Yo. I try SO hard to pace myself, but I can't help but write and post SOMETHING every day...

WARNING: EXTREMELY SAD, MUSHY, AND JUST PLAIN CHEESINESS.

DON'T OWN NARUTO.


Early the next morning, Itachi got up to visit Kimiko in the hospital.

"But why can't I come with you, Aniki?" Sasuke asked, his tone sounding quite offended and hurt.

"Because, you're still recovering and mom would kill me if I let you come." Itachi explained calmly, ruffling Sasuke's raven black hair.

"Well, is there anything I can do while I'm here?" Sasuke asked, looking up at his brother.

"Yeah, there is, actually. Call everyone and tell them that Kimiko's in the hospital. They should at least know what's going on with her." Itachi said, stuffing his cell phone in his pocket before walking towards the direction of the door.

He left and rushed to the hospital, and was there in less than 20 minutes, his personal best involving someone other than Sasuke.

He was met by Tsunade and Shizune, who were seemingly waiting for him or someone else close enough to Kimiko to be considered family.

"Is she up?" Itachi asked, shoving his hands into his pockets, a trait he learned from Sasuke.

"Yeah. I thought she would sleep better than that, but she was apparently having nightmares, so we let her stay up." Shizune explained, taking a sip tea.

"No matter how hard we tried, she just wouldn't go back to sleep." Tsunade added, adjusting the cup in her hands.

Shizune gave him the coordinates to Kimiko's room, and he arrived within 6 minutes due to his rather good memory.

He slowly opened the door and walked inside of the room, letting the door shut slowly behind him.

At first, he thought Kimiko was asleep, as she was lying down and ad her head turned towards the window on the opposite side of the room.

"Good morning, Itachi." She greeted softly, not moving from her position.

Itachi jumped a little in surprise, but quickly recovered.

"Good morning, Kimiko." He replied, sitting down in the seat next to the bed.

"How are you?" Itachi asked, trying to avoid the dreaded awkward silence.

"I've… been better…" Kimiko said, sighing. She still hadn't turned towards him, which made him feel uneasy.

The dreaded awkward silence fell across the two, and it remained for quite a while.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Itachi asked suddenly, his burning curiosity getting the best of him.

"Why would I burden you guys with such a trivial fact?" Kimiko answered blankly, immediately knowing what he was talking about.

"How could it be a trivial fact? YOU COULDA FREAKING DIED, KIMIKO." Itachi said, his tone in a deadly serious tone.

"Look, I… I couldn't bring myself to tell you guys the truth because… I thought it would… ruin everything we have together…" Kimiko said slowly, still refusing to turn and look Itachi in the eye.

"NOTHING could ever ruin everything we have together. Not even something like this. We care about you a lot, Kimiko." Itachi said, his eyes staring at the back of her head.

"No you guys don't. No one ever has, and no one ever will." She said, her voice cracking.

Itachi's eyes widened in shock. Her father's words got through to her.

"You can drop the act. I know no one could care about someone like me." Kimiko said, apparently able to suppress the tears that Itachi knew were imminent.

"It's NOT AN ACT, KIMIKO." Itachi said, looking down, hoping that the stinging sensation in the back of his eyes would go away.

"I find that so hard to believe." Kimiko said, her gaze still directed towards the window.

"Well believe it. I swear, I would've slaughtered your parents myself if Sasuke hadn't restrained me. You really mean a lot to us and, it hurts a lot to see you like this." Itachi said, blinking to push back the tears.

Kimiko finally turned to him, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I… can't stop thinking about… what my dad said to me, though… It hurts to think that you guys don't care about me, but it's a just something I can't get out of my head… I'm just… really mad at myself for… letting you guys get involved in this… Because… I really love you guys… and… everything that happened to me just wouldn't change that… I can't stop loving you guys and it kills me to see… such amazing people… try to help someone as doomed and damned as me… " Kimiko said, all those emotions finally escaping. She buried her pale face in her hands and began crying. Itachi did the one thing he knew would work. He hugged her, just when she got to the point where she was screaming. She cried into his shirt and he could clearly feel her shaking with the pent up emotion. He let her cry for a little while, as he knew that she needed to let go of all those ugly feelings.

"Well stop thinking about the sick lies your father told you and start listening to US when we say that we love you!" Itachi said, placing a hand on the back of her head.

She gasped in surprise, and looked up at him.

"…R-really?" She asked, her green-brown eyes shimmering with more tears.

"Hell yeah." Itachi said, giving her a reassuring smile.

"And by all accounts, you are NOT a doomed or damned child. You're an amazing girl and it's really a shame that you can put yourself down this way." Itachi said, hugging her a little tighter.

She smiled and wiped her eyes.

"Thanks…" She said, swiping another tear trying to escape her glassy eyes.


Hm... Was it any good? I dumped all my emoness out and I found inspiration for THIS in there... I'm normally not the kind of person to post my mushy bonding crap for public eyes, but this made it's way in here, so I hope you liked it.

...REVIEWS... I NEED... REVIEWS... (P.S. I smiled SO much when reading the last few.)