Happy Accidents

Chapter 40: Cloud Nine

Sakura was almost shocked by what she saw. His back and chest were riddled with scars; she could tell that they were the remnants of many skin grafts that he must have endured as a kid. They were healed, but they were obvious. Anyone could tell that he'd suffered greatly in the process. She was doing her best not to stare, but that was difficult; not only were they obvious, but it wasn't just the scars she was staring at. It was him she stared at. Damn... Any girl who would have seen him like this, even beyond the scars, would have felt the same way she did. He was incredibly attractive. She could feel the heat rush to her cheeks as she climbed down into the water, wading toward him.

He could tell she was staring. He had expected such, but he could also tell that she was trying not to. The way her cheeks flushed in the low light, he could tell that it wasn't just the scars that she was staring at. It was a relief to him. He certainly hadn't expected her to stare at everything else as much as she was, though. It stroked his ego a little bit. Other girls had stared at him with similar looks, but it felt different coming from Sakura.

She stood before him, turning her gaze up to his face as she enjoyed the warmth of the water. A night swim had definitely been the best idea for them; there was something very different about swimming at night than the daytime. Seeing him watching her intently, she turned her gaze shyly away, chewing her lip and trying to swallow her nerves.

That glance away made the corners of his lips tug into a smile, seeing her bashful and timid once more. He pulled her close against him, tight enough that her head rested against his chest. They stood in silence for some time before he realized something.

Sakura... was crying. Why would she be crying? She had no reason to. Had he said or done something wrong?

Sakura knew why she was crying. Seeing the scars he had, she could only imagine the suffering he'd endured. She remembered her own pain and realized the pain he experienced would have been tenfold. Longer. More brutal. Years and years of recovery, rehabilitation, dealing with people who would have more questions than he wanted to answer... all of it made her heart ache for him. She could tell he wasn't the type of person to cry; she couldn't help but let her own heart cry out for him.

"Sakura?" He asked with concern, pulling away to look at her. A palm reached up to her face, brushing away a tear. "What's wrong?" His gaze was filled with worry; she sniffled and wiped at her other eye, doing what she could to compose herself.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "It's just, I... seeing all those scars, I can't help but think about everything you must have gone through. All the pain, the suffering, the years of rehabilitation and all that, and you were just a kid... none of that sounds fair, none at all." As she blubbered out her words, he quickly understood what was happening. She cared so deeply about his suffering, deeply enough that it triggered emotions in her. She had such a big heart, one that was pure, honest, and kind to a fault.

He stood in front of her, reaching forward to place a hand under her chin, drawing her tear-stained gaze back up to his. He wanted to say those words. Those three words that dug at him, those words that caught in his throat no matter how hard he tried to say them. Each moment was another step toward it. He couldn't express it verbally, but he felt it. He knew he felt it.

He would express it the only way he knew how. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips gently against hers, his other arm reaching around her waist as his palm rested on her cheek. Her smaller frame was pulled tightly against his as he continued to kiss her deeply and passionately, his hand reaching from her cheek to the back of her head, fingers tangling in her pink tresses as their lips remained locked together.

The moment he kissed her, Sakura felt a wave of dizziness come over her, feeling light-headed from the gesture. It was his arm that kept her steady; his kisses always made her weak in the knees. As his hand was on her cheek, fingers reaching to tangle in her hair, she allowed her hands to wander a bit, running over the scarred ridges on his bare chest. Tears still lingered, but Sakura almost forgot them in the heat of the moment. She felt love and passion behind his kiss, the kind of spark you couldn't get from just anyone. She could feel him thanking her, wordlessly understanding what she felt when she saw what he'd endured. She loved him, without a doubt, but she was too scared to admit it just yet. Love, this early on in their relationship? They were still in a fragile state by relationship standards. Then again, nothing was really "normal" about it. Nothing at all.