Unexpected Hearts / SasuSaku

Unleashed Temptations *lemon*

"Ugh, he's acting so strange," Sakura sighed in defeat.

"In what way is he acting weird?" Ino asked.

"He asked me to go to the cafe with him a couple of days ago, and just when I thought we were making progress, he suddenly wanted to leave," Sakura explained.

"Naruto mentioned that he lacks experience with girls. Maybe that's the reason?" Hinata suggested.

It's not like Sakura was asking Sasuke to go out with her. She just wanted to break the awkward tension between them. No matter how many times they've 'talked' or even when he gave her an 'apology' gift, she could tell that Sasuke was clearly bothered by something.

"I don't know. Maybe seeing me naked scared him off or something. Even when I do move out, we're bound to cross paths now that you're dating Naruto, and he knows Sai," Sakura acknowledged.

"Maybe he likes you," Ino snickered.

Sakura's eyes widened, "Why would you say that?"

"It's true! Maybe he's starting to develop feelings for you, but he doesn't know how to act on it," Ino shrugged.

Sakura contemplated telling her friends what happened at the bar a while back. It's been almost two months, but the thought kept creeping into the back of her mind.

"I didn't tell you guys this because, honestly, I didn't know how to process it either," Sakura sighed. "The night we all went out to the bar, Sasuke kind of said something to me," Sakura said hesitantly.

The two girls were now focused, not even touching their food. They kept glancing at Sakura, waiting for her to continue.

"He was drunk, but he 'admitted' to checking me out ever since I moved in," Sakura said nervously.

Ino and Hinata were both taken aback, not knowing whether to laugh or how to react.

"Well, no wonder the boy is ignoring you! He's embarrassed," Ino was the first to speak.

"Aww, that's kind of sweet though. He's probably struggling to figure out how to handle everything," Hinata said.

"It's not like I like him or anything!" Sakura blushed.

"And what about you? Have you been checking out Sasuke since you moved in?" Ino smirked.

Sakura swallowed nervously. Her friends knew her too well. For the most part, they weren't wrong. She did find Sasuke attractive, and it was hard not to stare. She didn't know what she was feeling at this point.

Before she could answer, Ino spoke up, "No need to explain. Your silence is enough."

...

Sasuke was experiencing a panic attack, but he was stubbornly refusing to admit the cause to himself. He had been pacing back and forth in Naruto's apartment for the past few days, clearly bothered by something.

Naruto, knowing Sasuke too well, decided it was time to speak up. "If you like her, just admit it," he said, not naive to the situation.

Sasuke stopped in his tracks and glared angrily at Naruto. "What did you just say, Dobe?" he questioned.

"I said, if you like her, then admit it," Naruto emphasized each word, making it clear that Sasuke needed to understand.

"I don't like her," Sasuke spat out.

Naruto didn't back down. "If you don't like her, then why are you avoiding your apartment again?" he pressed.

Sasuke felt a gulp in his throat. He had been grappling with this thought himself. Everything was new to him, and it was causing him even more panic. She had become a distraction that he couldn't shake off.