Hey everyone, I'm back with another chapter. I know that it hasn't been that long since I updated for this story but I just finished this and I wanted to get it online as soon as possible. This is a bit of a rush but I hope you enjoy it.
Sakura has not ever been the best morning person, but she hasn't allowed that to tarnish her punctuality in any manner. Be it for a mission, training, or an outing with a friend or now in her case, a three day's long list of work that needed to be done for the day. However she did not take well to those who attempted to disrupt her routine. That was exactly what Pipirika and Serendine had done when they barged into the room, shocking Sakura awake.
"Good morning!" Pipirika called, with an overly happy smile. She was carrying a tray in her hands. "We brought you breakfast."
Sakura sat up rubbing her eyes before glaring at the two women as they walked into her room in an irritatingly casual manner. Sinbad wasn't there when she had been so abruptly awakened, so he must have gotten up earlier-not that she would know if he had come to bed that night since she made it back to the room before he did.
Pipirika set the tray in Sakura's lap and moved back. "You should hurry up or you're going to be late."
Sakura took a few slow breaths, she looked at Serendine and Pipirika who were standing at the foot of her bed with eager and somewhat impatient expressions.
"Did I oversleep?" Sakura asked first, as calmly as possible.
"No. It's still early." Serendine replied, hands behind her back.
Sakura felt her brow twitch, "Then would you two please explain to me what the hell is happening?"
"You'll get answers soon enough-first eat." Pipirika pointed to the tray.
Sakura gave the girl's one last deadpan expression before practically inhaling her food. Pipirika and Serendine simply watched, unaffected by Sakura's manners-or lack of them. When she wiped her mouth, they immediately removed the tray and pulled the pinkette out from under the sheets.
"Now will someone please explain to me-
"You need to get dressed." Serendine said, pushing Sakura further through the room. Stopping to stand near the middle, Serendine's hand's reached out towards Sakura's attire before abruptly pulling back, her hands trembling slightly.
"Pipirika, can you help Sakura dress?" Serendine said, side stepping the other pinkette to get to the Imuchakk.
"Sure."
"I can dress myself just fine, thank you." Sakura said holding up her hands as Pipirika came towards her.
Pipirika shook her head, holding up a piece of fabric that Serendine had brought into the room and placed on the bed, since Pipirika had her hands full with Sakura's breakfast. "Oh you can't wear your usual attire for today."
"Why?" Sakura let out exasperated.
"It's not appropriate." Serendine stated, not offering any more information. Sakura was about to open her mouth when Serendine held up her hand. "Don't ask any questions for now, just go with it."
"But-
Taking Sakura's hand in her own, Serendine gave it a reassuring squeeze and looked into the girl's emerald green eyes, smiling gently. "Please Sakura."
Sakura puffed out her cheeks; she didn't think Serendine had realize how cute she could be or how hard it was for Sakura to refuse her now.
A few minutes later, Sakura had endured what she would describe as the ultimate form of torture, having practically been treated like a child by the two women who had cleaned her, dressed her and then accessorized her like she was some doll. Throughout that entire experience, in respect for Serendine's request, Sakura hadn't pushed the girl's into telling her why they were doing all of this. However, the instant they put her in front of a mirror, Sakura had lost what little patience she had left.
"What is this!?"
Pipirika and Serendine had put Sakura in a top, red and white with long sleeves and gold embroidery, with a wide neckline cutting down and ending just above her breasts and a long cream skirt with cherry blossom braches and petals scattered across tied above her stomach with a thin sash. Her hair had been soothed and tamed, hiding most of its unevenness and given a red flower headpiece. Her face had been powdered lightly, the bottom of her eyes lined with black which made them stand out even more, her eyelashes also brushed darker, appearing fuller and her lips were painted red.
There wasn't any magical transformation in what Sakura saw. She hadn't gone from a wallflower to vixen due to a change of clothes and some makeup, it was just her-her in a dress. However, looking in the mirror was an experience similar to stepping into a foreign country for the first time. Just as you would have no idea how to properly conduct yourself and adapt to the country's cultures and rules, was Sakura lost on how to function and conduct herself in this new fabrication. A djinn equip indicated battle, her ninja outfit indicated work in her everyday life but this dress and everything that went with it…left Sakura completely baffled. The last time she had put on a dress was when she had gone out with Sinbad; but there wasn't the additions of accessories and such to create a complete picture.
"You look amazing!" exclaimed Pipirika clapping her hands.
"You really do," Serendine said, smiling softly.
Apparently both girls had ignored Sakura's outburst on the matter, although Sakura wasn't going to let the subject go.
"Can one of your please explain this insanity?"
Before Serendine or Pipirika were able to explain anything to the pinkette, Ja'far entered the room. "Is she ready?"
"Yes." Pipirika grinned.
"She is." Serendine confirmed gesturing to Sakura.
"You look amazing" Ja'far said, with eyes slightly widened.
"Thanks…." Sakura said, unable to really take in the compliment as her mind was full with just one question.
Sakura looked back and for the between Ja'far, Pipirika and Serendine as they spoke in mutters. "Alright, someone better tell me what's going on right-
Ja'far came up to Sakura and began pulling her out of the room, "Just wait until we're outside, Sinbad's waiting for you. He'll explain"
"Sinbad's waiting for what-
"I told you he'll explain."
Sakura had already mentally prepared a five minute lecture in the two minutes it took to get to the entrance of the company. She saw Sinbad at the gate, but something seemed off about him. For one, he wasn't dressed in his work attire. He wore white pants similar to the ones he usually wore tucked in his boot, he also had on a sleeveless black top that was tight and complimented his physique. He wasn't wearing any of his throw overs and accessories. Yet somehow less seemed to be doing more for Sinbad.
"Well, I'll leave you to it." Ja'far walked back to the building. Sakura and Sinbad were now left to scrutinize one another. Sinbad was staring at her with eyes that lingered from time to time before wandering again, it gave Sakura a sense of self—consciousness that had been warding off since she came to this world. Of course he wasn't the only one who was appreciating his partner's aesthetics.
Sakura was so awestruck she nearly lost her train of thought, then it came back to her. "Sinbad, what's going on?"
Rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous smile. Sinbad was about ready to make a run for it, but when he looked at the genuine curiosity on Sakura's face he felt rooted to the spot.
"Well, I was complaining to Ja'far how we weren't able to spend a lot of time together about a week ago-
"Complaining?" Sakura tilted her head.
Sinbad held up his hand, refracting his response. "Um-no-no, not complaining-I mean I just noticed-we-we've been kinda distant and-
Sakura covered Sinbad's mouth in a similar manner she had with Mystras when he babbled-a trick that was typically reserved only for Mystras. "Sinbad take a breath."
Seeing his chest raise, Sakura removed her hand. "Alright now let out that breath and tell me in the shortest way possible what is going on."
Exhaling, Sinbad looked at Sakura, his voice steady but his eyes still holding nervousness. "Sakura; would you like to go on a date with me?"
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"No thanks."
Sakura watched Sinbad's face turn completely red, shock crossing his expression in a way that she hasn't seen before and then it fell to a saddened disappointment, his head hung low and shoulders slumped forward. "Oh, I see….sorry."
Bursting into a fit of giggles, Sinbad looked up at the source, seeing Sakura with her lips tightly pursed lips but still the sounds escaped them. When she opened her eyes, there were tiny tears in the corner of her eyes. Sakura waved her hand in a continuous motion. "I was kidding Sinbad."
Sinbad went jaw slackened, his posture straightening. "Why-
"Because," Sakura wiped away the tears from her eyes. "I wanted to see your reaction."
Grumbling, Sakura fell forward again in relief, his shoulders slackened and sigh escaped his mouth. "You know, you're a real sadist sometimes."
"Well it's not every day the womanizer of the seven seas gets nervous asking his girlfriend out on a date. It's adorable."
"Well it's not like I've been on a date before!" Sinbad exclaimed, still red faced.
In turn to this new piece of information, Sakura became jaw slackened before she broke out into another fit of laughter. Sinbad quickly begged her to stop as it was just pouring salt on the wound for him.
"Seriously you've never been a on a date!?" Sakura laughed; it seemed that Sinbad was only partial to the entertainment industry and nothing further in pursuing relationships.
"Yeah well, have you ever been a date?" Sinbad countered.
Sticking out her tongue and holding up two finger, she answered. "Sure I have."
It felt as if a large rock had fallen on top of him and crushed his ego. Sinbad may have been more experienced than Sakura in the intimate aspects of relations but he was oblivious to the traditional courtship practices-as in he hasn't practiced them himself. Travelling almost all the time didn't leave much room for such liberties. It seemed that Sakura's case was different.
'Was it Sasuke?' He wondered unsurely. Sakura had admitted to being in love with him but according to her Sasuke did not return her feelings, so it couldn't have been….right?
"Of course those 'dates' were with my friend Naruto.
"Oh." Sinbad perked back up, grinning. "You got me jealous for a moment there."
Snickering, Sakura took Sinbad's hand.
"Well then; shall we go?" Sakura's grin stretched and Sinbad couldn't do anything but return it.
"Yes."
There had been a lot of things Sakura put behind her after Sasuke had left; romantic expectations were one of them. She had placed the idea so far into the back of her mind, she lost it. Now Sinbad was attempting to show it to her again, reinventing the concept. Slowly, but she was beginning to believe in the ideology once again, only in a more realistic point of view. Her childish ambitions were beginning to burn away slowly. Making everything more meaningful, more permanent and more real.
Sinbad and Ja'far along with everyone else had been conspiring for the couple's first date. She recollected the odd behavior of her friends during the week, like seeing them gathered and whispering together, only to scatter whenever they saw her coming their way. Even Sinbad had been behaving aloof whenever Sakura saw him but she had brushed it off or hadn't had the time to notice with her work. Though she should have figured something was up when Pipirika came into her office and asked her dress size while handing in the reports. Sinbad didn't explain to Sakura what brought out this sudden desire for them to partake in their first date and Sakura didn't bother to ask. It was something that had also weighed on her mind and had actually heavily depressed her.
"Are you going to tell me now?" Sakura prodded Sinbad for the third time.
"Not yet." Sinbad replied, grasping Sakura's hand that had been prodding him and pulled her along.
A crowd was forming further in the direction that Sinbad was leading Sakura; she had tried asking him a few times what he had planned for today but he said it was a surprise. Sakura wasn't exactly the kind of person who enjoyed surprises anymore, not after one unexpected turn of events had her meeting the Kou's royal family and the other time when she ended up getting transferred into another world.
It was a wonder to Sakura why Sinbad would go so out of his way for something like this. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate it but with all the work they had to do and with passing a certain boundary already. Which was also why she found it funny when Sinbad behaved so bashfully over something like this.
When she saw a large tent set up in one of the town squares and people lining up at a toll booth next to it, buying tickets for something. Sakura gave Sinbad a questionable look and he finally decided to give her an answer.
"We're going to see a play." Sinbad pointed. "This is their last day in Balbadd."
Nodding, Sakura and Sinbad walked towards the ticket booth, a small overly colored box, where a man in an overly enthusiastic voice was beckoning people to come and buy a ticket. Sakura and Sinbad stood in line, side by side. Sakura noticed that there seemed to be a lot of people coming in pair's-couples.
"Sinbad, what exactly is this play about?" she asked.
"It's supposed to be some tragic romance." Sinbad told her. "What do you think?"
Sakura chuckled, taking hold of Sinbad's arm. "I think it will be interesting to be the one seeing a play for once instead of being in it."
The inside of the tent was wide, there were seats set in front of a built platform working as the stage, most of it hidden behind red curtains. Sakura and Sinbad took their seats right in front of the stage as the rest of the crowd poured in.
"It's getting pretty full." Sakura said looking around.
"The play's kinda new, so everyone's probably curious."
The stage was lit with torches and most of them around the tent were suddenly turned out, leaving the audience to focus only on the stage in front of them now. There was music coming from behind the stage, a flute blew a peaceful tune. A man came out, wearing a white thick robe, he held out his arms as he addressed the audience.
"Welcome everyone, to the performance of a lifetime. Where love and tragedy intertwine. This is the story of a princess, a huntsman and a beast."
There curtains on stage began to pull apart from one another, revealing the stage and its setting. There were easily removable props of thin, light material grey walls, pillars painted with gold and two chairs decorated similar to thrones. Where two figures sat, a man, a women and around them were three younger girls, ranging in teens. They were all dressed in fine costumes with bright and shiny trinkets dangling from their clothing. They all wore white masks, painted to resemble blank human faces, lips and cheeks red.
The man in the white robe started narrating to the audience. "Across the vast seas, deep within the heart of an island, there was a glorious kingdom. This kingdom was ruled by a king and his queen. Their days were filled with laughter and happiness. There only concern, was of who their three daughters would wed."
The characters playing the king and queen stood up from the throne, the girls who were playing the princesses and daughters had linked their hands and were spinning in a circle, appearing to be happily playing.
"When the parents held their first engagement meeting for the daughters. The eldest daughter, who was very beautiful had caught the attention of many of suitors."
Several men wearing deep blue cloaks and masks came onto stage, surrounding one of the girl's. Taking her hand and they started to act out, flattering what would be the eldest daughter.
"Thus the eldest daughter had been proposed to on the first meeting and was soon married off to the wealthiest king's. She left her family to live with her husband in his kingdom."
The princess started walking off with one of the male actors, leaving the stage hand in hand. The king and queen waved off at them, bidding their farewells.
"With two daughters remaining, the king and queen did not wait too long to host another engagement meeting. The middle daughter, was an intelligent princess who captured suitor's attentions with her intellect and wisdom that would lead a kingdom on a prosperous path. She too was wed and left her kingdom to rule and advise another."
Thus the second princess made her exit from the stage, leaving the king, queen and third daughter along with the remaining 'suitors'.
"Now the third princess, was as beautiful as the eldest and just as clever as the middle daughter but she was wilder, far more free spirited than either of her sisters. Thus the king and queen struggled to find a potential husband."
The remaining princess was running around the stage now, the suitors chasing after her while the king and queen stood in the middle of the stage, shaking their heads and showing signs of distress.
"The princess did not want to marry and to avoid the fate her mother and father were trying to set for her, she made an excuse every day to remain absent in the engagement meetings. One day, when the king and queen refused to accept any more of the princess's excuses, the princess decided to run into the woods where no one would find her."
The actors started running around the stage, after the young princess, the curtains began to close and there was a quicker shuffle and scurrying heard amongst the stage. Quick flashes of shadows below the curtain could barely be seen.
The princess appeared on stage again, walking slowly on stage.
"The young princess went deep into the woods, further than she ever had before. Into the darkest neck; on the furthest side of the kingdom. The princess walked for many hours, until she came to a bridge; leading into complete darkness that was the end of her family's kingdom and into another. She knew she was not to cross, but when the princess was about to turn around, she saw something on the other side of the bridge. It was a beast."
On stage then came a person wrapped in a black robe with gold piping and wearing a mask like an animal skull with horns and wide black sockets, void of anything.
The beast looked at the princess and spoke, "I am being sought by a fierce hunter. I besiege you, do not inform him of my whereabouts."
The beat then took to hide in some nearby furrows, as a man appeared on the other side, carrying a readied bow and arrow. The huntsmen.
He looked towards the princess, "It is not safe maiden; a beast dwells nearby. Have you seen him? He is a vicious create that seeks to destroy the kingdom."
The princess thought; should she tell the huntsman of the beast location or risk the safety of her kingdom as the huntsman had claimed?
"No huntsmen, I have not seen such a creature." She claimed.
The man crossed the bridge, coming towards the princess and for a moment she believed that he had realized her words were false, instead he took her hand.
"It is not safe young maiden, allow me to escort you back to your home."
The princess did not want to return to the palace, nor remain in fear of surrendering the beast's location that was not too far.
"Kind huntsmen, I do wish to learn more about you. Will you not walk with me along the river back?"
Taken by the princesses' beauty the huntsmen could not refuse the offer, oblivious to the princess's identity as well as the beast she was leading him away from.
The princess spent the entire day with the huntsmen, speaking of everything that could come to mind to keep one another occupied, they played games and wandered through the forest for hours. At the end of the day, the huntsmen had fallen in love with the princess. The princess's mind was still on the injured beast on the other side of the bridge, when the sun started to set, she made an excuse to leave the huntsmen for the day, saying that it was time for her to return home.
"Can I see you again maiden?"
"You may tomorrow, let us meet at the bridge."
After the huntsmen left, the princess returned to the bridge. The beast had not left his hiding place. The princess stepped over the bridge and approached the beast.
"The huntsmen is gone. No harm shall come to you."
The princess dressed the beast's wounds, covering them in herbs and sap from the forest grounds.
"I thank you for your help maiden. As a reward, I shall grant you one request. If it is within my power, it shall be yours."
The princess had not forgotten about the hunter's warning of the beast ill intentions towards the kingdom; however she wanted to confirm for herself if what the hunter said was true and as neither knew her true identity, she chose to take this chance to discover the truth for herself.
"I wish for your time then beast." The princess declared. "Give me your company."
"If that is your wish it is yours, however I cannot follow after you over the bridge. I can only do so if I cross with someone of royal blood from the kingdom on the other side."
The princess still kept her identity hidden, unwilling to put her kingdom at risk if in case the beast did mean harm.
Just like with the huntsmen, the princess spent most of the night in the company of the beast. Speaking for hours in what they believed and hoped would keep the other's attention, the princess found that the beast knew many things about the part of the forest that did not belong to the kingdom and that the beast in fact ruled it. When the princess asked why the huntsmen was chasing after the beast, he replied.
"The huntsmen is a greedy man, who desires my head in hopes of making himself known throughout the other kingdom and win favor with the king. He wishes to marry the remaining princess and make himself king."
The princess found it strange, that both the beast and the huntsmen had made these claims about the other. She had left that night even more confused than before, but was still determined to figure out which was the truth.
"I shall return tomorrow evening on this side of the bridge." The princess told the beast when she felt herself growing tired.
"I will be here." The beast promised.
"So it's a love triangle." Sakura whispered to Sinbad.
"It would appear so." He replied just as quietly, his arms folded over his chest as he leaned back in his seat. He glanced around at the rest of the audience, already it seemed that they were beginning to get very comfortable, the couples in particular. There were women seated on their partner's laps, holding them closer while they watched the play, others were at least wrapped in one another's arms. He then turned towards Sakura, whose eyes were still fixated on the play. She didn't usually react well at his attempted public displays of affection. In fact her initial response was to painfully reprimand him.
Making up his mind, Sinbad placed his hand on top of Sakura's that was resting over the armrest of her chair. To his surprise and delight, Sakura didn't give any violent reaction nor turn to him in question as she continued to watch the play.
The princess continued to avoid her marriage meetings in the palace by sneaking into the woods to meet with the huntsmen in the day and the best in the evening. Both had fallen completely in love with the princess. However they were still unaware of her true identity and he princess still aimed to find the truth about them, although her affection for the huntsmen and the beast had grown and she was seeing them in a fond light. Becoming trusting of the both and finding herself wishing for the two to set aside their differences and quarrel, so that she would no longer have to continue deceiving and moving back and forth between the two.
While walking through the forest with the huntsmen the princess asked, "Huntsmen, what is the reason that you were hunting the beast?"
The huntsmen, having fallen so deeply in love with the princess was compelled to admit the truth. "I have done so in hopes of winning the favor of the king and marrying the remaining princess. However, that is no longer what I desire."
"Then, you shall no longer hunt the beast?"
"I shall not. I no longer want the king's favor or princess's hand. What I desire, is to spend my time with you and to know your name."
The princess thought for a moment; she wanted nothing more than to end the charade that had gone on between her, the huntsmen and the beast. She wished for them to meet and become acquainted without strife and see each other as she had seen them.
"Huntsmen, if that is what you want then meet me tomorrow at sunset at the bridge. There I shall reveal to you my identity."
After the huntsmen left that day, the princess went to meet with the beast at their usual spot on the other side of the bridge. After some time of wandering through the deepest parts of the forest, the princess chose to ask the beast.
"Beast, why is it that you cannot cross the bridge to the kingdom's side?"
"It is a curse. The first ruler to build his kingdom in this land had driven all of my kind to the far end of it and had us hunted for glory and sport. The bridge had been enchanted to keep us on this side of the land, giving us nowhere to hide from persecution. I am the last of my kind. I therefore have despised the rulers of the kingdom and desired nothing else but the destruction and fall of the royal family. However, that desire has become fleeting after meeting you maiden."
"Why is that beast?"
"For I now desire nothing else but to remain at your side and for you to no longer be a stranger, by giving your identity."
The princess smiled. "If that is what you desire beast, meet me at the bridge tomorrow at sunset and I shall tell you who I am."
The princess now knew all that she needed and her plan was set. She would wait for the beast and the huntsmen on the bridge and tell them both the truth of her identity. She would be there early to remain between them so that they would not needlessly begin attacking one another. She would tell them of how they had both been swayed from their previous desires and therefore no longer had any reason to be foes.
However, the king and queen were becoming concerned with the princesses continued absence in the palace, avoiding any potential suitors. So that evening, the king and queen awaited their daughters return to confront her. The king demanded to know where the princess had gone every day and night but the princess refused to say, only that she would continue to do as she was to avoid her marriage meetings. Outraged, the king confined the princess to her room and ordered for the door to remain locked, for meals to be brought to her and that she was no longer allowed to wander through the palace without escort and she was to attend her marriage meeting.
The princess feared for the beast and huntsmen and what may become of them if she was not there to explain the situation to them. The princess's best decision was to start the marriage meeting as early as possible in order to finish ahead of schedule so that she could escape the palace as this would grant her the only opportunity to escape to the forest. The following day, she was dressed and prepared for her meetings. She fluttered around her potential suitors, vague to all their attempts at conversations as none held a candle in comparison to the discussions she had with the beast or huntsmen.
The princess finally found the perfect chance to escape when the king had called for the suitor's attention in thanking them for their time. When no one was watching, the princess slipped out of the room and out of the palace. The sun had nearly completely set and the princess did not take a moment's pause to recover as she rushed through the forest to get to the bridge.
When the princess arrived, she found the huntsmen and beast on the other side fighting furiously with one another. As they clashed, their words of anger reached her ears, carried through the darkness that masked her.
"What have you done with the maiden beast?!"
"That is for you to answer huntsmen, the maiden was meant to meet me!"
"Do not spout such farce; it is I who she was meant to be meeting with at this bridge!"
"You have done something to her!"
"No it was you!"
With the princess gone and the beast and huntsmen standing in her place for each other's meeting, a misunderstanding had been created as well as theories of profound conspiracy fueled by former wounds and rage that the beast and huntsmen held for each other.
The princess rushed onto the bridge, standing in the center, she cried out. The beast and huntsmen realized the princess's presence and separated, pausing their battle to focus their attention.
"Please cease the both of you! There is no reason for this melee!"
The princess then began explaining to the beast and huntsmen what had happened, about the times that she would go to visit them both without the other's knowledge and what she had discovered through these meetings.
"There is no longer any reason for you to fight, let the past be just that and we can move forward together and I shall reveal my identity at last. That is what you both wish for is it not?"
The beast spoke, "If what you say is true, then what we wish for cannot be obtained while the other remains."
"The beast speaks the truth, what we desire now cannot be shared, nor obtained by either while the other continues to live." Said the huntsmen.
The princess was confused, "What does this mean?"
"It means that we both desire you, in a manner that exceeds friendship and therefore would not be honorable to share." Stated the beast, reeling back his powerful claws. "Only one shall be able to have you."
"And for that, we shall hereby fight for you."
The beast and huntsmen resumed their battle, the princess cried out as the two raced towards one another, ready to collide in what would be the finishing and defining attack. As she realized what the beast and huntsmen were insinuating, the princess leapt forward, releasing a desperate cry. Only now did she; the extent in which the two have fallen in love with her and the way in which she had been mistaken to base her plan on the ideals that they were not.
"Please stop!"
A twisted churning began to form in the pit of Sakura's stomach as she watched the play, beginning to bring about images of a horrific nostalgia. The broken pieces of white glass scattered with neatly cut pieces of peeled apple lying on a tiled floor, the dark suffocating tension in a bright hospital room, a twelve year old Naruto and Sasuke starring each other down ignoring the cries and pleas of their female teammate.
Then she saw white, white sheets fluttering in the wind as they hung up to dry, orange and blue blurs moving across in an uncoordinated manner, Sasuke and Naruto having their first real fight right before her eyes, on a hospital roof where the two boys focused on nothing but defeating the other, driven to be blind and deaf to everything and everyone else around them. Narrowing in their focus on one target, one concern. Their attacks became fiercer, more lethal, promising to win, promising to kill.
Sakura became filled with dread when she saw Sasuke coming down in the air towards Naruto, with his chidori ready to unleash, the sound of lightning that was literally at his fingertips definitely earned its name, one thousand birds. Then there was Naruto, using a shadow clone to cast up a small ball of chakra energy, like hundreds of threads spinning together.
"Please stop this…"
They did not heed her cries, begging for them to stop as they continued to charge towards one another. Finally, taking a leap of faith off what would be a cliff of darkness, with no promise of ever seeing the light again; Sakura rushed forward-
"Sakura?" Sinbad called the pinkette for the third time, her eyes had been fixated on the play but it was as if her mind had taken her somewhere else. On stage, the princess had been caught in the crossfire of the beast and huntsmen's attacks, she was lying on the floor-it looked like the play was about to reach its climax.
The enclosed space of the tent felt like it was beginning to wrap around her, enveloping everyone and taking hold of her, squeezing the air out of her lungs, making her body feel as if it had been turned to lead. Sakura abruptly stood up from her seat and ran out. Sinbad turned back to call her softly but she ignored him, throwing open one of the flaps of the tent to escape.
Sakura raced through the city, her footsteps beating against the ground creating small trails of dust with her speed, until finally she came to a more remote part of the city. She turned into a space between two old buildings and leaned against the walls, panting softly. Although she hadn't run that far or fast, she felt out of breath. After drawing in a deep breath, Sakura slumped to the ground, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her head on them. It dawned on her that she had just run out of there and created a scene of her own offstage, not to mention she had left Sinbad there on his own.
'Why does this keep happening?'
No matter how much she wanted to move forward on this new path with Sinbad, there were always these bumps in the road and obstacles of her past that continued to appear. Sometimes they were easy to jump over and other times, they made her stop and think, which was a dangerous thing. Because thinking lead to feeling and feeling lead to moving backwards. Leading her back to a path that she could not change no matter how much she wanted to.
'It's not fair,' Sakura thought, her shoulder's wracking in distress. It wasn't fair that she was always pulled back like this, before she believed she deserved it but there was nothing she could do about it now. Bad things happened, she accepted that but her heart and mind would always be on war as to what to do about them. That memory was like a scar, it had healed but would always show its results and infliction. It was one of many that Sakura had and tried to hide from Sinbad and everyone in this world, but she couldn't always pull it off. What's worse, it made her a complete hypocrite.
She felt a shadow cast over her, she didn't need to look up to know that it was Sinbad who had found her-he always found her.
Sinbad sat down beside her, his arm falling over her shoulders in a warm embrace. The silence that always seemed to envelope them in moments like these was almost suffocating and Sinbad had to break it.
"Sakura."
"I'm sorry about that." Sakura apologized. "I didn't mean to run out of there like that."
Turning Sakura so that she was facing him, Sinbad spoke. "What happened back there? Why did you run out like that?"
Sakura lowered her eyes; she didn't think it was fair on Sinbad to burden him with the scars of her past. It was still a difficult transition to move on from the past when there was still so much unfinished business left there and that play had just reminded her of what been the starting point of it all. This was not something she thought to be worth sharing with Sinbad when there was nothing he could do about it. What's more, she was still haunted by the shadows of her past while trying to walk in the light with him. It wasn't right to trouble him, not after she had told him so much about her past pains and not when he had accepted them and her. He was the first person to accept and love her, even though he knew she also loved another. She believed she at least owed him her smile in thanks for this. There was no need to burden him with these heavy thoughts.
So that's what she did; she looked at him and smiled. "I'm alright Sinbad, let's continue with our date."
Sinbad was far from convinced, he had known Sakura long enough to tell when she was putting on a brave face-and that was more often than not. She had endured more than anyone could understand and she was strong because despite her past, she could get up every day and do what needed to be done. She seemed so self-assured that a stranger would never be able to tell the kind of things that she must have endured-Sinbad was not a stranger. He could tell from the beginning when he met her, that Sakura was fighting something, that she was suffering and that she was struggling but still she went on. Because that was the kind of girl she was.
Sinbad sighed, "If you don't want to tell me what's bothering you now, you don't have to."
"There's nothing bothering-
He cut her off with just a simple look, his eyes mirroring complete hurt and sadness that left Sakura speechless. "Sakura please don't lie to me; I know that the truth isn't always sweet but I'd like to think you believe I'm worth the truth."
Still struck in state of silence and unable to find a solution to exit the situation and return back to their previous, more pleasant one, Sinbad seemed to notice this and chose to lead them out instead. Sinbad stood up then, holding out his hand towards Sakura. "I don't care how long I have to wait for you to tell me everything; because we'll have plenty of time. Right?"
When Sinbad smiled at her; it was as if his radiance was seeping into the cracks of her broken soul and destroying the hurt within her, until finally it was enough for her to move again. She took Sinbad's hand, smiling back at him but not quite with the same gleam.
"Right."
Their next stop for their date was a clearing in Balbadd near the sea, where a group of musicians often played. Inviting couples to dance in the large open space. This suggestion for the date had come from Serendine. Sinbad was a little taken aback by Serendine's suggestion as he didn't think Sakura was the type for dancing, but upon the Parthevia princesses insistence he agreed to it. Although when they got to their destination, they found that the area was very empty, no one dancing and no musicians around either.
"Oh come on." Sinbad muttered looking around, frowning.
"What's wrong?" Sakura asked. Not knowing the cause for Sinbad's distress as she didn't know what the plans were for this date.
"We were supposed to go dancing here, but the musicians aren't here like they usually are."
Sakura's eyes widened, she distinctly remembered mentioning to Serendine and only to her that she wanted to go dancing with Sinbad at some point.
Sinbad was scratching his head and cursing under his breath. Putting her hand on his shoulder, Sakura coaxed Sinbad to calm down and that it wasn't a problem if they couldn't go dancing today. It wasn't like this was going to be their only date after all.
"But I really wanted to do this right," Sinbad retorted.
"Why Sinbad?" Sakura asked carefully.
With a soft sigh, Sinbad took Sakura's hands in his own. "I wanted to make sure that everything today goes perfectly. We've been together for a while now and we've even taken that step after skipping through all of the other things you usually do before."
"It's not like I mind."
"But I do," Sinbad said, holding Sakura's hands tighter. "You're always putting my situation into consideration and never complaining about it. You're working twice as hard, than ever before"
Sakura continued to smile, "It's fine Sinbad; the cause for all of this is reason enough for me. I don't care if we don't go on dates or if we're skipping steps. We're together, that's all that matters to me."
There were times Sinbad actually forgot, just how much Sakura was willing to do for his sake. Even put off things like going out, so that they could work towards his goals. Yet, Sinbad didn't know. He knew nothing of what Sakura wanted, what she truly wanted. The goals she had for herself. All he ever heard her talk about was her devotion for him, what she wanted to do to help him. Just like he didn't know what had caused her to run out of that tent during the play.
'Does she ever think of herself?' He wondered, starring into her deep emerald eyes. He remembered a few years ago, looking back into those same eyes and seeing them saddened with longing for something; now they were always so sharp and determined. What had she done with that longing? Sakura always talked about going home someday but claimed she no longer could. There was still so much for him to unravel that was Sakura, but he would, slowly. Like he said, they had time.
Sinbad and Sakura turned their heads from each other when they heard someone cough. There was an elderly man, with a strap on bag stuffed with paints and brushes and under one arm, a stand.
"Hello there,"
"Hello, um we heard that there were supposed to be musicians here, do you know if we're in the right place?" asked Sinbad.
"Oh, they circulate around Balbadd and only remain for a certain amount of time; I'm afraid you just missed them." The man said, glancing between the two. "Plans for some dancing right?"
Sinbad nodded, sighing softly. "Yes, but we were too late."
Sakura gave a humorless chuckle and rubbed Sinbad's arm. "It's okay, we'll get another chance."
The artist then spoke up. "Would you two youngsters be interested in having your portrait painted?" he asked. "Every couple should have one."
Sinbad and Sakura glanced at each other for confirmation; they were already here now and since Sinbad knew they still had some time, it could help to make up for missing their chance to dance. "Sure."
The artist directed the two to some crates, he asked them a few questions about their portrait, if they wanted any specific background and whether they wanted it in color or not. They said in color, but to leave out the background as that would take more time. The man told them to sit down on the crates, next to each other. The painter said he really wanted to capture the love between the two.
"Alright now young man, wrap one arm around her shoulder and then both of you link your hands together."
Sakura and Sinbad did as they were instructed, their hands intertwined. Their hearts started to beat at a quick pace when they were then instructed to look at each other.
"Shouldn't we be looking at you?" Sakura asked.
"I want to capture the love between the two and love comes in the eyes. Miss, tilt your head up and to the side and you young man, lean her head slightly down so that you both are looking each other in the eyes but I will still get both of your faces."
Sakura and Sinbad's eyes met and their cheeks visibly bloomed red. The artist noticed this and asked,
"Should I include those blushes of yours?"
They quickly broke eye contact to turn to the painter. "No thank you!"
The artist laughed heartily "Alright, now give a soft smile to one another."
Usually, sitting in the same position and holding the same pose for an hour and a half would cause eventual discomfort in some form. Yet Sakura and Sinbad were nearly completely still the entire time, as if they were already on the canvas as a painting. Their eyes held each other's gaze and their smiles continued to cause a warmth to erupt within their stomachs. They hardly spoke, except with the occasional check that neither were in any discomfort and a bit of small talk. This peaceful silence, it was as if they had been longing for this. To just be together without any responsibilities or burdens weighing on them. Where they could be aware of each other's presence. Their breathing had fallen into perfect sync with one another without them realizing it.
The artist had been moving vigorously, attempting to capture every detail in the couple's expressions; their eyes shades were especially baffling as he had to try three times to get the shades right. However, when he finally pulled back to examine the picture as a whole, he was very pleased.
"It's done."
Sinbad and Sakura had held their gaze for five seconds longer after they were called. They walked over to the artist, their hands linked. Both gasped as they looked at the portrait. The shades and tones blended perfectly together, the colors were mixed to perfection, replicating their skin tones and clothing completely realistically. When Sakura saw the way she and Sinbad were looking at each other in the picture, she felt like crying. It would be a constant reminder to her now, that this was their love.
"Wow…This is amazing."
"Like I said, love comes through the eyes." The man said "I haven't captured emotions so clearly before; the two of you really have a strong love for one another."
Sakura and Sinbad glanced at each other, with gentle smiles. Having no need to say a single word. It seemed that this set back had been best for them, because it was covering the rough distortions of the beginning of their date.
Thanking the man again, Sinbad paid him what was charged for the painting plus extra with how well it had come out, even though he insisted his work wasn't worth that much; it was worth it to them.
"Thank you very much," The artist had packed up his art equipment and was ready to leave. "I hope I get to paint the two of you again someday."
"We'd like that." Sakura smiled.
"Perhaps you'd be interested in a wedding portrait." With that the artist turned around with a wave and left the two teens, flushed as red as tomatoes once again. Both were too disconcerted to say anything relating to what the artist said.
"Sinbad, we've passed four restaurants already. I thought we were getting something to eat." Sakura continued to barely keep pace with Sinbad as he held her by the hand and lead her through the streets of Balbadd. I was going well into the afternoon now and Sakura had heard her stomach noises change from soft whimpers to threatening growls.
"Not yet, it's still early."
"Well can you at least tell me-
"No I will not tell you where we are going." Sinbad interjected.
Despite Sakura's grumbling protests, she didn't ask Sinbad again about what he had planned. Their last two stops hadn't gone as planned but Sinbad seemed to have a renewed determination for this date. Sinbad wasn't the kind of person who would plan for activities like this so in a way it was interesting to see. They continued until the made it to the end of the city near the docks where Sinbad started making them walk directly down. Although Sakura didn't miss the way Sinbad seemed to be looking for something, his eyes darting around but trying to remain inconspicuous.
'What is he up?' she wondered.
When she saw a small white haired boy that looked an awful lot like Ja'far, she had a feeling she was about to find out. Sinbad made them pick up the pace in their stroll, turning it into a sprint until they reached Ja'far.
"About time, you're fifteen minutes late."
"We had a bit of a bump," Sinbad said, handing Ja'far the painted scroll of Sakura and Sinbad. "Please take that painting back with you and handle it carefully."
"Okay, now that there's two; can one of you tell me what is going on now?" Sakura asked, hands on her hips.
Ja'far stepped to one side on the dock, revealing a small sail boat behind him; a simple design meant for barely more than four people. There were a few blankets and a basket inside of it.
Sinbad put his hand on Sakura's waist. "This is what we're doing for the rest of our date."
"We're going sailing?"
"Well sort of, I figured we sail around for a little while and then stop on one of the smaller islands a little ways off Balbadd for a picnic."
Ja'far had rented out the boat for them and had gotten their food set in the boat, which was why he was waiting at the docks for them to show up.
"Well, shall we?" Sinbad stepped into the boat with ease. Sakura glanced back at Ja'far who was now holding their portrait, he waved off at Sakura telling her to go ahead.
"Yes." Sakura jumped into the boat, rocking a little before sitting down as she and Sinbad set sail.
The waves rocked the boat steadily as Sinbad steered, holding the rope tied to the sail, he attached it to the tilter for better control. Sakura had a constant smile on her face, she hadn't been sure about sailing in such a small boat but Sinbad seemed to have ample experience with sailing. His father had been a fisherman and he had sailed all the way to Imuchakk on his own boat, similar to the one they were in right now.
They were going so far off, Ballbadd was shrinking further in the distance and Sakura felt lighter. She moved to the end of the bow and leaned over to look at the clear water. The waves were beginning to grow and rock the boat further. Sinbad took them along with the waves so that they were riding it. He expertly got them over the wave's one after the other, leaving Sakura in awe.
"Are you crazy!?" Sakura called out, attempting to keep her balance. She assumed this was what it must be like to surf.
On a particularly big rising wave, Sinbad took the boat up and had it coming on the other side of the wave, Sakura stumbled forward and landed on her knees in Sinbad's lap, knocking him back. Although he was a little sore, he laughed when he saw Sakura's flustered expression.
"Stupid Sinbad!" Sakura exclaimed, slamming her forehead against his chest to hide her red face.
"Okay, no more wave riding."
The next few minutes sailing was peaceful without any unusual happenings, until Sinbad noticed something.
"Look here." Sinbad said, looking down into the water.
Sakura glanced over, she saw flashes of grey in the water and realized that there was a pod of dolphins coming along both sides of the boat. They seemed to have come out of nowhere, but they were a longer ways into the ocean. She had seen dolphins before, but not at this proximity.
Sinbad looked at Sakura's expression, her complete awe and wonder, beaming with the innocence similar to a child's-something he didn't see from her very often. He wanted to see that expression more often. As much as he loved Sakura, he still wondered about her past, about the secrets she might still be keeping from him.
Sakura enjoyed the light sprinkles of ocean water on her face that cooled her from the sun's heat. She watched as the dolphins sped passed the boat ahead of them. A small dolphin, a baby, came up beside the boat where Sakura was hanging her hand over. The pinkette nearly recoiled when the soft wet nose touched her hand.
"I didn't think wild dolphins would be this friendly towards strangers on their seas." Sakura said as she lowered her hand again for the dolphin to inspect.
"Child's curiosity perhaps." Sinbad said, watching from his position.
Then an adult dolphin swam up quickly to the infant, making a squeaky cry before pushing it away from the boat. With an extra hard splash of its tail, Sakura retracted back when the ocean water splashed in her face and on the top half of her clothing.
Sinbad threw his head back, laughing loudly as Sakura wiped her face. "I suppose that's the effect of a protective parent."
"Yeah, yeah." Sakura put her hand back into the sea, just to gather some in her hand to throw in Sinbad's direction, although she wasn't able to cause as much damage as a dolphins trail with her hand and the distance.
"Thanks for the sprinkle, I kinda needed that in this heat." Sinbad grinned.
'Cocky,' She shuffled over to Sinbad, throwing her arms around him and listening to him cry out as the water soaked into this clothes through hers. Sakura started laughing loudly.
"Serves you right."
When Sakura pulled back, she noticed Sinbad's expression didn't seem to be in anyway disdained, it was rather….concentrated. His eyes trailing down. Following a path of water that went from her face, down her neck and onto her wet top, trailing down the gap of skin…
"You pervert!" Sakura wrapped her arms around herself and turned around. She was thankful that the top was red and not white or anything else that would become translucent when wet. That didn't stop Sinbad from starring at her though.
Sakura went rigid when Sinbad wrapped his arms around her, she could feel his body heat against her back. "I'm sorry, but you know I can't help myself. Unlike some people I don't think it's healthy to hide desire."
"And what exactly does that?" Sakura growled out causing Sinbad to chuckle deeply, which vibrated straight through Sakura.
"It means that you should try being more open to your desires and what you want, instead of caring about where you are." Sinbad leaned down towards the pinkette. "I'm more than willing to help you."
When Sinbad's lips brushed against her neck, Sakura let out a soft moan before pulling away. "Cut that out, will you?! Unlike 'some people' I believe that there is a time and place for everything and right now what you're doing-not the best time considering you're supposed to be sailing us."
Sighing, Sinbad looked back to the tilter and then to Sakura, "Do you want to give it a try?"
"What?"
"Sailing."
…
…
…
…
…
"Okay."
Sakura couldn't understand what angle Sinbad was playing at in getting her to steer the boat the rest of the way to their destination, but she was getting a good idea when he had an excuse to hold her hand and guide her while she steered.
"Easy there, don't crust it." Sinbad said, keeping his hand on top of Sakura's and carefully moving the tilter through her hand. Keeping his eyes in front of him. His other arm was around her shoulder, his face near hers but he continued to look ahead.
Sinbad seemed dedicated in teaching her at least, he showed her how to handle the sail and the tilter to get to the speed she wanted to travel.
"Then you give the sail a little pull…." Sakura tugged on the sail-at first a little too roughly, Sinbad told her to loosen her grip a little and then draw back again.
"There….you're getting it now." Sinbad grinned, "We're nearly there."
"Where?" Sakura asked.
Sinbad pointed ahead, to a small island in the distance, lush and growing closer with the wind's help.
With Sinbad's assistance, Sakura managed to land the boat roughly on a beach. From only a short inspection, Sakura knew for certain that this beach was entirely deserted. There wasn't a single footprint on the sand and the forest looked too thick to have had any human visitors.
"Wow." She breathed.
"Glad you like it."
They climbed out of the boat, taking off their shoes to walk easier along the beaches. Sinbad suggested that they eat first, since they had been putting that off for a few hours now and were really hungry, so that after they could explore a bit.
"You knew the island was here the whole time?" Sakura asked, throwing out the blankets on the sand.
"Yep; I wanted to take you sailing but I know that it's not always easy to eat lunch on a small sail boat without losing it a few minutes later."
"I'll take your word for it." Sakura laughed as she sat down on the blanket next to Sinbad.
When Sakura unpacked the hefty picnic basket, she found that Ja'far might have gone a little overboard, with a mix of several dishes ranging from fish, meat and chick. Then there was a selection of salads, cheese, rice balls and two bottles of wine-which caused Sakura to ask if Sinbad was really the one who put the basket together, which he denied doing. There was also packs of fruit stored and some pastries that wouldn't spoil or melt in the sun.
"This is way too much." Sakura said, eyeing the spread. Although her stomach was still growling.
Sinbad shrugged. "Maybe Ja'far wanted us to have some options. We are kinda stranded on an island right now. The last time I got stranded with Ja'far and Mystras in the valley, we had nothing to eat but snake."
"Oh I remember." Sakura covered her eyes with her hand, as if recalling a brutal memory. "I still can't get those images out of my head. Those freaking leaves."
Sinbad smirked, "What, you didn't like starring at my ass?"
Sakura glared at Sinbad in turn, puffing out her cheeks. "I didn't stare-I usually just found myself at an unfortunate angle."
"Sure and you keep calling me the pervert."
Growling, Sakura didn't know what to say so she stuffed her mouth with some bread, tearing at it violently as if it was Sinbad's head which made him realize that he should stop teasing her now before she decided to really bite his head off.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry."
Scoffing, Sakura turned her head to the side, her cheeks still full as she spoke. "Besides, I was watching Mystras more than you anyway. It looked like he had the bigger leaf."
Sinbad spat out the contents of his drink onto the sand, "What!? He did not! Couldn't you see the difference!?"
"No, because I wasn't comparing-I didn't even want to look at your asses, never mind the leaves!" Sakura exclaimed, although she was also laughing. She always felt guiltily good about switching positions in the teasing game between her and Sinbad.
Sinbad blushed and pouted, turning his head away in a childish manner. Sakura chuckled in response.
"Relax Sinbad, I was only kidding."
"Well it's not as if Mystras's leaf had you staggering like a new born deer the next morning-
"SINBAD!" Sakura cried, mortified and face turning cherry red. It was hard to maintain the high ground against Sinbad in this game because he could switch things up in an instant.
"Maybe I should call you fawn from now on."
"Don't you ever!" Sakura warned.
"Aw why not, it's cute." Sinbad asked with a cheeky grin.
"No." Sakura deadpanned.
"Then how about cherry-
"No cute nicknames!"
"I'll find you one eventually."
"Don't."
The two didn't even manage to finish half of their spread and packed the rest up before deciding to get up and take a walk around. Sinbad had complained about not getting to have more than two cups of wine, but Sakura said she didn't want him so drunk he wouldn't be able to take them back to Balbadd nor did she want to spend the rest of her time with him drunk.
They walked hand in hand alongside the beach, their bare feet sinking into the sand, creating footprints along the seamless grains of stone. Continuing for what seemed to be and endless path, but one promising tranquility.
"I can't believe you wouldn't even take a sip of wine."
"Never drink and you'll never lose your head." Sakura countered "Besides, you know I'm not a good drunk."
"That's the point, it'll help you unwind."
Sakura gave a side smile, "Uh huh, and I suppose you're going to take care of me?"
"Of course."
"All the more reason to stay sober." Sakura's eyes travelled towards the forest. "Let's take a walk through there."
Sinbad enjoyed their quiet walk alongside the beach, but he was craving for some excitement, what's more he also wanted Sakura to enjoy herself to the fullest while they were here and simply walking around didn't seem to be the best option for that.
"Let's play a game." Sinbad declared.
Sakura stopped walking, giving Sinbad an odd look that he was expecting. "Where did that come from?"
"Why not? We're here to have fun after all." Sinbad tugged on her hand, pulling her closer. "Come on."
"What kind of game?" Sakura asked, somewhat skeptical.
"It's called the Fox and the hare, a kind of hunting game. Traditionally, a women-the hare, has to run and after a minute head start, the 'fox' has chase after her to catch her."
"And what happens after the fox catches the hare?" Sakura crossed her eyes, warning Sinbad to tread very carefully in his response.
"The hare rewards the fox with a kiss."
Scoffing, Sakura abruptly turned on her head ready to stomp off. "No thank you, I am not interested."
"Hey-hey-hey, wait a minute." Sinbad ran up after Sakura.
"I am not playing that-
"As if I would be able to catch you if you were the hare, you'd probably hop off somewhere in the forest away from me." Sinbad put his hand on Sakura's shoulder and turned her around. "We're going to play a reverse version."
Sakura pointed between herself and Sinbad to clarify, "I'd be the fox and you the hare?"
Sinbad nodded, "Yes. So what do you say?"
Still unsure, Sakura shifted her weight from one foot to another, the sand sinking her feet. "I don't know Sinbad…
"It's a courting game Sakura; there's nothing wrong with us playing right?"
"I guess not…"
While Sakura didn't have a problem playing games, it was different for her to be participating with Sinbad. She played plenty of games with the children at the company and then there was still the children in Kou she use to entertain. But somehow she was nervous about playing a game with Sinbad.
"Great and to make things more interesting-
"Sinbad…."
"Relax," he waved. "Given the circumstances, I think that we should have a thirty minute time limit for you to find me."
Sakura raised an eyebrow, "Thirty minutes?"
"Yes, if you can't find me by then you lose. See, this game is usually played in a large group but we're only two, so some additional rules are in order and I think we should change one more thing."
Sakura crossed her arms "I'm listening."
"Instead of a kiss as a reward, the one who wins the game gets to make one request of any kind."
Now Sakura could place why she was so afraid of playing a game with Sinbad. On the other hand, this was an opportunity for Sakura as well and the odds were in her favor-or at least seemed to be.
'Please don't make me regret this.' She silently prayed.
"Alright then, you're on."
Sakura squirmed as she stood at the divide between the forest and the beach, Sinbad's back was to her. He would have to run in first and get a minute head start before Sakura would chase after him. The waver that they had put on this game of course only made Sakura more determined to capture Sinbad sooner rather than later. He would only have a minute to run and she could outmatch him in speed with her chakra and training behind her. She just hoped it was going to be as easy it seemed, this was Sinbad after all. He excelled when it came to gambling in any form or concept. It was the reason Sakura and Ja'far kept him away from any casinos.
Sinbad looked back at Sakura who still appeared a bit discouraged. "Ready?"
"Sure."
Turning back to the front, Sinbad knew that Sakura didn't seem very into the idea of searching for him in the woods. "Hey, just so you know if you can't find me I'm going to make you do something that's really going to exhaust you."
Feeling as if she had been knocked back by Sinbad's words, Sakura took a step away. He couldn't have possibly meant what she thought he did. "Wait what?"
With a quick wink, Sinbad took off into the forest, as quickly as he could, he had to make that minute gap between them count. Sakura watched as he disappeared into the thickness of the forest, now she was definitely all for winning this game. She was going to make this fair and keep from using her chakra, but Sinbad's declaration had removed all the gloves.
Sakura counted to sixty in her mind, and the second a minute had gone by she took off into the forest as fast as she could. The soft soil, yet to be treaded on by people was barely able to sink her before she took her next step.
Small rays of sunlight shone through the canopy covering the forest, Sakura's eyes darted around as she continued searching for Sinbad. She was vigorous.
'He couldn't have gotten far.' Sakura thought, running deeper and further into the woods.
Sinbad chuckled soft as he watched Sakura look for him; standing behind a tall tree with his back pressed up against it. He was supposed to be running away from her, but instead he would be following her while she ran, changing up their position gave him an upper hand in keeping track of her. He just had to make sure she didn't know how close he was. Seeing how quick she was, if he had stayed in front of her she'd probably find him sooner.
'I'll definitely win this bet.'
Sakura knew that Sinbad was clever, but she didn't really think that he was going to be able to stay out of sight for this long. She was just going deeper and deeper into the forest with only a couple of small animals appearing and nothing else.
"Dammit!"
She was running out of time, she only had a few minutes left.
"That damn pervert. Where could he have gone?" Sakura muttered, running her hand through her hair. She got ready to take off again, when she heard the slightest rustling coming from somewhere but she couldn't place the exact location. Sakura didn't look back and started running again.
Sinbad watched as Sakura took off again in search for him, there was only five minutes left and at the rate things were going, he was going to win their little wager. He couldn't help the big grin that spread across his face. The bet was that the winner could give one demand…his imagination was running wild. They had already passed all boundaries and stages, she could call him a pervert all she wanted but he was definitely going to enjoy his victory.
Then he heard a soft whisper behind him. "Wipe that smirk off you face."
Spinning around, Sinbad backed up when he saw Sakura one hand resting against a tree trunk and the other hand on her hip.
"How did you….?" Sinbad lifted a shaking finger to the pinkette.
"Took me a while to figure out your little trick, but I did. I just had to figure out what would be the most 'Sinbad' move for you to make." Sakura drew back and started walking forward. "You knew you couldn't outrun me, so you shadowed me instead. Very clever."
Sinbad took a step back. He was both terrified and surprisingly excited as Sakura continued to move towards him.
"Now…"
Gulping, Sinbad spun on his heel and ran as fast as he could, Sakura wasn't too far behind him. He didn't have to look back to know that Sakura was hot on his trail, if anything she was just toying with him. Sinbad broke out into a clearing in the forest, into an open field.
'Oh crap.' He needed to get to the other side if he wanted a chance at losing her.
"Nice try!"
When Sinbad made it to the top of one of the hills, Sakura tackled him from behind and the two ended up rolling down, holding onto one another as they toppled ungracefully into the field. When they finally came to as top, Sakura rolled off her back and pinned down Sinbad. Her hands holding down each of his wrists as he panted softly.
"By three minutes, I win." Sakura declared proudly and grinning wide. She crossed her arms over her chest, still sitting on Sinbad's stomach. "Now I get to give you one command."
Sinbad took a breath, looking up at Sakura as she leaned over him. Reaching up, he touched the side of her face, brushing his thumb over her cheek. Her eyes widened as she finally seemed to comprehend her position "Yeah you win-you know I kinda like you on top."
Abruptly, Sakura rolled off of Sinbad starring up at the darkening sky that was beginning to get an orange tinge and the clouds were dusting pink.
"Didn't I tell it'd be fun?" Sinbad chided next to her.
Snickering, Sakura continued to stare up at the sky. "Alright, I admit it was fun."
"I'm glad, you really needed a break. You've been doing a lot lately."
"So have you." Sakura countered softly, feeling the grass brush the back of her neck.
"Well that's mainly because I've seen how hard you've been working. You have desk work, floor work and then there's the new pharmaceuticals you've been working on, not to mention the children at the company and-
"Okay, okay, I get it." Sakura put her hand over Sinbad's mouth, laughing as he continued speaking with a muffle voice she couldn't make out.
"So, what's your request?" Sinbad asked after she removed her hand.
Sakura raised her eyebrow, "You're kinda eager huh?"
"I don't mind full filling a request if you're the one commanding it." Leaning over, Sinbad gave her a kiss on the cheek and whispered, "I'll do whatever you want. As long as you promise to keep smiling."
Although they were this close, it was still hard for Sakura not to be affected by Sinbad's bold statements and suggestions, she found him endearing but at the same time he had a dominant role in intimacy in their relationship. It was a bit disheartening when she thought about how he was willing to pour in all this effort when they agreed to both give it their all but he seemed to be the only one honoring that.
'It is kind of his strong suit though.' She attempted to reason with herself. She had only ever been in love with Sasuke before Sinbad and those feelings weren't reciprocated. She was naïve and at the same time, still a little scared about acting on her emotions because of the reaction she might receive. It had escalated after her conversation with King Rashid and the concept of losing Sinbad. Not only did it make her worry about their future, but about the steps they would take in the direction of that future. She wanted to avoid them at all cost. Although she knew it was due to her own paranoia and nothing based on material evidence-at least when it came to Sinbad.
'Even when we were together that night…' Sakura blushed hard. Sinbad had been in complete control then too. He was the more experienced of the two but she didn't want it to always be like this. She wanted to put in an effort for him as well. He had even went through all this trouble for their first date.
When she thought about today's events, the way he planned out the day to be perfect and how distressed he got when something was off. Like when they couldn't go dancing. The way they looked at each other when they were painted. She couldn't forget that smile on Sinbad's face.
She had been afraid of losing Sinbad the way she had lost Sasuke. That she wouldn't be strong enough to hold onto him and she had subconsciously started to distance herself for Sinbad, as if to ready herself for that blow. So that when he walked away, she didn't have to watch him turn his back on her for too long because she had already started the distance.
'I can't keep doing this to him,' Sakura thought, looking at Sinbad. His eyes were closed, a light breeze brushing his bangs across his face. She shuffled closer resting her head on his arm and hand on his chest, Sinbad peaked through one eye at Sakura but he didn't say anything. He pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head.
Sakura and Sinbad left that field only an hour later, they decided to explore the rest of the island. They walked hand in hand through the forest, running on occasion and chasing after each other like children, their laughter echoing through the woods. They admired the views they came across, from the wild flowers and plants to the mountains, lakes, waterfalls and animals. Their lightheartedness was a constant that came with their isolation.
Time passed by and Sakura had them return to the beach to watch the sunset; which was unlike anything Sakura had seen before. The sun wasn't obscured by the cluster of manmade architectures. Reflecting off the ocean, appearing as if it was actually sinking into it. The sky was already losing its fleeting multicolor. The weather started to grow a bit cold, so they built a fire and sat down on the blankets. Sakura sat between Sinbad's legs, his arms around her.
"So, did you enjoy today?" Sinbad asked with a tinge of hopefulness that Sakura did not miss. Lifting her chin, Sakura kissed the front of Sinbad's throat, feeling his pulse pick up.
"I did, thank you." Sakura looked back out to the vanishing sunset, her heart and mind set fully for what was to occur.
Sinbad beamed with pride, still having a lingering feeling on his throat. "See; I told you I could be romantic."
"You never cease to surprise." Sakura replied honestly. As silence settled over them again, Sakura could feel and almost hear her own heartbeat, growing heavier and quicker. She knew she wouldn't be perfect and that she would probably still fumble and be nervous just like before, but she was determined and she knew what determination to do.
'It's Sinbad, there's nothing to be afraid of.'
"Sinbad…."
When Sinbad looked down to the pinkette, he was caught by surprise when she kissed him but it didn't take him long to respond. They started slowly, pulling back barely a moment before returning to each other. Sinbad felt Sakura leaning for of her weight against him, easing him down onto the blankets. When they pulled back, they were both breathing softly and quickly.
"Sakura, what are you-
"I have my request." Sakura cut him off, she leaned down and whispered to him. Sinbad's eyes widened with surprise, shock and excitement. He looked back to his partner's expression, her mouth in a straight line with a slight pout, her cheeks red and her eyes were gleaming, serious and determined.
Sinbad had been rendered speechless, his mouth slightly ajar, opening and closing like a fish out of water.
'Please don't let this be a dream.' He silently begged.
"Well….?" Sakura titled her head to the side, waiting for Sinbad's response. He gave a shaky nod, swallowing audibly when Sakura's fingers brushed again his collar bone. Then slid under his shirt, skimming the side of his waist. Sinbad didn't think he'd ever seen Sakura this bold before, she was usually so timid when it came to intimate relations. Did the date somehow change her perspective, or create some expectation that she needed to fill? He wanted this but not if it was for that reason.
"S-Sakura, are you sure? This is still new to you and I don't want you to force-
"I'm sure." Sakura said, looking back up to Sinbad.
"But, thi-this isn't really like you and-
"I love you Sinbad."
Sinbad felt his heart skip a beat, they have told other people about their developed feelings but since Heliohapt, they haven't said it to each other since. Sakura rested her head on Sinbad's shoulder, resting her entire body on top of his.
Sinbad embraced Sakura tightly, "I love you too, Sakura."
That was all the consent either needed to continue, Sakura's request was going to be fulfilled that night. Unfortunately, neither had thought of how exhausted they were going to be after-but it was definitely worth it.
Sakura and Sinbad didn't return to Balbadd until the following morning, where they managed to sneak into their room in a hurried desperation to prepare for the day before Ja'far or anyone else came barging in, telling them to get to work and then realizing that they had only returned just recently and put two and two together when they figured out the reason why. Sakura immediately went to the closet to get their clothing for her and Sinbad. They began their attempt in looking as if they hadn't just spent the night on the beach.
When Sakura came to the mirror she gave a short shriek, inspecting herself more closely. There were different shadows of red blotches scattered all over her skin, from her neck going down to her chest; contrasting with her light complexion.
"Dammit Sinbad!" Sakura hissed, "I can't believe you! I'm going to have to heal all of this you know!"
Sinbad looked back to the scowling pinkette, but all he seemed to be doing was admiring his handiwork. He grinned. "Yeah that's a lot."
Sakura held up both of her fists, clenched tightly. "Is that all you have to say!?"
"No-I don't think you should heal them." Sinbad deadpanned.
"If I don't heal them, everyone is going to know!" Sakura exclaimed, waving her hands up in the air. Sinbad muttered that they might know soon if Sakura didn't lower her voice; that would make their sneaking in a waste.
"Well it's not entirely my fault, you made the request. Besides…" Sinbad snickered, he removed his top and turned around so that his back was facing Sakura. The pinkette became red when she saw the light indentations of thin lines-four in a row decorating Sinbad's back. "It's not like you were totally clear this time either. They still kinda hurt you know?"
Sakura rushed over to Sinbad, forgetting her own marks as she put her hands on his back to heal his. "I'm so sorry-I wasn't thinking-I should've been more careful-I promise I won't ever do it again-
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" Sinbad turned around and grabbed Sakura's hands before she could heal him. "I was only teasing, they don't hurt at all and I don't want you to get rid of them."
Sakura turned her head, swallowing hard. "Oh…well you can hide them anyway."
"That's not the reason." Sinbad stated strongly. He leaned forward, his forehead connecting with Sakura's. "I want these marks to remain for the longest time, because it will remind me of another day we grew closer."
"Sinbad…" Sakura leaned in with Sinbad and just as the two were about to connect in a kiss-the door swung open to an angry Ja'far.
"WHAT'S TAKING YOU TWO SO LONG, I KNOW YOU MUST HAVE COME HOME LATE FROM YOUR DATE BUT-
Ja'far stopped in his tracks as he saw Sinbad and Sakura, in each other's arms and still in the same clothing as the day before. As his mind trailed to the worst case scenario and also the most accurate, he carefully backed away and started closing the door.
"Didn't mean to intrude…."
Sakura and Sinbad only seemed to react after the soft click of the door was heard, like hearing the 'go' at the start of a race.
"Wait, Ja'far!" Sakura called out, but it was obvious that he had already left. Sakura buried her hands in her face. "Oh no…"
Sinbad was having a completely different reaction to Ja'far's intrusion as he was smiling instead of grimacing. "Well, I don't think you need to worry about those marks giving anything away now."
"STUPID SINBAD."
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