He kissed her.
Slow and soft, his hand coming to rest against her face, hesitant and gentle.
Sakura gave in, kissing him back. The tenderness of it all took her back to the night that they had shared. Her eyes were closed but she could still see, feel, and hear everything. The ocean in the background was like their melody and she had finally felt somewhat at peace.
There were still questions to be asked, she knew, but for now, they could simply just be.
They would be okay.
That night, Itachi got the most sleep he had in a while. His rest was mostly uninterrupted and for once, not filled with nightmares. During Sakura's absence, his sleep was plagued with endless images of her falling. They would clash with the view of his past lover, hung over in her car. In his dreams, the two girls were interchangeable.
With Sakura asleep soundly on the other side of his bed, he was granted peace of mind for the most part. A little voice in his head was nagging at him the following morning while he gently brushed the hair away from her sleeping face.
What about Sasuke?
His brother was currently in the hospital with clear signs of him struggling with something mentally.
How would he react to whatever this was between him and Sakura?
Frowning, he pulled his hand away from her face. They needed to talk, but a more selfish side of him didn't want to. That part of Itachi wanted to say damn the consequences and go with the flow. That was the same Itachi who had kissed her the night before. Think later, do now, was what his thought process had been.
Sitting up, quietly as to not wake her up, he rubbed at his forehead and let out a soft groan. Next to him, despite his wishes, he could hear her stir.
"'Tachi?" She asks softly, eyes blinking blearily as she starts to wake up.
She looked beautiful despite her hair being a mess, sleep still written clearly on her face, and the way his shirt that was way too big on her swallowed her entire frame. He couldn't stop the smile before it was already forming.
"Good morning, Sakura."
She gives him a smile that makes his knees weak, or would if he wasn't sitting down. He could feel his heart pick up pace when she leaned up and rest her head against his shoulder, still trying to wake up. Itachi watched in amusement, enjoying the bit of affection he was allowing himself to have.
After she is awake more, Itachi reaches for her hand and gently rubs her knuckles with his fingertips, deep in thought. Sakura picks up on it, settling concerned emerald on him.
"What's wrong?" She asks softly, turning her attention solely on him as he stares at a wall.
"I'm just thinking."
"About?"
"Us and Sasuke," Itachi answers simply and he can see her thoughts passing through her face.
"What about us and him?" She finally asks, deciding to just come out with it.
"I don't know," he answers honestly and Sakura has to look deep to find what he means. She still didn't really know and waited for him to elaborate in case she went off the deep end with her thoughts. "I don't know how he'll react to," he gestures to between them with his free hand, "this."
Sakura nods in understanding.
Sasuke had issues with them being friends when Sakura was dating him. He was terrified that she would leave him for Itachi and Sakura found it ironic that it was Sasuke who had technically broke their ties, it just so happened that her and Itachi had started to form whatever this is afterwards. Pure coincidence, but one that may be problematic.
"What do you want to do?" She asks after a moment and he turns to her with a look in his eyes that was slightly vulnerable.
"I want you," he says but he's troubled. He moves to where his head is the one on her shoulder, she wraps her arms around him, and absentmindedly plays with his hair. "I've always wanted you. Ever since that damned ferris wheel," Itachi says and Sakura is slightly shocked at that, though she doesn't show it. She had no idea that he had feelings of any kind for her back then, but that made Sasuke's reaction make a little more sense. Still, she sat there and listened to Itachi as he talked.
"At first, it was because you reminded me of her." Sakura's heart clenched at that, a small stab, but it was gone as quickly as it came. She already knew that part. "But then I got to know you for you, not for the similarities with her, and then I nearly lost you.." The cliff. "That was when I knew that I wanted you for sure," he pauses and looks up at her, reading her expression. "You were already gone at that point, though."
"I'm sorry," she whispers softly. "I left not only because of the ocean, but because I was scared. I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't know what I had felt for you at that time because as messed up as it was, I still felt an obligation towards Sasuke not to go pursue you."
Itachi's eyes soften.
They had both thought of his brother at some point when it came to one another, it seemed. But where do they go from here? Gnawing on her lip, she still had to figure out one other thing.
Sakura takes in a deep breath, a slight blush on her face. "Do you remember going to a club a year or so ago during winter?" She asks softly. At his nod, she continues, completely oblivious to the knowing glint in his eyes. He knew where she was going with this. "Did you meet anyone there?"
He had remembered that night.
"Did you know it was me?" She asks him and he closes his eyes, resting his weight against her until they fell backwards.
"At first, no. The following morning I was relieved it was you," he answers honestly. "I was at a low and needed to just, let go, and just so happened to find someone who looked like you," Itachi shrugs and looks up at her. "Or, I thought looked like you. Turns out it was you."
Sakura rolled her eyes, but secretly she was relieved.
"Did you know it was me?" He returns the question and her answer is immediate.
"No, I didn't recognize you with your hair cut."
He looks at her unimpressed and she gives him a sheepish smile.
They lay there for a while, talking to one another. They talk about their thoughts, their insecurities about it all, and any questions that they had been wondering. It was the closure that they had needed. A comfortable silence falls over them, but there was still one thing that needed to be covered.
"What are we?" She asks after a moment and Itachi contemplates his answer.
"What do you want us to be?" He asked her and she had to really hold back from face palming herself. Why couldn't he just give her straight answers?
"Together, obviously," she rolls her eyes and gestures to the way they are laying.
"Then you have your answer," he says and closes his eyes as if he's about to go to sleep. Sakura glares at him and reaches behind her for a pillow. Finding one, she smacks him with it and uses the surprise to roll herself out from under him and away from his reaching arms. She had to stop from smiling at how cute he looked with a small pout on his face. If he was like this all the time, she wouldn't mind it. "You don't know what you're getting into," he says evilly and Sakura has .03 seconds to take off running out of the room before Itachi was right on her, grabbing her and picking her up by her waist.
"Let go!" She laughs out and he, of course, like the gentleman he is, ignores her and turns back to the bed. He drops her on top of it and wastes no time, tickling her sides like there was no tomorrow.
It was pure torture.
Walking up to the hospital, Itachi had looked back at Sakura with hidden sadness.
She was watching him from her car and he gave her a small smile, waving. She was going back to the city today and he was upset to see her go, but he understood. Konoha wasn't her home anymore, she had a life back there. But she would be back, when the time is right. Until then, they could visit and that was enough for him.
Taking in a deep breath, he started towards the elevator and slowly went up to where Sasuke's room was.
"Oh, Itachi! Your father and I will be right back, we're going to go get food," Mikoto says after giving him a quick hug. "He's awake with Naruto right now if you want to talk to him." She gives him a knowing smile. She still looked pale and worried, but less so, if that made sense. He was glad to see a little bit of her old self back in her.
Truth be told, Mikoto had regretted kicking him out with every fibre of her being. She had ended up reaching out to him at some point, trying to talk some sense to him about the baby and Karin to get him to come home, but he had refused. She tried two other times, but eventually he either changed his number or his phone wasn't activated. Her heart was broken.
Knocking on the door lightly, he pushes the door open and steps in.
The room is decked out in balloons and Naruto is glaring at Sasuke from across the room while Sasuke just looks annoyed. He raises an eyebrow in response but neither of the boys move to talk about it, so he settles in a chair by Sasuke's bed.
He was looking better and they were going to send him home tomorrow, as long as he doesn't show any other side effects. The doctors found a mix of all kinds of things in his system, but had thankfully managed to flush it all out for the most part. Itachi eyed him, trying to see if there were any noticeable signs that he may be wanting to try and get more drugs. So far, nothing.
"How are you feeling?" Itachi asks for a moment and Sasuke shrugs.
"Like shit, but I'm alive, so I guess that's something." Sasuke moves his hands to his lap and nitpicks at his fingernails. They were slightly longer than he had ever cared to keep them, but they had obvious tear and bitemarks from him picking at his fingers. Itachi could see his brother eyeing the bandages on his arms in distaste.
Itachi didn't know what to say to that so he just sat there. The air around them was awkward and he could hear Naruto fidgeting in the back. He was sure he would break the silence any moment now and he waited for it, anxiously. It was uncomfortable.
"So, you aren't going to be the only dad anymore," Naruto starts conversationally and Sasuke quirks an eyebrow.
"I doubt I qualify as a father, so I'm not sure how you would fit that criteria any better," he scoffs and Itachi looks over at Naruto to see him frowning but not rising to the bait.
"It's a boy, I'm sure he'll be best friends with Hana," Naruto continues and Sasuke acts like he's not listening, but they both know he is.
"Who is Hana?" He asks.
"Your daughter," Itachi answers and he is already pulling out his phone. "Would you like to see a picture of her?"
Sasuke looks unsure, but Itachi could see him trying not to peek over the phone. "I don't know," he answers after a while and Itachi decides to just hand him the phone.
"I have a whole album of pictures of her from birth to yesterday."
"Why so many?" Sasuke asks as he thumbs through them.
"You'll understand once you meet her," Itachi says but Sasuke isn't listening. He watches how he holds the phone, observing every picture as if it is the single most important thing. Maybe if he couldn't get better for himself then he could get better for her.
"How is Sakura and the others?" Sasuke asks as he holds Hana on his lap. He handled her like she was glass and it was the funniest thing. Mikoto had snapped plenty of pictures. At first, Hana was confused at who he is, but Karin had pointed to a photo album that she and Mikoto had gone through with Hana a gajillion times and explained to her who he was. Since then, she hadn't left his side.
Naruto was over for dinner since Hinata was having a special dinner with her father. He didn't notice the awkward air around Itachi and Karin. The red-headed girl knew about their relationship, but she wasn't sure if they were public about it due to Sasuke. They didn't want to upset him so soon. It wasn't that he was fragile, but that they wanted to be careful.
"She's good, she moved to the city and is almost ready to move on to the next level of her schooling to start med school!" Naruto boasts and Sasuke nods along, having expected that. "It's like all she does is school."
"So she isn't with anyone?" He asks after a moment and the air around them is tense, Karin shooting glances between Sasuke and Itachi.
"She was with this guy named Gaara, he was really cool, but I don't know if they are still together." Naruto shrugs, uninterested as he digs into his food. Mikoto watches both of her sons carefully, observing their facial expressions. Making eye contact with Itachi, she raises her eyebrows at the slight clench of his jaw. What on Earth would make him react like that about a conversation involving Sakura- oh.
She gives him a sly grin before sipping her water.
"Good for her. I'm glad she was able to find happiness in someone else," Sasuke says and the whole table almost chokes. "What about you, Karin?" His eyes are intense and she avoids eye contact for a moment, instead focusing on her daughter who was babbling away happily as she played with his hair.
"Ah, no. Motherhood and work has kept me pretty occupied," she answers and Sasuke nods along, turning it over in his head.
"Thank you," he says after a moment. "Thank you everyone. I haven't always been the best to any of you, so I know I don't really deserve this, but," he pauses and looks down at Hana who gives him a big smile. "But, I want to try. For her."
"How did everything in Konoha go?" Gaara asks as he plops down on the couch next to an exhausted Sakura. She had spent all day driving and had just gotten home. All she wanted to do was curl up and sleep, but fate had other plans as her best friend barrelled through her front door followed by Gaara.
"Yes, do tell," Ino says with a gleam in her eyes and Sakura almost feels the need to remind the two of them that they left because of Sasuke being in the hospital. Instead, she groans and rolls her eyes, flipping them off lazily.
"It went as good as it could. Sasuke will make a full recovery, but the rest is up to him on whether he is going to make a change." Sakura shrugs and ignores the pointed look Ino sends her and the way Gaara's curious gaze was burning into her.
"Okay, but what about with Itachi?" Ino prods and Sakura throws one of her throw pillows at her face.
"We kissed and talked, there!" Sakura says and crosses her arms. "Can I go to bed now?" She asks grumpily and Ino squeals while Gaara remains quiet. She was hoping she could tell Gaara by herself, but she knew she would have to tell him sooner or later.
"I'm so proud of you forehead! Snatching up a band member, not to mention a rich one with a prospering family business?" She whistles and Sakura glares at her once more. The blonde only grins at her wolfishly. "Fine, fine. I'll leave," she says and gets up. Ino gives her a hug before heading out. Letting out a sigh of relief, Sakura turns to look at Gaara.
She takes in his face, trying to detect anything negative. He looks impassive with the slightest bit of a frown, but other than that, he was fine. It was unsettling, but then again, he was the one who encouraged her to go talk to him in the first place.
"Gaara I-"
"Don't," he gives her a tight smile. "I'm happy for you, you deserve it."
"You deserve happiness, too," Sakura says and Gaara gives her a real smile.
"I've always been happy, I'm sure I'll find an even greater happiness somewhere else, too. Maybe I just need to find a lazy genius like Temari," he chuckles and Sakura rolls her eyes, softly hitting his shoulder.
"You know that I'm always going to be here for you, right?" She asks softly, "I'll always be your friend."
"And I you."
Sakura smiles, letting the moment settle before looking at him seriously. "Okay, now you have to leave. I'm really tired."
"Fine," he pouts before flicking her gently and leaving.
Sakura went to bed that night feeling more settled than she had in the last three years.
"Oh, that's great! That's good for him," Sakura says into the phone and rolls over onto her back on her bed. She was on the phone with Itachi and he was updating her about Sasuke. He was going to admit himself into a rehab and get help for the drugs and help for his anger, among other things. She was glad to hear it. Hopefully this will open a way for him to be involved in Hana's life. She couldn't imagine living a life without knowing either of her parents. Speaking of her parents…
"Hey, my parents wanted to know if you would be open to eating dinner with us one weekend? My father is off for the next two weeks and they are coming down this way to visit me. You can say no, if you want," Sakura says and bites her lip. She really wanted him to say yes. It hadn't been that long since she left konoha but she, though she is embarrassed to admit it, already misses him.
Hearing his answer, her eyes lit up.
"Great, I'll let them know," she answers and tries to hide her giddiness with a tight lipped smile. She didn't want to hear him teasing her. He was the absolute worst about teasing, it turned out. He knew just the right way to push her buttons. "Alright, I'll see you then, bye."
Clicking the end call button, she dramatically throws her arm over her phone and lets out a long sight.
"That miserable, huh?" Asks Temari as she enters the room.
"You're back!" Sakura says, surprised, before eying her suspiciously. "How did you get a key to my apartment? I'm sure I locked my front door."
"You gave me a spare remember?" Temari raised an eyebrow and Sakura slapped her forehead. She completely forgot. She had also given one to Ino. Neither of the girls ever used it though.
"I forgot, you never use it. What makes today so special?"
"I just wanted to see my best gal," Temari says toothily and Sakura is immediately scooting back squinting at her. "Okay, fine, Ino said you have news to tell me and I was too impatient to knock, so spill." Temari plops onto the bed next to Sakura and the other girl rolls her eyes. Go figure Ino wouldn't keep her mouth shut.
Sakura told her everything and the blonde listened intently. At the end of it all, she regarded Sakura with a serious look.
"Does he make you happy?" Temari asks her and Sakura raises her eyebrows in surprise.
"Yes, of course."
"Good, that's all I needed to know," the blonde smiles and Sakura relaxes. She was so glad that her and Gaara not working out didn't mess up their friendship. It would have killed Sakura. She loved Temari like a sister.
Everything was finally feeling right.