Previously...
"I chose this, Itachi."
"Do you love me?"
Onyx eyes gazed unwaveringly into emerald, searching for the answer he knew he'd find in her eyes.
viii.
He felt his world start to shake. At first, slowly but only momentarily later the shaking increased. The dream began to fade into darkness but not before seeing the answer in those green eyes and it took the sleeping young man another moment to realize that someone was trying to shake him awake. Soon, as he began to slip back into consciousness he felt the two hands—soft and small—grasping his shoulders to shake him.
He knew who it was before his lids opened to allow his dark eyes to see. He could feel her hovering above him and smell the familiar scent that was so her.
When his eyelids finally opened, his eyes easily found the kunoichi's face that was hovering above his own. His eyes first found her lips, pink and plump, then rose up to where her nose was, until his pair of onyx eyes met the emerald—her face a painting of concern.
With the details of the dream still fresh in his mind, Sasuke gazed into Sakura's eyes.
Again, black connected with green. Yet what he found in her green eyes was different with that he'd seen in the dream.
In her eyes, he saw his own reflection. Not Itachi's.
Not his older brother's reflection, but his own.
No matter how many times he repeated it in his head, no matter how many times and ways he rephrased it, the fact that looking in Sakura's eyes... he could only see himself didn't change.
No one else.
That in itself brought a ghost of smile in Uchiha Sasuke's face.
And Sasuke had the strong urge to grasp her chin, pull her face back towards his, so he could continue to see his self in her eyes when the connection was broken because Sakura blinked and pulled away.
A baby's cry brought the young Uchiha out of his trance and that was only when he realized that the bundle of warmth that occupied the top of his chest was long gone.
Fuck, just how long was he asleep? Better yet, when did he fall asleep?
Sasuke could not believe he'd been so damn careless. He fell asleep with a baby resting atop his chest. It was fortunate the boy did not fall over. Stupid annoying dreams.
The dream.
Who was that... woman? Dark ebony hair. Green eyes. Familiar green eyes—
"Sasuke?"
"Hmm?"
"Can you hold Chichi-chan while I prepare his milk?"
"Hn."
Chichi stopped crying when Sakura placed him in Sasuke's arms. Instead the baby stared up to the man with wide green eyes.
A relieved sigh escaped Sasuke's lips and he could not help the smirk tugging at his lips. No wonder it was familiar; looks like he was worried for nothing.
The pink-haired woman returned momentarily with a bottle of milk. Even though she tried to hide it, Sasuke could see that she looked tired. Her usually graceful gait swayed as she moved, and her eyes reflected the tiredness she felt.
"I'll feed him," he told her, "just rest for a bit."
Sakura flashed him a tired smile before settling on his other couch but Sasuke did not miss the air of detachment about her again—the one she seemed to emit whenever she was around him. She always tried to act amiable whenever with him but otherwise she seemed like she did not want to be with him; as if he was an allergy she wanted to avoid
Silence overtook the apartment, and somehow the normally silent man didn't like it so he started a conversation.
"That was fast," he remarked.
If the kunoichi was surprised at his uncharacteristic attempt of starting a conversation, she did not show it; she only turned to look at him before a smug smile lit up her face.
"It was pretty easy."
"Aa."
Silence occupied the living room again, but this time he did not find it too awkward. Then she spoke up.
"I'm sorry I just left like that but thanks for looking after Itachi-chan—"
"I...ta...chi...chan?" Sasuke immediately interjected, the name uttered by her lips repeated in his own in a slow, uncertain manner. "Did you just...?"
Sakura sat up, moving to face him. The smug smile left her lips and was instead replaced by a grim line.
"Yes, Sasuke. Itachi. Uchiha Itachi is that baby's name. And he's your nephew."
The woman before him went straight to the point and did not leave any spaces for him to interrupt. And while Sasuke appreciated that she went straight to the point, he did not like the fact that he only learned the truth that day.
He did not speak for several moments, until the silence dragged out uncomfortably between them, creating a tense atmosphere.
"Why are you only telling me this now?" he bit out, gritting his teeth to control his anger.
"I couldn't find a better timing," she responded in a quiet voice, as if ashamed.
"And this is the better timing?"
"I just didn't want to drag it out any longer than I—"
"Or were you just ashamed to admit you carried a bastard child?" Sasuke all but roared, and he most probably would've if not for the sleeping child in his arms.
Sakura's lips fell into a gape, while her green eyes were wide with shock... hurt... anger.
"Did you just – did you think that – you thought Itachi's my child?"
Sasuke blinked, before his eyes narrowed again. "Are you insinuating this child is not yours?"
"Insinuating? Insinuating!" Sakura stood as she exclaimed, obviously feeling incredulous, then she looked at him straight in the eye as she deadpanned "Sasuke, I'm not insinuating. Because I really am not that boy's mother. Hell, the boy's almost two years old. Are you suggesting I was pregnant during... the war?"
Sasuke fell silent. He noticed the slight falter at the end of her monologue and he was glad Sakura refrained from mentioning their messy encounter on the Land of Iron—a messy encounter they were yet to settle.
It was one of the things he wished he could erase and redo, ever since he started feeling remorse for the first time for all he had done, he wasn't glad to recall that Team Seven reunion.
His eyesight was deteriorating then and Sakura was no more than just a blur. However despite the lack of sight and coat she was wearing that fateful day, there was no way she could've been pregnant during that time. Her movements were too graceful to be that of a pregnant woman's.
Wait, didn't he just come to a conclusion when Sakura went to prepare the boy's milk that she wasn't the mother? What the hell was wrong with him?
Sasuke could only sigh inwardly. How could've been so stupid? One moment he reached a conclusion then the next he jumped into another one, that was completely different. Neither spoke for a long moment, and silence once again fell between them. The hardened green eyes were into glaring at him, her lips in a thin line and he could feel her anger emanating. Of course, while he admitted his mistaken judgement and conclusion regarding the boy's parentage due to his, there was no way he'd admit his mistakes to her and apologise.
He did not apologise. Ever.
However, he also knew for a fact that Sakura won't apologise. He was the one who wronged her. Not the other way around.
But he was Uchiha Sasuke and he did not apologise.
However, he also knew for a fact that if he didn't apologise he won't be able to repair the broken relationship between them.
But—oh, if he continue that thought again then he'd accomplish nothing. He stared at the seething pink-haired woman and though glad as he was to know she wasn't the mother, he wondered how she came into possession of the boy; though the greater mystery was the identity of the real mother. It was also obvious that Sakura knew who the mother was and as much as Sasuke wanted to ask—he looked at the crawling crack on his floor that originated from where Sakura was tapping her foot in anger—he'd just find another better time to.
Sighing, Sasuke decided to break the agonizing silence.
"So why the hell do you call him Chichi?"
"Oh," was the only thing she could utter at his sudden change of topic, "Well, Naruto wasn't comfortable calling him your brother's name so... he came up with the nickname."
"That was the best he could come up with?"
There was a slight pause before Sakura released a string of giggles at the realization that Uchiha Sasuke just made a joke.
The feminine laugh that was soon joined by a brief masculine chuckle echoed in the apartment.
Looking at the woman giggling behind her palm in his living room, Sasuke liked to think everything was alright.
tbc.
and OMG! the truth is out! so expect more SasuSaku hopefully—though i still have to reveal the truth about "the other woman"
note(s): who agrees that it isn't SasuSaku without a jealous!Sasuke? (hinthint!) AND who else was annoyed with Naruto 567? One coloured page? Seriously? Why does Kishimoto-sensei keep on teasing us like this? btw, sorry for the mistakes, i fell asleep when i was supposed to be proofreading this.
trivia (for those who didn't or haven't read my lj post 'The Story Behind Absolve Me'): this story is originally an ItaOC fic.
[reviews are highly appreciated.]