Itachi turned slightly too gaze at the picture too-looking at he and his brother, children then, smiling, playing.
Doing what children should do.
He reminisced often, alone and sometimes slightly buzzed, on his childhood. Even then, they were being smothered in expectations. But sometimes, they would find time to be unruly. He smiled, forgetting, for a moment, Neji was there. He could remember, quite clearly, Sasuke asking him to play with him because he'd 'promised to.' And how irritated he was when Itachi prodded him in the forehead.
All of it was out of love.
"We used to be close." His own voice surprised him with the bittersweet tone so evident. He glanced at Neji, wondering if he'd heard it.
"I'll go set the table." He turned then and made his way back to the kitchen to do just that.