Bound:
I.
Sakura.
Life wasn't a fairy tale. It was dark and shallow. Sakura finds herself stumbling upon a writer. As broken and rotten as she.
"He wanted to teach me how to live. My life was shrouded in self-destruction but in the depths of his eyes I saw his passion to survive."
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It only took her a second to know she didn't belong here.
Posh atmosphere.
Booths.
Tables lined with silk white tablecloths.
Candles surrounded by glass.
Candles that were actually real.
It hadn't taken her long to come to grips with the fact that she wanted to bolt.
The first sign was the fact she was a little too under-dressed.
Ripped jeans. Red blouse with a criss crossed pattern across her chest.
Tiny heeled black boots.
Other women were clad in posh evening gowns. Glittering jewelry.
She?
Her crimson nail polish was chipping to the bit.
Hadn't taken out the plethora of earrings that shimmered in her ears.
That tattoo around her pectoral area that could be seen through the openings in her red blouse seemed a little sinful.
She blinked.
Jade hues glinting beneath the chandelier and yellow tinted lighting.
Why was she here.
Oh. Right.
Her idiot of a brother had called her. Again. His phone calls had been nonstop.
She didn't have time for this.
It was her only night off in Gods knew how long.
After a few moments of searching over sneering looks and craned necks - she found him.
Sasori was nestled in a booth.
Karin was there too.
She sighed.
The whole Haruno sibling clan under one roof?
Tossing her black sweater over one shoulder, she stepped towards them.
Nerves rattled around.
The last time she had seen her brother, he was yelling at her that she was the cause of their fathers death. Eyes wild with intoxication. A beer bottle shattered to bits at his feet. Eyes feral and pain cloaking every inch of him.
And her sister? She had been the reason she was able to get away. And she regretted every moment she never took her sister with her. But who else was going to look after their mother, with her gone? And Sasori in shambles?
The first thing she noticed was that Sasori actually looked healthy.
Crimson locks that once were so shaggy had been styled back. A wave rolled to one side of his head, shorter at the back. His eyes glinted with warmth at the sight of her.
Grown.
Hardened by years of guilt and heartache.
"Sakura, you made it."
"Unfortunately."
He winced at the unfamiliarity in her tone.
Karin looked uneasy. Her own crimson hair, a blazing red. Rose tinted glasses shifting on the bridge of her nose. Her tight gold dress shimmering in the undertow of the chandelier hanging above them. Gold light glinting off the diamonds.
"What brings you to Konoha, Saso'?"
"I've come to bring you home."
"I don't think that's very wise."
"It's...mom." Karin muttered weakly.
Sakura collapsed into the seat across from them, all pent up frustration evaporating as exhaustion lined her features and her nerves overtook her again, "What about mom?"
"After...everything that happened, I vowed to clean myself up, Sakura. I did. I've been working my ass off these past few years. I've saved up enough and was able to pay off mom's debts. The Inn is doing fine. She's just...ever since you left it hasn't been the same. It's been hard on her. Me going off the deep end. Karin getting married...dad."
"You're married?" Her sharp gaze flickered to her sister who shrugged nonchalantly. "Suigetsu."
"That faggot?" Karin smirked. Sasori frowned.
"Will be married."
Sakura sighed.
She had missed out on a lot.
Their father had passed away six years ago.
That was the day Sasori had fallen apart.
That moment their father had collapsed at the dinner table.
When the hospital couldn't resurrect him.
Sasori had turned his anger and the blame out on her.
On the daughter who was a doctor and couldn't even save her own father.
The Inn had suffered greatly after his death.
Sasori wasn't working. Sakura had spent so many years working hard to become a doctor so that their mother didn't have to go through this all alone. Wouldn't have to have their family business go into foreclosure.
But when she stopped showing up to work, riddled with the guilt and pain, their mother having a hard time processing all that was happening - all that responsiblity fell to Sasori.
He crumbled.
Karin was too young to be of any help in the financial status.
And when he finally broke, he got into too many fights. Was sent away. Tried to beat sense into Sakura and she fled. She ran away from the brother she had once looked up to. And now had stared at with fear. Sasori had always been aggressive. But that night when he was ready to strike her - she ran.
When she ran - her mother finally got to terms with the reality. She had a sixteen year old daughter to take care of. Her twenty-two year old daughter could take of herself.
Now six years later, twenty-eight, living in the city of Konoha, having revoked herself of her medical license for the time being - all that guilt and shame and fear came rolling back upon her.
She had killed her father.
Sasori was beyond saving.
Karin was alone.
Her mother was broken.
And she?
She was beyond saving.
Konoha had become her solace.
She waited tables.
Worked at the bar in her spare time.
Busied herself with her artwork.
But now here it all was coming back.
Her sister was getting married.
Sasori had claimed he was reformed.
And she wanted to get back up and run from all the shit hitting her in the face.
Sasori was staring imploringly at her.
Karin looked happy to see her.
All she felt was a sickness in her stomach.
Standing up quickly she muttered something under her breath and stepped outside into the crisp night.
Six years after leaving Suna she had to get used to milder summers and bitter winters. Autumn had approached a few weeks ago and it was starting to get colder. She sighed angrily.
She pushed back the long wavy strands of rose gold hair that shimmered behind her. Way past her shoulders. Convoluted strands. Just life her life.
Pulling a cigarette from her pocket, she pressed the acidic stick to the corner of her mouth. Lighting it up outside the main entrance she inhaled sharply, blowing angrily the smoke through her nostrils.
She wanted a drink.
Lucky for her, she knew the perfect place to go to.
'
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'
Buns and Booze.
Smoke tainted the air.
It reeked of desperation and lost integrity and fumbling secrets.
Sweat stanched the ground - along with other substances she didn't care to identify.
Making her way towards the bar, she slammed her coat against the bar stool she slumped into. Pushing back her long strands, her bangs running off to the right of her forehead, her bright gaze cut towards the woman behind the bar.
Ino. Her roommate and the first friend she had made moving here.
She was bubbly but had a bite to her that made them instantly kick it off.
Ino had given her a job at the bar she co-owned with Tenten, their other roommate. She had also allowed her to rent their extra room above the bar.
She had instantly fell into a friendship with the two of them.
Tenten was all spitfire and passion bundled into this ball of sass and happiness.
The two of them helped her when she had fallen into a dark hole, never wanting to resurface. They helped her get back on her feet and she worked her ass off trying to repay them for that kindness.
Ino took one look at her and winked her cornflower blue depths. "Coming up."
"You'll never guess who I saw today."
"Lee?" Sakura sighed.
Lee was a regular of hers that insisted always on leaving a too generous tip for her. Ino called it love. She called it desperate. Sweet. But too desperate. He was always showering her with compliments that she couldn't reciprocate.
"Sasori. Karin." Ino's eyes widened.
"No shit."
"Shit. Yes."
"What the hell happened?" Tenten and Ino knew all about her past. Tenten sympathized - her parents both being dead. Her only companionship her aunt and boyfriend, Neji who she had grown up with all her life.
Ino didn't understand the complexities but she was still there for her. Her parents lived in a small town. Owned a flower shop that Ino knew she was going to inherit. Her only problems consisted of what makeup to wear, what outfit to choose for the day and fending off the advances of the local mechanic down the street. Kiba.
So swoon worthy that Ino was struggling to control herself. Well. Most nights, at least.
"Sasori swears he's changed. Karin's getting married. Mom's better. It was just to much to take all at once. All that stuff came piling back. I panicked. I fled."
"You just need more time."
"It's already been six years, Ino."
"You just need more alcohol."
'
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Six shots later.
A few beers.
And some whiskey and she was stumbling towards the apartment a few blocks away.
After she had grounded her feet a little, Sakura had tried to start dating.
She had a ongoing, offgoing fling with a company owner that had captivated her the moment he had walked into the bar. Pale skin. Dark features. Pale dark hair. Glinting eyes.
Sai.
Squaring back her shoulders she stood outside his apartment complex.
Funny. She never remembered their being a fence around it.
Or for that matter, flowers along the outside. Or ivy trailing the iron wicker railing and peeping out of the cobblestone steps.
She shook it off as her never committing things to memory when she was riddled with sexual tension. Or stress for that matter.
It was reaching close to two in the morning.
She was filled with alcohol.
And other emotions she was trying to shove down deep into the pit of her rock infested stomach of worries.
It seemed she couldn't just walk up the steps. That fence was in the way. So she did the only thing a drunk idiot would think to do.
She started to climb the fence.
It was only a few feet down to drop.
Slipping her heeled boot into a hole of the fence, she got her grounding slightly into place and started to scale the area of the fence. Her hair was whipping around her wildly. Her jacket had fallen over the other side and her sleeves weren't long. They barely covered her shoulders anyway.
The autumn air was getting to her.
Just as she got one thigh over the fence, the front door opened.
An aggravated voice slithered through her ears, "Oi. What the fuck are you doing?"
Huh.
Damn. That didn't sound like Sai.
His voice was soul crushing. Void less. Raw. Rugged. Laced with a faint accent.
She tried to squash her thoughts before word vomit would start to hurl from the depths of her mouth uncontrollably.
Daring a small peak over her shoulder, her gaze wavered.
Holy hell.
He was smoldering.
Black button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Few buttons undone, peeping a plaid undershirt. Scripture swirling around his arms.
He looked the epitome of darkness.
The darkness.
It surrounded him from the doorway. And not just because it was dark behind him.
Swam off him in waves.
Adjourned his body.
His hair was dark. The color of whispered sins, upturned in all angles like an architects dream.
His jawline was tight as he chewed an eraser of a pencil in the corner of his mouth.
High cheekbones.
Skin like light, freshly fallen snow. Undisturbed. Pure.
Chin tainted with dark stubble. Shaded lines circled beneath his eyelids. Fanned with dark, thick, eyelashes.
He looked sleep deprived.
His eyes from that small distance were bottomless pits. Sooty. Like ash.
Tension rolling off, wrapped all up in his lean body. Yet he seemed so built the way his arm muscles bulged as they moved to cross against his chest.
As the realization that she was staring started to done on her, her nose scrunched up in distaste. She felt the appalled look starting to crawl its way onto the surfaced of her screwed up looking face.
Fuck.
She was staring.
Dammit.
She needed to stop looking.
"Uh," She hesitated only briefly. "You're not my fuck buddy."
"The hell I'm not. Why the hell are you doing that?"
"I thought it was easier to get in this way. Maybe it would've worked if you hadn't opened your sexy mouth." One of his dark eyebrow quirked up in amusement. He shook his head, as he noticed her just squatting over the fence. One leg thrown over.
"Do you need any assistance?" He muttered. Albeit a bit grudgingly.
"Perhaps. Do you think you're good at catching women?"
He smirked.
That was all the invitation she needed to hurl herself off the side of the fence into the darkness.
'
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'
"You fucking idiot."
She groaned.
She felt like shit.
Her head was throbbing.
Her bright gaze rested down on the ground where she was sprawled out.
The attractive man was leaning over her, concern flickering through his features. Waging a battle with aggravation, "I didn't tell you to jump. Gods. What am I going to do. Can you stand?"
"You insisted that I jump, handsome. Calm your panties," She gritted out. His large hand came to rest on her back and she ignored the pangs it sent down her spine. He helped her up and she stumbled into him. "Do you have a medical kit? I think I opened up one of my stitches."
Without speaking he led her into the apartment she had been trying to scale. He led her through a dark hallway into a small enclosed room off the back corner. A little glass door leading to this courtyard she could barely see.
The alcohol was starting to wear off. It never really seemed to last long in her system.
He settled her down on a toilet, letting the sink faucet start to run with hot water. He lifted her chin with one of his fingertips and Gods was he even more breathtaking up close, "What do you need?"
"If you have a needle, I'll need that. Any disinfectant. Gloves."
She hesitantly lifted off her blouse, her chest coming into view in front of him. Black lacy bra and all. He barely blinked. Instead opting to stare at the mirror. He pulled a kit down from the cabinet beneath the sink. Ripping a suturing needle from it's foil he handed it to her, along with a pair of gloves.
He kneeled down in front of her, his concentration straight as he began to dab lightly at the open wound on her stomach. Blood was oozing from the large gash. He swore a little at the intense scar running from under her left breast towards the lining of her pants. "What the fuck happened to you?"
His ash hues tried to meet her gaze but she swallowed thickly, instead keeping her attention on stitching back up the wound. She threaded the needle carefully, slowing starting to close the gaping wound. He had periodically dabbed at it with disinfectant, trying not to make commentary at the way her teeth grounded together.
Before she had actually escaped her brother, he had gotten a little rough. Torn with anguish and anger and fear, he had taken a broken beer bottle and attacked her with hit. Slashing a wound in her side that she had never really recovered from.
It didn't help the wound that she had been picking at it for years.
It was a large gash on her side, and she was constantly irritating it and had to get stitches recently.
Stitches that she once again upsetted.
The scars lined her body. Scars of abuse she had taken because her brother needed someone to take it out on. And she'd rather it of been her than an innocent bystander who had had the unfortunate occurrence of getting in his way.
Or her sister.
The man didn't comment on the burns littering her side. Kept a stony silence as he pulled some gauze from the box and helped her wrap up the wound the best he could.
They sat their in awkward silence. Her shirt still gripped between her thighs.
Him on his knees, trying to stare everywhere else but at her.
Before he could speak again, she quickly stood. Ignoring his muttered protests at moving she rushed out into the night. Shirt grasped in one hand. Running into the street clad in only her lacy bra she rushed in her heels towards her apartment.
Hastily trying to pull her shirt back on.
Swearing the whole time.
Knowing she had left her jacket back in front of the fence.
Forgetting that her personal business card to the bar was in the pocket.
She was fucked.
Who the hell was he?
'
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Tenten couldn't stop laughing.
The three of them were perched at their kitchen island.
Sakura had a steaming mug of coffee in her hands. Filled to the brim with sugar and cream.
As soon as she had gotten back to the bar, she had crashed into her bed.
Ignoring the pain from her side.
Choosing to disregard her phone blowing up on her nightstand.
Texts from Karin. Missed calls from Sasori.
When she woke up later in the afternoon, however, Tenten and Ino had bombarded her with questions as to where she had gone.
She had missed her morning shift at the bakery she was a waitress at.
Very reluctantly, she had caved. Told them everything. For the most part.
Ino sighed dreamily, "At least you left him with a little something to remember you by."
The sneer that she sent in her direction made Ino wink at her.
Tenten was still trying to roll down from the laughter working it's way out of her throat. "I cannot believe you were that drunk, Sak."
"It was a momentary loss of judgement. I wanted to forget last night."
"Did it work?"
"Slightly." Tenten simply shook her head, patting Sakura's arm lightly before making her way downstairs towards the bar.
Tenten.
She was beautiful.
Long, dark strands of hair that she always piled up into two signature buns on each side of her head. Dark bangs that ran across her forehead. Gleaming russet eyes. She was so calculating, but at the same time so calm.
She was the one you wanted to back you up in a fight.
It was why she worked so well as the owner of the bar.
She was tough when she needed to be.
Sakura admired her. When she felt the need to admit that.
Ino, on the other hand was the picture of beauty.
Long flaxen locks that shimmered in any light.
Eyes the epitome of clear sea water.
Sakura felt like a piece of rust in comparison to the two of them.
Sometimes she felt like her body was too disproportionate for her short stature.
Chest too big.
Ass a decent size but not quite in comparison to her chest.
She had curves, sure. But she didn't like them.
It just made her depressed thinking about herself.
It didn't help that the man she had been sleeping with since she had met him wasn't a very decent conversationalist. He just liked to be rough. Ripping off her clothes. Leaving once they were finished.
Never letting her stay the night.
So that wasn't really a good source she could pick from.
Ino flicked her fingers in front of her face, and Sakura blinked slowly as she glanced up at her friend leaning against the oven. Her long hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. She wasn't in her bar uniform. Just simply jeans and a flowing white blouse. Tan boots affixed to her dainty feet. "What're your plans for today, you drunk man killer?"
"Well. Guess I have to call the bakery and apologize. Then I think I'm going to drown myself in shame in the bathtub."
Ino rolled her eyes, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. "See you later, Forehead."
"Whatever, you pig."
Ino left.
She was staring into the distance.
Waited two seconds.
Before the uncomfortable silence filled in all around her.
'
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'
Night had descended.
She hadn't heard anything from Sai after sending him a text to see if he wanted to get together after her shift ended later that night.
Had called the bakery to find out that they hadn't even needed her that morning, and it was fine that she missed her shift. She worked too much there as it was and they felt she could use the much needed sleep.
Right.
As if she slept.
Images of that man tainting her dreams.
Karin had stopped texting her.
Sakura...come on. It's been six years.
Sakura?
Please. Sasori really has changed. He just wants to apologize.
As if her mutilated body could be apologized for.
Sasori kept calling and she was half tempted to block his number.
She stood behind the counter of Buns and Booze.
Rose gold locks tinted with flecks of hazy pink was curled to the ends. Her natural waves helping in that process. Thick black eyeliner ran across a line on her upper eyelids, above her thick black eyelashes.
Glitter ran over her upper eyelids.
A misty dark blue.
Her chest was falling purposely out of a tight button up vest. White lace protruding at the ending. But it didn't hide what she was showing off. Tight black pants hugged her hips.
Tenten worked on selling appearance.
She claimed hot women selling alcohol provided better tips.
And in her business, the men were the ones waiting tables and selling out drinks to customers around the ones who weren't occupying the rather large counter space of the bar.
It was ten o'clock.
And she was already willing to blow off Sai if he ever did respond back and just sink into her sheets.
To conjure up explicit and dirty thoughts of that man in her dreams.
She rolled her shoulders back.
Glancing down momentarily at her fingertips, that chipped red polish rubbing along the surface of a clean glass.
Before she glanced back up into dark eyes.
Eyes she had seen so many times before.
Lee.
She resisted the urge to groan. Or slam her head against the counter.
"Hi, my blossom."
"Hello, Lee. Want your regular?" His thick busy eyebrows rose in glee.
"Yes, my beautiful flower. How was your day?"
"Uneventful." She turned away from him to fix up his regular. A coke and rum. So bland. So Lee.
Placing it in front of him, she tried to ignore the lovesick glance in his eyes as he slid a twenty into her tip jar. Lee was too generous for the attention she didn't give him. On some nights, when she was raked with sorrow, screams muffled down her chest and tears slimming their way down her cheeks, she felt bad for the way she treated Lee. He was always sweet to her.
But she was a monster.
After a few minutes of blatant staring at her, he finished off his drink and slipped into the dark crowd all over the dance floor.
One of her hands clenched into a fist, nails biting into her skin. Crescent shapes going to leave little angry marks when she finally decided to open her palm. She was so tired of everything.
She was just plain tired.
Minutes ticked by in succession as she placed drink after drink in front of slap happy drunkards, their eyes all glued to her chest or another exposed body part of her coworkers working alongside her.
When it was finally time for her break - a smoke she took outside to clear her head that Tenten never really approved of - she leaned against the brick wall of the back door. Her eyes slightly glazed over with exhaustion.
The sky was a streak of dark navy and ebony.
Silver specks blurted out in pinpoints.
She always wondered why the night was so beautiful when it always made the worst things possible conjure up in her mind as she lay awake at night. Contemplating everything over the years.
Wondering when the next moment would come when she tried to run away again.
Wondering when her pain would ever subside.
The smoke from her cigarette pounded into the smog infested air.
Her head was slightly inclined downward.
Eyes staring at her black combat boots.
And the vomit a few feet away.
Squished into the cement and brick.
Almost as if it were trying to belong.
She sighed heavily.
Large exhaling towards the wind.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Three.
She crunched the butt of the cigarette stick beneath her boot.
Then she left to step back inside.
'
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It was last call.
The bar was about to close.
She was alone at the counter.
Wiping down the leftover residue of beer, snot, spit and food crumbs.
Tenten was in her corner office, counting down the tips for the night to stash into envelopes that the employees could collect in the morning.
She wiped sweat from her forehead.
Perspiration sticking in so many uncomfortable areas.
Her chest heaved as her arms worked to wipe away all the crap.
Her vision blurred for a moment as she took a step back to steady herself.
Gods.
Why was she so out of it.
It wasn't as though the bar had even been that busy.
As she made a move to throw the dirty rag in the water bucket, she halted.
A guy was sitting at the counter.
A few people were still milling about on the dance floor.
Grinding.
Showing no decency of being respectable.
But he was the only one at the counter.
She swore when she realized who it was.
Sasori.
"What the fuck do you want? We're closing. Get out."
"Not until you speak to me, Sakuraaa."
She froze.
He was drunk.
Fear filled her insides like ice. That first chilling feeling when a frigid liquid slid down your throat.
She tried to squash the dread rising up like bile from the depths of her lungs.
Run.
She needed to run.
"I have nothing to say to you anymore, Sasori. Go home. You're drunk."
"No. You made me do this. You need to talk to me. We can't keep living like this. Our family is falling apart."
"You made it that way when you did what you did."
Confusion flounced across his face.
Eyebrows scrunching.
Before disgust filled his eyes.
Regret.
She needed to get out of here before her brother did something stupid.
Or she did.
She hurried to collect her things from the office, not sparing a glance at Tenten. She didn't want to alert her to any concern. She could handle this. She could. She didn't need any help.
She made her way towards the back door.
Sasori stood up and followed her.
She tried not to swear out loud.
Hurrying out the door she began to make her way down the sidewalk. Perhaps she could walk a few blocks and lose her brother in the crowds of Konoha before making her way to go back upstairs.
She didn't want him knowing she lived here.
His fingers clutched her upper arm.
A bit too tight.
"Sakura, stop. Come on. I'm your brother. You need to talk to me."
"You stopped being my brother the moment you laid your hands on me."
Anguish filled his features and as she tried to rip her arm away he grabbed it tighter, "Sasori you better let go before we both do something we regret."
"I'm not letting you run away from our family again."
The harder she tried to pull away, the angrier he got. She tried one last time, trying to wrench her arm from his hand. He began to curse expletives, shouting at her. It seemed his time away hadn't completely changed his tendencies when he got drunk. And angry.
"I'm trying so fucking hard to fix our family after you fucked it up! Stop trying to pretend you're not at blame here!" She threw her bag onto the ground, finally ripping her arm from his grasp.
That was going to leave a bruise.
"You fucking kiddin' me? You're the one who ruined our family the moment you beat the shit out of me. I tried everything I could to save dad. But how can you save someone who wanted to die?" She hurled the worlds at his face.
He seemed to snap.
His neck rolled back.
Eyes filled with so much frustration.
He took a few steps towards her before a voice cut through the silence between them, startling her and making Sasori flinch and step back a few paces. "I think that's enough."
Her head turned toward the side slightly.
There he was.
The sexy man from her drunkcapades.
'
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I really needed something to get me out of this slump.
Yay. New story.
I hope you enjoyed.
It was a little rushed. But there's a lot in store.
I don't own Naruto.