Note- Sasuke and Sakura are 18 years old in this fiction.
"Hey babeee, I have come back. Being without you hurts me so much," Sakura said with a dramatic stance with a hand on her heart.
Sasuke rolled his eyes at her and shook his head. The girl who was flirting with Sasuke took this as her cue to leave but not before sending a nasty glare to Sakura. Sakura noticed the glare and gave a mock wave in her direction with an innocent smile on her face.
"Sak, what if she was the one?" Sasuke asked Sakura.
"No way in hell. Did you see how skimpy her outfit was? Look there," Sakura pointed her fingers to a girl with blonde hair who was dancing and continued, "That is the kind of girl you need. C'mon let's go and let me introduce you guys. Her name is Ino Yamanaka."
"Sak wait. No, I don't want to talk to her. Stay here and lets have a drink together." Sasuke chided her.
"You are such a spoilsport, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke shrugged.
Sakura had a pout on her face and muttered an "okay" to Sasuke when he pulled her to the bar to have some drinks.
Sasuke and Sakura went to the bartender and ordered for drinks. Sasuke asked for whiskey on rocks. Before Sakura could place her order, Sasuke interrupted her and said to the bartender, "70 mL of whiskey with equal parts of water and equal parts of ice."
"Aww Sasuke-kun, you are so sweet." Sakura smiled at him and giggled when she saw his annoyed expression.
"Che, don't be annoying." Sasuke looked away from her to hide his heated cheeks. He hoped that Sakura thinks that the redness in his cheeks were because of the alcohol.
Sasuke and Sakura have known each other since their childhood days and have been bestfriends from then. Their mothers were best friends themselves so it was natural for them to visit each other's house every weekend. No matter how many people tried to break their bond yet they stayed together till the end. Many girls were jealous of Sakura because she was the closest girl to Sasuke besides his mother. The rest taunted her saying that Sasuke would never find her appealing and that was the reason she was friendzoned. Sasuke and Sakura paid no mind to their thoughts and just shrugged to each other when anyone said such a thing. They have been best friends for 12 years so they knew what people said wasn't the truth. Both of them have seen each other grow from young kids to teenagers to adults. Sasuke and Sakura attended the same kindergarten, primary school, middle school and high school. Now that they were choosing different career options that they decided to part ways for college yet stayed in contact and visited each other's place.
*
Sasuke texted Sakura for their weekly movie day which was on Thursday. They decided to watch a movie every Thursday (dubbed as Thriller Thursday by Sakura) since they were 14 years old. The only condition that Sasuke laid down was that he wouldn't see any romantic chick flicks on those days. Athough Sakura sulked about it and whined to him, she finally gave in because she knew that he wouldn't budge from his decision. Even her puppy dog eyes (or, as she formally dubbed it as "Weapon in distress") wouldn't work against him in this decision.
It was a Thursday and that week, they were supposed to have a movie night at Sakura's. Sasuke called her in the evening.
"Sak, which movie do you want to watch this Thriller Thursday?"
Sakura didn't answer and only moaned in pain. Sasuke panicked from the other side of the call and immediately asked, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Sakura hummed from the other side of the call and said, "Yes. Just having cramps."
"Oh. So is our movie night on? Which movie do you want to watch?"
"Anything except horror movies is fine by me."
Sasuke answered her with his significant "Hn" and hanged up the call. Being best friends with Sasuke over the years made her quite fluent with Sasuke-ese. She knew that his 'hn' meant 'okay'.
Sasuke soon arrived at her house with a comedy movie and a tub of chocolate ice cream and Hershey's chocolates. He was aware that Sakura craved for chocolates and lots of chocolates during her periods. When Sakura saw the the ice cream and the chocolates, she looked at him with admiration. He swore that he saw stars in her eyes. Before he could go inside her living room, he was engulfed in a hig from Sakura. Sasuke thought that even though, Sakura was in a simple overlarged shirt (which was his, he noted) and black shorts with her hair pulled in a bun, she looked quite beautiful with that smile on her face.'Whoa wait, did I just say beautiful. C'mon she's my best friend. I can't think like this', Sasuke chided himself.
"Umm Sak, would you mind to let me have my body to myself?" Sasuke said while trying to control the reddening of his cheeks. He could feel her womanly curves pressed against his chest tightly.
Sakura left him and beamed at him and said, "Sasuke-kun, you are the best."
Now, this comment made Sasuke feel smug. He got up from the couch to insert the movie DVD inside the DVD driver while Sakura went back to sit on the couch with the ice cream opened.
They started to watch the movie. By the middle of the movie, Sakura was already sleepy and leaned her head on his shoulder. Soon, she fell asleep on his shoulder when she felt the soothing feel of Sasuke's finger raking through her carnation locks of hair. Sasuke smiled at her sleeping figure and shook his head in amusement. He turned the tv off. He leaned his head to the back of the couch and himself succumbed to the a sleep with pinks and greens.
**
When Sakura called him in the middle of a Friday a month after their movie night, he was was quite worried as he thought that she might be in trouble. But when he received the call, she sounded excited and...happy?
"Hey Sasuke-kun. Are you free tonight?" Sasuke looked at the calendar on his study desk and said yes.
"Can you come to Rusted Kunai tonight? I want you to meet someone."
"Sakura, if this is about setting me with someone, then forget it."
"Ehh Sasuke-kun, no. I am not setting you up for a date."
"So?"
"Well, thats a surprise. Are you coming or not?"
"Hn."
"Okay Sasuke-kun, take care. Bye bye."
After his classes were over for the day, Sasuke went to Rusted Kunai at 8.00 pm to meet Sakura's 'someone'. He would've denied the invitation if Sakura wasn't his best friend. Afterall he lov-err-likes her too much as a friend.
"Hey Sasuke-kun, you arrived?"
"Well, I did tell you I would come."
Sasuke saw Sakura waving at someone behind him. He looked at the back and saw a man around their age. He had brown hair and grey eyes. Sasuke was already having a feeling of dread in his stomach, the reasons unknown. Soon, the man came and sat beside Sakura. She smiled at him and he had the dead suspicion in his guts that she held his hand under the table.
"So Sasuke, this is my boyfriend, Akio. We are in the same class. And Akio, this is my best friend, Sasuke whom I told you about last day."
Both males nodded at each other. Sakura could never understand how two males could converse with each other without any word. Maybe they had telephathy powers? She would ask Sasuke about this later.
Why did Sasuke's heart feel so tightened? What was this feeling?Sasuke looked at her and said, "You never told me about your boyfriend."
Sakura reddened her face and mumbled something which made Sasuke huff.
"C'mon guys, lets order the food. Waiter!"
"Good evening ma'am, what would you like to order?"
Sakura placed the order after asking everyone. The waiter continued, "Would you like to have drinks? Its free in our menu today."
Sakura looked at both the boys who shrugged. She placed her order and waited for Akio and Sasuke to place their order of drinks. After Akio placed his order, Sasuke placed his. Before he could order Sakura's drink, Akio interrupted him, "70 mL of whiskey, with equal parts of water and ice just like my girl likes her drink."
Sakura beamed at Akio and Sasuke felt the similar ache in his chest once again. He couldn't understand the feeling. The last time he felt like this was when his brother Itachi-nii refused to play with him to go on a date with Izumi-nee. Perhaps it was the feeling of losing someone whom you care about to someone else? Perhaps. Or was it jealousy? Nah. Sasuke Uchiha never felt jealous.
Their dinner was uneventful. Akio bid his goodbye to Sakura with a kiss on her cheek and left. He lived on the other side of the town. Sasuke offered a drive to Sakura to her apartment which she gladly accepted.
"Ne Sasuke-kun, Akio asked me to accompany him to the beach the next weekend with his friends. It will so cool."
Sasuke tightened his hold on the steering wheel of his car and replied with a "Hn". Sakura looked at him with puzzlement clear on her face but shrugged and let it go. She reached her house and bid a goodbye to him. Sasuke poked her on her (wide and charming) forehead.
While driving to his own house, Sasuke felt the similar tight feeling in his heart when he thought about what Sakura said to him. He couldn't understand this feeling when he thought about Sakura and Akio. Sakura and Akio. Sakura and Akio. SAKURA AND AKIO. When a heard a horn from the car behind him, he realized that he didn't see that the traffic signal was green.
**
Sasuke spent his entire week thinking about Sakura's relationship. He felt betrayed and...hurt? When Sasuke asked Mikoto about his newfound feelings, she just smiled at him with a knowing look in her dark eyes similar to his own and asked him to figure it out on his own. Sasuke couldn't understand what she meant by "figure it out on his own". How was he supposed to "figure out on his own" when he couldn't understand the feeling?
He asked his brother, Itachi next. Itachi smirked at him and just poked him on his forehead with a "Foolish little brother." Sasuke scowled at him and batted his hands away all the while grumbling.
Even Fugaku noticed the foul mood lhis younger son. When he asked Mikoto, she laughed and said that her cute son was growing up. He understood what she meant and shook his head at the similarity in every Uchiha (except the hyperactive Shisui Uchiha).
On the other hand, Sakura kept thinking about Sasuke's reaction when she told him about her boyfriend. What was with his face? Being best friends with Sasuke over the years made it easy for Sakura to understand his expressions, yet she couldn't decipher the other day's expression on his face. Did he not like her boyfriend? Or did he feel bad because she didn't tell him? Or was he...no, thats not possible. She shrugged, not wanting to think about Sasuke and packed her bags for her weekend trip at the beach next day with Akio and his friends.
Next day, when Sasuke saw Sakura's check in at the beach on her Instagtam story, he restrained himself from throwing his mobile at the wall and instead threw his phone carelessly on his bed. He lied down on his bed and kept glaring at nothing at particular. He tightened his fist whenever he thought about Sakura's story with her 'boyfriend'. It shouldn't have been that loser but him with her at the beach. Wait. What? He widened his eyes and gasped. He immediately sat down on his bed and came to the shocking realization that he loved her not as a friend but more than a friend. Finally, he understood what his mother's knowing look in her eyes and his brother's amused smirk meant. How could he not understand about this all this while? Ofcourse, he loved Sakura. She was the only girl he could share everything with.
**
Sakura came back from her trip at the beach and called Sasuke, "Sasuke-kun, could you please come over?"
Hearing the urgency in her voice, he affirmed and left his house. Even if Sakura was dating her loser boyfriend, she was his best friend first. He literally rushed to her apartment. When Sakura answered the door, he entered her living room towards her sofa. Before he could turn back to look at him, Sakura threw herself at him and buried her face in his chest.
He heard Sakura's muffled sobs and the wetness of her tears on his shirt. Feeling concerned and worried, he asked while rubbing her back, "Sak, what happened? Did that insolent brat do something to you?"
Sakura lifted her tear-stricken face and looked at him, "That jerk. The son of a bitch. That asshole."
Sasuke would have been amused after hearing her profanities if it was some other time. He looked at her with a questioning gaze so she continued, "I saw him making out with one of the girls at the beach. When I questioned him, he said that I was frigid. Okay, maybe I didn't agree to have sex with him when he asked but that didn't mean that he would cheat on me and call me a frigid. I broke up with him this morning. That jerk."
Somehow, Sasuke felt pleased thinking that Sakura has finally broken up with the loser but it wasn't the time to ponder on such thoughts. He embraced her once again and said, "Sakura, calm down and sit at the table. I am making anmitsu for you."
Sakura rubbed her tears and nodded her head. She washed her face and sat at the table. Sasuke was cooking her favourite anmitsu. Although, Sasuke hated sweets yet he made one of the best anmitsus she had ever eaten. He plated her food and kept it in front of her. He sat across the table. She started eating the anmitsu and moaned in delight. However, it made Sasuke's already racing heart beat faster.
"Sas, how can you cook such amazing anmitsu?"
Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and said, "My mother taught me as a hobby when I was a child."
"Sasuke-kun, can we play video games after I finish eating? Pleaseeeeeee." Sakura looked at him pleadingly and Sasuke could never ignore her when she looked at him like that so he just said yes.
After Sakura finished her food, she went to her living room to set up her gaming system. Sasuke had gifted him the gaming set on her 16th birthday. After setting up the system, they started playing the game. It was a game of car racing. Although Sasuke would never admit it to anyone but he sometimes let Sakura win the game just to see her radiant and bright smile on her face.
While playing the game, she said, "Sasuke-kun, you are the best. You always make me feel so better. I wish I get someone like you."
Sasuke paused for a second or two before continuing and said, "Date me then."
Sakura laughed at this and looked at him. She was shocked when she saw his serious face. She continued, "Sas, you don't mean that. We are best friends."
He looked at her and asked, "What is wrong with us dating each other? We have known each other for two-thirds of our life. Everything will be the same except our labels."
He looked at him with his dark calculated gaze. Sakura felt that he was reading her soul through his midnight black orbs so she looked at the screen and said, "Sasuke-kun, you don't understand. What if that ruins our friendship if we break up someday? You are too precious to me and I don't want to lose you."
Sasuke slammed his remote control on the coffee table and turned Sakura's shoulders so she faced him. Sakura noted that he looked angry. He almost yelled, "Damnit Sakura, I love you. I felt so damn jealous when you were dating the loser. I will never leave you or break the friendship. You just said that you wanted someone like me," he softened his tone and asked her softly, "Don't you trust me?"
Sakura widened her eyes and shook her head while saying, "I trust you the most, Sasuke-kun. But what if." Before she could continue, Sasuke placed his finger on her lips and put his other palm on her chin to turn her to look at him in his eye.
"Sakura, look at me. Why are you thinking about the 'what ifs'? Just give it a try. I will never forge our friendship for anything."
Sakura looked at him and nodded. While looking away from his eyes, she continued, "Sas, I have liked you more than a friend since I was 15. I didn't want to ruin my friendship with you so I never made a move. I dated Akio to distract myself from thinking about you."
As soon as she finished speaking, she found herself embraced by Sasuke's strong arms around her shoulder. He buried his face in her pastel pink locks and muttered something like "silly girl". When Sakura asked him what he said, he didn't say anything and smirked his infamous smirk against her hair.
He finally let Sakura move from his embrace but kept her close. He looked at her with a questioning gaze. Sakura understood what he was asking her so she leaned to his face and closed her eyes in anticipation. She felt him come closer to her face. When their lips touched each other, they felt bolts of electricity passing through their bodies. She tilted her head to deepen their kiss. Sakura could not control her happiness and the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. They let go of each other and Sakura looked at Sasuke with admiration and adoration in her eyes. They continued their car racing video game while sneaking kisses here and there.
**
"Sasuke-kun, why are you so red in the face? Ooohhh, are you blushing?
Sasuke looked away from her eyes which were filled with mirth.
"Come on Sas, you have seen me naked before."
"We were 6, Sakura." Sasuke sighed and kept getting redder like his favourite fruit.
"Yeah yeah, come on. You are so cute when you blush." Sakura giggled seeing his tomato red face.
Sasuke scowled at her and said, "Che, stop being annoying, Sak."
"But you loveeeee me~", Sakura sang. He couldn't agree more so he just shrugged and muttered something like, "so what if I do?" and buried his still-red face in her hair.
Sakura giggled again when she heard him and said, "I love you too."
**