Author's Note: Well, I found a decent place to end the chapter this time, and I like it. Anyway, I vented into this chapter, because various things were pissing me off, evident of all of the swear words. I know swearing doesn't make a story better, so this is going to be one of those chapters that come up every once in a while that pile up on the cuss words. Meaning, hardly any swears will show up in the next few. I was really angry this time around, so I had to get those feelings out. Sorry. Anyway, this is the second half of "Borderline of Black Lace". Sakura becomes vulnerable, something she hates. But anyway, I hope that this chapter is satisfactory, since I've let you all down so far. Well, done talking now. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I own Tamura Natsu, Nakamura Haruhi, and Shinji. That's it. I own my OCs, and nothing else. There, done. Arigatou.
"Sakura? What're you doing out here?" I shut the door behind me delicately, and stepped out onto the sidewalk, ignoring the sobbing that echoed through the closed door at my back. Misaki…
I gathered my wits about myself, and took a few steps toward Haruhi. "I came…Because one of my closest friends is in that store bleeding and crying."
"Sakura, get back in the store. I told you I'll handle it!" Natsu cried, ignoring me. I took a few steps forward, and passed my bristling senior, facing the girl known to me as Nakamura Haruhi a shivering and sobbing mess.
No sympathy coursed through me. I wouldn't shed a single damn tear for that bitch. I didn't give a shit about whether Natsu wanted me to stay back or not. I couldn't care less. She hurt my closest friend, and that in my opinion was unforgivable. She'd hurt Natsu so many times, and now Misaki. And even with Sasuke comforting her, Misaki would surely break. It was my job as the Queen of Hearts to deal justice where it was deserved. And you could be as sure as hell that Haruhi deserved every single word that was coming to her. Count on it.
"Sakura, you have no right to barge into business that isn't yours, you know that, right?" Haruhi asked, wiping at her eyes as I continued onwards. I smirked cruelly.
"You're wrong, my dear Haruhi. Misaki is my friend. And you wounded her," I answered smoothly, Haruhi's sad and longing eyes peering into my hard and apathetic ones.
She knew I hated her. She knew now how much I truly hated her. She knew it now, merely by the exchange of blows. Natsu tensed, his brown eyes flicking from side to side as the wind rippled through my pink hair, my black ribbon shining like onyx in the light. Death. Black was the color of Death. I wouldn't kill her, physically at least. But today, the spirit of Nakamura Haruhi would die. Not by my hand. No, my hand was dirty enough as it was. Natsu would be the suitable killer. He held her heart in his hands, after all.
Haruhi watched my anger swim in my jade irises. "Sakura, you have no business here. Leave."
"Just back off you old witch!" I shot back, Natsu jerking his head back in surprise. I stopped in front of Haruhi, her back to the bustling street. The crowd was thick, and full of wandering eyes. I must've looked like a demon to them, with the way my eyes were flickering back and forth. Eyes like a hawk. Like Sasuke's.
"You have no right to preach to me like you're my equal, Haruno Sakura!" Haruhi countered, rising to her feet from her knees, towering over me by a good foot or two. She was a giant, but then again, so was Natsu. He was nearly 30 now, wasn't he? "I am superior to you, understand me? Wipe that smirk off your face, you cocky little bitch."
"Hey, now wait a minute!" Natsu started, walking toward her. He took her arm in his grip tightly, shoving me backwards. "This is between you, and me, Haruhi. Leave Sakura out of this."
"She's the one who was-" Natsu's eyes held no compassion, no understanding. He simply didn't care. Not anymore. I staggered backwards at the force of Natsu's shove, and gritted my teeth as I caught my balance. My boots weren't much help though. But thankfully, the door restored my balance to me. "Natsu…"
"Sakura is a very important member of my family. She's saved our asses multiple times throughout the years, understand? And you know as well as I do, that if it wasn't for Sakura and Misaki that this store would've went under. So, it's your job as the girlfriend to respect them, and to understand the importance that those two have in my life." Haruhi shook her head, and snapped her teeth together as she glared at me from over Natsu's shoulder.
"How can she be more important than me? I've been your girlfriend for 16 years now, and yet, she still has a bigger place in your heart than me? That's not how it's supposed to work, Natsu," Haruhi spat, throwing daggers at me, right at my chest. My heart. I could barely hear the soft murmurs of Sasuke's voice from behind the door, my lips parting at the sound of his voice. They brought me strength. His arms wrapped around me one more time, my palms flat against the surface of the door, as I closed my eyes. Sasuke…What would you do?
"It's not so much a place that she has in my heart, Haruhi. Sakura is one of the few people whom I trust implicitly. It's hard for me to trust people, you know? Hell, I even trust Sasuke, despite the fact that I think he's an asshole. But Haruhi, you were the one I wanted to trust with my life. But now that you've hurt my sister, I can't do that." Haruhi bore her teeth, and tossed her head.
"You can still trust me, Natsu! Don't you understand it yet? I love you!" Natsu flinched. "So don't try to kick me out!"
"I'll try all I want, Haruhi. I'm not backing down this time." Haruhi flung her face toward me, her eyes beyond wild. They'd been arguing for some time, it seemed. I could see it in the lines of her face. But I didn't care. She was getting what she deserved, finally. It took so long.
"Sakura! What genjutsu have you put him under?" she demanded, pointing her index finger. I gritted my teeth, and took a few steps toward them, Natsu glancing back at me. My poker face broke into one thousand shards of glass. "You're a medic ninja, aren't you? You have to be messing with my boyfriend's mind!"
"Sakura's not that kind of person, Haruhi. I trust her. Get over it," he replied for me, shoving me backwards one more time. I held my ground this time, and shoved back.
"Haruhi, I would never put him under a genjutsu. You know that!" I replied honestly, putting my left hand on my heart. She rolled her eyes and flicked her head, pursing her lips like a stuck up snob.
"I wouldn't put it past you," she fired back, waving her hand. My right hand balled up on reflex, as I pulled it backwards.
"You want to run that by me again, Haruhi?" I snarled through gritted teeth, blue fire erupting around my tensed fist. My threat. Two more strikes, and she was going to get slammed. Natsu's girlfriend or not.
She smiled, happy that I was getting worked up. It showed in her arrogant smirk. "Ninja are sneaky, deceitful, and sly. I'll bet you've used all of your genjutsu tricks on that boy in the store. And even on that useless burden you treasure so much. So much for your honor, Haruno Sakura."
"Are you calling Misaki a useless burden?" I replied smoothly, the fire flaring brighter, the swirls of the tempest around my fist licking at the right side of my face. Natsu turned around at the hum of my chakra, and widened his eyes.
"Ōkashō!" he exclaimed, grabbing at Haruhi's other arm. "Haruhi, just leave them alone! Misaki isn't a useless burden, and Sakura's a good ninja. She wouldn't do any of the things you're accusing her of."
"Are you sure? And what about that boy? Isn't he a ninja too? An Uchiha?" I narrowed my eyes. If she says anything about Sasuke, I'm pounding her face in. Natsu watched my face tense, and narrow. I was angry all right. "Aren't the Uchiha supposed to be the best? I'll bet he put a genjutsu on her too. Wait! Maybe he didn't have to, seeing as his gorgeous already. Or maybe he used that cursed Sharingan."
The crowd gasped, as I narrowed my eyes even further, baring my teeth. "What was that about Sasuke?"
"Sharingan. Haven't you heard of it?" Haruhi's smile grew wider at my silence. She tossed her hair, and blinked. "Well, I happened to have gone out with Uchiha Itachi, so I know all about it. I assumed you did too, seeing as you and Sasuke are dating." She paused, and leaned closer to me, lifting her hand up to cover her mouth slightly. "I mean, you are, aren't you?"
My eyes fell, my face softening. I was vulnerable again. "No…We aren't."
"Then why are you here with him? I could've sworn you were his girlfriend, with the way he was carrying you and all," she replied, winking her left eye playfully. Natsu watched my face shift, and blinked.
I let my eyes barely close. It was true. Sasuke and I weren't going out. But that shouldn't bother me, right? Why was it bothering me? Why should I care? Why did I care? It was hopeless. I knew the truth, and despite the fact that I wanted to fight it, I was losing. I didn't want to admit it to myself, and I still didn't. But I couldn't avoid it. I had to come clean. I had to tell him. I sighed. But he'd already told me not to ask him anything about that yet. So, I would continue to suffer like this, until the time finally came. I would bear this horrible pain all the way to the bottom of that onyx ocean I was drowning in. I had no choice. I had to.
"Sakura, are you alright? Did something I say strike a chord?" I let my head fall, as I watched the ants at my feet run rampant across the sidewalk. Tears were on their way, my pink hair falling past my cheeks. Why am I crying over it? Sasuke means nothing to me! "Are you…Hurting?"
"Haruhi, that's enough," Natsu barked, tightening his grip on her arm. Haruhi shook her head, and turned back to me. I struggled to hold them back, but the tears flowed down the sides of my face, dripping from my nose, and falling to the sidewalk like rain.
"You're crying. You're crying over the fact that he isn't your boyfriend, right? Oh, Sakura, I'm sorry." I let my tears fall, my heart beating like a hummingbird's wings.
I didn't understand why I was crying so hard. Sasuke meant less than nothing to me, right? I hated him, didn't I? And yet, I was crying like a little girl. I hadn't cried like this in a long time, and it only made me think of a knight being without a sword or a shield. I hated crying. I hated showing emotion. I hated humanity. I was terrified of the weakness inside of me, and I didn't like that about myself. I hated how with one look, one word, one lilt of his voice, one beat of his heart, one flicker of his eyes, one shallow breath, he could make me weak. Sasuke had so much more power over me than I let on. And I hated that. I hated how he could strip me of my armor and leave me bare and helpless without a shield to defend myself with. I hated that about him.
And yet, I was still crying. I was still crying over him, the one that held my heart in his hands. He could beat it, take it, rip it, tear it, break it. He had so much more power over me than he knew, and yet he was taunting me. He had me at his mercy. My tears dropped to the sidewalk at my feet, as I bowed my head, my face twisted in sadness and vulnerability. If Haruhi wanted to get me worked up, she had succeeded. I hardly ever cried like this. The only other time was when I'd failed to find Sasuke those few weeks I'd been searching for him. This wasn't any different. Sasuke was still the main reason I was crying. It wasn't so much the insults, the jabs, the looks. It was the fact that I couldn't have him. I could lean on him, I could count on him, but I would never be able to hold him. Regardless of Ino and Karin, Sasuke would never be all to myself.
"Sakura…" Natsu breathed, my tears clear to him now as they fell from my face. Haruhi smiled, and circled me, having broken free from Natsu's loosening grip. She ran her fingers under my chin, and bent over to look me in the eyes.
"Sakura, if you want to make him yours, just get rid of all the other obstacles. Meaning, that burden in the store." I didn't respond. My tears kept falling, as his voice echoed in my ears, drifting across my mind sweetly. Sasuke…Can you hear me? "Just go and kill her."
I jerked my head up, and flung my fist forward, slamming it into the side of her face. Natsu widened his eyes, and gasped as Haruhi went flying into the crowd. "Sakura!"
"Did you see that Mom? That girl just punched her in the face!" A child in the crowd cheered, the mother glancing over at me. I flung my fist back to my side, and walked toward her, calm and cool despite the tears that still streamed from my narrowed jade eyes.
I knew that the crowd had been frightened. It wasn't lady-like to punch or hit anyone, especially in public, but it didn't matter to me. I didn't really care about that. Haruhi needed to be punished for suggesting something as vile as that. A girl wasn't supposed to threaten to kill someone for no reason at all. And why the fuck was she even here? Didn't he dump her a few times before? Why did she still hang around like a fly caught in a spider web? Was it just an old habit of clinging to something once it was gone? If so, that made her even more pathetic than I thought. Screw that. She already was pathetic as it is. And I hated her. Her stupid vulnerability. Girls…To hell with them all.
"Sakura," Natsu murmured, attempting to soothe me as I walked closer to her. But I wasn't going to listen. Screw his explanations. I was done listening. I wanted to take action.
My knees crashed to the ground on either side of her ribs, pinning her arms to her sides. I lifted my fist up to be level with my shoulder, and grabbed her right wrist, looking down at her from over the slope of my chest, my eyes dark with fury. "Don't ever say that again."
"Don't tell me what to do!" I tightened my right hand, my knuckles cracking unintentionally. She flinched, and shrank in fear. I tilted my head, and gritted my teeth.
"I'm not telling you," I started, my voice low. The crowd held their breath, blue fire lighting up around my tightened fist. "I'm ordering you. Don't talk about my friends like that…Or I'll kill you."
"Ordering?" she spat back, beginning to struggle. Her free hand shoved at my chest, my lip twitching in discomfort. It wasn't painful, but I didn't like it. Her eyes fired daggers into my soul, the blades sinking deep. "Last I checked, I was older than you! By like, ten years!"
I gripped her wrist tighter in response. "I don't give a shit about how old you are. That, at the very least, is reason enough for you to grow up a little. Since you're an adult, you're the one that's supposed to set an example for those of us that are younger than you to follow. And as of right now, I don't take orders from you."
"S-Sakura, calm down…You're scaring the children." I didn't look at Natsu. I didn't want to look at him, because the sight of him would infuriate me.
Foolish Natsu, bowing down to a poser like this one. He obeyed her venomously spat orders without question simply because he loved her. That's no reason to heed a tyrant's commands. Lovers should be calm, and kind. I blinked. Another reason why I would never be loved by anyone. I was too volatile. I carried too much fire within me. Love wasn't an option for me. And that's why I faced Haruhi with tears spilling down the sides of my face. She's brought up the subject of Sasuke, and now she was going to pay for it. But something stopped me. Would I become Queen Elizabeth? And ruthlessly rule over my people with an iron fist simply because I was bitter?
"Haruhi," I started calmly, loosening my fist ever so slightly. The cramping fingers screeched in protest, my left eye flying closed. She smirked at my pain, and nodded once. I bit down. "You loved Natsu, didn't you?"
She jerked her head back in surprise, her eyes glinting with the blue fire that swirled around my fist. "Loved? I love him still!"
"Then quit it." Her eyes widened. Natsu gasped, as the crowd fell silent. She blinked a few times in confusion.
"Quit loving him? What? Why? Don't tell me that you're going to try to take him from me, Haruno Sakura!" she exclaimed, struggling to free her right wrist, but to no avail. Her left failed wildly, missing the sides of my head entirely. She was never good with hand-eye coordination. "You hear me?"
"You're no good for him, Haruhi, and frankly," I paused, closing my eyes gently. "He's not right for you either."
"Sakura, what are you talking about? You're the one that said-"
I swung around, and narrowed my eyes. "I know what I said! That was eight years ago, when you broke up with her the first time!" I turned back to Haruhi, my expression going completely cold. "When she broke your heart the first time."
"Sakura…"
"Don't take that tone with me, Natsu. You know I'm right. Remember? Back when I cried in the corner of the store because you tried to drink yourself death in an effort to ease the pain? I'm sick of seeing hearts being broken, over shit like this. If she doesn't treat you right, or if she mentally abuses you like I know she does, she isn't worth your time. Stop kissing her ass, Natsu." He blinked a few times, as I turned one soft, jade iris back to him, a gentle smile curling my lips up. "Besides, there are plenty of other girls out there who need your attention."
"But I don't want anyone else, Sakura. That's the point! I'd put up with the mind games any time, if it meant that she wouldn't leave me. I won't let her go, even if you'll hate me for it. I'm 29 years old, and damn it, I can make my own decisions."
I smirked callously, and narrowed my eyes. "You sure about that?"
"Sakura!" I sighed, and lowered my right fist, the fire going out. Haruhi's eyes widened, and grew softer, as I let go of her right wrist. She watched my butt fall onto her knees, and sat up.
"So that's it? You're done?" My lip curled up.
"I can't go against Natsu. Unlike you, I respect him," I shot back, standing up. She looked back at me from the ground, and rubbed her swollen wrist. I wouldn't heal it. I didn't want to waste my precious energy on scum like her.
"Sakura, thank you," I turned, and widened my eyes, Natsu's expression drawn and narrow.
"Natsu, I-I-" I turned and watched as he walked past me, his eyes falling upon Haruhi, who smiled in return. My right hand trembled in the open air, as he continued to walk by me. "Natsu?"
"Haruhi…I'll love you forever, until the end of time," he started, his voice strong. I watched her eyes light up, and her stance brighten. But then, it all fell apart just as quickly. "But now it's over."
Haruhi leaped to her feet, and howled angrily. "What?"
"You heard me," Natsu replied evenly, my eyes widening as my lips parted. Would he go all the way? "It's over."
"Natsu…" I breathed, as he shoved his hands into his pockets. I smirked at the sight, the image of Sasuke's shy blush and tensely clenched hands in the pockets of his shorts that one day flashing across my mind. I flinched as I realized that I was blushing, and shook my head. Haruhi's face bled tears.
"But Natsu, you can't be serious!" she exclaimed, trying to persuade him to change his mind, but even I knew that it was futile. Once Natsu put his mind to something, you couldn't stop him. But then again, Haruhi had stopped him on more than one occasion. The tears fell to the ground, seamlessly flowing one after the other. "I thought that you said we'd be together forever!"
"I know what I said. And for a while, I thought that I'd stand by it. But now," he paused, his voice beginning to shake. I blinked, the crowd catching their breath. He lifted his eyes back to Haruhi, and locked his jaw. "I'm not giving in anymore."
"You won't be giving in, Natsu." Her voice was quiet, hesitant. "You'd be doing what's right for you. You can't live without me, and you know it."
"Are you sure about that, Haruhi?" he asked gently, smiling. She blinked as he turned toward me, and nodded once. "I've got Sakura, and Misaki. And that asshole Sasuke."
I narrowed my eyes and snorted. "Quit calling him an asshole."
"So you're defending him?"
"Just keep looking straight, idiot."
Haruhi scoffed at me, and snarled back at Natsu. "You're picking them over me?"
"Yes. I'm picking them over you," he fired back, narrowing his eyes. "You hurt Misaki for the last time, Haruhi."
"You can't prove that I hurt her all those other times! You have no proof! None at all! I didn't leave anything!" she cried, tears falling to the sidewalk below her. I watched with a level expression, giving nothing away. I'd learned a lot from Sasuke, that's for sure. "You can't leave me!"
"But I am," Natsu replied, his voice trembling slightly, as Haruhi sobbed, turning around and running away without a backwards glance.
"I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU!" she screeched into the wind, the crowd that had gathered parting anxiously to give her room to leave without a hitch.
I watched her go with a soft look in my eyes. But it wasn't for her. I couldn't care less if she was feeling like shit right now. She deserved every single bit of pain that came for her. But the person, who didn't deserve all of the hurt and misery, was Natsu. My gaze, my gaze that was both weak and vulnerable, it was for Natsu and Natsu alone. His back trembled, his shoulders quivering as he stood, his hair disheveled and messy from the wind. I blinked, and took a step toward him, toward the silent and shivering back, wiping my tear streaks from my face with the back of my right hand, and dusting the salt off on my thigh, before resting my hand on the side of his left arm gently. It was a woman's job to comfort, to soothe. I was a woman, after all. I would accept it. I had to. The crowd seemed to know that, and began to disperse.
"C'mon Shinji, it's time to go," a mother said gently, the boy named Shinji huffing and walking away.
"But I wanted to go talk to that girl!" he protested. His mother smiled down at him gently, and took his hand in hers.
"Maybe some other time, Shinji. But for right now, we've got to go," she answered, the two of them walking away along with the rest of the spectators. Seconds later, the street was bare, except for the ones that had their shops along the road, and the ones traveling in the street. I blinked my eyes at Natsu's back, my heart pounding. It's a woman's job to comfort, Sakura. Get to it.
I breathed in a quivering breath, and parted my trembling lips. "Natsu…"
Without a second of hesitation, he swung around and grabbed onto me, his breath shaking against the right side of my neck, wetness sliding into the strands of cerise hair there. His left hand curled around the back of my head as he held me tightly, the tips of his fingers sliding across the corner of my left eye. I trembled in his embrace, knowing that choked sounds against my ear were sobs, letting me know that Natsu was crying. And I knew why. He hadn't wanted to let her go. If it hadn't of been for me, and my intrusion, he never would've let Haruhi go like he did. He wouldn't be holding me in his arms right now. But I wasn't the one who needed comforting. And for that, I blamed myself.
"…I'm sorry…"