Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto characters nor the cover image of Itachi! I do own my characters however!
The Anachronism
Chapter IX: The Day He Met Her Friends
Before anyone had even noticed it, autumn had quickly transitioned to the start of winter. The trees, which only a few days' prior had been at the peak of color and beauty, were quickly changing into a brown color and dropping from their branches to the equally dead grasses below. Birds were beginning to fly south to the warmer weather, while those animals unable to fly were readying for a long hibernation. Similarly, students of Kotohu University were also transitioning, their clothing changing from short-sleeves and light jackets to instead bundling up in layer after layer. And with the end of the semester only a few short weeks away and winter holiday closing in, morale was at an all-time low.
"Can't the semester just finish already?" Megumi groaned, laying back against her couch. Next to her, Haru sipped silently at her hot chocolate, while Nadeshiko, curled up under a blanket in the loveseat, nodded in agreement.
Instead of the usual meeting place in the dining hall, the girls had decided to camp out after class in Megumi's apartment. Haru lived in a dormitory on the other side of the campus, so whenever they decided to hangout she always said it would be easier to just drive up to Megumi's and Nadeshiko's apartment building. However, with Nadeshiko's new roommate, she won't be letting anyone in her place any time soon, and gave her friends the excuse that her room was a mess. Thus, it was decided that they would spend the remainder of the day in Megumi's room.
"Agreed," Nadeshiko sighed, turning to face her two friends. "Like, there's what? Two weeks left? Can't we just pretend they don't exist and skip finals?"
Megumi nodded and jumped to her feet. "Exactly! That's what I've been saying the past three years!"
"Sometimes I wonder," Haru commented, placing her drink on the coffee table. "If you two put so much energy in procrastinating and complaining about your classes as you did in studying for them, you'd probably be using your time a bit better."
"Okay, Mom!" Megumi looked down at the brunette, arms crossed over her chest, while the little brunette just shrugged.
"I'm just saying."
"And you're totally right," Nadeshiko responded, wrapping the blanket even more tightly around herself. "But studying is much more boring than watching Megumi feed off of our negative energy and combined procrastination." Haru chuckled at this and Megumi rolled her eyes.
"You're lucky to have a friend like me, remember that!" The black-haired girl yelled, while Haru and Nadeshiko exchanged looks and a raised brow. "Hey, I'm serious!"
Nadeshiko grinned at the black-haired woman. "Yeah, yeah, I know."
With only a few more days left of classes before the grueling week of finals, there was very little to do aside for planning for the winter holiday. While Megumi spoke excitedly of her plans to vacation in the Philippines with her siblings, both Haru and Nadeshiko listened with masked jealousy. In the three years they had attended the university, Haru rarely returned home. She lived at the southern tip of Japan in a small town and, due to financial circumstances, could only go home during the summer recess. However, unlike the previous years, Nadeshiko was planning on staying at her apartment rather than return home. As Megumi continued to speak animatedly, Nadeshiko thought of her sister, and how broken her family had become after she was hospitalized. The blonde fought a sigh.
As if realizing Nadeshiko was no longer listening, Megumi paused for a moment. She pondered her friend's behavior, which was so different than it had been only a year ago. Although Nadeshiko never said anything, Megumi couldn't help but wonder if her changed behavior had to do with something more than just her past break up with Akito. Well… The nursing program here is pretty difficult. Maybe the change from the core curriculum freshman year to being nearly done her second year into the nursing program has been rough on her…?
"Megumi?"
The black-haired woman blinked and looked between Haru and Nadeshiko, who were both staring confusedly at her. Right, she had randomly stopped talking. She laughed and placed a hand on her cheek, "Oh, my! I'm so sorry! I suddenly had the overwhelming realization that finals are next week and I don't know anything about my classes, so I just panicked a little!"
The girls all laughed and teased Megumi for her stupidity, something that she normally would have fought back about. However, today, she refrained. In the midst of their laughter and joking, her attention was focused on Nadeshiko. In moments such as these, it would be impossible to tell that something was on her mind. But she was always good at hiding those kinds of things, the important things, the things that really mattered.
The two caught each other's eyes and for a moment, Nadeshiko shared her look, one that knew something, but, yet, was unsure, hesitant. Although she smiled, her eyes bore deep into Megumi's own and for a moment, the dark haired female thought she may have found her answer. However, as quickly as she thought she's found it, it was gone, Nadeshiko's attention averted to the softly falling snow just beyond the window.
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"I don't like this idea," Haru muttered, shuffling uncomfortable past the front doors of the apartment building and into the flurries of pure white snow. Megumi ran beyond her, laughing maniacally, arms outstretched as if intent on catching every fluttering snowflake. Behind her, Nadeshiko smiled optimistically and walked to her side.
"It isn't so bad out," Nadeshiko commented, walking in tow with her brunette friend. "It's only the start of the season, so the weather is just barely cold enough for it to snow. And it looks so pretty!"
"Yes, well," Haru murmured back, covered her face with her red striped scarf. "It also looks pretty from the comfort and warmth of the library. Why are we out here again?"
Nadeshiko laughed. "You know, there's more to life than the library! Plus, you already know practically everything you need to know for your finals. It's been a busy semester – we deserve a little break!"
"I think our ideas of a 'break' slightly differ," Haru responded and Nadeshiko chuckled. In front of them, Megumi spun around to face her two friends, arms still outstretched.
"Come on, you two!" She squealed, bouncing in her black boots. "Let's build a snowman!"
"Haru…"
Nadeshiko turned to look at Haru, who returned it with a soft glare. "Don't you dare…" Nadeshiko's grin grew.
"Do you want to build a snowman?" The blonde sang as the brunette covered her ears. "Come on, let's go and play!"
"Please stop," Haru groaned, walking quickly away from her blonde friend. However, a slight twitch of her lips gave away her masked smile.
Unfortunately, the brunette was so preoccupied watching Nadeshiko that she ran into Megumi. Stepping back, she was about to apologize until she saw the wide grin spread across the black-haired woman's face. Oh no.
"I never see you anymore," Megumi sang, earning an annoyed frown from the brunette. "Come out the door–"
"It's like you've gone away!" Nadeshiko chimed in behind her, and the two began to cry with laughter as the brunette sigh and masked her small grin with the back of her hand. Although the three of them were very different kinds of people and from very different backgrounds, they came together almost seamlessly during their time at Kotohu University.
Less seamlessly did a certain Uchiha happen into Nadeshiko's life and, currently, as the girls stood laughing amongst the snow, he was walking back toward the apartment building. As the building came into side, so too did the three girls. Itachi stopped walking and watched the three girls, unsure how he should continue. That morning, Nadeshiko had been clearer than usual about that oddness of their current situation.
"Boys don't live on this side of the building!" She had said firmly to him early that morning as he read through another of his unhelpful texts and pondered what he had been told from Reishi. "So it's important that no one see you come into and out of here, and even more importantly from my room! Got it?"
She had paused then, and Itachi had looked up to see if she was looking for a verbal response from him. However, instead, she was looking at her phone, her expression fearful and her skin white. Just as he was about to ask her if everything was alright, her eyes shot up and bore into his own.
"On second thought," she exclaimed. "Please leave my apartment today for a little while. You needed to get back to the library anyway, right? I…I can't risk you being found out with them around." She had murmured something inaudibly after this, before hurrying off to her room, shutting the door behind her.
They must be why, Itachi thought, looking over the other two females. One of the girls, a small brunette, was unfamiliar, while the other, the tall black-haired woman, he recognized from when he had first arrived and had gone off shopping for clothing with Nadeshiko. The memory caused him to inwardly sigh.
Across the white expanse, the girls all continued laughing; however, out of the corner of her eye, Megumi spotted a person emerging in the distance. Turning towards it, she squinted against the bright light sparkling off the snow to see the familiar face. Brows raised and grin widened, Megumi turned smugly toward Nadeshiko, who had yet to notice Itachi across the vast expanse. However, once she caught on to Megumi's look, the blonde went quiet.
"What?" Nadeshiko asked, confusion painted on her every feature.
Haru looked at Megumi, then toward the direction she had just been facing. Her brows raised as well, and she offered and unhelpful, "Oh." Across the lot, Itachi realized, in the time he'd stopped and considered the situation, he had been found out. When had he gotten so slow?
Nadeshiko, considerably the slowest to catch on to anything, turned to face her other friend. "'Oh' what? What am I missing?" Finally, she peeked passed Haru's head and her face warmed as her eyes met Itachi's.
Oh god, no.
"Isn't that…?" Haru asked, and Nadeshiko's face burned hotter. Megumi cackled.
"Oh, it is alright!" Megumi responded, before yelling in a sing-song voice, "Hi Itachi! Over here! Remember me?"
Behind her, Nadeshiko could have died. In her embarrassment, her blood boiled beneath her cheeks and her emotions were rampant and confused. This is not at all what she wanted. She'd hid this man – although unsuccessfully – for nearly three months. Why couldn't she have hid him for longer? Or at least prevented a situation like this from happening, when she would have to at least come clean on one account: that she and him did know each other. But how could she explain why he was headed toward her apartment building?
Before she knew it, Itachi, ever stoic, had approached the group of them, eyes locked on Nadeshiko. She tried sending him a message to run and pretend he didn't know her through telepathy; however, he very obviously did not get the message. She would have to say something before the situation could get worse.
"This–" she began, but Itachi already beat her to it.
"My apologies for visiting you unannounced," he spoke evenly, his eyes never breaking from hers. "I see you are busy with your friends. My sincerest apologies." The Uchiha bowed and Nadeshiko felt her chest grow heavy and her heart raced. What was he doing? What was he saying?
"Oh, don't apologies!" Megumi responded, patting him on the shoulder and completely unfazed by his intimidating presence. "It's good to see you again!"
"Likewise," Itachi responded, although lacking in honest sincerity. Luckily, Megumi was too busy sending looks to Nadeshiko, who was practically hiding her face. Turning his attention to Haru, he introduced himself, "I do not believe we have met. I am Itachi Uchiha. It is a pleasure." He bowed again.
Haru bowed back with much less grace and composure, "I'm Haru. Nice to meet you."
Nadeshiko could not fathom what was happening. Her mind was reeling and she was so lost and unsure what she should do, or why Itachi was asking like this. The Itachi she knew – the unfeeling, stoic, amnesiac man – was not what she was seeing before him. Before her was a graceful and formal man, albeit stoic, but yet completely unlike what she was used to seeing. The dynamics of their relationship was completely unlike this, and was yet another reminder that, although they have lived together for months, she still knew next to nothing about him.
Voice unsure, Nadeshiko chimed in, "So… Did you…need something?" Next to her, Megumi slapped Nadeshiko's arm and she let out a squeal.
"How rude!" Megumi scowled, earning a hurt and confused expression from Nadeshiko. "You are so daft. Maybe he just wanted to say hello!" And then, grabbing her by the ear and turning her away from Haru and Itachi, Megumi cooed, "I didn't know you had this kind of a relationship with him, Nadeshiko. Already coming to your apartment? Be-have, baby!"
Nadeshiko's face went aflame and she began screeching and squealing inaudibly back at Megumi, who laughed jubilantly while Itachi and Haru stood behind them in confusion. Haru peered over at Itachi and explained, "This happens a lot. I apologize for their behavior." Itachi nodded, having figured that out, as it had happened in his presence before.
After she was finished her screaming in opposition, Nadeshiko covered her face with the back of her hand and averted her eyes from Megumi, who laughed and laughed on as if it were the funniest thing in the world. By some mistake, the blonde's eyes had found their way to Itachi's and, despite her embarrassment, she held his gaze. She felt her heart beat faster and the warmth of her face creep back to her ears and down her neck.
They didn't have "that" kind of relationship, as Megumi so fondly referred to it. But, then what kind of relationship was it? There were plenty of time when things felt…normal. Like, when she woke up in the morning to him at the kitchen table, a coffee in one hand and a book in the other. And nothing felt…weird. But yet, then there were times like these, when just looking at him or even thinking of him had her feeling so completely inebriated that she couldn't function. What was this? Why is this…?
And then it happened, so uncharacteristically she thought she hadn't seen it at all. But it was there, and, although now it was long gone, she felt her knees grow weaker and her heart in her mouth.
All over a little smile lasting no more than a millisecond. But it was there.
I apologize that this was a bit of a filler chapter, but I needed this chapter to separate between the last chapter and the next chapter that I'm planning.
Also…GUYS! THANK YOU! We have reached nearly 100 people following! This is amazing! Honestly, when I first started writing this, I never anticipated people actually liking it. I more decided to write it because at the time, it's what I really wanted to write, as I'd never seen it done before. Now, the characters have really grown on me and I've had a lot of fun planning this whole thing out. So, THANK YOU for all of your support and to all the reviews/comments I have received. Especially those from Neko Hoshi Hime Okami – honestly, your kind words make my day so much brighter! And to taran taran, for often reminding me that I need to update soon hahaha!
On an unrelated note, I'm actually thinking of another story, although I haven't really decided if I'm going to write it yet. It would be for Kingdom Hearts (in celebration for 2.8 being released in January! Woo!) and it would be an AU story about all the characters going to university together with the main girl being an OC. And the Organization XIII is like a fraternity and it would follow the girl's time at the college. I'm not sure who the pairing would be, although probably Axel or Riku. But if this is something you'd be interested in, let me know!
I hope everyone is doing well and is having a wonderful holiday season! Please remember to follow, favorite, and comment if you're enjoying or just want to say hello or something! Thanks again everyone!