One hour later, they were sitting on the couch in Itachi's living room. It was now past midnight, but Itachi had lit up the reading lamp that cast a mild glow over the floorboards.
Shisui was sitting with his back turned to him, his feet crossed under him. Itachi was sitting behind, carefully cleaning the rash on Shisui's head.

"I'll put aseptic on it", he said.

"Will it sting?" Shisui asked. He had sobered up considerably. In front of him stood two large glasses of ice water, one of which he had drunk already. Itachi has also placed a hearty sandwich in front of him on a plate, and Shisui had ravished it in a minute. It was now gone. Itachi was happy for that; both that he liked his sandwich but also that it had probably helped mopping up the alcohol.

"No", Itachi said with a soft voice. "It's the same pH as you, so you won't feel anything but a bit of cold."

"Wow... Sure you're not gonna become a doctor? You know so much."

Itachi smiled. "My mother is a nurse", he explained. "She always explained things to me when mending me as a kid." Itachi started wiping. Shisui flinched a little, but then sat still. "You and I know I would be a terrible doctor. I'm too shy."

"I disagree."

"Say that again tomorrow when you're sober. I bet you'll agree with me then."

"I bet I won't." Stubborn. "What does your dad do?" he asked.

"He's a police officer."

There was a silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Itachi didn't know if he dared to ask Shisui about his family.

"My mother cleans houses for a living", Shisui said, as if reading Itachi's thoughts. "It doesn't pay much, but it's a living and she adores her colleagues. My father left before I was born. I don't know who he is." Shisui's voice was low, but it didn't sound sad. Itachi couldn't see his face, but he guessed the natural smile he usually had wasn't there. "Mum met a new guy she married when I was young. They were married for five years. He was good but he died and left a huge secret gambling debt mum is still trying to repay."

"I'm sorry", said Itachi, lost for better words.

"Don't be", said Shisui. "I..." he swallowed. "I've never told anyone. Not a single soul. Not even Lauren."

That name. It stung. He knew it was selfish to feel that way now Shisui was opening up to him, but he couldn't help it.

"My mother... She wouldn't let me pay for anything once I started earning money in Switzerland." Shisui continued. Itachi switched cotton pad do a new one and drenched it in the aseptic to clean the rest of the rash. "When I was in New Zealand, I gave her an ultimatum; take the money I provided or I would leave, too. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. But it worked. She let me help her pay off some of the debt." Itachi could hear the smile in Shisui's voice now. "She only earns just enough for food and rent. It felt great to be able to help her."

"You're mother sounds like a very kind woman", Itachi said.

"She is."

"And you're a very kind man."

There was a silence while both Itachi and Shisui contemplated those words. Itachi broke the silence.

"Let me see your hands", he demanded.

"Why?"

"Let me see."

Shisui turned around and turned his hands palms-up. Just as Itachi had suspected he had rashes there too from breaking his fall. He put aseptic on a new cotton pad and started cleaning Shisui's left one, holding it with his own left hand and wiping it with the right. He could feel Shisui's gaze on him. It was intense. Now they were so close, Itachi could even feel the scent of him. He still smelled slightly of alcohol, but it was not unpleasant. Underneath that was the faint smell of what must be Shisui's own scent; of earth and citrus. Itachi thought it smelled like home.

"Why were you ignoring me, Itachi?"

Itachi still felt Shisui's intense gaze. He didn't look up from cleaning Shisui's hand. Shisui didn't even flinch when Itachi got a particularly large piece of gravel out. Itachi was silent for a while, contemplating.

"Your friends... Said something that made me need to redraw my image of you slightly."

Shisui looked taken aback at this. "And what was that? What could it even have been?" Shisui looked away, panic in his voice now. He had heard what they had said, Itachi knew since he asked them to knock it off, but apparently he didn't understand that that was what had unsettled Itachi. "I cannot think of anything! I've never done drugs, never cheated on someone, I haven't even tried smoking, I..."

"Calm down, Shisui", Itachi interrupted. "It was nothing like that."

"What was it then?"

"Could I... Think about it until tomorrow and talk then? When you have sobered up properly."

"Fine, but promise." He felt Shisui's intense gaze on him again. He definitely didn't have his natural smile on.

Itachi smiled warmly at his sincerity, still looking down at his hand. "I already promised."

Shisui kept staring at him for a while. Suddenly, he looked down and turned the hand Itachi was cleaning over, so that it was palms-down, facing Itachi's left hand that held Shisui's up for cleaning. He carefully took hold of it and rubbed his thumb on Itachi's skin. Itachi stared at his hand, now gently folded in Shisui's much larger, stronger one. "So gentle..." Shisui murmured. And before Itachi knew what was happening, before he had time to react, Shisui leaned forwards and put his lips on Itachi's. Itachi's body immediately responded by closing his eyes and kissing back carefully. A million sensations burst inside of him, making him see all colors at the same time, blinding him from the outside world as his entire being was dwarfed into only sensations; the sensation of Shisui's lips on his, of the tingling running up and down his spine, that hole in his stomach now being filled with a thousand butterflies. Their lips had contact for seconds that felt like an eternity, the softness of the red skin on Shisui's lips massaging Itachi's, Itachi's responding with the same movements. It felt completely new but at the same time like it was the most familiar thing in the world.

Too soon, they broke apart, synchronised like two parts of a whole. Itachi kept his eyes closed and leaned his forehead to Shisui's, and he felt Shisui lean against him, too. Itachi realised Shisui was still holding his hand, but now he released it and cupped Itachi's face, rubbing his thumb over the skin on his lips. "So gentle..." he said again, with a voice so dark and low it was barely audible.

Shisui slowly released Itachi, took the second glass of water and drank. Eyes on Itachi, he leaned back on the couch, arms under his head. He had a serious look on his face, but suddenly he grinned his toothy smile, eyes closed. It was a relief to see him smile. "Thank you for this Itachi. And I'm sorry you had to see me like this. I'm out of practice." Itachi didn't know if he was talking about the drinking or the kissing.

Itachi took both of the now empty glasses, went to the kitchen and re-filled one of them with new ice water. When he brought it back, Shisui was already asleep. Itachi went to the bathroom and took a spare toothbrush and put it on the coffee table next to the couch where Shisui was sleeping. Then he took his reading blanket and put it on Shisui. He went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth and went to his bedroom, where he curled up into a ball and fell asleep immediately.

Shisui woke to clatter from the kitchen and something smelling delicious. Oh, and also a terrible headache. I deserve that, he thought when he remembered his drinking last night. At first, he didn't understand where he was. It was unfamiliar; a light and open living room, cosily furnished. Itachi! He felt a large grin come over his face when he remembered everything.

Itachi poked his head around the corner, a questioning expression on his face. Shisui just gaped; in his hands were two plates, each with a high stack of the most heavenly pancakes Shisui had ever seen. They were high and golden and had tons of exotic fruit on them. Seeing Shisui was awake, Itachi smiled warmly and put the plates down on the coffee table. Out of the pocket of his adorable oversized hoodie, he got a can of maple syrup and two small forks.

"Wow... Thank you. Wow, you really shouldn't have"

"You're hungover. Eat", Itachi said with a commanding voice.

Shisui didn't protest but took the syrup bottle and poured some over. Itachi took it after him and poured a copious amount on top of his pancakes, at least four times the amount Shisui did.

"I have a sweet tooth. Don't judge", Itachi said, feeling Shisui's glances on him.

"Not judging!" Shisui said, a bit too quickly. He was totally judging. Shisui looked at his own plate. "Wow... This is more carbs than I eat in an entire day."

"I don't give a fuck", said Itachi, mouth full of pancake. "You don't give a fuck. You're hungover. It doesn't count when you're hungover. The carbs aren't counting. Eat." He pointed at Shisui's plate.

Of course, Itachi was entirely right. They ate in amicable silence. Shisui thought the pancakes were the best thing he had ever eaten in his entire life. The outside was crispy, the inside fluffy, and they had a perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness. It was exactly what his hungover ass needed.

"Itachi..." Shisui said tentatively. Itachi looked up. "I heard what the boys said yesterday, about me being a ladies man..." Itachi stopped chewing, looking at Shisui with interest. "They haven't known me for that long. I... I like men too."

Itachi was silent for a while. Then he just shrugged his shoulders and took another bite of pancake. "I kind of already figured out."

"When?" Shisui asked, out of curiosity.

Itachi looked at him like he was dumb. "When you kissed me?"

Shisui felt heat flush to his face. Touché... Wow, to be so shy he's awfully straightforward today.

They continued eating in silence a while longer.

"So... You promised me you would tell me why you ignored me."

Itachi looked at him and suddenly smiled. It was a smile Shisui would never forget as long as he lived. He had never seen Itachi smile like that. The corners of his mouth went to his ears, reached his eyes. It lit up his entire face, making it even more beautiful than it was when it was resting. "Oh, that. You've already given me all the answers I needed." Shisui understood.

When Shisui left Itachi's apartment after having brushed his teeth, he had a light skip in his step.

He had seen Itachi put the toothbrush he had borrowed next to his own in the bathroom cabinet, as if expecting it would be used again.

That evening, Itachi heard three pings from his phone. He now had his sound on so he could hear when Shisui texted.

Shisui, 07.02 PM: "I'm sober now. And I still think u would make a great doctor."

Shisui, 07.02 PM: "Just like you're good at everything. Like kissing."

Shisui, 07.03 PM: "Seriously, how many have you kissed before me? A hundred??"

Itachi smiled.

Me, 07.05 PM: "That was my first kiss."

Shisui, 07.05 PM: "!!!!!!!!"

Shisui, 07.06 PM: "WHAT?????"

Shisui, 07.06 PM: "NO WAY"

Shisui, 07.06 PM: "U NEVER KISSED SOMEONE???"

Me, 07.07 PM: "Nope ;)"

Shisui, 07.07 PM: "Ur lying. I was your FIRST?!!?!??!!!"

Itachi smiled and let his silence speak for itself.