Title: Outstanding

Summary: Sometimes tough love is better love.

Prompt: Phobia

Warnings: None

Comments: Because I think we overlook that Sakura is also immature.

Sasuke had never seen Naruto so nervous before. A bowl of ramen before him, and all he could do was stare at it.

"Dobe."

Naruto looked up.

"That ramen isn't going to eat itself."

The boy gulped before rasping out, "I'm not hungry."

"Is this what every date is like?" Sai questioned from his other side.

Immediately, Naruto erupted in his face. "It's not just any date, Sai! It's—it's a date with… Hinata." The panic seemed to set back in, and he promptly relapsed into his comatose state, eyes wide and vacant.

Sasuke snorted. "Outstanding."

Suddenly, a poof of smoke lit up the countertop as Katsuyu appeared. "Naruto-kun! Sakura requests your presence at the hospital immediately! It's an emergency!"

Naruto jumped to his feet, hands frantically searching for his gamakichi money pouch. "Oh no, oh no, oh no," he muttered. "I need to meet Hinata in an hour. Hopefully it won't take that long—"

A hand roughly pushed him back into his chair. "I'll go," Sasuke said, standing. "You're too anxious to be of any help anyways."

Naruto sagged in relief. "Thanks, Sasuke."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

When Sasuke got to Sakura's office, he found it shut. No noises came from within. Slipping a kunai out of his pouch, he knocked.

"Come in!" Sakura's voice chimed from behind the door.

Sasuke opened the door smoothly, slipping into the room like a shadow. Eyes searching the room for threats, his suspicion grew when no apparent danger presented itself.

"Sasuke-kun! What are you doing here?" She was seated at her desk, pen in hand and a stack of paper before her.

"You sent a message to Naruto," he said. "You said it was important."

"Oh, yes well," she looked slightly uncomfortable. "There's a spider on the ceiling. Could you kill it?"

In the silence that followed, Sakura looked up to see Sasuke staring at her blankly. "What?"

"That's it?" he demanded. "That's what was so urgent?"

"Look, I have arachnophobia—"

"It's Naruto's first date with Hinata, and he's sitting at Ichiraku right now freaking the fuck out, and you call him over for an important emergency to kill a spider," Sasuke bit out.

Sakura's face reddened. Standing, she glared at him. "Yes, Sasuke-kun," she hissed. "Because phobias can't be cured with the snap of your fingers. It's a medical condition, and I can't do my work properly when I'm trying not to hyperventilate."

"You seem to be doing just fine right now," he spat. "Why didn't you get one of your nurses to help you if you're so afraid?"

"For this exact reason!" Sakura yelled back. "Because none of them would understand. I should've known you would attack me for this! This is why only Naruto can help me—"

"Naruto does it because he loves you," Sasuke said contemptuously, forcing Sakura to still. "He would do anything for you at the snap of your fingers, no matter how unfair it is to him. And you are using him and his emotions, even as he tries to get over you. How pathetic can you get? How do you expect me to take you seriously when you give me no reasons to? You know, this is just outstanding. Maybe I'm not the only one who needs to grow up, Sakura."

They stood staring at each other. Sakura was breathing heavily, unbridled fury and shame raging through her, battling to be the dominant emotion while Sasuke stood tall, cool eyes passing judgment on her. And then slowly, he turned around and left, closing the door behind him.

Author's Note:

Before anyone gets too upset with me, this is supposed to be a story about Sakura and Sasuke growing up. Neither of them are perfect. Both need to be imperfect and wrong sometimes. And I think what makes Sasuke such a good match to Sakura is for the very reason he gives her: he doesn't take her bullcrap. He's never going to baby her, and in a way, she needs that. He was the reason she got stronger, and in a way, he makes her a better person. So even though it's sasusaku month, and thus far, none of my fics have focused on their romantic relationship, please bear with me. I'm getting there, I promise.

On a completely note, the "outstanding" that Sasuke keeps saying is from Karl Urban (Bones from the new Star Trek)'s influence on me. I've been watching a lot of his movies recently, and he has the right kind of ascorbic, but actually soft-hearted personality for Sasuke.

~dydshark