They left the next weekend.

Itachi worried whether Shisui could really drive, but they both took the Friday off, and after twelve hours of sleep and two Red Bulls, Shisui chatted happily while he drove their Volvo from the city to the countryside and further up the mountains. They played a game where you would say something you saw, and the next person had to say something they saw beginning with the final letter of the previous thing.

"Tree!" Shisui would shout.

"E... Ego!" Itachi would say.

"Where?" Shisui asked, genuinely confused.

"Are you kidding me? It's so big it takes up the entire car!" Itachi stretched his arms out to show exactly how big Shisui's ego was.

Shisui slapped him softly on the thigh. Itachi immediately took his hand, entwined their fingers, brought it to his lips and kissed it. Shisui breathed in hotly and Itachi realised how long ago it was they had slept with each other. Itachi had done it himself, in the shower, leaning his back against the hot, wet tiles, imagining his partner doing all sorts of things to him. But Shisui had slept so much, Itachi's fantasies had not had the chance to become reality.

"Shisui..." Itachi murmured, taking two of Shisui's fingers into his mouths. Shisui's breath caught in his throat. "How long ago was it you fucked yourself?"

Shisui leaned his head back and groaned; Itachi never dirty-talked so it turned him on endlessly.

"Not since last time I took you."

"Shit", Itachi said.

He sucked his fiancé's fingers dry. 

The cottage was incredible. It was made entirely of timbre, the logs visible on the inside, and incredibly warm. All was made better by the fact that an icy rain had begun falling in the autumn chill, making the fireplace Shisui lit first thing so much better in the small space.

As they closed the door, they stood facing each other, lips a breath apart, both still frightfully hungry for each other. They spoke to each other silently with their eyes, agreeing without words to wait just a bit longer, dragging the frustration out for hours that they both knew would feel like an eternity. They walked out in the rain, Itachi's hand in Shisui's, enjoying the silence of the forest surrounding their path.

"Itachi..." Shisui suddenly said, pointing.

Itachi looked and saw the most beautiful little lake. Steam was rising from it, letting them know it was a hot spring, and over it flew thousands upon thousands of fireflies, light not too strong in the cloudy daylight. Itachi looked up at Shisui. Shisui smirked, and for the first time in weeks, Itachi saw that mischievous glimmer in his eyes that were so typical of his fiancé. Maybe, everything will be all right after all, Itachi thought. It will, the warm hand squeezing his said, without words.

They got completely naked for each other and walked into the lake hand in hand. It was warm, almost hot around their ankles and they walked out so they could sink down to their shoulders. On instinct, Shisui grabbed Itachi's waist from behind to pull him into his lap, but Itachi turned around.

"No", Itachi said, and his heart clenched at how confused and worried Shisui looked; he was so used to having Itachi in his arms."I want to hold you."

Carefully, very carefully, Itachi pulled Shisui in, held his broad, muscular black close to his own smaller frame, nuzzled his neck. Shisui was a bit stiff at first, not being used to this dynamic between them, but after a few soft kisses on his shoulder and neck from Itachi, he allowed himself to relax. They sat quietly for a while, enjoying the absolute silence of the forest, the humming of the fireflies.

"Shisui", Itachi said finally. Shisui remained silent. "Shisui?"

"I know what you're going to say, Itachi", he said softly. "That you're worried, that I should seek help."

Itachi smiled warmly, pulled his fingers through Shisui's hair.

"No... That wasn't what I was going to say at all."

Shisui looked slightly behind him at Itachi, confused.

"Then what was it?"

Itachi closed his eyes, clenched the item he held in his fist. It has been hard to hide once their clothes were off. But now he took Shisui's left hand, kissed it, then threaded the ring he'd bought him on his finger.

Shisui just stared, mouth agape, then turned to Itachi.

"Itachi..."

His eyes were wild.

"It's only fair you have a ring, too", Itachi said. "I don't know what's the matter with you. I'm scared. I'm frightened to death and I'm lonely. If you think you're protecting me by remaining silent, you're wrong. If you think you're decreasing my burden by remaining silent, you're wrong. But I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you no matter what. I will no longer nag you about it. Come to me if and when you're ready."

Shisui stared at the ring on his finger. It was thick, broad, a simple band made of platinum. Itachi had wanted white gold but had learned that material easily scratched, and knowing Shisui he'd figured something less able to get marks was better. It suited him immensely.

Suddenly, Shisui looked up at Itachi, face set, a new determination in it.

"I have been bullied at work", he said.

It was so sudden, caught Itachi completely off guard. He couldn't breathe.

"What?" he whispered. He couldn't imagine anyone ever wanted to bully Shisui; everyone instantly loved him. He was social, outgoing, easy.

"I've been bullied at work", Shisui repeated. He was looking at Itachi, and his eyes were open to his soul displaying a desperation, saying please, Itachi, understand me! But there was also relief and as he uttered the words, he could no longer stop himself. "It begun the first week. They've been hiding my food. Changing my codes while I'm in the bathroom so Rick Roll show up on my computer screen as soon as I press a key."

"Shisui..." Itachi furrowed his brows. He could feel the instant fright he'd felt sparkle, lose some of its acidity. There was something, something that wasn't quite right in this. You should be able to deal with this, Itachi thought. The Shisui I know should be able to deal with this. He would even think it was funny.

"I hate it!" Shisui said, grabbing his curls with his now ring-clad hand. Then, he slapped his hand down in the water; Itachi could see the frustration in his eyes as he looked up at his fiancé.

Itachi snaked his arms around Shisui. No matter what Itachi thought about the mildness of the pranks, he still wanted to comfort his fiancé.

"Shisui, I'm sorry", Itachi said.

Shisui, however, was having none of that hugging shit. He grabbed Itachi's chin, his new ring cold and pleasant against the skin over Itachi's jawbone. With his other hand, he grabbed Itachi's long hair, soft and hot from the water like boiling oil and he brought their lips together and kissed him. Itachi straddled him, the contrast between the hot spring waist-down and the cold air waist-up as delicious as the one between the softness and strongness of Shisui's tongue. Irrespective of the lack of food and exercise, Shisui had a largeness to his body that would never disappear, and it made Itachi feel so safe. He put his arms around his fiancé's shoulder blades, pressed his groin against Shisui's, the feeling of his naked erection against his like ecstasy.

"Shisui..." he whispered.

"Itachi", his lover murmured back. "I need this. Please... Please, no more talking right now."

Itachi couldn't deny him anything, nor did he want or need to. Before they knew it they were up on the beach, both a trembling mess, fumbling to get their clothes on. Shisui grabbed Itachi's hand, pulled him forcefully with him. The trip back to the cottage took an eternity, and Itachi was basically moaning as Shisui fumbled with the keys and his clumsiness, usually a source of adoration now became a source of irritation for Shisui, and it wasn't until Itachi placed his hand over his fiancé's larger, warmer one that Shisui managed to open the door, just like only with the guidance of Itachi's heart had Shisui been able to open the door to his own soul.

Shisui begun tearing off Itachi's clothes even before they'd closed the door behind them. He placed wet kisses all over Itachi's neck and collarbone, sucking them blue, each touch a promise, like vows written on a page, that page being Itachi's skin. Itachi stood free, no wall behind him, craning his neck to allow his curly-haired other whole access to his heart. Shisui placed his hands behind Itachi's thighs and lifted him up, kissed him while carrying him to the bed.

The fire crackled happily in the fireplace as they kindled a fire of their own.

But this one inside of their bodies.

And Itachi couldn't let go of the feeling that something wasn't right with what Shisui had told him.