Series: Blue
Rating: T
Pairing: SuperSakura, SasuSakuNaru
Sakura lay Kakashi down on her couch and went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of saline that she had purchased for just such an occasion. This process was so much simpler using it than waiting for water to sterilize. "You shouldn't have joined the fight."
"Hmm." Kakashi said making Sakura frown and move back over to him to check his vitals. She was right to think that whatever Batman had given him wasn't enough to stop the poison—especially since he had been hell bent on rushing into the fray. She grabbed the bottle of saline and opened it and began extracting the remainder of the poison from Kakashi's weakened system.
"This isn't Konoha. We have no right to interfere in their affairs—not to mention they don't want us to."
"So you'd let someone die in front of you because they don't want you to get involved?"
"I didn't say that-"
"Yes, Sakura you did. I know right now things are tense between you and their Justice League, but just because it is doesn't mean you should stop doing what's right."
"Kaka-sensei, I could have killed him. He-" Sakura couldn't bring herself to tell Kakashi he wasn't human. That wasn't her story to tell, and she didn't want to cause any more trouble by having loose lips. "He's not like us and I jumped into the thick of things not knowing the full story and ended up hurting him. What if I-"
"Life is full of what ifs. That doesn't stop you from living. What happened to the woman who braved the ninja world by taking two of its most powerful shinobi as her lovers?"
A small smile appeared on her face. "That woman was, without a doubt, insane."
Kakashi chuckled and Sakura noted his eye was closing, but she kept working. Before he completely fell asleep on her he murmured, "Don't stop being you. It's who you are that he fell in love with."
:::
It had been 60 days since he last saw her. 60 days since he heard her voice. His apartment hadn't felt this empty before she came, why did it feel that way after she had gone?
He knew well enough that he had been on the precipice of developing feelings for her, but as far as he knew they hadn't crossed that line-
He was lying to himself. He knew that somewhere in his lost memories were important pieces of him and Sakura. Why hadn't he completely healed yet? Why couldn't he remember? Was this the power of red Kryptonite? Would he ever know what exactly happened between him and Sakura? Would he find out before she decided to leave this world for good?
He couldn't help but admit to himself that he missed her. He wanted to call her. Batman had given him her number, but he had yet to use it. He couldn't help seeing in the crushed look on her face when he told her to leave. She looked at him as if he had betrayed her in the worst way...but she was the one that said that she didn't think she could stay at his side. All he did was give her a way out. What was so wrong with that?
Clark groaned and flopped down on his bed, staring up at the white ceiling without the slightest clue what to do. It had become something of a habit of his to come home after work and completely space out. He liked to imagine that Sakura still lived with him and that she'd be home any moment. She'd open the door and complain about the lines in the grocery store yet she'd still set about fixing dinner. He'd try to help her, but she'd wave him away because he liked to eat as he cooked. A small smile played on Clark's lips that immediately faded away as he heard a knock at the door. For a brief second his heart skipped a beat as he thought it was Sakura and that she had returned home. Reality followed quickly as he knew if it was Sakura she just would have used her key. She hadn't left it behind when she left. He wished she had because all it did was fill him with false hope.
Clark sat up and used his x-ray vision to see who was there. He was surprised to see his parents. Clark rose to his feet to let them in. He opened the door wide and gave them a grin that was really a grimace.
"Ma, Pa. What are you doing here?" Clark grabbed a bag and helped them bring their stuff inside. He could have brought it all inside. But he knew his father didn't like it when he did that so he restrained himself.
"What do you mean what are we doing here? We haven't seen or heard from you or Sakura in over a month. We were worried." His mother replied bustling past him and headed to his living room. "Where's Sakura?"
"You know we live together?" Clark's face turned scarlet. Martha gave her son the 'I'm a mother. I know everything' look.
"Sakura slipped and told her a while ago." Jonathan answered, smiling at his wife, who huffed at being outed so quick.
"And yes, I'm aware that you've been nothing but a perfect gentleman." Martha assured him moving to pat him on his arm gently.
Clark loved his parents, but they had the uncanny ability to embarrass him beyond belief.
"Sakura are you here, honey?"
Clark flinched as his mother moved to Sakura's bedroom only to find her not there. In fact, nothing in the room contained even a memory that she was there. She had taken everything and he had been unable to stop her. A small part of him cursed Batman for helping her get in and out without him knowing she had come at all.
"Is she working?" She turned and looked at him expectantly and he knew that he was going to have to say it out loud which would only make the situation more real to him. Clark took a deep breath and answered his mother.
"Ma, Pa Sakura doesn't live here anymore."
His parents stared at him silently, knowing they weren't getting the whole story. They knew their son loved Sakura and to hear that she was gone meant something had gone terribly wrong.
"Did you two break up?" Martha Kent asked confirming his suspicions. Sakura hadn't come out right and said they were together, but apparently they were if his parents knew which meant they had been serious. Clark would never take a girl home that meant nothing to him. In fact, he'd only take one that meant everything.
Clark raised a hand and touched the spot where Sakura had kissed him when they were on the Watchtower. Clark didn't know what his parents saw on his face, but they chose that moment to put their things in Sakura's room or rather his spare room. Since they found something to occupy themselves with Clark isolated himself in his own room. It was a while before he came out.
:::
His father came to talk to him after his mother left under the pretense of buying groceries. He knew it was coming and he wondered why he hadn't locked his door to keep them out.
No. He knew why he hadn't done that. He loved his parents and they meant him no harm. Whether he admitted it out loud or not he was glad they were there. The loneliness wasn't quite as piercing when he heard them moving around.
"Are you all right Clark?"
"I'm fine, Pa."
"... Do I accept the lie or do I press?" Clark said nothing so Jonathan decided to press. Jonathan stepped closer to the bed and sat down at his son's side with his back to him. "Where is she?"
"In Gotham." Jonathan paused. That wasn't quite the answer he had been expecting, but it did explain a lot about how Clark was feeling.
"Do you want to bring her back?"
"It doesn't matter if I do or not. She's there studying to be a doctor. I can't stand in the way of that."
"Does she not want to see you again?"
She hadn't said as much and yet she hadn't called, then again neither had he. "I don't know."
"So the two of you had a fight, she left, and you didn't try to stop her?" It sounded silly when put like that, but she was upset and hurt. What could he do besides let her leave? Besides, this was her chance to do what she loved. She was a healer so he had to let her heal, right?
"Her teacher said I should give her space. I was trying to do that."
Jonathan chuckled. "You're in Metropolis. She's in Gotham. I don't think he meant that much space." Clark almost smiled despite his sour mood.
"Look, Clark, I don't know exactly what happened between the two of you, but I do know that for most people distance is a difficult hurdle to cross, but not for my son. For you it shouldn't be a problem."
Johnathan stood and patted Clark on the shoulder, leaving him alone to ponder his words.
:::
His parents visit was short, especially since he wasn't the best person in the world to be around. His mother made him a few meals that he appreciated since eating wasn't something he had been especially fond of lately.
They somehow cheered him up and gave him the confidence to do what he should have done a long time ago. Which was why the phone in his hand was ringing. After the second ring he was tempted to hang up, but decided to wait instead.
She answered the phone sounding groggy and then he wished he had waited until the morning to call. There was less of a chance of her being angry at his phone call if she was well rested. Yet when he heard her voice, though tired, it was like a breath of fresh air and he was glad he had called.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Sakura.. It's me Clark." Silence greeted him, causing him to shift uncomfortably. "..how are you?"
Sakura, for her part, was stunned that he had called. She was beginning to think that she'd never hear from him again and the only thing holding her in his world was hope. "I'm fine, Clark. And how have you been?"
"Good. Good."
Silence stretched between them once more and Sakura cleared her throat.
"Ma, and Pa asked about you. They wanted me to tell you to stop by when you got the chance..."
"Really?" She sounded surprised and he wasn't sure why. His parents obviously liked her and enjoyed spending time with her.
"Yes..."
"So, you were just calling to check up on me?" Her words were polite but they were laced with something that made him wish he had gone to see her in person.
"Yes, no. Sakura, I...miss you."
She was silent for a moment before saying, "Of course you do. You can't help yourself."
Clark rolled his eyes, knowing he had set himself up for that one. She had small spurts of cockiness that he couldn't help but find intriguingly attractive. "Can I come see you?"
"Sure, when did you want to stop by?"
"Now?"
Sakura let out a startled laugh. "Now's really not a good time. We just finished fighting some crazed clown and his court jester so we're really tired."
"We?"
"Yeah, Kaka-sensei decided he wasn't ready to go home so he's staying with me."
Clark fell silent at that as so many emotions rolled through him. Worry, fear, jealousy and so many others. "Wait, are you telling me you fought the Joker? Are you alright?"
"Joker? Is that his name? I didn't quite catch it. I mainly fought the one named Harley. She had this huge mallet that I wish I had pilfered. It was a really nice weapon." A longing sigh escaped her lips. "I'm fine, though. Just tired. He poisoned Sensei so I've been busy taking care of him tonight."
"And where was Batman when all of this was occurring?"
"Oh, he was there."
"And he let you help?"
"I wouldn't exactly use the word 'let'. I helped because I was there. It would've been wrong to just walk away."
Clark once again detected something in her tone and wasn't sure what it was. "But you're sure you're alright?"
She let out a breath before laughing. "Clark, I can take care of myself. It's over and I'm fine. Stop being such a worry wart."
"I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to stop by the hospital just to be sure."
Sakura laughed once more. "Clark! You can come by tonight to see if I'm really in one piece. Just make it quick okay?"
"What's your address?"
She told him.
:::
Sakura didn't have time to be nervous. She barely had time to help Kakashi to his room, putting him to bed before there was a knock on her door. Sakura went to the door and hesitated briefly before opening it. It had been so long since she saw him. She had relaxed so much on the phone with him since he seemed almost back to normal that the invitation just slipped out of her mouth. It was too late to rescind it even if she wanted to. She really didn't want to.
Sakura opened the door.
She expected, with the speed with which he had arrived, to see him in his Superman uniform, but instead he had on a pair of black jeans with a button down black shirt. His glasses were perched on his nose and a boyish smile graced his lips and Sakura felt her heart flutter in response. He looked good. Good enough to eat.
Sakura stepped aside and let him in instead of wrapping her arms around him much like she wanted to do. It took a lot of effort to keep herself in check. She was actually proud of her self-control.
"So this is your new place?" He said yet his eyes didn't stray from her. A shiver slid down her spine in response to his heated gaze.
"Yes, it's home." Clark frowned and took a step forward, placing his hand on her shoulder. He drank in her form his alarm rising as he realized just how much danger she had been in.
"Your dress..."
Sakura looked down and realized that she hadn't bothered to change clothes. She still had on the butchered dress from her battle. She could only imagine what Clark was thinking.
"It's nothing. Make yourself at home while I shower and change."
Sakura didn't look into Clark's eyes. She knew what she'd see in his visage-worry. So much for her plan to alleviate his fears. That plan had effectively gone down the drain with him just looking at her disheveled appearance. Before she could get away, she felt arms wrap around her waist and pull her back into strong arms. Sakura shuddered slightly at his touch. She didn't know why he was holding her. She didn't even think to ask. She only wished that he wouldn't let her go. That he'd tell her that they'd be alright and everything would work out even though right that second it seemed impossible. However, what he did say tormented her in ways he could never understand.
"I shouldn't have let you go. I know I was wrong. I also know I can't ask you to come back, but I want to Sakura." Sakura found herself unable to utter any words. It was like he was mending and breaking her heart all at once. "I don't remember us, but I feel us. I don't want us to not be a part of each others lives."
Sakura shook her head slightly. "I can't just be your friend Clark. Don't ask me to go back to that." She had to let him know it would be torture-especially if he decided to move on with someone else. There was no guarantee that he would feel the way he once felt again. Love was a funny, fickle thing. She didn't think her heart could take losing him while staying at his side in that sort of position.
"If you can't be my friend then just be mine." Sakura's heart stopped momentarily then restarted beating fast and hard. Had she heard him correctly? Did she truly understand his words? "I know I don't have the memories of us that you do. I don't know if I'll ever regain them, but we can make new memories. And I'll do my best to make those memories better than anyone you've had thus far."
Tears stung Sakura's eyes and she knew she was making herself extremely vulnerable to him. And yet, for some reason, she was okay with that. He wasn't the type of man to take advantage of someone's vulnerability. He wouldn't deliberately set out to hurt her.
"Cl-"
Her words were cut off by a cold cutting voice that she knew all too well.
"You would be well-advised to take your hands off our woman."
Sakura pulled away from Clark quickly and whirled around. Her mouth dropped open and she stared incredulously at two people that she didn't expect to see for some time. She especially didn't expect to see them outside of Konoha. Her eyes landed first on Sasuke. His dark eyes were cold and she could feel the aggression rolling off him in waves. She hadn't seen that look in his eyes since the time he tried to kill her. Sakura moved in a futile attempt to block Clark from Sasuke's field of view. It was ridiculous, really, when you considered how tall and well made Clark was in comparison to her tiny form, but she had to try.
She thereafter turned to Naruto whose warmth filled her heart with joy immediately. He was her best friend and she had missed him. Still, that didn't make their sudden appearance any less startling.
"Wh-what are you doing here?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I could ask you the same." Fire leaped into her eyes at his response. All the pain, all the anger of her departure rushed to the forefront of her mind. He had been the reason she had to leave her home. He was the one that pushed her out. He was the reason for so many bad things in her life-
"You don't have the right to ask me anything." Sakura snarled.
"I can do whatever I like and who are you to stop me?"
"Stop, Sasuke." Naruto, using the move she had just utilized herself, took a step forward partially obscuring Sasuke from view. Sasuke fell silent, which surprised Sakura. She expected Sasuke to push the issue and until she was screeching like a banshee, but such was not the case. Naruto firmly directed her attention to him and her anger was mollified for a moment or two. "Long time no see, eh Sakura-chan?"
Naruto held open his arms and gave her a lopsided grin that she couldn't help but return. His eyes sparkled with warmth and welcome as was Naruto's custom. He wasn't angry at her and she couldn't help but be relieved. She couldn't remember the last time she had spoken to him, and to her that meant it had been too long. She moved into his arms and held him tight, tears forming anew when he wrapped his arms around her in response. He rested his chin on her head and Sakura couldn't help but chuckle knowing he was teasing her slightly about her height. She swatted his chest lightly.
When she pulled away Naruto looked at her and asked, "What happened to your dress?"
Sakura looked down realizing she still hadn't made it to the shower. "I had to cut it. It got in the way of a battle I was in."
"Battle?" Sasuke said, slightly intrigued. Anger gone, as was Naruto's super power in their relationship, Sakura found she could answer him civilly.
"Yeah, and I have to tell you your neurosis has really helped me out a few times here." Sasuke raised an inquiring brow. "They seem especially fond of poison in this world." Sasuke smirked, knowing exactly what she was talking about. She had bitched so much about his insistence on raising her resistance that it was gratifying to hear that he was, of course, right in his actions. "Kaka-sensei didn't seem to fair too well, though."
"Kakashi-sensei is here!" Naruto shouted, causing Sakura to groan.
"Naruto! Hush! He's sleeping."
"But-"
Sasuke hit Naruto on the back of the head earning a glare. "Who is this?" Sasuke nodded his head in Clark's direction.
Sakura turned and looked at Clark who had fallen silent. It was then that Sakura remembered that Clark had not only lost his memories of them as a couple he had also lost his memories of her telling him about Naruto and Sasuke. All the blood drained from Sakura's face. Intrinsically, she knew that this wasn't going to end well.
"Clark." She said softly and bit her bottom lip worriedly. He was looking at her, but he seemed to be looking through her. "Clark." She said once more her tone more firm. At the second calling of his name he seemed to snap out of it somewhat, but he still looked somewhat dazed.
"I...see you have company. I'll come back and visit you later, Sakura." He made a move to leave, but Sakura grabbed his arm in an effort to prevent him from doing so, but he shrugged her off gently and headed to the door. She glanced at Sasuke who scowled and Naruto who looked at her sadly before running out the door after Clark.
She had to use chakra to boost her speed and catch up with him, but catch up with him she did. Seeing his retreating back made her heart wrench terribly in pain, and before she thought it through fully she threw her full body weight at his back and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight just as the night air hit them and they exited the building. Sakura buried her face between his shoulder blades for a moment or two hoping that what she was about to say got through to him.
"I didn't lie when I told you I loved you." The tension in his body eased marginally. He turned around in her arms, but Sakura refused to let him go completely. They stared into each others eyes blue meeting green both trying to understand the other.
"Who are they Sakura?"
Sakura could feel her heart beating in her throat at the question. This was why she had told him and Naruto and Sasuke before. She hadn't wanted him to find out this way. Sakura held him a little tighter before saying, "My old lovers."
He broke eye contact with her and Sakura's heart dropped into her stomach. "I have to go." At his words, Sakura couldn't help but think she should have lied. Told him anything but the truth and then he wouldn't leave. Then maybe she'd have a chance at seeing him again and explaining things to him in a situation that was less chaotic than the one she was currently in.
"Clark-"
"Just let me go Sakura."
"If I do, you won't come back." Her words were familiar to him somehow, but he couldn't figure out why. "Tell me why you're leaving Clark. Tell me what's on your mind. Don't shut me out so quickly. Not when we just-"
Instead, he forcibly removed her hands from his body and stepped away from her. He raised his hand and touched his head appearing to be in pain slightly which alarmed Sakura making her close the distance he had just put between them.
"Clark?"
"The three of you look like pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly. If that's true, then what am I doing here, Sakura?" He grimaced slightly, but in Sakura's slight build up of panic she didn't notice.
"If you can think that I don't know what you're doing here Clark. I didn't call them here. I didn't invite them. I did, on the other hand, invite you. I want you to have a place in my life. I want us to be together."
"You ran to him without a second thought when he invited you into his arms."
Sakura, knowing immediately who he was talking about cried out, "He's my best friend! We've been through so much together. How could I not-"
Clark, looking over her shoulder, directly into the eyes of a person who was watching them said, "A blind man could see that he's more than a friend to you. Why can't you?"
Before she could blink he was gone.
:::
Sakura trudged back to her apartment slowly trying to figure out what just happened. She still hadn't figured it out by the time she reentered her apartment only to face Naruto and Sasuke. Sakura sighed.
"Why are you two here? How did you find me? How did you even get here?"
Her questions were ignored and Naruto countered with, "Who was he, Sakura?" She heard the pain in his voice and knew he had an inkling as to the answer.
Sakura looked down at the ground trying to think of the simplest way to answer that question, but there wasn't one—at least not one that wouldn't hurt Naruto. So she remained silent and waited until her question was answered first.
Naruto sighed and proceeded to tell the tale, but before he could begin a word of explanation tears flooded Sakura's eyes at an alarming rate.
"Sakura..." Naruto saying her name was all it took to make a decision to be incredibly selfish. Seconds later she was curled up in his lap with her face buried in his chest. Automatically, Naruto's arms curled around her. Naruto exchanged a look with Sasuke over her head who, in response, moved to sit at their side. After several minutes of her uncontrollable sobbing Sasuke plucked Sakura out of Naruto's lap and deposited her into his own. The sudden motion stopped her tears and made her eyes focus. When she realized whose lap, she was sitting on she immediately made an attempt to escape, but Sasuke held her firmly forestalling such an action. He also ignored the venomous glance she shot him.
"I don't know who he is and at this point I don't give a damn, but I do know he's not worth your tears." Sasuke raised a hand and brushed away the tears on her face that hadn't yet dried.
Sakura would have replied to his statement with a snarky, 'And you are?' but Naruto spoke before she had the opportunity.
"But even if he isn't and you still feel the need to cry, we'll always be here to wipe your eyes."
And that was what they did.
:::
"What are you doing here?" Batman, who had been sitting at his computer when Superman entered his cave didn't bother to turn around and acknowledge his presence. However, when he didn't receive a response curiosity got the better of him and he swung his chair around to find Superman clutching his head.
"What's wrong?" He didn't receive a reply and immediately made a move to contact the Watchtower, but Superman's voice which was raspy with pain said, "No, don't."
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't?"
Superman sans costume replied, "because I remember," before collapsing on the cold floor of the Batman cave.
:::
Tsunade stared grimly at the report that she had just received from Kakashi and her jaw clenched tightly. She was not happy in the slightest. To hear that her apprentice, the child she loved as her own daughter had been so thoroughly mistreated made her blood boil. She wanted nothing more than to summon her home right that second, but she knew she couldn't do that.
If the Third had done such a thing to her during her own wanderings then...the sight wouldn't have been a pretty one. Especially since Sakura had fallen for this 'Superman'. That didn't sit well with her. She knew that with this relationship there was a greater chance that she wouldn't see Sakura again. It was as these selfish thoughts were floating through her mind that Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha entered her office without permission.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the two ninja prepared to throw them out of her office, preferably through a window when Naruto spoke, "We talked to every person in the village who Sakura knows and none of them were able to tell us where she is. We've searched other villages in order to find her, but haven't been able to do so. If I didn't know better I'd say Sakura wasn't alive anymore, but I know she is."
Sasuke interrupted, "As it stands you are the only person who knows where she is. Tell us. So we can bring her home."
Tsunade's eyes zeroed in on the Uchiha. "And why would I give you that information so that you can hurt her again? I saw her eyes after you did what you did. You broke her and now I can't trust you with her. She wanted to be away from you—away from this mess of a relationship that the three of you have made. Give me one good reason why I should tell you anything—and Naruto I'm talking to Sasuke not you."
The last Uchiha stood and stared at his Kage in a silence that seemed to last for eternity. Naruto fidgeted at his side obviously dying to speak, but knowing that nothing he said would be able to convince his Kage to give up the information. This was Sasuke's doing and only Sasuke could fix it. Still, if he could say nothing to convince his Kage he could say what he could to motivate Sasuke to speak.
"Sasuke, just tell the truth, and we can bring her home."
Sasuke's jaw clenched before relaxing slowly. He met Tsunade's eyes and said boldly, "I love her and her place is with us."
Tsunade continued to size Sasuke up after his declaration and found no falsehood within him.
"I shouldn't tell the two of you anything since you chose to search for her without permission." Tsunade looked down at the report Kakashi had just sent and then said, "I'll tell you where she is, but it is her decision as to whether or not she comes home with you. If I find out you forced her in any form or fashion I'll make sure you regret it."
So I've finally reached this point. The song that inspired the entire Blue series was Maroon Five's 'Wipe Your Eyes'. Honestly I didn't think I'd reach this point. But I have. Yay me!