So here's my newest fic!
This one's a SasuSaku fic. Yay!
Chapter One: First Snow
The pink haired girl looked out of the window. The once-white clouds were now a murky grey, and not because it was about to rain. It was going to snow.
Sakura had always loved snow, every winter since she was small she would sit in her living room's window seat and gaze through the glass at the frozen water, fascinated. But it hadn't snowed in years.
She turned her head towards the small television in the far left corner of the room. She wrapped her fingers around the remote and switched to the weather on channel 6. A plump blonde woman flashed onto the screen, pointing to a map of the area.
"…and today's not looking too good either, folks." The woman said, a wide grin on her face. "There should be a heavy blanket of snow in the next couple of hours, and that'll last a couple of days. After that, it should be - "
Sakura hit the 'off' button on the remote and gave a wan smile. Snow.
She sighed and closed her eyes. And before she could even look out of the window again, she was asleep.
When Sakura woke up, her eyelashes caked with sleep dust, the ground outside was white and glittering. The corners of her small mouth twitched, forming a smile.
She swung her legs over the edge of the window seat, slipped her feet into the fur-lined white boots and stood up. Her white jacket was draped over the back of one of the six dining room chairs, but Sakura didn't bother with a jacket. She opened the Japanese-style sliding door and stepped out onto the porch.
White. That's all Sakura could see. On the ground, on the fence…the snow had even gotten to the small shrine, half-buried at the back of Sakura's garden and shrouded with plants and leaves. The girl wondered how long she'd been asleep.
Her throat-length pink hair swayed gently in the cool December air, the cold biting at her bare arms. She hugged herself in a desperate attempt to keep warm, but she failed. She didn't mind though; watching the beautiful landscape that she called her back yard was worth it.
Sakura recalled her first white Christmas and smiled.
It had been the year she'd met him. No, the only year she'd met him.
They were four years old.
"Hey. You look lonely."
The raven haired boy looked up into the perfect face of one of his neighbours. He couldn't quite remember her name, but he'd know her face anywhere. He blinked.
"No. I'm not lonely." His voice wavered as he spoke. He gripped the arm of his brown teddy bear with one chubby fist. The girl smiled down at him and took a seat beside him on the small park bench. For a moment, the two just sat, staring thoughtfully at the other children, playing and having snowball fights. Then, she spoke again.
"My mommy always says that if you're lonely, you should remember that there's someone out there just as lonely as you." Pause. "And you know, I could be that person."
The boy's dark eyes widened further than usual. His small pink mouth formed an 'O'. The girl gave him another dazzling smile.
"My mommy also says that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" she cried, reaching out and grabbing the boys free hand.
"What's that supposed to mean?" the boy asked, cocking his head to one side.
She hesitated, biting her lip. "I guess it means turn something bad into something good."
"Oh. Thanks."
"You're welcome." She giggled.
Sakura grinned at the memory of their encounter. She never learnt his name, and vice versa. He moved away to America before she could meet him properly.
Her legs, long and pale, had started to freeze. She checked her watch to see how long she'd been outside. It had been over an hour.
Sakura blinked. An hour? Wow. Time flies.
She turned and sauntered up the steps leading to the warmth and comfort of her living room. Sliding the door shut behind her, Sakura inhaled the sharp scent of some sort of fancy food. Curious, she trailed into the kitchen, only to find her mother slaving away at the stove, rapidly preparing something that looked like an extravagent dinner. Sakura's eyebrows tilted upwards.
"Mom…wow. You made all this?"
Sakura's mother paused to wipe her sweaty brow with the back of her arm. She leaned against one wooden kitchen counter and sighed.
"Yeah. Making a dinner this big isn't very easy."
Sakura laughed. "Is this meant to be our Christmas dinner? It's December 2nd. Why are we having a Christmas dinner?"
"Well, it just seemed appropriate. You know, December being the month of Christmas and all. It didn't help that all that's on the radio right now are darn Christmas carols, and on TV there's nothing but family movies and commercials for the New Year sales." Sakura's mom babbled, turning towards the oven to check on the…well. Sakura wasn't sure what it was.
"Oh, yeah, TV and radio at Christmas are really bad influences." Sakura laughed again and turned on her heels, heading for her room. "Call me when it's ready."
She left her snow-caked boots at the bottom of the stairs, then padded up to her room. Once in her room with the door locked, she got down on her knees next to the bed and reached forward.
Sakura traced her hand along the vague shapes of missing books and boxes of things she didn't need, slippers, long since expired drinks bottles…everything except what she was looking for. She pressed her upper body against the carpet, now practically lying on the floor, and squinted into the dark realm of 'Under The Bed'.
She reached out again, only to tug on one of the boxes. On the side of the box, scribbled with magic marker, was the word 'Memories'. Sakura's face softened. This is it.
She pulled it out from under her bed with all her strength, and started rummaging through it. She didn't feel like taking everything out, because that would only mean that she'd have to put it all back again.
Her fingers brushed against the smooth cover of a dusty photo album. It didn't have a title or a description, just a rather unusual picture on the front.
A small drawing of some mistletoe.
Shrugging of the weird cover, Sakura heaved open the book. It was heavy; leather bound and packed with photos. Probably a few vacation souvenirs, too.
Turning the pages very gently and only using her thumb and forefinger, she prayed that the book looked that same as before once she was finished with it. Then she found what she was looking for.
A photograph of two small, innocent children, hugging under a sprig of mistletoe.
One child – the girl – had a short rose-colored pixie bob and moss green eyes that sparkled in the light of the surrounding candles. The boy, on the other hand, had dark hair, dark eyes, and pale skin. Their expressions were identical smiles.
Sakura didn't know what to think, what to say, what to feel. She stared at the photo, focusing mainly on the boy's face. She knew him. She knew exactly who he was.
No. I don't know him as he is now. I know his younger, former self. For all I know, he could be blonde with blue contacts now, with a California tan and a cheerleader for a girlfriend.
Wait. That's impossible.
Sakura recalled him always being by himself, except for his brown, hand-knitted teddy bear. He'd always been quiet and shy, very anti-sociable. There was no way in this world that he could be so…so…so plastic.
"Or maybe he could." Sakura whispered to herself. "It's been twelve years."
She let the album slip off her knees as she gripped at her hair. "Why am I even thinking about him? I met him once. That one day. I don't even know his name, for crying out loud! I don't - "
"Sakura! Dinner's ready!"
The said teenager sighed, pushed the album – and the box – back under the bed, and stood up. She cupped her hands around her mouth.
"Coming!"
Sakura opened her bedroom door, cantered down the stairs, and was greeted by the sweet smell of home-made soba. She smiled in an idiotic way, and continued into the dining room.
"Mm…" she hummed. "Smells so good."
"Hope it tastes good!" Sakura's mother said cheerfully, taking a seat opposite her daughter. "Thank you for the food."
"Thank you for the food." Sakura echoed, tucking into her dinner.
No matter how much she talked to her mother about school and her friends and getting a pet, Sakura couldn't shake the boy's image from her mind.
Sasuke. That's his name.
"Mom, do you remember Sasuke?"
Sakura's mother looked up from her plate. "Who?"
"Sasuke." Sakura held back a smile as his name rolled over her tongue. "Uchiha Sasuke. That little boy who lived next door for a while, then moved away."
"Hmm… Yes, I remember. Black hair, eyes, personality?" Sakura's mother asked, cocking her head to one side. Sakura glared.
"Yeah, him. He didn't have a black personality, he was lovely." She spat. Suddenly returning to her regular self, she continued to say, "Is there any way we can contact him?"
"Why the sudden interest?"
Sakura swallowed her food and looked down at her plate. "I don't know. I guess I just want to get to know him better."
Raising an eyebrow, Sakura's mother got up, rummaged around in the small drawer beside the TV and produced an address book. She flipped through it, then placed it in front of Sakura on the page entitled 'U'. About three names down was the one Sakura wanted. Uchiha.
"The family makes sure I've always got their number. Mai, Sasuke's mother, and I are very close. You can give him a call tonight."
An hour later, Sakura picked up the phone and dialled the number.
Ooh. Cliffy?
Nah. Didn't think so.
R&R!