A/N: It's nice to type romance/humor stories for a change, and for Celestrial Blossoms, if I could give you a sasusaku doujin, I would, but I don't even have one. Why? You've guessed correctly! Not about the Sasuke and Sakura getting back together but about the man who asked someone to spy on Sasuke! Congratulations! Chapter for today contains a bit of Lime! Please read A Utopian Chronicleby Ayane Selznik. It's a really good fic! Also, I have a fanfic challenge for those who are interested and not so busy with other things. I'll type it down after this chapter.
Snapshot
It was a simple question, yet she didn't know why she can't answer it or what she could say. Yes, she still loves him, but how come her mouth won't open to say those words he longs to hear? As for him, why did he ask such a question when he could've just said "yes". It's quite obvious that he still has feelings for her and it's not of his character to get back at anyone for what they've done in the past.
Sasuke is the "forgive and forget" type of guy.
With the silence the only thing answering their questions, he only sighed and sat down on the couch, staring at the TV. Sakura hung her head, feeling guilty about everything. Remembering what Itachi had said to her the last time, she walked over to the couch and sat down beside him, earning a raised brow from her ex. "The truth is I lied when I said I don't love you anymore."
Chapter 4: Forever
"What truth?" he asked.
"My dad is the reason why I broke up with you. He blackmailed me, bribed me and even threatened me, but I refused everything, saying that he can't do anything to stop us from loving each other. Then, he said and planned on doing something that would eventually break our relationship more than just mere breaking up." She looked at him with watery eyes yet her lips were curved into a small smile. "He hired an actress who almost looks like me, to pretend as me, to flirt with another guy and let you see that "I" was cheating on you."
He was shocked by this and he abruptly turned to face her, seeing how her tears have begun to fall freely as she continued to speak. "When he said that, I started thinking, can my own dad really do that to hurt his daughter and the one who is the most important person in her life? I even prayed to God that night, hoping it was all a dream, wishing it was just a nightmare. But when I woke up, dad immediately told me to get dressed for school and break up with you that day or else…"
"Or else..?"
"…he'll send the actress to school looking like me, pretending to be me, and just start kissing some random guy in front of you, making you think that I was cheating on you. I know it'll break your heart if you thought it was me kissing some other guy, and it would break mine if you break up with me when it wasn't really me."
"Sak-"
"I wanted to just kill myself right then and there! I just wanted to have a good and healthy relationship with you! I wanted to spend my whole life with you but my dad tore us apart! I can't even answer your question! I- I feel so stupid of ever asking you if you still love me when it's so damn obvious that you do!" she started breaking down in front of him, something she never did before, and it hurt him, pained him to see her like this.
"If you killed yourself," he started, glancing elsewhere. "Do you think it would've been good as well?" he turned back to her, a small smile on his face. "I would've preferred breaking up with you than hearing from others that you killed yourself. I'd rather see you living, happy with someone else, then stare at your lifeless body in a coffin. Death never solved anything, it's just something that we all think could end our problems, but it's not."
Sasuke heard her continue sobbing that he didn't stop himself from pulling her into a hug, startling her a bit when his hand caressed her pink locks and his other wrapped around her waist protectively, just like he did years back whenever she was sad. "Shh… it's okay Sak, I'm here." He whispered, pulling her closer in his arms, lowering his head a bit with his nose buried in her pink tresses. She clung onto his shirt, her face on his chest as she cried some more, letting it all out. Pushing her away slightly, he gave a smile at her and kissed her forehead. "And I'll always be here."
He looked at the papers and passed it to the rest after giving a nod, approving the design. Now, it's up to the others to decide whether they'll go with the uniform or not. From under the table, Sasuke took note of her fidgeting, especially with some of the eyes of the gang on her. He took her hand, gripping it and gave her a reassuring smile. She returned the gesture then turned back to face the others.
"I like it!" Chorused Kiba and Naruto. Hinata nodded and smiled, indicating she loved it. Same goes for Ten-Ten, saying it was cute and Shikamaru gave a nod, similar to Neji's reaction earlier. Shino shrugged, saying it was simple. Chouji approved of it and now, it was only Ino left. She smirked and turned to Sakura. "Whether I say yes or no, the votes are in and obviously, everyone approves of it. As for me, I'll be honest with you all." She then grinned. "I love it!"
"Alright then, I just have a few announcements to make, and I'm sure you'll all love to hear what I have to say." Neji said, standing up and clearing his throat as all ears listened to him. "Since we still don't have the uniforms, the café will be closed until the clothes are done. Uncle Hiashi said that we can take a week or so, on the beach house he had recently bought. It has about six rooms that can hold two people so decide on whom you'll share a room with."
"It's pretty obvious that I'll be with Hinata." Naruto grinned. "And I'm sure you'll be with Ten-Ten, and Shino and Kiba will be in one. Shikamaru has Ino and Chouji will-"
"I'd love to, but I can't."
They all turned to Chouji who grinned sheepishly. "My dad is sick, so I have to take care of him while my mom goes to work. Just have fun you guys, besides, it's going to be an odd number if I joined right?"
"Good point." Shikamaru said, yawning afterwards. Naruto sighed and smiled a bit. "So that leaves to Sasuke and Sakura sharing one room as well, right?" he turned to the two who remained quiet as the rest of the gang eyed Naruto with a deadly glare. The blonde clasped a hand over his mouth and muttered a sorry to them. "I figured that… well, since she is sleeping in your room at your house and…"
"I sleep on the couch, not in the same room." The Uchiha said after everyone had looked at him with wide eyes. "I'm fine with sharing a room with her as long as the beds are-"
"They're not separated but it can hold two people." Neji said bluntly. "So it's either you two sleep in the same bed or have your own rooms, since Chouji isn't going, there's an extra one." Sakura looked down and turned back to the male Hyuuga of the room. "Does the room have a night light?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Neji blinked and shook his head. "None, you'll have to sleep with the lights on if you can't sleep in the dark."
"But she can't sleep with bright lights or without any light at all." Sasuke said. Naruto grinned at this, turning it to a laugh. "Then you'll have to share one room!" they both blushed and looked down, glancing at each other from time to time. The blonde boy only grinned some more. "Just like old times."
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Sasuke asked, instantly turning a deeper shade of red. Sakura stuttered, saying they haven't slept in one bed yet. The others just snorted a "yeah right" as Naruto laughed, making them remember. "Oh come on, surely you haven't forgotten the prom night where someone spiked our drinks? We ended up drunk, except for the girls since they preferred water over those sodas and punch." He laughed some more. "Not only that, you," he pointed at Sakura. "Were worried of leaving Sasuke alone at his home, especially since Itachi had to work overtime and his parents were away on a business trip!"
The two exchanged confused looks then turned back to the gang. Neji nodded, supporting Naruto. "Apparently, while Sasuke was asleep, he grabbed Sakura's hand and ended up using her as a pillow." Ten-Ten giggled and faced Sakura. "You didn't want to wake him up or even get out of bed because you didn't want to bother him, but the truth is, you just wanted to snuggle closer!"
"Guys, cut it out…" Sasuke muttered, now recalling that day. Unfortunately, the group only continued to talk about it as well as other hilarious moments about the two of them. He had enough, and he just stood up, startling everyone of his sudden action as he left the room, head lowered and a frown on his lips. The room turned quiet and all felt a bit guilty. "S-sorry Sak, we got carried away and… we sort of, missed the two of you being together…" Ino explained, hanging her head in shame and embarrassment. "Yeah, you two were the first couple in our group, then ended up becoming the matchmakers for all of us, and when we heard the news of… that day, we just…" Ten-Ten trailed off, afraid to look at her friend in the eye.
"It's okay guys, he's still too sensitive about it, I can't exactly say if he'll forgive you easily, even if he is the forgive and forget type, it's still a serious and important matter to him about… you know what." She gave a small smile. "But I'll do something about it, he can't stay mad forever after all." She got up, bowed down a bit and left with a wave of her hand.
"We just have to get them back together!" Naruto muttered, earning a nod from the others.
"Sasuke, hey, wait up!" she yelled, running after his walking figure. He stopped and turned his head to her a bit as she panted, pouting at him afterwards. "I thought you said you'll always be there with me?" he blinked and looked up, suddenly recalling what he had said the day before. "Sorry, I guess I forgot." He got punched on the arm playfully as Sakura smiled, him returning it. He missed her smiles, it was contagious. Even if he was in a bad mood, he just can't seem to bring himself to snap at her or even tell her to leave him alone whenever she smiles.
"That's better." She grinned and took his hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. He mimicked the gesture as they walked out of the café and down the streets, passing by a few people they slightly know and greeting some elders that smiled at them. They continued walking, seeing a group of guys ahead, half-drunk and laughing at something. Sasuke instinctively pulled her behind him, transferring her to his other side, away from the guys and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him. He continued to eye the guys until they were far from them.
She didn't know what that feeling that suddenly welled up inside her when she felt his arm drape around her shoulder. She felt safe and secure, and it made her smile as she snuggled closer to him, grinning sheepishly at her ex when he looked down at her with raised eyebrows. "What? I just wanted to make you my pillow while walking!" he smirked and shook his head, pulling her closer. "Whatever you say…" and he kissed her on her temple. Unaware were the two how a pair of eyes had followed their every move and had captured their moments together. Smirking, he closed the window of his car and started the engine, driving back to where he came from earlier.
Sakura lay on top of his bed, staring at the ceiling and blowing away a strand of pink hair that irritated her face. It only came back down and she glared at it, nearly jumping when a hand brushed it away for her. She averted her eyes to the owner to see a slightly smiling Sasuke bent over her body, just a few inches apart from hers. She blinked at their closeness, him not noticing or bothered by it. "Since you were so lazy to just use your hand to brush it away, I figured I'd do it instead. Besides," he grinned at her. "It was getting a bit annoying watching you repeat the same thing over and over."
"You were staring..?" she asked, eyes slowly narrowing.
"What's wrong with that?" he asked back, a smirk grazing his handsome features. She stared back at him, green eyes locked on onyx ones, and she found herself drawn to them, drowning in them. "Nothing…" she whispered, raising a hand to caress his face. His eyes followed her movements leaning onto the warmth of her palm and half-closing his eyes that turned back to her own orbs. "I missed you…" he whispered to her, leaning down a bit, slowly closing his eyes. "Mm, I know." She said back, her eyelids drooping as she felt his lips against hers.
Her hand that caressed his face moved to the back of his head, intertwining her fingers with his spiky jet black hair, playing with it as the other mimicked the gesture, wrapping around him a bit tighter, pulling him down until he gave in and now lay on top of her, lips still locked. He parted slightly, licking her lower lip in a slow manner, asking her to open it and let him in. She obliged, wanting to taste him, wanting him to taste her, after years of being apart. It didn't feel weird for them despite those ten years which seemed like forever. Slowly and teasingly, their tongues danced, happy to meet once more, happy to taste each other again.
Sasuke stopped and pulled away, his eyes averted to the side as she looked at him in confusion. Her hands were still around his neck while his were on both sides of her head, palms pressed against his mattress. "…Suke?" she asked in a sweet and caring tone. When she mentioned his nickname, the one she uses to call him, the one name he responds to when it came from her mouth, he knew immediately that she still had feelings for him. This time, he was sure about it. Earlier, he was afraid, scared to get hurt again, but still, he believed her; he wondered briefly what made him hesitate or stop. "I…" he began, not exactly knowing what to say. "I-I'm…" she placed a finger against his lips, silencing him as he looked at her. "Don't speak." She said, giving a sweet smile.
Despite the questions plaguing his head, he gave a nod, obeying her command as she withdrew her finger and pulled him down again, his eyes closed and so was hers, their lips meeting the second time that day, and they were glad that there were no interruptions. It was, after all, getting annoying.
She felt his hand touch her bare shoulder, moving down slowly up to her waist, feeling him hesitate at what he was about to do. Sakura broke the kiss and smiled at him, nodding as he gave an unsure look at her. She giggled at how shy he could get at times, so with the use of one of her hands, she reached down to touch his and guided him under her spaghetti-strapped shirt; her white jacket discarded earlier, much to her ex's delight. She caught how his face flushed when his hand had a touch of her smooth skin. He turned back to her, with a look that asked if she was sure and she nodded, giving him a reassuring smile.
Sasuke's eyes softened and he leaned down again, this time, on her neck, kissing and licking it, nibbling it a bit in a way that tickled her. He never wanted to hurt her, and biting on her skin like what others do may make her teary-eyed. He knew she was sensitive, and so was her sweet skin. "You still taste the same…" he murmured against her neck and she giggled from the way his lips moved and from what he said. "Well, I know how much you love strawberry, aside from tomato, vanilla and a few more things. I was even thinking on switching to watermelon."
He raised his head to look at her, giving a glare, a joking one at that. "You're tempting me…" she smirked evilly and pulled herself up, kissing him aggressively on the lips and nipping on his ear. "I know, and I want to tempt you some more." She whispered in a seductive tone. Inside, he was panicking and going wild. Her scent and her taste, her seductions and other ways of tempting had him wanting to just forget being nice and start being aggressive. "Come on Sak, this isn't helping at all…" he said.
"So?" she challenged, pushing him down so she was the one on top and trailed wet kisses down to his neck, making him release shallow breaths. "Still can't control your rampaging hormones Suke-kun?" she teased, remembering their high school years when she kissed him and they ended up making out in public. "Damn it!" he cursed and flipped her, pinning her down by holding onto her wrists, smirking at her surprised and widened eyes. "You're asking for it." He hissed and kissed her again, this time, more intense and with a bit more force. His tongue forced her to open her mouth as he explored the insides of her mouth.
One of his hands held onto both of her wrists as the other moved down to her skirt, lifting it up and massaging her thigh, hearing her moan against his mouth. He smirk against her lips and parted, moving down to her neck, licking across her throat as she panted his name over and over, marking her as his, sucking on her skin and kissing it afterwards to ease the slight pain. He removed his hand from under her skirt and went to her shirt, pushing it up and feeling for her two mounds. She gasped and he looked at her as she returned the gaze, staring back at him wide-eyed while he still smirked, cupping one of her breast, earning another moan of ecstasy from her.
Getting impatient, she squirmed under him. Feeling a bit of pity, he let go of her wrists and she pushed him down, glaring at his smirking expression. "You are so mean." He grinned. "I know." They were always like this, one minute the other was dominating or doing the teasing and tempting, the next minute the tables have turned. Somehow, he felt uneasy when she smirked, her eyes told him that she was planning to do something, and it was not good. He felt one of her supple hands slowly make its way up his inner thigh and he felt his pants tighten, strange too, considering the fact that he had worn a loose and baggy type of denim. He blushed and looked at her, this time; his eyes were wide while hers had a smug look.
"Sak, don't…" he said, unfortunately, sounding like a whimper. She grinned and continued to move up. "Don't..!" he said again, reaching to stop her hand when it was only a few inches away from his manhood. "Don't." he said firmly. She smiled at him. "Okay." And he sighed in relief, but. "Not!" and she moved up again, feeling it erect as he blushed a deeper shade of red and stared at her. "Shit." He said. "Revenge is so sweet…" she giggled and let go. "Damn you…" he muttered, cheeks still flushed. "I'm gonna need a cold shower for this." He caught how her eyes lit up and he looked at her in disbelief. "What the hell happened to the Sakura I know who wouldn't even dare to-"
"Let's say a certain raven-haired teen from before had unlocked her un-Sakura self."
"Since when?" he asked.
"Since the day we made out in the janitor's closet after your championship games. By the way, your coach still hasn't gotten his vengeance on you for disappearing all of a sudden." He blinked at her. "I heard from Neji that your coach said a few things like 50 or more laps around the court and double the training and warm-ups for you. Luckily for you though, he forgot about it the next day." She got off of him then pulled him up, dragging him to the showers. "O-Oi S-Sak! What the hell do you think you're doing?" she grinned innocently. "You said you needed a cold shower, and I think I need one too." And before he knew it, he was already inside with her, both completely nude as the cold water rained down on them.
"Wow, this place is great!" Ino exclaimed when they reached the beach house. "Is this a private beach or public?" Neji shrugged. "Depends actually, but I think it's more on private since there aren't that many people." He looked around, seeing only about ten or fifteen. "Well, come on; let's get our things inside before we take a swim or tan, or something." Naruto grinned, grabbing Hinata's things and carrying it for her. Ten-Ten had took Neji's hand and dragged him inside almost immediately, followed by Ino who pulled Shikamaru who kept muttering "troublesome" all the way. Next was Kiba who brought along his dog, Akamaru, yelling all the way inside with Shino following behind in a quieter manner.
"They sure are hyper…" Sakura murmured, earning a nod from her ex. She smiled at him and held his hand. "Let's go!" and again, he nodded, walking side by side inside the beach house. Just like on the outside, the interior was wide, clean and had a comfy atmosphere. "The rooms are on the third floor, the entertainment and music room on the second, and here on the first floor are the living room and kitchen slash dining area." Neji headed up the stairs. "Feel at home then." Naruto muttered something about bad host and Hinata just giggled, hugging his arm and leading him up the stairs.
"So, are you two sharing a room or what?" Kiba asked, glancing at the two supposed couple. Sakura turned to him then at her ex who shrugged and took his bags, along with his guitar he brought with him. Kiba faced Sakura, raising both eyebrows. She grinned. "Yeah, we're sharing a room." And she too, went up the stairs, tailing behind Sasuke. "I think there's something up between them." Shino murmured to his dog-lover friend and soon climbed the stairs as well. "Yeah, it's slightly obvious."
"You brought your guitar for what?" she asked, eyeing him as he set it aside along with his bags. "I promised you that I'd sing right? So, maybe I might during our stay here." He said, shrugging. "I see…" she said, digging out a white sleeveless shirt and a pair of jeans. Sasuke just walked over to the balcony and felt the cool breeze blow against his face and hair. He closed his eyes, hearing the sound of waves and sea gulls hovering above the blue ocean. The sky was slowly turning dark since they left at around 3PM and it was already about 5:58PM. His ears picked up the sound of clothes being removed.
Curious, he opened an eye and turned his head to look over his shoulder, only to have both of his eyes open wide and a red tint across his cheeks as he watched his ex remove her top, leaving her only in a white bra. Her back was facing him so she didn't notice him staring at her. Besides, her waist length hair was there to cover some of her bare back. Shaking his head, he turned back to the view before him, only to have his mind be plagued by either a naked Sakura or a Sakura in a two-piece swimsuit. "Damn hormones!" he cursed in his mind, his grip on the metal railing tightening and his eyebrows knitted together, eyes glaring at nothing in particular.
"Are you alright?" she asked, startling him when she placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her, clearly shocked when she came up behind him. The girl only blinked at him and shrugged, walking back inside. "Ten-Ten just came a second ago and said that the others are outside, waiting for us and starting a campfire. Oh, and don't get drunk." She added, giggling. "Huh?" he asked, giving her a weird look. "I heard Neji say to Ten-Ten that they brought a case or two, of beer. It's only mild but… you'll never know with Naruto being the one who bought it."
"Hn." He said, following her inside. "Bring your guitar, this usually calls for singing." She grinned and he snorted, picking up the case of the instrument and slung it around his shoulder. He walked towards the door, Sakura beside him as they made their way downstairs and outside to the beach, the cold wind blowing pass them. The others had already formed a circle and were seated on the sand, a fire in the middle and a few chips, snacks and sodas, including beer bottles, readied before them. Naruto moved a bit as Sasuke sat down beside him, next was Sakura when Ino had also moved to give her space.
She eyed them all, most were beside their lovers, except for Shino and Kiba. As for her and Sasuke, she wasn't sure yet, he hasn't asked her if she could be his girlfriend again, and she didn't have enough guts to even ask him about it. "Don't you think it's kind of early to be doing this?" Sasuke asked, positioning his guitar behind him, making sure it wouldn't get damaged despite being inside a case. Naruto shrugged in response to his question. "We kind of missed this, though Chouji isn't here, at least we're almost complete. Before, Sakura wasn't here, and you," he pointed at his best friend. "Always had work because Kakashi won't give you a week or day off!"
"That was because Kiba made up excuses that he can't go to work and because some had caught the flu during the flu season idiot!" he retorted. "Not to mention that my mom still thought it wouldn't do me any good." He glanced at Sakura a bit, letting the others who were watching him know what he meant. "Why?" Sakura asked, clearly clueless. "I don't know, she wouldn't tell me." He lied and she just nodded and eyed the whole group, giving a smile. "So, what do we do?"
"Since all of us have been so busy with our jobs, it's time to do some catching up." Ten-Ten turned to Ino. "So, how are you and Shikamaru doing?" Ino grinned and raised her left hand, showing a ring on her ring finger. "Shika proposed to me two nights ago!" They could hear the lazy-genius mutter a "troublesome" under his breath as Ino continued to explain the details to an excited Ten-Ten, a happy Hinata and a smiling Sakura. "What is it with girls whenever there's an engagement told?" Kiba asked Neji, staring at Ten-Ten and Ino who babbled then at Hinata and Sakura who laughed and giggled at the two. "Don't have a clue." The male Hyuuga murmured.
"Okay, okay, what about you and Naruto?" Ino asked the usually quiet girl who blushed a bit and twiddled with her index fingers, looking away as a small smile formed on her lips. "We… talked about our future, planned our wedding and… how many…" she gulped. "Kids we'd want…" Sakura smiled at this. "That's so cue Hinata!" she exclaimed, looking down all of a sudden as she recalled how she and Sasuke used to talk about those stuffs, only to have a pillow fight, her starting it and him ending it with a kiss to calm her down. Sasuke caught this and smirked, also remembering those days.
The group caught how the two turned quiet that they grinned evilly. "As for me and Neji, we've been discussing the same things as well, he didn't exactly propose but close enough." Ten-Ten shrugged at this and grinned at the eager faces of the girls. "He placed the ring under my pillow with a note. The next day, I answered him, so basically, we're engaged… in a way." She then faced Shino and Kiba.
"How are you two doing?"
"Well, Shino and I are planning to go on a trip sometime in the future to do some bird watching or catch some bugs for his collection. You know, the times we always do when we were kids, oh and before I forget, Shino's actually having an interest on a certain girl." With that said, all eyes turned to Shino who glared at his childhood friend. "Secret huh?" Kiba only laughed. "I couldn't help it buddy!" he then turned to Sasuke. "Enough about us, what about you?"
"Nothing new." He answered bluntly. "Except for Kakashi appointing Sakura as my partner in my career; she's my personal model and I'm her personal photographer." The group blinked and stared at him, wanting more details. "What? She wanted to be a model, so I recommended her and Kakashi assigned her to me. What else do you guys need to know?" Naruto grinned at him and Sasuke didn't like it one bit. "That's it? Something tells me you're not telling us everything that happened between the two of you!"
"Hey, let's not get personal Naruto. Nothing is happening."
"Liar."
"Got proof?"
"Argh! Just spill it teme!"
"Fine." And he did spill his drink on Naruto who cursed him while the others laughed. Sasuke smirked in satisfaction. Beside him, Sakura kept staring at him as he continued to counter Naruto. "He won't tell them, and I won't either. So, where exactly is our relationship going? Sasuke, please tell me." She stood up and stretched, catching the attention of her friends. "I'm just going to take a walk, I missed this place a lot!" she chirped and started wandering around. Sasuke raised a brow. "Does she even know the way to get back?" his friends shook their heads and he sighed, standing up and dusting sand off of his clothes. "Be right back." And he followed his ex.
"There's definitely something going on between them." Kiba nodded.
"Sak, wait up." She stopped and turned to him as he walked over to her with his hands in his pockets. "Why? Is something wrong?" he shook his head as they resumed walking. "You don't know how much this place has changed, you might have trouble going back." She stopped in front of him with a sweet smile as he blinked at her. "How sweet…" she cooed and pinched his cheeks hard then laughed and started to run away from him. Sasuke had glared at her and chased the girl, picking up speed when she was pretty far from him. "Damn it Sak, that hurts!" he yelled and she only laughed harder. "I couldn't help it! You weren't suspecting a thing!"
He smirked though when he grabbed her wrist, causing her to look at him with wide eyes. She yelped when he suddenly pinned her down on the sand, hearing the wave's crash and hug the shore. "Are you forgetting that I was MVP in the basketball team back in high school?" she laughed nervously. "Um… no, I just thought that I could outrun you…" He remained on top of her, his hands supporting his weight as she lay on the semi-wet sand, her pink locks sprawled on the ground as the water neared them, getting them slightly wet yet they didn't mind.
"Aren't you getting off of me?"
"No, not until you make up for what you did."
"How?"
"I don't know."
She sighed and sat up, causing him to move backwards a bit. Again, she grinned and tackled him on the sand, pinning him there while his eyes stared at her wide-open. A giggle escaped her lips. "Caught you again." And he couldn't push her off or move since her grip on his arms was too strong. Or maybe because he didn't bother to wriggle free from her grasps. He just continued to stare at her as she raised one hand and brushed off a few pink strands that clung to her face.
With one hand free from her grasp, he flipped her below him and made sure she won't counter again. A playful smirk appeared on his face when she looked at him with shocked eyes. "Caught you Saku…" he whispered teasingly and leaned down, eyes closed and lips locking with hers. She didn't return it so he pulled away and gazed down at her half-lidded eyes. "What's up?" she looked away, avoiding his gaze. He wondered briefly if it was something he said or did that made her… "Sad..?"
"Sak-chan…" he said in a loving tone that made her look up, a light blush across her cheeks as he gazed back at her, a small smile on his lips. "You can tell me when you're ready, just know that whatever it is that's bothering you," he grasped her hand and pulled it close to his chest to where his heart is. "I'm here, and will always be." He was about to stand up when she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down, his face almost landing on the sand if he didn't break his fall in the nick of time. He had to, not because of the thought of having sand in his nose and mouth but because of the fact that his body might crush her small frame.
"Can we… stay like this? Even for a short moment?" she asked in a pleading tone.
He glanced at her for a while before giving a nod. "Aa." And he lay down on his back, his arms wide open and welcoming her, inviting her to an embrace. Sakura rolled over, her head now resting on his chest as his arms wrapped around her, protecting her body from the cold breeze. "Thank you…" she murmured, closing her eyes.
"What the heck is taking those two so long?" Naruto yelled, pacing back and forth while the rest of the gang were playing card games, some munching on chips, some staring at the stars and some watching the waves. No one bothered to respond to the noisy blonde since he's been asking the same question for the past… thirty minutes.
Neji sighed. "He's right though, what is taking those two so long to come back?" the others stopped whatever they were doing and turned to face Naruto and Neji who exchanged looks. "Maybe they did some catching up, or talked, or something." Kiba reasoned. "Still, they would've informed us if they wanted to talk in private. They know that we're waiting so…" Naruto trailed off as he turned to Ino who returned the same look. "Could they be making-out?" The blonde boy exclaimed in a gasp but Ino hit him on the head. "That was not what I was thinking." Shikamaru yawned and faced his fiancée.
"Than what were you thinking?"
"That they probably decided to get back together and wanted some alone time."
"Close, but not entirely."
They all turned to the voice as the two sat down on their spots. Sasuke didn't have his black windbreaker on but instead, was draped over Sakura's shoulders. He now only wore a white shirt and his jeans. "Dude, you're hair is full of sand… and slightly wet." Sasuke blinked and ran a hand through his raven locks, brushing off the sand. "That's because someone here tackled me…" he glanced at Sakura with a mocking glare as she grinned back at him.
"Anyway, since it's getting really dark out here," Hinata looked up then back at the group, giving a small smile to Sasuke. "Care to play something for us? Or for Sakura at least?" he blushed slightly and looked up. "Can we do that later? I'm still not in the mood for singing or strumming…" Shino stood up. "It's too dark to go for a swim or have a tan, it's too dangerous to surf or go jet skiing, so, what could we do?"
"Way ahead of you!" Ino grinned and pulled Shikamaru up as he took out a piece of paper. "We could play a few games before we end our so-called get-together out here. Ino suggested the traditional spin the bottle or truth or dare, but most of the guys had groaned and disagreed. So instead, we decided to have a scavenger hunt thing." He gave the paper to Ino as she cleared her throat. "You'll all be split into pairs, each pair will have a flashlight, a first aid kit, some food and water, a whistle, a walkie-talkie and of course, the list of the things to find."
"Don't you think it's too late at night to be doing that?" Naruto asked.
"The reason why there's a flashlight and why you are divided into pairs. This will only take an hour or two to be exact, since you'll only be scavenging around the beach, occasionally, at the forestry area that isn't even inhabited by wild animals. According to Shino and Kiba who scouted the area before, there were only birds, bats and bugs. Besides," Shikamaru paused and brought out his walkie-talkie. "We have communicators in case we get lost or can't move on. The whistle also helps. The person will blow it if he or she is in danger. It's also used when you find something."
"Uh… that would only attract a lot of attention." Neji murmured.
"True, but just stick with the game and the rules!" Ino yelled. "So, the pairs are all obvious." She grinned at Neji and Ten-Ten as Shikamaru handed them the needed "supplies". He gave another to Naruto and Hinata, then Kiba and Shino, and lastly, Sasuke and Sakura. "Shika and I will be waiting here for everyone's arrival. So when you find an item, report it to us and we'll cross it out and inform you guys. The one who has the most items found obviously wins. The one who has the least, we'll tell you once the game is over."
"No fair, what about you two?" Naruto whined.
"Stop being so childish Naruto." Shikamaru yawned again. "We did the trouble for hiding the items and putting up clues." Ino sighed and rolled her eyes. "Anyway, let's get started, ready," the pairs took out their papers. "Set," they laid their eyes on the place they were to go first. "GO!" and the game starts.
"I can't believe we're still playing this game! We're already twenty-nine years old!" Neji grumbled as he and Ten-Ten made their way to the rocky area of the beach. Ten-Ten only sighed and flashed her light on the dark part, searching for the first item on their list. "Come on Neji, it's going to be hard to find an emerald necklace if you don't help me." She paused. "Wait a minute," she scanned the paper. "Necklace, ring, nail polish, small deer plushie, a game cover of Shogo- These are all Ino and Shukamaru's! They used their own properties for this scavenger hunt!" her partner sighed and took the paper. "In that case, we better start looking."
Ten-Ten looked around as Neji tried to feel for any object on the rocky area. He stopped when his walkie-talkie gave out static and Shikamaru's voice calling his name. "Neji here, what is it?" he asked through the device. "Kiba and Shino found Ino's nail polish, cross that out of your list." Ten-Ten took out a pen and crossed the item out. "So there are only four items left."
"Three." Neji corrected, picking up a necklace that had an emerald pendant. He smirked when Ten-Ten beamed and crossed the item out as he reported to Shikamaru the item he found. They heard a loud yell come form their communicator and Ten-Ten sighed as her fiancé dealt with the noisy blonde male who was paired with his cousin. "Naruto, keep it down."
"But you guys already found some things!"
"There's still three more Naruto!"
"But-"
"Shut up!"
"Fine." And he placed back the object in his backpack and walked over to Hinata who stood there, waiting for him. "That cousin of yours can be really grouchy…" she only giggled and linked her arm with his. "Let's not give up Naruto, according to these clues, a ring is hidden somewhere on the branches of an oak tree." She looked around, flashing her light on the trees surrounding them. "There are a lot of trees here and it's hard to tell which is which in the dark!" he complained and grumbled some more.
"I'm sure we'll find it." She said, trying to calm him down. She can't help but smile though; she always did find him amusing. "I think that one is an oak tree." She said, pointing to the plant a few feet before them. Naruto smiled and nodded. "Okay, I'll climb it and see if I can find the ring." He placed down his bag and started to climb the tall tree, carefully stepping on the thick branches and making sure none would break or it could cause him death or a fatal accident.
"Hey Hinata, can I have some light here?"
She nodded and pointed the flashlight at the direction he wanted it to. He grinned and went over to the shining object. "Hey Shika!" he said through his communicator. "Two more items left! We found the ring!" he picked it up and pocketed the object in his pants. He climbed down the tree and gave Hinata a hug. "If it weren't for your encouragement, we wouldn't have found it!" she only smiled and crossed out the item her fiancé found.
"Yes! We finally found something! Eat that bastard!" he yelled through the walkie-talkie. A "shut up" was what the thing responded and Naruto glared at it and clutched the item tightly. "You're just jealous because we found an item before you and Sakura did!"
Sasuke only sighed and turned off his communicator. "Found it yet?" he asked, watching as Sakura dug through the bushes, flashlight in one hand. "Nope; are they sure that they hid the plush toy here..? We've checked every shrub with white flowers…" her partner only looked up and smirked. "Maybe it's not a shrub but a tree." Sakura blinked. "It's written on the paper." Sasuke took the flashlight and shone it on the bushes that Sakura searched. "White flowers Sak, not yellow." She blinked and blushed lightly, looking away from him as he laughed and offered her his hand.
"But we haven't passed by any bush with white flowers."
"It could be a trick." He took the paper and read the clue. "Search for the plush deer near shrubs with white flowers." He thought for a while before smirking again. "I think I get it. They hid these items in the dark, yellow flowers usually look like white without any light." She nodded in agreement. "But why did you ay tree?" a shrug answered her. "I just assumed, I mean, that tree is the only one with white flowers here." He said, looking up again. "Maybe we should check it out." he handed her the flashlight and the rest of their things. "Guide me up there." And he climbed the tree, making sure the branches he stood and held onto were strong and sturdy.
"Sasuke, I think I see something out of the ordinary."
"Which is?" he asked.
Sakura lighted the area she supposed where the deer plushie was. Sasuke followed the direction of the light and smirked. "Yup, that's it alright." And he approached it, taking it away from the branches. "Contact Shikamaru and let him know; looks like we have a sudden death or tie breaker round." She nodded. "Which means only the Shogo game cover is left." He nodded and jumped down from the tree. "Come on, we have no time to lose."
"Okay guys, you have to return as soon as you can, otherwise, you lose. Shino and Kiba found the last item, so now, it's a race to who gets here first. Remember, the last one will have a consequence." Sakura stared at the device in disbelief as she heard her ex curse. "Shit." And he grabbed her hand and started running back to camp as fast as he can. To him, it wasn't important if he'd win or lose, it's the consequence that's bugging him. "Damn it! We have got to make it there!"
"S-Sasuke, s-slow down I can't keep up!"
He thought about it for a moment; and maybe, just this once, or not, he'd forget about his pride if the consequence was to be embarrassing. He slowed down to a walk, his hand not letting go of Sakura's while she stared at him in confusion. "I said slow down, you don't exactly need to walk… I mean… I know how much you hate punishments…" he stopped and so did she as he turned his head to her and smiled slightly, causing her to blink some more. "It doesn't matter, I don't want you to get tired or strain yourself just because of me." Sakura blushed a bit and looked down, lips in a frown. "Why are you always sacrificing for me..?"
Sasuke didn't utter word until they were near their destination. "It's because I love you." And he let go of her hand when Naruto approached and laughed at him, rubbing in his face how they had lost. As for Neji, he raised a brow at the Uchiha who returned it with a questioning look. "Why didn't you run?" The older male asked. In response, he just glanced at Sakura then shrugged and took the bottled water Shino offered him. Neji seemed to understand what he meant and dismissed it with a smirk, walking over to Shikamaru to explain why Sasuke didn't run.
"So, now can you sing?" Ten-Ten asked, looking at Sasuke just when he sat down on the sand. He shook his head a bit but the rest only pleaded him. "I don't want to…" he muttered, a blush across his cheeks. Naruto only grinned and forced him. He sighed and the others took it as a yes.
Everyone had started to gather around the campfire, ready to listen to Sasuke. He was going to fulfill his promise to Sakura that he'll sing for her, no matter who will be there to listen. He smiled slightly from his friends' encouragement and pleads that he brought out his guitar from its case and tuned it. "As you all know, this song is dedicated to Sakura."
He started to strum the right chords, occasionally plucking. "If I had to live my life without you near me, the days would all be empty." They all listened, some glancing at Sakura and some leaning on their lovers' shoulders, sighing at the sweet music as the sole Uchiha of the group continued his song. "Nothing's gonna change my love for you, you ought to know by now how much I love you, on thing you can be sure of, I'll never ask for more than your love." Sakura closed her eyes and listened, taking the lyrics to heart.
"The world may change my whole life through but nothing's gonna change my love for you."
That one sentence, that one verse… it had hit a spot in her heart. She lay down there, thinking of a few things, mostly revolving around one boy. She turned to the bathroom's door when it opened, Sasuke emerging from it with a towel he used to wipe his face. She sighed silently and looked back up at the ceiling, feeling him sit on the bed and get ready to turn off the lights. "Will you be able to sleep in the dark?" he asked, glancing at her.
Sakura rolled over so that she was now facing him and gave a nod. He switched off the lights and lay down beside her, his back facing her but he felt her hand tug on his shirt. Immediately, he knew what she wanted and he faced her with a small smile, his arms inviting her again. She snuggled close, feeing his warmth radiate to her. She lways felt safe and secure in his arms, and she was glad that even if they came to the campfire last, Shikamaru and Ino had dismissed their consequence as nothing but a boost of determination.
Sakura didn't close her eyes but just stared at his supposed sleeping face. She knew he was still awake and she wanted to talk or tell him, but somehow, she just couldn't. "You ready to tell me yet or not?" he asked, eyes still closed, startling her a bit. She looked down and then back at him when he slowly opened his eyes to take a look at her face. "Sak..?"
"I want to say it but… I'm scared…"
"Of what?"
"Of what my dad might do if he finds out."
He only sighed and wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her closer and sniffing her strawberry-scented hair. "Is that all?" he asked. She clutched onto his shirt and buried her face on his shirt. She didn't know what to say, she was still unsure and afraid. "I don't care anymore." He whispered and made her look at him. His eyes held that of longing and determination. "I'm not going to let him get in the way Sakura, I'm not who he thinks I am."
"But I don't know what he might do to you."
"I still don't care," he held her closer again. "If I have to endure a lot of pain just to see you or spend time with you, so be it. I'm sick of playing by his rules. This time," she looked at him, waiting for her to continue. "I'm rebelling." And he closed the gap of their lips as he moved, positioning himself above her. She returned the kiss, her tongue shyly sticking out to meet his. Still, it was confusing her a bit. Does he want to get back together? If so, why won't he ask?
Sakura was about to consult him when she got interrupted when his hand had invaded below her shirt, calloused fingers touching and feeling her smooth skin. She gasped when he sucked onto her neck, licking it a bit to ease the pain. She raised a hand and rested it on his shoulder, pushing him away a bit and glancing away. Sasuke looked at her as she turned to face him again. "I need to know…" she started. "Are we..?" she trailed off when he leaned down to capture her lips against, this time, she no longer resisted.
Sasuke parted and stared at her lovingly, Sakura returning the same gaze. He opened his mouth to speak, and it was the words she so wanted him to ask for a long time since she returned back from the States. "Can we start over?" and she didn't need to say anything to confirm his question, since actions did speak louder then words, and that kiss from her was enough to express and explain her answer which was a "Yes".
To be continued…
Next on Snapshot: Chapter 5: An Uchiha is Headstrong
There was something different about his eyes, and it disturbed him. Something was going on and his daughter had lied to him. However, he had things planned out, but what he didn't expect was that this boy actually had the guts to fight back. Somehow, he finally figured what an Uchiha is capable of. "An Uchiha is Headstrong. Remember that, Haruno Ikichi-san." And he walked off, taking Sakura with him, a satisfied smirk on his lips.
A/N: So, any ideas on what could happen during that encounter? As for the fanfic challenge, is there anyone who has the patience and perseverance to create a good Naruto x-over The Matrix fic? In short, a "Narutrix" fic. It's not AU or modernized, still the ninja world. If you're interested yet have difficulty in understanding, let me know and I'll help you out or give you a few tips and ideas on it. I'd do it myself but I've got four more pending fics and plus, this one and Fallen.
