Chapter 6 – And Forget What's Driven Us Apart
"You two seem to be in a better mood," said Naruto knowingly the next day.
They'd slept straight through breakfast, only emerging from their pit when Naruto returned to the room, saying the others were going for lunch if they wanted to join them. Why not make a weekend of it? He'd asked them with a shrug. And honestly? Sakura couldn't find a single argument against it.
After being so open the night before, she was certainly having a better time. Before things had gone too far for them to stop, she and Sasuke had decided to slow down, despite the fact she could feel how intense his reaction was while they'd been making out. No matter what, she'd reminded herself while trying to sleep, trying to ignore the heat coming from her boyfriend's body as he settled down behind her in bed, they were going to make sure their first time was special. It wasn't going to be rushed or influenced by alcohol. It would be too tragic.
Walking hand in hand with Sasuke, Sakura couldn't help but smile at the others. They watched them knowingly, probably assuming the worst of them, but it didn't matter to her. They could believe what they wanted to believe – she and Sasuke knew the truth. And, when she caught Itachi's eye once the others stopped paying them so much attention, she mouthed a genuine, "Thank you." He merely nodded once, offering a small smile before resuming his conversation with Sasori.
They didn't seem too affected by their hangovers, though Sakura found she needed the assistance of sunglasses once they left the hotel. The sun was overbearing, her head pounding with the effects of the alcohol abuse the night before. She would be fine after something to eat and fresh air, which was why she wasn't against walking to the café one of the others had found during a morning walk.
The streets were much busier than what they'd been yesterday now that the amusement park was officially open, leaving them to often separate into a single file line, allowing others to pass them in the same fashion.
"We should go to the beach after," she found herself suggesting. "It's too nice to not do anything."
"So we're staying, then?" demanded Naruto, grinning. "All weekend?"
"I don't see why not," Sakura replied with a shrug. "I'm off work for a week and have no other plans. Do you, Sasuke-kun?" He shook his head, tugging her closer when another group approached, passing them without offering to share much of the sidewalk. It had him shooting them an annoyed glare, but he otherwise remained silent. "Then it's settled. We're staying."
He cheered and quickened his pace to the others, yelling, "We're staying!"
She couldn't help but smile at the excitement in his voice. One thing was for sure when it came to Naruto: he loved getting to know people or spending time with his friends. It was something she had always admired about him, as there was never any negative feelings holding him back from striking up a conversation with a stranger. Granted, there were times when he didn't get on with people, but compared to how well it usually went, they were rare to happen. He was a likeable guy.
Glancing to her left, Sakura admired the beach. It was already pretty busy, but it was in an inviting way, with families and groups of friends hanging out, goofing off and ice cream or hotdog stands working to keep up with the steady flow of customers.
"We should probably get some supplies, then," she heard Konan tell the others. "I doubt I am the only one who didn't come prepared for a day on the beach."
No, she wasn't. "There's supposed to be a mall nearby," responded Sakura without missing a beat, ignoring Sasuke's teasing smirk. He always claimed that before going anywhere, she checked to make sure there were at least five stores where she could shop. "They'll have everything we need."
Much to her gratefulness, they did. The group chipped in, managing to purchase beach towels, a couple of parasols, a cheap BBQ (along with food), sunscreen, plenty of drinks and a radio. Then, they bought their own swimming costumes and anything else they needed (and Sakura wasn't ashamed to admit she treated herself to a new pair of flip flops and a woven sunhat).
Finding a spot on the beach was tricky, however. Most of the good spots were taken by the time they arrived and most of them agreed that they wanted somewhere away from screaming kids, who were already beginning to drive them insane. After searching for what felt like a lifetime, they picked a spot further away from everyone else, one that held a huge collection of rocks to the far right, giving her and Konan a private space to change into their swimming costumes.
Leaving said private spot was surprisingly difficult for her, though. Given hygiene issues, people obviously couldn't try items like swimming costumes or underwear on in stores, instead having to take risks of buying them. If they didn't look right, then that was too bad.
The bottom half of her red bikini was fine – it covered everything it needed to cover and Sakura had always been comfortable with her thighs and hips and whatever else. It was her breasts that were her main concern. Stealing a glance at the woman beside her, Sakura inwardly pouted, though was somewhat happy to find Konan had a natural breast size. She supposed her own weren't that much smaller and the design certainly helped with giving them a bit of a boost, but… Could she really reveal herself in such a way?
"You're not a whore, so quit acting like one."
"Sakura?"
She was dragged out of her thoughts by the older woman, who was watching her with a small amount of concern. Her amber eyes were assessing her features, trying to find the problem without the words ever being spoken. Like herself, Konan's curves were subtle, but the natural beauty of her face made up for it. Her straight blue hair was pulled into a bun, her makeup minimal, if any at all.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she lied, wondering if perhaps wearing her linen, zip up hoodie would make her look stupid.
"You're nervous." The words weren't a question and Konan suddenly sighed, leaning back against the large rock they were using as a cover. She risked a glance towards the others, satisfied to find they were busy setting their area up. "Does this have anything to do with yesterday?"
They both knew that, if she said no, it was a blatant lie. But they also knew she wouldn't outright admit the truth, either. So, Sakura remained silent, choosing to busy herself with shoving her clothes into the bag her shopping had been in. When that was done and it was clear Konan wasn't letting it go, she focused on weaving her mid length hair into two plaits, completing the look with the hat.
Sighing again, Konan admitted, "I often struggle with my image, also."
That caught her attention instantly, green eyes widening. "But you seem so confident."
She smiled at that. "And sometimes, by acting so confident with my body, I start to feel confident with it." It couldn't be so simple, could it? Gaining confidence by acting like she already had it? "You soon come to learn that there are more important things to worry about," she told her gently. "It becomes the least of your concerns."
"But don't you ever feel inferior?" she questioned, only to scowl at herself for asking such a pointless question. At some point in their lives, everyone felt inferior. To feel inferior about body parts was so stupid.
"There will always be someone who makes you feel inferior," Konan admitted and reached into her bag, placing the pair of sunglasses she'd bought on top of her head. "Mentally, physically. It doesn't matter how great you are at something, because there will always be someone who is better."
They just had to work on not letting it get to them. That was easier said than done when the image of Sakura's supposed best friend turning up at her boyfriend's house, tortured her mind. Ino had always gone against the traditional views of a woman, refusing to feel oppressed. But to go as far as to turn up in nothing but a bikini, when she knew looked amazing… How the hell was Sakura supposed to compete with that? Sure, she had the dip in her waist that emphasised the curve of her hips, but what about the rest of her? Ino's curves were so… exaggerated, for lack of better word. They were impressively, dishearteningly huge.
"It is only an issue if you allow it to be," came Konan's soft voice, her head dipping to try and catch her eye. "Unless…?"
"Unless?"
She once more glanced to the group before lowering her voice further, asking, "Unless Sasuke-"
"No, no," she quickly cut her off, waving her hands dismissively, the bag rustling annoyingly. "Sasuke-kun and I haven't – I mean, we-"
Amber eyes widened in surprise, her full lips parting. "You haven't?" Her cheeks burned as she shook her head. Faintly, the corner of her lips pulled up. "That's rare in this day and age," she admitted to her. "And he hasn't pressured you at all?" Again, Sakura shook her head, cheeks getting hotter. Realisation must have suddenly hit her, because Konan said in surprise, "And that's why you're insecure."
"Partly," she whispered.
"Cherish your bond with Sasuke, Sakura," Konan told her, her eyes pleading with her to truly listen to her words. "Most relationships nowadays are mainly about sex, or society leads the couple to believe it has to be. The fact you and Sasuke have been together so long and have only recently felt such pressure is…" She shook her head, giving her a small smile. "It's rare to happen."
It was? Due to being a few inches taller than herself, Sakura had a harder time peeking over the top of the rock, green eyes seeking out her boyfriend. He was talking with Naruto and his brother about something, his features inquisitive. Did Sasuke ever feel the same way? Did he feel the same pressure? Was he aware of how rare their relationship was?
"Hold onto that innocence, Sakura," she vaguely heard Konan say while collecting their things to join the others. "There is nothing worse than looking back and regretting your choices."
Clearly, she wasn't going to say much more, as the older woman began to make her way over to the group, smiling at the way Yahiko took in her appearance. For a moment, she wondered if perhaps that was what she meant, but then noticed he only showed his appreciation when the others weren't looking, his eyes warm when their fingers laced.
Sakura took a deep breath, packing away her jacket. Screw it, she told herself. If she couldn't feel confident, then she would follow Konan's example and fake it. Eventually, it would come to her. It was all about finding herself, right?
There wasn't much of a reaction to her return, she noticed with a sigh of relief, placing her bag down beside Sasuke's. Once he noticed her, he walked away from the other two, only pausing to smack Naruto upside the head when the blond whistled appreciatively, making her roll her eyes. If she could rely on anyone to give her a boost in confidence or support something she was doing, it was her idiot (but also, not that much of an idiot) best friend.
Sasuke smirked when he reached her, the sight of her boyfriend in his low hanging, navy trunks making her mouth feel dry. Gods, he was beautiful.
"I like it," he murmured, though surprised her by not looking away from her face. "You look comfortable."
She did? Even with the raging blush on her cheeks? She glanced down at the space between them, wanting nothing more than to run her fingers along her boyfriend's abs. He wasn't one to boast or show off his body because he knew he looked good, so it was rare for her to see the efforts of his athleticism (other than the broadening of his shoulders and other, visible body parts).
"You don't think it's too much?" she asked unsurely, meeting his gaze.
He shook his head. "It suits you because you look comfortable."
She smiled, knowing that was as close to a compliment as she would get – at least, while out in public where the others could hear them.
"Let's join the others," he said, holding out his hand. "Naruto's trying to talk Itachi into starting up the BBQ."
"We just ate," she said in exasperation. "How can he still be hungry?"
"It's Naruto," was all he responded with. It was all the answer she needed, really.
It took way too much convincing for her liking, but eventually, they talked Naruto down from starting the BBQ early, since he was the only one who was hungry (they pretended not to hear Kisame growling that he was, too). To keep him quiet, they gave him snacks and the task of running for ice creams. He didn't even complain that it was at least a good two miles back the way they'd come (or about the fact none of them really complained when the melting ice creams were brought to them, leaking all over his hands, making it obvious they were just trying to get rid of him for a while).
The sun felt great on her back as she turned around on her towel, arms crossing and acting as a pillow for her head. Being so pale was such a pain, as she had to top up on her sunscreen every so often to ensure she had maximum protection. Fortunately for her, she wasn't the only freakishly pale one of their group.
Since they were so far away from other beachgoers, Deidara didn't hesitate to turn the music up as he kicked back. She noticed him eyeing up whatever it was Sasori happened to be drawing, though he didn't show what his true reaction was to it. He kept that hidden, only offering a smirk that had Sasori sighing when their eyes met. Oh, was there some kind of tension between them?
"They have different views on art."
She turned her head to the right, raising an eyebrow as Itachi sat beside her on his own towel. Sasuke's towel was on her left, but he'd gone for a swim to try and cool down.
"I see," she murmured, too relaxed to bother looking back at the two men. Eyes shutting again, she smiled, telling Itachi, "I know I've already said it, but thanks again for last night, Itachi-san. I don't think I've ever had such an open conversation with Sasuke-kun."
Itachi leaned back on his elbows and despite her head telling her she was an idiot for doing so, she found herself checking him out and comparing his body to Sasuke's. While he was certainly taller and around the same build in terms of muscle, Sasuke's were more defined. Then again, her boyfriend was on so many different teams – it was rare for him not to stay late after school for practice. Now that they had graduated from high school, he joined local teams for the summer to stay in shape. She supposed Itachi's body showed that he was more relaxed in his working out, though was still perfectly capable of breaking somebody should he find he had to.
Like his brother, he wore his trunks low on his hips and Sakura found herself peeking at the other guys, surprised to find they all wore their shorts like that. Was it simply the fashion? Surely they weren't secure like that? One slight jerk and the stupid things would fall down. What about when they went for a swim in the sea? Did they tighten them for that?
What a stupid thing to worry about, Sakura inwardly laughed and relaxed once more.
"Is it difficult for you to talk with my brother?"
"Sometimes," she replied truthfully, biting her bottom lip. "Sometimes he can be so closed off from everyone."
"But not last night."
Sakura smiled. "Not last night. I feel like we talked all night – about university and how it's going to affect our relationship, about how we felt about the inevitable and whether we could do anything to prevent it."
Unlike last night, he was so difficult to read, she noticed, lowering her sunglasses like that would help her read his expression. Feeling her gaze, Itachi tilted his head to the side, running a hand through his bangs when they threatened to cover his eyes. Vaguely, she wondered if he knew he suited his hair brushed back.
"Are you worried?" he asked, dragging her out of her staring and Sakura felt her cheeks grow warm. Had she seriously just been staring at her boyfriend's older brother? "About how the possible distance will inevitably change the dynamics between you?"
"I'd be naïve if I said things wouldn't change," Sakura mumbled. Behind her, her legs came up, crossing at the ankles and she flexed her feet, smiling at the warmth. "But I feel like…" She sighed, shrugging. "I don't know. Is it childish to hope things don't change between us?"
Itachi was silent as he lowered himself fully onto the towel, arms folding behind his head after putting on his sunglasses. "Perhaps change would be for the best?"
"How?"
"You're both still young," he replied without missing a beat. "While I did not live the life of the average student, I know that I have changed from the person I was before leaving for university."
By saying they were young, Itachi meant they still had so much growing to do in terms of emotional maturity and whatever else accompanied it. She supposed he was right – well, not even supposed, because it was true. While comparing universities, Sakura had quickly come to the realisation that she would need to grow the hell up if she was to study abroad. She had to become more responsible and independent. There would be no parents to fall back on should she need help (although Sakura knew they would help in a heartbeat if they heard she was struggling), no relatives or close friends who lived close by. She would be alone out there until she made friends. It was one of the biggest cons to studying abroad: being alone.
Like Itachi, Sakura found it hard to believe she would live the life of the average student. She was too focused on her goals, too determined to ace every exam or assignment. Getting wasted every night and blowing all her money in the process just didn't sound appealing to her. Did that make her boring? Was she broken? Sakura compared herself to Ino, who was already living the wild lifestyle of a student. The blonde enjoyed getting so drunk that she was unable to walk without falling, using both any money she earned on top of her parents' money to do so. They felt awful about the divorce they'd, in Ino's words, thrown on her without any kind of warning, so they spoiled her a hundred times more than ever before.
"It could benefit your relationship, or it could cause problems," Itachi continued quietly with a sigh.
"That's the problem with getting into serious relationships when so young," she finished in a thoughtful mumble. "We're still growing as people."
"Precisely."
"Does it make me childish if I go with the saying 'love conquers all'?"
He smirked faintly. "I would say it fits with your character, Sakura-san. You have always been one to follow your heart."
How much could he remember about her? The thought was both terrifying and intriguing. While he'd certainly been around a lot in the beginning of her relationship with Sasuke (sometimes even chaperoning them on their dates, at the insistence of his mother), Sakura had never even considered the fact that he'd possibly watched her, learning of her character. But why wouldn't he? He would be looking out for his younger brother.
"Do you recall your first date with Sasuke?" he questioned suddenly.
Her cheeks burned at just the reminder. "We were really awkward."
The smirk returned. "I am sure it didn't help matters that Shisui and I were seated a few tables away from you both."
No, it hadn't. It'd made Sasuke uneasy and nervous, constantly looking over his shoulder to see if they were staring. That, in turn, worked to make her more anxious. "Definitely not," she replied with a chuckle. Thinking back on her first date had Sakura smiling wistfully. "We kind of learned to ignore you both, though."
"But it was clear to us that you both realised many things during that date."
"It was like seeing a new side to each other," she answered thoughtfully. "We weren't dating our friend we'd gotten to know in the past year or whatever."
Itachi nodded once and raised his sunglasses, catching her eye. "Do you see what I am trying to explain?"
Yes. "If one of us moves away for university, chances are, when we come back, it'll be like our first date all over again."
Something in her expression or voice had him frowning minutely. "Do not allow that to sway you from your choice of studying abroad, if that is what you wish, Sakura-san. I feel as though I learned many important lessons I would not have learned had I stayed here."
That may be true, but he didn't have a significant other to think about… or did he? Well, from what she knew, he didn't. Therefore, he couldn't possibly begin to understand the struggles she was facing. Distance, if they allowed it, could destroy a relationship. Already, Sakura wasn't sure how she would feel not seeing Sasuke every day like she'd grown used to. What would not seeing each other every day do? Would they grow apart?
"I wish Sasuke was given the same opportunities to study abroad," admitted Itachi quietly. "However, our father will hear none of it, despite how well I did. He believes it would be best for him to study in Konoha, where Father will have more power to control how and what and where Sasuke studies."
Yeah, that sounded exactly like Fugaku, she thought grumpily. Always doing what he thought was best for his sons, but never actually taking into consideration how it would affect them in the long run. Couldn't he see he was creating a wedge between them and himself? They were going to end up resenting him for stripping away so many opportunities and choices.
"That's the difference between you and Sasuke-kun," Sakura stated, her heart feeling heavy. "He never goes against anything Fugaku-san says."
"That is because Sasuke has always struggled with gaining his attention and praise," Itachi replied. Then, he sighed again, lowering his sunglasses. "No matter how hard he pushes himself, it is never good enough. Although Sasuke received an almost perfect score on all exams, the fact that he wasn't perfect frustrates our father. To him, there was no reason for Sasuke to come second."
Wait. It was partially her fault? Sakura was startled as she thought back. Throughout high school, she and Sasuke were in all of the same classes, they were given access to unlimited learning tools and spaces, often even tutors, should they find themselves struggling. They were given the same opportunities. But because she scored higher than him – not even by much, either – Fugaku saw it as an issue? He saw his son coming second to her a problem?
"Do not take it offensively," Itachi added after a few moments of silence. "I, for one, am grateful that you were there to keep Sasuke grounded. Had he aced all his exams, he would have grown too arrogant. You gave him a goal, Sakura-san. You became his rival – or somebody to admire."
She didn't want to be his rival. Maybe she wouldn't have minded being admired by him, but certainly not his rival. As if their relationship wasn't unsteady enough without throwing that sort of pressure on top of it.
"Is it wrong for me to feel bad?" she asked weakly, face burying itself inside the safety of her arms. "If I came second, he-"
"I believe Sasuke would have been offended if you allowed him to come first," he said seriously, cutting her off. "You came first because you deserved to, Sakura-san. Do not allow your feelings to put your own future in jeopardy. They only offer scholarships to those who come first, hence why many work so hard to be number one. It is to push people."
Yeah and the pressure was unfair. She hoped it changed, one day. Even if it only started out as the top five gaining scholarships. That could soon increase to top ten, then eventually top fifty. It would definitely make the goal seem more attainable for others. It would give hope to those who relied on a scholarship to go to university, since not everybody came from rich backgrounds. She had to work her ass off to be number one – without it, she doubted she would have been able to afford the degree. Finances only went so far. With the scholarship, pretty much everything other than living costs were covered.
"I guess," she mumbled.
There was another sigh. "Do you have any thoughts on where you would like to study?"
It seemed so wasteful – all those scholarships, she meant. If she chose one, nothing would come of the others. Why couldn't they go to other students? Say, for example, she chose to study in Konoha, why couldn't the other scholarships then be awarded to other students?
"I keep making pro and con lists to try and narrow it down, but all the universities seem really great." She sighed irritably and turned onto her back when it began to burn, adjusting her bikini to make sure nothing was on show. "Suna seems to have a really good apprenticeship that works alongside the degree, allowing me to work in a hospital to gain experience. But." Again, she sighed. "Konoha has the benefits of seeing my family and friends. Then, there's Oto. Apparently, if I go there, I have a spot in their hospital guaranteed by the end of the degree."
"Though, that means staying out there."
She nodded. "And… I don't know if I'm ready for that kind of commitment. What if I say yes to studying abroad, but then can barely even focus because of homesickness?"
He hummed in understanding and she met his eye, eyebrows knitting together at his faint smile. "I think you may be underestimating yourself, Sakura-san. How do you know that you won't thrive under the change of environment? Suna, for example, will give you life experience – you must learn to survive, as it is in the desert. It could benefit you should you ever choose a career path that would require you to have sharpened survival instincts."
"Like what?"
"Perhaps being a medic for the military?"
Oh, she'd never considered that path before. "I never thought of it that way before."
"That is because you are allowing your emotions to cloud your judgement," came his blunt response. Sitting up on his side, leaning on his elbow, he regarded her for a moment before looking out at the beach. Following his line of sight, she saw both Sasuke and Naruto making their way over to them. "While you may think of it as selfish, Sakura-san, putting yourself first every now and then isn't a crime."
No, she supposed it wasn't. But it didn't sit right with her. It made her feel uncomfortable. Before she could even think of a reply, Sasuke and Naruto were within earshot and she smiled widely, pushing her sunglasses onto the top of her head and sitting up.
"Did the swim cool you off, then?"
"No," Sasuke replied grumpily and collapsed onto his towel, glaring over at Naruto. "That idiot decided we needed to race."
To that, the blond laughed, spitting back, "You're the idiot who couldn't turn the challenge down."
"Like you'd let me."
Rolling her eyes, she glanced over at Itachi, then down to her phone, checking the time. There were a few notifications on her screen, but she ignored them, instead choosing to enjoy the day rather than stay glued to her phone.
"I think we've tortured Naruto and Kisame-san long enough," she said with a smile, one that widened at Itachi's knowing smirk. "I don't see the harm in starting the BBQ now, do you?"
"I suppose not."
How she heard his reply over Naruto's cheer, she wasn't sure. It didn't last long, however, as Sasuke tossed an empty shell that was resting nearby at his head, forcing him to duck out of the way.
"You have the angle all wrong," she heard Deidara mutter angrily, hand gesturing over at their group. "It's not that curved."
"That's only because she has moved," came Sasori's quiet argument, his voice warning his friend to shut up. "If she turns a few inches to the right, you'll see what I saw."
But Deidara huffed with obvious annoyance, his blue eye narrowed as he glared between the sketchpad and, much to Sakura's horror, her. "You're exaggerating everything."
"I'm not. That is how she looked when the sun was higher."
Looking around the group and feeling thankful that the others weren't paying the two artists any attention, Sakura quickly went to the most rational of the group, tugging on his wrist and pulling him away from the others. He watched her in mild confusion, offering an apology to Kisame, who could only laugh at the sight of her dragging him away.
"Sakura-san?"
She ignored his surprise at her boldness, instead telling him urgently, "Sasuke-kun is seriously going to lose his temper with those two if he hears what they're saying."
Itachi frowned at her words, glancing over at Deidara and Sasori, who were now both hunched over the sketchpad, occasionally looking up and watching her just as critically. Instantly, it clicked in his mind and his expression emptied – it was a startling difference to how warm and kind he'd been with her so far that weekend. If looks could kill…
"I will deal with them. I'm sorry if they have made you uncomfortable at all."
She shook her head, telling him, "I just don't want Sasuke-kun to get angry or for this to ruin everyone's weekend when he eventually loses his temper. You know how he can be."
He nodded once, dark eyes narrowing warningly when the two men looked their way again. Deidara had the decency to bow his head somewhat, his single visible eye going wide with horror at being caught. Sasori, on the other hand, simply stared back with that uncaring, bored expression of his.
"Just make sure Sasuke-kun doesn't see whatever it is they're drawing," she said quietly, but then smiled brightly when the person she was discussing walked over with a frown. "Sasuke-kun, how about a swim?"
Her boyfriend looked between them unsurely, asking, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," came Itachi's smooth response. "Sakura-san was merely asking my opinion on what to buy Mother for her birthday."
Dark eyes rolled. "That's not for a while yet, Sakura."
The words startled her and she couldn't help but look to Itachi in disbelief. "It's in three weeks, Sasuke-kun," she said, genuine panic setting into her tone at his laid back attitude. "What if I want to order something online? Some items take weeks to arrive."
"Then we'll go shopping next week."
"If you'll excuse me," Itachi said, hand discreetly pressing to her back as he stepped around them. "Sasori-san seems to want my attention."
The gentle gesture had Sakura smiling in thanks, because alongside the gentleness, Itachi was also telling her not to worry. He was reassuring her that he would deal with the issue without it going too far (meaning Sasuke's explosive involvement). While only a small part of her worried over what the two men were drawing, the majority of her worry was about how Sasuke would react to said drawing.
"You two seem to be getting on well."
She looked back to Sasuke, glad that his back was to the two artists. From over his shoulder she could see Itachi holding out his hand, shoulders going rigid when he was handed the sketchpad. It had her worry growing when he spared a fleeting glance over his shoulder at her, his hold on the sketchpad increasing in strength before he returned his cold gaze to the two men.
"We do?" she questioned unsurely, head tilting to the side. She wanted nothing more than to see the drawing now. It had to be bad to get that kind of reaction out of Itachi.
He nodded, a small smile pulling at his lips. "I'm glad you're getting on."
Of course he was, she thought with a smile. She and Itachi were two of his most important people – to have them hating each other would put him in a horrible place, but to have them becoming friends meant that he could breathe easy.
"We were reminiscing about how he and Shisui-san accompanied us on our first date," Sakura told him, enjoying the blush that swept across his cheeks and the tips of his ears. "It was a nice memory to think back on."
"Really?" he asked and took her hand, leading the way to the sea. "You don't think they ruined the evening?"
"We were thirteen, Sasuke-kun," she replied, laughing. It felt nice walking with him on the beach and she grinned as the waves rushed towards them, the natural temperature of the water allowing her to cool down without being too cold. "It would've been weird if we weren't chaperoned, don't you think? I mean, what if it was your daughter one day going on her first date?"
The idea seemed to be one he disliked greatly. "…I guess."
"Besides, it was nice to meet your family."
"You already knew them."
"Vaguely," she said and rolled her eyes. She was grateful to Sasuke for allowing her to adjust to the sea temperature before they waded in, allowing the waves to pull them out until they were up to her chest (and Sasuke's midsection). "I saw Itachi-san around school every now and then. Plus, it doesn't count, because I met them as your friend. That night, I met them as your girlfriend."
Releasing Sasuke's hand, she grabbed his shoulder, legs stretching out and she smiled as he walked backwards, taking them deeper into the water. Soon enough, she had to kick about to continue floating.
"You weren't worried?"
She shook her head, arms wrapping around his shoulders and making him blush. When he wasn't the one initiating the contact, he always became flustered from public displays of affection. Having her so close, with their chests brushing together and noses almost touching, was possibly too much for him, especially in front of their friends.
"I was really happy," admitted Sakura, her smile gentle. "I know now that it probably didn't mean that, but at the time, I told myself I met them so early because you were serious about us."
There was a minute frown on his features and he pulled back, looking down at her. "I've always been serious."
"It's not in your nature not to be," she teased.
He grunted, though there was no mistaking his smirk. Gods, she loved it when he looked at her like that. "Is Naruto staying in Nagato's room tonight?"
Her stomach flipped both out of excitement and nervousness. It didn't take a genius to know what he was thinking about and honestly, she wanted it. But Sakura also wanted it to be special. She wanted to be one hundred percent sure. She tried to smile, but the nerves were too great. The fact that she had even the slightest doubt told her she wasn't ready for that stage in their relationship. Unless there were always going to be doubts?
"I-I think so."
The blush on his cheeks returned at full force, reaching his neck and chest. "I didn't mean for that," he exclaimed, for the first time in his life (as far as she was aware of) sounding panicked. "Unless you want to?"
Oh Gods, had she been the one to make things awkward? "I don't know," she said honestly, looking down at the lack of distance between them. Sasuke's feet were still touching the floor, the water reaching his collarbone. Slowly, unsurely, she wrapped her legs around his waist, quickly assessing his features in a silent question of: is this okay? "Maybe we could take things slowly?"
After all, they didn't have to have sex to pleasure each other, right? Saying that, it depended on how much they had to drink that night. Too much and she knew they would cave – knew she would cave on her wishes to make their first time special. They would say, "Well, five years is a long time to be together and not have sex, right?" And that would be that.
"I don't mind waiting," Sasuke murmured, his eyebrows knitting together as his eyes searched her features. As always, he could clearly pick up on her emotions even when she tried her hardest to hide them. "If you're more comfortable with that, I mean."
Any other guy his age would have lost their patience by now, Sakura told herself, smiling. Then again, Sasuke wasn't an ordinary guy. He was so different from the rest.
"I know it's important to you," he added and his blush deepened, eyes no longer able to stay connected with hers. When they eventually met again, however, she found herself breathless under the intensity of his gaze, her own blush heating up her cheeks. "Which makes it important to me, too."
Gods, she loved him. Without hesitation, she closed the distance between them, though only had control over the kiss for a handful of seconds before Sasuke took over, his hold on her a mixture of possessive and protective, telling her without words that she was safe with him. She didn't have to worry about that sort of pressure when it came to their relationship. It had her smiling, fingers tangling in the back of his hair.
"This is…" She was at a loss for words and after a few moments of being unable to find them, her green eyes glued to the sketchpad, she shook her head, glaring at the redhead angrily. "This is-"
"Art."
Deidara scoffed at that, muttering, "If you say so, yeah."
It was wrong to call it perverted, as there was some form of purity to the portrait. The main focus was how the sun hit her eyes when she turned to look over her shoulder, offering a shy smile to Sasori. If she'd known he would use it as a pose for a drawing of his, she would have–
What? Stopped smiling at him? Stopped standing still and minding her own damn business?
"It's tasteful – kind of," she said, grimacing. "Damn it, I want to be so angry with you for this."
Sasori met her eyes without hesitation. "But?"
But he actually made her look good. But he kind of boosted her confidence. If that was how she looked in her bikini, then Sakura was ecstatic, because damn she pulled it off. But surely some of the curves of her body were exaggerated? Her hips weren't that much wider than her waist, were they? Her chest wasn't too bad – she was mainly facing forward, only turning somewhat to smile at him. It offered him a side view of her chest, though and she supposed he was kind of generous when it came to drawing them.
"You have every right to be angry, Sakura-san," Itachi muttered, his dark gaze refusing to leave Sasori for a moment.
"Why?" she questioned. "I chose to wear a bikini and show my body to everyone."
He frowned at that. "That may be so, but you did not ask to be drawn-"
"Look at it, Itachi-san," she said with a sigh, holding it up between them. "Sure, if Sasuke-kun was to look at this drawing, he'd be furious. But you're the rational one. Surely you can see that it's somewhat tasteful?"
There was obvious hesitancy as he glanced down at the sketchpad, sighing as it was pushed into his hands so that he could take a proper look. "The main focus is on how the sun hits you," he said after a few moments. "But either way, Sasori-san, you should have asked Sakura-san for permission before drawing her. Or you could have left out her body."
"Why?" he asked blandly. "Sakura-san seems to have gained a confidence boost from it."
Surprising them, Deidara nodded, coming to his defence. "She's holding herself more naturally." Itachi glanced down at her, making him roll his eyes. "Obviously not now that we're all staring at her, yeah."
Shifting uncomfortably under the weight of their stares, she took the sketchpad back out of Itachi's hands, sending a weak glare in the direction of the two artists. "You can keep this – on one condition."
"Oh?" Sasori questioned, his lidded brown eyes narrowing fractionally. "I wasn't aware you were the owner of the drawing."
"Maybe not, but this could get you into a lot of trouble, so shut up and listen. Understand?" She ignored Deidara's smirk and Sasori's glare, saying, "Keep this hidden. Only the four of us are allowed to know it exists." When he refused to agree, she tightened her hold on the sketchpad and lifted the page, giving a warning tug. "Don't think I'm below tearing it to shreds, Sasori-san. You're lucky I haven't taken offence to this."
"Lucky?" He stood up and brushed the sand from his trunks and hands. Towering over her the way he was, he certainly intimidated her and Sakura had to work hard on not breaking under his cold glare. "Do not push my patience, little girl."
Before she had the chance to reply, Itachi narrowed his eyes warningly, the muted anger and coldness coming from him adding to the intimidation she could feel. They weren't really fighting because of her, were they? Shit, what had she done? All she wanted was to make sure Sasuke didn't see the drawing – he'd lose his shit. At that moment in time, he and Naruto had gone to the store to get more food and some alcohol, while Nagato, Yahiko and Konan had gone to get supplies for a bonfire.
"Is that a threat, Sasori-san?" questioned Itachi softly. When only silence met him, he pushed for an answer, demanding in that same, quiet voice, "Are you threatening Sakura-san?"
"Careful, Uchiha," came his cold response.
"Anyone would think she was your woman, yeah," Deidara said, laughing uneasily. At the glower he gained from them both, he quickly held up his hands. "We get that she's your brother's girlfriend, yeah. Sorry if we caused any offence, Sakura."
Still, Itachi's dark eyes were angry as they returned to Sasori's, full of warning. "Accept her condition for keeping your drawing, Sasori-san." Brown eyes narrowed further. "Be grateful that she is allowing you to keep it."
"Grateful?" he muttered in demand. "Why should I be grateful to keep my own drawing?"
"Because my brother won't take too kindly to you focusing on her body in such great detail," Itachi replied darkly.
"He's got a point," said Deidara quietly, surprising Sakura by being brave enough to nudge the irritated artist. "Just accept it, man. There's nothing worse than a pissed off Uchiha."
No, there wasn't. And Sasori was about to have two of them if he didn't hurry the hell up and accept her wishes. Naruto and Sasuke would be back soon, having left a while ago and if he took too long, he wasn't only going to have Itachi and Sasuke angry with him. Naruto would be the first to throw punches. As he often said, "Nobody disrespected my Sakura-chan."
"Well, well, well," came another voice, honestly scaring the crap out of her when two large hands came down on her shoulders. As embarrassing as it was to admit, there was no stopping her squeal of fright, however, she would forever deny nearly grabbing hold of Itachi. "Looks like everyone's got some of the classic Uchiha stick up the ass attitude tonight, eh?"
Deidara tried his hardest to fight back the smirk.
The glaring contest between Itachi and Sasori continued.
Sighing, Kisame stepped between them and stretched, cracking his joints threateningly. Compared to him, they were like bugs. He dwarfed them all in height and muscle. "Oi, I'm having a pretty decent day – we all are. If you two girls can't behave yourselves, I'll be forced to intervene for the sake of this trip."
She had to admit: she was starting to like Kisame. He was scary enough to pull off cliché lines like those.
"Sasori-san."
"Fine," he stated and held out his hand for the sketchpad. "I will make sure nobody sees the drawing."
"Thank you," she told him gratefully. "I just don't want there to be any trouble-"
"As long as Sasuke-san is happy, the rest of us are," he muttered, cutting her off.
She flinched at the words, not expecting such coldness from him. "It's not that. I-"
"Then what is it?" he demanded, his glare still cold as he met her eyes. "It must be important if you are willing to go so far for him."
Asshole. Gods, she wished she had more of a backbone when it came to confronting people. Even with Itachi and Kisame standing between them, she was scared of Sasori and decided, in that moment, to always follow her boyfriend's warnings. He'd told her to stay away from the redhead. She should have listened to him. "I could have torn that drawing up the second I saw it," she snapped despite the trembling of her hands and the heat in her face. "But I respect that you're an artist and had no bad intentions, which is why I only ask that you keep it from Sasuke-kun. He won't be as understanding as I am."
While it wasn't by much, some of the anger left his eyes and he nodded once, taking the sketchpad. "Very well."
That was it? She opened her mouth, about to ask another question, but Itachi turned and silenced her with a minute shake of his head, one that was mirrored by Deidara while Sasori's back was to him. Sighing, she nodded in thanks. If that was all there was to it, then so be it. As long as she never saw that drawing again, she was happy.
Without another word spoken between them and the air still thick with tension, Itachi guided her back to their previous sunbathing spot, telling her once they were out of earshot, "I'm sorry, Sakura-san. Sasori-san is possessive of his artwork and doesn't take too kindly to being ordered around."
"No, don't apologise," she told him and turned. His expression was apologetic, eyes troubled as his eyebrows knitted together. "Honestly, Itachi-san. I really appreciate that you went against your friend to defend me. Thank you."
He smiled faintly, his features warmer. "Come, we will set up a space for the bonfire."
Leaning back into her boyfriend's chest, Sakura sighed with happiness. She would have shut her eyes and relaxed completely, but she didn't want to miss a single moment. The stars were out, twinkling high above them in the inky sky and the bonfire raged on proudly, lighting up their area.
Despite the confrontation earlier, Sasori showed no signs of bad blood between them, sipping away at his alcohol and adding to the conversation here and there. The others, from what she could tell, didn't pick up on the tension, either.
Strong arms flexed around her momentarily as Sasuke stretched, then they tightened their hold. At first, he'd been unsure about being so close in front of everyone else, but soon enough he relaxed, smiling down at her when she tilted her head back, happy that he was happy.
The bonfire they were sat around roared with its intensity, the trio never failing to impress as they returned with more than enough to get it burning. It wasn't so big that it would be impossible to put out and Sakura spotted several bonfires burning as she stared out at the beach.
She was on her fourth drink by the time the sky was near black, head swimming pleasantly with the buzz of alcohol. With night came the drop in temperature and she had pulled out her hooded jacket, though needn't have bothered once the bonfire was going, as it certainly warmed them up. Soon enough, she was removing said jacket again, enjoying the heat radiating from the fire.
"We should do this more often," said Konan. Like her and Sasuke, she was sat close to Yahiko, her amber eyes warm as they met his. "It's nice to get a break."
Behind them, the music continued though the volume was turned up. The radio station had started with party music, getting them all in the mood for dancing but as the night progressed, slower songs were played, helping them to wind down.
"I'd like that," Yahiko replied and he brought her closer, eyes shutting with happiness.
"Well, Itachi-san," Kisame said, drinking the remains from his bottle before tossing it into the bag with the rubbish. They'd already filled seven of them. "Are you glad you came now?"
She smiled when he glanced their way, his expression warm. She'd forgotten how much of a good friend he was to her, having brushed aside all memories when he left for university. Like he'd said: people grew. All she'd had to go on were Sasuke's stories (and sure, he was pretty arrogant), but it was becoming obvious that Itachi was just as kind as he'd been when they were younger.
"Yes," he replied, looking back to his friend.
A/N - I nearly updated with chapter 7 instead of 6... Oops, hahah.
Thank you to everyone who asked how we are/messaged me with their own stories. I've been struggling the past couple of weeks with feeling isolated and kinda lonely. While trying to avoid triggers and staying inside so much because of hyperemesis, the combination of those and eventually having to leave the house has caused a horrible flare up of my anxiety. It'd been a few months since my last panic, but they've started again and then they trigger the sickness and it's just a nightmare.
We went for our first (but not first, because we got to see the baby around 8 weeks due to the hospital admission) scan the other day and brought our mums along with us, wanting to share the experience with them. It felt so surreal, the baby looked a hell of a lot bigger than what they actually are and when my SO made me laugh at the whole "it's a boy!" when their leg popped up, the baby reacted to the movement and started dancing around. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen for a second, but when I did, SO's mum was in tears (first grandchild) and my own mum was emotional (not usually one to get emotional) and I think it just really made the moment, if that makes any sense? Like it felt perfect and I was so happy to have them there with us, experiencing it too.
Oh, one question to you all: how reliable are early gender reveals? My friend is literally only 6 days ahead of me (she's coming up to 15 weeks now I think), yet she's just revealed she's having a boy. Here in the UK, they've introduced this baby group meeting thing as a first stage of your first appointment with the midwife and both that and the appointment with the midwife, we were advised against early gender reveals. But now my sister said they do that because of how late on in the pregnancy women can have abortions and they're trying to stop people aborting their babies due to them not being the gender they want. It's horrible to even think about. Have any of you had any early scans if you've had children? Are they reliable or are we best off waiting for the 20 weeks scan?
Reviews:
Temari's shadow: Maybe that's the whole point? We never truly know what someone else is thinking, do we? One day, their intentions can be obvious, but then they can do something that makes you question everything. Sometimes, we don't even understand how we feel. And I know exactly what you mean - Sakura is a hell of lot stronger than she's portrayed, especially in Boruto. She has to be, right? To be a single mum (yes, Sasuke is around sometimes, but she's the one raising Sarada). I won't lie, sometimes I get worried that I get repetitive with Sakura's development, but like my tutor always says: if you don't question your writing or ever doubt yourself, you're too arrogant and that's when your writing starts to suffer. Or something like that.
YuukiChanLove: I wanted to add some fun to the chapter - at the end of the day, they're kids, right? And Naruto's always been a wildcard with a bit of a dramatic flare hahah. And like I explained (last chapter, I think?), I don't want this to be a Sasuke bashing story or for it to focus solely on one pairing rather than the other. Does that even make sense? Hmm. I'm trying to show the conflict of emotions and things like that.
loveitasakuxx: Something big always happens, that's all I'm going to say ;-)
MJKS8Akira: Thank you so much! I always try my best to truly get into the heads of the characters, or show how one character's perspective of a situation can be the total opposite of another's.
xMoonFlowerx: When first reading your review, I sung the lyrics and had to play the song hahah. What's your favourite OOR song? I think mine's tied between Deeper Deeper, Liar, Wherever You Are or Heartache.
silmaril: I was so tempted to write her that way! I wanted Sakura show how upset she was, but I've always thought that she would be the kind of friend to hide how she was feeling so that everyone else could still have a good time (when she grew up, anyway - part 1 Sakura wouldn't have thought twice about showing her emotions hahah). Plus, it's so, so common for her to explode in my stories and it was kind of nice to see her just sit back and talk about it calmly when the time was right. The whole Itachi pushing him will later be explained, but in the last chapter, if you noticed, he did it after noticing Sakura watching the others getting up to dance. He knew she wanted to dance with Sasuke, so he made it happen for her.
Thank you so much! We're still a bit on and off with food at the minute, but where I live, we're having a bit of a heatwave which is apparently one of my triggers (being too hot).
Nana-Chan: I'm not sure there'll be another karaoke scene, but it was definitely fun to write, so who knows? What did you think of the playlist? I have a few new songs that have been added to it: All I Need - Within Temptation. Unravel - Jonathan Young. Handle Me - Robyn. With Every Heartbeat - Robyn.
Carlouie: Oh, that's the worst part, isn't it? You're starving but everything seems so unappetising when it's in front of you. I used to love sausages, but I can't stand the smell of them anymore.
Guest: Thank you for asking how I am. There's on and off days, sometimes I'm somewhat managing, other times I can't even sit up in bed and have to lock both my dog and SO out of the room because just the smallest of movements of the bed while I'm on it will trigger the sickness. The tablets make it so that I can manage the nausea, but only to the extent where I can keep down bits of food and fluids. Sadly I still get pretty sick, though it's definitely not as extreme as without the meds.
Thank you so much to Yami no Emi, Bsmiles123, nerd94, DarkSecretKeeper, Guest, I'm in here and DefiantAngel96 for your reviews! :-)