According to Plan
By TheCrackShipper
Thanks to Mudheart, lil miss punk, Hana13, KickAssKunoichi, Kwolf425, Cheese Maiden, Keita Pekoe, and Wedgits for the awesome and inspiring reviews
A/N: This chapter is over 7 pages long. I'm really sorry I had total writer's block for this chapter and I apologize if its way too rushed.
"Hana-san come on out." Temari begged the bathroom door, but it remained resolutely shut.
"Hana you look great!" she tried again, applying her body weight against the door.
"No I don't!" she cried vehemently behind the door, "I look like a stripper, If I go to that dance looking like this all my dignity's going to be trampled on by a pack of malicious fangirls."
Temari stifled a laugh. It was a comical situation they were in. Temari and Hana had been preparing for the dreaded night in Hana's bedroom. Temari looked absolutely stunning in her chosen dress, her hair held up in an elegant knot (though she was sure those pins would cause a splitting headache in the morning). Hana looked equally stunning, though she did not agree. Of course Temari had to admit, it was a little, showy, but Hana totally pulled it off! She was sure, at least, that Itachi would be very attentive to his date.
"Oh so what, you don't care about them, and I'm sure Itachi doesn't either, what matters is that you look ga-ood," Temari sang, her eyes flashing with mirth.
There was the sound of a shoe being thrown at the door, Temari laughed outright.
"Oh shut up, I'm not coming out!" Hana growled in a very Inuzuka like manner.
"Alright," Temari sighed when she heard the doorbell ring, "I'll just tell Uchiha-san you're standing him up."
She walked away slowly, peering behind her shoulder as she took her time down the steps, but the door didn't budge. She could hear Hidan complaining, and rolled her eyes.
"It's about time," Hidan muttered. He turned and stopped as he caught sight of her, his eyes lit up. Her heart beat a little faster, and her cheeks flushed prettily. Hidan swallowed and then smirked.
"Geez Temari, you look like crap."
The warm all encompassing feeling was gone, and she scowled darkly.
"You're an asshole, Hidan." She punched him.
He bent over to meet her eyes.
"Oww that hurt." He laughed at her frown.
Itachi who had been viewing the exchange with little interest cleared his throat with an exaggerated cough.
"I'm sorry to interrupt but where's Hana?" he asked, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He was utterly god like in his black suit and black tie, and it was a miracle that Temari did not melt into an inaudible puddle.
"I'm sorry Uchiha-san." Temari shrugged, "It looks like…"
"I'm here lets get this over with." Hana's disgruntled voice startled them.
It took every ounce of the cool stoicism contained in him to prevent his face from dropping its customary blank expression.
Hana was absolutely breathtaking in a spaghetti strap short, tight crimson dress. Red Lace adorned the top and bottom, and there was red bow just below the bust. The dress ended just above her knees, and she wore black, two inch stilettos. Her hair was tied back with curls falling around her tanned shoulders, and her red lips were turned down in a frown.
"Stop staring Uchiha!" Hana barked, her arms crossed over her chest.
Hidan whooped, "You look like a stripper!" he doubled over, in his laughter. He could sense the subtle change in Itachi's mood and it was oh so priceless.
"See, I told you!" Hana cried her brown eyes distressed, "I should have never agreed to this."
"Hana, you look gorgeous." Temari not so discreetly stepped on Hidan's foot with her 3 inch stilettos and he not so discreetly yelped and cursed out his girlfriend.
"She looks great." she repeated sternly, "Right Itachi?" she added slyly. Hidan smirked and threw his arm casually over Temari's shoulder.
"Yeah, right Itachi?"
Itachi cleared his throat again.
"You look…er…very nice." Itachi mumbled, turning away.
The smirk on Hidan's face couldn't get any wider, "Shall we be off then?"
Temari looped her arm through his, her smirk double the size of Hidan's "Lets."
They pulled up to the country club where the formal was to be held, in the Uchiha family limo. The sound of pounding dance music made Hana mentally groan. Temari swayed to the music.
"You have no sense of rhythm." Hidan snorted as he casually offered her his arm.
Temari playfully slapped it away, and stepped gracefully out of the limo. They didn't bother to wait, almost gliding into the dance hall.
Itachi sat, staring out at the elaborately decorated awning, the twinkling lights draped tastefully over the staircase, couples climbing happily as though rushing to the night they've waited for. Hana tried to sink deeper into her seat. Maybe she'd disappear and wake up in her room. It would be the morning after the dance and she'd visit the animal shelter.
"Hana?"
Hana blinked, startled out of her happy daydream to see Itachi offering his arm. Her eyes narrowed.
"Back off Uchiha," Hana avoided his arm, and stepped out onto the pavement. She tottered uncertainly on her heels, and mentally cursed Temari for the shoe suggestion. She was definitely going to fall on her face before the night was out.
"You sure you don't need help?"
He was smirking. Damn him he was smirking. She straightened up and feigned balance.
"Are you coming or what?" she called over her shoulder.
He walked beside her, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. The closer they got to the flashy double doors the louder the music got. It pounded against Hana's temples, a pounding that held the promises of a terrible migraine at the end of the night. There were signs of lewd dancing, and the dim lights had Hana backing away. Damn those heels.
"Is there a problem?" There he was standing at the doors, gloating at her discomfort. No way in hell was she backing out, this was now a very real battle of wills and Uchiha was going down.
"No problem." She huffed and stepped over the threshold.
Immediately she was engulfed in the sea of bodies, the scent of smuggled alcohol mingled with sweat, the flashing lights, and the terrible dance music. She was taken in by the current, and dully noted that she had lost Itachi in the crowd. Those accursed heels were making things ten times harder, as she tried not to fall into a total stranger. She was getting dizzy, oh where was the exit?
How did she get to the middle of the dance floor? Her heels finally failed her and she tripped forward into a solid figure. She pushed herself off the unknown man (and she could certainly ascertain it was a man after falling into him) and flailed her arms wildly before falling backwards. Said stranger took a hold of each elbow and prevented her from falling backwards by fpulling forwards again right into his chest. Hana glared up at her conniving date.
"Problem?" Itachi questioned, tilting his head. He was enjoying this. He was freaking enjoying this. Hana let out a howl of rage, and kicked off her heels. Once she had both feet firmly planted on the ground, she shoved Itachi as hard as she could into the fangirl behind him. He managed to untangle himself to stand in front of her, that same smirk that same tilt of his annoying head.
"Isn't that kind of disgusting? Walking on the dance floor barefoot?"
Hana was so enraged that she was almost reduced to incoherency.
"Screw you Itachi!" she shouted and tried to find an opening around the dancers pressing her closer and closer to him.
Itachi bent over to pick her up bridal style.
"What?! What the hell?!" Hana shouted, not caring that she was attracting a sea of onlookers, "What do you think you're doing?!"
"You can't walk in this room with no shoes." He explained monotonously as he made his way through the crowd, the students parting for him.
Hana calmed down slightly as she pondered the thought, "I suppose it makes sense." She grumbled reluctantly.
They made it to the exit without much fuss on Hana's part, into a private hallway. Itachi let her down gently and she had to say she was slightly grateful she didn't have to avoid the stomping feet of a thousand hormonally crazed teenagers.
Itachi leaned against the rose colored wall opposite her, and loosened his tie. He could see Hana stiffen visibly. She was impossible, absolutely impossible; he had tried to act like a gentleman all night and she had spurned it all with a toss of her pretty head. Even he had to admit she looked gorgeous tonight.
"Are you sure we're allowed to be in here?" Hana asked nervously glancing around the quieter hallway.
Itachi closed his eyes. This dance was a disastrous idea, if anything any tolerance Hana had for him was dissolved.
"I'm sure," Itachi replied, his eyes still closed, "I have enough money to buy this place and all its employees."
Hana frowned "Well Itachi, don't be so modest now."
Itachi opened one eye lazily eyeing her, "Notice how you've been calling me Itachi recently? Whatever happened to Uchiha?"
Hana's cheeks matched her dress, "Uchiha, you are the most infuriating person I've ever had the misfortune to meet."
Itachi stared at her for a minute, his tie hanging loosely around his neck. Hana crossed her arms over her chest.
"You know," Itachi paused, as though thinking over what he was about to say, "You look really nice, I didn't expect you to go to so much trouble for a night out with me."
Hana looked away, "Yeah well, thought I'd show you up a bit, be better looking and all that jazz."
Itachi was silent again, studying her casually. "I didn't know you were claustrophobic."
Hana tilted her head, "What gave you that idea?"
"You looked like you were going to die out there; I've never seen you so miserable."
Hana snorted, "You've obviously never seen my face when I'm around you."
Itachi inwardly sighed; there was no getting around it. She was just so hostile.
"Itachi," He looked up at her face, but she wouldn't meet his eyes, "Thank for helping me out back there, you're right I hate crowds, I hate enclosed spaces, I feel like I'm gonna choke and die, there laugh at me."
She looked so pathetic standing there with no shoes, and her now limp hair.
"Well?!" she shouted.
She was surprised when he moved toward her, and stopped to stand way to close for comfort. She was absolutely stunned with he slipped off his shoes and stood there waiting for her to make her move. She stared at him then at the shoes then back at him, utterly bewildered.
"Put them on." He had his hands back in his pockets, his signature bored expression gracing his features.
"What?"
He peered down at her from the corner of his eye, "You can't dance without shoes."
"I'm not going back into the mosh pit." She squeaked.
"You're not," Itachi stared lazily up at the dim lights, "We're going to dance outside."
She stared at him in amazement.
"You like the outdoors don't you?"
Hana couldn't stop the small smile on her face as she slipped on his too big shoes. They walked down the hallway, Itachi in his socks, Hana shuffling.
It was a pleasant, warm night, slightly humid. Hana and Itachi stood on the country club grounds, sprawling green hills, there was a gazebo in the distance. Hana took in a deep breath, a sigh of content fluttered from her lips.
"Wonderful,"
Itachi offered her his arm for the second time that night. She hesitated slightly before placing her arms lightly on his shoulders; he placed her hands lightly on her waist.
"When did we decide this was a slow dance?" Hana asked as they swayed to the music.
"I think we've had enough loud, senseless beating for one night." Itachi murmured. Man that dress was distracting, it was okay when they weren't so close to each other. Why one earth was she wearing that? It was so low cut and short and tight and very very distracting.
"What are you staring at Uchiha?" he blinked and shook his head, "Nothing."
Hana grinned. She got him. Temari was right, the dress had worked and for that moment she was in control.
"You like what you see Uchiha?" Hana laughed, leaning in closer to his neck. Itachi released her immediately, his cheeks the faintest shade of pink. Hana laughed. Shoot and score.
"How do you like a taste of your own medicine?" Hana raised an eyebrow as he cautiously put his hands back on her waist.
"I suppose I didn't like it," he admitted, cursing Pein for putting him through this in the first place.
They fell into a comfortable silence. It was a beautiful night and the hellish dance floor seemed far behind them. They couldn't see the stars, sadly enough, because of the low grey clouds that promised rain.
"Is that why you didn't want to come with me?"
"What?"
"Because you hate crowds, is that why you didn't come with me?"
"No, I didn't want to come with you because I didn't like you."
"Didn't as in the past tense? As in you like me now?"
"Give it a rest Uchiha, don't ruin such a gorgeous night."
"So you're having a good time?"
There was a long pause. She looked up at him, her eyes searching his for any signs of deception. Apparently she found none because she smiled ever so slightly.
"Yeah I am." She whispered so that Itachi had to bend in closer to hear her.
The mission, don't forget you're just using her, you're a genius. You're cracking the uncrackable.
His breathing was heavy and ragged, he was leaning in closer. She was staring at his Adam's apple at the moment.
"Hey," she started weakly, "What size shoe are you?"
"Are they really big?
"Yeah, what are you like a 21?"
"I don't think that size exists." He leaned in closer
"I thought you had enough money to buy whatever you wanted?" she pressed a little closer to him.
"Not everything."
The clouds overhead released their first little droplets, until it poured down in buckets. They immediately jumped 3 feet apart. Hana wrapped her arms around her.
"You want to go inside?" Itachi offered, absolutely horrified by his male hormones.
"No let's stay out a while," Hana's teeth chattered. Her hair clung to her skin, sprawled on her shoulders a few strand plastered to her cheeks. Her dress clung to her skinny frame and…there went his hormones again.
Hana couldn't stop herself from staring at Itachi; the rain suited him fairly well too. It was as though Mr. Arrogance was gone and here stood this calm, stoic, attractive man, who had actually been genuine in the last few minutes.
She shivered and Itachi threw his coat over her shoulders.
"You want to meet up tomorrow?" he asked her.
"At my house? My brother's at a friends and mom shouldn't bother us."
Damn it, her mother would be there.
They were silent. Hana wrapped his coat tighter around her, Itachi shifted as mud seeped into his socks.
"Do you want your shoes back?" Hana offered awkwardly.
"Yeah I do."
He lifted her up out of his shoes, and slipped them on himself. Then, clutching her to him, he made his way toward the gazebo.
"Where are we going?" Hana asked, less awkward now, more intrigued. Itachi was now the stiff one and he walked as rigid as a robot.
"Around the back, to the limo." He replied curtly.
Hana was startled into looking up at him, "Something wrong Uchiha?"
He shook his head.
"Nothing's wrong Hana, absolutely nothing."
A/N: Please Review!