Kawaii-cherri, thank you for taking an interest in this short story! I hope this chapter and the next (which will probably be the last one- and waaay longer) will be to your liking! Chapter 3 will be uploaded pretty soon.
Standard disclaimer applied.
"I honestly prefer the pink one."
"But isn't it a bit too much?"
"Forehead, you look stunning!" Ino replied as she pointed the spoon full of matcha cheesecake at her best friend. "Don't ever doubt it for a second."
"I um…ok. Thanks Ino" the pinkette smiled sweetly. The wedding was just a couple of hours away so they decided to get ready together before Sai could come and pick them both up. Since Ino and her teammate started dating several weeks ago, she would often accompany them (as per Ino's request) on some of their dates. Sakura knew the reason behind this. The blonde did not want her to feel alone. But between working at the Children's Clinic, the hospital and going on the occasional mission, the medic nin rarely had any time (or energy, for that matter) left to feel alone.
As she took a seat on the bed, her jade eyes kept looking towards the bathroom door. She felt her hair stand up on the back of her neck. "Ino?"
"Myeah?"
"Did you by any change see me with a guy last night?" Sakura started shifting uncomfortably on the bed before adding "You know, at the club?"
"Ha?" the spoon instantly dropped on the paper napkin placed on Ino's lap. "What are you talking about, Sak? You were with us the whole-"Further furrowing her brows, the blonde began taping her lower lip with her index finger. "Actually, now that I think of it, you disappeared at one point. What is this about a guy? You met someone?!"
Sakura fell back on the mattress, sighing hard, clearly defeated. She started massaging her temples, her head still aching a bit from the previous night. "I recall dancing and taking some sake bombs with a man, but I do not for the life of me remember his face…or his name. Or how I got home.."
"Um Sak?"
"Please tell me you girls took me home, Pig" Sakura pleaded as she covered her face with her hands.
"We parted ways at the club. Hinata went home earlier than me and Ten Ten. I just assumed that maybe you two left together."
Sakura started rubbing her eyes hard before slapping her forehead with her fingers. "I'm such a mess! I honestly feel like I'm losing my mind!"
At the sight of tears threatening to spill, her best friend scooted over and placed her hand above Sakura's. "Hey, it's ok. I'm sure nothing happened."
"It's not just that…"
"Oh?"
"I thought I saw him in my mirror this morning.."
"Him? Like the guy from last night?"
"No…"
.
.
.
Ino mouthed an "oh" before lowering her gaze, suddenly realizing who Sakura was referring to. "You must really miss him.."
"I-" but before she could say anything else, Sakura bit the inside of her cheek, trying to distract herself from crying. "I never said this out loud, not ever, not even when I am alone because every time I ever think of it, I could feel the guilt starting to pool inside of me and I-I just..You know I love him Ino, you know I do. He's the only man I have ever loved. And I will wait for as long as it takes for him to realize he is ready to come back to the village, to come back home to me. But sometimes I just..." Taking a big breath, the pinkette sat up and rested her body against Ino's. Tears started to fall. "I sometimes just feel like he doesn't care about me that much..Like maybe I imagined and took out of context everything that ever happened between us up to the moment he left on his journey…that maybe I am just… wasting my time."
"Sakura…" the blonde started caressing her best friend's back with her slender fingers before she continued "You know Sasuke cares about you. If he didn't, he wouldn't have come back the second he heard that you were abducted by Kido and his gang."
Feeling a light blush starting to make its way on to her cheeks, she turned her head away from Ino. There was a small, sad smile present on her lips. "You're right.." Sigh. "But then why didn't he feel the need to see me?"
See you next time!
Laura
