When we wandered into the park in the middle of Konoha, I was scared of my cousins' feelings. Especially when I dumped them on a bench. I left them in the middle of a park in a village they didn't know, I felt a little guilty. I went to get Sasuke. The park was full of families and couples so they wouldn't really look out of place. I turned to the side while I was looking for Sasuke. I saw a young boy who really reminded me of him. He was playing catch with his father, smiling and laughing. They made me think about my family and how un-normal it is. It was split in places. I had family in different villages, in different places. My family was a puzzle only fitted together by one piece and I was that piece. I carried on walking, looking for my piece of the puzzle, the only piece that fit into a special space in my newly loved heart. I felt wanted when my family and friends were around. I felt needed when they were around. I felt them. I looked harder for Sasuke. Running through the park calling his name.
When I found him he was sat with his feet in the river, in the exact same spot as we were sat the first time we came into the park together, it played my heart strings like a guitar. I went to sit next to him. He didn't notice me till I sat next to him, on the river bank. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder holding me into his side. I placed my hand on the small of his back snuggling myself as close as I could into him. I breathed him in. his smell was musky. I found it so beautiful.
Sasuke turned to look at me, his eyes glistening with warm tears. I turned him around holding him into my body. He cried into me like I had with Neji the day I had seen my father's grave. He lifted his head up to my level. Putting his hand on my face, stroking my cheek with his thumb. He smiled at me. Whispering a sweet, heart-filled sentence between sobs and catches of breath "this is where I fell in love with you, you know." I smiled at him "I fell in love with you the minute I met you." He pulled me closer sitting me on his strengthened lap. Kissing me softly. I felt bad to interrupt him but I had family to worry about. "I should probably introduce you to them then." He looked at me his eyes deep with emotion.
We walked hand in hand through the park. Laughing together at personal jokes and just being together. When we got close to where I left Gaara, Kankuro and Temari. He let go of my hand near a tree. Urging me to go on alone when I turned too pleadingly look at him. I wandered up to the bench not quite knowing how to ease them into it. When I spoke to them I could hear my voice crumbling, "um… there is someone I would like you guys to meet. Be nice." They all stared at me giving me a look that said, why wouldn't we be nice, I laughed. Sasuke popped up behind me wrapping his arms around my waist. "This is Sasuke Uchiha, and I think I'm in love with him." They all had different expressions on their faces, Gaara was giving a deadly glare, and Temari looked like she was being bathed in the light of an angel and Kankuro looked confused.
Sasuke and Gaara glared at each other, through me like I was a window. The tension between them was too much. They looked like they would kill each other, but then Sasuke relaxed. He held me closer. His hot breath was on my neck. When he spoke his voice was even and husky, "it's nice the meet you all… again." I looked at him confused, waiting for him or someone else to explain. Temari was the next to speak, not sure how to answer my concerned look. "Um… we met at the Chunin exams." Gaara continued her sentence but not in the way I expected, "yes, and we had a fight we didn't finish." I stared into Sasuke's deep grey eyes; they were filled with worry and regret. This was something he didn't want me to know, but now I did. The worry disappeared from his eyes and a grin appeared on his face. He bent to kiss my neck. When his soft lips touched my warm neck we both knew where we really wanted to be. Away from my family, in our own little world. Gaara's look softened as well. They all looked happy for me. My heart thumped in my chest telling me to take Sasuke and run to my room so we could be together alone, but my head told me to spend the day with my cousins' because they were not always in Konoha, we had all night to ourselves, in his room or mine.
We spent the day doing random things around Konoha. They all seemed to get on really well.
In the evening I took them all to Ichiraku's. The looks on Gaara, Kunkuro and Temari's faces were priceless, they enjoyed it so much. Sasuke and I had usual; pork and miso ramen. Even though Gaara argued with me over whom was paying we had a lot of fun. I took my sleepy cousins back to the house, leaving Sasuke at the cross roads between our houses.
We spent the rest of the evening with Neji. The room was happy and loud. All accept for me, who loved my family dearly but wanted to be somewhere else. I was glad they didn't notice my sullenness.
At about ten o'clock I took myself up to bed. They looked at me like I was ruining their night, I made up an excuse by saying, "unlike some, I have missions in the morning." They let me begrudgingly go. I ran up to my room, grabbed my hairbrush of my side and pulled my night dress from my draw. I didn't go for pale pink and silk that night, I went for black, corseted and lacy. I was sure Sasuke would like that. I put my short faded pink kimono on over the top and waited on my bed.