A/n: not that I like the final chapters of 'Three', but I know many of my dear readers enjoy the story, so have no doubts, I will finish the fanfic.
Read and review, please
Chapter 1 of 'Behind the Scenes' replaced today!
Chapter Nineteen Summary: things unsaid have been nagging both Sasuke and Sakura, and the explosion had to happen. How the two of them will react and behave, and what consequences the blow will have.
Chapter XIX
After a visit to Itachi Sasuke was on the way home. The air was breathing with fall, nightly winds getting cold as they crept underneath his clothes and made him shiver, yet his thoughts belonged to a different world. Itachi.
Sasuke's mind told him he was gradually growing mad, but even so, his feelings and emotions were stronger as they joined him with Itachi with an invisible chain, while all he wanted was become closer, live, be with him and never separate. An impossible, hopeless wish.
Besides that, there was something not letting him alone. The more he tried to escape from memories, the harder they clang to him, having grown into an integral part of his life, which he couldn't do without, and despite all the feelings for the elder Uchiha, the past was not so willing to let him go.
Whoever Itachi was - a demented genius, his lover, his brother - still, he never stopped to be... the one who killed their parents.
- Nii-san, - Sasuke sat on the couch next to the sibling, squeezing his palms in his. - Tell me it hadn't happened, - he near implored, and shyly, looked up, afraid to shatter a crazy hope with only just an awkward movement. - Tell me. I'm ready to believe
- It did happen, - Itachi replied with the same stoic face.
Sasuke startled, and out of his chest a convulsive sob broke, his eyes closed and head lowered as he pressed Itachi's pale hands to his flushed forehead. Bitterness came as lump in his throat.
- Nii-san...
He sighed, coming up to the gate. It was only pretence that his life was clear and simple again, because the same old problems appeared. Itachi, who has always brought confusion and fuss, had him waver and suffer from the unknown, and the worst of all - Sasuke was ready to forgive him.
The door opened, and a joyful Sakura met him there,
- Here you are! - she beamed. - Come in, hurry, it's terribly chilly outside!
One glimpse at her was enough to get a prick of consciousness - poor thing, she had not the faintest idea... No, wait, wasn't she rather a happy thing, with her only job to live to her heart's content and give him children? The guy shook his head at such thoughts and followed her into the house.
So life went on.
- Sakura?
- Yes, Sasuke? - the girl responded while washing the dishes.
- I have a serious request. I want you to take an infertility test
Frozen with a half-washed plate in her hand, her mind froze as well, and she stood struck by the words,
- You want what? - she turned to him in astonishment, his look never quavered over the newspaper he was reading.
- I want you to take an infertility test. We've been together for six months, and you're still not pregnant, - he folded the newspaper.
Initial shock turned into cold rage,
- Infertility, you say... Aha, I see. Now tell me, Sasuke, what if I'm really infertile? What would you do? - she narrowed her eyes, burning him with an appraising stare, which he survived with not a blink.
- I'll work it out
- That's it, 'I'll work it out', - boiling inside the girl, anger was getting onto the surface. - Then tell me, if you had known I couldn't conceive, would you have married me?
Silence.
- Don't wind up, - was a snap at last.
- Don't wind up? - she flamed up. - Know what, Sasuke? Enough! I've been patient, to say the least, now it's my turn to say my say. And don't you interrupt me! I'm fed up of this your attitude, I'm no thing to treat me as you want, and I'm not gonna comply with your every whim. Hell, I'm a living person, I have feelings, and I'm not just a machine for producing kids! - Sakura stopped, getting her breath back, her cheeks red and eyes sparkling.
- The hell I forced you to marry me, - the guy started to lose control too. - It was your solely decision, no? Or wasn't it you who's been running after me for years with that your 'Sasuke-kun!'?
The remark hit it just right, and a sharp pain pierced Sakura's heart, and eyes grew wet with tears,
- And you, you never looked at me! - she blurted out, putting the plate aside with an abrupt gesture and wiping her hands. - You'll never understand what I felt when you asked me to marry you! I believed you, Sasuke, believed you fell in love with me at last! You're numb! Can't you see what you've done to me?
- Oh so I'm numb? - he raised from the table, voice raising too. - What about you, Sakura? Have you ever tried to understand me? 'Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun!', - he mimicked. - Behind these cries did you see any of the real me, without that pink haze of your stupid dreams?
- Bastard! - Sakura shouted, brushing tears away, although they didn't stop rolling down her cheeks. - Blind, narcissistic moron! I've always tried to see the real you! All this time! I have been, and you? Have you let me in for once? You pushed away everyone who passed by. So arrogant. Dark avenger. Lone hero, - came a sarcastic note. - How nice of you to blame me for not understanding! But you know what? I do understand! Like no one else I understand you're just a sick obsessed neurotic, spoiled by overall admiration, compassion and recognition of your uniqueness! 'Oh, it's Sasuke, the only survivor of the Uchihas! Ah, look how unlucky he is! Ohh, what a dramatic and tragic fate!'
- Don't you dare! - the guy turned pale as he got up from the chair, fingers clutching at the edge of the table. - Don't you! You hear me? You. Know. Nothing. You will never understand! My clan was destroyed, and I must revive it! Revive the Sharingan! - he choked, drowning in words, eyes glowing an eerie fire.
- Clan! Clan! Clan! - she started to yell. - All you can think of is that damned clan of yours! Wake up, Sasuke! I know what you had to go through, but you can't live in the past. The past is not the present! Look around you, there're lots of important and good things apart from your idiotic clan! Stop being so selfish! Naruto, Kakashi, me and all the rest love you not because of Sharingan, not because of your abilities! And your-
'And your brother loves you not because you're an Uchiha,' the kunoichi barely held it in, checking herself just in time.
- Selfish? Me? Oh no, it's you who's selfish here! You care only about yourself and your little girly emotions, and you don't want to help me! I can always find another one. Come on, face it, any girl here would die of happiness when Uchiha Sasuke proposed to her
- You want one more life ruined? Mine is not enough? - she was shaking, on the verge of pouncing and hitting him.
- Not all girls are as picky as you
And thus she exploded. With a raised arm Sakura was going to slap him, but he grabbed the limb.
- Freak!
- Bitch!
- Let me go! - she broke free and jumped several steps back; her eyes flashed fire as she breathed out. - I loved you, Sasuke... really did. And you... 've done everything to kill this love, - with this, the girl turned around to leave the place.
From the hall, Sasuke caught muffled sobs, rustling of shoes put on, and then the noise of the door shut, while he was left to stand still in the kitchen, all alone.