Be My Valentine... Valentines Day is here, and even knowing the way her beloved Sasuke-kun is, Sakura has a present for him; will he react like usual when she tries to give it to him? Sasuke+Sakura; mentions of Neji+Tenten, Naruto+Hinata, Shikamaru+Ino, and Kakashi+Kurenai.
---------- Naruto Fan Fiction: Be My Valentine ----------
Sakura narrowed her eyes as she finished decorating the heart shaped pink and white box, hoping that the home-made chocolates contained inside would please the receiver of the gift. She added a smile for good luck as she tied the pretty red ribbon into a neat bow on top of it, her eyes scanning over the finished product to confirm that it was ready.
She had enlisted the help of her mother and Yamanaka Ino(who had made a few herself to give to the boy she was now interested in: Nara Shikamaru) in making that delectable box of desserts for the boy she loved so dearly, and she could only hope that he appreciated it. Of course, whether or not he did, she knew already that he probably wouldn't show it, he was just that way. Still, she would have the satisfaction of knowing that she did something nice for him on this special occasion known as Valentines Day.
She had actually planned to invite him to Hinata's Valentines Day party afterwards, though she knew he would more than likely say no. Still, it wouldn't hurt to ask, right?
And so, without another word, Sakura set out of her house to find Uchiha Sasuke...
-----
The annoying sound of a particular blond boy's obnoxious voice caused Sasuke to roll his eyes as he wandered down the sidewalk, that orange clad entity strolling along behind him. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets and he had actually been hoping to avoid this day altogether -- a day for lovers they called it. Pish posh, who needs such a thing?
"Sasuke-teme, what's the problem? I'm asking Hinata-chan out today, so why don't you try spending some time with Sakura-chan? You know she would like it... Why not invite her to Hinata-chan's party tonight?" the cerulean eyed boy hinted, causing Sasuke to shudder slightly. Naruto was so good at being annoying, no matter what else he was good at.
"Go away," Sasuke commanded quietly, and he seemed to sense Naruto's glare on his shoulders. "I'm not going to ask Sakura out if that's what your trying to convince me to do." he said. Naruto stuck out his tongue in annoyance.
"Sakura-chan deserves to be happy, you shouldn't be so mean and dismissive to her," he informed, and Sasuke paused to breath a sigh. "She's not like your other fangirls, you know -- she really likes you."
Sasuke closed his eyes. Maybe he was right, maybe Sakura wasn't just another crazed fangirl. But why did it concern him either way? He had a duty to fulfill to his clan, he had to get revenge on Itachi, he had no time for silly things like dating and relationships.
Strangely enough, Naruto apparently got tired of arguing over the matter and took off without another word. It was almost like he was just trying to buy time or something. What was his problem? Hadn't he liked Sakura before -- if he remembered correctly, it had been Naruto that had chased after Sakura the way those weird fangirls continued to chase after the Uchiha heir and the Hyuuga too. Had that Hinata girl really changed all that?
"I do not like Sakura, it doesn't matter that she likes me," he reasoned. Still, he felt a pang of something similar to guilt in his chest when he really thought about it. Sakura was no doubt hoping to spend time with him today, because she perhaps genuinely did like him. But what was he supposed to do about it? He didn't return her feelings, right? So that meant he couldn't help her, right?
He didn't like her, right?
Sasuke scrunched his eyes closed and touched his forehead to his right palm. It was all terribly confusing. It was amazing how Naruto had managed to put that annoying little doubt there with just a few words about Sakura's feelings. So what if she wanted to spend the day with him, he absolutely was not going to waste the day on stupid things. He was going to go home and train like he did every other day! And that was that!
... Or was it?
-----
A determined smile on her face, Sakura marched up to the door of the Uchiha mansion, decorative box of Valentines chocolates in hand. She had worked really hard on those, and she wanted to see that Sasuke got them!
Somewhat nervously, she pushed a few strands of short pink hair behind her ear and rapped lightly on his door. She waited and waited for several moments, but not a sound was heard coming from inside. She pouted slightly and tapped her foot a bit but didn't budge.
Maybe he was out? Or maybe he just doesn't want to see me, she reminded herself with a sad frown. He didn't have the same feelings for her that she had for him, and she actually knew that quite well. He had made it obvious time and time again, but he could at least accept her present! What would it hurt him to take a few chocolates? It's not like it would make them into an instant couple, was that what he was afraid of?
"Sasuke-kun..." she muttered, her head lowered. She would wait for him if she had to wait all day. She had nothing better to do anyway since they didn't have any training or missions with Kakashi until tomorrow. Sasuke would have to either come home or come out of his home eventually... right?
"Sakura?"
A surprised voice from behind her caused Sakura to look back there to see Sasuke with his typical dismissive expression standing there at the steps beside where she had sat down, the box of chocolates on her lap. Her expression lit up when she seen him and she jumped to her feet, swallowed hard and extending her present to him. He looked down at her hands before raising his eyes to the door.
"I don't need it," he said, and Sakura's heart dropped a few notches. She still forced her happy smile and kept her hands raised.
"Please? It's just a present, I really just want you to have it..." she pleaded with him, nibbling lightly on the inside of her bottom lip nervously. Sasuke breathed a tiny sigh and stepped past her to walk inside.
"There's no reason for you to give me a present, give it to someone else," he said coldly before stepping inside and closing the door behind him. Sakura's expression dropped as did her heart once again. She had worked so hard to make it special, there really wasn't any hidden motivation behind it...
Sakura rapped on the door again. "Sasuke-kun!" she called, and she heard shifting inside but the door wasn't opened. "Please, open up!" she added, but still nothing. Realizing that he wasn't opening the door and feeling greatly disheartened, Sakura stepped back a bit and sat the box of chocolates down in front of his door before turning around to walk off. "Sorry for bothering you..." she murmured softly, before wandering off completely devestated.
-----
Sasuke sighed in relief when he peeped out the window and saw her gone. She was so annoying, couldn't she mind her own business? Upon casting one last glance out the window, he noticed something on the ground outside his door and his curiosity piqued. Stepping over to it, he slipped the door open and dropped his eyes to the box of chocolates, immediately recognizing it to be the gift she had tried to give him.
He narrowed his eyes and kneeled down beside the box, carefully touching the ribbon with the tips of his fingers. She had seemed pretty determined to give this to him, maybe he had been wrong to run her off? His expression softening a bit, he picked up the box and stepped back inside with it.
Sitting the box on the table inside, he slipped the top off of it to see what was inside, anticipating to see chocolates. And, there were chocolates filling the two layer box, probably fifty of them in all. He shook his head slightly and took the card laying across the top. It was red and white and pink appropriate for the holiday.
The front of it was a picture of a heart and many ribbons streaming around it. The design was relatively simple, not highly extravagant like some may have been. Flipping open the card, he found a note aside from the small verse written in the card. The card read...
Carnations are pink, Uchiha fans are red and white.
I won't give up on you, or this fight.
Though you may not like me, we're still friends.
And the friendship we share will never end.
Still I love you, and just so you know,
I'll be here forever, I won't ever go...
Happy Valentines Day, Sasuke-kun! - Haruno Sakura
Sasuke's expression softened again as he read the message, a smile forcing itself on his lips. She wasn't like the other fangirls, she was his friend. And she wasn't the kind to just give up because he turned her down a few times, she was really persistant and maybe that was one of her most endearing factors...
Endearing? Sasuke quirked an eyebrow. Shrugging it off, he took the small note that had been folded up in the card; he hadn't read that yet...
Sasuke-kun,
I've been crushing on you for years now, and I've recently came to a realization: I don't have a crush on you anymore, in fact I don't like you anymore. I know this doesn't interest you, but I still feel like I should tell you about all of this. It started a few days ago when I first started realizing it. My feelings started to change, maybe it was from all of the disappointments my heart suffered. I never thought it would get to me, and it's affected me in somewhat of a strange way.
I don't like you anymore, Sasuke-kun, because I love you. I think that's what my heart's been trying to tell me; this silly crush of mine has developed into something more than a crush, and it hurts. It hurts even more to actually be in love with someone and for them to not even care, but I wanted you to know this anyway. I actually feel a little bit better with conveying this to you, but that doesn't stop it from hurting. Still, this Valentines Day gift doesn't have any kind of hidden motivation behind it or anything, it's just a present from me to you as friends if nothing else. That's why I want you to enjoy the chocolates, I worked really hard to make them myself and I put my whole heart into it. That's all, and if you're reading this I guess you accepted my present. Thank you so much for that, and you're still my favorite person! - Haruno Sakura
Sasuke very quietly slipped the note back into the card and closed it, dropping it back on the box. He couldn't tear his eyes off of the innocent looking piece of paper however, it was almost intimidating. He hadn't accepted her present, he had ran her off. He had been cruel to her just like usual, only it felt all the worse this time. His heart boiled in his chest, he was angry at himself for being so dismissive.
He had been too selfish, and everyone knew that. Still, Sakura was nice to him, she had given him this present knowing that he didn't like her, whether or not he actually did appearing more and more as a mystery to even him at this point. Did he like Sakura? Was it possible that the reason he felt so guilty about not being nice to her was because he did in actuality like her? It was confusing to think about, but even if he didn't like her, she was his friend and it was wrong of him to treat her the way he did...
"I guess I should appologize..." he whispered as he pushed himself up, picking up one of the chocolates as he did. Popping it into his mouth, he took a moment to think about the taste -- it was actually quite good. A chocolate covered cherry, where had Sakura learned to make those? He couldn't help the tiny smirk that tugged at one side of his mouth. She had made them herself. That was a somewhat elating thought. She had done that for him.
He had spent a long time thinking that since the Uchiha clan had been demolished by Itachi, there was no one left to care about him. But he was wrong, wasn't he? There were a few people who cared about him, one of which who apparently loved him. Maybe he wasn't as alone as he thought he was after all?
-----
Sakura stopped in the park, not really wanting to go home and not really having anywhere else to go. She sat in one of the swings, wallowing in her depression. She had just wanted to do something nice, and he had basically thrown it back at her the moment he closed the door in her face.
But this was just another of those times when he would break her heart and she would bounce back a couple of days later, her heart mended and ready to go again... It was strange to think about though. At least she knew that he had the option of taking her gift if he wanted to, though more than likely he'd probably start out the door and step on it later...
Feeling tears rise to her eyes, Sakura closed them. It hurt more than she wanted to admit sometimes, and she was probably weak for crying. At least that's what Sasuke would say. But, still, she couldn't help it. She couldn't stop it from hurting. She had chosen a boy to love that would more than likely never even give her a second glance. Was she doomed to a life of sadness?
"Hey, Sakura?" Tenten asked, her voice getting closer. Sakura raised her head and wiped her eyes, before offering the other girl a small smile. Tenten sat in the swing beside her. "What's wrong?"
Sakura sighed. "Just Sasuke-kun; I made him some chocolates, but when I tried to give them to him, he just kind of brushed me off..." she murmured, and Tenten's expression saddened as she patted her recently made friend on the back.
"He's just confused; Neji was the same way," she smiled, and Sakura looked up at her.
"You think so?" she asked. Tenten nodded.
"Sasuke may act like a jerk, but if he didn't like you at all, then he wouldn't have helped you out back in the Chuunin Exam. Right?" she reasoned. Sakura thought about it for a moment and nodded.
"I guess not," she replied. Tenten's smile widened.
"See?" she encouraged again. Sakura returned her smile.
"Thanks Tenten-san," she mumbled, and Tenten nodded. "Don't keep Neji-san waiting though," she added. Tenten cast a glance back at the Hyuuga she had left waiting on the road and stuck her tongue out.
"Oops," she knocked herself on the head playfully before offering Sakura one last smile of encouragement. "I think you should talk to Sasuke again later. Maybe he was just in a bad mood." And that was the last thing she said before taking off to meet up with her boyfriend.
Sakura dropped her eyes to the grassy ground. "Sasuke-kun... You don't hate me... do you?"
-----
"Kakashi?" Kurenai called, interupting the white haired jounin's thoughts. He popped his only usable eye away from the book in his hand to glance down at her from his seat on the roof of the Ichiraku Ramen. The crimson eyed woman folded her arms. "Can I speak to you? It's about Naruto and Hinata." Shrugging, Kakashi put his Icha Icha Paradise away in his pocket and dropped down in front of her. She pointed inside, and sure enough, Naruto and Hinata were seated inside, eating ramen.
"What about them?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Kurenai smiled slightly.
"Do you think that Naruto might be interested in Hinata? I know that Hinata likes Naruto, but since he asked her out today, I've just been thinking about it." she explained her situation, "I don't want Hinata to get hurt after all -- she's like my own daughter."
Kakashi looked thoughtful for a moment before his only visible eye crinkled into a smile. "I think Naruto probably likes Hinata. He's very open with his feelings, and if he asked her here then I guess that's a good clue, isn't it?" he asked, and Kurenai smiled again, possibly pleased with his answer. "It's Sasuke that I'm having a bit of trouble out of; he doesn't seem willing to admit that he likes Sakura," he added, scratching his head. Kurenai chuckled lightly.
"And how do you know that he does like her?" she asked. Kakashi blinked once.
"Weeell... It's just something about the way the boy acts. Trust me, I've read enough of Icha Icha Paradise to tell me when someone likes someone else." Kakashi responded. Kurenai quirked an eyebrow.
"And how does that make you an expert? What's in that book anyway?" she asked, and Kakashi looked at his pocket, his mind running over the recent events in the latest chapter. He grinned under his mask. "Well?"
"All kinds of stuff." he responded, and Kurenai rolled her eyes.
"Maybe I'll just borrow it," she said, and he shook his head. She knew he wouldn't give it up without a fight -- he was obviously very attached to that book... "Hmm..." she reached for the pocket he'd placed it in, causing him to jump back up out of reach. She raised her head to look at him, arms folded yet again and lips twisted into a knowing smile.
"If you're such an expert, do you know who it is that I like?" she asked, and Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
"No. Why, do you like someone?" he asked. Her smile only widened.
"Some expert," she added as she walked away leaving a very bewildered Kakashi behind her...
"Strange kunoichi."
-----
It was drawing into the evening now and Sakura was still sitting into the part, now on the bench. It was getting cool out, but she didn't feel like going home. Really, she just wanted to sulk since she couldn't be with Sasuke...
Sighing heavily had become a regular passtime over the past hours, it seemed she was doing it every set number of minutes, but she didn't pay any attention. It was just one of those things she did to make herself feel better though it rarely helped.
"Sakura?" a familiar, unexpected voice called from behind the coral haired girl causing her to turn her head, her eyes immediately catching sight of the raven haired Uchiha. Sasuke lowered his eyes to the ground, his right hand hidden behind his back. He seemed almost nervous about something.
He was silent for the next couple of minutes as he slowly closed the distance between them and took a seat on the bench beside her. Her had a bandage on his left hand and she couldn't help but feel curious about it. Had he hurt himself while training or something?
Breathing out deeply, he noticed her scrutiny of his hand and it seemed to shudder under her gaze. He felt kind of strange about confronting her after being so mean earlier, but he knew that if he didn't appologize, he would be thinking about it all night...
"What happened to your hand?" Sakura asked, and Sasuke slipped it into his pocket. As if to answer her question, he pulled his right hand around in front of him to reveal a brown bear. It wasn't perfectly made but it was cute enough; he handed it to her, a small blush visible on his cheeks. Sakura looked at it in amazement, before somewhat nervously accepting it. "I--Is this for me?"
Sasuke answered her with a nod, causing a smile to form on her face, tears rising back to her eyes. He had sewed her a teddy bear all by himself, just for her. Wasn't that right? Sasuke looked at her and felt his heartbeat excelerate a bit when he noticed how happy she looked.
"After you left, I... took your present..." he muttered and Sakura looked back at him in bewilderment as she hugged the stuffed animal to her chest. "I read the card, and I want to say that I'm... sorry for brushing you off." he added. Sakura's eyes widened; she had never expected to hear Sasuke appologize to her, especially not for being dismissive -- that was just the way he was, right?
"Sasuke-kun..."
"The chocolates are good; so... thanks," he murmured also, and Sakura's cheeks flushed slightly. He liked the chocolates? That made the entire day worthwile! The pace of her heart grew faster and she really wanted to hug him, but she knew that it would probably just alienate him away from her again. He noticed that she was holding herself back and sighed lowly. What could it hurt?
"Go ahead," he whispered and she smiled widely before wrapping her arms around him, pulling him closer. It felt nice to be able to hug him without him hating her for it, she had always cherished every moment they got to spend together and this one was particularly special...
"After I read your message, I realized that I shouldn't have been so... rude to you earlier, and I sewed you that bear as a present for the occasion... and to appologize," he continued, and Sakura felt her tears roll off her cheeks. Hearing him say those words was more than she knew she should hope for, and it was enough to make her more than happy.
"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," she whispered her gratitude, and he couldn't help but smile slightly. He felt better, whether or not he consciously knew he did.
"And... one more thing," Sasuke said, his voice still a bit nervous. Sakura pulled away from him, looking puzzled. She tilted her head slightly in confusion, and he breathed out deeply before leaning over and pressing a light kiss to her right cheek. Her blush deepened visibly and her smile widened as he pushed the remaining tears off of her cheeks with his thumb.
"I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and... I think that I... might like you too," he added, his voice lowering in decibal. Sakura's smile continued to widen. If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up... "I just can't let anything stand in the way of my revenge. I owe my family that much," he added. Sakura nodded silently; revenge wouldn't make him happy but she knew there was no talking him out of it; no, she would do her best to help him. It was the least she could do for him, after all...
"So, will you go to Hinata's party with me?" Sasuke added, somewhat unexpected. Naruto had suggested it to him earlier, maybe the blasted blond haired boy had been right after all...
"Sasuke-kun, of course I'll go with you!" Sakura cried, hugging him again. Everything felt surreal -- Sasuke had given her a gift, kissed her on the cheek, appologized for being a jerk, and even asked her to Hinata's party... Maybe he really did like her, and maybe, just maybe, she really did have a chance with him after all...
Sasuke pushed himself back up to a standing position and extended a hand to his date. She smiled again(not that she ever really stopped), and took his hand before allowing him to lead her to the Hyuuga mansion. This was definitely going to be a party to remember...
Meanwhile, nearby, Kakashi watched with a crooked grin hidden under his mask as he flipped his Icha Icha Paradise closed and put it away in his pocket. He had to get to that party himself...
---------- Owari: The End ----------
Disclaimer & Copyright Information: I do not own Naruto (© Kishimoto Masashi); however, I am the author of this story. If you have comments or suggestions, leave a review or send me an e-mail. Doumo arigatou, for reading my writing!