"Regrets" [Naruto, SasuSaku, T]
Title: Regrets
Author:
yukari_rin
Series: Naruto
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Uchiha Sasuke/Haruno Sakura
Theme #: 30, Dutch courage
Word Count: 949
Rating: T
Notes: “Dutch courage”, for those who don't know, is the courage that one gets from alcohol. Divergent from canon. First time writing these two together in a very long time, so please forgive me of any OOCness.
Disclaimer: Naruto and related properties belong to Masashi Kishimoto and related parties.
Sakura placed the glass down on the stained wood counter with a surprisingly steady hand for one who'd just downed four gin and whiskeys. Her gaze lingered on the rim of the glass, letting the noise around her blur into a soft hum.
“Another?” the bar keeper asked as he ran a dry cloth along the inside of a stein he'd just washed. Sakura shook her head and fumbled some coins from her pocket and placed them on the counter. With a nod of thanks for the drinks she carefully got off of the stool and made her way to the door. The bar keeper watched her progress and sighed deeply once she had safely made it outside of his establishment.
The night sky was a velvety black sprinkled with the twinkling of the stars. There was a colder breeze weaving itself through the village, something generally abnormal to Konoha, but so many things had been unusual lately. It was if all the rules were being re-written by some unknown higher power.
Some unknown higher power with a very cruel sense of humor.
Sakura walked as fast as she could without looking the part of a drunk, fearful that the cold breeze would sober her up too much before she reached her destination.
Maybe it was the cruel humor, or maybe it was luck working out in favor for once, because waiting a few blocks down, leaning against a building and mostly hidden in the shadows was Uchiha Sasuke.
Sakura stopped short and almost tripped over her feet. She chided herself silently. She had to at least look and act as if she was in control.
“You're starting to pick up some bad habits,” he told her almost as if he was commenting on how nice the weather wasn't.
“Like you never picked up some of your teachers less pleasant traits?” she fired back.
“I don't kill indiscriminately, I don't conduct experiments, and I don't have a desire for immortality.”
“If those are the only bad things he's done, in your opinion, then you're more warped than I thought.” She was looking down at her feet so she didn't see the way her jab made him straighten his posture slightly.
“Forgive me for thinking I'd know more about my teacher than you,” his voice was ice cold.
Sakura's chest tightened. “Don't call him that. It makes it sound like you-”
“Like I actually learned things from him? I did. I may not have liked his personal pursuits, but he had his uses. I don't regret my time with him, so why should I speak as if I do?”
Sakura raised her eyes and focused on Sasuke's still so damnably beautiful face. “You don't regret anything, do you?” she asked softly.
He watched her for a moment before pushing away from the wall. “No.”
It was a cold hard fact. Sakura had known it in her heart for so long now, but to hear him actually say is so simply destroyed the last remaining bits of the young girl she used to be. “How...” she began, pausing to search for the words, “how do you do it? I have so many regrets. I...”
“I don't dwell on what could have been or should have been. Everything is what it is. All I can do is get stronger to overcome the obstacles in my path.”
They watched each other silently in the moonlight. Sakura swayed on her feet and took a few steps forward. “How lucky for you.” She could feel her eyes heating up as the tears threatened to break free. She tripped over a pebble and flailed her arms out to steady herself.
“Is that how you see it?”
“Yes. You've got it easy. You've killed your emotions while I-” she clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms. “While I still can't get over you!” Her expression crumbled as the first of her tears streaked slowly down her cheeks. “I've tried, I've got every reason to hate you for all that you've done. But I can't. Why?”
Sasuke refrained from reply right away. “Because you'd regret it.” That caught her off guard. She looked at him, confusion and distrust plain in her green eyes. Sasuke chose his next words carefully, letting them get comfortable on his tongue before parting with them. “Ever since we were young, through the Chuunin Exam when we were barely teenagers to your asking the Hokage to take you as her apprentice, and probably many other things I don't know about, what's driven you?”
“My desire to help and protect you. My love for you!” she cried out in her head.
“To turn your back against what has so long been your driving force, that'd be denying who you are. Shinobi must know who they are, and when they do, they can live without regrets.”
Sakura closed her eyes. “Then what am I? I weak, love-sick fool?”
Sasuke shook his head, the faintest of smiles playing on his lips. “No. You know that you're more than that.”
She shook her head. “Don't dodge the question Sasuke. What am I? What am I to you?”
He looked up to the sky. “Someone I'm thankful to.” He glanced at her. She had stopped crying and was staring at him as if she didn't believe him. “I told you that before. I didn't say it lightly then, and I didn't mean it lightly just now.”
“Sasuke-kun-” she took a step towards him. He vanished the moment her foot hit the ground. The cold breeze blew hard on her face and she shivered, bringing her hands up to wrap around her arms. “Thank you.”
Author:
yukari_rin
Series: Naruto
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Uchiha Sasuke/Haruno Sakura
Theme #: 30, Dutch courage
Word Count: 949
Rating: T
Notes: “Dutch courage”, for those who don't know, is the courage that one gets from alcohol. Divergent from canon. First time writing these two together in a very long time, so please forgive me of any OOCness.
Disclaimer: Naruto and related properties belong to Masashi Kishimoto and related parties.
Sakura placed the glass down on the stained wood counter with a surprisingly steady hand for one who'd just downed four gin and whiskeys. Her gaze lingered on the rim of the glass, letting the noise around her blur into a soft hum.
“Another?” the bar keeper asked as he ran a dry cloth along the inside of a stein he'd just washed. Sakura shook her head and fumbled some coins from her pocket and placed them on the counter. With a nod of thanks for the drinks she carefully got off of the stool and made her way to the door. The bar keeper watched her progress and sighed deeply once she had safely made it outside of his establishment.
The night sky was a velvety black sprinkled with the twinkling of the stars. There was a colder breeze weaving itself through the village, something generally abnormal to Konoha, but so many things had been unusual lately. It was if all the rules were being re-written by some unknown higher power.
Some unknown higher power with a very cruel sense of humor.
Sakura walked as fast as she could without looking the part of a drunk, fearful that the cold breeze would sober her up too much before she reached her destination.
Maybe it was the cruel humor, or maybe it was luck working out in favor for once, because waiting a few blocks down, leaning against a building and mostly hidden in the shadows was Uchiha Sasuke.
Sakura stopped short and almost tripped over her feet. She chided herself silently. She had to at least look and act as if she was in control.
“You're starting to pick up some bad habits,” he told her almost as if he was commenting on how nice the weather wasn't.
“Like you never picked up some of your teachers less pleasant traits?” she fired back.
“I don't kill indiscriminately, I don't conduct experiments, and I don't have a desire for immortality.”
“If those are the only bad things he's done, in your opinion, then you're more warped than I thought.” She was looking down at her feet so she didn't see the way her jab made him straighten his posture slightly.
“Forgive me for thinking I'd know more about my teacher than you,” his voice was ice cold.
Sakura's chest tightened. “Don't call him that. It makes it sound like you-”
“Like I actually learned things from him? I did. I may not have liked his personal pursuits, but he had his uses. I don't regret my time with him, so why should I speak as if I do?”
Sakura raised her eyes and focused on Sasuke's still so damnably beautiful face. “You don't regret anything, do you?” she asked softly.
He watched her for a moment before pushing away from the wall. “No.”
It was a cold hard fact. Sakura had known it in her heart for so long now, but to hear him actually say is so simply destroyed the last remaining bits of the young girl she used to be. “How...” she began, pausing to search for the words, “how do you do it? I have so many regrets. I...”
“I don't dwell on what could have been or should have been. Everything is what it is. All I can do is get stronger to overcome the obstacles in my path.”
They watched each other silently in the moonlight. Sakura swayed on her feet and took a few steps forward. “How lucky for you.” She could feel her eyes heating up as the tears threatened to break free. She tripped over a pebble and flailed her arms out to steady herself.
“Is that how you see it?”
“Yes. You've got it easy. You've killed your emotions while I-” she clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms. “While I still can't get over you!” Her expression crumbled as the first of her tears streaked slowly down her cheeks. “I've tried, I've got every reason to hate you for all that you've done. But I can't. Why?”
Sasuke refrained from reply right away. “Because you'd regret it.” That caught her off guard. She looked at him, confusion and distrust plain in her green eyes. Sasuke chose his next words carefully, letting them get comfortable on his tongue before parting with them. “Ever since we were young, through the Chuunin Exam when we were barely teenagers to your asking the Hokage to take you as her apprentice, and probably many other things I don't know about, what's driven you?”
“My desire to help and protect you. My love for you!” she cried out in her head.
“To turn your back against what has so long been your driving force, that'd be denying who you are. Shinobi must know who they are, and when they do, they can live without regrets.”
Sakura closed her eyes. “Then what am I? I weak, love-sick fool?”
Sasuke shook his head, the faintest of smiles playing on his lips. “No. You know that you're more than that.”
She shook her head. “Don't dodge the question Sasuke. What am I? What am I to you?”
He looked up to the sky. “Someone I'm thankful to.” He glanced at her. She had stopped crying and was staring at him as if she didn't believe him. “I told you that before. I didn't say it lightly then, and I didn't mean it lightly just now.”
“Sasuke-kun-” she took a step towards him. He vanished the moment her foot hit the ground. The cold breeze blew hard on her face and she shivered, bringing her hands up to wrap around her arms. “Thank you.”