Chapter thirty six

The dress

Sasuke left in two hours. He had already gotten the plane tickets, packed his bags and readied the car he was going to take. The only thing left to do was the hardest: saying goodbye.

Naruto had tapped on his door shortly after his conversation with Shikamaru ended. Pale and sleepy, but clearly healthy and not in pain, the werewolf had smiled sadly and asked, "Hey, man. Want me to help you pack your stuff?"

Smiling back, Sasuke had nodded. As they packed quietly, he realized this was possibly the last time he was going to share a comfortable silence with Naruto. Pain stabbed his heart, but he didn't let it show. His best friend was clearly upset already; showing he was upset too would only make things worse. All that was left was enjoying these last moments with him.

Half an hour later, most of Sasuke's possessions were neatly packed in a medium-sized, blue suitcase and in a big, black bag. Naruto sat on the gray beanbag on the corner of the vampire's room, sipping from a can of orange soda he'd taken from the mini-fridge. Sasuke was on his bed, drinking not soda, but tomato juice adulterated with blood.

They had barely spoken at all. It wasn't because they were uncomfortable, or because they didn't know what to say, but because there really wasn't much to say. It was a mutual, unsaid understanding they had: quiet was better than a pointless chat.

But then, Sasuke thought of something and blurt a question out. "Do you think I'm stupid, Naruto?"

The blond had been raising the can towards his lips, but stopped when the silence was broken. His eyebrows rose. "Stupid?" he repeated, surprised. "Of course not, man. If anything, you're one of the most intelligent people I know."

"But what I'm going to do is stupid, isn't it?" the vampire murmured, staring blankly at his half-finished drink. "And since it's the first time I do something I actually want, maybe it means I'm actually stupid."

"What you're gonna do isn't stupid," Naruto said, frowning. "Doing what you want isn't stupid. You want to be with Sakura because you fancy her, right?"

Sasuke sighed. "Fancy her… Well, you could say it that way. But it's something more complex, to be honest. I… I feel like I belong with her, because she belongs with me – you know what I mean? It's sort of like what happened when I first met you. I thought you were a dumbass, but then, as I got to know you, I discovered your virtues: your loyalty, your honesty, your optimism. We were very different, but I liked hanging out with you; it was nice and it felt… okay. And ever since, we've been best friends.

"Basically the same happened with Sakura: I first thought she was nothing but a nuisance and a freak, but when I found out more about her, I started pitying her… and that pity somehow turned into this strange need to protect her. I then realized that I liked her, not just because I thought she was pretty, but because she was more than a miserable half-breed vampire: she was a kind, gracious, clever girl, and stronger than I thought she was. Suddenly, I didn't want anything bad to happen to her, in a way I'd never felt before. That new feeling changed me a lot, man. Now I feel like… I'm better." Pensively, he took a swing of his drink. "Somehow, she has given my life sense," he continued. "Why let go of something that makes you so fortunate?"

"Exactly!" Naruto said. "Why do you think your decision is stupid, then?"

"Because that's what I would think if someone else were doing this and not me. There's just so much at stake… I'm going to let my family, my clan, and even the entire vampire society down. The plan is to tell everyone I simply ran away, without a warning, so that no one knows I actually ran away with a half-breed – but what if someone tells, or finds out the truth? I'm going to be responsible for screwing many things up. I don't think I'm ready for that kind of burden."

They didn't speak for a long moment, both deep in thought.

Finally, the werewolf spoke softly. "I think that, eventually, everyone has to choose between pleasing others and pleasing themselves. People who choose to please everyone are afraid, and that's why they end up living a long, sad life with a partner they don't love, a job they can't stand and a routine that will someday literally bore them to death. But people who choose to please themselves and send everyone to hell, they're braver, and that's why they end up living an awesome life full of love, fun and other good things.

"Now, imagine you have just this one shot at life. Would you choose to be the first kind of people, or the second one?"

"The second," Sasuke answered immediately.

The blond grinned. "That means you're brave, Sasuke. And I think you can handle this kind of challenge. I trust you."

The vampire smirked. "So you think I should go?"

"You think you should go. That's what you want. So go, man."

"Don't you want me to stay?"

Naruto chuckled and took a sip of his soda. "I'm not worried. I know you'll come back one day."

Very slowly, Sakura cracked her eyes open. She had gotten into bed and fallen asleep when she was done crying. While she drifted off, Shizune had kindly stayed and held her hand, but now the woman was gone. Sakura made a mental note of expressing her gratitude towards her cousin the best she could when she finally had to say goodbye.

And speaking of so, what time was it? Was it time to finally leave? Sakura sat up weakly, her body tired and shaky from crying so hard, and glanced at the window. Warm afternoon sunlight spilled through it, and the sky outside was just beginning to darken. It wasn't time yet, but soon, it would be. Her chest tightened. She didn't really wanted to leave her city and her beloved ones behind… but she had to. Reluctantly, she would have to go.

She realized the wood box was still on the bed, at the foot of it. After a moment of hesitation, she reached for it and observed it from the outside. The wood was smooth and polished, and the carvings were elaborated and beautiful. It was fancy and probably expensive. Briefly, she wondered who it had belonged to. Tsunade? Her mother? She hoped to know someday.

Licking her lips, she dedicatedly pulled the lid up and blinked at the box's insides. The same things she remembered were there: the bunch of photos of her and her parents, Tsunade's letter inside a now-ripped envelope, and the soft, pink cloth wrapped around something. Sakura took the cloth and unfolded it in front of her. It was a cute, old baby romper. And there was a strong possibility that it had been hers.

Eyes stinging with new, bitter tears, the half-breed put the romper aside and looked at what it had been wrapping. It was something shiny, red and small, and there was a gold chain attached to it…

When Sakura's weary mind recognized the object, her throat closed in.

A ruby. The ruby from her nightmare. She had been wearing it, along with the pretty white dress, during her last nightmare about Sasuke, the one in which he had kissed her neck instead of biting it. She was sure.

Trying to breathe evenly, Sakura clumsily took the ruby out and observed it with awe and bewilderment. How was this possible? First, she'd met Sasuke in real life, and now she saw the ruby in real life, too. Could it be that that nightmare hadn't been metaphorically, but literally prophetic? Was that part of her gift, as well? Or was this just a very unsettling coincidence?

Without a warning, there were a few knocks on her doors. Sakura jumped, startled, and almost dropped the ruby. "Who is it?" she cawed nervously. She was red-nosed, puffy-eyed, pale and generally messed up; no one could see her like this… especially not Sasuke.

"Sakura," Mikoto's voice called from the other side of her door. "Can I come in?"

The girl hesitated. It felt wrong to deny anything to Mikoto after everything she'd done for her. "Sure, just a sec," she answered uncomfortably, and quickly put the ruby and the romper back into the box. She didn't feel like sharing the recent events with anyone yet.

However, her inelegant movements made her almost drop the wood box to the floor. She managed to catch it on time, but a few photos spilled on the floor, and so did the ruby she'd still been holding between her fingers. She cursed loudly, too frustrated to remember her manners.

The door clicked open and Mikoto stepped in, alarm clear in her face. "Is everything okay?" she questioned. Then, her eyes widened at the scene: Sakura had half of her body off the bed as she unsuccessfully tried to reach some of the photos on the floor, and she held the ruby's chain between her lips. The woman gasped softly and hurried to help her. "Oh, dear Lord. Are you okay, darling?"

Embarrased, Sakura rose to her feet and collected the items on the floor along with Mikoto. "I am," she said. "I'm sorry. I just woke up from a nap and I'm being more klutzy than usual."

Mikoto hadn't seen what the photos were of yet. She was looking at Sakura concernedly. "Have you been crying, dear?" Suddenly, she rolled her eyes. "Oh, God. What a silly question. You're obviously having a very hard time. Forgive me, please."

"It's okay," Sakura said. Then, she caught glimpse of one of the photos she was picking up. It was of her mother, grinning widely at the camera in a way Sakura recognized from her own reflection in the mirror. This was the first time she realized just how much she looked like her.

Her distraction made Mikoto finally notice the photos. The woman gasped. "Oh," she uttered. "These are…"

Sakura sighed deeply, defeated. "Tsunade had been keeping them for me, for this day," she explained quickly. "Shizune just gave them to me. That's why I've been crying."

Mikoto was awe-struck. The half-breed wondered if she had looked the same when she first saw them.

"They were in that wood box," she added, pointing at the object on the bed, "along with a baby romper, a letter from Tsunade and… this." She held up the ruby. Mikoto stared at it with astonishment and… recognition? "Do you… identify this, Mrs. Uchiha?" Sakura asked confusedly.

The vampire let out a shaky exhalation and sat gracefully on the floor, still holding the photos in her hands limply. "That was your mother's," she whispered, blinking her watery dark eyes. "I… I gave it to her many years ago, little before she got pregnant. That was the last time I ever saw her, you know?" She smiled nostalgically. "It was as if I had given her a farewell gift without knowing."

Sakura looked down at the necklace. The ruby was so beautiful… just like her mother had been. She couldn't believe she hadn't guessed it had been hers before. "Where did you get it from?" she asked.

"I bought it in a vintage jewelry store in Italy, when Sasuke had still been in my belly. When I saw it, I had instantly thought of your mother, so I bought it for her. The clerk at the store told me its story. Do you want to know it?"

Sakura nodded, and the woman narrated: "In the nineteenth century, there had been a European young princess. She was gorgeous and many men wanted her, but none of them was worth of her love. That was why she was very lonely. But one day, she had a dream. In the dream, she met a beautiful young man and fell in love with him. She dreamed about him every night from then on. She adored him so, that she started to believe that he was real and that he existed somewhere in the world and was dreaming of her too. Everyone thought she was losing her mind, so she was sent to a mental hospital.

"Years passed, she grew old, and she kept dreaming of the man every night. One day, she dreamed he put this necklace around her neck." Mikoto reached out and caressed the ruby with her fingertips. "When she woke up in the morning, the necklace was still there. It had appeared out of nowhere, as a proof that he had existed all along. Shortly after that, she died – old, lonely, but happy.

"The ruby was sold, passed on from generation to generation, until it reached my hands, your mother's… and now yours."

Sakura smiled dimly. "It's a beautiful story. Is it veridical?"

Mikoto laughed a little. "Your mother asked me the same thing. I still don't know. But let's pretend it is."

"Sounds good to me."

The vampire smiled again. "I'm glad Tsunade kept all of this for you. You should have it. It's part of your past. It belongs to you."

Sakura bit her lip thoughtfully, and then rose to her feet. She put the photos and the ruby back into the wood box.

Mikoto stood as well and gave her the photos she had. "Sakura," she said as the girl closed the box. "What I really came here for is to give you something else from your past. It didn't belong to your mother and it's actually brand new, but I basically made it out of something that used to belong to her. Would you like to see it?"

The girl sighed deeply and managed a small smile. "Of course."

"Then come on. It's in my office."

Sakura stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had finished applying Mikoto's make up on her face and now she looked more alive and, of course, prettier. The shadows under her eyes were hidden under concealer, her cheeks were rosy with blush, her lips were glossed and pink, and eyeliner made her green eyes gleam. She'd also fixed her hair a little with hair mousse. She didn't look like the sad, hopeless girl she was inside anymore.

With a heavy sigh, the half-breed exited the bathroom of Mikoto's bedroom. The room was amazing: lots of space, marble floors, silk curtains, fallow-colored walls, and a huge, round bed on the middle. As she walked towards said bed, Sakura wished she would have a room like this when she grew up and married. She wished she'd have a normal future at all.

The thing Mikoto had wanted to give her – a gift in case I don't see you on your next birthday, she'd called it – was on the bed. Sakura stared at it, biting the inside of her cheek. It was a white, strapless, knee-length dress with lace patterns on the hem. It was tight around the waist and chest but loose below the hips, and simply beautifully-made.

Sakura had seen – and worn – this dress before. Not in real life, but in her dreams.

The door of the room was locked, so she stripped off her clothes calmly. As she slipped the dress on, touching it as carefully as possible, her pulse started racing. The fabric was soft and gentle on her skin, and she knew the feeling of it on her body. There was no doubt: this was exactly the same dress she had worn in her dream. This realization made her both nervous and intrigued.

Sakura went back to the bathroom and stared into the full-length mirror in the corner. Even though she had never considered herself remarkably good-looking, she admitted she looked utterly gorgeous in the dress. It was almost as if the dress has been especially designed for her, but it hadn't; Mikoto had told her that she had made it thinking of Sakura's mother, and that later, she'd realized it was practically a copy of the one Hikari had worn in her wedding, the one she had been buried with.

But now, just like the ruby, which was now hanging from her neck, the dress had been passed on to Sakura.

Sighing, she sat on the bed and waited for Mikoto to come see her. However, minutes passed, and the door never opened, so she decided to go out. This was not the first time Mikoto didn't come back when she promised; Sakura wondered if it was a habit of hers or just an annoying coincidence.

Outside the room, the lights were off and the corridor was dark. The lack of light meant she should be getting ready to leave, but she had to find Mikoto first and let her see her in the dress, at least this one time.

Barely able to see in the blackness, the pink-haired girl walked slowly towards Mikoto's office, which closed door was only a few feet away. And then, it hit her: the dream seemed to be coming true. She was wearing the dress and the ruby, walking down a dark corridor of the Uchiha mansion, pushing a door – which wasn't red, but still – and stepping into a room, which was bathed in moonlight and nothing else.

Her heart hammered against her chest. This was the room of her dream, too. The coffee table, the leather couches, the bookcase, the old-fashioned desk, the chair… How could she not notice before?

The window was open. Its transparent curtains – she had recognized them before, but had thought she was imagining things – danced, blown by the gentle breeze. Sakura stepped towards it without even thinking of doing it. She gazed out, at the twilight in the sky, at the crowns of the trees, and breathed the cool air in, soothing her lungs.

Maybe this isn't exactly like the dream, she thought, but it's way too similar, so this is either happening by chance, or the dream was literally prophetic and now Sasuke will-

"Sakura?"

She froze. Holding her breath, she spun around slowly, and her knees almost gave in when she saw Sasuke in the doorway, frowning at her. It was happening. The dream was definitely coming true. Her gift was much more than she'd thought it was.

And now Sasuke was noticing what she was wearing. His frown suddenly melted and something – Shock? Disappointment? Confusion? – strange flashed in his gaze as he looked back up, into her eyes.

Feeling self-conscious, Sakura pressed her back against the wall and folded her arms across her chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you. Everyone is waiting for us downstairs. It's time to go," he said, stepping into the room. She noticed then what he was wearing: a black dress shirt that fit perfectly around his muscular torso, and dark, worn-out jeans. He was dressed in all black, and he was beautiful, just like in her nightmare. Indeed, he was the vampire of her dreams.

"Already?" she asked. For some reason, she'd been hoping to have a few more time to prepare.

"Yes. What are youdoing here? Why are you wearing-" his eyes flickered below her face, "that?"

"Your mother gave it to me. As a gift." Then, impulsively, she asked, "Do you like it?"

Sasuke seemed as taken-aback as she was. Why in the world did she ask that? Maybe she still needed some sleep, to shake the stupidity off her. She opened her mouth to apologize, but he replied in that moment, "I do. It's very pretty. My mother is very talented. And you… well," he looked away, "it looks good on you."

She was thankful for the darkness that shielded her, because in that moment, she could not help but blush. Even under these circumstances and after everything that happened and would happen, she was still a girl, he was still handsome, and she could still feel.

Biting her lower lip, the half-breed stepped towards the Uchiha, her bare feet light and soundless against the wooden floor. "Sasuke… There's something I want to tell you."

"I think you've said enough," he said sharply, still not looking at her. "You don't want me to go with you. You think I'm an idiot. You think I belong here, with my clan and in this place, and not with you. I get it, Sakura. But none of it is going to change my mind."

"No, it's not about that," she said, shaking her head. "Because… you're right: I've said enough. And I understand that nothing's going to change your mind, and that I can't force you to stay, no matter how much I wish I could. So I think that discussion is closed for the moment."

He looked at her again and hesitated. "Does that mean… you do want me to go with you now?"

"No. It means I've realized how stubborn you really are. Trying to keep you from doing what you want is useless, so I should just shut up and get over it," she smiled heavily, "right?"

Sasuke snorted quietly. "Wish my father would think the same way."

She knew they would start arguing again if they kept talking about this, so she went back to her point. "What I want to tell you is a secret. I haven't told anyone yet. I think only Kakashi knows, because I had to tell him when we were trying to find out if I had a gift too."

"Okay," Sasuke said, his black eyes attentive.

Sakura stepped closer to him, until they were only a couple of feet away. "Remember when we first met?"

"You fainted as soon as you saw me," he said, smiling a little. "And then, when you woke up, you told me I was a vampire. How did you know it, by the way?"

"I had met you before. You were in my first nightmares ever, Sasuke, the ones that came right after my accident. In them, I was in this same house, in this same room, wearing this exact dress and this necklace. Unexpectedly, you showed up and smiled at me, and I saw your fangs and the blood on them. I had this dream for several nights, and I always woke up screaming and sweating, because I was scared of you. When I finally saw you in real life, of course I freaked out."

Sasuke seemed puzzled. "You dreamed of me before we even met? How's that possible?"

"I don't know. I think it's because of my gift. I can dream the future. My dreams are prophetic, but in a metaphorical way." She told him about her ancestor's book and how the interpretation worked. "It's true," she continued, seeing the disbelief in his eyes. "I have tested it in many occasions. And right now I'm realizing they're prophetic in a literal way, as well. That first nightmare is practically coming true, right now, right here."

Sasuke looked away, his eyes unfocused and pensive. He was quiet for several seconds, and then he mused, "I don't see why you could be kidding."

"I'm not," she assured. "I'm serious. And I'm certain."

Sighing, he looked back into her eyes and examined them for a long moment, as if searching for something he'd lost in them. The intensity of his gaze left her breathless. Unconsciously, she took a short, discreet step closer to him. "Do you hate me, Sakura?" he questioned lowly.

It took her a moment to regain composure, and another moment to understand what he was saying. "Hate you?"

Sasuke grimaced. "Don't. Don't hate me. I know I'm probably making things harder for you than they already are, but my intention is to do the opposite. I promise I'll do it. I'll keep on trying to make things easier. That's why I need to go with you. I'm doing it for you. And for me, too, because… I want it. To be with you, I mean. You know, not in a serious way, but more like – I want to hold you while you cry. No, no, I don't want you to cry... But I want to be there in case you do… Do you understand what I'm saying?"

A soft smile crept on her face. "I understand that you're gibbering. Is that good?"

He exhaled heavily. It was almost funny how hard he was visibly struggling to find the right words to say. "No, I'm not gibbering. I'm just trying to make you understand that you… you mean a lot to me. I know we barely know each other and that I wasn't very nice to you in the beginning, but I feel… I don't know; something weird. It's frustrating. But it feels… right."

Sakura realized he was speaking aloud everything she felt towards him. She also felt that strange, frustrating thing that felt good in spite of all… which meant they felt the same way. She hoped that was a good sign.

Not allowing herself to ponder upon it too much, she reached for his hand with trembling fingers. His skin was warm and rough and normal, but somehow, its touch sent shudders down her spine and fire through her veins. She linked her fingers through his, and he squeezed back. They were much closer now. If she tilted her head a little upwards, she would be able to taste his breath.

"You have no idea how bad I have been feeling," she murmured, gazing into his lovely orbs. "Ever since I came here, I've caused nothing but trouble. Still, you and your family have been so incredibly nice to me. I wasn't very used to such kindness, because I'd never really needed it before. Now, I'm afraid of actually getting used to it and of forgetting to give something in return, which is the correct thing, isn't it? Besides, it feels wrong to be so dependent and weak. I've always tried to be strong and self-sufficient, and I want to keep on doing it. Suddenly, though, that seems impossible."

Sasuke lifted his free hand and tenderly ran his thumb across her cheek, wiping a single tear she had unintentionally shed. "I understand. But it's too soon for you to be able to manage this whole situation by yourself, Sakura. You barely found out you about all this a couple of months ago."

"But that's my problem," she whispered earnestly, "not yours. That's why you shouldn't worry about it, and why you shouldn't go with me. No matter how much it pains me to admit it, the truth is that I'm not good enough for you. I'm ruining your life."

"Ruining my life?" He smirked, caressing a strand of her hair. "Sakura, you've done the complete opposite."

Notes: Yay for fluff!