Author's Note: Well… it's a new installment! hides from her Sacrifice fans Don't worry, I'm working on Sacrifice, too. This one is just much easier to write because I can only write it when a song inspires me!
Lips of an Angel
-- Why --
Sasuke eyed Sakura, running a hand through his hair. The last five years slipped by at a painfully slow rate, drawing him further from the woman he wanted to be with. Remaining friends had been a difficult task, and the gap between them grew. It hurt more that Sakura was slipping through his fingers than the fact that it was his fault he wasn't with her. She could be sitting beside him, smiling and laughing, but it'd be like a glass cage surrounded her, keeping out of her his grasp.
Hikari had left on a mission— and although he didn't want to, Sasuke was worried about her. It irritated him that he felt a comfortable love for Hikari, but his mind and heart revolved around the lipstick-haired teammate he abandoned fifteen years prior. Most of the time he was capable of claiming his feelings for Hikari were created to make a loving atmosphere for his two children. They deserved the childhood he never had.
"Sakura…" he whispered, leaning back on the porch and closing his eyes. "… there is something you're not telling me."
Why, do you always do this to me?
Why, couldn't you just see through me?
How come, you act like this
Like you just don't care at all
She placed her hands behind her to brace her body as she leaned backward. An awkward smile found its way to her face as she bent her head to face Sasuke.
"What do I have to hide from you, Sasuke-kun?" she responded lightly.
He covered his head with his hands. For once, he was glad his son wasn't pulling at his shirt sleeve asking for shuriken training. He was glad his daughter wasn't crying within earshot. Sasuke was thankful Naruto had been willing to babysit, although the only reason he allowed it was because Hinata promised to keep an eye on what was taught to his children. There was no room in the sparse Uchiha clan for sexy no jutsu.
Shaking his head, there was a small smile crossing Sasuke's lips. Naruto, with his newly instilled powers of Hokage, had purposely sent Hikari on a mission and then volunteered to watch the children. It was apparent to most people in the village that the Sasuke and Sakura needed some time alone to clear matters up.
Do you expect me to believe I was the only one to fall?
I could feel I could feel you near me, even though you're far away
I could feel I could feel you baby, why
"I know I'm not the only one still hurting over this situation." He responded lightly.
Sakura let a bittersweet smile replace the vibrant fake one she'd been using. "I suppose that's true, but what is there to do? You can't ask me to move on, and you can't ask yourself to forget. We've already covered that. We just have to sit aside and pretend nothing is wrong."
"At least you stopped drinking."
She snorted. "At least you stopped brooding."
There was a silence between them. Sakura's gaze fell back onto the sunset they had been watching together. Sasuke looked toward his feet, tracing the grain patterns in the wood of his veranda.
It's not supposed to feel this way
I need you, I need you
More and more each day
It's not supposed to hurt this way
I need you, I need you, I need you
Tell me, are you and me still together?
Tell me, do you think we could last forever?
Tell me, why
Hey, listen to what we're not saying
Let's play, a different game than what we're playing
Try, to look at me and really see my heart
Sakura shook her head. "I've grown out of my resentment at Hikari-san… that was one large step in the direction of getting over the situation."
"You can't tell me you're truly happy with Sai." He responded. "I see how he treats you."
She didn't respond at first, she simply continued staring ahead. Sasuke didn't bother to pry any further. It was her choice to elaborate on the subject.
Do you expect me to believe I'm gonna let us fall apart?
I could feel I could feel you near me, even when you're far away
I could feel I could feel you baby, why
It's not supposed to feel this way
I need you, I need you
More and more each day
It's not supposed to hurt this way
I need you, I need you, I need you
Tell me, are you and me still together?
Tell me, you think we could last forever?
Tell me, why
"Sai understands where I stand… and he treats me accordingly. Why should he treat me like a princess when he knows my heart doesn't lie with him?" Sakura questioned aloud. "I feel bad for that… but there isn't much else I really can do. He doesn't want to leave me, and I don't have the heart to hurt him. He's been through enough in his life."
Sasuke watched her as she spun around to face him, leaning her back against a post on the porch. She plastered on her fake smile, expecting it to fool him. It was a half hearted attempt at bringing a calm to the unfolding drama they called a underlying romance. Sakura knew he saw through her words, and she knew he saw through her smiles. There wasn't much she could hide from him.
He waited for her eyes to open before posing his next question. "If you don't love him, why did you agree to be with him?"
So go and think about whatever you need to think about
Go ahead and dream about whatever you need to dream about
And come back to me when you know just how you feel, you feel
I could feel I could feel you near me, even though you're far away
I could feel I could feel you baby, why
It's not supposed to hurt this way
I need you, I need you
More and more each day
It's not supposed to hurt this way
I need you, I need you, I need you
Tell me
Silence met his words, and Sakura began to digest where he was going with this conversation. Most of the time, they had discussed Sasuke's side of things, and how it pained him to be in a marriage he originally thought was built upon a loving relationship. There was love, but it wasn't the kind of passionate love he'd found harbored in his heart for her. Now that the tables were turned and it was her turn to confess what was going through her mind, it was almost impossible to reveal her reasoning.
"To be honest… at first, it was out of spite." She responded. "I wanted you to hurt the way I was hurting."
He smirked. "It worked."
"It was cruel, I know. I distinctly remember the look on your face the first time Sai kissed me. What was going through your mind?"
"Do you want the truth?" Sasuke questioned.
All he received as a response was hurt nod.
"I wanted to kill him."
She smiled. "We've both been very cruel to one another throughout this… but there isn't much we can do. The die has been cast… we just have to accept it."
They shared a bittersweet look as the final rays of the sun hid beyond their view. Within the twilight, a bond was tightened. Although the conversation had been about learning to move on, Sasuke felt a pull that brought him closer to Sakura.
"You know, Sasuke-kun…" she turned to face the moon as it began its reign over the sky. "… I heard that love isn't supposed to hurt like this, or feel this way… but I miss you the most when I'm right next to you, because I know I can never have you."
Sasuke shot a look toward her; although her face was concealed behind her cherry hair and the shadow of night, he could make out the small trails of tears that leaked from her eyes. Drawing a hand toward her, he wiped the moisture off her cheek and into his own palm. She leaned into his touch, whispering something he couldn't understand.
"Sakura… I didn't understand that."
She smiled. "It's alright. All I said was I love you."
It's not supposed to hurt this way
I need you, I need you
More and more each day
It's not supposed to hurt this way
I need you, I need you, I need you
Tell me, are you and me still together?
Tell me, do you think we could last forever?
Tell me, why
Author's Notes: And this is the end of yet another installment of Lips of an Angel. I hope you guys liked this one… it was a little bittersweet. I think the other chapters are far better than this one, though.
Love and hugs—
Crystal Renee
