Rescue Me Therapy [SasuSaku]

Chapter XXVIII

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Forever
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"I don't have anything to say to you other than,

Life is beautiful.

...

Oh, and I love you, and always will."

Sasuke stared.

And stared.

And stared.

He felt like he was drowning, her words were just becoming water in his ears. His eyes were blurring and he could feel a tear or something warm roll down his cheeks. His mouth was hanging open so much to the point that his tongue was dry.

Sakura looked up at him and kissed his lightly on the lips, her eyes glassy as she whispered, "I love you, Sasuke."

Her voice was so feeble in her throat that it unnerved him.

He stared at her and stated, "Stop lying."

Sakura looked at him, her eyes hurt more than usual, and he voice softer that he ever thought possible, "Why would I lie? I do love you."

Sasuke shook his head, his hair falling over his eyes, and his brows furrowed, "No, about today being... your last. It's not."

She smiled feebly and poked his forehead, "I'm not lying about that either. I really am... dying." A pained expression flashed on her face for a second, but then she looked down, away from him, and away from everybody.

Neji watched Sakura look down from Sasuke, and he watched Sasuke look up at the ceiling. Neji held Tenten close as he watched the drama unfold. Tenten stared at Sasuke, wondering how he would react.

Ino looked down at her hands, her chipped nail polish and slender fingers. It unnerved her to think that Sakura could be gone just like that. What would be so beautiful about life if you're just going to die like that?

Naruto and Hinata closed their eyes and hugged tightly, he whispered in her ear, "It's alright.... She's Sakura, everything will work out... somehow." She nodded her head, bumping his chin softly with her hair.

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Sasuke brought his head and mind back to earth. He looked at Sakura, her pink hair hanging in front of her face. While squinting his eyes in sorrow, he pulled a curtain of hair out of her face and lifted her chin.

Sakura stared with big glassy candy apple green eyes.

He said as calmly as he could, "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

She smiled, slipping her chin out of his hand and looking at everyone else, making eye contact with everyone and she sang, "I didn't want anyone else to be sad."

He laughed then, an expression no one was expecting. Even Sakura stared. Her expression was grim, as if he thought it was all a joke.

But he wasn't thinking that.

Sasuke put his big hand on her shoulder and shook her back and forth lightly. He tried his best to put on a big smile, something he had never tried before, "Even when you are in the midst of death, or whatever, you're still caring about everyone else."

Sakura grinned, "But of course! What else are you to do in the midst of death, but to be good?"

Sasuke nodded and his smile withered away and his heart was beating fast. He felt oddly melancholy. Something didn't settle with him. He felt weird, his heart was aching, and his head was spinning. Why was he cracking jokes at a time like this?