warning: ooc Sasuke.
It happens on a rainy Tuesday —September twelve, to be exact.
Now, Sasuke isn't a fan of romance, never been since he gained enough consciousness to know that it only brings pain and suffering (in middle school, he had read enough books about Buddha). But people around him tell him enough that it's alright, Sasuke, you'll learn to love one day, you just won't know.
Sasuke has a thing for rain —he has a thing for gloomy weather, dark clouds, the pitter-patter of rain against his window. He feels as if he's one with the endless drops of water from the skies, free-falling only to land on a hard surface. Sasuke is already twenty four and he's never been broken before —not even when his parents were murdered, though it might be because he was so young back then (4 years old) and they never been a parents to him —only now, and it hurts too much to just let it go.
Naruko is constant. She was seven when she met Sasuke, and the latter the same age. For them, it was fascinating.
Sasuke was a quiet boy and Naruko was a very loud girl. Their contrasting personalities was somewhat of an advantage for two inseprable kids growing up. Sasuke never talks a lot —he usually uses 'hn' that Itachi and Naruko can only decipher as he prefers to express everything with his actions, and Naruko voices everything out. She was never afraid, always brash, and daring and in Sasuke's seven-year-old eyes, Naruko will never do anything wrong. Most importantly, Naruko wouldn't hurt him.
At seven.
It was always a Saturday. Naruko has a favorite pair of orange rubber shoes, and her mom always ties her hair up in a ponytail with a little curl at the end. She likes wearing her Orange jumpers, and there outside the Uchiha's doorsteps is Naruko wanting to play in the park. Sasuke likes Saturdays the best.
At ten.
They're still too young for plays in the park. Sasuke scrapes his knee and wills himself not to cry out loud. Sasuke is a very brave and prideful child, he rarely gets afraid not even ghost or scary rides in the amusement park but ironically, he is afraid of his older brother —Itachi— especially when Itachi 'mother-hen' him. Naruko was on his side in a flash, a trail of dirt on her cute whiskered cheek and a worried frown on her lips. She was ushering Sasuke to go back to his house, but a firm grip on Naruko's arm says no, his Aniki would be angry —as much as Itachi could be. Naruko is not buying any of his shit and tells him that no, Sasuke, your wound will get infected! At age ten, Sasuke meets his savior.
At thirteen.
Sasuke gained a friend (other than Naruko) named Sugetsui. Sasuke likes Sugetsui enough to hang out with him on Saturdays. Naruko met a girl named TenTen and they hang out on Saturdays, too. It was then when Sugetsui was showing off his newly-found guitar skills did Sasuke feels that cooking ramens and rolling on Naruko's bed is what he likes the best.
At fourteen.
Sasuke's dork older cousin —Obito— nearly killed himself because of a bad break-up. He tells Sasuke to not love because love is pain, love is suffering, and that he should read a book about Buddha and become an ascetic. Sasuke thinks his cousin is crazy, but he looks too sad and too broken to even joke around. Sasuke reads a book he found somewhere in the library and believes.
At fifteen.
Sugetsui transfers to a different school, and as much as other people think he's gay, Sasuke sticks close too Naruko like he always had. Nobody really understands him as much as Naruko, his best friend, does and she is the only girl that never go gaga over him. Naruko says it's okay, that no matter what happens she's not going to let any one lay a dirty finger on her Sasuke-chan (which result to argument because 'damn Dobe, don't call me that' and 'Teme! Stop being an ass'.) Sasuke rarely smiles, but when he does, Naruko thinks it's beautiful.
At eighteen.
Naruko starts seeing a kid named Genma. Her time with Sasuke is limited to when they go to school together and when they eat during lunch. Sasuke doesn't like this, doesn't like Naruko's attention away from him. Later, he will find out that this must be what jealousy feels like, but Sasuke is too thick-headed to let go of his belief that he doesn't like Naruko like that. That Uchiha doesn't get Jealous. That he's just lonely and he doesn't want his only friend to be taken away from him.
At nineteen.
Genma breaks up with Naruko, and it was the first and last time Sasuke got too angry —he easily got pissed but he's not easily to anger with— that he punched the guy in the face in the middle of the quad. All three of them attending the same university was hell at first, but it paved way to a little bit of an advantage for Sasuke because he wouldn't have to look for this guy —Genma is just everywhere and Sasuke felt like he should pounce on him because seeing Naruko cry over a petty matter is something Sasuke could not tolerate.
At twenty.
Sasuke doesn't know if time flies just like that or guys just keep lurking around Naruko, because the next year, she's going out with a guy named Shikamaru. A highly intelligent but very lazy guy who loves clouds a little too much.
And later, or maybe four years later, it's still Shikamaru and Sasuke's already tired of seeing his face. But Naruko smiles more and laughs more whenever Shikamaru is around, and Shikamaru is nice with Sasuke, and Sasuke appreciates it, because it's like he's also found a friend in him, but what Sasuke feels towards Naruko is not going away no matter how much he tells himself that no, Sasuke Uchiha, you're not in love with your best friend.
It happens on a rainy Tuesday —September twelve, to be exact.
Sasuke is sitting on a wooden chair, and people are just all over, fussing over Naruko and making sure she's aisle-ready. She looks so beautiful —her golden hair shines brightly and her sapphire orbs are full of life— like the gods have personally made her to look this ethereal. Sasuke is playing with the stiff cuff around his wrists, and he doesn't want to look up, doesn't want to see Naruko head off that door moments later to be married off to a man that is not him.
The rain is harsh, but it doesn't stop the wedding that is about to happen. Sasuke feels like he could be one with the rain, be a spectator, but reality brings him back to his place —his place as Naruko's best friend, the-maid-of-honor-supposed-to-be because she demands it's Uchiha Sasuke that fills anyone's place among her other friends. It sounds sweet, but not sweet enough.
And later, when it's time, Sasuke heads out, and one last look back at Naruko is his own version of eternal damnation. He offers a smile, but Naruko would have known that it's fake. And years of knowing Naruko never had to demand him to speak out, Naruko did it for him.
His alter ego would have been too disappointed, because he never said anything —not one thing to let Naruko know how he feels.
The vows sound like his own cry, and Sasuke tried his best to block out everything without covering his ears.
As the rain comes to a staggering stop, Sasuke loses himself with the bits and pieces of Tuesday —September twelve.