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

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  Maeme slowly opens her eyes and groans at the effort it took. A hand crosses her vision and the cool rag leaves her forehead. Her gaze follows the hand, expecting to see Sasori, but Itachi is seated beside her with a solemn expression as he wets the rag. She offers him a small smile as he places it back.

"Hey."

"How are you feeling?" He asks softly, avoiding her eyes.

"Like shit. When did we get back? I don't remember much except yelling at Sasori."

"A week ago. You were basically comatose."

"What?"

"You apparently passed out from a mixture of blood loss and sickness. Sasori did what he could before rushing back here with your body. You have the ability to heal yourself, why didn't you?"

"I have to preserve my chakra, besides I didn't even know I was stabbed until later on."

"You don't have to put yourself at risk for him!" Itachi snaps, then closes his eyes to take a deep breath. "You almost died, Maeme."

"I'm pretty hard to kill, if you didn't know." She attempts to joke, noticing his trembling hands.

He doesn't respond, so she carefully reaches out a hand to hold his. He squeezes gently in return.

"I almost lost you. When he brought you in I- you, you looked like you were-"

She looks up from their intertwined hands to catch a single tear on his cheek.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm fine. I'm definitely not dying anytime soon. You can't get rid of me that easily. Before you know it I'll be back on my feet annoying Kisame."

"Don't scare me like that again." He mumbles, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

"I can't make any promises, but I will actively try not to. So, can I get out of this stupid bed now?" She scowls at the lumpy hospital bed beneath her.

"At least two more days."

Itachi chuckles at her sour expression, reminding her that it's her fault she's there.

"Its totally Sasori's fault for not letting me buy a coat when I forgot mine."

"Why wouldn't he let you get a coat? I thought you came in with one?"

"He said he refused to pay for my mistakes since I let you distract me because I spend too much time with you, and I stole that jacket from a dead ninja."

Itachi's expression darkens but she chooses to ignore it.

"You said you were yelling at Sasori, what were you fighting about?"

Maeme doesn't answer, choosing instead to use her free hand to fidget with the bedsheet. He lightly squeezes her hand to prompt an answer.

"Oh, uh, it was nothing really. He was just being his usual self, you know? I'm hungry, am I allowed to eat anything?"

"I'll make you some soup. Rest until I get back."

Itachi kisses her cheek before getting to his feet and leaving the room. Maeme stares after his tense form, silently cursing her mouth.

Itachi starts to gather the ingredients to make her soup and sets it to simmer on the stove while he leaves to search the base. Kisame looks up from his seat on the couch as Itachi enters the room and notices his dark expression. He grins and cheers about the upcoming excitement. Itachi ignores him and asks if he'd seen Sasori. Kisame points behind him as Sasori comes into the room.

"What do you need?"

"You're the reason she's in that bed right now. You're the reason she almost died." Itachi replies, his voice dangerously low.

"Maeme has her own free will. Everything that happened to her is of her own doing. If it weren't for me she would be dead."

"You let her freeze in the snow because she didn't bring a jacket! She was hurt and you didn't even realize. It's your fault."

"She would have had a jacket if she didn't spend all of her time with the two of you. You distract her. I did notice the injury, otherwise she would've completely bled out. I don't see how it is any of your concern since she is my subordinate."

Itachi's eyes narrow, the Sharingan flashing as he attempts to calm his anger.

"If she has free will, why do you care who she spends her time with?"

"Because I'm in love with her." Sasori answers simply.

Itachi freezes as Kisame 'Ooohs' behind him.

"You what?" He chuckles darkly. "If you loved her, you wouldn't let her risk death without helping her."

Itachi brushes past Sasori to return to the kitchen, pausing to add a final statement.

"Maeme is my lover. It seems you're too late."

Maeme looks up at Itachi suspiciously as he enters the room with a cup of hot tea and a bowl of soup, his Sharingan active and mouth drawn into a thin line. He places the tea and soup on a tray before helping her sit up to eat.

"What did you do?" She asks before taking a bite.

"I prepared soup and tea."

"You're lying to me."

"I have proof that I made soup and tea. You see it before you now."

"Itachi-"

"Eat your soup." He presses.

Maeme sighs and shakes her head, then continues to eat.

"You're in trouble young man." She comments after a brief silence.

"For?"

"Lying to me. I'll figure out what you did one way or another."

"I assure you I did nothing wrong."

The door crashes open to reveal Kisame who hesitates in the doorway before coming in. "I almost freaked out, but realized it would be stupid for you two to be intimate right now." He explains as he sits on the bed to her right. "So Itachi, how do you feel about Puppet Man confessing his love for your woman?"

Maeme and Itachi both freeze and turn to Kisame with wide eyes.

"What?" Maeme breaks the silence.

"Oh, you didn't tell her, did you? My bad."

"He told you that?" Maeme asks Itachi, abandoning her soup. "I thought he was joking..."

"You knew?"

"I'm just going to give you both a minute... Are you done with that?"

Kisame steals her half eaten soup, then slowly creeps toward the door.

Once he's gone, Itachi repeats his question.

"Yes. He said it a couple of times during our arguments in Yukigakure, but I assumed he was playing a cruel joke or trying to manipulate me. He's said himself that he doesn't feel emotions toward anything, so there's no way he's serious. What I want to know is how you and Kisame came to know this information?"

"Do you love him?"

"What?"

"Is that why you insist on almost killing yourself to keep him alive?"

"No, I don't love him and that is not the reason I protect him."

"Then what is it?"

"I can't tell you." She mumbles quietly.

"Why?"

"I'm tired Itachi, I think I'm going to try to sleep now."

He opens his mouth to speak again but sighs and gets to his feet.

"Sleep well."