Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

No, I didn't even make a list this year,

'cause everything I need is all right here

Prompt: Starry night

Rating: G (General Audiences)

Pairing: ItaKona

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

For the first time since the beginning of her relationship with Itachi, Konan is genuinely speechless.

She had proposed it as a joke, sure as she was that the young man had grasped the irony infused in that request which was perhaps too romantic for him.

Instead the other had taken that request seriously.

She hides a smile behind her hand as he continues to patiently hold out a portable astronomical telescope, tightly packed in the box.

Noticing the blush on the woman's cheeks, Itachi sighs and asks with feigned disinterest: « Tell me, would it have made sense to raise your nose to the sky and squint to look at a starry night? »

[115 words]

Chapter Text

Prompt: Baking

Rating: G (General Audiences)

Pairing: ItaKona

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

« They look really inviting. »

Itachi looks at her boredly, taking off his oven mitts. « Are you surprised by a very simple baking? »

Konan shakes her head, holding back a laugh at seeing him so confused. « No, I'm amazed that you know how to get the right temperature. »

« Then don't eat the cookies. »

« Cookies that you made for me. »

« You talk a little too much. »

And the Uchiha turns his back on her, feeling a warm sensation flood his chest.

Which had nothing to do with those damn cookies.

[100 words]

Chapter Text

Prompt: Hot chocolate

Rating: M (Mature)

Pairing: ItaKona

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

His fingers slide with calculated slowness along her stomach, the touch becoming impalpable once they reach her sternum.

Konan struggles to regulate her breathing, her vision blocked by the black blindfold, her arms raised above her head, her hands tied by the silk scarf.

She can't hide the tremor that shakes her body the moment she feels his fingers touch her lips.

Obediently, she opens them, welcoming them into her mouth.

The tongue licks that bitter, intoxicating liquid.

She is stunned once she recognizes the flavor.

« Have you never used hot chocolate? »

[94 words]

Chapter Text

Prompt: Scarf

Rating: G [General Audiences]

Character: Konan

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

Itachi isn't the type to receive expensive or special gifts.

He doesn't seem to look favorably on original or non-material gifts either.

He told her not to worry and to forget it, he wasn't the kind of person devoted to consumerism or anything like that; if she really wanted, she could give him something practical and useful.

Practical and useful.

Stopped in front of a Christmas market stall, Konan eyes some choices, reviewing them until her eyes stop in front of that unexpected lifeline.

Wasn't a scarf perhaps part of the type of gift congenial to him?

[97 words]

Chapter Text

Prompt: Music

Rating: M (Mature)

Pairing: ItaKona

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

Slow, suffused.

Like his hands surrounding her breasts, touching her warm skin with light touches like the brushing of a butterfly.

Vibrant. Powerful.

And she feels struck by vivid spirals of searing pleasure caused by his strong, imperious thrusts.

And she reaches the peak, in the same way in which the orgasm seizes her violently and at the same time she feels his arms clenching her tightly from behind, he sinks inside her in the last spasms of his orgasm.

The song returns to spread its placid notes, restoring those moments of silence.

Sometimes music was better than sex.

[99 words]

Chapter Text

Prompt: Snowflakes

Rating: G [General Audiences]

Character: Itachi

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

As a child, he spent December afternoons in his room in total silence.

He completely ignored the various sounds that arose in some areas of the large house, concentrating totally on the landscape visible from the large window, after having carefully opened the beige curtains.

Taking a cushion and placing it on the floor, against the soft and valuable oriental carpet with golden decorations, he sat on it and, silently, the escape from reality began..

He could never explain it, but he found snowflakes fascinating.

One day he had slipped into his father's large library, taking possession of a leather-bound volume concerning physical and chemical phenomena, and a chapter concerning the physics of snowflakes had inexplicably attracted him, so much so that he read and reread it until he had entirely memorized the text..

Now, always closed in the bedroom, usually sitting on the pillow, he mentally reformulates some of the notions he has learned, his dark eyes placidly following the twirl of a large snowflake.

The difference between a snowflake and a snow crystal is quite clear. We refer to a snowflake when the snow crystals collide in the air and thus form compositions, the so-called flakes; the snow crystal, on the other hand, is an ice crystal inside which, in a hexagonal matrix, they align water molecules.

When a snow crystal has a star shape, as it grows larger it will develop six branches from the corners: the moment it encounters particular humidity and temperature conditions, the six branches will change differently. The homogeneous development of the "arms" will depend on the passage through the clouds: the overall shape will be synchronized into a symmetrical and complex one, despite it being proven that snow crystals tend to be asymmetrical.

A rustling sound to his right forces him to carefully look away.

Sasuke is next to him, the plate full of biscuits tightly held in his little hands and a big smile that almost breaks his face.

Itachi smiles back, a warmth full of affection that expands in his body, and motions for him to sit on the already prepared pillow, right next to him. Which the younger brother does without further hesitation: with his little feet well protected by woolen socks abandoned on the pillow, Sasuke rests his head against his older brother's legs, his arms wide open and his fingers clasped around a biscuit.

The shadows of snowflakes dance on his face, illuminated by a sweet smile all for him, his beloved big brother.

*

Now Itachi is twenty-two years old, five months away from turning twenty-three.

He always looked at that habit with tenderness in situations where nostalgia came to tickle him, a habit that he continued from time to time albeit in different situations.

He didn't worry much about it just thinking about it and therefore he treated the opportunities that presented themselves to him with the usual carelessness..

Once he has finished studying, he is enchanted by contemplating the agitating spectacle under his falsely disinterested gaze.

Sitting at the wooden table brought from his father's house, on a blue cushion, he continually turns over in his mind a piece of text memorized from that book that has now ended up in the dustbin for who knows how many years.

Konan's voice reaches him muffled, as if she were miles away and instead she is sitting cross-legged on the sofa, a wool blanket wrapping her legs and the laptop resting against them. The clicking of the keys is a rhythm that has become harmonious as the minutes pass, now he almost doesn't notice it anymore.

As a child he had learned by sharing that moment with his younger brother, eventually associating that event with the company offered to him by Sasuke.

Then, as he grew up, he excluded anyone from joining him during that quiet vision. Shisui, once, had tried to follow his example, interrupting it with some chatter to which Itachi had ended up responding mechanically without being annoyed, grateful for his presence.

He raises his eyes and meets the gentle gaze of the woman, who holds out a cup of tea for him.

Once he has a firm hold on it, he brings a pillow closer and motions for her to sit, turning back to the window as she drops to her knees on it, the wool blanket falling to wrap around their shoulders.

Neither of them dares to utter banal phrases given the circumstances. They remain motionless, with the sipping of tea marking the time.

He doesn't even flinch when Konan, after a while, rests her head on his shoulder, persevering in her usual silence.

That sort of ritual nullified its intent and also allowed him to grasp some of its positive aspects.

Chapter Text

Prompt: Joy

Rating: G [General Audiences]

Character: Konan

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

Their exchanges of tenderness were rare.

He tended to push back into himself the outbursts of love he felt towards her, expressing them in the moments he deemed most appropriate to the case; she, who was more easygoing, seemed to have adopted his controlled conduct without too many regrets.

They had learned to appreciate small gestures and thoughtfulness more.

Returning home after a working day, Konan remembers that Itachi isn't there, forced to attend a family dinner.

Despite this, he had prepared and kept her dinner warm.

Seeing the place setting, a small smile of joy appears on her face.

[102 words]

Chapter Text

Prompt: Sweets

Rating: G [General Audiences]

Pairing: ItaKona

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

In some moments she lost interest in what she was doing and watched him devote a few moments to the sweets.

Just as in everyday life, Itachi used to be elegant even when taking bites of a classic chocolate, a beloved dango or a more difficult mochi: his composure didn't fail and he sat demurely, his black eyes wandering distractedly over an indefinite point. A hand could idly brush a lock of hair away from the face or smooth out an invisible wrinkle on clothing.

The young man retained an enviable austerity even in the banal consumption of any dessert.

[100 words]

Konan didn't particularly like sweets and very few could be among the favorites, furthermore it bothered her a lot to gain a few kilos.

For this reason Itachi enjoyed bringing - or preparing - her a certain type of sweet that she was unable to resist. And he observed her, realizing that, unlike him, Konan maintained a certain aura of grace while she was intent on enjoying the gift, but her face presented an expression of bliss, her eyes languid from that moment of transgression.

What he couldn't get used to was the spontaneous sharing of a common hobby.

[99 words]

Chapter Text

Prompt: Fuzzy socks

Rating: T [Teen And Up Audiences]

Pairing: ItaKona

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

« It's now well known, it's no longer a taboo to be ashamed of. »

Konan looks up from the magazine she was holding in her hands, decisively supporting the imperturbable expression of Itachi, who didn't seem convinced of the idea itself or even inclined to put it into practice.

Without showing any signs of upset, the woman continues: « Making love while wearing socks should help to achieve orgasm. »

« You don't need socks when you have me. » he warns her, gruffly.

« Hm, really? » And she places her feet lined with fuzzy socks on his legs, giving him a sly smile.

[106 words]

Chapter Text

Prompt: Sleigh ride

Rating: G [General Audiences]

Character: Itachi

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

The sleigh ride had ended badly.

The wooden vehicle had suddenly skidded during the descent, throwing Sasuke who had flown over a small mound of snow.

Itachi had immediately darted in that direction, calling loudly for his younger brother.

Once around the dune, no trace of Sasuke, as if he had been swallowed by the snow.

Despite the disquiet over what happened, Itachi focuses his attention on the details.

The snow had a depression the size of his little brother, a few footprints were scattered here and there, and...

He observes the facade of the dune.

Sasuke's eyes look back, a glimmer of mirth flickering in them.

[107 words]

Chapter Text

Prompt: Stars

Rating: G [General Audiences]

Pairing: ItaKona

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

« Stars like this are not even seen on the night of Tanabata. »

Itachi doesn't reply to that insignificant sentence, observing her profile, too busy peering at the sky through the portable telescope.

He watches her move the telescope from time to time, looking for some interesting constellation. He, however, feels no curiosity in sifting through the starry firmament and therefore limits himself to looking at the woman, the tenderness that moves his soul.

« Look, isn't it the Cygnus constel---? »

Konan turns and the kiss she receives is more intriguing than any group of stars.

[99 words]

Chapter Text

Prompt: Mulled wine

Rating: G [General Audiences]

Pairing: ItaKona

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

Itachi was a teetotaler.

Konan had no idea that he would only need to drink one sip of mulled wine to leave.

She had kept an eye on him during dinner with friends, fearing some embarrassing moment. Instead, the Uchiha remained prim as always, apart from a light pinkish halo on his cheekbones.

In front of the door of his apartment, the woman perceives an aura of expansiveness from her boyfriend, often calculating in gestures of affection.

She passively accepts the hug in which he envelops her, unable to stop herself from blushing as her hand trembles as she tries to insert the key into the lock.

[107 words]

Chapter Text

Prompt: Candles

Rating: M (Mature)

Pairing: ItaKona

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

Her naked body is completely exposed to his gaze.

The candles lit and arranged around the bed underline her provocative sensuality.

The flickering of the flames seems to highlight the arcane, passionate magnetism inherent in those amber eyes staring at him.

Itachi remains motionless, imprinting the features of her face in his memory, without daring to caress with his gaze those soft feminine curves which he tries to put a stop to, to postpone the fateful moment.

Konan seems to understand his silent request; she slowly reaches her hand out in his direction, the other sliding down.

« Come to me. »

[102 words]

Chapter Text

Prompt: Books

Rating: G (General Audiences)

Character: Itachi

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

The climb made on the unsafe, long pile of books doesn't seem very safe to him.

Sasuke was stubborn in retrieving a toy from a shelf that he couldn't reach, so that botched solution was thought up and implemented.

He could have waited for his arrival, but at certain moments his little brother allowed himself to be carried away by daring acts of courage.

Itachi places himself directly under Sasuke, ready to catch him if he sees him wavering.

He follows the climbs with a critical eye, mentally encouraging the child to close the distance.

Despite his bizarre ideas, he secretly admired his ability to adapt to complicated situations.

[109 words]

Chapter Text

Prompt: Ornaments

Rating: G (General Audiences)

Pairing: ItaKona

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

The ornaments were arranged around the small Christmas tree, positioned on the small table in front of the large sliding window. The star also shines on the top of the tree, changing from yellow to red light, softly illuminating the surrounding environment.

What remains is a wreath made up of green vines, pine cones, white pine needles and yellow lights, to be hung on the frame of the front door and completely superfluous.

She wraps Itachi's shoulders with it, pulling it to make him lean forward, accepting her kiss.

Not original in the absence of mistletoe, but it's enough to hint at the direction the evening would take.

[108 words]

Chapter Text

Prompt: Snowball fight

Rating: G (General Audiences)

Pairing: ItaKona

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

They watch a snowball fight located in the park away from their apartment building.

« Have you ever been part of it? » she asks, interest oozing from her meek tone.

The resulting silence leaves no room for doubt, as does the imperceptible nod of denial.

She investigates his mood with a glance. « Why not try it, one day? » She waits, then watches lightly: « That wouldn't be appropriate, right? »

« We are no longer children. »

« You're right, but sometimes I feel a little... rebel. » she exclaims, laughing. « The alley below would be ideal. »

[102 words]

Chapter Text

Prompt: Miracle

Rating: G (General Audiences)

Pairing: ItaKona

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

It was possible that sense of guilt came to torment him even during the simple preparation of Ishikari-nabe - a typical dish from Hokkaido and which consisted of a soup of stewed vegetables, salmon, miso and butter, a recipe that Konan had taught him - ...?

And precisely after having examined an certainly much more important question.

His father had warned him - « She is older than you and the results will show once you make that decision. ».

His mother, however, had proven more reasonable - « Why not opt for adoption, which is certainly simpler and less risky, sonny? ».

Not that his uncle Madara had been much more understanding - « That woman has already caused us a lot of problems. Why don't you try to get rid of her and choose a more deserving one? ».

On the other hand, his brother Sasuke (along with his boyfriend), his two friends Shisui and Izumi, without forgetting her two best friends, had always offered to lend a hand in any way possible, seeking advice, medical opinions, support moral, carving out the necessary time to be with them or even just to visit the future mother.

The signs had all been there: both worked permanently - she as a real estate agent, he as a pharmacist -, the salary was good enough to afford a decent standard of living which in itself had remained the same since they lived together, they loved each other, they lived together in a bigger house and... In short, the conditions for attempting a pregnancy through IVF were there, before everyone's eyes.

The only problem was simply her age, now beyond the recommended target.

They had discussed it over and over again, going around the specialists, looking for some articles online for greater clarity on the matter, but by now the time available was running out and only that one risk remained: trying their luck.

Of the five attempts available, the fourth had finally succeeded: Having managed to get pregnant at the age of forty-two had been a source of joy for Konan. Joy, not boasting as she had heard from some people, a judgment that she had ignored.

And the first days of trepidation, happiness and many, many projects had begun. Everything was normal, as was usual for mothers dealing with their first child.

Then the problems began. First the hyperemesis gravidarum which had lasted throughout the first trimester, then the risk of placental abruption towards the sixth month and now, having entered the seventh month, Konan was in a disastrous state: always tired, eyes circled and mood dark. Her gynecologist had ordered her to undergo forced bed rest until the moment of giving birth and she had no choice but to comply reluctantly, giving up working. At certain moments of the day, in a restless half-sleep, she became afraid of finding herself at the center of a dispassionate chat with her partner, who would have accused her of certain shortcomings such as feeling obliged to provide for their support only with his own salary; or that he felt bothered by having to do household chores; or that he went so far as to confess to her that he regretted having agreed to the assisted pregnancy.

Instead, the Uchiha had never complained about her delicate condition, on the contrary he had done his utmost to allow her to overcome the last months of the pregnancy in all possible tranquility: he prepared the foods most suited to her pregnancy, in close contact with Izumi and Yai, her mother; he carried out his household chores with the usual mechanicalness carried forward during the years spent alone in his old apartment, a habit which also extended to doing the shopping; when he was at home he would occasionally ask her if she wanted some water, or tea, or if she wanted any particular dish or dessert; he sometimes sat next to her and kept her company by chatting, reading with her, reading for her. He didn't hold back even when he decided it was time to wash her or wash her hair.

Itachi had remained the same since their first meeting, at least those eight years spent together had served to soften him a little, mitigate his coldness. He never defined himself as the perfect partner and tended to distance himself if the woman or the people they knew never failed to point out to him a certain concern shown, a concern which, as usual, was always implemented through gestures and rarely in words, as was typical of his persona.

Nothing would have happened if, in the moments in which he felt his love for her risking overflowing, he had dared to give in and murmur I love you, he considers with a thoughtful expression, tasting a teaspoon of soup to test its flavour. Nothing to complain about, the salt had been poured in the right amount.

A few minutes later, next to the bed where Konan had been resting for half an hour and with the bowl of Ishikari-nabe placed on the bedside table, he gets lost in silent contemplation of the person he had learned to accept over the years.

Why did she seem small to him when he saw her curled up on her left side, her hands tighten in front of her face?

Sitting carefully on the edge of the bed, he slides his hand under the wool blanket, resting it against her protruding belly. Upon noticing a bump similar to a small foot, the layer of anxiety that had pervaded him loosens a little, dazed by conflicting feelings that didn't even border on negativity in the slightest and which he didn't know how to categorize. He had shared with her the suffering of every failure, the joy of becoming both parents, the dreams, hopes and projects related to the twins and the fears - more his than Konan's - of not being up to it, of feeling wrong.

He contours that small bulge with his fingertip. At the moment the situation seemed to have settled into a more favorable one, the development of the two unborn babies had stabilized within normal values and the belly seemed to have exploded in that last month.

« Konan... » He taps her gently on the shoulder. He watches her move in her sleep with a groan and then turns her head slightly in his direction, looking at him sleepily. « I made you something to get you back on track, are you hungry? »

« No, thanks. »

He doesn't let himself be discouraged and, the moment he has fluffed and positioned the pillows against the headboard to allow her to lean against them, he takes the bowl and grabs a piece of salmon with the chopsticks.

« Is it the Ishikari-nabe? I haven't eaten it in months. » The frown she adopts is quickly absorbed by an expression of pure wonder at tasting one of her favorite foods. She lets herself be fed without making any further fuss, grateful for those small attentions that mattered more to her than anything else and which she considered much more influential than a verbal declaration of love. She never tired of receiving them at ever new moments and had learned to decipher their meaning.

She notices the Uchiha's smile and reciprocates with sincere affection.

Once the meal is over and feeling in a good mood after a few days spent between drowsiness and paranoia, she wastes a few seconds to turn the package that Itachi had handed out to her in her hands, unsure of what would come out. Not that the prospect of finding a ring there made her go crazy with joy, it was the last thing on her list of priorities and it would never happen – nor did she want it –. « Would you like to tell me something with this Snow globe? » she exclaims with an amused laugh, with the just unwrapped gift and the undone red bow between her fingers. She takes it carefully, shaking it slightly and studying the fake snow covering the miniature of the JR Tower in Sapporo, her hometown. The glass sphere had a base decorated with snowflakes, a rectangle in the center read the words SAPPORO and... She smiles, recognizing what appeared to be some Hokuto Jelly, her favorite sweet.

She adds nothing else, looking up at her partner with two shining eyes that express what she is unable to express in words, considering them futile in that situation that she considers intimate. She sees him give a slow nod of agreement, making her understand that he has understood them.

« I had an idea while preparing dinner. It could turn out to be a counterproductive or infeasible decision due to certain factors, in any case it would be better to talk about it. » he begins with his usual calmness. He pauses, as if to think about it further, then continues: « Would you be in favor of moving to Sapporo? »

Interested, if not caught off guard, Konan carefully settles herself against the pillows, sighing as she feels a sudden movement come from her tense belly. Caressing absently where the pang had spread, she ponders the proposal.

In fact, the thought had popped into her mind as casually as one might consider making a bowl of Oyakodon, only to forget about it due to a real-life distraction.

« I wouldn't mind. How did you come to this conclusion? »

« Because I thought it might turn out to be the right place for our kids to grow up. We could get a house not far from the one where you grew up, so that you have support figures, and you can always visit your parents or invite them to dinner with us. In short, it would be perfect. »

She clicks her tongue slightly in agreement. « I think so, too. What about our jobs? »

A shrug given indifferently. « Let's put it this way. Now I'll take care of you. It doesn't bother me, I've never even thought about it for a second, so stop worrying. Take these two and a half months to think about what to do once your maternity leave ends. »

« I'll go back to work, of course. Also, in case of a move, I would have no problem finding some real estate agency in Sapporo. »

The Uchiha seems relieved, she can see it in a loosening of his shoulders which until now had remained tense.

« What will you do with your family? »

« I'll explain my reasons to them, and then they can rant as they want. My mother won't take this well, you know? She's so thrilled to have not one, but two grandkids, and I'd hate to ruin the party for her. Let's say that two years will be enough to gain confidence in a new role that still intimidates us, then... then the Kami will decide what to do. » he explains calmly, so similar to a calm body of water. « My brother wouldn't be bothered by it, on the contrary, he could always come to visit us together with Naruto, and just like our friends. »

Why is the blue-haired woman, after all those years together, still amazed at the ease of having a constructive dialogue with her better half?

A quiver twists one corner of her lips, she tries to hold back a smile whose meaning is still unknown and which causes a lump in her throat of which she is ashamed also due to her no longer very young age. Damn hormones. « Would you think I'm a fool if I confessed that for me you are almost a miracle? » Her voice cracks, she clears her throat nervously and waits for his reaction.

Itachi tips his head slightly on his shoulder, in disbelief at what he just grasped. « What if I told you that I'm the one who thinks that? » And without implying anything, he peeks at her belly with his gaze.

« Tell me a story. » she invites him, motioning for him to join her, slightly moving the blanket aside.

« What kind of story? » replies the black-haired man, lying down next to her and pulling her against his chest while he arranges the red blanket decorated with small flying reindeer.

« Well, it's Christmas Eve. Come up with something, why not? »

Chapter Text

Prompt: Christmas market

Rating: G (General Audiences)

Pairing: ItaKona

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

Finally that audiovisual torture had come to an end.

« Why do films like this exist? » Itachi grumbles boredly, dropping his head back against the pillow and letting out a sigh. However, he considers it a victory to have survived such an ordeal.

« To offer more choices to the user? » Konan suggests calmly, offering him a small plate with some biscuits on it.

« Choices, hm? Why not call it a free trip to the dentist for too many caries, instead? » replies the other, chewing the sweet with a doubtful look. He doesn't follow her move from the sofa to the kitchen, his eyes fixed on the sliding window.

Christmas was now upon us.

Tokyo seemed to have come to its senses towards the first days of December and soon the shops were filled with articles of various kinds, all relating to the same theme, the streets of the city had been festively decorated and in the meantime on television and various streaming services it had begun an exhausting, almost infinite cycle of sentimental films with, in the title, at least one of the words such as love, Christmas, holiday, snow and something like that.

A few days earlier he had tried to follow a romance film with the questionable title of A Husband Under the Mistletoe; the vision had inexplicably fascinated him, pushing him to keep his eyes glued to the television screen until the end credits, ignoring the cheesy dialogues and the female protagonist modeled on the pattern used for films of this kind. He was so stunned by what he had assimilated that he started watching the next feature film until Konan returned from work, restoring the functionality of his synapses just to get up, go and open the door for her, help her bring in the shopping bags and put away the supplies in their respective places and voilà, here he is back to take up his position again, his mind intent on dealing with some issues that arose in the middle of the show.Konan had limited herself to looking at him curiously, coming closer just to get the hint and then go on their bedroom, laughing carefree. Afterwards, during dinner, she took care to explain some things to him about it, amused to see him sincerely puzzled by such a form of entertainment.

« Here. »

The Uchiha blinks, focusing on her hand holding out a cup of tea to him, which he accepts, muttering a Thanks. He waits to see her curl up on her heels next to him, covering her with the wool blanket, and with that done he blows thoughtfully on the still boiling tea, his cheeks starting to blush a little.

That quiet evening at home was not unlike the others they had spent since the beginning of their coexistence. Boring for some, almost like an old married couple, but for both of them it was relaxing, it suited their reserved nature more.

Well, maybe it was more appropriate for Itachi, who was the more antisocial of the two, but still...

« Are you still upset by that movie? »

The teasing imbued in the melodious intonation of her voice rouses him once again. He turns his gaze to his left to meet her amber eyes, who were peering at him with curiosity and a hint of amusement exuding from the suspicious crease at the corner of her lips. He shrugs, taking a cautious sip of tea. « Do you really like that genre? » he asks, indifferent.

The woman shakes her head, stifling a laugh. She sips slowly, her slender fingers firmly around the wooden cup. « Not exactly. They are funny to watch. » she admits, looking at the prints adorning the blanket wrapped tightly around their bodies.

« Funny. » the young man repeats apathetically, without changing his expression.

« Well, if I were still a teen, I would undoubtedly have found romantic the love interest of one of the usual protagonists who are all the same, all gorgeous, all career women, who, returning to their hometown, who do they meet...? An old childhood friend of theirs who went from being a loser to a cool guy with abs of steel and the smile of a testimonial for toothpaste commercials. The rest is known story. Mawkish, it's true, but it's story. » And with a fairly hinted smile, she lifts his sweater over his stomach to peek at his abs. « Apart from this cute abs, I consider myself lucky in not having to include myself from the infinite array of protagonists of these romance films. »

Itachi manages to hide an amused grin, passing a hand over his lips.

He tries to imagine Konan in her twelve or thirteen years, her blue hair tied in a different bun than usual, sitting on the bed while dreamily watching what was happening on the television screen. A sweet image, but so foreign that it aroused doubts in him about it. So he shrugs, hoping that would be enough to end the discussion.

Placing the cup on the table, he pulls aside the blanket and stands up. « Are you sure you don't want to join us? » he asks, glancing at the woman who smiles back at him and shakes her head, calmly waving her hand for him to go.

*

The coffee shop was his favorite hangout place. The ideal place to spend a few afternoons, work permitting, to study or to share half of his time with Shisui or Sasuke. Konan had politely declined his invitations a few months after they had extended their acquaintance, if not accepted it only once, stating that she would feel mean if she intruded on a place that was of particular importance to him; they could have met elsewhere or in their respective homes.

He would never have felt annoyed seeing her there, on the contrary.

Passing between the occupied tables, Itachi arrives at the table Shisui had occupied for several minutes. He takes a seat while his friend raises his head slightly and gives him a welcoming smile before going back to reading something on what appeared to be some sort of accounting register, putting it away after a moment in a brown bag.

« Where's Michi? » Itachi asks, referring to the other's latest conquest.

« Do you mean Harumi? She couldn't come, she has to study for the exam. »

Right.

Shisui lets his gaze dart towards the cafeteria door, clicking his tongue. « What about Konan? »

« She had things to do. » the younger Uchiha cuts off abruptly, catching the attention of a waitress with a wave of his hand.

« Too bad, I would have been happy to see her again. When was the last time the three of us met? »

« One month ago. At my home. Come on, Shisui, you two talk occasionally on LINE or Instagram chat. Would anything have changed if she were also present, here? » he murmurs boredly, losing interest on the waitress who walks away with his order written in pen on the notebook.

Konan and Shisui had taken a liking to each other since their first threesome dinner, held several months earlier, and had kept in touch ever since.

« Maybe next time. » Shisui concedes, unconvinced. He tilts the coffee cup towards Itachi slightly. « How are things between you two? »

The look the other gives him makes him smile good-naturedly. He had known Itachi since time immemorial and now any of his expressions, tone of voice or glances were completely readable like an open book. « There's something bothering you, isn't there? »

A glass of toasted marshmallow latte is placed between them. Itachi wraps his fingers numb from the cold around the glass, bringing it closer to him, mulling an answer between his teeth.

Seeing him in difficulty, Shisui comes to his aid. « Do you feel good with her? »

He nods.

« Could you define her as the right one for you? »

His expression instantly frowns, his eyebrows furrow while his mouth hints at a slight grimace, totally contrary to the meaning he just assimilated the moment those words reach his ears.. « There is no such thing as the right person, Shisui. »

« And are people who make such a statement to be considered fools? Is that what you're trying to tell me? »

« I didn't mean that. More than anything, for me such a word within a romantic relationship makes no sense. »

« Speaking of you, then, what would be more appropriate in such a context? »

He takes a sip of his latte to stall. « I don't know. » he admits shortly after, through gritted teeth.

Shisui's gaze reveals nothing. « You like her, it's undeniable. » he emphasizes without raising his voice or exasperating it with irritation.

He confirms the statement with a cautious nod of the head, realizing where he was going with this.

« I know very well that you have a certain personality. It's already a great thing that you were able to give her some of your time and trust. »

He doesn't reply. He lets his gaze wander over the green and red lights hanging above the counter, feeling strangely unhappy.

« I kindly remind you that it was you who made sure that something could arise between you two. Not once have you stopped to consider the actions you took a year ago. Why are you doing this right now? »

« It's not the age difference that makes me wonder about our relationship. » he stops him almost abruptly.

Shisui raises his eyebrows. And what, then?, he seems to ask with a perplexed expression.

« It's being able to clarify my being, as you never fail to repeat me every time we meet, antisocial. An aromantic asexual, that's it. » he finally spits out, lowering his voice, still keeping it calm and reasonable.

« Well, you are. You know, Harumi just yesterday asked me.... »

He raises a hand, stopping a possible nonsense about his sexual fantasies or something involving the sexual life between him and Konan, which was supposed to remain strictly private, thank you very much. « Stop. Why do you care so much about what I do in the privacy of a bedroom with Konan? » He guesses the answer the moment his girlfriend's name is said. « Did she tell you? »

A shrug. « Not exactly. We chatted on the cell phone a few nights ago and she asked me if it was possible that you didn't misunderstand something in this whole story. And I... »

The glassy look the younger Uchiha gives him hastens him to add: « In short, the romance rate between the two of you is something like 0.5%. I've heard a lot about the need to pay attention to a combination of factors within a love story to avoid misunderstandings or a breakup, you know, a bit of romance, a bit of verbal confrontation, a bit of sex, things like that... » Shisui pauses to take a sip of coffee. « Aside from that kindness you showed her during your summer vacation in Sapporo, what did you do for her? »

« I have no reason to behave like any idiot. » he freezes him with a note of coldness imbued in his voice, half-closing his eyelids, rotating the spoon in the cup.

« But you did it. You made a dessert for her. » his friend remarks pedantically, blithely ignoring the danger signals he was throwing at him. « And she also thanked you. » he continues, a corner of his lips twisted in a teasing grin, his black eyes shining with mischief, enjoying seeing his embarrassment color his cheeks pink. « And you made me understand, in your cryptic language, that you appreciated it. »

He masks it all behind a cough. « ...so what? »

« So you're an idiot, my friend. » Shisui raises both hands, as in apologizing. « For once in your life, could you do me a favor and see you relaxed? »

*

The crowds seemed to have dwindled that year.

Compared to two or four years ago, the people walking around the fenced area assigned to the typical Christmas markets didn't seem to reach more than the right number attributable to one hundred. At most, something like fifty people could be seen.

The chatter, however, remained unchanged: everywhere there were angry voices, children screaming, mothers angrily calling out some disobedient children, some couples were arguing and meanwhile the soft Christmas dirge flowed through the air.

Itachi hadn't set foot there for... almost fifteen years, during the raids by his mother Mikoto and a dear friend of hers, and he followed the two women without saying a word, too busy separating his brother Sasuke and the son of Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto, who as cute little two-year-olds certainly didn't tell each other and everything ended with a brawl, with slurred words and screams that would pierce the eardrums.

The fact that those two had ended up together still remained a mystery, and the Uchiha didn't fail to underline, on the occasions in which he found himself in their company, how revealing those arguments had been.

He focuses his attention again on the people passing by him, inspecting the nearest stalls, finding Konan on the fourth to his left. She had her back to him and seemed interested in a kind of decoration depicting two reindeer balancing on their red noses, typical clown ones, and drunken eyes. Um. Rather... kitsch. Having reached the woman and stopped behind her, observing that little horror more closely, Itachi considers within himself the idea of buying it and giving it to Shisui, who still today retained a certain taste for the horrid.

« Have you thought about the gift list? » he asks impulsively, without knowing why.

Konan turns to look at him, losing interest in that probable purchase. She seems to have become aware of his presence at that exact moment, judging by her furrowed eyebrows.

Not that the issue was particularly difficult, yet the young man senses a certain tension in the air.

Her gaze is intense, full of things left unsaid, of feelings that have so far been kept locked up in a corner of her heart. « No, I didn't even make the list this year. »

« Why? »

« Because everything I need is right here. » she affirms resolutely, pointing at him with her finger. She doesn't blink when she sees him turn his back on her and take a few steps away, having guessed that he was blushing. She follows him, keeping a few steps away to allow him to digest everything.

By now she had imprinted his way of speaking and acting in her memory, imagining with a certain margin of anticipation that he would have brought a hand to cover his nose and mouth, his cheekbones crossed by a red streak of embarrassment.

Bingo...

She gives him a good minute to recover from what he just heard, and in the meantime she looks around, but no one was paying attention to them. She approaches him, placing her hand against his back. « Did I say something wrong? » she asks him softly, risking a fleeting glance at his face, now devoid of any trace of embarrassment.

He doesn't reply, sighing in a resigned manner.

In the minutes that pass with exasperating slowness, during a lazy search of crocheted wool sweaters, Konan throws in a harmless: « What would you like as a Christmas present? »

« Nothing. » It's the laconic answer.

Perplexed, she turns her head slightly to look at him, as if she were facing an alien. « Nothing? It would be the first time a man responded to me this way. » she notes with a faint note of laughter in her voice.

« Why should I contribute to the spreading wave of consumerism? » the dark-haired man replies coldly, without being fooled by her falsely accommodating way of acting. « Wasting time agonizing over the right gift, running from shop to shop just to get your hands on it and perhaps spending a certain amount of money on it, feeling satisfied in having silenced your conscience with an ostentatious gift... I stopped giving in to such childishness, or coercion, a couple of years ago and I'm fine with it. » He notices the uncertainty that flickers in her amber eyes and, despite feeling such a petty asshole, he is quick to sugarcoat the pill: « Don't worry, I won't be offended if I find nothing under the tree on Christmas morning. But if you really want, try looking for an object with usefulness in everyday life. Something practical, in short. »

He isn't amazed when he sees her shake her head and walk away.

Why, at times, did he tend to appear so unwelcoming? He expressed his point of view to the interlocutor without too many frills, and normally the other person ended up giving up on continuing a dialogue. Konan had never criticized his conduct until now, rebutting with a firm attitude towards some judgments with careful analysis, which led both of them to waste long minutes of discussion which then ended in a sort of stalemate with no winners or losers.

Deep down he struggled to admit that having an intelligent and flexible mind like his girlfriend's was a decent compromise, one among many, in carrying forward their relationship. He had feared, on several occasions, that he had gotten himself into a situation that would have seen him capitulate under the awareness of having crossed paths with a girl modeled on the Kawaii model, but instead he had found himself in his hands with a woman whose ways of acting were very far from the an idea he had formed years ago.

« 'Tachi. » Konan's voice doesn't differ much from her placid demeanor. He glances at her, glancing at a paper bag, which she hands him with a small bow. « Accept it without too many compliments, I will think of another type of gift when I have the opportunity. » she exclaims as she pulls out the red scarf.

While she is intent on slowly wrapping it around his neck, with delicate and precise touches, she hints at a sly smile. « You've given me the idea for a Christmas dinner, just the two of us. Do you like Thai cuisine? There are some recipes I would like to try. »

« What did you mean by that sentence? »

The fingers stop that thoughtful action. « Which sentence? »

« Because everything I need is right here. »

For a few moments she seems to freeze, as if struck by lightning. She slowly lowers her hands.

Itachi barely raises his eyes, watching the snow start to fall, his hands stuffed in his coat pockets and wanting to take back what he said.

The cautious hug in which she envelops him, her head against his shoulder, is enough for him to dispel any doubt, finding any answer, any logical motivation.

Chapter Text

Prompt: Apron

Rating: E (Explicit: only suitable for adults)

Pairing: ItaKona

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

The nipples are hard under his touch, sore, tempting.

He lightly rubs his fingertips against those little buttons of flesh, visible under the fabric of the red apron, taking pleasure in her faint whimpering.

He gives her an inquiring look, finding her impatient, craving, hungry. Of him. For him.

He stalls, to tease her a little more. He wraps his fingers around the blue locks of hair, tugs without excessive force, studying that wide open mouth, his penis sliding on the tongue, it almost seems to slip due to the mess caused by the saliva and precum.

The look she gives him is cheeky, wicked, the kind of look she gave him in those intimate moments, as if to urge him to react.

After all, what they did during sex was a game, nothing more, nothing less. Sometimes one of them would ask the other and vice versa to try this or that position, to opt for a role-playing game for a night, something like that. Or even just to follow the impulse of the moment.

And as things stood now both were satisfied with their sex life. Neither particularly hardcore, or excessively filthy, or boringly settled on much more classic tracks. Moderate just enough to get some wholesome enjoyment out of it.

Her mouth devours him little by little, enjoying the throbbing of that swollen flesh, ascertaining its thickness.

« It feels so good... »

Itachi tips his head back, eyes closed, focusing solely on that pleasant, carnal hell wrapped around his dick. A sigh escapes his lips.

And he doesn't say it just to spread some lies, but because he feels it. He feels delicious vibrations of pleasure radiating from his groin and intoxicating him as if he had downed a glass of sake in one gulp.

He lifts his hips to meet those greedy lips. He welcomes with a shudder the delicate scraping of the teeth against the ridge, just below the redden glans. He loosens the grip of the hand still located on his girlfriend's hair and meanwhile that wicked tongue begins to lick him along his entire length, from bottom to top, methodically, calmly.

Konan barely raises her eyes, her lips still tight around the penis now lifting into a knowing, naughty smile. Then she moves her head away, letting the cock slip from her mouth, a string of saliva breaking and falling onto the apron. « You didn't expect that, did you? » she inquires with a mocking smile, giving a quick lick.

She gets a grimace in response.

The Uchiha leans forward to welcome her domineering and wet kiss, her tongue slipping between his parted lips and intertwining with its twin. He blows with satisfaction as he feels the grip around his penis become firmer, her fingertips imperceptibly brushing the prominent vein on the upper part, her lips capture his tongue and suck it slowly.

The kisses are feverish, messy. Not impatient, because they both know how to plan the next move, the perfect time to throw out a dirty talk, a certain command.

Again the thirty-seven year old pulls her head back, taking a breath, her cheeks red, her lips swollen, her eyes now making him understand that going back was impossible.

Normal return home after a working day at the Tecno-Ikeda Shop. The only, rare exception was having spotted Konan in the kitchen, busy at the stove, wearing a red apron... and nothing on. For the entire duration of dinner, Itachi had spoken to her normally, not at all aroused at the thought of having her completely naked right in front of him.

Running the back of her hand over her wet lips, Konan stands up to straddle him, hands against his shoulders. « I can't wait any longer. » she warns him in a soft voice, starting to fiddle with his sweatshirt, lifting it over his head and letting it fall on the next chair, reserving the same treatment for the t-shirt. She smiles slightly and lowers her head, touching his lips with hers.

A slow, erotic rubbing. The tip of the tongue traces the contours of the mouth, often contracted in a thin line. Feeble sighs are emitted from time to time, almost inaudible.

« Do you like what you see? » The tapered fingers undo the laces on the neck, with a provocatively phlegmatic, calculated manner. Clasping one in each hand, she proceeds to uncover small portions of skin, stopping exactly on the upper part of the breasts, highlighted by pushing them upwards with the pressure of the wrists. And her breasts were certainly not to be defined as small, if not of a generous size.

« Get rid of it. » It's the hoarse response she receives.

Chapter Text

Prompt: Coming home

Rating: G [General Audiences]

Character: Konan

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

Coming home.

Previously, as a married woman, any time she set foot beyond the threshold of the front door had brought about a poorly concealed torment full of anger and disappointment at that monotony which was always an end in itself. Even after initiating those secret meetings, the unpleasant sensation of swallowing something bitter suddenly struck her once she entered the large stainless steel door.

Nothing, in that sort of golden prison, belonged to her; she felt like a complete stranger in what was also her own home, chosen together with her spouse. She went from room to room, wondering what was hers, what she was missing. She slept in that large double bed, and it seemed to her more like compliance given with false magnanimity by her husband. The dialogue with him didn't exist, except during the latter's dry recommendations in reminding her about a meeting with a certain important politician or another personality of that ilk.

Marital betrayal. Divorce. The years that pass, a life different from the one carried on and more dignified towards her priorities.

She doesn't miss that old existence in the slightest, so fake under that thick glossy and shiny layer that it makes her feel disgusted with herself.

To tell the truth, she doesn't even know how to define her current life, or at least its new course.

She finds Itachi and the twins in the bedroom, taking an afternoon nap.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, returning after a trip to the pharmacy, Konan contemplates the little boy, asleep in his father's arms; the little girl, arms and legs spread starfish style, has her hands clenched into fists, clutching a few long locks of the Uchiha's hair.

It's a tender scene and for this reason she never tires of stopping for a moment and fixing, in the treasure chest of her memory, those moments that would never return. Moments that marked a different meaning of retreating within those domestic walls.

Chapter Text

Prompt: Wrapping paper

Rating: G (General Audiences)

Pairing: ItaKona

Verse: AU (Alternate Universe: Modern AU)

« Present for Nagato, wrapped. » A package is placed on the other side of the bed, joining the other “brothers”.

« Present for Sasuke... done. »

The double bed was completely invaded by rolls of wrapping paper, ribbons, bags and cardboard boxes ready for the eventuality.

Itachi finishes tying a red ribbon around the pack.

A way like any other to make Konan participate and distract her a little.

He feels her hand touch him and shifts his gaze to the woman, seeing her handing him a freshly wrapped gift package.

An empty, symbolic gift, because the real gift is the one kept in her womb.

[107 words]