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Sometime Around Midnight

Chapter 3

Sakura spotted her friend from across the room, and she walked over in at a bit of a rushed pace, feeling guilty for being late. Even though Ino is typically late, Sakura is not. She sat down, noticing that the blonde kept her sunglasses on, leaning back in her chair without even acknowledging her presence.

"Hey Ino, sorry I'm late."

"..." Ino did not respond, and continued to stare off into space for a moment.

"Uh, hello? Earth to Ino." Sakura continued, but her friend only looked down at her nails, as if she were still waiting and growing more and more bored. Sakura raised a brow as she mumbled, "Oookay...?"

She looked at her phone in her bag, only to curse inwardly as she realized the number of missed texts that had to have happened over the last thirty minutes.

'Shit! She's so pissed!'

Ino seemed to notice her friend's horrified expression, as she sat up, pulling off her sunglasses. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sakura." Sakura gulped, as Ino leaned forward onto the table, standing up in a dramatic rage. "I didn't realize we were back on speaking terms!"

"Wha-" Sakura tried to defend herself, but Ino dug into her purse on the floor, pulling out her phone and standing back up as she scrolled through, obviously looking for something. When she finally found it, she started to chuckle.

"Because, you know, not only did you completely ditch me last night," She waved her free hand in the air, and Sakura shrunk into her seat. "While trying to find you, instead I find this-quite frankly- hilarious picture on my Insta feed."

She held up the phone inches from Sakura's face, as if she didn't already know which picture it was. Ino had texted her constantly about it last night, which yielded no response.

'Oops…'

"Then, suddenly, poof! Sakura has left the party." Sakura glanced up at Ino from behind the phone, only to look away quickly again. There was really no getting out of this one, she already knew that. When Ino stopped for a brief moment to scroll back through her phone, Sakura decided it was a good time to try to defend herself.

"Ino wait I can expla-" But Ino did not afford her the opportunity, continuing her rant.

"And now sweet little Sakura is an hour late to meeting her best friend. And when she shows up, who is dropping her off? It's the king of all assholes himself!"

"Innooo," Sakura whined as she collapsed forward, her forehead resting on the table.

"What." Ino spoke through her teeth, obviously annoyed at her friend's solo adventures. Although, Sakura knew the anger wasn't completely real. After all, Ino did love her drama.

Sakura lifted her head, displaying the most innocent, sad eyes she could to her best friend, hoping that she would be given some mercy for breaking rule one of girl code—never leave your sister hanging.

Ino just glared down at her for a moment before sitting down, letting out an annoyed groan.

"Stop looking at me like that, Sakura. Tell me what the hell happened."

Sakura cheered internally at yet another win for her puppy-dog eyes. She was getting scary good at that. She took in a deep breath, but before she could start on the story, someone came over with a cup of hot chocolate. She was relieved something would warm her hands faster than just the heat of the room.

She grabbed it, pulling it up to her face before Ino cleared her throat. Sakura looked up to see her friend putting her hand out, indicating she was still waiting for an explanation.

"Well?"

"Oh, sorry." Sakura laughed, pulling the cup back down. "Uh..." She didn't really know how to start this story.

Should she tell Ino about the fight between her and her fiancé yesterday first?
'Ugh, don't want to talk about him...'

Or about her getting way too drunk off Ino's shots?
'She'd just blame herself.'

"Spit it out or I'm leaving!" Ino practically yelled, and Sakura jumped up a bit before blurting out, "I kissed him!"

Ino's eyes widened in a mixture between shock and excitement. She hoped she was just excited about the drama, and not the implications it had for her current relationship.

'Should I still call it that?'

"What? No way. You're shitting me. When? Where? How?! And I didn't even get it on footage. Dammit, Sakura." Ino was immediately looking down at her feed, and Sakura glared at her when it looked like she was about to start typing something.

"... Don't worry. It's definitely not about you."

Sakura was fully unconvinced. She reached over, trying to grab Ino's phone, but she held it further out of the way. Sakura waited until the blonde was about to stumble rather ungracefully out of her chair to snatch it, putting it between her legs so Ino couldn't get it back.

"Ugh! Fine. You're going to need to give me more details, then. I refuse to be bored." Sakura smiled, finally figuring out how to explain what had happened. "Thank you!"

"So you totally ditched me, and then what?" Ino recounted, taking a sip of her latte as she finally granted permission for Sakura to fully speak.

"So I saw him, and I don't know. I just wanted to... Hm, I don't know how to explain."

"You wanted to get back at the bastard for dumping you in an airport and running away to America?"

Sakura stared ungratefully at her friends interruption; she couldn't say Ino was wrong, but that was not the main reason. Really, it didn't even make top three. "I mean. Kind of?"

Ino laughed a bit, taking another sip before muttering, "Been there."

"But also it was just. Okay, so me and you-know-who got into a fight right before I left for the party and-" Ino waved her hands, already interrupting her friend again.

"Whoa, whoa, wait, what? A fight? How did you not tell me about this?"

Sakura sighed, staring off into another direction for a moment before saying, "I mean, I kind of wanted to forget about it. Also part of the whole taking way too many shots with you at the party part of the story..."

Ino's laughter was not appreciated, but the starlet quickly covered her mouth, obviously embarrassed at the outburst. "I'm sorry, Sak, you're just seriously such a lightweight now that you don't come out with us anymore."

The words hit Sakura deeper than Ino knew they would, but Sakura just swallowed the discomfort from the notion and continued her story.

"But anyway, I just wanted someone to look at me and actually want me, you know? And something about the way he looked at me when he noticed me at the bar... I just felt like he... Wanted me."

Sakura had drifted off into a daydream of a memory, smiling rather contentedly to herself, finally taking a sip of her drink with a happy hum. But just as soon as she had done that, Ino let out a whistle, before cheering, "Go Sakura!" She almost spit out her drink, her face turning bright red.

"You're telling me you really went and seduced that bastard just to use him? Fucking hilarious. I'm such a good influence."

Ino went scrambling for her phone for a minute, obviously wanting to tweet something snarky about the pinkette before Sakura cleared her throat, reminding her that she had taken her phone for this exact reason.

"UGH." Ino was so bad at being patient. She tapped her long, manicured nails on the table as she waited for Sakura to continue. "Anyway, like I was saying..." Ino rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't trying to use him. I just wanted to see if I'd really changed as much as I thought I had. And as much as people think I have. I wanted to know what he thought."

'Besides, I made such a fool out of myself. I'm surprised he didn't tell me to just fuck off...'

She finally continued, "Because even though he's been gone for so long, a part of me still cares what he thinks about me."

Ino looked slightly irritated, and she let out an exaggerated yawn at the development. When Sakura glanced at her with a flat face, showing obvious disapproval for the gesture, Ino decided instead to state it out loud.

"Yawn." She pulled a disgusted face, pushing back in her chair.

"Here I was cheering for you for finally showing you're over that jackass, but now I fully rescind my approval." Sakura slouched down in her chair.

"How can you still care about him? After all of what he put you through?" She pressed, but Sakura shook her head. She tried to summon the words to explain to Ino. But no matter how many versions of the idea ran through her head, she knew Ino wouldn't listen to any of them. She couldn't blame her.

So instead she just settled on an honest truth.

"I don't know."

(6.5 years ago)

The cast had met together for a party to celebrate the upcoming debut of their show. It just so happened that it coincided well with the New Year. All around the private park were Sakura's newfound friends and their families. But Sakura was not out dancing with them, and instead chose to stand awkwardly on the edge of the dance floor next to an obviously uncomfortable Sasuke.

She didn't mind the silence they often shared together in public; Sakura knew he was much more shy than he liked others to know. So she just rocked back and forth to the music, tapping the rhythm of the song on her plastic cup filled with juice.

"Why don't you just go dance?" Sasuke finally asked, glancing over at her from where he stood. Sakura shrugged.

"You obviously want to." He continued, leaning over to her so he wouldn't have to raise his voice over the music.

"Are you going to dance with me?" She joked, and he just looked away with a light blush on his face. She shakes her head, knowing that it was a long shot. Although they had made a lot of progress as friends, she tried not to hold on to the hope he would fall head over heels for her any time soon.

But sometimes he would look at her and Sakura swore that it was as more than a friend.

"I don't want to dance with you." He mumbled, and suddenly the thought was dispelled. They were just friends. She needed to get it together. She just nodded, and stared down at her drink.

"Yeah, I figure-" But Sasuke cut her off, continuing over her as he stepped closer, but turned away from her. "I mean, I don't want to dance with anyone." Sakura smiled, wondering if he was only trying to make her feel better from the rejection.

"There are too many people here. It feels weird."

Sakura peered over at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She leaned in closer to the boy who was now avoiding her eyes.

"You scared, Sasuke?" She teased. Sasuke huffed out a breath, and adamantly replied, "No, I am not."

This only made Sakura smile wider, and she finally reached out with one hand to poke Sasuke on the side. He jumped, turning toward her with his arms crossed over his chest.

Sakura stuck out her tongue for a moment, but he just continued to stare at her. She couldn't help but start to laugh. He looked so adorably flustered. He was never like this with anyone else.

"You know, I can teach you. You don't have to be plagued by awkward dances for the rest of your life." Sakura playfully suggested, knowing that it would be enough to provoke a response. If there was one thing she was good at, it was teasing him. But just to be sure, she reaches out, placing her hand softly on one of his crossed arms and smiles.

"I'm just teasing Sasuke. I'm sure you're a wonderful dancer."

Suddenly, Sakura feels his much larger hands grab onto hers, as Sasuke pulls her away. She wonders at first if they are actually going to dance before realizing they are headed in the exact opposite direction.

"Sasuke? Where are we going?" She asks, half confused and half nervous that she might have taken it too far. But he doesn't let go of her hand, and looks back with a small smile as he whispered, "Just follow me."

"O-Okay!" Sakura can swear that her pupils have changed to stars as she watches him. Of course she would follow him. She would follow him anywhere.

"Sasuke!" Just before they got too far, Sasuke's mother stopped them. As the fates would have it, she was in the middle of talking to Sakura's mother, who seemed all too excited about the scene in front of her, waving at Sakura with a dopey smile on her face.

"Where are you two headed? The fireworks will start soon." Mikoto asks with a small smile, her eyes roving between the two teens. Sasuke was still holding on to Sakura's hand, and he didn't look like he was going to let go any time soon. Sakura seemed like she was trying to hide from the women behind Sasuke.

Sasuke's face was a much deeper shade of red than he would have liked, and he opened his mouth to fumble some excuse for why they were heading off on their own, but Sakura's mother interjected.

"Well, isn't it obvious! They're going on a little date." Mebuki beamed, and Sakura wanted to die in Sasuke's shadow at this very moment. But then something else happened, something that Sakura wasn't expecting.

"We wanted to go find a better view at the top of the hill." Sasuke gestured over to the walking path that led up the hill. Sakura suddenly couldn't care about anything he said. Because when it came down to it, Sasuke had not corrected her mother. He did not say that this was not a date.

"Alright, well have fun you two!" Mikoto instructs, waving to them to instruct them to run off. Mebuki smiled at her shy daughter who was ignoring her eyes. Just like always.

"Yes, take care of Sakura for me, Sasuke. Sometimes she gets scared by the fireworks!"

Sakura groans, and decides it's her turn to lead, pulling on Sasuke's hand as she starts to lead him off. He smiles to Mebuki nonetheless, "Yes, ma'am."

As the two of them left at a startling pace, Mikoto laughed, turning back to Mebuki with a hand on her cheek. "My, my."

"They are just too cute together." Mebuki agrees.

When they got to the top of the hill a few minutes later, neither of them had spoken since they left their mothers. Sakura's face was stuck in a permanent blush, but Sasuke seemed to have returned to his steely demeanor. Sakura hated (loved) how cool he always seemed.

He led them to a small bench off the trail, and pulled her to sit down next to him while they caught their breath from jogging up the hill. After a moment, Sakura scooted a few inches closer so that their legs were touching. When he looked over at her, she felt the need to explain.

"I'm cold."

Sasuke did not object. Instead, he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her even closer to him. Their entire sides were pressed against each other, and she looked up to his face with her eyes full of wonder. She felt like she was in a dream, as if she would wake up any moment to find out she had slept through the new year. To test her luck, she decided to talk to him.

"What are you looking forward to the most, Sasuke?"

Sasuke did not look at her face out of fear he wouldn't be able to form coherent thoughts. She was seriously way too close, and way too cute, to risk it. Instead he just shrugged, choosing not to tell her any of his thoughts at the moment. Especially not the ones about her.

"Have you realized that our first kiss of the new year is going to be on set?" Sakura probed, wondering if he would say anything about it at all. Really, she was trying to figure out if this would be his first kiss (not including the time Naruto accidentally bumped into him while fighting). She silently hoped it would, as it was always her dream to share her first kiss with him.

"I... Hadn't thought about it, no." Sasuke said cryptically, and Sakura's inner voice huffed at the lack of detail provided.

"Well. I'm glad to have gotten to know you so far. It'll make it easier, you know?" She laughed, and looked down at her feet as she kicked them in the air. She was suddenly grateful to be short, not having to worry about her feet staying planted on the ground like his.

"It's funny. I never thought I'd get to be close to you like this." Sakura reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, wondering if Sasuke would take the opportunity to move his hand that had stayed put on her waist ever since he pulled her closer. Sakura's heart skipped a beat when he did not, leaving them right where they were.

"Even though I told you I liked you on that first day of filming," She started, finally looking up at him with a gentle smile.

"I could have never known how much I would really start to love you, Sasuke."

Sakura could barely dwell on the thought, because as soon as the words left her mouth, Sasuke had grabbed her face with his free hand, tilting it up to him. She wanted to gasp, but couldn't, as he immediately pressed his lips hard against her own.

She tried not to panic, letting herself drop all other thoughts in this moment. Sasuke Uchiha, the love of her life, was kissing her!

Her eyes fluttered shut, and she leaned in even harder to the kiss. She had always expected that their first kiss would be gentle and chaste, but this was alright too. She wasn't picky. It was honestly probably a more accurate description of how they felt. She placed a hand over his heart, feeling it pounding underneath her palm.

Never in a million years would she have thought that she would be here, and she couldn't be happier. She grabbed onto his shirt, cherishing the last few seconds of the kiss before he broke it off. Her eyes were hazy and glazed over as she stared at him, not speaking a single word.

"I-I... I just didn't want it to be fake." He explained, and Sakura almost corrected him. This was not the first kiss of the new year, because the new year hadn't started yet.

That was when it hit her, that he was not talking about his first kiss of the new year. He was talking about his first kiss.

He didn't want his first kiss to be fake, and he still chose her.

"Me either." She whispers, and soon enough he is kissing her again. There were no other words left to explain how they felt. She breathed in the scent of him, and basked in the feeling of his warmth. She wished she could stay like this, with him, forever. Every time they stopped to breathe they were left gasping for air, but they couldn't stop.

Sasuke had known this would happen, and he thought to himself, 'I wanted to kiss you here, because I knew once I started I could never stop.'

Time seems to be passing at a different pace on the top of the hill, and Sakura can feel her fingers burning from the cold, but she can't bring herself to care. She would freeze here on this bench if it meant that she could kiss him all the while. She pulled away once more, and was about to speak before a loud bang rang through the air.

Sakura yelped, jumping in her seat. The action caused her to bump foreheads with the boy, who blinked a few times before lifting his hand to his forehead, trying to figure out what had just broken the moment. They looked up at the fireworks lighting the sky, and Sakura began to laugh.

It was the most beautiful thing Sasuke had ever heard. He could barely move from his spot, staring wide-eyed at her as she laughed, a red spot on her forehead from where they had bonked heads. He felt like his heart would explode the longer he held it in. He let his hand fall before he blurted out the one thing he couldn't stop thinking, his first words of his first year with her:

"You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

It is Sakura's turn to look dumbfounded, and she immediately stops laughing. Slowly, a much smaller smile creeps across her mouth. She picks herself up slightly so that she is at his level, and places a small, chaste kiss on his lips before throwing her arms around his neck in a hug.

She whispers gently in his ear, "Happy New Year, Sasuke."

"Listen, I know you two have a history. But most of it has been bad, Sakura." Ino pleaded to her friend, but Sakura was still lost in a memory. How could Ino know about their relationship? They had barely spoken when she was dating him.

"Don't you remember what it was like?" Ino pressed on, and normally Sakura would give in at this point, accepting that it was better for her to move on with the man she had with her now. But instead, she fought back.

"I do remember, Ino. I just want it to stop feeling like this. That doesn't mean I'm trying to date him again."

"Well I certainly hope so, considering your wedding is in two months." Ino pointed out what she thought was obvious, which only made Sakura realize that she had not told her yet. She knew she should, but she just really didn't want to. Couldn't she wait a few more days of people not pitying her?

"Yeah, about that..."

Ino perks up in her seat once more, and immediately retorts, "Explain. Right now."

Sakura sighs, running a hand through her loose bangs before bringing both hands to her face, resting her chin on them. "I already told you, we had a fight."

"Sakura, you two fight like, every day. You've never called off shit for it before!" Ino shouted back, and Sakura quickly shushed her, pointing out that there were other people in the café who could overhear her.

"Well, I did this time!" She whispered in a hostile tone better suited for yelling, dropping one of her arms so she was only leaning on the one. She couldn't tell if the pink dusting her cheeks was from anger or embarrassment. She chose anger.

"Sakura! That's wonderful news!" Her best friend yelled once more, and this time Sakura didn't bother shushing her. There was no way to stop it.

"I mean, it better not have anything to do with the other asshole but- I mean come on you know how I feel about that piece of shit!" Sakura smiled a little, comforted by the fact that Ino would always be on her side (even though the only reason why is because she had always hated Sakura's latest beau).

"Thanks for being supportive Ino, but I think I might have made a mistake."

Ino raises her hand, waving it frantically in front of her friend as if to wake her from a nonexistent daydream. "Sakura Haruno don't you fucking dare!"

Sakura only groans in response, dropping her remaining arm so she could put her face within the two of them crossed on the table. She began to mumble an objection, but Ino interrupted her.

"Honestly, girl. Dump your piece of shit, tell the asshole to fuck off, and do what I've been saying for years, Sak!" Ino was becoming more insistent, and Sakura knew where this conversation was headed. Her hands formed fists for a moment, but stopped. She couldn't blame Ino. But at the same time, she had asked her to stop bringing this up dozens of times.

"There's only one guy in your life I've never seen disappoint you. Itachi deserves for you to at least give him a chan-" Sakura shot up from her spot on the table, a clear look of protest across all of her features.

"Ino, don't start."

"Come on! You've got to be kidding me. All of the things he did for you? I've never seen him not answer your beck and call. He's crazy in love with you. And you'd really leave all of that for- for Sasuke?!"

Sakura brought down an open palm on the table in frustration, and the cups rattled on the table. Ino, shocked at first, quickly soured at the action.

"I said stop it, Ino!" Sakura's muscles were tensed, and Ino took one look at her narrowed glare and knew there was no hope. Maybe she really should just give up on trying to help Sakura. She never listened.

"Fine." She responds, quiet and submissive. She picks up her cup, drinking without another mention. They sit in silence for a moment.

Sakura wanted nothing more than to explain to Ino why she couldn't be with Itachi, but it wasn't her business. There was no need to open old wounds. Of course Itachi sounded perfect to Ino, she had only ever heard and seen the good things. She has no idea what had happened between the two of them, and she never would. Her and Itachi had promised each other to leave it in the past.

Sakura hands back Ino her phone in the awkward silence, knowing that she would have to be the one to offer peace. Ino took it sullenly, although she did immediately begin typing.

"Don't worry. It's not about you."

Sakura rolled her eyes, knowing that it was still definitely about her. Ino would post something vague about how she's always right and her friends are all idiots who don't listen. Yet Sakura didn't stop her; she was right, as far as she knew.

"How are you and Sai?" Sakura asked, swirling the contents of her hot chocolate without looking up. "Wonderful," was Ino's short response.

Sakura genuinely was happy for her. She had introduced the two after Sai had been cast as Sasuke's replacement on the show until it got canceled. A lot of the fans hated him for his role, but Sakura had always enjoyed the unique perspective he brought with his character. Although the two of them did not get along, he was so smitten with the blonde socialite that she couldn't bring herself to hate him.

And maybe she was unfair to Sai by hating him, too. She only didn't like him because he was a constant reminder of Sasuke's absence. He often criticized Sasuke's decisions, and even if he was right in those criticisms, she felt he didn't deserve to make them. He hadn't known Sasuke, and he certainly hadn't care for him like her and Naruto did.

"Well, I'm glad he treats you well." Sakura gave the realest smile she could, but Ino stared at her with the same sad, pleading look from her earlier rant. After a moment, Ino smiles back, abandoning the desire to tell Sakura that she deserved it, too.

She puts down her phone, and the two of them fall into basic conversation about anything and everything besides the party and last night. But as the talking stretched on, Ino could tell Sakura was once again not telling her the full truth about anything.

Sakura had changed many times over the past few years, and usually there was a good reason for it. Numerous traumatic events had plagued the pinkette, but Ino had only heard whispers of them from other people. She never dared to ask Sakura about them, knowing that she would deflect or lie like she always did.

'What is so terrible that you won't tell me, Sakura?' Ino asks herself, scared of the answer. She doesn't dare ask.

(6.5 years ago)

"Sakura~" Naruto coos, and comes up behind Sakura, throwing his arms over her shoulders. Sakura sighs before growing more irritated as he remains planted against her back.

"Naruto." She responds curtly, beginning to pry his arms off of her until he finally removes them himself. "We should go out together and get some dinner after this!"

Sakura watches him with an irritated expression, knowing that if she were to agree she would have to eat ramen while he constantly flirted with her. She almost felt cocky for thinking it, but then Sasuke walked up to the two, not entering the conversation yet as he sat nearby. Sakura smiled at him, and he just glanced away.

They had met a few times after the New Years party, usually just at the movies (he had even brought her to a private screening!) or hanging out at the other's house. But Sasuke had made no attempt to tell anyone else about the arrangement, and she wasn't willing to risk it. So she remained quiet, waiting for his move.

"You know, if you ask me it really doesn't make sense our characters don't end up together, Sakura!" Naruto interjected on the moment, and she thought to herself that no one had actually asked him for his opinion on the matter.

"That's because your character is a loser." Sakura deadpans, and Naruto shouts in objection.

"What do you mean a loser? I'm the main character!" But Sakura doesn't respond, only choosing to stick her tongue out him, bored.

"She picks me because I'm a better boyfriend." Sasuke finally joins in, and Naruto groans as he walks over to Sasuke, arms crossed. Sakura can feel her face turning red at the words, and she is suddenly struck by the realization he wasn't talking about the characters.

'Sasuke, are you going to tell him...?'

"No way! Your character is such a bastard!" Naruto argues, but Sasuke continues to look disinterested. Naruto is even more annoyed at this point, and finally raises his hands in a shrug. "Besides, how would you know, you've never had a girlfriend."

"No, you've never had a girlfriend. I have a girlfriend." Sasuke responds, bored. Naruto is suddenly shocked, and steps back at the statement. He looks irritated, albeit a bit confused. He knows it would definitely be possible, though. Naruto is running the list of Sasuke's fanclub at school through his head in contemplation.

"Who is it, then?" Naruto finally asks, giving up on trying to figure it out. Sakura is standing behind the two nervously, wondering if Sasuke was going to tell him the truth, or just wave the idea off. It wouldn't be the first time Sasuke had said something vague to best Naruto in an argument. She was watching him in anticipation, but he never looked up to her.

"Sakura."

Sakura can feel her heart stop as he says her name. 'He did it!' She thinks, swooning at the implications of this moment. He was telling Naruto, which means he might as well have told the whole world. He called her his girlfriend! They were dating!

"Ehhh, unfair! Why do you always get the girl?!" Naruto yells, pulling at his hair as he stands in front of the Uchiha boy, whining. However Sasuke doesn't watch him, looking past the dramatic blonde to Sakura.

She has a ridiculous, goofy smile on her face and it warms his heart. He smirks at her, and she giggles nervously. He feels bad for a moment that he didn't actually ask her, but she doesn't seem to have any problems with it.

"I am not a trophy, Naruto!" She yells as the boy continues with his hysterics. Naruto apologizes, but Sakura does not accept it. "Stop crying, idiot! You only liked me because you wanted to win!" Naruto hangs his head, and Sasuke thinks to himself that she's right about one thing. He won.

Later that afternoon, Sakura and Sasuke were curled up together on the couch in his room, watching some action movie that neither was particularly paying attention to. There was some kind of murder mystery, and as usual they were suspecting the much younger wife of the old millionaire. The term "trophy wife" brought Sasuke back to their previous conversation.

"You know, you are sort of like a trophy." He says with a smirk on his lips, and Sakura pouts from his side, huffing at the idea. Sasuke laughed a bit, leaning in closer to her.

"I mean, you are pretty and I get to show you off."

Sakura is trying to remain mad, but she can't, and soon she is laughing. The idea of Sasuke being the one to tell her these things was always in her wildest dream. But now here he was, being an absolute goof and suggesting that she was anything worth showing off. But somehow, when he said it, she believed him.

"You're so stupid." She says, pushing him away from her for a moment. But he comes right back, and he seems less playful than only seconds before.

"I'm sorry for telling Naruto without asking you first."

Sakura, a bit shocked, shrugs. "It's fine. Honestly, I'm still surprised you like me at all." She said with another awkward chuckle, wondering if she would ever get used to hearing things like that from him.

"Yeah, but I didn't even ask you to be my girlfriend." Sasuke points out, and his tone of voice was just nervous enough to expose a sliver of insecurity. Sakura smiled at the vulnerability that was so unlike him.

"You didn't need to. You already knew the answer."

Sasuke chuckled at that, before returning to his typical arrogant stoicism. He slowly crept closer to her until their faces were inches apart. She slowly leaned back, trying to avoid losing this competition. But soon she was almost laying flat on the couch when he turned to whisper in her ear.

"You should at least try to play hard to get, Sakura."

Sakura smirked back at him, and he watches as the nerves faded and she became flirtier in response. She pushed him back, turning the tables back on him. He watched her with a mixture of wonder and surprise. He always knew she had it in her to take the reigns, but he rarely got to see it.

"You're a cocky asshole, you know that?" She says, pulling gently on the neck of his t-shirt, making sure he never got too far away from her.

Then, suddenly, she lets go, and he stays put while she sits back up. "Maybe I've changed my mind, maybe I won't be your girlfriend." She teases, looking over at him with those mischievous eyes.

Sasuke, not falling for the trick, just shrugs. He goes to get up, telling her simply, "That's fine, I'll just ask Ino instead."

As soon as he finished, Sakura tackled him down onto the couch to stop him from leaving. She had the most adorable pout on her face, and he noticed the tips of her ears turned red from the joke. He couldn't help but laugh as she stared down at him, transparently irritated.

But she can't stay mad for long, because she just can't get enough of his laugh. Not the little chuckle he does around Naruto, and not the fake one on set. Sasuke's true laugh. She also started laughing, and soon collapses on his chest while the two shared the moment.

She wonders why he doesn't show this part of him to anyone else. While she feels special, she still thinks it must be exhausting. Why only be happy when you're alone?

Sasuke grabs her and kisses her, and so she lets the thought dissipate. He was not alone. He had her; he would always have her. She melts into his touch, imagining how much better life would be if they could always be together.

A knock resided through the room, shocking the two of them out of their cheerful state. Sakura flew back up to a sitting position, readjusting her hair and self so that she was facing the television. Sasuke took a much slower time, obviously annoyed at whoever was interrupting him.

"Come in," he says in the plainest tone he can, given what they were doing before. He can feel his heart beating faster, but buries the nerves for as long as he can. Itachi opens the door, not entering but just poking his head around to look at the two obviously guilty teenagers.

"Oi, I'm taking Sakura home soon so hurry up and finish pretending to watch the movie."

Sakura's face immediately flushed, and she felt like she would die on the spot. It was one thing to kiss Sasuke, but to have other people insinuating such a thing as inevitable and obvious was something else. She had never really talked to Sasuke's brother, but he made her so incredibly nervous.

'Why is everyone in this family so beautiful!' She cried internally.

"Fuck off, Itachi." Sasuke said back, tossing a remote at the door that he easily dodged. He laughed as he started to shut the door, "Seriously, come out when it's over!"

Sasuke rolls his eyes as the door closes. When he looks back at Sakura sinking back into the couch, and Sasuke can't help but smile at how ridiculously cute she looks when she's embarrassed.

After a moment of silence and an honest attempt to watch the show, she realized she had no idea what was going on. So she chuckled before telling Sasuke, "Well... He's not wrong. We aren't really watching it."

Sasuke is not willing to let his brother be right about anything, and so he crosses his arm, telling her, "I can do two things at once."

Sakura immediately sees through this, and decides to prove it. She really did love teasing him. "Oh?"

"What's her name?" She asks, pointing to one of the two main characters. Sasuke, not able to come up with an answer begins blushing. Sakura giggled, sure she had won. But he was not willing to lose, and muttered back, "Shut up."

"That's definitely not her name." Sakura says between giggles, and Sasuke smiles. He wanted to hear her laugh all the time. He wanted to always be the one who made her happy. He decided that in the future, he would lose if it meant he got to listen to her laugh

But not today.

It's his turn to tackle her, and soon the two are lost between the kisses and laughs once more. This is a much better way to make her shut up, he decides. After a moment, when the laughter died down. Sakura whispered to him something she was sure was just another tease.

"He's just jealous, anyway."

Itachi hears Sasuke's car pull into the driveway, obviously going way too fast for him to have had a nice conversation with Sakura. He counted down in his head the time it would take his brother to burst through the door. Within thirty seconds, there he was.

"What took so long?" Itachi asked, resting on the couch and clearly not surprised to see him come back. Sasuke doesn't bother sitting – he doesn't want to be here long. "Ha-ha." He forces out, not even taking a breath before he began the onslaught of questions.

"Why didn't you tell me she was going to that party?"

"I told her not to. She doesn't listen to me."

"Why didn't you tell me about her fiancé?"

"How do you not know about her fiancé?"

"How am I supposed to know they were calling off the wedding? The media says that every time you look at someone the wrong way."

Suddenly, Itachi stopped answering. His entire disposition changed, and Sasuke realized they might actually get somewhere. Either he didn't expect Sasuke to find out, or he didn't know because Sakura had not told him.

"They're what?"

"Don't act like you don't know, Itachi. Clearly she doesn't hide much from you." Sasuke shot back, gesturing down the hallway to the now empty guest room.

"Sasuke." Itachi is looking up at him with a genuine look of betrayal and confusion, and Sasuke knows this is the only way to get any kind of information from him. His brother was smart and calculating, but just as vulnerable to surprise.

"Seriously, how often does she stay here that she has changes of clothes here, huh? Did she actually sleep in the guest room or did you just know I was going to come looking?" Valid questions.

"Sasuke, stop." Itachi repeated, and the tone in his voice told Sasuke that his questions were hitting something he couldn't understand. All it was doing was confirming some of his worst fears. Something had happened between the two, and both of them were planning on hiding it from him.

The very idea pissed him off more than anything else that had happened in this fucked up 24 hour period.

"Seriously, why should I trust anything you say? Clearly you're just trying to fuck this up, just like everything else! Just like-" But he couldn't finish the thought, because Itachi finally spoke up with a clear, furious voice.

"Sasuke I didn't tell you because I didn't know."

That seemed to strike a cord with him, and the fury dripping from those last three words was enough to confirm that he was telling the truth. Sakura hadn't told him, the man she was supposed to be closest to. She told Sasuke, but not him.

'Am I the only one she told?' He suddenly wonders, trying to put the pieces together. Was that why Sakura was crying in the sunroom? Had it just happened last night? Is that why no one knew? But he saw them together at the party, and they looked so perfectly fine. Was she just acting?

If that was acting, how much of what he saw was fake?

He's roused from the thought by Itachi's increasing anger. Although his brother said nothing, he had hunched forward, his face in his hands as he rested his elbows on his knees. He clearly did not want to talk to Sasuke, and was hoping he would just leave.

He did not.

Itachi needed to talk to Sakura, but there was no chance of that happening when she was with Ino. It would only spark more problems for him if he demanded to see her. Not only would Sakura be angry at him, but Ino would pressure her into leaving. He knew he was not exactly a preferred topic of conversation between the girls. Or at least, he figured, considering Sakura won't be with them both at the same time.

He didn't want Sasuke to be here for this. He didn't want to give Sasuke any more information on Sakura's relationship, or his role in it. He didn't want him to know anything more than what he needed to, which was basically nothing. It wasn't his business. It wasn't even really Itachi's business.

But at the same time, Itachi was so grateful that Sakura would not be with that man anymore. And if it were really true that it was ending, it meant Sakura had to have left him. He would never let her go. However, he couldn't think of what would make her do it.

He prayed it had nothing to do with his stupid brother's return. If it was just because of Sasuke, then as soon as he fucked things up again, she would fall right back into bad habits. He knew it was true because he had seen her do it, although last time it wasn't Sasuke who fucked it up.

He had spent over two years trying to separate the two of them. It had been the center of all problems between him and Sakura for years. He had to watch her be poisoned time and time again by this relationship.

The thought brought him back to the other person in the room, and he sighed a heavy breath before letting his hands fall back down, composing himself enough to sit up.

'She definitely has a type, doesn't she?' He thought, now eyeing his little brother who hadn't budged through his entire thought process.

'He's just the type...' He thinks. 'The type I'll never be.'

"She really didn't tell you?" Sasuke asked, his voice much calmer and quieter than it had been all morning. He was still struggling to believe it, that Sakura would choose him for something, anything, over Itachi.

Itachi doesn't answer, but the lack of a response is enough. She didn't tell him.

Sasuke finally takes a seat next to his brother on the couch, leaning against the armrest as they sat in silence. Itachi breaks it with a light chuckle. Sasuke glances over, wondering what he finds so funny.

"That woman is so annoying."

Sasuke can hardly believe Itachi actually said it, and he can't help but laugh back. "Yeah." He said through a smile, "She really is."

"Did she say why?" Itachi finally asked, and the vulnerability in the question itself made Sasuke feel slightly bad for his brother. If Sasuke felt betrayed by Sakura for her opening up to him, how must he feel?

"He's leaving her." Sasuke theorized, but Itachi's reaction tells him he must be wrong. But that doesn't make any sense to Sasuke. Why would Sakura leave him just to cry about it? Then again, he knows very little about the man himself.

"You're mistaken." Itachi concludes, which only further irritates Sasuke. He wasn't even there, what does he know?

"She made it pretty clear it was his decision." Sasuke doubled down, knowing that he didn't really have any solid evidence. But he knew Sakura, right? There was no way she would break a promise she made to someone for something stupid. Even if she was leaving him, it had to be his fault.

"What exactly did she say then?" Itachi asked, knowing that he was right. There was no way he would leave Sakura. She had tried to leave before and he simply didn't let it happen. He would do anything to force her to stay. He wasn't going to leave just like that.

Sasuke wanted to explain what Sakura said, but he couldn't. He couldn't tell Itachi what Sakura said because half of it made no sense unless he told his brother what had happened between the two. He struggled for a moment, to try and think of something she said that didn't include the sunroom.

"She said she wasn't going to marry him." Was all that he got out, which he knew didn't support him at all. Itachi just laughed, becoming more irritated with his brother making such a big deal out of nothing.

"I've heard that a couple dozen times before." He mumbled, reminding Sasuke of the tabloid stories he had seen about the two. Half of them, the more reputable ones, wrote about them like they were a perfect couple. Sakura had numerous interviews about their relationship. They were always together, and the man seemed fairly charming, if not cocky.

'Sounds familiar...'

But the other half wrote about a man who didn't value her at all, or a woman who far below his league. It painted a picture of lovers at odds. A miserable relationship plagued by her jealousy and inadequacy. But how could he trust that? They had said the same thing about her when she was with him. It wasn't true then.

'Sakura," He thinks to himself, suddenly feeling the crushing guilt he tried not to think about. 'I should have stopped them when I could.'

But Itachi was still staring at him while he had this crisis, and Sasuke did not want his brother to analyze any more of his thoughts.

"She made it clear he had done something to her." Sasuke finally said, deciding it was vague enough to satisfy his theory without revealing something he didn't want to.

Itachi suddenly seemed disinterested, staring off into space. This all sounded so familiar. This was just like every other time. He wasn't leaving her and she wasn't going to leave him. Sakura didn't tell him they were splitting up because it wasn't happening.

Itachi felt guilty. He was so quick to believe she would keep something from him. But no, his brother was just hopeful and wrong.

"They're not going to break up." Itachi says confidently, standing up to leave. Sasuke cannot accept this answer, and just like always, he hated to lose. He refused to lose to his brother, especially over her.

"She didn't even talk to you about it, how sure are you that you know her, Itachi?"

He doesn't answer, and begins retreating down the hallway, a clear indication for his brother to see himself out. Sasuke's hands ball into fists, and before he can stop himself, he says the one thing he swore he wouldn't let his brother know.

"She kissed me."

There is a long pause. Itachi takes a few more steps, but then stops. He does not turn around, and instead says in a calm voice, "Come back when you have something new to tell me."

Sasuke's irritation was palpable, and Itachi didn't move. He wondered for a moment how his brother would react. So he waited. He could hear the heavy breathing, indicating his brother was dealing with some kind of strong emotion.

And he was, Sasuke's arms wrecked by fine tremors at his brother's response. 'She told him.' He thought, his mind quickly falling through the trap set so well. She didn't keep anything from him. Itachi had won, hadn't he?

'I am not a trophy!'

Her voice echoes through his head, and he feels like it's going to explode. He hates this. He hates her. That thought is enough to propel him out the door without another word.

Hearing the door close, Itachi finally takes the last few steps into the guest room. He wasn't planning on going there, but he couldn't make it back to his room like this. He shut the door behind him, immediately sinking back against it until he was seated on the floor.

The tension all released at once, and for a moment Itachi was sure he would go mad in this very spot. All he could think of was her. He could see the way she smiled at him last night, the way she promised nothing had happened.

She didn't tell him.

Author's Notes: Tsk, tsk, tsk, Sasuke. This is exactly why you don't break promises.

This will be the last super-quick update, I'm afraid. Grad school is starting back up, and I have a full credit load. For those of you who are also going back to school, I hope you have a wonderful semester!

I hope to return soon!