-XXX-

SAKURA

At night I couldn't sleep again, so I snuck into the hall. I gently opened the door to Sasuke's room. Tonight he was sleeping on his stomach, one arm wrapped around his pillow, the other hanging down from the bed. He was snoring again, and I needed to hear that low, harsh sound, so that the silence of this house wouldn't drive me crazy.

I studied his face in the dimness. Unconsciously, I touched my lips with the tip of my fingers. I hadn't yet fully recovered from the shock that he had kissed me, held me in his arms, and that we had danced together. I knew it was just practice to get used to each other's presence. I knew it was just part of a grand plan, but I also noticed moments, fleeting moments, where it felt like he's an entirely different man than I was used to seeing. The glint of his little smile, the sparkle in his eyes, even his affectionate words and gestures. It all caught me completely off guard.

I wished he showed that part of himself more often, but Sasuke hid his emotions, especially the positive ones, much more within himself. I realized that earlier. It was obvious to me that if I said anything, he would shut down even more. So I kept as quiet as I could. I was giving him the space to open up when he wanted to, not when someone else wanted him to. And certainly not his fake fiancée.

I had to admit, however, that the touch of his lips and his proximity wasn't all that bad. Unlike the venom his mouth could often produce in the form of words, his lips were warm, soft, full... and their touch was gentle.

Sasuke groaned and rolled over onto his side with his blanket, leaving his long and obviously worked out and toned torso uncovered. I swallowed the lump that suddenly settled in my throat. Part of me felt guilty for staring at him like a stalker when he was asleep, but part of me felt admiration for him. Sasuke was a fine looking man, at least to look at.

He mumbled something that I couldn't understand and I backed out of his room, afraid that he would open his eyes and see me. I left the door open again and hurried back to my room. While Sasuke had been quite nice at times, I doubted he'd be happy to see me staring at him while he was sleeping defencelessly. His quiet snores, however, helped me fall into a peaceful slumber.

...

Early in the morning, I went out of the house to visit aunty Tsunade. She was wide awake and in good spirits. Today she recognized me at first sight, hugged me so tightly that her massive breasts almost suffocated me, and then we talked and laughed until she fell back asleep from exhaustion.

While she napped, I went to get some coffee and then tried to clean her room a bit. There were clothes, cards and chips strewn everywhere. And of course, there was a bottle of soju hidden under the bed, which I rolled my eyes at, but had to smile because I could totally picture my aunt coaxing head nurse Mei and bookkeeper Shizune to drink with her.

I heard my aunt stirring and waking up, so I put the bottle back and pulled a chair up to my aunt's bed. "Did you wake up already?" I smiled at her like a little kid. "Would you like something to eat? Should I go and get you something sweet to eat?" I tried to make sure my aunt ate healthy and nutritious food, something other than alcohol and sugary foods, but I had a feeling we might have an exceptionally sweet treat today.

She nodded, but seemed absent-minded. "You'll have to ask my Sakura if she'd let me. But I don't know where that girl went again..." My aunt laughed, but laughter was the last thing on my mind. My breath caught in my throat because she was off again. Moments of lucidity were getting further and further apart, but despite the fact that her sclerosis was making me horribly suffocated and miserable, I didn't want to upset her by talking her out of her 'reality'.

"Maybe I could go into the kitchen and try to find her there." I told my aunt, even though it was kind of heartbreaking in a way. Aunt Tsunade lifted herself up on the bed and leaned against the back of it, fixing the summer duvet on top of her. "You can try, but… Maybe Sakura is still in school. That kid's still got her nose in her books..." Aunt Tsunade said with a warm smile as she thought of her Sakura, who was literally sitting right next to her, only a few years older.

"I understand… Thank you for giving me some of your time, Miss Senju."

"You're welcome. Perhaps next time you meet Sakura here, she's a wonderful girl, I'll introduce you." Auntie grinned and waved to the door for me to go, saying she was worn out. I walked out of her room, fighting back tears. She may not have recognized me, but deep in her heart she still thought of me as a daughter. Just as I thought of her and considered her my mother and only family.

Aunt Tsunade was a reminder of why I agreed to Sasuke's plan and why I pretended to be something other than I really was. It was only because of her. I wiped my wet eyes and headed back towards my new home.

...

When I got home and opened the door, Sasuke was waiting for me in the living room, his face gloomy. "Where were you?" He said grumpily, obviously not pleased that I had disappeared first thing in the morning without a word to him. Could it be that he was afraid I'd changed my mind and run away? I took a deep breath and counted to ten in my head, so I could calm down.

"Good morning to you too, Sasuke. It's only ten o'clock. My appointment at the salon isn't until eleven. So I have plenty of time." I said peacefully because there was no reason to stress. We still have a few hours before we go to Namikaze's house.

Sasuke completely ignored my greeting.

"Why didn't you answer your phone? You didn't even take the car."

I tried to tell myself that this mean mood of his was mostly due to his anxiety about today, and that it certainly had nothing at all to do with the kiss that had happened last night. If it had happened at all, because I still found it unbelievable. But what was clear to me was that I didn't like this atmosphere at all.

"I went to see aunt Tsunade. The nursing home is a few blocks away, so I walked."

Sasuke's chest heaved as he took a deep breath. "Whatever..." He muttered, rising from where he was sitting. Without another look he walked past me to the staircase and then disappeared somewhere on the first floor. That was weird...

...

Later in the afternoon, after returning home from town, where Ino and I visited a hair salon, manicure, pedicure and other beauty salons, I felt like a completely different person. With my makeup finished, I barely recognized myself. My eyes looked gigantic, my lips plump and pouty, my skin as soft as porcelain. I was polished, waxed and powdered on every inch of my body, shannaro!

They washed my hair with a special kind of shampoo, then a conditioner scented with violets. I ended up getting my hair cut short despite Ino's protests. I had already damaged the ends of my hair, and even though I've always liked long hair, I thought my shorter style looked more womanly. I wasn't a little kid anymore to cling to something like that. I wanted my new hairstyle to be a symbol of a new chapter in my life.

There was no sign of Sasuke, so I ran upstairs and headed for my closet. I slipped into my new lingerie and put on the dress Ino and I had picked out yesterday for me to wear to the barbecue party at Namikaze's house this afternoon.

Ino told me this dress was perfect for that. It had a floral print in a subtle light pink shade on a white base, it was flowy, quite flattering and looked like summer. The low-heeled sandals I wore with them were very comfortable, so I could be sure I wasn't rolling around on the lawn in them at the party.

My nerves started working when I took my last look in the mirror. I took a deep breath and gently adjusted the bottom of my dress with my hands before turning and slowly walking out of my room. It was time to see if Sasuke would be happy with our work.

SASUKE

I was impatiently drumming my fingers on the marble counter in the kitchen when I heard the click of heels. The glass I was about to drink from froze halfway to my mouth.

The woman who now stood before my eyes was not the Sakura I was used to seeing. Just as I suspected. In the right clothes, with a good hairstyle and a bit of makeup, she was quite pretty. Not as radiant and confident as the Yamanaka-like women, but she was more of a rather like a modest beauty.

Her hair... That was the thing that caught my eye the most. Women obviously liked to grow their hair long, but seeing Sakura's face suddenly brighten and lighten as the ends of her curls almost touched her shoulders, made me realize that it was an overrated thing. She looked just as gorgeous, like a surreal dream come true, now standing a few feet away from me for my admiration.

I smirked in satisfaction, and Sakura's face suddenly flushed. She probably felt out of her comfort zone, which I understood, but it was unnecessary, she looked perfect and had nothing to feel self-conscious about.

"Where's your ring?" I asked curiously the moment I noticed that her delicate hand was not carrying the ruby engagement ring I had given her.

"Oh!" She bulged her eyes and immediately opened the small purse that hung from the strap on her shoulder. She took out the little box in which I'd given her the ring and pulled out the ruby engagement ring. "Don't take it off until you have to. And that you can leave at home." I told her, glancing at the small box in her left hand.

"I took it off when I had a manicure. I forgot to put it back on." She explained sullenly and promptly put the ring back on its rightful place with a wide, almost mischievous smile. "Thank you so much for reminding me, dear."

I stared at her in a startled way, a strange warmth running through my body.

"Dear?" I had to repeat after her to make sure I wasn't imagining things. She cheerfully nodded and giggled. "You didn't like Naruto's nickname, so I picked my own that would be more fitting." That nickname is often used by married couples who have gotten married, but when I thought about it more deeply, she might have been right, it felt close, intimate, and loyal.

She tossed her hair gently as she tilted her head slightly to the side, swaying her hips to make the skirts of her dress flutter a bit. She gave the adorable impression of a young woman awaiting praise from her other half for the way she was dressed. "So, Sasuke-kun? Did I pass?"

With a faint smile, I bowed my head and moved slowly towards the front door. "It's not that bad..." I stated as I walked past her teasingly. "You really have a way with words, Sasuke-kun. I'm sure your future boss would approve of such a subtle and lyrical statement..." She shot back a little ironic remark as she adjusted her purse on her shoulder. She had a bolder sense of humor than it might have seemed at first sight, and our mutual banter always made the atmosphere more comfortable and lighter.

I went to the door and held the door for her so she could go out first. She waited for me until I locked the door behind us and we slowly walked to the car so we wouldn't be the last to arrive at the party.

...

After about half an hour of silent driving, we finally had the gate to the massive mansion in front of us in sight. I knew the Namikaze family was rich, but not like this. Cars were coming down in front of us, behind us and from the side street. I didn't expect such a big event. I thought it would be a simple garden party. I knew that Namikaze's whole family and friends would be here today, but this looked like the whole town had gathered. I could see even on Sakura, who was looking around at everything and everyone through the window, that she hadn't expected the presence of so many people.

We went through the entrance gate, where I announced my name, the Namikaze security staff confirmed that I was on the guest list, and let us through. When I parked next to the other guests, I got out of the car first, walked around the car, and opened the door for Sakura to get out. I closed the door behind her and handed my car keys to Namikaze's porter, who drove the car to the underground garage.

Sakura, in the meanwhile, was looking around the extraordinary and lavish house and Namikaze's grounds. Her eyes widened in awe on her face. Even I was impressed. Minato Namikaze's estate was grand.

"Ready?" Once again, I wanted to make sure we could make it. "Yes." She answered a little nervously, but prepared. However, I didn't even have time to take three steps forward as I was pulled backwards by the tug on my suit jacket. Confused, I turned around to look at Sakura to see what she was doing right now. "Sasuke-kun..." She whispered quietly, pointing to a group of people standing a short distance away. "Hand..."

Sakura pointed out to me that all the women were strutting alongside their men holding onto their arms, so I went along with the crowd and offered her my arm as well. Sakura hung up on me and I nodded in appreciation. It showed that she was much more observant than I though she would be. I hoped it seemed natural, because Sakura even leaned against me lightly as I led us inside.

"Impressive, huh?" I told her, pulling her subtly a little closer to me as she seemed to be moving away from me as we entered the lobby. She seemed most eager to go exploring the big house, excited like a little kid in a candy store for the first time.

After a while her steps slowed down rapidly, so I looked at her questioningly. "You may be used to this kind of fancy party, but I'm not, Sasuke-kun..." Her eyes quickly darted around the ladies at a smaller table in the larger foyer, sipping champagne and dressed inappropriately in evening gowns accessorised with a ton of jewellery.

This was a barbecue garden party, not a fashion show. Slowly but surely, it seemed to me, panic was trying to replace Sakura's enthusiasm. "I don't belong here..." She whispered to me so no one around us could hear her. "I'm sure they'll spot our scam right away!"

I stopped dead in my tracks and leaned down to look her straight in the eye. "They won't." I said strongly so she could actually listen to me. I didn't care that we were blocking the way in the hall and the others had to go around us. I had to make sure Sakura started to trust herself more. Make her trust both of us. "I'll be right next to you, I'll take care of everything." She looked up at me with those green eyes of hers and my words seemed to give her some reassurance.

"Everyone who knows me thinks I put you and us before my career." I lowered my voice and leaned a little closer to her ear. "Sakura... You'll be fine." She half-smiled and nodded in agreement, looking over my shoulder. "Sasuke-kun! Here comes Namikaze Minato..." She warned me with startled expression and her breath slightly quickened. My future boss was just approaching, going to greet his guests like a proper host.

"Sakura... Pretend you just got a present from me. I'll really give you one later if this goes well." I nudged Sakura before straightening up again. Nothing happened for a moment, but then Sakura's eyes lit up with determination. She beamed at me with that warm look of hers that made me nervous in its own way. Her smile turned her whole face from pretty to overly beautiful. The change took me by surprise. I remained staring at her, puzzled by my own thoughts.

"Sasuke-kun! You shouldn't have!" She shouted and gently smacked my shoulder with her palm. "You're too kind to me, dear..."

Saying I was shocked when she immediately afterwards reached up on tiptoe, pulled me by my tie with one hand and kissed me on the cheek was an understatement. I regained my composure as soon as I heard someone clear their throat behind us. With her lips on my cheek, I smiled and let go of her hand that was hooked on mine. Her grip on my tie subsequently loosened as well. We pulled away from each other and Sakura looked up at me, oblivious to the important person right behind us.

She looked up at me and then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, touched her fingertips to the spot where she had kissed me. "This pink doesn't suit you at all." She joked, wiping my cheek. "I keep telling you not to wear lipstick at all, it'll never stay on you long anyway..." I smirked at her, and only then did I turn to face Minato Namikaze.

"Excuse us, Sakura gets excited easily." I explained, and Namikaze chuckled with an outstretched hand, which I accepted and shook. Slightly offended, Sakura held herself from saying anything to that. Immediately after, Namikaze introduced us to his wife, Kushina, who had been by his side the whole time.

She was almost as petite as Sakura, with violet eyes and long red hair pulled back into a bun that clearly couldn't hold all that hair. But I knew from Naruto that his mother was very headstrong, impulsive, eccentric, and stubborn with tomboyish and talkative personality, so I was on guard.

In return, I introduced Sakura as my fiancée. Sakura was blushing, but she greeted them both politely. "You must tell me what you're so excited about, Miss Haruno." Kushina asked curiously to Sakura. "Oh... Sasuke just told me about an unexpected gift. He's always surprising me with something." Sakura gave her a welcoming smile. "And please, call me Sakura." She extended her hand to her and Kushina gladly accepted. "For you too it's Kushina, dattebane!"

In an unnoticeable moment, Kushina took Sakura under her arm and had her completely in her grasp. "Come on Sakura, I'll introduce you to your family and the others. Karin isn't talking about anything other than wanting to get to know you, ya know." I shivered a little at hearing that name. I hoped Naruto's crazy cousin wouldn't be too mean to Sakura.

"Well, what is this gift Sasuke here gave you so unexpectedly? What is it?" I watched them carefully and listened intently when Kushina's question came out. I was curious to see what Sakura would come up with that I gave her. Jewelry? A trip? Those were such common extravagant gifts that women wanted, but with Sakura, I couldn't tell at all.

But Sakura once again surprised me.

"Sasuke donated a generous amount to the cat shelter where I volunteer. I told Sasuke that I was afraid they would have to close it down because they didn't have enough money to run it." Kushina looked over her shoulder with a broad smile. "That's a very nice gesture of yours, Sasuke! Minato and I will donate the same amount as you, dattebane!" Kushina exclaimed all happy, and Sakura just chuckled at that.

"How long have you been volunteering there?" Kushina's attention suddenly returned to Sakura, but I didn't give my fiancée the chance to answer and took over. I was grateful for the lists we had prepared and the fact that I had a good memory. " She's been there for three years, she's even a volunteer of the year."

"That's amazing! Minato, be sure to write a check for Sakura when you and Sasuke are talking in your office, ya know!" I was encouraged by her words. I hoped it meant what I was thinking when Namikaze wanted to talk to me privately in his office later.

Namikaze looked at his wife with a warm smile. "Of course. But now, ladies, excuse us." Minato said, patting me on the back. "I want you to meet someone, let's go." I nodded in agreement and followed him. I hadn't planned on being separated from her, especially this soon after arriving, but since it happened, I just hoped Sakura would be okay in the care of Kushina and the other women.

-XXX-

End of Chapter 15