[fic] One Last Time
Title: One Last Time
Characters: Itachi, Hana
Pairings: Itachi/Hana
Genre: General/Romance
Rating: T
A/N: For my claim at 1sentence , theme set alpha. Assumes that they were teammates. Some spoilers for recent chapters.
Summary: Canon-compliant. It was a love of childhood promises and adult regrets.
#1 - Comfort
Shortly before the massacre, he watches her with her dogs, trying to remind himself who he's doing this for - it doesn't work (until she notices his presence and tells him to stop hiding because stalking isn't healthy, don't you have something better to do anyway, Uchiha).
#2 - Kiss
They only kissed once; when they were ten, on their last mission before he became a chunin and left her behind - it was awkward, embarassing and Sensei never stopped teasing them about it but they didn't regret it.
#3 - Soft
There is nothing soft about him, she thinks, he is all hidden depths and sharp edges, waiting to drag the unwary down and cut them to pieces; then she notices him with his brother and realises that she was wrong.
#4 - Pain
The day after the massacre, she trains until she collapses - she'll get better and stronger and faster until she can catch up to him and force him to tell her why he did it (because everyone knows that he hates fighting and killing).
#5 - Potatoes
He eyes the fresh food on the market stall, a strange vegetable imported from the lands far to the south catching his eye (you should try new stuff, Uchiha, you can't eat dango all the time) and turns away.
#6 - Rain
He hates rain like all Uchiha (fire and lightning-natured people always do) but watching her tilt her face to the sky and laugh makes him think perhaps it is acceptable sometimes.
#7 - Chocolate
"You do not like it?" he questions; she hesitates, "I do, it's just that..." - he sighs before offering a different kind to her dogs.
#8 - Happiness
For her, happiness is being with her family - it takes her until his brother is heading towards Konoha to realise that it was the same for him.
#9 - Telephone
The headset crackles in her ear as she wishes that genin weren't given the oldest equipment; he catches her wincing out of the corner of his eye and holds his set out to her - she refuses but is pleased anyway.
#10 - Ears
At the rear, he turns to watch as she leads their team through the woods, tilting her head every so often to listen, her motion copied by her dogs.
#11 - Name
"My name means nose," she insists; he glances at the small girl confronting two older boys and turns away to hide his lips twitching.
#12 - Sensual
Many people have called him beautiful; she merely says he's pretty in a sarcastic tone - privately she thinks that he's too attractive for his own good and he knows it.
#13 - Death
When her brother returns to Konoha, bringing word of his death, she doesn't cry (where anyone can see her anyway) or train herself into the ground (like she'd done after the massacre); she goes to the place where she'd last seen him instead and just sits there with her dogs around her.
#14 - Sex
Once she dragged him along to attend the birth of a new litter of puppies; it was all completely new and foreign to him but there was still no need for her to laugh when she asked him to check the sex of one of them and he had no idea how.
#15 - Touch
The casual nature of the Inuzuka is worlds away from the Uchiha where dark-haired and dark-eyed people flicker in and out of sight, looking but never touching; sometimes he envies the fact that she can express herself emotionally without being condemned for it.
#16 - Weakness
They say that he is without flaw, a genius surpassing even Kakashi but she knows that this is only an illusion for why else would it be nearly impossible to get him out of the sweet shop?
#17 - Tears
The only time she cried in front of him was the day her father left her mother; Sensei took her aside and spoke to her for a bit - he never saw it happen again.
#18 - Speed
He was always faster than her and made it look effortless; one day though, she discovered he wore weights and was annoyed because her clothes wouldn't hide them if she tried to do the same.
#19 - Wind
He always thought that she was water or wind-natured, unpredictable elements which would suit her spontaneity well (she's actually an earth affinity).
#20 - Freedom
They're both shackled - her to her family and village, him to his brother and the Akatsuki; their choices may seem free to outsiders but they both know this is the only way possible for them.
#21 - Life
She lives in the moment, what happens the next day is no concern of hers; he has plans and counter-measures and counter-counter strategies for everything.
#22 - Jealousy
Her team photo is turned face down after the massacre; in the aftermath of the Sand-Sound invasion, it goes in the back of a cupboard - the price paid for her teammates' genius was too high for her to be envious of them now.
#23 - Hands
They are delicate and long-fingered; she has trouble believing that they belong to a shinobi sometimes even as she watches him hit five targets with one flick of his wrist.
#24 - Taste
"You're going to rot your teeth that way, Uchiha," she says, eyeing him oddly; he simply ignores her as he pops another piece of dango into his mouth.
#25 - Devotion
It's years before she learns just how devoted he was, but then that was the sort of person he was; confessing his feelings was impossible for him.
#26 - Forever
Perhaps she will learn to forgive one day but as her brother returns to Konoha wounded because of his, she thinks that she will hate him forever.
#27 - Blood
He's very careful not to make her bleed whenever they spar; it annoys her but she doesn't understand that his hands are already too bloodstained for his liking.
#28 - Sickness
She presses her hands against her dog's side as they glow green; he watches, entranced, for all his genius, this is beyond him - his power is a destructive one, no matter how much he wishes otherwise.
#29 - Melody
The only song he has ever known is that of kunai or shuriken meeting their target so when he turns up to training early one day and finds her humming under her breath, he waits before announcing his presence.
#30 - Star
She points out the falling star one night when they're camped in the woods on their way back from a mission and he looks up to admire its fleeting brilliance.
#31 - Home
"It is about the company you keep, not where you choose to keep it," he says; she looks at him, surprised by his insight, before nodding.
#32 - Confusion
The Hokage stares at them, "Explain to me again why exactly squirrels and shurikens are mentioned in a D-rank babysitting mission report?", and they look as sheepish as they possibly can before beginning their story.
#33 - Fear
She glances at him, the task is simple but she had not expected him to be assigned to it with her; he silently curses the client who had required two girls and hopes this is not a bad omen.
#34- Lightning/Thunder
He finishes checking his weapons before joining her at the mouth of the cave that they've taken shelter from the storm in where she's watching the lightning illuminating the sky.
#35 - Bonds
She finishes tying up the bandit up and looks around for the rest of her team; her teammates are quietly discussing something while Sensei is counting the number of bandits - she thinks perhaps this moment could go on forever (until she notices one of her dogs has disappeared anyway and she has to go look for him).
#36 - Market
He's passing through a town when he notices it's market day; his partner wants to stop and get something to eat - he agrees, ignoring the memories of another day with a different person, it was a long time ago after all and he cannot live in the past.
#37 - Technology
She stares at the device, turning it over in her hands, trying to figure out what it is; he comes to her rescue and explains that it's a toy favoured by rich civilian children.
#38 - Gift
A present from him is always wrapped elegantly and chosen with great thought; she once forgot the paper altogether and often only remembers that she needs one at the last moment.
#39 - Smile
Despite her best efforts, she has never got him to smile on purpose; he's just grateful for his clan's habit of wearing high-collared shirts.
#40 - Innocence
As shinobi, innocence is not something they can afford but as he makes his way through the compound, he's thankful that she will be spared this sight.
#41 - Completion
"So, Uchiha, you never told me you were into that sort of thing," she drawls lazily, studying the mess of half-completed diagrams covering his desk oddly - he resists the urge to glare at her, kite-designing is a perfectly acceptable hobby (and flying has always been something he's wanted to try).
#42 - Clouds
He stares down at the folded cloak that looks far too big for his slight frame and traces the visible red cloud with a finger, thinking about what this will mean for his future (he does not consider her reaction).
#43 - Sky
Romantic people stare at the sky and wonder if their lover is also looking at it; neither of them has ever been described as fanciful but a moment of reflection cannot hurt occasionally.
#44 - Heaven
He thinks it's the greatest irony that his Mangekyou jutsu are all named after gods when his Mangekyou is steeped in the blood of his best friend and clan; she would agree but in far simpler (more violent) terms.
#45 - Hell
Some people claim to understand what true suffering is; he is fairly sure that they are wrong - hell for him has nothing to do with the nightmare world of Tsukiyomi, it is this, being dressed up like a porcelain doll as he stands behind a client and pretends to be a female servant while his traitorous teammate hides her giggles behind long sleeves.
#46 - Sun
When they graduate, she's easily the tallest girl in their class at four foot two; he's only an inch shorter but at seven, an inch may as well as be a mile - he thinks it is appropriate though for she is like the sun and looking up at her is only natural.
#47 - Moon
If she is the sun, then he is the moon - he has no light of his own and can only reflect hers.
#48 - Waves
She's standing on a beach looking out to sea, it's the first time she's seen the ocean and its vastness amazes her; Sensei has already been here and is instructing the boys how to fish in rockpools while her dogs play in the surf until a large wave crashes over them, sending them scampering back to her.
#49 - Hair
Taking care of three dogs can be difficult, he presumes, but still has no idea she managed to conscript him into brushing all of them for her "because she was busy".
#50 - Supernova
There will be no hero's funeral for him; the only remembrance will be her laying flowers at the memorial stone every year.
Characters: Itachi, Hana
Pairings: Itachi/Hana
Genre: General/Romance
Rating: T
A/N: For my claim at 1sentence , theme set alpha. Assumes that they were teammates. Some spoilers for recent chapters.
Summary: Canon-compliant. It was a love of childhood promises and adult regrets.
#1 - Comfort
Shortly before the massacre, he watches her with her dogs, trying to remind himself who he's doing this for - it doesn't work (until she notices his presence and tells him to stop hiding because stalking isn't healthy, don't you have something better to do anyway, Uchiha).
#2 - Kiss
They only kissed once; when they were ten, on their last mission before he became a chunin and left her behind - it was awkward, embarassing and Sensei never stopped teasing them about it but they didn't regret it.
#3 - Soft
There is nothing soft about him, she thinks, he is all hidden depths and sharp edges, waiting to drag the unwary down and cut them to pieces; then she notices him with his brother and realises that she was wrong.
#4 - Pain
The day after the massacre, she trains until she collapses - she'll get better and stronger and faster until she can catch up to him and force him to tell her why he did it (because everyone knows that he hates fighting and killing).
#5 - Potatoes
He eyes the fresh food on the market stall, a strange vegetable imported from the lands far to the south catching his eye (you should try new stuff, Uchiha, you can't eat dango all the time) and turns away.
#6 - Rain
He hates rain like all Uchiha (fire and lightning-natured people always do) but watching her tilt her face to the sky and laugh makes him think perhaps it is acceptable sometimes.
#7 - Chocolate
"You do not like it?" he questions; she hesitates, "I do, it's just that..." - he sighs before offering a different kind to her dogs.
#8 - Happiness
For her, happiness is being with her family - it takes her until his brother is heading towards Konoha to realise that it was the same for him.
#9 - Telephone
The headset crackles in her ear as she wishes that genin weren't given the oldest equipment; he catches her wincing out of the corner of his eye and holds his set out to her - she refuses but is pleased anyway.
#10 - Ears
At the rear, he turns to watch as she leads their team through the woods, tilting her head every so often to listen, her motion copied by her dogs.
#11 - Name
"My name means nose," she insists; he glances at the small girl confronting two older boys and turns away to hide his lips twitching.
#12 - Sensual
Many people have called him beautiful; she merely says he's pretty in a sarcastic tone - privately she thinks that he's too attractive for his own good and he knows it.
#13 - Death
When her brother returns to Konoha, bringing word of his death, she doesn't cry (where anyone can see her anyway) or train herself into the ground (like she'd done after the massacre); she goes to the place where she'd last seen him instead and just sits there with her dogs around her.
#14 - Sex
Once she dragged him along to attend the birth of a new litter of puppies; it was all completely new and foreign to him but there was still no need for her to laugh when she asked him to check the sex of one of them and he had no idea how.
#15 - Touch
The casual nature of the Inuzuka is worlds away from the Uchiha where dark-haired and dark-eyed people flicker in and out of sight, looking but never touching; sometimes he envies the fact that she can express herself emotionally without being condemned for it.
#16 - Weakness
They say that he is without flaw, a genius surpassing even Kakashi but she knows that this is only an illusion for why else would it be nearly impossible to get him out of the sweet shop?
#17 - Tears
The only time she cried in front of him was the day her father left her mother; Sensei took her aside and spoke to her for a bit - he never saw it happen again.
#18 - Speed
He was always faster than her and made it look effortless; one day though, she discovered he wore weights and was annoyed because her clothes wouldn't hide them if she tried to do the same.
#19 - Wind
He always thought that she was water or wind-natured, unpredictable elements which would suit her spontaneity well (she's actually an earth affinity).
#20 - Freedom
They're both shackled - her to her family and village, him to his brother and the Akatsuki; their choices may seem free to outsiders but they both know this is the only way possible for them.
#21 - Life
She lives in the moment, what happens the next day is no concern of hers; he has plans and counter-measures and counter-counter strategies for everything.
#22 - Jealousy
Her team photo is turned face down after the massacre; in the aftermath of the Sand-Sound invasion, it goes in the back of a cupboard - the price paid for her teammates' genius was too high for her to be envious of them now.
#23 - Hands
They are delicate and long-fingered; she has trouble believing that they belong to a shinobi sometimes even as she watches him hit five targets with one flick of his wrist.
#24 - Taste
"You're going to rot your teeth that way, Uchiha," she says, eyeing him oddly; he simply ignores her as he pops another piece of dango into his mouth.
#25 - Devotion
It's years before she learns just how devoted he was, but then that was the sort of person he was; confessing his feelings was impossible for him.
#26 - Forever
Perhaps she will learn to forgive one day but as her brother returns to Konoha wounded because of his, she thinks that she will hate him forever.
#27 - Blood
He's very careful not to make her bleed whenever they spar; it annoys her but she doesn't understand that his hands are already too bloodstained for his liking.
#28 - Sickness
She presses her hands against her dog's side as they glow green; he watches, entranced, for all his genius, this is beyond him - his power is a destructive one, no matter how much he wishes otherwise.
#29 - Melody
The only song he has ever known is that of kunai or shuriken meeting their target so when he turns up to training early one day and finds her humming under her breath, he waits before announcing his presence.
#30 - Star
She points out the falling star one night when they're camped in the woods on their way back from a mission and he looks up to admire its fleeting brilliance.
#31 - Home
"It is about the company you keep, not where you choose to keep it," he says; she looks at him, surprised by his insight, before nodding.
#32 - Confusion
The Hokage stares at them, "Explain to me again why exactly squirrels and shurikens are mentioned in a D-rank babysitting mission report?", and they look as sheepish as they possibly can before beginning their story.
#33 - Fear
She glances at him, the task is simple but she had not expected him to be assigned to it with her; he silently curses the client who had required two girls and hopes this is not a bad omen.
#34- Lightning/Thunder
He finishes checking his weapons before joining her at the mouth of the cave that they've taken shelter from the storm in where she's watching the lightning illuminating the sky.
#35 - Bonds
She finishes tying up the bandit up and looks around for the rest of her team; her teammates are quietly discussing something while Sensei is counting the number of bandits - she thinks perhaps this moment could go on forever (until she notices one of her dogs has disappeared anyway and she has to go look for him).
#36 - Market
He's passing through a town when he notices it's market day; his partner wants to stop and get something to eat - he agrees, ignoring the memories of another day with a different person, it was a long time ago after all and he cannot live in the past.
#37 - Technology
She stares at the device, turning it over in her hands, trying to figure out what it is; he comes to her rescue and explains that it's a toy favoured by rich civilian children.
#38 - Gift
A present from him is always wrapped elegantly and chosen with great thought; she once forgot the paper altogether and often only remembers that she needs one at the last moment.
#39 - Smile
Despite her best efforts, she has never got him to smile on purpose; he's just grateful for his clan's habit of wearing high-collared shirts.
#40 - Innocence
As shinobi, innocence is not something they can afford but as he makes his way through the compound, he's thankful that she will be spared this sight.
#41 - Completion
"So, Uchiha, you never told me you were into that sort of thing," she drawls lazily, studying the mess of half-completed diagrams covering his desk oddly - he resists the urge to glare at her, kite-designing is a perfectly acceptable hobby (and flying has always been something he's wanted to try).
#42 - Clouds
He stares down at the folded cloak that looks far too big for his slight frame and traces the visible red cloud with a finger, thinking about what this will mean for his future (he does not consider her reaction).
#43 - Sky
Romantic people stare at the sky and wonder if their lover is also looking at it; neither of them has ever been described as fanciful but a moment of reflection cannot hurt occasionally.
#44 - Heaven
He thinks it's the greatest irony that his Mangekyou jutsu are all named after gods when his Mangekyou is steeped in the blood of his best friend and clan; she would agree but in far simpler (more violent) terms.
#45 - Hell
Some people claim to understand what true suffering is; he is fairly sure that they are wrong - hell for him has nothing to do with the nightmare world of Tsukiyomi, it is this, being dressed up like a porcelain doll as he stands behind a client and pretends to be a female servant while his traitorous teammate hides her giggles behind long sleeves.
#46 - Sun
When they graduate, she's easily the tallest girl in their class at four foot two; he's only an inch shorter but at seven, an inch may as well as be a mile - he thinks it is appropriate though for she is like the sun and looking up at her is only natural.
#47 - Moon
If she is the sun, then he is the moon - he has no light of his own and can only reflect hers.
#48 - Waves
She's standing on a beach looking out to sea, it's the first time she's seen the ocean and its vastness amazes her; Sensei has already been here and is instructing the boys how to fish in rockpools while her dogs play in the surf until a large wave crashes over them, sending them scampering back to her.
#49 - Hair
Taking care of three dogs can be difficult, he presumes, but still has no idea she managed to conscript him into brushing all of them for her "because she was busy".
#50 - Supernova
There will be no hero's funeral for him; the only remembrance will be her laying flowers at the memorial stone every year.