Author's Note: SasuNaru FC Secret Santa exchange 2009 - my drabble for beatosama.

Public affection

It took Sakura a long time to realize that Sasuke and Naruto were together, mostly because they never had any big displays of public affection. At least it didn't seem that way if you couldn't see 'underneath the underneath' - as Kakashi most likely would have said it.

Sure she had always known that her two teammates shared something 'special', sometimes when their eyes met it was like nothing else in the world existed outside their personal bubble of… rivalry? Hate? Friendship? Love. When she was younger she never really acknowledged that, she always felt left behind, always looking at their backs but she didn't understand. Not like now. Now she had… moments. Moments when the fog suddenly lifted from her eyes and she saw and she understood the language they were speaking. That third language they had.

It was strange really; she was left behind once more, but at the same time… She knew she was the only one who was even close to understand. Kakashi had glimpses, but she - she had moments. And the realization hit her that they weren't hiding anything from her, they just assumed she knew and understood. They trusted her to know and understand.

Sakura felt embarrassed for some time after her little realization, because suddenly their third language became so much clearer to her and she just couldn't understand why she hadn't seen it before. It was like listening to a song time after time, and then one day you suddenly hear the lyrics, and you're not one hundred percent sure you like it anymore but you can't stop listening to it because the more you listen the more you hear and actually it's somewhat… interesting. Until one day you realize that you love that song no matter what.

I love you no matter what.

And it was fine like that. No, in it's own imperfect way it was perfect. Just like them.

After that, after Sakura finally stopped trying to block out the meaning of those lyrics, she could no longer help but pick up on their obvious affection for each other. It may not be 'public' but it was overly clear to her eyes so it might as well be. It was like a show just for her, and she basked in the loving attention they gave to each other, and she giggled at their hidden perverted comments, and she just enjoyed it. The show only she could see.

They never truly left her out. In fact - she was the only one they truly let in.