Fangirling
By Laura-chan
Pairing: Sasuke/Sakura, minor couples.
Rating: T
Summary: 'I won't fangirl Uchiha Sasuke, I WON'T FANGIRL Uchiha Sasuke, I ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT FANGIRL Uchiha Sasuke, who cares if he has a god-like body, amazing eyes, soft black hair... Crap.'
Disclaimer: Of course everything related to Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto-sensei, praise his genius! OOC characters and plot do belong to me.
Warning: I am Italian, English is not my first language, please forgive my mistakes.
CHAPTER XIII
Where before stood a young woman, staring at him with horrified and embarassed eyes, there was now nothing. Baffled, he turned his head, seeing a figure, dark for the distance, running away.
"I can't believe her…" he gaped. And then, a smirk stretched on his face. "Hn, I guess I'll have to catch her…"
§§§§§
I ran like the Devil himself was at my heels: and probably I wasn't too far from truth.
I couldn't believe I had blurted out to Sasuke that I loved him! Moreover, after he had behaved like a chauvinistic, possessive pig!
I pumped chakra in my legs, forcing them to go faster and faster, pushing myself harder; and while I passed two disbelieving Tenten and Hinata, my mind was furiously working to resolve the matter.
'Just go back and I say to him that you accept being his girlfriend!' my inner-fangirl whined.
I mentally glared at her. 'Oh, so NOW you decide to come back to the world of living! And of course I'm not doing that, it would be like accepting defeat - I don't even know EXACTLY how he feels about me!"
In the back of my mind I could feel Sasuke's chakra coming closer and I knew I couldn't escape him much longer: he was way faster than me and I was tiring – I have never been one with lot of stamina. I decided to enter the school, jumping in through an open window and started running in the hallways, ignoring Ebisu-sensei yelling at me that 'it was not allowed to run or use chakra in the hallways of the school building'.
Inspiration hit me when I passed in front of the bathrooms: Sasuke would never enter the women toilet to search for me, right?
I quickly entered and closed the door with a bang, before leaning against it and sighing in relief: the five or six girls inside looked at me like I was an alien or something.
"Ehm, sorry, really had to…" I muttered without finishing my statement, walking to the sink to wash my face.
While some of the girls started chatting, one of them kept looking at me: a bit uneasy by her staring I asked if there was something wrong.
She smirked. "I know you. Aren't you 'cry-baby forehead-chan'?"
I froze at hearing the offensive name given to me by the classmates who bullied me in my childhood. Something in my expression gave me away and she laughed maliciously.
"So, it is you! Isn't it a surprise... I remember how weak you were... you were always hiding behind Yamanaka, without her you were – and probaby still are – nothing."
Unbidden and unwanted memories started running through my head...
A red ribbon, a friendly smile...
Kicks and punches...
Pain, so much pain – a cracked rib, a split lip
Everything hurt...
Violet fabric as the person in front of me shouted to my attackers...
Covering my forehead with my bangs, hating myself, hating the world...
Feeling so damn weak as I fell down, a foot on my head, pushing my face deeper in the dirty ground...
I gasped for a breath.
"Do you know her Ayumi-chan? Tell us, tell us!" the others started giggling around the leader.
"She was an hideous thing as a child, with that enormous forehead she still has... and she was so fun to bully, you know? She always cried and cried, and asked for help..." she mimicked in a high-pitched voice "'Oh, I want my mummy, please mummy help!'. She was simply pathetic. She was lucky to have Yamanaka as her only friend, because that damn girl started protecting her... but when she wasn't at school, we had lot of fun..."
She smirked cruelly at me, and I realized tears had started rolling down my face. "Didn't we have lot of fun, Sakura-chan? Or do you still prefer 'forehead-girl'?"
I hated myself, I hated how my muscles seemed to be paralysed. I couldn't move, I couldn't talk, I couldn't do anything, but only listen to her taunts. I had sworn I would never be so weak again, but now it was like every jutsu I learned, the strength I gained with my hard work, everything was just in vain.
I wanted to shout, to slap her, to do something... but I remained still. I couldn't move, I almost couldn't breathe... No matter how much I was yelling in my head – no matter how much I felt like punching the hell out of that girl, I couldn't do anything...
Inside, I was still that same little girl crying for someone to save her.
I vaguely heard the door being slammed open, but I didn't care: I was still lost in my self-commiseration, fists clenched at my sides, and I didn't care about anything else but to be able to move and punch that annoying girl who had reminded me of my painful childhood.
It took me some moments to realize that someone was shaking my shoulder and calling my name.
"Sakura… Sakura…"
My eyes widened in shock: I couldn't believe it…
I turned around to look at him and gasped. "You entered the girls' bathroom?!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes and instead watched me with a concerned expression. "Are you alright?"
I stilled: oh, he always seemed to make me forget about everything around me. Just a moment before I was depressed, then he calls me and…
"Sasuke-kun!" the girl who recognized me squealed, of course she was a fangirl… "You shouldn't care about that loser, she's so we-!"
Moving faster than the eyes could follow, Sasuke punched the wall near to the girl's head, creating a gaping hole, and she shut up in fright.
"Don't talk about her like that." He hissed dangerously, and I felt a shiver running down my spine.
With that, he turned around and grabbed my hand, tugging me forward as I tried not to be as stunned as I felt.
"Wha-! Sasuke, let me go! Sasu-!" He didn't even stop as he turned his head and glared at me. "Shut up, Sakura. And don't you try to run away again, because I will catch you."
I was a bit intimidated by this dark and angry Sasuke: I was not even sure what he was so angry about and why was he treating me like that!
He opened a door and we entered an empty classroom; he pushed the door closed and locked it, and that didn't really calm me down. He had let me go and I sat down on a desk, staring at him attentively. Sasuke paced for a few seconds, before moving to stand before me: I didn't like how he was watching me, cautiously and intensely, his dark eyes pinning me down.
"I have two questions." He began, his voice quiet but with an undertone of menace. "First, why did you run away?" I gritted my teeth: oh, he was such a guy! And here I thought he was smart! "Second, what happened in the toilet?"
I chose to ignore his first question: I wasn't going to answer why I ran away after I confessed to him, after he behaved like a chauvinistic pig – if he didn't understand that he really didn't know anything about women.
I shrugged: "That girl knew me when I was little and decided to make it known to her friends." There: he had his answer.
"Sakura." Oooohh, Sasuke was angry, he was really angry! I knew it because his eyes narrowed and he took deep breaths to calm himself: he leaned forward, placing his hands on the desk to either side of me, his face just in front of mine. "I know that. I heard everything. Now, tell me why didn't you reply back."
Oh, that- right, I forgot.
I shrugged uneasily.
His face got closer to mine and I realized his eyes were very dark, and pretty, and mesmerizing and… and… and…
"Sakura. Answer me, now."
I was getting angry too; who did he think he was, prying into my life, telling me to talk to him and tell him my deepest secret?
"Why do you care?" I snapped back.
His gaze softened, only for a bit. "I care. Tell me Sakura, please…"
He said 'please'. He really did. Ah, I was really powerless against him, wasn't I?
"Bad memories." I murmured. "I… I couldn't move. I wanted to. I wanted to yell, to punch that bitch but… I was simply paralysed." I turned my head to the side, wanting to hide my ashamed expression.
"So, what she said was true…"
I bit my lip 'till it bled. "Of course it's true! I was weak when I was little, and I always relied on Ino's help! But I'm not like that anymore!" I was facing him again. "I'm strong! I can take care of myself! I made a promise to myself, to never be weak again!"
A tears slipped past my eyelid and rolled down on my cheek.
"I'm not weak! I'm not!"
I felt his warmth: he was hugging me and more tears filled my eyes. I wrapped my arms around his bigger frame and cried and cried like I did the night of the Ball, when I found out how much Naruto was really suffering. I remembered the excitement of starting school, of getting to know other children; I remembered the disappointment and the hurt when they bullied me and laughed at me; I remembered feeling like I wasn't good enough for anyone; I remembered my happiness when a hand helped me standing up; I remembered the feeling of finally, finally having a friend, a true friend; I remembered running into my room, shouting that I wanted to disappear; I remembered laughing when playing with Ino.
All my memories ran through me as Sasuke held me and patiently waited for my sobs to subside.
Eventually I stopped crying and moved away from him: he stared intensely at me, as if waiting for me to break down again.
"Thanks." I muttered, rubbing my now red nose.
He carelessly shrugged and for that, for just a moment, I hated him: here I was, pouring my heart to him and crying because of my childhood memories and then thanking him for hugging me, and he SHRUGS? Sasuke really was too much for me, sometimes.
"You still haven't answered my first question."
Damn: he noticed. Damndamndamn.
I glared at him and crossed my arms: I was still sitting on the desk, so I probably looked like an angry child pouting because of an unfair punishment - ridiculous, I know, but at the moment I didn't care.
"You should understand that by yourself."
He cocked an eyebrow and I grumbled "Typical male." but didn't answer him, in the end.
Sasuke sighed and turned his head on the right. I stared at him: he looked a bit weary, but not furious like he had been in the garden - he had scared me there.
"Did you really mean what you said?" The question was sudden and I blinked, surprised. "What?"
He gritted his teeth and passed a hand through his hair and... yes, he was blushing!? The world had come to an end!
"It's true that you... love me?"
I couldn't help myself: my head became a huge tomato. My cheeks were a deep red, my eyes were downcast (suddenly my shoes were the most interesting things in the room), and I started fiddling with my skirt. That was his answer, I guess.
I could feel him smirk: to be sincere, I was not only a bit annoyed, but also quite apprehensive and scared. I still didn't know what he felt about me or how was he going to react to my feelings. I was sure he somewhat liked me, or he wouldn't have decided that I was his girlfriend (without even asking me...), but he hadn't told me in words what he felt.
I wanted to ask him but I was too afraid of the answer.
I felt his thumb and forefinger on my chin, trying to lift my head toward him, but I stubbornly refused to look at him; I could feel him growling and he surprised me by cupping my cheeks and forcing my face up to him.
I gasped as I found his face very close to mine; I couldn't help it, I blushed.
Sasuke shook his head and smirked amusedly, "Really Sakura, you can be so blind!"
I was just about to retort when he cut me off laying his lips on mine: unlike our first kiss in the garden, this one was gentle, almost as if he was giving me the chance to move away. But I didn't care anymore and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down to me and kissing him deeply.
He leaned on the desk with one hand at my side, the other still cupping my cheek as our mouths opened and our tongues met: it felt wonderful to kiss Sasuke – no matter how arrogant he was, he was the man I loved.
His hand caressed my cheek and then gently moved to the back of my head, to angle it better and make the kiss deeper: I clung to him, much like I had done a few minutes before. I felt cherished, cared for, and tears sprang from my eyes, again.
Sasuke felt them and moved back. "Hey," he began "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
I was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and I wanted him to tell me the truth.
"Damn it, Sasuke!" I exclaimed, grasping his shirt. "Why are kissing me? Are you toying with me? Because I'm really, really confused right now..."
He emotionally detatched himself from me. "Do you think I'd be able to toy with a girl, especially you?" he asked coldly.
I shook my head. "I don't think so, it isn't in your character, but Sasuke! I don't understand why are you doing this!"
"Are you really so blind?"
"Blind?"
"Damn, Sakura!" he burst "I love you!"
I stared at him. And gaped. "I'm sorry, I think I heard you say..."
Sasuke gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes upwards, gripping tightly my shoulders: he was trembling and his cheeks were flushed, if for anger or embarassment I didn't know.
"Don't make me repeat myself..." then he whispered "I love you."
He was completely serious: Uchiha Sasuke had just said he loved me, Haruno Sakura. Oh, Kami-sama.
I threw myself at him, crashing his mouth with mine clumsily, and he wrapped his arms around my waist. We kissed and kissed and kissed, I don't for how long, it seemed like an eternity to me.
We were sitting on the floor, kissing leisurely, me in Sasuke's lap, arms wrapped around each other: I wasn't getting tired of his taste on my lips.
We broke to breathe and I cuddled in his warm embrace. He kissed my cheek and I smiled softly.
I felt like life was smiling up to me.
Fangirling XIII – End
Author's Note: Yay, it's over! The Epilogue is up next!
Some of you keep asking me if there'll be a sequel. Sorry guys, no sequel. But I promise you won't be disappointed by the epilogue...
Look out for my new story, The Red Butterfly, which will be posted soon (I hope).
Reviews' Corner: You're the best, you're amazing :D I love you all.
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Jasmine: it is cold now in Italy, after all it's winter, but in summer it can be very hot too (it depends on where you live). In high school I studied Latin and Greek and I studied English since I was a child. There are Japanese courses in some Universities, or you can take private lessons. I'm glad you like the story this much, I hope you keep reading:D