Love's Art

Chapter 10

It's been two weeks since Sakura and Sasuke got together and Sakura has to say she has been in heaven. She has never been this happy before in her life. She loved being in a relationship with him. She never knew Sasuke could be such a gentleman (when he wanted to be) and she was so glad that he only showed that part of him to her and no one else. She smiled at that.

Right now, they were at her still messy apartment. Sakura was drawing while Sasuke was cleaning her apartment. He was putting the blank canvas' in a corner and the ones that were already drawn and half-drawn in another, and putting her papers on the counter. He was making her apartment look decent enough to where she knew where her stuff were as she drew. She didn't even ask him to do this. He had just decided to this as soon as he walked into her apartment after their date. He told/demanded her to do something "useful" while he made do with her apartment. She couldn't help but laugh at his choice of words. He still had to work on that. He never asked her what to do. He always demanded her and she always got mad at him for that, but it always depended on the situation they were in.

She jumped when she felt a breath near her ear. "Damn, you're good." He breathed.

She blushed at the proximity, even though she should be used to it by now. The things he could do to her. Her hand went back to work while she just nodded in return. She found that she couldn't concentrate feeling Sasuke breathing in her ear. She knew he was watching her work but she just couldn't concentrate on her work with him so damn close. She didn't know why she was overreacting. Maybe it was because he was breathing so heavily? Damn it, Sakura. When you guys kiss he breaths heavy as well so why are you so damn nervous? She didn't know why. Focus Sakura, Focus. She told herself and finally, she was focused on the drawing instead of the heavy breathing near her ear.

Sasuke was amazed at the way his girlfriend can draw. He didn't even know the person she was drawing but he couldn't keep his eyes away from the drawing or the way her hand moved, trying to keep every detail and stroke the way it was supposed to be; not once did she erase..not once and that's what amazed him. It's like she had so much confidence in her that she knew she wouldn't make a mistake and she didn't. He tore his gaze from the drawing and to his beautiful pink-haired, green-eyed girlfriend and was grateful that he was out of the horror of an engagement (thanks to Naruto). If it wasn't for him, he would still be in it and wouldn't be with this amazing woman right now.

Sakura heard her cell phone ring. "Hey, can you get that for me?" She asked, not taking her eye off the drawing, afraid that if she looked at him she won't be able to take her eyes off, which had happened many many many times before.

It took a second for Sasuke to register what she said and he cleared his throat. "Yeah. Where is it?"

"Kitchen table."

He strode to the table and saw just a number, immediately narrowing his eyes before asking, "Uh, what's 567-8591?"

Sakura immediately stopped drawing, drawing her utensil. "Oh hell to the fucking no." She turned around in her seat, facing Sasuke with wide eyes. Sasuke was staring at her wide narrowed eyes. "Give me the phone."

"Not until you tell me." He answered her.

"Sasuke, give me the phone before it stops ringing."

He eyed the phone.

"Baby, do you trust me?" Sakura asked him.

Sasuke looked at her and slowly nodded.

"Please, give me the phone."

"You'll tell me who it is, right?" He hesitantly asked.

"Of course I will. I promise."

Hesitantly, Sasuke handed her the phone. Sakura took a deep breath before answering the call. "Hello?"

"Sakura, hey."

She pressed her lips together. "'Hey' is not really a good word to say right now, you know."

"Right, right. So, um, how you been? Is your drawing business going good? I've heard around that you're making good mo-"

Sakura was getting mad. "Cut the bullshit. What did you really call for?"

"*Sigh* I'm in town and I really want to talk to you, you know? I want to fix what we had before. We were so good, Sakura. I was a jerk, Sakura. I realize that now and I'm sorry."

Sakura bit her lip and looked at Sasuke, who was analyzing her every move. "You realize that now, huh? It's been 5 years and you realize that now? After you took almost everything from me. You took-"

"You don't have to say it, I know and I'm sorry! Can we talk about this at Theresa's? Where we first met..Remember? When you used to work there?"

Sakura looked around her now decently apartment, thanks to Sasuke. "'I'm sorry' is not gonna cut it. I have a new life now and you can't take that away from me." Tears started to form in her eyes. "You ruined me. You ruined everything. Do you really want to know how I've been? Do you want to know how I've been since you've been gone or how I am now? I'll tell you both. When you left, I was a pack of shit. I didn't have any money and I didn't have a car and you wanna know why I didn't have a car because you oh-so-gladly took it. I didn't have any money to pay for rent. I cried every night because of you. Yeah, we were good but you left and you didn't support me at all. I made my own business after a year with Temari and Ino's support." She smiled through her tears at the memory and then wiped the tears away. "And now, I met a guy, no, a met a man who supports me and actually thinks that my drawings are amazing and wants one of my drawings done for him and who is now my boyfriend so no we can't talk. I'm sorry, but you had your chance and you ruined it. Big time."

"And who is this 'man'?"

"Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha."

"I bet he'll leave you in a month with your attitude."

Sakura's eyes once again filled up with tears. She didn't want his words to affect her. She wanted to sound tough against her ex-boyfriend, but she knew he was right. She had a short-temper and that was kind of the reason why most of her ex-boyfriends left her. They couldn't stand her and left her. She was beautiful, yes. She knew that but she knew that she was temperamental as well.

Sasuke saw that whoever was on the other line was making his Sakura cry way too much and from what he could tell from her speech earlier, it was her ex-boyfriend. No one, absolutely no one, makes his cherry blossom cry. Angry, he snatched the phone from Sakura, making her gasp. "I don't know what you just said to her, but whatever it was, take it back and shove it up your ass."

"Who the hell is this?"

"Sasuke Uchiha, motherfucker."

Sasuke Uchiha was pissed; he only cusses when he's pissed or even beyond that.

"So her boyfriend comes to the rescue, huh? What, she can't do things by herself anymore?"

"Why don't you just shut the fuck up? You sound gay as fuck."

"What the hell did you just say?" He sounded shock.

"I don't know why Sakura dated you. It was probably the looks, but you sound gay as fuck."

"Why you-"

Sasuke raised his eyebrows, waiting for him to continue. Sakura had no idea what brought this side of Sasuke on. She had never seen this side of him, but she had to admit...It was hot. He was hot in general...Sexy but damn, she had to say...she couldn't be even more (dare she say it) turned on more now than ever.

"What, cat got your tongue? Look, why don't you crawl back into your gay little friends and don't call back."

"I know where she lives."

"Then I'll kick your ass out of here."

"What are you, her bodyguard?"

"I'm her motherfucking boyfriend. I can do whatever the fuck I want. I can call the police and arrest you for stalking her."

"You don't even live there. You can't protect her all the time."

"Proves even more my point. She'll call the police. No, she'll call my dad 'cause guess what asshole? My father owns the police station. Ever heard of Uchiha Police Station?"

"..."

Sasuke bitterly laughed. "That's right. So don't you dare come or call ever again or your ass is going to jail." And he hunged up, throwing the phone on the table where it was in the first place.

He looked to Sakura, who was looking at him wide-eyed and she licked her lips. He stared at her for a second before asking, "What's his name?"

Sakura blinked three times before the question registered in her mind. "T-Tanami Sagamori." She made out. She couldn't keep her eyes off of Sasuke. Clearly, he was still pissed at the whole situation. She had no idea what he said on the other line but it clearly had Sasuke pacing and running his hand threw his hair. She slowly got off her chair and made her way towards him. She slowly put her hand on his arm, making him stop pacing and look at her. She looked him in the eye. "You okay?"

"...Asshole's a stalker." Was his reply.

She raised an eyebrow. "Mmm, oookaaayyy. Not the answer I was hoping for, but okay." She said. "I meant, what are you really pissed at Sasuke-kun?" She asked, rubbing his arm. "I know that it's not that he's a stalker."

Sasuke stared at her hand that was rubbing his arm then at her eyes, looking away quickly. "You were crying."

She stopped her rubbing. "I'm a crybaby, Sasuke-kun. It happens...especially with him. My past isn't all happy and joyful like Ino's. Money didn't come to me. I worked for it all my life." She smiled sobly.

Sasuke glanced at her. "He didn't support you?" He asked curiously, obviously still pissed.

She shook her head. "No. I mean, he was there but he didn't think drawing would get me anyway. He always said it was just a hobby of mine. When we broke up, he took the car, my car, and drove off."

"He took your car?"

She laughed bitterly. "Yeah, kind of an asshole move, right? But hey, it's all in the past right?" She fake-smiled at him.

"How can you let him take your car?" He almost yelled.

"It's not like I could've stopped him. I was injured that day and he took advantage. I twisted my ankle while doing my homeschool gym class and I tried to stop him, but I was limping the whole way and by the time I got to him he was already half way with his stuff in the backseat." She looked down. "My father would be so ashamed of me."

He narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"I don't have anyone in my family but Shikamaru..and now Temari since he married her. They're my family. My father died in a plane crash and my mother died giving birth." She turned her back to him, deciding she had shown her tears too much to Sasuke today. "Shika and Tema are my only family." She hugged herself.

She gasped when she felt two pair of arms hug her from behind and press their cheeks against hers. "You're not alone." He whispered. "I'm here...and I'll always be here."

Sakura turned around in his arms and looked up at his calm, onyx eyes with her glossy, emerald eyes. "Don't leave me. Promise me, you won't leave."

Staring down at those eyes, Sasuke didn't want to see those eyes like that. Never. He wanted to see them shining in a different way. "I promise. I won't leave." He promised and she hugged him tightly with her cheek against his chest and he wounded his arms around her waist, hugging her just as tightly.

Never. I won't ever leave you, Sakura.

"So, what do you think teme and Sakura-chan are doing? Do you think they're 'getting it on'?"

BAM!

"Ow!" Naruto held his new wound on his head.

"It's only been two weeks, Naruto!" Ino stood above her boyfriend with an angry expression on her face and her fist clench, showing that she was indeed the one who had hit him. "Don't think such perverted thoughts!"

"But you and I went at it in only-"

BAM!

"We are different people!" This time Ino had a blush on her face. "Everyone is different. People go at there own pace. So let them be!"

"Psh. I don't know what you're talking about. It's not like you're gonna let Sakura-chan be. You're gonna want gossip from her almost every five seconds." Naruto whined, sitting back on the couch folding his arms.

Ino sighed, knowing that's true. Oh, how she loved gossip. She looked back at Naruto and smiled. Oh, how she loved how her boyfriend knew her so well.

He opened his eyes that he didn't even know he had closed and saw Ino's smile and just smiled back. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and took it out. It was a text from Sasuke.

Shikamaru's. Now.

He laughed. Very Sasuke-like. Even texting he can't say more than 5-10 words in a sentence. "What?" Ino asked, confused.

"Teme wants me to go to Shikamaru's." Naruto answered and then his phone vibrated again.

Bring the princess.

Naruto's eyebrows scrunched at the phone screen. Sasuke had always called her that since high school. "Well, I guess he wants us to go to Shikamaru's." He said, getting up from the couch.

"Did he say why?" She asked, grabbing her coat and putting her boots. They were in the middle of fall, she wasn't taking any chances with putting her heels.

"It's Sasuke." He looked at her like she had grown three heads while putting on his coat. "He never tells me why." He grabbed the keys and headed outside with Ino in tow.

"You know, for a guy that you consider your brother, he treats you like shit sometimes." She commented, getting in the passeger seat.

"You just don't know him like I do, Ino-chan." He grabbed her hand briefly before starting the engine and making his way to Shikamaru's.

"Did you text him?"

"Hn."

Sakura took a deep breath and looked around the room, smiling nervously at Shikamaru and Temari who both looked at her expactantly. She knew they knew they wanted to know what was going on and she would tell them as soon as Naruto and Ino get here. They had to be here as well.

Temari wasn't having anymore of her silence. "Sakura, what the hell is going on?"

"I'll tell you...as soon as Naruto and Ino get here."

"Why do they have to be here?"

"Because they have to, okay?"

"You come walking in here looking like you've been crying and you expect me, us, not to be worried?" Temari continued.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. But you just have to wait until they get here. Can you do that?" She looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Yeah." Shikamaru answered for her. Temari looked at him with wide eyes. He just stared at her with serious ones. He had no idea what was going on but if Naruto and Ino had to be here as well than whatever Sakura had to tell them, it had to be big because usually Sakura would only tell them and leave Naruto and Ino out of it or tell them later.

Temari sighed, giving up. "Fine."

A knock on the door informed them that they had arrived. Sasuke got up to answer it, not wanting to be in the family feud any longer. Once he opened the door, both of them came inside. Naruto peeked over his shoulder and saw everyone sitting in the living room, quiet.

"Is everything alright?" Naruto whispered.

"Hn."

He walked back to the living with Naruto and Ino in tow. "What does that mean?" Ino whispered to Naruto. "Is everything okay?" She was worried now. She sat down on the couch with Naruto next to her and bit inside her mouth, sensing the atmosphere. It definitely wasn't nice. What was going?

"Okay, they're here. What's going on, Sakura?" Temari asked once again.

Sakura was sitting on Sasuke's lap, who was sitting on a chair, and she sighed. "Tanami called and he's back in town."

Silence.

"What-What did he say?" Shikamaru asked, trying his best to hold in his anger.

Sakura explained her side of the conversation before Sasuke snatched the phone away. "From there, I don't know what he said. I can only here what Sasuke-kun was saying to him."

"So he had the guts to ask you about your business when he didn't support you in the first place?" Ino asked, anger building within her.

"Yeah..." She answered.

"Sasuke." Shikamaru nodded his head to the side. Sasuke got the idea and asked Sakura if she could get off for a second and followed Shikamaru. Shikamaru glanced at Naruto, silently telling him to come and he did. The guys went to a corner away from the girls.

Ino scooted closer to Sakura and rested her hand on her thigh. "Are you okay?" She asked, rubbing her thigh up and down in a comforting manner.

She nodded. "Yeah." She smiled. "I'm okay. Sasuke-kun was there. He helped me through it. I mean, if he called while I was alone I'll probably be having an emotional breakdown right now from everything he put me through but I know Sasuke-kun isn't like that and I know he's not gonna leave me. He showed me that today." She smiled as he was talking to Shikamaru and Naruto.

Temari and Ino smiled. Ino thought back to what Naruto said in the car. "You just don't know him like I do, Ino-chan."

We weren't close in high school at all but I'll get to know you better if you make Sakura this happy...and for Naruto's sake, too.