A/N: Another fic complete. That brings my total down to...*checks table of listed upcoming works* 41. Busy summer for me, writing wise!

Right, so, once these two here finally got over their drama and over-thinking, things turned out to be pretty simple, as most things in life tend to be. It's short, but just how I want it. I'm happy. ^^

Beta: None.

Chapter 4

So quiet.

Shadows grew and spread through the room, covering the boxes strewn everywhere. The breeze continued to whisper in past the sheer curtains. Though Itachi had shut the door hard, unless it was locked, it didn't stay closed. Naruto, who'd turned out to be surprisingly handy, had said that the spring latch was broken; the latch bolt didn't fully extend once the door was shut, necessitating the door to be actually locked for it to remain shut. He'd said he would fix it that night. As a result, there was a three-inch crack between the door and the jamb, a narrow oblong of light that allowed her to look out past the metal stairs leading up to the apartment and over the rooftops of the immediate surrounding neighborhood.

Itachi had looked at her as if she was nothing. He'd never looked at her like that before. She'd learned to interpret his expressions. He might appear indifferent to the world at large, but she knew the subtle shadings to his demeanor, the minute alterations in his expression that meant happiness, shock, or lust. There had been nothing subtle or indifferent about him just now. He'd seen her, sneered at her, and left.

Well, could she blame him? No, she couldn't. She was doing it again, being a stupid child incapable of adult behavior. She'd run when she'd first had sex with him, then run again when she could no longer deny she was pregnant. Both times were absolutely unforgivable insults to him, and out of character for her. She'd cowered behind the safe, comfortable, non-threatening protection of Naruto and Sasuke, knowing full well that they'd accept her blubbering insecurity and let her hide. She was the mature one of their trio. Whenever the boys needed some sense knocked into them she was more than happy to do the honors. She never let them get away with shit, but they were too soft-hearted and too scared of her temper to do the same. And let's face it, she rarely, if ever, needed to be set straight.

There's no possible way I can raise a kid when I can't even behave responsibly, she admonished herself. Another one of her detestable crying episodes was perilously close to swamping her, and this time there was no friendly, supportive shoulder to lean on.

Abruptly, she pitied her child. She pitied it for having to be born to such a pathetic mother, to someone who couldn't admit how she felt to its father, or even tell its grandparents of its existence. She was cheating her baby of its rights on every side and it hadn't even been born yet. What kind of mother could she hope to be? A rush of love and protectiveness at last broke through her resolve not to cry yet again, so that she wrapped her arms around her middle, doubled over, and rocked in misery.

Itachi saw that the door was ajar, and took a moment to sense if Sakura was still inside or not. She was. He switched to scanning for threats as he landed lightly on the small metal landing at the top of the stairs that led up the side of the building. He stood at the crack in the door and peered inside.

She felt him. He saw her lift her head from her knees at sensing his presence. He was striding inside at once at seeing her tear-streaked face. Whatever she might or might not feel for him, whatever her reason for pushing him away this time, he could not bear to see such pain in her. He was at her side instantly, lowering himself to the couch. "Tell me," was all he said.

It seemed she couldn't. She only covered her face with her hands. He saw the effort on her part to stop crying, saw how she ended up crying harder, and hesitantly reached out a hand to her trembling back; he felt as if he were being flayed alive, having to witness her grief.

She came into his arms eagerly, clung to him desperately, and the feel of her at long last eased some of the tension in his chest. He stroked her hair awkwardly, held her tightly, and just offered what silent comfort he could. They remained that way on the couch for some time.

He was so solid. And unlike Sasuke, he had a limit to how much of her crap he would put up with. She couldn't just bank on her girlish charm with him, and expect he'd let her get away with the same things the boys let her get away with. The way Itachi had looked at her, she'd been sure he'd never want to speak to her again. After all, she'd taken off with no word, and planned to shack up with his brother, also without warning. But he'd come back. And here, in his arms, Sakura felt keenly that this was her last chance to not screw things up. Drying her eyes on her shirt, she lifted her head off his chest and took a deep, shaky breath. When she met his eyes, he was ready, looking at her expectantly.

"Itachi? I need to tell you something."

He adjusted himself, sat up straighter on the couch and turned toward her. "I, too, have something I'd like to say."

"May I go first?"

He appeared to think, then deferred to her with a small bow.

My baby deserves a strong mother. I am a strong woman, strong enough to take his rejection and still keep my head up. She made a silent vow to her child then and there to be the best parent she could. To that end, she cleared her throat. "This thing between us?"

Itachi's face didn't change, but she knew his interest had just sharpened. She could tell. "Yes," he said.

"I, um." She paused to take another steadying breath. "I feel I have to tell you that it's serious. For me, anyway."

He didn't look away from her. "I see. How serious?"

"Um, very? I…" Her lower lip trembled a bit, before firming as she squared her shoulders. "I'm seriously…seriously in…love with you." His eyes widened, she saw, and she said it again before she could lose her nerve. "Seriously. It's…it's not just attraction on my part, never really was. I was scared you didn't feel the same way, so I lied…but I'm so in love with you that I…I can't take it. I mean, you're all I think about, day and night and I-" She had to stop. She hadn't wanted it to sound like a melodramatic teenage confession, and that's exactly how it had come out sounding. She'd dropped her eyes to her hands, but now she peeked up when he shifted on the couch again. He was scooting closer to her.

Itachi felt as he had when Sasuke had come to rescue Naruto, and possibly him, from Akatsuki. At seeing he hadn't lost his brother's love after all, he'd been nearly crazed with power and adrenaline. Something similar took place in him now, but he sternly held himself in check. He listened to her confession, felt his heart shatter in his breast at learning his feelings were returned, returned ardently, and blinked a few times to keep himself composed. She stopped speaking, staring down at where she picked her nails nervously.

I can't do as you ask, Sasuke, and completely change my ways, but I can and will claim what's mine now. She looked up as he moved closer to her. He cleared his throat lightly. "I feel I must also confess…"

She seemed in shock. At hearing how he'd watched her for so long, yearned for her, waited for her…shock had her sitting perfectly still through his narration. But then she started crying again, and he was at a loss as to why or what he could say.

"You loved me all that time and I completely shat all over you after we were together that first time! I made you think I didn't care, when I would have killed just to be near you! Oh God, I'm horrible!" She screamed this last violently.

He had to grab her and squeeze her forcefully to him, so overcome was he with vindication. She calmed somewhat in his arms, but he could feel her shaking. She loved him. He could ask for nothing else. She loved him. He pressed his lips to her hair and kept them there as he swallowed repeatedly. He was sure he was hurting her with his hard embrace, but she didn't complain. Only sniffled in his arms, as her shaking subsided gradually.

-oOo-

Her self-disgust passed quickly. It was hard to feel anything but euphoria and a weightless sense of peace at learning that he loved her at last. Loved her. Was as obsessed with her as she was with him, needed and wanted her just as she needed and wanted him. It was a dream, a fantasy come true. Uchiha Itachi loved her and she was having his baby.

"What?"

Sakura snapped her head up and found Itachi looking down at her with stone cold disbelief. Replaying her thoughts in her mind, she realized that she'd spoken out loud. She briefly considered amending the statement, but decided enough was enough. She nodded. "It's true. I…I'm pregnant. It's yours." At seeing his continued blank stare, she bit her lip uncertainly. "Are you angry? I know we didn't plan it, and-"

"Marry me."

"-What?" She sat up from the reclining position they'd been in to gaze down at him.

He sat up as well. The image he'd had of her on his way over here suddenly connected with what Sasuke had said. The thing that had been plaguing his thoughts finally clicked together: Sakura had placed her hands over her stomach when she'd seen him, and Sasuke had said he'd be a terrible father. On some level he'd made the connection that she was pregnant, it just hadn't registered with his conscious mind. Now, with the knowledge stated and out in the open, he felt his skin grow clammy. A child. His child. The memory of what he'd done to his clan surfaced, never far from his thoughts. Not just my child. My redemption. Her love and mine, joined forever. He had no doubt it was his. "I said marry me."

"Itachi, I-"

"Do you love me?"

"Yes, you know I do-"

A sense of emergency, compounded by her sudden and inexplicable reticence, had him speaking more sharply than he intended to. "Do you have any doubt whatsoever that I love you in return? That I would kill before letting harm come to you, and would die to protect you?"

That seemed to get her attention. She stopped her squirming to gaze at him steadily. "No," she whispered.

"Do you doubt my ability to provide for you and our child? My willingness to give it everything this world has to offer?"

"No."

"Do you doubt me in anyway at all?"

Her voice was firm. "No. Not anymore."

"Then you doubt yourself," he surmised quickly. He moved closer to her and took her cold hands in his. "Listen to me well, Haruno Sakura. I waited as long as I did in order to make sure that you were the one. I know you well, despite what you think. You are the most courageous, selfless, compassionate, and strongest woman I have ever come across. I fell in love with you long before I'd chosen you, but there is no doubt in my mind that were every woman in creation paraded before me, none would compare to you. None would equal you. None could ever hope to come close. You must have me for your husband, Sakura. If you don't, my love for you will force me to shame myself by pining away for your smile, and taking up residence in your home. I'm afraid you won't get rid of me. You may as well accept it."

He would have her crying again, wouldn't he? "And our baby?" she hiccuped.

Itachi dropped his eyes to her stomach, still predominantly flat, and placed a palm on it gently. "Will lack for nothing. Neither of you will, I can promise you that."

She couldn't stop the glad grin that spread across her face. "No one's ever said those kinds of things to me before."

"It's the truth. Will you have me?"

She nodded. Then she screeched a wild laugh and threw herself at him, knocking him backwards. She rained kisses all over his blustering face, before latching on to his mouth. Almost at once a terrible need to consume each other ignited their bodies to a feverish heat. It had been well over a month since they'd touched, but Sakura pulled back. "We have to tell my parents," she gasped giddily.

They were told scarcely twenty minutes later. Everything. The baby, their love, and Itachi's wish for a marriage to happen immediately. Sakura's mother surprised her and reduced her to tears again when she enfolded her daughter in a warm hug. "I was wondering when you'd tell me about the baby. I was so torn, watching you suffer so many uncertainties in silence, but I knew I had to let you come to me in your own time."

"Oh, Mama!"

Itachi watched the women hugging fiercely, both of them now crying. Sakura's father came up to him and he faced the white-haired man with his back straight. He then gave the lowest bow possible to his future father-in-law, one of the utmost respect and deference.

Sakura's father smiled. "It's all right, son. You had my approval from the moment she brought you home." He pulled the younger man aside a bit to whisper, "My girl's a headstrong miss. Despite her recent behavior, she's very independent- natured, and accustomed to being useful. I trust you don't expect her to be like her mother and occupy a traditional role within the home?"

Itachi bowed again. "On the contrary, I need a strong woman by my side. I chose her with full knowledge of who and what she is. I will cherish her individuality, you have my word."

Sakura's father squeezed Itachi's shoulder. "Well, good then. That's very good. I couldn't ask for a better man for a son."

Itachi blushed. Sakura saw this and teased him most unmercifully about it in the coming years.

-oOo-

That night, however, Tsunade was accosted outside her office as she was about to leave by one wildly excited Sakura, her beaming parents, a quietly forceful Itachi, and a disgruntled but happy Sasuke and Naruto. Itachi had gone to his apartment and interrupted his brother's steamy relations with Naruto in order to have them present for the impromptu wedding.

There was some flurry of activity as Shizune and Sakura's mother hastily tried to make Sakura more presentable, while Sasuke and Naruto hunted up a suitable kimono for Itachi to wear. They raided the Lost and Found on the first floor of the building and came up with one for Sakura too. The ceremony was over with rather quickly, but none present complained. Documents were signed, their names entered in the great ledger housing all unions, and that was that.

Sasuke had a handful of rice that he threw directly in his brother's face. A mild argument ensued, wherein Sasuke was told he was unwelcome in Itachi's house. Naruto said he and Sasuke could live in the new apartment, while Sakura could live with Itachi. Somehow Itachi caught sight of the brand on his brother's chest, and took the opportunity to make a few snide remarks about being Naruto's kept bitch, or something to that effect, which necessitated Sasuke being restrained by Naruto, Shizune and the Hokage herself. Itachi sauntered off with Sakura on his arm, quite smug in his victory at having gotten the last word. Sasuke's screamed insults were duly ignored.

Not the most auspicious wedding, for which Itachi apologized to Sakura later. She seemed not to mind. "It was still the best day of my life," she laughed. "Did you see your brother's face?"

"He deserved my comments." Itachi looked around. "Are you sure this is where you want our first night as husband and wife to be? I have enough money for a honeymoon. I'm well off, thanks to Akatsuki. I can afford an extended holiday somewhere. Perhaps someplace-"

"No." Sakura looked around too. "Here's perfect. We can take a trip later maybe, but tonight I want us to be right here."

"All right."

She smiled up at him as he lowered her to the blanket. It was unlikely that they'd be discovered here on top of the Hokage monument, and it seemed to make her so happy. He shed his clothes quickly and joined her a moment later.

Nude, the changes to her body were evident. Her breasts were larger. There was a slight thickening in her waist now. And when he slid a hand between her supple thighs, he found her flesh full and moist already…but then, that could be from her own desire for him. He let her reel him in by his ponytail for a heated kiss.

She was pliant in his arms, soft and welcoming and eager. And when he entered her body long minutes later, they knew they were both home, both where they belonged. His thrusts drove away her self-doubts one by one, until she was left with nothing but the shining surety that she was finally on the right path. Her surrender and acceptance of him melted away some of his reluctance, enough so that he was able to see the brilliant future she offered him. He placed a hand on the gentle mound of her belly at the moment of their joint climax, and it was a start. A beginning. The first steps on a new path for him, the old one finally left behind.