[A/N] Thank you guys so much for reviewing! :)
Happy reading~
Shelter from the Rain
a vampire fic
26} realization
.
.
hidden memories erupting, like a blooming wildflower
.
"Go to sleep, Sakura."
With one last glare, her eyes closed, and she fell into a peaceful slumber. He looked at her: the contrast of her dark lashes against her pale skin, the slightly parted pink lips, the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed; and felt his fingers aching to touch her throat—soft, milky skin, hiding the flowing jugular blood vessels.
Kakashi had asked him to make up his mind before he made another visit. Well. "Sakura," he whispered, "I need you to run away from me." Before he could catch her. Before he could tear her apart. Before he decided to destroy what made him feel human.
The curse seal burned on his neck. The feel of Sakura lying on top of him did strange things to his psyche. Agitated, Sasuke put his arms under the girl's back and legs, and lifted her up. With as minimal jostling as possible, he walked over to his room with his sleeping consort in his arms, and gently laid her thin body down on his bed.
He pulled the cover over her slender body, and positioned himself beside the bed. Just tonight, he promised himself, only tonight. He'd soak the sight of her in: Sakura at peace, Sakura happy, Sakura unafraid.
Sakura as Sakura should be.
"If I weren't a vampire," he murmured, his lips against her ear, "I could make you happy."
Ah—too close. He pulled away quickly, but the sound of her blood flowing already took its effect. He flinched as a painful flame began to rush through his body. Desperately, he hoped she wouldn't wake up for a while. As the curse seal began to spread over his body, inflaming his skin with burning heat and the strange flame-like marks, he closed his eyes and immersed himself in the pain, careful not to scream and wake his sleeping consort.
.
.
I won't let anything hurt you
.
"Fuck you, Uchiha! I hate you, you goddamn bastard!"
With a smarting foot and her hands in the pockets of her long sweater, Sakura meandered downtown, lost in thought. Her black leggings didn't do much for warmth, but the thick knee-length red and white striped sweater and black, insulated boots did enough. Her hair, now just creeping past her shoulders, got tied up into a small ponytail, exposing her ears to the cold.
She rubbed her hands together to create some heat, and then pressed her palms against her ears. In vain, Sakura wished she'd at least brought a scarf, but in her anger, she hadn't thought to dress for the weather. She only wanted to get out of the neighborhood (away from him) so she could think.
Seriously, what was wrong with him? Why purposefully stop himself from drinking her blood? Well, okay, so the curse seal was a problem. But she just couldn't understand it, because he never explained properly what about it haunted him. What kind of power did the curse seal have on him? Was it way for the sovereign Orochimaru to control him? Was it evil? Why did it make him want to kill her?
At some point, she hoped that Sasuke would trust her, and explain everything. But he shied away from depending on her. Since he'd talked to Kakashi, his guardian, Sasuke-kun acted... different. More thoughtful and speculative, less verbal and teasing. Like he was making some kind of decision.
Though she hated the way he treated her like a toy, she hated the way he suddenly put up barriers even more. He needed to tell her everything. He'd given her a brief explanation. He had a curse seal, it hurt him and made him want to do terrible things to her, and he was the slave of some vampire king person named Orochimaru.
But what did that all mean? And he was going to disappear when he turned eighteen years old, too?
If there was a time limit... Why did he always push her away?
Doesn't he want to be with me?
She paused suddenly, as a thought hit her, and it froze her mid-step. "I can't blame him," she whispered to herself, in horrified realization. She didn't tell him much about herself, either. How could she expect him to open up to her when she acted like a hypocrite? But she couldn't just run back now, spilling apologies. Because he had wronged her, too... calling her "annoying".
The only other person to have told her that was her father.
.
.
realize it, you idiot
.
Sasuke sat on the couch, unseeingly staring at the lamp across the room, near the door. Two hours had passed since Sakura had stormed away. He didn't know where she had gone, but he knew wherever, she was going, it was most certainly far away from him.
"Dammit," he muttered, and went to stand up, but suddenly cold fingers reached around his throat, rendering Sasuke into immediate stillness.
"Sa. Su. Ke. Kun," said the familiar, low voice. Each syllable was enunciated with the careful precision only such a completely heartless man could possess and wield in all areas of his life. The man whose nails and knife bit into Sasuke's jugular had been the one to discover how to kill a human with one bite. The one who had determined the exact amount of noble vampire blood needed to give a power surge. The one who'd learned to perfect the soul exchange ritual.
Orochimaru's favorite.
"Kabuto," greeted Sasuke quietly.
The stiff edge of a small medical knife pressed lightly into Sasuke's neck, where his visitor held it with precise exactitude against his carotid artery. Slender elbows rested on the back of the couch on either side of Sasuke's shoulders, creating a threatening semi-prison, but the younger vampire remained stoic. "Nice to see you again, otouto-kun," murmured the silver-haired vampire into Sasuke's ear.
"Don't call me that."
"Ah," replied the silver-haired vampire over a chuckle, "Is beloved Itachi-nii-san still the only one who can call you little brother?"
Dark eyes narrowed. "Don't speak of the dead with that disrespectful tone."
"Disrespectful? No. Itachi-sama truly led the vampire society with incredible poise and elegance. Even your father, a fully pureblood noble, hardly stood a chance to your brother's natural leadership abilities." Kabuto slid the knife away from the younger boy's neck and slipped it away inside his sleeve. "But you... I don't know what Orochimaru-sama sees in you, though I admit you have powerful genes despite the fact you're half human."
"You seem to forget," said Sasuke, "that I am not human anymore."
Kabuto chuckled. "But you were. And your mother forever is, even in death." The vampire straightened, and momentarily, the atmospheric pressure coming from his arms presence on either side of Sasuke disappeared. Then, before Sasuke could blink, the tall figure of his long-time companion and rival suddenly stood before him. Clad in a loose, long-sleeved white t-shirt and slim black pants, he looked almost like an average human. But the hungry red eyes behind round glasses and those sharp fangs proved himself to be otherwise.
"Besides, it's not like I want to think of you as... family. How disgusting." Kabuto raised an eyebrow. "I never liked you much. The day you left was probably one of the best moments of my life."
"I feel the same way."
"Then for once, we agree."
Sasuke met the other boy's eyes evenly. The silver hair glistened, contrasting with the dark gray eyes. Kabuto was a creature of the night. Once Sasuke had been like that, too, years ago, when he acted as Orochimaru's weapon. Resisting a shudder, Sasuke clenched his fist. "Why are you here?" he asked.
"I wanted to meet your lover," said Kabuto, with a nonchalant shrug. "She must be beautiful if you were willing to give her a piece of your precious little soul."
"There is no reason for you to meet her," replied the Uchiha testily.
"You think so?"
Sasuke bristled. "You want to kill me, yet you can't because of Orochimaru." His dark eyes narrowed. "Don't take your anger out on a human girl that has no relation to the vampire society."
"Look at you, getting so defensive," laughed Kabuto. Did I ever say I wanted to hurt her? I just want to meet her, speak to her once." Kabuto leaned in, so that their noses nearly touched. "Or maybe I'll corrupt her...? Ah, that's a good expression, Sasuke-kun." Kabuto ran a finger down Sasuke's cheek. "Those angry eyes are the best."
"Don't flatter me," Sasuke practically spat. "Why are you here?"
"I told you, I want to meet Haruno Sakura. I heard she even defended you against Tayuya's gang. She's small but unexpectedly fierce, isn't she?"
The Uchiha's fingers, having lied dormant on other side of his lap, now curled into tight fists.
"Well, it was nice to see you... Sasuke-kun." Kabuto stood up again and smirked. "I'll be telling Orochimaru that you're doing well."
Sasuke said nothing, and with that, Kabuto leapt out the open window. The young vampire stared out as the silver-haired figure disappeared, and a sudden realization shot into him a sense of urgency that made his heart rate spike.
.
.
just listen
.
"Shit!" Without thinking, Sasuke jumped to his feet and threw himself out the window after the silver-haired figure.
If he goes after her...
He grit his teeth, heat coursing through his body in an intense wave of overwhelming fury.
I'll kill him!
.
.
because someday, you might really end up hating me
.
Sakura walked with languid steps down the sidewalk. She'd been walking for an hour now. She'd let her feet take her where they wanted to go, and here she was, back in her childhood. Letting out a sigh, she took a long look at her surroundings. There was the little cafe whose coffee her mother loved; there was the bakery that made her favorite muffins; there was the cracked flowerpot, cracked by a badly aimed soccer ball, that never got thrown away.
And just a few steps later, she turned the corner, and before her wide, green eyes stood the apartment building she had lived in with her father and mother until a few short months ago. She stared at the mass of concrete with a bittersweet smile on her lips. Here was a building that symbolized years of happy memories... and also years of complete emotional chaos.
Memories that she could never forget.
She took a few more steps forward, and then felt her arm grabbed by a big hand. A pervert? she mentally shrieked, and tried to pull her wrist away. "Leave me alone!" she cried, but the familiar voice that answered shocked her into stillness.
"Sakura. You are Sakura, aren't you?"
The girl turned around slowly, eyes widening in disbelief. "...Sai-senpai?" she murmured, gazing at him with a plethora of complicated emotions.
He offered her a faint, empty smile, and she wondered whether or not to run away.
.
.
but please
.
It was the only thing he could think about: Get to Sakura. Get to Sakura. Get to Sakura.
How strange, that his entire life now seemed to be focused on keeping her safe. He just liked to see her smile. It gave him a reason to look forward to tomorrow.
That was all.
If he let himself think too deeply about it, then only problems could arise, so he left the answer undiscovered... though he knew that it lay dormant in his heart, ready to burst at any given moment if he wasn't careful.
.
.
try to understand my feelings
.
"S-Sai-senpai."
"You're shaking." A statement, not a question. His dark eyes watched her, and Sakura unconsciously tried to cover herself with her arms.
His gaze just knew too much. "...I..."
"Hate me, right?" He shrugged. "I fucked up. I fucked you, too. Literally. It's perfectly understandable."
Sakura paled. "Senpai—"
He met her eyes, and she noticed that in his previously indifferent gaze, there now existed a melancholy settled in the black irises. He murmured, "Don't call me that."
They looked away from each other. A silence fell over them; Sakura kicked a pebble, and during the long moment that the tiny rock rolled down the street and skidded to a stop, he couldn't seem to look at her, though her eyes flickered towards him every few seconds.
Finally, she broke the silence by asking simply, "How are you doing?" She uncrossed her arms, letting them fall to her sides.
He still didn't look at her. "Why are you asking me that?" he inquired softly.
"I... don't know," she admitted. "Even though you screwed me over, I still... care."
"Like the way you still love your father?" Finally, he looked up, and Sakura took notice of the inquisitive expression full of complicated emotion. "Why do you love the people who hurt you the most, Sakura?"
She didn't answer the rhetorical question, letting it hang. "You're different. From before. Your eyes are... kinder."
"Am I? I suffered heartbreak recently, Sakura, and then I remembered you. Never forgot you, really." He let out a sigh. "I've been hoping to see you. Thought I'd officially apologize."
"Apologize?" She pointed to herself. "To me?"
He nodded. "...Can I?"
She didn't know what to say, so she said nothing at all... and to her surprise, he fell to his knees into a dogeza. He remained there for a slow few seconds, his forehead pressed against the ground, until Sakura registered the fact that he was lowering his head to her in a self-humiliating fashion.
"No, Senpai! Please stand up!" She grabbed hold of his arm and yanked him out of the position. But being too weak, she couldn't manage to pull his taller height to his feet, and instead fell on top of him onto the sidewalk. His body, slender but muscular, radiated warmth underneath her. Sakura momentarily froze, unused to the sensation of anyone other than Sasuke or Naruto being so close to her.
"Sakura," he murmured, his lips somewhere near her forehead, "I'm sorry."
She put her hands on either side of his chest and lifted herself up to look down at him. "Senpai..."
If anybody had been on the street at that moment and seen them, the position would have looked incredibly intimate. But there was no real closeness here, despite the physical proximity; Sakura could see so clearly that their relationship could ever develop further than acquaintances. There was too much pain in their past to try and fix the broken pieces.
He'd used her, and she'd used him. But now...
"I hope you can find somebody that can truly love you one day, because I couldn't when you needed me to. I'm really sorry." He paused for a moment, then whispered, in such a low voice she almost didn't catch the words: "Please be willing to love again, for your sake." Sai's eyes, dark and cloudy, eerily reminded her of a certain vampire's midnight gaze.
"Senpai..."
Before she could finish, she suddenly was on her feet, with a pair of slender, strong arms wrapped around her in a manner that could only be described as protective and monopolizing.
"Sakura. What the hell are you doing here?"
Sakura let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. It's you, she thought, taking in the feel of his arms around her and how comfortable she felt in that position. Then she smiled, and directed her next words towards the boy still on the floor, looking at the pair in surprise. "Senpai," Sakura said, "I'll be okay."
The older boy sat up, and looked at the pair before him; his eyes noticed that the boy glaring at him had an incredibly tight embrace around the young girl whose life he'd destroyed. He smiled. "You've already found that somebody, haven't you, Sakura?" He let out a small sigh, and got to his feet. Brushing off the dirt on his pants, he asked, "Do you forgive me?"
"Yes," replied Sakura easily.
"Then let's never see each other again." He gave her a little wave. "Bye-bye, Sakura-chan."
She nodded, and he turned on his heel. It wasn't until his figure had walked off so far that he was approximately the size of an ant in the distance that Sasuke finally relaxed his sharp glare and released his hold on his consort, letting his arms fall more comfortably around her.
"Who the fuck was that?" he asked abruptly, eyes still glaring in his direction.
"His name is Sai." Sakura didn't move away from the loose hug. "He's... my first boyfriend, I guess."
"...Boyfriend?" repeated Sasuke, all too curiously.
"Yes." For some reason, she found his wavering indifference amusing, and edged it on.
Sasuke's expression became superbly blank. "I didn't know you ever had one," he said stiffly.
"He was the first person I ever fell in love with," she said.
If possible, Sasuke seemed to become even more rigid.
For his sake, Sakura decided to change the subject. "Why did you follow me?" she asked, looking at him, but he wouldn't meet her gaze.
"Because of... nothing. What was that guy's name? Sai? Where does he live?"
"It has nothing to do with you—"
"It has everything to do with me, Sakura!" Sasuke dropped his arms and stepped in front of her, so that she could see his furious expression. "You need to let me know about you—about the things that matter to you—because..." He stopped, and looked away, lips taut from agitation.
"Because...?"
"...We're consorts," he finished lamely.
"You're demanding to know my personal life, yet you don't tell me anything about you?"
He turned his gaze in her direction and stared for a second, and then wordlessly, he shrugged off his jacket and put it on her shoulders.
"Huh?"
"You're shivering," was all he said.
"How gentlemanly."
"I'm always a gentleman."
But Sakura accepted the jacket and slipped her arms into the sleeves. Sasuke's body heat still lingered; somehow the idea of wearing his jacket excited her in an inexplicable way. "Sasuke-kun," she said, as she began to make sense of why her heart was beating so fast.
He looked up at her, an eyebrow cocked in an inquisitive expression.
"Let's go get some coffee.".
.
.
no; let's try together
.
"You only have until his eighteenth birthday to make him fall in love with you," Shizune had whispered in her ear several weeks ago.
Then it was time that Sakura had better get started, because like it or not, everything was so clear to her now. She finally understood how Naruto must have felt the day he confessed to her. It was a fact, a simple matter of life, and regardless of whether Sasuke returned her feelings, the emotional epiphany made her feel so strangely at peace.
I love him.
She didn't know since when. She didn't know what exactly had made her fall for him, or what she liked about him, or what these feelings would bring about in the future. She loved him, that was all. Explanations, at this point, lacked any meaning. She had another year and a half to figure out what these heart palpitations meant.