Woo Hoo! ANOTHER new story, and guess what... MY FIRST FULL-OUT HET! I have recently fallen in love with SasuSaku nn
Anyhoo, this is sorta a different thing of Sasuke returning from Orochimaru. Without further ado, let's begin shall we?
Pairings: SasuSaku (Main), NaruSasu, NaruHina, ShikaIno (Maybe more later... nn;;)
Disclaimer- Everything you recognize, I don't own. Oh! And I don't own the poem at the beginning!
.:To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead:.
Bertrand Russell (1874 – 1970)
Fearing Love
Authoress- Saddie
Chapter I- Holder of My Heart
Haruno Sakura sat on the over-stuffed couch. Her fingers were twined together and her chin rested delicately overtop. She gazed disinterestedly out the wall-sized window across the room.
Rain beat a steady rhythm against the closed glass, the water gathered on the slanted roof and fell in small rivulets, appearing as spindly waterfalls to the observing cherry blossom. Lightning lanced across the pitch sky, leaving an electric glow in its wake.
A particularly loud clap of thunder startled her out of her thoughts and she blinked dully.
With a loud sigh the cherry blossom flopped backwards so she was lying along the length of the sofa, her left arm hanging off the edge and the right scrunched into the crevice separating the cushions from the back.
The darkened sky had reminded her of someone from her past, someone she had given up on ever seeing again. He had always been a creature of the night, she had been foolish to assume she could restrain something so free; like trying to hold water in your bare hands. In the end she had even pleaded with him to stay, but that only seemed to strengthen his resolve.
Sure, she was happy with her current boyfriend, but, on nights like this, she couldn't help it if her thoughts would stray to the onyx eyed holder of her heart.
In one fluid movement Sakura grabbed the half-full glass of wine and held it to her lips, downing the remainder in two gulps. The smooth liquid scalded her throat, burning until it reached her stomach. This was a new habit of hers, she never got drunk, per se… she just drank to ease the numbness that seemed to fill her whenever she'd think of that fateful day.
Another flash of lightning lit up a slim silhouette, slowly making its way towards her front door. She froze in shock; it took her slightly muddled mind a few moments to register that she should probably get something to defend herself with, should the need arise.
With feline grace, the cherry blossom slunk into the hallway leading to her bedroom and shifted a picture frame; revealing the safe where she kept her stash of kunai, shriuken and a few senbon. With a practiced eye she pulled out a few choice weapons and slowly approached the door.
The kunoichi pressed herself against the wall beside the door, reached out with her foot and kicked it open, tensing herself in preparation for an attack. To her immense surprise, none came.
"Sa…. Ku…. Ra…" a strangely familiar voice croaked from outside. Chancing a glance the cherry blossom gasped and her weapons fell from her hands with a loud clank!
Though his hair was much longer and more ragged, his eyes were dulled and worn, his clothes were practically falling off his skeletal frame, his ivory skin was now a sickly shade of the faintest white, there was no mistaking him. The way his presence always made her heart flutter almost painfully against her ribcage, he had returned.
"Sasuke," she breathed, almost afraid that the sound of her voice would make him shatter and this dream would end, just like it had so many times before.
His lifeless obsidian pools looked up at her from his hunched over stance.
"Help…" he wheezed before collapsing into her reflexively open arms.
Heart still hammering, she cradled his head to her chest, still trying to convince herself that this was one dream she wouldn't awaken from.
Caught up in her own thoughts she failed to notice the blood dripping from his limp figure. Only when a warm drop hit her bare leg did she snap to attention.
"Oh goodness!" she exclaimed, and with a mighty show of strength she heaved him over her shoulder. Don't get me wrong, he was light, unhealthily light, but still, he had muscle, which if you're not aware, weighs more than fat.
With a grunt of effort she set him on the couch she had, until recently, been perched on as gently as possible.
Now, down to business, she rubbed her hands together in preparation, the first thing to do would be locate the source of the bleeding. Her trained hands started at gingerly lifting his shirt, she grimaced upon realizing it was practically glued on with rainwater and dried blood.
When it finally gave and slipped off with a splurching sound, Sakura had to use all her restraint to keep the flush from her face. Despite the condition his body was in, it was still breathtaking. The medic ninja shook her head, This is business only Sakura, he's a patient, treat him.
The pink-haired ninja reached under the couch and pulled out a fully-stocked first-aid kit. She opened the box and pulled out a bottle of disinfectant and a tub of light-green cream.
She focused her chakra into her eyes to perform a scan of his insides, checking for any internal bleeding or ripped muscles or tendons. To her immense relief everything in the inside seemed to be fine, except for a spot on his right foot where something appeared to have pierced right through.
With a frown she began applying the substances to the many burns, gashes, welts and numerous other lacerations marring his perfect skin. Who would do something like this? Where has he been all this time? Why did he come back now? Why did he come to me…?
As she began dressing the wounds many thoughts darted through her now crystal clean mind. She convicted to questioning him when he gained consciousness again.
Subconsciously, Sakura put a hand to his smooth cheek and caressed it softly, reveling the way his skin felt to her rough, well-used palms. Suddenly her hand was retracted as though burned.
What am I doing! I have a boyfriend! she scolded herself. With a jolt she realized he would probably want to know about Sasuke's return, but that could wait till later.
As an afterthought the cherry blossom pulled out a heavy, blue blanket at laid it on his resting form, a soft smile gracing her attractive features.
As she bid the sleeping Uchiha goodnight a thought crossed her.
Naruto… what was she going to tell him? That her childhood crush appeared at her doorstep and now he would he staying with her while he recovered? But what was wrong with that? She's over him… right? Somehow she couldn't even convince herself of that, especially not with the raven lying so peacefully in her own living room.
Sakura silently chastised herself, I'm a trained professional, I can handle this!
With a contented sigh the pink-haired ninja snuggled into the soft folds of her bed. Things would look better in the morning.
Sakura awoke with a startled yelp, there was another crash.
Someone broke in while I was asleep! Sasuke! she shrieked inwardly, leaping from her bed and practically flying down the hall.
The sight she was met with was enough to make her break out in a fit of giggles, half from relief, the other from the ridiculousness of the scene that greeted her.
Sasuke was lying half off the couch, blanket twisted around his ankles, arms out stretched and the cutest look of utter vexation on his face. The laughter stopped immediately however, as she noticed the red starting to leak through the bandage around his middle.
"Sasuke! You're gonna reopen the wounds I just wrapped!" she scolded, looping her arms under his armpits and hauling him back onto the couch, "What were you reaching for anyway?"
This remark earned a half-hearted glare.
"I wasn't reaching for anything…"-a pause, his eyes shifted to the floor in embarrassment-"I woke up like that…"
This started Sakura up in her laughter again, that certainly explained the crash! She was met with another, more forceful, glare.
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry, I'll stop now," the pink-haired girl chuckled, wiping a few stray tears from her eyes.
The Uchiha cringed, grasping his stomach in pain. Sakura's protective nature took over.
"Where does it hurt?" she demanded, prying his arms from his abdomen and examining it carefully. Colour was once again drained from her face as she saw a particularly deep gash; in her haste she had apparently overlooked it. The kunoichi inwardly berated herself for that foolish mistake.
"Close your eyes and relax, it will tingle a bit," the medic ninja ordered, placing her hands over the wound and focusing chakra into her fingertips. Sometimes it was easier to just heal cuts instantly in exchange for a little energy, than to have to wait weeks for it to heal.
A pulsing green glow emanated from her hands, feeding into his damaged flesh and healing the gash in front of their very eyes. Skin bound back together and muscle tightened and retracted, leaving the flesh looking as though nothing had happened to it in the first place.
Onyx eyes squeezed shut, it wasn't a painful sensation, he had experienced worse anyway, but it was unpleasant. Kind of like being tickled against your will with a particularly large feather.
Finally the glow ceased, signaling that the wound was healing. Sakura retracted her hands and gracefully got to her feet.
"I'm going to make breakfast… try not to hurt yourself while I'm gone," the cherry blossom teased, and with a playful wink she scampered into the kitchen; the sound of boiling water was heard not long after.
Sasuke leaned back and examined his current state of affairs; it truly is amazing how much your luck can change in a few short hours. It certainly was a good thing he had chanced an escape when he had, or else he'd still be back there, with them.
The ghost of a smile graced his lips, there are worst places… and… it's good to be where she is…
As if on cue Sakura appeared at the entrance to the living room, a troubled look marring her face.
"Sasuke… What would you like for breakfast?" she asked, the look disappearing as though it had never been there in the first place.
Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly, still wondering about what could be bothering the cherry blossom. Unfortunately his stomach chose that moment to voice its complaints, in the form of a loud growl. The Uchiha inwardly cursed his traitorous body.
Sakura frowned and shook her head, feigning annoyance, but the laughter in her emerald eyes gave away her charade. Sasuke smirked, but still continued with his stubbornness.
The cherry blossom shot him a mock-glare and disappeared back into the kitchen.
The raven slid further into the sofa, massaging his temples wearily. Obsidian orbs fluttered shut, only to snap back open in a panic. Red eyes and cold words haunted his every thought, these things only increased in intensity when he would succumb to darkness for a few moments of rest.
Seconds turned to minutes and minutes ticked away until it had been a half-hour. Finally a noise came from the other room.
The pink-haired woman walked out, laden with trays, bowls and glasses. Sasuke stared wide-eyed at the assortment of foods to choose from.
"Why'd you bring them in here?" he inquired, arching a perfectly shaped eyebrow. Sakura looked at him incredulously, as if asking how he could possibly be so dull.
"Well, you shouldn't exactly move with that, should you?" she scolded, gesturing vaguely with her head to the respectably-sized hole in his right foot. The Uchiha flushed and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, 'Just a scratch'. The medic nin chose to ignore that comment and went about setting the selection on a large wooden table and dragging said table within reaching distance of the immobilized raven.
"Wouldn't want a repeat of last time," she teased, referring to when he was sprawled across the floor earlier that morning. The midnight-eyes boy scowled in reply, grabbing a pair of chopsticks and rubbing them together a bit more roughly than necessary. I mean, it was bad enough he had to be taken care of, but did she have to rub it in?
Though truth be told, Sakura really did enjoy the faint blush that would creep into his pale cheeks when she teased him. Sasuke really had changed a lot since he left, his emotions seemed so much more readable, still not on the surface exactly, but close enough to know what he's thinking more or less. That in itself is saying something.
With somewhat sloppy movements, the raven began loading his plate, Sakura watched on in mild amusement. When he had finished he waited somewhat impatiently for his host to fill her own.
The kunoichi nodded, signaling it was okay for him to begin without her.
"Itadakimase," he said, before digging into his food with a childlike exuberance. Sakura smiled softly at his endearing behavior, she caught herself just in time, she was about to think something she would later regret, You can't think things like that about others, you have a boyfriend, who you love more than anyone! She thought, but with a lot less conviction than she would have liked.
"Sasuke…" she began, trying to choose her words carefully so as not to upset him, she had remembered her earlier thoughts of questioning him. "Who did this to you?" She asked, beginning with the one that had been nagging at her the most.
The raven's chopsticks dropped to the hardwood floor with a clack! His face had visibly paled and he looked at her with wide eyes. For a moment she believed he wouldn't respond and was about to recall the question, when she heard him swallow loudly and open his mouth to speak.
"I-It was Orochimaru, him and Itachi. They-It was… It was a trap, to lure me to them…" he breathed, reaching for his fallen utensils, in her shock, the pink-haired ninja failed to notice how badly his hands were shaking, so she pressed onwards.
"But why? I thought they wanted Naruto," she asked. The Uchiha took a deep breath before answered in a somewhat steadier voice.
"That's what we all thought, but when they brought me there they said-" but Sakura never got to find out what they said, because a loud voice screamed her name from somewhere outside.
"SAKURA!"
Said kunoichi smiled fondly, Naruto…
The cherry blossom got up to open the door for her loud-mouthed boyfriend. Her hand hesitated momentarily over the doorknob as she pondered her explanation for Sasuke.
What's there to explain? He's staying with you because you're healing him; nothing more, nothing less…
With newfound confidence the door swung open, revealing a smiling blond with a bouquet of flowers cradled in his arms.
"Sakura-chan! I was started to think you weren't going to answer!" the fox mused, scratching at the back of his neck with one hand while handing her the flowers with the other. She accepted with a joyous thank you. She never believed that Naruto could be such an affectionate, loving boyfriend, judging by his actions, but, as they say, you can't judge a book by its cover.
From behind her a pair of midnight black watched the interaction curiously.
When did this happen? Sakura and… Naruto? Though I guess I couldn't expect her to dwell on me forever… Somehow that thought hurt more than it probably should have.
The blond finally seemed to notice the other presence in the room and peeked over Sakura's shoulder to get a look at the 'stranger'. The kunoichi stopped talking to follow Naruto's gaze.
"Who's that?" he asked, putting a protective arm around her waist. Sasuke raised and eyebrow and, somewhat painfully, got to his feet.
"Forgot me already dobe?" he asked, placing hands on hips and cocking his head to the side. The fox flushed and his hair seemed to bristle.
"Sasuke-teme! Still being as much a bastard as ever!" despite his comment the blond caught him in a fierce flying hug, sending him crashing to the floor.
"Get OFF moron!" the Uchiha growled, flinging Naruto off his lap and into the table. Food flew everywhere, covering the room and the people in it.
"Nice job dobe," the raven scolded, getting to his feet and picking a stray noodle from his hair.
"Hey this isn't my fault!" the fox cried defensively, rubbing his sore back.
Sakura could no longer contain her laughter and began to giggle madly, distracting the boys from their argument.
"You find this funny?" the raven asked, pointing to his hair, the girl nodded weakly, before bursting into more laughter that is.
"We should… go out to eat…" she panted. Naruto nodded eagerly.
"Wait a moment," she ordered, bending down in front of Sasuke and placing her hands over his injured foot, the familiar green glow lit the room and healed the wound. This exertion however, left the medic nin slightly winded. She looked up to be met with the famous Uchiha glare.
"Why didn't you do that in the first place?" he asked, trying to sound angry.
"Cuz you're so cute when you're bedridden," she answered, resulting with a blush from Sasuke and a glare from Naruto. The blond bit his lip and grabbed his girlfriend's hand, pulling her to her feet.
"To Ichiraku's!" he cried, pointing a finger just above the front door, this declaration was met with groans of protest from the other two occupants of the room.
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So, what'd ya think? As usual I'm waaaaay nervous about posting a new story... n/n
Oh! And everything will be explained later, don't worry! (Holy crow, this chapter is 10 pages long...)
Please review if you want me to continue! And please, I beg of you, no flames...