World's Devil- Naruto fanfic

Chapter Four

Chapter Four: Message from the Devil

Kisame quirks an eyebrow at the sleeping bodies before him. Korosu's dark curls are tangled in Itachi's thin fingers and Korosu holds her slim fingers curled around his hand. They are unnaturally beautiful sleeping beside one another; Korosu's delicate features complimenting Itachi's hardened and handsome edges. Kisame chuckles to himself and imprints the image in his mind for safekeeping to look back on happier memories.

"Hn ... Kisame?"

"Morning sleeping-beauty," he flicks Itachi on the forehead.

Itachi glares at his blue-skinned friend, eyes cold like daggers. He starts to move, when a soft whimper of protest stops him. Itachi looks away from Kisame and glances down, Korosu's soft features meet his eyes, her lips parted gently in sleep and dark lashes fluttering across smooth pale skin. He remembers her asking him not to leave her alone last night. He knows her nightmares have been getting worse.

"Did you get breakfast?" Itachi ignores Kisame's wiggling eyebrows and pervish face. Kisame knows just as well as Itachi that nothing like that happened between him and Korosu.

Kisame bellows with laughter, his hand flying to his stomach as he tries to control the laughter racking his body and stay quiet enough so Korosu doesn't wake. "Oh, sure. I know my queue when it's time to leave when I hear one."

Itachi's softened gaze sharpens into a glare. One last chuckle leaves Kisame before he leaves the room and shuts the door behind him, walking away from a sleeping Korosu and a deep-in-thought Itachi.

Itachi runs a hand through his hair debating whether to wake her or not, but she looks so peaceful laying there with her body curled against his. He sighs and smooths away strands of loose hair caught in her lashes, his touch gentle and careful. Letting her sleep outweighs waking her, so Itachi slips out of her grasp, grabs a towel and heads for the connecting bathroom.

Steam fills the bathroom, only wisps trailing into the other room where Korosu sleeps. Her soft whimpers are drowned by the water hitting the tub, her shallow cries of horror not heard and the slight thrashing of her limbs unseen. Itachi's clueless to the sudden nightmare plaguing her, but had she been awake, her relief that Itachi couldn't see her like this would have left her breathless with thankfulness.

"Itachi..." She whimpers softly, her hands unconsciously searching for him.

She grasps at empty air, his warmth fading away as the seconds tick on and he continues his shower. The tears once flowing down her cheeks dry, but droplets remain like water petals on spiderwebs on her lashes. Twisted around her petite frame are the sheets, cocooning her in a net of safety or trapping and suffocating her.

The shower door opens, trails of moisture following, and Itachi walks back into the room toweling his hair off. He's dressed in full gear for the day. Noticing the difference from the time he left to now, his gaze searches for Korosu in a desperate haze.

Seeing a dark spill of hair, his body relaxes and his muscles unclench. He hurries over to her, careful not to wake her, and scoops her up in his arms. Tenderly laying her down on the bed, Itachi smooths away sweat soaked strands from her lips and closed lashes. Concern laces through him, causing him to squeeze her hand unconsciously. What had happened while he was in the shower?

Korosu stirs in her sleep, feeling her hand concealed in warmth. It drives away the darkness, bringing light to her otherwise bottomless world. A soft whimper leaves her lips and her eyes remain shut, the energy leaving her. Struggling to open them, she squeezes back, searching for strength. When her hand begins to hurt from the pressure gripping her thin fingers, she finds the strength within her to open her eyes. The nightmares always take so much from her.