Standing at the Altar

By Bashfulglowfly

Chapter One: The Event That Shall Not Be Named

Sakura Haruno should have been at her wedding reception dancing the night away but instead, more than two hours after she should have said her vows…she was still waiting for the groom to arrive at the church.

Her Maid of Honor, Ino and her two bridesmaids, Hinata and Temari, sat quietly watching her. They'd suggested everything they could think of as to why Sakura's husband-to-be wasn't there. Traffic was bad, he was in an accident or the cleaners lost his tuxedo. Sakura used the traffic app on her phone…the roads were clear. She called every hospital and every emergency room in the city…no one by his name or description had been admitted. She had picked up his tuxedo from the cleaners herself and had taken it to his apartment.

She had even left voice mails and text messages until his phone said that it was no longer accepting messages.

He was not here but there had to be an explanation. She was not going to allow herself to think that he…

She was glad that her mother had finally left the room. Sakura loved her mother dearly but the older woman's weeping had begun to grate on her nerves.

She knew that by now most everyone had left. Why would they stay? The wedding hadn't happened when planned…and when her husband-to-be's family had left ninety minutes before, everyone else leaving was rather inevitable.

Suddenly she heard her cousin, Gaara, begin to shout.

Gaara didn't shout like that unless his rage hit Super Nova levels. He was scary enough as it was without needing to shout.

Temari, Gaara's older sister, cursed. Hinata, Gaara's fiancée, murmured "Oh, dear" and looked at Sakura with wide eyes.

A knock sounded on the door. Ino looked at Sakura, who stood frozen in the middle of the room, then stood up to answer the door.

A man's voice came through the door. Sakura knew that voice. Ino stepped back and held the door open wide.

It was Naruto.

Sakura and Naruto had known each other since they were babies. Their mothers had been roommates in college and their friendship remained strong to this day.

He looked at her. His blue eyes brilliant. "I'm sorry, Sakura."

Sakura knew everything about Naruto. Everything. She knew that he was potty trained before he was two. That he had needed a nightlight to sleep until he was ten. Then there was the fact that they had lost their virginity to each other when they were sixteen after getting drunk on vintage wine purloined from his father's wine cellar.

She had refused to leave his side a year later after he had been hit by a car after pushing her out of the way. Which had resulted in the scars that marred both cheeks but he wore as a Badge of Courage.

She knew everything about him and she knew what he was going to say. She pointed at him. "Don't you say it. Don't you dare say it, Naruto Namikaze!"

He walked toward her and she backed away still ordering him not to say what she knew he was going to say. He wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms between them. His voice was rough, barely above a whisper but it battered her eardrums.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura. But Sasuke isn't going to come."