Radio Tokyo

A/N: Hello again all! I hope you’re all in the mood for a long chapter. I figure, it’s been a while since I posted, so…a little gift. Anyhow, thanks to everyone for your reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Sasuke is still annoying me because I’m forcing him to like Sakura. Can you hear my eyes rolling? And, he’s annoyed because last chapter I called him an emo pussy. But you know what I say to that? I say, “Bite me, emo-boy.” Hehe. Now, on with the show!

--

Chapter 3: Crying Shame and Obsession

Naruto heard a knock at his door. He walked out of the kitchen and to the front of his apartment, and found Sakura standing at his door, her eyes blood-shot, face red and blotchy. It was obvious that she had been crying. “Oh, my…Sakura, are you…” Before he could really finish, the woman had thrown herself into the little entryway, flinging her arms around his neck. She immediately began sobbing. Naruto kicked the door closed, sitting them down on the edge of the apartment’s floor.

It was a little awkward getting her shoes off with her clinging to him the way she was, but after a minute, he was half-dragging, half-carrying her into the living room. Once they’d settled onto the couch, and he’d given her the box of tissues, he asked, “What’s the matter?”

Her eyes met his, and he saw a very intense pain in them. “S…Sasuke…”

Blue eyes grew large. “Sasuke did this to you?” His face darkened. What had the bastard done? He’d never made her cry before. “Sakura…I’m so sorry…this is my fault, isn’t it?” He held her close as she cried, rubbing a soothing pattern over her back. After a few more minutes, Sakura sniffled.

“I don’t know. He called me something…Naruto, do you think I’m an ice-queen?” Her eyes were pleading, begging him to say no. Smiling gently, he kissed her forehead.

“No, Sakura. You aren’t. Sasuke is just upset. You know how he says things he doesn’t really mean when he’s angry. Like when he said I only act the way I do to cover up for the fact that I have a small penis.” That made Sakura laugh. She leaned against him, her head on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. He’ll come around. And he’ll eventually apologize. But that doesn’t mean you should completely forgive him unless he proves that he really is sorry.”

Sakura buried her face in his chest. Her voice was muffled as she said, “Thank you, Naruto…”

Smiling as well as he could under the circumstances, Naruto said, “Hey, don’t think anything of it. You’d do the same for me. Would you like some tea?” She said she would, and he went to the kitchen. As he prepared the kettle, he wondered. Sakura was really shaken by this. Had anyone else called her a not-so-nice name, he was sure she would have made a rude gesture at them before telling them to fuck off and then walk away. But this was different. This was Sasuke. Sasuke fought with her because he couldn’t come to terms with the way he felt for her. There was always the chance—however small—that Sakura returned those feelings.

Resolving to speak with his best friend as soon as possible, he made the tea. Though, he had decided that Sakura’s tea would consist primarily of chamomile and lavender, which were both sedatives. She needed to calm down. And if possible, she should sleep.

Twenty minutes after Sakura had her tea, she was dozing heavily on the couch, and Naruto pulled a blanket over her. His next order of business was to call Sasuke. Getting the feeling that he might have the urge to yell at him, Naruto went into his bedroom. Sasuke’s phone rang five times before he picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hey. I got a question for you, Sasuke.”

“Yeah?” Sasuke sounded a little off.

“What did you do to Sakura?” There was silence on the other end of the phone. “I was just wondering, because I had to calm her down. She was crying her eyes out. What the hell did you say to her?” Naruto sat on the edge of his bed, gripping the burnt orange covers.

After another long silence, Sasuke said, “It doesn’t matter now. She won’t speak to me.”

It took everything he had not to roll his eyes. “How old are you?”

“Bastard. You know how old I am. What the hell does my age have to do with anything?”

“Because you’re acting like goddamned a six-year-old brat!” Naruto hissed into the receiver. “It’s obvious to everyone but the two of you what’s going on. I’m assuming you’ve talked to Shikamaru?” There was a grunt. “And what did he say?”

Sasuke’s voice was starting to get annoyed. He hated being wrong, and he hated it even more when Naruto was right. “That I should swallow my pride, beg forgiveness, and confess my undying love for her.”

Naruto laughed. It hurt to laugh, but he did it. “That sounds like a plan. You might want to do it sooner, rather than later, though. I can see this festering into something really ugly.” Not waiting for Sasuke to reply, he hung up the phone. It was more than he could deal with at times. For half a second, he contemplated locking the two of them into a closet so that they could work out their differences. That might result in more bodily injury than was necessary, but it would have the end result that he wanted.

--

Hatake Kakashi leaned back in his recliner. “Ma, ma. I know this is getting serious.” The ratings were in for the previous night’s show. They were high. But several listeners had sent emails to the station, wondering if either Sasuke or Naruto had been hurt. It appeared that everyone thought they had gotten into a fistfight. That wasn’t a worry. What he was concerned about was that Sakura and Sasuke’s obvious problems had suddenly taken a turn for the worse.

He’d recorded the show, and listened to the fight four times. He could hear how anxious Sasuke was, and how wary Sakura was being. The tension levels were rising, and Naruto was exacerbating the situation with his suggestions for Sasuke’s love life.

That was why, at ten in the morning, Uzumaki Naruto was standing in the middle of his living room. “Kakashi, what are we supposed to do? They are so stubborn!”

“I don’t know.”

--

Sakura’s head seemed to hurt constantly these days. Today, though, it was worse. She had to go on their stupid on-location show, and it was the very last thing she felt like doing. There was simply too much chance that she would end up fighting with Sasuke. In the last few days, Sakura had managed to dodge him, and she’d never been so glad to have that nice, thick plate-glass between herself and Sasuke before.

He didn’t even look at her. Not once. It hurt, and she wasn’t really even sure why. Sasuke had never really looked at her anyway. Why should he start now? And for the love of God, why was she even thinking this? He was, as Naruto put it, the Bastard of the Universe. She didn’t need or want his good opinion.

“No, not at all.” Staring at her reflection in the mirror over the bathroom sink, Sakura decided that she looked like a liar. That was probably because she was lying. Somehow, she did care about what he thought of her, and it was driving her nuts. He was arrogant, pig-headed, and the most self-centered man she’d ever known. But there it was…she cared. Sakura wanted to punch something. The walls were out of the question. Her father would be furious. Her little sister would cry if she used her as a punching bag. The only alternative was to get her things together and take her frustration out in the best way she knew how.

Half an hour later, Sakura was standing in front of a line painted on the concrete floor of a bar three blocks from her parent’s apartment. The dartboard bore a likeness of Uchiha Sasuke, and she repeatedly hurled darts at it. One in the eye, another in the forehead. One in his cheek. “Nice grouping,” she heard from behind her. Turning, Sakura found herself looking at a man with scruffy blonde hair and a roguish grin. He wasn’t unattractive, but she was clearly not in the mood to be hit upon.

“Thanks, I guess.” Sakura went to the target and pulled the darts out. Stepping back behind the line, she threw the first dart. It hit the picture, sticking into the board behind it right where Sasuke’s chin was. The man was still there. She could feel him. Turning, she hefted her next dart. “Can I help you?”

Shaking his head, he said, “I’m just…admiring your technique.” Nodding at the board, and subsequently, the picture of Sasuke, he asked, “Ex-boyfriend?”

“No.” She turned and flung the dart in her hand, watching it find the end of Sasuke’s nose.

“Ex-husband?” When she turned to the man again, he was smirking at her irritation. What the hell was this guy’s problem?

“No. Now if you don’t mind…”

Holding his hands up in front of him, the man smiled crookedly again, and said, “Hey, no problem. But if you change your mind and want to talk or…anything else, I’ll be at the bar. Name’s Juugo.”

“Sakura,” she grunted, and turned back to her darts, listening to Juugo walk back to the bar. “Thanks, but no thanks.” One infuriating man was enough in her life. Sakura concentrated all of her anger on the picture of Sasuke, and her final dart hit him right between the eyes. Going back to the board, Sakura pulled the darts out and un-pinned the picture from the target. When she got back to her table, she replaced the darts in the little case she carried them in, slipped it into her purse, and walked out, tossing money onto the bar. “See you later, Hayate.” The bartender coughed and then gave a little wave.

--

Sasuke leaned against the table. “She’s late.”

Naruto nodded, sipping his drink.

Sasuke glared. “She’s never late, Naruto.”

“Stop worrying.” The blonde looked around at the packed house. “She’ll be here. Sakura’s probably just fighting the crowd.” That didn’t really give him much comfort. Flagging down one of the waitresses, Sasuke ordered two shots of whiskey. Naruto coughed. “You sure you wanna do that? We do have to speak, you know.”

“Bite me.” The waitress returned with his alcohol, and he threw back the burning sweet stuff, hoping that it would relax him. He watched the crowd as they jostled each other to get tables and booths. For once, he was glad that Kakashi had a little bit of influence. He actually got them a table in an area of the bar that was not quite as crowded as the rest. There was a commotion coming from near the door, and it was moving toward their table. As he watched, two large bouncers came up to the table, escorting…Sakura? “Holy Mother of God…” Sasuke breathed, and he nearly dropped the glass from his second shot.

Sakura looked as if she had intentionally dressed to get the attention of every man within a six-kilometer radius. His jaw dropped. He stared. And as she approached, he couldn’t even breathe. Naruto whistled. “Hey, hot mama!” Sakura laughed. “Where have you been hiding that?” The blonde pointed at her corset, which was black leather. It was cinched over a strapless red silk dress, which clung to her hips and flowed around her legs. She was wearing those boots again.

At some point while she was talking with Naruto, Sasuke managed to stop staring. He made himself not look at her, else he would make more of an ass of himself than he already had. There was fifteen minutes until they were to go on the air. The bar became progressively louder, and Sasuke didn’t even try to pay attention to what was going on around him. He put his headphones on and began testing the equipment.

--

Sakura glanced surreptitiously at Sasuke, who had on a pair of headphones to test the mobile equipment. Pulling Naruto aside, she said, “I don’t think this is such a good idea.”

Her co-worker smirked. “You didn’t see his face when those two big bouncers had to keep men from groping you. He’s smitten.” Why did she let him talk her into this? She wasn’t even sure about the reason. Three hours ago, Sakura had a talk with Naruto.

Finally, Naruto picked up the phone. “Oi. Uzumaki Naruto speaking!”

“Naruto…I have a gigantic problem.” Sakura looked around, hoping no one else came into her room.

“What’s that, honey?” Naruto sounded like he was eating.

Sakura held her breath. Was she even really sure? Well…not really, but she needed to talk to someone. “I feel like a moron.” After a grunt from Naruto, she continued. “I think I’m attracted to Sasuke.”

A sigh on the other end of the phone told of exasperation. “And when did you come to this little revelation?”

“While I was tossing darts at a picture of him at the bar.” Naruto laughed. “Fuck, Naruto! I don’t know what to do! He just makes me so nuts all of the time…I don’t know if I want to knock his block off or—“

“Or jump his bones?” Naruto giggled, obviously amused by her plight.

“This is not funny!”

“Oh, I beg to differ, Sakura. Why don’t you just admit it? You’ve been crazy about him since day one.”

That statement made her undeniably defensive. “Like hell! I…I…” But then, the image of Sasuke’s face rose in her mind, the way he looked when she had told him not to speak to her anymore. He had looked hurt. Sakura shut her eyes against the image. She wanted to scream. “God…what am I going to do?”

“The only thing you can do.”

Sakura frowned. “And what’s that?”

“Use your feminine wiles!” That had made her groan. Naruto giggled madly, then said, “Trust me, Sakura. If he has even the slightest feeling for you, I’m sure you can bring it out. Just have faith in yourself. And make sure that when he does come around, you name it after me!” Sakura started sputtering. “Ma, ma. Get over it, woman. I see the way you look at him.”

How was it, then, that other people could see what she couldn’t? Heaving a sigh, Sakura slid into her chair, opposite Sasuke. Naruto seated himself next to her, and proceeded to send inane text messages to all of his friends bragging about being at the show.

Sakura put on her headphones, and instantly, the club noise was cut in half. Sasuke wasn’t quite as good at this as she was, but he wasn’t bad. Reaching over, she fiddled with one of the knobs on the mobile panel unit they’d brought. Immediately, the background noise was down to a fourth of what it was. Sasuke looked up at her, surprise in his eyes, as well as something she couldn’t identify.

--

The bar was smoky, and crowded, but he’d been able to slip the doorman a few bills, and got in. From where he stood, he had a perfect view of the reason why he was here. “Sakura,” he said to himself, his voice swallowed up by the din of the bar. She looked good enough to eat. In a red and black concoction of silk and leather, the pink-haired beauty sent his head spinning. After a month, he’d finally gotten up the courage to approach her in the bar earlier. But there was something bothering her…then he looked at the black-haired man sitting across from her. It was the guy from the picture she’d been tossing darts into.

She didn’t look angry with him now, though. In fact, her eyes said that she was in love with the son of a bitch. Well, he’d just have to fix that.

--

Sakura got up from the table and went to the restroom. Naruto took that opportunity to put them on commercial break and talk to Sasuke. The man’s black eyes were still watching Sakura as she disappeared around the corner. “Earth to Sasuke…you there?”

“Fuck you, Naruto.”

“Oh, I’ll let Sakura do that,” he teased, earning a glare. “Come on, asshole…you have to admit she looks hot tonight.”

“Shut your mouth.” Sasuke snapped, his eyes watching the crowd for a moment. “Why don’t you stop sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong?” A pale hand reached out and took up the beer in front of him. “Fucking interfering bastard.”

Naruto laughed at that. “If I didn’t interfere, then who would help you get your head out of your ass?” He watched Sasuke’s face darken. “Hey, I’m just doing what’s best for the greater good of all mankind. You two being pissed at each other is hazardous to the general populace, so I figure I should do something about it.” Sasuke took a long swig of his drink.

“Have you spoken to her about this shit?” Sasuke asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Yes.”

“And?”

“Fuck if I’m going to tell you. Be a man, you bastard. Talk to her. Or, if you prefer a more direct approach, you can just repeat what happened at Hobgoblin.” Sasuke’s face instantly broke out in a major blush. His eyes began a serious study of the tabletop, and he started drinking his beer faster than before. Naruto hoped that his little suggestions would not fall upon deaf ears, but he had little hope of that. Sasuke was about as dense as a nice big chunk of granite when it came to his own feelings.

The commercial break ended, and Sasuke spoke into his mic. “Well, we’re here at Bauhaus, and the 5, 6, 7, 8’s are on a set break. We can’t take any calls tonight, but I’m sure we can find something to talk about.”

Naruto smirked. “I know. We haven’t been able to play drinking games on air. That should be fun!” He just knew this would either get him killed or maimed, but he figured it was for a good cause. “How about we play—“

“Naruto.” Sasuke’s voice sounded far too serious. “Isn’t Sakura taking a bit long in the bathroom?”

“She’s a woman. The ladies room is always crowded. You know they like to go in groups.” Naruto was ready to dismiss it, but Sasuke looked worried. “What?”

“I think I’m going to go and check on her.”

Naruto frowned. “Okay, but try not to take too long. I am not a one-man show.” As Sasuke ran off toward the women’s restroom, Naruto smiled. “Will wonders never cease? Ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you a little secret…”

--

Sakura’s breath hissed out as she tried hard not to move. There was a knife at her throat. Her face was pressed against the wall in the handicapped access bathroom stall, and her hands were held roughly behind her back. Harsh breath felt hot on the back of her neck. “Such a beautiful woman…” The man said, and suddenly, Sakura recognized his voice.

“Juugo…”

A pleased sound came from the man’s throat as he pressed himself harder against her. “Oh…you remember me. I’m flattered.”

“Please…let me go.” Sakura felt her body start to shake. She was only partially afraid. Mostly, she was angry. But since her hands were trapped, there wasn’t much she could do. If only she could get him to drop the knife…

“So.” Juugo said, his voice filled with malevolent glee, “Tell me, Sakura. Who’s the pasty twit? If he isn’t your boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, husband or ex-husband…who is he?” Something hard was digging into the back of her left thigh, and she was sure that it wasn’t a set of keys. This is really bad… The knife pressed harder, and she could feel it almost biting into her skin.

“H-He’s…I work with him.”

“That’s all?”

“Y-yes, now please…let me go…”

“You’re not fucking him?” His grip tightened on her wrists until the bones were grinding against one another. Sakura cried out in pain.

“No!”

“You better not be lying to me, Sakura.” His body weighed down on her, and Juugo’s harsh breath crawled over her skin. Now she was becoming scared. If things kept up the way they were going she would…

“I’m…not…lying,” she sobbed, her body shuddering as tears flowed down her face. “Juugo…let me go… please…I swear…I’m not…please…”

The breathing on her neck became calmer, and his grip loosened. “That’s my good girl.” His lips closed on her neck, kissing her skin and Sakura thought she might vomit. She could feel his breaths puffing against her skin as his teeth grazed over a sensitive spot on her neck. A small involuntary gasp came from her throat, and Juugo gave a delighted groan at the sound.

“Sakura!?” A voice called, and her breath caught in her throat. Sasuke!

Juugo’s hand clamped over her mouth, just as she was going to call out. The stalls started banging open. Sasuke was looking in each of them for her. “Fucking asshole…he’ll get his, but not until I’ve had mine…” Juugo seemed to be talking to himself. Sakura swallowed hard, feeling the blade scraping at her skin. He was insane. The knife remained where it was, and he pushed her hard into the wall. “Don’t move. If you make a sound, I’ll kill you.”

Juugo’s hands roughly pushed her skirt up until it was bunched at her hips, and Sakura gasped as the knife moved, now slipping under the side of her panties. He pulled on the blade, and the thin material was sliced through. Sobbing silently, feeling the lace scratching at her skin until it fell loosely away on one side, then another, she screamed in her mind. When he had pulled the fabric away, he flung it aside, letting the black lace fall to the floor. Coherent thought returned suddenly, remembering what her mother had told her. Wait. Wait for just another moment. All she had to do was wait for him to reach for his zipper. That was when any man was vulnerable. The telltale noise of his jeans being unfastened sounded in the small space.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura drove her elbow backward, into his solar plexus. Then, she jammed her boot heel down on the man’s instep, smashing the bones in the top of his foot. Turning, she used one hand to push her skirt back down, and the other, she drove up into his nose. Sakura heard that bone break, and Juugo doubled over. The final blow was one to the groin, where she efficiently planted her knee. “Sing soprano, asshole” Sakura growled as Juugo fell to the floor of the stall, after which she immediately unlocked the door, throwing it open.

Sasuke stood gaping before the opening, “Sakura…”

Her eyes filled with tears all over again when she saw him. Sasuke stepped toward her. His eyes then fixed on something over her shoulder. Shoving her roughly behind him, Sasuke stepped toward the stall. Juugo staggered out of the door, bleeding from both nostrils, black eyes already forming from his broken nose. “You fucking whore! ” He lunged forward, around Sasuke, the knife in his hand. Sakura’s eyes widened. She didn’t even have time to scream.

But before the blade came near her, Sasuke had grasped the man’s wrist, squeezing until his grip on the weapon became ineffective. The knife fell to the floor, and Sasuke kicked it away. Twisting that hand, he shoved Juugo face-first against a wall, and snarled, “Who are you?”

“None of your business, fuckwad.”

Driving a knee into the man’s side, Sasuke growled, “Wrong answer. Who are you?”

The captive man only groaned. “His name is Juugo.” Sakura said, her right hand gripping the counter and trying not to fall over. As it was, she trembled so that she certainly would faint.

As she watched, Sasuke grabbed a handful of Juugo’s hair, using that grip to bounce the man’s face against the tile wall a few times. “Well, Juugo, I suggest that you leave. If I ever see you, smell you, or even suspect you of being anywhere near Sakura again, there will be no hole deep enough for you to hide in. I’ll fucking kill you. Got me?”

Juugo couldn’t really speak, so he just nodded. Sasuke released him, and the man staggered out of the bathroom. Sakura blinked. Sasuke stood about a meter away, his fists clenched at his sides, breathing hard. His eyes burned into hers, and she found that she couldn’t look away. “Are…are you okay?” All she could do is nod. If she would have spoken, her voice would have betrayed her. As it was, tears were starting to form in the corners of her eyes. Her knees were going weak, the adrenaline fading fast.

“Damn it…” she growled, hating her own weakness. Gripping the edge of the sink, Sakura breathed deeply. Splash some water on your face. You’ll be fine. But did she really believe that? She’d nearly been raped! “Oh…God…” There was a strange buzz filling her ears, and she vaguely made out a voice, telling her to calm down. It was only then that she realized that she was hyperventilating, hunched over the sink. Hands gripped her shoulders turning her about, and she found herself staring at Sasuke. He looked rather worried.

Gripping her around the waist, Sasuke hoisted her onto the countertop. “Sakura! Sakura, are you all right?”

“I…don’t…know…” she panted, trying to regain her calm. Suddenly, she just wanted something to hold. Her hands gripped the front of Sasuke’s shirt, holding to it as if her life depended on that dark gray cotton. Her eyes began working in and out of focus, and she was starting to get dizzy.

Sasuke gave a short cry when she started to swoon, then pried her hands from his shirt long enough to wet his handkerchief. She hadn’t completely passed out, but she was getting close. Little black spots were swimming before her eyes. The cold water on her forehead shocked her back to her senses. Sasuke was frowning. “Damn it, Sakura. Don’t scare me like that. What the hell just happened? Who the fuck is that Juugo asshole?” The look in his dark eyes was close to murderous, and Sakura shied away from him.

“Fuck…not like I was trying to pass out just to piss you off…” Sakura groused, taking the handkerchief from him and dabbing at her face a bit more. “Honestly, I don’t know who he is. I met him today at the bar down the street from the apartment. All I know is his name is Juugo. That’s all he told me.” Handing the white cloth back, Sakura watched Sasuke’s face. There were several emotions playing over his delicate features. The most prevalent of these was anger, with fear being a close second, along with a bit of annoyance, and something that looked a bit like possessiveness.

“Sakura,” Sasuke began, “are…are you sure you’re all right?”

“Yeah.”

He sagged against the counter, obviously relieved. Without taking his eyes off of her, he said in a demanding tone, “What happened in that stall?”

God, she didn’t want to re-live that. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Strong hands gripped her by the shoulders, and Sakura was now faced with the full fury of Sasuke’s eyes. “Damn it, Sakura! He had a fucking knife. I know he tried to hurt you. Now just tell me what the fuck happened!”

Something inside Sakura just snapped. After she had been through, the last thing she needed was someone screaming at her. Her hand flew, landing on his left cheek with a resounding crack that echoed through the bathroom over the beginnings of the band’s second set. She glared at him as he recovered from her slap. “How…how dare you! What is your problem? You have no right to yell at me, Sasuke. If I don’t want to talk about it, then I don’t fucking want to talk about it!”

During her tirade, his eyes became fixed on her neck. As if he had not heard a word of what she’d just said, he reached out, one finger tracing a line on her throat…exactly where Juugo had pressed the knife to her skin. His hands were shaking. She could feel it. “He…he did that to you…” Sasuke edged closer to her, all anger melted from his face and voice, now replaced with what Sakura could only think of as fear. “…God…” He then moved so fast, she didn’t even see it, grasping her face in his hands. “He didn’t…” dark eyes screwed shut, wetness glistening in black eyelashes, “He didn’t…touch you…did he, Sakura?”

Shit…She tried very hard not to let her surprise show. How was she to tell him? “No,” she heard herself say, “I got away before he could.” It was surprising how dull her voice sounded when she talked about nearly getting raped. Sasuke’s hands were still shaking, but were taking on a more visible tremor.

“I…” he said before his voice cracked, and Sakura saw something wet running down his right cheek. Oh, Jesus…he’s crying… “Sakura…Thank God you’re all right…” She felt her eyes grow wide, and her head started feeling light again. The world was turned upside down. There was no other explanation for Sasuke’s behavior. Jerkily, Sasuke leaned forward. Sakura’s eyes now grew impossibly wide as Sasuke’s lips pressed against hers. His hands moved from her face to the back of her head, pulling her closer. Too shocked to respond, all Sakura could do was notice that his eyes were closed, and tears still ran down his face.

Finally, she pushed him away enough that she could speak. “W-what are you—“

Sasuke’s eyes opened, silencing her. There really wasn’t a word she could think of to describe the way he looked at her. “Sakura, please…” he whispered hoarsely, “…I need to know you’re all right.” Their lips met again, her body now catching up to what was happening, even if her mind could not. Sakura’s mouth opened slightly as Sasuke pressed more firmly against her, toying with her bottom lip. When his tongue slipped past her lips, she felt herself melting against him. His arms wound around her, and Sasuke held her close. The fear she’d felt when she was trapped in the stall with Juugo vanished, and finally, she knew she was safe. After a very long moment, he pulled away.

A bit breathless, Sakura said, “What was that?”

Sasuke swallowed hard. He seemed to be considering his words carefully. Finally, he sighed and said, “Six years.”

“What?”

“That is something I’ve wanted for six years, Sakura…when I saw what he did to you, I just…” He looked away. Sakura’s heart suddenly started hammering out of control in her chest. Thinking fast about what this could mean, she then closed her eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder.

Smiling so widely that she was sure her face would hurt later, Sakura mumbled into his shirt, “Baka-oujisama…what took you so long?” He just made an annoyed grunt before wrapping his arms around her protectively again. Laughing unsteadily, she snuggled into his chest. He always smelled of laundry, leather and cigarettes. The cigarettes, she could have done without, but he wasn’t quite a chain-smoker the way he used to be. It was more of a comforting smell, letting her know that it was him.

After about five minutes, he seemed to decide that they needed to get out of the bathroom. “If you like, I can take you home.” Sasuke said as they neared the door. Then, he suddenly turned back. Pulling paper towels from the dispenser, he wrapped Juugo’s knife in them. “I’m going to give this to the police, Sakura.”

She nodded. As far as she was concerned, Juugo probably would never come near her again, but there was no guarantee to that. So, if he got put away, all the better. Sakura didn’t ever want to see him again.

--

The table was much more lively now. Naruto almost found it creepy. Sasuke and Sakura obviously had some kind of moment, but there was no telling what it was. He was waiting for them to start playing footsie under the table. That thought nearly made him sick.

“So that’s it for the show at the Bauhaus. We’ll be heading back to the station now, for the last couple hours of the broadcast. Please enjoy your musical interlude.” Sasuke yanked off his headset. “Let’s get the hell out of here, guys.” The three of them hurriedly packed everything and did exactly as Sasuke suggested. On the way back to the station, Naruto sat in the back, listening to the silence in Sasuke’s car. Sakura was curled up in the passenger seat, her body turned toward Sasuke, who kept looking over at her.

Upon re-entering the studio, Sakura ejected Sai from her chair. “Thanks for your help, Sai. I can take it from here.”

“Damn,” he said as he openly ogled Sakura, “When did you start dressing like that at work?”

Sasuke slapped the back of Sai’s head on his way into the studio. “Shouldn’t you be going, Sai?”

Rubbing the sore spot on his cranium, Sai sniggered. “Good morning to you, Sasuke. Hiya, Dickless.”

“Fuck you, Sai.” Naruto grumped, giving him the finger.

Laughing heartily, Sai left, with these parting words: “Only if you buy me dinner first.” Naruto growled under his breath. That bastard always had to mess with him. For the love of God, he just had to poke fun at him, and as much as he hated to admit it, the asshole’s remarks actually got to him. Not that he was gay. He just hated people saying that he might be. And hell, even if he were, he wouldn’t be attracted to a guy like that. Shaking such thoughts out of his head, Naruto went over to the little refrigerator and got a drink.

Sasuke was already settled into his chair, typing away at his computer. Naruto noticed for a split second before returning to his own workstation that the man was sending instant messages to someone. Smirking, he sat down and opened his Starbucks® frappuchino in a bottle and watched Sakura through the glass. She stared intently at her computer screen. The next thing he knew, Sasuke had put them back on the air. It took no time at all for them to get back into the groove of their normal show, but Naruto could feel something different in the air.

--

A/N: Ack! Do you have ANY IDEA how long it took to get that damned bathroom scene done? I went through three different versions! In one, Sakura actually got raped. Then, I figure that’s more drama than I want to deal with. So the next one…there’s no kiss. Meh. That one left a bad taste in my mouth, and would drag this thing out much longer than need be. So. The final was with a kiss and a huge amount of awkward yelling. Hehe. So, review, or I’ll have my little ninjas attack you with sporks. They’re small, but they move real fast!