A/N: I wrote this because everyone seems to have a story like this, so, I wanted one too. Don't question me; just read it, all of it.
Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto sold Naruto to me this morning. (-sarcastic laugh-) I wish.
Once Upon A Bottle
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"If it weren't for electricity we'd all be watching television by candlelight."
- George Gobel
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Sakura glanced around and sighed in happiness, it had taken all afternoon, but they had finally done it. All her stuff that she was going to keep was finally residing in Sasuke's apartment. Glancing at the squatting figure of her boyfriend over in the corner of the room, Sakura thought back to the moment that he'd gruffly announced that she would move in with him. She'd been elated of course, but it was rather awkward and the actual move had been no fun at all.
Giving the room a once over, and after taking in the black cotton sheets and navy walls, Sakura decided that the room needed a more homey touch to it. Bending over and ignoring the grunting that issued from the corner, Sakura shuffled around in the container at her feet. She quickly straightened herself with a triumphant grin on her face and a newspaper encased package in her left hand. Brushing a few cherry bangs out of her face, she proceeding over to the dark oak dresser positioned against the opposite wall.
Once she reached her destination, Sakura pulled back the paper wrappings to reveal a small, corked, and entirely empty, glass bottle. It had a narrow neck that lead down to a circular base with ridges running up along the sides to create eight, separate flat panels. The bottom was decorated with an intricate pattern that resembled grape vines. Brushing a few visible specks of dust of it, Sakura offered the bottle an appreciative glance. Quite simply, it was a very ordinary bottle that she had picked up for fifty cents, but over the years she had grown fond of it. She wasn't quite sure what had attracted her to it in the first place, or why it still held her interest now. But Sakura liked it none the less and it had always acted as a source of comfort in the past. So, she felt quite content when she deposited on its new home, a.k.a Sasuke's dresser.
"There we go, looks pretty now, doesn't it?" she said to no one in particular as she stood back to admire her work.
Her words however, did attract the attention of Sasuke and as he turned around and ambled closer to her, his gaze immediately landed on the object of Sakura's interest. Giving it a once over, he let out a disgusted grunt before turning to look at her.
"What's that?" Sasuke questioned as he stepped closer to scrutinize the offending object.
Sakura shrugged lightly, "A bottle."
"I know that," he snapped sarcastically.
"Then why did you ask?" she responded in a mocking tone.
"Get rid of it," he said bluntly, ignoring the jibe as he returned to the box he had previously been moving.
She glared at his retreating form. "No."
He turned around to face her, "Why not?"
"I like it, so, it stays," she shrugged again.
"You're weird," Sasuke announced, turning his back on her for a second time.
Sakura smirked nonchalantly at his comment. "So they say," she responded proudly.
"That wasn't a compliment," he informed her, not bothering to look at her.
She smirked again. "I know."
"Then why do you take it as one," he asked curiously, finally facing her.
She waved her hand carelessly before answering, "I'd rather be weird than normal."
"Hn," he 'hned' in way of replying before countering with, "You're still weird."
"You just said that," Sakura said while giving Sasuke a calculating look-he didn't usually repeat himself.
He waved off her intense gaze with an indifferent shrug. "Whatever, just get rid of that piece of junk."
"No," she argued, "If it goes then I go."
"Don't try me Sakura," he said menacingly.
"Whatever you say Sasuke-kun, but it still stays," Sakura persisted stubbornly, taking a step towards Sasuke.
"Why," he tried again, stepping forwards himself.
"I dunno, I just like it. I got it at a garage sale a few years back, had it ever since."
"All the more reason to get rid of it."
"Give it up Sasuke; I'm not throwing it out. Besides, it's not like its hurting you, is it?" Sakura questioned. I mean, God! It was only a harmless bottle.
"Well, no…" he admitted gradually.
"Exactly!"
"I still don't like it. Besides, it doesn't serve any purpose; it just sits there doing nothing," he quickly shot back to make up for his previous lapse of mental dispute.
"That box sits over there on your side table also just sits and does nothing," she said disgruntled, while jerking her thumb in the direction of said object.
He gave her a blunt and despairing look. "So?"
Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she tried to reason with him. "It's the same! If you get one useless item then so do I. Not everything has to be utilitarian you know."
"It is utilitarian, it serves a purpose," Sasuke informed her.
Stupid, arrogant man! Always had to right, didn't he?
"No, it doesn't, you just said so yourself!" she pointedly exclaimed.
"No, I just agreed that it sits there and does nothing." That demeaning, dull gaze was still fixated on her.
"Which is the same thing as being useless," she countered.
"No, it's not," retorted Sasuke.
"Yes, it is," she responded, frustration edged her voice.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes!"
"No."
"Gah! You're hopeless!" she cried, throwing up her arms in defeat.
He observed her childish antics with an amused smile. "No, I'm not."
"Yes-oh never mind, this is getting us nowhere," she grumbled, stomping her feet to demonstrate her irritation as her hair flopped into her eyes.
He quirked an eyebrow as her immature actions continued. "Then just admit I'm right," he continued, that smug smirk still in place.
"Never," she said determinedly, crossing her arms in front of her chest for added effect.
"Fine, be stupid," his voice dripped with sarcasm and self-importance.
Oh, it was soooo on!
"I'm not stupid! You're just mean and pigheaded! "
Okay, so not the best comebacks.
"Whatever, that bottle is not staying there."
"Why not?"
"I already told you. I. Don't. Like. It."
"Well, I don't care."
"It's my house; I don't care if you don't care."
She frowned before she was by a brilliant idea with the force of a stampeding elephant. When in doubt, you do Puppy Eyes no Jutsu, right? She pouted cutely, puckering her lower lip slightly and widening her eyes in an attempt to get him to relent. No such luck. Damn, that had been her ace in the hole.
"You're mean," she huffed, obviously disappointed that her ingenious scheme had failed.
"Then why are you dating me?"
"Because, because…well, just because!" she spat, searching for an explanation before she settling for the overused 'just because'. She new it was a lame excuse, but Sasuke was just impossible at times.
"That's not a satisfactory answer," Sasuke said, his voice full of self-righteousness.
"Neither is 'I don't like it', so there," she crowed triumphantly finally glad that she had come up with something.
He shot her the infamous Uchiha death glare. "Stop being difficult."
"I'm not-wait! What's in the box?" she asked, changing the topic suddenly and pointing the small, cranberry coloured velvet package they had been discussing earlier.
Sasuke quickly stepped over to the bed and snatched up said item. "None of your business," he said, clutching it protectively.
"Don't be a spoilsport Sasuke-kun," she whined, trying to seize the newfound object of her interests.
Lifting the ruby carton above his head and out of her reach, he responded, "I'm not."
"Then, tell me what's in the box," she protested, lunging herself at Sasuke only to be swatted away.
"I'll let you keep the bottle if you drop the subject," he proposed, trying to bribe her while keeping his pouncing girlfriend at bay.
"I was going to keep the bottle anyway," she interjected with a careless wave of her hand, relenting in her mission for a few moments. "So tell me what's in the box."
Dropping the arm he had been using to fend her off, he replied casually, "No."
"Why not?"
"It's a surprise."
"Ohhhh, I love surprises!" she squealed delightedly, jumping up and down in giddy joy.
He shook his head at how fast she bounced around from emotion to emotion. "Well then, don't ruin it."
She gave her a searching look. "Is it for me?" Sakura asked curiously totally blatant to the return of Sasuke's glare.
"Maybe," he said carefully, trying to avoid any further questions.
He definitely had her curiosity piqued now. "What is it?"
"I already told you, no!" he snapped, anger getting the best of him at her probing.
She elevated an eyebrow at his suddenly defensive behaviour, before she laughed lightly, "Silly Sasuke-kun, you're going to tell or I'll have to dump you."
His eye narrowed to the point of almost being slits at her comment. "You wouldn't," he growled.
"Perhaps, or I could just date Naruto behind your back," she threatened, haughtily examining her nails while peeking at him out of the corner of her eye. He didn't look happy.
His eyes narrowed even further at this-until she could barely make them out. "I won't let you," he commanded possessively. There was no way in hell he would ever allow his girlfriend to fraternize with that dobe.
"Pish posh, you can't stop me."
"Yes, I can."
"No, you can't!"
"Yes, I can."
"No-didn't we already have this argument?" she frowned suddenly, the stupidity of their conversation suddenly catching up with her.
"Your point? You're still not getting the box or keeping that bottle."
"Fine! I'm leaving then."
"You're staying," he barked, his possessive nature flaring again.
"Let me keep the bottle-"
"Fine," Sasuke relented suddenly, interrupting her rant. He didn't like admitting defeat but their argument was starting to grate on his nerves.
"You didn't let me finish," she complained angrily, "I was going to say: 'let me keep the bottle and see what's in the box."
Sasuke appeared to reach the end of his rope. "You know what? If you want to ruin a perfectly good surprise then be my guest," he grumbled as threw the box at her, "Just don't say I didn't warn you."
With a gleeful cry she seized the box and flipped it open…only to stare at it in absolute shock.
"Well, are going to say something?" he snapped, irritated at her silence.
She was brought back to reality at his words and turned a frustrated and somewhat hurt glare in his direction. "Why did you let me open this?" she accused angrily, "This is not romantic at all."
"I told you, didn't I?"
She frowned slightly, not wanting to admit that he was right-like he really needed something else to inflate his oversized ego. "Technically! But that still-"
"Be quiet. So what's your answer?" he sounded desperate, almost frightened.
She gave him an impish grin, a mischievous glint in her eyes before rounding on him. "I guess I could look past all your faults, misguided ways, arrogance…" she said slowly as if she was making an extremely difficult decision. Of course she was joking, but she decided she'd play with him a little-he really needed to lighten up some times.
"Sakura," he warned.
"Oh alright! Geez, you don't have to be so touchy, I was only kidding," she said backing down; the tone he was using wasn't exactly friendly.
"Well?" he demanded again.
"Fine," she huffed, but when she caught his glare she decided to elaborate, "Yes, yes. I'll marry you, Sasuke-kun."
"Good. Now come here and kiss me."
"Why?" she asked curiously. Sure he had hormones, but public displays of affection were not exactly his thing.
"Because you're supposed too," he said flatly as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, ignoring the stifled giggles that Sakura wasn't doing a very good job of hiding.
"I didn't know you were romantic," she teased.
"I'm not," he said gruffly, the slightest traces of a blush on his cheeks, "Now stop arguing."
"Blah, blah, blah. Bossy today, aren't we?" she taunted, the ecstasy evident in her voice despite her uncooperativeness.
"Sakura," Sasuke threatened again.
"Coming, Oh Great Master of mine," she sulked, upset that her fun had been ruined. Of course, she could always have another type of fun now.
He nodded his head slightly, evidently pleased with himself at his success. "Thank you."
"Arrogant jerk," she muttered as she sauntered over to him, a bright blush adorning her cheeks that only served to ignite his.
Reaching out, he pulled the girl closer to him until she was crushed against his chest with more force than necessary. Ignoring her disgruntled cries, he slipped one of his arms higher up her waist until it was settled on the small of her back gently caressing her spine, easily sending shivers up it. Leaning forward, he proceeded to roughly crush his lip against hers, effectively silencing her. Finally placated, Sakura relaxed in Sasuke's grip and wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him. Congratulating himself once again on a job well done, Sasuke smirked into the kiss before he continued to ravish Sakura's senses. His hand on her waist traveled lower and he began to gently massage her, eliciting an eager moan from Sakura. Stealing his chance, he pushed his tongue past Sakura's parted lips and continued to eat her alive. Joining the tussle, Sakura returned the lip-lock with equal fervor and passion. The kiss intensified for several seconds until both of them required oxygen. Gasping for breath, Sasuke pulled back and gave her a smug look.
"You're still not keeping that bottle."
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
A/N: This was inspired by my little glass bottle(which I bought a garage sale) that sits on top of my computer desk. You know, when I first told my Dad that I had written a nine page story about a bottle, he laughed at me. Then, he laughed even harder when I told him the title.(T.T) I wanted to mark this Romance/Stupid, but unfortunately stupid is not a genre on fanfiction.
Flames make me laugh, remember that.
Something Random: A surfer once sued another surfer for 'stealing his wave'. The case was thrown out because the court was unable to put a price on the 'pain and suffering' endured by the surfer watching someone else ride 'his' wave.
Rie-chan
m
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Chemo
By the age of five, most children can just about spell their names right every single time and tie their shoes. They've probable been to the zoo once or twice and have fallen in love with the "big kitty." They've also just finished their first year of school and enjoyed the wonders of meeting new kids who love to play with the creepy crawlies as much as they do. Well, what if you were never given that beginning? What if, by the age of five, the most memorable thing that had occurred in your young life was finding your mother dead? Her body strewn out across the cold pavement, surrounded by a darkening pool of blood that left the air tainted with an acrid stench. Her mouth and eyes agape in a silent scream of terror while her insides bubbling forth mimicking some sort of grotesque laughter. And a steely dagger with a blade like moonshine that flashed beneath drying crimson stains; the very end of it barely protruding from a tattered mess of blood and flesh. Some might think it impossible to believe, but, by the age of five, a young boy was orphaned when his mother was brutally stabbed by a vicious neighbouring gang. He was the first one on the scene, the first one forgotten, and the last one to die. His was never given a name. The world only knows him as Cancer
A thick sheet of icy rain pelted the crumbling roof of the old building. It dripped through the gaps and cascaded down the thin wooden walls. It sprung up through the cracked foundation of the dwelling and left the interior cold and damp with a large pool of frigid water growing in the darkness. Thunder rumbled and lightning clapped overhead. The sudden release of light revealed that there was an inhabitant in the shadows. The figure was smallish, lean, and stringy. A thick tangle of hair fell over a broad forehead and into a set of lifeless eyes. Water dripped off tattered rags and ghostly skin and pooled around the hunched phantom. If it were not for the slightest rise and fall of a bony chest, the figure would have appeared dead.
The thunder rumbled and this time the silhouette stirred slightly. A cat howled pitifully in the distance and lightning ensued.
It was quite some time before the figure stirred again and this time it was with a chilling slowness; like he had all the time in the world. Cancer lifted his chin before rising from his rotting seat and gliding over towards a moulding barrel at the opposite end of the room. Amongst the cockroaches flashed a stiletto of deadly moonlight. A set of white, spidery fingers reached forward and gripped the knife. Turning on his heel, in crack of noise and light, Cancer was gone.
Stealing down the crowded streets, Cancer struggled towards the center of Gothum City. The crowds failed to notice him as he pushed passed them and their constant garble melted into the background like white noise. It was only a few minutes before he arrived at the downtown district square where the usual ring of the local new station echoed down from the large overhead TV screen. All eyes faced upward to discover what new horror had arrived last night. Cancer pushed his hands deeper into the pockets of his threadbare jeans and allowed the visor of his black cap hide his bruised face in shadows. The familiar voice of the local news anchor floated down from the TV.
"This is Saki Yoshida, anchor of Gothum District News. Last night, another innocent life was claimed by Cancer. A 63-year-old male by the name of Barry Clonerrs was found brutally stabbed with his eyes gouged-Cancer glanced up at the screen and a cruel smile lit up his face-out and removed heart sliced into several pieces. The pieces were recollected from their traditional ring around the body. This is victim number 2316 for Cancer and no new leads have been discovered. Detective Coleson, the new head of the investigation says…"
Cancer allowed the voice of the anchor meld with the surrounding anxious rumble of the masses around him. Everyone whispered nervously about the uncatchable serial killer as photos of the most recent murder flashed across the screen. No one was aware that the murderer was hidden amongst them. No one spared Cancer a glance and he smiled in pleased way. Everything was just as it should be.
"I hate you!" Sora's shrill voice rang out through the hovel and bounced off the bug infested walls. "You're useless! I hate you! It's all your fault!"
Sora stood back, her chest heaving as she glared down at young child around the age of three. Both mother and son had the same dark, straggly hair and sunken, hazel eyes, thin mouths and high cheekbones along with waxy, swallow skin.
The small boy cowered beneath his mother's rage. His thick black hair and pale skin sleeked with sweat. The girl advanced towards her son. Fist raised and her eyes flashing with pain and loathing, her hand connected with the little boy's face. The child let out a howl of pain and the woman laughed hysterically.
"Serves you right, you little brat. You're a slug, a parasite! A disease!" Sora's lips curled into a malicious sneer as she spat out the last few words.
With a last threatening brandish of her arm, Sora disappeared from the room with a swish of her dark hair. The young boy was left in the centre of the filthy room, a dark bruise forming beneath a thin film of grime.
Cancer dug the serrated edge of the knife into Sora's stomach. Warm blood gushed over his skin and down his wrist in twisted, intricate ribbons. His whitening fist clutched the knife while his mother screamed hysterically beneath him. Her fingerless hands attempted to swat him away but to no avail. Cancer bared his teeth and dug the blade deeper into her flesh. Shrieks of agony resonated off the walls and made Cancer's ears ring. His head began to pound and blood sprayed everywhere.
"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!"
Cancer's eyes snapped open as the sound of his own screams forced him awake. Picking himself off of the filthy ground, he began to pace around the room restlessly. It was not the first time that he had dreamed about killing his mother. In fact, he revelled in the moments when darkness crept over him and he got to sink the shining blade between her ribs into her beating heart. The thing was she refused to die. No matter how he tried to slice her, no matter how much of her he chopped away, she was always alive. Eyes wide open, rotting lips pulled back indefinitely, and head rolling from side to side, she screamed. No matter what, he couldn't kill that witch. The witch who had abused and tortured him for five years, the one named Sora Tyler, the one who was dead, the one he had to kill.
"Die," Cancer's murmur was so quiet he could barely hear it himself. "Die, die, DIE!" Insane laughter rang throughout the room as Cancer shook violently. Tonight he would kill her. Tonight she would die.
Just as soon as the laughter had come, it was gone. Just as the insane phantom and his knife.
Cancer crept quietly down the small bike path that led though the woods. In the distance he could hear the rusty chains of swings creak along with the gentle ring of laughter.
"We shouldn't be here, Haru. You know it's dangerous, with that crazy serial killer running around and all." A young female spoke her voice tinged with fear and anxiety.
She's scared, Cancer purred delightedly into his head, just the way she should be. The thrill of the oncoming kill was washing over him. He slipped forward towards the source of the noise.
"Don't be silly Lydia, were on a playground. Why would Cancer attack us here?" Another female voice, this one carefree and relaxed responded to Lydia's question.
This time it was a male's voice that spoke. "Lydia's right, Haru. Don't you remember the first girl that Cancer killed? Kate Daniells? She was killed here, on this very playground seven years ago."
Cancer's eyes widened at the mention of Kate Daniells. He had nearly forgotten her, but the mere mention of her name brought it all flooding back. His first killed; the one he had committed when he was eleven, the one that showed him the blood, all the blood. He could still remember the feel of her beating heart against his pounding chest. The hot, wet organ throbbing in his hands while it's shinning muscular walls stretched and contracted as a small shower of blood. It spilt across his open palms and wrists; splattered his face and clothes with that beautiful crimson liquid that he loved so much. He raised a single palm to his mouth and ran a coarse tongue across the dry flesh. Blood! He needed blood! He needed to watch their eyes, drugged with pain, become lifeless with each passing second.
"Cancer's already killed 2325 people. No one can catch this guy and after seven years, I don't think they will."
The voices brought Cancer's attention back to matter at hand. He crawled forward to edge of the path and hid behind the bushes. Three teenagers came into view. A girl sat on the swings, her face hidden from him by her two comrades that crowded in front of her, begging her to leave. The boy had straight, brown hair while the girl next to him had her long sandy hair pulled into a pony tail. The girl on the swing stopped and Cancer caught a glimpse of ivory.
She turned to look at each of her friends in turn before speaking. "I guess your right, Shō. After all that Cancer guy is a lunatic. Did you see…"
Anger surged through Cancer at the mention of the word lunatic. How dare she? How dare that girl judge him? His mother called a disease, the media had named him 'Cancer', and this girl called him crazy. Well, he would make her pay. Make her suffer the way his mother made him. Mother. Happiness surged through his brain at the thought of being able to finally kill Sora, to stop her screams.
He had found his target and he would destroy her.
He would have to wait though, he couldn't kill all three of them at once, one might get away and then he would be caught. He couldn't get caught otherwise he wouldn't be able to kill all of them. Kill the disease known as humanity that had overrun the planet and had shut him out. If he was caught he couldn't kill his mother and that just wasn't an option. An eerie light filled Cancer's normally dead eyes as he slunk back into the shadows so that he could watch his next victims head home. They would all have to die if this world was to be saved. He would get them before they got him.
Cancer shifted anxiously from his perch atop the school's roof. The last few days he had followed Haru and her friends. He hadn't killed in days, that was, until this afternoon. He needed to scare her, scare the little rich girl. He wanted to watch her squirm in fear when she figured out he was after her. Watch her try to run and hide while her entire world crumbled around her. That kind, smile that always wore was making him sick. The girl was sickeningly sweet. She volunteered at the local shelter and tutored the neighbouring children.