Title: Synchronized

Summary: They were the best synchronized divers in the world; Olympic champions. They were best friends; inseparable. And now, Sasuke couldn't help but wonder when the line between friendship and love had blurred and disappeared altogether. (Narusasunaru) (AU)

A/N: Well, I finally got off my lazy ass and wrote this up! School is going to get in the way of writing, so my irregular updates will probably get slower because I'll only be able to write on weekends. But, rest assured, in Jelloland, fanfiction comes before everything. I'd like to thank everyone who either took my poll (yay! Thirty-four voters! -does a happy dance-) or reviewed the Author's Note. Most people didn't want Sakura's view as well, but that would be unfair to blugirlami21 -my muse, the person I ask for advice because I annoy my beta enough as is, someone who answers most of my stupid questions when I'm not asking you guys…- who inspired me to do so and has helped me a lot through my momentary writer's block. (Shameless Advertising Warning!!) Letting You Go is up, so go check it out for Sakura's point of view.

And, well, of course, I have excuses as to why you shouldn't murder me for the delay:

(1) I started school and was drowned beneath the waters of endless homework.

(2) I was dragged into the Reborn! fandom, because, well, Reborn is just too cute!

(3) I actually developed a life! I know, laugh all you want, but I have social obligations, like making a complete fool of myself at dances.

(4) I lost interest for a while because of the whole Reborn! fandom thingy.

(5) I got too wrapped up in reading fics to write.

…please don't hurt me…

Now, I have a question for you guys: I was surfing through Narusasu fics, my new OTP, and I found a term I don't understand: what does PWP mean? When I saw the lemon warning in the beginning, I hightailed it out of there (see? Answering my question in KFD saved me from another potentially scarring run-in), but I'm still curious. Anyone care to enlighten little old me?

And, before you ask, yes, the horrid poem/song in the beginning was written by me. Not all of us can be good at everything… -sniffle-

Also, tell me if you want more chapters, because I guess I can, but I kind of like how it ended… Ah well, I am a slave to your reviews.

Beta: The fabulous MikoGoddess, who I wouldn't be able to go on without. You should thank her for making sure my chapters are error-free, grammatically correct, and better written. Yay for MikoGoddess!

Disclaimer: Uh, I think you guys are tired of me trying to be funny with my disclaimers… So, I'll just keep it simple: Don't own, don't sue.

Key:

Thoughts

First POV: Sasuke

Poem: Naruto's POV

Synchronized

Chapter 3

The Last Barrier

I wonder, but I don't dare ask;

It's hard to see the pain behind the mask.

She's trying so hard to hide…

They're just along for the ride.

She smiles, like she isn't hurt;

She smiles, like they know what she's worth;

She smiles, like nothing's wrong;

She smiles, like it's been okay all along.

She doesn't seem to care;

She braves all the glares.

She ignores the spite and the hate,

But that's all she's gotten of late.

She smiles, like she isn't hurt;

She smiles, like they know what she's worth;

She smiles, like nothing's wrong;

She smiles, like it's been okay all along.

I want to help, but I'm too scared;

I want to help, but I'm not prepared.

How does she do it, standing alone?

How does she do it, away from home?

She smiles, like she isn't hurt;

She smiles, like they know what she's worth;

She smiles, like nothing's wrong;

She smiles, like it's been okay all along.

I want to help.

I need to help.

Because, if I don't, who will?

There had been very few times when Sasuke had ever desired emotional support; the time when his parents and Itachi died in a car crash had been the only incident in which he had openly sought out Naruto as a shoulder to cry on, even though he turned cold the day after. Plenty of bad things had happened since then, but Sasuke had trained himself to keep it all inside and to never rely on others.

This time, though, he needed a hand to hold.

Or maybe a paw.

Sasuke cuddled Itachi closer to his chest as Kyuubi snuggled into his hair, his fingers absently stroking the black kittens ridiculously big ears, the delighted purr he received calming him. Sasuke glanced out of the corner of his eye at Naruto, tense and uncomfortable, awkwardly avoiding Sasuke's eyes.

"It's not your fault," Sasuke said suddenly. "We're both nervous about this, but neither of us is to blame. Don't beat yourself up over it, Naruto," Sasuke smiled, trying to be reassuring, but it came out strained and nervous.

Naruto grinned. "Thanks, Sasuke," he said.

Sasuke ruthlessly squashed blush number two thousand and one. Damn… I've blushed more in the past two days than in the past two years… Sasuke glanced up at the cause of his constant embarrassment through his long, dark lashes. Dobe… my dobe…

Sasuke fidgeted, stroking Kyuubi's silky ears as Itachi absently rolled out of his arms to lie down across the table, batting at Sasuke's long, silky black bangs. The two kittens purred happily, loving how indulgent Sasuke was being, letting them play with his hair. Naruto snickered, and Sasuke decided that Naruto's happiness was worth it, even at the price of his hair and dignity.

Suddenly, silence swept over the usually bustling café. Sasuke's head shot up, almost dislodging an unhappily yowling Kyuubi who batted at the raven's head to make his displeasure known. Sasuke gulped uncomfortably as he realized who had walked in: Sakura Haruno.

She was wearing a ridiculously tight, short dress that was low cut enough to make the fact the she wasn't wearing a bra known. Her dainty feet were slipped into a pair of four-inch stilettos, and she had a tiny handbag slung over her shoulder. She strode forward, hips swaying seductively.

Sakura looked nothing like the girl Sasuke once loved like the sister he never had.

She threw her arms around Naruto's shoulders, long pink hair mingling with Naruto's sunshine locks. She smirked, confident and cocky. "Hey, babe; what'd you want to talk about?"

Naruto pulled away from Sakura, shifting closer to Sasuke, and the brunette felt his heart jumpstart. Naruto's long, tan fingers tangled with his, curling lovingly against Sasuke's ivory skin, cradling the silky hand adoringly. "Sakura, I want you to know that we're over," he said, his thumb gently stroking against the raven's pale skin. "I belong with Sasuke, Sakura." he looked up pleadingly, his eyes speaking for him. Please understand, Sakura. Please…

"Don't be silly, Naruto," Sakura scoffed, but Sasuke could hear a hint of panic in her voice. "What can Sasuke give you that I can't?"

Naruto stared up at Sakura, the plea in his eyes even stronger than before. "I love him, Sakura. I guess I always have. Please understand." Sasuke felt his hands clench a little, hearing that hateful name repeated so many times… The jealousy cut him into pieces like a razor blade.

Sakura's emerald eyes turned wild. "Are you saying that you've been lying to me all these years when you claimed to love me unconditionally?"

Naruto's eyes soften, gentle and apologetic. "I do love you, Sakura, but not in the way you want me to." he said, soft and sweet, his fingers tightening comfortingly around Sasuke's. Comfort for who? Sasuke wondered. Me? Him? Us? "Gomen nasai (1), Sakura-chan." Sasuke felt his chest tighten angrily at the affectionate nickname. He stared at the table, his free hand clenching angrily, hatred and jealousy swirling through him, potent and dizzying.

Suddenly, she whirled on Sasuke, eyes untamed and hysterical. "Prove it to me," she hissed, her voice low and venomous. "Prove to me that you can make him happy, and I'll let Naruto go."

Sasuke looked up, summoning all the calmness and gentleness he could. He wanted to let her down easy. The real Sakura, the Sakura he knew, was a good person. She deserved a gentle let-down. "I don't need to prove anything," he said, stroking Kyuubi's ears for comfort. "He's happier when he's with me, and you know it."

Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously; angrily. "No, I don't 'know it'," she said contemptuously, anger poisoning her words. "Naruto is happy with me, and that's the end of it."

"Sakura," Sasuke said, struggling to keep his tone soft and gentle, "I love you like a sister. It's hard for me to admit this, but you are very important to me. Please, Sakura, I love Naruto and Naruto loves me." Sasuke felt the words ring a true, breathlessly beautiful note in his heart. It felt so right, saying that…

"Are you really okay with this?" she screeched unexpectedly, slamming her clenched fist down on the table. Itachi let out a yelp and leapt up onto Sasuke's shoulder, curling up against his neck, trembling. Sasuke reached up, stoking Itachi's silky head. Sakura's eyes narrowed angrily. "You can't give Naruto children. I can. How can you live with yourself, knowing that you've deprived the world of little Uzumaki children?" There was no mercy in her eyes.

Sasuke felt the words hit him with the force of a physical blow. It was true. Everything Sakura said was true. Sasuke couldn't give Naruto children. Sasuke couldn't keep the Uchiha line alive, and Naruto couldn't keep the Uzumaki family going. But… oh, God, Sasuke loved Naruto so much… Sasuke could feel the indecision pulling him two ways, and the anguish was excruciating. "I…" Sasuke let his mouth fall closed. He had nothing to say.

Naruto raised his hand to Sasuke's cheek, gently stroking his flawless skin, tender and loving. "Sasuke, I don't care about stuff like that," he murmured, sweet and soft, his eyes flooded with an emotion so pure and so sweet it was enough to break anyone's heart.

"But…" Sasuke whispered brokenly, his heart thumping a strange, uneven rhythm in his chest, erratic and illogical.

"Sumimasen (2)," Sakura whispered, her head ducked, ashamed, a curtain of lustrous pink hair swinging forward to hide her face, rich strands the color of cotton candy glimmering in the sunlight. "I know now. You two really love each other. Gomen, Naruto. Gomen, Sasuke. Please, forgive me." She raised her eyes, looking like a sinner seeking forgiveness from above. Her emerald eyes were beseeching, and Sasuke once again found something in those green depths that was so deeply human, so deeply Sakura, that he knew, for certain, that the Sakura he and Naruto both loved like a sister was back. Sasuke felt something in his chest tighten, seeing the real Sakura again.

And then, Uchiha Sasuke did something he hadn't done in years. He smiled a true smile in front of someone other than Naruto, a smile filled with pure joy and relief and love. He felt the happiness flood him, pure adrenaline, as addicting as any drug, but twice as potent, filling him to the brim. "Arigatou gozaimasu (3), Sakura," he said, his eyes shining with all the barely-suppressed emotions that thrummed though his body.

Sakura smiled right back.

I sat, and I stared.

You stared back.

We weren't quite sure what to do, of course. I mean, it was a little awkward. How did we act? Like we used to? Like star-struck lovers? Like best friends? Like boyfriends?

Frankly, I was at a lost.

And, well, so were you.

We were sitting at the dining table, fidgety and uncomfortable. I mean, what had we expected? A magical white steed to ride off into the sunset on? A storybook happily-ever-after?

So many questions, yet so few answers…

"Sasuke?" You asked sweetly, looking up at me with your indescribably beautiful eyes.

"Yeah?" I asked, my mouth going dry.

"We'll be together forever, right?" You asked, a strange innocence shining.

I blinked my widened eyes before feeling my expression soften. "Yeah… I love you, Naruto."

"I love you too."

And, I guess it was all we needed.

Love, that is.

Training was difficult. If Naruto had had a hard enough time resisting Sasuke in a Speedo before, he was now fighting an epic battle. Tsunade, on the few times she decided to grace her world-famous team with her presence, gave the two a quizzical look. Sure, the air had always been sexually charged, but not to this extent.

Tsunade stifled a smirk as she watched her two precious boys perform yet another flawless dive, twisting through the air with serpentine grace. Finally… she thought happily, but tinged with annnoyance. They've finally realized their feelings… But, jeez, it's about time. How long has it been? Years? And I thought Sasuke wasn't a complete idiot…

Oh, how wrong I was.

"Boys!" Tsunade shrilled at the top of her lungs, waving for them to get out of the hot tub. The two complied, Naruto lumbering out with the grace of a pregnant blue whale, but somehow managing to regain some semblance of grace, though it was predatory, like a lion on the hunt. Sasuke gracefully rose out of the water, padding softly across the deck to Tsunade, a gazelle's fluidity gracing his movements as he all but floated towards the other side of the pool.

"So… who had a kid?" Tsunade asked nonchalantly, leaning back against a tiled pillar.

Naruto choked on his water. "W-What?"

"Well, it's just that the two of you have been glowing like pregnant mothers, so…" Tsuande drew out the last word, letting it drift off suggestively.

It was Sasuke's turn to choke. "Pardon?"

Tsunade shrugged, dismissing the uncomfortable air that hung around her two Golden Boys. "Maybe you two just got your eyesight checked, 'cause, well, it seems like you've finally lost your blindness."

"Tsunade-baba…" Naruto said warningly, and the seasoned coach new instantly what he meant. It seems like my (or should I say Sasuke's?) idiot has finally caught on, she thought with a smile.

"I just want to congratulate the two of you. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you two to figure out your feelings." Tsunade rolled her eyes for extra effect. Sasuke was still at a loss for words. Tsunade grinned. "Let's practice that triple twist, triple forward somersault in pike position one more time, boys."

Naruto tenderly led his still-gaping boyfriend away, and Tsunade could faintly here Sasuke's confused words.

"…how did she…?"

"...don't know, Sasuke, but Tsunade-baba knows everything. Don't worry, S'uke, it'll be…"

"…are you sure we're ready to…?"

"Yes, Sasuke, we're ready." That last sentence was spoken so firmly that Tsunade couldn't help but smile. Her little brat was all grown up…

The two climbed up to the top of the platform, their hands intertwined. Her boys, both so beautiful, both so perfect, both so strong, yet both so fragile... I hope this romance doesn't break them… Both of them deserve a happy ending, and I hope this is the ending we all want for them.

It was nighttime, and I was stretched out on my back, listening to the warm, steady thump of your heart. The night air was warm and humid, a stray breeze caressing our bodies, lazy and sweet. I stared up into the stars, and it felt like my thoughts were going out and out but never coming back. I thought about anything and everything; you, me, Sakura, our friends, your friends, her friends, our future, our past, our present…

Maybe, the rate I was going, nothing would bring me back.

But, just like before, just like when Itachi and Mom and Dad were taken from me, you were there, and you dragged me back.

You're my lifeline, Naruto.

You're the only thing that'll keep me coming back.

And, well, that's enough.

(1) Those of you who read Letting You Go beforehand should know this, but for those of you who didn't (go now!) might need to know that it means "Sorry".

(2) Sumimasen is a way of saying 'sorry', but is actually more commonly used to say 'excuse me' or 'pardon'.

(3) Thank you, of course.

A/N: Gah! Short! -headdesk- Sorry… I know you hate me now, but please leave a review…

-runs off into a corner and sobs over the plummeting quality of her writing-