.:For Eternity

Chapter 12: Realizing

She was still missing.

It had been a good month and two weeks since that incident in the science wing, but Sakura could still see the broken glass, the scattered chairs, and those unforgettable eyes like a broken film that would replay over and over again in her mind. They would sometimes sneak into her dreams and even haunt her there.

It wasn't like she didn't do anything about it. She had told the police everything she knew – everything from when Yukiko took her aside to when her world went black. Of course it was a painful recollection of her past but it had to be done, for Yukiko's sake. But the longer the investigation took, the more she began to lose hope, the more the images in her mind worsened.

If she really wanted to, she could make it like it was her fault. She was, after all, the only other person that could've saved her, that could've protected her. But what use was it to blame herself? It wouldn't help anything. She instead chose to put her faith in the police and hoped for the best.

That was the least of her worries, however.

The dance had been a great success nonetheless, but like all other gossip, this piece of news spread like wildfire throughout the school. People would give weird looks in the hallways and some would dip to other's ears with secrets she'd rather not know. Yukiko's group was the worst. They felt so much misery that they thought it would be best to take it out on others. They had charged through the school day after day looking for victims to prey on to ease their pains. It took a while for it to die down, but boy was it a hell of a fire, one that took more than just a little water to put out. Now all they did was sulk in their small group, waiting for their leader's return.

For all that she'd missed at school and all the time she took to get her life back together, a lot of things had to be taken care of. One of those things was the play. When she'd gotten back, the production had already been scheduled for a set date the very next week. The drama teacher had people step in for Sakura and Sasuke during their absence hoping they would come back in time to take back their roles, but unfortunately, it was too late to just jump back into it. Instead, they gave up their parts to the two very nervous substitutes but they had done pretty good for last minute step-ins.

The volleyball team had missed their captain greatly and, although the season was nearly over, they welcomed her back with open arms, resuming practices and regular schedule like nothing happened.

As for their individual friends, Ino had gone berserk thinking her friend was either dying or dead. She complained a lot about how Sakura hadn't informed her enough and was kind of pouty for days but that blew over soon enough. Now she was just as bubbly and cheery as she was before. Sakura was just glad to have her best friend back.

Sasuke, on the other hand, still had Kiba on his tail. Shikamaru had told him that he tried to deal with it but apparently, he was going to stay a grouch for a little while longer. Not like he minded it. He knew he could deal with him if the need came.

And of course, Naruto was back to being his best friend, his brother.

However, Naruto was taking his time getting used to Sakura. They still had some awkward moments here and there but he was doing okay. Little by little it was getting better, in Sasuke's opinion. He was glad he was putting the effort in and trying. It actually made him smile. He never thought he'd see the day when his best friend would try to get along with his girlfriend.

Girlfriend.

That was going to take a little getting used to, he thought.

"Wow," he said quietly.

Both he and Sakura were sitting on the edge of a fountain in the middle of the city park. The sun was high in the sky, beaming down with scorching heat. Sakura was holding a cup of ice cream that she scooped her spoon into every now and then to get a taste of the frozen goodness. It felt good on such a hot day to having something chilly to eat. His, however, sat empty beside him with the spoon moving with the breeze.

"Hmm?" she said, her spoon digging into what was left of the vanilla. Bringing his gaze up to hers, he stared with soft eyes as a smile crept onto his face. "What?" she asked.

Without warning, Sasuke swooped in with a quick kiss on her lips, grinning as she jumped. Pulling away, he took in how she looked at him. There was confusion and question but also an amused twinkle in her eye with a slight curve of a smile. Her hair swayed gently framing her face.

"Did I miss something?" she titled her head curiously.

"Nope, nothing at all. You done?" He stood, taking his empty ice cream cup with one hand, while taking Sakura's hand with the other, bringing her up along with him. Nodding, Sakura motioned over to a nearby garbage bin.

"Chino!" he yelled out towards the flock of birds. Out popped a tiny puppy head yelping with a strong high pitched bark. "Come on, boy!" Running on tiny legs, the dog came happily, bring along a whirlwind of a tail wag.

Bending down quickly, Sakura fooled around with the excited animal while Sasuke dumped the two cups into the trash can. "Where to now?" she asked with a chuckle as Chino licked at her fingers.

Breathing in the fresh air and stretching like a cat, Sasuke let his hands slip into his pockets, giving her question some thought. "Where should we go?"

"It's a really nice day out today. We should enjoy it while it lasts. How about we just go back to your place, park the car, and take a long relaxing walk around your absolutely gorgeous neighbourhood? That sound good, Chino?" Chino barked with approval as she scuffled up his fur.

"That sounds perfect."


In his car, with the windows all the way down, Sakura watched people blur by and buildings and trees grow and shrink through her shades. The music that played continuously one after the other just fit with the outsides scenes – nothing but sounds that made her feel like perfect was more than just a word.

Chino was running back and forth madly in the back seat from window to window. Sasuke paid no mind to his dog's wild antics and instead simply laughed.

His laugh, Sakura noted, was something he let sound more and more freely. Before, she remembered, it seemed impossible to get a straight out and heart felt laugh from him that wasn't mocking or teasing. Now it came so openly.

It always surprised her to find him looking at her with such affection as he did just then as he intertwined their fingers together over the arm rest.

As much as it made her feel special to have him see her the way he did, there was also a small part of her that still wondered about him, about the things he doesn't tell her. Of course he had the right to keep things to himself and she respected his choices. It just infuriated her to feel like she was disrespecting that choice by getting a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach.

He would tell her when he was ready, right?

But how long could she wait? How long would her patience last? It wasn't like what he was hiding was insignificant either. For heaven's sake, she had seen him collapse. He may look fine at the moment but she had this instinctive feeling like he wasn't at all like he looked.

She had her hunches. She was very fond of hunches. Her's were usually close if not on spot. But this was like trying to look through a window with a thick covering of frost. She was smart enough to know that it was a serious thing. Discovering that he had a personal doctor at the hospital helped strengthen that fact. Even the medical papers she found under his bed were proof enough of some severe medical problem. She just wanted to know if it was something she should be concerned about. Collapsing, she thought, was something to be worried about.

She hadn't confronted him about it before although she knew she should have. But she knew that if she spoke a word of this to him, he would simply brush it off and completely avoid it. That was the kind of vibe she had coming from him long before they got to know each other. On the other hand, now that they were together, bringing it up should've been easier, right?

She squeezed his hand gently.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked through his own shades, which she found made his face that much more attractive.

"What? Oh, nothing." She replied with a chuckle.

Sasuke could see there was something troubling her. He couldn't pin point it exactly but he just knew. She'd been acting like that more and more often lately and it was starting to worry him. But whenever he asked, she would always avoid it or say there was nothing to worry about. He always took it as the latest traumas and Yukiko's kidnapping that had her acting like such, yet his gut feeling said otherwise.

"Liar. You've got something on your mind." He pouted.

"No, really it's nothing. I was just thinking about the investigation, that's all."

"You shouldn't worry too much about it. They're doing all they can. You know all we can do is wait." There it was again, the same excuse, he thought.

"I know. Sometimes it just slips back inside, you know?" How long could she keep her real thoughts and feelings from him?

"Yeah, I know." He said gently. "But you sure there's nothing else on your mind?"

"Nothing." She said, shaking her head.

"Really?"

"Really."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Laughing, she playfully pushed at his head with her free hand.

"Okay, okay." He himself couldn't help but grin as he raised their tangle fingers and gave the back of her hand an affectionate kiss.

Still, unfortunately, the nagging in both their minds stayed.


"I told you, I'll meet you there." Itachi said into the phone he held tightly to his ear. His eyes spoke of nervousness and slight stress but he was not one to show such weaknesses, especially in his voice.

"Yeah, but you know the boss. He doesn't trust anybody, especially not you my friend. Then again, you did turn your back on us for the last couple of years. That's enough to tick anybody off, even me. I've known you since we were kids, man. But that was some shitty stuff you pulled off, you know that? We were partners, man. How could you turn your back on us so easily?" said the dark eerie voice on the other end.

"Well, I'm coming back now, aren't I? I made a choice back then, and I'm making a choice now. Like he said, once a part of Akatsuki, forever a part of Akatsuki. It's part of me now and always will be, you know that."

"Don't tell me your reason for leaving was for that pansy ass brother you've got? The sick one?" With not so much as a twitch from Itachi, the voice snickered. "Geez, you've gone soft. Who would've thought the Great Itachi would fall so low." Laughing again, the voice snapped into a cheery mood. "But you know what? I'll put in a good word for you. Hopefully that'll be enough 'cause really, it's been way too long, Itachi – far, far too long."

Itachi had feared as much but that's what he was aiming for right? He was fighting for a way back into Akatsuki, a way to get the girl out – if she was still alive that is.

"So, listen. I was going to ask you about that kidnapped girl." Itachi questioned. "You haven't said much about her lately and she was an important catch."

"Well, we finally got a separate room for her. Really, man. The girl bites like a rabid dog. She needs something to keep her mouth shut too. Damn, I don't know how much longer I can take the freaking screaming and yelling. Why does the boss have to dump her on us? Why can't those low-lifes downstairs take care of her?"

'So, they haven't got him yet, Yukiko's father.' He thought.

"What abo—"

When he heard the front door open and close, Itachi jumped as he slammed the phone down back into its place.

Sasuke and Sakura had just gotten back from their little stroll around the neighbourhood and were ready to settle down into a good movie.

"Itachi! We're home! Watching a movie!" Sasuke announced.

Itachi didn't answer. Instead he got dressed and trudged down the enormous staircase with his keys in hand. He found the couple cuddling snugly together watching one of their many action flicks. They were spread lengthily over the couch, lying with Sakura's head gently resting on his chest, arm slung over his torso. Itachi saw that Sasuke was drawing patterns up and her arm lazy. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought Sakura was asleep if she hadn't moved to get into a more comfortable position.

Yeah, he left Akatsuki for his brother and he wasn't ashamed. Seeing him enjoy what little he had left of life made him think he made the right choice in leaving. But now, he was going back and he was starting to think he was being a total idiot for not telling his brother of his plans. He knew he was the only one who knew where the girl was. He didn't want any credit, no. But he just wanted this trouble to be over. Besides, he had a score to settle with Akatsuki himself.

And, he thought sadly, needed a way to redeem himself. Sasuke didn't know but Itachi knew perfectly well that their parents didn't just die in any old car crash. No matter how conventional it sounded, it wasn't true. But it was good enough to keep Sasuke from asking questions.

"Itachi, where are you going?" Sasuke asked, snapping Itachi back from his own world.

"I'm just gonna head out. We ran out of milk." With that, he swiftly made his exit into the warm evening air, not even waiting for a response.

"All…right." Sasuke found his behaviour a bit odd, but hey, there've been worse.

"Does he always do that?"

"Not for milk." Sighing, he closed him eyes. He was savouring the moment. Even with loud gun shots and screaming and yelling from the TV, he found that he could just lie there till morning.

She listened to his slow steady heart beat through his green shirt. It was like a beating drum that she found oddly hypnotising.

"What are planning on doing after graduation?" she asked. It was kind of a random question but she realized she hadn't asked before.

"Hmm?" he mumbled.

Lifting her head, she saw that his eyes were closed. "You're not even watching the movie."

"I was. But this is much more relaxing. But," he opened one eyelid, "what's with the question?"

"Well, I mean I'm just curious and it's almost graduation."

Closing his eye once more he sighed. Was there even a world after graduation for him? "I haven't decided."

"Really? Are you going to take a year off? Some people are doing that. I think Ino might." She rested her chin on his chest. He idly opened his eyes and looked down at her vibrant green ones.

"What are you gonna do?"

"Ha, I haven't decided either actually. I thought I could get some inspiration from what you were gonna say but that plan backfired."

"What? You don't know what you're taking? Miss Perfect, volleyball captain, student council member, straight A's Sakura doesn't know what she's doing?" He earned a playful face smothering, courtesy of Sakura's hand. He laughed quietly.

"Shut up, Bad Boy. It's a hard decision. "

"How about a policeman?" Sakura made a face, although the idea of having her own gun appealed to her. "A journalist? An accountant? A fireman? A waitress?" He grunted, laughing as she gutted him with her left hook.

"Are you trying to be funny?" Her bottom lip jutted out as a slim crease formed between her eyebrows. "Jerk."

"Awe, poor baby."

"Gee, thanks. Next time I think about my life, I'm keeping it to myself. Come on, get up, I'm hungry. I'll fix something up from whatever's left – milk or no milk."

Sasuke laid there as she pushed off from the couch and slipped her way into the kitchen, humming an anonymous tune. As he took a good look at her, he noted that he must've been in way deeper than he thought if a simple pair of sweats and a baby fit shirt that clung to her body was all she needed to have him gluing his eyes to her.

Letting his body sink into the couch again, he wanted to just drift off listening to Sakura's oddly soothing humming. It transfixed him – to say the least. It reminded him of the time he took her mp3 player during their school dance shopping spree for decorations. He'd heard her humming a tune along with very skilful piano playing in the background.

In fact, that was the reason he asked her to spend time with him on this particular day. He had a small surprise he wanted to show her. It was something he'd been working on for the past couple of days. He'd borrowed her mp3 for that very purpose.

Sitting up, he stretched all of the kinks out before he shot up and made his way to the kitchen. It was now or never, he thought.

As he entered, he clarified that he was really in over his head – watching her fix up a sandwich, her back facing him while she hummed quietly, her shoulder length pink tresses curled at bits near the ends just perfectly. Evidently, she hadn't noticed his presence.

"You," Sasuke breathed into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, "are going to have to come with me." He smirked against her cheeks at her sudden shudder.

"When did you—"

"Just follow me." Taking her by the hand, he pulled her along towards the staircase.

Sakura obliged, following on very shaky legs. Damn it Uchiha, she thought. "Where are we going?"

"My room."

"W-what?" They were now on their targeted floor making their way down the hall.

Stopping right before his door, Sasuke turned to face a very puzzled Sakura.

"You do know I still have your mp3 right?" he asked.

"Um, yeah. But what does that have to do—"

At that moment, he opened the door and all her thoughts were stopped in their tracks. She saw his bedroom, the same as it was any other day – bed neatly fixed, the floors clean and just enough clutter here and there to signify that he wasn't obsessively clean. She didn't see what was so special.

"What am I supposed to be seeing?"

"Just sit for a sec, I'll go get it." He walked over to his computer, touching the mouse bringing the machine to life. After a few clicks, a piano could be heard playing. It was her song. "I used the finished one with the lyrics, if that's okay." He made his way to sit behind her on the bed.

She sat and listened to the all too familiar chords play elaborately in an intricate intro. Then – like she knew she would – her voice sang out in the very words she poured out onto a simple piece of scrap paper on an afternoon very much like the one they were in that very moment. She remembered writing of unforgettable sunny mornings, fearful nightmares, tears and scraped knees. There were even some mentioning's of burnt apple pies and holes in both socks. It was a special song, one she held dear to her. She was fine having Sasuke listen to some of her things but she was curious as to what he did with this one particular song.

The first verse was coming to an end and she could hear something that she knew she didn't put into the song – a guitar.

It was Sasuke. He was playing along with her and – to her shock – singing along with her as well. And he was exceptionally good. Harmonizing along with her melody, the song was put onto a whole new level. The chords he'd used blended perfectly with the piano in a way that just fit.

She was absolutely astounded.

She had written that song for her father who'd passed away when she was younger. The song was kind of a reminder of her life as she remembered it with him. It signified her father and everything he was.

Now, when she listened to it with Sasuke singing along with her, it triggered something she couldn't explain. It wasn't a bad feeling. On the contrary, it was the most wonderful feeling she'd ever felt. It even had her remembering every little thing Sasuke had done for her in the past couple of weeks. Everything from the small comforting gestures to the meaningful kisses and embraces she'd gone without for far too long.

Yet, he did this for her. He knew she cherished this song like it was her child. He knew how much her father meant to her. She even smiled at the thought of him actually singing and playing guitar. She knew that if she were to show this to Naruto, he'd throw a hissy fit. But he still did it and now she had two reasons to cherish this song.

Turning to face him, Sakura's eyes stung. Sasuke saw this and, with immediate concern, he sat up to take her face in his hands to wipe away the first fall of tears.

"You're not supposed to be crying. Geez, it's supposed to cheer you up."

As she looked up, Sakura saw his eyebrows angle in that adorable way that guys do when they don't know what to do. She released a waterlogged laugh, putting her hands on his wrists, keeping them where they were as she leaned into one of his palms. Her eyes danced with the light.

"I love you." She whispered.

They sat, just as they were, for a moment. She had never said it to him before, yet Sasuke had felt its very meaning behind every syllable. His insides were doing back flips.

It was Sakura who took the initiative as she leaned in and kissed him so tenderly that his back flipping insides turned to mush. Such gentleness carried the firm sureness of her words.

She had never been so confident, so certain of her feelings. She felt different, like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. For the past few weeks, what they had going was great, to put it simply but this topped it off, like adding that little bit extra to everything they did up till then.

Still playing on, the song drifted in the atmosphere, hovering above.


A/N: well there it is. it was definitely not worth the crap of a long wait you guys had to go through. sorry. but now that its summer break i think i'll have plenty of time to write xD. hope you enjoy!

- --writingzeaL