THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT

Disclaimer: I donot own Noruto or it's characters.

AN: A reviewer asked me a vivid description of Noriko, she has golden blond hair, pale skin and blue eyes , no whiskers thus she looks like a female Minato. Her brother Menma is a redhead just like Kushina he equally has no whiskers.

.

.

.

.

Chapter Two: Of rehearsal dinner, wedding bells and blackmail

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"No, something is definitely missing," Itachi told Noriko. He walked in a slow circle around her, tapping his chin with his index finger. He was dressed in a black suit, dark blue shirt and black and blue striped tie.

"What do you mean something is missing?" she asked, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice.

She'd just spent hours getting ready for their rehearsal dinner, and she was absolutely certain that she wasn't missing anything! She walked over to the full length mirror in her bedroom, to take yet another look. Her golden blond hair was falling in soft waves around her face. Her dress was one that she'd spent hours searching for. Finally she'd settled on a brightly patterned blue and green gown that fell just above the knee. Her strappy sandals went with it perfectly. She knew Itachi liked the dress, because his eyes had lit up when he saw her in it.

Itachi walked up behind her until she could feel the heat of his body through the thin material of her dress. She watched in the mirror, as out of his hand swung a diamond pendant on a black choker necklace. She gasped with surprise as her blue eyes met his in the mirror.

"I thought you might need something to go with that enormous rock on your finger," he told her. He swept all of her hair to one side, and a shiver went through her as his hands fastened the choker around her neck.

The past month had been just like this. He was always surprising her with gifts and outings to the theater or a charity event. At first she had enjoyed them, believing he was attempting to court her, believing that he was beginning to care for her as more than just his future wife of convenience.

Then they'd gone shopping for her engagement ring. She hadn't wanted anything too flashy or ostentatious; however, Itachi had insisted she have something big and visible. He told her, "You're mine Noriko. I want people to see this and think of me."

She'd realized then that his gifts were a form of branding. Each thing she wore of his; every adornment was meant to tell the world she belonged to him. Uchiha Itachi owned her and he saw her simply as his possession. She was his property, and that was all there was to it. The thought infuriated her. She was not some acquisition; she was a person, whether he was marrying her for convenience or not.

"Do you like it?" he asked his eyes on hers in the mirror.

For a moment she thought she saw uncertainty in his eyes, but that was ridiculous. Uchiha Itachi wasn't the uncertain type. He was a predator in the business world and in his personal life he was just as ruthless. Any man, who asked his brother's girlfriend to marry him when she was in such a highly vulnerable position, could only be described as ruthless.

"It's stunning. Thank you." The word stunning didn't come close to encapsulating the beauty of the diamond she was wearing around her neck; but it was better than throwing the thing in his face and telling him she'd changed her mind about marrying him.

Their wedding was tomorrow, and she was absolutely certain that she did not want to go through with it. She was equally certain, however, that she would marry him anyway. Her family's debt had been settled in its entirety. All that was left was for her to uphold her end of their bargain. She did not think he would take kindly to her backing out now.

"We should go," she told him, "that is, if I meet with your approval now?"

There was a slight edge to her voice when she asked the question. She knew he heard it when he raised one eyebrow.

"Have I done something wrong, Noriko?" he asked her.

"No, of course not. It's just that the dinner starts at seven, and I want to be there on time."

He gave her a look that told her he didn't believe it, and for a moment she thought he would argue with her but instead he dropped the matter. "Let's go then."

Once they were downstairs she noticed her family had already gone.

"I sent your parents and Menma off with Kiba. I thought they might all enjoy the luxury of a chauffeured car for the night."

She hated it when he made her feel like one of his possessions; but she hated it even more when he was thoughtful and sweet. She wanted to hold on to the anger because it was safer. If she had to marry this man who insisted that love was no part of their deal, then anger and rage were far more useful to her than appreciation and like.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "That was thoughtful of you." She saw his smirk as he held the front door open for her. "If Kiba isn't taking us, then who is?" she asked him.

"Me," he told her, throwing his keys in the air and then catching them. "Unless you want to drive?"

Noriko took in the black Lamborghini in front of her, and shook her head.

"No? Maybe next time then." He looked thoroughly amused as he opened the door for her.

Her heart literally flew into her mouth as they sped out of the driveway. The car fitted him to a tee. It was sleek, sexy and powerful.

"I'm thinking this isn't exactly a family car," she told him. She watched him change gears.

He laughed and looked at her. "Nope, just our chariot for the night."

"So," he said to her after a minute.

"So," she said back.

"Big day tomorrow."

Was this why he was driving? Did he want to make sure she wasn't going to back out?

"Mm-hmm," was the only response she gave him.

"No cold feet?" he asked her now.

She could feel his eyes on her, and she wished that he would watch the road instead of her considering the speed they were going.

"I signed the contract, Itachi. I am going to marry you," she sighed. She glanced at him and he nodded once as if to say, 'okay then'.

Within minutes they were at the hotel where the rehearsal dinner was taking place. Itachi handed his keys to the valet, tipped him, and then put his arm around Noriko. As they walked into the function room, where their close friends and family were waiting, She was well aware that they must have looked every part the happy couple.

What a farce, she thought, what a deception. Should she be worried, that she had so easily managed to convince every one of her friends and family members that this was what she wanted and that she couldn't wait to be married? Only her friend from college, Sakura, had questioned her about her choice, about whether this was what she wanted. Everyone else assumed that she was happy. She'd successfully pulled off the glowing bride-to-be.

The room started to swim a bit before her eyes, as people flocked to them. She would survive this, she thought, she would get through this. She wasn't a victim here; this was her choice. She was choosing to marry Itachi. Yes, to save her family, and yes there hadn't been any other choice that she could think of; but it was still her choice. She took the glass of champagne that someone offered her and drank it quickly, enjoying the slide of the bubbly liquid down her too dry throat. She would survive this. She would survive their marriage.

After dinner, Itachi watched Noriko from across the room. Somewhere in the throng of people they had been separated. It was a struggle to keep his eyes off her, and he had to work hard at making conversation with people. The heels she was wearing made her legs look impossibly long, and he couldn't help think that he was an idiot for agreeing to wait one month to have those long slender legs wrapped around his waist.

He'd wanted her from the moment he'd first seen her with Sasuke. Now though, his desire was more than just plain want; it was a hunger that was gnawing away at him and he was having trouble keeping his word to wait a month.

Not having her wasn't his only frustration either. She still looked tired; she obviously wasn't sleeping well at all, and he was afraid she was losing weight. Something she could not afford to do. He didn't know what to do. He knew that this marriage was sudden, and he knew that she was marrying him to save her family; but that didn't stop him wanting her to be happy.

He could give her almost anything she wanted. He could give her more than Sasuke could. He hoped in time that she would see that and come to care for him as a husband and as the father of her children. Love only complicated things; but friendship and companionship would make their marriage easier. He enjoyed her company more than he thought he would. He didn't think he was deluding himself that she seemed to enjoy his company too.

Itachi watched as Noriko took yet another glass of champagne off one of the trays being carried around by the waiting staff. Was that her fifth or sixth glass? She was smiling politely and nodding as her Uncle Nagato Uzumaki kept her there with his conversation. Then she looked right at him, lifted the glass by way of a toast, before bringing it to her beautiful lips and drinking the whole darn lot. She knew that wasn't lolly water, right?

"Oh, Itachi, Noriko is just lovely," gushed his Aunt Hitomi. "You two will have to come over for dinner after the honeymoon."

"Of course. We'd be delighted," he told her, giving her his best faux smile.

Hitomi was always after a loan of some kind, and unlike Noriko, she had nothing to offer him except gossip about the rest of the Uchiha family. Unfortunately, exchanging pleasantries with his family was a necessity on an occasion like this.

"Please excuse me, Aunt Hitomi, I see someone I must talk to,"

"Go, Dear. I need to find your Uncle anyway."

He strode across the room to where Noriko was standing with Uncle Nagato. He stood beside her and put his arm around her.

"Would you mind if I stole my fiancée for a moment?" he asked her uncle.

Itachi didn't bother to wait for an answer before he marched Noriko to the powder room. He checked no-one was using the bathroom before he locked the door behind them.

"What are you doing? I was talking…"

"I think we should talk," he said to her. "Want you to tell me why you're guzzling Champagne out there like its water?"

She rolled her eyes.

"You're not my father, Itachi. You're not even my husband. Yet. Besides, this is supposed to be a celebration isn't it?"

She was mad at him. Good. At least she was talking.

"You're upset with me, want to tell me why?"

"Not really," she said.

"Talk to me, Nori. I want to know what's running through that gorgeous head of yours tonight."

He did. He wanted to know her, understand her; make her happy. He'd been accused more than once of only caring about himself, but that wasn't the truth in this case. When she wasn't happy, he felt like he was failing somehow and when she was happy, he felt happy too. So maybe that was him caring about himself after all.

"That," she said waving her hand in the direction of their waiting dinner guests, "is all just one big farce. I'm lying to everyone I love. It's all just pretend. Our wedding is tomorrow and our marriage is just going to be one big lie."

"What makes you think that?" he asked her.

"You said you will never love me. You told me to never love you. That is a lie. Marriage should be about love; two people being in love. Don't you ever want to experience that Itachi, because I know I do."

"And what happens when the love runs out? What happens when two people fall out of love?" he asked her. "Don't you think that two people who like each other; two people that enjoy each other's company, two people that are friends, are better suited to marriage than two people who are under the influence of a chemical reaction? We have something, Noriko. We like each other, we enjoy spending time together. We're attracted to each other. Surely that's a good enough reason for marriage."

Noriko looked at him. He made sense. For some reason that only made her angrier.

"Yes, I can see that friendship is important; but I don't think two people should get married when they don't love each other. Plus, I think you just don't like being out of control. This marriage is just a way for you to avoid being out of control."

"You think I don't like to be out of control?" he asked her, his voice full of disbelief.

"Yes. I think that's it exactly. You're afraid of it. You won't let it happen."

"Really?" he asked silkily. "If I didn't want to be out of control, Nori I wouldn't do this."

He took two long strides towards her and put his arms around her, pulling her against him. Then he kissed her. The moment his lips touched hers, Noriko felt like she was falling. She should push him away. They were supposed to be talking. She was angry. Yet, for the life of her she couldn't bring herself to pull away from him.

His lips were firm but soft on hers, igniting a fire that swept through her body. At first he gave her soft drugging kisses, before he deepened their kiss, sliding his tongue inside her mouth, exploring her mouth thoroughly. She clung to him, holding his shirt in both of her hands simply taking the pleasure he was giving her with his tongue. She felt him harden against her and her belly quivered. She pressed into him, delighting in his groan. Then it was her tongue that was exploring his mouth and her hand stroking up and down the long hard length of him through his pants.

He lifted her onto the vanity, and put his hands under her dress, stroking the inside of her thighs. Noriko felt her excitement growing. She continued touching him, and he thrust into her hand, mimicking the familiar thrust of sex. He brushed his hand over her panties, before sliding his fingers inside the elastic and touching her honeyed heat.

"So wet," he said, more to himself than to her.

He rubbed his thumb in slow circles over her nub, sliding one finger inside of her. That was almost too much for her. His mouth was on hers as she panted breathlessly. Then he was rubbing her faster, applying slightly more pressure and he slipped a second finger inside her stroking her. The tension built so quickly that when her orgasm slammed through her, she couldn't help but cry out. Thankfully his mouth on hers muffled the cry.

Itachi felt her body tighten around his fingers, and he knew he was ridiculously close to his own release, especially with the way she was still stroking him. This woman made him feel more aroused and incompetent than when he was a fourteen year old virgin. He leaned his forehead against hers. He'd promised her a month before he would ask her to share a bed. Technically, however, he wasn't going to ask her to share his bed now.

"I want you," he told her, "do you still need a month?"

"No," she said, still breathless. "I want you too."

Her hands reached for his belt just as a knock on the door sounded. Itachi cursed silently as Noriko's hands stilled. Neither of them moved. The knock came again, more aggressive this time.

"Itachi I know you're in there."

The sound of his baby brother's accusing voice was enough to set his teeth on edge. Sasuke had informed him that he would not come tonight, yet here he was, interrupting him at the worst possible time. Sasuke couldn't have timed it better if he tried.

"I'm going to kill him," he said to Noriko, through gritted teeth.

She looked horrified at the thought. Yep, he was definitely going to kill him.

She put her hand on his arm. "Don't. This is hard on him. Please don't make a scene."

He waited whilst she jumped off the vanity, looked in the mirror, smoothed her hair and reapplied some lipstick, before he yanked the door open.

He could tell straight away that his brother had been drinking. His eyes had that slightly glazed look. He was holding an almost empty glass in one hand, and his other arm was around Ino Yamanaka. What were they doing here?

"Sasuke. Did I hear you wrong when you said I couldn't pay you enough to show up here?"

"I wasn't going to come, Aniki. But I ran into Ino here downtown, and she convinced me to pay a little visit. She thought we should pass on our condolences. I mean our congratulations."

Sasuke smiled. Ino giggled. The words were slurred, and Itachi knew that it would be difficult to avoid an altercation whilst his brother was this intoxicated. Itachi felt Noriko come to stand behind him. Sasuke tried to stand a little straighter when he saw her.

"Hello, Noriko," Sasuke said.

"Sasuke," she acknowledged quietly.

"Have you met Ino?" he asked her. "She used to date Itachi before you decided to swap brothers."

"You're drunk. Go home and sleep it off," Itachi told his brother. He would be on his best behavior tonight; but only for Noriko. They were beginning to attract some attention now. People were gathering to listen to what was being said by the four of them.

"I think we might stay a while. My big brother is getting married after all. I should be here." Sasuke said, nodding. "Hell, I should be the one getting married, but you stole my bride. So now I'm going to watch you fuck up her life, and your life too. This should be like watching a train crash in slow motion. Funny how you've got everyone here fooled. Not me, though. I know the truth."

"And what is that?" Itachi asked, wanting the conversation over with.

"It'll never work," he said plainly. "It will never work."

Itachi watched Sasuke and Ino walk away; watched his brother get a re-fill before he pulled Ino onto the dance floor. He turned to Noriko.

"Don't worry about what Sasuke said," he told her, "it will work. You'll see."

It would work because he would make it work. Noriko was his now, and he would do whatever it took to keep her. Whatever it took. She looked at him, her eyes full of doubt. He was going to have to find a way to prove it to her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Noriko's alarm went off bright and early the next morning. She'd been awake for some time already, just laying there looking at the ceiling. She turned off the alarm and pulled the comforter over her head, wishing she could hide under there forever, wishing she could sleep. She felt so tired, but she had to get up.

Last night had been one more sleepless night in a long month where lack of sleep had become the norm. When she'd finally put her head on the pillow, she saw her bathroom scene with Itachi on repeat. She'd had no intention of sleeping with him before her deadline. But when he'd touched her; when he'd kissed her, she'd fallen apart in his arms. If Sasuke hadn't knocked on that door, she wouldn't have thought twice about letting him have her there and then. She'd never had sex in a public place before. Never.

That incident had only proved to her how dangerous marrying Itachi would be. She couldn't keep her balance around him, she couldn't maintain control of herself and she couldn't say no. She laughed bitterly, remembering how she'd told him he didn't like to be out of control. That had been a projection. She didn't want to be out of control, and that was exactly how he made her feel.

She felt so much desire for the man that it scared her. She'd been waiting a month for him to kiss her and when he had, it had far surpassed any fantasy she'd had about the moment. Once they started sleeping together, she had no hope of keeping her emotions out of it. She understood that. She'd never been very good at keeping sex and emotions separate.

He'd given her such logical reasons for them to get married, but she still believed that love should be the number one reason for marriage. She knew that she could fall in love with Itachi; but she didn't want to, not when she would be falling alone. Relationships weren't meant to be like that. How could he possibly expect things to work? Sasuke's words floated through her head for the hundredth time since he'd said them, 'it'll never work.'

The only things she had to hold onto were anger and resentment. They would stop her falling in love. She hoped. If she felt more for Itachi than he felt for her, then that meant he had all the control. After he'd essentially forced her hand and made her marry him; and considering his money gave him the power to do almost anything he wanted, was it so wrong that she wanted to maintain some shred of control in this relationship?

There was a knock on the door, before her mother walked into the room.

"Ko-chan, you need to get up. The big day is here." Her mother's smile and enthusiasm were a stark contrast to her own feelings of dread about the day ahead.

"Just give me a minute," she told her mother, "I'm just saying goodbye to my bed since I'll never sleep in it again. It deserves a moment."

"It is a nice bed, Ko-chan but I'm sure Itachi's bed will be nicer," her mother said with smile and a wink.

"Mom!" she exclaimed.

Her mother giggled like a schoolgirl. "If I was a bit younger and single…"

"Okay, stop, stop," said Noriko putting up her hand, not wanting to hear the rest. "I'm getting up."

"I've made you a hot breakfast. You can't have an empty stomach on your big day. We don't want you fainting."

Food was the last thing she wanted, but she didn't really want to faint today, not in front of all the cameras that would be there.

"I'm getting in the shower. I'll be down soon."

As she got out of bed she noticed that the sun was shining. She didn't think today was worthy of sunshine. It felt like it should be more of a lightning, thunder and torrential rain kind of day.

She showered, dressed and made her way downstairs where her family was waiting for her. Their happy faces, smiles and jokes lightened her mood the slightest fraction and she relaxed for almost one full minute, before her stomach clenched and she remembered the wedding. She looked at her mother, father, and Menma. This was all for them, she reminded herself; all for them.

They arrived at the chapel with plenty of time to spare. Her dress and belongings had driven to the church yesterday, as well as all the bits and pieces needed to turn her into a princess for a day. The reception was being held down the block, at a venue reserved just for wedding receptions.

Sakura was waiting for her by the church entrance.

"Hey Girl, ready for your big day?" Sakura greeted, giving her a tight hug, before she pulled away to look at her. "Did you get any sleep last night? Never mind. Make-up is a wonderful thing."

Noriko was only having one bridesmaid. She may not be getting married at City Hall, but she had opted to keep the wedding as simple as possible. Itachi's best man, Shishui Uchiha, his cousin had flown in from Florida a few days ago. Itachi had told Noriko that Shisui was the only guy for the job of best man.

As she got ready, she was aware of her breakfast churning in her stomach. She hoped it would stay down during the ceremony. The closer they got to the ceremony starting time, the more on edge she felt. She snapped at Sakura twice and her mom once. She felt terrible, but they just laughed and made a joke out of it.

"Oh Sweetie, you look so beautiful," her mother told her, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Your father and I are so proud of you,Ko-chan."

Noriko stood in front of the mirror and ran her hands over the dress. She was wearing a Vera Wang white strapless wedding gown. The bodice was fitted, and accentuated her bust, whilst the skirt flared out. It was simple but elegant. Her hair was pinned so that half of it sat curled on top of her head whilst the rest was left down. Her bouquet was a simple combination of white roses and lilies.

"Yeah, Nori, Itachi is going to flip-out when he sees you," Sakura said, as she pinned the veil in Noriko's hair.

She didn't know whether it was the veil being placed on her head, or the mention of his name which triggered the attack, but all of a sudden she was having a lot of trouble breathing. She started breathing so fast she simply couldn't take in enough oxygen.

"Can't breathe," she tried to tell them, clutching her chest.

She couldn't do this, she thought. She couldn't go through with it. It was wrong. This was meant to be the happiest day of her life, but instead it felt like the end of her life. She'd find a way to repay Itachi every cent. She couldn't marry a man who didn't love her. She couldn't.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Itachi didn't like this one bit. She was late; later than she'd promised him she'd be. He pulled at his tie, finding the darn thing too tight. Noriko had told him she was going to marry him. She was now technically twenty minutes late, and he was starting to sweat. He didn't do sweating; he didn't do clammy hands, he didn't do nerves, but as every second ticked away, he found himself checking his watch continuously and fearing the worst.

"Relax," Shisui told him, when he saw Itachi checking his watch for the third time in a minute. "No-one's going to leave Itachi Uchiha at the altar. Heck, if I was a woman I'd marry you."

He hated it. He hated how nervous he was, he hated that he wanted this so much, and he hated that she was making him feel this way. After what seemed like an eternity, Menma walked over to him and handed him his phone.

"It's Sakura," he told Itachi. "She says Noriko is having some kind of panic attack."

Itachi took the phone and walked away, aware that all eyes were on him. He could feel them all burning a hole in his back.

"Sakura," he said into the phone.

"Itachi, she's totally freaking out here. I've got her breathing into a paper bag but…"

"Put her on, Sakura," he said roughly.

"But…"

"I said put her on," he barked. Then he added "Please," a bit more softly as an afterthought.

He heard a shuffle on the other end of the line and then he heard Sakura say something to Noriko.

"Itachi…I can't do this," Noriko whispered into the phone. "I can't marry you. I'm sorry."

He was in a chapel; he wouldn't swear, but he wanted to. He wanted to kick something, he wanted to scream. He felt his stomach roil. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this bad. Actually, yes he could. When he'd found out Karin had betrayed him.

He'd thought marrying Noriko for convenience would mean he never had to feel that way again; that marriage to her would be simple and uncomplicated. He'd hoped they would have a nice easy friendship with the added benefit of mutual attraction. He hadn't counted on the fear that was literally choking him as he thought he might lose her, that he might never really have her. It was that paralyzing fear that dictated what he said next.

"Noriko, I swear here before God himself that if you don't get your ass out that door and marry me, I'm coming up there and carrying you down here myself. You made me a deal, and now you'd better pay up or so help me woman I will destroy you and your family. I'll take away everything and make your life a living hell. Don't believe I won't."

He regretted the words the moment they were out. He heard her gasp. He was being completely unreasonable. He knew those words would do more damage than good in the long run, but the fear – the fear had control over him and he was helpless to stop the words from coming.

"Marry me now, or suffer the consequences," he told her, before he hung up. She would come. She had to come.

He walked over to Menma and handed him the phone.

"Everything all right?" Menma asked him.

"Everything is fine. Just some last minute nerves. It's sorted."

He liked Noriko's family a lot; liked them more than his own family if he were honest. They were genuine people – the ideal family in law. He wouldn't have hurt them; but Noriko now believed he would. She was going to think he was some kind of monster. He'd messed this up so badly. It was too late to go back though. She would marry him now because he'd blackmailed her.

He took his spot back next to Shisui, and waited. Five minutes later, he heard Pachelbel's Canon begin to play. He felt his heart beat heavy and awkwardly in his ribs; felt his palms begin to sweat again. Was this normal? Why would people ever do this wedding thing more than once? He resisted the urge to strain and try to get a peek at his bride.

Sakura walked down the aisle first. Itachi spared her a quick glance, appreciating the bronze colored dress for a moment, before his eyes returned to the arch. People stood up. This was it. She was coming.

For the first time in he couldn't remember how long, he prayed. He prayed that his marriage work; that Noriko would be happy with him and that they live a long and happy life together. If God did in fact exist, would he listen to him? Probably not. Itachi knew he didn't deserve much after what he'd just done, but he hoped all the same.

As Noriko walked down the aisle, linked arm in arm with Minato Namikaze, her father, she concentrated on glowering at the man she was about to marry. He'd threatened to destroy her family if she backed out. Her rage at him was the only thing giving her the strength to walk down the aisle right now. He was a bully. The most handsome bully she'd ever seen, but a bully nonetheless. In his tux he looked far more sinful and erotic than anyone should in a church.

Once she was closer, her eyes locked onto his. Her breath got stuck in her chest and her heart felt like it stopped beating for a moment. She thought she might stumble, but the strength of her father kept her upright and focused. Itachi was looking at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. If he hadn't just blackmailed her into marrying him, she might have been completely charmed, but he had blackmailed her and all sentimental thoughts could leave right now thank you very much.

The ceremony whizzed by quickly; her hands held in Itachi's tight grasp so that she couldn't bolt, his eyes never leaving hers – locking her in place.

Traditional wedding vows were the order of the day since Noriko had thought writing their own vows would be silly considering the circumstances.

"I, Uchiha Itachi, take you Namikaze Noriko, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."

His tone was so serious and the words were so final. She had no doubt in her heart that he meant until death do us part. When it was her turn, her voice squeaked a bit but she got through it.

"I, Namikaze Noriko, take you Itachi Uchiha, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."

As Itachi slid a wedding ring on her finger, Noriko acknowledged she was now bound to him. The wedding ring, a classic symbol of eternity, would remind her of these vows for the rest of her life.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Her heart thumped away uncontrollably as he lifted the veil. He wrapped his arms around her and bent down to kiss her. His lips were hot on hers, scorching, branding. She was vaguely aware that the crowd was cheering them on. He kept it short and sweet and Noriko called her body all kinds of traitorous for wanting the kiss to last longer than it did.

The rest of the night was something of a blur. She didn't want anything to eat, and she was well aware of Itachi's frustration with her as she picked at her food beside him, but she didn't care. She would bid her time and as soon as they were alone together she intended to give him a piece of her mind. Not that it would do any good. He'd threatened to hurt the people she cared about and she'd married him, but if he thought she was going to fade into the background like some fifties housewife he had another thing coming.

The one saving grace for the day was that Sasuke hadn't shown up. She wondered briefly if Itachi had said something to him after the rehearsal dinner last night or whether he had just decided to stay away. She was glad not to see him either way.

Cameras continually flashed throughout the night and she wondered how the photos would turn out. Her mouth and cheeks ached from forcing so many smiles.

When it came time for the dance, she couldn't even remember which song she had picked for them to dance to. At the time she just had just jumped on line and looked at the most popular wedding dance songs, and chosen one at random.

As Itachi swept her onto the dance floor, she heard Etta James' At Last playing softly. She was determined not to enjoy the dance, not to look at him, but as he waltzed her around the floor; his hand warm on her back, her hand held firmly in his, she found it far too easy to get caught up in the moment. The music was light and romantic and Itachi had the tiniest smile playing around his lips. It was all well and good for him to smile, she thought, he had what he wanted and he hadn't cared who he hurt to get it.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" he whispered in her ear, as they spun around the floor one more time.

She glared at him, which only served to make his smile grow wider.

"You look even more beautiful when you're mad."

She wanted to hit him. "I hate you," she said under her breath.

"I know," he said. "You'll get over it though."

He was so damn arrogant and cocky.

"A lifetime is too long to be mad at someone," he told her.

"Want to bet?" she asked.

"Sure," he said. "What are we betting?"

"Forget it,' she told him. She'd never win a bet she made with him, she was sure of it.

"Well, if you change your mind, you let me know."

They stopped talking as other people started to join them on the dance floor.

Finally the song finished and they left the dance floor. She knew it wouldn't be long now until it was time for them to leave the reception. She had no idea what Itachi had in store for their honeymoon. The honeymoon was the only thing that he had organized. She'd been told to get her passport ready, so she assumed she was leaving the country but that was the extent of her knowledge.

Her suitcases were locked away safely in the venue so that they could leave when they needed to. Then she would be alone with him. She had no idea how long they would be gone, he had spoken to her parents about how long she would need off, since she worked in the family business.

The rest of the reception passed far too quickly and soon they were saying their goodbyes to everyone. She held back the tears as she hugged her mother and father.

"I love you Mom. I love you Dad."

"We love you too Sweetheart. Have a great time. We'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

She hugged them again. She had no idea when she would see them next, and suddenly she felt very overwhelmed by the idea that when she returned from the honeymoon, her life would be completely different.

Itachi watched Noriko's eyes fill with tears as she said goodbye to her parents. She was such a warm and caring woman, and obviously a touch sentimental. He'd never thought of himself as sentimental, but when she'd walked down the aisle in her white wedding dress, he'd felt something. When she'd said her vows and when she'd danced in his arms, he'd felt something. He was sure that he'd never seen anything or anyone as beautiful as his new wife; a wife who now hated him with a passion.

He was going to have to do something about that, but it would take time. Now that she was his, he was going to work on making her happy everyday, until hopefully she forgave him for what he'd said; for what he'd done. If she never forgave him, it would be a long and unhappy marriage ahead for them.

He'd always been able to charm people and get his way. He had a feeling though, that making things right with Noriko would be the biggest challenge he'd ever face. He couldn't buy his way out of this with her, but he hoped the honeymoon might be the place to start showing her just how good they could be together; just how right the two of them were for each other.

"Noriko," he said, holding out his arm for her, "it's time to go." She looked at his arm as if it were a poisonous snake, before she hesitantly looped her arm through his. "Just wait until you see what I've got in store for you, Mrs. Uchiha," he told her huskily. He had the delicious pleasure of watching her blush.

He smiled as they walked out together. She was meant for him. He was meant for her. They were good companions for each other. He just had to make her realize that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

SEE YOU NEXT CHAPTER. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS ONE. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW CUZ REVIEW IS MY HIGHESR MOTIVATIONAL FACTOR.

NAMIKAZE ICHIME