A moment of magic
Parties have never really been Itachi’s thing.
They’re usually far too loud, with far too many people for him to be able to handle. This celebration is no exception, but at the very least the food is good.
As good as the unidentifiable pastry in his hand is, however, he finds himself with a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.
He thought it wouldn’t bother him, when he told Kisame it was alright to take Lae’zel up on her offer to sleep together. And truly, sex isn’t really what he’s worried about- he could care less, and in truth they haven’t had any in months.
In fact, he isn’t sure what has him so bothered, and he certainly doesn’t want to talk to anyone about it.
He won’t worry about it for now- he’d rather search out a suitable distraction to keep his mind off things and not spoil the mood of the festivities.
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a hint of a purple shirt and heads toward it.
Gale looks as out of place as Itachi feels, fidgeting uncomfortably as he nurses a glass of wine.
Itachi taps him on the shoulder to get his attention.
Gale whips around, surprised at first, but that surprise quickly melts into a confused but grateful expression.
“Thank you.” he says, more of a sigh than anything.
“For what?”
“For being here. I thought with all the excitement going on tonight, you wouldn’t be bothered with my company. I’m grateful you gave me your time.”
Gale’s smile is stained with melancholy as he raises his glass of wine to his lips.
Itachi pours one for himself, not sure what else to do with himself.
Gale offers a wordless toast, and they drink.
The wine is sharp, and not to his taste if he’s being honest with himself (he would much prefer milk tea or something else that’s sweeter), but the company is welcome- especially since Kisame is otherwise occupied at the moment.
After they share a few glasses, Gale stands up.
“Do you have a moment?” he asks.
“I do.”
He offers his hand.
“I’d like to show you something.”
“Huh?”
“It’s nothing sinister, don’t worry. I just thought you might want to see it.”
“...alright.”
“Wonderful- come on!”
Gale takes him by the hand and half-drags him away from the others so they have a quiet, private place for them to do whatever it is he’s planning.
“Alright, this will do. Now, if I show you what to do, do you think you can copy it?”
Itachi nods.
Gale perfors a series of motions with the ease and grace of one who’s done it a thousand times before. Itachi follows it with his Sharingan, then, carefully, copies the motions on his own.
A small burst of lavender light springs from his hands, dissipating into the cool night air.
There’s a comfortable feeling in the air- like a kind word and a kind touch at the same time.
“Great! Now repeat after me-”
Gale speaks with all the patience and care of a teacher giving his very first lesson. Like a long time friend who had once stood, just like this, teaching him new things.
“Like this- ah-thron Mystra–ryl Kantroch-Ao.”
Itachi does his best tripping over the unfamiliar syllables.
Suddenly, the scent of rose water hangs in the air- a sliver of Weave that tastes sweet on the tongue. The air is tense, like the split second of anticipation before a kiss.
Gale lights up brighter than the stars overhead, the corners of his eyes crinkling up in a pleasing way as he grins.
“Excellent! Last bit- picture the concept of harmony. True as you can.”
Harmony…
It’s been a long time since Itachi has felt that- if he ever felt that at all.
His brow furrows, as his mind flits through a lifetime of anxiety. Of worry and stress and the weight of the duty placed upon his shoulders- his constant companion for as long as he’s had memory.
After some thought, his mind settles on a scene from when he was much younger- maybe nine years old?
It’s an old memory, but still as crisp and fresh in his mind as if it happened only yesterday.
A warm summer day, sometime before Sasuke’s birthday. His mother’s beloved vegetable garden is coming along well, tended to lovingly by her capable hands.
His father had the day off, relaxing on the porch with a book he’d been dying to read for ages, enjoying the sunshine and a well-deserved cup of tea.
Sasuke zips around the garden on chubby little legs, giggling as Itachi chases after him, pretending to be just slow enough for Sasuke to outrun.
He hears a familiar voice call him from the street, looking up to see a familiar head of dark, curly hair and a familiar bright, easy smile.
Shisui. His best friend- and, when he got a little older- his first love.
Itachi stops chasing after his younger brother, waving him over.
Shisui sprints up to him, throwing himself at Itachi in a hug tight enough to make his ribs crack.
Sasuke, fueled by adorable jealousy, grabs onto Itachi as well, hanging all his weight off him and nearly pulling him down onto the grass.
In the distance he hears his mother laugh, and when he finally extricates himself from the dogpile, he sees his father grinning behind his book.
The memory sends a soft warmth through him, and he finds himself smiling, though such a smile feels foreign on his face.
A shimmering violet light wraps itself around them, and Gale laughs triumphantly.
“Ha, you did it! You’re channeling the weave- how does it feel?”
Itachi can’t even put it into words.
It feels like a hug. Like an old friend greeting him. Like a hum of warm electricity through his veins. Like all of that and more, and his clumsy tongue can’t keep up with the flood of emotions.
“I- it’s great,” Itachi manages, looking around at the wispy clouds of magic wrapping around them in awe. “You’re a great teacher.”
“Thank you. I know.”
A little smug, but Itachi doesn’t mind that.
Their eyes meet for just a moment before they turn their heads away again.
He feels Gale blushing. And, somehow, he can tell that, with a thought, he can show Gale anything he wants him to know.
The man has an easy, inviting smile- one that feels painfully familiar. And they’re already so close together, all he would have to do is lean in just a few centimeters and their lips could meet…
It comes totally out of nowhere, and it startles him, but that smile just reminds him so much of Shisui. Of when life was easier.
As soon as the thought occurs to him, he recoils in shame, but it's already too late for that.
Gale turns a brilliant shade of red, sputtering and recoiling like he’s been burnt.
“Oh, I- I didn’t- not that I don’t like it, I was just-”
He clears his throat, but it does nothing to help him compose himself.
As easily as it arrived, the magic around them evaporates, and Gale’s smile falls, melancholy settling into the lines of his brow.
“Oh- how quickly these things can escape from us,” he sighs. “Well. Thank you for sharing this moment with me.”
He turns around to leave, but Itachi grabs his sleeve before he can allow himself to think too much about it.
Gale turns his head, frowning.
“I- it’s a nice night, isn’t it?” Itachi asks.
Stay with me a little longer.
“Hm? I suppose it is,” Gale answers, looking up at the stars and the beautiful moon overhead.
Neither of them say it aloud, but the loneliness hangs heavy in the air without them having to say a word.
“Maybe I can show you something of my own sometime,” Itachi offers.
“Hm?”
“We don’t call it magic where I come from,” he says. “But I think it’s similar.”
Gale’s brown eyes light up.
“Ah- only one way to find out, eh?”
Itachi nods, stifling a yawn behind his hand.
“For now, I think it’s best we turn in for the night, eh?”
“I suppose so…”
Good booze and good food is possibly Hidan’s favorite combination. Despite having a limited selection of ingredients, they’ve put together the best meal he’s had in probably years.
The alcohol hums pleasantly in his veins, and it's nearly a perfect night.
Well. It would've been perfect if Wyll hadn't gone off sulking somewhere and refused to let him follow.
His loss- Hidan already has another idea for company.
He waves Karlach down from the other side of the bonfire, and she breaks out into a trot to meet him.
They start walking together, drinking and laughing together as the party fades out behind them.
“You havin’ a good night?” Karlach asks. “I haven’t seen this many happy people in ages!”
Hidan shrugs, taking a great mouthful of his drink as he does.
“It’s a good party,” he concedes.
“And we did good work, mate!” Karlach insists. “You’re a hero, c’mon now!”
Hidan chokes on his beer and starts coughing so violently his lungs nearly eject themselves outside his body.
“You alright, soldier?”
“I’m fine,” Hidan lies, trying to decide whether he should laugh. “I’m just-”
He falters, wondering if he’ll scare her off if he’s too honest.
(He actually likes her, against his better judgment. Even if she should probably steer well clear, for her sake.)
“I’m not used to this whole hero thing. It’s a little bit weird for me.”
“Yeah? Hard to believe from a guy like you.”
Hidan starts getting the uncomfortable sensation that Karlach has mistaken him for a good person.
His skin crawls at the very thought, and wonders if he should correct her.
She’s a sickeningly sweet woman, and she can probably find a lot better person to hang around with than him.
Squirming on the spot, Karlach gets the nerve to ask the question on her mind.
"Hey, you aren't uh- seein' anyone, are you?"
Well fuck. Maybe it's too late for that.
"Me? Not exactly," Hidan shrugs. "Got a couple fuckbuddies back where I come from, but I got a feeling I won't be seeing 'em for awhile, so I'm free. Why?"
"I mean- I just- I kinda like you, and we'll probably be spendin' a lotta time together, so- I mean, you're a good-lookin' guy, I'm sure you know that-"
Flames burst off Karlach's head, the heat singing the little hairs on Hidan's arms.
“-Ah, I wanna ride you til ya see stars!” she declares.
Hidan desperately hopes he’s not flushed as badly as the burning in his cheeks would suggest.
“I mean, let’s go for it then,” he offers, reaching out toward her. "It's a nice night for a fuck if that's what you're after-"
Karlach recoils, shoulders slumping.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t tease you like that. Or myself, really.”
She bows her head, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she sits on a fallen tree.
“What are you talking about?”
“I mean- I can’t, mate. I can’t touch you without hurting you- maybe killin’ you. I don’t wanna do that.”
“I can heal,” Hidan insists. “It wouldn’t be that big of a deal.”
“You don’t get it- hellfire isn’t like anything you’ll find here. You really don’t wanna try it.”
Hidan can feel himself deflate.
He’d hoped to maybe get some sort of action tonight, but she’s not wrong that he would rather the flesh of his dick remain unmelted.
(And the rest of his flesh, he supposes. Even though he'd heal. Probably.)
“I mean…if you say so…”
He scoots as close to her as the heat radiating off her body will allow, hoping the warmth will distract him.
“How long’s it been like this?” he asks, hoping she doesn’t mistake his curiosity for nosiness.
“Ten years roundabout,” Karlach answers.
“That long? You must be…uh…pent up.”
Karlach sighs, rolling her head back.
“I try not to think about it,” she admits. “I mean- I do think about it. All the time. But I try not to.”
“I can fuckin' imagine.”
What a shame- such a good looking lady, too.
An awkward silence passes between them, while Hidan wonders if he’s pushing his luck but continuing to push the subject.
“...what happened?”
Karlach takes a few seconds to answer, a shadow passing over her handsome face.
“Not what. Who.”
“Who-”
“Gortash is his name. I was a youngin’ without a lot of direction in life, lookin’ for a way to bring in money for the family. This guy offered me work- it paid well, too. So I took it.”
“Yeah? What happened?”
“Honestly? Not sure. One day, everything was fine. I was happy. Mum and Dad were happy since I was bringin’ in decent money and stayin' out of trouble. But one day…”
She buries her face in her hands, shaking her head.
“He sold me out to Zariel. I didn’t get any warning- I just…she was there. He smiled at me, then he looked at her and said alright then, she’s yours. And that was it.”
She leans back on her hands and stares up at the stars, the tears gathering in her eyes turning into steam that escapes into the air.
“Next thing I knew I was in hell, and they were rippin’ my heart right outta my chest. The bastard didn’t even say goodbye to me…”
She whips her head back and forth, her tail swishing along with it. Her smile returns, but it's forced, and still stained with sadness.
“Ah, but that’s the past, ain’t it? I don’t wanna ruin a happy night.”
Hidan shrugs, tracing patterns in the stars with his eyes.
“Well, lemme know if we come across that guy,” he says. “I’ll kick his ass for ya.”
That gets a teary smile out of Karlach, which makes him feel a little better.
“Thanks, soldier. I appreciate it.”