A/N - 100! 100! 100!
I made it to 100! :D yayayayayayay! I'm so happy. Thank you so much you guys.
And now, for all your help and for your support, my chapter special to you! I hope it's everything you hoped it to be!
Actually, it's just a filler. :( sowwie! But the next chapter is coming very soon!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
My Fav Character? : Naruto. Why? I'll explain at the bottom.
How do I feel now that Harry Potter is over? - I almost cried! That's my child hood gone! I grew up with that guy! 1999-2011.
Best years of my life? - Old Nickelodeon. Rocket Power, Rug Rats, Doug. The good stuff.
WHO WAS THE 100 REVIEW? - Choochoo. What is your prize? - See below you wonderful fan you!
Also. There are a lot of POV's in this, but mostly just two. It switches back and forth because it's like a filler, you know. Instead of me showing pointless conversation of Sakura and Ino in the car, I switch to Sasuke. And instead of pointless conversation with Sasuke, I switch to Sakura.
My apologies.
DISCLAIMER - I do not own Naruto
Sasuke
Her slap hurt. Physically and emotionally. My whole cheek stung and I could feel the blood rushing to the spot while my heart plummeted to the ground. I snapped my head back and glared at her, she wasn't giving me a chance to explain! How the hell was I suppose to defend myself if she was going to slap me the very second she saw me? I opened my mouth to rush out my defense, to clear things up, but she cut me off. I was left with my mouth snapping shut as I listened.
She was pissed. Beyond pissed, she hated me, but I didn't know what to do. What happened yesterday was a total mistake, I didn't know what came over me. It was like someone else was yelling at Ino as I stood there and watched, someone else was being brutally honest as I did nothing to stop it from happening.
I had to explain myself, I had to get my story out, before everything that we ever had fell apart. She was yelling, telling me off, practically growling as she told me to stop lashing out at others just because I couldn't handle it. I felt like a child who was being scolded for not playing nice with others. A child being put in his place by his mother, the person he loved most in the world. Her being angry at me wasn't the greatest feeling, she wasn't angry at me often. She was usually patient, understanding, like a real mother.
Not today, not this time. She was hurt by what I did. She was broken inside because I crossed the line and she made it clear that it wasn't just that, but because I hurt Ino as well.
The only reason she was here, the day after and not the night before, was because of Ino. I was surprised when she never came last night, even as I waited in anxiousness. Even as I stayed up till 4, she never came. The thought of her being with Ino never crossed my mind, either because I was naïve and blind or because I was hopeful. I thought maybe she was trying to calm down, trying to think of a way to approach me. So I thought of ways to calm her down if she came angry, and I thought of ways to approach her.
But everything was falling apart right before my eyes. Everything was slowly crumbling to the very base of our friendship, to where it all had started; That was when I was 7 and an angry mean bastard that shut everyone out. She took me away from that, she made everything better, but now I was losing her and I couldn't handle it.
"Sakura." I called as she turned around and walked towards her car. She didn't acknowledge me, was she really not going to hear what I had to say? "Sakura!" I yelled louder. Maybe she didn't hear me, maybe she was too angry to comprehend I was calling her name. But even as I did call after her louder, she didn't stop. That made me panic, so out of impulse I jogged down the steps and went after her. I needed to talk to her now before it settled and stayed like this.
I was too slow, because she had already closed the door and reversed out of my drive way.
Standing there, looking pathetic, I watched as she put the car in drive. Then, as reality hit and feelings really started to rush through me, she glanced at me one final time and sped off.
That was the last I saw of her.
X
I could handle her not talking to me if she were around. I could handle her not even acknowledging my presence if she were only near me.
What I couldn't handle is her not being around and her not talking to me.
It brought this feeling out, this horrible, heart throbbing, feeling that had me gasping for breath each time I thought of her. And also had me shoving her, and every memory we shared, out my mind, desperate to find peace in nothing but the silence and blankness in my head.
My whole body felt like it was on fire, my heart felt like it was being pulled from every direction -stretching just before the point of ripping apart-, and my mind wouldn't keep still. This feeling, whatever it was, needed to be relieved, but the only way I found any relief was yelling on the top of my lungs and punching a wall, or any near by object. I couldn't do that, what with my parents running around and my brother wandering about. I didn't have enough privacy to grieve.
The only place I could probably find comfort at was at Naruto's, but that was just asking for a death wish. By now, he's probably found out. And by now, he was ready to rip my head off.
And I wasn't emotionally ready for that.
So I was left with laying in my bed, staring at the ceiling, and just dealing with all the thrashing emotions inside of me.
"I would rather be punched over and over than deal with this." I mumbled to myself, closing my eyes and sighing, hoping the breath would carry away the pain. It only made the fire inside of me burn hotter.
Stifling my groan, I rolled over and stared at the wall. Then a soft knock came from my door. I lifted my head and looked, "Yes?"
"Sweet heart, you have a visitor." My mother called softly before I heard her feet softly pad away. The stupid, pathetic, desperate, part of me hoped it was Sakura.
The logical part shot my hope down.
With another crackle from the fire of pain inside of me, I sat up and climbed of the bed, jogging down the stairs to the door. And I only did this to see my greatest nightmare.
Naruto.
He was dressed casually, an orange shirt and a pair of Levi jeans, as he stood there with his hands in his pocket, nodding and smiling at what my mother was saying. He glanced at me as I stood on a 6th step of my stairs, frozen in place because I was caught off guard. His glance was cold, but his smile continued to be friendly as he looked away and continued to speak to my parents.
"Naruto," Itachi said, punching him in the shoulder as he passed, "Long time no see, man. Eating dinner with us tonight?"
"I've already suggested the idea, and he absolutely refuses to intrude." My mother said with a small pout on her face.
"Please, your practically family." Itachi said with a grin, drinking out of the milk carton, "She'll make ramen just for you."
The idea pleased him, I could tell by how hard it was to politely decline again. Tired of their small talk, I turned around and headed back up stairs.
"Sweet heart, don't be rude." My mother called after me, catching me going back up the stairs, "Naruto has came to visit. Come keep him company."
"Oh no, Mrs. Uchia." Naruto said, I could hear the smile in his voice, "I was just about to follow him up there."
"Guys night?" Itachi asked, I glanced to see him winking with a grin. "No," Naruto answered with a small smile, "Just need to speak to him about something."
At this point, I had had enough. I took the rest of the stairs two at a time and smoothly walked into my room. Before I could even turn around and close the door, Naruto was there, his foot blocking the way. I glanced at him wearily, but casually looked at his foot and sighed, "Not today, Naruto. Come back tomorrow."
"This isn't a matter that is going to come when its convenient to you." He snapped, his face hard and his voice cold, "We are going to talk about it now, whether you want to or not."
I sighed and stormed into my room, plopping on the couch with my arms crossed, "What's convenient is that you've come on a day that I completely refuse to argue. What's convenient is that you choose this hour to come into my home, after everything has settled and I have given up. What isn't convenient, Naruto, is that you've finally decided to come and listen to what I had to say."
He closed the door behind him carefully, but afterward stood there silently. I knew I was right, I knew he had finally realized that my "nonsense whispering" was, in actuality, something completely different. What I had been speaking to him so urgently before was actually something absolutely important.
It was his fault that he decided to take me seriously so late, not mine. I wasn't going to sit here and discuss what I had to say now, after everything was completely over. I wasn't going to whisper out my secrets now, when there was no longer a chance. What I was going to do is to sit here and take everything they had to say about me behind my back. I was an asshole. A bastard. I had no reason to yell at Ino and tell her those things, I was just doing it because I enjoy hurting people.
"Think what you want," I growled out, glaring in front of me, "But I refuse to talk about this."
"Then you won't have to speak." He said, taking two long strides and standing in front of me, "All you'll have to do is listen." He stood there, looking down at me as if some sort of an adult. Hovering over me, back straight and eyes fierce, he gave off an aura that suggested the idea that he felt he were responsible one in this whole situation. And as I glared down at his knees, refusing to look at him, he went on without a beat, not bothering to spare my feelings, "What you did was completely stupid, rash, and selfish. Those things you said to Ino were harsh, cruel, and insensitive. You spoke those words without trying to tone them down in a respectable way, so she could understand without getting hurt. Whatever reason you had to do that, whether you like speaking the brutal truth or you were just trying to help, doesn't matter. You were unforgivable, and out of character. We know the Sasuke that would do anything for anyone. We know the Sasuke that would never hurt another soul. But this Sasuke," I sighed, and looked at him with a dull expression, "This Sasuke we know little of." He spat out with disgust on his face.
With a frown, I turned my face towards the right, glaring at the wall, "This Sasuke is someone distantly familiar, like some sort of shadow version we encountered in the past. That was when we first met you, when you were ruthless and uncaring. This Sasuke is like some sort of isolated being that never had the experience of feelings, that was when you were distant and cold, pushing us away and refusing to tell us anything."
I glared harder at the wall.
"This Sasuke is like a sickness." His voice was even and soft now, as if he were trying to level with me, "And that was when we cared about you so long ago, and you did nothing but hurt us as you took advantage of our feelings and did with them as you pleased. Destroying us, bringing us to the lowest part of ourselves." My heart twisted at his words, and the familiar regret spread through me with red hot fire. I shifted in my seat, the feeling over bearing, "What you slowly began to understand after awhile, what you seemed to had realized, is that we cared about you. That we would go through hell and back for you. But, now, it seems like you have forgotten that."
"I haven't!" I interrupted instantly, snapping my heads towards him with a hard glare.
"You have." Naruto continued, glaring at me softly, "You have, and now it's going down hill fast. Maybe you never got the concept to begin with, maybe you never even began to understand. But, you need to force yourself to understand, to realize, that we will always do anything for you. We will never judge or abandon you."
"I know that!" I yell, aggravated that I'm getting lectured on something I already knew.
"No. You don't. Not right now." Naruto argued, his voice never rising.
I get up, my eyes even with his as I will myself for him to see all the fire inside of me, "And how do you figure, Naruto? How do you possibly believe that you are right and I know nothing of the friendship that me, you, and Sakura have had for so long! You know nothing about what the fuck is happening. Neither of you do! And yet you both come at me with higher voices, adult tones, as if I am some sort of stupid child that did this over nothing!"
"And you know why we came at you this way?" Naruto questioned, his gaze never backing down as he stared right into my fire, "Do you know why we lecture you?"
"Please Naruto, enlighten me!" I yell, my breaths heaving now as I grabbed a fist full of his shirt, "Tell me why I'm such a child! I would love to fucking know!"
"Because we don't know anything about you. Because we don't know how else to approach you." His voice was even. But even so I flinched back and my gaze flattered, "Because we sit here blind while you deny us the light to see what's happening, with you or anything that deals with you. So we do our best and lecture you, reminding you that you have us. We try our best and tell you off, letting you know that your going out of control."
I scramble to find an argument, "I've tried to tell you!"
"And that was my fault." He agreed with a nod, his eyes still on mine, "But why did you continue to try to tell me, the unconcerned and ignorant one, when you had someone else who was eager to see your mouth open and slip out the reason for the sudden change of your behavior?"
Sakura. He was talking about Sakura, "I couldn't tell her!" I yell, shaking my head in disbelief, "It was about her! I couldn't tell her!"
"Because you thought she would judge you?" He asked, his eyes twinkling.
I growled, "No-"
"Because you thought she would abandon you?" He cut me off.
"No!" I cry out, "Because-"
"Because you thought you would never talk to her again?"
"NO!" I roar out, fist grabbing his shirt, "Let me fucking speak-"
"If you didn't think she would do any of that, Sasuke. Then why didn't you tell her?" Naruto asked softly.
My mind had shut down somewhere in the middle of the lecture, because I couldn't find the whole reason I never told her. Never spoke as she asked me over and over what was wrong. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out.
"She saw it eating you away. She saw it burning you alive." Naruto continued, "But you refused to give her a reason why all of this was happening, when she had a right to know. She had a right to know why her best friend was slowly breaking down. She begged you, pleaded with you, to tell her, and you continued to push her away. You continued to ignore her-"
"I couldn't tell her that-"
"You could tell her anything." Naruto said over me, as if I hadn't spoke, "You could have told her at any time. Instead, you let it slowly eat at you to the point to were your not even yourself. She's worried. Even now."
My fist fell from his shirt, "She hates me."
"She's angry that you let it go this far." Naruto argued.
"She never wants to speak to me again." I said, plopping on my couch.
"Not until your ready to come to her and tell her your problem." Naruto finished, smoothing his shirt out.
My palms came to my eyes and sat there, rubbing them, "Everything is over."
"Only if you let it be." My palms fell and I looked up at Naruto. He had a slight smile on as he put one hand in his pocket and headed towards the door, "Sometimes, Sasuke you have lose everything to gain something." (1)
I stayed silent, not bothering to see him out. He opened the door and took a couple of steps before turning around to look at me as he grabbed the door knob, "So I want to see this new movie tonight, you wanna come?"
I smiled slightly at him, then let my head fall on the couch as I let out a huge sigh, "Yeah, sure."
"Great, get ready, we're gonna be going in my car." With a grin, he closed the door behind him.
I sat there and listened to his foot steps all the way down the stairs. Then I got up and got ready. (2)
***ChooChoo make sure you read the bottom for your prize!(7/28)***
Sakura
"Luckily my mom didn't come home last night," Ino told me over the phone, her voice cheery, "Or all of that would have been hard to explain."
"I don't think I would have stayed long enough for that," I admit with a smile, tossing my dirty clothes in my closet as I cleaned my room, "I mean I would have legit left. As soon as she opened the door I would have jumped out the window."
"Are you serious!" Ino cried out, "And you would leave me to explain everything?"
"Best of luck to ya'," I spoke, kicking another pair of clothing into my closet, "You could handle it yourself though, I'm sure of it."
Ino giggled, "How do you figure! I think I'd die at the spot."
"Oh jeez," I say with a roll of my eyes, "What a drama queen."
"You're the one saying you would jump out the window!" Ino argued, and I laughed as she continued, "Plus, how could I have possibly survived the whole thing. My poor heart couldn't take the emotional stress."
I shrug, walking over to my bed and plopping on it, "Well I'm sure that's true, but even that information won't have me sticking around."
"You're a terrible girl friend." She whined, but I only grinned, "Terrible girl friends don't take out their girls on a date." I argued.
She squealed in my ear. I jerked my face away from the phone, "That's so right! That's tonight! What are you going to do! Where are we going to go!"
I smiled, leaning back and letting myself fall into the bed. I looked up at the ceiling as I spoke, "That's a surprise."
"You don't even have it planned out." Ino pouted.
I chuckled, "Sorry babe, not yet. But you know I will."
"Do you promise?" She whispered to me softly. I swallowed, my stomach slightly flipping as I spoke quietly, "I promise."
"Good." She said cheerfully, "Then you work that out while I take a nap!"
I blinked, then frowned, "You aren't serious. I have to stay awake thinking this up while you take a nap?"
"Yes!" Ino said with giggle, "It better be amazing."
I groaned, "Ugh, fine whatever. Well. I guess I'll talk to you later."
"Make sure you text me the time you are picking me up! I want to be ready, you know!" Ino reminded but I shrugged her off, "Yes, I got you. Make sure I text you well before it's time. You need to get ready right."
"Exactly!" She answered, "So I'll talk to you soon?"
"Very soon." I nodded with a smile, "See you tonight."
"Mmk'" She hummed in my ear softly, "I love you. Bye."
With that she clicked and hung up, leaving me staring at the ceiling dumbfounded. After the initial shock passed, I sat up and smiled softly as I tossed my phone on the bed.
She said it again.
I stood up and started cleaning up my room again, "After last night, maybe she feels like it's ok to say."
Seeing as you did say it back.
"I couldn't help it." I mumbled to myself, pushing my laundry basket back into my closet with my foot, "I don't know what came over me."
Same thing that came over her.
I didn't comment on it, or think about it any further. Whatever happened last night didn't exactly matter anymore, "Maybe it's because I know there is no way she would drop me like she did all those other guys."
This relationship does seem like one of her more serious ones. Inside me agreed.
It did seem like that. With a sudden surge of joy and a grin plastered on my face, I closed my closet door and stood there, looking at anything else that needed to be cleaned up. When I didn't spot anything I walked over to my mirror, thinking of different combinations that would best fit me and Ino's date. Should I take her to a movie and dinner? Or maybe just some cheesy picnic and a walk on the beach? Which would she prefer? She likes being showed off, she likes going in public and being owned, but is that the best? She didn't exactly tell everyone about us.
And we are ok with that.
I looked wearily at my reflection, "Shouldn't have been a big deal anyway. I guess I was just anxious that someone would take her away."
And no one will.
With a sigh and a shrug, I turned around, "Nope. She wouldn't allow it. Least I'm kinda sure of that."
Just when the inside me was about to assure me, my phone rang. Taking my time, I made my way to my bed and grabbed my phone, looking at the front to see who was calling.
Sasuke.
The name made me frown, the picture caused my heart to thud painfully, but both together just aggravated me. With a glare and a growl that might have slipped my throat, I pressed ignore and tossed the phone on my bed.
Sasuke
"She answer?" Naruto asked casually as he drove down the street.
Suppressing my sigh, I let my phone fall in my lap and mumbled in reply, "No. She ignored the call."
"Told you, your gonna have to approach her, like talk to her face to face." Naruto said with a shrug, "Won't happen any other way."
I frowned, "It's hard enough talking to her period right now, I don't think I could handle face to face. Plus she's pissed, I don't feel like getting slapped again."
"That was a one time thing. I'm sure she wouldn't slap you if she saw you again." He assured, "She was extremely upset the first time, that was the only way she could express it. Now, though, is the time for talking. She will most likely listen this time around."
I glanced at him with an unsure look, "How do you know?"
"While you kept us in the dark, Sasuke," He gave me a quick sideways glance, "Me and Sakura have learned to know each other very well."
The sentence aggravated me. Glaring ahead, I rubbed my temple, "I didn't keep you guys in the dark."
"Most of the time you did." He argued, his tone still light and unserious, "But I will admit that Sakura has known you better than I have. That's why you guys are closer. She could tell me a problem, sure, but she always goes to you." Knowing that this was the truth, it only caused my heart to hurt slightly. I shifted uncomfortably, my glare easing as I looked ahead, "I only found out about what happened from Ino, Sakura hasn't mentioned it yet. She either doesn't want to talk about it, or it's because she doesn't want to tell me period because she doesn't tell me anything. You were the one who told me she was bi, not her."
"She was scared that you would be too dense to understand unless she was completely frank." I said with a sigh, "It wasn't because she was scared of your reaction, or because I was closer to her than you. If anything, I was surprised she told me first."
"She's more comfortable with you." Naruto mumbled, turning down a street, "I known you've heard that before, because I sure have."
I blinked and looked over at him, "She's told you that?"
"Once, when I asked why she always went to you." As he said it, his lips frowned his eyebrows came together only slightly, "And after that I never brought it up again."
"Seriously?" I said in surprised, looking back ahead, "That's weird."
"I think she felt sorry about it afterwards." He continued. His voice sounded almost flat, "Because she saw how it effected me when she told me. So she doesn't bring it up anymore, just avoids the situation."
My eyebrows came together, "How did it effect you?"
Naruto was silent for a moment. When I glanced at him, he looked like he was really concentrating on the road, his face twisted, as if he were trying to figure out what to do. But, soon, he opened his mouth, his face still unsure and confused as he spoke, "Just imagine how it was for me, just for a second. Before you came along, I had been Sakura's only best friend, after what happened between her and Ino of course. I was the one that was by her side and I was the one she went to when she felt down."
My frown was deep, "Well I didn't mean to-"
"Let me finish." He cut me off, it was in a gentle way. I fell a silent and listened, "I was the one she went to when she was down and wanted to be cheered up. I was the one who knew instantly there was something wrong with her, just by a glance. I was with her for as long as Ino was with her, because I was her friend too while she was best friends with Ino."
He paused, and let the silence spread over the car. Still, I sat and waited patiently.
"At one point I liked her, yeah. I mean, who couldn't? She was cute, acted hard core, acted tough, but away from all eyes, except from mine, she was sensitive and fragile. I felt special, to be the only one to see that side of her. I felt set apart from all the rest, only because I was the only one she allowed to see her defenses down. For the longest, it was only me that saw that part." He paused again, taking in a deep breath and sighing it out, "For the longest, that's how it stayed. But then we found this little boy, who looked completely alone and looked as if he hated the world and everyone who inhabited it." I smiled slightly, looking out the window next to me as I reminisced on the memory, "And even though he looked completely scary, we took him in and tried to be friends with him. After that, Sakura worked more and more with you, trying to make you realize that we would do anything for you, that the world didn't have to be filled with hate. She tried harder than me to break you, to fight you out of that big black hole you created for yourself. Eventually, when she finally got you out, she stuck by your side, making sure you never fell back in it again."
He paused again, this time struggling to get the rest out, "And…I saw it. I…Saw how it all changed. I watched how it did, and of course I didn't step in to stop it. You guys had your own connection. You were special too. You saw her at her complete and utmost best. The part of her that never gives up, the part with the biggest heart. You saw your own special version of Sakura, one that no one has ever seen before."
I couldn't help but give in to the small twitch that tickled at the sides of my lips. It made me happy to know that, even though Naruto was obviously mourning over it, "After awhile, it wasn't just the one part you saw of her. It was all. While I only had a privilege of seeing one small part, you had the privilege to see all of her. Slowly, she stopped coming to me to cheer her up. Slowly, I was the one that was either kept in the dark, or who found out months later, when it no longer mattered. It was…frustrating. So, one day, a very long time ago, I asked her why she always went to you. Why were you the only one that could cheer her up and make her happy and have her feeling better the next day. She simply said she felt more comfortable with you." He sighed again, "And that tore me to pieces. Here I was, the one who had been there since the very first time she felt completely broken(3), asking her why she couldn't come to me. And she tells me you make her more comfortable."
"Naruto…" I struggled with my words, trying to string them together clumsily, "I really didn't-"
"But when I thought about it, after I pushed every emotion I had away for a good month, it made sense. When I finally forced myself to face the hurt, it was actually really simple."
He slid into a parking spot and put the car in park. When he turned off the engine, he looked at me with a small smile, "I was never the one she told her problems to, I was just the one who fixed her. When I went over it, she had never once told me why she was so upset, she only showed up broken. And when she did, I would always be quick to try to fix her, to make her laugh and smile. After awhile, she must have felt that she didn't need to tell me." He clicked his seatbelt and opened the car door, "Why would she? When I would fix her without ever knowing."
With that, he slipped out of the car and shut the door. I sat there for a moment, everything sinking in, before clicking my belt and opening the door.
Sakura
I rubbed my hair with my towel, my body completely bare as I walked into my room and checked the time. It was 6 o'clock, and I would need to call Ino real soon, seeing as I was going to pick her up at 8. Still scratching my head with my towel, I picked up the phone and dialed her number.
It rang a couple of times before she answered, and when she did it was a cute tired voice that was barely over a whisper, "Hello?"
"Hey sleeping beauty," I say with a small smile, "Why don't you get up and start getting ready now."
"Mm'" She hummed. I could hear her rolling in her sheets and stretching slightly, "How bout you kiss me awake?"
My smile got a tad bigger, "I would if I was there, babe. You know that. Since I'm not, guess your going to have to wait for our date."
A yawn slipped past her before she could speak, "Hmm." She hummed sleepily, "Is it going to be like a restaurant or something?"
"Nope." I said with a grin, "If anything, make sure you wear jeans and a shirt."
"Sounds like crap already." She teased, but I only smiled, "Trust me you'll love it." I assure.
"If you say so," She managed to get out with another yawn, "Guess I'll get ready then."
"Don't fall asleep." I warn sternly, "Knowing you, you would toss your phone and go right back to sleep."
"Oh shush," Ino said with a giggle, "I won't jeez."
"Good." I say with a nod, "Now get ready. See you at 8."
"Mk!" Ino said excitedly, "Bye!"
And with that she hung up. I tossed my phone back on the bed before walking up to my closet and scanning my clothes that were hung up.
Doesn't really matter what we wear.
I smile as I pick out a shirt, still searching for a pair of pants, "Not exactly, seeing as I need to be comfortable not sexy."
Because, of course, we could save the sexy for later.
I laughed at myself as I picked out a pair of cargo shorts.
That's when my phone rang. With a grin, I lunged and snatched the phone off the bed, "Hellooo?"
"Hey Chica'." Kiba's voice came from over the phone, "Just letting you know we are all set up and ready to go."
"Oh god, thank you so much!" I say with a sigh of relief.
"Save that for later pinky," He said, brushing me off, "Just hurry before I get caught!"
Sasuke
I walked next to Naruto with my hand in my pocket, my gaze on the road as we came towards the movies. My thoughts were still churning, still trying to process everything Naruto had said. Sakura and Naruto were obviously close before I came, but their being close was different than what me and Sakura are right now.
I felt the turn of my lips as I concentrated on how to exactly describe what relationship me and Sakura have. It was like friends. Best friends, but something a bit closer than that. Well, maybe not closer, but something different.
"Our relationship can't be explained." I mumble, speaking to myself and Naruto, "It's something I can't even describe."
"Of course you can't," Naruto said simply. I glanced at him to see him looking straight ahead, his face expressionless, "Neither of you can."
I frowned a bit more, looking back down at the road as we continued to walk, but then a question hit me, "Can you?"
Naruto gave me a sideways glance, a small smirk on his face, "I could try of course."
I blinked, but he didn't continue. Just opened the door and walked into the building.
Sakura
I pulled up to her house, glancing at the clock as I slowed to a stop. I sat there for a moment before beeping my horn twice and unbuckling my seat belt. I slid out of the car as soon as Ino appeared at her door. She was grinning at me, waving before turning around and locking her door while I stood between the car door and my car. Only when she started to walk down her stairs did I close my door and walk up to her.
She was wearing a simple Areopostal shirt. It was dark purple with white lettering and a V neck, which allowed me to see only part of her lacy deep purple bra. Her jeans were light and faded, with a rip at her right knee and another by her outer left calf. She wore light purple sandals, and surprisingly today her toe nails were painted green, which threw everything off. Her hair, also, wasn't in it's usual pony tail, but instead pinned up into a messy bun. She kept her bang though, faithfully allowing it to cover her right eye.
Her smile never left her face as I walked up to her slowly, a small smile on my face as well, "Well hello there, beautiful." I say with a wink.
"Trying to get yourself laid tonight?" Ino teased with a smirk. Still, she wrapped her arms around my neck as I opened my arms to embrace her. I kissed her cheek as I hugged her tightly, "A girl can only hope, right?"
She giggled, then unraveled herself out of my arms, "So," She said happily, dancing around me and walking towards my car, "Where are we going?"
I turned and walked after her, shrugging nonchalantly through my sheer excitement, "No where special." I managed to get out calmly, grinning with she gave me an exasperated look, "Sakura!" She whined, opening the passenger door, "Come on, tell me."
I only shook my head and walked around the car, opening my door before slipping inside, "Sorry nina(4), your just gonna have to wait."
She blew out a breath and gave an irritated grumble, "I'm curious though."
I clicked on my seat belt before leaning over to her and pecking her once on her lips, "Be patient, baby. K? For me?"
Her surprised face, and her very light blush, was enough to keep me from spilling the secret.
Sasuke
"Two for Harry Potter, please!" Naruto said with a pleasant smile. The girl in front of him smiled back at him, a flirtatious glance here and there as she rung it up on the screen. Even as the girl fluttered her eyelashes and gave a big white smile, Naruto continued to act oblivious. He paid for the tickets without a single flirtatious glace back, and barely smiled with his teeth as we walked away.
As we headed to grab drinks and popcorn, I looked behind me to see the girl watching us leave. It made me think, "Naruto. Why don't you have a girl friend?"
Naruto's eyebrows came together as he looked at me, "Huh? Why? Do you know someone who likes me or something?"
My own eyebrows came together then, "No. Not that I no of. It's just that you've been single for awhile."
He shrugged and looked at the menu ahead, "So have you."
I couldn't help but smile, "Yeah, your right."
"Eh," Naruto said as he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, "I just don't want to get involved unless I know the person."
I pull out my own wallet also, "I don't get it. How could that work, I mean, if you think about it, you don't exactly know anyone like that except for our child hood friends."
He nodded, continuing to study the menu, "Yeah, your right, but it seems like getting to know someone is such a hassle."
I clapped his shoulder with a shake of my head, "Man, I'm sorry to tell you, but that's the only way. I mean. How else are you suppose to go out with someone?"
He shrugged again, "I don't know. Once I figure that out, maybe I'll find myself a girlfriend."
I sigh, giving up. I allow my hand to slide off his shoulder as he orders. Two popcorns and two drinks. Seems like he's paying for my meal two, which is mildly irritating. When he passes me my popcorn and drink, I glare at him, "Why the hell are you buying everything?"
He grinned as walked into the theater, "Because your covering dinner."
Anger seethed out of me as he laughed loudly and continued to walk.
Sakura
As I parked in the Wal-Mart, and cut off my car, I had the pleasure of seeing Ino's confused face. As I took out the car keys, she spun her head at me in disbelief, "Are you serious Sakura? Wal-Mart? You aren't serious."
I laughed as I opened my door, "Very serious."
She looked over at me with a glare, "What the hell!" I only smiled and slid out, closing the door. After a moment, Ino got out with her arms crossed and looking pissed, "I can't fucking believe this. I ask you to take me out on a date, and you bring me to fucking Wal-Mart."
"Babe stop cursing," Is all I say, walking up and standing next to her, "Seriously, it's not a good look. Anyway, we just need to go in here real quick, this isn't our date."
Ino continued to grumble as we walked side by side, but she made it a point to stay well enough away, almost arm length.
She's pissed.
I grinned to myself, Very pissed. I agreed.
The doors opened automatically, and we walked in. My hands was in my pocket, a smile on my face, while Ino walked next to me with her arms still crossed and a deep irritated frown on her face. I stopped and stood there for a bit, my eyes sweeping over the place, "Where the hell is it." I mumbled to myself.
Didn't he say in the very back?
"Where's what?" Ino asked, her voice snappy. I looked over at her with a smile, "Oh nothing." Then started to walk again. Ino followed closely behind, enough for me to hear her constant grumble, which I believe she's doing on purpose. Soon, though, we reached the very back of the store, where all the bikes and kids toys were. I pulled out my cell and checked them time.
"What do we need to get from here?" Ino asked impatiently. But I decided not to answer. We stood there for another minute, and I could feel that Ino was about to go off, when finally He showed up.
Kiba.
A dog grin on his face and keys swinging a pair of keys at his fingers.
I breathed out a sigh of relief, "Jeez Kiba, how long were you going to keep us waiting?"
But he only rolled his eyes, "Don't come at me, Pinky, it was hard enough to snatch these keys up." When he reached us, he smiled over at Ino, "Hey girl, what's up?"
When she didn't answer, he raised an eyebrow at me, "Uh, she's just a tad pissed right now, don't mind her. Anyway, is everything set?"
"Hell yeah it is." He gave me another grin, "Everything set just how you wanted it." He tossed me the keys and I caught it with one hand, "Now you don't have long though. Maybe an hour and a half, till the boss picks up that the keys are gone and what not."
I breathed out a sigh of relief and gave me a sincere smile, "Thanks Kiba."
"No prob girl, but you owe me big." He gave me a wink before turning around and walking off. He waved over his back as he spoke, "I'm off to work. Have fun you two."
I looked at the keys in my hand with a smile, then looked up to find the door way. Ino, on the other hand, looked very confused, "The thing you need is in the storage department?"
I glanced at her with a smile, "Well, yeah. It will only be a second." I lied.
She only rolled her eyes and looked off somewhere else.
Finally, I spotted the doorway to the far left, and walked over.
Sasuke
When we finally found some empty seats, which ended up right next to a couple of girls we never met, we got ourselves comfortable. Naruto sat next to me, while I sat next to the girls, who persisted in glancing at me every two seconds. I pretended not to notice as I watched the screen, which was playing old songs and asking movie trivia questions. The movie wasn't starting for another 15 minutes.
My mind wandered back to Sakura, and what she could be up to right now.
I leaned over to Naruto and whispered, "So, if you were to describe me and Sakura's relationship, what would you say?"
Naruto glanced at me with an amused look, "Seriously, right now?" blinked before leaning back into my seat with a frown on my face, "It's not like it would take 15 minutes to explain," Naruto continued in a casual drawl, "It wouldn't take very long actually."
"Then why don't you explain?" I grumble in aggravation, tired of being dragged around in his mind games.
"It's not that I won't, I will if you want me too. I'm just surprised you don't have it figured out." Naruto said with a shrug.
I glared ahead, "The fuck. If I knew, I wouldn't be asking you."
"Calm down, Sasuke, it isn't that serious." Naruto mumbled, still staring ahead, "Anyway, I'd rather not. I mean, if I do it's only going to start something."
"What could it possibly start?" I snap, "She hates me, the only thing that will possibly go down is us being friends again, and that's going to take awhile."
"You don't get it." Naruto spoke quietly with a shake of his head
"Then explain it to me!" I whisper loudly back, my anger spilling over.
Naruto sighed before looking over at me wearily, a frown wrinkling his normally smooth face, "You guys like each other."
Sakura
As I unlocked the door, making sure Ino was well behind me, I pushed the door open slowly and peaked inside. It was pitch black, just as I instructed, and there was nothing but ear pounding silence. Very soon, Ino became impatient and began peeking over my shoulder, "Hello! Can we hurry up and get out of here."
I looked back at her with an amused smile, "Sure babe, sorry."
I opened the door fully, wide enough to let some light from our side spill into the dark room. It gave me just enough visibility to find the light switch on the wall.
Taking long strides, I went over to the wall. Ino was right at my heel, her head darting around, struggling to see. Smiling to myself softly, I took the switch in my hand. I struggled to hold on long enough till Ino was right by my side, so close that I could feel her body heat. My eyes were on her face as I flicked the lights on.
The lights came on in a series. One row flickered on, then the next, then the next, until all the lights were on. As that happened, I watched as Ino's face go from scared to death, to confused, to extremely confused, then to me for an explanation.
There we stood, in front of the worlds largest kid race track. They were made from basketball cones, jump rope, and various of toys. As my eyes swept over it, I had to admit that Kiba had did a great job, whether he did it with a team or not. The whole storage was being used, so there were various twists and sharp turns. All the metal shelves were pushed to the side, and so were the carts of worthless items that have been sitting and collecting dust.
At the beginning of the "track" were two small kid bikes, both with training wheels, and both with horns. One was blue while the other was pink, the blue covered with green dinosaurs, the other with Barbie and a white basket. It was parked right where a bright green jump rope laid, which was suppose to be the starting line.
Kiba, being the idiot he was, even put a certain spot for spectators, which were just white plastic chairs that held teddy bears and even stuffed Pokemon.
Looking at the place made me want to laugh, "Sakura, what is this?"
She was surprised, maybe even slightly breathless, "Well." I said casually with a shrug, "This is a pre-date. It's going to be a competition." I paused, looking at Ino with a smile as I let the suspense set in, "We have two options tonight. We can have a completely romantic dinner, where we eat expensive food next to the moonlight and water, at a place called Blue Swoon -which has two seats already reserved for us-. OR" I say, pointing at her with a grin, "We can have a simple picnic on the beach, which has home cooked food and your favorite desert waiting for you with Ten-Ten, who didn't mind looking over things until I gave her the word."
She blinked twice, then started to open her mouth.
"There's a catch." I say with a mischievous smile, "If it so happens that we go to the restaurant, I'm announcing to everyone in there, complete strangers that we have never met, that you are my girl friend." Her expression flashed to shock, "That's not all." I continue, "I will also give you a big cheesy romantic kiss like they do in the movies."
"Oh my god." She whispered in horror.
I nodded evilly, "Exactly. So. I'm obviously racing for the restaurant."
"And I'm racing for the flipping picnic!" She cried out in disbelief, "Oh god, Sakura. Don't make me do this. That would be so embarrassing to cause such a horrible scene. And what about our clothes! We aren't even dressed for a restaurant.."
But all I do is laugh, already walking towards my bike, which was the blue one, "Just win and we won't have to worry about causing a scene or our poor attire."
"This is the worst date, ever!" She yelled out, stomping over to her bike.
"I would have liked to believe that I was being creative." I said with a grin, mounting my bike while looking over at her.
Ino tossed her sandals to the sidelines, mounting her bike also, "No. This is you being a complete idiot."
"You'll have fun, so it's no worries." I point out.
"Who the hell calls racing for my freaking life, fun?" Ino snapped, glaring at me.
I laughed, "It's not like if you lose you'll die."
"I will from embarrassment!"
I only laughed. But turned serious as I looked ahead and gripped the bike, my feet on the pedals. Just sitting there like that put me in the awkward position, my knees practically above the bars of the bike as I struggled to fit the perfectly on the pedals, "All you have to do is win."
"Fine. Bring it on." Ino said confidently, glaring ahead, "I won't lose to you. Not with so much on the line."
"Good, your getting serious." I say with a wink, "I like that, cause I'm getting serious too. Are you ready?"
"I was born ready, Saku," The way she whispered out my name made my head turn to her. She was giving me a look that made a pulse race between my legs and had my heart pound hard once.
But as I sat there like an idiot, completely absorbed by the way she was licking her lips and looking me over, she took the opportunity to start pedaling at top speed, "Ready, set, GO!" She yelled, giggling evilly as she made her first turn.
"Damnit!" I cursed to myself, scrambling to follow her lead.
(1)- Remember that.
(2) - I like their argument, or how I made it at least. Though it may have seemed like Naruto was talking down to Sasuke, he was just trying to speak to Sasuke on the same level. And to help Sasuke understand that, he offered a movie at the end. Basically saying "No hard feelings. Everything's cool. You don't have to explain anything, just keep moving forward."
(3) - First time completely broken. The Sakura and Ino fight!
(4) - Little Girl in Spanish. My managers call me it all the time :(
Maybe I just like how I portrayed Naruto in this story. He's the tie breaker, the middle man, Switzerland. He isn't about taking sides, knowing what's right or wrong, or proving a point. He's about telling the person about themselves and helping them realize what they need to do. This is why he's my favorite character.
***ChooChoo! You won a once in a life time exclusive. Only you get to choose what route I take next! Left or right. Up or Down! Blue or red! Are you ready to hear what it is? Ok. Here it is. Choose if Sakura wins or loses! It's all up to you how the story goes for next chapter, so review your answer quick so I can get started! You have three days until it expires!***
Thank you for everyone who got me to 100! I love you all! Your own special once in the life time exclusive. Give me a reasonable date to update, and I will try within my power to update by then! No excuses. What I'm going to do is take everyones suggestions and pick a day around that date. Only reason I wouldn't update is if I don't like how I did the story and I'm going back over it. I mean, just look, that's why this story was held up.
What's Naruto talking about! Of course we know Sasuke likes Sakura, but, wait! Sakura likes Sasuke too! The shock! The pure SHOCK! Jk. I know you guys are like "The fuck is this? We already knew." But it's the first time it's been written down, which makes it offical. Which means.
Drama.
LOVE YOU ALL
Shycadet
Out.