Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto.
Author's notes - Bleh, I'm so sick of school...everything's going great but with still settling down and Drill practice every other day with Martial Arts, I just don't have the time sit down and write like I used to. So I apologize deeply for lack of updating. Take this story (if you're a constant reader of mine) as an apology even though that's not what this was written for.
"Sasuke, do you believe in love at first sight?"
It was a pathetic question in his opinion. No one ever fell in love at the first sight of the opposite sex. That was something only seen in the movies and books where two people met and fell 'madly' in love and either A - One or both of them died or B - they lived happily together for the rest of their lives. The question was only to be expected from Sakura though. A hopeless-romantic for years he should have seen it coming that she was bound to ask something like this sooner or later. He finally opened his mouth and spoke words that broke her heart. "No, I don't."
Orphaned at eight, Sasuke's life wasn't much different then your average boys. He went to school, played at least one sport, and kept his grades above average. His appearance wasn't anything special, dark hair that spiked up in the back, cold eyes and pale pink skin and most times, if it wasn't for the cold blank look he always wore and wasn't known as the only surviving member of his family, Sasuke would blend in perfectly with the crowed.
Through the years of elementary school he had no crushes on the girls in his class. The choices were very limited and the only two who seemed in least acceptable to maybe like was, Hyuuga Hinata, who had a large crush of Sasuke's friend, Uzumaki Naruto, or Yamanaka Ino. Which was without a doubt, a no. In the fifth grade, Sasuke couldn't see why he was even the slightest interested in dating someone or at least crushing on them. Maybe it was because he could admit that he was slightly curious what it was like to be the lover rather then the loved one. He couldn't figure it out. Well, not until Haruno Sakura joined the class in the middle of the grade.
She was shorter then him by a few inches and was rather skinny. Her vibrant green eyes stuck out and her pink hair clashed with it. Sakura was shy looking and rather, well, cute. Her seat was next to him and though he didn't show it, he was instantly attracted to her.
He never befriended her, and hardly ever spoke a word to her. When she asked for help or even tried to speak to him, his body was turned away and he called her annoying. They chatted often over the years, being partners in assignments, or even just a friendly hello was passed in the hallways. Over the years, through fifth grade to ninth, he suspected she secretly liked him too.
In the fourth week of their Sophomore year she cornered him in the library during their lunch hour. Her head was low, giving a perfect view of the top of her head where her hairline separated.
"Um...Sasuke, I was wondering if you would...like to go out with me?" The squeal from her three closest friends filled the library, making the librarian shush at them in anger.
Looking back on it, he wasn't sure why he said. Even though he did like her, he hadn't been obsessed with her. "Sure."
A smile grew on her face and Saturday at six was the time of their first date.
It wasn't anything special. Dinner and a movie that followed with a walk in the park. A 'classic' as she called it. Most of their many following dates were dinner and a movie. It wasn't long before both of them began to find that boring and they started to do more exciting things. Double-dating with Naruto and Hinata, being dragged to the fair as she debated on which of the hundreds of rides to go on, picnics, activities that were full of lots of running, rock wall climbing, and the list seemed to go on with endless fun that they had. Once or twice the dinner and a movie came up and both were satisfied with what they were given, she commented that she now enjoyed their once every so many weeks movie night. It gave him time to be 'romantic' and 'soft' for a change.
After only a few months of dating her, he was certain he knew everything there was to know about her. Her favorite color, book, movie, band, song, her first pet, first move, how many siblings she had, the name of her parents, her full name, her first best friend...the list seemed never ending and after he counted all the things he knew, all the things he should know. He was certain that now he knew everything, at least, that's what he thought.
Meeting her parents after their third week of dating, he wasn't as intimidated as he thought he would be. The Haruno's seemed to live a normal life. He was an accountant and she was a nurse. They moved only three times since their marriage and he noticed they took pride in Sakura as her awards and photos were hung on nearly every wall. He felt welcomed in her family and pictured his own life to be something like this if the accident never happened.
The very next weekend, Sakura was brought over to meet his adoptive parents. Kakashi and Rin. They were ecstatic to see Sakura for the first and Kakashi told her nearly every embarrassing story about Sasuke's early childhood that was imaginable. And while Sakura enjoyed the evening with his parents, Sasuke sat and glared, being stubborn as usual.
Six months after he started dating her, they shared their first kiss. It wasn't anything like he expected.
They both close their eyes and leaned in slowly, counting in the back of his head how many seconds it would be before he connected with her. In their first attempt, they bumped foreheads with each other and Sakura broke out in a fit of giggles. In their second things went perfectly and as Sakura tilted her head slightly to the left, their lips made perfect contact. The kiss lasted for a few seconds but every second lingered in passion, a new emotion for Sasuke and Sakura.
It was a rainy day when Sasuke finally finished learning everything about Sakura. In late September she sat him down in her bedroom. She looked worried about something. Her knuckles were white from clenching her fists too tightly and her face was blank.
He never asked her what was wrong, there wasn't any need to. Taking a deep breath, she told him her final secret.
"Sasuke...I'm dying." Her words were serious and cold. "I have cancer...we don't know how it happened, they thought I was so healthy...it was found in my back. I was walking home from school when I was only five and I felt several sharp pains in my back. So painful I couldn't move. A couple passing by saw me in pain and took me straight to the hospital. After my parents arrived, they did a scan...that's when they found the cancer. We moved to Konoha only because of their cancer treatment center. Sasuke, I won't make it to my next birthday..."
Sasuke sat next to Sakura, repeating each of the words she had just told him in his head. It had to be a joke, and in his mind, he found it to be a pretty good one. Her next birthday was drawing nearer her birthday was the end of March and it was already the end of September. And after repeating her words for a sixth time he cleared his throat and finally replied to her. "Oh..."
"Oh?" It wasn't the reply she wanted. She frowned and repeated the first words. "Sasuke, I'm dying..."
"I know that..." He thought hard on what to say next. The woman he loved was dying and he couldn't think of anything to say. How was he supposed to take the news? Was he supposed to hold her? Kiss her? Cry? Breakup with her before they became intimate and the death would be even more complicated?
"Sasuke?" She pushed on his arm to make sure he was still with her.
He blinked his eyes and made a sharp turn with his head. "Sakura...marry me."
Sakura's head cocked to the side and she blinked a few times. Thrown back by his words. Stunned, playing the words through her head like he had done just moments ago. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me." He didn't place any more emotion words than when he usually spoke to her. "Marry me...we'll live the remainder of your life together as a married couple. It's what you've always wanted, isn't it?"
Her eyes brimmed with tears that day and she wrapped her arms firmly around his neck, crying into his chest as she repeated 'yes' over and over again.
They married only two months after his proposal. In between the period of being fiancee' and married there were several arguments. Who was coming, when it was to be set, what the theme was to be, where it was going to be, and the deal with her parents disapproval that flared in between the plans made the last two months hell.
In the end, the argument were worth it. Even though Sakura's health had incredibly decreased over the time and was now looking even more pale and gaunt then before, Sasuke still found her to be irresistible in her flowing white gown as she took small steps down the red aisle. He felt his mouth get hot and dry as they leaned in to share their first kiss as husband and wife, surprisingly, he did not embarrass himself like Kakashi had taunted and joked he would. Typical things of forgetting the ring, saying the wrong words, or even arriving at the wrong church. Despite the joyous occasion, Sasuke could not help but feel sorrow at the bottom of his heart. Sakura and told him that she had always wanted to be a mother, but with the cancer, it was impossible. Time was also running out. It was mid-December and she had to at least the end of March.
Their honeymoon took place at a small resort in a small city a days travel away from Konoha - all expense paid by supportive Kakashi - during the schools Christmas break. It was there in their tiny hotel room where they first made love.
She had gone under a rapid weight-loss and was even thinner then before. Her hair had began to fall out, as they discovered when Sasuke tugged softly on her hair during their first session and a large group of the pink strands clung to his fingers. He was as gentle as could be on her delicate body and made sure he never hurt her in the least. Being passionate and affectionate in ways Sakura was only able to imagine. They made love nearly everyday during their week-long vacation.
When they returned in the beginning of January, it was at the height of Sakura's cancer. She didn't return to school with everyone else and spent the first week under special therapy and supervision. On the rare days she attended her classes, she often fell asleep from lack of energy and spent the time in the nurses office, trying to gather strength, eager as could be to graduate with the rest of the Senior's.
February was a daze to the two of them. In and out of the hospital she was again and Sasuke was unable to spend as much time as he would have liked with her. Forced to limited visits and boring ones when they were allowed, since all she did was sleep.
The day it turned March, Sasuke felt tension in his body. Wondering each day if Sakura was going to live to see the sunrise the following day. He tried to spend even more time with her, but Sakura would often deny visits because she was too embarrassed to have Sasuke see her bald. When they did see each other, she cried in his arms and apologized for being sick. Apologized that she couldn't give him a child, and apologized that she 'wasted' his time. Each time, Sasuke kissed her cold lips and told her that there was no need to apologize.
A week before Sakura's birthday, she collapsed in the hospital and was so tired that she was unable to even eat. In the hospital, was were Sasuke spent his final hours with Sakura. Another tensed visit, he tried to savor his time with her, never knowing if it was to be his last. She still cried each time he was visiting and told him that she was scared to die.
Two weeks after Sakura had been admitted, they sat in silence with each other. He was finishing up his homework, thinking she was asleep when her cracky voice startled him.
"Sasuke, do you believe in love at first sight?"
"No, I don't."
Her brow furrowed. "Why?"
Sasuke waited before answering. "I just don't..."
"I do..." She said firmly. "From the moment I saw you...I had fallen in love with you and knew that you were the one I was going to marry."
He refused to comment back to her.
Their visit ended a few long minutes later. He stood up slowly and hovered his body over hers. With a smile on his face, he bent over and kissed her soft and long on the lips before whispering that he loved her before leaving for the night.
Three hours after he left, Sakura died.
Returning to the hospital early on the Saturday morning, he was confused to find Sakura's room empty. There were fresh sheets on the bed and all of her belongings that went with her to the hospital were pilled neatly on the desk in the room.
"She died didn't she?" He asked the nurse who was walking past the room.
"Haruno?" The woman peered into the room. "Yes...last night. I'm sorry, were you close with her?"
Sasuke bit his lip. "Yes. I fell in love with her at first sight."
Author's notes - I'm not too proud of this story, I just came up with it during English one day. It was inspired by Jack Weyland's Charly (a story of a wild New Yorker who falls in love with a man from Utah and after getting married to him, finds out she has cancer. Very touching story.) Anyway, deepest apologies once again.
Thank you for reading.