Simple Manipulation

.:Sixteen:.

...She wants to fall in love again...

You didn't know what to think anymore. Your aunt had told you to run for your life...but it was also a dream. You couldn't honestly say it wasn't just that night's conversation that influenced the dream or your own subconscious voicing the fears you had. It was all so confusing...you just really didn't know.

"How about we rest today?" Itachi spoke suddenly.

Kohana huffed. "We rest everyday, Pinkie. It's kinda why we're still out in the woods of Nowhere. We can't take over the world resting."

Itachi ignored her. "Sasuke, we'll go into the village and rent a hotel like you wanted to do yesterday. Then we can split up."

"Cool!" Kohana nodded and linked arms with you. "Us girls need time away from testosterone and need time to stare at frilly pink items and bras."

Sasuke chuckled. "Sounds good to me."

Itachi fought a frown...and failed. "I meant you take Kohana, Sasuke, and I take (y/n)."

Your eyes widened with immediate fear and you tightened your grip on Kohana. You weren't sure if you believed your dream yet but you damn sure didn't want to blindly take a chance. She noticed your reaction but didn't say anything about it. "I'm all for the day of rest but I don't want to be tempted to run away from Sasuke just because he's staring at me in a bra."

Sasuke immediately turned red. "What?"

Itachi grabbed your free hand and stopped walking, causing you to jerk Kohana and made her stop walking. "I'd like to spend some time with (y/n), if you don't mind."

"I mind." She said simply, giving your arm a little tug.

You could hear Itachi's breathing become strained, as if he were attempting to count to calm down. If you didn't do something, you thought, surely he'd end up hurting her. "I-it's okay, Ko. I'll be fine."

She looked at you, her eyes calling you a traitor and an idiot all at once. "Are you sure?"

You nodded, not trusting your voice. She stared at you for a couple of minutes before looking at Itachi. "Uchiha. There are few things in this world that can bring the absolute beast out of me. Let one thing happen to her and I swear to you there won't a thing or person on this earth to prevent me from literally turning you inside out."

Itachi nodded. "I promise to bring her back in one piece."

"Alive."

An awkward silence followed. Itachi pursed his lips but nodded. The village was a beautiful one. It sat on a hill facing a beautiful sunset over the ocean with a beach. The hotel Itachi chose was everything Kohana complained about needing and much more. The beds were double cushioned and comfortable, so much so that Kohana actually fell asleep the minute her head touched the pillow after taking a shower. Sasuke shrugged. "I don't mind taking a shower and doing the same. She'll probably find more to do tonight anyway."

"I'd like a shower myself." Something finally clicked in your head. "Why is there only one bed in this room?"

"Well..." Sasuke started, fidgeting. "I thought maybe you'd like to share a private room with Itachi and I'd share one with Kohana."

Kohana snored loudly.

You started to protest, wanting to say you more than likely wouldn't get much sleep trapped in a room alone at night with Itachi but decided against it as it wouldn't come out right. "Okay."

Sasuke's face lit up. "Thanks." He looked at Kohana and smiled.

"Come on." Itachi grabbed your hand and led you out the room to the next one. "Do you want to shower before we head out?"

"What are we going to do?"

"I saw a nice park I think you'd like. Also, there's a good restaurant--"

"I thought you said we couldn't go to public places?" You asked skeptically.

Itachi shook his head. "Not all public places. Just ones in cities where we're likely to be identified."

"So then this city is safe?" You asked, fingertips skimming across the fabric of the comforter on the huge king-sized bed.

Itachi nodded. He crossed the room to you and embraced you tightly, burying his face in your neck and inhaling deeply. "Why are you shaking?"

Only then were you aware of how bad you were shivering. "I-I don't know."

"(Y/n), you've been distant since you woke up last night...did you have a bad dream?" He sounded genuinely concerned but you weren't convinced enough to turn around and look him in the eye.

You forced a chuckle. "I've been distant since you came back, Itachi-kun."

In return, he chuckled briefly, marked by his body moving slightly and his embrace becoming tighter. "You're right. I meant more than usual. You don't have that gleam in your eye." He turned his head, his lips teasing the flesh behind your ear as he spoke into it, his hands rubbing your forearms in a slow, teasing manner. "Even when you slapped me, you still had that look in your eye. I'm not sure...how to describe it. It just made me feel warmer...closer to you. Koi, have you fallen out of love with me?"

Even you were aware that you were holding your breath and had become as still as a statue.

Itachi turned you around to face him and stared into your eyes, his flickering red for a second. "(Y/n). Talk to me. What's going through your head?"

You shook your head and looked down. How could you explain the whirlwind of emotions that had engulfed you since the day he left you to suffer alone? Where would you begin? And what difference would it make? He couldn't take any of it back. He couldn't change the past and make things better. "I'm confused. Itachi...I don't know anything anymore."

His head tilted to the side then he pulled you into his arms, gently pushing your head to rest on his chest as his hand rubbed your head. "Talk to me."

"Y-you...you swear you didn't kill your family...and I want to believe you. It's just...so many things don't add up. So many things demand your explanation. All you can give me is 'I didn't do it'." You looked up at him, eyes holding unshed tears. "You cannot want me to love you after you knowingly allowed me to be imprisoned for something you claim neither of us were responsible for!"

He stepped back, closed his eyes and looked down. "I know."

You shook your head. "You don't. You have no earthly idea what it's like to love someone with every fiber of your being. To love them despite all the accusations. To love them despite being punished for loving them. You hurt me." Tears fell. Your breathing became strained as you tried to keep up the rant despite a now stuffy nose. "You hurt me more than my own parents did after leaving me all alone! I have to give it to you; it takes talent to tear me down the way you did. It's way beyond too late to apologize. You allowed me to marinate in pain and suffering of the wound you put on my heart three years ago."

"...I love you, (y/n)." Itachi whispered, eyes reflecting the pain he'd put you through.

Your shoulders slumped. You staggered back. Your legs gave way. You fell.

His arms went around you. He stopped your fall. He guided you down to the floor and held you in his arms, in his lap, wiping away the tears he'd caused. "I know you won't forgive me, (y/n), but I love you more than I have the right to." You began to sob and he continued to wipe your tears. "If I had honestly known things would have ended this way...if I had thought it would have been better to just drag you along kicking and screaming...I would have done things differently."

"Tell that to my past...to the person who's sitting in a cell wondering why." You whispered as the tears began to slow.

You could hear Itachi swallow hard then whisper. "I'm sorry..."

After a while, time seemed to pick back up as dusk darkened the room. "We should shower so we can go out."

Itachi smirked. "I didn't know a shower was all you needed to go out with me." He helped you stand. "If that's the case, I would have offered it a long time ago."

You tilted your head to the side, confused until you understood what he was implying and playfully punched his arm. "Baka."

He shrugged. "I swear." You moved past him to the bathroom, starting the shower. "There's a change of clothes in here for you. Sasuke and I decided you ladies might like to wear something pretty...like a yukata."

"Really?" You looked at him and he nodded.

"I picked out a pink one with red roses on it for you."

You could only smile. You turned away from him and shed your clothes. In the shower, you were enjoying the strong, pleasantly warm water when you felt skin slide against yours from behind. "No privacy?" You asked, lathering your arms with soap. Arms went around your waist.

"I can't remember the last time I saw you fully naked." He whispered, his lips grazing your neck.

~---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~

...Don't you know that...he's satisfied to own her...

Your legs felt as if they were made of jello as you struggled to walk as normally as possible beside Itachi. At one point you nearly fell, giving Itachi the excuse to catch you and sport a very triumphant smirk. You felt your cheeks grow warm with embarrassment as you stood straight and took a moment to pretend to straighten your yukata. "Not. One. Word." You hissed under your breath then cut your eyes at the eldest Uchiha.

"I can't help it." Itachi's smirk widened into what you would consider to be a smile...for him. "I tried to tell you we should have waited to leave."

You frowned. "Well, had I known that you'd be so...determined...t-to..." You felt your entire face heat up just thinking of what had happened in the shower with him. You bit your lip.

"Stop that." His fingertip quickly freed your bottom lip from your teeth. "I told you. It had been too long since I'd seen you like that. Besides, I like to think I did wonders for your complexion. You're glowing like a little lamp now."

You immediately whirled away from him, storming into the crowd gathered along the street. Watching the sunset quietly with Itachi had somehow eased some of your fears of him, bringing back welcomed memories of how things were before everything took a dark and violent turn. A chill ran down your spine and you hugged yourself. 'Things will get better...they have to...'

His scent reached you before his arm had rested around your shoulders. "What are you thinking?" He murmured, his thumb and index finger holding your chin firmly to make you look at him.

You looked into his eyes to find his blood red Sharingan blazing. "N-nothing."

"Be honest." It sounded every bit like the command it truly was.

You blinked a few times before words spilled out of your mouth in a rush. "I miss how things were b-before...before you left me behind. Earlier in the room...it felt like the good times we've had. I-I love you, Itachi. I really do. And I want to forget what's happened and move on...I want to start over. I want to know how things could have been...how much you could have loved me...I-I want things to get better for us."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, releasing it quietly, then leaned down to kiss you deeply with meaning, whispering his next words against your lips. "That's exactly how I feel. That's exactly what I want. For everyone to forget and for us to move on...together."

You opened your eyes to find his onyx ones staring back at you with an innocence you couldn't remember having seen before. Speechless, you could only nod and wrap your arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and hoping that you would both get what you want.

Itachi let you go and took your soft hand in his. Cheerfully, you pointed out different stores and merchant booths you wanted to look at. He only nodded. 'Keep your guard down, (y/n). Love me like you used to...so blindly. I need you close to me...now more than ever.'