1,329Fangirling
By Laura-chan
Pairing: Sasuke/Sakura, minor couples.
Rating: T
Summary: 'I won't fangirl Uchiha Sasuke, I WON'T FANGIRL Uchiha Sasuke, I ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT FANGIRL Uchiha Sasuke, who cares if he has a god-like body, amazing eyes, soft black hair... Crap.'
Disclaimer: Of course everything related to Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto-sensei, praise his genius! OOC characters and plot do belong to me.
Warning: I am Italian, English is not my first language, please forgive my mistakes.
CHAPTER XII
"Naruto."
The silence in the room was broken by a low, but clearly audible voice. We all turned around, me trying to dry my eyes with my kimono sleeve; Sasuke was still behind me, holding me in his arms. I was emotionally drained and I couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of safety he emitted.
Naruto's father, Konohagakure's Yondaime Hokage, was standing on the doorway, a sad little smile on his handsome face, azure eyes liquid with pain.
"Otou…" Naruto whispered.
"Naruto, why didn't you say something to your mother and me? We would have tried… to be there more for you." Namikaze-sama sighed and entered the room: our friends moved to let him pass.
My blond friend shook his head. "You don't understand, oyaji… I didn't – I don't – want to be a burden. And you should have noticed these kind of things by yourselves."
Namikaze-sama's eyes were sad and troubled. "I know. Yes, you're right. I haven't been a model father since I was elected Hokage… but Naruto..." He moved closed, almost sitting on the bed: Sasuke pulled me away so that we were standing near the bed and not laying on it. "Naruto… I want our family to work: if you don't tell your mother and me your problems…"
Quietly, we all exited the room, me still supported by Sasuke, leaving father and son alone: it was a needed conversation between the two of them, and we were strangers after all.
Silence settled between us as we waited out in the hallway: I felt exhausted and continued to lean on Sasuke, who was leaning on the wall, his hands at my waist, his eyes staring at the ceiling. Hinata was pacing back and forth 'till Ino firmly grabbed and brought her to sit down next to her.
I was too absent-minded to notice what the others were doing.
I don't know how long we waited: I stubbornly tried to stay awake, but as the adrenaline faded away, the excitement, the anger and all the emotions I felt in the evening made me sleepy.
So, I didn't notice Yondaime exiting the room and smiling widely at the guys (only later I found out us girls had fallen asleep), I didn't notice being brought back to my parents in someone's arms, I didn't notice my otou-san bringing me to bed or my okaa-san undressing me.
I was dead to the world.
§
The day after I went to school a bit grouchy and confused: I didn't remember well the end of the evening and was surprised in the morning to find myself in my bed in my pajamas.
I sat down in my seat, the first in the class: slowly it began to fill, but my attention was on Naruto. When he entered he immediately noticed my piercing gaze and he flinched.
He sat down next to me and rubbed the back of his neck. "Eh… Sakura-chan..."
"Baka." I interrupted him. "You're a baka. However, I forgive you."
A wide, beaming smile appeared on his face and he hugged me tightly "Sakura-chan-!" he shouted, while I yelped as he started to cut off my air supply.
"Dobe. Let her go."
Naruto did as he was said – unbelievable – and smiled at Sasuke, who had appeared behind me. "Temeeee!" he waved.
"Thanks." I grumbled to the Uchiha and he just 'hn'-ed.
I stared blankly ahead of me for a few minutes, then turned first to Naruto and then to Sasuke. "So, what happened yesterday evening? I don't remember anything after exiting Naruto's room…"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I brought you back to your parents and then you went home."
I blinked at him. "You…brought…me… what?"
He sighed. "You understood perfectly. And you were heavy." He grinned to show me he was joking, but at the time I was too befuddled by his answer to respond correctly.
"You what!?"
Sasuke took a good look at my face and realised there was nothing to do with me: so he grunted and turned around to look at Kurenai-sensei, who was just entering.
I stared at him, puzzled and atonished, for ten minutes.
§
Ino was chatting lively at our lunch table and we girls all joined her, trying to overcome the gloomy silence that had taken place as soon as we all had sat down. Hinata was the only one looking downright depressed and I nudged Naruto, pointing at her.
He sighed and then interrupted Ino's flow of words.
"Guys." He began, attracting the others' attention "I don't want anything to change between us. You're still my best friends, and whatever happened yesterday evening does not change who I am."
Hinata's lips twitched upwards and Kiba yelled, taking Naruto in an arm-lock, while Lee was saying something about "The splendid youth of friendship!". The tension had suddenly vanished and we started behaving normally.
"And with your parents?" I whispered to Naruto.
He smiled. "We talked, especially my dad and I, and we cleared things."
"I'm glad."
"Hey."
I glanced behind me and saw Tsunade-shishou waving at us.
"Shishou?" I asked puzzled.
"We have some guests. I trust you all to make them feel welcome." She winked and pointed behind her. I looked confused and gasped.
"Gaara-kun!" I exclaimed happily, standing up and hugging my male best friend – he smiled a little at me and wrapped his arms around my waist. With him there were also his siblings. "Temari, Kankuro! It's been a long time! How are you? And Baki? Is he ok?"
"Whoa, whoa, Sakura-chan, take a breath." Temari laughed. "Everyone's okay."
"You're still the same." Kankuro smirked. "No one can beat you in talking." I glared at him.
"You look fine but a bit tired Sakura." Gaara-chan said finally. I smiled at him: he really was my best friend, he noticed everything and knew everything about me, except for the little crush I had on Sasuke…
"Yeah, I went to bed late yesterday evening."
Finally we noticed the table full of prying eyes.
"Ehm…" I grimaced. "Gaara-kun, Temari, Kankuro, I guess you already know my friends… it seems like you already met in a tournament which you didn't tell me anything of." I finished the last part while glaring at Gaara-chan.
He seemed to cringe, 'Good!', and stared at me almost apologetically. "Had too much to think about…" It was his way of saying 'Sorry', but I wasn't going to be satisfied with that.
"You'll explain later." I said menacingly.
"Hey Shikamaru, Ino." Temari seemed to be friendly enough with them and started chatting with my blonde best friend. Kankuro instead sat down between Kiba and Shino, but I didn't want to know what they were talking about.
"Gaara! Nice to see you again!" waved Naruto happily. Sasuke instead just glared – maybe he still hadn't forgiven my red-haired friend for almost killing him.
"Naruto. Uchiha." Gaara-chan slightly nodded, but I saw his lips twitch as he listened to Naruto's senseless babble. I guess Naruto had a magic way to attract seemingly cold-hearted friends.
Hinata smiled and then asked "How did you meet?"
Gaara-chan and I exchaged a look and then he began "When Sakura started attenting our school, she attracted attention not only because she was new, but also for…" and he wrapped a lock of my hair around his finger, "…her pink hair."
"Yeah, I already know I'm weird." I said sarcastically, crossing my arms on my chest. Everyone laughed.
"I didn't have many friends at the time." 'Not that he has them now – but Naruto's worth 10 friends I believe.' "But I was popular for being the Kazekage's younger son."
"And of course he attracted my attention." I interrupted, warning him with my eyes. That jerk had the gall to smirk at me and went on. "Yes, she was quite the spoiled brat back then. Tried to seduce me with her still unripe body." He was joking, but damn it! He was saying these things in front of my friends, not to mention Sasuke!
"I was eleven!" I protested.
"Yeah, right." Gaara-chan waved me off and I growled.
"Well, I rejected her…"
"Quite harshly and painfully." I bit out.
"So she started stalking me…"
"I was trying to find a way to take revenge on you!"
"…Of course I told her to stop…"
"More like, almost beated me to death."
"…and she finally saw reason."
"Yeah, because you put me in hospital!"
"Ehm." At least he had the decency to look embarassed. "I was… forced…" at least he was being sincere, "…to tell her I was sorry."
"When you weren't at all."
"And she verbally attacked me."
"What was I supposed to do? Thank you from breaking two ribs and my left arm?"
Gaara-chan sighed and glared at me. "What?" I snapped in reply. He sighed and shook his head "You'll never change. But well, we became friends."
My Konohagakure's friends were staring at us with wide eyes and gaping mouths. I felt a bit intimidated. "Mh. Ehm. What?"
"You two are strange." Said Ino and for once Shikamaru agreed with his girlfriend.
A voice broke the silence. "I'm going." I noticed Sasuke standing up with his tray and I frowned. "But, Sasuke—"
"See you later." And with that he walked away.
"What's up with him?" I asked Naruto; he kept looking at Sasuke's back, then turned to me. "He had never liked much Gaara… and I think he's troubled right now."
"But why?" I was getting frustrated: Sasuke was hot and cold, first friendly and almost loving, then he would revert back to the cold-hearted guy I first met.
Naruto looked at me apologetically. "Sorry, it's not my place to say." I sighed and nodded, smiling at him: I knew he was right - if Sasuke had a problem, he had to tell me himself. But it was hard waiting for him to open up…
§
I laughed as Gaara-chan finished telling me another one of Kankuro's adventures: that man was a clutz, I was sure of it.
"I'm glad everyone's okay." I smiled at him.
It was the afternoon break and I took the chance to take a walk in the garden with Gaara-chan: I really missed his company and the way I could babble all I wanted and he would just listen to me quietly. Actually, Gaara-chan was not a very talkative guy – he preferred peace and silence, mostly because he had a lonely childhood: his siblings were afraid of the power he showed and his father never saw him as a son, but as an instrument. And it hurt him.
So, when I went to him, mostly interested in him because he was the Kazekage's son, and (yes I admit it) started stalking him after he refused me, he lost control and got REALLY angry with me – that's the reason why I ended up in hospital, but I have forgiven him long ago. When he came to the hospital to say he was sorry, he was surprised to see I was more angry (both at him and myself) than afraid of him, and we started talking.
He told me of his lonely and painful childhood – and I was ashamed I had approached him with the intention of making him my boyfriend - I told him how I was always beaten and made fun of by my schoolmates, how weak I was and felt. This is how we became friends, but it was a story too personal to be told in front of the others. Remembering my past was too painful and I left that Sakura behind, I was a new person, a better one, and I wanted to become a great kunoichi.
I didn't want to feel weak anymore.
"I don't think Uchiha likes me too much." He mused and I giggled.
"Well, you DID try to kill him."
"I don't think that's the reason."
I blinked, confused. "Then, why?"
He looked at me with the corner of his eye "He was looking at you all the time."
"Heh?" I couldn't stop a blush from covering my cheeks. The idea of Sasuke staring at me… pleased me.
"Hn, I see." Gaara-chan almost smiled, "You like him."
I turned to him: I really couldn't hide anything from him. I sighed and nodded. "It's not just a crush, Gaara-kun. It's…" I gulped "I think I love him."
He huffed and shook his head. "What's with you and cold-hearted guys?"
I laughed and all the tension evaporated. "Yeah, you're right! Maybe I'm a masochist!"
We talked a bit more, then Gaara-chan looked at his watch. "I have to go now, because I have a meeting with the Hokage, we just passed by the school to see you all. We'll see each other later, ok?"
"Oss, Kazekage-sama!" I joked. I was one of the few people outside Sunagakure who knew that Gaara had been made Kazekage two years before. I waved at him as he walked away.
I sighed and sat down on the grass, wrapping myself in my jumper: it was fall's beginning and the air was getting chilly.
"You looked like you were having a lot of fun, eh..."
I jumped in surprise at hearing a voice behind me, and turned around: Sasuke was staring down at me, a disgruntled and dark expression on his face.
"Sasuke?" I asked confusedly.
"Are you sure you're only friends with Gaara?"
I looked at him strangely: he was behaving oddly, even for himself. "Of course I'm only friends with him, why are you asking? Am I not allowed to have male friends anymore?" the last bit was sarcastic, but Sasuke was slightly getting on my nerves.
"Oh? Maybe then you're friends with benefits..." he said coldly.
I gaped at him and stood up. "How dare you!?" I shouted, digging my forefinger in his chest. "How dare you say something like that about my friendship with Gaara?! And why exactly do you care?"
"I don't care." He blurted out. "You two looked cozy, laughing together..."
I glared at my dark-haired crush. "What's wrong with me laughing with my best friend?"
He gripped my wrists painfully and I whimpered. "What's wrong? What's WRONG? WHAT'S WRONG?" Sasuke bellowed, scaring me for the first time since I've known him: he gritted his teeth, his eyes now red with the Sharingan.
"You're hurting me..." I whispered, trying to let him go of me, but his grip just turned tighter.
His face got closer to mine, until he was breathing in my ear.
"I don't like to see my girlfriend flirting with another guy."
"I WAS NOT FLIRT-!" I stopped my tirade when I noticed something he said.
I gaped at him, my eyes widening.
"Your...girlfriend? GIRLFRIEND? Since when am I your girlfriend?" not that this didn't make me happy, but I was... angry, tired, confused, annoyed and atonished. Too many questions were pounding in my mind and I felt an headache starting. What was he doing? Was he joking? Was he making fun of me? This wasn't fun!
I didn't understand, I didn't understand him!
Sasuke was looking straight into my eyes and I was falling into the depth of his: I always knew he had beautiful, hypnotizing eyes and that they would be my downfall.
"You were mine since the first time we met and you didn't behave like a fangirl." He said quietly.
'If only you knew...' I absent-mindedly thought. The only thing I was able to do was gape at him: I was too shocked to do anything else.
Suddenly he was too close and I almost started hyperventilating. I could only stare as his face lowered to mine, and his eyes got closer and closer...
And he kissed me.
My inner fangirl whimpered and just fainted; on my part, I was shocked and puzzled, his hands - now on my shoulders - burned me, his lips were soft and I didn't know what to do.
I mean, Uchiha Sasuke was kissing ME!
I clung to him, uncapable to either push him away or pull him closer, as he took advantage of my parted lips to kiss me deeper. Damn it, why must Uchiha be good at everything? Sasuke was awesome at kissing and I was sure to be the one more experienced...
Finally I came to my senses when I remembered he had basically accused me of having sex with my best friend and somehow I found the strength to push him away, taking two steps back to put more space between us.
"HOW DARE YOU!" I exclaimed, angry tears gathering in my eyes. I felt betrayed and hurt: a hand rose to clutch my shirt over my heart. "How dare you- kissing me after you accused me of being some kind of... whore! How dare you proclaim me your girlfriend, you have no right to do so! I never agreed to be your girlfriend or something like that! I thought we were friends, but maybe it was just me... No matter how much I love you, I won't stand this!"
His eyes widened, mine did too.
'Crap, I did not just say that! I just didn't confess to him, RIGHT AFTER YELLING AT HIM FOR KISSING ME AND PROCLAIMING ME HIS GIRLFRIEND WITHOUT MY CONSENT!'
Apparently I did.
Inner fangirl wasn't of any help, she was still with her head on the clouds because of Sasuke's kiss.
He was smirking.
'Damn him, HOW-MUCH-I-H.A.T.E.-HIM-WHEN-HE-SMIRKS-AT-MEEEEE!'
"You love me?"
And so, I did the only thing that was left to do.
I ran.
Fangirling XII – End
To be Continued
Author's Note: So, this is chapter twelve. The number 12 is full of meaning for me: mostly because my birthday is the 12th of December (12/12) and next week I'll be twenty :D I'm so happy!
Hope you enjoyed this ;) Next one is the last chapter and then, ta-dan, the epilogue!
Reviews' Corner: I'm still atonished by the success this story is having... THANK YOU SO MUCH! 105 reviews for chapter ten and 80 for chapter eleven... I love you!
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lioness91: First of all, thanx for the review. Second, I'm following the manga, so I know how Sasuke looks like ;) Karin is Sasuke's teammate in Team Hebi, which he formed to find Itachi: the other two members are Suigetsu and Juugo. Karin has red hair and eyes (yes, I know, weird) and glasses: unfortunately she has a HUGE crush on Sasuke and tries to seduce him taking off her glasses (once, while he was healing after a fight, she wanted to rape him...); she's very good at sensing chakra and this is why Sasuke wanted her in his group.
You can find the manga online here: http/ directory/ (without the spaces).
About your questions: 1) Karin simply likes Sakura, she had nothing on mind. 2) Mmm, I dunno, maybe? I don't assume to know what Sasuke thinks, ahahah!
I don't have dresses too! Only a black one I used for my eighteenth birthday, but that's it.
Well, in Italy there are many places to visit: Rome is the most beautiful city in the world for me! Chaotic, but romantic, full of art and simply BEAUTIFUL! There are many interesting museums and you could go to the Roman Forum or the Roman Spa. Other than Rome, other turistic cities are Florence (awesome, I love it), Venice (very romantic), Verona (Romeo and Juliet...), Siena (an american friend of my father simply adored it), Bologna, Capri, Sicily in general. Naples is... quite dangerous, so I suggest you don't go there. But southern Italy generally is splendid, with both Greek and Roman rests. Or you could come visit me in Modena. I don't like very much Milan, but the cathedral is a MUST SEE. Turin also is quite nice and Genoa has become beautiful. I suggest you find a good travel guide, because there are too many things to see in Italy, which has more properties inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO than any other country in the world. :D
MintiNeko: Yes, I can see your point. Don't worry, I'm not offended by it :). It was not my intention to make Sakura a Mary-Sue, but it's really difficult when you like a character very much. I always try hard to keep the characters IC, also because I HATE MARY-SUES.
Infact, I tried in last chapter and this one to gave another insight of Sakura: she isn't perfect, she suffered in her childhood – but she grew up and matured. In chapter 11 she cried and felt betrayed, in this chapter we get to know more about her childhood and that was my intention 'till the beginning (I don't want to spoil what's going to happen next chapt, but I think you'll like it ;). Also, the entire story is focused on the fact that she tries very hard not to fangirl over Sasuke, and that's her greatest weakness (see chapt10 ending).
The characters are mostly based on their Shippuuden selves: Sakura has become stronger and both Kakashi and Chiyo think she could become stronger than Tsunade – in this fic, she's 17 and she had traveled a lot, I wanted her to be more mature and responsible than her 12 or 15 years old self. Moreover, I'm quite angry with Kishimoto-sensei for focusing especially on males – the only strong females we see SOMETIMES fighting are Tsunade, Shizune, Temari and now Sakura: being an "almost feminist", I find it incredibly sexist - so I wanted Sakura to be portrayed as a talented kunoichi, still weaker than Naruto and Sasuke, but stronger than most of the others.
I'm sorry if I gave you the idea that Sakura is a Mary-Sue. I hope you keep reading and see my point of view.. I appreciated very much your constructive criticism and I thank you for it. :D