lucky number five
theeflowerchild

oneshot

I.

Sakura wouldn't say her first date was, exactly… great.

In fact, she would say it was quite the opposite.

Sakura, being the incredibly beautiful, undeniably strong, independent girl she was figured that, at the tender age of fifteen, she was finally ready to go on her first date.

(Though, at, perhaps, the tender age of five or so, Sakura had decided she was going to marry Uchiha Sasuke, but we're looking past that, seeing as the schmuck was long-gone and Sakura had to move on.

Thus, she felt that she didn't need to save her first date for Sasuke-kun.)

Now, over the course of her original Team 7 days (a.k.a. Before the useless son-of-a-bitch left them to go do Kami knows what with Kami knows who Kami knows where) Sakura did receive many a courting proposal; as said, Sakura was incredibly beautiful, though at the time, more of a damsel in distress, rather than a powerful kunoichi whose power would soon rival that of the Hokage herself. She just didn't accept any of them, whether she was familiar with the person asking her on the date, or not.

She was saving herself for Sasuke-kunSasuke-kunSasuke-kunSasuke-kun.

On this day, though, Sakura was doing exactly the opposite: she was moving on from the bastard, whether he liked it or not (as if he really cared or even knew for that matter) and, being that Sakura was now older, curvier, prettier, less annoying, and incredibly powerful (thus, in the shinobi world, incredibly sexy), she received even more suitors.

Rightfully so, too, she was kick-ass.

Though Sakura was now a "woman" at the young age of only fifteen (too young), it did take a little convincing for her to actually join the Konoha dating-scene. Once Sakura finally told her best friend (and rival and evil bitch and pig and Kami if she could just get her fingers around that bony little neck of hers—), Ino, that she was finally over Uchiha (not Sasuke-kun), Ino decided to take it in her own hands to spread to the entire village of Konoha that—

"HARUNO SAKURA IS SINGLE AND READY TO MINGLE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THAT'S RIGHT! SAKURA-CHAN OVER THERE," insert a girl with a face the same color as her hair, "WILL BE ACCEPTING SUITORS."

So maybe this whole "dating" thing wasn't of Sakura's own accord, but like hell was she going to let herself be made a fool by Ino—too late—so she did the only logical thing in the situation.

She promised Ino that she would accept the first person who approaches her's offer for a lovely little date of sorts and Sakura did never went back on her word. So, just like she said—because, again, she wouldn't let Ino make herself look like a fool (too late! too late! too late!)—she accepted the date of the boy to approach her after the blonde's obnoxious exclamation.

That boy happened to be a tall, lanky, shiny black-haired, ebony-eyed, thick-lashed, fat-eyebrow-ed-freak named Rock Lee.

That brings us back to Sakura's first date—which, again, she wouldn't call the best date in the whole, wide world.

Though, she admits, she may be exaggerating by calling it awful (not really).

It actually started off swimmingly; Sakura wore a beautiful, powder-blue sundress courtesy of her lovely (bitch) best friend Ino, Lee wore his normal, infamous, forest-green-colored jumpsuit that one could spot from Mars, with the added addition of a tie, of course, this was a date after all, and Lee would need to clean up well to impress his Sakura-chan.

Lee brought her flowers—pansies, which her beautiful, but not quite her favorite—and a box of chocolates—okay, right on the money there, Lee—and a dazzling smile, to boot. He took her hand gently to guide her down the steps of her apartment building, as if she were the most delicate flower on the planet, walked in back of her the entire time (which was a little insulting, but she didn't take it to heart) as if to show her off to the entire world, took her to a lovely (YOUTHFUL!) little restaurant where they ate sushi (a nice break from ramen, she had mused) and then he took her for a lovely walk on the bridge, which she happily obliged too.

As much as she didn't have feelings for Lee, she could surely see herself having a little fun with him, nothing serious; the date was going wonderfully, and she couldn't be happier. He was sweet, gentlemanly, kind, funny, though a little odd—he was Lee, he had his quirks, okay?—and there was never a dull moment.

Seemed normal enough, right? Well, believe Sakura when she says there was never a dull moment.

Logically, Lee thought that, seeing as the date was going quite well, he'd go in for the kill. Now, Sakura obviously expected this, and would avoid such a thing if it were to happen, like the plague (her first kiss was sacred (but not scared for that fucking Uchiha!)) and brush it off just like that, and then they'd move on with their happy lives and become closer friends and hang out more like normal people.

But Lee was never normal.

As he went in for the kill, Sakura did what she had planned on doing: she backed away. It happened to slip her mind, though, that they were on a bridge.

And she was leaning against said bridge.

And she was leaning backward to avoid a kiss.

Next thing she knew, she was soaking wet, her back was in a ridiculous amount of pain, there was a boy standing above her screaming apologies and youth—and oh did that awful jumpsuit give her a migraine—and Ino never really forgiving her for destroying that dress.

So, one could easily say that Sakura's first date was a little more than a bust.

II.

Sakura didn't date for a while after the whole "Lee" incident, and who could blame her? Just like Ino never quite forgiving her for the dress, Sakura never quite forgave Lee for the hypothermia she received from the freezing-cold lake.

But she digresses.

So one day, when Naruto strolled into Konoha again after two years of not seeing him, Sakura was completely overwhelmed—no, that was an understatement. Sakura was on cloud nine.

Two-years without her men and she had nearly gone crazy; even though she knew one was never quite coming back, knowing that the other two were out there, somewhere, doing something, becoming stronger, worker harder and pouring there blood, sweat, and tears into their dreams (well, maybe only one was doing that, the other one was probably reading porn for two years) lit a flame in Sakura that only contact with the people she loved so dearly and cared about could help dwindle.

So, yes, it was quite the understatement to say that Sakura was overwhelmed to see a nearly-fully-grown Uzumaki Naruto stand before her, nearly six-feet-tall, with that infamous, glowing grin of his, obnoxious orange jumpsuit (but rather than blue, there was black, which helped the blinding brightness of the outfit if only a little), messy, blonde hair and hear a far deeper, raspy voice yell out a, "Sakura-chan! I've missed you so much!"

It was needless to say that Sakura developed a little crush on the Uzumaki—innocent, childlike, and it was about time.

She nearly laughed at herself when she realized her sudden attraction to the boy; maybe it was his new-found maturity, his rough good-looks, or maybe it had been the fact that she hadn't seen him in two-god-damn-years ("distance makes the heart grow fonder"), but she was, indeed, attracted to the boy who had been pining for her affections since she could remember.

And it seemed, when all was said and done, he still was.

Naruto, being the persistent bugger he was, after settling back into Konoha and seeing how much everybody had grown (especially Sakura, he noted), he shot her an infamous, heart-warming grin (did she just blush?!) and asked her the question she'd been waiting for, "Ne, Sakura-chan! Would you…" he blushed a deep crimson, still the same old Naruto, "Wouldyouliketogoonadatewithm e—"

His words were quick and jumbled and almost incoherent and just that confirmed, yet again, he was still Naruto, and that made Sakura like him all the more. "I would love to, Naruto-baka."

He flinched. "Okay, well, maybe next time Sakura-cha—did you just say "yes"!?" His jaw nearly hit the ground.

She giggled. "Yes, Naruto, I said "yes." I would love to go on a date with you, stupid."

His eyes lit up like the stars in the nighttime sky at her confirmation that she would, indeed, accompany him on a date. After years and years of pining, finally he had gotten his Sakura-chan.

And Sakura couldn't help but think: yes, maybe this is it! Maybe what she had been looking for was right under her nose, all along, and she just hadn't seen it. Maybe Naruto was the one, and it was never Sasuke; it just took a little growing up, for both of them, to show her that.

So when Naruto took her on their first date, she dressed up as beautifully as she could; she had Ino curl her hair for her, and Ino shoved another dress on her—"But don't you dare destroy this one, forehead!"—a beautiful, light-pink colored dress, mid-thigh length, loose, flow-y, and absolutely flattering on the curvaceous girl. Ino was impressed with her work, she had to say.

Naruto decided to not wear orange for once in his god-damn life, and decided on a black, button-down shirt and a pair of khakis. Sakura thought he looked very, very handsome.

Upon seeing Sakura, his draw nearly dropped to the floor, but rather than freaking out ("Ne, Sakura-chan, you are sooooo hot!") he gave her a soft smile and told her how absolutely stunning she looked and how absolutely lucky he was and how absolutely amazing tonight was going to be.

And it was amazing. He took her out for ramen—how Naruto—and they went for a walk in the park under the lanterns; half-way through, he grabbed her hand, and she did not protest, and they did not blush, because it was comfortable, and he was so warm and she was so soft and it was absolutely lovely.

He walked her to her door at the end of the night and planted a wet-one on her cheek, to which she blushed and giggled at.

Sakura had never been so in like (who was Sasuke-kun, anyway?).

So, of course, Sakura said "Absolutely yes, Naruto-kun!" to a second date, without a second thought, and "Wouldn't miss it for the world!" to a third and fourth.

And then came the fifth date.

She looked beautiful, as always, and he looked handsome and manly and not like a pumpkin, and she had packed a picnic that they had eaten in the lantern-filled park (how deliciously cheesy and romantic, she mused, to her delight) occasionally feeding each other, laughing.

They were a lovely couple, and it was so comfortable between them.

After they had finished the food, a silence had befallen them, and Sakura though, maybe, finally, Naruto would go in for the kill, and she wouldn't fall into a lake and get hypothermia, and she was right. He leaned in, eyes closed, and pressed his lips gently, unsurely, to hers (her first kiss!) and suddenly, his eyes flew open.

Hers had never shut.

"That was…" he trailed off, thinking of the right word to say.

She finished for him. "Wrong."

"Exactly," he agreed.

Then, without another word, they both cracked up. "Well, that sucks!" She had commented, a grin on her heart-shaped face. "And I was just starting to fall for you, Naruto-kun!"

He grinned back. "Maybe we're better off as friends, ne, Sakura-chan?"

She nodded her head. "Definitely. That was just… ugh, so weird!" Her face turned into a mock-grimace, and he nodded his head. "It was like… kissing a brother!"

He fell backward, landing in a position where the back of his head was cupping his hands, a smile plastered on his whisker-covered face, and nodded his head again. "Don't worry though, Sakura-chan! One day, we will get that kiss! That fireworks filled kiss!" His grin widened, "In the meantime, I'll have to protect you from all the evil boys trying to get into your pants."

She slugged his arm and he winced. "Naruto-kun, cut it out!"

"I'm serious!" He defended himself, then a soft smile fell on his lips. "Somebody has to watch out for my Sakura-chan, and that would be me!"

She only rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Naruto-kun."

III.

After the incident with Naruto, Sakura did not seriously date again until she was seventeen-years-old.

"Sakura-chan, come on!" Naruto whined over a steaming bowl of ramen, "Of all the people in the world, why Inuzuka? Why?"

She rolled her eyes at the blonde beside her. "Because I asked him out, Naruto, and I like him. He's very sweet, and… very handsome." She winked at her best friend.

He choked on ramen.

She, again, rolled her eyes, and slapped him (hard—but he deserved it for attempting to control her love life) on the back to relieve the tensions in his throat. "Uh, thanks, Sakura-chan." He winced, and began eating his ramen again—slowly. "Maybe you should re-think this, Sakura-chan, Kiba is nothing by a horny bastard!"

She snorted. "I bet."

"Have you guys ever even spoken before!?" Ramen was nearly falling out of his mouth.

She blushed bright, bright red. "Well, I mean, um, kind-of."

He stood, slamming his hands on the table. "So you haven't ever spoken to him!"

"Naruto!" She was flaming red. "Sit the fuck down, you baka!"

He plopped back down on the stool. "Really think about what you're getting yourself into, Sakura-chan, he's going to want to deflower you—"

She stood up and walked right out of the ramen stand.

Naruto, for once in his life, was absolutely right—uh, sort-of. Kiba was a horny bastard. Again, sort-of.

Contrary to Sakura's other dating escapades, she was the one to take the initiative in this relationship; Kiba had become incredibly handsome with age, once he removed the hid and gained a few inches.

The tattoos only added to the incredible sexiness the Inuzuka harbored.

And the muscles.

But Sakura digressed. So, one day—it was sunny, with a breeze, and Sakura thought that it would be the perfect day to ask out the boy—she approached him while he was scarfing down a bowl of ramen—like an animal, she mused with a giggle—and just bluntly asked him, no blush, no nervousness. What was the worst he could do, say no?

And he didn't. He grinned the biggest of grinned, gave her a wink, and said yes; maybe he thought she was just as hot as she thought him.

(She was.)

Sakura decided on the date—ice skating, winters in Konoha were freezing, thus, little lakes froze over, and many of the children in the village found joy in skating on them, free of charge, along with the occasional couple—and Kiba paid for the food, even though she had detested, saying she'd pay for her own.

"What do you take me for, a dog?" He had said, and they had laughed. They laughed for most of the date, that is; Kiba was a funny guy, and Sakura found herself getting used to the idea of him being around. He was sweet, a gentleman, very, very attractive, a little rough and rowdy, but all around a good guy.

He walked her home—not to her detests—and held her hand, causing her to blush (the first time she had on the date).

Dating him was comfortable, she couldn't help but think. He was warm, inviting, and had a grin just like the pain-in-the-ass on her team. He was lovable, and never let an awkward silence be-fall them. There was always chatter, and jokes—though occasionally dirty—and when he kissed her, there were fireworks.

Bright, borderline obnoxious, loud, crazy fireworks that filled her heart, her mind and made her entire body tingle.

Along with the many positive aspects listed above about Kiba, there was one thing Kiba was that Sakura had never experienced before.

Kiba was passionate.

There was no dilly-dallying; Kiba had walked her up the stairs to her apartment, and without a second's though, grabbed her by her upper-arms, and pulled her against him. His lips were gentle, with varied pressures, and warm, to Sakura's delight.

And he didn't taste like ramen (courtesy of her first kiss).

When he pulled away, he gave her a warm smile—not a grin—and didn't let go over her. Somehow, his hands had wandered to her hips, and she had her arms around his neck, and it was lovely, though they said nothing.

Then his small smile turned into a small grin, and he pecked her on the lips one more time before wishing her a goodnight and leaving her at the door, fingers to her lips and a smile on her face.

Kiba and Sakura do not break up, on the contrary. A year passes and Sakura is eighteen, and the boy still gives her the warm-fuzzies she so deserves.

(Naruto never did quite condone it.

"Sakura-chan, you're too good for him!" he would constantly say. "He only wants to deflower you! Sakura-chan! Think of the consequences—"

And she would hit him, and then she'd laugh, and they'd laugh, and then he would get serious.

"Sakura-chan, I swear, if that bastard hurts you, I'll kill him."

And she'd laugh again, because that was impossible, Kiba and her were in love and Kiba was so full of passion and warmth constantly. Her smile would then turn small, "I know, Naruto, thank you.")

Then, one (magical) night, her and Kiba were going on a stroll, holding hands and laughing, occasionally he'd whisper a sweet nothing in her ear, or kiss her on the cheek, even a soft kiss on the lips. At one point they'd even gotten distracted in an alley-way…

Eventually, they'd both made it back to her house, leisurely holding both of their hands together, swinging them back and forth. They'd said nothing, and then, she'd let him in.

It wasn't the first time she'd let him in; Naruto was right, he was a horny bastard, and whenever she'd invite him in for some tea, or a movie, they'd always end up making out (and he was always warm and tasted fantastic and when he touched her it was like fire and they both fell it, but never quite got past it), and Sakura didn't mind.

This time, it was different though, and they both knew it. The second they got inside, his lips landed on hers and before she knew it, they were in the bedroom, and his touch burned her in the loveliest of ways, his lips were so familiar, and his eyes never strayed.

That night, they both shared their first times, and made love, falling asleep in each other's arms, and it was absolutely magical for both of them.

It was not the last time.

Kiba and Sakura decided it wasn't working out (they were older now, and they knew they weren't getting married, and though it was fun and tingly and magical, not to mention the sex was great, but not as great as the conversation, his parents were expecting him to propose and her mother was waiting for grandchildren and that was just not going to happen) when they were nineteen, after two-years of dating, and a year of love making. Sakura was not sad because it ended, she was happy because it happened, and they remained incredibly close and occasionally hooked up.

(Though she'd never tell.)

A week later, Naruto dragged a bloody Sasuke(-kun) back into the village.

IV.

Throughout the years, with each one of Gaara's visits (minus the two years of her dating that lovely Kiba of hers), Sakura would bless him with a lovely date; despite his rough exterior, Gaara was actually very sweet, in a strange way, and treated her like a lady (or was smart enough to, rather, because, if one didn't treat Sakura well, they wouldn't get out of the date well).

This was one of those times, but they were older—twenty, to be exact—and Gaara kept the tradition going, but he was possibly a little more serious this time.

She wasn't sure, but then again, she didn't mind.

That afternoon, at ramen with her two best buddies (Sasuke would never admit such a thing as he did not have buddies, he had comrades, but it was so obviously true) she had told them about her date with Gaara.

Naruto, not surprised by such a thing, just nodded his head, whining a little that "Sakura-chan" wouldn't be training with them.

Sasuke, on the other hand, nearly choked.

"Gaara?" He had yelled—or what Sasuke would call yelling. "Are you fucking serious? He's creepier than—than—than—than Lee!"

She glared. "Lee is not creepy, Lee is… misunderstood. So is Gaara."

He glared in return. "No, he's creepy."

She stuck her tongue out at the Uchiha (since when was he ever concerned for her and her happiness?). "Sasuke, you can't tell me what to do."

He snorted. "Believe me, I couldn't care less, I'm just stating something that's obvious."

She went on the date anyway.

Gaara, as usual, was sweet, occasionally letting a witty remark fall from his lovely, small lips. He had a lovely smile, she noted, she'd have to let him know.

Just like every other date she'd ever been on, he walked her to the door, holding her hand with his warm, far larger one, and she let him in without a second thought.

Sleeping with Gaara was different; as quiet and reserved as he was, he was fiery and nimble and passionate. He was experienced, she noticed, which made her a little nervous, knowing she'd only ever slept with one man, and maybe he would be completely unimpressed with her, but when he stayed after they were done, and held her in his warmth, she smiled, knowing he would stay.

Until he had to leave—he was Kazekage, after all—but things didn't end, between them, that is.

After that night, they spent every day together until he left, and decided that they would indeed try to keep a relationship going, knowing that they lived far from each other.

He called every day, and he came to the village as much as he could, just like she went to the sand as much as she could. With hospital shifts and missions on her part, and Kazekage-duties on his plate, meetings were scarce, but they were both magical and wonderful, and they looked forward to them more than anything else. Things worked, as common as it was for long-distance relationships to end as quickly as a D-rank mission, and they were happy.

Two years passed, and Sakura was on a walk with her lovely, best friend (though he would never admit it, but it made him the happiest man in the world when her hand would slowly brush his or when she'd smile because it gave him a reason to smile too) Sasuke.

It had been silent between them before she began. "Gaara proposed."

Sasuke didn't even bother looking up, he wasn't sure if he wanted to see her expression—Was she happy? Was she sad? Was he happy that she might be sad? Again, he wasn't sure.—but Sakura took the lack of a reply as a push to continue.

"I told him I wasn't sure," her voice was soft, and filled with confusion, at the proposal or at his reaction, Sasuke didn't know. "I… I told him I'd have to think about it, but to tell you the truth, I have no idea what the hell I'm going to do," she laughed, "I mean, I spoke to Naruto, who said I need to do what's going to make us happy. What do you think I should do, Sasuke-kun?"

He stopped abruptly, causing her to nearly trip on her own feet (some ninja she was) and come to a stop next to him. Before she could say anything about his behavior, he was in front of her, hands on her shoulders, onyx eyes smoldering into hers.

"You need to do what's best for you," his voice was both stern and concerned, something Sakura didn't see often; she nearly gasped, "You need to follow your own heart. As awful as this may sound, don't take Gaara's feelings into consideration in this type of situation. Think of yourself, Sakura—"

And she thought of herself.

She crashed her lips on the beautiful boy in front of her, without a second thought. His eyes widened in surprise, but he kissed back, nonetheless, and this kiss? It was everything.

It was a familiar touch, fire, passion, warmth, emotions she had never felt before, her entire body tingled, she get the "fuzzies," it was hope and faith, it was hot, it was words unspoken, it was absolutely wild, but most of all, it was love.

She pulled away just as quickly as she'd kissed him, and vanished before his shocked eyes.

…

There was a certain knock at his door, and Gaara knew exactly who it was—be it the fact that she waltzed right in, past his secretary, or that he knew her knock exactly. He smiled. "Come in."

She did, and she looked like a mess; sand was in her hair, it was matted from sweat, with hair sticking up every which way in the occasional spot, and a film of sweat covered her body. She had run here, and he could not decide if that was a positive thing or a negative.

"Gaara-kun, I love you," she smiled the softest, gentlest, most loving smile she could muster, "I will always hold a special place in my heart for you, but I'm going to have to decline your offer, as tempting as it was to take."

He returned the smile, albeit sadly, and laughed a little. She did always love his laugh. "I expected as much… So then, is this the end for us?"

She laughed, startling him, and shook her head. "Gaara, sweetheart, though we may not be together anymore, there will never be an end," she moved closer to his desk and touched his shoulder, "I will always be by your side."

Before she could say anything else, he left a chaste kiss on her lips, and she smiled. He pulled her into the tightest hug he could muster, kissing her atop her head every once and a while, breathing in her scent and thinking of what could have been.

She sighed. "Gaara-kun, I have to go," she allowed him to kiss her one last time, and it was lovely, but did nothing to surpass her last kiss. "Be happy, dear."

"Only if you're happy." He gave her the biggest smile and she still loved it.

She nodded her head, walking over to the door, but before she could leave, he gave her his usual line. "Call me when you get home so I know you didn't die."

She rolled her eyes and shoved her tongue out to the man sitting at his desk. "Yeah, yeah, only if you stop being such a pain-in-the-ass."

He rolled his eyes, and gave her another small smile. "Be safe, Sak."

She nodded her head. "Goodbye, Gaara." She shut the door quietly, and he heard her soft foot-falls as she left the building, listening closely to her as she made her way out of the towers. It would be the last time she'd do-so for a very long time, and Gaara would certainly miss it.

But it was okay, her heart didn't belong to him, and it never did, and even if he could make Sakura happy, she wanted more, and who could blame her? He was glad they could still be friends, though, that made him the happiest man in the world.

And he would move on, one day, maybe not today, maybe not for a year, but one day, he'd find the right girl that would make him happier than Sakura ever did.

For right now, as long as his Sakura was happy, he was happy, and he could not ask for more.

He lost his happy mantra when his secretary walked in with a stack of papers the size of his gourd.

He sighed, today was not his day.

…

When Sakura entered her apartment, she was happy to finally be home. Many thoughts had run through her head as she ran from Suna toward Konoha; would her mom be upset? What about her father? What would her friends say? Did she just make a mistake, over one stupid kiss? What about Sasuke? Did she just do the right thing?

She ignored those questions and made her way over to her phone that was sitting on the table near her couch. She plopped down on the aforementioned couch, cuddling into the softness of it (it was old and worn and that just made it even more lovely) and grabbed her phone. She noticed she had one message, but she ignored it, immediately calling Gaara to let him know that she was safe and sound and not dead.

He had reminded her to be happy.

When she hung up, she decided to listen to the message that was blaring red at her. She pressed the button to hear a familiar voice:

"Hey, Sakura, it's uh, Sasuke—well, I guess you knew that—I um, could you just… I mean, you don't have to, but would you please come to the compound? I think we need to talk about, um… Us. What happened or, I mean, we could just pretend it never happened—if that's what you want! I mean, if it's not what you want… Sakura, I have no idea what the hell I'm saying, I'm going crazy here, just come over. Please." A loud "beep!" sounded and she as off her couch in three seconds flat, running toward the compound.

V.

Sakura had been in love only four times in her life—which she was never sure if that number was high or low. Perhaps it was somewhere in between.

The first and last times were with the same boy, but they were different kinds of love. The first was innocent and pure and unscathed, that of a little girl falling in love for the first time with the sweetness of a young boy that felt she had cooties. It was dainty and breakable (it eventually did break) and lovely all around.

The second time she fell in love, she fell in lust. She didn't mind, though. It was passionate and warm, filled with kisses and hugs and incredible sex; she was a teenager, and this was certainly likely to happen, and Sakura loved it. What made it even better was that it was easy to get over, and easy to move on. It was fun.

The third time she fell in love, rather than falling in love with the boy, she fell in love with the potential. Not that she didn't love the boy, she did, quite a bit, and he'd always hold a special place in her heart as the almost-boy. The almost everything. She loved the idea that she could marry this boy, that he treated her like she was the world's most prized possession. That she was everything he could ask for in a woman, and only wanted her; he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and if Sakura hadn't found a fourth love, she wouldn't have minded spending the rest of her life with this man, he was perfect, but he wasn't Sasuke.

The fourth and last time Sakura fell in love, she fell hard. It wasn't instant, it wasn't incredibly slow, but it was gradual, like water filling a pot, and until she noticed that she was, indeed, in love, and she knew exactly what she wanted. It wasn't unsure, it wasn't hesitant, but it was fiery and beautiful and everything a girl dreamed of when falling in love for the last time. She'd never experienced such a love before, and she never wanted to again. When he was within five feet of her, her heart swelled and her body tingled and she craved his touch and his sweet voice. It was lust, it was potential, it was passion, it was fun, it was real, and it was all the loves she'd ever had combined into one incredibly entity and more.

Sakura fell in love four times, and her fourth time would be the final.

VI.

Sasuke heard a knock on his door. He sighed, ruffling a hand through his hair; he was far more nervous than he thought he was going to be, but he rushed to the door anyway.

All things were running through his head: was the kiss a "spur-of-the-moment" sort of thing? Did she feel the fireworks he felt? Did she say yes to Gaara? Did she say no? And if she said no, then what? Did she still want to even be with him?

He didn't have an answer to any of these questions, but he knew exactly how he felt. He felt warm, content, his stomach was doing flips and flutters, his mind was racing, his palms were sweating, and he couldn't help but wonder if this was what love felt like.

He'd never been in love, but he was almost sure that this was it.

Sasuke ran his hands over his close to muss out the wrinkles, allowed one more sigh to escape his lips, and then opened his door to reveal a messy Sakura.

The sweat on her body had since melted away, but she looked stick, and over-heated, with her hair strewn every which way, as if she'd tried to brush it, but couldn't tame the rose-colored locks. Her green eyes were wide and sparkling, but she had no expression on her face.

"Listen, Sasuke-kun," she started, running her hands through her hair as both a nervous habit and a futile attempt to tame the wild locks, "I did what you told me, I followed my heart, and I said no to Gaara, because I don't love Gaara," but she wouldn't say she loved him, "I… I understand what I did was rash, and I totally understand if you don't feel the same way, but I just couldn't keep leading Gaara on—"

He interrupted her with his lips.

Sakura had heard once that it was very common to marry your first love, even after dating many others. After all, a first love is a first love, and they always hold a special place in your heart and mind.

Both Sasuke and Sakura fell into this stereotype.

They didn't mind.

FIFTEEN PAGES LATER… I'm done. Ugh, I don' really like this, but I had the idea and had to get it out there. It definitely could've been better, but I haven't slept in like, two days and blah. Review!