Title: Lady Luck
Author: paws-bells
Beta-ed by: MelissaRose85
Characters/Pairing: Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi
Type: Continuous (InComplete)
Genre: Romance/Humor
Word Count: 7098
Theme: LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #11, Lady Luck
Rating: M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older) Not so much but still explicit content ahead!
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.
Summary: AU. Sakura had never thought that the practice of bringing home injured animals would carry such great impact to her relatively simple life. But then again, none of them had ever been Uchiha Itachi.
Chapter Last Revised on: 25/05/09
Chapter Two
"No," Sakura blurted out vehemently before she could stop herself. "Absolutely not!"
The pink-haired female was flushed and annoyed as she quickly climbed out of bed, stood up and turned to glower at the shape shifter. She seemed to momentarily lose her self-righteous fire when she saw him in his full, naked glory, and quickly turned bright red. Then, she stooped hurriedly, grabbed her duvet, and threw it roughly over his middle. Sakura made a mental reminder to herself to wash her bed sheets right after this, and promptly sent the…whatever-he-was a finely honed glare.
"I don't care what you are, or who you are, but you are definitely leaving my house right after I'm done with you." She was rather determined to drive him out, her eyes lighting up with growing indignation as she scowled at him. She would have been rather intimidating indeed, if not for the fact that the man she was scolding seemed more preoccupied with staring at her milky, slender legs than actually listening to what she was saying.
Sakura gasped with outrage, the blush on her face growing even hotter.
"Hey! I'm talking to you here, you-"
His eyes flickered over to hers, and held.
"My name is Itachi, Sakura." He straightened from his languid sprawl then, sitting up with lazy grace, and the bed sheet that protected his modesty (as well as her eyesight) dipped dangerously low over his lean hips. Sakura eyed the duvet warily; if it went any lower she swore to herself that she would personally staple the damn thing to his backside.
She looked at him again.
"Your name is Itachi?" she sounded almost bewildered. A weasel? A cat that was named after a weasel?
He seemed amused by the nonplussed expression on her face. "Weasels are traditional harbingers of doom and gloom," he explained. "My father named me thus as a warning to enemies."
By now, Sakura's expression was downright incredulous. She quickly decided that the father must have been as strange as the son if he really thought that naming his child after a furry, woodland animal would be able to scare away anybody. Cause them to laugh to death, perhaps, but the pink-haired female tactfully decided to keep her doubts to herself. After all, these were probably a bunch of kitty-eared, furry tailed cat people or something. Who knew what they were thinking.
"Uh, right," Sakura replied lamely. "It is obvious that you have a family, then. You should return to them."
She wasn't exactly being subtle in her request to get him out of her house, but then again, she was beginning to realize that this man possessed a very thick hide, and her earlier attempts at subtleness had all died very quick deaths.
He watched her wordlessly for a brief moment, the earlier lightness in his eyes fading away quickly to be replaced by a blanked, distant expression.
"I have been abandoned by my clan," he replied quietly. "Attacked by my own and then left to die."
Okay…she did not expect that. Eyes wide, she could only stare at Itachi, not really sure what to say.
He wasn't looking for her sympathy, though.
"As you can see, they failed to do a good job," he continued blandly, almost as if it didn't matter to him at all. "For that, I have you to thank as well. I wouldn't have healed as quickly if not for your timely interference."
Sakura nodded slowly, her mind rapidly processing the facts that he was giving her.
"You are welcome," she told him in a more subdued manner, no longer sounding as accusatory or as ruffled as before.
The raven-haired shape shifter observed her change of behavior from the corner of his eyes. "I do mean it when I say that I owe you a debt, though," he proceeded casually, almost silkily. Sure enough, the petite female started to look at him warily, much to his inward amusement. "Are you absolutely certain that you do not want what I have to offer?"
Sakura really did not know what was it about this man that made nearly everything that came out of his mouth sound like some sort of sexual innuendo. She didn't know if she should applaud him for not coming across as a complete sexual pervert for all the harassment that he was putting her through so far, but really didn't want to think too much about the matter as that would either mean that she was highly tolerant of perverts, or that she didn't particularly mind being sexually harassed by this particular male, both of which were equally mortifying notions that she really didn't want to consider.
She did frown at him, though.
"I did not help you in the hopes of gaining any sort of favor from you," Sakura told him irritably. "And I most certainly do not appreciate you propositioning me every other sentence."
She sounded so very prim and proper, and he had no doubt that she meant exactly what she said. A small, genuine smile ghosted across his face, and if she only knew just how rare it was for him to display that sort of expression, she would have been thoroughly shocked.
"I know; in fact, I'm making it a point to be very aware where you are concerned," he replied simply, not even bothering to deny his blatant physical attraction to Sakura. The pink-haired female in question quickly felt a blush coming up; his words felt so very intimate to her!
"Well, do you have anywhere to go?" she asked, changing the subject.
He watched her with a slight tilt of his head, intelligent eyes cataloguing the slight skittishness in her form, the strange hesitation that seemed to imply that she was conflicted over something.
"No," he answered, perfectly honest. "I have nowhere to go. At this moment, I cannot appear in the places where I'm normally seen. I will roam for a bit." It was technically the truth, though he would have to make contact with Sasuke later, to make plans to root out and eliminate the traitors in his clan.
Sakura was calling herself all kinds of an idiot for even considering this, but there was something in his eyes that had changed just for a split second earlier, something that had caught her attention but was gone before she could even put a name to it, and despite not knowing his full background, despite not knowing if he was a criminal or a robber or even a murderer, despite not knowing him at all, she felt safe with him.
It should be strange and downright unsettling, and her friends had always said that she trusted too easily and suspected too little, but this time around, Sakura decided that she would follow her gut instinct and give this being the benefit of doubt.
He could have hurt her badly if he so chose to – he was certainly strong enough – but Sakura clearly remembered how he had taken care not to scratch her with his sharp claws, how he had immobilized her without even bruising her; it was obvious that he bore her no ill will.
…besides, it wasn't as if he could gain anything from her. She wasn't particularly rich, she didn't have a lot of connections, and she wasn't even very beautiful if she had to be honest with herself, not like those breathtaking beauties out there with their perfect faces and perfect figures, whom she was very sure that people like her rescued…cat would have no trouble charming if he wanted to.
For some reason, that notion made Sakura feel rather disgruntled.
"…I have a spare room. I suppose you can stay here temporarily, if you want to," she offered grudgingly at last.
He was astonished by how ridiculously trusting she was being with a complete stranger, but he managed to conceal his surprise. He looked at her searchingly, shrewdly observing her for any ulterior motives even though his analysis of her character so far did not support such underhanded modus operandi. Not surprisingly, she did not seem to be plotting anything, and met his stare head on, revealing her guileless nature for all to see.
It was strangely annoying that she would put her trust in him so easily; he could have been anyone!
"Wait here for a bit, I will go get my medical supplies to remove your stitches, as well as some spare clothes for you to change into." She started to turn away from the bed, intent on leaving her room and hurrying to her kitchen to collect her medical kit, but before she could even reach the door, she was quickly stopped by a hand wrapped around her wrist, spinning her back to face narrowed eyes of cat slit crimson, glittering with a volatile mix of displeasure and disbelief.
Sakura was stunned by how swiftly and soundlessly he had moved across the room. He was sitting on the other side of the bed when she had turned her back to him, and seconds later, he had caught up to her and she hadn't even heard a thing!
"How did you-"
"I can easily overpower you right now, and kill you here," he interrupted her stammer with a controlled, ruthless tone that was nothing like the languorous, husky tenor that was his voice earlier. Sakura stiffened slightly at his frigid, intimidating accent, but otherwise refrained from falling into hysterics at his abrupt change in temperament. She had no idea why Itachi was being so contrary all of a sudden, but she knew better than to react with anger or fear. Her own experiences with different people at the clinic had taught her to stay calm no matter the situation, and even though this wasn't exactly a normal scenario, Sakura would be damned if he thought that he could scare her like this.
"I know," she answered honestly, calmly. "I know you can hurt me, but you haven't so far, and I know that you have taken care not to do me any harm." She paused briefly, looked at the currently unreadable expression on his face, and then continued. "And so, I told myself that I will take a gamble on you. If I'm correct in my judgment of your character, then at least I will have gotten to help you out, if only for a bit."
She sounded quietly sure of herself, unwavering and not doubting her decision at all. He was beginning to learn the full extent of just how…foolishly self-sacrificing this woman was.
"And if you are wrong?" His voice was almost menacing in its stillness.
"If I'm wrong, then there is nothing much I can do," she replied logically. "You are already in my house. I'm at your mercy either way."
She was so very casually dismissing the possible danger that she could be in, and although it made sense for her to reach that conclusion, he found himself getting irritated by her blatant lack of self-preservation all the same.
"Yes…you are at my mercy now, aren't you?" he murmured in a deliberate, dangerous manner that made her stare at him suspiciously. He would do her a favor and impress upon her the virtue of being cautious and less trusting around complete strangers, but before she could be completely cowed by his bluff, once again, she seemed to easily snap out of the threatening aura that he had weaved around her. One moment, she was looking warily at him, clearly sensing the suppressed air of danger that he had focused purposely on her, and the next, it was as if she had managed to shake it off like it was of no big consequence, and was even beginning to scowl at him.
Itachi frowned inwardly. Her strange ability to shrug off all of his attempts to influence her was beginning to vex him.
"Are you trying to scare me?" she demanded, much to his incredulity.
"I'm not trying," he snapped back before he could stop himself. "You are not being wary enough. Deception is a trait that is most common amongst humans, and I'm surprised that you have not learned that lesson yet."
Sakura frowned at his rather negative outlook.
"Just because I prefer to give others the benefit of the doubt does not mean that I'm not being wary," she pointed out; this was the same argument that her friends often liked to use on her whenever they had the chance to nag her for whatever random good deed that she had done for the day, and sensing the same lecture coming up from this apparently bipolar male, Sakura sought hurriedly to end this as quickly as she could. "And just so that we can get this over and done with; are you going to hurt me?"
Her question was blunt and to the point, and he really did frown this time.
"That's not the point that I'm trying to make," he informed her in a mildly irked tone, well aware that she knew he had no intention to do her any harm.
"But that's exactly the point that I'm trying to make," she told him. "I have already decided to put my trust in you, so unless you do something to make me rescind that trust, it is unlikely that you can convince me to doubt you. Besides, I think you are under the mistaken impression that I have not had my faith abused before."
He looked at her, showing none of his surprise, instead, waiting for her to continue. And she did.
"But I also know that those are the exceptions, not the rule," she told him. "I cannot close myself off to the world just because of a few bad experiences, what if there is someone out there who really needs my help? I cannot just ignore that and walk away."
"And so, you keep holding out, never mind the possibility of getting hurt."
He sounded rather odd as he made his own conclusion, and the way he was looking at her right now made her feel rather awkward, but not necessarily in a bad way.
"It's not as self-sacrificing as you are making it out to be," she muttered.
She was wrong. She was the exception.
Her thinking was such an utterly foreign concept to him, but it seemed that she truly believed in this way of hers, and even though his impossibly sharp mind was calculating and coming up with so many reasons why hers was such a foolish and idealistic notion, not to mention the number of ways he could exploit her…
He said nothing, for if not for her and her strange beliefs, he would still be in that alley, without the medical aid that had helped complement his healing abilities, not to mention the veritable group of highly skilled assassins who had been sent to eliminate him would be scouring the area until they finally found him to complete the job that they had failed to do the first time around. Even though she was unaware, she had saved him, healed him, and now, had decided to provide him with shelter and a safe house whilst he dealt with the treacherous snakes that his clan had been breeding unknowingly.
Of course, there was also the matter of her strange ability to negate and see through any sort of glamour placed by him, something that he had never come across in any shape shifter before, let alone a human. He wondered if her ability extended to the other species of his kind, and if it could be inherited by her future offspring. It was not an important thought at the moment, but it was certainly one worth pursuing—later.
"Are you finally done with all the questions?" Sakura asked then.
He nodded. "For now," he allowed. He paused briefly, before continuing. "It seems that I will owe you again."
"I don't need any repayment other than for you to heal properly," she answered quickly before he could take the opportunity to slip in some inappropriate innuendoes. Keeping her gaze fully on his face and nowhere else, she spoke again. "Please return to the bed and wait patiently while I collect my medical supplies to remove your stitches with."
It was evident by the slightly strangled tone in her voice that she was not too pleased by how he was strutting about stark naked again—with no regards whatsoever towards his modesty. Sakura could only wonder what her neighbors would think if they ever looked out of their windows and into her apartment. She hoped that she would never have to find out.
He cocked his head slightly, observing her peeved expression. Cool crimson eyes became slightly less guarded, and a mild look of renewed interest flickered across the cat slit gaze. It was an expression that did not bode well for Sakura, although she did not know it just yet. The raven-haired shape shifter began to rub his thumb against the smooth underside of her wrist, quickly reminding her that she was still caught by him. She appeared rather disconcerted by his show of affection, and quickly tried to pull away from him. He didn't let go, unsurprisingly. Instead, he made use of his hold on her to raise her hand to his lips, and catching her widened eyes with his own, proceeded to press an innocent kiss onto the back of her hand, every bit the gentleman.
Sakura stilled completely, not quite sure what had happened to cause yet another abrupt change in temperament in this man, and she wasn't really sure she wanted to know either. Then, she promptly let out a gasp when his tongue darted out from his mouth to give her a small lick. This time, he let her go when she snatched her arm back, her skin still tingling from where he had laved his tongue over it.
"You licked me!" she squeaked out, face red again and sounding thoroughly outraged, and this time, the amusement that quickly returned to his eyes was tinged with lazy, masculine indulgence.
"I'd like to do more than lick you if you'd let me," he told her in a brutally honest, velvety tenor that did nothing to curb her growing blush. The fact that he didn't look like he was joking at all quickly made her brain processes grind to an abrupt stop.
Apparently, now that his curiosity towards her was momentarily sated, he was only all too pleased to return to his original intent—to get as close as possible to this soft, sweet-smelling female as he possibly could. It was obvious that she was just as attracted to him as he was to her, but unlike himself, she seemed to be fighting tooth and nail not to give in to her attraction, and her stubborn, albeit completely futile, struggle was almost amusing to watch.
It would have been outright entertaining if not for the fact that he could easily think up dozens more…entertaining acts that they could both enjoy together.
It was all Sakura could do not to react physically to that heated look in his eyes.
"I-You- Wha-" she was stuttering badly before she regained her senses, confused emerald eyes clearing rapidly as she gave him an annoyed stare. Oh, no! He was not doing this to her again! She was not going to allow it! "Get. Onto. The. Bed."
A slender, raven brow swept up at her bossy command, and before he could come up with some risqué comment about the nature of her…frisky…demand, she quickly added. "And cover yourself this time, you…nudist!"
Without waiting to see if he would comply with her forceful request, Sakura turned sharply and hurried out of her room before he could respond. The last thing she wanted to do was to catch an eyeful of his naked butt as he sauntered back to bed, gaping like a halfwit at the subtle play of his tight muscles as they flexed sinuously with each of his deliberate, graceful treads, his broad shoulders moving subtly in tandem with his easy, loose hip gait, the long, sleek, black tail that extended from the end of his tailbone swinging lazily from side to side, bring attention to the back of his sculpted, muscular thighs, amongst other distracting parts…
The mental image that her helpfully overactive mind provided was more than enough to make up for her lack of a visual, much to Sakura's distress. She whimpered quietly with frustration as she stalked into the kitchen and towards her medical cabinet; was this man's perversion contagious?! She certainly hoped not, and groaned inwardly when she remembered how she had promised to let him stay with her for as long as he wanted to. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! If he was going to be like this all the time, Sakura wasn't sure how she was going to cope. It was already bad enough that her body seemed to betray her every time he touched, no, looked at her; she would be damned if she allowed herself to play into his hands like some kind of…toy!
Sakura's eyes narrowed with resolve.
She was definitely going to lay down some ground rules if he was staying with her, that was for sure!
Surprisingly enough, he had listened to her, and he was sitting on the edge of the bed when she returned with all the necessary supplies in hand. He was also somewhat covered by her duvet, and she pointedly ignored his amused expression when he caught the fleeting look of relief on her face. His long tail curled innocently on the bed sheet beside him, and he kept his gaze fully on her when she came in, watching her as she started to lay out the tools of her trade with meticulous care before kneeling down on the floor by his side.
"Let me see those wounds."
He gave in to her request with little fuss, shifting aside the material that covered him partially to reveal the side of his injured thigh. The bandages that she had wrapped around him the night before had fallen off when he shifted from cat to…somewhat human, but that was of no consequence as all of his open injuries had knitted together and closed already, much to her surprise and wonder. It didn't take long for her to sterilize the area around his stitches with some rubbing alcohol, and she quickly started the careful process of removing the surgical thread bit by bit with the help of a small pair of scissors and pair of tweezers. Engrossed in her work, she was no longer as conscious of her 'patient' as she had been earlier, her pink head bent over his thigh to better see what she was doing, her long hair getting in the way and tickling his leg as she concentrated on her task with steady hands and a gentle touch, at least until he did something about it.
Sakura tensed slightly when she felt fingers tangled amongst her hair, stroking the silky strands carefully, almost curiously, before gathering her long pink mane away from her face. She understood his intention to help and relaxed, returning her full, uninterrupted attention to removing his stitches. He didn't let go of her hair, running his fingers idly through the beautiful silken mass as he kept his eyes trained on its owner, and it felt so strangely comfortable that Sakura let him be.
It didn't take long before she was done removing all of his stitches, and after one last swab of the rubbing alcohol as well as a deft application of adhesive strips to allow the wound to heal completely, Sakura quickly placed the small pieces of surgical thread in a small bag to be disposed of, and started to gather up her medical supplies.
"You really heal fast," she commented almost to herself before she looked at him. "You can take a bath now; in fact, you should. I will find you some clothes that you can wear for the time being. And you can let go of my hair now."
He decided to heed the mild warning in her tone this time, and released her after one last, brief caress. He looked forward to having that magnificent river of pink silk wrapped around him soon, and for now, he would bide his time and wait for a perfect opportunity to make his fantasy into reality.
"Thank you." The quiet sincerity in his voice was unmistakable, a complete contrast to his former teasing attempts at seducing her, and surprised, she nodded.
"You are welcome," she told him softly in return, gathering her kit as well as all the other materials she had brought into her bedroom as she stood up. She was still dressed in her pajamas, though she had taken some time to slip into the bathroom to go through her morning ritual earlier, when she had left the room to collect the medical supplies to see to Itachi's injuries. He was welcome to use the bath now, and she was preoccupied with trying to remember just where she had put those clothes that Naruto had left behind the last time he stayed over…
The distinct sensation of a pair of warm hands wrapped intimately around her waist made her stiffen with surprise, and she looked down just in time to see the shape shifter gently catch the hem of her nightshirt between his fingers and tug down to cover her panties-clad bottom and part of her thighs, the material having been caught bunched up into itself around her waist when she had been on her knees before him, busily seeing to his injuries. He was focused completely on the act of straightening her shirt; not missing a single detail as his hands slowly glided a sensuous path from the gentle flare of her hips to the silky length of her coltish legs.
He was certainly male enough to thoroughly appreciate the way she felt under his hands, as well as the erotic sight of her large nightshirt slowly, inch by inch, hiding that smooth expense of healthy, peach-hued skin and her willowy, svelte figure from his hungry gaze.
He yearned to put his mouth where his hands were, sucking hard and licking wetly and nipping at her sweet-smelling flesh, but doubted that she would appreciate his carnal worship of her body just yet.
Not now, at least.
"What are you- oh," she muttered sheepishly. She hadn't quite noticed that her shirt had not fallen back into place when she stood up, and started to turn a bit pink when she realized that she had probably been flashing him without even knowing it. He was still seated by the edge of the bed, his large hands now loosely pressed against the sides of her slender legs, the callused tips of his fingers brushing against the lower contours of her pert bottom as well as the sensitive inner edges of her thighs.
Sakura felt slightly dazed as she stared down at his hands—hands that were big enough to almost engulf her completely. Sakura flushed. It was terribly erotic, watching him hold her in place like this.
He looked up at her just in time to spot the distracted, slightly glassy look in her eyes. His own ruby-tinted gaze darkened.
He dropped his hands from her, and with some effort, refrained from looking at that goddamn arousing expression on her face, the same look that told him she was not as adverse to him as she acted.
"You shouldn't stare at me like that unless you are asking to be fucked, kitten," he told her bluntly, huskily.
She blinked, the glazed look in her eyes clearing slowly, and reddened when his words registered. She frowned at his overly candid reply, but quickly decided to change the subject.
"Why do you keep calling me that?" she demanded, flustered. "That's not my name."
The gleam in his eyes told her that he knew exactly what she was up to, but decided to give in to her all the same.
"It's a fitting nickname for you," he told her, watching as she took the opening that he had given her to slowly edge away from him, almost as if she didn't quite trust herself around him.
Sakura narrowed her eyes.
"I don't think so," she muttered. "And I don't like it either, so please stop that."
Only she could still be so polite despite her obvious disgruntlement.
His cat-slit gaze glittered with sardonic amusement.
"No," he said at last, much to her disbelief. "I believe I will keep that little pet name just for you, my little kitten." Before she could object, as he was quite sure that she would, he continued. "Besides, I believe that is the last thing you should be worrying about right now."
Sakura could not believe his arrogance. "Oh? And what do you think I should be worrying about, then?" she demanded a tad irritably.
He looked at her straight in the eyes.
"Me," he answered with a quiet, compelling intensity that somehow only served to emphasize the truth in his words. "You should be worrying about how dangerously close you are to me right now, how I can smell the tantalizing scent of your arousal, how I'm picturing those legs of yours wrapped tightly around my waist, how I'm barely controlling my urge to grab you and pin you down on your bed, tear your clothing off you, and run my mouth over each and every inch of your delectable little body."
Sakura was frozen solid at his raw, explicit, openly unapologetic desire of her. Her large eyes reminded him of a trapped doe's, staring at his own narrowed crimson ones, unable to tear her stunned gaze from his. He held her stare boldly, finally standing up, gracefully, soundlessly unfolding that lithe, sleekly muscled body from the bed. The thin bed sheet that covered his lean hips rode low before finally slipping off his thighs and falling onto the floor in a heap, leaving him completely nude once more.
It did not bother him, and strangely enough, she did not seem to be paying attention to his nudity this time around. He started to walk towards her, one foot placed silently before the other, slow, deliberate movements as he approached almost predatorily, as if not wishing to startle her into a quick escape, this delicious little prey of his.
She did not move, did not blink, as he drew nearer and nearer, her mouth going painfully dry as she fought not to react to his proximity. He came to a stop right before her and hooked his index finger under her chin, his thumb running gently against the soft curve of her jawbone. Her breath hitched slightly.
"You will enjoy my lovemaking," he told her calmly, unashamedly. "I will make you purr for me, little kitten." She shuddered, could clearly see the images that he had painted into her mind; sweat slicked bodies entwined tightly with each other, husky, sensual moans of pleasure, long fingers dipping into her most secret place, long raven hair splayed across her pale belly, a hot mouth pressed possessively against her breast, fangs brushing against her sensitive nipple—
Sakura felt her knees go weak, even as a small jolt of fear made her quiver with growing worry. What was this guy?!
How could he make her feel such intense emotions for him, when she barely even knew him? Why was she even allowing him to do this to her, listening to his mesmerizing voice as he weaved his blatant, sexual spell over her, as she could almost imagine phantom hands touching her all over, making her ache and throb even as he was just standing mere inches away from her, ruby eyes glowing with raw lust as he watched her face flush and warm with desire.
He was making it extremely hard for her to resist, using her attraction to him to lure her to accept him. He was so near that all she had to do was to reach out and he would do the rest, but still she struggled against the chains of her own desires, trying her best to resist because this was not right; this was wrong.
"…no," her answer was soft and faltering, but it was loud enough for him to hear her. Almost as if her shaky denial had cleared all her doubts, Sakura shook her head inwardly and continued with growing resolve. "I won't- can't."
Her short words seemed like they made no sense whatsoever, but he understood. Almost immediately, the dark, heated look in his eyes disappeared completely, ruthlessly reined in by a control tempered by steel, leaving behind nothing but a calm, neutral expression. Sakura would not know it, but she had passed his test. It was obvious that she wanted him very much, but her strong sense of morality and iron willpower quickly proved what he had already suspected; she was not like other women who had little to no control over themselves.
No, unlike them, this one had the potential to be kept.
Instinctively, he realized that if he could secure her favor, she would be utterly loyal to him, nothing like the treacherous, power hungry females of his own kind, always more than ready to turn against one another in favor of someone more powerful.
The notion of claiming this beautiful pink-haired female for more than just a temporary physical liaison was quickly becoming more and more appealing to him. Now that he was aware of her character, his desire to have her for his own had only increased. There was also no question of their sexual compatibility; he had wanted her the very moment he opened his eyes and saw her curled around him protectively. Her attraction to him was very mutual, and if his instincts were right as they always were, mating with her was going to be a pleasure that he would look forward to repeating as often as possible. He was honest enough to admit to himself that he openly wanted her more than he had ever wanted any other woman, and that only aided in hastening his decision—and at the same time, made it that much harder as well.
This meant that there would have to be a change of plans; he would have to court her with patience. She was a little skittish from his overassertive demeanor, blatantly lustful of her body and focused on having her at the very first opportunity. His intention hadn't changed much though, only that he wanted all of her now, and was prepared to alter his plans to accommodate his needs.
His decision was swift and certain; there was no hesitation or nervous second guessing whatsoever, not even when it seemed as if he was making such a hasty choice, head clouded by his overwhelming desire to physically possess the dainty female. But the truth was that his mind was clear of any sexual influence he could have gained from her; the combination of razor sharp intelligence as well as the innate guidance of age old instincts quickly leading him to make an obvious choice. There was no need to doubt or be indecisive; he saw what he wanted, the fact that she appealed very much to his bestial nature only added further to her allure, and so he made the necessary plans to secure her affections.
It was as simple as that, though it just figured that he would run into a prospective mate through sheer dumb luck when he had other more pressing matters to worry about.
The raven-haired shape shifter let his hand drop from her small, heart-shaped face, but before Sakura could step away from him, his hands dropped to her waist and held her in place, slowly herding her towards him before wrapping his arms around her, leaving her no room for escape.
She stiffened as she teetered against his bare chest, about to open her mouth to protest when he lowered his head to nuzzle the side of her face appreciatively. A rough purr reverberated from his chest, "You passed," he spoke directly into her ear, his soft tone rich with warmth and approval, completely different from his earlier demeanor of callous lust. She shivered when he ran the tip of a sharp fang against the sensitive shell of her ear, running his tongue against her lobe before letting her go and stepping back.
She did not understand at all, but that did not stop her from reacting to the gentleness in his crimson gaze, shakily coming to the unbelievable conclusion that she liked it when he looked at her like that.
She was so distracted by her thoughts that it didn't occur for her to ask what he meant. Swallowing hard, she looked away, confused and unsure of what was going on. She was so attracted to this man standing before her that it wasn't even funny; she had never felt this way before, and certainly not for a virtual stranger like he was, not to mention that he wasn't exactly human to begin with.
"Uh…" she was clearly at a loss for words, and this time around, it had nothing to do with his nudity or those animalistic traits of his.
He looked at her dazed demeanor, and decided to show some mercy to his future intended, whether she knew it or not.
"You mentioned something about a bath?" he provided helpfully, watching with carefully hidden amusement as she quickly latched onto the idea and nodded.
Sakura raised her hand and ran it through her tousled hair absentmindedly.
"Yes," she agreed hesitantly, remembering what she had been thinking about before he blindsided her. "Naru- My friend left behind some clothes the last time he stayed over. I was about to go look for them. As I was saying earlier, you can wear those temporarily until we figure out what to do next."
Itachi cocked his head slightly.
"Figure out what to do next," he repeated. Before she could agree, he continued. "I believe we have agreed that I belong to you from henceforth."
It wasn't a question, and barring that, the way he spoke of himself as an object upset her so much that she didn't even react to his implication of being hers. She started to frown again.
"You do not belong to anyone," she retorted. "You are your own person. I am just lending you a helping hand until you can get back on your own feet again and, I don't know, figure out what you want to do with your life next?"
She didn't seem pleased or even flustered by his unspoken offer, in fact, she appeared indignant—on his behalf. He stared at her bristling form, admiration growing in his eyes.
"I have already figured out what I want," he answered quietly, truthfully. "You are what I want. My place will be by your side."
Sakura was speechless. The intent look on his face told her that he wasn't joking, and she opened her mouth to try to speak only to find that she couldn't seem to find the words. She had to close her mouth before she could try again. This was almost romantic, if not for the fact that she did not know this being at all. Her head was beginning to pound mercilessly, and Sakura resisted the overwhelming urge to crawl back into bed, draw the covers over her head, and pretend that all this was just a dream.
Make that a nightmare, sensuous, naked cat man or not.
"Just….just go and bathe," she managed at last. Without looking to see if he would comply with her request, she walked out of her room and across the hall to stand by the toilet. Turning around, she quickly realized that he had followed her after all, in the same soundless manner that once again reminded her he wasn't exactly human. He was so near that when she pivoted to face him she nearly smacked face first into his chest. He steadied her with a hand pressed lightly against the small of her back, and disconcerted by the jolt of electricity that seemed to enter her at his gentle touch, she quickly edged backwards the moment she regained her balance and he had to release her.
"I will bring a towel for you later," she spoke rapidly, looking everywhere but at him. "You will find shampoo, conditioner and body wash by the small shelf in the shower area, and you will need to pop up the dial on the spout of the tap to operate the showerhead. The blue indicator on the tap is for cold water-"
"I know how to use a shower, Sakura," he interrupted her rambles in a quiet tone that was tinged with mild amusement. He could see that she was a little nervous again, and therefore resisted the urge to touch her, to rub himself against her, to assure her in the way of his kind that she had nothing to fear from him. That didn't mean he was above teasing her a little, and his cat-like ears flicked slightly with suppressed mischief as he continued to speak in a soft, playful tone. "Still, you are always welcome to join me if you are that worried, little one."
Oh….that was downright unfair. Before she could mentally prepare herself, his lilting drawl quickly brought to mind images of slick, wet skin and taut flesh covered by rivulets of water, heavily lashed crimson eyes half lidded, thin, sensual lips curled in a small, wicked smile, large strong hands reaching for her, touching her all over…
Sakura had never figured herself to be a pervert, but those mental images were nearly enough to give her a nosebleed and a heart attack, much to her dismay. The fact that she was a doctor and was used to seeing naked bodies quickly proved the sheer extent of his devastating allure. She coughed and turned away hurriedly before he could detect her naughty thoughts, but judging by the satisfied, utterly feline expression that she glimpsed on his face as she pivoted sharply away, as well as the soft, rusty chuckles that echoed from behind her as she beat a rapid escape, he probably knew it already.
Damn, she was letting him get to her again!
Itachi's quiet laughter followed her all the way into her bedroom.
::tsuzuku::
Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:
Uhm, well. So this is the long awaited second installment for 'Lady Luck.' I hope some of you enjoyed it. =)
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Really, you people. I have received five hundred over reviews (as well as countless requests for continuation) just for the first chapter of this fic alone. Come to think of it, 'Lady Luck' was probably my most popular one-shot to date, at least until I switched its status to a continuous fic. (Also, this is so not exactly how I want the pinnacle of my fanfic writing career to be remembered.)
You are all perverts!
…Of course, since I'm the one who started this whole thing in the first place, I suppose I shouldn't be pointing fingers that quickly, hehe.
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Just as a note, 'Lady Luck' will remain a side project while I continue to focus on 'cabbage patch.' It's nice to write something light-hearted (and ridiculously smutty) every once in a while especially since the plot of CP is of a more solemn nature, so while I dare not make any promises, this fic will be updated whenever the muse strikes me, I suppose?
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Last but not least, thanks for reading!
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Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic, thank you.
-paws