Two days later and there was still no sign of Sasuke.
Miruko hesitantly reached to rub Sakura's back, but the minute his fingers brushed her skin, she jumped and turned, angered, and slapped his hand away.
He recoiled, and walked out of the room, thinking she needed some time to herself, mumbling a heartfelt apology before exiting.
Realizing what she had done, a hand flew to her mouth, and she rushed after him, putting her hands on his shoulders, trying to stop him from leaving.
Since Sasuke's forced departure, no one had looked at her in the same way. Miruko was the only one who had accepted her silence and taken her back in.
Had she been grateful?
Had she run back into his arms, happy he was there?
No.
Instead, when they returned, she had treated him coldly, demanding things, ordering him around, shouting all the time and throwing cushions at him.
And he hadn't said a word.
He had been the one apologizing, he had been the one to take the blame.
"Miruko, I'm so sorry, please…" He continued to walk, shrugging her off his shoulders, moving into the kitchen at a quicker pace, yanking open the fridge and pouring himself a beer.
"Miruko…no! Don't drink! I'm sorry—"
He took a violent swig.
"Have I done something wrong, Sakura? Is it me? Is there something wrong with me?" He looked at her with a mix of desperation, torture, and anger, imploring her, burning her with his fierce gaze.
She crumpled to the floor and crawled to him, clawing at his knees, ripping the bottle from his hands and throwing it against the wall, causing it to smash into tiny pieces.
"It's my fault, Miruko, I don't know what's come over me…it's just that, after that—"
"That after you kissed that bastard over there, you realized what? You decided you actually like him better!"
"NO!"
"You want to go back and grovel at his feet to take you back?"
"NO!"
"Then what do you want to do, huh, Sakura? Go back and join in his scheme to kill the Uchiha that put aside our differences for you?"
Sakura stood up, shaking, and raised her hand, laying a smarting SLAP across his face.
His hand reached up to touch the reddening spot where she had hit him.
His head sagged, and he sighed, defeated.
"There are only so many times I can say I'm sorry, Sakura."
He heard a sob.
He looked up slowly, wearily, to see her crying, her face in her hands, standing there shaking like a leaf. Like the first time they met.
Suddenly, Sakura walked up to him, and he stood from his chair, his back pressed against the sink.
And then her lips were attached to his.
His eyes closed involuntarily, but his hands were left limp by his sides. Her kiss begged him to kiss her back, her touch begging his hands to roam her body. She was becoming desperate; it was apparent in the little whimpers she made, the grunts of frustration.
Caught up in what came to him in a whirlwind, he never realized the cold air hitting his legs as his jeans fell to the floor, until she shoved her hands down his pants.
Two minutes later, her back was pressed against the cupboard, both their hair a mess, fervent hands shimmying up the sides of her body, kissing her lovingly.
She knew it was wrong.
She knew she was using him.
But she couldn't help it.
Positive that Sasuke was dead, a part of her heart felt wrenched from its proper place.
She had worn it on her sleeve, and now it was on the ground, broken into a million different pieces.
And the only man that could put them back together was dead.
And as Miruko's gentle hands stroked her cheek twenty minutes later as they lay on the couch, draped in blankets, their skin giving off a healthy heat as they kept each other warm in the dead of the night, steady breathing giving them comfort, she couldn't help but start to push him away.
"What's wrong?" He whispered, his breath unintentionally tickling just underneath her ear, causing her to shiver pleasantly and press up against him.
"I don't know…it's just that…"
"Uchiha?"
She gulped, and nodded, expecting him to push her away in disgust, but instead, he held her closer.
"So do I."
She looked up, surprised.
"You…you do?"
He nodded, smiling.
"I miss how he used to make you smile."
He smiled a slow, sad smile and closed his eyes.
She clung to his shirt and cried herself to sleep.
Sasuke's funeral, next chappie!
Joking…but it might be…your call.
R&R.
AlternateEndings.