Yubikiri

lavendersmiles:

SasuSaku Month 2017

Day 13: In Another World

***

FFnet link 😀

***

Sasuke escapes the miserable life that he has by going to his place of solitude, the riverbanks of the Konoha forest. He picked the most isolated part to give his tired body a moment of rest.

His uncle is always merciless with him, making him do manual work too much for a fourteen year old boy. But no matter how he hates it, he has to do it. His family is in debt to his cruel uncle Madara. Itachi, his beloved older brother, is also in service to him. His father is a mere farmer and his mother a seamstress. Being more mature than an average boy and exposed to the cruelty of life, he took it upon himself to help his family.

The heat from the high noon was a little unbearable, but Sasuke took a nap under a tree. Just as he was about to forget about the world, he heard some rustling of leaves. He immediately stood up, his defences on high alert.

“Hello? Is someone there?”

Who’s that? Sasuke didn’t have time to ponder as a young girl about his age came to view. She released a sigh of relief and she smiled at him. The lad was quite taken aback. His secret place is a secret no more.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Sasuke blurted out before realizing it was a bit harsh.

“I’m sorry. I’m Prin – Sakura. Just Sakura. My… uh, friends and I came to the forest to get some fresh air. But I hid from them and…” she looked down the grassy ground, “I’m lost.” He doesn’t know who I am…

Sasuke scoffed. He sat back down hear the river and drank some of the cool water. “You could retrace your steps, you know.”

The girl crossed her arms and went near him. She sat down beside him and gave a glare. “If you weren’t listening, I said I was lost.”

“It is your first time in this forest, I see.”

A blush crept on her cheeks. “Yeah. I… I just wanted to escape, you see.”

Sasuke looked at her with renewed interest. “Escape from what?”

“Responsibilities.”

He sneered and stared at the water. “We can’t run away from them, Sakura.”

The pinkette nodded. “True, but it is nice once in a while to escape it – even just for a moment – right?”

Sasuke found himself agreeing and nodded. Sakura looked at him and wondered why he had such sad eyes.

“Hey! I told you my name, but you haven’t told me yours.”

The lad smirked. “Sasuke.”

“Sasuke,” Sakura repeated. “You have a nice name.”

A soft smile formed on his lips. “Yours too.”

They fell into a comfortable silence, but neither paid heed to it. Both actually found it nice, as the two led busy lives despite the differences in their social standing.

A low grumble disrupted the peace, and Sakura blushed harder, aware that it was her stomach revolting against her missed lunch. Amused onyx met her embarrassed emeralds. Sasuke handed his sole apple to her and she accepted it.

“Thank you. Have you eaten already?” Sakura asked, then took a bite of the fruit.

When he shook his head, the secret princess’ eyes went wide. “Then you must eat this!” she exclaimed as she tried to place the apple on his hands. But Sasuke refused, saying, “I gave it to you. Now it’s yours. Besides, hunger is not new to me.”

Sakura took another bite and placed it quite harshly back on his hands. “Since I am the new owner, I have the power to do whatever I want with it. Now then, I give it to you and I will not accept it back.”

She crossed her arms and looked at him, as if daring him to disobey. A smirk formed on his face again, feeling amused with this stranger. “How annoying.”

A smile was her response. “I can be… sometimes, I guess. You’re the first one to point that out, actually.”

“It is an honor then.”

Sakura giggled. This Sasuke feels nice to be with. He is unlike any other person she encounters in the palace. She felt a strange wanting in her heart, and without thinking she exclaimed, “Will you be my friend, Sasuke-kun?”

The raven haired was quite shocked with her request, and a bit at the affectionate suffix she added to his name. It rang sweet to his ears, and he found himself wanting to hear it again.

“We already shared an apple like friends would.”

A bright smile made its way on her face, and Sasuke felt enormous pride that he was the reason behind something so beautiful. “Thank you, Sasuke-kun!”

“Princess! Princess Sakura!”

Both turned towards the maid who barged in. “We finally found you, Princess Sakura! Don’t scare us like that again please, your highness!”

Sasuke looked at his newfound friend… who turned out to be the princess of a kingdom. “Princess?”

The pinkette looked alarmed. “Please Sasuke-kun I didn’t mean to fool you. I… I just wanted a friend, that’s all.” She took his hands and clasped it, her eyes locking with his. “Please Sasuke-kun… we’re still friends, right? I do not care if you’re a commoner and I’m a princess.”

Recovering from his initial shock, he squeezed their intertwined hands. Somehow he couldn’t say no with her eyes pleading him like that. “I already promised you, didn’t I? I am a man of honor, Princess Sakura.”

The royal shook her head, happy that she didn’t lose this bond she formed with him. “I forbid you to call me Princess Sakura. Sakura would be enough.” She held out her pinkie to him. “Okay, Sasuke-kun?”

“Okay, Sakura.”

The pinkie promise sealed their destiny together. As both took different routes that day after saying their goodbyes and promises to meet again, their red string of fate just grew stronger.