Title: Opposite Sides of the Fence

Author: TheTrueAwesomeness

Rating: K+

Setting: Alternate Universe

Pairings: Sakura X Sasuke

Genre: Romance

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any characters from Naruto. This story, however, is mine.

Summary: Their relationship grew from the opposite sides of the fence, until, at last, they were on the same side.

They were at the opposite sides of the fence when the first saw each other. It was a hot morning in May during their junior year in high school. She and her family had just moved into the neighborhood. He, on the other hand, had lived there his whole life and he was certain his father and grandfather had too.

The first thing she noticed about him was his onyx eyes. She had never met this boy before, never heard him speak nor did she know his name, but that first time she saw him, that first time their eyes met, she swore that those eyes bore into the depths of her very soul.

The first thing he noticed was about her was her luminescent green eyes. Mesmerizing. yes, that showed innocence. He noticed her pink hair second.

Before either could say anything, his mother called him, and her father called her, and they trudged into their respective houses, thinking of the stranger they had seen on the other side of the fence.

They were at the opposite sides of the fence when they exchanged their first few words. It was three days after they first saw each other. She was walking home from her cousin's house. He was walking towards their gate; he stopped when he saw her.

He grunted, and it sounded like, "Hn," catching her attention almost immediately.

She looked a bit embarrassed, but nonetheless said, "Hi."

He held up his hands, he was holding a box tied securely with a huge red ribbon. "I'm Sasuke. Welcome to the neighborhood," he said, handing her the pie-containing package over the fence.

"Thank you, Sasuke. I'm Sakura." She smiled a small but grateful smile.

Her thoughts were filled with how generous how was, this Sasuke person with the those dark eyes.

His thoughts were filled with how he liked the way she said his name, without the stupid -kun honorific every other girl seemed to think they could use.

Before they could say anything more, her phone rang, and she answered it as she walked the rest of the way to her house, but not before she turned to smile that bashful smile at him again.

They were at the opposite sides of the fence when they first heard each other laugh. It was two weeks after they first saw each other. She had her face buried in a book as she walked towards her house. He, on the other hand, was more sensible and watched where he was going as he walked towards his.

One moment he could see her shock of pink hair, the next she was nowhere to be seen. He heard a loud thud, and then a groan..

"Sakura." He said, his voice laced with concern.

"Sasuke," he heard her say. "I am an idiot." She couldn't help but laugh at her idiocy.

"Yes, you are." He agreed wholeheartedly. He couldn't help but laugh at her idiocy either.

Before he could say anything else, she ran towards her house, too embarrassed to show her face. But she laughed all the way, and he chuckled at her weirdness.

Both of them couldn't help but label the other's laughter as the most beautiful sound they had ever heard.

They were at the opposite sides of the fence when they had their first real connection. It was a month after they first saw each other. She was about to leave to hang out with her new friend. He had just gotten home from hanging out with his best friend since kindergarten.

Her earphones were in place, and she was singing to herself when she faintly heard someone ask, "Aqualung?"

She turned her head, and from the other side of the fence her green eyes met familiar onyx. She smiled and replied, "Yes, it's...

...Brighter than the Sunshine," they said together. She smiled even wider, he smirked.

"I never understood before. I never knew what love was for. My heart was broke, my head was sore - what a feeling." He quoted to her, all the while his dark eyes were boring into her green ones, the same way they did the first time they saw each other. She blushed.

She was quick to judge that the she liked the way he said it much more than the way Aqualung sung it.

He was quick to judge that she had the brightest, most mesmerizing smile he had ever seen, and that he liked the way her cheeks tinted red, it was adorable. When other girls smiled at him or blushed in his presence, it was annoying.

Before they could say anything else, a loud honk came from the street, her new friend was there to pick her up. She waved at him with, that winning smile of hers and red-tinted blush still present, he nodded his head, that signature smirk on his face.

They were at the opposite sides of the fence when he first asked her to go out with him. It was a two months after they first saw each other. She was unsuspecting of the whole thing. He, for the first time in his life, was unsure what to do.

They were walking to their respective houses together, Sakura talking about something Iruka-sensei had said in class, when Sasuke suddenly stopped walking.

"Sasuke?" She looked back at him when she noticed his head wasn't bobbing next to her from over the fence.

"Go on a date with me, Sakura," he said softly. Their eyes met.

There was that blush he realized he liked seeing on her face, the blush he liked being the reason for.

There was smirk that she desperately tried to forget each night before she slept, but ultimately failed to. The smirk that always made her heart flutter terribly in her chest.

"Of course I'll go out with you, Sasuke." She smiled that smile that made him notice her. No, he was wrong, it was her pink hair and green eyes that made him notice her. It was her smile and personality that kept him around.

Before either of them could say anything more, they heard a familiar voice shout, "Sasuke-teme!" They saw a certain blond walk up the Uchiha driveway. The blond shared some pleasantries with the pink-haired girl before he pulled at the raven-haired boy to play Xbox, but not before they shared a look that left not only her heart fluttering, but his as well.

They were at the opposite sides of the fence when they shared their first kiss. It was three and a half months after they first saw each other. They had just finished their fourth date, and what an amazing date it was. He had packed dinner and taken her to a nearby hill to watch the sunset. She had brought a couple of wine coolers to share as they watched the stars.

That would have been perfect time to share their first kiss, but he had waited too long, searching for that perfect moment, and didn't notice that it had slipped away, and her head had turned back to the stars.

He walked her to her front door, once again failing to see how it was another perfect opportunity for him to kiss her, despite how cliché it was. He had already started walking away when he realized how stupid he was.

She felt a bit disappointed as she watched from her front door as he walked away. She was still standing there when he was halfway to his house.

He felt annoyed that he had let two perfect opportunities slip by.

"Sakura," he called to her after stopping midway to his house. She walked to meet him on the other side of the fence.

He was determined that, since he couldn't seem to catch these "perfect moments" that his blond best friend stressed to him multiple times when he gave him his first kiss pep talk, he was going to create the perfect moment.

As soon as she faced him, he leaned down over the fence and his lips met hers.

His heart stopped. So did hers.

It was the most wonderful feeling they ever experienced. They pulled away, he was amused to see that blush on her face; she was surprised to see a blush on his. His face mirrored the silly smile she wore on her face.

She was speechless, he was even more handsome smiling than smirking.

He was speechless, she was even more beautiful when she smiled that silly smile, her green eyes sparkling happily.

Before they could say anything else, the front door to her house opened, and her mother called out that it was late. They didn't fail to notice how the smirk he usually wore was plastered on her mother's face.

They were at the opposite sides of the fence when they first spilled their hearts to each other. It was eleven months after they first saw each other. They made their way to their houses as the sky gathered with plump, grey rainclouds. She was fuming. And so was he, although his face didn't show it.

She was annoyed because she had no idea why he was in such a bad mood.

He was downright angry that she had let a certain dog flirt with her.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Uchiha?" she seethed from her side of the fence.

"Nothing is wrong with me," he said, keeping his voice calm despite the fact that he saw red everytime he remembered how that dog hugged her.

"You were angry since first period. Tell me what your problem is." she stopped midway to her house. She crossed her arms over her chest. Thunder roared through the sky. First few raindrops began to fall.

"You're my problem!" he shouted angrily, immediately regretting it after he saw the look on her face. He was sure the moisture on her face wasn't from the rain. "The way you let Kiba hug you this morning is my problem," he added a bit more softly, loud enough her to hear over the pitter-patter of raindrops on the ground.

He sounded defeated. He suppressed a sigh, he realized he was defeated; he was at the mercy of his own emotions.

The scent of petrichor grew stronger around them. They clothes began to get soaked.

Her face broke out into a wide grin despite the tears she had in her eyes, "You're jealous?" she asked, only half expecting him to answer.

He nodded, unable to meet her gaze. She reached over the fence to cup his face in her hand and kissed him. He kissed her back. In the rain. It was a cliché neither of them minded being a part of.

"Don't be jealous," she whispered when she pulled back. Smiling at how adorable he looked with his hair wet and out of shape.

"I love you," he said suddenly, too taken by her soft smile and the way her rain-soaked hair clung to her beautiful face. Too taken by their kiss in the rain and the residual feelings of jealousy he felt because of the dog and his audacity. Too taken by the strong feeling he had to keep her to himself, by the overwhelming feelings he held for her.

The world around them fell away. It was just him and her, surrounded by a curtain of falling raindrops that kept them in that beautifully drawn out moment. His heart beat loudly in his chest, he could swear she could hear it. Hers was beating a million times a second.

"I love you too," was all she managed to say before he suddenly reached for her over the fence and hugged her close to him, not minding the way the fence dug into his body. In that moment, despite the fence between them, they couldn't be any closer.

They stayed that way for a few minutes more, the rain beating slowly on their tangled bodies. They looked into each others eyes, those mesmerizing green and those deep dark onyx. They wondered how neither of them figured out the other's feelings before, it was written so clearly in their eyes.

They knew they were both thinking of the same thing. Aqualung. Brighter than Sunshine. Let the rain fall, I don't care. I'm yours and suddenly you're mine. They understood what it meant then.

Before either of them could say anything else, the door to the Uchiha residence suddenly opened and an irate Mikoto suddenly screamed "Are you two crazy? Sasuke-kun, Sakura-chan, get inside!" They walked back to their houses, their wet hands intertwined above the fence. When they reached their destination, they let go, but not before sharing a look that said it again.

I love you.

It was a eight years after they first met when the got married. In the background, you can hear that song by Aqualung. Give me your hand and you will see, your heart is keeping time with me.

This time, nothing interrupted them before the could say anything else.

Love burns brighter than sunshine.

This time, and from then on out, Sakura and Sasuke were on the same side of the fence.

A/N: I can't stop procrastinating! I have eight exams left for next week and I haven't started reviewing anything yet. Dang 0-unit and 1-unit lab classes adding to the exams I have to take. :/ Anyhow, I hope you liked this oneshot. If you haven't heard Brighter than Sunshine by Aqualung, you should, it's incredibly sweet. I want it to be playing during my wedding someday. But now I must think of school. Please let me know what you thought of this oneshot. Please review this fic while I review my notes? XD