It was fifteen minutes past eight o'clock in the morning when Sakura woke up. She carefully opened up her eyes to adjust with the brightness brought by the blinding lights peeking from the curtains. She mentally cursed the sun for it never shined like that in the Land of Snow in her nineteen years of living in the place.
It took a few seconds for Sakura to realize where she is and opened her eyes altogether. Replaying what had happened the day prior, she shifted noiselessly in the bed as to not wake Sasuke. She faced him and God, how can someone is so beautiful and so so perfect. Seriously, he is prettier than me. He looks like an angel, well, he is if not for his arrogant, asshole self.
She never saw this side of Sasuke: calm, serene, vulnerable. She studied his features, and her eyes landed on his lips. She blushed when she remembered their first kiss. Ever since that day, she could not help but wonder if she was his first as well. The thought that he may had past girlfriends made her insecure, for she imagined that Sasuke's type is completely the opposite of her.
As if sensing someone is ogling him, Sasuke slowly opened his eyes to see a mortified Sakura who immediately disappeared under the blankets. An amused smirk appeared on Sasuke's face, and a few seconds later he also ducked under the blankets.
"If you really want to check me out that much, you could have just said so. I feel unsafe. You're the kind of girl who waits for the right timing and when you get the chance, you attack. You're scary, Sakura." Sasuke said, amusement evident on his tone.
Abruptly, Sakura swiftly left the bed and threw a pillow on Sasuke altogether. "God! I cannot believe you! Get over yourself! As if you're not planning something! I mean, you dragged me all the way here, getting a hotel room with only one bed! You're a.. You're a pervert!"
Sasuke sat up and gave her an incredulous look as if telling her she's crazy. "I am the pervert? The way you ogle me a few minutes ago said otherwise. You were 2 seconds away on kissing me."
Sakura put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Oh yeah? Who was the one who forced a kiss on me a few day ago, huh?"
With that, the smirk Sasuke wore changed into a scowl. "Tch, you were lucky I had kissed you twice. Other girls are willing to pay a million dollars for just a kiss in the cheeks."
"Well, now I can tell those girls how bad of a kisser you are! God, you are hopeless!" Sakura went straight ahead to the bathroom before Sasuke can sense how bad of a liar she was. (Yeah, the kiss was good. No, actually, it was great.)
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While Sasuke was showering, Sakura dialed Ino's phone number to tell her she could see her any moment. She texted her bestfriend first about her and Sasuke's unexpected trip to the Land of Snow before she made a decision to call her (she cannot wait for her response).
"Hey Forehead! Are you serious? You're here? And with that smoking hot fiancee of yours no less? Wow." Ino said without bothering to wait for Sakura to say something. "And you stayed up in one room, in one bed. Oooh, so how was he? Nah, who am I kidding, I can feel the sex vibe around here."
"Ino! Nothing happened! Why do you always think like that?" Sakura scolded her with a soft voice as for Sasuke not to hear her.
"Come on! You're better than that, Sakura. If I were you, I would have jumped on him the minute we got to our room by ourselves. I mean that's a lost opportunity for you, dear."
Sakura facepalmed and exhaled heavily. "I called you to talk to you about a serious problem here. If you would just shut up for a minute, Pig."
"Alright, alright. You and Sasuke can do it no matter how many times once you get to realize how damn lucky you are having a handsome, very sexy fiancee."
"Okay, please tell me I made the right decision. Well, last night, I kind of told him that I think about him all the time and yeah, well, I also kinda told him that I feel happiness when he's with me. That's not like saying I love him or anything like that, right?" Sakura said nervously.
"You stupid forehead! That is just another way of saying him that you fell in love with him. I mean, if he does not got a clue from that, it's either he's really dense and stupid like you or he does not feel the same thing towards you."
Before she can think of what to say to Ino, Sasuke snatched up her phone. "Who does not feel the same thing?" Sasuke said to the other line.
Sakura jumped up to get the phone, horrified that he may had heard her entire conversation with Ino. "Just give me the damn phone, Sasuke! Ino, my best friend, is having a guy problem. So yeah, it's not your concern."
Bored, Sasuke tossed her phone back towards her. "Freshen up. I want you to tour me around your hometown. Let's have breakfast on the way."
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Before Sakura could set her foot out of the hotel, Sasuke grabbed her arm. "Would you stop playing at me? What is wrong with you this day? Am I your toy?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes at that. "There is no way you're going out with your hair attracting attention everywhere." Now that Sakura had noticed, Sasuke was wearing casual winter clothes and a cap as if to shield his face from everyone. With the help of the freezing weather here, Sasuke figured out that there would be less paparazzi in the town.
Sasuke tossed her a beanie to cover her hair. "Sasuke, I know everybody here! The people here are kind; we're safe here!"
"The paparazzi are everywhere. If you don't want to go back to the Palace right away, put that on. In case you don't remember, you're a princess now. You're not the Sakura, the schoolgirl anymore."
Sakura frowned when she heard him say that. Nonetheless, she was still thankful she got to visit her hometown after a couple of months stuck in the city. Sakura grabbed Sasuke's hand and led him to a coffee house near the hotel.
The owner of the coffee shop, Mrs. Araki, stared at Sakura for a few seconds and when she finally recognized her and the guy she was with, she gasped in excitement.
"Mrs. Araki! Shhh! It's a secret!" Sakura said, giggling in the process. "I want to let Sasuke here to have a taste on your oh so my favorite creamy coffee! I mean, there's nothing like that in the city!"
The said woman laughed. "You're still the Sakura we know, I'm glad. And as usual, you get these for free." Sakura smiled the brightest. "Oh you're the best!"
Once settled in the corner table, Sasuke asked his companion how come she got their food for free. "Hmmm. Mrs. Araki is very kind, told you I know everyone here. And besides, I was classmates with her daughter, Erika. Wow, I missed this coffee and their bread, wow so tasty!" She said in between eating and smiling at Mrs. Araki.
Observing Sakura swallow her food that fast, Sasuke could not help but wonder how can she eat that much in one minute while she would not even touch any food with twelve different courses in the Palace.
Sasuke insisted to pay for their meals, but Mrs. Araki politely declined. "I insist that we must pay, Ma'am." With the way Sakura eat, Sasuke thought about how can the business still standing. "You eat like that, I'm surprised they still give it to you for free." He whispered in her ear, only for Sakura to step on his foot.
He hissed in pain, but Sakura paid no heed to his pain. "Mrs. Araki, yeah, I think I should pay..I mean yeah, Sasuke's right. I ate a lot this time." She said eyeing the two plates of pasta which she ate by herself.
"Come on, Sakura. You haven't visited us for ages. We missed you. And Prince Sasuke, how nice of you. You two look a cute couple, eh? What if instead of paying, I'll just have a picture with you two lovebirds."
Sakura tried to reject the idea, but Sasuke told Mrs. Araki to bring out her phone. When the woman left, Sakura asked him if it was not against the Palace rules or anything. Sasuke only shrugged and said that it would not even matter if the elders don't know about it.
Sasuke did not bother to smile. Sakura reminded her not to post it in any social media sites for the possibility of paparazzi to trace them.
Sasuke thanked the woman again when Sakura already bid her farewell and waved her hand widely. "You know, Prince Sasuke, I am glad you're taking care of our Sakura. She's such a lovely girl, isn't she?"
He did not respond for a while, only stared at Sakura giggling and skipping along the road.
"Yes, she is."
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"Where do we go next?" Sasuke asked her, for he swore they had been walking for about two hours now. If he doubted that Sakura knew everyone in that village, now he could not argue. The people who recognized the both of them did not do any drastic measures such as to hug or even kiss him. They politely bowed their heads in respect, but Sakura would express how much she did not like the gesture.
"Come on, Mr. Miyamoto! You do not need to do that. It's still me, Sakura!"
At first, he contemplated as if to correct Sakura and remind her how to act like a princess should be, but seeing her happy for the first time he she knew her, he decided against it. With the free stuff she got since they left their hotel, both of his hands were now occupied so was hers.
"Oh! I know! There's this place where they serve really delicious ramen! You got to try it, I swear, Sasuke. And then, maybe, we could go see Ino. I mean I always talk about her, but I haven't introduced her to you properly. I was also thinking about visiting my school and then go to the hospital where my father is staying. But first, Ramen! You got to buy Naruto one! I know he loves ramen soooo much. So what do you say?"
After her rambling, Sasuke sighed. "Let's go back to the hotel first. Now, you got a lot of stuff to pack. Too much food. Do you really eat that much?"
"It sounds like I forced them to give me some food. They gave them to me, aaaand it's rude to refuse a gift, Sasuke. Remember that."
As they enter the hotel premises, the hotel manager personally attended to their needs. They went back to their hotel room and let the hotel staff take care of their new belongings. Once they were out, Sasuke plopped himself on the bed. He closed his eyes and brought his right arm to shield his eyes from the sunlight.
Sakura decided to lie beside him and smiled contently. "Stop smiling. It's creepy." Sasuke said, without bothering to open his eyes.
"I'm happy, Sasuke. And you're the one who's creepy. How can you tell that I'm smiling when your eyes are closed."
After a few minutes, Sakura looked at Sasuke, scrutinizing whether he had fallen asleep. "Hey, are you asleep?" She gasped when strong arms encircled her waist. "He-Hey!" Sasuke brought her closer and let Sakura listen to his heartbeat.
"Do you really want to be a doctor?" Sasuke murmured beside her ear. Sakura tried to pull away, but he did not let her. Sakura assumed that when she and Mr. Miyamoto talked about her dream about being a doctor someday, Sasuke did not pay attention.
"Sakura, I always thought that you'd be a doctor someday, you know? Who would have thought you'll be a princess? I mean, for us, you were always been a princess."
And if Sakura only laughed at that statement, obviously Sasuke did not let it pass.
Giving up, Sakura shifted even closer, burying her nose in his chest. "It's my childhood dream. I want to help people. And when I saw my father there in the hospital couple of weeks ago, I wish I had done something to ease his pain. Now that I'm a princess, I can't do that, right?"
Sasuke inhaled the scent of her shampoo and pressing his chin to the top of her head. "You can be whatever you want. Being a princess should not be a hindrance to your dream."
"You think? I mean, can you name any other princesses who pursued a career on medicine?"
Sasuke chose not to respond, instead, he directed their conversation to the opposite direction. "You're happy here." He observed. He obviously cannot tell her that she should go and be a doctor, but he could imagine her in a lab coat, assuring her patients that everything's going to be fine. He insisted to go visit this place where she grew up to see the other side of her.
The bubbly Sakura Haruno he knew who was trapped in the Palace was clearly happier here in the Land of Snow. Recalling her words yesterday about her being happy when he's with her felt like a stab in his heart. The guilt that he felt when she confessed those words confused him to no end.
At first, he convinced himself that he was just getting along with her since she would be his wife no matter what. However, as he got to know her more, he could not help but feel the gratefulness that he has for this girl. He was not surprised that everybody in the village adores her. She has this magic or whatever that attracts the people to her. It's not just because she has a pretty face, but also her kind heart. She is sincere and honest. She always wanted to help people.
"Yes, I am. Thank you again, Sasuke. For bringing me here." Sakura's voice interrupted his train of thoughts.
He likes her, he concluded.
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They got to a ramen stand past the hour of one that day. Sasuke could not deny that he also liked the food very much. Sakura obliged him to get something for Naruto which led him to buying cup ramens from that place much to Sakura's contentment.
They also went to Sakura's high school. Her teachers were glad to see their bright student once again. The students almost caused a havoc when they recognized the Royal couple. Good thing, Sakura knew all about the short cuts in her previous school and dragged Sasuke to the exit at the back of the school. She texted Ino to meet them in a nearby store as to not cause another commotion.
Ino tried to flirt with Sasuke while introducing herself. She was only disappointed for Sasuke kept his cool and shook her hand firmly. Together, they rode a taxi to the hospital, with Sasuke sitting in front and the two girls at the back.
Seeing her daughter once again, Kizashi's face brightened up and hugged his daughter. His health had greatly improved, and he could now talk. "Oh my princess, how have you been?"
"I'm okay, Dad. Besides, I'm the one who should be asking you that. When are you supposed to be discharged?" Sakura said, placing her hands on top of her father's.
"In a week. The doctor said that things are going fine and that there is no more need to conduct further tests." This time, her mother, Mebuki said.
"That's great! You don't have any idea how worried I was, Dad! No working for another 2 months, you hear that?" She warned him but can't help to contain the happiness she felt at the moment.
"Sasuke and I will be leaving tomorrow morning so promise me, Dad. Okay?" She hugged him again and mouthed a thank you to Sasuke.
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By the time the couple arrived at their hotel, it was already past ten in the evening. Sakura was exhausted and quickly changed into her pajamas. When she got out of the bathroom, she noticed a very unimpressed Sasuke who was busy looking at his phone.
She sat beside him on the bed. "What's wrong?"
"They know we're here. We are on the headlines on a news website. Just great." He said, a scowl appearing on his face. Sakura took a look at his phone to see pictures of her and Sasuke in the ramen stand a while ago. A slightly blurred picture was also featured showing their intertwined hands while they were walking along the street.
Seeing how his mood worsen, she placed her head on top of his left shoulder. "It's not that bad. They could have caught us kissing in public which celebrities do often."
Hearing no side comments from him, she peered at him. "Did I said something wrong?" She questioned only to notice that Sasuke was now shivering. "God, Sasuke, why did you not say something?" She said while enveloping his hands with hers.
"I'm fine." He tried to dismiss her hand.
"Clearly, you're not fine!" She wrapped the blankets towards the both of them and cuddled him.
They were now lying on the bed, with Sakura occasionally running her hands towards his back asking him now and then if he still felt cold.
When she felt that Sasuke stopped shivering and muttered a small thanks after, she asked him a question that's been bothering her since they left the city. "Are you really going to Oto?" She murmured quietly into his chest.
The sound of Sasuke's heavy breathing filled in the silence. He cleared his throat and shifted on the bed to make himself more comfortable now that Sakura chose to snuggle towards him (not that he's complaining though). "I wanted to."
Sakura then grabbed a fistful of his shirt with her left hand. "You should go then. You should also be happy, Sasuke. I want you to be happy." Sakura melted against him fighting back to stay awake. "But please don't be mad at me if I call you every minute of every day because I will really miss you, you know that, right?" She said as she yawned.
"You're okay with me leaving?" He asked after a while.
"To be honest, no. I mean, more than what people expected us to be, you're my friend. Hell, you're the only one I get to share these kind of things in the Palace. And with you gone, my life there will be thrice as hard." She rubbed her nose in his chest, clearly not embarrassed anymore with their close proximity. "I really like you, you know. Maybe you think that I'm just saying this because we spend a lot of time together or that because I will marry you anyways, but I do like you really. Even in you're such a pain in the ass sometimes. I still like you anyway."
Within a few seconds, Sakura fell asleep. And Sasuke did not know if he should be mad at her for confessing again her feelings bluntly like that and falling asleep not a minute after or he should thank the gods up there because he did not know what to say to her.
Either way, he found a new resolve. He will try his hardest not to make her cry anymore.
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A/N: A quick update before things get crazy for my last semester in college. Also, a warning..things will also get crazy on the next update. Please leave me a review my dear readers. I love love love reading reviews; it motivates me to update sooner. So yeah, hope you guys like it.