Crossroads
Callista Miralni
disclaimer: the plot only. Yup. You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/
And so, we reach the end. I had a lot of fun writing this. Thank you for the support! One day, I may revisit this story and rewrite it like I'm doing for the original but no promises.
-epilogue-
It was the same everywhere.
The flowers, the guests, the whispers going around.
October 4.
-naruto-
In the groom's room, Naruto managed to tie his bow tie correctly without assistance from his mother. Behind him, two of his college buddies, Kiba, knocked back a shot with Sai.
"I can't believe you're getting married!" Kiba clapped Sasuke on the shoulder with a heavy hand. "I didn't know you and Sakura-chan had a thing going on... though that explains why the two of you were always glued together."
"Pay up," Sai ordered, stretching out his hand. "I told you something was going on between them and you didn't believe me!"
The four of them agreed no one else besides their immediate families would know the truth about their sudden marriage. It made it easier to pretend.
"Yeah, me neither." Sasuke shifted his weight. "I'm glad you guys are here with me today."
Kazuto poked his head around the door. "Guys, it's time." He opened the door fully. "And Sasuke-nii, welcome to the family."
-ino-
Tenten and Karin's familiar bickering calmed her nerves and stopped her from shaking Sakura by the shoulders and demanding she stop this nonsense immediately. Seated before the vanity, Sakura calmly watched them, ignoring her sister's fussing with her veil overhead.
"Misaki," Mebuki-san called from the door. "It's time."
Misaki left the room, not before kissing her sister's cheek and whispering she was proud of her. Karin and Tenten also filed out.
"Saki," Ino whispered. "It's not too late, you know."
She met her pleading stare and shook her head.
"I know."
Ino wished her smile wasn't so false.
-sakura-
Her father complimented her as he took her arm.
"You may not see it now, but it's a good thing you're doing."
How was it good? Sakura wanted to scream. How was breaking Naruto's heart and leading Sasuke on a good thing? Sakura wasn't stupid; Sasuke may have not loved her when there were first engaged but he was falling more and more in love with her with each passing day. Naruto was a friend, despite how obnoxious his constant, insincere love declarations were, and she hated to hurt someone close to her.
"You probably hate us for making you go through with this," her father whispered. "But it wasn't about the hospital at all."
The sudden revelation made her falter.
"What?" She hissed as the ushers prepared to open the doors. "Hold those doors."
Unsure, they kept the doors shut.
"Explain."
Kizashi ran his hand through his hair. "You never think about yourself, Sakura-san," he told her. "You're so focused on getting into medical school and becoming a top surgeon so you can take over the hospital when I retire. It's not healthy for you to drown yourself in your work. Trust me."
She was stunned. What was he saying?
"Every time you came home and told us stories about your adventures with Ino-san and Sasuke-san, we were so happy you had friends. You never spoke about your friends when you were a child, let alone have a friend over as often as Ino-san comes over. Your mother and I were afraid with your tendencies to focus solely on your goals, you'd never leave time for your personal life."
"But why make me marry Sasuke-kun?"
Her father tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "You may not have realized it then," he started to say as he signaled for the ushers to open the doors. "And you may not realize it now, but you have always loved him."
The opening notes of Pachelbel's Canon in D floated through the doorway and a million faces stared back at her. In front of the window, the minister raised an eyebrow at her five-minute delay but his expression betrayed none of his thoughts. To the left of the minister, Ino smiled but her hands were twisting around her bouquet in anxiety. On the right, Naruto gave her an inquisitive look before shock overtook his features as he took in the sight of her in her wedding dress.
"Smile, sweetheart," Kizashi urged her in a low voice. "Every girl deserves to be happy on her wedding day."
Her head spun, overloaded with information. Her parents forced her to marry Sasuke because she loved him? Was she really so out of touch with her own emotions she couldn't recognize that herself?
Her eyes slid to Sasuke standing straight next to the minister. He gave her a soft, encouraging smile as her father gave her hand to him.
"Ready?" Sasuke whispered as they approached the official, arm-in-arm.
Sakura surprised herself with the sincerity of her reply.
"Yes."
-six hours later-
Curled up next to him in the backseat of the Towncar, Sakura, now dressed in skinny jeans and a keyhole shirt Sasuke bought for her over the summer, played with Sasuke's cell phone, trying to figure out where they were going for their honeymoon. In the front seat, Nagisawa chuckled at her relentless stream of questions directed at both men.
"Uchiha-san-"
"Nagisawa-san, that's my mother-in-law."
"Sakura-san then," the driver amended. "I only know where to drop you off. The rest only Sasuke-san knows."
She pouted before turning her pleading gaze to him. Sasuke held up his hands in surrender.
"What? You don't like surprises?"
"The last time we tried to surprise anybody, we ended up in the middle of a jewel heist," she grumbled.
Sasuke laughed. "This time, I guarantee there won't be any heists going on. You'll love it."
"I don't know..." Sakura doubted. "You told Misa-nee to pack my suitcase after all. She probably slipped in a bunch of embarrassing things like lingerie and revealing swimsuits and skimpy clothing... clothing married women should not be wearing."
Nagisawa parked the car. Eagerly, Sakura looked out the window and realized that wherever Sasuke planned to take her, it involved an airplane.
"You said you always wanted to go here."
Her brain filled in the blank immediately but she couldn't believe he listened to one of her many rants about places she'd like to visit once she was a licensed surgeon. College seemed so long ago, the library and the back corner they often claimed as their own so far away.
"C'mon." Sasuke squeezed her hand. "We've got a long flight ahead."
New Caledonia.
-sasuke-
The Isle of Pines was perfect.
Sasuke had not seen Sakura this relaxed since she found out she got into medical school late in the spring. It was the third day of their weeklong vacation and today was dedicated to lounging on the beach.
Their private cliff-side bungalow had steps leading straight to the water and the couple took advantage of the little lagoon below their hotel room. Strolling through the shallow water, Sasuke and Sakura walked in silence.
"Hey, I've been thinking."
Sasuke wondered if they were finally going to talk about their marriage.
"My dad said something weird to me before I walked down the aisle," Sakura admitted before relating her father's words. "I just wanted to know... do you love me?"
He was silent, unsure of where to start. Two years of Naruto throwing himself at her and loudly proclaiming his love made Sakura a cynic and Sasuke cautious about uttering the phrase. Yet, he would be lying if he said otherwise.
"I don't think I loved you when I slid that ring on your finger, at least, not the way a man should love his fiancée," Sasuke responded quietly. "I don't think I loved you when you defied a gang of criminals and saved five hundred lives, including my parents, either. But I think I'm starting to understand why Naruto found it so hard to give you up and I'm not going to stop myself from falling in love with you."
Her eyes widened in shock. Sasuke thought he said too much and pushed her to the point where her natural defense mechanism would be to ignore what he said and push him away. The soft pressure on his lips equally surprised him; Sasuke thought he was dreaming except the water lapping around his ankles reminded him where he was in the beginning.
It was a start.