Title: Be There To Love Me

Summary: The first time I saw my husband was on our wedding day. The first time we touched was when his lips met mine in a soulless, cold, life-binding kiss. The first time he spoke to me he told me I annoyed him. The first time I felt alive was when he said he loved me. AU SasuSaku

Disclaimer: My ten bucks a week just isn't enough to sway Kishimoto Masashi. So sorry.

Author's Notes: Yea, sorry the update was so late. Please enjoy! Also, I've looked over all reviews and gotten a few tips. Thank you so much! I will be updating chapter two accordingly, but I'm not exactly sure when, 'cause I'm lazy like that. I'll post when I have.

Inspiration music: Nobuo Uematsu - "Final Fantasy X - Piano Collections" (It's such pretty music...)

Beta Reader: Josie and the P. Cats! You rock so hard! xD

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Be There To Love Me
Chapter Two

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I awoke to a stiff back, an aching neck, and the wonderful warmth that only comes from a down comforter. However, I had distinctly remembered falling asleep without one.

I sat up, pushing the comforter back. On further observation I realized Sasuke was gone and the only evidence that he had ever been here was the wonderful cinnamon smell that came from the crimson comforter now bundled at my feet.

I was on my feet now, staring down at the blanket as if it would grow fangs and eat me for breakfast. Something about it made me cringe, and another something made me want to cuddle up with it and drink in the smell, the warmth, the-

I jumped and whirled to face the door as it slid open. What if it was Sasuke? I instantly became uncomfortable and a blush crept on my face at what he must think about me. I was sleeping on the floor, for Kami-sama's sake. I eeped as another thought struck me. He'd already seen me this morning...

A purple-haired servant entered and I let out a visible sigh of relief. "Uchiha-kyou," she snapped, bowing halfheartedly, "It is good to see you up and about."

"Y-yes, thank you," I stammered, bowing back. An arrogant smirk came across her face as she didn't even try to stifle her condescending chuckle. I must've looked like an idiot, bowing to a servant, and I corrected myself quickly. It was too late though, the damage was done. She thought me a fool, that is, if she hadn't thought me one already.

"Your breakfast is prepared," the servant continued after a moment. She bowed and turned, "Please follow me, Uchiha-kyou." My last name was practically spat back at me. I didn't like her, and that was putting it lightly.

I asked for a moment to tidy myself. She obliged with a huff.

The two of us were just outside the dining room when we came across Sasuke. The servant -Ami, she said her name was- bowed as low as she possibly could, and I followed her example. He passed us, inclining his head slightly as he went. I jumped as I remembered-

"Uchiha-san," I said quickly, turning toward him, "Thank you."

I had stopped myself from making a comment about what exactly I was thankful for since Ami was listening quite intently to our conversation and hoped he'd realize my intentions. He glanced over his shoulder and nodded, giving off an odd little 'hn' sound before continuing on his way.

I was beaming as I turned back to Ami, whose frown had only deepened. Obviously, she was jealous the Fire Country's once most eligible bachelor was actually beginning to acknowledge his wife.

"Forehead-chan!" erupted through the dining room as I entered it. Ino came rushing toward me, all smiles, and Ami quickly took her leave, but not before casting Ino one of the most horrific evil smirks I had ever seen. Ino didn't seem to notice as she continued on, "How was your first night with hubby?"

I frowned, "Ino-chan, please, not so loud. Everyone between here and the Mist can hear you." Her tongue stuck out playfully before she grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me out of the dining room. I frowned. I really was looking foreward to breakfast.

"Ino-chan, where are we going?" I asked nervously.

"It's a secret!" she snapped, winking once again. I rolled my eyes, but a smirk, nonetheless, had spread across my face.

We walked for a few moments before another name was screamed at the top of someone's lungs. Thankfully, I was spared the embarrassment and also got to see Ino's face turn three shades of red. "Oi, Ino-san," the greeting was repeated a tad softer. I turned to see a young man with a spiky brown ponytail strolling towards us from the opposite side of the walkway. Behind him, not even trying to keep his attention focused, was the blond-haired guy who had been trailing behind Sasuke during the demonstration the day before.

"Ah, Shikamaru-san." Ino greeted dryly as she bowed, "You look...well." So this 'Shikamaru' was the one Ino had been dreaming about. He had a relaxed (bored) expression currently plastered on his face, his arms crossed casually in front of his chest.

"I'll take that as a compliment..." he replied, equally as dry. For dreaming about this guy, Ino really seemed to hate him.

"Cut to the chase, Shikamaru. What do you want?" Ino snapped.

"Choji is looking for you," he mumbled, shifting his stance, "Said something about...Tch, I can't remember. Just find him."

Ino glared.

Shikamaru glared.

The blond finally registered that his friend had stopped to talk, and upon seeing me, let out a screeching, "Sakura-chan!"

I blinked in surprise. "Sakura-chan, it's great to finally meet you!" he continued, snatching my hand into his and shaking madly. "The bastard told me all about you!" I withdrew my hand from his, having not received a greeting quite like this since last time I saw my mother. I glanced at Ino, who was rolling her eyes along with Shikamaru.

"Okay, well, he only said a bit, but that doesn't really-" he cut off, blinking, "It's great to meet you!" he belted out once again. "The name's Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Nice to meet you." I stuttered, feeling a bit uncomfortable, and not to mention annoyed, with his vibrant introduction. I bowed politely. "Thank you for your acclaim."

He frowned slightly and opened his mouth to say something else, but Shikamaru had flung his hand lazily against the back of his friend's head to silence him.

"What was that for?" Naruto whined, "I was only being friendly."

"You were being troublesome..." Shikamaru mumbled, beginning to turn, "Come on, we'll be late for training." Naruto shrugged with annoyance, cast one last cocky smile in my direction and let out a "See you later, Sakura-chan," before bounding after his friend.

"Don't worry, he's not on anything." Ino commented with a giggle, "At least I don't think he is..."

I nodded, rubbing my hands together uncomfortably. "Of course..."

Ino noticed my discomfort, "You'll get used to that," she said about the hand shake, "He's lived with his uncle in one of the eastern nations for a few years now. Some odd customs were picked up, as you can see."

I saw.

x

Ino's big surprise was breakfast in the gardens. When we arrived, the tatami mats were already set out, along with a meal that consisted entirely of pastries. I was exceedingly happy to have a chance to eat something and had no problem showing it when I grabbed for the first delicious thing I saw.

I ate with vigor, while Ino took small, delicate bites. She stopped after her second treat, and I couldn't help but ask if she was going to eat anything else.

She smiled knowingly and replied, "Men prefer skinny girls, Forehead-chan. Always remember that."

My eyes widened a bit and my chewing slowed.

The second Ino's back was turned the rest of my meal was thrown into the nearest plant.

When I had finished (throwing) my meal, and Ino had taken another small bite from her third pastry (she just couldn't resist), she excused herself with a promise of meeting again tomorrow. It seemed that her friend Choji was in need of her attention more than I was. I protested her leaving, because I really had no desire to be left alone, but she silenced me.

"It would be a good time to gather your thoughts," she told me, then with a wink she added, "Or go shopping, either one."

The idea of gathering my thoughts sounded rather enjoyable, so I reluctantly let her leave. My only problem now was finding a place to do the gathering. The palace was beautiful and all, but something about it made me nervous. I wouldn't be able to focus on anything peaceful if I was stuck within its walls.

I decided the best place to go would be Konohakagure. I had yet to explore the village since arriving, and maybe I could find a park or something of the sort to relax in. It would be perfect.

What wasn't perfect was having to take a bodyguard along with me. I knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate with a behemoth monster spying over my shoulder the entire time, and getting away from one would be even more difficult.

Lady Luck was on my side, however, when I was landed with a bored, uninterested man with one eye, that of which was always focused on some sort of smutty looking novel. He barely said two words to me as we traveled into the center of the village, and instead of me being the one to slip away, my guard was already gone by the time we reached the central market.

My first impression of Konoha was that this large village had the heart of a small town. Practically every person I ran into greeted me happily or asked how I was. The sense of community here was amazing and it lifted my spirits ever so slightly to know that I could always head here if life in the palace became too overwhelming.

The sun was setting and my stomach was rumbling as I headed back to the central market. I hadn't found a park, but I had managed to stumble across a small tea house. It was nothing special, but very few people were inside and it was far enough away from the center of town to be peacefully quiet. I enjoyed sampling some of the flavors, which rejuvenated my spirit, and did receive quite a bit of alone time before the owners began hassling me to buy something. I left quickly after that.

The market was in sight when I came across an interesting looking street. Throwing caution to the wind, something I rarely did and which I was only doing so I wouldn't have to head back to the palace so soon, I made my way down it to find boarded up buildings and not a person in sight. When the street ended, I was left staring up at a pair of large wooden doors that blocked the rest of the mysterious district from view.

The doors screamed dilapidation, just as the rest of the street did. The only sound came from behind me, and even the evening bustle of the village seemed to drone into nothing. I lifted my hand and ran my finger down the wood, almost wishing it would talk to me. What stories they would have to tell, if walls could talk. I gasped slightly and withdrew my hand, although my finger was still throbbing painfully. It was a splinter, no doubt, but I had no time to deal with it before my eyes caught sight of the Uchiha fan painted in the left corner. The fan itself was faded terribly, but below it a few smudges of red paint shone bright and clear, as if time had jumped over that single spot. It looked almost like-

"It's a sad sight, isn't it?" someone asked from behind me. "Hauntingly sad." I turned and nodded. The source of the voice was a young man who looked to be a few years my senior, but his gray hair and glasses made him seem much older. He was handsome, but not overly so, and his persona was of someone wise beyond his years. "It's a true shame..." he mumbled to himself before falling silent. I was just about to inquire as to what exactly was a 'true shame', but he spoke first.

"Are you aware that the sun is beginning to set as we speak?" the stranger asked, running his fingers across the wood as I had.

"I am aware." I replied. What did he think I was? A child?

"Are you also aware that after dark, this is one of the most dangerous sections of Konoha?" I flushed with embarrassment. I had no idea.

"I was not aware." I replied halfheartedly. He turned toward me, pushing his glasses to the bridge of his nose, "Then, I suppose you're lucky I came along when I did," he said with a smile.

I smirked, "I suppose I am."

He nudged his glasses upward once more and turned back to the door. "What exactly is a true shame?" I asked, my eyes once again resting on the Uchiha Fan.

He seemed a bit shaken by the question, adjusted his glasses once again, and said, "About ten years ago, a murder took place here. The information was disclosed to the Council only, but people knew most of what had happened. They could hear the screaming."

My eyes fell to the ground, "How horrible."

The man nodded, "But enough about that," he said quickly, "What is a lovely lady such as yourself doing in the old Uchiha District?"

My eyes widened slightly. The Uchiha District? So the murder was among Sasuke's own clan.

"I was exploring," I replied, "This place looked interesting, so I decided to check it out."

"Be careful with that. You may find yourself in more trouble than you can get out of," he warned, a worried scowl coming across his face as if he were a father scolding his unruly child. I nodded. The wind rustled the old banners behind us and a few shouts came from the market.

"It looks like it's about to storm," the stranger informed me. I looked toward the sky, in which large clouds bellowed, and turned to head back to the market. The young man followed behind me in silence.

Once we reached civilization again, I bowed to him and thanked him for the help. He bowed in return and asked for my name.

I paused for a moment, wondering if it was such a good idea to give my true name to a perfect stranger. He had been nice enough to help me, but what would happen if he found out my husband was Uchiha Sasuke, from the very clan we had been discussing earlier.

"Uchiha Sakura," I answered cautiously, focusing my attention on an old woman preparing her shop for the storm. "I'm- I'm sorry I didn't inform you..." I mumbled after a moment, turning back to him.

The gray haired stranger was already gone.

x

I slid the door to my bedroom open and entered, completely exhausted from my day of exploring. Sasuke wasn't there, and so I was left glancing between the floor and the futon. I could take the futon, but then Sasuke would have even more of reason to hate me. I could take the floor, and awake with an even worse backache than I had received last night.

I sighed in frustration and began preparing for bed, regardless of where I would find myself sleeping that night.

I stepped out from behind the changing curtain a few minutes later, my hair down and night robe on. I felt refreshed and wonderful, and I just couldn't wait to dive into the-

"You can have the futon. I'll take the floor." I jumped when I saw Sasuke sliding the door shut behind him.

He smirked, out of arrogance or amusement I couldn't tell, because of the surprised look I hadn't had time to hide. I bowed my thank you, blushing, and headed for the bed, happier to be sleeping on a soft mattress than my body language was revealing.

I snuggled into the covers and let out a sigh. This was so much better than sleeping on the floor...

I heard Sasuke grunt and roll and guilt crept into my stomach. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather switch places?" I whispered.

"Just sleep," was his response. End of conversation.

I closed my eyes and pulled the blankets tighter around me.

For awhile my thoughts lingered on the gray haired man I had met earlier and I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from questioning Sasuke about the odd district I had stumbled upon. Or about the murder the stranger had told me about...

I tore my mind from these thoughts and shifted, trying to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. Unfortunately, I had no success. My eyes snapped open and I rolled onto my back, tucking my hand behind my head. From there my thoughts turned to the Uzumaki fellow who's reception had reminded me so much of Mother. Each time she greeted me, she would smile and shake my hand, 'just like how those 'damn Easterns' did it'. I smirked, thinking of how Dad thought it was such a stupid custom.

I had never questioned it, and stupid was the last thing I believed it to be.

x

End notes: Yes, yes, lack of Sasuke, I know. Sorry! It's slightly hard to write romance with dear Avenger-kun because he's such an ice block! . Gotta take it slow, so give it some time.

Also, thank you to all who asked for the Beta position! It makes me feel extremely loved! Josie and the P. Cats has volunteered her time, so I will hopefully err less often. Okay, well, she'll be correcting my 'err-ness' so it looks like I'm smart. Yea, that sounds better...