I Love You Chapter 1: A Love Song::Stage::SasuSaku, a naruto fanfic

Number: One
Title: A Love Song
Pairing: Sakura X Sasuke
Universe/Prompt: 047 Stage
Status: One Shot
Word-Count: 4,029
Rating: K+
Inspiration: my wonderful imagination/Love Song by Sara Bareilles
Summary: It's been a year since Sakura and Sasuke have broken up but the stage Sakura sings at three nights a week brings back too many memories about them. Finally Sakura throws away her love songs to express how she's feeling but that changes when someone important comes to watch her show.

STORY START

She was standing front and center in the middle of the stage again as usual. Her fifth hour was approaching and she needed a break badly. She tapped her fingers on the microphone blankly as she absently mindedly stared off into space. "Eh hem." Someone cleared their throat noisily and she snapped her head up, half-startled by the sudden noise that had brought her crashing back to reality. "Are you going to sing or not?" asked the girl in the audience. She was sitting at the fourth table from the left (her left from the stage of course), legs crossed and an annoyed look on her face. She was tapping her left hand on the white clothed table and staring at the girl on stage with large dark green eyes of boredom, disinterest, and annoyance among other negative emotions.

"Sorry," apologized the 'rising-star' quickly. She recomposed herself quickly and clutched the microphone tighter, feeling the rhythm of the song she had sung so many times flow through her veins. She tapped her foot a few times to get the perfect time-count; 4/4 as usual. She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering the starting note. After a few seconds had passed she re-opened her eyes and stared out into the audience. Watching without seeing she took a deep breath and began her short song.

You're standing there across from me,
Standing there like you can't see,
How long its been since we've been done,
How long its been since you've been gone.
I'm trying to guess your emotions, your thoughts and your dreams,
But all I come up with is your terrible, heart-broken schemes.

I'm trying hard to forget what you did to me,
To try and remember exactly how to see,
I start to turn away and run,
From you and from us, we're done,
"You stop and watch but you can't wait,
It's already gone, too fast, too late."

What used to be the perfect couple as shrunken down to one,
What used to be happiness has slowly been undone.
I used to think that it was perfect,
I used to think that it was best,
But you're standing there like you don't know,
And I'm wondering, "Does it show?"
All the things that I regret.

She finished the song quietly. She had sung it a cappella, as usual. It was a song from deep within her heart that she couldn't allow her band to accompany her on; not yet. A love song to someone gone... She took another moment of silence before turning to face her sole audience member. With a half-smile painted on her face she waited meekly for her critique.

"Well," began the blonde, she pushed her short hair out her face and continued to stare at the one on stage, "It sounded nice as always, all of your work sounds good Sakura." The critique was short as usual and lacking emotion. Sakura expected nothing less from her "once-almost-sister-in-law". She nodded and the blond continued. "The song still bothers me though," she said quietly. Sakura sighed under her breath. She couldn't help it. They had had this conversation so many times already and she thought she had finally fixed the problems in the song. She had rewritten the song for the third time already.

"What about it?" asked Sakura. The blonde's dark green eyes suddenly became very dark and cold, almost black as she spat the next words.

"It sounds like you still haven't gotten over him yet."

The words stung like alcohol in a wound. Sakura felt the pain in her heart as it extended throughout her, flowing through her veins as though it was a part of her blood, spreading to every part of her body, down into her toes and fingertips. She froze solid like a board and blankly stared at the empty seats before her and held her breath. Because, her sole audience member and most faithful critique was right. Right as always.

"You're not, are you?" she asked harshly. The words came out with a sharp jab and more of a statement then a question to which Sakura let out a soft 'no'. The girl shook her head and got to her feet, her black heels smacking the black marble floor hard. Sakura snapped out of her zombie-like trance at the loud noise and stared up at the older girl. She hoped that she hadn't offended her but she knew her position on the topic and that even though out loud she pretended to agree with her, deep down they were as far left and right on the spectrum as they could get. Well, except for her and him. They were the ultimatums of the spectrum; one saying yes and the other no. After all, there was another reason Sakura still looked at that fourth table....she still hadn't given that up yet. The blonde reached over the table and grabbed her black purse and then turned back to Sakura and sighed, aggravated but nothing out of the ordinary. Sakura watched her face as she spoke and sensed some anger.

"Do us both a favor and don't sing that song tonight," she advised the pink-headed girl. Sakura nodded and with that blonde turned her back on Sakura and made the long walk to the back of the club. She opened the door swiftly and was gone without another word.

Sakura sighed and turned back, walking over to the piano and setting the microphone down on the keyboard. Her number one critique was always right, especially when it came to matters of the nightly show. Three times a week Sakura preformed at Chez Leur, the local club owned by the prestigious and rich family, the Hyuugas. Three nights a week, she stood on this stage, sometimes accompanied and sometimes not and poured her heart out in the form of a musical tone in order to follow what had once been her most important dream.

She ran her hand across the hood of the wooden piano as her hand formed a gentle fist when it reached the end. She knocked on the hood once and bit her lip to hold back the tears. Tears that came with a flood of memories and sadness...

She remembered that day so clearly through the suppressed and bitter memories....so clearly that it still hurt when she sat down at the piano...

"Sakura! Sakura! Sakura!!" Naruto shouted as he ran down the aisle tripping over several chairs as he ran and nearly knocking over a table.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed as he reached the stage. She was standing on stage, rehearsing for the evening show, already wearing her costume and with her hair and make-up already done. "You're so noisy and think you can do anything you want to just because you kind of own this place! When are you going to grow up?"

"Ha ha," Naruto laughed, "Why are you always so grouchy before your shows, Sakura?" he asked pouting a little bit. Sakura would have smacked him if they were ten years younger. She turned away from him angrily and crossed her arms over her chest warily and too angry to speak. Naruto sensed the anger and tension in his child friend and snickered a little more to himself, placing his hands on the stage and lifting himself up onto it, careful not to damage his posh suit.

"It's not funny," muttered Sakura to herself, still facing the opposite direction with her arms still crossed. Even though she complained about his age it she also pouted like a sixteen year old. He smiled and stood behind her patiently careful not to point out that little fact for fear of old time sakes.

"You know I'm just kidding," he said softly and her anger melted away because to be honest, it was true. She did know he was just kidding. She sighed and turned to face him. He was wearing a dressy tuxedo with orange ornaments hanging on it. She was about to critique his ensemble when she spotted meek Hinata coming towards them. She was wearing a dark, blue, strapless party dress decked out with plenty of lace roses and frills. She also wore matching heels that made a tapping noise as she approached them.

"Um, hi Miss Sakura," she said quietly when she reached the two. She avoided eye contact as she mumbled out the words. Even though Hinata was Sakura's employer, what with her being the rightful person in line to inherit Chez Leur after her father it seemed only fitting that she act commanding and higher than Sakura. Somehow it never turned out that way though. Sakura smiled politely to Hinata.

"Hi Hinata," she said warmly, her anger and aggression from her encounter with Naruto, finally melting away completely.

"Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed bringing Hinata into a deep embrace. She blushed as he lovingly hugged her tight, the top of her head barely reaching his chin. Sakura watched the encounter warmly but with an ounce of jealousy in the very back of her mind and bottom of her heart. Her face fell as she continued to watch the exchange. The wedding diamond ring shone brightly on Hinata's left hand, fourth finger.

Once Naruto had done greeting his wife, Tenten emerged from behind the stage and called for Sakura to come back for a sound check. Sakura quickly said good-bye to her dear friends as they each wished her good luck in the evening's show. Sakura rushed backstage to where Tenten who had once been a performer at Chez Leur but since then had married the second-in-line to inherit the club and retired to take care of their child, was now the stage manager. She smiled warmly at Sakura but with a certain air of urgency about her. Sakura grabbed her microphone and ran the standard sound checks as usual.

"So no pressure," Tenten was telling the other performers, "Remember to just do your best and everything will work out." The cast gave their usual cheer of encouragement and Sakura smiled. Microphones one, two and three were all ready to go. She turned back to her fellow cast members. Tonight her dream would come true for sure. Tenten bustled past Sakura quickly, a flurry of papers dancing around her as she went. She stopped approximately four steps away from Sakura and backtracked to talk to her. "Sakura," she said flipping through her clip board, "What song are you singing tonight?"

Sakura thought for a moment. "Casablanca," she finally replied. Tenten nodded and turned to walk away.

As she went she shouted over her shoulder, "Don't forget to tune the piano!" Sakura nodded and rushed out on stage to tune the club's wooden beauty; la belle au bois. She slowed to a brisk walk when she was half way across the stage and glanced out into the audience of tables and chairs, each accompanied with a small purple carnation and white table cloth. In less than an hour the club would be packed and she would sing again, hoping to be recognized by someone amazing and famous. Someone who would be able to make her greatest dream of being a true singer true. She took a deep breath and sat down at the piano checking to see if it was in tune. Nothing was going to come between her and her dream.

The piano was in tune for the most part and she decided not to go through the trouble of the entire process of tuning it. Instead she played a right-handed melody; one that had been stuck in her head for the past week. It had a sad tune with a few minor keys in it but still sounded hopeful. It brought a small smile to her lips as she played, repeating it twice before going on to the next part with a higher note and more dramatic bass line. It was then that she noticed him; then that she realized he was there.

"Harmonic," she jumped when she heard him speak. She hadn't been aware that anyone was listening to her play. She had safely assumed that everyone was busy with stage checks and rehearsing last minute songs to realize that she was there. So much for safety. But he was there. He was right there with her, and talking to her, so she should be happy. She turned around slowly and saw him there, just a few feet from him with a classic smirk painted on his face. All those times she had seen him in the audience and around town. All those times she had wished she could talk to him. Oh sure, she knew his name and he knew hers but never had he sought her out to talk to her. Surely it must be some coincidence. She looked up at him. There was something different about his eyes; something clear and anxious.

"Thank you," she choked out as she stood up quickly, "It's been stuck in my head all week."

"Did you write it?" he asked, stepping forward. Sakura knew that it was highly known that the Uchiha family thought very highly of music and Sasuke being the youngest and last of the Uchihas was of course no exception.

"You could say that," she replied, somewhat nervously. He smiled and took three steps to her side. He stopped next to the piano and knocked at its wooden frame three times. "It's for luck," he smirked, "Break a leg." He turned and left the stage without another word. Sakura watched him leave the stage and make his way through the aisle and out the back door. It took a moment for it to sink in that he had talked to her, he had actually talked to her...Sasuke Uchiha had actually talked to her! She turned back to the piano boasting a grin the size of her entire face and coiled her hand into a tight fist. She knocked three times just as Sasuke had done and was lost in her own thoughts until she heard Tenten calling for her from behind the stage but even then it was as if some part of her had walked off with the Uchiha boy...perhaps it was her heart that was now stolen.

That had been the day they had met. Sakura let the tears fall silently. Hadn't he asked her to coffee after the show? Yes, he'd come up to her, talking to her from the floor while she stood on stage and asked her. Hadn't he told her she was an amazing singer as they sat in the diner, on that cold winter night? She had been there through all of it. She had met his family who had adopted him after his parent's death. She had become such good friends with his step-sister, Temari. She had imagined herself apart of their family. She had seen the engagement ring. And just like that it had all ended.

She wiped the tears off of her face blatantly and got to her feet. She was strong and would get through this though, after all, it had already been one year and so far, her and him had been like night a day. Avoiding each other whenever possible and not mentioning one another. But she couldn't forget him and she knew that. And it showed up in everything she did including song writing which she had taken up shortly after they had begun going out five years ago.

Just another thing to impress him. She laughed to herself bitterly.

Temari knew how she hurt inside too because after all she'd seen the entire relationship blossom, grow and then wilt and die. Like a spring time flower not meant to survive in rough, harsh wintery conditions. Something fragile and destined to die eventually. She didn't like to think of them that way but she knew it was true. How they'd fallen apart, grown apart after everything. Such a tragedy still burned in her heart, both diamond rings still burning holes in her memories. Hinata's and her own....the one that would never be hers. Sakura sighed and turned back to the piano flipping through the music, heeding Temari's words and looking for a new song to sing for the night show.

The crowd roared with applause as the opening act made its way off stage. The young brunette made two curtseys to the audience and then turned to exit stage left. Sakura waited patiently behind the curtain. She would wait until Lee, the host of the night, announced her name and song before she went on stage. Then it would be like every other night. Go on stage, sing the song, curtsey twice, leave and go home. She took a deep breath and Lee took the stage with his cue cards waving in the cool air conditioned breeze from above.

"And now," he said reading from the cards and looking up at the audience at the same time, "Please welcome the talent for tonight, Miss Haruno Sakura singing a song originally by Sara Bareilles."

"Well, not like the usual introduction," thought Sakura but she walked on stage smiling and waving to the crowd enthusiastically anyway. Lee gave her a wink as he began exiting stage the wrong way but changed direction quickly. Sakura sighed as she watched Lee trip his way back backstage. She then turned to the audience, took a quick glance at what she considered a full house and then back to the pianist. She nodded and the woman beginning playing the upbeat piano melody which she had set on the piano earlier that night. She would show Temari and herself that she was over him.

She waited a full two measures before she began singing.

Head under water,
And they tell me,
To breathe easy for a while,
Breathing gets harder, even I know that.

She glanced out around the audience. Everyone from the usual crowd was there.

Made room for me:
It's too soon to see,
If I'm happy in your hands,
I'm usually hard to hold onto.

Naruto and Hinata were sitting together in the 'Special Reserved' Sitting area along with Hinata's brother and Naruto's brother-in-law, Neji. Tenten wasn't there however, probably home with their little boy.

Blank stares at blank pages,
No easy way to say this,
You mean well, but you make this hard on me.

She glanced around again, her eyes sweeping the audience as she went into the chorus and the true reason she was singing this song.

I'm not gonna write you a love song
'Cause you asked for it
'Cause you need one,
You see
I'm not gonna write you
A love song
'Cause you tell me it's
Make or breaking this
If you're on your way
I'm not gonna write you to
Stay
If all you have is leavin',
I'ma need a better reason
To write you
A love song
Today
Today, Yeah

And maybe as though it was fate, her eyes fell on him. The reason for her singing, the reason for her pain and grief; her reason to live. The song cued for her to start the next stanza but she couldn't find the words to continue singing. The pianist looked up at her startled when she missed her cue but she couldn't help it. There he was sitting in his long abandoned usual seat, second seat at the fourth table from the left (her left...). Tears welled up inside of her. He was smiling at her, his usual half smile. He reached over and knocked the table twice when he saw her stalling.

"Break a leg..."

I learned the hard way
That they all say
Things you want to hear

My heavy heart sinks deep down under
You and your twisted words,
Your help just hurts
You are not what I thought you were
Hello to high and dry

Convince me to please you
Make me think that I need this too
I'm trying to let you hear me as I am

She continued, but now she couldn't sing the song whole heartedly. Too many old suppressed memories had come flooding back to her along with his face.

She signaled to the pianist to stop the song refusing to sing the final chorus. Too many memories had erupted. The audience burst into applause as she finished as some fans of the song seemed confused for a moment as if to ask if that really was the end of the song. She tried to smile but couldn't, her eyes were locked on one person and one person alone; the only person not clapping. She took a few steps closer to him and to the edge of the song. No one seemed to notice as they continued clapping and cheering loudly.

"I'm sorry," he said, approaching her on stage. He stood on the floor and looked up at her, "Want to go for coffee?" Sakura smiled and finally allowed the tears to fall. He came back. For how long she didn't know but she did know that she was going to try and make it work the best she could no matter what.

"I lied," she said quietly staring down at her coffee. He raised an eyebrow.

"Not as much as me," he said bitterly. She looked up at him, smiling a little bit, more out of hurt than humor because she knew it was no joke.

"In my song tonight, that was for you," she explained. He took another sip of his coffee, black, no cream, no sugar.

"Hn," was all he said.

"I wrote you a love song..." she said quietly, still staring down into her almost empty coffee cup. He looked up at her, across the table. Outside it was bitterly cold and yet somehow the rain was still falling. Somehow the laws of physics and weather were not in effect. Didn't cold + rain = snow?

"I'd like to hear it sometime," he replied. She looked up into his eyes and saw that for once, for once in the many years that she had known him, his eyes were warm. Truly and genuinely warm.

"I have something for you too," he said quietly. He got to his feet and walked around the table to her side, "Sorry for the delay." He pulled the small black box out of this black pocket and held it open for Sakura to see the contents. Inside was the ring that she had once seen the previous year and then had been harshly snatched from her. But there it was again, glinting and reflecting the pale light.

Outside the rain turned into snow.

You're standing there across from me,
Standing there, I know you see,
How long it's been, but we're not done,
How long it's been since you've been gone.
I know your emotions, your thoughts and dreams,
All has once again, mirrored what it seems.

I'm trying hard to never forget, what you mean to me,
To always try and remember clearly how to see,
I know that we're finally one,
We'll never again be undone,
Finally together,
For what seems, forever.

I think that it is perfect,
I think that it is best,
You're standing there, I know you know,
It shows,
I have no more regrets.

A/N: I won't say I enjoyed this one, but I will say it was my first...so ummm, yeeeeeaaahhh...uhhh. I will also say that the whole Gaara and Sasuke being step brothers thing scared me badly... DX haha, thanks for reading and look out for the next one!

Copyright: lyrics in bold and italics are Sakura's songs (written mostly by me with two lines (in quotes) by Naruki Bunny-Chan), lyrics in italics are Sara Bareilles's song Love Song, Casablanca is Sakura's song written by me but not produced here.

see you in shot 2. theme: either, PLAGUE, CRIMINAL or SHERIFF

Finally: Disclaimer for entire story: raindropdays does not own the characters or plot of Naruto. She does own her own plot however as depicted in this collection of one shots.