Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, I only did the writing. Hope you like it!
A/N: this is my first Naruto fanfic, a modern day AU where the characters are all in their third year of high school. My main inspiration came from the characters of shigatsu kimi no uso when I wrote this & the track I listened to from 8tracks will be added to my bio shortly! I apologize in advance for any errors- I wanted to upload this before I went on a trip!
I also want to dedicate this to bubblegumbridecowboy on tumblr because her story has truly inspired me and my first Naruto fanfic deserves to be meant for her. plus we both love Sakura so haha!
Uchiha Sasuke meets Haruno Sakura on the eight of September at approximately nine twenty-four a.m.
Her skin is awfully pale, her jade eyes too bright, unconventionally long pink hair tied in a braid thrown over her shoulder. She looks around, slightly nervous, before she gives the room a bright smile and says, "Hi, I'm Haruno Sakura. Please take care of me."
There are waves of whispers, whistles, and smiles directed to the new kid. She sits beside Yamanaka Ino, who flashes her a sunny grin, which she replies with her own large smile and a wave.
He immediately thinks the new girl is strange from the way she likes to walk barefoot on the grass during gym class to the way she grins cheekily at her friends while there is baby blue paint smeared on her hair from art. While she holds onto her sides to sustain her laughter caused by Naruto's horrible jokes, Sasuke turns his head back toward the window, continuing to watch the minimal clouds drift away.
-;-
He later learns that Haruno Sakura is an excellent student, receiving constant praise and adoration from teachers and students alike. Try-hard, he thinks, but his thoughts betray him when he considers her to actually be a pretty decent person. She studies with Hyuga Neji in the library on occasion, plays shogi with Shikamaru during free period, and even aids Naruto with his mathematics, and lord knows he's beyond help.
On the tenth of October at eight thirty-two a.m. he bumps into her on the train going to Konoha Academy. She leans against a handle by the edge of the door, one hand grasps it firmly, the other hand used to hold a novel that she's engrossed in. People walking in and out of the train carelessly push and shove her as the walk by, walking past her as if she's just plain air. He isn't sure which irritates him more, the fact that she doesn't even move an inch, let alone blink an eye at the fact that she'll probably fall off the train or the fact that these morons are casually pushing her without a word of apology.
He abruptly stands, stomps his way over to her and grabs her elbow roughly, depositing her in the seat he was occupying. Wordlessly he latches onto a handle next to her seat and purposely stares in the opposite direct as she looks up at him, emerald eyes wide, trying to comprehend the events that took place thirteen seconds ago.
A faint blush burns slightly on the back of his neck and he glances down at her before saying somewhat indignantly, "You need the seat more than I do. You're so short that you would've eventually fallen over and cause a big ruckus for everyone else."
She continues to stare up at him until a small smile dances on her lips. "Thank you Uchiha-san!" she says enthusiastically and continues to read her book.
He grunts in response, ignoring the tiny warmth growing in his chest. How annoying, he muses, but he doesn't think it's her that's annoying this time.
-;-
Eventually they start sitting together on the train every morning. She's always peppy and cheerful as ever, he just grunts but listens nonetheless as she chatters all the way to school. He starts waiting for her as she exchanged folders and books from her locker at school and they both enter class together.
They get wide eyed stares and gasps from their peers and Sasuke gets an endless bombardment of questions from Naruto, the blonde and his obnoxious protests of, "Hey! Why do you get to come to school with Sakura-chan every day!?"
He sighs and rubs his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
Eventually they also start eating lunch together, texting each other, and taking the train home together. Naruto teases him, saying Sasuke has taken a turn in character development and all Naruto gets in a punch to the head. Naruto just keeps laughing, clutching his head.
He learns a lot about her in a short three months, little habits and pet-peeves. She hates bell pepper, plays the violin, and feeds stray cats. He also learns that she has a hot temper, a mean punch, and he knows to never insult her strength ever again. He has a bruise on his left shoulder to remind him of that incident.
He thinks Haruno Sakura is ultra violent, gives bad impressions, and is down right crazy. But somehow she tugs on his heartstrings with every laugh and he find her refreshing. Bright. Lively. All the things that he hasn't felt in a long time.
He find himself thinking how different they are. He's completely mundane; he needs something to hold him back, make him feel secure. A perfectionist since birth, raised solely to live up to societal standards. She's bubbly and bright, unwavering and stubborn once she's made up her mind on something. Everything about her screams danger, but he can't help but feel intrigued by this deranged pink haired girl.
Sasuke thinks he might like her, maybe just a little. He groans when he realizes this as he lies in bed one night. Damn it.
-;-
On the sixteenth of November at close to five in the evening, Sakura walks ahead of him to train station, balancing on an elevated platform, holding her arms out to keep herself from falling.
While watching her from behind, Sasuke realizes that he's always one step behind her, from test scores to the blur of pink he sees dashing in the halls.
"Uchiha-san, don't you ever feel like you're missing something in you life?" she asks him, twirling the end of her braid
He merely raises his eyebrows, being used to her random, philosophical musings at random hours of the day. "Your daily reflections on the meaning of life are so enlightening Haruno, " he replies, sarcastic as ever. He barely misses the punch aimed at his eye.
"I don't even know why I hang out with you," she mutters. "But honestly, don't you ever feel like there's supposed to be something in your life that makes it meaningful?"
He's uncharacteristically silent and when she looks to the side, she sees him lost in thought. She pokes his arm, leaning toward him so her face is directly in front of his. Jade orbs contrast with obsidian and that's when Sasuke blurts out what he instantly regrets. "Your eyes are pretty."
Sakura backs away and blushes, before teasing him back and says impishly, "I think your eyes are very pretty too, Uchiha-san."
He groans and feels that familiar tingle in his chest and can't help but think that he really hates her, even though the tiny voice at the back of his head tells him that's not so.
-;-
On the twenty fourth of December at one fifty-seven in the afternoon, he finds a small blue package in his mailbox with handwriting that is distinctively Sakura's and the corners of his lips twitch up involuntarily. He calls her later that night to thank her and before hanging up he says, " Good night Sakura." He blinks after putting down his cell phone and wonders when he started calling her by her first name.
On the first of January at seven fifteen at night, as they go to wish for good luck and prosperity, he places a present wrapped in gold and white paper into her hands, mumbling something about how it was just lying around his house and it would be "cleaning up junk" if she just took it. She smiles brightly and adds, "thank you Sasuke-kun!" and wraps her arms around his neck and he finds that he doesn't mind it that much.
School resumes a week later and they fall into place. There are more texts shared between them outside of school, neither of them find it awkward when their fingers brush or shoulder bumps. Sometimes, Sakura will rest her head on his shoulder on the train taking them home after a long day and sometimes Sasuke will wait for her at the library so they can go home together.
These things become routine to them, their peers already used to their lovey-dovey behavior, as Ino calls it. One day Naruto spouts out, "When are you guys going to start dating already?"
Sakura turns as pink as her hair and Sasuke rubs the back of his neck, glaring at his idiotic best friend. Naurto simply shrugs and walks away, mumbling about how Sasuke was slow. Sakura bites her lower lip, but remains silent. He can't help but stare. Neither of them press the matter further, but nothing changes.
Even if Sasuke hears his pulse thumping in his ears and all he can think about is how much he wants to kiss her.
-;-
It is on the fourteenth of March when Uchiha Sasuke has had enough. It is four twenty-six in the Konoha Library, a slight drizzle of rain outside.
They are both on the second floor, surrounded by endless shelves of non-fiction works, Sakura absorbed in her biology homework while he stares out the window, calculus problems forgotten.
"Sakura."
"Hmm?"
"I think I like you."
There is a pregnant silence as he hears her put down her mechanical pencil. Feeling utterly stupid and embarrassed, Sasuke starts to tell her to forget he said anything when she beats him to it. "You think?" she asks quietly, looking up from her book to eye him.
He tries to suppress the pounding in his chest, how his stomach is doing its own acrobatics. He says it again, this time a trace of steel confidence in his tone. "I like you, Sakura."
He doesn't know who moved first or how her face wounded up inches from his own, silky pink strands from their loose braid tickling his neck as her nose grazes his.
He instantly shuts his eyes upon feeling something warm and delicate on his lips, the curves of her mouth meeting his.
As quickly as it started, it ends. She pulls back suddenly, cheeks flush, eyes half-lidded. There is a whimsical smile resting on her lips. "I have to make the first move. You know that's my style after all," she adds shyly.
A small smile grazes his features and he lightly scoffs. He shifts his face closer again and all but mutters, "how troublesome," before leaning in and kissing her again.
She tastes like honey and vanilla.