Through Thick and Thin-

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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Today was like any other day for Sakura Haruno. She was a medical student in her junior year of college. Her days were spent at school, her evenings studying, and her free time volunteering at the local hospital. For as long as she could remember, she'd wanted to be a doctor. To be someone who could save people's lives where they could go home happy and healthy with their families. Slowly, but surely, she was making her lifelong dream a reality.

It wasn't always that things went her way however. Though she'd lost her parents when she was a child due to an illness that struck them, she'd had a pretty decent life. She'd had a few good friends who'd always been there for her when she needed it most, and she'd even fallen in love with a guy who was her everything.

His name was Sasuke Uchiha. They'd gone to school together their whole lives but it was early on when Sakura acknowledged the feelings she had for him. He was cold, dark and a loner of sorts, or at least he tried to be, but after some time Sakura was able to get him to open up to her and it was when they were in middle school that the two of them became official.

School was the only place they'd seen each other for a long time, but it never bothered them. Sakura sacrificed time with her friends just to be with him and eventually, he opened up more until he'd started joining her with her friends and in the end, he'd befriended them as well. They were both happy. There were trials, there always were but they'd made it through everything and were together happily from middle school, through all of high school and on up until now.

The poor girl had never seen it coming. She and Sasuke had been comfortable and happy together. He was loyal to her, just as she was to him and they seemed to be a perfect pair. Even their friends told them so often. Everyone said they'd be together forever. Sakura thought they'd be together forever. So, when the news hit her of Sasuke's supposed infidelity, it had nearly destroyed her. The worst part of it was, she had yet to face him about it and she wasn't sure what she was going to do, or say to him.

"Take a few days off from your volunteer work." Her mentor and the head of the hospital she helped out at told her. Sakura had confided in her, having been at work when the news came to her through a friend. The look on the girl's face was enough for the older lady, Tsunade, to know that she would need some time. Everyone knew how long she and the Uchiha had been together and Sakura was always helping others, never taking the time to help herself and so if she didn't agree, Tsunade would force her to take a leave. "I won't have you arguing with me about this either, Sakura. You take as long as you need. You have finals coming up soon as well…"

Sakura nodded solemnly, trying her hardest to remain emotionless as her thoughts fought to consume her. "Okay."

Surprisingly, the day was beautiful. The skies were clear, aside from the large white clouds looming overhead. The weather was warm, but cool at the same time. It was Sakura's favorite time of year. Spring. Summer was fast approaching and she'd be out of school for a few months before returning for her senior year. All the excitement she'd had for everything in her near future had been crushed however, now that she thought about her new situation.

In a way, Sasuke was her life. She had a life outside of their relationship, she was busy and sometimes days went by without her even getting to see him. But, they'd been together for so long, he was all she knew. Just the thought of not being with him hurt her so bad she couldn't even breathe.

Straight home to her apartment was where she'd gone. She'd been starving and in need of food but then when she thought about the text message she'd received about Sasuke, all her appetite dissipated. As soon as she had closed the door behind her, she slumped to the floor and that was when she didn't hold anything back. There was nobody to be strong in front of and so finally, she cried her heart out, until she could cry no more.

A shower had made her body feel slightly better, but her mind was still destroyed, and she was sure her heart could never be mended. A deep frown seemed to be permanently etched onto her face as she wondered around her apartment, cleaning and doing laundry and anything else she could to try to escape her thoughts, but nothing worked. No matter how hard she tried, all she could think about was Sasuke, and the fact that he'd cheated on her.

The two of them had given themselves to each other fully. It was early on in high school when they'd lost their virginities together and for a long time, they spent as much time as they could getting used to such a new sensation and after that, they only got closer.

Sasuke never seemed to get bored of her, and their relationship was as great as it could be. The chemistry had always been there, and their love was strong, or so she'd thought. Never in a million years would she have ever thought that Sasuke would ever try and sleep with another woman, or even give another woman the time of day. Though he wasn't cold like he used to be, he still was when it came to people he didn't regularly associate with, and all those people were mutual friends of theirs.

When she'd first received the text, in all honesty, she didn't believe it. She couldn't believe it. But, it had been her best friend that had come to her with the information and after analyzing the incident and people involved, Sakura was sure there was no mistaking it. Sasuke had betrayed her. He'd made a terrible mistake. He'd hurt her and there was no getting back from that. She had no choice but to face him and end what they'd had for so many years. It hurt. It hurt so much because she knew, as hard as it was going to be for her, Sasuke probably wouldn't even bat an eye. How could he if he could stoop so low as to cheat on her? After everything they'd be through together though, she just didn't understand.

He'd even said before that he wanted to marry her and have a family. He was adamant about how much she meant to him. There was never a time when she felt as if Sasuke didn't love her, and that's why she just didn't understand. She was sure as she went about sweeping her floors, that she never would understand.

It was a few hours after she'd been home that a knock sounded on her door. Momentarily, she froze, afraid that it may be Sasuke and she just wasn't ready to face him yet. She wasn't prepared, even though she felt she never would be, she definitely wasn't prepared for it yet. The knocking continued and knowing she should answer it, she left her cleaning to walk to the door. It shouldn't have been Sasuke anyway. It was Thursday, and every Thursday he spent the evening with his brother, working at his business.

Thankfully, it wasn't Sasuke. It was her best friend Ino, the same one who'd delivered the horrid news.

"Sakura…" Ino's bottom lip trembled as she stepped inside, kicking the door closed and wrapping Sakura in a tight embrace the second she stepped in.

"Ino…" Sakura whispered brokenly, all her willpower vanished instantly and she was consumed by sobs.

After that she cried even longer than she did when she'd first got home.

Ino walked her to the couch and sat with her, never letting go. Sakura had never felt such a pain, such a loss as she did then, just imagining her life with Sasuke being over. There was no way she'd ever get over it, ever be able to move on with her life. Sasuke was too important, to special to her. He was her life, such a big part of it that he could indeed be considered the very life she held. What happened? Why had it come down to this? Would she ever be okay after this?

Later that same evening, Ino talked her into having a few drinks as a distraction and it had worked for a bit, but after two bottles of wine, the pain she'd been feeling returned the surface full force. She'd been sitting on the floor against the couch when she bought her knees up to her chin and hugged her legs, fearing the breakdown that was inevitable.

Ino looked to her friend sympathetically. She knew just how important Sasuke was to her friend and she had also never seen this coming. "Sakura, don't be so down… I know it may seem like the end of the world right now, but you will get through this."

"Get through this…" Sakura grumbled, becoming angry at the thought. She'd gotten through a lot in her life, but this was something she knew she'd never get through. It was definitely the end of her world. Her life. Her Sasuke. "I can't get through this." She told Ino, voicing her true feelings. "I mean… I won't even be able to face him. I can't confront Sasuke about this! I'll just never be able to talk to him again." Tears were streaming down her face once more and she feared she'd dehydrate if they continued.

"Don't talk like that!" Ino scolded her, though softly as she could. "You will face him, and you will make him regret this too."

Sakura looked to her friend, though she looked blurry through her tears. "How? If this was something he'd regret, he would have never done it."

Ino frowned and sighed. "Yes, I can see how you'd come to that conclusion, but Sakura… Men are pigs. Just because Sasuke did what he did doesn't mean he loves you any less. You're just as much his world as you are his-"

"That's not true." Sakura cut her off there, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I love him too much to ever cheat on him." Even if she wasn't with him, she'd never be able to move on with her life and be someone else.

"But don't you see, it is. That's what I'm saying. Men and women are totally different when it comes to that sort of thing. He probably wasn't thinking. It's hard for a man to constantly have girls throwing themselves at you without making a mistake at least once. Not saying that he's justified, because he isn't. Not by a long shot, but what I do know is that Sasuke will regret this, and you're going to make him!"

Sakura looked away then, but her tears had dried up mostly. "That's not who I am… I don't want him to hurt. Even if I am, I'd be more happy just knowing he was happy…"

"Say something else like that and I won't be able to stop myself from slapping you back down to Earth!" Ino snapped. "Don't you see, Sasuke still has to be around you at school. How do you think he will feel every time he looks at you, and remembers what he did, after everything the two of you have been through, after all the years you've been together… Do you think he'd going to just forget about all that? No, he isn't and you're not going to let him either."

Ino ranted for hours, until late in the night. She told Sakura that she should be stronger, she should get Sasuke back for hurting her so deeply. Sakura wasn't that type of girl but then again, Sasuke deserved to feel bad for what he'd done. He'd ruined something so special, so pure. Now he'd left her having to imagine her life without him and possibly with another man as her future husband, the father of her children. How could she even contemplate any of that? No, a part of her certainly did want him to feel guilty for ruining what they'd had. She'd thought they had an irreplaceable bond, one strong enough to get through any and everything but she was wrong.

They couldn't get through this. She would never be able to forgive him, no matter how much she loved him.

…

The next day, Sakura had to force herself to go to school. Though she and Sasuke had no classes together, they often passed each other in the halls because they were in the same building. And being that she and Sasuke were together, he'd often seek her out, finding her where he'd know she'd be so they could have a moment together, no matter how brief it would be.

Ino drove them to school in her car, and she continued to preach the entire way. Sakura didn't feel like she would burst into tears at any second like she had the entire day before, but she still felt down and unsure about the whole situation. As down as she was though, she knew Ino had a point. She had to be strong enough to seem as unbothered by this as possible. Sasuke hurt her, he cut her so deeply she'd never heal, but she couldn't let him know how bad it hurt.

"Maybe you won't see him today, but if you do you have to be prepared for what you're going to say. Whatever you do, don't let him see you crack. Be strong."

Sakura sighed as she gazed out of the car window, watching the passing scenery as they went. "I'll try… but what will I say to him?"

"You just need to end it. Tell him you're done."

Those words hurt. How could she ever say such a thing to Sasuke? She never wanted it to be over, but she also knew that it already was. "So I should just break up with him?"

"Yes." Ino said quickly, seeming to have no second thoughts. "You don't even have to bother with explanations. Trust me, when you end it, he'll know exactly what he done."

Sakura just didn't know anything, but she hoped and prayed by some miracle, she wouldn't have to face Sasuke at school. If she did, and she did manage to tell him it was over, she wasn't sure how she would handle being at school during all that. But if it came down to it, and she had no other option, she would do what she had to do. She refused to play the fool and act as if nothing had ever happened. No, that would hurt even more than his betrayal.

"Okay," Ino took a deep breath once they'd parked on campus, then turned in her seat to face Sakura seriously. "don't forget who you are, and what you are to him Sakura. Don't let him get away with hurting you like this. If something does happen and you need to get out of here, call me. I'll take you wherever you want to go."

Sakura nodded, although she knew they both needed to stay at school. With finals a week away, they had to be buckling down. Every lesson mattered.

Happy that the day had been going smoothly so far, Sakura had put her thoughts of Sasuke away and continued with her day as she would any other. Instead of having lunch on campus, she and Ino went off to a nearby diner to grab some food. They had an hour before their next class started.

The food was good and Ino talked so much about anything but Sasuke that Sakura was mostly distracted, but she still had that horrible feeling deep in her gut. She'd managed to eat half her plate, despite her lack of appetite and she felt much better after having a little something on her stomach. Ino paid for their lunch before they left the small restaurant and got in the car to head back to school.

"Um… Ino?"

"Yes?"

Sakura's fists clenched in her lap as she thought over what she wanted once more. "If you don't mind, could you take me home? I think I need some time to myself."

It wasn't really that she needed time to herself, no it was the fact that she knew, without a doubt, that she'd have to run into Sasuke if she went back. Anxiety filled her to the brim just thinking about it. She couldn't face him at school, she just couldn't. When he noticed she wasn't there, he'd come to her house. If not that day, then over the weekend. She was sure about it and she was sure it would be easier to get through it all without an audience.

"I understand." Ino told her sweetly, and she took her home before leaving for school again. "If you need me, call me."

"I will." Sakura waved her off before hurrying inside to be alone, and depressed.

For as long as she could remember, it had been her and Sasuke. Even when people referred to them, it was always 'Sasuke and Sakura'. It was never just Sakura, or just Sasuke. Together, the two of them were a whole because they'd just been together for so long. Their friends were mutual, everything they did, they did together. Sakura was sure she'd let go of all the hobbies she and Sasuke had shared together, just to try and forget about him. She'd focus on finishing school and working more. She didn't know how, but some way, she had to move on from this.

It was late, about the time people would be having dinner when her phone rang. Her heart skipped several beats as she listened to the ringer. It was a specific ringtone set for Sasuke, so she didn't have to look at her phone to know it was him calling. Deathly, she walked over to where her phone sat on the bar in the kitchen. She bit her lip as she saw his picture there, smiling back at her as he called. She was trembling by the time the call passed and only then did she pick up her phone with shaky hands.

Again it rang, he was calling back. He'd know she missed some of school, which she never did unless she was horribly sick and she thought he was probably worried about her, but a second thought told her that he probably wasn't. Maybe he'd been pretending to care for her and this whole time, she'd been nothing but a joke to him. Less than a minute after the second call passed unanswered, she received a text.

'Sakura, call me.'

Her fingers traced over the letters as tears filled her eyes for the millionth time. She wanted to call him. She wanted this all to be a bad dream and be able to talk to him like it never happened, but it was impossible. This was her painful reality and she couldn't talk to him. She couldn't even text him back.

As soon as she sat her phone down, another text arrived. Hesitantly, she opened it.

'You must be sick, I'll come over and check on you.'

In a panic, she forced herself to reply. She couldn't face him yet. She just couldn't. He couldn't come see her.

'No, I'm fine. Just tired and resting. Don't bother coming.'

She sent the text, hoping it would be enough to keep him away. She felt too weak, too afraid to face him just yet. Though it was already over, facing him would truly make it real and she needed more time, if only a little. Sasuke was persistent though and she knew it better than anybody, so she wasn't surprised by his response.

'Then I'll bring you dinner and you can rest all you want. I'm still coming.'

"No, no, no, no, no…" She repeated, her heart pounding viciously. Her hands shook so badly it took her a few minutes to type a reply.

'No, really. Don't bother. I've already ate and I just want to sleep.'

'You're not making sense, Sakura. You don't want to see me?'

She couldn't reply to that and after a moment or two, he was calling again. Sakura didn't know what to do, but she knew she had to do something or he'd be coming either way and she didn't want it to be today. Any day but today. So she answered.

"Sakura, talk to me." Sasuke said into the phone when Sakura answered without a word. His voice was like a knife to the chest. He sounded genuinely concerned, as he always would if she ever acted such a way. It hurt to hear his voice, to have to be this way, but she didn't do this. He did.

After clearing her voice and summoning as much courage as she could, she spoke. "I'm sorry Sasuke. I'm just not feeling well and I don't want any company."

"But…" Sasuke sounded confused and he paused a moment. "I'm not company…"

The tears returned then and Sakura's hand covered her mouth in an attempt to get herself together. "You're right, you're not. But, I'm already in bed. There's no reason for you to come over. I was actually asleep when you called."

"Oh." He sounded disappointed. "I see."

Sakura feared he'd notice the strain in her voice, but she tried to sound as unbothered as she could. Still, she had to end this call soon. "Don't worry about me, honestly. I'm fine. Just sleepy."

"Okay…" He didn't sound convinced and Sakura was worried he may still show up, so she made a suggestion.

"Come see me tomorrow, around noon maybe. If that's okay with you." She bit her lips as she waited for him to respond.

"You don't seem like yourself, Sakura. But, I'll respect your wishes. I'll come tomorrow as you asked."

"Thank you." Sakura whispered, her heart breaking more and more with each word. "I love you." She added, before losing her breath. It was a habit to always tell him before she hung up, and as much as she hated it, it was still true. She loved him so much and she always would. No matter how bad he hurt her.

"I love y-"

Sakura hung up in a desperate attempt not to hear his lies. She hated that he could say that to her so casually, just as he always had, as if nothing was different. Suddenly as she powered her phone off, she felt as if she didn't know Sasuke at all. Because, the Sasuke she knew, would have never hurt her in anyway. He definitely would have never made her out as a fool.

…

The next day came too quickly, it didn't make sense because every second seemed to drag by for Sakura, and yet here she was, getting dressed to see Sasuke, only to break her own heart just as he had done. She'd spent a long time in the shower, trying to get herself together and though she was scared and worried, she did feel somewhat more confident as she dressed herself.

Maybe Sasuke did just make a one-time mistake and he would be regretting it. She couldn't say for sure, but she just couldn't believe that he could lose her and remain unaffected. They'd been together for so long. They'd grown up together. They knew each other so well, they were so comfortable. It was hard to believe he'd just throw everything away, and feel comfortable enough with someone else to even do such a thing. Had he really had sex with another girl? Touched another girl as he's touched her, kissed another girl, like he kissed her? The thought made her nauseas.

She dressed comfortably, but in something cute enough that he'd like. Red was her color, and the blouse she'd chosen with her white skirt was something new that she'd recently bought. Something she'd planned to wear on their next night out together, which would have been this weekend had everything not been ruined. She didn't usually wear shoes around the house, but she put them on today. A cute pair of red heels. They made her feel more confident, if only a tad bit.

After drying and styling her hair last, she added a light touch of makeup, her red lipstick last. Sasuke always preferred her with lipstick, he told her it suited her well and she wanted to look her best when she faced him. She wanted him to know what he was losing out on. She'd been special to him for so long, he'd have to miss her. He just had to.

…

Sasuke was early, which didn't surprise her. He usually always was. He knocked on the door which was locked, something it never was when she was expecting him. She was sure he had to be concerned by now. Taking her sweet time and resolving herself as best she could, she went to the door with a poker face. Reluctantly, she unlocked and opened the door. Seeing him though, brought all that pain back to the front of her mind, but still, she kept her face stoic as she looked up at him.

He stood there, smiling softly at her. He was sinfully beautiful, as he always had been, but he wasn't the boy she'd grown to love. He was a man, the man who had her heart. His dark hair hung around his face, his obsidian eyes gazed into hers warmly. His right hand was in his pocket and his left followed suit now that he was no longer using it to knock. Sakura never hesitated when she saw him, especially after going several days without him, so when she didn't instantly throw her arms around him, he knew something must have been wrong.

"What's the matter?" He asked quietly, taking his right hand and reaching out to touch her cheek.

Sakura looked away, moving her face away to avoid his touch. She couldn't afford to crumble, not now. Sasuke's hand fell down to rest at his side and Sakura looked over at it as it did. Looking him in the eyes would be too hard, but she still had the urge to look at him. Watching as his fist clenched at his side, she only felt she was becoming more nervous with each passing second.

"Sakura?"

Stepping out, Sakura walked around him, being sure not to touch him. The door closed itself behind her as she approached the banister, trying hard not to think about how much she truly loved him, or how good he looked dressed in his usual jeans and collared shirt. He came over next to her, his hand resting on the banister beside her as she leaned on it, as if bracing herself for the impact of what was to come.

"Sakura," Sasuke called to her, sounding anxious. "talk to me. Tell me what's bothering you."

"I never thought it would come to this…" She trailed off, her voice breaking, betraying her just as he had.

"Come to what?" He asked loudly, his hand swinging around in exasperation. "You're not making any sense."

She laughed then. It was funny he thought she was the one not making any sense, when he'd brought her to this point. "I thought we had something precious…" She muttered bitterly.

"Sakura, just what the hell are you going on about?" Sasuke hissed, getting louder with each word. He gripped the banister with his hand as he stared at her, at a loss. She refused to face him.

She shook her head to shake away her fears. She had to go through with this. "You know exactly what I'm going on about."

"No. No I really don't." Sasuke was annoyed and confused, but Sakura felt he was putting on quite the show.

"Okay, well then this is about us. About what I thought we had. It could have been forever… in my heart, I always felt that it would be. But,"

"What the fuck, Sakura? Why would it change now? You think I want it to change?" Sasuke was pacing around behind her trembling form now and Sakura wasn't sure how she'd go on. "I mean, I know we haven't had a lot of time together recently, but that won't last forever. It doesn't mean I don't care about you-"

"Stop!" Sakura snapped. The last thing she wanted was to listen to anymore of his lies, to feel any further betrayed. She wasn't accepting that, because she'd been far too good to him to deserve it. "There's nothing you can say to change this."

"What?" Sasuke's hoarse question rang out, shattering all that was left of her heart. She turned and stepped back around him, wanting to leave it at that. Eventually, they could move on. She could move on. "Sakura, don't walk away from me. I… I don't understand." She hesitated at her door, her hand shaking so much it rattled the doorknob as she held tight to it.

"If you think hard enough, I'm sure you'll understand with ease."

"No, there's nothing to think of. I can't think of any reason you'd do this to me… to us."

Sakura couldn't believe it. He was truly stooping so low she didn't even know what to make of it. He'd try and blame this on her? After what he'd done. Well she was no fool, she had her reasons and he knew it too, even if he wouldn't admit it.

"Whatever you're mad about, I'm sorry. But, I can't fix it if you don't tell me. I'm not around enough, I'll be around. I'll fucking move in if it will make you happy. School's almost out, we'll have a lot more time then. I can cut back on work, stop helping Itachi. If it's something other than time, I can fix it too, but you have to give me a chance."

"Sasuke, please stop." She begged him, because his words were too much for her to bear. "It's not the time, or anything like that. Don't ignore it, you know exactly what has caused this. Playing dumb only makes it worse. I won't ever forget it, nor can I forgive you for it."

Sasuke grabbed her free arm and whirled her around to face him so quickly she didn't know what happened. She couldn't ignore the look of anguish on his face, nor the tears that were falling down her cheeks. "Sakura, I swear, there's nothing I've done to hurt you. If it isn't the time then I have no idea what it could be. You say you can't forgive me, or forget this thing. Do you honestly believe I would do anything, anything at all to make you feel that way?"

Sakura closed her eyes tight, willing him to disappear and take her pain with him. "Sasuke,"

"Don't do this." His hands held tight to both her arms and he was so close she just couldn't take it. "Sakura, I love you. You know I love you, more than anything. You're my life. As if I'd do anything to lose it!" He pulled her against him and wrapped his strong arms around her, holding her tightly as if that would be enough for her to understand. "I'd never hurt you, I haven't done anything. You're my everything."

"Enough!" Sakura fought him off, then fell back against her door. Reaching behind her she grabbed the doorknob as she faced him with hurt, but strong green eyes. "Don't lie to me anymore! Don't you think you've done enough damage?"

Sasuke's face fell, the crushed look on his face was enough to break her heart all over again. "I would never lie to you…" He told her earnestly, his voice shaking as badly as hers.

"There was a time… when I believed that too. But, you don't have to lie anymore Sasuke. You don't have to pretend. Now, you can spend all your time with your friends, doing whatever you like and you'll never, ever have to worry about me again." She turned her body to face her door, but she paused and looked back at him. "You know, I will always love you though. I hope you'll be happy with your mistake and what's more, I hope every time you see me, it gives you hell."

With those as her final words on the matter, she hurried into her apartment and slammed the door in his face. She shakily managed to lock the door before collapsing to the floor, sobbing hysterically as she did. Her body hurt, she couldn't breathe. She clutched her chest as she lay on the floor, gasping for air and crying so uncontrollably at the grief she felt, that tears couldn't even form in her eyes. She'd never hurt so bad, and the longer Sasuke pounded on her door, the deeper she hurt.

A/N:

Thanks for reading!

Hope you enjoy.