All events italicized are flashbacks. I don't think there will be many more of them moving forward!
Thank you for taking the time to read and as always, I appreciate feedback!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
It was the evening before his engagement party and she felt anxious laying in the bed of their hotel room. He had an arm draped over her side and he was catching his breath after their final time together.
Sakura rolled around to face him and scooted closer to his body, holding herself tight against him.
He yawned and brought his hand to stroke her hair lazily.
She knew she shouldn't say anything so she just closed her eyes and ducked her head as liquid spilled from her eyes.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Sasuke immediately regretted reaching to brush the tears away. He knew what was wrong and he knew how she felt about him. He had seen it in her eyes for a couple of months now.
She shook her head and mumbled, "Nothing."
He sighed and rolled onto his back bringing her to him. In less than 24 hours he was to be an engaged man, and not to the woman next to him. He had feelings for the girl in his arms, no doubt, but there was nothing he could do.
Sakura started picking up her clothes first early next morning. He was still in bed watching her move. She kept her eyes on him as she slipped her legs in her panties, as she hooked her bra together in the back, and it was when she buttoned the last button on her shirt, that she decided to throw caution to the wind.
"I love you," she said casually standing in front of him as if it were an ordinary statement of fact.
Even though he knew, his breath still caught in his throat as he tore his gaze away from her. He couldn't help but feel angry at the proclamation.
She sat down next to him to kiss him goodbye, as she always did, but he couldn't bring himself to meet her lips.
Instead he reached out to hold her face and held it there so she couldn't move. "Why did you say that?"
She looked hurt for a moment and placed hand atop his and simply said, "I wanted you to know."
He glared at her, "This doesn't change anything."
Sadly, she closed her eyes and whispered, "I know." She took in a shaky breath and pleaded, "Please, just for a moment, let me feel like you feel the same."
Hoarsely, he said, "What good does that do?"
Her eyes snapped wide open and hurt was written all over her face. "You're right," she said and pulled away.
She looked around the room clasping both hands at her heart, mind running so fast. She wanted to fight him, kiss him, fuck him. This was their last moment as a couple and it came to an end too soon.
Sasuke stood up in his boxers and moved to stand in front of her. He could see every emotion passing through her eyes and he was reminded that, once, he had found her expressive eyes endearing.
"I don't want to go," she whispered and took a step towards him, fearing another rejection of her advances.
"I know," and with that, he brought her to a bone crushing hug and pressed his lips to the top of her head.
Sakura thought of their final few hours and she thought of them often. In vain she would try to remember their final kiss, but all she had memories of that day was his final rejection.
She sighed and pushed back out of her chair.
His departure meant she had to start addressing the responsibilities she had put off during the duration of their relationship.
When she met Sasuke, she was going through a rough time. The man she had been seeing regularly had ended their relationship poorly. He had been her professor and his wife discovered his affair. The wife threatened to report him if he didn't immediately cut off all relations with her. He forced her to withdraw from the class and Sakura was devastated. A couple of weeks later, she received notice that her medical school acceptance has been rescinded after she had been forced to drop her final prerequisite course. That very night, while she was wallowing in self pity, she met Sasuke.
Sakura was at the bar when she met Sasuke and after a couple of drinks, they made vague promises to live their life to the fullest for the next few months. At the end of the night, Sakura made her first reckless decision. She went home with him.
It wasn't until after their break up that she felt regret over starting a timed relationship with Sasuke.
She hadn't anticipated the loneliness she would feel without Sasuke. Of course, she knew she would miss him, but working at a minimum wage job as a barista was a lot less exciting without having him in her life.
With a sigh, she powered up her computer and logged in to register, again, for the last class. She had put it off for the last two semesters, but now, she had no choice but to register. She hesitated only a moment before registering with the only available professor, the same professor she had started the course with the last time. She could only hope there would be no repercussions.
She finally stood up from her desk to get ready for her shift at their local coffee shop.
Sasuke stood in front of floor length window in his office. He didn't have much time to organize his thoughts, and really, his entire life was laid out in front of him. All he had to do was follow the formula his father had determined for him, as he had his entire life. Instead of pursuing medicine, he pursued an MBA. Of course he graduated with the highest honors, but the day after his graduation ceremony, his father set him down in the very same office he was standing in and told him about his impending engagement. He didn't know who she was or where she came from, but he knew their marriage would maintain the integrity of the Uchiha prestige.
That night he went to the bar and met Sakura. She was the complete opposite of the girl he was to marry. When he saw her, she was arguing with the bartender over a trivial matter and she was loud. When he spoke with her, he learned of her promiscuous affair with her professor. While her behavior was the complete opposite of the refinement, their conversation was intelligent and her curiosity was appealing. She made mention that she had never had a one night stand and when he whispered in her ear of his desire to take her home, she looked at him for a long moment contemplating his offer, before she kissed him, whispering her approval.
It was only supposed to be a one night stand, but the next morning as he got ready for his early meeting with his father, he kissed her awake and made a promise to call her later.
His thoughts were disrupted when he heard the door open behind him.
If his secretary hadn't buzzed him, then it could only be one person.
"Son." His father came to stand next to him in front o
"Tou-san," he greeted the older man respectfully with a slight bow.
"She's been asking about you."
The she his father referred to was obvious, his fiance. She was away on business in South Korea for the time being, and he could only thank God for the distance. She was trying to get to know him, but he didn't want her to know him. He simply wanted it to be over, to get married and to live their lives together as his and her parents had.
"Aa"
Fugaku chuckled, "Son, you're going to have to put more effort into building your relationship with her."
Sasuke nodded to acknowledge his father's comment, but couldn't help but think of the time that Sakura had made an effort to see him while he had visited his parents' mansion one weekend.
She sneaked into the room at the mansion late at night posing as a maid. He was in bed when the door creaked open and he watched her carefully as she walked slowly towards him, undressing the the uniform one article of clothing at a time.
He raised his eyebrow approvingly at the garter, he knew from the past that was not a part of the regular uniform.
She leaned over him, in her lingerie and whispered, "How can I serve you Sasuke-sama?" She giggled before he pulled her lips to his.
They almost got caught in the morning when he woke up abruptly to the knock on his door from the actual maid. Sakura woke up in a panic and they both scrambled to gather the clothes she had shed seductively the night before.
There was no way the maid outside the door did not hear the sound of feet scurrying around, but he pushed Sakura into the closet and kissed her wickedly before closing the door.
He was pulled out of his reverie when he heard the door close behind him.
His father had left and he sighed. He wondered if she thought of him, but then stopped that train of thought. There was no point in continuing that trail of thought. For everyone's sake it was best he put those memories to rest.