Crumbling

Summary: Sakura could only stare as her world fell away. Alternate Universe, study in real life situations. Sakura centric, not Sasu/Saku.

WARNING: I will miss this story; I really will. I kept adding new parts because I had left too many loose threads. If I miss any, let me know. I'll add it via extra chapter or something.

I really hope I stayed true to the strong woman I wanted Sakura to be. She's my girl and I adore her.

I'd like to take a moment to thank all of those anonymous reviewers who always took the time to let me know they were enjoying my little tale. I love answering whatever reviews I can, so it's painful that I cannot give digital hugs to all of those wonderful people out there. There were so many thoughtful ones, more than I could count. So, to make up for it, I wanted to tell you all THANK YOU. You're all awesome and I love you very much.

As for my favorite person in the world, 'im ur misconception', woman… you are the best reader anyone could ever have. I hope I always write stories that surprise and entertain you.

'Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.' – Kahlil Gibran

Epilogue
Scars

Gaara watches Sakura place the tea out before him, sitting down gingerly on the other side of the table. His gaze slides to the hallway, where vivid blue eyes peer through the darkness. Ino huffs and retreats, followed by at least two other dogs. Ever since the Uchiha's attack on his client, both she and Yamanaka Ino have taken to camping out in Hatake Kakashi's home. A snort draws his attention to a small pug sitting close to Sakura's feet, glaring hatefully. He blinks, taken aback, and decides to ignore the ugly little animal. He's never liked dogs anyway.

"You need to decide," Gaara prompts after a lengthy silence to his earlier question. He doesn't answer questions that he dislikes but having Sakura do it to him is an annoyance.

She stares at him, still somewhat dazed by the concussion that had almost rendered her unconscious. He watches her stare vacantly at a spot over his shoulder before he gives in.

"Are you alright?" worry seeps into his voice, and it seems to finally Sakura to snap back into reality.

"Y-yes," she stammers, putting her head in her hands. "I'm fine. Just a bit confused, that's all."

Gaara glares, crossing his arms over his chest. "The concussion isn't clearing up like I thought it would. Have you gone to the hospital again?"

At the beginning, Sakura had refused treatment. She complained that if her degree in medicine wouldn't make her the most adept at treating herself, what the hell was it for? However, Gaara had put his foot down. A medical examination from a third party would work very well in tipping the case in their favor. Additionally, it would get Sakura the meds she needs without making her out to be one of those doctors who self-prescribed. Going to Konoha General had been the next step, and Tsunade herself had appointed a specialist to her youngest apprentice.

Gaara's mandate came to be good advice, for Sakura soon began to experience vertigo and fainting spells in later days. Of course, she's had to take off the last couple of days from work. From the slightly untidy way she's dressed, the circles under her eyes and the mess of her hair… she's not faring very well.

He steeples his hands, staring over his knuckles at her. "Sakura," he says, voice grave. Her eyes slide up, finally meeting his. "He hit you. He hit you hard. I have him behind bars. Do you want him to stay there?"

This is no longer an issue of whether or not he can put the Uchiha in jail. If anything, despite the mild-mannered judge, the case is entirely in Sakura's favor. The best part is that if this case comes to total fruition the way Gaara wants it to, the divorce'll be even easier to settle against the Uchiha. Should Gaara feel like it, Kankuro would sentence him to life in jail for attempted murder and child endangerment. It would be a stretch, of course, but Gaara has enough photographic proof of Sasuke stalking Sakura while toting his own son to make the court see him as a monster who puts his own son in danger while premeditating a murder.

This time, he waits with more patience, watching her over his hands. His patience is finally rewarded as she takes a breath.

"I don't know. I don't know what to think," she breathes, speaking softly. "I don't want him in my life, but I know his son would then be doomed to our adoption system and foster homes." She puts her head in her hands, staring at the table in horror. "Can I do that to a child? Over something as stupid as-.."

Gaara cuts in, looking furious. "Stop." He's at her side, lightning quick.

Sakura raises her head, tears in her eyes. Gaara goes down on one knee to make better eye contact, but he doesn't reach out to touch her. Almost clinically, he holds up a hand and starts listing as though looking through a laundry list.

"One, he hit you. That is a violation of your health and well-being. Two, he chose to bring his son to the club. This marks him as a negligent parent." He brings down one finger per point, making sure she's paying attention. "Three, he left an unrelated person to you or him bed-ridden for two months. That makes him aggressive and homicidal. Four, he's been stalking you for seven months without rest, despite the restraining order. That's holding the court's decision in contempt. And five, he chose to do all of this."

Gaara stands, holding out a kerchief for his client to take it. Sakura does, dabbing at her eyes while watching him morosely. Kakashi and Ino had been delicate about the issue. Neither of them excused Sasuke, but they'd tried to take Sakura's mind off of the fact that her husband had struck her. Struck her hard enough to make her bleed and concuss her. Her best friend and uncle had been walking on eggshells all week. She smiles almost crookedly. Trust Gaara to take one look at those eggshells and stomp through them like an angry toddler. Her world is crumbling beneath her, it has been since that night all those months ago.

Only now, as Sabaku Gaara gives her a choice, does she realize there's a layer underneath the surface. It's a shining, brand new layer; welcoming her with a dazzling ray of hope and possibilities. Sasuke had chosen his path. It's time she chooses hers, and the empowerment of it makes her feel rejuvenated.

"Okay," she says, voice gaining surety. "Okay. What are my options?" Her grin wobbles, but it's there, it's brave and for once, it's stable.

Gaara's smile is vicious, if only to hide his pride.

Ever since that fateful first time nearly a year ago, Sakura and Gaara have been making time whenever possible to hike up Mount Kumotori. Sometimes, they climb entirely in silence, simply enjoying the view. Other days, they chat and take their time, even camping at the different designated areas for hikers and adventurers. When they can't bump Taiki off on Kakashi, they bring the excitable pup, who's shown the world that German Shepherds are as adept at scaling mountains as formidable goats. This time, at Gaara's insistence, they left the two-year-old dog behind.

The climb up is uneventful, a cold January morning with few hikers and biting winds. Sakura bundles up into her coat and jogs while watching where she's going. She's gotten so used to hiking that she's implementing jogging spurts to keep her body warm. Gaara, as always, is a few steps ahead, too energetic for a decent human being. It's customary that Sakura complains on their hikes, to the point that Gaara often wonders why the hell she keeps accepting his invitations. Even under pain of death, he'll never tell her how glad he is that she does.

Gaara looks over his shoulder, and Sakura admires the way his eyes sparkle in delight. The dark purple scarf she'd knitted for him brings out his jade orbs and curls warmly around his face. His cheeks peek from under the thick material, pink from the exercise. He pulls the scarf down, a rare half-smile on his face. "We'll be late for sunrise, c'mon!"

Sakura bites her cheek and burrows into her own blue scarf to keep from smiling. No matter how long she's seen them, his dimples always get to her. She picks up the pace, reaching Gaara's side and matching him step for step. His eyes slant her way before sliding back to the path, keeping a keen eye on rocks and debris. Sakura's twisted her ankle before on those pesky stones, so the redhead is especially wary of them. Thankfully, they reach the clearing in time without any mishaps. Gaara takes off his pack and offers the doctor a bottle of water. She accepts, sitting down to watch as the world around her begins to light up. They'd set off since nearly four thirty in the morning, just to reach a higher vantage point from which to watch the sunrise. The day has no hope for warming up, she supposes, but there's something about a winter morning. Tokyo's blanketed in white from last night's snow, with her surrounding mountains gently dusted white like donuts in a pastry shop. Sakura gazes out into the world and breathes, feeling entirely at peace in this quiet morning as the sun's first rays peek over the horizon.

Sakura gasps, gesturing to Gaara, who's still rummaging in his pack. He grunts, and she decides he can look up when he wants. She's not missing that sunrise for the world. The sky, once deep blue, is now a cascade of warm colors, ranging from violet to blush to red to orange. No matter how many times she sees it, she can't take her eyes off of it. She leans forward, eager to see the way the whole sky lights up, and almost jumps when Gaara thrusts something at her. She tears her eyes away from the magnificence before her to stare at a beautifully cut peridot ring, decorated with bright diamonds running down the side of the white gold band. She stares at it, dumbstruck, before Gaara clears his throat.

"Take it or leave it, I'll only ask once." He mutters, watching her face closely. He jerks his hand, almost shoving the box into her face. "Marry me?"

Sakura looks out at the sleeping world, down at the ring, then at the idiot holding it under her nose. She clears her throat to pretend she isn't tearing up. "Stop wasting my time," she snaps… then almost punches Gaara in the gut when she pushes her left hand at him. He didn't get down on one knee, but he could at least have the decency to put that ring on her hand himself.

"Yes."

Gaara blinks. She'd mumbled, and he wants to be sure.

"Excuse me, what?" From the way his lips curl teasingly, she knows he heard her loud and clear. Still, Sakura knows him well enough to give in the first time. If she avoids it, he'll get creative in his questioning methods. He's not Sabaku Gaara for nothing.

"I'll only say it once," She growls, taking her hand back. Gaara prevents her, catching her wrist in an iron grip. "Yes, I'll marry you."

The look of utter satisfaction on his face would have been funny if it wasn't for the fear she'd seen in his eyes the moment she'd made it sound like she'd reject him. He puts the box in her hand, takes out the ring, and slides it perfectly onto the ring finger on her left hand. It glitters in the morning sun, the light green of the stone turning into an iridescent rainbow. This time, Sakura doesn't hide her tears, putting the box down to cover her mouth. It's the perfect color to match her eyes, a rare type, even for the light green stone. She wonders when on Earth he measured her finger, for the ring fits perfectly. It's not too large or gaudy, just the right size for her small hands. It's beautiful and Sakura can't believe it. She can't decide whether to kiss or kill Gaara, so instead she hold both reactions back. She can always let Ino beat him into submission for surprising her all the way out on a mountain. If anything, the blonde will want to tear him limb from limb for taking away her chance to see Sakura's reaction. Gaara's not a fan of public affection, anyway. She can kiss him when they get home.

There's a shadow of a smile on Gaara's face. He falls to his knees at her side as he takes her newly adorned hand in his. He doesn't kiss it, he merely presses it to his forehead, then sits more comfortably to watch the sunrise. Sakura tightens her hold on his hands, surreptitiously wiping away her tears. The warmth of his body presses against the side of her legs and she turns her face out to the dawn of the New Year. It holds promises of so many things and she feels complete joy in her heart.

A thousand times, yes.

"So," Kakashi sits down on a chair beside his sister's bed, looking bored. "What's new?"

Riku stares at him, as though debating whether or not Kakashi said it to be funny. Her room is utterly plain, with white walls and no TV. It should be evident that nothing is new. Still, she loves her little brother, so she humors him. "Nothing much."

"I see," Kakashi remarks blandly, looking off to the side. His hand twitches, as if reaching for something but remembering himself. In front of any other person, Hatake Kakashi would have brought out a copy of his favorite book. Haruno Riku had never been fond of Kakashi's truant reading habits, so he refrains. He doesn't want her getting too crazy on him. He knows his sister uses her diagnosis of insanity to act even more irrational than usual when it pleases her. If anything, he suspects that's the only reason she chooses to stay in this joint.

No child of Hatake Sakumo could be held prisoner unless they wanted to be.

Riku wonders if Kakashi will make another conversational effort and waits. The youngest Hatake sibling has always been a bit quiet for the norm, to the point he'd worried his elder sister a bit when they were children. She had never been one for words, either, but Kakashi had remained mute to the point people doubted he could speak as a baby. It wasn't until he suddenly gave a speech as to the wonder of dogs that people realized he merely didn't talk because he didn't want to. Everything he'd done as a child had worried her. Who wore a surgical mask over their face all the time? It's almost relaxing to see his habits have yet to leave him in adulthood.

Riku suspects that whatever vocal capacity Kakashi should have been born with was passed down to her daughter. Buddha knows that girl can talk out of her elbows.

"And you?" she asks, merely for the sake of being polite. Kakashi's life has always been more interesting than hers. Considering she's been trapped in this facility for more than twenty years (the times she was released notwithstanding), it's sort of an obvious fact.

Kakashi shrugs, making Riku's eyes narrow. She's never seen him shrug much before. Kakashi is a perfect example of your standard Japanese man. He'd never really adopted the American customs of the younger generation, including the act of shrugging. She rummages in her formidable memory, contemplating the oddness of the gesture.

"The usual," he remarks, shrugging again. "Training the new recruits, the dogs, the odd bomb threat or two… customary things."

Riku stares at him, aghast. In as many minutes as she's seen him, he's shrugged! Something must be the cause. She can't call him out on it, either. Her frustrating little brother would only make light of it or redirect the conversation. Sometimes she rues the day he was born. The Gods brought him into this world, did they have to make him smart, too?

"Any new friends?" She asks, trying to pinpoint the cause. It's likely that Kakashi's been hanging out with someone who makes a habit of shrugging, to the point he's gotten to doing it to. However, apart from his boisterous neighbor, Riku can't think of any friends her little brother might have.

Kakashi shoots her an odd look, straightening in his seat. She can tell he's caught on that she's probing for information. "No," he says emphatically, making Riku cock a brow. His denial is interesting. Perhaps there is someone? Kakashi doesn't normally hide things from her. Except his porn books, but that's to be understood. She'd burned his last collection when he'd been seventeen. Riku still blames the drugs the doctors had prescribed for that incident.

She thinks back, trying to recall any new faces that have come to visit her recently. Apart from Sakura and Itachi, no else has come to see her. No, that's not right. Her brows furrow as a face rises from her hazy, drug-addled recollections. There was someone who came, during one of those days Mikoto had chosen to visit. Who was it again? Oh, right, that redheaded lawyer.

She remembers him fondly. He'd gotten rid of her well-meaning, but silly friend. Really, Mikoto, to use her as a pawn to bring their children back together. Riku smiles briefly, thinking of her impression of the young man. He was older than her daughter, for sure, but not by much. His distant persona is one of the most perfected veneers she'd ever seen. He was handsome, too. What would it take for him to become her son-in-law? She'd always wanted Sakura to marry a lawyer. Or was that a prosecutor? The young man was very good in his field; the court order against Uchiha Mikoto and her brood was delightfully perfect.

Riku looks out to the snowy yard, watching the snowflakes' dizzying descent. She sometimes wishes she could go outside, but then remembers she hates the cold. Perhaps in a month, things will warm up again, come spring. The cherry blossoms outside her window will bloom and bring her those beautiful memories of her dead husband. He'd always loved spring.

"What of that lawyer?" She says suddenly, picking up the line of questioning again. Kakashi starts a bit; they'd been sitting in silence for the better part of twenty minutes. He'd gone out to fetch a drink from the vending machine in the hallway, without Riku noticing. Hell, a nurse had even come in with a syringe, injecting Riku with her meds. "Such a nice boy. And what shockingly red hair! Would he come back for another visit, do you think?"

He's just taken a swig from his drink. It takes every ounce of self-control for Kakashi to avoid doing a spit-take. Instead, he stares at his sister in mute shock.

She grins, going a bit loopy as the drugs begin to take hold. "Such a nice boy…" she repeats, sighing as she leans into her pillows.

Kakashi blinks, then rolls his eyes. He nurses his drink as his sister falls asleep in her nest of pillows. Once he's sure she's completely out of it, he straightens her millions of blankets (like mother, like daughter) and heads out. He wonders if he ought to mention this to Sakura, then shrugs. Her mother would tell her, probably.

Probably…

Sakura glares fiercely, held back from murder only because Gaara is there. Of course, should she choose to go through with it, the redhead would probably help her destroy the evidence. He knows the whole story Kiba told her, to the most minute detail. If anything, she can also see that her friend and ex-lawyer is holding himself back as well. Naruto wouldn't even know what hit him.

"Tell me," Sakura hisses, making the blond flinch. "Why I shouldn't maul you right this instant."

Naruto has the decency to look alarmed. His eyes flash between the lawyer and the doctor, panicked. Worse, there's a sudden growl, and Naruto's eyes dart to the German Shepherd at Sakura's side, whose hackles are raised aggressively. Taiki bares his teeth, perfectly white and frighteningly long.

All three of his hosts are exposing the whites of their eyes, and Naruto wonders whatever possessed him to come into this den of wolves. He had come because Sakura hadn't been taking his or Hinata's calls. At his fiancé's insistence, he'd called the redheaded lawyer and been invited to come. Naruto wonders if this is how he dies… he should have had that second bowl of ramen last night.

He eyeballs the door, counting the twenty steps between him and freedom. Gaara smoothly intercepts his path, arms crossed. He stands there like a mountain, completely unmovable; the perfect shield.

"Because you love me?" Naruto tries, desperate. When Sakura's the one to growl, he tries again. "Because you love Hinata?" Gaara takes a step forward, oozing menace.

"Because I love you and you're my best friend!" Naruto hollers, crouching and covering his head with his hands. He's no coward, but he knows what Sakura's capable of. Hatake Kakashi had taught his niece well. And Gaara looks like he could choke a bear without breaking a sweat.

"Then why," Sakura's voice rings out again, somehow sad. "Why have you been lying to me?"

Naruto raises his head, now even more horrified. An angry Sakura, he could handle. He'd weathered her beatings before, he could do it again. But even when he was a child, he'd never been able to handle a sad Sakura. "What? When did I lie?"

Sakura's crying and it hurts to know it's all his fault. Naruto takes a step forward, but Taiki gives a warning growl. He stays put, hands raised uselessly. Sakura wraps her arms around herself, looking wounded. Naruto's own eyes tear up; he's never been good at watching other people suffer.

"You knew about Sasuke's deviance," she says, and it cuts him to the core. "You knew and you never told me."

Naruto's lips thin, and he lowers his head. Without warning, he falls to his knees and drops his head to the floor, bowing a full seiza. He doesn't know how she found out, but Naruto sees no point in lying anymore. "Yeah, I knew." He says, gritting his teeth. He doesn't even make excuses. "I'm the shittiest friend ever; I knew from the start."

Naruto doesn't budge, even when a few minutes pass. He can hear Gaara move about, and Sakura sniffle and blow her nose. Her soft, watery thanks and the lawyer's cool response… it just about breaks Naruto's heart. He wishes he was the one to give her the tissues, the one to help her relieve her sadness. He should have been honest and upfront since high school. Instead, he made a stupid promise; all because Sasuke swore he would never sleep around again. Then Naruto would catch him again, Sasuke would make him promise to keep quiet and swear never to do it again. Then the cycle would repeat itself, all over again. The time when Sakura was rushed to the emergency room had been the last straw for him, but… Naruto's word was his bond. He promised he wouldn't tell Sakura, no matter what.

A hand lands on his shoulder, making him look up. Sakura is there, her expression a mask of anguish. "I can't forgive you for that," she says honestly, frowning. "I'm not sure I ever will."

She pushes him until he's upright, then pulls him up to his feet. Naruto nods, wiping away the tears that fell from his eyes. He hates himself, deeply. He has been hating himself since the moment he found out about Sarada and their divorce. If he'd been upfront about it to Sakura, she'd probably never have married Sasuke. She'd never have moved in with him. She'd never have suffered the heartbreak of a five-year relationship gone down the drain. His regrets haunt him deeply, so much that he even refused to pass messages from Sasuke to Sakura. As far as the blond was concerned, the Uchiha had hurt his friend quite enough.

However, Naruto watches in amazement as Gaara takes stand by his friend, stoically offering support. He watches as Sakura draws strength from him and stands firm. He sees their united front and refrains from grinning like an idiot. There's his silver lining. It's likely she'd have met the lawyer anyway, considering her boss is his sister… but Naruto likes to think the series of events lead to a much happier result.

Sakura smiles, and Naruto hopes perhaps someday, their friendship will be alright again.

"If you do that again," Sakura says, still smiling. "I will start at your ankles, end at your neck and break every bone in between. Twice."

Someday, Naruto daydreams… someday.

It's a rather unnoticeable beginning of another summer, growing hotter and hotter as the days go by. Sakura's becoming more and more reluctant to leave work, walking slowly to the car when Gaara arrives to pick her up. Their building had been suffering from the heat and the A/C was malfunctioning. It's been making their home lives miserable. Temari had invited them to stay on with her, pitying their dire situation; but they don't allow dogs. Even Gaara's been hedging whenever they go home, driving around the block twice to enjoy a moment longer in the car's cool environs. Today, he's a bit late. Normally, he passes by at six thirty, sharp. He'd texted her earlier, to let her know he'd been held up for a bit.

Unlike her usual haunting of the hospital corner, Sakura waits indoors. The sun won't be setting for a couple more hours and she's unwilling to stand outside in this heat. She fans herself, despite the cool A/C that keeps the hospital at a tidy twenty degrees Celsius. She holds her phone in her hands, idling as she checks all her unread messages and looks through her e-mails, to make sure she hasn't missed anything. It's the beginning of the weekend, and many of the professors tend to send things at the last minute. She's never been fond of such a practice, as it always pushes her schedule back. They don't come in to work on Saturdays, but she does! They could untangle themselves from paperwork until Monday, while she's toiling away at their backlog. She always takes revenge by doubling their loads, happily ruining their Mondays. The doctors working under her know of her vindictive streak, so most of them have become accustomed to being timelier in their paperwork.

It pays to be a taskmaster.

Her phone vibrates as Gaara lets her know he's outside, and she strolls leisurely out the hospital doors. It's too hot for her to run to the car, but then, the redhead holds something up in his hands. He shakes the cup, showing her the cold taro latte with tapioca. She gasps and breaks into a sprint, running around the car and into the passenger's side in record time. Her hands are already extended toward the attorney, who shows impressive survival instincts when he shoves the latte into her hands.

As he starts the car and Sakura happily sips the sweet drink, he casually says. "I left Taiki with Kakashi," the A/C is turned on just right, making Sakura sigh as she relaxes. "The air conditioner at our building is still out of whack. I talked to the landlord and he's called maintenance. The repairs should be done in a few hours. We could go watch a movie and get some dinner while we wait."

Sakura groans loudly, nodding. "Oh, that's perfect! You're a genius!" Gaara smirks, scoffing.

They continue their trip to the nearest cinema in peace, with Sakura looking up the most recent releases on her phone. She reads the titles and synopsis out to Gaara, who shoots them down one by one. When she runs into Jake Gyllenhaal's film, just recently released, she gestures wildly, almost spilling her drink. As the main advocate for Konoha General's rehabilitation clinic, Sakura had been making a fuss over that movie for months. "Please, Gaara? Can we watch this one?"

She looks at him, and Gaara avoids meeting her puppy-dog eyes. His breath hitches, suddenly confronted with the very real situation that he'd be watching a movie where the protagonist would go through an experience similar to his own. As they reach a red light, his eyes slide toward the doctor at his side, who has left off begging to drink more of her favorite summer beverage. He can't resist the twitch of his lips, and Sakura barely looks up in time to catch his fleeting half-smile. At that, she knows she's won.

"Yay!" She cheers. "Let me buy the tickets now, for the showing in thirty minutes. The seats are nearly all gone!" As she quickly purchases the tickets online, her tongue sticking out, Gaara keeps driving. When the proper exits comes up, he quickly takes that road, entering the parking lot for the cinema. It's Friday, so quite a few people are already queuing up. Most of them are youngsters in their teens, standing in large groups and talking amongst themselves. Sakura exits the car, nursing the last vestiges of her latte, before tossing it in the trash. Gaara offers her his arm, and they walk together to the building. It's cool inside, making Sakura do a little victory jig. Gaara smirks and escorts her all the way to the line. He drops her off there, heading off to buy the drinks and popcorn.

Sakura asks of a hotdog, making Gaara wrinkle his nose at movie theatre food, but he complies anyway. He buys a large tub of butter popcorn, two sodas and Sakura's hotdog, juggling all the food items on a tray. Sakura comes up to him, helping him by removing the hotdog and skipping off to add ketchup and whatnot. He notes the tickets are in his pockets, snuck in there when Sakura took the hotdog. He shakes his head, wondering if Sakura would should make a career as a pick-pocket. All of the tables in the lobby are taken, so he remains standing, waiting for Sakura to return. She comes back, just in time for them to head into the theatre.

They take their assigned seats, getting comfortable and settling their things around them neatly. Sakura takes her soda and hotdog, while Gaara commandeers the bucket of popcorn. Sakura shoots him a look, knowing the redhead will probably finish most of it by himself. Gaara ignores her, already digging into the buttery goodness of his popcorn. As the advertisements end and the movie credits begin, Gaara realizes a problem he hadn't anticipated.

Sure, he and Sakura spent a lot of time together. They had watched a bunch of series on their respective couches, taking turns in their apartments. They shared a lot of dinners, snacks and laughs over blue-rays or TV channels. He sat beside her more times than he could count.

But in this dark cinema, isolated from the world in the black curtain as music begins to play, Gaara can't even focus on the screen. Instead, he finds himself self-conscious whenever Sakura leans too close to him, when she reaches for some popcorn or when she takes a sip of her drink. He knows she's eaten three handfuls of his popcorn, but he doesn't even know the names of the characters onscreen, despite the fact that they're nearly an hour into the movie. When she takes a deep breath, when she laughs or when she starts to tear up… Gaara's watching her. He'd feared watching a film that would hit too close to home. Perhaps he should have feared what sitting in this island of their own would do to him. He thinks back on when he offered her his arm and flinches, mentally berating himself for seeming a hormonal teen. Since when had he ever been a gentleman?

By the time the end credits pop up, Gaara's only too thankful to leave. Sakura's put him so on edge, he's near jumpy. As they toss the remains of their snacks in the trash, Gaara jerks when Sakura takes his arm again, smiling up at him.

"What do you feel like eating?" She asks, looking up at him curiously. It takes every fiber of his being for Gaara to keep himself from tensing up.

"Whatever you want, it's fine," he says, trying to keep it cool. Sakura hums, looking off to the side as she thinks of what would be good to eat. Gaara's thankful she's distracted, or else she might notice how nervous he is.

"I don't know," she says. "I'm pretty stuffed from the hotdog… what about some cold noodles?"

Gaara blinks, suddenly distracted by the idea. Some cold noodles would be really good on a hot day like this. He nods, taking out his car keys from his pants, and thinks about the nearest restaurants they could go to. He doesn't notice his arm is still held by Sakura as they walk the rest of the way to his Mazda. Sakura peeks up at him through her lashes and smiles to herself now that he's finally relaxing.

Dinner overall is pleasant, the movie gave Sakura a lot of food for thought as a medical professional, and Gaara is happy to eat in silence as he listens to her ideas. He hadn't been paying attention to the film, so there's not much he can add to the conversation. Sakura gets a text from her uncle, telling her he'll keep Taiki for the night, as the pup is fast asleep among the older dogs. Happy, both Gaara and Sakura then decide to go have a drink before heading home. Though Gaara can't hold his liquor, Sakura's learned from the best. She's laughing at him on their way home, a substitute driver to taking them back.

She helps him up the few stairs leading up to their apartments, taking him all the way to his door and opening it up with his keys. Gaara chuckles, leaning up against the frame and watching her lazily. His eyes have a predatory gleam that Sakura does her best to ignore.

"What?" He says as she turns around, en route to her own apartment. "No kisses goodnight?"

Sakura freezes and turns to look at him, surprised. Her heart flutters as her mind races, going over the evening. It takes her a moment for it to click she's just been on her first date since her divorce. The smile that spreads over her face is slow, and Gaara swallows hard.

She walks over to him and pulls him down, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. Gaara responds in kind, shocking her a bit. She'd thought Gaara would approach a kiss as he does everything else, with aggression. Instead, the hands that come up to cup the back of her head are gentle, keeping her in place while cradling her. When Gaara pulls back, dazed, Sakura doesn't let him get too far. She's up on tiptoe, pressing her entire body against his lager frame. He groans into her mouth as her arms wrap around his neck, anchoring herself to him.

When he pulls back again, Sakura almost growls. His eyes are questioning, but Sakura's not anywhere near reason. Still, she clears her throat.

"You said kisses," she remarks, as though it's obvious. When he opens his mouth to answer, she's risen to the opportunity, sliding her tongue into his mouth. He shudders against her, and Sakura can tell when he sheds whatever is holding him back. He steps into his apartment; a hand on her lower back urges her to follow. She eagerly does, and melts against him when he kicks the door shut. He turns her to press her against the wall instead, and Sakura wonders when his other hand had gotten into her shirt.

When his tongue touches her own boldly, Sakura stops thinking.

Sarada is on his father's shoulders, cooing at the pretty petals that fall to the ground in lazy loops. He'll be three years old in just two months, and Sasuke is taking a moment out of his busy schedule to spend some quality time with his son. The beautiful cherry trees of Tenshochi Park are in full bloom, filling the entire area with their blossoms, scent and color. Uchiha Sarada is completely fascinated by it and insists on being right in the epicenter of the storm of pink. Mikoto and Itachi watch from a safe distance, in a less populated spot where they may watch the flowering trees without having their clothes, hair and tea overloaded with the wayward petals.

The clan Elders sit placidly, also observing the gentle spring with smiles on their faces. It's a rather nice day, so the entire Complex had decided to come outside for the day to view the natural beauty only a few blocks away from their home. The younger children are in the thick of it, racing, playing and running as they catch the numerous petals. Sasuke had challenged them to a game of who could catch the most falling petals, with the winner claiming a prize. The children had thrown themselves into a frenzy, running crazily to catch as many as possible. Sarada, still somewhat shy to be surrounded by so many kids, had retreated to his father's shoulders. Mikoto had assured him this was normal behavior for a child who is accustomed to few people, and to give Sarada a little time to socialize with his cousins in a safe environment. Sasuke doesn't mind, though, and merely holds his hands out as the cherry blossoms in spring fall like raindrops. It awakens memories that still hurt, memories of someone he dearly misses.

Sarada, growing tired of this endless shower of pink, pulls on his father's hair. Sasuke winces as he asks, "Want to go sit down for some tea?"

Sarada nods enthusiastically, smiling widely. Sasuke strolls over to his mother and brother, and flinches when Sarada screams at the top of his lungs for his uncle. Itachi doesn't even look up, munching on a stick of dango. "Yes?" he calls, his voice pitched to be heard, yet calm and cool. Sasuke wonders how his brother can look so nonchalant with a child hollering his name like a murder victim.

Sarada wriggles until Sasuke lets him down, running full speed onto Itachi's lap. Itachi merely accommodates himself, eating around the little boy. Sarada doesn't hesitate to steal a dango stick from his plate, quickly making a mess. Mikoto calmly cleans him up using wet wipes, which Sasuke had thoughtfully packed, knowing his son's habits. It's cooler in Iwate than Tokyo, so Sarada is wearing more layers than usual. This gets in his way while he eats, so Itachi takes moment to push the sleeves of Sarada's thick sweater back neatly for the sake of cleanliness. Sarada doesn't even raise his eyes from the dango as he thanks his uncle clumsily, still having something of a lisp.

Sasuke sits beside his mother, nodding in thanks when she hands him a cup of tea and a plate of crisp biscuits. He watches his son eat like a monster for a moment, before meeting his brother's gaze. Itachi's eyes seem to sparkle with amusement, even as his face remains completely impassive. It doesn't take more than a moment for Sasuke to notice his brother's hair, previously hanging over his shoulder, had been swept back out of Sarada's reach. Sasuke's lips twitch in what would have been a smile in another life.

Mikoto watches her boys, pleased. Her sons and her grandson were at peace for once, without any hair tugging, threats or milk involved. Not even the Elders, sitting two blankets away, were bothering their little family. For her, this is a great day. She smiles, holding her tea up to her nose, and she breathes deeply. Closing her eyes as she exhales, Mikoto can finally relax. It's a beautiful day in April, and as the cherry blossoms fall, they celebrate Hanami in peace. All is right in the world.

At the very least, it is for now.

The End.

Words: 6,600

Fun fact, the film "Stronger" will be released on May 11th, 2018 in Japan. Yes, I looked it up. Substitute drivers are helpful people you can call in Japan and South Korea (perhaps other countries, too) to drive for you when you're not in any state to be behind the wheel. Like a taxi service or the famous Uber, but they drive your car.

I've quoted that particular phrase by Kahlil Gibran many, many times. It's my favorite quote. It really looks at the human condition and shows us what we're made of. This was not a story about loving giving a second chance but GETTING a second chance at a happy life.

Sasuke didn't get the girl, but he did get some semblance of inner peace. Sakura doesn't need a man to live, but she wants to make a future with Gaara. That was the story readers asked me to tell from the beginning and I hope I managed to give them what they wanted.

I know I glossed over Sasuke a bit, but well… his happy ending was really just a "why the hell not" than because I thought the character deserved it. What do you think?

Thank you for your kind reviews! I love to hear from everyone and I always try to take the time to respond! As always, im ur misconception, you are my WORLD. Thank you for your continued, earnest support!

Let's meet again in another story, everyone!