a/n: Heya! Lawl, I'm in a funny mood right now! I have to stop reading drabble fics; they put me into a physical state of inane laughter that never ceases to annoy the weak and or faint of heart (I think that random over there just died of cardiac arrest coz of me... oh well, shit happens! XD)!

Well, if you haven't figured it out yet... this is a drabble fic... compiled of however many chapters I can manage... hmmm... can I really rise up to the expectations...?

Will they even be remotely good/entertaining/funny?

Well, they'll be a mix of various themes, plot-centric and otherwise, but they will mostly revolve around the main theme of 'romance', so look out for that!

Alright, I shall set you free of my wrath... for now... Ahem, anyways, enjoy! :D
And please do ignore the title of this drabble collection; it doesn't apply to them all!

Disclaimer: IDNON, BIDHTOS! That is all.

NOTE: This was inspired by a song I LOVE. You MUST listen to it. NAOOOW! On repeat. It really uproots an emotional effect, I think. It is called 'Cat and Mouse' by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. And yes, I LOVE THEM! Do it. NOW. Lol. Please? o.O

*-Drabble .001-*

Summary: Life was full of far too many regrets. They were both chasing after separate things, without ever realising that what they were seeking was simply each other.
It was an endless game of cat and mouse.

Categories; Romance, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Tragedy

Rating; T

'Cat and Mouse`

She lay there, tears streaming down every contour of her face, as she gazed longingly at the picture that was cradled loosely in her limp arms—the picture of better days.

When they were all still together.

But that was no longer the case.

They had gradually fallen away from her, distance being nothing next to the utter grief she felt over losing one of her own.

Permanently.

One of her family.

Haruno Sakura, the supposed genius medic-nin alongside her master, had been unable to prevent it, unable to save him from perishing forever, the light from his eyes fading into a perpetual, ephemeral state of slumber, that could never be disturbed.

She could not save him.

She could not save her beloved from the perils of death.

She could not save Sasuke.

Simply because of her harsh words of reprimand.

Of so much loathing and hatred that it only succeeded in tearing her heart to shreds furthermore.

Her suffering only continued to grow as she gently brushed a thumb over the photograph, the most recent addition to Team 7's growing album of pictures; in this photo... in this photo... they were altogether, with lovers of their own to fuel their daily lives.

With two already lovers present in the picture, arms around one another as a certain knuckleheaded ninja proceeded in throwing an arm around the raven haired boy's shoulders, grinning like the fool he was. Had always been.

But one that she loved dearly.

And in the backdrop, her aloof yet strangely cheerful sensei stood there with a smile, an arm draped carefully around both boys shoulders; it was almost comical to see the two aggressive males towering over the still very tall older man, acting so inanely immature that it brought more tears to her emerald orbs.

But it was one of the only pictures that served as a reminder that Sasuke had been real, and not in the sense that he had been solid.

Because she knew that all too well.

She had had to.

But it was in the sense that he had been real, someone who could smile as care-freely as he had in that photograph—the only smile she had ever seen him produce.

And it was all for his 'family'.

For them.

And now he was gone, along with all future opportunities to ever smile for them again.

For her.

The tears seemed endless as Sakura drifted off into a perturbed slumber, where his handsome, tortured expression filled her every thought and dream before turning them into a nightmare.

She remembered.

She remembered why he had died.

He had done it for her.

Because she told him to.

Flashback

"I can't keep this up anymore, Sasuke-kun, I can't! All you ever do is stand there and stare, always unresponsive! Am I supposed to be happy, when everything I've ever wanted comes at a price? I can't have anything, your heart, nothing! You're always so fucking distant! I feel as if I barely scratch the surface now! Why can't you ever offer anything up to me? I feel as if you never wanted this, us, to begin with! Like I'm some sort of leeching parasite that has become the bane of your very fucking perfect existence! Well if that's how you feel, then it's over! I've had enough of you never answering, never taking note of how others feel when you brush them off because of your inflated ego, of every fucking thing about you! You would never do anything for another person now, would you?"

As usual, Sasuke simply stood there, his expression a mask of bland beauty incomparable by any means. And that infuriated Sakura beyond measure.

"Argh! See? Right there! You're fucking doing it again! Just staring at me like you really don't give a shit! You know what? I bet that you wouldn't even have the nerve to go and die for someone else if it meant saving your own selfish ass!"

For the first time that evening, since their argument had begun, Sasuke spoke, his voice quiet and soft as the words slipped out of his perfect mouth.

"You're wrong about that, Sakura."

"Am I really now? Well then! If that were true, then why is it that whenever someone that you see suffering is being tortured, you refuse to help them? Hunh? Answer me that, Sasuke!"

With that Sakura stormed out of his apartment, slamming the door without for a moment looking back to see if he were pursuing her.

And for the slightest of seconds she could have sworn that he had said something along the lines of, "Because I was too busy trying to protect the one thing that I couldn't afford to lose."

Three days later, whilst on an S-ranked mission with Team Kakashi, Sasuke was killed by the enemy, never getting the chance to say how he really felt.

Never allowing Sakura to apologise for her mistakes.

Never allowing her even a moment to kiss his perfect lips one more time.

Never allowing her to tell him that she loved him, always had, and always would, in the stead of everything that she had spouted several days prior to his demise.

Never allowing her even a moment to say goodbye.

And most of all, never getting the chance to tell him what she had only just found out; that they were going to be parents.

That he was going to be a father.

Was.

But not anymore.

End of Flashback

Sakura sobbed uncontrollably, clutching the frame to her breasts as she curled into foetal position, her heart aching; so much for her plan to sleep.

But one thing really ached; the fact that she had had the chance to speak with him, to tell him everything she had wanted to after they made it back to the village, whilst he bled profusely in her arms as she desperately tried to heal him.

She could still hear the joy that he had felt in his voice, in his expression, before he had slipped away from her for good.

Flashback

"Oh god, Sasuke-kun, stay still! I have to stop the bleeding! Kaka-sensei! Naruto! Anyone!"

"Sa...ku...ra... so...r...ry... I'm... so...r...ry... f...or...every...thing..."

"Please, don't speak! I have to fix this first! Then we can take as much time as we need! We'll get through all this, I promise! So please, PLEASE, don't die!"

Sakura shrieked through tears as she all but choked on her broken sobs, her hands shaking profusely as she applied her medical ninjutsu to his wound; he had been stabbed straight through the aorta.

And they both knew the inevitable result of that sort of infliction.

But Sakura refused to give in.

She would save him, and she would work things out with him, make them all better.

Because he was the only reason she had left to live.

Him, her teammates, and their future family.

She had to protect them.

Because she couldn't do it alone.

She needed him, and he knew that.

And that was what made it all the more heartbreaking.

"Sa...ku...ra... I... need... to... say this... before it's... too late..."

"It won't be 'too late', because I can fix this! I can fix this!"

Sakura sobbed like it were the only thing that sustained her very essence, the thin tightrope that could snap at any given moment; like it were the mantra that would enable her to save him, the man she loved, like a beautiful miracle.

But they both knew the truth of the matter.

So she let him speak anyway, all the while tending to the profuse bleeding that was refusing to stop.

"The... answer... to your... question...? I value... your life... above all else... It isn't as if... I never noticed... their suffering... it was... the one thing... th...at... separated me from my... original purpose... to pr...otect you from danger... but I always put your safety first... I couldn't... afford to... lose... my most precious thing... my precious person... So I... had no other choice... it still hurts... to think about them... a...nd their agony... but I keep reminding myself...that it was all worth it... to see your smiling face... after it all ends..."

As if to put further emphasis on his point, Sasuke reached up, cupping Sakura's cheek with his bloodied hand as he traced the smooth contours of her face, burning it to memory.

Without warning, Sasuke's breathing became laboured, a single string of blood dripping from the crevice of his mouth; in her state of mind, all Sakura could do was scream the first thing that came to mind, the one thing that she could think of that would convince him to remain conscious.

"You can't leave me alone! Please don't die! I can't raise a child on my own!"

The words were like adrenaline to Sasuke's ears; he instantly perked up, shoving down the nausea that swamped him in favour of what Sakura was saying.

"Wh...a..t? I'm... go...in...g to... be... a... father?"

All the rosette could do was nod avidly, tears spilling over tenfold and landing with wet 'plops!' onto Sasuke's dirt-marred cheeks as she gazed at him almost pleadingly, her chakra never faltering for a moment as she finally gained control of the bleeding.

"Ah... Uh-ha! So you have to live, okay? For me and our baby."

"Aa... I've... gotta... pull together... And Sakura? I did... just as you asked of me."

Sakura cocked her head in confusion.

Sasuke simply gave her a tired, familiar smirk in response, before elaborating.

"Re...member... when you said... that I couldn't... sacrifice myself... for someone else...? Hn. Well... I just did. I was supposed to... die for you. I... guess that means... that you second-guessed me again..."

Sakura stared at him with horrified eyes, before choking out a weak response.

"I never said that you were to

Again, the famous Uchiha smirk graced his lips, but it soon turned into a small, weak smile, one that she had never seen before.

And it was specifically for her, and her alone.

His expression in itself was soft, softer than anything that she had ever seen, and contained many emotions unseen and unexpressed.

But she knew then and there what they all meant.

Sasuke was always one for demands, so when he uttered one, it wasn't all that surprising; but what he had asked of her, as a whole?

It brought the tears faster than she could prevent them.

"Sakura... Kiss me..."

And so she did as he asked of her, knowing full well that this was to be their last, forevermore.

Sakura carefully cradled his upper body on her lap, leaning down so that she could press her trembling lips to his in a soft, chaste kiss; his hand wound up behind her head, pulling her closer as he savoured in her warmth—he no longer had any to provide.

His tongue brushed against her bottom lip, the pinkette instantly bending to his silent demand as she parted her lips, feeling the slow, probing intrusion of his moist muscle tapping against the inner confines of her cavern; it wasn't hungry and demanding, like they usually were, fuck, it wasn't even possessive.

It was simply affectionate.

And with that, the life left him, Sakura's anguished sobs cutting through the air like knives piercing through to ones heart and soul.

And with that... a part of her died also.

End of Flashback

Sakura felt herself convulse at the memory, the very thing that had happened only a few days earlier.

It was funny to think that on that day, she also lost the very thing that she had worked so hard to preserve; her heart, her soul, her very being.

When she looked back on it, they had been oh so different, too much so to be compatible, and as they constantly sought out whatever it was that fruitlessly kept them going, they failed to realise that all they ever wanted was already there before them; just as Sakura had finally grasped that she wanted Sasuke, now and forever, he had been taken away from her, in an almost cruel twist of fate.

Am I supposed to be happy?
With all I ever wanted, it comes with a price.

His life was the price.

And she had bargained it off as if it were nothing to her.

You said, you said that you would die for me...

And he did.

He had died for her.

To protect her.

His most precious thing.

His precious person.

We made plans to grow old...
Believe me, there was truth in all those stories that I told.
Lost in a simple game 'cat and mouse';
Are we the same people as before this came to light?

They were to have been together until death do them part.

And whatever was after that.

Everything that he had ever said to her, the sweet nothings, were all true; he had loved her.

And she had not seen that, the entire time that they played 'cat and mouse', constantly averting the truth of the matter until it was already far too late for salvation.

Far too late for reconciling, for hope.

For love.

You said, you said that you would die for me...
You must live for me too...

He had made the ultimate sacrifice for her.

But that hadn't seemed to have been enough.

Because she wanted him to live for her too.

She wanted him.

Nothing else.

But it was already too late.

He was gone, and nothing, nothing, would ever change that.

Nothing.

Just as Sakura was about to sob her heart out alone, the door to Sasuke's bedroom swung open silently, the person approaching making sure to approach stealthily, in utter silence.

A pair of arms weaved around her waist from behind, and the familiar scent of musk and the aftermath of rain clinging to their flesh.

"K-K-K-Kaka-s-sensei..."

"Hush, I'm here now, everything will be alright."

Kakashi's smooth, suave voice echoed in her ear, comforting yet despairing at the same; this was impacting on him on so many levels it almost hurt Sakura to witness it.

He was trying so hard to maintain his composure, to remain level-headed whilst the people he treasured mourned freely; he had to. He was the only source of solace that could fully understand that pain.

He had lost yet another precious person to him. But he could not afford to shed tears.

Because that would be an admission to let all other feelings of heartache out, and that he would not expose—simply for the fact that he did not wish to unsheathe the full extent of his suffering and emotional turmoil to the ones whom learned from his example.

"I'm here too, Sakura-chan."

Sakura felt more tears leave her eyes as a spiky mop of hair made itself known, Naruto clambering onto the bed to position himself in front of her; her family was here.

With the exception of one.

Who was now dead.

That only made the pain worse to deal with.

But just knowing that both of the boys were with her, their arms around her as she cried her heart out, made her feel slightly appeased.

And because of this, they found it almost impossible not to cry with her.

So that's exactly what they did, never once letting up their grip on the only things that gave them a reason to go on.

Each other.

He was gone.

Buried.

Permanently out of her sight.

Their game of 'cat and mouse' was over.

And the end result was something that no one had seen coming.

And although it was hard, as long as Sakura held Kakashi's and Naruto's hands, she knew that somehow, someday, everything would be alright.

'Remember when you said that I couldn't sacrifice myself for someone else? Hn. Well... I just did. I was supposed to die for you.'
'You must live for me too! You have to live for me! I won't have it any other way!'

And indeed he was.

Inside of her.

The promise of another future.

A reason to keep moving forward. Something that Team 7 could cherish together.

The last relic of Uchiha Sasuke's life.

The child that was now growing in her womb.

He was their salvation.

He was the true 'ending' to their constant game of 'cat and mouse'.

You said, you said that you would die for me...

Author's Monologue

And yet you still live on, in all of their hearts, never to be forgotten.

Because that was the way it was fated—destined—to be.

In the end, you made the greatest sacrifice a person could ever give; surrendering your own life to save your beloved.

And for that... you will never be forgotten.

Because you were the one who initiated the 'game' to begin with.

Only to see if your feelings were as pure as hers.

Well?

Are you satisfied?

The soft rays of sunlight that broke through the thick black clouds above and shone down upon the three was the reassurance that he would always be with them, spirit or otherwise.

And amidst it all, they smiled, Sakura raising her face to the sky to indulge in the warmth, only to feel a concentration of heat on her lips.

Tears spilt once more down her cheeks as she realised that Sasuke was there with them, her, parting with her with one final kiss.

And it was a kiss that she would cherish for many years to come, until she was one day reunited with him.

Somehow that thought only fuelled her to live, for both of them, and their child.

And live she did.

a/n: So, how was that?

Kinda depressing, I know, but sorta... I dunno, uplifting at the end?

Honestly, I don't know! XD

But it shouldn't matter what I think!

You guys are the critiques, so please drop in a review, alright? :D

And yes, this will be a collection of random stories, so don't go and assume that they'll all be sappy and, well, sad!

There should be a mix of humour etc later on, so look out for that!

Well, until next time then!

Ja! x)

*-Sasukeluva 4eva-*