Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Wish I did though.
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Across the room, Sakura watches through thick, black frames as Sasuke's phone call with Karin gradually turns sour. She can tell from the way Sasuke is pinching the bridge of his nose and the way his scowl deepens that Karin is yelling, clearly upset. And Sakura doesn't doubt that it is because it is a Tuesday night, and Sasuke is spending it studying with her instead of with Karin.
But what Karin doesn't know is that instead of studying for his upcoming finals, they are listening to country music, the kind that makes Karin's lips curl with distaste, while sharing a bowl of Sakura's favourite vanilla ice cream.
Sasuke's growl tells Sakura that Karin has hung up on him, and she sighs before motioning for Sasuke to return to his former position next to her. Wordlessly, she pushes the bowl of ice cream towards him, and doesn't bother hiding her smile when he mutters something incoherent under his breath before taking a spoonful that would definitely give him brain freeze.
"So remind me again, what you see in her?" she asks playfully, and Sasuke rolls his eyes so hard she thinks they might not resurface. "I mean, she doesn't even get you, Sasuke-kun," she adds casually while grabbing the spoon out of his hands, helping herself to more ice cream. Definitely not the way I get you.
"Sakura,"
"Yeah?"
Sasuke's lips quirk into the perfect blend of a grin and a smirk, and Sakura knows what he will say next.
"You're annoying."
Sakura thinks that if he had told Karin she was annoying, she would have crumpled at his words and thrown another tantrum, because she didn't get his humour. But Sakura understands Sasuke, so she smiles brilliantly at him. Sakura knows she talks an awful lot, sometimes she didn't know when to shut up, and other times she had trouble keeping her opinions to herself, but she knows that Sasuke wouldn't have her any other way.
…
Sakura puts her book down as Sasuke approaches her on the bleachers, hot and sweaty after soccer practice. She hands him a bottle of cold water and a towel, and watches him take a swig. "You get much study done?"
"Not really. Do you wanna go to the library tonight?"
Before Sasuke can answer, there is a high pitched yell of "Sasuke-kun, wait for me!" and before Sakura can blink, Karin is flying towards them, pulling Sasuke's arm towards her. Sakura notices the frown that is quickly making its way onto Sasuke's face, but is distracted by Karin's short skirt and exposed cleavage. She stares down at herself, dressed in an oversized t-shirt and gym shorts, and feels oddly insignificant in comparison.
Karin has fiery red hair that matched her equally fiery personality. She was the cheer captain of Konoha University and the girl everybody wanted to be friends with, and always dressed in short skirts and crop tops.
Sakura on the other hand, had pastel pink hair and green eyes that didn't stand out, and a forehead that was far too big. She is the best ballet dancer Konoha University has seen and she is studying to become a doctor. She didn't have the whole sorority lining up to be her friend, but she has enough friends who are loyal and that is enough.
Sakura thinks that while nobody else cares much about who she is, what she does, or where she has come from, Sasuke has always made her feel as though she was enough. And she can only dream about the day Sasuke wakes up to find that what he's been looking for has been right next to him the whole time. Look at me, Sasuke-kun. I'm right here.
…
Her muscles are burning, screaming in protest, and sweat is pouring down her face, but she doesn't stop her gruelling practice. Sakura twists her body in a mixture of arabesques, assembles, plies, pirouettes, releves, bourrees, frappes and jetes, manoeuvring through each movement with precision. Chin up, chest out and shoulders open, feet arched, count breaths. Sakura repeats these thoughts like a mantra, focusing on everything she needs her body to do. The thought of her mother as she points her foot and extends into a perfect arabesque brings tears to her eyes, and she remembers why she is doing this. She remembers why she enters competition after competition, practices after studying with Sasuke into the early hours of the morning. She thinks of her mother's smile and the way her eyes used to crinkle and forces herself to hold her legs longer and higher each time than the last.
Every muscle fibre in her legs are shaking and she wakes up every day feeling sorer than the day before, but she doesn't mind because she lives and breathes ballet. It was her mother's dream, and one day, when she can let go of her own dream of becoming a doctor, she will make it hers.
As Sakura jumps to perform a pas de chat, she thinks of Sasuke. Sasuke, who she has known since she was old enough to remember, Sasuke, who she has loved since she was five. She thinks of Sasuke who always gave her foot rubs when she practiced too much, who always made sure she ate when she was trying to lose weight for another competition, Sasuke who held her hair back when she threw up from exhaustion, Sasuke who attended every single one of her performances. She thinks of Sasuke who has been her biggest supporter, Sasuke who has always held her heart in his hands, Sasuke, who is dating Uzumaki Karin.
She lands with grace and jumps into an emboite, and thinks of her future. A future as a doctor when she graduates in two years, or a future as a ballerina if she is scouted by the Royal Ballet in her performance in three weeks' time. She thinks of a future without Sasuke if he decides to marry Karin, and wonders if she will ever be able to smother the flames of her love for him and move on.
She is interrupted from her thoughts when the music stops, and she lands with grace and turns around to see Sasuke leaning against the doorframe, two cups of vanilla ice cream in hand. Sasuke doesn't say anything as he hands Sakura her cup of ice cream, but he loves her most when she dances.
After her ice cream and a quick shower, Sakura finds herself taking a walk with Sasuke. He is dressed in worn out jeans, and wears the scowl that has been permanently etched on his face for the past week.
"I've got three weeks," he says suddenly, breaking the silence, and all of a sudden, Sakura understands.
The Uchiha were renowned for having monopoly over the business world, and so were the Uzumaki. It wasn't uncommon for prestigious families to form bonds in the form of marriage to strengthen partnerships, and the weight to merge with the Uzumaki had been put onto Sasuke's shoulders. Fugaku hadn't told him to say yes to marrying Karin straight away, Sasuke had been given the chance to date her throughout university before making his decision before he graduated. And Sasuke was due to graduate in three weeks.
Sakura feels her heart drop, and is sure her face reflects her inner turmoil. "What are you going to do, Sasuke-kun?"
'I don't know," he whispers hoarsely, but Sakura can almost tell what his decision will be.
So she takes his hand into hers and gives it a gentle squeeze. I understand you, Sasuke-kun. I always have.
…
It has been a week since their walk in the park, and Sakura finds herself having dinner in her favourite restaurant with Sasuke. He had come to the studio, forced her to end her practice four hours early, and demanded that they go out for a celebratory dinner. He found out that afternoon that he was going to graduate with summa cum laude, and Sakura couldn't be more proud of him.
Sasuke is the most excited she has seen in a while, offering her small smiles across the table that make his eyes light up. He is chuckling at her jokes, and it is deep and rumbles in his throat, and she thinks that Sasuke is the most beautiful when he smiles. This, she thinks, is her Sasuke-kun. A part of her resents Karin for robbing Sasuke of his happiness. He is always stoic around her, lips always set in a tight line, eyes always cold and hard, and she watches with pride as Sasuke gives her another amused chuckle, and revels in this small victory she has over Karin.
Karin, who is always so immaculately dressed, whose eyeliner is always perfectly winged and lipstick perfectly set, who never has a strand of hair out of place. Karin, who is always in high heels, who is sure of her place in this world, who knows what she wants.
And she is just Sakura. Sakura, who is always dressed in oversized tops, who barely wears any make up, whose hair is always in a messy top bun. Sakura, who is always in sneakers, who doesn't know where she belongs, and doesn't know what she wants.
And even though Karin is better than her at everything else, she cannot make Sasuke smile and laugh like Sakura can. And this, Sakura thinks bitterly, should be enough. Her relationship with Sasuke has always been easy, and this, this feeling like there is nobody else in the room but the two of them, should be enough for Sasuke to realise that this is how it should be. Why can't you see, that you belong with me? I've been here all along, Sasuke-kun.
…
Sasuke sits across the dinner table from his brother and his father while Mikoto busies herself with making tea. "Have you made up your mind Sasuke?" Fugaku asks, nodding his thanks as Mikoto pours him a cup of tea. Uchiha Fugaku is the leader of the Uchiha. The weathered lines across his forehead and the broadness of his shoulders remind Sasuke of all the trials and tribulations that came with being the head of an empire, remind Sasuke that to be an Uchiha is to be strong, and to be an Uchiha is to be passionate.
He looks to his brother, and there is a twinkling in Itachi's eyes that he can't quite place. Itachi has always been the older brother who's affection he wanted, the older brother who was competition for his father's approval, the older brother who gave him a hard time when he needed to learn a lesson, but the older brother who was always there for him no matter the situation.
And as Mikoto takes her place next to him, he is reminded that even though she is the wife of the Uchiha Fugaku, even though she is a respected lawyer and spokesperson for the Uchiha, she is first and foremost, his mother. His mother who has always kissed his scraped knees and made him lunch, his mother who has always believed in him and his abilities, his mother who has always told him behind closed doors that he was her favourite, his mother who he would always go back to no matter how old he got.
Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Itachi were what made his family. They showed Sasuke that to be an Uchiha was to be strong and steadfast on the outside, to be fearless and unwavering in the face of trials, but on the inside, was to be passionate and loving and to be willing to make sacrifices for one another.
Marrying Karin, Sasuke thinks, is definitely not how he imagined his life would turn out. He hadn't considered the fact that both his father and brother were married to people they didn't know to strengthen the Uchiha empire. Sasuke thinks of Karin, and her fiery red hair and loud personality. Karin is not a bad person, Sasuke knows. In fact, if anything, Karin was affectionate, loyal, and knew what it took to be successful in the cut throat world that was business. She would make an excellent trophy wife, she would be an asset to their company, but she didn't make his heart yearn.
He thinks of Sakura, with her pink hair and green eyes and bright smile he has known since he was old enough to remember. He thinks of her laugh and her childlike innocence, and thinks of the way she makes him smile even when he doesn't want to. He thinks of how she holds his heart in her hands, and how right it feels when he is with her.
But he also thinks of his family and the legacy of the Uchiha. He thinks that if his father and brother could enter into an arranged marriage for the sake of their empire without choice, and found love with their wives, he didn't deserve any different. Because of his close relationship with Sakura, Fugaku had given Sasuke the choice of dating Karin before making his decision. And in two days' time, a press conference would be held to welcome Sasuke to the Uchiha Corp, and he would have to announce his engagement to Karin if he decided to follow through.
"Yes, father. I have."
…
Sakura is surprised to find Sasuke at her doorstep at six in the morning with two cups of coffee in hand. They have breakfast before heading to her studio, and if the way Sasuke's lips curl bother Sakura, she doesn't tell him.
As she starts her practice, Sasuke makes himself comfortable in the corner of the studio, flicking through the magazines Sakura has piled up with mild interest. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches her as she stretches and moves across the room with grace, her movements like silk. He sees her looking at her own reflection in the mirror, repeating a movement ten times over until she is satisfied with her form. The few times their eyes meet, she looks away, face flushing red, and Sasuke knows it's not from the intensity of her practice.
He thinks of his future, and Sasuke cannot remember a time when he admitted to being scared, but today, he is. He thinks of the weight of the company, the need to prove himself to his father and his brother. He wonders if he will be able to work his way up to the top just like his brother did, and he wonders how many of his colleagues will respect him. He thinks of the press conference tomorrow, going through his speech in his mind ten times over until he is sure there will be no hiccups. He thinks of the announcement he has to make, and feels his heart thrum with anxiety.
Sakura stops for quick meals for Sasuke's sake. He knows that if he wasn't there, she wouldn't have bothered and before he realises, it is two in the morning. He feels his heart clench at the realisation that it is time to leave, but knows that Sakura deserves to be the first to know.
He advances towards her in long, confident strides, and she stops dancing when she sees him coming. "Sakura." It almost sounds like he is growling, his voice deep, harsh, and desperate. She is taken aback by his tone, he sees it in the way her eyes widen and her breath hitches slightly. He stops when he is close enough to feel the heat from her body, and grips her shoulders, marvelling at how little she is compared to him.
"Tomorrow…I have to do what's good for the Uchiha. I can't play around with Karin's feelings anymore. Or yours." His voice is strained, and he knows that immediately, Sakura understands. He can see the beginnings of tears gathering in the corner of her eyes.
"Sakura…you and I…we didn't make it. But know that…you've always been on my mind, it never mattered if you were right next to me or if we were apart, I was always thinking about you. I pushed myself to become a better person because of you. For you." His voice is soft now, barely above a whisper.
Tears had long since spilled down her cheeks, and the way her lips were trembling made his heart clench painfully in his chest. He moved his hands to cup her face, and found himself inching closer, stopping when his forehead met hers.
Sasuke was all kinds of selfish, and knew more than anything that he shouldn't continue, but he didn't stop. Couldn't stop. Because when it came to Sakura, he always wanted everything she could give and everything he could take.
His movements are agonizingly slow as he closes the gap between their lips. Their first kiss is soft and genuine and gentle, and Sasuke feels his heart break for everything they couldn't be.
All of a sudden, they are two, maybe three, and Sasuke meets Sakura for the first time. Mikoto and Haruno Mebuki are having tea in the living room, and Sasuke is eating a tomato, its juice running down his chin and fingers. Sakura, bright eyed and curious, asks if he would share. When Sasuke glares at her and shoves the remainder of the fruit into his mouth, she smacks him on the head and wails. That night, Itachi sits Sasuke down and tells him the importance of sharing. The next day, accompanied by Mikoto, Sasuke shyly offers Sakura a juicy red tomato.
Sasuke finally admits that he has loved Sakura since the beginning of time.
He pulls away from her and stares into her eyes. He is so close that he can see the dark specks of ebony in her emerald orbs, and hear every hitch in her breath.
"Please know, that I have always loved you. I have loved you since we were children, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to stop." His voice is hoarse, and Sasuke thinks that he might cry. Sakura whimpers, and his thumbs caress her cheeks softly before he kisses her a second time. This time, a little harder, and he pours in all of his longing, pain, and regret.
They are seventeen, out in the park having ice cream to celebrate Sakura winning another competition. Today they are having tiramisu, and as Sasuke steals a glance at Sakura, he is glad the competition is over. She always threw herself completely into ballet, practicing ten hours a day and starving herself in preparation. But Sasuke also knew that it was to honour her mother, and the fact that she did so well made his heart swell with pride.
"I love you, Sasuke-kun," she blurts out of nowhere, and Sasuke almost tells her that he loves her too. But he thinks of his responsibilities as an Uchiha and he thinks of Karin, and says nothing. If his silence hurt her, she didn't let him know.
She is crying harder now, holding in her sobs but he feels her tremble in his hands. Her tears don't stop and Sasuke finds tears prickling at the corners of his own eyes. He pulls apart and stares into her eyes, and knows that she doesn't hold it against him. Instead, her eyes tell him that she loves him too.
"Please know that when I'm with you, I feel like I'm home. And nobody, nobody, can ever take that away."
Sakura looks so broken, and Sasuke knows that he will never be able to forgive himself for doing this to her. For breaking her. She is crying freely now and struggling to catch her breath, and Sasuke thinks, hopes, prays, that she will find a man who will be able to make her smile again.
"And maybe, in another life, we can try again."
And when Sasuke kisses her a third time, with as much passion as he can muster, Sakura returns his kiss.
They are standing at the precipice of forever and knowing that what they had between them was going to last forever. They are eighteen, watching the fireworks at Disneyland, and Sasuke remembers thinking that they had something nobody would ever give up on. He would date Karin until university was over, and then he would tell his father that she was not for him.
And then Sasuke was gone, as quickly and quietly as he had found his way to her heart. A turn of the door, the soft sound of something shutting and his quiet footsteps followed it. Standing in the aftermath of a quiet studio, Sakura allows herself to fall to her knees, puts her hands in her face and cries.
Sasuke had established a stronghold in her mind and possessed a space in her heart. His presence was branded into her skin and his name engraved into her soul. Sakura was so immersed in flames that he had lit, and now that he was gone, all she was left with was the aftermath of a disaster.
Outside, leaning against the door, Sasuke cries with her.
…
As she takes her place on stage, her eyes zero in onto what would have been Sasuke's seat. Just off centre, to the left. But he isn't there. His face is replaced by a middle aged man she doesn't know, and she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.
The lights are blinding and the atmosphere buzzing with excitement for her performance. As the music begins to play, she drowns out everything else, and thinks of Sasuke. Tonight, she will dance for him.
At the end of her ten minute performance, the theatre was still, breaths were held, and there were tears in eyes. Sakura had performed the role of Giselle to perfection.
When she finally bows to the crowd, the wild applause tells her that she has managed to transport her audience to another world, one of love gained and love lost, and knows that she will be offered a spot by the Royal Ballet.
…
With shaky hands, she unlocks the door to her new apartment. Their new apartment. Ino pushes past her with an excited squeal and opens the curtains, and instantly sunlight floods through the floor to ceiling windows and bathes the room with a brightness almost too painful to look at, and Sakura smiles. When she told Ino that she was leaving for London, Ino had insisted that she come along. "Best friends do everything together," she had said, and with shaky hands and excited giggles, they bought their one way ticket to London.
It is the night before her first day as a professional ballet dancer, and she is spending it with Ino, lounging in front of the fireplace, sipping on a cup of hot chocolate. She watches as the flames dance and lick the firewood, and it reminds her of Sasuke. Sasuke, who had taken her heart and kept it with him. Tears start to prickle at the corners of her eyes and she blinks furiously, wiling for them not to fall.
Without words, Ino wraps an arm around her shoulder and pulls her close, and she buries her face in Ino's neck. The tears start falling, and she allows herself to sob quietly.
"Sakura, it's not going to be easy, but I promise I'll be here every step of the way. And one day, you might wake up and realise that you'll never truly get over Sasuke, or that you will still carry pieces of him inside you forever, but you'll also realise that things are going to be okay. Keep the part of Sasuke that opened your eyes to how beautiful and amazing you are in your heart."
Ino doesn't realise it, but soon she is crying with Sakura. Sakura, who she has grown up with. They did everything together, from scraped knees to skipping their first class to their first round of drinks. Sakura, who was too self-conscious about her forehead, Sakura, who seemed to know when she needed a cry, Sakura, who was always brutally honest with her, Sakura, who always put others before herself. Sakura, who she has always protected since they were children. And the one thing Ino couldn't protect her from was love. "There's a whole new world waiting for you, Sakura. And one day, you'll be able to love again. You were there for me when things ended with Shika, and I promise you, we'll get through Sasuke together."
Each day, Sakura stands a little taller, smiles a little brighter, and laughs a little louder. But there are still nights when she is snug in bed and her eyes are closed when she imagines the words she wants to say to him. Sometimes, she types out messages on her phone, spilling feelings she wishes he knew, then deleting them when her common sense kicks in. Some nights, her heart begs her to take a leap, to send him a simple hello, but her brain doesn't let that happen. Her brain tells her that talking to him is only going to make her miss him more. It's going to remind her of the banter they used to exchange and the laughter they used to share. So she forces herself to think of Ino. Ino, who would be so disappointed if she knew she caved. Ino, who left her own life behind for Sakura's sake. And so she wipes away the tears and allows herself to dream of him, and the next morning, it is like her demons at night never existed.
But deep down, Ino knows that Sakura isn't quite the same. Her eyes don't shine with mirth when she laughs, her face doesn't light up when she smiles, and sometimes, Sakura looked like a grayscale of the bursting colours she used to be. Ino knows that Sakura hasn't been happy, truly happy in a long while, and it breaks her too.
…
Sasuke is now twenty five and successful. Working his way up from the bottom of the Uchiha Corp has earned him the respect of his father, brother, and his co-workers, and in three months' time, he will be taking the Uchiha international, simultaneously opening two new branches, one in New York and one in London. Tonight, his father is holding a gala to congratulate him.
He sips on a glass of champagne, talking to colleagues and prospective business partners with Karin by his side. Over the past three years, Sasuke has learnt that there is a lot more to Uzumaki Karin than what she chose to show the world. Sasuke learnt that while Karin was headstrong and stubborn, she was incredibly loyal. Her obsession for him had simmered down to warm affection, and she always carried herself with grace and poise. She was just as ambitious as he was, following in his footsteps and working her way up to the top of the ladder in the Uzumaki Company, earning his respect.
But no matter how proud he is of her achievements, or how much he has come to respect and care for her, he does not love her.
When Karin disentangles herself from him and moves to greet a silver haired man in the far corner, Sasuke finds himself in the quiet company of Itachi and his father.
"Sasuke, well done. You've made us all proud," his father says fondly, giving him a hearty pat on the back.
"Otoutou, do you think it's time to consider marriage with Karin-san? It's been a while since your engagement." Itachi takes pleasure in the way Sasuke's eyes darken and his shoulders tense at his question. Fugaku catches his eye, and instantly catches on to Itachi's intentions.
"What are you waiting for, son?" Fugaku asks gently, and unyielding, but there is a hint of something more that Sasuke can't quite figure out.
A flash of pink and green crosses his mind's eye, and he takes another sip of champagne and forces the image back into the deepest recesses of his heart. "I don't know," he whispers, but Itachi and Fugaku see through him instantly.
"Sasuke, how long will you continue to be the foolish little brother? If you want her, then fight for her. Show her that you love her and you want her. Don't live a life full of regret."
His grip on his glass tightens at Itachi's words, and he clenches his jaw as memories from a time so long ago come back to haunt him. "I don't know what you're talking about, nii-san. Karin and I, we belong together. I love her," he says with as much conviction as he can, but even he is not convinced.
"Sasuke." He looks at his father, and there is an emotion in Fugaku's dark eyes that he cannot quite decipher. "Stop with the excuses and the bullshit." Sasuke's eyes widen at Fugaku's choice of words, and he wonders just how much his father knows.
"Don't forget what your mother and I have thought you, Sasuke. We are Uchiha because we love like nobody else." His voice is firm and steady, and Sasuke finds himself holding on to his every word with bated breath. "We love with no fears, no reservations. We love positively, unconditionally, and boldly. We love fiercely, with big hearts and with no holding back. Son, if you are still thinking of Haruno Sakura after being engaged to Karin for three years, I think you should know where your heart belongs."
Sasuke's eyes widen at his father's words, and he looks to Itachi for support, but is miffed at his brother's smirk. "But the company…I can't back out now, father. I've made my choice. I can learn to love her."
"Three years is long enough, Sasuke. Instead of holding Karin back from finding a man who will give her the love she deserves, let her go. You both deserve so much more. And we're sick of watching you ruin your lives for the sake of the company. Life is too short, and you should spend every waking moment with the person you truly love."
His father speaks with so much faith and it brings tears to Sasuke's eyes. He thinks of Sakura, a love long lost, and wonders if she will find it in her heart to forgive him for letting her go. He thinks of Karin, and the respect that he has for her, and wonders if she will ever be able to forgive him for failing her.
The clicking of heels resonate in the now silent hallway, and Sasuke looks up to find Karin standing in front of him, a small smile on her face. Her hair and makeup are immaculate as always, and she is dressed in a shimmery champagne sweetheart dress, and she is beautiful, Sasuke thinks, but she doesn't have pink hair and green eyes.
"Sasuke," she says softly, eyes brimming with tears. There is a look of understanding in them, and Sasuke wishes that he could love her. "I love you. I love that you are so selfless, and that you always put the needs of others before your own. But I don't love you like she does. I don't want to live in the reflection of another woman. I deserve so much more, Sasuke. And so do you. And I think, I know where I belong." She spares a glance at the silver haired man Sasuke saw her talking to before, and he gives her an encouraging smile before his eyes meet Sasuke's from across the room. "Suigetsu, he makes my heart flutter and makes me feel so much more than butterflies in my stomach. He is irritating, and annoying, and a lot of the time I want to scream at him, shake him, strangle him, but I also want to kiss him at the same time. And I don't know if that's what love is supposed to feel like, but I know that it's something I can't ignore."
Karin gently takes his hands in hers, setting his champagne glass on the table beside them. She gives his hands a gentle squeeze like she has done so many times in the past three years, and Sasuke is surprised that a lone tear has managed to escape him. "You and I, we would have been great together. Amazing, phenomenal, even. But I know that you and Sakura, the two of you can be something magical. I'm going to let you go, Sasuke. I love you, but I love me, too." She closes the distance between them and tiptoes to press a light kiss to his temple, and turns to bow graciously to Fugaku and Itachi. Sasuke is surprised when the two men envelope her in a hug, but he is so proud of her.
"Thank you," he manages to choke out, and feels more freedom than he ever has in the past seven years.
…
There is a tangible sense of occasion in the coliseum. The very best performers from the Royal Ballet are doing a Romeo and Juliet tour around Europe, and the audience waits with bated breath for their last performance.
The curtains rise to a dark stage filled with white smoke. As his eyes adjust to the darkness, he is able to make out a dark figure at the far side of the stage. She ever so slowly makes her way down to the centre of the stage, and as she comes into view, Sasuke feels his heart stop in his chest.
Sakura is stunning, dressed in a white dress that complimented her fair skin and bright eyes. She looked delicate, tender, and almost fragile. And when she starts dancing, the litheness and fluidity of her movements brought her character Juliet to life. Even after years of being absent from the dancing world, Sasuke knows that her high kicks, beautiful jumps, and smooth movements are beautifully executed. The way she dances to Prokofiev's music attentively makes his heart hammer in his chest. As he watches her, Sasuke wonders if it is possible to float on air. Sakura's performance is intense, hauntingly beautiful, and absolutely breathtaking. That night, Sasuke doesn't take his eyes off her.
Sakura can't stop the grin on her face and the giddy happiness that came with her sense of accomplishment. Tonight was by far her best performance of Juliet.
Her eyes widen when she sees Sasuke, wrapped up in his winter coat, standing outside the now empty theatre, and his presence is permeating her space. She still remembers the last time she saw him, and he looks both familiar and unfamiliar it is heart breaking. She feels the echoes of butterflies in her stomach and her heart is doing funny things in her chest. There is a deep physical and emotional pain, and she briefly wonders if Sasuke feels the same.
His presence is so threatening, and she suddenly remembers how much she has missed him. Her gaze falls on his familiar dark eyes, and her throat constricts as waves of memories come crashing back. Suddenly, she remembers that she had loved him, loves him, and that of all the people who had come and gone in her life, he had been the hardest to lose. But maybe it was because Sasuke had never been hers in the first place. Standing in front of her is the man who taught her that she was capable of loving. This was the man whose smiles melted her heart and arms she fit perfectly into. But this was also the man who left an aching hole in her heart she wasn't sure would heal, and taught her that even though she was broken and aching, she was capable of letting go.
As Sasuke takes long, purposeful strides towards her like he had done so many years ago, time seemed to both slow down and rush simultaneously. All of a sudden, Sakura is lulled back into the fleeting moments, seconds, tiny, infinite moments of time when she and Sasuke were in love. When they were happy. She closes her eyes at the onslaught of memories, and she can still feel the way he used to touch her. How he used to put his hand on her lower back and guide her through a crowded room, how he used to gently tuck her hair behind her ears when they fell into her face too often. And when she opens her eyes again, he is standing so achingly close she can smell the woody scent of his cologne and feel the heat radiating from his body.
"Sakura."
His voice is as deep and rich and smooth as she remembers, and the way her name rolls off his tongue sends shivers up her spine.
"How have you been?" he asks tentatively, and Sakura almost has to force the words out of her mouth.
"What are you doing here, Sasuke?" The lack of the familiar suffix doesn't feel right and she sounds colder than intended, but she reminds herself that Sasuke isn't hers anymore. Was never hers.
"Sakura…maybe it's a little selfish, but I want to be the reason you smile. I know I'm too many years too late, but…I've missed you. I've missed the way our fingers used to brush against each other when we walk down the streets. I've missed driving with the windows down with you in the passenger seat, singing at the top of your lungs. I've missed Tuesday night ice creams and Friday movie nights. I've missed…God Sakura."
She doesn't know when she started crying, but suddenly the magnitude of her heartbreak dawns on her and she feels like she is suffocating. Her hands hang limply by her side, and they itch to take his hands in hers, to pull him close and smother him with kisses and pour her heart out and tell him how much she has missed him. But then she thinks of the nights she has spent, still spends, lying in bed alone, feeling her loneliness crush her from the inside out, and realises that whilst she had always thought that Sasuke belonged with her, he didn't fight for her.
"Sasuke…you never…I wanted you to want me as much as I wanted you. I needed you, I missed you and I loved you, with everything I had…and you…and you let me go. You let me go, Sasuke-kun."
There are so many tears and she can barely see through them, and with every word Sakura feels her heart break more than she thought possible. She feels nauseous and the pain is so physical she doesn't know how she will pick herself up after this, but when Sasuke's strong arms wrap around her and pull her into a crushing embrace, it is all she can do to not break down.
'I'm…I want you. I want us, Sakura. I want the mistakes, the arguments, the stubbornness and fights behind closed doors. I want your smiles and your laughter and moments where we can't get enough of each other. I miss us…I want…no, I need us, Sakura. I want our love with all of our ups and downs and mistakes and emotions. And I…I'm sorry I ever let you think otherwise."
Sasuke's words bleed with so much raw emotion and Sakura thinks that this is the most expressive she has seen him. His arms have tightened their hold on her and he is pressing his lips into the crown of her hair, his mouth now shaping words soft and rapid like prayers. "I love you, Sakura." He repeats the words over and over again like his life depends on it and Sakura can feel herself visibly shaking, but arching into his touch all the same. He moves to tuck his head into the crook of her neck, ignoring everything else around them, and all of a sudden, it is just them.
You belong with me.