SasuSaku Month 2016
Day 28- Road Trip
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Title: Road to You
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Summary: AU-They're on their way to meet their friends when things start to get a little complicated on the road.
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A/N: Okay! 3 more to go! Personally, I love road trips, and I could imagine endless scenarios for this theme! I wanted to make this one """short""" and I'' really satisfied with how it ended up! Hope you enjoy it, and please, leave me a message with your opinion!
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" Oi, Sasuke… Are you sure we aren't lost?"
The sky was dark, rain was heavily hitting the windshield and at that exact moment, Sasuke had absolutely no idea of where on earth they were.
There was no road sign indicating their location, and they hadn't spotted a car for over an hour already. She was starting to get worried, and so was he, but there was just no way on earth his stubborn Uchiha pride would allow him to admit such thing. Not when he was the one driving, and especially not when she was there, by his side and searching for their location on the map with those pretty, green eyes of hers.
No. He would never admit that they were, indeed, lost.
His grip around the steering wheel suddenly got tighter as he adjusted his position on the seat. His eyes were searching for anything that could give him a hint of where they were, and much to his disdain, the rain that was pouring just seemed to be getting worse and worse with each passing second. It was impossible for him not to grow worried, as the weight of the responsibility grew heavier on his shoulders. He was the driver, therefore, their lives were in his hands and if he were to be honest, Sasuke wasn't sure if having that kind of thought at such moment was helping at all.
Ever since he picked her up at her house that morning, there was something bothering the Uchiha. They were supposed to have arrived at Naruto's camping house by now, but apparently, they must've taken the wrong turn somewhere in the process. That, or the blonde gave them the wrong directions, which would explain better how they ended up so lost like that.
It was probably the Dobe's fault, he knew.
But now was not the moment to blame the Uzumaki. Now was the moment for them to find themselves the right direction to follow, not mattering how hard that could be.
" Do you think we should turn back and see if we can ask for some information on that road station we passed before?"
" It's useless. There's no gas left to go back all the way to the station."
"Oh, I see…" Her voice was soft, as her eyes just refused to leave the map. From the corner of his eyes he could see how both of her lips were tugged inwardly, as she tried to think of a better way to proceed. Such gesture was something that remained from her younger days, he knew, and the Uchiha was somehow glad she still held some of her early individualities.
He was glad that, deep inside, the Sakura he used to know was still alive, and she was unconsciously referring to them as 'we' once more. And at the same time that felt relieving, it also angered him to see how she still had the same, tempting effect over him.
Her rosy, soft lips were still driving him insane, and It was as if time had never set them apart.
But that was not true, he knew. And he was the one to be blamed for such distance in between them.
Yes, for as much as he hated to admit it- like he hates to admit so many other things- Sasuke is the one responsible for how their relationship changed from warm kisses to cold silences. Years prior, he left her in order to pursue his goals, and by the time he returned, Haruno Sakura was gone from the city of Konoha, as she herself also left in order to follow her own, Uchiha-less path. He figured it was only fair for her to do the same thing as he did, and in no moment has he ever hated her for her decision. He was the only one who was allowed to be hated, while the girl could only be loved.
Loved for taking a chance to improve her medical knowledge and loved simply for being Sakura. He loved her when he left and loved her when he returned.
And right now, as they're both lost in a silent and cold road trip, he also loves her.
But it was not like he could do anything about that at that moment. Not when he was driving. Not when he was still lost.
" Well, according to the map…" She started, her voice filled with uncertainty bringing him back from the mistakes of his past to the mistakes of his current present. " There's a small town in about 30 miles. We can ask for directions and get some gas before continuing. What do you think?"
Her green eyes were now set on him, and as always, he was amazed by how her mind managed to come through with a new plan. She's always been good at making fast decisions, and that's one of the reasons why she couldn't have chosen a better carrier. As always, Sakura was solving the situation without blaming him, even if she had all the right to do so.
"Hn, sounds like a plan." A really good plan, he thought. A reliable, secure and failure-proof plan that came from a good, reliable and secure girl that, without even trying, managed to make his lips curl up in a proud smirk. The simple idea of working together with her once again made him nostalgically happy, and even if he knew she didn't feel the same -not anymore, maybe not ever again- he couldn't help but feel like that.
It was just like the old times, he thought. The old times, when nothing could stop them and nothing could beat their perfect synchrony, and when they were, in other words, the perfect duo. Yes, they were perfect in their own way. Perfect together and perfect for one another like no one else was or will ever be.
They were perfect, but now they were just strangers with so many memories and secrets. And it was all his fault, he knew. He was the one who turned the perfect into the imperfect and he was the one who tore them apart. And not even her miraculous plans would be able to mend them together this time.
For that, they would need a little push from destiny.
The awkward silence that was settled in that car after their new plan was abruptly destroyed by a loud burst, which was followed by a moment of despair. After what seemed to be a puncture, the Uchiha couldn't keep the car under control, as it skidded, and turned in the middle of the road, until it reached the grassy shoulder-step before coming to a full stop.
At that moment, his dark eyes widened in pure shock, as the scene seemed to be happening in slow motion in front of him. He saw her short pink hair flying around, covering her already closed eyes. One of her hands was holding onto the dashboard while the other was tightly wrapped around his own wrist. He remembered how strong her grip was, while it pulled him towards her, as if to keep them both away from the window. He remembered seeing her frightened face, and as soon as the car came to a halt, he also remembered how messed up she looked, with her limbs shaking and her eyes in the verge of crying. Her chest rose and lowered faster than before, as Sakura stood still, trying to understand what was happening and looking at him to see if he was somehow hurt.
And that was the time that he realized how fine he was.
When her shiny, emerald eyes were looking at him with so much care and concern, the Uchiha knew that, even if they had both gone through a scary situation, the girl next to him was still the same, annoying pinkette he knew back then. Just like before, she was thinking about his safety before hers, and even if he has always hated that thing about her, Sasuke was certainly relieved to see that of all the things she felt for him at that moment, hatred was not one of them.
It could never be, for sure. Not even if Sakura tried and not even if she was hurt by his actions in the past, she could never bring herself to hate the boy who once captured her heart.
The boy who never gave it back.
Happiness definitely overtook her senses as soon as her eyes found absolutely nothing wrong with him. His dark hair was covering his left eye, his right hand was still holding the wheels and his legs were spread in pure shock; but apart from that, there was nothing wrong with him. Her breathing became softer, and after some minutes, she allowed herself to rest back against the leather seat. Her left hand ran across her pink locks, as she released one, deep and relieved sigh.
They would be okay, she knew.
And the rest- such as the tire and the fact that they were still far from their destination- could wait a little longer to be fixed.
" Sakura." His breathless voice cut her line of thought, as her eyes went back to him. Automatically, the pinkette searched his dark pearls, and before she knew it, she was bought back down to earth. She saw his uncomfortably flushed cheeks, and remembered that she was still holding his wrist. Almost immediately, she let it go, tugging her short hair behind her ear, but in her eyes, he could see that she did not miss the spark created by their touch. It was stronger than them. " Are you okay?"
" Yeah… And you?" She stated, releasing herself from the seatbelt that definitely saved their lives moments before.
" Aa" He said, following her lead. " I think there's a hole in the tire. I'll have to fix it."
" Do you have a step?"
" Yes, don't worry."
"I'm not." His still breathless face offered her a calm expression just like it always used to offer back when they were together, and without knowing why, Sakura couldn't help but accept his words. By his side, she had nothing to worry about. She felt safe. She always has. And that was certainly annoying when she was so desperately trying not to fall for him all over again.
She was trying, but apparently, she was failing miserably in her mission. And that certainly brought an almost-imperceptible-smile to his lips.
" Hn, I'll have to go outside to change that." His fingers went to the door, and suddenly, her calm expression disappeared. Was he seriously thinking about leaving in the middle of that storm? "It will take just some time."
Yes, apparently, he was.
But there was just no way she would let him do such thing. Not while the world was falling outside.
It was when he was about to open his door that the click locked him inside. His eyes turned immediately as he saw her index pressing the button, and her emerald eyes were glaring at him in a way he knew way too well.
Sakura was mad. And if their history taught him something- anything at all, was that she is a dangerous girl whenever she's not happy with something.
"Are you seriously so stupid to go out right now?"
" Eh? What's the problem?"
" There's a storm outside, Sasuke! It's dangerous, and you're not touching those metal things until it stops!"
" Hn, don't be ridiculous. What are the chances of a lighting falling over my head?"
" It doesn't matter. You're not going outside!" Her glare was intimidating, her cheeks were puffed and even if she looked incredibly cute like that, the Uchiha knew better than to contradict her words. Sakura was incredibly serious at that moment, and even if he hated to receive orders from others, those were words he could not ignore.
A sigh escaped his lungs. His hands returned to his lap, and a pout crept onto his lips. "What if it takes the whole night?"
" Then we will wait the whole night. I've brought enough food for the both of us, and you can lay down the seats if you need to sleep. You must be tired from driving until now."
" Tch, are you sure?"
" Positively."
And after finally giving up on winning that argument against the pinkette, the Uchiha sighed defeatedly once more and turned the car key backwards so the vehicle silenced. The sound of the metallic pins brushing against each other eventually faded, as both of them lowered their seats to a more comfortable sleeping position. They took off their shoes, and he watched as she pulled a comfortable hoodie from her bag. Soon after she placed it over her pink head, Sasuke recognized the piece, for it used to be his a long time ago until that winter day when she stole it from his closet.
Even now that hoodie looked much better on her than on him, he thought, as he watched her snuggling and bringing her legs up to the seat. Sakura looked extremely cute, and that was certainly not helping him keep his cool facade near her at all at that moment.
It was too much for him. She always was. And yet, he selfishly caught himself imagining his arms wrapped around her body, bringing her closer so she wouldn't feel cold or uncomfortable on that seat. He watched her turning her back to him, and slowly, he did the same.
What an idiot he was for letting her go, he thought, closing his eyes in pure anger. He should've done something back then. He should've given her a good reason for leaving, and he should've definitely said goodbye before departing to Otogakure.
He really deserved to be left alone with his thoughts, as the sound of her shallow breathing and the raindrops hitting against the car kept him aware of his current situation.
He deserved it, but she was just too good to let him suffer alone.
" Sasuke…" Her soft voice cut his line of thought, and immediately, the Uchiha caught himself with his eyes opened and his ears ready to capture her words. What could she really want from him at such tragic moment? " You're still awake, aren't you?"
" Aa."
" Destiny really is a bitch, right?"
" What do you mean?"
" Oh, come on… The two of us, lost and alone, and trapped inside a car for an entire night. When did you imagine this would happen?"
" Hn, it really is a strange coincidence."
" Yeah, it is…" He heard her body turning, and it was as if he could feel her green emeralds on his back, analyzing his entire body. It was certainly an unexpected sensation, yet, familiar nonetheless. " And don't worry, I won't start asking you a bunch of questions regarding the reason why you left. I'm sure you had your own reasons, and-"
" You can ask, if you want. It's not like I don't owe you at least that."
Her eyes widened at his words, and her heart skipped a beat due to the apathy tone in his voice. Sakura was impressed by how easily he seemed to bring their past back to life when she could barely talk about him without crying. It angered her and made her feel weak all over again. Clearly, she was the only one still hanging onto that stupid love.
Or at least that was what she thought until she decided to ask one single question.
" Okay… I just have one question, then."
" What is it?"
" Do you… Do you regret it? Leaving Konoha and everyone else…?"
" No."
" Oh, I see…" A bittersweet smile cropped onto her lips, as she tightened her grip around the long sleeves of the hoodie. "I guess that was the right decision, then."
" Hn, no, it wasn't."
" Eh? What do you mean by that? If you don't have any regrets, then-"
" I said I don't regret leaving Konoha and the others… You didn't ask me if I regret leaving you."
At the regretful sound of his confession, Sakura couldn't help but allow her heart to beat a little faster in a pure, uncontrollable happiness. For as much as she had told herself before entering his car that morning that she was not going to be affected by anything that he could say, the pinkette found that her words were, indeed, just words.
The feelings dwelling in her heart just wouldn't allow her to keep her promise to herself, and for as infuriating and annoying as that could be, Sakura knew that there was no way she could just ignore the words coming from his heart.
But it didn't mean she would go back to his arms like a desperate girl, no. She was no longer that Sakura, and she would prove him so by showing him what was left of the girl who was left behind.
She was not going to back down. Not anymore.
" Do you, Sasuke?"
" Yes."
" Good. You should, actually. Didn't you think I deserved at least a goodbye?"
"…" Sasuke could sense a mix of anger and hurt in her words, and that certainly broke his heart. Of course she deserved a goodbye. In fact, she deserved so much more than just that. Than just him. He wanted to turn around to face her eyes, but something told him not to cross that line. If he made her cry, he knew he would never be able to forgive himself. And at that moment, the only forgiveness he had to worry about was hers.
" Aren't you going to say anything?"
" What do you want me to say, Sakura? It's already too late for that."
" Maybe it is… But back then… Why didn't you do anything when there was still time for it, Sasuke? You could've called. You could've forgotten your pride and chased after me at least once. You could've fought for us!"
" And don't you think I tried? When I came back, you were gone. No one knew where to, and so I waited. What did you expect me to do?"
" Anything! Anything at all! That's the point, Sasuke. You could've done anything, but you did nothing. You just waited, and you're still waiting for something to happen and bring us back together, but this something won't ever happen unless you move your proud ass at least once."
She swallowed dry, bitting her lower lip in pure sorrow. Her control over her emotions had already dissipated in the rage of the moment, and Sakura knew there was no turning back. Not anymore. Not until they said what they needed to say.
His back was still facing her mad eyes, and his choice of remaining silent just made her temper raise. Her jaw was clenched, the bloody taste of iron already filled her mouth and her nails were clawing the seat of his car. Sakura was almost attacking him, and if he didn't answer her at all, that was exactly what she was going to do.
Unfortunately, the answer did come.
But it was not the answer she was expecting at all.
" Hn, we're not talking about this now, Sakura. Go to sleep."
At that moment, the pinkette snapped. Her eyes were widened in pure rage, as she sat up from her previous sleeping position and glared at him with enough intensity to create a hole on his back.
Haruno Sakura was incredibly mad.
And she was tired of feeling like that for the past 6 years.
" Yes! We are! You're not running away this time, Sasuke!"
Without thinking twice, the pinkette, with all her flexibility and her petite size; managed to jump on him, forcing his body to turn as she sat over his stomach. His eyes were widened in pure shock at the vision of the girl on top of him, and surprisingly, fear was not the one thing taking over his senses at the moment.
He was excited. Turned on, even.
The fury in her eyes burned with a beautiful, green flame that made her emeralds even prettier (if that was even possible). Her warmth was intoxicating, her scent was driving him insane, and for a short moment, he even forgot all the shame and sorrow that had settled in his heart for the past few years. At that moment, he was looking straight at the girl whose heart was broken by him, and she was clearly in control of the whole thing. She was over him- literally- and under that tough facade, he could see that she was as broken as he was. Sakura was hurt, and even if her fists were tugging on his shirt in an intimidating way, and even if she was screaming words his ears could not comprehend, Sasuke could tell that deep inside she was just trying to fix what he broke.
Like always, she was the one trying to fix his mistakes and mend the heart he broke so many many times. She was fixing his mess, because just like him, she wanted them to work again. She wanted them together because of the plans he never let her finish, and the promises he never kept.
She wanted them to work because she loves him. And he could see how much she curses herself for such thing.
He would, too, for sure.
But right now, all he could think of was how grateful he was for the curse that was once set upon her.
He doesn't deserve her, and her words are telling him she doesn't want him back, yet, her eyes are begging him for an answer. They're begging him for an action.
And that's exactly what he will give to her.
" Why the hell don't you do anything!?"
" Do you want me to?" His dark eyes were sending shivers down her spine, and at that moment, she knew exactly what he meant with his words. She could see lust taking over his soul, as he just wouldn't stop looking at her lips. There was a blush tinging her cheeks, and suddenly, Sakura realized that she had been waiting for that moment ever since he left her. She was waiting for him to come back and mess with every single one of her senses, and she wanted to feel guilty and ashamed, but she wanted to feel all of that with him by her side.
Sakura wanted him back.
So that was exactly what she was going to have.
" Do it."
A smirk went to play on his lips, as the Uchiha didn't waste a single moment before pulling the seat lever so he quickly sat up. His lips claimed hers immediately, and his hands wrapped around her tiny waist as he explored her oh-so-familiar mouth. Their tongues were nervously battling for dominance, as he pressed her back against the steering wheel, making the horn to scream much like their hearts were screaming at that moment. Her fingers got lost in the middle of his dark locks, and Sakura could feel the knot on her stomach growing tighter when his hands slipped under her shirt.
They were desperate for one another, for sure. They were impatient and giddy, and at that moment, when the car windows were already getting covered by steam and the car was moving more than it should; both Sasuke and Sakura only cared about the present. No past was there to remind them how torturous time had been, and no broken heart made itself present to make them stop before it was already too late.
But it was already too late, indeed.
Too late for any of them to keep driving. Too late for them to think straight, and definitely too late for him to change that tire in the middle of the rain.
It was way too late for them to stop that love that had been kept hidden for so long. And luckily, stopping never did cross their minds.
Stop loving each other was certainly not on the road that led them to their hearts.
" Sasuke…" She was trying to recover her breath, as his lips hovered over her neck before kissing her exposed skin. " You… You're still a bastard. A really slow one."
" Hn, I know… " He smirked against her skin, as their chests were in perfect synchrony. He lifted his head so their hazy eyes were intimately connected. " But you still love me. As much as I do."
" Yeah… Damn it, why did I get into this car with you to begin with?"
" Hn, destiny really is a bitch."
