Haziness clouded her senses as she slowly regained her consciousness. pain pounded in her chest, on her face and on her neck as she slowly opened her eyes. Her head was resting against a shoulder and she felt that someone was holding her legs around their waist, as well as the constant motion of walking. she slowly lifted her head from the confines of the person's shoulder, a rush of thoughts flooding back to her all at once.
she pulled away ever slightly more and stole a glance at his face, to confirm that it was who she thought it was that was carrying her, and it was. Sasuke's face wasemotionless, but worn as if he had been through so much that now, it was impossible to show an emotion. he didnt seem to notice her looking at him, but she thought with a fleeting jolt of unease that maybe he had, he just wasn't choosing to respond just yet.
Drinking in his rugged but familiar facial features, she recalled what had last happened. she had been with him... he had just revealed to her that what had happened between them was a genjutsu. He had forced his own genjutsu to show her what happened, and when he finished, She tried to talk to him.
She couldn't remember anything else, and so she had to assume she must've passed out.
She averted her eyes down at his shoulder, not knowing what to do at this moment while her brain tried in vain to process everything. she lingered onhis long locks of black hair.
she brought her arms around him, bringing her face closer to his skin. She still didn't really fully know what had happened, but deep down, She knew it hadn't been him. Also, she was still so weak and woozy she couldn't fight even if she thought it had been him, which was a bit devastating...
She closed her eyes, trying to take comfort in him,but as shefelt him fumbling for something in his side bag, shelooked back up over his shoulder again and took a moment to take inher surroundings. He'd entered the old Uchiha manor.
She felt her heart slip up into her throat... as he unlocked the door and walked inside, carrying her.
Why did he bring her here?
He opened a door, flipped on a light switch, and set her on the counter.
She gasped as she looked around and noticed the bathroom she was in was impeccably clean. She wanted to ask him if he had been coming back but on top of feeling a bit woozy she didn't know if she had the courage to speak to him just yet...
he had turned away and stepped towards a cabinet on the wall. opening the cabinet, he began grabbing some things from inside it.
she gasped as she saw his bare back, covered in gashes and wounds.
She tried to summon her healing powers but grimaced as all she summoned was a flicker and pain.
"Don't," he muttered as he had turned around, heading towards the sink with several things in hand that looked to be gauze, gauze tape and antimicrobial wipes. She looked at him as he washed his hands, willing herself to talk to him. Why was it so difficult to ask him? As long as it had been so difficult, she should be over it by now. Maybe it was because coming back to clean his house might not have been the only reason he was coming back. she really didn't want to find out why he and Ino had established some sort of relationship... but knew she had to.
he ripped open the little packet of one of the wipes, then his dark onyx eyes flicked to her, but never met her eyes. she swallowed nervously as he stepped in front of her and, holding one side of her face, began to wipe her face with the wipe, wiping off dirt and blood.
He was taller than her, standing in front of her, between her knees, and she realized... he was kind of close to her as he cleaned her face... closer to her than he had ever been before. Sakura bit her lip and sucked in air, squeezing her eyes shut as a gash on her face stung to the cleaning solution in the wipe.
Her heart rate steadied as she opened her eyes again, taking a breath and letting her surroundings fade back into view. She focused on Sasuke, who was looking down at her cheek as he now worked with a piece of gauze.
She wanted to say something as the awkward silence left a void between them.
"Sasuke...?" she finally worked up the nerve to say, as he lifted the piece of gauze and secured it to the wound on her cheek.
He didn't respond... She could feel herself starting to blushas his hands touched her face, especially where he was firmly pressing and rubbing the tape to stick to her skin. She watched him nervously as the silence pursued...
She gasped as she felt his fingers brush her hair aside from her neck and her eyes darted to him quickly in fear. Surprisingly, he met her eyes.
"hold you hair aside," he said softly, then averted his eyes as he grabbed and opened another wipe, "this is going to sting a little."
Sakura took a deep breath and tried to brace herself. She closed her eyes but as she felt the sharp, sudden, tingling pain of him rubbing a wipe firmly into her wound in order to clean it, she was a little distracted by the fact that Sasuke had simultaneously grabbed her free hand.
"Sasuke," she said, clenching her teeth and squeezing his hand. he didnt seem to notice how hard she was squeezing it.
"why are you..." she sighed as he finally stopped, "doing this...?"
Her heart began to race as she waited for his response. His hand slipped out of hers, then he turned to cut another piece of gauze tape and readied another piece of gauze without reply. Was he just going to keep ignoring her?she wondered a bit frantically.
His gaze bypassed her eyes as he focused back on her wound, and pressed the tape securely against her neck.
she froze as she finally heard him say rather quietly,"...I need to ask you something, and I can't risk taking you to the hospital."
Sakura looked at him in surprise as he said that.
"What is it...?" she asked.
It was noticeably quiet for a moment then as Sasuke removed his hands from her neck and stepped back a little.
"lift up your shirt," he said, pointing to her shirt, changing the subject and confusing her.
"Wh..what?"
Sakura felt like time stopped and her heart start beating so loud and hard she was nervous he would hear it, but he looked away, back toward the sink, and grabbed another wipe.
"I have to get all your wounds patched up,"
He said as he turned back towards her.
Sakura bit her lip as her heart starting to beat hard and fast again. She averted her eyes and felt herself blushing as she hesitantly lifted up her t-shirt, exposing the wound that was in the center of her chest without exposing her bare breasts.
Sasuke felt a little taken aback and uneasy at his immediate involuntary liking at what he saw, and the random invading desire to just slide his hands up. He strongly resisted as he pressed the wipe against the wound on her chest.
She grimaced and squeezed her eyes shut tight at the pain.
she breathed heavily as the pain still throbbed on her skin, and she struggled to recover. she twitched painfully as Sasuke was already pressing a piece of gauze against her skin.
His eyes flicked up to her as she let go of her shirt, and she felt her heart skip a beat in result.
"I take it you've seen Naruto?" he asked, glancing at her orange pants. She thought he seemed a bit... uncomfortable. her eyes widened a little as she looked at him in surprise and nervousness, and nodded.
At long last, Sakura realized she was really, finally at the receiving end of Sasuke's gaze.She swallowed nervously and felt her throat go dry. He wasn't looking away now...
A million things were racing through his mind: confusion, jealousy, scenarios... a girl wearing a guys shirt usually meant... they had slept together... but that couldn't be possible, could it? His ex best friend with the girl that had always liked him? Is that really how it was meant to be? Maybe she was just simply borrowing it, since the shirt he himself had given her was probably dirty, ripped and messed up... he didn't know how he was going to ask her... yet he couldn't stop staring at her, studying the soft curves and familiarity of her frightened face. Her perfect lips trembled as they parted ever slightly, and her eyes darted down and back up at him erratically. He didn't know why he found he liked what he could do to her. That he could make her this nervous. just being around her, standing so close to her and looking at her...
"What did you tell him...?" Sasuke asked, and it took her a moment to realize what he meant.
"I told him... that you... saved my life..." Sakura said.
He couldnt help staring at her in surprise, absorbing the beautiful sight of her blushing and looking down with a nervous expression on her face.
After a few seconds of looking between both of her eyes, Sasuke decided to lean closer to her. He was a bit surprised as she leaned away, but loved seeing her eyes frantically darting between both of his. He held eye contact for only a short moment more. The corner of his mouth was actually on the verge of twitching just once to form the smallest smile, but he hid it as he lowered his head beside her own, and dug his hands under her legs, and lifted her.
he kept quiet as heturned, flicked off the bathroom light switch, and exited the room.
She wondered if he was going to say anything but his voice never broke the silence.
She steadied herself on him by grabbing his shoulders.
She didnt really know what Sasuke planned to do with her, or where he was carrying her, and though she was unnerved by his unknown intentions, as he opened a door and carried her into a room, she could only think of one thing, and made herself ask him...
"Sasuke-kun?" She said his name cautiously.
"hn?" He asked, his voice rather more soft than she had anticipated.
He was now lowering her down onto a bed, she realized, and looked into her eyes inquiringly as he set her down and was leaning away.
She swallowed with difficulty, finding her voice was much harder with her stomach doing flip flops, and her heart racing...
Her eyes darted to the floor as she finally pushed it out.
"You... kissed Ino..." She barely was able to force herself to say.
She couldn't believe she'd had to nerve to just say it, but couldn't hold it back either. She looked back at him and could tell that was the last thing he had expected her to say. His facial expression changed instantly to shock.
She swallowed a lump in her throat as she watched him.
her heart raced in desperate anticipation of his answer. She knew that he knew her bringing up the fact that he had kissed Ino was an indirect way of saying that she still loved him and if he didn't answer it might mean that he actually loved Ino instead and didn't know how to tell Sakura this... she didn't know what to think. She couldn't believe it could be true... she would have to hear it from him to believe it. How could the world be that cruel? After all the time she had waited for him, and she was just going to find out he had been going in secret with her best friend?
He looked away, wondering what he should say. He should've knocked her out immediately after he called her annoying as he'd done last time, he thought, before she had a chance to become more so. He knew she was like a bomb waiting to go off at this moment and didn't think there was any way to diffuse her. She wouldn't believe him...
Deep down he felt a twinge of guilt, but also somehow, a bit of elation that she was asking. He decided he was going to have to try and tick her off, because he felt he deserved to be yelled at and because he wanted to make sure she was still the fierce Sakura he had known.
"How is it that you still care who I kiss? After all this time, Sakura, you still...?" He had started questioning her so quickly that she actually leaned back a bit in surprise.
He could see her eyes darting around the room before they looked back into his. They looked glassy, like she might cry, but there was also an unmistakable look of outrage on her face.
Sakura eyes had flooded with tears at his vague response and she hated herself for it. She tried to compose herself as she had to face him and respond.
"How could I not?" She asked incredulously.
"I loved you..." her voice went deadly quiet, and she looked down, "... for so... long..."
She stood up.
Sasuke raised his eyebrows slighly, beginning to wonder what he'd done.
"And you don't... fucking care at All?! " She exploded at him, "You'd seriously go and date my best friend, and not even talk to me...?"
"After all this time... After everything, how long I've waited...!"
She went to throw a fist at him but he swiftly, easily caught it and met her eyes, causing her to freeze.
He gazed at her, and grasping her wrist still, he placed his other hand on the side of her face. he didn't know what came over him but something was welling inside him that he hadn't felt for so long, and he felt drawn to her. This girl had done nothing but right by him, for as long as he'd known her.
Looking into her bright emerald green eyes, he felt he had to do it. He leaned forward quickly, placing a forceful, chaste kiss on her lips.
After the inital moment of shock, Sakura reacted predictably, pushing him away.
She looked ready to object but he cut in before she could say anything.
"there's nothing between me and Ino," he said as he let her go.
"I don't know how you even saw me," he started before she had a chance to say anything, "I thought you would still be in the hospital. I know... it sounds like I wasn't going to tell you... it's because I wasn't. There was no reason for you to know because you would just get upset. If you found out I'd have to explain and the chances that you would believe me when I told you the kiss was meaningless were slim..."
"Meaningless?" She said tentatively.
"I wanted to visit my parents graves, and leave them some flowers, but I don't have any money. I went there to the flower shop, asking if I could help in exchange for some, but she let me have them... if I kissed her."
Sakura was silent, thinking of what it would be like if both of her parents were dead, too, not only dead, but killed by someone she trusted. In the back of her mind, she cursed, that damn Ino-pig.
After a minute, she was really surprised as she heard him say, as if he had just read her mind, "it doesn't change anything, though, Sakura, because you still have my first kiss. Remember that."
Sakura found it hard to swallow and catch her breath.
"You mean that time on the bench? We never actually kissed. You got up and randomly ran away..."
Sasuke paused, in disbelief an actual smile was coming to his face.
"Our first kiss was on the bench, but I think you're referring to the time Naruto transformed into me and approached you because he liked you so much."
"Naruto?" Sakura gasped, "that was Naruto..? He... wanted to kiss me? He almost did..."
Sasuke didn't know what weird feeling was welling up inside him as he recognized the lack of disgust in her voice that would've been present if she had found out this several years ago. She actually sounded full of admiration.
"I kept wondering why you almost kissed me then called me annoying right after...but wait, if it was Naruto, then what are you talking about? We never kissed on the bench..." Sakura said lightly.
"I kissed you. You were unconscious..." Sasuke said, and Sakura's heart was fluttering to hear him say such words.
"You remember? I showed you my memory of it yesterday..."
"I wasn't sure what to think... I... couldn't believe it... you really... kissed me that day?" She asked, looking up at him as her eyes watered.
He nodded.
Sakura held her head, and swayed on the spot a little.
Sasuke grabbed her shoulders, steadying her.
"Why don't you lay down? You look like you're about to pass out. Don't worry, the sheets are clean. I've had someone maintaining this place."
Sakura looked like she wanted to argue but couldn't. He helped her down back onto the bed.
Just then Naruto burst in, holding a kunai.
"What the hell is going on here?" He demanded, and Sasuke cursed mentally at the timing.
Sasuke sighed, physically and mentally exhausted, "we were just talking." he said, and stepped aside so Naruto could get to Sakura.
"She's wounded?" Naruto asked, noticing the new gauze patches he hasn't seen at the hospital.
"We fought," Sasuke answered simply, so over being interrogated and being wrongly accused of doing Sakura wrong, "I needed to talk to her. She wouldn't listen to me. I patched her up. We fought again, but this time just argued."
"Just wait until she wakes up and ask her yourself. She ran out of energy, she's been awake for probably over a day."
"She told me that you saved her life and wouldn't tell me anything else even when I pressed her. I saw you carrying her; she wasn't wearing anything other than your shirt... so I can't help but to think... what the hell did you do to her?!"
"I didn't do anything to her." Sasuke growled, struggling to keep his face emotionless and calm, but just then, he heard her voice.
"N-Naruto?"
Both the boys looked at her.
He watched anyalyzingly at Naruto as he looked down at the pink haired girl in shock, his expression instantly softened.
Naruto sat beside her.
Sasuke couldn't deny that even though Naruto was irritating, he was really glad he was being such a good friend to Sakura... but was that all they had ever been? What if Sakura had not been completely honest? He had been gone for so long... what if it was actually possible that that now handsome dobe had shared something with her?
"Its alright," she said reassuringly to Naruto in a weak voice, "Sasuke saved me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier... it's so embarrassing..."
Sasuke's heart started racing. Was she going to tell Naruto everything? He didn't know if he could bear Naruto to know those intimate moments they had both been forced to experience, let alone the fact that it was far fetched and Naruto would probably not believe it and attack him...
"Some horrible ninja kidnapped me... I think he might've planned to rape me, because he took off my clothes, but Sasuke found me just in time, and brought me home."
Sasuke closed his eyes and sighed in relief that she had left that part out.
"Oh my god," Naruto muttered in disgust and seething anger.
"You're not saying... he got away?"
Sakura solemnly nodded.
"He beat Sasuke?" Naruto said incredulously, and Sasuke felt strangely complimented.
"Were you able to find out who he was?" Naruto asked Sasuke.
"I have an idea..." Sasuke said darkly, "I'm pretty sure with some digging for information, if Tsunade will help me, I can find him... and when I do... I'm going to beat the fucking shit out of him..."
Naruto looked satisfied with that answer.
"I'll help you," he agreed, and turned back to Sakura, who was looking content.
"Still, I'm just glad you're alright," he said to her.
"Sasuke tells me you passed out, so I guess you better get some rest."
Sakura found Narutos hand and squeezed it.
"You didnt have to come, but I'm glad you did. Naruto, thank you."
Sasuke stepped out of the room, feeling uncomfortable.
"We'll just be right outside," Naruto said to Sakura, who smiled weakly at him, and Naruto finally, with difficulty left her side.
"How come she didn't mention the fact that you were fighting? What were you fighting about?" Naruto didn't wait to question Sasuke.
"Only if you tell me," Sasuke started rather brusquely, feeling extremely uncomfortable asking it but knowing he had to, "why was she wearing your shirt? Did you guys...?"
Naruto looked puzzled for a moment then he filled in the blank and looked equally as uncomfortable.
"No," he said firmly, "I just leant her some clothes, because she wanted to go home early from the hospital. "
"So the whole time I've been gone, these past few years, you guys have never...?"
"No," said Naruto simply, "it's always been you, Sasuke. I mean... you probably know I had a crush on her back then, it was pretty obvious...but when I saw how worked up she was over you, it didn't matter anymore.The morning after you left, she was heart broken... She was crying, and I'd never seen her like that.I just wanted to never see her like that again... that pain that she felt, and I felt it too, When we lost you.. She asked me... and I didn't hesitate for a second... I promised her I would bring you back and I was so determined... when I woke up in the hospital after our first battle, I thought I'd failed. I thought of her, and I just couldn't bear the thought of letting her down... of seeing her in pain again. That's why I'm so glad, even if it took me this long, even if I realized that she was only ever supposed to be my friend and nothing more, my teammate that was always there to motivate me when I faltered and save my life when I tried too hard...I'm so glad that I finally got you back, and I was able to keep my promise."
"... you're an idiot for going after me..." Sasuke muttered, looking down, "but I'll tell you the same thing I told her when she too made me feel like shit for leaving... Thank you."
After a few moments, Naruto asked, "... you still never told me why you two were fighting?"
Sasuke ran his hands through his hair and sighed, his heart rate picking up a bit.
"She was pissed at me... because she thought I was seeing someone else. I didn't understand why, because I thought for sure I'd lost my chance with her. I thought she was seeing someone too... I thought she would've moved on..."
"We were both just jealous and couldn't stand the thought of the other one with someone else..."
Naruto didn't know what to say but was looking at Sasuke in surprise.
"Were you?" Naruto finally asked awkwardly.
"No," said Sasuke a little more forcefully than he had meant, "Sakura... is the only one... and has been for a long time."
"You're just saying that cause you know I'll kick your ass if you don't," Naruto muttered after a moment, smiling and daring to look at Sasuke.
"As if," Sasuke muttered back, "I could still beat you hands down, but I don't really feel like it just now..."
"I'd prove you wrong, but I'm pretty exhausted myself," Naruto responded, but there was a fire in his eyes that, to Sasuke's annoyance, he couldn't ignore.
"Arm wrestle?" Sasuke suggested, holding up his still freshly new hand.
"I'd better use my other hand, I think Sakura would kill me if she had to get me a new hand... again."
Sasuke nodded and two had just firmly clasped their hands when Sakura's voice made them freeze.
"You're damn right I would," she said as she came around the corner, but her voice was slightly affected by tears.
The boys let go and moved apart, turning away from each other to face her as she came in front of them.
"You're going to kill yourself if you don't allow yourself some rest," Sasuke said dryly, though there was the tiniest of a smile curling up on one side of his face.
Sakura had a weak smile on her face, but didn't reply as she plopped herself between them, and took them both off guard as she grabbed their hands, and started inspecting them.
"You didn't do any damage already, did you??" She asked, then added, "I just got worried when I heard one of you mention arm wrestling," she said, but did not let go of their hands as she continued, "as hard as you two fight, you'll probably break off your other hands too..."
"Probably," Naruto muttered with a snigger, then added as he saw her look of panic, "No, it's ok Sakura, we didn't even start yet."
Sakura looked relieved, and leaned back into the couch.
"Just hold up on fighting each other for a few more days, ok?" She asked in exasperation.
"We will," Naruto said, and Sasuke nodded in agreement.
"We were just messing around. You need to get some rest, Sakura," Sasuke added seriously.
Sakura smiled, nodded, and let go of their hands as she sank back into the couch. She grabbed their arms before leaning back and closing her eyes.
"I still don't trust either of you," she muttered sleepily, and Naruto laughed while Sasuke's face twitched into a smile.
After a moment Naruto pulled away.
"I'll go now so you can rest easy, Sakura," he said with a chuckle, "it's been a long day for me anyways, and I just wanted to check to see if you were ok."
Sakura gave him a quick hug.
The boys awkwardly shook hands and then shared a quick one armed bro hug.
"Im going to kick your ass the next time I see you," Naruto muttered quietly at the door, once Sakura was out of ear shot.
"Looking forward to it," Sasuke replied with a laugh, "Dobe."
"later, Sasuke-teme."
As Sasuke closed the door and went back inside, he found Sakura passed out on the couch. Upon coming closer, he found this time she looked to really be out.
He carefully picked her up and carried her bridal style back to his bedroom.
He carefully laid her on the bed, and remained next to her. She stirred a little, her eyes fluttering open.
"Sakura," he said gently, "go to sleep. You really need to rest now..."
She looked at him, struggling to keep her eyes open. An evident look of worry came over her face.
"Don't worry. No one's coming for you. Even if they were, they'd have to get through me."
Sakura looked comforted, and smiled, her eyebrows curling up meaningfully. She nodded slowly, closing her eyes.
Sasuke didn't know what possessed him then to do it, but he leaned down and pressed his lips against her forehead.
Sakura's eyes fluttered open again, but this time, a tear had slipped down out of one of them.
Sasuke instinctively wiped it away, and Sakura slowly reached up to touch his face.
"Thank you," she uttered before closing her eyes again and letting her hand fall, this time mesmerizing him with these words.
He panicked for a moment that she had stopped breathing- that she might have suddenly just died then of exhaustion- but he watched her chest rising and falling slightly, relieved.