*Hides under a table* I know long time no update huh? But the week/weekend was kinda crazy on my end so there was no time. Also in this chapter they have phones- it's a story for the imagination, no?
But yeah, like I said before, the slow updates are due to school-I've got three tests this week so I've been studying for those. This chapter's pretty long, so I hope that makes up for it! =)
Sasuke sat at the table with an expression akin to horror. He thought that he had pretty much seen every major aspect of Shunsuke's personality by now, but there was one he'd never been introduced to. Unfortunately for Sasuke's wallet, and insatiable appetite was one of those traits that he was now discovering. As Shunsuke finished up his second plate-both adults still working on their first- he turned to Sasuke and flashed a pleading smile.
"Can I get another order? Pleeease?"
Sasuke looked at Shunsuke's almost empty plate then back at the tiny boy with wide, unbelieving eyes. Where the hell does he keep all that stuff? When they had gone out to dinner in the group and when he had gone to Sakura's home for dinner, he didn't remember Shunsuke eating nearly this much.
"Shunsuke, that's enough don't you think?" Sakura tried for Sasuke's sake.
"Just one more entrée, please." Shunsuke pushed. Sakura shot Sasuke a quick glance and the latter nodded warily.
"Alright! I'm gonna try the gyudon this time!" he informed them with a sparkle in his eyes. As he called out his order Sakura looked towards Sasuke.
Upon seeing his face still frozen in shock she laughed. "Oh he's like this all the time, it's not to make you bankrupt or anything. With dinner at home he knows it's whatever he gets and sometimes he may ask for more, but when we go out? Forget it, he tries to sample the entire menu."
"He didn't do this when we all went to dinner," Sasuke hissed in alarm.
"Yeah, surprised me too," Sakura nodded. "Maybe it was because he wasn't comfortable around you yet, I dunno. Plus, there was a lot of food already on the table, we didn't make individual orders so no one probably noticed. Sasuke simply shook his head slowly and opened his mouth to say something, but Shunsuke interrupted.
As the young child waited eagerly for his food, he looked to Sakura and Sasuke. "I only wanted one more entrée…that means I can still try some a' th' dessert or appetizers ok?"
Sasuke's eyes widened once more and his mouth completely dropped. He rubbed the back of his neck and swallowed a sigh-from now on, he would allow Sakura to make the suggestions.
"Wow, it's awfully chilly," Sakura noted as the trio stepped outside from the restaurant. Sasuke looked upward to the grey sky.
"It's going to rain soon."
"I guess we'd better hurry and head home," Sakura nodded in agreement to Sasuke's hypothesis.
"Can we stop by the bakery on the way home and buy some kashi pan please?"
"Shunsuke," Sakura started with wide eyes. "You've eaten enough for today. Heck you've eaten enough for the week!"
"It's not for me!" Shunsuke started quickly. "I was gonna get it for Uncle Naruto. We ca' just keep it in my room 'til he comes to get it, that's all."
Sakura looked down at Shunsuke with an impassive face marking her disbelief. A light drizzle began falling as Shunsuke sighed.
"Fine, we don't have to get it…today. But when we go out tomorrow-"
"We won't either." Sakura finished with a stern look. Shunsuke was about to say something, but the rain picked up in strength and Sasuke spoke first.
"We need to hurry."
The three quickened their footsteps as the rain pelted down and slowly they began a light jog, dashing through the village streets and splashing though puddles on the way. Shunsuke intentionally altered his course so that he could splash through as many puddles as possible. He laughed each time and at one point, he stopped in a fairly deep one and began stomping his feet harshly. The two adults stopped and turned to him.
"Come on Shunsuke, we have to hurry," Sakura called through the rain.
"Okay Mama," Shunsuke called back, his eyes fixed on the massive puddle that Sakura and Sasuke had just run around. Sakura realized his intent and opened her mouth to speak. "Shunsuke, n-"
But she was too late, the young child had already sprang up and forward and landed in the puddle with a splash big enough to wet both adults from the mid waist down. His eyes widened when he saw his mother's wide eyed expression and he apologized.
"Sorry Mama," he tried, patting her stomach. Sakura began shaking her head slowly and a slow, playful smile formed.
"You'd better run."
Shunsuke's eyes lit up in excitement and he took off laughed wildly. Sakura chased quickly behind him and Sasuke followed, not in the spirit of the game, but rather to get out of the rain. As Sakura gained on Shunsuke, the young child wheeled around and ran to Sasuke's side as a shield.
"Help me!" he laughed as Sakura began chasing him around the now still Uchiha. Sasuke didn't move and Shunsuke's hands grabbed onto his wrist as Sakura scooped the young boy up and pulled him away, spinning him in a circle. Shunsuke laughed as did Sakura as she set him carefully back down on the ground. He leaned into her waist laughing and wrapped his arms around her, then turned to Sasuke.
"You were s'posed to help me," he stated, still smiling.
"You two were playing." Sasuke responded simply.
Shunsuke was still smiling and nodded. "Yeah, and you were s'pposed too!"
"Why?" Sasuke asked-not in callousness, but rather in genuine confusion on why he should impose on what he perceived to be as Shunsuke and Sakura's game. The way Shunsuke's smile slowly fell and how his eyes narrowed in confusion alerted to Sasuke that his response wasn't the best one he could have chosen.
"Nevermind," Shunsuke shrugged as he let go of Sakura. "I guess you wouldn't get it." Then the young child simply took off again, leaving both adults to follow him.
As Sakura finished up breakfast that Sunday morning, there was a resonating knock on the front door. Less than two seconds elapsed before the knock started up again.
"Yeah, yeah I'm coming," Sakura muttered to herself as she made her way to the door. When she opened, she was surprised to see Yushin, a medical-nin-in-training.
"Forgive me for the intrusion," he bowed politely. "But Lady Hokage asked me to deliver this to you. You're needed at the hospital." With one more bow, he dismissed himself quickly. Sakura held the note she'd just received and unfolded it with a sigh. She read the letter quickly and carefully. She was needed immediately to aid Tsunade in performing emergency surgery as well as providing extra help for the currently busy hospital. Rubbing the back of her neck and closing the door, she began thinking of who she could ask to watch Shunsuke for her since she wasn't sure how long it would take and she knew the young child would get restless of sitting in the lobby after and extended amount of time. Still pondering, Sakura walked into her son's bedroom to find the young boy flushed and sweating on his tousled sheets.
"Shunsuke," Sakura whispered as she walked over and placed a hand on the young child's sweaty shoulder. Immediately, her hand was enflamed by the heat convectively transferred from her son. "Shunsuke." She repeated but with more urgency and alarm this time.
Shunsuke's head heavily fell to face her and he opened his tired eyes slowly. Sakura took one look at the dried mucus below his nose and knew her son was sick. She sighed in sympathy.
"Aw, honey." she soothed as she stroked his hair.
"I don't feel good Mama," Shunsuke's voice was gravelly and weak. Sakura knelt down and kissed the young child's head gently. "Sweetie, I know you're not feeling well, but some shinobi were just brought into the hospital and they're in really bad shape and the hospital's really busy. I have to run there but I promise I'll be back as soon as possible."
Shunsuke nodded weakly in understanding. "Who's gonna watch me?" he coughed.
Sakura sighed. Everyone she knew except for Ino and Shino were on missions, and she knew that Ino was filling in at the flower shop and with Shino-though they had actually gotten closer-she didn't feel comfortable enough to ask him to come over and watch her son and she knew Shino most likely wouldn't be too keen on the idea either….But there was one shinobi she knew wouldn't be receiving any missions any time soon.
"Shunsuke…" Sakura began hesitantly. "Everyone's off on missions, and I have to leave immediately…maybe we could call Sasuke-sama to watch you?"
Shunsuke nodded and despite his lethargy, Sakura could see the slight hesitation he had at the idea.
"There's nothing I can do baby," Shunsuke nodded again-this time with seemingly more acceptance- and Sakura went to call Sasuke.
"Yeah?" Sasuke answered irritably as he picked up the phone after several long rings.
"Sasuke, it's Sakura," the female began and leaned against the wall with a slight sigh. Sasuke's tone changed slightly.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Sakura started, then shook her head to herself. "I mean, I'm calling because I just got called into the hospital and Shunsuke's really sick right now. I really don't want him out anywhere, so I was wondering if maybe you could come over and watch him until I'm done?"
"Yeah," Sasuke answered quicker than Sakura had expected him too. "I'll be over shortly."
Sakura heard a faint click as the phone abruptly hung up and placed the item back on the receiver in relief. She made her way down the hall into Shunsuke's room where she squatted beside the bed. Shunsuke's eyes were closed, but he was still awake. His tired lids opened slowly when he sensed his mother's presence.
"Sasuke'll be over any minute okay?" She soothed, stroking his hair once more. Shunsuke nodded slightly before closing his eyes again and Sakura remained beside him a few moments longer before finally getting up and dressing and finished breakfast. When she was nearly halfway dressed, there was a knocking at the front door.
"Oh wow…" she murmured to herself. She was sure it was Sasuke and she didn't expect him to arrive so soon. Sure enough, when she opened the front door, Sasuke stood waiting.
"Hey come on in," Sakura smiled as she stepped aside and opened the door slightly further to allow the man to enter.
"He's in the bed right now," Sakura continued once the room fell silent. "Look Sasuke, I really appreciate this." Sakura nodded genuinely and in gratitude.
Sasuke shook his head and shrugged. "He's m-our son, it's not a problem."
Sasuke's correction as well as the slight emphasis he placed on it made Sakura smile broadly. She cleared her throat-still smiling slightly- and continued. "Um, he probably won't be hungry right now, but breakfast is done. Of course you're free to have some. And hopefully I'll be back by later on today, but if not there's stuff to eat here."
Sasuke nodded silently. "Alright."
"I'm going to go tell Shunsuke goodbye." Sakura disappeared into the young child's room and returned about a minute later. "Well he says he's not hungry now, just tired. So I guess he just wants to sleep it off for now. Like I said, there's food here and…yeah, I guess I'll go now. Thanks again."
"Alright," Sasuke repeated and watched as Sakura closed the door and headed off to work. Sasuke sighed inwardly and looked around-it felt so awkward for him to be there. Not sure of what else to do, Sasuke silently made his way back to Shunsuke's room and looked inside. Shunsuke lay under the covers, slightly damp, and breathing steadily. Sasuke accurately assumed that the young child had gone back to sleep and after remaining there for a few moments, he returned to the front.
At seven o'clock, Shunsuke still had not woken up. Sasuke now sat in the kitchen, reclined in one of the wooden chairs. His leg shook in restlessness and he decided to once again go check on Shunsuke. The cup of water he had given the young child still remained a quarter of the way full as it had been when Sasuke'd left the first time. Sasuke began a now familiar ritual: he listened for the light snoring caused by the young child's congestion, and when he couldn't hear it, he remained at the doorway to make certain he could see the steady rise and fall of his son's chest.
Finally, the Uchiha left the young boy's room and headed outside to sit on the terrace. At eight o'clock, Shunsuke had still not woken up, Sakura was still not home, and Sasuke was more restless than ever. With nothing else to do, his idle mind began wandering. Uncontrollable illusions of him actually living with Sakura were beginning to surface when they were cut off by Shunsuke quietly joining Sasuke outside.
"Hello Shunsuke. How are you feeling?"
Shunsuke nodded and shuffled to sit beside Sasuke with an air of distraction. "Fine. Did I tell you that Friday this boy in my class told us he was tryin' to make dinner even though he wasn't s'posed t' do it by himself and he ended up making a mess." The young child spoke randomly as he stared up at the darkening sky.
Sasuke's brow furrowed at the randomness and he muttered, "Huh?"
Shunsuke just nodded and continued. "Yeah, he was gonna make ramen an' accident'ly knocked the pot over and spilled a canister of rice and a glass that were on the counter and he couldn't turn the stove back off cause of all the stuff in the way so he was scared his house was gonna burn down."
Sasuke scratched his eyebrow and shook his head slowly. "Did he get in trouble?" Sasuke asked, trying not to make Shunsuke feel like he wasn't interested in his story, even though he couldn't follow it.
Shunsuke shrugged and answered slowly. "No…I don't think so. 'Cause it was a accident."
Sasuke nodded slowly. "Ok…" he said uncertainly and turned his attention back forward. It was silent for a few more seconds until Shunsuke spoke.
"Actually…" he started as his eyes looked upward and away from Sasuke. "It wasn't a boy in my class and it wasn't Friday. It was me…I just did it."
Sasuke flew up and bolted quickly into the house. He entered the kitchen where a mix of spilled rice, broken glass and spreading water littered the kitchen floor. Sasuke's hand reflexively gripped his spiky hair as he looked at the mess. His eyes caught sight of the stove where the heat was turned up too high and an orange border danced on the tips of the flickering blue flames. Quickly and cautiously, Sasuke navigated his way across the messy floor and turned the range off. Once that was taken care of, he turned and faced the mess griping his hair once more. Shunsuke slowly materialized at the doorframe and peeked around to see if Sasuke looked angry. With wide eyed shock, Sasuke only looked at Shunsuke who winced back slightly.
"I'm sorry Sasuke-sama," he apologized as he hugged the door frame.
"How the hell did I not hear this?" Sasuke muttered to himself as he shook his head slowly and surveyed the kitchen.
"That's the same thing I thought," Shunsuke breathed in relief with his eyes glued to the ground.
Sasuke sighed. "I guess I'd better clean this up before Sakura gets home."
"I'll help!" Shunsuke offered taking a step into the kitchen.
"Stop!" Sasuke barked out and Shunsuke froze and looked at him with wide confused eyes. "You might cut yourself." Sasuke explained, trying to make his voice softer.
Carefully, Sasuke navigated his way across the floor and to Shunsuke where he placed his hands on his son's sides and lifted him up from the floor. Sasuke made his way to the kitchen table slowly, not only because he was trying to avoid the glass, but because this was the first time he and Shunsuke had made physical contact other than hand holding. When they finally reached the table, Sasuke carefully placed Shunsuke in one of the wooden chairs and was amazed at how empty and cold his arms now seemed.
"Stay there and I'll clean this up." Sasuke told Shunsuke as he looked around for a broom. Shunsuke looked at the ground and pointed to the small closet next to the kitchen. Sasuke went to it and found the broom propped inside. (As he reached for it he couldn't help but feel some sense of contentment that Shunsuke knew what he was looking for. No matter how obvious it may have been, Sasuke decided to attribute it to some sort of telepathic father son bond.)
He returned to the kitchen where Shunsuke had drew his legs in the chair and sat with his head on the table.
"…Are you alright?" Sasuke asked while sweeping slow, even strokes.
Shunsuke nodded with his head on his arms. "Mm hmm. I'm really sorry Sasuke-sama."
Sasuke resumed sweeping the entire floor to make sure all the glass and rice was up. "I shouldn't have left you in here alone, I'm sorry." Shunsuke's head snapped slightly up and he gave a quick nod and an uncomfortable shrug before setting his head back on the table. As Sasuke began moping up the water that was left on the floor, he resumed speaking. "You're not hurt, so that's all that matters…but…let's still not tell Sakura about this."
Shunsuke gave a small laugh and readjusted his head in his arms. "Yeah."
"Still hungry?" Sasuke asked. He realized it was a dumb question, but he was trying to initiate a conversation. Shunsuke nodded vehemently and Sasuke gave one nod back. "What would you like?"
"Ice cream." the child answered quickly. Sasuke gave a short laugh.
"Yeah right, so Sakura can kill my ass?" Instantly, Sasuke regretted not controlling his sarcasm or his tongue around Shunsuke, but the young child giggled.
"Mama wouldn't kill you. She wouldn't know." Shunsuke whispered.
"Why don't we just find something else instead." Sasuke whispered sarcastically back. The older man began looking through the cabinets as Shunsuke jumped from the chair and headed to the refrigerator. Sasuke found nothing in the cabinet and leaned against it, turning to face Shunsuke.
The child's face was twisted in consideration. "Nothing in here. I guess we have to finish up that ice cream." He quickly tried to close the fridge.
"I'll check to make sure." Sasuke gave a sarcastic smile, he opened the fridge to see a variety of food including items Sakura had labeled they could eat. He opened the refrigerator wide and turned to Shunsuke with a pointed shake quirk of his brow.
"Where'd that come from?" Shunsuke blinked innocently.
"Yeah." Sasuke gave a quick nod showing his unconvincing. Shunsuke sighed and rolled his eyes slightly at being found out. Then with a resigned grin sat at the table and allowed Sasuke to do the rest of the cooking for the night.
"I thought you said you knew how to cook?" Shunsuke croaked with wide eyes as Sasuke set his dinner plate on the table.
"It's just cooked a little more…thoroughly than Sakura usually does it." Sasuke retorted defensively. Shunsuke poked the hard, charred fish with his finger.
"I don't think it's supposed to be black Sasuke-sama-"
"I told you, it's cooked more thoroughly-"
"Lookit, I dunno what's my fish or my vegetables. Or wait is this rice….?" Shunsuke leaned forward into his plate and stared in genuine awe.
"Look Shunsuke, it's gonna taste the same either way. Sakura already marinated it, all I did was fry it."
"I'll wait 'til you eat yours," Shunsuke scoffed as shook his head at his steaming plate. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched.
"I'm not eating."
Shunsuke's eyes widened. "Why? 'Cause you don't know what's what too?"
"No. Because I ate before you woke up, I'm not hungry." Sasuke lied. Shunsuke's brow cocked in unbelief.
"Fine, you can have a bit of mine." Shunsuke challenged, he narrowed his eyes and pushed the plate towards Sasuke. He leaned forward with a satisfied smirk. "Might wanna eat while it's still hot."
Sasuke's jaw tightened and he locked eyes irritably with Shunsuke. He reached slowly for the chopsticks and picked them up.
"Oooh try that black thing. Well… that black thing." Shunsuke clarified as he pointed specifically to the most charred thing on his plate. Sasuke's chopsticks hovered over the item for a moment and Shunsuke waited in anticipation. After a few seconds more, Sasuke finally slammed the chopsticks down and sighed, leaning into the table.
"You just want ramen, Shunsuke?" He sighed once more shaking his head at the floor. Shunsuke nodded gratefully and the older men set off to make them both a meal even he couldn't mess up.
Once Sasuke had cut Shunsuke off after two bowls of ramen, the two leaned back into their chairs.
"I see you didn't lose your appetite." Sasuke noted.
"Well," Shunsuke corrected. "Your food almost did it for me."
Sasuke rolled his eyes at the young child and lightly threw his napkin at the young boy who giggled back. They sat in silence for a while before Shunsuke spoke.
"Hey, lemme show you my pets," Shunsuke jumped from the table. He jerked his head for Sasuke to follow him into his bedroom where his pet snake also lived. Once the older man had entered, he led him over to the tank and pointed at thin, long black snake.
"That's Kaiju, and that," he said pointing to the frog in the next tank. "That's Gamu. Uncle Naruto got 'im for me."
"I thought Sakura hated frogs?"
Shunsuke smirked mischievously. "She does, that's why Uncle Naruto got it for me," he said as he wriggled his eyebrows.
Sasuke gave a short laugh. "So you like snakes?"
"Yeah," Shunsuke nodded. He moved a small step stool in front of the tank and got atop, reached in, and picked up Kaiju. He made a hissing sound and absently began moving Kaiju around in slow slithering motion and placed the snake back in his tank. Shunsuke continued hissing, flicked his tongue between teeth, and pressed his palms together moving them in front of him in an horizontal wave. In a quick jerk, he jokingly thrust this hands towards Sasuke. Sasuke looked at Shunsuke with an amused, furrowed brow.
"I'm poisonous," Shunsuke warned, he straightened up and look at Sasuke with wide, warning eyes. When Sasuke didn't move Shunsuke groaned.
"Sasuke-sama, you were s'pposed to run!"
"Why?"
" 'Cause we were playin'?…I told you I was poisonous?…Now I'm supposed to chase you?…Never mind." Shunsuke sighed exasperatedly when Sasuke's expression didn't change. The young child turned dejectedly turned to the tank and stared at Kaiju. "Can I play with him up front Sasuke-sama?…Sasuke-sama?"
Shunsuke turned around and looked confusedly around the empty room. "Sasuke-sama?" He called again, walking hesitantly to the doorway and peeking around. Shunsuke was startled when Sasuke suddenly walked from the front room and stopped at the end of the hall.
"Where'd you go?" Shunsuke asked walking towards him. But the young child paused in confusion when Sasuke matched his steps and moved backward.
"If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer not to get poisoned." Sasuke smirked. Shunsuke looked at him in confusion for a moment, then a huge smile broke across his face and he laughed.
"Well you'd better run," he laughed, lifting his hands again and hissing. Sasuke laughed slightly and in an instant he took off through the house again.
As Sakura quickly made her way through the slightly crowded streets that night, her mind was preoccupied with worry. She knew that Sasuke was a fully grown man with ample common sense, but still it was now a little after nine o'clock and Sasuke had been home with Shunsuke all day. Sasuke had never had to worry about taking care of someone else. Much less a child. Even more so a child who was ill. It seemed like common sense for him to know the basics-keep the young boy hydrated, monitor his fever-but as Shunsuke's mother, Sakura couldn't help but worry.
Sakura opened her front door and hurriedly entered the house. She froze when she ran into Shunsuke and Sasuke asleep on the couch. Shunsuke was cocooned up in a thick, wool blanket and his slightly snoring body was rested against Sasuke's-the latter of whom lay sprawled on the couch in a seemingly exasperated sleep. Sakura brought a hand to her mouth to muffle her adoring laugh, but Sasuke-a naturally light sleeper-began to stir at the noise.
His eyes opened slowly and he saw Sakura now standing above him with her pink brows raised in a smile.
"Sakura?" He muttered as he began to sit up, but once he realized the weight pressed against him he froze. Sasuke looked down to see Shunsuke's peaceful face resting against his abdomen. When the young child had first fallen asleep, he was at the other end of the couch, but at some point in time-probably when Sasuke stretched himself out along the entire couch-the young child must have readjusted himself so that he was lying on Sasuke. He looked down at Shunsuke's peaceful face and made his breathing shallower so as not to stir the young child. Unfortunately though, Shunsuke already began readjusting himself when Sasuke had lifted initially. The young child now moaned sleepily before turning over and wedging himself between the back of the chair and Sasuke's still frozen body.
"Long night?" Sakura laughed lightly as she leaned against the wall.
"Hn." Sasuke responded as the corners of his mouth tugged upward.
"Well thanks. I know how tiring Shunsuke can be-even when he's sick."
"He wasn't a problem," Sasuke objected with a shrug. Secretly, however, Shunsuke had completely worn him out. The two had run around playing for what seemed like an eternity and only a little more than an half hour ago the young child finally fell asleep.
Sakura kept smiling and began picking up the array of things scattered across the floor. "So I'm guessing you guys had fun right?"
Sasuke nodded.
"You eat or do you want anything?" He watched as Sakura routinely cleaned. He knew she was tired- there was no doubt she was tired- but she did this everyday: worked, took cared of Shunsuke, cleaned, cooked and trudged into bed. A part buried inside him couldn't help but want to be around a lot more to help Sakura out.
"No, I'm fine. Thank you. I'll put Shunsuke in bed for you," Sasuke offered as he raised from the couch and lifted Shunsuke in his arms. Sakura followed behind with the young boy's toys and placed them in their respective places in the child's room while Sasuke pulled the covers over the sleeping child.
"I hate it when he's sick," Sakura whispered sadly as the two stood in the small bedroom, watching their son sleep.
"Hmm?"
Sakura sighed. " I just don't like seeing him hurt or not his usual self…you know?"
Sasuke nodded slowly. "Yeah….But children get sick. You do a good job of taking care of him so it's not your fault. At least you're around to make sure he gets better."
Sakura smiled. "Hmm, yeah. It sounds weird, especially since I've had five years to come to terms with it, but sometimes it just feels so…unbelievable to think that he's my son."
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked in hesitant confusion. He looked at Sakura with his brows furrowed in slight worry
She laughed again and shook her head. "I just never thought I'd be able to create anything as wonderful and special as him. That either one of us could."
Sasuke smiled slowly as he looked at the slumbering child. He understood what she meant. "I'm sorry about before." Sasuke stated after a few moments of silence.
"Huh?"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes in thought and, still staring towards Shunsuke, continued. "They way I acted when I returned and the things I said. I apologize… I'm also sorry for leaving you again…"
Sakura stared at Sasuke with wide eyes for a moment without speaking. Finally her shoulders lifted slowly and she shook her head. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hurt by any of it. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you to apologize or that I wasn't waiting for it. But either way, I just want us to move on. I just want to move past all that, the three of us together. I'm just…I'm afraid that the only thing that'll happen is that history will repeat itself all over again. I don't think I can take it a third time around and Shunsuke sure as hell can't deal with the blow…"
Sasuke sighed inwardly in understanding and walked towards Sakura. Gingerly, he lifted his hands and finally cupped them on both of her warm cheeks, tilting her shocked face up to look at him. With his jaw flexing tightly in determination, he locked his onyx eyes with her emerald ones and spoke intently and carefully-hoping to convey his genuineness.
"I know after my past it's hard to believe me, but I'm not leaving you or Shunsuke. Not again."
Sakura's mouth dropped slightly and worked to say something but no sounds came out. She resulted to shaking her head quickly-a gesture she herself wasn't sure the symbolism behind-but Sasuke applied gentle pressure to his hands to steady her head from moving and once again fixed his eyes on hers.
"I'm not leaving you Sakura," he stated firmly once more.
Sakura's already unsteady breath trembled slightly as she felt his thumbs begin gently stroking the apples of her cheeks and his remaining fingertips lightly moved themselves on the back of her neck. His strong jaw flexed intensely and his lips stayed pressed in a thin line. Sakura watched him in stunned, uncertain silence and he stared deeply back at her. After a few moments of confliction, he slowly leaned forward, still maintaining eye contact, and watched as her mouth slacked even more and her eyes clouded all the more in fear. Not fear of kissing him again-but fear of kissing him again tonight, and mourning his absence once more tomorrow. She wasn't fully ready yet, Sasuke realized as he was now inches from her unmoving face. At the last moment, he tilted his head up slightly and against her tense forehead, he closed his eyes and pressed his lips for about three seconds. Slowly pulling back, he looked into her glassy eyes.
"I'm not leaving," he repeated once more, stroking her face once again. He saw the small smile flicker at the corner of her now closed mouth, and that was all he needed for the night. "You've had a long day at work, I'll let you rest now. Good night," Sasuke spoke quietly before slowly removing his hands from her face and turning to leave.
Hey let me know if the chapter seems too rushed, ok? Like I said I've been so busy with school and I really wanted to get this chapter out, so I feel like in the process I may have rushed the development of scenes and that can really mess up the quality/flow of a story ya know. I tried making more use of page breaks to counteract that, but still….
So yeah please review ok? Thanks a million! =D
See ya soon! xoxoxoxoxo