CROW (ITACHI X READER)

Chapter 22:

Y/N

"Zu?"

He looked up from his breakfast and smiled, one I returned. We had been at my cabin for 2 days and thought now would be a good time to have this conversation. I knew he couldn't stay here much longer, not with school and his father no doubt freaking out.

"How come you call that man, 'scary man?"

He looked back down at his plate and moved his food around for a few seconds before he answered. "Daddy didn't know I saw what he did that night."

"What night, baby?"

He looked at me with misty eyes and I wanted to kick my own ass. "The night with the scary man."

"What did they do?" I asked gently and he scrambled onto my lap, my arms wrapped around him and I hugged him tightly. I shushed him. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, baby."

"He hit a man until the man died." He whispered.

My body froze and when Zu trembled I continued rubbing his back to calm him down. "How did you see that?"

"Daddy thought I was asleep but I was acting like a ninja. The door wasn't closed all the way and I saw but I ran away when I heard daddy say 'dead."

"When was this, baby?"

"When you were with Aunty Alex."

Anger hit me full force by that statement, I went with Alexis to dinner and drinks last week. Coincidentally right before Itachi had practically gone into hibernation at his office. I didn't come home until late but to think he did something so fucking stupid like killing someone with Zu in the house is beyond me.

"Are you mad at me?" Zu whispered and I shook my head.

"No, baby. I'm not mad at you, why would you ask that?"

He shrugged his shoulders and I kissed the top of his head. "I promise, he won't come near you, I won't let him but we need to talk to your dad."

"I don't want to... He doesn't want to see us.." His voice was so low, I had to strain to hear him but the vulnerability covering each word broke my heart.

"Zu." I said gently and tilted his head up, wet cheeks and sad eyes stared back at me. "He does want to see us, he's just working baby. He loves you."

"He never works this much."

I stupidly hoped that this wasn't something new, I hoped that Itachi didn't just randomly decide to work these god awful hours only now; that he had done this in the past. But staring at Zu's heartbroken face, I realized how much that was wishful thinking.

"He still loves you. I'll talk to him." I gave him a reassuring smile.

"Promise, mama?"

I sucked in a breath and my eyes watered. He finally said it. My smile grew and I laughed a watery laugh. "I promise, baby."

"Why are you crying?" His eyes widened and I laughed again.

"Because you called me mama."