A/N: Well Well Well. Fancy meeting you here 8}
Me? What am I doing here? Oh I'm just here posting the first chapter of my fic, after...over six months of shamelessly avoiding it. XD
Hello all. I know you probably all dislike me, or probably don't even remember who I am. I'm ashamed for deserted this fic for so long and embarrassed to only have one chapter finished. But whats a girl to do? Lie?
Hope you all like it (read: don't hate it enough to throw up). I can't promise a speedy update. Let's face it- I'd be lying. But I am going to at least TRY. I don't really have anything else to say. I took a Benedryl earlier and now I'm falling asleep, so I'm going to post this before I pass out. Hope you like it, and please leave a review! (I'm so scared!)
OH! AND I'D LIKE TO SAY A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY GOOD FRIEND LAURA! (TheUn-POP-AbleBubble) FOR READING THIS AND HELPING ME EDIT IT AND IMPROVE IT! Please go and check out her stories! (The Life of The Child is definitely one of my absolute favourite SasuSaku fics. Please show her some love!) I was stressing myself out over this update and I could not have done it without her.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Naruto and all of Kishimoto's characters belong to him alone. Besides, if I owned it, Sasuke would not be such an ass- Ahem. Read on!
PROPOSE TO ME
(And try not to be a jerk about it!)
"Sakura."
"Mmmm."
"Sakura."
"No."
Sunlight gleamed through the white panels of the sliding door, making them glow and Sakura could smell fresh air coming into their room from the small opening of one of them. Birds were singing outside, but other than their little songs, it was silent.
Which meant it was early. Damn.
"Sakura."
"I said noooo." She whined as she buried her head into his chest and smiled at how he was holding her. "I like it right here."
Sasuke sighed and ran one of his free hands through his dishevelled hair. Being with Sakura was something the Uchiha was fairly proud of for the most part as she was an object of envy for many men, but that was only because their perfect illusions of her hadn't been spoiled. They had never had to deal with her in the morning. Putting it nicely, she was not a morning person.
"Up." He calmly stated and raised an eyebrow and challenged her.
"Actually," she grumbled, "I'd rather just stay here, if you don't mind." She nestled back into her warm place on his chest. Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"I do mind." He said blankly.
She peeked her eyes up at him and smiled. Rising, she gave him a soft kiss and smiled against his lips. "No you don't." Settling back down, she purposefully wrapped her lithe arms around his torso and clung to him. "Now stay." she muttered.
It was too damn early to wake up.
Rolling his eyes again, Sasuke unwrapped his strong arms away from their usual place around her waist and pulled himself out of her grasp. "That's not an option." He said, smirking when he saw her pouting face. He moved to the edge of the bed and stifled a yawn behind his hand. Truth be told, he was much happier in bed with her. But someone had to have a backbone. They both had things to accomplish in the course of the day.
As he began to push off the bed, Sakura bolted upright. "And where do you think you're going?" She demanded as she wrapped her arms around his chest from behind. He closed his eyes and tried to stay strong. She smiled into the crook on his neck before planting light kisses there. One of her hands moved of its own accord to his hair and buried itself there as she whispered into his ear.
"Stay with me." She leaned back and pulled her boyfriend down with her, turning so that her back was facing his front. Sasuke mentally groaned as she settled into his chest and stilled, her breathing slowing. He was tempted. Oh so tempted.
But his will was strong, no matter how tempting she could be. He slowly pulled himself away from her again, which wasn't hard, considering the fact that she had already conked out again. Standing beside the bed, he grabbed the covers and gave them a good yank, pulling them into a mess on the floor.
"You BASTARD!"
He smirked and waited for her to get up from the bed, but she was way too stubborn to give in. Rolling onto her back, she threw an arm over her eyes to block out the offending light and went right back to sleep.
Sasuke, slightly irritated with her childishness leaned over her and carefully wrapped one arm around her back and another under her legs. Slowly he picked up his sleeping girlfriend and lifted her from the bed. She smiled in her sleep and subconsciously snuggled closer to his warmth. He looked down at her pretty face. She looked so calm and peaceful when she slept, her eyelashes falling against her cheek and her pink hair splayed across his one arm. Her sleeping form gave no indication of how temperamental and loud she could be. The irritation he had felt slowly dissolved. He let himself look at her for a moment longer-
And then dropped her onto the mess of blankets on the hard wooden floor.
"Itai!" She screeched as her bottom hit the ground. She landed on the blankets so it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but her tailbone still throbbed. "I'm going to kill you!" She screamed. He shook his head as he left her there on the ground and walked into the bathroom.
Sakura crossed her arms and pouted on the floor. 'Sweeps me off my feet...And then drops me on my ass. ' She closed her eyes and yelled at him from the floor, with her arms at her sides and her hands clenched. "You really suck at this boyfriend thing, Sasuke!"
Still muttering darkly, Sakura lifted her aching bum off the ground and rubbed it, trying to sooth the dull ache. That friggan hurt! She made her way to her closet and grabbed the first semi formal outfit she found and made her way back to her bed, swearing when she realized that she had grabbed two shirts. Making her way back to the closet, she pulled out a navy blue shirt with a subtle embroidered pattern on it and slightly puffed short sleeves and threw it onto the bed. Then, she carefully made sure she grabbed something to cover her bottom half with. Settling for a high waisted pencil skirt she grumbled back to the bed and sat down with her arms crossed, waiting for her boyfriend to be done in the shower.
Suddenly, an unattractive noise exploded from her stomach. "Oh Kami..." She had forgotten about the whole eating thing. She knocked on the door to the bathroom and asked Sasuke if he wanted something to eat. Not getting an answer, she rolled her eyes and padded into the kitchen. The pink haired woman grabbed some bread and shoved it haphazardly into the toaster, while cracking two eggs into a pan. She made a cup of tea to wake herself up and sliced up a tomato for Sasuke. She scarfed her breakfast down and left his plate on the table before making her way into her bedroom.
"OI! Pretty boy! You've had your turn in the shower-!" She yelled as she pounded on the door on the bathroom when Sasuke opened the door wearing nothing but a towel around his neck. He was naked. His hair was still damp and the muscles on his arms were still wet with water... And he was naked.
Sakura froze mid speech and blushed profusely. Looking away quickly and avoiding his eyes, she forced herself to breathe. She could no longer tell if her nose was bleeding or not.
"Shit. N-naked. Sorry Sasuke. Your um... your..thing is..." His abs made her forget things and the fact that he was naked threw her off even more. He was tampering with her hormones and they both knew it.
"Is what, Sa...ku...ra?" he teased, leaning in towards her.
Realizing what it sounded like she was going to say, she yelped and slapped a hand over her eyes. "BREAKFAST. Table. In the k-kitchen."
'Mind out of the gutter Haruno!' Her inner cried, momentarily snapping her out of her daydreams involving the Uchiha. ' Fantasizing is my job!'
'You're a PART of my mind! How am I supposed to control it! He's so-'
'Absolutely pounce-able? Obviously! At least try to act as though you aren't phased!'
He was her boyfriend and when he was displayed so openly to her, concentration became an issue.
The Uchiha smirked and stepped aside for his girlfriend to have her turn to wash up. She was too amusing. Sakura brushed past him and inhaled sharply when her arm touched his.
"Erm. Y-you should go eat before it g-gets cold." She mumbled distractedly as she subconsciously began to lean towards him.
"Aa." He said, raising his eyebrows smugly. He pecked her lips and then walked into their room, leaving her there flustered. Sakura stole one last devilish glance at her boyfriend before closing the door and leaning her back against it, regaining her breath. It really wasn't fair for him to take advantage of her mind's already weak morning state. She was already dense enough at six am, without him making her a sex-crazed lunatic as well!
Once he was out of view, however, the mysterious spell was broken.
"AND PUT SOME PANTS ON!"
"Forehead! Forehead! Will you just- Will you just wait up!"
Sakura blinked and stopped walking, looking away from the clipboard in her hands. She had been going over some of her charts again before work. The Konoha streets were busy and everybody was already outside. The vendors were yelling into the streets, trying to make their voice louder than the other salespeople in the roads. Friendly competition. Sakura grinned as two children ran past her, the smaller one shouting out to the older one.
It was a beautiful morning, despite the bad beginning. Even an Uchiha's jerkiness and hormonal voodoo couldn't wreck it.
The woman craned her neck and scanned the hoards of people milling about from vendor to vendor for a head of bright blonde hair. It was times like these that she cursed herself for being short. Standing on her tippy-toes, her eyes caught sight of a strange wave coming through the villagers. As though something had gotten fed up and was plowing through the crowds.
Suddenly before her eyes, Ino emerged, fuming. Turns out something had gotten fed up.
"How on earth can you stand this? Why do you come this way to work, when you could just take the next street?" Ino cried as she neared her best friend. She put her hands on her hips and looked disapprovingly back towards the large crowds along the street. "It's no wonder this area gets so congested. It's like they lose their minds when they hear of a good bargain, charging towards the first stall they can, paying no attention to who they cut off or crash into! Inconsiderate bast-"
"Not unlike someone I know." Sakura muttered cheekily, cutting off her friend's tirade.
"I'm choosing to ignore you." Ino huffed.
"Besides, what does it matter, Ino?" Sakura laughed as she patted Ino's head jokingly. "Your voice is loud enough to overpower any of these people. I heard you just fine. And you aren't the one who has to walk this way in the first place."
Ino wrenched her head away from Sakura's hand and smacked it. "Whatever. I don't care." Ino crossed her arms and fell silent.
Sakura quirked an eyebrow and asked "...Pig?"
"What?" She snapped at the use of her infamous nickname. Sakura grinned at the reaction.
"Was there a reason that you decided to injure half the village and harass me? Or are you just here to say hello?" Ino's face brightened immediately and she squealed loudly, forgetting her annoyance.
"Oh yeah! Oh Kami you will never guess what I found in Shikamaru's drawer today, under all of his socks and boy stuff."
Sakura winced and put a hand to her shaking head. "You went through his drawers, Pig? Isn't that a bit...pathetic?"
Ino grinned. "It was an accident. I was just walking and the dresser was just there and I tripped. Baddabing, baddaboom, I'm holding my future in the palm of my hand." The blonde finished dramatically.
"Your future?" Sakura said skeptically. "What was it? Flyers for a plastic surgeon?"
"Oh how your witty remarks tickle me." Her friend muttered sarcastically. "No, Billboard-Brow. This!" She thrust out a navy velvet box and waved it before Sakura's eyes. "A ring! A freaking engagement ring! Do. You. Know. What. This. Means? "
"You swiped a ring from your boyfriend's underwear drawer?"
"I'm going to get married! I'm going to get married!" The smile on Ino's face was so vibrant and beautiful. She was glowing and Sakura really was happy for her. Nevertheless...
"But he might be giving you that ring for something else Ino...I don't want to dash your hopes but-"
"So don't! I just know he is going to ask Forehead. I can't explain it. You've been with Sasuke for years now, so you should understand. I just feel like I know Shikamaru's intentions because I know...him." Her eyes blinked and she snapped out of her momentary reverie.
"Does that make any sense, Forehead?"
"Of course not." Sakura sighed and breathed out a laugh. Suddenly she remembered that she was supposed to be heading to work. However she pulled Ino into a bear hug anyways.
"Don't listen to me and my pessimism! I'm living with the Uchiha, so it has practically been programmed into me. I'm happy for you Ino. My little Piggy is finally getting her life's greatest wish! I'm so excited for you two!"
Ino pretended to pout for a moment before the look of utter happiness returned to her face. Sakura winked at her before the girl was pulled into another tight hug.
"I totally am getting my wish! But I'm guessing the injured, sick and dying are beckoning you. Not to mention, I have to get to the shop before nine, so I gotta run too. I was just dying to tell someone. Go to work, save the citizens and we'll get a drink or something tomorrow alright? We need to celebrate!" She laughed in a sing-song voice, waving the box before Sakura's eyes.
Sakura saluted assertively. "Aye aye, cap'in!" Sakura turned towards the hospital and called over her shoulder. "By the way! Shikamaru's going to notice that you went klepto-ninja on his ring Ino."
"...Shit you're right! Gotta go!" Sakura chuckled and briefly looked over her shoulder and waved before Ino leapt onto the nearest rooftop.
Coward. Couldn't even handle a few bargain hunters in the road.
The walk to the hospital was a relatively short one, usually peaceful and uneventful. She was free to allow her thoughts to wander and just enjoy the fresh air. It was normally the most relaxing part of her day. However someone somewhere seemed to have different plans for Sakura today.
As she rounded a corner onto a more tranquil street, she sighed and tipped her head back, inhaling a big breath of morning air. Suddenly she sensed a large mass hurtling towards her and forced herself out of its path, chakra already stemming towards her fist in preparation. Her eyes focused on a clumsy looking man stumbling towards the ground.
"Aieh!" He screeched as his face nearly collided with the ground.
Sakura reacted quickly and launched her hand at his wrist to stop his fall. The man was breathing heavily as he was halted for a split second. Realizing that her fingers were still infused with chakra, Sakura quickly switched hands for fears of breaking his wrist, which jolted the man and brought his nose only a hair's width from the cement. He was left staring wide-eyed at the pavement with his arm behind him, tightly grasped by Sakura.
She smiled sympathetically and pulled him upright onto his feet.
He hunched his shoulders and exhaled a sigh of relief. He smiled widely after a moment and pushed his glasses further onto his nose before running his hand through his hair nervously.
"Phew! Thank Kami you were there Miss! N-normally no one catches me and I end up..." He trailed off and suddenly patted his pants pocket.
"It's no pro...blem...?" Sakura trailed off as she noticed him begin to panic and scramble about the ground. She sighed. She saved him from kissing the sidewalk a moment before only to have him fall to his knees of his own accord two seconds later. "Are you missing something?"
"Unfortunately yes! Some-something extremely valuable and important!" The man pawed desperately at the ground a few more seconds before Sakura spotted a small brown box on the ground near her foot.
"Is this it?" She helped him up and plopped the small case into his hand.
"Dear Kami! Yes! Thank you! You've just saved me twice in a single day!"
"It's really not a problem." She said with a small laugh.
"Oh but it would have been if I hadn't bumped into you by chance! You see I'm- I'm going to ask a very special girl to marry me today and I just can't imagine what I would do if I had lost the ring! Plus, I'd probably be asking her with a broken nose if you hadn't caught me. But I really must run! Thank you again Miss...?" He inquired as he began to move away from her.
"Sakura. And maybe you should just walk! A nice, slow walk. Just don't fall-!"
But he was out of earshot already. Sakura laughed sarcastically to herself. Two proposal situations within half a block of each other. She had a feeling it was going to be a long day. The girl who wasn't able to get her boyfriend to pop the question was now being forced to watch questions being popped all over the place.
'Like friggan popcorn.' Her inner grumbled monotonously.
Her head felt as though it was slowly being filled with mosquitoes, one by one, each one adding an irritating buzzing sound in the back of her mind.
She wanted to focus on work and to just have a regular day, she really did. But the only thing that she could focus on was the fact that Konoha seemed to be riddled with couples in love who wanted to commit their lives to each other.
'Am I in love with the one person who doesn't...?'
Sakura meandered through the double doors of the hospital, absentmindedly leafing through the reports but not really focusing on them. Her eyes were staring at the words on the pages, but they were looking past them as she went over every aspect of her relationship with Sasuke. She wasn't used to this insecurity. It was a feeling she'd been familiar with when she was much, much younger. But Sakura had long since shed that heavy blanket of self-consciousness that had once engulfed her.
Now it was suddenly back and she felt was though she were stuck under the covers in the middle of summer. It was hot and uncomfortable and she was beginning to feel suffocated by the claustrophobic weight.
All because of Ino and some clumsy random! And the Uchiha! Why the hell didn't her boyfriend want to marry her?
Sakura could feel her infamous temper flaring up. It was as though the gears that got her worked up were turning inside her brain like a clock on overdrive. She was a good girlfriend, dammit! It was no secret that she loved him and cared for him and devoted so much of her time to their relationship. It was high time for him to contribute!
The pink haired began to slightly grind her teeth together as she neared the receptionist's desk to check herself in and to check her files for the day. The receptionist, a girl named Mitsuki who was a few years younger than Sakura peered over the desk's ledge.
"Everything all right, Haruno-san?" She inquired cautiously.
"Fine. Everything's fine. I'm fine." She muttered in frustration, forcing the words from between her clenched teeth. "Absolutely fine." Mitsuki recoiled. This didn't seem like a good time to press the matter.
Sakura huffed and ran her hand up to her hair and pushed her bangs back.
"Why the hell can't men just suck it up and bite the damn bullet? Hm? It can't possibly be so difficult to commit to your damn girlfriend-" She began to vent to the innocent girl before she was cut off.
"Mitsuki!" All eyes around the lobby of the hospital turned towards the young man standing between the double doors. Sakura turned around, as everyone else and stared at the scene in utter confusion. "I can't wait anymore!" The young man rushed forwards and grabbed her hands passionately sweeping them towards him.
"I'm sorry it took so long, Mitsuki, but I get it now. I need you more than anything. I thought that dating you without any strings or official commitments was what I wanted, but I realize that I need those strings. I want them! They're what hold me together each and everyday. So Mitsuki, will you marry me-?"
"OH GODDAMMIT!" Sakura slammed her clipboard into the desk as her temper boiled over. Was there some kind of sickness going around the village that no one had notified her of? This had crossed the 'ridiculous' border and was now verging on insanity!
Suddenly she realized that all eyes in the room had shifted from the couple to her. Speaking of insanity... She blinked, realizing that she had just interrupted a proposal and made herself look like a complete psychopath.
She pried her clipboard from the wood of the desk in which she had embedded it from the force of her frustration. After she had tucked it neatly into her arms she smiled a little too forcefully.
"Goddammit, I- I... am just so happy for you Mitsuki. So, so happy. Overjoyed really." Yeah, this wasn't like the movies and the people in lobby weren't nearly as easily swayed into laughing and brushing off the situation as she had hoped.
They knew she was crazy.
"Right." After muttering to herself, Sakura turned on her heel and stalked down the hallway, pretending as though she couldn't feel several pairs of eyes on her back as she went.
She rode the elevator up and strongly resisted the urge to press every button to each floor, smash her face into the metal panels until she had suffered severe brain damage and then just endure the long ride, going from floor to floor for several minutes, giving her the chance to die in peace before anyone found her. It was tempting.
Sakura finally reached the floor on which her office was located and made a beeline for it. She escaped into the safe room and tried to steer her thoughts away from all the wedding drama and embarrassment she'd suffered in her first - she glanced at the clock on the wall - six minutes of being at the hospital.
She grabbed some clean scrubs, changing quickly from her formal attire into the green clothes and white lab coat. Technically there was a locker room to change clothes in, but Sakura couldn't be bothered today. It required far too much effort and she had a private office anyways.
As she was pulling her pink hair into a pony tail, a light knock sounded at her door.
'Come in!' She called out.
Hinata stood in the door and happily smiled at her. "O-ohayou S-s-sakura-san" She stuttered sweetly. The Hyuuga padded into the room and waited for Sakura to be ready to head into the first patient's ward. Hinata had always been a gentle and compassionate person, and Sakura felt that her decision to become a medical nin was well suited for her. Hinata was a medical assistant and Sakura counted herself lucky to have Hinata there to help. She had about ten minutes before she needed to start work and she leaned against the desk, deep in thought, trying to gather her spastic thoughts together. The down side to being a medic was that your brain needed to be fully functioning in order for the job to work out.
An aspect Sakura struggled with on a daily basis, one way or another.
Hinata crossed the room and leaned against the desk right beside her.
"Are y-you ok-kay, Sakur-ra-san?"
"Not really. But I will be," She glanced up and smiled kindly at her friend.
"Oh-oh, I-I'm glad to hear i-it."
Sakura stood and slowly walked around the room. "How are you Hinata-chan?"
"I-I'm very w-well Sakura-san. Y-You won't b-believe what Naruto-kun asked me yesterday." She murmured as she poked her index fingers together.
Sakura clenched her fist and turned around to glare at the Hyuuga like some kind of maniac.
"If he asked you to marry him, I swear to Kami, I'm going to leave this building and murder the first furry little creature I find!" The evil glint in her eye made Hinata wonder if she was actually serious.
"O-Of course not-t! H-he asked me i-if I, if I-I would move i-in with h-him." Sakura broke out into a friendly, albeit relieved, grin.
"Oh Hinata-chan, that's amazing! I'm sorry for...snapping but my morning has been a bit... difficult. Like the evil mastermind kind of morning. I'm just testy. Congratulations!"
Sakura hugged her and mentally felt proud of Naruto. He'd come a long way from an oblivious kid to a sweet boyfriend for Hinata. Plus she knew what this step must mean to the girl who had been helplessly in love with her friend for years. If there was anyone who could relate, it was Sakura herself. Sasuke had at the very least asked her to move into the Uchiha complex with him and that day had been one of the happiest that the pinkette could remember.
Then she remembered the state of Naruto's apartment and winced. It might have been more sanitary if Hinata had asked him to move in with her...
Sakura took a moment to read over the patient's charts one final time to focus completely on her work. She could never be distracted in her line of work. Sakura had a job to do and she would do it meticulously...But of course she'd probably fret over all this drama as soon as the work day was over.
That damn blanket of insecurity...
"TEME!" Smoke cleared across the battleground and large holes marred the soil of the training field. On opposite sides of the large expansive field, the two men stood facing each other. Neither of them was in good condition, for they are well matched opponents; both brought out the fighter in the other. To the point where they would forget their friendship and fight till both of them were verging on unconsciousness. Large bruises had sprouted across their skin, and blood was smeared across various parts of the two bodies. One was staring at the other with blood-red, swirling eyes, while the other stood in sage mode with amphibian-like eyes glaring at his opponent intensely.
"..."
"I'm going to kill you!"
"Take it easy Naruto. No one is going to kill anyone." Kakashi sat in the trees a safe distance away from the fight, his nose buried deep in the pages of Icha Icha. His middle-man duties were only executed with minimal enthusiasm. The excitement had worn off considerably after a dozen years of the same routine. He suddenly blushed profusely and giggled into the pages of his book, bringing it closer to his face.
"You're dead Sasuke!" Once again, Naruto was off, leaving little time to recover his energy. He charged furiously towards Sasuke, two clones right alongside him.
"Rasen Shuriken!"
"Amaterasu." Sasuke muttered darkly beneath his breath.
Kakashi's eyes were suddenly alert and he leapt from the trees towards the two crazed men.
He sprinted between the men grasping their arms and twisted them, attempting to avoid the black flames already spreading towards his arm. Naruto swerved and threw his deadly attack off course, sliding to a stop straight into his former sensei. Trees were sliced into halves as the Chakra weapon surged around the densely forested area, a path of destruction in its wake before the Chakra dissipated in a large eruption causing the three men to shield their eyes from the debris. The surrounding area was completely demolished by the blast. Sasuke willed the flames to be put out and placed one hand against his eye. His fist clenched and he closed his eye, feeling blood running down his cheek.
"Getting a bit heated aren't we?" Kakashi panted. "For Kami's sake, I haven't been forced to step in like this in years. I'm too old for these interventions." Kakashi stood between the gasping Shinobi, his visible eye moping in exasperation. He sighed and shook his head, rubbing his forehead with his hand.
Naruto, amidst his ragged breaths, smiled mischievously and plopped down onto the ground crossed legged. He sat back and chuckled.
"Someone is just upset that they had to put aside their porn for three seconds. It was just a spar, ya old pervert! You didn't think I'd actually kill the Teme did you?"
"No one thinks you're capable of it Dobe." Sasuke snapped before leaning broodingly against a tree. His hand was still covering his eye and his vision had blurred dramatically. The Uchiha was waiting impatiently for his sight to return.
"What was that Teme? I was distracted by the blood that's all over your stupid face!" Naruto stood and jabbed his finger into Sasuke's chest.
"Dead last, the blood is from Amaterasu. It's not your doing." Sasuke uttered blatantly. Naruto laughed and threw his arm around Sasuke's shoulder holding one finger up matter of factly.
"Ah...But the only reason you used it was 'cause you knew you couldn't beat me! I bet you can't even see three feet in front of you, right now, can you? 'Tebayo! Right Kakashi-sensei?" He laughed and waited for the scarecrow to say something. But he was gone. "Damn that old pervert!" Kakashi clearly wasn't concerned enough to stick around longer. An awkward silence ensued and both men fell quiet. Naruto sighed and rolled his head to his side. He slowly poked Sasuke in the stomach to annoy him before Sasuke thrust his elbow into Naruto's side lightning fast in response.
"You-y-you stupid Bastard!" Naruto wheezed before sitting on the ground once more. His wounds weren't too severe and he could already feel his body healing itself of its own accord, due to the Kyuubi. He grinned triumphantly as he looked up and saw that Sasuke was still bruised. Still, that jab to the ribs didn't exactly tickle and Naruto decided to steer the conversation to a safer topic.
"Did ya hear about Shikamaru, Teme?"
"Hn." Sasuke turned around and faced Naruto, waiting for him to say what he had to say.
"He's gointa ask Ino to tie the knot. Whipped bastard." Naruto scratched the back of his head and frowned. "But Kami...Ino. Ne, you and Sakura-chan have been together for a long time. Why haven't you asked her yet?"
"Dobe..." Sasuke warned. This was not a topic he was willing to discuss with Naruto.
"I'm just saying! You know she loves you, Kami knows why."
"Aa." Sasuke crossed his arms and stared Naruto down.
"And you haven't even thought about asking her? Did you forget that couples don't date forever or are you just an idiot?" Naruto crossed his one arm and put the other hand to his chin in mock consideration. Sasuke found the fact that Naruto was calling him the idiot amusing.
"I didn't say that I hadn't considered it, Dobe. You assumed I hadn't. Why haven't you asked the Hyuuga?"
Naruto made a face and stood up. "Baka! Last I checked, Hinata-chan and I only started going out less than a year ago. You and Sakura-chan have been together a lot longer!"
"Hn."
"Plus, Sakura-chan has loved you since she was twelve, Teme."
Sasuke frowned at Naruto's ignorance. He still hadn't realized that the Hyuuga heiress had loved him for about the same length of time that Sakura had. Even though they were together now, she still practically fainted every time he smiled at her and nearly fell comatose when he kissed her.
"I think you owe her a decent proposal you ass. You deserted all of us to join a certain psychopathic freak and go on a crazy vengeance-power trip and you left her on a bench, completely heartbroken in the middle of the night. Not to mention all the hard work and stress and pain she went through trying to drag your cocky butt back to the people you left in the first place! Plus she takes care of you and feeds you and heals you, just because she happens to love you more than any other person on the planet ever will-"
"Hey Dead Last." Sasuke said as though he had an idea.
"Hmm?" Naruto stopped his train of thought and looked up with curious azure eyes.
"Shut up." The Uchiha turned on his heels and stalked away from the fuming blonde. He longed for the peace of the Uchiha compound, and any escape from the dumb blonde trailing behind him.
His friend grinned and ran after the Uchiha, catching up quickly. He held up his hands, falsely portraying some sort wisdom, and nodded his head. "I get it. No need to be defensive. I know exactly why you haven't done it yet." He shrugged and dropped the subject.
"Hn."
"..."
"..."
"It's 'cause you're scared she'll say no." Naruto finished slyly.
Twitch.
"But I guess you don't have to worry. If you lose Sakura because you're too spineless, there are always the girls in that fanclub of yours, Teme. And I doubt she'll have any trouble finding a replacement for your sorry ass. "
Sasuke turned his head lazily to the side and smirked at Naruto. A hint of cockiness and pride was present on his features masked his annoyance. They both knew she wouldn't. She couldn't. If there was one thing in the universe that Sasuke could always count on, it was that Sakura loved him and had for an immensely long time. She didn't know it, but her love was an extreme comfort to him, to know that no matter what he said or did or didn't do, she was and would always be there, offering her love to him. Her supply of care and adoration for him never seemed to run dry. So there wasn't a doubt in his mind that if he asked, she would say yes.
Together the friends made their way through the streets of Konoha, Sasuke returning to the peace and quiet of his empty house. For a moment, while Naruto had his hands clasped behind his head and Sasuke had his hands in their usual place in his pockets, the two just walked in silence, side by side.
Nearing the Uchiha district, Naruto quickly said his goodbyes. He wasn't without plans of his own and started to head towards his horrendously cluttered apartment. Further down the street, he turned and began to walk backwards. With his hands to his lips he called out.
"Oh by the way Teme...You might want to try wiping that blood off your cheek! Sakura's going to murder you when she sees you were using that freaky black-flame-voodoo stuff again! If you have to just mention that you were fighting me and she'll probably understand why you needed to!" He chortled happily and ran up the street.
"Asshole." Sasuke grumbled.
Nonetheless he still pulled his hand from it's place in his pocket and tried to rub away the remains of the blood that was caked under his eye and down his jawline. The Dobe wasn't completely wrong about Sakura...
The remaining Uchiha sat on the sofa in the main room of his house, meticulously cleaning his katana. He noticed every blemish on the smooth silver surface of the blade. So many memories surrounded this weapon, but in this state of mind, he pushed them aside and focused solely on the motions of his hand.
Sasuke had his katana in perfect condition in a matter on minutes, but still his hand moved in the familiar motions. Sasuke exhaled and inhaled, perfectly relaxed, avoiding his own thoughts. Finally he set aside the sword in its sheath and tilted his head back. His eyes closed of his own accord and his thoughts strayed to Sakura.
Perhaps it was time for him to- Suddenly he sensed a presence and knowing who it would be, pulled away from his pattern of thinking.
A familiar weight landed across his lap as Sakura flopped over the arm of the sofa and lay across his legs on her stomach. She groaned and buried her face into the cushion beside him.
Sasuke cracked on eye open and felt relieved to have her home to distract him. He tried not to dwell on the fact that she was late coming home, that it was fairly late in general and looked as though she were ready for bed already.
"Sakura."
"S-mph-su-eh" She mumbled into the cushion.
"Tir-?" He began to inquire when her finger appeared before his lips, stopping the word before it was fully out of his mouth.
She pulled herself off his lap and onto the seat next to him, plopped her weary head on his shoulder.
"Not tired. Exhausted and fully unwilling to discuss it." She yawned and buried her face farther into his arm. Despite the fact that his shoulders were bony and rock hard, she smiled a small smile and could finally feel the tension slipping out of her.
"Point taken." He stood, jostling her from her comfortable spot on his arm. She pouted momentarily before she could feel him lifting her off the seat and into his arms. Sakura bolted upright in his arms and latched her fingers around his cool neck.
"Kya!"
Sasuke blinked and gave her a questioning look. Sakura relaxed and loosened her hold on his neck slightly and laughed.
"My ass still hurts from your last oh so romantic gesture."
Sasuke smirked and released his hold on her and Sakura felt herself falling just before he caught her again and enjoyed the startled expression on her face as her fingers tightened into a bruising grip.
"I don't find that funny, Uchiha."
"Doesn't change the fact that it was, Haruno." He muttered before he took her to their room and laid her gently on the bed. Sakura didn't fully register how ready she was for a nice rest until she could feel her eyes drooping from fatigue. She smiled and thanked him, kissing his palm as it pulled away from her. No matter what Ino or Naruto or anyone thought, her boyfriend could be sweet at very select moments. She heard him shuffling around behind her for a brief second, tossing her her pyjamas and then felt the bed shift as he climbed in behind her and pulled her to his chest once she had squirmed into her jammies. She grinned and allowed herself to doze off, perfectly content in the perfect moment.
Until...
"...I think...it is time to begin rebuilding the Uchiha clan." Sasuke spoke quietly into her hair.
Sakura's eyes popped open, filled with confusion and exasperation. How could he be thinking of sex, when she was practically a zombie in his arms?
"Sasuke, I'm completely dead right now, and I don't think necrophilia really suits you." At least she hoped it didn't. Sakura's eyes popped open; she'd never asked him.
"I wasn't referring to actually creating an heir right this second Sakura." He said and Sakura could practically feel him rolling his eyes subtly behind her head.
"Well then what are you babbling about?" She just wanted to relax back into her perfect, soothing moment of peace with the man she loved.
"You'll have to marry me within the week, to become the official matriarch."
And then of course, he had to shatter it completely. All feelings of exhaustion were thrown aside like ragdolls, next to the feeling of pure anger that was rising within her chest. The feeling was rising up to her cheeks and she sat upright and glaring down at him.
Sakura scoffed at his forwardness. "I beg your pardon? Is that some kind of weird excuse for a proposal?"
Sasuke rolled completely onto his back. "No."
"No?" She repeated skeptically.
"No. I'm not proposing anything. I'm stating a fact. A plan if you will." He deadpanned.
Sakura pursed her lips and attempted to control her anger.
'Deep breaths Haruno! Deep breaths- Screw it! Kill the bastard! ' Her inner cried. Sakura clenched her fists and felt her nails digging sharply into the tender skin of her palm.
"I see. So I'm just supposed to finish work at the hospital one day, meet you at the Hokage's, and get the damn thing over with. Just so that I can become the friggan containment unit for your spawn a little sooner?" She was literally fuming and wouldn't be surprised if the bed sheets burst into flames around them.
"If you choose to look at it that way. It's a simple matter of-"
"Convenience?"
'Would it be convenient if I CASTRATED YOU? You-you-you motherfu-!'
"Like I said Sakura. You can choose to look at it however you want. I'll speak to the Hokage tomorrow and arrange it for-"
"No. You'll do no such thing." She was fisting the cloth of the bed spread, trying to keep her cool. "You can't get married with only one willing partner. This isn't ancient times, no matter how much you insist on acting like a Neanderthal and I refuse, refuse to be forced into marriage with such an unbelievably arrogant and irrational jackass!"
"Sakur-"
"I will not even consider marrying you until you ask me. If you had just asked me, Sasuke, I would have agreed. I love you!"
Sasuke sighed. "Will you marry-"
"Just shut up!" She hissed at him. "Because you refused to even try and make this a happy occasion, I will not marry you until you propose properly. No. Until you propose perfectly."
"S-"
"Sasuke! I mean it! Shut up! You have two options. Come up with a way to ask me. Without making me feel like nothing more than a method of rebuilding your clan. Come up with a way to ask me, which will make me want to say yes."
"..."
"..."
"What's the second option?"
Sakura hissed and tried to pretend as though his question hadn't ripped through her like a blade and hurt her to her very core. She turned her head to the side and tried unsuccessfully to keep the tears of frustration building behind her eyes at bay. She clenched her jaw and got out of bed, storming out of the room. She glared at him through tear filled eyes one last time as she grabbed some bedding from the closet and left the room to settle in one of the other numerous empty rooms around the house. She yelled over her shoulder, willing her voice not to crack.
"Ask somebody else!"
A/N - There it is. I understand that it might not be what you were expecting, or hoping for. But it's what I got.
I want to ask you guys to review, but at the same time, I'm terrified of them. OH what the hell? I can suck it up. I can be a man! (heh) Please Review! It would mean the world to me! I'm planning out chapter two tonight... Who knows when it'll be up ^_^;
And if anyone wants to take two seconds to vote on my poll to let me now what I should do, I'd appreciate the input!
(Scared and Anxious) Twiggy.