Greetings once again! This isn't the last chapter, although I closed it as if it was, so don't worry. There's still more. :] You all are so terribly awesome (that is a compliment lol) I can't believe I have this many reviews! Arigato! Seriously! I apologize for the previous chapters once again and their depressing writing and all that. That was the most intense amount of drama this story will hold. Here is chapter 15, enjoy

WARNING: Not sure if it will bother anyone, so here's your warning—Karin tries to get a little more than buddy-buddy with her cousin. You have been warned.

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Previously

"Ms. Karin," Sakura interrupted her, her eyes veering back over to the Uchiha. She swallowed hard to push the lump in her throat down. Her head throbbed as she recalled why she was headed for the receptionist's office. She knew what she wanted there, and it was time to say it: "I would like a drop out forum."

XxxX

Karin swallowed hard, her left eyebrow slightly raising from the request. A drop out forum? Why would she want that? She was a poor girl who had made it into this college—a rich college—and she was just going to throw it all away? It didn't seem right, nor did it seem logical. Karin's fingers fiddled with the papers in her desk, but something nagged in her mind. Something's not right… After pushing her glasses up, she looked the poor Haruno in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't seem to have any with me at the moment," she sniffed professionally as she lied through her teeth.

Sakura's heart dropped at this fact. Nothing was working out. How much longer would she have to suffer at this school? How much longer would pain have to ease pain? Her emerald orbs danced with emotion. "I'll tell you what," Karin continued. "Why don't you go and wait in your room? I'll see if there's any in a, um, reserve." She searched her mind for terms that would sound believable. With Sakura still in her half trance state, she bought the lie, and nodded in agreement, trudging back up to her dorm room, waiting for the red haired receptionist.

The receptionist breathed out a ragged sigh, easing her tension. Now that she's gone… I need to know what's going on… she mused, tapping her pencil on her chin. The poor girl that her cousin had so obviously set his eyes on suddenly wanted to get up and leave the college—not to mention she was a royal mess with whatever abuse someone or herself had put her through.

She tossed her red mane off her shoulder, typing in buttons on the intercom. After making sure that her voice would be blocked out of all other rooms, Karin spoke into the intercom: "Uchiha Sasuke, come into my office!" I need to talk to someone who I know for a fact will know what's going on… he spends the most time with her out of anyone, and that's a solid fact.

oooo

Sharpened steel caught the attention of onyx. The steel was glimmering from a faint light glowing in through the window. It switched in its glow as it pressed against the pale skin of Sasuke Uchiha. He drew in a sharp breath, his mind flooding with thoughts of the girl who he had destroyed her life. He had time to think now, even with the blade on his flesh. He breathed out and closed his eyes lightly, covering the dull onyx orbs. The blade grazed down his skin—

"Uchiha Sasuke, come into my office!" The voice caused him to jump and he did exactly what he was trying to avoid: he cut himself shaving.

"That stupid woman…" he grumbled, his entire mind being knocked out of the state of thought he was trying to engulf himself in. He removed the razor from his face and frowned: the prick on his jaw wasn't too noticeable—only the dot of blood that was trickling from the cut. He pat a handkerchief to the cut until the bleeding died down, and after slipping his shirt back on, he made his way downstairs to his cousin's office.

As he was walking, his mind veered back to his earlier state of thought: her. Sakura Haruno: the girl who he had completely destroyed was on his thoughts, in his guilty conscious. How could he talk to her now? When would be the right time? Having never been put in such a situation, he truly didn't know how to deal with it; the only "experience" he had was the advice Kakashi had given him about his situation with Rin. Sasuke pinched his lips together, shoving his hands into his pockets roughly. I doubt that anything I can say can possibly fix what I told her, but I have to try.

He considered himself unworthy of the girl whom he had fallen in love with. She was kind, caring, and emotional. She didn't hide her emotion—she, rather, let it all out: not afraid of what people would think of her. Sasuke had bottled up his emotions after a fifteen year old outburst he had when his parents left; he had only portrayed his emotion to Kakashi when being caught in the act of attempted suicide. The Uchiha admired the girl greatly: even with how young she was, she was aware of the world around her, and she was careful on who she let into her world.

She had let him into her world, and he had regretfully thrown it back to her. He meant well, but it ended wrong: like so many other situations that he had found himself in. But this was different: this was Sakura. Sakura, the girl who he said he loved, and who he knew he loved with such passion that he would do anything for her—even let her go. And when he saw the face of distress flooding down on the woman he loved, it pained him, but he thought he knew what he had to do: he thought he was doing what was best for her when he let her go, but he had made the biggest mistake of his life.

He ran his fingers through his hair, still slightly damp from its recent washing. The placidity on his face was gone. He felt lifeless, and dull. The teenage feeling of uselessness returned to his body, even though he was ten years older than he was then. He had to somehow make amends to her—to somehow get her back. I don't deserve her… he told himself, but Sasuke knew how the world worked: everyone always wanted the things that they didn't deserve the most. And in turn, the other person loved the one that wasn't good enough for them.

Sasuke Uchiha wanted Sakura Haruno back into his arms, in his loving embrace. He wanted to whisper words of comfort in her ears; he wanted to see her lips spread out into her lovely smile, that adorable dimple sinking into her right cheek; he wanted to hold her hand and be able to have that silent understanding with her, when they would know exactly what was going through each other's heads. Everything about her and the time they had spent together, he wanted to get back.

Things didn't have to be this way, and they couldn't stay this way. Sasuke knew Sakura was suffering, and that was the last thing he ever wanted to be responsible for: her suffering. He was her protector, her best friend, and her love. Those were the titles he desired. Those were the titles he had. And those were the titles he was going to get back. Somehow, he would work it all out.

When he finally reached his cousin's office, he stepped inside and closed the door behind him silently. He found her looking down, her nose in some sort of paperwork. "Karin."

"Ah!" She jumped, surprised by his presence. She scowled and stood up with frustration, putting her hands on her hips as she glared at the raven. "What was that for?! We're supposed to be being quiet here and then you go and scare me!" Sasuke just looked at her. Clearly, if they were supposed to be being quiet, why had she yelled in the intercom, and why was she yelling now?

"I just said your name," he said simply, shrugging off her words and taking a seat in one of the office's chairs. Karin looked at him carefully. Where had all his placidity gone, she wondered? He looked so torn and bothered. His eyes danced with emotions he would normally keep concealed—concealed from her of all people, seeing as he knew her as an "annoying cousin". Karin waked around her desk and placed her hand lightly on his pale face.

"Are you all right?" She asked with a gentle frown. Sasuke grunted and pushed her hand off his face, but said nothing. Karin shook her head and put it back on his face. "No, you're going to answer me, Sasuke," she ordered, her finger lightly tracing his jaw line. She felt his jaw clench in obvious disapproval. "Say something!" She ordered, confused as to why he wasn't resisting her as much as he usually did. She knew he hated being touched: that's why she did it. It made him talk faster, and she liked to get things done quickly, but it wasn't working this time.

"Hn," he grunted, crossing his arms and simply glaring into her eyes. Karin drew in a sharp breath. He was being very difficult this time. Lightly, she placed her hand on his chest, feeling his muscled upper body with the palm of her hand. Oh wow, he's gotten stronger… she noted, but shook the thought out of her mind: this was her cousin—she just wanted him to talk. Although she had always had a physical attraction to him, she knew that was all there was there, and she didn't want to play with it. After all, she was adopted into the Uchiha family: as easily as you are accepted is as easily as you'll be kicked out.

Sasuke's mind was somewhere else completely: he was in a trance of a few hours earlier. He saw right through the girl before him; he was thinking about what Sakura looked like when she had come into his music class. How he wanted to hold her, comfort her, kiss her, take away all of her pain in a loving embrace. A sigh eased out of his lips and his eyes closed as he attempted to push back tears. There were no words to express how he felt—only the words which he could communicate to himself in his mind.

While Sasuke's mind was wandering out on the pure, Karin was struggling to keep her mind on business while her hands travelled across the body of Sasuke Uchiha. She swallowed hard as she traced his hard abs through his shirt. Maybe he'll talk if I stop going through clothes… she said, trying to justify her actions. She found herself straddling him at his sides, lifting his shirt slowly to expose his upper body. Karin's eyes danced as they examined his body. Her hands ran up his exposed skin in slow strokes while she admired the toned body before her.

When he felt his bare skin being touched, Sasuke was almost immediately knocked out of his trance. It took him a bit of time to realize what was going on. That's… Karin on top of me? On top of me—oh my god! Sasuke shoved her off and stared at her with widened eyes. "The heck do you think you're doing?" He tugged down his shirt, glaring at her and waiting for an answer.

Karin sat at his feet after slipping off his lap from the shove. She looked at him. What was she doing? She supposed her lust for her cousin had suddenly just overcome her actions, not to say she didn't want to finish what she started at this point. But after seeing his reaction, she knew that would be impossible. "Trying to get you to talk!" She retorted with a flushed face. "This wouldn't have happened if you just paid a little more attention to me!"

"No, this wouldn't have happened if you didn't insist on touching me all the time," he countered, clenching his jaw in trying to control his temper, that control quickly waning seeing as he was already emotional at the present moment. He took a deep breath to ease his tension. "Why did you call me in here? Was it for this? If so, I'm leaving."

"No, you dummy!" Karin sniffed, stepping up to her feet and pushing her glasses up. "I called you here because I need to talk to you about that Haruno girl!" Sasuke's eyes widened only slightly. What would Karin know about Sakura? Had she seen her, or was she just being nosy again?

"What about her?" He said simply, trying to hide the emotion in his voice. Karin frowned and sat on her cousin's lap, leaning back thoughtfully. Sasuke rolled his eyes, but seeing as she wasn't trying to touch him again, he allowed her to stay sitting on him.

"She asked for a drop out forum—"

"A what?" Sasuke's voice raised in an obviously surprised tone, throwing Karin off her guard.

"A drop out forum…" she repeated cautiously. Sasuke shook his head; he appeared almost frantic. After breathing in sharply, he slipped Karin off his lap and held her shoulders, looking her in her eyes.

"Where is she?" He asked in a strong voice. There was no time left. He had to talk to her now. He had to fix things now.

"I told her to go to her room…" Karin responded, looking back up at him, still confused with the entire situation.

"Thank you," he nodded, releasing her from his hands and running out the room without another word. Karin stared at the door and placed her hand on her chest, where her heart was beating rapidly. She had never seen him act like that before. He rushed out so frantically—like the world would crash down if he didn't make it to 1-C in three seconds. But the strangest thing was that he touched her. He had held her shoulders. He never touched her unless it was to get her off him. Any sort of affection from him to her was foreign or of pure imagination. A smile spread on her lips. Sasuke Uchiha, whatever happened, you better stay with that girl… she changes you in the positive ways.

oooo

Sasuke raced up the stairs, knowing that waiting for the elevator would be a lost cause. He needed to get to her room as fast as possible. He shoved his hand into his pocket as he ran, taking out his master key. Being a professor has its boons… he mused as he was now at the hallway of the first dormitory floor. It was instinct: even without seeing the letters of the doors, Sasuke knew which room Sakura Haruno was in, and he turned to it, unlocking the door with his key. Knocking would definitely be a lost cause, almost like the elevator, only more painful. After everything, Sakura wouldn't let him in, nor would she acknowledge him. He knew this.

He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him and locking it as he found it. "Sakura?" He breathed silently. The room was in complete silence and the light was off. He walked further into the large room and found her small, lifeless body sprawled out on the bed in a deep slumber. A slight smile curved on his lips, although it was pained with a tinge of sadness. He walked up to the bed and kneeled down across from it, looking at her with gentle eyes.

Sasuke immediately noticed the shortened hair, obviously cut unprofessionally. He immediately noticed the new cuts on her wrists and her arms. He immediately noticed every abuse she had put herself through and it caused him to frown harshly as tears filled up in his eyes. I've hurt you so much… is this what it looks like? He asked her within her mind, knowing she wouldn't hear him either way. He felt the tears streaming down his cheeks, but he didn't bother wiping them away. The tears should fall. No one should do this to their beloved.

He brought his hand up and gently caressed her face. Sakura breathed out silently in her sleep, the gentle touch easing the pain on her bruised face. The warmth of another's hand on her face brought her peace in her slumber, but it wasn't anyone's hand: it was the hand of the man she loved. Sasuke pinched his lips together as he watched her respond to his touch. What would she do if she knew it was me? He rebuked himself for thinking everything would be all right, even for a second. He hadn't talked to her yet. He couldn't just stroll into the room and the problems be fixed.

"Sasuke…" his name rolled off her tongue as she mumbled in her sleep. A tear trickled down from her eye. The Uchiha bit his bottom lip. His name made her cry. Gently, he pressed his lips below her eye to end her tears' streams prematurely. Sakura's hand weakly responded even in her sleep, stroking the face of the man who kissed her.

"Sakura…" he said softly, wanting her to wake up with every cell inside him, and yet wanting her to stay sleeping so she could remain peaceful and unhurt. His fingers tucked under her chin while his thumb caressed her bottom lip gently. He saw her eyes begin to flutter as she reached an awakening, and he slowly removed his hand from touching her. "Sakura…" he repeated. Her eyes looked on him, adjusting from the sudden awakening.

At the present moment, Sakura was trying to determine if what she was seeing was a dream or not. Her mouth dropped to a slight gawk. Was that really him in front of her? She smelled the strong fragrance of his masculine cologne, and a hint of shampoo clung to his hair, shifting from the wind blowing in from the opened window. He was exactly as she would remember him, only he was lacking one thing: his placidity. Sakura knew this wasn't a dream from that simple fact. She could never imagine her professor's placidity being removed from his face to this extent.

"Sasuke…" she breathed in as a gasp slipped from her lips, and her eyes filled with tears. "D—don't look at me…!" She cried, turning away from him and folding her hands over the bottom of her hair, where it was raggedly cut. Sasuke frowned; she was so afraid of him. He got up and sat on the bed, resting his hand on her shoulder. She jumped a bit and glanced back at him like an afraid puppy. "S—Sasuke…?" she mumbled.

His face was saddened and hurt, regretful and torn—there was nothing placid about him. Obvious feelings danced through his onyx orbs as he stared into her own emerald ones, his constant gaze gentle, as if he looked too hard she would shatter like a porcelain doll. His strong hand on her shoulder squeezed her lightly, the pressure only easing the sore pain on her shoulder. She turned and faced him, not sure what was coming over her.

The hand on her shoulder remained even as she turned. Her head tipped up and she looked into the dancing eyes of her professor. No words were said; nothing needed to be said. She saw it all in his eyes: he was so remorseful, so confused, so upset at himself for saying that one phrase to her. She saw and felt how much he wished he could take back those words, even if he meant them in protecting her. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her bottom lip quivered with emotion. "S—Sasuke…" she whimpered, her hand reaching out and caressing his face lightly in a gesture of forgiveness.

Sasuke leaned down and kissed her tears away. "I told you not to cry…" he mumbled on her cheek, his own tears tugging out of his eyes.

"I love you too much not to cry for you…" Sakura responded, wrapping her arms around his neck and continuing to allow him to kiss her tears away: to kiss all her pain away. He was the only who could do that. He, the one who had the capacity to hurt her the most, was the only one who could mend her agonizing wounds. Sasuke longed to hear her say it again, and she had without his requesting it of her.

"I love you so much—I don't ever want to hurt you—not ever, ever again, Sakura…" Sasuke continued to mumble on her cheek, his voice shaking in his overwhelming emotions. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in the crook of her neck, allowing his tears to fall silently. Sakura felt the dampened state of his eyes on her neck. She frowned, tightening her grip around his neck. She had been so wrong. He loved her so much—how could she have allowed thoughts of him hating her cross her mind?

They stood as such: in each other's arms, letting all the emotions flow out. Sadness, regret, pain—they transformed those feelings into peace, forgiveness, and love. Sasuke breathed softly, encircling his arms around her waist in a tighter embrace. Sakura responded by decorating the black strings of hair with light kisses.

Sasuke pulled back, and just looked at her, a small smile curving his lips up slightly. Sakura smiled back, overjoyed that she could once again be with her love. Things were back to the way they were: perfect. She reached out and caressed his face, pleased that she could touch him once again—that she could let him know how much she loved him back, no matter how much she was trying to deny it a few hours earlier. He returned her touch with gentle strokes to her reached out arm. "Don't leave, Sakura…" he requested with a frown. Sakura's eyes lifted up to his onyx orbs.

"I won't… I can't—I can't live without you… not anymore, and I don't… I don't want to…"

"This can't ever end between us," Sasuke said simply, leaning down and meeting her in a short, but meaningful kiss. "Never." Sakura shook her head.

"Never," she repeated his statement, tipping her head up and kissing him once again. The kiss was gentle, loving, and slow in pace. They were both pouring out so much feeling into that kiss—so much love into a simple gesture of intimacy. Sasuke's hands enmeshed the pink tresses of the girl as he pulled her closer, turning his head slightly and locking their lips together as they melted.

Sakura gripped the hairs on the back of his neck with a gentle force, pulling him in even closer to her. She loved the feeling of his soft lips pressing against hers, even if it did hurt a bit from the bruises covering them. How he was being so gentle eased her pain, even with the slight stings when he pressed against her bruises.

His tongue pressed on her lips, prying them open with care. Sakura peeped her mouth open, allowing the hot, wet muscle to explore her orifice. The muscle massaged her own tongue, licking around every crease in her mouth. Sakura swirled her own tongue around his, returning his touches with equally loving responses. This couldn't change: it would stay this way forever. Earlier in her life, she would have called herself foolish for selling her life away to this man: he's rich. But there was so much more to Sasuke Uchiha other than being rich. He was her love. He was her everything, and that could never change. They would stay together for the rest of their lives: it wasn't a rash decision. Fate had driven them together, and Sakura didn't want to fight that.

Sasuke held her close to him. He would never let her go. She was his, and his forever. Kakashi had told him to never let go of the one he loved, and Sasuke intended on taking that advice. He loved Haruno Sakura, and for the rest of his life, he would love her. He knew this, and that fact brought him peace, and returned him to his placidity. Their lips parted and he looked into her eyes, a placid smile spreading on his lips.

"I love you, Sakura…"

"I love you too, Sasuke…"

oOoOo

You have no idea how happy I am to have the drama, depression, pain inflection, etc, etc, over with… that kind of writing affects my own mood, so if it affected any of you all, gomen'nasai. :[ Anyways, just random fact, it was painful for me to write a form of SasuKarin… that is the ONLY one there will be, so if anyone liked it: gomen; for those who didn't, hey I'm on your side. Don't forget to R&R! Arigatogozaimasu for your support.

InaGaTa