Contrition [Itachi Uchiha x Reader]

#27: Castaway

Itachi Uchiha sat on the edge of the bed, twirling a strand of his hair around his fingers. He could hear [Name]'s steady breathing as she slept beside him, making him wonder how she could possibly manage to fall asleep after the day's events.

"Marry me."

Itachi had always thought that he would one day get married and start a family with someone he loved. But all that changed after his conviction. There was little chance of a good life for a criminal. And even less of a chance for a criminal-cum-fugitive.

He looked towards the sleeping figure. [Name] had become strangely quiet after he had turned down her 'proposal'. They returned to the house soon after, ate the meals that Kabuto was nice enough to prepare and retired to their room for the night. The lack of a cellphone ("Cell phones are easily traceable. You'd rather wear a ticking bomb!" TenTen had said) made it impossible to keep track of everything that was happening in Konoha. Itachi hated being left in the dark, and he couldn't for the life of him understand how [Name] was handling it better than him.

"Hey." He nudged her with his elbow until she awoke.

"Did the snake get in again?" she asked, groggily.

"We need to talk."

She pulled the blanket over her head. "Is this about what happened earlier?"

"I don't want things to be weird between us, considering how we're going to be around each other a lot... I mean we live together...anyway, you're a nice-ish person, quite admirable even, but I just-"

"Really?" she interrupted. "You woke me up in the dead of the night to give me the 'it's not you, it's me' speech?"

He clicked his tongue, irritated. "I figured you at least deserved an answer."

"I don't need an answer because it wasn't a question," she said, her head sinking into the pillow. "It was a proposition. But you turned it down, and I respect that. Good night."

"We're not done talking," he declared. "I believe you owe me an explanation."

"To what?"

"Your 'proposition'," he said, making air quotes. "What was that all about?"

She sighed. "Two words, my overly smug friend. Spousal Privilege."

"You would really marry a stranger just so that they wouldn't make me testify against you?"

"Or me against you. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"We would be evading the law!" he yelled, yanking away the covers so that he could see her better.

"And what do you think faking your death and running away to a far off place, is?" she retorted. "Don't tell me you suddenly grew a conscience!"

Itachi looked visibly annoyed. "I don't know why I agreed to do this in the first place."

"It's because you couldn't stick to your parole conditions like a sane human being, " she replied, meeting his gaze.

"Don't make me regret saving your life," he remarked.

"Don't make me regret wanting to help you."

"You didn't have to help me."

"You didn't have to save my life."

They hadn't noticed how close their faces were until his hot breath fanned her face, causing them to simultaneously look away. A red blush dusted both their cheeks.

"Now we're done talking."

*
The next morning, Itachi woke up to an empty room. Panicking just a little, he scurried downstairs, only to find Kabuto wearing an 'I suki Akatsuki' apron, making pancakes by the stove.

"Kabuto-san...have you seen [Na-], I mean Izumi?"

"Oh, she and Orochimaru went to the supermarket, although they should be back soon. Why don't you have some breakfast while you wait?"

"Uh thanks," he replied. "How long have they been gone?"

"A couple hours. You're rather protective of your wife, aren't you?"

Itachi smiled back nervously. "Trouble really loves her. And she loves it."

"Don't worry, Shisui-san. She only left because she said she desperately needed something. She even said that she didn't want to wake you because you would want to go with her."

His words piqued Itachi's interest. "She wanted something? Did she say what?"

"I'm afraid not. She was ready to go alone too, but Orochimaru felt that she might get lost. Even the locals here lose their way sometimes."

What was so important that she had to go out today?

Did she... leave?

Itachi simply couldn't shake the ominous feeling. "I just lost my appetite," he said. "I think I'll go out for a run." Without waiting for a reply, he reached for the door handle. The door flew open a second later and to his surprise, he came face to face with his generous host.

Orochimaru returned his puzzled look. "Oh...hello. Going somewhere?" He moved aside to let him through.

"Where? Where is she?" Itachi breathed, realizing that the man was alone.

"Oh, she ran into an acquaintance on the way so she asked me to head on back. Said she would find her own way."

Itachi felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. "What acquaintance?"

Orochimaru shrugged. "I don't know. Oh, but she asked me to give you this."

He handed him a PDA. On the screen flashed three words:

                                                                               THEY FOUND US.