Disclaimer: Kishimoto Masashi own. Me don't own.
A/N: I worship NaruHina and support NaruSaku. Ain't no matter who's Naruto gonna end up with as long as it's one of them. But if it's neither, I'm gonna be SO PISSED at Kishimoto-sensei.
You'll see.
Sakura was never a good liar.
Not to herself anyway.
Outside, she was such a strong girl. She could crush a boulder by a casual flick of her fingers.
Inside, she found it extremely hard to hold on and not giving up to the overwhelming temptation.
Especially when the temptation formed itself as a tall, lean, muscular, overall mouth-watering teammate whom she had been practically stuck with on most—if not every—past missions she got.
They had known each other forever, she understood. They had formed a very strong bond all these years, fought in various deadly battle side-by-side, willing to sacrifice lives for one another, and eventually managed to bring back the very person they had been dedicating their whole life for.
They have been friends. Close friends. Best friends.
Platonic best friends, she insisted all the time.
It wasn't unfamiliar for her that his childhood crush on her was still there. It showed on every cheeky grin he gave, or the way those cheerful eyes stared at her. Sometimes she caught him devouring her every gestures with those dangerously hypnotizing blue orbs, with an unquestionable look of-
desire.
She didn't fall for it. She emphasized that Naruto's place in her heart has only been friendship the whole time.
It's just—well, you can't blame a physically and mentally normal woman for having a naughty imagination once in a while, involving the man she met everyday on the field, looking so sensually attractive without his shirt on.
At first it was merely a playful thought; her private escape after a tedious or stressful day at work. It was harmless for anyone, as long as she keeps that in her head. After all, she knew her boundaries. They should be professional. She is the top medic kunoichi in the village, dividing her times between hospital and missions. He is the would-be Hokage in nurture of the Godaime herself. They could only converse in terms of strictly occupational subjects now. She had addressed him in formal way, adding the –sama suffix and acts all stiffly, though he never changes the way he called her Sakura-chan along with the infamous oh-so-adorable naughty smile of his. And that stare… had always been the same.
It was only occasional fantasies. And nothing more.
Yet it was still incorrect. She's with Sasuke now—oh yes, she is. Only he wasn't at all the same after he came back: bruised, injured, virtually blind, and even lost some vital limbs. Seeing his state, Sakura had pledged to take care of him for the rest of her life. After all, he was the very first man whom she loved with all her heart, and still does, really.
And then she knew it was an inch of crossing the line when she started to imagine him every time Sasuke touched her (with his remaining arm, nonetheless). Sasuke was never capable of pleasing her due to the permanent damages on his body, but Sakura didn't complain.
At first.
Of course, she never let Sasuke aware of her dilemma. The last thing she wanted is to hurt the man who's everything he's got is her.
So she tried and tried to betray the lustful urges that had been bubbling up inside her. She pushed them far away, locked them, threw away the key, and pretended it never existed.
Because this thought is poisonous. It is wrong, wrong, wrong.
But lately, it became increasingly difficult to control her maddening needs, specifically because he kept popping in and out everywhere she went. Quite literally.
She grew used to want him. Need him. Ached for him.
And the hunger drove her insane. Every single night she would wake up, sweating, from a dream involving him, him, and always him. And instead of Sasuke, it was him who's lying beside her—
Stop it, Sakura.
—his half-covered chiseled form glistening with sweat—
I said STOP, dammit.
She realized she was going out of her mind.
She couldn't concentrate on her job anymore. Once she barely able to pull off a live-saving surgery for a seven year-old boy with heart complication, all because she wrecked her brain the night before for struggling to not to think about him too much.
Well, it didn't work.
She had been trying to keep away from him for quite some time, indeed, but the effort simply goes down the drain. It wasn't that Naruto couldn't take a hint; he was just too stubborn for his own good.
In the end he managed to corner her anyway, demanding a reason behind her obvious avoidance.
"Have I done something wrong? Was it something I said?"
She couldn't bear to answer.
"I'd prefer you beat the crap out of me like you usually did. Than this," he added exasperatedly. "Please, just tell me what's wrong."
She looked away, refusing to meet his worried face, his compelling eyes, his full lips… She couldn't; not without yearning to kiss the living daylights out of him.
"Say something, Sakura-chan!" he snatched both of her shoulders, shaking them vigorously.
She pushed him, trying to run away, but unfortunately (or luckily, she couldn't decide) she wasn't fast enough. Catching up with her easily (damn that Kage Bunshin no Jutsu specialist), he jerked her body close and crashed his mouth to hers.
And her resistance instantly shattered into pieces.
She kissed him back in such ferocity; pouring every bit of passion she'd been so vehemently restraining, satiating every craving she'd desperately desisted. How she wanted more, never wanted it to end, please God let it be forever—
Then the image of Sasuke flashed across her mind.
The now-horribly disfigured Sasuke…
What am I doing?
What the HELL AM I DOING?
She pulled away roughly, breaking the kiss. Naruto shot her an inquiring look.
"I can't."
Her emerald stare was filled with horror as she, once again, look away from him, shaking her head.
"I. Can't."
Her chin began to tremble.
"Sakura-ch—"
"I have to go."
Then she ran, tears started leaking down her face.
This time he didn't pursue her. And when Sakura glanced back, he was no longer there.
-
She came home from work, chest heavy with guilt the size of the Hokage Monument.
Why, why did she allow her passions interfere?
Why did he let herself surrender to her own weakness?
The Inner Sakura, who had been quiet for some time, now rose again and condemning her over and over for being so freaking weak.
Why couldn't you defeat yourself?
She gazed at Sasuke's sleeping figure as tears slowly began filling her eyes.
What kind of cruel, selfish bitch who possibly have a heart to hurt somebody this frail?
He needs you. Now more than ever.
Then why-
Why can't I stop WANTING him?
The guilt, along with the constant blaming by Inner Sakura, prevented her from sleeping the whole night.
-
She came to work the next day with thick bags under her eyes. Nageki, her assistant and apprentice, wondered why her usually lively master could look so much like a beat-up Basset hound.
"Can I bring you something, Sakura-shisou?" she queried, concerned at her condition.
"Chamomile tea with lavender honey. Hot." Sakura rubbed her forehead wearily. "And quick."
The drink worked wonders on her tensed nerve system and throbbing head. She sat on the bench in the hospital park, sipping her cup slowly. Her shift wasn't until noon, and she really needed some moments alone in the peaceful spot. Perhaps therefore she could be relaxed.
That is, until—
"Boo."
Taken by surprise, she practically jumped on her seat, causing the cup to slip from her fingers.
"Whoa! Careful there," Naruto hunched and caught it just in time. He then seated himself next to her—much to her dismay—and handed the cup back. Their fingers brushed briefly and she felt her heart skipped a beat.
"You still haven't told me what's wrong, Sakura-chan."
Sakura took a deep breath, eyeing her cup intently.
"Nothing's wrong, Naruto-sama." she retorted, not daring to meet his eyes.
"Oh, drop that silly honorific already," he frowned. "I can't stand hearing it from you. I'm still the same old Naruto you used to hit for always acting stupid. I'm still your teammate. I'm still your best friend, for goodness sake. Talk to me,"
His penetrating blue gaze burned holes on Sakura's cheek, as the latter insisted on giving too much attention at her teacup.
"Sakura-chan," now he sounded almost pleading. "Please,"
She bit her lower lip to hold back the urge to scurry off, like she did back then. No, she had to face this. Gathering all of her courage, she finally looked up and stared at him straight in the eye.
"Friends don't kiss, Naruto."
-
The thing is, you can't keep a person like Naruto from getting what he wants.
Because he struggles. He'll keep struggling until he gets what he wants, no matter what it takes.
And now he wanted her. And he knew she wanted him too; she was just... drowning in denial.
Yes, Sasuke's his best friend, but where was he when she needed him? Cried for him? Loved him? He went to play cross-dressing with that creepy snake-bastard.
(Naruto was sure Sakura stayed with him out of pity; there's no way she'd still love him after all he'd done to the village.)
He'd been there the whole time for her. The whole time. He'd never leave her.
He deserved her. After all this time holding back his feelings, he deserved her, dammit.
Besides, he added in his mind, what Sasuke doesn't know won't kill him…
So although Sakura had made it clear that day that she needed some time away from him in order to maintain her sanity (and for the sake of Sasuke as well), he wouldn't care. If anything, Naruto is the most persistent being in the world.
And that's why he still showed up unexpectedly, and oh-so-shamelessly, on her office the very next day.
Sakura had sworn to throw him out of the window, to which he responded by a mere mischievous grin.
"You wouldn't do that, Sakura-chan,"
"Yeah?" she flexed her fingers. "Try me."
She landed her violent punch to find out that she'd just hit a clone. The real person, however, was already behind her, breathing on her ears.
"I only wanted to talk," he said. "Well, to see you, more like."
Sakura turned and glowered at him.
"I've told you, Naruto. You shouldn't be seeing me anymore. You shouldn't be here."
He tilted his head in an almost—almost, Sakura had to remind herself—adorable manner. "I'm about to be Hokage. I could be anywhere I wished to be. Why can't I be here?"
"You know damn well why!"
"Oh, that 'needs some space' thingy?" he shrugged nonchalantly. "To be frank, I don't buy it."
"Well, that's your problem then, not mine," she glared daggers at him, but Naruto didn't recoil whatsoever. On the other hand, he looked relaxed, even amused.
"I know you want me to be here."
Sakura hated his teasing tone. Furthermore, she hated how true that was.
"No, I don't."
"Don't deny it."
"I'm not denying anything!"
"You're lying, Sakura-chan. I can see it in your eyes," he took a step closer.
"Naruto, stop."
"Look at me."
"Please, Naruto-"
"Look into my eyes and answer my question truthfully. Don't you want me to be here, Sakura-chan?"
He was too close. Much too close.
"I know you do," his voice was barely a whisper.
There was no point to negate. His brilliant blue eyes had paralyzed her brain. She couldn't think. She couldn't hear anything besides the rapid pounding of her own heart.
"Yes," she admitted defeat. "Yes. Yes I do. But I can't. It's not right. I-"
She didn't have the chance to finish as he promptly silenced her, his skillful tongue shoved the yet unspoken words back into her throat. She fought back the need to moan. No, I can't do this. It's wrong, for God's sake, it's-
-so freakin' good…
Her whole body went limp as she eventually surrendered to the luscious sensation. Her back was pinned against her office wall; she was sure she'd levitate from the floor had his pair of strong arms not gripping her tightly, while her hands roaming everywhere underneath his initial black-flamed crimson Hokage robe. That was the time when she felt really thankful he had long abandoned his jumpsuit (which she never liked anyway), and for once, she never thought that wearing a simple buttoned-down shirt to work could come in handy on situations like this...
Not even a knock on the door could interrupt them.
"Sakura-shisou?" called a voice from outside. "There's someone who wants to see you,"
It was unusual for her master to lock the office door at this hour, Nageki thought, especially when hospital is at its busiest.
She was just about to knock once more when she remembered something, and smacked her head for it. Hadn't the Rokudaime gonnabe informed her earlier that he already had an appointment with her master, and wished not to be disturbed? She seriously needed to work on that poor memory of hers…
There weren't the least bit of suspicion crossing her mind. Nageki wasn't nosy either, bless her pure soul, because she only needed to stick her ears on the door to hear the muffled screams of pleasure (which Sakura was guilty in doing).
She walked back to the waiting room where a man had been sitting there, waiting.
"I apologize, Uchiha-sama," she bowed repentantly. "Apparently Sakura-shisou is unavailable at the moment. She is currently having a meeting."
Uchiha Sasuke looked up with expressionless face that sent a chill down her spine. The eyes were blank and hollow, so unlike the fiery red Sharingan he used to possess. For Nageki, it was always a struggle to repress nausea upon seeing the prominent, abominable scar gashed across the once—she could tell—handsome visage.
"Very well then," his voice was impassive. "Please tell her I dropped by."
"Certainly, Uchiha-sama," Nageki complied, bowing once more.
The man rose to his feet, clutching his cane tightly with left hand, while his right, mutilated up to his elbow, dangling uselessly on his side. With limping steps, he marched to the door and stopped.
"May I ask who with?"
"Pardon?"
"Who is Sakura having a meeting with?" he repeated in the same plain tone, only a tad bit less impatiently.
"Oh!" Nageki flinched. "N-Naruto-sama…"
An icy silence followed her statement. Sasuke still had his back on the girl but she didn't dare moving an inch.
"I see," was his only reply.
Using his shoulder to push the door open, he left the room without another word.
-
end.
Three words: failed experimental fic. (x_x) Gah!
Anyhow, this fic is dedicated to my Indonesian-English dictionary and Encarta Thesaurus, without whom I could never be capable of writing any junk I post on this site.
Oh, and there's a teeny-weeny bit of spoiler somewhere if you haven't read Chapter 430, but you gotta squint pretty hard to notice...
Reviews are much, much loved. So please, please do ;3
ADDITIONAL AUTHOR'S NOTE: I apologize for those wonderful reviewers who ask for the next chapter, but I gotta make it clear, that this fic is meant to be a one-shot, and I'm gonna keep it that way. I barely have the time to write one-shots, let alone multichaptered fic... I promise to try and come up with other (hopefully) good one-shots, and I'm going to stick with writing them.
Thank you for your understanding. ^^