Lights, Camera, Action... But Not Like That

Sasuke, and Sakura consider this stage their second home. But as their hit TV show approaches its climactic final season, the settings are becoming increasingly elaborate. The colorful and bright set that depicted the fictional Konohagakure when the trio was eleven has disappeared. They've grown up. Their characters have matured. The whole world has seen them develop into amazing actors.

Naruto transitions seamlessly into a comedy movie star. He's about to star in a new romantic comedy set to be released next summer. Sasuke consistently lands voice acting gigs for children's animation and video games worldwide, shedding the "emo kid" typecast that has haunted him for many years now. Sakura's new agent shuttles her from fashion show to fashion show, her rising fame as a consistent action movie starlet making her future career look infinite.

Designers finalize the set nearby. They add the finishing touches to an authentic-looking stone bridge. Massive overhead lights illuminate the set, casting dramatic shadows everywhere. In a warehouse across the street, Sasuke and Sakura face each other, close enough to feel each other's breath. She's just tried to stab him in the back, kunai still falling from her grasp. With Sasuke's fist wrapped around her neck, the tension mounts as Sakura struggles to breathe.

Or at least, it was until Sakura's giggles filled the air.

Sasuke quickly removes his hand, his face flushing wildly. "Sakura!"

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Sasuke!"

"Dude! That's the fifth time today. Stop laughing!"

"I said I'm sorry!" Sakura laughs harder, wiping away tears. "You just look so constipated."

"I'm trying here!"

Suddenly, loud claps fill the training room. Their overly muscular action coordinator catches their attention. Jacob's salt and pepper eyebrows furrow on his forehead, crow's feet wrinkling at the edges of his eyes. Sasuke hasn't worked with Jacob for years, not since his character's dramatic betrayal at the end of Season One. He's been working with the unofficial "bad guys" coordinator in the training room on the other side of the building for years now. Everything about this place is nostalgic for him: the shiny glare off Jacob's bald head, the closeness with Sakura, the fancy refrigerator filled with perfectly cooled protein shakes for him and celery juice for Sakura.

It should be comforting. Sasuke should be doing his best work. Instead, he feels like all his organs have been replaced with green jelly.

"Sasuke," Jacob calls out, "You're being way too nice with your movement. Follow through with your punches. Come on, dude; you should be acting borderline insane in this scene."

Sakura chuckles. "Just borderline?"

Hand at his hip, Sasuke shoots her a look. "Quiet, Haruno."

Jacob rubs his temples, exasperated. "From the top."

Jacob turns their metronome back on, and Sasuke knows what he needs to do.

"Five, six, seven, eight!"

They dive into their fight sequence. The choreography demands authenticity—every action must seem genuine. This is supposed to be a battle of Sakura's strong-willed determination against Sasuke's unraveling. She should not recognize his words and actions; he should not hesitate to tear her down. Sasuke should not know that Kakashi and Naruto are meant to save Sakura from his clutches. He should be seeking to destroy her just as he has destroyed every other obstacle in his path towards revenge.

However, less than five minutes in, Sasuke pulls back. He's caught the movement of a bead of sweat trailing down Sakura's sports bra. His eyes can't pull away from the swell of her breast. His ears are filled with the delicious noise of her harsh breathing. It's enough to slow him down. Sasuke hesitates to twist Sakura's wrist and turn her around. Their momentum breaks and his eyes connect with hers for just one moment.

Green. Enchanting green eyes fill his sight.

"Sasuke!" Jacob yells. "You could have hurt someone! What's going on?"

Sasuke ruffles his hair. "I just...didn't want to hurt her." He lies. He knows he's lying. Jacob might not know, but Sakura definitely does.

Sakura rolls her eyes and forces a smile. "Pssh! I can handle you."

Sasuke chuckles. "Doubtful."

Levity. That's what their bickering is for. Since working together, Sasuke and Sakura have used their teasing for levity. If things go wrong on set, if the director is mad, if their shoot was running over time, Sasuke and Sakura found comfort in each other.

Their playful exchanges are well-known in their production team. Sasuke and Sakura are known to bicker. They've known each other for years. At one point, Sasuke's mom shared an apartment with Sakura's mom as the families relocated to Hollywood from their hometowns. Their friendship started on the first day of screen tests back when they were children. For fun, for mischievousness, for whatever end, Sasuke and Sakura can divert any conversation.

Before the two actors get out of hand, an irritated Jacob demands focus, "This isn't working. Take a break. Sort it out. We shoot tomorrow."

The two actors leave the training room. Sasuke's mind is so filled with thoughts, he can't make the smog dissipate. He's trailing behind Sakura until he realizes where she's heading: her trailer. A regular eighteen-year-old would probably get anxious following a girl into her private space. A regular young man might think sharing the space in his crush's bed is an invitation for something more. But being colleagues with Sakura for the past seven years has meant sharing more intimate spaces than the bed she keeps in her trailer.

The quiet envelops them, and Sasuke forces his body to relax. Or at least, look like he's relaxing. Sasuke is a great actor; he is good at playing pretend. He's good at lowering his shoulders, calming down his breathing, getting rid of the tension in his jaw. He's lowering his eyelids, hiding more of the white sclera, pulling one of his arms under his head.

Pretend. It is all pretend. It's all the cool exterior of Sasuke, the part he has to play on screen. It's none of the anxious young man with his heart stuck in his throat for his best friend. He does care that Sakura's hand has crawled its way into his. He does care that her socked feet have tangled themselves with his legs. He cares and cares and cares.

Sasuke is so in his own head that he almost misses Sakura breaking the quiet. "This sucks. I don't want to hurt you."

Sasuke turns his head towards her. "Yeah. I don't think I could ever bring myself to even pretend do it."

Sakura giggles again. Levity. More levity. Anything to get away from the heaviness. "You're going soft on me, Uchiha?"

He smirks, poking her side. "Shut up. I just don't want to hear you complaining about bruises before your next big magazine cover."

She sputters. "That was years ago! It was my first actual solo fight and Sasori was not making it easy."

He snorts. "I seem to remember that being easy for you."

She knows what Sasuke's referring to. Sakura's thinking about it, too. In their first season of Shippuden, Sakura accepted a date with Sasori back then. One date turned into two, and then four, and then they showed up as each other's dates for the Emmys that year. Even though her romance with Sasori was short-lived, their pictures were plastered everywhere: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, tabloids, daytime talk shows...

The attention helped Sakura draw a more critical eye to her work, with critics raving for her metamorphosis from precocious child actress to genuine action star.

That was the last time Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto showed up to the same publicity event as a friend group. Sasuke started picking up more projects in their off-season, distancing himself from the one coworker that felt like second family to him.

There was a pause, a tension in the air, but not an unwelcome one. Sakura stares at the ceiling of her trailer, unconsciously chewing on her lower lip. "We've known each other since we were kids. It's hard to pretend to hate you. My mind just… I can't do it."

"You'd think Miss Summer Blockbuster Action Star wouldn't have that problem."

"I'm serious! I know it's been a while since we've hung out just the two of us, but…"

The silence between the two actors lingers. Something strange coils in her throat, not quite sadness, but fear. Genuine anticipation of laying out the truth.

"But what?"

"Sasuke, you're still one of my best friends."

"And you're mine," Sasuke replied, his voice softening.

"Yeah. I am yours."

Sasuke turns fully to his side, meeting her gaze. She turned her body towards him, too. He can't hear anything past her loud heartbeat. He can't see anything beyond green, green eyes lost in a tangle of memories. He can't feel anything beyond the weight of her calluses on his hand.

There they were: the words he absolutely did not want to hear. She admits to being his, and his entire life falls apart. Because Sasuke doesn't own her. Sasuke cannot be Sasuke can't own anyone in Hollywood. They're actors. They're coworkers. They're doing a job. It would be improper. Hell, it would be unprofessional for him to stake his claim.

Sasuke and Sakura both knew that there was no permanence in the life they chose for themselves. Even now, their friendship could dissolve with a single phone call from either of their publicists. Friendships were safe. Text messages were safe. Cast parties wrapped up in a million NDAs were safe. Hanging out in either of their trailers was safe.

This… thing they were teetering on the precipice of? This delicious tension twisting deep in his belly? The overwhelming magnetism he felt between her body and his fingertips? This was not safe. Their shared history, all the years working side by side, all the jokes, all the shared tutoring sessions, all the laughter during the early slumber parties their moms scheduled for those horrid 4AM call times, and now this moment—it was all leading to something.

And yet, in all the danger, in the delicate nature of their relationship, calm and happy Sasuke Uchiha felt nothing more than the absolute need to pull Sakura's lips onto his.

"Sasuke," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "I don't want to lose you."

Before she could continue, Sasuke whispered, "I don't want to let you go once this show is over." The confession dangled in the air, their shared history flashing before them in a montage of laughter, fights, celebrations, and tears from the past seven years.

The distance between them shortened inch by inch, though neither was conscious of who moved first. Sakura could feel the warmth emanating from Sasuke, and her heart thudded wildly, its rhythm a stark contrast to the stillness around them.

Sasuke's voice, deepened by shaky uncertainty, breaks through the dam of fear. "Sakura... we've known each other forever but there's I've been so scared to..."

Without waiting for him to finish, she softly murmured, "What if I feel the same way?"

Emotions flashed in Sasuke's eyes — surprise, hope, and a tinge of vulnerability. The very vulnerability he so expertly hid from the world. His hands shake, Sasuke's not usually this bold. Before another word was spoken, he gently reaches out, cupping Sakura's face, drawing the weight of her lips towards his.

The kiss was hesitant at first, a tentative mingling of lips, as if both were testing unfamiliar waters. But as seconds turned into moments, it deepened, becoming more assured, the pent-up emotions of years spilling over. Her small fingers run through his dark hair and the sparks fly under his eyelids. His thumb caresses her face, feels the softness of Sakura under his touch, and yet none of this feels real.

But there's no role to play. No audience to entertain. No fight to avoid. This is just for Sasuke and Sakura to hold on to. The delicate relationship of their work, their careers, their ambitions can wait.

As they eventually pulled away, gasping for breath, their foreheads rested together. Sasuke's voice, thick with emotion, uttered, "I waited too long for that."

Sakura, her eyes shining with joy, whispers back, "Better late than never."

THE END.