Flowers for a Ghost
...
They promised her that she wouldn't live to see her eighteenth birthday. Her mother sat in the doctor's office for forty-five minutes; crying, but Sakura stayed in the children's area, playing with one of those beaded toys and tilting her adorable eyes up at the sound of her mom sobbing.
"What's wrong?"
Her dad picked her up and carried her to the car while her outsourced mother picked at the used tissues in her purse. It was an odd predicament; dad hadn't picked her up since she was two; four years ago.
...
She always knew that she was different but she couldn't place how. They didn't live in the greatest neighborhood known to the world, nor the most beautiful house, but her parents could always afford fancy dinners and late night movies. Her friends never found it strange. Even if Naruto was the only one who actually said anything about her lifestyle, they all shared a mutual understanding.
Especially every first and last Monday of each month, they brought her flowers, chocolates, and jewelry, anything they could afford or re-gift.
"How's your day going Sakura?" They'd always ask, not that she really minded, but she didn't really desire their sympathy. Believe it or not, most of those presents ended up in the big cardboard box in the back of her closet.
She wasn't a fool, she knew she was dying and she knew she didn't have much time left. Why her parents continued to shelter her in the dark was a mystery to her. They never mentioned anything about her chemo or her pills. Never talked about her wig, not even her ability to lose her blood so quickly. When she was young they used to just say: 'take your medicine to feel better' or 'we're going to the doctor's to help you' never really specifying what she needed help with and what was making her feel so terrible to being with. Sheltered like a withering flower.
"Sasuke-kun?"
"Hn."
"Do you remember that pact we made when we were little?"
"Yeah, wasn't it the one where I promised to make you my bride and you promised to never leave me?"
She chuckled in return. "Mhm."
"Why do you ask, Sakura?"
"I'm going to have to break that pact."
...
Sasuke Uchiha, the two met when they were only four; she wouldn't share her crayons and he wouldn't share his tomato. They were locked for life. Growing up in the same school district with the same friends and the same obnoxious drive to be better really benefited to their relationship once Sasuke balled up and asked her to be his; and she couldn't refuse.
He knew like the rest of them, his way of showing his concern wasn't through bullying her local enemies or giving her gifts whenever she went in for another appointment, unlike her other friends. Instead, Sasuke walked her home every day and held her hand in public, cherishing her with butterfly kisses when they were alone and spending almost every weekend watching a movie with her. His time was his dedication and she loved it more than anything.
Their bond wasn't worth a double take, they didn't fight with each other because she was bored and he was horny. They grew up together, they were used to each other's company and Kami knows how long they've sheltered feelings for each other. Even if she had to put up with the harassment from his followers, she'd dive to the bottom of the ocean for him; and he would do the same.
...
"Okay everyone, when she walks in just point and laugh!" Karin stood on her chair and cupped her hands around her mouth, grinning like mad once she realized that Kakashi-sensei would be late to class. They were big kids; they could take care of themselves for fifteen minutes.
That girl wasn't anything but trouble. She had it out for the pink-haired Haruno since grade school. Her accusation fully being: 'she stole my Sasuke-kun'. But Sakura didn't mind, she was used to it. Unfortunately, Karin was getting wittier, using her sensei's tardiness to make a fool out of Sakura and use the rest of the class as her trained hog-monkeys to go along with her foolish plan.
A giggle escaped Ino as she stepped through the threshold, a grinning Sakura and tired Sasuke two steps behind. The blonde made her entrance and waited for her friend to step in only to gasp once the group of students started laughing. She shot her eyes to the crowd and looked sick to her stomach; they were leaning forward in their seats and indulging in their forced hysteria.
For a moment it was like a scene from a terrible film. Young teens pointing and laughing at the pink-haired freak that could not place what she did wrong or where she even belonged in the world.
Ino looked back at Sakura and watched a tear slip down her cheek, she couldn't figure out why they were doing this or why they would even want to. Of course, Sakura covered her forehead and tugged on her uniform, backing up into Sasuke and dropping her books to dash out the door; her boyfriend right on her heel.
Ino was shocked; nobody deserved that, especially Sakura Haruno. Her blue orbs glared at her classmates, watching them clap with each other and holler at the reaction they earned. She narrowed her gaze on Karin, that girl with the imaginary trophy. An extremely un-ladylike snarl escaped her lips as she pushed her way through the desks to meet the redhead still seated and cheering for herself.
"All right, that's it!" Ino grabbed the girl's shoulder and spun her around while wielding a fist back and slamming it right into Karin's jaw.
The room stopped immediately.
"Who's next?" Ino faced them all, ignoring Karin's whimpers from the tiled floor, her eyes were fierce and her fists clenched.
...
Sakura didn't go to school; she spent her day lying in bed and staring at the ceiling or her small television. She tuned out the world and focused her efforts toward placing an imaginary wall between humans and cancer vessels. The wall made her lonely, sad even, but there was no doubt a wall. Like the four walls that kept her room stable or the ones that kept her house separated from the air outside.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
She smiled to herself and lifted up off her bed, knowing full well that it wasn't the neighbor's cat tapping at her window. She unlocked it and forced her exhausted body back to her mattress where she awaited the hands of her savior to encircle her body.
"Why aren't you in school, Sasuke-kun?"
His arms wrapped around her stomach and one leg rested atop of hers, hot breath reached her earlobe as he thought it necessary to whisper instead of talk. "I heard you had a bad day, thought I'd come and make it better."
"Arigato, Sasuke-kun." There may be a wall between them, but he could always reach through to her.
...
It's her 17th birthday and she doesn't feel like celebrating. But she's up for a group's company, maybe four people, even though she invites six.
Hinata brings a platter of pink-frosted cupcakes and tries to hold Naruto down long enough to give them to Sakura. Ino holds a collection of presents; all of them wrapped up in pink tissue paper and delicately placed in gift bags. Shikamaru didn't have anything in his hands but she could see the square shape popping out of his pocket and she smiles at his kindness. Ten Ten grips a tightly wrapped box with a pink bow sticking to the top; she doesn't want Sakura to hold it yet because 'it will ruin the surprise'. Sasuke greets her with a hug and claimed that as his gift, but both of them know well enough that he's kidding.
She couldn't find her mom, but at the same time she knew exactly where she was; the downstairs bathroom, crying her eyes out while dad rubbed her back and tried his best not to be sucked in too. They had a year left.
Cough. Cough. Inhale. Cough.
"Sakura?"
"What's that?"
"Sakura?"
"Do you need a tissue?"
"Sakura?"
"You're bleeding!"
"Sakura!"
She was already off the floor and in the bathroom. Ino frowned and watched Sasuke silently get up to follow. Hinata looked down to her hands, glad that they weren't peppered with blood. Naruto, who was so ready to eat the last cupcake, put it back and left it for the birthday girl while Ten Ten and Shikamaru stared at the red drop on the floor; they didn't want to move.
Soft footsteps brought them back to the present and they watched Sasuke trudge back to them. Sakura's pale, dainty arms were wrapped around his neck as she trailed softly behind him.
"Sakura, are you o—"
"I'm fine."
They didn't want to tell her that they caught her lie.
"Present time!" Both blondes bounced into the corner of six separate gifts, each grabbing their own and, based off of their exciting anxiousness, practically threw them at the pink haired birthday girl.
"Open mine first!" Ino shouted from her left.
"No. Open mine first!" Once the words left Naruto's mouth, Hinata slapped his shoulder.
"Nope, mine's better. So it deserves to be opened first!" The blue-eyed beauty shot back with equal flavor.
Within their heated debate, neither noticed the shadow man get up and pull his gift from his pocket and plop it down between the feuding kids. Once it hit ground the two of them shot wide-eyed stares at his towering figure and watched him turn back to his seat while Sakura eagerly tore at the light red wrapping paper.
Her gasp grabbed their attention.
"Shikamaru, it's beautiful!" Sasuke peeked from behind her to see a small journal littered with lyrics and musing and scribbles. Each page was filled with a picture, all assorted in cut outs and snippets, progressing their childhood memories into a scrapbook that withstood the brutality of age.
She could see Shika's smile in the dark.
Gasp! "Look at this one!" She squealed and grabbed Sasuke's hand from her waist, using his fingers to trace the small square picture taped to the journal's line paper. It was a snapshot of the whole group. They were kids then, just barely entering elementary. Sakura was next to Ino who held hands with Hinata who was blushing with Naruto wrapping his arm around her shoulders who's other arm was rustling Sasuke's hair who was glaring and crossing his arms while, to the left of him, Shikamaru looked exactly the same and Choji stood next to him stuffing his face in front of Shino and Kiba who couldn't look anymore disgusted with what they were witnessing.
"Awe!" Ino popped her head in, Naruto joining shortly after to gaze in remembrance at the shot.
"You did this?" The blonde shot a conniving glance at Shikamaru.
He shrugged in return, barely paying attention to Ino when Sakura was lighting up so exuberantly.
...
"Okay! My turn!" Naruto squealed with barely contained excitement.
"You're the last one Naruto, of course it's your turn." Ten Ten observantly pointed out, tilting her head in an awfully adorable manner.
Sakura ignored the ignorance and ripped at the small package in her tiny hands, feeling Sasuke lean in from behind her and rest his chin on her shoulder.
Gasp! "Oh my—"
Ten Ten, who was incidentally sipping on a soda, spit the liquid out into a falling mist. Ino covered her mouth to hold in her chuckles, grinning beneath the skin. Shikamaru chuckled heartedly, and Hinata's jaw fell slack against the unpredictable behavior of her boyfriend who could not stop the infamous grin from taking over his lips.
Sakura's cheeks looked like that vegetable her boyfriend loved to eat, red as ever. Speaking of Sasuke, he knew his dear Haruno couldn't see him; her eyes were glazed over in mild embarrassment as she re-read the product's name and looked extra hard at the particular flavor. Hmmm…Orange in the Tropics? Smirk.
"N-Naruto!" Sakura tried her best to threaten him, but stuttered instead. Hinata took the liberty of whacking him across the chest and narrowing her violet daggers on him.
"Oi! I'm just looking out for you guys! I'm too young to be an uncle!"
Sasuke lifted his head up and loosened his grip on Sakura to snap back at Naruto. "Hn. Whoever insinuated that you would be an uncle to our children, Dobe?"
"Oh c'mon. You can't have kids and not make me an uncle." Naruto snickered with a devious twinkle in cerulean eyes.
"Believe me," his warm arms wrapped around her stomach again and he pulled her closer to his chest, almost allowing her to forget about the birthday token in her grasp, "when we have kids, you will barely be involved with their lives."
"Awe! Teme!"
Sakura, Ino, Hinata, and Ten Ten simultaneously froze with anticipation; humbly recalling exactly what Sasuke had said.
When.
...
The party ended at midnight. What started as a 'hang out' turned into an all out sleep over; Mrs. Haruno walked around the slumbering teens and picked at the chip bags and wrapping paper. Ino and Ten Ten shared the cushioned windowsill, Shikamaru leaned against the wall, Naruto and Hinata on the floor, and Sasuke accompanied Sakura on her bed. It was a busied sight to take in.
With pride, she took a leisurely minute to look around at her well-illustrated tidiness and daring to drift her eyes to her daughter's stacked gifts. There lay a journal of some sort, three or four sets of clothes, and a pair of headphones; a few movies, and a circular frame with a childhood picture in the middle. A ghost of a smile etched across her face when she caught her daughter's grin. Even in her sleep, she was radiant. Forgetting her troubles in exchange for her own dreamscape where she didn't have to live with such an impending burden.
A tear almost slipped out of her eye and she reminded herself to hurriedly make her way out of there. Yet, just before she shut the door softly, she watched Sasuke turn to face Sakura on her bed and wrap his arm around her.
...
"Haruno, Sakura?"
"She's not here sensei."
Kakashi exposed a depressing expression at his lips before continuing with the rest of the 'H's in roll call. Even during his lesson, his eyes continuously drifted back to her empty seat, afraid of his imagination replacing its hollow contour with a ghost of the girl; he imagined her rapidly writing notes.
His hand moved without his mind to control it and his class noted with no diligence to do so. His mind was too occupied by that girl; that sick, sick girl. A small sense of fear gathered in the depths of his stomach once he considered the probability that she will not return the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, and the da—
Ring!
His white piece of chalk fell to the floor as he carelessly allowed time to slip by so quickly. He watched his students hurriedly get up and shuffle out of the room with books in hand, hungry for their next class to end the school day.
"Uchiha." The kid was the last one out, finding his movements too sluggish to care about his tardiness; his eyes lifted to meet his sensei, almost mirroring each other's obvious assumptions. "How is she?"
Sigh. "I don't know."
"Is she—"
"I don't know."
"When will you find out?"
"After school, I'll make sure she's home."
"Good." Before his student could make an appropriate exit, Kakashi was pulling a snippet of paper from his pocket and scribbling something on it before promptly giving it to Sasuke. "Here, let me know if she's alright."
The prodigy nodded and turned to walk away; nothing else was said between the two.
...
Pant. Pant. Pant.
Sasuke ran blindly down the streets of Konoha, finding refuge in a sight far, far away in a home where she should be. Passing a mailbox, he was almost hit by a biker, both of them stopping suddenly to avoid the incident.
"Watch it, kid."
The Uchiha's glare had him scampering down the block with barely acquired petal skills.
A soft breeze picked up and brushed his hair from his face, chilling the sweat dripping down his cheek and cooling the skin beneath his uniform shirt. He didn't know how to interpret the gentle disturbance; whether it was good or bad for her sake.
Please, please be okay.
Three blocks to go; his backpack weighed him down heavily, so he dropped it, leaving his homework papers to flutter in the wind and fall victim to puddles somewhere far off. His shoes were now coated in water, the drizzle had ceased, but the grounds were soaked.
When he was a child, his mother used to tell him that rain came from the Universe and its habit to weep for the lost. 'When another has died, Kami will cry and it will rain.' He relived the story momentarily, afraid that the world was crying for her.
"Sakura!" Her house came into view, the wine colored door, a full mailbox, no cars in the street; nobody looked to be home.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
"Sakura!"
Bang. Bang. Bang.
"Sakura!"
Bang. Bang. B—
"Wah!" She dodged the hit he aimed for the door and fell to the floor in the process. "Sasuke-kun?" Worried green eyes darted to his own, tilting her head in silent question as to his presence.
"Sakura…" His breathlessness eased out heavily once he realized that she was all right and not stuck in a morgue somewhere. "You're okay." One hand reached out to grab her and pull her lithe body to her feet.
"Sasuke-kun." Once her fragile hand reached his cheek he looked into her eyes. "What's wrong?"
He warded off the tears ready to fall. He was just so relieved.
...
"Hey."
"Uchiha?"
"She's fine, just didn't feel well this morning."
"Good."
"Arigato, Sensei."
"Why?"
"For caring."
...
"You didn't have to run all the way over here Sasuke-kun. If anything were to happen to me you would be one of the first people notified." She awaited his presence on the sofa with her persistent eyes and her wavering glances of concern.
He scoffed in return, waddling over in her dad's used clothes while his hummed in the dryer, and gave her the most incredulous look he could muster.
"Oh, don't look at me like that." She snatched the bowl of burnt popcorn from his hand and turned her eyes to the television. Her worry for his well being was thinking and talking for her, making him look bad for jogging to her house to make sure she didn't die, in the rain.
"Sakura…"
"If you get sick," emerald daggers glared at him, "I'm going to punch you in the face."
"Hn." He grabbed her free wrist and yanked her towards him. Her giggle was all he wanted to hear and he got it.
She deserted her snack for his lips and devoured them vigorously. "Sasuke-ku—" Her antsy fingers crept through his locks and his wrapped around her waist.
"Shut up, Sakura." He growled against her lips and she found it hilarious.
Eagar hands trickled down her sides and under her shirt to her stomach that set off the greatest grin he'd ever imagined. Taking advantage of their lip break, his kisses rocketed down her neck and to her collarbone. As she arched her back towards him, he could feel her chest rub against his; it was an earthquake unfolded.
Her reactions uncovered her weak spot and he took complete advantage of that; peppering hickeys all over her naked skin.
"Mm." Her legs followed instinct and wrapped tightly around his waist, a vice grip for a strong woman, her fingers raked through his hair, making that experience alone leisure enough. She was swarmed by his lips, overwhelmed by his hands, and losing to his urges.
She never wanted this to end.
Chuckle.
She'd heard his laugh many times before, alone of course, but she would never grow tired of it. She could hear it every minute of every day and she would love it all the more. Dark and enchanting, like his scent and his eyes, maybe his heart too. It was all hers: his laugh, his musk, his looks, and his love.
His breath was at her ear now, licking her taste like a child with a lollipop. He was quenching his thirst for her, and she was performing the same.
"Sasuke…" She had been a patient girl her whole life, now was her chance to get what she wanted from someone who wanted her and she wanted it now. Her gentle hands squeezed his arms, encouraging him further into their activity.
He complied, tearing her top at the bottom with barely controlled hands; his lips never left hers.
Their passion wasn't something to mess with; fierce like the two teens, their lip lock could melt the ice caps. It could persuade Sakura's patience, it could calm down Naruto, it could confuse Hinata, it could rattle Ino, it could shatter Ten Ten, it could enlighten Shikamaru, and it could collapse Sasuke. A mutual liking wasn't shared between the two when they promised a kiss; it was love.
"Aaa—" His intent was to pleasure her, selfishly. One hand squeezed her breast while his mouth hungrily attacked her other. She was pushing up towards him, giving him all of her with a sharp arch of her spine. The frequency of his lips and hands worked her up to the point that she needed more.
Her yank on his hair pulled him up towards her lips so she could have her wicked way with him once again. Tongues locked in a dominating war a mere five seconds later; she hoped he would understand what she wanted.
"Eek!" They broke apart with a sudden yelp, yet, she could barely comprehend when she made the noise or how; she could remember her name much less. His fingers had reached under her micro shorts and he was hurriedly thrusting two fingers into her warmth.
"S-Sasuke-ku—"
Things were escalating pretty quickly and he couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was his personal need, yet with all those adorable noises she was making, he highly doubted that the need was all him. Maybe it was her recent birthday, she was a woman now, and she deserved to be treated like one. Maybe it was time and her school absence uncovered his realization that she was dying; he hadn't done half the things he wanted to yet.
But neither had she.
...
It had been three hours since Sasuke arrived, three hours and fifteen minutes since school was released, and two hours and forty-five minutes since their celebration. The drapes were closed, her door was shut tight, and she was still sleeping.
After eternally claiming her on her own living room couch, Sasuke gently carried his prize to her room. He had been watching her sleep for a while now, he couldn't get a wink with his greatest effort; he was too ecstatic for that.
Instead, the boy trailed his fingers into her hair and listened to the pitter-patter of rain on the window. He could stare at her for hours, and he hoped her to be breathing as opposed to not.
"Nnnn—" He smirked as she tossed and turned beneath the sheet; her groan of pain was almost satisfying. "Kami, what did you do to me Sasuke-kun?"
"Hn." His hand caressed her cheek; he was addicted to her skin, too deep to quit now. "How do you feel?"
"Sore." Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at the sight of him.
He didn't look any less tired.
...
"Sasuke?" Mikoto's tone was light and benign, as were her eyes when she watched her son exit the dining room without touching a morsel of food on his plate.
"Hn." He continued to walk out of the room, grabbing his jacket from the hallway closet with full intentions to leave his home all together.
"Where do you think you're going?" But Fugaku's stern voice halted his steps, and he barely resisted the urge to turn around and glance at the man; he knew his father wasn't looking anywhere but his food, as if everything else wasn't worth his attention.
"Sakura's."
"Haven't you been over there enough?"
"Fuga—" Mikoto began just as gentle as before.
"What are you saying?" Sasuke shrugged her attempt off and went straight for the kill.
The man stopped pushing his food around and set down his fork, folding his fingers together beneath his chin and heaving a heavy sigh. He always had trouble saying something he'd regret later on.
"I don't want you seeing her as often as you do."
Had he been watching his son he would've seen his white knuckles clenching his coat in a tight grasp.
"Fugaku!" His wife was too kind-hearted to threaten him properly, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try. But, he heard her voice through deaf ears, he was waiting for his son's reaction instead; half expecting a hit to the jaw and half expecting a riot, yet his eyes shot open when the front door slammed shut and Sasuke was nowhere to be found.
...
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Coming!" Two weightless feet carried a weightless body to the sliding door, knowing full well who awaited her on the other side. "Oh! Sasuke! Come on in." Mrs. Haruno stepped aside and allowed him entrance. "Have you eaten, dear?"
"Yeah, I ate before I left." He lied through his perfectly white teeth.
She smiled as he spoke out of his monosyllable-language. "Good."
"Sasuke-kun!" He barely had time to turn left when a flash of pink rammed into his chest. His arms made a trail around her waist as a genuine smile graced his lips.
"Ready?" He asked so innocently, like he was speaking to a cat. When she nodded her bubblegum hair bounced up and down to accompany her excitement.
...
"What's bothering you?" Sakura's voice cut though the silence like a child in the middle of the night. She always called him out so quickly he never saw it coming. But he couldn't really say he didn't assume her worry, even in his worst of days, she could read him like a book.
"Nothing." He shrugged off her concern and continued walking down the park trail, almost completely blocking out the problem until he felt her squeeze his hand.
"C'mon Sasuke-kun." As he looked down to her pleading orbs he suddenly wished he hadn't. "You can tell me."
"Hn." The feet he had referred to his whole life quickly quit on him for a cheap shot at sympathy. "My father."
She stopped with him and pulled his arm closer to her, begging, pleading for him to look away from the ground. In moments of desperation the human spirit finds the ground a much more soothing amenity than any other human contact. She didn't want him to fall into that black hole. "What did he do?"
She never expected his response.
"He doesn't want me to see you as often as I do." He could feel her grip fade and he quickly snatched it in his own and pulled her lithe fingers to his lips just to place little chaste pecks to her smooth skin. She blushed at this, suddenly aware of all the attention his wicked eyes were giving her.
"W-What did you say?"
"Nothing." He halted his kisses and pulled her closer by hostage of her hand. Onyx eyes bore into her emeralds, such a bittersweet enchantment of possession. "I left."
"But, Sasuke-ku-!" He silenced her with a kiss; rendering her speechless while his tongue invaded her mouth much to her pleasure. One of his hands pressed against the back of her neck and pushed her harder against his lips. She knew damn well that he wasn't going back home for awhile, he would wander the streets, maybe inhabit a friend's pad, but return with the same stubbornness as his unrelenting father, she didn't approve of it and he was willing to convey how much she was worth to him with this single-whim action. His hands disappeared from her neck to trail down her arms and splayed playfully at her hips. Without a second's hesitation, he hugged her body close, pushing her against his chiseled abdomen and tightened chest.
They broke with a moan, from her of course; her eyes glazed over in appreciation while his reflected that same old smugness. She almost forgot about their prior topic before his trained lips attacked hers, almost.
"Sasuke-kun," she took a step back to survey his face, a weary wonderment in her apple green eyes, "you can't runaway every time your father says something you don't agree with."
"Hn." He pouted in the slightest and briskly turned his head away.
"Heh, Sasuke-kun." Her poignant fingers pulled him back to look at her. "I understand that what he said may have upset you, but you can't destroy your relationship with him over something that small."
"Relationship? What relationship?" He pulled her hand away from his face and laced his fingers with hers. "Ever since I was born he's seen me as nothing more than a future Heir to his company. He says these things to annoy me and push my buttons just so he can evaluate my reactions to pressure." He paused to stare at her confused face, almost grinning at the sight. "I'm not a son to him, Sakura. I'm just another future employee."
"Well," her frustration leaked through her feet stomping temperamentally against the ground, "can't you just talk to him?"
"Why do you want this to work so badly?"
"Because I don't want to be the one to break it! I love you Sasuke-kun, really, I do, but I don't want to come between you and your father." She hugged him close to hide her tears in his jacket. "When I'm gone, who will comfort you? Who will you runaway for then?"
He sighed something heavy and looked down to the top of her head. Contemplating his next steps in making her happy, it's all he ever wanted to do.
"Alright, I'll talk to him." She perked up at this and lifted her head off of his chest, grinning like a mad man. "But after a day or two, I can't go back there now."
Sakura stood on her toes to plant a kiss at his lips and pulled back quick enough to drag him down the rest of the park's path.
...
"Sasuke-kun?" They walked hand in hand around the visual endearment; it was their plan for the day; go to the park and never leave.
"Hn?"
"Do you have a tissue?" He noticed the trail of blood running from her nose to her lips.
"Yeah." He reached for the pack in his pocket, always on the ready to grant her all the tissue she wanted.
"T-thanks." A shaky hand reached out to wipe away the access liquid and she threw her head forward. Dogs and owners walked by without a second glance to the girl with a nosebleed. She wasn't anything abnormal to them. They couldn't see her disease sinking deeper than skin.
"Sakura," he reached out to hold her waist, feeling her body tremble beneath his touch, "you're shaking."
Cough. Cough. Cough.
"Sakura?"
She held up her hand and shook her head, the dark red tissue still present at her lips and her raspy throat still throwing out coughs.
"Sakura!"
Cough. Cough. Cough.
...
"Sasuke!"
"I'm here, you don't have to yell."
"Sasuke, what happened? Is she alright?"
"Her physical condition is getting worse. They've checked her into the hospital for the night." He almost disappeared up the steps, escaping his family from their sympathy.
"What ward is she in?" A deep voice cut off his movements once again. The déjà vu forced Sasuke stopping in his tracks once again for the man to say something else and snap his feelings in half.
Fugaku always had that knack. Hating the suffering then making up for it later with a few words of kindness. It seemed to be the only way he could express his feelings.
"Intensive Care."
"Hm. Well, with her safely tucked in a hospital cot, you might have a chance to look over those college choices I've sent to your room."
Sasuke gripped the banister so tight he thought it might shatter. "I'm staying the night elsewhere. And I refuse all of your choices." He continued with his steps. One, two, th—
"Get back here Uchiha."
-ree.
"Disobey me once again and you won't be going to college at all."
The cool façade didn't break like he thought it would, Fugaku looked calm as ever. "Does it even matter? We all know you'll get me on the board or even CEO within my first year of employment. You'll probably pay off the college to pass me with flying colors too, even if I'm purposely screwing up. Poor little Uchiha can't hold up his own because daddy pays for everything." He released his hold on the cherry-wood railing, gaining just enough sanity to calm down. "I'm not going to your college and I'm not running your company."
"Oh. I see; we're making decisions now?" Fugaku slyly remarked.
"Yes. I don't want your money, I don't want your home, I don't want your luxury and I certainly don't want your heart!" Fugaku wouldn't speak; he knew there was more to it. "You can't even allow me to see the woman I love! How do you expect me to aspire to your future?" He closed his eyes before clenching his teeth and spitting out the last of his words. "I want one of my own."
"The woman you-" Mikoto gasped and covered her mouth while Fugaku looked ready to murder.
"The woman you what?" His irritation settled at the back of his throat and tossed out his words like a deck of cards. He stood from his chair.
"Hn." Sasuke turned to continue his path up the stairs in silence.
Mikoto moved once she heard his door shut gently. Her eyes narrowed at her husband and the towel rag she was previously using to wipe down her counters was now used to whip Fugaku with.
"Oi! Easy Mikoto!"
"What was all of that for?" She hissed. "You know he doesn't want this, why do you continue to push him into doing something he doesn't want?" She stopped hitting him when his hand reached up to grab her wrist.
"Heh," she widened her eyes at his chuckle, "I had to get it out of him somehow."
She was speechless.
...
INSPIRATION:
'Flowers for a Ghost' [Thriving Ivory]
This piece has been a decade-long work-in-progress.
& I won't give up on it!
[11/28/16] Updated all those pesky typos & marathon-long sentences.
Anywho! Let me know what you think!
I crave your constructive criticism!
THANK YOU
phakno