So this is my very first SasuSaku. I'm trying to break my hatred of this pairing by writing one myself! Also this will be mainly from Sasuke's POV. Here goes!
Lift.
Fold.
Sign.
Lift.
Fold.
Sign.
Sakura signed the medical papers with remarkable speed, considering she was working on autopilot. Her pink brows were furrowed, and her teeth were clenched together in what could only be described as an expression of supreme annoyance.
So that Uchiha bastard thought Konoha females were boring, did he? She found that hard to believe since he never seemed to spend any time with any of them, so how the hell did he know?
Lift.
Fold.
Sign.
Ten years ago, Sakura would have been heartbroken. But since she was actually over the Uchiha male, all she felt was righteous fury at the slight to her fellow Konoha females. She wished she could show him. Really and truly, how absolutely wrong he was.
She wished she could make him regret what he said. But unfortunately, she had promised herself that she'd never put herself into a position where she could possibly be mistaken for a drooling fangirl ever again. So, if it was not a mission, or Team 7 training, she avoided Sasuke. Not really like the plague, since that would look suspicious, but she didn't seek out his company either.
And that seemed to work for them both just fine. He never even called her annoying anymore.
Besides, as the current head medic at the Konoha hospital, Sakura didn't exactly have enough time on her hands to go out seeking the attention of her old crush. She was confident enough in her appearance and abilities that she no longer needed Sasuke's approval for anything. After all, he was entitled to his opinion. But for him to say that there was no one in Konoha that could ever catch his eye? That was going a bit too far.
Especially since his eyes were so far up his ass Sakura doubted he saw much of anything.
After signing the last of the papers with a huff, Sakura lifted the entire batch and plunked it on her assistant's desk. The papers had scarcely left her hands before a nurse rushed up to her, a frantic, wide-eyed expression on her face.
"Haruno-san," the nurse said. "A patient has just been rushed in. The situation looks serious," she said, handing Sakura the patient's file.
Sakura took the file, scanned over the details scribbled on the page, and then gave the nurse a swift nod. The nurse failed to see the devious little smirk that pushed Sakura's lips upwards.
The first thing Sasuke felt when he came to consciousness was pain. Lots and lots of pain. It wasn't quite excruciating, but it was enough to put him in an instant bad mood. Before he so much as opened his eyes.
The sound of a door opening a few moments after put the Uchiha on edge. His vision blurred as he opened his eyes, the somewhat familiar white roof above him letting him know just where he was.
Oh joy.
The Konoha hospital was one of his least favorite places. And that was not just because he hated needles. It was run by his teammate and ex-fangirl, and Sasuke was not sure how to behave around her now that she was so very clearly over him.
Of course, she would have to choose when she was the most gorgeous, accomplished and powerful to decide that she had no feelings for him. And the worst part was, he could sense by her easy manner around him that she wasn't faking her lack of romantic feelings for him. Heck, she blushed more in Kiba's presence than she did in his.
And that was just wrong.
On so many levels.
"Good morning, Sasuke-kun!" The familiar voice came from the direction of the door, which closed with a click. Moments later, the curtains to the hospital room were yanked open, giving way for bright sunlight to blast into the room.
Sasuke clamped his eyes shut instantly against the pain that the light caused to his sensitive eyes.
"Time for your check-up," Sakura said sweetly. Her tone was so sweet, in fact, that Sasuke felt like just another patient. There was no twinge of familiarity. No deeper gentleness. No affection. Nothing.
Just a standard tone.
And that annoyed him immensely.
He let his eyes stay shut.
"Okay, let's see here," she breathed, leaning over him. Sasuke felt the bed sheets being tugged away from his chest. "Come on, sit up," she said sweetly, helping him sit upright in the bed.
He tried not to notice how good she smelled when she leaned close.
"There we go," Sakura continued softly. Sasuke opened his eyes to half-mast, still squinting against the light. He felt her fingers slip around to his back. There was a bit of tension on his hospital gown, before the material slid completely off his torso.
And then, horror of all horrors, he was embarrassed.
Seriously?
Him, the Uchiha Sasuke embarrassed in front of Sakura?
"What the-" Sasuke sputtered, clutching at the garment and yanking it back up to his chest. He was now fully awake… in more than one way. He tried to tell himself that this was natural. Things happened to men in the morning. It wasn't because of Sakura. But that didn't mean he wanted her to see him in that state either.
… At least not like this.
He scowled at her, taking in her shocked expression before, horror of every known horror, she put her hand to her mouth to cover her amused laugh.
"Geez Sasuke," she said, leaning away from him and putting one hand on a white-coated hip. "It's not like I'm going to molest you. I've seen the naked body of almost every Konoha shinobi already, and …" here she paused, as if debating whether or not to continue. Against the core of his very existence, Sasuke was curious.
"And what?" he snapped?
"Well you're…" she stopped again, and then shook her head. "In any case, I've seen-"
"Well I'm what?" Sasuke growled, sitting up straighter on the bed. Her cheeks flushed.
"I'm not saying it," Sakura said. "Now just let me examine you. I need to see to some other patients," she continued with a smile. But Sasuke wanted to hear.
No.
He needed to hear.
"Sakura…" he said, darkening his scowl. She threw up her hands.
"Well you're not exactly the one with the best body, okay? There I said it. I've. Seen. Better. Happy now?"
Sasuke's world froze. A most unsettling feeling began in his stomach and curled its way up his chest, wrapping around his throat and threatening to squeeze the life out of him.
"Who…" was all he could manage to croak out.
Who had managed to take his place in Sakura's … well everything! Her head, her heart and her mind was already gone to someone else if she could admit to his face that he was no longer the best in her eyes.
But Sasuke never thought that knowing the person who had demoted him would make him doubt the meaning of life… question the meaning behind his very existence… challenge the reality of a Kami. He must be trapped in a genjutsu. Had Itachi trapped him with his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan into this hell?
Because when Sakura's mouth began to move over the syllables in slow motion, Sasuke saw the most dreaded answer she could have ever thought to come up with.
Na.
Ru.
To.
"He's taller, more muscular than you, and his hands… he has these big, warm, rough shinobi hands… and his body… well, let's just say there is no extra fat …"
Sasuke's brain stopped working at the word 'fat'.
So now, he was shorter, wimpier, and had more body fat than Naruto, who had manlier hands than he did?
He wanted to die.
And Sakura was still talking.
"... plus he's so warm and lovable now that he's gotten so much more mature. I say, that Hokage position has done wonders for him…"
Again, Sasuke zoned out. Naruto was lovable? In whose estimation? By whose standards?
But Sakura was still talking.
"... and all the nurses love his new hairstyle. The longer hair fits him so much - you should consider changing your hairstyle… and it's blonde. And his eyes are so blue that you could sink into them…"
So now apparently Naruto's changes were amazing while Sasuke was just the same… boring, was he? And his dark hair was too normal? And Naruto's professional position was higher than his was...
"Sakura…" he choked.
"...and now that he's moving in those circles, he doesn't eat so much ramen anymore so he's gotten so much healthier. I mean I only get to do routine checkups on him now because he hardly even gets hurt after missions and…
Sasuke clutched his head. There was a monstrous headache coming on.
"Sakura…" he croaked again.
"... when I woke him up, you should have seen the size of his-" Sasuke could take no more and he interrupted her with a roar of pain and frustration.
"SAKURA!" His loud exclamation halted her words, but failed to do anything to stop the flow of his thoughts.
When she had said he didn't have the best body she'd meant…
...That Naruto's… size...
...Was better than his?
"So all in all I'd rank you about fifth in my top five," she said raising her hands. "So don't worry about it! You are really safe from me," she said, obviously trying to console him and help him to relax.
It.
Was.
Not.
Working.
He didn't even want to know who the other three that were better than him were.
Lies.
He needed to know.
He would treat them to death by Sharingan when he encountered them next.
"Who else?"
"Eh?" She responded a little blankly.
"Who else is better?"
Sakura blinked, and then her cheeks pinkened. Her eyes darted to the side.
"I... don't want to say..." She said, moving towards the bed and removing his hospital gown. Sasuke hated that she could hold him put gently but steadily with that gargantuan strength of hers and complete the exam. After a few seconds he'd stopped resisting.
He'd just hated that she hadn't floundered one moment in the face of his nakedness. His body hadn't fazed her at all.
He hated that.
And so it was that she'd completed the exam with professional coolness, told him that he could be discharged in three days time, provided he did some pain therapy, and could be back on active duty by the following week.
She'd restricted missions to B ranks at the highest for a week after he was back on duty, expressing that it was better for him to just take the time to rest.
She'd also refused to tell him who ranked higher than he did.
And Sasuke knew he'd obsess over it.
And he hated that.
Sasuke shifted restlessly in his bed.
Who were they?
WHO?
No matter what, he couldn't bring himself to settle on three more people who Sakura would consider better than he was… but they three nameless, faceless men were driving Sasuke crazy.
Literally.
Deciding he couldn't sleep, Sasuke eased himself from his bed and paced around the room, ignoring his physical pain.
"Sakura, Sakura, Sakura… What the hell have you done to me?" he muttered frustratedly.
Sakura pulled her hair tie out of her shoulder length hair and shook it out behind her. Since her promotion, she'd decided to grow her hair out as it looked more professional than her cropped locks had.
"Agh, that was a good spar. Your fists are deadly, Sakura-chan," Naruto huffed tiredly as he flopped down on the ground in front of her. He pulled his black sparring T-shirt off by lifting it by the hem and pulling it over his head.
He was one of her best and oldest friends. He was safe territory. But good Kami, Uzumaki Naruto had gotten hot.
Sakura watched a little fascinatedly as his rippling muscles moved with his every motion. His sun-bronzed skin glistened with sweat which drained down his chiseled abs and disappeared into his black training shorts. The fine golden hairs that dusted his skin were visible even from where she was and Sakura took a sip of her water, admiring him openly.
"You're watching me again, Sakura," Naruto said, looking up at her with a wide grin.
"Of course I am. Have you seen yourself?" Sakura answered with an equally wide smile. "Hinata should count her blessings that I had my Sasuke-blinders on when you were in love with me," she sniffed, teasing him.
"Eyy, don't remind me of that," Naruto said with a playful scowl. He stuck his tongue out in disgust. "That's like telling me I used to have feelings for my sister…" he shuddered. Sakura laughed and slapped him on the head before making a sultry pose in front him.
"What?" she asked, sliding her fingertips sexily down the top of her bared thigh. "Am I not sexy anymore?" Naruto laughed in response.
"You're sexier than ever, Sakura. It's just that I'm not interested," Naruto said, running a hand through his hair. Sakura smiled at the show of bicep and tricep. "But don't worry. I'd say you still have more than your share of admirers… Don't look now, but Sasuke seems to be taking in the view again today. I'd wager he hasn't taken his eyes off you the entire time we've been here."
Sakura smothered a smile.
"Is he now?" She chuckled at Naruto's bullshit.
"Mmhmm," Naruto murmured, casting a sly glance behind Sakura. An expression of pure evil lit Naruto's eyes when he looked back at Sakura. "Shake your hair out again, Sakura. No one else knows this, but Sasuke thinks the length of your hair is ideal. It's not too long, and it's not too short either.
Deciding to play along, Sakura shook her hair out again, tossing her head back and running her fingers through the strands.
"Ooh," Naruto said with a sly grin. "He liked that," the blonde chuckled. "Whatever have you done to Sasuke?" It wasn't a rhetorical question.
"Uh… I'm not sure…" Sakura said with a pause. "He's probably just still mad at me because I wouldn't tell him who were the top four hottest Konoha shinobi. I think he fully expected to still be my number one, but you've secured that," Sakura faux-flirted with Naruto. The blonde had the good grace to blush a little.
"Eyy, Sakura, you…" Naruto paused as his brain caught up with her words. "WHAT?"
What were they saying?
Sasuke knew they were flirting. He couldn't stand seeing her over there with Naruto, fawning over the blonde and exchanging what was, no doubt, innuendo-filled dialogue. She shook out her pink hair, and Sasuke felt his mouth go dry as the late evening sunlight reflected off her pale throat… her pale sweaty throat… And the pale pink strands of her hair flirted with the breeze as she shook her head.
He swallowed.
What was this?
He watched as she dragged a fingertip over her bare thigh, posing and showing off for Naruto. It didn't sit well with him.
At all.
And damn Naruto, but he looked too bloody comfortable with her like that. He was grinning at her, blue eyes trailing over her beautiful body…
Sasuke took an involuntary step back when he realized his fists were clenched at his sides. He forced his hands to relax.
...Sakura… What was he to do about her?
Sasuke lifted the shot glass to his lips and downed the cold sake in one gulp. He was a little unsure of what he was supposed to do. As crazy as it sounded, Sasuke had no experience with pursuing girls, and by pursuing he meant doing more than asking the person out… because they generally were in awe of him and so accepted easily. He'd only ever had to express interest… and even that was rare.
Because they generally sought him out first.
But not Sakura.
And it was even more tricky with her, since she'd gotten over him. She no longer had on blinders where he was concerned. Would she accept him?
According to her, there were four other people in Konoha alone that she considered above him, physically at least. He wasn't used to being second. Much less fifth.
"Sasuke," a hearty male voice called from his left. Sasuke looked up to see Naruto striding towards him. He had to admit he saw Naruto differently after his conversation with Sakura in the hospital. The tall blonde strode purposefully towards him, a warm grin on his face. Sasuke sighed a bit.
Naruto plopped down on the barstool next to him and started talking. But Sasuke didn't hear much more than the basic pleasantries because Sakura chose that moment to enter the bar. She was dressed in civilian clothing, her pink hair well brushed and glistening on her bare shoulders. She gave some lucky sucker a dazzling smile and Sasuke's grip tightened on his tumbler.
"...so we're thinking of making a go of it. I think we suit, quite frankly. She's definitely the most gorgeous kunoichi in Konoha, but she's so darn sweet too. I've actually been eyeing her for a while, but I somehow missed that she's actually really into me," Naruto was saying. Sasuke jerked his attention from the pink-haired siren and towards his best friend.
"What?" he snarled.
"What? You didn't know either? Sakura said she was so obvious I was the only one who didn't know," Naruto muttered. Then he brightened. "Well I guess I have company. I can go and tell Sakura she wasn't all that obvious if the great Uchiha Sasuke didn't notice," Naruto continued, accepting the drink the bartender brought him.
A peal of feminine laughter drew both men's attention to the other end of the bar where Inuzuka Kiba was very obviously entertaining Sakura. The pinkette's green eyes were sparkling as Kiba gave her joke after joke. The Inuzuka leaned closer and closer to Sakura who apparently noticed and who… apparently didn't mind.
Sasuke was certain his blood was boiling.
"Anyway," Naruto said at that moment, "I just think it's better a little late than never to get with my girl. Kami knows I've been single unnecessarily for far too long." The blonde tossed back the last of his drink before standing and giving Sasuke a grin. Then he turned and made his way towards Sakura and Kiba, his thick shoulders swaying slightly with his confident saunter.
Sasuke watched silently as Naruto pulled Kiba away from Sakura with a raised eyebrow. He was certain he saw Naruto's lips move with the words 'Down boy.'
And then Sakura was leaving with him.
Sasuke downed the last of his drink, ignoring the alcoholic burn in his throat. He slapped a few coins onto the table before following his ex-teammates outside into the Konoha night air.
Fall was the time for lovers in Konoha. The cool night air was perfect when body contact was in high demand, and Sasuke stumbled upon Naruto and Sakura doing exactly that.
Sakura was pressed up against the wall, Naruto's hulking frame towering over hers. The blonde was bent, one arm up against the wall beside her head, and the other holding her face.
Sasuke wasn't even thinking anymore. He stormed over to them, yanking Naruto away with one hand.
"Get off of her," he heard himself snarl, dismissing Naruto and Sakura's surprised looks. "She's mine."
He heard Sakura's exasperated splutter.
"On whose authority?" she snapped, planting one hand on her hip. Sasuke stepped in between her and Naruto and just looked at her.
She was really driving him crazy.
"Mine," was all he said before he kissed her - Naruto be damned.
And what a kiss.
Her response was not instantaneous, because Sakura was obviously confident enough to make him work for it, but when she did, Sasuke could have sworn his bones turned to molten fire. Her tongue sliding against his was the most incredible thing Sasuke had ever felt before. He leaned fully into her, pulling her closer to him.
How in Kami's name had he missed this?
And far too soon she was pulling away from him. He opened eyes he didn't realize he'd closed.
"Hn," she grunted, smirking up at him. Sasuke was conscious that the tables had been turned. She'd allowed him to kiss her.
And he really didn't mind. His pride would probably be revived later down in the night.
He dipped back down to press another fast kiss to her lower lip, pulling back in time to see her try to hide her shock.
"Hn," he smirked back at her. "I'll only say this once. There is one girl in Konoha interesting enough to catch my eye." He turned to Naruto who raised a brow and both hands.
"Don't look at me; I'm already taken," the blonde said with a shrug and a grin. "I hope your eye isn't still bothering you, Sakura. I didn't exactly get a chance to see what was in it…" he muttered, sending Sasuke a telling look. "I'm off," the blonde continued.
Sasuke turned to Sakura and directed a wordless question her way.
"Hinata," she answered as they watched the blonde as he walked away. Sasuke felt his cheeks burn and was thankful for the darkness of the night.
Sakura turned back to face him.
"I'm not going to make this easy for you, you know…" she said, a pink brow inching up her wide forehead.
"I wouldn't expect you to," Sasuke replied, already dreading whatever the pinkette had in store for him. "As long as it means I get you in the end."
Sakura smiled.
"Well that, Sasuke-kun, is entirely up to you."
HEHE! My first SasuSaku. What did you guys think? (^_^) PLEHZ review and if you guys like it, I might be tempted to write a sequel!