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The first time that she realised Itachi's heart is just as full as hers is still vivid in her brain. It wasn't that she thought he was emotionless, but she had always loved harder and cried harder than anyone else. That moment was the first time she felt someone to be on the same wavelength as her, with that specific intensity of kindness, passion and care. She wished Itachi was less of a lover, because it would only mean that the stacks of burdens his heart and shoulders hold continue to steadily rise.
.•° ✿ °•.
It's a rainy day, the kind where no matter how thickly a coat shrouds a body, chills still run down from the spine to hips, hairs standing weakly against everything exterior.
"I'm so ready to get back home," Hisano mumbles with blue tinted lips. Her fingers are already becoming itchy with uncomfortably warm tingles shooting down; a telltale sign that she should get out of this weather before frostbite makes an appearance.
Honestly, it is her fault that she decided to go out to get groceries on a chilly evening, but the sky is so grey and everything is so sharp; she's entranced, entranced by every little thing from the way droplets batter against trees, to the sound of rain on windows and her umbrella, and the reflections on the road.
On a nearby rooftop, three shadows jump about, and she blinks up at them.
"I guess shinobi just have crazy high weather tolerance," she hums.
Hisano purses her lips and continues to hurry home, shaking her umbrella and watching with childish amusement as a torrent of droplets pour down around her in a circle. She barely makes it another few steps when she notices a mass of darkness against the backdrop of blurred grey.
It's a group of shorter figures, huddled just at the mouth of an alleyway. They seem to be children, and as a newly anointed teen, she takes it upon herself to get them out of the rain before a storm hits too hard.
"Hey," she calls.
"What?"
"Nunya business, mind yourself civilian."
She bristles at their hostility, eyes raking over their appearances and attires. All she wanted to do was offer her umbrella, maybe help them find some cover until the rain has passed. For a bunch of Academy children and two genin around her age, it's irritating that they're not being respectful.
"Hey," she begins again with strained politeness, "I just wanted to-"
-She notices small rocks in their pudgy palms. Hisano widens her stance, chin raising and eyes narrowing slightly. "What are you doing?" She shoves her way through the little possé ignoring the disgruntled and annoyed snapping of baby teeth.
Against the grey wall, at the bottom near the dead cockroach and dust, is a three legged kitten cowering, fur coming out in mangy tuffs and eyes riveting with crusted green and tears. Knuckles white, she puts the umbrella over the little kitten carefully before turning to them.
"You're throwing rocks at a kitten?" Her voices raises in pitch.
"We said, nunya goddamn business."
"It is now. You're throwing rocks at-"
One of the taller ones with a ninja headband steps up cockily. "Back off, civilian."
Hisano is already beginning to roll up her sleeves, but the Academy kids are spinning kunai and shuriken in their still slightly chubby hands. Teeth gritting, she glowers at them. Despite them all being a head shorter than her, they are still somewhat trained to use sharp pointy things, while the extent of her sharp pointy career ends with a cake.
"You're not going to use that on a civilian," she spits.
"Yeah I am!"
"No you can't," hisses the second genin, elbowing the first in the side. "It's against the rules, dummy."
"Hmph. The rocks will suffice then."
"Sorry," she mumbles a quick apology to the little kitten behind her and picks the umbrella up, folding it and brandishing it in front of her as if it were a sword. She's met with laughter, and her cheeks flush red of embarrassment and anger. Hisano reminds herself that she'll knock out at least two of them, and they'll have to live with the fact that an umbrella-wielding civilian took them out.
Unfortunately, her plan never comes to fruition. Before anyone can blink, a slim yet toned figure is in front of her, and all she can see is a tantō and black hair.
"It-" his name almost slips from her mouth. "Fox!"
It takes no time for the horde of Academy children and genin to bolt away without a single uttered word. An ANBU's presence does tend to evoke such reactions.
"What are you doing?"
That smooth voice never fails to set the pace of easy, comfort and warm safety.
"They were throwing rocks at the kitten," she mumbles, sidestepping so he can see the mound of piss poor fur.
"Hm."
"Hm? That's all you have to say, 'Tachi?" You-"
His hand envelops the top of her sopping wet head. Hisano's cheeks light on fire for the second time within seconds.
"Hm," she agrees, averting her eyes from Itachi's soft, soft smile and darting to look anywhere but the godly boy in the killer gear and a tantō on his back. Flustered, she steps away from him and peeks back at the little kitten, setting down her umbrella once again to hide it away from the cold rain.
"Ah shit," she groans, the word still a bit uncomfortable on her tongue. Hisano's not allowed to say it, but it makes her feel all grown up. "I want to look after it and keep it, but my parents will say no. Definitely say no."
She paces about on the spot, brows furrowed deeply as she struggles to find any sort of answer.
"Hisano."
Her reply is amusingly fast. "Yes, 'Tachi?" His reply is amusingly fast also.
"I can find you a safe place for it."
When their eyes meet, she's hit with the realisation that Itachi would go out of his way to do anything for someone, something he treasures. It fills her to the tips of her fingers and toes with absolutely, unbridled gratefulness and joy.
"Oh shit, really? That's so epic," she squeezes his arm happily, forcing a little chuff from his slightly upturned lips. "I'm gonna name it Bee, because it's so stripey. It's a good name, don't ya think?"
Itachi flicks her forehead but says no more, simply watching over his favourite girl and a little street kitten in this downpour of rain.
"Here," she coos, gently approaching the kitten. It stays there, still curled up in that tiny, tiny ball of ragged fur. She inches closer still, hyper aware of any possible movement in case she scared the little one. Itachi stands behind her, making sure his shadow doesn't cast onto either of them to reduce any intimidation.
"Hey," she whispers, crouching down beside it. She puts a hand gently around its bony body, helping it uncurl itself so she can pick it up.
Two glassy, bulging eyes with crusted green and tears stare back at her and she bites her tongue to muffle the scream as she stumbles back.
