Date: 5/14/13
Rating: T
Genre: Angst, Drama, Romance
Prompt: Sakura and Sasuke talk about that day, what would he had done if she had confessed to him earlier, instead of that desperate confession she made to him when he was leaving.
***Ugh, fave.
"Well?" Sakura asked him again, unsure whether he heard her the first time. It was a heavy subject; she didn't even know what compelled her to ask in the first place. But deep inside, she had to know. "Would it have changed anything?"
Sasuke leaned back and sighed. He closed his eyes, his thoughts drifting to that night. Had it really been that long? Through the years he tried to forget it—push the memory back into the corners of his mind, just so he wouldn't have to relive the moment when he walked away from the village only minutes after Sakura screamed her confession of love. But it was useless. Sasuke remembered everything with clarity—every sight, every sound, every emotion. Clarity.
He sighed again. He was tired of remembering. But when Sasuke opened his eyes, he didn't—couldn't—even look at Sakura. "I don't know."
"Oh."
Though she tried to hide it, the disappointment was clear in her voice. Sasuke finally faced her. "Does it matter?"
"No!" she exclaimed defensively, shaking her head, surprised by the question. "I mean, not really. I just can't help but wonder what would have happened … if I told you sooner." Sakura looked at the ground. "Maybe if I was braver you wouldn't have left."
"Or maybe I still would have," Sasuke said tersely, shoving the "maybe's" and "possibly's" out of his mind. He shook his head. Even after all these years, Sakura was still the same. So childish. So full of hope. And yet, he was glad. "Sakura, I can't tell you what would've happened if you told me sooner because I honestly don't know if it would've even made a difference. And even if I could tell you there's nothing we can do about it now." He huffed. "You shouldn't look to the past to find ways to clear your conscience."
Sakura scoffed, laughing bitterly. "Yeah, coming from the one who almost used the past to destroy the village?" However, once she said it, she immediately regretted her words. "No, Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just—never mind. I'm sorry."
Silence. Sasuke stared at her, expressionless, forcing her to look away. Sakura bowed her head, mentally kicking herself. What the hell was wrong with her? It was as if the minute things seemed to be going well between them, Sakura just had to find a way to mess things up. Maybe she should just leave. Maybe—
"You should ask me now."
Sakura looked up slowly. "Ask you what?"
There was something in Sasuke's eyes that made Sakura's heart begin to race. He moved closer to her. "What I would do," Sasuke said slowly, "if you confessed to me now."
"Okay," Sakura said, incredibly nervous now. "W-what would you do?"
Sasuke smirked. "That depends. Are you confessing?"
Be brave. "… Yes." But Sasuke didn't reply; it wasn't good enough. Sakura swallowed, forcing her beating heart to fall back into a steady rhythm. She could do this. She wasn't twelve anymore. Confidence. "Yes, Sasuke-kun, I am." Breathe. "Even when you were gone, I never stopped. I am in love with you. I always have been, and I always will be."
She wasn't sure if it was because it was dark, the stars acting as the only source of light, or if it was because her mind was playing tricks on her, but Sakura swore she saw Sasuke smile. "Then," he said as he gently pulled her closer to him, "I'd do this."
And despite her efforts to remain calm, her heart began to race again—this time faster and louder than before. If Sasuke said something else, she couldn't tell. Sakura licked her lips and stared at his, but she refused to move. Yet, the longer they stayed like that, so close she could feel him breathing, the more Sakura wondered if anything was going to happen.
But Sasuke was waiting, buying some time so he could look at her—really look at her. He didn't know what it was, but he was searching for something, something that he couldn't see the first time Sakura confessed to him.
And when he found it, he finally closed the gap.