The sun was setting ever so slowly, the autumn breeze was dancing through the air, snow lightly coming down in a slow, steady pace, and a man stumbled out of a bar, slightly drunk. A look of sorrow crossed his face as he shuffled when he walked, hands stuffed into his pockets. He was a miserable sight. Mothers pulled their children closer to them and men with newspapers moved away from him, rather, not facing the glare that was etched on his face. The mere presence of him would make one melancholy, he radiated sadness.

The man straightened his posture a bit, sighing as he remembered the conversation he had on his phone earlier in the day. He reached a stop station and closed his eyes, reliving the moment for the umpteenth time.

"Hello? Is this Sasuke Uchiha?" Sasuke heard as he clicked the green button to answer the call.

"Uh, yes. Yes, this is Sasuke Uchiha."

"Oh, you're Itachi Uchiha's brother, I assume. You authorize his medications and consent forms, correct? You're his guardian to these matters?"

"Yes."

"I'm his oncologist, Dr. Arai. I've recently just checked his vitals, and... I'm sorry to say Itachi's case has grown worse."

"H-huh? W-we can fix it with medication, right?"

"I'm sorry. His cancer has become terminal. Medication will slow down the rate of death he is in right now, but it won't save his life. I'm sorry."

"O-oh. I s-see. Thank you for telling me. Means... A lot."

"Of course. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you in person, I was told not to. I also advise you to come to the hospital later today, he may want to speak with you."

"Itachi? Yeah, I'll come. I mean I always do, anyways."

"Yes. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. T-thank you."

"I'll take my leave. Goodbye."

"Bye."

The phone was left silent, and Sasuke's arm dropped from his ear. He couldn't believe it.

Itachi Uchiha, his brother, was going to die.

"Damn it." Sasuke mumbled as he walked onto the road towards the hospital Itachi was at, completely forgetting that the light hadn't turned red yet, and it was still yellow with a wait sign. A huge cement truck was headed his way, the honks from it becoming louder with every step Sasuke took. The other pedestrians yelled to the man to run back, but he didn't hear a word until the very last moment. He saw the trucks bright, flashing headlights and heard the screams of the people around him.

His eyes shook with fear. Was this his end? It wasn't enough time to run away, and he was frozen in fear. The truck came closer and closer, and he stood, shaking with fright. Suddenly, he felt someone grab the collar of his shirt and yank him over to the sidewalk where he fell over, gasping. Looking up, Sasuke found a pair of forest green eyes staring at him in fear, anger, and annoyance and he wondered how such different emotions could be mixed into one so easily. He heard people releasing their breath as sighs, soon cheers could be heard all around, but Sasuke didn't hear a word of that, rather he just kept looking into the green eyes that captivated him.

Applause for his rescue died down, and the people resumed their ways, walking back to their plans. Sasuke scrambled to get up and stuck out his hand, managing a slight smile. He looked at the girl who saved him and her most popping feature, accompanied by those green eyes, was her pastel pink hair.

"Uh, thank you." He said awkwardly. The girl reluctantly shook his hand and narrowed her eyes.

"Hmph. Next time, please watch where you're going! There may not be someone to save you next time. You gotta look around and make sure you're safe, cha!" She scolded him, and with a huff, she turned around and walked back towards the direction he had used to get to the stop post.

Seeing the light turn green to walk, Sasuke looked around for any danger and began walking. His mind wandered off to the pink-haired, green-eyed girl who saved his life. Giving a chuckle, he realized she was the first person all day to make him smile. Shaking her from his thoughts, he jogged up to the hospital, and ran towards the entrance, going towards the reception desk.

"Uh, hello? Itachi Uchiha? Room 29?" He asked the receptionist. She looked at him boredly and nodded.

"Mmhm, here's your badge. Visiting hours last an hour, so please come down right after."

"Sure thing." With that, Sasuke raced towards the elevator and punched the 'Floor Two' button, waiting the agonizing ten seconds in the lift. As soon as the doors of the elevator opened, the black-haired man speed-walked towards the room at the very end of the hallway. The last time he was caught running in the hospital, a nurse yelled at him. He was sure as hell he did not want to go through that experience again. He slammed the door open, making the patient inside jolt at least three feet in the air.

"Jesus hecking Christ, Sasuke! What the hell?" Itachi shouted as he clutched his heart dramatically. Sasuke scowled, walked towards the chair next to Itachi's bed, and slid into it, making it screech.

"I got a phone call," Sasuke began with a deadly voice. A cold sweat started down Itachi's back as he pretended to wonder what was going on.

"Ohoho, from whom?" Itachi chuckled with a fake smile, scratching his neck. Sasuke just narrowed his eyes.

"The doctor."

"Hmm, I see."

"AH GIVE IT UP ITACHI! STOP PRETENDING YOU DON'T KNOW YOU'RE TERMINAL! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME IN PERSON! DR. ARAI HECKING CALLED ME!" Sasuke stood up, yelling. A dead silence filled the room following his outburst, and Itachi looked down, hands folded onto his lap.

"I'm sorry. I didn't have the courage to say anything."

Sasuke bit his lip as he slumped down into his chair, sighing.

"It's fine. I just wish you told me in person."

Itachi let out a relieved sigh, smirking, "oof."

"Really?"

"The air was awkward! I had to say it, it relieved some of it!"

"Yeah, yeah, you and your dumb memes."

"They are perfectly acceptable, dimwit."

"Shut up." The brothers grinned at each other, giving small chuckles.

"Anyways, I'm sure Mom and Dad already know about... the situation. I know the medicines will be expensive as hell, so I'll speak to them to take some of my college savings and pu--" Sasuke got cut off from Itachi, who put a finger to his lip, shaking his head.

"Uh, no way. Your savings are going to their purpose: COLLEGE. I'll find another way to get the money." Itachi said forcefully. Sasuke looked at him like he was an idiot, crossing his arms.

"You're taking it or I throw myself out the window."

"What the heck, Sasuke."

"I'm serious!" Sasuke said as he rose from his chair and walked towards the window by Itachi's bedside. It was high enough so it could kill him and perfect bait for his older brother. He opened the window and raised his leg, swinging the oth--

"OKAY FINE! I'LL TAKE IT, I'LL TAKE IT!" Itachi hollered. Sasuke grinned, shut the window, turned around, and patted his big brother's head.

"Good boy!"

"Get your hands off me!" Itachi laughed as he swatted away Sasuke's arm. Sasuke gave a sly smile and paced around the room, chuckling. An image of the pink haired girl appeared in his mind and he stopped, remembering the events that occurred just twenty minutes ago.

"Sasuke?"

Shaking out his trance, he glanced up at Itachi, who looked at him confused. Sasuke gave a little smile and walked back to his chair, sliding down.

"You know, I almost died coming here." Sasuke started, staring at his lap. Itachi rose his eyebrow and looked at him strangely.

"Uh, okay? Weird way to start of a conversation, but that's cool." Itachi mumbled.

"Its cool I almost died?" Sasuke looked up at him, showing a mock face of hurt.

"NO! It's just weird how you start conversations. You're bad at it, quite frankly." Itachi grinned as he poked Sasuke's forehead.

Sasuke swatted his finger away and continued, "Thanks for the input. Anyways, a truck was racing at me, and, and this girl that had pretty pink hair and really nice green eyes pulled me away from it, saving my life."

Itachi looked at him with wonder in his eyes, "I wonder if it was..."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Cool story. So, how was it?"

"How was what?"

"Your near death experience?"

"Scary as heck, bro."

"I know."

Awkward silence filled the room again, and the brothers looked away before Itachi resumed talking.

"So, how's school? IT going well?" Sasuke looked up, thankful for the new subject.

"It's going pretty good! Though it gets boring sometimes, so I sketch out characters for that new comic I'm making."

"I see. Don't doodle your little anime girl so much, you know! Focus on your class. It's gonna help you, dimwit!"

"I know! And she's not an anime girl! She's an independent superhero who saves the world with a punch and a dazzling smile."

"Aka anime girl."

"Be quiet."

Itachi looked out the window, which was pulling sunlight into the room, and he smiled.

"Remember Menma?"

"Heck yes! That's my favorite anime in the whole world!" Sasuke exclaimed.

"I remember you watching that every Saturday morning until you got your first phone, watching it on there, buying merch, just being obsessed with it. You still are, aren't you? It's why your minor is art."

Sasuke smiled. Menma was his favorite show as a kid, and it still was. It ended a few years ago, but he loved the show so much, it was practically his childhood.

"Yeah. Mom always compares me to Charasuke, since he was really quiet and mean."

"You're not quiet and mean around me, Mom or Dad, though. You're like Menma around us. So excited and talkative... You should talk to more people, you know? YOU NEED FRIENDS, DIMWIT!"

"I know, I know."

An alarm began ringing from Itachi's phone signaling the end of Sasuke's visit. Sasuke stood up and hugged his brother tight, Itachi hugging him back with equal force.

"I'll text you the minute I get home. I have so much more to talk about." Sasuke declared as he walked towards the door, pointing at Itachi.

"Okay, okay. Now shoo, you don't want Nurse Aki screaming at you again, do you?" Itachi laughed as he saw Sasuke shiver with fear of the nurse. Sasuke nodded a goodbye and closed the door, sighing. However bad the news may be when he came into Itachi's room, he always left with a smile.

He didn't want to think about the day that he wouldn't. 

As he walked into the elevator, his mind drifted towards the girl again, and he grinned. Sasuke hoped he would see once again. She seemed nice when she wasn't scolding. He could tell by her eyes.

Signing out by the reception desk, he gave his badge back to the receptionist to be used again tomorrow. Sasuke then plugged his earphones into his phone, began playing music, and jogged out of the hospital, fearing that if he was late, his mother would surely kill him.

Just a few moments after he was long gone from the hospital's vicinity, the pink-haired girl that had saved Sasuke just an hour earlier rushed into the hospital in a hurry... but she didn't go to the reception counter. She was, rather, left alone. 

~~~

Written by alicarox13