Rose-Coloured Maid –Apprehension
Today was the day…the day every girl dreamed of, from the moment they were told their very first 'happily-ever-after' story, and enforced by the moment they first fell in love. It was her day today, and she was looking at herself in the mirror. Her long, cherry-blossom pink hair fell just past her waist, with two decently thick bunches from the sides of her face tied back and held by an ivory, leaf-shaped hair clip. She was dressed in a beautiful, long, white wedding gown – the upper body of which was decorated with white lace, covering over the white material that covered her torso and neck, but left her arms bare.
She was twenty years old and today was her wedding day…the day she had looked forward to for so long, but lately…'Lately…the day doesn't feel right…' she thought to herself. She smiled at her reflection, trying to see how she looked, but the expression didn't last long, as it was replaced with the uncertainty she felt within. Green eyes looked back at her, the expression within one of sadness. She shook her head, and smiled again, she was marrying a good person, someone who loved her…though she would never know if the one she had loved all this time returned her feelings.
She felt somewhat bad about this, feeling that she was only marrying this man because there was no other she felt close towards, or if there were, they had already been taken, and she didn't want to miss her chance…to be left behind. A sudden knock at the door caught her attention, followed by the voice of her mother calling her name.
"Just a minute," she called back, and turned about to pick up her veil, and threw it about her head. She picked up the diamond encrusted tiara she had chosen, and placed it upon the crown of her head, and pushed the veil upon her face back, and gazed at her complete reflection.
"You look beautiful," a soft voice commented. She froze at the sound of it, the hairs along her back standing on end, as an ice-cold feeling washed down her. She knew the voice all too well; it hadn't changed much, for it still carried its gentleness, despite how the owner may have matured. 'It couldn't be him…' she thought, 'he left all those years ago, and never came back…not even he could change his mind…' her hands clenched, as she chewed her lip, 'it just couldn't be him…but what if it was,' her brow drew close, 'what would have brought him back now…?' She feared the answer…she didn't even want to know…but she had to see if it was him, regardless of his reasons. She thought of ways she could clarify her suspicion, but only one way stood out…a way that caused her heart to ache, as her mind brought back the loneliness and pain she had felt over the years, though the one she was to marry had tried his best to lessen the feeling, by offering his support, for he too felt the same and more.
She turned about slowly; closing her eyes for fear that she was hallucinating, though a fairly large part of her wished she was. She slowly opened her eyes, keeping them low and focused on the floor at her feet. Her heart beat fast, as she hesitated, then swallowed, forcing her eyes to travel slowly upwards, and pausing as soon as they touched the tips of booted feet. She swallowed and dared them to travel further up, her vision shaking as they travelled up the dark cloak, which covered his body. Her breath caught in her throat, as her eyes stopped just below the man's jaw, 'Please…' she thought, the words beseeching to some greater force. She felt her eyes prick with tears, as she continued the journey upwards, focusing upon her unforeseen visitor's face and waited.
The sudden movement of the cloak parting, as a pale, slightly tanned forearm peeked, caused the bride-to-be to flinch involuntarily, to which the hand stopped. The person seemed to hesitate, making sure that she was alright, before continuing with what he was going to do. The hand rose, making the cloak fall back further, displaying part of what he wore underneath, which was a black one-piece suit, similar in design to what he had worn at the Chuunin exam, only larger. His legs were wrapped in bandages, but very little of this could be seen, for he wore boots, which started just below his knees. Her eyes focused back onto the hand, which was bandaged also, and held her breath, as it took hold of the rim of his hat, pausing momentarily, then came off in one quick motion, as if to quell any further sense of hesitation.
Her breath came in a choked gasp, as she looked upon the face of her visitor. He didn't look at her directly, as he seemed to find the floor more interesting in the awkward scene. He didn't know what to do, nor what to say…he could always apologise, but how would it sound, 'Sorry, Sakura…I'm back after eight years…wanna catch up –' his thought was cut off, as the sound of her stepping towards him caught his attention; his eyes flicked up, catching sight of her face, tears flowing freely down her cheeks, tracing twin tracks.
"Sa…" she began, her voice suddenly locking, then a moment of freedom, "Sasuke!" she cried, rushing into him, burying her face into his chest, as she clung to him. He froze at this contact, unable to do anything as she cried, her tears soaking into the fabric at his chest. His own throat locked at her grief, the pain she had felt at his absence over the years striking him so harsh – he had had no idea that he could cause so much pain to one person…it was wrong to have such power.
The hat fell away from his hand, landing on the floor with a soft 'thud'. He raised his other arm, and brought both of them about, encircling her within his embrace, pulling her close to him. Held her as she cried, tears threatening to form in his own eyes, for what he had missed and what he had caused, but were forced down, as he had vowed to show no sign of weakness.
Suddenly, she pulled away slightly, but still within his hold, and looked up, bringing a hand to push away the thick strands of hair which framed his face, so she could look upon him with no obstruction. Her eyes began to sting again, as she took in his appearance – the most obvious feature of him, was that he was tall, just slightly taller than the shortest member of their team, who had hit his growth spurt a year or so since that day. His eyes were the same, holding their kindness, but harder now due to the unknown experiences he had been through. His hair had grown longer, and was now held together with a simple band; save for the jaw-length strands he had kept to frame his face. Tears began to flow anew as she looked into his eyes, set within cream skin. She reached out a hand, daring to stroke his face, then ran it through his hair and brought it back to rest upon his chest, as he brought up his own hands and cupped her face, wiping the tears away with his thumbs.
"Sakura," he whispered, tears forming in his own eyes, feeling that he was unable to hold them back this time. He drew his face closer to hers, feeling an emotion rise up that he wasn't sure that he had been aware of before. As he was about to close his eyes at the moment he would feel her lips against his, he felt a sharp pain erupt at his cheek, and then she had left his presence. Sasuke stood where he was; his face turned away, the nerves at his cheek screaming out at him with the sensation of stinging needles. He heard a sob, and brought his face slowly about to face her, only to be taken aback by the tears streaming down her face, anger and sadness displayed within her eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off as she spoke up.
"Eight years…" she whispered, her voice coloured with a mix of emotions; the words trailing off into silence, which the dark-haired ninja dared not break, "eight years," she repeated, the words louder and full of grief, "why Sasuke?" she asked, "Why did you come back after so long? Why now?" He looked away, the pain beginning to die down physically, but still marked in his mind. He thought about his answer, trying to think about how to phrase it, but couldn't as his thoughts were filled with the experiences he had been through during the years.
"Sakura…" he began, looking back at her, tears falling from his eyes, as he blinked. She seemed to have been taken aback by this sudden display of emotion, but stood her ground, 'Nothing could be worse than what he's put me through…put us through…' she thought, the bitterness and anguish rising up to join her pain, "I…" he tried to continue, but paused as his voice cracked a bit. Her heart softened slightly at his struggle, and she waited as he drew in a breath to collect himself, and continued, "I'm sorry for what I did…leaving this village…leaving you…I was stupid, blinded by revenge…you know how I was,"
"Yes, I do…but it still doesn't answer my question of why you came back, now of all times…" she replied, the stern tone she used causing her to wince inside, for she hated to be this way, especially with him. Sasuke diverted his eyes, by turning his face towards the door that led to her room, and then glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Sakura was speechless at first, upon realising his reasons, then spoke, her tone coloured with disbelief, "You came because you heard I was getting married…why?"
"Do you have to ask?" the dark haired man asked, folding his arms as he looked at her, a smug look upon his face. Sakura looked at him in disbelief, then grit her teeth as she felt anger rise within her. Her hands curled into balls, as she tried to control herself from acting on her emotions – he had no right to speak that way.
"What would you know…" she seethed, her tone of voice indicating that she was putting effort into controlling herself. Sasuke blinked and saw that he had hit a nerve, and scolded himself mentally, as he realised that he had spoken without thinking. It had been so long, that to him, though the time had passed, he wasn't aware of the changes the people he had left behind had gone through. He opened his mouth to apologise, but she stepped forward and began to speak, interrupting him of his intent, "While you went off after that Orochimaru bastard, he was the one standing by me…making sure that I was well, and that I wasn't alone, even though he failed to bring you back, he took up another promise to never see me hurt that way again and to stand by me until you came back on your own, no matter how long it took," tears began to form in her eyes anew, and she allowed them to fall without obstruction.
Sasuke's eyes had widened at what she said, he remembered that time when he had last fought his comrade and rival – they had both fought until they had reached the limit, where the next move would decide the outcome. They had stood before each other, the blue-eyed boy engulfed with his mysterious power, preparing his next attack, while he was consumed by his curse seal, and prepared his own. The seconds were ticking by, and they continued to stare off at each other, their attacks held at the ready, then suddenly, the blond's chakra level began to drop and the attack he had prepared dissipated, as he fell to his knees, calling an end to their battle, knowing that neither would win, due to exhaustion or death. He had stayed in his elevated form, just in case the other was faking, and took on an immediate stance when they had come to their feet, smiling through the defeat in their heart. 'I'm sorry,' he had said, then turned, saying something about a promise that was barely audible, then walked away, towards home.
He swallowed, understanding now what this was all about, and was about to say something when a knock sounded at the door, followed by Sakura's name being called by her mother. The green-eyed woman smiled, and stepped towards the door, opening it slightly, standing in front of the crack.
"I'll be down soon, okay mother…I'm speaking with someone," she said, her voice reassuring and happy. Her mother hesitated a moment, then smiled and nodded, reaching a hand out to stroke her daughters face, then walked back downstairs. Sakura watched her mother go, then closed the door and turned to face her one-time love, a contented smile on her face. Sasuke looked at her, working his lips as he tried to say something, then turned his back and sighed.
"I'm sorry, Sakura…I shouldn't have said that…" he said, his tone apologetic, as his brow creased with his own pain and sadness, "it's just that…" he trailed off and swallowed. The bride-to-be looked at his back, her own brow drawn, as she listened to his words, giving him his chance to speak, and possibly explain. "It's just that…" he licked his lips, trying to think of the right words, then hung his head, "I was so stupid…I didn't think about what I'd miss, just what I thought I wanted…not what I really wanted in the long run, I didn't think about it at all…" he retorted, more to himself than to anyone else. She was about to say something, but he continued, "I had the power for a while…the power I sought, but soon the price I had paid caught up to me…I think just after the last battle we had, I realised…but stayed on…unable to think of a way to get out, then my chance came three years ago…when he tried to take my body, but I wouldn't allow it, I escaped after killing most of them, and stayed on the run, hidden…" he paused for moment, then carried on, "I managed to reactivate the seal Kakashi had placed on me, and added a new one to strengthen it, since then I haven't been able to use the curse seal…though there may come a day when the two will be broken…"
"What did you do for the last three years then?" Sakura asked, not moving from where she stood at the door. The man turned back, smiling sadly, then looked up, recounting what he had done.
"Well…mainly hiding," he said, his tone containing an unhappy ring, "hiding…and thinking…" he trailed off and looked back at her, catching the question in her eyes, and he shrugged, a sad smile on his face, "I couldn't just come back to Konoha, after leaving it so suddenly…it didn't feel right, for me to leave and then come back, as if everything would be alright, like nothing happened after five years of serving that monster…five years of preparing to storm my home, the village that raised me…I just couldn't betray it in that way and return,"
"But you came back now…" she said, her tone soft and welcoming, but a little high, indicating her hope of him staying forever. Sasuke smiled and stepped towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Well…I had to one day…" he stated, his tone a little downcast, "I know I hurt you when I left…" he whispered, cupping the side of her face and stroking her cheek with his thumb, as he stood close to her, "I'm so sorry…but those words just won't cover how much I apologise…how much I hurt inside because of what I've missed…" he looked deep into her wide green eyes, which seemed to hold her love for him. She smiled and reached up a hand, placing it upon his and kissed it, before pulling it away from her face and holding it within her hands.
"He never left my side…he was always there, keeping me company, always smiling through the pain he felt within from his failure, and the knowledge that he could never gain my love like you have," she recounted, smiling sadly as tears formed in her eyes, "he knew that one day you'd come back, and so he waited with me, knowing that I would stand with you in your life, and never with him…but he seemed to be okay with that, as long as I, the one he loved, was happy…" her voice broke as she cried fresh tears and fell into Sasuke's arms, seeking his support as she sobbed. He held her close as she cried, biting on his lower lip to counter the empathy he felt…she pulled away sometime later, smiling up at him as she wiped away her tears, "You know…he didn't even try to get close to me in that way…just stayed by me as a companion…as a friend," she raised up her left hand, "it wasn't him that proposed either…I did," Sasuke blinked at this affirmation, taken aback by the unrealism of it all.
"But-" he began to say, but was cut of by the woman's apologetic smile, though it seemed to be happy at her decision. He held his words, waiting for her to continue explaining.
"I'm sorry…but one day…I was thinking about what if you never returned, and I'd have wasted my life…" she paused to look at him, and continued speaking immediately, as she caught his upset expression, "I know it was a selfish thing to do…but I couldn't-" she was hushed into silence, as the dark haired man smiled for her.
"Don't say that…you made a wise decision," he said, then caught her guilty expression, "who knew when I'd have come back…it could have been thirty, fifty years from now…or maybe never, and as you said…you'd have probably ended up wasting your life waiting for me," She smiled at his reassuring words, but still couldn't shake off the guilt she felt within, feeling that she was impatient, when what Sasuke had said was true in itself as well. Her attention snapped back on the Uchiha survivor, as he began to speak again, "Who knows…maybe you do love him…but never really realised it," he said, a serious expression on his face. Sakura was about to say something, but closed her mouth as she looked away, then turned back to him with a seemingly forced smile, her brow drawn into the slightest formation of a sad frown.
"When I proposed…" she began, her green eyes shining slightly, "he was so surprised…I think it came as an unforeseen shock to him…he looked like he was going to cry…but didn't, as he quickly replaced the tears with a brave smile…similar to the one he used when he left to find you in the very beginning…with Shikamaru and the others," she recounted, resting into his arms, as she placed her head upon the others chest, closing her eyes as she listened to their steady heartbeat, 'This is the closest I'll ever be to you…after this, there'll be no more days when I can hold you, and be with you like this…' she thought. She drew in a breath and let it out steadily, continuing with her monologue, "As he smiled…he took out a ring box and opened it, revealing a beautiful ring, the diamond at the centre twinkling in the sunlight…I was surprised and looked at him with uncomprehendingly, and he laughed nervously, saying that a proposal wouldn't be complete without a ring…I smiled at his words as I allowed him to place the ring upon my finger, though a part of me was saddened…but then again I had been in a depressive state for a long time," she paused for a while, then carried on, "I think that was around the time Shikamaru and Ino got married, which would be two years ago now…but anyway, sometime later, I found out that he had bought the ring three years prior to their wedding…which means he had kept it with him everyday since he was fifteen, but never brought the subject of marriage up between us…" she drew in a tearful gasp at this point, and continued on, her voice coloured with the tears he could feel soaking into his shirt, "I don't know what he was waiting for…or when he was going to bring it up…but I went straight to him, unable to say a thing on what I had found out…I just…cried…looking into his shocked blue eyes, and being held in his comforting embrace…I knew that I would never be sad with him…but at the same time, I couldn't tell whether I'd be truly happy or satisfied…" She froze as she felt Sasuke's hand cup her chin and bring it up, so that she was looking directly into his dark eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but was stunned as he placed his lips upon her brow, placing a tender kiss upon it. She worked her jaw, as he pulled away and he simply smiled, his hands upon her shoulders.
"It would be rude of me to ask you to reconsider your marriage…but I can honestly tell you that you will be happy with him," tears came to her eyes, as he said this, and she began to cry as she realised how genuine his smile was and that its brightness rivalled the Sun itself, "hush now," he said, drawing her close, then leaned back a bit as he looked at her, twin tracks of tears tracing their way down her cheeks, "please don't cry…I can tell you now, that you will be very happy with him…you don't have to worry about his safety, because he's not as selfish as I am, and don't try to correct me on that…I know the kind of person I am…I've had to come to terms with it many times over the years, so I know," he said, his tone and expression confirming the truth of his words. Sasuke stroked her face, wiping the fresh tears away with his thumb, and then stood beside her, crooking an arm, "Well…if I'm invited, I'd like to escort the hesitant bride to her awaiting groom…who, I'm sure, is just as nervous…maybe even worried by now,"
Sakura smiled at his words, and nodded her agreement. She took a moment to freshen herself up a bit, wiping the tears away and calming herself down, in an effort to make it appear that everything was alright. The dark haired man waited patiently, then smiled, as she smiled at him and placed her arm through his. Standing together for a moment in this way, they drew in a steady breath and opened the door, stepping out of her room and making their way towards the venue for the wedding.
A/N: Sorry everyone for the late reply, I've been trying to get this chapter out ASAP, but my time is pretty limited (Uni, Games, other stories, etc.)...also, I'm sorry that this one turned out so long, but I wanted to keep this story a three-parter ;;
Anyways, Special Thanks to LightDreamer, Auska Chan, XTCDraGonZ and Crimsonredeyes, who reviewed and have waited patiently for this second one to pop out, though I can't help but feel that it's an insult if I keep everyone waiting a long time.
Anyhow, hope this is just as good as the last one, and see in the final part
-Erutan Xiku