A/N: We do have a picture of Kyo and Satomi now. =) So please go to our profile to see the link for it. It's right by their names on our pairing list.
Nuisance
Chapter Nine
-Absence-
"I don't know!" she screamed, looking angrier. "But I hate it! I hate it with everything in me!" And then she said something she had never said to him before. "I HATE YOU!"
Kyo's eyes widened in shock, and he looked completely and utterly stricken. He didn't even know how to react to this, as he stood there, frozen in place.
Satomi hated him? He couldn't even fathom this. He had thought that she liked him…even if only a little. Especially because she had given herself to him not more than two days ago. Though, she had acted like it never happened, only bringing it up to talk about the possibility of being pregnant. And now that he thought about it, she did seem to wish bad things upon him, and that was usually only something one did to someone they didn't like.
When her words finally registered in his mind, he felt a searing pain in his chest, and gripped the area over his heart as he took a step away from her. Was he really that terrible of a person? By staying with her, spending time with her, was he actually causing her such pain? He didn't want to make her feel this way. All he had ever wanted her to feel was happy. She deserved happiness, more than anyone he had ever met. If his presence caused her to feel such things, then he would leave. That way she would be able to be happy.
"I…didn't realize you felt this way. I'm sorry." He said in a pained whisper before quickly making a few hand signs and disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Satomi stared, slightly wide eyed, at the place her blonde annoyance had inhabited just moments before. She looked around with her eyes and then frowned. "Good." She glared at nothing and turned away, walking off towards the hospital. Finally, her nightmare was over.
"How's Satomi?" Toshiro asked his father, who was sitting in his old Kazekage's chair. The elder redhead glanced up, sighing.
"Worse than yesterday. She's been lying in bed for the past five days now, not eating, just staring at the wall."
Toshiro frowned, running a hand down his face. "You think it's because of Kyo?"
"Oh I know it's because of Kyo." Gaara said darkly, though his anger was not aimed towards the blonde, just the situation.
"I wonder what happened…"
"Well Kyo hasn't sent word. Nor has Satomi spoken for four days." He shrugged and then looked over to the door when it opened and Minako walked in.
Toshiro attempted a smile. "Hello love."
"Hey honey." she said, trying to return his small smile. "I just came from visiting Satomi-chan. She still won't eat anything. Nor does she even acknowledge when people come and go from her room."
"I see." The Kazekage nodded. "And is my mother tending to her?"
"Yes. When I left Sakura-san was going to try and get her to at least move from the bed, so that she doesn't get any sore spots." She told them.
Gaara stood then. "Well, let's go get some food and make Satomi's favorites and see if anything helps."
"Yeah." The other two agreed, leaving the office in hopes of their plan working.
Sakura sighed to herself as she shut the door to her daughter's room. She was so worried about her. She needed to eat something before she became too weak and malnourished. The fact that she was just lying there and wallowing wasn't a good thing. And she knew that from experience.
This was all Kyo's fault, she thought with a frown as she began to walk down the hallway. He had just up and left, not leaving any kind of explanation, when it was so clear that Satomi cared about him. Well, it was clear to her at least. Whether or not her daughter realized this was unknown to her, especially since she wasn't speaking.
Speaking of the blonde, she wondered if he had left anything behind in his hasty departure. Curiosity getting the better of her, Sakura turned and entered the blonde's room, turning on the light and looking around. She frowned in disappointment as her eyes scanned the floor for any clothes or items. It was clean. Not a mess, not a thing. She entered the room and went over to the dresser, opening all of the drawers, only to find them empty. Then she walked over to the closet and looked inside, not surprised to find that empty as well.
Darn, and she was hoping he had left even a small something to indicate why he had left. She turned back to leave the room and gasped in shock when she saw the bed, and what was on it. How could she not have noticed it before?
Sitting there in the center of the made bed, was a large painting, held by a golden frame. In the picture was Kyo, standing next to Satomi with his arm wrapped around her shoulder intimately. They were both smiling and standing so close together, as if they were the happiest couple in the world. Every detail was done so intricately that it almost looked like a real picture. He had even captured the many colors in her daughter's eyes. And, what surprised her the most, was that he had painted her hair down, cascading in waves down her back and over her shoulder, instead of the normal braid she wore.
She carefully picked up the painting, examining it closer. So he had left this for Satomi, had he? It made her smile to herself. He really did care about her daughter. Knowing that she would want to see this, she turned and left the room, going down the hall and entering Satomi's without so much as a knock.
"Satomi dear, you need to see this." She announced, walking over to the bed.
"Am I a bad person Mom?" Sakura stopped in her advance, caught off guard by her daughter's voice and question. She set down the painting and propped it against the dresser before continuing to the bed and sitting down next to her daughter.
"No honey, you're not a bad person. Why would you ever think that?" she asked, brushing some hair from the other woman's face.
"Because I told Kyo I…hated him."
"What?" Sakura felt the breath leave her. "Why did you say that?"
She sighed. "I wanted him to go away."
"Then…why didn't you just ask him to go away? I'm sure he would have. He was always big on making you happy."
Satomi grimaced. "I told him that like a hundred times. And he never did." As if he would make it that easy.
"Well, if you wanted him to go away so badly, then why have you shut yourself up in your room?" Sakura asked.
"I…" Satomi trailed off and sat up, still looking absent. "I dunno. I thought I would be ok…that everything would be back to normal. But it's not…" she shivered and wrapped her arms around herself tightly. "I'm more miserable than before, and my heart hurts so badly. But I don't know why."
"Sweetie," Sakura laid her hand on her daughter's shoulder in a comforting manner, "is it possible that you in fact care for him more than you want to admit?"
"No…that can't be it." she shook her head and sighed, resting her chin on her knees.
"Then what is it? You never enjoyed his presence or having him around, and you became annoyed whenever he entered the room. One would think that without him here to always tell you how he feels about you or how beautiful you are you'd be a lot more content." The elder woman said.
Satomi shrugged. "I don't know. I thought that as well…but I'm just…empty. And not like before."
Sakura leaned forward and kissed her daughter on the forehead before rising, walking over and picking up the painting. "Just think about why you're feeling this way, and what the common factor is. In the meantime, this was in Kyo's room, and I'm pretty sure he left it for you." She laid it in on the bed in front of Satomi before turning and leaving the younger woman alone to think about it.
Satomi glanced down at the painting and leaned forward, her eyes widening slightly. She picked up the painting and stared at the complex work. It was amazing and so beautiful. Satomi touched the cloth and then placed it down, holding her hand over her eyes. "What the hell is going on with me?" she asked no one, grimacing.
The young medic stood from her bed and headed into her bathroom, taking a much needed shower. She didn't understand. She had gotten what she wanted and still she was miserable. It couldn't possibly be because Kyo had left, or that completely wounded look on his face. After she finished cleaning herself, she got dressed in her normal attire and braided her hair.
When she came out into the hallway she was met with Toshiro and Minako. "Satomi." The redhead blinked, looking surprised, but he smiled. "Are you feeling better?"
"Not really."
"Well, would you like something to eat?" Minako asked. "We brought you some food, and Gaara-sama is making your favorite dinner."
"Not really. But I suppose if I don't eat I'll only continue to feel worse."
"That's the spirit. You'll feel better once you have some food in your stomach." Minako smiled, grabbing her sister-in-law's hand and leading her to the staircase, slowly descending as she gripped the rail.
Satomi just looked bored and irritated, but did nothing to stop it. When they got to the kitchen, Gaara was at the stove finishing up dinner, and Sakura was getting out dishes to set the table with. She turned to the entrance of the kitchen and smiled softly. "Hello sweetheart. I'm glad you decided to join us." She said.
Once they were all seated, Gaara placed down all the handmade sushi rolls. Toshiro made up Satomi's plate with all her favorite rolls and sashimi. He placed it in front of her and smiled, sitting next to her. The younger pink haired woman just sighed and picked up one of the pieces with her chopsticks. "What's it like to be in love with someone?"
"It's one of the best things in the world." Minako smiled, looking at her husband. "Because you know that someone's always there for you, no matter what."
Gaara glanced at his daughter-in-law and then back to his flesh. "I don't think that's what she meant."
"The way that I knew I was in love with your father was that I got really frustrated with him. All the time." Sakura said. "He just really rubbed me the wrong way, until I realized that he challenged me, made my days interesting and memorable. And that was what I ultimately wanted in a relationship, what I needed. Because without him in my life, I was empty."
Toshiro laughed. "Yes mom, we all know the story. You know how I know I was in love with Minako? It was because she was the sweetest thing that ever lived, and her compassion was marvelous. I loved how she lit up and loved unconditionally."
Satomi gave her brother an annoyed stare. How the hell was that supposed to help? Sakura spoke up once more. "Love isn't always easy sweetheart, that's what you need to understand. Love hurts on occasion. But what makes it real is that you and the one you love make it through the hardships and trying times. There will be occasions when you really just want to kill them, but when you think about how much you've been through together, all the secrets you've shared, it makes it all worth it in the end."
Finally, the eldest Sabaku daughter shifted her gaze to her father who just shrugged. "She's beautiful, she puts up with me, and the sex is great."
"And there's always that." The elder woman chuckled, smiling at her husband. "Sometimes it's the simplest things that are important."
Satomi ate until she was full and then wiped her mouth with her napkin. "You are all useless." She sighed, standing and tossing the cloth down. "I'm going to Konoha. I don't know when I'll be back." She said before leaving the room.
"Is Satomi-chan going to Konoha to see Natsumi-chan?" Minako asked, looking at everyone else.
"Probably." Sakura sighed.
Gaara waved it off. "Eh, it'll be good for her. She's the only one close enough to pretend like she knows how to help. She'll be fine."
Toshiro looked back, frowning. "I hope so."
Satomi walked back through the gates of Konoha, taking off towards the place she had come to know as her sister's home. It didn't take her too long to reach the Uchiha District, and when she did come up to the house, she knocked loudly on the door.
It slid open and Natsumi stared at her sister, appearing confused. "Satomi? What are you doing here? Is something wrong? Did something happen to Mom and Dad? Or Toshiro and Minako?"
"I told Kyo I hated him and he left. And then I got sad and depressed. So I think I love him, but I don't know why, nor do I want to." She said bluntly. Natsumi only looked more shocked and then let her in.
"If you love him, why did you tell him you hated him?" the younger twin asked, sitting her sister down on one of the couches.
Satomi just shrugged. "He was annoying me. And making me feel odd things, and I didn't like it. I was so angry at the time that it just slipped out."
Natsumi frowned. "So…what are you doing here?"
"I need to make sure of what this is. So I need to know if and why I love him."
"Oh. Um." Natsumi laughed awkwardly, scratching her head. "So what is it you want exactly?"
"Tell me how you know you love Akito."
Natsumi tapped her chin and then smiled, "Well, he's the most amazing man I know, and no matter how mad he makes me sometimes, I always know he loves me. It's just something I feel. I'm naturally drawn to him."
Satomi tried not to let her irritation show. Yet another useless view. They heard the door open and footsteps, until Akito was in the doorway to the living room. "Hey sweetie. I was just talking about you." Natsumi smiled brightly at the arrival of her husband.
"I can only guess what it was about, given the present company." He said, walking into the room and kissing her on the forehead before looking over at Satomi. "So why are you here? I thought you and Kyo were in Suna."
"We were…I-" she paused when they heard a loud crying from the back of the house. Natsumi stood and gestured for them to continue.
"That's Kanamé. I'll be right back." She told them, disappearing down the hall.
Satomi looked uncomfortable now, but glanced back at Akito. "Kyo and I had sex on the way back to Suna. And he was with me and stayed at my house. He was really getting on my nerves and making me feel odd things." She told him, not fully understanding why she felt Akito would be able to help her. "And I got mad…because he was so…infuriating. And I told him I hated him. So he left. And now…I feel lifeless. And I need to know why."
"Well the answer is obvious." He said, taking the spot where Natsumi was previously sitting.
Her expression softened and she looked distraught. "Not to me…"
Akito held in a sigh, deciding to help her out, since he couldn't really bear to see any woman upset, especially one who looked so similar to his beloved. And the fact that Satomi was showing emotion other than indifference was a big deal. "Satomi, the reason you feel the way you do is because you love Kyo, whether you want to or not. Love isn't something you can control, it just happens." He explained. "And so, somehow, throughout all the smiles, hugs, and annoying sounds coming out of his mouth, you fell in love with him. He's a part of you now, and you are a part of him. That is why you feel so dead inside. Because your light has left."
"My light?" she blinked.
"Yes. The one thing that makes you feel things you've never felt before, such as happiness." He told her. "You see, when Natsumi and I first met, I liked her. She was interesting, a little odd, but interesting. And when I fell in love with her, I denied it. I didn't want to feel that for anyone. Love made you weak, love hurt you, love made you dependent on someone else." He counted each thing off on his fingers. "It took me a while, but eventually I realized that everything I knew, or thought I knew, about love, was wrong. Natsumi made me stronger, because she gave me something to fight for. And it only ever hurt because I didn't let it grow, or believe in it. And as far as being dependent, yes, I am, but without her there to support me, I would just drown in my own hatred. We balance one another out, and that is why our relationship is so strong. I thought love was a bad thing because Natsumi made me feel things I'd never felt before, including extreme hatred. But when I thought about it, feeling those things made me more…human. More normal. And once I realized this, I was happy. She soothes my soul, if that makes sense, and I will spend the rest of my life returning the favor, because nothing makes me happier than to see her smile, and hear her laugh."
Satomi simply stared at him, soaking in everything he said. "More human, huh?" she almost smiled, closing her eyes as she thought. "I suppose you and I are not so different after all." Somehow, this made sense to her. She didn't want to feel. She didn't want love from anyone like Kyo gave to her, but when she allowed it, if felt good, and right and now she realized her denial was what was hurting her. "Thanks." She said, standing.
He stood as well, and the corner of his mouth tilted slightly. "No problem. I know we don't get along all the time, but I'm not a complete asshole. I'm glad I could help you, and I wish you luck."
She nodded and hesitantly stepped forward, hugging him awkwardly. "I'm glad…you love my sister so much. And…that you are part of my family."
He returned her embrace, equally as awkward, and pat her on the back. "Me too. And Satomi? You would be a lot prettier than you already are…if you didn't frown so much." He said as they pulled away from one another. He wasn't sure if he could ever outright say it, but this was better than nothing, right?
Satomi actually laughed. "Okay, we'll I'll keep that in mind." She said, trying to take his advice and letting a smile grace her features.
"Awesome." He smiled in return. "So, do you want to stay for dinner and head for Iwa in the morning? Or are you set on getting this done as soon as possible?"
She shook her head. "No. I need to go." She said before heading towards the door as Natsumi came back in.
"Oh." She blinked. "You're leaving?"
"Yup. I've got some things to take care of and somewhere to be." She waved. "See you Natsumi. And you married pretty darn well." Satomi laughed, walking out the door.
Natsumi was stark white and stared after her sister in pure astonishment. "Huh?" she looked back to her husband, confused by his smirk. "What the hell is going on?"
"Nothing really. Satomi was in need of advice, and I was the best one to give it to her. She's off to go get Kyo now." He smiled, going over to his wife and placing his hands on her hips, pulling her closer. "I even made her laugh, and smile a bit." He placed his forehead against hers. "Seems she and I have a lot more in common than we thought. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna be nice to her all the time. Just so you know. So don't get your hopes up."
She attempted to pull away from him, a ridiculous smile on her beautiful face. "Well, the nicer you are to her the more willing I will be to you. If you catch my drift." She snickered, wagging her eyebrows.
"Well, I might need a demonstration. I mean, I did make her smile a bit and laugh. So I can use this to gauge the extent of what I'll be getting for being nice to her." He chuckled, rubbing against her slightly.
Natsumi moaned, unable to deny him. "Well I did just put Kanamé back to bed." She purred, rubbing against him as well.
"Good. Then we have all the time in the world." He placed his hands on the backs of her thighs, lifting her and wrapping her legs around his waist. She laced her fingers behind his neck as he carried her towards their bedroom, more than ready to see what his reward would be. Because if it was good enough, he might just be nicer to Satomi from now on.
