bittersweet.
Fandom: Naruto
Characters: Uzumaki Naruto & Haruno Sakura
Table & Prompt: Un-themed 6,10. unrequited & 05. a midsummer night
Word Count: 845
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Notes: Written for mission insane & 10 whores. Prompt tables are here & here. The master table (mission insane) is here. Contains one-sided NaruSaku.
-
Naruto smiled softly at the grinning pink haired girl perched on the stool next to him. Under the fluorescent lights in Ichiraku, he thought she’d never looked more beautiful, with the million dollar smile on her face. A smile he’d never be able to put on her face. The smile she reserved for him.
“Can you believe it?” she squealed, the mirth apparent in her voice. “He proposed today. Proposed!”
“Wow,” he replied, straining a smile. “That’s great, Sakura-chan.”
“I know!” she beamed back at him, completely missing his lack of enthusiasm in her state of euphoria. “Oh, Naruto. I love him so much - I’m so happy! I can’t even begin to expl...”
Plastering on a fake smile, the blonde tuned her out, turning back to his ramen. He was sure she probably wouldn’t even notice if he left right now, so tuning her out was okay. Ever since the start of her relationship with Hyuuga Neji, he’d supported her - lent her a shoulder to cry on when she needed it, laughed with her, listened to her vent, stood with her.
He’d put on a brave front. But inside, he was slowly chipping away.
He’d let his chance with her slip away, and now it was too late. Throughout their younger years, he always came second to her Sasuke-kun. With Sasuke there, he was pretty sure she couldn’t even remember his name, except when she needed to yell at him.
Then, when Sasuke had gone, and Kakashi was rarely seen, and suddenly - it was just them
Naruto and Sakura. The remains of what once was Team 7.
They were close; closer than ever. What was once a small school boy crush turned into a decade of unrequited love, and he knew he could never stop loving her. The way she moved so gracefully, elegantly, the way she laughed - the most melodious thing he ever heard. Hell, he even loved that fiery temper of hers.
It made her who she was, and he loved all of her.
For weeks, Naruto debated on telling her - and finally, he’d decided that he already waited long enough. It was a perfect July night; the gentle breeze set the temperature just right and the full moon unobstructed by any clouds. That night, he prepared everything. Made it perfect. Midnight picnic by the old Team 7 bridge, right after her hospital shift. He’d planned it down to the smallest detail, and he was ready.
The moment she appeared on the path, with that smile that he never saw before, he thought his heart was going to explode.
Then, she spoke - her sweet, sweet voice laced with a bliss he never heard before.
“Naruto!” the blissful smile on her face was contagious, and Naruto found himself grinning, too. “Oh, Kami. You won’t believe this - Hyuuga Neji just asked me out. Me!”
The smile dropped from his face, and he felt rooted to the spot. It was only then that she noticed the picnic he had so intricately planned out. “Oh, Naruto. Did you prepare all this for me?”
“uh - yeah.” He croaked, regaining his composure. “Midnight dinner!” he plastered on a fake smile, picking up a syrup covered anko dumpling. “Here - your favourite!”
She giggled. “You’re so sweet! I love you!”
The last three words made his stomach drop another hundred feet, but the smile remained. He spoke slowly, afraid of slipping and ruining her mood. “So... how’d he do it?”
And from then on, he’d started to pretend. Pretend that he was happy for her, and that he doesn’t love her. That he hasn’t loved her for over a decade.
-
The wedding was huge - Neji, being the heir of the Hyuuga clan, and Sakura, being the most promising medic in the village, had attracted a good portion of Konoha’s population. Everything was perfect, went exactly as planned.
Naruto threw one last look over his shoulder at the newly wedded couple, dancing in the middle amidst the mass of people. His lips curved into a small, understanding smile, but his sapphire orbs held so much sorrow, it’d give Kakashi’s lone eye a run for his money.
Slipping through the doors silently, he trudged towards his small apartment slowly, letting the reality of it sink in.
She was married to Neji. She was married to Neji.
She would never be his now. They would stay like that forever - he, her best friend, the guy she’d come crying to, but never the guy she’d be crying about.
As he neared his apartment, the feelings of regret and heartbreak only worsened, but he also came to an understanding.
The fact that he would never cause her that kind of pain - be the reason for her heart to break was a blessing in itself. As long as she was happy, it didn’t matter who she was with.
She was happy with Neji, and that was all Naruto needed to know.
He would let her go, and be there for her when she needed him.
Because all that mattered to him was her happiness.
Characters: Uzumaki Naruto & Haruno Sakura
Table & Prompt: Un-themed 6,10. unrequited & 05. a midsummer night
Word Count: 845
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Notes: Written for mission insane & 10 whores. Prompt tables are here & here. The master table (mission insane) is here. Contains one-sided NaruSaku.
-
Naruto smiled softly at the grinning pink haired girl perched on the stool next to him. Under the fluorescent lights in Ichiraku, he thought she’d never looked more beautiful, with the million dollar smile on her face. A smile he’d never be able to put on her face. The smile she reserved for him.
“Can you believe it?” she squealed, the mirth apparent in her voice. “He proposed today. Proposed!”
“Wow,” he replied, straining a smile. “That’s great, Sakura-chan.”
“I know!” she beamed back at him, completely missing his lack of enthusiasm in her state of euphoria. “Oh, Naruto. I love him so much - I’m so happy! I can’t even begin to expl...”
Plastering on a fake smile, the blonde tuned her out, turning back to his ramen. He was sure she probably wouldn’t even notice if he left right now, so tuning her out was okay. Ever since the start of her relationship with Hyuuga Neji, he’d supported her - lent her a shoulder to cry on when she needed it, laughed with her, listened to her vent, stood with her.
He’d put on a brave front. But inside, he was slowly chipping away.
He’d let his chance with her slip away, and now it was too late. Throughout their younger years, he always came second to her Sasuke-kun. With Sasuke there, he was pretty sure she couldn’t even remember his name, except when she needed to yell at him.
Then, when Sasuke had gone, and Kakashi was rarely seen, and suddenly - it was just them
Naruto and Sakura. The remains of what once was Team 7.
They were close; closer than ever. What was once a small school boy crush turned into a decade of unrequited love, and he knew he could never stop loving her. The way she moved so gracefully, elegantly, the way she laughed - the most melodious thing he ever heard. Hell, he even loved that fiery temper of hers.
It made her who she was, and he loved all of her.
For weeks, Naruto debated on telling her - and finally, he’d decided that he already waited long enough. It was a perfect July night; the gentle breeze set the temperature just right and the full moon unobstructed by any clouds. That night, he prepared everything. Made it perfect. Midnight picnic by the old Team 7 bridge, right after her hospital shift. He’d planned it down to the smallest detail, and he was ready.
The moment she appeared on the path, with that smile that he never saw before, he thought his heart was going to explode.
Then, she spoke - her sweet, sweet voice laced with a bliss he never heard before.
“Naruto!” the blissful smile on her face was contagious, and Naruto found himself grinning, too. “Oh, Kami. You won’t believe this - Hyuuga Neji just asked me out. Me!”
The smile dropped from his face, and he felt rooted to the spot. It was only then that she noticed the picnic he had so intricately planned out. “Oh, Naruto. Did you prepare all this for me?”
“uh - yeah.” He croaked, regaining his composure. “Midnight dinner!” he plastered on a fake smile, picking up a syrup covered anko dumpling. “Here - your favourite!”
She giggled. “You’re so sweet! I love you!”
The last three words made his stomach drop another hundred feet, but the smile remained. He spoke slowly, afraid of slipping and ruining her mood. “So... how’d he do it?”
And from then on, he’d started to pretend. Pretend that he was happy for her, and that he doesn’t love her. That he hasn’t loved her for over a decade.
-
The wedding was huge - Neji, being the heir of the Hyuuga clan, and Sakura, being the most promising medic in the village, had attracted a good portion of Konoha’s population. Everything was perfect, went exactly as planned.
Naruto threw one last look over his shoulder at the newly wedded couple, dancing in the middle amidst the mass of people. His lips curved into a small, understanding smile, but his sapphire orbs held so much sorrow, it’d give Kakashi’s lone eye a run for his money.
Slipping through the doors silently, he trudged towards his small apartment slowly, letting the reality of it sink in.
She was married to Neji. She was married to Neji.
She would never be his now. They would stay like that forever - he, her best friend, the guy she’d come crying to, but never the guy she’d be crying about.
As he neared his apartment, the feelings of regret and heartbreak only worsened, but he also came to an understanding.
The fact that he would never cause her that kind of pain - be the reason for her heart to break was a blessing in itself. As long as she was happy, it didn’t matter who she was with.
She was happy with Neji, and that was all Naruto needed to know.
He would let her go, and be there for her when she needed him.
Because all that mattered to him was her happiness.