When daylight streams through his window the next morning, Sasuke becomes aware of two things: one, there's a girl in his bed; and two, he had a pounding headache.

It's never more shocking when he turns and focuses his vision on the girl beside him, who is wide awake and staring at him with big green eyes, her pale pink locks in array after the previous night's actions. Her mouth is chapped and parted in a tired expression, and she doesn't speak a single word to him.

It's Sakura.

It's pure, virginal, and innocent Sakura.

The previous night's activities come hurling back at him within a second, and despite his mind-shattering headache he bolts upright, grabs his clothes and backs away to the bathroom. He doesn't say anything, doesn't want to hear the voice of the girl he just deflowered the previous night, so ruthlessly and harshly. He hadn't meant to. It wasn't supposed to happen.

Sinking to the bathroom floor, he can't help but wonder if Karin's right- if he really is just an asshole, if no girl would really wants to stay in his life.

-x-

She's gone when he exits the bathroom; an excruciating, self-hating hour he'd spent in the washroom, attempting to rid any trace of the sins he'd committed the previous night off his body.

She'd tidied up all her clothes, and even left him a cooked breakfast on his kitchen table. It's the first time ever a woman other than his mother has cooked him a meal. There's no note, no text, no messages left for him anywhere.

As he sits down to eat the delicious-looking food she'd prepared for him (after staring at it, surprised, for five minutes), he decides that yes, he really is an asshole.

-x-

It's two weeks before he starts seeing her again, and this time he promises himself that he will not touch her, will not cause any more damage than he has already done to their relationship.

He doesn't know why he cares so much for this relationship he has with this young doctor with the haunting green eyes. After all, she's merely a distraction for his breakup with Karin. Nevertheless, he picks her up every Friday night to take her to a fancy new restaurant or an older restaurant they'd visited that he knew she liked; he buys her stunning new gowns and massive amounts of the most expensive jewelry; he's courteous and kind, because she is merely a distraction, as he repeatedly reminds himself each passing day, and distractions are not real.

It's getting harder and harder to see her as one, though. When he had learned that she loved to read, he'd had a library installed into one of the extra spaces he'd had in his company office building. He doesn't know why, really- that space could've been made into anything else useful to him- but somehow it just felt right. She'd squealed with happiness when she saw it and kissed him with stars in her eyes, and Sasuke marveled at how good it felt.

He makes sure to do everything perfectly, like he'd done before, except this time he does it with extra care, taking extra time to make sure things are okay, making sure she's happy and smiling. He makes sure he does things correctly so she'll give him sweet kisses to show that she's grateful- and sure enough, she does.

And he knows Sakura well enough; as according to his plan, she's once again wrapped around his finger, trusting and gentle and open-minded.

He doesn't take her to the bar again, because he likes her that way.

-x-

It's not even three months later when Sasuke's world comes crashing down.

It's only 2 p.m., but he'd been up since five working on a meeting presentation he would be having later that day with the exclusive Sarutobi Corp., and he wants to make sure things are done right for this important meeting and that everything will flow smoothly. He'd sent flowers to Konoha Hospital for one special Dr. Haruno, inviting her out to dinner again that night. Everything is going nicely for Sasuke Uchiha.

But he should've known when Karin marched into his office that something was off. But he didn't.

He only stares, shocked, with widened eyes when the fiery redhead come running in the door with heels that are much too high, sobbing, black mascara running down her tanned cheeks.

He's still shocked when she cries out, "Sasuke, he broke up with me!" and launches herself into his unsuspecting arms, causing him to lean back on his leather chair and roll back against the chestnut brown desk.

She crying uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face and marring all the makeup she'd put on. Her hair is an absolute rat's nest, messy and wild and unruly. "H-he told me he d-didn't l-love me," she hiccups, while Sasuke sits rigid on his chair, narrowing his onyx eyes at her. "I know you still want me, baby," she whispers against his ear, lips brushing the outer shell. "I know you're just using that pink-haired freak as a…distraction." There's lust and want overflowing in her eyes, darkening and attempting to lure him in.

It's 2:15 p.m. when Karin leans forward and crashes her lips against Sasuke.

It takes barely a second to process this action in his cluttered mind, and then his instincts kick in, pulling him away because her kisses no longer feel familiar. They're no longer longed. Karin's nothing like sweet, gentle, kind and strong Sakura Haruno. Now Sasuke knows why Sakura is so different from Karin; Sakura showed him nothing but love in her actions, while Karin only acted as an obligation. Sakura was never a distraction- that was only something he fed to his conscience. She caught his attention right from the start.

It's 2:15 p.m. when Sasuke realizes that all this time, he's been in love with Sakura Haruno, the prettiest girl he's ever seen and a clever, caring doctor to add onto that.

He's pulling himself away, but the harder he wrestles against Karin's weight the more persistent she becomes, wrapping her legs around his waist. It's almost as if she's trying to keep him there a little longer. Like she's waiting- or wanting- something to happen.

There's a rustle of plastic at the door that catches Sasuke's attention, and with one final push he yanks Karin off of him…

…only to see Sakura, with astonished, angry green eyes- green eyes that, much to his horror, begin filling with crystal tears, her hand still clutching the bouquet of flowers he'd bought for her. There's a coffee cup in her hand that he knows is for him, the way his name is scribbled across the white exterior in her neat handwriting, a habit she did so she didn't mix up their drinks.

The words are caught in his throat when she shakes her head, walks into his office and places the coffee with the flowers beside them on his desk. She backs away to the door, the anger fading in her eyes along with the light that lit up her brilliant orbs and with one last heartbreaking smile she whispers, "I'm sorry for interrupting. Goodbye, Sasuke." She turns and takes off in a run from his office door, and within seconds Sasuke's up, pushing Karin to the floor and leaping to his office door, yelling, "Sakura! Sakura, wait!"

He's ready to run after her when there's a cold hand that's placed on his shoulder, and he turns to see Karin, smirking triumphantly and wiping her cheeks. The smirk on her face gives everything away, as realization dawns on him in an instant, turning his stomach to lead.

It'd been an act. It'd all been an act.

That fucking bitch.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," she sneers, her features twisted in ugly triumph. "How will you ever find a girl like her?" She says it carelessly and with all the snotty attitude that makes Sasuke question why he had ever thought that he loved her. Loved this heartless home wrecker. This stupid cheating skank that ruined his life. It makes him question why he'd ever want to get back with her...why he had been risking Sakura for this selfish girl.

Sasuke glares at her with all the hate in the world burning in his eyes. "Get the fuck out of my office," he snarls angrily. He's well aware that all his employees are watching him, especially Naruto with his concerned blue eyes. "Get the fuck out of my life, you fucking whore. If I see your skanky little ass on my property again, you can primp up your ass in fucking jail. And," he adds, "if you screwed this up for me, if you ruined everything I had with that girl, who more talented than you'll ever fucking be, I will personally murder you, do you fucking understand?"

There's terror in her eyes when Karin scrambles back, nearly tripping over her stilettos before running down the stairs and out of his sight. Naruto glances at him worriedly, but seeing the destroyed look on Sasuke face he notions for all the employees to get back to work, and gives Sasuke a brief nod before pulling out his cellphone to call up Itachi and mention the security issue.

Sasuke sighs, running an anxious hand through his dark hair, agitated.

In an impulsive moment, he grabs his jacket and runs out to his car, taking off for Sakura's apartment. He isn't going down without a fight, he decides. He's not ready to let her go. She's too important, too big of a part in his life to just disintegrate from it. No.

It's 2:16 p.m. when Sasuke loses everything.

.

.

.

to be continued...


Note: heyyyyy and thanks for all the support on this story, it was fun to write. the next chapter will be the last one. if you have any questions or whatever you can ask by PM or by tumblr if you want a faster reply... anyways it'd be great if you took the time to give me your opinion of this story, it took me a while to write and i wanna know how decent it is, yafeelme? :)

love y'all!

-A