[AN: Hi there and thanks for stopping by! I started this one-shot quite some time ago, well before all of the recent COVID-19 craziness, and rediscovered it recently. After reading it over, I decided to throw it up here and see what happens. Fair warning: As you hopefully picked up from the tags, there is some non-hetero romance in here, so if that's not you're thing, consider yourself warned. Finally, for those of you who might be looking for a different in-progress story from me... I am planning on getting back to both "Secrets" and "Great Expectations" in due course and apologize for the lengthy delays. Last year, I'd been feeling a bit run down/overworked, so I ended up writing less than usual. Now that I'm home all day, every day, however, I've been finding more time to write, so I'm hoping to start posting more regularly. Stay safe and take care!]
It was midway through a ten-hour shift, sitting under the fluorescent lights of the hospital break room and clutching a cup of lukewarm chamomile tea, the winter sky outside cold, grey, and threatening snow, that Haruno Sakura had a sudden epiphany.
Naruto and Sasuke were fucking.
The facts had been staring her in the face for some time in the form of numerous "Team 7 boys-only" sleepovers, countless one-on-one spars, regular solo dinners, and oddly synchronous schedules. She'd just been too stupid to notice.
Well, maybe "stupid" wasn't really the right way to describe it. "Naïve" was probably better. After all, Sakura had known since her Academy days that the bond between Naruto and Sasuke was special. Since their battlefield reunion, a good three-and-change years ago now, she had witnessed it in action hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Their seamless teamwork against Obito, Madara, and Kaguya despite their utter and complete lack of tandem training. The way she'd found them lying next to one another on that muddy riverbank in the Valley of the End, soft smiles stretched across their weary faces despite suffering from total and complete exhaustion, severe chakra depletion, a deeply disturbing amount of blood loss, and the loss of a limb each. The manner in which Naruto had fought tooth and nail for Sasuke's pardon, despite the opposition of pretty much everyone else in the village. The silent willingness with which Sasuke had buckled down and become an honest citizen again, finding redemption through a steady diet of missions at home and abroad, the loudmouthed blonde a near constant at his side. The long looks, knowing glances, and whispered words that had become what amounted to their own personal language of late.
Yes, given the evidence, the fact that things between her teammates had turned physical really shouldn't have come as such a shock. But it did. And Sakura really wasn't sure what to think about it.
Of course, she was happy for them. She wasn't actually sure whether either man realized it, but both Naruto and Sasuke had been searching for acceptance… for a family… for someone to cling to through thick and thin for most of their lives. And the fact that they'd possibly come to fulfill that need through one another.… Well, psychiatry wasn't Sakura's primary specialty, but she didn't need what training she did have to know how important that was for both of their psyches.
That being said, she couldn't help but feel a little… funny about it all. Which was completely fair and reasonable. For, given that she had been there since day 1, had had a massive crush on Sasuke for over a decade, had also carried a flame for Naruto for a time, and currently loved both men more than she had a prayer of articulating, the fact that they'd chosen to keep this new, important development in their relationship a secret from her for Kami knew how long was pretty hard to swallow.
She couldn't really have expected anything else from Sasuke. He'd always been exceedingly private about personal matters, and, while they were on good terms now, things between them still had a tendency to get a bit awkward at times (thanks no doubt to the complicated legacy that was her girlhood fangirling, his boyhood declarations that she was annoying, the infamous night he'd knocked her out and left her on a bench after she'd sworn her undying love for him, and those unfortunate occasions during his missing-nin days when they'd totally tried to kill one another). Even if one were to set all that baggage aside, knowing Sasuke like she did now, it wouldn't have surprised Sakura to learn that he thought he was doing the right thing by not telling her. Like he thought he was sparing her feelings or something.
But Naruto was an entirely different story. They were best friends! Other than Sasuke and Ino. They never kept anything from one another! Other than that time she lied about no longer being in love with Sasuke. They'd had one another's backs throughout those long, dark days when they didn't even know if they'd make it to adulthood! Other than those few years that he totally ditched her for Jiraiya. And all that training at Mount Myoboku. And during the war when she went off and did her medic-nin thing while he learned how to get on with Kurama. Yes, Naruto really should have told her. And the fact that he hadn't… well, it kind of made her want to hit him. Hard.
Although… maybe Naruto also had a point in not saying anything. Because, now that she knew, Sakura wasn't just happy with a side of mildly peeved for being kept in the dark. She was also feeling kind of jealous (rather surprisingly, of both men), somewhat left out, and, most embarrassingly of all, pretty damn curious.
How long had it been going on? Days? Weeks? Months? Surely not… years? Was that why Naruto had ended things with Hinata late last July? Why Sasuke had never shown a lick of interest in getting a move on with his previously stated goal of reestablishing his clan? Had they told anyone? And… when it came to mechanics, how exactly did it work? Did they take turns? Was it just fucking? A passing phase between two hormonal men in their early twenties who'd been dancing around one another since their Academy days? Or was it something more? Were Naruto and Sasuke... in love? And, if they were, what did that mean? For the two of them? For the three of them?
Draining her tea, Sakura set the styrofoam cup on the pitted surface of the break room table, frowning rather morosely at the sodden teabag in the bottom. Sulking would do her no good. She really needed to talk this through with someone… get her feelings out in the open and off of her chest before they consumed her mind, body, and soul. But the question of whom to confide in was a tricky one.
Ino was her usual go-to for matters of the heart. But Ino wasn't exactly discreet when it came to juicy gossip about who was doing who. Sakura had found out that little factoid that hard way, back when she'd told the blonde about her post-war tumble with Kiba. While she'd mostly gotten over the humiliation of having literally everyone who'd been in the Twisted Kunai that night know that "Forehead and Kiba totally bumped uglies!," Sakura also didn't want to be the kunoichi who alerted the entirety of the Hidden Leaf Village to the fascinating fact that two of its most famous/infamous shinobi were totally doing it. She could swear Ino to secrecy and/or threaten a beatdown of epic proportions, but that usually only did the trick for a couple of days. Sooner or later, probably under the influence of too much alcohol and good cheer, the blonde would open her big mouth, the truth would be spilled, and Sasuke and Naruto would very possibly never want to speak to her again. Which would totally suck. If they even let her live, that was.
Perhaps… Tsunade? Or Shizune? Both women were significant mentors in her life and had supported her through the lowest of her lows. They were also trustworthy, relatively discreet (as long as Tsunade wasn't drinking in public), and further removed from the Konoha rumor mill than her peers. On the other hand, neither woman was exactly fond of Sasuke given all the trouble he'd caused during his rouge-nin period. They'd probably just tell her that she was better off without him. Which might very well be true, actually, given their shitty history, but it definitely wasn't what she wanted to hear right now.
There was always a fellow member of Team Kakashi. Their former sensei was intimately aware of their trio's dynamic, and Sai and Yamato also had certain insights, particularly when it came to Naruto. That being said, despite having served under him on several missions, Sakura didn't actually know Yamato that well from a personal standpoint and couldn't even imagine beginning such a conversation with him. Meanwhile, Sai was pretty much hopeless when it came to understanding social nuances, not to mention terribly impolitic and liable to tell Ino everything. As for Kakashi himself… well, the very idea of discussing anything sexual with him was decidedly yucky. They were his cute little genin! Not to mention that he wasn't exactly known for his clear, precise advice, and she'd had enough of "looking underneath the underneath" for one lifetime.
With her teammates, medic-nin mentors, and best friend out of the picture, the pickings became pretty slim. Her parents were definite no-gos for obvious reasons. Tenten was a possibility at first blush, but Ino would kill her if she found out that Sakura picked the weapons mistress over her for such an important bit of soul sharing. As for Hinata, well, the Byakugan wielder was still very liable to be a bit raw from her breakup with Naruto. Even if it had been "totally mutual, Sakura-chan. Me and Hinata-chan are just better off as friends, ya know?," the idea of being the one to inform the Hyuuga woman that Naruto had not only moved on but done so with Uchiha Sasuke of all people was an exceedingly unattractive prospect.
Options exhausted, Sakura pursed her lips. Maybe she was approaching this whole situation the wrong way. After all, Naruto and Sasuke were two of her most precious people, and she knew that they also cared about her quite a bit, even if Sasuke sucked as showing it most of the time and Naruto got on her nerves on a near-constant basis. She had no business sneaking around behind their backs, spilling a secret that they obviously wanted to keep for the sake of getting advice on how to deal with the fact that she'd apparently be playing the part of third wheel for the rest of their lives. That in itself was a venomous mindset that she really, really needed to get out of her head once and for all.
And so, rising to her feet at the knowledge that a hip replacement surgery awaited her in Operating Room 3, Sakura made herself a promise. She wouldn't pout, wouldn't whine, wouldn't go running around Konoha like a chicken with her head cut off. No. Tomorrow night, she would host their squad dinner at her condo as scheduled (assuming that the forecasted blizzard didn't fuck up their plans). And, at that dinner, sometime in the two-hour period before Kakashi showed up, like the mature, supportive teammate she was, she would tell Naruto and Sasuke that she knew, was happy for them, and wished them all the best.
And probably also get raging drunk afterwards, but that was fine and totally allowed. After all, it was what Tsunade would do, and who was she to deny her Shishou's legacy?
The snow was falling fast and thick outside her kitchen window as Sakura placed the casserole of miso eggplant in the oven, savoring the momentary rush of warmth across her cheeks. According to the clock on her microwave, Naruto and Sasuke ought to be arriving in fifteen or twenty minutes (for Sasuke was always punctual and Naruto never went anywhere without Sasuke these days), which left her just enough time for a quick kitchen clean-up and seeing about drinks.
Turning to the fridge, the kunoichi pulled open the door and surveyed the options. Beer for Naruto, sake for Sasuke and Kakashi, white wine for herself to start… and then two bottles of that nice red she'd bought a couple of days ago to go with dinner. They looked to be in fine shape, which was very good news indeed. Given the weather, she was not in the mood for a last-minute run to the liquor store.
After pouring herself a generous glass of Chardonnay, Sakura turned to the dishes, alternating her washing with sips of wine. She was just finishing up the last of the plates and three-quarters of the way through her beverage when a smart rap on the door followed by a somewhat muffled "Hi, Sakura-chan!" alerted her to the fact that the first two of her three guests had arrived.
Sakura wiped off her hands on the mint-green apron tied around her waist before returning it to its usual place on the hook by the kitchen entrance way. To her great amusement, she managed to duck into her living room just in time to hear a rather peevish voice comment, "I don't know why you have to shout, dobe. I knocked. She knows we're here."
Smiling broadly, the kunoichi opened the door without further ado, taking in Naruto's goofy grin and Sasuke's vaguely cranky expression, flakes of snow sprinkled rather festively through their hair. As her eyes continued their surveillance, she couldn't help but notice that the blonde's bandaged right arm was thrown casually around the Uchiha's shoulder, a seemingly innocent gesture that in reality conveyed so much. For Sasuke had never liked personal contact, and the fact that he was willingly submitting to such treatment was surefire proof of his physical comfort with his companion. Not that she had really needed any further evidence of their intimacy.
Dropping her gaze before Sasuke noticed her staring, Sakura stepped aside, allowing them entrance. "Good evening, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun! Right on time, as usual!"
"You know it, Sakura-chan! Teme's a great influence."
Kicking off his snow boots and discarding his brilliantly orange cloak in a heap by the door, Naruto barreled in first. After giving her a damp bear hug, he headed over to her couch where he quickly and efficiently flopped down, fully making himself at home.
"Kakashi's not coming. Hokage training," Sasuke informed her as he followed the blonde inside at a more sedate pace. Quietly collecting Naruto's discarded wrap with a somewhat long-suffering expression, he removed his own cloak and boots, revealing the dark grey socks with the little black kunai she'd purchased for him last summer while away at a medical conference in the Land of Tea. After neatly hanging the snowy garments on two of the hooks by her front door, he too made for the couch, smoothly seating himself beside Naruto, his right foot resting on his left knee in carefully orchestrated casualness.
As she shut the door behind her slightly harder than intended, Sakura couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for herself, not to mention rather peeved with Kakashi. Third wheeling all night. Exactly what she'd been looking forward to. Way to help your favorite out, sensei.
She turned back to her guests, careful to keep her smile firmly affixed to her face. "Well, never mind sensei. I'm glad you both could make it despite the snow! Can I get you drinks? Beer? Sake? I've been working on a bottle of white that Ino gave me last week if you'd like to step a bit outside your respective comfort zones."
Ever creatures of habit, it was beer for Naruto and sake for Sasuke. Fetching their requested beverages from the kitchen and pouring herself a refill on wine, Sakura reached the doorway just in time to catch Naruto with his right hand on Sasuke's left thigh.
Sweet Kami, they were getting downright bold in their displays of affection.
Despite her complex feelings about the situation, it was actually kind of cute. That was, until Sasuke knocked the blonde's hand away with a rather nasty glare and a muttered, "Get out of here, dobe."
Pretending not to have noticed, Sakura made a big show of handing Sasuke his glass and Naruto his bottle (she'd learned long ago never to bother with a glass), and then settled into the forest green easy chair across from them, tucking her legs underneath her. With a content little sigh, she smoothed out her burgundy skirt. "It's too bad Kakashi-sensei couldn't make it. I'm making one of his favorites… broiled miso eggplant."
At that, Naruto stuck his tongue out in an expression of utter and complete disgust. "Aw, Sakura-chan, not vegetables again? Didn't you make cabbage stew last time?"
Sasuke smirked at the blonde's antics. "Vegetables are good for you, dobe. Way better than ramen."
"Eh. Whatever, Sasuke. You and me both know which one's more delicious." Then, vivid blue eyes changed targets, ensnaring her own gaze. "So, anyway... how're things going, Sakura-chan? I feel like we haven't seen you in weeks! Crazy how busy everything's been, neh? Any missions coming up? Teme had this crazy B-rank escort last week… you should tell her about it, Sasuke."
Never one for small talk, the Uchiha rolled his eyes, slender lips shut in a firm line as he pointedly ignored his sofa-mate's jostling elbow.
"Okay, fine. Don't tell her," Naruto huffed with a rather adorable pout. "I don't know why you have to be so unsociable. All that frowning can't be healthy."
They were like an old married couple. How had she ever missed it?
"Anyway, Sakura-chan. Work treating you okay? Been on any dates lately? I heard about Lee. I'm, uh… awful sorry it didn't work out…"
At that, Sakura laughed somewhat artificially. Out of her periphery, she could see Sasuke's perfectly sculpted left eyebrow shooting towards his hairline, but she ignored it for the time being. She would deal with him shortly.
"Oh, it's completely fine, Naruto-kun," she replied with an indulgent little nod. "Truth be told, I didn't really see things with Lee-kun going anywhere. I just figured, after all this time, I might as well give him a chance. At least now he knows that it wasn't meant to be and he can quit with the 'Precious Cherry Blossom' act once and for all."
Sakura smiled sweetly and then pivoted in for the kill. "But, enough about me. How about the two of you?"
"The two of us?" Naruto asked far too incredulously. For a shinobi, he was a positively terrible actor. "What about the two of us?"
Sakura suppressed a smirk, doing her best to keep her tone casual and innocent. "Why, your whole dating situation, of course."
The Uzumaki's blue eyes went wide in unfiltered shock, seeming to believe that the jig was up. Meanwhile, apparently realizing that drastic action was required if he didn't want their cover to be blown wide open, Sasuke swept into the conversation, glaring daggers at the man to his left. "She means our dating prospects, dobe," he hissed for the blonde's benefit. Then, dark eyes drifting somewhat warily over Sakura's own face, he shrugged and took a rather hearty sip of sake. "No changes."
Smartass. Of course there were no changes. Sasuke and Naruto had been seeing one another for at least a few weeks, then.
Sakura smiled in fake sympathy, raising her glass in their direction. "That's too bad. You'd think at least one of us would be in a serious, committed relationship by now. Well, cheers to being single, I guess!"
Downing the rest of her wine, she watched Sasuke follow suit with a subtle side eye at Naruto. Meanwhile, the blonde was idly swirling his beer bottle, a rather solemn expression on his usually cheery face.
Hm… someone was looking guilty. Good.
Catching sight of the Uzumaki's pout, Sasuke's eyes narrowed warningly, head jerking the slightest bit in Sakura's direction. But it appeared that Naruto had no intention of falling back in line with whatever strategy Sasuke was pushing. Square jaw suddenly clenching with what she recognized as his legendary Uzumaki stubbornness, his bright blue eyes rose up from his drink, meeting Sakura's own with a fiery resolve.
"Sakura-chan," he began quite seriously, voice slow and steady as he fully ignored the silent tantrum that Sasuke was beginning to throw, Rinnegan fully exposed, Sharingan activated, right fist clenched, and teeth gritted behind a razor-thin veneer of composure, "There's something you should know. About me and teme. We should really have told you sooner. I wanted to... but you know how Sasuke is about privacy and emotions and stuff like that, and I was trying to be respectful of his feelings. But, well, I don't like lying to you. You deserve to know. And you know that's true, teme, so quit fussing. We talked about this on the way over and you were all like 'hn, fine. I guess we can tell Sakura.' So, we might as well get it over with, neh? Besides, since sensei's not here, it seems like the right -"
"We're sleeping together."
It was Sasuke who spoke the words, his mismatched eyes darting from Naruto's apologetic expression to meet Sakura's own gaze, three-pronged tomoe in his right eye swirling enigmatically. "We're… sorry we didn't say anything sooner."
Seeing as this was Sasuke, the apology, while simple and basic as it was, meant a lot. Sakura felt some of the frustrations she'd been keeping buried in her heart since yesterday's epiphany at the hospital eke away. "I… know," she replied slowly, somewhat nervously licking her lips. "It's all right. I understand. I mean, it's more than all right. I'm happy for you."
Sasuke nodded somewhat weakly in what she suspected was relief while Naruto grinned hugely. "Thanks, Sakura-chan! That means a lot. Like teme said, we're really sorry we didn't say anything earlier. It was just hard with everyone always around and Sasuke being so private and me just ending things with Hinata-chan a few months ago and everything. And we're all so busy with our own lives…."
He broke off, scratching the back of his head. "Anyway, now that that's all out in the open, I think I could use another beer. Can I get you more wine, Sakura-chan?"
Sakura smiled back, doing her best to suppress the strange lump that had risen in her throat. "Sure. Thanks, Naruto-kun!"
"How 'bout you, Sasuke? Need a top off?"
"Ah."
Setting his empty bottle down on the coffee table, Naruto trundled off to the kitchen, leaving Sasuke and Sakura alone in a tense silence.
"So… how long has this been going on?" the kunoichi asked coolly, the smile she'd been wearing for Naruto's sake slipping from her face. For, try as she might, she would never be able to fool Sasuke.
The Uchiha shrugged, not quite meeting her eyes as his remaining hand idly playing with his empty glass in what she almost thought might have been nerves. "Six months," he replied shortly. "After that diplomacy mission to Suna."
They'd been hooking up for SIX WHOLE MONTHS? She was apparently an even bigger idiot than she'd thought.
Pushing that less-than-productive thought aside, Sakura pursed her lips, considering the best way to proceed. The crux of the matter was a bit sensitive, particularly given Sasuke's history. But the questions on the tip of her tongue really needed to be asked… for both men's sakes. When it came to matters of the heart, Naruto would never deceive Sasuke - it simply wasn't in his nature - but she couldn't help but wonder about the dark-haired man's long-term plans. Particularly given the whole "last living Uchiha… must repopulate the clan" business he'd been so keen on back in the day.
"So… it's serious? I mean, you're both in this for the long haul?"
Sasuke swallowed hard, hand falling still against his right knee as he considered her question. Visible eye rising to meet her gaze, the sheer intensity drew her inward. Despite the current circumstances, she could feel her heart fluttering in her chest, almost as if she was twelve again. Gods, taken or not, gay or straight, he was sinfully handsome...
The silence stretched, until, finally, he cleared his throat, seemingly ready to speak. But the kunoichi would have to wait a little longer for her answer.
CRASH!
In a rush of battle-trained reflexes, Sakura leapt out of her chair, immediately assuming a defensive taijutsu posture. Green eyes darted across the room to the source of the disruption. Her kitchen doorway. Beyond which, Naruto, the biggest klutz in Konoha, had been getting them drink refills. And had apparently decided to do a little rearranging of her cabinets. Baka.
Sure enough, an awkward chuckle drifted out into the living room. "Whoops! Sorry about that, Sakura-chan! I'll... uh... clean that up later, dattebayo!"
Willing the fight-or-flight adrenaline away and resisting the urge to immediately assess the extent of the damage, Sakura settled back onto her chair, suppressing a half-rueful half-bemused smile as Sasuke tucked away the emergency kunai he had pulled out from one of his pants pockets.
"So…?" she prompted, efficiently steering the conversation back on course as Sasuke returned to his somewhat stiff perch on her couch.
He nodded once in seeming affirmation. "It's serious."
"But then... what about your -"
"Here we are, Sakura-chan, teme! Drinks all around!"
Naruto had finally re-entered the living room, somewhat precariously clutching a rather ugly enamel tray her mother had given her as a housewarming gift. It was laden with a wealth of options: three more beers, the rest of the wine, and the entire sake bottle. Well then. Someone was in the mood for a little liquid fortification.
After setting the tray on the coffee table with enough sloshing to prompt an exasperated "careful, dobe," from Sasuke, Naruto settled back into his seat on the couch, orange sock-clad feet coming to rest up against Uchiha's left leg. Usually, such behavior would have prompted a completely disgusted "tch!" To Sakura's surprise, however, the dark-haired shinobi let the attempt at cuddling happen unhindered, calmly taking a sip of his refreshed beverage.
How cozy. Well, that confirmed it. Things were serious indeed.
After another forty-five minutes of a cocktail hour that featured a series of increasingly unbelievable (but probably true) stories about a few of the likely hundreds of shenanigans that Jiraiya had dragged Naruto through during their time spent traveling together, the timer on the oven announced that dinner was ready.
Springing somewhat less than elegantly to her feet - a bottle of wine into her night, she could definitely feel the effects - Sakura toddled off to the kitchen to take care of plating. Carefully navigating around the mess of pot and pan lids left in Naruto's wake, she removed the steaming casserole dish from the oven and tasted the rice on the stovetop for doneness and salt. Then, grabbing a trio of plates, she set about portioning out the meal, the savory scent of the eggplant sending her empty stomach growling.
She was just finishing up the third plate when a tanned hand reached out to take it from her. "Here. Let me help, Sakura-chan. Was there anything you wanted to have to drink with dinner? If not, that's totally fine. I'm good with beer, and Sasuke's still got a glass or so left in his bottle…"
"I picked up a nice red for tonight, actually. Would you mind grabbing it? I can handle the other two plates."
Naruto's face lit up with a sunny, moderately tipsy smile that did rather funny things to her heart. Domestic Naruto was pretty cute when he wasn't totally wreaking havoc in her kitchen. "Sure! That'd be great, Sakura-chan! Anything for you."
Very cute, actually. Lucky Sasuke.
Chiding her liquored-up brain for having such thoughts, Sakura returned the grin before heading out to the living room to join Sasuke at the table. As she set one plate in front of him and took her usual place at the head, he nodded in thanks, dark eyes surveying her handiwork.
"It's a new recipe. Since Kaka-sensei's not here and we've already established that Naruto won't be a fan, you'll have to tell me what you think."
The aforementioned blonde joined them moments later, the wine bottle tucked somewhat precariously in the crux of his left elbow and his own plate of eggplant clasped in his right hand. He had two hands again. Why he couldn't just carry it like a normal person she would never know.
Clearly on her wavelength, Sasuke plucked the bottle from Naruto's grasp as soon as he was in range, holding it questioningly over Sakura's empty glass.
"Mm… yes, please, Sasuke-kun," she agreed with a nod, picking up her chopsticks as Naruto took the empty chair to her left.
They said a quick "itadakimasu" before tucking in, the apartment silent for several minutes as they quenched their alcohol-inspired hunger with what turned out to be a moderately successful entree. The texture of the eggplant left something to be desired... as Naruto said through an overstuffed mouthful of rice, "it was a little too squishy." But the flavors were good, and she'd seasoned everything quite well. The wine was also a rather nice pairing, and it turned out to be a very good thing that she'd opted to purchase a second bottle, because they were rather quickly cracking into it.
After dinner and some kitchen clean-up that involved herself washing, Sasuke drying, and Naruto trying and failing to reorder all of the lids he'd knocked off the shelf earlier - it seemed that she already had one bit of housekeeping lined up for tomorrow's day off - they returned to the living room with a bottle of a particularly nice sake, compliments of Tsunade, to watch the snow fall. Settling onto the couch on Sasuke's right with Naruto curled up at his far side under a crimson throw, Sakura found herself feeling delightfully warm and decidedly cozy, despite her previous anxieties about the evening.
Things had gone far better than expected. Maybe Naruto and Sasuke dating wasn't going to be so weird, after all.
It seemed that Naruto was feeling similarly snuggly. Or, at least, his orange-stockinged feet were. For the sudden sensation of soft cotton brushing up against her left thumb brought her attention to the kind of gross, kind of adorable fact that his right toes had gently nuzzled their way into her third of the couch, his sweatpants-clad legs slung rather casually across a docile Sasuke's lap.
"It's nice to be here with you, Kura-chan," the blonde commented somewhat sleepily, head lolling back against a black accent pillow. "Ya know, this is probably gonna sound sill now, but teme and me were both so nervous 'bout what you were going to say. When you found out about us, I mean. Sasuke thought for sure that you were going to beat our asses for keeping something like this a secret."
He took a long sip of sake, wiping his wine-stained lips with the back of his left hand. "But see, teme. I told you, didn't I? There was nothing to be afraid of. Sakura-chan is real nice and supportive. Oh, and smart too. I mean, she was already on to us and everything, despite your 'sneaky ninja skills.'"
"Hn." Sasuke cast a sideways glance in her direction, dark gaze softened by the generous quantity of wine and sake he'd imbibed. "When did you realize?"
Sakura frowned. She didn't really want to have this conversation now - not when she was so happy and comfortable and warm and sleepy - but she could understand their curiosity. "Yesterday, actually, believe it or not. I just… connected the dots, I guess you could say. I was pretty surprised at first. But, well, it does make sense. I mean, you've both been such an important part of one another's lives, and…"
"You're important to us too, Sakura-chan," Naruto interrupted rather seriously, left foot rhythmically stroking her hand. It kind of tickled. "I mean, without you, there would've been no Team 7. You were like the glue that held sensei and me and Sasuke-teme all together back then. Kami knows us idiots needed it."
Glue. She was like sticky, pasty glue. How attractive. But no. Despite the snarky thought, Sakura knew what Naruto was saying. And it was an exceedingly nice and sweet acknowledgment given how useless she'd so often felt back then… how useless she still felt at times.
"Thanks, Naruto-kun. I… do my best, you know?" she replied, letting out a heavy sigh she didn't even realize she'd been holding in. "It isn't always simple or easy. The two of you can be hard to keep up with. But... I certainly try. I always will."
The room was starting to swim a bit, the dimmed lights in the living room somewhat fuzzy as the flakes outside her window swirled together in one morass of white. Had she drunk that much?
"Sakura. You're crying. Why?"
Oh fuck. Trust Uchiha Sasuke to notice. Face burning with a combination of alcohol, emotion, and embarrassment at Sasuke's far too astute observation, Sakura turned herself fully away from the men to her left.
"It's nothing," she told them, really, really not wanting to ruin the mood with her selfish insecurities. "Don't worry about it. It's just… the snow is so pretty, and it's so nice to be here… with the two of you, and…"
Sasuke snorted. "That's bullshit. Not even the dobe'll fall for it."
Meanwhile, Naruto was suddenly vibrating with concern, sending the couch squeaking as he raised himself up from his sprawled-out position to give himself a better view of her face. "Fall for what? Sakura-chan, what's wrong? You can tell me and teme. We promise we won't tell anyone else. Was someone mean to you? Was it Lee? Was Ino spreading filthy lies about you sleeping with Kiba again? Just name the name, and we'll take care of it, Uchiha-Uzumaki style. Cause no one makes our Sakura-chan cry, dattebayo!"
Their Sakura-chan. Great. Now she was crying harder.
A sudden, tentative brush of heated fingertips along her jawline sent full-on shivers down her spine. Daring to look left, she quickly identified the culprit (not that there were a whole lot of options), and the discovery sent her heart positively pounding in her chest. Sasuke-kun. His touch was so gentle, so intimate, so wholly unexpected that it was almost hard to believe her eyes. But it was no genjutsu, no drunken fantasy, no sweet dream. Uchiha Sasuke was touching her, caressing her cheek with that calloused hand that could handle lightning, summon fire, even slay goddesses.
"It's us, isn't it?" he asked, voice so soft that she could barely hear the question, gently tilting her chin towards himself so that their gazes met. And the look in his eye… the emotion she found there…. Oh gods. If he and Naruto-kun hadn't just fessed up to sleeping together literally three hours ago, she totally would have thought...
But enough of that foolish thinking. She really owed him an answer.
Nodding fervently, Sakura let out a great, gasping sob, all the tension and anger and fear and jealousy coming to a positively overwhelming head at once. She was a terrible teammate. A terrible friend. So wrapped up in her own needs - after everything that the two of them had been through! - that she couldn't even be hap-
A pair of lips suddenly silenced her thoughts, soft, warm, and cautiously insistent against her own, short-circuiting her brain as the taste of sake and the smell of fire, of lightning - of Sasuke - flooded her senses. Completely in shock, all she could do was try and keep up, allowing their owner to guide her as her head spun and her tears fell and her heart beat and her breath caught in her throat. And then, after what felt like hours but was probably just a minute at most, those same lips were slowly, gently drawing away, settling into the smallest, softest, sweetest smile she had ever seen them articulate, the hand on her chin rising up to her left cheek to thoroughly, gently wipe away her slowing tears.
"Teme's pretty good, neh, Sakura-chan?" came a rather bemused voice from someplace to her lower left, drawing her back down to earth. "I remember the first time we kissed… for real, I mean, not that time at the Academy. This is probably gonna sound really cheesy, but it was kinda like fireworks or something. Complete with the smoky smell and everything!"
Oh, Kami... what had she done? She had kissed Sasuke! In front of Naruto!
Eyes growing wide in shock and horror, Sakura half-fell, half-stumbled off of the sofa, missing the corner of the coffee table with her head by inches as she fell on her ass on the carpeted floor, very probably giving both men an eyeful up her skirt. She was a hussy! A homewrecker! A manipulative, deceitful slut!
But… why did Naruto and Sasuke both look so happy?
Willing her mind to stop racing, Sakura's gaze shifted back and forth between her teammates, verifying their twin expressions of utter and complete joy (Naruto) and somewhat self-satisfied bemusement (Sasuke).
There was something exceedingly strange going on. Could it be a pity kiss between friends, perhaps? (If a pity kiss between friends was actually a thing. She'd have to ask Ino. If she remembered anything by the time tonight was over, that was.)
Or, maybe, it was something else… some more… malicious.
A sudden wave of anger coming over her at the thought that Naruto and Sasuke were poking fun at a time like this, Sakura glared up at them from her place on the carpet. "You," she demanded, positively glowering at the Uchiha, "Why did you kiss me?" Then, she moved on to the Uzumaki leaning up against his left side, her eyes narrowing almost to slits. "And you. Why didn't you stop him?"
Sliding off the sofa in rather cat-like fashion, Naruto settled himself on the floor beside her into what she numbly realized was a side-hug, his burly left arm flung somewhat haphazardly around her slender shoulders. "Calm down, Sakura-chan. I already told you why just a few minutes ago. You're important to us too! The whole thing with the glue, remember? Anyway, you should know. Teme and me talked it over before we came here, and, well, even though we're together, we don't want to leave you behind. I mean… if you're interested, that is. It's fine if you're not, I guess. But, well, I for one really hope you'll give it a try. And Sasuke does too, even if he refuses to admit it."
They didn't want to leave her behind. They wanted her to be with them. Was Naruto suggesting what she thought he was suggesting?
Gaze turning back to Sasuke, the one who was presumably the mastermind behind this whole insane operation, Sakura carefully scanned his face, searching for something, anything to explain what exactly was going on. He was handsome as ever with his dark, aristocratic features, chiseled cheekbones, and perfectly sculpted jawline… and nigh impossible to read. Damn the Uchiha and their insufferable coolness.
Seeming to sense her uncertainty, Sasuke ran his sole hand through his hair, causing it to stick up even more than usual. "Look, Sakura. What we're proposing might be a bit unorthodox. But when has anything between the three of us ever been normal?"
The kunoichi let out a weak little laugh. He kind of had a point there. Then, a thought from earlier reared its ugly head once more, brought on by a sudden glimpse of his Rinnegan through his long bangs. "You don't… this isn't… just because of the whole clan thing, is it?" she breathed, scared to ask the question but terrified of what could happen later on if she didn't. "The need for… an heir?"
At that, Sasuke looked somewhat taken aback, lips tightening in what she very much suspected was anger. Uncertain as to whether she should immediately apologize or hold her ground - his reaction seemed honest, but maybe that was because she'd caught him with his metaphorical pants down - she chewed her lip nervously, brow furrowing under his positively withering gaze.
Very fortunately, it was Naruto to the rescue. With an exasperated sigh, he pulled her more tightly to his side, blue eyes bright and earnest as he gave her shoulder a squeeze, his eyes darting back and forth between herself and the Uchiha glowering down at them from his perch on the couch. "Look, Sakura-chan. I see what you're saying. And I'm sure teme does too. After everything, you definitely have reason to have your doubts about him. But, well, Sasuke's not like that. He's a bastard, sure, but he doesn't play games. You don't get any of that Yamanaka mind crap you're probably thinking of with him, dattebayo."
He was right. And she'd been spending way too much time lately with Ino, apparently. Sakura nodded slowly, forcing herself to meet his icy gaze. "I'm… sorry, Sasuke-kun. I shouldn't have-"
Dark eyes drifted dismissively from his clenched fist to the window behind she and Naruto. "Tch. It's fine. It doesn't matter. It was a... reasonable question."
With that, a somewhat awkward silence fell over the living room, Sasuke's attention seemingly fixated on the snow outside. Well, she'd certainly torpedoed the night, hadn't she? It was a somewhat disappointing revelation, actually. For, now that the shock of their offer had worn off, she couldn't deny that it was somewhat… intriguing.
While she'd fantasized about sex with Sasuke or Naruto individually plenty - what straight/bi Konoha kunoichi hadn't? - never before had Sakura ever thought of being with them both at once. Thanks to Ino's utter and complete lack of a filter, she was well aware that threesomes happened. But not to girls like her. And certainly not with them. It would make things too messy. Too complicated. Very probably destroy their whole Team 7 dynamic, not to mention Sasuke's and Naruto's relationship. As well as leave her more miserable than ever. Because Kami knew that once she got a taste of what it would be like to be with them once, she would want more. That was, very unfortunately, how love worked, after all. And one night of fun was one thing, but a full-on triad relationship was quite another. She couldn't even begin to imagine that that was what either of them were actually proposing. Which was a massive, massive issue because, being completely honest and selfish for a moment, it was exactly what she would want. What she did want.
Which was why she really, really should have thanked Sasuke and Naruto for a lovely evening and casually observed that it was getting kind of late. Why she should have cheerily shown them to the door with a teasing comment about one of them taking a turn at hosting some time, even though that would obviously never happen because Naruto was too much of a slob and Sasuke liked his personal space to stay personal. Why she should have put on her tough jounin kunoichi boots and pushed the decidedly steamy image of the two of them sprawled out across her forest green bedspread to the furthest, most X-rated section of her dirty mind. At least until they were safely on their merry way and she could drown her sorrows in some much-needed masturbation.
But even the most disciplined, clearest-thinking woman had her limits. And the sudden, altogether surprising sensation of Naruto's soft lips finding hers, his burly arms pulling her into an embrace that warmed her down to her toes, was apparently hers. Pink lashes flitting shut, Sakura let out a little gasp as his tongue momentarily teased her lower lip before retreating with a breathy chuckle that did funny things to her insides.
"Couldn't let old teme one-up me, now could I?" Naruto proffered in seeming explanation, those bright blue eyes she had long-ago fallen for sapphire with lust, mere inches from her own. Dear Kami, was she sunk.
From the sofa, a sudden "tch" of vague annoyance drew Sakura immediately back down to earth, reminding her of the full implications of what she was doing. Sasuke-kun. Sasuke-kun had seen everything!
As was quickly becoming a new aspect of their dynamic, however, Naruto inserted himself into the situation, his broad grin and boyish, teasing tone immediately diffusing the guilt threatening to once again raise its ugly head. "What's that? You like watching, teme? Ya know, I never really pegged you for one of them voyeurs, but I can kinda see it, now that I'm thinking about it. A closet pervert, like Kaka-sensei."
"Hn. Shut up, dobe," came the Uchiha's entirely expected retort, tone the height of imperiousness. Nevertheless, his dark eyes swirled with unmasked desire, cheeks tinting with the barest hint of a flush as their gazes connected in a silent confirmation of the truth behind Naruto's words.
The Uzumaki chuckled, a blonde brow shooting towards his hairline, voice raspy with lust. "Make me."
With that, Sasuke at last abandoned the couch, more-or-less tackling Naruto down onto his back on the living room carpet. Pinning the blonde's hands above his head with a deft maneuver, his thighs on either side of Naruto's waist, he proceeded to make good on the taunt, ravishing his prisoner's lips with a fierce onslaught of kisses and bites that had the Uzumaki quickly whining beneath him. Meanwhile, clearly unwilling to completely give in without a fight, Naruto soon retaliated, body bucking upwards against Sasuke as his wrists wriggled in the dark-haired man's grasp.
It was without a doubt the most violent makeout session that Sakura had ever witnessed. As well as the hottest. Stomach roiling with desire, she could feel her body reacting to the sight of their tangled bodies, thighs squeezing together as her nipples tightened beneath her woolly sweater. Then, one of them - it sounded more like Sasuke, but it was hard to say for sure - let out a needy grunt, and she found a little moan of her own escaping her parted lips, right hand clenching in her lap, dying to scratch the itch her teammates had ignited.
Of course, Sasuke and Naruto, being shinobi, noticed her little outburst. Had she not been quite so turned on, it would have been almost comical, actually, how their lips simultaneously parted and their wide, lust-filled eyes drifted up her body, pausing at the location of her rather incriminating hand, before continuing their journey up to her face more-or-less in unison.
This time, it was Sasuke who got the first word in, dark eyes flashing far too knowingly as he surveyed her flushed face, thin lips swollen from kissing. "Like something you see, Sakura?"
She swallowed hard under their twin scrutiny, feeling all at once infinitely powerful and delicately vulnerable. Oh, gods, how she wanted this. All of it. But the repercussions… she really shouldn't...
One last time, it was Uzumaki Naruto to the rescue. Lips curling upwards into a grin that rather resembled the fox inside of him, he chuckled softly. "You really think too much, Sakura-chan, ya know that? Now, before teme makes my rug burn any worse, whaddya say we head to the bedroom?"
The bedroom. Her bedroom. Sakura could feel her cheeks turning scarlet at Naruto's request and everything it implied, aware that the two men before her were still watching her closely, awaiting her response with bated breath.
Biting her lip, she nodded a slow assent, at last succumbing to her desire. "Yes. Please."
[AN: Since I know this question is going to come up... no, this isn't actually "The End." As you can probably guess, what follows gets pretty explicit. So much so, that given FF's posting criteria, I decided to cut things off here. If you're simply dying to see what happens next, I do plan on getting the full version up on AO3 at some point in the future... I just have to finish writing it! :)]