They say the best days of your life are all contained in one place. And for most people that place is highschool. Highschool is the place where you make some of the biggest decisions and transitions of your life; from being that young, and sometimes naïve, caterpillar to being a butterfly who is content with the colours that are etched on their delicate wings. Most people are overly eager to escape the classroom, the constant nagging from teachers. But it's only when that urge to escape the classroom changes to the urge to break free from the workplace and to hide from the ongoing badgering from bosses that people realise just how easy they had it back in the day.
They were the good old days after all.
School was not simply about the numerous subjects that made up the curriculum or the catalogue after-school activities that dared to call themselves clubs - The Really, Really Ridiculously Good-looking Club being one of them. Although, it was through mutual love or conjoint loathing for these subjects that people found they had formed bonds with the most unlikely of people. Some of these bonds stood the test of time, the long distance between universities were a synch; some bonds however withered over time, the tendrils withering until only a single, minute thread remained of the once concrete connection.
As like the majority of good things – they end.
Itachi was one of them unfortunate people. Shortly after the graduation balloons had lost their 'joie de vivre' and the party banners had been replaced by textbooks and performance anxiety his school days were forgotten about. It wasn't all doom and gloom, it was far from it; he made new friends and had many a photo to capture the moments they shared. It was only when a small envelope had somehow found its way through the letterbox of his apartment that old reveries began to rumble and stir.
"A school reunion?" He mused aloud, peering at the neatly printed font through his glasses. He was in half a mind to discard the invite there and then, he didn't have the time to take a trip down memory lane – he was busy. Yet on the other hand a niggle of curiosity was making its existence known. If he went, and it was a very large if, he didn't have to stay for very long, he could simply show his face and leave – it was as simple as that.
Staring blankly at the card he came to the conclusion that it wouldn't kill him if he spent an hour at the event, he could still come home and get work done without throwing his schedule completely to the wind. He squinted his eyes momentarily whilst rationalising all the pros and cons before finally nodding reluctantly and setting the invite down on the sideboard. He would take a leaf from Cinderella's book and simply ensure that he was home before midnight.
So it was decided – Itachi would attend the ball, even if it was reluctantly.
The date on the invite had arrived suddenly, so abruptly in fact Itachi actually found himself unnerved a little for some reason. He knew it was petty but no matter how many times he told himself that it didn't stop his throat drying up or his palms becoming clammy. The soft thud of his shoes hitting the wooden floorboards was drowned out by the echoes of bass that loitered down the hallway, the sounds reverberating off the many rows of lockers that lined the walls.
Admittedly he felt a little nostalgic seeing how the place had changed so little over the years. His fingers traipsed along the locker doors, a dull drum vibrating along the hollow containers; the metal was cool against his skin, it was comforting to say the least as it soothed his tepid skin. It didn't take long for the rows of lockers to come to an end, the double doors of the assembly hall replacing them in their stead. The music was a lot louder now, the bass deafening as it thumped away in his head alongside his pulse.
"Just show your face and go, that's all you have to do." Itachi murmured quietly as he eyed the prancing silhouettes that lay on the other side of the frosted glass. Taking one last steadying breath Itachi pushed against the doors, a sudden blast of hot air and sound hitting him instantly. The room was packed to say the least, he hadn't anticipated that so many of his classmates would have also accepted the invite. It took a while for him to recognise the faces in the crowd, many of the people were so unlike their younger selves, the carefree spirit that they once had, had obviously been replaced with stress and responsibility.
Unlike the many other school discos that had occurred all them years ago, the alcohol that filled the punch bowl was actually permitted and wasn't considered a contraband substance. Itachi leaned against the back wall of the hall, occasionally taking a sip of the pungent liquid as his dark orbs scanned the packed room. Considering the amount of people that filled the room, it came as no surprise to him that no one occupied the dancefloor.
"I guess some things never change." A voice called from beside him. Itachi frowned as the same words filled his head at the exact moment; he parted his lips to speak only to find his throat instantly constricted when his eyes rested on the owner of the voice. "Hello Itachi." The soft voice called, it somehow cutting through the racket effortlessly.
Reina Hitori.
With wide eyes Itachi simply stared at the young woman who stood beside him, her height, despite the years, had not changed much, he still towered over her. Reina smiled brightly up at him, it was the same smile that she had always given him- even after he knowingly broke her heart.
"Reina?" Itachi stuttered lowly, his eyes still wide in shock. It had been so long since he had seen her, yet here she was acting like nothing had changed and no time had passed between them. She laughed amusedly, her golden hued eyes catching the light of the lasers; it took him a moment to compose himself, a custom he was unfamiliar with. Once his stomach had contained itself he allowed a smile to trickle at the edges of his lips, his usual calm demeanour regaining the reins.
"I never thought I'd see you again – at a school disco of all things." Reina stated coyly as she looked out into the sea of people, her eyes casting a sideways glance his way as she leaned against the wall languidly. Itachi followed her lead, gazing out into the growingly intoxicated crowd whilst resting against the cool wall.
"Curiosity got the better of me I'm afraid." He mused taking a sip of his drink, he didn't have the foggiest idea what was in it, but in this certain situation he was grateful for any form of beverage. Reina quirked a dark brow as she looked up at the dark haired male, a sly smile creeping onto her scarlet painted lips.
"Oh? And has your curiosity been satisfied?" She mused aloud, arching her back to gain a better look at him; Itachi paused mid-sip lowering the plastic tumbler from his mouth and pursed his lips together in false thought.
"I mean, there isn't much entertainment and people aren't as interesting as I remember…" Itachi susurrated lowly, an unusually crafty tone lacing his words. He had visibly relaxed in the short amount of time that had passed and whether that was down to the alcohol or not he was grateful. Reina's brows rose in false mockery, her eyes widening and accentuating the doe likeness of her orbs.
"Well then…since the entertainment is subpar, it's obvious that we're going to have to make our own." Reina pouted playfully, her pale fingers wrapping around the tumbler in his hands; the initial brush of skin made him flinch, her skin was so cool compared to his own. Itachi didn't move, nor did he utter a word as she lay the glass down on a nearby table before she took his hand in hers, their fingers brushing over one another's ever so lightly.
The bass drum and snare that set the beat rumbled throughout the hall, it wasn't overly ambitious but more of a steady rhythm that you could easily tap your foot to. He didn't know why he wasn't objecting, he simply allowed her to manoeuvre them through the crowds until they reached the empty dancefloor. It was when they peaked over the threshold of the dancefloor that he realised that people had stopped their conversations and were waiting for whatever came next.
"Reina~" Itachi began only to stop when Reina released his hand from hers, she raising her arms above her head as she began to dance to the music. For a brief moment he found himself staring at the young woman who obviously danced to the beat of her own drum- even after all these years. Reina smiled widely, the tendrils of her hair bouncing wherever they felt like as she swayed and rocked to the music, not missing a single beat. Itachi found himself smiling quietly to himself, his eyes never leaving hers even for the briefest of moments. It was then he finally admitted to himself that it was because of the young woman before him that he found himself there. She was his best friend, his lover and confidant.
Some things despite the years just didn't change- apart from one thing.
Itachi took to the dancefloor with the intent to dance for the first time ever.
By the time Itachi reached the centre of the dancefloor he could feel so many eyes burning into the skin of his back – they were watching him like a hawk stalking its prey. Reina just laughed. She couldn't care less what they thought. She didn't care what they would say tomorrow, or the day after that. She just cared that he was here. That he had accepted the invite. She was just so happy to see him again – after all these years.
The best way Reina could describe Itachi's ability to dance was 'dad dancing'. His moves were an absolute shambles. Between dancing herself and watching him miss beats she found it hard not to contain her laughter. So she didn't. She let the giggles and the belly chuckles rumble aloud amidst the music; her eyes had such a life and fire to them Itachi didn't even care that he was making a fool of himself.
Like the tinman who had received a can of oil, Itachi finally loosened up; his movements were no longer as rigid or mechanical. He metaphorically let his hair down. His moves were less 'dad-dance' and more like himself: fluid and smooth. If possible Reina's smile widened at seeing him finally embrace the music. The beat like a sultry temptress had somehow managed to lure other people onto the dancefloor, they too slowly leaving their inhibitions at the wayside.
As the DJ regained some self-confidence the tunes began to pour out of the speakers fervidly. The dancefloor was no longer empty, more and more bodies filled the floor leaving no room for personal space. Reina and Itachi were now chest to chest, mere breathes away as they continued to dance frivolously. The smiles never left their lips whilst Itachi's eyes never left Reina. He was like a man possessed. Every little move she made entranced him: it was genuinely like highschool all over again.
A sudden shove from a fellow alumni caused Reina to trip forward, she finding herself with a face full of fabric. An all familiar scent snaked its way into her nostrils awakening sleeping reveries of her own. It was only then that the smile left her lips.
"Are you falling for me Reina?" Itachi murmured lowly into her ear so his words were not stolen by the volume of the music. She felt a shudder roll down her spine, it starting at the top of her vertebrae at the base of her head until it settled at her coccyx. Reina took a moment to compose herself; she could feel her pulse thump against her ribcage whilst her hands felt his pulse drum beneath the fabric of his shirt. She chewed on her lower lip feeling the heat from his cheek prickling against the skin of her own.
"Well it wouldn't be the first time it's happened." Instantly she cringed when the words left her lips before she had the chance to rein them back in. She felt like teenager all over again. Itachi felt his lips twist into a smile. At first it was a sentimental smile then slowly it began to wither away as her words echoed in his ears. He had hurt her, left her in their hometown whilst he swanned off to become a fancy lawyer, all because he couldn't afford distractions.
And she knew that. To him she was a distraction. An expendable distraction.
"Excuse me for a moment." Reina freed herself from his grasp, weaving her way in and out of the crowd until the sea of dancing bodies swayed and lolled behind her. Itachi stared after her, finding himself alone whilst people continued to swig from their plastic cups and grind upon one another like animals in heat. He had well and truly put his foot in it. However this time around he was going to fix it, he wasn't about to let history repeat itself.
So this time he followed her.
It was times like this that Reina was glad she was of drinking age; it wasn't often she drank alcohol but the situation she found herself in: she needed a stiff drink. Gin in hand Reina slipped away from the sauna like assembly hall, the cool breeze of the night instantly nipping at her cheeks and exposed collarbones.
Itachi searched high and low for Reina: the pop-up bar, the hallways, he even checked the library. Nada. Then a lightbulb appeared. Making his way outside and along the back path of the school Itachi found himself in the adjoining park, the jungle gym standing out against the soft moonlight. Squinting his eyes he managed to make out a pair of heeled feet poking out from the large hollow tube of the jungle gym.
Glasses now firmly donned Itachi approached the jungle gym, noting how it was in fact incredibly high to climb, higher than he remembered – especially for children. And to think Reina had managed it in high-heels…he was rather impressed at her ninja-like prowess.
"Knock, knock. Mind if I join you?" Itachi asked softly, leaning on the tube as he popped his head in. Lo and behold there was Reina. She didn't answer him, she simply nodded and somehow managed to take another sip of her drink without spilling it all over herself. Itachi smiled a little, grateful that she didn't turn him away; he knew she was upset, the fact that she was here of all places made it obvious.
Yet unlike the other times, this time she had alcohol. And this time around he was the reason she was upset.
Crouching down Itachi made his way into the plastic tunnel, crawling along until he was level with Reina. Cautiously he lay down beside her, there wasn't much room, given the fact they were residing in a children's play tunnel. Reina simply lay there, drink in hand as she stared up at the graffiti laced ceiling, random signatures and sharpee doodles plastering every inch of visible plastic. Some names were scribbled, others etched into the plastic; yet it was the ones that were written in pairs exclaiming their love that caught Reina's eye.
Everything was so much easier when you're young. Including love.
"I'm sorry I didn't come back." Reina murmured quietly, crossing her ankles idly as she tried to push their close proximity to back of her mind. At first Itachi didn't reply. Her words repeated on him, she was apologising for not returning, all's she did was take a breath of fresh air. When he took a moment all those year ago, he didn't ever come back. And the difference was…he never did apologise for it.
"I'm so sorry Reina. I'm so sorry…for everything. I should have~"
"Please don't do this? We were young, stupid and all that jazz. They were our glory days…and…we had to grow up. It's ok." Reina turned her head to look at him, her honey orbs were glossy, they betrayed the smile that resided on her painted lips. He fumbled about until he lay on his side, hovering over her slightly as he reached for her; gently he cupped her jaw, his thumb grazing over her cheek ever so softly. "Itachi please don't…" Reina whispered, closing her eyes to contain her pent up tears.
"Reina~" Itachi began. Then the sky lit up like wild fire before thunder crashed around them violently. The noise reverberated around them, the sound amplified due to hollow container they inhabited. The pair of them jumped like cats on a hot tin roof, they resembling a matted ball of yarn as they lay there limbs tangled.
The fact that her once beloved plastic glass of gin now tenanted the fabric of her dress didn't even cross her mind. It was the fact that her [bare] leg was hooked over his hip, his hand gripping her thigh whilst his leg rested between hers as he cradled her in his arms. They were mere breaths away, she clinging onto the front of his shirt.
It was that fact that stole her attention.
"Are you ok?" Itachi asked, his glasses fogging up then clearing as their breaths mingled together. Reina nodded without uttering a single word, it was taking all her will power to refrain from kissing him. It was killing her. Itachi too found that he was restraining himself; they were locked in such in intimate position it was hard not to think of such things.
The initial pitter-patter of rain before long turned into a barrage, the droplets pelting everything and everyone in its path. The sound itself was soothing, but the situation sat at the other end of the spectrum. Lulled by the rain Reina forced herself from her thoughts, willing herself to move. Itachi could see the cogs in her head turning round and around yet he made no attempt to ask a penny for her thoughts. He knew they were the same as his.
"I have to go." Reina abruptly stated. Itachi blinked, she had caught him off guard; she untangled herself slowly, the empty glass clattering about in the tunnel as she crawled out. The tables had turned as Reina had assumed the role of Cinderella, she fleeing from the party with Itachi in pursuit. The pair of them stood at the top at the jungle gym, the rain abusing them from every possible angle. It didn't take long before they were soaked to the bone, their clothes clinging to their skin relentlessly.
"Reina we need to talk about this, I don't want to leave things~" Itachi started once more.
"Leave things? Please don't preach to me about leaving Itachi." Reina stared at him as she spoke, years of pent up emotions battling and boiling beneath the surface. Itachi knew she had a temper. It wasn't often that, that temper showed itself; but the fact that her brewing temper was directed towards him…it unnerved a little. Reina waited for him to fight. To pull her into his arms and tell her that he was wrong and…
But he didn't. He just gazed at her with those dark eyes of his.
Those stupid, sultry dark eyes.
"Eurgh!" Reina huffed in frustration, grabbing onto the fireman's pole and wrapping her leg around it before hopping on and sliding down. Itachi after his shock wore off had to resist the urge to laugh at the spectacle before him. There she was, a fully grown woman (of sorts), dressed up to the nine's, sliding down a children's jungle gym pole in torrential downpour. She certainly was a sight for sore-eyes.
He was impressed that she retained such a level of decorum as she descended. Upon reaching the floor Reina adjusted her dress then sauntered off as quickly as her heels could carry her. He was going to be the death of her. Even after all these years he still had such an effect on her; she wouldn't admit it, but, she never stopped loving him.
And that's what killed her the most.
"Reina? Reina please." Itachi called out after her, but the rain swallowed his words as quickly as they left his lips. Careful not to slip Itachi too slid down the pole after her, breaking out into a light jog to cut the distance between them. If they were wet before then they were drenched now; Reina dithered as the rain continued to pelt her, whilst Itachi removed his glasses, they rendered useless by the rain.
"Reina please speak to me. If you don't stop ignoring me I swear to god I'll throw you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes." Itachi remarked idly, easily keeping pace as she continued to walk down the street. Reina shot a glare his way, silently threatening him. Itachi merely smirked slyly in return, he knew she hated it and she knew he would do it.
Bastard.
However whether it was the gin that provided a boost in confidence or just sheer stubbornness Reina soldiered on without uttering a word. Lady Luck was obviously not smiling as there was not a single taxi to be seen. Clicking his tongue Itachi came to a decision. Should he continue to follow Reina home the pair of them would most likely end up ill the morning after from walking halfway across town. Whereas should he throw her over his shoulder now and take a detour, it would eliminate them becoming ill; the only thing was she would most likely kill him.
He decided it was worth the risk.
"Reina, you leave me no choice." By the time the words had graced her ears Reina was swooped off of her feet, Itachi hoisted her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes as promised, completely ignoring her shrills of protest. "I'm sorry Reina but we are going to talk about this and I refuse to walk halfway across town in the pouring rain. So suck it up."
He ignored her kicks and screams until they dwindled into nothing; her protests short-lived. In the end Reina merely tried to enjoy the weight that was taken off of her feet; she commended herself for lasting as long as she did in her heels. Itachi trundled along until he reached his destination, balancing the feisty brunette on his shoulder whilst he fumbled about his pockets for his keys.
"Shit."
"Shit what?"
"Shit I've walked out with no keys."
Reina sighed exasperatedly looking around their destination only to realise where they were: his parent's house. Their car didn't occupy the driveway and Sasuke's bike wasn't there either. They were home alone – if they could get in that was.
"Oh for god's sake put me down." Reina wriggled about in his grasp to further her request; Itachi rolled his eyes and accepted her request carefully placing her down on the doorstep. "Now give me a boost, I'll open the window and get us in that way." The tone of her voice indicated she was half asking him and half ordering him; then he realised that there were no open windows for her to open in the first place.
"And how exactly do you plan on getting us inside Little Miss Catwoman? All the windows are closed." Itachi retorted, leaning against the front door. Reina rolled her eyes as she swept her hair over her shoulder and braided the soaking tendrils into a braid. Reina pulled a face of false mockery, motioning a talking hand and miming his words.
"Your front room window's latch is bust. Always has been, your Dad never got round to fixing it. Remember? Now get over here and give me a boost because I'm bloody freezing." Her hands rested on her hips, they cocked to the side as she waited for him. Itachi just stared at her. After all this time she remembered things that he had forgotten: it made him realise how much he had pushed to the back of his mind. "And no looking up my dress. Or I'll leave you out here in the cold."
And he didn't. He was a true gentleman. Yet he was unsure what unnerved him more. The fact that she managed to climb into his parent's house, silently he might add, because he had forgotten his keys; or again the fact that she had managed a feat in a dress and high heels.
Or the fact he remembered why he loved her in the first place. And why he still did.
All of the above boxes were ticked in thick, red marker.
"Are you going to stand in the rain all night or get the kettle on?" Reina chortled quietly, the smile having return to her lips. She leant against the door frame; her height had reduced somewhat her heels lined up neatly in the hallway alongside everyone else's. She was right at home. His home – and she fitted in there perfectly. It may have been a sudden lapse in judgement or that he simply came to terms with that he never fell out of love with her.
But in that very moment he had to kiss her. So he did.
Itachi closed the gap between them pulling Reina as close as he could, manoeuvring the door shut behind him before he wedged her between himself and the door. Reina couldn't breathe, he had stolen the breath from her lungs; it wasn't an unpleasant sensation like one would expect, it was quite the opposite in fact. It was something she had wanted for so long; and it was now clear to her that he did too.
Reina tangled her fingers in his dark locks, discarding the hair tie that had kept them so neatly in place all night. Unlike their earlier years their kisses were not as timid and their touches were not as clumsy even though in that moment they felt like teenagers all over again. Itachi fingers traipsed from the skin of her exposed back they loitering down her spine until they caressed the small of her back in tender circles.
Balancing on her tiptoes Reina pressed herself against him to keep him close; she tore her lips from his their breaths mingled in a panting mess. But her kisses didn't stop there. Slowly Reina tilted his jaw to the side, exposing the pale skin of his throat for the taking- but she didn't go straight for the kill. She made him wait. Her lips hovered over his skin, they occasionally brushing over his throat teasingly; a laugh erupted when Itachi jumped as if being electrocuted. The cause? Her icy hands had slipped up the front of his shirt and assaulted what little warmth he possessed.
"You little~" Itachi growled playfully, a shudder rolling down his spine through a mixture of her hands on his skin and the look of her dishevelled, breathless self standing before him. Reina laughed once more, the previous sense of doom and gloom having melted away. Itachi's lips twisted into a lax smile, this was the Reina he knew and loved; this was the woman who put him at ease and could turn him in a blundering mess with just a smile. This was the woman he wasn't prepared to let go again.
"Come on, let's get you out of that wet tea towel of a dress before you catch a death." Itachi taunted guiding her up the stairs placing a sly slap on her behind as she went. Reina gasped and jumped, glancing over her shoulder to find a genuine smile etched onto his bedraggled form.
It was that smile that reassured her things were going to be alright.
•●•
The morning after was a peaceful one. The night's earlier storm clouds had dissipated allowing the sun to shine once again. The light entered the small room, the rays illuminating the single bed that occupied the corner. The room was neat and organised apart from one area: the bed. Amongst the chequered quilt covers two bodies could be seen; their forms were tangled in one another's, bare patches of skin visible where they protruded from the comforts of the blanket.
Itachi held Reina close. The closeness was unlike the one they had shared the previous night; this was one was different. This closeness was a special one, a tender one. It was a closeness he wished would never end. Reina was sleeping soundly, her dark locks, now dry, resembling ringlets as they sprawled across the covers, contrasting against her pale skin. Itachi smiled to himself hearing a quiet sigh escape her lips, it was a contented sigh as she nuzzled further into the pillow and closer to him. It was something he could get used to.
"Itachi! said that you were in town and~" Mikoto burst through the bedroom door, a delighted smile beaming on her face at seeing her eldest son in what seemed like forever. She stopped in her tracks at spotting an additional body in the bed with him. But the smile didn't disintegrate from her face, instead it grew wider and her eyes lit up at the sight before her.
"Ah Reina! I'll pop the kettle on! Milk, two sugars?" Mikoto beamed cheerfully, completely overlooking the naked form of her son and Reina who now resembled a belisha beacon, her cheeks stained like cherries whilst she cringed beneath the covers. Reina waved timidly from the comforts of the quilt and nodded, accepting her offer. Itachi merely chuckled, it rumbling at the back of his throat, allowing his mother to ramble on blissfully unaware.
It was only when Mikoto (finally) left the room that Reina spoke; her cheeks were still flushed from embarrassment but to him, she had never looked so beautiful.
"I can't believe that just happened." Reina murmured, her eyes locked on the ceiling; Itachi just smiled propping his head up on his hand. Reina glanced over to him, chewing on her lower lip; the look on his face unnerved her yet made her stomach flutter at the same time. "What?" She questioned curiously.
"I can. But, if it's ok with you I'd like it to happen more often- and by that I mean every day. And by every day I mean I'd like to be able to wake up with you in my bed. And by my bed I mean my bed, not my childhood bed." Itachi susurrated quietly, idly twirling her chocolate locks; Reina stared at him for what seemed like forever before she nodded and threw her arms around him, holding him close. Itachi simply laughed and nuzzled her head affectionately, trailing his fingers up and down her back.
"You know I'm so glad you agreed to host the events of last night in your own bed in the future. I might actually get some sleep. Yeah that's right you weren't home alone."
Sasuke stared blankly at the couple before he headed downstairs. Only after narrowly dodging the pillow aimed for his face.