A/N: So my favorite thing about writing this story again is actually being able to relate. When I wrote the original, I was 15: a single pringle not ready to mingle. I had no clue about love hehe. And now I get lots of my inspiration from my real life relationship.

What about you? Share your experience maybe? I'm a slut for reviews and making friends!
Enjoy this chapter!

4. By listening to their voice, you'll smile for no reason

By summer, the news of Naruto's engagement spread across the entire village and beyond.

Tonight, almost the entire population of Konoha sat together at the BBQ restaurant to celebrate what felt like a holiday. Everyone was either mingling, or listening along with a full mouth. Sasuke sat in between Naruto, who was trying to keep Gai from drinking any more, and Sakura, who wasn't having much luck getting their waiter's attention.

Sasuke watched her wave her arms, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. She looked so cute.

"Oooohhhh! Sasuke-kuuuun!" Ino cooed from across the table, catching Sakura's attention.

"Huh?" Sakura turned to look at Sasuke. "Did I miss something?"

"Yeah, Sasuke's got the hots for you."

"Did you have too much to drink?" Sasuke countered for her.

"Ahh, no, I don't think so, I can handle more!"

Sasuke sighed, "please don't."

Sai turned around and grabbed the nearest server. "Anything for milady." To which Ino squealed in delight.

Although Sasuke had gotten used to small gatherings where everyone's goal was to get as shit-faced as possible, the amount of drunken people in this room was getting a little overwhelming. Especially since his focus has been on his teammates this whole time, making sure nothing dumb happened that anyone would regret in the morning.

Sakura was in the middle of listening to Tsunade tell a story across the table when Naruto caught Sasuke just looking at her as if she was the only one in the room. A small smile graced his features.

"Why are you smiling?"

Sasuke's attention snapped toward Naruto. He looked like a deer in headlights. He quickly frowned. "Nothing, mind your own business."

"You need some alcohol." Naruto then states, shoving a full bottle of sake in his face.

"I'm good."

"Hey, come on, Sasuke, a little bit won't hurt! You need to lighten up anyway." He watched as the life of the party waved the bottle in front of his face. Annoyed, Sasuke tried to push it away.

"Hey now, how often do we get together to do this?" Kakashi added with a wink, and took another shot.

"Hn," he grunted in annoyance. Peer pressure was stupid. But, he figured, getting a little tipsy might ease his agitation in the midst of this crowd. He took a glass and Naruto poured him some.

The next time Sasuke looked up, everyone's attention fell on Sakura, who was standing now and telling yet another story. Although Sasuke wasn't quite drunk, he had enough to start feeling a little dizzy. He felt a little more comfortable in the setting, but he also felt some discomfort from not being in full control of his body.

She was narrating that one traumatizing incident in which he had accidentally kissed Naruto, earning many laughs and wolf whistles. Annoyed, Sasuke tugged on her sweater lightly, but she just dismissed him.

Then again, Sasuke didn't mind too much. At this point, he was just listening to her voice, even if he hated this dumb story. Just listening to her sound so happy and cheerful, and amused by something so trivial triggered something in Sasuke to realize that he missed her more than he would admit. That, and the sound of her voice seemed so melodious, even if she was beginning to slur with the alcohol.

Sasuke looked at the empty glass front of him. He looked over to Naruto who seemed to be enjoying himself with minimal alcohol (after all, the man didn't need it to have a good time), and then over to Sakura who clearly had a bit too much in her system.

Sasuke sighed and pushed his glass aside, deciding he had enough. He was going to have to take her home tonight.

"Sasuke-kun, your hair is so pretty now. It used to look like a duck's butt. Everyone talked about it." She reached a hand to ruffle his hair but her distorted depth perception only made her miss and slightly trip. He caught her easily.

"I have to get you home, Sakura."

"I- hic – I don't want to go home."

Sasuke sighed. He might as well humor her, or she would keep complaining. "Why not?"

"Because you're going to leave me…and I'm drunk." He had to admit, drunk Sakura was quite amusing.

"I won't leave you."

"Yeah you will," she leaned into him and violently pointed toward a random bench by the grass. "on that bench." Sasuke grimaced.

"I won't leave you…" he repeated. Then she lightened up and straightened her posture.

"Hey, you wanna hear me sing?"

"Sakura…"

"Come on, I'm pretty good, Kakashi-sensei said so." He sighed, and she began wailing the lyrics to her favorite song. At first, Sasuke was slightly annoyed at her stubbornness, and her volume was making his head pound a little. But then he felt a laugh escape his mouth when she continued to sing until they reached her apartment. She wasn't the best singer, but her voice surprisingly put him at ease.

Sakura clumsily made her way to her bedroom as Sasuke made sure the doors were locked and the lights were off. She called for him as soon as she found her room.

When he found her, she walked up to him slowly. She was frowning. "Hey."

"Hn," he wasn't sure why, or how, she had suddenly changed from extremely giggly to pouty. Her eyelids looked so heavy and she hiccupped every minute or so.

"Why did you leave me?" she began, jabbing a finger to his chest. He stepped back at her strength.

"Sakura, what-"

"You know what I mean, Sasuke! You left me! On a fucking bench! Who does that?" she began to raise her voice and Sasuke became a little apprehensive. If she was loud enough she would wake her neighbors, and if she got angry enough she would probably punch him out. "Do you have any idea what you put me through? And-and now you're back and I don't know why. Do you even know why!?"

He stayed frozen, ready to react if she did anything irrational. She hiccupped, regained her balance, and then continued. She was breathing hard, and her face was turning a little pink from anger, but something in Sasuke kept him calm. She may have been yelling at him, drunk, but he couldn't help but still be fascinated with her. He almost smiled, then he remembered she could break him easily.

When her yelling died down, she aggressively wiped a tear from her face with the back of her hand. "Why don't you have anything to say?"

"I missed you," was the first thing Sasuke could say. It calmed her down significantly, and she probably won't even remember it in the morning.

Her eyes found his, and for a second he forgot that she was intoxicated, until she hiccupped again. He didn't realize how beautiful she really was up so close, even in this inebriated state. When she reached up to cup his cheek, he leaned into her touch.

He found so much comfort in her, it felt strange, almost unreal.

"Why don't you love me?" she asked, her voice shaky, snapping him out of his thoughts. Sasuke had nothing to say, and her eyes fell. Suddenly, his heart sank. He lifted her chin up so she would look at him.

Sakura seemed to have taken his gesture as a go signal, so she pulled him down and his lips came crashing down on hers. Sasuke froze; he had never been put in a situation like this, ever. Her grip on him wasn't very strong at all so he could have easily escaped. But instead, he let his hands find their way around her waist and pulled her closer.

Sasuke was sure it wasn't the alcohol. He was already beginning to sober up. So what compelled him to go along with her bold move?

Her lips continued to move against his, a little sloppily, but very passionately. Her grip on him tightened when he turned around and pinned her against the wall, hungry for more. The small part of him that was screaming that this was a bad idea was getting quieter and quieter. His hands found the buttons of her sweater and with her consent, he tugged it off. She began clumsily unbuttoning his pants and Sasuke groaned, hoping her small hands could move faster.

The raging, neglected hormones inside him prevented him from thinking straight at this point. He knew this was very wrong, but he couldn't bring himself to pull away from her. She tasted very much like sake, however. And when Sakura began to stumble in his hold, Sasuke snapped out of it.

"Sakura," he scolded. He suddenly felt cold and empty when he broke contact. She looked up at him, and suddenly he couldn't read her emotions. When she tried reaching for him again, he put out a hand to stop her. "Don't."

She looked angry for a second, and then pushed past him to flop onto her bed ungracefully. She was in very much emotional and physical pain. Sasuke, on the other hand, felt weak. There was a moment of silence, which Sasuke used to regain his composure. Like a small child, she reached up at him, and he sat down next to her. "Lie down please," she commanded. He obeyed.

Sakura closed her eyes and took short breaths. "It hurts."

"I know," he agreed, assuming she was talking about the alcohol taking over their bodies. Sasuke promised himself he would never do this again.

"No, not that," she corrected, her voice raspy, "your constant rejection."

"Sakura…"

"I don't want to hear it, Sasuke-kun."

He didn't know what to say. She seemed so hurt. Maybe that's why she decided that getting drunk tonight seemed like a nice escape. That the good news of Naruto and Hinata's engagement was the perfect excuse to get shit-faced for the night and temporarily forget about her problems.

His hand found hers and he held onto her.

"Don't leave me again." She asked, her voice sounding more and more tired. Her thumb was gently stroking his prosthetic hand, and he felt it as if it was real. He knew she was succumbing to the alcohol. She was going to fall asleep soon.

"I won't." he promised.

She curled up into his embrace and began again, "I know another song."

"Hm." He adjusted the arm around her and rested his chin on the top of her head. When she began to sing, this time a much softer tune, he smiled against her pink locks. It was a song his mother used to sing for him when he couldn't sleep. He felt his breathing slow down.

"I love you…Sas'ke-kun" she slurred one last time. Sasuke's heart stopped for the umpteenth time that evening. He wasn't sure what to say to her. Then she added, "thank you." Sasuke found his consciousness hanging by a thread as well.

"I love you, Sakura."

But she was already asleep.

Sakura woke up with a jerk. A sudden horrible feeling erupted in her stomach. She felt the insides of her stomach crawl back up her esophagus in the most unpleasant way possible. She stood up immediately and ran to the bathroom faster than the Fourth Hokage could. The horrifying sounds of her vomiting stirred Sasuke awake. When he tried to sit up, everything started spinning.

"Fuck," she cursed from the bathroom, the echoes reaching Sasuke. He sat up slowly, first unsure of where he was. When he realized he was in Sakura's bedroom, and she had been the one to cuss and sound in discomfort, he called out to her.

"Sakura?"

"'m fine." She gasped. "Don't come in here."

Then he remembered what happened last night. Lifting the sheets, Sasuke fumbled with the buttons of his pants and waited for her to come out once he heard the water in the shower running.

"How are you?" he asked when she emerged, clean and looking looking less pale and irritated.

"I'll live," she dismissed it. "You?"

"My head just hurts."

She tried to smile and disappeared into the kitchen. She came back with a glass and a pitcher of water, "Drink this," she handed the glass to him, set her hands on his temples, and began pumping chakra through his head.

It was very soothing. Within five minutes, he felt almost as good as new. He admired her ability to make him feel better despite clearly feeling worse herself. She really was the most selfless person he knew, right next to Naruto.

"Just finish the water. It should get rid of the rest of your headache because you're dehydrated."

He hesitated, feeling a little shy and scared that he would just be useless to her. But after a good ten minutes he realized that if he couldn't make her feel better physically, he could at least stay and comfort her. "Do you want me to stay and take care of you today?"

She smiled slightly, but shook her head. "Hey, I'm the number one medic in the entire world. I think I can take care of a little hangover." She patted his leg to reassure him. "Besides, I have to go to work today."

Sasuke frowned, hoping she wouldn't see.

"Thank you though, Sasuke-kun." She smiled both at how he seemed to relax at her response, but also because she realized she had been thanking Sasuke a lot lately. He had been around much more than she ever remembered and expected.

Then she turned to him, "So what happened last night?"

"You had way too much alcohol." He explained easily.

"Yes, thank you, Dr. Uchiha." She laid in his lap and started playing with the hem of his shirt.

He gave her a playfully annoyed look. "You wouldn't stop telling everyone about the incident back when we were kids, when Naruto kissed me."

"You kissed him back." She reminded him.

He glared at her for real. "Do you want to know what else happened, or not?"

She giggled, "Sorry."

"You told me my hair was pretty, you started singing – very off key by the way, and it was extremely annoying," she looked absolutely mortified. Sasuke couldn't help but smile. "But I liked it."

"Don't patronize me." She warned, blushing.

"No, no, it was good, really."

"Ugh," she groaned. "How embarrassing. And then?"

"Then…" He hesitated so much; he hoped she didn't see right through him.

"Then…?" she prodded, her eyes gleaming, almost as if she was expecting something.

"And then…you flopped onto your bed, dragged me down with you, and told me how much fun you had before passing out." Sasuke explained a little too quickly. He broke eye contact and chugged down the rest of his water.

Sakura blinked. "Hah, sounds like something I'd do." She stood up slowly, refusing his help. "Well, I'm heading out. Thank you again for taking me home last night, Sasuke-kun. I appreciate it; even though I am horribly embarrassed that you had to hear me sing."

"Yeah…" he watched her put on her coat, grab a glass of water, and walk toward the door. She seemed really tense, he concluded, though it might have just been the after effects of getting wasted last night.

"You're welcome to stay here until you feel better." She added before heading out. He raised a hand in confirmation as she left.

On the other side of the door, Sakura's smile turned into an annoyed frown. She may have been drunk, but she remembered exactly what happened last night.

"What a liar!" Ino slammed a fist onto the counter, frightening a nurse walking by. When Sakura arrived at the hospital that morning, the first thing Ino did was interrogate her best friend like she just came from a crime scene. After Sakura explained what she remembered, Ino's eager gaze turned into one of absolute rage. "So what are you going to do about it?"

Sakura sighed, arranging the file folders in front of them. "I don't have time to think about that right now, Ino."

"Yes you do!" she insisted. "This is huge!"

Sakura pouted in agreement and handed her some files and a clipboard. "I don't know. It looks like he's just going to pretend like nothing happened anyway."

"You should talk to him."

"And make things awkward between us?" Ino rolled her eyes at her point. "I really don't want to ruin anything we have right now."

When Ino had nothing to say, Sakura finally dismissed the issue with an indifferent "Whatever," and quickly changed the subject, "you know what we should be worrying about? Not wearing the same damn dress to Naruto's wedding next week."

"Hey! You know I bought that dress first! And it matches my eyes." Ino stuck her tongue out playfully when Sakura glared at her. "I win this round, forehead."

Sakura smiled. "Whatever, Ino-pig."