So, half the time I write these one after the other if I have the day off. You want to know how long it takes me? I can write 1,000 words in about 15 minutes and this is about 12,000 words. YOU DO THE MATH.
"Do you remember when we met Sakura?" Naruto was asking while they were decorating for the party. Sasuke shrugged. Of course he remembered. It wasn't easy to forget. It had happened the first few days of fifth grade and he and Naruto had taken an instant liking to her. "Remember how she wouldn't talk to us for the longest time?" Naruto wasn't remembering this right.
"She didn't talk to you, idiot," Sasuke wanted to smack him, but he had decorations in his hand and he was on a ladder. There was no way to smack him without taking quite a tumble. "She talked to me from the beginning because I'm not an annoying piece of shit," he grumbled. It was true. Sakura took an instant liking to Sasuke and strayed away from Naruto for a good year and a half.
"Why do you say that?" the blond whined, shoving his hands on his hips. Sasuke swayed on the ladder and shot him a murderous look. He looked sheepish and grabbed the ladder again, keeping it steady. He felt even more foolish now.
"Because she didn't talk to you for a year and a half when we met her," he said flatly. "She was scared of you. You wouldn't shut up and she didn't like that about you. I was a quiet around her and didn't try and make her talk. She only warmed up to you over the years because you're my best friend and you were always around. It was either she get used to you and start liking you or she stop being my friend. She chose to get used to you."
"That doesn't make me sound good," the blond sounded sheepish. Sasuke only rolled his eyes at the wall and began getting down the ladder.
"Well, don't let that girl know about it." Oh, yes. Naruto had finally let slip that he liked a girl and Sasuke hadn't stopped teasing him about it. He had known this was going to happen and had tried his hardest to keep his mouth shut, but after a while it just got too hard and he let it slip. Naruto only shrugged Sasuke off.
"She isn't like Sakura, Sasuke. She's got an easier life." He didn't sound like he was making a jab at the pink haired girl, but Sasuke couldn't help but bristle. It bothered him that Naruto would even say something like that.
"Shut up, idiot," he said, picking up more decorations and moving the ladder along the wall. Naruto glared, not knowing what he did but knowing better than to ask, and grabbed the ladder for Sasuke again. He didn't want him to die, and he could shove his annoyance aside to make sure his friend wouldn't die. Well, seriously injured.
"Hey, Itachi, why aren't you helping us?" Naruto asked when he caught sight of the older man. Itachi was wearing a nice suit and his hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. He wondered why Itachi was already dressed up. It was only noon and the party started at seven. Itachi was putting a small envelope into his jacket and he finished that before turning to Naruto to answer him.
"I'm going to pick up Sakura now, or would you rather she not be in attendance tonight?" he blatantly asked. Naruto flushed and sputtered, taking so long to come up with a response that Itachi had already left. He looked at the empty space left behind and narrowed his eyes. Why did Itachi have to be such an ass all the time? He couldn't get past it sometimes.
"Don't think about it," Sasuke said from the top of the ladder. "It's just Itachi being himself." That didn't help Naruto and his irritation grew. Itachi could be a little nicer, though. He'd known Naruto since he was a little kid. He didn't even think the man liked having him around in any way, not even as a brother. "I told you to stop thinking about it," Sasuke said again.
"I can't. He just pisses me off sometimes," Naruto said, glaring up at Sasuke. Sasuke only shrugged and began climbing down the ladder. He set his hand heavily on Naruto's shoulder.
"He's like that to me too, idiot. There's nothing you can do," he let his hand fall and went to put more decorations up. His mother was a decoration queen and he hated it half the time. Where the hell did she put all these decorations anyway? She also had more for Christmas and Easter. Hell, she had like two full boxes of stuff for New Years, too! They always had to go out every year and buy more shit for her and he still didn't know where she kept it all. She never threw any of it out. Naruto could see him getting annoyed.
"You want me to go up a few times now?" he asked, trying to dissipate the situation. Sasuke only nodded silently and handed him the decorations in his hands. He went to hold the ladder for him and he climbed up, leaning against the wall for more balance. Naruto needed Sasuke's help more than Sasuke needed his. He was a clumsy person and would definitely fall if left on his own for more than half a second.
"Just be excited that Sakura's going to be here tonight," Sasuke said, staring at the wall. He was glad Sakura would be there. She made everything more exciting. There weren't many cousins around that were his and Naruto's age and Sasuke didn't like them much either. There would be a lot of prominent families here tonight as well, but they weren't good to hang around either. Sasuke just had a lot of problems liking people. He liked Naruto and the blond was more than enough for him.
"I am excited. I won't have to deal with Ino for too long," Naruto was happy about that fact. The name caught Sasuke off guard and he looked up at the blond, his mind racing to connect the dots.
"How do you know Ino?" he asked.
"Ino's been coming to these parties for years, Sasuke. I'm surprised you don't know her. She likes you, a lot, and always kind of has. She went to high school with us too. How do you not know her?" Naruto was staring down at him with an incredulous look on his face and Sasuke just shook his head. He didn't want to answer that question. He was thinking. "Seriously, Sasuke," Naruto hopped off the ladder and picked up more decorations, "How the hell do you not know her?"
"I never wanted to. Do you know Hinata likes you then?" he asked. Naruto flushed and only blinked at Sasuke. So Hinata was the girl Naruto liked. He didn't want to do anything with this information, really, but he thought it was interesting. Naruto still hadn't spoken, so Sasuke guessed what he wanted to say. "Ino told me. Apparently one day she'd been looking for you to ask if you and Sakura were dating, but couldn't find you. She decided to piss me off instead when I was trying to be alone before class."
"Oh," Naruto seemed relieved. So he hadn't made it obvious who he was interested in, it was just Ino being dumb. "Honestly I think she was just trying to make up a reason to talk to you. I and Hinata have been talking for a couple months now." He had never given Hinata any indication that he had a thing with Sakura and she would have asked if she was worried. Therefore, Ino had just made something up to talk to Sasuke.
"If I ever dated her I'd have to punch myself," Sasuke deadpanned. Naruto couldn't help but laugh and he shook his head.
"Listen, if you ever dated her I'd punch you too," he couldn't help but continue laughing and had to wait for himself to calm down before he could make the precarious journey back up the ladder. Sasuke just rolled his eyes at Naruto. Of course he'd made himself laugh, he always did. It was a wonder how he didn't piss himself off every now and then.
"Shut up, idiot," Sasuke muttered, returning to hold the ladder for him. Naruto just stuck his tongue out. It wasn't long before they finally finished the room and moved on to the next. Mikoto liked to have every room downstairs decorated, even the bathroom. It was certainly tedious work, but it didn't look tacky. It was just a lot of fake autumn leaves they had to string up and some other more tasteful decorations that were added to it. She didn't do gaudy turkeys or anything of the like. It was nice, at least, just annoying.
They were halfway through the next room when Itachi returned, Sakura in tow. She was wearing a sweater over her usual long sleeved black shirt and her customary long skirt was several different hues of gold, red and orange. It was a flowy skirt that definitely had a lot of layers, but she looked pretty. Even though Naruto couldn't see any of her curves, she still managed to pull her frumpy clothes off. Perhaps that was her superpower. She could make anything look good that wouldn't on anyone else.
"Sakura!" Naruto almost let go of the ladder in his excitement, but he remembered just in time and steadied it before Sasuke could go tumbling down. He climbed down shortly after, allowing Naruto to run to Sakura and envelope her in a bear hug. She was surprised and didn't quite know how to respond, but she didn't need to. It was Naruto. He never realized that she didn't really reciprocate.
"Hi Naruto," she said quietly, prying him off her slowly. "How are you?" he finally broke away from her and fixed her with a million watt smile. She only stared at him, waiting for his answer. He was sometimes slow on the uptake.
"Oh, I'm great!" he finally said, "I just didn't think you'd be able to come today, so I was a little sad. Sasuke and I have been decorating all day. Do you like it?" she had to wade through all of his words before she could come up with an answer to his question. Naruto liked to talk a hundred words a minute and she wasn't the only one that had to play catch up when he finished a statement.
"It's pretty," she said when her brain caught up to his words. He nodded enthusiastically and pulled at her hand, tugging her to see the living room that was already finished. "Like I said," she spoke, trying to hold in a laugh at his actions, "It's pretty." He nodded and tugged her back to the family room. Itachi seemed a little irate; he hadn't wanted Sakura torn away from him but Naruto was a force to be reckoned with.
"What are you going to do now?" Naruto asked, hoping she would stick around with him and Sasuke. Sakura shrugged and looked up at Itachi.
"I'm probably just going to go upstairs with him and hide for a little while," she said, shrugging. Sasuke understood. She needed to get some motivation going so she could actually talk to whoever came to the party. She didn't have much social motivation for things such as this and he understood why she needed it. Sometimes, he needed it too.
"But why?" Naruto whined. Obviously, unlike Sasuke, he didn't understand in the least. Sasuke wanted to hit him over the head, but stopped himself. Sakura often scolded him when he did that and he'd rather just let her explain it to him. He went to find more decorations. They still had another two rooms to decorate.
"Naruto," Sakura sighed, laying her hands on his shoulders. "I am not like you, honey. I cannot do the social things without a bit of peace and quiet first. I must prepare myself. Do you understand that?" she knew he didn't, but hoped talking like that would help him get it.
"Fine. Sakura needs peace and quiet so she can talk to people when they come here," he said. He didn't understand why she needed to do that, but understood that this is Sakura and if she needed to be alone, she needed to be alone. That's how he thought it was and it was good enough for her. She nodded.
"I'll see you later, don't worry," she said sweetly, dropping her hands from his shoulders. He nodded, giving her another bright smile. He bounded off to find Sasuke and Sakura let out a sigh, leaning back into Itachi's body. They wouldn't be bothered at this point and she couldn't help but be glad. Itachi wordlessly led her up the stairs and to his room, allowing her to sit on the bed while he changed. He didn't need to wear this until later and he didn't want to wrinkle it.
"I like your skirt," he said when he sat down beside her. He turned the television on and found something he thought she would like. It was just a thanksgiving special, but she didn't say a word so he thought it was good enough.
"I like it too," she answered, staring down at it. It was just a well blended mix of colors, but it was one of her favorites. She was only allowed to wear it during the fall and hadn't gotten a chance to wear it yet. She didn't like wearing it around her father; he always gave her a weird look when she did. She leaned into Itachi's side and smiled when she felt him wrap his arm around her.
"You look tired," he said quietly.
"I always look tired," she shot back. She wasn't blind to how she looked. There were always dark bags underneath her eyes and there was a look about her that perpetually pointed to fatigue and sleepiness. She couldn't deny it and wondered why he was bringing it up now. The Uchihas had great powers of observation, so she knew he noticed by the way he always brought it up.
"I mean more tired than usual, he elaborated slightly. "If I were to lay you down right now, would you fall asleep?" he asked, wondering. Sakura didn't want to answer his question because she knew, without a doubt, that she would fall asleep within moments. She hadn't been getting much sleep lately. After the night her father had bought sex, he had kept her up all hours of the night and she still had to get up early for school. "Sakura?"
"I would," she said softly. "But I don't want to sleep right now. I want to enjoy my time with you." Itachi was taken by slight surprise. She didn't usually speak her mind like that and he couldn't quite comprehend what she'd just said. It took him a moment of playing catch-up before he could actually answer her.
"Won't you enjoy your time with me if I had my arms around you?" he asked pointedly. She flushed a bright crimson and she wordlessly nodded. She didn't quite know what to say when he said things like that and so did the only thing she could: agree. He gently pushed her down until her head hit the pillow and tried to make himself comfortable as quickly as possible. Once he was, he wrapped an arm around her and brought her close, sharing his heat with her.
"I don't want to sleep," she said softly, watching the program. He only chuckled under his breath and pulled her to lay on her other side to face him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, the only one he'd really ever tried. She shut her eyes at the small display of affection and pressed closer to him. He was warm and she was always cold. It was nice when he held her.
"Take a nap," he said softly, brushing her hair with his fingers. This usually put her to sleep, whether she wanted it or not. Her eyes still closed, she nodded slowly and was asleep only a few minutes later. Sometimes it was this hard to get her to sleep, but she always took a nap eventually, even if he had to do her favorite things to make it so.
He laid there with her for hours, not wanting to wake her while they still had time. She seemed to really need sleep and he wasn't about to cut it short. He watched her peaceful, sleeping face and enjoyed how calm she looked. When her eyes were open there was so much turmoil and despair hiding within the depths and he couldn't bring himself to look at her sometimes. Sometimes, it was a godsend that she wouldn't look at him. He knew it sounded bad, but he didn't know what to do when she had those looks in her eyes and didn't want to say anything wrong.
She slept just until they had to get ready for the party and that was only because he had to wake her. There was regret in his movements as he quietly called her name and shook her gently around the waist. She woke almost instantaneously, as she was a light sleeper, and she smiled at him, pressing her body to his in an almost hug. This was the only real affection she would outwardly show to others and it made him feel as though the sun shone on him when she did it.
"The party is starting soon, we have to get up," he said, voice slightly muffled by her hair. He didn't mind. It wasn't like he wanted to get out of bed. He was comfortable here. However, they couldn't hide in his room all night. Someone would come looking for them eventually and they had managed to keep their relationship quiet up until now. He wasn't about to jeopardize that.
"Fine," she sighed. She pulled herself up slowly, every bone in her body telling her not to. It wasn't that she couldn't get out of the bed this time; it was who was in it that made her not want to get up. She stretched, her arm not popping back into place. It hadn't been pulled last night and she was thankful for that at least. She wasn't in pain today and any day that happened she thought herself lucky.
Itachi was up with her and changing back into the suit he wore before they took a nap. She watched him, thinking that she liked his body. She had never seen him fully naked, had never really wanted to, but she had seen him without his shirt plenty of times. It made her feel guilty at one point, but she'd gotten past it and just openly watched him now.
"Ready?" he asked, holding his hand out to her. She shook her head, but grabbed his hand anyways and let him pull her up. She followed closely behind him down the hallway and stairs to the living room where there already a whole bunch of family members. She didn't like looking at the sea of black hair; they all looked the same to her. It was enough to catch her off guard and make her question who exactly she was talking to.
"Hey there, little cousin!" Sakura jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice behind them and she turned quickly to see one of Itachi's family members standing there, grinning from ear to ear. He looked excited to see them. "Who's this? I haven't ever seen her before. Is she your girlfriend, little cousin?" he asked. Sakura likened him to Naruto. He talked a mile a minute, but there was certain intelligence in his eyes that Naruto didn't have. Not that Naruto was dumb; this person just seemed too smart for his own good.
"Sakura," Itachi said, narrowing his eyes at his cousin. "No, she isn't my girlfriend, Shisui, just a close friend." Shisui seemed to get even more excited with the knowledge of her name and he began all but bouncing around the room.
"She's so cute! She's so little! How did you manage to come across Itachi, little Sakura?" Shisui was saying. She couldn't help but think his exuberance was a little forced and she instantaneously decided that she didn't like him too much. She hid behind Itachi and wouldn't open her mouth. Shisui looked concerned when he finally calmed down. "Did I do something wrong, cousin?" he asked.
"You're acting like Naruto," Itachi deadpanned. "It put her off. Try acting a little more like yourself. Did you have a red bull or something?" Shisui was extremely hyper. He was naturally exuberant about life, but there were just some times when he took it just a little too far. This was not a time to take it a little too far, not around Sakura. The older man seemed to calm down immediately.
"Sorry, I did have some caffeine." In Shisui language, that meant a lot. "I'm Shisui, how are you?" he stuck out his hand, smiling charmingly at her. She didn't smile back, but she did grasp his hand and shake it. He already knew her name; she didn't need to repeat it. "I love your hair."
"I don't," she muttered, fingering a lock. It was down to her waist and she thought it too long. She wasn't allowed to cut it though. "It's natural," she answered the unasked question. Most people asked if it was natural, they just didn't think it was possible that it could be. She just got the best of both worlds. Her mother had had bright blonde hair and her father deep red. It had merely combined and she wasn't held in high esteem in her church because of it. That's just how it was.
"Well, I think it's pretty," Shisui was walking beside them now, seemingly keeping her company while Itachi talked to family members. He thought her far more interesting in the family members he'd been around for years. It was nice to talk to someone new. "How long have you known Itachi?" he asked, interested.
"I've known Itachi and his family for seven years," she said, shrugging. "I'm not around much, so I'm not surprised you never met me." It was true; she hadn't ever met Shisui in all the times she'd been to the house. He only shrugged it off.
"I was pretty holed up when I was younger, no harm," he said easily, smiling. "I'm glad I met you tonight, though. You are far more interesting to talk to than these old bags." She couldn't help the smile that graced her lips and he beamed at her. He hadn't thought he'd be able to make her smile after putting her off like he did. It made him happy that he could.
"I don't think I'm interesting," she said quietly. He wondered why she wouldn't look at him, but shoved it out of his mind. He reached for her hand, but she winced away from him. He wondered why she would do that. Was it because he was essentially a stranger? He narrowed his eyes at the small girl, but decided saying something would be better than continuing the awkward silence.
"You're far more interesting than anyone else in this room because I have no idea who you are," he said brightly. "I always think its more fun to get to know someone rather than speak to people I already know." Shisui was definitely a people person, she could see that. Since he calmed down, though, she didn't really mind his company all that much.
Itachi was only slightly paying attention to Sakura's and Shisui's conversation, he was too busy talking to an ancient looking woman. He thought it good that Sakura was enjoying herself talking to his cousin. She hadn't tightened her grip on his hand or done anything that would hint that she was uncomfortable, so he was at ease.
"Am I interesting?" Shisui was saying. He was teasing her, trying to get her to say something now. She seemed to have retreated into her shell and wasn't much of a talker when she managed that. She blinked at the floor.
"I think once you calm down you're pretty fun to talk to," she answered honestly. Shisui smiled. He knew that was probably what was going on. She was comfortable around him now when he had toned down his energy and made a mental note of that for the next time he got to spend time with her. "I just wonder how long it will be until you get bored of me," she said flippantly. He was stunned for a moment before understanding. She was teasing him!
"Well, I might get bored of talking to you, but your hair is more than enough to keep me around," he couldn't really see her face, so was distracted completely by her hair. He'd never seen anything like it and couldn't help staring at it. She flushed, hoping he wouldn't see with all her fair in her face and indeed he didn't.
"Well, that's good," she said, "If I'm left alone I tend to get lost, so I'll feel better knowing you'll be following my hair around." He couldn't help but laugh at her quiet wit. She certainly was a snarky one when she wanted to be and it lightened his chest considerably. He no longer worried she didn't like him or that he was saying the wrong thing.
"That's not good. Say, you want to dance?" In her surprise, she looked up at him, speechless. He held his hand out to her and her other hand tightened in Itachi's. Itachi was paying attention immediately, though he didn't quite know why Sakura had tipped him off. He looked at her in worry, but she was still speechless.
"What'd you say to her?" he asked Shisui, watching him like a hawk. Shisui only grinned sheepishly.
"I asked her if I could have a dance with her. I guess she got a little surprised," Shisui laughed. He wasn't nervous and wouldn't take it to heart if she rejected him, but he was bored and wanted to get some of the abundant energy out of his body. Itachi wanted to laugh. Of course Sakura would seize up because someone asked to dance with her.
"Go on, Sakura," he said, pulling her to place her hand in Shisui's. She flushed and could only nod through her speechlessness. She was just completely and totally surprised that anyone would want to dance with her save for Naruto. Naruto was the type to take any chance he could get to embarrass the hell out of her and this would be a great opportunity.
"Come on, I'll see you later, little cousin," Shisui smiled at Itachi, who nodded in response, and he led Sakura into one of the family rooms. This one was dimly lit with soft classical music playing. Most couples present at Mikoto's parties would come here to be by themselves and be romantic, but Shisui wasn't interested in any of that. He just wanted to dance and have something to do with his body.
Sakura was awkward at first. She had obviously never danced with anyone and he found himself smiling and stopping for a moment to arrange her in the way he wanted. She fell in step with him easily after that and he enjoyed her small hands on him. She was a gentle little thing and wasn't overly talkative. It made it easy to enjoy the moment.
"So, Sakura," he started, smiling down at her, "Tell me about yourself." She was silent for a long moment.
"There's not much to tell," she said finally, softly. She dropped her head onto his shoulder, hiding. He wouldn't like talking to her after this. She wasn't an exciting person. Her life was drab and boring and full of so much stress she was in constant fear of exploding, but that wasn't something to tell a new friend. That was something to keep to yourself and shove deep, deep down inside.
"There's got to be something," he said easily, not trying to move her head from his shoulder. It was nice. He didn't try anything, didn't want to, but could enjoy the simple gesture. "Do you go to college? Where do you live? Are you well off? How are your grades if you are in college?" she stopped him after the last question, a small smile on her lips.
"Stop, or I'll never be able to keep all your questions straight," she said softly, a tone of amusement apparent underneath her words. He only kept his mouth shut and waited for her to answer. "I do go to college, though it was hell to get there. I finished a lot of college courses when I graduated high school as valedictorian and so I skipped an entire year with all the credits. I live close to the college with my father and we are pretty well off, anything I've ever needed is there. My grades are still excellent," as they always must be. She almost added the last part, but caught herself. She wasn't about to get too deep unless he asked. He seemed to think before opening his mouth again.
"Why was it difficult to go to college?" he asked, focusing on that. Sakura had to remind herself that he knew nothing about her and she would have to explain it to him.
"I belong to a very conservative and controlling church," she made sure to say the words evenly so he couldn't try and read into her words. "At sixteen I was supposed to marry and have children, but because I am so smart, I applied to the pastor to be allowed to go to college. I had to hold an appointment with him and my principal and my father had to talk him into it. It took six months to get his approval." Shisui nodded. That certainly made getting into college hard.
"That's got to be tough," he said softly, drawing her slightly closer. If her church was conservative and controlling, she must have a lot of grievances to air. He wondered why she didn't leave such a church, but didn't ask her. He knew, from experience, that she would probably defend it to the last breath and he wasn't in the mood to have a fight with her. He was enjoying this time way too much.
"What about this?" he asked, looking down at her clothes. All of her was covered, save for her head and her hands. No one else he knew dressed as such and could point out several girls in this room alone that was showing more than enough skin. He wondered why she wore such things when she was so young. She seemed to draw back into herself slightly and he figured the question was a hot topic she was asked about quite a lot.
"Well, I'm not allowed to wear anything else," she muttered, though he barely caught it. "I have to wear long skirts and my arms have to be covered. That's just how it is." So her church was extremely sexist, was it? He wondered if her father was the same, but didn't ask about it. Perhaps she had daddy issues and he didn't really want to get into that with her right now.
"Your home life doesn't sound like fun," he commented. "It kind of makes me sad," he added. It did. He didn't like the fact that she seemed so meek and shy even though she definitely had a brain in her head. She was smart, had shown that when she teased him earlier and when she told him about her college and high school history. She was too smart to be oppressed and controlled like that and he wondered why she hadn't left yet when she had friends like Itachi.
"It kind of makes me sad sometimes too," she said, staring at his chest. It made her sadder than she liked to admit and he could see it in her body language. He felt terrible that he brought it up and so he spun her in a circle quickly. She laughed and he thought the sudden movement a success. He spun her around again and heard the soft sound of her laugh again.
"How'd you get out tonight if your life is full of rules and etiquette?" he asked as he slowed back down. She rested her head on his shoulder again. She was feeling a little dizzy but wasn't upset that he'd spun her around. She did have a lot of fun. She was hyperaware of his hand on her lower back, but that was just her brain. She couldn't really help it.
"There's a way with Itachi around," she said, cheer showing in her voice for the first time. "My father likes him more than anyone else in his life because he thinks Itachi is like his long lost son. Itachi is very polite and uses the right words when speaking to him, so bending my father to his will isn't hard at all. Itachi can always get me out of the house if he wants to." He could. The way he spoke and showed an almost reverence to her father helped immensely. Her father liked him so much he would give her permission a hundred percent of the time if he was involved.
"Ah, yes, my little cousin is very good at things like that," Shisui said, wanting to laugh. "I'm glad though, or else I wouldn't have gotten to talk to you tonight." He was sincerely glad. He liked anyone Itachi liked and therefore latched onto her immediately.
"You probably made him happy because you gave him a break," she laughed. She meant it in now ill will. "He's usually stuck with me, so you're doing him a favor." Shisui laughed this time and he shrugged.
"Honestly, Itachi did me a favor," he said easily. "I would have been completely bored walking around talking to ancient aunts and uncles. Itachi wouldn't hang out with me; he just wants to talk to them all night. It's nice that he let me borrow his close friend for the night. Though there are the other prominent families coming. They'll be here soon, but I don't like them much, either," he pouted while thinking about it.
"Why not?" Sakura hadn't met any of the other prominent families the year before, but she hadn't exactly been trying to make new friends either. Last year, she'd covered her hair and spent most of the time out on the deck with Sasuke. This was the first time she actually spent a lot of her time inside at one of Mikoto's parties.
"They're all trying to outrich each other," Shisui laughed. "Even to me, and we all know my family is the most powerful and the richest in town, but that wouldn't stop them from trying. That and they like to sit there and make fun of poorer people even if that person is just a little bit less well off than they are. Last year there were a couple girls making fun of a girl out on the deck that looked like she just crawled out of the garbage on the street," Shisui pulled a face. He didn't like that kind of talk. He would rather have nice small talk that didn't insult anyone else.
"That was me," Sakura said softly, flushing and staring at the floor. Shisui felt terrible at this point. He hadn't meant to make her feel bad and wanted to make it better now.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I snuck a peek at you and I didn't think you looked homeless," he laughed nervously. "You don't now, either. I think you're a smart young lady held to high expectations that stress you the hell out." He knew he hit the nail on the head when she winced at his words. Obviously she didn't like being reminded of her home life.
"Thanks, Shisui," she said, voice strong. She was glad for his compliment, but not glad for his scary accuracy about her home life. "That makes me feel better," she smiled up at him. At least he liked the way she looked. She didn't really care about what other girls said about her, she never did. She wasn't in a competition with them, even if they didn't know it. She had a life set out for her and it was being thrust upon her. She didn't let anyone else's words bother her.
"I'm glad," he smiled down at her. "Want to sit down?" he wasn't going to sit here with her, knowing she would become quickly uncomfortable with him in the dimly lit room. She nodded and he led her to the other family room that was a little more brightly lit. He sat her down on a couch and left for a moment. "I didn't worry you, did I?" he asked as he handed her a drink.
"No, and thank you," she said, settling back into her seat. He sat beside her and they silently drank their drinks for a long while. He didn't mind the silence at this point. She was good company, talking or not. "So will you tell me something about you?" she asked, looking at him curiously. She was looking at him more and more throughout their time together and he was glad. He thought it meant he was growing on her and didn't mind it if she was.
"I'm working on a doctorate in psychology while I'm working with my Uncle at the family company in the city," Shisui said, open to sharing. Sakura was a little scared that he was trying psychology tactics on her, but put the thought out of her mind. He wouldn't try; he didn't seem to be at least. "I lived here for a little while, but I had to move out. I love Mikoto, but she can be a little overbearing," he grinned.
"Why'd you live here? Why have I never seen you before if you lived here at some point?" she asked, extremely interested now. She had turned her body to him, expressing that she was interested in what he had to say and he was surprised. When she was interested in something, she got a lot more animate and comfortable.
"That's a little private," he laughed, trying to think of a way to say it without giving himself away. "There was just some stuff going on in my house that wasn't good for a kid, so Mikoto and Fugaku took me in. I probably never met you because I mostly kept to myself in my room. Whenever I heard there was someone coming over, I never came out. That was probably you a couple times, but I never heard that you had pink hair. If I had, I assure you that I would have introduced myself earlier." He really did like looking at her hair; it was such a lovely shade of pink and couldn't quite get over it.
"I guess that's a relief," she laughed. She really didn't know what to say. "Why did you get into psychology?" Wow she was really asking the questions he had difficulties answering. Why did she have to be so smart? He wanted to laugh. Of course she would ask the things he had to think about. There was always a certain way to say things so he wouldn't put himself completely out in the open.
"You know how Sasuke has bouts of depression?" he asked, taking the safe route. She nodded. "I wanted to know how to help him and hopefully make those feelings go away for him in the future. I've been using what I've learned on him and it's helped, but I don't have my certification just yet. I have to finish my doctorate before I get it, but that's okay. It was worth it to help Sasuke."
"That's so nice of you," she said, a large smile on her face. "I haven't ever heard of anyone doing something like that for their cousin." She was impressed by the character he possessed and he felt warm knowing he impressed her just slightly. What he'd said wasn't exactly a lie, it was just part of the reason he'd gone into this field.
"He's more like my brother," he said, a smile on his own face. "I've been around Itachi and Sasuke since I was young so it's like they're the brothers I've never had. Itachi is also my best friend, as it happens. We're too different though and I piss him off a lot," he laughed. There had been many a time where he'd pissed Itachi off to the point of no return.
"That's okay. Sasuke has Naruto and Itachi has you. Everyone needs an exuberant friend," she said. He felt better at her words. He had never thought of it like that and it felt just a little better about his friendship with his cousin. It made him feel like it was okay that he pissed him off from time to time. Sakura smiled at the change in his mood. His moods seemed to come and go like the changing of the wind, but she didn't mind. Hers did too.
"How do you make me feel better like that?" he asked, laughing, "I'm the psychiatrist, I'm the one that's supposed to do that," he made her laugh too and she just shrugged.
"I'm smart," she said. He couldn't help the laughter again. The doorbell rang and he groaned. "What's going on?" she seemed very alert and slightly on edge now, whipping her head around the room to stare at the door in alarm.
"Calm down, calm down," he laughed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's just the other families. I just hate it when they get here." She nodded in understanding. "Come on, we have to go to the living room. It's a thing." She laughed at his words and pulled herself up. She grabbed his hand on the way out the door, not wanting to be separated from him in the crowd of people. He only smiled at her over his shoulder and led her on.
They found Itachi fairly easily, though Sakura couldn't figure out why. He blended into the sea of black hair and black eyes and wouldn't have been able to find him by herself. Shisui let her hand go and Itachi reached for her. She wasted no time grabbing his hand instead and stood close to him, hiding and peering over his shoulder at the door.
"See, little cousin, I brought her back safe and sound," Shisui was saying, beaming at the small girl. She flushed and Itachi only smiled dryly.
"I didn't think you would harm her, Shisui," was all he said. The music was cut off as Fugaku opened the door and allowed the rest of the guests in. Sakura didn't know who any of them were, but Shisui was whispering into her ear as they came into the door.
"That's the Hyuuga family, the small girl is Hinabi and the older one is Hinata," the one that had a thing for Naruto, she knew, "And their father Hiashi, and his nephew, Neji." The family went off to the side. "That's the Yamanaka family. The girl is Ino, watch out for her and try to run if she tries to talk to you," Sakura couldn't help but laugh at his words. "There's the Nara family. Their son, Shikamaru, he's there," Shisui pointed out the son, "Is a pretty lazy guy, but he's really smart," Sakura nodded. "There's the Inuzuka family, Tsume, their mother, Hana's her daughter, and Kiba is her son." Jesus, how did Shisui remember all these names? She would never be able to even if she was subjected to this several times a year like he was. "There's the Akimichi family, Choza and Choji. That's the last of them, but there's Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Kakashi, old friends of the family." Sakura nodded, but didn't know how she was going to keep all these names straight.
"It's time for dinner now," Itachi said, beginning to pull her to the dining room. Shisui followed closely behind. Itachi sat her at a table and Shisui sat next to her, but he didn't just yet. It was a banquet style dinner and he had to get their plates. "I'm not getting one for you," he said, narrowing his eyes at Shisui.
"I wasn't planning on asking, I just didn't want to leave Sakura to fend for herself," Shisui grinned at the younger man. "Just be happy I'm being a gentleman, like you," he laughed. Itachi only vaguely glared at him before wordlessly turning away.
"I think you made him angry," Sakura said lowly, giggling. Shisui just shrugged.
"That's my job, so he has to get used to it," Shisui shrugged. He liked to annoy the hell out of Itachi. He was showing a lot of emotion tonight and vaguely wondered why, but didn't dwell on it. It was more than enough fun to tease the younger man and piss him off a little. It seemed that Sakura was a hot button for his little cousin, so he didn't mind exploiting it. Someone tried to sit on Sakura's other side, but Shisui waved them off. "That's Itachi's seat, unless you want to piss him off." The person moved away quickly. Apparently Itachi was a force to be reckoned with here.
Itachi was back not even a minute later and placed a plate in front of her, laden with mostly vegetables. She didn't like turkey too much and she felt warm knowing he remembered. He sat down next to her, but Shisui didn't get up yet. Sakura casted a curious glance at him, but he shrugged.
"There are too many people up there for me to get something now," he said. "I'd rather wait a couple more minutes than spend that time in a line." Sakura nodded. She understood his logic.
Shisui finally got up a few minutes later and returned rather quickly with his own plate, sitting next to Sakura again. He looked at her plate and made a face. "How can you eat all those vegetables? Ew." He waited for her to answer, but she didn't. She stared at the table and slowly, daintily ate her food. He was confused and looked to Itachi for an answer.
"She doesn't talk while she eats. You can ask her yourself after dinner," he answered his questioning look without looking up himself. He knew what his cousin was going to ask, he wasn't stupid. Sakura did things differently and she was questioned about it a lot so he inherently knew the answer to things about her.
Shisui looked at his plate and began eating, all but ignoring Sakura at this point. If she wasn't in the mood to talk, then he wasn't going to try either. It was certainly boring, not having her to talk to, but he would get through it. Dinner lasted a while though, and he was quickly bored by the entire thing. He almost wished he could get up, but there wasn't anyone else in the other parts of the house for him to talk to, so his efforts would definitely be proven fruitless.
"Here," Itachi rose and pulled Sakura's plate into his hands, leaving to put them into the dishwasher. Sakura looked at the table still and didn't talk. Shisui wondered if he could ask her a question yet, but didn't want to offend her if he did. He waited until Itachi was back and had sat down, but still didn't say anything. It was up to Itachi to make the first move.
"How was your dinner?" he asked Sakura softly, laying a hand over hers.
"It was good," she answered immediately. So she was talking now? Shisui felt slighted. She would talk to Itachi, but couldn't even utter a word to him. Itachi leaned close to Sakura and whispered something into her ear. At that, Shisui stood and walked away. He had had Sakura's attention most of the night and now she and his cousin were trading secrets back and forth. It was certainly annoying to him. He had made it almost to the outside deck when he felt a little hand close around his. He whirled around to see the pink head of hair, Sakura staring at the ground.
"Itachi told me you didn't understand why I didn't say anything to you," she said softly, afraid to look at him, thinking him mad. She didn't want to anger him, but it was hard not to do when she did things like this out of habit. Shisui was surprised. Was that what he whispered to her? He felt kind of bad now. He thought they were making fun of him or something, playing a cruel joke.
"Is there a reason?" he asked, pulling her out the door into the cool night. He really just wanted to be out of that stuffy house for a minute. He brought her to the railing and leaned back against it while she looked out at the dark garden beyond. He waited for her to talk.
"I told you how my church is very conservative and very controlling. There are strict gender roles I must adhere to and that includes not speaking at the table. I am not allowed to answer unless the head of the house directly speaks to me. I have to clear the dishes and wait at the table until the head asks me about my day. It isn't the same here, I know that, and I can deal with Itachi talking to me first, but everything else is hard," she was crying now, staring at her hands. She was so angry, so upset that she'd been born into this life that meant nothing to her. She wanted to die. She wanted to save herself from any more of this pain and just end it herself, but she couldn't. She didn't even have control over her own life and it killed her on the inside.
"Please don't cry," Shisui's hand was on hers. Her voice had gotten rougher and rougher with each statement she'd spat out and she wasn't calming down any time soon. She was just too upset about all the guidelines and expectations she had to remember and hold herself to. The stress had boiled over and it was being let out now, in this very moment.
"Why? Why can't I cry? Because I'm supposed to be a pretty porcelain doll that feels no pain?" she threw his hand away and turned to him, staring into his eyes and crying so, so much. The tears wouldn't stop at this point and she couldn't calm down. She wanted to explode and make someone else feel the pain and the stress she always had to endure. "I can't cry because I'm not supposed to feel anything that's done to me? None of the shit my father does to me because something wasn't perfect? I'm not allowed to be angry with the hand that life dealt me? Why?" Her anger was broken when she felt his arms around her as he pulled her into his chest.
"You're not allowed to cry because I'll break if you do," he said softly, a smile in his voice. "I hate it when anyone cries and you're no exception, little Sakura." She was surprised at his words. He hardly knew her, only knew the guarded responses she'd given him, but he was trying to quell her tears and her rage, make it okay. She had really only gotten this sort of treatment from Itachi, for he didn't have the words to make it okay, but Shisui did. He was saying the things that were calming her down and making her feel less insane like Sasuke often did.
"I want to die," her voice was so thin and riddled with tears and despair. He hugged her tighter.
"I wanted to at one point too, you know," he said quietly. "It was the easy way out, so don't try it. I don't want the next time I see you to be in a casket," he was trying to make her tears go away and was seemingly saying the right words. "I'm sorry I asked you not to cry," he said sheepishly when her tears stopped altogether; "It was out of selfishness I asked."
"I overreacted," she smiled, the tears making her seem a little broken and forcing toughness out to her outer shell. He shook his head.
"Nah, you're okay. You want to go back inside now?" Itachi was surely missing her presence by now and dinner was over and done with at this point. Sakura nodded slowly and he led her back into the house by placing his hand on the small of her back. Her hair was so smooth and soft and he liked the feel of it just as much as he liked looking at it.
He couldn't spot Itachi through the sea of people at this point, so he just kept Sakura close to his side as he weaved through people. He was stopped by several and he had to go through minutes upon minutes of strained small talk and forced smiles before he could move on, only to be stopped by someone else. Sakura didn't seem to mind too much. No one was talking to her and Shisui was keeping her close behind him, allowing her to hide. It was a comfortable place for her, so she wasn't really worrying. She wondered, for a moment, where Sasuke and Naruto could possibly be, but put it out of her mind for now. They would find her at some point in the night.
Just as she'd put it out of her mind, a shock of blond hair was moving towards her rapidly. She stayed close to Shisui's side and smiled when Naruto emerged from the crowd in front of her, a huge smile on his own face. He wrapped her up in a hug, though she didn't let go of Shisui. He just wrapped up talking to another family member when he finally turned around to see Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto was hugging Sakura and he grinned. Good to know people other than he hugged her from time to time.
"How are you, Sakura?" Naruto asked, that million watt smile on his face. He had finally let her go and she could breathe again. "Oh, Shisui! I thought you were Itachi. Sakura doesn't usually let go of him you know."
"We're looking for him," Shisui laughed. "Sakura just didn't want to get separated from me," he held up their joined hands. "I probably wouldn't be able to find her for a hot minute if we did." Sakura didn't like to think of being separated from her guardian and so moved just a little bit closer to him, showing her nervousness. He ignored it, letting her do what she wanted.
"Well, we haven't seen him either. Maybe he's helping Mikoto clean up!" Itachi usually did that. He liked helping his mother clean up. He didn't like letting women do all the work. Unlike Sakura, the men and women in this family weren't held to strict gender roles and Itachi did everything and anything he could do to help.
"I saw him a while earlier while dodging Ino," Sasuke finally spoke. "He was talking to father and some of the other guys from the company about some deal. I didn't understand it," Sasuke informed them, looking rather bored.
"I wouldn't expect you to," Shisui laughed. "Well, Itachi is henceforth busy for the next hour or so because I know Fugaku won't shut up once you get him rolling about company matters." Sasuke looked annoyed which attested to how true that statement was. Shisui only laughed again. Sakura seemed rather wary and nervous, but he chalked it up to all the unknown people milling around her. That would make him nervous too if he had pink hair.
"So, Sakura, how are you enjoying the party?" Naruto asked, all but bouncing off the walls. "Can I dance with you? I like dancing with you." Sakura flushed and went to smack Naruto on the arm but missed. Sasuke did it for her and she smiled in thanks at him. "OW!"
"Every time you dance with me, Naruto, you always try to embarrass me," Sakura said, only slightly irritated. "Anyways, I already danced with Shisui, so my time allotment for that has been fulfilled." She was using Shisui to get out of Naruto's clumsy ass dancing, but, from a sneaky look to his eyes, he didn't seem to mind it at all, he was even laughing.
"Sorry I stole that from you, little cousin," he said, placing his hand on top of Naruto's head. Naruto batted him away, looking at him reproachfully.
"I'm not even your cousin, Shisui!" he said, looking rather annoyed. Sakura laughed. She had never seen Naruto look as annoyed as he did now and it certainly was a sight to see. Shisui grinned at the younger man and just shrugged.
"I grew up with you as well as Itachi and Sasuke. From that standpoint, it does make you my cousin," Shisui said triumphantly, earning another giggle from Sakura. She certainly was enjoying herself, even if she wasn't really talking. Hearing Naruto bicker it out with someone was always funny, but Shisui was bickering back and doing it wittily, unlike Sasuke would have. Sasuke never tried to use wit against Naruto, but he didn't find the amusement and fun in bickering with him like Shisui did.
"I don't think that means anything," Naruto pouted, looking away from Shisui. Shisui only rolled his eyes and ruffled Naruto's hair again.
"So, Naruto, have you managed to talk to your crush yet today?" Sakura asked. She was teasing him and everyone but Naruto saw it. His face fell and he looked at the floor, slightly dejected, and sighed.
"Her cousin and her father won't let her and her sister out of their sight, so I can't get anywhere close. I want to talk to her, but she can't get away from them." If he had a chance to talk to her, he wouldn't be here fighting with Shisui and feeling bad about his love life, now would he? Sasuke nudged his shoulder.
"Come on, I'll help you distract them so she can get away," Sasuke said, already melting into the crowd. Naruto gave off a whoop of excitement and followed his best friend through the crowd. Sakura watched them go, shaking her head.
"This is definitely going to be hilarious, but I don't even want to watch," she sighed. She didn't think it was going to work and they would tell her all about it even if she saw the entire thing, so she thought it better to stay back. Shisui shrugged, still staring after them as they made their way to the family.
Suddenly, Itachi had appeared out of nowhere and had her hand in his. She looked up at him, flashing him a bright smile, but didn't let go of Shisui just yet. She had really enjoyed his company up until now and didn't want him to leave just yet.
"How have you been without me?" Itachi asked, bending low so she could hear him.
"It's been fine," she said, the smile still on her face. "Shisui hasn't left me alone and Naruto and Sasuke came to say hello to me. Shisui got me out of a dance with Naruto," she laughed. Itachi was thankful to Shisui. It wasn't often Sakura would speak so carefree and smile and laugh so often, but somehow his cousin had managed to make it come about.
The doorbell rang and Sakura flinched at the sound. It kept ringing, causing other people to look up from their conversations to the door. Sakura hid herself behind Itachi, her hands tight on both their hands and she pressed her face into Itachi's shoulder. He let her do it and Shisui only looked at her, mildly concerned. Fugaku finally opened the door and Itachi wished he hadn't.
"Where's my daughter?!" the voice of her father caused fear to spear her through and she let out a whimper, hands clenching the two so tightly they both looked to her. "I want my daughter! I know she's here!" her father was obviously drunk and Sakura obviously didn't want to go to him while he was. She was scared and couldn't move.
"Take her upstairs," Itachi whispered to Shisui. He pried her fingers away from his and he whispered in her ear that Shisui would take care of her before moving quickly to the door. Shisui sprang into action and began pulling her towards the back stairs, trying his best to keep her out of the door's line of vision. Her father's drunken yells followed them up the stairs and they could hear him outside the house.
"Dear god, little Sakura, who the hell was that?" he asked as he led her away from the scene, only to realize she was limping heavily. How had he never noticed that before? He stopped pulling her. "Are you alright? You're limping."
"I just stepped wrong," she said roughly, knowing she had to answer him. He stooped and pulled her into his arms. "I'll take you to my little cousin's room." Sakura only nodded.
"Why do you call your cousins little?" she asked, staring at the passing wall. "Why do you call me that?" she was trying to distract herself by asking him questions and he seemed to understand that. He smiled and answered her questions easily.
"They're all younger than me and it pisses them off," he answered cheerily. "I call you little because you're all tiny and stuff." He smiled down at her, but she wasn't looking at him. Apparently trying to cheer her up was not going to go well today. He made it to Itachi's room and put her on the bed.
"Are you going to leave?" she sounded fearful. She didn't want to be alone, not right now. He shook his head, sitting next to her and picking up the remote. He found a Charlie Brown special and hoped she'd like it. She didn't seem to have any qualms about it, just staring blankly at the screen.
"So, little Sakura, how long has your father been abusing you?" he asked, not sparing a glance at her. She spluttered and flushed, becoming too tense and too still within a moment. He knew he was correct because this was her reaction the last time he'd gotten something very correct. "Mine abused me," he said nonchalantly, as if she had answered him, "I ran away from home at sixteen. You want to know why?" He didn't get an answer. "He was a mean drunk. He beat me up a lot and didn't care about it."
"Since I was five," he barely heard her soft answer to his original question. Sakura didn't know why he was doing this. Her world was crashing down around her and she asked herself why he had to ask her these things. She didn't understand his thought process behind it all.
"Sakura, come on. I'm just trying to be nice. From one abused kid to another," he matched her tone and placed a hand over hers. She winced and looked down at it before opening her mouth to say something else.
"You had the strength to run away," she murmured. He was surprised by her words. He wouldn't use the word strength to describe what he did.
"It wasn't strength," he said lowly, "I thought it was cowardly, on my part. I thought it was my fault, that he beat the shit out of me I mean. I still have the scars," he pulled up his shirt and showed her a long thin scar from his neck to his stomach. "He almost killed me that time and I made it worse so I wouldn't have to wake up."
"Oh." She didn't have words to say like he did. She couldn't think of anything else but that and she thought herself a terrible person to talk to about this. Shisui was much better. He knew what to say and when to say it, so unlike her.
"How bad did yours hurt you?" He fixed her with a stare she recognized. She saw pity and worry and, for once, understanding. The understanding look in his eyes is what made her turn her back to him and lift her sweater and shirt up, allowing him to see the marred skin of her lower back. "Damn," he reached out, pressing his fingertips gently to her back, tracing scars, unhealed cuts, and bruises. She jumped, but didn't pull her clothing back down. "Does Itachi know?"
"Don't tell him," her voice was far braver than how she actually felt. "I don't know what he'll do if he finds out," she didn't want to think about it either. She had spent the better part of seven years keeping this from him and she wasn't about to stop now.
"He'll kill your father, silly Sakura. I have half a mind to do exactly that." He reached for a bandage across her side and pulled it back. This one had to have happened within the last day or so. It was a burn, at least second degree if he'd had to guess. The skin had been stripped away and the wound was red and angry. "Come on, we have to redress these," he said, pulling himself up and offering his hand. He led her to one of the many hidden bathrooms in the huge house and redressed her wounds with practiced ease. She felt a little uncomfortable taking her shirt off around him, but got over it quickly. He was doing her a favor.
"Thank you," she said after she pulled her shirt back on.
"Don't wait for him to put you in the hospital, cream puff," he said affectionately, petting her head, "Get away from him before that happens." He would definitely go after the man if he hear he'd put Sakura in the hospital. He felt bad thinking about it like that, but knew he wouldn't regret it if it came down to it.
"He needs me, it's just when he drinks too much," she said dejectedly, pulling herself up. She wanted to go back to Itachi's room, where she felt safe. Shisui took her back gladly and sat back on the bed with her.
"You should tell Itachi about it, though," he said thoughtfully. "This isn't something you can keep from him, especially if it's getting worse. Itachi notices everything and he's probably already pretty curious about what you're hiding under your skirts and long sleeves." Sakura flushed and shook her head.
"It's been seven years, I'm quite sure I don't have to tell him," especially when she was going to be married off eventually and would never see him or her best friends again.
"You haven't known him your entire life, dearest," he grinned at her. Sakura only shook her head. "Anyways, I think Itachi's coming," he could hear footsteps on the stairs. "If you need me, I'll be around." He smiled at her and she smiled back at him. He didn't like that smile. It looked as though she was trying to hold herself together.
"Bye, Shisui," she said, holding his hand for a brief moment.
"Bye, cream puff." He walked out of the room and went for the stairs, passing Itachi on the way, who nodded at him. His cousin looked a tiny bit pissed, but he didn't think it was at Sakura, so he wasn't really worried about it.
Sakura was lying on the bed when he walked in and he went straight to his close to pull out pajamas and get out of the stuffy suit. "Your father punched me. My father called the cops and he was booked on charges of assault," Itachi said gruffly. Sakura didn't know what to say and waited for him to turn around. When he did, she didn't like it. His left eye was quickly turning black and blue and it sickened her to the bone. It was okay when her father beat her, she could deal with it, but this was Itachi.
"Alright," she finally said. She didn't know what was going to happen next.
"He'll be in a holding cell for a couple days until a judge can see him. He'll probably post bail after that," Itachi said, crawling into bed beside her. She settled into the curve of his body and rested her cheek on his chest watching him. "So you don't have to go back for a few days, though I wish you never would." She was speechless for a moment. He never spoke like that.
"I can't leave him, Itachi, he needs me," she said softly. Without her he couldn't feed himself and the house would be a mess. Without him she had no life and no one to protect her. No one would want her if she ran away, that had been drilled into her head from the time she was born. Itachi only narrowed his eyes at the ceiling and brought her closer.
"If he does anything, let me know," he said darkly. She thought he knew for a moment, thought Shisui said something, but calmed down when she realized he hadn't. Itachi wouldn't be lying in bed with her, arms around her, if he had found out. He would have gone out to the police station and added to her father's charges. "Promise me."
"I promise," she said softly, laying her head back down on his chest. She knew she couldn't keep this promise, but Itachi seemed to have calmed at this point and for that she was glad. If she could just put him off until her destiny came to take her away, she would be happy. She didn't want to worry him with things he couldn't change and felt slightly terrible that she was keeping such things from him, but didn't really mind either. There was enough weighing on his mind without this.
Although her mind was once again plagued by harrowing thoughts, she managed to close her eyes and sleep while in the calming embrace of Itachi's. She didn't want to. She wanted to keep talking to him, but knew now wasn't the time. She only let herself drop into a rather restless sleep, filling with nightmares she didn't think about in the waking world.