WANTED: Itachi Uchiha

Nijuuichi

"Why do you have celery and tomato juice?" 

"To make a Bloody Mary."

"Itachi, tell your brother if we're going to drown our sorrows, he can't have a Bloody Mary. We're drinking to numb the pain, not prep for a bottomless brunch."

"Speak for yourself, I don't have any sorrows to drown. I'm not all fucked up and broken like you two." 

"Watch your fucking language." 

People passing by in the supermarket took a wide berth around the bickering trio. Despite the intensity of the language, wry smiles danced on their lips. Even Itachi, who stayed out of the sibling like argument, had a minute smirk on his mouth. 

Reina felt more alive in that shop aisle than she could ever remember. Perhaps it was the half bottle of sake she had managed to sip at Baa-chan's wake or the fact that the Uchiha brothers were treating her like a normal human being, and not some delicate porcelain doll. She didn't mind. It was refreshing to feel like the weight of the world had been momentarily lifted from her shoulders. 

"I swear to Kami, if you whip out a boston shaker on the street, I'll smack you with that stick of celery." Reina threatened, her tone half serious and half lilting with humour. Itachi had no doubt she would do it too. 

"If you two are quite finished, I'd like to pay and start drinking please." Itachi interjected, one hand holding his bottle of whisky, the other arm slung in the folds of his kimono casually. He more rogue samurai than silent assassin. 

"Yeah, yeah, don't get your mofuku in a twist." Reina replied, tucking her own bottle under her arm. 

The cashier gawped at the kimono clad trio and their alcoholic comrades. They all looking somber. "Jeez, who died?"

Silence. 

"My Grandmother actually. Fresh in the ground this morning." Reina answered matter of factly as though she was describing the weather. Sasuke spat out a laugh, only to choke on it as Itachi elbowed him hard in the ribs. The cashier opened their mouth in response. "Are you going to ring us up or sit there and catch flies?" Reina asked, clearing her throat and quirking a brow. 

The cashier, suddenly riddled with guilt scanned all their items, bobbing their head continuously in apology. "Gomen, gomen."

°°°

Bottles bought, the trio clinked together their bottles together in toast. Well, Reina and Itachi did. Sasuke was busy swigging tomato juice from the carton only to add vodka and stuff a stick of celery in the opening. 

"Nice." Reina nodded, pouting her lips in appreciation. "Very classy, Sasuke."

"Fuck off." Sasuke muttered, fiddling with the celery. "I don't like vodka straight."

"Well, cheers, I guess." Reina said, raising her bottle of umeshu. "To Tomo. The best grandmother a girl could wish for. May she rest in peace in Yomi and give Izanami hell for not coming to dinner on time." Reina smiled sadly, her eyes filling up. 

"To Tomo." The three said in unison, taking a swig of their drinks. 

Reina squeezed her eyes shut, partly to stop the tears from falling and partly to the fact the plum wine burnt going down her throat. "Baa-chan would likely scold me for drinking in the park in the middle of the night but oh well."

"I'm sure she'd understand." Itachi added in between a mouthful of whisky. "Everyone is entitled to letting their hair down and going off the rails. Like you said," Itachi glanced over at Reina, his eyes catching the light of a streetlamp. "humans are pretty fucked up creatures."

"Again," Sasuke muttered. "speak for yourselves."

°°°

It didn't take long for their bottles to clink to the ground, empty and soon forgotten about. Reina laughed, for the first time in a long time, as Sasuke pushed her on the swing, her hair coming loose from the chignon, Mikoto had so carefully pinned. Her stomach would lurch as he pushed her higher, to the point where she could see the rest of the village twinkling over the treetops. 

Even Itachi laughed, swinging beside her, occasionally rocking to the side to knock her swing off rhythm. For the first time in well, ever, he felt light. Free. It was definitely thanks to the bottle of whisky he had consumed, but it was definitely in part thanks to the company he kept of late. They were broken. There was no doubt about that. But at least they weren't broken alone. 

They were broken together. 

"Itachi, jump off with me in three." Reina called, her hair billowing as she swung. He nodded, readying himself on the seat. "1...2...3!" Reina squealed throwing herself from the swing at its apex. Itachi followed suit, they momentarily flying through the air before they landed on the ground, tumbling in the grass in a barrel of laughs. 

"Oh my god." Reina laughed, her breathes mere pants as she looked up at the sky, at the stars that stared back at her. Itachi panted beside her, the backs of their hands pressed together. "Thank you." Reina added in between her breathes, a smile creeping onto her lips. 

"What for?" Itachi asked, turning his head towards her. 

"For not letting me be alone today." Reina replied, her tone sincere. 

"Thank you for allowing me to even be here." Itachi replied, lacing his hand with hers. 

"Anytime."

Retching made them both sit up. "Oh Sasuke. You've got a lot to learn when it comes to drinking your sorrows." Reina mused, grass sticking out of her hair. "And I told you not to get a Bloody Mary." She added. The younger Uchiha groaned, flipping her off as he continued to chuck his guts up. 

"Let's get him home. Okaa-san will flip if she catches him like that." Itachi chuckled, hoisting himself up and offering Reina his hand. Reina smiled, the first proper smile Itachi had seen. 

It struck him breathless. 

"You alright? You're not gonna throw up are you? You've already thrown up on me once." Reina asked, tucking her grassy locks behind her ear; Itachi shook his head, his own raven locks adorned with blades of grass. 

"I'm fine. Just fine."