Betrothed 6
He had watched it all, from the way she had closed herself off after the war, all the way to how she had started opening back up. He had seen every second of it. He watched as she and Naruto tried to make a run at things, but it didn't work out. He could see the sadness in her eyes as she walked beside him. Her eyes never once leaving the stump of his arm, until he had gotten the one made of Hashirama's cells from Tsunade. Even then, her gaze still lingered.
Tsunade had completely stepped down from being Hokage, only to run the hospital instead. She seemed happier there. His thoughts drifted back to Hinata as he laid his eyes upon her once more. She was walking down the street with Kiba and Shino in tow. She and Naruto had split amicably and were still the best of friends, which was also a blessing and a curse. He watched them have their ramen eating contests and she had completely outdone him and Choji, earning her the title of Goddess of Gluttony.
He watched as her and Kiba tried to make a go at things as well, the man often giving him dirty looks every time the feral man had come across him. He knew he was a jerk; it didn't take someone of his intellect to see that much. He had done it for a good reason though, he didn't want her wasting her life with someone as tormented and broken as he was. He was still treated like a monster by most people, as was Sasuke, but they were more willing to accept the younger Uchiha back into Konoha.
His thought drifted to his brother as he pulled his knee to his chest. Sasuke had been travelling the continent and was making amends with all the nations for the wrong he had done to them. He was proud of his younger brother. He himself hadn't thought of travelling to make repentance, but he couldn't very well do that now. He was completely blind in his left eye and when he looked in the mirror, it had faded to a dull gray unlike his other which remained dark obsidian. He was no longer a shinobi either, although they could very well still pull him out of retirement if they needed his help. He had made sure that much was known.
He was still a very dangerous man, and they knew this.
Tsunade had tried time and time again to repair his blinded eye, but the nerves were dead and there was no saving it. He had willingly sacrificed his eye for the sake of humanity, and he had no regrets. Not about the eye anyways. His regrets for pushing Hinata away still nipped at the back of his mind, telling him that it was never too late to tell her he loved her. He knew better than this though, he knew she was trying her best to find someone to love her and he was going to leave her alone.
He wasn't sure why any of her relationships weren't working, but he hoped for the best for her. He had recently heard of Kiba and Hinata's breakup as well and this elicited a sigh from him. He was hoping at least that one would last, but it hadn't. He slipped his eyes shut and released a sigh. He hated that she was alone now, but he knew with her kind heart and beautiful looks she wasn't going to stay single forever. His eyes drifted down to her as he sat atop the rooftop of a building in the Konoha shopping district.
Her long deep ebony locks were now down to her waist, the faintest hint of indigo shining through in the light of the sun. Her pale skin was such a blatant contrast to her thick dark hair, but he couldn't help but admire the beautiful woman she had become. Her eyes had become even more beautiful and feminine over time, and he couldn't tell if it was because of makeup or if she was just naturally this beautiful, even though he knew the latter was a fact in itself.
He watched as her lips parted in one of the most beautiful smiles he had ever seen in his life. Iruka had just given her a flower that he thought she would like. It was a purple lily, and it didn't grow in winter, so he knew she was grateful for the gift. His eyes slipped shut as he thought about the two gifts that had been placed on his doorstep. Sasuke hadn't known who had left the gifts, but he knew. It was nothing special for the most part that she had left them, but it was heartfelt.
She had Left Sasuke a small basket of tomatoes, as well as a black coat with the Uchiha crest on the back. It was hand sewn, he could tell from the stitching, it wasn't machine made but it was of good quality and seemed to be fire retardant. An amused huff escaped him as he dwelled over the fact that when he and Sasuke had sparred their clothes had suffered from their flames. She had left him some cabbage, which she had known was his favorite food, as well as some prepackaged dango. She had left him a neatly folded cloak that reached his knees and had the Uchiha crest embroidered on each side of the chest as well as a larger one on the back.
He was currently wearing it, actually. Deep down he wanted her to look up, to see him sitting there in her hard work. He also knew that he would prefer it if she continued to not notice him as he lingered, craving her presence more than anything. He was suffering from the consequences of his own actions, and he had no one to blame but himself. His eyes slipped shut once more as he remembered how he had turned her away roughly after they had gotten home from the war. She had come after him once more and he had treated her so roughly.
She had reached for his wrist once more and he had pinned her to the wall and explained in no uncertain words that he didn't want to see her around anymore. He wanted her to leave him alone and to not come back. So far, she had done just as he had demanded, despite how much his heart ached for her presence. His soul burned in need of her to be near, but he wouldn't allow this. He needed her to stay as far from him as she possibly could. He in no way deserved the attention she had given him.
The cold winter wind nipped at his exposed flesh, and he repressed a shiver, although his coat kept him warm everywhere else. He appreciated her gift more than she would ever know, because he had yet to make contact with her since that day. He wasn't planning on it anytime soon either. He needed to keep his distance, or he would ruin the distance he had worked so hard to create. He draped an arm over the knee that was pulled up towards his chest, his hair falling over his shoulder when he moved.
He looked down at her out of the corner of his eye and he tried his best to hide his shock when he realized that, just as he had been watching her, she was watching him. He could feel her gaze on him and in no way was it a gentle glance. He could feel the way her gaze burned into his skin. He wasn't quite sure if it were rage or not, but he wasn't willing to go down there and see if she were going to hit him.
He didn't think he would honestly survive a hit from her full force, not unless she allowed him to, that is.
He had witnessed her and Sakura's training and had been completely shocked as they had destroyed the training grounds with their insane strength. She had gotten stronger over time and so had Sakura. They were a force to be reckoned with. Speaking of Sakura, she was pregnant. His brother had wasted no time in that aspect. She lived in the Uchiha compound with him and often gave him the cold shoulder, but he couldn't blame her in the slightest. He had been rather forceful with her dark-haired best friend.
His eyes softened and he tore his gaze away from the dark-haired woman. She made no move to come to him but that was perfectly fine, she had no reason to anymore. A deep sigh reached his ears, and he glanced over to the man sitting beside him. "Are we just going to people watch all day?" he asked, and the smallest upturn of his lips was the response the man got. He was eternally grateful for the large man sitting beside him.
During the war, the man had summoned sharks to try and eat him, but for some reason no matter what he did they didn't turn on him. He wasn't so willing to just give in and allow the interrogation to happen, though. What had gotten through to him was the fact he had been informed that he himself was still alive. "What is it Kisame?" he asked the larger man after a moment of being silent, lost in his thoughts. "You just have to torture yourself, don't you?" Kisame asked and he looked down at the hand that was resting against his ankle. He was grateful the man had been spared by the Mizukage, and his custody had been relinquished to Konoha, but he wished the man wouldn't point out the obvious.
He glanced once more at the leaf headband adorning the large man's head and sighed. He had vowed allegiance to Konoha in return to become a shinobi for them. And he had only done this so he could be with his friend. He was grateful for the sentiment. "I'm not torturing myself; I'm saving her from me." he said, and the large man let loose a deep rumbling laugh. This only made him narrow his eyes at the man. "You already admitted to me that you loved her, what's stopping you from admitting it to her?" he asked, and Itachi frowned.
"She doesn't deserve to be labeled the wife of a monster." he said simply, but Kisame continued to press the situation. He continued on until Itachi stood and started to walk away. The larger man wasn't going to have this, so he grabbed him by the back of his jacket and hefted him off the ground with ease. Although, that triumph wasn't very hard, he was a small statured man to begin with. "Itachi." Kisame started but he was cut off by an ANBU appearing atop the roof. Kisame set him down and crossed his arms over his chest.
"The Hokage requests your presence." was all the woman had to say before she vanished in a puff of smoke. Itachi shrugged off the large hand that had gripped his shoulder, before dropping off the rooftop and making his way to the Hokage's office, Kisame following close behind. He slipped up the winding staircase and nodded to the two men outside the Hokage's office door. They stepped out of the way and allowed him entrance but tried to deny Kisame. His cold eyes landed on the two men and sure enough, Kisame followed him into the room.
"Lord Hokage." he greeted, and the man looked up at him from his book. "You know you don't have to call me that." Kakashi said with an amused glint in his visible eye. "Kakashi-sempai." he greeted once more, and the man chuckled. "As much as I would rather have you here under different circumstances, the council has made a decision regarding the state of the Uchiha clan." he sighed and set his little orange book down to fold his hands in front of him.
"What would that be?" he asked and Kakashi sighed but didn't break eye contact with him. "it's been two years since the war and you've made no effort to find a wife and they are becoming increasingly irate with you." he said, a frown gracing his lips, even beneath the mask it was noticeable. Itachi didn't like the feeling he was getting in the pit of his stomach. He didn't like it one bit. This was all coming to hint at an arranged marriage, and he didn't enjoy the thought of being with anyone in any manner, especially not forcefully.
"I know you're intelligent enough to know where this is going. Kisame, this is something that affects you too, although you were already aware of the circumstances following you." Kakashi sighed as he waved a hand in the air, his visible eye slipping shut. "Yeah, I was fully aware that I was going to be placed in an arranged marriage." Kisame sighed and ran a hand through his dark blue locks. The now thirty-four-year-old honestly had no intentions of getting married and Itachi knew this.
He could see the frustration in the older man's eyes, but he also knew he was willing to see how it went in the long run, seeing as most women avoided him due to his towering stature and fearsome appearance. "First off, Kisame, you'll have to forgive me for putting you in this situation. You must understand that your bloodline is rare, and it is something the village wishes to possess, as screwed as that honestly is... Your future wife will be here within the week." Kakashi sighed, then turned to face Itachi once more.
"They have given me a timeline for you as well. You have to tell me the name of a woman you want today. If you don't have any women that you would wish to marry, you will be arranged a marriage in three weeks." Kakashi impressed this upon him. "I have no interest in seeking a wife and even if I were forced to wed someone, I refuse to touch her." he bit out softly and Kakashi sighed yet again. The man was getting frustrated, and he knew it.
"You have your choice. Give me a name of someone you would want to wed, and choose wisely, or else the elders will find a way to make you birth children." he said this softly, not wanting it to come out as the threat that it truly was. He knew how the elders worked; he wasn't an idiot. Their methods of... breeding clans were entirely unethical. His father had been given the same choice he had been, although his father had no issues in finding a wife, he was already in love with Mikoto, despite the clan's wishes of him to take a different bride.
Itachi on the other hand was going to be stubborn until the day he died. He wouldn't touch any wife that they attempted to throw at him. "Pick for me."
:-:-:-:-:
Hinata had seen him around. Watching over her and hoping she wouldn't notice. She had seen him around the village with Kisame, who had always been thrilled to approach her, unlike his shorter friend. Itachi had avoided her for two entire years. Her heart ached with the desire to speak with him, to be near him. To kiss him and tell him everything between them was going to be ok. She wanted so desperately for him to come around her.
So, she had given him and Sasuke gifts.
She knew deep down that he would never throw out her gifts, he would in fact keep them and use them because that's who he was. When she had seen him wearing her coat, she had made him, her heart fluttered, and she wanted so desperately to tell him how good it looked on him. Sasuke had been told that she had made him his coat, and he had come to thank her. She smiled at Iruka as he approached her.
"Hello Sensei." she greeted, and he blushed lightly. "Just Iruka, please." he said, and she smiled and nodded. "Iruka, what can I do for you?" she asked softly, and he blushed a little darker, scratching his neck nervously with one hand, while the other was behind his back. She gently leaned to see what he was hiding, and he started sputtering nonsense as he pulled a deep purple lily from behind his back. "H-hinata... would you go on a date with me?" he asked, and she blinked in shock.
"Oh... I um... I'm-" "In love with someone else..." he sighed, and she frowned at him as she took the flower gently. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she couldn't risk hurting someone else with her inability to disconnect her feelings from Itachi. "You'll have to forgive me, Iruka... I would love to be able to go on a date with you, but I just... can't get over these feelings of this other person." she whispered, and he chuckled and grinned at her.
"There's no need to apologize, Hinata. If you love someone, you love them. You can't help that fact." he said, smiling at him, although she suddenly had the feeling she was being watched once more. Her Byakugan activated silently, and she scanned the area for whoever was watching her. She caught sight of Itachi and Kisame sitting on a rooftop not too far away. His eyes widened ever so slightly, and he averted his gaze from her.
Her heart fluttered in her chest as she watched him. She wanted nothing more than to go to him, but she wasn't going to ditch the man in front of her. "Are you ok?" he asked, and she tore her gaze from Itachi and focused back on him. "Yes, forgive me. I'm ok." she said, and he frowned. "You just looked so sad all of a sudden after you activated your eyes." He said softly and she smiled. "I'm ok, I promise. I just saw an old friend is all." she said, and he nodded.
"Well, I think I'm going to head out. Let me know if you ever change your mind." he said, and she nodded. She knew she wouldn't change her mind, but she wasn't willing to tell him that. She looked back to see if Itachi was still over there, but she could only see his back as he dropped off the rooftop. A sigh escaped her lips and her heart ached. She wanted him to come to her, she wanted him to apologize for how he had acted, but she knew he was stubborn and would never do that.
"Hinata?" She jolted slightly and tore herself from her thoughts, the image of him lingering in her mind. "Sakura." she greeted and turned to face the pregnant woman. Her fingers slipped over her stomach absent mindedly and she felt the heartache seep in all over again. She wanted nothing more than to see him. She wanted to be a mother as well. She wanted to be a wife, but not just anyone's wife... Itachi's wife.
"Are you ok?" Sakura asked, a hand on her swollen belly. Hinata's eyes softened as she looked at the heavily pregnant woman. Sasuke would be home any day now and she was just months away from her due date. They had gotten married within the first year after the war ended. They wasted no time at all making their family. "Yeah, I'm ok. Why is everyone asking me that?" she asked softly, and Sakura frowned. "You look so sad." the pinkette said softly. "I'll be ok, I promise." she said, and Sakura nodded.
"Well in the meantime, we should go get some lunch before you go see Kakashi-sensei later." She said and Hinata nodded. She would like that very much. She had almost forgotten about her meeting with the Hokage. She wondered what it could be about, but she was patient enough to wait and see. "Let's go get some BBQ." she offered and Hinata smiled softly, nodding to the other woman before she followed along behind her.
"I know it isn't my place to tell you this... but I think you should try and forget about him." Sakura said and Hinata looked over at her friend. "I know I should. But I can't." she said, and her gaze became downcast as they walked. "Why not?" Sakura asked with a frown. "I love him too much to let him go." she whispered, and Sakura placed one hand on her belly and began rubbing it softly. "Sasuke still cares for you. He wishes you would stop torturing yourself like this." she said with an ever-growing frown marring her lips. "I wish you would stop torturing yourself this way." Sakura said softly, sadness in her emerald eyes.
"Sakura... you did the same thing, and you never gave up..." Hinata whispered softly, only to continue. "Look at where you are now... I could have this too... I just have to fight for it." Hinata knew for a fact she was going to have to fight to be with Itachi. She knew he was determined to stay away from her physically, but she knew he was always close by. Her eyes darted to the left, a crow was sitting across the alley on a shop counter, one red eye and one faded gray one. She knew he was always watching even if he were nowhere near her. He thought he was slick, but he wasn't. She had always caught sight of each of his crows no matter where he had hidden them.
"Why don't you give up? You haven't seen nor spoken to him in two years..." Sakura mumbled and Hinata released a small laugh as she tapped Sakura on the shoulder. She nudged her to look over to the crow secretly. The moment the pink haired woman's eyes landed on the crow, they saddened. "You two are going to be the death of me. Neither of you make any sense and I just... you need to sort something out." she sighed, rubbing the palm of her hand to her forehead.
Hinata held a hand out to the crow and it cocked its head to the side at her, only to fly away. It knew it had been caught. Her eyes trailed after it, watching as it vanished above the rooftops. It used to be that the crows would come to her and let her pet them, but now they fled the scene whenever they were noticed. This honestly broke her heart more than being unable to see him. He was even ordering his crows to avoid her. Not that she was surprised though, he was a very stubborn man.
She looked back to Sakura, who was still frowning at her. "He doesn't want to be near you and yet he keeps tabs on you like some damn stalker." she grumbled and Hinata's lips tugged down into a frown. She didn't think he was a stalker; he was just trying to protect her from something she doesn't need protection from. She didn't need to be protected from him. She knew him and deep down he was still the same person she knew as a child, just with more insecurities and trauma. She knew this much.
"Let's hurry and eat, I'm starving." Sakura sighed, apparently noticing her intervention wasn't going to get through to her. They made their way inside the restaurant, and they sat in the back of the place near a window. She slipped into the booth as Sakura slipped in opposite of her. Soon enough Ino and Tenten caught sight of them through the window and slipped into the booth with them. "Hey forehead, Hinata." Ino greeted and Hinata couldn't help but smile at the two that had joined them.
Ino was just as pregnant as Sakura, and she couldn't help the pregnancy envy she felt. She wanted to have a baby with her friends. She wanted to be married like them and have a happy relationship. Her soul craved that, but she knew she would probably never get that. "Hinata?" Ino called and Hinata slipped her gaze to her hands, she didn't want them to see the sadness in her eyes, much less the damnable tears that had welled up in her eyes. "Oh... Hinata..." Tenten whispered softly and propped her head on her hand. They were pitying her, and she hated it.
Her tears slipped down her cheeks, and she couldn't stop them. She was miserable inside. She bit her lip to stifle her sobs, burying her face in her hands so they couldn't see her tears. "Oh sweetie..." Ino cooed at her softly as she reached across the table and pulled her hands away from her face. It had been two whole years, two years of him avoiding her like she was his worst enemy and yet she still loved him with everything she had.
What the hell was wrong with her?
She allowed Tenten to pull her to her and hug her gently. She didn't know what was wrong with her or why she couldn't move on. She just didn't want to move on. Ino and Sakura each held one of her hands, while Tenten hugged her. She knew she was loved, there was no doubt about that. She just wanted to be loved by him. She didn't know what he felt for her. That was something she desperately wanted to know. That was when she heard it, her name being whispered so softly.
She activated her byakugan once more and she saw him. He was sitting along the front wall with Kisame, how had she not noticed him when she came in. "Hinata, you need to get over him sweetie." Ino said softly and she didn't once tear her gaze from the man. The man who was the cause of all her suffering, the cause for all her affection, the one who held her heart in his hands... "He's obviously no good, so I don't understand why you are holding on." Tenten sighed softly as she released her.
That was when Hinata felt the anger well up in her soul. Not at them, because despite their tones, they were reasonable. It was towards her situation. The fact the man she loved with her entire heart and soul was SITTING there and had the audacity to say her name like he cared about her after avoiding her for two entire years. She. Was. Pissed. And that wasn't normal of the usually calm woman. "Oh, there it is. There's the rage." Ino mused and she snapped her angered gaze onto the blonde, who winced slightly at the cutting glare she held. It wasn't directed towards her of course, but it wasn't like she could just walk over to him and show him how she felt about the situation.
Her gaze softened and drifted back over to him, only to see he was drinking and had been for some time. Her eyes softened and her rage dulled. She wondered what had made him resort to drinking. He was still watching her from across the restaurant. Half lidded eyes of mixed colors. One obsidian eye, one dull gray. He was obviously drunk already, and it had only been an hour and a half since she had last seen him. She wondered if he had come right over here to start drinking after they saw each other.
Kisame seemed to be prepared to take care of the man should he try anything out of hand. She took in the tired features of his face as he watched her, his glossy eyes locked on her. She knew he was blind in the left eye; Sasuke had been the one to tell her that. She felt more sorrow for him than rage at this point. She wanted to get up and make her way over to him, but the three women around her wouldn't let her go. She offered him a small smile and his eyes became downcast and he took another drink of sake.
She was half tempted to order some for herself, but she didn't because she knew exactly what she would do if she were to drink. She would go to him and bare her soul to him all over again. Her eyes slipped shut and she frowned as she thought about that night. She had approached him in the Uchiha compound right after the war, because she hadn't seen him in days. She had grabbed him by the wrist, and he had shoved her into the wall behind her.
She remembered distinctly the tears that had trailed down her face as she bared her soul to him, telling him her deepest desires. 'I love you Itachi... I want to be with you and spend my life with you.' she had said, but he caged her in with his arms and yelled at her. 'I don't want that Hinata! I need you to leave me the hell alone! I need you to stop chasing me all over the place! I need you to leave me in peace. Go find someone else to bother. Because this love you speak of? You don't know what love is! You're a damn child!' She had cried and begged, pleading with him to reconsider.
'If you come here again to try and talk to me, I will leave the village and never come back.'
That was the most traumatizing thing he had said to her. She didn't want him to leave, she didn't want to never be able to see him again. So, she had gone home and cried her heart out. She never told a soul about what he had said, but somehow Sakura, Ino, and Tenten had still found out about it. She assumed it was because Itachi and Sasuke had gotten into an argument over it and Sasuke had told Sakura. The girls had come to comfort her as soon as she found out.
She held out hope though, seeing as though he had never said he didn't love her. She was possibly delusional honestly, for holding out hope like this. But he had never truly stopped looking out for her even if he didn't do it to where she had known. She had found out eventually because his crows would approach her at first, but soon enough they stopped. She held out hope because her heart wouldn't let her give up no matter what she did. She relaxed in her seat and the other girls let her go. Her ears perked up at the sound of Itachi's voice.
She tried to hear what he was saying, but she couldn't hear over the other women talking. If she hadn't known better, she would have assumed they were doing it on purpose. She set a piece of pork on the grill and rotated it when it needed to be, but she was still picking up bits and pieces of the conversation going on at the other table. She heard mentions of marriage and finding a girlfriend, but she couldn't make out the full conversation. This irritated her as she dipped her pork in BBQ sauce and popped it in her mouth with her chopsticks. His eyes flicked to her once more and her heart threatened to beat out of her chest once more.
His eyes flicked to the door twice and he stood, telling Kisame he would be right back. She folded her hands in front of her, only to pat her lips with a napkin and smile at Tenten. "I need to use the restroom." she said softly, and the brunette nodded and let her out before diving back into her conversation with the other two ladies. She slipped past Kisame and he grabbed her by the wrist. "I know what you're doing. Please... don't do it. Do not follow him." he pleaded softly, and she frowned. "I know full well he wants you to, but he is drunk. Do not let him lead you on, Hinata..." the larger man whispered before he released her wrist.
She looked back to her table before she looked at him once more. "I'm sorry..." she whispered, and he sighed. "In three weeks, he's going to have to get married. Theyre brining in a girl from Kiri for me, so they're marrying us all off to form clans, Hinata. Do not waste your time on him anymore." He pleaded with her softly yet again, and her heart ached, but she needed to see him. She needed to talk to him. To hear his voice.
"I'm just going to say goodbye..." she whispered, and he groaned but grabbed a cup and filled it with sake, taking it swiftly like a shot. "Do what you must, just please don't cry anymore. I can't stand seeing you upset by him." he said as he proceeded to drink another glass of sake. She smiled at him and placed her hand on his. "I've hurt enough already. I don't think he could hurt me anymore." she whispered before she slipped out of the restaurant and looked around for Itachi.
She was grabbed from behind and pulled into the small alleyway between the restaurant and the store next to it. She didn't scream, because she knew it was him. He was gentle with her as he held her. His nose was buried in her neck and his left hand was on her mouth, while his right hand was on her hip. She slipped her eyes shut and relaxed into his hold. "I've missed you." she said softly, and he said nothing but hold her this way, his fingers slipping up underneath her jacket and running the rough pads of his fingers over her stomach.
She shivered under his touch, only for him to sigh and move to release her. "Why did you come out here?" he sighed gruffly, pulling his hand from her stomach. She tried to turn to face him, but he gripped her hips with both hands, releasing her mouth. "Don't look at me, just speak." He bit out and she frowned. "And don't use your byakugan either, I'm not a fool." he hissed, and she pulled the chakra from around her eyes. "I missed you..." she whispered, and he pulled his hands from her hips. She wanted nothing more than to hug him tightly and tell him things would be ok.
"Why have you missed me? I've done nothing but treat you horribly." He growled, and she smiled. "You're just trying to run me away. You can't do that. I refuse to let you." she said softly, and he placed a hand on her hip once more as he pressed himself to her back. She cursed herself as she shivered at the feeling of his touch sending fire through her veins. This is how it always felt when he touched her, even if it were only to hold her hand. His fingers trailed down her sleeve to entwine with hers. She felt her heart flutter in her chest as she wrapped her fingers around his so he couldn't pull his hand back. She had missed this feeling.
"I'm getting married." he said, his tone missing the gruffness it had held before. It sounded sad, quite honestly. "I heard that. Kisame is too." she said, and he pressed his lips to her neck. "Such a shame it isn't you." he whispered against the nape of her neck, and she froze. He couldn't have really meant that. He had had every chance in the world to make it her, and only now that he was getting married did he regret it. "Who is the lucky woman?" she asked softly, and she felt him shrug.
"I don't know. I don't think they have decided who to throw me in with yet." he replied, his tone unamused. "I won't ever touch her though. They'll never get children out of me. I'll kill myself before that ever happens." he threatened, making her eyes widen. "Even if it were me?" she asked, and he chuckled against her neck. "They would never put me with an heiress. They're going to put me with someone from an unofficial clan to make them part of the Uchiha, so they'll be a recognizable one. You know how they... selectively breed people who refuse to get married." He ground out and she frowned.
"Why are you doing this to me then?" she asked, and he sighed and pulled his lips away from her neck. "Because I want to apologize." he whispered, and she squeezed her eyes shut so she wouldn't let the tears fall, but this just made them threaten to fall faster. "So, you torture me one last time?" she asked softly as the first tear rolled over her cheek. "I never meant to hurt you, Hinata. I just wanted you to move on and find someone new to love." he whispered, and that was when she felt the warmth drip onto her shoulder.
"I was never going to do that." She whispered and he sighed, the warmth still dripping onto her exposed skin. "I know that now, dammit." He growled, and she turned in his grasp, surprising him. She placed her hands on his cheeks, wiping away the offending tears with her thumbs. "If it caused you so much pain... why stay away?" she asked softly, and he frowned. She was waiting for him to explain himself, but he was silent for a few minutes.
"Because I had already done the damage that day." he whispered, and her features softened once more. She tilted his head to look her in the eyes and she hesitantly pressed her lips to his. Their lips melded together flawlessly in a gentle kiss. Itachi slipped his eyes shut as he gently brushed his fingers over her hair only to gently grip it and tug to deepen the kiss. Her heart was racing, and she wanted so much more from him. His tongue trailed over her lower lip softly, pleading for entrance. She gave him access and his tongue ran over hers ever so gently, as if his kiss was telling her all the apologies he couldn't utter.
They were locked like this for a long time, until they needed to breathe once more, that is. He pulled away from her and she looked him in the eyes. His blind eye saddened her greatly, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it. She had seen the lack of light in his eye. It was completely dead minus the blood flow. His thumb brushed over her lower lip before he pressed his lips to hers once more. This one was just as gentle as the first kiss, just the two of them expressing their feelings without words once more.
She had become resigned to the fact she would never hear him say he loved her, but that was when he pulled away from her once more. His eyes became half lidded once more and his lips pulled up into a smile. A real one, not just the hint of one. Her heart fluttered upon seeing this, but it sank into the pit of her stomach as soon as he opened his mouth. "I will always love you." he whispered as he slipped around her and made his way back inside the restaurant.
She clutched her arms to her chest and tried to stifle the thudding of her heartbeat. She slowly made her way back inside and sat down with the ladies once more. She caught herself stealing glances at him once more and Kisame looked disappointed, but he just offered her little smiles. She let one slip towards him and Kisame just sighed and buried his face in his hands. They were going to have a scandal on their hands, because all those feelings she had tried to push down and hide, had risen back to the surface.
"What are you smiling about missy?" Sakura asked slyly and Hinata blushed deeply. "N-nothing!" she exclaimed, and the girls all looked at her funny, only to glance over to Kisame and Itachi and then back to her. "You didn't. Hinata!" they scolded, and she just blushed a darker shade of red. "That's why you were gone for so long!" They hissed and she nodded. "He um..." "He nothing! We told you to let him go!" Ino scolded but Hinata could only smile. "He's getting married in three weeks. He wanted to say goodbye..." she whispered softly and the girls all exchanged looks. "Hinata... you kissed him?" they asked, and she nodded.
"Hinata don't go around messing with a married man when he does get married. You don't need that." Ino sighed and Hinata smiled softly. "I won't I promise." she whispered, and they all groaned. "Which means don't do it now." Sakura grumbled and Hinata sighed softly. "He told me he will always love me." she said, and the girls didn't seem amused in the slightest. "Then why did he avoid you for so long?" Ino asked and Hinata looked down at her hands. She really didn't understand it either, but she did understand that he meant every word he said.
"I love him... and I always will." she said, and they all groaned once more. "It's almost time for my meeting with the Hokage, I have to go." she said as she pulled money out and set it on the table to cover her part. She slipped out past Tenten once more and made her way out of the restaurant. "Hinata." His voice came to her softly and she turned to face him once more. He pressed his lips to hers once more, ever so gently. When he pulled away, he burst into a flock of crows. His words fell to her soon after.
"I'm going to try and nullify the engagement."
She rushed over to the Hokage's office and ran up the winding stairs. When she reached the top, Itachi was leaving the Hokage's office. The moment he saw her once more, his features were filled with regret. "The elders won't allow me to nullify the arrangements. They've already found three potential partners." he whispered, making her eyes well up with tears once more. "I'm so sorry... I should have come to you sooner." he whispered as he pressed his forehead to hers.
"I will always love you... Please forgive me" he whispered, but he did not press his lips to hers.