A/N: Hello again. I managed to get three chapters done in one day! Okay, I hope you enjoy this next chapter as much as I did writing it.
The sunlight splashed across the meadow as the sun rose up to its usual position in the 11 am sky. The field of sunflower stalks swayed in the gentle breezes and stretched up to meet the warmth of the light in a welcoming embrace of land and sky.
The hills surrounding the little pasture of flowers secluded it from the rest of the world, and a lone tree stood at its center like a guard tower over the sacred land. Butterflies frolicked from flower to flower, collecting the sweet nectars and participating in short-lived whirlwind dances before setting off to the bloom.
A girl ran through the field of flowers as her long roseate hair streamed out behind her. A boy chased after the girl. They were playing a game remembered from childhood, even though they were almost adults.
The boy had brought her here. It was an endearing place, a memory from his youth. His mother had always loved sunflowers, and the boy carried this thought with him even now.
"You'll never catch me," the girl teased in a sing-song voice. She stuck her tongue out at the boy behind her and squealed as she saw him speed up.
"That's what you think," he laughed out loud, racing to catch up with the girl. He kept his determined onyx eyes on her back as he slowly closed the distance between them.
He watched the hem of her violet sundress fly out with every kick of her dainty bare feet. She had lost her sandals a while ago at the edge of the meadow. Now she ran freely, feeling the tickle of the bright green grass beneath her feet.
The boy had dressed lightly that day; his only mission being to catch the barefoot beauty that evaded him. He wore a baggy pair of matching black ninja shirt and pants. He had taken the time to remove his own shoes and to leave them neatly set against a tree at the edge of the meadow.
Soon he was within feet of her; there would be no complicated ninjutsu or trap devised to catch her. He would have to rely on his own strength to get a hold of her.
She looked back again to see how close he was and let a mock look of terror slide across her face. She tried to pick up her speed but knew the inevitable was upon her. In a moment she felt two firm hands, one on her arm and the other at her waist; he pulled her into an abrupt stop.
She laughed as the boy twirled her around to face him, a grin spread from ear to ear. However, his own momentum had been too great, the stop too quick. In a moment they fell back into the sunflowers and were hidden from view. They both laughed out loud and smiled at one another.
The girl lay splayed with her back to the ground as the boy lay casually on top of her. He grinned and leaned towards her ear.
"Caught you," he whispered, his smooth voice sending chills down her spine.
"Fine," she said, "you caught me, but can you keep me?" She batted her eyelashes at him in a flirtatious manner before bursting into giggles.
The boy smirked as he lifted his body up and positioned a leg on each side of her body. He took each of her hands in one of his own and pushed them gently along the grass, past her head.
"I feel pretty assured of my abilities, actually," he said. He entwined his fingers with hers and gazed into her emerald eyes.
"Ooh, don't we sound confident?" She turned her head and glanced at their hands. She laughed. "You know," she whispered, "this isn't really fair. I mean you're like ten times stronger than me." She pretended to pout.
"Hey," he protested, chuckling, "you're the one who said we couldn't use any ninja skills. You can only blame yourself." She sighed and nodded her head.
"Yeah," she said, "I've always been a sore loser. Okay then, you win." She looked into the onyx eyes. "Name your prize."
"Hmm," the boy said, eyeing the girl beneath him, "I think I caught a pretty good prize already." He lowered his face to the girl's porcelain skin until his lips were planted on her delicate cheek. The girl blushed at the sudden gesture of intimacy and felt her body flush.
"What do you think?" He whispered in her ear again, sending another fit of shivers through her body. She released a quivering breath and closed her eyes.
"I think…" she murmured, but the words were lost as the boy brought his lips to rest again her own rosy pair. He kissed her tenderly, and she didn't fight it. She didn't want to. The game they played now was so much bigger than the little array of tag they had dallied at only moments ago. She pushed back against his lips in a show of her own feelings, and he responded to it passionately.
He let his lips linger against her skin for a moment longer before letting go of her hands. He rested his elbows gently at her sides and fingered the thin lace bow at the top of her dress. She watched him with a slight smile on her face as he studied the material with a serious intent. She knew what he was thinking.
His finger slid through the loop of lace and cautiously tugged at it until the bow fell apart. His hands pulled gently at the edges of the dress that were now coming undone. Two small hands moved forward to still his own. He peered up to see those two wide emerald eyes gazing at him. There was a slight trace of fear hiding beneath them.
"Wait," she whispered. She marveled at her hesitation. She had the man she wanted lying in her arms, ready to surrender himself on the spot to her after so many years of wistful thoughts and dreams. Now that the moment had presented itself, she couldn't go through with it.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, "I can't. Not now." She turned her face away in shame.
He tugged her chin up and she met the expanse of his endless eyes once again. There was no frustration or discontent that she had expected; no anger or disdain. The boy laced the seams back together and tied a neat little bow.
"Don't be sorry," he said, "I'm not." He smiled at her and got up from the ground. He picked the girl up off the ground and carried her in his arms. He headed back toward the shade of the bordering trees. The girl rested her head of bubblegum locks against his chest and smiled.
That night, as they sat in a candlelit restaurant on the quiet side of the village, the boy knelt down on one knee before the girl and removed a box from his dinner jacket.
"I know you hate rings," he murmured, "so I thought a bracelet might suit you better." He snapped the box open and revealed a simple golden bracelet adorned with five evenly spaced diamonds. She willingly gave her hand to the boy as he slipped the jewelry onto her thin wrist.
She smiled at the boy and nodded her head in agreement to a question he didn't have to ask. She released a small sob of happiness and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him again as she had done in the field earlier that day.
The vision of the boy and girl faded into the darkness.
Sakura woke up, her body drenched in sweat and her heart racing. She whispered his name just once into the nothingness of the night.
"Sasuke."
There was no response.
The other side of the bed was empty.
Had it been all along?
Sakura's hands fumbled through the sheets searching for anything; his hand, his chest, his warmth; any sign that he had been there. There was nothing. She was alone, as she had awoken to find herself on so many other nights. The man who continued to haunt her dreams no longer existed in the physical sense. The image of her self in those dreams was also gone; a simple shadow of her own innocence.
She had been innocent once.
Sakura pounded her hands against the pillows until she felt the familiar ache in her arms. The ache of need. The need to hold him one more time. She wouldn't utter another word throughout the course of the night. Words admitted there was a weakness. A weakness revealed the pains of a lifetime bundled in one soul. The pains would search for a release. Release meant only two options: pounding the pain out through physical force, or crying. After the day he died, she had made her decision.
She was never going to cry.
So there you have it. Thanks for reading. As always, questions, comments, and helpful hints are always welcomed.
Temari