more than this.
"I can't sleep." Sakura announces. She stands there in the door of the living room in her green nightgown with the soft sleeves, but it isn't enough to comfort her. "I've been watching my ceiling like it's the most damn gorgeous thing in the universe."
"Watch something on the telly, then?" Naruto gives her an easy smile, yawns, and calls for Sasuke.
"He's awake, too?" She takes her regular spot on the couch. It's cold. Her blanket's in the next room, but that would mean getting up to find it. Naruto's warm enough.
"As always." Naruto chuckles. He slings his arm around her and she's grateful for the warmth.
Sasuke slips in. "You can't sleep?"
"Captain Obvious." Naruto grins and beckons him over, places a soft kiss on his forehead.
"Are you having nightmares, Sakura?" Sasuke asks. Naruto's smile falters, eyes snapping to Sasuke.
She shakes her head, says she just can't sleep. "Let's watch something."
They curl up on the couch together, flip through the channels.
"There's nothing decent on," Sasuke scoffs.
"Y'all up for My Little Pony?" Naruto grins, ignoring him.
"Is this what you do all night?" Sasuke scoffs. "Sure," Sakura laughs, yawns, waits for the other two to yawn.
When they do, they turn it into a contest, see who can hold back from yawning. Sakura giggles as Naruto crosses his eyes, now trying to make Sasuke laugh.
"Stop, you two," She wheezes, waving her arms at them.
"It's just like old times, eh?" Naruto leans over and tickles her. She slaps his hand away and sees the sad look in his eye. It stings, and she walks away from him to the window, and watches the lights flicker outside. "I love this view."
"One of the things that makes this apartment worth it. Hina's painting the city lights." Naruto agrees with her, shifting so Sasuke can rest his head on Naruto's shoulder.
"They're too bright." Sasuke whispers. "The real stars are fogged out."
"Pretty replacements we have, ne? Pessimist baby, that's what you are." Naruto goes to rummage in the kitchen. "Are we out of Coke?"
"I snorted it all, yeah." Sasuke smirks at him. Sakura giggles, "Didn't you leave anything for me?"
"I meant the drink! You're not on drugs, right? You realize that'll make everything so much worse?" Naruto looks mother-hen-worried, almost like Iruka, and Sasuke laughs.
"Of course I'm not. Idiot."
"I'm not an idiot!" Naruto slams his hands down and his chest is shuddering.
"What, you don't trust me?"
It's two in the morning. Sakura doesn't want a fight. She wants to sleep, sleep until September's passed and she can water the flowers outside. "Enough. You're both just a little hyper right now."
Naruto finds a bottle of Fanta. "You guys want any?" He's still not looking at Sasuke, but Sakura knows that if you love someone as much as Naruto loves Sasuke, it'll be okay in the end.
"Sure." Sakura walks over, satisfied that Naruto has stopped shaking, and they return with three cups and find Sasuke has taken over the couch.
"Get up, Sas." Naruto kicks him in the side. Sakura wonders how these two are still together.
"Trying to sleep." Sasuke says, almost pitifully, but Naruto picks him right off the couch.
"Sleep in the bed, stupid."
After disbanding to their rooms for three lonely hours, they return to the living room.
"Hi." Naruto says quietly. Sasuke is behind him, fingers gripping onto Naruto's shirt.
"Nightmares?" Sakura asks and Sasuke shakes his head. He looks tired, his eyes so dark against his pale skin.
"We still can't sleep."
"So nothing's changed. Let's have something to eat, shall we?" Sakura smiles, and Naruto automatically beams right back at her. Slowly, Sasuke puts on a small smile of his own.
"Did you text your boyfran, Sakura-chan?" Naruto snickers as she stirs the pancake mix.
"I did text Lee, thank you very much." Sakura says haughtily. "Sasuke, can you control your boyfran?"
"What'd he say?" Sasuke asks. He twists a little in his seat so he can stretch his arms around Naruto's shoulders.
"He wanted to come over-"
"Where you gonna sleep with him? With us in the house, Sakura? How horrible!" Naruto interrupts, but he can't keep up his attitude and dissolves into laughter.
"Hey, I have no problem with you guys, so shut up." Sakura scowls. "He just wanted to bring me some ice cream, god, Naruto."
"You never bring me ice cream!" Naruto immedietly says to Sasuke.
"We live together. There's ice cream in the fridge."
Sakura chuckles as they banter, reaching for her phone. No texts from Lee.
"Have we stayed up for four days now?" Sakura asks curiously. "All of us, together, I mean." Sasuke, she knew, hadn't slept for a while now, and he and Naruto would slip out of the apartment and do God knows what.
"These nights are never lonely, as long as I have your company." Naruto hums. "We should have a date night. Do something with our lives."
"There's this little thing called college, idiot." Sakura affectionately hits Naruto's shoulder. "Sasuke and I actually have classes to go to. And Lee needs his sleep."
"He doesn't need his sleep when he's fu-" Sakura's hand slaps across Naruto's mouth, and Naruto's body shakes with laughter.
"Naruto! Not in front of Sasuke!"
Sasuke quirks an eyebrow at them. "I know what sex is. I've had sex, you morons."
"We know," Sakura says, while Naruto gasps, "Really? With who?"
Sasuke offers her one of his smile-smirks. "You know... we should go do something. It might help..."
"Oooh, can we go down to the lake again, Sasuke?" Naruto asks, wide-eyed.
Sakura feels uneasy. What if she'd be intruding on their special place? She opens her mouth to say, it's fine, go without me. The thought makes her heart sink, makes coldness seep from her hands. Alone.
Alone and awake... She could text Lee, maybe...
"All right, I'll go change. Sakura, it's cold outside, so don't wear a dress." And just like that, she was included, and warmth bubbles in her chest.
"Okay!" A grin graces her lips and she kisses both of their cheeks. Naruto laughs and Sasuke's eyes are thoughtful.
The lights of the city glimmer above them, and the wind whips Sakura's pink hair around her face.
"Damn guys," She teases, looking over at her friends, "Who's gonna hold my hand?"
Naruto sticks his tongue out at her and snickers as Sasuke's hold on his hand tightens. "Possessive little bastard."
Sasuke looks too tired to argue back, so they walk in comfortable silence.
"Here you go." Naruto beams. "Our lake."
"It's pretty," Sakura stares at the ripples, the moonlight and silver shadows, the gently flowing reeds. "Is that a fish?"
"They do generally live in lakes, yes," Sasuke says dryly, but she doesn't mind.
"We're all here together..." Sakura feels tears spring up to her eyes. "I'm so tired."
"Me too," Naruto says, and he pulls them down next to him. "Let's just sit here for a while."
She nods, and hugs her knees to her chest.
They watch the lights.
end.
for my friends, from real life and the internet, I love you all.