It's Not Over

After her dinner with Naruto, she had a huge decision to make. Naruto, being the kind soul he was, had told her that she was an "idiot" for even thinking he would turn her away when she needed him. So, she sat thinking about what she was going to do. Her body instinctively packing her few belongings into a bag that she promptly placed by her feet. The smell of his skin had lingered on her clothes and she couldn't help smelling them as she had packed them away.

She needed time to center herself, to find serenity and decide what she wanted to do. God knows she loved the man, and she knew he would argue and try to persuade her to stay, but would he be serious? Would he try to change? She didn't know if she wanted to find out…

She needed to clarify how she felt. Without him around. The decision was personal and if she decided to come back, she would work with him to straighten out the mess that was their love. If not, she had to move on with her life and stop crying. So she waited for him to come home. He was on time today. When he walked through the door, he passed by her without a word. As he came out of the bedroom changed into more comfortable clothes, she was still on the couch. She stood and turned to face him.

She tried not to cry, but she knew she would fail.

...Change in POV- Sasuke

He was stunned speechless. What could he say? It had all made sense in the beginning. Now she was taking away everything. He wasn't strong enough for that. He wasn't strong enough to be without her.

He had tried before to see the good things in life. But good things are hard to come by. She was everything to him. Couldn't she see that? No, she couldn't leave. He would try again. He'd try to do it right this time. 'Just please, please god don't let her go. Don't let her leave me.'

She was turning her back to him and he could see her shoulders shake. Her bag was on the floor beside her. Just one. She'd always said that as long as she had him she didn't need anything else. She gave everything to him. Her heart, her love. Sasuke.

Just because a part of him was dead. He knew it and she had finally seen what he had tried to hide from her all along. Because if she ever saw him for what he really was, a heartless, worthless creature incapable of emotion, she'd leave him. She had finally seen the hole in his black heart. But she couldn't leave. If she left, he'd die for sure. His life with her meant everything. Everything.

He reached for her and when he touched her on the shoulder, she froze. He stifled a cry and removed his hand. His eyes turned to the ground and his hair shadowed his face. Shadowed the glossy tears forming in his onyx eyes.

The love he was trying to nurture for her was killing him. The emotions, the need to be with her all the time was driving him insane. He couldn't handle the love he had for her. Couldn't handle only being able to think of her. He'd tried everything: other women, alcohol, drugs. He knew he was hurting her when he did those things. His heart broke when he heard her sobs in the night, but the feelings of guilt only drove him to drink more in a desperate attempt to forget the pain. The pain he caused her. The pain in his evil heart. The blinding pain called love. She was the only one. The only one he could be with.

He'd taken all he could take without breaking. But when he came home to those eyes, those beautiful eyes that made him drown in agony, he needed to assure himself that she deserved better. He needed to drink to erase the feelings of misery that arose when he thought of the things he did to her. It was a never ending cycle and he was killing himself trying to find a way out of it.

She was crying and trying to apologize but she couldn't because the pain hitched her voice and she couldn't breathe because she was crying so hard. He was still hurting her and he hated himself for it. He wanted to die, but then she would only cry more and he couldn't do it.

She was strong. She had to be for him and he couldn't be for her. But he couldn't let them fall apart; the only good thing to ever happen to him. There had to be a way and he had to find it. He wouldn't, couldn't give up that easily.

"Please, can we start over? You're the only one for me. Please, say it's not over! Please!"

The tears fell from his eyes and he was showing weakness and he had to stop because weakness isn't acceptable in a genius like him but he couldn't stop them because she made him ache and he loved her and oh, god, it couldn't be over. 'Please stay with me!' Please don't let her turn her back on me or I'll die right here, right now. Oh, Sakura!

He fell to his knees and held his hands out to her. He couldn't see through his tears but still he could make out her beautiful pink hair and he reached for her. She backed away and he could tell by her anguished cry that her heart was tearing in two and he couldn't stand the pain. Her pain. He had to end it someway. He had to make it better for her. He watched her back away from him and cried out despite himself.

"Let's start over! I can't… I can't be without you. Please. Please."

His words echoed around the room and her hand froze on the doorknob. She turned to look at him on the floor and her hand turned the knob. The door opened. He was dying on the inside. He couldn't watch her leave His head turned away from her. The sound of the door slamming shut reverberated in his mind. Over and over, he was sure the sound would haunt him forever. His body shook with sobs and he couldn't breathe. A scream ripped from his throat. The scream lasted until his throat was bloody and raw and he could scream no more. Then he collapsed.

He wasn't aware of anything for a long time. Then he could feel gentle hands lifting him up and placing him somewhere warm. He was floating in the darkness of his mind. The words that he could hear made no sense, but he didn't want the voice to stop. It was a beautiful voice. He heard the word "fever" before he lost consciousness again.

He knew he should get up, but his body didn't want to listen to him. No matter how much he urged it, it refused to obey. He was frustrated. Something important was missing, but he couldn't remember what. He dreamed of cherry blossoms and a laugh like bells. He smiled in his sleep. He'd heard that laugh sometime in his past. He hadn't heard it in so long. Who's laugh was it? He couldn't remember, but he was sure that the person with the laugh like bells was important to him. He would have to get better so that he could hear them laugh again. He knew just the joke for the occasion.

The first time he woke up, the first thing he saw were crystal green eyes. They looked anxious. He reached for them. For some reason, the worry in the eyes made him sad. He wanted to help the person. "Please don't cry." It came out as a whisper and he winced with the effort of trying to get the words out of his sore throat. Why his throat was sore though, he had no idea. The eyes smiled and he went back to the darkness.

Slowly, he became conscious and as he did, the memory of her came back. She was gone. "No!" He sat up quickly in the bed, ignoring the pain in his body, and looked around for her. She really was gone. The tears were back. He held his head in his hands and let them. No one was around to see them anyway. No one wanted to be near him.

When the door opened, he ignored it. When the footsteps came into the room, he ignored his hearts hopeful beating. When her arms wrapped around him, he couldn't ignore it any longer and he reached up to hold her against his body. She didn't pull away.

THE END

For real this time! I mean it! This story is done!! Thank you for reading. Reviews are appreciated, good, bad, or whatever.