CCNote: Hey ya'll! For some weird reason, I'm not getting review email notifications? I honestly thought the last chapter got only 2 reviews which was really discouraging but when I clicked on this story there were some new ones I wasn't emailed about. Is anyone having this issue?
Anywho. This chapter is a flashback-heavy chapter but I think it works well. For those of you that care, go listen to the song Samson by Regina Spektor. It encompasses the entire ItaHana relationship up to this point. Otherwise, please enjoy! Don't forget to leave a REVIEW!
X is for Love
Thursday October 2 2039 6:47am
Leaf Express- Cabin 23
…..
…"Congratulations to the most troublesome cousin in existence!" Neji cheered raising his glass into the air. Beer sloshed around inside of the glass and spilled over his fingers. "I always knew that you'd either end up as something respectable or as a con-artist."
"That doesn't leave me too many options." Hanabi grumbled at her drunk cousin.
Sitting to her right and holding only a glass of juice was her older sister, heavily pregnant and equally amused at Neji's antics. Tenten shook her head at her husband and took his beer away from him. Neji pouted and weakly reached for the glass but Tenten managed to deftly keep it away from him.
"I think you've had enough for one night." She said although her words were a bit slurred as well.
"There is no such thing as enough." He teased and grabbed Tenten's elbow so that he could pull her towards him. Slowly he leaned closer to her, his eyes no longer on his beer but instead to claim his wife's lips.
"Ew!" Hanabi whined. "Get a room you two!"
Neji pressed a quick peck on Tenten's lips before turning to glare at her.
"This is my house."
"And so? It's gross!"
Her cousin just flashed her a smirk and went back to trying to drunkenly kiss Tenten. Hanabi rolled her eyes and took a small sip of her own beer. Sure this was Neji's house now but she'd grown up here. She'd like to keep the image of him fucking around the main house out of her childhood memories thank you very much.
"I think it's cute." Hinata said with a wistful sigh as she rubbed her swollen belly.
"Of course you do. It's how you got knocked up again." Hanabi quipped back playfully and her comment caused her sister to blush. "By the way, have you decided on a name for it yet?"
Hinata smiled down at the hand on top of her belly, gold wedding band glistening when it caught the light. Hanabi would never tell her but pregnancy suited her sister. When people said that pregnant people glowed she'd never witnessed it herself. All of the pregnant women she'd encountered looked tired and fat. Hinata was fat and was probably tired too but the happiness that surrounded her was unmistakable.
"Well…if it's a boy Hayato. If it's a girl…Hikari." Hinata said and Hanabi quirked an eyebrow at her.
"After our mother?"
Hinata nodded sheepishly and Hanabi took another sip of her drink. It was odd to think about their mother when she really didn't know much about her. However, according to most people, Hinata embodied her in many ways personality wise and with looks. Maybe this Hikari would be similar too? One could only hope she would be mild-mannered in comparison with her brothers who were quite the handful. Hanabi smirked and lowered her glass onto the table.
"Let's hope that it's a girl then." Hanabi said and Hinata let out a small, soft laugh.
"I hope so too. Sasuke will go crazy if we have another boy."
"I bet- hey, speak of the devil!"
As though the sisters had spoken him up, Sasuke entered the kitchen from the back door with an empty glass in his hand. He made a beeline straight for Hinata and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he sat down. Hanabi rolled her eyes at the affection of the married couples that surrounded her. They were suffocating and gross and reminded her of what she didn't have. With a huff, she got up from the table and made her way outside to the deck where Sasuke had previously been.
Outside, as she had expected, was Itachi staring up at the moon with his hands shoved into his pockets. He turned slightly to see who had joined him and her breath caught in her throat. Dark eyes looked her up and down, lingering in places they both knew he shouldn't.
"Are you leaving your own graduation party?" he asked as she walked over to stand by his side.
"Ha! Some party this is. My cousin can't stop coming onto his wife. Apparently being pregnant means you can't drink and Sasuke is totally the life of the party." She said, sneaking in as many glances at him as she could without looking desperate. Itachi smirked at her commentary and leaned forward against the deck railing.
Her graduation party had started off as an affair full of the pomp and circumstance that was expected of a Hyuuga affair. However, most the members were too old to last into the night and how now retreated to their safe corners where their comfortable beds resided.
"I suppose." he mused before turning his dark gaze on her. "Have you decided what you want as a graduation present from me yet?"
Hanabi blushed and wrapped her arms around herself protectively. She'd gotten many gifts today from her family in honor of completing her bachelor's degree. It was mostly money of course but there were a few notable exceptions. Neji and her father had given her a car and while the gesture was appreciated she knew that she wasn't going to use it. She didn't have the heart to tell them that just yet though. Hinata and Sasuke had given her pair of platinum stud earrings which she was currently wearing at their behest. They weren't gaudy or flashy and for that Hanabi was grateful. She wasn't really a jewelry kind of girl but the way her sister's eyes lit up when she put them on made her like the earrings a little bit more. Absently she fiddled with the stud in her right ear and Itachi smirked next to her. He reached out a hand to push some of her hair behind her ear, his fingers brushing against the shell of her ear as he did so. The sensation of his touch made her shiver.
"They suit you." He said, his fingers gliding from her ear to trace her jaw before letting his hand fall away from her.
Hanabi bit her lower lip and set her glass on the wooden railing of the deck. There was only one thing she wanted from him but she was unsure of how to express herself. Thousands of dollars spent on a bachelor's degree and she still could put her thoughts into words. Or really she was reluctant to. What she wanted would change the dynamic of their relationship entirely because she wanted more. She didn't want him to feel ashamed for looking at her too long. She didn't want his touches to remain fleeting. She didn't want to spend another night without him sleeping next to her-
"Well?" he pressed, interrupting her thoughts. Hanabi swallowed thickly and looked up at him as confidently as she could.
"I want you." She whispered and Itachi stiffened next to her. His silence was deafening but it wasn't an outright rejection. After a long pause, he let out a deep breath through his nose and turned away from her.
"I don't think you'll have much time for trips when you're in medical school." He said.
Hanabi shook her head and took a deep breath. It was either now or never.
"I want to see you every day." She said, taking a bold step towards him. "I want to fight with you more. I want to annoy you more. I want to laugh, cry, and eat with you more. I want to fall asleep next to you and wake up and you still be there."
Boldy, she took his larger hand in both of hers and lifted it up to press it against the center of her chest. Her heart was beating a million times a minute and was threatening to escape from her own body. She knew he felt it too by the way his fingers slightly twitched against her.
"I want you." she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Slowly, Itachi retracted his hand and with it, he took her heart as well.
"I can't do that Hanabi." He said and her stomach began to twist itself in knots.
"Why?"
"Hana-"
"Why?!" she asked, this time much more insistently. "Is there something wrong with me?"
"No-"
"Is there someone else?"
"No."
"Is it because I'm younger than you? You're not that much older-"
"Its ten years but no."
"Then why?" she demanded.
Why? Why didn't he want her? Why was it that every time he touched her it felt like he was struggling to stop? Had her own mind been playing tricks on her all this time? The bitter taste of rejection rose like bile in her throat and she struggled to maintain her composure.
"Am I not good enough?" she said weakly and the next thing she knew Itachi had grabbed her and pressed her up against the deck railing.
His lips were on hers in the next instant and her eyes widened with surprise. His lips were aggressive against hers, full of frustration and need. It took a moment for her brain to catch up with what was happening but when it did Itachi was already pulling away. She whimpered at his departure, unwilling to let him go so soon. Dark eyes were glazed over in a way that made a warmth pool rapidly in the pit of her stomach and a blush to spread across her cheeks. Equally warm hands came up to cup her cheeks, his thumbs slowly caressing her skin back and forth.
"Hanabi. It doesn't matter how much I love you. I will leave you alone in the end. I can't give you the life your sister and cousin have. I can't grow old with you. I can't give you children. I can't-"
"You love me." Hanabi said flatly, ignoring everything else he had to say. Nothing else mattered outside of that fact. Itachi blushed furiously at her words and narrowed his eyes.
"You're not listening to me." He said with a frown and his hands dropped away from her face. Hanabi grinned despite the loss of contact and grabbed the edge of his shirt. Standing on her toes and stretching as far as she could, she kissed the tip of his chin.
"You love me."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought the surprised Uchiha down to a more accessible level. Playfully she kissed both of his cheeks and his nose before finally placing a short kiss on his lips.
"You love me."
Itachi's fingers tangled themselves in her hair and stopped her from her kissing spree. He tilted her head back and held her steady as his lips properly descended upon hers. This time they were perfectly in sync with one another. Gone was the aggression and the teasing. In its place was a warmth she never thought could be experienced through a kiss. When his tongue glided over her bottom lip, she immediately opened her mouth to him and allowed her mind to become hazy. Kissing Itachi addled her mind more than an entire night out drinking and was something she knew could become addictive. When he finally broke away, she stared back up at his dark eyes and smiled knowingly.
"You love me." She whispered. Itachi let out a short breath of defeat before he pressed his forehead against her own.
"You really are a brat."….
…..Hanabi smiled as she looked down at the tired head of dark hair resting her lap. Ever so gently, she ran her fingers through the long strands and relished how smoothly the locks slipped through them. The train jostled them back and forth as the sun began to rise over the horizon. Outside of the train car, there was a short knock on the door to alert that whoever was inside should begin getting ready to leave. They only had one more stop till they were back in Konoha.
'Konoha.' Hanabi mused, tearing her eyes away from the sleeping form and instead to gaze upon the scenery whizzing past. 'I'm almost home. We're almost home.'
How long had it been since she'd set foot on Konoha? Seeing her family again filled her with so much anticipation that she was unable to sleep like her companion who'd been out for most of their journey. Her absence, while a point of contention with her family, hadn't been for nothing though. One of the biggest factors was that at the end of her residency there were several hospitals looking to scoop her up. Her specialty was in high demand and many of the busiest hospitals had vied for her to take up a position on their staff. Unfortunately for them no amount of money was able to draw her away from her goal of working in Makinohara. The little hospital there was severely understaffed and when she'd submitted her resume they'd fallen over themselves to hire her. They certainly couldn't afford to pay her for her knowledge and expertise but they were able to give her the one thing she'd always wanted, the ability to choose her own path. The ability to stay.
Hanabi sighed as she heard the hallway outside of their cabin begin to fill up with activity. It wouldn't be long now before she started her new job at Konoha General, a hospital renowned throughout the country. No matter how rich her new employer was or how many success stories they churned out, they would never hold a candle to Makinohara. At least to her, it wouldn't. No…nothing would ever compare to the life she had there with the ocean always outside her window….
…"Itachi." Hanabi whispered as she opened the door to the bedroom.
Soft, pale light crept into the room from his neglect to close the curtains the day before. Quietly, Hanabi padded barefoot to the lump in the middle of the bed. It was just before sunrise, Itachi's favorite time of day but he wasn't up like he usually was. Hanabi, on the other hand, had no problem sleeping in but over the years she'd grown accustomed to rising with the sun like he did. During this time there was peace. There was no one demanding their attention. She didn't have to rush off to the hospital. It was just them.
"Itachi." She said again and the lump in the center of the bed groaned. "I made coffee."
The bed creaked as she got on it and scooted over to where he was. She crawled on top of him and a tired black eye cracked open.
"You made coffee?" he asked, his voice laced with skepticism and fatigue. "The only thing you know how to make is cereal."
He closed his eyes again and Hanabi pouted as she sat to straddle his waist. It wasn't like he knew how to cook either! They mostly subsisted off of whatever Izumi made at the dinner and take out. Underneath her, Itachi's breathing started to even out which signaled that he was returning to sleep.
"Wake up Chi, you're going to miss it and you'll be all grouchy if you do." She said and she felt Itachi chuckle.
"Since when are you into watching sunrises?" he asked.
"Since when are you into sleeping in?" she countered.
Itachi let out a short breath of amusement before reaching over to his side to grab a pillow. Lazily he tossed the pillow into her face and Hanabi caught it in surprise.
"Hey-" she started to protest but Itachi was already shifting beneath her to sit upright.
He wrapped his arms around her and twisted them around so that she was now lying underneath him with the pillow smushed between them. Hanabi blushed at his proximity, happy that his eyes were still closed so that he couldn't see how flustered he made her. A warmth began to fill her stomach as he pulled the pillow away and nestled himself between her legs. Slowly his eyes opened and a rough hand pinned down her right hip.
"Turn your head to the right." He said and Hanabi did as she was instructed.
To the right was the expansive window that looked out to the beach on the Uchiha property. Ocean waves lazily lapped at the sand under a pale pink sky. The hand on her hip moved up her shirt, confident fingers gliding smoothly over her stomach to trace imaginary patterns.
"Watch the sunrise."….
… Another sharp knock on the door drew Hanabi out of her thoughts and back to the world of the present. She shook her head at her own daydream and marveled at the person sleeping next to her. What she would give to be able to sleep so soundly. Unfortunately that peaceful slumber had to come to an end as did everything else. Gently, she placed a hand on their shoulder and shook them slightly.
"Come on Chi, time to wake up."
…..
Thursday October 2 2039 2:10pm
Uchiha compound- Main House
…
Hikari sighed despondently as she stared at the unresponsive cellphone next to her. What was taking him so long to text her back? The Uchiha groaned as a painful cramp twisted in the pit of her stomach. She sank down into the warmth of her blankets and tried not to let her treacherous body get the best of her. Her time of the month had always been uncomfortable but this morning she could barely get out of bed. Her mother and father were more than accommodating and had insisted that she stay home from school and rest. They would have tasked a clan member with watching over her as well but she'd put her foot down on that measure. All she really needed was a day of rest, not some prying old auntie or cousin hovering over her all day. Aside from rest, what she really really needed was for a certain someone to text her back-
Vrrrrbbbbmmmmmmmm
Her phone's vibration was slightly muffled against her sheets but she heard it loud and clear. She released one of her arms from her comforter cacoon and felt around for the device until she had it in her possession. Once she had it, she brought back under her covers and swiped open the message on her screen.
You shouldn't be on your phone. Don't you have class?
Hikari rolled her eyes at the message. Ito was the last person to be lecturing her about using a phone during class. He had lectures around this time which meant that he was definitely texting during class too! Since she had his attention, she quickly typed back a response.
I'm staying home from school today.
Satisfied with the simple text, she pressed send and waited for him to reply. Just as she sent it off, a muffled ringing from the front door made it's way up to her room. Reluctantly, Hikari stuck her head out of the comfort of her blankets and waited for the bell to ring again. When it did she slowly made her way out of the bed. Who in the world would be ringing their doorbell in the middle of the day? Hajime and Hiroto both had keys to the house but they had no reason to show up on a Wednesday. Their university course load kept them way too busy to make random visits. It was very quiet in the house without them around… The doorbell rang again, causing Hikari to pick up her pace. She threw a quilt over her body and grabbed her cell phone off of the bed. The phone vibrated again but this time the message was short.
Why?
Hikari blushed as she stared at the screen while simultaneously walking down the hallway towards the staircase. How does she even respond to a text like that? 'I'm on my period?' No, that would be beyond embarrassing. She'd known Ito her entire life but even he didn't need to know about that. Periods were natural and normal but one certainly didn't go around advertising it. Just as she dismounted from the last step, her phone started vibrating again with multiple incoming messages.
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?
Hikari felt her face turn increasingly red as the doorbell and her cellphone competed for her attention. Taking the more immediate cause of action, she scurried to the front door and looked through the peephole. Standing on the doorstep was the last person she'd expected to see in the middle of the day, her aunt Hanabi. The older woman didn't have much in the way of possessions. Just a plain brown box in her hands which looked rather beaten up. She watched as the brunette looked down at her watch and ran a hand absently through her hair. With a click of her tongue, she turned away from the door just as Hikari began to open it.
"About damn time-" her aunt huffed as she turned back around but quickly swallowed her words. "Hikari? Is that you?"
Hikari adjusted the quilt around her shoulders and nodded her head hesitantly. Why did her aunt sound so shocked to see her? Sure she'd been in bed for most of the day but she was positive that she didn't look like a gremlin. In her hand, her phone continued to vibrate.
"Look at you!" her aunt cooed as she enveloped the girl in a hug, squeezing her as hard as she could with a box in one of her hands. "You've gotten so big! I can't believe it. The pictures don't do you justice!"
When her aunt finally let her go, Hikari stepped to the side of the foyer and motioned for her to come in. The woman did so without hesitation and only paused to remove her shoes. She entered the house as if she owned the place although Hikari knew she'd never set foot here before. Along the hallway that led to the living room there were several framed photos of their family throughout the years. Hajime and Hiroto's newborn photos, her at her kindergarten graduation, an annual Christmas photo taken at the Winter Hyuuga Estate last year. Her aunt looked at every single one of the pictures like they were the most interesting things in the world but the final picture in the procession was one that made her pause and her grip tightened on the box she held. It was the day of her brother's graduation, both of them sharing identical broad smiles in their black cap and gowns. She stood in between both of them holding the multiple bouquets of flowers they'd received and their high school diplomas in her arms. That day there had been lots of happy tears from her mother and even their father had cracked a smile.
"They grew up so fast." Her aunt sighed as she reached out to touch the photo.
Hikari studied her estranged aunt carefully, ignoring the vibrations of her phone. She looked absolutely nothing like her mother. Where her mother was curvy, her aunt was slender. Where her aunt moved forward with confidence, her mother moved with grace. The only feature they shared were the same pale eyes she envied her mother and Honoka for. Her long brown hair was similar to her uncle Neji's but unlike him, she allowed it to hang freely down her back. Her simple yellow t-shirt and light wash blue jeans gave off a carefree vibe that was much needed now that Hajime and Hiroto were gone and Hikari couldn't help but feel a slight pull towards her. Her aunt was nothing short of a mystery. She sent great presents for Christmas and birthdays and there was never a milestone she didn't send them money for. When she lost her teeth letters full of money came addressed to her personally and were all signed by the tooth fairy. Of course, Hiroto had let slip that aunt Hanabi had done the same for them as well but it didn't make the gesture any less magical.
"So I'm guessing Sasuke isn't here yet?" her aunt said, breaking Hikari out of her thoughts. The Hyuuga stared at her with curious eyes as she shook her head no. "That's a shame. He said he'd meet me here. Hey, shouldn't you be in school?"
Hikari jumped, suddenly remembering her phone that continued to vibrate incessantly. She looked down at the device to find that she had twenty unread messages from Ito. The first half all said the same thing 'Why' but the next quarter had a frownie face emoji. After that were crying emojis. Finally, she scrolled down to his last text and couldn't help but bite back a smile.
If you don't text me back, I'll tell Honoka…
Ito knew that if Honoka caught a whiff of her skipping school she wouldn't hesitate to skip herself. The girl only needed the smallest of excuses to bust out of class and she would be banging on her door in a heartbeat. That was the last thing she wanted to happen though. Her uncle Neji was already prematurely turning gray, she didn't Honoka to continue to add to the stress on her account. Quickly she typed out a message to stave off Honoka's invasion.
I'm fine. My stomach just hurts.
She sent the message off and less than a minute later Ito had responded.
You should poop.
Hikari blanched as she read the message, all of the color draining out of her face. That's not how a boy should respond when you tell them your stomach hurts! They should say sweet things like 'Get well soon' or 'Feel better'. She'd seen Hajime's texts to some of his girlfriends and he always wrote sweet things or sent cute cat pictures. She didn't dare to look through Hiroto's phone for fear that she would need to wash her brain but he wouldn't have so many girlfriends if he wasn't good at talking to women.
"I don't think he's too bright." her aunt tsked, her voice a lot closer than Hikari had thought it would be.
Her aunt stood next to her, blatantly peering over her shoulder and shaking her head at the subsequent poop emojis Ito continued to send her. Hikari pressed the phone to her chest to hide the embarrassing messages from view. Her aunt cocked her head slightly to the side and crossed her arms over her chest.
"You're talking to a boy right?" she said but Hikari didn't respond.
If she said yes what was stopping her from telling her father as soon as she saw him? Sure Ito wasn't just any boy. He was her brothers' best friend and at times worst enemy. He also considered her mother and father to be members of his family. They'd practically been raised together and yet she didn't want her aunt, or anyone else for that matter, to see their messages. She always had to share Ito with her brothers or their other family members. When he sent her texts it was something just between them. It was something she didn't have to share with anyone.
"Ahhh." Her aunt sighed with a knowing nod of her head. "I see now."
Hikari took a step back as her aunt moved closer, a mischevious smile on her lips.
"You might look like my sister but you're like me at your age. Sixteen right?"
Hikari nodded her head and her aunt clapped her hands together.
"Sixteen is a great age. I remember being sixteen so clearly. Sneaking out at night. Punching middle-aged men in the face. Making money from fights." Her aunt sighed and Hikari couldn't help but feel intrigued by her ramblings. Pale eyes snapped back to attention and she held a single stern finger up. "However you should know one important thing. Boys are stupid."
The phone in Hikari's hand vibrated and she opened the message quickly. Her aunt looked down at the phone as well and burst out laughing at what the message entailed.
You should eat more fiber. It's good for your digestion.
"Who is this boy?" her aunt giggled, taking the liberty of scrolling up to see his name. "Ito…heart, heart, heart, smiley face?"
Hikari yanked her phone away from her aunt, now thoroughly mortified that she'd seen Ito's contact name. This woman had no sense of privacy! Her aunt didn't seem to care that she was embarrassed though. Instead, she tapped a finger against her chin as if she were trying to place an escaping thought.
"Ito…Ito…short, blonde kid that can't remember how to tie his shoes properly? Naruto's kid right?" she mused and Hikari nodded her head reluctantly.
Her aunt had a few details right. Ito was her uncle Naruto's son. He did have blonde hair, really really nice blonde hair that made him easy to spot in a crowd. However, he certainly wasn't short and he definitely knew how to tie his own shoes! She blushed as an image of the Uzumaki popped into her mind and she pressed her hands against her cheeks to fruitlessly hide it.
"You have a crush on the Uzumaki boy? Wow, that's a close one!" her aunt laughed and turned around to traipse aimlessly into the living room.
Hikari scurried after her, curious about what her aunt meant.
"This is a nice place ya got here." Her aunt observed, looking around the living room with a moderately impressed expression. She gently placed the box on the coffee table before she plopped herself onto the large grey couch in the middle of the room and made herself comfortable. "Ah! Yes, my sister certainly has good taste in furniture. Much better than her taste in men."
The Uchiha's blush which had been receding came back in full force as she typed a quick message on her phone. She then turned the device around and showed the text to her aunt.
What do you mean?
A playful smile spread across her aunt's face and the brunette lazily twirled a lock of hair around her finger.
"I'm not sure if I should say." She teased and Hikari puffed out her cheeks in frustration. Her aunt only found amusement in her expression. "I'll tell you but only because you're so cute. Your mom and Naruto used to be a-what do you kids call it now? Mmmm a 'thing'. It's a good thing she ended up with your dad eh? Otherwise, Ito might have been your sibling!"
The blanket Hikari had been clutching around her shoulders dropped to the floor, her arms hanging limply at her sides.
'Mother and…Uncle Naruto?' she thought, completely taken aback by this new revelation.
She tried to picture her demure mother standing next to the boisterous Hokage but she just couldn't do it. It was way too weird! Yet, her aunt wouldn't lie about something like this. She had nothing to gain by telling her such information no matter how preposterous it was. If her mother and uncle had been a 'thing' who had her father been with? Surely he must have dated before he met her mother. He wasn't an ugly man by a long shot. In fact, she hated when he came to school because all of her friends would remark on how 'hot and sexy' he was. Plus Hiroto and Hajime were his spitting images and Hiroto never had a shortage of girlfriends. She could hardly remember a time when he was single. Wait…was her stern, honorable father a playboy like Hiro? A cold chill ran down her spine as threads began to tangle themselves in knots. With shaking fingers she typed out another message and showed it to her aunt.
Tell me everything
…..
Thursday October 2 2039 3:31pm
Uchiha Property- Main House
…..
Wow
Hanabi smiled as she read the single word Hikari had typed out. 'Wow', as simple and short the word was, certainly encompassed all of the information she'd told her niece. Yes. 'Wow' was right. She'd told the young Uchiha everything. From the first day she'd seen Sasuke Uchiha and her sister exchanging panicked glances on their first meeting all the way to the day she had to be fished out a frozen lake. She tried to remember all of the facts as they'd happened but there were still some things that were a little fuzzy. One thing she knew for sure, even though she was only a spectator to her sister's romance, was that she was truly loved.
I can't believe Father jumped into a frozen lake for you!
Hanabi shook her head at the new message causing Hikari to raise a curious eyebrow.
"Your father didn't jump into the lake that day for me." She explained. "No. The Sasuke I know is very very selfish. He jumped in because he loves my sister."
Hikari frowned and began furiously typing away on her phone.
That doesn't make any sense.
"Love never does."
Hanabi smiled as the sixteen-year-old pouted, dissatisfied with the answer she'd been given. The look on her face looked so similar to her own when she was trying to figure out love. Even now she still didn't understand the phenomenon that drove people to do what they do. Why it could simultaneous make you feel safe and still shatter you into a thousand tiny pieces. How, even after all these years, her heart still ached. A small tap on her shoulder drew attention back to Hikari who was now looking at her curiously.
Have you ever been in love?
The Hyuuga sighed at the loaded question and leaned back against the sofa. Hikari continued to look at her pointedly, hungry for more information that her loose lips would eventually give. Had she ever been in love? Well…simply put…she still was…
…..Hanabi jumped in surprise as Itachi's hands ghosted over her breasts, his thumb and forefinger gently playing with her nipple. He chuckled a bit at her reaction before lowering himself down to place the hardened nub in his mouth. Hanabi gasped at the sensation of his tongue swirling around such a sensitive area, teasing her in a way that was utterly unfamiliar. His other hand traveled up her side to play with her unattended breast and she couldn't help but let out a small moan. The sound was foreign to her own ears but it caused Itachi to smile against her. He removed his mouth from her right side and moved on to her left, determined to give both breasts equal attention.
"Itachi." She whimpered.
She was beginning to feel uncomfortable in her lower belly and it was making her squirm beneath him. His teasing fingers and tongue paid her whimper no mind and continued to tease her as much as he wanted. His lips moved on from her breasts, gently kissing down towards the last article of clothing she possessed. A pair of lacy black panties, ones that she'd bought with her sister because she'd been too embarrassed to enter a lingerie store on her own. Hanabi blushed when he hooked his fingers around the sides of the panties, tugging on them to signal he wanted them removed. Hanabi lifted her hips a bit to help him get the offending article of clothing off of her but she hid her face behind her hands. Itachi chuckled and pressed a teasing finger against her slit.
"You're already wet." He chuckled and Hanabi shivered.
Bravely she peeked through her fingers at the Uchiha, oddly curious about what he would do next. Rough hands grabbed the underside of her thighs and spread her legs apart. Hanabi squeaked at being exposed in such a way. His eyes felt as though they were devouring her and she could feel her own arousal beginning to outweigh her embarrassment. Slowly he lowered himself and kissed her hips as inner thighs. The sensation of his lips on her skin made she squirm and yearn for more. More of what though, she wasn't quite sure about. However, as his lips got closer and closer to her wet center she was starting to get a clearer picture.
"Itachi!" she squeaked when his mouth finally came in contact with her pussy.
Her hands flew away from her face to his head and she could figure out if she wanted to push him away or keep him there forever. Itachi's tongue made the decision for her, erasing all thoughts with its movements. The only thing she could do was moan as he expertly ravished her pussy with his mouth. It felt so good. Too good. Just as the coil in the pit of her stomach began to tighten, Itachi removed his mouth and slip in a finger. Hanabi gasped at the sensation of being partially entered for the first time. Only partially though because Itachi stopped halfway and immediately removed his finger.
"Hanabi." He said, slowly backing away from her.
The Hyuuga sat up as well, covering her breasts as best as she could with her hands. Had she done something wrong? He moved further away from her towards the edge of the bed and reached down to grab his shirt off of the floor.
"Itachi." She called out but he didn't turn back to her. "What's wrong?"
The Uchiha slipped his shirt over his shoulders and began trying to button it up but he wasn't doing a very good job. Hanabi frowned and grabbed his wrist to stop him from such a pointless task.
"Chi, what are you doing? Why?" she asked and Itachi let out a shaky breath through his nose.
"You're a virgin." He said, his voice strained as he did so.
Hanabi frowned and let go of his wrist.
"Yea? So? Does that make me undesirable to you?" she said and he looked back at her incredulously.
"That's not it."
"Then what is it?"
He said nothing, returning instead to poorly attempting to button up his shirt. Hanabi rolled her eyes at the Uchiha's stubbornness and smacked his hands away from the stupid shirt buttons. She then climbed onto his lap and pressed her center against the tent in his pants that barely concealed the fact that he was still hard. Itachi sucked in a sharp breath at the motion and tried to keep her hips from grinding against him. His efforts proved to be in vain because as soon as she began to kiss his neck, his own hands betrayed him and brought her closer. With a smirk, she flicked out her tongue and made the man shiver underneath her.
"Chi." She whispered, kissing the bottom of his earlobe. "I want you to be my first."
"Hanabi-" he protested but she silenced him with a kiss.
Fingers dug into her hips but oddly enough she enjoyed the pain. It made her buck against him even harder, relishing how increasingly wet the friction made her. As she kissed him, her own fingers tangled in his hair and her tongue explore his mouth to her heart's content. Embarrassingly enough, the combination of rubbing herself against him and kissing him so thoroughly was returning the fever that she had before. The need for more began to swell again and she knew that what they were doing now was not going to completely satisfy her. She wanted him. All of him.
She wanted him on his good days and his bad. When he was feeling fine and when he could hardly get out of bed without assistance. She worried about him when she was doing her rotations during the day and only felt relief when she returned home into late into the night. She knew that he worried about her as well by the way he'd stay up well into the early hours of the morning to help her study for her exams and always packed a lunch for her. Sure it was just peanut butter and jelly, the only thing he could make without destroying their barely used kitchen, but it meant a lot that he made it. It was from her Chi and that made it better than anything else.
Hanabi smiled against Itachi's lips as she recalled his regular sandwiches and stopped grinding her hips against him to rise up on her knees. As her dark brown hair fell around them like a curtain, she noted that for once she was taller than he was. Her hands moved from his shoulders, up his neck, to finally cup his face. Smouldering black eyes stared back at her, making her feel even warmer than before.
"Itachi." She whispered. "Itachi…I love you."…
…..'Yes.' Hanabi thought to herself. 'I love him just as much today as I did that night and every night after.'
A light tap on her shoulder reminded her that she wasn't alone and a phone was then shoved under her nose.
You blush like Mother when I ask about Father.
Hanabi narrowed her eyes at her teenage niece who only brought her phone back close to her chest and grinned mischievously. Quickly, a smile spread across her own face and a small chuckle escaped from her lips. The Hyuuga couldn't even pretend to be annoyed at the quip when Hikari looked so cute!
"You're here." A deep voice said and Hanabi and Hikari's heads both snapped up to attention.
Sasuke stood just in front of the coffee with his keys in one hand and a small frown on his face. He absently tossed his keys on the coffee table where they landed with a sharp, jingling thud. He then began to shrug out of his suit jacket and Hikari immediately jumped up to take it from him. His hard eyes softened slightly as Hikari took the article of clothing away from him and scampered out of the room.
"You're late." Hanabi said once Hikari had disappeared from the living room.
Sasuke only gave her his signature grunt as he uncuffed the silver metal cufflinks on the edges of his sleeves. Soft feet padded back down the hallway to the living room but before Hikari could enter, Sasuke turned around and shook his head.
"You and your aunt will have more time to catch up later Kari." He said and Hanabi marveled at how gentle the brash Uchiha's tone could be when he was talking to someone that wasn't her sister.
Hikari looked a bit put out for a moment but she dutifully nodded her head and made to leave the room. She did give Hanabi a brief wave goodbye before she left and Hanabi returned the gesture with a short wave of her own. The Uchiha and the Hyuuga listened to Hikari's footsteps retreat up the stairs and the subsequent closing of her door. Once assured that his daughter would overhear them, Sasuke finally turned his full attention to her. Hanabi squirmed a bit under his gaze but not because she was intimidated. No, Sasuke would never be able to intimidate her. Her discomfort stemmed from the fact that the last words she'd spoken to him were ones that she'd never wished to have uttered. Words that she knew were inevitable but still cut the same way. Hanabi took a deep breath, breaking the tense silence between them.
"You hate me don't you?" she said, a sad smile playing at the corners of her lips. "I wouldn't blame you if you did."
Sasuke grunted and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Hinata says that it takes more energy to hate people." He said and Hanabi snickered.
"For people like my sister, perhaps it does. For people like you and me, it's quite easy to hate someone. It's as simple as breathing most days." She replied.
The Uchiha smirked despite himself and walked over to the large windows that encompassed the back wall of the living room. He looked out at the well cared for garden in the backyard and let out a slow, deep breath.
"How long has it been?" he asked and Hanabi looked away from him to stare at the battered brown box she'd carried across the country.
It was merely held together loosely by some twine and was relatively light but when she held it in her hands she felt like she possessed the weight of the world. All of his thoughts. All of his dreams. All of his love. It all resided inside of a dingy, beaten up box.
"Eleven years. Three months. Twenty-two days." Hanabi said finally, her eyes still fixated on the box.
"Hn." Sasuke grunted, turning away from the windows and back to her. "I had twenty-one."
Hanabi took a deep breath and tried to will herself to stay composed.
"For you…it is twenty-one."
"That doesn't surprise me." Sasuke growled as he walked back towards the couch.
"He has his reasons-" she started to explain but Sasuke cut her off.
"Had. He had his reasons."
Hanabi didn't flinch at the sharpness of Sasuke's tone. She understood the hurt that he was feeling better than anyone else. Hell, she was still going through the same thing. However, she respected Itachi's wishes. The last thing he wanted to do was drive a wedge into the already splintering Uchiha clan. Sasuke had to understand that. Even if he didn't know, she would make him. He didn't realize that the perch he sat on was paid for by the silent sacrifice of others.
'Or…' Hanabi thought as she watched Sasuke take a seat in the gray armchair opposite of her. 'Maybe he does.'
"Sasuke." The Hyuuga began and Sasuke looked across the room at her. "Please let me explain."…
….. "Dammit!" Hanabi cursed under her breath and fiddle with her keys to find the proper one for the front door.
She couldn't believe she'd rushed home to retrieve a textbook. A fucking textbook. However, she'd been trying to make strides to work alongside her stupid partner Udon and in doing so had attempted to get to know his interests. He honestly didn't have many things he did like except for an odd fascination with things that were obscure. Since that was the only thing she had to go on, Hanabi had feigned interest and he'd lent her one of his old textbooks on infectious diseases. She'd wanted to reject it, she wasn't going to add even more reading to her already hefty list of things to do, but Makinohara was a small town with an even smaller hospital.
Since she was new, it was in her best interest to be on decent terms with everyone, especially her partner. Unfortunately, Udon had started inquiring about how far along she was in the textbook and seemed skeptical that she'd even cracked the spine. He was right of course but her pride as a Hyuuga was not going to allow him to know that. This, of course, led to her rushing home during her lunch break to grab a stupid book to satisfy the stupid interests of her stupid partner.
Hanabi let out a frustrated huff and shoved her key into the lock. Inside, she expected the foyer to be empty but instead, it was filled with shoes. Shiny, black business shoes that had no place in a small rural beach town like Makinohara. Hanabi's eyes narrowed at the shoes and carefully stepped around them. Something wasn't right. Just beyond the foyer she could hear angered voices coming from the living room.
"He has gone into negotiations with the Mist-" an unfamiliar voice said and other voices rambled around it in agreement.
"He can't be trusted."
"Incompetent."
"Naive."
"A traitor."
"Enough." Itachi's smooth voice said, cutting through the chorus of negativity swiftly. "I will not entertain any more of this."
Hanabi crept over to the entrance of the living room, careful to stay just behind the door jam so that the occupants couldn't see her. Cautiously, she peeked her head out to see six older men gathered around Itachi in a stiff semi-circle. They were adorned with expensive looking suits, scowls on their faces, and exuded a strange mix of desperation and anger. Their dark eyes were all similar to Itachi's, alerting her to the fact that these men were members of the Uchiha clan and she had no business intruding in on their affairs. Despite knowing this, she stayed rooted to the spot. She doubted that these men would try to physically harm Itachi but they made her hair stand up on end. She didn't even know them but she already didn't trust them.
"I understand that you do not wish to head the company as is your birthright." A stooped old man to Itachi's direct right said. "However, the one to succeed our clan still has a right to do so through your blood."
Hanabi's eyes narrowed as did Itachi's as he regarded the sly old man.
"What are you implying?" Itachi asked evenly and the man smirked, clearly under the assumption that he'd peaked Itachi's interests.
"The current heirs are unfit to assume the role. Their Hyuuga blood makes them weak-"
"They just turned ten." Itachi growled, interrupting the smug older man. Undeterred, the man continued.
"All we are asking for is that you sire a child. When that child comes of age they will have more of a claim to our clan than your brother's. With your guidance one day they will be fit to lead us and the business."
"Sasuke was named the heir. He is the current head. All succession will flow through him."
The group shook their heads and clicked their tongues, dissatisfied with Itachi's response.
"Not if you were to have a child. He is merely a placeholder in the event that you don't-"
"You wish for me to bring a child into this world for you to manipulate and ruin my younger brother and the future of my nephews?" Itachi said coldly and the temperature in the room dropped. When no one said anything, Itachi stood up and walked towards the sliding glass doors for the deck. "Leave."
"Itachi-" one of the men called out but Itachi flashed him a glare that made even Hanabi's heart stop.
"Leave now and take the mutiny with you or I'll kill you myself for such bright ideas." He growled and the men began to fall over themselves to escape….
…."They wanted to usurp you." Hanabi said after explaining everything to Sasuke in full. "That wasn't the last time they came either. Each visit they were more an more adamant the closer you came to finalizing the deal with the Mist."
Sasuke closed his eyes, absorbing the information she'd relayed to him with a weary expression on his face. It wasn't easy being the head of a clan and an international company. She didn't envy Sasuke's position and abhorred the fact that such a thing could have been her fate if her father had had his way. With a heavy sigh, Hanabi reached for the box she'd brought and picked it up from the coffee table. She put it in her lap and carefully untied the string that kept it shut. She then opened the lid and reached in to bring out a bundle of thick envelopes all tied together with a similar string.
Hanabi placed the bundle in front of Sasuke with a sad smile, reluctant to let one of the last things Itachi had touched go. Sasuke's eyes opened and slid down from her face to the fat stack of weathered envelopes she'd presented him with. She watched as his eyes widened and his breath hitched. It was a scene that felt all too familiar to her. She'd received a similar bundle although this one was more business than sentimental. Within the letters, Itachi had left her were deeds to various properties he owned, various investments in his name, and documentation of liquid assets that were now signed over to her. The independent income he had accrued was more than enough to keep her comfortable for the rest of her life if she chose to stop working.
Sasuke's letters on the other hand, even though she hadn't read them, would contain something different. Itachi knew that he didn't need to make sure that Sasuke was financially secure. Within those letters was something more precious than anything money could buy. Within those letters laid a piece of Itachi's heart. A heart that had ceased beating eleven years…three months…and twenty-two days ago.
…..
Thursday October 2 2039 5:41pm
Hidden Leaf Academy
….
"There's just one left." Konohamaru sighed to himself as he left the front office.
He was on afterschool duty that day and as always there was one kid left. He couldn't comprehend why parents couldn't pick their kids up on time It interfered with his evening plans when parents were negligent like this. Not that he had much to get home to these days. Moegi was always tied up with entertaining women that floated in their high society circles. Whenever they had time together it was spent trying to create an heir to carry on the Senju name. However, that goal seemed to become more and more elusive as the years went by.
Konohamaru sighed as he pushed open the metal double doors that led to the school's playground. It appeared as though he was officially the last in the line of his once great and powerful clan. They were still quite powerful and arguably great but he was most certainly the last. Not that he minded too much. He had thirty kids every year to call his own and worry about. The brunette chuckled as he perused the perimeter of the empty playground. His family absolutely hated the fact that he'd become nothing more than a lowly teacher. It was a profession well beneath someone of his stature but it was the only way he would agree to take up the mantle as heir.
He had so many obligations thrust upon his shoulders at such a young age. He'd lashed out in different ways, some visible to his family and some not. The only thing he regretted was entangling a certain Hyuuga in his rebellion. He still thought of her from time to time though not as often as he once did. When she did cross his mind she thought of her as she was the day he saw her on the beach after months of radio silence. In comparison to the rest of the scantily clad beachgoers, she'd been wearing a t-shirt two sizes too big for her and a black baseball cap pulled down low.
He liked to think of her as the same surly girl with a chip on her shoulder and tongue that cut through even the biggest ego. As cliché as it sounded, Hanabi Hyuuga had been the one that got away from him. The one that he'd never be able to have. He knew that she went to university after that summer in Makinohara but after that, he never heard from her again. He refused to revisit the rural beach town because of the memories that would resurface of her. The memories of her looking at him with disgust in her eyes as his nails dug into her skin.
Thunk!
A sharp pain hit his temple and an object ricocheted off the side of his head. His hand immediately went up to cover the impacted area and he hissed at how tender his head was.
"Why did you walk in front of me?" a flat voice asked and Konohamaru cracked open one eye as best as he could to get a look at the person speaking to him.
A little girl who appeared to be no more than ten years old stood in front of his with her hands on her hips and a disapproving look in her eyes aimed at him. Those scrutinizing eyes were strangely familiar. The shape of them was one he knew very well. They were so similar to the woman that haunted his dreams yet there was something off about them. Instead of being strikingly pale, they were slate grey. Shaking off the oddity of her eyes, Konohamaru made not of her attire which was quite notable in and of itself. She didn't wear the same uniform as the rest of the elementary schoolers he was in charge of. Just a simple white blouse, red bow, and grey skirt instead of the usual navy and periwinkle ensemble his students usually adorned. That could only mean that this child was a transfer. Konohamaru lowered his hand from his head, satisfied that he'd found the child he'd been looking for.
"Are you going to move?" The little girl frowned at him, cocking her head slightly the side and running a pale hand through the long, dark strands.
Konohamaru jumped at the sound of her voice and quickly moved out of her way. In the next instant, she threw a rock that he didn't realize she'd been holding at one of the many plastic bottles and cans lined up on the playground fence. The rock deftly hit a rusted soda can and fell into the dirt with a satisfying thud. Konohamaru nodded his tacit approval, surprised by how good the girl's aim was.
"Wow!" Konohamaru said as the girl knocked down a plastic bottle. "Did your father teach you to throw like that?"
The slate eyed girl squatted down to inspect the rocks at her feet, tossing aside ones that didn't satisfy her mental criteria.
"Father?" she said calmly when she finally found a rock she wanted. "I don't have one of those."
Konohamaru awkwardly scratched the back of his head, unsure of how to further engage the girl. Dealing with children that didn't have one or both parents in their lives was something he was trained to deal with but that didn't make it any less awkward. Internally he racked his mind for all of the things his female students like and tried to grasp on to one of them.
"Chi!" a voice called in the distance just as the little girl knocked another can off of the fence. "Chi!"
The girl immediately turned on her heel at the sound of the voice and bolted in the opposite direction. Konohamaru had to tear himself away from marveling at the bullseye shot she'd made on the aluminum can and the total mood shift of the child. Konohamaru watched as the little girl bolted towards the person calling her name and tackled her to the ground. Out of concern for both parties, Konohamaru briskly ran up to where the little girl had gone to make sure that everyone was alright.
Splayed in the grass was a familiar crop of brunette hair that still haunted his thoughts when he let his mind wander. The owner's laugh filled the air and in an instant, he was transported back to being seventeen. When he was seventeen he heard that laugh frequently and had relished the fact that he was the reason that it'd come about.
'Hanabi.' Konohamaru thought, his breath catching in his throat.
Pale eyes blinked open but they did not rest on him. Instead, they regarded the exuberant child on top of them and reached out a hand to pat the top of their head.
"Chisato." Hanabi laughed. "I'm getting too old and tired for sneak attacks."
Chisato jumped off of her mother and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Don't tell me you're too tired for brownies! You promised me brownies!" Chisato admonished as Hanabi got up off of the ground.
The Hyuuga righted herself onto her feet, crossed her arms over her chest in a similar fashion as the little girl, and narrowed her eyes at her.
"There is no such thing as being too tired for brownies!" Hanabi said and Chisato's eye's instantly lit up.
Konohamaru wanted to go closer to the pair. He wanted to join in on the light-hearted affair that occurred between them however he knew it wasn't his place. Those eyes the child possessed, a strange mix between Hyuuga and something else, struck an immediate chord. Those eyes that were more mature than they needed to be. Those eyes that he'd only met once but had made him more frightened than he cared to admit. Those eyes belonged to Itachi Uchiha.
To be continued…
Y is for Permission
There were reasons behind Hiashi's madness and right now Sasuke agreed with him.