"Daddy, why can't you fix it?"

"Because it's not broken, son."

"Then why isn't it breathing?"

"Because it's dead."

"Sasuke! Sasuke dear, why are you crying?"

"Because the dog is broken and Daddy can't fix it."

"Honey, it's not broken. It's dead."

"No! No, stop saying that! It's just broken! Just fix it already, it's not funny."

"Sasuke. Listen to me. It can never be fixed, because there is nothing to fix. All life is meant to end. Now wipe those tears, boy. Be a man."

"Fugaku, he's just a child."

"He will have to grow and be strong, like Itachi. I will not tolerate tears, son. Understood?"

"Fugaku—!"

"Dear, please. He needs to learn."

"I understand, sir."

"Good."

-oOo-

Sometimes, I get scared. Scared of not knowing who I am. Sometimes, it's hard. For me. It hurts inside of me. Makes me feel vulnerable. When I look in the mirror, trying to figure who I am, who is inside this body of mine. It's scary. And so I am scared. Fear is funny. It seems so pure, in a way. To be afraid. So naïve. Incorruptible. But everything is. Fear turns to paranoia. Paranoia turns to obsession. And I do not know what the next step is. I am not a scientist, nor am I a psychologist. I am just me, whoever that is.

"Sasuke." It is mother. She is holding my hand. She needs me now, she needs me to be there for her. I do not know why she does. I think it is because father is broken. Because he will never be fixed, because there is nothing to fix. Because that is how things are. All things end. I do not know why they end. But I do not want to understand. No one should understand everything. Like why father is broken, just like that dog. Why mother has tears in her eyes, or why she squeezes my hand like that, that it hurts. Why I feel this pain, deep inside, why all of this has to happen. Because there are no answers. "Sasuke, he is gone."

Gone? Gone where? He is not gone mother. He is broken. He fell apart because he needed to end, like that dog. "I am here now, mother."

"Oh, dear. Come here." Where is here? Is this home? This place is really bizarre. There are a lot of people, and they all wear black. Black is nice. I like black. It is nothing. Like a hole, an endless hole. She hugs me now, enveloping me inside her thin arms. She is skinny. Too skinny. She looks sick, or maybe she is. Her hair is thinner, and not as black. It is half white.

"Sasuke, I love you dear. Don't you ever forget that. Promise me." I promise. She knows I do. I do not even have to say it. She knows I love her. I cannot understand love. It is funny, in so many ways. It is heavy, although it has no weight.

"We will all cherish Fugaku Uchiha, and his tremendous donations to the society." I cannot understand why people talk so much. Especially since he is telling me something I already know. I know who my father was. People think they need to explain everything with words. I think it is not necessary. People are not stupid. And there are so many other ways to explain things. With music, with sight. With art, and with love. All people are connected. They are united, even though they do not know it. They do not need words to understand. They need each other. That is why there are so many people here, because they need my father. And I allow them to share him, for he is not mine. But now he is broken. I do not know who broke him. Maybe time. Maybe he broke himself. "Mother, would you like to say something?"

Itachi is my brother. He is good. Good to everyone who is good to him. But he can never be bad. He is like a light, white light. Bright and clear. He gives his hand to mother. And she stands up. "Thank you all for coming. I apologize for being rude, but I must go and get some rest. I do not feel well." Mother is honest. Dad is not. He thinks that people's opinion is more important then what is the truth. He says the truth is not what people want. People sound very stupid when he says it like that. What do they want then? Lies? Do they make them feel better? Why do lies make things better? It does not make any sense. Maybe hiding the truth broke father down.

Maybe the truth hurts more than lies.

"It does dear. It really does."

-oOo-

They were not crying, not exactly. It wasn't shedding tears. They were more like vomiting them. Like they had to go out, or else they will go insane. They were not screaming, not exactly. It was more like howling. Howling pent up despair, pent up pain because that was all they felt, and that was the way they could describe it.

They were not hugging. No one would look at them and say it looked as if they were hugging. They were clinging desperately for something- anything- to be there for them, so that they wouldn't be left alone. No. Not anymore. There was just too much pain. It was a stab, a burn, an acid. Eating, eating, like savages. Consuming and overwhelming. Greedy. Hungry. For them, for their happy. And they held on, so tightly, as if they were falling. For something solid, something that could hold them up because there was no ground. There was nothing. But they were slippery, from their own tears. And they both slipped, howling and vomiting so many tears. Still clinging. They fell. So deep, so deep inside. So deep that they couldn't go out.

"Sasuke." A voice said. But the boy couldn't determine who it was. His past, his present, his future. But the voice was here, it was here with him. So he clung to it, as tightly as he could. "She's gone." The voice cried. Gone? Gone again? Why do people have to keep disappearing for him?

Where did he go wrong?

"Nii-san, (1)" he whimpered lowly, arms falling helplessly around him. "Why did she have to go too? Wasn't dad enough?"

"Because she was…broken."

"Why did she break?"

"…She broke because she couldn't fix dad." Itachi said slowly, somewhat reassuringly. Like he needed to say it. For himself. So that he would forget it was his fault. His little brother lied down, on the floor, eyes swollen and big, his thick black eyelashes soaked and glued together. He choked on a sob, not wanting to cry anymore, so that he could be strong enough to tell this. To himself, and to Sasuke. "Sasuke." And his brother looked up, his big wide eyes locking with Itachi's.

"Yes?"

"Do you…know how hard it is to break someone?" Sasuke's black eyes darkened, as if in fear, and he shook his head, his brows knitted together in fright. "It is…excruciating. So long, so painful. But it can end. Do you want it to end? Do you want this pain to go away?"

There was not hesitation. "Please."

Itachi smiled, though it was so plain it was forced that his brother blinked slowly in confusion. "What's wrong, Nii-san? Don't you want the pain to stop?"

So naïve, so pure, you wouldn't survive here, you're too pure.

"Nii-san, what are you talking about?" But he knew. Itachi wanted to break him. In a very short, blissful way. He wanted his pain to end. He cared. And as his Nii-san took a knife and slowly lifted it up real high, aiming his heart, he closed his eyes, and smiled. "I love you, Nii-san."

Itachi flinched, the knife stopping mid-air. Shit. He couldn't do this.

A fierce siren pierced through the deathly silence, breaking the thick air surrounding the two brothers and filling with an alive, buzzing blur. Men broke the door down, striding quickly and shouting orders to each other as they approached the crying pair. "Uchiha Itachi! You are under arrest for the murder of Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto!" The officer spat angrily, snarling at the teen. Young black eyes went impossibly wide as Sasuke felt his lungs shrink, coughing violently. Coughing out some vile, some pain, something black.

"My brother, help him! I think he is choking!"

"Believe me, Mr. Uchiha, your brother is the least of your worries now."

"He is my only worry! Take care of him! Sasuke!"

"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say might be used against you in the court of law—"

"Fuck if it does! Sasuke! SASUKE!"

Itachi was dragged outside, screaming his name, while he was lying on the floor, breathing so erratically that short and fast hiccups started to erupt from his throat. "Hey, I think I need a medic here! MEDIC! There is a kid here, I think he is having an attack! Hey kid! Stay with me champ! C'MON KID!"

But Sasuke couldn't hear him.

-oOo-

"Fuck…"

"Fuck what mother?" Her beautiful waterfall of black hair whirled around quickly as she gasped, dropping the box in her hand. She smiled with practiced strain, looking directly at the beautiful dark boy. "Nothing dear! You scared me,"

"I am sorry." Her eyes softened, laying a soft hand on his black hair, so much like hers. "No, no. I am sorry. Wow, would you look at that? It is very late sweet heart. We both should go to bed."

"Where is father?" And just like that, her eyes went so solemn that the child's heart ached. "He…has another business meeting."

"It is midnight mother." She smiled slowly, scorning and insulted. Holding so much pain, so much, too much deep inside. "He has a meeting with a woman he cares about."

"So…where is he?"

She laughed, though it held no humor. "Oh, dear. That woman is not me." His eyes were dark, holding nothing but understanding. He lifted his arm slowly, tracing her hair, her face, and her lips. "Why would he care about any other woman than you mother?" She choked on a sob.

"I don't think that I am enough to satisfy him." She knew she shouldn't be talking to her delicate little boy of such matters, but she had no one else to turn to, and she was turning desperate. Her beautiful boy buried his hand in her hair, pulling her into him. Into his heart, and surrounding her with hot arms. So hot, warming. His heart was beating steadily against her cheek, and she slowly fell asleep, in her son's arms. "I love you two so much…you know I do…right Itachi..?"

He nodded, and she smiled, dropping her head on his shoulder.

Itachi picked the box his mother dropped and read the word out loud slowly, comprehending and considering. He lowered it back, but hesitated. His father did not like the truth. He despised it, quite frankly. Should he lie for everyone's sake? He decided he should. Lying was easier. People like lies. "I will lie so they will stay together."

That didn't make much sense, he thought. But…sense doesn't matter. Logic doesn't as well. Only life, only love.

-oOo-

"I wish we could stay like this forever," The woman breathed out. He sighed heavily. So did he. He wanted it so badly. He wanted it, he cherished it, so tightly, so hard into his chest. He sighed again. But he couldn't. His other woman probably knew by now, she probably understood. And she was so beautiful. He didn't deserve her. She was an angel, so were his boys. He should leave them, because all he causes is pain. Yet, he couldn't stop.

Three angels. From heaven. All three angels love him. It is addictive. And he wanted that selfish pleasure to himself, even if he didn't deserve it, a commoner like him.

Who wouldn't?

"Fugaku…" she moaned quietly, laying him back on the bed, positioning herself on top of him. Her red hair surrounding her and him in their hot lustful bubble. Her green fiery eyes filled with so much passion, desire.

He knew he shouldn't, even as he crashed his hungry lips upon hers. He knew.

But he loved this woman too. His two angels. He loved both so much. They were so opposites, so unlike each other. They filled two big gaps inside of him, ones he could not show to anyone but them. One, his sensitivity. The other, his aggression. A caged lion and a scared kitten. Making love and savagely ravishing. Both so tempting, so erotic. He was addicted. To them both.

He really shouldn't.

But who gives a fuck?

-oOo-

"I know what you are doing," She said. He froze, rising from the task of removing his shoes. "What are you talking about, dear?"

"Don't lie. Please. It is so fucking stupid seeing you lie." There was no response.

"Damn. If you could only see the look on your face. What? Are you shocked to see a person you lived with half your life has a dirty mouth? Have you been really looking? Of course not. You selfish, pompous asshole." His eyes were almost comically wide now, and even though it made her feel pain, she needed this to end.

"You're hurting me, you know. I know you know, and I know you don't give a shit. You know you're hurting her, and again, you don't give a shit. I am not mad. I'm fucking sad I trusted you. That I wasted all this time on you, thinking you can change."

"Mikoto—"

"Don't say my name. You don't own me anymore. I am officially now not an Uchiha pet. Your shit is in the garage. Take it, and leave."

"It was nothing!" He lied frantically, desperate. "She-she's just some girl I needed to get out of my system, Mikoto please!"

"Just a woman to get out of your system?" He froze, completely, letting out a harsh gasp as his woman, other woman stepped next to Mikoto. "Ku-Kushina…"

"Well, well. You've gotten yourself in one hell of a pickle, haven't you, Fugaku? Don't be scared. We aren't mad, love. I think you needed to do a better back up check, to see we both work at the same firm. We both have known about you banging us both for quite a while." The lover of these two beautiful women looked at them both, thoroughly. They looked they same, dark, scorning, resentful, utterly sexy, but that was not what mattered.

They looked the same. His two opposites.

"You saw what you wanted to see, honey. You locked yourself in that bubble of yours with the two wrong women. And now- you are going to pay for all the pain you caused us." And after those heavy words, Mikoto pulled out a cigarette, lighted it, and inhaled so deeply his eyes burned.

"WHAT IS THIS? HAVE YOU GONE MAD WOMAN? THIS IS NOT HOW YOU SHOULD BE!"

"This is reality. Your wake up call." Kushina took the cigarette between her fingers, pulled it out of the other's full lips, and kissed her.

"NO!" He screamed as he leapt out of his bed, panting harshly. A worried though sleepy black gaze fixated on him, and she sighed heavily. "Fugaku. This has been going on for the past month, what on earth is going on?" She touched his cheek affectionately. He flinched away from the touch. A look of hurt crossed her face, but he ignored it. He had the sudden urge to kiss her, to touch her. To touch both of them. For them to be united. He needed this to end. "Mikoto, I need to tell you something."

She did not answer. "I…have been…for the past year—"

"Cheating on me? Yes, I know." His eyes widened in fear. "With Uzumaki's wife, am I correct? Kushina. Nice woman, I like her." She smiled merrily, giggling childishly. This…this can't be real. He needed her to pain him.

"I am sorry for Minato. I think he doesn't know. You should stop this selfish behavior. You are hurting other people. Don't you care that you cause pain?"

"I…"

"You don't know. I don't even think you care. You are acting like such a small child. You need what you want when you want it. Try to understand that there are other sides to this. My side, her side, Minato's side. And beside you, everyone else isn't pleased. So just, decide. If not, I suggest you leave." He didn't know what to do. He just looked at her, eyes wide and full of tears. "Don't think that crying is going to help you out of this. This wouldn't be forgotten, it just won't. Neither I nor her will ever forget this, or ever trust you again."

"Stop it."

"No."

"Stop it."

"I can't. You need to hear this—"

"STOP IT!" She silenced. He sighed in relief. "Just stop it. It can just, just stop. I can stop. Forever. We can forget this, please, let's, let's just forget this. We, I don't need this."

"You don't want this. It can't go back, it never will—"

"NO!" The harsh sound of clothes tearing, cries of pain, of pleasure, of sorrow filled the hollow walls, and the hollow souls.

A rather big child stepped quietly up the stairs, into the unfolding scene. Once his eyes witnessed the crime, widened to almost comical proportions, he took the small object, so tightly inside his hand, and ran in the direction of the two persons. Until the one noticed, it was too late for the other. A tortured howl and a surprised scream of pain suddenly erupted from two throats, as one remained the same and the other sliced completely.

A body fell heavily on another. Wide black eyes locked, and the child ran to hug his naked mother.

She wrapped her shaking and bloody arms around him, whispering forgiveness. Whispering love, whispers in the dark.

Only love, only life.

-oOo-

A small square box lay on a bed. A black, professional word printed on a white note. A small hand holding the box, removing the cap. A shaking head full of once black now white hair shaking with restrained sorrow, with the suppressed urge to cry. One finger, three small taps on the small bottle inside the box, and ten small pills slip out silently. One, for her beloved. Two, for his woman. Three, for the woman's husband. Four, for her Itachi. Five, for her Sasuke. And five other pills for her.

Her black gaze stayed on them, the ten white pills. On her freedom, her escape.

She shook her head. No.

Go away. Selfish thoughts. Go away.

She will not surrender.

Not like he did.

-oOo-

"Mother. It's late." She jumped slightly, frightened. She whirled her beautiful waterfall of white hair to the source. She smiled with practiced strain. "Dear…You have the tendency to frighten me so late at night."

"I am sorry for doing so. Mother, father isn't coming back. He deserved what happened to him."

"Yes. I know." She sighed. Still. It hurts. More than she was trained to adapt to.

"I brought you some water." She looked up and locked gazes with her sons beautiful black one, so much like hers. She smiled tiredly, and reached out for it. Ten pills followed, carried by a small hand, pale and pure, like an angel. She stared at them numbly. "I know you want to, mother. It's okay. I will forgive you. Sasuke will too. We understand."

A sole tear slid down a frail cheek, to be wiped along with other second thoughts. Its destiny was sealed. "It's okay."

A shaking hand raised to take the ten white pills, grabbed them, a whispered 'I love you two so much' was whispered to a blurry face, and five deep gulps ended it all. The pain, the furious pain. "Tell Sasuke…I love him."

"He knows."

A black light flooded her everything, and she drowned in it, with such an ease that her sons eyes watered.

At least she died with a smile.

-oOo-

"Why?" He hissed through gritted, expression twisted in pain. So much so, it looked as if holding the expression in itself was painful. A dull black gaze lifted up from a bed and locked with a savage one. No answer came from the owner. The other was shaking with rage now, with so much hurt. But he won't cry. His father told him to be strong, and so shall he be. No tears.

"Why?" Again, no answer was formed. Two fists clenched, drawing blood. The dull gaze flicks shortly to the event, averts. Sasuke had seen the look. "So now you care of how I feel?" The voice was nearing a roar, even though it was nearly silent. Contradicting. Opposite. "I thought you cared. I thought you loved. You sick bastard! I hate you!"

"I know."

"You know. You know. Why doing this, Nii-san?" Every word was drenched with hate, with sadness, with rage. The other blinked. And again, welcoming the fleeting darkness for less then a second. He was tired. "I hope you rot in here."

He didn't flinch. Words didn't matter. His words were furious lies. They both knew Sasuke was lying. He probably just didn't understand. It is because he didn't look. "I know."

"Again. You know. You know so fucking much, don't you, Itachi? You know everything. You are flawless. Nothing can touch you, right?" His eyes were wet, and like wounds, little tear streaks bled out of his eyes. They were red with anger. He tried to dry them over and over, but they just kept coming up, no matter what he did. He felt so stupid, wiping his tears that were completely ignoring his wishes. Stupid, stupid tears. They just won't fucking listen!

"I…"

His eyes lifted from lowered shame, meeting black ones, just like his own. The older boy looked directly into his eyes, the look rolling and splashing feelings and memories of life, of love. Of innocence. God, were was his innocence? Did Itachi steal his innocence too? Wasn't his family enough? He had to take his ignorance as well? "Why, Itachi?"

"Does it matter?"

"YES! It fucking does! It matters, Nii-san, because, unlike you- family is all I have! All I HAD! I have nothing now." Itachi's eyes flickered to the tears, ears ringing with the towering force of the words vomited out of his little brother's mouth. "Sasuke."

Sasuke looked up. His wide black eyes swollen and big, thick eyelashes soaked and glued together. "Do you know how hard it is to break someone?" His eyes darkened in understanding. "It's…easy. You don't have to do anything. People just crack themselves for you. They break their own will, their own soul. All you have to do is just…give them a hand." He clenched his teeth harshly, emotion seeping out like water. "Mom and Dad—"

"Don't say their name!" He raised from his seat. His eyes were furious as the rest of him, almost completely obscured as result of his lowered brows. "Don't dare say their name." He hissed. "You don't have the right do to that anymore. Family says that." He spat angrily, face twisted in a sneer. Itachi sat in numb mute, staring out to random spaces. He needed this said.

"This was done…" It was done for you.

"To test…" To prove.

"The beauty of innocence." There is still life, there is still love, in you.

-oOo-

(1)- Nii-san is a traditional way to call your brother in Japanese.