Prompt: Lean on me

Day 4 Sasusaku month 2017

My Immortal

His skin felt warm. Not the unpleasant kind, but the kind of heat he'd name calm and comforting. The scent of rose petals filling his nostrils as he breathed in the fresh air. The voices of melodious birds chirping and singing along with the rustling of leaves due to the blowing, summer air could be heard by his ears, loud and clear. Somehow, all of this felt familiar- familiar and heart warming. The walls, the curtains, the doors, the windows and the floor mats. Everything.

He looked around to find the answers for his questioning thoughts. Here and there, swiftly and furiously, careful enough to notice every little detail that might pass by, but nothing seemed to help. Not until a voice entered his ears. A voice he had gotten accustomed to; calling his name, the voice he had miss a lot- a lot wasn't even a word to describe how much he'd wanted to listen to this voice, this very familiar voice that brought tears to his eyes. He turned around to face the origin of that voice, only to find a dark haired woman standing, a peaceful smile plastered on her face.

''Mother..'' he whispered, his eyes narrowing, holding back tears as he ran and wrapped his arms around the figure which was not taller than him anymore. His head buried in the crook of his mother's neck, his arms holding her fragile figure tightly, afraid to lose it again. Afraid to lose her again.

''Now Sasuke, don't cry.'' she rubbed his back, affectionately, motherly. Like enveloping his body by her warmth, saving him from all the hostility of the cruel world. Her voice, her benignity, her smell, everything- everything. He had missed all of this.

''Is that you, Sasuke?''

Another voice, which seemed to calm his troubled heart, could be heard by him as he turned around to look at the possessor of that sound.

''Brother-'' his voice got caught in his throat as he witnessed the dreadful scene in front of his widened eyes. The dark sky visible from the entrance where his brother stood. Black crows flying, voicing the sounds of horror, and blood. Staining the demonic face of the young man, his hands marked with the deadly scarlet.

''Welcome home, Sasuke.'' Itachi said with a smile. Not like an evil grin but a genuine one. His blood covered finger then pointed towards a certain spot behind Sasuke's back. He turned around, only to rewatch the scene that had always haunted his once pleasant dreams. The nightmare he had memorized over all the past years. The incident that chased away all the rationality in him.

Two corpses.

The woman whose smell still lingered his senses, the man whose voice still echoed his thoughts, laying on the stone cold floor, blood streaming out, covering the floor and dowsing his feet. He wanted to scream, but his fears didn't let him. He wanted to cry, but the agonydidn't let him. He wanted to run, but his lifeless legs didn't let him. And never before in his life had he felt this helpless.

He glanced back at his brother, only to find him having the same nonchalant expression, the blade in his hand colored with the blood of his parents- their parents. His cold eyes looking back at him, sending shivers down his spine. And when Sasuke found himself fallen back to the floor, he knew one thing was certain- he was afraid. Afraid of his bigbrother.

Even after all these years, even after living the same hell for over a decade, he could not find the strength to fight his demons. But looking at the dead bodies right beside him, the blood and the inaudible screams of terror, he told himself to stand up. Stand up and fight.

And it took every ounce of strength left in his body for him to stand back up, turn around and face his brother once again. Locking his eyes with him, he started to walk into his direction. It wasn't easy, with his frozen legs and painfully throbbing chest, but he still did.

He was close to him now, their eyes at the same level, staring back at each other; but there were so many thing that left him confused. Why couldn't he sense hatred in his brother's cold eyes, why were they of the same height, why couldn't he hate this person who killed his parents. His heart was quivering with affliction and it pained him even more when he saw his brother smile. He was smiling at him. And that smile didn't hold disdain, it held tenderness. It held love.

And that was when it hit him. It was an illusion. It wasn't real. It couldn't be real. His brother was supposed to be dead already. His parents were supposed to be dead already. He wasn't supposed to be there.

''Sasuke.'' he heard Itachi call out his name. His voice kind and compassionate. And it made a tear fall from his eyes. He wanted to stay here, with his big brother. He wanted to touch him, talk to him, tell him everything, all his stories, all the things he went through. He wanted to tell him he had missed him.

But it was already too late when he tried to speak. For his brother collapsed in front of him, coughed blood and died. Once again. And he couldn't do anything about it. And what tormented him even more was the blood staining his hand. His brother's blood staining his hand. Which only meant one thing; he killed him. He killed his brother once again.

Once again.

His heart seemed to had stopped beating, and his throat seemed to had ruptured when an inaudible, miserable cry escaped his lips.

He was in hell.

Once again.

.

.

.

She woke up when a gust of cold wind hit her. Her body still felt numb when she tried to open her eyes, slowly, she lifted herself up. The window of that spacious room was left open, allowing the chilled air to enter and disturb her peaceful sleep.

She sighed as she laid back down on the bed, ignoring the idea of shutting the glass window. Her hand roamed over the other side of the bed- their bed, only to find it cold and deserted. She exhaled a held back breath, attempting to finally stand up and start the search for Uchiha Sasuke. She hated it when he'd go missing in the middle of a cold night, and then she'd have to find him sleeping in some random corner in the morning. What she hated even more was not finding him next to her when she'd wake up.

The floor felt freezing when she started to take small steps toward the door. Sliding it to reveal the scenery of the outside. That place, surely, was beautiful. The fountain of water at one side of the small garden and many types of sweet smelling flowers. It was past mid night so the sparrows couldn't be spotted but she was sure they'd be back when the sun rises. But that was not what she had to worry herself about. Sasuke was missing and she had to find him before dawn.

Sliding the door shut, she started wandering, her eyes desperately searching for the raven-haired boy. She breathed out a sign of relief when she spotted his figure enveloped in The dark of that night. His back resting against a wooden pillar and his arm resting on his knee. What surprised her was that he didn't detect her presence. Even if it was barely visible, she could still see his eyes fixated at one specific spot, his face as nonchalant as ever and his breathing; steady.

He was lost in his thoughts.

And it was something that didn't usually happen. She smiled at the scene, as she approached him. The sound created by her feet tapping on the wooden floor managed to gain his attention as he glanced at her and his lips formed a half smile.

Sitting down next to him on that cold surface, she examined how he looked with moonlight enlightening his profile. His eyes, shining under the twilight, like pearls shining at the sea shores. His posture was calm and relaxed and the expression embellishing his face didn't show any disturbance, as well. But she knew something was up with him. The way he avoided meeting her gaze and the way he was faking smiles, she knew something was wrong. She knew it from the moment she looked him into the eyes.

She sighed at his futile-emotion-concealing-tactics as she gently smiled at him, placing the palm of her hand on his forehead, preventing the strands of his hair from entering his eyes; as if forcing him to look at her.

''You should go back to sleep.'' he said in a calm voice, looking at her for a second and looking away the other.

''What's wrong?'' she questioned, totally ignoring his statement.

''Nothing.'' he said, staring at the wall in front of him, ''I couldn't sleep, that's all.''

''And why is that?'' she asked him once more, withdrawing her hand from its previous place this time.

''I don't know.'' he said, aiming to stand up, but she caught his hand and forced him back on the floor.

''Are you really sure?'' she questioned, hearing a quiet grunt as an answer, ''You can trust me, Sasuke-kun.'' she said, her eyes holding a reassuring look, and he knew he couldn't lie anymore.

''I had..'' he started, stumbling over his words, breathing in and trying to continue again, his eyes hesitant and unsure, ''I had a dream.''

She stayed quiet, carefully listening to him. Her eyes narrowed with sympathy.

''I-Itachi..'' he whispered, unable to speak, his breath held back, hoping not to stutter again.

She understood. Her hand finding his and intertwining them, she rubbed his skin with her thumb, telling him it was alright. Everything was alright.

His throat was hurting by then, as he tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. Those memories of his past would always render him in a state like that, where he couldn't speak, where he couldn't think, where he wanted to stay alone. His lungs where burning with all the feelings he kept bottled up inside. Even though he hated feeling that way, miserable, broken, inconsolable; he wanted to feel this way. It kept on telling him who he was, what he went through, his mistakes- everything. Those memories defined him. What he was now, what he would aspire to become. All the faults he didn't want to repeat ever again.

But wording all the haphazard thoughts- crashing into each other, leaving him in a state he'd name messed-up, was certainly not an easy task. Specially for someone like him. He wasn't even sure what he was feeling himself.

''A nightmare, huh?'' she said, cluthing onto his hand tightly. As if solacing him, trying to save him from his fears.

She could understand it all. The family he loved so dearly, was taken away from him. Right in front of his eyes, by the one person he held fondness and respect for. The one he had always looked up to. He spent all his life for the sake of revenge. Revenge upon someone he loved dearly. And when he finally avenged his kindred, it turned out that his whole life had been a lie. He lost his beloved brother right in front of him, lost another person he loved in front of his very eyes. Could life be any more testing? could fate be any more brutal?

She couldn't find anything to say because she knew, no matter what she'd tell him, it wouldn't work. Mere words wouldn't bring peace to his damaged heart. Mere words couldn't bring him back his family. Mere words wouldn't be enough to help him fight his demons.

''I saw my mother.'' he said, his lips forming a smile which held heartbreak. But not just heartbreak, it held reminiscence. All the beautiful memories of his mother that he still had in the back of his mind, dissolved into the sincerity of that smile.

And she couldn't help but smile in return.

''And father..'' he continued as the image of their dead bodies flashed in his mind for a split second, and at that, he became quiet.

She stayed silent for a while, just looking at him, his cringed face. He was fighting his dreads, he was fighting his words, he was fighting himself.

She rubbed his back affectionately, giving him one of her tender smiles.

''Sasuke-kun.'' she said quietly, gaining his attention, ''You don't need to tell me if you can't.''

He looked away, breathing out then looking back at her. He shifted himself in a way that he and Sakura were facing each other. His hand found its way to her shoulder as he held her form delicately.

''Stay still.'' he said in a quiet voice which came out as a murmur. The heartbreak was still audible in the wavering form of his voice.

Placing his forehead on her shoulder, he leaned onto her, his hand still holding her figure close to him. Even though her heart was beating furiously in her chest due to the close proximity of the two of them, she stayed calm for his sake, for their sake, silently waiting for him to speak.

His breath was hitting the fabric of her clothes, her heat was calming his enraged heart, bit by bit. She felt him inhaling, his grip on her shoulder tightened a bit as he started to speak.

''My father.'' he said, ''I saw him.'' She didn't say anything, her fingers roaming in his dark hair, in a rhythmic motion, following the type of pattern he liked the best. Every other stroke encouraged him to go on.

''He told me he is proud of me.'' he said, a saddened chortle escaped his lips at the memory, ''He told me I'm doing a great job.'' a sigh that he seemed to be holding back, exuded in form of yet another broken chuckle.

She smiled at his words as she gazed up at the dark sky. It was dark, yet decorated by little stars which were fighting the dark effortlessly. Shining even in the pitch-black color of the space above.

''I've always..'' his voice broke and she felt wetness on her shoulder, a saddened expression decorated her features as she softened her eyes and ruffled a hand through his hair gently, ''I've always wanted to.. hear that from him.'' he continued and she felt another drop of his tears.

He was crying.

And the thought alone shattered her heart. She felt tears building up in her own eyes but she held them back by holding her breath. She had to stay strong. She had to stay strong for Sasuke's sake. She kept on reminding herself.

His heart was pulsating painfully in his chest as the flashbacks from his past came flashing into his conscience. All the good times they had together, the small fights he had with his brother over nothings, how his mother would encourage him everytime he'd feel down, how his father would show him his rare smiles when he'd fulfill his expectations. A painful smile appeared on his face at the reminder of such heart-warming times.

She heard another cry escape his lips which was barely audible. Holding his form closer to hers, wrapping her arms around him, she tried her best to console him. Even though she knew nothing in the World could help him, nothing in world could change what had happened, and no one in the world could replace what was lost, she still tried to, at least, lessen the pain he was feeling.

''Somethings.'' she started, ''Somethings can't be changed.'' her whispers were distinct to his ears as he nodded, slightly shaking his head and holding her closer to him, hiding his face in the nape of her neck.

Somehow, her scent was calming.

''Even time can not erase some things, Sasuke-kun.'' she continued, he fingers massaging his scalp as she felt him sob for a second. His chest was pressed against hers and the racing pace of his heart could be felt by her, ''Sometimes, we just can't do anything. No matter how desperately we try.'' she continued, feeling his exhaled, hot breath tickle the wet skin of her shoulder, ''But what we still can do is to hold on to the memories they left behind.''

Somehow, her words were providing serenity to his infuriated heart.

''Because,'' he heard her saying, ''Even if they are not within our reach, the memories we share with them, are still, reachable.'' She spoke in a low voice, breathing in his scent and feeling his heartbeat calming down.

''You're not alone, Sasuke-kun.'' she said her last words in a low voice, like undertones as she buried her face in his hair, holding his body closer to hers, just living in the moment.

They stayed like that for a while, until a light, cold air breeze hit her face and she thought about going back to their warm bed before one of them caught cold.

''Sasuke-kun, we should go back inside.'' she said, not receiving any sort of answer. Not even the quiet grunts he would mumble everytime they were holding onto each other like that.

''Sasuke-kun?'' she called out his name, pulling herself away from him a little, only to take a peek at his face. And she smiled tenderly at what she saw. He was fast asleep. His face appearing serene, tranquilty visible on his once troubled profile.

She sighed in relief as she stood up from her spot, holding him in her arms, which was not a difficult job considering her super-human strength.

That was going to be one long night.

I can totally imagine Sasuke waking up the next morning with a sneeze because one of them just had to catch cold.

THE END

A/N: So.. How about this one? leave me reviews!

Also, ignore any sort of mistyping or spelling error in this one since I didn't use any beta reader for it.