Killing himself with every word he spoke, the dark haired boy retold the story just as it had been. Pained with all its truth and unable to do anything about. She had already asked, asked by assuming something that was wrong. Even though he wished so badly her beliefs could have been truths. Then the admiration slowly starting to spark in her emerald eyes would be his.
All his, just the way the raven haired youth liked it.
It was a daring, valiant struggle, filled with gasps and cheers. She acted upon every word he so easily streamed together. Making it sound so smooth a professional. Not for the sake of telling a grand tale but for the sake of getting it out accurately. So that perhaps she would remember it well and never ask him to torture the heart of his being by retelling it.
When the last sentence was woven. When the climax had been thrust into it final crescendo she looked away. Grand heralds of green life slipping over to where the other thing sat. It was laughing, being scolded for something that he didn't care about. Because he was to busy lost in her eyes, getting lost in it. Taking every feature they displayed in. He was breaking but only frowned. Pretended to only glace at her, though it was all it would take.
The image burned into his mind, the upward tilt of her mouth, the look that was to close to something more then distant friendship.
She shifted her gaze back to watch him though, a more radiant, gleaming, full, smile. Stretched wide across her face, new found love reflecting so clearly in her eyes. But it was for him, not that thing.
A fact that made him almost forget the desperate feeling in his stomach. Almost was not enough.
"Is something wrong Sasuke?" she asked, a sharp alarmed ring filling her words.
Sasuke looked down into his lap quickly, managing a humph of breath that would cover is pain for annoyance. "It's nothing Sakura-chan, I'm leaving." he rose with a sharp movement, one that Sakura flinched away from.
Being sure not to make eye contact with her Sasuke turned away fluently, with practiced effort. Locks of raven hair falling before the dark red burning in his eyes. Fueled by an emotion he didn't want to control, but knew he must. Neither hate for it, or love for her. No it was something different, perhaps raw passion was the only description.
Either way, it meant he had to leave, get as far away from the spot. This place where he himself had told her of his failure. Not just any failure though. Because it was her he had failed, something that he had never done. Nor would Sasuke ever allow himself to be weak enough for it to ever happen again.
"Are you sure you alright Sasuke?" Sakura pleaded in a whisper that Naruto and Kakashi would not hear, lost in their one on one lecture.
Sasuke sighed, sounding bothered and bugged. "I'm going to train." he explained, hoping he sounded tired rather then sad.
Sakura watched Sasuke's back while he stood there, waiting for her response. An act of kindness that betrayed his iron hard shell. She stayed like that wondering how long he would wait for her. A slump slipped almost unnoticeably into his shoulder at last, and he almost stepped further away. "Wait Sasuke." Sakura whispered.
He did but snapped "What is it?" as he did.
"Thank you for catching me."
"Whatever." Sasuke snorted as he walked away, the smirk on his face unnoticed by Sakura. Who watched his back until he disappeared from sight.