The Secrets We Keep *COMPLETE* (Sasori x OC? / Itachi x OC?)

Migraine

Maeme opens her eyes and groans as she rolls over, her head pounding. The very dim light from the candle makes her bury her head underneath the blanket. A hand gently pats her head as Itachi asks if she's alright.

"My head is killing me. Light hurts. I'm dying a most painful death." She groans.

"You should stay here and rest."

"But I have things to do..." she whines. "I am tired though. Stupid Sasori..."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Itachi watches in amusement as her messy blonde hair slowly emerges from under the blanket followed by her grey eyes narrowed into pained slits.

"I'm hungry." She says definitively before sitting up and immediately holding her head.

"Let me get you something before I-"

Maeme and Itachi both turn as the door opens revealing Sasori. His eyes land on Itachi before darkening into a glare.

"There's a mission." He says simply, moving his gaze to Maeme.

"I will be ready in a moment."

"She's ill." Itachi holds his hand out to stop Maeme from falling as she gets to her feet.

"I will be alright, thank you Itachi." She then turns to Sasori to tell him she will be ready in three minutes.

After Sasori leaves, Maeme ignores the pounding in her head and Itachi's comments about staying behind as she pulls her hair back into a messy pony tail. She waves away his concerns, reminding him that she has to protect Sasori and that it's just a migraine. Itachi sighs and pulls on a shirt before fastening his cloak.

"Are you leaving again?" She asks, digging through her pack in hopes of finding a clean outfit.

"Yes. I should only be gone for a few days. Be careful."

"You as well. I need to find clean clothes and something to help this headache..."

Maeme parts ways with Itachi and returns to her room, dressing quickly in a dark colored outfit before heading to the entrance of the base. To her surprise, Orochimaru isn't with Sasori. The thought makes her nervous yet relieved. She doesn't have to deal with the snake man but it also leaves her alone with Sasori. After an awkward silence, they leave the base in the direction of the Hidden Mist.

Maeme's headache dies away as the day wears on, leaving her to travel alongside Sasori, lost in thought. She is dying to make sense of Sasori's words and actions lately, but nothing seems to make sense to her. Back when the pair lived in Suna, things were simple. He tolerated her while working on his puppets and she watched over him while juggling her ANBU duties. What changed between Suna and several months with the Akatsuki?

"Maeme?" The blonde jumps slightly before looking up at Sasori. "I kissed you because I thought it would solve something."

"Solve what?"

"I've been trying to figure out what I've been feeling. I thought perhaps the kiss would solve itk but it didn't work. So now I'm not sure."

"What do the feelings, uh, feel like?" Maeme asks dumbly, shocked at how open he is being.

"Curiosity, anger, and something I can't quite describe."

"What are you-?"

Maeme dives in front of Sasori and blocks the incoming kunai with one of her own, her question dying on her lips. Her eyes scan the mist around them in search of their attacker. She notes a flicker of movement from the tree across from them and jumps up onto the nearest limb. A man appears in front of her, trapping her between the tree trunk and his body. Her eyes widen as she recognizes the man.

"You're supposed to be dead. He killed you months ago. I had to scrub your blood off my body."

"Things aren't always as they appear. I'd hoped that I would get a chance to finish what we'd started."

"Sasori, go complete your mission." She calls down, not looking away from the man before her.

"No I-"

"My business isn't with you, Akatsuki."

"Just go. I will be alright." She ducks the man's fist and sweeps his feet in a solid motion.

Sasori hesitantly leaves Maeme behind to fight and heads into the village to search for his target. Maeme watches him leave while swiftly dodging the man's attacks until her body is kicked from the tree limb to the ground below. He jumps from the tree, sword drawn, and aims it at her chest.

"Come on now, this is too easy. I want you to die fighting." He croons, dragging the tip of the sword up to the hollow of her throat.

She smirks, staring him down confidently. "I'm sure I'll die fighting, but it won't be today. I want you to die by my own hands."

Maeme appears behind him, kunai slitting his throat. His body turns into water, leaving Maeme scanning the trees for him as her own clone on the ground disappears.

"So, did I really mean that much to you that you spent months waiting for me to come back? I'm honored." She calls out. "Does make me wonder for your social life though."

Maeme grins as she senses him behind her. She spins to face him, bringing her forearm up to block his attack and kicks him in the chest, sending him backward. He catches himself and rushes toward her, drawing the sword strapped to his back. She quickly pulls two kunai and tries to counter his blade with her own, the clashing metal sending chills down her spine. She fumbles a kunai and hisses as the tip of the sword grazes her upper arm, tearing the fabric of her shirt and drawing blood.

"At first, I was only after your Akatsuki friends, but then I got distracted by your beauty. I wanted to hear you scream as I painted you with your blood. I wanted to savor the fear in your eyes as I watched you die. Then he got in the way. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I'm so glad I get this opportunity to kill you this time. So tell me, what's your name? I like to know the names of my victims."

Maeme ducks the sword again before tackling him to the ground. She punches him in the face, the loud crunch of his nose shattering echoing off the trees.

"My name is Maeme. Who would I be if I didn't grant you your final wish?"

"You bitch!" He cries out as he tosses her off of him and straddles her waist, pinning her hands above her head with one of his own.

She stares up at him frozen, worry flooding her brain as she takes in his wide, manic eyes and the blood running from his nose dripping onto her throat. His breathing comes out as ragged gasps while his body shakes in anger. His free hand pulls out a kunai and slams it into her shoulder, just below her collar bone. She bites her lip to suppress the scream threatening to escape and starts to struggle against him.

"Yes! Fight me until your dying breath, Maeme. Scream for me, scream for me!" He shouts, grinning wildly as he stabs her again a few inches away from her first wound.

A scream tears through her throat as he twists the blade inside her shoulder.

"God yes, Maeme! Do it again!"

Maeme notices his grip on her wrists loosen slightly so she takes the opportunity to slip free and slam her hands up onto his nose, knocking him backward as he cries out in pain. She quickly gets to her feet, ignoring the kunai protruding from her chest, and picks up his forgotten sword.

"You're so beautiful Maeme. Look at all your precious blood painting your skin!"

"You're such a creep." She mutters as she stands over him before driving the sword through his chest directly over his heart.