A/N: Just a quick one-shot i thought of while trying (no, really, I swear I was trying) to write out the next chapter of Expedio.
(It'll be published soon, I swear!)
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.
They were at a festival. Some generic, dumpling-selling, fireworks-ending festival.
They'd spent most of the night drifting through the labyrinth-like rows of stalls and tents. Occasionally he'd stop at one and wonder if getting her something would be Appropriate.
Because they were Just Friends.
Even after years of his high-pitched keens of "Sakura-chaaaaan" and her low, guttural yells of "Narutooooo" they still hadn't advanced at all. There was still that deep, dark-as-hell chasm between them that acted as a sort of black hole, a rip in the Space-Time Continuum that was NarutoAndSakura. Something that threatened to suck everything in existence into its deepest, darkest depths. Something that would destroy anyone and everything that dared breach it.
And that chasm was conveniently named "Sasuke".
So, maybe it was Sakura's fault for hiding behind Tsunade as she trained her ass off to become the best-goddamn-medic-the-shinobi-world-had-seen. Or maybe it was Naruto's fault for running away with Jiraiya to better himself and become a step closer to becoming Hokage. Maybe it was Sai's fault, because the newcomer had confronted them with the truth: that Sasuke was gone and jack shit had been done to get him back. Maybe it was Yamato's fault for once again distorting Team 7 beyond recognition, becoming yet another constant 'Sasuke Left' reminder.
But whoever was to blame didn't matter. What mattered was that The Chasm had created the comfortable, dependable, reliable, quickly dissolving Just Friends zone.
Because Naruto just had to ask her to this god-forsaken festival, probably about some flower or moon or the other. And Sakura just had to say yes.
So now, here they were, kimono-wearing and sweaty-palmed hand-holding. She'd comment on what jewelry was pretty, and he'd pretend to think about whether or not to buy it. And they'd laugh and even dance, and when the time came they would dutifully run away from Yamato-taichou and Sai to Seek Some Privacy.
They would both live in the moment. The moment that did not involve Sasuke. The moment that did not involve romantic whispers of hushed nothings, or chaste brushes of innocent hands, or the searing kiss of long-time, long-lost loves. The moment that neither of them would share with who they truly wanted, because he had Left.
But they both pretended that was okay.
So when the fireworks- in bursts of blinding colour, raining ruby and gold and silver and emerald and sapphire debris around them- finally signaled the end of the night, they kissed.
And they envied the fireworks' fleetingness.
The awkward clashing of too-warm lips and too-hard teeth would bring them back from their clenched-shut eyes and pricking throat. As they'd pull away, soft– apologetic– smiles, lidded– ashamed– eyes, they would once again be left with just another 'Sasuke Left' reminder.
Because he's there, and she's there, and they both know they're Just Settling.
*Reverse Psychology*
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