A/N: I may not be able to update tomorrow, so here you guys go! There isn't any Gaara in this chapter, but hopefully other characters and some Sakura background will make up for it. I just loved writing this chapter because I hope it gives Sakura more depth as a character in the story. Enjoy!
When I woke up alone in my apartment, a sudden feeling of loneliness and a need for company washed over me so strongly I nearly got out of bed just to wander into the busy streets. As I lay there, bruised from the day before's troubles, I suddenly wished Gaara were with me, lying beside me and just enjoying the quiet morning with me. I immediately tried to shake the thought, but I just couldn't abandon the lovely picture. Gaara, dressed in only his boxers, lying beside me with me curled into his chest as we lay in the sun filtering through my window.
I had to admit to myself it was a rather peaceful idea, but I also admitted it would never happen. After that little fantasy I lied in bed for another half hour, wallowing in the misery of having no friends left. I then decided to drag my body from bed and begin my day, dressing in a pair of jean, my usual black converse, and a To Write Love On Her Arms t-shirt, one of my favorite charities.
Once dressed I left my apartment and was walking down the stairs towards the street when I slammed into a man. I stumbled back, clutching the railing and lifting my eyes to glare at the jerk. "Hey, watch where you're goi-" I broke off my sentence, freezing in place. My hand slowly came up to grip the front of my chest as my heart thundered in my ears. Without warning I leapt at him and he managed to somehow catch me without us falling down the stairs. I began to sob, my head buried in his shoulder as I shook in his arms, lingering doubts about his safety for the past years gone.
Naruto was back.
A couple minutes later when I'd calmed down and he'd loosened his hold but still kept his arms around me, I spoke. "Where the hell you been you fox? I was worried," I scolded in a watery voice, no real threat in my words.
He simply grinned at me, pecked me on the cheek, and then announced, "I'm engaged." At that I froze again, staring at him. I stayed stuck that way for several moments before sharply raising my hand, balling it into a fist, and then punching him over the head. He released me and back away slightly holding his head.
"Sakura, what did you do that for!" he whined, holding his head with a comically cute expression on his face.
"Idiot! You leave for a couple years and then come back just to tell me you're engaged! You can't tell me this much all at once! Let me sit down for Pete's sake! I swear you got dumber!" Then we then began arguing, throwing back and forth insults, but inside I was just glad to see him again, safe and sound.
Eventually the arguing died down and I invited him into my apartment to catch up. He accepted and I turned around, taking us back to my apartment. I unlocked the door when we arrived and as it swung open I heard Naruto suck in a breath. I turned to him, confused, but he brushed past me and walked into my messy living space. He just stood there in the middle of the room looking around for a while, occasionally shooting me a look I couldn't decipher, before sighing and then glaring at me.
"I was warned you weren't taking care of yourself, but this is ridiculous Saku! The pink haired woman I know is a neat freak that alphabetizes obsessively kills anyone who leaves a mess in her house, and takes pride in her cleanliness." I shrugged, his words hurting more than I would ever let on. I knew I'd let myself slip a little when things started changing, but it hurt to hear my best friend in the world point it out.
"Wait a minute, who warned you?" I was suddenly suspicious. How had he known where I lived? How had he known I hadn't been taking care of myself?
Suddenly, Naruto looked very uncomfortable. "Uh...erm..." Then he straightened up, trying to look like he could deny me any information I asked for. "I told him I wouldn't tell."
"Gaara!"
"How did you know?" he gasped, looking completely shocked. I rolled my eyes and giggled, typical Naruto to accidently give up information.
"He and I have been..." At that moment I realized I had no idea what Gaara and I were to each other. "...helping each other out."
"Are you guys sex friends!" Naruto shouted loudly and I jumped at him, clamping a hand over his mouth and sending him my most menacing glare.
"We are not anything more than acquaintances!" I hissed, stressing the not. He seemed to calm when I said that so I released him and stepped back, rubbing my temples since it had been a few years and it seemed I was no longer as immune to Naruto headaches. I then let out a soothing breath and looked at Naruto before asking, "So who are you engaged to?"
That seemed to be the magical question because a golden smile lit up his face and he grabbed me by the shoulders, gently shaking me. "She's amazing, Saku! She's so sweet, but kinda shy and passed out the first time I asked her out! Now she only passes out sometimes when we-"
"Eh! I don't need to know about your romantic life that deeply!" He grinned at me and nodded, a laugh escaping his lips.
"I love her and asked her to marry me about a month ago. Have you guessed who it is yet? Hinata! That quiet little deaf girl who was in our English class in high school! After I proposed we started talking about old times and then I was thinking about you and I wanted you to be there for the wedding. I started searching for you and called the newspaper, you used to work there back in high school and into first year of college at least, and they told me you'd quit. I thought I'd hit a dead end when I got a call from this guy named Gaara a week ago. He told me where you were and told me you guys were friends and he'd seen the message about me call as well as knew about me from you."
I was stunned, confused, and slightly frustrated.
"Saku, I'm moving back here. I'm bringing my bride and everything can be like old times." That brought tears to my eyes because I knew nothing would ever again be the same.
"Naruto, things can never be the same." He looked at me with a puzzled expression and after suppressing a sob I continued, "I'm Spiderman." He stared at me for several seconds before laughing.
"You're funny Sakura, but Spiderman is a man!" he continued laughing, but his laughing broke off when he noticed not only I wasn't laughing, but I was crying. "Sakura?"
I turned away from him and went to my dressed, retrieving my Spiderman suit and wrappings. I disappeared into my bathroom, dressing between sobs as I hoped Naruto would accept my dangerous profession.
When I exited the bathroom, dressed in my full Spiderman attire save for the mask, I stared straight at Naruto. I then slowly pulled on the mask and walked up to him, lifting my hands and signing, 'I'm sorry,' to him which was the only way I saw fit to help make him see this was the truth. He'd never known, but Hinata and I had actually known each other quite well.
Flashback
I hated breaking into the nurse's office after the school was closed, but I just couldn't afford the medical supplies any more. I was constantly getting hurt on the job and because of that job I couldn't get a real one. My one at the paper barely paid for my rent and groceries. As I rummaged through the drawer where the bandages and rubbing alcohol were kept.
When the sound of the door opening echoed throughout the room I whirled around to meet the confused eyes of Hinata who was staring at me. I quickly began signing and asked, 'What are you doing here?'
She was fast replying and told me, 'I left my math notebook here after I lied down here earlier with a headache.' I nodded slowly, not sure where to take things from there. She then stepped forwards and peered over my shoulder and saw the rubbing alcohol and bandages in my hands which earned me a quirked eyebrow and the signed question, 'Are you hurt?'
'A little,' I replied, not sure what she would do about it. Without warning she reached around me and grabbed the supplies.
'I'll help you.' I gave her a grateful smile and didn't try to get her to leave since some of my worse injuries were on my back and I knew I'd have no chance of reaching them. I walked over to the table and sat down, pulling off my t-shirt and then wriggling out of my jeans. As I sat there, dressed in my underwear and bra before a girl I barely knew, she glanced at me and then dropped the supplies, her mouth falling open. She quickly signed, 'Did someone hurt you?'
'I got hurt at work.' She seemed to accept that answer because she stooped and retrieved the supplies before walking over to me and setting them down. First, she soaked some cotton balls in the alcohol and cleaned my wounds. I was guiltily grateful she was deaf because she couldn't hear my hisses of pain. She then put disinfectant on my wounds before dressing them and then stepping back to check over her work.
I dressed and then signed her, 'Thank you.' She looked at me for a while, looking uncomfortable, before signing me.
'If you get hurt again I can help you.' I had nodded and accepted the offer so on the days when I needed help I'd pass her a note in English reading simply, 'Work', and we'd meet in the nurse's office after school. The nurse always took a half hour smoke break right after school let out so we were never in danger of getting caught and in that small white room after school, she and I somehow developed an odd friendship. She helped me treat my injuries and I went out of my way to protect her from bullies at school which sometimes ended up in her treating extra wounds.
It was an odd friendship, but one where I felt safe none the less. Somehow I knew Hinata would never tell anyone and that she wasn't helping me so I'd owe her one. Just because she was kind.
End Flashback
