CHAPTER 9: Divorce Like No Other
Sasuke woke up the next day when his phone started ringing loudly. He ignored it twice, but when it didn't stop ringing, he reached up for his phone on the bedside table. He blinked thrice to adjust to the blinding light peering through his window.
He looked into his phone only to find out that it's only the idiot who's calling him.
It's only 7 am, damn that idiot. "What."
"You didn't call me! I told you to call me when you get there!"
"I didn't remember you telling me that."
"It's common sense, bastard! Oh, besides, well-"
"Spit it out, loser."
"Sakura-chan might be there." With the mention of her name, Sasuke finally sat up.
"What are you talking about."
Naruto knew that tone of that voice. He only heard it twice from his best friend. Once, when he accidentally deleted all of his files in his computer. Second, when he borrowed his car without his permission and nearly smashed it into a tree.
"I was just trying to help! Don't be mad! Sakura-chan loves you so much! It is unfair for her to leave her hanging like that!"
"Stay the hell out of this!"
"Like hell I am! You are making a mistake! A huge one!"
"What did you do."
"Well, I already told you she might be there."
"Naruto."
"Okay, okay. Jeez, uhm, well, I might have told her to go after you?"
Sasuke wanted to go back to Romania right now and punch the hell out his fucking best friend for being the worst best friend ever.
"Tell me she didn't"
"Uh- I can't. She left.. Uh.. after I told her? She may have been there already?"
"When I get the chance to go back there, I'll fucking kill you."
With that, he pressed the end button and tried to calm himself down.
He was still not ready to face her. He wanted to have some sort of distance between them to think. He thought that they needed some time. They needed to sort things out. He wanted to personally tell her that he left not because he wanted to part ways, but he was trying to fix everything. Everything, meaning the root of their problems.
He always had issues with his father. Sasuke strived hard to get high grades, followed his father's wishes, and looked up to him ever since. He wanted to face his problems on his own so that one day he could face Sakura as someone who can finally be a husband to her. Someone who can take care of her.
He browsed through his contacts, finding her name. He was a second away from calling Sakura when his mother abruptly opened the door to his room.
"Oh! You're up! I thought that you may be still be sleeping since you had a rough day yesterday."
"I might be if not for that idiot."
"Eh?"
"That idiot back in Europe. No, never mind."
"Well, breakfast is ready. Come down and eat with us."
When Mikoto saw the unease on her son's face, she knew exactly what he was thinking.
"Don't worry! Your father had gone to work. I know you two are still uncomfortable with one another. I also talked to him last night, maybe that's why he left early."
"You told him about Sakura?"
"Yes. He still insists that you should have married that Yumi-girl. Oh! Never mind that, he'll eventually change his mind once Sakura-dear gets pregnant."
"Mom."
"Hurry! Your brother and I will be waiting."
"So, Sasuke-kun, tell me more about Sakura-dear."
"Mom."
"Come on! I'm excited to meet her!"
Mikoto, Itachi, and Sasuke are seated in the dining room. Itachi was busy reading a newspaper while drinking his coffee, but still attentive to the ongoing conversation between his mother and little brother.
When Sasuke still doesn't comply to his mother's wishes, Itachi answered for him.
"I only met Sakura twice. I heard she's going to be a doctor."
"You met her?!"
"Yes, I also knew about his marriage."
Sasuke was afraid his mother would get mad again, but instead she smiled sweetly. So sincerely.
"I'm happy you two are getting along so well. Itachi, thank you for taking care of your brother."
Sasuke excused himself for a while to get some fresh milk on the fridge and left his phone on the table when it started ringing.
Mikoto, seeing no harm in answering his phone, picked it up, not knowing who might be calling. The moment she pressed the green button, a loud scream reached her right ear.
"Fuck you Sasuke! You better go pick me up here in the airport right now! Damn right I am here! You better hurry because I'll not wait!"
"Hello? Who is this?"
"EH? Is this Sasuke's phone?"
Sakura was confused for a while. Then it started to click. Sasuke left for a reason. He explained everything to her, didn't he? So why is she surprised to hear a woman's voice answering his damn phone.
She went after him because she wanted to understand why he left her without a word. If not for Naruto, she wouldn't even have a clue that he already left. She didn't even know why she left without thinking. She just wished it wouldn't end this way. That maybe, just maybe there still might a chance that they could fix this. That they could start over.
"Are you Sasuke's fiancee? I- I well. I'm sorry. I just want to talk to him. I'm sorry if I disturbed your date."
She was currently standing in the middle of the hallway in the airport. She must have looked pathetic standing there idly nowhere to welcome her home.
Before she knew it, there were tears coming from her eyes.
"So- sorry. I must have been pathetic calling him after filing a divorce. Just promise me that you'll take care of him and that -"
Before she can continue on what she had to say, the woman's voice interrupted her.
"What do you mean fiancee? My son has a fiancee? But isn't he married already? (Itachi, who do you think this is? She sounded so angry then she started crying.)"
AHHHHHHHHHHH! So embarrassing! That must have been his mother!
At that moment, Sakura wished to let the ground swallow her up out of embarrassment.
Sasuke came back holding the jar of milk and sat on the vacant chair next to his brother.
"That's my phone." Sasuke said as he placed the milk on the table.
"Do you know who this is? She said about picking her up in the airport."
Sasuke's eyes widened and snatched the phone right away from his mother.
"Hello?! Sakura!"
"Sasuke! Ugh! I don't know how to face your mother anymore!" He noticed the slight change in her voice like she's been crying.
"Never mind that, where are you?!"
"I'm still here at the airport. Heading towards the arrival area, I guess."
"Wait for me there."
When the call ended, Mikoto's giggles erupted the room. She's feeling an excitement on finally being able to meet her daughter-in-law since yesterday. She's a little worried though since she sounded like she's been crying. She just had a feeling that Sakura might have been what her son needed all along.
When Sasuke left without sparing them a single glance, she understood right away. At first, she considered going after him and meeting Sakura right away. Instead, she chose to let them be for a while.
"You bring her home, okay?! Make sure she's fine, I'm a little worried!" She shouted as Sasuke went out of their house.
When Itachi's and her eyes met, she giggled again and told him about being excited about having a grand daughter. Itachi just sighed and went back to what his reading.
Sasuke drove so fast and parked Itachi's car right away. He got a text message, opened it up only to find it was from his mother telling him to hurry up and bring Sakura-dear home.
When he caught sight of her, he was convinced that this was really happening. She's here. She went after him. God, how he missed her. She's still beautiful even if the bags under her eyes clearly says she wasn't able to get some sleep during her flight. She was observing her surroundings, perhaps taking in what had changed for the past two years she was gone.
He took a few steps until she noticed him. He placed a few distance between them as if scared of her reaction of seeing him once again. He stared right into her eyes when she began crying again.
"You really are an asshole! I don't even know what I see in you! You're such an immature brat! Why did I even marry you!"
"Because you love me."
"Damn right I do!" So when she lunged herself at him, he didn't quite understand what's going on.
"I only asked for a little time, Sasuke, yet, you left me. I needed time to think." He put his arms around her and buried his face into her hair.
"I didn't leave you. I wanted to fix everything."
"Then why didn't you tell me!" She struggled in his hold, but he didn't let her go.
"You still don't trust me?"
"No, you were going to complete your internship back there, Sakura. I didn't want to ruin it."
He knew this would happen if he told her what he intended to do that was why he chose to leave without anyone knowing but Naruto. A big mistake on his part. He knew how stubborn Sakura can be. She would insist to come with him even if she was a second away on achieving her dreams.
"And I completed it! I'm already a full-pledged doctor now! I just need to decide whether to stay there or not. And I choose to stay with you! So please, tell me. Can we get through this?"
"Sakura-"
"No more secrets. We'll solve this together. We'll talk and sort things through. And then, we'll see. Sasuke, give me a chance. Give us one more chance."
He only nodded and hugged her. He still couldn't believe that she's here. With him.
They arrived at the Uchiha mansion an hour and a half after Sasuke left this morning.
"I'm nervous, Sasuke. Should I really stay here? What will your father say? God, I cannot face your mother!" Remembering how ridiculous she might be earlier made her cheeks blush out of complete mortification.
"Calm down. My mother insisted. She couldn't even wait to meet you."
"They knew, I mean, about us?"
"I told them yesterday."
Sasuke was about to open the door when Mikoto shoved her son away and ushered Sakura into their house.
"You must be Sakura! You are much prettier in person!"
"U-uh eh- I- I'm sorry about the phone call earlier. I thought you were uh-" Sakura bowed her head and apologized many times.
"Don't mind that! What's important is that you are here now. Oh! Welcome to the family! I'm Mikoto, by the way, Sasuke's mom. From now on, I want you to call me Mom."
"Mrs. Uchiha, I-I don't think that it's-"
"Shhh! Why are you calling me that, besides, you are also Mrs. Uchiha."
Sakura was very much nervous about meeting Sasuke's parents. But nothing prepared her for this. His mom's so nice and welcoming. She's very beautiful and no one would even guessed she already had two sons who are in their twenties.
"So Sakura-dear, I guess you'll be staying in Sasuke's room. I actually want to know more about you, but I know you need to rest. The maids are going to help you with your things."
"I-uh. Thank you."
Before she went upstairs, she saw Itachi smiling slightly at her.
"Sakura, Welcome home." She smiled back and followed the maids upstairs.
Sasuke sighed and followed after Sakura in their room. Once inside, he instructed the maids to leave Sakura's suitcase near the door and locked the door.
The Uchiha mansion is indeed huge. It has 6 bedrooms. One is the master's bedroom, one for Sasuke, one for Itachi, one for the maids, and the remaining are guest rooms. Sasuke's bedroom has its own bathroom; Sakura couldn't help but to gape when she saw a Jacuzzi and a television inside it. After taking in her surroundings, she sat on the bed next to Sasuke.
"Sasuke?"
"Hn."
"Your father."
"By the time he gets home, we're already fast asleep."
"But we can't avoid him forever!"
"For now, sleep. You need it. I'll ask the maids to prepare food once you wake up."
She was tired. No, exhausted. She couldn't sleep at all during the flight since all she could think was Sasuke and if she was doing the right thing. She tossed her shoes aside and lay on the bed.
When Fugaku entered his house, it was already 12 midnight. He went straight to the kitchen to drink some water when an unfamiliar face bumped into him.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just on the way back to Sasuke's room, but I got lost."
"Who are you?"
A/N: It's 3 am here and I really have to update it, like, now. Also, who's excited for the next episode? God, finally, I'm waiting for that damn chapter to be animated since forever.
Also, I tried to make it longer, but I want to have more frequent updates than longer chapters. It's hard for me to find time to write these days. So please bear with me.
See you.