Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Catching a Cherry Blossom ❯ Please love me.... ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Sakura waited with a mixture of apprehension and hope running through her. It had taken her about four months after they had retrieved Sasuke from The Sound, but she had finally been granted the honor of a date. Blushing from head to toe, Sakura buried her face in her hands for a moment. I can't believe how lucky I am! I finally got him back.. and now... and now!

She looked around the square. Sasuke had been brisk, as usual, even more so than she remembered him being when they were younger.

Meet me at one in the town square. Those had been his instructions and Sakura was here, about ten minutes early according to her watch, but honestly she was so exited she couldn't keep herself at home.

The minutes passed slowly. And then one o’clock came, and went. Then another five minutes passed.

Sakura started to get nervous, it was the right day at the right time, wasn't it? She was in the right place, wasn't she? She glanced over the mid day crowd, the knife of doubt starting to twist in her stomach.

"Where is he?" She muttered.

Back home from his extensive training with the ero sennin, and his injuries fully healed within the week of being back from the rescue mission, Naruto walked down the streets of Konoha his nose in the air, taking in the smell of home. He licked his lips, he'd missed the taste of Ichiraku's miso ramen, but these days it tasted even better. Grinning and chuckling to himself, he let his feet lead him through the streets, his mind happily blank until he spotted a bright shock of pink glowing in the sunlight. Blue eyes wide as his grin spread across his face, he couldn't help himself.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" He broke into a jog, waving like an idiot and calling her name, his long legs eating up the distance easily until he came to a halt beside her, his hands on his knees not from exertion, but more reflex as he grinned up at her, eyes squeezed shut from his smile.

"Ne, ne! Sakura-chan, what're you doing?" The grin slowly faded to something akin to a pout, his pale brow furrowing with worry.

"You okay, Sakura-chan?" She looks so worried... "Something wrong?"

Sakura started slightly and tried to smile shaking her head. Gee, what do you think? Danced through her mind as she did so. Say or do one thing, think another. She glanced down at her watch out of the corner of her eye. 1:20.

And like a fool I'm still here, waiting. "Nothing's wrong, I...I'm just waiting for someone." Half true, that was. She was still waiting.

He cocked his head, arms crossing as his lower lip protruded with the effort of thinking. Soon after, his forehead smoothed again, and a corner of his mouth quirked.

"So, who're you waiting for, Sakura-chan?"

"No one," she muttered looking down at the ground. I'm such an idiot, she thought, reprimanding herself. Her lower lip trembled dangerously. A fool indeed, to think I thought he'd actually be here! Damnit!

She tried to re-paste the smile across her face, failing. It hurt to much, "No one at all."

Naruto watched her face, his eyebrows drawing up in worry, his eyes going wide. "Sakura-chan..."

Without thinking, he pulled her into a hug, smoothing her hair, its softness was lost on him in the need to keep her from crying. He didn't like it when she cried, especially if someone else made her cry. And he could only guess who. Irritation nearly tugged his upper lip into a snarl, and he suppressed the urge to growl. He'd hunt the bastard down later, but for now, he was too busy worrying about Sakura.

"Shhh...Sakura-chan, don't cry..." whispering softly into her hair; he held her close, petting her hair in an attempt to soothe her.

A sob caught in her throat, "Wh..what's wrong with me?" She asked, listing off her own faults to herself, am I too thin? Too small? Too flat chested? Is it my forehead, my voice? What is it, damnit?!

Without thinking, she took comfort in the embrace he offered, as the tears began to flow, unbidden.

"Nothing's wrong with you...shhh, stop that, it's okay, Sakura-chan." He gave her a light squeeze, then leaned back to wipe her tears away with his thumbs. "Shhh...it's all right."

Don't be sad, Sakura-chan, it hurts me when you're sad. He'd given up on the idea of ever being more than friends, though he'd ask her out as a sort of joke now and then, but that didn't mean that he didn't care. He did. When anything got her upset, it made him almost want to kill something.

"Don't cry, Sakura-chan...please?"

"He said... to meet him here almost half an hour ago, why isn't he here yet?" Sakura asked, the question rhetorical. She tried to ignore the warm trail his fingers left when wiping her tears away. Even when he had annoyed the hell out of her, Naruto was always a good friend.

"Because he's an idiot and doesn't know how to deal with other people." He stroked her cheek with the backside of his knuckles, smiling ruefully.

"He just doesn't know what he's missing. Cheer up, Sakura-chan."

And you do? She thought to herself. Sakura bit her lip again, her hands clenched at her side. "I was stupid to think he'd even show up," she admitted, biting the words. I'm always such a fool over him, why?

"You're not stupid!" Anger colored his voice before he could stop himself. He nearly took her by the shoulders and gave her a shake.

"Don't talk down about yourself like that." he put his thumb to her lip and tried to ease it out from between her teeth, glowering darkly at the thought of Sasuke's effects on Sakura. He'd be lucky if he could get a word in edgewise in her defense.

"He's the idiot for not showing..." his mutter was low, and he cast a black look in the direction of the Uchiha compound. Somebody would be catching it later. Naruto snorted derisively.

"You deserve better than that anyway."

Naruto's reaction startled Sakura slightly. When had he become so passionate on the subject of...well her. Sure, she remembered (still with a twinge of annoyance) his early attempts to win her love all through school and for the first few months after graduating. But it had died down eventually. She had always thought he had finally gotten the unspoken hint.

But now, she wondered. Also, she had a few more years to look back on as well. There had always been something... fun, something flattering about being pursued so wholeheartedly. It had been quite the triangle. She smiled, the memories comforting her as much as his presence here did for her now.

She smiled, softly. It still hurt, but Naruto somehow managed to absorb the brunt of the sting, leaving a mild ache. "And who would you suggest, Naruto?" Sakura asked, half joking.

His face went slack as he was caught off guard, and he stood there, squinting into the distance, thinking so hard he could almost hear his brain struggling to work. Scratching at the back of his head, he planted his hand on his hip, his face screwed up with the effort. Finally, he gave up before he hurt himself, his hands moving to cup the back of his head, fingers lacing together.

"Aw, I dunno...somebody. Somebody nice, that's for sure. Hmm..." Squeezing one eye shut as the other scanned the street he thought. Mostly with his mouth going.

"Somebody smart...that could take care of you when you need it...hmm..." He scratched his chin and behind his ear, then let both his hands drop back to his sides.

"I can't think of anybody. But I'm sure there's somebody out there, so don't worry!" He smiled at her. Then a sudden idea made his face break into another grin.

"Hey! Wanna go get something to eat or something? My treat! Not ramen, 'cause you probably don't want ramen, but that's okay! I know a great bento place nearby..." he didn't want to bring up the fact that he'd nearly devoured the whole of the stock at Ichiraku, and he rubbed the back of his neck, grinning down at her again.

Sakura laughed at Naruto's brainstorming. Or what passed for it sometimes. Food sounded... good. Anything was better than waiting out here for a date that wouldn't show. How much more of an idiot would she be if she refused and sat here for another half an hour? Another two hours?

Sakura nodded, smiling, "Food sounds great, Naruto. Anywhere you want is fine with me, even if it was ramen."

"Nah, I just had ramen, let's try something different!..." He paused, rubbing his finger over the leaf on his headband. "Then again...beef ramen sounds pretty good, now that I think about it..."

Laughing, Sakura took his arm, "Just decide already or we'll be standing here all day." He's so funny... and sweet.

"Okay, ramen it is, then!" When in doubt, there was always ramen. He covered her hand with his, leading her off to Ichiraku.

The ramen girl made a noise somewhere between a groan and a laugh when she saw him coming, and he plopped down on his usual seat, rubbing his hands together.

"Oh, not again, Naruto-kun! If you order your usual amount, you're going to clean us out for the rest of the week!" She smiled, but Naruto waved it off with one hand.

"Just one bowl, beef with flour udon noodles, please." He grinned up at her as she gave him a skeptical look before turning to Sakura.

"So what will you be having today, miss? Not as much as this one usually eats, I hope?" The corners of her mouth quirked in a jovial smirk as she pulled out her order pad from under the counter.

"You've been here already, haven't you?" Sakura asked Naruto, trying not to laugh, it wasn't really surprising. Not waiting for an answer, she knew it anyway, she turned and ordered, "One bowl of chicken ramen, please."

Naruto had the decency to look properly sheepish as the girl took the orders to the old chef. That never killed his grin though, and he stretched, popping his back while he waited. Something surfaced in his head, and he turned to her, swivelling on his stool.

"Ne, ne, Sakura-chan...remember that one time, when we kept trying to see under Kakashi's mask?" it had definitely been an interesting day, and the blonde leaned against the counter, staring off across the street.

"You think we'll ever know?...What Kakashi-sensei looks like, I mean."

"Who knows? I'm beginning to think the only way is to drug him and pull of the mask then. But knowing our luck, that would never work. Maybe it will always be a mystery." Like so many other things in life. Damnit. That had been an interesting day, well, days, though. Some of the most fun she had ever had as a genin, had been the few days they had been trying so hard to see under Kakashi's mask.

"It was fun though, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." He grinned. "Remember those guys...oh, what were their names?...I dunno, something stupid...but that was hilarious. They were total morons." He chuckled.

"Oh, and you remember their poses? Man..." he sighed, still chuckling under his breath as he turned back around. "I kinda miss those days...not that I'm not happy now, but it was fun then..."

Sakura laughed, "Yeah it was always fun before..." She stopped herself and stared at her bowl. Before Sasuke left, she had almost said. Those three years before they retrieved him had been, to her at least, lonely and cold. Though it was all in retrospect, she had been too busy training at the time to notice.

She had achieved the small satisfaction of Sasuke almost not recognizing her simply because of how well she handled her new talent. She had thought, that maybe he would see her as a little bit more worthy. I guess not.

"I miss those days too..." She finished lamely.

Naruto smiled sadly, then reached over to tousle her hair before he grabbed his chopsticks.

"Well, hope you like your ramen, Sakura-chan. Itadakimasu!" The chopsticks broke apart with their usual snap, and Naruto took his time eating, unlike how he usually inhaled it. He figured it might be better for conversation if he didn't always have his mouth stuffed to maximum capacity.

Sakura responded in kind and broke apart the chopsticks easily. She picked at her food a little bit at first, before the smell tempted her stomach too much. She had skipped breakfast in eager anticipation of the date that didn't happen.

She ate. The ramen was good, it was no wonder Naruto practically paid the owners life expenses.

Naruto sighed happily. Even trying to eat slowly he still managed to empty the bowl of its contents save for the salty broth. Grabbing a napkin, he blotted his mouth, his elbow resting on the counter, his chin ending up in his palm as he watched Sakura eat.

"We should try to get Kakshi and Sasuke out here someday, do something together as Team 7, you know? They never used to mind getting together to eat..." He stared at nothing in particular, lost in idle thought. It had been awhile since they'd done something together as 'Team 7'...it would be a nice change.

"That would be nice, but I don't think Sasuke would show up. Call it a hunch," Sakura said, trying not to sound bitter, "Though it would be another try at Kakashi-sensei's face..."

"Ah, well...if he keep's not showing, he's the only one losing out, you know? We can have fun, but he's only making himself more lonely. Makes things worse..." he rubbed an itch on his nose, his eyes squeezed shut. Stretching again, he groaned softly, before slumping back onto his stool. Eyeing his bowl, he plucked it up off the counter with a foxy smirk, and downed the contents in a well-practiced chug. The bowl was set down gently on the counter, and Naruto licked his lips.

"Still as good as ever, my complements to the old man!" He fished a bright coin out of his pocket and flicked it into the tips jar with an easy flick of the thumb. The ramen girl covered her smile quickly as the old man himself stuck his head out of the back and proceeded to chew Naruto out for the use of the term. Naruto just grinned, taking it with a laugh as the cook rolled his eyes and grumbled beneath his breath about young shinobi having no respect for their elders these days.

Sakura smiled. In a way, Naruto was right. Sasuke made things worse for himself by not joining in on these kind of things. Though she had been seeking more of a personal relationship with him, it seemed he just didn't want it. Sakura bit back a sigh of resignation.

I wonder, is this how Naruto always felt? Sakura glanced at him, understanding what she had put him through form this different angle was enlightening. She felt ashamed for how she had treated him sometimes. But no matter what, he had always been there. As for Sasuke...

Screw him, she thought to herself vehemently, though she'd never say that aloud to his face. Screw you, Uchiha Sasuke. Screw you and your need to push us all away so you can wallow in your private hell. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of being hurt over someone who refuses to care.

"Naruto... did you want to go for a walk or something?" Sakura asked, unaware of what she asked until after the words came out of her mouth. For once she had acted first and thought second.

Naruto perked, then a slow grin spread across his face.

"Sure!" He pulled his wallet from his pocket and paid for their meals, as well as adding a hefty tip to make up for his earlier binge. "So where to? Any place in particular, or just a walk in general?"

Sakura had nowhere planned, and couldn't bring herself to think of anywhere. Truth be told she was still reeling over the fact that she had suggested it in the first place. "I don't know," she answered, "was there anywhere you wanted to go?"

Naruto puzzled over this for a moment.

"No, but there's some places to go for a great view! There's the Hokage monument, the rooftop garden balcony...oh! The cherry trees are blooming in the orchard, I hear it's really nice...ne, Sakura-chan? You wanna go there? I've never seen them all in bloom, never really went to the festivals..." with a sheepish laugh, he rubbed the back of his head.

"Sure, that sounds great," Sakura said, smiling, "It might be kind of crowded though. It is mid-afternoon, after all," She pointed out. She felt lighter already. How does he do that, she wondered. How does he always manage to cheer me up? These past three years, all he had to do was show up... Sakura chose not to dwell on it. She didn't want to drive herself nuts right now.

"Though, I do love watching the blossoms," She admitted. She had, after all, been named for them.

"Yosh! Let's go, then!" He hopped off the stool and stretched again, all his muscles going tight as he pulled himself to his full height. Relaxing again, he shook out his arms before turning back to her with a grin.

"You ready, Sakura-chan?" He held out his hand for her, smiling happily.

Sakura took his hand. It was warm. He was warm, "Always," she said lightly.

His smile broadened, and he led her off toward the forest, swinging his arm a bit as he walked. This was nice, walking with her like this, and her hand was soft...Ne! He nearly shook his head to clear it, that was the start of thinking like the ero sennin. Which was not cool. This was Sakura-chan, and while he may have been tutored by the perverted old man, didn't mean he'd picked up his habits. He'd done his best not to, as a matter of fact. He glanced up at the sky to think about something else, and he paused.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, the sky's really, really blue today..." awestruck, his voice was hushed, the sky was a deep blue like it usually was after a fresh rain, though there hadn't been any recently. It was nice.

Sakura looked up, "Yeah it is. It's really pretty." Like your eyes, came a thought out of nowhere, which Sakura tried to push aside. She was simply walking hand in hand with a friend. She had walked hand in hand with Naruto before. But this seemed different somehow. Because of the fresh wound, trying to find comfort after rejection, Sakura? She scolded herself. That wasn't anyway to treat a friend. Still she couldn't deny the years had made him handsome.

He smiled down at her, it looked like she was feeling better. Which was great. A sad Sakura was always depressing. Maybe it was just him getting lost in his thoughts, as sporadic as they might be, but he soon found himself looking up at the deep green canopy of the forest. Inhaling deeply, the rich scent of the sun-heated earth beneath their feet and the clean smell of the pines around them made him feel like he was home. It was comforting, and he had to stifle a childish laugh as he lead her through the woods, whereas most would've taken the paths, Naruto preferred moving between the trees, the cool air beneath their heavy boughs refreshing as he took Sakura deep into the forest, the only hint of them growing closer to the grove was a pale luminescence peeking from between the sturdy trunks of the village's namesake, the living pride of the first Hokage. Naruto glanced back at Sakura as they passed beneath the pale glow of the cherry tree, the canopy above them crowned with snowy pink, the grass under their feet dotted with blossoms and petals, shadows playing around them as the sunlight filtered through the branches overhead.

"Nobody knows about this part of the cherry orchard; it's too deep into the forest. I found it when I was training one day." He smiled wide with pride, happy to have found this quiet little treasure, the cherry grove was as least half the size of their old training grounds, and the grass was like a green and pink carpet from one end to the other.

"You like it? I've never seen them all blooming before..." he looked around, breathing deeply to pick up the sweet scent of the blossoms.

Sakura's eyes winded, "It's... it's amazing, Naruto!" She breathed, walking forward on to a carpet of soft pink, she moved through a storm of blossoms. She twirled around a couple of times before looking back at him, "It's like our own private groove..."

"Yeah, isn't it great?" He grinned wider, rubbing his nose before settling into a crouch to inspect a blossom at his feet. Cupping it in his hands as if he were afraid to break it, he sat, cocking his head to look at it from as many angles as he could. Brushing a finger across its pale petals produced a soft smile on the blonde shinobi. "They're so soft..." He looked up at the tree's flowering branches high above him, his lips parted slightly.

Sakura walked forward, smiling and took his hand, leading him deeper into the grove. "They're all soft," Sakura added, a soft smile on her face. On a whim she embraced him, "Thank you," she said, "for bringing me here." For being here... for being you...

When she'd pulled him to his feet, he'd been surprised, stumbling a bit before finding his feet again. He didn't mind, though. He just smiled, tucking the blossom into her headband just above her ear before returning the hug.

"No problem, Sakura-chan," he pet her hair, she smelled like the blossoms..."anytime." He rested his forehead against hers, looking down into her face. She looks happy now...good. It was enough to make him happy, and he hugged her a little tighter, his eyes closed.

Sakura found comfort in the warm embrace, as she hadn’t found it in anything for a long time now. Acting more on impulse than she had in a long time, she gazed up and reaching up a bit, strange she had never noticed that the past few years had actually made him taller than her, gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.

He froze in shock, blue eyes wide. It took him a moment to recollect himself, and he blinked, giving his head a small shake. Was...was that my imagination. He smiled down at Sakura, laughing softly.

"Ne, Sakura-chan...what was that for?" He leaned back a bit to meet her gaze, his blue eyes wide.

Sakura blushed suddenly, "For...for being you," and being here. She smiled quickly, trying to cover up her pervious action. I can't believe I just did that... or can I? Her mind was running circles around her. She started at his chest.

His well-formed chest. Damn, I hate my mind sometimes. Friend. Not Date. Friend.

One part of her didn't agree with that. She sighed, "I'm sorry."

He smiled wider, his eyes reducing to thick-lashed creases as he laughed.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan, I was just wondering." He swallowed hard and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips brushing across her skin for a fleeting moment.

"...Thank you, though." his voice had dropped to a low murmur, deeper than normal, and it actually surprised him that the noise even came from him.

Sakura looked up, she could feel the blush rising in her cheeks. I wonder if they match my hair. She smiled, a shy smile, unlike her normal smile, a smile that had always been reserved for use on someone else and had never worked. She was only half aware she was giving it to Naruto.

"You’re welcome," she didn't move away from him.

He ducked his head, grinning, scratching the back of his scalp nervously. He could feel his cheeks heat up, just above his whisker markings, and it made him even more nervous. It had felt nice, really nice, and he swallowed hard. But looking back at Sakura eased his smile. Reaching out slowly, he stroked her cheeks, the pads of his fingertips brushing lightly across her cheekbones, tracing her blush.

Sakura looked up at him, part confused, part expectant. She was unable to classify her own emotions on the matter. "Naruto...?"

"Sakura-chan...you're really pretty." He brought himself out of his daze and grinned at her, laughing slightly as he leaned back. He didn't know what he was doing, impulses were like that, and he didn't want to get her mad at him. He scratched his cheek and gazed off across the clearing.

"It took you this long to realize that?" Sakura joked lightly, all of a sudden more comfortable than she had ever been with another. Her time pursuing Sasuke, for she was never really with him, was always filled with a desperate longing. This was different. It was laid back and friendly. She didn't feel like she was constantly having a door slammed in her face. She could get used to this.

Laughing behind a fist that touched her lips softly she added, "Besides, you're handsome yourself."

"Ah, well, you know..." he shrugged nonchalantly, "I just couldn't help but notice that you looked prettier than usual today." He quieted, a calm settling over him as he thought.

"I think I got that from dad..." He had done his best to trace back to his parents, asking everyone he could. No one was willing to give him much, but he had his suspicions...he shook it off with another jaunty grin. "Hey, I gotta keep up with Sasuke somehow, you know?"

"How do you know who your father is?" Sakura returned with a disbelieving grin, "You're an orphan. As for the 'keeping up with Sasuke'..." Sakura shrugged, playfully implying he was behind somehow. She did love to tease him.

He rubbed his arm, making a soft hissing noise as if she'd punched him.

"Ooooh, Sakura-chan, so cold! Ne, I don't, 's just a guess..." Despite his words, his voice was still light and playful. He wasn't upset about it, wasn't even really down about it. He was just...interested. He wanted to know. It was confusing how nobody seemed to know who his parents were. Oh well, got other things to worry about. Like Sakura...and why did she kiss me? Really?

"And who's your guess?" Sakura prompted. Moving in a little closer, looking up at his features, the whiskered face, the bright blue eyes, all surrounded by a hurricane of cherry blossoms. She fought back another blush. What is wrong with me today? I swear, I must be going crazy. Or finding something that was already there, another voice argued. She tried to conveniently push it to the side.

He leaned back and looked at the sky, watching the shadows dance across each other before dropping his gaze to the grass below.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, don't laugh, okay?" he scuffed the toe of his sandals in the grass, nudging a blossom with his foot. "I think...I think it was the Yondaime."

His golden brow furrowed as his throat constricted for a moment, and then it went away again. A sense of loss for never knowing his parents washed over him, and was gone.

Sakura blinked once. Then she blinked again. The words 'excuse me' didn't quite make it past her mouth. Sure, she wanted to say, I'm sure every orphan wants to think they had great parents, but you must be mistaken. But he seemed so serious. It wasn't a joke, and she couldn't bring herself to say she didn't think he could be right about that. Then she realized she didn't exactly know that much about the subject either. And Naruto did look strangely like a few photographs of the fourth she had seen. Now, even more so, as the years crept by.

The thing she had envied most when she was younger, she now knew to be more painful than she could imagine. Sakura had always had her parents, breathing down her neck sometimes, but they had always been there. The child she was had envied the freedom Naruto must've known. What was it she had said? That he could get away with anything because he didn't have any parents to scold him. Now she knew it was a lonely and terrible freedom. She hugged him, trying to say she understood.

After all, even if it wasn't through death, Sakura had still lost someone important to her before.

He hung his head with a small laugh, scuffing at the blossom.

"Yeah, pretty dumb, I know..." He grinned up at her again, "...would be kinda neat, though, huh?" ...and then she hugged him. Everything grew still, and for a moment, he wasn't sure if he was still at home and in bed or not. Once he got over the first shock, his face melted into a wry smile, and he wrapped his arms around her. It...it felt good, to hug her. She fit nicely against him. Hugs were a novelty that he didn't get to enjoy very often, and he cherished them when he did get one.

This one was special, though. This time, it was from Sakura-chan, and that seemed to make all the difference. His smile grew more sincere as he rested his cheek on the top of her head, the petals of the blossom he'd tucked behind her ear brushing across the tip of his nose.

“It’s not dumb,” Sakura stated firmly, burying her head in his neck, holding him tightly, “If you think it’s true, then I believe you.”

He was nearing ecstatic, Sakura's words making his stomach do strange things in a way that actually felt...kinda good. He nuzzled her hair, inhaling her scent, which smelled so much like the blossoms around them and that nice smell all girls seemed to have. Slowly he unwrapped his arms from around her waist, tentatively moving to cup her face in his hands. Steeling his resolve. He pulled back enough to easily kiss her forehead, his thumbs absentmindedly stroking her cheeks.

Thank you, Sakura-chan... Sakura felt his lips on her forehead, their touch lingered as they did. The same with the fingers on her cheeks. Sakura blushed, but didn't move away. He was warm, this was comforting. Naruto somehow started to remove the thorn of Sasuke from her heart.

Feeling more confident, seeing as she hadn't decked him yet, he let his emotions lead him, a little at a time. His cheeks hot, he tipped her chin up, his lips brushing across the bridge of her nose as he moved lower. Hesitant, his mouth so close to hers he could feel her breath on his skin, and it made him feel so strange...Watching her lips from beneath heavy lids, he licked his lips slowly before capturing hers. Sakura-chan tastes like candy...a fleeting thought as he pulled away, and although he wasn't exactly sorry he'd kissed her, he was afraid of a quick blow to the face. Over the years, Naruto had acquired a deep-seated respect for Sakura's right hook.

Naruto's kiss froze Sakura in place. She felt the blush in her cheeks grow even darker as something she had thought she buried came to the surface again. When he pulled away, Sakura, acting on impulse, going, for once, with what her heart wanted, kissed him back.

His lips are warm... and I must be going crazy.

Naruto's eyes snapped open in surprise, but they soon eased closed again, his hands falling to rest at the small of her back, pulling her close. He was fairly sure he was dreaming, but if he was, it was very convincing! But lips that sweet called for more kisses, at least one more taste. His own lips parted to allow him to trace the swell of her upper lip with his tongue. A sigh escaped him, she tasted so good...he was sure he'd be waking up anytime soon, but until then, he'd make the best of it, he supposed.

Sakura responded to the kiss. Naruto tasted like ramen, to no surprise. She pressed closer, her hands on his shoulders. To think, it had been right in front of her all this time, and she had never even noticed.

Even though he was breathing, he was still getting dizzy. Maybe it was from being this close to Sakura. Yeah, that was probably it, Sakura was intoxicating. The taste of her lips, the smell of her hair, the feel of her beneath his hands and so close to him it burned...he doubted he'd ever be able to get enough of it.

Finding fresh courage, his resolve strengthened by her response, he nipped at her bottom lip, catching it between his teeth and sucking lightly. Tilting her head up a little more, he broke the kiss to nibble on her chin and jaw, working along the delicious curve until he came to her neck. One hand cradling the back of her head, his fingers threading through her silken hair, he followed the elegant column of her neck with gentle nips and sucks, laving her pulse point with his tongue.

She was so beautiful, it was driving him insane, he could hear the low thrum of her heartbeat, could smell her, the pheremones were what was doing him in, but he didn't care. It was probably Kyuubi's fault he was experiencing it like this, but for her, it was nothing. He'd die for her if he had to, even before he'd been able to taste her. His nose and lips brushed across her skin until he was nudging aside the collar of her top. Just enough to be able to kiss the junction of her neck and shoulder. Being mindful of his sharp teeth, he bit down on the soft skin, not even hard enough to leave a lasting mark, his tongue laving the skin to soothe it. God, he was done for, as he moaned softly against her, happily lost.

Sakura tensed and made a small gasp when Naruto bit down. The sensation shot straight through her, leaving her weak in the knees. Unable to stand any longer on her own, she leaned in to him fully. Though sudden, all of this wasn't unwelcome. Naruto was moving things in her she didn't know existed. She felt hot suddenly, a hand went skimmed the back of his neck, playing with the hair that fell there.

She gasped his name to a storm of cherry blossoms. He groaned, releasing her, pulling away to look into her eyes, the hand that had been cupping the back of her head brushed her hair out of her face. Panting softly, he held her against him, lifting her off her feet so that he could lay her on the bed of blossoms more easily. Cupping her face in his hands again, he kissed her fiercely, passion driving him. His tongue traced her lips, begging for entrance as he keened low in his throat.

Sakura let him in. He tasted of spices and noodles. She pressed her body against him. How did this happen? Where did it come from? Sakura wondered briefly, before deciding she didn't care. Maybe, it had always been there. Sakura's hands twisted in his orange jacket.

Growling possessively, he delved into her mouth, tasting her, memorizing her, his tongue sliding across hers in a way that made him shiver and groan. He stroked the roof of her mouth, teased her tongue into a sensual duel that was quickly leaving him sort of breath.

Sakura moaned and arched upward, trying for better leverage, her hands in the orange fabric pulled at the jacket he had simply re-tailored and re-tailored to fit. Though she was at a loss to explain the sudden source of her need, she wanted the jacket off. One of her legs twisted around his easily as she was pulling at the jacket.

He was going out of his mind, he must've been, he was burning from the inside, and Sakura rubbing against him like that was only making it worse. Snarling, he yanked off his jacket and tossed it aside with a hiss, his t-shirt soon followed. Thanks to Kyuubi, he had very few scars, and those that remained were very faint discolorations and ridges. Panting hard, now that the excess clothes were off, he barely noticed the chill as he bent down to kiss her again. Her cheeks, her lips, her throat all the way to the collar of her top he covered in kisses. As soon as he met the fabric he made an odd noise in the back of his throat, his eyes flecked with red in his momentary confusion.

It took him a moment to realize he had the collar of her top between his teeth and he was growling. Very embarrassed, he sat up with a mumbled apology, running a hand through his hair, cheeks burning as he hid behind his hand.

The sudden loss of contact was like walking into a warm room into the coldest of winter nights. Sakura sat up, flushed. Her hair disheveled, it hung down in front of sea-green eyes obscuring her view of him. "Naruto... why did you stop?" She asked, confused, hurt. It would be so her luck, rejected twice in one day.

"Kyu-Kyuubi..." He tried to still his shaking hands, he didn't want to touch her if Kyuubi was trying to claw its way to the surface. He didn't want to know what the fox would do to his Sakura-chan. If Kyuubi hurt her, Naruto would never forgive himself. He looked up at her, blue eyes wide, and he reached out to brush her hair out of her face.

"Y-you...you weren't scared when I started growling?" he tucked her hair behind her ears carefully, stroking her cheek. She was so fascinating, he couldn't help but stare, the fear in his eyes softening to open wonder as he watched his hand as he touched her.

Sakura shook her head, truthfully she had been caught up in the feeling of it all. It hadn't even occurred to her that he had been growling, and once she had noticed it, it didn't even bother her. The opposite in fact, she found it enticing. Sakura leaned into his hand, "What are you talking about, I could never be scared of you..."

It had never entered her mind that Naruto would be anything to fear.

He could have cried when she told him that, as it was, he simply tackled her to the ground in a fierce hug, burying his face in her chest as he sent the blossoms sailing back into the air, only to drift back down again in lazy circles.

"Sakura-chan, I love you!" maybe he was being childish, and even a bit hasty in his proclamation, but the surge of warmth was making it hard to hold back the wracking sobs that were threatening to break free. Nuzzling into her soft, comforting warmth, he inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself with her sweet scent. Once he had done that, he realized exactly why she felt so soft, and he was afraid to lift his head. Sakura-chan's going to kill me...Carefully extracting his face from her inviting cleavage, he did his best to smile convincingly. It didn't work, though, and he swallowed hard.

So much for trying not to come across as a weird pervert...

Sakura had been about to ask about the strange kyuubi statement when the tackle hit. She hadn't understood that, and it seemed to be bothering him, she didn't want him to feel like he had to hide anything from her. Then he was burying his head her chest.

Another time, another place, Sakura would've decked him hard enough to send him in to next week. Right now though, it was actually kind of cute. Laughing she ran her hand over his hair as he pulled his head up. I love you, he had said.

"I know you do," she answered simply. He had been telling her in various ways for years. She had just never listened. It was amazing, how something could be right in front of you and you still couldn't see it.

His face lit up like a switch had been flipped, his eyes sparkling brightly. Nuzzling her affectionately, his arms wrapped tightly around her, he tucked his head under her chin and sighed happily. She was a wonderful pillow, and he snuggled closer.

But now that he'd had his face buried in her cleavage, his curiosity was beginning to get the better of him. No! I'm not like the ero sennin. I'm not going there. But still...they were, well, there. And the urge to touch was growing stronger. But he wouldn't do that, not to Sakura, he couldn't destroy her trust like that, no matter how curious he got. He made a low grumble of annoyance at himself in the back of his throat and buried his face in Sakura's hair, trying to distract himself from his perverted thoughts.

Sakura smiled, she could imagine Naruto's inner battle. He had always been pretty transparent and now was no exception. She ran her hands over the exposed flesh of his back, her fingers making small circles as she did so. When he grumbled at himself, she laughed softly. "What are you thinking?" She asked, though she was pretty sure she knew.

He arched into her touch like a cat, his face screwing up with the effort of concentrating.

"Nnnnn...Sakura-chan...that...that tickles..." It was the only way he could describe the strange tingling sensation, as he lay there panting harder, his voice changing, becoming rougher. His chest heaving, he pressed his forehead into the cool grass, trying to think. she asked him something, he was sure she'd asked him something, what was it? Oh. Oh no, he couldn't tell her...she'd think he was a freak. Well, he was, but not that kind. He shook his head, he couldn't tell her, she'd think he was crazy.

Sakura tried not to laugh at his insistence that it tickled. It wasn't an answer to her question though. She continued the light touch, this time placing a little chakra in her fingers. The technique was great for healing minor cuts and bruises, but on healthy skin, it increased sensation. If he thought it was tickling him now...

"Well... you're thinking something," Sakura purred, "What is it?" He whimpered, his spine arching away from her hand as he gritted his teeth and keened.

"Sakura-chan! What're you--don't do that! Please, Sakura-chan, I--oh..." He groaned, his cheeks hot in embarrassment as he felt the nearly painful tingling go straight down his spine to pool between his legs. Jaw clenching, he whimpered as he felt himself growing hard, hoping Sakura wouldn't notice. Sweat beaded across his forehead, soaking into the fabric of his hitae-ate, making him itch.

"Sakura-chan, please, it hurts..." He hung his head, shifting restlessly.

Sakura pulled her hands away, "Sorry!" She said quickly. She couldn't see why it would be hurting him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean... I mean..." Unsure of what else to do she embraced him again and kissed his shoulder and his neck softly.

He bit his lip, his teeth cutting into his skin as her kisses burned him like fire. A low moan was drawn out of him as his erection rubbed against something, all of his nerves were sensitive to everything from her touch down to the fabric of his pants. His hands balled up into fists until his knuckles went white, his eyes squeezed shut tightly. He had to pull away, he didn't know what he or Kyuubi would do when he was like this, he had to get away. Only he was too weak to do it, every attempt to roll off of her or drag himself away left him collapsing on top of her. He whimpered fitfully, his hair sticking to his sweat-dampened skin.

Sakura, not sure what was going on, but wanting to comfort him, to show him that it was alright, to show she was sorry for whatever she did to cause him pain, simply ran her hands over his shoulders, his back, kneading the flesh, trying to get him to relax a bit. She kissed his cheek, his ear.

He leaned into her touch, his eyes closed as he stopped fighting. His pants were now uncomfortably tight, and he shifted, trying to hide his discomfort and the tent in his trousers. His breathing was shaky, his heart hammering against his rib cage.

"Sss-Sakura-chan..." his voice had a note of desperation creeping into it, and Naruto was so confused, he didn't know what was wrong with him.

"Shhhh," Sakura whispered, her breath brushing his ear as she did so, "It's okay," she assured him, then she moved to take his lips.

Kissing her hungrily, he crushed his mouth against hers, whining softly as his lips burned from where he'd bit them. The coppery taste of his blood mixed with the sweet flavor of her lips, and he tried his best to kiss the pain away, hoping that by ignoring the dizziness the source of his agony would go away.

Sakura responded fully. She wondered where the taste of blood came from, but the thought vanished into thin air as he took the kiss deeper. She held him to her tightly, her hands digging into his over heated flesh. All of a sudden she found herself wanting something she couldn't put a name too.

He settled nearly his full weight on top of her, using his own body mass to pin her in place, using his elbows to prop himself up so he wouldn't crush her. His hands tangled themselves in her hair to keep from roaming over her soft curves, even as he growled into her mouth as his erection was pinned against her. Shaking all over from the sensory overload, Naruto tried to pull away again to collect himself. Breathing hard as he clutched a fistful of his hair, he squeezed his eyes shut.

"S-Sakura-chan...I--I can't..." I don't want to hurt you, I'm too scared of what I could do...

"Yes you can," Sakura said softly, between raining kisses across his face, her hands worshiping his broad shoulders, his muscles, every part of exposed skin. She felt alive, truly alive for the first time in a long time.

A groan quickly developed into a throaty growl, his hands pulling her close, and though he wanted her legs wrapped around him, he needed that blasted top of hers off. Teeth bared in a feral snarl, he snagged the zipper in his teeth, dragging it low enough that he had to use his hands, peeling the garment away reverently, contradicting his earlier frantic movements as his curiosity and awe surfaced, pushing aside Kyuubi and returning his eyes to a deep sky blue.

"...so pretty..." he slid the top off her shoulders, letting his hands run over her smooth curves. Cocking his head slightly, he cupped her breasts in his hands through her bindings. So soft...He began to unwrap her slowly, watching with silent amazement as he revealed more pale skin, inch by inch as he peeled back the bandages.

Once finished, the bandages pooled in his lap as they slithered out of his numb fingers. She was so beautiful, her hair spilling down her shoulders, her breasts round and her nipples dusky against her pink paleness. He couldn't help himself as he bent down to capture the tightening bud of flesh, giving it an experimental suck as his hand rose to cup the unattended breast. They fit so well in his hands, too...he switched sides, wanting to see if they tasted the same, his fingers slipping across her slick nipple as he tried pinching and rolling it. Girls were so different...so exotic. This was kinda fun...only a small corner of his mind realized that sounded like something Jiraiya might've said once, but the thought was banished in favor of the kunoichi before him.

Gasping, Sakura arched upward. She had read her share of romance novels, mostly borrowed from Ino, but that paled in comparison to this. His lips. His tongue. His hands. Sakura’s own hands clenched spasmodically, causing her nails to dig slightly into his back. She tried to whisper an apology for her nails cutting into his back, but she couldn’t seem to say it. When his deft fingers pinched her nipple, a small squeak that resembled his name escaped her lips.

The slight pain in his back only made him groan, shifting his hips for want of friction. Releasing her pert nipple with a muffled pop, he buried his face in the valley between her breasts, kneading the supple flesh as he kissed his way lower, guided by instinct alone. Dragging his lips across the smooth skin of her abdomen, nipping and sucking where he pleased, his breath ghosting across her bare skin as he considered her navel. Licking his lips, he dipped his tongue into her belly button, sighing softly before moving on to kiss lower, nipping at the waistband of her shorts.

Sakura's hands lost any sense of mission, of purpose, the simply sought flesh as hers was sought out as well. She moaned softly as cherry blossoms and Naruto's lips caressed her skin. She arched her hips, having some idea of what she wanted, what she needed. Clinical knowledge was blown away though, here in the flesh it seemed so much more confusing, and that much more heady.

Taking the chance to divest her of her shorts, those were quickly disposed of, to be tossed aside to lie with his shirt and jacket. Even his hitae-ate was thrown to the pile, and he pressed a kiss to her toned stomach just above the waistline of her panties. He groaned deep in his throat, he could smell her, a musky scent that made him ache painfully.

Moving slowly, to savor the moment, he slipped his fingers under the elastic and eased it off, torturing himself as he exposed her biggest secrets, the first traces of pink hair peeking out from under the soft cotton received a kiss before he pulled back again to slip the undergarment off her entirely. He added it to the growing heap of discarded clothing, running calloused hands up her shapely legs. Kneeling between her legs, his blue gaze met hers before he bowed to bury his face in the soft patch of pink curls.

It was heavenly, the smell alone was enough to make him dizzy, and leave the base of his spine tingling.

Gasping, Sakura moved into Naruto's attentions. It was unlike anything she had ever imagined. And yet, it was everything she had always dreamed of. Only the person had changed, and gladly so. She breathed his name, softly, one of her legs twitched, slightly. Her hand reached for his shoulders, making her bend at a slightly odd angle.

Groaning softly, he nuzzled her, his lips brushing across another nub of flesh. Curiosity gained control, and he licked it, laving it with his tongue. Licking his lips, he considered her taste, it was...different, but not unpleasantly so, humming with pleasure, he clamped his lips over the little nub, flicking it with the tip of his tongue and teasing it with his teeth.

Sakura cried out sharply and jumped slightly. She trembled, "Na...ruto..." She gasped, falling back onto the ground, panting with pleasure, moving, arching, her body making every attempt to get closer to his.

His eyes went wide. A heady jolt going through him at her cries, and the way she said his name was enough to get his complete and undivided attention. Determined to coax her into making more of those noises, he clamped his lips over the bundle of nerves and hummed, stroking the little nub where it lay hidden beneath its velvety hood. His eyelids were heavy as he watched her from beneath thick lashes, his hands sliding up the backs of her creamy thighs to grip her hips. His hands were hot enough to be branding her hips and every thing he did with his tongue, with his teeth, with his mouth pulled from her a different sound. Soft gasps, breathy moans, the occasional squeaking noise. Her eyes fell closed, but color danced behind them, color that reminded her of the electric blue of his eyes.

He forced himself to let go, her scent and taste intoxicating him and leaving him dizzy. Breathing hard and irregularly, he rested his head on her hip as he caught his breath. Regaining his composure--at least as much as he had of it in this situation--he spread her thighs apart, settling himself between once more.

Now with his face on the level with her glistening sex, he growled in approval, his grip on her thighs tightening possessively. Leaning in, his nostrils flaring at the pheromone-laden musk that made his eyes flash red, he inhaled deeply, letting her scent fill him, drug him until it was all he knew. His lips parted as he panted, his breath gusting across her unprotected folds moments before his tongue parted her, lapping at her entrance as he tasted her, savoring her flavor as he allowed himself to devour her, angling her hips to give him more.

The sound of Naruto's growling sent shivers through Sakura's body, all of which seemed to meet, or start from, it was hard to tell, from one spot. His breath against her center made her writhe and moan. And then his tongue entered her, the early skimming was nothing compared to this. The heat consumed her, she wanted, no needed, more. She cried out, the familiar sound of his name rent from her lips.

Growling into her as he plunged his tongue as far into her as he could, caressing her, lapping up as much of her fluids as he could, rubbing her inner folds in a mimicry of that elusive need. His hips grinding his painful erection against the unforgiving ground in a matching rhythm as he tried to ease his own heat. The need for air made him sit up, his chest heaving as he licked his lips clean of juices, his eyes a dark, smoldering blue as he ran his tongue over his elongated fangs. He had stopped bothering to try and hide his arousal, which was straining against the gaudy orange of his trousers. Ignoring this, he captured her jaw in his hand, stealing another kiss from her.

His kiss tasted different this time, musky and earthy. The difference, she realized with a start, was her. She drank it in. Her hands, now having a full run of the lean, muscled body, started to tug on his pants, she could feel his need digging into her and had come to the conclusion that she had to get those pants off him now.

She needed him to fill the emptiness inside of her, here in the sea of pink blossoms that bore her name.

Peeling himself away from her reluctantly, he unfastened his pants, too lost to the burning lust to be nervous or worried anymore. With a hiss, he eased the zipper down, his aching hard-erection springing free, kicking off his sandals and pants, the only thing left on him was his dark blue boxers. Hooking his thumbs under the waistband, he slid those off, tossing them aside. His eyes raked over her hungrily, she was so beautiful, lithe and pale, soft and inviting in all the right places. Naruto moaned softly, just drinking in the sight of her.

"Sakura-chan..." Words failed him when he needed them most, he couldn't describe how beautiful she was, he never could. So he tried to tell her with his hands, a low rumbling noise deep in his chest as he slid his hands up her legs to rest at the swell of her hips.

Sakura gazed up at him, longing imprinted in her pale green eyes. She understood what he was saying, even when he couldn't voice it. He had been saying it for years really, now, he was about to show her. One of her hands grazed his face slightly, the other traveled down his chest, admiring him, all of him, in a way she never had before. Beautiful....

He covered her hand with his, nuzzling her palm and pressing a kiss to it before he could let her go. Breathing deeply, swallowing hard as the head of his member slipped across her slick entrance. Bracing himself and adjusting his grip on her hips, he entered her slowly. His head fell back and he bared his teeth, eyes squeezed shut as he pushed into her. So tight...oh gods... Groaning fitfully as he was blocked by something, only getting a small taste of her delicious heat, he nearly went frantic. Pulling out almost entirely, he steadied himself and with a powerful thrust, he embedded himself in her.

When Naruto started to push in, Sakura felt a burst of pleasure before he seemed to hit a barrier inside of her. Then he was pulling out and Sakura felt bereft for his leaving. And then she was too full, too fast. Her eyes shot open, she tensed from head to toe and cried out sharply, trying to silence herself by biting her lip. Her thought was that she had done something wrong, which seemed to be the only way to explain the sharp and sudden pain.

Naruto froze, horror turning his stomach to lead as he realized he'd hurt her.

"Sakura-chan, I'm so sorry..." he kissed her, smoothing her hair with his hands as he murmured a flurry of apologies, as he stroked her hair and cheek. She felt so unbelievably good around him, but if feeling this good was hurting her...he made a small whimpering noise in the back of his throat.

"I didn't mean to, Sakura-chan, I'm sorry, I won't do it again..." "No, it's okay," Sakura managed to gasp out. Now that she thought about it, and she had a moment to think in the pain, she knew what had happened, "It happens... the first time. Just. Move."

His chest constricted tightly, and he was more than glad to oblige. Shaken by the thought of his cock hurting her, he moved slowly, gulping for air as she gripped him, so hot and slick...a fine sheet of sweat broke out across his skin as he grew more confident, his strokes deeper and more powerful than before. Panting, he bent down to nuzzle her cheek.

"S-Sakura-chan, is it better?" His ability to make coherent sentences was quickly slipping as all of his skin burned hotly, and he nipped the soft skin of her shoulder with a groan.

The pain faded a little more with each stroke he made, leaving her to feel the friction created by his movements. She felt stretched, full. The pain had been more a result of the sudden break than it had been of anything else, and vanished quickly as it came to the wind. She nodded in response to his question, one leg wrapping around his as she did so.

"Feels good," she managed to gasp out, now surprised that she could form words at all.

He keened in her ear, sucking on her earlobe as he tried to find a good rhythm. It felt best when he pulled himself out almost completely before thrusting in, angling his hips to bury himself as deep as possible. The small part of his brain that had yet to be engulfed by her all consuming heat was worried that his nails would leave marks as his grip tightened on her reflexively.

Sakura gasped and panted, her hips arching with each stroke. The aching need returned, and moving with him seemed to help. Sakura, on impulse nipped at Naruto's ear lobe as one of her hands formed a fist at where his neck met his back, the other tangling in his hair.

"Sakura..." her name was almost a growl, and he leaned into her, teeth bared as his hair stuck to his skin. The way his muscles were burning, and the tight coil of heat in his abdomen, he knew what was coming, and he didn't want to go over that edge alone. One hand released her hip to roam over her curves, cupping a breast, pinching and rolling her nipple between forefinger and thumb. He gently raked the nub of flesh with his thumbnail before letting his hand dip between them, finding her bundle of nerves and working it with his thumb as he pounded into her.

Something began to break, Sakura tensed up under Naruto's attentions. Her back arched and she began to shudder. Her nails dug into Naruto's skin lightly as every inch of her pressed against him. Her soft pants and moans became louder, more urgent.

The way she tightened around him made him burn, fire scorching his veins and blinding him. His whisker marks became more pronounced, his eyes flashing red as he clamped his mouth down on the junction of her neck and shoulder, growling as he made a few parting thrusts before his hips met hers, his hands holding her against him as he came, his eyes screwed tightly shut as he was blinded by the bright fireworks going off behind his eyelids.

Sakura felt something release inside of her. The knowledge of what it was, of what had just happened, the feeling of his teeth clamping down on her neck, the sound of his growling all pushed her over the edge. She cried out, his name escaping her lips. The world exploded into light.

When he finally came to his senses, Naruto found himself lying over her, all of her soft curves pressed against him. He released her neck, his brow furrowing with worry when he saw the mark he'd made, and he ran his tongue over the angry red bite-marks. Brushing his lips over the abused skin, he kissed his way up her neck, burying his nose in her hair and breathing deeply. She smelled so good, even after that workout. Smiling contentedly, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek.

"Ne, Sakura-chan...you smell good."

Sakura smiled lazily, her eyes open only as slits, the light barely filtering through. Naruto himself was a silhouette of tousled hair, lean muscles and sunlight glinting off the edges of tanned skin. "You look good," she muttered.

He grinned, brushing her hair out of her face, snuggling closer to her. It probably wasn't very nice of him to lay on top of her like that, so he shifted onto his side and took her with him. The movement made him suck hard on his bottom lip, as he was reminded that he hadn't pulled out of her yet. He didn't want to, just lying here, with her, in her, surrounded by her softness and her sweet scent, it felt so good...better than anything. But he figured it probably wasn't good for her, so with slight reluctance, he cupped her rear and eased her off of him with a soft moan of regret. He'd miss that feeling. He hugged her closer to make up for the loss.

Sakura moaned at the disconnection, lamenting the loss of contact. She welcomed his embrace however, and snuggled into it. He was warm, so warm. Sighing, Sakura looked up at his face, through the haze that obstructed her vision it was even more handsome, "Naruto.... do you... love me?" She asked.

His smile was gentle, and he brushed the hair back from her forehead so he could kiss it.

"Sakura-chan, I've always loved you." Petting her silken hair, he rested his chin on the top of her head.

Sakura blushed, "Thank you, for being there..." she whispered.

He cocked his head to look at her.

"Being where?"

"Being here, silly."

He opened his mouth to protest, then thought better of it and ravaged her lips again with a playful little growl.

Sakura laughed into his mouth as she returned the kiss. This wasn't what she had planned for the day, but it turned out for the best anyway.

When he broke away from the kiss for air, he rolled onto his back, sprawling across the grass with a very self-satisfied grin splitting his face. A hint of movement caught his eye, and he paused, eyes wide as he watched a lone blossom lazily spinning through the air toward them. He puffed at it, trying to blow it away, but it evaded his attempts, landing on his forehead despite his efforts. Screwing up his face and crossing his eyes with the effort of looking at it, tipping his head back trying to catch a glimpse of the pale pink petals. All his efforts were in vain, and with a solemn sigh, he collapsed back onto the grass, the persistent blossom clinging to his forehead tauntingly.

He sighed again, and glanced over at his cherry blossom--when she had become his, Naruto wasn't sure, but it was a feeling--lying just out of reach. He held out his arms to her and beckoned with his hands, wanting to hold her, or just lie next to her, or something, just so he could be close to her for a little while longer, not caring that he was lying naked in the middle of the forest. It didn't matter, as long as he had her.

Sakura smiled and moved in, leaning down she picked the cherry blossom off his forehead and laid it down on his noise, "You know what, I think I love you too..." Sakura said, with a half grin, as she bent down and kissed his lips softly. "Scratch that, I know I love you...." She said, as she laid next to him, wrapping her arm over his chest. Why it had taken her so long to see it was a mystery, but there it was, right in front of her.

His nose twitched as the blossom tickled him, and he fought valiantly against a sneeze. But Sakura's kiss was a better ward for sneezes than any of his efforts. A stunned smile quirked the corners of his mouth, and he basked in the soft warmth that was Sakura. His hand moved to cover her arm, and he relaxed enough to let that place between awake and sleep claim him. Only shifting slightly as more blossoms fell around them, their sweet-smelling petals tickling him.

Sakura snuggled in closer, her head resting in the cup of his shoulder. Yawning, she let her eyes drift shut. The cherry blossoms made the perfect blanket for them, she thought, as she drifted off, safe and secure in his arms.