Reassurance
At such particular moments, Uchiha Itachi's thoughts would always drift to Koki, his older brother who always brought him comfort and warmth.
Koki's smile was like the warm sun of spring, his words were like the gentle breeze of a summer night, and the happy times they spent together were like the warm sun hidden in winter. At this moment, all of these memories floated into Itachi's mind.
Brother, brother, brother, brother, brother... Itachi kept calling out to his brother in his heart, as if Koki was the only lifeline in his life.
Itachi suddenly remembered what Koki had once told him, "Itachi, no matter what happens, I will be by your side. I will definitely protect you."
These words were like a warm current flowing into Itachi's heart, giving him a little comfort and calming his originally fearful and uneasy emotions.
He knew that his brother must have left him temporarily because of some things, and that his brother would come back sooner or later, he definitely would!
He returned to his side; his brother was just his brother.
In the spacious room, the waterbed seemed exceptionally large, but Itachi curled up in a corner, quietly waiting for Koki's return. His heart was filled with trepidation, and he unconsciously bit his lip.
The room was quiet, broken only by the occasional chirping of cicadas from the courtyard. Itachi turned his gaze to the window, looking at the dark night sky, his eyes calm, his thoughts drifting, and it was impossible to know what he was thinking.
Time ticked by, each minute feeling like an eternity to Itachi. His patience was wearing thin, but he persisted in waiting for his brother to return.
Finally, familiar footsteps sounded outside the door. The sound grew closer and closer until it finally stopped in front of his door. The door slowly opened, Koki appeared in the doorway. Itachi smiled slightly, adjusted his posture and expression, and 'welcomed' Koki's arrival.
To avoid disturbing Itachi, Koki quickly washed up in the outer room and tiptoed to the bedroom. He slowly pushed open the door, only to find the light on inside. There, curled up on the bed, the blankets undone, his shirt pulled up, revealing his stomach, his arm resting on his face, his body trembling slightly, as if... crying?
"What's wrong?" Koki rushed to the bedside and asked anxiously, "Itachi, what's wrong?"
Itachi seemed to only then notice him enter. He lowered his hand, tears silently streaming down his face. Looking at Koki, he softly called out, "Brother."
"Brother's here, brother's here! Itachi, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Seeing her younger brother's tears, Koki felt a pang of pain in her heart. Koki sat on the edge of the bed, hugged Itachi, and gently wiped away the tears from his face.
What's wrong with my younger brother?
The moment Koki's skin touched Mitsuki's, he let out a satisfied sigh.
"Brother, where did you go?" Itachi raised his tear-filled eyes and looked at Koki with a trembling voice.
"Brother, I'm so scared. I had a bad dream, and when I woke up and you weren't here, I was even more scared."
Itachi's brows were furrowed with bewilderment. His heart was shrouded in the shadow of nightmares. When he woke up and found his brother was not by his side, fear surged through him like a tidal wave.
Seeing this, Koki felt a pang of heartache and hugged Itachi tightly, gently comforting him, "Don't be afraid, Itachi, I'm here. I won't let you face anything alone. Tell me, what dream did you have? Maybe it will make you feel better."
Koki frowned slightly, filled with confusion and concern for Itachi's recurring nightmares, trying to understand what was going on with them.
However, Itachi simply shook his head slightly; at this moment, he did not want to uncover the shadows in his heart.
Koki didn't insist. He knew that if Itachi wasn't willing, forcing him would be useless. "Then, let's not talk about it today. When you're willing, tell your brother. Remember, it was just a dream, Itachi, it's not reality. You're in my arms now, this is your safe haven. I will protect you, I won't let you be alone, I will always be with you."
Koki spoke gently, trying to comfort Itachi.
If your brother doesn't want to talk about it, then he doesn't have to. It doesn't matter. The most important thing now is to comfort him.
Hearing this, Itachi's fear seemed to ease somewhat. He snuggled into Koki's arms, his eyes glistening with tears, and said, "I know, brother, but I'm still so scared."
In Itachi's heart, he would always unconsciously reveal his dependence and affection towards his closest older brother.
Koki hugged Itachi tightly and said firmly, "It's okay, Itachi, I will always be with you and protect you. No matter what you dream about, no matter what difficulties you encounter, I will be by your side."
Although he usually clung to his older brother, Itachi was unusually clingy at this moment due to his extreme attachment to his brother and his vulnerability from having nightmares. Itachi was in Koki's arms.
As Koki spoke gently, he gradually wrapped his arms around his brother's waist, and tears welled up in his eyes. He gently rubbed his cheek against Koki's clothes, as if he had found a long-lost sense of security.
Feeling the tears on her clothes, Koki hugged Itachi even tighter, her heart filled with indescribable pain, repeatedly murmuring apologies.
His heart was filled with guilt. He knew that his younger brother was often disturbed by nightmares, and he had promised to sleep with him at night, but he had not kept his promise, which made Itachi so sad. Koki was plunged into deep self-blame.
"Don't worry, brother." Under Koki's gentle comfort, Itachi gradually calmed down, his body relaxed, and he no longer felt so tense. He heard his brother say sorry with self-reproach, and his heart was filled with satisfaction. He closed his eyes.
I drifted off to sleep in this atmosphere where I could let go of everything, think of nothing, just lie there peacefully, lay myself bare, and be touched.