Author's Note: And here I bring you the second one! This is pure fluff. I hope it gives you cavities goddammit.
Melt the Mistletoe
Two: Confession
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Characters: Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura
Categories: Romance
Rating: K
Excitement fluttered beneath the taut pull of Sakura's tummy as she knelt, in silence, upon the upturned sheets of her bed. Clothes were littered across the dark maroon carpet at the foot of her bed, lying forgotten in the wake of the sight outside. White tufts of snow sifted through the early morning air, tumbling in gentle patters and arcing to meet their end on the ever-growing pile of sleet upon the ground.
It's really Christmas, huh? She thought with a smile, which grew in volume the more she absorbed the expanding winter wonderland around her. It was truly idyllic; the ideal backdrop to enjoy a romantic interlude with her newly instated boyfriend. The butterflies in her stomach jumped chaotically in response to her musings. It was a little known fact that Uchiha Sasuke had been the one to approach her; most people just naturally assumed that it had been Sakura's persistence that had finally paid off.
But no, it had not gone that way at all. He came to her, one day in early November, expression carefully schooled into neutrality as he took her hand in his, and led her away from her apartment. They had become very close since his recent return from his explorations, but that line between friendship and something more substantial had yet to be crossed. Sakura yearned for his closeness, and as he readjusted his grip on her gloved palm and linked their fingers together, a sense of deep fulfillment pervaded her senses.
She had never expected anything akin to this. Dreamed of it, yes, but to be able to so casually hold his hand, in the presence of others, without batting an eyelash, without him shirking her off or giving her a scathing look of reprimand? It all seemed like a wonderfully crafted illusion. And even if it was a genjutsu, she had no plans of ever disrupting its flow.
The beginnings of winter were setting in all around them; the tri-coloured leaves were falling, crunching crisply underfoot, and the air had developed a sharp, frosty bite. Sakura could see her exhalations fan out into little puffs of mist, the heat relieved from its exit warming her chapped lips and blowing back like a cold slap of reality against her cheeks; almost like a sign that this was indeed real, and not a figment of her deluded imaginings.
Her lips toyed with a small smile too impertinent to remain internal, and her cheeks darkened visibly when Sasuke came to a stop by a wilting sakura tree, turning to face her. Even in its state of decay, it was beautiful, mottled bruises of pink, purple and maroon folding over the bare branches and shielding the raw skeleton from the bitter chill of the fickle wind. But nothing could even begin to compare to the sinful appeal of the man before her, whose hand had yet to let hers loose; it remained, clasped amidst a tangle of fingers, and it seemed to latch onto her with a permanence that jump-started Sakura's pulse to a tremendous gallop.
She was more than aware of how deeply his very presence affected her; it was plain, had been plain, in the way she had adored him for so long, unwavering and unconditionally, and she knew that he knew it too. But still, he had not let go of that hand; he held fast, and the seriousness of his expression set her blood ablaze. Her breaths came a little faster as he closed the distance between them. The prosthetic limb that rested just beneath his left elbow was a bittersweet sight as he raised it up to catch the falling snowflake that had settled itself upon her rosy locks.
His mobility was fantastic, she knew, but there was no sensation to stimulate his brain's synapses; although he could touch her with those remarkable fingers of which he could move of his own will, he could not feel her, and Sakura's heart clenched tightly in her chest every time she reminded herself of this. She was so thankful that he still had an arm to make tangible connections with, one that carried the warmth of a human being's touch.
It reassured her that he was here, with her, in this place of utmost quietude. Sasuke ran the cold fingertips down her cheek, tracing her jawline before he trailed them down to rest at the hollow of her throat, against the place where her heart was beating its fastest. He, of course, could not feel it with his lack of attachment to sensation, but he could absorb the vibrations that ran through her into himself, and he smiled softly, knowingly, when her flushed cheeks darkened for reasons not associated with the cold.
Sakura was lost in his dark eyes, so expressive and yet so cryptic, and she raised her free hand to cradle the false one crested against her chest. It was smooth and very cold, but she didn't flinch away. Her own warmth could thaw away the frostbite that had settled into his left hand. Her green eyes sparkling in the early morning light, and a smile curving unwittingly on her lips, Sakura gazed up at him in quiet awe and adoration that spoke volumes, and he allowed his countenance to soften in response.
Even if it wasn't love, Sakura was unbelievably happy that he could look at her with such affection clear in his expression. Had the world been flipped on its back, and had they not managed to reconcile, then surely such joy would not exist. Sakura was filled with life, love and hope, and she wanted more than anything to share it with him. He deserved as much, after having lived a life full of misery and absolute despair for so long. No longer would he walk in the darkness. She would pull him along by his prosthetic arm if need be into the world of light that he filled her with, and would walk alongside him forever.
She had decided all of this a very long time ago, and nothing would dissuade her from her path. ''Is anything the matter, Sasuke-kun?'' Sakura inquired softly, tilting her head curiously as she observed his still form. It shook her how tall he had become, no matter how often they were together, even when Naruto was present. The blonde was no slouch, but he barely scraped the raven haired ninja's shoulder.
''Bloody hell, teme! What the fuck did you eat to become the Iron Giant?'' Naruto had exclaimed, flabbergasted, when Sasuke had stood from his seat across from Kakashi, having freshly returned to Konoha from his expedition, to greet his foolish best friend properly. Sakura giggled a little at the memory, Sasuke's pointed stare washing away her amusement and replacing it with trepidation. Oh right, he had something to talk to her about.
''Nothing in particular.'' Was his terse response as he fixed his gaze with hers. Sakura swallowed at the intensity of his exterior, her mouth feeling unpleasantly dry as she held her chin up a little higher in a show of subservience; if he wanted her full attention, he had it. The wind tousled their hair, and when a stray lock fell over her forehead, Sasuke raised his left hand, clasping the soft strands between clumsy fingers. She thought he would merely tuck it behind her ear as she would have; instead, he bent forward and pressed his lips to the loose strands, his eyes locked with hers even then.
Her knees nearly buckled from shock, but his remaining hand kept her grounded where she stood. Stuttering, Sakura fumbled for words to fill the mounting tension between them, her eyes looking fixedly at the ground whilst she shifted from one foot to the other in an age-old habit that calmed her racing nerves. ''Uh, ano, is there something that you want from me, S-Sasuke-kun? I-I mean, is there anything I can ―''
''You.'' He stated simply, confounding her even further. Me? What on earth...?
''Ano, you as in me? What do you mean, Sasuke-kun?'' Sakura was genuinely confused. Just what was he getting at, other than―but it couldn't mean... could it? Dare she hope it be true? ''You... want... me...? As in you want me to do something for you, right? You know I'm more than happy to―''
''You.'' He repeated once more, exasperation playing on his handsome features as he gripped her hand with renewed vigor.
''What I want is you, Sakura.'' It was like he had dumped ice water over her head. There was only one plausible way she could interpret those words, and she was too afraid to even open her mouth to speak, let alone breathe. Tears pooled in her eyes, blurring her vision as her head snapped back up to look into his face searchingly.
Not a hint of malice or derisive amusement to be found. He was being completely serious, honest, with her. A small whimper left her lips as he wiped his prosthetic thumb against the corner of one of her eyes, where a traitorous tear had fallen.
''Be mine.'' There was no question in his tone, but she knew by reading deeper into those two precious words, that there was a tenuous frailty, a vulnerability, that he had exposed by choosing to give them to her. He was offering up a part of himself that not even he was comfortable with to her, and it was the greatest gift of all.
Through eyes burning with tears, Sakura gave him her brightest smile, a joyous laugh erupting from her diapraghm before she reached up to cup the side of his face, flushed with cold and embarrassment, and responded without a hint of hesitation detectable in her voice.
''I've been yours from the very beginning, Sasuke-kun.''
*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*
Sakura shook the memory from her mind, returning her attention to the frozen paradise outside, a newfound love and appreciation for the winter season filling her to the brim with happiness as she scooted out of bed, having caught a glimpse of a familiar dark head of gravity-defying hair making its way towards her apartment. She all but flew down the flight of stairs that took her to ground level, ankle-warmers and boots shielding her feet from the chilly wooden floorboards as she skidded to a dramatic halt in the living room.
She checked her reflection in the mirror, straightening out the rebellious strands of hair that had moved with the momentum of gravity instead of staying neatly in place, before she fluffed up her pretty lace chiffon dress, ignoring the impracticality of it as she spun once for extra measure, making sure that she had enhanced all of her best features―features that had blossomed late, but were well worth the wait, as she now had a figure that rivalled Hinata's and Ino's.
She grabbed her purse, parka, mittens and her house keys from the kitchen counter, licking her lips quickly before a sharp rap on the door informed her of her boyfriend's (Inner Sakura swooned and stooped into a perpetual fainting spell every time she used the word so familiarly) perfunctory arrival. Always a stickler for keeping the time. Sakura grinned, emerald irises alight with bubbling anticipation as she turned the deadlock over, and opened the door.
''Good morning, Sasuke-kun!'' Sakura chirped enthusiastically, tacking on an overzealous ''Merry Christmas!'' for extra measure, before she stepped forward on her toes and pressed a soft kiss to his cool cheek.
''Hn.'' He grunted in response, but he smiled at her sweet expression and wrapped his sole hand around hers, raising it to his lips where he left a searing kiss that lingered, tingling hotly against the taut skin, hours after its placement.
''Merry Christmas, Sakura. Ready to head out?''
Sakura pulled on her jacket, enjoying the slight disappointment that flickered over Sasuke's face at having his view thwarted by the blasted weather, before she closed her door with a definitive 'thud!' and locked it for extra measure. Turning back to face him with her brightest smile yet, she nodded in affirmation, taking his hand once again in hers as they walked at a casual pace down the quiet Konoha streets, together (at last).
*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*
Ending Remarks: I JUST WANTED PURE, UNADULTERATED FLUFF OKAY―
MY GOD DO I NEED THIS―
Please kindly leave a review! I would love to hear from you all! Be back tomorrow with the next update. Stay tuned for more perfection guys (the pairing guys, not the writing). (:
Until then!
-x-Rin-x-