prompt: SasuSaku month day 2 - Something More
Rated K+
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Just a Teammate
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After a long day working at the hospital, Sakura welcomed the end of her shift with relief. She longed to get home and rest up as her chakra was low from the extensive healing she had performed that day. The war may have been permanently over, but people never stopped getting hurt. Medic nin's job was never done.
"Sakura-san, you're leaving?" a friendly co-worker at the reception desk called to her. A sly look appeared on the woman's face and Sakura knew that this meant nothing good for her. "With that handsome man again?"
"My shift is over, so yes, I'm going home now," Sakura replied, ignoring the second question.
"Just so you know, he's waiting for you outside. Is he your boyfriend?" The receptionist wasn't deterred in her line of questioning. She had a reputation of a huge gossip and Sakura realized that Sasuke coming to pick her up after work everyday for a week straight must have become a hot topic of discussion among the staff. She'd been so wrapped up in her work on the children's clinic and other personal matters that she didn't even notice.
"You mean Sasuke-kun? He's just a teammate. He's just got back from a long-term mission so he wants to catch up with everyone in the village before he has to leave again," she explained, keeping her tone even and unconcerned.
"A teammate?" The woman's expression fell in disappointment. "That's too bad. You should find yourself a fine man. We all know how strong you are, but everyone needs someone to lean on from time to time."
The advice was touching, but not needed. Sakura gave a polite smile to the motherly woman. "I'll try. It was nice talking to you, but I really must be going."
"Of course! Have a nice weekend!" the receptionist said.
Sakura sighed and rubbed at her temples as she exited the hospital. How many times did she have to call Sasuke her teammate? No matter how true it was, explaining to other people that he was only that and nothing else felt like stabbing herself in the heart. She cared for all her teammates, but he'd always had a special place in her heart.
She remembered that time her own mother asked her...
"Sakura, when are you going to get yourself a boyfriend?"
"Mom, I'm too busy for this."
Mebuki quirked an eyebrow at her.
"Too busy for love? Sakura, with this attitude you'll become a spinster! You need to snag a good man before all of them are taken!"
"Mom, seriously..."
"What about that Uchiha boy? He's been around a lot lately. When you were younger you couldn't stop talking about him. It was so cute!"
Sakura fought off a blush of embarrassment. Did her mom really have to bring that up?
"Sasuke-kun is just a teammate. And I thought you didn't like him?"
"I didn't, but if Hokage-sama accepted him back, why shouldn't I? So, he's only a teammate? Your father and I were teammates too and then well..." her mom said with a grin as she reminisced.
"Mom..." Sakura groaned. "Just drop it, please."
Sakura had to admit that ever since Sasuke returned to the village from his journey of redemption they had become closer. People were bound to notice as she was a well-known kunoichi and Naruto's teammate. However, Sakura felt that her relationship with Sasuke escaped labels and she didn't want to presume anything. She was overjoyed that he wanted to spend time together, but... he'd never said that it meant anything. He was meeting up with Naruto too, so how was she to know if what she had with him was any different than that?
Sakura cut off that train of thought, because she spotted him leaning against the outer wall of the hospital. He looked cool and mysterious, longer hair hiding his Rinnegan from view. Sakura smiled and headed to join him when someone blocked her path.
"Sakura-san!" the young man said, bowing before her. He thrust a bunch of flowers towards her like he was trying to stab her with them. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I really admire you and can you please go out with me?"
Seriously, another one of those? Sakura thought they finally learned to give it a rest after all the rejections she'd dealt over the years. Guess this one was uninformed. She really hated to do it, but she had to let him down gently.
"Thank you for the flowers, but I'm not interested. Sorry," she said. She didn't take his offering.
The young man looked at her desperately. "Please, just give me a chance? One date? We could grab a dinner at that new restaurant on the main street," he suggested.
Sakura gritted her teeth. Didn't he hear her? No means no and if he was going to persist after a second warning, there wouldn't be a third one.
"Sakura, what's taking you so long?" a familiar voice spoke and she felt a wave of relief. Sasuke came just in time for a rescue.
"It's nothing, sorry for making you wait," she replied, trying to pass by her admirer who sized up Sasuke with open hostility.
"Is this your boyfriend?" the man asked.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "That is none of your business. And he's just a teammate."
"Then-"
"I'm not interested. Please leave. I won't ask again," she said forcefully, clenching her fist in a threatening manner.
The man must have gotten the memo at last, because he scrammed with a muttered apology, leaving Sakura alone with Sasuke.
"Sorry for that. We can go now," she told him. He nodded and started walking. Sakura easily fell into step with him.
"Does this happen often to you?" Sasuke asked, startling her.
"You mean guys asking me out? No, it's quite rare now," she replied.
"Now?" Sasuke shot her an inquisitive look.
"Well, after you left on your journey, there were a lot more of those guys and some were really persistent! I had to punch a few just so they would leave me alone," she said with a huff. "I guess now I understand how you felt about your fangirls."
"I never punched any of them," Sasuke pointed out in a teasing tone.
"Ah, well, but I always had a good reason to punch those guys" Sakura explained and chuckled in a good humour. "I think none of your fangirls ever managed to cop a feel."
Sasuke grunted, which wasn't really any sort of answer, and their conversation dwindled before she changed the topic to her hectic day at the hospital.
Their walk to her place proceeded as usual, however Sasuke seemed quieter and more closed off. Maybe it sounded not out of ordinary for him, because he was a reserved person, but Sakura could tell something was bothering him by the slight crinkle around his brow and the subtle downturn of his lips.
When they reached her apartment, she invited him inside for tea, just as usual. They sat together on her couch, but even the domestic setting, hot tea and delicious snacks didn't improve Sasuke's mood. Sakura decided to be direct.
"Sasuke-kun, is there something wrong?"
"Why would you think so?" he deflected, but she wasn't having any of that.
"I can tell you're upset. Did I do something?" she asked, looking him straight in the eyes.
He closed his own, breaking the contact. "No," he said at length, like he was picking words carefully, "I was only thinking about something you said."
She was stumped. What did he have in mind? She'd said many things to him just this day...
"You told that guy that I am just a teammate," Sasuke explained.
Sakura frowned, trying to figure out what was so upsetting about this to him.
"Was I wrong? Even if we don't go on missions together anymore, I will always think of you as my teammate," she reasoned. "That will never change."
"Maybe it should," he muttered, looking away from her.
Was that self-loathing she heard? Was he still beating himself up over the past? Impulsively, she grabbed his hand and held it in her lap between her two palms. Sasuke finally turned to her, surprised at her suddenness.
"Sasuke-kun, we're already over this. The past is the past and I forgave you a long time ago. You are a changed man, a good man. And you are my precious teammate," she told him fervently.
"... That's not what I meant."
This time it was her turn to be surprised. She cocked her head at him quizzically.
Sasuke laced his fingers with hers and pulled her closer until their knees and thighs were touching.
"Am I really just a teammate to you, Sakura? The same as Naruto?" he asked, piercing her with his discerning stare. "Would a teammate do this?" He showed her their entwined hands. She shook her head mutely. "Or this?" He pulled her again, meeting no resistance, and she tumbled onto him.
"Sasuke-kun," she said in a daze as she peered up at him, but he wasn't finished.
He leaned down to her and she fell silent. He was able to mesmerize her even without activating his Sharingan. Then his gaze shifted down her face and he eyed her pink lips intently before looking up again.
"Would 'just a teammate' do this?" he asked hotly and took her first kiss.
It wasn't a friendly, chaste peck and it definitely was nothing like the CPR she'd given Naruto during the war. This kiss was like an all-consuming inferno. It was made of pure want, a want she found herself easily matching with her own deep longing. After all, she'd been feeling this way for Sasuke all these years.
The pressing need for air made them separate. Sakura opened her eyes and licked her swollen lips, drawing in ragged breaths. Sasuke brushed her pink tresses behind her ear with a shaky hand. He also struggled to regain his composure.
"Do you understand now?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said with an emerging soft smile, which he returned.
She understood his meaning perfectly now. Sasuke wasn't just a teammate or a friend nor did he want to be one. He was... something more, out of his own volition, and it filled her with an insurmountable happiness.
She'd waited long enough.
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AN: Happy SasuSaku Month! I decided I'll fill a few prompts and let this new SasuSaku anthology grow. Ratings will stay in the K-T range.
I hope you liked the story! Reviews are appreciated.
