again & again - [ sasusaku ] [ au one-shot collection ]

six

Haruno Sakura, his one and only.

He remembered meeting her as a child, being dazzled by how right being around her was, and then pushing her away when it became obvious that she had a crush on him. She was all bright pinks and greens and reds, smiles and giggles and sunshine and rainbows and hearts. Even at a young age, he knew she was too much for him. That didn't stop her, so he just tried his best to ignore her.

Their dynamic shifted when they turned 12 and were forced to interact in projects with a fellow mutual friend Uzumaki Naruto for their environmental club that their hometown teacher had forced them to join together to become Team 7. He quickly learned that he was still amazed at how easy it is to be around her, and that Sakura was really smart and caring and assertive and easy to anger and god, she punched hard.

Oh, yeah, and she still liked him.

At that point, he didn't mind having her around because he had developed some respect for her, thanks to her good ideas and hard work. So he called her his friend after a couple of years of working together, and his heart fluttered when she beamed so brightly at him.

Then high school came around. At the age of 14, she was easily one of his best friends. She always made him laugh and cheered him up when he felt like a disappointment to his parents and made hanging around Naruto bearable. She also made his cheeks warm up, his palms sweat, his heart beat faster, and his tongue stutter.

She had always been cute, but now she was super cute. She had cut her longer pink hair into a pretty bob that suited her, and suddenly it was like she was a new person. She was always outspoken, only this time she had a bold sort of confidence when she spoke. Her eyes would light up and his heart would clench and fuck, he knew what crushes were, he couldn't believe he had one.

Strangely, she still liked him at that point.

Even after all the times he pushed her away as far as he could, and pulled her in close so that she can see how much of a mess he truly is, she still would blush in his direction and send soft smiles at him.

It's when they're 17 and he hands her a pretty red rose on the day of love and sees that there are tears in her pretty green eyes as she looks straight back at him, even when the pretty flower demands her attention, that he realizes that Sakura doesn't like him.

She loves him.

And as he gives her a soft smile to match the ones she always always always blesses him with, he decides he's okay with that.

As she gives him a kiss on his warm and blushing cheek, he decides he's really okay with that.

When she pulls back and smiles brightly at him, the same way she has done since they were children, she tells him in her sweet voice, "Happy Valentine's Day, Sasuke-kun."

He doesn't say it back to her, or say the other three words her eyes are.

But he does smile and take her hand, and that's enough for her.

It's always been enough for her, and she thinks it will always be enough for her.

When he gives her a pretty red rose and looks into her pretty green eyes with the same look he had in his pretty dark eyes 30 years ago, her eyes tear up again.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Sakura."

Love will always be enough.