Empty Promises
He had promised to never hurt her. But she knew, she always knew that it was a promise that he could never keep.
She knew that he would come home from missions on schedule, like always, and would wonder why there wasn't the scent of tears on the pillows. She used to always cry herself to sleep, if she slept at all, when he had an A-class mission during the fist year or so of their marriage. But now, as he striped off his ANBU gear and laid down on their bed, the only thing that he could smell was the damning scent of fabric softener.
He always had a mask, but he could never see hers. He never saw the silent tears or the midnight walks she took out in the pouring rain just so that she wouldn't feel so numb, if ever just for a moment, without him at her side.
But this time, he didn't come home. He was three months late. He was never late coming home.
And it hurt. It hurt so bad.
The days and the nights melded into one long nightmare that she couldn't wake up from.
She'd spend hours on end sitting at the memorial stone talking to Rin and Obito. She knew that he wouldn't want them to be lonely.
All the while, her fingers would be tracing his name, forever engrave on that ice cold stone.
'Hatake Kakashi'
Her fingers have memorized every cure, every dip of the letters on her husband's name.
He will never know how many tears she has shed for him. He will never know how many tears she will shed because of him.
He had promised that he would never hurt her.
Then why does her heart ache because of his absence?
Why is the only light shining in her green eyes filled with pain and unshed tears when they were once filled with so much happiness?
"Come on Sakura-chan; let me at least treat you to ramen."
He had never dropped the –chan, even when she was married.
And everyday she would say, "Thank you, but I'm on my way to see Kakashi."
She would go and sit before that lonely stone and tell Kakashi and Rin and Obito about how the village was doing now that Sasuke was back for good and the war was finally over.
Afterwards, she would go home and lie on her bed. In her hands was a picture of Kakashi and herself on their wedding day. She remembers how they went into an empty room and she held the camera in one hand while the other was held up to his lips by his hand. His mask was down; his smile so beautiful.
But today, today was different. He has been gone a year today. Her students at the academy that she loved like she would her own had made a simple drawing for her that brought her to tears.
It was a scarecrow with silver hair.
She cut a limb from the planted in their backyard five years ago today on their wedding day.
It was covered in pink blossoms.
He said that their children will love to play under it was the flowers fell onto their hair.
She cut a calla lily from his favorite spot in the forest, where he took her when he proposed.
It's strong and beautiful, just like him.
He had proposed six years ago today.
He was supposed to come back on their anniversary.
But he didn't and it hurt so bad.
She sat there, leaning against that unforgiving stone. She watched the sun come up that day and she watched it cross the sky to sink below the other horizon. She watched the deep purple of the twilight sky fade into deep blue as midnight approached.
She fell asleep on that cold field to the light of the coming dawn.
O.oO.oO.o
If lovin is givin, a sequel shall be made!
tiff