A/N: Just felt like giving people feels. I warned you.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Pink Carnations
"Good morning, Sasuke-kun." Sakura beemed, sitting beside him on the lush green grass of spring. "It's a beautiful day, ne?" He didn't answer. And she wasn't expecting anything either.
The rosette sits quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the silence with the man she had loved for so long beside her.
Under different circumstances, this would have been perfect.
"Hey, Sasuke-kun," she begins. "Did you know that Naruto finally asked Hinata out?" she giggles. "That boy, I swear I thought he'd never do it. He told me he didn't deserve her; that he had neglected her for so many years, and he didn't even realize it. He said he'd never be able to give her what she deserved. That was what's stopping him, and he's pretty much right about that, but you know what," she turns to her side to face him . "He never even considered what Hinata wanted. And there's nothing she wants more than to be with him.
"We all deserve something, yes. But sometimes, what we deserve is not what we want."
Hugging her legs to her chest, she breathes in. "I'm so happy for them, Sasuke-kun. And you might not admit it, but I know you're happy as well. Plus, Naruto's a step closer to his dream of being Hokage. Can you believe that? Who would have thought, right?" she smiles. "But that's our Naruto, ne Sasuke-kun?"
Sakura sits still. When she first visited the Uchiha Compound, there wasn't anything she felt but fear. It was a ghost town filled with nothing, but bloodshed, downfall, and sorrow.
But now that Sasuke was here, she considered it her second home.
Because he was her home.
"You've been through so much, Sasuke-kun." she sighs as the wind picks up its pace. "But I'm glad you're home. I missed you so much." she chokes, and a tear escapes the wall she'd built around others.
She buries her face on her knees, and holds herself even tighter together. Keep it together, she thinks. "It's not supposed to be this way. You weren't supposed to leave. We're supposed to take the chuunin exams together; be jounins and go to missions together until we're 40. We were supposed to have lunch at Ichiraku every week until Naruto shuts up about it."
She cannot contain it. Her shoulders slump and shake, releasing another wave of emotions. She was sobbing, and only the trees could hear her. He did not hear her.
She didn't care.
She brings her head up and looks at him once more. "I love you, Sasuke-kun. Did you know that? People tell me I deserve better, too. But I love you. And there's nothing I wouldn't have given for you to have loved me back." a sad smile graces her lips. "Could you have loved me back? Would you have asked for Naruto's advice when you'd ask me out?" she laughs as tears continued to stain her cheeks. "I would say yes, you know. I would always say yes." she sighs. "I love you so, so much, Sasuke-kun."
She sits still. Watching the grass blades dance in the wind. Inwardly scolding herself for breaking down in front of him, she wipes her tears and rebuilds the wall around her heart.
"I'll be going now. It was nice seeing you, Sasuke-kun." she smiles, but the light didn't reach her eyes. Bringing herself to move, she knelt before him.
"I got you something." she smiled, picking up the pink carnations she brought, and placing them on the stone with his engraved name."Ino said it means 'I'll never forget you.' That's a promise from me." she said, caressing the polished stone as if it was really him.
"I'll come by again some time, okay? And please say hello to Neji-kun for Hinata."