"Sakura! I demand an explanation." The last word stretched out in pain. Under the gray sky of late summer, in front of a wide porch of a colonial style house, a fresh university graduated, the brooding young Sasuke, drenched from the rain, stood tall with his arm up and elbow raised to keep a door from slamming in his face. Anger and frustration mixed with confusion beamed from his eyes. Face filled with despair.
"You were simply gone for too long," her eyes never meet his, "I was bored, okay?" She said it as though it had been rehearsed many times.
"Three months, it was barely three fucking months." He refused to accept that answer. Sasuke can hear the sound of her palm writhing the metal handle of her grandparents' home. "What happened Sakura?"
She gave him another answer, similar to all the last. Rubbish, he thought. It was all rubbish. He refused to accept any of them. But it didn't matter anymore, surely, with all the years that had gone by, everything that had happened was all in the past. He accepted that.
Remembering it again for the first time in a long while, he recalled that was the very last time he saw her. Six years went by and she suddenly appeared, sitting three tables across from him, about to be engaged.
'Engage.' The word popped up in his head and the sudden sound of champagne bottle popped open brought his attention back to see a waiter entering with a tray of champagne glasses. Wrongly cued, the man finally realized his mistake and stood awkwardly on the side watching the couple because she still hadn't answered. Obsidians studied the scene. Sakura simply sat there. Still, he couldn't read her expression. Not that he ever could, or should care. But when her hand reached out toward the velvet box, Sasuke felt pang across his chest. Suffocating, he didn't realize he had held his breath since.
"C'mon Sakura." Both Ino and Naruto were on the edge of their seats. They were stunned before getting excited. 'What the fuck is going on?' struck their head like lighting. Understanding now why she didn't want to join them earlier, they quietly rooted for this mysterious gentleman. Along with the rest of the table, they earnestly watched for Sakura's answer and when her hand reached out, Naruto ripped the table cloth.
About to jump up in joy, the blonds duo tripped forward the moment Sakura closed the box with a soft thud. A gesture of declined, she nonchalantly told him, "Sai. I'm hungry," then turned around to review the menu again.
The waiter almost dropped the tray thinking this poor man just got rejected and there he was, standing proud with the celebrated champagne. Quietly taking a step back, he thought of retreating and pretending his existence was minimal. 'Fml. I really fucked up.' He wasn't sure whose life was worst. His, who had made way too many mistakes or him, who...'is standing up like nothing happened?' What the…' The waiter's thought trailed off as his eyes followed the defeated movement of male and his blank face.
Tall and poise, Sai quietly placed the velvet box safely back into his pants' pocket before removing the jacket of his suffocating suit. The waiter was shocked again when he turned to retrieve the champagne glasses and the prematurely opened bottle. Calmly, he instructed in a smooth tone, "Tell the chef to prepare the second choice", before sitting down and pouring the bubbling liquid into the two sparkling glasses.
Watching the flustered waiter stumbling backward in confusing, Sakura asked, "You already prepared something?" She turned around to give him soft smile and grab the glass.
"It's the fiftieth time, thought we celebrate." Pulling the chair as he sat down, Sai replied with his signature smile. "Even if I succeed to woo you or... not." Raising his glass, he held it forward.
Softly chuckling, Sakura shook her head. "I'm not even going to ask what happened." That made him late. Sakura already had some thoughts in mind, knowing this man too well.
"I'm not childish, Sakura." Reading her thought, his voice changed slightly. Broad hand reached across the table to hold hers gingerly. Deep set eyes, he said, "I'll ask you again and again...even the thousandth time."
Sakura couldn't find her words to reply. Aching, her chest felt tight. She squeezed his palm, "Sai, I'm-" "What the fuck happened?!" And of course, it was Naruto. Flustered, Sakura quickly turned around to see Naruto with his arms spread wide, mouthing, 'WTF?' She facepalmed from not knowing how to dissect the situation for her own brain to analyze.
"They must be…"
"Childhood friends." Sakura explained as she stood up to greet the coming bodies of Naruto and Ino. 'How did I? Oh my gosh, I actually forgot they were there...' Too long, she had been separated from them for too long. "I met them earlier but you were late and they already had a group dinner going on-Hey Naruto, Ino...This is Sai." She immediately started the introduction.
"Pleased to meet you." Sai was amused. In his eyes, he saw the younger self of Sakura mingling with her friends. The image of a girl he never met in the woman he loved.
Connecting the dots, from the stories told, he can distinguish who Naruto was, the obvious sweetheart wife of his, Hinata and the klutzy blond, Ino, with her husband, Shikamaru; who remained at the table with, 'So that's him' Sasuke. The recollection of that name stung his ear drums.
Sai remembered. The scene replayed in his mind quite vividly.
The dimly lit candles on the dresser across the room flickered its light to cast two long shadows on the bed.
"Sakura."
"I'm sorry Sai. I-I can't." Sniffing, choking on her tears, Sakura bundle the flimsy fabric of the comforter closer to her chest. "I'll hurt you …" It wasn't physical pain but emotional. Sai sat on the edge of the bed. Helpless to see the girl shaken from trauma. Unable to accept anyone's comfort for her, even his love. "I can't forget him…" She muffled into her palms. Knees brought up to rest her forehead. "I can't forget him."
Crawling to her side, his strong arms pulled her away from her fortress. Once again, he reassured her, "You can." He lend her his shoulder. "I know you can." Just like the way she had taught him how to feel the rush of emotions, to be alive. "I promised you... " And their first night of passion replaced with slumber.
Wrapping Sakura against his chest, Sai watched her anguished expression in pain when her lips whispered, 'Sasuke'.