Stay With Me
~Chapter seven – Don't Leave Me~
~~~*~~~
My body was burning. I could feel my temperature increasing; my skin was hot and damp with sweat. I had yet to open my eyes and observe the damage – I was trying to figure out if I was even still alive.
There wasn't any pain, that's why I first thought I was dead. I was hot, yes, and sweaty, but there was no pain. Not until I took my first deep breath after waking up, with my eyes still closed. A jolt of searing pain attacked my ribs, my lungs heaved and I forced myself to stop breathing. The ache remained, clinging to my bones and numbing my mind of everything else. I never knew breathing could hurt that much. I must have broken all of my ribs and punctured my lungs. If I was still alive.
As soon as I calmed my breathing and lungs, I began to feel pain all over my body. I couldn't move at all. My limbs were bruised and scratched beyond the point of recognition, though I had yet to look at them. My chest ached fiercely and my head swam. I could feel the blood pulsing through my entire body, as if my veins were thin and about to tear. I opened my eyes, and immediately noticed that something was obstructing half my view. I could still see, but one of my eyes was not working. My right eye.
I looked up, and saw wooden boards. Perfectly straight wooden boards, all nailed together, about eight feet above me. I trailed the edge of them with my eyes, and saw that they were attached to more boards – vertical ones. And they were attached to boards that were lining the ground beneath me, as well, all perfectly symmetrical and evenly nailed.
I wasn't outside. I was in someone's house.
Cautiously, I looked around, slowly taking everything in. I was lying on a mat, probably made of straw, with an old wool blanket covering the lower half of my body. I didn't bother to try and look at myself – I couldn't move anything at all. I was paralyzed – but I did notice that I was wrapped quite thoroughly in bandages. I tried desperately to raise my right hand to my face, to see if I had lost an eye, but it wouldn't move. I really was paralyzed.
Depressed, I tilted my head as best I could to look around. The room was small, but filled with shelves, and those shelves occupied numerous jars and boxes. I assumed this was a food storage – it smelled like berries and dried fruit. A small, dirty, square window hung on the wall next to the door, which looked old and fragile. A thin, ugly, yellow piece of cloth covered half of the window, but most of the light still got through.
I couldn't see the rest of the room because my neck wouldn't bend that far, and my eye was obsolete. So I closed my eyes and thought only of the immense, maddening pain that coursed through my veins with my blood. I couldn't recall anything of what had happened. The ANBU, the bridge, the fall, Itachi and I clung to each other—
..,Itachi.
Where was he? What had happened? I opened my eyes again, and stared at the sunlight that poured through the little window.
Wherever I was, Itachi must have been here, too. If someone had rescued me, they would have rescued him too, right? He was probably just in a different house.
A long time past by in that little room. I could hear birds outside, see the sun beyond the dirty window pane, but I felt only the ache in my body. I couldn't fall back asleep, and the longer I sat in silence, I kept thinking about Itachi. Doubt turned to fear, and then to panic, and I found myself writhing in discomfort, rocking side-to-side in an attempt to push myself up, but it only made my wounds stretch and bleed.
I slumped against the mat and tried to breathe softly instead of panting. Sweat dripped down my face and body, soaking the blanket and bed beneath me. I tried to knock the damp, wool coverlet off with my legs, but even that was futile.
I considered rolling onto my stomach and crawling to find Itachi, but I quickly disregarded the idea. I probably wouldn't get anywhere, not with my injuries.
A loud creak tore through the silence and suddenly I was blinded by white light, shining directly into my eyes from the door across from me. Startled, I squinted and stared directly into it, making out the silhouette of a large human physique.
"Oh, you're awake?"
XXX
The room was dusty and cold. I shut the door behind me and slowly crept across the hardwood floor, which left gray dirt on the soles of my bare feet.
Everything was the way I remembered it, only older and deprived of human care. The bed and its sheets looked hard and uncomfortable, and the room was dark. The desk, bedside table, and dresser were all lifeless and covered in cobwebs. I hadn't been in this room in over a year. No one had.
This was Itachi's room.
I entered a little further inside and opened the thick, navy curtains. The dirty window glass suited the rest of the solemn furnishings.
The dark gray clouds outside didn't allow much light to fill the room, but it didn't matter anyways. I felt as though this room would never be bright and welcoming to me again. He had left it behind, and left me behind, and our memories were kept here in this place, filled with dust and darkness.
I sat on the edge of the bed. The sheets were soft and cottony like I remembered, but cold, and unkind. I collapsed onto my side and stared at the picture frame beside the bed. It was the family photo of him and me, with our parents. The same one that used to hang in the hallway, framed to look exquisite and proud.
But I liked this one much better, I always had. It was a smaller print and had only a cheap, dark wood frame. It was ordinary, and thus it was special, because very few things in the Uchiha household could be considered ordinary.
It was the only picture that made us look like a family, and not a self-obsessed clan of pride and power.
Itachi used to tell me that our family was different from other families, because we had a power and a potential that no one else did, and that it was something I should honour and be proud of. But he wasn't smiling when he told me that.
I reached forward and grabbed the dusty frame, holding it up in my hand. I used the sleeve of my other hand to wipe it clean of its dust, then laid it gently beside me on the bed. My fingers ran over the smooth glass as I stared at nothing, my eyes gradually closing, my body curling into a ball on my side. I hugged the picture against my chest and clenched my eyes shut. It wasn't fair. The whole thing was just too damn short.
Or was it too long, because I had let myself believe all his lies?
Because I had let myself fall in love with him?
No.
It was too short, because he had promised me we'd always be together.
And now it was over, because "always" had ended.
I knew since I was little that forever was just a word. Everything changes – Itachi had told me that. Happiness, suffering, kindness, cruelty... nothing stays the same.
But I was made to believe that love was an exception.
And even though I knew it was foolish, I believed in love and in forever, because Itachi had never led me astray, so I hoped for it...
I didn't want forever to be just a word.
XXX
"You're quite the trouper, kid. You survived a real nasty fall," the man said as he entered the room, shutting the door behind him. I looked away and shut my eyes for a second while I adjusted again to the dark room. The man walked forward and sat beside me on the floor, crossing his legs. I looked at him, analyzed him, and decided he wasn't a threat. His worn out trousers and tunic were old and stained, which led me to think he was some kind of hard labourer.
"My name's Matsudo. I'm sure you're probably wondering what happened and how you got here, well, you don't need to worry one bit. You're alive, if only barely. But my wife, she fixed you up a bit, and we had the doctor come and look you over. It's quite the miracle that you weren't killed, considering what happened. You got off real lucky, kid."
I looked up and examined the tanned face of this strange man, a grin stretched across his face in a welcoming gesture. I relaxed a little; glad to know that at least there wasn't any more immediate danger I had to face. Then I realized that he was silent, probably waiting for me to say something in response. I opened my mouth, and tried to force sound, words, anything, to come out but I could only groan. My throat was parched and my voice was hoarse, scratchy and all around unpleasant. I gave up and turned away from him in embarrassment, but he only gave a hearty chuckle.
"Don't force yourself, lad. You're still recovering. You broke five ribs and bruised your lungs, not to mention you probably sprained all your muscles. That old bridge fell on top of you, so you had lots of nasty cuts. Like I said, the Doc fixed you up, but now you need to recover. Oh, and you hit your head real hard, too, gave you a concussion and a black eye, so we wrapped you all up. That's why your head probably hurts so bad, eh? Yep, you're a lucky one, there's no hospital here for many miles, so when the Doc saw how banged up you were, he told us to start digging your grave! But it looks like you'll pull through after all. A real miracle,"
So, that's why I couldn't see; half my head was bandaged up. Well, at least I still had my eye. I continued to watch the man as he shifted to a slightly different position then grinned at me again.
"You hungry? We got some nice soft fruits here you can eat, or maybe some bread and honey? How about some good ol' milk? You must be real thirsty! Haven't eaten in three days since you been here,"
Three days? That's probably why I felt so completely weak. I nodded, not really caring what I got. I needed my strength, I needed food.
His cheerful expression didn't change as he stood up, "You wait right here, I'll go see what the wife can make for you," and he left through the door, shutting it behind him.
That's when I thought, that after I had something to eat, I needed to confront this man about everything that happened. I needed answers.
He returned shortly with a plate, full of berries, diced fruits, and bread soaked with honey and jam. A woman with a large belly and long wavy hair, wearing an apron, followed him holding a cup in one hand and bowl in the other.
"This is my wife Yumiko," he said as he sat down, setting the plate on the floor beside the mat, "we're expecting a baby soon," he added, almost as an afterthought.
"My, you're certainly looking better," the woman said with a cheerful tone as she knelt beside her husband, and placed the bowl somewhere next to my head, while she extended her hand that held the cup to my lips,
"It's water. It will help with your dehydration," she had a gentle, motherly voice. I opened my lips and let her tip the cup, so that the cool liquid filled my mouth and quenched my parched thirst. I gulped it down as fast and hard as I could, emptying the wooden cup in seconds.
"Dear, why don't you feed him while I clean up some of the blood that's seeped through his bandages?" She asked and picked up the bowl, shuffling her way further from my head and towards my lower body. I didn't protest – not that I could, if I had wanted to – when she removed the blanket from my legs and began to ring out the cloth that was dunked in the bowl of water.
When she began to peel away the bandages, I winced with the dull yet intense stinging sensation that jolted through my body. When she finished removing them she paused, and so did her husband. They both grimaced while staring profusely at my injuries. I couldn't lift my head, so I couldn't see how bad the damage was, but it must have been grotesque.
"A real miracle," Matsudo whispered, to himself.
I whimpered when she began to daub the damp cloth on my skin. It hurt more than I had assumed it would. Matsudo inched his way closer and began to pick the pieces of fruit from the plate, bringing them to my mouth. I chewed slowly, grateful that they were soft. The bread too, since it was wet with fresh berry jam and honey, was delectable and easy to swallow. In a matter of moments I had eaten the entire plate. My body felt instantly better. I was ready for a long, deep rest.
Yumiko finished cleaning my wounds and rewrapped the bandages. Then she grabbed the bowl and cup, and gestured for her husband to hand her the empty plate. He complied and she said,
"Stay here, Dear, and I will go make us some nice tea. I'm sure the herbs will soothe that ache in your throat," she said to me with a smile, and left without another word. Matsudo had a tranquil and utterly content look on his face as he watched his pregnant wife hobble out the door.
"She'll be havin' the baby any day, the Doc says. You might even be here to see it, if those wounds are any indication. But I guess you'll be on your way as soon as you can; you're family must be worried sick,"
For a moment my heart ceased to beat. He made it sound like I was alone, completely alone when they found me.
Then what about Itachi?
I didn't say anything. The room fell into a cold silence as I stared at the solid wooden boards that made up the ceiling. They looked very old. Secure, but old. Matsudo looked at me with a slightly concerned face at the sudden tension and cold atmosphere.
"...You're more than welcome to stay here, lad. This is the storage we use for my wife's homemade jams and harvested honey, but we've had this mat set up for company just like yourself. You can use it as long as you like, if there ain't no one out lookin' for you..."
XXX
"Sasuke!"
I looked over my shoulder when Itachi called out to me. I turned back around when I saw his worried expression as he ran towards me, my feet dragging through the dirt as I swung back and forth slowly on the old swing by the river.
The one that Itachi and I had made together.
"Sasuke, where on earth have you been? I've looked everywhere for you," Itachi's voice was slightly flustered as he sat against the tree I was hanging from. I didn't raise my eyes to meet him. I just watched as my sandals scraped slowly against the soft dirt, creating a small cloud of dust.
"What's it matter, anyways? It's Dad who doesn't care if I'm there or not," my voice sounded whiney and immature; I sounded just like the brat my father claimed me to be.
Itachi sighed, bringing one knee up to his chest and resting his upper body against it, "He does care, Sasuke, he just has a lot on his mind right now. I know you want to prove yourself to him, but you're still young so there's no need to be hasty. He'll acknowledge your abilities soon enough,"
"He acknowledged yours when you were a lot younger than me," I argued, looking at my brother for the first time, "and you don't know what it feels like to be ignored by someone that you desperately want to love you," I looked away again, feeling my eyes moisten behind my lids. Itachi sighed again,
"Sasuke listen, I-"
"-Just go away, Itachi... I want to be alone," I said with a weak voice, my eyes watering and blurring my sight. I heard the rustle of tall grass when Itachi stood up, and the next thing I knew, I was being lifted from the swing and held against his chest. He walked over to bank of the river and sat, cradling me in his arms.
I began to cry then. Warm tears ran down my cheeks and I nestled my head against his neck, sniffling and sobbing quietly. Itachi didn't say anything, he just sat and let me cry until I was tired.
"No matter what happens... I'll always come find you. If ever we are separated, no matter how far apart... I will look for you, and I will find you," He wrapped his arms around my back, gently, yet firmly. I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck, crashing my wet face against his sturdy collarbone.
"I love you, Sasuke."
XXX
The tea had been hot, and soothing. I drank it slowly to savour the bitter, pungent flavour. When the cup was empty, it was dark outside. My two hosts hadn't moved much since they had seated themselves at my bedside. They had been conversing amongst each other quietly while sipping their tea, and at the same time providing assistance when I needed it with my own beverage. It had certainly succeeded in making my throat feel better.
"So, son, where are you from?" Matsudo asked, as his hand rubbed his wife's affectionately. They both looked at me with warm, welcoming faces that made my throat tighten.
"The land... of Fire..." I managed to whisper coarsely. The sound of my own voice was painful to hear.
"That's quite far away... what are you doing so far from home?" His wife asked, stilling looking at me.
"My... brother... and I... were... attacked... did you... find anyone... else...?" It hurt to speak still, though my aching gullet had been quenched.
"Have... you... seen... him...?" They looked at each other for a moment, then Matsudo closed his eyes and sat still with a sullen expression, before moving to the space beside my head – the right side, I couldn't see what he was doing – he sat for a moment, the sound of rustling was quiet yet echoed in the room, and then he moved back beside his wife. I saw what he was holding; tattered and stained with blood, yet neatly folded as good as it could've been.
Itachi's Akatsuki cloak.
"Is this your brother's?" He asked me as he unfolded it slightly, and held it up to the candlelit lanterns his wife had brought us. It was filled with holes, shredded, torn, and ripped. My mind went blank as I processed what it meant.
Itachi's Akatsuki cloak.
Ripped and covered in blood.
Yet Itachi wasn't here, or anywhere.
Where was he?
Whose blood was on that cloak?
My lips were parted into an appalled look of awestruck horror. I realized the truth of what this meant. Itachi was...
No. It wasn't true. It couldn't be. Itachi would never... so easily...
"When we found you on the river bank, this was wrapped around you. We thought it was yours, but it's much too big. If your brother was with you as you said, then is this his?"
I could only nod.
"We didn't find anyone else, though we did look. After we found you, and the broken bridge, we figured that there must have been some kind of accident. We searched the wreckage and river shore for days, but no one except you has shown up..."
I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath. Itachi was probably in worse shape than I was; only he didn't have anyone looking after him. Without medical treatment, how could he have possibly survived?
What was I supposed to do now?
"I love you, Sasuke."
My eyes were clenched shut when hot tears started to leak from my eyes. I was completely silent, not letting a single sob escape my lips, as the warm droplets streamed down my temples and into my hair.
I fisted the blanket violently, suddenly finding the strength to do so. Yet at the same time, I felt so completely and utterly weak...
Weak... helpless...
Alone.
The man and woman exchanged glances, then stood to leave. Yumiko gathered the empty wooden tea cups while Matsudo blew out the lanterns and carried them away. After I heard the door shut, and felt the room darken completely, I waited, and listened to the retreating footsteps of my caretakers.
When I could no longer hear or sense any other living creature, I decided I was alone.
I lied to you.
I never wanted to be alone.
Now I could be vulnerable. Helpless.
I began to sob, and the pain within my body was utterly forgotten.
Don't leave me.
~~~*~~~
Author's Note: I'm sorry. Forgive me? I know I promised that this chapter would be up much, much sooner. But life got in my way so I had to postpone it. Chapter eight, however, is almost done, and I considered waiting to finish it and then just publishing both chapters at once, but it's getting late so I would've had to make you all wait another day. So, I decided to post this chapter now. It's Thursday the 16th, so I'd say chapter eight will be up tomorrow night at the very latest. Again, thank you all so much for all the feedback. I love you guys. -heart-
Also, please forgive the boring chapter. Next chapter will have a lemon for you. :)
