Something Quite Exceptional (ItaSaku)

Chapter Seven

Itachi's P.O.V

It was extremely late as I returned home from dropping Sakura off. To my surprise, Sasuke was still awake and sitting on the front porch. Not that I could see him in the dark but his chakra was very familiar to me. With my hands in my pockets and eyes to the porch I searched for something to say. "Well? Are you going to beat my ass too? Or was stealing Sakura enough for you?" He asked pulling me from my thoughts. When I finally looked at him, his eyes were to the darkness in front of him. Without question, I entered the house and returned with tea a short while later. Tea seemed to be what we both needed right now.

I poured his glass and then my own, we sipped silently and gazed into the darkness together. A long time passed before I was ready to speak the words I'd tried so desperately to find. "No Sasuke. I don't want to inflict harm on you. Physical or otherwise." He scoffed, "It's a bit late for that Aniki." He took another sip. "Why?... Why Sakura.. Of all the people in this damn village, why her?" He no longer sounded angry, it was more indifferent, but the sorrow that lingered there was ever present. "I've been watching her with interest since I was ten and she five. Though I didn't understand those emotions back then. She's always been a source of fascination." This time I sipped from my cup. "Why else?" He asked, not fully convinced. "She reminds me of the most pure things in life. She always has.. In the time she was absent from my life I often thought of those pink tresses, we played with as children. Even as I lie with other women, the pinkette was on my mind. I never realized why. Until several months ago when Tsunade-sama commanded I escort her to meet you and Naruto at the ramen shop. She was always different from the rest. She never oggled me, though I saw her observing from a distance. Then she found a liking for you and was different for you as well. Wasn't she?"

He nodded, "Sakura has always been
Different.. But I don't understand, when we were between the ages of nine and twelve she always said she would wait for me. You can't just lie about that. And to think for a moment I believed it." He poured another glass  and drank the hot contents. "Sasuke, how often did she confess to you?" He thought, "several times and once I took seriously when we were thirteen." "I see.. And how often did you indicate, like feelings toward her?" He said nothing. "What do you think happens to a widow, who loses a spouse?" Confusion faced me, "They choose to live in sadness or move on, in order to continue life in happiness. This is similar to that. Sakura lost you and has moved on." Slamming his cup down he raised his voice. "Why you though!? Why my Aniki? I don't understand." Pouring myself a new glass I spoke evenly, "That is something you'll have to ask her once things have settled down." With great force he tossed his cup at the wall in front of us, causing it to shatter.

"Are you fucking her?" His blatant statement caused me to spit out my tea. "I beg pardon?" I wanted to make sure I was hearing him correctly. "I said 'are you fucking her?' Is she whoring herself out to you? Letting you brand her? You know fucking?" I had to fight with myself to keep calm. "No Sasuke we haven't and aren't currently having sex." He laughed, "She's so annoying and temperamental, how can you stand to be with her for anything else?" Befuddled, that's the best way to describe my feelings toward that statement. One that contradicted his obvious declaration of feeling toward the girl. "She isn't annoying, temperamental at times, yes I agree. However I'm attracted to her for all the things that make her, Sakura." "So you aren't interested in your body?" He asked in disbelief. Setting my tea down with a light thud, my gaz went toward the moon.

"She was almost raped on that mission, those three weeks ago, Sasuke." He tensed, "What..? She.." Realization struck him and his face fell into his hands. "If Shisui and I hadn't arrived when we did.. She would have lost her virtue. I have no intention of forcing her to do anything until she's ready." He said nothing for a long while, "I'm so sorry... I'm a monster.. She must hate me.. I never intended to actually do anything.. My anger was just..." I collected the tea set and stood, "She doesn't hate you and she doesn't deserve your hate either. You owe me no apology but you do owe her one. I don't expect it to be anytime soon. But I do expect it." Turning, I slid the door open, "Oh and Sasuke.. This time I won't do anything. But you will never hurt her again. Or I will have to intervene. I care about her and intend to keep her in my life for as long as she'll have me. Good night." As I slid the door shut I heard it very faintly but it was there, "I promise, it will never happen again."