Fic [The Trick is to Keep Breathing]
Title: The Trick is to Keep Breathing
Chapter: 1 - Everything in The Wrong Time
Author: yumi-maki
Rating: T
Genre: Angst/Drama/Friendship/Hurt/Comfort
Summary: AU Modern. Sometimes things really don't turn out as planned - and what do you do then?
Comments: Written for 31_days. Wow, this is my first fic post in awhile! That's just terrible but thankfully, my muse seems to have returned so I should be writing more from now on.
Everything in The Wrong Time
July 27th - 'Sharing pains and not joys'
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
A/N: This is an AU, people. Although I think it's pretty obvious.
She stared out listlessly at the snow-filled courtyard. The landscape was much like her right now - cold, empty, silent. She was tempted to say barren but that was the last word she would use in this situation.
She was unaware of so much at the moment - the darkness quickly falling around her, the snow falling even faster, the numbness that spread through her body as the cold overwhelmed her. She could think of nothing but the life growing inside of her and the chaos it was about to cause.
She was not angry, hurt but not angry. Who would she be angry at? Herself or him? A soft sound escaped her lips, a scoff? a hiss? Who was she trying to fool? She could never be angry at him, although she was sorely tempted to be considering the way things were. It's funny this should happen now, now when he'd finally taken off (yes, she had felt it coming - for quite some time, in fact).
She looked down now, zoning in on on her feet. They were the only part of her that wasn't cold, clad as they were in dark, heavy snow shoes. Was it snowing where he was? Perhaps. There was no sense wondering - she'd probably never know.
She wondered how he would feel - to know he was a father, or going to be at any rate. Would he have left still, if this had happened a few weeks ago? Or would he have stayed and weathered the storm with her, bogged down by his powerful sense of duty? Would she have preferred it that way?
She couldn't say.
'It doesn't matter now anyway,' she thought, shaking her head suddenly. 'He's gone and I don't know when - or if - I'll ever see him again.' It suddenly hit her that she was going to be a single mother - she was a statistic now, the stuff of memories, of gossip, of stories - You don't know? She was a great student, wonderful grades, charming personality - very promising but then she got knocked up in her first year of med. school. And her whole career went right down the drain.
Her eyes drifted to her stomach and her fingers, practically frozen solid, tentatively patted the flesh there. It wasn't the baby's fault. It was hers - and his too, she supposed. The baby shouldn't be punished for their bad decisions but...how could she have a child? Now? When everything was finally coming together - or falling apart depending on how you looked at it.
She should have been happy - that's how you were supposed to feel upon learning something like this. Nervous, sure but still happy. She wasn't happy. Another scoff - she was the furthest from happy that she had been in a long time.
She sighed quietly, turning it over and over in her brilliant mind. So what was she going to do now - about the baby? She had to think for two now, right? Herself and her baby. It was just her baby, now that he was gone.
Soft footsteps broke her concentration, the usually loud sound muffled by the fresh, pure snow. She kept her head down - unable to bring herself to look up and face whoever was approaching.
"Sakura-chan?" a familiar, always too loud voice broke the silence. "What are you doing out here? I've been looking for you everywhere!" Naruto announced as he came to a stop in front of her. His voice echoed through the courtyard, creating a steady stream of sound totally opposed to the silence that Sakura had become accustomed to.
His eyes widened slightly when she remained silent and he promptly threw himself into a sitting position next to her, straining to peer at her face. She was frighteningly pale and her lips were turning blue, a sure sign that she'd been out here too long. "Sakura?" he said again, his voice softening in his concern, "What's wrong?"
She didn't respond, just kept playing with her fingers - something he had only ever seen Hinata do with such concentration. Frowning, he reached out and took her hands in his - starting a little when he realized how cold they were - but he didn't move his eyes from her face, not for one minute, intent as he was on getting some answers.
"Sakura-chan," he started again, voice still soft, placating, "you know you can talk to me. You can tell me anything. Is it that teme again? Are you still worried about him?"
For the first time since he arrived, Sakura turned her head very slowly and looked at him, her usually vibrant eyes dark and glazed over.
"Naruto?" she choked out, her voice cracking slightly from cold and disuse. She tilted her head slightly and a spark of life flitted through her eyes as she searched his face wonderingly, as if seeing him for the very first time.
This display should have reassured him but instead Naruto felt even more disturbed. He couldn't stand seeing her like this - she hadn't been the same since Sasuke had left. Still, he had thought she was getting better.
"Sakura-chan," Naruto said, his voice coming out more like a whine in his upset, "I told you not to worry about him. He's going to come back, I'm sure of it! He just needs some time to figure himself out. That's all."
"Naruto." Sakura spoke, placing her hand lightly on his chest to stop him from going any further - she didn't want to hear that right now. "It's not...it's not about him," she murmured, closing her eyes tightly against the pain, then she took a deep breath before continuing, "It's me."
Naruto's blue eyes clouded in confusion, "You? What is it then? Is it something with school or...?" he trailed off, unable to fathom any other problem she could have.
Sakura kept her eyes closed and her breathing even - she hadn't intended to tell anyone, not until she decided what she was going to do at least but maybe, maybe Naruto could help. She wasn't sure how yet but it had to be better than going through this alone. She opened her eyes and looked up into his, owlishly wide and concerned.
"Naruto, I..." Suddenly she could barely find the strength to speak - it felt as though there was something lodged in her throat, "I'm..." She clenched her fists and prepared herself for his reaction. "I'm pregnant," she spoke quickly, the words coming out in a jumble, "and I don't know what to do."
Naruto pulled back slightly, taking some time to process what she had said. Sakura...pregnant? The next, most obvious question appeared in his head - For who?
He didn't realize that he had spoken aloud until he felt Sakura pull away and looked up to see her glossy hair come down like a barrier in front of her face and shield it from view. Acutely aware of his mistake, Naruto immediately started to backtrack, his voice returning to its usual volume in his haste, "I'm sorry about that, Sakura-chan. That was stupid of me - I didn't mean it at all. Of course, I know who the father is - I mean, I know you're not...like that," he amended, looking away slightly in embarrassment.
"It's okay, Naruto," Sakura uttered tonelessly. Here she was - always pacifying, self sacrificing even now when she wanted nothing more than to send him away. She shook her head, kicking herself for her stupidity - Why had she thought he would be able to help?
Just then, the second part of Sakura's statement clicked in Naruto's brain - 'I don't know what to do'. This was his chance, he realized - now he could make up for that blunder. "You should know, Sakura," he started earnestly, dropping the honorific to underscore his seriousness and waiting until she had turned back to look at him before continuing, "that I'm here for you. Whatever you decide, I'll be here and I'll support you. I won't judge you or anything like that. It's - it's your decision. Anyway, I have faith in you, Sakura," he murmured, his eyes boring into hers, "and I know you'll do the right thing."
For the first time since the little white stick had turned blue, tears pricked the back of Sakura's eyes and as she leaned forward and buried her head in Naruto's chest so that he wouldn't see her cry, one thought ran through her mind - Sure, Naruto trusted her to make the right decision but could she trust herself to?
A/N: Wow, this one's been rolling around in my head for a long time. I'm really pleased that it's finally out and on 'paper'. Lol, anyway it's...it's not supposed to be political or anything and I don't mean to condone anything by it. It actually came out a lot differently than I intended - initially, it was just supposed to be a reassuring friendship fic with Naruto and Sakura but I must say I like this ending better. Anyway, feel free to drop me a line and tell me what you think. Thanks for reading!
Chapter: 1 - Everything in The Wrong Time
Author: yumi-maki
Rating: T
Genre: Angst/Drama/Friendship/Hurt/Comfort
Summary: AU Modern. Sometimes things really don't turn out as planned - and what do you do then?
Comments: Written for 31_days. Wow, this is my first fic post in awhile! That's just terrible but thankfully, my muse seems to have returned so I should be writing more from now on.
Everything in The Wrong Time
July 27th - 'Sharing pains and not joys'
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
A/N: This is an AU, people. Although I think it's pretty obvious.
She stared out listlessly at the snow-filled courtyard. The landscape was much like her right now - cold, empty, silent. She was tempted to say barren but that was the last word she would use in this situation.
She was unaware of so much at the moment - the darkness quickly falling around her, the snow falling even faster, the numbness that spread through her body as the cold overwhelmed her. She could think of nothing but the life growing inside of her and the chaos it was about to cause.
She was not angry, hurt but not angry. Who would she be angry at? Herself or him? A soft sound escaped her lips, a scoff? a hiss? Who was she trying to fool? She could never be angry at him, although she was sorely tempted to be considering the way things were. It's funny this should happen now, now when he'd finally taken off (yes, she had felt it coming - for quite some time, in fact).
She looked down now, zoning in on on her feet. They were the only part of her that wasn't cold, clad as they were in dark, heavy snow shoes. Was it snowing where he was? Perhaps. There was no sense wondering - she'd probably never know.
She wondered how he would feel - to know he was a father, or going to be at any rate. Would he have left still, if this had happened a few weeks ago? Or would he have stayed and weathered the storm with her, bogged down by his powerful sense of duty? Would she have preferred it that way?
She couldn't say.
'It doesn't matter now anyway,' she thought, shaking her head suddenly. 'He's gone and I don't know when - or if - I'll ever see him again.' It suddenly hit her that she was going to be a single mother - she was a statistic now, the stuff of memories, of gossip, of stories - You don't know? She was a great student, wonderful grades, charming personality - very promising but then she got knocked up in her first year of med. school. And her whole career went right down the drain.
Her eyes drifted to her stomach and her fingers, practically frozen solid, tentatively patted the flesh there. It wasn't the baby's fault. It was hers - and his too, she supposed. The baby shouldn't be punished for their bad decisions but...how could she have a child? Now? When everything was finally coming together - or falling apart depending on how you looked at it.
She should have been happy - that's how you were supposed to feel upon learning something like this. Nervous, sure but still happy. She wasn't happy. Another scoff - she was the furthest from happy that she had been in a long time.
She sighed quietly, turning it over and over in her brilliant mind. So what was she going to do now - about the baby? She had to think for two now, right? Herself and her baby. It was just her baby, now that he was gone.
Soft footsteps broke her concentration, the usually loud sound muffled by the fresh, pure snow. She kept her head down - unable to bring herself to look up and face whoever was approaching.
"Sakura-chan?" a familiar, always too loud voice broke the silence. "What are you doing out here? I've been looking for you everywhere!" Naruto announced as he came to a stop in front of her. His voice echoed through the courtyard, creating a steady stream of sound totally opposed to the silence that Sakura had become accustomed to.
His eyes widened slightly when she remained silent and he promptly threw himself into a sitting position next to her, straining to peer at her face. She was frighteningly pale and her lips were turning blue, a sure sign that she'd been out here too long. "Sakura?" he said again, his voice softening in his concern, "What's wrong?"
She didn't respond, just kept playing with her fingers - something he had only ever seen Hinata do with such concentration. Frowning, he reached out and took her hands in his - starting a little when he realized how cold they were - but he didn't move his eyes from her face, not for one minute, intent as he was on getting some answers.
"Sakura-chan," he started again, voice still soft, placating, "you know you can talk to me. You can tell me anything. Is it that teme again? Are you still worried about him?"
For the first time since he arrived, Sakura turned her head very slowly and looked at him, her usually vibrant eyes dark and glazed over.
"Naruto?" she choked out, her voice cracking slightly from cold and disuse. She tilted her head slightly and a spark of life flitted through her eyes as she searched his face wonderingly, as if seeing him for the very first time.
This display should have reassured him but instead Naruto felt even more disturbed. He couldn't stand seeing her like this - she hadn't been the same since Sasuke had left. Still, he had thought she was getting better.
"Sakura-chan," Naruto said, his voice coming out more like a whine in his upset, "I told you not to worry about him. He's going to come back, I'm sure of it! He just needs some time to figure himself out. That's all."
"Naruto." Sakura spoke, placing her hand lightly on his chest to stop him from going any further - she didn't want to hear that right now. "It's not...it's not about him," she murmured, closing her eyes tightly against the pain, then she took a deep breath before continuing, "It's me."
Naruto's blue eyes clouded in confusion, "You? What is it then? Is it something with school or...?" he trailed off, unable to fathom any other problem she could have.
Sakura kept her eyes closed and her breathing even - she hadn't intended to tell anyone, not until she decided what she was going to do at least but maybe, maybe Naruto could help. She wasn't sure how yet but it had to be better than going through this alone. She opened her eyes and looked up into his, owlishly wide and concerned.
"Naruto, I..." Suddenly she could barely find the strength to speak - it felt as though there was something lodged in her throat, "I'm..." She clenched her fists and prepared herself for his reaction. "I'm pregnant," she spoke quickly, the words coming out in a jumble, "and I don't know what to do."
Naruto pulled back slightly, taking some time to process what she had said. Sakura...pregnant? The next, most obvious question appeared in his head - For who?
He didn't realize that he had spoken aloud until he felt Sakura pull away and looked up to see her glossy hair come down like a barrier in front of her face and shield it from view. Acutely aware of his mistake, Naruto immediately started to backtrack, his voice returning to its usual volume in his haste, "I'm sorry about that, Sakura-chan. That was stupid of me - I didn't mean it at all. Of course, I know who the father is - I mean, I know you're not...like that," he amended, looking away slightly in embarrassment.
"It's okay, Naruto," Sakura uttered tonelessly. Here she was - always pacifying, self sacrificing even now when she wanted nothing more than to send him away. She shook her head, kicking herself for her stupidity - Why had she thought he would be able to help?
Just then, the second part of Sakura's statement clicked in Naruto's brain - 'I don't know what to do'. This was his chance, he realized - now he could make up for that blunder. "You should know, Sakura," he started earnestly, dropping the honorific to underscore his seriousness and waiting until she had turned back to look at him before continuing, "that I'm here for you. Whatever you decide, I'll be here and I'll support you. I won't judge you or anything like that. It's - it's your decision. Anyway, I have faith in you, Sakura," he murmured, his eyes boring into hers, "and I know you'll do the right thing."
For the first time since the little white stick had turned blue, tears pricked the back of Sakura's eyes and as she leaned forward and buried her head in Naruto's chest so that he wouldn't see her cry, one thought ran through her mind - Sure, Naruto trusted her to make the right decision but could she trust herself to?
A/N: Wow, this one's been rolling around in my head for a long time. I'm really pleased that it's finally out and on 'paper'. Lol, anyway it's...it's not supposed to be political or anything and I don't mean to condone anything by it. It actually came out a lot differently than I intended - initially, it was just supposed to be a reassuring friendship fic with Naruto and Sakura but I must say I like this ending better. Anyway, feel free to drop me a line and tell me what you think. Thanks for reading!