putting the car into reverse he pulled out of the driveway, and was soon on his way towards the funeral parlor. This wasn't something that he was looking forward to doing, but he knew that it was something that had to be done. Something that was required of him since he was now the "man of the house" so to say, as well as the eldest son. He owed his parent's that much dignity even in death. He pulled into the parking lot, and parked in a parking spot. Getting out of the car he walked in through the double doors that led to the main atrium. He greeted the receptionist, and she told him to have a seat while she called her boss out of his office.

Sasuke watched the end of the movie before going upstairs to the bathroom. He stripped down and stepped into the shower, turning on the hot water. He quickly washed up before just standing there, letting the hot water run over him until it turned cold. He turned the water off before stepping out and drying off. He wrapped his towel around his waist before heading to his room. He pulled out his clothes (all black) and got dressed before laying back on his bed with a sigh. He laid there for a few minutes before getting up and climbing out to the roof and laying down out there.

Itachi sat there in the comfy chair as he saw various people come and go out of the building. Some of them were hugging one another, others were crying, yet here he was by himself. He was also too proud to cry in public, he was also a silent griever, and he would cry in the privacy of his own house. As he continued to sit there someone finally approached him. Walking into the boss' office they went over arrangements, the price of the caskets, and flower arrangements. The date was set for the end of the week. Two days before Orochimaru would be moving in. Orochimaru would be moving in the coming Monday and the funeral would be on Saturday. Itachi gave the man the necessary money for the service. As he left the building he could see that the sun was already setting behind the horizon. Getting into his car, he started it, and then began the long trek towards his home.

Sasuke enjoyed the warmth of the sun on his face. It felt good since he's felt cold since he woke up. Not even the warm shower was very helpful with warming him up. But this, it felt good. When he felt like he was getting to warm, he moved into the shade provided by a large tree that covered part of the roof. He crossed his arms behind his head to use as a pillow and closed his eyes. He was almost instantly asleep.

As Itachi continued on his way towards the manor home he stopped at the scene where his parent's had died. The scene overlooked a valley with a foreground of trees. Pulling off to the side of the road he stopped at a local "vantage point" so it was safe to part. Getting out of the car he walked towards the edge where the metal rail guard was. Climbing over it he leaned against it as he took in a deep breath. He was rather high up since he was coming down from a rather large so the air was clean and crisp as well. Letting his eyes close he continued to inhale deeply as he let his mind empty out of all of the stressful things that had happened throughout the week. After he was sure that he had spent enough time there, since it was getting to be colder, he got back into his car, re-buckled his seat belt, and then began driving back home again.

Sasuke wasn't asleep for very long. When he woke he stretched and got up before climbing back into his window. He went down to the kitchen after looking at the time, figuring now would be a good time to order some food. He grabbed the phone and ordered Chinese for himself and Itachi and had it delivered. When it arrived, he paid the dude and put his brother's share in the fridge before taking his and sitting on the couch, turning the tv to an old horror movie as he began eating.

Itachi continued to drive his car as he yawned a little bit. He was tired and he was stressed. The last thing that he would need to do is fall asleep at the steering wheel. Itachi was all Sasuke had right now, and he knew that even though the other was probably too proud to admit it, but if he died he knew that Sasuke would miss him. Not to mention it wouldn't change the fact, either living or dead, that Orochimaru would still be moving into the home. Pulling into the driveway, he put his car in park, and then lifted the emergency break. They lived on a rather large hill, so he didn't want his car to go sliding down the driveway and into the street. Unlocking the door he walked into the house as he smelled Chinese food. "Sasuke always knows what to get for me," thought Itachi as he went and opened the fridge. There was a paper bag in there. Tearing into it he smiled when he saw that his brother had purchased exactly what he had wanted. Glancing around he eyed his brother as he saw that the other was sitting on the couch watching a movie. He would thank the other tomorrow, but right now he needed to begin to compile a list of his parent's friends and relatives.

Sasuke heard a car pull into the driveway and he knew that it was Itachi. A part of him was glad that he was back. It was starting to get lonely, not that he would ever admit it. Nor would he ever admit that he was glad to have his brother around. He didn't know what he would do without him. When he was finished eating, he placed his plate on the coffee table and curled up under a blanket that hung over the back of the couch. Now that Itachi was back, he could feel himself relaxing, feeling safer with his brother was here. Another thing he would never admit. He could feel his eyes closing, feeling tired all of a sudden, even after his nap earlier. He yawned before they closed, falling asleep.

Itachi let out a sigh as he glanced over the list of people that he would be sending the funeral invitations to** . He was pretty sure that he got everyone on the list. All of the cousins, aunts, and uncles. He invited some of his father and mother's co-workers as well seeing as how they were practically his second family. Glancing over at his untouched food he decided that he should call it quits for now. Getting up he grabbed the bag of food and went back down the stairs. The T.V. was off, and he wondered where the other male had gone. He was sure that the other hadn't come up the stairs, he would have heard him, since their stairs creaked a lot. So where was the other. He strained his ears and that was when he heard the sound of light breathing. His brother was wrapped in a blanket asleep on the couch. Chuckling to himself he walked over and scooped his brother up in his arms as he carried him up the stairs. He would have preferred his brother to sleep in his own room. Placing the other male on his bed, once he got up there, he drew the covers over the other's form as he closed the door behind him. Going back downstairs he put his food back in the fridge, there would always be time to eat it tomorrow. Walking to his own room he fell onto his bed, exhausted, as he fell asleep.

((**I doubt they are called invitations since it isn't a happy occasion, but how else are people supposed to know to attend a funeral if they are not living in the city so they can't see the obituaries in the paper)).

Sasuke woke with a start a few hours later with no idea where he was. It took him a moment to realize he was in his own room and how he had got there. He knew Itachi must have carried him, which made him embarrassed. He hated being carried around like a child. He stood and pulled off his clothes until he was in his boxers. That was much better than being fully dressed when trying to sleep. Yawning, he left the room and went downstairs to the kitchen. He pulled out a glass and filled it with water, drinking it slowly before washing the glass and putting it away. He turned and stumbled to the restroom, doing his business before returning to his room and collapsing on the bed, pulling the blankets over him.