Chapter 16 – My Heart Can't Take This Anymore

He really was a genius. A prodigy.

Her head fell back, a tortured moan escaping seconds before Sakura hissed with pleasure, hips bucking off the bed, fingers tangling in the sheets. There was no saving her hair at that point as it fanned around her head on the pillow, but it was the least of her concerns when long, knowing fingers curled and found that spot within her, the one that made her toes curl, eyes squeezing shut.

Sinful hands teased her mercilessly, one hand fondling her breast, the other increasing the pace of pumping inside her when necessary, his tongue taking away any energy she may have possessed.

Genius.

He was a freaking genius and she–

She cried out, voice a pitch higher than usual, before her hips were firmly pinned to the bed, unable to control her trembling when his tongue returned to her, relishing in her juices.

"I need you," she whined, hips moving restlessly. "Please-"

He didn't need telling twice, quickly abandoning his task and shifting his body over hers, covering every inch of her with ease.

Sighing as her orgasm faded, Sakura smiled and looked up, only for all traces of euphoria to vanish abruptly at the man above her, his short brown hair and tanned complexion most definitely not what she'd been expecting.

"What is it?" he asked lazily, making her skin crawl when his hand trailed up her torso.

"F-Fugaku-san, you-"

"Stop struggling," muttered Fugaku and the hand that had been caressing her suddenly had her pinned, his hips aligning with hers. "You wanted this."

She awoke with a start, a slick sheen of sweat coating her body, hands shaking.

It alarmed her that she didn't immediately recognise the room she was in, but once she did, her panic escalated as she recalled agreeing with Mikoto about spending the night. It was the night before Sasuke's party (more importantly, his birthday) and she'd agreed to help out as much as possible beforehand.

The guest room was stunning in its simplicity, though Sakura supposed it was no longer a guest room, considering it housed a great number of her belongings, along with many more that had been purchased for or with her in mind. There was even a photograph of her and Sasuke on the bedside table, the elegant frame warning her not to touch it, for she certainly could not afford to replace it, should it break.

It was by no means home to her, but it was welcoming and warm, allowing her to rest peacefully and unwind.

Until that moment.

Her dream frightened her. It was like she'd been able to feel the pressure of Fugaku's body, like she still could. His once hot grip had grown cold rapidly once she realised who it was, the unyielding hold on her body making her feel sick to her stomach.

Who she'd assumed the person to be before finding out it was Fugaku wasn't entirely uncertain – something that horrified her.

Over the many years of being in a relationship with Sasuke, Sakura had had several erotic dreams. They were often brought on by something she'd read or watched, putting the thought of what their first time would be like, if it ever happened, in her mind. However, since the incident in the gaming room, she hadn't had a single dream – not an erotic one, anyway. Actually, she couldn't recall her last dream of Sasuke, though never thought twice about it due to how unlikely it was to actually remember a dream.

She wouldn't be forgetting that one any time soon, though.

Sakura had a sneaking suspicion who the dream had been about, as she could still recall the way she'd chanted he was a genius. There was only man who came to mind when she thought of an Uchiha genius.

But that wasn't possible, right?

Surely she hadn't…?

Turning onto her side, Sakura reached out, bringing one of the spare pillows close to her chest, curling herself around it. Her eyes were drawn to the photograph on the bedside table and she bit her lip, wondering just what the hell she was going to do.

No matter how hard she tried to keep their relationship going, she felt like one day Sasuke was going to look in her eyes and know that it was over. Everything was slipping through her fingertips like she was trying to hold onto dry sand, refusing to allow her to put the broken pieces of their love back together.

She loved him. She loved Sasuke so much that it hurt, because she knew his feelings were not on the same level as her own and if they were, then he expressed it in a totally different way to her and she wasn't sure if she could continue putting up with it. The intimidation, the harsh sneers, the condescending attitude, the… the forcing himself on her.

The thought of growing old with him and having his children had once been pleasant, but now it filled her with dread. Would she end up like his mother? Trapped in an abusive marriage, unable to speak her mind, with no-one to turn to? Gods, she couldn't do it. She couldn't. It felt like a strong hand was resting on her chest – no, not resting. Pressing down. Slowly but surely pinning her, making it impossible to breathe.

Stubbornly, she choked back her sudden sob, willing herself to be silent as she bit down on the pillow, squeezing her eyes shut.

Being with him scared her. Being without him terrified her.

It wasn't all bad in their relationship, but did the good outweigh the bad? Sakura wasn't entirely sure. All she did know was that they had five years' worth of memories that she couldn't give up on. They'd laughed, they'd cried and accomplished so much. He was her first kiss and her first love. They'd grown up together, playing a major part in the other's maturing. He was the reason why she was, who she was.

Who would she be without him?

She roughly wiped at her eyes, shoulders shaking.

But what if it was coming to an end? What was she supposed to do then? He was her best friend, despite everything.

On the dark days, he was there for her. He supported her. He challenged her. He evoked such powerful emotions from her. Yes, he pissed her off and sometimes he scared her, too, but…

The buzzing of her phone startled her and Sakura quickly sat up, wiping at her face like the person texting her would be able to see the state of her through the phone. It was only once she took a deep, calming breath that she reached for it, the tears restarting at the name on the screen.

We need to talk – Sasuke.

Yes, they did, but she wasn't sure if she could handle a conversation with him at that moment in time, especially not when she knew it would be either a step forward or back. No matter what it was about, they wouldn't be staying where they were.

But she wasn't ready to let go.

For a while now, Sakura had been telling herself that it was a rough patch, that they would move on from it and grow stronger because of it. However, it was starting to feel like it would never happen. What if they only went downhill? What if his bad moods escalated? What if one day he actually–

At her next sob, this one harder to smother, her phone buzzed again.

Can I come in? – Sasuke.

Could he? Did she want that? Could she handle that? Sakura wasn't so sure.

Please – Sasuke.

His plea had her replying a simple yes, waiting and wiping furiously at her eyes when the door handle pushed downwards.

"What are you doing, Sasuke?"

The muted voice had her flinching, the sound of Fugaku's suspicion putting her on edge.

"Sakura is upset," Sasuke retorted calmly, much to her surprise. "I want to speak with her."

"It is the middle of the night-"

"And she's upset-"

"Do not talk back to me," he warned and Sakura instantly stood up, making her way over to the door, her tears freezing, hand hovering over the handle. "You know better."

When she tried the handle, she found it to be stiff, telling her Sasuke was holding it on the other side of the door. It would be his way of telling her not to involve herself, but how could she not? He was defying his father outright for the first time in his entire life. Not indirectly by finding loopholes in the rules, but by looking him in the eye and refusing to be a pushover.

"What kind of man would I be leaving her to cry herself to sleep?"

Stop it, Sasuke-kun, Sakura mentally begged, hold tightening on the handle, other hand coming to lay flat on the wood. Why was he goading him? Yes, it was noble of him and she adored that he was standing up to his father because he wanted to comfort her, but the last thing she wanted was for Sasuke to get in trouble for her. After all, Fugaku was a bully. He abused his wife. Mentally abused his sons. What was going to happen?

"A wise man," came his father's cold voice. "Go to bed."

Footsteps had her turning cold on the inside, especially when she tried pushing down on the handle and found that it wasn't Sasuke who was walking away from her room – he was standing his ground. It was Fugaku walking over to him.

Cursing under her breath, Sakura rushed to the bed, grabbing her phone and dialling the first person she thought of, the one person she knew could end the disagreement.

The handle moved slightly. "I don't know where this disobedience is coming from."

"Sakura?"

Thank the Gods he was awake, Sakura thought to herself. "I think a fight is about to break out between Fugaku-san and Sasuke-kun. They're-"

The line went dead.

It quickly became apparent that Itachi wasn't in his bedroom, however and she flinched when there was a thud on her door.

"But I recommend for your own sake that you stop following your brother's reckless path."

"R-Reckless?" repeated Sasuke, voice straining. Gods, was he choking him? "I'm starting t-to think… 't-tachi is the only… only redeemable one in this damned family."

"You-"

"What do you think you're doing, Father?"

The coldness of Itachi's voice had her equal parts worried as it did relieved and she moved back to the door, waiting until the pressure was gone before she slowly opened it.

Teary green eyes widened at the sight of Sasuke hunched over, holding back his coughs, hand massaging his throat and she was quick to grab his wrist, forcing him to straighten up so that she could take a look at him. There was obvious embarrassment in his eyes, but she refused to take notice of it, frowning at the redness around his neck.

In his sweatpants and t-shirt, it was obvious Itachi had rushed from the gym, his chest rising and falling not out of adrenaline or fear of the situation, but from exertion. Looking at him from around Sasuke, she pleaded with her eyes for him to dissolve the situation, not escalate it.

"Do not involve yourself, Itachi," warned Fugaku, though wisely did not turn his back on his eldest son. Was he recalling the last time he'd gone against him? Were his bruises still a reminder not to push him too hard? "This does not concern you."

"Doesn't concern me?" he repeated disbelievingly. "You were choking my little brother."

"Nii-san, don't-"

"Stay out of it, Sasuke-kun," she begged, hands restlessly trying to find a part of him to hold onto. She probably looked more like a mother hen, but she couldn't deny she was also checking him over, making sure there was no other damage. "Itachi's got this, okay?"

The reply seemed to displease him, though fortunately for her, he didn't argue. He didn't look at her either. Instead, his dark eyes were fixated on his father's back, narrowing slightly and she saw him swallow, his hands twitching like they wanted to clench into fists.

"He was-"

"Disobeying?" questioned Itachi. Before Fugaku, he stood tall and proud, refusing to break eye contact and Sakura had to admit it was intimidating. While he didn't look it, it was becoming quickly apparent that he was not to be pushed around. Try, and he would snap. "From the looks of things: Sasuke merely wanted to speak with his girlfriend."

That made him bristle, it seemed. Gods, Fugaku really hated being disobeyed, didn't he? Was it an alpha male complex? "It is hardly appropriate in the middle of the night-"

"Sakura was upset," snapped Sasuke, straightening when his father glared over his shoulder at him.

The look she was settled with was unpleasant, making her skin crawl. "She appears to be fine now. Do not lie to-"

"Is there any particular reason as to why you are so volatile tonight, Father?" Itachi quietly demanded, raising an expectant eyebrow when their eyes met once more. "Or is this how you always treat our guests?"

"Haruno is hardly a guest when she will one day be married into this family-"

"Such a bold assumption," noted Itachi.

She pretended not to notice the fierce redness on the back of Sasuke's neck. He seemed equally uncomfortable with meeting her eye as she did his.

"They are only young, Father," he went on to say, carelessly gesturing in their general direction. "You may want to hold off on forcing them down the aisle before they are ready to make such a commitment."

Gods, she'd caused it, hadn't she? The drama? The conflict? Uncertainly, she let go of Sasuke, biting her lip. She should have told him no. Should have told him to go back to bed. Should have said they would talk in the morning.

But what if it hadn't been her crying that had awoken Sasuke? It didn't really look as though he'd been sleeping. What if he'd wanted to talk and discovered she was upset only when he was near her bedroom? After all, Sakura had been as silent as possible. He wouldn't have known she was upset unless he was already outside her door.

"Sasuke, Sakura, if you wish to talk to one another, perhaps using a communal area or waiting until morning would be best," suggested Itachi, only looking back to his father when they nodded their understanding. "As for you raising your hand to Sasuke, Father." Sakura found herself holding her breath when Itachi shifted, somehow seeming taller, demeanour darkening as he warned, "Next time will be your last."

"Happy birthday, Sasuke-kun," she said weakly, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

They were sat on the loungers near the pool, in full view of the house, the lights from the pool along with several outdoor lights illuminating the darkness, allowing them to see everything.

"Why were you crying?"

His voice was soft, quiet, sounding just as tired as she felt mentally and Sakura felt her lips tugging downwards at the corners.

Could he sense the shift in the dynamics of their relationship? Was he aware of the distance growing between them?

"Everything's changing," she admitted and was unable to meet Sasuke's eye when he looked to her, seeming somewhat startled by the tremble in her voice. "And I'm scared, Sasuke-kun."

There was reluctance in his reply of, "Of me."

How was she supposed to reply to that? Admit the truth and hurt him, or lie and continue living in fear? Had it been anyone other than Sasuke, would she immediately have chosen the selfish option? Was it even a selfish option? Was it only because it was Sasuke that she viewed it as such?

He'd told her several times in the past that she had to stop putting him before herself, but how could she do that?

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him all but throwing himself backwards into the lounger, glaring up at the night sky. Unlike when they were at the cabin during the photo shoot, they couldn't see any stars.

Then, his expression smoothed out, softening somewhat. "I'm trying," he told her.

"I know." Was that what hurt the most?

"Do you think we can move on from it?"

She wanted to. More than anything, Sakura wanted to put everything in the past and move on. But as much as it upset her to admit it, it simply didn't work out that way. Things – love, especially – was not as easy as that.

Maybe they were both bad at love? So much so that together, they were toxic? Him because of his unpredictability and his inability to control his temper. Her because she was so willing to stay by his side, no matter how badly she was mistreated.

"I want to."

"But?"

"But I…" It surprised her that there were no tears on her part. Copying Sasuke's example, she lay back on the lounger, focusing on the inky blackness that was the night sky, wishing she was back at the cabin, back under the stars with him. There'd been no pressure there. In a way, they'd been free. "I feel like we both have things we need to address before we can do that." Warily, she turned her head to the side, watching him for a moment before adding quietly, "Your temper scares me, Sasuke-kun and it's only getting worse."

He couldn't look at her. It was clear in the way he kept his eyes on the sky, eyebrows mashing together, arms folding behind his head to hide his clenching fists.

"I…" Could she really admit one of her newfound greatest fears to him? Would he be upset with her because of it? "I don't want to turn into your mother," she confessed in a whisper that was almost lost to the night, fidgeting restlessly with the blanket when he instantly looked her way, eyes going wide. "I'm seeing so many similarities between us and it scares me."

"Don't."

She swallowed hard when he shut his eyes, breathing deeply.

"Don't compare me to him."

"I'm not," she continued to whisper, unable to stop the shake in her voice. "I'm comparing myself to your mother." When he remained silent, waiting for her to continue, she did so, telling him, "Haven't you noticed that all outfits chosen for me by your mother have been similar to hers?" He frowned at that, looking to her with an expression that clearly demanded what that had to do with anything. "When I turned down the outfit your parents chose for me for your party, she kept pushing and pushing me into accepting it."

"And?"

"They want me to dress like her, Sasuke-kun," explained Sakura. "To behave like her."

Sasuke sat up at that, frowning down at her. "You got that from wearing a few dresses styled like my mother's?"

"No, I got that from the way I continuously tried to justify what happened between us," she argued, stunning him and Sakura also sat up, meeting his gaze, heart breaking at the sight of his pain and shame. "You told me that night to stop making excuses for you and to stop letting you hurt me."

Realisation had him paling, memories she couldn't even imagine seeming to take his breath away.

"How didn't I notice?"

The sound of his voice, so broken, so lost, almost broke her. "I didn't notice either."

"They were preparing you like you're some kind of…" His words trailed off, expression one of disgust as Sasuke shook his head. Anger was quickly filling him, causing those clenched fists to shake and Sakura bit her lip worriedly. "They knew exactly what they were doing. Both of them."

"Sasuke-kun, I-"

"Mother knows exactly what it's like to be in a marriage like that, yet she was setting you up for the same future. Being a mindless doll with no life of her own-"

She grabbed his chin when he started yelling, eyes fierce as she forced him to meet her gaze, blanket falling around her hips when she'd leaned forward to grab him.

"We are not your parents."

Silence.

She frowned. "I have no intentions of becoming your mother, Sasuke-kun, but I need you to promise me that you'll do everything possible to avoid becoming your father."

"It feels like no matter what I do, I'm heading down that path regardless."

There was hopelessness in his voice, accompanied by self-loathing and it had her biting down on the inside of her cheek, willing herself to be strong. She had to be strong for him. If he couldn't be strong under the pressure of all that was weighing him down, then she needed to step up. That was what being in love meant, right? Supporting one another through their ugliest times?

"Then I'll put you back on the right path," she declared.

But there was no taking the tiredness from his eyes as he asked, "And what is the right path?"

The right path was…

Frustrated, Sakura looked down when her hands moved, grabbing his and holding onto them tightly.

What was the right path? Who was to say her right path was the right one for Sasuke? Or vice versa? How would she differ from Fugaku if she was to force him to follow her down her path, knowing it wasn't the right one for him?

No matter how their paths differed, surely, the end results should be somewhat similar? Sakura offered a small, weak smile, meeting her boyfriend's gaze with tired determination.

"Happiness."

Even if that meant they had to fall apart to come back together.

Similarly to Itachi's welcome home party, there was little for Sakura to do save from helping Mikoto with baking Sasuke's birthday cake in the early hours of the morning (when she awoke, there were already so many people in the garden setting everything up and if she was to go out there, she'd only be in the way), long before her boyfriend traipsed into the kitchen, having worked up his appetite in the gym.

She was happy to find that there were no marks from Fugaku's choking – not like there had been when Itachi had choked their father. Did that mean Fugaku hadn't put much into attacking his own son, or that Itachi had truly tried to end his father's life? Sakura found she didn't want the answer to the question. Picturing Itachi in such a violent way simply didn't match up to the man she'd come to–

"What happened last night, Sakura-chan?"

They'd yet to dress up for the party, both women instead in more relaxed clothing as they cleaned the kitchen after breakfast, checking on the cake to make sure no-one else had disturbed it. It was impressive to say the least and Sakura couldn't wait to try it, occasionally eyeing up the fridge.

It felt natural being in the Uchiha Manor, despite the tense atmosphere and it worried her to no end. Was it a show of how accustomed she was to it all? To the bullying? The depression? The suffocating aura of the place when those who lived there weren't acting out the perfect family lives?

Putting away the final dish, she glanced at the older woman from the corner of her eye, stating, "Sasuke-kun wanted to speak with me last night, but Fugaku-san found it to be inappropriate."

"I see-"

"So Sasuke-kun argued and asked him what sort of man he would be, letting me cry myself to sleep."

Dark eyes widened. "You were upset-"

"So then Fugaku-san choked Sasuke-kun." Naturally. "Itachi intervened and defended Sasuke-kun."

Mikoto's hands came to the marble island and she breathed in deeply. "Fugaku…?"

"Choked Sasuke-kun," she finished for her.

Was there some defiance left in the woman after all? Sakura's eyes were drawn to the white-knuckled grip she had on the marble, soon looking to her strained features as she tried and failed to regain composure.

Was she being too harsh on the woman? Perhaps. Did she feel bad? Without a doubt. Would she take back the words? In that particular moment, no. She wouldn't. Not for a second.

"That is…"

Unacceptable? Monstrous? Unforgivable?

"Fugaku has never harmed our children before." She sounded like she was going to be sick, if Sakura was to hazard a guess. In fact, Mikoto was pale all over, eyes tights, lips turned downwards. She couldn't help but wonder if it was the first time she'd witnessed such a raw display of emotion from her before. "I can't-"

When she sucked in a sharp breath, chest and shoulders shaking, Sakura rushed forward, easing the older woman into a chair. She looked ready to collapse, like all the years of abuse was only just taking its toll on her. Heavy, weary dark eyes met hers helplessly, filled with fresh tears and in that moment, Sakura's heart broke, but mainly for entirely selfish reasons.

That couldn't be her future.

"What do I do, Sakura-chan?"

Why was she asking her? She was barely eighteen years old with absolutely zero life experience. How was she supposed to answer her questions without knowing the potential outcomes? What if she proposed one idea and Fugaku completely lost his mind because of it? What if he hurt her? His sons?

Her mouth opened, but no words would come out, her own tears making themselves known when Mikoto's features crumbled.

"He's hurting you, too," came her broken whisper.

She wasn't talking about Fugaku – Sakura knew that with a simple meeting of their eyes.

"Is he, Sakura-chan?"

"Relax," he whispered and she shivered at the feeling of his teeth grazing her earlobe. "They won't expect something like this from someone who's spineless."

No. She didn't like the Sasuke who was all over her. She didn't like the new version of him. Like the other day in the queue at the fast food restaurant, Sakura felt humiliated. He wasn't kissing her because he wanted to. He wasn't squashing her into the sofa, hands roaming her body and lips on her neck because it was something he wanted to do. He was doing it to prove a point. The other day, he did it to show others she belonged to him. Now, he was doing it to show he wasn't spineless. He could go against the rules and orders.

"No, Sasuke-kun." She was annoyed by the lack of conviction in her voice. There was no Naruto lingering around, watching her back and putting Sasuke in his place when necessary. No, she had to stand up for herself. Like hell she was going to let him use her to get back at his parents and Madara, or show that she was his. "I said no, Sasuke-kun."

"Oh, Gods," gasped Mikoto, hand covering her mouth, a sorrowful sob escaping her. "He has hurt you."

Be strong, Sakura willed herself, even as her hands shook from the memory.

After it had first happened – even a week after it happened – it hadn't affected her half as much as it currently did. Had she been in shock? Denial? She wasn't sure. All she did know, was that it hurt. No, it was torturing her.

She wanted to be normal with him again.

And that was the worst part about it.

Was that how Mikoto felt on a daily basis? Afraid, but too in love to leave Fugaku?

Sakura wouldn't lie. Whenever she heard or saw or read about domestic violence, she would roll her eyes with annoyance at the cases when the victim returned to the abusive partner. Why? Why would they go back knowing exactly what would happen to them? Things weren't going to change. Not permanently.

Oh, the irony.

It only went to prove that those who had no fucking idea what they were talking about, should keep their damned mouths shut – herself being included until recently, when she got her first ever taste of being in such a hopeless position. Gods, she'd been so naïve. So frustratingly naïve.

In Mikoto's case: she couldn't simply pack up and leave. Fugaku controlled everything about her, right down to when she spoke and who to.

His company was the foundation for her business and while Sakura had no doubts that Mikoto had built up a reputable status in their town, with enough money to continue her business, should Fugaku turn against her, it could potentially blacklist her entirely. Nobody would want to work with her. Eventually, she would go out of business, possibly even bankrupt.

She had no family to take her in. Somehow, Mikoto would have to find money of her own to move out. Sakura had no idea how successful her interior designing business was, or how much she earned, but she doubted it would be enough to retire should she lose said business.

Although extreme, there was also the possibility of him blacklisting her as a person in Konoha. Due to his standing in their town, he held the power to have her instantly rejected for jobs, to force people to avert their eyes when they saw her in the street, to refuse to serve her in stores. To make a new start, she would have to leave Konoha.

"-ready to sign the contract. How could he have died overnight?"

The switch in Mikoto was startling. She shot to her feet, wiping at her face and suddenly regaining her composure, albeit shakily. There was a desperation to the way she ushered Sakura out of the way, pausing to wipe at her face in a surprisingly gentle touch, features momentarily conveying her unbearable guilt and apologies.

By the time Fugaku entered the kitchen, there was a cup of coffee awaiting him on the island, while she and Mikoto unnecessarily scrubbed at the worktops they'd already cleaned. He didn't pause in accepting the coffee, didn't even look at either of them as he sipped at it.

"His son?" he demanded, clearly perturbed by the thought. "My belief was that he was too young to take over the company." A pause and Sakura found herself stealing a glance at the man. He was scowling down at his coffee, listening intently to whatever was being said. Then, he muttered, "I was going into business with Rasa – not a child who has no idea what they are doing."

Turning, Mikoto approached the island, placing down a plate of food from breakfast, since Fugaku had failed to join the rest of them. She moved away without looking to him, eyes focused downwards.

"I am not taking the risk of branching out to Suna if I am to work with a child. The understanding was that I would be in business with Rasa – not his inexperienced son." Gritting his teeth, he ignored his breakfast entirely and turned on his heel, leaving the kitchen, snapping, "Stop repeating yourself. I know he is dead, now understand that this deal has died with him. I…"

She breathed out a deep sigh of relief, grateful that he had left without incident.

"We should get ready, Sakura-chan," Mikoto informed her. "The guests will be arriving shortly."

She could only nod.

She couldn't go out there.

For what had to be the hundredth time since getting ready, Sakura stared at her reflection in the overly large venetian mirror stationed by the door of the bedroom.

Deciding she loved the look of her hair when curled, she'd done what she could to recreate the look Hiroki had produced. While she'd never curled her hair before, Sakura liked to believe she'd done a fairly decent job (the back had been tricky as hell, but even that seemed to be okay). The curls didn't go all the way up to her roots, but instead started halfway through the length of her hair, creating volume and a slight bounce that she adored.

As for her makeup, she'd chosen to be daring and had gone with a subtle, shimmering red eyeshadow, though used a couple other shades to define it. It'd taken several tutorial videos online for her to create the look she desired, only for her to almost ruin it entirely while gluing on false lashes (at one point, she'd accidentally stuck it on diagonally somehow, so that it ended up halfway up her eyelid). The different shades of red made her eyes so bright that Sakura continuously stole glances at them, admiring just how green they really were.

It was her dress that had her worried. The shoes, too.

She loved them – she really, truly did. But it was not something she would have ever dreamed of wearing to a party hosted by the Uchiha family. Even if Mikoto hadn't chosen her outfit, Sakura remained respectful and the shortest her skirt would ever go was halfway up her thighs (even then, that was risky).

The dress she'd scoured the stores and online shops for was incredibly short. Yes, it kept everything covered, but it was what was affectionately labelled as a 'wrap' dress, meaning there was a gap between the fabric which just so happened to be on her thighs.

But. That wasn't the issue.

Her beautiful, beautiful red dress with a white blossom pattern had something Sakura had only ever dreamed of wearing.

A plunging neckline.

It gave Ino's wardrobe a run for its money.

The neckline was so low that she could not wear a bra with the dress without looking ridiculous, but fortunately for her, it came with padding, giving her breasts an extra boost. Oh, they looked great. Absolutely phenomenal, even – but it wasn't what had her concerned.

By going to Sasuke's party in such a dress, she would be giving Fugaku (and yes, Mikoto, too) a huge middle finger. She would be making a public stand against them. She would be letting them know in front of all their guests that they were not going to control her.

Was she overdressed or possibly even under-dressed (considering the lack of dress)? A quick peek out of the window told Sakura that no, she was not. Most of the girls attending the party seemed to wearing similar length dresses and that included her best friend, who was currently–

Wait, was that Karin?

Ino had brought Karin, of all the freaking people?

Her supposed best friend was wearing her signature colour – purple – and the dress was heart-breaking in the way it accentuated the gifts she'd been given. It looked to be made of a chiffon material, or something that resembled it. Although she didn't need it to, it pinched in at her waist, making the swell of her hips obvious and enticing. However, as they always were, her breasts were the centre of attention, the neckline almost reaching her bellybutton.

Gods, it was like Ino had sensed what Sakura was planning on doing and had to one-up her.

Sakura's eyes widened a fraction when Ino turned, revealing to her that a great deal of her back was also on show.

Where was Sasuke? She bit the inside of her cheek anxiously, searching for him. It took her several moments before she managed to spot him standing with Naruto and the blond's parents. It stunned her to see his father – Minato was usually extremely busy, way too busy to attend events such as his son's friend's eighteenth birthday party. But there–

A knock at the door caused Sakura to drop the curtain and she turned on her heel, inwardly grimacing as she scolded herself, reminding herself of the solid wood flooring that her heels would surely damage if she wasn't careful.

Warily, she cracked the door open, sticking her head around the side and she sighed with relief at the sight of Itachi on the other side of the door, offering her a faint smile.

"The party started half an hour ago," he informed her like she didn't already know.

"Has Sasuke-kun noticed I'm not there?" His silence had her smiling weakly for a brief second. "Then I can take as long as I want."

He frowned at that, hand slowly coming to the door and easing it further back, making her sigh again as she stepped away, allowing him to view her outfit in full.

It certainly took him by surprise – she could tell from the way his eyes widened a fraction, lips parting ever so slightly.

And then he swallowed.

And blushed.

"You look…"

Anxiety almost made it impossible to breathe. "Is it too much? I wanted to make a statement but now I'm not sure if this is-"

"Incredibly…" he began, in awe. Like Itachi suddenly caught himself, he looked away, adding, "Alluring."

Alluring?

The giddiness made it difficult not to smile and she couldn't help but look away shyly. When had she ever been called alluring? Never. She'd never felt sexy in her life.

"Perhaps it would be best to join the party now?"

It floored her that he asked, when she was certain he'd meant it as a statement. Had her appearance really affected him in such a way? Stepping out of the bedroom, Sakura tried to ignore her jelly-like legs, smiling to herself when Itachi gave her more space, holding out his arm in a gesture that told her to lead the way.

The entire way, she could feel his eyes on her, roaming her body and while it would have angered her had it been anyone else, she found herself greedily soaking up the attention.

There was a single, breathy chuckle from behind her once they reached the bottom of the stairs and she glanced over her shoulder at Itachi, raising an eyebrow.

"My brother doesn't know how lucky he is, Sakura."

Why did that mean more to her than the previous compliments?

"Go," he ordered gently with a nod. "I will join you after."

She frowned at that and turned fully. With her heels, they were much closer in height, closing the gap by over four inches. "You're not coming?" The pause in his response lasted too long and she couldn't describe the sickening weight that suddenly entered her stomach. "You're bringing a date."

Why did that make her feel so… uncomfortable?

Was it because of their shared moments when no-one else was around? The almost kisses? The conversations they shared? The comforting? The embraces? The–

"…Oh."

She felt stupid, all of a sudden. Why the hell was she upset about her boyfriend's brother bringing a date? It shouldn't bother her in the least. If anything, she was supposed to feel happy for him. But she wasn't because for some sickening reason, it hurt. Way more than it should considering they only had 'heat of the moment' interactions. It wasn't supposed to be because they had feelings for each other.

"Sakura…"

The way he said her name had her taking a step back, because like hell was she accepting his pity. "I'm going to go wish Sasuke-kun a happy birthday," she told him, smiling. "Good luck with your date."

It wasn't said meaningfully, but Itachi didn't comment, allowing her to leave.

A/N - Can I just point something out that I noticed? Both in this story and You Make Me Feel? Nobody really questioned Sakura's anger and her response to her hurt - by lashing out and hurting the person she loves. I'm not saying you're all in the wrong, because I didn't even question myself when writing it into YMMF. In fact, it took a reader pointing it out to me for me to realise how wrong it was, so I kinda slipped that kick Sasuke received in to see how people would react. In YMMF, she beats the shit out of Itachi, yet nobody really questioned it. If it was the other way around... Well, we know what'd happen, don't we?

And no, this isn't me justifying Sasuke's actions, either. I'm simply putting it out there that, like Sakura kicking him when she caught him staring at Ino's breasts, Sasuke does react to what's causing him upset or pain. He's lashing out just like she did. Again, not justifying. Just wanting to hear all your opinions on why you think it's different, or whether, like me, you never really thought twice about it.

You can find the outfits for Sakura and Ino on my Pinterest! Username is Rise of the Blossom. Or you could just add to the end of the URL forward slash riseoftheblossom forward slash rsof-chapter-16

Sorry for the gaps, but every time I try to post the link, it's removed for some reason. Unless I'm just an old woman now who can't work fanfiction properly?

. /riseoftheblossom/rsof-chapter-16/