Chapter Text
Climbing atop the furniture for a better view, the little boy peered out the window. He formed a pout on his young face. Briefly, he directed his attention at the large wall clock before it was out of the window again. He wasn't exactly sure how a clock worked yet, but he noticed that when the little black stick was on the number four and the longer one was on the three, his beloved brother and his really pretty friend from next door would be rounding the corner and walking towards the grand gates that surrounded their slightly over-sized house.
His chin rested on top of the head of the couch and he buzzed his lips. He was starting to become impatient, yet he faithfully waited by the window and stared far off into the distance, hoping to see an outline of the two kids he was expecting to see. Within moments, a smile instantly emerged when he saw them appear from around the corner and towards the gates. He leapt from the couch.
"Mama! Mama!--" he paused as he almost slipped "--Nii-san and [Name]-chan are home!" He yelled, continuing his short run to the kitchen. His mother smiled brightly at him, wiping her hands on her apron before slipping on her oven mitts. "Why don't you meet them outside while I take the cookies out the oven?" The youngster nodded vigorously and jetted out the kitchen with great speed, sprinting harder than he ever sprinted before. "Careful, Sasuke! Don't run!"
Ignoring the protests of his mother, he flew out the front door of the house just as the two were opening the black, metal gates. He was so excited to see his dear older brother--especially his pretty friend. "[Name]-chan! [Name]-chan!" The boy cried as he ran towards you. You flinched as you mentally prepared yourself for the harsh impact that you were sure to feel, however it never came as the second-grader that you'd grown close to within weeks stood protectively in front of your body.
Calmly, he stretched out his arm and stuck out his pointer and middle finger. It wasn't long before the child of barely three and a half feet had clashed into the strong fingers of his brother. "Ow!" He yelped, grabbing his forehead. "Nii-san! That hurt!" "Sasuke, [Name]-chan is your senpai. You must show respect." The eldest lightly scolded, but even still, the three-year-old's bottom lip began to quiver, and his eyes became glossy.
"Aw, Itachi-kun!" You spoke up, coming from behind the child prodigy. You stood beside the young one, gently ruffling his hair and causing him to look up at you. "He can call me 'chan' if he wants to! I don't mind!" You flashed him a smile, squishing his cheeks together and gently shaking his head from side to side. "Besides! You're little brother is so cute Itachi-kun!" Said little brother grinned cheesily and blushed at your words, laughing loudly when he received a raspberry on his cheek. Itachi, however frowned; he was supposed to be the cute one.
"Kids! The cookies are ready!" Everyone turned their attention to a smiling Uchiha parent calling out to them through the door frame. She clapped her hands together. "Now, come on inside, and be sure to wash your hands first!" After she retreated back in the house, Sasuke grabbed your hand with both of his, pulling you in his direction with all of his toddler-sized might. "Come on, [Name]-chan! You can sit by me and Mr. Rex!" You giggled. "Okay, Sasuke. Let's go, Itachi-kun!"
With the raven trailing behind the two of you, Sasuke guided you to a chair that was between an empty one and one with a dinosaur plushie that you could only assume to be Mr. Rex. Once, he took the other chair, you rose an eyebrow. "Where's Itachi-kun going to sit?" "Right there!" The little one answered, pointing to a chair across the round table, however, the older brother was not aware and moved the green toy out of the seat. "No, nii-san! Mr. Rex is sitting there!" He shouted.
"But I want to sit next to [Name]-chan," Itachi stated calmly. "But--!" Sasuke couldn't finish his sentence as he couldn't decide whether to call for their mom or throw a tantrum. Instead, he began to whine as loud as he could. Itachi breathed heavily. Normally, he and his brother got along very well, but when it came down to you, he just couldn't win; he hated being older as it seemed Sasuke always got his way with everything--including you. "Please, little brother?" "Yeah, please, Sasuke?"
His whining ceased at the sound of your voice. "I really want to sit next to you and Itachi-kun, and besides--" you took the little toy from his brother "--I think Mr. Rex will be really sad if he doesn't get to sit next to you." Sasuke rubbed at his chin and frowned at the thought of his stuffed friend being upset; he made his decision. "Okay," he dragged, taking the plushie from your seven-year-old hands into his tiny ones. "Thank you, Sasuke!" You gave him a kiss on his cheek to which he grinned before stretching for a cookie--without washing his hands like his mom said--and taking a bite, swinging his feet as he hummed a random tune.
Itachi laughed off his budding jealousy as he wiped his hands on a paper towel and retrieved a cookie from the plate that sat in the middle of the round table. You looked at him with a funny expression and proceeded to wash your hands. He shook his head. "Bad idea." You repeated his earlier action and took a cookie yourself. "What was?" You took a bite from the sugary treat.
"Giving Sasuke a kiss on the cheek."
"It's just a kiss on the cheek? Our parents do it all the time."
"Mom told me you only do that with people you really, really like a lot."
"I do like Sasuke a lot."
"Nu-uh, like marriages and stuff, and she told me that he likes you that way."
"W-what?!"
Itachi chuckled at your reaction. "Mom and Dad said that it was just a phase, though." He pushed his body off the side of the table. Climbing on the counter, he retrieved two small glasses and a dinosaur cup. "Want some [drink]?" "Yes, please." You slid in the sit next to Sasuke, grabbing two cookies: one for you and the other for him. Sliding off the counter and back onto the floor before he got in trouble, he opened the fridge. "And what about you, little brother? What do you want to drink?" "Chocolate milk!" He exclaimed, his cheeks stuffed with cookies and crumbs all over his porcelain baby face. You couldn't help but giggle and neither could Itachi.
Sasuke sure was a cutie.