Kingdom by the Sea

It was one particular morning, sometime late December almost a year ago. Hinamei woke early, according the rules inlaid in Kame's household, it was good to begin early. She thought otherwise, but rules were rules. The girl shook her tousled hair out with her hand and yawned widely, wincing at the premature light that leaked in through her windows. Mornings never truly began without a hot cup of tea. Her feet touched the ground and slowly, she made her way out of her bedroom and in towards the kitchen. Her eyes were still mostly shut, so as she heated up her tea and then reached into the fridge to find the cream, it could have been anyone's mistake to pull out the gin instead of the cream. With another strangled yawn she stirred her drink and slowly held the cup to her mouth, blowing on the small tendrils of steam that flowed out of it. And it wasn't until the liquid was in her mouth did she notice something was off. Hinamei choked back and quickly pushed her cup away, forcing the sour drink down her mouth. Now, with her eyes wide open she glared down at the tea and wiped her mouth off on her sleeve. The girl glanced up and eyed the bottle of clear liquid on the counter. That was not cream.

And that was how a problem evolved.

She slunk over to the bottle and opened it up, smelling it and then curiously holding the bottle up to her mouth. With a slight tilt of her wrist she poured a small amount into her parted lips. It was far from pleasant but still, she remained curious. She didn't drink much but days later she found herself wanting more and again, she stole from the bottle until one night her vision had blurred and every cold thought in her brain had been completely wiped out. And then she discovered that when the alcohol was in her system, there was no Itachi, no murder. There was nothing. A feeling she missed more than she could ever admit and it was hard after she sobered up to find herself not missing it.

And now she stood, eyes heavy and mouth dry as she walked along side a boy with a bad attitude and two criminals who were as cold as their reputation said they were. So it wasn't hard to understand that now, more than ever, she wanted a hard drink to soothe her thoughts over. All of them had begun to see it. She hardly spoke, even to Yukio. But he was smart enough to see that any conversation with her wouldn't be much of one, instead it would sound like an argument. But it really wasn't her fault everything she said came out sounding mean and bitter. "We've been walking for hours now, I can't take much more of this." She said sharply, narrowing her eyes at Itachi's back. He had started to ignore her, his eyes never strayed above her collarbone and every time a series of words spewed from her mouth he would only tighten his jaw and focus his eyes on anything but the girl. A notion she really didn't take kindly to. "And, I'm thirsty and hungry. If you don't handle this I will be dead before anyone can get their hands on me." Yukio only looked away, feeling a blush creep into his cheeks.

Needless to say, she was embarrassing him.

They had all been walking for nearly three days, which meant they didn't have long until they reached the edge of the leaf village. So Yukio made sure to bite his tongue at every moment, only because he was so desperate to escape. And for a small second, he wished Hinamei had the decency to do so also. But some things were asking for too much.

"Why is no one answering me?" Hinamei asked slowly, glancing around from Itachi to Yukio and then finally to Kisame. Neither responded and angrily she glowered over her shoulder. This was all dragging on for too long. She needed to be near the leaf, she needed her escape. Without it she felt some impending doom rising towards her. It was as if her only chance of survival was escape, despite Itachi telling her she wasn't being led to her death by them. She couldn't help but feel like something was amiss. The sun sat high in the sky right then, and every time it filtered in through the trees she could feel her skin burning through her clothes. After living for so long in the village she had been, she had forgotten just how hot the fire country was this time of year. Miserable, she never liked it not even as a child. Somewhere in her head she had always thought it got its name from it's extreme temperatures, like someone would burst into flames just walking down the road. But maybe she was over exaggerating because out of everyone she ever knew, she was the only one bothered by the heat.

Besides, she heard the sand village had it much worse off.

Hinamei's stomach clenched and the girl pathetically slapped her hand against her tight torso. "Can't we just brake for a bit? I don't feel well." The brute of a ninja glanced over at his partner and roughly, he glared in irritation. He had never met someone who complained so much and it was finally grating on his nerves. Kisame had known many drunks in his lifetime but this girl surely was one of the worst. And even so, he hated to imagine how annoying she became when she did get the alcohol in her system. Beady black eyes shot towards his partner and with a dark growl, Kisame was going to hit the problem head on.

"What do you suppose we do to shut her up Itachi? Orders or not, I can't take much more of her whining." Itachi glanced back and sighed, shaking his head slightly. He was getting a headache himself. The kind he hadn't gotten since he lived back in the leaf and had to deal with her whining every day nearly. These people, they didn't even know the worst of it.

"Yes, I understand. I've got an idea."

*****

Yukio winced at the sight. Hinamei was really, really unhappy. The girl had a cloth wrapped tightly over her mouth, shutting out anything that wasn't a muffling scream. Her hands too were tied, secured behind her back like some kind of prisoner. The boy sighed, she really had brought this upon herself. Kisame held tightly to her shirt collar and even if she decided to not comply, he would drag her the rest of the way. Any of it was better than hearing her babble all day. Her dark eyes flashed to Itachi, but he only smirked and looked off into the distance. He was enjoying himself more than he should have been.

It wasn't until the trees started to thin out did Yukio really start paying attention. There was a small tourist town just two miles outside of the trees, and according to the two mumbling men in front of them it was the perfect place to stop for the night and get a hotel. He took a deep breath and let the small smile form on his lips. He needed a bed, bad. His knees were trembling and every step he took he knew was a step closer to collapsing. As it was his head was already spinning. "How much longer do you suppose?" Kisame asked quietly to Itachi. Hinamei flashed her eyes back at the pair, mouth still biting hard on the cloth that was secured painfully around her face.

"Two more days, if we move fast." The Uchiha replied. "We'll move past the leaf and should arrive at the river country shortly after."

"Overall then?" Kisame grunted, nudging Hinamei in the spine to move faster. She did, grudgingly though.

"Two, maybe three more weeks since we're walking at the pace we are." Farther down the road Hinamei could see the lights of a small town, it was made to look festive but from her point of view it only looked more daunting than anything else. "Untie her," Itachi said quietly and without another word Kisame bent down and roughly undid the knot that covered her face. Hinamei gasped loudly and rubbed out her jaw, shooting a poignant look in Itachi's direction. She opened her mouth to speak but Itachi glared a cold warning and she quickly looked away angrily. The dirt road took a sharp left turn into a small village. There were old style houses and a large temple looming on her right, lit up now with candles and paper lanterns. On the opposite side stood a large hotel where presumably they would all sleep tonight. There were shops and small restaurants further down the way but she knew she wasn't going to be getting any of that soon. The hotel looked nice enough, it was big and painted in a gaudy gold paint with bright red accents, lit up from the outside by tall posts. Hinamei fell back in stride with Yukio as the two men walked through the doors quietly. They advanced the desk and started talking and Hinamei took her small chance. She grabbed Yukio by his uninjured arm and pulled him closer to her body. He reacted with wide eyes.

"Two more days alright? We'll sneak out while they sleep and we'll escape into the leaf. Easy enough."

"And if we get caught?" Yukio hissed back, looked over at the two that were speaking. Neither glanced back. "They'll kill us. Okay, well maybe not you but they'll definitely kill me." Hinamei winced but pressed forward harder.

"I hate to break it to you kid but sooner or later we'll both be disposed of. I'm telling you, this is our only option." Yukio glanced at his feet and sighed, he turned his face back up to hers with his eyebrows furrowed.

"Fine, but if you get me killed-"

"Shush, they're coming." Hinamei turned around on her heel and glowered up at the two who walked towards them. Neither of them looked too happy either.

"Boy, you're coming with me. And you," Kisame pointed a painted finger at Hinamei and her stomach dropped. "You'll be going with Itachi." She blanched over at the other Uchiha and shook, he looked more miserable than she did! No, she couldn't do this. It was bad enough having to stand by him, but sleeping in a room with him? They were asking too much.

"Why can't I sleep in your room!" She cried out, stepping towards Kisame almost pleadingly. He edged away with a look of insult on his face.

"Because I don't want you to. At least the other brat stays quiet, I can't deal with the headache's your voice gives me." Hinamei stepped back offended. Sure her voice was a little high but really, it wasn't that bad. She glared, stupid boys. They really were all the same.

"Well I don't want to stay in a room with him." She said firmly, crossing her arms defiantly across her chest. Yukio looked down at the ground, frightened. He really hated the taller man, he had already been beaten to a pulp once by him. The last thing he wanted was to sleep in the same room. At this point, he'd gladly crawl in with Itachi. At least then maybe he'd get ignored at most. Itachi put his head up and sighed, pulling the key out.

"We don't have time for this. You're coming." His eyes lit up mischievously as he stared Hinamei down. "If it makes it any easier on you I can easily tie you up again." Despite knowing what context he spoke in Hinamei couldn't help the fierce blush that was creeping into her cheeks as he said it. She was silenced quickly. The four of them made their way down the hall, and the first to leave were Kisame and Yukio. Kisame slipped in the room but before Yukio could go in Hinamei stepped away from Itachi's side and embraced the smaller boy tightly. She pulled away and looked into his eyes with a half smile.

"Trust me, alright. Just try to get some sleep." Yukio looked away eagerly.

"Easier said than done." She didn't get another chance to say anything more though as Kisame was already barking orders from inside. Yukio gave her one last smart glance before sealing himself inside with the rogue ninja. It was troublesome, she couldn't shake the nerve swelling up in her stomach. Itachi began walking and Hinamei followed wordlessly. They were four doors down and when Itachi unlocked the door, she happily sighed seeing the two beds that were there. There would have been no way if there would have only been one bed, it wouldn't have been a pretty fight. With her arms stiff at her side she followed the boy in, he shut the door behind her.

"Just go to sleep." Itachi said quietly after he locked the door. Obviously he wasn't too grand on the idea of having to share a room with her either. Hinamei ignored him and she quickly sat down on the bed. It was stiff but already it was better than the ground and after all the walking she had done the past few days, her legs were warily thanking her for the rest. Reluctantly her eyes pulled towards Itachi, watching as he unlatched his cloak and shoes, finally he pulled off his shirt and she had to force herself to look away. She only undressed once he had turned the light off. Her clothes were dirty, she would have to get a shower in the morning. She hadn't felt this dirty since she ran away barefoot from the leaf. A shiver went down her spine and she slipped underneath the blankets. The room was filled with an eerie silence, and despite feeling beaten and sore, her eyes weren't falling down. There was a single question burning in her brain and the last thing she wanted was to strike up a conversation with her room mate. But she knew there would be no rest until she found a suitable answer.

"Itachi?" She asked quietly, turning over on her bed to face Itachi's bed. He replied with a mumble but she knew he wasn't sleeping either. "Am I going to die?" In the ensuing darkness she could tell Itachi's breathing changed. He took in a sharp but small intake of breath and held it for a slight second before releasing and replying.

"You really should at least try to sleep Hinamei." She rolled her eyes and turned onto her back.

"You know better than anyone how stupid that is to ask of me." Itachi grumbled and she smirked. "Besides, you're not going to be sleeping anytime soon."

"Not with you talking, no." Her smirk disappeared and instead she found herself glaring daggers at the ceiling. Finally, she pulled herself onto her elbow and sat up looking at him. Now that her eyes had adjusted she could see Itachi lying there, arms behind his head with the blankets tugged down low at his hips. His torso was finely chis sled and slender and as he breathed, she watched it fall in soft waves. "Stop staring," he finally said, looking back at her through the darkness.

"Well maybe you should put a shirt on," she mumbled smartly. Immediately after the words left her mouth she shut her eyes firmly. How stupid. She hoped at first he hadn't heard but when a small grunt left his mouth she realized hoping wasn't enough. After all, he was a shinobi. Highest in his class.

"I see you still haven't grown up. I was hoping our experience would have at least taught you to be a little more mature than you were. I must admit I am disappointed." Her fists clenched from underneath the blankets and her breathing got sharper. "Have I upset you?" He asked in a steely, mocking voice. That only seemed to insult her further.

"This is why you never had friends Itachi, you're not better than me or anyone else. Stop acting so proud." Hinamei hissed at his shadow, the nerve of some people. Whether he was an Uchiha or not, she had stopped using that as an excuse. It was plausible that Itachi alone was just arrogant and cruel, Uchiha blood having nothing to do with it.

"I seem to remember you being quite fond of me for many years."

"Yeah well I wasn't your friend," she spat back harshly. She hated that tone more than anything. That careless, easy tone like nothing she said ever seemed to make an impact. But having no soul might have that effect. "And I still can't figure out what Shisui saw in you, maybe he just felt sorry for you." And suddenly, something clicked. Itachi's face grew angry and he sat up and glared over from his side of the room. Now that Kisame wasn't here he felt safe letting his rage out. Just a small amount, the girl deserved it.

"Hinamei, shut your mouth or I will gladly shut it for you."

"Oh," the girl shot back icily, "have I upset you? I didn't realize you had any feelings left to hurt. Maybe you're not as callous as you try so hard to look." Sometimes, she really needed to learn to listen. Itachi was fast, faster than she had prepared herself for him to be. His hand was at her shoulder and nimbly, he pushed her back against the bed. He swung one leg over her hips, straddling her as she laid against the bed with her eyes wide open. His sharingan was out and a small pointed weapon was at her throat.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just kill you myself." Itachi said lowly, flashing back and forth between her own dark eyes. Hinamei swallowed, feeling the prick of the weapon as she did so. Itachi had always been testy but this was just ridiculous.

"Kill me if you like, if you can." Hinamei's voice was quiet, manic slipping in between the edges. His eyes were pressing forward and slowly the knife cut a little deeper into her skin. She winced as the blade made contact. "I don't think you have the nerve though." With a snarl Itachi threw the weapon to the floor and his hand found its way to her throat. Her hands cut upwards, firmly holding onto his bony wrists. Sheets of black hair fell over one shoulder of his, trailing against her own bared shoulders. Itachi's lip was curled back angrily, teeth bared like an animal.

"I didn't ask for this Hinamei, if I had it my way I never would have seen you again." She choked and closed her eyes, maybe he was going to kill her after all. "I should have killed you that day." Her head was getting light and slowly the room began to swim. "You bring back so many unpleasant memories, I hate this." There was a time she would have been happy seeing this much passion coming from Itachi. Just like the old days he hid it all away. But now he had found the perfect vessel to pour his anger into. And currently, he was cutting the air supply from it. Her nails sunk in deep to his skin and he glared down. "You-" The hand around her throat released itself and she arched her back, choking on the sudden air that flooded into her lungs. But she didn't have much time as soon his other hand was tangled in her dark tresses and he was pulling her up towards him. With one hand in her hair his other quickly found its way to her lower back and he pressed her up against his rapidly rising chest.

What happened next she couldn't believe. Or maybe yet, she refused to.

Itachi crushed his lips into hers, bruising the tender pink flesh. The hand on her back dug nails into her skin, and she could feel the skin break under his immense pressure. Itachi wasted no time and with a small movement he had her lip caught between his teeth, sharp and eager. At first Hinamei felt the need to fight him. She was scared, Itachi had never touched her like this. Sure he had kissed her before but never had she experienced a kiss so raw. But the moment quickly caught up with her and despite the warning in her mind she pressed herself up closer against his warm body. He fell against the bed, pinning her beneath him. Her hand tangled in his hair and she pulled him closer, but with a small growl he slapped her hand away and pinned it against the bed so she could hardly move. He pulled away slightly. "You were my biggest mistake." She breathed heavy onto his parted lips and eagerly he went in again, roughly pressing up against her until she could feel her aching bones straining under his weight. His mouth moved hungrily to her neck, taking small nips at her milky skin until she was whimpering whenever he made contact. "I should have rid you of my life when I had the chance." He removed his arm from her hand and raked it down the side of her body until he had wrapped his fingers around her hips and he throttled her body closer in motion with his. "I can't understand why I couldn't kill you."

Hinamei forced open her eyes and angrily she pulled away from his touch. "I ask myself the same question," she breathed heavily and Itachi slowed down, looking up at her with eyes bright like fire. He pressed his forehead against hers and pressed his fingers roughly into her neck. His lips were inches away from hers again.

"Do you want to die?" He asked lowly, eyes still darting over her face. Searching for something she couldn't give him.

"No, not anymore." The passion lingered over them like a dark cloud. It took all she had to fight the urges waging inside her body and by Itachi's pained face she could see he was too. But this was far from right. In fact, things had never felt more wrong. They were both too angry, too confused to be doing this. He didn't want what she wanted and even if he did, there was no way to attain it again. "I'm stronger than you give me credit for." Slowly, Itachi sat himself up and stared down at her. A lingering smirk touched at his lips and slowly, he wrapped his fingers round her chin and forced her eyes back to his face.

"Maybe I do, but you're still weak Hinamei." Itachi let her chin go and angrily, she tore her eyes to the floor. Saying nothing as he left her bed and slowly stepped over to his own. She only closed her eyes when she knew he was back in his own bed. "This meant nothing," he finally said once the room fell back to being silent.

Hinamei rolled over and shuddered the thin sheets close to her chest. "You couldn't be more right Itachi," she mumbled. Itachi turned away from her and it wasn't until she knew he was asleep did she finally curl up and cry.