Serena- Well, just the epilogue left! Hopefully I get that up rather quickly…no promises though , Algebra is kicking my butt… the last time I checked I had a "D+" in that class…. Which is rather amazing since other than that I'm a straight "A" student. Oh well… I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you to everyone who reviewed!(I feel like I don't cay that enough…)

Disclaimer- I own nothing except my Original Characters, but even then- they have a mind of their own.

Boundless

By: Serena

Chapter 21

The Questions Melt Away

October 29th

Late into the night my eyes stayed glued to the ceiling, my body limp and withered from the whole events that had since passed. The thick midnight air seemed to suffocate me and the only reason I didn't step outside to receive a breath of fresher air was because of my own cowardice.

So many things had transpired- so many things without my knowledge. Sasuke had been on probation? Who were the two missing nins that he supposedly killed? And how did they know about it? Had Sasuke woken up?

And then Sakuras whole outburst…. Half of me was completely empathic, knowing what it's like to want attention from someone, but getting none, and yet having someone else shine in the light of admiration from that person.

….. And yet still, another half of me wanted to hit her. Wanted her to get over it…. I wanted her out of the picture because…… because…. I was….. Jealous? I sprang up from the original sleeping-position and grabbed at my hair.

I was jealous of Sakura. But…. Why? Why would I be so jealous of… her? I thought silently. What does she have that I-

An abrupt knocking shook me out of my thoughts and I dragged myself over to the apartment door. It was midnight, who in the world would be visiting at such an hour- oh, speak of the deviless. The fog outside gave her a demonic background and her eyes held hate.

I opened my mouth, already forming the words, "Why are you here?" but she cut me off with her own voice- "Sasuke's awake, and- though I don't know why he'd even want to talk to you- he's asking for you." She crossed her arms over her chest, in a defensive way.

My head gave a small, almost perceivable nod before I yanked my coat from the tiny hook next to the door, and pushed passed Sakura slightly. We made our way down the unlit streets together, and thoughts of various things wormed their way into my head.

Why had Sakura of all people come to get me? Had she been waiting by his bedside? Had she been there this whole time… if so, she was definitely devoted to him…. Even more so than I, considering that the whole time the man that I love is hurt in the hospital and I'm at home… Guilt gnawed at my soul.

I didn't take in my surroundings until we came to Sasuke's door. 152. Sakura didn't even hesitate to knock as she thrust open the white door. Sasuke, though it was the middle of the night, was propped up by pillows.

His eyes met mine in a blank stare that was so unlike the warm smile he had given me in the forest. I glanced at Sakura, and she seemed to get the message- bless her soul- so she silently left the room.

I turned back to the bed, my gaze steady and apparently unnerving, seeing as the onyx-eyed boy could not meet my stare anymore. I felt my feet take me to his bedside and I felt my hands grasp his own.

"Why?" I choked out, "Why did you leave me?" Finally, finally I was able to pose the question, not to myself any longer- but finally to the one that could give me answers.

"I promised." He whispered, trying to pull back… trying to get away… from… me?

"You… promised? What did you promise?"

"That… as long as I came back within a certain amount of time, Orochimaru would let me leave with you." He still wouldn't meet my gaze and it took extreme self-control not to grab his face and make him look at me.

"No," I whispered, pulling away creating more distance between us, "You promised to stay… You said that you would stay!"

Sasuke shook his head slowly, "They only let me go- they only let us go- because I promised to come back."

My breath caught. He had been lying to me from the start? False reassurance…. false love? The topic of lying brought something else to mind. "Tsunade told me you were put on probation- why didn't I know about it?"

Sasuke gave an indifferent shrug, "You never asked."

A sigh of annoyance rang from my lips. "So this whole time…. You've been lying to me? Telling me you'd stay with me, lying blatantly to my face because I'm just that gullible?"

He still didn't meet my gaze, but at least he offered an answer, "Yes."

And so, we sat there, together once again in complete silence. Sasuke found something interesting out the window, and I observed my fingernails with disgust, Sakura's comment still wounding my pride. "Someone mentioned that you killed two missing nin…. Who were they?"

"Orochimaru and-"

"Orochimaru?" I echoed bewildered. "You killed a sannin?"

Sasuke shrugged, still finding amusement in whatever was outside that had drawn his attention for that amount of time, "It wasn't easy, or direct."

My heart clenched, and though I knew I should have banished my thoughts right then and there, I couldn't. If Orochimaru was dead, then any hope- no matter the very little flicker I had tried to snuff out- was just as dead. I believed Sasuke, but I nevertheless needed him to repeat it- "Orochimaru is dead?"

"Yes," came the whispered reply.

"And… and the other missing nin?" I had my ideas, my thoughts, and my hopes of who had died at Sasuke's hands.

"It's done. My revenge was completed." Though the words should have made him happy, delighted, and joyful there was nothing but hollowness that rang in his voice. "Kakashi was right."

I eyebrows disappeared behind my bangs as they rose. "What was he right about?" I asked.

"Revenge only leads to emptiness," he whispered, head still lowered. "I thought that by killing Itachi, I would be fulfilled, but….. My life revolved so much around him- every decision I made was somehow or another connected to him… you know what his last words to me were?"

I shook my head, obviously.

""You think you've accomplished something, little brother. You think that my death is the end of me? You don't understand that I will live on- I will live on in your hatred for me, because my death will not rid you of that hatred. You've become me." And he was right… But-"

"But?" I inquired.

He finally looked me in the eye, and I blinked, unwilling to back down. "But I thought I was going to die, Rui. I thought that that would be the end of me- the end of everything. And you know what I regretted most?" Once again I shook my head, "Not apologizing to you."

My throat seemed to close up, as the speechlessness ran through my veins and reached my heart. He looked away again, as I didn't answer and a pained expression appeared on his face. To make up for the lack of words, for there were none to say, I used my actions to express my self.

Being somewhat mindful of his injuries, I leaned over the bed and made the distance between Sasuke and I non-existent. And there we stayed for a few moments, in each others arms, and though no words were spoken, we both realized that everything would be alright now.

Sasuke's arms wound their way around my waist, and my nose was filled with the pine-scent of his ebony hair. I could feel his breath on my neck, and I knew he could smell the light fragrance of the roses I had been working with the day before.

I pulled back slightly, so that his hair wouldn't interfere with my words, a memory long-since snuffed out just then resurfacing. "Sasuke, remember the day I came home and started crying?"

I felt him nod, "Well… I kinda stopped by Yamanaka's Flowers and heard you talking with Ino…. What, um, what happened to the flowers you bought?"

I heard him scoff, obviously he remembered. "I threw them out."

"Threw them out?!" I asked, pulling back fully so I could see his expression.

Sasuke nodded absently. "I just got them to irk Ino, after that they had no use."

"You could have used them to brighten up the Uchiha residence…" I mumbled under my breath, remembering the dreadfully cold and gloomy place it was.

"What?" Sasuke seemed taken-aback. Whether at my saddened sass or my mention of his old residence, I did not know. He shook his head, deciding he didn't want to know. "You have… changed, Rui."

I nodded, looking down. Images of the man on the street and what I did to him danced in my minds-eye. "Things change, people change… you changed too, Sasuke… but I don't think either of us changed for the better. I'm trying to work on that though."

"I suppose I can work on that as well."

A smile lit up my face, and I suppose it was contagious because as I glanced up at him, I saw that a nice, warm smile had also found its way to Sasuke's face.