Soft as a Petal

Naruto/WaTXM cross over. Sakura knew she wasn't in love with Sasuke anymore, how could she love someone who abused her every day, but she couldn't leave him, she was too afraid to. Mortimer knew the Brotherhood hated him, but how could he leave the only people who'd ever given him a good home. Two shattered souls caught in the grip of fear and loneliness find each other one night one night on the cold hard streets of the Big Apple. Toad/Sakura.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or X-Men.

Sakura's PoV.

I had to get out of there. My face stung, and I knew my arm was bleeding. My ribs were already sore from him tossing me into a wall, but I didn't care at the moment. He was mad at me again, and I knew I couldn't stay there the rest of the night. If he hadn't have gone to shower, I would've never have gotten out either. My breath was hard as I turned down the street corner, and into Grand Central Park. I had been running for two miles or so. I knew I had to keep going. I had to get to Temari's house fast. She always let me stay there when Sasuke got like this.

The cool air brushed against the bruise on my cheek, and I winced at the sensation. I couldn't run anymore, I needed to catch my breath. At least my ribs stopped hurting. I was glad for that. I planted my sore ass onto a park bench. It felt nice to sit down. I hadn't taken a seat and rested since before Sasuke got home. I'd spent the next twenty minutes getting slapped around, and then the last half hour running. I was worn out, and now my eyes stung form the tears I was shedding.

I never thought I would have ever been in a situation like that. I was always able to defend myself before. Perverts, muggers, even drunks on the street, I was always able t fight them off with ease. I never let myself be taken advantage of, or hurt. Sasuke, however, he frightened me, I can't raise a hand to him; he scares me too much. He'd been totally different when we first met, but when we started dating, only two long months prior, he changed. Weather I didn't cook or the apartment was even the slightest bit dirty, he'd hit and yell. I had been lucky half the time, he'd have his friend Naruto over, and he'd hold Sasuke back, letting me escape. Of course I'd have to go back eventually; I had nowhere else to go.

I hated being in this mess, but I knew by then what he was capable of, and leaving him was not an option. I don't know if he would be the type to hunt me down or not, most likely not, but I was too afraid to take a chance.

Afraid. I hated that word. I hated feeling afraid too. But I was then, and it lasted a while.

I had been afraid, at least until that night. I that been sitting alone in the middle of Grand Central Park, usually a dangerous thing for a girl, but I had been the lucky one that night. I had been crying, feeling sorry for myself, although it wasn't like me, when a shrill cry and the sound of a fist on skin snapped me out of it. I turned my head in the direction of the cry.

A figure, hooded, and whimpered was on the ground. Someone had him at knife point, a bald Caucasian man in sunglasses and the most filthy and gaudy jacket and jean combo I'd ever seen. The hooded figure was shaking now, and mumbling about not having any money or even cigarettes. I knew I couldn't let this go on. I stood from my seat, and with thunderous fury I charged at the skinhead.

Toad's PoV

I knew I'd gone and done it that time. One minute I was walking the streets, trying to look as inconspicuous as I could possibly be, and the next I was in Grand central park, with some Homo-Saipan supremacist making me cower at knifepoint. He'd grabbed me, and dragged me into the park, most likely so nobody would see, and he'd taken me down faster than even Pietro could say "Hit the deck!"

I wanted to blame it on the Brotherhood, but I never did. I was convinced it was my fault. I had been yelled at for once again, ruining a job, getting caught, and having to be broken out of the hands of the MRD. Avalanche had snapped, and told me in his thick as ice accent that I was better off on the streets where I was found. Of course I got upset, and slipped out when everyone was in bed.

There I was, about to be shanked by someone who'd happened to have taken a glimpse of my face while I was walking by. It had all been because I had been jailed and let my incompetence show. I hated myself so much at that point. Besides, I was a mutant; anyone who would have found me after the stabbing would have just let me bleed to death. To any Saipan, it meant one less Mutant.

I closed my eyes, and braced myself, I waited for the worst. The worst never came. I heard the man yelp, and then I heard a thud, meaning he'd somehow fallen to the ground. Then I opened my eyes, and there he was, holding his nose, rolling on the ground as he was getting kicked by a boot.

Then I saw her.

She had a few bruises, but she was a vision of what I thought beauty should look like. She had long, bubblegum pink hair and striking emerald green eyes, all accented by a smooth face with oriental features. A bow was tied neatly in her locks and she had on the hottest outfit I'd ever seen; her red boots, and black skin tight shorts under a short dark red and white Chinese skirt, and a top short enough to show her small belly. The top itself was red and white also, with short sleeves and a white circle in the back.

She didn't look too please with the man she was kicking. S soon as she finished, he was up on his feet, and running, yelling something about a crazy mutant loving she devil. She chased after him for a few steps yelling for him to keep going, before her attention found itself to me. Instinctively I found my way further into the shadows of the nearby trees created by the full moon light. The last thing I wanted was for her to see me, and have a reaction similar to the bald guy's. I knew she was mostly likely three times as strong.

She knelt down to me, and with a kind smile offered a hand to me. She then spoke with a soft voice, which I will tell you, was most definitely that of an angel.

'It's okay now, I'm not going to hurt you. She said to me. I guessed she could smell fear, because I was positive I was radiating it. I fought the urge to reach my hand out to that benevolent goddess, in fear that she'd notice I only had four green fingers, and webbing between each. Not to mention my claws, if that's what you want to call them.

Luck was against me, however, like it always had been. A gust of wind blew, and my hood blew down, the wind picked up quickly, and my cloak was high in the sky before I ever knew it. Those green emeralds s she called her eyes widened, only slightly, in surprise. Before I could get a response, I was up and running, my skinny green legs hopping as fast as I could, considering the bald man had kicked my shin, and possibly cracked it and it hurt like all hell. She was after me quick, her beautiful soft milky legs carrying after me with speed that was amazing for a normal human.

She pursued me well into a part of town unfamiliar to me, and to my dismay, right into a dead end alley. There was a gate, and a wooden roof above me, and my only chance of escape, she was standing in the middle of. I was petrified.

Sakura's PoV

Admittedly, I didn't expect him to be a mutant. Even so, I also didn't expect him to be such a strange looking one at that. He had grass green skin, with dark green spots on his shoulders, which led me to assume they were on his back as well. He had the most interesting mossy green eyes as well, both of which reflected fright and discomfort. He had on a tight blue bodysuit with black accents and a red bandanna which hid the roots of his deadlocks, which were a dark brown with the slightest hint of dark green in them. He was stammering with his mouth open, revealing pointed teeth, and a green tongue. His fingers only had four fingers, and they were webbed, as well as his feet.

He was cowering from me the way he cowered from the skinhead at the park. His whimpering echoed throughout the alleyway. I sighed, and took slow, easy steps towards him. He shrank into the darkness even further. All I could do as reassurance was smile at him, and offer my hand once again.

'I said I wasn't going to hurt you, "my voice rang in a gentle tone, "and I won't. My name is Sakura."

He fear left his eyes, but he still looked a tad doubtful. With hesitation, he stood up, and walked cautiously over to me. I let my smile widen as he approached.

'S…Sakura, like meaning cherry blossoms…" he asked feebly. His voice was interesting, squeaky and shaky. He had to be the most freighted person I had ever met. Somehow his fearful attitude didn't irk me. I was so irked at myself earlier for having been so afraid of Sasuke.

"Yeah. Sakura as in cherry blossoms" She answered, in that voice again. Her eyes were glowing in the darkness of the alley. "Can I get your name?"

Toad's PoV

I knew better than to trust anyone anymore. I was so used to betrayal, and disappointment. But her just being there, in that dark alley in the middle of New York, I felt mesmerized by her. Her beauty and her voice, both were so stunning, I could just die. She was kind, and I could smell the hint of, ironically, Sakura scented perfume from her.

"Mort…Mortimer…although…I'm u…usually called Toad." I told her, my voice shy and shaking. She looked out of the alley, and she motioned for me. *I came, despite myself. She pointed to a rather nice looking apartment building.

"There, a friend of mine lives, her name is Temari, if you have nowhere to go, you can come with me there." She offered so sweetly. I thought about it for a moment. I really didn't want to go back to our current hideout, and I didn't want to stay on the streets and risk the MRD getting me either. It seemed my lick had changed. I nodded slowly. She gently took my hand, and she led me into the apartment. There was no clerk at the desk so I was able to slip in safely enough. We used the elevator, and stopped on the fifth floor.

We walked until we hit 506, and stopped. She raised her hand to knock but a voice stopped her. It was a boy's voice, and it sounded like the voice of a very lazy person at that.

"Temari," the voice called, not loudly, but not in a whisper either, "Sakura's at the door, and she has a guest."

"Shinkmaru!" a female voice called back, "I'm busy making a midnight snack for me and YOUR unborn baby! You're a telepath, open it yourself! She yelled in a harsh, yet easygoing voice. Like she at one time had been a total hard ass. The door opened, but the only person in the room, a annoyed looking boy with black hair all tied in a topknot, and jeans on and nothing else, was on the couch across the room reading a go instruction book.

Out of the kitchen came a blonde woman in a purple night gown, her hair was down, and she was holding about six grilled cheese sandwiches. At first I thought she was fat until I recalled her saying she was pregnant.

She took a quick glance at Sakura, and put her food down before going over to her. She placed a hand on the long forgotten bruise on Sakura's face and growled softly to herself.

"Sakura…did Sasuke hit you again?"

Sakura didn't say anything, she only nodded. A tear formed in her eyes, and it nearly broke my heart. Temari pulled her to the couch, and sat with her; a strong force pulled me inside, and closed the door behind me. I assumed it was Shinkmaru, the telepath.

Temari ate her sandwiches, and offered me some tea. I declined; I didn't like tea, not then anyway. When Temari asked about me, Sakura explained. I was a little frightened. Here I was, a member of the brotherhood of mutants, inside of a home belonging to a telepath and his Saipan wife. I felt as ease when they offered to let me stay for the night. I know that Shinkmaru knew about me though, I could feel him probing my mind. All he did after his analysis though was give me a nonchalant shrug.

"Thanks Temari, for letting me and him stay."

Temari shrugged.

"I'd rather my best friend here, than being beat by the person who claims to be hr boyfriend."

I felt my heart sink. She already had a boyfriend. I curled up on the couch, and almost pouted. But then it hit me, he hit her, and I felt rage. But I knew I wasn't going to do anything about it, I was not the fighting type.

The door echoed with the sound of a loud pounding. Shikamaru stood up and he quickly gave both Temari and Sakura a look.

"It's…Sasuke…" he whispered to them.

The door banged again, and behind it shouted; "OPEN UP! SAKURA GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE NOW YOU DAMN WHORE!"

-End of chapter

Just to say it, I don't hate Sasuke, I just needed conflict. I used to hate it, but he'd redeemed himself in my heart, although I need him to be an ass hole for the plot of this to get right away. Oh, and please review this, don't just add it to your alert list, I want to know what you think.