Inconvenience

A/N: Well...I have finally finished this piece. It took me two days to write it. I know that may not seem like a lotbut compared to how long it normally takes my to write a story.... Ugh (though it is a long story...) The sad thing is that I really dislike this one... -Sigh- I know I said that about "The Annoying Ten" but I can really feel the disappointment in this one. Hopefully you guys like it though! ^^ I sincerely hope you do! Please read and take a little time to review!! Your reviews mean so much to me!! I read everyone of them and each one inspires me a bit more! Thank you guys once again!

By the way I just want ot warn you once again of major Sasuke OOC-ness in this one. I tried to write it as though he was just opening up to Sakura this once and then after he had released all these pent up emotions he kind of went back to his usual self...Let me know if it worked or not XD I guess this is why they call it Fanfictions!

Disclaimer: I really don't think I need to do this but, alas, I do not own Naruto, nor any of it's characters. I'm just a simple fanfiction writer....

Inconvenience

Sakura was extremely confused. She was a modest kunoichi, but she knew she was relatively intelligent. Therefore the feeling of perplexity wasn’t one she was particularly used to. And yet here she was racking her brains for some sort of answer.

‘What...? What is he doing?’

Sasuke stood across from her with his hands buried deep within his pockets. His expression was one of complete indifference, almost boredom. Sakura briefly wondered if he was feeling alright. Did he know what he’d just done? It was so incredibly far from anything he would ever do, but he was there, and he’d done it. Didn’t he even realize the enormity of the situation he had just placed them in?

‘He’s lost it. It’s the only explanation’

“Sakura.”

“What?” She asked, snapping herself out of her thoughts.

He cast her an expecting glance.

“Oh. Right...well I...” She spoke softly, as though deep in thought.

‘Why is he doing this? There’s gotta be a reason. I know him and he just wouldn’t do this for the fun of it.’

“Sakura.” He spoke again, only this time his voice contained a hint of impatience.

“Why?” She asked him the simple question with a firm voice. She just wanted an answer from him. Sakura wasn’t about to dance around the subject or stay in the dark.

His next words cut her deeply. She could feel something inside her jerk and her breath was pulled away from her.

“It’s convenient.”

She couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her lips. She could feel the stinging in her chest and she knew exactly what it was. Sakura Haruno was no stranger to heartbreak.

‘Convenient? He’s only doing this because it is convenient for him? He doesn’t even care about what this is doing to me...It is just a simple way out. I’m just his backup, his last resort.’

“Sakura.” He said her name a third time, no longer masking the irritated note in it. He wasn’t expecting her to take so long with her decision. The pinked haired girl had always followed him around; even when he left to join Orochimaru, she’d hunted him down. She was his number one fangirl. Therefore the very idea that she’d hesitate was unthinkable.

“I...I have to go Sasuke.” She stated quietly. She couldn’t stand this anymore. She needed to be away from him and think. Her mind was overflowing with the memory of what he had just done and she needed to go.

She turned slowly and walked off the bridge and began the short walk to her apartment. His words were still resonating in her ears as she replayed the moment over and over again. She arrived home and immediately headed for her bed. She was so emotionally exhausted, she just wanted to feel the small amount of comfort her bed offered.

As she lay under the covers crying and drifting off to sleep, her last thoughts had been about the words Sasuke had spoken that had marked the start of this whole disaster.

“Sakura. Marry me.”

* * *

The next day, Sakura worked furiously at the hospital. She was still hurt and her heart had not forgotten the blow it had suffered the day before. She threw herself into her work, doing whatever she could to keep her mind on healing and away from the day before.

With all the work she’d been doing, she hadn’t even noticed how much chakra she’d used. She just kept pushing herself forward.

“Sakura. You need to stop. Go home, rest and come back tomorrow afternoon.” Tsunade said lightly touching her shoulder.

Sakura knew she should listen to Tsunade. The woman had been a medic nin for years and she was Konoha’s Hokage, however she couldn’t stop. If she stopped she’d have to deal with her problems. And she was just to upset to face them.

“Sakura! Are you listening!? What you’re doing is dangerous!” Tsunade snapped, grabbing her shoulders.

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stop shishou.” Sakura muttered. She carefully pried her arms away from her mentor and turned back to her patient.

“Sakura.” Her teacher voice was infinitely gentler. “It’s time for you to rest. I don’t know what’s happened, though I have a pretty good idea who might have been behind it. But whatever he’s done, you can’t let it affect you like this! You cannot heal others until you’ve healed yourself Sakura. Now go home.”

“Hai, Tsunade-shishou.” The girl said softly. She could feel how much the drain of her chakra had taken out of her.

She took off her medical coat and trudged out of the hospital doors in her scrubs. Outside, she discovered the stormy weather that was currently hanging over Konoha. One could smell the rain that was threatening to escape from the clouds and spill over the village.

‘I’ve been inside all day... I never even knew about the weather. I really did stay too long at work today’ She sighed. She felt like a completely different person after her conversation with Sasuke. She no longer felt like Sakura Haruno, the independent medic nin and teammate of the city’s best ninjas. She just felt like someone had trampled all over her heart and squeezed the life right out of her.

She had stopped paying attention to where her feet were taking her and just let them lead her. She found herself on the same bridge she’d been on just a day before. She looked over the railing and saw her reflection in the water. She looked just like she felt.

“Sakura.”

She closed her eyes and sighed. The thing she’d been running away from had caught up with her and was now staring her in the face. Literally.

“Sasuke.”

“Have you thought about what I asked you yesterday?” He got right to the point and didn’t waste any time.

“...”

“Sakura. You never gave me an answer.”

“I know.”

He waited for her to continue but she remained silent.

“Do you have an answer for me?” He pressed on. He was getting annoyed at her clear avoidance of his question. Sakura finally snapped.

“No! I don’t! I don’t have an answer for you! You can’t just spring this on me and expect me to have an answer for you! Especially when you only asked because you thought it’s be convenient for yourself. You didn’t even consider my feelings! You left us! You betrayed the village and now that you’re back you just think you can demand anything you want! I’m not the same girl you left behind Sasuke. You can’t just walk all over me like this anymore! So no! I don’t have an answer for you!”

Overhead, Sakura could hear thunder rolling. The storm that had been hanging over the city had finally begun.

“Sakura.”

“No Sasuke! No!”

“...”

“Why are you doing this?” she whispered.

“...”

“You...you can be a real...jackass sometimes you know that Uchiha!?”

“...”

“You never change! You’ll always be the same cold hearted bastard! I begged you to stay! I begged you not to leave! But you did. You left everything...you left us behind! And now that you’re back you just expect everything to be the same? My heart was broken! Don’t you understand?”

“...”

“And again! You have just trampled all over my heart! You want me to marry you because it’s convenient?! Marriage is about love and commitment and happiness, but you don’t care about that at all! You just see it as something you need to do to accomplish your goal. It means nothing to you! And apparently neither do I! You only asked me because you assumed I would say yes. Convenient for Sasuke. He can just marry some fangirl and get it out of the way!

“...”

“Heh..” Sakura laughed bitterly. “ Silence...After all I tried to give you...the only thing you could ever ever give me was silence. Well that’s not enough for me Uchiha. Don’t you understand...? I can never look at you the same way as I used to.”

Tears were stinging her eyes by this point. She bowed her head and stared at the ground, fists clenching at her sides. She refused to cry in front of him. She wouldn’t give this man, who had called her weak and annoying countless times, the satisfaction of seeing the truth behind his insults. She pushed forward and continued to say what was on her mind.

“Before you left, I looked at you and I saw a boy who was strong, who had suffered through so much, but still had the strength to go on even after what had happened to him. He was someone who protected me whenever I needed it. He fought and trained and I thought that maybe, just maybe together as Team 7, we could all help him achieve his goals because for one second I thought that’d maybe he had learned how to accept people, that we had become friends. That’s what I saw when I looked at you. That’s why I always chased after you. I admired you more than anyone.”

Sasuke remained silent, unsure of what he should say to her. He couldn’t tell her that the things she said were lies, because they weren’t. He had always assumed that she had simply followed him around because of his looks. He never imagined that she could possibly hold such deep feelings for him. He did feel like a jackass. But he chose the stay silent and let her finish everything she needed to let go of.

“But now...when I look at you...the only thing I see is a cold hearted insensitive jerk! A-and I-I wi-will n-ever ev-ever m-m-marry you!”

Rained started to fall, showering the pair. As the water rolled off their bodies, Sakura finally succumbed to the tears she had tried to hold back with her entire being. She had failed in shielding her pain from his empty eyes. Sakura desperately shook her head, she couldn’t let him see this. She prayed with all her soul that the rain would hide it from him. She turned around and ran as quickly as she could from him. Her need to run as far away from him as possible was the only thing on her mind. Despite her exhaustion, Sakura just ran as fast as her feet could carry her, away from the source of her pain. Away from the man who had shattered her heart and yet who still had a firm grasp on it.

‘Why do I let him do this to me? Why can’t I just let him go?” She racked her brain, searching for an answer as she sprinted home.

“Because you love him” her inner stated simply.

Sakura shook her head, shaking away all traces of her inner personality. Though she knew she was right, she couldn’t bring herself to admit it. She wouldn’t let those thoughts affect her. She just couldn’t handle it. She was just one girl after all. She could only withstand so much heart break and disappointment before she broke completely. And Sakura was broken.

***

Sasuke waited until she was finally out of sight before he exhaled the breath he’d been holding.

That had been one of the hardest things he’d ever had to suffer through. He’d never known that she had been hurt so deeply because of him. The truth was that he’d never wanted to marry just any girl. He cared for Sakura. He just couldn’t show it.

After what had happened to his clan and the ones he’d once loved, he’d kept a solid wall around his heart. He couldn’t just tell people how he felt about them. It wasn’t that he never wanted to let the ones closest to him know. It was just impossible for him.

When he came back to Konoha he’d known that there would be bitterness about his departure. It was no secret. That’s why he’d kept his heart under even closer guard. He couldn’t show others the feelings within him, for he knew they would be hard to accept. He’d left them. How could he be sure that they wouldn’t reject him? That they wouldn’t accuse him of lying? He wouldn’t be able to handle it.

He had lied when he’d said that he had severed his bonds. They were within him all the time.

The proof of wounds inflicted by his departure was now running as fast as she could away from him. And she was the one he’d wanted to keep close to him.

“Hn.” He muttered. He was frustrated with himself and her. He knew that she cared about him. He knew it. And it was clear to him that he cared for her. But between the two of them, one had yet to let go of wounds inflicted by the betrayal of the other and the other had yet to let go of his cold persona for even a moment to help heal the girl’s heart.

He hadn’t lied. It would be convenient for him to marry her. She just hadn’t stayed and listened long enough to learn why. Well he’d make sure she found out one way or another.

****

Sakura ran home and collapsed on her doorstep. She didn’t even have the energy to pick herself up and unlock her door. She just lay her head on her arms and let all her pain seep out of her. Sobs racked her body.

She knew it was stupid to sit there in the rain on the cement, but she was broken. She didn’t even spare a thought to her well being, she was too hurt to care.

Suddenly she felt a pair of strong arms pick her up, with one arm beneath her knees and the other around her shoulders. She suddenly found herself, no longer crying into her own arms, but into a warm chest. She felt the arms pull her closer to the man holding her and cradle her gently there.

Sakura slowly opened her eyes and looked up to the man. Her eyes widened in realization.

“Sasuke? What are you doing? Put me down! Put me down right now!” Sakura was furious that he even had the gall to touch her. What the hell did he think he was doing? She struggled against him, flailing her arms and her legs.

He simply tightened his hold on her, willing her to stop thrashing around. Everyone in the village was aware of the girl’s strength, including Sasuke. Holding her still was no easy task despite her fatigue. But, she eventually gave up her struggle and just continued to weep into his chest.

When her sobs died down he slowly put her legs down and reached for her hand. He pried open her fingers and gently took the keys to her apartment out of her hand. He walked to the door and opened it. Sakura made a move to walk through the door herself but she was soon swept up into Sasuke’s arms again.

“Sasuke...I can wa-“

“Just be quiet Sakura. You’re exhausted”

Sakura silenced her protests, ashamed to appear so weak in front of him.

He walked into the living room and softly placed her onto the couch.

He knew he had to tell her what he’d been struggling to say for years. He just needed the words.

Sakura I-“

She quickly cut him off, not wanting to hear any of what he had to say.

“Thank you Sasuke, but you really didn’t need to do that. I was perfectly able to-“

“I could see that. Curled up on your front step, too tired to even stand.”

“Well it’s been a long day! You could have just stayed out of it!”

“Hn.”

“You know what? You can still stay out of it! You think that by carrying me through a door gives you the leverage to do whatever you want?! Get out Uchiha! I don’t want you here! LEAVE!” She was yelling now. She was still angry and upset about everything that happened earlier. Tears were beginning to build up in her eyes but she willed them not to fall.

“I’m not leaving Sakura.”

“Wanna bet?!”

“You should really just learn to shut up and listen. It’s annoying.”

“...” Sakura looked away and now stared at a stray thread on her couch.

“I didn’t lie you know.”

“Wha-“

“Earlier. I didn’t lie.”

Sakura didn’t understand now. Was he trying to make this harder for her? Was he here to rub it in?

‘“About what?” She spat out.

“Marrying you being convenient. It would be.”

“What?! Is that why you’re here?! To try and convince me to agree to your stupid question? I won’t marry you because it’s convenient! I mean it Uchiha! Get out of my house right now!” Tears rolled down her cheeks. He didn’t even listen to her when she had just spilled her heart out in front of him. She quickly got off of the couch and bolted past him to her bedroom. She locked her door and fell onto her bed trying to contain the sobs that were racking her small frame.

Sasuke ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

‘She’s just making this harder than it needs to be. Stubborn girl.’ He walked to her bedroom door and lightly rested his head against it.

“You’re still not listening Sakura.”

“Damn straight I’m not! Why should I?! All you ever do i-“

“It would be convenient,” Sasuke said, cutting off her muted replies from behind the door, “because if we were married I’d be able to see you whenever I wanted.”

Silence was heard behind the barrier separating the two before the Uchiha suddenly heard a muffled

“...What?”

Sasuke shrugged. He was struggling with something within himself. “You’re always on my mind and it’s annoying as hell not to be able to see you when I want to. It’d be convenient for me be able see you everyday.” He said in a voice that suggested that it was the most obvious thing in the world

Sakura was shocked. She silently counted how many words he’d just spoken. Thirty-one. Thirty-one words and two sentences. She suddenly burst out in giggles.

‘Is...Is she laughing?!’

“What?” Sasuke snapped. He’d just opened up to her and she found it funny?

“N-nothing Sa-sssuu-kee. You..you just said o-over 30 w-wwords!” Sakura continued laughing. It was even harder to hear her reply between the door between them and her infuriating giggles.

“Hn.”

Calming down Sakura wished he would continue what he’d been saying. She slowly padded to her bedroom door and opened it just a crack. “So..In what other ways would it be...convenient Sasuke?”

He glanced over at her and smirked. She’d just been laughing at him, but now she wanted him to go on.

‘She’s such a girl.’ He thought to himself, but the trails that her tears had left still stained her face.

“Well...” He began while cautiously moving forward, “You never call me Sasuke-kun anymore. It bothers me. It’d be convenient cause then you would. It’d definitely be less annoying.”

“Oh really? Anything else Sasuke?” Sakura said softly. She was slowly beginning to open up to him again.

He nodded, taking the last few inches that separated the pair. He gently brushed he tears away from her face.

‘How many times has she cried over me?’

She was about to ask what he was doing when she found herself incapable of doing so due to the pair of lips that had lightly attached themselves to hers. Sasuke was kissing her extremely softly, almost as though he was unsure whether it was acceptable. Her eyes widened before slowly closing. She lightly kissed him back before he pulled away.

Green eyes looked into onyx eyes before she wrapped her arms around Sasuke’s neck and pulling him forward forcefully. She smashed her lips on his and kissed him with all the pent up feeling she had. Sasuke responded with just as much force.

After the young couple had separated for air, Sasuke began to speak.

“It’d be convenient, because then I’d be able to do that whenever I wanted to.” He stated confidently.

Sakura laughed quietly before kissing him again. She had definitely misunderstood his intentions the first time, but she knew now what had really been going on in his head.

Suddenly Sasuke spoke, back to his usual short sentences. “So do you have an answer?”

Sakura thought for a moment before answering. “Yes. I do have an answer...And it’s no.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened a fraction and he searched her eyes for any hint that he’d done anything wrong.

Hi eyes revealed the question he hadn’t the courage to voice.

“You’re going to need to work a bit harder and a bit longer to win me Uchiha!” Sasuke narrowed his eyes sharply, while Sakura laughed before pressing her lips to his again.

Sasuke delighted in the feel of her lips against his and thought to himself:

‘So be it.’

~ Two Years Later ~

“Sasuke! Will you please answer the door?” Sakura shouted from their bedroom.

“Hn.”He muttered. He was beginning to question his decision. The woman’s nagging never ended.

“Sasuke!” Sakura whined “The door!”

Sasuke groaned and trudged to the front door. He opened it and groaned again.

“Teme! It’s been a while! How’ve you been? ” Naruto’s voice could be heard from across the apartment

“...” Sasuke wordlessly turned around and walked back into the living room.

“OI! Teme! I asked you question you...you...vocabulary-less jer-“

“Hn...Dobe.”

“What did you call me?!?! You should be glad that I’ve finally made it back home. The very same home I had to drag your traitorous ass back to three years ago.”

The glare he received could have only been conjured by an Uchiha.

“Heh heh heh. Whatever teme! I forgive your lack of enthusiasm at my return!” Naruto stated, while scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

“...Dobe...”

Naruto’s face suddenly acquired an angry twitch. He yelled through the house, being sure to get as close to his best friend’s ear as possible.

“Sakura-chan! Where are you?!”

“Naruto! You’re back!” Sakura rushed into the room and enveloped the blond ninja into a warm hug. Naruto had been gone for two months on a mission and though he was irritating and loud, everyone (yes, even Sasuke) had missed him and his antics.

“Naruto come into the kitchen and I’ll make you some ramen, Sasuke could you quickly run to the store and pick up some milk? We’re out.”

Sasuke crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes vehemently.

“Please?” Sakura looked at him silently pleading. She’d be busy all week at the hospital and this would be her only chance to catch up with her friend.

“Hn. “ He muttered as he grabbed a few dollars from his wallet and made his way to the door. As he passed his loud mouthed best friend the blonde whispered quietly

“Whipped”

“Shut up Dobe.”

***

He returned quickly and was just in time to see Naruto off.

“Bye Naruto! See you soon okay?” she called out to him.

She turned around and began to clean the kitchen

‘It’s now or never Uchiha. So do it now.’

“Sakura.”

“Yes Sasuke?”

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder.

“What are you doing Sasuke?” Sakura giggled happily.

He stayed silent and slowly reached into his back pocket, pulling out a little black box. He brought it in front of her eyes and opened it, asking her a silent question.

He could hear her intake of breath and she gently took the box out of his hands.

“Are you...Are you..?”

“Aa.”

She turned around in his arms and looked him the eyes. She suddenly smiled the most brilliant smile he’d ever seen. She enveloped him and a tight hug and buried her face into his neck.

“Is that a yes?”

Sakura suddenly squealed and entwined her arms around his neck before jumping up and wrapping her legs around his around his waist. She locked him in a bruising kiss that left both of them dizzy.

“Of course it’s a yes Sasuke-kun.”

“Good.”

“And why would you want to marry me?” She asked playfully.

Sasuke smirked and kissed her lips before answering her question.

“Because you are the biggest inconvenience I’ve ever met.”

The End.

A/N: So there it is...I hope you liked it! I'm sorry if you didn't...don't worry...you're not the only one XD (Damn you Sasuke OOc-ness!! You ruin my fics!) Still, reviews are always always appreciated. Especially right now. I've been feeling so stressed lately with school and you're reviews always make me feel a bit better. Even just knowing that people are reading. You have no idea how comforting it is. Well anyways....Thank you for reading!!!!!! -hands you a cookie- Hope you liked it!!!