Oh No I'm In Love With The Bartender!

Chapter 18

Hellooo just a heads up there will be some mention of abuse and violence in this chapter specifically towards the end. I'll let you know before hand so please with ⚠️ caution
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"I found you." She said as she took a seat on the bench next to him. He felt a sense of calm wash over him. It was new, warm and enticing, that he simply had to say. "Thank you"

After the Uchiha's initial shock wore off he was finally able to speak. "Sakura.. what are you doing here?" He asked out in genuine curiosity. He watched as a small gust of wind played with her hair as she sat next to him. "Looking for you." She answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Sasuke huffed letting out another cloudy breath. "I thought you would be out having fun with Gaara... and Naruto." He added at the end as if he had forgotten that Naruto was also with her. Sakura let out a small laugh. "It was fun, but also a bit awkward." She said as she rubbed her hands together to keep them warm.
"Awkward?" Sasuke repeated as he glanced down at her fidgeting hands. "Yeah, he sorta thought it was a date."she said letting her own cloudy breaths out. "Was it not?" He asked, Sakura's eyes where quick to look at him. "No! It was just... something nice I was trying to do for Naruto." She explained. Sasuke had already known it wasn't like that. But it felt good to confirm it. "Anyways I panicked and said I had a boyfriend." She admitted with an embarrassed smile.
         "You said Naruto was your boyfriend ?" Sasuke couldn't help but laugh at that. Sakura jolted, "n-not exactly." She mumbled. Her heart began to pound faster as she remembered who Gaara had assumed was her boyfriend. She definitely would not tell him. "The point is, Gaara is nice but he's not the one for me.. Also I felt like I was cock blocking their bromance." Sasuke cracked a smile at that. His earlier worries now seemed stupid. "Anyways, I would much rather be here with you." Sakura realize what she had just said as it left her mouth. They both had to turn away to hide their blushes.
This time though, Sakura didn't feel bad or regret saying something like that. The fact was that it was true. That's how she really felt and she wasn't going to apologize for that. "How'd you find me?" Sasuke finally asked. Sakura watched the way Sasuke's face stared out to the night sky. She couldn't help but find it perfect. "....When my dad was still alive, we used to drive through this mountain all the time. I always thought it had the most beautiful view of the city at night. I figured you wanted to be somewhere where you felt comfortable. Somewhere you could make your problems feel small. I just assumed this would be the perfect place.."
      Sasuke noted the way her eyes filled with a mixture of nostalgia and fondness as she spoke about her father. That was something he could not relate to. "Sasuke... are you alright?" She finally asked as she turned her full attention to him. He closed his eyes in response. The way he saw it, he had two choices. To tell her the truth and open up about his problems or lie and shut himself off like he did to most. The silence was a discouraging sign for her, but if anyone knew her, they knew how stubborn of a person she was.
       "A while back.. I was at a really low point in my life. You helped me. Lifted me up and gave me great advice. Advice that I used to come to a conclusion that I otherwise wouldn't have come to by myself... please let me pay you back for helping me. Let me help you, the way you helped me." She said in a determined voice. Sakura had already opened up to him maybe it was his turn to open up to her. Sasuke sighed and opened his eyes.
       "Sakura, you're annoying." Sakura felt like lighting had struck her body. Out of all the responses she was expecting, that one was definitely not one. She opened her mouth and shot him a confused look. "You're so stubborn in your ways that I see why your friend got mad... but it's one of the qualities I most admire about you." He said with a small smile. Out of his two earlier choices he decided to choose the latter. He took a deep breath before he began. " the truth is, I'm not ok.. I haven't been for a while. My mother called me today. She said that my father had gotten sick and was bed ridden. He needs to have surgery but he's refusing to have it until I go see him."
       Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, something he did to calm himself. "And you're refusing to see him?" Sakura asked with a worried expression. "Yeah.." "why?"
"Because he doesn't deserve it. He never saw me as his son. I was only a back up incase things didn't work out with Itachi." Sakura saw the hurt that lingered in his dark obsidian eyes. "Since the beginning I -I was considered a failure. When I was old enough to read and write he discovered that I had a speech impediment. I stuttered and in his eyes that made me weak. Unfit to run the billion dollar conglomerate he had build. He sent me away to boarding schools hoping they could fix me."
        Sasuke had to stop and get a hold of the emotions. They laid heavily on his heart, threatening to form a knot at the back of his throat. Sakura saw that he was struggling with his feelings. Unsure of what to do she let her hand  find his, giving it an encouraging squeeze. He released another deep breath and tried to swallow his feelings. "Because of him I missed countless of holidays and spent many of my birthdays away. Not to mention that he always put the company first over his family. When my mother became sick he never even bothered to visit her."
       "If you're not involved with the Company he doesn't care about you. I guess thats why I always felt a bit jealous of Itachi. It wasn't his fault, but my father always thought of him as perfect while he looked at me like I was a disgrace. Itachi was a good brother though. He always encouraged me and was kind to me.  So when he turned on me I felt betrayed."
       "He turned on you? What do you mean by that?"Sakura asked feeling his hand twitch underneath hers. She had known something had happened between them but what that was, was still a mystery. "At that point I had grown tired of my father and planned to escape in any way that I could. I told Itachi about my plan of becoming a bartender...I thought I could trust him. But in the end he told my father about my plan.
         In turn my father became angry and froze all my assets. I was locked out and found myself without any money. Luckily Obito heard about what had happened and offered to help me escape. I accepted his help and ran away. That leads us to where I am right now..." Sakura could see the swelling of emotions that were running around Sasuke's heart. She had known it wasn't going to be a pretty story, but she had never anticipated something like this. She had to fight the urge to cling on to him and try to hug the hurt away. But she knew she had to sit still and let him continue spilling his feelings.
       "I became angry and bitter towards my father, but if I'm being honest I always still wanted his approval. I wanted him to tell me.. I-I'm not a failure. To tell me he was proud of me like he was of Itachi. I wanted him to be a dad...But that long gone now. This man never made time for me. So I don't think he deserves my time either." He said as he shook his head. "I get it, you still hold that grudge. But I think you're lying to yourself." Sasuke looked at her a bit confused. "I think you still want all those things from your dad. And you feel like if you go and see him and he gives you these things you will want to forgive him. And then you would have betrayed your younger self."
        Sasuke opened his mouth. A bit perplexed on how fast she had hit the nail on the head. Yet he denied it. "What? N-no I don't want to see him because he's still the same bastard who ruined my childhood." Sakura raised a brow at that. "You really think he's the same?" " yes, he's incapable of change."Sasuke shot back with full certainty as if it was an absolute law of physics. "I think everyone is capable of change. Even the most hard headed ones." Sakura said softly. "No, not him. You don't know him like I do." "That's true, but he's been reaching out to you right? Is that something that he would have done back then?" Sasuke had to really think about this one. "...no" he answered truthfully. "Then he has already shown you that he is capable of change, even if it is a little."
        "You don't have to forgive him. You have a right to still feel angry but you have to at least acknowledge his efforts." "I don't think I do. I decided a while back that I would break the bond between him and I.  And I intend to keep it that way.  I cannot see him." Sakura had to furrow her brows at that. He was willingly ignoring the opportunity to fix things. And why would he not? He was blinded by hate and rightfully so. Yet Sakura wanted to help him open his eyes to the possibility of mending his relationship. "No Sasuke I can't see my dad anymore... but you can. You don't know how things will turn out in the future. What if one day he passes away and you never got to talk things out with him. It won't feel good, you'll be left with guilt and sadness. Eventually that anger that you feel will fade away, but guilt stays with you. I don't wish that on anyone."
        "How do you know for sure I'll feel guilt?" He asked with genuine curiosity. He hadn't thought himself possible of that, especially after everything he had endured because of his father. But as he watched Sakura soft smile he knew she was right."Because bonds are not easily broken, especially those between parents and their children. You may tell yourself that you have severed the bond between you and him but you know in your heart that it is still there." Sasuke's obsidian eyes finally soften, letting his feelings escape to the surface.
"like I said, you don't have to forgive him. But at least listen to what he has to say. I can even go with you..Ah er! If you want that, that is." She said as she scratched her cheek nervously. Sasuke let out a sigh of defeat and nodded. "I would like that. He said as he rubbed his forearm arm over his eyes.
Sakura smiled as she looked at him. Her eyes slightly widen as she felt his hand shift. He had closed  his hand with hers and rubbed his thumb over her knuckes. "Sakura, thank you." He said softly. "Sasuke." She whispered back, letting a small blush settle on her cheeks. He was looking at her and this time she didn't shy away. It felt different now that he had opened up. More intimate and comfortable. They shifted their hands once more locking their fingers together.
       Sakuras heart was beating so loud she could hear it in her ears. She feared he might hear it. But that was the last thing on his mind when he looked at her soften features. Her cheeks were blushed from their hand holding and her nose shined red with the cold. Her eyes looked like emeralds shining in a spotlight. They deserved to be in a museum so that all could see their beauty but he wanted them all for himself. He had always thought they looked beautiful. His eyes scanned her lips then flickered up to meet her eyes again. Subconsciously indicating what he wanted. Sasuke's heart fluttered as he felt her inch closer and he did the same. They leaned in enough to feel each other's warm breath on their face.
      Then A sudden gleam of white, made them break from their close contact and look up. Sasuke and Sakura watched as a snowflake drifted down from the heavens landing between them. "Snow." Sakura whispered with a smile. "The first snow fall of the season. Isn't it beautiful?" She asked as she looked up to meet the falling snowflakes. "Yeah, it is." Sasuke replied, never taking his eyes off of her.