Sunflower Chapter 2: she wanted to fly, a naruto fanfic

Sakura peers down curiously at the pretty blue waters. She wonders how she will do this and just hopes Sasuke-kun never finds out.

The little pink haired girl clasped her hands together excitedly and took another small step. She squealed happily at the steepness of the drop and the adrenaline that was flowing through her system.

Sakura loved this feeling.

She got ready to jump.

i. she tripped and fell

She felt the feeling only once. It was on a mission with her dear boys, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-baka, and Kakashi sensei.

Of course, she was really inept back then, really immature and inexperienced.

She tapped her chin thoughtfully.

Actually, she sucked at being a shinobi. She had actually succeeded in taking out some of the group that had attacked them and was too caught up in celebrating her victory. She didn't have any good senses to sense an enemy shinobi approaching and did not have the good reaction to avoid the blow that was dealt to her.

Oh.

And she was clumsy.

So she tripped.

And she fell.

From a very very steep cliff.

But it was not terrifying. It was exhilarating.

She wasn't sure why but the wind was soft against her skin as she fell. It felt like she was sleeping on a cloud. It was peaceful and silent.

She experienced three seconds. Three beautiful and exhilarating seconds.

She didn't believe she would die.

She felt the most alive then.

Sakura pursed her lips in deep thought.

She had a small notion that she might really be crazy.

But still, she had this one wish.

ii. but she wants to fly

"Sakura, what the hell are you doing?"

She sighs.

Caught.

She glances back at him, her fairytale pink hair whipping gracefully around her. Her round emerald eyes are round and big as they stare at him innocently. She recognizes him and gives him a bright smile, turning more of her body to wave to him, waving lightly to him.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun! When did you get here?"

His eyes narrow in annoyance. "Get away from there."

She cocks her head. "Eh? Why?"

"Are you stupid? You're going to fall," Sasuke said sharply, keeping his eyes on the girl at the edge of the bridge.

She giggles nervously.

"Are you worried?" she teases him lightly.

He looks away.

"Why would I waste my time worrying about you?"

She frowns then, his words biting. She turns away from him and looks down from the edge of the bridge she is standing on.

"Silly Sasuke-kun, it's not called falling."

He snorts lightly, turning back to look at her.

"It's called flying."

She takes a sure step and his eyes widen and he reaches out his hand instinctively.

"Sakura!"

ii. even if it's just for a moment

She stops.

A beat of silence and Sasuke tries to calm down his suddenly harsh beating and rapid heartbeat. The next moment, he's at her side, gripping her arm tightly and yanking her back violently away from the edge. She stumbles back clumsily and falls down on her bottom. He glares down at her while she rubs at her arm absently.

"What the hell are you doing? You could have fell!" he demands angrily, his heart still beating unnaturally fast.

Suddenly, she shoots up and stares up at him, returning his glare.

"Chill out, Sasuke-kun, I wasn't going to fall. I'm not stupid."

"I beg to differ."

Her expression darkens. "That's rude, Sasuke-kun."

"You're annoying."

Her lips twitch down and she suddenly turns away from him. She stares out to the horizon in silence.

"You're really mean, Sasuke-kun. I wonder why I even like you."

His heart speeds up again and he's annoyed by the fact that her small confession, no matter how many times repeated, made him feel affected.

His hand whips out and grabs the collar of her shirt. She yelps at the rough manhandling. He tugs her over to the edge of the bridge again and then lets her go. She looks back at him questioningly but he's already walking away.

She drops her gaze and feels something in her chest tug painfully and she smothers the small longing for him to stay.

You…

iii. because she really wants to go back to that time

Her head whips back up when he calls to her.

"Don't move until I tell you to."

She stares but in a second, he's gone. She starts in surprise and almost falls off accidentally when she hears him call her again, except this time more faint and…

Below her.

She gets on her knees and peers carefully over the bridge.

He's standing way way down there on the water, not looking at her, seeming bored and annoyed, his arms crossed.

"You can jump now."

Sakura's brows furrow and she calls down to him.

"Sasuke-kun, move away. I'm going to fall on you!"

He snorted and muttered lightly under his breath. "Didn't you call it flying?"

He looks up and yells up at her irately. "Just hurry up and jump."

She frowns. "No, move away!"

He's starting to become very annoyed. "If you jump now, I won't tell Naruto you were attempting suicide."

Her expression is horrified.

"S-S-Sasuke-k-kun, I wasn't attempting suicide!"

He almost laughs at her comical facial expression with jaw dropped low and eyes as wide as apples.

"Jump," he says. The dark-haired boy smirks up at her and her heart beats fast.

"I'll catch you."

iv. when he caught her

Sakura finds it difficult to breathe.

"W-What?"

v. when she fell

"I'll catch you."

vi. he made her feel like flying

She smiles a breathtaking smile and straightens up. Her eyes are soft as she gazes down at the handsome dark-haired boy.

"Okay."

vii. so she jumps

She takes a step and her foot lingers in the open air. The wind caresses her thin pale cheeks and whips her hair prettily around her while her emerald eyes sparkle and Sasuke imagines she is something like a fairy.

With borrowed wings.

She tips downward and for a moment, as she spreads her arms out, she really looks as if she can fly, almost floating on the air.

Sasuke is frightened for just a moment, fearing that the wind would blow her away.

But she's falling and it's straight toward him.

His arms are ready.

Sakura counts the seconds.

It's exactly the same.

viii. because he'll catch her like before

Sakura didn't ever admit, but she didn't see it as flying.

She saw it as an ephemeral fairy tale.

Because her prince would catch the falling princess.

For three short seconds.

ix. it was a beautiful story

The best part of falling is being caught by the one you love.

Her landing was not graceful. In fact, Sasuke stumbled a little bit after catching her and he didn't ever admit it, but he had the breath knocked out of him. He immediately glanced down to the girl in his arms and his brows creased in worry.

"Sakura."

Her eyes were glassy and unfocused and she was very still. He shook her lightly and when she didn't respond, he became very anxious.

"Sakura, hey."

Slowly, she brought her emerald eyes up to his. Her small pink lips opened to speak and he found his eyes drawn toward there.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

She smiles at him and he feels his heart stop. Flustered, he immediately drops her and she falls into the cold water. He stoops down quickly and yanks her back up, wet and shivering, letting her stand by herself when she got her chakra to her feet.

"Th-Thanks a l-lot, Sasuke-k-kun," she says this time, dripping with sarcasm, now fully awakened from her short wonderful fall.

He smirks and takes off his shirt (she starts to blush madly here) and throws it at her. She almost falls into the water again, her concentration nearly broken. The girl looks away from her half naked crush and stammers.

"S-S-Sasuke…t-t-take it back, I'm g-g-going back…" she said, throwing his shirt back at him and turning to go. She walks as fast as she can without running away from him, toward the shore, looking down the whole time.

She bumps into a warm, hard body.

"Eh?"

She pokes at it confusingly and then starts when she realizes it is Sasuke. She yelps and jumps away put he catches her wrist. The next second, she is blinded, a dark cloth covering her eyes.

"Hey! I can't see!"

Sasuke finishes yanking his shirt over her and she blinks up at him, her pink hair mussed and hanging in wet strands. The shirt swallows up her petite form. He almost laughs.

"Go home and don't catch a cold."

She stares down at the warm shirt she is now donning and blinks again.

It smells like him.

She looks up again but he's already gone.

x. with a happy ending

"Hey, hey, Sasuke-kun! W-Wait, Sasuke-kun! Here's your shirt!" Sakura gasps while she runs after him after spotting him in the crowd the next day. He seems to hear her and slows down. Sakura finally catches up to him and he waits as she finds her breath again, her hands on her knees, her head bent down.

She looks up and then grins at him foolishly.

"Here you go!" she says happily while holding up his shirt to him.

He turns around then and frowns at her. She's confused –did I annoy him already?– and stares up at him.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He doesn't answer, only grabs her wrist and tugs her along.

"H-hey…Sasuke– "

"You want to fly?" he asked suddenly and she was startled by his question.

"E-Eh?"

He turns to glare at her and she stutters. "I-I mean, yes, I do."

He turns away, satisfied and then points to something in the distance. Her eyes follow his finger and she gasps.

The amusement park.

She starts to bounce up and down excitedly but he tugs at her wrist warningly and she immediately stops.

"Next time you want to fly, don't jump off a bridge."

His hand tightens around hers and her emerald eyes widen. She looks up at him and is amazed that he is staring at her. She shrinks back a little at the intensity between his onyx eyes. He waits and she quickly nods.

Satisfied, he turns away and keeps walking, holding her hand.

"You can fly on the roller coaster or on the flying swings. Don't do something rash and stupid."

She grins and nods happily.

"Okay, Sasuke-kun."

He glances back down at her and there is still a furrow between his brows.

"You can keep that."

She stares at him wide-eyed and then down at the shirt she is holding in her other hand.

"B-but it has the Uchiha crest…"

He smirks.

She blushes.

"That's even better."

Because you are mine now.

And he bends down to give her a soft kiss on the cheek.

She's stunned and frozen and blushing madly and Sasuke smothers down a laugh. Her emerald eyes blink rapidly and she's gone so still.

He tugs at her wrist lightly and her head whips up at him.

He smirks.

She blushes.

I'm your prince.

You're my princess.

I'll lend you wings when you want to fly and catch you when you fall.

Always.