He had once thought Naruto would marry Sakura.

Before Hinata and the dobe became an item, he had always figured his two teammates would eventually tie the knot. Their bond was a strong one, forged through camaraderie and shared experience. After the war it was blatantly obvious the two had grown closer, nearly inseparable. Naruto and Sakura, it was almost impossible to mention one without bringing up the other. Naruto and Sakura, Konoha's golden duo. Tied to one another like a knot that could not be unwound through any given force.

He recalled feeling slightly displaced by the dynamics of their new relationship. The girl who had once used the idiot as a punching bag, was now accustomed to slight touches and a friendly arm wrapped around her. No longer repulsed by the blondes affections and pawing, that had irked her so in their younger days. They seemed completely comfortable with one another, exchanging light banter and private jokes with the other came as natural as breathing.

Of course he had expected the two to grow closer. Time strengthening their relationship, teammates growing into something beyond the terms of simple friendship. They cared for and understood one another more than anyone else in their world. So used to the others presence they rarely needed to voice their words, to know what the other was thinking. He remembered a moment after his release from incarceration where the three of them had been at the newly rebuilt ramen stand. Naruto had ordered Sakura's dish without thinking, and she likewise had reached across to pass him the soy sauce before he had even picked up his chopsticks.

It felt strange being the third party to their closeness. He realized that in their eyes he was as equally valued as any other member of Team 7. They cared for him as much as the day he had left. Still, Team 7 was forever changed, their childhood norms and principles were but a fleeting memory. It was impossible to recreate their past, try as they may, too much had happened. They would deny it vehemently, but he knew that in a small way he was an outsider. He would never share the same relationship as the two of them. He would never participate in idle chatter or snicker at an inside joke. He didn't know any jokes, and he was not around to share them.

Seeing their closeness Sasuke felt assured that this friendly exchange would eventually blossom into romance. They surely loved one another, but it seemed platonic in nature. Or at least it had been on Sakura's end. Naruto had always carried a flame for the tiny medic. Positively smitten in their younger years. He flounced around the girl with bright shining eyes, like she was his personal sunshine. Never losing his enthusiasm no matter how many beatings he took. He coddled the girl with sweet words and had no hesitations about shielding her form from danger with his own. He adored her, time had only reaffirmed this notion. Only now she cherished him just as much.

He briefly considered that Naruto no longer cared for her in that manner. Perhaps he had out grown his childhood affection, a fleeting crush that was now pure admiration and trust. He no longer hollered of his feelings for her or made lewd suggestions behind her back. In their genin days Naruto had attempted to drag Sasuke into being a co conspirator in a ridiculous plot to peek on the pinkette during a visit to a bathhouse. Sasuke had felt obligated to dole out punishment to the imbecile in Sakura's wake, and Naruto had spent the rest of the trip nursing a black eye.

Back then Sakura had been the most prominent female figure in Naruto's life, it was natural he would develop some sort of crush. Now however, being heralded as a hero of war had broadened the spectrum of females interested in his attention. Flocks of girls occasionally approached the boy with girlish squeals and doe eyes. Witnessing the spectacle brought back cringe worthy memories of his younger days, where girls would follow him around and screech for his attention. It was like entering a twilight zone where Naruto was trailed by a gaggle of tittering females, and he was now the one who was shunned. Girls rarely approached him after the war in Konoha. His reputation had inspired an uneasy tension around his person. His good looks were overshadowed by fear and contempt. His very presence screamed intimidating. Not that he minded the absence of foolish girls bothering him, it had been annoying.

There was only one person who he wanted to annoy him. That person was special to Sasuke, and she was special to Naruto too. After his release he realized that the dobe was still in love with her. When she wasn't looking the blonde would sometimes stare in her direction. A strangely calm look of contentment on his features. Blue orbs sparkling with a long standing affection. Innocent brushes occasionally bordered on small caresses. The future Hokage seemed to perk up whenever she was around. He knew Naruto still loved her. He deserved to love her. Yet, it somehow bothered him.

The two men had always been competitive. Sakura's affection for Sasuke was like a tiny victory over his rival. It gave him a petty sense of superiority. Naruto may have proven to be his equal on many grounds, but Sakura's love was something that seemed untouchable. In twisted arrogance and bitterness Sasuke thought;

'No matter how strong you become. No matter how many people recognize you. No matter how much you train or grow. You will never have this. You cannot take away this one thing, because it has always belonged to me.'

It was a wicked and shallow train of thought, and he was disgusted with himself for thinking it. But, at the same time it gave him a sick sense of satisfaction. Although this satisfaction was disturbed by the look in his best friends eye. Naruto was not the same scrawny boy who was loud and immature. He was a grown man, with an array of accomplishments, and loved by the people. He was now strong, heroic, widened through his years and occupied a large space in the kunoichi's heart.

He could not deny they deserved to be together. Both chipper, happy people. Morally just and beautiful in every sense of the word. The completed each other perfectly, like two halves of the same whole that completed each other. Like the sun itself and the rays of light that it birthed, while he thrived in darkness. Hiding from the light.

They were people built to care and be cared for. Sasuke did not know how to care. Love, both giving and receiving it, made him uncomfortable. He had only known hate for so long that love seemed foreign.

Sakura deserved someone like Naruto. Someone who could give her everything she wanted from him. He was at least obligated to let her have a chance at doing so. He should have hammered the final nail in the coffin that contained her hopes of a future with him. Sealing their fate as nothing more than comrades. He should have freed her from her feelings. Drawn a line in the sand stating that there was no possibility of a life together. Leaving the village once again, he had considered doing just so. Telling her not to wait for him, allowing her to move on.

But Sasuke was a selfish man. He was not quite ready to part with the pink haired girl at his beck and call. He was not ready to hand Naruto his chance with a blessing. If the dobe wanted it, he could take it from him like a true rival. He would disappear and give him the opportunity to win over his long time crush.

With a poke to a slightly larger than average forehead, he asked her to keep waiting.

And wait she did. She waited for longer than any sane person would. Clinging to a spark of hope that it would not be in vain. She could have been happy with Naruto, he was sure. But still she had waited for him.

The two of them had married in the Spring. It was in a small chapel, located in a quaint little town they had come across on their travels. The ceremony was small and concise, consisting only of a priest and themselves. Her dress had been simple, purchased hastily before entering the church. But she had never looked more beautiful to Sasuke.

On their return to Konoha he and Naruto had spoken of his previous affections once. Now married to the Hyuuga heiress the topic seemed approachable. Giving life to words left unspoken.

"Why didn't you do it?" He had asked, startling his blonde companion.

"Huh? Do what?" Naruto replied, justifiably confused by his normally silent counterpart.

"How come you never married her?" The dark haired man continued. At his words Naruto became flustered. It was an odd thing to have your friend question as to why you never married his wife.

"I have Hinata, you know that! I love her! Sakura-chan is like my sister!" He exclaimed scratching the back of his neck to hide his discomfort with the topic.

"You loved her. I could see it even after the war... You didn't love her like a brother would."

Naruto let out a heavy sigh, becoming sombre. There was no use in being dishonest about his past feelings. He respected Sasuke enough not to try and convince him otherwise.

"Yeah, I loved her. Maybe more than you did at the time. Although maybe that's only because you hadn't realized it yet." He said with a soft chuckle.

"Why didn't you take her then? You could have."

"Because it would have been just that Sasuke. Taking her. We both know she's always been yours. You may be a bastard but you deserve some love brought into your life. She's probably the only one who could have done it."

Sasuke gave a slight nod considering his words. Seemingly satisfied with the answer.

"I won't lie to you though, I did try once."

The words made the Uchiha still.

"It was before Hinata, when you were on your journey for redemption. You had been gone for a year or so and we were all hoping you'd comeback soon. Her most of all. She was so sad Sasuke. Moping around, waiting for you to come home. It made me angry seeing her like that. I was angry that you had kept her waiting." Naruto paused to let his words sink into the avenger for a moment.

"There were plenty of others you know? If she had given them the chance those guys wouldn't have ever made her wait a single second. I was one of them. I told her everything one night. I laid it all out there. Told her I loved her and I was here with her now. Not some fantasy of a future maybe. I wanted to give her something real. I knew how she felt about you, but it was killing her Sasuke."

The Uchiha grimaced at his words, feeling a shudder of guilt course through his system. He knew it had been unfair to keep her on his leash, but he did not regret doing so. He was selfish when it came to her. Selfish because she let him be. And when she grew frustrated with his selfishness he would come back to appease her before the cycle would start once again.

"I asked her to just listen to what I had to say, although I think she already knew what it was. I poured my heart out to her Sasuke. I had loved her for a long time. I guess we had always skirted around it because we both knew the outcome. I asked her to give me a chance to make her happy. Just one chance. It's fucked up but a small part of me felt like I had earned that much. For loving someone for that long, like a bratty kid I thought I at least deserved my shot. It was always you though. You didn't even have to be here and it was still you." Naruto let out a bitter chuckle looking at his friend who remained silent.

"I didn't give her a chance to respond. Maybe I had already know the answer. Before she could say anything I just grabbed her and kissed her."

Seasick felt himself tense at that, a sour expression coming over his features. Sensing his agitation the blonde hurried to continue his tale.

"I'm surprised she didn't send me flying with those fists of hers. I just kissed her and then asked her to meet me in the same spot the next night, before running home."

Next to him Naruto felt Sasuke relax the slightest bit, feeling it was safe to continue.

"The next night came and I was fully prepared to see her. Even if she had only showed up to reject me, at least she knew everything. I figured that she might even go for it out of guilt or something. Not that I would have wanted that but Sakura can be a martyr sometimes, even if it means being unhappy. A messed up part of me could have even lived with that. Even if she didn't love me I would have been there in a heartbeat if she asked. I had my hand on the door but I couldn't bring myself to open it. It just felt... wrong. I felt guilty in a way. Like I was touching something precious that didn't belong to me. You were a million miles away but it seemed as though you were right there over her shoulder, saying this is mine. And I felt like if you lost her you would have had nothing..."

Sasuke couldn't help but agree with his friend. It had once seemed impossible that the tiny doe eyed girl with silly pink hair could become so important to him. But she had done just that. That girl was now his everything. She had given him something he had thought he had lost forever. She had given him a future and a purpose. She had given him a beautiful baby girl with tufts of his own raven locks and dark eyes that reminded him of his mother. He could not imagine his life without them because they were his life.

"I never went to meet her that night. I never found out if she ended up coming, we never talked about it after that. Although a part of me knows she wouldn't have. Maybe I could have made her happy, but I could never have been you. I was hurt for a long time after that. I never let her see it but I think she knew. Things were different between us for a while. It wasn't until Hinata that we got back to normal."

"Do you ever wish it had been her instead of Hinata?" Sasuke questioned in a heavy tone, finally speaking once again.

"I loved her Sasuke but I never would have made her happy. I never would have been happy knowing I couldn't replace you in her heart. I love Hinata and she loves me, and me alone. I'm happy with her, more happy than I can ever remember being. I'm glad we found each other. And I'm glad you found Sakura. The way things are now is best. I love Sakura, but not the same way I once did. She was my first real love, in a way she taught me how to love. I guess she taught both of us how to love when you think about it." He let out a small laugh at the irony of it.

"Aa."

"Besides, as much as you've changed, you're still a selfish prick. Even if we had gotten together I don't think your nearly enough of a martyr to have let it last for long." He chuckled, nudging his arm into the man next to him.

Sasuke chose not to respond.

"I bet it really pisses you off knowing that I kissed her first." Naruto continued his jesting with an impish grin.

Sasuke furrowed his brow at the jibe, before a smug smirk came over his features. Turning towards the blonde with his signature cocky smirk he replied;

"Did you Naruto?"

Feeling satisfied as the idiot stared back breifly shocked at his words. He recalled back to when he had been in captivity after the war. Sakura came to visit him often. Sitting at the edge of his cell, chatting away about nothing in particular for hours on end while he listened. The tone of her voice calmed him and her presence was soothing after being stifled by the dark, damp surroundings of his cell. On one occasion in particular she had fallen asleep against the frigid metal bars. Her head lolled to rest against the cool metal, centring her face perfectly in-between the gap in the bars. Fast asleep she dozed peacefully, unfazed by the fact that a man branded a dangerous criminal was inches away from her vulnerable form. He sat facing her form as she slept, enjoying the feeling of being near the humming of her comforting chakra. Listening to her shallow breathing and trying to remember the lines of her features. He had come to the conclusion that she had grown to be beautiful, if not certainly by societies standards, than by his own.

Perhaps it had been his appreciation for something beautiful in his ugly wretched cell. Perhaps it had been delirium from the constant draining of his chakra. Perhaps he had been overcome by fickle curiosity. But, for whatever the reason eh found himself leaning in towards her resting figure. Letting his forehead rest against the same bar that held the weight of her head he felt the fan of her warm breath centimetres from his face. He wasn't sure if he had simply allowed his head to unconsciously lean in, or it had been her shifting as she slept. Or perhaps some combination of the two. But, for a split second he felt a pair of soft lips brush against his own.

"You bastard." Naruto chuckled shaking his head at his friends smug declaration. "Couldn't even let me have that one could you?"

"Hn." Sasuke grunted with a small snort of his own before muttering, almost so Naruto hadn't heard it.

"Not when it comes to her."