The Trick is to Keep Breathing
Chapter 3
July 30th - White
Trembling, eager fingers ran through dark, wavy hair, twisting it slowly into knots.
Pretty pink lips turned upwards into a tight, contained smile as green eyes brightened for the first time in ages.
"Hey." His voice was just as she remembered, deep and dark and mysterious.
"Hey yourself," she responded, watching carefully as he reached forward and patted his knee.
Barely containing herself, she moved forward and slid onto his lap, her fingers moving down to his face, her eyes never leaving his for a moment. "I missed you."
He was watching her still, his eyes burning with an intensity that she had long since gotten used to and which she now realized she had missed. She smiled wider as his arm slid around her waist, holding her to him.
She leaned forward and rested her forehead on his as her fingers retraced the outline of his face, recolonising it and reclaiming it as her own. Had others touched his skin so tenderly when he'd been away? She decided that she didn't care, nothing he had done mattered anymore, now that he was here.
"Where were you all this time?" she whispered, revelling in the feel of his eyelashes as they touched her cheek every time he blinked.
"Soul searching," he replied tonelessly, staring out past her shoulder, mentally reliving the months that he had been gone.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" She hoped he had - desperately because she wasn't sure that she could bear losing him twice.
"Yes," he responded, moving back slightly and fixing her with that piercing gaze once again. He reached forward and touched her face gently, an uncharacteristic shyness to the movement. "Yes, I found it."
Sakura tilted her head slightly, eyes widening in astonishment as she wondered silently what more he had to say. So she was taken aback when he moved forward suddenly, pausing just before their lips touched.
Sakura breathed very slowly, her eyes on his, shivering slightly as his thumb traced circles on her cheek. "What did you find?" she murmured, sounding slightly preoccupied.
"My soul," he whispered back, "I left it here."
She moved unthinkingly then, closing the distance between them by pressing her lips to his in a fierce, manic kiss totally unlike her. It didn't seem to faze him though for he wound his arms tighter around her waist and pulled her closer to him, kissing her back with a ferocity that she had never before experienced.
Her arms circled his shoulders and she tightened them as much as she could, determined to hold on to him this time, to stop him from slipping away as he had done countless times before.
Plop.
Sakura's eyes opened and immediately met an overwhelming darkness. She raised her hand and touched her forehead, sighing as she realized that it was a dream and that a drop of water from her leaking roof had jerked her awake.
Sighing frustratedly, she turned and stared into the darkness above Ino's bed. She had been hoping, praying even that this time it would be real. He had felt so close! He had been right there! And she was even able to touch him...she shook her head - what she would give to be able to touch him again, just once.
She shook her head slightly to try to shake those hurtful thoughts from her head. This was ridiculous - how was she supposed to get over him when he appeared to her every night? At this rate, she would never let go! And she had to...because no matter what Naruto said, Sasuke wasn't coming back - and it was time she stop waiting for him to.
She turned over again, moving her head so that the rain wouldn't fall on her anymore and closed her eyes, willing herself not to dream of him again. She got her wish - when she drifted off that night, all she saw was a limitless wall of white.
A/N: So did I get you with that dream twist or did you see it coming? Please leave a review and let me know what you think. And don't let the pairing stop you from reading - the story's ultimately about Sakura (our heroine!). I'm always happy to hear what you have to say. Have a good day and thanks for reading!