Title: An Introduction to Intoxication
Summary: "...You can't love me, can you?" His lips brush against hers, his voice husky and there's something like longing in his dark eyes. She pulls back a little, her hands pressing into his warm chest as she looks at him with those haunting green eyes. And she smiles this sad, broken smile. "...No, I don't think I can,"
Type: Multi-chapter, smut
Pairing (s) : SakuraxSasori, SasukexSakura, Others
Warning (s): Sexual themes, dark themes, abusive language and disturbing images.
Note: This is a sequel to Existence written for my most devoted and most beloved fan which will be mentioned later. However, this stands as an independent story and so the one-shot doesn't have to be read in order for this to be read and understood. I hope to God that you enjoy it.
IX: Killing Is Easy
...
"We are our choices,"
- Jean Paul Sartre
...
"This is what love does: It makes you want to rewrite the world. It makes you want to choose the characters, build the scenery, guide the plot. The person you love sits across from you, and you want to do everything in your power to make it possible, endlessly possible. And when it's just the two of you, alone in a room, you can pretend that this is how it is, this is how it will be."
― David Levithan,
...
"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be."
― Kurt Vonnegut
...
"Tell me now, where was my fault...
..in loving you with all my heart?"
- Mumford and Sons
His eyes fly open and his pupils are too dilated- his irises dark red instead of their usual hazel.
Her breath catches, her legs tripping over something and she stumbles backwards, her arms flailing a little uselessly as she struggles- struggles to come to terms with the truth. The kunai's sticking out of his chest but there's no blood and he sits up just as her back hits the wall, her body trembling, her eyes watery. She wipes away an angry tear with an equally angry hand, taking a long, deep breath to calm herself. She shuts her eyes and opens them again, as if trying to dispel the picture of him sitting up- of their being no blood because there should be and she's certain she's gotten all the arteries that she needs to...so, where is the blood?
His crimson gaze lands on hers and there's nothing remotely emotional in his eyes. There's nothing in his eyes. His lips are pursed, his frown cutting deep into the smooth skin of his forehead and he looks thoughtful, contemplating something dark and cruel in his head. His fingers trail down over the skin of his chest and grab the kunai's hilt just as as his eyes trail up to meet hers.
"Did you do this?" His voice is even, a little wobbly and he pulls out the kunai, the blade shiny and clean.
Only curiosity keeps Sakura planted there- only that, and a little bit of longing, perhaps. The blade is clean? How..how could that be possible? Her eyes fly to the kunai, then back to his face, trying to decipher his emotions so that she can speak accordingly but there's no clue in his eyes, no clue in his frown, no hint in the way he stands- no hint int eh way he looks at her. There's absolutely nothing. She shuts her eyes and blinks rapidly. Maybe it's a hallucination. Maybe ti's the shock getting to her head. Maybe it's all in her head and when she opens her eyes, she'll find him dead and peaceful there. She's hoping he's dead. She's desperate now, her eyes leaking tears, her fingers clawing at her white dress.
"Did you do this?" He repeats himself, his tone even and cold. He slides himself off the bed, feet landing on the marbled ground with a light thud and he throws the kunai into the other hand, holding it tight as he walks, slowly- predatorily, towards her.
She shirks away, trying to curl into herself. "W-Why..." A lump in her throat, an elephant in the room- a dark thought in her head. "Why aren't you dead?" She whispers fearfully.
His eyes blaze a darker crimson. "I was never alive to begin with,"
His eyes flutter open and it's Madara's eerie gaze that meets his. He flinches, shirking away but there's no place to hide now and he has to face this fear- this terrible, clawing fear. Distantly, in some small part of his head, he wonders where Sakura is or how she is doing. Or what she's doing. If she's alive, at all. His head hurts and his arm is burning up, as if on fire but he holds back his curses- all his anger is chewed up in a matter of moments as he contemplates all the results of him getting pissed off.
"What do you want?" He hisses, surprised that he can speak because his tongue is thick and swollen and tastes of dried blood- his blood, of course. His mouth seems to hurt again and he flinches when Madara draws up a kunai, the blade flashing malignantly in the light.
"...Nothing much, Sasuke," Madara spits out his name mockingly, in different shades of mockery and amusement as he straightens up, his robes dark and ominous, brightened only by the presence of the crimson symbol. He glances around at the dinghy captive areas and then shrugs lightly. "..I need you to get up, though,"
"Get up?" Sasuke hisses, his face a picture of hatred and fear. He tries to sit up but fails, his arm failing him because it's broken and burning and his head spins as he tries to straighten his thoughts- tries to move in a way that doesn't hurt every limb in his body but the pain is everywhere and he can't stop it.
"It's your only chance," Madara says slowly, lazily, polishing his blade with expert ease, his long hair falling like dark wings around his face.
"M.." Sasuke trails off, unable to comprehend what is being asked of him. He tries to sit up again and grunts out a filthy word as a ripple of pain travels up his arm, making his body tremble.
"Your only chance to save Haruno Sakura,"
Deidara hits her.
He isn't supposed to, he knows, but when the vile words come out of her, he hits her square across the face, making her grunt out with pain. She stumbles back, blinded momentarily and he stands there, a little unsure of what he's done. His knuckles are reddened, his eyes dark with anger and he has to keep himself from hitting her again. She turns around, her green eyes furious with him, a light trickle of blood flowing from the side of her mouth.
"You piece of shit," She snarls in a deadly tone and there's a dangerous aura around her- this tickle of enmity and violence that makes him back up but not enough, because she's leapt across the small distance between them and taken him down with the brute force behind her shove. Crying out something, she punches his jaw and the strength makes him wince hard enough to make him bite his tongue.
Blood gushes around his mouth, making him gag and she hits him again and again, her knuckles doing good damage- enough damage to make him shout for back-up. Her body keeps him pinned in place, and one moment, he thinks he'll pass out from her endless hitting, and the next, she's three foot above the ground, dangling, screaming; her face dark red and her eyes dark. Sasori's face is impassive, as if he were contemplating a business deal and his crimson hair look black in this light. Deidara spits out the blood, grimacing and Hidan leers from behind Sasori.
"Let go of me, y-you..you.." She trails off, struggling in his grasp, trying to pull herself away from him.
"Don't fight me, Sakura," He returns evenly in a low voice, his breath (so real, so real, so real) ghosting over her neck, flooding across her ear, making her flinch despite everything and she feels that tug- that ache, that need all over again. The familiarity of his voice, the scent of his closeness- the very feel of him makes her stomach clench tightly.
And then she spots it- the kunai. The kunai she used. Glimmering, like a precious diamond- the blade pointy and sharp, heading towards her. His fingers pressing into the back of her neck, trailing down and his other hand curled tight around the hilt of the killing object. Too late. Too late. His face turns so that his eyes can look into hers and there's the tug- that terrible need and she hates herself for it. She hates it. She hates it so, so, so much. He's not..he's...his breath feels so very real. His touch is so real. His..he is so real. Right here, holding her, even then- so real.
"SAKURA, N-"
"NO!" He screams, blood filling his mouth.
His katana slices across Sasori, succeeding only in making the puppeteer flinch and turn a little to look back at who threw the weapon. Sasuke's blinded- blacking out, but he's focused on one thing and one thing only- Sakura. She falls to the ground, crumbling and he throws another kunai- a small dagger at Deidara, getting him in the shoulder. His aim is only this good because he's thinking- he's working, he's stressed and high on the adrenaline, on the fear. On everything. The force of his throw propels the blonde backwards, making him cry out and then Hidan's upon Sasuke, crashing into his weak side.
He hits the ground head-first, all out of weapons and he blacks out again for a long, tenuous moment. But there's a voice in his head, calling- calling, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura..and he can't ignore it so when his eyes open, he jerks his elbow to hit Hidan's jaw which makes Hidan's head fall back with a dull crack. And then the Jashinist is raining punches down onto Sasuke's face. His broken arm is twisted at a new, uncomfortable angle and his body is charged with both pain and adrenaline, tingling in the most awful of ways. He cries out when Hidan grabs a hold of his broken arm and twists it roughly, making him black out again.
Then the weight of Hidan is gone and he can breathe- he can see, through that thick veil of darkness. The voice is there in his head, calling and pushing him forward and he forces his eyes open, ignoring that burn of pain as it crawls up his arm and shudders its way into his heart, clenching tight around his lungs and making him gasp blindly.
Sakura's got a hold of Hidan, her eyes unfathomable and she hits him hard in the stomach, her expression impassive as if she's shut herself out from everything. Sasori's standing by the side and his eyes are set intently on Sakura, planning his next attack, no doubt. The dagger's in his hand, his fingers wrapped around it lithely and Sasuke wants to get up- he really, really does but his body won't comply with him and he's forced to lie there in his blood, contemplating all the outcomes of this fight. They're outnumbered- there's two of them and four of them. Sasori- all intact, Deidara- pulling out that blade from his shoulder, Hidan- struggling with Sakura's strength and in the corner, dappled in the shadows, Madara- a dark smirk on his face.
"You fucking pinkette- piss the fuck off, yeah," Hidan snarls furiously, pushing her away and Sasuke finally manages to sway to his feet, blood trickling down the side of his face.
Sakura doesn't flinch but rams her fist into his stomach, making him double over before he kicks out her legs under her, making her cry out, grappling air for purchase she won't find. Sasuke takes a step towards Deidara, intent on stopping him but his body falters and he's falling. Falling, legs buckling under him, body swaying and hitting the ground with a loud thud.
"EVERYONE DOWN!" comes a loud feminine scream that isn't Sakura and then he's gone.
"Dead?" He mutters softly.
Tsunade nods silently, holding the tissue to her eyes, looking away. "..That's what our sources are telling us,"
"And are you sure we can rely on these sources?" He says in the same lost voice that isn't his own because he's the Leader and he should be stable and he should- he should...make the right decisions. He should- there are so many things he should have done and he didn't and now, here he is, weakened some more by the loss of these two people who meant the world to him.
"Certainly," She returns evenly, pushing her chair back so that she can stand up. The wrinkles across her forehead look more prominent than ever. "...what should we tell everyone? The rest of the village?"
He sighs. Can't break down. Can't break down. Cant' break down/ Can't break down. Can't break down And must not give in. "...We tell them that their mission was successful," He sucks in a breath of fresh, smoky air "...That they died avenging Konoha,"
They carry the two of them evenly. They're stronger than before. Karin has Sakura's arm around her neck, the girl leaning into the red-head, her breath short and her body weakened by all the emotional trauma, and the physical one too. Suigestsu carries Sasuke easily- the body of his former friend is weak and light; unusually and terribly light. They head down the dusty road with ease and relative familiarity because they've been searching these areas for the past week and are well acquainted with these terrains. Their destination is the Sand Village and they've got too much of distance to cover than they're accustomed to but these are extraordinary circumstances and miracles are welcome.
"Is she OK?" Suigestsu asks softly, his eyes peeled for any enemy attack. His blue hair look like purple in the sunlight and his face is scrunched in a pic true of discomfort as Sasuke grunts out softly in his arms.
"She needs medical attention but she's going to be fine," Karin replies slowly, surveying the desert drifting away in front of them. Their sources should be here soon- at this very spot, with the things they've been promised but she feels a slight, uncertain peel of fear trickle through her. What if they don't turn up? What if they don't come with everything she's asked? What if- there are numberless possibilities as to what could happen and she decides that she must think as positively as possible or her thoughts will destroy her before she can do her saving. "How is Sasuke-kun?"
"His breathing is erratic- he's not entirely conscious…his chest wounds are bleeding again but yeah," Her partner smiles this wry smile, his sharp teeth glittering in the light. "..he's going to be OK so long as your sources turn up with the things we need….they're our only hope, Karin,"
"I know that," She retorts sharply, dragging Sakura along because the pink-haired girl's legs have given way and weak like jelly, useless as legs. Her arm slips from around her shoulder and Karin holds onto the slight girl's shoulder tightly, hugging her close to her body and making sure that she doesn't slip from her hold. "We've to stop here," She gestures with her free hand to the tree to their left- the large willow sways in the wind, it's leaves trembling in the wind. "..This is it,"
Suigestsu eyes her for a long moment, as if considering all the options he has here and there aren't many so he comes to a rest, dropping Sasuke's body to the grassy ground and tugging his large bag off of his shoulders. Karin walks up towards the tree and crouches down, letting the pinkette slide down to rest her back against the large, thick trunk of the tree. The long, long leaves hide them from plain view and the evening falls around them slowly, easily with the reckless abandon of a loving child. It seems soothing- this lethargic sunset, the lazy spread of the colours of the evening into the day sky and everything, for a moment, seems like perfection. Suigestsu pulls out the packed food they picked up from some vendors on the way and strolls over to her, his gait slow, his eyes tired. And they're both tired. Tired of searching for the one man who brought them together and yet, ripped them apart- who gave them meaning and purpose and hurt them expertly. Hurt them in a way no one could. She sinks down to the grass, beside Sakura and pulls out her medic kit. She's little to no experience with patients and medicines but she's going to give Sakura a quick check. She has to-she must, for Sas-
"Eat first," Suigetsu snaps shortly, as if guessing what's on her mind and he crouches down near her, taking out the box and the smell of stew makes her flinch because ti's been so long since they ate- they've been waiting and waiting for this food but they'd decided to save up for Sasuke, for this. Her stomach flips nervously and she holds back a low cry because her stomach's crapping, flipping over and over, making it hard for her to focus on anything but that smell of food- that smell of roasted chicken and almonds and spice.
He offers her a bowl, and a spoon and a slice of some nutted bread. Her hand shakes and she thinks, No, I should feed them first….but her stomach refuses to comply with anything and she takes the heavy serving of stew that he gives her. He serves himself and adds some lemon to his stew, dipping a thick chunk of bread into it and putting it into his mouth, chewing it slowly.
"..Unghh…" Comes a low groan from Sasuke- he's lying in a the grass, face pressed into the dirt and his eyes are bloodshot, his pupils too dilated even in this light and the two of them look to him, still not moving. He blinks rapidly, trying to dismiss all the dirt that has collected in his eyelids but it's hard and he stops trying. He recognises the smell of Karin- that faint lavender in the air is her. He's sure of it and he doesn't know how. How..could it…
"K…Karin…" He groans softly, his mouth flooding with blood, old wounds reopening and destroying all semblance of healing in his body. His fingers claw at the dirt, trying to help him sit up but his arm feels as though it doesn't belong to his body and he falls to the ground with a loud thud, the fall echoing through his very bones, leaving them rattled. And agony. Burn. Burn. Agony.
She's at his side in an instant, bowl forgotten. Her touch is familiar- soft, encouraging (but not Sakura's.) as she strokes his forehead. "..Hush…I'm here, Sasuke-kun…I'm here," She says softly, her voice a dreadful lullaby that makes him feel safe and important all at once. Her fingers press into his forehead, easing the frown there and trailing down over skin.
"Di….di..Sakura?" Is all he can manage, his voice twisted and disjointed and Suigetsu is there too, now, his hands working through the medical supplies they have and pulling out the bandages they required. There's not many of them but he presses a wet piece of cotton to a bleeding scar on the side of Sasuke's face.
"She's fine," Karin murmurs, her fingers easing comfort into his papyrus, pained skin. Her eyes meet Suigestsu and they look at Sakura's motionless body, her chest rising and fall; the only movement that points towards her being alive. "..She…"
"Wh..what?" Sasuke recognises the catch in Karin's voice and he opens his eyes- somehow, his irises nearly all black, his lips a thin white line on his face.
Karin looks into those haunted eyes- those familiar, beautiful eyes and sighs softly, her face shaping itself into a picture of both sadness and pity. "…Sakura is with child,"
A/N:
Very close to an end. I hope you liked this. More to come for y'all. Drop another couple of words.