Stalked
"Bonzai!" Sakura shouted, tossing confetti in the air.
Sasuke paused in unlocking his new house's door to glare at her.
"What?" she asked, a truly innocent look in her sap green eyes.
"Most people wouldn't say that when someone's moving into their new house," the raven haired Uchiha replied, turning back to the door.
"Well, I'm not most people, now, am I, Sasuke?" she answered cheerily.
He grumbled unintelligibly and pushed open his door.
"Wow!" she breathed as she saw the foyer. "This place is amazing!"
"Hn."
She glared at him for a moment before returning to her awing. "How did you afford this? You're still in college!"
"I'm renting, and it helps when your parents left you a nice inheritance."
"Along with several aunts and uncles if I remember correctly," she said with a frown. "Why are you so lucky like that?"
He sighed. "I wouldn't call it luck."
She laid a hand on his shoulder. "Hey."
He met her gaze and she smiled softly.
"It's not your fault." She dropped her hand and turned away to examine the room again.
Sasuke watched her for a few moments, somehow disappointed that she had let go. But why should he be? They were just friends. Sure, really good childhood friends, but friends just the same. He stared at her pink head, puzzled until she turned around.
"Why are you staring at me, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing. You want to see the rest of the house?" he asked, starting down the hallway.
"Seriously, though, this house must be super expensive!" she said as she hurried after him. "It can't be just the inheritance."
"Well, it's pretty cheap too and I do have a scholarship."
"Aha! I knew it couldn't be perfect!" she shouted.
He glared at her as she danced around happily.
"And that's cause for joy why?"
"Because it means everything didn't go your way for once."
He shook his head and sighed. "Annoying."
"At least try not to sound like you want me," she responded, twirling around in front of him.
Her pale green skirt flared out to reveal a pair of very shapely legs. Sasuke swallowed and tried to keep from staring. Did that girl even realize how alluring she was sometimes?
"So are you going to live here all alone?"
"Yeah."
She stopped and faced him. "You antisocial jerk. Why don't you ask Naruto to come stay with you? You've got plenty of room."
"Have you seen his room?"
"So? He can stay all by himself so you won't have to have Uzumaki germs on your stuff."
"I would kill myself if I had to put up with him everyday, all day."
"Then who could you stand living here with you?"
Sasuke considered that for a minute. Whom would he be able to put up with for an entire semester… let alone four years? He'd already ruled out Naruto. Shikamaru? Nah. Too lazy. Choji? Too annoying with his eating. One by one he ruled his acquaintances until only one remained.
"You," he replied at last.
Sakura's face flushed bright red. "I'm not moving in with you. We may have grown up together, but it would still be improper."
Sasuke rolled his eyes as he followed her.
"Oh! I know! Let's find Sasuke's room!" she squealed to no one in particular before turning quickly and dashing for the stairs.
"Sakura! No!" he shouted, taking off after her.
"Is it this door?" she asked loudly from the upstairs hallway.
"Sakura!"
"Nope!"
The door bangs shut.
Sasuke reached the top and glanced around for Sakura. Where was that girl? Damn, she was fast. He started down to the right, glancing into every room.
Sakura giggled as she peaked out of the room she was hiding in. Sasuke continued to search the opposite end and she smirked. He never could find her when they played hide and seek years ago. She felt a cool breeze whisper past her gently and she shivered. Was it just her or was this room freezing?
Sasuke reached the end of the right side.
Sakura ducked back into the room, the door shutting a little too loudly for her liking.
He whipped around and his eyes darted around to try to locate which door hid the pinkette. He started down the hall.
Sakura kept her hand on the door, trying to control her breathing. Another chill passed over her, making her hair stand on end. There weren't any windows open, right? So where did this breeze keep coming from? She bit her lip and suddenly had the feeling someone was watching her, staring at her. The rosette whirled around only to find the room empty, the blinds drawn. She looked around nervously.
The door banged open to reveal a very annoyed Sasuke. Sakura jumped with a yelp. She turned to see her friend and breathed a sigh of relief. She put a hand to her chest as she tried to calm her breathing.
"Jeez, Sasuke, you scared me half to death," she said.
He thought about yelling at her, but seeing her frightened face when he burst in made him reconsider. He let out his anger in a sigh (she was the only one who could get him to let things be). "This isn't my room, you know," he said with a smirk.
"Shut up," she responded, punching his arm lightly. "This room is freezing."
"Then put on a sweater."
She laughed as she headed down the stairs. "See ya tomorrow, Sasuke. I've got calc homework and a bag of sour gummy worms with my name on 'em."
"See ya, annoying."
"Yeah, love ya too."
The door closed downstairs.
"Sasuke!" Sakura ran over to him from across the college quad, her mid-thigh skirt swishing alluringly.
"Sakura," he said, nodding at her.
"I want spaghetti tonight!" she announced.
"And?" he asked, smirking. He knew what she meant. With Sakura, whenever she announced she wanted a certain dish, what she really wanted was for Sasuke to make it for her.
"My dorm room doesn't have a stove."
"What do you want me to do about it?"
Her pretty face screwed up angrily. "Stop being a jerk, and invite me over already."
"Fine."
"Yay!" She grabbed his arm. "And invite over Naruto too!"
He sighed. "Sure. Why not? I might as well that new friend of yours—Ino was it?—too!"
"Please and thank you!"
"I was joking!"
"I know but you're still going to."
"And why's that?" he drawled.
"Because if you do," she leaned close until her lips were just brushing his ear. Sasuke could feel her pressed up against his arm as well, and suddenly his mouth was very, very dry as she whispered again. "I'll give you something special." She darted away laughing.
Sasuke stared after her for a minute.
"Come on! We've got grocery shopping to do!"
He stirred and followed her.
"How did you know I didn't have class?"
Ino took off her coat. "So I finally get to meet the infamous Sasuke Uchiha."
"And you must be Ino Yamanaka." Thank you, Sakura, for telling me that before she came.
"Smart and cute," the blond girl smiled. "How'd Sakura get so lucky as to snag you?"
"We grew up together," he said.
"She said that. So have you slept with her yet?" she asked as they started back toward the kitchen.
Sasuke stumbled in his shock and barely managed to keep from falling on his face.
"Nice one, teme!" Naruto laughed from his seat on a stool at the kitchen island.
"Hn. Like you're better, dobe."
"So, what's the answer?" the whiskered boy asked as the newcomers sat down with him. "I've always wanted to know if you and Sakura ever did it while my back was turned."
Sakura whacked her friend with a spoon. Her face was bright red. "Baka! We're not like that!"
"Ow!"
"You mean you haven't?" Ino said, obviously disappointed.
"No. Can't a girl and a guy just be friends?" Sakura sighed, returning to her cooking spaghetti.
"Not when they're as close as you two."
"Hn. So according to your logic, Sakura's slept with Naruto too because those two are close," Sasuke said dryly.
"No. Those two are only slightly eligible for that. You and Sakura," Ino gestured at the raven and pinkette. "You two are way closer."
"You're just obsessed with sex, Ino," the Haruno retorted. "Now all of you, out of my kitchen! How am I supposed to cook if I'm tripping over all of you?" She managed to shoo everyone but the Uchiha out.
As the door to the kitchen closed, he fixed his onyx eyes on her. "Your kitchen?"
She flushed a little and turned back to the stove. "Well, I'm the only one who actually uses it. You just grab cereal or a damn tomato."
Sasuke remained where he was. His eyes admired the sight of Sakura at his stove. He watched her silently as she worked before his gaze dipped a little lower. His eyes dwelled on her butt for a second before she went over to the cabinet for something.
He placed his hands on either side of her on the countertop, effectively trapping her. He leaned his head down so he was speaking right into her ear. "Last I checked, I'm the one whose name is on the lease." He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent.
"S-sasuke?" she ventured as he leaned closer.
"Hn?"
"The garlic toast is burning."
He started out of his trance and stepped back, freeing her. Sakura ran over the oven and fished the tray of toast out. It wasn't blackened but it was definitely overcooked.
"I'll go check on the dobe," he said, casting one last look at his friend's shapely posterior in that rather short skirt before leaving her alone.
Sakura busied herself and tried to ignore the thought that she and Sasuke had been toeing the unspoken line a lot lately. Were they really just friends like they claimed? Or had they somehow crossed that line recently? She caught him staring at her more and more it seemed recently.
She grabbed a clean spoon (no need to get Naruto germs into the food) and began to stir the sauce to keep it from burning. She had loved him for a long time. Ever since… junior high? Could it really have been that long ago? She stilled. Three years since he started talking to her again after that stupid confession. Moral of that story: never confess to your best friend that you're head over heels for him. It only leads to heartache.
Or so she had thought.
But now? The way he looked at her and the way he had been just now made her reconsider. Was Ino right? Could guys and girls not remain good friends? Did it inevitably turn into more than that? She wanted to take all his actions as hints that he cared now. She really did. Even though her love wasn't as passionate… as out of hand as it had been back when they were thirteen, it was still there, still strong. So she wanted, wanted so desperately to believe that Sasuke did return her feelings at last. But… she didn't want to rock the boat either. Last time she had lost it all when she confessed. Those two miserable years without his company were the worst of her life. She didn't want to repeat them.
She felt the chill from upstairs again. She glanced around but all the windows were shut tight to keep out the October chill. She shivered and rubbed at the goose bumps on her arms before checking the spaghetti. There was another breeze and then she felt the back of her skirt fly up. As if some pervert had flipped it. She shrieked as she whirled around, looking for Naruto. The kitchen was empty though as she pinned her skirt down.
Sasuke burst into the kitchen, followed closely by Naruto and Ino.
"What happened?" the Uchiha demanded.
Sakura ran over to him. "Something flipped my skirt!"
The raven blinked down at her. "What?"
"I-I was standing over at the stove. It got really cold, and then this wind came along and my skirt flew up!" She buried her head in Sasuke's chest and he glared at Naruto over her head.
"I didn't do it!" the blond boy protested.
"It wasn't him!" Sakura said. "There was no way I would have not seen him leaving."
"And we both with Naruto," Ino pointed out.
"It was something else!"
"What?" Sasuke demanded, his face hard. Whoever had done this to his Sakura was going to pay dearly.
"I don't know!" Sakura snapped, tears in her eyes. "But I know I was alone." She buried her face back in his chest, sobbing quietly.
Ino snuck past them and turned off the stove as Sasuke wrapped his arms around the pinkette and tried to calm her. The blond girl cleared her throat. "I think we should just call it a night. I'll put our servings in some containers, and we'll eat at the dorms."
"No!" Sakura shouted. She brushed away her tears. "No," she continued in a more normal voice. "I'll be fine. Let's just forget it and have our dinner."
"You sure?" Sasuke asked.
"Yeah. The food's all ready anyway."
The rest of the group exchanged worried looks before nodding.
"Sounds good."
Sasuke didn't leave Sakura's side for the rest of the night.
"Ugh!" Sakura sighed and collapsed across the library's table.
"Shh!" several other students hissed before returning to their studies.
The pinkette stuck out her tongue at them before blowing a few stray bangs off her forehead.
"I don't think they like you," Sasuke whispered, sliding into the chair across from her.
"Sasuke!" Sakura gasped, sitting up and trying to straighten out her mussed appearance. Her apparently too loud voice earned several more glares. She glared right back before turning her attention to her crush.
"What are you doing here?"
"Well, I came to get some books for research," he replied, holding up one of said books. "And I happened to see you here looking really frustrated. What's up?"
"I've got a test tomorrow in chemistry. But I can't seem to figure out this last lesson."
"I thought you were good at science," Sasuke said, reaching across and grabbing her book. He spun it so he could read.
"Yeah, biology. Chemistry makes me want to beat my brains out though."
"I'd have to stop hanging out with you then," he smirked. "But I could save you the trouble and help you study tonight."
"You would?"
"Sure. Just swing by my place." He noticed the uncomfortable look that crossed her face. "Or we can do it in your dorm room." Good job, Uchiha. Remind her about the fact that she was traumatized last time she went to your house.
"My roommate's kind of having her boyfriend over," Sakura admitted. "That's why I'm here actually. They wanted some alone time."
"Ah. Well, then do you want to head over now so your fellow study mates will stop wishing you'd die?" The one side of his mouth hitched up in an adorable lopsided smirk.
"S-sure," Sakura agreed, her heart racing. "Just let me pack my stuff."
Sasuke stood and grabbed her books in addition to his. "Shall we?"
"So if we have a neutralization, we'll get…?" Sasuke asked from his chair by his desk in his bedroom.
Sakura flipped over on his bed so she was upside down, her head dangling off the edge. Sasuke focused on the book in his hands to keep his eyes from staring down her rather low neckline. "Um… a salt… and water?" she answered.
"Exactly."
"Why is it so much easier to get when you explain it?" Sakura huffed. "I swear my teacher tries to make it impossible to understand."
Sasuke laughed. "Wanna take a break?"
"Ooh yeah!" Sakura rolled off his bed. "I need coffee like I need air right now. You want some?"
"Sure, just none of that sugary crap you drink," he said as she left his room.
"It's called a mocha!"
"It's crap is what it is!"
"You just have horrible taste!" she called as she started down the stairs. She padded over to his kitchen.
She went over to a cabinet and stood on her tiptoe to reach the mugs. She grabbed two. She poured him a cup from his leftovers that morning and stuck in the microwave. Meanwhile, she filled hers with water. She searched through his cupboard until she found the instant mocha mix she had picked up last time they had gone shopping. His microwave beeped to let her know his was finished. She took it out and put in her mug. After two minutes her water was ready and she placed it on the counter. She dumped in three spoonfuls of the mix and began to stir it slowly.
When it was thoroughly mixed, she took a tentative sip and sighed in pleasure. In that moment though, her entire body went cold and she felt something like a hand slide across her neck. Her hair was lifted by the hand and drawn back. As if someone were smelling it. She froze, her voice caught somewhere in her throat.
"Saaakuuuuuuuraaaaaaaa," a voice sighed in her ear.
The pinkette's hands went lax and the mug fell to the ground. It shattered loudly, splashing hot liquid over her feet as she screamed.
"Sasuke!"
Upstairs, Sasuke heard the shattering ceramic. He was about to ask her if she was okay when she screamed his name. The raven was on his feet and halfway down the hall in a few seconds. Still he felt he wasn't fast enough, that something horrible was happening. He reached the kitchen and saw his friend huddled in a corner, trembling as tears fell down her face.
He made his way quickly but carefully over to her. "Sakura, what happened? Are you all right?"
She shook her head silently, still shaking with sobs.
He looked around the kitchen, glaring for whoever had scared her like this. But he knew already that it was just the two of them in the house. He turned his gaze back to her and grabbed her shoulders. "Sakura, what happened?" he demanded, shaking her a little. His grip tightened as he thought of some robber breaking in and scaring her.
"I-it touched m-my hair," she stammered.
"What did?"
She shook her head. "Th-that thing! A-and then it said my name!"
"Sakura, is someone stalking you?" he demanded. Why hadn't she told him?! Was she ashamed?
She shook her head. "No."
"Then who did this?"
"The ghost!" she shouted before crying again. "I-I'm sorry, Sasuke, but… th-this house is haunted."
"What?"
"It's the only explanation for what's going on!" she answered. "There's always a cold breeze before something happens. I'm always alone. I never see anyone."
"Then why hasn't anything happened to me?" Sasuke demanded.
"I don't know!" she searched his eyes with her own. Her expression fell to disbelief and hurt. "You don't believe me."
"I really want to but—"
She pushed him away and stood. "Fine." She stomped away and the Uchiha followed her.
"Sakura, wait! Where are you going?"
"Anywhere but here!"
"Don't do this!" he said as she began to gather her things.
"I'm not staying here for another minute!" She slung her bag over her shoulder and brushed past him on her way to the door.
"Can't we talk this out?"
"I know what I felt!" She started down the stairs. "And I am not coming back in this house until you get rid of whatever that thing is!"
"Sakura—"
"Don't 'Sakura' me, buster!" she paused by the door to stab a finger into his chest. "It's me or the house! Either you exorcise that thing back to whatever hell it came from or…" Her green eyes welled up with tears again. "Or we're… we're over." She opened the door and ran out of the yard and down the street toward the dorms.
Sasuke collapsed against the jam and ran a hand through his spiky hair. It wasn't that he didn't believe her. It was just… a little much to take in all at once. To think that his house was haunted, let alone that whatever it was had something for Sakura. He glanced in the direction she had disappeared and sighed. He went back inside.
He made his way back into the kitchen. Could she be right? Was there something paranormal in this house? Was that why it was so cheap? He wasn't the type to believe in ghosts and such but… the proof was staring him right in the face. Every single time, Sakura had been completely alone. No one else had seen anything. The cold air just like in all those stories.
He set to work cleaning up the broken cup and mocha. If there was something, why had it only attacked Sakura? Why not him, Ino, or Naruto? Why only her? Was it trying to get to him by attacking the one person he cared for the most? If it was, it was doing a good job. He was furious. But if it thought that this would make him leave, it was wrong.
Sasuke leaned up against the counter and grabbed the cup of coffee Sakura had warmed up and took a gulp. He frowned as he remembered what she had said. Her or the house. He knew he couldn't afford to back out of the lease. But… he didn't want to lose Sakura. How had his life come to this?
Sasuke heard it then. Disembodied laughter echoing through the kitchen.
"Who's there?"
The laughter got louder.
"What do you want?"
The laughter died and the room got even colder. A breeze stirred past him and with it a voice sighed in his ear.
"The girl."
Sasuke frowned. "What do you want with her?"
"Sakura… so pretty… so fragile."
"What do you want?" the raven repeated, glaring at the room in general.
"Makes me want to… take her and break her."
"What do you mean?" He felt sick at the implications of that. Please, don't let it mean that.
But he got no reply. The temperature returned to normal. Sasuke ran to the front door. He had to find Sakura. He jammed on his shoes and took off toward the dorms. As he ran he pulled out his cell and pressed her speed dial.
Come on, pick up. Pick up, Sakura!
It rang several times. Click.
"Sakura, it's Sasuke. I—"
"Sorry," Sakura's voicemail message came on the line. "I can't reach my phone right now, probably in class. Leave me your name, number, and the time you called, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks."
Beep.
"Sakura, pick up your damn phone! I know you can answer it! It's urgent!"
He hung up and then called her again.
Again it went to her voicemail. "Sakura, I know you're mad. Just answer, please."
He tried again.
Ring, ring.
Click.
"Sakura?" Sasuke asked, relieved.
Silence greeted him. "Sakura, say something."
"… Such nice breasts…" the spirit whispered before the line when dead.
Sasuke ran faster. Damn it, where was she? She had to be somewhere around here! Shouldn't he have caught up by now?
A familiar scream, cut off quickly, caught the Uchiha's attention. Sakura! He ran toward the voice as fast as he could. He rounded a corner and found the pinkette pinned to the ground, scrabbling at her throat.
"Sakura!" he ran forward, but was thrown back by some force.
"Sa—" she choked out before being cut off. Her eyes bugged as she tried to breathe. Her shirt began to rip open by itself.
The raven dragged himself upright and ran forward. "Leave her alone!" He slugged at the air and felt his hand contact something cold. The rosette gulped in a lungful of air before Sasuke dragged her to her feet.
"Run!" Together they stumbled along. The feeling of impending doom on their heels didn't falter for a second.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
Sasuke just tugged on her hand. They turned a corner and he spotted a torii. "There! It shouldn't be able to follow us in there!"
Sasuke made it through first. Just as Sakura was about to enter though, the ghost grabbed her hair and yanked on it.
She yelped in pain. "Sasuke!"
He held her hand tighter and pulled. "Come on, Sakura! You're almost there!"
"She's mine!" the spirit shrieked, pulling harder.
The girl's hand began to slip out of the raven's. "Hold onto me!" he pleaded. Don't let me lose her too. "Don't let go of my hand!"
The sound of a bell ringing made them all pause. A young miko with blonde hair waved a bell at the end of a pin. "Back, you foul spirit."
The ghost released Sakura and hissed. "You!"
The pinkette stumbled into Sasuke and they both fell to the ground safely inside the shrine's grounds.
"Rin!" the miko shouted, her violet eyes hard with determination. She waved her bell in a straight horizontal line. "Pyo tou sha kai jin retsu zai," she continued, with each word creating a new line until she had four horizontal and four vertical lines total. "Zen!" she shouted, making one last horizontal line. The grid glowed and flew at the spirit, flinging it back.
"You wretched soul," she whispered. "It's past time that you pay for your misdeeds."
She began to chant while making different signs with her hand. The spirit thrashed, its screeches inescapable. The miko never paused though, merely continued her spell. Her bell rang fiercely as the spell continued. Then the screeching stopped and simultaneously her bell ceased ringing. She breathed a sigh and turned to the couple.
"My apologies that it took so long for me to become aware of your situation."
"What did you just do?" Sasuke demanded.
"I exorcised him. He cannot bother you again. He is suffering for his crimes in Hell now."
"Thank you," Sakura whispered. "If… if you two hadn't come along just when you did…" She lowered her head as silent sobs wracked her body.
"I'm only sorry that I did not sense this earlier. If anything ever happens to you again, you can find me here. Just as for Shion."
Sasuke nodded as he put his arm around the pinkette. "We will."
"Until we meet again, take this." Shion withdrew a charm from her haori. "It will protect you." She left them then, disappearing into the darkness.
The raven pocketed the charm before pulling the rosette into his lap.
Sakura breathed heavily as Sasuke held her close. He could feel his hand shaking as he stroked her hair. "It's okay. I've got you. I've got you," he whispered in her ear. Impulsively, he kissed her ear gently. "He can't hurt you now."
He bent his head and let his tears fall. If he had lost Sakura… he didn't even want to think about that.
"Are you crying?" the girl in his arms asked quietly, pulling back slightly. She raised a hand and gently wiped away a tear.
He captured her lips with his briefly before pulling away. "I'm sorry."
Her hand stole up to touch her lips. Her eyes were wide in awe and shock.
"I'm sorry that I didn't believe you, that I let you get hurt. I'm sorry for saying what I did all those years ago. I'm sorry for everything," he said.
"You kissed me," she whispered.
Sasuke couldn't believe it when he felt color steal to his cheeks. "Aa… I know you probably don't care for me like that since I rejected you—"
Sakura placed a finger on his mouth and smiled through her tears. "I never stopped." She brushed her lips over his.
He suddenly remembered what Ino had said about guys and girls being unable to be just friends. "I think we just proved Ino right," he announced ruefully.
Sakura laughed. "I guess we did."
He kissed her again. "So… your place or mine?" he asked.
She glared at him. "You're getting a new house before I go anywhere near your place again."
"Yours it is," he said, standing and helping her up.
"And never on the first date, Sasuke."
The End
A/N: And that, my friends, was "Stalked." It was a little rushed but I think it came out okay. My treat to you for Halloween. It's been in my head for about a month now and I figured I should get it down already. And in case any of you are wondering why Sakura screamed, the ghost copped a feel. Poor girl, I put her through so much. (Sakura: Darn tootin'!) And who/what was the ghost? He was a stalker/rapist when he was alive. When police attempted to arrest him, he fought back and was shot in the scuffle. He died on the way to the hospital. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this one shot.
Happy hauntings!