Chapter Ten

Living with just Itachi was definitely a change in pace. When they walked, they weren't running. When they stopped to rest or camp out, it was for days at a time. Life not chasing after Naruto was good for Itachi, Sakura could tell. Living with solely Itachi was a little sad, too. Sakura constantly thought about Konoha, especially her second-mother figure Tsunade and best friend Ino. Not to mention Naruto. She hadn't seen him since the fight between him and Itachi, which was a few weeks ago but felt like years ago.

Their time together was full of paranoia as well. Sakura would probably be in many Bingo Books by now, including Konoha's. If there ever were Anbu around, they'd have to be swiftly avoided. Sakura didn't worry as much, because she had Itachi. Security was one of the greatest things about being with an ex-Akatsuki member/s-class criminal/jutsu prodigy.

Speaking of ex-Akatsuki members, according to Itachi he was the longest living one. Noone left the Akatsuki; you either died a member, or were killed for leaving. Which meant that Sakura and Itachi not only had to worry about Anbu but every member of the Akatsuki—all of Itachi's former friends and companions, and by now, Ichigo.

Now that it was just Sakura and Itachi, Itachi became much more affectionate. It was odd and slightly awkward at first, but Sakura wasn't opposed to it at all. After all, she did leave a whole life behind to be with him, so she was going to get some affection if it killed the man, which she found she wanted to do often. Without breaks from each other, Itachi and Sakura fought a lot. Neither of them were ever actually seriously angry with one another; besides, the matter which they fought over was very trivial and childlike. One good thing that Sakura (embarrassingly) discovered about their fighting was the make up sex. Sakura couldn't tell lately if Itachi was really angry with her about things on purpose or not…

"You know, if sex with me is so great we can just do it? Instead of getting angry with each other over stupid things," Sakura joked with a smirk as she and Itachi strolled hand and hand through one of the many small towns they'd passed, exiting the gates and entering the surrounding forest. They'd just ended a tiff over who would pay for their recently drunk coffee. "It can't be healthy…exerting all that anger." He looked over at her with a matching sneer.

"Oh?" was his simple response as he pushed her up against a nearby tree, his hands on either side of her head. "I suppose we could get out all this…frustration in a simpler way?" His lips came crashing down on hers before she could protest. Sakura was quickly consumed in the kiss, loving the feeling of his lips on hers. It was much easier to kiss Itachi when he didn't have that obtrusive Akatsuki cloak on; and much easier to take his other clothes off. Itachi's body pressed harder onto hers, but he still wasn't close enough. She ran a hand through his glossy dark hair, loving that he kept it down all the time, both their forehead protectors abandoned towns ago. Giggles intruded into their utopian moment and she looked over to see children at the gate, watching them. Itachi turned around to look too, slightly annoyed but he stood upright and grabbed Sakura's elbow, leading her back into the forest. Sakura hid her face with one hand; some mothers may have some explaining to do later. But for now…

xxx

"I was thinking, Itachi," Sakura began while looking at their hands intertwined between them. "Maybe we should settle down somewhere. Not have to do so much…walking. Make life a little more normal." Itachi was silent for a while; not really abnormal. He rocked the bench swing a little, glancing over at Sakura. She was still talking, something about a garden. Her lips moved seductively as her hair shifted in the wind. She hadn't cut it in a while, and it was growing past her shoulder blades. He liked it when it was long like this; he could run his hands through it, grab it and yank it playfully when she got too far in front of him, or gently hold it without her noticing so he had something of hers to hold onto.

He didn't want to tell her. Tell her about this disease eating him from the inside out. Tell her that every moment she spent with him would just hurt her more in the end. Tell her than eventually he'd have to leave her to find Sasuke. It tore him up inside to listen to her talk about this future that he knew they could never really have. A home? With them living together? Yes. He knew he'd always secretly wanted such a simple, uncomplicated life. Which is something he couldn't give to Sakura. He wanted so badly to see her happy. A part of him—a small one, he noted—wished he'd never started this with Sakura.

He looked at her again and knew that he didn't mean that. Her gently curving face, her lips bowed in that genuine smile and her eyes. Her eyes made him crazy, always staring into his with such passion, such determination and sometimes, unadulterated love. These past few weeks had been the best moments of his life and he knew he'd never trade them for anything. Sakura was always that one piece he'd felt was missing for a while now. Sakura was that one person he'd only had once, but she was gone. Sakura was his confidante, had come to be his best friend and someone he ultimately couldn't imagine living his life without. Always fighting, her gentle yet firm punches to his arm, her angry looks when he went too far. He really was abominable. Sakura looked up at him with a smile on her face.

Her smile faltered when she stared into those eyes that had stayed onyx since their time in the tree-house. Sakura had never seen such emotion like this in Itachi's eyes. He looked so incredibly…sad. Sakura turned more towards him.

"Itachi?" she asked and he seemed to snap out of it, the expression was gone. Should she say something? Ask him why he seemed so…emotional? She decided to feign irritance. "Were you even paying attention? I was talking about important things, you know." She crossed her arms, but Itachi grabbed her wrist, forcing her to hold his hand again and put their hands in his lap. "What are you—"

"Let's just sit like this," he said, shrinking further into the swing and pushing it back again. Sakura's expression went flax as she realized they weren't going to talk further about her perfect little home. She looked up into his obsidian eyes, staring mildly ahead. She sighed and her lips coiled into a smile. She laid her head on his shoulder, snuggling further into him. This was fine for now, but once she got his attention again, they were going to talk about her house—their home.

xxx

Sakura shrieked as the cold water splashed up and hit her. She shivered—she was so cold moments ago and now all she wanted was a mug of hot chocolate and a blanket. Itachi was a good blanket option too…

"Be careful, Sakura there are snakes," Itachi told her from the bank of the river. She looked over at him, staring blankly and muttering something about him acting like her father.

"Itachi, come get in!" she called. Itachi didn't answer her and made no move to, either. He leaned against the tree, his hands placed neatly in his lap.

"I'm fine right here." He finally said. Besides, he could better admire her figure (which sported nothing but her underwear) from over here. Sakura grinned maliciously and walked over to the side.

"Well fine then, I'll help you out!" she screamed and splashed water in his direction. A few droplets hit his face but his legs and part of his shirt were soaked. Itachi's eye twitched as he examined his dripping clothes. Sakura caught a glimpse of his face and her smirk disappeared. He looked genuinely pissed off. She pursed her lips and shamefully sunk down in the water to her nose. She didn't even see him move; she was suddenly fully in the water, her head being held down by Itachi's hand. She struggled under the water trying to kick him, hit him anything. He wasn't letting go! Blind panic flew through her body. What was he doing, she was going to drown!

The pressure lessened and she pushed off to get above the surface, gasping for air. Her body unclenched its muscles in relief. Oh, he was going to get it. She turned around, waterlogged, her brow wrinkled and her expression absolutely livid. Itachi found this incredibly funny. He closed his eyes and started laughing. Pretty soon he was bent over, clasping his stomach. Sakura continued to look at him with mouth slightly open. Itachi was laughing…hard. It was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard. Why didn't he let her hear that every day? Sakura's expression transformed into a smile and pretty soon she was laughing too.

A few hours later, both their clothes were hanging to dry above the fire they were sitting beside. Sakura's hot chocolate craving was currently being satisfied. She passed the mug to Itachi, who made sure his lips pressed directly onto where her lips had just been as he drank. Sakura's head was close to his as it rested on his shoulder. He turned his head slightly so he could smell her hair. It smelled like rosewater and sunscreen.

He loved being this close to her. Intimacy wasn't encouraged in the Uchiha household. His mother used to hold him and would constantly give little signs of affection but it was never in front of his father. Having this nearness with Sakura was nice. It was warm and made him feel happy. He wondered why this was always dejected? Sakura whispered something and he noticed how slow her breathing had become. He leaned over to look at her face. Her eyes were closed, her mouth twitching every so often as she slept. He smiled and set the mug down.

Looking around, he spotted a pillow and grabbed it. Where was the other pillow? He spotted it on the other side of the fire. He could get up and retrieve it, but he didn't want to disturb Sakura. He placed the pillow down behind them and lightly shifted their bodies to laying. His head hit the pillow and he guided Sakura's head to where it was resting on the crook of his shoulder. Sakura fidgeted a bit before completely relaxing in his arms. He closed his eyes but it was hard for him to sleep. He now kept thinking about his old life in the Uchiha complex. He missed his mother. He didn't miss his father's high expectations, but he did miss his father—or rather he missed having a father, not his specifically.

He missed Miya. Sakura was not like Miya in any fashion, but sometimes the way Sakura looked at him or the way her hips moved when she walked reminded him of her. Maybe it was a womanly thing.

Miya used to hate him, he knew that much. She hated that he was a child prodigy. She hated everything he represented as a shinobi. She loathed him because everyone in the Uchiha clan held him in the highest regards. Itachi was apathetic towards her for the longest time. There was nothing special about her; she wasn't a shinobi, she didn't have any unique talents and she wasn't strikingly pretty. He couldn't quite recall why or how they had eventually begun talking. But soon, he began to have feelings for her.

He had forgotten many things in the past years, but there were still things about her that were etched into his memory. Her silly grins, her blushes, her shy mannerisms, her soft hands. He remembered those hands touching his face as they wiped the tears away, neither understanding why he was crying. He remembered those hands falling away from his face and her expression as he plunged his katana into her side. They had haunted him for a long time, along with the many other members of his clan he had slaughtered. Leaving his beloved brother behind. The brother who had then left and damaged the beautiful, fragile kunoichi currently sleeping at his side.

He bent his head down and kissed her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open sluggishly. She rubbed her eye and looked up at him. He looked over into her eyes and she didn't say anything to him, just smiled. He continued to gaze at her before hoisting himself on one elbow so he was towering over her. She looked up at him, a little surprised. He leaned down and caught her mouth in his.

Sakura welcomed his kiss. It was so gentle and sweet; not at all rough, demanding and sexy as a lot of their other kisses seemed lately. This kiss had no traces of aggressiveness. She wasn't sure how to respond to this kiss so she gently tugged at his bottom lip. He responded by nipping at hers. Both their breathing roughened as they deepened the kiss. Sakura's face was hot and she was getting lightheaded. Her arms wrapped around his neck and Itachi lifted her a little higher with his arm, his other hand keeping her head up so it could reach his own.

Itachi's hand trailed down her back and found the latch to her bra. Sakura smiled into the kiss. Itachi kissed her lips again, then trailed down to her chin and then kissed up and down her neck. Sakura whimpered, sending Itachi's mind reeling. He loved hearing her make noises, they made him crazy. She shuddered as goose bumps peppered her skin. His kisses made their way to her collarbone, then continued ever downward…

xxx

"Itachi! What is it, where are we?" Sakura asked, feeling around in front of her. Her boots clicked on stone. It smelled like fresh cut grass and flora. Itachi had blindfolded her in the middle of packing and told her to trust him. She said she did, and she was suddenly scooped up into his arms and carried here. Itachi took her shoulders and slowly guided her a little further.

"Are you ready?" He whispered in here, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. She nodded. "Then you can take off the blindfold." She quickly undid the knot in the back and ripped the blindfold off her head. The sun blinded her for a second but after a few blinks, she could see—

"Oh, Itachi…" Sakura whispered. "It's beautiful."

Standing in front of her was it. Her perfect house. It was white with dark blue shutters and a dark blue door. It was two stories, the front bedroom leading out to a balcony. The porch had a swing hanging from the porch roof, right in front of a huge bay window. Sakura could see a chimney and the vines that grew on a whole side of the house, giving it a cottage-y feel. It was everything she had described…he had been listening. Sakura walked up the stone path towards the house, Itachi following her with a quiet smile on his face. She opened the door and walked inside, holding her breath as she did.

The inside was just as perfect as the outside. Rustic furniture occupied the rooms and there was a huge kitchen that she didn't know how to use but just the fact that it was there made it ideal. Sakura turned around to look at Itachi. His hands were down by his sides as he looked at her cautiously for a reaction. She placed her head in her hands and began to sob.

"Sakura…what's wrong? You don't like it?" Itachi asked, grabbing her arm. She tackled him in a hug, shaking her head furiously.

"No…it's perfect," she whispered into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back. She stepped back and wiped the tears off her cheeks. She got a glint in her eye and Itachi eyed her suspiciously. She suddenly jumped on him, grabbing his neck and began frantically kissing his mouth, cheeks and chin—anything she could reach. He grabbed her legs as they wrapped around his waist.

"I guess we're testing out the bedroom first." Itachi joked between kisses. She hit him.

"Don't be vile, you pervert." She reprimanded him as he carried her upstairs.

An hour later they lay on the bed, Sakura facing the window so she could see outside. Itachi faced the window behind her, trailing his long fingers up and down her arm.

"Konoha is a ten minute walk from here." Itachi stated quietly. She turned around, a curious expression on her face.

"Ten minutes? Why so close?" she sat up. "Itachi, isn't that rather dangerous?"

"You don't trust me to have things taken care of? There's a genjutsu around us, don't worry." He said and Sakura relaxed. Of course. Itachi wasn't stupid, she should have known better.

"Oh, I forgot I'm with a shinobi prodigy…" Sakura smiled, getting atop him and kissing him gently. Itachi grinned and tackled her into the bed.

xxx

"I'm back." Itachi's voice resonated throughout the entryway.

"I'm in here!" Sakura called. Itachi followed her voice into the kitchen. She stood in front of the stove, dressed in the new green sundress Itachi had recently bought her and a frilly white apron she had to have last time they went into town. He had the brown paper bag in his arms, bread and lettuce poking out of the top. "I'm sorry, dinner isn't ready yet. I wanted to be done by the time you were home…"

Itachi kissed her cheek. He didn't have the heart to tell her he wasn't sure he could stomach more of her cooking. She'd been experimenting lately and he was pretty sure that the last thing she had cooked had begun to move and if he hadn't eaten it in time it would have gotten up and walked off the table. Tonight's meal looked safe; he could see noodles.

"Ouch!" Sakura gasped as her finger grazed the stove top. Itachi scooped her up around her stomach and rushed her over to the sink, putting the water on cold. He gently took the wrist of her ailing finger and placed it under the running water. Sakura sighed. "I'm so clumsy." Itachi rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Yes you are," he stated and she frowned, lightly elbowing him in the stomach. He was positive he heard a mumbled "jerk."

Sitting around the table, Itachi took his chop sticks in his hand and prepared his stomach to be assaulted. Sakura watched him expectantly, waiting anxiously for his reaction. He took the noodles and sauce, slowly wrapping it around the wood. He took a deep breath and put the concoction in his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise.

"So?" Sakura asked. He nodded.

"It's good." He said around the bite.

"You sound surprised, Itachi…" Sakura growled. She picked up her chopsticks and prodded his arm. "If you don't like my cooking then don't come home." She threatened and he grinned. She put her own food in her mouth and then sputtered. The smell of the food was overwhelming her. What was this feeling…she was nauseous, but it was an inexplicable nausea that she'd never felt before. She clutched her mouth and ran over to the sink, heaving viciously. Itachi was at her side in an instant.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" he asked, worry coloring his face. She hovered over the sink for a few seconds before shakily turning on the faucet and rinsing out her mouth. She stood up, a perplexed look on her face. She looked up at Itachi and then her hand began to glow green. Neither Itachi nor Sakura had used chakra or, for that matter, any jutsus in a very long time. The cool, breezy chakra felt so familiar in Sakura's hand. She scanned her stomach with her hand. There was nothing wrong with her stomach. Her hand slipped and went down further and she gasped. She rested on her lower belly.

"What, what is it?" Itachi asked, concern etching deeper lines on his face. Sakura looked at Itachi. How was she going to tell him this? How was he going to react? Besides that, how was she supposed to react? Her lip quivered as Itachi gazed at her anxiously.

"Itachi…I'm…" her breathing became more shallow. She felt lightheaded. "Itachi, I'm pregnant."

Woot chapter tennnn! I can't believe I just whipped that out it's been SO long. Well, i've known for a long time that Itachi dies because I read the manga but I just recently watched the anime version and heard "love and truth" sung by Yui and i LOST IT. Like I literally began bawling my eyes out...so sad. ): Anyway, this is a pure fluff chapter just showing some key points and highlights in the relationship over the past months. I'm going to say that they've been together around 5-6 months since Itachi quit Akatsuki. Pretty intense stuff coming up. Just forewarning you, next chapter or the chapter after that will be THE LAST CHAPTER. I must say, i've been writing this story for nearly four years (i know...i'm a horrible updater and i deserve to have my hands cut off because I don't use them anyway...) and I'm actually rather sad that it's going to end soon. I actually started crying when I was writing the paragraphs where Itachi is talking about leaving Sakura...sigh...A huge music inspiration for this chapter were Clair de Lune and Pitter Pat by Erin McCarley (beautiful song...by the end of this story this song will relate HUGELY to this story...prepare the tissues because I am) I'm so sorry that I haven't updated but i'm going to go ahead and focus on finishing Damaged before I work on any other stories. But, have no fear once this story ends you always have the Apostasy! (: I'm thinking of writing a NaruSaku story after this...I have a poll up on my profile so check it out and vote for the pairing you want me to write about! Well, I love you all and hopefully i'll read your reviews soon (hint, hint...hahahah) and hopefully you'll read the next chapter soon...i'm going to try to get as much written as possible because i love you guys. (: -ash