AN: Ok, last chapter alert…haha…I did warn you but I decided, I can't drag this out any longer so yeah…I hope you enjoy.

Please don't forget to review…

A touch is just a touch

Skin to skin, not really much

But a touch is a language still

Of tangible affection, of what you feel

Of unspoken words and sparks that fly

Of erupting fireworks and the urge to cry

Of hidden sentiments, of hurts and lies

Of grace and virtue, of what's and why's

So a touch is just a touch

In others' eyes, it may not seem much

A wordless gesture of the words we have

But to most of us, it speaks of love

--

"Shika," she says softly, a bit surprised to see him in…their spot.

"Ino," he acknowledges without looking.

She smiles and moves closer as she stands on her toes until she is eye to eye with him.

Shikamaru squirms a bit under her gaze.

"Personal bubble," he mutters. She smiles.

"I'm sorry," she suddenly says, letting her smile fade a bit.

"Why are you here," he asks as he looks away, unable to stand looking at her beloved face any longer.

She backs down and her cheerful façade gives way to a look of regret and-he couldn't be sure as he glances at her- longing.

"I'm here to give you what you deserve."

He raises a brow as he looks at her once again. "And what is that," he drawls but the skepticism is there.

"Closure," she replies with a frown. He scoffs.

"What," she asks him, a bit annoyed that he seems to be brushing off her gesture of goodwill.

"Are you deliberately being cruel?"

He looks up at him and sees that his expression is both annoyed and mocking at the same time; then his eyes harden and she realizes that those are directed at himself, not at her.

"Why are you making this difficult?"

"Ino," he says firmly as he bends his head until he is now looking intently into her eyes, "if I wanted closure, I would've given it to both of us long ago."

He looks angry but his eyes never stray from her.

"B-but," she stutters a bit as she thinks of a response to that.

"I don't want to be friends, I don't want closure, I want you. Haven't I made it clear enough already? Because I've told you every single time."

Her eyes widen. "Shika…I…I…"

Finally, he stands up straight and puts his hands in his pockets. "You're just being troublesome," he murmurs.

Then it suddenly dawns on her.

And she laughs.

"What's so funny," he grumbles.

"I love you," she exclaims as she throws her arms around him and showers him with kisses.

"Troublesome…"

"But you luuuuurve me," she teases.

"Unfortunately for me…yes, I do."

Finally, he cracks a smile.

--

"Sakura," Ami calls out, a bit surprised to see the lights in their house turned off.

"Is anybody home?"

"I'm here," Keiko snarls as she comes down the stairs and flicks the lights on. "How sisterly Ami, you're looking for Sakura?"

Ami stiffens a bit but because she is Ami, she recovers.

"How wonderful Keiko, have you presided over any rapes lately?"

It is Keiko's turn to tense up. "Whatever," she says through narrowed eyes, "please don't start a tantrum".

"You're one to talk, you're the one with a lifelong tantrum."

Keiko raises a brow.

"If you think I'm intimidated Ami then you don't know me that well."

Ami laughs. "I don't need to intimidate you Keiko, you already are."

"Ha! Don't be delusional Ami, there's a reason everybody looks up to me."

And Ami, like a wolf, smells fear and insecurity and like the queen bee she is, she uses it to her advantage. A slow, deliberately mean smile reaches her lips.

"Is it because you're beautiful, have a 4.0 GPA, good with her words, hot and a bitch?"

"Exactly," Keiko challenges.

"Well, Sakura is more beautiful, has the same GPA, is better with her words and kinder," she raises a finger with each characteristic, "and I'm way hotter and more of a bitch, as you can probably tell."

Keiko suppresses her rage.

"Well, as you can see, your younger sisters are better than you so I really see no reason why everybody looks up to you, which, unfortunately for you, is also not true."

Keiko is livid and she moves to slap Ami but before she can, Ami takes a step back.

"This is what you'll do Keiko, you'll give back Sakura's money and you'll leave and never come back."

"And if I don't," Keiko retorts.

"It will just be a longer and more painful process for you."

Keiko grits her teeth in annoyance.

"I'll call the family lawyer," Ami says as she sweeps off a seething Keiko.

--

Sakura almost curses. She can't concentrate on studying because all the people in the library at some point will point at her or whisper about her.

And as if she hasn't gotten through enough, Naruto sits across her, reminding her all over again about Sasuke. The memory hurts too much.

It has been two weeks since 'the incident' and she finds that she is too drained and too spent to do anything about it anymore.

"Hi Sakura," Naruto says with a friendly smile.

Resigned, she returns it. "Naruto."

"I know it's not my business about you and Sasuke, but will you listen to what I have to say," he asks her with such a sincere smile and an earnest look that she couldn't help but nod.

"Great."

"Just this time," Sakura insists.

"Of course."

Sakura shuts her book and plays with her pen as she looks at Naruto and urges him to start.

"Have you ever asked Sasuke what he really feels about you?"

"No. I just assumed…he likes me- enough to see through my faults…" she replies haltingly.

"Remember freshman year when you almost tripped and I caught you?"

Sakura nods.

"It was love at first sight," Naruto says a bit dreamily that Sakura looks confused and surprised.

"No, no, not me, Sasuke," he says laughingly as he sees Sakura's expression.

Sakura looks unconvinced.

"Believe me, 'like' is not what he feels towards you," he insists, "you haven't seen him and been with him these past few years and if you'd been there, you would understand that 'like' doesn't even begin to describe what it is."

"Why me?"

Naruto laughs a little. "Why not?"

At Sakura's still suspicious expression, he sobers up.

"Sakura, Sasuke is utterly and completely captivated- I looked it up, my words are right," and Sakura couldn't help but smile a little.

"But if that's how it is, why isn't he here?"

"He's wasting away, probably," Naruto teases but then again he realizes the gravity of the situation so he smiles softly and continues.

"He is so in love with you that he doesn't know what to do."

Sakura frowns.

"So please, wait for him. Let him realize what he has to do because I know Sasuke and I know he won't let you go. Not ever."

"Thank you Naruto," Sakura replies, for lack of anything else to say.

"Just a little while more," he says as he stands up and smiles, leaving Sakura to her thoughts.

--

It turns out that she doesn't have to wait long. Sasuke is waiting for her at her doorstep.

"Would you like to…come in?"

He nods and follows her in.

"Please sit."

She sits directly across him and grows exasperated as he remains silent and looks anywhere but at her.

"They are right Sasuke," she suddenly says, no longer able to stand the silence.

He looks at her pityingly. He looks at her, his face showing a streak of guilt and a streak of anger.

"What are you talking about," he half yells, half asks. She is calm.

"They were right all along. Nobody is capable of loving me."

She is too eerily calm. Her eyes are glazed over with unshed tears and she is stiff and unmoving. He softens. He softens at her voice and he softens at her words. "Everyone…."

He waits for her to finish. "Everyone needs something…a touch…a stroke….a kiss."

"Sakura…"

"I cannot give that to you Sasuke."

Her gaze never falters. He matches her look. "You wouldn't want me. Keiko," she swallows, "Keiko…you are worthy of Keiko."

As if on cue, Keiko descends the stairs and she glares at them both before she hauls her bag and gets out the door.

Ami follows down and, Sakura is a bit shocked to see, winks at her as she steps out. She looks back at Sasuke.

"No," he replies so quietly that she almost doesn't hear. "I want you."

"You don-…"

"I do."

She still does not look away and he holds her gaze without hesitation. He says something but she does not hear. He makes his voice louder and clenches his fists.

"Even if I can't touch you forever..."

She looks at him and tears fog her vision even more, "You will do that for me," she asks, momentarily overwhelmed with happiness then her insecurities hinder it all. "You will suffer, you will not be satisfied, you won't be happy, you-"

"I don't give a damn Sakura," he cuts her off. "And what else do I have to do to prove that to you?"

I'd gladly suffer if it means I could be with you.

"You were surely tempted."

He flinches. "I was," he admits finally, "but you don't know how much I've loathed myself for it."

Wild thoughts plague and torment her until it all just stops. He looks at her questioningly, eyes full of questions that he couldn't voice out.

"Sasuke," she finally says.

Then she very gradually, reluctantly, walks towards him as she raises her hands inch by inch, very, very slowly and touches his cheek. It is not anything else. It is a touch.

His skin is warm and soft underneath her. She still burns but she will not mind. She does not mind.

"You pulled me out of obscurity Sasuke. You were there when I was way over my head. How can I not love you," she says in response to his silent questions.

Her hand lingers and it lingers until he can take no more. He takes off his gloves and takes hold of it and she winces but she will not mind.

"Forgive me, please," he finally says pleadingly even though he knows he is- damn sure of it, as sure as he is that it's her hand on his skin. And he holds her hand, just holds her hand. He does not squeeze, he just holds then he caresses. He raises his other hand and runs his fingertips across her palm and her arm stiffens.

"I won't hurt you," he whispers. She nods.

"Does it burn," he asks as he brings his head down to kiss the back of her hand. "Does it hurt?"

And suddenly, suddenly, all the memories rush back to her. All the fear, the pain and the betrayal come back. She sees them vividly and feels them all at once.

And then all the sacrifices, all the kindness and the mere seconds of happiness kick in and suddenly, suddenly, it does not hurt.

Because she thinks that there must have been a reason why she gave those gloves to him.

Because she thinks that he has already saved her.

Because he is so kind and she loves him so, so much.

Because now she has friends and now, she has Sasuke. And she remembers that if it is him, it never really hurt. Since the first fleeting contact, it never hurt. It does not hurt.

"It does not hurt."

And that is when the tears fall.

--

A touch is just a touch

Skin to skin, not really much

But a touch is a language still

Of tangible affection, of what you feel

Of unspoken words and sparks that fly

Of erupting fireworks and the urge to cry

Of hidden sentiments, of hurts and lies

Of grace and virtue, of what's and why's

So a touch is just a touch

In others' eyes, it may not seem much

A wordless gesture of the words we have

But to most of us, it speaks of love

An epilogue will be posted…thanks for all the support and lovely reviews, you made this fic a joy to write

So…I will shamelessly promote my new sasusaku fic..here it goes

Baffling the spectrum

Summary: It took an unexplainable five hundred and ten nano meters to sustain their marriage.

I'll give a little hint about the story- 510 nm is the wavelength of green light and you'd want to look up protanopia

It will be posted soon or maybe a half-hour after this is posted…haha…

thank you so much readers….thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!