Long time no see everyone and welcome new readers!

I can't tell you all how excited I am to be uploading this chapter after almost 6 years away. To all those were with me from the beginning, I can't thank you enough for inspiring me to write this chapter. I can't promise to update on a regular basis, but I can promise that I won't give up on this story! As always feel free to PM/review about any questions, comments, or concerns.

Returning and new readers alike, welcome back to "What Luck Brings"! :D

-Night TimeSki09

What Luck Brings: Never Gonna Give You Up

This last month has been agonizingly long. Blonde hair, masked lips, and purple eyes have been weighing heavily on Sakura's mind. She hadn't been able to think of anything else.

After the whole twister fiasco, Naruto has been glued to Sakura's side. Always inviting her to try new food trucks, check out local game shops, and explore the campus gardens. They barely spent any time apart these days. Naruto even asked for help with his classes. She guessed he wasn't worried as much about his grades, as he was about protecting her from the evil clutches of her perv-tastic old man of a roommate/landlord. Not that he actually had anything to worry about now.

Kakashi was still distant. They had eventually gotten back to the point of casual conversation, but it felt forced and hollow. There was no familiarity or spark of playfulness. She hadn't even seen him reading his beloved smutty books.

No matter how much he had pushed her buttons or annoyed her to no end, Sakura missed her friend. She could never admit this to herself. Of course, Kakashi wasn't able to admit it either. Sakura so badly wanted to run to him and confess everything the purple eyed stranger had said, but his promises of consequence had always stopped her. She didn't know much of anything about him, but she knew enough that getting expelled from school wasn't the worse thing he would do. Thankfully she hadn't heard hide nor hair of her newfound "God" since their last meeting in the library.

The memory of his emotionless eyes sent a cold shiver running down her spine. His mere presence felt as though it would crush her under its weight, like a thin twig under a large boot. Sakura could still feel his breath brush across the back of her neck. She shivered again.

"Sakuuu…Earth to Saku-chan," Naruto's voice cut through Sakura's troubled thoughts.

"What," Sakura said blinking away images of purple eyes. He was leaning across the kitchen table waving a hand in front of her. His face was uncomfortably close. "I'm fine Baka," she pushed his hand away. "If you keep losing focus, your gonna bomb the first round of exams."

Naruto frowned. "You were the one staring off into space for the last 10 minutes," he paused, "You even look a little pale."

A look of concern washed over his boyish face as he leaned forward again and placed his hand on her forehead. "Are you getting sick?" he said entirely too loud. It was then that the sound of someone clearing their throat came from the hallway.

Kakashi stood in the doorway, his face stupidly casual as always. Sakura quickly batted Naruto's hand back into his own personal space. Her forehead tingled slightly where his hand had just been. She could feel a familiar heat begin rising to her cheeks.

"I don't mean to interrupt," Kakashi said while tucking his hands into his pockets. "I'm going out, do you need me to get anything?" His voice sounded a bit more strained than his now typical empty tone.

'Maybe that's progress?' she thought to herself. 'Anything is better than acting like we don't see each other every damn day.'

"No. I'm fine. thanks," Sakura replied without looking up.

"Alright." And with that Kakashi was out of the door. Naruto had, not so subtlety, stared daggers into the back of his head as soon as he turned his back to them.

"You know he's still our professor, right? He could fail your ass if you keep challenging him like that."

Naruto let out a huff as he finally pulled his eyes away from the front door. "Let him. I don't care if I have to take the class five times over. I will protect my Sakura-chan!" The daggers had fallen away to be replaced with a beaming smile.

"Put that thing away before you blind someone," Sakura laughed. She was grateful for the extra time she spent with Naruto this month. It was a wonderful distraction from everything wrong in her life. He was the only thing keeping her sane, he was her rock.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you like me," she teased.

His boyish grin fell into a warm smile. His eyes filled with the same warmth, "I do like you Sakura."

Whether it was the sincerity or maturity in his voice, the words caught Sakura off guard. A butterfly or two fluttered through her stomach.

'He didn't mean it like that,' she chastised herself. 'He's my best friend of course he likes me…as a friend.'

"Shut up Baka," she blurted out as she pushed the butterflies away. "Focus on that problem you haven't finished yet!"

"Hey, I am!" he pouted indignantly. "You're the one being the space cadet…"

"Yeah, yeah. Stop pouting like that or your face will get stuck." Sakura chided.

Naruto stuck out his tongue at her in response and turned his attention back to the pages in front of him. It didn't take long before he was chewing the end of his pencil and groaning audibly.

Looking back over to Sakura, he had his puppy dog eyes at full blast. "Help?"

She smacked him lightheartedly. "You don't have to look at me like that. What part are you stuck on?"

Before they realized it four hours had gone by. Light banter and silly conversation made the time fly by. At least Naruto had finally gotten the hang of some of the tougher concepts for the exams. To his credit Sakura only had to kick him awake a couple of times. She was proud of him.

The duo had just finished packing their things when Naruto's demeanor changed. He had that serious look on his face again.

"What are you brooding about now?" Sakura teased.

"Have you been in love before?" His voice was deeper, more mature. He held her gaze with a quiet intensity she wouldn't expect from him.

"Uhh…Where did that come from?" She asked. Her face must have looked as dumbfounded as she felt.

"I mean we are best friends. You would have told me, right?" He waited for her to say something. Something he wasn't sure he was ready to hear.

Sakura didn't know what to say. 'I don't think so,' she thought. 'Do I even know what love is?"

When she didn't respond, Naruto shouldered his backpack and began to make his way towards the door. "Don't worry about," he waved his hand dismissively, "just a random thought I had." He seemed anxious to leave.

"I don't think I've ever been in love…" she said, finally finding her voice. Sakura continued as she followed him into the hallway, "If I knew, you and Ino would have been the first ones I would have talked to about it."

She was confused. 'What's with all this random talk about love and why is he in such a rush?'

As Sakura thought more about his question, she was reminded of the first time they met all those years ago. She was in kindergarten when a group of girls started bullying her. One day they had pushed her to the ground, calling her names and making fun of her forehead. Sakura began to cry when a bush nearby suddenly began shaking and growling ferociously. The girls ran off leaving her to the beast. But it wasn't a beast. It was a blue-eyed boy. He smiled brightly at her and it was as if the sun had come out. He offered her his hand and dried her tears.

From then on, she always felt safe with him. No matter what was happening around her, Naruto was her safe place.

'Maybe that's what love is. The love between friends.'

Naruto stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned back to Sakura. It looked as if he would say something, but Sakura spoke up first.

"You know, I think I do love someone," She smiled, "I think I love you, Baka." Sakura ruffled his sunshine-colored hair.

Naruto's face had gone from crestfallen, to shocked, to something Sakura didn't recognize in the span of a few seconds. Before she knew what happened, he had taken her wrist and pulled her to him. His other hand went to the back of her head and brought her face to his.

Somewhere in her stunned mind Sakura prepared for a hard impact. It was quite the opposite. His touch was tender, and his lips were soft. Without breaking the kiss Naruto dropped her wrist and wrapped her in his arms. He had been dreaming of this moment for years, he never wanted to let her go.

For a moment Sakura kissed him back. She was lost in the strength of his embrace, the warmth of his body radiating into hers, the feel of his lips.

Their blissful moment was fleeting.

The sound of the front door closing jolted Sakura back to reality. This was Naruto, the goof ball boy she knew for what felt like all her life. She loved him, but not like that…right?

The man she had dream of kissing was someone else entirely and he was staring at her while she kissed her best friend.

Kakashi stood by the front door, a small plastic bag dangling from his hand.

Pushing out of Naruto's grasp, Sakura panicked and began to stammer, "No, this…" she waved her arms between herself and Naruto. "It's not like that…what I mean is…we…" she realized she was waving her arms about like a crazy person.

Kakashi stopped her with a gesture of his hand. "It's none of my business. If you want to lie to me that's fine," He didn't sound fine. "I only ask that you don't throw it in my face." That last bit seemed to have more venom in it.

Before she could respond Kakashi disappeared up the stairs. Even with the mask covering most of his face, he looked upset. Sakura stood frozen looking up at the top of the stairs. "What just happen?" she whispered mostly to herself.

She turned on Naruto, "Why did you do that?! What were you thinking?"

His face was flushed, and his mouth was slightly agape. "I was thinking that you loved me."

"I mean I do, but…" How could she be so dense. How could she tell him what she felt when she didn't even know herself?

Naruto's voice turned bitter, "But not like that huh? You love me like a brother or something, right?"

"That's not what I said. I don't know what I mean!"

"Then why did you kiss me back?!" he demanded in anger. His voice broke ever so slightly.

"I don't know," Sakura said quietly. Tears began to form in her eyes, as her stomach twisted into knots. She couldn't look at him when she said, "I do know I don't want to lose you."

Naruto's anger subsided slightly. He sighed heavily and ran his hands through his messy hair in frustration. "You won't, just…let me know when you know what you mean." Without another word Naruto made his way out the door.