Title: Alexithymia
Author: TheTrueAwesomeness
Rating: K+
Setting: Ninja Universe
Pairings: Sakura X Sasuke
Genre: Romance and Humor
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any characters from Naruto. This story, however, is mine.
Summary: In which Sasuke tries to tell Sakura how he feels about her.
A cold breeze swept through the clearing that a raven-haired man and a pink-haired woman leisurely lounged in. They were both thankful for the wind that caressed their tired bodies, seeing how it was almost noon, and they had just finished a bout of intense sparring. Having little to no energy were left in them and having no duties assigned to either of them for the day, they decided to just sit beneath a particularly shady tree, eat their pre-packed lunch and bask in the feeling of doing nothing.
At least that was what Sakura was doing.
Sasuke, on the other hand, was having an internal battle with himself, a battle more intense than the one he and his pink-haired comrade had moments ago. He could see her take a deep breath and close her eyes.
The raven-haired man followed her lead, hiding his onyx orbs from the rest of the world as he thought about how it had been more than half a year since Sakura and Sasuke started training by themselves; Naruto was too preoccupied being trained to be Hokage. Occasionally he would join them, and so would Kakashi, but more often than not it was just him and Sakura meeting early in the morning to train. It was him and Sakura eating lunch together during her lunch break at the hospital. It was him and Sakura walking home together at night, talking about anything and everything along the way.
He remembered that time when his pink-haired teammate had been too busy at the hospital to train or eat lunch or see him at all for nearly a week because of an influenza breakout and he was in an inexplicably horrible mood. He was so irate that training with Kakashi-sensei had gone awry, leaving their usual training grounds with a larger diameter than it used to have due to the uncontrollable flames of Sasuke's Katon Gokakyo no jutsu.
Kakashi had chuckled at him then, after the fire had died down, saying, "Ne, Sasuke, someone's in a bad mood just because a certain pink-haired medic has been too busy, hmm?"
It puzzled him, what his ex-sensei had said. The thought of him missing Sakura was unfathomable. On their way to eat lunch, all he could think about was Kakashi's comment. He guessed he was simply used to his pink-haired teammate always being there, to train with him, eat lunch with him, walk home with him, to tell him about stories at work, to laugh at the silliest of things, her voice sounding like tinkling bells and her green eyes crinkling in that adorable way-
Sasuke had stopped midstep, surprised and scared shitless. He did miss Sakura.
"Is something wrong, Sasuke?" Kakashi had asked him, stopping next to him, glancing up from his orange book, a knowing look on his masked face. He knew full well that his student had been pondering about the Sakura jibe. He was sure Sasuke had some sort of revelation, despite the blank mask his face showed.
"Hn," was all the raven-haired man could say, he resumed walking, the copy-nin following right behind him, a smirk on his hidden face.
The Uchiha thought more about his revelation. What did it mean, that he missed his... he wasn't sure he could call her just a comrade.
Of course he wanted the best for Sakura. He wanted her happy and safe and content. But happy and safe and content with whom?
It shocked him even more when he immediately answered his own question with "With me."
He and his sensei ate in silence and before he knew it Kakashi was leaving bills on the counter, explaining how he had a mission the next day. His parting words were, "You should tell her," before he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
That was a month ago.
Now, well, Sasuke would never admit it, but it took him all that time to understand the uncomfortably new feelings coursing through his veins and to gather enough courage to open up to Sakura. And still, he was unsure of what to tell her. He grit his teeth, he hated being uncertain.
"Sasuke?" he saw his the pinkette looking at him, concern obvious in those expressive, mesmerizing green eyes of hers. "Are you okay?"
Sakura noticed his jaw go slack and felt slightly relieved. But she couldn't help but wonder, what was it that has Sasuke all riled up?
The raven-haired man sat up straight. If he was going to tell her how he felt he was going to do it now.
"Sakura," he said, onyx meeting jade. Sakura couldn't help the flurry of butterflies she suddenly felt in her stomach. She tried to beat them down though, she was over her unhealthy obsession. At least she was supposed to be. Little did she know that Sasuke had the same butterflies flying around in his stomach.
"I..." he started, "Well... It's been... You know..." He inwardly groaned; he knew he was a man of few words but this was ridiculous. He stopped and tried to start again, all the while Sakura was waiting patiently for whatever it was he was had to say, but this time when he opened his mouth no words came out.
Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction, he couldn't believe what was happening. He literally could not say the words his minds so easily thought up.
Sakura, I know it sounds cheesy but lately I realized that when you're not around I feel like life has no purpose. I know it sounds crazy but I think in the months we've spent practically all our waking moments together I finally uncovered feelings for you that I guess have always been there from the start. Sakura, I love you.
Say it! He was mentally berrating himself. Say it! Tell her, damnit! But alas, his body wouldn't let him say any words related to how he felt about Sakura.
Sakura saw his eyes widen slightly and felt worry wash over her. "Sasuke?"
Sasuke, seeing how he couldn't speak, did the only thing his mouth could do: he kissed her.
Alexithymia (n.) - an inability to describe emotions in a verbal manner.
A/N: I've been procrastinating so much lately. I really should stop though, I have 11 freaking exams crammed in ten days! O.O I hope you enjoyed this oneshot, so that if I fail because of too much writing and too little reviewing, at least I failed making other people, and not just myself, happy. XD Review to let me know what you thought? =)
