[fluff, funny]

"Sa-Sasuke?!"

He burst through the window of her apartment and slid a ring on her left ring finger.

"Sakura." His voice grew soft as he said her name, "I love you so much, please run off with me. We'll live together forever and restore the Uchiha clan outside the village."

"Oh, Sasuke, yes!" Sakura wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, "I'll marry you, and we'll run away together, away from my parents, the village, even that blonde-haired boy whose name I can't remember!"

"Yes." Sasuke kissed her and smiled, "I'll protect and love you forever."

Yes, it'll happen just like this... And then after... 

...

Naruto blinked blindly at the story, "so... It didn't happen that way?"

Sasuke stood before Naruto in front of the Hokage's office, extremely uncomfortable, "no."

"Hang on..." Naruto's brow twitched, "how come, in your imagination, Sakura couldn't remember my name?"

"You think I want her bringing up your name in a fantasy about the two of us?"

"Okay, okay..." Naruto cut Sasuke off and stood up, "wait, so what really happened?"

...

"Sakura, I love you, and I don't think I could live another day without you being my wife, so... Will you marry me?"

"Sasuke!" She smiled brightly and nodded, "yes, yes!"

Sasuke slid the ring onto her finger, "We can run away from the village and restore the Uchiha clan."

"Ah..." Sakura paused, then blushed, "did you... Ask my parents?"

...

"Oh... She used the 'p' word..." Naruto chuckled sheepishly.

Sasuke only set his jaw, "shut up, idiot! What do I do?!"

"Well, there's only one thing to do." Naruto cleared his throat.

"N-no, I don't think..."

"Come on, man up." Naruto crossed his arms, "wait a second, after you proposed, you two didn't... Go that far, did you?"

"She wanted to wait until after we're married." Sasuke turned away, "but that's not happening until I actually get her father's blessing... Why is she so traditional?"

"Well..." Naruto shrugged, "I don't know how I'll be able to help you there."

"No, I know." Sasuke grabbed the collar of Naruto's cloak and pulled him away,"you're coming with me."

"What?! Sasuke, I've got work to do! I was actually just about to go to another lecture to become Hokage! I'm nearly finished!"

"Just leave a clone."

"Are you insane?"

"Yes. You don't think Sakura's dad could say 'no' to the savior of the world and future Hokage, could he?"

"Well, no, but... She's marrying you, not me!"

"Well, you'll be there to back me up."

"No, Sasuke!!"

"Naruto, shut up. You're coming with me whether you like it or not."

Naruto stomped his foot and turned around, "make me!"

_______________________

Eventually, both Sasuke and Naruto stood outside Sakura's parents' house.

"Just do it, man." Naruto watched as Sasuke's trembling hand reached forward and pressed the doorbell.

"It'll be fine." Sasuke inhaled deeply, "he'll only see us as two mature, young gentlemen... I don't think this will go as bad as I think it will... Maybe..." They waited for a few more seconds before Sasuke turned around, "oh well. Not home. Let's go, Naruto."

"Hey!" Naruto grabbed the collar of Sasuke's cloak, "you're not going anywhere!" He held him eye to eye, "aren't you willing to do anything for Sakura?"

Sasuke blushed, "yes."

"Are you willing to die for her?"

"Yes!"

"Are you willing to take the Thousand Years of Death for her?"

"... yes?"

"Then you'll get through this for her!"

"Yeah, well, easier said than done..."

Just as Sasuke got the last word in, the front door finally opened.

"Sorry, I had to help my wife with something in the kitchen..." Kizashi Haruno froze when he saw Naruto and Sasuke arguing in each other's faces, millimeters apart, "hey, it's you, boys..."

They immediately let go of each other and bowed in respect to their teammates' father, "good afternoon, Mr. Kizashi Sir!" Naruto glanced at Sasuke and nudged him roughly.

"Nice to see you again, Sir."

Kizashi blinked a few times then burst out laughing, "how are my two favorite sons doing? Naruto? Sasuke? Ay, and where's your other pale friend? Sai? Was that his name?"

Naruto and Sasuke glanced around as people around them watched as the loud, bearded man slung his arms around the men and laughed.

"Hey, isn't that Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha?"

"Yeah, I heard they're close friends, but I didn't know Kizashi was so close with them, too... How does he know them?"

"Wow, he's so lucky! What an honor!" 

Some of the neighbors whispered to each other in curiosity.

"Come in! Come in!" Kizashi shut the door once Naruto and Sasuke stepped in and took their shoes off, "you boys hungry? We're just about finished making dinner, come sit and eat up!"

"Thanks!" Naruto beamed and turned to Sasuke, "maybe coming with you was a good choice after all!"

"Whatever. Is food all you ever think about?"

Naruto and Sasuke made their way into the dining room and they spotted a shelf of family photos. Sasuke smiled at the photo of Sakura when she became a Jonin. She was with her parents, Ino, Lady Tsunade, Shizune, Hinata, and Naruto.

"Hey, I remember that." Naruto pointed to the photo, "you know, even then, she never forgot about you."

Sasuke smiled and nodded.

Okay. I got this. Let's do this. I can do this. 

I can do this.

...

... Maybe not. 

_________________

"You two may be some high-class ninja, but with us, you're still friends of our daughter." Kizashi smiled.

"Dad, please don't embarrass me, Naruto, or Sasuke..."

"I can practically hear Sakura right now..." Sasuke muttered under his breath.

"So, what brings you two here?"

The three men and Sakura's mom, Mebuki, sat around the dining table, finishing up their meal.

"Ah..." Naruto glanced at Sasuke who looked like he was going to pass out.

Mebuki set her chopsticks down, "you boys know Sakura's at her apartment, right? She's also pretty busy, so at this time, she's probably at the hospital."

"Yeah, uhm." Sasuke nodded, "we actually came to talk to you both."

"Us? Well!" Kizashi laughed, "anything for you boys!"

Naruto giggled, "maybe not anything..."

"I, uh..." Sasuke pursed his lips, "I just... Wanted your permission, sir..."

"Permission?" He gave him a quizzical look, "hang on a sec, you're not actually..."

"Ah, yes..." Sasuke bowed his head in respect, "I would like to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage, Sir!"

The room was silent as Sasuke and Naruto waited anxiously for the parent's response.

"Ha!" Kizashi stood up, "well, of course, my boy!"

Sasuke looked up at him, "really?!"

"Of course!" Kizashi smiled brightly, "I'm sure Sakura would be very--"

"Kizashi."

The three men turned to see a very distraught Mebuki.

"Yes, Sweetheart?"

She rose her eyes darkly in Sasuke's direction, "I don't think we can grant that permission so easily."

Sasuke swallowed hard, "o-oh?"

"But." Naruto leaned towards her, "you know, we kinda saved Konoha, the whole world, I'm even future Hokage, so I'm sure it's not much to ask for you to give up Sakura to such a chivalrous and upper-class man?"

Mebuki stood up, "well, Naruto, as Kizashi had said, you two are still the friends of Sakura. So I can chastise the both of you as if I were your own mother!"

"Eep." Naruto and Sasuke paled.

"Now, Sasuke." She pointed at him, "I understand that you saved the village. However, your past hasn't been erased. Even allowing you to see our daughter has been a stretch on our part."

"Come on, dear." Kizashi set his hand on her shoulder, "he's done so many things in the past few years that re-establish his bond with us."

"Shut up. I know what's best for my daughter." Mebuki shrugged his hand off, "which is why..."

Suddenly, the front door of the house opened.

"Mom? Dad?"

Sasuke and Naruto turned to each other, "oh, crap!"

Sakura walked into the room, "hey, I just came to ask about the... Sasuke? Naruto? What are you two doing here?!"

"Ah, S-Sakura!" Sasuke stood up and faced her as she walked up to him, "I-I didn't know you'd be coming here... Tonight!"

"Hm?" She glanced from him to Naruto, to her parents, then back to him, "is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything's just fine." Kizashi sat back down, "we were just having a friendly chat with your friends."

"Sakura." Mebuki looked stern, "I know you're a grown woman now, and we promised we'd stay out of your way from here on out, but what are your feelings towards this man?"

"Uh, Sasuke?" Sakura looked at her, "you should know by now, Mom. He's one of my closest friends."

The word hit Sasuke like an arrow. 'Friend'...?!

"He's..." Sakura blushed, "he's also the one I want to live with and entrust my life with forever. So if that's the reason why he's here tonight, then I assure you, I'll be safe with him."

Naruto grinned and nodded in agreement, "I can back her up on that!"

Sasuke smiled a little and faced Mebuki and Kizashi again, bowing in respect, "please."

Mebuki crossed her arms, glanced down at her husband, sighed, then nodded, "alright."

Sakura smiled and threw her arms around her parents, "thank you! Thank you!"

"On these conditions." Mebuki added, "Sakura stays in Konoha unless it's the honeymoon or for work, wrestling in bed every night is too much for Sakura to handle, and you two had better be happy together, you hear? The second I hear how you've made her cry, Uchiha, I'm cutting off the Uchiha clan right there."

Sakura glared, "Mom!!"

Sasuke swallowed hard and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead, "y-yes, ma'am..."

Sakura turned on her heel and walked up to Sasuke, wrapping her arms around him, "it's finally happening..."

"I don't know if I could live by one of those conditions, but I can guarantee that you'll be happy with me." Sasuke smiled, making Sakura roll her eyes.

"Oh yeah? Which condition... Let me guess... We're not staying in Konoha, are we?"

"Mm, wrong." Sasuke smirked, "let's keep that a secret until we're actually married."

"Okay!" Naruto stood up, "that's about enough awkward couple talk for one night. Besides, if you don't shut up now, the parents might change their minds!"

"Thank you again, Mr. and Mrs. Haruno. I swear, I won't disappoint." Sasuke bowed repeatedly as the three started towards the front door.

"Please!" Kizashi laughed as they saw them out, "call us mom and dad!"

Sasuke cleared his throat, "I'll... Think about that..."

They watched as Naruto headed off towards the Hokage's office and Sasuke walked Sakura home.

"So." Sakura smiled as she unlocked the door to her apartment, "how much money did I have to pay you to actually get you to go to my parents?"

"None." Sasuke shut the door behind him once they were inside, "that just shows you I'm willing to go through hell and back for you."

"And after tonight." She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, "you sure did."

"I was nervous as hell today." Sasuke sighed, "so honestly, you kind of owe me now."

"Oh yeah?"

"How about just giving me a place to sleep tonight? I don't want to be by myself..."

"You're old enough to sleep on your own."

"No..."

"Okay, okay. Just for tonight, though. And we're not doing that either."

Sasuke pouted as they walked into her bedroom, "aw... it's okay. When we're married, I'll be doing this every night... And more."

"You nasty pervert."

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment."

"Thank you."

"Ugh."

I love her so much... He smiled to himself as he collapsed onto her bed.

"Sasuke." Sakura came out of her bathroom with a towel, "if you need to shower, I have an extra towel..."

She chuckled to herself when she saw Sasuke had already fallen asleep on her bed.

For her.

He smiled.

I can go on any S-Rank Mission.

Just for her, though.    

~~~ 

Written by xX_Fang_Xx