Naruto 1. Chapter 1

Erestor here! Here's a little multi-chaptered fic that I wrote. Reviews and comments are very much appreciated! Thank you!

**Edit: **Modified Chapter 1 as I felt that it was too wordy. Hope you enjoyed the changes!

**Summary:** He's afraid of the one woman that could rob him of his senses, make him grovel and has absolute control over him. And she just had to fall in love.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. It rightfully belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.

* * *

**Spring Bliss**

**Chapter 1**

Happy endings…

She had always wanted one, particularly fond with the alluring idea of a charming prince seemingly coming off from nowhere to completely sweep her off her feet - a person only born just to be by her side, forever and always.

Someone that she could always count on in times of dire need…

Someone that would always come to love her for who she was, no matter what her background and status were…

Someone that would always come to cherish for her more than anyone and everything else in the world…

She had often wondered as a little girl what it would be like to be in the arms of a significant other. Would it be warm, comforting even, reminiscent of a trusty blanket that would have had always provided its warmth during cold rainy days? Or maybe even familiar, unrelenting company in times of almost unbearable loneliness, oftentimes found in the guise of a tattered, old teddy bear? Or possibly even overflowing, righteous sincerity, easily felt when one remembers the fond memories of the past?

But then she was proven wrong, forcefully wrenched away from the blissful stupor that she's hopelessly driven herself into all these years. There were no such things as happy endings after all. Nothing more but fabricated lies, the whole lot of them. Just an unnecessary bundle of misleading dreams, dangled incessantly for the adulation of the innocent and weak-minded. Admittedly, things had never really worked out for her, even from the beginning.

She knew that falling in love with the unattainable was her biggest mistake…

* * *

It was all a ploy and nothing more…

Just a callous ploy to get her to stop loving him…

All the good times that they had shared with one another, will never be nothing more but meaningless moments to him. She had loved him with all her heart, never even doubting once that he was the only one for her. But sadly, it had all been entirely one-sided - a grave mistake on her part for not noticing it earlier. She had been too trusting, and very much naïve to a fault.

Yet a tiny part in her had always wanted to believe otherwise, to just wish for once that things could have had ended differently. But she knew that she was only fooling herself more for even thinking such. And it had to stop, for nothing good would ever come out of it.

It had all been too much. To expect for things to happen whole-heartedly and then to get something else different entirely, she could only look on forlornly as everything had ended in disaster around her - powerless to even do a single thing to make things a bit better. It had been already out of her hands, even from the beginning.

The very first time that she had ever laid eyes on him, she knew that he was the one, there was never going to be anyone else – she had only wanted him, him and only him alone. Call her stupid for even thinking such, but she could not help the strong, vivid feelings that had coursed through her that moment – such intensity they were, it was like getting high and drunk just by his merest presence. She knew then that she could not get enough of him. And she never ever wanted it to stop.

She could clearly remember the silent yearning that then came after; slowly gnawing away at her insides as the days had idly went by. The mere thought of those mysterious eyes boring deeply into her person – unrelenting in their search – was more than enough to send sinful yet delightful shivers down her spine. Was it even possible to be this so hopelessly in love with one person, a mere stranger nonetheless?

He was like a welcome breath of fresh air, tantalizing and refreshing yet only accessible to a privileged few. He technically belonged to everyone, yet he had also taken to favoring no one. And for that reason alone, she knew that she had little to nil chance to be with him. But there was still that tiny unquenchable hope inside her that frantically wished otherwise. One that continually dreamed of a happily ever after, of a prince charming that would come to completely sweep her off her feet, of _him_ finally noticing insignificant her…

And wish she did. But she knew that something was very well off when he had suddenly taken an interest in her of all people – a plain Jane at the most, just another nameless face in the crowd that constantly clamored about for his attention and adored him. Yet, she had willingly accepted it, turned her head towards the opposite direction, and made herself purposely blind to the glaring warning signs. She was that desperate to be with him, even if everything to be had were all on borrowed time. A brief taste of heaven, as most would opt to call it. Yet it was the price that she had to pay, and gladly pay it a billion other times, she would. She just had to fall for the unattainable, after all.

Looking back, she admitted albeit a bit grudgingly to herself that she was never really happy with their relationship in the first place. They lacked the familiarity expected between couples, and the awkward pauses in their conversations were utterly disheartening and far too many to even count. He was not exactly expressive of his emotions, and she had always taken to guessing on what he really felt about certain situations at the most inopportune of times. But still, there were those rare moments that she was absolutely certain that he had felt something for her too, and that was wholly enough for her then. She lived – no, _breathed_ – for those moments that were all too far and few in between.

Maybe in time, she could lay her fears to rest, to just let herself go, and enjoy things for what they really were. Indeed, there was no need for her to be so high and strung over such insignificant things that have a nil chance of ever happening.

How utterly naïve she was then, to whole-heartedly believe that she had a fighting chance…

If only she knew better…

Fairy tales were for whimsical dreamers that have nothing better to do…

_It was that joyous time of the year again wherein everyone would go about admiring nature in all of its flamboyant grandeur. Petals of the flower that she was fondly named after were plentiful and falling in pieces everywhere, once again never failing to momentarily lull and amaze the regular passerby with their pristine beauty. Alas, she would have had also taken the time to admiring the cherry blossom trees if she was already not too taken with her current predicament. _

_Sakura sneaked a glance at the stoic Uchiha beside her, sighing softly. She knew that it was particularly wrong of her to expect for too much at one time, but would it actually kill him to act like he cared for once? Truly, she was glad to have spent these precious moments with him, as they were all too far and few in between, but she had to admit that he could have been a whole lot more sincere about it. _

_If ever she was asked to faithfully recount in detail their little rendezvous for the day, she could only say one thing in particular - absolutely dreadful. It did not even help that he was acting like such a complete jerk over the whole thing, totally uncooperative and acting particularly bored at times._

_Come to think of it, he was being particularly difficult lately, even more so than usual. The cold glares towards her direction, the callous demeanor at times, and his brash manner of speaking with her were turning out to be more than she could ever hope to handle at any given time. _

_She knew to a painful fault that their relationship was far from perfect, but it was already somewhat expected that they would have their little rough times every once in a while, right? Really, it was not for lack of trying to understand him, as she did all she could, but she could only do so much at one time. _

_Maybe it was that small hope inside her, of him someday fully returning her feelings that had made her hold on for so long. Truthfully, she had no clue on why he had even approached her that one time, charmingly asking her if she wanted to be his girlfriend – her, the one girl that no one ever noticed. Of course, she just had to say yes – who would have the gall to decline him if they were in her position? It was no secret that he was well-sought after by everyone – heir to the famed Uchiha clan, a known genius, notoriously popular and devilishly handsome to boot. She would have been absolutely mad to deny him!_

_She had been giddily drunk with happiness that one time and it seemed that all was right with the world then. An understanding and loving boyfriend, breaking out from the smothering facade that she had hopelessly hidden herself all these years and with her abrupt rise through the social ladder (though that had been a nice plus, but completely unnecessary on her part) – what more could she ask for? _

_She was content. Happy endings did exist after all. But she should have known better than to expect that things would always stay the same they were, forever unchanging._

_Oh, how they have been happy at first, and deliriously so. _

_Their customary dates were almost done everyday and at the grandest of places. He spoiled her, had given her everything she had ever wanted though she had not even asked for it. It was almost perfect, had it not for the fact that there was always that small impassable distance between them. It was always there, invisible and intangible, but still there nonetheless, and they have come to an unspoken agreement that it should not be breached. _

_However, there were still those times that she was so sure that she could not fall in love with him more, but he could hardly disappoint and she had found herself to be eating her words time and time again. It did not take too long for it to grow to such a point that she could not deny it any longer, mere adoration developing into a much more sincere and serious love over time. _

_But then the changes came, they were small at first, but became more noticeable over time. _

_It seemed that the man that she had fallen in love with had disappeared overnight. In his place, a much darker version of his former self had taken the reins in their relationship and had quickly made a mess of things. Admittedly, even though their relationship was going through a rough patch at the moment, she refused to lose hope, still believing wholeheartedly that things would undoubtedly get better in the long run. Sakura bowed her head in thought, a wistful smile on her lips, sheer determination shining through her eyes. _

_Their relationship was worth it._

_Her eyes softened, the smile on her lips a bit pained._

_He would always be worth it._

"_Sakura,"_

_With a start, she looked up from her wayward reverie, suddenly mindful of the stifling intractable tension between them. She inwardly shivered at the cold stare that Sasuke was currently giving her, immediately chastising herself for the momentary show of weakness. _

_Sighing wistfully, she was very much confused with the Uchiha's most recent behavior. She knew that he didn't like to do things of this sort without any viable reasons nor given the slightest provocation, but what more can she do? He was basically like a closed book at times, hard to pry and downright unreadable for most. _

"_Oi," _

_Sensing his ever growing annoyance, she felt his glare intensify at the top of her head as she proceeded to gulp inwardly. Unflinchingly, her eyes tentatively met with his, anxiously waiting for what he was going to say next. She hoped with all her heart that what he had to say was nothing too bad, and that she was just over calculating things with her constant worrying. But she knew, deep down in her heart, that it was an absolute far cry from happening._

_Sakura shifted her eyes away, slowly closing them in turn, not bearing to face him any longer. Things were definitely going downhill between them, and she did not even know what-the-hell she did wrong! She did not deserve this kind of treatment, even from him - never did and never will. She was in absolute turmoil, feeling a whole lot of conflicting emotions all at once._

_Understanding._

_Love._

_Frustration._

_Disappointment._

_Anger._

_Yes, anger was definitely good._

_Suddenly feeling the long pent-up emotions from before shooting up her system, she was about to open her mouth to retort hotly on how he should start treating her better, but was duly interrupted by the Uchiha at the very last second, the first few words dying on her lips._

"_I want to break up with you."_

_A sudden intake of breathe. Sakura had opened her eyes abruptly, unable to stifle the sudden gasp that had unfortunately escaped her lips._

_Obviously nonplussed was the least she could say for herself at the moment. Though she was still in denial over what he had just said, it perfectly made sense on why he had been acting so differently around her all this time. She desperately searched his face for any misgivings that he would have had on his part, her heart breaking slowly when she had found none. It was then and there that she could feel the tears coming, but did her best to refrain from breaking down in front of him._

_She had never remembered a time that she would have had come to hate spring so vehemently, in all of its liveliness and what it proudly epitomized. It seemed that there was nothing more she can do but to just stand by and watch regrettably as the tiny hope that she had once staunchly harbored slowly broke into a million indiscernible pieces in front of her, practically doomed to be brashly disregarded and forgotten, akin to that of an old toy to its owner._

_Funny how she had wholeheartedly believed, once upon a time, that he was nothing short of perfect, that the boy behind the good looks and charming smiles can practically do no wrong to anyone, and that being with him was wholly more than enough for her, knowing that her one deepest wish had finally come true. _

_Smiling bitterly, Sakura clenched her fists tightly, her wayward gaze falling to the familiar crop of dark, silky chicken hair that she had oftentimes remembered to be nimbly running her fingers through so fondly. Pursing her lips tightly, her eyes had bravely decided then to trail even lower, the vivid emerald immediately turning into a dull green as it was met in turn with frosty onyx eyes. _

_With a tiny quirk of his lips, she had once again found herself to be staring fixatedly at the seemingly insignificant action, fondly remembering on how she had always teasingly pleaded with him to do it every so often. At that thought, her eyes became misty, immediately feeling a sense of loss and an indescribable sadness enveloping her person._

"_Do you think that if I had wished for it hard enough… things would have had turned out differently between us?"_

_He continued to stare at her impassively, his lips in a straight line. The tension between them was stifling, and she knew that she was overstepping her boundaries, but she just needed to know. She stared intently at the Uchiha, patiently waiting for his answer. He appeared to dismiss her question for a moment before sighing tiredly altogether, irritably ruffling his black locks as he looked away, voice nonchalant._

"_No, don't even bother to try. There was no 'us' to even begin with."_

_She could feel her heart breaking slowly as each word from his statement had briefly registered on her mind, utter disbelief etched in her features. So he chose to forget her after all, chose to forget all the good times that they had spent with one another as if it was nothing more but a bad stain that needed to be removed from his otherwise flamboyant life. _

_But heart still ruled over mind, emotion overruled reason. She still wanted to be with him, even after everything that he had done to her all this time. Indeed, there was nothing wrong with him; she was always the one at fault._

"_Demo…"_

_Scowling, Sasuke strode forward menacingly, slowly backing her into a nearby cherry blossom tree. She flinched horribly as both of his arms moved abruptly, hitting the trunk beside her neck with harsh thuds, effectively caging her at the spot. Cherry blossom petals immediately rained down on them as he moved his face nearer to hers, a cruel sneer on his lips, Sharingan ablaze._

"_How many times do I have to say it before it fully gets into your head?!"_

_Sakura focused her gaze downwards, frightened at the new side of Sasuke that she had not seen before. She completely missed the triumphant smirk that had promptly appeared on his lips as he continued on slowly, his tone frosty._

"_What do you don't understand? I just proposed to be your boyfriend at that time because you looked like such a pathetic lovesick fool. You must have thought that I hadn't noticed the pair of eyes that would always devotedly trail themselves on my every move, drinking in the very sight of me. Imagine then my surprise to have found out that it was the outcast, the invisible girl of the school who had the sudden hots for me. Well, what do you know? Miracles do happen after all." _

_Sasuke chuckled to himself, grinning snidely. Eliciting no viable response from her, he moved a hand to slowly caress the side of her face, pausing momentarily in his ministrations as he said darkly._

"_Who would have known?"_

_He gently raised her chin so that her wandering eyes would meet with his, as he continued softly._

"_Honestly, I didn't know if I should be horribly disgusted or utterly flattered with such undivided attention. So I thought… what was there to lose in humoring you for a bit? Just a little something to make you feel special…"_

_Sakura could feel something horribly wet running down the sides of her cheeks, but she could hardly even give a care. It had been too good to be true at that time. But now, she knew the truth. She felt him move closer, closing her eyes dejectedly as he tenderly pressed his cheek to hers, his voice in a low whisper._

"_Well, you did enjoy it after all, didn't you?"_

_He nestled his face at the junction of her neck, a manic grin on his lips as he repeated softly, almost child-like._

"_Didn't you?"_

_Closing his eyes, he slowly moved upwards in turn, mouth next to her ear as he whispered almost wickedly, his delightfully warm breath making her shiver uncomfortably._

"_Nothing more but a devoted fan girl that would always yield herself to me…" _

_He retreated abruptly, something akin to regret briefly flashing over his features as his eyes had settled on her prone form. He quickly looked away, suddenly unable to find the strength to meet her accusing eyes head on, as he continued on softly._

"_Well, too bad that it was short-lived, na? We never were, and never will be. Don't ever make the foolish mistake to even forget that."_

_He then slowly turned away from her, effectively lengthening the distance between them with each small step he took. Pausing momentarily, he clenched the air in his fists tightly, the silent wind faithfully carrying his next hurtful words towards her. _

"_I don't need you."_

_Sasuke looked over his shoulder momentarily and she could have almost sworn that she saw him smiling sadly at her. He looked to be at a complete loss, as if he was trying hard to convince himself otherwise, before sighing tiredly altogether, the very epitome of defeat. She could almost feel the traitorous hope rushing through her at the miserable sight of him, but reminded herself to remain firm as she felt her whole world crumble at his next words. _

"_Deal with it. Use that pretty head of yours to good use. Don't continue to fool yourself even more with something that really never was. I never loved you. I didn't promise you anything, so I'm free of any obligation towards you."_

_She bowed her head silently, a few stubborn tears escaping, much to her chagrin. He gave her a hint of a small smile, silently admiring her unyielding resolve to remain completely indifferent amidst the circumstances. Though he knew that no words could easily undo the hurt that he had inflicted on her today, he could not stop himself as he said almost regretfully. _

"_I'm sorry... that things had to end this way."_

_He turned away from her a second time, about to continue on, but was immediately stopped at the last second as he heard her call for him weakly._

"_Matte…"_

_Emerald met onyx, and Sakura could hardly keep the sadness out of her voice as she asked softly, her tone inquiring._

"_Why are you doing this?"_

_Sasuke regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, a bitter smile on his lips as he shook his head slowly, dark silky hair effectively covering his eyes from view._

"_I don't know the answer to that myself."_

_It was only when he had disappeared at the nearby corner did she let the incoming onslaught of tears fall more freely, as she tried her best to discern the conversation that had just transpired between them._

_

* * *

_

He is Uchiha Sasuke.

Uchiha prodigy.

Notoriously popular.

Devilishly handsome.

Any person would have given anything for a chance to be in his shoes. They had all desperately clamored about for his attention, but he had taken to favoring no one, well-aware that their reasons for befriending him were nothing more but superficial in nature. Being the Uchiha heir, his life was practically set into stone since birth. Everyone had assumed that he was happy and content with the life that he lived. A life presumably based right off a fairy tale, almost perfect.

But he had a horrible secret that no one knew.

He had come to care for someone strongly - a lowly girl, a nobody, someone that was practically invisible to everyone. He had originally wanted to play her, to shower her with loving words and gestures, and then to finally break her heart when he would eventually tire of her.

But something had gone amiss, and he had come to increasingly cherish the few moments that he would spend with her. At that thought, smiling vivid emerald eyes had immediately crossed his mind, as he proceeded to curse softly in turn.

_Sakura…_

Why did he even do it anyway? Why was he so affected over such a trivial thing anyway? He had done it a lot before, with girls prettier and smarter than **her**. Heck, she was nothing before he even came along. He then sighed tiredly, a pale hand deep in his raven locks.

"_Matte…"_

_Emerald met onyx._

"_Why are you doing this?"_

_He could only smile bitterly, his voice gradually losing its hard edge, head bowed in thought._

"_I don't know the answer to that myself…"_

Clueless, he was, and still is. But he could hardly even give a care. They were over now, and he can do nothing to restore things as they were. Why would he, though? He would never go back on whatever he would decide to do, wouldn't he? He was surely not one for regrets; he did all things with absolute certainty.

He blinked.

_Vivid emerald eyes that have often looked on lovingly at his person._

_Soft pink locks that were undeniably silky to the touch._

_And a fond smile that would always make his day better, no matter what._

"_I love you, Sasuke-kun…"_

He closed his eyes, vainly trying to will away the memories. "Damn it."

_Sasuke was sitting on the grass at the field located at the back of their school, lazily admiring the clouds, hands at his sides and legs lightly spread apart. He had never admitted it to anyone, but this was his usual hiding place, whenever he had wanted some peace and quiet from all the hustle and bustle that his life had always entailed. _

_Without warning, a pair of soft warm hands suddenly covered his eyes, soft locks tickling the sides of his face as the comforting sound of light giggles filled the air. _

"_Guess who I am."_

_He had a knowing smirk on his face as he said almost automatically. "Sakura,"_

_With a huff, Sakura pouted, sitting next to him as she looked up at the clouds just as he did prior to her arrival. "Mou, Sasuke-kun… you could've pretended that you didn't know."_

_He laughed lightly, his eyes glinting mischievously. "And give you the luxury of gloating it at my face? I'd rather not risk it. Besides, you were too obvious. It's not my fault that you are so transparent."_

_She lightly smacked him at the arm, smiling as she did so. "Direct to the point as always, Sasuke-kun. Well, it seems that I am a bit like that, aren't I?"_

_He suppressed the snort of disbelief that threatened to come out that very moment; for fear that she would unleash her unrelenting female wrath upon his poor person. "A bit?" He continued on teasingly. "Just keep believing that then, please don't let me stop you."_

_Sakura mentally rolled her eyes at the gesture, slowly shaking her head in disbelief as she decided to leave it at that but not before dealing a low blow to his ever growing ego. "Glad to know who's the mature one in this relationship."_

_He lied on his back, his arms folded at the back of his head as he closed his eyes momentarily. _

"_Hn."_

_They were together in comfortable silence after that._

"_Sasuke-kun…"_

_His eyes slightly widened as he found her slightly bending over him, smiling softly. He pretended to act particularly nonchalant, but badly wanted to tell her off for invading his personal space. _

"_Hmm…?"_

_She shook her head slowly as she quickly retreated away from him, somewhat acting cold all of a sudden. _

"_Iie. It's nothing…"_

_He didn't know what came over him, but he suddenly had this actual need to comfort her, to tell her that everything would be alright, and to say that he would always be there for her, which was so very much unlike him. Against his will, his body had moved on its own, suddenly enveloping her in an awkward hug. _

"_What's wrong?" _

_He hated the very thought of her actually hating him, and he didn't know why he had strongly felt that way then. Fortunately, all his fears were immediately put to rest when she had returned his hug warmly as she smiled softly up at him. _

"_It's just that… I feel so lucky to have you here right now, with me."_

_He watched her intently as she continued on, a foreign warm emotion suddenly welling up at his chest._

"_When I was a kid, I had always entertained the thought of someone being born just to be by my side, forever and always." _

_She raised a shaking hand to lightly touch his cheek. _

"_Someone that I could always count on in times of need..."_

_Her hand wandered lower to his lips, pausing momentarily before she started tracing it lightly. _

"_Someone that would always come to love me for who I am, no matter what my background and status were…" _

_She then proceeded to bury her face into his chest, her next few words sounding somewhat mumbled because of his shirt._

"_Someone that would always come to cherish for her more than anyone and everything else in the world… "_

_He lightly flinched as he felt her bright smile shine through the thin fabric of his shirt._

"_And I think I found him already."_

_She looked up at him adoringly, emerald eyes both anxious and expectant as she gave him a bright smile._

"_I love you."_

_He buried his face into the crook of her neck, at a complete loss on what to say next. But there was something about the way that she had said it, whether it was that touching sincerity or the unyielding devotion behind her words, or the way that she had insinuated that it was the most obvious thing in the world, that strongly called out to him. _

_He could only smile lightly, hugging her closer to him, as if he never wanted to ever let her go._

"_I love you too…" _

_It was then, he immediately realized, that things had to definitely end between them. _

Scowling, he clenched his fists tightly, frustrated beyond relief.

"Why of all days do I have to remember that now? We were over a long time ago, there's no use mulling over the past and the what-could-have-beens like a lovesick fool would oftentimes do."

_As if I'm truly and madly in love with her… _

Irritably ruffling his dark locks, he stood up, proceeding to take his backpack from his seat as he waved a quick goodbye to his friends.

_Better get to class early then…_

"Sakura-chan!"

Swallowing a harsh expletive, he turned around slowly, and his breath immediately caught just at the mere sight of **her**. His eyes immediately narrowed a second later, a feral snarl on his lips as he caught sight of the man linking arms with what was rightfully **his**. He knew that it was wrong to even refer to her as such, but he had a lot of time to figure that out later. It didn't even help that her emerald eyes had refrained from meeting with his, and it irked him a lot on why it had affected him so.

_What, Uchiha? Still expecting her to be with speaking terms with you even after all that's happened?_

He would be taking care of that later. She would see. No one ignores him, no one. She was lucky that he had more pressing matters to attend to…

He smirked maliciously.

"**Sai**,"


	2. Chapter 2

Here's chapter two of Spring Bliss! Hope you enjoy reading it! Reviews and comments are very much appreciated. Thank you!

BIG thanks to the reviewers of the first chapter. I enjoyed reading your comments! Thank you for also adding this fic to a C2! This is turning out as somewhat Sasuke x Sakura x Sai. But we all know what the main pairing is, so I'll just leave it at that.

**Edit: **Also modified Chapter 2, but only for a little bit. Hope you enjoyed the changes!

**Summary:** He's afraid of the one woman that could rob him of his senses, make him grovel and has absolute control over him. And she just had to fall in love.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. It rightfully belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.

* * *

**Spring Bliss**

**Chapter 2**

He badly wished to be her prince charming, the valiant knight that would always come to her rescue just like in the fairytales…

To be that one person that she could always turn to in times of need…

To be the one that would always come to love and support her for who she was, no matter what her background and status were…

To be the one that would always come to cherish for her more than anyone else would…

But sadly, it was not him that she loved, but someone else. And he knew that he could never compete with that, could ever hope to compete with him. She was blind, unknowingly and deliriously blindto the feelings that he had staunchly harbored for her these past few years.

He didn't care that he was second best, or that he was but a mere replacement, or that their relationship was just a wistful dream that he didn't want to ever wake up from…

As long as he could always protect her, and shield her from harm…

As long as he was always there to soothe away all her pains…

As long as he can still be considered as someone very dear to her…

He was content.

If only for a little while…

* * *

"**Sai**,"

Sai slowly looked up, and was immediately met in turn with furious eyes that were unnervingly very much like his own. He glanced anxiously at the pink-haired woman beside him, feeling nothing but worry for her, but was quickly rewarded with a small smile and a reassuring squeeze from her hand for all his efforts. He was quick to return the gesture, a hint of a small smile briefly passing his lips before once again turning to the Uchiha, all traces of tenderness from before, now gone.

"**Uchiha,**"

He knew that it wasn't in his place to intrude between them, but he could hardly even give a care at the moment. He was well-aware on how the Uchiha had his eyes on her all this time, as if he had wanted nothing more than to take her away from his arms.

He returned the Uchiha's glare tenfold, a grim line on his lips.

_Like I would ever let that happen so easily…_

_

* * *

_He didn't know why, but the very sight of Sakura hanging off Sai's arm like her life actually depended on it made his very blood boil. To him, everything looked wrong. From her loving smiles to her adoring eyes… It wasn't the same. It all seemed faketo him.

Sai couldn't hold her in his arms as if he never wanted to ever let her go, in a sincere gesture of always making her feel loved…_ like he would._

Sai couldn't kiss her senseless and leave her absolutely breathless for all she's worth… _like he would._

Sai couldn't whisper sweet nothings to her ear, and instantly have that pretty face of hers go a delightful bright red in sheer bliss and embarrassment_… like he would._

He knew to a painful fault that he shouldn't be feeling so bothered over what really never was. He had even said it himself; their relationship was nothing more but a farce, a mere byproduct of sheer boredom and his gentlemanly wiles. Indeed, what was there to lose in humoring a love-sick fan girl, if only for a little while?

_Indeed, was that all there was to it?_

Quick to ignore the sudden, unexplainable heavy feeling that welled up in his chest, Sasuke met Sai's challenging eyes head on, smiling darkly.

"I didn't know that you were the type to go after discarded toys, Sai."

With utmost satisfaction, he quickly took note of the fact that the dark-haired man before him would have passed off looking completely unperturbed by the statement if not for the almost indiscernible clenching of his hands at the sides. Grudgingly, he had to commend the guy for all his efforts, going through such lengths so as to keep up his steely facade. But still, it wasn't enough to fully dissuade him from going any further; he had a one track mind after all.

Throwing off all caution to the wind, Sasuke continued on, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Tell me, is it worth it? To have someone as her by your side?"

Lightly running his right hand through his hair, he smirked arrogantly, never once breaking off eye contact with the black-haired artist.

"I don't know… You deserve much better, don't you think?"

The change was abrupt, practically distasteful to most. It was totally uncalled for, he knew.

A tension so thick was now looming over them, and he could hardly even give a care at the moment, wholly pleased with himself with the recent turn of events. He saw the barely-suppressed rage on Sai's eyes, and the rueful look that Sakura had on her face as she started to slowly pull her companion away from him.

He looked on straight ahead as they passed by him, refusing to meet her eyes head on as he said in a low whisper.

"You are so easy. Do you know that? Quick to move to another man when given the chance…"

He slowly closed his eyes, a bitter smile suddenly playing on his lips.

"Admittedly, there was once a time that I would have really thought otherwise."

Still, with the little guilt-laden glimpses that he had allowed himself to take of her, he couldn't help the unexplainable bitterness that suddenly welled up inside him at the mere thought of her lavishing her willful charms on another man, a man that was not him.

_Really now, was he feeling regret over things?_

Impossible, he was an Uchiha after all.

It was so much unlike him to harbor such petty feelings over someone, even more so for someone lowly such as _her_. Downright disgusted at himself for even considering it, he turned towards Sakura, onyx eyes immediately hardening into a cold glare, as he sneered cruelly.

"But really now, what more can I expect from a devoted fan girl such as yourself?"

* * *

Was the thought of her changing for the better that utterly detestable that he just couldn't bring himself to see past what she was before? Grudgingly, she knew that she was still desperately in love with him, however illogical as it may have sounded at the moment. Even amidst all the scathing words and the cold way by which he had treated her, she had still loved him.

_When I was a kid, I had always entertained the thought of someone being born just to be by my side, forever and always._

Deep down, she had always known that fairytales were really never meant for her, no matter how hard she would have wished for it to be otherwise.

_Someone that would always come to love me for who I am, no matter what my background and status were…_

To have believed so strongly, was it truly a crime?

_Someone that would always come to cherish for her more than anyone and everything else in the world…_

To find the picture perfect guy…

_And I think I found him already._

Was it truly impossible?

_I love you._

And that one time, while in his warm arms, she had badly wanted to believe that he cared for her too. To love and to be loved in return…

_I love you too…_

Really, could she come off looking more stupid so as to continue loving someone that hated her so much?

But maybe, it was all for the best.

_Nothing more but a devoted fan girl that would always yield herself to me…_

To his eyes, she would always be a fan girl and nothing more…

They were really never meant to be.

Sakura stopped momentarily, a small smile on her lips, her back still to the Uchiha. Sai chose to remain by her side, unmoving, as he watched on silently.

"I'm sorry…"

_Thank you…_

The tears were coming, but she continually reminded herself to stay strong, refusing to show any signs of weakness. She started to move, the distance between them effectively lengthening with each step she took.

"For being such a bother."

_For setting me free…_

He stared after her, something akin to guilt strongly nagging at his insides. Sasuke sighed tiredly, lightly running his fingers through his hair, quite tempted to laugh bitterly at the precarious predicament that he had just found himself in.

_The things you do to me… _

_

* * *

_"Sakura…"

They were currently sitting on a solitary bench in the park, a number of cherry blossom petals beautifully raining down upon them. Hearing no viable response from the girl, he leaned back briefly before reiterating the statement yet again.

"Sakura…"

Completely taken off guard, the pink-haired woman slowly looked up, obviously disoriented, a strained smile playing on her lips.

"Are you okay?"

Sai frowned worriedly, seeing the current state of the pink-haired girl. Her clothes were undoubtedly disheveled, her vibrant pink hair in complete disarray. Clear and brilliant emerald eyes, now a dull green. He immediately turned away; a dull painful throbbing was constantly thrumming on his chest with just the very sight of her. Clenching his fists tightly, he knew without a doubt that nothing good would've come out if she were to ever have a chance encounter with that Uchiha. If he had just trusted his instincts then, and steered her well clear of the despicable man, things would've not turned out like this.

"Look, don't let him get to you… He doesn't deserve you."

At those words, he saw her bow her head slowly, pink tresses staunchly blocking her face from view.

"Iie, I'm okay… Don't mind me, Sai-kun."

Annoyed, he cautiously crouched down in front of her, trying to peek in through the troublesome maze of pink hair. He raised a hand to lightly brush away her bangs, a teasing smile on his lips.

"Look, ugly-"

_Water?_

He froze momentarily, smiling sadly. He gazed down, horribly transfixed at the spot on the ground where one of her tears had fallen.

_You still love him, don't you?_

He clenched his fists tightly, at a complete loss on what to do. He forlornly looked sideways as he murmured brokenly out into the still air.

"Tell me, why? Why do you still cry tears over him? Surely, that bastard doesn't deserve any of it…"

He slowly closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to thoroughly calm himself. Always, he had always put her first above everything else. But why was she so fixated with the Uchiha? What was so special about him that she couldn't find anywhere else?

He looked at her, righteous anger coursing through his veins.

"It's always going to be about the Uchiha, isn't it?"

She looked up, obviously surprised with the sudden menacing tone that his voice had taken.

"Iie-"

He immediately stood up, forcefully grabbing her shoulders as he pushed her back slightly so as to let her see for herself the cumbersome effect that she had on him. Slightly relaxing his painful grip on her shoulders, Sai raised a hand to lightly trace her face, feeling the sudden tumult of emotions welling up inside him.

_Truly, what this sinful face had done to him…_

Everything he did, he had always been certain. But always, always, whenever it came to _her_…

"Why must you remain so blind to everything around you?"

Really, what had suddenly become of him? He barely knew himself anymore, barely knew the man that came off looking more confused and troubled with himself with each passing day. She had always remained so elusive to him, even from the beginning.

_It was always the Uchiha, wasn't it?_

He gazed down at her, something akin to deep longing mirrored in his face.

"Sai-kun, you're hurting me… Stop…"

Completely ignorant to all her pleas, the black-haired man said in a faint whisper.

"Do I really need to spell it out for you, Sakura?"

Before she could fully figure out what he had meant with his vague words, he swooped down suddenly to take her lips, her eyes immediately widening in surprise.

* * *

The kiss was amazingly warm and affectionately sweet. Certainly, it was everything she could have ever longed for when kissed by her most precious one. In fact, the situation would have been nothing less of perfect if she was not so bewildered with the recent turn of events.

_Sai… liked her?_

And just like that, the enjoyable pressure on her lips was gone. Straightening up from her position, she looked at Sai who was currently wearing a somber expression on his face. She lightly traced her lips as she met his gaze fully.

"Sai, what's the meaning of this?"

Lightly blushing and with his eyes still fixated on her lips, he answered stoically.

"Forget about the Uchiha."

As she was about to hotly retort on his reply, he swooped down again to steal a kiss from her lips. Admittedly, she had almost once again hopelessly lost herself to the amazing experience of his lips on hers, but had miraculously controlled herself at the last minute, delivering a harsh slap to his cheek in return.

"Stop it!"

He glared at her harshly, his muscles frighteningly tense.

""What? Am I no good for you? In your eyes, no one can beat the Uchiha after all."

She looked down, her arms shaking with anger.

"Tell me, Sai… why are you doing this?"

Seeing her genuinely confused expression, he was quite tempted to just laugh out loud with the sheer insanity of it all.

"You still don't get it, do you?"

Ruefully, he strode forward, trapping her in between the bench and his taut body.

"Don't you get it?"

Sai lowered his mouth to her ear as he whispered softly, all the fight within him, now gone.

"I'm sick of seeing you desperately pining after the Uchiha and having your heart callously broken by him. I'm sick of just being the caring friend that has always stood by you through both thick and thin. I want to be something more." _If you'll let me_, he added thoughtfully.

He smiled, suddenly remembering her unwavering fondness for happy endings and handsome prince charmings ever since they were children. He lightly hugged her to him, thoroughly enjoying the feel of her against his body.

"I once remembered a little girl saying so long ago that she wanted a prince charming. For that little girl, I badly wish to be that one person that she could always turn to in times of need-"

He could feel her struggling in his arms, but he held her still, wishing for her to stay put and to let him finish what he had to say.

"To be that one person that would always come to love and support her for who she was, no matter what her background and status were…"

His eyes softened as he felt the tell-tale signs of tears on the front of his shirt, but he could hardly care less.

"To be that one person that would always come to cherish for her more than anyone else would…"

He slowly detached himself from her, peering down onto her face as he smiled softly, a light blush on his cheeks.

"And I was kinda hoping that she would let me be all of these to her, and to let her know that I would willingly die first before I do anything to ever hurt her..."

It was really all too much at one time.

Sakura turned away, in deep thought.

"Sai, I-"

In the distance, a pair of dark red eyes can be seen glaring hotly at the scene.


	3. Chapter 3

Here's chapter three of Spring Bliss! I'm really sorry for the delay. Everything just piled up with OJT over the summer and thesis at college. Hope you enjoy reading it! Reviews and comments are very much appreciated. Thank you!

**Summary:** He's afraid of the one woman that could rob him of his senses, make him grovel and has absolute control over him. And she just had to fall in love.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. It rightfully belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.

* * *

**Spring Bliss**

**Chapter 3**

As far as he could ever remember, he had wholly abhorred showing any signs of weakness ever since he was a child. '_Uchihas are not weak'_ that was the mindset that was studiously imbibed on him throughout his life.

Indeed, weaknesses were nothing more but troublesome roadblocks that needed to be disposed off as soon as possible. He always knew that it was hopeless to welcome such things, particularly unbecoming as they were for an Uchiha like himself.

But whenever it came to her…

He honestly thought otherwise.

She was his guilty sin after all.

Only with her, he sincerely believed, that showing weaknesses could probably turn out to be such a good thing after all, even after everything that had happened between them.

Still, these thoughts that she had unknowingly awakened in him…

Nothing but dangerous, the whole lot of them.

Deep down, he knew, they had to end.

* * *

Creased forehead.

Serious cerulean eyes.

Deep frown.

"_Teme!_"

Feeling a deep migraine coming on, Sasuke looked up from his distant reverie, particularly annoyed at the unnecessary interruption. Truly, he didn't need this right now – never did and never will. He forced himself to act particularly nonchalant, turning towards the blond that had the sudden audacity to disturb him.

"Do you need something, dobe? I'm busy."

Silence.

Somewhat amused, he lightly raised an eyebrow, taking note of his friend's sudden grim expression. As always, Naruto never ceased to amaze him. It was times like these that proved that there was another side to the mischievous blond that everyone knew. However, rare as it was, he wasn't up to guessing what was troubling his friend at the moment. He had other matters to attend to – obviously, sympathizing with the aforementioned blond was not one of them.

"If you don't have anything important to say, then don't even try to bother me."

He made a move to go, silently turning away from Naruto.

"I saw everything."

His movements stilled, fists clenching indiscernibly. Deciding to feign innocence, Sasuke snorted incredulously, a bitter smile playing on his lips.

"Humor me then, will you?"

* * *

_Arrogant bastard!_

Well, it was quite safe to say that Naruto wasn't exactly feeling like Mr. Sunshine after that. Truth be told, he was mightily tempted to bash the poor bastard's face in for pissing him off more than he already was. Heck, most people would have clearly steered away as soon as they saw him being remotely serious, but the teme had wholly decided on his own to be that one glaring exception. He had to at least give him that – the Uchiha knew how to press his buttons alright.

_Well, he isn't going to make things easier for me, is he?_

Sighing tiredly, Naruto rolled his eyes inwardly, a semi pout on his lips. He looked like a poor child that had blissfully sweet, sweet candy mercilessly dangled in front of him for days on end now, yet unable to do anything to put the unyielding agony to a deafening halt. As expected from the human ice cube, Sasuke was quick to shoot down any of his good-natured attempts to start conversation. Still, he had to take his chances. His voice suddenly took on a serious note as he slowly looked away, his gaze distant.

"Ever since _she_ left, you've changed much, haven't you?"

He paused briefly, pensively looking at the Uchiha's back as the unnerving silence between them persisted. He knew that it wasn't like him to meddle on matters that did not concern him, but someone had to bring it out in the open. Breathing deeply, he made another stab at conversation.

"No matter how hard you try to convince yourself otherwise, you really do miss Saku-"

"Don't say her name."

He noticed how Sasuke had immediately tensed at the briefest mention of her name, muscles taut, fists tightly clenched. Naruto smiled softly, crossing his arms over his chest. If it were another time – a completely different circumstance wherein they were just being their young selves, carefree and happy – he would've gloated over the fact that he had the human ice cube acting so unlike himself. But, it wasn't another time – things have changed, and they certainly can't go back to being carefree and happy given the current circumstance. Admittedly, it saddened him a little to see the Uchiha being so unsure and conflicted – indeed, how the mighty have fallen.

Yet, at the same time, it gave him hope.

"She means nothing to me, Naruto."

_Liar._

Though it might not have been obvious, they had always been the best of friends since childhood. Thus, one of the first few things that he had learned about the teme was that he royally sucked at lying. Whether it be the slightest quiver in his voice, the indiscernible sweating on the sides of his face, or the minuscule throbbing tick at his forehead – he always knew when said bastard was lying. Unfortunately for Sasuke, he had always been one to not let God-given opportunities go to waste.

Condescending smirk.

"You're jealous, aren't you?"

* * *

Glaring hatefully at the ground below him, Sasuke felt nothing less but insulted at Naruto's current line of thinking.

_**Him**__? _

_Jealous of those __**two**__?_

_Fat chance in hell._

Why would he be jealous in the first place? In fact, he had no viable ties with Sakura and vice-versa. Parting on a disastrous note, their current relationship can't even be likened to that of mere acquaintances. With all the unspeakable things that he had done and said to her over the course of their relationship, he wasn't even sure if she could ever bear to talk to him civilly, much less forgive him for anything. For God's sakes, the pink-haired woman probably hated his guts for manipulating and leading her on so coldheartedly.

What was Naruto thinking for even suggesting a preposterous idea?

Yet, knowing such, why was he even feeling so restless over stating the mere facts? He singlehandedly used her infatuation towards him to his advantage, didn't he? Manipulated and led her on uncaringly without even batting a single eyelash? She should have known what to expect from the beginning – his notorious reputation had preceded him after all. Indeed, there was no one to blame but her in the end.

Yet…

He didn't want to think about it.

He didn't want to even consider it.

That everything that had happened between them – all the meaningless promises that he had willfully whispered to her over the course of their relationship, the amiable pretense that he had put up just for her and only her, and all those things that she had shown him wholeheartedly – could turn out to be a whole lot more than the lies that he had originally thought them to be, blissfully real and unadulterated in their own right.

Sighing tiredly, Sasuke irritably ruffled his ebony locks, feeling particularly frustrated over the whole thing.

Still, he couldn't deny it though.

However illogical as it may have sounded; he didn't want Sai or any other male other than him near _her_ for that matter. He was a selfish jerk – he knew it, and everyone around him knew it. Admittedly, he was extremely possessive of the things that he considered as truly his – this mindset even extended to the things that were once his, _her_ included.

For all he knew, he can see nothing wrong with his sudden touch of possessiveness towards the pink-haired woman.

Just because.

It was perfectly normal, right?

* * *

With smug satisfaction, Naruto wasn't completely oblivious to the fact that Sasuke was taking his own sweet time in answering his seemingly innocent question. Even though he had yet to hear it from the Uchiha himself, he knew that Sasuke cared for Sakura, probably even more so than he would ever bother to admit. Now, if he could get said bullhead to realize thus, then all would probably be smooth sailing by then.

Hopefully.

Hearing the Uchiha shuffle his feet idly, Naruto raised his head slowly, face expectant. Finally, an answ-

"Hn,"

Volcanoes erupted.

Earthquakes occurred.

Dark skies loomed.

And people ran for their lives.

Naruto saw nothing but menacing red.

_And the teme even had the gall to look so unaffected by it all!_

Through it all, the blond was quite tempted to laugh maniacally then and there. He wondered idly if he could get away with murder and wholly passing the whole thing off as a mere accident, or maybe he could just kidnap the socially-inept bastard and sell him away for a high price to his devoted fan girls – enough to last him through the rest of his days. Either way, everyone would be happy.

Well, probably not everyone, but he definitely would.

Angrily, Naruto opened his mouth to give the Uchiha a piece of his mind, yet all the fight in him died instantly as he heard Sasuke's next words.

"I saw Sakura first. She was mine."

Naruto could only gape, open-mouthed, as he searched the onyx-eyed man's face for any misgivings that he would have had for releasing such a particularly strong statement to the young, young unsuspecting world. _Maybe, he hadn't heard it right?_ However, as a few more precious minutes had droned on languidly to both their chagrin, the blond finally realized that the Uchiha had seemed to be wholly serious about the whole matter – hard it was to comprehend even for him, up to now.

Admittedly, he didn't know where to start.

It had been surreal.

It defied all logic and reason.

But it was miraculously real.

Naruto knew that he was fighting a steadily losing battle to control the large grin that was threatening to break out on his face any minute now.

A bit of hard-pressed denial, maybe. Or a taste of the famed human ice cube rearing its ugly head. Perhaps some much needed verbal lashing, here and there. He had expected anything – heck, had even prepared his very being for the worst that was yet to come. But he had certainly never expected _this_.

He never knew that Sasuke was going to be so cooperative, even on matters that concerned _her _primarily.

Sly grin.

"That was before. What hold do you have over her _now_?"

* * *

"I saw Sakura first. She was mine."

Truth be told, he didn't know what came over him so as to make such a careless statement so brashly. At one point, he was in deep thought over his worrisome actions for the past few months; next thing he knew, his mouth had suddenly decided to run off on him on its own. He was quite tempted to wipe off the annoying grin that was tightly-glued on the dobe's face, but had thought better of it otherwise.

Either way, it was too late to take back his words now, wasn't it?

Sasuke sighed softly, a small frown in place as he heard the blond's next few words.

"That was before. What hold do you have over her _now_?"

True, he knew that she no longer had any long-standing obligations towards him as they had parted ways albeit on a bitter note. Yet, something in him died every time as he saw her smiling brightly, not a care for the world, as he continued to struggle to make sense of the impeccable hold that she still had over him after all this time.

He blinked.

Silky pink hair…

Enchanting emerald eyes…

Full red lips…

Unconsciously clenching his fists, Sasuke gritted his teeth in anger.

She made him a liar.

She made him unsure.

But most of all, she made him contradict himself.

In his eyes, surely, there was no one else to blame but her.

Yet, he couldn't help himself.

_She always had to make him act so much unlike himself, didn't she?_

"Damn it. Tell me then. What do you want me to say? That I'm fine with her shamelessly throwing herself at Sai?"

Careful to maintain eye contact, Naruto frowned thoughtfully.

"I thought you didn't care about her?"

"Who said I did?"

Sasuke immediately looked away, wincing inwardly. Even to his ears, he had sounded insincere if not nondescriptly fake. He knew that it had been a botched attempt to convince himself, for lack of better words. To his chagrin, the blond in front of him didn't look the least bit convinced with his pitiful performance earlier on.

"I won't take it back. She deserved it – all those things that I said to her."

Closing his eyes for a moment, Naruto sighed tiredly as he asked softly, only for the both of them to hear.

"Is that it? Are you content to just leave things between you as they are now?"

When Sasuke didn't answer, he continued on hesitantly with a subtle hint of frustration on his voice.

"Aren't you even going to do anything about it?"

Finding the growing silence between them suddenly unbearable, the blond opened his eyes slowly; only to be greeted by an empty space where the Uchiha had once stood, amidst the silent rustling of leaves and branches around him.

* * *

He cared.

No matter how hard he had tried to convince himself otherwise, he had already known for a long time now. Yet, he had vehemently denied it, had refused to acknowledge it even – all for reasons unknown.

He didn't know when it had started, these small inklings of affection that he had selfishly hidden away from her – traitorous as it was, making him hope for something more. He hated the unknown that was their relationship, hated the feelings that she had slowly awakened in him – making him feel more and more _human _as he continued to stay by her side.

_Tch. _

Sasuke gritted his teeth. His Sharingan flashed a dark red, tomoes swirling angrily.

Yet, it was undeniable.

He cared for her.

He cared for the girl that had been wholly innocent for her own good…

He cared for the girl that had been willfully blind to his glaring motives…

He cared for the girl that had given her utmost all to making him happy, no matter what…

So as to what extent, he still didn't know.

And it scared him.

Very much.

* * *

Sasuke stopped for a moment to catch his breath, hands on his knees.

Everywhere, he looked. Yet Sakura was nowhere to be seen. He wondered idly if that bastard Sai had done something inappropriate. He growled lowly, his blood boiling at the mere thought.

As it is now, he didn't know what to call their relationship – if it was even existent in the first place.

Still, he cared for her.

And he knew that it was a start.

"Sai, I-"

Hearing Sakura's voice at the distance, Sasuke came closer towards the source, a small smile tugging at his lips. Frowning slightly, he felt the dim beginnings of anger well on his chest at the sight that greeted him.

Sakura looked like she had been recently manhandled, her clothes disheveled. Other than her appearance, nothing seemed to be out of place. However, his intense scrutiny didn't miss the underlying predatory gaze that Sai was still directing to the pink-haired woman – it irked him to no end. To his utter disbelief, Sakura had even acted like not a thing was out of place!

His patience was growing thin.

Sasuke glared hotly at the scene, Sharingan activating unconsciously.

To say that he wasn't unaffected by the whole thing was a complete understatement.

It was decided.

He had nary a care if she would come to hate him more.

As long as he could get her away from Sai…

It would all be worth it.

Definitely.

Sasuke silently strode over towards the couple, firmly grabbing Sakura's arm as he pulled her to his side. Eyes flashing dangerously, he calmly focused his gaze at Sai, a cold smile on his lips, his tone challenging.

"I'm taking her with me."

He staunchly ignored her desperate protests, his grip on her arm tightening.

"Don't you dare follow us."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Corner:**

First of all, I am very sorry for the delay as thesis ate up all of my time. Hopefully, I'll be able to have updates every other week or so, be on the look out for it!

I've also taken the time to edit Chapters 1 and 2, as I've felt that they were too wordy for my tastes.

As usual, comments and reviews are very much appreciated. Thank you!

That aside, here's Chapter 4 of Spring Bliss!

**Summary: **He's afraid of the one woman that could rob him of his senses, make him grovel and has absolute control over him. And she just had to fall in love.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. It rightfully belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.

* * *

**Spring Bliss**

**Chapter 4**

She was the school outcast.

Unnoticeable, invisible to most.

Her life was mundane, disturbingly like clockwork – dreary and monotonous. Get up from bed early, prepare for school, pass her subjects as expected, go home, and stay the heck away from trouble.

Rinse and repeat.

Admittedly, she was all too happy to have kept things that way, as it should have always been.

But then she just had to see him.

And he just had to make her feel.

She had lost her resolve to deny him a long time ago. And deep down, she was glad.

He made her smile with joy at his adorable antics…

Made her cry in sadness at the sheer unfairness that was him…

Gave her hope when she had badly needed it…

And made her feel despair over the loss of their relationship…

But most of all, he had taught her how to love, along with showing her firsthand the painful repercussions that often came along with it.

He had given her all of those, and possibly more.

And for that, she was utmost grateful.

* * *

Frankly, she didn't know what she had done in the past life to be placed in the middle of a particularly awkward situation such as this one. The air between them was unmistakably tense, and she could hardly muster to even breathe out a single word for fear of starting an impending melee.

Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that two men would fight over her, as if she was some kind of prize to be won in the first place. She sighed inwardly. This day has been an emotional rollercoaster at best, for lack of better words.

Silently, Sakura took this time to look at Sai who was evidently looking downright murderous at the moment. Call her dense, but she never knew that he had harbored any romantic feelings towards her whatsoever. He had been particularly supportive of her during the whole Sasuke ordeal, and would oftentimes lend a listening ear and a sympathetic smile whenever she had needed it. However, she had often thought that their relationship was purely platonic, something akin to that of siblings. _Well, it seemed that that was all me anyway, _she thought wryly.

Idly, she wondered if they could ever go back to the relationship that they once had before. She was willing to make it work, but things would definitely be awkward at first. Admittedly, she was quite flattered that he had valued her more than she had originally given him credit for. She remembered that she hadn't given the talented painter a proper answer yet. But as soon as she was ready, she would. She could only hope that he would wait patiently until then.

Wincing softly at the tight grip that the Uchiha was unconsciously applying on her poor arm, she looked up irritably towards the onyx-eyed man, frowning thoughtfully. For all she knew, he was truly an enigma to the world. Sure, he was pig-headed, brash, and arrogant – but he was certainly never one for loud outbursts such as this one. What could have had happened to unnerve him this much?

This Sasuke before her still looked the same, but he was definitely not the same Sasuke that she had come to know from before. And honestly, she didn't know why that particular realization had pained her so much as it did this time around. She shook her head slowly, as if ridding herself of the bad memories.

She was already over him, wasn't she?

When it became quite apparent that the impromptu glaring contest between the two men wasn't going to end any time soon, Sakura took a brief moment to calm herself.

She had had enough.

Forcibly taking her abused arm away from Sasuke, Sakura rounded on the said man as she interjected angrily, "Taking me with you? Believe me, you are the last person to have the right to boss me around, Uchiha."

* * *

Being an Uchiha himself, he was used to getting what he wanted.

Even a blind man could tell that her recent statement had made him all the more temperamental, if not utterly furious. Compound to the equation a carbon copy of him that almost stuck to her like troublesome glue with paper, then you have a disaster just waiting to happen.

Sasuke glanced down at the pink-haired woman before him, quick to take note of her flushed appearance – her cheeks were a healthy shade of rosy pink while her hair looked slightly out of place due to her recent angry fit. The sight brought a small smile to his lips, finding a welcome semblance of familiarity between them despite the current situation.

He opted to humor her for a bit, feigning innocence as he said offhandedly, "You sound so sure,"

His onyx eyes regarded her carefully for a moment, as if he was merely chastising a disobedient child. Tugging her closer by her elbow, he smirked arrogantly as she stumbled towards him, obviously caught unaware by the action. Feeling her slightly shiver against him, he slowly bent down, whispering softly to her ear, "And how do you propose that you would do that?"

To his amusement, he could feel her shake with barely-concealed anger at the overtly friendly gesture, small lips in a thin line. Her petite figure had failed to betray the volatile temper that she possessed – but he knew it was there, silent and brimming. Admittedly, he was not that ignorant to the glaring warning signs, and if he had truly valued his life, he knew that he should stop. But he could hardly care anymore.

He had missed being this close to her.

She was so addictive, and he just couldn't stop-

Pale hands slowly wandered to Sakura's sides as he pressed her even closer to him, almost affectionately. He could faintly hear Sai growl warningly at the background, but the said man had still done nothing to interrupt him. She was unnervingly still as he gently wound his arms around her. His voice took on a wistful note, almost reminiscent.

"All I ask is for a brief moment, Sakura."

* * *

"You sound so sure,"

His clear onyx eyes were solely focused on her person, amused yet condescending at the same time. She resisted the urge to stamp her foot angrily at the ground, biting back the string of profanities that she would have loved to hurl at the decidedly infuriating man in front of her. She hated being taken for granted, but to even have the gall to treat her like a child – that was par for the course!

Quickly taken by surprise as he suddenly tugged her forward, she stumbled headlong into the Uchiha's warm chest, utterly lost for words. Feeling his delightfully warm lips near her right ear, she couldn't help but shiver slightly in response, suddenly mindful of their close proximity.

"And how do you propose that you would do that?"

He was clearly underestimating her – she knew that tone very well. Shaking with barely-concealed anger, she struggled to maintain her composure, lips in a thin line. Then and there, she had almost screamed bloody murder at him for making such a splendid mess out of things.

But then he just had to place his hands over at her sides – the simple gesture was undeniably gentle, almost affectionate. She was unnervingly still as he brought her even closer to him, overcome by the sense of familiarity that the current situation had unknowingly brought about between them. His wistful voice steadily pulled at her heartstrings, as she took it upon herself to remember the things that did matter, once upon a time.

"All I ask is for a brief moment, Sakura."

"Sasuke, I-"

And something inside of her… just broke.

Sakura met Sai's disappointed eyes head on, suddenly feeling weary. Head bowed, she softly clutched at the front of the Uchiha's shirt, seemingly unsure.

"Just this one time then."

* * *

He didn't stand a chance.

He had known that for years now.

Yet, his heart was decidedly stubborn. He had continued to love her even though he was well-aware that their situation was hopelessly futile.

She met his gaze head on, green eyes suddenly turning apologetic.

But it still wasn't enough.

He was never going to be enough.

He could never be Sasuke.

He could be nothing more but himself – only Sai.

"Just this one time then."

She might have not seen it, but he knew that it was always there – seemingly nonexistent, but still there nonetheless. That stupid man was madly in love with her, yet was hopelessly in denial over everything.

And as the Uchiha slowly took her hand into his while sending a meaningful glance at his direction, he couldn't help but put up a strong pretense.

For her sake.

As well as his.

For he couldn't bear to see her unhappy, much more so if the cause was him.

Silently, he watched their backs slowly fade at the distance. He knew that she needed to do this for herself – and he let her be.

He would let the Uchiha win, for now.

But the fight wasn't over yet.


	5. Chapter 5

Erestor here! Thank you for the lone review on Chapter 4, **Emma0707**! You just don't know how you had really made my day! I had almost resigned myself to not receiving any reviews for the previous chapter. :D

That aside, people who have added this story to their favorites and alerts list, thank you also!

As usual, comments and reviews are very much appreciated! Even a short and quick word of encouragement would do!

**Summary: **He's afraid of the one woman that could rob him of his senses, make him grovel and has absolute control over him. And she just had to fall in love.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. It rightfully belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.

* * *

**Spring Bliss**

**Chapter 5**

Admittedly, he was foolish, hopelessly and ludicrously foolish.

Through and through, people are curiously fickle – always the ones to want a sure guarantee that things would work out as they often should, devoid of unwarranted complications. But as life would oftentimes have it, one does not accomplish his set goals so easily – more so if these would likely stem out from impulsive decisions, with wavering emotion overruling stalwart reason.

Indeed, though much blessed and able-bodied than the next person, he was still no exception to the rule. Much like the wayward soldier that zealously braves the battlefield in a haphazard display of wanton bravado, then quick to lose heart at the merest signs of brewing trouble – he had indeed made a splendid mess out of things. One could only beat himself up enough times over something that shouldn't have happened in the first place.

Yet, for the life of him, he still didn't have the faintest inkling on what had exactly spurned him off to act like he did. He didn't believe in overrated sentimentality – those were only for people that have grown undeniably attached, quick to wear one's heart on one's sleeve. Nor was it undignified pity, he would rather die than to bring himself to even feel the slightest hint of regret over his actions.

So what exactly was it?

Was it the driving need to possess, to have her realize that she could never entirely break away from him even if she had wanted to?

Or maybe an unwarranted reaction to an underhanded blow to his enormous ego, as he immediately felt threatened at the way Sai was looking so familiar with her just now?

Either way, he could hardly care anymore.

Yet as he momentarily looked down at the frail-looking hand that was precariously engulfed by his larger one, he couldn't help but feel that everything that has recently happened between them was all in good stride, an intelligible move at reestablishing a much more workable relationship between them in the near future.

Possibly even more?

He frowned thoughtfully.

Though the traitorous thought didn't sit quite well with him; it didn't bother him as much now as it once did before.

And curiously, he didn't mind it one bit.

* * *

They were well away from prying eyes, overshadowed by the still blooming cherry blossom trees at another section of the park. Seemingly content for now to gauge each other's reactions with regard to the recent disconcerting turn of events, Sasuke regarded the pink-haired woman before him carefully, having nary a clue on how to start conversation.

Fortunately, Sakura had been nothing but unnervingly cooperative the whole time she was with him, yet he didn't know how long such God-given luxuries would last. Calling their current relationship strained was a complete understatement; the whole thing probably came off as an emotional quandary at best – boasting a slew of relationship blunders enough to warrant the failure of a relationship fifty times over.

Much to his chagrin, it was to be expected after all. They hadn't exactly parted at the best of terms, with him forgoing closure, opting to end their relationship on his grounds. Refraining to maintain contact over the past few months, he rarely saw her as she quickly took to shying away from him whenever he was nearby. Deciding to be an obnoxious prick through and through, he hardly batted an eyelash at her newfound behavior, trademark indifference knowing no bounds.

Yet he just had to be selfish, allowing no room for any arguments, hadn't he?

Clenching his fists tightly, he inwardly chided himself for letting the circumstances between them get terribly out of hand. If only he had been wholly content so as to leave things as they were, then he wouldn't have to be placed in a particularly awkward position such as this one. He hadn't meant to pull her off Sai's arms like a man seemingly possessed, acting all high and mighty as if he practically owned all of her. God knows how much he had regretted going along with the flow so thoughtlessly, as if he was the type of person that tended to do such. Yet when all was said and done, after he had taken a good long hard look at himself, he knew that he needed to do this. He knew that he cared for her, and it was a start.

But, was it truly enough?

"What do you seek to accomplish by doing this?"

Sakura's voice rang clear through the permeating silence, devoid of any reservations, uncharacteristically nondescript. Inwardly, he admired the frosty countenance that was schooled on her features, unyielding given the current circumstance. Her manner of dealing with him spoke volumes of the brimming animosity underneath, yet he wouldn't give her the gratuitous satisfaction of seeing him all riled up over something so insignificant.

"You could call this a temporary ceasefire of sorts if you wish," he answered furtively, a small smile on his lips.

Staring pensively at a wayward cherry blossom petal resting on the open palm of his right hand, he added offhandedly, "If it's any consolation, I hadn't planned any of this to happen." He momentarily held the slightly bruised petal in between his lithe fingers before carelessly letting it fall to the ground.

"After all, I would have liked to meet under more favorable circumstances," he amended.

On a whim, he slowly neared the pink-haired woman before him, his soft footfalls occasionally muffled by the fallen cherry blossom petals scattered all over the ground. Stopping a mere few inches before her person, he teetered precariously over the edge of propriety, torn between wanting to touch her and decidedly keeping his distance altogether.

"I knew that we would be having this talk someday."

Still, the unnerving silence between them had persisted, but he didn't let it affect him at the slightest. It was quite unlike him, but he wanted to get a reaction out of her – something feasible, anything but the decidedly controlled facade that he was seeing right now. He wanted that distasteful charade of hers to break, for her to just vent, to let her brimming emotions let loose.

Just this once.

Then and there, he decided that he wouldn't settle for anything less after all.

Ever the paragon of confidence, he prodded on, "But it still doesn't make it any easier, does it?"

Head bowed, Sakura remained unmoving, absolutely determined in seeing the little vendetta that she had going against him to the end. If he squinted a bit, he could see her furiously whispering a string of expletives under her breath – something about an excessively infuriating man overstepping his boundaries and how he was going to pay dearly later – that would have immediately put any notorious delinquent to shame if they had the unfortunate chance to have heard her. Pity that it would have worked also, if she had absolutely looked every bit the part of a person out to exact revenge on the unsuspecting world for screwing her a million times over.

If anything, she looked relatively harmless, slightly red at the cheeks and out of breath if not the bit miffed, in his eyes.

Still, he couldn't help the little fond smile that had appeared at his lips at the rather endearing sight, a fleeting whisper escaping before he could even stop himself.

"Annoying…"

Hearing an indiscernible sound from the Uchiha, she inquisitively looked up to see him regarding her with the kindest eyes that she had ever seen him hold. She slowly backed away as he shortened the distance between them even more. His expression was nothing short of affectionate – her eyes were surely playing tricks on her, she decided – and it scared her, which in turn did nothing to soothe her already jarred nerves.

"You are annoying,"

Her back tentatively met with the trunk of the cherry blossom tree behind her, and she was nothing short of indignant. Cursing softly, she found the feel of the rough bark on her clothes was indisputably unnerving, which unfortunately can also be alluded to the man before her. He had confused her to no end, showing her varying facets of his personality that she could only ever hope to understand him in the far off future. Ignorant of what the Uchiha had to say, she was about to open her mouth to ask him to back off and to give her much needed space, but was interrupted at the last second.

"Because you make me remember everything…"

He swooped down, suddenly capturing her lips in a soft kiss that turned her legs to pitiful mush – and just as it had started, it was already over. She chided herself inwardly for letting him get the best out of her yet again. Seemingly content, he softly pressed his forehead against hers.

"It annoys me so much that I find myself caring for you. And frankly, I don't know what to call this, what to call us."

She held her breath, dreading his next few words.

"All I ask is for a chance to understand."

And she bolted.

He ran after her.

* * *

Sasuke struggled to maintain his composure, his body shaking slightly as he caught her right arm, her back still to him.

"Are you wholly content to let it end like this? Won't you say anything?"

Sakura stubbornly refused to look at him, her head at the side, pink tresses flowing with the wind.

Much to his chagrin, he couldn't keep the underlying bitterness separate from the words that he precariously let out into the still air, "It didn't strike me that you were much of a coward, Sakura."

He was briefly met with teary emerald eyes, before his head was abruptly forced to the side, his right cheek stinging horribly, now sporting a furious red hue. Her outstretched hand was shaking violently, tears running freely down her cheeks. Guilt immediately gnawed at his insides as he was quick to realize the harsh repercussions that came about from what he had just done.

"I don't want your pity."

He stilled, his tongue nervously darting in between his dry lips in an offhand attempt to moisten them.

"You are cruel, Sasuke. Has it ever occurred to you that I don't want anything to do with you a second time?

He didn't know where the sudden desperation was coming from, but he needed her to understand! It was bad enough to realize that he cared for her, but to ignore his feelings outright! If she would just hear him out properly-

"You got it wrong! Can't you see? I don't pity you. I-"

"Do you derive some sick satisfaction in playing with my feelings time and time again?"

Much to his chagrin, he found that all words had left him. How could he answer such a question when she wouldn't even give him the time of day to better understand how he felt about her – and she even had the gall to call him cruel?

"Isn't once enough?" Sakura murmured brokenly as she slowly pried his hand away from her arm.

He could only let her go after that, silently watching her fleeting back at the distance. Clenching his fists at his sides, the sudden indiscernible feeling at his chest contributed towards his growing uneasiness, filling him with the unfamiliar leaden dread that was often the stuff of tragic romance novels.

Why did it bother him so much that she didn't want anything to do with him anymore this time around?

_If I only cared about her, then why did I…_


End file.
