It Ain't Spying
by: cutecrazyice

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Sasuke-kun, I have one question. I promise I won't bother you if you answer it honestly."

Silence.

"Do you like me?"

"No."

"...oh. Is there a possi—"

"That's two questions."

Hesitation.

"I...I—do I ever have a chance, Sasuke-kun? With you?"

Silence.

"...I'm busy, Sakura. Stop bothering my training."

"...oh."

Despair. But she didn't let it show.

Instead Sakura smiled, and accepted.

"Okay, then. I won't bother you anymore, Sasuke-kun."

And she skipped off almost happily, leaving Sasuke with his eyes wide and his mouth a bit open.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It shouldn't have gone that way. She should have continued asking questions, the way she usually did, even when he told her she was bothering him. She should have continued pestering for dates, or conversation, or any sort of interaction—she was persistent, always had been, and she usually never stopped until she got what she wanted. She should have kept being troublesome, being talkative...being annoying.

She didn't.

She actually smiled. Skipped. Like some damn schoolchild who had been given a fancy, delicious, delectable treat.

What had just happened?

"Neh, teme...tell me again why we are spying outside Sakura-chan's doorstep?"

Sasuke did not reply. It wasn't spying—he was merely trying to solve the mystery of Sakura's actions yesterday. She could have been sick. She could have been delirious or something. Heck, she could have very well been drunk. She could have—

"Teme...are we spying on Sakura-chan because you like her?"

"No."

It wasn't spying.

"Then what are we doing here, then?"

"Checking up. She sounded strange yesterday."

"Oh, wow, teme...you're concerned!"

"Dobe. We have a mission tomorrow. It will jeopardize the mission if she's sick."

Naruto looked disappointed, then resigned, then confused. He sighed. He scratched his head, and eyed Sasuke as if the guy had grown three heads. Sasuke ignored him, and kept on staring at Sakura's apartment from their spot behind a tree a few meters away.

Naruto spoke up again.

"I still don't understand why you think she's sick. She was smiling yesterday."

Exactly.

"Shut up, dobe."

Normally, Naruto would have yelled insults back, and demanded that he not be called dobe. But he didn't do that, much to Sasuke's surprise. The blond merely sighed, then grinned, a mischievous sparkle coming into his blue eyes.

It wasn't a grin Sasuke trusted.

"Neh, teme...I know the reason Sakura was smiling yesterday!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. It couldn't be, could it? Naruto couldn't have known—the guy wasn't even there when Sasuke and Sakura were talking! But if Sakura told him what happened, and he found it funny or something...

Sasuke braced himself, ready for the taunting—and to punch the lights out of the very annoying loudmouth if he did.

"She was smiling because—"

Sasuke's hand readily fisted.

"—someone asked her out on a date! And she said yes!"

The fist retreated. And Sasuke did the only thing he could think of at the moment, albeit the shock and strangeness running through his system.

He blinked.

He stared.

He froze.

Say what?

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Five minutes later, the door of the apartment opened, and out came Sakura—wearing a flowing summer dress that flirted high above her knees, and showed off her nice legs.

Since when had he thought her legs were nice?

He wasn't staring. He was simply observing.

There was a big difference.

The dress was buttercup yellow, a direct contrast to her pink hair that it should have looked ridiculous.

It didn't.

Her footwear were stilettos, that she should have looked like a clown for slipping into such high heels.

She didn't.

Her hair was down and she had no make-up and jewelry on, that it should have looked like any ordinary day, and she should have looked really, really ordinary.

It didn't. She didn't.

Instead she looked very, very pretty.

"Wow, teme! Doesn't our Sakura-chan look very pretty?"

"No." Sasuke very nearly bit the words out.

He wasn't staring. Of course not.

He was just...curious.

"Who is she going out with, dobe?"

Naruto scratched his head again, thinking. Then he lit up. "I don't know, teme. She never said. But she said we'd like him—so he must be our friend!"

Anyone who dated Sakura was not his friend.

And he wasn't jealous. Of course not.

Just...curious.

"Neh, teme...I guess she got over you already, huh?" Naruto said, beaming happily.

"Hn."

"Good for her!"

If Sasuke was such a violent person, he would have punched the idiot by now.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Alright, so maybe he was a violent person. Sometimes.

Ten minutes later, Naruto had a black eye (which he roared angrily over before eventually calming down, bewildered). And they were still subtly following Sakura, as she strolled leisurely down the road, and ended up standing in front of a very quaint restaurant, hands patiently at her sides. As if waiting for someone.

Five minutes later, the someone arrived.

It was Kiba.

"Oh—oh! Oh, wow!" Naruto exclaimed in a whisper, holding his left hand to his blackened eye and his right up in the air. "It's dog boy! I knew it! I knew that guy likes our Sakura-chan! And he actually managed to ask her out—wow!"

Kiba had brought flowers with him—red roses, which Sasuke knew for a fact weren't on top of Sakura's list. She liked daisies. She'd always liked daisies. Sasuke waited for her to look disappointed, as the dog boy handed her the flowers in earnest.

She didn't. She didn't look disappointed.

Instead she blushed, and smiled, so brilliantly, so happily, that Sasuke's breath almost caught in his throat, and he almost, very much almost punched Kiba right then and there.

It wasn't the smile meant for Kiba. It wasn't the blush meant for Kiba.

Since when did she blush and smile for other people like that?

Sakura took the flowers from the dog boy, and their hands brushed. She blushed again.

Maybe Sasuke should just kill him now, and be done with it.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Five minutes later, the two were seated inside the restaurant—and the other two were still outside, spying.

Okay, not spying. Merely...observing.

The glass windows provided enough view for that.

"Neh, Sasuke-teme...Sakura made a good choice, didn't she?"

Silence. Onyx eyes merely watched, as the two placed their orders, and engaged themselves in a conversation. Kiba kept talking, and motioning with his hands—and whatever he said, it must have been funny because Sakura kept on smiling, and laughing, and tilting her head as if their conversation was the most interesting thing in the world.

Darn it. What line was that guy feeding her?

"They sure look cute together, don't they?" Naruto mused, watching his pink-haired teammate in contentment. "He sure knows how to make our Sakura-chan laugh. I wonder if they go beyond this one date—"

Onyx eyes narrowed.

"—and end up becoming a couple—"

Hands fisted.

"—and get married and have cute Inuzuka babies in the future!"

Silence.

"Dobe."

"Yes, teme?"

"You're an idiot."

Naruto merely rolled his eyes, and beamed.

Twenty minutes later, the food arrived. They kept chatting even while eating, obviously engaged too much in one another to notice their surroundings at all. Sakura's green eyes were sparkling.

And she was smiling too much for Sasuke's liking.

She had ordered pasta with sauce. After a few forkfuls, her upper lip got a bit of sauce stuck in it.

Slowly, Kiba wiped it away with his thumb.

Sakura blushed.

Naruto beamed.

Sasuke glared.

Why was she letting the stupid guy touch her?

"Neh, teme...I think Sakura-chan likes him, too..."

She didn't. She couldn't.

Why? He didn't know. She just...couldn't.

His heart might not take it.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The meal ended an hour later—with Naruto complaining all the way about how they should just leave the two be and go get some ramen at Ichiraku's.

Of course, Sasuke ignored him.

Of course, they continued following the two.

They strolled in the park, like lovers usually do at night. The moon was out, as were the stars—a perfect setting for romance.

He should be happy that Sakura moved on, happy that she wasn't bothering him anymore. He should be grateful. Relieved. Nonchalant.

Why did he feel bothered, then?

In fact...why did he even feel?

After more laughs and conversation, and more green-eyed sparkles, the two went back to Sakura's apartment, and stood outside her doorway. They looked at each other, still smiling—Kiba with his hands in his pockets, and Sakura with her hands in front, clasped together gently.

Kiba moved closer. Sakura didn't move away.

And after a while, he kissed her. A long, sweet kiss, right on her soft cheek.

She didn't protest.

Instead she blushed again.

And Sasuke began seeing red.

It was more than enough for even an Uchiha to take. Something had to be done.

Now.

Kiba left. Sakura waved. Sasuke stood from his position.

Naruto merely looked startled.

"Teme! Where are you going?"

"Just mind your own damn business, dobe."

"Hey! Teme!"

But Sasuke was beyond listening. He was long gone, with one goal in mind.

A talk with the ever-so-oblivious Haruno Sakura.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Sakura."

A pause.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He tried to be calm, he really did. He tried to see reason in the situation, and tried to tell himself that it was none of his business—none of this was ever any of his business.

But when she turned around, he saw her pretty face. Her innocent, surprised expression. Her parted lips.

And the blush still staining the cheek that the dog boy had kissed.

And so, the Uchiha did what Uchihas were never really accused of doing, not in their lifetime.

He blew up.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he very nearly snarled, eyes flashing.

Sakura merely blinked. "What?"

"You let that stupid dog boy touch you."

"What?" There was shock in her tone this time.

"And you let him kiss you."

"You've...you've been following me?" The shock disappeared, only to be replaced by narrowed eyes. She glared at Sasuke. He glared back.

Naruto merely stood there (yes, the blond boy had followed Sasuke), watching the proceedings in awe.

"I don't want him touching you. Ever."

"Why?" Sakura snapped, still glaring. It angered Sasuke that the sparkle in her eyes was gone, and she wasn't smiling anymore.

"Because I don't," he snapped back.

"Well, tough luck," Sakura scoffed, hands on her hips now. "Because I can date whoever—"

"Is that why you were so happy when I said no?"

She looked taken aback at that. "You...what?"

"You're usually there! You're usually around...you're always in my way! And damn it—I wouldn't have it any other way!"

Silence.

Naruto's eyes widened. Sakura paled.

"You...you like me?" she squeaked out, shock very clear in her eyes.

Yes.

"No!" he bit out. "You're annoying."

The shock went off again, and she became angry again. Her green eyes darkened, catching him momentarily off-guard.

"Then what the hell do you think gives you the right to say that? To do that?" she shouted, beyond caring that she was loud.

"It's none of your business."

"Then Kiba-kun is none of your business, too!"

Kiba-kun. Kiba-kun.

Kiba-kun.

"Do not call him that," he snarled, eyes going dangerously red at the edges.

"I can call him anything I want!" she snarled back.

"Do you like him?" he hissed.

"Yes, I like him!" she hissed back.

"Do you like me?" he snapped.

"No!" she snapped back.

"Why the hell not?" he shouted.

"Because you're irritating and demanding and all you ever do is keep on hurting me and rejecting me! Kiba-kun never did that, and I doubt he ever will! So, no, Uchiha Sasuke...I don't like you!" she shouted back.

"So you were lying to me when you said you liked me?" he roared.

"No! Because I don't like you, you idiot! You distract me from everything and you invade my mind and my heart, and I can't take it because I love you! I don't like you...I love you! I always have, and I always will!"

Yes, she roared it back.

And his heart lurched. In contentment. In relief.

In wonder.

Sakura seemed to realize the mistake she had made when blurting that out, because the fire in her green eyes died, turning them dull and almost lifeless. She looked defeated, and tired.

And he suddenly didn't want her to ever look like that anymore.

Without thinking, he did the only thing that came with instinct. Not because it was the proper thing to do, or the right thing to do...but because it was what he wanted.

What he needed.

He kissed her.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Usually, he never liked sweets. They weren't his taste, and they weren't his type. They made the teeth ache, and they made one unhealthy.

Kissing Sakura, tasting her, was like having a great dose of sweet thrown into his system. She tasted sweet.

And suddenly, he wanted to have that taste in his mouth forever.

He pulled back in a daze, his heart beating so fast. He saw her eyes, clouded and dazed as well. Beautiful. Her lips were swollen, and her blush was back.

And it was all for him. Only him.

"You...you said you don't like me," she murmured, looking at him with those lovely dazed eyes.

"I don't," Sasuke replied.

Silence. She stared at him. Really stared.

And her eyes widened, when she saw what he meant.

Finally.

"You...you love me?" she whispered, as if afraid of what she'd hear.

He didn't reply.

Instead he kissed her again, and wondered why he'd never done this before. He'd been stupid, and he'd been unkind.

Maybe it was time to change that.

"You distract me all the time," he said, in between sweet, intoxicating kisses, "and you invade my thoughts and my heart. You very damn nearly broke the wall through it. And I can't take anyone else kissing you, or touching you, because..."

He never got to finish the sentence, because suddenly her lips were back on his, and her arms were around him, and it looked like she wasn't about to let go.

And he was fine with that.

Because he wasn't about to let go, too.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Neh, teme...Sakura-chan...could you guys stop kissing for a while and let Sasuke finish his sentence? I still don't understand."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

From behind a tree, Kiba waited, with Akamaru resting lazily at his feet.

Ten minutes later, a blond-haired loudmouth whizzed by—with another black smudge on his other eye.

Kiba merely raised an eyebrow.

"So...who punched you?"

Naruto winced. "It was the teme. And to think I was only asking for them to stop kissing. Jeez. He did have to say the words, after all."

Brown eyes twinkled in amusement, and Kiba couldn't help but grin. "And did he say it?"

Naruto grinned back. "Yep! Right before he punched me—loud and clear!"

They both laughed. Akamaru stood up, and started wagging his tail.

Naruto beamed some more. "Well, guys...we did our part! Now let me treat you to all the ramen you shall ever want for doing my idiotic, naïve friends the favor of finally recognizing what was there all along!"

And with that, the three walked on, laughing and joking and generally feeling contented about what had happened, and what they had done...however sneaky it had been.

Yep. Mission accomplished.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

a/n: Well, it's my first SasuSaku oneshot...so please be gentle on the reviews! (wink, wink...please review! I honestly want your opinion about it, so I can know if it's good or bad!)