Disclaimer: Naruto series and characters not owned by me.
Happy Valentine's Day.
"Sasuke, please live."
It was a simple request, only three words. As much as she tried to hold onto a cheerful expression, the tears spilled over and onto his sleeve. His arms were around her.
How many times had she had been the one to hold him like this? Worrying over him, praying with every bit of her being, hoping beyond what she dared to hope, that he would be all right.
And he was. He was before her. He was holding her. He was holding her gently. That feeling alone only made her want to cry harder.
While she had continued to relentlessly hope she and Naruto would find him and save him before it was too late, Sakura had stopped dreaming for any return of her feelings for him. She had put all her energy in rescuing him so she could ignore the heart that was breaking into pieces inside, so she could go on, so she could keep moving and have hope of finding him again.
She reached up with a shaky hand and a fragile smile to caress his face, pressing bloody fingerprints onto his pale cheek. He let her.
Sakura stiffened slightly as Sasuke leaned down, his lips gently, but fervently, meeting hers, soaking in her sweetness through his mouth. For a moment, the world dropped away. But it was only a moment.
She felt him pull away, and then proceed to press his lips to her forehead. It was then that she whispered to him, "Sasuke, please live."
It was a simple request, only three words. She held out his humanity in front of him, he grasped onto the strength she offered him. He let her in.
No, she had always been there.
A/N: This was written very quickly for a Valentine's Day contest for the SasuSaku fc on NF and is the first of two parts. The second part will be done for the White Day contest. At least I hope this counts as a Valentine's theme even though the holiday isn't specifically used, the theme did inspire the concept of Sakura giving Sasuke a gift, although it certainly didn't turn out to be the traditional chocolates (but there is a vague reference to something along those lines).