Forever Mine

Chapter 27

[2 Months Later]

Things felt different. It was as though everything around her had changed; the smell of the morning air that she loved, the sound of the birds chirping as she made her way to work. Even the work she found tiring yet entertaining was boring her, leaving her feeling exhausted. Instead of looking for more reason to stay at work longer, she was now praying someone would take her duties and demand her to go home.

Things definitely felt different.

Her days went by slow, her nights too quick. Time with her friends were a blur and nights alone at a civilian bar on the east side were now constant.

Sometimes, as she stumbled her way home after drinking, she would hope a certain raven she knew would show up unexpectedly to help her as he'd done a few times before.

Sakura missed Sasuke a little more than she thought she would. They'd only been reconnected for a short time after not talking for more than a year and a half, and he was now gone once again. His letters were the only thing reminding her that they were fine and he'd be back before they knew it.

Sasuke, however, wasn't the only—nor main—person on her mind. She would've preferred it if it was. It'd make work easier.

Instead, it was a different raven; her husband.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him. Every time she let her mind wander off from her work, he was there. And every time that happened, her chest would tighten in a way she'd never felt before.

The way she loved him was way too much she couldn't breathe sometimes. She remembered when that feeling felt amazing, now it only felt like she was drowning.

It seemed it didn't matter who it was, she would never be enough.

"Sakura?"

The pinkette blinked back out of her thoughts, looking up to see Ino staring at her with concern. She'd forgotten about the blonde for a moment, too busy overthinking as she'd been doing a lot lately.

"Yes, then what happen?" Sakura asked, trying to conceal her inner thoughts and feelings.

"You weren't listening at all, were you?"

Sakura gave her an apologetic look before making the exhaustion of work her excuse.

"You've only been here an hour," Ino mentioned. "And you didn't even stay for your full shift yesterday or the day before that."

"Just been tired." Which was true, though there were other reasons for her insisting on leaving work.

"How are you and Kai doing?" Ino asked with a casual tone, yet her eyes were giving away something different.

"We're fine."

"Haven't seen you guys around lately."

"He's been working a lot."

"But you haven't." Ino watched her shift in her seat. "Sai says he's seen you in the anbu building a lot recently."

"Just visiting my husband." Sakura shrugged.

Ino could tell something was wrong, everyone could. Something's been wrong for a long while and she felt stupid for not seeing it until she was informed about it.

The night she and Sakura were teaching Sasuke how to properly address a princess, Sakura had been picked up earlier than expected, leaving her and the raven alone. It was then that he explained his thoughts about how Sakura had been acting. He said he needed to tell someone close to her before he left and she was glad he did.