Title: Call Me Back.
Word Count: 911.
Pairing: NaruSakuSasuSai.
Set: Real World AU.
Summary: AU. She couldn't go on ignoring. She was bound to break, to call them back. NaruSakuSasuSai.
Author's Notes: OK, hey everyone. Sorry about the long wait inbetween Good-bye and this next NaruSakuSasuSai oneshot. I was busy. Eh heh heh. Anyways...this one is consdierably shorter then all of my others. I thought that it didn't need to be longer, that it explained itself pretty well. However, if you are confused, you can say so in your review (or PM me) and I will 'reply' to the review with the answer (or PM you back). Yes. So...now I need to talk about the oneshot itself. It's another Sakura-based narrative, although, this time, well, I'll let you read and discover. I'm going to apologize in advance for any confusion. The story goes back and forth, but...I think you'll get it. Anyways! I'm almost done rambling. My last thing is: I worked hard on this, but my creative muses are considerably...well, not to be found. I struggled with this one. I'm sorry if that struggle shows up.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Naruto related.
Warning: Foursome. Ummm...lots of crying on Sakura's part.
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Call Me Back
She didn't know when the aching had first started.
She sat on her bed, in sweatpants and a tank top, knees pulled to her chest, head tucked down. She sniffled, pink hair askew as she tried to keep the bad memories away.
Oh, why did I have to lose them? She thought sadly, drawing patterns on the covers.
The phone rang.
She ignored it.
It kept ringing.
She threw a shoe at it.
Beeeeep.
"Sakura. Sakura, its Ino. I'm going to see a movie tonight. You should come with me."
Silence.
Ino sighed.
"Sakura, you need to get over them. They left you, they tore your heart in two-"
"SHUT UP!" Sakura screamed, throwing a pillow at the phone.
"-well, I gotta go. Call me back."
Beep.
She was a mess. Ever since they had left her (dammit, she still hated thinking about it!) she had stayed in her apartment for the most point, ignoring all calls, even if some of them were from THEM.
She had, actually, picked it up once (when it was Sasuke calling) and had CHEWED. HIM. OUT, yelling at him and telling him to NEVER call her again. She was done.
He hadn't listened.
No matter what, she still didn't have the heart to block their numbers.
Riiiiiiing.
Riiiiiiiiing.
Riiiiiiing.
Beep.
"Sakura-chan?"
Her breath caught, and she waited for the next words.
"…Umm. You haven't picked up any of my calls, and I just wanted to know if you were OK. We miss you out here. I'm sorry we had to leave you, but…Kakashi insisted."
Silence. She awaited his next words.
"You aren't mad, are you? We'll only be gone for a year, Sakura-chan. Please…just call me back, OK? Alright. Bye."
Click.
Beep.
She started crying again.
She hated these messages, yet she yearned for them.
Lived by them.
One of them called every day.
Or every other day.
Just "checking" to see if she was OK, and begging with her (in Naruto's case), demanding with her (Sasuke) and asking her (Sai) to call them back.
She never did.
She wish she had the courage to do so.
She eyed the phone.
She stood up, and walked in the bathroom.
She was going to start anew.
She DIDN'T need them.
Two hours later, she was home again, with two cinnamon rolls for her comfort. Two more messages were waiting for her on the phone.
"Sakura-chan. Please. It's Naruto. Call me back. I'm worried."
Beep.
"hag. It's Sai. Naruto's about ready to cry. Call back please."
She grabbed the phone, dialed Naruto's number, and waited.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ri-
"Hello?"
"Hey, Naruto," She said simply.
"…SAKURA-CHAN?" He said, exicited.
In the background she could hear Sasuke saying, "Dobe. Is it Sakura?"
"That's me," She said.
"I'm so glad you called back," he said. She could picture him with a bright smile on his face, his blond hair sticking up. "We mis-"
"Naruto…" She said, twirling a piece of ribbon she'd found. "I've been thinking, and…"
"What?" He said.
"I don't think this is going to work," She said.
She wanted to cry.
But she couldn't.
"Sakura-chan?"
"I can't do this." The floods broke, and she started to sob. "I can't go on like this. I can't be with you guys anymore…"
"Sakura-!" he said, sounding utterly worried.
"Dobe, what's wrong?" Sasuke asked in the background. He sounded panicked.
"I don't know!"
"Find out, dickless!"
"SHUT UP SAI!"
She wanted to laugh now. So she did. She was laughing and crying at the same time. Her boys. They were wonderful.
"Sakura-chan?"
"It's been wonderful," She half-laughed, half-cried. "But…I can't do it anymore. Really, I can't."
"Sakura. We love you. Without you…"
"you're gone," She said, like she hadn't heard him. "You're gone. Away. A year."
"I know-"
"I can't live without you for a year, Naruto. I can't do it. One of you is hard enough. All three of you-" she started crying.
"Sakura. Please." Sai was on the phone now. "Calm down."
"I miss you so much-!" She cried, falling on the floor, phone nearly dropping from her grasp.
"We miss you too," Sasuke said, his smooth tone soothing her. "It's only a year. We'll be back before you know it."
"It's been a month,' She whispered. "I've barely gone anywhere…"
"SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto was back on the phone. "IF YOU DO ANYTHING DRASTIC, I SWEAR I-"
She laughed, wiping her eyes. "Naruto…I have to go. I need to call Ino and go to a movie. I'll call you when I get back, OK?"
"You swear?"
"On your lips," She answered.
"Bye."
"Bye."
Not 'good-bye.' Because that, to them, was permanent. 'Good-bye' was permanent. You couldn't take it back. 'Bye' could be taken back.
It was a brief replacement.
She put the phone back on the receiver, and stared at it.
She needed them more then they needed her.
She couldn't let go, let them go, she couldn't move on.
So she decided to not fight it anymore.
When the movie was over, she rushed home and, as she stepped in the door, caught the phone as it was ringing.
"Hello?"
"Sakura."
"Sasuke."
"I'm glad you picked up."
"I almost missed it."
"Hmmmm," He said.
She laughed.
"Dobe, don't-!"
Naruto was on the phone. "SAKURA-CHAN, GUESS WHAT!"
"What, Naruto?"
"I love you!" He said, sounding like a little kid.
"I love you too. Tell Sai I said hello."
"Alright."
Sometimes, phone calls are the only things that keep you sane.
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Author's End Notes: OK, so I hope you enjoyed Call Me Back. I had fun writing this, although it was really tough to plough forwards sometimes. Anyways, I'd like you to all leave me a NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE review on how much you loved it and/or constructive critisism, but NOT a flame. I think I've already mentioned that I despise flames? So, they had some rough patches...but they are still together. How sad and nice. There will probably be some companion pieces to this coming out soon, so please keep an eye out for those. Thanks everyone.
Ja ne,
LadyNightmarexSasuke