A/N: Alright, this is just a oneshot for Valentines Day. Hope you guys like it. I know I've gotten a little phylosophical at the end...but I guess this is an influence of my mania over Oriental philosophers, lolz. Well, happy Valentines Day everyone ;)

When she came (back) into my life

When she came into my life, I couldn't help but want to protect her. For she was so pure and innocent…I couldn't stand watching her all beat up and in pain. Sure, there were times when she was just plain annoying, or times when I shunned her. And I would hate myself for that, especially when she would always forgive me…especially at that night, when she begged me to stay…

It was a warm summer night, with full moon and little playful wind. Then again, that night was darker than any before it: her tears clouded the serenity of her green eyes. I couldn't look at her. I couldn't stand her crying and the fact that she was crying because of me only made things worse. Damn! There was so much I wanted to tell her, to just spill out an entire grudge…because I knew she would understand. But I didn't. After all what she went through for me, including risking her own life…all I managed to do was to knock her out after saying thank you. Am I a bastard, or am I a bastard?

I saw her after two and a half years. She was so pretty and her eyes had the same serenity, mixed with passion in them. Still…I didn't pay any attention to my heart bumping inside my chest the moment she ran out of that dark corridor. I didn't pay attention to a terrible wound on her arm, obviously got in a process of looking for me. I swear, back then, my mind was somewhere in a darkness…darkness, which completely tore it away from my ice and stone heart. I could have killed her back then…and it's a good thing I didn't…I still wouldn't be able to forgive myself.

Every since then, the emptiness I worked so hard to maintain inside of me, has disappeared…and I could no longer push those green eyes out of my mind and dreams. But I refused to go back. My mind was so clouded by revenge…and I was a complete bastard. Nah! To lightly said.

And here I am, standing here, finally came back after another two long years…and there she is…same cotton pink hair, same delicate body, same soft and innocent face…But there was something different in her eyes…

When those green wells turned to me, I saw my own reflections there. And those eyes were no longer big and smiling, but narrow and accusing. If years ago I could always find comfort and inviting warmth there (no matter how many times I rejected it), now, all I could see there was a cold and closed soul. At this very moment, a fear creeps inside of me: I feel it coming through my nose with the air I breathe and this cold feeling spreads all over my lungs, heart and mind. I was afraid…afraid that I have lost her. Afraid she will never come back into my life.

To my greater torture, those accusing green eyes closed to me, making the fear inside of me grow colder. I I wonder, hw long will I be able to hold back the shiver?

"Hello, Sasuke-kun" she said, her voice echoing inside my frost-bitten inside. That free and laughing voice…So contradicting with those mirror eyes.

"Sakura" I said her name out loud, but, somehow, my voice still feels silent.

"It's been quite a while" she smiled to me…the smile was, however, only a shadow of what she used to give me everyday. Back then it was always, big, bright, dazzling, understanding, comforting…the list could go on forever. Now, it was cold, distant, annoyingly polite and without a drop of acceptance in it.

"Yeah" was all I could say. Those cold eyes sucked a living soul out of me.

But somewhere in the midst of my soul leaving, I realized one thing: no matter at which circumstances, I longed this to happen. Me to see her and her to see me. No matter that it was only me really seeing…seeing her. She wasn't the same Sakura from before and her eyes no longer pulled everything into them – like gravity would. And I wanted to be pulled into them. I wanted to be taken away by that bottomless green whirl. In other words:

"I missed you" it sort of just slipped out without thinking.

But these words were like magic.

Sakura's eyes widened a little and I could see a shadow of that warmth I longer for. It lasted only second though: her eyes returned to those cold mirrors again.

"It is hard to believe you, Sasuke-kun"

Her words cut like knife. And the mentioning of my name only made it worse. I used to love her saying my name: it always had a certain softness to it, which somehow made me feel calmer and…like finally having a chance to settle down.

"Do you believe in miracles?" I asked, my voice somewhere half-stuck in my throat. Why oh why is it so hard to tell something you actually feel?

"I used to. Until you left" she answered, her chilly gaze rammed into my eyes. I desperately tried to swallow a ball in my throat and for a moment it seemed successful. But only until I tried to say something again.

"Sakura, don't look at me like that, please" I said and only after I did, I understood what I've done. I literally told her how I felt. Her eyes widened again, when she realized the meaning of those words. Unbelievable how those eyes can vary from cold to warm and vice versa. I heard her breathing pacing up…and with that, the chill inside me began to melt. Her past presence again managed to warm up my heat and soul…and I loved it.

"Don't you know? I cannot look at you any other way" she said, but it was already hard to believe: Sakura was already getting back to her old self.

"I know. And I understand" I said, but didn't stop there: I couldn't hold back an entire mountain of things I wanted to tell her and so I took my chances…no matter that it completely went against TheUchiha's Policy.

"I understand that you don't want to see or have anything to do with me. I deserve it. And I don't deserve a person like you by my side. That's why I couldn't take you with me or stay with you. You have a wonderful ability to give people around you happiness and love….but I don't deserve neither. I understand. I understand it so well and I hate myself for that. I don't know if I will be able to-"

At that moment, she put her soft, graceful and delicate fingers on my lips and silenced me. Her eyes were big, shining with serenity and gratitude: just like was then, five and half years ago.

"Do you know how long I had been dreaming of hearing these words?" few tears pearling down her cheeks "miracles do happen" she whispered, corners of her lips lifting up a little. I brushed those tears away from her face: it was still unbearable to see her cry, even though it was from happiness.

"Will you come back into my life?" I asked, enjoying the chill inside of me being replaced by a warmth, full of lightness of cherry blossoms.

Sakura smiled to me. Her palm, softer than any silk, touched my cheek, taking my breath away. Then she stepped closer to me and our lips lightly touched…

PONG!

Something fell on the ground and Uchiha Sasuke sat up in his bed. He looked down and found his own sword lying on the floor. Bad idea to sleep with it in a tight grip. The shinobi sighed and pressed his face with his hand.

Perfect dreams do not some true…nor do they last long. He knew this far too well. He knew and understood it. Sakura came into his life, changed him and left. And she wasn't coming back. It was only a dream…no matter how Sasuke wished it to be true. After all, Sakura would be happier in Konoha then here, with him…with Hebi….or with Orochimaru for that matter. Or so Sasuke tried to convince himself.

The Uchiha lifted himself from the bed and looked around the room: it was barely lit by slight morning light, which was still grayish. Although he had done this a thousand times, Sasuke again overlooked the room: a night table, shoji styled doors and walls, a wardrobe, a little square table with scrolls, kunais and other gear on it, a hanging calendar with marked day…

Wait.

Sasuke landed his bare feet on the floor and went to the item. He hadn't noticed it before. It was an old calendar, more than ten years old, just like most of the stuff…but somehow it still had a certain day marked and a small pack hieroglyphics was marked with a red ink. Sasuke leaned a little closer and read what was said there…

As the Uchiha left the room with all his gear, a little, hardly noticeable, round stain was left behind him, on the floor.

A sly wind came in as he closed the door, disturbing an eternal peace of the wise calendar.

It was marking 14th of February…

It was saying:

It is remarkable and also sad how significant moments only fill a grain of sand in a desert of our life. Most of them are over before they are allowed to start. Those moments, however, enlighten our entire life and walk with us until we die. And loving people always hold such a light.