Fixation

Elli Cole

He chose to watch her.

Fluid motions like a dance entranced him to look at her further, arms gently flailing and legs moving gracefully. Under the warm heat of the sun, her sweat hadn't looked anymore enticing as it slid down her tanned flesh, shining and breaking his gaze every so often from her moving body.

She was so addictive.

A sharp intake of breath escaped his lips as she bended down to her knees, her back exposed to his hungry gaze. Her skin, so soft, he wished to run his hands all over her. Her pink locks shone as she arched her back, pulling from her position and resuming a more comfortable one as she stood up. She stretched her arms and let out a relaxed sigh. Looking at his place, she gave a broad smile and he felt his throat had run dry.

He wanted to talk to her.

It was a first. He had never wanted to confide with this female for most of his life but now he found himself wanting to have a conversation with her. It was an odd feeling that had washed over him that moment. He wanted to get rid of it as soon as he can.

She walked towards him and plopped herself heavily down beside him on the soft, plush ground. She ran her fingers through her sticky mane and stared up at the sky, watching the clouds as they rolled by.

"Ne," she started. "Sasuke-kun."

He didn't spare her a glance as she gently reached out her fingers to touch his shoulders, nudging him. He grunted in response but kept his gaze straight and away from her peering eyes. It disgruntled him to no end that this woman beside him had once been irksome in their younger years but had now blossomed to such a captivating creature that even he could not escape from.

"How are you and Ino-pig?" She asked nonchalantly.

He risked a glance at her and shook his head. Ah, yes. He knew that question was asked out of jealousy. Just like the Sakura he once knew, she still could not move on from him. He pitied her in a way but as a friend, he wanted her to forget about having a relationship with him. But does he really want her to move on?

He turned towards her and stared at her glistening emerald eyes, it stood out through the sun's rays. He resisted the gasp that was threatening to escape his lips. Stunning, his mind chanted.

He mentally slapped himself and scolded the way he was acting was not normal. He wasn't himself lately especially when he was around the pink-haired kunoichi. It confused him to no end.

"Sasuke-kun," she poked him softly on the side, frowning. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head. "I'm alright," he assured her and turned away, continuing to ignore her presence besides him. He tried to, anyway, but her heat and the smell of cherries and mint had enticed him to move closer to her. Not close enough for her to feel uncomfortable with but close enough to feel her presence. And it irritated him.

He wasn't like this before.

He scowled and looked at her as a smile appeared on her face, brightening up his mood an inch. She clasped her hands and looked at him gleefully. She was really an odd one, he thought as she opened her mouth and said, "Let's look for Naruto and I'll treat you guys to some ramen!"

He blinked and nodded his head in compliance. It was better that the idiot was there with them than spending the whole day with only the kunoichi. That way, he won't feel too stupid and forget why he was suddenly feeling this way about her. He stood up and she jumped up at his side.

"Let's go!" She exclaimed and walked beside him as he strolled indifferently.

Silence befell them as they walked through the incongruously empty streets of Konoha. A hum would every now and then escape Sakura's lips as she bounced slightly on her heel, playfully looking at him with a large smile.

"You never answered my question, Sasuke-kun," she lightly chided him.

He looked at her and shrugged. What was there to say, really? The blonde had mostly forced him to try a date with her and he agreed just so she would leave him alone. He tried to be the worst at their date but it only fueled the blonde's affection towards him. Now, everybody thought that they were a couple just because she had clung to him most of that day like a deprived woman.

It was an insane episode he never wanted to experience again.

"You didn't like the date?" She frowned and watched his blank face turn into an irritated one.

He kept quiet, refusing to answer her. She should just let the subject drop because he does not want to recall the "date" ever again. He gave out a grunt and walked faster. She had tried to keep up with him and huffily took a hold of his arm, pulling him back. He raised a brow at her.

"Y-you're… too… fast," she huffed and glared at him. "We won't find Naruto if you're going to just pass by without even looking around!"

He sneered and narrowed his eyes at her. "You are just too slow to keep up."

She gritted her teeth. "Why are you acting like a bastard suddenly, huh?"

"I'll stop being a bastard if you stop being whiny," he retorted back and resumed walking. The familiar feeling was coming back. He was starting to hate the existence of the woman again. He liked it better that way. He heard her growl and caught up with him, grappling his arm and forcefully turning him around.

"What the hell is your problem?" She seethed. "I was just politely asking you about the date and you ignore me!"

"That's because I don't want to talk about it!" He gritted his teeth angrily. "You know what? Forget about the idiot and forget about the ramen, I'm going back to the training ground." He yanked his arm away from her grasp and started to walk away.

"Oh?" Sakura sarcastically reproached. "To do what? You won't have anybody to stare at since I'm not there."

Sasuke stopped in his trail and his breath hitched.

"Isn't that your favorite past time, Sasuke-kun?" She snarled. "I saw you earlier. I'm not ignorant unlike you!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He replied darkly.

"Oh don't play me like a fool, Sasuke." She said, forgetting the –kun she had always referred him to as a term of endearment. At the moment, she was really angered by him. "You know well enough that you watched me so closely that I almost melted into a puddle."

This conversation confused him. He didn't want to talk to her the way he wanted to before. He wanted to get away from her as fast he could but the next few words that left her lips froze him to the spot.

"Do you like me?"

Those words rang to his head as he turned to face her. Her face flushed and her eyes glistening with tears ready to fall. She looked beautiful, he thought and he didn't deny the feeling that surged through him as he stared back at her. A frown tugged at his lips and he answered back after a few moments of silence.

"No."

It was a lie.

He knew it. He thought of it long ago why he suddenly had a different perspective on the kunoichi. It puzzled him, aggravated him, and infuriated him till the break of his sanity. He wasn't supposed to like this woman… this woman who had suddenly grown into such a mesmerizing specimen.

Her lower lip trembled but she tried to keep a straight face. She nodded her head and turned away. It was wrong. This conversation wasn't like the others that had occurred between them before. He was always the one who walked away in the end but now… was she finally moving on?

A painful tug wrenched through his chest bit his mind had dimly registered it. He was walking unreservedly fast as he swiftly gathered her in his arms and tightly wrapped his arms around her. She was shocked beyond belief as she examined him through half-lidded eyes.

"S-Sasuke-kun," she stammered.

"You weren't supposed to walk away." He murmured softly.

A sob escaped her lips as she clutched at his shirt. "I—"

"You were supposed to stay," he continued, tightening his hold on her. "And tell me how stupid I was not to like you."

Tears fell and stained her cheeks as her breathing labored. Her cheeks darkened and her eyes widened in disbelief. It was unlikely of him to say such things to her. Perhaps he really had gone insane because as he looked at her beautiful emerald eyes and pink lips, he wanted to kiss her.

So he did.

His warm lips enveloped her own and captured hers heatedly. Shivers ran throughout his body and it shocked him that such a simple kiss would bring him such pleasure. He felt her melt in his arms and he felt lightheaded as her arms encircled around his neck and pulled him closer, her fingers playing with his dark locks.

So this was what it felt like

He felt a smile tug at his lips as he kissed her feverishly, not wanting to let go.

oOo

End Note: The fluff I told you guys before. Anyway, I'm not sure about the characterization of Sasuke and Sakura in this but I hope I did well. Please, please review. Inspire an author's day by leaving feedback!