Kairos |An Itachi Uchiha Story|

xxvii. I remain

The words that left Aiko's lips thundered in Itachi's mind.

You might even love me...

He took deep breaths while trying to focus on his speeding heart rate.

Love me.

It was like he couldn't breathe. He knew why he was having such a dramatic reaction. Itachi grew up with the knowledge that weakness is detrimental and to love meant weakness.

But the butterflies that came to life around the amber eyed girl...

The way his heart beat...

The way she never left his thoughts...

He knew that denial would be hard and pointless.

"I need to hear you say it." Her voice strained over the sound of the rain pounding around them. Aiko's broken expression was accompanied by the quiver of her pink petal lips and shattered amber eyes. Itachi's heart got tugged once more at the thought of them. At the thought of her.

"You know I can't Aiko." His voice was barely a whisper as he stared at her wet and flushed face. "You know that."

She stared into onyx eyes with anger and determination. Her heart ached beyond belief at the idea of rejection. Her lip almost quivered at the chance that Itachi maybe ignoring her feelings and his own.

Filled with hurt, she tangled her fingers into her dark strands and tugged harshly. She felt like she could scream and cry of frustration.

"I need you to say it or you may... I may break." Her voice cracked and swayed in and out. She begged the impassive onyx eyes to crack and give some form of warmth. "If you care even a little bit, I need you to say it."

He swallowed at the sight of Aiko in such pain after the promises they made. Deciding if the fear he felt of weakness out weighed the heavy weight on his chest at the sight of Aiko's agony plagued his mind for a moment.

"Even if I felt anything for you, it means nothing if I cannot give you the affections you deserve. Why would I steal such a thing from you? I told you... Find affection for someone who is not curse..."

"I can't go on like this..." Aiko leaned toward the Uchiha to snatch the Anbu mask from his waist. Seething, she held the mask as if she wanted to shatter it. "This mask is worn on your face even when it's in my hands and I loathe it."

Itachi stare down into the caramel ambers that stared back. The two were silent though the rain hammered in the back ground. His gaze traced every dark speck hidden in her bright gaze and the small button of her nose. His gaze traced the small freckles that dotted her face from her time in the sun and fell on her soft blush colored lips. He felt like he could suffocate right there.

"I said-."

Itachi placed his lips upon her own and cut her words in half. A rush of blood to the head and warmth in his cold body was immediate. Warm tickles across his body as the butterflies escaped him and ran off with his fears. He smiled for a moment.

Only a moment.

A small gasp left the soft petals of her mouth and he held his lips there for only a moment longer before pulling away.

Her body fell limp for a moment and the sound of her scream barely cut through the blood that rushed in his ears. His heart was pounding as he reached to hold the girl to his body.

A mistake.

He panicked for only a moment as he realized he may have hurt Aiko. Watching the pain streak across her face, he realized she wasn't there anymore.