Hello one and all. I have decided to create another story for all of you. I have become quite a fan of Naruto, even if I haven't watched many of the episodes yet, but I feel that I have read enough of the fan fiction on this site to have an idea of how things have gone along.
This shall be a one-shot, and the pairing is SakuraXSasuke. I am a big fan of this couple, only because I'm a big fan of the characters. I may have some other stories in the making of them, possibly not together, but I'm not sure yet.
The story takes place after Sasuke has returned to the village. Itachi is dead, and I would give them an age of eighteen right now. Because he had abandoned the village, he is being given a second chance, but he has to start over, with missions with a team and such. Sakura and Naruto have decided to stay at his level, to wait for him to catch up.
It will also be a song-fic. I have been listening to the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, and inspiration hit. The song is "Come What May", sang by Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman.
Song
Thoughts/Inner Sakura
Please enjoy the story.
- - -
As Sasuke stared at the two in front of him, he had to restrain himself from just standing up and walking away right there and then. Both Sakura and Naruto had gotten themselves into a heated argument, and Naruto, it seemed, hadn't realized yet that there was no possible way he could win against the vivacious girl in front of him. He had gotten the courage and had the audacity to criticize her cooking that she had so graciously offered everyone, only because it wasn't ramen. And boy, did he make a mistake.
"Naruto! There is more to life than ramen! I'm surprised you haven't gotten huge and fat from it all! You should be lucky I even had the decency to bring you a nice meal like this! You should be worshipping the ground I walk on!"
That was Sakura for you. And it seemed, after this little tirade, to finally dawn on him that he had backed himself into a verbal corner, and there was no other way to get himself out of it except to swallow his pride, and her food for that matter. He gave out a nervous laugh and scratched the back of his head, trying to quell the fuming girl's anger. "Sakura-chan, you know I was kidding! I love your cooking! It's the best thing I've ever tasted!" he chanted, trying to convince her that he was indeed sincere about his words.
Luckily for him, she seemed to take this as a satisfactory response of defeat, and just nodded lightly with a huge smile. "That's what I thought! Now, I suggest you eat that, because if my food goes to waste, you will not like the outcome!" she said icily, which caused Naruto to dig right into the food.
The only sad part was that Sakura had no culinary skills whatsoever.
Naruto had to keep himself from gagging as he continued to eat the food before him, knowing that if he did such a thing, she would never forgive him. Either that, or never let him hear the end of it for a long time. Kakashi, who had been watching from the sidelines, had gotten out of eating by saying that he didn't want to take off his mask. Both Sasuke and Naruto, not knowing that the other felt the same way, were both quite jealous of this fact, as they stared dejectedly at the food in front of them.
Sasuke, who normally would have refused to eat any of it, had gotten the glare from Kakashi and knew he had better sit it out. He wasn't happy about it either. Just by looking at the food, he could tell that it wasn't going to appeal to him.
Glancing at the small plate in front of him, he picked up a small bit of it with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. Had Sakura not been looking, he would have spit it out right there and then. It was a shame that she had been. However, she turned around to watch Naruto, making sure he didn't do what Sasuke had been thinking about. Without a moment's time to waste, he spat it out into a lone bush quickly, not wanting her to catch him in the act.
After about ten minutes of this charade, which was getting more and more difficult, since Sakura kept turning back at him every so often, he finally claimed that he had eaten enough. Not wanting to press him anymore, Sakura graciously took the plate from him and set it aside, smiling at him serenely before speaking. "How did you like the food, Sasuke-kun?" she said lightly, waiting to hear what he thought of it.
Before he could stop himself, he gave a very Sasuke-ish response, one similar to the response Naruto had given before. "You need to learn to cook better. This is the worst meal I have ever tasted," he said monotonously, watching as her smile quickly faded and she stared at the plate next to her. Slowly, she turned her head towards Naruto, who was now looking at the ground in apology.
"Is… Is it really that bad?" she asked quietly, and when she received only silence as an answer, she took it as a hint. Without warning, she grabbed the plate from Naruto and set it with Sasuke's, placing it inside the small basket which was full of a few empty containers that had held the meal beforehand. It was quite obvious that she was upset about this, but she didn't say a word about it. Instead, she just gave them a forced smile and picked up the basket. "I guess I should be going now. Ja ne," Sakura said, turning quickly to walk away from the group and head back to her home.
The moment she was out of earshot, Naruto was at Sasuke's side in a moment, and had smacked him upside the head. Sasuke, who had not been expecting such an action, just glared up at the boy, a low growl in the back of his throat. "What the hell was that for, dobe?" he asked heatedly, seeing the angry flare in Naruto's eyes that he was sure matched his own.
Without missing a beat, Naruto fired back, ready to hit him again. "How could you go and say that to Sakura-chan? She was proud of her cooking! I know she won't take my opinion seriously, but yours means the world to her!" he exclaimed as if it was the simplest thing in the world.
Sasuke just blinked in response, before letting out a small 'hmpf' and turning away. "It's not my fault she gets so upset when I say something like that. That's what she gets for being such an annoying fan girl," he spoke sharply, causing Naruto to just shake his head. "Sasuke-teme, you know she likes you more than just that! I thought you wo-" but his words were cut short as Sasuke abruptly stood up and walked off, grumbling a few words like 'Sakura', 'apologize', and 'so you shut up'. Naruto just grinned, glad that he had convinced Sasuke, in his own way, to apologize to Sakura for his words.
Sakura, who was heading down the street at a snail's pace, stared at the ground sadly. She had wanted to make a good impression on Sasuke, but it was clear to see that she had hit rock bottom with that plan. She hadn't believe Naruto when he said it didn't taste good, because he had compared it with ramen. Nothing ever tasted as good as ramen to that boy. But Sasuke had been true with his words. He really hadn't felt it was that good.
As she finally made it to her doorstep, she opened the door and pushed it open, glancing inside at the still empty house. Her parents had gone out of the village for a mission, and wouldn't be back for a few more days. She was used to this, and it wasn't too much of a big deal to her. In the next month or so, she was planning on getting herself an apartment, so she could at least have that feeling of independence.
But before she could take a step inside, she heard a gruff voice behind her. "Sakura," was spoken roughly, and she recognized the voice instantly. Turning around she saw Sasuke a few feet away from her, hands in his pockets, and staring at the earth beneath her feet. She tilted her head in slight confusion at his actions, before speaking in a soft tone.
"Sasuke-kun, why are you here?"
Sasuke shuffled his feet nervously, before he began again, wanting to get this over and done with. "I'm… I'm s-s-sorry that I made fun of your cooking," he said with a grimace, having had a hard time saying those words of apology, which were the cause of his stutter. Sakura blinked once, twice, three times before shaking her head. "I bet Naruto told you to apologize," she said dejectedly, and she knew she had hit a nerve by the look that was printed so clearly on his face.
After a few more moments, he let out an angry snort, turning his head away. "Well, I only did it to shut the dobe up. But I wouldn't have to do that if you weren't so damn sensitive. Sometimes, I wish you would just leave me alone," he spat out, and knew instantly that he might end up regretting those words. He half-expected her to yell at him, throw the basket at his head, or even start crying.
But he was wrong.
Tapping her chin almost as if in thought, she finally let out a sigh before giving him a smile. "Alright. As you wish," she stated evenly, pushing her door open even wider and walking inside, closing it right in Sasuke's face, who was just staring at the wooden barrier in awe. It took him a few moments to snap out of this reverie before he smirked. It seemed as if she was starting to get it. He turned around and walked away from her home, intent on some more training.
It was too bad that he didn't hear the sobbing girl inside, clutching her chest as if her heart had shattered into a million pieces.
- - -
The next day at training, a familiar looking scene was taking place. All three team members were at the bridge, waiting for their teacher to arrive. But there was an odd tension around the three, one that couldn't be pinpointed right away. Naruto was next to Sakura, groaning about how Kakashi was always late, and how it got on his nerves. Sasuke was leaning against one of the railings, staring at the ground in silence. This part was completely normal. It was what Sakura was doing that was a bit shocking.
She was actually listening to Naruto. And not only that, but she hadn't threatened him, hit him, or even tried to push him away. She had even proceeded to join in the complaining with him, and they had begun to get into a conversation, trying to count back the times when he had been late, as well as trying to remember the longest of a wait they had done for him.
And to put the cherry on the cake, Sakura had not said one word to Sasuke. Not a hello. Not a cheerful "Sasuke-kun!" like she always did. Not even a look towards the stoic Uchiha. No, she had seemed to be completely ignoring him. Sasuke found this to be a bit enlightening, and outwardly, he didn't seem to be bothered by that fact at all. However, he had to admit to himself and himself only that it was slightly unnerving.
Just then, their sensei had decided to make his appearance known, and instantly went into a system of excuses. "Well, you see, there was this cat an-" but before he could finish, both Sakura and Naruto were right in front of him, yelling "LIAR!" as loud as they could. A smile could be seen forming underneath his mask, as he took a step back before they got any smart ideas.
With a cough, he scratched his cheek nervously, knowing they would be mad when he told them this next bit of information. "Well, I just came to tell you that there is no training today. I have to go help the Godaime with some things, so you get the day off," he said cheerfully, and in a matter of seconds, he could feel the auras of three very angry students flare. Without so much as a good-bye, he hastily retreated, disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Sasuke rolled his eyes, having had a feeling that he would pull some stunt like that when he got there. And now, a new problem was approaching. In a moment or so, Sakura would be right in his face, asking him to go get some lunch with her. She always asked him out on a date on days like these. And he, of course, would have to decline, and she would end up upset and-
"Naruto-kun, would you like to go for some ramen?"
Those words struck Sasuke hard, as he stood there for a moment in slight shock. Naruto, however, didn't seem to notice, as he let out a whoop of joy before exclaiming "Hell yeah!" in a very loud manner. Sakura just laughed, following him off the bridge and towards the ramen shop.
Sasuke seemed to be paralyzed by what had just happened, and he began to think back about what had just happened. First of all, she had asked Naruto. Naruto of all people! Secondly, she had added the suffix to his name. He was no longer Naruto, but now "Naruto-kun". And third of all, she had asked Naruto!
The wheels in Sasuke's head were turning full speed, trying to figure out why this had happened, but before they could get too far, he instantly put a stop to it, wondering why he was so surprised. Why did he care if she had asked Naruto to go on a date with her? It's not like she hadn't asked Naruto before… Wait a minute, she hadn't! She had always asked him, Uchiha Sasuke!
This had been the pattern for so long, and she was going to change it now? He let out a growl as he shoved his hands in his pockets and followed them, intent on finding out what they were doing and why he hadn't been invited. Had he been thinking a bit more clearly, he would have realized that he was jealous. Very jealous indeed.
He had made it to the shop in record time, and peering inside, he could see Sakura and Naruto, eating their ramen, and having a great time. He could feel the anger boil inside of him, as his hand began to grip the wood of the door tightly. Without waiting any longer, he walked inside, and seated himself on the other side of Sakura.
"Hey Sasuke-teme, nice of you to show up for once! You never come here!" Naruto exclaimed proudly, as if it was him that had gotten Sasuke to appear. Sakura just rolled her eyes at his childish mannerisms, before turning to Sasuke and smiling at him.
"Hello Sasuke-san, nice to see you."
And for the second time that day, Sasuke was stunned. Now, it was worry that plagued him. When had she started calling Naruto "Naruto-kun", and him "Sasuke-san"? He was Sasuke-kun, damn it, not that stupid blonde!
But before he could further brood on this fact, Sakura abruptly stood up from her seat and took a few steps away. "It was nice having lunch with you Naruto-kun, but I have to go home and clean up a bit! I'll see you later!" she said happily, turning to Sasuke to offer him a light dip of her head. "See you tomorrow, Sasuke-san," she chirruped sweetly, turning tail and heading out of the ramen shop.
It was at this point that Sasuke realized he was losing her.
He hadn't thought it was possible, but finally, the girl he had denied, pushed away, and insulted had finally decided enough was enough. He should be happy about it… Right?
Then why did it feel like his life had come to an end? What was this emotion he was feeling? He now realized jealousy had become a major roll in it, but what was it now?
Sasuke's eyes widened at the realization. No way in hell could this be lo-
"So Sasuke-teme, what made you show up?" Naruto asked excitedly, slurping his ramen right after his little proclamation.
Without saying another word, Sasuke also stood from his seat and left, leaving behind a very confused and dumbfounded Naruto.
Never knew I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
Want to vanish inside your kiss
Every day I love you more and more
Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing
Telling me to give you everything
Seasons may change, winter to spring
But I love you until the end of time
Sasuke decided, once again, to follow Sakura. As he pushed by the people that were wandering down the village streets, he could catch a glimpse of rosy locks in front of him, and kept his eyes trained to them.
He could hear her greeting those she passed by, and could see the prominent smile on her face when she would turn to the side. Why the hell is she so happy? he asked himself bitterly, as he sped up his pace a bit to make sure he didn't lose sight of her. After what seemed like forever, she had passed by them all, and was now making her way to her doorstep. As she opened her front door, she stepped inside gracefully, the door closing in a similar fashion like the day before.
And like the day before, he just stood there in awe, but a smirk did not grace his handsome face afterwards. Now, it was a very angry and distraught face. He was losing his Sakura.
He couldn't help but glare at himself as he realized what he had just thought. His Sakura? When had she become his Sakura?
The moment you realized you truly did love her.
He did love her. He had completed one of his goals in life, the death of his brother Itachi. The other goal, however, still had to be fulfilled. And he realized now, more than ever, that it was her that he wanted to revive his clan with. Now that the hatred for his family's murderer had been appeased, he had room for love and happiness. Why it took him this long to figure it out, he didn't know.
He bit his lip slightly, staring at the ground in that very familiar fashion, before turning around and heading in the opposite direction of where had come from. The Uchiha prodigy was deep in thought, and if anyone knew what he was thinking about, they might have fainted in shock.
Sasuke was devising a plan on how to get his Sakura back.
Come what may
Come what may
I will love you until my dying day
And tomorrow, he decided, was the day he would put that plan in action. No matter what it took.
- - -
After Sakura had left both Sasuke and Naruto at the ramen shop, she had to do everything in her power to keep up the distant façade. When she had been next to Sasuke, knowing that she had to let him go was the hardest thing ever. She had practically forced the 'san' out onto his name. How desperately she had wanted to be at his side, trying to get him to go on a date with her. How she wanted to get him to notice her.
Had she realized that her whole plot of trying to get over Sasuke was causing him to pursue her, she might have done this earlier.
But she had no idea that's what he was thinking. Sakura actually figured that he would be pleased beyond all belief, maybe even be a bit happier overall. He seemed to stress the fact that she was a constant annoyance to him.
But she had done it. She had remained strong. She had kept her cool. She had kept herself sane.
She had kept herself away from Sasuke.
Sakura couldn't believe she had gone through with it. She had been sure halfway through, she would've broken down and leapt on the poor guy. But no, she had been tough, and she had endured it. She had noticed the shocked look on his face, but had decided that it was also a look of relief, considering how many times she had been rejected by him.
But oh, how she was wrong.
When she finally made it into her house and closed the door behind her, she crossed through the living room, past the window.
A few seconds later, she was taking backwards steps towards the window, and when she looked outside, her eyebrow had raised in slight confusion.
There was Sasuke, staring at her door as if he wanted it to light on fire. She rubbed her eyes, as if maybe the light was playing tricks on her. But as she looked outside again, she realized that it really was Sasuke, and he really was staring at her door as if he wanted it to light on fire.
A few seconds later, she watched his gaze drop to the ground, before he turned and shuffled off in a different direction. She was a perplexed by the sudden action. She was certain that he would have stayed at the ramen shop, but instead, he had followed her. But why?
He's worried! That's it! The great Sasuke is worried because you ignored him! That's what it is!
Sakura knocked herself in the head, trying to get her inner self to shut it. There was no way he would be worried. He had probably just been curious as to why she had left so soon. That's what it was. Simple curiosity.
Oh you know that's not it! Admit it! He loves you! Sasuke-kun is ou-
She let out a frustrated yell, silencing the inner Sakura before stomping to the other side of her house. He did not love her. She would not get her hopes up now. She was in the process of healing and closure. She was not going to give in now because Sasuke decided to stop in front of her house. And stare at her door. With a pissed off look on his face.
Sakura slapped herself this time, getting all thoughts of Sasuke out of her head. She was not going to give in. She was going to let him go. That's all she could do, after all. It wasn't going to be easy though. That handsome face of his kept swimming in her mind. His dark hair that she wanted to run her fingers through. His lean, muscular build that she wanted to lean into when they shared their kiss…
Sakura now proceeded to beat her head in, berating herself mentally and physically for thinking those thoughts. Glancing back at the window during all of this, she looked outside to see a group of people there, watching her as she pummeled herself into oblivion. Slowly, her limbs stopped moving, and she just stared back at the villagers, who were just looking at her in shock.
With a nervous laugh, she turned and bolted out of the view of the window, and to her bedroom. Now that she had made a fool of herself, she was getting awfully tired.
A low sigh escaped her as she collapsed into her bed, and snuggled under the blankets. Maybe tomorrow would be easier. She could get over him. She just had to take it a day at a time.
But even so, every time she tried to rid herself of these feelings, she felt like a hand was gripping her heart, making it difficult to move, think, or breathe.
She was in love. She didn't ask to be, but she was. And now, she had to get out of love.
Otherwise, she would be in love and alone. And no one wants to be alone.
- - -
The next day came like a breeze. Luckily for the team, they got a message from Kakashi saying that there was no training today either, instead of having to wait for him to deliver the news. He probably still remembered their death glares from the day before, and didn't want to repeat the same mistake.
Sasuke had decided the night before what he was going to do. And since they had no training, he had to find her on his own and make it work. If not, she might be gone for good.
He had to admit to himself, a familiar sense of irony was present. Normally, it had always been Sakura following Sasuke, professing her undying love for him, trying to get him to spend time with her. Now it was Sasuke's turn to profess it, but he couldn't do it the same as her. He wasn't big on the whole 'Come out and say it' deal.
Sasuke would do it his own way, on his own time, without any help from anyone. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.
He was currently walking down on of the village squares, passing by different shops and restaurants as he moved. He could hear everyone laughing, joking, conversing with each other. And that's when he heard her.
The soft, melodious sound of her voice greeted his ears pleasantly, and he looked up sharply to see the pink-haired kunoichi, walking with Naruto. His anger began to flare, and he could tell by the way they were talking that were quite happy just enjoying each other's company. Without a word, he moved forward, before he realized that someone else was with them.
On the other side of Naruto, having been blocked from view by another village, was Hyuuga Hinata. She had gotten a lot stronger, just like Sakura had, and had even made up with her cousin Neji. And it was known across the village that she had a terrible crush on the blonde ninja beside her, and the only one who hadn't figured it out yet was him.
Feeling slightly better that the two weren't walking by themselves, he made his way towards them at a swift pace, his eyes never wavering from the girl in front of him.
As if sensing a presence in front of her, Sakura looked forward to see Sasuke, who was staring intently at her. She stopped in her tracks, but he didn't. He continued to move towards them, his strides quick and fluid.
Without missing a beat, Sakura turned, and ran. Naruto watched his friend go, before looking forward and also seeing Sasuke. Hinata noticed him to, and they both decided to greet him, since it seemed Sakura wasn't in the mood for that.
"Hey Sasuke-teme!"
"G-good morning, S-sasuke-san."
When he heard that, he nearly fell forward, remembering how easily Sakura had said 'san' the day before. But instead of letting them know how he felt about that particular name, he kept moving, having seen Sakura bolt off the minute they made eye contact. He was determined not to let her get away.
Naruto and Hinata were both stunned when he just moved past them, and when they looked back, he was nowhere in sight.
Having no clue what had happened, was going to happen, or any of the above, they shrugged their shoulders and continued walking, a blush now apparent on Hinata's face considering they were the only ones left.
Naruto, who seemed oblivious to her sudden nervousness, kept talking about how things were going for him and the team. It seemed that this particular couple had no trouble being around each other, and even showing a bit of feelings for one another.
It was too bad the other couple weren't as lucky.
- - -
The moment Sakura had seen Sasuke, she had decided that it was going to a bit too difficult today just like it had been the other day. And to avoid any sort of slip-up, she did the only thing that seemed logical to her.
She ran like hell.
She dashed through the street, darting around people, trying to get to her home before he caught up to her. Something was definitely up with her. He had not been looking at the other two at all. His eyes were on her and her alone.
He's not worried anymore! Now he's lusting! Did you see that look he had? He was all over you!
Sakura snarled at herself, continuing to move forward at a very fast pace. If she didn't shut herself up, she was going to have to admit herself into the psyche ward.
How about instead of admitting yourself into that ward, you admit to yourself that he is following you for a reason! Now stop and turn around!
You're not stopping!
Will you listen to me?
Sakura let out an aggravated scream as she continued to move forward, and if she had been paying attention, she would have been able to stop herself from slamming into someone at near full speed.
Letting out a squeak, she fell back onto the ground on her derriere, and stayed there for a moment in stunned silence. Shaking her head, glad to have silenced her inner self for a few moment's peace, looked up to apologize to who she had bumped into.
Only to stare into the face of Uchiha Sasuke.
Another squeak escaped her, but this one was out of shock more than anything. Thanks to her wandering mind, she had not been paying attention, and had run right into the person she was trying to escape.
And judging by the smirk on his face, she knew he knew he had caught her.
"Hello, Sasuke-san! It's nice to see you, but I really need to be going," she said nervously, standing up to brush the dirt off her clothes before she went to move past him. However, the sudden pressure on her wrist indicated that he didn't plan on letting her leave yet.
"Sakura, we need to talk."
Her inner self was screaming in joy at this point. What'd I tell ya! He wants you! Go Sakura, Go Sakura!
Wishing she could pummel her thoughts to death, she looked at Sasuke and tilted her head curiously. "About what?" she asked hesitantly, trying to keep calm and not let herself get too excited.
She had been trying so hard to get him off her mind, but now it seemed he wanted to be around her. Had he realized that he cared about her?
She was in bliss. Knowing now how foolish she had been to try and rid herself of the feelings she harbored for him, she watched him with a serene expression on her face, waiting for him to say it.
"Sakura…"
She waited in anticipation, her inner self now dancing inside her mind.
"I think you should train with me. I noticed from our last actual practice, you were starting to lose a bit of focus."
A scream of fury escaped her inner self, as her body went numb. Just when her defenses had gone down, he had got his shot in, and nailed her right in the heart. She felt her voice get trapped in her throat, and with all her might, she was able to speak again, although it sounded a bit raspy at this point.
"T-train, Sasuke-san?" she asked, and to that, he nodded. "We haven't practiced for a few days now, and you're already weaker than Naruto and I. We don't need you falling too far behind," he said nonchalantly, tugging at her wrist and leading her out of the village into a section of the forest that was used for training and such.
Letting herself be dragged away, Sakura counted to ten in her head, and tried to calm herself down. Not only had he provided the biggest disappointment in her life, but he had also insulted her. If she had been herself, she would have yelled at him, defended herself. But for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Her whole mind had shut down, and she was now a lifeless doll being moved around. She followed him wordlessly, trying to start herself up again.
When they reached the clearing, he seemed satisfied with the spot he had picked. He let his hold on her wrist loosen, and soon, her arm was out of his grasp. Turning around, he glanced at the girl, about to ask her if she was ready.
But what he saw made his own heart break, like he had done to her so many times before.
Tears were welling up in Sakura's eyes, and he knew immediately that he was the one who brought them there. He took a step forward to comfort her, but when he moved, she let out a sob, putting her hands up as if to keep him away from her.
"No, no, no! Stay right where you are, Sasuke-kun! I won't let you play around with me like that!" she yelled out, and even though he was worried for her, a smile was trying to force its way onto his face.
She had called him Sasuke-kun.
So she still did have those feelings for him.
That's all he needed to know.
"Sakura, stop crying, please," he said, almost in an ordering manner, and she caught onto his tone. And to his surprise, she actually did stop crying.
For the time being.
Instead, rage replaced tears, and she instantly began to raise her voice. "I can't believe you Sasuke-kun! You dare tell me to stop crying! You think I wanted to cry? You think I wanted to be that weak in front of you? I told myself I wouldn't cry! I told myself I wouldn't be weak!" she shouted, taking another step back from him as tears began to fall once more.
"I also told myself I wouldn't stay in love with you. But you know what Sasuke-kun? Obviously, I couldn't do it! I'm just as weak as you think I am! Are you happy now?" she said with glassy eyes and a tear-stained face. As she continued to cry, she could feel her legs giving away, and in a second, her knees buckled and she fell to the ground.
Now that she was kneeling instead of standing, she was able to hold her head in her hands and pour her heart and soul out into her palms.
But suddenly, she felt herself becoming warmer and warmer, and looked up to see Sasuke in front of her, embracing her as if his life depended on it. She choked on a coming sob, and she heard him softly 'shhh' her. Burying her head into the crook of his neck, the tears kept falling, but now she was silent.
"Why, Sasuke-kun, why? Why are you tormenting me like this? I know what you think of me, I know I have no chance, yet you keep playing with me, toying with my feelings! Why do you do that?" she asked with a hiccup. She could feel his hands rubbing her back, as if trying to soothe her before his voice began to ring in her ear.
"Sakura, I'm glad you're weak."
She paused, unsure of how to take that, before she turned her head to look at him, and saw that he was intently gazing upon her broken form. "N-nani?" she asked, trying to figure it out on her own, but still as confused as before. A small chuckle escaped past his lips, and she listened intently as he gave his explanation.
"It's good that you're weak, because I can protect you," he said softly, brushing back a soft lock of hair off her face and behind her ear. Her breathing hitched for a moment, as she tried to process this information in her mind. And as if someone had just turn on a light in her head, it clicked.
Her eyes widened in realization, just as his had two days before.
But she wasn't going to jump to conclusions. She had to hear him say it. If she didn't, and this was all some sort of sick joke, she would never be able to fix her heart. It would have been broken beyond repair. Staring into his dark obsidian eyes, she watched with baited breath, silently urging him to continue on.
"Sakura, remember when we were genins, and we had our first day with Kakashi?" he asked, and she felt her suspicions were coming true. Why the sudden change of topic? Hoping that it had something to do with how he felt, she nodded slowly, holding back her scream of agony and replacing it with a soft "Hai".
Sasuke leaned forward, nuzzling her neck and inhaling deeply. She gasped slightly at the contact, tilting her head slightly to let him continue. During this, she felt her body go blissfully numb, as she waited for him to explain himself further.
Lifting his head only about an inch so that he could talk without hindrance, he spoke again, his voice becoming somewhat husky at this point. "Sakura, I had two goals in life. One was to avenge my family. You and I both know that this goal had been accomplished. Now, do you remember my other goal?" he asked, waiting patiently to let her recollect her thoughts before he kept going.
Sakura listened to him, and when he asked her this question, she could feel him hold onto her tighter, as if begging her to remember what he had said. With another feeble nod, she answered him. "H-hai, I do. It was to… To resurrect your clan…" she finished off rather quietly, wondering where he was going with this, but something in her mind told her that she already knew.
Sasuke lifted his head up even more, using his fingers to tilt her chin towards him so that they were looking each other in the eyes, mere inches apart. She could feel his warm breath on her skin, and knew instantly that she liked the sensation that it offered her. Getting caught up in the moment, she barely heard his next words. But luckily, she was able to catch them.
And she nearly fainted when she realized what he had just said.
"Sakura, I want to you to help me with this goal. I want to resurrect my clan with you and only you. I love you."
It had happened. Hell had frozen over. Time had stood still. Everything had been locked in place. Somehow, somewhere, someone had helped her get this far. Someone had finally made it possible. Sasuke, the last living heir to the Uchiha name, had admitted that he was in love.
And he was in love with her.
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste
It all revolves around you
And there's no mountain too high
No river too wide
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather
And stars may collide
But I love you until the end of time
It seemed like an eternity to Sasuke after he had finished his statement, and he waited for her to respond. By the look on her face, he was starting to get slightly worried. She wasn't saying anything. She was just staring at him. Had he been too late? Had she possible fallen out of love with him in such little time? Had he lost her fo-
But before he could finish his inner rant, something stopped him midthought, and it took him a moment to figure out what it was.
It was her lips.
Without warning, she had closed the gap in between them, her lips meeting his in a gentle yet passionate kiss. At first he was stunned, but soon, he rose to the challenge and held her tighter, returning the kiss with as much love as she had. He could feel her chest against his, how her body fit perfectly with his in such a simple embrace. He knew that this was the one he wanted to live his life with.
And she knew it too.
Come what may
Come what may
I will love you until my dying day
After what seemed like an eternity, they broke apart, both gasping for air slightly. Sakura could feel her cheeks flare, and knew she had to be red as ever. But she was able to keep a somewhat cool composure, but she nearly lost it as he kissed her again. This one wasn't as long as the first one. It was more of a reassurance kiss, as if trying to make sure that the first one hadn't been a fluke.
She put as much emotion into this one as she had the first, and when they broke apart this time, they were staring into each others eyes, not able to pull themselves away from the heavenly sight in front of them. The ice in hell had melted. Time was moving again. The locks had fallen off the doors to their hearts, and they had been opened to reveal a wonderful feeling that both of them had been so sure that they would never experience from the other.
Love.
Oh, come what may, come what may
I will love you, I will love you
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
As Sasuke continued to hold her, she smiled at him, and he felt his eyes soften at the sight. He knew that he wanted to wake up to that beautiful smile every morning if possible. He would not let her go.
"Sakura… Please stay with me."
Come what may
"I would never leave you."
Come what may
"I love you."
"I love you too."
I will love you
"And I'll never stop loving you."
"I know you won't."
Until my dying day
Without any more words shared between them, they picked themselves off the ground, still holding each other as close as possible. Sasuke leaned forward to brush the dirt off Sakura's clothes this time, and she was now running her fingers through his hair, something she had wanted to do for a long time now.
Two things had happened this day. Sasuke had learned what the consequences could be if one waits too long for something they know they want. Sakura had learned that one should never give up on what they care about, and that dreams do come true.
They walked out of the forest together, hand in hand, knowing that they would never forget the lessons that had been taught to them that day. And they also left knowing that no matter what, nothing could tear them apart.
Come what may…
They would never stop loving each other.
- - -
That's the end of the story. I hope you all enjoyed it, because it took me forever and a half to write it. I hope to write another story for you all soon, but only if this one was liked.
So please, leave a review and tell me what you think. Ja ne.
Miyuki