Status: Weekly updates
Akatsuki Princess
Tit-for-Tat
As soon as we got back to the hotel room, Itachi sprawled out on the bed. I went into the bathroom to change into pajamas. “Oh,” I squeaked when I came out. Itachi simply looked up at me and smirked. In the time I was in the bathroom, Itachi had undressed and was now lying on the bed in nothing but boxers.
“Something wrong?” he asked me, seemingly amused.
I rolled my eyes at him “No,” I scoffed. “I just didn’t expect to see you half naked when I came out.” His smirk grew wider and he patted the bed for me to sit. I cautiously edged closer to him and stood in front of the bed. I still didn’t trust him enough to sit.
He sat up and pulled me into his lap. “Let’s talk.”
“About what?” I squeaked.
“You.”
I looked up at him confused. “What about me?”
“Who’s this ‘friend’ who showed you the McGang Bang?”
“Oh. Me.” I stayed silent until Itachi pressed his fingers harshly into my sides. “Ouch! It’s none of your business!” He gripped harder and I squealed. “Ok ok! He died, that’s why it didn’t look like I had friends you stalker!” his grip loosened and he seemed satisfied.
“Why are you afraid of water?”
I looked at the man curiously. “I don’t know. Why do you have commitment issues?”
He released me and crossed his arms over his chest defensively. “I do NOT have commitment issues! Where do you get off assuming things like that?”
“Please,” I scoffed. “Just look at you! One minute your all touchy feely, the next you 20 feet away building walls around yourself. You even turned your own brother against you and pine after him from a distance; I’m guessing it’s cause your terrified to get rejected by him.”
Itachi scowled at me, obviously displeased by my psychoanalysis of him. I smirked to myself and continued. “I mean, take me for example. Usually you’re so cold but today, since we’re all alone, not only are you being nice to me, you’ve been all huggy and snuggly.” I gestured to our current position and immediately found myself on the floor.
“That has nothing to do with anything!” I smirked at the seething Itachi, amuse that I had gotten him so riled up. “You’re father wants us to get along that’s all.” He refused to look at me and stared at the wall. Finally, he glanced down at me.
I hadn’t moved from where I had fallen and he picked me up again, cuddling against me in the bed. I shook my head and giggled as he stared at me. It was almost like he was trying to look into my sole. I stared back at him and he conceded to my wishes. “Fine. But I wanna know about you, too.”
I nodded eagerly. “Hey you show me yours, I’ll show you mine.” Itachi gave me a weird look at my comment but I ignored it and poked him in the ribs to tell me.
“I…don’t really like…how should I put this? Getting attached? If you let yourself get attached it’s extremely difficult – if not impossible – to break those ties. Killing my family was something that I had to do. I was brainwashed into thinking it was the right thing to do. But it took so long to put the plan into action because of how much I loved them. The people who brainwashed me went to extreme measures to make sure I ended up hating my family. Even so, the night of the massacre…I almost bailed on the mission. And when it came to Sasuke….” He trailed off for a moment. “I still keep an eye on the kid. I still care about him more than my own life.”
I was silent and hugged him tightly. He hugged me back, looking shocked. After a few moments, he poked me to prompt me into talking. I sighed in resignation.
“When I was 4 I almost drowned.” Itachi rolled his eyes at my statement and looked at me in disbelief. He muttered something about a child’s overactive imagination. I took a deep breath and continued. “I had just gotten into a foster home and my foster brother had an awful bully at school. The kid was a psychopath; or grew up to be one since technically it “can’t be diagnosed” until you’re an adult.
“Anyway, the bully came over after school one day to…”mend” things with my brother, or some stupid excuse since his parents were trying to force him to be friendly towards, well, everybody. Everyone was in the back yard with my oldest foster brother – who was like 16 at the time and the only one home to take care of us – and the kid was actually being pretty friendly.
“He must have noticed how much my foster brother was doting on me; how much he loved me. He asked my oldest brother for something – I can’t really remember what – but whatever it was he had to go inside for it. As soon as Derek left the kid said something about my other foster bro trying to save me. He grabbed me and jumped in the deep end holding me under. My best friend couldn’t get the jerk off me. He was only six and was kind of terrified of his bully, but Derek ended up hearing him screaming and came and saved me. I don’t know how long I was under but I woke up to Derek pushing on my chest and A—my best friend beating the crap out of Taylor. It was terrifying; I haven’t gone near the water since.”
Itachi moved as if to put his arm around me. Before he could, I hopped off the bed and went over the window, feigning interest in the beautiful landscape we had as a view. “I remember throwing a fit at bath time for almost 2 weeks after the incident. If my best friend wasn’t there I wouldn’t go near it. I would kick and scream and bite. My foster parents ended up having him sit on the toilet just so I could see he was there until I finally calmed down about it.” I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut, holding back tears. My grip on the window sill tightened. “I haven’t been able to go into the water in almost a year and a half; ever since he died.” I admitted.
“You got in the water with me.” I jumped at how close Itachi’s voice was and whirled around. I hadn’t even heard him get off the bed, but somehow he was standing so close behind me he was almost touching me.
“I-I…I couldn’t let you know I was scared!” I spluttered. “I was already afraid of you, I wasn’t about to let you see one of my deepest fears.” I ducked around him and crawled into the bed again. “Can we go to sleep? I’m tired!”
Itachi chuckled his consent and lay down next to me. “So what else are you afraid of?”
I rolled my eyes and turned the light off. “Goodnight Itachi.”
By noon on Sunday, Itachi and I were completely packed and ready to go. We were also actually friends. My father’s plan had worked.
“Something wrong?” he asked me, seemingly amused.
I rolled my eyes at him “No,” I scoffed. “I just didn’t expect to see you half naked when I came out.” His smirk grew wider and he patted the bed for me to sit. I cautiously edged closer to him and stood in front of the bed. I still didn’t trust him enough to sit.
He sat up and pulled me into his lap. “Let’s talk.”
“About what?” I squeaked.
“You.”
I looked up at him confused. “What about me?”
“Who’s this ‘friend’ who showed you the McGang Bang?”
“Oh. Me.” I stayed silent until Itachi pressed his fingers harshly into my sides. “Ouch! It’s none of your business!” He gripped harder and I squealed. “Ok ok! He died, that’s why it didn’t look like I had friends you stalker!” his grip loosened and he seemed satisfied.
“Why are you afraid of water?”
I looked at the man curiously. “I don’t know. Why do you have commitment issues?”
He released me and crossed his arms over his chest defensively. “I do NOT have commitment issues! Where do you get off assuming things like that?”
“Please,” I scoffed. “Just look at you! One minute your all touchy feely, the next you 20 feet away building walls around yourself. You even turned your own brother against you and pine after him from a distance; I’m guessing it’s cause your terrified to get rejected by him.”
Itachi scowled at me, obviously displeased by my psychoanalysis of him. I smirked to myself and continued. “I mean, take me for example. Usually you’re so cold but today, since we’re all alone, not only are you being nice to me, you’ve been all huggy and snuggly.” I gestured to our current position and immediately found myself on the floor.
“That has nothing to do with anything!” I smirked at the seething Itachi, amuse that I had gotten him so riled up. “You’re father wants us to get along that’s all.” He refused to look at me and stared at the wall. Finally, he glanced down at me.
I hadn’t moved from where I had fallen and he picked me up again, cuddling against me in the bed. I shook my head and giggled as he stared at me. It was almost like he was trying to look into my sole. I stared back at him and he conceded to my wishes. “Fine. But I wanna know about you, too.”
I nodded eagerly. “Hey you show me yours, I’ll show you mine.” Itachi gave me a weird look at my comment but I ignored it and poked him in the ribs to tell me.
“I…don’t really like…how should I put this? Getting attached? If you let yourself get attached it’s extremely difficult – if not impossible – to break those ties. Killing my family was something that I had to do. I was brainwashed into thinking it was the right thing to do. But it took so long to put the plan into action because of how much I loved them. The people who brainwashed me went to extreme measures to make sure I ended up hating my family. Even so, the night of the massacre…I almost bailed on the mission. And when it came to Sasuke….” He trailed off for a moment. “I still keep an eye on the kid. I still care about him more than my own life.”
I was silent and hugged him tightly. He hugged me back, looking shocked. After a few moments, he poked me to prompt me into talking. I sighed in resignation.
“When I was 4 I almost drowned.” Itachi rolled his eyes at my statement and looked at me in disbelief. He muttered something about a child’s overactive imagination. I took a deep breath and continued. “I had just gotten into a foster home and my foster brother had an awful bully at school. The kid was a psychopath; or grew up to be one since technically it “can’t be diagnosed” until you’re an adult.
“Anyway, the bully came over after school one day to…”mend” things with my brother, or some stupid excuse since his parents were trying to force him to be friendly towards, well, everybody. Everyone was in the back yard with my oldest foster brother – who was like 16 at the time and the only one home to take care of us – and the kid was actually being pretty friendly.
“He must have noticed how much my foster brother was doting on me; how much he loved me. He asked my oldest brother for something – I can’t really remember what – but whatever it was he had to go inside for it. As soon as Derek left the kid said something about my other foster bro trying to save me. He grabbed me and jumped in the deep end holding me under. My best friend couldn’t get the jerk off me. He was only six and was kind of terrified of his bully, but Derek ended up hearing him screaming and came and saved me. I don’t know how long I was under but I woke up to Derek pushing on my chest and A—my best friend beating the crap out of Taylor. It was terrifying; I haven’t gone near the water since.”
Itachi moved as if to put his arm around me. Before he could, I hopped off the bed and went over the window, feigning interest in the beautiful landscape we had as a view. “I remember throwing a fit at bath time for almost 2 weeks after the incident. If my best friend wasn’t there I wouldn’t go near it. I would kick and scream and bite. My foster parents ended up having him sit on the toilet just so I could see he was there until I finally calmed down about it.” I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut, holding back tears. My grip on the window sill tightened. “I haven’t been able to go into the water in almost a year and a half; ever since he died.” I admitted.
“You got in the water with me.” I jumped at how close Itachi’s voice was and whirled around. I hadn’t even heard him get off the bed, but somehow he was standing so close behind me he was almost touching me.
“I-I…I couldn’t let you know I was scared!” I spluttered. “I was already afraid of you, I wasn’t about to let you see one of my deepest fears.” I ducked around him and crawled into the bed again. “Can we go to sleep? I’m tired!”
Itachi chuckled his consent and lay down next to me. “So what else are you afraid of?”
I rolled my eyes and turned the light off. “Goodnight Itachi.”
By noon on Sunday, Itachi and I were completely packed and ready to go. We were also actually friends. My father’s plan had worked.