Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Pick up, Sasuke, please.

"You have reached Uchiha-" Sakura clicked the 'end' button before the voice could finish and redialed.

One more time… one more time and I'll stop.

Finally, after the second ring, a voice answered. The death grip she had locked around her phone loosened but instead of relaxing, her heart beat faster.

"Sakura."

"You picked up…you actually picked up."

"Yeah."

His tone was not a pleasant one and Sakura began to doubt her decision to call.

"…"

A yawn escaped from his lips.

"Look, it's two o'clock in the morning… if you don't have anything to say I'm going back to bed now."

"W-wait! I called you because… I have a dilemma."

"What's the matter?" It was an automatic response. There was no concern in his inquiry.

"You sound annoyed. Maybe I shouldn't have called."

"…It's two AM.…" and we haven't spoken in a long time, he added mentally.

She interrupted before he could regret it any more.

"I hurt him. I hurt him so much, Sasuke."

She heard him sigh. It was a moment before he replied. He was fully awake now.

"Start from the beginning, Sak."

Sakura scoffed. "Do I really-?"

"Hn. Venting helps."

"You already know this story. But okay. He first confessed to me and I turned him down."

"Ice bitch," reminded Sasuke. Sakura brushed off the nickname.

"We were such good friends, you know? I never thought of him that way. But after he admitted his feelings, I began to think of him. What it would be like if I gave us a chance. "

"Which you did."

"Yeah. It was great. Fantastic. He made me happy."

Sasuke sighed.

"But it wasn't enough. Tell me again what went wrong?"

"It's just….Gah, I have a type. You know how they say girls are attracted to assholes? Well, no matter how shallow that is, it's true for me. And this guy was the complete opposite of a jerk. God, he was so fucking wonderful-" Sakura's eyes stung with tears "-and I didn't appreciated him for who he was. All I thought was 'Why is he so perfect? Where's the excitement? Where's the danger?"

"…"

"I was half-hearted with him and he could tell because he's always been perceptive when it comes to me and I hated that!"

"Was that his fault? If I recall properly, he changed for you. He became what you wanted: a jerk."

"Yeah…yeah, that was my fault. You wouldn't believe how shocked I was by the change in clothing and behavior. I thought I liked that new him…but I don't."

Sasuke smirked.

"And when you complained to him, he told you to-"

"'-Go fuck off'," Sakura twitched, "yeah. Things went downhill from there."

"I guess he liked his new self too much because, for once in his life, that loser was finally assertive enough to get what he wanted," Sasuke retorted.

"Mhm. But he's too different now," Sakura chimed.

"That asshole made you cry again." His words seemed monotonous but she could hear the softness in them.

"I miss him. I like him. Maybe even….even…." Sakura hesitated.

"Love?"

"It doesn't matter now, does it? He hates me now."

"And why would he? It's not like you humiliated him in front of everyone," he jibed.

Sakura closed her eyes, ashamed. Visions of that last party where she had scorned and punched him –in public-for his behavior danced across her mind.

"Yeah. Ha ha. I have to tell you something though," she began, "but you're going to think I'm a bitch after this."

"You?" Sasuke mocked. "Never."

"I lied about something. You know how they say 'You never know what you have until it's gone'? Well I knew what I had. I knew he liked me, I found out years ago but I didn't believe because he never showed it. When he actually admitted it himself, I wanted to see how far he'd go for me."

"…It was an ego trip? That thing about liking jerks wasn't true."

"It was a test."

"Ah."

Sasuke was silent for a minute.

"Say something, Sasuke."

"Girls are shallow. How did I ever become your best friend?"

Sakura exhaled the breath she was holding.

"Because you have a knight-in-shining-armor complex."

"Right."

"You're right, it is shallow. I'm shallow. I admit it."

"You also have trust issues."

"I know. I haven't seen him in months. You think he'll ever….take me back?"

"I don't know."

"What do you think of him?"

"I think… that he was lucky to have you. And that you're both stupid and too proud to reconcile. Isn't that why you called me? To tell me all the things you couldn't tell him? I'm thinking…that you're not the only one at fault here. Listen, I wasn't planning on telling you but I will."

"Tell me what?"

"He knew."

"I don't follow…"

"About your test. He knew. It killed him. That's why he acted like an even bigger jerk towards you. He said you played with him and he thought to return the favor."

Sakura's stomach dropped.

"Oh…that...that makes sense."

"Hn."

She took a deep breath.

"This is stupid."

"Aa."

"We're both just… messing with each other. I need to fix our relationship and most importantly, our friendship."

"You're going to swallow your pride and get down on your knees and beg him to take you back?" Sasuke suggested.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Something like that."

"Okay."

Sakura found herself smiling.

"Hey, Sasuke? Next time, I'm not going to burden you with this. Next time I'm going to suck it up and talk it out with him."

"That would make my life easier."

"Tsk. Thank you. Night, Sasuke."

"Goodnight, Sakura."

-x-

Sasuke pressed 'end call' and placed his phone on the table. He was exhausted but even he couldn't deny a feeling of elation inside. Maybe, just maybe, he could finally sleep well tonight.

He settled under the covers and closed his eyes. Ten minutes later, a knock on the door disturbed his slumber once more.

Who the fuck…

Irritated, Sasuke reluctantly made his way to the front and opened the door.

"When you said you'd come, I didn't think you meant now. At three thirty in the-"

The intruder interrupted his rant with a fierce embrace.

"I couldn't wait." Sasuke sighed but encircled his arms around her nonetheless.

"Aa. So… did I pass?"

She looked up at him.

"What?"

"Your test. Did I pass?"

"Yeah. Yeah, you did."

"Good."

"I missed you. I'm sorry."

"Me too."

He buried his nose into her hair and inhaled her scent.

"What made you come here?"

"My best friend advised me."

"He's a good guy," Sasuke remarked.

Sakura kissed him, "The best."