A/N: Sheesh. Chapter stories and I do not go together. My updates are absolutely not worth waiting over two months for. –sigh- Sorry; I'm doing my best. Here's the third chapter; I hope you like it despite the wait.
Break Away
Chapter 3: Promises
Dappled moonlight filtered neatly through glass, creating bleached, intricate patterns across the wooden floors of the inn's room. The night sky was clear, allowing a full view of the stars, strewn and contrasting sharply throughout the arrays of blue and purple, and the moon's light went unobstructed. These nights were peaceful, and they had been for the past month, though lately, a pall of dismal gray was forming in the distance, signifying the coming of a storm any day. But, the inhabitants of such serene setting remained unperturbed by such things as they lay on a bed in the moon-flooded room.
The little blockade of stuffed animals had been discarded, as after four weeks together, Temari felt as though she could trust the Uchiha enough not to do anything unwanted. Besides, for the past few days, she was finding herself closer when she had fallen asleep. Nightmares and stress plagued her constantly- memories of the day Gaara died, guilt, her brother's worry… It was growing nearly unbearable about how paranoid she felt each day, wondering if they were alright without her care. She had left with the intention of never coming back, just to teach them. But, bonds were harder to break than she thought; what if they weren't fairing well; oh, there were so many what-ifs. The only solace she had was the comfort of a man who had known her for a mere month, but he had been there when she truly needed him. And in this world of isolation and desperation that came to her in sleep, it was something that was important to her.
They had grown closer over these weeks- doing things together, eating together, and getting to know each other. It was monotonous some days, but the oddest part was, that even the thrill-seeking kunoichi didn't mind it that much. They were able to sit in less crowded areas and just sit. The comfortable silence let her know of the Uchiha's feelings more than talking to her, as odd as it was. She was able to see the faintest movements of her body indicating what he felt, subtle changes in facial expression, and just the fact she was not intimidated by him made her know even a little what went on inside that complex mind of his, let her know he cared about her enough. And, because of the company he provided, despite growing up around noise, she would not make him talk.
Itachi was grateful for a companion who didn't wish to change him. He spent the past month of his freedom with a woman who had brightened his mood and made some of the ever-present depression fade. He felt like doing things now, to see what she would do that day. And, she understood, having a brother with a somewhat similar personality. When he was silent or thinking, she didn't probe much. When he just wanted to 'be' and enjoy his surroundings, she would relent despite her restless personality. And when she wanted to do more 'extreme' things, she took him into consideration. Caring and somewhat quirky was an odd combination, but it worked for her to create a person who was surprisingly more tolerable than all other people he had previously dealt with. The odder thing was how things progressed as they knew more about each other. She would seek comfort in him, it seemed. She had seemed rather troubled recently; he hadn't asked, but with the subtle contacts and moving closer to him while distress beset her dreams. He was able to comply after all the small things she had done for him.
Now was one of those times where they remained silent, simply lying together on opposite sides of the bed as they thought- staring out the window, at the ceiling, or other things around the room after another rather arduous day. Along with dragging him around to go shopping- oh, how she pestered him about that 'hideous' cloak; just out of spite, he wouldn't allow her to replace it-, she had picked a fight- it took her long enough, with her spitfire personality- with a man in their hotel. In contrast to Ai's calm and rather timid sort of demeanor, this man- he may have heard his name was Hiro-, was snobbish and rather impolite. Somewhat similar to Temari, so naturally, she had to make some remarks. Similar personalities didn't seem to go together, Itachi had observed, so perhaps it was why he didn't particularly like Ai- while he was rather incapable of hating someone he didn't know, he by no means wanted to go out of his way to talk to her. This was rather time consuming and grating, and standing around in stores- rather awkwardly-, then walking to another- and countless others after that- was even worse. This was what women did, he was informed one day, and if he didn't like it, he could go do things alone. And when he said he would rather die than do this day after day, she hadn't spoken to him for almost an hour. He learned she was sensitive- or liked to make him miserable through all the sort of opening up he had done. He smirked lightly at the thought, letting out a long sigh.
Seeming to interpret the noise as boredom, Temari turned on her side somewhat. "Do you want to get something to eat?"
"If you want," the Uchiha replied noncommittally. The past few times of eating out hadn't turned out so well; he was always overly nervous about staying in one place for over five minutes. She was set on changing that habit, but surprisingly for her, she was relatively calm. "Where do you want to go?"
He was half expecting a remark equally as indecisive such as 'I don't know' or 'What do you want?', but he raised an eyebrow as she replied, "I want to go someplace to drink sake." She grinned, noticing his rather troubled expression. "Y'know, to celebrate a friendship or whatever."
The past month had been without alcohol in her system, and the craving was there. Besides, it seemed a good enough reason. "Don't tell me you're a lightweight," she teased softly, moving again to rest her chin on her fist.
"…I am," he replied uncertainly, hesitance evident in his dark eyes. "Oh, come on, Itachi. You're so set in your ways."
Itachi felt she wasn't playing fair in such a statement; he had been fairly compliant all month, but this doglike urge to please resurfaced, and the look in her eyes made his resolve falter. "All right." She wasn't fair, and he didn't want her thinking he was afraid of something as trivial as drinking, so he downcast his eyes with a small noise of agitation.
She seemed to brighten somewhat, and she sat up again. "You're so good to me," she remarked sarcastically, and he grunted softly, obvious dislike in the sound. Regardless, he didn't verbally complain as they both climbed off the bed, and Itachi found himself stiff from the prolonged period of inactivity.
The desert-dwelling kunoichi was as awake as ever and quickly stretched before moving quickly over to the door, stepping into her shoes and retrieving the key to the room from a table. The Uchiha followed more lethargically, a dull expression on his face in his silent and somewhat show of unwillingness. She only snorted and pulled open the door, sliding out of the room without waiting- she wasn't going to put up with his behavior, so she'd just ignore it. She hardly waited for the young man as she walked down the hallway with a distinctive spring in her step that she was in a good mood. Spending time with him was good enough, but the fact he may actually have fun was something to cheer her up more from her contented state of mind. The fan-user descended the stairs quickly, waved mockingly to Hiro- who cast a loathing stare-, and made her way to the main door to the inn to wait for her stoic friend.
Itachi, uncaring and calmly, followed the same path as her, a light frown marring his lips. She grinned at him, to which he only 'hn'ed, and moved to open the door. His impassiveness made her glare up at him, and he subtle moved closer to her to stand so his body prevented the door from closing. The intense stare caused a small shiver to run down her spine; as fond as she had grown, the knowledge of who he was and those cold eyes made her a little aware of her actions. Subconsciously, she knew such attitude from him was changing her- she had already become quieter in her speaking voice. Though he was changed in the sense he was beginning to try to express himself. She drew herself from her thoughts at his expectant stare, and she smiled more sheepishly before exiting the building. He followed afterwards, and by his silence, she assumed she was meant to walk and he was going to come along.
It was a few minutes walking that Temari realized Itachi was used to getting his way. It was expected after living alone for so many years, but it was a little annoying to think he was stubborn. She sighed, glancing over her shoulder to notice his somewhat unnerved expression. He still hadn't gotten over his little paranoia of being arrested, and she sighed. She could sympathize slightly if that was the reason he gave her such a hard time every time they went outside. She slowed down slightly so she was walking with him instead of in front of him. "Calm down…"
He glanced down at her with a small frown, eyes half lidded in a thoughtful manner, and it was obvious he was trying to conceal his emotions. "I'm fine."
Temari studied him skeptically, but she relented. "Okay," she mumbled, lightly taking his arm to give him a mild reassurance of touch. He stiffened beneath her, but she was at ease—he didn't react and she wasn't flinching away.
She led him down the streets, only stopping when they stood before a small tea shop, and she pushed open the curtain with the back of her hand. It was empty inside, and Itachi relaxed. She simply smiled and stood on her tiptoes, her body sliding up his shoulder, to kiss him on the cheek. He had been so good to her these past weeks, and it was just a mild show of her gratitude.
He grew rigid all over, and she wasn't disheartened by the fact that his expression was utterly unreadable when he looked at her. She could see the slightest touch of confusion, by the furrow in his brow. She just smirked, it widening when the woman who must have owed the shop let out a sound. It was something akin to an 'aw', and Itachi's eyes hardened in childish bitterness. She never faltered, and that was what intrigued the Uchiha at times.
"What a cute couple," the woman crooned. "It reminds me of when I was young."
Itachi opened his mouth, obviously to correct the statement, but Temari shushed him with a light pinch on his arm. He let out a hushed, agitated noise. "Thank you," was all she said, with a charming smile gracing her lips. As good to her as he was, she felt the need to punish him for his broodiness.
The pair sat down and gave the woman, who was obviously quite pleased to have younger "in love" visitors, their orders. As enigmatic as the Uchiha was, Temari had already figured out his eating patterns.
"You need to stop eating so many sweets."
"Hn..."
She rolled her eyes, leaning her chin on her palm as she studied his blank expression. "It's bad for you."
"If I cared about my health, I would have stopped eating poorly long ago, Temari," he graced her with more than ten words for an answer.
The fan-user sighed exasperatedly. She adopted a more teasing tone, "Well, do it for me, at least. I love you after all."
She decided to play along with their 'couple' status, at least in this restaurant, but she didn't expect him to act negatively.
His eyes turned icy, his demeanor downright frightening with his frigid posture and mood. The intensity that made her breath catch began to fade from his eyes, and he suddenly looked somber again, as he usually did. There was some wistfulness in him though, by the light twisted of his lips into a meaningless smile. "Please do not play around with such a phrase."
She worried her lip, brow furrowing. She couldn't understand him; how isolated he was to grow upset over such a petty thing, she thought. But perhaps he had never heard it sincerely. "Itachi, I…"
She folded her hands on her lap, eyes fixated away from him on the counter. "I'm sorry."
He didn't respond, only continued his impassive, angst-filled stare downward. She frowned, deeper and more agitated. "Look," she began, turning to face him again. He glanced unwillingly up at her, but he knew she wouldn't let up if he didn't. "I'm not so good at this flirting thing."
His eyes seemed to soften, but his face was still mildly perturbed. "Flirting?" he questioned slowly, skeptically.
"Yes," Temari replied impatiently, her own expression softening. He seemed innocent sometimes, through the hardness of his exterior. "I like you; you're not as horrible as people say you are."
He seemed confused, but his somberness seemed to soften into complete exhaustion that made him look older than he was. She grew concerned, and she tentatively touched his arm. "Are you… okay?"
Itachi let out a slow breath, closing his eyes and interlacing his fingers over his lips. "I am fine…" he murmured softly. "Please give me time; I cannot promise you anything emotionally right now."
Temari kept her hand where it was, pursing her lips together uneasily. "Take your time," she replied, a little shamefacedly. "There's no rush, Itachi."
He closed his eyes, trying to slip back into placidity, though it was growing exceedingly hard with that small, seeming insignificant tidbit of information of her slight feelings and her touch. He lived so many years without it, and the light sensations, even just a friendly gesture, reminded him how alive he was… He sighed uneasily, and the woman placed the dango and vegetable soup before the two at that moment. He glanced up, a forced appreciative look in his eyes, but she seemed pleased enough with it. Temari took to the verbal thanks, and the elder female pointed out how cute they were again. Itachi didn't see it.
"May we have sake as well, please?"
"Certainly!"
Itachi snapped his eyes back to her at the exchange. She eased her hand from him, innocently proceeding to eat what she had ordered. She inclined her head towards him, pretending to ignore his glare. "You promised."
He faltered, knowing he had, and he backed off bitterly. He returned to his dango silently, while she went about looking smug. She had no problem recovering from unwanted situations, and he already seemed to calm himself down.
The childishness of the silent game continued until a bottle of sake was placed before them on the counter. Temari smiled her gratitude while Itachi acted as if he were the only one of the room, stacking the sticks from the remnants of his meal in a random pattern.
She took his cup calmly from him, unfazed by his apparent lack of recognition. She poured the rice-based alcohol before setting it before him with a light 'click'. "Don't be such a sore loser."
He glared, watching her pour the drink for herself. She drank it easily, with no grimace or hesitation. He, however, was tentative. Uncertainly, he picked up the ceramic of the cup, raising it to his lips and taking a small sip. His composure was the only thing that kept him from gagging, but she looked amused regardless.
It only took a few light phrases of teasing for him to recall his Uchiha pride and swallow the drink. He gasped for breath while she poured him another. The cycle continued between them until she was a bit clouded. She stopped, already knowledgeable in such an area, but he was not so lucky.
She watched him contentedly, glad to see he finally seemed to let go of the past. His placidity border-lined on a smile, and she swore she almost saw him broke a grin when he almost knocked their plates of the table when he moved. His catlike grace and the cadence of his voice where broken, and she was feeling very proud of herself.
"Hn… I never noticed how pretty you were…" he muttered in a low voice not too much different than his normal one; only because she knew him for such a period of time did she notice that perfect articulation and the consistency of his syllables were no longer present.
She smiled knowingly, and in her own mildly drunken state, she flushed faintly. He seemed to find amusement in this, and it deepened at his charming expressions he never was in high enough spirits to show.
He swayed, leaning forward slightly to rest his hand on her thigh, sliding it upward discreetly, his ways not entirely forgotten in his clouded state. She caught it, pretending not to notice.
"You should drink more," he suggested quietly, though his eyes were innocent. "It is a celebration."
She found that somewhat endearing, and she sighed, shaking her head. "No, I'm fine. One of us has to make sure you don't hurt someone."
He frowned; eyes half lidded in what could have been an intimidating expression if he was trying—or completely sober. She just smiled at him.
"But on that topic," she mumbled, never breaking her expression as she pinned his hand in place as it moved, "I should get you home. You've had enough already."
She spoke briefly with the kind old woman, very surreptitiously reprimanding the Uchiha with light pushed on his chest and the redirection of his hands. He was tired mentally, she knew… She understood him from having to console her brother during his adjustment period—though she pushed that thought away, not wanting to think of her family. He was bored, and she didn't have any problem not finding offense in this—it was cute, she thought somewhat sardonically.
She thanked the woman again, leaving the amount of money needed on the counter before grasping the persistent Uchiha by the hand and leading him away. She chided him nearly inaudibly, but she knew it would go right over his head anyway. She led him, more at east since he was. He obediently trailed after her with longing, innocent eyes that made her sigh with distaste. Why couldn't he be more expressive normally? After many stops to inform her bluntly and positioning of his hand and face—she secretly lingered on the feel of his skin, knowing she didn't have long to experience it again—, they arrived at the inn.
She glared at Hiro for her stumbling partner, trying to feign calmness when she wanted to tear that arrogant and condescending look off his face. But she had promised Itachi she would be good. Even if he wasn't 'around' to enforce it, she wasn't going to be underhanded. She moved around the floor, Itachi moving silently behind her with faltering steps in his once smooth lope. She felt badly for destroying the elegant and proud creature, but he really did need to loosen up. She was enjoying helping him while she could; using every chance she could to correct him because she knew he would never be wrong again after tonight. It was how he was.
The stairs seemed to be their first obstacle. He seemed to realize his own limits and studied her doubtfully. He was calculating and aware—somewhat—even like this; she was impressed. She smiled at him, murmuring something encouraging. She felt like she was needed… And her heart fluttered at the knowledge. Quietly, she slung her arm over his shoulders, finding some difficulty with their sizes, and she tried not to dwell on the warmth in the chill of the building. He sighed, and she was hoping he wasn't thinking the same. She never had any idea what went on in his mind, and she bit her lip when he gazed over at her with a seemingly unseeing impassive, yet more open look. She turned away and focused on getting them up the stairs. It took longer than she would have liked, and she could feel Hiro's eyes boring up at them with that same smugness she loathed.
Her feet shakily alighted onto the floor of the hallway, him following, and she eased her grip from around him. She could have sworn she saw him fake tripping. Sneaky bastard; she pondered his intent. She shrugged it off, turning up her nose to show she wasn't humoring him any longer. Temari ambled over to their door, searching her person for the key for the room.
The fan user realized their second problem was that Itachi had to be the man and take the keys. She held out her hand as he stood before her, and he looked at her as if she were crazy despite his recovering daze.
"What?" he murmured quietly, frowning.
"The key," Temari replied tersely. "Give it to me."
He didn't seem to recall initially, and she muttered something under her breath. The raven-haired male finally adopted a somewhat realizing look, and he fumbled in his pockets of the black cloak he donned. It was his turn to say something unintelligible, and he continued searching. She watched with jaded blue eyes, tying to figure out what was difficult about finding their key.
She grew impatient, as it was in her nature. "Where is it? Don't tell me you lost it."
He gave her an irritated expression, not entirely pleased he lost it himself. She advanced on him with an incensed sound. "Itachi," she growled, moving to help him search. He definitely had a look which she tried to ignore that clearly said he was misinterpreting her intent. She ran her fingers along the material of his cloak, delving into his pockets. He remained rigid with anticipation
"How many pockets do you have?" she hissed, and he faltered, getting the hint and helping her.
She moved her hands, snapping some of the buttons of his cloak apart, and he let out an unreadable sound when her hands moved along the inside of his cloak, the backs of her knuckles running along the fabric of his shirt, painfully close to settling the burning curiosity. She ignored him, grumbling as she finally produced the small metal key from one of his pockets, and he sighed when she backed away.
She murmured something along the lines of 'give it to me next time', and he felt a prickle of uneasiness run along his spine. She shrugged uncaringly; she gave him enough of her sympathy. He had said he didn't want her exactly earlier anyway. So, she unlocked the door and pushed it open, waiting for him to enter. He moved languidly in a way that never ceased to enthrall her. But she protruded her bottom lip when he brushed past her deliberately and gave her no further recognition. He was too used to getting what he wanted.
Temari moved, steadying him as he stumbled, and sat down on the bed again. He watched her idly, and she stared as if expecting him to do something.
"Thank you for tonight…" she tried, not sure which side of him was easier to deal with. "I know you didn't want to come."
A small, smiling look flitted in his eyes briefly. "Hn…"
She decided she hated his mood swings and paradoxical attitude either way. But the attraction that he had given her a chance for the time they were together to get to know him some was enough to keep her from snapping. She softened when he at least faced he wasn't going to regret anything in the morning when he approached her before moving to the opposite side of the bed and sat gingerly on the edge.
She watched him as she undid her hair, glancing out the window to estimate the time—all she could see was that she was sleeping now.
He shifted backwards, glancing over at her to study her face intently. She grew uncomfortable under the emotionless scrutiny, and she sighed. She gave him a 'what do you want' sort of look. He just moved closer towards her to hover, and she grew increasingly uncertain of his intentions.
"Temari."
She drew in a shaky breath, murmuring his name, though in a more skeptical tone.
"I think I am ready to make that promise," he stated quietly, and she was still frowning upon the lack of his unwavering coherence.
She was also unsure. "What do you mean?"
"I like you," the Uchiha decided, completely serious. She flushed more; she knew not to be so flustered. This had happened to her before, but the fact this was Uchiha Itachi made it seem so surreal. He had been irresolute earlier, so what was this intense look in his eyes she had never seen before? It wasn't lust—not entirely…
"Itachi… you're drunk."
He looked put off, worrying his lip with the insult in his eyes. "Do you think so?"
"Yes," she muttered, firmer in her answer as she attempted to glare at him with his looming presence. He seemed to get the hint and backed up slightly with a sigh.
She relaxed slightly with the feeling that he wasn't breathing down her neck. She didn't want to hear those words right now. "Please tell me tomorrow; so I know you're serious…"
Itachi's eyes grew softer. He was hardly intoxicated; he had low tolerance. By this point, his thoughts were clear. He was somewhat disoriented, as if he couldn't remember where he had been. "No. Please listen to me now. Give me a chance. I'll promise I will do what I can."
Temari groaned, disliking his resolute tone, that deep, alluring tone that made her want to cave. She was distrusting, not wanting to get hopeful for him to just forget in the morning, revert back to that damnable unfazed ice block. But he looked so sincere, and she couldn't help but touch his face tentatively. It was warmer than it looked, him always seeming so pale, and she trailed his fingers down his smooth, well defined face. She could feel his whole body tense in her touch. Reflex, she recalled; he had been so stiff the first day they met just by her sitting near him. "Okay. You promised, though."
She regretted the words. Couldn't she save her last scrap of trust for him? The relief in his eyes and the almost-smile that touched his lips made her believe so. Even for now; maybe she would forget, too. Was this even real? The moonlight made him look dreamlike. But he felt concrete enough.
"Thank you," Itachi breathed.
She couldn't be certain what changed his mind, but he nodded. Perhaps she had loosened him up more than she intended—was he lying earlier?
She couldn't bother to dwell on such things as she relaxed her arm back to her side. "Good night."
"The promise will stand in the morning," he stated in that same articulate and almost somber voice she had grown attached to.
Temari smiled, feeling she could believe the stranger who found her when the whole world seemed to turn its back on her.
