DISCLAIMER: The usual – I don't own anything related to the Naruto universe .
Magic in the Moonlight
TeapotpotA/N: Yeah, this sort of came out while I was listening to Mizu no Akashi by Tanaka Rie. It is the BEST song ever – inspirational, thoughtful, and downright magical. Anyway, this story is un-betaed, so bear with my writing skills… . Enjoy!
She gazed deeply into his obsidian eyes, drowning in their depths. Dark, deep, and mysterious.
He really was a mystery, wasn't he? Drawn into a tight shell of protection, believed to be impregnable. But… was it really?
She didn't think so. Sasuke was afraid. Afraid of pain. Afraid of rejection. Afraid of loneliness. He suffered in his inability to love. No, that was incorrect. He had merely forgotten how. Love was like an unused tool getting older and rustier with each passing day.
But that was what friends were for. Family. Lovers. All the people around you who care. Sasuke no longer had family, but he still had her. And all their friends.
He tried not to let her get close.
But slowly, he changed. He began to rely on her. To acknowledge her existence.
To love her?
She really doubted that they'd use those words for a very long time, if ever.
Sasuke had been crying earlier. She held him, said nothing, didn't fuss and croon like usual. She just held him tight, and showed that she was there. Now, and always.
She would never leave him. Not alone. All alone, again.
He was sleeping now. If she hadn't known him, he would almost looked like a regular 14 year old boy, albeit an exceptionally handsome one. She stroked his brow rhythmically – up and down, up and down. He shifted a little and almost smiled. Hmm… it looked good. He should do it more often.
So much pain. So much sorrow.
Life was unfair. It made him who he was – a masked avenger.
She loved him though.
Despite the winter of their relationship, spring was finally making an appearance. Things were becoming better.
She smiled as he began to stir. His eyes fluttered open and he looked up at her face. Surprise overtook his features for a brief moment, but it was replaced by something remarkably similar to gratitude. He sat up and said, "Thank you."
Smiling, she nodded. They were both quiet, yet the silence was deafening. Awkwardly, he looked at her and said, "Why? I've never done anything for you to treat me so… well. Why haven't you ever just turned away? Trust me, the other fan girls gave up long ago. Even Ino. Why do you stay?"
She ran a slim hand through her hair. Suddenly, she laughed, "I guess it's because I'm silly."
He stared at her in well-hidden surprise, and slight hurt.
Chuckling, she says, "No, no, not like that. I mean, I can't really explain it. I've just never found a reason to give up. Friends are supposed to be there for friends. Why not follow through with it? You've got to take the bad with the good. And… well, you've heard me say it a million times, but I love you."
He nods, and looks out at the starlit sky. "Love isn't rational…" he murmurs.
She didn't gasp, or stare, are fling her arms around him because he's just acknowledged her feelings. No, it was no longer in her nature, and it would ruin the moment anyway. She has become much more reserved, even reticent. Instead, she nodded and replied, "No, it isn't, and that's what makes it so magical."
He nodded slowly. After a while, he turned to her and said, "I'm never going to be and ideal person to spend your life with." Hesitating, he looked right at her and said, "I'll go on missions, train far away, find my brother and kill him… things won't eve be calm."
Again, she grinned, "Well, then there'll be a lot of excitement, won't there?"
For a moment, he didn't get it at all. Then it hit him. "You won't be coming along!"
Laughing, she took his hands (surprisingly, he didn't pull back) and said, "Try and make me stay. Just try. We'll see how well it works. Besides, the road of life isn't always about the destination. It's how we manage to get there, and what we learn along the way." Lifting her arms, she enveloped him in a warm embrace. Suddenly, Sasuke found that there was a lump forming in his throat, and his eyes were dangerously moist.
Sakura held him close, her love keeping him warm and safe. And there they stay. Even though it's just for the night, their world is perfect. They feel safe and loved, cared for and needed. It is something wonderful.
Moments such as these are what people live for. Moments that remain in your memory forever, and bring you a deep sort of happiness that nothing else can give. Moments like these are magic.
FIN
A/N: Well, I got it done… I never really like what I come out with. Am I just super-self-critical? Oh well. Anyway, I LOVE SASUKE! W00T W00T! ahem Sorry. And about the quote I used, it originated as that really nice one, you know, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take. It is measured by the moments that take are breath away." But you see, I was reading Princess-Tsunade's awesome, awesome story "Flower of Konoha" (read it!) and she used the quote in a beautiful passage that was similar to mine (but her story came out first), so I felt bad using it and had to insert something else. I don't really think it fits. Once again, oh well. Review if you wish cough cough.