A/N: I finished another chapter. I don't know what happened, but I suddenly got back into the story and I can't stop writing it. This chapter is also longer for several reasons. 1. I enjoyed writing it and got carried away and 2. the last chapter was so short so I was planning on making this one a bit longer anyway.

I finished this yesterday, but I have a strict rule against updating twice on the same day and in a short space of time. So, I'm sorry. The most frequent updates will be every day, and no more frequent than that.

I'm also absolutely in love with Delicate - Taylor Swift. When I first heard it I wasn't sure of it, but after listening to it a few times I really like it. It reminds me of my boyfriend, and how our relationship started. I was so fragile and had my ex try to ruin me and my reputation (ha). Despite what my ex did (illegal), my boyfriend stuck with me and was there for me throughout the whole situation, even while I recovered from it (and while I am still recovering from it). He did so much, despite just being my friend at the time, and barely knowing me. I hadn't even known him two months when sh*t hit the fan. After all of it, he stayed and let me be his. Anyone else would have ran as soon as I told them what my ex was doing, they would have seen me as a girl with too much baggage. He even put up with me when I was drunk and trying to tell him how much I liked him.

I hope you enjoy this update!

The following week at work drags by, and soon enough a new week starts.

"I have a meeting with a customer. I'll need you to join me and take notes." Itachi says, holding the door to my office open. He holds out a bag to me. "Here's your new laptop, use it to take notes. There will be plenty more meetings you will be attending soon." I take the bag from him. He beckons me to follow him and I do.

"Thank you, when is the meeting?" I ask as we leave his office.

"In fifteen minutes, I'll need you to set up and I need to obtain the file from Shisui. He handled the case before but has passed it onto me at their request."

We head to the elevator, and wait for it to arrive.

"What is it they'll be needing from us?"

"The usual divorce. Their ex-wife is trying to take all their assets from them. We need to prevent that from happening."

It's sadly very common for wives to try to screw over their ex-husband during a divorce. Due to the high rates we charge, only the well-off use our services so it's far more common to see this situation happen.

Occasionally we'll have a case where the wife wants to take everything, including the children. That's always tough to deal with. Or husbands claiming that the wife cheated and the kid isn't his so he doesn't need to pay child support.

When the elevator arrives, we step into it and Itachi presses the button for the first floor. The lift begins to descend.

There's a jutter, and we come to a halt. The lights flicker, before turning off and the emergency lights switch on.

"Damn it. We don't have time for this." Itachi pulls out his phone and dials a number. He snaps into the phone quickly. "As soon as possible. No, it can't be in an hour. My father doesn't pay for the best engineers to take an hour to fix a broken-down elevator. I have a meeting in ten minutes!" Itachi snaps. Itachi sighs before putting his phone back into his pocket.

"We're stuck in here, aren't we?" I ask, my heart thumping in my chest. I can't help but feel terrified, an episode of an anime in my mind. I don't really fancy the elevator falling and the pair of us snapping our necks when it finally hits the bottom. Yeah everyone was cursed in that anime, and I'm sure there's safety mechanisms to stop it from crashing, but I can't help but panic irrationally at the impossible what-ifs.

"Yeah, for now." Itachi leans up against the wall.

"What's your favourite food?" I blurt out. Desperately wanting to distract myself from the possible doom of us dying.

"Dango, what's with the random question?" He looks like he's trying to fight a smile, the corner of his lips fighting a grin.

"To help time pass. I also like dango, it's just so nice. My mother used to take me to this nice dango shop in Tokyo when I was little." I confess. "It was called Dancing Dangos. I believe it shut down a few years ago though."

"Oh really? If I did well at school my father would take me there when I was younger. It closed down quite a few years ago now. The owner's husband died and she moved away to be with her parents."

"Oh that's a shame." I say. I can't help but remember the little boy I saw there, could that have been Itachi? The boy and his father did resemble an Uchiha, and they had that aura about them.

"I remember one time I went, I saw this girl. She must have been close to my age and all she did was smile at me. No being pushed towards me by their parent to introduce themselves, or their mother talking to my father. She didn't know who I was and it was refreshing. It was very daunting have people talk to me like they knew me when I was younger. I still don't like it now, I never know who's using me for my name to get their own fame or help their careers along."

I wonder if he's just being used by Tsubaki? Didn't he dump his previous girlfriends for the exact reason that they were using him? I know she's successful, but you can't deny the boost her career has had since being linked to Itachi. It's hard to avoid her face that is plastered in every single advertisement.

I couldn't help but think of the boy I saw in the dango shop. It couldn't have been Itachi, could it?

"I saw a boy there once, the last time I went. I only remember it because he just stared at me, and then my mother scolded me for staring back." I admit. Itachi's black eyes widen. The corners of his mouth twitch up ever so slightly.

"She had blue eyes. I remember them well because they're not exactly common to see in Tokyo, especially by someone who's not a foreigner."

"Did we meet back then and not know it?" I say and laugh.

"We must have done."

"That's so weird, I met you before I knew you." I mutter.

There's a pause and I debate whether to question him about Tsubaki.

"How do you know that Tsubaki isn't just using you for fame?" I ask quietly. I tear my eyes away from his face, my heart beating rapidly in my chest.

"She didn't ask me to go public, plus it was something my father suggested we do. He's good friends with her father, and decided that I've hidden my relationship with her for too long."

"Oh, fair enough." I let out a sigh. "I'd hate to have my relationships be public. I'd hate to be famous, I like those sort of things to be private. I wouldn't want every little thing aired out for everyone to know, and have people think they deserve to know what's going on like they know me personally. I don't know how you handle it, having every little thing speculated about."

"To be honest, I hate it. I just deal with it because it's something that comes along with being part of my family. I've just learned out to hide things, something I've had to get better at."

I look at him, meeting his eyes. Our eyes lock and I feel my breath get stuck in my throat.

The air feels like it's laced with electricity. My skin is tingly and everything feels ever so warm. Itachi's arm comes up and presses against the wall behind my head. His other resting on the bar along the back wall, before brushing a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Itachi?" I breathe, my voice barely a whisper. Suddenly the elevator jolts and it begins its descent once more.

Itachi moves away and the spell is broken. I keep my breathing controlled and brush my hair idly with my hands. When we reach the first floor, I pick up the laptop bag and follow him out.

We make our way to the room, where the client is already sat in the chair in front of the desk.

"I'm sorry for being late, the elevator broke down." Itachi says before taking his seat. I sit in the seat at the edge of the desk and set the laptop up.

"It's fine, Uchiha-san."

"So, what can we do for you, Tachibana-san?"

LNLN

"I think he likes you, Aki." Yuki says cheerfully.

"No, he has a girlfriend." I reply and she shakes her head.

"So? He can still look around. Plus, why would he ask Izumi to trade you over? He could easily train his own new assistant. I think he used the opportunity to spend more time with you."

"I highly doubt it, Yu. I don't know what happened in the elevator."

She sighs. "Well, if you won't admit the obvious fact that he likes you, then when are you going to admit that you have feelings for him? It's so obvious."

"He's my boss! Liking him is forbidden, and you're forgetting he's also famous. Liking him is setting myself up for hurt. We'd never ever work."

"Whatever, but the sooner you admit your feelings the sooner you can get over him, if that's what you want."

I take a deep breath. I don't like him, do I?

Then why does my heart race whenever I look at him? Why does seeing him brighten up my day? Why is it that the thing I look forward to most is seeing him?

I like him.

It's that simple.

Do I love him?

I'm not sure, but I definitely feel something for him.

"You're right." I whisper, my face feeling red hot and I try my best to avoid eye contact.

"Huh, what was that?" Yuki says loudly and holds a hand to her ear. "Did Miss Akira I Don't Like Itachi just admit she likes him? Oh my gosh, someone alert the media! Akira Hanakawa likes Itachi Uchiha!" She grabs my shoulders and shakes me. "I'm so glad you finally admitted it!"

LNLN

I look up at my screen and peek at Itachi, my latest revelation screaming at me in my head.

I like him. I like him. I like him.

My heart beats frantically in my chest and I feel warm. Too warm.

I'm being so obvious. There's no way he likes me too, he can't. He's with Tsubaki, and I'm not his type. He goes for models, and people that are famous. He wouldn't go for someone so plain and boring like myself.

I'm only going to scare him away and he'll stop being my friend. The thought of that happening hurts.

"Akira?" My head snaps up and my eyes meet his. My face grows warm and I fidget in my seat. "Are you feeling okay? You don't seem yourself."

"I'm fine, just a little bit tired, that's all." I lie quickly and break eye contact. I immediately begin typing on my keyboard, ending the very brief conversation. I don't dare look at him again.

At lunch I send a text to Yuki.

Akira: Help! I'm freaking out here and it's obvious. He's going to know I like him!

Yuki: Calm down. He already likes you, don't worry, Aki. Ask him out on a date while you're there ;)

Akira: Yuki! No, he has a girlfriend, remember? Please be serious.

Yuki: Fine. He likes you though, you can't deny it. Especially after what happened in the lift. He wouldn't have done that if he didn't like you.

Akira:… he can't like me.

Yuki: Stop denying it. He likes you.

I don't reply after that. Something definitely happened between us in the lift, that can't be denied. But why? That's what I want to know. Not that I'd ask him about it. I'd rather die than ask him about it. I'd rather just carry on like it didn't happen.

He has a girlfriend too. I can't and I won't step in between that.

My heart sinks. He has a girlfriend.

I have no chance with him anyway, I might as well let this silly crush die and move on with life.

LNLN

Weeks pass, and September draws to a close. I can't deny that Itachi and I have grown closer, which isn't exactly a surprise since I'm around him a lot at work.

The warm air is whisked away and replaced with cold, nights arrive earlier and the leaves on the trees turn orange and yellow. The green burning away as the leaves slowly die.

I walk into the office, and as usual Itachi is already sat behind his desk with a steaming mug of coffee. He looks up from his computer screen and smiles.

"Good morning, Akira-san." He greets.

"Good morning, Itachi-san." I say in return and make my way across the room to the door that leads to my office.

"I made you a cup of coffee, it's on your desk. Just how you like it."

"Thanks, Itachi-san." I thank him. Throughout the day we alternate who makes us coffee. I sit down at my desk and sip the warm coffee.

An hour later, Itachi pops into my office, leaning against the door frame. "I need to go out, my father has arranged an urgent meeting that I need to attend. I'll be back after lunch, if you need me urgently you have my number. Please cancel any meetings and tasks and rearrange them for another day."

"Okay, see you later then." I reply. He nods before exiting the office, leaving me alone to tend to the small list of things I need to do.

After lunch, Itachi arrives and the stench of tobacco wafts in. I knew he smoked, but he only smokes when he's feeling stressed. It was a bad habit he got into at school when he started to rebel slightly.

I stand up from my desk and lean against the door to my office. "Is everything okay?" I ask. He looks up at me, guilt spreading across his face. He knows my dislike for cigarettes.

"Yeah, just a tough meeting is all." I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Are you sure? You don't have to hide anything, especially if it's making you feel stressed."

"It's fine, I wish I could discuss the matter but I'm not allowed to. I'm sorry. Thanks for offering to help, though." I nod and head back to my office. I couldn't help but speculate what the meeting was about.

He did mention that his father suggested going public with Tsubaki, so how much of Itachi's life is controlled by his parents?

If you're lucky, chapter eight will be out tomorrow!

Chances are it will, I've almost finished writing it already. Someone send help, I can't stop writing.