Merry (early) Christmas, you guys! This little oneshot of mine is for a Christmas Advent Calendar event titled '25 Days' in a sasusaku community on livejournal. I hope you enjoy it and please review!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Itsuka no Merry Christmas (1992) originally by Jpop group the Bz.
xoxoxoxoxox
It's funny how we deny ourselves the one thing we want. Maybe it's because of the fact that we're only children and we are stupid when it comes to love, but when it comes love, aren't we all?
"Sakura! We need to go to class," Yamanaka Ino nagged, poking her head thorough the door of Room 109. The room was always abandoned. . .except for one person who paid frequent vivsts after--or before--classes.
Sakura froze and withdrew her hands from the piano keys as if they were on fire. She didn't like people watching her sing, let alone play the piano solely. She still got that naseau feeling before a rectital, which was a rareity. She looked up at her friend and grabbed her bag from under the table, her cheeks pink from the embarrassment. She loved to sing, she just didn't want people to know that. Ino was the only who did.
"Yo," Ino said and struck a pose, sticking her tongue out playfully and made a peace sign.
"I'm coming," the pink-haired girl replied, stiffling a yawn. She wished winter vacation would already come, only a few weeks away and they would free. . .if mid-terms didn't kill them first.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
"Class, we have a new student," Kakashi-sensei said, walking with in the classroom with students carelessly chatting to another, all in different seats than what they're assigned to.
"This is Uchiha Sasuke," he said, gesturing towards.
Sakura put her pencil down and looked up, her hand still resting on the crook of neck. She took a good look at the boy. He had the darkest eyes she'd ever seen.
"Take any empty seat," Kakashi-sensei said and grabbed the piece of chalk and began to scribble characters down.
"Hi," she whispered to the new boy.
"Hey," he said in a voice barely audible.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxxo
"Do you think the new boy is cute?"
"Not really," Sakura responded as she scribbled a lily in the corner of her textbook. She loved going to Ino's flower shop. Everything smelled so beautiful. . .so romantic. Nothing more romantic was a rose.
The doorbell chimed through the tranquill room and the two girl's heads turned to see Sasuke standing at the door.
"Oh, hey there! Sasuke, right? What brings you hear today?" Ino asked, enthusiasm that Sakura hated bubbling over.
"I need to buy some flowers," he said, looking around.
No shit, sherlock, Ino thought. "Okay, what kind?"
"White flowers."
Sakura frowned, what could he be doing with those kinds? They're out of season anyway.
"Alright. Hold on," Ino said as she scrambled out of the room.
"How do you like Konoha?"
"It's okay,"
"Where did you live before?"
"Down south,"
"Oh," she said and an awkward silence filled the air as the two stood in silence.
"Here you are! Would you like them in a bouquet?" Ino asked with a grin on her face.
"Thanks, here's four hundred yen--keep the change," he said and walked off quickly.
"What did you do?" Ino snapped at her friend and Sakura got up and took her bag, following Sasuke out the door.
Rain sprinkled heavily as Sakura trailed Sasuke from the upstairs level of the street. She passed the grocery store, hat store, dentist, and porn store before she climbed down the stairs and followed Sasuke as he took walked down the alley. She trailed him a good mile before they arrived at the Konoha Cemetery. This was where her parents were buried. She hadn't visited them for two years. What was the point? They were dead.
She never took a liking towards cemeteries--but, hey, no one did, but there was a peacefulness about them that struck her. She knew why he was here, so she turned back, not trying to dig up old memories of her own parents.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
The lights of December
Are slowly lit
And everyone comes to love
This frenetically dancing town
As I stand still someone hurries past me
Carrying their luggage with a happy face
"That's a nice song," a male voice said from behind Sakura. She jumped, startled from Sasuke's sudden presence and embarrassed that he heard her.
"Christmas is coming up, isn't it?" he asked and crossed his arm.
"Yeah, it's tomorrow," she replied. She loved Cristmas--the trees, the snow, the lights, the love.
"How long have you been playing?" he asked and sat on the stool.
"Ever since I was five," she answered and tucked her hair behind her ears. God, this is so awkward. . .
"Seven," he said and played a note.
"My parents were pianists," she whispered, "they died four years ago."
"Mine died three months ago," he answered, looking out the window.
"Oh, I'm sorry. . .I didn't know--"
"Don't say I'm sorry," he snapped. She felt like she should be offended, but she was not. She knew how it was for people to say that to you when in reality, they weren't sorry. They really didn't care and didn't understand the pain she was feeling so they just said those meaningless words.
"I understand," she said to him and picked up her books and left, only muttering 'merry christmas'.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Sakura walked down the street in the freezing cold, the wind blowing on her and ruffling her clothes.
The lights of December Are slowly lit And everyone comes to love This frenetically dancing town
I rushed to the shops right before they closed And bought the chair you wanted Alone on the train, holding my package I was happy
I felt like we could Hold hands forever Everything was sparkling As we chased our dreams without a care
We smile at each other As we think of how the day will come When we'll share all of both our happiness and our sadness A merry Christmas one faded day
I sang as I followed the tracks to your house, hurrying a little When you opened the door You were busy making dinner
I felt like we could Hold hands forever Everything was sparkling As we chased our dreams without a care
For the first time I was afraid of losing you A merry Christmas one day When I realised what it was like to love somebody
Watching the light of the candles that lit up the room I said we'd never be apart And then suddenly I cried, without even knowing why
I felt like we could Hold hands forever Everything was sparkling As we chased our dreams without a care
For the first time I was afraid of losing you A merry Christmas one day When I realised what it was like to love somebody
Once she got outside, snow flakes began to trickle down from the night sky.
Once she arrived at his house, she left the crisp, red envelope in the mailbox with One Merry Christmas Day in perfect, curly script on the front. She pulled her hat further down on her eyes and walked down the stairs coated in a light layer of snow.
As she passed the cemetery and stopped.
"Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad."
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
I was originally planning to kill off Sasuke at the end scene (Sakura is walking back home and sees an ambulance and later finds out he dies), but since my last Christmas fanfic ended with Sasuke dying, I decided against it. The link to the song featured is in my profile. I highly suggest you check it out. It's a beautiful ballad.
Have a happy holiday and a happy new year!
-Emiko Ishida