For the past few weeks, Sasuke and Sakura have been spending too much time with each other. From their tv guestings, press cons, and public appearances, the couple has gained quite the attention of many. Not only that, they go to school together, and with that, Sakura can't help but to feel comfortable to Sasuke. She will now talk more often around him in contrast with her shy and discreet behavior weeks ago. Now and then, she will even bother him with her questions about the palace (which Sasuke sometimes ignore but with her constant whining, it's not a surprise when Sasuke would eventually explain patiently to her).
She learned few things about Sasuke after spending quite some time with him. One thing, he doesn't like sweets that much. She openly expresses her love for chocolates and cakes which earned a frown expression in Sasuke's face.
"What's with girls loving sweets so much?"
"What's with you? You're the only person in this entire planet who does not like chocolates!"
They were in the classroom alone eating their lunch that time, Sakura recalls. She also discovered that time that he extremely likes tomatoes. She observes how every time they eat their lunch, it's either his food has tomatoes in it or tomatoes are the main ingredient for his lunch.
Sasuke seemingly likes to spend his time alone in the gardens of the palace where no one can disturb him. He would lie down in the grass and close his eyes for an hour or two. She, too, would often go to the gardens where she sees him almost everyday there. She doesn't know if he notices her there, but if he does, she assumes he doesn't really mind.
It is a Saturday, and for the first time in 3 weeks, the couple has no business whatsoever to attend to this day. Sakura chooses to roam around the palace to visit the places she was not able to visit yet, while Sasuke chooses to relax and take his time in the swimming pool.
With nothing left to do on a weekend, Sasuke closes his eyes with his head thrown back on the side of the pool, savoring the moment he can loosen up for a bit. However, his peace did not last when he hears the sound of the door squeaking and the loud sound of the heels coming closer to his direction. He sighs loudly and pretends not to notice her appearance.
After a minute or two, expecting her babbling something ridiculous like she always does, he opens his eyes, and a smirk has found its way to his lips when he sees her there standing anxiously in her knee-length apple green dress, blushing and trying to avoid his gaze.
He lifts himself up out of the swimming pool and proceeds to take a towel from a nearby chair. He slowly approaches Sakura, and if it is possible her cheeks even become redder. He is only a few inches away from her, and since Sasuke is at least a head taller than her, she faces the bare naked chest of the handsome prince.
"What's wrong?" Sasuke asks her after a minute when she chooses to keep her head down.
The problem is you are shirtless, and the droplets of water trailing down your sinfully, sexy pecs are not helping either! She wants to shout at him for teasing her again and again. Hell, he knows what's wrong.
"I-I-.. I'll just come back later. Sorry." She chooses to say instead. Not bothering to hear a reply, she quickly tries to run for it when Sasuke grabs her right wrist.
"Where are you going? You just got here."
Sakura decides to look at his face and sees the playful smirk across his lips.
"Ugh! You! You always embarrass me on purpose!" She tries to hit him once, twice, but Sasuke catches her hands before she can repeat the action.
Sakura doesn't realize not until later their now close proximity. She faces Sasuke once again, but his smirk is gone replaced with a somewhat serious expression on his face. She can't seem to take her eyes off to the man standing in front of her. She doesn't know who leans in until their lips are just a breathe away. With Sasuke looking straight into her eyes with an expression she hasn't seen before, she feels her heart drums in her chest when Naruto interrupts them.
"Your highness-" Naruto instantly shuts up his mouth when he sees the prince and the princess-to-be in a very awkward situation.
Immediately, Sasuke releases Sakura's hands and casts his eyes away. Sakura, on the other hand, with a wide-eyed expression covers her red-blazing cheeks.
Naruto apologizes right away. Damn, I was given a second chance and probably ruined it. "Your highness, apologies. I am sorry for interrupting. I will just come back-"
"Ah! No.. Uhm you can stay, I was just leaving." Sakura interrupts him and runs as fast as she can trying to save what little dignity she might still have.
Her heart racing, she closes the door to her room, ignoring Itachi's questioning look when he sees her running down the hallway.
"OH GOD! Oh My God! What just happened?" She lets out a frustrating whine and throws herself on the bed. "God, it's so embarrassing!"
She does not know how to face Naruto, and especially Sasuke after what happened. It's stupid getting excited and all that. I mean, Sasuke's a bastard. No, no, no. I can't. I can't be feeling like this. She shakes her head repeatedly trying to erase the feeling of Sasuke's warm breath fanning her face and the memory of his expressive eyes staring back at her. I must be imagining things. Am I? Am I starting to like that jerk?
For a second, she curses Naruto and his timing. Now that he's back as Sasuke's personal assistant (after Sasuke pleads the King to have him back), it's most likely she will see the blonde more often. God, how can I look at them without feeling humiliated.
Her thoughts are interrupted when Itachi knocks on her door twice. "Sakura? Are you in there?"
Sakura quickly fixes herself in the mirror before letting him inside. "Yes..uhm look I know it's not..I should not be running because it is not what princesses do but-"
"This is not about that. Mother wants to see you. I was about to tell you awhile ago, but you seemed like you're running for your life." A blush make its way to Sakura's cheeks before she can even stop it. "She is in the gardens waiting for you."
Itachi turns his back on her, about to leave when he stops for a while and looks at his sister-in-law to be. "I will not ask, but whatever happened, I am sure my stupid brother has something to do with it. Thanks for putting up with him this long."
A deadly silence settles down between the two men left in the pool area. Not everyone knows, but the main reason Sasuke asks his Father to take back Naruto is because he considers him as a friend despite their positions. Ever since Sasuke was a kid, he would often see Naruto in the palace along with his father Minato. He could even recall the time when Naruto had no clue about him being a prince and played with him when they were 5 or 6 years old.
"Prince Sasuke.." Naruto breaks the silence when Sasuke sits down in an empty chair and brings his head down to his hands.
"You know I hate it when you call me that. No one can hear you." Sasuke quietly mutters.
"Okay. Fine. Let's cut to the chase. Are you still going to deny that you like her?" Naruto says sitting beside him that resulted in a glare from Sasuke.
Well, okay. Whenever the two of them alone, wherever that is, they act like a normal teenagers who talk casually. With that, Sasuke is thankful. Aside from Itachi, he can act like a human being with Naruto. He is not a prince. He is a normal guy who does what normal people do.
"What? You never took interest on a girl before. You were about to kiss her. Sorry again, by the way." When Sasuke chooses to remain silent, Naruto continues. "She is pretty. She seems kind and understanding. And what? She will be your wife. It will be even good for you to like her."
"That's not it. I-I'm not sure."
"Eh? You're not sure? You like her, bastard. First, you bought a very expensive necklace for her and please do not make the Itachi made me do it excuse. You kissed her in public! What? Did your brother ask you to do that again? And your jealousy with the Sunagakure prince."
Sasuke stares at him with an incredulous look. "Oh please. You just got mad all of a sudden when that prince complimented her. You stormed off like crazy!" Naruto exhales heavily before giving Sasuke a serious look. "Look, I know you're confused as hell right now, but your attitude towards her confuses her too. One day, you act like the knight in shining armor, and the next day you completely ignore her. What's the problem, man? Think of her, you're the only person she can count on. Every single thing in her life is rapidly changing. As her future husband, I think she's your responsibility. All I am saying is don't ignore her again after what happened earlier. Don't be mean or harsh to her. She's alone here, Sasuke. All she got is you."
"You don't understand. I do not-"
"Yeah, you don't really mean to do that. Why not try to talk to her instead? Get to know her, maybe that will clear things up for the both of you."
Sakura politely bows down her head gracefully when she sees Queen Mikoto seated in one of the swings in the garden. The Queen smiles at her and pats the space beside her taking that as a sign for Sakura to sit beside her.
"Prince Itachi told me you wanted to see me?"
"Yes, my dear. I wanted to know how are you doing. I hope Sasuke is not giving you a hard time."
At the mention of his name, Sakura can't help but to recall how Sasuke treated her during her stay in the palace. There were times wherein he will make fun of her, teasing her, and other stuff like that. Nonetheless, one thing she also learned about Sasuke is that he is kind. Despite him being mean to her at times, her heart has melted on how Sasuke values his family so much. She knows that Sasuke doesn't like the idea of being tied up in the palace, but he respects the King, adores the Queen, and looks up to his older brother.
"He maybe mean to me or sometimes he would tease me, but he is a good man. I mean, he does not look at me like some common girl. He does not make me feel like he's beyond my level. And the entire royal family too, it is hard for me not knowing anybody here at first, but with all of you, especially Sasuke, I feel very welcome."
Mikoto's eyes soften at her words and hugs her. "You're not just beautiful, but you are the perfect girl for my son. Kakashi must be proud of you." When Mikoto lets go, Sakura immediately notices the worried look on the Queen's face.
"Is something wrong, Your Majesty?"
"Sakura.. the reason I wanted to talk to you. It's about your father."
Sakura furrows her eyebrows in thought. "You mean my real father?" Sakura thought that it maybe things about her biological father. Maybe the Queen wants her to know more about him.
"No..It's about Kizashi. He..He was rushed in the hospital an hour ago. He had a stroke."
Sasuke walks along the hallway to make his way to dining room. He nods his head slightly before taking a seat beside Sakura. He glances to the girl beside him who ignores him completely.
Whenever they are seated in the dining room, Sakura would animatedly talk to the Queen or even to the King. She must still feel embarrassed for what happened earlier, Sasuke thought. He tries to initiate a conversation with her, but his mother gives him a warning look.
Confused, he ignores her mother and talks to her. "Sakura.." But Sakura did not let him finish, and politely excused herself from the table saying she's already finished eating. Hell, he did not see her eat anything from her plate.
His Father exhales loudly and shakes his head. "Is her father okay?" Fugaku asked his wife. "He is not allowed some visitors, and when Sakura called her mother earlier, she said that Kizashi is still in critical condition."
Sasuke then looked to his mother across the table. "What happened to Sakura's father?"
"He had a stroke, my dear. I allowed Sakura to visit him as soon as they allow him visitors. If you like, you can go with her." Mikoto sadly finished.
That's why. That's why she's acting that way. Even if she's embarrassed about what happened earlier, she would not avoid practically everyone in the room.
He quietly finished his food and excused himself from the dining room.
As Sasuke passes by her room, he can hear the faint sobs coming from it. He presses down his ear on the door of her room to hear her talking to her mother.
"Mom.. how can it happen? What the doctors tell you?.. Oh God, is he going to be okay?.. When can I see him?.."
Sasuke chooses to give her space for a while.
Sakura hasn't been eating that much since Saturday afternoon. She is now seated beside Sasuke in their limousine on the way to school. She absent-mindedly gazes outside the windows with her pale face and bloodshot eyes.
Sasuke wants to pull out his hair in frustration. She makes him worry. She doesn't get out of her room, she doesn't talk, she refuses to eat. He can hear the soft whimpers coming out of her room each time he passes by. He wants to shake her shoulders to tell her not eating will not help her father. Yet, he decides to remain silent throughout the journey.
During break, Hinata and Temari had asked her what's wrong. She just smiled and assured them that everything is fine. Gaara had noticed it too, but much to Sasuke's surprise, the Prince of Sunagakure decided to ask him instead. "What did you do?" Sasuke only stared at him and scoffed.
When she did not attend her classes in the afternoon, Sasuke resolves to look after her. Asking their guards to just stand by outside the school, he goes room to room around the university. He finds her seated in the isolated stairs which leads to the rooftop. She is crying again with her knees tucked to her chest and her arms around them.
He approaches her carefully, sitting beside her. "Skipping classes again, eh?"
Sakura peers at him and quietly says a "Not now, Sasuke" before standing up and going down the stairs.
Sasuke, without even thinking about it, runs after her and grabs her arm to face him. She looks like a mess, far from the vibrant Sakura he used to have around the palace. This is the first time he sees her like that, sure he had seen her cry, but not like this. She looks like she hasn't slept for a week.
She struggles from his hold, but apparently he's too strong. She sways a little bit after a minute or two, and not for Sasuke's hold on her, she is sure she would collapsed. He is quick to steady her. "Please let me go, Sasuke. Just please."
She gives up eventually and fresh tears run down her face. "Fine.. do what you want. You always get what you want anyways."
Sasuke lifts her chin up carefully to face him. He uses both of his thumbs to wipe her tears.
"Sasuke…"
He closes the distance between them before he can even think about it. If Sakura is confused about her feelings for the man before her, she is now sure. Her first kiss..it's magical..it makes her feel alive. This is the confirmation that she needed. That she is indeed in love with this man. Yes, she has only been staying in the palace for almost two months now, but she is sure. She is in love with him.
After a few seconds, he chooses to let go. "Sakura.." She buries her face into his chest, and she feels Sasuke's arms encircled her waist afterwards.
Both of them haven't noticed, Gaara, in the end of the hallway, peering silently at the couple.
A/N: I know I promised to update Divorce Like No Other first, but I just need to write this right now. See you soon, guys. I will be having more time to write after this week. :)
Please don't forget to leave a review.