Love is What You Make of It

Uchiha Sasuke & Haruno Sakura

Author's Note: Heron got struck by the random inspiration to write anti-romantic romance, if that makes sense. The pairings are simply the ones Heron has found herself enamored to, mostly Sasuke and Sakura, Neji and Tenten, Shikamaru and Ino, and Naruto and Hinata. This collection of meanderings comprises how Heron believes these relationships would work…which means while they're meant to put a smile on your face, they might not necessarily be fluffy. First up, Sasuke and Sakura. What happens when a missing-nin falls for a medic-nin.

"Excuse me?" the pink-haired medic demanded, her sharp jade eyes flaring. Sasuke sighed. It was a simple question, wasn't it? A yes or no answer would suffice. Never once did the 'genius' Uchiha figure it might not be that simple.

"I said, will you marry me?" he repeated, dark eyes narrowing in frustration. Only then did he stop to think about her tone of voice. 'Oh shit.'

Her fist connected with his face as she shrieked, "Marry you? After all you've done to me," another punch, which coupled with her considerable strength was no laughing matter, "to Konoha," another hit, "to my friends," a crippling kick to his side that fractured at least one rib and probably broke one of his kidneys, "you ask me to marry you?! You insensitive," one of his cheek bones shattered, "idiotic," now he was pretty sure it was his nose crunching beneath her might, "asshole."

Spitting out a tooth, Sasuke attempted to drag himself to his feet, but the pain forced him down again. And he'd thought he'd suffered at the hands of Itachi and Orochimaru. They had nothing on the woman he'd come to love. His forearm was broken in at least three places where he'd blocked one of her hits. "That's a no?" he wheezed, blood dripping steadily from his mouth and nose.

Sakura cocked her head to one side and asked quietly, "Who said I said no?"