Fire and Ice / SasuSaku

Doubt and Desire

"Um... is something wrong forehead?" Ino asked, peering at her pink-haired best friend who was aggressively scrubbing her kitchen counter.

Memories of Sasuke and their encounters flooded Sakura's mind as she continued to scrub. Considering they... fucked on her counter as well... She felt certain she was overdoing it by now.

Ino raised an eyebrow, glancing at her best friend. "Sakura, you've been scrubbing the same spot for like 10 minutes now."

Sakura was determined to erase any trace of Sasuke's presence. She had been cleansing her apartment with a vengeance—saging the house, washing her bed sheets, and thoroughly cleaning everything. Despite it being more than a week since his last visit, she still felt his energy lingering, and she just couldn't handle it.

Ino was already suspicious. Sakura hadn't confided in her about what was happening with Sasuke, and the last she had heard about them was weeks ago. Sakura hadn't yet had a chance to tell her what had transpired last week, but she knew she had to come clean. Ino had been asking questions, and it seemed as though she wouldn't stop until she got answers.

Sighing, Sakura stood up and removed her disposable gloves. "I've been seeing Sasuke. We... had sex."

Ino gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Seriously?"

Sakura nodded, looking down. "More than once. He even stayed with me for three days during the snowstorm."

Ino was at a loss for words. She couldn't believe how much Sakura had kept from her in the past weeks. She had expected something like this to happen, but she never thought Sakura would keep it from her. What concerned Ino the most, however, was that despite what had happened, Sakura didn't seem too happy about it.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me... but let's put that aside for now. You seem upset... did something happen?" Ino asked, shocked.

Sakura looked away as she walked to the sink. "Nothing happened. It was just a one-time thing."

Ino didn't buy it. "One-time thing? If you have been together more than once, then it's definitely more than a one-time thing."

Sakura sighed, "He's not my type, and I'm not interested. It was just a quick fling and nothing else. Can't girls enjoy having sex without strings attached?"

Ino knew Sakura had her fair share of friends with benefits situations, but this was different. Their relationship had started from hate, and it was complicated. Both of them weren't fond of one another, and it only happened because there was a lot of tension between them. It was their way of temporarily relieving that tension.

"I'm not stupid, Sakura. I have known you since we were kids. You're really trying to convince me that what happened between you guys was just a one-time thing?" Ino said as she placed her arms on her hips. It was so easy to read Sakura.

Avoiding eye contact, Sakura began to aggressively wash her hands. "I told you... it really isn't anything. We had sex a couple times, and that's it. You should know by now I can't stand his attitude and personality. We just don't have anything in common, and I know he feels the same way about me. Plus... he's the type to sleep with more than one girl anyway... I'm pretty sure he's sleeping with that stupid secretary of his."

"Oh? What makes you say that? Isn't she Naruto's cousin or something?" Ino asked, leaning in with curiosity.

Sakura sighed, "Um... yeah, something like that. I'm only saying this because she's always a bitch to me whenever I'm there. Also, she's the only woman in that office, so it makes sense. Maybe there's something going on. I don't know, Ino! I just know I deserve better than him, and I won't waste my time on a man who won't take me seriously," she walked over to her dishcloth and wiped her hands, "It's my fault anyway. I initiated most of it, and I was the one teasing him the whole time. I thought I could handle it, but I guess I can't."