CCNote: And here is the chapter where things begin to take a turn in a definitive direction. You can skip it and head on to the next chapter or you can read ahead. Either way, please enjoy!
Christmas lessons are complete. LL room is finally cleaned of a year's worth of crude. Closing Ceremony is all done and students are ready for a well-deserved break. Doing a double post because this story will be on a brief hiatus for the Christmas break. I'll be in America for two weeks and then when school reopens idk when I'll start writing again. I might start right away or it could take me a few weeks to get into the groove. I only mention a hiatus because I know many people don't have me on alerts, they just check back often since I update waaaaaaaay too much. I just don't want anyone to think I've abandoned the story due to a lack of updates. Anyway! To anyone reading this, thanks so much for your support! Don't forget to leave a review!
P is for Downfall
Saturday May 25 2021 2:21pm
Konoha University
….
"Hanabi!" One of her roommates called through her room door.
"Hang on I'm coming! I'm coming!" Hanabi shouted back as she scurried around her tiny dorm room while simultaneous zipping up a black skirt.
Somehow even in such a small space she still managed to lose her things as soon as she put them down. Right now she was searching frantically for a matching black knee sock but was coming up empty. Well, not completely empty. She found the graphing calculator she'd spent all of last semester trying to locate and her second favorite sweater that had mysteriously disappeared. She found tons of half whittled down erasers that she'd chucked carelessly and balls of paper she'd thrown in her frustration. Despite all of the dust bunnies she was unearthing she still couldn't find her other knee sock.
"Hanabi!" Her roommate called again.
"Just hold on!"
Hanabi huffed and paced around her room. It shouldn't be this hard to find a black sock! Frustrated, she yanked open the top drawer of her dresser and fished around again. The door to her dorm creaked open behind her, causing frustration to mount within the young woman.
"I told you to hold on." She said through gritted teeth.
Her roommates had no sense of privacy! She never barged into their rooms! Mostly because she'd get more of an eyeful than she bargained for but still!
"Now you know that I am not a man that likes to be kept waiting." A smooth voice chided from the doorway and Hanabi whirled around.
"Chi!" She gasped, disbelieving her own ears and eyes that the Uchiha was actually there in the flesh.
He leaned casually against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest and a lopsided smirk on his face. Hanabi pinched herself to ensure that she wasn't actually dreaming. The pain reminded her that she was, in fact, awake but it still didn't feel real. Itachi was up and walking and talking and breathing.
"You look like you've seen a ghost." He said, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Or were you expecting someone else? A boyfriend perhaps? You know how Neji feels about those."
Hanabi smiled at Itachi's jab and launched herself at him, flinging her arms around his waist, holding him tight as though he might disappear in another instant. She could hear his steady heartbeat through his shirt. It sounded so strong...
Hanabi sighed as she pressed send on her final term paper of her junior year. She made it fifteen minutes before the deadline closed and while Neji would kill her for procrastinating, Hanabi was pretty proud of herself. She always did her best work when under pressure. She closed her laptop and set it down on the small bedside table. Now that all of her work for the semester was done she should be able to relax but the Hyuuga had more pressing things to worry about.
While her roommates were likely celebrating the end of the term by partying until the sun came up, Hanabi was making her usual checks on all of the monitors and tubes attached to Itachi. While they were all eager to pack up and head home for Christmas, she was anxiously waiting for the moment when the Uchiha would finally wake up. The doctors said that was normal for him to be asleep, especially after such an extensive surgery. His body was repairing itself or however the doctor had put it. It was only a matter of time before he woke up again. That knowledge still didn't keep Hanabi from worriedly checking his heart monitor every so often or the respirator that was helping him breathe.
The Hyuuga sighed as she stepped over a few wires towards Itachi's hospital bed. She adjusted the white hospital blanket up to the middle of his chest and smoothed down the material to rid it of any wrinkles. The idiot really needed to take better care of himself.
"I 've just submitted my final world history paper." She said softly as she went about fluffing his pillows. " Fifteen pages on the Suna rebellion. It's a masterpiece if I do say so myself. If I don't get an A on it I'll be highly upset."
Hanabi wasn't quite sure if he could hear her or not but talking to him was a way for her to cope. It was a way to not feel so...alone. She pushed some of his hair off of his face and frowned at the stubbornly closed eyes.
"You need to wake up so you can read it. I'll get really mad if you don't wake up."
His eyes still remained closed despite her threat but that was to be expected. Itachi always did things on his own time, in his own way. Hanabi looked up from Itachi just as the door to the hospital room slid open. She removed her hand from Itachi's forehead and stepped away from him as though she'd been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. The middle-aged nurse shook her head and smiled.
"Don't stop on my account dear." She said with a weird twinkle in her eye.
"I wasn't doing anything."
"Of course you weren't."
Hanabi blushed as she shuffled back over to her previous seat in the chair by the window. She watched the nurse carefully as she changed out the I.V. drips and checked Itachi's vitals. The Hyuuga knew exactly what the nurse was insinuating but she tried not to think too hard about it. All of the nurses and doctors on the floor gushed over her whenever they saw her. They saw her as the diligent girlfriend who had dropped everything to fly out and help their mystery patient in his time of need.
When the mysteriously handsome man had been brought in with a partially collapsed lung, no one knew what to make of him. He had no identification on him since it appeared he'd been out for a jog. The only thing he had was a cell phone, earphones, and a set of keys. As an emergency response team immediately started prepping the man for surgery, it was left up to the nurses to figure out who to get in contact with to inform them of the man's perilous condition. His phone was locked though and no matter how many random combinations they tried, they couldn't unlock the phone. Fortunately, Hanabi had called Itachi later on that day after her classes had ended and was surprised to hear unfamiliar female voices on the other end of the phone.
Hanabi pulled her knees up to her chest as she recalled the news on Itachi's condition. Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax. Surgery. Breathing tubes. All of the information surged over her in a rush and she hadn't even realized she was running to her dorm until she nearly smacked into the building's front door. Hanabi hadn't questioned why the person on the other end of the phone was giving her so much personal information about Itachi at the time. All she cared about was finding out which hospital he'd been taken too and subsequently booking a flight to get there when she discovered he was all the way in Water country. It was an eight-hour flight and cost enough money to likely raise alarm bells for Neji who monitored her accounts but she could care less about his impending questions.
It wasn't until she'd arrived at the hospital that she discovered why the nurse on the phone had been so loose-lipped. Her number outpaced all of the others in his call log. Her number consistently popped up on the outgoing and incoming calls with only the occasional call from Sasuke's phone or one of his friends. Often times those calls went unanswered but he always picked up for her. Of course, the nurses didn't know the details of his call history. No, all they saw was the contact name he had her listed under. 'Firecracker.' The nickname he'd given her had led the nurses to believe that she was his girlfriend. That, coupled with the fact that no one else had called his phone before it eventually died made her the only person who would be able to vouch for Itachi medically.
It was a responsibility she certainly didn't want but it wasn't like she could inform their family. Itachi would hate her if she did that. As long as he remained stable she wouldn't have to call them. Everything would be okay as long as he woke up. Until then she would continue being Itachi's defacto girlfriend in the eyes of the hospital staff no matter how embarrassing it was.
"Alrighty then." The nurse said as she finished up her tasks. "He looks to be doing well."
Hanabi frowned as she rested her chin on top of her knees. If 'doing well' meant being a vegetable then Itachi was doing great. The nurse continued to smile even though she picked up on Hanabi's darkening mood.
"Don't worry dear. He'll wake up and when he does we'll make sure he knows what a sweet girlfriend he has. He's a lucky man."
The young woman blushed and averted her eyes away from the nurse who found amusement in her reaction.
'Dammit, Itachi.' She thought to herself as the nurse left the hospital room. 'You owe me for this!'
….Hanabi squeezed Itachi just a little tighter as memories of his stay in the hospital lingered in the back of her mind. She never wanted to see him like that again.
"Are you going to keep hugging me or are you ready to go?" Itachi chuckled and she immediately let go of him.
"You're here early. I thought I had another hour at least." She said, suddenly aware of the fact that she was still missing a sock.
"Traffic wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. However, I thought you would be packed and ready to go already."
Hanabi blushed and looked around at her messy dorm room. Shamefully she tugged at the edge of her yellow t-shirt and kicked an incriminating ball of crumpled paper back under her bed. She was nowhere near ready to leave for their summer vacation. If she hadn't been so preoccupied looking for her sock she would have at least been able to throw a few things into her suitcase. Itachi shook his head at the mess and strode over to her bed.
"Hey!" She protested as he removed his shoes and started to make himself comfortable. "Aren't you going to help me pack at least?"
"I'm supposed to be taking it easy remember?" He said and Hanabi huffed, defiantly placing her hands on her hips.
"The doctors said to take it easy. Not be a bum."
"Bum...that's a new one. I'll add it to the growing list of insults you call me. I think that one ranks somewhere between jerk and idiot. Hurry up now or we'll miss our flight."
…..
Saturday May 25, 2021 11:45pm
Hakone Resort and Hotspring
…...
"Wow, it's beautiful!" Hanabi gasped as the chauffeur pulled up to the lodge.
The Hakone Resort was known throughout Stone country as being the most optimal place for winter sports year round. Despite falling through the ice and nearly dying at the Hyuuga Winter Estate, she still wanted to try her hand at ice skating. Not only that she was eager to try snowboarding and skiing and going up on the sky lift and-
"If your mouth continues to hang open like that you're going to catch flies." Itachi chided and Hanabi playfully shoved his shoulder for the remark. He smirked and began unbuckling his seatbelt when the car came to a complete halt.
Hanabi unbuckled herself as well and was out of the car before Itachi could even get his door open. A cold burst of wind slammed into her face, making Hanabi infinitely happier. She took a deep breath and looked out at the snow-covered mountains. Everything, literally everything, was covered in a thick blanket of powdery white snow. The lodge itself was even more impressive than the website had made it seem. The large log-like structure was several stories tall and the lights of the building shone brightly through the dark night sky. People, young and old, milled around the grounds despite the late hour and filled the air with their chatter.
"Hurry up Chi!" Hanabi urged as he paid the driver his fee.
Itachi shook his head at her persistence and waved the driver off. He then pulled their rolling suitcases up the walkway and allowed her to lead him into the lodge. Once inside the smell of cinnamon assaulted her nose and she could barely contain herself as Itachi checked them in with the front desk. Unfortunately, the woman assisting them was more than happy to take her good sweet time. She twirled her long red hair around her slender finger and batted her eyelashes in what Hanabi could only assume was enticing. Hanabi tapped her foot impatiently, regarding the woman with narrowed eyes. The woman was 'pretty' by most people's standards. Her skin was blemish free save for the freckles on her face. Her almond-shaped eyes were a soft shade of brown and her curly red hair was certainly eye-catching. The conservative pantsuit she wore hinted at a buxom figure underneath, one that most men would enjoy.
"The slopes are open from eight a.m. to four p.m. and the hot springs are twenty-four hours. If you need anything please be sure to use the phone in the room to call the front desk. We hope you enjoy your stay." The woman said as she handed Itachi the keycards for the room. Hanabi didn't miss the way her hand lingered on his for a moment too long.
The Hyuuga took the cards away from Itachi and sent the woman a forced smile. She should be used to this by now. Most places they went to women automatically set their sights on the Uchiha. Whether they knew of his family's background or not, Itachi always attracted the female gaze.
"Eager to get to the room are we?" Itachi teased as they walked away from the front desk and through the crowded lobby.
"I just don't want to wait around for you to finish making kissy faces at the resort staff." She countered.
Itachi shook his head at her accusation and followed her to the elevators. Finding the suite to their hotel room wasn't difficult and as soon as they did Hanabi's mood instantly lifted. There was a massive television hanging over an empty fireplace inside of the suite's shared living room. There were three doors, one of which led to the bathroom and the other two went to the bedrooms. Hanabi dragged her suitcase to the door on the right and immediately threw herself face first onto the big fluffy white bed. Her body sank into the soft material, muffling her shrieks of excitement.
No annoying roommates playing loud music at all hours of the night. No awkward bump-ins with their one night stands when they did their walk of shame in the morning. No homework or tests or any responsibilities. She always felt elated when it came time for her and Itachi's trips and this one was no exception. If anything she was even more excited since she got to pick where they were going this time. Of course, they were still going to spend a week in the Tokai mountains with the rest of Itachi's friends like they did every year to honor Nagato but she got to pick all of the other locations.
"I can only assume that trying to suffocate yourself in a mattress means that you're satisfied." Itachi chuckled, the bed shifting when he sat on it.
Hanabi rolled over onto her back, bumping to Itachi's side in the process, and smiled up at him.
"It's perfect." She beamed. "I can't wait to try snowboarding tomorrow or maybe I should go skiing first? Or maybe ice skating. Ice skating would be fun-"
"Just don't break anything this time. I'd prefer to stay away from hospitals for a while."
"I wish you could come with me." She pouted as Itachi laid back on the bed next to her.
"I'm sure I'll find some way to occupy my time while you get into trouble."
Hanabi smiled and turned to her side, wiggling closer to the Uchiha. Even if he couldn't handle high energy activities anymore she was more than grateful that he brought her here.
"Thanks, Chi." She whispered and pressed a short kiss to his cheek.
…..
Sunday, May 26, 2021, 10:35 am
Hakone Resort and Hotspring
…..
There weren't many things in this world that made him uncomfortable. He'd seen more dead bodies by the time he was ten years old than most men had seen in their entire lifetimes. Death was a constant companion in a children's hospital. No matter how many brightly painted walls there were or friendly nurses, death was always lurking around the corner. He could be playing with a child that looked 'fine' one day and the next they were being wheeled out with a blanket pulled up over their face.
Death followed the Uchiha constantly for as long as he could remember. It had always been a constant companion and at times his only. He didn't mind the loneliness. He was used to it for the most part. He knew that death would claim him one day just like it had those children in the hospital. He'd expected to be one of the children removed when he was younger, however, he wasn't. He'd been alive much longer than he anticipated or planned. He had no reason to stick around yet every time he was close to death's door there was something that kept him tied to the world of the living.
The first tie was the birth of his little brother. For the longest, he'd only been able to look at the pictures of Sasuke that his mother brought to the hospital. He had to attachment to this little being that was supposed to be his family but Itachi wanted to get to know him. He wanted to know the red-faced baby swaddled in blankets and had eyes just like his own. In a way, the drive to meet the brother he didn't know might have kept him buoyed enough to get stronger and get out of the hospital.
The second tie was much more complicated. Hanabi Hyuuga was determined to keep him out of Death's embrace even if that meant fighting the reaper herself. Out of sheer naive will, she was going to keep his heart beating. He wanted to push her away. He wanted to reject her efforts and at times he did. It was odd to have someone care so much about his wellbeing when he couldn't muster the effort at times...
…."I can't pronounce half of this stuff. None of it makes sense." Hanabi grumbled indignantly next to him. In her hands was a hefty folder of paperwork that required his signature.
Itachi wanted to laugh at her frustration but his chest hurt too much to do so. She seemed to know that he was amused by her and shot him a halfhearted dirty look.
"You need to take better care of yourself." She reprimanded, placing the folder next to him and crossing her arms over her chest. "You're not invincible and if you insist on always being alone next time you won't be so lucky."
Hanabi then sank into the chair she'd pulled up a chair next to his bed. Leaning forward she rested her head in her arms on the bed and looked at him with worried eyes.
"What if next time no one finds you?" She asked. "You should at least get a real girlfriend to take care of you when I can't."
At that Itachi chuckled even though his sore chest protested. When he'd awoken he'd been informed of what a diligent, cute, perfect, spunky girlfriend he had by all of the nurses that visited the room. Each time they did Hanabi looked as though her head might explode. The nurses were overzealous with their praise but he did nothing to correct them. It was amusing seeing the Hyuuga turn as red as her older sister.
Pale eyes glared at him from the bed but her anger had no edge to it. He smirked despite how much his face hurt and slowly willed his hand to move. Slowly his hand came down on the side of her head and reflexively she placed her hand on top of his. Her fingers curled around the side of his palm and some of her warmth transferred to him.
"Thank you." He said, his voice scratchy and foreign to his own ears.
He watched her pale eyes grow wide for a moment before she slipped away from him. Sitting upright she crossed her arms and turned away so that he couldn't see her face.
"Just take care of yourself.".
...Itachi looked up from his book at the Hyuuga who was currently enraptured in some cheesy movie on the television. A half-empty bowl of popcorn was on the floor next to her and she'd pulled one of the hotel's many quilts up over her head. Even though her back was to him, he knew that she was mouthing the lines of the movie along with the actors. He couldn't count how many times he'd witnessed this trance she got in when watched her favorite movies. Objectively speaking her tastes in cinema was terrible.
"Do you love me?" The blonde-haired, blue-eyed actress cried.
"There is no one else in this world I love more than you." The devilishly handsome lead actor professed to the woman in his arms.
Itachi rolled his eyes at the poorly delivered line. He turned his attention back to his book and tried to block out the grotesque sound of the main characters kissing. One of these days he was going to have to upgrade Hanabi's taste in movies. As though she heard his thoughts, Hanabi turned away from the television to look at him.
"Hey Chi." She asked, big pale eyes wide with curiosity. "Have you ever loved anyone?"
"Hm?" He mumbled, not fully registering her question.
"Have you ever loved anyone?" She reiterated.
Itachi rolled his eyes at the question but didn't answer. Not because he didn't want to but because he couldn't. He'd never been in love the way Hanabi was referring to because he had never allowed anyone to get close enough to him to feel that way. Sure he'd had crushes throughout his life, he'd even been attracted to Hinata for a short while, but none of those feelings were sustainable. Romantic relationships weren't really possible for him when he brought in so much baggage. No...love was something that was not in his cards. He could feel Hanabi continue to stare at him so he sighed and answered her question.
"Familial love, yes."
"Do you love me?"
The Uchiha peered over the top of his book at the young woman. She was looking at him with those big earnest eyes but they quickly narrowed the longer he remained silent. His ambivalence to her inquiry clearly dissatisfied her.
"Chi!" She grumbled as she shuffled over to the couch to take a seat next to him, the hotel quilt still tightly wrapped around her body. "Answer the question."
"Why do you insist on asking a question you already know the answer to?" He countered but the irritated look on her face still persisted. "You're my sister in law. I believe that means I'm legally obligated to love you or at least try to."
"Sister in law..." Hanabi mumbled to herself and Itachi returned to his book.
He'd given up long ago trying to figure out was going on in the Hyuuga's head. Unfortunately, the girl wasn't willing to let him return to his book, instead snatching it out of his hands. She quickly flipped through the book so that the page he was on was now lost and clicked her tongue.
"This is so boring." She said as Itachi tried to get his book back.
The hotel quilt fell away as she focused most of her energy on keeping the book away from him. His much too big t-shirt hung loosely around her petite frame and pulled at the edge to bring her close enough to grab his book back. Hanabi was much too comfortable if she thought snatching his books was okay. Perhaps Sasuke was right in labeling the girl a brat.
Their tussle was brief but somehow ended with the Hyuuga underneath him breathing heavily with a mischevious smile on her face. His left hand pinned down her hip, the heat radiating off of her body causing him to unconsciously stiffen. Her cheeks had turned a curious shade of pink from the short burst of activity. The blush traveled down her neck and probably further since her now exposed shoulder was pink as well. The sight of it made him...uncomfortable.
He tore his eyes away from her shoulder and steadfastly tried to focus on her face. Pale eyes blinked innocently up at him, utterly oblivious to how uncomfortable she was making him. Plump lips parted to speak and he had to fight the urge to close them with his own. Close them with his own? The thought made him freeze on top of her. He shouldn't be having these kinds of thoughts towards the Hyuuga. What the hell was wrong with him? A small hand pressed against his chest, nearly making him jump out of his skin. He moved away from her more quickly than he should have and didn't miss the mixture of hurt and confusion that flitted across Hanabi's face.
"Itachi...are you okay?"
….
Sunday, May 26, 2021, 5:56 pm
Hakone Resort and Hotsprings
….
Itachi frowned as he looked out the café window at the snow-covered landscape that surrounded the resort. The cup of green tea he'd ordered was quickly growing cold in front of him but the sips he had taken had been just as good as the barista had raved. Hanabi had chosen the itinerary for their summer trip this year as compensation for the trouble he'd caused her over winter break. The Hakone resort had always been a place he'd wanted to go so it wasn't much of a stretch to grant her this wish. A large part of him wished to participate in all of the facilities the snowy resort had to offer but the time for that had apparently passed.
The Uchiha placed his book on the small round table and pressed a pensive hand against his chest. At the moment he felt fine. There was no build up of phlegm and he'd been able to breathe easily since his release from the hospital. Although deep breaths were something he still struggled with, for the most part, he felt fine when he took his medicine. How long would this last though? His life was already destined to be shorter than most but how long would this respite last?
"Wow, that was awesome!" A boisterous voice laughed as they used the back door to enter the café. The bell above the door chime with the voice's entrance and along with it a group of other young, jovial voices.
A group of four boys piled into the café, bringing the cold air inside with them. Their cheeks and noses were red from the cold and snow stuck to their bulky clothing. Their laughter filled the previously silent café, disturbing the brief peace he'd been able to find.
"Hey! Look-" one of the boys said, pointing out the window at a small figure coming towards the café. "There's that girl from earlier."
Itachi watched as the girl they were referring to opened the door, bell chiming upon her entrance, and was surprised to see Hanabi. She was thoroughly bundled from head to toe in brightly colored equipment he'd picked out for her himself. Itachi chuckled a bit to himself as he remembered her protest at putting on so many layers but he was sure that she was thankful for it after being out in the snow for a few hours. She looked like a giant purple grape by the time she'd put on her ski jacket but he thought she looked cute.
One of the boys, the tallest of the bunch, appeared to find her cute as well and started walking towards her with only a bit of goading from his friends. He removed his black knitted skull cap as he approached Hanabi to reveal a full head of curly black hair. Itachi snorted at the boy's hair, it looked positively silly in his opinion. He watched as a similar thought flitted through Hanabi's eyes at the boy's approach or at least that's what his mind wished for him to see. No, Hanabi wouldn't be interested in some loud pretty boy.
Itachi paused as the feeling of jealousy continued to spike within him. What the hell was wrong with him? There was no reason he should be feeling this way towards Hanabi. He'd tossed away the weird way she made him feel over the years and chalked it up to her just becoming a constant fixture in his life. It was normal to want to see someone as bright as she was and feel a bit down when she was gone.
In many ways, she reminded him of Sasuke but Sasuke didn't need him anymore. Hanabi did...maybe that's why he gravitated towards her? Gravitated may be the wrong word to describe their coexistence that had become his new normal. It was more like she'd wormed her way into his life and refused to leave. She was a welcome disturbance until now.
He wasn't made of stone the way many people assumed, the way many women he'd encountered had described him. He had urges just like any breathing man would and Hanabi had blossomed as she'd gotten older. She wasn't the same gangly seventeen year old anymore. Itachi
He knew exactly what it was that he was feeling but that didn't make it right. That didn't make it okay. His role in her life was a caretaker and friend. That's it. That's the way it was supposed to be. Yet...as he recalled the way she slipped into his bed the way she did every night, less than responsible thoughts crept into his mind...
"Move over Chi." Hanabi whined as he refused to make room for her on his bed. "Please?"
"You have your own room Hanabi. Sleep in there."
"But it's lonely in there-"
"Hana-"
"Did I do something wrong?" She asked softly. "You've been acting distant since yesterday."
Itachi frowned even though he knew she couldn't see the expression in the dark. She wasn't the problem...well, not inherently. The problem was that he did not only want her in the bed beside him. He wanted her underneath him, legs wrapped around his waist and his name on her lips. Hanabi was innocent of the thoughts that swirled through his mind. Innocent to the desire that had been innocuously developing for years and was now threatening to bubble up to the surface.
He heard Hanabi sniff a bit at his continued silence, no doubt upset with his rejection. However, she accepted his lack of response as an answer and left the room. When his door closed behind her, Itachi finally let out a sigh of relief at her exit and rolled over onto his back. Despite her no longer being in the room, the urge to have her remained. He still hoped she would come back to him and continue to beg. There was no doubt in his mind that he would oblige- Itachi stopped that thought cold and uncomfortably rolled back onto his side.
"There's something wrong with me."
…."Itachi!" Hanabi called out to him, breaking out of his thoughts.
She bounded up to his table, leaving her suitor looking rather put out behind her. Seeing the younger man's eyes narrow as Hanabi excitedly crossed the room made Itachi's mood lift slightly. The Hyuuga sank down excitedly into the chair across from him and began excitedly relaying the events of her day. Retelling every minute detail from her snowboarding lessons that morning to her first independent run. Unfortunately, he was wasn't able to focus on the words coming out of her mouth.
'Yes.' He thought as he watched the tip of her tongue dart out to wet her lips mid-speech. 'There's definitely something wrong with me.'
"Chi." She asked, reaching out to touch his hand on top of the table. "Is everything alright?"
Itachi slipped his hand out from under hers, distinctly aware of the loss of warmth upon doing so. Hanabi's hand still hovered over where his hand had been for a moment before slowly retracting it back.
….
Monday May 27 2021 1:02am
Hakone Resort and Hotsprings
…..
Hanabi squeezed her eyes shut as she willed sleep to come to her but it wouldn't. No matter how much she tossed and turned she just couldn't get to sleep. She had had a full day of activity on the slopes and a big dinner...granted she'd mostly picked at it but she should at least feel a little tired. The time on her cell phone told her it was much too late for any reasonable person to still be awake...yet here she was. Rolling over for the umpteenth time, she mentally cursed whoever she'd wronged for keeping sleep an elusive goal.
It shouldn't be this hard. Normally she had no trouble getting to sleep, especially during the summer. Why was she having such trouble now? A small, childish voice in the back of her mind blamed Itachi. His distant and rejection was what was making her feel so conflicted. She didn't want to admit it but the more he pushed her away the more she wanted to get closer. She didn't understand his rejection. Why was he suddenly treating her like she was repulsive? Frowning, Hanabi sat up in her bed and stared at the wall that separated their rooms. Itachi had been fine when they'd first arrived but now he was acting completely different. Had she done something wrong? Clearly, she had otherwise he wouldn't be acting this way. Itachi never did anything without reason.
Carefully she slipped out of her bed and made her way towards her door. There was no way she was going to be able to sleep on her own tonight, Itachi was just going to have to let her sleep with him. He'd probably be too tired at an hour like this to protest too much anyway. The cold hardwood floor was harsh against her bare feet, causing her to flit quickly to his room. The door was unlocked as it always was and inside was dark save for the light of the full moon beaming through the window. In the middle of the bed, there was a squirming lump that popped up.
"Ha-Hanabi." He stammered and the Hyuuga cocked her head slightly to the side.
She hadn't expected Itachi to still be awake and she had never heard him stutter before. It was weird. The weirdness only intensified when he unnecessarily adjusted the comforter over his lap and cleared his throat.
"What are you doing here?" He asked and Hanabi shrugged her shoulders as she walked towards the bed.
"I can't sleep." She said and pulled the covers so that she could slip into the bed.
"No." He said firmly, stopping from climbing in.
"Why?"
Itachi remained silent, his eyes looking everywhere but at her. Inside she felt an anger boil in her chest. She was tired of him giving her the silent treatment. Weren't adults supposed to use their words to communicate with others? If so, Itachi was doing a shitty job at being an adult. Indignantly she climbed into the bed anyway, much to Itachi's clear distaste. He shifted away from her slightly, further twisting the knife of rejection in her gut.
"I don't understand." She said, forcing her voice not to sound as hurt as she felt. It wasn't working. "Why are you acting like I'm gross all of a sudden?"
"You're not gross."
"Well, you're acting like I am."
"Hanabi go to bed."
"I am not a child you can boss around!" The Hyuuga snapped angrily and immediately regretted the words as soon as they left her lips.
Itachi was hovering over her in an instant, trapping her underneath him. The aura that rolled off of him was unlike anything she'd felt around him before. It felt dangerous and against her better judgment piqued her curiosity. Skillful fingers gripped her the underside of her thighs and pulled her legs apart so that he could fit comfortably between them. A distinct hardness pressed up against her center causing a long-dormant heat to rush through her body.
"I-Itachi-" she stuttered as he rubbed himself against her a bit more purposefully. Without her permission, her hips rose to meet his and she enjoyed the friction they created together.
"You are not a child and I..." He said huskily and the sound made her breath hitch in her throat. "I am not a man whose bed you should crawl into."
"Itachi-"
"Hanabi."
"Hanabi."
When Hanabi awoke the next morning to the persistent knocking on her door she found herself still in her own bed and a stickiness between her thighs. She blushed furiously as wisps of her dream flashed through her mind. The memory of it felt so sinful yet at the same time made her curious. She'd never had an erotic dream before. Were they all so...vivid? Her initial instinct was to call her sister but that plan was immediately dashed. It would be much too awkward to tell Hinata she was having dirty dreams about her husband's older brother.
"Hanabi." Itachi called through the door, continuing his knocking spree.
The Hyuuga blushed as she heard his voice. It sounded even better than in her dream.
"Hanabi they stop serving breakfast in an hour. Either get up or starve until lunch."
….
Monday, May 27, 2021, 10:30 am
Hakone Resort and Hotsprings
….
Hanabi sighed as she picked at the waffle on her plate. Normally she would have devoured at least three waffles by now but her throat felt as though it was closed. She looked across the table at Itachi who was none the wiser over her difficulties eating. He raised a mug of tea to his lips and she could help but wonder if his lips were as soft as they looked. Heat immediately rose to her face at the thought and she returned her eyes back to her plate. It was absolutely ridiculous for her to allow her dream to influence her waking thoughts. She felt like one of Itachi's horny admirers! Warily she glanced back up at Itachi who was now unwittingly flipping to a new page in his book.
"If you want something you should say so instead of just staring." He said flatly and Hanabi gulped.
"I wasn't staring." She countered guiltily averting her gaze to the table.
"Hey, Hanabi!" A voice called out, breaking the awkward air that surrounded their breakfast table.
The Hyuuga looked up to see the curly haired boy from yesterday bounding up to their table. What was his name again? Rei? Ren? She couldn't remember his name even if her life depended on it. He seemed to remember her though and she just couldn't understand why. She hadn't been the friendliest person to him. She wasn't rude but she wasn't exactly warm so why did he look so happy to see her?
"Hey! I'm glad we ran into each other again!" He said, awkwardly scratching the back of his curly head.
"Yea." Hanabi said tersely, not exactly sure why seeing each other was such a good thing.
Across the table, Itachi flipped to a new page in his book albeit a bit more aggressively than usual.
"I...um...I was wondering if you were um free today?" He asked and Hanabi cocked her head slightly to the side. She really didn't have any set plans, she never did when she was on vacation. Racking her brain the multitude of activities she'd been wanting to try, she tapped a finger against her chin.
"I don't really have any plans...I guess I was going to go on the sky lift-" she said pensively and the boy's brown eyes lit up.
"Really?!" He said a bit too excitedly, blushing as he caught himself. "I mean really? Um...I went on it a few days ago and it was pretty cool. I can keep you company if you want."
"Keep me company?'
Hanabi absently ran her hands through her hair. She didn't see the need for this strange boy to 'keep her company'. She was perfectly capable of locating the cable cars on her own. If he'd already been on the ride why did he want to waste his time going again? Plus he probably expected her to make conversation with him and that was not something she felt like doing at the moment. He blushed awkwardly and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"There's also a petting zoo at the end of it. I didn't get to go last time because it was closed but I think it's open today. Oh and there's a specialty chocolate shop that I heard was really good...if you like chocolate of course."
"This sounds a lot like a date." Itachi said flatly, drawing the boy's attention to him. His brown eyes grew big with surprise at seeing him and quickly tried to save face by extending his hand out.
"Oh! I didn't see you there!" The boy laughed. "My name's Riku. Nice to meet you!"
Itachi turned another page in his book, disregarding Riku's outstretched hand. Riku allowed his hand to hang out in the air for a moment before pulling it back and plastering an uncomfortable smile on his face. Hanabi subtly kicked the Uchiha's shin under the table for being so rude but he didn't even flinch.
"Well...is it a date?" He asked and Riku shift from one foot to the other.
"Um...well...I mean." He spluttered and Hanabi decided to take pity on him.
"Ignore him. He's in a grouchy mood this morning for some reason."
"I only asked a simple question."
"It's rude."
"You're one to talk about rude."
Hanabi crossed her arms and slumped back in her chair. What the hell was Itachi's problem? He'd been snippy all morning and when he wasn't snapping he was ignoring her. At this rate, she was starting to like 'dream' Itachi much better than the real thing.
"What's your problem?" She huffed as Itachi turned yet another page in his book. At this point, she knew he wasn't even reading so the motion only served to further her irritation.
"I only asked your admirer about his intentions." He said simply causing Hanabi's mouth to fall open.
"Intentions?" She hissed. "Who the hell are you? Neji?"
"Um...maybe I should go." Riku said hesitantly, awkwardly starting to back away.
"No. Stay." Hanabi snapped at him and he froze instantly. "If it is a date does it matter?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Itachi remained silent. Instead, electing to close his book and get up from the table. He gave Riku a curt nod and began walking away.
"Where are you going?" She called out after him, her anger rising the longer he was silent.
She got up from the table as well, completely forgetting about the curly haired boy and following after the Uchiha. The lobby was mostly deserted at this hour since the resort's patrons were out enjoying the outdoor facilities. The lack of people to navigate around meant that Itachi was able to move a lot faster. He'd reached the elevators and was already entering an empty one when she reached him. Without thinking she reached her hand out between the closing doors and prayed her wrist wasn't smashed. Luckily the doors retracted just in time and she hopped onto the elevator. Once inside Itachi stared at her with wide eyes.
"What the hell Hanabi-" he started, taking a step towards her just as the door reclosed. "Don't do things like that."
"Don't walk away when I ask you a question." She countered only to find herself pressed up against the elevator door.
The Uchiha glared down at her, his body barely a hair's width away from her.
"You're a brat. You know that right?" He mumbled and reached out to press the button for their floor.
"I've been told."
To be continued...
Q is for Inconvenience
It was hard to find time for themselves, especially when the twins demanded so much of their attention