Work Text
I like you girl, but you don't seem excited
Since she walked in where has your mind been?
You talking to me but thinking of her
Your secret is safe, I won't say a word
Sakura Haruno has a secret. A secret she carried all throughout high school burying it deep under coy smiles, side glances, and a lot of denial. It was easy to hide it back then. Sure, the desire was still there. But desire is easy to ignore when its intertwined with feelings of fear or guilt. Fear of her parents finding out, and guilt over leading guys on when she knows she’s not romantically interested in them, was enough for her to push her feelings away. But now, away from her parents and their expectations, a different feeling has emerged.Curiosity.As she watched a group of girls walk past the bench she was sitting on, she couldn’t push down the feelings of curiosity that arose inside her. She was curious, she couldn’t deny it. She wanted to touch, to hold, to share those same smiles and glances that she forced towards all those boys in high school.She just wanted.Truthfully, she always did. It was just easier to hide back home. She grew up in a small town where everyone married their high school sweetheart and settled down with a full house. Her parents had made it very clear that they expected the same from her. So, she flirted with the boys and gossiped with the girls. She went on dates and brought back respectable boys for her parents to meet. And if her eyes lingered on soft hair and glossed lips, well those feelings of guilt and fear quickly pushed them away. That was how Sakura lived for 18 years.But things were different when she started college. Mainly because of how different the people here were from those in her hometown. There were students from all over who gathered and expressed themselves freely all across campus. The worries here were mainly about student loans and upcoming exams. So far, no one has batted an eye at the multiple same-sex couples hanging around campus. In fact, the Allies Club had flyers in the dorm halls.It was freeing to know that she would be accepted without having to come out fully. To know that here, she was allowed to question things. For the first time in her life, she felt safe enough to allow her attraction to girls roam free. And by doing so, Sakura learned a lot of things about herself. Such as the fact that long blonde hair combined with gray-blue eyes and a striking personality is enough to turn the usually fierce Sakura Haruno into a blushing mess.Speaking of blonde hair. Another brash and loud-mouthed blonde she met dropped down on the bench beside her. Even though she was happy to see him, she still sent him a small glare for the arm he threw hazardly around her shoulders.“You know, if you keep staring at them people might start to think that you’re jealous.”“I wasn’t staring.” She automatically denied. She internally winced at her defensive tone before she shifted her body away from the group of girls she was watching and towards Naruto. As expected, her didn’t react to her harsh tone. He was still smiling brightly at her and gently squeezed her shoulders.“That’s good. It would be a shame to see pretty girls fighting each other.”Sakura rolled her eyes to disguise the sense of unease that came towards her. She knew from the moment she met him that Naruto was a flirt, and he made it pretty obvious that he was into her. But to her surprise, he suddenly backed off after 2 weeks of persistent flirting. They ended up becoming very good friends even though she never found out why he stopped. Either way, she was grateful for how things worked out between them.Naruto stared at her before pulling back his arm and placing it behind his head.“Sorry,” he mumbled before pulling out his phone “hey, what are doing Saturday?”Sakura’s nerves began to double. And when Sakura got nervous, she either got shy or angry. This time, anger won. “Naruto-”“Hey wait! Just hear me out!”Sakura leaned back against the bench. “You have five minutes. My next class is about to start.”He handed her his phone. “Look, my club’s hosting a party at the pizza place down the street. We have the whole restaurant rented out for the night. I even talked the owner into allowing us to use part of the restaurant as a dance floor! You should come.”Sakura scrolled through the phone before pausing. She sucked in a small breath in surprised. “This is for the Allies Club,” she kept her gaze on Naruto’s phone and her voice steady. “you’re in Allies?”“Yeah.” Naruto shrugged easily. “Does that bother you?”“No-No! That doesn’t bother me! I was just…surprised.”“Really?” He titled his head in genuine confusion. He contemplated her for a few moments before shrugging. “Oh. Well will you come?”Sakura stared at her phone. Her gut reaction was to say no. To hide behind the fear she felt swell at the mere mention of it. But the curiosity was back, and she allowed it to consume her once more. Besides, Sakura made a promise to herself when she started college. And that promise was too no longer let fear control her life. “Yeah,” she whispered softly. “yes, I’ll go.”Naruto smiled at her. “Great! You can come with me if you want, although I’ll need to be there pretty earlier to set up. You could come with Ino since she’s walking a lot of the girls over. Something about safety in numbers.”For the second time today, Sakura felt her breath leave her throat. She turned her shocked gaze to Naruto, who was staring innocently down at his phone.“If you want me to pick you up, just let me know. If not, I’ll tell Ino to stop by your dorm room. Either way I’ll see you Saturday Sakura!” He yelled before rushing down the street.When Sakura got nervous, she either turned shy or angry. At that moment, she was torn between running to hide in her room and running after Naruto.~Sakura was a very smart girl, so of course she knows why she responds to Ino the way she does. She met the blonde girl during the first week of classes, coincidentally, through Naruto.Sakura was sitting in the middle of the long row between two complete polar opposites. To her right sat Naruto, a hyper-active friendly guy she met during orientation week. He went overboard with his flirting sometimes, but he seemed like an overall nice person. She was even getting used to his loud voice and wild hand gestures. To her left sat the current subject of the blonde’s attention. Since this was only her second time in this class, Sakura did not know the rude but admittedly attractive boy’s name yet. She also doesn’t know how Naruto knows him, but given the way the blonde keeps shouting at the guy, she figured they shared some type of history. At first, she found they’re arguing amusing. Naruto would yell something at the guy and the guy would respond with snide remark causing Naruto to yell something back at a higher volume. It was a fun way to past the time until class started. But her amusement disappeared after Naruto started to grow closer to her in order to yell at the black-haired boy. His closeness bothered her. She hasn’t been this close to a boy since her prom date unsuccessfully tried to cope a feel during their prom king and queen dance. She ended up ended up knocking him down with one punch which led to a public argument where he accused Sakura of leading him on. While she was sure Naruto probably wasn’t like that, she still was nervous about being so close to a guy that was interested in her. A guy who didn’t know she would never return that attraction.Growing angry, Sakura roughly pushed Naruto back into his seat and pinned him with a glare.“Sakura! What was that for?!?!”Sakura stood to tower over the blonde. “I told you to stop yelling in my ear 5 times already! Leave the guy alone, it’s pretty obvious he’s not interested in whatever you’re trying to talk to him about.”“But Sakura-”“No buts Naruto. All that shouting is annoying, and I don’t want to have to deal with it. If you still need to talk to him wait until after class is done. Until then, keep quiet and stay in your seat.”Naruto pouted while the black-haired boy chuckled. Sakura turned her glare to the left.“Something funny?” She asked sarcastically. He snorted before turning to stare in the other direction. Sakura huffed and collapsed back into her seat. It seems like college boys were no different than high school boys. It was no wonder she didn’t like them.While Sakura was getting lost in her stormy thoughts, the sound of slow clapping and laughter brought her back. She turned around in her seat and locked eyes with a goddess.The girl was gorgeous, there was no other way to say it. She was tall with long blonde hair and sea-green eyes. She wore a purple tank top with black shorts and heels that made her seem like a giant. She was confident, Sakura could tell by the way she was smirking at them while leaning casually against the table behind them. Her demeanor plus her good looks made Sakura speechless. Any doubt Sakura had about her attraction to girls vanished the moment she met Ino Yamanaka.“I was coming over here to put you in your place Naru, but it looks like Cherry here has it covered.” She pushed off the desk and stopped in front of Sakura. They stared at each other before the girl’s eyes slowly roamed over Sakura head to toe. Sakura will never admit to the small squeak of surprise she uttered, but judging by the snort from her left, and the way the girl’s smirk grew, she guessed that they heard it. She sat into the empty seat next to Naruto and turned towards Sakura.“Ino Yamanaka. First year nursing student and Naruto’s best-looking friend. And you Cherry?”Naruto rolled his eyes at her but Ino’s gaze stayed locked on Sakura.Butterflies battled in Sakura’s stomach as she kept eye-contact with the other girl. Sure, there were cute girls in her high school, but none of them looked like this. None of them had this girl’s confidence or looked with Sakura with this intense stare.She was hot, really hot, and Sakura really wanted to get to know her. But she never did handle being nervous right. Summoning a brave bravado, Sakura glared at the other woman. “Cherry? That’s not very creative.”Ino’s eyes lit up at the taunting note in her words. She loved a challenge. “I could go with pinkie but that seems childish. I’m too good for that.”“You would think so, wouldn’t you?” Sakura crossed her arms. “You’re pretty full of yourself, aren’t you?”Ino smirked at her. “Smart, feisty, and pretty. Where did you find this one Naru?”Sakura’s glare disappeared at her words. She knew she was blushing and mentally kicked herself for it. A girl calls her pretty and suddenly she can’t speak. Well then again, this wasn’t just any girl.At that moment, the professor finally walked in to start class. As everyone turned back into their seats Sakura snuck one last glance at Ino. To her surprise, Ino was staring right back. She wasn’t smirking anymore. Instead she was smiling softly at Sakura with an amused glint in her eyes. She was so beautiful. Sakura wanted this gorgeous girl to know her name.“Sakura.” She whispered to her. Ino’s smile widened.
“Sakura”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
She met her on the dancefloor, she knew she had to have more
Ino was in Allies. The blonde bombshell Ino Yamanaka, who Sakura started a flirty rivalry with, was in Allies. Sakura spent the next few days in a haze or nervousness and excitement. Sure, Ino being in Allies wasn’t proof that she likes girls, or that she’d have any interest in Sakura, but it filled her hope. What were the chances that the first girl she crushed on just happened to belong to a lgbt+ club? Even if Ino didn’t like girls, there was a chance she wouldn’t hate or shun Sakura for having feelings for her. And if Ino did like girls…These thoughts circled around Sakura head until Saturday night finally came. She had texted Naruto earlier in the week that she would go with him to help set up. While it was a bit cowardly, Sakura was grateful for the extra time to fight her nerves. After a lot deliberating with herself, she had made a decision.She was going to do it. She was going to ask Ino out.Even though the thought was equally thrilling and terrifying, Sakura was tired of letting her fear control her. She wanted to know what it felt like to run her fingers through Ino’s long blonde hair. She wanted to follow the curve of Ino’s neck with her tongue to see if the girl tasted as good as she smelled. She wanted hold Ino tight and press their gloss lips together for all to see.She just wanted.And now here she was, hiding in the corner of pizza shop watching as Ino bounced onto the dance floor surrounded by pretty girls. She flowed through the sea of bodies effortless smiling and grinding against everyone she recognized. She was so beautiful it hurt.“Sakura!” Naruto’s voice called as he strode towards her. As she turned to face the incoming figure, she stole one last glance at Ino. To her surprise, Ino was already staring back.“Hey,” he said handing her a drink “are you having fun yet?”Sakura kept her eyes on Naruto as she answered to avoid checking to see if Ino was still watching her. “Yeah I’m having a great time.”She reached out to grab the cup, but Naruto pulled it back. She looked up to glare at him but halted at the serious look on his face. “Really? Because it seems like you’ve just been standing here staring at everyone else have fun.”Sakura looked away as Naruto came closer and lowered his voice down to a murmur. “We’ve been here for hours and you haven’t moved or try to talk to anyone. Is something wrong?” He asked her softly.“No.”“Are you sure-”“Yes, Naruto I’m fine.”He was quiet for a few blissful seconds before whispering, “Are you sure this isn’t about Ino?”Sakura froze. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as she gazed into Naruto’s knowing eyes. He grabbed her wrist and steered them into the back room. The music and laughter of the party became background noise as he pulled into kitchen and let go of her wrist.Neither of them moved as Sakura’s panic slowly stilled. She was so scared at the thought of someone discovering her feelings for Ino that she forgot just who she was talking to. Naruto was the least judgmental person she knew, and all things considered, he was probably the best person to go to with this. She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost missed him speaking.“You’re not out yet, are you?”She didn’t answer. He gave her a reassuring smile. “I understand. It was hard for me too at first!”Sakura looked at him confused. “We’re not the same,” she blurted out “you like me.”“And you like Ino.” He said simply. Sakura choked slightly at how easy it was for him to say it. He kept smiling at her. “Sakura it’s okay. I get it. I got lucky, you know. My dad’s bi too, but I was still scared shitless to tell him. I kept putting it off until I couldn’t hide it anymore.”She wrapped her arms around herself and stared down at the ground. “What did he say?”“Every cheesy thing you can think of. He wasn’t surprised at all, so I think he already knew.”“Did you tell him?” She asked quietly.“Tell who?” He asked her confused.“The one who made you realize it.” His face filled with understanding as he looked away from her for the first time.“No, but I wish I did.”Sakura shook her head. “I can’t tell her Naruto. I want to, but I can’t.”“Why not?”“She hates me!” Sakura yelled, taking her frustration out on the wrong blonde. “She starts arguments with me all the time, just for the fun of it. I think she enjoys trying to make me mad! We argue all the time, and I don’t mean to, but then she gets so close to me. I get nervous, so I start to yell and insult her, and she does it right back and-” Sakura took a deep breath and lowered her gaze once more. “And I really like her Naruto. But I can’t talk to her. Every time I try, we end up arguing. She makes me nervous, and I don’t handle being nervous well.”Sakura tried to talk to Ino multiple times with each attempt ending in a failure. Most of the time, they would start bickering about dumb things before someone, usually Naruto, had to pull them apart. Other times, Sakura would get so nervous that she would completely ignore Ino and pretend like she wasn’t there. Ino probably thought Sakura hated her, and Sakura didn’t have the courage to tell her the truth.Naruto knew all of this, but shrugged it off. “Then don’t talk. They are other ways to show someone you like them.”He gently squeezed her shoulder before going back into the party room. His advice vibrated through Sakura shocking her to her core.She couldn’t talk to Ino, that much was clear, but maybe she didn’t need to talk. Maybe she could show her.It was with that thought, Sakura marched back onto the dance floor.~Sakura is a good dancer, she knows how to shake and wind her body to ensure all attention was on her. In this moment, she used her body as weapon to guarantee her mission turned out successful. She was going to show Ino how she felt without saying a word.Her tossed her back and circled her hips locking eyes with Ino’s sea blue ones. She gave the other a deadly smile with a wink before grinding on the air. She watched amused as Ino’s eyes widened. She smirked as Ino swallowed.Sakura lost track of how long they were like that, Sakura dancing sensually around the room and Ino watching her. She had multiple people come up to dance with her, but she always shook them off. Sakura was only here for one girl, and she was prepared to dance for her all night. She thinks Ino has caught on as well. The way her blue eyes roamed over Sakura without hesitation, and the twitch of her lips every time Sakura twirled, told her as much. But she still didn’t move off of the wall until certain song started playing. Sakura didn’t recognize it, but she figured it must have been popular given the way everyone rushed onto the dance floor. She lost track of Ino until a soft but firm hand grasped her waist.“Hey.” A voice whispered into her ear. It was soft and gentle, so unlike the other times they talked. Sakura loved it.“Hi,” she whispered back turning to face Ino. She placed her own hand onto of Ino’s and gently swayed back and forth. She took a step closer until she was inches away from the other girl’s face, “about time you made a move.”Ino’s lips twitched into a blindly smile. Her smile and the amused twinkle in her eyes chased away all of Sakura’s nerves and fears until want was the only feeling that remained. She wanted this girl so bad, and for the first time, she realized Ino wanted her back.“Can I kiss you?” Sakura blurted out. Embarrassment be damned, she wanted to know what those shiny lips tasted like.Ino chuckled and pulled her closer. “You could at least buy me dinner first.” She teased. “It’s the least you could do for acting like you hated me before tonight.”Sakura blushed hotly before Ino leaned in closer.“Well Cherry? I’m waiting. I thought you were going to kiss me? Unless you’re too scared-”It turns out, kissing Ino was the best way to shut her up. Also, her cherry flavored lipstick collided perfectly with Sakura’s watermelon one. Kissing her was otherworldly, and Sakura felt sparks ignite her entire body. Ino’s hands on her waist and Sakura’s hands in Ino’s soft hair was the only thing keeping her grounded. They kissed slowly mapping each other’s lips. They kissed passionately pressing their bodies as close as they could. They would separate for breath before reconnecting again. They pulled away again and Ino’s chuckle stopped her from reconnecting their lips. Even panting with tussled hair and bruised lips, she was still everything Sakura could ever want.“Don’t forget about the dinner you owe me, Sakura.”Sakura smiled wide and threw her arms around her future girlfriend. “I won’t forget, but don’t expect me to pay every time you freeloader. I’ll pay this time, but you’ll owe me”Ino’s eyes twinkled. “Then it’s a date.”