Dreams are Dreams
Chapter Ten
by swt-angel-babi3
Disclaimer: I don't own it.
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Sakura silently cursed the four senseis. They had been eating ramen for how many meals a day now? She sighed and took the glass to the sink to wash. She turned on the faucet and watched as the sink slowly filled up with soapy hot water.
"You're doing the dishes again?" asked a curious voice that made Sakura jump. She hadn't even noticed that someone came into the room. She turned around to face Kiba with Akamaru snug in his jacket hood. Akamaru turned his beady black eyes towards her.
"Uhh… yah." she told Kiba uncertainly as she turned off the faucet.
Sakura had been washing most of the dishes since they got her. She hated the sight of stacks of dirty dishes piled beside the sink waiting to be washed.
"Can you wash my dishes too?" he asked distantly as he scratched Akamaru behind his ears.
"I'm sure I'm capable!" she said jokingly.
"May you?" he asked again.
"Sure." Sakura replied.
"Thanks Sakura-san." he told her happily.
Sakura smiled and began cleaning the stack of dishes. The hot water stung her fingers, but she continued anyways. The dishes only took her ten minutes to clean. Sakura breathed in the last of the lemon scent of the dish detergent before releasing the water.
Sakura sighed. Her day tomorrow was already planned out. She could even visualize the day. First, Ten Ten would wake her up bright and early, she'd get dress, eat a quick breakfast, then Ten Ten would help Sakura buy an outfit for her date with Aniro the same night. She'd eat lunch, perhaps go skiing for a while… then she'd get ready and would go meet Aniro.
The hot water had turned her hands red. Sakura splattered some moisturizing cream on her now red hands. She brushed a strand of pink hair behind her ear and gave a sigh. She walked into the dark hallway, letting her eyes adjust to the unlit long path. She walked clumsily down the hallway and turned left into the living room. A dying fire in the fireplace emitted some sparks and crackled a bit. Sakura flopped down on the lumpy sofa and closed her eyes. She felt so exhausted. She turned her head on the pillow and her glassy eyes stared out the window. The sun had already set, leaving behind a murky atmosphere.
Sakura stifled a yawn and closed her eyes and quickly fell into a calming sleep.
-Later-
Sasuke entered the kitchen table and joined the rest helping to set up dinner. He moodily took out sixteen pairs of chopsticks and soup spoons and set them on the table. He paused briefly as he placed the chopsticks on the seat where Sakura usually sat before he continued on setting the table.
Chouji carried the last large bowl of ramen to the table and carefully set it down, making sure the soup didn't spill down the edge.
"Sasuke!" exclaimed Naruto. "Go find Sakura-chan and tell her its dinner time 'kay?"
Sasuke gave Naruto a cold glare before heading off to find the pink-haired kunoichi. Sasuke walked down the narrow hallway and peaked into the living room and found her lying on the sofa. He silently crept over to Sakura, who was fast asleep. She looked beautiful in her sleep. Sasuke found it hard to tear his eyes off her. Sasuke regained his composure and said in his usual monotone voice. "Dinner."
Sakura abruptly woke up to his voice. That was the best sleep she'd had in a while; even though it was only a short fifty minutes.
"Hai." she answered while rubbing her blurred green eyes.
She followed Sasuke quietly to the noisy kitchen where everyone was already seated. She took her vacant seat. She glanced around the table noticing two empty seats. Neji and Ten Ten. A small smirk formed on her pink lips, she knew exactly where they were.
Ten Ten sat down nervously to put on her skis. She glanced up at the moving figure above her. Her warm brown eyes met pure white ones. Ten Ten gave the Hyuuga a smile. Finally, my FIRST date! God, I'm lucky. My first date is with Neji! Ten Ten regained her composure and stood up, swaying over to the left. She was never really good at skiing. She never even knew how to ski a week before!
Neji gazed at Ten Ten, his eyes softened. "Do you need help?" he offered kindly.
Ten Ten looked up startled. A sweet smile appeared on her face. "Yeah…" she answered with a small laugh.
Neji handed her a pair of fading black ski poles. She took them gently from him. "Thanks." she told him quietly.
They skied together down a steep slope. The icy wind washed Ten Ten's face. She blinked hard, attempting to wet her wind-dried eyes. A few moments of silence past. Ten Ten bit back her lips, suddenly realizing how close Neji was to her.
Neji took a deep breath, making an effort to talk. Ten Ten half expected him to talk about training… again. It surprised Ten Ten when he spoke.
"Look at the sky." he murmured.
She looked up at the clear sky. The oddly clear sky. Stars speckled the large blue sky. The stars looked so closer than usual. Almost as if… almost as if she could touch them. Her hand reached out and closed her fist. Only to grab empty air.
"It's beautiful." she told him dreamily.
"Nn." agreed Neji.
The awkwardness came back, haunting them. Their brains searched for the right words. Nothing came. Neji skied over to an opening in the woods. Ten Ten followed apprehensively. She skied over to him. A rush of confidence filled her as she sped up. 'Too much confidence.' she thought as she lost her balance and toppled over on the snowy ground.
Her face flushed red. "Shit." she muttered, only loud enough for herself to hear. Neji's eyes shot wide open as he saw Ten Ten fall. He quickly rushed over to help her. Neji was amazed at himself. Never had he cared for someone so much for another. He extended his hand to her, to help her up.
Ten Ten declined his offer. "Let's just sit." she told him instead and pulled Neji down to sit beside her. His skis stuck out in odd positions, tangled with hers.
They slowly leaned towards each other, very aware as their lips slowly touched, the beginning of a very sweet kiss…
-Back at the kitchen table-
"Itaedekimasu." they muttered absently.
Sakura stared at the cup of ramen that sat in front of her. She was so sick of ramen. Everyday, it was the same thing over and over again. She picked up her chopsticks and poked it into the bowl of ramen. She twirled the noodles around a few times before taking a small bite. The taste of ramen made her want to gag.
Sakura hastily put down her chopsticks. She interrupted the conversations circling the table when she said in a loud voice. "Don't we have anything else to eat?"
They turned to look at her sudden outburst. "Go out to eat, if you really don't wanna eat ramen." said Kakashi in a muffled voice.
Sakura looked at him pointedly. "It's not like your eating." she grumbled. Stupid Kakashi and his oh-so-perfect face. She wasn't even sure if he had a perfect face. Just another stupid rumour she heard. Maybe he had fish lips. No one would know…
Kakashi glanced down at the empty large bowl that sat in front of him. "I finished." he told her simply.
Sakura gritted her teeth. Kakashi always got the best of her. She pushed her chair out and stood up and excused herself from the dinner table. She hastily jogged up the stairs and opened the bedroom door irritably and slumped on the lumpy bed. Sakura blinked a few times and soon fell into a dreamless sleep…
"Sakura!" called a hyper voice. "Sakura!" the voice called louder. "Get up will you?"
Sakura cranked an eye opened. A flood of bright yellow sunlight filled the room. It must have stopped snowing. Sakura squinted her eyes and pulled the covers closer. The air seemed chilly and oddly airy.
"Hn?" asked Sakura sleepily while rubbing her eyes. She opened her eyes again and her vision seemed much clearer. Sakura glanced over at the brunette kunoichi.
"Ten T-" began Sakura.
"We were suppose to go shopping, remember?" interjected Ten Ten. "It's late! It's nearly eight-thirty. You better hurry if you still wanna go."
Sakura stifled a yawn and nodded slowly. In Sakura's perspective, eight-thirty wasn't late. Heck, it was even early! Weren't vacations for relaxing and sleeping in? Sakura swung her legs over the bed and walked slowly to the bathroom. The wooden floor was cold, leaving her feet feeling numb. She squeezed a large portion of toothpaste on her brush and began to vigorously brush her teeth. She finished washing up and got changed. She stumbled down the stairs with her coat and scarf.
Ten Ten was already impatiently waiting by the front door. Ten Ten's face brightened when she saw Sakura hurrying down the stairs.
"Ready?" she asked happily.
Sakura nodded. "I didn't eat breakf-"
Ten Ten cutted in. "We'll go grab something on the way."
They walked briskly on a well walked snowy path that lead to a small cluster of shops. Ten Ten and Sakura chatted enthusiastically.
"So, how are things going with you and Neji?" asked Sakura with a small laugh.
Ten Ten forged her surprise. "How did you know?"
"How can I not?" asked Sakura. It was incredibly obvious by the way they looked at each other. She would have never expected the silent Hyuuga to have such affection for someone.
"Is it that obvious?" grumbled Ten Ten, while kicking the ground, causing snow to spray in random directions.
Sakura didn't answer her, for Ten Ten already knew the answer. "I didn't want everyone to find out." she muttered.
"Hm…" muttered Sakura. Her eyes landed on a small restaurant some 30 meters away. "Lets just grab some breakfast over there." suggested Sakura, pointing to the small restaurant.
"Sure." answered Ten Ten absentmindedly. Sakura pulled open the glass door and followed Ten Ten into the restaurant. They quickly ordered some bagels and orange juice. Sakura sat down on one of the chairs by Ten Ten and chewed on her bagel thoughtfully.
"Sakura?" called Ten Ten, interrupting Sakura's reverie.
"Hn?" Sakura finally answered.
"How are things going with you and Sasuke?"
"Whoa, random question!" chuckled Sakura.
"Just answer it." Ten Ten seemed amused.
"Hm… well, things are how it's always been. Still ignores me, I don't exist, etcetera." Sakura hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "It's not like it really matters right? I mean, Aniro's really nice…"
Ten Ten's expression was hardly unexpected. "I see." she said quietly.
Sakura took a swig of the sweet orange juice and swallowed it with difficulty.
"Are you ready to go?" asked Sakura, her voice go-happy and bright.
"Nearly." came the muffled reply of Ten Ten, with her mouth full of a bite of bagel. She polished off the last bit of her breakfast and stood up, a relief to her legs from sitting too long. Ten Ten put on her long over coat and opened the door. The sunlight shone brightly, yet the air freezing cold. It was a wonder how the snow never melted.
Sakura was already outside enjoying the rare sunlight. "Let's go!" she told the dark-haired kunoichi.
They walked down the snow-white path. Sakura watched her frozen breath form into white wisps of clouds. She stuck her icy hands into her coat pocket, attempting to keep them warm. She wished she had brought mittens. She brought her scarf closer to her neck and walked silently beside Ten Ten.
The crunching of the fresh snow was the only sound heard, echoing in their ears. After countless minutes, they finally arrived at the cluster of shops. Odd to have a group shops? Not really, it was a tourist attraction after all.
The tinkle of a bell was heard as they stepped into a smoky clothing store. A fireplace was roaring in the far corner and the racks were filled with various styles of clothes. The floor creaked as Sakura walked over and began browsing through a few racks.
She pulled out a black top. She examined the material closely. Hopefully it wouldn't be one of those that shrink in the wash. She flipped over the price tag. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw the pricey cost. She carefully put the top back on the rack and continued to browse.
"Sakura!" called Ten Ten, her voice bright and happy.
"Hn?" question Sakura.
Ten Ten handed her a long pair of jeans that flared out nicely and a red sweater. Sakura looked at it uncertainly; it looked a little too long.
She took the pants to a small dressing room. She hung the hangers on one of the many clothes hangers. The air seemed stuffy and hot. Sakura quickly changed into jeans and top. Sakura checked herself out in the mirror. They fit her pretty well, although the pants were long. She quickly opened the dressing room door, relieved to finally breathe fresh air.
Ten Ten surveyed her. "The jeans are little long, but if you wear boots, I'm sure they'll be fine… Do you like it though?"
Sakura nodded; glad to have finally picked the outfit out. "The sweater is very comfy. Did you find anything?" she finally said.
Ten Ten nodded. "I found this really nice scarf. Too bad it's cold or else you could have bought a skirt or something."
"I agree."
They paid swiftly and opened the door and once again, stepped out into the cold snowy world.
AN: Well, here's another chapter! I'm very sorry about the long updates! Thanks for the reviews, I appreciate it! Also, much thanks to my beta, wun-liddo-babi
Joekool: Haha, still singing in the snow, and freezing in the snow! Thank you, and sorry again for the long update!
Redlotusnin: Thanks! Yes… lots of gum wedged into the windows… (although I believe the janitors scraped them off…)
warprince2000, TFI-Muse, Phoenix20043, Desert'sGaara: Thanks and sorry about the long update!
Irukapooka: Thanks! Well, I got the two of the figurines at T&T supermarket, and the other three, people got them for me. ) I'm not really sure where though…
Timeshifter, Ah-choo: Thanks so much for pointing out my mistakes!
Bakutiku: Thanks! Yeah, I've always imagined her going ballistic about her hair.
AnimEvivvErz: Thanks! . Yes, I'd like a pair of 'uggs' too.
Joann: Thanks, sorry about the long update! Sasu/sakura will come gradually. I promise.
Kagome1015: Thanks! Gosh, I never liked skunks either! I can always smell the smell of skunk lingering around the air in the summer. Stinks.
BlackGold Ficcies INC: Thanks!
Sakurablossoms33: Thanks so much for all the suggestions! I used one of you suggestions in this chapter, the Ten Ten and Neji date one. Whoaa, you almost got lost at a ski resort? Hm… I don't think I've ever gotten lost… well, there are the instructors right? But it's okay, I can get lost in supermarkets. Haha. Lots of Neji/Ten in this chapter. Enjoy!