xXx
"talking"
'thoughts'
Flashbacks
xXx
Never Too Late
"Just think," said Naruto, " this will be our last time being together, just the three of us."
"Yeah," sighed Sakura. Naruto and Sakura were sitting at Sasuke's kitchen table while Sasuke was making tea for the three of them.
"I mean," started Naruto, "tomorrow Sakura's getting married. We won't get together like this anymore." He was sitting back in his chair so that the chair was wobbling on its two back legs. Sakura sat with her head resting on her chin, a smile on her face, and a dazed look in her eyes.
"Yeah," said Sakura again.
"It makes me think back to when we were kids," said Naruto. "Just the three of us starting off as gennin with Kakashi-sensei." He paused in memory and laughed a bit. "We were so crazy!"
"And you still are," giggled Sakura.
"I remember I was such an idiot-"
"Still are."
"-making all those jokes and playing tricks, and Sakura still liked Sasuke, but then he left and…" Naruto trailed off. Sakura looked down with a sad look in her eyes. Even though it was a long time ago, the event still hurt her. Sasuke came to the table with the cups of tea and wacked Naruto at the back of his head. Sakura quickly regained her previous attitude and raised her head to receive the cup of tea.
"Thanks for inviting us Sasuke," she said.
"It's all Naruto's fault you're here," replied Sasuke.
"Anyway," Naruto said, "all this time and I never knew Sasuke could make tea." He raised the cup to his lips and muttered, "Probably tastes like shit." With that Sasuke kicked Naruto under the table, causing him to spill the HOT BURNING tea all over himself.
"Don't insult me again dobe. And clean up the mess."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY! …whatever." Naruto stood up to get something to clean the mess.
Sakura giggled. "Just like old times." She watched Naruto clean up the mess and sipped her tea silently. Sasuke sat in his chair with his usual I'm-Way-Cooler-Than-You-So-Buzz-Off look on his face.
"So," Sakura turned to Sasuke, "are you coming to the wedding tomorrow?"
"Sai wouldn't want me there," said Sasuke sipping his tea.
"Well maybe, but you're MY guest, and I want you there," Sakura insisted. "I'm sure I can work something out."
Sasuke sighed. "I'll think about it."
"Good!" Sakura said with a smile on her face. "And Naruto," she continued, "don't forget that you're the best man so be there early."
"I AM!! I-I mean I am," stuttered Naruto. Sakura laughed at his childish antics. Sasuke just rolled his eyes. Naruto came back and sat at the table. The front of his shirt was soaked with tea which he uselessly tried to clean.
"I think we should get going, Naruto. It's getting late," said Sakura, getting up to put her empty cup in the sink. She looked outside and the sun was starting to set. Naruto agreed and stood up followed by Sasuke.
"Bye Sakura," said Naruto as he gave her a friendly hug. "MY LOVE, MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER I'M GONNA MISS YOUUUUUU!!!!"
"Naruto, I'm not leaving. You're acting as if I'm going to die!" Naruto let go of her.
"Oh yeah, he he." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well anyway, bye teme, thanks for spilling tea all over me," he said sarcastically as he held out his hand to Sasuke.
Sasuke shook his hand and muttered 'hn'. With one final wave Naruto left.
"Don't forget that you're the best man!!" Sakura yelled at his retreating back. Sakura and Sasuke were left in the doorway watching Naruto walk off. There was silence until it was broken by Sakura.
"Well I guess I should get going. Sasuke." She paused then held out her hand for him to shake. He took it and she turned to leave.
"Wait," called Sasuke. She turned back around. "I…" He looked as though he was having an inner debate. Finally he blurted out, "I don't want you to marry him tomorrow." Sasuke looked away from her.
Sakura looked up and said, "But, why?"
"Because…." Sasuke started. He couldn't stand looking at her eyes. 'Her wonderful, beautiful, cheerful eyes.' He just didn't think Sai was right for her. He thought she deserved someone better. Someone like…
He didn't finish that thought.
"Because I…..I…" He couldn't say it.
"I'm sorry Sasuke," she cut in. "It's just…..too late." She wanted to say something more but instead muttered a quick 'goodbye' and left.
"Too late," he echoed. He hit his head on the door frame and stayed there. 'It's always too late' He waited until she was only a speck on the horizon and went inside.
xXx
It was the big day! Sakura stood in her wedding gown in the bride's room just staring at herself. She had to admit, she looked beautiful. Unconsciously, she reached up to grasp her necklace. It was a heart-shaped locket that her friends gave her for her eighteenth birthday. She smiled. That day seemed so long ago.
There was a light knocking at the door. "Sakura?"
"Come in." Ino entered the room and gasped once she saw her best friend.
"Sakura you look amazing!" she said as she stood next to Sakura in the mirror and smiled.
"Thanks," Sakura giggled.
"Anyway," said Ino, "The wedding is in half an hour. Are you ready?"
Sakura nodded, "I think so."
"Great! Everything's ready." She smiled and gave her friend a big hug. "I'm so happy for you!"
"Thanks Ino," said Sakura as they pulled apart. "You've been a great friend."
Ino only smiled bigger. "All right. See you in a while. Good luck!" she said as she scurried out of the room.
Sakura laughed. "Ok." She turned back around. Ino was right, it's her wedding day! She should be happy, but she still couldn't help the feeling that something wasn't right.
"I don't want you to marry him tomorrow"
"Because, I…"
She knew what he was going to say. She just feared that if she heard it, she wouldn't have been able to come here today. She knew that somewhere in the bottom of her heart, she still…
She sighed. 'I'm being stupid' He probably hated her now. Tears started forming in her eyes. But that was no reason to get her down! 'That's right, I have to be strong!' She was getting married! She should be…
…happy
She sighed again. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get rid of that feeling. She hurriedly wiped her eyes and put on a fake smile. Someone was knocking at the door.
"Come in!" she said with fake cheeriness.
And for a second she thought 'Sasuke?'
But it wasn't Sasuke who walked in, it was Naruto.
"Hi Sakura!!!" he said as he came bounding in.
"Oh, Naruto!" she said with a fake smile. Naruto crinkled his brow in concentration.
"What's wrong Sakura, you don't seem….happy," he said. She should have known, Naruto knew her too well.
"I'm happy," she tried again.
"Hmmmm….Ok!" She inwardly sighed "Well the wedding's in five minutes," he continued. "You ready?"
Sakura took a deep breath. "Yup!"
"Ok!" said Naruto again. "And…you look really pretty," he said as he turned to leave. Sakura smiled, a real one this time.
"Thanks Naruto," she said as he started walking out the door. Then he stopped.
"Congratulations," he said, back still turned, and walked away. He knew something was bothering her and he had a feeling that he knew what it was, but for now he decided to let it go. 'I'll let her decide this time'
Sakura sighed for the millionth time and decided that it was time to go.
xXx
She walked up the isle with her father. Everyone was smiling and congratulating her as she passed by them. But still, she kept getting the feeling that something was missing. Everyone was happy, but she felt so….empty. Then she realized it-
Sasuke never came
xXx
"I do," said Sai as he smiled at Sakura. Sakura found it hard to smile back.
"And do you, Haruno Sakura…" The priest said his lines, but Sakura was only half listening. When he stopped Sakura realized she was supposed to say "I do" but the words were stuck in her throat. She opened her mouth but nothing came out.
-
If you leave, I-I'll scream
-
I don't want you to marry him tomorrow
-
Because I…I…
-
I love you more than anything
-
It's just too late
-
"Sasuke…" her voice was barely a whisper. She couldn't take it anymore and ran out of the church, tears streaming from her eyes.
xXx
Sai watched as his soon-to-be wife rushed out of the church. He called her name and was about to run after her until something stopped him. Naruto was grabbing his arm.
"Let her go."
xXx
She ran and ran and never thought about where she was going. She couldn't think straight. Her feet led her on their own. Wherever she went, people were staring and she let them stare, for she couldn't have cared less.
Her feet led her to the one place she didn't want to go, and yet, she felt like she needed to. She slowed down and knocked at the door. At first there was no response until she heard a pair of feet walking to the door. The door opened slowly, as if in slow motion, and she looked into the face of the one person she hated so much, yet absolutely loved. Without a word, she tore her gaze from his face and walked right past him into the living room.
He closed the door, followed her, and found her sitting on his couch.
"Sasuke," she said, barely audible. Nonetheless, he heard it and looked down at her. She was sitting with her head down, fingering the locket her friends gave her.
"Do you know why I came here today?" she continued. She sniffed and wiped her tears with her hand.
In fact, Sasuke did not know why she came to his house. Right now, she should have been in church saying her vows, living her 'happily ever after'…
"Never mind, it was pointless," she whispered. Sasuke remained silent. Truthfully he didn't know what to do. There was a silence. She shifted her position on the couch. Tears started forming in her eyes once more.
"You know maybe it was because," she raised her voice and turned to look at Sasuke, "because somewhere in the back of my head, I knew…… somewhere in the bottom of my heart…" She looked away from him and back at the floor. Sniffles could be heard coming from her and tears were running down her face now. She started fiddling with the locket again and turned to face him.
"Maybe it was because I'm still in love with you!" she yelled at him. She finally let out the secret she was trying to hide from everybody, including herself, just as he had.
She stood up abruptly and walked passed him towards the door. The locket remained sprawled on the ground. He followed her to the door. As she opened it she whispered, "I'm…sorry for wasting your time." She walked out quickly and didn't look back at him.
"Sakura." She stopped. "You're not a waste of my time." She paused with her back still turned then kept walking.
xXx
He just didn't know what to do anymore. Part of him wanted to run after her, the other part wanted him to let her go.
"Maybe it was because I'm still in love with you!"
She had said exactly what he had wanted her to say. And though he never wanted to admit it, he felt the same way.
Sasuke closed the door and walked to the kitchen where he had been earlier, (before she came) but he wasn't there for a second until the door burst open again.(he half-wished it was her)
Naruto walked in to find Sasuke staring at him with a blank look on his face.
"She was here wasn't she?"said Naruto. Then he walked to the living room and Sasuke followed. (just as he followed her)
Naruto was sitting on the couch holding Sakura's locket. (her locket)Though she didn't know it, it was his idea to buy the locket for her eighteenth birthday.
"You know," started Naruto, keeping his eyes on the locket, "I knew she didn't really love him." Sasuke just kept staring at Naruto and he continued. "That's why when I heard of their engagement, I tried to talk her out of it." He looked up. Sasuke hesitated then finally spoke.
"What should I do?" His voice was small, like that of an innocent child. That this one girl could bring down his Uchiha pride was…pathetic. And he knew it.
"Talk to her." It came out partly as a question, but also as a demand. There was nothing else to do. God forbid (his) Sakura's heart be broken. It was time to fix what was broken a long time ago.
Naruto would always wait for the day when Sasuke finally broke down, so that he could laugh in his face. But on this one day, the day he had been waiting for, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead-
"I can help."
xXx
She sat alone on a park bench. Her tears had long since stopped falling, there was just nothing to cry for anymore. After all, it was just too late, wasn't it?
"Hey."
She looked up to see her blond friend looking down at her, then looked back down. Naruto decided to take the seat next to her on the bench. They sat like that for a while in silence.
"I worked everything out with Sai so it's fine," said Naruto, glancing at Sakura.
"That's good," she replied without really listening. There was a pause.
"But that's not the point," said Naruto now turning to looking at Sakura. "I want to help," he paused, "but I think there's someone else you should talk to." Sakura looked up and was now fully listening, but there was nothing else to listen to. He had left as quickly as he had come, and all that was there when she looked up was
Him
She looked at him with a shocked expression and he just stared back.
"Can I sit?"
She nodded her head and he sat on the opposite side of the bench. They sat in silence, neither one knowing what to say.
They sat like that for a while until Sasuke opened his mouth. He hesitated and then said, "I need to tell you something." They both turned to each other and said,
"I'm Sorry!"
"Sorry, you go first," said Sakura, looking back at the ground.
"Well…" Sasuke started. Sakura looked back up at him. "I…I was," he took a deep breath, "I was… stupid."
Who would think he, the great Sasuke Uchiha, would admit he was stupid.
Sakura giggled. "Like Naruto stupid?"
Sasuke smirked. "I'm not that bad, am I?"
"Well," Sakura started, "I was stupid, too. I mean…I should've realized…"
"That's ok." Sasuke pulled something from his pocket. "I think you forgot something." And he held out her necklace.
"My locket!" She reached out and grabbed the necklace from his hands. "I thought I lost it," she said as she put it on around her neck.
"And there's one more thing," he said as he got off the bench and went down on one knee. "Now that we're both in agreement that we were both wrong and both stupid," he said. Sakura giggled. "I would like to say that I…"he hesitated, "I love you. Will you, Sakura Haruno, marry me?"
Sakura looked at the ground uneasily. "But what about Sai. I was supposed to marry him and… isn't it just too late? It always is."
"Didn't I already tell you that." They both looked up to see Naruto looking at them with a smile on his face. "You weren't listening, were you? I already cleaned that up. It's like nothing ever happened."
Sakura smiled. "Naruto, you're the best!" Naruto took the time to smile and congratulate himself. "Well in that case," she turned to Sasuke, "yes!" They both looked at each other and kissed.
Everything just seemed so right.
"You see," said Naruto, "it's never too late."
xXx
One year later
Twice Naruto has been the best man at Sakura's wedding, but the first one didn't quite work out. And now here he is, at his two best friends' wedding.
Sakura walked down the isle looking like an angel. This time, she had a true smile on her face, and for once Sasuke really smiled, you could even see it in his eyes. It was like a movie, where everything always ended up just right.
They said their "I do"s and sealed it with a kiss. They were the two happiest people in the world that day, and nobody could change that.
xXx
"Hey, hey! I'd like to propose a toast!"
Sasuke stood up and tried getting everyone's attention. When the chatter died down he continued, " To me and my new wife, Sakura, that we, after a bumpy start, might have a wonderful life together."
The crowd cheered and he went on, "And though I hate to admit it, we all have Naruto to thank for this. Without him, I would be sitting at home thinking of all the mistakes I've made and Sakura would be married to someone else." The guests cheered again, this time for Naruto.
"So I guess this is…to Naruto!" Everyone took a sip from their glass as a toast to Naruto.
Sakura stood up. "I have something to add to that." The crowd quieted down again. "First of all, I am really happy right now, and thanks to everyone for everything." She paused. "I think what Sasuke meant by a bumpy start was that we were both hiding things, from each other and also from ourselves. But that's all right now, and here we are! I guess there really is such a thing as a happy ending and a new beginning, because after all, it's never too late, right?"
The crowd cheered.
You're the girl who can see me when I fall but it doesn't matter You're the one who keeps me up at night thinking of how to make it better You drive me crazy and I know it just please don't tell me it's too late
xXx
This is my first fic so sorry if it's not that good. Feel free to review!