disclaimer: nope.
dedication: first, to sonya & les. because, let's face it, it's always you two. also to the wonderful Maya-chan2007, to the equally-wonderful Just Lovely. and to the infinitely patient shycluless. because you three make my life pretty cool, and i don't really deserve your love.
notes: i deem myself in dire need of something happy. also, because sonya needs cheering up, as well.
notes2: "Are you using your uni acceptance letter as a crumb catcher?" "Yes?" "…You are the classiest girl I've ever met, Sara." — dana to saraa
title: summer in a silk skirt
summary: "So I think I'm in love with you. What else is new?" They had another summer. They'd always have another summer. — Sasuke/Sakura. 1o/5o.
—
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.
.
.
—
(daybreak
sunrise
dawn)
morning—and how the sun felt on her face in that quiet, early place.
.
Sakura liked mornings after rain the most.
The sky looked washed robin's-egg-blue, quiet and new, and the sun was bright and warm-but-not-the-furnace-glare-of-noon-yet, and the world… the world seemed a little bit cleaner then it usually did.
It was rare for the world to seem so clean.
The day was blue-yellow-brilliant white-on-the-edges, and Sakura sat on the empty beach, arms wrapped around bare, tan legs. She rested her chin on her knees, and stared at the place on the horizon where water met sky.
The ocean was wide, calm, the same pale-washed colour as the sky, and Sakura felt out of place. She had always been bright colour-in-motion, not quite as calm as this morning, as dead silent as the air.
Sakura lay back against the sand, hands behind her head, and closed her eyes.
She liked summer mornings after night rain the most.
—
(sunshine
brightness
shine)
daylight—and how the "he" and the "she" became the "they".
.
Summer days tended to blur into each other, mostly, for Sakura.
Heat, sunshine, bare skin, and strangers—boys and girls, made up the days; while water-laughter floated through the air like a half-forgotten memory of a fifties' show tune.
Sakura hummed along with the Beach Boys, and got comfortable by the sea water.
("My brother's coming up, today."
"Nnnghn."
"Admit it, you want him. You've wanted him since, like, forever."
"Nngghnn."
"Oh, stop moaning, Sak! Just jump him, already!"
"How are we friends, again?"
"Because if we weren't, you never get a date. And it's because I'm awesome."
"I hate you."
"Love ya too, hon.")
The sand on her right shifted, and Sakura shot a dreamy-sleepy glance up at the one person she hadn't seen in almost a year. It had been a long time.
"Hey, Sasuke."
"The Beach Boys, huh?"
"It's appropriate, don't you think?"
He stared down at her, a faintly amused look on his face. He murmured "Sure."
She looked up at him, again, and tilted her head down. He looked very far away, standing up, and Sakura had to cover her eyes and squint against the sun. Even then, she couldn't see his face. "Sit down?"
She was pretty sure he was almost grinning.
"Sure." He flopped down next to her, boneless grace incarnate, and they sat in the sun together, quiet and calm.
—
(siesta
golden
leisure)
afternoon—and how the slow drip of alcohol kept them quiet
.
It was only the soft clink of ice cubes against glass in clear-cold vodka, and pale-cold fingers against the small of her back that kept Sakura awake.
"I like summer," she murmured, her hair in her eyes, pink against green against exposed flesh; the colours of real life smearing in the background.
"Summer's good."
Days like that were always quiet. The shrieks of laughter were far down the shoreline, and Sakura had a vague sense of movement like breathing from the salt-water surge lapping at her feet.
The sky was an abyss of bright-blue-turning-dark, and as Sakura looked far away, to where the line between the two great bodies of blue met and became indistinct from one another.
Maybe there was going to be a storm.
It made her think of Sasuke in the dark, firelight flickers and s'mores, and the lazy twining of fingers through a haze of pale blue smoke.
But that had never happened, and Sakura was just dreaming.
She shot a slow glance at Sasuke, and caught him glancing back.
Sakura smiled, and looped her pinky finger around his.
He didn't move away, and that was okay.
They had all summer.
—
(sundown
twilight
dusk)
evening—and how the crimson light from the sunset washed over them, tainting everything beautiful
.
Her head was resting on her knees, arms curled around her legs, and she was looking at him again. She did that a lot—just looked at him, that is.
She looked at him, and Sasuke would almost squirm because he felt like she was looking right through him, and that made his stomach churn.
She didn't look like the girl he had grown up with, when she looked at him like that.
"Sakura."
She tilted her head at him, tangible innocence, and smiled slightly. The setting sun blazed across her skin, turning her hair to a live flame. It physically hurt Sasuke to look at her; she was a bonfire on the beach, beautiful and fleeting.
"I'm fine, Sasuke. Just a little tired."
"Yeah. Me too."
The sand around them awash in bloody light, the sat next to each other, and watched the sink below the horizon.
—
(darkness
midnight
witching hour)
night-time—and how they held hands in the rain, and began to fall in love
.
"I told you it was going to storm."
Later at night, while the world slept, Sakura stood by the window, fingers pressed against fogged-up glass. Sasuke stood a foot behind her, and watched the rain fall against the pane, running in clear rivulets. Thunder shook the cabin, and the two teenagers stared in awe as lightning lit the sky's anger-clouded face neon purple-white-blue.
"You did." Of course, she hadn't, but Sasuke preferred it this way.
She laughed softly, the lightning lighting her face for a split-second. It was long enough for Sasuke to see the flush of excitement that had risen in her cheeks.
"C'mon, let's go," she murmured, and grabbed his wrist.
Sasuke didn't have the heart to deny her; not now.
And so the two snuck out to the back door; Sakura was careful of the creaky floorboards of the old cabin, and Sasuke followed her footsteps silently. They would both be in trouble, if they were caught.
But the rain sang along the rafters, crooning a staccato violin melody in both their veins; one-two-three-four-one-two-three-four. Neither could deny the pull that the night held.
They stood, quiet, fingers entwined, on the porch, for barely a minute.
"Ready?"
"Hn."
The first step off the porch was quiet and trembling, only a breath of soaked air. Sakura's white night-gown was wet at the front hem, the rain reaching towards her with welcoming arms. She looked at him, eyes wide and childish, really open for the first time that summer.
Sakura tucked her hair behind her ears, and dashed out into the drenched world, a silent imp-laugh etched on her face. Sasuke was next to her, and the two ran and ran until they reached the ocean. It was violent, dancing with the raging sky, and Sakura had never seen something quite as wild.
She shook her sopping hair out of her eyes, and looked up at her companion. She and Sasuke were kind of like that, too. They were kind of like the ocean and the sky.
Her voice was slow and soft, unheard over the dull roar of the ocean and the rumble of thunder. "So I think I'm in love with you. What else is new?"
She didn't even know if he was going to hear it.
"Sakura."
"Huh?"
She tilted her head up, and stared at him, a question in her eyes. Sasuke stared back, for a moment. Pink on green on clinging-drenched-white.
Love, huh?
She was still holding his hand.
He dipped his head down, and very carefully sealed his lips against hers.
There, in the rain, in the dark depths of night, by the ocean, a fragile-quiet relationship was born.
They had another summer.
They'd always have another summer.
—
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fin.
notes3: i now feel much better. if it's weird / makes no sense, blame Hollywood Undead. Also, reviews make me flail!