Wasted

I wrote this after someone requested that I make a story out of my one-shot Loss. I thought of a few good ideas so I decided to make it a series of one-shots out of the same story. It will probably be four one-shots in total... so here's the second.

Sakura watched the fish. It was the only one, all by itself. The koi was swimming lazily in its small container. All grown up and still alone, the entirety of its life spent in the tank it had been born in. All it ever did was swim the same circles as the day before, but it was content with that. The koi had no problem with its life, about how unfulfilled or wasted the years have been. He (or maybe she, how do you tell on a fish?) was happy with his (her, its) life.

So why couldn't she be, too?

Her head tipped back to down the glass. It tasted awufl and burned her throughly. She momentarily wondered if perhaps that fish had pissed in her drink.

"Oi, this is awful." she clanked the glass on the counter. A man in dirty white barely glanced her way. "You asked for the strongest." He fetched a dark green bottle and poured her a fresh glass. "Try this. The taste is a bit queer but it don't burn so much. You might forget where your house is though."

She ignored the warning and drank it anyway. 'I wouldn't mind forgetting a few things right now.'

The minutes swam by and Sakura spent the time by trying to get Hsi Koi, the wise fish, to impart some of his wisdom (because she decided his gender for him) with her. Just when Hsi Koi was about to tell her the cure for the common cold, a huge shock of yellow startled him back to his plastic underwater castle.

"Saaakuuuraaa."

"Get out of the tank befor eyou drown," she told him. Naruto leaned around the fishtank to peer at her. "Are you drunk?" Lolling her head in his direction, she frowned. "No, I am not drunk. I am just a bit in-beer-fated. That's all. I'm fine." Her nose wrinkled briefly before launching a sneeze that rocked her shoulders. He blinked curiously before pressing his palm against her face. "You're burning up, Sakura..." She jerked away from his hand. "So what? I can drink if I want, I'm old enough to." He sighed.

"You need to take better care of yourself." She snorted in response. "Come on, you'll catch cold out here." He tugged gently at her arm before she wretched it away. Shoving the stool and wincing as it clattered to the ground, she took six confident steps away from the bar. Hefting up her shoulders, she shot quick, furtive glances in each direction before pausing in step. "Where... the hell am I?"

Behind her, the blonde bursted with a fitful of giggles. "How much have you drank, Sakura? You're intoxicated!" He squeezed his stomach to smolder his laughter. She snorted again and picked up a stride towards the direction she hoped her house was. Naruto quickly caught up with her and gently took hold of her arm. "Wrong way," he explained. This time when he steered her in the right path, she didn't object.

They went on in silence, Sakura sniffling occasionaly and stumbling every so often in step. Once, when she almost landed face first, Naruto had to sweep an arm around her waist to hold her steady. She gazed up at him, studying the masculinity that had grown into his face. He had a strong jaw and those whisker-like marks spread over a soft cheek. Her hand briefly raised to touch them, but she almost tripped in the process.

This time, though, when he corrected her posure, she shoved herself into his vision. "Why Hinata?" she asked. His big, blue eyes fluttered in suprise, and she almost scowled at the blush that was beginning to spread across his face. "Well... it is kinda odd. I mean, we really haven't been around each other all that much. I mean, I hardly knew her even though I knew a lot about her." His shoulders rolled in a casual shrug.

"I always thought she was kind of weird, but she was always nice to me." His lips fanned out in a smile. "Most of the time I saw her was after getting my butt kicked, and she would give me some weird medicine to help me out. I never really thought that much about it." Sakura watched him, his eyes glazing over as his mind drifted off into memories. She remembered how Hinata had sometimes followed her and the guys around, peeking out from behind trees whenever they were waiting for Kakashi. A few times she had attempted to talk to them, but Naruto's rambuncious behavior often drove her away with a red face.

"Once I thought that she was scared of me... and so I asked her. I guess I kind of cornered her into it, but she blurted out that she liked me, that she really, really liked me." He chuckled softly and Sakura turned away from him. She couldn't stand the way he was blushing.

"That was probably how I started noticing her. I never really paid much attention to her when I was little, but when I think back on it I remember her always being around. She must have been in love with me for a really long time, and now I feel like a complete idiot. I probably crushed her heart with ignorance so many times!"

Sakura gasped, her eyes squeezing shut. A hand clenched at her chest and she coughed roughly. Naruto gently patted her back until she ceased, then proceeded to smooth his palm over the material of her shirt. "Better now?" She shook her head, refusing to meet his face. How could she face him with eyes full of tears? 'Did I ever crush your heart? Did you ever love me as much as she loved you? Did she ever love you as much as I do now?' She bit her lip and that caused the stinging of tears to reside just a little.

"You remember back in the Chuunin exams, when I was fighting against Neji? She was cheering for me... Before that, she fought Neji and claimed to be defending her honor and not going back on her ninja way... but it's just that, She got that from me. And even when I beat the hell out of Neji, she still cheered me on." His head dipped down and shook slightly. "I never even noticed that she's always been there for me."

Silent tears poured down Sakura's face, burning her cheeks with shame. 'I was there, too. I cheered for you, too! I screamed louder and harder than anybody out there; my throat was raw for days. I've been with you, too and I've always had your back. I've always been here for you! I was here first!'

Her thoughts were as silent as her cries. She rubbed her hands against her face, removing the evidence of her transgressions. Hinata had always been in love with Naruto, but was just too dumb to let him know, and now he was feeling guilty for not noticing her. 'How could he notice her, if she never even tried!' Her fingers clenched and she slowly turned to stare up at him. The blushing was gone and a gentle smile replaced that sadness that had been in his eyes. 'Am I even allowed to try? Now? After pushing you away for so long... have I given up my chance?' But seeing that smile, she knew she couldn't... She wouldn't destroy the happiness he had found.

"But now, oh Hinata's warming up now. She's still quiet like she always has been, but she'll actually open up to me. She's told me all sorts of stories about how she used to follow me around the village and actually kept this pencil I once had in school." He chuckled softly. "It sounds a bit stalker-ish... but it's kinda cute in a freaky sort of way. She's just awkward with her feelings, that's all."

Sakura's head bobbed in silent agreement.

"Alrighty, here we are! One Sakura delivered home, ten points for the good escort." He beamed sheer happiness. Her eyes dragged across his face, observing the brilliant glow that emitted from him. He was absolutely stunning...

She turned and walked through to her door. "Dammit!" Her head collided painfully with the wooden seal and fell back onto the steps. Naruto erupted in laughter. "You're supposed to open it first!" He didn't even attempt to stifle his giggles while helping her back onto her feet. Her hands squeezed onto her forehead, trying to squeeze the pain out of her brow. She whined pitifullly. He chuckled, out of breath for the moment. "There, there," he murmered. "Here, let me see. It can't be that bad." He gently shoved her hands out of the way and scooped up a fingerful of pink tresses. "All right then... it isn't that bad at all. You won't even have a bruise." Her head tilted up slightly.

Looking down at her, his eyes jerked open as thier lips met. Sakura's toes stretched to force the connection, but she quickly pulled back as if it had happened by accident. Immediant blush bloomed through his face and his arm tried to cover his mouth as though it didn't just happen. His brows pinched together in confusion and he stared at her as though begging for an answer.

She could feel her lower lip beginning to tremble. Quickly turning, she whipped out the housekey and jammed it into the slot. Slamming her door open, she fled inside and shut it before he could form the accusation. She couldn't hear it, wouldn't. Outside he shouted her name, but she refused to open the door. Inside her head she could hear his accusing thoughts, screaming as to why she had kissed him. Why? Why did she? She bit her lower lip.

'Because, Naruto, because... it would have wasted a great opportunity.

I have the third piece halfway written, but I'm not sure how I want to pull off the ending. Should it be a happy ending or sad?

Tell me what you think, I love suggestions.