When Sakura had woken up, dread filled her.
She hadn't meant to fall asleep but Itachi had made it easy. Too easy .
During her time with him, she had gotten comfortable when she knew she shouldn't have. She wasn't meant to get attached to the way his thin lips curled into a small smile or the way she could feel his nimble fingers tracing her face. The way every now and then he could breathe alright for once or how relaxed he could be for more seconds. She especially wasn't supposed to fall in love - or, what she thought could have been if given the chance - with his laugh even when it ended in miserable coughing. She certainly shouldn't have given into him that day when he clung to her so desperately.
Still, Sakura wouldn't have changed anything except for the obvious things.
If she had it her way, then they would have interacted much sooner and he wouldn't have been sick.
Turning over onto her side, she studies his face.
He looked peaceful. It was a contrast to the horrendous sound that used to be expelled from his chest. His hair was a thin black halo and his skin, though pale white, glowed softly in the room. At least, that's what her mind was trying to conjure up.
Bringing her hand up gently, she rested it on his cheek. It was cold to the touch though she didn't expect otherwise. There wasn't any life beneath the surface. Closing her eyes, she rests her forehead against his cheek.
She could lay with him just a tad longer. He didn't want to be alone, after all.
As her eyes feel heavier, the door creaks open.
A boy, maybe 13 or so, peeks his head in. Her eyes soften as she takes in the innocent and worried expression on his face.
"Aniki?"
She watches as he steps further into the room. There wasn't much light in here and it made the shadows on the little boys face deeper as it twisted into concern when no response was given. His little feet rush to the bed and he is gently prodding Itachi. Trying to wake him.
Her heart broke as realization sets in on his face.
He doesn't look up as the tears come and she gently wipes the ones that collect on top of Itachi. It was moments like this that she wished desperately that the living and those not on the brink of death could see her.
The sons that came from him broke her heart into a million pieces.
Not many people had came to see Itachi, but his little brother always found a way to sneak in here. As she rests a hand on top of his head and strokes his hair, gently lulling him into a light sleep, she wishes desperately that it hadn't been him who came in.
"Will he be alright?"
Her eyes take in the less physical form of Itachi. His physical body laid right next to her but she couldn't lie and not say that his new one looked more alive than the original. There was color in his cheeks and lips. His eyes were full of light and his hair full of life. Gone was the tiny frame that he had been trapped in.
"He will be," she replies softly.
Itachi gently kneels down beside his sleeping brother. His arms cradle him into a hug and for a moment, Sakura saw a glimpse of the two brothers much younger. Silence falls over them and she knows it wasn't an easy one.
It was filled with a goodbye.
As the moments drag on, Itachi finally ends the hug and lifts his brother up into his arms. He was small for a 13 year old but Sakura knew he would get much bigger.
"He will be okay." She says firmly, stressing it to Itachi.
"I know," he smiles sadly. He gently carries him out of the room and Sakura follows. She watches as he gently tucks him into bed and gives one final goodbye.
It was always the hardest part and so she gives them their moment. While he finishes up, she heads back to his room. She gently brushes his hair from his forehead and lays a kiss. Leaving the room, she leaves the door cracked.
It would be mere minutes before his mother would be up to do her secret checks.
"What now?" He asks when she meets him in the hallway.
"Now you have forever."
"And what do I do with all of it?"
"You spend it how you like."
"Could I spend it with you?"
She smiles.
"If that's what you would like."
Sakura offers up her hand to him and the lights in the hall seemed brighter. He looked down at her hand and up to her face - the very face he longed to know what it looked like. He could admit that she was ethereal and it made sense for her to be an angel. He couldn't fathom a woman like her merely just existing on Earth.
Eventually, their hands meet and they hold onto one another tightly. As the light becomes more intense, he squints. He couldn't focus on one thing. It felt like he was in two places at once. If it weren't for him knowing he was dead and holding Sakura's hand, he could have sworn he heard his mother and made eye contact with her before the hallway in his home became a meadow filled with flowers and a gentle breeze.
"They all will be okay," Sakura says softly as she gently guided his head from where it was turned.
Their eyes meet and the world stills. Everything melted away. The only constant that mattered was the sheer greenness in her eyes and the way she, herself, radiated life and warmth. His own eyes soften and leans forwards, resting his forehead on hers.
"I was right," he says after a moment. "You are beautiful." He was glad he had forever with her.
