.:For Eternity

Chapter 13: Redemption

He stared up at the ceiling while the hands of his clock ticked just past two in the morning. The thrum of crickets could be heard just outside his cracked open window, adding to the peacefulness of the moonlight streaming through the slit of white curtains. The song they had listened to all afternoon had finally been put to rest.

One of his arms curled behind his head. It had long since grown numb, prickling under his skin with sharp needles.

He'd laid awake thinking and feeling, both of which were causing his mind to spin. It didn't help either that the very subject of his mind's clutter lay with her head resting on his chest, breathing slowly and deeply. She had one leg wrapped around his, bringing an odd sort of comfort to him as she snoozed.

Sakura hadn't gone home that day but instead stayed with him just too purely enjoy each other's company. They'd talked more about her father, the song being an ice breaker for the topic, and sure they'd had a few intermissions between conversations, getting carried away with a simple kiss but nothing rated for exclusive content.

The one problem was her mother. She was definitely going to be looking for an explanation. They hadn't warned her of her sudden sleepover but he figured they'd deal with it in the morning. Besides, he didn't want to wake her.

Because of the latest events of the day, little nagging voices had been whispering to him from the back of his mind. He tried to push them away for they only reminded him of how much of a coward he was. Being too chicken to tell the girl you loved about your serious health condition definitely fell under the category of coward, he thought.

Did he think he'd fall this hard? No, he hadn't the slightest idea.

But how could he tell her now? It was inevitable that she'd be absolutely devastated. If he'd told her when she hadn't meant so much to him – like the first time she'd tutored him for example – then things would be different. He knew it. He knew that the lack of relationship would have left them room to manoeuvre around the issue. Of course she'd be shocked or maybe a little bit concerned, but he knew that he would've been the same old sick boy that everyone felt compelled to pity.

Shifting, Sakura's body gave a short tremor at the breeze that slipped into the room. Taking advantage of the moment, Sasuke quickly moved so that he had his chest was facing her and his arm wrapped around her for warmth. Sakura's head laid comfortably on his other arm as her trembling came to a stop and her breathing went easy.

His eyes softened as he looked at her face. How peaceful she looked and how right it felt with her there. She just fit.

She smelled of the beautiful spring mornings with the dews of a light rain settling on the petals of blooming flowers. It was a scent that had him wishing he could've known her sooner. It made him regret the days he hadn't known her but also had his insides jump at the thought of being with her now – being able to make great memories of what time they had left together.

In sleep, Sakura snaked her arms around him as she snuggled in closer, leaning her head into the crook of his neck. With a long, contented sigh, Sakura settled in once more.

He'd tell her, he decided. He'd tell her first thing in the morning. She had the right to know and he would be the one to tell her. She didn't need to find out from someone else. He at least owed her that much.

Sleep soon took him, putting his chaotic mind to rest in the sounding of crickets and Sakura's deep breathing.

Itachi carefully closed the front door behind him. He searched for signs of life in his house, finding it was stupid to be jumpy in the very house he owned but he figured if Sasuke saw him now, he wouldn't be able to find the right way to lie.

He'd lied to him for longer than he wanted to admit. His deceitful side made himself known when Sasuke was merely a little boy, crying at the loss of his two parents. As an excuse to himself, Itachi made it so that he thought Sasuke was too young to understand the concept of death. Yes, that was the reason he had lied to him, he thought, repeating it like a mantra in hopes that it would spontaneously become the truth.

But it hadn't become the truth.

He watched as Sasuke grew with the belief that his parents died in a simple car crash. The drunk driver of a semi was driving thirty kilometres over the speed limit on a dark starry night. Their parents had gone out to a party in the town just an hour away and said they'd be back before dawn. It was a promise both boy's thought could be kept, but he knew there was one small part he kept out of it.

Back then, Itachi was a proud member of the Akatsuki. Young and naïve, he'd joined the notorious gang because he felt he had a home there, people to call brothers. Sure he had Sasuke and his parents, but his father was a strict, straight forward man who had Itachi's life all set, right from the get go. Sasuke had more flexibility because he was the second born, but being the first born had strapped him to a life of constant dinner parties and heaps of conference meetings. Even when he thought he had nothing to do, his father would come searching for him, making him do all sorts of this's and that's.

Sasuke, the baby, was left to coo and play with his piles of toys, totally carefree. He envied him and knew it was wrong. Sasuke was his baby brother.

After his parents left, he'd thought it would be great to go out riding with a couple of his buddies from Akatsuki. Sasuke had a babysitter, a nanny, or whatever else they called them. All he knew was that he would be well taken care of, with or without him.

Itachi stumbled up the stairs in the dark, lost in his memories, stubbing his toe and the edge of the landing. "Shit!" he hissed as the pain seared through his foot.

He noticed that Sasuke's door was slightly open. Reaching for the knob to close it, he felt a cold breeze drifting over his warm skin, giving rise to small bumps. The window was open, he thought. As he walked into the dark, he headed straight for the open window.

With a click, it was safely shut but turning, he froze as if the cold had intensified. Sakura? It's three in the morning, he thought. But it wasn't just her. Sasuke was there too, lying cuddled up against each other. Well, considering the chill in the room, he would've brushed it as keeping warm but there was something different. It was hard to pin down that something. Maybe it was the serenity on Sakura's face, like a weight had been lifted off her chest. Or perhaps it was the way Sasuke held her, with protectiveness, strength, grace, gentleness.

Running his hands over his face, he walked out of the room towards a hall closet that held extra towels and blankets. All the while thoughts screamed through his head. Coming back in with a beige blanket, he gently laid it over the sleeping couple.

He stood there for a moment.

Back then, he'd gone out driving, thinking it would be a great way to spend the night. His pals were as reckless as he, rebellious and unruly as well. But one suggested spicing up the night by taking in an order from the boss. One shot, they had said. That's all you have to kill their target.

Kill, he thought. He guiltily admitted it gave him a thrill to know he would be killing a sleazebag that night. He figured it was someone from the rival gang in the southern part of town. He had a score to settle with them anyway, which fuelled his intentions.

There, they said, pointing to a white car ahead of them – his parent's car. He could already see his mother's head through the back window and his father's hand adjusting his rear-view mirror. For an instant, the thrill clogged in his chest. Killing his father had been a fantasy. Never had he thought of actually doing it, yet there he was with a gun and a pack of killers.

No, he'd thought. This isn't worth it.

But they insisted he shoot. If he didn't do it, they said, they would do it themselves. Clearly, they didn't know of his relations with the man in the car. Stupid Neanderthals, he thought. They didn't ever think for themselves. They simply took orders and saw to it that they'd have a little bit of fun with it first.

Window down, air screaming in his ear, he aimed. It was a clear shot to his father's head. He'd used a gun enough to know his accuracy was ace. He could finish it, right then and there, escape his unwanted life and live the wild life he'd longed for without a care in the world.

But Sasuke's annoyingly small cooing echoed in his mind. No, he thought again. I can't do it.

Retreating, he refused to shoot, earning glares from his companions. Coward! one had yelled. At the speed of light, the one sitting beside him snatched the gun, aimed it out the window, finger on the trigger.

Itachi jerked, grabbing the gun but the shot had already fired.

Frantically, he looked out the window and saw that the bullet had snagged the tire. Relief swam through his veins. One shot was all they had.

However, as the white car swerved in and out of the lane, Itachi caught a glimpse of a semi heading towards them. The car he was in turned violently, driving off the rood and messily halting in a dirt patch. Itachi dashed out of the car, screaming for the white car to get out of the way.

Blinking, Itachi shook his head at the memory. Now instead of the blinding light of the semi before his eyes, he saw his brother with the girl he'd chosen to be his. He wasn't about to ruin what little time they had left. He'd redeem himself somehow, someway. And he'd do it alone.

"I hope you'll be able to forgive me one day." He whispered and left into the night.

With a soft groan, Sakura's eyes slowly fluttered open only to see flesh and a green shirt.

"Hmm?" her throat rasped at the effort to make a sound. She made the attempt to lift her head to get a better look at what was going on. "Sasuke?" she murmured. She saw – or rather felt – that his arm wrapped protectively around her body while his face scrunched at her movements.

Carefully, she tried to slip out of his hold. Inch by inch, she slid, really having a difficult time. She seriously had to go to the washroom but at that rate, she wouldn't make it, even if she ran out of his hold.

"Sasuke." She said with more urgency. "Sasuke, let go. I've gotta go to the washroom." She wiggled, pulling her hands in front of her, trying to push the boy off. "Come on."

Again, his face scrunched. "And here I thought I'd wake up peacefully." He mumbled with his eyes still closed.

"Okay, you're awake. Now let me go. I really have to go." But he tightened his grip with a playful grin on his face. "Seriously, Sasuke. I swear I'll pee on you if you don't let me go."

"Okay, okay." He laughed, opening his eyes slightly. "Good morning to you too." He gave her a kiss, long and lingering, before he let her go.

Sakura's spine crawled at the gentleness and ease of the kiss that she leaned over and gave him another. "Good morning."

Sakura practically flew off the bed as she ran to the washroom. The quick slam of the bathroom door had him flinching with amusement. Whoops should have let her go sooner, he thought.

Looking around, he quickly shot a glance at the clock on top of his drawer. It was a little past ten.

With shaky hands, he dragged them through his messy hair, remembering what he'd promised he'd do when the morning came. And he wanted to see through to it that he did just that.

Getting up out of the bed, he dragged his feet behind him, settling for making breakfast and easing his way into the topic. "Sakura! Does toast and coffee sound good to you?" he yelled as he made his way down the stairs.

"Yeah, that sounds great."

"Should I add some eggs?"

"Why not?"

"Scrambled or sunny side up?"

"Scrambled."

Funny, he thought as he smiled. She's in the washroom and this conversation sounds so normal.

"Coming right up." He shouted from the main floor already taking out a pan and some eggs.

As Sakura finished, she washed up and walked back into Sasuke room to grab her phone. Checking the screen, she saw that she didn't have any messages yet. "Huh, mom didn't call me. Maybe she called last night." She looked at the time. "Yeah, probably."

Coming down the stairs, she headed for the kitchen. "Sasuke, did my mom call—" The pan sizzled with oil on the burner while the eggs sat untouched on the counter. "Sasuke!" But right behind the center island, Sasuke's limp body lay unconscious with a cut on the side of his head. Evidence of his accident was splattered over the corner of the counter.

"Oh my god, Sasuke! Sasuke!" she ran and shook him, shock filling every inch of her body. "Itachi! Itachi! Shit, where are you!" her voice cracked in worry and fear as she dialled 911 in a panic she had wished her whole life she would never have had to feel.

As far as splitting headaches went, Sakura's was by far the worst ever. In fact, she would dare say it was the mother of all headaches. Splitting went to ripping then to completely tearing and shredding.

It had been a good couple of hours since she'd made her way to the hospital with Sasuke in an ambulance. She sat through the entire ride gripping Sasuke's white cold hand, the lifelessness in it scaring her. He was hooked up to so many machines and tubes jutted out from all sorts of places. All she remembered through her water-filled eyes were the paramedics frantically trying to keep his heart going.

She had never been so scared in her life.

Now she sat in the emergency room right beside Sasuke's bed shedding new tears as she gave him a once over. His hair was matted to his forehead with sweat that wouldn't go away no matter how many times she wiped them away. Long lengths of tubes connected to his arms while monitor wires hooked up to his chest. They hadn't even bothered to put on the hospital gown considering there were too many things connected to him. His face was far too pale and his breathing was dangerously shallow. It was like looking at a sick seventy-year-old man instead of a healthy seventeen-year-old boy.

Sakura had given up on the tissues and opted for a small clothe instead after finding that the first tissue box they gave her had been mowed through within the first hour.

What she found worse was the fact that she couldn't contact Itachi at all and she had to leave four messages on Naruto's phone before she gave up. Ino had just gotten her message but told her she was on the other side of the city. It would take her at least an hour to an hour and a half to get there, depending on traffic of course.

In the reality of the moment, she was completely and utterly alone. She had to sit there watching Sasuke breathe as if he was sucking air through a straw while monitors beeped madly and he would cringe in pain. There was nothing she could do to stop it.

She was lost and totally afraid, afraid that her assumptions were right. She knew there was something terribly wrong from the moment she laid eyes on the medical papers under his bed. But she hadn't known it was this serious. No nothing this severe had over come to her mind.

"Sasuke…" she whimpered with a voice lost in sorrow. She grabbed his hand, avoiding the complicated wiring, and squeezed. "I don't know if I should be mad at you or not, you stupid jerk." All her emotion jolted as she struggled to breathe, wiping tears with her sleeve. "Why didn't you tell me?" she could all but whisper now.

"Why you? You shouldn't even be here. You're young and so full of energy, you have a whole life ahead of you...how could this be happening to you?" Her chest ached intensely as each breath brought a new wave of sting that racked her body, a pain she couldn't ebb away. She kissed his motionless fingers and brought it to her wet cheek.

Sakura rocked quietly finding that it was the only way to ease the ache but only in the slightest as she watched his chest rise and fall in staggering patterns, the sweat sliding down his face.

A/N: and another. but i duno if i can follow up with a third one just as quickly xD i'll try!

- --writingzeaL