Trapped [Uchiha x Fem!Reader] AU

Number 14

There's something about being outside that Itachi loves so much. The wind blows through his hair, but the air he breathes isn't as crisp as the air in Konoha. [Name] tells him it's all due to pollution, another concept she explains to both of them.

But Sasuke doesn't care about that. He can care less about how this world operates. The air is foul, the people that stare are weird, and he hates these crowded "cars."

Sasuke could care less about being outside, he's much more of a homebody anyway. The main reason he's out is that he wants to watch Itachi. Itachi's been too close to [Name] lately, and Sasuke doesn't like it. He wanted to be the first to kiss her properly, and Itachi stole that from him as well.

[Name] stops at a book store, as Itachi requested. Upon entering, Itachi's eyes grow wide from the hugeness of it all. Back in Konoha, the biggest bookstore only had ten shelves of books, this one, the one they're currently in, has nearly hundreds. It even had an upstairs.

"This is," Itachi breaths in, his eyes nearly sparkling. "Astounding."

He turns to [Name] and grasps her shoulders. "Is everything in this world big like this?!"

[Name] blinks. "Is it too much?"

"No! I just--Everything's just bigger than Konoha," Itachi says, turning back to the books.

"Ah," [Name] hums. "Well, enjoy yourselves, I'll be in the erotica section! Shouldn't have said that out loud!"

[Name] runs a hand over her face before scurrying off to the land of the lewd. Itachi walks at a brisk pace towards the fiction section. Sasuke follows after, scanning book covers with an uninterested glance.

"Why are you so interested in books, big brother?" Sasuke asks. "It's just a collection of dumb papers with words."

"Well, Sasuke," Itachi crouches, picking up a thick book. "The only books I've ever read until I graduated at the academy was about being a ninja. Other children got to read books about cute animal friends or heroic legends with happy endings. I guess I want to recreate my childhood and make a better one for myself while I'm here."

Itachi closes his eyes and smiles. There's a far away happiness in Itachi's eyes once he opens them again, the smile ever-present when he reads the summary of the book in his hands. Sasuke has seen that same smile before. It's full of the bittersweetness of a lost time.

It's the same smile Itachi presented him right before his death.

Sasuke looks away.

"Let's find you a good book Itachi."

...

"[Name]! [Name]!" Itachi calls to her cheerfully, carrying five books under each arm. "Can I have these ones? Please?"

[Name] peaks up from the story in her hands, seeing the puppy dog eyes Itachi gives her. She bites her lip, knowing each book, on average, costs fourteen dollars, and he has ten of them.

Thank goodness I got paid today. [Name] sighs and nods.

"Of course Itachi," she says and looks to Sasuke with his arms crossed. " No books for you?"

He shakes his head.

"Well, whatever. Mackenzie wants me to buy her the latest Bleach manga and another My Hero, so let's go to the manga section."

They follow her lead, going up the moving stairs--something the boys aren't accustomed to--and to the right. [Name] spots a group of three, all teens, and two adults. As much as she hopes none of them know Naruto, she knows it's useless. Almost everyone knows what Naruto is about.