[ May I ]
May I love You
"If she wore the ring…"
Deidara looked at Sasori, who was standing at the corner in the lift as it was ascending down to the ground floor. Deidara tilted his head, focusing on what Sasori had said instead of the weird classical music that was playing in the lift.
Sasori's grip tightened around his luggage handle. His brown eyes were fixed on the ground, debating if he should continue. Deidara didn't spoke, but was just secretly fiddling with the ring in his pocket; the redhead was still rather oblivious that Deidara had "stole" his ring.
"If she really wore the ring… I promise I'll marry her, protect her, treasure her, and love her like no one else in the world." He spoke and the lift door immediately opened once he finished his sentence.
Deidara blinked, only running after at the redhead for a second as he briskly walked out of the elevator as soon as it descended on the floor.
"If… only she wore the ring…"
Deidara looked up lazily as he stared at Sakura who had just barged in from outside, flipping through a folder in her hand before slotting it into the cabinet again, taking another one again and flipped through quickly while a phone was stuck in between her cheeks and shoulder.
"I-I'm sorry, but hold on…" Sakura sighed before putting the file back into the cabinet after another failed attempt to find the correct document for her client.
"My apologies, could I call you back later once I find it? I'll call you back again, Mrs. Pocky." Sakura immediately closed her phone and sighed, wiping an imaginary sweat on her forehead.
"Mrs. Pocky? That's a pretty old client Sasori had years back…" Deidara jolted from his seat once he realized his mistake.
Sakura only turned to smile at him. "Really?"
'I probably shouldn't have mentioned his name yeah…' Deidara slumped back into his seat.
Sakura realized Deidara's reaction before cutting in. "She wanted to look through Sasori's design again. And I was finding the file under her name." Sakura looked at the cabinet before looking back at the blonde. "But I couldn't find it."
Deidara blinked. It had been almost a year since he had last heard Sakura mentioning his name. And it was surprising for Sakura who didn't even break a sweat when she mentioned his name Sasori
"Sasori had told me before he leaves…" Deidara paid very close attention to Sakura's calm reaction before deciding to continue. "He said he left a box of old files at home in his bedroom, maybe if I have time, I can get it for you yeah…" Deidara looked at the clock but Sakura shook her head immediately.
"Remember, you have something on in half an hour. I can pick it up myself." Sakura said, looking at the clock as well, turning back immediately and looked at Deidara.
They both were in an awkward silence as they stares at each other, waiting for something to happen.
"Deidara… I don't have the key."
"Oh… yeah…"
0o0
Sakura slotted in the keys nervously and entered the house, shuffling the shoes inside neatly before tiptoeing into the house.
It was still as neat and tidy, as if Sasori was still at home, cleaning up whenever there was any speck of dust.
'Probably the work of Deidara and the gang that helped him clear up when there was time for them.'
To be honest, it was the second time she had entered Sasori's house. The very first time was Konan who took her here. It was a week after her run-away wedding.
They sat on the sofa; talking about all sorts of jokes and funny things the gang had done for the past few years. But mostly, all the conversation was just about Sasori; Sasori alone.
"He likes you. He really does."
"I know."
"What do you mean by you know?"
"Cause I like him too."
Sakura locked her gaze at the bedroom door and quietly approached it, turning the doorknob and entered his bedroom. She took a tiny peek to actually see if there was anyone in there. That was just a natural habit for Sakura, she have to peek into the bedroom or any room excluding her own bedroom even when she knows that there's no one inside.
"This is his bedroom. Just don't tell him I let you in here." Konan pushed the door opened. Sakura smiled and stepped closely behind her. "Sakura, let's do something I never got a chance to do in Sasori's room before." Konan nudged her, walking further into the bedroom.
Sakura followed obediently but asked out of curiosity. "What is it?"
"Let's play, pillow fights!"
"EH?"
Sakura sighed, walking into the room and looked over his neat desk.
"He- He once told me this." Konan threw the pillow at Sakura but she caught it successfully.
"What is it?" She asked.
"I would really take her away and marry her, if I know she loves me as well."
"He really told me that." Konan said, sitting on the bed exhausted, taking a pillow and placed it on her lap.
Sakura just shrugged, giving a wavering smile. "I told him before, but he doesn't believe me."
Sakura noticed a box on the table, which she had not noticed when she came into the room with Konan. She approached towards the box to find a sticky note pasted on top of it, written in a neat handwriting that says, "Work files."
Sakura smiled, taking out the cover and rummaged through it. She slowly hummed to her favorite music before taking the correct file and smiled to herself.
"There it is!" She exclaimed to herself. On the cue, her phone began ringing as she fished out her phone quickly from her bag and answered.
"Deidara?"
"Sakura come back to the office now yeah!" Deidara shouted through the phone.
Sakura could only winced at the volume before returning back to the call. "What's the matter?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Just come back! Something had happened!" And with just like that, he cut his call before Sakura could ask what on earth was going on.
Sakura grasped on her phone tightly before running out of Sasori's house.
0o0
He stood there, standing against his old workroom door and stares at the empty room, with a huge table right in the middle and a small stool by the side.
It's not the same anymore…
He's back. The redhead was back. Sasori was back.
It's been a year and a half since he left town and went to Sunagakure; somehow to escape from the wedding held between the Haruno and the Uchiha. But even though that's the main reason why he fled, he still couldn't take the news that hit him pretty well until now.
"Sasori- You…" Deidara stared at him wide eye.
Sasori just gave a smirk. "I'm back." He merely said, as if it was nothing to him.
The blonde bit his lips and took in a deep breath. He's not going to shout or say anything since it was Sakura's job to do so. Deidara just looked into Sasori's eyes as he walked from behind his desk and towards Sasori who was standing against the glass door with his luggage by his side. Deidara only take another deep breath and sighed.
"Sasori… It's too late yeah… " Deidara looked down, feigning sadness.
"Sakura is married to Sasuke now. She had quitted her job a few months ago. Of course, she's now rich, why does she need to work yeah?"
Sasori stared at the empty stool. He could recall the pink-haired girl who sat there, doing her work seriously, sometimes crazily singing to herself and accidentally falling asleep during work.
But he loves those memories. He wished that they could come back to him again.
"I'm going off now." Deidara looked back, giving a pat on Sasori's stiff shoulder. "Sorry, yeah. I have a meeting going on later. I'll leave the front door there as it is and come back as soon as possible." Deidara took a deep breathe before walking out of the room and down the stairs.
Sasori was trying to get used of the news. He came back because he thought he could maybe forget everything. But probably he was wrong…
"Where's Sakura?" He said, stopping Deidara on his track.
Deidara just shrugged, glancing at the redhead behind his shoulder. "Probably taking another flight for their twelfth honeymoon yeah." Deidara said.
Sasori leaned against the doorframe, ruffling his red hair between his fingers.
"Mrs. Uchiha Sakura…" He spoke out loud. But before he knew it, he smirked; he just couldn't control himself, but he had to just say it out loud.
"It sounds so weird."
0o0
Sakura stepped out from her newly bought car right in the middle of the parking road, locking its door immediately and rushed across the road, looking worriedly at the building from a distance.
'I wonder what happen? Did the kitchen caught fire? Did a burglar attacked Deidara before he left the office? What the heck happened?'
Sakura grabbed on the folder ran towards the building, to stand just in front of the glass door. She pushed it opened, not so surprise that it wasn't locked as Deidara might be inside.
'No burning smell...' Sakura sniffed, while looking around the room. 'No signs of any burglary…' Sakura then looked up the stairs and slowly approached it, walking up and counting every step she took.
The stairs creaked every step she took. She looked to her left to find someone in the office at the second floor. He pushed the glass door open and stepped inside.
"Deida-"
No, she can't see the familiar blonde that was always sitting lazily behind his desk, playing with his clay to get some inspiration.
But instead, her heart skipped a beat.
"S-Sasori." Sakura gasped, the folder in her hand began trembling.
This feeling, it was familiar.
"Sakura." Sasori said in surprise after turning around to find the girl standing across the room
How long had he last seen her?
'Deidara you brat… didn't you told me she was with Sasuke?' Sasori looked at the ground before having the courage to look at Sakura.
It's been 15 months, 18 days and probably 3 hours since he had went to Sunagakure. If only she can look how many minutes and seconds on the clock right on the wall, she could definitely calculate how long it had been since she last seen him.
"Sakura…" He said again.
Sasori slowly stepped forward while Sakura still remain rooted on the ground, unable to move at all. Sakura wanted to speak but her head was in a mess.
"What on earth…" Sakura could only whisper.
But when Sasori stopped walking after standing right in front of Sakura, she finally got back her voice as she took Sasori's hand surprisingly.
"I was just picking up a file. I'm going to quit once you come back anyway. So I guess I can leave everything here now…" Sakura pushed the file into Sasori's hand before letting go immediately. "I should get going now."
But something shiny immediately caught Sasori's sharp eye.
The shiny band that was worn around Sakura's ring finger, that familiar and unmistakable ring…
"That ring…" Sasori widened his eyes, before reacting fast and grabbed Sakura's wrist, stopping her from going anywhere.
"I-Is there a problem?" Sakura stuttered, surprise with Sasori's touch and she looked at him.
"That ring…" Sasori repeated, pulling her back to her original position and lifted her hand to inspect the ring she was wearing all along.
It was the ring that Sasori had abandoned long ago.
Sakura pulled away, rubbing the ring in between her two fingers. "Is there a problem with it?" Sakura scowled slightly angrily.
"Isn't that… my ring? I've bought it, intending to give it to you. But I didn't have the chance… and courage." Sasori raised his eyebrow, wanting to look at the ring Sakura was wearing again.
"What do you mean? This ring doesn't belongs to you- I mean, I could just bought this at any flea market, or… or-"
"There's actually the date when I had confessed to you the other day craved on the ring." Sasori looked at the ring once again to get all the confidence that he had lost before daring himself to look in Sakura's eyes. "I doubt you can buy that anywhere." He challenged her.
"What?" Sakura looked at her ring in disbelief. "How could it be? I've been wearing it for so long, how could I have not notic-"
"Actually, if you really wanted me to crave the date for you, I could." He cut in.
Sakura froze.
'Damn, I got tricked!'
Sakura immediately blushed and looked away. "Fine, I admit. It's yours." Sakura gritted her teeth before glaring at Sasori.
"But why did you leave? How could you just disappear into mid air when I really needed you? A-and went missing for more than a year! I really hate you!" Sakura pushed Sasori away and stepped back, glaring at him for the first time.
"Because-"
Sakura immediately raised her arm and gave a stop sign in front of Sasori's face before he could continue. Her head hung low and both of her eyes close.
"Do you know? How much I've been waiting? How much I've been thinking of you? How much I've been telling myself not to give up?" Sakura opened her eyes and stared right at him.
"If you want it back so much, I could just take it ou-" Sakura put down her hand and was about to pull the ring out from her ring finger when Sasori stopped her immediately, taking her arm.
"Don't. Don't ever do that." He muttered, his brown eyes seemed to be almost hurt by what Sakura was about to do. Sakura bit her lips and looked away. Her eyes were watery like she could burst out crying anytime.
"When I wanted to give up on everything, you are always in my mind, and I just can't get rid of you in my head. Do you know how irritating it is? Do you know how much I've been suffering because of you? I-I really… reall-"
But before Sakura could respond, Sasori cut in and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him, only to have his lips against Sakura's soft ones. Her hand was rested on Sasori's chest while she was too stunned to move at all. The file in Sasori's hand dropped right on the floor, completely forgotten.
"If she really wore the ring… I promise I'll marry her, protect her, treasure her, and love her like no one else in the world."
Sakura's eyes widened for a mere second, trying to register what the hell was happening now. But before she knew it, she slowly closed her emerald eyes just like Sasori who already did, and slowly lift her other hand and laid it on his chest, enjoying the very moment.
And for a long time, even if the famous Kishimoto were to come into their office, she wouldn't ever turn her head.
0o0
"What the heck are you waiting? Kiss her!"
The voice back form the seats was unmistakably Hidan's, but Sakura tried to ignore it and prevent herself from blushing any further. The priest had already finished his speech and both had already exchanged their rings, only waiting to be given the signal for them to kiss.
Sasori slowly looked up and faced the beautiful bride that was standing in front of him; who was already blushing with everyone that was urging them to kiss.
But Sasori didn't seem to care as his main focus was only on the red-faced Sakura. He took the white bridal veil and put it behind Sakura's head, bending down slightly and gave a warm kiss.
Everyone was clapping, shouting and whistling as the two unwilling to broke their kiss. Konan and Pein stared at each other, only smiling at each other as they looked at the two newly weds, reminiscing their wedding as well.
Deidara only slightly blushed as he observed Ino, who was clapping and cheering as loudly as possible for her best friend.
He hadn't made a move though. But someday, the blonde promised he would.
Naruto could only sighed, oblivious to the shy Hyuuga heir standing beside him. "When could I be the next one standing there?" He gave a shook of his head and sighed again. "I'm getting old already… cooking all those bowls of Ramen everyday." Hinata immediately lowered her head and blushed, playing with her fingers quickly.
"Hinata, are you alright?" Naruto slightly panicked as he observed her reaction.
The Uchiha standing beside Naruto rolled his eyes, slightly pitied Hinata who actually fallen for his dumb friend.
No, not Itachi of course, but it was actually Sasuke.
Karin and Sasuke had broke up for some odd reasons a few months before Sasori came back, but Sasuke didn't came back and wanted Sakura to be his girlfriend again. The Uchiha just came over and said sorry to her. Even though he knew nothing much could be mended when Sakura's heart was broken because Sasori left, he still really wanted to apologize to Sakura for how much he had hurt her from the very start.
And then a few months after Sasori had come back, Sakura had personally went over to the Uchiha estate and gave the invitation card to him. And surprisingly, he accepted it, although he seemed unwilling to take the card, he still went for the wedding after a slight persuasion made by Itachi.
But now everyone was there, including Sasuke. And he actually clapped and smiled; sincerely, genuinely and really wishing them the best.
Not only Sasuke of course, standing right beside him was all of Sakura and Sasori's friends; Naruto, Hinata, Ino, Deidara, Itachi and the rest of the gang were clearly invited.
The charming redhead and the beautiful cherry blossom were looking over at everyone, smiling, as they were finally together after all these tough situations they had.
Everyone was roaring with laughter, clapping and whistling throughout the moment. Even though a few don't have the complete happy ending in their story, they knew someday it would come, just like how Sasori and Sakura's story ended.
And so in the end, every single one that were there were happy with the wonderful ending that was given to Sasori and Sakura to complete their story…
…But perhaps, not as overjoyed as Kakuzu, who was secretly smiling to himself at the corner; Feeling relieved than ever as everyone had forgotten about the bet they made at Itachi's engagement party almost two years ago.
End
Author's Note:
Yesh! I'm married to Pocky! I know it's really random to have Mrs. Pocky as a character, but I really can't think of any more names D:
But anyway! I've finally completed this~ Nice? Or shall I make some alternative endings or something?
At first I was having second thought if I should delete this story halfway and get on with my life or something, but than gradually, all those reviews that kept pouring in, telling me how wonderful the story is and that I should update real soon; all of them are awesome and I really can't say how much I love all of you!
Thanks to those people who reviewed, faved, put this as alert, unfaved or had un-alert this story, thank you very much. I love you.
I could totally write a whole essay filled with dedication for all of you, but I shall keep my limits. Thank you everyone for reading till the end! And oh, for those SasoSaku haters out there (Which is mostly impossible for them to read this, but anyway…) there's three/two words I want to tell you all.
SasoSaku DUH!
(!) Last thing! Just want to know, which chapter is your most and least favorite of all?
Thank you all once again! I shall cry in my sleep now.
-OmgItsPocky