62. End Extreme.
The moment Sakura walked into the door, Sasuke grabbed her into a heavy heartfelt hug and yanked her through the door.
Sakura found herself laughing too loud, being yanked out of the despair she felt only two breaths ago.
He grunted and spun her around a couple of times, she draped her arms over his shoulder and placed the side of her face against his head.
"What's the occasion?"
She asked.
"Why does there have to be an occasion?" he inquired with a slight snort to his laugh. Sakura had always loved that sound, it meant that he was being himself around her.
"...because you never yank me through a door and greet me like you missed me, I'm lucky enough if I get a smile when I come through the door."
He spun slowly and lowered her onto her toes, not quite putting her down. Sakura hovered above him, feeling particularly teased on this day.
"What is wrong with you, are you re-using?" She asked, grinning down at him.
His eyes were too dark and fathomless.
He licked his lips.
"I wish." he teased and then placed her down completely, smacking her bottom twice and than yanking her into their living room.
"Don't leave me in suspense."
"Well, I wanted to run it by you first...but...there's an opportunity for a job that I'd really like to try."
"A job, really, one that you'd actually attend for more than one day?"
"Ya...but there's one little problem."
"Hm...uh-oh, that mean's you'll attend it for half a day."
She cackled and Sasuke only stared at her, causing her to choke.
"Your serious."
"You call that a joke."
She stuck out her tongue and he caught it in his mouth before quickly restraining her from getting any closer to him by grabbing either side of her face.
"Sakura..." he whispered, his voice falling harshly on her ears.
She stared at him, watching how his face seemed to go from one extreme to the next.
Sasuke was such a beautiful man, with his dark hair and his insightful eyes. For awhile he resembled his older brother to her but as time goes on she began to realize that Sasuke was an entirely different creature than what she thought she saw in him.
Not only was he stubborn, angry and ruthless...he could also be passionate when he wanted to and caring, he had a heart...he just thought it was easier not to use it.
He looked to drinking and drugs to solve all of his problems but not any more, he had done a complete one-eighty and she'd like to think she had something to do with that.
"Sasuke..." she whispered, staring at his lip and moving hers around playfully. He smirked and brought her lips towards his, but only close enough to graze.
"I'm going to join the military..."
What...
63. Rainy Day.
"You'll be alright baby..."
He snorted out a laugh.
"You've said that several times Kaa...go home already."
Mikoto gasped in surprise at her son's surly behavior, there he sat sulking at the window on a gloomy Saturday afternoon.
Rain plummet down outside, streaking down the glass and encouraging the climate of her eldest sons depression.
Mikoto sighed and placed her hand on his shoulder, staring out at the down pour over his head.
"You and your brother were really stubborn when you were younger...every time it rained you both always found some way to get outside..." she chuckled at her reverie. "...remember?"
Itachi nodded mechanically, Mikoto placed a silent kiss on the top of his head.
"...he used to be my shadow...followed me everywhere.."
"He worshiped you Itachi...and when you left him, he was alone...with me, bad mom...DUN, DUN, DUNNN."
Itachi chuckled and placed a hand on his mothers forearm squeezing it a little.
"Your not bad...and if you were, your cooking made up for it." he teased, his mother pinched his cheek and than hugged him tight with a long sigh, breath smelling like dark coffee.
"Stop walking around outside without a jacket your going to catch pneumonia and it's not a good example to be setting for Izikin's. She already thinks she's invincible and now your as sick as a dog and so is she..."
He felt like a kid all over again, until his mother mentioned his daughters name. He nodded and pointed towards the door.
"Your chariot awaits." He said, coughing harshly afterwards and than clearing his throat. His mother paused and stared into his eyes, she reached down to touch his wet hair again and Itachi caught her hand.
"Kaa go away, I'm fine, you'd be surprised how good I can wipe my ass these days...and besides you made so much soup...I could save up until Christmas, or donate to some homeless shelter."
"Sweety I'm just trying to take care of you...your all alone in this big house. I just figured you were lonely."
Itachi stared out of the window, dark eyes watching the rain deluge. He shook his head.
"I'm used to it, it's second nature."
"I'm worried that, that might be true...all of the girls in Konohagakure and you can't tell me that none of them have ever looked your way."
Itachi smirked.
"I'm not that lonely Kaa, I drag in something every now and than."
"You know I'm not talking about that kind of comfort...I mean a wife."
Itachi sighed.
"I'm too young, there are still so many women who haven't stepped foot through this door."
Mikoto smiled beside herself, knowing her sons cavalier attitude as his ultimate safe haven, to shield himself from the deeper monsters in his mind.
"You've got bags under your eyes and your bed doesn't even look like it's been slept in, for days."
"I'm a man, we sleep everywhere...I even sleep on the welcome mat."
"Itachi." She warned. "...what's wrong?"
The eldest Uchiha shook his head and grimaced, she watched his jaw go hard and his eyes roam around his front yard for a brief moment before both their eyes caught the sight of a women and a child walking onto the lawn past where his mothers Taxi waited, blinkers in use.
Attentive, he sat up and noticed his daughters rain boots, black with red clouds like ketchup platter on the front.
"Iz.."
"...and Sakura." His mother finished. "...well isn't this a glorious surprise!"
She began to wander towards the door, Itachi fumbled onto his feet and shuffled back his wet hair. His mother laughed at his wild appearance.
"Take a load off, sit down, I'll handle them...you are way too contagious."
Itachi sighed and dragged himself into the living room where he could get a good look at Sakura when they came through the door.
Once they were inside his mother welcomed them as warmly as she always did. They hugged and shared too many gestures of affection.
Women.
He hunched over on the sofa and snatched up the remote just as Izami came running into the living room to tackle him.
"Towwwwwa, Gawwwwa...think faster!"
Itachi dropped the remote and caught her in his arms, he was excited to see his daughter but he was even more excited to see Sakura, soaking wet, standing awkwardly beside his mother and avoiding his eyes.
It almost made him laugh out loud but he only spun Izami around and tickled her.
She cackled too loud and squirmed to be free.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her.
"MOOOOOvie night!"
"Movie?.." he furrowed a brow trying to remember when he had ever promised her a movie night but he couldn't recall. He found himself promising his daughter the moon and he actually believed that he could grant her that, until he realized how insignificant he was compared to gravity.
"Ya, Ya! Cartoons all day!" She shouted and than whispered in his ear. "...I begged Kaa to come, for you dah!"
They both smirked cunningly and Itachi kissed her cheek and murmured into it.
"That's my girl...go pick a movie." He placed her down.
"Yep!" She chirped and went running for the entertainment center.
Itachi stared at his mother, whom was rubbing Sakura's back.
"I made a bucket full of soup."
"Your being modest, it's like a colony...or it can feed one."
Mikoto rolled her eyes.
"You were the one crying about your throat."
Sakura smirked and Itachi scoffed.
"Ya after being blown up and shot, a sore throat was my biggest threat...it made me feel like I was gonna die and then I realized my mom's soup was the cure."
Mikoto pointed at him and wagged her finger.
"You never know."
"She's right." Sakura assented and Itachi yawned.
"Thanks, now I know who to call when the plague comes.."
Mikoto smiled.
"Alright, I see that you have plenty company...Sakura, take care of he and little Iz...and you." she pointed at Itachi. "..I'll be in to check on you again."
"Send in a ten day's notice kay."
Mikoto grinned.
"Of course." She kissed him on the cheek and than kissed Sakura.
"Behave, the both of you." She warned them.
Sakura smirked and nodded.
"Always do."
"I'll consider, considering it.."
Mikoto only chuckled at Itachi and walked out the front door. Itachi closed the door behind his mother and than looked at Sakura.
"Soooo..."
"So, your daughter, kept crying and crying to come over here for some movie night that you promised her, know anything about that?"
He rolled his eyes heavenward and shook his head.
"I actually have no fucking recollection of that."
"Really."
He nodded.
"Really."
"That's pretty odd."
He shrugged.
"The world is an odd place...seven year old girls lie all the time because they're cute and they can get away with shit."
Sakura smirked.
"She learned it from you."
"She may have learned the lie and look cute part from me but the getting caught thing is all you.."
Sakura chuckled and than bumped past him.
He thoroughly examined her from the head down, her body was so petite and supple, her hair so wet and bright. She began to peel her white hoodie off, revealing her bare shaven arms.
The charm bracelet around her wrist chimed and hairs on the back of her neck stuck to her shoulder blades and hair was matted around her face.
"I'll go get you a towel..."
"...um, I'll just come get it.." she began to walk towards him, he tried to ignore it but he was a man, his mind was trained to notice a nipple, even if it was the simple outline of one under her white blouse.
He could see the traces of it and the shade of pink. He disregarded it quickly and turned to guide her to the bathroom, looking over his shoulder for Izami.
The small girl was laying on the carpet picking through the rack of movies, her feet swinging busily in the air.
"I'll be back Iz, kay?" Sakura called out.
"Kay, kay!" She shouted back.
He felt strange having this much life in his house in one afternoon. It was almost too good to be true and he thought that he was having one of his daydreams but what made this all to real was Sakura.
The smell of her perfume, it was subtle and yet he could taste it, as though he were kissing on her neck or sucking on her nipples through her shirt.
He shivered at his thoughts and paused at the door of the bathroom, he didn't think it was a good idea to be in there with her.
He hadn't felt horny since a week ago and he thought he sedated that with the random one night stand but apparently that was not the case.
His member felt vital, as though it were swelling up with excitement and all he did was sigh.
No fucking control..
Sakura walked into the bathroom and began to look around it for a moment before she found a towel on a rack and began to dab at her face and arms, she stared at the decor of the bathroom with interest and than touched two footprints carved into the foundation near the mirror.
She smiled and Itachi stared at her through the mirror.
"Iz's feet...who did this?"
He smirked at her suspicion, her green eyes regarded him with amazement.
"It was probably me."
Sakura chuckled.
"You don't...draw...oh...fuck, yes you do..."
He nodded.
"I dabble...get bored and produce something that's not chicken shit every now and than."
Sakura nodded, distracted by the foot prints of her baby.
"It's prefect..."
Itachi rubbed at his chin.
"I'm glad you think so.."
They both stared at one another for a long moment.
"TOUUUUU...KAAAAAW, MOVIE TYYYYYME!"
They both chuckled.
"How weird is this...you have a mini-mee, who's mouth is bigger than yours." Itachi teased.
Sakura rolled her eyes.
"Well, she's just as weird as you...you're both my little weirdos."
The rain still droned outside, creating a calm climate both outdoors and indoors. The movie had ended and so had Izami, who resided on her fathers lap, sleeping in his arms, Itachi was sleep as well.
Sakura stared the both of them.
They were too similar even though Izami had her hair, her personality had shined through just like her fathers. It was cute the way that Itachi held their daughter, he seemed so peaceful.
Sakura just stared at them, up until the moment Itachi's eyes opened and captured her's with a single stare.
She couldn't cut her ties with the man, those eyes of his had never been more compelling than they were in that moment, dragging her into his thoughts, into his mind frame. She took a deep breath but no matter how deep it was, it felt like it was enough to sedate her satisfaction.
Suddenly Itachi just leaned towards her and pulled her in by her shoulder.
She thought she heard him utter, 'fuck it.' and after the first stroke of his lips she heard him say it again.
In the back of her mind she wanted this to end, she wanted to make herself stop but on the surface, barely skimmed, all she could think of were his hot fingers coaxing her closer.
His husk voice pleading her to come closer, she was lost in his sexy breathing and his strong fingers. He almost abandoned his hold on Izami too caught up in the feeling of her body not resisting his reckless fingers.
He paused, lips slipping over her's thirstily, lingering.
"Let me go...get her into bed." he whispered.
He ventured to move but she shook her head, quickly clinging onto his grey shirt.
"Don't, I can't...I can't do this with you...please don't let me."
He stared at her, his heavy fingers running down the stream of her hair that cascaded over the side of her face, his face was so close to her.
He laughed, though it was painful because his heart was too loud in his ears, even in war he had never heard it annoy him so much.
"You can't ask me to do that...you know.."
"...Sasuke..."
"Shhh...look, I'm going to put her to bed, I'll be back..."
She gripped on his shirt tighter trying to keep him there with Izami so that she wouldn't do anything too stupid but he gathered himself to his feet, Izami's small dormant body in his arms and he walked off, taking sneaky strides down the hall.
Sakura yanked out her phone and dialed up Ino.
The phone rang eight times before she finally picked up.
"Ino...I'm in a fix." She hissed.
"That must be why your whispering.." Ino whispered.
Sakura rolled her eyes.
"I'm at Itachi's.."
"Why ever would you do such a foolish thing like that?"
"For Izami, she missed him so.."
"..I understand why Izami is there but why are you there...I distinctly remember you sharing several kinky SM dreams regarding Itachi and you just shouldn't be around him. It's crucial that you get the hell out of there now.."
Sakura laughed at how wary Ino seemed about the whole matter as if she would just loose her baring because of a few naughty dreams and thoughts about Itachi.
Sasuke was over seas somewhere training to be a soldier and she loved Sasuke, he had made a change for her, he was the man that she chose once and for all.
"Ok...I'll just tell Itachi, you don't mind if I come over for awhile do you?"
"Course not, that'll prove to me that you're over this fling with Itachi."
Fling..
It was too meaningless of a word to use on Itachi, he wasn't a fling, he used to be her life...her possibilities. She'd dream up moments in letters about him, wonder how things could have been.
He was quite the temptation.
She suddenly heard the door creak shut.
"Ino I have to go."
"If I don't see you here in fifteen minutes I'm going to call Itachi's house phone."
"Call it, I won't be here to hear it." She shot back.
"Ok..bye."
"Bye."
She's right.
I shouldn't be doing this...I made up my mind a long time ago that I wouldn't hurt either of them like I have in the past. We're adults and adults didn't dream about being with their husbands brother the way I did or dream of both of them attacking me...sure it might feel good and real but they'd never get along long enough to pleasure me.
They'd kill one another.
She stood up to gather her jacket.
I'll just tell him he can have her for the weekend...I'll pick her up Sunday night, sounds good right...right.
She could hear Itachi strolling in behind her, before he could say a word or try to convince her otherwise she began to talk.
Shaking her head dismissively.
"I'm so sorry about what I did..I don't know what I was thinking but I didn't think it over enough. I'm married and I j-"
He gripped her chin from behind and turned her face towards his, over her shoulder he began to thoroughly devour her lips.
His other fingers roamed down the taut of her stomach longingly, eliciting a moan out of her as his hot fingers poured down her stomach like hot lava.
His tongue caressed hers expertly, almost as though kissing was some kind of art that he was trying to teach her.
Her heart went racing and her skin and stomach felt fluttery and vibrant.
"Ita.." she moaned, unable to finish his name because he yanked her around by the loop of her jeans, making her turn towards him.
Recklessly and rabidly, he grabbed hold either side of her face and brought her closer into him, tilting his face and deepening the kiss, all the while his fingers slipped down her face to her shoulders and than over her breast.
She opened her eyes to see if he was watching but his eyes were completely closed, brows thick, his bang curling over his face from being wet and than his eyes opened and he paused and bit his lip, he shook his head.
"I am going to fuck the holy shit out of you." he promised breathlessly, his fingers squeezing parts of her body and caressing others. Drafting a hellish heat against her.
It seemed like something Sakura would assume herself dreaming of. For some reason that silly proclamation which should probably turn any women off because the thought of getting shit fucked out of you was simply gross, seemed to turn her on even more and just the fact that it was coming out of Itachi's mouth was enough to drive her over the edge of horny.
His hair was a mess over his eyes and the way he stared at her seemed like he'd be doing that pretty soon.
She stepped away from him nearly stumbling over Izami's backpack.
"This was a bad idea...I'm such an idiot."
"I'm ok with that." He joked, pulling his shirt up over his head.
"Itachi...don't." she whispered.
"You say that but I don't see you making a run for the door."
Well, if it's that easy...
She began to head for the door, Itachi followed behind her. She wasn't sure how far she planned to go, if she'd actually leave Izami there but once she yanked back the nob Itachi slammed it shut behind her.
His body, pressed against her back and he placed his hand over her's on the knob.
"Stay...look, I'll try to behave myself...just...don't go anywhere, when you, when the both of you are around I just sorta loose my mind. It's like...Christmas for me, my two favorite girls in one room. I think about the both of you...even when you're long gone. Sometimes I don't want to let Izami go...being a bachelor is fun but sometimes, I can't stand being without the both of you..." he whispered into the back of her head.
"...so please just...let's just cuddle or something because I'm not going to let you walk away from me...knowing that there was something I could do to make you stay...so, Sakura, please stay the night with me.."
His persuasive hands slid up her arm and than he wrapped his strong arms tightly around her shoulders and arms, tucking his face into her shoulder blade.
Sakura shivered at the rate of this affectionate hold.
It was sweet, too sweet and her heart was betraying her more and more every minute.
She sighed, not having much strength in her body to walk away after all that he just said.
She shivered and nodded.
"I suppose I could stay for a little while longer...as long as we don't let anything happen..." She turned around in his arms and stared into his face, he smirked with relief and than hugged her.
"Thanks."
A moment later Itachi's house phone began to ring and Sakura after a moment of stiff silence between them began to burst out laughing.
64. War Of Hearts.
"So I guess I was right...it's the bed that keeps me up at night.."
It was the softest sound that she had ever come from anyone, a sound she would have never associated Itachi with, a voice uncapable of coming from someone so brute and strong.
It was cute and musical, sending a cord of flutters down her spine.
Her back was turned to him because she didn't want to face those eyes, those eyes that mirrored her soul. She knew that it was wrong to be laying there, alone with him. She thought to go steal Izami from her bedroom to sleep with them and keep her from a senseless mistake but after a few thoughts she realized that everything was in her hands.
If she truly loved Sasuke and wanted to prove that she was with him to the end she needed to be able to be in a room with Itachi, she needed to be able to not think of him like she once had.
It would be a tedious and arduous task but she wasn't willing to let her emotions rule her into something as unforgivable as dreaming of a man she wasn't married to.
Being in the bed with him isn't helping a damn thing..
But she couldn't stand being alone another night, she had always been the type of person to sleep in the bed alone and be fine without the comfort of a strong body holding her and nestled behind her but since she had been married she had missed that feeling.
She missed Sasuke's arms, the way he always made sure to keep his arms around her all night, the way his voice sounded in the morning when he awoke her with his rude commentary about the damn birds in that nest outside their window.
She always complained about waking up abruptly to his fussing but deep down she looked forward to his husky voice shouting at the damn birds, those evil fingers of his that snuck beneath the blankets and fought their way into the warmest spot on her body.
The way that alone seemed to bring a sharp breath from his lips, his teeth nibbling at her jaw, his black bangs crawling over her face as he worked his gifted fingers and became thoroughly interested in how many places on her neck his tongue could rub.
"...I haven't done anything to you yet...why so wet?"
She grinned and closed her eyes, shaking her head at the memory. It didn't seem like too long ago, the thought and feeling had still been so fresh in her mind as if it had happened a moment ago.
She sighed.
"I know your awake..."
She ignored him and closed her eyes tighter, it was best if she ignored him and tried to go to sleep rather than fake it. Staying awake in a bed with a man that she once loved more than life wasn't a very good idea.
Sorry Itachi, it's the best thing for the both of us to avoid th-
She suddenly felt his breath, paralyzing her closed eyes, he was leaning over her and she wished she could see his face but it was way too dark and she refused to open her eyes.
That would be like acknowledging he was there and allowing anything further to happen.
She tried to keep her breath steady and let her body be loose enough to the simple motions of him adjusting himself. She didn't want him to notice the ruse of her actions.
He took a long breath and the warmth of his face over her's felt as though she was laying beneath the sun. For a moment he didn't make a noise or sound and than she felt strands of her hair slipping away from her face.
"...maybe I was wrong...it happens." he whispered, she could feel his fingernails massaging her scalp, another hand pulled her body in his direction.
She bit her tongue and made a snapping noise to stifle the odd feelings in her head.
What is he doing..
She allowed her body to be swayed, positioned. He didn't mount her, only turned her into his chest and place his arm around her to keep her beneath his examination.
She allowed her head to drop back as though she were in a deep sleep.
For some reason she imagined that he was grinning.
She could see his studious eyes looking her over if she allowed her eyes to unstrain in the slightest.
Why did he have to be so damn sexy...too sexy.
He didn't have to speak a word, his eyes spoke things for him, his eyes spoke in volumes.
Sakura shivered, unable to control herself beneath that stare of his.
"...I can't believe I let you get away from me.." he informed her dormant body in a regretful tone as if he knew she was listening.
"...I fought so hard to be with you, I'm still fighting because I know that you should be mine...my heart is yours and it can't imagine belonging to anyone else..." he spoke.
"...if that makes me a low down bastard for trying, I can't imagine being anything else..." he was quiet for a long moment before speaking again.
"...he's my brother, Sasuke and yet I don't hate my worse enemy more than I hate him...even though I shouldn't, this is my fault, thinking I could just leave you broken and come back and pick up the pieces..." he snorted out a laugh and she felt his fingertips glide across her thick eye lashes.
"...I actually challenged him, made a game of war with him, I told him that he would never get to your heart like I had. I told him that I'd always win you back again and again."
He sighed.
"...you always did say I was too fucking confident, conceited. I guess things come back to kill us after all. He won the war, he obtained something from me...like I obtained something from him...I stole the love of his life once...did he tell you that...?"
huh...
"...I don't think he ever found out, I wanted to tell him but before I could the poor girl had been shot, it's a shame really."
He...
Laying there, Sakura thought about everything that Sasuke had told her about the love of his life and it suddenly the pieces began to form an entire picture of betrayal, hate and rivalry between the two men she was the fondest of.
Itachi and Sasuke.
So many lies had been told to her she wasn't sure which ones to believe. Who was right, who was wrong...who could she trust and believe.
Did Sasuke shoot her because he was drunk...or had he killed her because he knew about Itachi...because he knew that the love of his life was in love with his brother.
She swallowed hard, her mind twisting and turning trying to solve the contorted mess of these stories, the mystery of these two brothers.
Her heart began to knot up from bewilderment.
"...I suppose I deserve it, this is just Karma making itself right. I love you...more than any women I've ever loved, more than myself...I love you so much and it bothers me, that your with my brother but it would bother me more...it would kill me if I found you dead. I guess being with my brother is a small price to pay. He and I...we've been in a war for most of our lives but I know when it's time...time to stop hurting one another. I'm too fucking old...too tired, I can't hurt my daughter...I can't make you go back and fourth to me and deep down, I don't want to make him suffer so...I'm going to let go...I'm going to let go for Sasuke because he's had to go through something I can never imagine. Seeing his soul mate dead..."
Itachi..
"...no one ever wins in a War of hearts, there's only loss Sakura and you've chosen who's the better man for you. Sas-"
She opened her eyes and stared at him. He let loose a breath.
"Goodmorning..."
He greeted her even though the sky was still dark, the room shadowed in gloom midnight.
She shivered.
"...what do you want me to do..." she asked him.
He smiled sadly, his thick lashes hiding his eyes.
"I want you to be happy."
"Not a good enough answer."
She whispered to him, hearing a slight imperfection in her voice, cry in her throat.
He's letting go of me..
She knew she had no right to be mad, to be the one in pain. Itachi was in the pain, having to see her come around flaunting her marriage to his brother, having to be near her after feeling all of the pain of not being with her.
Sakura felt as though she had been sucker punched with the reality of this situation.
This had been the man that she had waited for all of her life and she tried to pretend that there was nothing else between them.
There's everything between us..
"Doesn't matter...if I told you what I wanted...I still wouldn't have it."
"How do you know..."
"...I know you, Sakura, I've read every letter...I've read every motion, every look on your face, every scar on your body, every way that I could read you I have. What can I do after all, what else can I do but think about you...keep myself busy so that I won't hurt anyone, I won't show up and make a fool of myself in front of Izami huh?"
He asked raking his fingers through the bang over his eyes.
Sakura's heart felt crushed.
"I'm s-s-sorry." she uttered, lips trembling.
He shrugged.
"So am I...for leaving."
She opened her mouth to speak but he shook his head.
"...I know it tore you apart, it tore me apart but I honestly thought it was the best idea I've ever had...I wasn't running away I just, I just didn't think I was good enough, I just wanted you to have the best things and being with a terrorist isn't having the best...being with a monster..."
Before she could stop herself her hands moved on their own accord to grasp either side of his face. She strained through the darkness to look into his eyes.
"Y-you're not a monster..."
"I've killed so ma-"
"You didn't know...and you were at war, I'd never have known you if you just died..."
She knew she was crying.
Something was lodge in her chest and it hurt, as if someone jabbed a piece of wood into her heart. She was sniffling so hard trying to keep herself together.
Itachi's fingers gripped her shoulder and than ran up to the side of her neck, he got a firm grasp there and pulled her face towards his. Sakura let out a burdened breath and closed her eyes.
"You're so sweet...poetic and eccentric, crazy, strong, brave...a great father...a great friend...the whole package to any pen pal..." she sighed. "...you're everything I could ever pray for, every moment that you were away from me I was worried, I wanted to hate you but I couldn't...I don't know how to hate you because every time I think of you...I love you more and more every time."
Itachi pressed his forehead against hers.
"I love you ya know...I loved you when you were gone and I still do...and it kills me that I've hurt you so much but I...I have these feelings for Sasuke...just as deep as ours, I wish that I could ignore them, I've tried running away from them but I can't. I can't blame it on you leaving because these feelings they were already there, even before you came back.."
The both of them were quiet for a moment and she could hear Itachi wresting with some inner turmoil. He shook his head against her's and let out a shivering breath.
"...what are we going to do?" she asked him, truly conflicted with everything she thought she knew. Her heart was crazy in her chest and beating through her ears.
Itachi didn't answer her immediately and for a moment she thought he had fallen asleep.
"You know, I've always wanted to live in Yukigakure..."
The idea of what he was suggestion blew her away and she could feel water on her cheek but it hadn't come from her eyes.
She began to cry at his words.
"You'd just leave me and your daughter."
He was quiet, she guessed the emotion was effecting him as well even though he didn't make a sound, she could taste his tears, hear him struggling.
"If it means that Sasuke and I won't tear you apart...I'll do anything to keep you happy."
"If you leave I'll never be happy..."
"If I stay I'll only hurt Sasuke...kill him even, I don't want Iz to see me like that..."
His tone wasn't a humorous one.
Sakura sat up and straddled him, she hugged him tightly and he hugged her back, eyes tighter than iron snaking around her hips.
"Don't cry.." he whispered, she didn't speak to him for several long minutes, in between his legs, in his arms, it had been the warmest she had ever felt in her life.
He took a deep breath, fingers sliding up her back and pulling her deeper into his bear-like hold. He caressed and comforted her.
"...as long as you love me, I can go on forever."
"I do...you know that right, you know that?" she asked in a panicky tone, trying to assure him. Itachi laughed a little.
"I know..."
Suddenly the room door came open slowly and Sakura jumped away from Itachi to see Izami stumble in, dragging her blankets behind her, she stood there for a moment.
"Touuuwa?"
"Iz...bad dream?"
The small child nodded and ran towards the bed, Itachi crawled towards her and lifted her off the ground and onto the bed.
She wrapped her small arms tightly over his shoulders and pressed her face into the side of his neck with a yawn of exhaustion.
"Well give me a report on those monsters under your pillow, did they come back?"
"Not INNY more."
"Good, I didn't want to have to kick anymore pillows around...we only have two in this house."
Izami laughed as Itachi placed her between he and Sakura.
Sakura smiled at her daughter.
"Hey babe..."
"Kaa...is this a sleep over?!"
Sakura stared up at Itachi and he hugged Izami to him.
"Ya...it would be, if you were sleeping, you tired yet?"
"A little." She yawned.
"Me too." Itachi whispered.
"You nebber sleep!" The child accused her father.
He smirked.
"Well, I'm going to try."
Izami nodded and took both her parents hands.
"Well, let's try together..."
"That sounds like a good idea..." Sakura whispered laying close to her daughter.
"I agree." Itachi whispered and the three of them fell soundly asleep a moment later.