LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS IS OVER! I'LL HAVE A LIFE FOR A WHILE! YES!

This started out as a 'Sakura's a big girl and can take care of herself and Sasuke knows it but Naruto doesn't and that's how she makes a choice' kind of story. …Now it's just fluff. But fluff is good!

A Choice

Summary: Your best friend or your could-have-been? It's your choice.


It was a choice between her best friend and her long-time crush.

What the hell was she supposed to do?

"…Just pick one you idiot," Ino was filing her nails and stating the obvious. "If you ask me, I'd just go with Sasuke, he's cute, he's got that bad boy charm, he's smart. Perfect!"

"It's not that easy though!" Sakura buried her head in the nearest pillow and mumbled, "I mean…it's not like I can just do a round of eenie meenie miny moe and call it good."

A moment's pause, then, "What was that?"

Sakura flipped over again to glare at the ceiling. "Nevermind…I gotta go, Ino."

"Wha—Sakura!"

The bedroom door slammed shut.


Sakura didn't know where she was going, she figured she'd drive until she got somewhere familiar and then stop and think.

But her mind wouldn't stop churning.

It was the strangest thing, going your entire life believing that your male best friend is there for you through everything—with no strings attached—and crushing on his male best friend at the same time thinking that everything will all end up perfectly wonderful and rainbow-filled and perfect.

Oh god she was so naïve.

Naruto had always been there. Always.

He was a constant in her life; when Ino was visiting her father during the summers, when her parents died, when everything fell apart Naruto was there.

But then there was Sasuke.

She didn't know what it was about him that made her heart beat faster, what it was that made her go light-headed to be around him for too long.

She was love-struck the moment Naruto introduced them to each other in grade school.

She couldn't choose.


Ino tried calling her that night, so did Karin, Hinata, Tenten, and even Anko.

"Sakura, I'm sorry for calling you an idiot, but seriously, JUST PICK ONE ALREADY! OH MY GOD YOU'RE DRIVING ME INSANE WITH YOUR INDECISSIVENESS!"

"Sak, it's Karin. My cousin has just informed me that he confessed his undying love for you recently. He's an idiot. Call me, babe."

"Sakura, I'm just calling to check up on you…you okay…?"

"Haruno. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU? Just pick one ad get it over with, Jesus. Ino's pissing me off and won't leave me alone…MAKE IT STOP!"

"Sakura Haruno. What have I told you about boys and avoiding them completely until you're 33? Are you ignoring my sagely advice? I forbid you to pick from either idiot—"

Sakura shut off her phone and went to sleep.


Tap, tap…

Tap…

Tap, tap…

"What the fuuuuuuck…" Sakura rolled over to hide her face in her pillow.

Tap, tap, tap…

"Jesus Christ…goddammit!" Her knee collided with something hard.

"God…" She pulled open the window and glared out into the dark, "It is 3 in the goddamn morning, what is it!"

"Shh, god you're loud."

Sakura stood stock still, frozen in her awkward halfway out the window position. "Sasuke?"

"Yes, I need to talk to you."

She pondered that for a moment. "It's 3 in the goddamn—"

"Yes I know but can you just hear me out?"

A pause, then, "I guess."

"Sakura…I know…Naruto's been your best friend for ages…and I know that you've had a crush on me for—"

"What! NO I DON'T!" She whisper-yelled.

She could barely see him, even though he wasn't standing very far away and she was on the ground floor, the night was too dark. But she could practically feel his glare.

"…For a long time too."

There was silence for a long time.

"Sasuke, why are you here?" She crossed her arms and leaned against the windowpane. "Just to tell me what I already know?"

"No." He was suddenly a lot closer, his eyes shone underneath the faint starlight. "Sakura, I couldn't stop thinking about you today…"

She leveled a questioning stare at him.

"…I've been…stupid," she bit back a giggle," for lack of a better word. I knew Naruto liked you…but it…never seemed right." He tucked a loose hair behind her ear and she felt the heat rising to her cheeks.

"Sakura, I really care for you…and I have…for a while now, and…I want to be more than friends…and I knew you'd always liked me, but I thought that Naruto—"

"Sasuke. You're rambling," Sakura leaned her head in closer to the boy.

"Hn."

She let out a giggle.

"So?" she leaned in another inch.

"So?" he did too.

"I've made my choice."


It sucks, but that's OKAY!

I pumped this out in an hour or so…two tops? With lots of music-changing, twitter-checking, and just plain old internet-stalking in between paragraphs.