Things I'll Always Remember
Shadow part 2
A/N:Hey there:) Here is another chapter. Sorry for the slightly longer wait, but it was also a bigger chapter. I've got 8.345 words on this one, it was a bitch to type. And really now, I'm angry with you guys. I can see that I've got plenty of people to favorite my story, but they won't take 5 minutes to review. That's disappointing, really. How am I supposed to know if you like my writing if you don't bother to give me any feedback on it? Just sayin'...
That's why I would especially like to thank my devoted reviewers, Charrmed -you're a sweetheart, thank you for yout honest opinions, they made my day. Really.
Also, there is 6strangeDOLL9, she also manages to make me jump with happiness every time I see her reviews:)
That was it, I'm done rambling. I hope this chapter will be to your liking (and take the time to tell me if anything's wrong, or if you'd like to suggest me something. I don't mind. Honestly.).Read. Review. Pwease.
(Sasuke POV)
I hate my life. I'm all alone in this huge cottage, not actually alone, but that's the feeling. The only other person here is talking on the phone in what I presume is the kitchen.
After 10 minutes, he returned to the room I was in and gave me a cup of tea. After that, both of us were silent.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" I questioned him after sipping on my tea.
"I thought you enjoyed silence."
"You don't know me, why would you assume that?"
"Your brother did"
"I don't. We're only alike in appearance, otherwise we're pretty different."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Do you know Itachi? Are you friends?"
"Yes and no. I've spent quite a lot of time with him, but I wouldn't say we're friends. More like comrades."
"Aren't comrades usually friends?"
"Maybe. All the other Akatsuki members are friends with him, except for me. He doesn't trust me all that much, I guess. When Kisame returns, you can ask him if you want to know something. Kisame is his partner and he's the closest to him. Or, you could ask Sasori. Neither of them admitted being friends, but Sasori seems to know a lot of things about Itachi."
"Might be because I told him. Sasori is my best friend since I was 7, but he never told me he was a member of Akatsuki. Nor did Itachi…"
"They aren't allowed to tell anybody."
"Whatever. What are the teams?"
"Itachi with Kisame, Sasori with Deidara, Leader with Konan, Hidan with Kakuzu, and I'm on my own. We're 9."
"I know you all, except for Kisame. I've first met Deidara as Sasori's boyfriend 1 year ago, Kakuzu and Hidan are always coming to our house, they've been Itachi's friends since forever. I didn't know Pein and Konan, AND you, but now I do. I can't wait to meet Kisame."
"So that's what Kisame meant when he said Akatsuki's special. Well, well, who would've guessed…?" He whispered that, so I decided not to question him about it.
"What do you know about Itachi?"
"Not much. He's usually very quiet about himself. He cares for all of his friends, helping everybody. Other than that, he never smiles, he only smirks, he's always very serious about everything, he absolutely lacks the ability to feel, and I personally categorized him as frigid. Sasori, but especially Hidan told me he isn't frigid in the least, though."
"You make me laugh. Frigid my ass, I wish he was. Tell that to the 37 guys I've found him with"
"You count them? Brothers actually do that? If I had one, I'd never want to know anything about his sex life."
"Don't get me wrong, I don't want to have anything to do with that as well, but I run in on him most of the times, so…"
"Why do you?"
"It doesn't matter. I bet he wouldn't want anyone to know, anyway.
"Okay, but I'm still surprised."
One whole hour passed as I continued chatting with Tobi, who was really a cool guy when he tried. Still, he made me feel uneasy, like something was wrong with him…
"Look, I don't want to scare you, but Kisame left in order to find Itachi, and when he brings him here…Just don't panic, okay?"
"What do you mean, did something happen to him?" I was very calm when I asked this, because I expected it. I got myself ready for the worst case.
"Really now, you're a smaller version of Itachi. Always keeping cool, I can't believe you, cyborgs. To say it right, we don't know what happened to him exactly. He got caught by a cartel of drugs."
"What, are you serious? I thought he was an assassin? Or, that's what Pein said."
"Well, that's true, but…"
"But?"
"Leader rarely sends him on assassination missions. Itachi always overdoes it. He doesn't resume to killing one person, he leaves a total massacre behind. And he does that only by punching one to death, so even Leader is afraid of him… He was there only to spy on the cartel."
"Tell me something… are you the good guys or the bad guys?"
"We work with the police, but what we're doing isn't exactly legal. It's only that nobody would ever charge us, because we're of help, in the end. This time, Itachi was spying on the cartel of drugs so we could take them down. That's how he got caught."
"And… what did they…"
"…do to him? We don't know either. Usually, it's very hard to get away from them once you're caught. The only way is legs first. That's why everybody came to Somerset, we were almost sure he died in there. We were all in 'panic' mode."
"So, he got out! He did it!"
"Yes, he did, but that's also the reason Leader came here. As you heard, Itachi was moving very slowly. And that means he's not doing so good, and only God knows what he's been through while in there."
"Is it the first time…?"
"Second. First time was when he was 18, but he got out after only one day. He sent those guys to the morgue with a smirk. We even got him a T-shirt with "Don't fear the Reaper", but he gave it to Hidan."
"But, how… why didn't he… get out…faster?"
"Nobody knows, kid. You'll have to ask him personally. Usually, the drug dealers tend to either beat you to death, or threaten you with killing your friends and family."
"But that's…"
"Cruel? Barbaric? It is. They have stone hearts. They enjoy seeing people suffer in agony."
"Hey, Tobi?"
"Wait. Kisame's calling me. Hello?" Good thing he decided to let me hear the conversation, he put the phone on speaker.
"Tobi, dude, I found him!"
"That's nice. Alive or dead?" I almost choked on my tea. What the fuck, dead?
"Alive. Well, half dead. He's very bad, I've never seen that much blood in my life, I'm tellin' ya… It's scary. And he looks like he hasn't eaten the past week or more, we've gotta feed him."
"Did he tell you anything?" I was about to yell in that phone 'Let me talk to him!' but the next statement made me collapse on the sofa with my eyes wide open in disbelief.
"Of course not! He's fainted. Well, worse. Get all the medical supplies we never knew how to use, we're gonna need them. It's a race against time."
"But we need a doctor, we suck at medicine, remember?"
"I know. I've solved that problem already. Now, fast, go call Sasori, we need him here."
"Why?"
"Look, it's a long story…"
"Cut it short."
"Fine! Gosh, it's hard to drive and talk at the same time, especially in a wood! So, long story short, Itachi was 100% sure he was gonna die, and left two messages. One for his little bro and one for Sasori. Considering the first one is in Denver, we should at least call Sasori."
"Lucky us, the little brother is here, he came with Leader."
"And why didn't you tell me earlier, you moron? I shouldn't have given so many details!"
"He was prepared for that."
"Nobody is prepared for something like that!"
"He was anyway going to see him once you brought him here."
"I gotta go, okay? See you in 15 minutes."
"Only? Was he that close?"
"No, I've been driving for an hour already. Bye"
"Bye."
(Kisame POV)
"Sakura, Sasuke's at the cottage."
"Wow. Well, half of me is screaming 'Fuck yeah', but the other half is like 'Why, God, why?'"
"I would go with the latter if I were you."
"We'll wait and see… But, he's going to be ruined. He cares for Itachi like you wouldn't believe. It's going to be hard for him… Good part is that I have an idea on how to cure Itachi. If only we have some blood donor to make a transfusion, he'll be fine in no time at all…"
"Cool. And, it's hard for me too, he's my best friend!"
"He's not the only family you have left, the only one that matters to you. It's different, you don't know Sasuke… He always clings to his brother like a 5 year old. It's a strong bond between them."
"I know you're right, trust me. I was only trying to say that I'm broken on the inside as well, but I need to keep a clear mind."
"Way to go, buddy."
"And I'm tellin' ya, if I ever find out who did this to him, and if I'm ever going to meet him, I'll rip off his balls and staple them to his forehead."
"I'd like to take a picture of that."
"I'll grant you the wish."
No more words had been said between us. If someone would be watching us, they would categorize this as an awkward silence, but it was not. We were both lost in our own thoughts and the silence was helping put our thoughts in order. Or at least, that's what it was for me. 15 minutes passed too fast for my taste. My tormented mind wanted some more time to think the situation over, I was mentally screaming 'pinch me!', wishing it was all just a nightmare. It wasn't. The cottage was in front of me, Sakura was on my side and Itachi in my arms, looking all cold and lifeless. I managed to ask Sakura haw she managed to stop the internal bleeding, and she told me she gave him a shot after he passed out, with a blood coagulant. She also mentioned it was a risky method that would only work for 12 hours or so before all the blood would 'freeze'. Of course, she explained that in the easiest way possible, even a toddler would understand. She called it 'medicine for dummies', like myself.
But anyway, right now I had to be as fast as possible unless I want to meet Itachi's little brat brother. Sakura gave me a nod and I opened the cottage door. The first person I saw was Tobi, who whispered to me 'Be silent' and led me to a room. He told me to put Itachi down and look at him with a strange glint in his eyes, then sighed.
"I told you to be silent because Sasuke doesn't know you're here just yet. I wanted to make Itachi a little bit more 'presentable', so the boy won't have mental scars for life…"
I nodded in understanding, although wondering why he would care about the kid's feelings. All the medical stuff Sakura asked for was there, so I allowed myself to leave the room. I couldn't be of any help, anyways. I opened the door to get out, when I saw a smaller version of Itachi standing outside, with a raised eyebrow.
"Just how stupid do you think I am?" He pushed me out of his way before I had any chance to answer. He approached the bed and looked at Itachi. His first reaction was to panic, but it was soon replaced by something rather unexpected.
It was a quiet anger in his deep obsidian eyes that looked almost identical to his brother's. But the quiet anger was only a cover for the pain he was feeling, I know it. He was only angry on Itachi for letting this happen to himself, for even putting his life in danger. He wasn't on the verge of crying. He was confident, something I was not. It was the power to hope, I guess. At 27, I've seen too many people die before my eyes, the possibility for another person to do the same was normal to me… Maybe the kid was right, though. We can at least hope for the best. Why? Because it's the right thing to do.
I scanned the boy from head to toe, and I realized why Itachi loved him so much. He was gorgeous. That innocent type of gorgeous. Itachi was the mysterious type of gorgeous. One of them was beautiful for being so naïve; the other was beautiful for being… for being how exactly?
I never actually thought about this, about what made a person beautiful. The body? The soul? The dreams? The hopes? The pain? All of those? None of those? Why did I find the little brother so beautiful? Why did I stare at Itachi for so long, when I saw him covered in blood, thinking he was beautiful? Why, looking at both of them, I find them completing each other in the form of a masterpiece? It wasn't that I was attracted to them; I always preferred Sakura instead, even if she's not quite the beauty queen. No, it wasn't that…
I've only seen the 'little one' in pictures, but it was impossible to miss the way his face was different every time he looked at Itachi. There was something about them that made me laugh and cry. They were the perfect matching pieces of a puzzle they created together.
Same hair color, same eyes, same nose, same lean body, same pale skin… Same, same, same. Yet different. Oddly different. Same eyes, yet the shades were telling different stories, different persons. Just as the kid will never have Itachi's charm, Itachi will never have his brother's naiveté.
Sakura snapped me out of my thoughts with a slap. "It's not time for day dreaming!" That was also the moment Sasuke acknowledged her presence.
"What? Sakura?"
"Yeah, it's me, duck butt. What's up?"
Some strange nicknames teenagers have these days… When I was a teenager, people simply called me fish boy, because I was Norwegian. Meanwhile, Tobi brought some water and fresh and clean cloths, and Sakura started cleaning the blood. All this time, she's been talking to Sasuke, joking, smiling, enjoying herself, but still being careful with Itachi. I was a little confused on why they were both so cheerful in such a situation. It's almost like Sakura suddenly forgot about Itachi's internal bleeding.
"Okay, I cleaned him. Hey, you, the guy I don't know, bring me a small and sharp knife." Tobi went out of the room and came back with a fruit cutting knife. Those small things that I always laughed at, and that also had a very blunt edge. Sakura looked at him with that 'what the fuck' face.
"Hey, why don't you just bring me a butcher's knife instead, huh? Sasuke, do you still have that Swiss dagger with you?"
"It's not a dagger, it's a pocket knife. And yes, I have it." He handed her the pocket knife, which she further passed to Tobi, telling him to put the blade in fire, so it would disinfect. When he came back, she took it quickly, asking Sasuke to keep his hands on Itachi's lower stomach. I didn't quite get that, but then she made a 1-inch cut on the left part of his stomach, and blood started pouring slowly.
"Sakura, why did you bother to clean him if you spilled blood again?"
"I needed to clean his wounds, and around the portion I've cut. Stop bitching; I know what I'm doing. He wasn't that bad after all, look at the blood that's coming out."
"And how is that a good thing?" I asked her.
"That means the blood coagulants worked, and I don't have to open the whole stomach in order to get the blood out."
"But how do you… stop the blood from pouring in his stomach?"
"Shut up and watch."
Sakura took the knife once more and searched for a spot, which she found. It had a big bruise over. Sakura told Sasuke she found the spot when she was examining him the first day they brought him and that was the only weak spot where the tissue broke. I exited the room, so I was spared the view. I could hear Sakura yell at Sasuke "Hell, did you forget all the anatomy we learned together? You used to be even better than me!" The answer came, "Yeah, but I don't have the experience you do. I didn't spend my time chopping Itachi off, you know?"
Despite all those 'fights' they had, and the stupid nicknames, they made a great team. I've never someone talk like that to a friend… but they could understand what the other was thinking, and the whole situation seemed less chaotic than at first.
"Come in!" I didn't know if she meant me, but seeing as I was the only one standing in front of the door, I entered.
"I know you didn't want to see the whole thing, so now that we're done, I called you back. I need you to tell me what blood type Itachi has. And I pray it's AB"
"I don't have any idea… Honestly, I never asked him." Sasuke suddenly looked away, with a sad face.
"He's type 0. We're both 0 negative…" I wish I knew what that meant. To me, it was just another number. But why did Sasuke look guilty?
"Damn! Could it be any worse? Kisame, what about you?"
"I'm A."
"And the other guy, the one without a name?"
"I don't know, I'll go ask."
I left the room and asked Tobi what blood type he had, and he was an A as well as me. He also informed me that Sakura was so bitchy about it because type 0 can only take transfusions from 0, while AB can take transfusions from any other blood type. He also wondered why that would be a problem, considering Sasuke said he was a 0 negative as well. It was normal, they were brothers.
Before I entered the room they were in, I found myself eavesdropping. I was aware they didn't want anybody to hear, because they were talking in a pretty low voice.
'No, Sasuke! I said no! You're NOT giving him his blood! I forbid you!'
'You want me to watch him die slowly? He needs it, even if he's stable now, he needs blood for his system to restart functioning! If he dies, I swear I'll commit suicide! I don't have anyone left, he was the only one, always… I had to live with the pain that my parents died in that car crush because I kept texting them to move faster, I can't let him die! This time, it would totally be my fault!'
'You really don't remember what happened the last time you lost blood? Are you really missing the fact you're not normal like everybody else?'
'Why do you think I care if I suffer? As long as Itachi's gonna be fine, I'm okay with it.'
'You're okay with it? You didn't seem to be okay last time. You have a rare case of anemia, Sasuke!'
'I know that.'
'I don't want to see you like that, duck butt! Even if it's not real danger, it shortens your lifespan every time!'
'Not with much. And I plan to die old, so…'
'You won't be able to get old if you do this, and end up in the hospital for 3 days!'
'I promise I'll eat a lot, and drink a lot afterwards…'
'3 DAYS! Are you at least listening to me? He might survive with the little he has left, I'll just put him on perfusions and he'll be fine, his body should be able to produce some more blood on his own. It's only going to take a lot more time.'
'You keep forgetting I'm better at theoretical medicine than you are. I lack experience, not brains. It's bad.'
I decided to stop their fight by knocking at the door. Sakura opened it, and I could read the frustration on her face.
"He's A."
"See, Sakura? Let me do it! It's not Itachi's fault we've been born with the rarest blood type possible! Not even 0 positive, it had to be 0 negative. But we have the same blood! Let me do it!"
"No. Kisame, get me a perfusion; he'll have to produce his own blood. He'll be able to do it, though."
I was thankful I knew what a perfusion was. I was a bit surprised to find out that Itachi's little bro was keen on medicine. But what left me mouth agape was the pouty face the boy made. No wonder Itachi could never refuse him anything. Not with that face!
I was willing to place a bet that, if the boy was in the slightest bit like Itachi was, he would wait for Sakura to leave the room and do the transfusion himself. Another one of Itachi's famous quotes: "If you want something done properly, you've gotta do it yourself"
"Let me fuckin' do it! What do you know, anyway? You don't know how it is to have a brother!"
"No."
"Nothing's gonna happen to me! I'll be hurting and unconscious for 1 day and then I'll be fine!"
"You mean 3 days, and no."
"You don't understand… Try to look at this from my point of view! I can't see him like this! He's… dead! I want to help him be better, I love him!"
"You can say whatever, it's still gonna be no."
"I hate you so much right now!" Tee-hee, he looked almost funny. Sasuke was so childishly frustrated, he looked like he was just about to stomp his feet to the floor and start screaming like a 5 year old.
"Sasuke, keep going and I'll hit you. In the face."
"…with a shovel, yes, I know you will. You always say that and throw your specific tantrums at me."
And then, she slapped him. Like in bitch-slapped him. And really now… Holy Mother of God, I'd give anything not to be on the receiving end of one of those slaps.
"That fucking hurt!"
"You deserved it! And don't talk like that in front of the girl!"
"Where's the girl, I can't see any. You're just some stupid bitch right now!"
"You're pissing me off! I know what you're trying to do, but I won't allow you to do it, deal with it! You can't always have what you want."
He looked at her angrily, and his eyes seemed to catch a shade of red, like they were bloodshot. I knew that look from Itachi, and it was bad. When Itachi got that look, he always meant with it 'the morgue is anyways closer than the hospital'.
"Hey, Sakura, didn't you say Itachi left a message for Sasuke?" I was inwardly congratulating myself for what I've just said, even though Sakura didn't look too happy about it.
"Ah, that… He was just babbling about something… it's not important right now. Besides, he told me to tell Sasuke only if he died, so…"
"But I want to know!" the boy whispered to himself. "It was the last thing he said, I want to know…"
"Fine, but I'll only tell you because you asked me to. So, after that, please stop pestering me about the transfusion, okay?"
"Fine, be it your way…"
I saw Sakura look at me, and then she went to Sasuke and whispered in his ear. I'm sure as hell it wasn't only Itachi's message. It took way too long, but I couldn't hear anything, unfortunately. She really wanted it private.
I saw the boy's eyes widen, like they would pop out any time. Sakura eventually stopped and he started digging for something in his pocket, revealing a little letter. He didn't let Sakura read it, though. His arms were shaking as he opened and read it.
I think I blinked, but the very next second, he was again sobbing quietly, exiting the room and telling Sakura to 'leave him alone for a while'. I handed the perfusion to her, and after she put the needle in his arm, we both left the room, with me showing her one of the bedrooms, where she could rest. I can't help but wonder where that little brat could've gone.
(Sasuke POV)
'He asked me to tell you that he was sorry, and that he remembers that night you asked him about. He also said he meant all he had said back then'
The roof of the cottage is the ideal place to sit and think… Itachi's words struck me deep. I wasn't very sure how to take them, until I opened the last note he left me. I looked at it once again, seeing his perfect handwriting, those words scribbled in black ink that pierced into my soul.
"I apologize, little one, for leaving. Maybe you hate me now… But even if you do, that's what big brothers are for. I love you more than anything, Sasuke. Never forget that."
Once again, those words… I love you more than anything. Never forget that. It brought back so many memories. Sweet memories, with him telling me that every time we slept together because I was afraid of the storms outside. His eyes were so soft and caring every time he said that to me.
I put my arms around my knees and I looked down. He remembered that night… Maybe he remembered it better than me. I barely recalled portions of it. I never was able to recall it whole, and he kept denying remembering it. Why did he deny? I could almost feel myself fall asleep, in that strange position, with my head on my knees. I could see the images flash in my head, like a dream, like a memory, a long forgotten memory…
~~~Flashback~~~
"It's alright, Sasuke, you don't have to worry. I'm here with you, and I'll never leave."
"Do you promise?" I asked, holding his hand tightly. "Or are you going to lie to me again? You promise?"
Itachi nodded. "I promise"
The distance between us shrunk as he pulled me closer, kissing my neck. It felt strange to have something so soft and silken up against me. He let out a sigh, his arms wrapping around my body tighter, slight giggles leaving my lips.
"I love you, little one," he whispered in my ear.
"I love you too" I giggled as my eyes opened slightly.
"But do you understand me? I love you…" His hand moved to either side of my face as he continued kissing my neck.
Naïve to what was going on at the time I just kept laughing at the sensation. It tickled. And I was almost asleep, barely feeling his touch.
"I love you more than anything," he said, resuming his position, next to me. "Never forget that…"
'I love you more than anything,' my eyes opened as I let out a small gasp. The memory felt so real, it was so clear this time… I could remember his lips on my neck, I remembered it all so clearly: the rain, the thunderstorm, the kisses. What happened in that bed all those years ago was almost forgotten. My brother was so close to me…
Why did he do that to me? I laughed the whole time it was happening, I laughed when I felt Itachi bite on my neck, leaving a small mark. Itachi tried to mark me as his own before. Only now I understand what he was doing to me.
I love you more than anything…
Itachi told me everything that night and I didn't understand until now. Itachi was in love with me; my brother was in love with me ever since I was a child. But how? What was the attraction he felt for an 8 year old? But I blame myself. All I did was laugh and repeat all he said.
How? How hard had it been for him to hold back his feelings for me all this time? Why did he have to leave 2 weeks ago? I didn't want it like that.
I closed my eyes and now I was suffering the same fate. I was in love with my brother. I had been all along…
I looked at the sky until it was midnight. I was sleepy, but my mind was clear. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. What I was going to do. I'm going to give back some of the love I received. It's such a little thing for anybody else…
I got off the roof, planning to go to the room where Itachi was. It wasn't locked, thank god. I opened it, and it was completely dark, but I could still distinguish some forms. I switched on the lights, and near his bed, there was Kisame, looking me in the eyes. So, Sakura knew I would come back.
"Took you long enough, kid." Why does everybody in Akatsuki call me kid? I'm 17, not 5!
"You were expecting me?"
"Obviously. It's been 4 hours now. Were you counting the stars or what?"
"No. Did Sakura put you in here to keep me away from him." It sounded more like a statement, but I bet both of us know the answer already.
"Yes, she did. But right now, I'll make my exit. Give you some time alone with him…"
"You know what I'm going to do. And you know Sakura is against it. Why?"
"Because I'm Itachi's friend, not yours. I don't give a fuck if you stay in a coma for 3 days, as long as he'll be fine. Besides, Sakura said you'll be just fine after those 3 days, so go on, live your petty dream and help him. I'm out."
"I know I'm not as smart as you guys are, but even I realize that's not the whole reason."
"Strange specimens you are. Both your brother and you, figuring everything out immediately. Fine, kid, I'll tell ya. Maybe I'm being a little selfish, but I don't want him to die here. That was one. Two, I know for sure that he would regret dying and not having done and said certain things. Things that are mostly related to you. Three, he suffered enough already. I think he deserves to get his life back, after all he's been through. I think there are even more things to be said, but I'm not the one to tell you those."
He didn't say anything else. He looked at Itachi one last time, whispering something, but I could only get a 'dream' out of it. Then he left, and I was left alone with Itachi.
He looked strangely peaceful, lying there, covered by a thin blanket. There were beads of sweat on his forehead. Sakura tied his hair in a ponytail, of course, after suggesting that he should cut short. I remember father also telling him the same, until Itachi threatened him to run away from home if he ever tried to cut it.
I smiled at the memory. One of the few that I had with my parents. Wow, it's been two weeks since I last smiled, like genuinely smiled. I started looking around the room for the stack of medical supplies, and found all the things I was looking for. I looked at the needle I was holding, and stuck it in my vein. I hate needles. I connected the tube to the needle already in Itachi's arm after taking the perfusion off.
It would take a lot of time for his body to produce new blood, and Sakura knew that. It wouldn't probably kill him, but still. There always are complications. I could already see the crimson liquid in the small tube, as I sit on the bed. It was dangerous for me… as soon as I lost more than 100 grams of blood, my vision blurs, my legs and hands start shaking and I faint. All I have to do is take the tube out before I faint, or… Never mind. He needs a lot. He's lost a lot, why can't Sakura see that? It's at least 300 grams necessary.
As the aftereffects hadn't shown yet, I looked once again at him. I felt pleased, because he was so vulnerable, and I was the only one who could help him. I couldn't wait to see him a little…livelier. He looks way too pale for my taste. Then again, he's always been very pale. I have fair skin as well, but not like him.
I was trying to keep count on the amount of blood I was giving away. 150 grams. My hands started twitching involuntarily, and my heart beat was faster than usual. Well, that's nothing. I can deal with it, even though I expected some more time to pass before I started shaking…
I've loved biology my whole life, yet I've got no idea on why this is happening to me. It's been classified as a very high stage of anemia, and it's rather scaring for me.
After 10 minutes and 250 grams, I could barely see my hands in front of my eyes, and my chest hurt. Usually, my hands would be numb, but now I have a rather weird sensation, like I'm burning on the inside. He needs more… I can't stop now, even if my lids are suddenly as heavy as rocks. It hurts to breathe, because of my stupid racing heart, lacking blood. More, just a little bit more…50 grams. When my chest started hurting so much I could hardly even focus on the situation at hand, a question popped into my mind. Is this worth it? 250 grams should be enough, his body is strong.
I love you more than anything, little one. Pain. No matter how much pain I am in, it's nothing going to surpass Itachi's. I took my shaking hand and put it on his milk-white cheek. I love you… This is worth it. You're worth the pain, brother. My eyes closed…
(Kisame POV)
Damn, it's 10 AM, I've really slept in. On the couch. What on earth possessed me to sleep on the couch? Oh, I remember, I was about to go check on that little brat, and I fell asleep.
I lazily went to the room Itachi was in, opening the door, and looking around. I didn't see anybody else except for Itachi, on the bed. After rubbing my eyes, I could actually see Sasuke, collapsed on the bed, with a hand on his brother's cheek. That was…cute. Maybe he fell asleep here. If Sakura finds out, she'll chop my head off.
I approached him, putting a hand on his shoulder, and shaking him lightly. He didn't move an inch. I tried again, harder, yet nothing. Damn, he's a heavy sleeper. If he wasn't on top of Itachi, I would've spilled a bucket of ice cold water over him. Just for fun. Instead, I grabbed his leg and pulled him until he fell on the floor. I was prepared for a scream, but I got nothing. I saw on the bed sheets a pretty big blood stain. That…shouldn't have been there.
I looked at the kid once more and realization hit me. Sakura said he would be fainted for 3 days or something like that. I wonder how long it would take for Itachi to wake up. Is there any chance he could wake up before Sasuke? I'd prefer NOT. I'm 150% sure he would skin me alive for letting his 'baby brother' sacrifice himself and all that shit. Who the fuck cares? The little brat wanted to help so… I granted his wish? Well, I'll just wait and see. And write my testament.
I got a bigger problem right now, and it's called Sakura. If she finds out about the little stunt I pulled last night, she'll have my head for it. I've gotta destroy all the evidence, clean up… What a pain in the ass. First of all, what do I do with the kid? I'll tell her he left somewhere, but where do I hide him?
While thinking about it, I took the transfusion tube and threw it out the window. We don't have neighbors, so it's the safest place I can think of. I realized the little brat kept making strange noises, like muffled moans of pain. Maybe he really was in pain? Whatever, he's fainted, so that doesn't matter. I put the perfusion back in Itachi's arm, after spilling half (on the window, again). I was just about to take Sasuke and throw him out the window as well, when someone knocked on the door.
"Kisame, are you there?" Oh, shit, shit, shit! That's Sakura, I'm busted!...
"Yeah, why?"
"Have you seen duck butt around?"
"Nope, I haven't." Liar.
"Oh, by the way, I should check on Itachi…" Before she got into the room, I kicked Sasuke under the bed, and I covered the blood stain with the sheets.
"Hey, by the way, did that idiot come here last night?"
"Yes, he did. I shut him out."
"How did you manage to do that? He hardly listens to me!"
"I've got my methods, please. So, how's our buddy? Any better?"
She looked at him, then his arm, then his face, then the perfusion, and then… Hell broke loose. Sakura suddenly knocked me down, and I fell on the floor with her in top of me, beating the shit out of me. Ouch, that hurt!
"Where is he? Where?" *punch* "Where?" *kick* "Answer me, motherfucker!"
"Under- the- bed… Stop- punching, crazy bitch!" I forgot everything about being a gentleman and yanked her off me, throwing her into the first wall. Tee-hee, payback is a bitch. She was now looking rather terrified at me. I almost felt sorry for her. "Look, I'm sorry, but you really don't know when to shut the fuck up…"
"Why… did you… do that?"
"I just wanted to shut you up. I didn't realize I used that much force. It's just that I'm not used to being treated like a box sack."
"My head hurts…"
"And?"
"Kiss it better." I was looking at her like she had 3 eyes, and then frowned, lifting myself from the ground.
"After what you've done earlier, you only deserve a kiss on the side of the head… with a bat."
"Asshole" Well, beck to her old self, huh? How can a girl swear so much?
"Stop fighting… Too much noise, my ears hurt…"
Both I and Sakura looked at each other with wide eyes. Neither of us said that. We turned our heads to the bed.
(Itachi POV)
I felt like I was dreaming, I was floating, but I was chained to a wall. I'm definitely dreaming.
"This is the worst I've seen you do. You're getting your ass kicked by people I know you can take out in a blink of an eye. Look at you, you're sitting here all bloody and starved."
"It's my body; let me ruin it if I feel like doing it. Don't get worked up over it, I'm going to be alright… Father." It happened very often to dream of my father, scolding me, just like he always did when he was alive. Sometimes, he even told me things I wasn't aware of.
"I'm not actually worried about you. You did it to yourself. But, you swore you would protect your little brother."
"I am taking care of him. He's fine."
"But he's in pain, you fool. How is that 'taking care of him'?"
"Everybody encounters pain. He'll be able to deal with a little bit of pain. He's your son, remember?"
"It's not a little bit of pain, Itachi. It's a deep searing pain… what do you know?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Guilt, hurt, love, hatred, angst, and you're the epitome of them all. Who are you for him, Itachi? What have you done?"
"I've always done my best to protect him. I did what was best."
"You've attached yourself to him, just to leave him empty. You anchored him to reality, to the cruel reality. That's mean of you. All the bridges you've created between your brother and what's best for him… Son, the bridges you've made are burning."
"It's important for his future. I know what's going to help him further on, and I'm leading him in that direction. It's just that I won't be there with him. I'll never be."
"Just handle what's in front of you and the future will take care of itself."
"Really now, what have I done wrong, you ghost? You always appear when you doubt my decisions. What's wrong now?"
"Figure it out yourself. I've gotta go. Take care of yourself. Take care of Sasuke. Make me proud of you."
He disappeared. What was he trying to tell me about Sasuke? Why is he in pain?
I started hearing voices. They were so loud, for once I thought the fight was taking place inside my head. "Stop fighting…Too much noise, my ears hurt…" Two pairs of eyes were staring at me, but my vision was too blurred to see who they were. One was really tall, the other was short. My memory is failing me.
"Itachi…you're awake?" That was a girl. Sakura?
"No, I'm still sleeping. Of course I'm awake!" Stupidity makes me snap.
"Are you okay? Any pain? Thirsty? Hungry?" She started examining my eyes and my stomach, expecting an answer from me.
"I'm alive… yes, my stomach hurts like living hell, I am thirsty, but I don't think I'll be hungry any time soon. Who's behind you? I can't see that far."
"Oh, it's Kisame. I'll go get some water. Don't even try to move!" So, we got to the cottage in time. I'm alive…
"Kisame?"
"Yes, man, I'm here! You scared me! I thought I would lose you. Still a wonder you're alive, considering how I found you yesterday morning! And here you are now… talking!"
"…"
"Oh, come on, I don't speak the silent language! Damn you and your silences…"
"You see it as luck. To me it's not luck. There is no good part in this. What if I can speak? I tried, but I can hardly move my hands at all. I'm a corpse."
"Well, well, Itachi, try to be positive! In two weeks most, you'll be as good as new!"
"I want to go back to New York. To Denver." I saw Kisame look surprised.
"Why?"
"Something's wrong with my brother, I dreamed it, he's in pain. He needs me…"
"Oh, right, sure, but he's… here?" I didn't realize what he was telling me, I only saw how much he was fidgeting and not looking me in the eyes.
"What do you mean 'he's here'?"
"I mean exactly that. He's here. At the cottage."
"Let me see him!" I tried to shout, but I could only raise my voice a little.
"Maybe later. You really don't want to see him, trust me."
"Stop the nonsense. If necessary, drag him here. It's an order."
"Yes, sir…" I saw him bend under my bed and started pulling something out. If I had the energy, I would've told him to do what I told him and stop playing around. I closed my eyes and waited. Sasuke was here? How did he manage to find me here? Why wasn't he here, waiting by my side for me to wake up? Huh, maybe I've overrated myself. After all, why would he stick to me like that?
"Here he is!" I felt something heavy being placed on top of me, as I opened my eyes. I saw him, with tangled hair and an inhumanly pale face. I just stared at him. We were so close; my heart beat faster than usual. When I asked Kisame to get him off me, he obliged, and pulled him so he sat next to me. I could see his face better now. Until now, I didn't even realize he's…asleep?
"What's wrong with him?" I asked, concerned.
"Dude, why the fuck do you think you're awake after a hemorrhage? The brat gave you his blood. Well, Sakura forbid him, but I helped him do it." He grinned at me.
"Really?" I wanted to be angry. I really wanted, but I couldn't. Maybe it's just the fact my head is messed up right now, or… I felt oddly satisfied with myself. Only my sick mind could feel satisfaction from having my little brother's blood run in my veins. Truly, I'm a sadist. Unfortunately, my name isn't Hidan, so I don't enjoy pain, and hell, my whole body hurts…
"Hey, hey, what's with that satisfied look plastered on your face? I only look like that after a night of sex, dude. Did you wake up from a… special dream?"
"Don't be a moron."
"Sorry, I just wanted to joke, I'm glad you woke up! Personally, I thought you'd die!"
"You were almost right. My throat hurts."
"That's because you talk too much. You're awfully talkative today. Must be because you've changed your blood, y'know"
Sakura came back and gave me the water, after smacking Kisame and asking me if I mind having 'duck butt' in the same bed as me. Of course I didn't. He'll be asleep for the next 2 days or so, anyway.
"If you need anything, tell me."
"How did Sasuke get here?" She didn't answer, but Kisame did.
"Well, Leader brought him. I don't know how it happened, Tobi does, ask him later."
"Pein? Weird."
"You're tellin' me? Your brat brother gets on my nerves; I cannot understand how Leader hadn't strangled him on the way here."
(Kisame POV)
I left the room, to let Itachi rest. There was something that made me feel uneasy, like I should get myself ready for a certain event. That nagging sensation that keeps telling me I'm gonna screw up somehow. What is it? Death? Itachi is not dying anymore, his brat brother… Sakura said he'd be fine. Is it me?
For a long time, I thought I'd never encounter this feeling again. But, here I am, back at 15 years old, when I was waiting for a certain thing to happen, unaware if it was going to affect me as well or not.
(Normal POV)- 22.00 o'clock
The door flung open to reveal 6 persons. A 7th was looking at them, his eyes shaded in the darkness of the room. All 12 eyes were looking into 2, not saying a word. What was there to be said?
"Half," one voice echoed through the room. It came from the door, which was closed now.
"Only?" the other person questioned.
"They were expecting it. We're lucky to have taken down so many. If you think you would've done better, why didn't you come with us, Tobi?"
The man in shadows approached the group, with a serious face. "We failed this time."
"They won a battle; we'll make sure they don't win the war. We have an advantage. The girl…"
"She won't talk. She's honest with herself, and she still owes her life to them. She helped us, but she won't give them away to us. Their secrets won't be handled to us on a silver platter, Leader."
"I know that. But I'm sure Itachi will convince her to tell him at least some of their hideouts."
"So, that's on the agenda. Let's hope it works. He's awake. He woke up this morning, around 10 AM"
"That's good. Do you have enough rooms for the 6 of us?"
"Only 3, Leader."
"It's enough. What are the actual rooms?"
"Two bedrooms and the storage room that's always empty. I have my bed in the kitchen, Kisame sleeps on the couch and Sakura has another bedroom. The brothers share the emergency room, the one for medical supplies. Oh, the storage room I mentioned… it doesn't have a bed."
"We'll take it," muttered Kakuzu. "We're the only pair who doesn't need a bed for any… night activities."
Sasori laughed playfully. "You're off again? Last time I checked, you were very…tangled." Even Deidara suppressed a laugh, adding, "My eyes still hurt from what I saw, un"
"I didn't say we weren't… well, together. What I meant was that Hidan always seem to prefer the floor. For everything."
All the people in the room looked at them amused, except for Tobi, who decided to ignore them, while Pein muttered 'fags' without anybody else hearing him. Hidan was grinning like an idiot, while he told Konan and Deidara about his night activities with Kakuzu. Tobi, Sasori and Pein were looking at them, amused.
"How can he talk about that like he would tell the dream he had last night?" Sasori asked, somewhat engrossed.
"Does he always do that, Leader?" asked Tobi.
"Little slut probably doesn't think sex is special at all, anyway. He and Kakuzu probably talk about the weather forecast when they fuck. And Konan is stupid enough to listen to him…"
"Where is Kisame? Is he with Itachi?"
"No, Sasori. He's somewhere on the roof. He's been gloomy all day. Sasuke is with Itachi, sharing the bed." Sasori's eyes popped as he opened his mouth to say something, but he was thunderstruck. "Wh-what? W-why?"
"Sasuke gave Itachi his blood in a transfusion, and due to a strange disease he has, he fainted. We don't have any other bed in that room, and it would've been hard to move all the medical supplies back and forth between him and Itachi, so we placed them both in the same bed."
"Oh… Thank god. I didn't want to miss anything important!"
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing…" Sasori and Pein exchanged glances and both started laughing, leaving Tobi oblivious to that they were talking and laughing about.
At midnight, everybody was in their rooms. It was quiet, except for the loud moans coming from the storage room, and Pein's screams of 'Oh, come on! Can't you be any fucking louder than that? Fags!"
It was a nice night. Deidara cuddled up to Sasori, Konan was about to flatten her face to the wall just to her some more 'sounds', and Kisame was still on the roof.
A/N: So, that was it, my friends:) Took some time, but I hope it was worth the waiting. Actually, it took 5 hours to write (2-3 days to compose), 3 cups of frappucino and a backache from sitting too much time at my desk. Also, I've used up a papermate pencil writing this chapter on paper, so...Yeah, after 5 hours of typing and drinking, Please take 5 minutes to review and tell me if you like it, or what you don't like about it (except for the author notes. You can't complain on those. I know I'm acting like a bitch right now, but...bare with me.). Good. That was it. Hope you liked.:)
See ya next chapter!
