Disclaimer- So, if I owned Naruto, Rock Lee wouldn't have got himself almost killed, Sasuke wouldn't be such a cold fish, and Gaara would be a little more sane. And Naruto would have finally taken notice of Hinata and they would be an item. So no, I do not own Naruto.

Pink on White

The snow was cold. Fresh, cold, soft…..perfect place to lie down and take a nap. With no coat. And never, ever wake up. Right beneath a cherry tree. And as soon as the snow started to fall again, so she'd have a blanket. A nice, soft blanket to cover her in a frozen slumber. One that she would never wake up from. Hmm….pink on white, what an interesting combination. Surely no one would look for her now. It was the dead of night, so by morning, they could set her up as an ice sculpture of sorts. But alas, only someone who was too demented to know up from down would do such a thing. Perhaps Gaara? Yes, she hoped Gaara would find her.

Sakura scooped up a handful of snow and let the cold numb her hand. She was tired of life. And unlike most other suicidal decisions, she had no reason. She was just tired. Tired of seeing Sasuke as a hard, uncaring statue. Tired of listening to pointless banter, tired of watching the world bounce on by, leaving her where she stood, tired of watching Hinata pine for Naruto but unable to tell him, tired of being on a constantly shifting status with Ino in terms of friendship, tired tired tired………nothing was important anymore.

She felt nothing in her heart. No joy, no excitement, no love, no nothing. Sadness, even pain would be better than nothing. Being tired and feeling nothing wasn't a life worth living. So, there was a simple solution to Sakura's plight. Just end it. Lay down in that soft, inviting bed of snow and never wake up. Whatever happened after that held no meaning to her, she just needed to be done and over with it all. And she wasn't about to wait another eighty years to pass away or for some maniacal villain to slay her. She wanted it to be done now.

Sakura packed the snow into a pillow and rested her head on it, letting the cold sink in. She stared blankly up at the gray sky as the snow began to fall. Huh, just the perfect match for Sasuke. An unfeeling, unemotional, ice cold princess. The snow melted on her skin and rested gently in her hair, and soon all the pink and red was gone. Her hair had gone white and her clothing disappeared. The only thing left was pale skin and emerald green eyes piercing through the thick clouds.

Finally something stirred in her heart. Relief. And maybe a little happiness too. It would all be over soon, and the tired would be gone. Sakura would be gone. Resting eternally in her bed of pure white.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Something was wrong. The snow fell fresh, but instead of the calming affect it usually had on the Uchiha, it brought a sense of foreboding to his heart. It almost, almost made him fear the coming morning. He didn't want it to come. Something bad was going to come with it, and whatever it was he definitely wouldn't like it. So he walked. He walked through the streets of Konoha.

And when the worry that clutched his heart didn't fade, he decided to sit beneath a tree. But not just any tree. He wanted it to be a cherry tree. The thought of being near a cherry tree soothed his restless spirit. No one knew it, and he wouldn't even admit it to himself sometimes, but he did care for Sakura. More than he thought he should.

He did, because everyone else didn't trust him, everyone else still thought he was a traitor, but not her. She still believed he could do anything. But as of late Sakura was very distant. She rarely smiled, her eyes were always blank, there were horrid looking bags beginning to show under her eyes even through all the makeup she put on to cover them up, her skin had gone a sickly pale, and for the past two days no one had seen her come out of the apartment in which she resided. Ino had been taking her food and cards of concern from friends.

Nothing helped. Sasuke had a feeling she wasn't up for a visit, but he secretly worried. He worried that she was going to do something terrible. He worried that someday when Ino went to visit Sakura she would be lying in her bed cold as death. The thought made a chill run down his spine. No, he couldn't think like that, he couldn't give in to the thought that Sakura had no more will to live. She was the liveliest person he had ever known, and there wasn't a snowballs chance in hell that she would just let her life go. Would she?

Sasuke picked up his pace as the snow fell thicker. Something about this night didn't sit right in his heart. He wanted to go to Sakura to make sure she was okay, he wanted to hold her and tell her he needed to see that smile again, but for some reason he knew she wouldn't be home. He walked faster. The cold worried him. And with that the worry in his heart began to grow. Only a few seconds had passed before the worry had grown to fear, and that fear was so piercing and ominous that Sasuke began to run. He was running to get away from it, to leave it behind. And to find Sakura. He was running to find Sakura most of all.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

She was beginning to lose consciousness. The clouds before her began to blur and fade. Her eyelids drooped and fell, the snow landing softly on her lashes. Just as she thought it was over, just as the relief began to set in to her chilling heart, a dream worked its way into her mind, stopping the relief. Stopping the end from coming quickly like she wanted.

She was standing under the cherry tree she now slept under. It was spring, and the tree was in full bloom. The smell was wonderful too. But nothing else really caught the attention of Haruno Sakura. The only thing that she was looking at now was the person running toward her with a frantic look in his eye. Sasuke looked so different like that, so different, so human and vulnerable that it frightened Sakura.

Why? Why was he like that? And why was he coming straight toward her? She took a step back in uncertainty, but she backed right into the cherry tree and froze. All she could do was watch as he ran to her. Only a few feet away he stopped, he stopped and just stared at her, his chest heaving and his eyes searching. Finally he spoke.

"Sakura?" There was nothing else he could think of to say.

In a few quick steps he was directly in front of her, and she looked up into his eyes with confusion, but he only stared back with relief flooding over his features as he examined her face. After a few seconds Sasuke wrapped his arms around her in a firm grip and hugged her close. She could only stand there in shock at his actions. Was this really Sasuke? She flinched when she felt his warm breath on her ear. Funny, she always thought his breath would be cool and without warmth, just like his appearance.

"Sakura, I was worried…..I thought you were going to leave me. Don't go yet Sakura, please." He squeezed her tighter and whispered in her ear. "Don't go yet, okay Sakura? Promise me." He let go of her and stood, an actual smile gracing his lips and softening his features.

"Promise me Sakura, promise me………" His voice faded and so did the dream world around her. She wanted so badly to hang onto it, to stay there with him forever, but decided to return to the waking world.

Even if it was just a dream, it was the most real dream she had ever had in her entire life.

Sakura had to really work to get her eyes open, and her vision was blurry. Her hands and feet had gone numb, but she knew she hadn't been out for more than two hours. And the only reason she was still alive was the sweater and the sweatpants she wore. Strange really, how she intended to come out here and let the sweet cold take her warmth away and chill her beating heart, but she was wearing insolating clothing.

She tried to move, but her body wouldn't respond. She could feel the thick layer of snow that covered her body. She wanted to get up and go home, she wanted to live and not tell a soul, but she knew if no one found her soon it would be too late in the morning. But even so she wasn't afraid. She was still willing to let it all go, but that dream kept her alive. Now she wasn't even certain if it had been a dream. She wondered if this was a dream, and that wonderful place was reality. But another thought occurred to her.

What if she was already dead? What if that was heaven and she was just saying goodbye to the world of the living one last time? She couldn't be sure, but whatever the case, she was definitely alone. If she was alive, she was sure there was no hope for her. The cold would claim her body sooner or later, and she would finally be rid of her tired body. She closed her eyes again, but did not sleep. The dream was the reason she clung to life, the reason she hadn't already given in. She would hold out and keep her promise as long as she could, but then again, it was just a dream.

--------------------------------------------------------

Sasuke was absolutely frantic. He knew Sakura was out here somewhere, but he didn't know where. The trees! She would probably be near the cherry trees! He ran with haste, knowing that in this cold and in her state she wouldn't last long. The cold bit into his bare flesh as he ran, the snow thick and blinding. If he didn't find her soon, it would be too late. And truthfully he didn't know what he would do if he found her. Not breathing.

Sasuke spotted the cherry tree he was originally planning to sit under and picked up the pace. At the base of the tree was a large pile of snow. With fear in his heart he sunk his hand into the snow and hit something. No, someone. He was terrified that he was too late. Pulling a motionless Sakura from the winter tomb he held her close and stared at her pale face. Never shifting his gaze he pressed his fingers to her bare neck, and balked at the touch of her cold skin. Unable to find a pulse, he panicked. He didn't look like it, but in his mind it was utter chaos. His one and only Sakura was lost to him. Or so he thought.

Her eyes opened halfway, and the look she gave him was totally blank. When she finally comprehended who it was, the corner of her mouth lifted with much effort.

"Sas……uke…." Her voice was soft and he barely heard her, but when she spoke his name his heart filled with relief.

Sakura was alive!! But for how long? Sasuke rose to his feet and hurried back to his apartment. Nothing else mattered right now but keeping Sakura alive. In a matter of minutes Sasuke arrived at his home, not bothering to kick off his shoes as he rushed in. He set Sakura gently on his bed and covered her with blankets. Grabbing a heating pad he plugged it in and placed it under Sakura's head. But after a few minutes Sakura didn't look any better.

Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair and sighed in frustration. He didn't know what to do! She was going to die soon if he didn't help her! He stared at her white face, and a thought struck him. He had to share his body heat with her! Stripping down to his undergarments Sasuke slid under the covers and wrapped his arms around her ice cold body, flinching at the touch of her freezing skin. His nerves settled as the time went by, and Sakura began to regain the color in her face.

Sasuke just ignored the fact that he was sweating bullets, because that heat was keeping Sakura alive. Sasuke pulled the heating pad out from under Sakura's head and tossed it to the floor. Only minutes later he had drifted off to sleep, his mind content.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura woke feeling weighed down with unbearable heat and a terrible head cold. She blinked and tried to clear her vision to get a better look at the room she was in. She noticed there was a layer of blankets on her almost a foot thick, and something wrapped around her shoulders. Looking down to see what was so firmly gripping her, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Arms! Very well built arms at that. Almost too freaked out to look, she slowly maneuvered herself around to get a better look at the person attached to the arms. And that's when she did freak out. It was Sasuke!

She stared at him in shock, totally and utterly surprised. What happened? Did she die? Was she dead, and in her own little piece of heaven? As these thoughts drifted around in her headache plagued head Sasuke began to wake up. Onyx eyes met emerald green, and Sakura could only lay there, stiff and utterly unsure of what to do. Meanwhile Sasuke looked at her in shock, them confusion, and then realization dawned on him. Ah yes, she was alive, he had saved her, and now he wanted the debt she owed to him.

Sasuke shifted and pulled Sakura closer to him, enjoying the pure sense of confusion that played with her features.

"Well I see you're feeling better. And why, may I ask, were you out buried in the snow?" He couldn't help it. He never knew how much fun this would be, and how utterly helpless it would render her.

Sakura just looked at him. He found her out there? Sasuke Uchiha had actually saved her?! Well this could only mean one thing. She had died. Yup. She was dead and this was heaven.

"Well, Sakura? Did the cold freeze your mouth shut?" A devilish smirk lifted the corner of his mouth, and he adjusted his hands so they were resting on Sakura's lower back.

"Sas…Sasuke? What's going on?" If this was heaven, she decided it was best if she just played along instead of trying to see if she had a halo.

"Well, Sakura, since you refuse to answer my question, I'll tell you. I found you, buried in the snow last night, just on the verge of death, so I brought you back here, covered you with blankets and stripped down to my boxers to keep you warm. Now answer my question, why were you buried in the snow?" His eyebrows knitted together, and he gave her a hard stare.

Enough toying with her. It was time he found out the reason behind this whole situation. He didn't notice while he was talking that Sakura had glanced under the covers when she heard him say he stripped down to his boxers, and he also didn't notice that she blushed when she realized he was telling her the truth. But alas, they were only plain white, nothing special about them. She had been hoping for some crazy design to show a little insight into his inner self, the part he worked so hard to cover up.

She met his gaze just as he finished talking, and for the first time she saw the slightest bit of emotion in those onyx orbs of his. But what was it? Worry? Concern? Even….was it fright? Did something about this whole thing actually scare him? Sakura thought for a moment, unable to respond. Finally she found her voice and managed to speak. But she knew she couldn't lie to him, so she just gave him the straight truth.

"I was tired."

"Why?"

"My life is boring, and I stopped feeling anything a while ago."

"What?"

"I got tired of my life, I got tired of not being able to feel anything, no joy, no pain, I was never happy. I felt…..nothing."

Sasuke simply quirked a brow at her, not willing to voice what he was going to say. His inner, human self wanted to tell her everything was fine now, that he would make sure she was happy again, that he feared for her life last night and he wasn't willing to lose her, but he could not. The Sasuke everyone knew wouldn't allow it. He was the immortal, untouchable, unfeeling, uncaring Uchiha. But he would let it go just this once.

Sasuke pulled Sakura closer to him, and rested one hand on the back of her head. She still hadn't gained complete control of her body, so her neck bent ever so slightly at his touch and her head rested on his chest. Now, this was beyond anything Sakura had ever imagined, and she had no idea what to do. Her insides were in chaos. Her mind went blank in shock, her heart was going a mile a minute, and it felt like there were a million butterflies just ready to burst out of her stomach.

"Don't ever do that again Sakura. You hear me? Never again." His voice was dark and threatening, but she could hear the gentle undertone that was implied. He never was good at being soft, so he had to show it through that icy outer shell of his.

Sakura nodded against his chest, and for a split second she swore she heard him snort like he was laughing.

"What?"

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Move your head."

"Why?"

"Damn it, because I said so." To say the least Sasuke was getting annoyed.

"But why?"

"If I tell you will it shut you up?"

"Sure."

"It tickles."

"What?"

"You heard me, I said it tickles. Your hair tickles when you move, so stop it."

Sakura looked up at him with a strange look in her eye.

"Oh really now?"

"Sakura…..I'm warning you…" Any normal person would have taken that dangerous hint in his voice as a terrible threat, but not Sakura. She had finally gotten through to him and she wasn't about to let his cold façade come back just yet.

She was a lot slower than Sasuke, so when she reached up with her hands he slid easily out f the bed. And then crash landed on the floor in his haste. Sakura pushed herself over to the edge and looked down at him, her eyes wide. After a few seconds she began to laugh, and Sasuke glared at her. His chance to get the debt she owed was slipping away.

"Shut up, Sakura." He growled, but she couldn't stop laughing, she had never seen him act like such a klutz before, and she found it quite humorous.

"You know you owe me." He said, choosing to ignore her mockery.

"For what?" Sakura sighed, her laughter drained away.

"For saving your life. You owe me." He said, his expression blank. Sakura feared that their moment had finally ended, and Sasuke had returned to his cold shell.

"What? You didn't have to save me you know! You could've left me there, I would've been perfectly content with freezing! I mean, that was the reason I went out there in the--" She was cut off when Sasuke covered her mouth with his hand. He sat up and gave her a cold look.

"Don't ever say that again. I never want to hear you say you were willing to die if I had left you there. Never." He growled so viciously that a pang of fear swept through Sakura's body.

He tilted her chin down with his hand and leaned forward, his lips connecting with her own. Before she could even respond it was over, and Sasuke was just staring at her. Minutes passed and neither of them moved, and finally Sasuke stood and offered her his hand.

"You should stay and get some breakfast, last night took a toll on your body." He pulled her up off the bed, and once she was on her own two feet the world spun sickeningly.

Sasuke supported her and led her to the kitchen. Once Sakura was safely seated in a chair Sasuke grabbed some eggs and split them, mixing them in a bowl while the pan sat heating on the stove.

"I never knew you cooked Sasuke." Sakura watched him as he prepared their breakfast, curiosity glinting in her eye.

He shrugged. "You never asked."

Sakura rolled her eyes and looked around the small kitchen of sorts. It was messy, contrary to what Sakura expected. Sasuke was always the type who did things quick and clean, and there was no room for sloppy work. I guess that didn't apply when he was in the kitchen.

When breakfast was ready Sasuke set a plate of eggs, bacon, and pancakes in front of her. She eyed it suspiciously and then glanced at him.

"Did you get enough on here? I'm sure you could fit a few more pancakes or a couple more slices of bacon!" In response Sasuke stabbed his fork into one of the extra pancakes and slapped it on her plate.

"Sasuke! Stop trying to make me fat!" She stuck her fork in the newly acquired pancake and meant to toss it back onto the plate of extra food, but she tossed it too hard and it landed with a soft smack right on Sasuke's plate.

The force of the impact pushed the plate back, and it slid off the table right into Sasuke's lap. His expression was blank as he looked from the food dumped in his lap to Sakura's face, noting her shocked expression. Apparently she didn't intend to do that, but he didn't care. The food was in his lap, and he wasn't too happy about it.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry Sasuke!" Sakura's hands flew to her mouth, but she couldn't help but start to laugh.

"Sakura…." He growled out his warning before he leapt to his feet and was behind her in a second.

He reached over her shoulder and grabbed the maple syrup, and then he proceeded to dump it on her head.

"Sasuke!!" She squealed and grabbed the closest thing to her (stick of butter) and threw it back at him, landing with a splat in the middle of his face.

Before he could do anything else Sakura jumped out of her chair and whipped around to face him. Big mistake. As soon as she stopped the room began to spin and she swayed unsteadily. The short lived food fight came to an end when Sasuke dropped the syrup bottle and grabbed her by the arms, preventing her from falling.

"You need to sit. And then get a shower." Sasuke wiped his hands clean of the sticky syrup that had run down off her head, and then attempted to wipe the food off his boxers. He still hadn't dressed yet.

After breakfast had officially ended Sasuke showed Sakura where the bathroom was and handed her a towel.

"Just don't make a mess." He turned and headed back to the bedroom, probably to change.

Sakura finished her shower and dried her hair, hoping she didn't smell like maple syrup anymore. She changed back into her clothes and exited the bathroom, her equilibrium finally functional again. Sasuke met her in the kitchen fully dressed once more.

Sasuke was about to lead them back outside and take her home, but just in front of the door he stopped and turned back to her. Sakura tilted her head in question, but said nothing.

"Hey Sakura, you still haven't paid back the debt you owe me."

"What?"

"So I think I'll take it instead of just waiting for you to give it to me." He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her lips, but this time he didn't pull away before she could respond.

Sasuke pulled her close to him and ran his tongue over her bottom lip, asking to be let in. Sakura gasped slightly at his actions, and he took this chance to enter her mouth. Sakura finally reacted to him and kissed back, enjoying the energy she got just from his touch. The two broke apart and stared at each other, Sakura's eyes glazed over from the intensity. Sasuke smirked and took her arm in his, jolting Sakura out of her stupor.

"Huh, we should do this again sometime. But next time, don't try to freeze yourself and force me to rescue you, got it?" Sasuke glanced at her and she smiled broadly back at him, her eyes glittering.

"Sure!" Sasuke smiled then, for he was glad to see her face light up after so long. And he thought, he was the reason she was so happy. There was definitely going to be another day like this. He craved it now.

And what he didn't know, was that she craved it too.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, I know I need to finish my other stories, but I just couldn't resist writing this!!! The idea just wouldn't go away! It's a lot longer than I expected, but hey, I had fun writing it. I'm just not sure if the title is right for this fic though…..oh well. I hope you enjoyed it, but this is the only one-shot that isn't coming with a sequel. I hope Sasuke didn't seem too ooc, I tried to keep him in character as much as possible, but I'm sure some of you will mention it, and I'm sorry if his slight alteration annoyed you. Please feel free to ask questions or leave comments and advice, I appreciate it!! I hope you enjoyed my fic, and I would be pleased if you read the others!! Thanks a bunch!

Mistoffelees Shadow