He loved to race.

There was just something about the feel of the leather gloves over his fingers, everything becoming a blur around him, and the way the wind buzzed out any other noise, that just made him feel alive.

For those few minutes, he was free.

Free to think whatever he wanted, feel whatever he wanted.

Going hundreds of miles a minute, his adrenaline pumped through his body. Danger had never registered in his mind.

He only had ten seconds left—

(he was so close)

—to finish the race—

"SASUKE!"

(he never saw the end—

"SHIT! He's barely breathing—"

—of the finish line that night)

oh, girl

"She's…indescribable."

starlit sky.

"You're…a strange girl."

She smiled. "Yeah, I get that a lot." Her legs dangled off the front porch of Naruto's house, her arms stretched out behind her. "What brings you out here, anyway, Sasuke-san? The party too loud for you?"

He slowly moved towards the railing, shrugging his shoulders slightly in answer. "Naruto's singing."

She laughed. "Don't tell me Kiba spiked his drink again." Shaking her head, she kept smiling, her head tilted up to look at the night sky.

It was quiet for a few minutes, the only noise coming from inside the house.

"Hm…" She looked down below, then up at Sasuke, the smile on her face widening. "You know, I bet Naruto wouldn't notice if his mailbox went missing."

He raised an eyebrow in question. Looking in the direction she was pointing, he nodded once. "Ah." His eyes moved to look sideways at her. "Is that…?"

She nodded. "Yup. Kankuro and one of his buddies. But don't worry, it'll turn up eventually. It did last time, anyway."

He smirked. "Who's worrying?"

"You are such a good friend, Sasuke-san." Her legs swung back and forth again, her eyes locking with his for a split second before she looked up at the sky again. "Even out here, you can't see that many stars…" She looked thoughtful for a second. "Sasuke-san, have you ever been outside? Of the city, I mean."

Sasuke nodded, his gaze slowly drifting upward. "Yeah…when I was younger."

Her voice came out in an almost-whisper, child-like curiosity filling her words, "What was it like?"

It didn't take him long to answer. "…Quiet," he said, "And the sky's full of stars."

Her lips parted, the words she wanted to say lost when he looked down at her again. "Um…" She felt her cheeks start to warm up. His eyes seemed to look through her, and suddenly she felt very exposed. "A-Ano, Sasuke-san…who took you there?"

His eyes broke away from hers. The wind blew at that moment, and Sakura's vision was blocked by short strands of bubblegum-pink hair. "…my father." His voice grew softer. "Back when my mother was still alive."

Wincing slightly, she sat forward, grabbing onto the railing to hoist herself up. Way to go, Sakura. Looking in the general direction where Tokyo City's bright display of lights shone, she breathed out, "It…it must have been fun."

The words he had automatically wanted to say caught in his throat. He'd expected her to say how sorry she was, or something relating to his mother's death…but nothing like this. When he didn't reply, she looked up at him, and he felt like he finally understood why Naruto had such a deep bond with her. His lips tugged upwards slightly. "Yeah…it was."

biggest fan.

At that moment, Sasuke felt like he would rather be anywhere but where he was right now.

"I still can't believe it, though! I mean, you never even set foot in my school, and yet there's a Uchiha Sasuke fan club!"

He scowled. "Che. It's pathetic."

Sakura jumped up and down excitedly, oblivious to the strange looks people shot her way as they passed by. "Oh come on, Sasuke-kun! They're obviously head-over-heels in love with you!" She latched onto his arm, and he just knew the only reason why she did it was to annoy him. "Well, the picture you, anyway. Most of them said they've never even met you before." She paused. "I wonder what they would do if I gave them your address?"

"Sakura."

Laughing, she tugged him forward, choosing the direction they were headed randomly. "Okay, Mr. Grumpy-pants, I'll stop." She stopped talking, instead looking around at the colorful displays on different shop windows, occasionally tugging on Sasuke's arm to show him something she liked.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, she said quietly, "You know, the president of the fan club told me some stuff about you." She paused. "And I know I shouldn't have been prying or anything, but I am your friend, so I guess it's kind-of okay that I did." She stopped walking, and Sasuke was forced to stop as well, standing close enough for her to reach out and touch his arm if she wanted to. "She said you used to race motorcycles… that it was something you loved to do, but—" She couldn't see his eyes. His bangs hid them from view, and Sakura knew Sasuke was getting mad (he never liked talking much about his past). "But, you stopped just after your eighteenth birthday. After you almost…died." Her voice wavered as she breathed out the last word. Hands clasped tightly in front of her, she looked up at Sasuke.

He wasn't looking at her. His head was turned slightly to the right, and Sakura had the distinct notion that she had just slapped him with her words. Bringing up a part of his past that he clearly tried every day not to remember, she might as well have.

"…" His lips parted, but no words came out.

The sky began darkening slowly, different shades of burgundy and golden rays splaying on the tall buildings around them.

"That…" His face displayed a different arrange of emotions, the words he was trying to say jumbled up. She could tell he didn't know what to say.

Sakura's eyes softened, her lips lifting up into a warm smile. Placing her hand over his heart, she murmured softly, "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, Sasuke-kun. I can wait." Her smile brightened a little when he moved to lean closer against her. "Unfortunately, you might not be around for long; my father is going to murder you for keeping his daughter out so late."

As if on cue, her cell phone started playing the Ninja Turtles theme song. "See? I bet that's him right now, planning your imminent doom." Flipping it open, she said, "Hello? Oh hi mama…yes, Sasuke-kun is right here with me, don't worry…no, no hobos trying to kidnap me…mmhm, we're totally going to be late. Sasuke-kun here forgot to check his expensive watch for the time." She rolled her eyes dramatically, earning a scowl from Sasuke, and her smile grew wide. "Don't worry, he'll find a way to get me home. Distract Daddy for as long as you can!" After hanging up, she looked up at Sasuke expectantly. "Next weekend you have to come over for dinner. Mother's orders. You know, since she's going to all the trouble of setting back every clock in the house so we can get there on time." She looked down at her cell phone again. "Time's ticking away, Sasuke-kun."

Smirking, he grabbed her hand, and with a quick, "I'll get my revenge one of these days, Sakura.", they were off, running through the large crowds toward the subway.

dandelion wishes.

Her laughter penetrated his thoughts, his lips tugging upwards automatically into a small smile. She covered his eyes with her hands, saying, "Guess who!" She laughed again as he grabbed her hands with one of his, bringing her around him so she could see the flowers in front of him. "These are the same color as your hair." He didn't realize he had started twisting a lock of her hair around his finger, comparing the colors.

"You're right." Sakura smiled up at him, her cheeks a slightly rosier pink than usual. She blamed it on the heat. "Oh! Sasuke-kun, look!"

Sasuke watched her run across the field of flowers to a spot slightly higher than where he was. As he got closer to where she was kneeling, she plucked something up off the floor and showed it to him. "It's a dandelion!" She closed her eyes, then opened them, blowing on the dandelion in her hand. She seemed almost in a trance as she watched all of the seeds fly into the sky. Turning to Sasuke, she gushed, "Did you see that, Sasuke-kun? That means my wish will come true!"

He reached out slowly, placing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

She looked up at him, her smile still in place. His eyes locked with hers as he placed his hand underneath her jaw, tilting her head up. She didn't notice how close he was until his eyes darted down to look at her lips, and suddenly she felt short of breath. Her voice stammered when she said, "Ah, um, Sasuke-…kun?"

"Sakura!"

Sasuke let go of her automatically, turning to look at the person who'd called Sakura's name. "…Karin."

The redhead skipped happily in their direction, unaware of what had been taking place before she got there. "Are you keeping Sakura all to yourself, onii-chan?" Sitting next to Sakura, she said, "Oh! Have you made a wish yet?" She plucked a dandelion off the ground, laughing again as she said, "I'm gonna wish that Sasuke-nii act more like a normal older brother!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the laughing girls. "Where's Naruto?"

Karin shrugged. "I dunno. He stayed behind at the entrance to the park when he heard some girl call his name. She was really shy, with pretty long blue hair."

"Hinata's here? Karin, I haven't introduced you yet, have I? You need to meet her! She's the sweetest girl in the world~." Sakura stood up excitedly, grabbed Karin's hand, and dragged her along as she ran towards the entrance to the park.

She didn't notice the way Sasuke stared after her.

rainy memories.

She didn't see him enter the room.

Sakura sat on the window seat across the room from him, her attention caught by the falling rain. He walked silently towards her, his body tensing as he neared the window. "It's still raining."

"Mm." She stayed silent for a moment, until Sasuke placed his hands on her shoulders. "It happened on a day like this, didn't it. Karin told me."

He tensed slightly, nodding once. "Almost the same as that day."

Her voice grew softer as she asked, "How long has it been since it happened?" She felt his hands squeeze her shoulders a little, his face hidden by long strands of midnight-blue hair. "How long have you stayed away from the rain, from your motorcycle?"

"Three years, two months, and five days." He shook his head slowly. "Although it feels like much longer…"

She turned to look up at him, placing her hand on his cheek. "You really miss it, don't you?" Her words were barely a whisper, afraid she might make him regret talking about his past.

He chuckled sadly. "I'm afraid, Sakura." His eyes closed, feeling the warmth of her hand against his cheek. "I don't want to die. It's pitiful, isn't it? Ever since that day, I've been afraid to even look at a motorcycle. I make sure that if I need to go somewhere near the racetrack, I take the long way around so I don't have to see it." He dropped his head lower, not wanting her to see his face. "I'm so fucking weak."

Sakura reached out with both hands, grabbing his face so she could look him straight in the eye. "Sasuke-kun, you survived. Even when it looked like you wouldn't. Karin told me that even the doctors didn't know if you would make it. I don't call that weak." Getting on her knees, she placed her arms around him. "You're the bravest person I've ever met, Sasuke-kun…" she whispered.

Slowly, his arms went around her small shoulders, and his voice sounded relived, almost happy. "Whenever you're with me, Sakura, I don't miss it." He stroked her hair, remembering how short it had been when they had first met. "You brighten up my rainy days."

She pushed away from him enough to be able to see his face. She smiled. "I'm glad." Laughing, she said, "I didn't know Sasuke-kun could be so poetic!"

He smirked. "Horrible, Sakura. Just horrible."

lost connection.

"He's been gone for almost two weeks. It's okay to miss him, you know. We're human; we can't help being, well, us."

Sakura nodded slowly. She was having a hard time paying attention to her teacher droning on about the end-of-the-year finals, and how important it was that they study if they wanted to graduate high school. Karin leaned closer to her, her head turned to the teacher. Sakura could tell she wasn't about to let this go. "I know, Karin. You keep telling me that." She sighed. "But is it okay to miss him this much? I mean, he's my friend. Friends aren't supposed to act this way, are they?"

Karin rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. Friends." The moment the bell rang, Karin jumped up from her seat, turning to point at Sakura. "You, my friend, are in denial. Sasuke-nii totally likes you! It infuriates me how stupid he can be sometimes."

She shook her head. "Karin, how many times do I have to tell you? There's nothing going on between us—"

"Do you like him?"

"Karin, that's not the point—"

"Sakura. I'm asking you: Do you like Sasuke-nii?"

Instead of answering Karin's question, she stayed silent. How was she supposed to explain her relationship with Sasuke? They were friends. Sasuke was never going to see her as anything else. She didn't want to get her hopes up; she would never risk her friendship with him. If she…confessed to liking him, what would he do? Would he see her as another fan girl? Decide it was too much trouble and leave her? No, she didn't want any of this to happen. "I don't like him, Karin. Really, I don't."

"Sakura—" Karin closed her mouth, her lips pursed. She sighed. "Okay, okay, I understand. But seriously, Sakura, don't be afraid to show him how you really feel. You're special to him. I can see it."

brighter skies.

Sakura sighed happily, glad that her last class had finally ended. Being a freshman in college was more tiring than she had imagined. Her high school teachers had been right; M University wasn't a 'fooling around' university. Only the best students in the country got accepted. I still can't believe I got in… She turned to look at the girl walking next to her. "I still can't believe we got accepted, Hinata. I think my shock hasn't worn off!"

Hinata smiled. "I can't believe it either." She looked around at the campus buildings, amazement showing on her face. "But we have to do our best if we want to succeed. Which is why we have each other!"

Sakura nodded, her smile growing wider. "I'm glad we're here together. It makes me feel less lonely." Her smile fell, replaced instead with a sad smile. She sighed. Even now, her thoughts still wandered whenever she thought of her friends back home.

Her friend noticed the sad look on her face, concern displayed on hers. "I miss the others too. Especially Naruto-kun." She smiled when Sakura turned to look at her, her eyes drifting up towards the sunny sky. "But I remind myself that he's happy for me, and that I'll get to see him soon. Because he cares about me, too."

Seven months had already passed since they had moved to M University. It was a long way from their town, and neither one had enough money to visit until the end of the year. Five more months until I can go home again… She missed her friends.

And Sasuke-kun. Especially Sasuke-kun… The pain in her chest grew stronger. How long was she going to have to feel like this…?

"Sakura, is that…?"

Hinata's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, bringing her attention to the front gates of the school. "That's him, isn't it? Sasuke's here!"

Sakura stopped walking. Her eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing. Sasuke-kun…it's Sasuke-kun. She didn't notice when Hinata disappeared, leaving her alone to stare at Sasuke.

He walked up to her, his expression showing how amused he was at her reaction. Softly, he said, "Hey." He didn't wait for a response, instead putting his hand on her back, pushing her gently towards the entrance.

She came out of her daze when they stopped walking, the thing in front of her making her catch her breath. "Sasuke-kun, is that…?"

He nodded. "Get on. I want to take you for a ride."

"Are you sure…?" She looked up at him, the words she was about to say catching in her throat. He looked calm, a small smile playing on his lips.

Wordlessly, he picked her up and placed her on the motorcycle; his motorcycle. She turned to look at him. "Sasuke-kun—" His lips captured hers before she could utter anything else, and she returned the kiss without hesitation. He moved away enough to look at her blushing face.

Whispering against her lips, he said, "Yes, I'm sure."

A/N: Dedicated to Ximena (Sugar-Rush08), who's birthday was the 8th of January. It's a (very, VERY) late birthday present, but…hope you liked? Sorry it took so long! You know how much I love to procrastinate. ;)

Took me a year and a half to finish this, but hey, now you're 18! You should be able to forgive me for being such an irresponsible 17-year-old. c:

Oh! If I didn't make it clear enough, every little segment takes place a couple months after the other.
Feedback? :)