Hello. I hope you enjoy this :) I was bored today and decided to write this. It isn't edited at all so oh well~~
Disclaimer: This literature is purely for recreational purposes. I gain no profit from the story. I do not own any rights to 'Naruto'.
With a glare, Sasuke sidestepped his brother's attempt to take his keys away from him. The eighteen year old couldn't fathom why Itachi even cared. He knew the man hated him. Well, the feeling was mutual.
He wasn't quite sure why he stayed at Itachi's house. Being legal age, he could have left a while ago. He surmised it was because Itachi would be paying for his schooling in the fall. He just didn't have the same resources to do it on his own.
"Stay out of my business Itachi!" The addressed man frowned as he stood in front of the door. Sasuke could feel his agitation grow.
"You are intoxicated Sasuke. I cannot allow you to drive."
Sasuke snorted. So he had a few drinks at the party. That really didn't mean that he was unfit to drive. Besides, he could hold his liquor.
"Move out of the way asshole." Sasuke could feel a headache coming on. Itachi shook his head and Sasuke fumed at his stubbornness.
"Where are you going Sasuke? I can drive you there…" If Sasuke weren't so drunk he's notice Itachi's tone. It held an underlying desperation unlike him.
Sasuke grimaced. It was just like Itachi to invite himself. The man was so overbearing.
"Fine!" The teenager finally conceded. He felt the sooner he agreed with the man the sooner he could get away from him. Itachi sighs, a small tired sigh as he lead the way to Sasuke's car.
Yea yea I know you hate me Sasuke wanted to say in response but held it in as they got into his car.
"What is your destination?" Sasuke rolled his eyes at the tired expression on Itachi's face. He couldn't possibly be tired. The man worked in an office all day; surely he got his secretaries to do all his work.
"Naruto's" Sasuke finally responded after a brief pause. Just to irritate him.
Itachi nodded and pulled out of the driveway.
"What will you be doing at Naruto-kuns?"
"Nothing that's your business." Itachi fell silent at this, his eyebrows drawn in on an otherwise blank face.
"You know, I could jump out of this car anytime and you couldn't stop me."
"Sasuke don't talk like that."
The younger Uchiha frowned at this. His brother hadn't even taken his eyes off the road. Well, in his eyes that was a challenge.
He rested his hand on top of the door handle.
"Any minute," Sasuke raised the handle. "I could jump out of this car," he cracked the door open. "And you couldn't stop me."
"Sasuke, please," Itachi glanced over at his brother, a brief flash of panic lighting those dark lifeless eyes. Sasuke almost laughed at the expression. He threw the door completely open with a bit of effort.
"Close the door, Sasuke!"
Ignoring his brother's shout, he put his leg outside of the car and swung it. Itachi reached out a hand to grab his brother but Sasuke evaded it. The teen slipped in his effort with a yelp and began to fall out of the car.
Itachi lunged for his brother and pulled him back into the car. Swerving when his hands left the wheel, the older man closed the door with difficulty. He quickly tried to regain control of the car but it is too late. They soar toward a sixteen wheeler rapidly.
Sasuke realized the muffled screaming came from him as something laid across him. Then, all was black.
The first thing Sasuke noticed when he woke up was a mind numbing headache. His head felt as if someone decided to bang on it a few times. The second thing he noticed was the assault of the sun on his sensitive eyes. They weren't even open but he could still feel its powerful rays penetrate his sight.
He sighed. Damn Itachi must have opened his curtains. He growled, throwing an arm over his eyes. The action hurt him and he jolted at the sensation. That's when it hit him, the accident. He groaned as the memories resurfaced. Apparently he wasn't drunk enough to forget his actions.
"Shit." He mumbled into his pillow. He'd never hear the end of it from Itachi once he woke up. Wait…now that he thought of it, this room felt nothing like his own.
Sasuke sniffed the sanitized air and cringed. He opened his eyes slowly, wincing at the bright sun. He sat up, taking in the sanitary hospital room. He cursed again, willing the pounding in his head to go away.
"Glad to see you have awakened Uchiha-san." Sasuke glared at the old doctor, willing the professional to lower his voice. His cold look didn't even faze the man, the slight smile stayed on his face as he came closer to Sasuke.
"How are you feeling?" the doctor asked Sasuke as he lifted one of the Uchiha's arms. Sasuke winced.
"Ah, this one is sprained." The doctor informed him as he lightly pressed on the wrapped wrist. "You were a lucky one though. That was your only injury. Minus a nasty hangover." The doctor laughed to himself before setting Sasuke's hand down onto his lap.
Sasuke glared at him as his wrist throbbed. Then he registered what the doctor had said.
"That truck was coming at us full force. There's no way I survived that. This is Hell isn't it?" Sasuke snorted, but he wouldn't admit that he believed that statement, if only a little.
The doctor's smile dropped and his face hardened.
"Luckily, Uchiha-san, your brother was in the car with you." The doctor ruffled his hair and left before Sasuke could retaliate.
Sasuke sighed. What had Itachi done this time? He couldn't chill he felt at the doctor's words. What did that mean? A million thoughts flew through his mind, the different scenarios causing his mouth to grow dryer than it already was.
He pushed the emergency nurse button on the remote beside his leg. It wasn't long before a skinny man came into his room.
"Yea?" the dirty blond male grunted out. Sasuke glared at him. The attitude was entirely unnecessary.
"Where's Itachi?"
"Who the fuck is that?" Sasuke had to resist from jumping out of the bed and strangling the man.
"My brother." He grit out. A look of realization dawned on the nurse's face.
"Oh yea…" the nurse drawled and then he shook his head sadly.
"Well?" Sasuke asked again, losing patience that really wasn't there to begin with.
"I'll call the Doc in. I don't get paid enough to deal with this shit." The nurse was out of the door before Sasuke could react. Sasuke growled in agitation. He hated when people ignored his wishes. He didn't know why he cared so much where Itachi was but for some reason he just needed to know.
It took a long excruciating hour for the doctor to come back in. Granted, he had fallen asleep somewhere in between but it still felt like an eternity.
"I've discharged you. I'll let you see him now." Sasuke got off his bed wordlessly, wincing as he accidentally applied pressure to his wrist.
It took them a few minutes for the doctor to stop in front of a hospital room. The older man turned and stared down at Sasuke, a very serious expression on his face.
"Now your brother took the brunt of the hit, so he's a little banged up. He hasn't yet woken up so please let him get his rest." And with that parting word the doctor briskly walked back down the hallway.
Your brother took the brunt of the hit.
brother took the brunt of the hit.
took the brunt of the hit.
the brunt of the hit.
The words echoed in Sasuke's aching head and he gulped. So that pressure he felt, that wasn't the truck was it? That was Itachi. Sasuke swallowed and opened the door, shoving down vicious emotions trying to surface.
The first thing he noticed was the amount of machines attached to Itachi. While he had nothing attached to him, Itachi must have had half a dozen attached to them. Sasuke cautiously stepped forward to stand next to his brother.
A breathing mask was put over his brother's bruised face and he could see the plastic fog over. The bruising on Itachi's face made Sasuke wince. He'd never seen a mere paper cut on the man let alone bruising. It was weird to see his brother so vulnerable.
"Why," he could feel himself grow angry, "why did you have to jump on top of me!"
Sasuke waited impatiently, looking at his brother's reddish face for an answer. Of course, he didn't receive one. He snarled and left the hospital.
Calling a taxi, he went home. The house was eerily empty. Although Itachi was normally silent, it felt weird knowing no one would be coming home. Sasuke sighed; mad at himself for letting it bother him this way. Itachi would bounce back. He always did. That was his only redeeming quality; the only Sasuke would like to admit.
He spent the day in the house, sleeping off his hangover and making a small dinner.
The next day he got up early and prepared to go see Itachi today. The man would be up surely by today. His injuries just didn't look that bad.
He decided to use the Itachi's car today. Besides the allowance Itachi gave him, he didn't bother getting a job, he didn't have much money. He didn't want to waste it on a cab, never mind his sprained wrist.
The car felt weird to actually get into. It was better than his car; Sasuke couldn't help but think angrily. He shook the thought away.
As he pulled away from the house he decided to put on the radio to take his mind off things. He put it on one of his favorite stations and turned it down so it was just background noise. The sun was rising in his line of sight and he growled as he pulled the visor down.
In his line of sight two pieces of paper fluttered to his lap. Sasuke ignored them for now; he's look at them once the car was stopped. He wouldn't admit it to himself but the accident had left him more cautious of the road. The teen actually drove at the speed limit instead of speeding like he normally did.
Once he parked the car he grabbed the pieces of paper from his lap. He unfolded to larger one. It was him. His senior picture to be exact. Sasuke had told him not to buy it because he hated pictures. The stubborn man had bought it anyway and kept it in his car! Sasuke snorted, Itachi hated him right? Why would he bother keeping a photo of him?
He unfolded the second piece of paper and swallowed. It was a picture of them both when he was younger. Itachi was giving him a piggy back ride and smiling gently at the camera. The young boy on his back however, had a wide grinning mouth, eyes alight with childish innocence.
Sasuke quickly refolded it and put both pictures back under the car visor. He closed the door loudly, only thinking one thing. What the hell happened?
Sasuke sat by Itachi's bed quietly, just staring at the slow rise and fall of his chest. He clenched his fist, his wrist throbbing at the action. He ignored the sensation.
"I found those pictures. What'd you keep them for? To taunt me with later?" Sasuke asked confrontationally. He looked down at his brother's prone form. Anger blossomed in his chest.
"Answer me!" he commanded, glaring down at the silent man.
"I know you can hear me asshole! Say something!" Sasuke got out of his chair and clutched Itachi's wrist with his good hand. He shuddered and suddenly felt weak. His face felt hot and he tried to force the feeling away. It only made it worst.
"Say something…" he whispered as a tear slid down his face.
The next week continued this way. Sasuke would visit every day, willing his brother to wake up. As the week grew the guilt started to fester. He began to realize it was his fault they crashed. The very thought drove him insane. He rarely left the house other than the hospital visits.
On Monday Sasuke decided to bring flowers. He grumbled his way through the transaction and quickly made his way to Itachi's room.
"Got you something." Sasuke announced as he set the flowers on the window sill. He reclaimed his spot on the chair beside Itachi's bed.
"It's been a week Itachi." Sasuke said warningly. The constant beep of the machines had stopped irritating him days ago.
"Your job called. They send their condolences." Sasuke fell silent again. He didn't stay long. After a little more than an hour he got up with a sigh. He began to walk toward the door. That was when he heard the rustle of cloth. He tensed then turned on his heel.
Itachi was struggling to sit up, his whole body was shaking. His head was the worse, shaking from left to right shortly. Sasuke stomach dropped at the sight of the tremors. A shaky smile stretched behind the oxygen mask.
"S-s-s" Sasuke frowned as Itachi stuttered and stepped forward. "S-sah-skeh" Itachi finally slurred out with such difficulty Sasuke almost took a step back.
"Itachi? What's wrong?" Sasuke watched his brother tremble involuntarily before he tried to speak again.
"I-i-tt h-ah-urts S-s-s-sah-skeh" Horrified, Sasuke pressed the emergency call button. Nurses flooded the room, pushing Sasuke out of the room to check up on Itachi.
"What the hell is wrong with him?" a nurse was suddenly pushing him out of the door. He fought with all his might but they eventually had him out of the room.
He paced irritably until they beckoned him back into the room. Itachi lay back down, breathing somewhat faster than before.
"What happened?" The doctor offered him the seat but he crossed his arms impatiently. The doctor sighed.
"He's suffered some brain damage." The doctor said simply, as if he didn't care at all. Sasuke realized he didn't.
"So," he licked his lips, "how long will he be like that?"
"It's hard to say. It could take months to get him to functioning mentality."
"So it isn't permanent?"
"If you put enough dedication into his rehabilitation I'd say it isn't." The doctor ruffled Sasuke's hair just like he had a week ago and left the room.
Sasuke looked down at his brother. He was awake. The teen gulped before taking a seat. His brother's head was moving back and forth ever so slightly. Itachi's eyes locked onto his brother's. Sasuke had to glance away. How could he apologize? This was worse than he presumed and it was his entire fault.
"I-i-i" Itachi began to stutter out and Sasuke tried to tell him to stop but the determined look on Itachi's face stopped him. "i'mmmm s-s-ah-or-rryyy S-s-s-ah-skeh"
Sasuke's mouth dropped open. Itachi was apologizing? Did he even realize what he was apologizing for? Sasuke shook his head.
"Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault." Still, Itachi seemed to blame himself. Sasuke sighed.
"This is my fault."
Itachi struggled to sit up and Sasuke could tell it really pained him. He grimaced as Itachi shook. He finally was able to sit up.
"C-c-c-ah-o-ll-e-g-g-g-e"
"College?" Sasuke almost shrieked. Itachi was still worried about him, in such a state? "Worry about yourself Itachi!" Sasuke reprimanded, feeling hot all of a sudden. He cursed.
"I'm sorry." He looked his brother in the eye, trying to show his sincerity. Suddenly, his eyes were wet. Itachi shakily brought his bandaged arms up.
"C-c-c-ah-o-o-mmm-e 'e-ere S-s-s-ah-skeh."
Sasuke accepted his offer and hugged his brother for the first time in years.
"I-i-t-t'ssss g-g-go-i-i-innn t-ah b-b-b-eee o-o-ok" Sasuke cried harder at these words, wetting his brother's trembling shoulder.
They both knew those words were empty; it wasn't going to be ok. Not by a long shot.
Hope you enjoyed! I may do a sequel to this but for now it's a ONESHOT Thanks for reading this shitty thing!