The Cure

Chapter 8

"Sakura?" Sasuke whispered, his eyes never leaving her still form.

She smiled at Sasuke sadly. "Sasuke..."

"This is not real," Sasuke said slowly, eyes getting red with every passing second.

Naruto looked up worriedly at Sasuke. He wanted to comfort him, say him that everything was fine. But it was like there was something stuck in his throat, preventing him speaking.

Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but Sasuke covered his ears with his hands tightly.

"This is not real!" He said again, stressing each word. And then, suddenly, he turned to the side, and went to bedroom quickly, leaving Naruto alone with Sakura.

Naruto looked after Sasuke for a while, and then turned to face Sakura, who was looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"W-Would you..." Naruto coughed softly, trying to gather his courage to talk to her. Now that they were a couple, one of them had to behave. And, it was obviously had to b Naruto this time. "Would you like to come in, Sakura-san?" Naruto asked softly.

She glared at Naruto for a while, and then stepped in, her eyes following the path Sasuke took a moment ago.

"This way, Sakura-san," Naruto said, drawing Sakura's attention, he pointed the living room. "Uhm... Could you please take your shoes off?" Naruto asked, as Sakura show signs of taking them off.

Naruto didn't like it. He liked to wander bare-foot in their home. And, he was the one who was cleaning it after all.

"Of course," Sakura said, through clenched teeth. Who the hell he thought he was? Ordering her around like that... This was her boyfriend's home after all.

She walked in to the room silently, and smirked as she saw the picture on the wall. She had already had a place there. She sat down on the couch, where Sasuke was sitting while ago.

Naruto grabbed the remote, and switched off the TV. Sasuke had stuck on a documentary channel. How life was changing in a moment was still a mystery for Naruto.

Sighing softly, Naruto sat down on a seat, and faced Sakura, who was following his every movement closely.

They looked at each other for a while in silence, till Sakura spoke in an accusing voice, "Who are you?"

"I'm Naruto," Naruto said quickly, not wanting to give a wrong answer. "Would you like to have some tea?" He asked right away. "Or, we have that strange coffee Sasuke loves".

Naruto's eyes widened as soon as he realized what he just said. He had talked too much.

"Who are you to him?" Sakura asked this time, eyes narrowed.

"I..." Naruto didn't know what to say.

He could easily say that they were lovers. But, now Sasuke's life's love had come back, was Naruto stepping between them? What if Sasuke would say he didn't want Naru anymore?

Naruto's heart ached painfully in his chest. He didn't want that. He didn't want to leave Sasuke's side. But, he wouldn't risk Sasuke's happiness for anything, either.

"It's not my place to tell you," Naruto said finally.

"Where is Sasuke?" Sakura asked, eyes scanning the room around her.

"I... I'll bring him," Naruto said, as he stood up.

Why was she here? Wasn't she dead? Did she want Sasuke back? How Naruto had to behave?

There were endless questions in Naruto's mind, but he couldn't find an answer for any of them.

He passed the short corridor quickly, and entered the bedroom. It was dark, and Naruto had to wait for a while for his eyes to adjust. He stood there for a moment, and then Sasuke's shaky breathing drew his attention. He was sitting on the ground, back pressed against the bed.