-Catch Me

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Geez.

Summary: Don't you dare ask.

He tasted like apples.

That was pretty much the only thing Sakura could register as Sasuke's lips descended on hers. That and the fact that the feeling, of his mouth on hers, was painful and terrifying at the same time.

Why? Because it felt so right.

The kiss lasted more than a few seconds. By the time Sasuke pulled away, they were both panting slightly. Sakura felt her breath catch in her throat as she opened her eyes. He was less than three inches away from her face; their noses were practically touching.

It was quite the first kiss. For both of them.

0o0o0o0o0o

Time froze for them. If she looked away, Sakura knew the moment would disappear. But the thing was, she wasn't sure she wanted it to. He was so close; she realized that just a breath's movement could close the gap again. And the thing was, part of her wanted to.

And it scared her to death.

SasuSaku

He couldn't think.

Sasuke could feel her lips on his, even though they weren't. He could smell her smell, magnified by their proximity. He wanted to savor the moment, had to. Because under normal circumstances, it would never happen again. Nevertheless, he wanted it to.

More than anything.

There was a very loud hack. Sakura dropped her gaze, and the moment was gone. She and Sasuke were still mere inches apart. The girl opened her mouth, her voice breathy.

"Kunoichi, take five."

Sakura moved slowly away, stood, and walked out of the classroom. Ino, Tenten, and Hinata followed without a word. The boys turned to look at their silent comrade, whose entire frame sagged. Sasuke touched a finger to his lips.

Holy crap.

And then, just then, a fist came flying at his face.

SasuSaku

Sakura couldn't stay still. Every time she tried, her mind kept straying back to it. To him. She wanted to scream. Why did things have to get so complicated?

"Sakura?" Ino asked tentatively, "You okay?"

The girl shook her head. Her mind was refusing to accept what happened.

Sometimes a kiss is just a kiss.

And sometimes not.

SasuSaku

Sasuke cursed himself for forgetting Kiba. His nose was bleeding; blood dripping to the floor as the other boy was held back by Naruto and Neji.

"You bastard! What the hell was that?"

Sasuke said nothing. It was simple, really. He'd kissed Sakura. But that wasn't exactly the kind of thing he could say to her boyfriend. The commotion, of course, had drawn the attention of the four girls standing outside the door.

Sakura rushed in; her eyes immediately finding Sasuke's. Of course he was in the middle of it; he always was. But it wasn't always that he was the injured one.

"Oh my god! Are you okay?"

He nodded silently. She wheeled around to face Kiba.

"What was that for?"

The boy glared at her. "I should be asking you!"

Even in situations of emotional stress, you could always count on Sakura to keep her wits. The girl rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Kiba. You can't honestly think that—"

"You and Uchiha have been fooling around behind my back?"

Whatever she'd been about to say was forgotten. Her eyes widened and her jaw clenched.

"Is that what you think? You really think that I'd just up and cheat on you?"

Kiba didn't reply, but they all knew what he was thinking. Sakura's eyes grew steely as she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out the door.

"What's the matter with you?"

Sakura wanted to shake him. Kiba wouldn't look at her.

"He kissed you. You just sat there and let him kiss you! When you won't kiss me."

That last part was true; even she had to admit it. She just wasn't ready. To her, a first kiss was a big deal. But now she'd lost hers, only partly unwillingly.

"It was a dare, Kiba. He had to. He had no choice."

He shook his head. "You didn't have to let him."

"God dammit Kiba! It was just a dare! It's not like he was asking to marry me!"

Sakura let out a stream of air in a burst. She paced the length of the hallway, temporarily ignoring her boyfriend. The silence was deafeningly thick. Finally, Kiba let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry, okay? It's just, when I see you and him…it's like you and I don't even exist."

She stopped her movement and looked up at him. Shock was written all over her features.

"Kiba, don't. Please. I care about you a lot. And I'm sorry if sometimes Sasuke-kun makes you feel, I dunno, inadequate. And I don't really know what else to say to make you feel better, but I need you to trust me. Please?"

There was a long silence. Sakura bit her lip as she moved forward and touched Kiba's hand. He finally looked up at her.

"Okay."

Her face relaxed as she leaned into him.

"Thank you."

Sakura couldn't stand it.

Ever since…what happened, she and Sasuke had been growing increasingly jumpy around one another.

And it was driving her crazy.

0o0o0o0o0o

"It's only to be expected," Ino reasoned. "Friendships like yours are never perfect."

"You should know." Tenten declared. The blonde glared and proceeded to throw a pillow at her head.

Sakura sighed noiselessly as Hinata gave her a sympathetic smile. It was Girl's Night, at the Hyuuga Estate.

"M-Maybe y-you two should talk about it."

It was the best advice she'd get all night.

0o0o0o0o0o

"Sasuke-kun?"

The boy looked up from his guitar. She was nervous, and he looked it. Why was that?

"Yeah?"

She sat down next to him on his bed.

"Should we…talk about this?"

He cocked an eyebrow, but quickly realized her meaning. Sasuke put down his instrument and turned fully to face her.

"Look. I think we can both agree that we can't just ignore what happened."

Sakura nodded, slightly afraid of what he'd say next.

"But does that really change things between us?"

She wasn't sure. Did it? A kiss was a big thing, at least to her.

"Does it?" her voice was barely over a whisper.

Sasuke looked away from her for a moment.

"I don't want it to."

It was the first lie he'd ever told her.

"I KNEW IT!"

Alexis pumped a fist into the air, a triumphant grin on her face. Sakura and Sasuke had just gathered the girls in the den. And told them.

Sasuke rubbed his temples. Sakura eyes widened as the rest of the girls each pulled out five dollars.

"You were betting on us?" The girl groaned. "Oh, god."

The blonde grinned that not-so-innocent grin at her.

"Yup. I bet you guys would kiss while you were staying here. I'm a genius."

Their boss frowned. "I feel like I should be deducting your pay for this."

Sakura shrugged at him. "Still," she commented, "I feel kinda betrayed over here. Where's the love, girls? Really."

Everyone burst into giggles as Sakura and Sasuke exchanged small smiles of relief.

They had been expecting something a bit more…chaotic.

Guess they were lucky.

0o0o0o0o0o

She could kiss Kiba now.

Kiss. That's it. She couldn't make out with him, or anything, even though she knew he wanted to. But she deflected his attempts almost automatically. It was just…too weird to her. She wouldn't go as far as to say it grossed her out, even if it did, just a little.

But the one thing she did, with her mind totally in control, was avoid kissing Kiba in front of Sasuke.

"Hang on a sec, Kiba."

She couldn't breath. That was now much intensity Kiba put into a five-second kiss. Sakura pulled back, her hands dropping to her sides. The boy couldn't hide his annoyance.

"What's wrong with you?"

She shook her head, muttering an almost incoherent "Nothing."

They were standing before the Uchiha Mansion, at the end of yet another date. Call her paranoid, but every time they locked lips before her surrogate home, Sakura felt her skin crawl, as if Sasuke were watching from his window. The girl stepped back fully.

"I had a great time, Kiba. I'll call you tomorrow."

And then, because she felt like she had to, Sakura planted a kiss on his lips, lingering in his space. But that was enough for her.

Without a second glance, the pink-haired girl started up the driveway.

0o0o0o0o0o

Yesterdays over
But I'm feeling that it's not okay
You say you don't know her
But I'm hearin' its a different way
You know I always thought you loved me
'Cause you told me it was so
Well I thought I knew the difference
Between hopes to lose
And lies and truths
But now I know they're all the same

Chorus
I'm trying to pretend that this isn't real
I'm trying to comprehend how you make me feel
I ask myself is this what I really need
I'm begging on my knees cause you make me plead
Just figure it out
'Cause time's a wastin' so quickly
But I'm tired of you
I need some time for me

Reachin' for the sunshine
In the corner of my cold dark room
Its there but won't be mine
So I guess I'll have to call back soon
So I tried to find the answers
To just what did I do wrong
But I came back empty handed
Cause I just can't win
I'm lost in sin
But now I know that nothings worth this

Repeat Chorus

I'm on the edge
I can't pretend
That I've got it figured out
You won't understand
It's not the end
But I'm tired why can't you see?
I'm tired of you; I need some time for me

Sasuke recognized that song. It was one of the few that Sakura played when she was feeling overwhelmed. So, he realized, he probably shouldn't burden her with his problems.

At least not now.

A somber mood settled over Konoha. Four days from present day would mark the anniversary of the Uchiha Massacre. There would be a minute of silence in every school and workplace, and a small gathering at the cemetery. This, of course, was VIP.

Very VIP.

SasuSaku

"Sakura?"

Sasuke knocked softly on the adjoining door. Sakura called for him to enter. He was holding a CD in his hand. She waited for him to explain.

"I wanted to…do something for…"

He stopped, but she knew. Sakura nodded, silently encouraging him to continue.

"I wanted to record a song, play it, for her."

Wordlessly, the girl opened up her CD player and he slipped the disc inside. Chords rang throughout the room, and Sasuke joined her on the bed as they listened to the lyrics.

By the second verse, Sakura had tears coursing down her cheeks. Sasuke slipped his hand through hers and held it tight. Midway, Sakura noted the approximate 10 bars of piano. The song ended, but he was a bit wary of breaking the silence.

"So?"

She wiped the tears with the back of her hand.

"It's perfect.

0o0o0o0o0o

"Kakashi-sensei?"

The man looked up from his book. Sakura's face was calm, but her eyes betrayed her; every emotion danced those green orbs.

"I just wanted to let you know…Sasuke-kun and I won't be at school tomorrow."

Kakashi nodded silently. He knew what tomorrow was.

"Umm, if it's not too much trouble…I know Sasuke-kun would be honored if you met us at the cemetery. One o'clock. And… if you could please excuse Hinata, Neji, Ino, Naruto, and Shikamaru."

The ex-ninja nodded once more.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Author's Note: Aren't I evil? I'm sooooo sorry for the wait; I had really bad writer's block for this chapter, and just ended up making it short. I'm sure you all know what's coming next, so prepare yourselves for an emotional Sasuke.

REVIEW! (I'm going for 20)

Annie