Coping
Summary: Asuna finds herself broken after Itachi's death, while Daichi tires to help his daughter.
Maturity: Implications of marriage and pregnancy.
Fantasy: None
Pairing: ItaAsu
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Note: Every. Freaking. Time I watch Itachi's death I feel like I am about to bawl. It breaks my heart. :(
~~~~~
Asuna has never known how to cope with the death of someone close to her. When her mother died, Asuna spent her time locked up in her room bawling into her pillow, wishing it was just a bad dream that she would wake from in just a few short minutes. Her father knew this was a trait passed down by her mother, who had done the same after two miscarriages.
This time, however, Asuna wasn't crying into her pillow. In fact, she wasn't crying at all. She was just staring at the wall, a blank look on her face. Daichi had tried multiple times to get his seveneen-year-old daughter to sleep, but she didn't even acknowledge him, still staring at the wall.
"Asuna, please." Daichi gave Asuna a concerned look as she finally looked at him, his heart breaking at her face. "You need sleep. Think of the baby."
Asuna stared at him, before instantly looking down at her stomach, wishing the baby inside her would stop kicking, stop reminding her that his or her father was not going to be a part of their life.
"I can't stop thinking about him…"
"I know, Asuna."
Daichi understood all too well how it felt to lose a loved one, a spouse. He and Asari barely had thirteen years before she died, but Asuna and Itachi didn't even have a year, not even six months. It must have been worse, he thought. Being married for such a short time, finding out about a precious child, before he had died.
Although Asuna knew the way it happened, that final battle between brothers, she couldn't hate Sasuke. There wasn't a bone in her body that wanted to hate him, she knew why it happened. They were both her dear friends when she was a child, though only one of them became so much more.
Sasuke had tried, multiple times, to try and help Asuna, apologizing profusely once he found out the truth behind Itachi's actions. Asuna just gave him a broken smile each time and said she forgave, understanding that he knew nothing about what happened at the time. He didn't know why, but Sasuke had an uneasy feeling she was just lying.
"Dad?"
"Yes, Asuna?"
Asuna opened her mouth to speak, before closing and shaking her head.
"If you talk, it helps. Trust me."
"…why does it hurt so much?"
Daichi could just hear the tears threatening to break though, believing it took every bit of her not to cry as she spoke.
"Because you loved him. You don't know this, but when your mother died, I contemplated suicide multiple times."
Asuna's eyes widened and she finally looked up to him, shock written all over her place. "…what?"
Daichi gave her a sad smile, before nodding. "Daisuke is the only that knew. He stopped me before I could force myself to overdose on some old medications. Daisuke caught me, just a few months after your mother died. I was just about to take a number of the pills, before your brother broke into my room and tried to tell me you had broken your arm, but he stopped when he saw the pills. His eyes just widened and then he set such a glare at me. He said 'I can't believe you would seriously leave us like that!' before he ran back downstairs to you. That was when I realized I couldn't kill myself; I had to care for you and your brothers."
Asuna had listened intently the entire time, just staring, before she nodded. "Dad, do you think I can do this? Raise a baby?"
Daichi gave Asuna a smile, before finally walking over to her and kissing her forehead. "Of course. You are your mother's daughter. You may be younger than she was when we were expecting Souta, but, you will be fine, I know. I believe Itachi is your guardian angel, Asuna. He won't let anything happen to you or your child."
She took in a breath, before letting it out as she nodded, lying down for the first time in over twenty-four hours. Daichi grabbed her blanket, pulling it up over her, kissing his daughter's forehead once more.
"Asuna, you're going to be fine. And I know you're going to have a healthy, strong son."
Asuna nodded, staring at the wall once again after Daichi left the room.
"Please… please don't let my baby be taken from me, Lord… he's all I have left of Itachi…"
END
Author's Note: I have never written about Asuna's feelings after Itachi's death. This was hard, because I had to run it through my head how her emotions would be going, but then, numbness just felt like the best one for her.
She loved him so much.
This, also, is the first time I have ever addressed how Asuna's father felt after his wife died suddenly.
There will be a second chapter up in the morning/afternoon.
There will also be a new cover once I get on my mom's laptop in the morning/afternoon.