Miyu stares down at the kimono set out on her bed, considering. It’s a little cold with just her towel wrapped around her body, but her hair is dry and sitting in clean waves down her back.
She taps her foot against the floor, frowning. Pink? No, not seasonal enough. Blue? Hm, but which shade? She’s got navy, royal, powder.
Patterned? Unpatterned?
Sighing frustratedly, and deciding to stop her pondering at ten minutes, she pinches between her brows and decides to take her last resort.
“Itachi?” she calls, just loud enough to carry through her closed door.
In an instant he’s standing beside her, apron still on. He’s making strawberry daifuku, hair tied up in a high ponytail. She’s momentarily distracted by how striking his jawline is, the aristocratic lines of his brow and cheekbones, the sweep of his long lashes and –
She blinks out of her daze as he reaches out and touches her arm.
Looking down, she winces as she realises her bruises are on display. They’re not as tender as they had been a few days ago, but they’re still sore to the touch. Her arms are mottled a mix of deep purple and dark red, with a few spots tinged green and yellow.
It’s certainly not a pretty sight.
Itachi’s fingers trail down her bicep softly. She shivers, ticklish, and looks up to his face. His brow is pinched, and as she lifts her hand to rest it against his chest she watches as his jaw clenches.
“I wanted to kill them,” his admission is low, raw, and his fingers seem to tremble against her skin. “I would have, if Hokage-sama hadn’t stopped me.”
She meets his gaze, and feels like her next breaths aren’t quite enough. His eyes are blazing red, focused on her arms, and she raises her hand to his chin, gently tilting his face until his eyes meet hers.
“I’m okay,” she assures, voice soft, “bruises heal, love.” The endearment slips out, and she finds herself not wanting to take it back. He’s still stiff, but his eyes are dark once again.
She stands on the tips of her toes, and leans up to kiss him on the cheek. For a moment, she lingers. Would it upset Kakashi, to find them like this? They’re engaged in name only, but does he expect her fidelity? It’s not something he’s been around long enough to ask about.
In the few days leading up to the book launch he’s been frantically making revisions to it. Luckily the publisher had a delay in the print, allowing for the changes to be made without much fuss.
He’s been caught up in meetings with his editor – someone named Tenzou – frequently in order to meet the deadline for printing, and have the books ready for the launch.
“Itachi,” she leans back, and meets his eyes, “is this okay? I mean – Kakashi has done me a great kindness, and I don’t want to make him appear a fool or-”
“Your apartment is probably the most secure location in Konoha, barring the Hokage’s own office and personal residence.”
Miyu blinks at him.
“Protective seals, traps, summons on constant watch, within the range of the KMP’s half-hourly guard rotations,” Itachi rattles off his little list nonchalantly. “Sound barrier seals protect your conversations, and it didn’t take much for Kakashi, Shisui, Sasuke and I to put together a constant illusion which stops anyone outside seeing inside.”
Ninja. She shouldn’t be surprised, but she is.
“Oh,” Miyu wonders at her luck. “I – well, thank you?”
“It’s the least I would settle for before leaving you in the village without me.”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
That, well. That just makes her feel warm. She’s on the tips of her toes again, kissing him like she means it.
“Mah, Itachi, are you trying to – ah, how do they say it? – steal my girl?”
Miyu pulls away with a gasp, but Itachi’s arms are holding her in place against him so she doesn’t get far.
Kakashi is leaning in the doorway, dressed in his regular jounin uniform, though his headband with Konoha’s insignia stitched onto it has been replaced by an eyepatch with a henohenomoheji face on it.
“Kakashi!” Miyu doesn’t want to risk twisting in Itachi’s arms. Her towel is already just barely hanging on for dear life, and she doesn’t fancy it dropping to the floor before both Itachi and Kakashi.
The thought sends a pang of heat straight to her core, and she tries not to blush.
Okay, maybe that wouldn’t be so terrible.
“You’re not ready yet,” he says, cocking his head. His eye moves from her to the kimono laid out on the bed. “I think the black and grey with the koi would be best for today, don’t you think, Itachi?”
For a moment where Itachi does nothing but stare at Kakashi, expression unreadable.
Miyu tries very hard to stay still despite the heat blooming between her legs, hyper-aware of the tension in the room.
“It’s nice,” he finally says, and she feels his words rumble from where she’s pressed against his chest.
“Perfect,” her voice is low, and she taps Itachi on the shoulder to get him to release her, “I’ll put it on, and we can go.”
As soon as Itachi releases her, she gently pushes him to the door. The moment it shuts behind the two of them, Miyu takes in a careful, measured breath, and tries to refocus.
The act of dressing is less a ritual and more a way to calm her nerves. Deciding to style her hair as half up, half down, she presses a pretty hair pin with a glass ornament of a koi into the top bun. The earrings she chooses are a small set of black origami fans.
For makeup, she swipes some mascara on and glosses her lips.
She ensures everything is in place, deems her appearance as acceptable, and makes her way into the kitchen.
Itachi is putting the finishing touches on the Daifuku while Kakashi leans against the back of her couch, arms crossed. Neither of them are talking, and she doesn’t know if it’s a good sign or not.
“Let’s go,” she says, glad her voice sounds steady despite the anxiousness she feels, “it’s still at the bookstore near your apartment, right?”
Kakashi nods, pushing off the back of the couch, “It is. I’m afraid we won’t be able to walk the civilian way, though.”
Trying not to pout, because she had wanted the walk to clear her head and calm herself before the launch, Miyu only raises a brow in question.
“There’s been a slight change of plans. We’ll have to take the back entrance. A bit of a… crowd has formed, you see.” He seems sheepish, but she’s sure he’s smug beneath his mask. “Luckily my publisher had utmost faith in me, and printed triple the copies I thought I’d need.”
“A crowd,” Miyu repeats, a little dumbfounded.
“A crowd,” confirms Itachi dryly.
“Oh, gods,” she refrains from pinching at the bridge of her nose, but only barely.
“Let’s go,” Kakashi has swept her off her feet before she can blink. “I promise not to jostle you too much. You look far too pretty to ruin today.”
She feels herself blush, even as the ability to speak flees her.
Does he even – gods. One look up at his smug eye tells her that, yes, he intended for the innuendo, and yes, it’s served it’s purpose in flustering her.
Ten heartbeats, and she’s being set down inside a bookstore.
There’s a man in a perfectly tailored business blazer with matching trousers, waiting for them. His blond hair is slicked back, sharp features impassive as he observes them. Kakashi sets her on her feet, and she waits for him to make introductions.
“Miyu, this is Sano Natsuo, my publisher,” he gestures to the man with a lazy wave of his hand. “Sano, this is Miyu.”
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sano-san,” she bows, “thank you for the hard work that you’ve put in to make Kakashi’s dream a reality.”
The man is observing her with narrow, intelligent eyes.
“Miyu, you say?” his voice is deep, and his enunciation is crisp and clean-cut. He says nothing more, only shifts his sharp gaze to Kakashi. Miyu can’t read his stoic expression, and if Kakashi can he makes no indication that he’s bothered by it.
“Do we have enough copies for the turn out?” Kakashi questions, glancing at the stacks and stacks of books artfully arranged around the bookstore. Miyu peers at the dark green cover of the book.
The cover art is simple – a white line drawing of three things. A feather, a dagger, and the outline of a single shogi piece. It’s actually… rather tasteful.
Romance among the leaves
By Katashi Hakate
Miyu blinks at his name, feeling her composure slipping.
Don’t laugh, don’t laugh, don’t laugh -
“Probably not,” Sano says, “I’m printing double this order as we speak, so there should be enough in two day’s time.”
Because, of course Kakashi has published a book featuring a dashing hero named Takashi, while using the penname Katashi. Of course.
“Perfect!” Kakashi claps his hands together, and then extends his arm to Miyu. She takes it, trying to channel a sense of calm as they face the door.
“Shall we, my dear fiancé?”
Of course, he can’t help but throw that in, too.
As they step out of the store to face the crowd, arm in arm, Miyu has just enough time to think how is this my life? before the flash of the cameras half blinds them, and the sound of many voices rising in excitement reaches her.
