"What will happen now, Itachi?"
It was late. The moon was high overhead and bright, it illuminated everything in a silver, mystified glow. The world was quiet; the crickets hummed their nightly ballad. It was difficult to believe that a world capable of being so tranquil could be filled with such violence and hatred. It made no sense to Itachi, but neither did anything else.
What will happen now? It was a question that needed to have an answer, but there were infinite answers to complete the question. Itachi didn't know what would come next; he only knew what he felt in the present. Itachi and Hinata decided to take a leisurely walk through the forest, enough distance away from the village to not be found. They had stopped by a gathering of trees and gazed up at the incandescent moon, marveling at its glory. Hinata, who relaxed up against the bark of an oak, gazed at Itachi, her mind wandering. Like Itachi, Hinata was also confused at the turn of events, but from somewhere in her heart, it felt right. It couldn't be wrong if the feeling was right, could it?
Itachi turned to look at Hinata, enjoyed the picture of her porcelain skin emanating in the moonlight. It was something Itachi had never placed his eyes upon, but one he was grateful to have nonetheless. This woman, who was proving to be beautiful inside and out, was his savior. Itachi didn't know if savior was too strong of a word, but he didn't care. It sat comfortable on his tongue and he couldn't find one to replace it, so he left it. He brushed a thumb across her jaw-line, following the edge of her features up to her ear. She was warm in his hand; it sent an unknown feeling down his arm. She looked so sweet to Itachi as she leaned into his palm, gazed up at him with her undying gaze. Itachi wanted this moment to last forever, the same as the moment where they shared a very passionate kiss. Unfortunately, that kiss didn't last forever, but Itachi knew it could happen again.
He placed his arm against the tree to hold himself before Hinata; he was taller than her which made her have to tilt her head back to look at him. Still cupping her cheek in his right palm, Itachi bent forward to grace her lips with a gentle kiss. She let him. Every time their lips met, it seemed, a current of electricity ran through circuits in Itachi's body. He kissed her softly, getting lost in the scent of her lilac fragrance. He embraced her with the intention of not letting go. He dug his fingers into the silkiness of her hair, running his fingers through the strands. She felt like heaven to him, he couldn't believe anyone could feel this way. He couldn't believe he was capable of feeling this way.
At last, Itachi pulled back. He rested his forehead against hers while they basked in the moment. Hinata was smiling. She wrapped her arms around Itachi's neck; Itachi's hands planted themselves on her waist. They held each other, loving the emotions in the atmosphere.
"I don't know what will happen now." Itachi murmured, finally giving an answer to her question. Hinata had completely forgotten about her question, too lost in this moment to think of anything else. She didn't want to think about it, about the future, only the here and now. Because the present had never felt so good to Hinata, she didn't want to let the feelings she was experiencing go. But her conscience pushed worrisome questions at her, making her forget temporarily about the present. She leaned against the tree and leveled her gaze with Itachi.
"This is a serious situation we are in, Itachi."
Itachi didn't have to be told that to know it. He sighed, brushed a hand through his bangs. Hinata liked the way they fell back into place, outlining his features. It seemed so normal to her to be attracted to him, yet when she thought about it, about who they each were, it seemed out of this world.
Itachi took a deep breath, "I don't know what will happen now, all I do know is that I would like to be with you."
Itachi knew right then that he fucked himself. Speaking those words aloud dug him into an emotional-six-foot grave that he knew he couldn't get out of. It's not that his words were false, but that they were very much honest. This was the first time Itachi ever felt connected to someone romantically. Admitting it meant there was no way he could lie to himself now. He couldn't ignore his feelings for Hinata, even if they were just beginning to bloom.
Hinata hadn't said anything to his statement. She was looking at the moon, deep in thought. Itachi turned her head and looked into her eyes. They were delicate, emotional.
"Did I say something I shouldn't have?" It would pain Itachi to hurt Hinata, the one person who made him feel human.
Hinata shook her head and gave a shy smile," I'm fine. I'm just worried about the outcome of our actions," Hinata grew silent for a little while, and then she said," There's a chance this won't end well."
Itachi enfolded Hinata in his arms, rubbing her head soothingly. He knew the outcome could be a negative one. He expected it. But he didn't know where things were leading, only where they might lead. Itachi had to tread carefully. There were things on the line that Itachi couldn't risk, that Hinata couldn't lose. This would take time and consideration, because as much as Itachi liked the idea, the two of them couldn't just run away and live together. Besides, Itachi didn't run away from things. He stayed with them until the issue was resolved. That's who he was, some things about him had changed, but other things had remained the same. Itachi would figure this out so it would work for the both of them, he just needed time.
"We'll figure it out." Was all Itachi said before they walked back to Hinata's place, his mind lost in thought.
~W~
Since Itachi had healed completely, he had given Hinata her room back. He slept on the couch in the living room, which was connected to the kitchen so it wasn't very big. The space didn't bother Itachi, though. Just because he was an Akatsuki member didn't mean he had the life of luxury. There were long days of sleeping on the rocky ground with his arm as a pillow, sleepless nights in a cold cave. None of that bothered him. Kisame, on the other hand, had a knack for complaining about where they camped out for the night. Itachi tolerated it but that didn't exclude the fact that the fucker complained about everything.
Tonight was one of those sleepless nights, it wasn't a cold night though but he did desire the warmth of a beautiful dark-haired woman. His body was stretched along the length of the couch, his gaze on the ceiling fan, his left arm slung over the armrest. It wasn't that he wasn't comfortable. It was all the thoughts going through his head. Itachi had to make a decision. He was between leaving here and never looking back, which meant saying good-bye to Hinata and any future he may have with her, or staying here with her. Itachi instinctively chose the latter, thinking she would choose the same.
His eyes followed the fan blades as they danced around in a slow cycle, loop after loop after loop. Normally, Itachi was a quick thinker. But all the decisions he made in the past didn't involve his emotions. Itachi found it much more difficult to make decisions when you invested your feelings into them. Once you've planted yourself into the situation, there was no going back.
Itachi closed his eyes, hoping it would help him concentrate better. In what world did a criminal and a woman like Hinata end up together? Itachi had all the odds against him, yet he still managed to find a way to capture the eye of a sweetheart from the village he ran away from. If it were anyone else from another village maybe this would be easier. But the entire village knew who he was and wouldn't dare to let one of their own go off with a member of the Akatsuki. Hinata was the heiress to the Hyuga clan, as well, which made this predicament even worse. Knowing Hinata ran off with a criminal and left her clan would bring heavy dishonor upon her. He didn't know how much Hinata cared, but he pegged that she wasn't one to stray from her responsibilities. Itachi sighed.
Why didn't he just leave? Just forget about Hinata all together? His traitorous thoughts weaved their way into Itachi's mind, angling him toward his old self. Itachi tried to push the thoughts away, putting his own feelings first, but he couldn't stop himself from entertaining the idea. It would take away the stress of worrying about all this bullshit, Itachi concluded. With this luck, there was another woman out there waiting for him. All Itachi had to do was leave before Hinata woke up and they'd never run into each other again. While this was an interesting idea, Itachi found he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Leave Hinata in the middle of the night? Call him a pussy but he'd rather join the Akatsuki again then do that. That was a coward's way out, Itachi thought. He would just be running from his problems instead of working toward a solution, and he wasn't one to run from his problems. He had enough regret on his plate and he didn't need to add to it. Caring about someone sucked, but it also had its qualities.
Itachi lay there on the couch, sifting through ideas and wondering how much longer he'd be able to hide in the village. If they found him he could be out of here in a flash before they caught him, but that wouldn't stop the consequences from raining down on Hinata. He wondered how good of a liar she was and instantly pictured her face turning red and he chuckled. She probably wouldn't get very far.
It was two o'clock in the morning when Itachi decided to put his thoughts on hold and go to sleep. He still hadn't come up with a solution to how things could work out, but he believed he was close to something. Yawning, he turned on his side to face toward the back of the couch. He let himself fall asleep, hoping the next day would bring him more ideas.
A/N: So, I watched The Last: Naruto the movie, and without giving any spoilers…I honestly feel like I'm betraying Naruto by writing a ItaHina Story haha…I love that movie, I cried so hard and I think I have a new favorite couple, that's all I'm going to say about that. Sorry about the break, I got over my cold, finally. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and the next, for a change is beginning to take place in the characters.