Lady Rine says: Gah... you're probably all going to hate me after the first bit of this chapter... but i couldn't resist. (grin)
thanks for all the R&Rs guys. It means so much to me. Anywho. This story is slowly comming to an end. My goal is 30 Acts. SO yeah. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Don't hate me... I'm cool! (desperate attempt. s-drop).
(heart) always.
Lady Rine.
Act 26: Second thoughts? In denial.
Sasuke woke up the following morning… he vaguely remembered everything that happened the afternoon and the night before. All he remembered were doses and doses of sheer pleasure and delight. He had never felt anything quite like it and to be honest he was sort of… afraid. He shifted in his bed a little bit. "Why is it hot?" He wondered opening his onyx eyes. He looked around. His bed was a mess. "I don't move that much in my sleep" He looked around more. His clothes were scattered on the floor around the bed along with… "Sakura's Kimono?" He suddenly remembered what happened. The passionate kiss they shared last morning, the exhausting day he had spent with her not complaining at all, rather enjoying himself. His eyes drifted down wards to his chest. Locks of flowing soft pastel hair tickled his rather masculine chest. A smile crept on his face. He pulled her closer to him as his arm was around her waist; his other hand was intertwined with hers. He watched her sleep comfortably a top of him. Her breathing had a steady rhythm, it was even and deep, almost hypnotizing.
"I could get used to this…" Sasuke thought slyly enjoying the feel of her bare skin against him. He lifted his hand with hers and looked at the ring on her finger. "Stupid Jin…" He shrugged it off; he had gotten her back didn't he? And yet the ring she wore, it pained him to look at it. He was used to pain, physical pain, emotional pain. But that didn't compare with the face the he could very well lose her. She was already engaged. She was engaged and he had slept with her. He felt like he was taking away her chance to have a family so that he could be with her. He felt guilty. Why was he being such an ass?
"Do I deserve this?" He thought looking at her clam sleeping face. He had lost everything he loved at such a young age. Of course he deserved this luxury! But he had put her through hell. He had rejected her love, he had driven her away. He had killed her softly so many times. "I don't deserve her…"
She had a chance to be happy… with Jin… She had a chance to be the woman he thought she wanted to be. She had a chance to go back to being the sweet loving happy girl that he had known for the better part of his life. Was he taking that away from her?
"I don't deserve her…" He was being an ass again. "I'm selfish…" Sasuke said, his smile fading from his lips. He gently untangled himself from her naked body. He untangled his fingers from her, his legs from hers. He pulled away from her body being careful not to wake the fragile Konouchi. His body all of a sudden felt cold without her to keep him warm. Sasuke sighed and got dressed. He would take a shower in the guest room or something. He opened his bedroom door. But he paused. "I'm doing the right thing right?" He looked back over his shoulder at her sleeping comfortably. "All my life that I've known you… you've sacrificed your happiness for mine… It's only fair I do the same." He slipped out of the room and started to the other end of the house to take his shower and leave. "Be happy Sakura…"
--
Two hours passed. It was now 8:30am. Sakura's eyes fluttered open. Her body was somewhat sore. She looked under the covers and blushed embarrassed at the fact that she was stark naked. She looked around. This wasn't her room. This was Sasuke's. "Did we?" She remembered his hard body a top of hers. She could hear herself moan in pleasure and Sasuke whispering her name. "We did..."
"Sasuke-kun?" She called. Wrapping herself in the blanket as she slid off his bed.
"Sasuke-kun?" She called again worriedly. "Where is he?"
She walked out of Sasuke's bedroom. She searched down the hallway. "Sasuke-kun?"
She went down to the kitchen. "Sasuke-kun?"
Nothing.
The living room. "Sasuke-kun?"
Silence.
The den? "Sasuke-kun?"
No reply.
No Sasuke-kun.
He was gone.
Sakura felt tears swell up in her eyes.
"He's gone…" She choked out loud.
"So yesterday…"
"He's gone…" She fell to her knees in the main hall. Her tears falling from her eyes.
"He was playing games…"
"Sasuke-kun…"
"I knew it…"
Sobs.
She griped the blanket around her.
"Damn you…" She huffed to the empty house.
"He doesn't love me…"
She felt something shatter. Her heart. Her memory of him. Her love for him… But what hurt the most was the shattering of…
Hope.
"FUCK YOU!" She screamed at the top of her lungs she curled up on the floor and let all of her tears fall. She didn't move for what seemed like hours. She lay there in a pool of her own hot tears. Her hair sticking to her face. The smell of Sasuke clung to her skin. She hated it.
"I loved you…" She whispered and cried harder.
--
She spent the night with Naruto and Hinata. She couldn't be in the Uchiha manor any longer. She grabbed her things and left. Not even a note. Nothing.
"Sakura-chan? Are you ok?" Naruto asked trying to get Sakura to speak. They were eating dinner together. The three of them. Hinata cooked. Sakura poked at her food with her chopstick. Not saying anything not looking at anything. Naruto hadn't seen her like this ever. Neither had Hinata.
Naruto looked at his love and gave her a look that said "I don't know! I give up." Hinata looked at him and gave him an acknowledging nod.
Sakura had showed up at their door a good hour and a half ago. Her clothes were torn and dirty from taking out her frustrations. She looked tired. Usually Naruto or Hinata would become overly worried about Sakura's appearance. But something else screamed that wasn't what should worry them. Sakura's eyes were puffy and red… she was crying.
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto tried again.
She didn't answer.
"What did Sasuke-bastard do this time?" Naruto asked in his normal cheery and rival-like tone.
Sakura winced at the sound of Sasuke's name. She looked up at them and forced a smile.
"Neh Hinata-chan you're cooking is good!" She said cheerily and began eating.
Naruto and Hinata looked at each other with confusion. Something had happened and they both knew better than to push Sakura when she was like this.
--
After dinner Sakura had done the dishes, much to Hinata's best efforts to stop her from doing them since she was a guest. But she was unsuccessful. Naruto called Hinata over.
"Neh, Hinata-chan, do you know what's going on?" Naruto frowned as his love shook her head. "Should I go and talk to Sasuke?"
"Do you think he knows she's here? He could be worried? Maybe?" Hinata said her voice trembling with worry.
"I don't think he knows where she is… I'll go talk to him." Hinata nodded in approval of Naruto's plan. "Keep an eye on Sakura ok?" Hinata nodded and smiled at him. He smiled back. She kissed him softly before he left.
"Where is Naruto going?" Sakura asked.
"Eh?"
"Hinata-chan… Where is Naruto going?"
"Ehh… he's going to meet Kakashi-sempai for a drink."
"Oh…"
"Sakura-chan you look tired."
"I am a little bit."
"Perhaps you should sleep now…" Hinata said showing Sakura to a spare room.
"Yeah…" Sakura thanked Hinata and settled down for a nights rest, the festival was tomorrow after all.
--
"Oi Sasuke." Naruto called spotting Sasuke doing his usual training behind his house.
"What?" Sasuke snapped.
"What the fuck did you do to Sakura-chan?" Naruto sounded angry. Of all the things Sasuke had done to make her cry, she had never looked this broken.
Sasuke paused for a second and looked at his best friend. "Naruto… How much do you love Hinata-san?"
"Eh? A lot. I'd die for her. Kill for her."
"You do anything for her?"
"Yeah!"
"Even if it cost you everything?"
"HELL YEAH!" Naruto said without hesitation wondering what Sasuke was getting at.
Sasuke sighed. "That's what I did."
"NAH?" Naruto was totally lost. Sasuke sighed and plopped down on the ground. He motioned for Naruto to join him. Which Naruto did. Sasuke told him what happened.
"So… do you think she'll stay with Jin?" Naruto asked.
"I don't know… I just want her to have the family I know she wants."
Naruto paused. "You're a fucking idiot you know that?" Naruto scolded. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow.
"Of all the stupid things you've ever done this one definitely takes the cake." Naruto sighed.
"Aa…"
"You're an idiot."
"…" His lips twitched slightly in annoyance.
"Jeez! Sasuke-bastard. You've really done it this time."
"…" Fist shaking.
"You've finally managed to do something much stupider that anything I could ever do!"
SMACK!
"I GET IT!" Sasuke scolded as Naruto rubbed his head where Sasuke had knocked him.
They both calmed down.
"What choice did I have?" Sasuke sighed again. "I want her to be happy. She deserves so much more. With everything that I've put her through and all. I don't deserve her Naruto."
"So what does Sakura-chan deserve?" Naruto asked.
"She deserves to be happy…" Sasuke said.
"Heh…" Naruto started laughing.
"I don't see the humor in all of this dobe." Sasuke looked at his best friend annoyed.
"You really are an idiot."
"Stop calling me that!"
"Did it ever occur to you that Sakura-chan's happiness is you?" Naruto glared at him. Being serious. Sasuke was taken back. "Even when we were kids, he only really smiled with you around. I'll never know why. But yeah."
"…"
"Do you get it now?"
"I made a mistake didn't I?"
"A fucking huge ass one."
"Is it too late?"
"I don't know. I bet Sakura-chan is already sleeping."
"Is she safe?"
"Yeah, she's staying with Hinata-chan and me."
"Aa…"
"Just show up to the festival tomorrow ok?"
"…" Sasuke nodded.
