Epilogue

Believe

Already it had been two miserable months that you had been working for Orochimaru. You ignored him half the time and brushed him off when he called to you. You hated it and you found a most pleasurable way to get away from it all.

You were walking to your room which just "happened" to be right next to Orochimaru's room. You quietly closed your door and headed over to your bedside and sat down on the comfortable covers. But it would never be as comfortable as it was in his bed.

You opened up your bedside table and grabbed the piece of glass that was awaiting your next meeting. You rolled up the sleeve of your dress and placed the glass on your skin you looked up and pinched your eyes closed as you felt the sharp sting of the glass cut into your skin. Your head was still up and your eyes were relaxed now.

He's not coming for you…

That little voice said inside your mind. You brought the glass down again, another sting.

Little droplets of blood dripped down and you could feel them on your toes.

It's been too long…he would have come for you by now…

Another cut. Deeper, more aggression.

He doesn't love you…

You wanted to scream for the cut that you did that time. You opened your mouth and you shrunk to the ground. You curled up and you let the glass slip from your hand, the bloody glass. You let the tears flow down until you felt the sting in the newly open cuts on your forearm. The blood started to drip down to the floor and a new puddle was beginning to form. You looked down at your arm; you tried to count how many angry red scars in all were on your arm…

You lost count after thirty or more like you gave up. You was too miserable to keep counting. To many times you've cut. Or was it too many times you've let hope come into your heart then tear it away until nothing then build it back up and repeat the cycle. You might not have been able to feel physical pain, but you knew what they were for. That's what made you want to scream.

You didn't know what you should've done now. You didn't know what to do. Keep serving until your set free or until he tried to rape you? You didn't know. Thank goodness that he hasn't tried that the whole time that you were here. He wanted you to "get used" to him until you were ready to give yourself up to him.

You heard a knock on your door and you gasped, even though nothing came out.

"Yuzuki-chan, time to eat," Kabuto said through the door.

You wrapped your arm in a bandage and headed towards the door. You quickly tied it to hold it in place and then put your sleeve down to its natural length.

You opened your door to see Kabuto waiting there for you. He smiled lightly – smirked – and started walking down the corridor without waiting for you. He knew that you "belonged" to Orochimaru, do he didn't like to communicate with you. He had already gotten a beating for it before, and he wasn't even flirting.

You had arrived at the room where you normally ate and you sat in your chair, left hand side of Orochimaru. Kabuto was across from you and Orochimaru was no-where to be seen. You looked down and your hands and hid your hands under your sleeves because you noticed a blood trail on your middle finger. You couldn't excuse yourself because Kabuto wouldn't allow it, you didn't know what would happen, but you didn't really want to know what would happen. He'd probably rape you…Great, more reason to die.

Orochimaru arrived a few minutes later and he smiled at Kabuto and you – you totally ignored it – and sat down. Soon a plate was set in front of you with food on it. It didn't look that appealing so you decided to just let it sit there. You didn't have the appetite anyways. You stared at your food for who knows how long, but before long it was time to go. You looked up at Orochimaru and he took his and your plate away and you stood up, preparing to leave.

"You wait here Yuzuki-chan." Orochimaru said before you took your leave. You stopped at the archway and let Kabuto pass by you quickly and you took a glance at Orochimaru. He was frowning and he fingered that you come over by him. You sighed silently and walked over to him.

The moment you got over there you knew pain was coming. Orochimaru came closer and grabbed your left arm. You winced, he knew....

"What happened Yuzuki-chan, there's blood on your sleeve…" Orochimaru whispered in your ear as he squeezed tighter on your forearm. How did he know? Now you noticed, a drop of blood seeped through your sleeve and left a single red dot.

"You think you can hide this from me?" Orochimaru hissed, his voice changing dramatically. "I've known you've been doing this the whole time you've been here. I can smell blood from a mile away and you expect me to not notice your...intoxicating..." He lifted your sleeve and showed you your bandaged arm. "Fascinating…" He unwrapped the bandage. "Beautiful blood…" He licked at the blood that was still flowing freely on your arm.

"Tell me Yuzuki-chan why? Is it that depressing here?" Orochimaru said, he was teasing you. "Oh yes, that's right…you can't speak."

You fist collided with his nose until you felt a crack. You couldn't stand it anymore. Someone needed to teach him a lesson on manners, and since no one was doing it might as well be you. Orochimaru hissed and punched you square in the face that sent you flying for the wall. He was at your throat in an instant, his hand wrapped around it and squeezing. You couldn't breathe.

"You think that you can just attack me…you think wrong!" he yelled and he grabbed you and brought you to the floor banging you against the cold, hard floor until your head started bleeding. You still couldn't breathe.

"You need punishment."

You shook your head and grabbed at his hands around your neck, trying to pry them off, it was no use. The lack of blood and food was taking its consequences on you by not giving you enough strength.

You felt yourself being dragged and then thrown. You back hit something sharp and you knew that it was another rock. It sure was a good thing you didn't feel.

"Now, be a good girl and stay down there and maybe in a few days you might be able to come out." Orochimaru said as he slammed the door.

Pitch black.

Okay, so you punch him, he punches you. Doesn't that make it even?

You serve him for two miserable months and then you get thrown into some stupid cellar?

Not even.

You could barely move, Orochimaru left your bandages in the dining room and you had nothing to stop the blood loss.

You did the best you could and ripped off your right sleeve of your dress and wrapped it around your left forearm the best you could. You tied it the tightest it could get so that there would be enough pressure on it so that it would stop bleeding.

Now would be a perfect time to die right now. That's what you thought. You wanted to die so badly right now. He probably wasn't coming, you were stuck in a cellar and Orochimaru didn't even care if you died now. You broke his nose!

You snickered inside thinking of the pain that he must be going through. You rubbed your arm over your forearm again and felt the tight cloth around your wounds.

'Maybe he is coming…'

"Are you stupid? He would've come by now, but is he here? No I don't see him. Just give up."

That's what you wanted to do. Yet somehow, you still had faith in him and you still believed that he didn't forget about you. You still believed in him, he would come. He's looking for you right now.

"You are stupid thinking that he still loves you. You should just give up."

'Shut up…'

You still believed you still felt that he was looking for you. You still believe that he was coming for you…right now…

You close your eyes and felt that the rock that had hurt you didn't hurt so much anymore, you fell asleep.

*****

A week had passed and you were still in that stupid cellar. The dark had become your friend and you knew your way around the place now. Your eyes were more adjust to the dark more than anything. You smiled lightly and laid down in the most comfortable place in the whole cellar, the rock where you hit your head on in the beginning. You curved your body until you felt like you were in heaven, it was probably better than the bed that you used to sleep on in that one room.

You lifted your head and snapped your eyes open. Someone was here…

You looked around and saw nothing, this person was good…too good.

You backed up to the wall so that that person would have to come in front of you and you would be able to fight better if you saw him and it wasn't a surprise attack.

But the wall was softer than usual. And you didn't need to feel for that. You just knew, like a hunch. You dared to turn…this aura, this emotion…

It's him…

You turned quickly and found yourself in an embrace, the embrace that you have been waiting for so long…came to you. Your arms somehow wrapped their way around him. You leaned your head into his chest and took in the scent of cloak, then scent of him…Itachi. Your Itachi.

"Yuzuki-chan…" He whispered. To hear the way he said your name in that lovely baritone voice, it was beautiful.

'Say it again…' You thought.

"Yuzuki-chan…" he read your mind.

He grabbed the back of your head, entangled his fingers in your head and clutched you to him harder. You couldn't feel his embrace, but you just knew where his hands were, you knew that he was holding you tightly. You knew that he was here to rescue you. Great, now you felt weak.

He lifted you into his arms and suddenly you were gone, you were out from the dungeon, you were out of misery, Itachi was here for you. Came for you. And you believed in him. Kept believing in him. He came for you…

You didn't recognize where you were, but you knew that you probably at the new Akatsuki hideout. You couldn't hear anything, even with your heightened senses. This was…his room.

"Yuzuki-chan, Deidara told what happened…" Itachi began speaking quickly. "You made a promise to him that you would never hurt me and then Deidara kissed you even though you didn't want him to. He did it on his own and then you had to go to Orochimaru because you made a deal with him that if you did hurt me then you would have to work for him. And then he almost…if Deidara wasn't there on time…he would have…"

You put your finger on his lips and looked at him, your eyes boring deeply into his. You wanted to tell him everything, but you knew that you couldn't. You couldn't tell him mentally. He seemed to get the clue.

Lips pressed against yours sent your emotions haywire. You noticed everything around you changed but you didn't care. You head began to see things in a new way, every memory again. Every memory of him. Every swirling emotion of your life with him had been replayed in your body and mind and soul. You felt the movement of his lips against yours. You could taste his tongue, his sweet addicting taste came back to you, you could taste him.

Everything spread like wild fire after you tasted him again, and he knew that you could again. He slammed you up against the wall and you started breathing harder, faster. He left your mouth and went down to your throat. You entangled your fingers in his hair, his long, black, silky hair. You felt the way to his cloak and undid the first few buttons and the slid down enough to unbutton the last few. He lifted you and you were on his bed.

Every memory and feeling was coming back to you. You wanted more of this, you wanted back your past without any pain. It had seemed as if the last month and a half had vanished. Everything was just pure bliss. Now was bliss.

Your dress slid off your shoulders and you noticed that Itachi threw the rest of your dress to the side. A fishnet mesh and a pair of black shorts were all that was on you. All in a second his shirt was off and you began feeling every dip and curve of his defined muscles that he had gained through training. His lips were back on yours and his hands ran down your shoulders to your hands. His touch was burning you; you didn't want it to stop. But it did.

You felt your left forearm being touched, you felt the lips come off yours and you felt the cloth come off at the same time. The tightening pressure was gone and it was almost like a relief to your body, but not so much mentally…

"Yuzuki-chan, why?!" Itachi yelled.

He grabbed your face in between his hands, still burned. You just looked at him, unable to answer him mentally and physically. You tried to speak, but couldn't. He kissed you again quickly two times.

"Why Yuzuki-chan…why do you do some much to yourself." He kissed you again and again.

His crimson eyes burned into yours and his lower lip was trembling. "Did you do this because of me?"

'Kiss me more and I'll tell…' you thought as you brought your free hand to the back of his head and pulled him down onto you again. He seemed to respond hesitantly. But that didn't mean that he didn't respond at all.

Again, the emotions came pilling over and soon enough he was back to his old self and wanting every part of you again. His hands ran up the inside of your mesh and rubbed circles on your skin.

'Don't stop.'

His fingers slipped underneath your shorts and he cupped you roughly.

Something was coming, you could feel it.

'Please don't stop now.'

His other hand came up and gripped your breast and rubbed it softly.

A long slow moan escaped your lips and vibrated on the Uchiha's lips. He groaned out and stopped and let up off your lips.

"Tell me." He said roughly. He kissed you hardly again.

"Ugh…" You moaned. You pinched your eyes closed when he squeezed his hand on your breast. "I…"

Itachi moved his lips down to your neck so that you would be able to speak faster, he wanted to know quickly.

"I…" Another moan from your lips. "Believed in you…"

He stopped. His hands came up to your face and he carefully steadying himself above you. "What do you mean?"

"I never…stopped believing…in you." You said as you brought your hand to his face. A bead of sweat rolled down you face and he watched it slid down your neck in a jig-jagged pattern.

"What do you mean?" he was still confused.

"I knew that you would come for me. I knew you wouldn't give up on me…" You said.

He chuckled and he rested his head on your chest for a second. "Who ever gave you the idea that I would give up on you?"

You smiled.

"I love you." You said as you played with his bangs, brushing them to the side even though they just fell back to where they used to be. His eyes slightly widened.

"You love me? What about-

"I love you." You repeated.

He sighed and laid his body on top of yours, perfectly comfortable. His head rested on your chest again. His head moved up to the side of your face and you felt your body being pulled against his. You felt his smile on the side of your face. He kissed your cheek once and leaned his head against yours and he felt you become comfortable against his, perfect in seconds. His arms wrapped around you even tighter.

"And I love you."

The End