"I don't want to die," She admitted. "But I don't want you to die either."
"We promised each other," He reminded. "That not even death can part us."
"Sasuke…"
"Sakura," He pulled away slightly and leaned his lips to hers. "I love you."
Twisted Apathy
"Driven Execution"
She sighed and wiped the sweat away from her forehead before taking a sip from her bottled water.
Today wasn't one of the best days of her life, but then again, everyday was always a bad day for her.
"Alright girls, hit the showers!" their gym teacher yelled, as each and every student did what they were told to do.
Sighing yet again, she got up from the ground and trudged behind slowly, glancing inside the gymnasium when her classmates began to squeal.
Her lips gave a tiny smile, barely noticeable, when she set her eyes on the person whom the girls were looking at.
With speed and movement close to lightning, none of the guys from the other team were able to stop him from shooting a basket and scoring the winning point as the teacher's whistle signaled the end of the game.
"That's it for today! Go take a bath!" said the male teacher, dismissing the guys.
She glanced at her female and male classmates, watching how they interacted while she was ignored, as always. She was somewhat envious seeing the others talk and chat with happy faces.
"If looks could kill, they'd be dead by now."
Blinking, she looked to her left and saw the same boy she was watching earlier, and her cheeks turned red immediately, so she looked down so that her bangs could hide her blushing face.
"With the way you glare at them… or haven't you noticed?"
Her head shook from left to right, and he managed a small smirk, before his face became blank and followed the rest of the class.
"Are you coming Haruno?"
Sakura snapped her head up when he called her, and was surprised to see him standing still, head turned slightly to her.
"Y-yeah." She said, jogging over next to him as they both walked a few feet away from the others.
"I can't believe you're transferring!"
"Yeah, I can't either, but the preparations are complete, so this is my last day in this school." She smirked slightly when she eyed the whole class, and then cupped her hands around her mouth to make an announcement. "Hey guys! Party at my house! Everyone's invited!"
The whole class cheered, except for a pink-haired girl who remained quiet and continued eating her sandwich, and a raven-haired boy who only sat on his chair with his eyes closed and ears plugged by his iPod's earphones.
"Temari, are you seriously inviting everyone? Even them?"
"Yeah Ami."
"I don't mind if you invite Sasuke, but come on, even that pink-haired girl?!"
"Hey, it's my party, don't question me." She stood up and approached Sakura, waving a hand in front of her face in order to catch her attention. "Do you mind if I call you Sakura?"
"Not at all."
"Great!" She grinned. "Call me Temari from now on then, alright?" she winked at her, and Sakura only gave a nod. "So, it's my last day here today, and I want you to come to my party, I want to see everyone and spend my last moments with all of you, so, you're coming, okay?"
"I… have a job."
"Can't you take today off?" She begged, her hands clasping in front of her. "Come on Sakura, I've always wanted to get to know you, but you seem so distant, so this is my last chance!"
"…Okay…" Sakura gave a small smile and Temari hugged her, which caught her off guard, since no one ever gave her friendly hugs.
"Thanks! You're the best!" and she marched towards Sasuke to convince him to go as well.
"My boss won't be happy about this…" Sakura thought, finishing her lunch as a hundred thoughts came to mind at what her boss would make her do just to let her off for today.
The place she worked in… she wanted to quit so badly, but she had signed a contract. And until she graduates high school, she can't leave the job, unless of course she breaks the only rule, which happens to be losing her virginity, and she was not about to go that far just to leave that place.
She could try lying, but somehow, her boss would know, and it really frightened her at the thought that she was being stalked or watched.
"Oh well, it's not everyday a classmate would beg or even plead…" shrugging, she decided to just face the music later on.
"Take today off?"
"Yes sir…" she replied meekly.
"Hm…" He stood up from his chair and approached the pink-haired girl. "That depends…" he murmured, taking a few strands of her long pink hair and pulling it near his nose and lips. "What's in it for me, Sakura?"
"...I'll work tomorrow, until closing time."
"What else?"
She lowered her head as she tried to think of other things she could possibly do, without having to offer her body being touched or groped.
"Well, Sakura?"
Her hands gripped the hem of her school's black skirt, her body slightly quivering when her boss had placed his hands on her shoulders from behind and started to massage it gently, before slightly lowering to touch her breasts, clutching the two mounds with such force that she had to gasp out a moan, and she did not like the way he had touched her.
"Still no answer?" he asked, one of his hands lowering a bit, slowly and teasingly, which caused the teenaged girl to feel disgusted at letting this man get away with it. "Do you want me to tell you what I want then?"
"…What do you want, sir?"
It wasn't just because of the contract, and it wasn't just because she needed money, but this man practically saved her; her mother died giving birth to her, while her father got into a car accident and died upon arriving at the hospital, leaving her with nothing but the savings her father had left, which did not last her more than a year.
She came from a family that was not well off, since her parents eloped.
From what she heard from her father when she was still young, she had no aunts or uncles, and her grandparents were still quite angry at her parents for running off.
"You know perfectly well what I want."
This man used to be such a good man, but she found out later that he was only pretending so that she would agree to any favors he would ask. When she turned sixteen and he had asked her to work for him until high school, and when told that he would pay her for her services, she had agreed, because she wanted to help out in his business, not knowing that it was kind of like a host club, except females served the male customers. It wasn't exactly a stripper's club, but it might as well be called that, since the men were allowed to touch the women; and unless they actually buy the women, having sex with the girls was not allowed – unless they would want an oral type, which she – luckily- has yet to experience.
"I thought you said-"
"I don't mind oral, or groping…" he murmured while she flinched when one hand cupped one of her breasts, while the other was rubbing against her clit. "You do want to go to that party, right?"
"…I-it's for a friend, and she pleaded me to." She stammered, face flushed when her boss continued his actions.
"You're too nice, Sakura." He murmured, before pulling away, and she was more than glad that he did. "Tomorrow, you work until closing time, and then," he turned his head to her to smirk. "I'll take you to my place and have my way with you."
She did not say anything, but only gave a nod and a small bow before leaving the office and out the back door to avoid the customers from taking her remaining time to prepare.
This was the first time she ever got invited, and she was going to make sure she would look her best, since it may also be the last time she'll ever go to these kinds of parties.
Upon arriving at her small apartment, she quickly removed her black shoes, navy blue socks, skirt, dark blue school jacket, red tie, and white long-sleeved blouse, before changing into one of her few dresses in her small closet.
"As always, there's not much to pick from…" She murmured to herself, looking at the black halter dress that ended on her knees, and then turned to the red off-shoulder one that was only up until an inch above her knees. She looked back at her closet, seeing some plain shirts and jeans, her father's old clothes that she wore to bed since it helped her sleep whenever she felt sad or lonely, and a few skirts she got from her boss – back when he seemed nice. She practically had no choice! These two dresses were just given to her by her father's co-worker, and that was only because the woman no longer had a need for them.
"Oh well, I'm thankful for her then…" she said, deciding to pick the black one instead, and checked the few pairs of shoes that she can use. She was thankful that her father kept some of her mother's old things, including some sandals that fit her perfectly.
Once she was done dressing up, she left her place and tried to ignore the pain of having to walk to Temari's house in heels.
"I assume you won't be having dinner here then."
"Hn."
"Give me a real answer Sasuke."
He rolled his eyes and sighed. "No dad, I won't be eating dinner here." He answered, buttoning the remaining buttons of his black shirt.
"That makes two of us." Fugaku replied, stepping inside a car. "I'm needed for another meeting."
"I didn't ask."
The older Uchiha frowned and stared at his son who remained standing at the side of his motorcycle, fixing the belt around his waist that kept his dark blue jeans up. "I taught you better than that."
Sasuke bent down to tighten the knots of his black sneakers, put on his blue jacket, and then finally placed his helmet on and straddled his bike, before riding off, leaving his father to shake his head and sigh.
"It took him ten years to actually act like a father?" he thought to himself, eyes narrowing further. "Just because mom died, just because Itachi left without a single word to him…" his grip on the handles tightened as he sped up. "I don't blame my brother for wanting to leave without saying a word to him…"
He was the last person Uchiha Itachi spoke to before leaving Konoha, and Sasuke perfectly understood why his brother had to leave. Itachi wanted to take him along, but Sasuke refused, saying that their father would definitely be able to track them down easily, so he promised Itachi that he would follow when he graduates, and frankly, they both couldn't wait for senior year to end.
"Mom must be disappointed…" he thought bitterly, recalling his mother's final smile three years ago, before permanently closing her eyes. "It's my fault…" he forced back the tears that attempted to fall. "I should have stayed home! I was the target, not her!"
His father was a respectable man, a famous military figure, but was hated by the terrorists and rebels that he caught.
Despite the warning given to Sasuke about his father's enemies out there waiting for a chance to get back at Fugaku, the youngest Uchiha still turned a deaf ear, and because of that, his mother passed away…
"That bullet was supposed to kill me, not her…"
Fugaku never blamed Sasuke for Mikoto's death, and Itachi did not hold a grudge or burden for his younger brother, and Mikoto surely did not think ill of her youngest son – and it made Sasuke much more depressed, for he believes that he needed to be punished for what had happened.
After his mother had gone, Itachi left too, because Fugaku became much stricter to them, but mostly on Itachi, and the older Uchiha could not handle it, and left.
The Uchiha patriarch had then decided to make things right; however, something was lacking, and he did not know what it was, but he knew he lacked something, for Sasuke remained distant to him.
"You're too caught up in the military life, dad…" he thought. "You expect me to take the same path, but I don't want to."
His train of thought was cut when his eyes saw a girl walking briskly down the street, and took note of her outfit.
"Haruno..?" he easily caught up with her, and decided to stop and wait for her to reach his side.
"What the heck..?" Sakura thought, slowing to a stop when she saw a man up ahead on a motorcycle. "Is this guy going to kidnap me or something?" she walked cautiously, eyes narrowing to a glare when she was nearing him.
She saw him remove his helmet, and she blinked when dark onyx orbs looked back at her.
"You know," he began. "The party starts at seven."
"Yes, I'm aware of that." She said, trying to fight the blush that was creeping through her face. It's not everyday her crush would actually stop to chat.
A smirk made its way to his lips, and she failed to prevent her cheeks from turning red. "With what you're wearing and the way you move, I think you'll arrive there around eight or later."
"W-well not everyone is as lucky as you to-"
"Hop on." He said, cutting her off.
"H-huh?"
He sighed and got off of his bike. "I said…" he poked her forehead. "Hop on."
"…Y-you're giving me a ride?"
"No, I'm letting you sit on it," He said sarcastically. "Of course I'm giving you a ride."
"…Why?"
He raised a brow. "I think it's obvious."
She crossed her arms and snorted, which earned an amused look from him. "People don't normally do others a favor without asking anything in return."
"Hn," he shrugged. "I guess I'm not normal."
She remained standing still.
"Alright," he sighed, and then lifted her chin, causing her to blush, and he pressed his lips lightly against her lips, pulling away after a second. "There, now get on."
He turned back to his bike after handing her his helmet.
Sakura may have been dazed from what had happened, but the sound of the bike's engine roaring to life snapped her out of her trance, and she quickly placed the helmet over her head and sat behind him, her arms nervously wrapping around his waist when he told her to hang on, and her grip tightened when they started moving at a fast pace.
A sigh escaped his lips as he checked the time on his watch before looking at the road before him.
The party started five minutes ago, and it was not like his best friend to be late, even if he didn't really want to go.
"Geez, that bastard…" he muttered, scratching the back of his blonde hair. "What's keeping him?"
His ears picked up the sound of a bike, and he grinned when his eyes caught sight of the familiar black and blue Yamaha YZF R1.
"I really wish dad would buy me one of those." He said to himself, eyes widening when the bike pulled over before him and that the rider had another passenger behind him, a girl at that. "What the fuck? The bastard got a girlfriend!"
"Hn. Dead last." Sasuke muttered, turning the bike's engine off. "I just gave Haruno a ride."
Naruto's green mind formed different images, and he couldn't help the huge grin on his face. "It must have been one heck of a ride."
He earned a hit on his head from Sasuke.
"Idiot." He glanced back at Sakura who removed the helmet and set it on the bike's seat. "You coming..?"
"Y-yeah…" She said, biting her lower lip as she eyed Temari's place, seeing some of her classmates through the window dancing and grinding to the beat of the music. "Or maybe I can just wait here…"
Her face flushed when Sasuke's hand gripped her wrist and pulled her towards the house, Naruto tailing behind.
"U-Uchiha..!"
"You should have just said that you'd chicken out," he muttered. "I wouldn't have taken you with me then."
She pulled her wrist free from his grip. "Which reminds me, why the heck did you kiss me back there?! That was MY first kiss!"
Naruto listened in, very interested at where the two's conversation was going.
"Hn, it was mine too, but who cares?"
"I do! It means a lot to a girl-"
"I've heard the same shit already." Sasuke said, eyes closing as he tried to remain calm. She was getting annoying. "And look on the bright side, you didn't lose it to some bum on the streets," he looked at her up and down. "With the way you're dressed, you could have lost more than just your first kiss."
"Ugh! You… you're… ugh!" she walked pass him and entered the door when Temari opened it and welcomed them in, leaving Sasuke with an amused smirk on his face, and Naruto grinning from ear to ear.
"She's pretty hot," Naruto commented. "Took me by surprise actually," he nudged Sasuke. "So what's keeping you and her from rocking all night?"
Sasuke sighed. "You're hopeless."
It's not like she wasn't enjoying herself, just not as much as she expected to. Temari did talk to her, but when the blonde's friends began pulling her away, she was left alone, and she wished she at least stuck with Sasuke and Naruto, knowing that either of them would have kept her company.
"Maybe I should just head home…" she thought, getting up from the couch where two of her classmates were heatedly making out, the other people not seeming to mind them, for they were too preoccupied with their own conversations, and the couple were too drunk to even care about their surroundings.
"I'm at least glad I didn't wear the red dress." She thought, seeing one of her classmates pass by wearing an identical one. "Where is Temari anyway? I should at least say goodbye."
After a few minutes of walking, she saw Temari talking with her friends outside, near the pool, so she went over, but was blocked by three girls.
"So you actually came here, Haruno?"
"…Hi Karin." She muttered, looking away from the red-head. "And yeah, Temari asked me to come."
"She shouldn't have," Karin snorted, smirking when her two friends nodded in agreement. "And to make things worst, you arrived here with Sasuke."
"He offered me a ride." She said. "And he wouldn't take no for an answer."
Karin scoffed. "You actually think he'd want you to?"
"He just cares." Sakura seethed. "And it's a lot better than you thinking he actually likes you."
The two girls who were with Karin gasped, while some who stopped to listen on their conversation "ooohh-ed" at Sakura's retort.
"You bitch." Karin hissed.
"Do I look like a mirror to you?!" Sakura shot back.
"No," Karin then smirked. "There is no way you'd look half as good as me."
"You're right," Sakura said. "…Because you're not even an eight as smart as I am."
"That's it!" she yelled, pulling Sakura towards her and then shoving her to the pool, causing the people who were around to laugh at the scene. "Hmph, you're not so high and mighty now, huh Haruno?"
Sakura resurfaced and coughed out water, her ears hearing laughter coming from her classmates, her eyes seeing how everyone was pointing and laughing at her, save for Temari who looked shocked at what just happened.
She made her way to one corner of the pool, her arms attempting to pull herself out, but she was shaking, which prevented her from getting out of the water. "I shouldn't have gone here… I should have just worked! I should have-" her eyes widened when she felt a grip on her arm. "…Who would…" she looked up to see Sasuke looking down at her, with Naruto next to him asking if she was alright.
"…Why..?" she thought, when Sasuke had pulled her up with Naruto's assistance.
She remained kneeling on the ground, her arms quickly moving to hug herself when the night wind blew.
"That was pretty low Karin!" She heard Naruto yell, looking up when she felt a jacket being placed over her shoulders.
"Sasuke..?"
He stared at her for a moment, his hands on her shoulders after wrapping his blazer around her, before offering a hand to help her up, which she gratefully took, her head lowering from embarrassment.
"This is a farewell party for Temari! And you end up hogging the spotlight again!" Naruto continued, glaring at Karin who tried to keep her cool. "Just because Sakura grew a back bone by answering back at you does not give you a right to just push her! It's freakin' cold tonight! You want her to catch flu or possibly gain pneumonia?"
"Hmph, don't act as if she's your friend Uzumaki," Karin crossed her arms haughtily. "Like the rest of us, you only noticed her tonight, heck, you wouldn't even be talking to her if Sasuke didn't bring her here."
Some of the students broke out in whispers.
"That's right," Karin said with a smirk. "Haruno came here with Sasuke."
"That girl?!"
"But she's a nobody!"
"Who would have thought…"
"So a loser like her managed to catch Uchiha?"
Sakura held onto the jacket tighter, wanting to just disappear.
"To call someone you barely know a loser…" Sasuke spoke, raising his head to glare at the rest of the class. "Only means how your life is not worth living."
Silence answered him, but Naruto wasn't always known to do what everyone else did. "What the heck do you mean by that bastard?" he whispered.
"These guys…" he murmured in response. "Have a miserable life, so they decide to mistreat others to mask their own pain."
He grabbed one of Sakura's hands, and pulled her back inside the house, the people who were in the way parting, Naruto tailing behind.
"What now?" Naruto asked when they were outside, standing next to Sasuke's bike. "After that little stunt you pulled, the two of us would definitely be on the lowest part of the food chain."
"I don't care." Sasuke replied, taking his helmet and making Sakura put it on. "And neither should you." Sasuke soon smirked. "You started out as a dead last after all."
"Bah! You suck!" Naruto pouted. "But it's not like Hinata would dump me, right?"
"Hn. Knowing how much that girl loves you, which I still can't believe, she would fall along with you."
"Oh well, at least I have her, but what about you? I know how much you hate hanging around us with the way we talk and act."
"I'll manage." He shrugged. "And why the heck were you absent earlier?"
"Didn't feel like going to school and… as for the party, Temari sent me a text."
"Hn, go home then." He glanced at Sakura.
"Alright, see 'ya!" they both punched each other's knuckles as a way of parting. "Bye Sakura." He patted the girl on the back lightly, and walked off to his car.
"This is… where you live..?" he asked, stopping right next to her in front of her apartment's door.
She only gave a nod after handing him back the helmet.
"Do you think your parents would throw a fit when they see you drenched?"
"…They're dead."
"…Sorry." He apologized, looking down.
Sakura gave another nod, about to remove the jacket to return it to him, but he stopped her from doing so.
"Keep it," he said. "You can return it on Monday."
"What you just did…" Sakura murmured. "You should have just…"
"If you meant the one back in Temari's house," he said. "It's not because I felt sorry for you." His eyes softened. "I just hate how people would treat you as if you're not a human being."
"It's been like that since freshman year, why care now?"
He was silent, not knowing the answer, before looking at her when she raised her head to meet his gaze.
"I like you…" she said, with her voice weak at first. "I really do." And she lowered her head. "It means a lot to me, what you did back then, but don't…" she shut her eyes. "Just don't-"
"I'm not leading you on." He cut off. "And… I guess the feeling's mutual." He murmured, looking away when she stared at him with shocked eyes. "I mean… when I see you, when I look at your eyes, I can see the same pain and loneliness I'm going through, and I care because it was only now did I actually had enough of them treating you like this."
"They've been treating me like trash since day one Sasuke!" She yelled. "It took you three years to grow tired?!"
"No, that's not it." He said, shaking his head. "I just wasn't at the right place." He sighed. "If I was, I would have… protected you." He said the last part softly.
"Do you like me?"
"What..?"
"Do you like me?" She repeated, eyes narrowed at him, yet they were teary.
"…I…" He looked away. "…I have to go." He turned, about to walk away, but she quickly grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "Sakura-"
"Tell me!"
"…I don't know." He admitted. "Maybe… but…"
"Then I'll make you know." And she kissed him, the jacket that was around her shoulders falling to the ground while she kept her hands pressed against his chest, his back against the wall next to her apartment's door.
She knew that this wasn't exactly the right thing to do, especially if she didn't want to feel embarrassed when she pulls away, but it felt like she had to do so when she saw him walking away.
"I…" She lowered her head, cheeks red. "I'm sorry." She avoided eye contact, but she knew that he was surprised at what she just did. "I didn't mean to, it's just that I really, really-"
"Shut up." He said, and this time, he was the one who kissed her, and had her slammed against the wall, pinned her arms at both sides of her head, and forced his tongue inside her mouth.
He pulled back for air, both their eyes half-closed and staring into each other, breathing ragged, and their chests heaving up and down.
"Sasu-"
"I like you too." He answered, kissing her again. "Don't ask why, don't ask how, just know that I feel the same."
His grip on her arms loosened, and she quickly wrapped them around his neck to pull him in for another kiss, and he didn't seem to mind and placed a hand behind her head to pull her for a deeper lip lock, his other hand crept around her waist, her core against his groin, them feeling the burning need and desire for the other.
"Your job…" He murmured, moving to her neck. "You should quit."
"…What..?" she asked breathlessly, unable to understand what he just said due to the sensation she was feeling.
"Quit your job." He repeated, hands resting on either side of her hips as their foreheads touched. "I don't want you working in that place, ever again."
"I… I can't." She admitted, looking down while still keeping her arms around his neck. "I have a contract with my boss… and…"
"You have a rule there, break it."
"How… how do you know so much..?"
"I have my ways, and I'll tell you some other time, but for now…" he kissed her again. "Break it."
"…You know the rule, right?"
"…What's the rule?"
"…I have to…" She trailed off, looking away, cheeks turning red. "I need to lose my…" she felt embarrassed to continue.
"Would you allow me to?"
She looked at him wide-eyed, before lowering her head, thinking about the pros and cons.
As she thought about it, her grip on him tightened, and he still kept his eyes on her.
"I need the money…" She said, closing her eyes. "I hate my job, but I don't know where else I would work, I don't know how else I'll live…" she shook her head slightly. "The only reason why I'm able to attend school is because of my scholarship."
"Don't worry about the money." He whispered. "Let me take care of you."
"Sasuke…" She closed her eyes. "How long will you be able to take care of me? I need to ensure my future, you should understand…"
"As long as you want, and I do understand, and I don't like what you do for a living."
"I… I have to think…" her voice grew soft. She was tempted to give in to what he offered, and she was scared of having to do what her boss wanted her to do, and the idea that someone may someday buy her wasn't at all thrilling. "There's another way to get me out of the job, but… I don't really want you to-"
"You're a human being Sakura, you're not an object." He said, knowing what she was about to say. "But if I can buy your freedom through it, then…"
"No." She said, shaking her head. "You have no idea how much he would sell me."
He grabbed her hands and pulled them to his lips, his eyes closing the moment he made contact with her fingers. "Then entrust yourself to me."
It was too much for her, having to give herself to him, when they're only in the border of liking each other, and not loving.
"Let me think about it." She said. "I… I need to think this over."
He sighed, but gave a nod and kissed her forehead. "Starting tonight," He murmured. "You're my girlfriend."
"People at school will ignore you too!"
"Good." He answered. "That's how I want my life."
"But they might talk about us, and…"
"Sakura, I don't care." He cupped her cheek with his right hand, while his left was still on her hip. "I just want to be with you."
"You never really showed interest in me before, why start now?"
"Actually, I've been looking at you since first year, I just never had enough guts to talk to you, and I had to confirm my feelings first."
"Fine, I'll leave it at that." She said, pulling away from his grasp. "Just… come back tomorrow morning for my answer."
"Aa." He held her hand for a moment, before leaning the tip of his nose to touch her cheek. "Night."
"Good night." She replied, entering her apartment and leaning her back against the closed door, her ears hearing the sound of his motor's engine taking off. "Sasuke and I… it's like some kind of twisted fairytale." A small smile crept up to her lips as she eyed her place, seeing the dining area and kitchen clean, the short path towards her room was dimly lit as always, and her bedroom door was left open, and she could see the red dress she left on the bed. "Better get ready to sleep." She murmured to herself, locking her apartment door and closing the lights in the dining area, before heading off to her bedroom, where a built-in bathroom was.
"I wonder…" she thought as she took off her clothes and grabbed a shirt and pajama pants, as well as a towel, before entering the bathroom. "Should I give myself to Sasuke just to quit my job..?" her brows furrowed, even as she stepped into the showers and let the hot water touch her nude body and wet her long pink hair. "I've never considered sex before marriage, and it's not like I firmly believe in doing it after getting married, but…" she gritted her teeth and gave a frustrated sigh, before finishing up her bath and get ready for bed.
"What should I do..?"
The doorbell made her open her eyes, and she sat up to rub the sleep off.
"…What time is it?" She asked herself, looking at the clock on her bedside table. Sighing, she got up and sleepily made her way to the door to open it. "What do you want..?"
"Your answer…"
That voice woke her up.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?!"
"Yeah, eight-thirty." He shrugged. "I just came from jogging, and… I'm an early riser."
She eyed him, seeing how sweaty he was, saw the iPod nano clipped to the waist of his jogging pants, and noted how his white shirt looked pretty much soaked. "Geez…" She opened the door wider to let him in, so he stepped inside and watched with amused eyes as she staggered a bit while making her way to one of the few cupboards. "…coffee?" she asked, eyes half-closed.
"Are you awake enough to prepare it?"
Her brows furrowed as she glared at him, seeing him smirking.
"You know what," He said, locking the door of her apartment and walking towards her. "I'll take care of the coffee, while you take a bath."
"Fine…" She was too sleepy to argue, so she dragged herself back to her room while he just shook his head and prepared their drinks, thinking that maybe he ought to prepare breakfast as well.
"When you said you'd take care of me, I didn't think of it as literally…" she said, sweat dropping while he switched off the stove and placed a plate of pancakes in front of her. "And I had no idea you actually knew how to… well, cook."
"Hn, when my mother was still around, she loves cooking for our meals, despite my father hiring a chef." He sat down next to her with his own plate. "I remember having to help her out most of the time as a kid, and I kind of picked up her habit when she left."
Sakura gave a small smile, a bit surprised that he actually opened up a bit. "So, we're both motherless, but at least you got to know her, right? I wasn't even able to see her in person."
"Well, you had your father around, you felt his care."
"Yours probably just has a… hard time showing his love."
"Hn. How many more years does he need?"
"Um…" she tried to give a big grin. "Let's just eat up."
So they ate.
They would occasionally make small talk, and then remain silent, until another topic is brought up, and they would even laugh about it.
"You know," She said, taking their used dishes to the sink to wash them. "I always pictured this kind of scene, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon." She finished her chore and turned back to face him while leaning against the sink. "In fact, I feel as if this is all just a dream."
He got up from his seat and walked over to her, making her look up at him as he leaned his forehead against hers, their eyes closing at the same time upon contact.
"Are you really here, Sasuke?"
His right hand reached for her left one, and had their fingers intertwined.
"If I open my eyes, will you disappear?"
"No," he leaned his lips to hers for a light kiss. "And I hope you wouldn't be gone when I open my eyes."
"You cornered me Sasuke, how will I be able to leave?"
"You've got a point." He said back, pulling away as they opened their eyes. "Are you quitting your job yet?"
"Maybe not now, give me a week."
He frowned, but nodded none the less, and she smiled at him gratefully.
"What time do you have to go to work?"
"Not until six," she answered. "Why?"
"Hn. Get dressed, we're going somewhere." He turned towards the door. "I'll be back at around… ten probably."
"Okay."
Kids were too much to handle - in his opinion - but there were some who were really nice and cute, but most were just obnoxious little brats.
"Would you have rather gone elsewhere?"
He instantly turned his frown into a wide grin.
"You don't have to force yourself…"
"No, no!" he defended, shaking his head. "This is where you wanted to go, right? So it's fine!"
She smiled shyly, and gave a nod, their fingers still intertwined as they walked.
"Hey, Hinata," he called out. "Is it just me or is that Sasuke?"
The girl looked at where her boyfriend was staring, and her eyes widened before turning to Naruto, who also looked surprised.
"It's him, right?"
"Yes, with Haruno Sakura." she confirmed.
"I can't believe it!" He laughed. "He actually hooked up with her!" he cupped his free hand on the side of his lips and yelled. "Sasuke-bastard!"
Naruto's blue eyes saw how Sasuke had stiffened and twitched at the nickname, before turning his head to glare at his direction.
The hyper blonde pulled Hinata towards the couple, stopping upon reaching a few feet away from them.
"Naruto, Hinata!" Sakura was alarmed at their arrival. "You're in the amusement park too..?"
"Obviously," Naruto said with a huge grin. "We're in front of you, right?"
"Yeah but… I didn't think we'd see anyone from school here…"
"Ditto," Naruto said, laughing. "I wanted to get away from the familiar faces, what about you? I can understand Sasuke not wanting to see anyone from school…"
"Well, I'm worried about what others will say about him when they see me with him."
Sasuke and Hinata glanced at each other, and then back at the two, sweat dropping as they continued to chat.
"They seem to be getting along…" Hinata commented, smiling at her boyfriend and Sakura's interaction as she flipped her long hair off of her shoulder.
"Hn. Looks like it."
"So, you and her..?" Hinata smiled when Sasuke gave a nod. "Since when, Sasuke-nii..?"
"Last night." He answered, keeping his gaze on his girlfriend. "Karin pushed her into Temari's pool at the party, and when I took her home, she confessed her feelings."
"I'm not surprised," Hinata giggled. "You aren't the type who would confess first."
"Back at you," He smirked. "I know how long you've been crushing on the dead last."
"T-that… well…" She stammered, and he managed to let out a small laugh.
"Hey bastard, Hinata," Naruto called. "Since we're here, let's have a double date, alright?"
Hinata gave a nod, and the three looked at Sasuke expectantly, who sighed and shrugged, muttering how he had no other choice due to all three of them agreeing.
The four went on different kinds of rides together.
Hinata didn't like the roller coaster, but her three companions wanted to, so she joined them.
Naruto wasn't really into flying fiestas, but he rode it anyway since the rest mocked him for it, except for Hinata who only begged.
Sakura refused the river rapids, but a taunt from Sasuke, as well as a reassurance, made her go.
Sasuke definitely hated to ride the carousel, but Sakura asked him to do it for her, so he ended up riding the contraption with a scowl.
Overall, they had a good time, and Naruto had pictures to prove it.
"Whew! What a day!" Naruto said out loud, raising his arms up in the air while Hinata browsed through the pictures they had taken.
"Hey, Sakura, give me your email address so that I can send some of your pictures to you." Hinata told the pink-haired girl who was walking right next to her, both getting along pretty well.
"Wow bastard," Naruto whispered so that only Sasuke could hear. "I never really thought Sakura could be this kind of girl."
"Hn, sometimes, rumors and gossips in school tend to blind you from the truth."
"Yeah," Naruto smiled at Sasuke, and it wasn't the usual goofy grin he had on, but a genuine one. "I'm really happy for you, Sakura's a really great girl, and I can tell how much you actually care for her."
"Aa, I didn't think I'd really fall for her after last night."
Naruto stopped when his green mind began to function.
"Don't get any ideas, dead last. I meant the confession bit."
"Oh…"
"Can we ride on the Ferris wheel?" Sakura said after a while, hands clasped in front of her when she turned to the two boys who immediately twitched. Hinata backed Sakura up and had a cute pout on her face. "I also wanted to ride it… but if you two don't want to…"
Sakura's face fell as well, and the two boys looked at each other, sighed, and turned back to their respective girlfriends.
"Why not..?"
"Hn…"
The two girls beamed and dragged their boyfriends towards the ride, excited to get on, while the two men felt as if they're about to die due to the cliché and sappy ending.
Instead of going all together at once, they split into pairs, since there was only enough room for two, so Naruto and Hinata went ahead, followed by Sasuke and Sakura.
As soon as the ride started, Sakura quickly looked outside the glass window, her eyes lighting up from the beautiful lights and view of the whole park, and Sasuke couldn't help but be enthralled at her expression, his widened eyes half-closing, his parted lips forming a smile, and his gaze averted from her to the view.
"Thanks," she spoke, looking at him at the same time he eyed her. "This has been the best day of my life."
He gave a smirk. "So far…"
She giggled. "You'd make sure I'll have more to come?"
"Count on it."
"Just don't spoil me." She said, looking down at her feet, her knees knocking together as she rested her folded hands on her lap, her cheeks red when she felt Sasuke's intent gaze on her. "I don't want to get used to this kind of treatment…"
His brows furrowed. "Why?"
"I can be an idealist, but I need to be a realist Sasuke," She looked up at him. "Sometimes, all good things must come to an end, right?"
He shook his head. "That's being pessimistic." He closed his eyes. "Not all good things should end, and if ever, there's always something better to replace them." He looked back at her. "I lost my mother, probably the only person who understood me in the world, and then my brother left, the only family I ever considered since my mother's death," He looked outside. "Everything seemed like… crap to me, until you came." His gaze softened when he looked at her, seeing how her eyes were wide. "As cheesy as it may sound," he added carefully. "Even I haven't had this much fun, and we can keep enjoying life Sakura, if you wish it to be, if you believe it would, then it will."
Whether it was because of his words, or because of her feelings for him, she ended up jumping to his awaiting arms, and they sat like that for the rest of the ride.
He gripped her hand when she started to shake, fear overcoming her as she eyed the place she worked in.
"I'm going in with you."
She snapped from her train of thoughts to look at him.
"Don't stop me from entering this place," he said. "I won't let you in there by yourself."
"No!" She shook her head furiously. "You can't get involved with this! You just can't!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed to slits, and he grabbed her shoulders harshly to make her face him. "I'm already involved!" he said, his grip tightening. "You're my girlfriend, Sakura, and it's also my fault for not keeping track of time."
"This is my responsibility! I don't want you to-"
Though it wasn't what both of them expected to happen, he kissed her none the less.
"S-Sasuke..?"
"I'm not leaving your side." He said in a tone of finality, turning towards the entrance. "There's no telling what your boss may do."
She gave a defeated sigh and nodded, knowing that he was right, and frankly, she really did want him to be there with her.
They stepped in, Sasuke glaring at some of the male customers who recognized Sakura and demanded for her service with lust-filled eyes and drunken tones. He also snarled at some of the women who tried to catch his attention, and kept his grip on Sakura's wrist tight, making sure she was close to him as they made their way to the owner's office.
With a deep breathe in, Sakura knocked three times, before opening the door and stepping inside. Sasuke followed closely behind before closing the door behind him, and they were face to face with Sakura's boss.
"You show up, but you bring someone along." He began, standing up from his chair with a cold glare on his eyes. "If you had brought a virgin young woman, then I could have easily forgiven you for your negligence."
Sasuke let his instincts take over by stepping in front of Sakura protectively.
"Let me guess, you're… her boyfriend?" the man gave a hollow laugh, before narrowing his eyes at Sakura. "It doesn't matter if you have a boy toy, you're still clean, and therefore, you still work here." He looked at Sasuke. "As for you, I could care less if you're together with Sakura, I allowed her to go to the party in exchange for something I want, and your presence won't stop me." He turned back to his employee. "Forget about working tonight, you'll be heading home early with me." He made a move to grab her, but Sasuke pushed the man's arm away and glared.
"Don't touch her." He hissed.
"Don't interfere." The man warned. "I can have you killed and get away with it."
"I'd like to see you try."
"You wouldn't want me to prove my threat."
"I could care less," He snapped. "But I won't let you touch my girlfriend and have your way with her, even if it's a deal."
The older man only turned to Sakura. "You know what I can do to him, Sakura, so you better make a decision, fast."
Sakura grabbed Sasuke's hand, and placed her other one on his shoulder, making him step aside.
"Good girl…" The man said, about to touch her but she spoke up.
"Not now." She said firmly. "I'll… go to you later; I need to talk to him first."
The man scowled. "You don't need to talk-"
"It would make it easier for you!" She said back. "I'll talk to him to not interfere so that… that…" she looked away. "You can have your way with me without any interruption."
Sasuke was taken aback by what Sakura said, and he did not like the way her boss had given a triumphant smirk at his way and left the office.
"Sakura, what the hell did you-"
"I don't want him to hurt you!" She said back. "Let me do this, just let me do this one more time! And I promise I'll…" She clenched her fists. "I'll give myself to you so that I can quit this job."
He gritted his teeth. "What do you take me for?! Some guy who just wants to have sex?!"
"That's not what I-"
"Do what you want then!" he said, before turning to leave. "See if I care…"
What he said hurt a lot, and she couldn't help but break down.
She felt disgusted when she saw the way he smirked and eyed her body – lust was evident in his gaze, and she decided to just turn away, still depressed over her misunderstanding with Sasuke earlier.
"I told you before that having a boyfriend would only lead to problems, didn't I?" he asked huskily, his breath tickling her ear.
Sakura tried to not shake with fear, but she couldn't help but utter the word: "Stop" when her boss had began to grope her body.
"A deal is a deal, Sakura." He reminded, pushing her against the leather couch and pinning her there. "And I wish you wore a skirt instead of jeans, but then," He smirked. "I wouldn't have the excuse of removing it…"
Her eyes began to water when this man had unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, pulling the clothing off of her while he hungrily stared at her creamy thighs, licking his lips for emphasis.
"I'll enjoy this…" she heard him say, before lowering his head with his tongue sticking out, about to lick her legs.
"God, no, please…" she pleaded in her mind, wishing that she listened to Sasuke in the first place.
Bang! Crash!
Her boss sat up, and she craned her head to look at the broken glass of the living room window.
"What the fuck?!" came the man's reaction as he got up, cursing. "Fucking kids are at it again!"
Sakura was more than thankful for the interruption, but she had not expected another "bang", nor did she think that she would see her boss' head blown off by a bullet, and now lay dead on the floor.
"W…wha…" she could feel her heart begin to palpitate, felt her breathing quicken. Her emerald eyes were so wide with shock that even her pupils began to dilate, and she was shaking furiously, as well as continued sweating like hell.
"You were crying."
She slowly looked up, the killer of her boss stepping closer to her; calm and unaffected by what just happened.
"He was going to do something you didn't want."
She remained silent the whole time despite her mouth hanging open, and she couldn't even move when the assassin was a foot away from her.
"But more importantly…"
Her shoulders felt the weight of a jacket being placed around her, and she was snapped from her trance when she was pulled to him.
"…He was hurting you." His dark orbs narrowed. "Whoever hurts you…"
"S-Sasuke..?"
"…Will die."
"Don't leave me…" she cried. "I'm scared!"
"I won't." He assured her. "I'm here."
Apathetic Silence: Some questions will be entertained, and some will not. If I answer everything, then what's the point of having mysteries, right? Thanks for reading! I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but please be patient.