Note: I do not own anything. I wrote this for fun. Please enjoy and review. I take no credit.
It was late at night, as a girl practiced her moves with her katana. She was deep in the woods near her village. She had been practicing all day and using the light from the full moon to see her targets. She stood panting with her katana piecing the chest of one of the dummies she was practicing on. Sweat rolled down her face and body. She was exhausted but knew she couldn't stop, if she wanted to impress HIM.
Little did she know she wasn't alone. Not too far away sat a boy about her age, maybe a year or two older. He had long black hair pulled back in a low pony tail at the nape of his neck. He was wearing black pants with his tool bag on his right hip and a white bandage type wrap on his left thigh and also a black shirt with his family crest on the back. His black eyes watched the girl in front of him with interest. He couldn't understand why she was pushing herself so hard. He's never seen a girl like her in his 18 years. He assumed that she was a year younger than him, judging by the looks of her body. It bothered him that it seemed he couldn't keep her out of his mind. How her long brownish hair moved when she ran, or how much faster and stronger she seemed to be every day. But what puzzled him the most was how fast she learned. She only made a mistake once but the next time she'd always hit the mark perfectly.
He was surprised when the girl removed her sword from the dummies chest and began moving as if she were dancing. He watched her curious as to what she was going to do. She danced faster and faster, moving her sword in swift but smooth arks. The boy noticed how well her body moved and flowed with her sword. He was truly amazed, but she would never know that. And with that in mind he sighed and decided to head for home. So silently he disappeared into the night.
The girl stopped her dance with the sword piecing the dummy in the chest where the heart would be. She smiled as she hit her target perfectly. She winced as pain throbbed in her chest. All of this extra training and pushing herself past her limit was taking a toll on her body. She fell to her knees, one hand clutching at her chest, while the other easily pulled the katana out of the dummy and let it fall to the ground beside her. She clutched at her chest with both of her hands, gasping for air. She began to tremble. Shit, this isn't good, she thought to herself as she tried to push herself to her feet. She fumbled back down to her knees and winced as the pain got worst. She slowly picked up her sword and stabbed it into the ground. With the support of her sword, she slowly pushed herself to her feet, wincing in pain. Once on her feet she began stumbling towards home.
It was midnight when she finally reached her house. She lived alone for she had no parents. She's not sure what happened to them. She was told they were killed in combat but she didn't believe it or cared. For all she could remember of her parents, they were never good to her. To them she was just a burden. With a sigh, she removed her shoes before walking into her house. She put her katana in its sleeve and carried it to her room. She laid it on her bed as she walked into her bathroom. She wanted to take a quick shower before she crawled into bed.
She looked at herself in the mirror. She winced a little as her heart throbbed. The pain was beginning to recede now. Her reflection was of a tired, sweaty girl. She looked away in disgust. She never did like her reflection. She didn't know why she always bothered to look. She pushed her thoughts away as she turned the water on and let it run to get warm while she undressed. The warm water felt good on her back as it beat down on her worn and aching muscles. She sighed in pleasure and her muscles began to relax. She stood there for a few moments with the water beating down on her before she decided to start washing. She washed quickly, fearing she'd fall asleep in the shower and drownd. Once she was clean, she jumped out of the shower, wrapping a white towel around her body and another in her hair. She quickly dried off and got dressed before she attempted to dry her hair. Too tired and little patients, made her give up on her hair. She just left her bathroom a mess, saying she'd deal with it tomorrow as she crawled into bed. The moment her head hit her pillow she was out cold.
She was so out of it she didn't even stir as the front door lock was picked. The door slid open and the boy from earlier walked in silently. He shut the door behind him and removed his shoes, setting them next to her's. This wasn't the first time he's been in her house. The last time he climbed through her bedroom window that had been open at the time. He walked silently through her house to her bedroom. He pushed the door open slightly to see her passed out in her bed. He pushed the door open more. It squeaked causing him to freeze. He watched her still form. It didn't move. He wasn't surprised with how much she worked herself. He pushed the door open just enough for him to squeeze through.
He looked around the room. It was a light wooden floor, with dark wooden walls. She had posters and katanas hanging on the walls. Other than a small dresser and a night stand table and the bed, the room was bare. Even the bathroom was on the empty side. He couldn't understand it. Normally girl's rooms were so cluttered with stuff you got lost. This whole house looked like no one ever lived in it for long. He sighed and sat gently on the corner of the bed no where near her sleeping form. He watched the slow rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.
"Why do you torment me? I can't stop thinking about you. I can't look at another girl and not see you. Who are you? What do you want from me?" He whispered to her. She didn't reply, let alone even move.
He sat and watched her sleep for hours. But eventually he couldn't help but lay on the other side of her with space and covers between them and watch her face. He had to admit she was beautiful when she slept.
He looked at the clock it was four in the morning. He blinked in shock. He must of fallen asleep. He quickly but careful not to wake the girl laying next to him crawled out of bed and slipped out of the room closing the door behind him. He walked quickly but silently to the front door. He slipped on his shoes and slid open the door just enough for him to sneak out. He shut the door and with a kuni knife he locked the door back. He hesitated by the door for a moment longer before he started running towards home.
Mel awoke to a strange feeling. She felt like she wasn't alone. She laid in bed listening to her surroundings for any sound. All was quiet. She still wasn't convinced. She crawled out of bed slowly and silently, removing her sword from it's sleeve under her pillow as she went. She never slept without a weapon. With her katana at the ready, she moved slowly and cautiously through out the house, looking for what was making her uneasy. Once she checked all the rooms and found nothing, she went to check the front door. She tried to open it but it was still locked. She looked more closely at it. She felt a knot in her stomach as she realized the lock had been picked and relocked. Someone had been in her house. She went through her house making sure all the windows were locked and to see if she missed something. She was on high alert now. All the windows were locked and her house was just how she left it. Nothing was broken or stolen. She began to tremble as a thought came to her. She quickly ran to the bathroom and shut the door. She quickly checked her underwear for blood. She breathed a sigh in relief when she found nothing. She decided it was safe to get dressed. So she walked back into her room and found some clean clothes. Once she was dressed, she made her bed and cleaned up the mess she left in the bathroom.
Feeling uneasy to be in her house longer than she had too, she grabbed some money, her weapons pouch and her notebook and pen, after securing her katana to her belt. She slipped on her shoes and slipped out of her house. She locked and checked to make sure it was secure before she walked into the town to find food. She decided to eat at the town's ramen shop. It was the least busy place at this time and the owners left her alone. She opened the menu and looked at what she wanted. But out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a young ninja sit a seat from her. No one ever sat near her. So using her menu as a shield, she looked at the new comer. She quickly looked back at her menu when she recognized who was sitting less than a seat away from her. It's him! What's he doing here? I didn't know he likes ramen, she thought to herself.
"May I take your order?" The owner's daughter asked, causing her to jump.
"I'll just have my usual, please." She replied as she closed the menu and laid it next to her.
"Ok, I'll get that started for you." The waitress replied with a smile, "Came to get some more work done I see. You'll have to let me know when it's done. I want to read it."
"Yeah, thanks. I'll let you know." The girl replied softly, not wanting the person next to her to hear her.
"I can't wait. You have a way with words like no one else." The waitress replied before she moved to take the order of the boy sitting next to her. The girl opened her notebook to a clean page and began writing. She wasn't really paying attention to what she was writing. She chewed on the end of her pen as she reread what she had written. She inhaled sharply when she realized what her mind was writing. She cast a sideways glance at the boy next to her. Why did I have to get an urge to write about him? She thought to herself when she looked back down at her notebook.
"You must come here a lot, if the waitress knows your order by heart." A deep voice spoke, causing her to jump and look up. She was surprised when she realized he was talking to her. Quickly and trying not to draw attention to it, she closed her notebook, so he couldn't read what her mind had written.
"Yeah, I do. More for the quite then the food." She replied quietly.
"The name's Itachi. Your's?" He replied calmly stirring his tea she hadn't realized he had ordered.
"Momo." She replied calmly. She looked at the waitress as she sat her food down in front of her.
"Oh, you know Itachi Uchiha?! Why didn't you tell me?" The waitress playfully scolded Momo.
"I don't really know him. This is the first time we've talked." Momo replied with an emotionless look on her face. But Itachi could see right through to her embarrassment. She wasn't always this easy to read. Another reason he liked her. She was a challenge.
"Sorry about that. Tomoko doesn't know how to mind her own business." Momo apologized.
"That's ok. I guess you can say I am use to it." He replied calmly. Momo nodded and began picking at her food not really wanting it anymore. Knowing her luck a noodle would be hanging out of her mouth the next time he talked to her. She sighed and pushed away her thoughts and began eating with a blank mind.
"So you're a writer huh?" Itachi asked once he got his food and moved over a seat. God! I can't believe I am talking to her. Why am I talking to her? What in the hell made me want to talk to her in the first place? He thought to himself as he waited for her reply.
"Yeah, I am kinda stuck at the moment though." She replied after she swallowed a bit of her ramen. Thank God there were no noodles hanging out of my mouth. She thought to herself.
"Can I read it and possible give you suggestions?" Itachi asked calmly. Momo looked at him surprised.
"You don't really want to read my writing do you?" She asked shocked. He looked at her with his head tilted to the side.
"Why not? You need the help it seems. But only if you want me to of course." He replied amused at her obvious surprise.
"You don't want to read it. Trust me." She replied as her mind quickly replayed through her latest story.
"And why is that?" He asked after taking a sip of his tea. Momo looked around them. No one was near them, especially Tomoko. She sighed and looked down at her notebook. Should I let him read it or not? He wouldn't guess it's about him would he? No the names are different. But still would he wonder? She thought to herself frantically. Itachi watched debate whether or not to let him read her stories. He knew they were personal and it was hard for her to open up to others. He's always known that. He was the same way. But for some reason, just being with her he felt himself longing to tell her how his day was or his dream the night before. With one last glance at her, he finished his tea and pulled out some money and put it on the table. Momo looked up afraid that she had upset him, until she looked at how much he had laid on the table.
"Are you finished?" He simply asked.
"You don't have to pay for me." She whispered surprised that he did that.
"Consider it an apology." He replied softly.
"An apology? Why? You didn't do anything." She replied confused.
"I spoke before I thought. I should of know your stories are personal to you. It was rude of me to ask to read them." He replied calmly.
"Oh, well thanks. I guess." She replied understanding what he was saying. But she still felt bad that he paid for her meal and he hardly knows her.
"Would you be willing to do me a favor?" He asked suddenly.
"Huh? Sure?" She replied curious.
"Would you mind talking a walk with me? You seem like you could use some fresh air yourself." He asked as he stood and offered her his hand.
"Umm. Sure, I have nothing better to do." She replied wondering what made him want to interact with her all of sudden.
"Ok, then follow me." He replied as he began to lead the way. Momo grabbed her notebook and pen before she stood up to follow him. They walked through the village with little conversation. They waved to the guards as they walked out into the woods surrounding the village.
"I want to show you my favorite place I go to when I just want to be left alone." Itachi said after they walked in silence.
"I have a place of my own too. I'll laugh if it's the same place." Momo replied with a grin.
"Me too. Come on, follow me." He replied with an amused smile as he led her off the path. Momo followed but a feeling of unease crept over her as she pushed her way into the woods behind him. She just shrugged it off.
Itachi looked over his shoulder to make sure she was still following him. She was and she was keeping up with his pace. He smiled. She had no idea where he was taking her. But little did he, know as to why. He was just being pulled to this particular spot.
"This is it. What do you think?" He said as he stepped out of the woods and into a open flied that led down to the lake. Momo joined him and looked around. The grass was so green it didn't look real. It reached all the way to the water's edge. There were some boulders scattered around the lake's edge. Some were flat enough to sit on. The sun's rays danced on the water as it rippled. The sound of wave after wave crashing onto the shore was so peaceful Momo became so relaxed immanently. She looked up at the sky which was light blue dotted with pure white clouds. Everything was beautiful. That's when she looked at Itachi as he moved to sit on a flat, nearby boulder. Stand corrected everything was perfect. So with a smile, Momo walked over to him and sat beside him, opening her notebook as she went. He looked at her with one eyebrow raised in curiosity.
"You still haven't answered my question." He said softly.
"I know. I am about to." She replied as she pulled the pen out from behind her ear and began writing. Itachi watched her as she wrote. He watched how her face showed every emotion she was putting into words. He watched as her eyes flew across the page with her hand and how they reflected the things she was feeling. Lastly he watched her hand move smoothly and quickly all over the page. She was beautiful. And he wanted her. He blinked and looked at the waves slapping onto the shore instead at that last thought. Do I really want her? Am I really falling for her? No, I've all ready fallen for her and hard too, he thought as he watched the waves lap at the shore.
"Here." Momo's voice pulled him out of his thoughts as she handed him her notebook. He looked at her then took the notebook and began reading what she had worked so determinedly on.
A girl and a boy were sitting on a flat boulder, holding hands and resting their heads together as they watched the birds fly effortlessly through the air. A soft breeze caused the girls hair to tickle the boy's nose. He chuckled and looked at his love beside him. This was their place. A place where they could show love and not be shamed or judged. Their love wasn't allowed. For they weren't of the same clan. If anyone knew they'd both be dead before the sun sets that very day. The girl looked at her lover with a confused look in her eyes. "What's wrong?" She asked concerned. "Nothing. I was just thinking how perfect this place is and how much I love you and being here with you alone." He replied as he held her chin gently with his free hand. "I love you too. I am so glad we have somewhere we can just be alone." She replied with her cheeks turning red. The boy smiled at her. And slowly he pulled her chin closer to him to close the distance between their lips. He kissed her like he's never done before. It was so passionate and full of love he didn't want to stop. He didn't want to leave. But he had to. So he slowly pulled away and looked once more into his love's eyes. "I'll always love you." He whispered. "As will I." she replied. Then they parted ways. The next day the flat boulder remained untouched. And days after that. Those young lovers will never return to their once happy place for they were destroyed by their clans and their hate. The end.
Itachi read it and couldn't believe the picture her words created in his mind. It's as if he was watching a movie or looking at a picture instead of words written on a piece of paper. That waitress at the Ramen shop was right. Momo did have a way with words.
"That's amazing. I can't believe the images it creates." He said softly as he handed her, her notebook and smiled at her. She blushed as she took her notebook and returned his smile.
"Thanks. Do you want to read more? I have a few other entries in here." She asked calmly.
"Sure. But only if you want me too." He replied politely.
"Of course. I need all the critics I can get." She replied as she leafed through her notebook to find the one she wanted. Once she found it, she handed it to him.
They did this for about an hour. He'd read her entries and then they'd talk about them. She'd make him guess what they were about or what inspired her to write about them. They'd laugh at a few she wrote to be funny or to make no sense at all.
"I've never had this much fun in my life." Itachi sighed as the watched the sky.
"Oh come on that's not true. You're like the best ninja in the village. You've got tons of people to hang out with and do fun things." Momo replied not believing it.
"It's not all it seems to be. I can't just be myself. I HAVE to be the best ninja. I HAVE to pretend to be someone that I am not. I am sick of it." He replied as he looked at a cloud, trying to figure out what it looked like.
"So who are you being right now?" Momo asked softly. Itachi looked at her. She was sitting with her arms hugging her knees and her chin resting on top of her arms, not looking at him.
"Me. I am just being me." He replied honest. Momo looked at him surprised. He rolled over and propped himself up on his elbow to look at her.
"Yes, I had tons of people who would love to hang out with me. But you're not one of them. And for days I couldn't figure it out. You seemed to have no interest in me, no matter what I did. It's been driving me nuts. But now we're alone and talking and having fun. More fun than with all of those people that pretend to be my friends." He explained. Momo just stared at him shocked. She couldn't believe what he was saying.
"Please say something." He whispered as she remained silent.
"Tell me something, then." She replied as she looked away from him.
"What?" He asked fearing he'd just made a big mistake.
"Are they the reason you talked to me? Are they the reason you're sitting here with me?" She asked trembling slightly. He looked at her confused.
"Are you asking if my friends have anything to do with this?" He asked as he tried to keep the anger out of his voice. It wasn't her fault that they were assholes and would probably use him to hurt her just for their pleasure. She nodded.
"No, they have nothing to do with why I am here talking with you. I chose to talk to you because I wanted to." He replied struggling to sound calm. Momo looked at him, hearing the anger in his voice.
"Then why do sound angry?" She asked softly and watching him closely.
"Because I don't really like my friends. I just hang out with them because my father doesn't want me to ruin everything I've worked for. But you know what I say to that? I say fuck it. I am going to do what I want to do. Hang out with who I want to. I am done being my father's shadow, Sasuke can do that." Itachi exploded. He stared at he shocked. He's never lost his control on his feelings before. At least not in front of any one.
"Oh my god! I am so sorry. I didn't mean to let all that out on you." He apologized.
"No, it's ok. If it helps you, I'll listen." She replied honest.
"It's ok I am done." He replied with a sigh.
"What really made you want to talk to me?" Momo asked after a few moments of silence.
"I am not sure. I just did." He replied honest. Momo just nodded to show him she heard. Her mind was racing. Is it possible that he likes me? Is it possible he feels the same? Who are you kidding Momo?! He doesn't like you. He's only doing this to tease you. He's only playing a game. Why would he talk to you now after all these years? She thought to herself. Itachi watched her closely. He could see her body trembling and every now and then she'd bit her bottom lip to keep it from quivering and close her eyes to keep the tears from falling. He knew she was thinking. He knew her mind was lying to her. So with a sigh her sat up and gently with one hand, he scooped up her chin and pulled her face towards him. She looked at him surprised and frighten, not sure what he planed to do. He knew her story. She's hasn't had a good easy life. She's struggled, suffered over and over again. He could only imagine the pain she's endured all on her own. He wasn't surprised to see the fear in her eyes and how she tried to pull away. Slowly he leaned towards her with no threat in his body. He face relaxed and at peace. She stared at him wide eyed until he stopped with only a few inches between them before their lips would meet.
"I decided to talk to you today because my heart told me too. I chose to bring you to my favorite spot because my heart told me too. You know what my heart tells me to do now?" He whispered soothingly. Momo shook her head to the best of her ability for he still had a hold on her chin. She was too frighten and shocked too speak.
"This." He whispered as he leaned down and closed the gap between them. Momo was taken by surprise when she felt the touch of his lips on her's. She quickly closed her eyes and kissed him back not caring if it was real or just a dream. She didn't want it too stop. Please if I am dreaming, don't wake me. She thought as Itachi continued the kiss. He licked at her lips begging to be let into her mouth. Hesitantly she opened for him and he plunged right in. His tongue battled with her's for dominance. He was surprised at how strong she was even at this vulnerable moment.
Careful not to break the kiss, Itachi wrapped his arms around her and pushed her onto her back. Momo was surprised and started to resist.
"Don't fight me. I am not going to hurt you." He whispered comfortingly into her ear before he reclaimed her lips. Slowly she relaxed and allowed him to push her back. He gently laid on top of her to continue their passionate kiss. His hands held her face while her's where intertwined around the back of his neck. Not wanting it to end, he pulled away slowly. He needed to catch his breath and he didn't want to push Momo too far. He looked at her as he panted. She was looking up at him with soft eyes and rosy cheeks. He embarrassed her. He chuckled slightly.
"What's so funny?" Momo asked as she moved a piece of lose hair away from his face.
"You." He replied as he rubbed her pink cheeks with his thumbs. Her eyes turned guarded. I have to watch how I talk to her. He thought to himself.
"No, I didn't mean like that. I meant it's funny how I can bring such color to your cheeks with just a kiss." He explain quickly before she shut him out. She turned a deeper shade of red at his words. He chuckled again at her embarrassment. He leaned down closer to her once more. His kissed her lightly on the lips before he pulled away to look deep into her eyes.
"I love you Momo. I really do." He said in a soft voice with love blazing in his eyes.
"I love you too, Itachi. I've always have." Momo replied with his love reflecting in her eyes.
"What do you say I take you out for dinner tonight?" He asked amused.
"I'd like that." She replied with a smile. And with that, he leaned down and kissed her once more.
X The End X