Chapter 1: Sweet Dreams
Cold.
Cold everywhere.
Her weak fingers reached up to the figure in her blurry vision that was rapidly fading.
They longed to touch his dark hair.
"Ah," The sound slipped from her mouth, the pain.
What was he doing?
She hurt.
She hurt everywhere.
Blood was seeping out, her blood, dissipating in the bright white snow around her.
Ice crunched faintly as he knelt on his knees beside her immobile body, his black cloak billowing around him in waves.
"Why…" She started, the blood running down her chin to drip slowly onto the hard ground that winter had decided to frost over.
She was cold to the point where shivering was impossible.
He shushed her then, placing his warm hands around her face like he'd done so many times before.
These familiar hands suddenly didn't feel so familiar anymore.
"What…" She mumbled, ready to slip out of consciousness.
"I'm sorry," He murmured. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do. Don't hate me for this. Please."
"Wha-"
His lips came down on her bloody mouth gently, softly. He kissed her so rarely.
Pain exploded in her mind. His mouth was unyielding, he wouldn't even allow her to wrench her mouth away to scream.
What was happening?
Shock flooded her system.
No… Please… No…
"I'm sorry, Sakura…"
"Sakura!"
"Sakura? Sakura, wake up! Wake up!"
Her eyes flew open as she was shook violently.
She'd been screaming into her pillow, twisting the fabric round her fingers so tightly that the material had torn a little. The duvet had been kicked into a pile on the floor.
Her head spun as she was pulled upwards and tugged into a man's chest.
I'm sorry for what I'm about to do.
"S- Sasuke?" She whimpered.
"It's alright, it's alright," His hand ran over her back soothingly, his deep voice calming.
Sakura's eyes clenched tightly. Even now in her warm bed, in Sasuke's warm arms, she could still feel the cold.
Don't hate me for this.
"I'm sorry," She pulled away, still shaking a little.
"This has got to stop, Sakura," Sasuke growled, holding her shoulders. "I thought this was getting better?"
"It is," She stared glassily up at him. "But I can't stop the nightmares."
He hissed out loud and looked away.
Don't hate me for this.
"I'm keep telling you, I'll sleep downstairs if you want." Sakura intoned blandly, trying to prise off his hold. It tightened.
"I'd still hear you screaming. It wouldn't make a difference." He looked at her, his lips tight. "And it's not your fault anyway."
She sighed and kissed his neck. "I love you." She needed to say it. Just in case he'd forgotten.
And Sakura was scared of forgetting.
"Why are you still scared?"
"I'm not."
"You're shaking,"
"That's bound to happen after a nightmare," Sakura glanced over at the clock. 3AM. It was still dark out. "You'd think by now I'd be used to it. It's always the same nightmare after all." She tried to inject some humour into her voice, failing miserably.
Sasuke squeezed her small body. "I'll kill him for doing this to you,"
Her pale fingers clutched at his shirt in response, choosing not to answer. Sakura exhaled.
"I think I'm calm now."
Silently, Sasuke laid her back down and wrapped his strong arms around her, cocooning the duvet around her. Their combined body heat was still not warm enough, it was always too cold for Sakura at night.
"Thank you," He heard her say as he drifted off quickly.
She gently traced his pale eyelids with their lilac veins.
"Sweet dreams," She whispered to him, willing herself to sleep. It didn't come.
Please.
I'm sorry, Sakura.
How she hated him.
Itachi Uchiha.
It had been six years ago. It had been six years ago that she'd been stolen at fourteen and made his own.
Why?
It had been six years ago that her memories had been wiped, and her life had started over with him. Itachi had been the only thing she'd ever known.
Why?
It had been three years ago that he'd pushed his unforgiving kunai into her body and left her to die in the snow. That brutal winter's day.
It had been three years ago that he'd given back her memories. It had been three years since she'd remembered Sasuke, the husband promised to her from birth. How could she have forgotten Sasuke?
Why?
He'd done this to her, without remorse and with deliberation. She would never forgive him.
Her mind physically burned every time she remembered the scattered fragments of her past.
Happy memories, memories like her ninth birthday and standing on her father's feet as he lovingly taught her how to waltz around the living room.
Her memories all caused her blinding physical pain.
Every happy memory was branded with him, his goddamn presence.
She bit her fist, drawing blood as she stopped herself from screaming with rage.
The day Itachi Uchiha died would be the day she forgave him.
After taking a hiatus from writing, I decided to republish the new and improved version of this story that I had previously started.
PinkChar