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saintrocklee · 1 month

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*:･ﾟ✧ RESTRAINT ╰┈➤ part 01 of 05

masterlist | pairing: itachi x reader publish date: 03.28.24 warnings: itachi is annoying and reader is exasperated. you deserve a raise.

“Do you have any plans Saturday evening?”

The speed in which your head comes out from under your desk is record breaking. You'd been working in comfortable silence for over an hour and the sudden noise is startling. Reorganizing your workspace meant going through old files which led to you awkwardly retrieving some that had ended up on the floor — so you couldn't be certain that your boss was speaking to you. Surely there was a client in his office that somehow got past you, regardless of how late in the workday it was. Or maybe he was dealing with an unscheduled phone call. Or maybe the tightly wound man had finally cracked and was talking to himself.

Or maybe something came up and you'd both be sacrificing yet another weekend scrambling to get contracts fulfilled and signatures on the dotted line. The thought fills you with dread and you once again think about how unfortunate you were to be salaried.

You crane your neck to look into your boss' office and can't help but crinkle your forehead in confusion when you're met with an amused look. Both of the large glass doors to the space were propped open today and your employer was currently watching you with a slight curl to his lips. There was a file in his hands he'd no doubt been reading, partially obscuring the way his shirt had become un-tucked and wrinkled. His suit jacket was long gone and his sleeves were rolled up, making you wonder where exactly his cuff links were. He'd been wearing a rather expensive pair you bought for his birthday last year and if they were just sitting out getting scratched up by his glass desk you might strangle him with the tie that was loose around his neck. Which you also conveniently bought for him. Strands of dark hair were starting to come loose from the low ponytail he always wore, falling almost elegantly around his face.

It was completely unfair how effortlessly handsome Itachi Uchiha was. You'd almost be bold enough to call him pretty.

There's a pregnant, almost awkward pause as you continue to furrow your brow

“I’m not sure, I’ll have to check.”

You’re greeted with silence and a perfectly arched brow, him obviously wanting you to check now, and abandon your efforts of reorganization to stand and grab your phone. You're honestly dying to ask why he wanted to know but you’ll only be met with a bored look instead of an answer. Rolling your eyes to yourself while checking your calendar, you miss the way Itachi's mouth curls at your obvious annoyance with him.

A quick flip through your work and personal calendar confirm that you were completely free on Saturday. A rare occurrence.

Something told you that he already knew that.

“I’m free, why? Did Kakuzu finally get back to you?” You toss the words over your shoulder, snorting at the ridiculous email you’d just been sent by a newer business partner. They wanted what felt like twenty four hour access and at the level they were at, they might receive a quarterly sit down. You type out a professional and very sweet no to their request for a last minute meeting before turning and walking into Itachi’s office, flicking through the slew of emails you received since last checking.

Stopping right as you reach his desk, you glance down and immediately notice an extremely fancy envelope. It was thick and gold and shiny and very out of place in the otherwise grayscale office. You'd once said the space felt drained and lifeless, to which Itachi had responded with a comment that sounded like less distractions before handing you a heavy pile of client needs. The evil glint in his eye had been more than enough to warrant a barbed comeback of some sort but you'd rewarded him with a nod and a too-wide smile, already plotting petty revenge.

That entire following week you made sure to only use neon-colored post it notes you borrowed from the new girl downstairs to communicate with him; sticking them all over his computer, desk, and even his door. He never commented on it but you'd caught him glaring at a few neon pink post its and would sometimes hear the paper shredder working overtime.

To this day you still occasionally left him a colorful note when you thought he needed cheering up. Or when you felt like being obnoxious.

Itachi inclines his head toward the gaudy thing while barely looking away from the file in his hands, clearly not going to explain it or himself. Your lips curl to show your annoyance and you pick it up, noting how heavy it was. Further investigation shows that it was already opened and you pull out the glossy paper, eyes widening marginally.

It’s an invitation.

To a gala.

“Itachi ... what is this?” you ask, flipping it over. The date was scrawled on the back in elegant cursive, as well as the location and other impertinent details. Itachi's name is at the bottom, along with room for a plus one, and you blink when you recognize the logo stamped at the bottom.

It was an annual fundraising event frequented by artists, actors, CEOs, musicians — pretty much everyone rich and important that you could think of. This event could be described as the gathering of the year and it was something your boss routinely skipped. You’re almost positive you’ve already emailed the event coordinator to mark Itachi down as a no with some excuse you made up to keep up appearances. He hated events like these and pretty much had you automatically declining any and all invitations extended to him.

You lift your head back up and deadpan at the look he’s giving you. There's the barest hint of a smile on his face and his eyes betray the amusement he's feeling towards your apparent confusion. Itachi didn’t speak unless absolutely necessary which left you to interpret all of his subtle looks and the annoying twinkle in his eye spoke volumes.

It’s obviously for you his perfectly sculpted brow communicates and this time you make sure he sees you roll your eyes.

“You want me to go?”

His lips twitch as he hums, confirming your suspicions, and you blink.

“Are you going?” You question, frowning and tracing your fingers over the delicate raised writing. He made a sizeable donation every year — maybe there were expectations of an in person appearance now.

That still didn't explain your part in all of it.

Itachi’s eyes dance as he speaks, closing the file in his hands and turning his full attention to you.

“Yes. Your attendance is not required, but it is customary to bring a date to these sort of things.”

A breathless laugh escapes you.

“A date.” You repeat, falling back into one of the chairs that faced his desk, finally relaxing when you realized he wouldn't send you to the wolves alone. His amused look quickly morphs into the stereotypical Uchiha deadpan and you feel yourself smile, gearing up to tease him.

As attractive and charming and successful as your employer was, the assumption would be that he’d have no problem finding a woman to hang on his arm, especially for the social event of the year. The only issue was that Itachi was terrible with women. From what you could discern from your position it wasn't from lack of experience, you’re sure he could charm anyone with just a curl of his lips and a warm look, but simply because he despised most people he came into contact with. You’d never seen him date or even welcome advances from other women and now …

Now he was forced to ask his glorified receptionist to attend a glorified ball with him. Because who else would he ask? Who else did the impassive, monosyllabic man in front of you know?

It’s honestly funny. You snort and try to cover it up by clearing your throat.

“You’re having trouble ... finding a date.”

Legendary Uchiha eyes narrow at you in obvious displeasure and you hide your widening grin behind your hand.

“I’m sure there's a list of eligible women I can call to escort you.” You tease, knowing that if your boss was anyone else he’d roll his eyes at you.

Your offer wasn't a fabricated one though. Working this closely with the Itachi Uchiha over the years gave you connections you wouldn’t normally have and there were plenty of models and artists, even a couple of actresses, that you could call. No doubt they would immediately say yes at the chance to be escorted by him. You're already making a mental list when Itachi cuts off your train of thought with three words.

"I prefer you.”

The laughter in your belly fizzles out as you gawk at him. Surely you didn’t hear that right. You wait for him to take it back but Itachi doesn’t move. So, you sort of … freeze.

He said it so casually. Like it was obvious. There was a finality to it that left absolutely no room for discussion. He sounded like he meant it.

A curious ringing starts to buzz in your ears as you swallow dryly in surprise. You can only blink and scramble for any kind of response while your chest stutters in muted confusion.

This was dangerous.

Bottomless black eyes hold yours with an intensity you’re not used to receiving, keeping you pinned to your seat. The message there is clear. You weren’t a last minute choice, you were the choice.

You’re not quite sure what to do with that information.

“Be ready by eight o’clock.” He says in response to your stunned silence, face softening and eyes starting to once again sparkle with amusement. It’s rare, that he’s able to stun you like this, and your jaw ticks.

This was very dangerous.

"I didn't even say I was going."

The office plunges into tense silence and a part of you is already scolding yourself for not just accepting the damn invite and moving on. There's something unspoken hanging between you two now and a line you've tried very hard not to think about begins to materialize in front of you. It's a line you've seen before and every time it appears you seem just a little bit closer to it. This time it feels magnetic but you remain stubborn and ignore the pull entirely. The other part of you, the prouder part that enjoys hiding Itachi's tie clips whenever he forgot to tell you about meetings, the part that is typically infuriated with the man in front of you, wants you to dig your heels in. If he wanted something, he could ask. Until then you would stay where you were and continue on, business as usual.

Safer. This was safer.

Only now the silence was going from tense to uncomfortable. You could refuse him — this wasn't something for work. This was, at its core, a social gathering that for some reason Itachi felt compelled to go to this year.

With you.

As his date.

Not as his office manager. Not as his scheduler. Not as his secretary. Not as his assistant.

His date.

There were implications that went along with it that you were trying extremely hard to ignore. You weren’t like the other women in the office with superficial crushes. You wouldn’t go there. You couldn’t go there.

But he was asking.

This shouldn’t be causing you so much stress. Work was work and when something showed up on your schedule, you went. When conferences and mergers came up, you went.

But this was something else entirely.

And he was asking.

The proud part of you finally wilts and you look away with a long suffering sigh.

"Fine."

You're rewarded with a snort and when you snap your head back Itachi is already back to reading the file in his hands, signaling that this conversation was over. You're half tempted to throw the invitation, gaudy envelope included for maximum impact, at his head but instead stand to go put it in your purse.

Itachi glances up when he's sure your back is fully turned to watch you leave his office. You’d worn a pair of slacks that were climbing to the top of his list of favorites and admires the view you offer while mulling over what had just transpired. You'd given in almost too easily and his pulse jumps at the implication. He expected you to ask for something in return, to tease and poke at him, maybe even flat out refuse — and you exceeded his expectations by accepting rather quickly.

Charming, he thinks to himself as you go back to painstakingly reorganizing your desk. The way your mouth had parted and your pupils had blown when he'd told you why he chose you to attend this godforsaken gala with him had been charming. Endearing. Teeth achingly adorable. He savored moments like those, moments where he could bully past the professional and sarcastic buffer you put up. As much as Itachi enjoyed the banter you both had developed over the years, there was something infinitely more satisfying about the raw moments shared between you two. He knows he's gearing up to cross a line that wasn't meant to be crossed between a superior and their employee but he finds himself selfishly wanting more. He's almost certain you feel the same.

Almost.

Regardless, doing nothing had proven to be useless. You two had become close over the years and he could no longer deny his feelings for you. He couldn't smother the burn in his chest whenever you got too close to whisper something in his ear or slid him a ridiculous note during a presentation. Itachi couldn't fight off the weightless feeling that came with you falling asleep on his shoulder at the airport while waiting for the red-eye. He couldn't stop himself from brushing against you as you walked to lunch, couldn't help but pin his partners with a look when they paid a little too much attention to you, couldn't restrain himself from purposefully getting on your nerves so you'd roll your pretty eyes at him or reward him with a exasperated lecture. Time and time again Itachi found himself helplessly being pulled into your orbit and selfishly wants you to feel as he does. To burn like he does.

Distantly Itachi can hear Kisame calling him a spoiled brat and can't help but curl his lips. In regards to you and you alone, Itachi would begrudgingly agree with his best friend's assessment.

You spoiled him with your time, your hard work, your attention. The sweets you kept in your desk for him, the way you juggled his life almost effortlessly, the way you made sure to have his favorite tea stocked at all times. The way your eyes would sparkle when you'd use glitter pens to write in his personal planner, the way you always anticipated his needs, the way you were always there for him.

Itachi owes you a great deal, personal feelings aside, and this weekend would be the first of many occasions he plans to repay you.

All you needed to do was keep saying yes. He's almost certain you will.

Once you fully agreed, once you knew the extent of his feelings for you and accepted them, once you finally let the barrier come down and crossed the line with him, Itachi's restraint would give out and he would give in to everything he's felt from the moment he realized you were more than just another nameless employee at his company.

You just needed to keep saying yes.

#we’re back gladies and lentleman #for you old-timers the next chapter is a revamped repeat as well #but part three is brand new #for you new youngesters — welcome and hello!#itachi x reader #itachi x you #itachi uchiha x reader #itachi uchiha x you #itachi fanfiction #itachi fanfic

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