Among The Stars .:Itachi x Fem!Reader:. Soulmate AU

Star Crossed Lovers

Since the reveal of Neji's soulmate, [Name] cannot find the will to go outside. She calls out of work like she did yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that.

Last night a wave of emotions stirred her up, but today, in that same ocean, her feelings plummet to the deepest trenches of her soul. She's drained, numb, tired. Like claws, her sorrow tears open her chest, revealing her beating heart, and every time it pulses, she feels physical pain. She wants to grieve for herself as if she truly lost Neji. As if she recently became a widow and Neji was her husband at war.

It's torture.

It's constant torture, and [Name] doesn't know how to stop it. She's avoiding work, which is where he is at. She's also avoiding all the normal places he hangs out at; the Fox House Bar, Maru Maru Cafe, and their usual lunch spot. She doesn't know what more she can do. Still, her grief and self-pity eat her up.

She has to get out.

...

[Name] stares out the window from her bedroom, looking at the bright, happy, non-starry-eyed people below. She would give anything to be like them.

[Name] closes the curtains and turns away from the window. She goes to her desk where that old diary sits. For a moment, she wonders if Granny Celeste had any similar problems. The more she reads this personal journal, the more she realizes that she and Granny Celeste were one and the same.

Today's entry reads:

"Once again, I have yet to meet my soulmate. At times I don't even believe I have one. Every day I see normal people falling in love, breaking up, and getting back together again. I want that type of normalcy. I want to flock from one person to the next without people looking at me with disgust. I want to kiss and hug without someone mentioning I have a soulmate out there waiting for me.

I want to love freely. That is all I ask."

Tears prick [Name's] eyes. It's not much of a surprise, but Granny Celeste hits the nail on the coffin, expressing exactly what [Name] is feeling, thinking, and saying. She closes the book that has become her saving grace time after time.

[Name] musters up her courage, pushing aside her emotions to do some self-care. A shower, hair styling, nice clothes, and some sparkly jewelry will make anyone feel good, at least for a few hours.

She is going to grab a coffee. That's her plan. Just to get out and about, without the contacts, but with her sunglasses. She wants to build her confidence in herself so that maybe she'll sway the person she likes one day.

With one look in the mirror, [Name] sucks in a breath and smiles. Already, her confidence is building slowly, but it's still building.

...

[Name] drives to the nearest cafe, repeating a positive, self-love mantra in her head. Though her mantra stops every time her weary brain envisions Neji, she whisks away the thought and continues her chant. By the time she arrives at the cafe, her hands are shaking.

The former, negative side of her screams that this is a mistake, that she should go home right now. But the new, sparkling optimist she wants to become eggs her on. It's a small, inner battle, but it takes all of her strength to leave the car.

[Name] adjusts her sunglasses and steps through the threshold to the cafe. Roasted coffee and the slight hum of collective conversations all at once overwhelm her senses. Her hidden eyes dart around, looking at the many faces of non-starry-eyed people. They seem so happy and carefree.

With that thought in her head, she stands in line, scanning over the menu. She chooses an iced latte and a fox shaped cookie. The line moves fast, and in no time, she's at the front.