Nudge
MODERN AU
Of all the women with delusions to his level of interest, this one was the worst.
Throughout his admittedly short life, Itachi had met a great number of drop-dead gorgeous women. They were attracted to him like a colony of ants to a stray piece of fruit, but instead of helping each other pick apart and drag the prize back to whatever circle of hell they'd spawned from, they fought over him with catty remarks and vicious smiles. It amused him when he was younger to see such striking women fighting over him like children over a new toy.
It was one of his more vile teenage pastimes. One his mother had pinched his ear for whenever she found him nestled in a corner, smirking at their antics. Back then, he didn't think he would ever tire of women fighting over him.
Oh, how wrong he was.
Not even a few months after, the novelty of being desired in such a manner had lost its appeal. It had become more of a nuisance than every man's dream once he realized just how troublesome it was to be hounded by strangers he hardly even remembered the faces of, to be dragged into pregnancy scandals and accused of sexual harassment—all of which prompted dozens of lectures from his mother even when he assured her that he'd done nothing of the sort.
Still, their beauty was nothing to be scoffed at. It was of such a degree as to be considered otherworldly, and though some required a bit more makeup than others, that didn't change the fact that any man or woman would be lucky to have them on their arm. While Itachi couldn't deny that their attention was a major stroke to his ego, he was annoyed by the one simple fact that they somehow—without fail—believed him one hundred percent invested in them simply because they had a pretty face. Yes, they could break million dollar homes and cripple corporations with their lips alone, and yes, if they batted their eyelashes the right way, they'd be able to snag themselves CEOs, rich heirs, and aging rock stars, but that didn't mean he felt any particular emotion about them... sans lust, of course.
Itachi had also met less beautiful, but much smarter women. Those with flawless educations. They were the perfect balance between brains and beauty, and he was sure that they'd make nigh perfect wives. Perhaps even business partners, seeing as how some had gone on to amass great fortunes of their own. But in the end, they proved themselves to be much like the last group. No, they were even worse. They thought themselves superior, and thus more deserving of his attention simply because they had the ability to hold what they considered an intelligent conversation.
As if a basic human skill was something to write home about.
And in between all of those he met were the everyday women with no fortune, average intelligence, and mediocre looks. They didn't think him overly interested, but neither did they stop themselves from spreading inflated rumors to their friends and everyone in the immediate vicinity about his secret interest if he so much as accidentally looked at them.
They were all the same.
The Hyuga heiress, however, was the damning opposite.
She, or someone close to her, had somehow convinced her that he wasn't at all interested. And when he tried to change that, she had taken his sudden closeness as a desire for friendship.
Friendship.
Fucking friendship.
Uchiha Itachi did not get friend zoned.
All he had to do was blink and multiple pairs of legs would open for him. He knew exactly what to do, exactly which moves to make to turn even the coolest of ice queens into affectionate, willing kittens in his arms—and he did them all.
And still, she had given him that same polite smile.
It was infuriating.
Was she that blind? Couldn't she see that he wanted to be more? He knew he needed help, but the thought of asking anyone for advice just made him reel back in horror because surely, he'd get teased endlessly first. His friends were bastards like that.
Running his hands through his hair in a rare display of frustration, he leaned against his desk and just... thought.
Perhaps just being straightforward with her was best after all. Hinata seemed like the type that wouldn't truly understand when someone was seriously trying to court her unless they just dropped all pretenses and said it right to her face. Even some actions left room for doubt. It was better to be as unambiguous as possible.
Resolving himself to just call, ask her out to dinner, and then confess in the plainest terms possible, Itachi began to reach for his phone, but stopped when the woman he'd just been agonizing over came rushing through his door. His secretary's shouts followed her inside.
"You," Hinata panted, and he couldn't help his eyes from roaming over her frazzled state. She was lovely. "You talked to my father about marrying me?!"
His eyes widened almost imperceptibly. Well, this was a surprise. Mostly because no... no, he hadn't. Marriage was a leap too far. Especially considering he'd only just gotten the nerve to properly ask her out not even ten seconds ago. Never mind going to Hyuga Hiashi of all people. The man was colder than an ice cube, and just as biting when it came to his daughters.
Someone has obviously lied to her.
Itachi peeked behind her to see Shisui mouthing, 'You're welcome.'
It wasn't as if he didn't see the advantage in this sudden turn of events. This gave him the chance to apologize for Shisui's lie. Preferably in the form of a quiet, candlelit dinner for two. But what exactly Itachi should've been grateful for eluded him, seeing as how he was planning on asking her out whether Shisui meddled or not. Now if things worked out between them—and he knew they would—he had a sinking feeling that his cousin would be asking for a new car this Christmas. The kind with a price tag high enough to even make his spendthrift brother throw a hissy fit.
Well, not that it mattered now. He'd deal with his cousin later. When Hinata wasn't in front of him, red-faced and stubbornly staring at the length of floor between them.
"Ms. Hyuga," he called.
She looked up, meeting his eyes for the briefest of moments. But it was long enough for her blush to deepen and light up everything from her chest to her ears. Flustered looked good on her.
Itachi smirked, delighted.
That was more like it.
This, he could work with.