somedays lover

chapter 7. candlelight

Disclaimer: I own nothing


Saying goodbye to Izumo and Kotetsu as they walked back to the station after WGM's crew dinner, Sasuke found himself formally introducing Kakashi to Sakura.

Given how he's a funny looking guy, Sasuke thought Sakura would've been more on guard than she was acting. Tall with a scar running along his left eye, disregarding both his attractive gray colouring of lop-sided silver hair and gunmetal eyes, under normal circumstances one would head in the opposite direction if they saw him on the streets. Coupled with the fact that Kakashi was wearing a surgical mask that covered half his face and was unashamedly holding porn in his grip, it puzzled him that the two of them merely stared at each other through their handshake. Sizing up each other.

"Have I seen you before Hatake-san?"

"You can call me by my name Sakura-san." The girl narrowed her eyes, not remembering having given the same consent. "I most certainly don't recall us meeting prior to this." Sasuke chose to disregard his manager's overly formal speech pattern that emerged everytime someone pried into his life away from work. Kakashi was weird enough as it was.

Sakura squinted once more before letting go of the hand-lock as she tugged at Sasuke's sleeve, signalling her leave and extending her invitation for him to join. "Let's let Kakashi-san rest for a bit. We could go hang out in the streets, walk around or something. Just the two of us, for old times sake."

A nod. "Is there anywhere you want to go?" He'll ask her where she wants to go, but lead anyway. Bringing them towards the main avenue near the filming station where the night market stands. Colourful lights and paper lanterns decorate the pavement.

Having ducked into a smaller street to avoid the crowd, Sakura glanced at their still-joined hands, taking note of how comfortable and reassuring the silence was. She would have have been content with just walking under the street-lamps. Holding hands was platonic enough. Neither had of them had a way with words anyway, which is why tinted lips parted in surprise when the silence was broken.

"Sakura."

Everyone seemed to think that Sasuke didn't start conversations, but he never failed at expressing himself eloquently when needed. Sakura knew that as kids, the Uchiha liked to think that he was fine being alone. She also understood that people like him felt the loneliest. Bitterly, she thinks that without her and Shinobi when they were back in high school, Uchiha Sasuke would never have reached his current status. He would've broken way too early on.

"Hm."

"When did you learn to act?" Not quite the question she was expecting. What should I have expected though?

Clearing her throat, she answered without thinking. The faithful day embedded deeply in her mind. "A few months after our graduation." The graduation he never attended and had no intentions of attending. "Tsunade-sama scouted me."

"You picked it up quickly." A compliment. She was doing well. "You've been active." He's seen the commercials. The dramas. The movies.

Years ago, a compliment from Sasuke would have made her weak in the knees. It saddened her that it proved to have no effect if she knew that it wasn't true.

She wasn't a good actress. If she were a good actress, she'd have been able to distance herself from him. To be able to act on and off screen.

"I started promoting early on with commercials."

"Early on?" Sasuke faced her, looking at her as if she's another person, the height difference prominent against the harsh shadows casted over Sakura. "You make it sound like it's so long ago."

There's not a hint of the hopeless romantic he knows. Nor is there a proud and headstrong heroine. Sasuke's reminded once again that the girl in front of him is a stranger as her expression turns unreadable.

"Sasuke-kun, it's been five years." Five years of not understanding what she did wrong. Not knowing what she did – or what she didn't do. Of feeling used. Five years of no answers.

And the Haruno Sakura abandoned into the entertainment industry developed a mask beyond her thick makeup. Used to answering the calls and orders of others and catering to the preference of the majority...

She'd already gave up on herself.

"Five years too many. Let's drop it at that." The things that Sasuke were saying in hopes of becoming close to her – to know more about her – only made it hurt worst. If he had just stuck around for a bit longer, it wouldn't have been five empty years of feeling unneeded. Maybe she wouldn't have needed the public's recognition and regard in order to feel human.

All oxblood red, forest green and dark navy hues; they walk through the curtains of the antiqued street before a single stall catches Sasuke's eye as he keep himself from looking over a Sakura. Ichiraku Ramen it read. The ink was pristine and the curtains clean despite how long it's been there. Briefly he wonders if any of the members apart from Naruto have visited the humble stand after their debut. He hasn't. And he wonders whether Sakura has. It's been a while since they've last eaten together.

Despite the cards they've both been dealt, he took solace in the fact that maybe fate hadn't given up on them. There's a certain euphoria in being able to see her after having given up on everything. There was a numbing sensation in his fingers as he flexed them, wishing for a hand to hold onto. A tingling sense that made his breathing lighter as he reasoned with himself that this was his chance to make things right again. The skin on the back of his neck felt thinner as a breeze passes them by, making Sakura turn as she fixes a stray strand.

"Since it's been so long," He started, unsure if this was truly the right move to make. "Should we go somewhere?"

YesYesYesYes

She wanted so badly to. There were so many things she wanted to do. She once wanted to go everywhere with him and do everything with him and now she could without care. But her priorities had changed. All she hoped from him was to get her own round of questions answered. To make him feel guilty for what he'd done to her, but Sakura didn't even now if Uchiha Sasuke had the propriety in him to feel guilt.

"Why? Did you have anything else you wanted?"

Anything else apart from everything she'd already given him? His stare felt too strong in the dark. His stance dominating in it's presence. She doubted he'd appreciate her sarcastic remark. But it seemed that he hadn't meant the question either. He was asking her to follow him.

"Let's go to the Valley."


note.

For those that don't know. Somedays Lover and Part-time Lover are in the same verse. PTL serves as a sequel of sorts and once both stories reach the right point - I will be simultaneously uploading the corresponding chapters before the storyline converges.