Sasuke took a deep breath in.

God… when was the last time he was ever this nervous? …When was the last time he ever felt this much? When he was with Oorichimaru? When he confronted his brother?

Before his parents died?

There was really no reason to feel nervous.

Not nervous, really, actually. No, he wasn't nervous. Not one bit. Not one little bit. Nadda, nope, not at all.

He really wasn't.

"Hey, Sasuke!"

… He really wasn't ready for this.

"Isaflsikkeayou. cough Hi."

"…Sasuke?"

The pink haired girl looked bemusedly at Sasuke, forcing herself to not squeal out loud. He was nervous for some reason, she could tell, and it was so adorable.

"Hn."

"Uh, well then, nice… talking to you, Sasuke."

Sasuke stared at her back for a couple minutes before running up to her. He caught her sleeve, and when she looked back, his expression and gesture reminded her of a little lost boy. He let go, openly staring at her, his eyes full of unspoken words.

"Sasuke…? Something wrong?"

"I have something to tell… ask you."

Sasuke paused, gaining his confidence. Sakura opened her mouth, but Sasuke gestured – kindly, Sakura thought amazed – for her to keep quiet. Sakura obeyed.

"If… if I asked you-" Sasuke paused, gathering his words. "Would you help me revive my clan?"

Sakura's jaw dropped, literally, and she was speechless. Literally. Sasuke looked unaffected, as if her answer didn't matter.

Sakura shook it off as her imagination.

"No, you didn't imagine it."

Sakura covered her mouth. So... she had said that out loud.

Crap. She couldn't imagine what else would come out if she didn't keep it shut.

"Ahahaha," She laughed nervously. "F-funny, Sasuke… I don't own a time machine or a clone machine, or anything like that, and the only other way is to… u-u-uhm… well, s-stuff, and… a-aha, you're so-"

Sasuke looked at her meaningfully, not a trace of anything besides seriousness in his face.

Who knew the day would actually come when The Cold One confessed to someone…

Sakura spluttered, blushing.

Suddenly Sasuke smirked. Why was he nervous before? This was Sakura - the Sakura who had liked him since before he was even born… the Sakura who asked him out every day of his life… the Sakura who squealed after every word he said… the Sakura who definitely was going to say yes and be his happy bride, and they would have happy children together, and they-

"No."

Sasuke snapped his gaze to her now devoid ones, startled out of his self-confident reverie.

"W… what?"

"I said no."

Sakura started walking away, with no clarification whatsoever.

"Wait… did… did you just…?"

"Yup."

"But-… what?"

"Uh-huh."

If Sasuke would have looked past the haze of his first rejection, he would have noticed the delicate shoulders of the girl were shaking.

"Wait, wait, you…"

The girl's shoulders started shaking uncontrollably.

"Pfffftt…"

"No- no one says no to an Uchiha. Remember that. I accept your challenge, Haruno Sakura! You will say yes."

"Aha… pfft… o-okay, whatever. snort… haha."

x

And that was how on that day, unbeknownst to the other, one started to fall into the deep unknown pit of love, where one had never gone before… and one's quick plan was inevitably pushed into an unstoppable, perpetual motion…

a/n : written for prompt : confront
word count : 547

splutter's a weird word. :)