When Sparks Fly

Flashback PT III.
It was late in the afternoon when Sakura opened her eyes. She found herself laying on that makeshift bed of theirs. Pink and orange blankets mixed with each other, drenched in sweat from the night before, the feeling of Naruto's doings from the night before evident in the sores she felt in her stomach and legs.

She groaned and smiled, thinking about the act. She remembered curling up on top of him after and falling into a slumber as she felt him breathing. The warmth of his naked skin comforted her nerves that she forgot there was a war. That intimacy they shared was enough for them to feel free. Two souls both intertwined in each others hunger. The lust that drove them together was long overdue. She wanted to open her eyes and immediately unravel her feelings for him, so when she went to touch Naruto, she couldn't find him.

"Naruto?!", she yelled loudly as she sat up from the bed.

"I'm here."

She turned and gasped as she saw the sight of Naruto. His skin was burnt and charred to the point of discoloration. More than half of his face steamed and gave off a red aura. His breath was jagged, his legs seeming turned to ash and it smelled of burnt flesh throughout.

"Don't worry," he reassured, "They're healing me. No need to overexert yourself okay?"

"Wha-", Sakura couldn't form any words because of her worry.

"I did it."

There was silence.

"I beat him Sakura! I got Kurama."

Her eyes brightened, "Oh my god! Really?!"

Naruto nodded, "Now they're all mine. And I'm ready." He got up, his body had healed itself at such an incredible rate the pain he was supposed to feel only felt like a scab. He leaned down grabbed a shirt of his that was laying on the ground and threw it to Sakura.

"Put it on dummy. They're out," he pointed at her exposed breasts with a smile.

She blushed and immediately threw the shirt on as she got up and found her shorts to put on as well. "H-Have you eaten?", she tripped over herself as she finished pulling her shorts up and fell towards Naruto who caught her.

"No I haven't," he smiled and kissed her forehead while standing her upright.

"Why didn't you wake me up?", she went into the kitchen as Naruto followed behind her.

"You deserved the rest. I knew today had to be the day I beat him. After the entire night and morning of fighting, I did it."

"The entire night?"

"I left a clone in my place to sleep so you wouldn't get alone."

"Oh," the thought of the Naruto she did the act with being a clone left a staggering feeling in her heart.

"Don't worry - Sakura," he immediately followed, "It was me. Last night. It was me. You fell asleep right after."

She smiled and nodded and blew him a kiss as she cooked in silence. Naruto of course helped her with the food and whatnot. They tried to enjoy their last days of peace together. The days that followed after that were quiet ones.

Naruto passed the time meditating mostly, becoming one with nature and his own spirit. Sakura was done with what she had to do, which was look after him and heal him, so she assisted in keeping him focused. No matter what, she was right next to him. Wearing the shirt he gave her after the day they made love to each other, she never took it off.

But they didn't talk about that night.

More like Naruto avoided the topic. Lord knows the poor girl wanted to talk to him about it so much, but it felt to her that he was too scared to speak upon it that he seemed almost frustrated whenever she brought it up. She thought teasing him would result in him trying to make a move or get him to speak on it, so she resorted to showing skin in front of him. But Naruto, ever the respectful and loving man, never peeked at her, not wanting to ruin the comfort she grew to him.

So she snapped and one day when Naruto was writing one of his haiku's she sat next to him.

"Naru."

"Yeah hun?", he responded. Words of endearment would slip out of his mouth most of the time, he was too stupid to catch them but Sakura never failed to notice it.

"Can you - can you pay attention to me."

He looked up at her and smiled, "Yeah?"

She blushed, "What's wrong?"

Naruto shook his head and smiled the same smile he'd give when he lied. It was a smile Sakura always knew about, although she never said anything because Naruto wouldn't believe she'd catch it.

"There's nothing."

"I may not know when you lie babe," she emphasized the word, "But the feeling is there and the feeling doesn't lie," she got closer to him, her hand falling on top of his.

"Sakura - please -"

"Do you regret it?", she blurted.

"W-What?"

"Do you regret it?"

"Regret what? The - the trip -"

"Don't bullshit me Naruto. The sex. Do you regret it?", her voice stern and eyes watery.

He leaned towards her. Reluctance in his words but his eyes told the truth. She could tell through those blue eyes that all he could think about was that night. She did not need a verbal response from him. But he gave her one.

"Sakura. How the fuck dare you?"

"What?"

"You play with my fucking feelings all my life. Leading me on left and right. Chasing someone entirely different than me. Rejecting me like there's no tomorrow. That's you. That's what you've been doing all your goddamn life to me."

"Naruto, I-", she stopped talking as she saw Naruto's angry eyes.

"But Jesus Christ. Look at you," he gestured at her, "Could you blame me?", he smiled with tears in his eyes, "The green in your eyes never fails to catch me man. Your short hair so fucking soft that I feel so privileged having able to have your comfort to touch it."

There was a momentary silence before he begun once again.

"I've chased you all my life Sakura Haruno. Saved your life countless times, lost myself over you. I've killed for you. Hell - I even die for you so many times without thinking."

More silence.

"And now that I had the chance of having you - making you mine, love you the way I always wanted to... You think I'm just going to regret it?"

"Naruto I-"

"Oh, yeah Sakura! I fucking regret it alright," his tone sarcastic that it made Sakura smile. "I want you," he sniffled.

She held his face, and placed her head on his chest. He held her, sitting against that wall. His affection seeping through his fingers as they ran through her hair. The words he gave her inside his heart reached out to her in silence. The little quiet they shared as their peace would soon come to a halt did not go without enjoyment.

He knew that this wouldn't end well.

So did she.

When you have the right person for each other, and the world is constantly trying to pin them together; but one of them keeps running away from that fate... Well, that will never be. The love that's supposed to be won't be, and that is the most painful feeling ever. Knowing what could've been, what should've been, but will never be.

They both knew this at heart. And it wrecked them to the core.

So as Naruto sung her to sleep with the songs he loved, he couldn't help but hold onto one lyric.

"I want you," he sung.

"But I want you to want me too."