Pull Me in Gently

Chapter 9

"You did what?!" Keiko was almost hysterical but Izumi could tell that she was also excited. "What did he say?"

"He didn't say anything. He literally just sat on the phone for several minutes and I told him I wanted to go to bed and hung up." Izumi stared at the ceiling as she lay in her bed. Keiko was changing out of her clothes and into pajamas.

"Are you kidding me? He was freaking speechless? He's freaking Itachi Uchiha. He's never speechless. He can smooth talk anyone and he's never had a problem when girls tell him that they're interested. What did you do to him?" Keiko sat on her bed and now stared at Izumi. Izumi turned her head to look at her.

"I'm not sure but I told you what he said he wanted to do to the guy that broke my heart. I'm sure he's just confused. That's all. This will all blow over by tomorrow. I'm sure. At least. . . I hope it does. Otherwise our ballroom session is going to be really uncomfortable." Keiko snorted and crawled under her covers.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see what happens."

Izumi woke up on Saturday morning feeling groggy and more than a little nervous. Her conversation with Itachi played back in her head and she was glad that there were at least two days before she had to confront him.

She got up and got dressed and quickly ate breakfast. Keiko was nowhere to be seen but that was classic Keiko. She could go to bed at four am and be ready to go by seven. Izumi decided to take advantage of the quiet of the apartment for a while and sat down to do her homework. She managed to blitz through all of it in just a few hours and closed her last book right as the door swung open.

Keiko panted and she had a crazed look in her eye. She moved into the room, slamming the door, and then collapsed on the couch. Izumi raised her eyebrows at her best friend.

"Where have you been all morning?"

Keiko sighed and turned to look at her then sat up quickly and started talking animatedly. "Somewhere that only exists in my worst nightmares."

Izumi's brow furrowed. "And that is. . . ?"

"I somehow got roped into helping Rin build some things for her wedding. Like backdrops and crap."

"I don't think you can call it being roped in if you're the maid of honor."

"Oh whatever!" Keiko flailed her arms around. "Anyways, building is not my strong suit so I went in with the notion to paint. Which I did."

"So what's the problem?" Izumi placed all her homework materials on the coffee table and stretched out her legs.

"The problem? Rin freaking invited Kakashi. KAKASHI!"

"Wait, like her best friend? Like that one that she's been trying to hook you up with?"

Keiko nodded her head up and down vigorously. "Yeah, and somehow Rin was suddenly called to another part of the prep so we were all alone and awkward for a few minutes. I swear I'm going to kill her for ambushing me like that. I mean look at me!"

Izumi looked her best friend up and down. She was wearing crappy ripped jeans and an old hoodie so she could paint. Her hair was thrown up into a messy bun. Not exactly a good first impression. But hadn't Keiko not really wanted to date anyone? Especially Kakashi?

"Wait. You're upset she ambushed you and not that you had to be alone with Kakashi? Does that mean you like him?"

Keiko's eyes widened a little and she started to fidget with her hoodie. "Well. . . he's really attractive and it was awkward at first but then we got talking and we really hit it off. At least I think so. He's hilarious and just has this awesome lazy sort of demeanor but he's still a really hard worker."

Izumi nodded and a small smile erupted on her face. She hadn't seen her best friend like this in a really long time. Not since Haruki broke her heart. "But?"

"But. . . he is a lot older than me and he's not exactly looking for anything right now. He told me that he goes on lots of dates but he's not interested in anything serious. Which is cool. Being friends with him could be a good thing. But there's just something about him that I want to spend time with him and stuff ya know?"

Izumi stared down at the floor as Keiko finished. Oh, she knew. She felt that all the time when she thought about Itachi and how much time he spent with Megumi and she was just there to teach him how to dance and that was it. Keiko sighed again and flopped back into the couch.

"I know you know. I'm sure that's how you feel about Itachi. Well, anyway, I finished all my homework this morning before I left so I'm free and you appear to be free so I vote we have a girls night and call everyone over and just binge watch chick flicks and eat crappy food."

"I second that." Izumi pulled out her phone and immediately began texting all of their friends.

Soon their apartment was filled with several girls ranging in various ages. There was Tenten, Temari, Karin, Rin and a few of Keiko's and Izumi's cousins. Mean Girls played in the living room and Keiko grabbed plates for the pizza while Izumi poured drinks.

Izumi sighed as she set about her task. This was exactly what she needed to get her mind off of a certain Uchiha and help her calm down. A little girl time and chatting about everyone else's problems as well as her own would do wonders.

Rin sauntered into the kitchen with an armful of pizza boxes and set them on the counter that led into the living room. She turned and smiled at the two of them. "This was a great idea! I really don't get all that much girl time since my two best friends are guys."

"Speaking of your best friends, what the heck was that this morning? Why didn't tell me you were introducing me to Kakashi? I looked like a freaking train wreck." Keiko pointed the stack of plates at her cousin.

"Why Keiko dear, I thought you wouldn't come if I had told you. But from your last comment it appears that everything went well between you two?" Rin's smile turned into a knowing smirk and she looked at Izumi who giggled.

"Izumi you traitor!" Keiko threw a dish towel at her and Izumi laughed even harder. This time Rin joined in.

"And you and Itachi? How is that going?" Izumi instantly stopped laughing and turned as white as a sheet. Rin raised a brow.

"He's dating someone in his dance class and last night on the phone Izumi spilled the beans that she likes him."

Rin stared wide eyed at Izumi. "Well I can appreciate a woman with the guts to say that! I assume you two haven't talked about it since then?" Izumi shook her head. "Well that's all right! Tonight we are going to forget that it happened and that Keiko is too afraid to date my best friend."

"Wait, how did you?"

Rin smiled at Keiko. "I know everything. But anyway, we are going to have a great time!"

Sunday was quiet and both Izumi and Keiko were excited about that. Mostly everyone had stayed the night last night and no one got to sleep until four in the morning. By the time they finished breakfast and everyone else left Keiko and Izumi crashed into their beds.

It was late afternoon by the time they were back in the land of the living. Keiko read a book perched on the couch closest to the sun and Izumi decided that she would use this time to work on a personal project. She was designing a dress for both her and Keiko to wear to the upcoming Dance competition. The two of them were both in second level class and had decided it would be more fun to have dresses that actually looked good. Usually they just found a skirt and a somewhat nice shirt in their closets and called it good. But this time they were looking to feel good too.

Izumi drew out the sketches and then Keiko would help her sew what parts she needed. It was going to be a group effort. They weren't allowed to wear anything flashy so they would be simple but great for dancing. She would be competing in the Rumba and Keiko was competing in the Paso Doble. Izumi tried her best to focus so she wouldn't think of Itachi and it worked for quite a while until she decided that she should help him pick out his outfit for the competition as well.

Then it was Monday and Izumi's heart hammered in her chest everywhere she went on campus. She frantically looked around for any sign of Itachi as she walked to her classes and ate her lunch. She had seen him before and she was hoping that today he would be absent. And he was. She took a deep breath as she headed out of the school and down the street toward the Uchiha mansion.

In no time she was through the door and laughing like always with the butler but once she headed down the hall things were different. Izumi swallowed hard as she made her way to the ballroom. Frank wasn't any different but she was nervous. What was going to happen when she saw him? What if he was upset? What if he was awkward? What if? What if? She couldn't think anymore. She just needed to get this over with.

Izumi entered the ballroom and noticed he wasn't here yet. Frank did say that he was doing some schoolwork in his room so she set her stuff next to the stereo and put her shoes on. Today they were going to go through both of the dances they worked on up to this point. She did that every Monday so that he wouldn't forget the Rumba for his final. It also helped her re-gauge what his level was. Izumi stood and scrolled through the music to look for the right songs. They'd start with the Rumba and then do the Samba. Hopefully the Rumba wouldn't be too awkward after last weekend.

There was a slight shuffling of footsteps behind her and Izumi turned around. Itachi was walking toward her. He had a determined look in his eye and his dance shoes were hanging loosely in his right hand.

"Hey."

That was all she could manage to say. He didn't say anything and just kept walking toward her. Izumi was a little nervous. She'd only ever seen that expression on his face when he was trying to understand a specific dance concept that was particularly troubling him. Izumi fought the urge to take a step back. Itachi dropped his dance shoes and kept walking.

"Wha—" He cut her off by grabbing her face in his hands and slamming his lips onto hers. She was surprised but only for a minute before she melted into the kiss and returned it. He moved his left hand to wrap around her waist and pull her closer. Her mind was fuzzy which was good because it was drowning out all of her questions about what the heck was going on. Itachi leaned more into the kiss. She could tell that this was not just a sympathy kiss for what he had put her through. The kiss was filled with desire and want. After several minutes he pulled away slowly.

Izumi slowly opened her eyes unsure of what she would see on his face. He looked at her sweetly and with his right hand still on her face he moved his thumb back and forth. She swallowed and found her voice again.

"What are you doing?" It came out weaker than she expected but she didn't mind when she saw his slight smile.

"Something I should have done a long time ago. I've been crazy about you since our second week. I was just too afraid that you weren't interested." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"What about Megumi?" Had he forgotten that he had a girlfriend?

"We broke up a last week at the end of practice. She could tell that I was actually in love with you. Besides, she said there was someone else she also had her eye on. It was almost too perfect." Izumi sighed. She couldn't believe that Itachi had just kissed her and that he'd been crazy about her as long as she had been for him. This was really happening, right? Izumi reached up and lightly pinched her arm. Itachi laughed.

"Izumi, I feel the same way but I can assure you that this is not a dream." He leaned down and kissed her again. "What do you say we run through those dances and then we just talk until dinner?" Izumi nodded her head and pressed play.

When they walked into the dining room holding hands everyone looked up at them. Izumi tried her best not to blush. They had become like family to her over the past few months so she definitely shouldn't have been embarrassed by holding one of their sons hands. Mrs. Uchiha looked up at them and smiled. "It's about time you two."

Izumi looked at Itachi with wide eyes. "Um, sorry, what?"

Mikoto laughed and Fugaku chuckled. "We've been waiting for the two of you to get together for the last month. It's about time that it happened. Now, let's eat!" Izumi and Itachi smiled as they looked at each other and took their seats at the table. It finally felt like everything had gotten back to where it was in February. She was finally where she wanted to be.