So In Love With Two
A/N: Written for a prompt challenge from my brother, he originally asked for Naruto/Hinata/Kiba, since he knows how much I like two of those pairings. Sadly, I'm not a fan of them together, so I changed the characters, who ironically are probably more to his liking.
"It's not fair," whined Naruto, already well past drunk. "Why does Sasuke get a harem when he's not even here half the time?"
Sasuke glared at him from across the table. Naruto and Kiba had decided that the three of them needed a "guy's night out to get away from the girls" even though both of them were still single.
"I don't have a harem," said Sasuke, "and you better not let Sakura hear you or being single will be the least of your problems."
Kiba laughed loudly, drawing glares from the rest of the bar. He was slightly less drunk than Naruto, but much more than Sasuke who could pass for sober, even though all three had drank just as much.
The Sharingan comes in handy in some of the weirdest ways, Sasuke thought, hiding a smirk.
"Poor little Naruto, mad that you lost both Sakura and Hinata to Uchiha?" Kiba said mockingly.
"Hey, at least I'm not a virgin," Naruto shot back, earning an angry growl from Kiba. "All I'm saying, is that I'm Hokage and I can't even get a date. All I see day in and day out are dudes reporting their missions to me. All the kunoichi are taken or not interested."
"That's what happens when only a quarter of the ninja are women," said Sasuke dryly.
"I've noticed, which is why I've made it my first priority to decrease the bias against women in all sections of the ninja community, and let young girls know they can be just as good of ninja as anyone else."
Sasuke was impressed by Naruto's speech and his recognition of a real problem. He was about to let the man know, when Naruto had to open his mouth and ruin it.
"But none of them will be of dating age for at least ten years," whined Naruto, "so I'm still out of luck."
"At least we still have each other," said Kiba, patting his friend on the back roughly. "Women, who needs them, right?"
This brought a cheer from Naruto, a sigh from Sasuke, and the attention of the bouncer who thought they had had enough. Gathering his drunk companions, Sasuke led them out into the cool night air.
"To my apartment!" said Naruto from his place at Kiba's shoulder. The two of them were trying to support each other, which wasn't really working, but Sasuke refused to help. 'You reap what you sow' was his policy for these nights out.
"Why are we going back to your dumpy little place?" asked Kiba. "My place is bigger and nicer."
"Yeah, assuming you ignore all the dogs running around and the fact that you still live with your mother," Naruto replied.
"It's a family house!" said Kiba. "Tons of ninja from the older clans live with their families. Anyways, why can't we go to Sasuke's? At least he has more places to lie down than one bed and a couch."
"There's also the floor if you're going to complain so much," said Naruto. "Sasuke's house is full of women, and it's still guys night until the sun comes up!"
"Kiba, just give up," cut in Sasuke. "When Naruto's set on something you can't change his mind. I know, I've tried."
Kiba sighed.
"Fine," he said. Suddenly an evil grin appeared on his face and he laughed so hard Naruto lost his grip and fell on the ground, clutching his head.
"What was that about?" he yelled at Kiba, who was still grinning from ear to ear. "Are you trying to make my headache worse?"
"It's not that bad, big baby," said Kiba as he helped his friend back up. "I was just imagining what Sakura would do to you if we went to Sasuke's and told her you called her part of his harem."
Sasuke saw Naruto shudder in fear and immediately clam up. Ever since Sakura had punched a hole in Naruto's chest and manually kept his heart beating, he had developed a fear that she would do it again, but this time to stop his heart. Sasuke couldn't discount the possibility, so he thought Naruto's caution was wise.
"So if it's not a harem," asked Kiba, "what is it? What are Sakura and Hinata to you?"
Sasuke sighed.
"Are we still on about this?" he asked
"Quickest way to get us to stop is to just tell us," replied Kiba.
"Fine, but this is all you're getting," said Sasuke. "It's simple, I'm married to both Sakura and Hinata, and they are officially married to each other as well."
"That's impossible," said Naruto. "In fact, thats multiple impossibles! Konoha doesn't recognize same-sex marriages, or polygamous ones. I should know, I'm the new Hokage in charge of this information!"
"And of course the first thing you did was check to see if you could make a harem," Kiba said with a knowing grin. Naruto tried swatting him, but they both lost their balance and landed in a pile on the street.
"That's where knowing the former Hokage comes in handy," said Sasuke as he watched his two companions try to get untangled and get back up. "Kakashi pulled some strings and got us on the same family register, and helped set up a contract that guarantees we're all equal partners in the relationship."
"But why go through all the trouble of being in a three person relationship?" asked Kiba as he helped Naruto up. "If its because you love both of them, won't they get jealous? If they love each other, that would make them lesbians, so you'd be the odd man out. What's the point?"
Sasuke glared at Kiba who flinched a bit before meeting his glare with one of his own.
"Because," said Sasuke simply, "I love them, and they love me. Thats all there is to it."
Kiba shrugged. "If you say so."
By the time they got to Naruto's apartment, the man himself had fallen asleep and was drooling on Kiba's shoulder.
"I'll take him to his room, while you get set up on the couch," said Kiba, lugging the blond inside.
"Where are you going to sleep?" asked Sasuke, knowing that Naruto didn't keep extra futons lying around.
"I'll come back out here and sleep on the floor," said Kiba before letting out a long yawn. "He's not the only one who's partied out.
Knowing that Kiba could navigate even in a dark room, Sasuke wasted no time setting up the couch and turning off the lights. As soon as his head hit the pillow he went right to sleep, a habit he'd developed while travelling around the nearby countries. His mind however, didn't stop and he thought back to the past, when he agreed with Kiba that loving two people could never end well.
It had been almost two years since the end of the Fifth Great Ninja War, and while he hadn't found all the answer's he was looking for, he had decided Sakura had waited long enough, and that he should go see her. He'd given her the key's to the rebuilt Uchiha mansion, so she could have a place of her own, something that made her really happy.
"It's a place of our own," she'd said, drawing a small smile from him. He had to admit, it was good to have a place to call home again.
It was the middle of the day so he decided to go through the back, figuring that Sakura would be busy at the hospital. Hopping the fence, he proceeded to the traditional-style screen door. As he got closer he thought he heard noises coming from inside, but he couldn't place them. Deciding Sakura was probably home after all and with a guest, he pulled open the screen door, just in time to see his girlfriend on the floor, climaxing. The cause of this was the other women sharing the bundle of blankets with her, who he hazily recognized as Hinata.
Coming down from her sex high, Sakura saw Sasuke standing there watching them, the blank expression on his face mirroring his thoughts. He expected her to scream, to hide under the blankets, or even deny what he was very clearly seeing. What he did not expect was the bright smile that crossed her face. Gently nudging Hinata off of her, she leapt up and ran over to hug him, still naked and dripping with sweat and other fluids.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?" she demanded, though he could tell she wasn't really mad. "I've missed you so much."
He was about to say something when she kissed him deeply, and his brain blew from the combination of getting what he'd been waiting for during a situation he could have never predicted.
Hinata's reaction was much more normal in his mind. She'd wrapped herself in one of the blankets and was standing off to the side, her face bright red from the embarrassment of being caught bare ass naked. Besides that, he couldn't figure out what she was thinking; the Hyuuga family had always been hard for him to read.
Sakura saw them staring at each other, and a mischievous smile came to her face.
"Oh, where are my manners," she said in mock dismay. "Hinata, this is my wayward boyfriend Uchiha Sasuke."
"Hello," said Hinata quietly and automatically. Sakura's tone was so casual, and it was probably throwing the woman off as much as it was him.
"Hi," he grunted.
"And Sasuke," Sakura continued, "this is Hyuuga Hinata, my girlfriend."
He could never quite remember what happened next, but one hour later Sakura was in an apron, with clothes on underneath, cooking dinner, while Sasuke and and Hinata were right outside at the table, staring at each other had wanted nothing more than to leave and pretend he'd seen nothing, but even for him Sakura's strength was no laughing matter, and she had insisted they all eat dinner together, since he'd been gone so long, and she wanted to celebrate.
That and it's my house, Sasuke thought wrily.
Sakura had yet to explain anything, so he figured she wanted Hinata to do it. Unfortunately for her, neither of them were inclined to start a conversation, so they were just sitting there in awkward silence. Finally, Sasuke decided it was up to him to say something. Sakura had made clear she didn't want him to leave, and he decided he needed to know what was going on.
"So," he said, causing Hinata to jump in her seat from surprise, "you're dating Sakura?"
Hinata nodded. "I am."
" So I guess Naruto and I never had a chance with either of you," he said with a sigh.
He saw Hinata's eyes harden a bit as she shook her head.
"Both of us are bisexual," she said, "so neither of you were ever a beard. Things didn't work out with Naruto and I for different reasons."
Her voice softened as she continued.
"And Sakura still loves you very much. She talks about you every day, and she's overjoyed you're back. If you had the Byakugan, you would see how much effort she's putting in right now."
The clashing of dishes and various other noises from the kitchen backed her up. Sasuke still wasn't satisfied.
"So what does that make you?" he asked, knowing he was being harsh. "Are you just a fling while I was gone? Is she going to throw you away now that I'm back?"
"Sakura's not like that," snapped Hinata. "You should know that better than anyone."
"Right now, I don't know if I can believe that anymore," he replied cooly.
They just sat there glaring at each other, neither saying anything else. The silence stretched on, with only the clatter from the kitchen there to break the tension. Finally, Sasuke broke the silence.
"What do you love about her?" he asked, his voice soft and low, as if he was afraid they'd be heard.
Hinata seemed surprised, but she answered quickly.
"I love how smart she is, but also how kind she is. She doesn't use her intelligence to build a wall between her and others, but instead always tries to connect emotionally with people. I've seen her heal people who everyone else had given up on, and when she can't save someone, I can tell it hurts her, but she just makes sure to try that much harder the next time."
As he listened to Hinata talk, he was finally able to figure out the strange look in her eyes. He remembered seeing a similar look on his travels in the mirror when he had decided to come back home to Sakura.
"You really love her, don't you?" he said, more of a statement than a question.
Before they could say anything else, Sakura came in carrying several platters of food, which she dumped on the table with a loud crash.
"We can finish talking business after dinner," she said, sitting down so that she was as close to Hinata as she was to him. "For now, I want to hear about your journeys Sasuke, so spill."
And that's just what he did. He told them about the peaceful transitions of power that he'd seen, and the more violent ones where he'd been forced to protect civilians. He told them about all of the natural wonders he had seen and the man-made marvels that rivaled them, but also about the destruction the war had caused for everyone, even those far away. They listened intently; Hinata silently, Sakura less so, but he didn't mind answering her questions or accepting the praise and rebuke she offered in equal measure.
In turn, Sakura told him about what he had missed. She talked about how the village was still rebuilding from the multiple attacks on it, and the loss of so many ninja during the war, but he was much more interested in what she had to say about herself and Hinata. Hinata was now a Jonin, her way of honoring Neji's legacy. Sakura herself had been practicing her surgery skills under Orochimaru of all people, and while not a master, she was happy to be tasked with combining the knowledge of two of the Senin into something that could potentially save the unsaveable.
Dinner passed in a flash, but when Sakura tried to clear the table, Hinata pushed her gently back into her seat.
"I'll handle clean-up," she said. "I think you and Sasuke should talk now."
Sakura sighed.
"You're right like usual, Hinata. Thanks."
When Hinata was gone and they could hear the sound of her washing the dishes, Sakura started her story.
"A few months after you left, Hinata and Naruto broke up, so seeing she was depressed, I started spending more time with her. It helped that she would occasionally help out at the hospital when we were shorthanded, which is more often than I'd like. We became very close, but it wasn't until recently that it went any further than friendship. The night shift had just ended, but Hinata was having issues with her family so I invited her to stay here with me for the night. We didn't sleep together, but it was then that I began to realize I had feelings for her, and she was starting to feel the same."
Sakura looked embarrassed and guilty. She might have been putting up a strong front this whole 1time, but he knew she was the type of person who would feel incredibly guilty for cheating on him, especially since she had held on to her love for him for so long.
"I don't blame you," he said. "I left you, and I can't blame you for moving on."
He realized he had said the wrong thing when Sakura slammed her fist down on what used to be a very nice table and was now a very nice pile of wood.
"Is that what you think happened?" she asked angrily. "I've loved you so much for all these years, and I still do. That hasn't changed. The only thing that has changed is that I love Hinata just as much as I love you."
"You can't love two people," he replied, "at least not forever. You're going to have to choose between us at one point, and I know you, it will tear you apart."
"Why?," asked Sakura, almost pleading. "Why do I have to choose between the two people I love the most? There is another option, but only if you trust me."
Sasuke sighed.
"It's not about trust-," he began, but she cut him off.
"Do you trust that I will always love you no matter what?" she asked, insistent.
"Of course I do," he said. "I would have never come back to the village or even given you the keys to this place if I didn't."
Sakura looked relieved, but he could still see she was scared that deep down he didn't. So he decided to do something he'd done twice before, but this time without the backstabbing: he enveloped her in a hug and held her close to him until he felt her relax.
"Sakura, I will always love you, because you have always loved me. Even when I had given up on love, you continued to reach out to me, and for that I love you more than anyone else."
Sakura gently pushed him back and looked him straight in the eyes, something he wasn't used to. Even before he had the Rinnegan or the Sharingan, people had always avoided making eye contact, afraid of what they would see. Sakura had never been one of those people, another reason he loved her.
"I know it's a lot to ask," she said, "but I want you to do something for me to prove it."
He nodded.
"Anything."
"I want you and Hinata to grow to love each other as much as I love both of you," she said, startling him.
"Sakura, I don't know-," he started, but she put a finger to his lips to silence him.
"I know you, and I know that there is no one in the world who is filled with more love than you are, even if you can't see it. I've already talked to Hinata, and she said she'd give it a try. I know it will work out in the end, so if you trust me, please say yes."
He looked at her, the woman he loved, as unwavering as she had been since they were kids, and he made his decision. For her, he would do anything.
"As you wish," he said, a rare smile coming to his face.
Sure enough, Sakura was right. It had taken a few years, but he'd fallen just as hard for Hinata as he had for Sakura. He grew to appreciate the quiet by but firm way she handled things; the unbreakable determination that was hidden beneath her shy exterior. He loved the innate kindness she had that not even her rough upbringing or a war could take away from her. Most of all, he loved the way she could find the best parts of people, no matter how hard they were hidden, and bring them out. Hinata also fell for him, but like with Sakura he couldn't understand what they saw in him.
"You don't need to," Hinata had said one morning while they lay in bed together. "All that matters is that we know why, and that if given a chance, we would both fall for you again.
The sun was only just starting to come up when Sasuke was jolted awake by a shrill scream from the other room. This did not help the headache he still had from the night before, and neither did the second scream, this one much deeper.
Looking around, he saw that Kiba's clothes lying on the floor nearby, but the man himself was missing. He also spied a familiar piece of orange clothing lying on the floor in the little of Naruto's room he could see from the couch. Quickly gathering up his things, he opened the window and left before his friends had woken up enough to leave the room. The last thing he needed right now was to help two idiots through what was bound to be a very awkward journey of self-discovery.
Besides, he thought, a smile creeping onto his face, Hinata and Sakura are probably waiting for me to come home.
He might have a hard time explaining it to others, but that didn't matter. He knew he couldn't be more in love with either of them, and he wouldn't have it any other way.