Disclaimer
All characters from Naruto are the creations of Misashi Kishimoto, not me.
Desire of the heart.
The stoic, raven haired ninja pushed his way through the last of the crowds heading towards the festival. Sighing in frustration he headed away from the lights and sounds emanating from the people happily enjoying the festivities of the night.
He had been sure she would be there. But he'd searched everywhere and seen no sign of her.
Coming towards the lake he stopped mesmerized. There she stood, quietly watching the fireflies, her perfect features bathed in the soft glow of the moon, and her beautiful green eyes sparkling from the light the fireflies intermittently emitted as they flew around her. Everything he had wanted to say flew right out of his head at the vision before him.
She turned, finally acknowledging his presence, and his heart skipped a beat at the smile she gave him. It was soft and shy. It reminded him of the girl she had used to be, the girl he had left behind on a cold park bench many years before. A girl who had needed his protection and who had loved him unconditionally. It wasn't the strong confident smile of the woman he had found upon his return. A woman who could take care of herself, a woman whose feelings he was unsure of. He took a step towards her, finally breaking the silence.
"You said on the night of the Tanabata you'd give me an answer."
He frowned a little, seeing the sadness in her gaze as she turned away from him to once again gaze upon the quiet lake.
Coming to a stop beside her, he began to gently finger strands of her hair. They felt like silk through his fingers.
"Sakura?"
He watched her bow her head. The knot in his gut growing larger and tighter by the second. Nothing in the world could unnerve him quite like this woman.
"Sasuke, I…" She looked up at him, tears beginning to pool in her eyes.
The bottom of his stomach fell out at seeing her expression. It was hardly a joyous one and so he was pretty sure he wasn't going to receive the answer he had wished for. He clenched his fists at his side and with a courage he didn't actually feel he looked her in the eyes and spoke.
"You love me Sakura I know you do." But he didn't know for sure and any hope he might have held out that she still loved him was rapidly fading along with the night.
"I… I do." She had bowed her head again. But at her admission he reached out with his hands to gently cup her face. Bringing her teary gaze back to meet his own. For a moment she continued to look lost. But after a while she seemed to make some sort of decision, her gaze grew stronger although the threat of tears didn't diminish any. But now she looked determined, not sad.
"I can't live on my love alone Sasuke. I'm a ninja, a tool for this village. I refuse to be a tool for a wife. You dreamed your whole life of avenging your clan, and you finally got what you wanted. I won't be just a means for you to obtain another goal of yours. I deserve better than that." He stood shocked for a second, and finally breathing a sigh of relief he chuckled, pulling her towards himself and holding her tightly.
She began to struggle against him and he laughed even harder at the murderous gaze she threw at him when she had finally broken free and pushed away from him.
"I pour out my heart and you just laugh! Sasuke Uchiha I…" She lashed out with her hand but before she could make contact and before she could finish her sentence he had caught the threatening appendage and used it to pull her towards himself once again, but this time into a heart stopping kiss.
He felt her melt and smirked as she stumbled slightly when he pulled away. The blush staining her cheeks and her eyes now widened with shock made her all the more appealing.
"Annoying woman, is that all that was stopping you from giving me an answer." He saw the glint of anger alight her eyes once again and took a step towards her, planting a soft kiss on her nose and curling an arm around her.
He smirked at her stunned expression. "Sakura, you are more than just a goal to me. Itachi was never a dream of mine, he was always my nightmare. You Sakura, you have always been my dream." He looked away. His cheeks tinted slightly red. He wasn't used to such confessions, it wasn't his way. But the current situation had required drastic measures. And besides if it got him what he wanted, he supposed in this one matter it was worth a little a embarrassment on his part.
He felt her hand upon his cheek, gently turning his face towards her own. She leaned up towards him, planting a gentle kiss on his lips. She pulled away far too soon for his liking, but lingered close. Her words quiet but loud enough for him to hear.
"Sasuke, yes."
A.N
Meh, I hate the title, but oh well.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed Unexpected. This little piece sort of came out of a review from that. I hope this is to your liking Sakura Haruno 998. Your review kind of got the cogs in my brain turning. I don't know about perfect relationship or happily ever after. But hopefully this is just fluffy enough. So sorry for the OOC Sasuke everyone.