Chains

                                                        C          H          A         I         N         S

Captain Sakura’s log. Sasuke is a grumpy fuck. No really. We are literally in one of the most beautiful places ever created and here he is moping because I told him we couldn’t have shower sex before embarking on our outing. Has this man ever been told no in his life?

Evidently not.

While I try and get into the local headspace of the residents here by indulging in their customs (including food and drink, hence the big fishbowl liquor in front of me) he refuses to eat making me feel like I have to hurry and finish my drink before we move onto the next portion of our day.

I know I should be over the moon to have him here but with the way he’s acting I’m ready to lock him out of my suite and let the creatures of the deep have at him. I gingerly nudge his knee under the table with my bare foot abandoning my sandal and wriggling my toes against that beautiful chiseled calf of his. Asshole.

He doesn’t budge an inch. He keeps his arms tightly clamped and crossed across his chest while he pretends something interesting is happening outside in order to look away from me and ignore me. Baby. I nudge him again. Nothing. I press my foot firmly against those stupidly stubborn balls of his and that does it. He readjusts in his seat knocking my ankle away from him and I giggle at my success.

“Don’t.”

“You don’t. Why are you sitting there like a grump?”

“Hmngh.” His favorite caveman choice of word.

“Sasuke. I bet if I checked your balls right now, they would not be blue. Not after yesterdays romp.”

He glances at me keeping his face at a three quartered profile but narrowing those bitter coffee black eyes at me with his brows drawn low. I should try for another tactic. If I push him with a trying to make him jealous bit he’ll just resent me and think me stupid for even wasting my time trying to hook him that way.

I’ll go for the lost puppy one instead. I pay for my drink getting to my feet as gracefully as my buzz will allow me though I wobble slightly but quickly recover, and I leave him to grump all by himself in the cafe.

His eyes follow me and he doesn’t yield his silly season so I leave him behind. It isn’t long until I hear his hulking footsteps tromping behind me and I’m glad my back is to him so I can smirk in peace. Guess he’s not entirely miserable enough to stew in his own company.

I slip into a shop where colorful different handmade things line the walls and dangle from the ceiling. Wood made toucans, glass turtles, sand sculptured dolphins, tiny landscaped artworks on shells all adorn the shop. Each unique and lovingly made. I want to purchase them all. I got a large straw sun hat the night before as well as pearl clips just because I wanted a piece of this place before whatever hell I would be thrust into after this.

Sasuke keeps to his side of the store but I can tell from my peripheral that he’s glancing at me. I find the section of the store where there’s wonderful smelling herbs as well as some beautiful hanging crystals wrapped in decorative filigree made by jewelers to accent the gems.

The vendor of the shop is kind but speaks a different language. Sasuke is speaking to him as though he was born on the island and has always been a native. I’m still fascinated by how easily it is for him to adapt to his surroundings. Not to mention the way he can speak an array of languages. It sounds like a garbled mess in my ears but seems to be making intricate sentences and stories to them.

I find a corner with books stocked to the ceiling. All different genres. I find a whaling book published in the nineteen hundreds. It has crude descriptions about where to cut the whale and what each part is used for accompanied along with rough pencil sketches blotted over in ink.

I shelve it wandering back to Sasuke who seems to have finally fixed the chip on his shoulder and chance asking if he’s ready to head back. He slips something into his pocket before I can see what it is.

I ask him about it on our way back but he does everything except distract me and run to get my attention off it. I split open a mango carving out the flesh and blending it into a pulpy juiced smoothie. He takes to quickly typing things out on the computer before shutting it and turning his attention back to me.

“We should have a bonfire tonight.”

“We should.” I add in agreement.

I build it up and make sure we have enough wood just in case this is going to be a long briefing. Sasuke sits beside me while I dig my toes into the mound of sand I scooped to my chair with the curve of my foot.

“Any new news? Is Hinata supposed to contact you or something?”

I’m getting used to his silent pauses. The intensity of his fixed eyes upon the fire sends shivers through me. I pull my shawl closer to my shoulders awaiting his answer.

“No.” I waited for that. Geez.

“So then what?”

“We’re waiting this out. Correct?” I nod in agreement even though he’s not looking at me. “Once this vacation is terminated we’re going to fly back to the states and join Itachi in Columbia.”

“Isn’t that somewhere in...Brazil? Shouldn’t he come to us?”

“No. Danzo was stationed in Japan, had his reach in New York, but is blind when it comes to here and any other place his influence cannot touch. There’s a different set of rules out in the rugged wilderness.”

“S-so you mean...Montana.”

“Yes.” The only knowledge I have of that place is mountains and cowboys. I stifle a laugh imagining nothing but spurred boots and towns plagued by drought while everyone does their damndest not to use the wordy howdy in every other sentence. But I’m profiling...

“For how long?”

“Not sure. He’s been dark for a few weeks.” I panic and scoot to the edge of my seat, stomach in my throat, and heart hammering.

“Is he alright?!” He just gives me a dry look as though he wasn’t expecting me to loose my head and act a fool.

“Yes Sakura. He warned me he would do this for all our safeties sake.” Now I do feel I’m playing the part of the fool and slide back into the arch of the chair.

“Did you check on Hinata?”

“I did. Seems she’s doing just fine.” His tone is mono, his delivery dry, and he seems distracted tonight. Something is definitely off. But its no use prodding him to get him to confess. It will only build more walls than knock them down.

“Cold?” I blink in surprise. The fire was still raging and it really never gets chilly here. Not in the tropics. Just less humid.

“Uh...”

“Right. Just making sure.” Something definitely is eating at him, just don’t know what...

The rest of the evening is quiet. Subtle little nods of acknowledgment between he and I but the best part of intimacy I can offer is when I thread my fingers with his. For a second I think he’ll be aloof and pull away but he in turn squeezes back accepting the light touch between us.

He fiddles with something in his pocket tugging something loose.

“What’s that?”

“Turn.”

“I can only twist. In my seat.”

“Do that then and knock off the sass.” I smirk rolling my eyes before doing as I’m told but not without adding a little salt and resistance to being demanded to do something. Especially coming from him.

“Close your eyes.”

“You’re on thin ice.”

“Good thing there’s no ice in the tropics then. Close them.” I can admit to being stubborn. But I can tell his patience is waning so I close them and hum in protest. I can feel him pulling the curtain of my hair back. Necklace. But I wont allow my brain to spoil this occasion so I just block everything else out and focus on the feeling of his fingers against my skin. Not to mention I’m shocked he even considered granting me with a gift.

This isn’t like him at all. I wonder what spurred this? Maybe he thought it would make up for the pout fest the entirety of the morning. I feel a light weighted chain follow the curvature of my neck and collarbone. There’s something a bit heftier resting against the hollow of my neck where my bones meet.

“You can open them now.”

I look down immediately to the charm and lift it to my viewpoint. Its a Sakura. Silver backing but a lining on the front framing around intricate detail accenting the filling of red. I trace the outline of the petals, the small V that dips and then curves to the next one. I do love red...and the fact that he found something like this in a miscellaneous store was a rare find.

“Its beautiful.”

“Clearly it reminded me of you.” Uh-huh. And I wasn’t on his mind when he purchased this. He wont admit that he was unselfish and did something nice for someone else.

I turn back around to face him. “How does it look?” His eyes linger against the charm before lingering back up to my eyes.

“It suits you.” He nods in agreement before getting too embarrassed to maintain eye contact and looks away. Usually if we hold it longer than five seconds things become oddly heated and erotic. There’s a strong sense of desire between us but something also intensely intimate. As though our souls connect with one another.

I grant him a kiss for his efforts but he pulls me in a closer embrace. I straddle him easing into his lap that’s already swelling beneath my thighs. Honestly. Is it always going to be like this? Not that I’m innocent in this scenario either. I want him just as much he clearly wants me.

Once more we stay in our clothes but sex on the beach is as blissful as it sounds, especially when its a private one and the moonlight reflects a shimmering sea of diamonds on its surface. The salt in the air teams with the warmth on the breeze.

As we come together, both panting and sweating in a heated kindling of bodies melting into one another, I cant help but stare at him. The raw Greek-like curvature of his aristocratic features. I wonder if his descendants weren’t from Greece at one point before settling roots in Japan.

More than once I think about my own origins many times when looking in the mirror. I wondered if one of my own was from Ireland and had a run in with a fae folk since it seemed to be the only plausible and rational explanation as to whey I was gifted with my shock of rose hued locks.

Not to mention having it paired with bright green gem-like eyes. Celtic. Maybe I wished to be the type to have become from Druid descendants. His lids grow heavy, my own rigid body is ready to seek comforts in the folds of my blanket.

He carries me, a small mercy I’m thankful for, and as soon as my head touches down against the pillow I’m out like a light.

We make sure everything we need is packed and I admit to being a little sad seeing the island roll away in the rear view mirror as we head to the airport. The chosen wig to pair with my matching passport picture is itching again and I’ll be more than happy once this whole thing of wearing disguises is over.

The flight is long but I try to sleep most of that off feeling guilty for abandoning Sasuke to dreamland while he remains vigilant and alert. When he dawned his outfit I tried not to laugh. It was odd seeing him with his unruly locks tamed and slicked back carefully. Not a single strand out of place.

He wasn’t sharply tailored in a suit, he chose muted colors with a dark brown oversized sweater and ripped faded washed jeans. Converse shoes fastened upon his feet. It must have made him utterly uncomfortable to wear such an outfit.

At least the food is tolerable. By the time we arrive back in the states I can feel the change in the air. There’s a bitter bite of cold thrumming through the plane and they have to turn the heat on for the cabin in order to maintain a moderate temperature.

He’s arranged to have a truck be our means of transport in order to rough the rugged terrain and make it through the mountains to yet another cast expanse of woods. He showed me the images of the house on one of the reality sites that provided the pictures until his brother signed on the dotted line and purchased the house. No more pictures to pry into the privately bought life of the home owner.

A spacious ranch and rustic style home with a wrap around porch on both tiers of the house levels and it definitely feels cowboyish. Never would have taken the elder to have such tastes but if we had to hide out anywhere I’m glad it was here. It took us long enough to get up the long dirt road to the drive and once the clearing of woods revealed the homestead the barren land was riddled with wildflowers and fencing holding a few pinto stallions grazing in the summer heat.

I tossed the wig as soon as we crossed state lines and despite Sasuke driving he too shimmered out of his clothing telling me to toss him his attire as we rode on. Itachi was waiting for us in the driveway outstretching his arms. Sasuke strolled to him and they embraced grinning ear to ear.

“Finally. How was your vacation?”

“Good. I can only tolerate the heat for so long and I admit despite the scenery being post card worthy, I would take this over any beach any day.” My sentimentality is the opposite. I could wake up to golden sunshine and sand engulfing my toes each day.

The threat of our secret between Itachi and I is apparent when he stops short in front of me. He’s unsure if he should envelop me in a tight embrace as well or just continue to stand there a hulking mess awkwardly in front of me. We meet in the middle with an equally cringe worthy handshake.

“Glad you’re alright Sakura.” The last time I was alone with him he saved me from committing a crime and then belaying that he had feelings for me. It would be remiss of me if I didn’t cop to feeling a faint glow of butterflies in my own stomach whenever he was around and seeing him before me now sends those same shockwaves through me now.

When our hands made the connection it couldn’t be ignored or forgotten. He guided us into the house being sure to tend to the baggage as we all held armfuls of luggage going up the four steps it took to get into the house.

Dinner was pleasant. I actually knew the names of the food served and I dearly missed the raw taste of metallic meat as the threaded tender flesh separated and burst with rubbed seasoning. Home style potatoes were also welcomed as I shoveled in my hearty helping before abandoning the plate altogether and retired to the comforts of a sofa.

Sasuke regaled his elder sibling with our tales leaving out the steamy details obviously but leaving none out when it came to describing the beauty of the island. The calm nights on the beach with the moon and fire as our guiding lights. As the night petered out we all agreed to retire to our rooms early. Itachi remaining unaware of just how close Sasuke and I had gotten during the duration of our secluded stay did not realize that we would be perfectly contented sleeping in the same bed.

Out of courtesy I went to my room and felt the sting of loneliness of another weighted body next to me or being tangled in his arms, but I also did find it a bittersweet moment as I was able to sprawl all my limbs any which way I desired.

I can feel my eyelids slowly becoming heavy with sleep when there’s a light rapping on my door. I roll out of bed blindly making my way towards it. The moon isn’t as close here as it is in Jamaica and its distant and a colder light compared to there. Its still an Indian summer and the last fragments before fall still try to cling with all its might to stay before the cold bites roll with the wind.

I expected Sasuke to be sneaking into my chambers but I have to look two inches higher than normal.

“Itachi!” I squeak in surprise. He snaps his head to look down the hallway for anyone stirring. Sasuke remains silent and probably passed out with jet lag and fatigue. Not only did he rarely sleep on the plane but he also had to stay awake in order to drive us four hours from the airport. I cant even imagine how exhausted he feels right now.

“I have to talk to you.”

“I’m starting to pick up a pattern here...whenever the pair of you tell me this its typically not good. Its always followed by a weighty confession and I’m starting to hate it.”

He smiles at my dry sense of humor and I allow him access in. Before the door closes his lips are on mine and instead of fighting I willingly wrap my arms around his neck drawing nearer. This was becoming a habit of mine I did not care for. And yet in the same sense I don’t care about the repercussions, not with him this close to me. Not when the sting of betrayal threatens to overtake my flared senses.