Controlling his breath, Sasuke watched as Sakura’s arm glided over the surface of the rug on his floor until the single pad of her index finger touched the longest finger on his hand. She brushed the single digit between the groove of his index and middle finger in a barely there manner. Sasuke followed her lead and slid his own hand further down to reach hers until their fingers interlocked like mismatched puzzle pieces finding home in notches not their own.

Away from home flashes of Sakura ran through his mind like a supercut. His clan gift━as he was more apt to calling it when it blessed him━could capture every freckle and every speck of gold in seafoam green irises; it could capture every sun bleached highlight of pale rose gold strands of hair against the deeper, darker hues. But it couldn’t rival the warmth that radiated from her being. Sharingan could capture the way her breath shuddered out of her and made her chest rise and fall, but it couldn’t compare to the sound of her content exhale.

And all of a sudden the space between their bodies might as well have been a hundred acres, for it was too great of a distance for him to bear and Sasuke pulled on the hand joined to his until Sakura was sliding across the floor and knocking into his body in a welcome collision.

“Hi,” Sakura greeted him, eyes twinkling mischievously as her other hand snaked under his shirt, palm flat against the ridge of his adonis belt. Shifting his body, Sasuke turned so he was flat on his back, dragging Sakura with him so she was pulled over his body.

“Hi,” he greeted back, letting go of her hand only to mirror her earlier action and slide his hand underneath the shirt she usually wore under her red vest top, enjoying the contrast of his calloused palm against the velvet softness of the skin on her back.

“It’s really hot,” Sakura murmured, fingers dancing against his chest, drawing curlicues.

“It is,” he agreed, more focused on the comfortable weight of her body on his than her words.

“It’s cooler in your room.”

The invitation was there, easy to interpret with the way Sakura sat up and inclined her head to the open bedroom door. The blackout curtains were drawn and the sun was kept out.

Sasuke allowed himself to be led to the safety of his dark room, a willing groom in a marriage of bodies.

Although the sun couldn’t break through to his safe haven, it’s warmth was present in the form of Sakura, each touch on his skin from petal soft lips scorching his flesh. Sunrays didn’t need to permeate the window in his room for its radiance tangled in his sheets.

The rain continued to beat gently against his apartment, mixing with content sighs in a perfect union of auditory delight.

“Do you think the sunshower finished?” Sakura asked. Without waiting for an answer she pulled on his discarded shirt and pulled the curtain back enough just for her head to peek out. “Oh! Look, a rainbow.”

Stupid! Sasuke could never love her. She was so ashamed of herself for presuming that he would that she wished for the ground to swallow her up, never to be seen again.

And despite all the shame, the humiliation, the heartbreak, she still loved him with every fiber of her being, with every shard of her broken heart.

Sakura wiped her eyes and let out a choked laugh. She must be crazy. Or a masochist.

There was no hope in sight for her. The love for Sasuke was in her blood and she had no way to free herself from it. This pain was going to stay with her for the rest of her life and she couldn’t even fathom how she’d be able to withstand it in the days to come.

Weeks turned into months, spring gave way to a summer, and Sakura still suffered. She didn’t see Sasuke much, but every time she glimpsed his regal profile on the other side of the street, even his proud silhouette in the distance, a fresh torrent of pain took her breath away. Her heart throbbed and bled, while she gritted her teeth and carried on with her day, as if pretending she wasn’t hurting would make it better somehow. She had nothing else.

There was no cure for unrequited love.

The worst blow came unexpectedly from the mouth of her best friend.

“Did you hear? Sasuke-kun is getting married!” Ino exclaimed with excitement when they saw each other one morning.

That was the final nail in the coffin. Sakura felt as if a poisoned arrow pierced straight through her chest. She was dealt a mortal wound. She smiled and nodded mechanically as Ino narrated the story of the upcoming Uchiha wedding, but on the inside she was completely numb.

For days after, Sakura contemplated what she should do. The last vestiges of hope she’d unknowingly harboured were now gone. Countless times she fantasized about dramatically stopping the wedding. “If anyone has cause to object to the forming of this union, speak now or forever hold your peace,” the pries would say and she’d swoop in, declare her undying love and make Sasuke realize that he loved her back after all. Of course, in reality interrupting the ceremony would be inexcusable. Instead, she thought about a thousand times about going to him, then confessing again like a madwoman, as if repeating the same thing to him would somehow change his mind.

In the end, she did nothing.

Until something happened, a catastrophe so monumental that it shook the fundaments of the village’s existence, threatening the peace and happiness of its inhabitants.

The Nine-Tailed Fox attacked Konoha.

The distant rumble was the first warning; then the quakes; then, bringing a storm like nothing the village elders had seen before, the raging beast came, burning down anything in its path—crops, cattle, and people.

Their leader, the Hokage, had gone to stop the monster before it entered the village walls. Whatever he’d said or done had been successful because the Demon Fox halted his rampage.

The Hokage returned with a grim look on his face and gathered the village assembly in the central square.

“I talked to the Nine-Tailed Fox,” he announced.

“What did he say? Is he going to leave?” called the impatient voices from the crowd.

The Hokage raised his hand. “Let me speak.” When they quieted, he continued. “The Fox agreed to leave Konoha in peace and without further damage, but on one condition.”

“Well, what is it?!” someone shouted.

The Hokage took in a deep breath. “The Fox demands a human sacrifice. A virgin bride.”

The crowd exploded into shouts of disbelief and fear, followed by loud protests. No young woman wanted to be picked, no one wanted to sacrifice their daughter, sister, niece, or friend.

“Before any of you ask if anyone else would do, the answer is no. I offered myself as a sacrifice, but the Fox didn’t want me,” the Hokage told them wryly. “I hate to do this, I really do. I swore to protect you all from harm. I can’t in a good conscience pick one of the girls to do this, but we have until the dawn or the Fox will destroy Konoha. So I can only ask you to look at your friends and families, at the village we all love. Look into your hearts and make a decision that you feel is right.”

A hand rose into the air, surprising everyone. It belonged to a long-haired, immaculately dressed stern man. He was one of the clan leaders—Hyuuga Hiashi. “I volunteer my daughter Hinata. Her sacrifice for the sake of Konoha will bring a great honour to the Hyuuga clan.”

“Are you sure about this? This is your daughter you’re talking about. You will never get her back,” the Hokage warned.

Hiashi nodded. “I am certain,” he said solemnly. “It is also a duty of the Hyuuga clan to protect Konoha.”

“Very well.”

Sakura watched as Hiashi pulled his daughter to come along with him to the Hokage. She looked deathly pale and her body was trembling, but no one was paying attention to her. Some people were already leading a relieved and cheery conversation, convinced that the danger was as good as gone. Sakura didn’t know Hinata, she’d spoken to the girl less than a handful of times, but she had seen her around the village, shy and quiet and modest, always falling into the background. Now Hinata’s pale lips quivered as she cast around pleading, wild looks. This was not how a willing sacrifice looked like. Sakura also knew from Ino’s gossip about the strained relationship between Hinata and her father. It wasn’t hard to infer that Hiashi jumped at the chance to honourably get rid of a daughter he considered unworthy of the Hyuuga name.

A spark of rage ignited in Sakura’s chest and grew into a raging inferno. Before thinking of the consequences, she yelled out on the top of her lungs, “Wait!”

People turned to look at her in surprise. She stepped forward, eyes solely on the Hokage. “You don’t have to take Hinata. Take me! I volunteer!”

“It’s already decided. Hinata volunteered first,” Hiashi interjected with a frown.

“I didn’t hear her saying that. You volunteered her, Hyuuga-san. Hinata didn’t say anything at all,” Sakura rebuffed, an icy calm overtaking her, then she turned to the Hokage. “Surely I’m a better option? I made this choice on my own, without any coercion. And I guarantee that I am untouched. If someone has to be sacrificed, then pick me, not her.”

Hiashi glared at her with his unsettling milky white eyes. “You dare to rob my clan of the honour-“

“Enough,” the Hokage cut him off. “Are you certain? You have a whole life ahead of you,” he told Sakura gently.

She gave a sharp, decisive nod. “I will do this.”

The Hokage turned to address the assembly again, when she spotted Sasuke standing next to his father. Sakura averted her gaze almost instantly and put a hand over her twisting, tearing heart. “I have nothing to live for anyway,” she whispered to herself with a pained little smile.

.

.

A/N: the term “gay fox wedding” is from that tweet about the Arthur episode if you’ve never seen but the male teacher gets married to another male character and a headline talked about how the state of Alabama wouldn’t air the episode, describing it as a “gay rat wedding” lmfao.

----

“Mama you sit there, Papa sit here. The show will start soon. Pwease be patient.” Sarada disappeared behind the puppet stage Sasuke built two weeks ago, complete with red velvet curtains.

Sasuke and Sakura were far too large for the tiny plastic chairs at Sarada’s child size table, but her stuffed animals fit just fine. They even had enough room for their special occasion outfits: tutus, scarves, hats, coats. Sarada had served them all invisible tea in plastic cups with matching saucers, so it was quite the formal affair.

Nearing the age of four, Sarada was having a grand old time playing with her favorite plushies and faux shuriken. She recently took an interest in putting on performances with puppets sent by Uncle Gaara’s brother. He still expressed his gratitude to Sakura for saving his life even after all these years, so he liked to send gifts to Sarada when he was already planning to send something to Shikadai.  

She was having so much fun, Sasuke decided to build the stage to further her career in puppet performances. The sparkling joy in her eyes, so similar to his own, made the very embarrassing number of splinters he got during the project entirely worth it.

“Everyone pwease rise!” Sarada’s voice sounded behind the stage. Knocking their knees on the table, Sasuke and Sakura got to their feet in anticipation for the start of the show. They exchanged glances, “why do you think we’re standing instead of enjoying our tea?” mused Sasuke.

Sarada poked her head out from behind the curtains, “no talking, Papa. Don’t you know it’s rude?” Sakura had taken Sarada and ChoCho to see a “Shinobi Spectacle: Live!” production, so now Sarada thought she knew all there was to know about manners, etiquette, and politeness during a performance. Mikoto would have been very proud.

“Please welcome the great and honorable Mr. Fox as he walks down the aisle to his equally great and honorable love, Mr. Sand!” As her parents stood motionless, simply observing the Mr. Fox’s entrance, Sarada whispered, “you’re supposed to clap here.” The couple made sure to clap as loud as they could—Sarada had inherited quite the temper hidden away behind all her adorableness. Besides, someone had to pick up for her stuffed animals’ slack (I’m looking at you Mr. Dinosaur).

As Sarada started making a very long winded and surprisingly touching speech about the love between Mr. Fox, a puppet clad in orange, and Mr. Sand, covered in tan cloth, Sasuke and Sakura wondered who she could be talking about. The Uchihas knew their daughter admired both the Hokage and Kazekage greatly, but they didn’t think she kept up so closely with their love life. At the end of the ceremony, she pronounced them Mr. and Mr. then finished with a dramatic kiss. Mr. Sand really knew how to sweep a fox off his feet.

Soon the happy couple joined the others at the table for the reception. Sarada played a perfect host, and her parents continued along as polite guests. She poured more tea, which Sasuke nearly forgot to pretend to sip until Sakura pinched his leg out of Sarada’s sight, and made sure all her plushies were having a jolly old time.

Sarada smacked a palm to the center of her forehead, “I’m sowwy, I almost forgot cake! What’s a party without cake!” She scurried around her room gathering the necessary items, such as plastic strawberries and more tiny plates. Since trying cake at a birthday party, Sarada loved to come up with as many “special occasions” to eat more of the tasty treat. Monday morning? Cake time. Learned a new word? Cake time. Ate all her vegetables? Definitely cake time. Sasuke took longer to give in, so disgusted with the amount of sugar in desserts in general, but Sakura would usually agree so long as she got a bite too.  

As they happily pretended to eat cake, Sarada jumped to her feet and announced, “time for their first dance!” Sasuke and Sakura swayed gently together as they watched Sarada make the puppets twirl and leap around her room. To share a life and be married brought great joy to the both of them, and their daughter only made it all that much sweeter. Sarada looked up to ask everyone to please present the wedding gifts, but her parents were staring gently at each other for the moment. Mr. Fox and Mr. Sand were lucky to have found each other, thought Sarada, but in her eyes, anyone would be lucky to have what Mr. Papa and Mrs. Mama have together.

----

“He’s right, Sakura. Among the abilities of some vampires there is that of extracting and healing poisons. A defensive mechanism that they developed through the years” she reassured and Sakura looked at her mentor with distrust, her hand still laying on her neck’s mark.

“Even if you tell me that, Tsunade-sama, a vampire’s bite turns you if it doesn’t kill you, doesn’t it?”

“It won’t be your case, we’re talking about a white witch after all” Sasuke refuted at her back, his tone almost irritated but passing unnoticed by the apprentice.

“Just moments ago, it was only a theory and now you are telling me all this with such certainty. Forgive me if I put it in doubt” Sakura alleged, still fearful of the alternative they were offering her.

“Because prior to this encounter, it was not possible to discard these doubts” Tsunade reasoned, approaching her apprentice to call upon her attention by placing her palms on the young lady’s small shoulders. “Sakura, you’re a healer by nature, and if you’ve survived to this day it’s because there’s a magic in you fighting to keep you alive. The white magic”

Her words were reassuring, and by being her mentor the one who was saying them, the young lady could not help but to keep silence while she eased her fears. This was the only person that had offered to shelter her when no one else had done ever since she ran away from her old home, giving her a roof, food and water, treating her wounds only to teach her soon after how to do the same. Giving her a new purpose when she had lost it all.

Sakura wished to keep doing so. She wanted to be as a good healer as the high priestess.

Sasuke, although remaining silent, observed the scene with detail, his arms crossed over his chest and his gaze inclined while he perceived the changes on that girl’s body. Her heartbeats easing as seconds passed by and her aura spiking with a warmth that invited him to catch.

Had he been any other vampire, his instincts would have led him to cloud his better judgement. But, since he was a vampire with the experience he had, although tempting, his curiosity to find out the type of partner this girl would be for him was greater.

“Alright” they finally heard Sakura agree. “Let’s continue with this” in her tone, the resolve and determination pretty ingrained. Sasuke smiled anew before the character she demonstrated, that human soul’s bravery visible on her delicate features.

Without a doubt, a very interesting partner.

“Great. Now that we all agree, let’s make this formal” Sasuke interrupted the sentimental exchange between the mortals and approached them with the bottle on one hand. When he was only a pair of steps of distance, he extended his other hand towards the young lady of pink hair “Uchiha Sasuke, first generation vampire”

Noticing then that until that moment they had not had the opportunity to introduce themselves, Sakura deviated her gaze from his hand to his face, captivated once more by those dark eyes of deep stare, she gulped while she responded the greeting.

“Sakura Haruno” was her short reply since her provenance was a mystery even to her.

“We are forgetting the most important element” Tsunade observed while she smiled entertained and crossed her arms at the vampire’s direction.

Growling, Sasuke rolled his eyes and Sakura stared at the reaction with strangeness.

“The cups?” the apprentice ventured, getting rid of the contact with the immortal and looked for the shelf where they kept said objects with her eyes.

“That too” the priestess commented still entertained, noticing how the vampire understood what she meant. “But I was thinking more about how this was a ritual that links a mortal and immortal”

Sakura frowned for a brief moment before widening her eyes in surprise and realization. This she had read on one of the many books at her mentor’s library, curious about the many stories and rituals of the immortal.

“We need the testimony of the wise fox”

“That person has no wisdom”

“Do you know each other?” the girl of pink threads couldn’t help to wonder, her emerald eyes sparkling with curiosity. She was cute, Sasuke thought, but he’d rather she didn’t show so much interest toward that annoying topic.

He flicked his tongue instead of answering, he occupied himself by opening the wine bottle and, after noticing he wasn’t going to bother replying, Sakura pouted. Soon her mentor called after her while she rummaged through her belongings at the shelves behind the counter, the scroll with the nine-tailed fox seal.

“Vampires and foxes are natural enemies, being one of them the one that feeds from living beings and the other one the one that protects said beings of the nature, the conflict of interests has taken them for generations to clash from time to time” Tsunade explained, refreshing her mentor’s memory, certain she had caught her on more than one occasion reading such tale. “Although, this particular pair is another story”

Sasuke huffed before such comment “It is not” he corrected, but Tsunade continued to smile entertained and Sakura remained expectant with curiosity.

“That is not what he has told me”

“You know him too, Tsunade-sama?”

“He’s a frequent client, he’s very impulsive” her mentor nodded before being interrupted by the immortal being.

“Stupid” he corrected and the high priestess rolled her eyes while she opened the scroll between her hands and then let it fall on the floor.

Once the scroll extended completely along said surface, this one started to brighten before the expectant stares of Sakura, Tsunade and a bored one of Sasuke from the other side of the room.

From that scroll emerged a curtain of smoke that little by little revealed an amorphous shadow, only after it stopped casting invocation radiances, did Sakura manage to recognize the blonde tails of that creature start to disperse the smoke. Nine, just like the tales she had read said, the fox with the most power carried nine tails.

He was backwards and, when he turned to face them, she managed to appreciate his features better. He was half human, tall and of blonde rowdy hair. His eyes were a brilliant shade of sky blue, and on his cheeks, three lines adorned each side. Even with the extensive tails behind him, to Sakura he seemed like human like her.

“Old Tsunade!” the blonde effusively greeted, passing unnoticed the presence of the other two and continued to talk with such enthusiasm. “It’s been a while but I don’t think I can accompany you to drink I —Bastard!” he interrupted himself when his senses finally repaired on the other presence in that room and his friendly demeanor changed into an annoyed one.

“Are we going to continue wasting time?” the Uchiha ignored as he placed the cups, he had found when the humans had been invested in realizing the invocation, on the counter.

“Hey, don’t ignore me you damned” the blonde started to wince but was interrupted on this occasion by the high priestess.

“He’s right, Naruto, we are in a pressing situation. We need you to carry out the wedding” Tsunade explained, to which both the aforementioned and her apprentice, cried out in unison:

“Wedding!” they both said, and after hearing their coordinated reply, they turned to see each other in surprise.

“Who are the prospects?” Naruto wondered, changing his expression to a serious one as he addressed the priestess.

“Who said anything about a wedding? I thought this was only a spiritual ritual” Sakura questioned on the other hand, noticing how the other immortal remained calm. Walking towards him with strong steps, he stood before him again, looking steadily until he returned his gaze to meet hers. “Tell me the truth, exactly what do you intent to do to me?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did you wish to hold a human wedding? We could also do that if that is what you wish” he smirked, very entertained with the adorable way the girl’s cheeks tinted with her irritation. He could sense her heart start to beat quickly and her blood flowing through her veins as a result to her emotions and he found such incidence so captivating.

The little witch was really good at tempting him, so he decided o play with her a little longer.

“I must make clear, however, that my kind does not celebrate what you call a ‘honeymoon’, but we do hold a ‘bloodmoon’” he tilted his face when not only did the blush on her cheeks spread, but also noticed when the girl’s eyes widened flustered. “which is a bit rougher of what you habituate”.

Parting her lips in search for something to reply, Sakura remained faltering until Naruto’s voice called upon their attention.

“Okay, lovebirds, time to celebrate a wedding!”

Sakura raised her eyebrows. He sounded genuinely angry with her and she couldn’t understand why. If this had happened any time before his rejection, she’d have withered under his fearsome glare. Now she straightened her spine and met his gaze head on.

“Saving the village,” she replied evenly, taking his hand off her shoulder. “Is there something wrong with that?”

“Wrong? You’re sacrificing your own life and you ask me what is wrong with it? Un-fucking-believable.” He ran a hand through his hair and she couldn’t help but think how attractive that looked. Sakura bit her lip and looked away.

Sasuke started pacing. She hadn’t seen him this worked up since his brother’s terminal illness had been diagnosed.

“What is the Hokage even thinking? This is so foolish. We should be planning to kill the Fox, not give in to his demands. How do we know he’ll even keep to his word? What if he changes his mind and destroys the village anyway or demands more sacrifices?” Sasuke ranted. “You shouldn’t have gotten involved with this insanity at all. You’re supposed to be smarter than that,” he said accusatorily.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. “Well, someone has to do something to save us all and it may as well be me,” she replied, putting hands on her hips.

“But it doesn’t have to be you,” Sasuke argued mulishly. “We have fighters, we have the police force. Let us take care of the Fox.” He pointed at the insignia stitched to his jacket. Sasuke’s father was the Chief of the Police.

Sakura shook her head slowly. “That’s impossible and you know it. Your father knows it. You can’t kill a demon. If you try, you will only die and the village will be destroyed.”

He pressed his lips together, fists clenched at his sides. He had no rebuke to the naked truth, but was still unable to accept it.

Sakura felt a pang in her chest.

“Why do you care anyway?” she asked, facing the window again. It was easier to look at the horizon rather than him. “You should be relieved. Your fiancée is going to be safe. Seiko, right?” Sakura risked a quick glance at him from under her eyelashes.

“My fiancée has nothing to do with any of this,” he replied, his face suddenly made of granite.

“Good for her,” Sakura said flippantly. “I just don’t see why you’re getting so bent out of shape over this. It’s not like you have a reason to love me or anything.”

Sasuke flinched back as if she physically struck him in the gut and she smirked in satisfaction. She finally got to throw his cruel words back into his face. She hurt him back and it felt good.

“Damn it, Sakura. You shouldn’t die. You can’t,” he said roughly.

“Why?” She launched the question at him like a ninja needle, rapid, sharp and deadly when it hits the target.

He stared at her mutely, stark helplessness reflecting in his eyes. Her expression hardened.

“I thought so,” she said cuttingly and turned to the window again. “If you don’t have any real reason, then leave me alone. I want some peace and quiet on my last night alive.”

She pretended indifference, but she was looking at him out of the corner of her eye, hyperaware of his every movement. She waited, counting seconds.

One… two… three… four… five… Why isn’t he leaving?

He was just standing there, head bowed and face obscured from her view. The bunched up muscles in his shoulders and arms vibrated as if he was gripped by some sort of a great internal struggle.

Sakura frowned and kept counting. Why wasn’t he leaving?

… Eighteen… nineteen… twenty…

Sasuke sucked in a breath and looked up at her.

“Sakura… I… care about you. I don’t want you to… I don’t want to lose you.”

“Lose me?” She snorted in disbelief, whirling to face him. “You already did, heck, you made it abundantly clear that you wanted me gone from your life! You didn’t just lose me, you made me get lost! And after that, I am supposed to believe that you care? That you want me to live? That’s-that’s ridiculous.”

“It’s the truth,” he replied simply.

Sakura stared at him, wide-eyed, feeling bereft. Sasuke wouldn’t lie like that. He wouldn’t tell her a bald-faced lie just to play with her feelings. He wasn’t like that.

“What about your fiancée?” she asked desperately.

“What about her?”

“You must surely care much more about her than me! She’s the one you want to marry. So stop bothering me and go home. Be with her. Enjoy your happy life in safety from the Fox.”

“Sakura,” he said seriously and held up her chin to look her straight in the eye. “What I want and what I can have are two completely different things. And you have no idea what I really want.”

The intensity of his onyx gaze made her throat dry. She licked her lips and didn’t miss how his gaze flickered to them in interest.

“Then… try me,” she whispered.

His smoldering eyes flashed at her challenge and in an instant, he pulled her hard against his chest and his mouth covered hers in her very first kiss. She blinked in surprise, her eyes fluttering shut as she was swept away by the pleasurable rush. At first, he took her lips impetuously, as if he was afraid she’d push him away and so wanted to get as much out of it as he could, then with a change in angle, he slowed down, kissing her deeply, passionately, and thoroughly. His big hand caressed her nape and a shiver went through her, a quiet moan coming from her throat as she kissed him back. A pleasant tingling warmed her low in her belly and she squirmed against his lean body.

Sasuke released her lips for a breath and, as they panted, she was pulled in by the dark heated look in his eyes, which she realized was desire. Sakura gulped.

Without warning, he kissed her again and she let him. His hands were no longer static, instead they roamed her back, shoulders, and arms eliciting more of that delicious tingling. She pressed even closer into him, chest to chest, feeling the thudding in his ribcage against her breast.

When he grabbed her under the bottom and lifted her up, Sakura broke the kiss with a startled yelp. Sasuke carried her swiftly across the suite and deposited her on the bed. She bounced on the mattress and looked up at him with confusion.

“Sasuke-kun, what are you…”

“Sakura,” he interrupted her roughly and reached down to his belt, “you won’t be sacrificed if you’re no longer a virgin.” She watched, transfixed as he unbuckled the belt with a snap. Then, when his meaning finally got through to her, she gasped. Her panicked gaze locked with his determined one.

“No, Sasuke-kun, you can’t! I have to be the sacrifice to save the village!”

“Someone else can do that. I don’t care as long as it’s not you,” he muttered dismissively as he kneeled on the bed. Sakura scrambled back. This was moving too fast. She wasn’t ready…

“What about Seiko? What if they took her?” she blurted out to stall him. “Unless you already…”

A crease appeared between his eyebrows. “Stop bringing her into this,” he snapped irately.

“Why? Because it reminds you that you have a fiancée and you shouldn’t cheat on her?” Sakura shot back as she tucked her legs under her, kneeling on the bed. She could stand up whenever she wanted.

Sasuke growled with irritation. “Sakura, why are you so goddamn difficult? I’m trying to save your life!” he hissed as he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

Sakura looked him in the eye coldly. “Oh, is that right? Or maybe you just want to take advantage of a girl that’s going to die tomorrow anyway? Yesterday you wouldn’t even look at me.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed and he dived to steal another kiss, but she pushed him away.

“No. No more of this. I have more morals than that. I won’t help you cheat,” she said firmly and stood up. She walked off the bed and pointed to the door. “You should leave. Or I’ll call the guards.” Ironic that the men posted outside her suite for her “protection”, which translated to keeping the village’s sacrifice from running away at the last moment, would actually be useful to protect her. “Now,” Sakura said sharply when he didn’t move.

Wordlessly, Sasuke got off the bed and, redoing the belt’s buckle, then stiffly walked towards the exit. Before he reached it, he looked back at her with desperation.

“Sakura, I realize I hurt you in the past but I’ll do anything to prove myself to you. I’ll fight the Fox for you if that’s what it takes,” he declared fervently, which both scared and angered her. If he thought a few words would get her to cave in, he had another thing coming.

Pale-faced, with arms crossed, Sakura shook her head at him. “Don’t be foolish. I don’t wish for your death. That would be a waste of my sacrifice. Besides,” she sighed and hugged herself tighter, turning her face to the left, “there’s nothing you can do to convince me. Please go now.”

She stood her ground, meeting his gaze unflinchingly and she saw the exact moment the fight went out of his eyes. Sasuke looked down, then at her again. He clenched his fists and with an incline of his chin in farewell, he walked out. The door closed behind him quietly. Sakura stared at them for a moment, then pressed her forehead to smooth wooden surface.

“You already broke my heart,” she whispered after him, knowing he wouldn’t hear it.

She slid to her knees and wrapped herself in her arms, wracked with dry sobs. “Kami,” she choked out and ran her hands through her hair from the front all the way to the back, as if in an attempt to put some order into the mess of her existence. Had she really done the right thing? Was Sasuke right after all and she had wasted her one chance to save her life out of the stupid pride? Should she have trusted him?

She didn’t know. She didn’t know.

Trembles took over her body and she bowed down in anguish. Tears she couldn’t hold back anymore dropped onto her hands and floor under her. Then she curled up on the floor and cried until she ran out of all the tears.

.

.