Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Disclaimer: I do not own the song Cheers Darlin' by Damien Rice which somewhat inspired this story.
Author's note: You should listen to the song while reading this.
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Cheers Darlin'
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"First and foremost I would like to thank everyone for being here tonight."
Everyone was looking at Uchiha Sasuke as he gave his best man's speech at his older brother's wedding, Uchiha Itachi.
"Each and every one of you are here and can be here as well as anywhere else for the single reason that my brother sacrificed his life, his happiness for Konoha's peace.
(Brother…)
" As the once great Uchiha clan planned to take over and force each and every one of you to live a miserable existence. They deserved punishment. They deserved to be stopped. They did not deserve however to be massacred."
(Mother…Father…)
And Itachi did not deserve to be manipulated at the age of thirteen to do such a deed and then forced to live with a heavy conscience for the rest of his life."
(Not his fault…not their fault…)
He knew he had a little too much to drink, but unfortunately, it was not enough.
It never was these days.
(Never enough…)
Everyone was looking at him with shocked, angry expressions that only served to annoy him more because who were they to judge?
(Stop looking.)
He could hear them whisper that he lost his mind and that he would only ruin this evening and that the bride should have never ever let him make the toast.
Naruto would've done much better.
Perhaps they were right. Naruto was indeed better with words. He could crack a joke or two even if their whole life was nothing short of a tragedy. And had a bright smile and the best of intentions and all that but he didn't feel the way Sasuke did.
Naruto was just an outsider and Sasuke refused to let him in because it was about the Uchiha and about being an Uchiha.
(Not anyone can be an Uchiha.)
Itachi looked guilty. Sasuke hadn't meant to make his older brother remember all of that tonight, but there were some things that the people of Konoha must not forget. The Uchiha must not be forgotten.
(Remember our loss…)
His best friend, the Hokage, had a panicked expression on his face. Naruto was the only one who knew what Sasuke was feeling. He was the only one who knew that Sasuke wanted to speak not of hate but of love.
( Iloveyou…)
For a man like Sasuke, though, the difference was very vague.
As he raised his glass of expensive champagne, he took in the bride's appearance.
(Not his bride. Never his.)
She was beautiful as always, but right then she was exquisite.
(Angel…)
Somewhere between an angel and a goddess would say a poetic man. A maiden with a dazzling white dress, which made her look as the purest creature ever to set foot on earth.
(But she was not. She was a killer just like him and his brother and just like the Uchiha she was about to become.)
Her doll like face charmed everyone. With porcelain skin and softsoftsoft long, hair.
( The desire to touch is…)
With eyes as deep…
(The desire to stare…)
As the forest of Death in which she almost died for him once upon a time.
(is killing me …)
Foolish, naïve girl. Why sacrifice herself for someone like him?
But unlike everyone else's, She was looking at him with kindness and understanding. Like she knew that he was broken and knew why he was broken and understood him and was ready to forgive him yet again for spoiling something beautiful for her.
But she didn't understand. She never did.
(You never will.)
She didn't know what he was feeling.
(You never will.)
"But tonight, I do not wish to speak about the Uchiha clan. I do not wish to speak about Itachi's great, heroic sacrifice and not of his unmatched power and skill."
That was exactly the word that suited his older brother perfectly.
Unmatched.
He was the best in everything. He had the strongest fist, the sharpest eyes and the kindest heart.
Even in his suffering, he was the greatest for he had not only lost his family like Sasuke did. No, he also lost his home and his freedom.
That is why, one year prior, when Itachi found his happiness in the arms of the most beautiful and the most angelic woman that existed, Sasuke gave him his blessings.
(Nonono!)
He uttered encouraging words as his heart was breaking because his brother deserved to be happy and Sasuke had already had his chance. He just threw it away.
"Tonight, I wish to speak of another hero. One that during war gave each of us the chance to stay alive and fight for ourselves and for our loved ones…"
(Loved ones?)
"And one that never stopped giving everything even after the war was over."
(And you ask who…)
"One that gave my brother his life back. I want to say more but words fail to describe what I feel for you."
(Lovelovelove)
"I never felt such gratitude."
(NotTrueNotTrueNotTrue)
"And I will never be able to repay you for what you have done for my brother and for the Uchiha clan."
(He deserves you.)
"Every word is cheap compared to my sister-in-law. They fail to do her justice in every shape, way and form."
(Not I.)
"So without further ado, here's to Sakura Uchiha. Cheers darlin'!"
(Darling…)
The crowd cheered and congratulated the bride and the groom for the hundredth time that night, happy that they were not obliged to listen once again to the macabre story of his clan.
Sakura, however never changed her expression. Always so fond of him and kind towards him. He was sure that she wouldn't have minded even if he used her wedding night to make yet another speech about his family's glory.
Naruto was relieved, but at the same time he was sad for Sasuke, for the things he lost as a child and for the things he was losing as a man.
But Sasuke was a man and as a man he could accept losing the woman he loved if it meant she were to be happy with his older brother who deserved so much more happiness than Sasuke did.
That night, when Sakura came to thank him for his kind words, he almost told her just how much more than gratitude he felt for her, but managed to stop in time.
The smile on her face was genuine and he did not want to ruin that.
He couldn't give her happiness but he would still fight for it.
(Cheers darlin')
A/N: Please review.
Marie Blubert