Author's Note: I'm so done with the Naruto fandom. I can't even write SasuSaku properly anymore, it's been so long. So, yeah. This is it. It's been six or seven months since I last worked on this piece, so I decided to finish up this chapter and upload the piece of crap that it is. KHR and PMMM are so much better than Naruto anyway. So, yeah. This isn't gonna get updated for a long time, if at all. Note's done. Later, Naruto, SasuSaku. I'll see ya'll when SS Month rolls around, if I get inspiration in time for that.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

"We're not friends."

I lolled the lollipop stick in my hand as I sat at the counter of the candy shop after school, my homework unfinished beside my tensed right elbow, calling to me in its irritating voice. But the notebooks and papers and textbooks remained untouched as I watched Misaki stack the shelves behind the counter. Natsu was just around the corner, bringing boxes of new supplies into the store through the back door, silent as a stone. Misaki was the same way; the airy quiet of the candy shop was the perfect atmosphere for finishing my homework, but I couldn't bring myself to lift my pencil and write. The stifled sweetness of the lollipop in my fingers was repulsive too. But I knew why I was this way. It was because of those three little words he'd said to me in the hallway a week ago. Those three little words that had my heart in a twist. At first, they hadn't bothered me. But as the week went on, that chord they'd struck had grown thinner and thinner. Misaki and Natsu had noticed it, thus the silence. As for Sasuke, he didn't seem to care when I'd passed him on my way out of the school after last period.

"We're not friends," I murmured to myself, dropping my head. "You stupid fool."

Those words hung the air in front of me, hollow, ringing, begging for the sweet sound of another's response. His response. But he wasn't here. And he wouldn't be here. He wouldn't be coming to my house later, or rather, right now. Or ever again. Sasuke and I were done. All over. He could have Ino or Akira, and I wouldn't care at all. I had no faith or trust in him at all, and I wouldn't ever tell him my secret. He was dead to me, and I hated him. Couldn't he see that I needed him? Couldn't he notice that I wanted him, so, so much? Would he ever understand how much I desired him? Probably not. It just took me this long to figure that out. And so my tears slid down the sides of my face just like before, staining my porcelain skin with streaks of rain. The sky outside was still bright, though a storm brewed along the horizon, just waiting for the right moment to strike. And I didn't care. I didn't care about anything anymore, but most of all, I didn't care about Uchiha Sasuke.

Misaki stopped in front of me, and regarded me with a soft stare. "Are you alright, Sakura? You've been sitting here like that for the past twenty minutes."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I answered, ripping the plastic off the lollipop and stuffing it into my mouth. "I'm fine, Misaki. Just leave me alone."

"It's Sasuke, isn't it?" Natsu asked, coming up behind me, punching his right fist into his left hand. "I knew that son of a bitch was bad news. Let me kick his ass for you, Sakura. I'll have him on the ground in two seconds flat."

"Just leave him alone," I ordered, turning my jade eyes toward Natsu, who jumped back. "He doesn't want anything to do with me, so don't bother with him. He's a miserable wretch anyway."

Misaki sighed. "Sakura, you know I understand your pain. But moping around doesn't make anything better. Remember what you told me when Daisuke turned me down that one time?"

"I know, Misaki, I know," I answered. She wasn't making my situation any better. I couldn't stop thinking about the tone of his voice when he'd said those three little words. It didn't matter to me that we'd almost kissed; those three little words had banished that happiness from my mind. "But we're not talking about you and Daisuke right now, are we?"

"All I'm saying is," she started with a sigh, "I know how you feel. And…That I can help."

I rolled my head toward her, eyes narrowed. "How so?"

"Through communication." She pulled up a stool from behind the counter, and sat down daintily. Her small, fragrant hands brushed my school work to the right then rested on the sides of my face gently. Her eyes were gentle when she spoke next. "Now. Tell me what happened."

I couldn't resist her when she took that tone with me. "Sasuke happened."

"Yes, I understand that," she retorted irritably, turning away with narrowed irises. I hung my head. She didn't understand. Sasuke was the reason I was like this. Bitter, cold, and angry. She turned back to me, and lifted my chin with a cool, and calm finger. "Hey, I'm not done with you. Explain."

"It's a long story," I mumbled, averting my eyes. Misaki huffed slightly, and pulled my face back to hers.

"Tell me," she repeated softly, despite the annoyance on her face. "Now."

And so, I told her everything. Every. Single. Thing. The feelings that had begun to hinder my daily activities. The dizzy spells whenever he was close. The rampant fire that flowed through my veins whenever he touched me. The urges, the wants, the needs, the desires. The thoughts that would plague my mind whenever we were close to each other. I told her everything, even about the almost kiss earlier today. Surprisingly, she stayed quiet. She didn't respond or overreact about anything that I told her. She just stayed as still as a stone, as I spilled my guts. My secret crush (Screw secret; everyone knew about it) wasn't a secret anymore. But Misaki didn't jump up and down or exclaim "I told ya so!" she stayed still, and didn't say anything at all until I was done. Even Natsu was quiet. He'd finished putting boxes and crates where they were supposed to go, and had taken a seat beside me, and fallen silent as I explained myself to Misaki. The only things I could hear in the entire store were my voice, and the humming of my heart in my chest.

"So, that's basically all of it," I finished, sighing. Misaki huffed ever so slightly, and exhaled again.

"Wow, Sakura. You actually have feelings for a boy," Natsu pointed out. I ignored the jab, and looked back at Misaki. She sighed, and narrowed her brown eyes.

"I think you should talk to him," she started slowly, blinking her eyes a few times, "tell him how you feel. It's only going to get harder and harder if you keep it up for much longer. It'll hurt much worse."

"I know." My voice was solid. Strong. I knew how hard it would be from here on in. I knew it, and yet my heart still trembled. I wanted to tell him, more than anything else. But every time I was close, I couldn't bring myself to voice my feelings. But it was too late. He was already gone. "I know."

"If you know that, then why haven't you told him yet?" I bit my bottom lip, and turned away.

She was right. Why hadn't I told him? It wasn't like I was waiting for anything in particular. Why was I waiting? Oh, that's right. Because he told me to. I was waiting because he told me to wait. And that's why it hurt so much, because I couldn't tell him how I felt. The burden was only so hard to carry because I was making it that way. If I stopped thinking about it, stopped acting on every single urge and desire that reared their ugly heads, then it wouldn't be so hard. I knew that, but that didn't make the aching in my heart go away. It still hurt, but not so bad. I could handle this now. I could go about my daily activities, see Sasuke, and not have to worry about falling apart. I could sense an impending meeting; my mother was sure to send him out looking for me soon enough. I hadn't gone home afterschool like I was supposed to everyday before I came to the candy shop to refill my addiction supplies. And knowing Mikoto, she probably brought the raven-haired cockroach along with her, hoping that Sasuke and I would play nice when they left us alone. Yeah, right.

He'd said that we weren't friends. Friends. We weren't. My teeth grinded against each other, the candy in my mouth shattering into a million pieces as I narrowed my emerald green eyes. I knew why it hurt me so much. It was because I'd tried so hard to get close to him, to be closer to him, and yet, my efforts were in vain. He didn't think of me as a friend, but why should it bother me? Oh, that's right. I had the biggest crush on him. Like that was anything new. But I still didn't understand why his actions bothered me so much, why the fact that he was pushing me away hindered me so badly. Why was that? Was I so reliant on his presence that I couldn't operate properly without him? I nodded my head. That had to be it. It had to be because of that. He'd become my ray of light in the darkness, and without my noticing it, I'd clung to him too tightly. The tighter you hold, the fiercer he'll pull away. My lip curled up with a slight smile. I had to let him go. I had him in a choke hold at the moment, that was all. I just needed to take a break from him, go out and get drunk on Dr. Pepper or something. I needed a break from all of it; I needed to rest my head on something other than Sasuke. He was killing me.

I glanced back at Misaki's expectant amber eyes. "Because if I told him, and he turned me down, I wouldn't have him to talk to. And I'm not ready to deal with that. I like talking to him, and messing with him. If I were to lose that, I wouldn't be able to look at him the same way I have been. I don't want that."

"I see. That's understandable," she answered, resting the side of her face on her palm. "However, I think you should clue him in on just how strongly you feel for him. Boys don't like to be kept in the dark."

"Seconded," Natsu put in from the back of the store. I sighed, and shook my head, smiling ever so slightly.

"Nah," I answered. "I put this cross on myself. I'll just have to get over him the long and hard way. Besides, he's not my type anyway."

"What if he has a crush on you? What will you do then? You'll be leading him on," Misaki asked, her brown eyes narrowed and tired. That was a good question. What would I do then? What would I do if Sasuke had a crush on me and told me? What could I do?

"I wouldn't do anything," I answered. "I wouldn't do anything at all. Because he's never going to say anything like that to me."

"Like what?"

My head jerked upward. Bundles of cerise colored hair swiveling beside my pale cheeks. I knew that voice. That soft, gentle, voice. The notes of it wrapped around my heart, embracing the beating pulses with tender fingers as they traced over the cracks and crevices in the surface. I held still, before slowly, but surely, turning my head toward him. His voice. It was his voice. The voice my heart breathed for. The voice that could stop me dead in my tracks, pull me out of a reverie, all of it. The voice that I held so close, the voice I couldn't bear to stop hearing. The voice I wished I could replay over and over again. The sound of my name came only seconds after his appearance, closer than he'd been before. My eyes widened as I tilted my cheek to my shoulder, my lips parting wordlessly.

"Sakura," he whispered, his onyx irises focusing directly upon the tear-streaks running down the sides of my face. But I didn't hear anything. See anything. The only thing I could focus on was the sound of my name spoken through his voice. "You're still crying about it?"

Then he had the indecency to go and ruin the moment. "Excuse me?"

"Hmph," he snorted, closing his eyes as he pocketed his hands, "so you are, then?"

"Shut up," I snarled, storming toward him, balling my right fist up at my side. "What the hell do you think you know about it? Do you have any idea what kind of pain I'm struggling to shoulder, all for your sake? What the hell, Uchiha Sasuke! Really, what the hell?"

He narrowed his eyes. "So stop shouldering it."

"You're the one that told me to," I replied, making it to him. Then I reached forward, taking a hold of his collar in my hand, before wrenching my face up, and tossing my head. I could barely see him through the curtain of strawberry-colored hair blocking my eyesight. "You're the one that told me to wait, remember? You're the one that said, 'Don't ask me that yet, Sakura'. You're the one at fault here, bastard! So guess what? I'm done sitting on my ass crying about this! If I want to tell you about it, I'll tell you about it! Don't think you can tell me what to fucking do, and get away with it, asshole!"

He didn't fight me. He just stared back, his irises calm and cool. "Tell me about it."

"W-What?" He lifted a hand to my tensed, trembling wrist, and peeled it away from his neck. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "You don't mean that. Remember what you said before? 'We're not friends'? Now you all of a sudden care? Don't screw with me."

"Holy shit," Natsu muttered, only to be jabbed in the gut by Misaki. Sasuke gently shoved my right fist down to my side, and held it there, crimson-colored shadows flickering in the depths of his irises. He was being careful. He was never this cautious. My mother must've warned him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, acting all nice to me all of a sudden," I said, pulling my hand from his grasp and taking an instinctive step back.

I didn't feel safe. Not anymore. A week had gone by since he'd last said more than two words to me. A week had gone by before I'd become this bitter, before I'd taken to crying myself to sleep and lashing out at everything that was wrong with my life. I knew it was childish, and foolish, and immature, but some wounded piece of my heart couldn't help but rear its filthy head and take me over. I was angry, embarrassed, and small. I felt insignificant, I felt ultranumb. As far as I was concerned, he could kiss my ass. I wasn't done being a bitch yet. Once I'd had enough of being vulnerable, and weak, and miniscule, I'd let him say his piece. Without the punching, the threats, the slapping, the screaming, and the cursing. But for right now, I was hitting the floor.

"You're the one that's been avoiding me," he answered. "I haven't been able to talk to you all week. Tell me, Sakura. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

That did it. "I'm trying to figure out where I stand! What my place is with you, and it's frustrating me!"

"You don't have a place," he responded, his onyx eyes soft. "We're not friends."

"Then what are we, Sasuke, tell me at least that," I hissed, balling my right hand up tightly. My heart was pounding in my chest, my teeth gritting against the pain in my rib cage. "I'm sick and tired of all these cryptic responses. Just give it to me straight. Am I your 'friend' or am I your 'enemy'?"

Sasuke sighed, and tensed his hand on my fist, his palm cold against my skin. "You're neither."

"Then what the fuck am I, damn it?" I burst out, blue fire bursting to life around my right fist. I wouldn't hurt him. I had no intention of hurting him. But despite that, his crimson eyes appeared anyway. Cautious. Careful. Calm. "Tell me, what are you trying to do here, Uchiha Sasuke?"

"I don't understand you." I widened my eyes. "I don't understand how…something like this could hurt you so badly. It's pathetic to watch. Your mother's nagging me to talk to you, to work it out. My mother's getting on my case about girls and 'feelings', and I don't understand what any of these things are. You're not a friend, but you're not an enemy. I haven't…made up my mind about you yet."

My lips quivered, as his hand slid up across the back of my fist, to curl around my wrist. "S-Sasuke."

"Sakura, I may not understand how your 'heart' works, and why what I said is hurting you so deeply, but I do know this," he continued, his voice softening, his eyes flickering off to the left. Misaki and Natsu fell silent behind the counter, the entire shop remaining still, frozen, as if it was holding its breath in anticipation. Then, he spoke again. "I don't hate you."

I flinched in surprise, my pink side bangs sliding across the sides of my face. "…But…"

"Sakura," he whispered, tightening his grip on my wrist, before pulling me close. I widened my eyes, as he wrapped his arms around me. Even though I was angry, even though I was vulnerable, the warmth and honest sincerity I felt within his embrace was no lie. His breath blew over my ear. "How could I hate you?"

I dropped my head into his chest, and let the tears fall. "I swear, if you're playing with me, I will never, ever forgive you."

"It isn't in me to lie," Sasuke replied, his voice gentle. "You know that."

I lifted my hands and held him loosely, limply. "Sasuke."

"What?" I tightened my fingers, gripped onto his shirt almost unconsciously. I couldn't stop myself from reacting. I hugged myself closer to him, resting my chin on his shoulder.

"Just because you're holding me doesn't mean I forgive you," I said. His eyes opened, and turned toward me, expectant. "I'm going to need some time to cool down. I almost ripped your head off."

"Your point?" I squeezed him one last time, before pulling away, and facing him seriously.

"I'm asking you," I started, forcing my voice to stay calm, "to give me space. You stay to your side of the village, and I'll stay to mine. At least for a few days."

Sasuke regarded me with a calm and cool expression. But the twisting of the shadows in his charcoal eyes betrayed his composure. "But…Our mothers…"

"They can deal with it," I answered. "I need my space. I need to calm down. I need to…apologize. This week's been terrible for me. I couldn't stop focusing on that one thing, and because of that, I let everything else drop."

"Alright then," he said. "Lockers?"

"I won't say a word," I responded. "And I won't even glance your way. Not even once."

Misaki lifted herself from her stool with an angry huff. "Haruno Sakura, that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth. Running from it won't help you."

I rolled my head back, my jade eyes narrowed. "And facing it every day will?"

"That's right," she said. "Facing and overcoming that pain will help you. You of all people should know that."

"I do know that," I allowed, nodding as I turned back to Sasuke. "Forget I said anything. That was stupid, because it's impossible to go one minute without saying at least something to you."

His eyes narrowed. "This past week."

"That was because I was pissed, dumbass," I shot back. "On a normal day, it's impossible. However, if you need space, I can-"

"No." I widened my eyes. "I don't need space. It's fine."

"Are you sure?" He narrowed his eyes again, and gave me a lopsided Uchiha glare.

"You think I'm lying?" At that, I couldn't help but smile.

"I think and I both know what my answer to that question's going to be," I teased. Misaki and Natsu sighed, sliding out from behind the counter and joining Sasuke and I in the center of the store.

"Glad to know you two are okay again," Natsu pointed out. "Damn, it's stifling in here."

"Tamura Natsu," Misaki hissed under her breath. Sasuke smirked, and lifted his hands away from me, pocketing one, while placing the other on his hip.

"What're you so smiley about, Uchiha?" Natsu snarled, coming right up to Sasuke.

"I'm not," he answered. "I'm smirking."

"For what?"

"Natsu!" He didn't even have time to dodge it. My fist connected with the side of his face, sending him spinning through the air and into the glass displays at the windows. Misaki gasped, as Sasuke's smirk deepened. I straightened up, and smirked, my pink bangs blowing across my face. "Now I feel better."

"One punch and you can move on?" Sasuke asked, blinking once. I slammed my right fist into my left palm.

"It's a bit destructive, but I like this method," I answered, smiling back. "I feel a lot better now that I've slammed my fist into something."

He sighed, his smirk still painted on his face. "Glad to hear it."