Sorry its taken forever to update somethign so small. School attemtpted to assassinate me tice already, okay? But I'm on vacation now...and ahve been for over a week. XP Enjoy.

Sasuke strummed away on his electric, specifically blue, guitar, tuning it somewhat it the process. Though he couldn't just concentrate on the guitar right now. The most important thing was the girl lying backwards on his bed, staring up into the ceiling. The Uchiha glanced at her form for a moment, tuning at the same time. He could probably look at her all day, and it'd never grow old.

Sakura could sit lay there all day thinking too, but nothing else would really be clear or revealed to her. She was too busy thinking about what Sasuke had said to even realize he was staring at her. He wants to be…all I ever needed. And…he doesn't want to screw things up.

The rosette shifted; Sasuke looked at his guitar strings incase she happened to look over at him. Things grew awkward quick for him, now that she wasn't getting what he meant outside his house not even half an hour ago. He didn't even dare repeat it, or try to explain it to her. He was embarrassed enough as it was for being interrupted so but Itachi. Sasuke already decided to carry on as if he never said such, and try to remain within the limits of a strong friendly bond with some benefits, and not jumping so quickly into love.

…It sounds like he's saying…he feels the way I do. But- no, he just told me over IM that he didn't feel that way. Then…? The Haruno flopped her head to the right, letting her eyes rest on Sasuke. He sat not too far away in his computer chair, facing her. But his eyes were directed down onto the strings as he started to strum a verse to a song.

Sakura inwardly grinned; looking at her or not, he was still striking. Not to mention having him dabble around on something like the guitar made his current image that more easily drawn into. The temptation to remain quiet and observe him shattered, due to a determined and much needed answer. "Hey, Sasuke?" His eyes lifted, easily looking into hers. Sasuke still dabbled on the stringed instrument. "…What exactly did you mean earlier by all of that?"

His eyes almost made it to the guitar to look at the current fret, but paused from doing such; the Uchiha stopped playing altogether at this question. His heart let out a large thump before he could look back into her green eyes. He'd been put into that position he wanted to avoid. "Oh, nothing really…spur of the moment I suppose."

Sakura's lip pouted out slightly; she turned from lying on her back to her stomach, still keeping contact. "Don't lie and make stuff up; you know the answer…I know you're lying, and I won't let it be."

He lifted his arms and crossed them, thinking up a quick cover. Not a lie, a cover-up. "Sakura, I just want to keep you protected and not hurt you like I did last time. I feel like shit for doing that, and no way in hell do I want a repeat. Really, I won't turn you down or away or anything…not like last time." What he spoke was true, and probably needed to be said anyways.

Sakura saw how it tied into most of what he said, and saw it as the only real explanation. She took it as satisfactory. And this is when Sasuke understood it worked and went back to his guitar. "Hope you don't mind." The moment the Uchiha glanced up, she smiled.

"Not at all; I find it soothing." Crossing her arms, she laid her head in them, but to the right in order to watch him play. Grinning, the raven looked back down, and started to strum the first chord to a song. And as soon as the male she loved started playing, she couldn't help but burry her head into her arms and smile, feeling her cheeks go warm. "…You still play it…" She lifted her head back to resting to the right.

"Cause I always saw it as a good sort of representation of us. Our song, if you will." He concentrated on playing and making sure he shifted his fingers around correctly, but still paid just as much attention to the Haruno.

"…Chasing Cars; I'll never get old of it, and I'll never get old of you." Her comment made his grin that much more. There wasn't really room for question as to if he loved her or not.

Sakura let out a held in breath as she got off of the morning bus to the front of her high school. It was just above freezing; she snuggled her nose into her jacket, walking up to the doors. Her mind wasn't set on school as much as it was Sasuke…and Itachi.

After lying around at the Uchiha's for a while, they went downstairs to eat, and somehow, his brother just happened to pull in right up behind her and 'accidentally' grab her ass. Sakura did like Itachi's company, he was quite funny, but he was being just a bit too friendly.

She'd caught Sasuke's eyes at least once when his older brother was messing around with her; they were nearly burning a hole into Itachi. The Haruno wanted to believe it was a form of jealously, but he said he just wanted to keep her protected. So, she saw and believed it to be a form of protection from his 'prick' of a brother. Oh, she heard his mutter that, and man-whore more than a few times yesterday.

It seemed the more Itachi touched her in some way, the more Sasuke wanted him dead. Why he didn't tell Itachi to stop or leave her be…she didn't get. Well, she did, in a way; he'd probably do something like…grin, say 'oh, you mean this?' and do something a bit more on the sexual level to her. Sakura still wasn't sure rather Itachi was doing this to piss off his younger brother, or, what she doubted and hoped not, really did want her.

Either way, she tried her best to not appeal to what he did. Yeah, when he grabbed her she'd blush and Itachi would grin, or when the elder Uchiha would poke her she'd squeak and find it funny. Sakura wasn't trying to encourage it in anyway, but she really didn't see the harm in letting him mess around with her.

Sasuke didn't feel the way she did, so…it should all be okay to do. Right?

"Morning, Sakura." She paused, and looked up at the door being held open. The Haruno was a bit shocked at first, but smiled, seeing Sasuke right there.

"Good morning Sasuke." Both of them walked into the school together; the Uchiha remained by her side, keeping his hands folded into his pockets. He wanted to reach out and hold her hand though. Her green eyes met his. "So, is this some new thing you've decided to do?"

Sasuke grinned, "What? Meeting you at the door and walking you to your locker?" She nodded. "Why not?"

Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "Dunno, just wondering." She paused for a moment before continuing. "…It seemed like you wanted to kill Itachi yesterday. Did you, after I left?"

He looked forward, quickly. There was a slight heat to his cheeks. Sakura could pick a lot up easily, and he'd never notice. Like this case, which had him embarrassed him slightly. "…Nah, I let him go. I just wanna make sure, in the future, that he doesn't really…you know, intend on doing that. He's a fucking man-whore anyways…the last thing I want is my Sakura being hurt by him."

The rosette's face flushed, then went red as she paused in the hall. Apparently, he didn't notice he'd said 'his Sakura.' "…Uhm, Sasuke." He stopped, and looked into her eyes, but hers went right into the floor. "…You called me your Sakura…"

Those onyx eyes widened, and his face warmed, yet again. "What I meant by that…" Sasuke turned to face her front. He calmed down, slightly grinning. "…I just want to keep someone close and precious to me safe from someone like him. You just interpreted it wrong is all."

Sakura looked back into his eyes. They were reassuring, as was his grin. Yeah, she could see it in him now. A close friend who wants her safe. "Somehow, I knew that's what the case was."

He shifted his head to behind him. "Come on, let's get you to your locker and first period class." She nodded, and they continued. Inwardly, he let out one long breath. God damn Sasuke, watch what you say! It's WAY too early to let her know that! He was thankful, at the least, that he could pull facts out of his ass and make it as a cover for the truth. But the truth would eventually have to be revealed.

He still wasn't sure what to do. All he could do was watch time pass him by as he did nothing. Gaara wasn't causing anyone pain this way; nobody but himself. Nobody knew, and nobody seemed to care. Maybe he was better off alone, separated for Sakura. He should just let Sasuke go after her and let things happen between them. And he'd never tell anyone, because they wouldn't get it…at all.

"Hey, Gaara!"

Sasuke was the last person he wanted to see, let alone talk to. Gaara shut his locker and went to walk away to the cafeteria for lunch. He should have known better that the Uchiha couldn't be ignored. "Slow down; what's the rush?"

The red head paused against a wall, loosely holding his books. He didn't look at Sasuke, but down the hall. "Just let me get to my next class." Sasuke wasn't understanding why the Sabaku suddenly became so stoic towards him; Gaara wasn't stoic unless somebody had really pissed him off or did something wrong, and he wasn't the type to vent it out on others.

Sasuke would have to figure that out later; he had important news. "…You know, Homecoming is on Saturday-"

"Yeah, and I still don't have a date and won't now!" Gaara's eyes narrowed into Sasuke's; he just snapped, to a small degree.

"Dude, I was going to tell you Sakura's waiting for you to ask her."

At these words, the red head immediately calmed. His eyes were a bit wide though. He wasn't expecting this; he thought Sasuke would have stolen his date after what he saw last happened between them. "You're not going with Sakura?"

Sasuke crossed his arms, rolling his eyes; his attention and eyes left Gaara's. "Pft, why would I? She's just a close friend."

"…Because you love her."

The Uchiha was calm and temperate, playing off his feelings at heart. Until Gaara said it out loud. The pain trailed from the Sabaku's words; Sasuke looked at his friend, only to see his eyes cast into the ground. "They hell would make you think that?!"

He looked up; he was right on target with this one. His blue eyes shifted somewhat, knowing he put himself and Sasuke in awkward and uncomfortable positions. "I saw you both in the hall last week after school; I heard what you said, and she didn't. That was one of those lover's embraces anyways; it's hard to miss what going on between you two."

"Yeah, well I tired to tell her yesterday and she didn't get it, and my prick of a brother interrupted. I won't be telling her for a while now; sides, I know you wanna go with her to this thing, and you're a good friend who I want to give that chance." Both looked at each other from the wall they stood on. "…Just, keep your mouth shut about it, okay?"

Gaara nodded, "I'll ask her later today. Thanks, Sasuke."

He grinned, turning down the near empty hall. The Uchiha raised his hand and waved. The red head just smiled before headed off to lunch. He sure as hell wasn't pissed anymore; for now, he was content he could take the only girl he felt anything towards to Homecoming.

I know; I just wrote this today...and its all quick and whatnot. Whenever I write somethinh within 24 hours that's not long, at ALL, I always feel as if its a rushed drabble of words.

:\ At least it's coming along. Right?