Hi everyone! How're you all doing?
Sorry for taking quite a while to update.
You guys are wonderful! Thanks to all who are reading this, alerting and favoriting this, and especially for those who took the time to review! I love your responses :D
I was going to make this chapter all happy, but then halfway through this idea just struck me and it took a turn to the more serious side.
Haha, and yeah the chapters are getting longer and longer.
It took me a while to get it right, especially getting down the more serious stuff. And I'm not quite sure what to think of it. So please tell me what cha think.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Naruto. They are owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Masahi Kishimoto respectively.
Story Title: Melt
Chapter Title: Whistle
Chapter Summary: In which a simple whistling lesson took an unexpected turn into something deeper.
Genre: Friendship/ Romance
Rating: T
Pairing: Kagome/Itachi
Itachi observed Kagome as they are travelling through the forest, and he thinks Kagome was a bit obsessed. For the past two hours, it would seem that Kagome had been entertaining herself by trying to teach herself whistle.
He saw her shaping her lips into an O, attempting to whistle but failing miserably.
Only weak wheezes came out, or maybe an occasional off-tone note, and sometimes she huffed and puffed while trying to produce a decent tune.
In Itachi's opinion, she looked utterly ridiculous, and he wondered what exactly possessed her to try to learn whistling in the first place.
Kagome was trying to train herself to whistle. She simply needed to learn how to whistle!
After the tea house incident, she had decided that whistling is a must learn, so that she could ease awkward situations or pretend that she had done nothing wrong when disastrous events like that happen. It should allow her to become more convincing when feigning innocence, as if she wasn't involved at all in dire occasions, and handle the circumstances more maturely. (Instead of running away.)
In order words, the whistling was needed in case of emergency, for getting out of uncomfortable situations.
Though theoretically, there shouldn't be a next time. Well, but you know, just in case.
But so far, she was having no luck or whatsoever. After so many failed attempts, she finally decided that whistling cannot be self-taught.
"Ne, Itachi…" The miko prodded.
"Hnn?" Itachi signaled her to speak.
"Do you know how to whistle?"
"…." Itachi did not like where this conversation was heading.
"So?" She asked.
"Yes, " The Uchiha prodigy hesitantly admitted.
"Really?" Kagome inquired hopefully.
"Yes…" Itachi repeated. He thought that the question was redundant, since he didn't see a point in lying to her about such a trivial fact.
"Can you teach me how to whistle then?" The bubbly girl asked while mentally giving herself a pat at the back. Haha, good job Kagome! Getting the person you're trying to avoid awkward situations with in the first place to teach you to whistle!
Her triumph was short-lived when Itachi gave his response without missing a beat.
"No," He promptly replied.
"But why?"
"I do not wish to," He answered curtly.
"Come on! What harm is there to teach me how to whistle?" The time travelling priestess reasoned.
"…None...except I do not wish to teach you how to whistle. Furthermore, I see no purpose doing so. " The stoic Akatsuki member would never admit aloud that it was an undignifying and degrading task. Imagine someone catching the infamous Itachi Uchiha whistling in the forest… that would completely obliterate his fearsome reputation.
"But it will make me happy…" Kagome rationalized. (A/N: What kind of reason is this? =_=)
"…" Itachi grumbled. Only Kagome could think of such an unpersuasive rationale.
"Please?" She pleaded.
"No."
"Pretty please?" Kagome tried again.
"Iie…" He declined. He would rather be dead than be caught teaching a girl how to whistle. Well, maybe he's exaggerating, but you get the point. It was a rather unbecoming task.
"Pretty, pretty please?" She insisted.
"Da-me..." Itachi refused once more, this time with a little more force, hoping he would get his point through, and cease her request.
But Kagome, being the ever oblivious one, continued pestering him.
"Pretty, pretty, pretty please?" She begged.
Her head was slightly tilted to the left; her large sapphire puppy eyes were looking at him so full of hope and expectations. She was pouting softly, and her lips quivered as if she's on the verge of crying. Though of course, Itachi knew she wasn't…
Once again, Itachi thought how she so full of hope, maybe even too full of hope. He wondered how she had even survived in this brutal world in the first place; she shouldn't be a part of this cruel reality. And although he wishes not, he believed that she would only one day be hurt because of her trusting and optimistic nature.
He looked away, and tried to focus elsewhere. But after a while, he could still feel Kagome staring at the back of his head. So he took a quick glance at her.
Big mistake…
He saw her innocent wide blue eyes looking at him expectantly.
He could already feel himself giving in…
Itachi gave a soft sigh, before relenting.
"Aa…" He conceded while pinching the bridge of his nose.
She smiled at him blissfully while thanking him.
And he guessed it was worth it.
He gave her a few pointers, and sent her off to try it out. Unfortunately, Kagome wasn't exactly the brightest of the bunch, and remained unsuccessful albeit Itachi's help.
So it resorted to Itachi doing a demonstration. Reluctantly. Very reluctantly.
But he did.
A single rich note echoed across the forest.
Kagome looked absolutely fascinated as if she had never seen a person whistle before.
Itachi couldn't fathom her eagerness. After all, it's just him whistling.
"Now change the notes~" She instructed him.
Itachi complied, and whistled a range of melody.
"Ooh! Whistle a song!" She requested enthusiastically.
"…" He was doing her a favor. He wasn't some sort of… jukebox… (and even if he was treated like one, he wasn't getting the money either)
Kagome nudged him slightly, to gain his attention.
And Itachi once again complied with her request.
To be honest, Itachi didn't really know any songs. His life as an S-class missing nin mostly composed of missions, training, missions, sleep, sparring and more missions. And the occasional free time that he had, he wouldn't spend it on music. So how often would he get in touch with music? Never.
He searched his mind, before reflexively starting to whistle a tone that he heard when he was younger.
One that his mother used to hum to him, to sooth him to sleep when he was still just a child.
The tune reminded Itachi of a part of his past buried deep under his mind, and brought along with it nostalgia.
Kagome was listening intently, before the tune stopped abruptly.
"Why did you stop?" She inquired.
"I don't remember the rest of the song." He explained
"It's a nice tune though."
"It's… a lullaby my mother used to hum." He elaborated.
Back when he loved and was loved, when he was the only child. Before he had slaughtered her, along with the rest of the clan with his own hands.
These abominable hands which took countless of lives, which massacred his clansmen mercilessly…
His hands which had caused so much agony, death and destruction.
These condemned, blood stained hands – His hands.
Painful Memories involuntarily flooded in Itachi. Memories of his past he had forcefully and vehemently suppressed. Until now. Memories of his deceased family, memory of his victims, memories of Sasuke overwhelmed him…
He clenched his right hand tightly, his nails digging deeply into his palm. His whole body was rigid as he tried to repress his remembrance.
Kagome worriedly walked to him. She did not know Itachi's past, but she knew it was a painful one, that much she could tell.
She encircled her hands around his clenched fist, and gently pried his grip lose.
She weaved her fingers with his, their fingers now intertwined.
She gave his hand a firm squeeze, hoping to reassure him.
Itachi felt her gesture. She was holding his hands - his guilty, damned, blood-stained hands…
Her skin was smooth and flawless against his callous ones.
Itachi turned and met Kagome's searching stare, her expressive azure orbs conveying her sincere concern for him.
Kagome could see all the sorrow and untold story behind his eyes. These were the eyes of one who had lost so much, the eyes of a soul in turmoil. Itachi's usually stoic face was adorned with a sense of melancholy.
This wasn't the confident Uchiha prodigy. This was just Itachi, a weary man with too much burden to bear; an individual with the weight of the world on his shoulders, with heavy shackles on his conscience.
This was only Itachi.
And it felt as if her heart was breaking to see him like this.
Her grip on his hand unconsciously tightened.
This image of the proud and strong Uchiha just didn't look right. He wasn't supposed to look so weak and defenseless…
Her heart ached excruciatingly upon his vulnerability. She wanted so bad to reach out to him, to comfort him.
And at that moment she decided, she would do whatever she needed to do to protect him.
That resolved grew with each breath she took.
The engulfing memories eventually slowed.
Itachi took a deep breath. And shot Kagome an almost unrecognizable grateful look. (Since his glance was so complex and full of mixed emotions.)
He closed his eyes, and recomposed himself, willing his past behind him.
And when he opened his eyes again, he was once again Itachi Uchiha, S-class missing nin of the Akatsuki, traitor to Konohagakure, and murderer of his once prosperous clan.
There was no trace of his earlier tumult. And once again his calm and collected mask was back into place.
"Keep practicing," He finally commanded.
Kagome took one last penetrating look at him, before letting go.
She took a step back. The distance between them increased once more.
She did as she was told without objection.
.
.
.
But Itachi couldn't help but notice how empty his hands felt once she stepped away.
.
.
.
Her hands were so warm.
Thanks to: SugarOo, x0SilverFeathersx0, Cosmic-lover, DV Anime Productions, Bloodcherry, Ari-the-Writer, xXkUmiKoXx, WraithReaper, Yue, Valleygoat and AM P.H.A.T. for reviewing!
Wow! 1581 words! Not bad huh? It's even longer than the last one.
Hmmm… after reading this, it's actually a bit more solemn than I thought it would be… I feel sorry for Itachi .
Well, I was going to add an omake of the original version. But then I thought it would ruin the mood. Plus, this chapter on its own is already kinda long compared to the previous ones.
The next chapter may be short. I think I might just post the omake and a little bit extra, since the exams are really really near. And yep, I procrastinated… Heh heh heh… Sighh… I'm hopeless.
~Review, review, review~ :P
Feedbacks are much appreciated, cuz I don't know what to think about it. Like it? Hate it? Too serious?
Until next time,
- 4get Me Not