A/N: Erm... Hello there. Please enjoy this free chapter, this free box of chocolate chip cookies and a free apology from someone who has been avoiding you all for months. ^_^; Heh. Well, there it is. It's not the greatest, but that's all I've got for you. I really, really hope you all don't hate it. Please drop me a review, if you'd be so kind! I love reviews...
Disclaimer: I don't own it! This world and these characters are Kishimotos. I claim the plot though.
PROPOSE TO ME
(And don't be a thief when you do!)
Sakura's eyes up at the ceiling and she clenched her jaw. The night had offered no relaxation after such a hard day at the hospital. Sakura crossed her arms over the blanket wrapped around her and took a deep breath. After her fight with Sasuke, she'd hardly slept at all. Her mind was working overtime, dissecting things that were probably better left alone. But she couldn't help herself. She couldn't help thinking about every aspect of their lives together. Was she being too demanding in asking for the proposal of the century? After knowing him throughout her entire childhood and working on the same team with him for years. After staying devoted to bringing him back and seeing him again even after he had left them, for forgiving him and staying by his side while no one else but Naruto and Kakashi-sensei would. After being completely faithful to him as his girlfriend and tried to make him happy in every way possible. She had loved him since she was twelve.
She didn't think it was too much to ask for, for him to want to do this for her.
Then again, it was him she wanted to spend her life with. Sakura wanted a marriage, not a wedding. Originally it had never been about anything fancy or conventional for them (they had never been a cookie cutter couple). It was because of this that she felt a tad guilty for making herself seem so superficial and refusing to agree to his demands just for a storybook proposal.
But that was just the thing. 'His demands'. What kind of a man demands for his girlfriend to marry him? Was he that controlling and insensitive? She had always been able to comfort herself with the thought that though he seemed like a prick on the outside, to her he was kind and he was himself in a much softer way than what he showed to others. But now, she was no longer able to cling to that as a comfort. He had acted like a chauvinistic pig that had no clue as to who she was. Did he really think that she'd be totally complacent to all of this? Did he not remember her temper or the fact that their relationship was easily one of the most important things in her life? Did he forget who she was entirely...? Or was it not that he forgot who she was, but rather that he'd prefer her to be someone easier to deal with?
Screw him. He had his choice laid out in front of him. Either he could accept her for who she was and figure out how to do this one little thing, or he could give up and find someone better suited for what he was looking for.
She was working herself up and her lips tightened into a harsh line. She shifted in her little cocoon of blankets and winced. The couch was not a comfortable place to sleep and she could feel dozens of kinks in her neck and body from her uncomfortable position. The sun was shining outside, but her morning today was completely different from the morning she'd had yesterday. Back then she'd had no insecurities and was just happy in her own little world. Now she felt angry and frustrated and alone.
She had heard him wake up a few hours ago, and felt his chakra signals. By now she could hear him moving around their bedroom, even from all the way in the living room. The silence was deafening. She untangled herself from the blankets and padded into the kitchen where she made herself a cup of coffee and shuffled back to her place on the couch. She fell onto the cushions and pulled her legs onto the seat, leaning against the arm of the couch. After holding the coffee in her hands but not really paying enough attention to actually drink it, she sighed with a fed up expression covering her features. Her eyes flicked to the bedroom door when she heard the shower turn on. Sakura made her move and stoically grabbed herself a shirt and a pair of comfy pants after padding into the room. She knew he knew she was there, but she chose to ignore the fact that he was only behind one door. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail. The water turned off and she knew he'd be out of the shower soon enough. The medic sighed and grabbed everything she needed for the day as well as her makeup, shoved it all in a bag and turned around to leave the room, just as quietly and quickly as she had entered it.
Sakura, jaw still tight in frustration, left the eerily quiet Uchiha home without a word or a glance to the man who had hurt her so badly, her coffee still untouched on the coffee table.
Sasuke crept out of the shower, knowing that Sakura had left. He had lost track of her chakra and knew that she was avoiding him. He breathed out a frustrated breath and scratched the back of his head. He knew that he wasn't the most charming man that Sakura could be with. He knew it very well, but what did she expect? He had never been the romantic one to shout his feelings at the top of his lungs. Ever. What made her expect something extraordinary this time?
He gritted his teeth, yanked his Jounin vest from the hook where it was kept and stalked into the cold, quiet kitchen. After tossing his vest onto the back of a chair, he grabbed a tomato from the bowl on the table and ran under the tap for a moment, mulling everything over. Sakura shouldn't expect something that he just wasn't capable of giving! He wasn't going to pretend to be some kind of Romeo and beg her to marry him, because he was an Uchiha. He was Sasuke Uchiha. He was practical and never let his emotions get the better of him, because he didn't like to feel vulnerable. Like a child.
He dropped the tomato on the counter and gripped the edge of the sink with two hands, breathing heavily in annoyance. He shook his head and sneered. Sakura was just being stubborn. Why did she have this naive veil over her eyes all the time, thinking that everything was some kind of fairytale? Sakura had known who he was from the very, very beginning of everything. It wasn't as though he had changed his personality at the root of things and was suddenly springing this on her.
So what if he was practical and had just come out with the question in a straight forward manner? What did it matter? It showed her that he did in fact want her in his life and that she was the one he wanted to head his clan. Why couldn't she ignore the things the things he said and focus on what it was that he was trying to convey without words?
He tapped his finger against the cool metal of the sink before spinning around and grabbed both his vest and his breakfast. But as he was heading to the door, he felt a wave of guilt flood him like a wave as he noticed the mess on blankets strewn over the couch and the cold coffee left on the table.
Perhaps this meant more to her than he had even considered. Maybe she was looking for him to show her some form of affection this one time, because she did accept the fact that she wouldn't receive it every day.
He shrugged his Jounin vest over his shoulders and glanced one last time at the sofa, before turning and walking slowly out the door.
Sakura sighed and brushed a hair off her forehead before turning and walking towards her office. It had been a tiring day, as per usual. Only she was still frustrated with her situation at home and really wasn't looking forward to finishing work and returning.
She reached her office and closed the door behind her. Taking a moment to ease the tension from her shoulders, she leaned against the back of the door and closed her eyes. She started when a light tap sounded on the other side of the door. Sakura turned and opened the door to see Hinata standing there sweetly
"Hi Sakura-ch-chan."
"Oh hi, Hinata-chan. " Sakura smiled and let her friend come further into the room and leaned against the wood of her desk.
"I-Is everything alright?
Sakura blinked and looked away for a split second. "What do you mean?"
Hinata put a hand on her shoulder and give her a concerned look. "Y-you just seem a little sad. I've seen you t-today and you seem distracted and j-j-just a little bit unlike yourself."
Sakura put on a smile and pulled her friend in for a quick hug.
"I'm fine, no worries!"
"You're s-sure?" Hinata's brow furrowed and she still wore a look of concern.
"Yes," Sakura laughed, "I'm just fine. Only a little tired." Hinata still seemed suspicious of Sakura's cheery exterior but she didn't press the conversation. Sakura would share her thoughts at some point, sooner or later.
"As l-long as you're really ok-kay. I-I actually came in here to l-let you know that-"
Hinata was cut off by the loud obnoxious ring of Sakura's office phone. Sakura winced apologetically and went to quickly see what the call was about.
"FOREHEAD! We're getting drinks tonight! You, me and the girls. The marriage is on BITCHES!-" Sakura rolled her eyes and hung up the phone before her inner ear imploded. Ino. Of course. Clearly, her engagement to Shikamaru had been made officially official. After all of Ino's snooping around, Sakura had been sure it would be with the next few days. Shikamaru had a dry sense of humor, but he wasn't cruel enough to force her to wait for the question after she already knew he was planning on asking.
She rubbed her temples and tried to feel happy. She was happy for Ino, she knew. Ecstatically glad that her friend was so unbearably happy. The blonde had been dreaming of this moment for Kami knew who long, and while Ino would sure as hell make Sakura want to tear out every strand of her own hair, this marriage was a good thing for Ino. This way she'd know that the genius loved her the way she was and she'd be able to stop the incessant dieting (after the big day of course) and she'd be able to stop fussing over her looks and her image of perfection. Because at the end of every day, she'd have Shikamaru to come home to, who'd love her if she had a single hair out of place and equally as much if she looked like she'd been to hell and back.
Sakura was truly happy for Ino.
She just couldn't feel it at the moment. She bit her lips and furrowed her brow. 'That complete asshole has ruined everything.' Her inner whined.
Hinata cleared her throat and smiled. "I-I just came in to tell you that-"
"That Ino's planned a night out with the four of us?" Sakura laughed, "I've just heard, straight from the pig's mouth. Her voice is still echoing in my ears." Jade eyes rolled and Sakura shook her head.
Hinata uttered a small light hearted chuckle and nodded. "I-I-I suppose that I sh-should have guessed she'd tell you herself."
After a sigh and plans to meet Hinata and the other two girls at their usual meeting place, Sakura found herself waving as Hinata made her way down the hallway.
She sighed and leaned against the door once more. Maybe a night out with Ino, Hinata and Tenten would be just what she needed. She smiled and began to remove her dirty scrubs to change back into her every day clothes.
Sasuke's brow seemed to be permanently furrowed in a concentrated and slightly frustrated look. He had his hands burrowed safely in his deep pockets. He was dressed for training, but he hadn't been able to force himself to go. He had always been one to think things through and to focus on a problem until he had figured out a solution.
But until that happened this time, he just couldn't go see that Dobe and forget about it.
Sasuke was puzzled and he felt the dead weight of his guilt sitting in the pit of his stomach. He turned his head to the sky and kept walking, mulling everything over in his head. How could he make Sakura happy? The thing that she wanted was something he wasn't.
His mouth formed a grim line as he noticed a married couple meander past him. The woman's arm was looped snugly through that of her husband's and she was leaning her head on his shoulders, laughing so hard that Sasuke could spot the happy tears in her eyes. The woman was at the point of laughing where she wasn't even making a sound. The man was laughing and smiled down at her, clearly enjoying the fact that whatever it was he had said, he had made her so happy. Their wedding bands gleamed on their fingers in the sunlight.
Sasuke glared and wondered if he should just walk over there and ask the bastard how he had managed it.
His name being called from somewhere in the distance stole his attention and he turned ever so slightly to see who it was.
'Perfect.'
"Teme! Where. Have. You. Been?" Naruto jogged up to him and rested his hands on his knees as he regained his breath. Sasuke rolled his eyes and continued walking slowly down the path.
"You're out of shape, Dobe" He stated quietly.
Naruto straightened up immediately and indignantly strutted up to keep pace with the Uchiha.
"Am not, you stupid bastard! Anyways, I just came to tell you that Hinata just told me that Sakura-chan and the girls'll be goin' out tonight. I figured I'd pass on the message since Sakura's going..." Naruto trailed off after the lack of response and shoved his hands into his own pockets and together the two men walked in silence, the perfect mirror of each other. After several silent minutes, Naruto turned his head and observed the irritated and clearly pensive look on Sasuke's face. He recognized the expression and simply swallowed the question that he was planning on asking. It was probably best to let his friend think for the time being.
A nice thought.
However Naruto grew bored easily and after only a few more seconds he turned back to face the black haired shinobi. "What's the matter, you old bastard?" He said laughing.
"Hn. Just thinking, Naruto."
The blonde haired man blinked and did a quick double take. He was surprised by the eerily calm use of his name. It wasn't often that he heard it coming from Sasuke.
"About what, exactly?" Naruto pressed.
"It's none of your concern." Sasuke glared at the man who had decided to push himself into issues where he truly didn't belong.
"Teme, I'm your best friend. So no matter how much you'd like to pout in silence, you're going to have to come out with it." Naruto put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder to stop his aimless walking.
"Nevermind, Dead Last." Sasuke muttered and shrugged the hand off. Naruto wondered what problem Sasuke was trying solve if he was too focused to even throw in a half decent insult.
"You know what helps me when I need to think things throu-?"
"Yes." Sasuke supplied immediately. "Not now, Dobe." He cut him off and rolled his eyes.
"Yes now, Teme! He grabbed Sasuke by the back of his collar and began to yank his friend towards Ichiraku's. When Sasuke threw his elbow behind him to make the man let go, Naruto spun around towards the front and shoved him in the direction of the ramen stand.
"No use fighting! Nothing'll ever get between me and my ramen, idiot! 'Tebayo!"
Sasuke knew that Naruto had a solid point and gave up the struggle. He'd figure out a way to get out of it when Naruto was too busy shovelling noodles in his face to even notice.
Sakura ran home after work and stopped outside to check if there was any sign of her boyfriend around. Feeling no trace of his chakra, she breathed out and walked inside. There was no way she was going out with her friends looking like slob.
She threw her bag on the kitchen table and yanked her makeup from its depths. She jogged to her room and went straight for her closet to grab some clothes. She quickly tore off her dingy shirt and her jeans and hopped in for a two minute shower. She figured her hair would dry quickly enough on its own so she just towel dried it for a minute. She traded in her towel for a blue tank top and a pretty black skirt, adorned with bright splashes of colour in purple, aqua and pink, along with several others. She shrugged on a black wrap around cardigan and hopped around until she managed to slip on a pair of flats. She nodded into the mirror and shook out her hair. She quickly smeared some makeup over her eyes and scampered back to the kitchen. She was already late and Ino was probably already drunk.
Sakura threw her bag over her shoulder and turned towards the bar where she and the girls had planned to meet. She walked briskly, jogging every now and then, before slowing down again. Glancing in both directions quickly before jogging across the street, the medic noticed the bar up ahead and slowed down. Sakura pushed open the door and was immediately hit with the smell of booze and smoke. She smirked. It was dark and the room was loud, smoky. But she still loved it here. She was able to talk as loudly as she wanted to and be herself, and she'd just fit in with the countless faces in the crowd of people who didn't mind.
Her eyes scanned the room for a head of bright blonde hair and grinned. There they were. She shuffled through the sea of drunkards and friendly people just out for a drink until she could just plop down next to Tenten. Tenten looked confused at the sudden apparition, but she recognized the head of pink hair and grinned.
"I've missed you!" She laughed and pulled Sakura into a hug.
"I've missed you!" Sakura yelled back over the noise of the room. It had been ages since she'd had a chance to be out with her friends. From time to time she'd run into Tenten, but one of them would often be called away to take care of something or other.
Sakura glanced across the table and smiled at Ino and Hinata. She saw the rock on Ino's hand and reached across the table to yank her hand forwards.
"So, did he actually propose, or did you pull the good old Mind Body Switch on the poor bastard and switch back in time to say yes...? " Sakura laughed as she examined the ring. Ino smirked and replied "You'll never get me to admit it Forehead!" Sakura grinned and reached across the table to pull her into a hug. From the looks of it, Ino was already tipsy, as she giggled incessantly when she settled back down into her seat. Tenten was holding a glass of water while Hinata had what looked to be an untouched Shirley Temple in front of her.
Sakura waved over the waitress and asked politely for a water, before turning back to the girls. She would drink eventually, but she'd save the fun stuff for later and pace herself. She slammed a hand onto the table and said "Well, let's hear it! How'd it happen Ino?"
Ino clapped her hands together as though she was surprised and thrilled to be asked the question.
"Oh Kami, guys. It's was so perfect, so totally Shikamaru."
"Imagine that guys," Tenten said slyly "Shikamaru proposed in a Shikamaru way. I'm shocked. Aren't you?"
"Oh, I know Tenten. That was the last thing I expected to hear."
Ino rolled her eyes as Hinata giggled into her hand.
"Keep g-going, Ino-c-chan." Hinata supplied.
"So, first thing this morning he shakes me awake and tells me he has to leave early, right? I just nodded, cause, I mean... I'm sleeping. But he tells me he'll see me later. I just went to work and did my normal day to day stuff. Whatever, not important. So at lunch time, I walked outside to go grab something to eat when I notice him just leaning against the wall beside me."
Sakura felt interested in what she was saying, but each word felt like a pebble falling into her stomach. She shook her head and forgot about her own problems. This was about Ino.
"So he started to walk beside me and I'm wondering why he's there in the first place. But when I started to walk to one of the food carts, he just paid for what I wanted and grabbed my arm. We start heading towards the park, towards the hill where he loves to go. It's the prettiest place I have ever seen in my life. I look up and see the clouds. Of course he wants to sit and watch the clouds. That's what I meant when I said it was typical Shikamaru. " She looked pointedly across the table.
Tenten chuckled and nodded her understanding. "I get it, I get it. Keep going."
"Shikamaru leans back, and just relaxes for a while. And I was just eating, or whatever and when I'm finished, I laid down beside him and we just sat there. Not saying anything. Then he looks at me and back up to the sky." Ino sighed and smiled. "And then he just said: 'I don't know how you did it.' I gave him a look, cause I have, like, no idea what he's doing at this point."
"You hadn't figured it out by then, Pig? You knew he was planning on proposing, you found the ring! He starts acting weird and takes you to a romantic location and you didn't know what was going on-?"
"Hey! Annoying girl with the big forehead, sitting in the front row! Shut up!" Ino yelled. Sakura grinned and waved her hand to let her know she could continue without interruption.
"Well, I might have had an idea. But I was still surprised. Anyways! He looks at me and I ask him what he's getting at. He just keeps staring upwards and then he said: 'I think you're crazy and troublesome. You get on my nerves. And you're loud as all hell.' And I'm starting to get a bit miffed here! But then he just looks at me and tells me that 'Even so, I still don't mind you.' " Ino paused for effect and smiled at the memory.
"Then he just pulled out the ring and tossed it to me, as if it were nothing special. He tells me that he knew that I knew about it and that I could just go ahead and have it. I started to cry and laugh and all that, blah blah blah. But, I mean, he didn't ask. So I gave him back the ring and told him that I needed him to ask me. Shika just sighed and said something about adding 'Demanding' to his list. But still, he stood up and then gave me his hand to help me up. Then he got down on one knee and asked the question. "
Sakura , Tenten and Hinata grinned and burst out in happy laughs. A chorus of 'congratulations' rang out from them, but Ino was loudest of all.
"I KNOW RIGHT!" Ino waved down a waitress and asked for a round of drinks. Sakura laughed as Ino plopped one in front of Hinata and told her to join the dark side. Hinata blushed and took a hesitant sip. The three of them observed her with smiling eyes and Sakura watched her with her hands clasped as the shy Hyuuga raised the glass up to her lips again. Ino gave Sakura a high five across the table.
They proceeded to toast to the Soon-to-be-Nara and chat about their lives. Sakura dreaded her turn because she had a feeling that they wouldn't buy a made up story.
"So Sakura, what's going on with you and the tight ass?" Tenten laughed.
Sakura glanced away and then looked at her hands. "It's good. You know, same old same old. Things don't vary much with a boyfriend like Sasuke." She smiled and looked up and them all choosing to concentrate on their foreheads instead of their eyes.
"Yeah, I can see that." Tenten conceded. "But what's really going on Sakura? You're avoiding our eyes."
"Y-yes, t-tell us, because you w-weren't acting l-like yourself today." Hinata chirped in her two cents.
Sakura sighed. She didn't want to bring down the group. "Nothing is wrong, girls."
"Nothing my ass, Billboard Brow. Spit it out." Ino said as she grabbed her fruity drink and took a swig.
Sakura followed her lead and took one of her own drink. Then she got down to the truth.
"I'm sorry, you did WHAT?"
"You heard."
Naruto slammed his head on the counter, quaking silently. Sasuke closed his eyes and waited for the explosion. Naruto lifted his head and covered his eyes with his hands and continued to shake with laughter.
All of a sudden, Teuchi flinched as Naruto's laugh busted out loud, startling Ayame from the other side of the bar.
"This is why I don't like going anywhere with you, Dead Last." Sasuke sulked.
"I'm sorry, Teme. But that has got to be the stupidest thing you've done lately." Naruto wiped the tears from his eyes and continued to giggle like a child.
"I don't see much humour in this, Naruto."
"You might not, but I do! You've got to be the biggest moron in Konoha!" Naruto smiled as Ayame placed a bowl of ramen in front of him and he began to inhale it. Sasuke smacked him across the back of his head and stood to leave before his path was blocked by Kakashi and Shikamaru.
"Itai!" Naruto cried from behind him.
"Yo. What's the hurry, Sasuke?" Kakashi smiled, his fingers marking the place in his book, his other hand raised in his typical greeting.
"Yeah Teme!" Naruto grinned as he looked up from his rapidly depleting bowl of ramen. "What is your hurry?"
"Naruto, I swear to Kami." Sasuke warned as his fists clenched beside him.
"Seems like Uchiha's not in the mood for company." Shikamaru mumbled from beside Kakashi. "That's his own fault, right Sasuke?" Naruto quipped from his seat. Sasuke wheeled around and raised his fist to silence Naruto after an hour of his friends irritating comments, before Kakashi grabbed his arm.
"Now now, Sasuke. I didn't bring Shikamaru here to witness the inner dynamics of our team." He smiled and his one visible crinkled up. "Shikamaru here has some good news." Said ninja shoved his hands behind he head and looked to the side, avoiding the eyes of not only his three friends, but the workers of the ramen shop as well.
"It's nothing."
"Actually, it's not." Kakashi piped in. "Shikamaru's going to be a married man soon."
"Ehhhh?" Naruto spun to look at the sarcastic and bored looking man. "You and Ino-chan are gonna tie the knot?"
Shikamaru sighed and rubbed the back of his neck "That's the plan. This is all too troublesome..."
Naruto laughed and stood. "Congrats!" He clasped Shikamaru's hand in a friendly gesture and thumped him on the back. "I bet Ino-chan was pretty excited. Good luck with that one, buddy." Naruto noticed how stiff Sasuke was standing. Sasuke gave the engaged shinobi a nod.
"So how'd you pop the question?" Naruto wondered.
Shikamaru told a quick, concise version of the story that Ino had already enthusiastically shared with her best friends. Sasuke leaned against the ramen bar, listening attentively while wishing he could be anywhere but in this place.
"Hey, speaking of marriage..." Sasuke snarled when he heard Naruto's words at the end of Shikamaru's story. "Teme's got a funny story-"
"Dobe." Sasuke snarled.
"Aw come on Teme! Maybe they can help you out! Shikamaru's a genius."
"..."
"Fine."
"..."
"I'll tell them."
"You've got to be kidding me!" Ino screeched from the table. "What. A. Slimy. JERK!" She shouted, already drawing attention to the group.
"I'm normally understanding of the guy, I mean, being with Neji and all. They're so alike.." Tenten said fairly. "But when Neji and I got engaged, he still asked. He still tried to make me happy. Sasuke was just acting like an inconsiderate piece of-"
"Shit." Hinata hiccupped from the other end of the table. The other three girls blinked at the normally shy and proper girl. Maybe it was time to cut her off...
"As surprised as I am to hear that coming from you, I agree." Tenten finished.
"But he was just being himself, I guess. I don't know. I think I'm probably overreacting over this mess. I don't want to act so superficial about something as important as this. I don't want to scare him away by demanding something he can't give."
"Don't!" Ino slammed her hand on the table. "Don't you dare. Yes, he's a moody, quiet, dark guyvwith a large stick buried deeply in places we won't mention... We all knew this. But this is important to you, and he should have known. He's known you forever Sakura! You fought so hard for him and he can get off his high horse and accept that he's got to make an effort!" Ino cried.
"Exactly." The other two ladies nodded in solid agreement.
"You're right, I know you're right but I still feel stupid for causing this much drama. I feel guilty." Sakura bit her lip.
"Well you can just leave the guilt to Uchiha and have an actual drink!" Ino laughed. She waved over a round of drinks for the girls and smiled mischievously. Sakura bid adieu to her healthy liver.
"Now. I feel as though the best way to punish Sasuke would be to..."
"Tie him to the bed and shave his hair." Tenten stated. The girls all nodded, imagining Sasuke's bald head and took a swig of their drinks.
"I-I think you should pay all t-the food merchants in town to refuse to sell him their tomatoes" Hinata muttered.
"Ooh. Good one." Sakura smiled. Together they clinked glasses before taking another drink.
"OH! Tie him to a post in the street, naked of course, with a note on his forehead for his fangirls reading: He's all yours."
"Do to him what you will." Sakura finished and they tipped their heads back once more. Sakura could feel her balance getting shakier and as though the whole room was spinning around her. Progressively, as the room got blurrier, the suggestions seemed to get so much funnier. Soon they were all laughing uncontrollably.
" Okay, okay, okay. Here's the plan: We write a convincing love letter in Sasuke's handwriting and send it to... Who should we send it to?" Ino paused and thought for a moment before Hinata chimed in.
"Ebisu!" The three of them began to laugh and continued their newly adopted drinking game.
"If we pretended as though we had a pole up our butts, I think we could pull it off. Everyone already has doubts about whether he even likes women." Tenten said evenly, her finger on her chin in thought.
"I could always ask Tsunade-sama to give him only D-rank missions. H-he can spend a month babysitting that poor cat, T-Tora! Maybe he can ask the crazy woman who owns the cat to marry him!" Sakura stuttered before slamming her face on the table in a fit of laughter.
"How about we die all of his clothes pink?" Tenten suggested "And replace his boxers with tighty-whities!"
"What if I were to tell you that he didn't wear boxers in the first place?" Sakura laughed into her hand.
"What! Sasuke-Manly-Man-Uchiha doesn't wear boxers?" Ino cried, tears of mirth gathering in the corners of her eyes.
"Not anymore, he doesn't!" Sakura shouted and they dissolved into fits of laughter once more. They had been at it for a while and several drinks had been polished off. They began to gather their things, unsteady on their feet. Their words had long since begun to slur together and they received amusing looks from the other patrons as they stumbled out into the street. Together they linked arms and the four intoxicated kunoichi began to head down the road.
"You didn't Sasuke." Kakashi winced as he listened to Naruto's story. Sasuke glared and crossed his arms, avoiding their questioning eyes. Ayame and Teuchi pretended to clean, Ichiraku's long since closed and were listening in on the discussion.
"You really are-" Kakashi began.
"Stupid?"
"Inconsiderate?" Naruto and Ayame supplied respectively.
"Screwed." Shikamaru said decidedly.
"Hn." Sasuke grunted, annoyed with the people surrounding him.
"I understand that you're...you." Kakashi said. "But as a sort of father figure to Sakura, I feel as though you should know that you'll have to come up with something really good. I'm sorry to say, but I think you've really crossed a line Sasuke."
But everyone's attention was drawn to the sound of high pitched giggles coming from the road. The four men stood and meandered into the street to see who it could be, though the answer was already clear to each of them.
Shikamaru sighed from beside Sasuke as they watched their drunken girlfriends stagger down the street towards them. They all had their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders to keep some sort of upright position and they were still laughing and their own private joke.
Naruto gaped from where he stood. He pointed an accusing finger at Ino and began to shout.
"Y-you! You corrupted my Hinata-chan!" He grabbed Hinata from her place in the line and pulled her close, seemingly shielding her from the influence of Ino and the other girls. He pouted and looked down at his innocent girlfriend, hiccuping and swaying in his arms. "You poisoned her!" He shrieked.
"O-oh relax Naruto." Hinata muttered from his chest.
"N-naruto?" The blonde whimpered. She'd never called him by his name only. "Listen, I can understand Sakura-chan getting drunk, what with the Teme and his bastardly deeds...but Hinata-chan? He interrogated, pouting his lips and glared at Ino before grabbing Hinata in his arms and heading home.
Shikamaru wandered over to his fiancé and supported her as well, knowing that if he didn't she'd probably fall if he didn't. He smirked as she flung her arms around him and grinned like a goof.
"You made me happy, Shika." She mumbled into his shirt, already on the verge of falling asleep.
"Let's get you out of the road, crazy woman."
He turned to face the other guys and nodded before he too began to take Ino home. Sakura clung to Tenten and begged her not to send her home with the bastard.
"I've got my own bastard to get home to!" Tenten replied sadly. "He's goin'ta kill me. And then make me train in the morning." She groaned. Sasuke heard footsteps and turned to see the Hyuuga approaching them.
"I had an inkling that I'd find her at the loudest part of town at this hour." Neji muttered before he grabbed Tenten and began to lead her home. She blushed and put her face into the crook of her husband's neck, mumbling her thanks. He shook his head seriously and muttered that she'd had too much to drink. She smiled and shrugged before she began to feel drowsy.
Kakashi smiled and waved his hand once more. "I take it you've got this one covered?" Sakura grabbed his hand and pleaded with him not to abandon her with Sasuke. She had avoided him all day, damn it! Only to be foiled at the end of the night. He winked at her and assured her she'd be fine with Sasuke.
"No, don't go." She whispered but soon she found herself being lead towards the Uchiha complex. Sasuke lead her by the arm until they had made it around the corner, before stopping and picking her up. He held her in his arms and began to carry her the rest of the way.
"Sasuke," she mumbled as she too began to succumb to sleep.
"Hn." He questioned as he glanced down at the pinkette in his arms.
"You suck." Sakura finished as she nodded off to sleep, her face nestled in his chest.
Sasuke frowned as he entered the Uchiha home and made his way to the bedroom, lost in thought once again.
Sakura's eyes opened and immediately she wished they hadn't. She groaned at the light invading her room and willed herself to go back to sleep. The sunlight was making her head ache terribly. The first thing she noticed was the awful taste in her mouth. It felt dry and gross and her throat felt sore. It was then that she wished for a glass of water to appear before her, without her having to move.
Sakura glanced at her bedside table and was surprised to find exactly that; a full glass of water and an apple, sitting neatly beside her bed. Her head felt like her brain was going to pound right out of her skull and she brought her heads up to her brow. Her fingers glowed green as she gently rubbed her head and tried to ease the pain away.
Hangover's were made infinitely better by being a medic nin. She grabbed the glass of water and chugged it down as quickly as she could to rid herself of the terrible taste in her mouth. She rubbed her eyes and tried to remember the details of her night. Memories of laughing, staggering and drinking too much invaded her head and she groaned.
What a night.
She sat up and leaned against the headboard of her bed and sat crossed legged under the covers. Looking down, she fully realized that she had slept in her own bed last night, though there was no sign of Sasuke. A frown adorned her features as she wondered where he was and if he had slept in bed with her last night. But as she kicked off the blankets and quietly made her way to the kitchen for another glass of water, she noticed the blankets that had once been strewn all over the couch, folded neatly on the couch.
She tried not to smile at the gesture. Sasuke had given her the bed and had taken the couch. It was sweet, and he was making it harder to feel angry with him.
She grabbed a glass from the cupboard and turned the tap on to quickly have another drink. She spun around and tipped her head back as she drank, leaning back against the sink. She finished and spotted a neatly folded paper lying on the table. Sakura put her glass away and picked up the note that read:
'Meet me at the bench when you wake up.'
The bench. She knew the one. It had become their...place of sorts. He had left the village when she was twelve and the bench was where he had left her that night. A tearful, restless sleep on a cold bench. Since then, it had become a special place where they would meet and Sakura got the feeling that every time he was there, Sasuke was trying to reassure her that he wouldn't leave her there alone again. It probably wasn't the case, but she liked to think so. Returning to the bedroom, she showered to cleanse herself of the strange feeling of being dirty, and threw her hair up in a ponytail. She got dressed and grabbed the apple from where it lay on the nightstand, taking a few quick bites before leaving the house.
She walked slowly through the streets and took in a few deep breaths of fresh air, feeling a hundred times better than she had when she first woke up. She approached the bench and noticed him standing behind it, leaning his weight against the back of the bench with his arms crossed. She masked her chakra, though he had probably already notice it, and quietly walked to sit on the bench and rested her head in her hands, her elbows on her knees.
"Hn." She heard him grumble and before she knew it, he was standing in front of her with his hand out. She took it and he helped her up.
"Listen," she began, "Thanks for you know...last night-" However he had already begun to walk back down the road, and left her standing there bewildered. But she trusted him, to an extent, and ran to catch up. They walked side by side completely silent. She glanced towards him, but he seemed determined to avoid her eyes.
Rolling her eyes, Sakura just kept walking. Soon they came to the training grounds and Sakura quirked a confused eyebrow at her boyfriend. He took the lead and led her into a densely forested area where Sakura stopped walking and crossed her arms. He stooped and began to walk into the bush, disappearing into a sea of green.
'What has gotten into him...?' Her inner demanded, with a bemused look on her face. Sakura shrugged and tilted her head to the side before shaking her head. She laughed in spite of it all and decided that she might as well follow the Uchiha.
She began to weave through dozens of branches and a mess of leaves, keeping track of Sasuke as she went. Her hair got caught on a branch and she muttered about needing a haircut as she tried to free herself from the grasp of the branch. She was beginning to wonder why she had decided to listen and follow such a nutcase, when she noticed the clearing ahead. She tumbled out of the overgrown path they had just made through the trees and nearly lost her balance, before Sasuke reached out and caught her. She smiled sheepishly and blew a hair out of her face as Sasuke smirked slightly from above her.
Sakura righted herself and brushed off the stray leaves in her hair before taking in the sight before her. And there she saw the prettiest clearing she had ever seen, especially in Konoha.
"How did you find this?" She gasped and looked at him, the question hanging in the air.
He stuffed his hand in his pockets and started to walk towards the hill in the center. The clearing was closed in on all sides, by beautiful strong Japanese oak trees. The sunlight hit the leaves, making them glow in bright emeralds and yellow greens, and in the center, a hill rose from the ground. The grass blew lightly with just a touch of a breeze. Across the ground, small clumps of flowers grew here and there. Sakura slipped off her shoes and decided to carry them beside her, and feel the soft grass under her toes. She laughed and smiled at Sasuke. She couldn't believe he had done this. He motioned his head for her to hurry up and she burst out in happy laughter.
She bolted across the clearing and jumped onto Sasuke throwing her arms around him. "It's beautiful!" He grunted as he caught the girl flying at him and he observed the childish glow in her cheeks. Sakura looked up and felt the sunlight shining on her face as she meandered forwards, warming her cheeks and felt so incomparably happy. And then she opened her eyes.
And saw the shocking bright blue sky over her head with fluffy white puff of clouds drifting lazily across the blue canvas.
It wasn't possible.
Sakura shook the possibility out of her head. He was not that stupid. He was the prodigy of the village and one of the strongest shinobi of the age. There was no way in hell he was this stupid.
He walked up from behind her to pass her, playfully (as playfully as Sasuke Uchiha would ever be) bumping into her with his shoulder, jerking her out of her thoughts. They walked up the small hill and took a seat at the top. He eased backwards until he was lying down awkwardly and Sakura crossed her legs and stared at him.
"Stop watching me." He mumbled as he looked towards the sky.
"What else should I watch?" She joked and then all of a sudden she felt Sasuke's hand on her shoulder, yanked her down into the grass beside him.
"Anything. Clouds." He continued to stare into the sky and Sakura took a deep breath and prayed that he was just a romantic.
'Watch the clouds!' her inner shrieked. 'You've got to be kidding me!'
He sat up and bent his legs in front of him, folding his hands together in front of his face. He looked confused and awkward and out of his element. Sakura started to sit up but he put his hand down and made her stay where she was.
"Sakura...You're annoying." He muttered.
"Ehhhh?" Sakura felt offended from the out of the blue insult.
"And weak and violent and ignorant and obnoxious" He added. "And-" He paused looking for a word. "Loud."
She pursed her lips and sat up, brushing off his hand when he tried to stop her. She ran her hands feverishly through her hair. "What..?" She said quietly in a frustrated tone. It was becoming clear that she had chosen to fall for the stupidest man on earth. The meeting, the walk, the hill, the clouds, the insults; it all fit. Even after all the alcohol she had consumed, she knew that this was a bad version of Shikamaru's proposal.
"But I don't hate you." He said slowly. And Sakura scoffed loudly. What a spectacular guy, he didn't hate her! A real Saint.
"Oh thanks!" She bit sarcastically. Sasuke wanted to hit himself in the face. He was terrible at this.
"I think we should get married." He finished bluntly. She clenched her jaw, but when she turned to look at Sasuke she plastered a smile on her face.
'So I gave him back the ring and told him that I needed him to ask me.' Ino's words rang through her mind and she figured she'd go along with this crap proposal for the sake of good fun.
She giggled. "You're sweet Sasuke. I see what this was all about, even though you're lacking a bit of eloquence. And you're going to have to make it up to me for all those things you said." He smirked and looked away, happy that she seemed to understand.
"But you uh- You still didn't ask. I need you to ask me." Sasuke stood slowly and turned to face her, offering his hand. She grasped it tightly and was hauled to her feet. He looked at a loss for how to go about it so he just leaned forward and looked directly into her eyes.
"Sakura." He mumbled, close to her face. She felt her breath grow ragged and had to force herself to resist his lips. He was bad at being romantic and sincere. He was good at sexy though. "Will you marry me?" He smirked knowing that this was it. He had, granted, stolen another guy's general plan for proposing. He had also gotten directions to the clearing from the same ninja. On the other hand, he was charming his way back into her good graces now. Sakura smiled slowly and tried to look as sexy as possible. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled into the crook where his jaw met his neck, standing on her tippy toes to reach. He held her and brought his hands to her waist as she lifted her head.
"Oh Sasuke..." She whispered. "This was perfect. I'm so happy. I love today... And I love you." He smirked and moved forwards to capture her lips but she turned her head to the side. "But you..." Sakura took a slow, dragging breath and looked from his lips to his eyes, "Forgot..." She did it again slowly, feeling his desire to kiss her. His hands grew tighter around her waist. "One..." she moved insignificantly closer. "Little thing..." She was literally speaking against his lips now.
"Hn." He muttered, growing impatient.
"This!" And she slapped him dead across the face.
"..." He looked neutral and slightly peeved at the red mark growing on his cheek.
"You're a complete moron! I-I can't even believe this! You didn't actually think this would work, did you! I'm not that stupid Sasuke!" The clearing seemed to have lost all beauty knowing that this was probably the exact same place where Shikamaru had asked Ino to marry him. "I mean, sure! I'm romantic and last night was a bit intense. I admit that I lost my head a little with the girls. But I didn't drink that much, you stupid bastard!"
He glanced away and cursed his stupidity. He figured that with all the alcohol she had had, she'd have forgotten Ino's story. He felt foolish and pissed with himself. He had spent all yesterday thinking, and yet he didn't have the sense to think this through.
"I'm not a gullible little genin who's easily fooled! And I'm not Naruto, for Kami's sake! I don't know if I'll ever be able to marry you, now that I've seen how truly idiotic you really are! Try coming up with your own proposal, instead of stealing someone else's! 'Cause this," She gestured wildly around at their surroundings "Really made me feel special. Oh wait, no it didn't. It made Ino feel special: The first time!"
"Saku-."
She swung her shoes, which were still in her hand, at his head as he tried to approach her and he only narrowly dodged them. She opted instead for smacking his chest with them. Then, she spun on her heel and jumped into the nearest tree and bolted, leaving him standing there, scorned within an inch of his life.
"Prodigy, my ass!" He heard her shout as she left.
Sasuke covered his eyes with his hand and swore under his breath.
He was terrible at this.
A/N: I sincerely hope you all liked this. Please review!
Back when I was thirteen, I used to be a huge Inuyasha fan. Huge. I couldn't get enough of it. And everytime I think of a pretty clearing, I can never imagine anything else other than the tree where Inuyasha was shot with the arrow. Even though I haven't watched Inuyasha for four years. I STILL think of Four Seasons by Namie Amuro (Back when all I'd listen to was J-pop) and the bright green colours that they used in Inuyasha.
Hahaha, my pointless fact of the day. That's where I pulled my inspiration from. So if you feel like seeing what I was thinking of when I wrote this, in case you can't imagine what I described, I'll post a link on my profile to a youtube video XD Don't click it if you're not a fan of Japanese music or Inukag, cause it's all I could find. Oh the nostalgia.
See you all next time!
(Nervous and Nostalgic) Twigsy