The Flower and the Avenger

Chapter 28

After he was sure about what happened, he made sure to follow Sakura. Everywhere.

He sent more than a few people to tail her- only the best. Kakashi, Obito, the few people that he could ensure that they would keep their mouth shut. Usually he would trust Rin to do it too, but as she was Sakura's best friend he decided not to be too generous.

He had them asking questions, casually- how was her day? Did she go anywhere? Where did she come from? Was anyone with her?- until he would gather enough information to find the bastard who took her away.

She was still hesitant, though doing everything he instructed her to do. She wouldn't meet him in the eye. She would speak carefully. All the arrows pointed to her cheating.

Would that really be called cheating, though? It wasn't like they were official as lovers. But then again, it wasn't like they weren't official either...

He gritted his teeth. She would love him. He would accept no one else.

Sasuke wasn't new to nightmares. Not one bit. They chased after him like wolves after prey ever since Itachi killed their clan. They used to settle down, though, after he learned to defend himself and now the nightmares turned into dreams, many of which he would have killed him and risen triumphant.

Now, they came back- but in a different manner. A woman's scream as a bloody rose was thrown into the night. Letters upon letters with curvy and slope-like handwriting filling his front and back door. A lock of bright red hair and blood-splattered glasses wrapped in a fountain pen case.

The effect was terrifying. Waking up in a cold sweat that left his body sticky like he was covered in blood, eyes wide and panting heavily like he'd just run fast and hard.

I wonder if this was what made Sakura take those sleeping pills, he thought dryly. If I'd never seen what it did to people, I probably would have done the same.

Nightmares didn't just stop during the day. What Tsunade said about forgetting what happened in sleep? That wasn't true, not at all. They haunted him day and night, only stopping when Sakura came to take care of him.

Which brought him back to the fact that she might leave him.

What would he have to do? Offer her money? Invite her family here? Give her a job that she'd never be able to refuse? What exactly did he have to do to make her stay with him forever?

Unless...

It was a crazy idea. If it failed, he just might go insane. But then again, if it succeeded, he'd never have to worry about any nightmares ever again.

It was decided.

He would ask her to marry him.

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Sakura noticed something strange lately.

Sasuke grew overprotective, so to speak. He forbade her to go outside of the manor, even on the roof, constantly asked her about where she was last and what she was doing, demanded to know if Naruto had interacted with her lately. Invited her to the library more often. Asked her if her parents were doing well.

To be honest, it was a little creepy.

What happened to him? She thought, shivering. This wasn't the Sasuke she knew. Then again, it had only been a year since she knew him, so maybe she was jumping to conclusions.

But to be fair, it seemed like his feelings for her had increased by tenfold.

"Sakura. Are you listening?"