Cherry Blossoms

🌸Switched - Part 4🌸

"Huh?" Ino glanced out the window of her family's flower shop just as she was closing up for the night, "hey! Sakura! Sasuke!"

They looked over at her, then Sasuke smiled and waved at her, "Ino!"

"So. What are you two doing so late at night? You guys are always together now, any ordinary person would think you two are dating! You'd better watch it, billboard brow!"

"Heh." Sasuke chuckled nervously, "ah, I-I don't think that's--"

"Hn. That's okay." Sakura shut her eyes, "we're headed to the bath-house."

"What?!" Ino went bug-eyed, "t-together?! W-why?!"

"W-well..." Sasuke turned to Sakura, "yeah, uh, about that... We, uh..."

"We just have a lot we need to talk about." Sakura crossed her arms and continued walking.

"Oh..." Ino only stared.

"Bye, Ino!" Sasuke waved to her as he ran to catch up with Sakura, "hey, Sasuke, you're sure everyone's already asleep?"

"Yeah."

"But Ino was out and about..."

"It's fine." Sakura glanced back at him, "what are you so worried about?"

"I dunno..." Sasuke looked at the ground. To be going to the bath house with just Sasuke... I think I might faint in the water and drown him... Oh no, maybe this is all a bad idea...

"It's okay." Sakura gave him a reassuring nod, "no one will see."

"O-okay..." He muttered.

Once they got there, Sasuke went to the boy's side as Sakura went to the girl's.

"Okay, good. No one's here." Sasuke sighed, "how about you, Sasuke?"

"No." Sakura replied casually.

"Uhm..." Sasuke muttered as he pulled his shirt off, folded it, and set it in a cubby, "d-don't worry, I'm going to wear a towel the whole time."

"Hn."

The rest of the time, it was silent, except for the sound of running water, the running bath, the setting down of toiletries and buckets, and their footsteps.

"S-Sasuke? Are you in the bath, now?"

"Yeah."

"Are you wearing a towel?"

Silence.

"Do you want me to?"

Sasuke dropped under the surface of the water, "you mean... You're not?"

Silence.

"Sasuke?"

"No."

Sasuke put his hand in front of his face. He's... Seen me...

"But I didn't look, I promise."

"How is that even possible?"

"I just didn't."

"Mm..." Sasuke groaned as he covered his blushing face, "Sasuke..."

"Don't worry about it." She replied, and the two were quiet once again. Until Sakura broke the silence first, for once, "Sakura?"

"Hm? Yes, Sasuke?"

"Ah.." All Sasuke heard was the sound of movement in the water next door, "how do you see things? From my body?"

He looked down at the water, "it's... Different. Without my parents, and how lonely you've been living all this time, and... I'm sorry, Sasuke, for not realizing how you must've felt..."

"Hn." Sakura shut her eyes, "living in your place... I've been... Happier, I guess."

Happy... Sasuke leaned his head back.

"Sakura..."

"Hm?"

"Being in this experience... It's definitely different, but I've learned so much from and about you."

"Yeah, me too." Sasuke smiled.

"And..."

"Hm?"

Sakura shut her eyes, "you make me happy."

Silence.

"I-I'm sorry, Sasuke, did I hear you wrong?"

"No."

"You mean, my life has made you happy? Or... Being in my body?"

"No. Because even despite the stomach pains, you were what kept me alive, and... I've never really felt this way."

"S-Sasuke..." Sasuke stared at the wall that separated them, "I had... No idea..."

"Hn." He heard Sakura stepping out of the water, "I'm done."

"Eh?!" Sasuke blushed, "d-don't look! Even I'm still wearing a towel!"

"Don't worry..." Sakura called, "I have to admit, you have a nice body, though."

"Wha..." Sasuke stared, then slipped underwater when he could practically hear the smirk on her face, "I'm getting out right now, and when I find you, Sasuke, I'm going to--"

"To what?" Sakura challenged.

"Hey, careful what you say! I'm in your body, I can... I can... Remove this towel right now!"

"Go ahead." Sakura smirked, "I told you I didn't care how much you saw."

Urk... Even then, I can't make myself do it... Sasuke gritted his teeth, "fine, fine..."

Sasuke got out of the water, dried himself off, and quickly got changed. And once he left the bath house, he spotted Sakura leaning against the wall next to the entrance, arms crossed and patiently waiting for him, "you didn't have to wait for me."

"I'm walking you home." Sakura said as she started walking in the direction of Sasuke's house, "I need to see you off and make sure you don't die on your way back."

"Y-yeah, thanks." Sasuke blushed as he walked next to her, "you know... It's amazing how the world seems the same around us, but at the same time, it's just so different."

"Yeah. I see what you mean." Sakura turned to look at Sasuke, "and even though I'm looking at my own face, I can still somehow see you."

"Uh-huh..." Sasuke smiled at her, "or when I look in the mirror, it's like I'm looking at you. And to be honest, it's weird hearing it come from your voice, but when I say I love you, Sasuke, it's like hearing you say you love yourself." He laughed.

"Hn." Sakura nodded, then turned back to see Sasuke's apartment they were coming up to, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah." Sasuke smiled, "thank you so much for all your help."

"You've helped me too." Sakura crossed her arms as she turned and started walking off to her own house, "good night."

_________________

This feeling... It's here again... Sakura stared at herself in the mirror.

"When I look in the mirror, it's like I'm looking at you."

Sakura... Sakura touched the image that reflected back at her. Were you always this... Beautiful? What the hell, Sasuke, that sounded so ridiculous. Get it together...

Sakura slapped her forehead, then she brought her two fingers up and poked her own forehead. Then she smiled a small yet visible smile.

"Sakura... I..." She looked down at her own body, then up at the reflection, "I think..."

I think...

I love you, too.