Author's Note: I'm terribly sorry for not updating this fanfic for like three months. My school works really got in the way and made me very busy. And in addition to that, I got a major writer's block. But don't worry, I'm going to update this fic no matter what! Anyways, here's Chapter 4… Hope you'll like it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. They all belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Besides, if I own Naruto, then, I'll make Sasuke treat Sakura better.
Summary: They were childhood lovers separated by inevitable decision. After nine years, Fate brought them together again but got the wrong first impressions from each other. What's more is that they have to live in only one house… ALONE. Will love bloom again? Or is it the other way around?… In the end, will they ever say HOME SWEET HOME? Find out!
Pairings: mainly SasukeSakura… others include NarutoHinata, ShikamaruIno, and NejiTenten
Recap of the Previous Chapter
"I just want to apologize for what happened this morning. I really didn't mean to interrupt you while you were still there doing your stuff." he eyed her directly gazing at her jade eyes.
Onyx met jade.
"Uhmm, about that… I'm not angry at you anymore since… it was also my fault… Sorry." She said while breaking their eye contact and just stared at the floor.
He smiled knowing that she already forgave him. This kind of smile that was currently plastered upon his face was really one of a kind… the kind of smile that he would only give to one person… her.
"Then, apology accepted." he said, smirking in the process.
"You, too." She smiled and looked at him. This kind of smile that was also plastered upon her face was also one of kind… the kind of smile that she would also give to one person… him.
The sun was shining so brightly this day. It spreads luminosity even in the darkest alley in the city. The azure blue sky seemed so calm in the eyes of the young Uchiha who was at the moment watching the beauty of his surroundings outside the window next to him. He was in school right now, listening to his teacher's voice that most likely contradicted the sound of the birds chirping from a nearby tree. His head was resting on his left hand which was situated on top of his desk.
Kkkrrrriiiinnnggg
The birds were startled by the loud sound of the bell which signaled that the class was over. They immediately flapped their wings and flew away leaving some of their feathers behind. As soon as they left, the onyx eyes of their watcher traveled to a pink-haired girl seated right next to him. She was currently readying herself to leave the school campus. She sensed his stare and turned to look at her left side where she could see a full view of her seatmate, Uchiha Sasuke. She smiled and he gladly returned it with his own.
"Ne, Sasuke–kun, why are you still seated on your chair doing nothing? Come on, fix your things already." She said while walking towards him and began tugging his arm.
"I thought we're going to play in the playground after school today."
"We are. I'm just waiting for Iruka-sensei to arrive. He said he needs me to do something for him, maybe an extra assignment or something." He replied while getting slightly annoyed with all the tugging Sakura was doing.
"Will you stop yanking my arm now?"
"Oops! Sorry Sasuke-kun." She apologized, giving him a cute, apologetic smile whilst sticking her tongue out. He smirked at her behavior.
A few seconds had passed before the teacher that Sasuke was waiting for finally arrived.
"Sorry for waiting." Iruka-sensei said while entering their classroom. He didn't waste any precious seconds and immediately told Sasuke his purpose.
"I need to give you something." He said, gesturing his student to follow him. He walked out of the door.
He stood up and began exiting their classroom. Before he completely stepped out of their room, he glanced at Sakura and said: "Wait for me, okay?"
Sakura just nodded her head and grinned at him. Soon, she was alone in the room with the exemption of a few girls who were glaring at her. They were definitely members of Sasuke's fan club. She paid no heed to their glares and just sat down on her chair while looking downwards, directly towards her hands which were clutching her uniform. Then, there was a moment of silence. She could only hear now the sound of the footsteps of those girls which were vibrating the wooden floor below. She sensed that they were walking towards her. She kept her head low for she still needed to gain some confidence for herself. Her head perked up when one of them called her… more likely to mock her.
"Hey forehead-girl, it seems that you're abnormally large forehead grew larger today. What did you do? Bump your head again?" Asuka teased while giving a smug look. Her friends also did the same and started to make fun of Sakura.
"No. Maybe it's because that was her punishment for being friends with our Sasuke-kun."
"You're right. And I bet that Sasuke-kun only made friends with her because he pitied her."
"Look at her. She's so ugly, weak, and very annoying."
Sakura couldn't seem to handle those words that were thrown at her. Those words really made an impact to her. She lowered her head and tried to control the tears that were stinging her eyes. She felt so feeble and pathetic. Maybe what they said about her were all true. Maybe she was really ugly, weak and annoying. Maybe her Sasuke-kun, her only friend, her best friend, made friends with her because he pitied her.
Seeing her current state, Asuka and her three other friends started laughing at her. They really love to taunt her. They really love to make her cry. They really love to make her realize that she doesn't deserve their Sasuke-kun's attention. And, now, that their task was finished, they could go home contently.
"Let's go guys!" Asuka said leading the way out of their classroom. Soon, they left leaving Sakura all alone. However, their laughter still reverberated throughout the room.
Meanwhile…
Sasuke was walking back towards the room where he left his best friend. When he turned to his right, he saw four laughing girls leaving the said room. The moment they saw him, they started to flash him flirty looks and made some daft gestures just to capture his attention. As always, they were unsuccessful because there's only one girl who could do that. He rolled his eyes. Definitely, they're members of his not-proclaimed-and-not-recognized fan club. How he hated those girls who were part of it! They were always sending him those asinine looks trying to get his attention, stalking him, and the list goes on. But those were not the worst part yet. What's worst was the fact that they always mock and make his best friend cry. No one had the right to do that to her! No one…
He ignored them and continued his pace. When he reached their room, he immediately sought for Sakura. He found her sitting on her chair with her head hanged low. She didn't seem to notice him enter the room for there were no reactions coming from her. Something was definitely wrong. He could tell. That's why he decided to call her attention to know what it was that caused her to be like that.
"Sakura…?" he spoke her name in an audible whisper. He saw her flinch, obviously surprised that he was finally there. She slowly raised her head up to look at him.
"… Sasuke-kun… you're finally here." she said not looking at his face. She cast a sham smile at him to conceal her despondency. She hoped he would be fooled by it because if not, he would interrogate her until he got what he had wanted. She didn't want him to know what had happened a while ago. It's just too poignant to think of. However, too bad for her, Lady Fate wasn't on her side. The moment she smiled at him, he already knew that it was a fake one. He was her best friend damn it! Of course, he wouldn't be easily tricked by it. He knew her more than she could think of.
He was slightly indignant by her actions. However, he couldn't stay mad at her especially since something bad had happened to her that caused her to lose her cheery persona. He bet it had something to do with those girls he passed by a while ago. They seemed to be capable of doing something appalling to his best friend. But, what he's thinking was all just a hunch. He needed to know the truth and he could only get it from her. He finally decided to ask her about it. He looked at her sad face and asked…
"Sakura, what hap--" but before he could finish his sentence, he was blocked by Sakura.
"You told me we will go to the playground right? Let's go then." she said while standing up, still not bothering to look at his face. She grabbed her bag and immediately proceeded to go out of the room. It took him exactly ten seconds to register what she had said to him. He at once got his bag and went after her. She was about to step out of the room when she was pulled from the wrist.
"Hey Sakura, you don't have to hide anything from me. I know that there's something bad that happened to you while I was gone. I can tell by that sad look you're wearing… You can tell me about it. Come on, what's wrong with you?" he said having at first an angry tone but immediately turned to a soft one when he said the last two sentences. He didn't let go of her wrist and not planning to unless he got her answers.
She turned to face him and finally looked at his obsidian eyes. She bit her lower lip before making her riposte.
"…I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. It's just that I remembered something that made me sad that's all… I don't want to tell you about it because they were just some silly thoughts… You believe me, right?" she said while giving him a please-believe-me-and-don't-question-me-anymore look.
With that kind of look, he sighed and closed his eyes. He couldn't do anything anymore. He didn't want to force some answers out of her. That would be so not like him to her. He opened his eyes and sighed again. He decided to give in to her request and not interrogate her any longer.
"Aa" he replied.
"Thanks for believing me, Sasuke-kun." she said while giving him a small smile in return before looking down again.
'She was still not okay.' he thought glumly. He needed to do something to make her happy again. But what? Suddenly, an idea popped on his tiny head which caused him to cast a childish smirk.
'She will really be happy after this.' he thought gleefully.
"Hey, Sakura…" he said while grinning, still holding her wrist. She looked up at him and motioned for him to continue what he was saying. However, instead of continuing his speech, he gently dragged her out of their classroom. She was very puzzled at where they were going. She decided to ask him about it.
"Where are we going?" she managed to speak while being dragged away by her best friend.
"You'll know once we get there. Just come with me, okay?" he replied while leading her towards that place in their school.
After a few turns and a flight towards the stairs, they finally arrived at the place where Sasuke had led her to. They entered the room and Sakura grew more baffled each second.
"Why are we here in the Music room?" she asked while eyeing the said room. She immediately took notice of the grand piano that was situated at the center of the room which was surrounded by chairs. She moved closer to the instrument and touched it slightly. She closed her eyes and imagined herself playing the piano. Unfortunately, she still doesn't know how to play one. She opened her eyes when Sasuke turned on the lights to the room. He walked towards the piano as well. He sat at the stool and touched the keyboard. He, then, motioned for Sakura to seat beside him. After that, he answered her question.
"I'm going to play you a song since you're feeling sad… Hope this will cheer you up."
He then began playing the piano with such expertise. She was surprised to know that he could play the instrument. The last time they went in this room, he told her that he didn't know how to play it. She believed him of course. But then, when did he start attending piano lessons?
She shook her head. She shouldn't be thinking these thoughts especially since his best friend was playing her a song. She couldn't explain what she's feeling once she heard it. It was so beautiful… so heavenly. But what's more was that she knew that song. She just couldn't remember what it was. She closed her eyes and let the sound penetrate her mind. The moment she closed her eyes, she finally recalled what song it was. It was the song that her mother used to serenade her before going to sleep. She remembered that she too would hum it to her best friend. That thought brought a genuine smile to her face.
Even though he put all his concentration in playing the piano, he could still gaze at her. He smiled when he saw that she was smiling and was back to her cheery demeanor. His plan was indeed a success. He was originally planning to keep this a secret until her birthday though. But, what the heck! He needed to do this now. He'll just think of other surprises for her on her birthday. Right now, what's more important was that she was happy again and had forgotten about her worries a while ago.
He stopped playing when he felt Sakura's slender arms wrapped around his neck. He looked down at her and noticed that she was crying. But he knew all too well that the tears she shed were tears of happiness and maybe… contentment. He brought his arms on her back and hugged her in return. She smiled at this before saying…
"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."
Home Sweet Home
by Celestartial Blossoms
Chapter 4: Melody of Memories
He woke up at exactly five o' clock in the morning to prepare their meals for the day. It was now his turn to do the cooking as scheduled. So, he languidly sat up on his bed and stretched his arms. He messed up his hair a little before wearing his slippers and went toward his cabinet to get a dark blue towel. He walked towards the door and turned the knob so he could step out of his room, going straight to the bathroom next to it. When he was inside the bathroom, he immediately locked the door remembering the accident that occurred yesterday. That thought brought a blush on his handsome face. He stripped off all of his clothing and placed it inside his separated laundry bin. He walked towards the shower and closed the curtains. Myriad numbers of water droplets could be heard and steam could be seen coming out of the room.
When he was done taking a shower, he immediately proceeded to his room and changed into his school uniform. He left the first three buttons from the top of his polo shirt undone. After a while, he decided to leave his room and go downstairs towards the kitchen where he would prepare their meals. He was about to go down when he decided to check on someone.
He walked towards the last room on the left and stopped when he was in front of the guest room door. He hesitated to open the door at first but his desire to check up on her won in the end. He slowly placed his right hand on the knob and turned it slightly. Fortunately, she didn't lock her door when she slept last night. He opened it silently and gradually until he could see her sleeping form. It was a good thing since she was facing the door when she was sleeping. That's why he could see clearly her sleeping face because of the light that penetrated the opened door. She looked so peaceful and… breath-taking. Yeah, that's right! She was just like a sleeping angel.
Right now, he could only think of coming closer to her bed and caress her face. He also had the desire to tuck those lose bangs away from her face. But he couldn't do that. If she woke up and found him there, there would be a lot of explaining to do. Besides, she might think of him as a pervert and create some distance between the two of them. He hated to admit it but he really didn't want that to happen. He wouldn't take it if his still-called best friend would walk out of his life again. Never!
After a minute or two, he closed the door of her room feeling satisfied. He really needed to cook their breakfast and lunch on the dot for he already wasted his precious time watching her sleep. He smiled when he thought that it was all worth it.
The door to the guest room of the Uchihas opened from the inside to reveal a very cheery pink-haired girl clad in her school uniform. She looked at her wrist watch and read the time. It was now six forty-five in the morning, time for her to go down. But before walking out from her room, she got her bag and some other things.
The moment she passed by the raven-haired teenager's room, she remembered her dream a while ago. She dreamt of a time in her sleep when her bedroom door creaked open. Then, suddenly a blinding light coming from the opened door caused her eyes to twitch a bit in annoyance. But right after that, she could at that time sense a pair of eyes watching over her. Instead of being terrified, she felt the opposite. She felt happy and contented. She finally felt someone watching over her, somewhat protecting her, other than her mother. She smiled at the feeling she experienced. She hoped that everyday in her dream her mysterious guardian would do that to her. That would certainly be a bliss!
She went down the stairs and without delay proceeded to the kitchen. She found Sasuke in there. Her happiness about her dream was immediately replaced by amazement. She eyed him and blushed at his appearance. For her, he looked so handsome when he was clad in an apron covering his uniform. He, of course, noticed that a pair of eyes was watching him. He felt slightly infuriated at the fact that he was being watched. He didn't stop what he was doing when he said to her…
"Could you stop staring at me now? It's getting annoying." he said in an exasperated voice. She blushed in embarrassment after being caught in the act so she decided to change the subject.
"S-sorry… Anyways, what's for breakfast?" she asked while walking towards him. She instantly caught sight of their bento boxes. She noticed that they had different viands. She decided to inquire him about it.
"Hey, why do we have different foods? It's not fair!" she pouted and looked at him. He stopped what he was doing and frowned at her.
"Have you forgotten what happened yesterday during lunch? We almost got caught thanks to OUR same foods that YOU made." he answered sarcastically remembering that their friends almost figured out that they have some sort of connections with each other (worst was that they were living together without an adult to supervise them). He sighed and went back to what he was currently doing. Thanks to his excuse that it was merely a coincidence, their secrets were left hidden for now.
Realizations dawned upon her.
"Hehehe… guess I forgot." she said timidly while twiddling with her fingers, a blush evident on her face. How could she forget! She's not even an adult to be that forgetful, right? Covering her embarrassment, she decided to change the subject… again.
"Anyway…" she began but got caught when she eyed the food that Sasuke was about to place in his bento box. It's one of her favorite foods.
'…Shrimp Tempura.' At the thought of that food, inner Sakura was now drooling hungrily inside her other self's mind.
"… Can I have one of those?" she asked not taking her jade eyes off that food.
"No." he replied as soon as the question left her mouth.
"Why not!" she whined while pouting at him, bringing her hands to rest upon her waist.
"That's my favorite food!" she continued to moan, her cute pout still evident on her beautiful face.
"No."
"Why not! Please Sasuke. Onegai!" She brought her hands together and began pleading for him to say yes with a matching puppy dog eyes. He grew more irritated each second. He really wanted to stop this childishness of hers right now so he faced her and planned to snap at her. For Pete's sake, his patience was running out! But then, the moment he looked at her pleading face, his stoic features softened and managed to smile inwardly at the girl in front of him, thinking that…
'She's still immature just like before when we were kids… I guess she hasn't changed completely… I'm glad…'
Even though one of his weak spots was to see his best friend's puppy dog eyes, he really fought the urge not to give in. He had to! It's for her own good!
"Onegai!"
"I said no."
"Why not?"
"You're allergic to shrimps, remember!" he hissed.
She was really surprised that he could still remember that little information about her. It's been nine years since she had left, yet, he knew so many things about her up to now. She smiled to herself… She hoped so!
"… Hai. But even though… I still love them. Besides, my allergies aren't that serious. Plus, I have my medicine with me." she replied in a matter-of-factly voice.
Sasuke was thoughtful for a moment about what she had said. Sakura noticed this and thought that there's a high possibility that she may win their battle. She grinned brightly. Her inner mind was dancing with joy. Besides, no one could resist her irresistible puppy dog eyes. Even the iciest of hearts, like the raven-haired boy in front of him, couldn't do it… She really hoped so!
"My answer is still a no and I won't change my mind."
Her grin turned into a scowl. Her inner mind stopped dancing and began shedding waterfalls tears. Unfortunately, her act didn't succeed, which means that even the iciest of hearts could refuse to give in to those eyes.
At Konoha University…
Sasuke arrived in their school first before Sakura did. He left her alone in their house right after a series of petty squabbles that they had during breakfast. It's not a big deal actually because one of them had to leave first before the other to prevent their secret to be revealed to the public especially to the school's authority. If ever they found out, that means they would be kicked out of school for doing such offensive acts. Their just sixteen for Pete's sake!
He was about to enter the school's campus when half of the girls' population in their school were all waiting for him to do their usual habits. He had to pick up his pace to avoid all those girls from pestering, annoying, and swooning all over him. Up to now, he still couldn't believe that he could get these so much attention when in fact he was not a famous actor or a notable singer in their country. Girls!
After several minutes of escaping his fan girls, he went inside their classroom and thanked God that there weren't so many people in the room yet. He sat at his respective seat next to the window and settled his bag to his side. He could see the idiotic grin a certain blond-haired guy was giving him as he was currently walking towards him. He ignored him and looked at the window which gave him a full view of the entrance gate of their school. He turned his gaze to a certain pink-haired girl who was mobbed by her own fan boys outside. He also couldn't believe why many boys were giving her so much attention when in fact she was just a new student. Unconsciously, he was giving each one of those males a deadly glare and was thinking about stuffs such as 'they don't know her so get away from her' and 'you're all idiots for liking her' and even 'what to do with you all?' while giving a very lethal glare. These stuffs didn't go unnoticed to the cerulean-eyed guy who was now beside him trying to get his attention away from the sight outside the window.
"Sasuke-teme! Are you listening to me! I said…" Naruto yelled on top of his lungs which made all the people around them to look at them both and was cut off when Sasuke told him to shut up.
"You can't do that to me, Sasuke-teme!" the cerulean-eyed retorted back.
Sasuke smirked which irritated Naruto even more. "I already did dobe."
Before the two of the most handsome guys got into a fight with each other, they were interrupted by the sudden appearance of their new classmate. She was standing in front of their classroom door with one hand clutching it while the other was on her knee. She was sweating and panting heavily. It's a good thing though that she still looked beautiful and fresh despite of all the running she did to flee from her fan boys.
Naruto turned his full attention to his pink-haired friend while smiling one of his brightest smiles. He at once had forgotten about his previous fury to his ice-cube friend. He waved his arm enthusiastically gesturing her to take her seat on her chair which was two chairs away from him.
"Good morning, Sakura-chan!" he greeted her ardently as he saw her coming their way. She greeted him back including Sasuke who was eyeing her with disinterest as always before she took her seat next to him. Fortunately enough, she got herself a five-minute break before their Math teacher arrived.
At the gym…
Right after their Math teacher had dismissed them, they immediately proceeded to the changing rooms where they changed into their comfortable uniforms for their Gym class. Today, they were going to have a practical test on Archery to test if they'd learn something from the past days' lessons and practices. If ever they failed to hit at least one bull's eye, then, they have to face the dire consequences. They would have to run fifty laps around the race track for not less than twenty minutes.
"That is the power of the spring of youth!" Their teacher justifiably and weirdly reasoned out.
Speaking of their teacher, he just arrived in his favorite spandex suit. After greeting those students who were present, he began doing his push ups while waiting for the others. Then all of a sudden, his favorite student, Lee, joined him. He was so touched that he began to cry and so was Lee. All those people who'd seen the two sweat dropped and rolled their eyes.
Sasuke and some of his classmates were already there, preparing their needed equipments. Some were making sure that their bows were fixed while a few of them were positioning the target. All of them including their teacher, except the raven-haired lad stopped what they're doing when the girls entered the gymnasium. All of their eyes were focused to only one girl… their new classmate. Right after they saw her with her two friends, silence filled the whole place. This eerie silence caught the attention of our raven-haired lad that he had to stop what he was doing and looked at the scene before him. The moment he saw her, he too, had his jaw dropped though unseen by the people around him.
'I must admit that she looks more beautiful in a high ponytail.' he complimented her in his thoughts. Half a minute had passed before few of them whistled at her, invited her on dates, and so on.
"You must be the new student." Gai-sensei walked towards Sakura.
"Ahh, just like I suspected…" he observed her closely before continuing "…you have the flame of youth in your body…"
He did his famous pose showing his perfect white teeth that could blind everyone literally. Sakura scratched her head and sweat dropped. Ino whispered that he always says that to new students as a form of greeting or something which she too wasn't sure about, so, she need not worry. Then, a brown-haired boy walked towards their teacher and asked him a question which made him recover from his earlier pose.
"Hey sensei, since Sakura-chan is new here and we're having our test on archery…" he eyed the girl with hearts in his eyes… definitely a fan boy. "… do you mind if I teach her?"
The bowl-cut teacher pondered the boy's suggestion. He was extremely happy at the fact that his own student was willingly volunteering himself to help his fellow student. Truly, the flame of youth was flaring intensely within their souls. He might as well agree with him. But before he could answer the boy's offer, lots of them came all at the same time.
"You can't teach her. You're not good enough," a boy retorted. Then, another one…
"You can't even shot a bull's eye. Let me help her instead," and another one…
"No, you can't! I'm much better than any of you. Pick me instead!"
"No, Gai-sensei… Pick me! Pick me! I'm the BEST remember! THE BEST! Better than Sasuke-teme…" Naruto yelled which earned him a hit on his head from the one and only THE Uchiha Sasuke.
Soon, every boy charged Gai-sensei, demanding him to accept their own offers instead. The teacher was panicking intensely. Sweat came pouring down his face like rain which soaked his green attire. What will he do now? What CAN he do? Who will he choose?
He eyed his students frantically from left to right at a fast pace. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. He stopped himself from doing that when he heard a SWOOOSH sound coming right straight at him. It's going to hit him! He panicked and so was everyone else!
3
2
1
It missed!
Bull's eye
He missed it for a mere inch. Thank goodness he wasn't hit or else he would be dead right now. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth and he looked at his back to find who did that. He was going to teach that person a lesson, a very unforgettable lesson. But he couldn't bring himself to do that since that person was no other than the greatest Archer on this class…
Uchiha Sasuke
"There's no need to teach her how to play this sport. She already knew how to." Sasuke said monotonously as always.
"Right?" he whispered to her when he saw that she was at his side. He only got a smirk from her for a reply and that was already enough. Upon seeing a pile of spare arrows and bows from the benches, Sakura bended down and got her own set of bow and arrow. She positioned the arrow into the bow and pulled it. She concentrated at her target and SWOOOSH! It's a bull's eye! Everyone was impressed at her. She moved with such ease and from the looks of it, she was veteran just like Sasuke.
"…Cough Cough… It looks like she won't need an instructor after all. Now, let's get the youth's flame burning!" Gai-sensei said. He grouped them into pairs and fortunately, Sasuke and Sakura were partners. Both partners were going to compete with each other. Whoever will have the most bull's eye would win.
"Hey Sakura, let's make this test even better…" Sasuke suggested while smirking.
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked innocently.
"Let's make a bet, shall we?" the smirk on his face got even bigger. "Whoever loses this game will have to volunteer to clean the whole classroom for a week ALONE… What can you say to it?"
"Hmm…" she ponders for a while before giving him a grin. "…Sure… sounds fun to me! But mind you, I WILL not lose to you."
"I know that." He continued smirking which she found rather cute about him.
Their game had commenced already. Both had the same determination not to lose this game. Both of them, too, possessed the same skill and confidence that they would win it. And so far, both of them had the same score and hadn't missed a bull's eye. Their classmates that had been watching them were really amazed at the fact that they thought that they were watching a live competition in the Olympics.
'This will take a while.' The two had same thoughts plaguing their minds.
It was now Sakura's twelfth shot and, unfortunately, her last one. Sweat was dripping down her flawless face. She positioned her bow and arrow and was now ready to take her shot. Unfortunately, when she was about to do that, a butterfly from who-knows-where-it-came-from flew right at the path where she had directed her arrow. Losing her concentration, she awkwardly shot her arrow and missed her target.
"It missed." she whispered desolately while biting her lower lip.
Sasuke couldn't believe that she had missed her target for the first time again since when they were still young. He knew that she did that unintentionally. Instead of being happy for her missed shot, he felt the opposite. He positioned himself for his last shot. Everyone who was watching was feeling excited as to who will win it. This last shot would mean a victory for him or a tie which seemed impossible for the girl since she knew that he hadn't missed any shots yet. She knew that she had already lost.
On the contrary, was it Lady Fate or was it done intentionally that… he, too, had MISSED his last shot.
'What happened?' she thought not believing her eyes.
Everyone was silent. Sasuke had no emotions displayed upon his face. He was emotionless again. It seemed that he didn't mind what happened. And, it was their teacher who broke the silence.
"… I guess… we have a tie here…"
Lunch Time…
The bell had rung five minutes ago. Sakura was still too dazed about what happened earlier during Gym class. They had a tie. This only meant that they would have to clean their classroom for a week. Was it really just her or was Lady Fate really playing tricks on her? First, she met Sasuke in a very unfortunate way. Second, she learnt that she had to live with him alone. Then, he had to see her half-naked yesterday… And, the only thing that she could do now was to sigh. Here she goes again! She was again thinking unnecessary thoughts. But there seemed to be a question that was intriguing her so much.
'… Did Sasuke miss his last shot intentionally? Hmm… Nah! Impossible…' she kept pondering.
'What if he did?' her inner mind answered back.
'That's impossible! I mean… he's the one who suggested the bet so I'm sure that he's very confident to win… Besides, what could be a good reason for him to miss it?' she retorted.
'You're a good reason for him to do that…'
'You must be kidding me?… He never did that before… When we were kids, he taught me how to play it. Then, when I learned how to, he always challenged me in a match. I always lose of course. We never had a tie.' She thought miserably.
'I know that. But, there's still a possibility. Anyway, why don't you just ask him?'
'Uhmm… Maybe I will.'
With that thought, she stood up determinedly and got her bento box inside her bag. She searched for her friends and saw them talking to Naruto and Shikamaru which was a good thing for her. She made a side long glance and saw Sasuke in his usual sitting position with his eyes closed and a seemingly bored expression. She was about to ask him when her friends interrupted her.
"Hey Sakura-chan… Sasuke-teme, we'll eat at the roof top today." a hyper blond-haired boy exclaimed.
"Yeah! Let's go now, Sakura!" yelled Ino.
"… coming…" Sakura said in a dismissive tone before following her friends out of the room.
'I'll just ask him later at home.'
Sasuke got up from his chair holding his own bento box and journeyed his way up to the roof top together with his friends. Upon opening the door to the said place, the wind welcomed them with a blow that swayed and disheveled their hairs. There weren't many students around so they easily saw the rest of their gang who were waving at them to catch their attentions. They immediately went there, said their greetings, and sat where ever they wanted to.
Sakura took her seat next to Sasuke not just because there's no place left in their circle position but also because she wanted to as well. Before opening her bento box, the events of this morning resurfaced her thoughts. She gritted her teeth unconsciously remembering their argument about the shrimp. He was very vicious when he didn't agree to give her some of her favorite food even if she was allergic to it. What's the use of medicines, right? Besides, it IS only a minor allergy. He didn't have to make a big deal out of it.
'Darn him!' she cried inwardly. She stole a glance at his bento box and noticed that he wasn't opening his yet.
'What's gotten into him? Isn't he hungry? Well, I am so I better eat this up…' she thought before untying the heart-designed cloth that was covering hers. When she was done, she opened her bento box and a letter was seen right before her very eyes. She read it and it said:
"You better take your medicines right after you've eaten your lunch or else… I already readied them for you so you'll not have anymore excuses. Understand?"
She didn't have to guess whom it came from because she was absolutely sure who wrote it. She recognized his neat handwriting from any where.
Yes.
It came from him.
She smiled genuinely at him while clutching the piece of paper close to her heart, completely unseen by everybody except Sasuke of course. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes just in time to witness the scene that made his heart skip a beat and have a tinge of red on his cheeks… She was actually smiling sweetly at him just like the good old times, the first one since she got back.
'Why am I feeling like this? What's wrong with me?… She's just my childhood best friend and nothing more. Damn it!' he reprimanded himself while unconsciously stealing a glance at the pink-haired beauty. He decided to open his own bento box and began eating his lunch since she was already half way done with hers.
'Delicious! I better thank Sasuke for this later.' Sakura exclaimed to herself.
Things went smoothly after the whole gang's lunch at the roof top. Nothing out of the ordinary happened to them… well, except for the getting restless fan club of both Sasuke and Sakura who kept on chasing after them like a media reporter would chase a famous actor or an actress just to get a big scoop. It seemed like their fans all over the school had learned the neck-to-neck archery competition that the two had earlier and because of that, they sought after them just to ask if they could teach them a thing or two about it which they knew would appear for the upcoming Sports Competition.
'Heck, it's as if Gai-sensei hasn't taught them yet the sport!' Sakura's inner mind exclaimed as she was trying to listen assiduously to her History teacher's lecture about the French Revolution. Her teacher was actually good in explaining these things. She would always elucidate every single detail. However, her voice was so soft that's why it's barely decipherable by the students seating at the back. She scanned her other classmates and found them not caring what the discussion was about. They were chatting, sleeping or near to sleeping, eating, reading a comic book, yawning… At the mention of the word "yawn", she couldn't help but to do that too. Now, she's sure that yawns were in fact contagious. After a minute of copying and jotting down some important notes from her sensei's lecture for that day, the school bell had finally rung indicating the end of their class. All students started to fix their things and leave the room immediately.
"Hey, Sasuke…" Sakura whispered softly interrupting him from fixing his bag.
"Hn?" He replied without even glancing at her and continued putting his belongings inside his bag.
"I'm going to the library today to lend some Mystery books I can read at home. I'll be a little late in preparing our dinner, okay?" She spoke quietly avoiding others to hear their conversation that might reveal their secret. She stood up right after saying her riposte and zippered her bag. She was about to leave without hearing his reply when he stopped her from leaving.
"I might as well come with you…" He started faintly after losing an internal battle with his inner self debating whether he'll go with her or not.
She was slightly flabbergasted when he said that. It was uncharacteristically of him to do it and he certainly knew that fact. Since she returned here, she realized that he became more insensitive and cold just like the little boy he was when she first spotted him before introducing herself in front of their kindergarten class, the same time when they haven't been friends yet. And as of now, their status was like that. They weren't comfortable with each other up till now.
Sasuke saw a glint of confusion and shock as he was staring at her jade eyes. He immediately finished what he was saying to evade any more confusions and queries she might ask later.
"…since I don't have anything else to do at home and I DON'T want to cover you up from doing YOUR chores just like yesterday." He said flatly hoping that she'll buy his alibi.
"Oh, I see. Let's go then!" He heard her say before flashing him a smile and proceeded to bid farewell to her friends.
When they were out of the room, they walked side by side towards their destination in utter silence. Because Sakura wasn't accustomed to this, she decided to have a short conversation with Sasuke.
"Uhh, Sasuke…" She started lightly while facing him with a cheery smile.
"Hn?" He replied not bothering the small talk she was doing.
"…What do you want for dinner today?" She asked.
"Whatever. It doesn't matter to me anyway." He answered curtly upon seeing a figure of a man he knew all too well approaching them. He narrowed his eyes and gripped his bag a little tighter than usual knowing that his rival was coming.
"Hey, Sakura-san… Sasuke-san." the pearl-eyed guy greeted them.
"Hello, Neji-san!" Sakura greeted back, smiling at him. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to the library to do my research." Neji answered.
"Really? We're going there too." She inquired him with a lot of enthusiasm at her voice. He smiled at this which caused the Uchiha to clench his bag so tight that it might be destroyed any time soon.
'Oh, great! Just great!' He exclaimed inwardly while watching the both of them conversing with each other forgetting that he was there with them. He gazed intently at their backs following them down the hallways and towards their destination. Every time his eyes landed on the back of his rival, he would glare daggers at him. But, he didn't want to join in with their conversation nor did he want to eavesdrop at what they're talking about.
No!
It wasn't his character to do that.
The only possible thing for him to do at the moment was to let them be and mind his own business even if he didn't want to actually.
He looked at his surroundings to divert his attention away from the two. It was the first time this day that he noticed the vicinity of their school. It seemed rather quiet and vacant than usual. There weren't many students loitering and chatting around the hallways, a habit they must do before leaving their campus. Come to think of it, the members of his fan club were nowhere in sight… and so were hers.
'This could mean trouble.' He pondered charily thinking of the possibilities that his fan club would do to him. He wasn't getting paranoid or anything mind you. He was just so sure that something would happen later. To prove his point, a sudden gust of wind came hurdling down their way which made him cringe a little. Oh how he hated and was disgusted with those bimbos!
They were now walking up the stairs onto the next floor where their library was located when Sakura lost her balance. Sasuke, too engrossed with what he's thinking, saw it just at the nick of time. He was about to catch her like what he always did when they were just a kid when Neji beat him to it. Neji caught her arms gently but firmly and pulled her towards him encircling his arms around her form before Sasuke could react and before she could fall down onto his own awaiting arms. Neji steadied the girl in his arms without letting her go and just stared at her intently as she was staring back at him lost in their own worlds.
Sasuke was now agitated and infuriated by the sudden turn of events. He bowed his head in defeat and was glad that his bangs covered the emotions he was feeling. Just a while ago, his rival and his childhood friend were conversing happily much to his own disbelief and now, they were embracing each other! But that's not all! He could see a tinge of red upon her cheeks and on closer examination, he could without a doubt witness that they're both enjoying their position. Without thinking rationally, he perked his head up and glanced at them for the last time. He clenched his fists until it turned white and left the two in peace. He wasn't needed anymore so he better go home immediately.
'I hate what I'm feeling!' he confessed to his inner self while walking in a fast pace away from them. He was pissed of and his face showed it immensely.
'… I don't even know why am I feeling this way…' he trailed off and heaved a deep sigh.
'One word… Jealousy!' His inner self replied.
'No! It can't be! Why would I be jealous? She's just my childhood friend whom I haven't seen for a long time… Besides, she doesn't mean anything to me…' His voice getting softer and gloomier each time.
'Really?' His inner self asked him in a mocking voice with a derided smile to match it.
'… Well, okay! I do care for her just a little bit!' He admitted painfully.
'Whatever you say…'
'… If ever what you're saying is true that I do feel jealous… It must be because I failed to save her just like in the past… and what I failed to do is what my rival did… instead of me…' He continued.
'It can't be help and you know it… Why don't you--' His inner self wasn't able to finish whatever he was supposed to say when she arrived and called his name.
"Hey Sasuke!… Sasuke, wait for me!" She called out to him repeatedly but it seems that he was ignoring her.
'What's wrong with him?' She asked mentally while quickening her pace to catch up with him. The moment she realized that he left her without even saying goodbye or anything for that matter, she hurriedly removed herself from Neji's embrace, excused herself, at the same time thanked him for what he did. She's been searching him for a while now.
"Sasuke, wait up!" Finally, she caught up with him. She grasped his arm lightly and asked him where he was going.
"I'm going home." He replied curtly while removing her grasp from his arm.
"But--" Before she could retort something at him, she was interrupted by the sudden shaking movement of the floor beneath them and loud stomping of myriad feet coming towards them. They both faced the direction of these noises slowly while sweating really hard. They knew who were coming at them and they were dreading each moment of it.
"THERE THEY ARE!" shouted an auburn-haired girl leading a hundred of admirers from their own fan clubs.
With that said and without further ado, the two sprinted and ran as fast as they could away from those crazed admirers. They didn't know where they were going or care for that matter as long as they would be brought to a safe place by their feet. Their minds shouted like a mantra the word RUN, RUN, RUN repeatedly. They could feel that their admirers were getting so close to them. They turned the corner immediately and found an opened door. They went inside the room and locked the door fast wishing that they wouldn't be seen. They could here the ear shattering noises of undying confessions thrown at them against the door. They leaned against the door and waited until they're completely gone.
A solitary figure hidden in the shadows of the corridor was watching his two popular students getting mobbed by their demented admirers. A while ago when he was about to go at the Faculty room, he accidentally saw them headed towards the fourth floor. There were three of them actually. The sole girl lost her balance and was caught by the boy next to her from falling down the stairs. At this, his covered face became serious and his lips turned into a grim line. But that was only for a moment, his straight lips soon turned into a smirk seeing the young raven-haired Uchiha seething in anger and jealousy. He wasn't surprised when that furious boy left. He knew his character pretty well and this was exactly the reason why he followed them since earlier.
He cast a victorious smirk when he saw them heading towards the opened room he left for them. All was going straight into his plan. He took a key from his pants' pocket and his smirk grew into a devious one. He walked towards the room after the commotion was over. His mind kept screaming the words 'time to do the last phase of the plan'.
'They'll thank me for this one day.' he thought while holding back a series of Machiavellian laughter that were about to come out.
Meanwhile…
Sakura took this opportunity to gaze at the room where they were in and found herself at the exact place where Sasuke took her to cheer her up when they were still a kid.
'… the music room…' She thought blissfully while reminiscing the time when Sasuke first played her a song… a song they both knew. She smiled a little remembering how she was touched by his simple gesture that really meant so much to her up till now. She searched for the grand piano and found it still in the center of the room with the chairs surrounding it.
'Nothing changed much…' she recalled and went near the grand piano. She traced the delicate instrument gently still recollecting the song that he played just for her. She moved to sit at the stool reserved for the pianist and opened the cover of the keyboard. She fingered the keys lightly knowing that she hasn't learned how to play that instrument yet. She could but she refused. She remembered the time when her father asked her about this, but then, she declined his Dad's offer. The reason was simple. It was because she wanted her best friend to be the one who's playing it for her. Even if she does manage to play it, she wouldn't be happy knowing that the one playing wasn't him.
"They're gone now." Sasuke said tersely interrupting her train of thoughts. He turned around and found Sakura sitting at the stool where they once sat in the past. He, too, began reminiscing the exact memory that she was thinking. He remembered all too well the song that he first played at her. Actually, that song was the first one he learned ever since he started taking up his piano lessons. His teacher was infuriated back then when he refused to learn first the basic songs for beginners like him. He insisted on learning thatsong and refused to listen to his teacher's plead. At the end, of course, he got what he wanted.
The first song he played to her was the first one he learned to play solely for her.
"Do you know how to play the piano now?" He asked, his voice still sounded a little pissed.
"Uhmm, no." She replied softly while avoiding his gaze.
'I'm hoping you'll play it for me.' She added as an afterthought.
Her reply was followed by utter silence. They didn't want to say anything for they didn't know what to say to each other. Sakura was contemplating to herself whether she'll ask him to play something for her while Sasuke, on the other hand, was reflecting if he'll play something to her or not. After some time, he chose the latter. He wanted to play her that song but he was discouraged by what he saw earlier. He still couldn't accept the fact that he didn't help her. And that caused him to see the spark emanating from the two.
"I'm leaving." He retorted as he faced his back to her. He proceeded to walk towards the door and unlock it. He grabbed the door knob and began to turn it. Unfortunately, it wouldn't budge.
"Shit!" he cursed silently while jamming the door open with all his strength left.
"What's wrong Sasuke?" She asked while standing up and going towards him. Worry evident in her lovely jade eyes.
"The door wouldn't open. I think we're locked from outside" came his answer.
"What!" she screamed in utter disbelief.
"You heard me. Don't make me repeat my words." he retorted completely annoyed at the girl he's stuck with.
"What are we going to do? It's getting late already." she said fretfully.
"Let's just wait here until someone found out that we're here." he replied logically while leaning his back against the wall, crossing his arms near his chest at the same time.
Sakura sat back on one of the chairs surrounding the grand piano. She looked at her hands which were situated atop of her thighs regretting the situation they were in. The two teenagers kept their position like that until Sakura remembered a question that's been bugging her since earlier.
"Hey Sasuke, why did you leave me behind earlier? I thought we're going to the library together but then, you left us without saying anything." She asked looking straight at his manly figure on the wall while pouting her lips.
"It's none of your business." He retorted quickly.
"But it IS my business."
"Really now?" He answered back sarcastically as he closed his narrowed eyes imagining what happened earlier.
"Yeah!" She gritted her teeth and raised the volume of her voice for his foul and insensitive attitude. She was only asking him a question. Why was he so worked up! She couldn't believe him. She was stupid enough to deem that somehow they're relationship was going back to the way it's supposed to be back then. Now she knew that she's wrong!
She kept on muttering inaudible words continuously when she heard someone playing the piano. She looked up and saw the raven-haired boy positioned in front of the colossal instrument playing a song that she didn't quite recognize. It wasn't their song either. Nevertheless, the way he played the notes of that song was so awesome that her anger towards him subsided fast. She closed her eyes and let the melody penetrate her mind.
Sasuke hid a smirk when she stopped her annoying mutterings and listened to the song he's playing. He didn't actually know the reason why he went towards the piano and played her a song. All he knew was he hated having a fight with her especially if he's the one who started it. All of a sudden, he felt her nearing him. He continued what he's doing, completely ignoring the fast beating of his heart when she sat down on the same stool he's sitting at. He was expecting her to say anything to him but his expectation turned futile. She just kept her mouth shut while eyeing the keys of the piano.
Several minutes had passed before the ethereal sky turned into a lovely shade of orange indicating that the sun was soon setting, preparing to rest and let the great moon take over. He was still playing the instrument he loved best whereas Sakura remained to be silent. He didn't bother to glance at her direction since earlier, not because he was still angry at her. No! He finally realized that what he's been doing to her was so childish. It must be because, he thought, it would be embarrassing if she caught him staring at her or anything close to that.
His contemplation was interrupted when he felt a sudden weight resting on his left shoulder. He stopped playing for a bit and glanced at the weight he felt. He immediately saw her pink head leaning upon his shoulder. Some of her rosette tresses fell upon her beautiful face obscuring anyone from seeing her beauty. He gently tucked those locks behind her ear and found her fast sleeping. His mouth crept upwards in an amused smile. He, then, placed his fingers on the keyboard of the piano and let them fiddle with the correct keys of their song. The euphonic melody began echoing throughout the whole room including the empty hallways of their school. After some time, he could hear muffled words coming from the sleeping figure beside him which led him into further reflections.
"I miss… Sasuke-kun."
The murky sky was swathed with brilliant radiance coming from the moon and its stars. The cool breeze made the ambiance of the night very relaxing and soothing unlike the atmosphere inside the Uchiha abode where its residents were in an uncomfortable silence ever since they came back from school. They were thankful enough when a passing janitor doing a last round check-up around the campus heard the music coming from the locked Music room and found them there. But since then, both didn't bother to start a conversation with each other either because they're still upset or both were in deep thought. Nonetheless, they'd soon come to their senses and rupture out of the wall they're creating to shun each other.
After the pink-haired beauty had done her chores, she immediately took off her pink apron and entered the living room where she found the raven-haired genius watching a game show. She decided to do the same as well since she didn't have any better thing to do. So, she sat herself quietly at the same sofa he's sitting on and kept a considerable amount of distance away from him. She glanced at him for a mere second and saw him not bothering her presence at all.
'You should apologize to her now while you still have the perfect opportunity.' Sasuke's inner mind reminded himself.
'Shut up!' He answered curtly while trying to keep his full attention at the game show he's currently watching.
'Afraid she'll not forgive you?' His mind retorted mockingly.
'No!… I just don't know what I'm going to say to her…'
Out of the blue, her words haunted his mind again. "I miss… Sasuke-kun."
She had said those words in her sleep a while ago and up to now, he still didn't know how to react at them. Did she really miss him?… the old him? She didn't have to actually, for the Sasuke she knew was still closely intact in him. He was only having a hard time in expressing his old self since it have already been a long time he last did that. Shortly, his reveries were abruptly disrupted when the occupant of the other side of the couch rose from her seat and gestured to go out of the room, perhaps sleeping early for a change. But before she could get far from him, a temperate pull was felt that made her stop in her tracks. She turned around gradually without removing his hold on her wrist finding him staring straight at her eyes.
"Yes…?" She asked with curiosity overwhelming her features.
"I'm sorry for my actions back there." came his brief apology.
"That's okay." She responded with a small smile grazing her lips. "I-I better go now."
"I'm not done yet… I just wanted to say that…" He twisted his head to the side hiding his somewhat bashful expression before continuing.
"… I'm still the old Sasuke you know so--" Before he could finish his sentence, he was startled when Sakura hugged him with so much strength that they both fell down on the couch with her lying on top of him.
"I'm so happy you said that. I thought the Sasuke-kun I know was gone but then, when I heard the song you played before I drifted off to sleep… it somehow gave me hope that I am wrong and--" she trailed off with unshed tears falling down her cheeks. At this time, he finally had a grip with himself and managed to bring them in a seating position with her sitting closely beside him.
"Oops, sorry… Sasuke-kun." She apologized weakly before wiping her tears away but was soon stopped when Sasuke did that instead. She smiled gratefully at him before continuing her speech. "Hey, can I still call you that name? Sasuke-kun I mean."
"Do whatever you like." He answered with a satisfied smirk upon his handsome features believing that their intimate friendship was getting back to the way it's supposed to be after all.
"That reminds me…" He started lightly but finished in a lethal voice as if saying if-you-tell-a-wrong-answer-then-you're-doomed sort of way. "Have you taken the medicine I prepared for you earlier at lunch?"
After hearing his question, she began sweating heavily and fidgeting with her fingers. Her face fell before saying…
"Uhmm… no." Then, she covered her ears for his expected reply.
"What!" He voiced out deadly, his face showing extreme anger towards the girl beside him who was unexpectedly stifling a series of laughter.
"Just kidding." He heard her say before she began laughing heartily. Her amusement obviously became the reason for his change of emotions. He sighed. He fell easily from her trick. But that didn't matter now for he loved to hear her laughter which he missed for a long time, nine years to be exact. A moment later, her amusement soon died down but the sparkle in her still remained in her lovely emerald eyes. Oh how he loved seeing them glisten like that!
He was taken aback for the umpteenth time this day when she, without a word, leaned her head upon the crook of his neck and made herself comfortable on his shoulder.
"Hey Sasuke-kun…"
"Hn…?"
"Who's your… best friend now?"
"…!"
"I bet it's Naruto, right?"
She raised her head slightly and looked at his onyx eyes which he avoided by bowing down his head, his bangs obscuring them from letting her see his dark pools.
"No." He finally said after a moment of utter silence.
"Oh!" She mouthed incredulously while leaning back again on his broad shoulders.
"Who is it then?" She questioned in a tired voice, her eyes slowly fluttering close. She bit by bit drifted off to Dream land. But before she fell asleep completely, she felt Sasuke's arm encircling around her form and his head laid upon hers. After that, he answered her question with a genuine smile before drifting off to sleep too.
"It is still you."
To be continued…
Author's Note: Finally, my chapter 4 is done! I'm so sorry for the long delay and this super long chapter. Do forgive me. Anyways, is Sasuke too OOC? Just wondering though… I'm kinda experimenting with his soft side especially when it comes to his feelings for Sakura.(grins) But before I end this up, I just wanna thank all those persons who reviewed my last chapter and those who added this fanfic in their favorite lists... Those reviews really made me very happy. I really appreciated all of them.
Thanks to…
Uchiha Sakura Blossoms, sportiegrl, Krista, Natsyourlord, AznIllusion, Blacksharingan03, Pink-Lime00, joekool, naarrruuuuttttto, Chippy, DevilsLittleSister, Sakran, Naomi Hyuuga, CrAzY-SiLLy-Me, XiaXue, shir0-chan, happy-yume, Ruriko89, boredteenager, Emily, julianne14, Miyuki Tsukada, shi hime, Kurenai Chinoumi, Mistress Malfoy, xStrawberrycream, Shadows Child Kataki, andrey4414, Roxstar12, sentimentaljuvenile, Hikari Kunoichi, x-laydee-t-chan-x, hushpuppy1, Shikukana, Sophisticated Alexir, feigning, inuyashafangirl333, Blizzie-chan, AJ the Ass Slayer and kieii
Please continue giving me comments and reviews! They do help me a lot more than you can imagine! (smiles gratefully) Thank you so much!
Next Chapter…
Chapter 5: A Dozen of Unexpected Events
I hope the title gave you a hint to what's going to happen in the next installment of Home Sweet Home.
