Reviewers:
Guest: Sounds like you like some ideas for your own story there :) No, I have been adding them in my recent stories, but I feel this one is more wholesome than that.
Samm91: Thank you! Appreciate it. I don't mean to make Ino sad, but...not everyone can have a Naruto.
Kingred1994: Now for some time NOT with Sakura. Because...she REALLY wants him to stay...as Friends...
BirdManJob: Oh! I hope to make you tell me every time then. So Much Pressure! Out of the big cities, people tend to create lasting communities with those around them, in my opinion. And I love the challenge.
AN: Glad that everything is proceeding smoothly for our couple. NOW...Let's try separating them from each other, right?
Glazed Emeralds: A Hallmark Story
Chapter 15: Friends Who Have Sex
Wolf whistles sounded from the jeep as five guys jeered mockingly towards the Inn, where in front of the door, Sakura snogged her lover's lips greedily, her arms wrapped around his neck as he dipped her towards the ground and back up.
With heavy breaths, the two broke apart, and Naruto caressed her cheek fondly. "I always wanted to dip a girl while kissing."
"I always wanted to pull a guy back from leaving to snog them." Sakura rebutted as she idly played with a strand of hair at the back of his neck. Sakura cocked her head as her gaze twinkled across at him. "I'll see you tonight, then?"
Naruto smirked. "Of course. Where else would I be?"
Sakura smiled back, her eyes shining as she relinquished control. "Enjoy your day with the guys."
"You enjoy your day with the girls." He whispered back before jumping into the jeep with the guys as they quickly raced off down the street and out of sight. Sakura stepped out to the middle of the lane, her neck craning to see him one last time as her skirt swished above the dirt road, and only after the sound of the car died down did she begin to think about anything else.
Sakura sighed, shaking her head. Why did she feel so lonely now that he was gone? He'd left on day trips before. He'd met the villagers, and been by himself. Maybe because she had chores to do and maintenance to upkeep on the Inn. Now, she was out of tasks, the sound of her heartbeat thumped against her chest, causing her both pleasure and pain. She touched the space above it and let out a soft whimper. She couldn't wait until tonight.
Sakura turned her head, and immediately spotted the gaggle of girls standing and leaning against the walls of the mercantile, where they'd be enjoying the morning at Ino's place. Sakura moved over to them and saw Ino's body lean over expectantly and fidget in place, her eyes alight with a deep need set behind. "What?"
"Sakura, you promised."
Sakura blushed as the other girls leaned forward as well, binding her in place. "That was just to you, Ino."
"Come on! Please!" The others begged excitedly, wishing to hear the juicy details.
Sakura sighed in defeat. There was no way out of this, and...she really wanted to gossip. "Okay so...as I told Ino before, I didn't know why at the time, but I was feeling antsy and crazy and it was Naruto making me feel that way. So I…"
Naruto kept his eyes closed as he breathed in the natural scent of the woodland around him, from the bark of the trees to the scent of the pine cones. The warmth on his skin almost felt perfect. It was just missing something, and Naruto knew what that was. It was-
"Here you are, Naruto." Kiba interrupted the serenity as he passed the new guy a cold beer. Naruto opened his eyes and sat up on the grass, where around him stood and sat five other guys. They'd walked around the lake a bit before Kiba brought out a cooler and grill and cooked up some food. Beside Naruto lay an empty plate. He had to say, he'd never had deer meat before. It wasn't a bad taste. Kiba had shot it months ago and cleaned it, being as self sufficient as possible.
"So Kiba," Chouji called over, "how is Hinata coming along?"
Kiba breathed out coolly before he cracked and scratched at his hair. "I gotta say that I wasn't expecting a kid so soon. I know I still got five months and all, but...damn. The sex is crazy. Nothing like a hormonal woman to wear a guy out first."
"I thought you'd be itching to get away." Shino commented, and Kiba smirked.
"Don't get me wrong. I love my wife and she is amazing, but if I stay cooped up too long, I'm not fun to be around. Luckily she gets me, and lets me out. Speaking of which…"
Naruto gulped back a sip, and upon noticing the silence, looked over to see all others looking back at him. "What?"
"Naruto, what's with you and Sakura?"
"What do you mean?" Naruto quirked his eyes. "Nothing really." He added, but Kiba gave him an unconvinced look and Naruto gulped back nerves as he tried to shake these guys off. "Seriously you guys! We're just friends."
Kiba smirked like a dog with a bone. "Just sex friends?"
"Well…" Naruto stalled. "...I think we're just seeing where it takes us. We're not making any plans. Just taking and embracing what happens, you know?"
Shikamaru took the opportunity to clear his throat across from them and Naruto met his gaze. "She's a special girl, Naruto."
"Geez you guys! Protective much?" Naruto internally sweated. It was like he was on trial or something. "Believe it when I say that I know that. She's...unlike anyone I've met before. There's just something about her that...well...I feel gravitated towards her. I see her and...she sees me...and just that makes me happy. Really happy. She and I just want to be around each other all the time."
Naruto blushed as he finished his little bit of soliloquy. That was embarrassing to admit to these guys. Surrounded by people who could build things with their hands, decide their daily plans while he was a cooped up city boy voicing whatever he thought, like a young wolf trying to prove himself before the pack. But the way he said that stuff! That sounded like he-
"Oomph!" Naruto grunted as the large guy next to him, Chouji, nudged his shoulder with his meaty palm. "That's Love, man."
"What? No!" Naruto's voice rose to a higher pitch, shaking his head quickly. He didn't love Sakura! H-he'd know if he did right away. She was just so amazing that he crushed on her. Then it was turned into a sexual adventure of lust and comfort. He was star struck every morning he woke up with her in his arms. He couldn't love her; they had an arrangement.
This was just for fun. If he loved her, and she didn't, then this whole thing was an entire farce and it would get complicated and awkward. If...if it got awkward...Naruto frowned, slipping his fingers along the rim of the bottle...He didn't want to hurt her-
"Hey, let the guy fuck!" Konohamaru yelled over, leaning against a tree a little further from the group. Naruto looked up to see the younger guy roll his eyes. "Nothing's better than a fuck friend."
Konohamaru was three years younger than the others in the group, and always spoke up like a young pup trying to stand out. Out of these guys, Naruto got along great with him, his ego being stroked every time Konohamaru asked him about the city and such. Being the only guy your age had drawbacks, and as Konohamaru would find, wisdom came with age.
"Oh shut it Kono!" Kiba barked over to the young man. "Like you can even talk! You and Moegi have been together since kindergarten and fucking since the 9th grade! Just man up and ask her to marry you already, you bloody coward."
The guys chuckled as the youngest guy grumbled, taking a sip of his beer before looking back over.
"Seriously Naruto, Sakura needs a guy like you, one who is honest and understands her and gives her the time of day. I mean after what happened to her-"
"What happened?" Naruto asked, wondering what could have harmed Sakura in the past.
Immediately, the mood dampened all around him, the beer bottles suddenly a heavy weight in their hands. All the guys held their breath and looked away, making Naruto wonder. Had Sakura been in a previous relationship? It was stupid of him to think she'd never been in one before. She was everything a guy could want. Hard working, an absolute blast to be around, a great cook, a wholesome down to earth woman. Who would not want her?
"She was really serious with someone?" Naruto asked aloud, but most of them looked even further away. The topic obviously hurt them as much as it had Sakura.
"Look, Naruto, her ex-"
"Kono!" Kiba barked over to shut him up, jarring Naruto in place at the glare in Kiba's protective eyes. Just like that, the group dissolved as Kiba manhandled Konohamaru by the back of his jacket and walked off with him. Shikamaru stood up and moved beside him and grabbed at his shoulder.
"It's not our place to say, Naruto. We saw only the aftermath, and Sakura means a lot to everyone in town. It's a sore subject, no one exactly knows what happened; Sakura never told anyone. All we can say is that her heart was crushed in the end."
Shikamaru and the guys watched as Naruto's eyes began to tear up, and his jaw set as he grinded his teeth together. They knew exactly how he felt; they'd felt the same way.
"W-who'd do that to her? She's so...so…"
Shikamaru sighed beside the new guy as he watched a grown man tear up. He didn't like to speak up; he loathed being called on in class back in school. He wanted to close his eyes and listen to the rustle of the trees and the forest and, but no one else would help, and...his eyes had analyzed Naruto over the last two weeks. He could tell that the two were good for the other.
"Naruto, Sakura...she hasn't been like this, like how she is acting right now, in a long time. Sure she smiles and talks to us since we see each other all the time, but how she acted back in school, well... it took her a while to put the pieces back together. She still has to put on a mask every morning, and we've all seen it."
"But you're bringing the best out of her." Naruto heard Shikamaru's words and around him, Kiba and even Shino, this guy who wore heavy clothes year round due to a skin condition and dark glasses and quiet, nodded with him.
"I am?"
Shikamaru sported a rare, sincere smile. "Yes. When you're around her, her shoulders aren't tight. When you hold her waist, her smile is genuine. She trusts you implicitly. That's how much we know that you're a good guy."
Just as Naruto moved to speak, Shikamaru held up his hand. "I know you're leaving soon and you and her have this...arrangement of yours, but might I ask you to visit here again?"
Naruto blushed red and looked away. "Y-you realize what we're doing, right?"
Shikamaru smiled. "Yes. The whole town knows, but if it makes her happy, then I don't care."
"I mean, Sakura is amazing. We mesh so well together."
"Well, even when you leave, I think we'd all appreciate it if you kept in contact with her. Call her up, ask about her day. Be her friend. We've forgotten just how happy she used to be; we'd like to keep this old Sakura around."
Naruto grinned sourly as Shikamaru patted his shoulder and sighed. "Okay! Enough sappy stuff! I'm going to nap!"
Naruto watched as Shikamaru placed himself against a tree and was stunned as he really did fall asleep ten seconds later. Naruto leaned back himself and tried to enjoy the view, but the guy's words rang true in his ears.
Sakura was an amazing woman. There weren't many girls who he could speak to so openly about any subject. Politics, laws, sex. She accepted them with gusto and a logical belief and the arguments between them were just debates with a conclusion. He respected the hell out of her choices.
"God!" Naruto muttered to the wind. "She's just the girl I want to marry and raise a fam-"
Naruto's eyes widened. His heart skipped a beat. 'Wait...what?' He breathed as he moved into his mind, scouring his thoughts.
'Marry? When did that come up? The guys had only said that they approved of me with Sakura and-'
'Oh no.' Naruto thought as his eyes began to play tricks on him. He was on the grass looking between the trees to the lake in front of him. He could see the guys standing around his vision and having a good time. Naruto gulped as a transparent figure emerged from the air and smiled his way. Her hair played with the wind and swept around her. Her outfit was the same from this morning, but she'd look good in anything she wore. And that smile she sent his way-
"...Sakura…" Naruto breathed as the ghostly figure nodded happily.
Naruto shook his head rapidly as his hands clasped around his head. What was he doing?! This was just a vacation! He had work in the city to get back to after all this! Naruto cast another gaze at the ghost and shivered. He was fucking a goddess, yes. He was the happiest that he'd ever been in his life, yes. H-he was…
'Oh god...I'm not falling for her, am I?' Naruto cast a glance up and the ghost disappeared, and suddenly, Naruto grunted and held his chest above his heart as it clenched and hurt. God; he was.
Naruto grit his teeth and cursed himself. This was just supposed to be fun! And the most he'd been hoping for was to be her friend in the end. They could call each other every week- 'every day.' Naruto mused with a smile. Maybe he could take vacations more often. He was getting promoted and that meant more time off. This place could be his home away from home.
Naruto breathed out slowly. Would Sakura be okay with that kind of arrangement? Seeing each other through a phone? Being physical only when he stopped by for a week or two at a time? Time to face facts. They were fucking a lot. That led to endorphins rushing in and telling him he loved her. He could control that. He still had two weeks here. Easy.
But...if she felt the same way, then maybe…
Naruto smiled, shaking his head. No way. Sakura was too logical for that. Besides, she had told him she had a surprise for him tonight. He wondered just what it could be.
AN: Oooohhhh...Hallucinating right? Anyone else gets those visions of a possible future?