One-shot, AU: where Sasuke has never left. Character ages: about 17.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Melancholic Rain
by: amberlove
It is raining on his birthday.
Kind of odd, she thinks. The rains don't typically come in July.
She doesn't have a particular dislike for the rain, but she knows he does. Even if he barely shows it in his face of steel, he is always that much gloomier on dull, rainy days.
Staring out of her kitchen window, she watches the rain pour down in sheets.
Pitter, patter.
Is he outside training?
Pitter, patter.
Is he running away from fangirls?
Pitter, patter.
Does he remember that today is his birthday?
Her thoughts continue to wander as she stares into the gray that enveloped the village. What will he say when she finds her? Will he reprimand her for doing something trivial like baking him a cake? Will he scoff and throw it on the ground?
DING DING DING! The oven alarm goes off. She pulls herself away from the window and opens the oven. Smells of nutmeg and cinnamon permeate the kitchen air. In the middle of the oven sits a round, golden brown tomato cake. Perfect, she thinks.
And thank god for that. This has been her eighth attempt. Some had been disasters and others had been mediocre, but none of them were good enough. The cake has to be perfect. It's for him, after all.
She sets the cake on the marble counter-top. Should she ice it? No, she decides. He isn't much of a sweet tooth. She takes out a box to place the cake in. It is simple; no frills or patterns. He'd like that. Or, in the very least, he won't hate it.
Thoughts of his preference for simplicity linger in her mind as she rushes upstairs. He is rather showy when it comes to techniques. Ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu; everything has to be complicated and devastating to the enemy. He dislikes basic training because, well, it's basic.
But when it comes to life, she knows he always prefers simple things. He lives frugally in a small apartment. He doesn't buy more food than he needs and never anything unnecessary. He keeps his apparel simple, too: a loose, short-sleeved turtleneck and a pair of khaki shorts or a black one-piece with the same silhouette. Necessities too, of course. Forehead protector, kunai pack. The flashiest thing about his apparel, she believes, is the Uchiha fan, proudly displayed on his back.
Opening the door to her closet, she realizes that a problem. What is she to wear? Trivial? Perhaps. But she considers it absolutely pivotal.
Should she wear her training outfit? No way! She thinks vehemently. He sees her in it everyday! Wearing that is out of the question.
Then, her kimono? A truly gorgeous piece of clothing, her mother had once said. It is a deep red and embroidered with pink silk cherry blossoms. But…
Pitter, patter.
The rain will destroy the garment. Her mother will no doubt be screaming by the time she arrived home.
But this is for him. For Uchiha Sasuke. The boy she likes. No, the boy she loves.
Should she go find Ino-pig and ask her for help? She'd surely know what to do, after all, Ino is Ino. All confidence and answers.
But no! she thinks. Ino-pig is probably making her own cake to take to Sasuke. She can't let Ino win.
Ino-pig is going down! her more aggressive side screeches out.
Of course, she knows that Ino has long given up on Sasuke. It's nothing more than some careless flirting nowadays. But, she also knows what Ino would say:
"Why are you trying so hard for someone who will never care?"
She had tried to argue with Ino, he really did care inside and he was worth it, but Ino didn't let her get very far with her justifications.
"He isn't worth it."
She knows he will never come close to caring about her the way she does for him but she doesn't care. All the people he had cared for had been slaughtered by the one he loved most. Even if it has been almost a decade, how can she even think of him opening his heart to her after an event like that?
And she is afraid. What will she do without loving Sasuke? She can't even imagine a time before she did. Though at the same time, she doesn't understand why exactly she even loves him. Is it his determination? His strength?
No, it's the way he can't let his friends be harmed. It's the way he gives her strength in his own way.
I love him for what he considers to be his flaws, she thinks silently.
And that is why Sasuke is worth it. She slips off her t-shirt and pants and dons her kimono. Definitely, she asserts as she wraps her obi. There is no doubt, she thinks as she wraps her hair into a stylish bun.
The sky is growing a darker shade of gray but the rain has not stopped. She grabs the box with the cake and runs to the door. The umbrellas are gone. Her parents must have taken them.
But it's okay.
She slips on her sandals and charges straight into the downpour.
She wanders around the village in the rain for a while. There are no people on the streets, but the people that hide within the shelter of the shops and restaurants look out to stare. They stare at Tsunade's prize student, one of the village's strongest medic-nins, dressed in her finest kimono. There are some that worry and call out to her, but the majority of them can only stare.
She doesn't let the eyes bother her, but is nevertheless relieved when she arrives at the bridge where Team 7 always meets. There are no houses or shops around and there are no people.
Well, there's almost no people around.
"Sasuke?" she hasn't called used kun since he told her that it made her sound childish.
He doesn't seem to hear her. She tries to call out his name again but the wind has suddenly robbed her of her voice.
And her confidence.
He's training, working, pushing himself to the limits. She can see him straining his arms to hit the tree, can see him extending his legs to reach higher. She shouldn't bother him. She turns to leave.
But she's too late. He's sensed her. He's walking her way now.
"What are you doing? You're going to catch a cold." He is scolding her for being outside in the rain.
Hypocrite, her mind whispers.
"I…" She's staring into his onyx eyes. His sharp gaze is suffocating.
I'm stronger than this, DAMMIT! she screams inside her head.
But her mind is traitorous. It wonders: is he pissed off that I've interrupted his training? Will he be more irritable because it's raining? Will he tell me to go home?
He looks at her. He notices the black strings of her sandals contrast greatly with her pale skin. His eyes move up. He notices the pink flowers that seem to shimmer against the red fabric that looks drenched with rainwater. He notices the simple box clutched tightly in her calloused hands.
He finally reaches her face, framed by pieces of hair that seem glued to her skin. He stares into her green eyes and finds answers.
"You're here for me, aren't you? And that box is for me, isn't it?" he asks bluntly.
She's startled but suddenly remembers that she was meant to deliver the cake. She had held on tightly to make sure it was out of harm's way. As she holds it out to him, she realizes she's slightly shaking. She orders herself to calm down. She's not weak and she wasn't going to act like some weakling in front of Sasuke!
"It's.. uh.. It's tomato cake! And I made it for you because I know how much you love tomatoes and it's your birthday! And…" she babbles whatever comes to mouth because all she can think is:
Was it worth it?
Was this worth all the hours she spent researching in the Hokage's library for a recipe? Was this worth the eight cake attempts, seven failures and one success? Was this worth her best kimono that would no doubt be of no use after she got home?
Is he worth it?
"Thank you, Sakura." His lips twitch upward in a failed by sincere attempt at a smile.
Yes, Sakura decides, he is worth it.