askerian | Teamwork-related ramblings...

It's not even a trouble related to post-timeskip versus teamworkverse differences this time. (well, not much.) It's just, I used to be able to see Sakura falling in love with Naruto, but I'm forgetting how that feels, how to write it right. I try and try to add it to my fic, but to me it feels pasted on. I think the only time I truly managed a Sakura=>Naruto moment I liked and could see as about to develop into more, it was during the Progression ficlets, when they're in her bedroom watching pictures. Okay, in TW2 that bit in the rain and the alley worked too IMHO, but since then...

NaruSasu... Actually, they need a little more development, too, but that's because they just DON'T TALK. Their bond is so intense, AND I have no trouble writing them as forgetting the outside world while they sex each other up (though now I think I should have added a little bit of Sasuke jealousy during the shower scene, it would have been easy for him to go "oh, you only want sex with me when Sakura is there" but that's an issue I think I could work on during the Suna fic so it's not too horrible.) But. Making them talk (not argue) and romance and quiet understanding moments. I should. Need. Yes.

SasuSaku is going fine -- it's very easy to write Sakura as being in love with Sasuke, and it's also easy enough to have Sasuke slowly warming up to her and showing her little signs of approval -- it's not love yet, and he'll never be passionate about her, but they can interact and function well enough. In canon he does show her discreet little signs of approval, all sneaky-like, and it's easy enough to build on that. They both have this quality that makes me think any love between them would be understated, wordlessly understood but rarely openly acknowledged, and that's what I like about writing Sasuke, he bottles up everything.

It's super-easy to see Naruto=>Sakura. But I forget how to do it the other way around. She likes him, and she's exasperated by him, and she approves of many things (though she'd never tell him easily), and she would defend him against anything and anyone, but, I don't know.

I think part of it is my inability to find much sakura=>naruto in the manga. Maybe I'm blind, maybe my sense of subtext is only seeing one kind of spectrum, and it fails to engage my imagination. I can see Sakura caring more and more about Naruto, it's plain as day. I can see her sitting at his side when he's depressed and nudging him with her elbow and making him feel better. I can see her laughing at his jokes even though she knows she shouldn't show him she finds that kind of thing funny. I could even see her punching Sasuke in the face because he treats Naruto like a dick, taking Naruto's side over Sasuke's because Sasuke deserves to be shown she's not a mindless yes-Sasuke-sama drone anymore and Naruto has earned her unwavering support.

I can't see it as romantic. Actually, I can, but only as lighthearted flirting, maybe even as far as fun friends-with-benefits sex. The second it starte getting into marriage, children, true love, I can't push my imagination to see how their dynamic would evolve. In the end I'm left feeling like they're evolving into really great friends who also have sex more than passionately romantic partners.

... Maybe that's exactly the kind of dynamic narusaku fans go for, actually. Not everyone likes "my heart aches for you, you give me butterflies so I can't even look at you without blushing" or "I love you, asshole, and that's why I'm punching you in the face." XD;;; But I can't tell if it comes across right, because it's not the kind of subtext I usually go for. I feel like I'm failing at writing them in love. Add that to the fact that Sasuke is the one they both have the strongest bonds with, and I have a bit of a hard time making Sakura actually look at Naruto when Sasuke is around.

Add that to the fact that right now they're all OMG CHUUNIN EXAM FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT and, hell, I just want to work on the relationship already. DX Why is it taking so looooong.

I've got an evil naruto-and-sakura centric scene planned in a couple of chapters, and I SERIOUSLY hope it will help, but as of right now, I'm bothered by my inability to work on her feelings so far. I'll just add it to list of issues to adress in the Suna sidefic and hope it helps... ~__~

Oh, about the Suna sidefic. Fuck you, Sasuke. Fuck you in the nose. TALK TO ME ALREADY. You were the one who wanted that goddamn scene in the first place. auuuugh.

Teamwork-related ramblings...

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