Hi! I'm a writer based out of the United States. My dream is to be a novelist and/or screenwriter. I primarily write Naruto fanfiction because it's my favorite anime/manga. My works are also posted on ff.net, wattpad, ao3, and webnovel under the username Hina5enpai or Hina5enpa1 I have Pinterest, too! Any art used in my stories is mine. Feel free to use it bc I can only take credit for editing. I use an AI app, BUT I DO NOT USE ANY EXISTING ART TO CREATE IT! Constructive feedback is very welcome and encouraged. As for interests NOT related to fanfiction, I'm a huge anime fan and have been since I was roughly eight or nine years old. My first-ever show (not counting Pokemon because I think that was a lot of Americans' technically first) was Fruits Basket! I'm also a MASSIVE KPOP fan. I got into it around 2009 or 2010, 2ne1 being the group that introduced me to the genre. The rest is history! If you wanna discuss anything about that, whether it be song recommendations, biases, or whatever, PLEASE REACH OUT! I have no friends and am very socially awkward, so I find it hard to make the first move D: Anyway, thanks for visiting my page! I hope you enjoy one or more of my stories!
Once the relief and surprise wear down, Sakura and Sasuke leave the hospital to visit a cafe. The pinkette is in a confused daze as she stares at the latte in her coffee mug. She’s spent so much time with the understanding that her days are numbered regardless of any efforts she may make. It makes it hard to truly accept that the retest’s results aren’t God’s attempt at humor. She wants to cry, laugh, and scream at the same time. Her mental and physical health have never been this unbalanced.
Sasuke keeps glancing at her. It’s obvious he wants to say something to snap her out of it and be helpful, and Sakura appreciates the intention, but it’s clear he has no idea what to do.
What is she supposed to say to this wonderful man that chased her to this faraway city? How is she going to make amends with him for causing so much stress and uncertainty? To be honest, she’s surprised he didn’t come to hate her for leaving without saying goodbye. That reaction would be more in character than this attentive and caring yet charmingly awkward person before her.
Hesitantly, she turns her gaze up to the man in question, her chest tightening with warmth. That’s a lie. Deep down, under all that stoicism, Sakura’s known all along that Sasuke’s in the process of gaining the courage to show his true personality.
Dark eyes lock onto hers suddenly, and she quickly averts her gaze while finally taking a sip of her drink. It’s quiet for a moment before the Uchiha says, “When do you want to go back?” He means to Konoha.
Sakura blinks back the tears that well up instantly. She shakes her head while responding in a wavery voice, “I don’t know how I’m going to face everyone after all that’s happened.” She unconsciously makes a disgusted face and gestures to herself, all without meeting Sasuke’s gaze, “And, I mean, looking like this….”
A long, tense pause occurs.
Then, Sasuke mumbles with a clear lack of confidence in his statement, “We can take our time and drive back instead of flying.”
Sakura finally looks at his handsome face, surprised by his offer.
He seems empowered by her lack of immediate disagreement and adds, “If you’re still not sure by the time we get there, you can always hide out for a few days.” It’s unspoken that they can only hide the truth from her family and friends for so long without it becoming unethical.
The pinkette’s throat tightens as the urge to burst into sobs arises. All she can do is nod and attempt to wordlessly communicate her gratitude.
So, the couple spends the day buying the necessary supplies for a road trip, grabs some dinner, and then returns to the motel.
To the Haruno woman’s pleasant surprise, the awkwardness fades more the longer they’ve been reunited. By the time they’ve both showered and climbed into bed, it feels much easier to breathe.
Unlike the previous night, Sakura struggles to fall asleep because her mind’s so busy thinking about what’ll happen when they return home. Sasuke, on the other hand, seems to have regained a bit of trust that she won’t run away in the night because he falls asleep after fighting it for a while.
She tries to focus on the softly playing television to pass the time, sitting up with her back to the pillows, but snaps out of it when something warm and solid suddenly rolls onto her legs. On instinct, she parts them while looking from the screen to see it’s Sasuke. His face becomes buried in her midsection, his arms loosely wrapping around her hips, so his hands come to rest beneath the pillows.
“...Sasuke?” No response. He’s either fallen asleep again already or never really woke up at all.
Affection floods Sakura’s entire being as she hesitantly brings a hand into his hair and sinks into the position so the sleeping Uchiha man can settle in further. Once she’s able to get comfortable, Sakura finds herself unable to hold back and smiles softly while soothing his naturally messy hair with slow, calming hands. It’s as if his unexpected cuddling blocks out the stressful thoughts and the woman’s eyes grow heavy. Before long, she, too, falls asleep. The warmth and weight surrounding her provide a great sense of security.
…..
The moment Sasuke becomes conscious in the morning and realizes the position he’s in, he admits to himself that he could get used to the idea of sharing a bed with this woman more often. Sakura is everywhere, consuming his senses. Her scent is familiar and welcoming. Her body heat is comforting and alluring. Her fingers are loosely in his hair and against his back, beneath his shirt. With his face nuzzled into her embrace, Sasuke can hear her steady, restful heart beating against his ear.
A large part of him wants to slip out of her grasp before she wakes and realizes he’s accidentally overstepped a boundary, but the bigger part of him refuses to end such a wonderful experience prematurely. He thinks to himself that he’s already thrown his pride away by coming to Yugakure, refusing to leave her side, and even telling her she’s to move in when they get back home. Why change back to pretending to be emotionless and unaffected now? It’d be pointless.
So, resolute in his decision to get as much of this affection as possible before the woman wakes and it ends, Sasuke nuzzles further into her hold, his arms tightening around her tiny waist as he guides them onto their sides.
He squeezes his eyes closed when Sakura sighs dreamily, her fingers twitching in his hair and against his skin. He should’ve just stayed still. The woman’s body tenses momentarily, meaning she had indeed woken. Then, a warm sound vibrates within her chest, and Sasuke finds himself stunned when she gently hugs him more tightly. “Thank you for finding me,” Her voice is soft and a little raspy from sleep. It’s clear that she thinks he’s still asleep. It leaves him in a hard place. Either he can make it known he can hear her, or he can keep pretending and take this secret to the grave. Before he can decide, the unfamiliar feeling of his hair being pushed out of his face comes, followed by a slow, soft press of Sakura’s lips to the top of his head. His body acts independently, and his eyes creep open to lock onto warm green ones. It takes a moment for Sakura to react, and when she does, she squeaks with a bright blush and releases him so she can scramble to the other side of the bed, “Sorry! I didn’t know you were awake!”
Of course, Sasuke knows what he wants to say. He wants to reassure her that she can dote on him like that any time she feels the urge, but he simply can’t verbalize those feelings. Instead, he holds himself up with one arm, rubbing his eyes with the other while grumbling, “It’s fine.” To his confusion, the mood switches drastically. Sakura says nothing. Instead, she comes to sit on her knees before him, hesitance clear as day on her pretty face.
He, too, sits up. Obviously, the pinkette wants to say something. So, he waits.
“Is….” Sakura starts, only to trail off again while searching his face.
Sasuke can almost feel her courage deteriorating. He surprises himself and her by answering the question he assumes she’s trying to ask, “Yes.” She wants to know if it’s okay to be together after all the stress and concern she caused. The guilt is probably eating her alive, and to be honest, Sasuke isn’t unaffected by it. In truth, he feels an unfamiliar sense of desperation to keep her in sight. He feels like if he’s not extremely careful, she’ll disappear again and, this time, it’d be permanent.
He feels less cautious when her blush heightens. Awkwardly, he runs a hand through his hair and averts his gaze, “I’m new to this, so don’t take it personally if I don’t react how other guys do.”
A tiny giggle meets his ears, and he looks at Sakura in muted surprise. She covers her mouth with her hand before tilting her head and smiling sheepishly, “You’ve met my only ex-boyfriend, so I’m pretty much in the same boat.”
That Kiba jackass is her only ex? And he treated her like that? Sasuke almost pities the girl but decides not to dwell on it.
…..
Sakura feels like she’s living a dream. She and Sasuke have spent the last week driving back to Konoha. The entire time, they talked as though they were S and Haruki, speaking anonymously as friends on AC again. The Uchiha man isn’t the most talkative person out there, but it’s clear he’s opened up immensely compared to when they last spoke. His efforts to change for her sake are appreciated and noticeable.
By the time they’re pulling into the parking garage at his condo, Sakura’s feeling cramped up from being in the car for so long. She wants to stretch her legs and take off the stuffy clothes.
Things feel a little awkward as Sasuke leads the way inside, glancing back a few times to ensure she’s following. She’s nervous and bashful because she’s never lived with anyone other than herself and her parents.
Imagine her surprise when he shows her to the bedroom right across the hall from his room. He sets her suitcase, full of necessities the man purchased for her, on the bed before facing her. She blatantly avoids his gaze and feigns curiosity while looking around the massive bedroom. The bed is huge, covered with plush, black blankets, sheets, and pillows. Expensive-looking furniture also decorates the place elegantly.
In an attempt to ease the tension, she muses, “You really have a knack for interior design; have I ever told you?”
He scoffs, responding tersely, “My mother did it all, not me.”
Sakura’s bashfulness temporarily disappears as she laughs to herself and imagines the woman in question bullying her way past her son’s decisions to make his condo look so welcoming and modern, “That makes more sense.”
Things become quiet again after a moment, and then Sasuke becomes visibly tense. He mirrors Sakura’s glancing around, “I’ll, um, give you some time to settle in.” With no other words exchanged, the man leaves the room and shuts the door behind him.
Sakura smiles to herself after a moment of surprise. He’s so awkward that it’s adorable. Then she freezes in realization. If someone told her six months ago that she’d find the intimidating, masculine being that is Sasuke Uchiha adorable, she’d have scoffed.
That night, the couple shares a quiet dinner before going their separate ways. The time comes to shower, and Sakura praises God for how amazing the water pressure is. She has what some women refer to as an “everything shower”, where a woman does a full hair and skin washing routine, shaves, and all the other little things. By the time she’s finished, she feels like a new person. It’s as if the expensive soaps and solutions have scrubbed away most of the bad she’s experienced as of late.
After brushing her teeth, Sakura wraps the fluffy blue towel around her body and exits the room so she can return to her bedroom. She runs her fingers through her long, wet hair while walking, only to freeze when she comes face-to-face with Sasuke. His hair is wet, too, meaning he probably just finished showering in the other bathroom. He also wears only a towel around his hips.
Without thinking, Sakura’s eyes travel down his well-toned torso to the prominent “v” muscles leading to where the towel rests. When she realizes what she’s doing, her hand leaves her hair to fall stiffly to her side, and she looks at the man’s face with a bright blush warming her cheeks, “Are you getting ready for bed, too?”
He nods, making a clear effort not to look away from her face. The Uchiha man does a better job of appearing composed, at least. His skin isn’t the color of tomatoes, and his expression is the usual stoic mask.
“Well, uh, good night then. Sleep well,” she blurts before hurrying around the tall man and into her room, where she stands with her back to the closed door and a hand to her racing heart.
Two hours later, the poor woman is still awake. She lays in bed, tossing and turning and unable to fall asleep. With a frown tugging at her lips, she looks at the empty left side of the bed. It’s cold in here, even though she’s wearing the silky pajamas Sasuke bought her, and the blanket is nice and thick. Rather bashfully, she admits to herself that she wishes they were still traveling because at least then they slept in the same bed. Can it be that, in the span of ten days, she’s already become used to not being alone?
…..
Sasuke glares at the ceiling of his bedroom with his arms resting behind his head. He’s angry. He can’t sleep because he can’t stop thinking about Sakura, the way her skin and eyes are slowly regaining their healthy glow, the way they’ve been waking up in one another’s arms each morning and refusing to talk about it, and the attractive way she blushed in the hallway earlier upon running into him in a towel.
More than all of that? Sasuke’s pissed with himself for not having the balls to go across the hall and tell her all of this. Since that level of communication would be difficult for him, he’d be impressed with himself if he simply managed to go over there to sleep in the same bed and nothing else. Here he lays, though, in his big empty bed, wide awake.
Maybe it’s for the best that he lets Sakura decide what she wants to do going forward. Ever since locating her, he’s been dictating where they’ll go and what they’ll do. If he doesn’t give her a chance to make a decision for herself, then it’ll begin to feel as though he’s forcing her into all this. Sighing, he closes his eyes. That’s right. Sakura is still her own person, and she still has her pride. If he doesn’t give her a chance to pursue him the way he’s been pursuing her these past ten days, she’s likely to become frustrated.
So Sasuke resigns himself to trying, once again, to fall asleep.
No more than a minute can pass after making that decision before a soft knock comes at his door. He sits up, but the door opens before he can get out of bed. Sakura steps in, her pale legs milky against the silky pink shorts she wears. Somehow, he finds his voice, “Is everything alright?”
The pinkette approaches with a shy expression. The sound of her bare feet on the ground is surprisingly pleasant. When she’s close enough, she absently runs a hand over the corner of the bed while glancing between that location and Sasuke’s face, “Is it okay if I...” She swallows nervously before forcing herself to meet his gaze more firmly. Sasuke can only watch and react in awe as she cautiously crawls onto the bed, slips under the covers, and comes to straddle his hips with a red face.
Instinctually, his hands grasp her hips to stop her from coming down to press against a very sensitive area of his body, “Sakura.”
Still appearing bashful, the woman brings her hands to rest on his shoulders. He can barely keep himself from looking away as she searches his face, “I’m not forcing myself. I-I want to be with you, Sasuke.”
It’s as if a weight is lifted from the man’s shoulders because it’s clear she means those words. So, Sasuke doesn’t release her, but he does allow her to move. Slowly, Sakura lowers herself to properly straddle his hips. She runs a hand up his neck to cup his jaw before leaning in and capturing his lips with her own.
Goosebumps rise on his bare skin when she deepens the kiss, her other hand wrapping itself in his messy hair. Sasuke is apprehensive, but his brain is no longer making decisions. No, it’s emotions and physical urges now. So, he does what he feels like doing. It’s too late to go back anyway.
Slowly, to not scare Sakura, he slips his hands beneath her loose-fitting pajama shirt to grasp her waist by the bare skin. She’s so warm and solid beneath his fingers. It makes a familiar sensation meet his lower regions. Sakura notices and sighs into their kiss, melting into his touch and grinding her hips ever so slightly against his.
The couple takes their time undressing until no articles of clothing remain. Sasuke watches his girlfriend as she lines him up with her entrance and slowly accepts him, enamored by the sight and the feeling. When she begins moving, he sucks in a breath because it’s never felt so good. He swallows anxiously as the woman comes forward to hold her weight up with a hand against the bed near his shoulder. Her hair falls over one of her shoulders as she studies his face, eyes dropping to his lips a few times. Then she’s kissing him again.
The man doesn’t know what his hands are doing. All he knows is that he wants to feel every inch of her warm skin. His head is cloudy with lust, but not so much that he can’t muse about why it feels so incredible this time around. The past times were amazing, too, but something’s different tonight. Is it because they’ve finally admitted their feelings for one another? There’s no longer an air of confusion. That must be it.
A soft groan escapes him as a wave of something strong makes its way through his body. Then, he’s taking on Sakura’s weight, placing his hand on her bottom so he doesn’t slip out, and switching their positions.
Their kiss parts as her pink hair is strewn over the pillows, a moan filling the air. He hisses softly as her walls squeeze him and her body arches upwards toward his. The moonlight makes her skin look ethereal as she clings to him and murmurs soft words of affection between angelic moans and gasps. The pair continues late into the night and early morning.
Sakura is still sleeping when Sasuke wakes to his alarm. He’s supposed to go back to work today. He hasn’t given anyone a heads up about Sakura returning yet.
Carefully so as to not wake the sleeping beauty, Sasuke slips out of her loose cuddles to stand, locate his boxers, and slide them on. He grabs the glass of water off the nightstand and drinks it calmly while admiring the results of his hard work last night. Sakura lays on her stomach with one of her arms lazily over where he’d previously been sleeping. Little love marks decorate her skin in no particular pattern and with little regard for whether or not they’ll need to be hidden. Long, messy strands of hair are tangled on the pillow.
The best part? Sakura looks peaceful. All that activity must’ve helped relieve so much stress, so it seems she’s resting well.
Her defenseless face scrunches when Sasuke’s phone begins to ring and disturb the peace. Frowning, the man picks up the device and sees Itachi’s name on the screen. Beautiful green eyes creep open just as he answers the call, “What do you want?” Immediately, Sakura blushes and sleepily sits up while pulling the covers high enough to cover her chest.
“Hello, Little Brother. Dad wants you to visit the-” The rest of Itachi’s words don’t reach Sasuke’s understanding because he’s too entranced by the cute woman yawning to pay attention. Without second guessing himself, he cuts off the man on the other end of the line, “I’m staying home today.” Sakura snaps to attention, looking at the Uchiha, stunned. A smirk tugs at his lips as he cuts off his brother’s questions, “Maybe tomorrow, too. I’ll let you know.”
Amused by the pinkette’s bashful and embarrassed demeanor, Sasuke hangs up the call without waiting for a response and climbs back into bed. Expertly, he slips his body between Sakura’s legs and kisses her. He’s too preoccupied to leave the condo today.
Restoration Version 2: Hinata's POV (Synopsis + Chapter 1)
Action, Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi, Drama, Etc.
NaruHina, NejiTen, plus other pairings
Rewrite of the "Restoration" series in Hinata's POV, all as one story with new chapters, new scenarios, better editing, etc.
Hinata, a diligent and solitary girl, experiences her world crashing down when her father, a renowned scientist, passes away in an unexplained incident at a laboratory. The introduction of her deceased father's former colleague, Madara Uchiha, into her existence is the catalyst for this upheaval. He swiftly assumes her father's role, even to the extent of dating her stepmother, which only complicates an already dire situation. Things spiral out of control when he discloses his intention to train young adults for an outlandish event that's beyond impossible. ...Isn't it?
Hello! I’m re-editing and posting Hinata’s POV as we speak since it’s technically done. Sakura and Matsuri’s POVs will take a bit longer, seeing as I need to write the first book from scratch.
If you’re a previous reader, you may notice that not much has changed toward the beginning. The more noticeable edits will occur in the second half of the story.
If you’re a new reader, thanks for checking this out! Feel free to read the original draft of this story, but it may be better to read this one and then go back (for the sake of me making a good first impression on you!)
Anyway, thanks a bunch for at least clicking onto this fic.
I hope you enjoy!
Click! Click! Click!
I fought the urge to wince as Masumi's heels sounded against the floor, echoing throughout the halls of our newly finished home. The noise bounced readily off the white linoleum floors and bare gray walls to ultimately reach the entranceway where I stood in wait.
After making a few drastic changes to the house my father designed, Madara and Masumi finally finished the construction, and we quickly relocated to our new home. If you can call it that.
The design changes were so different from what Dad had told me about. What was supposed to be a warm and welcoming new place to live and grow now looked like a glorified office.
The walls were painted various shades of gray, and the floor was a stark white tile, even in the family room and bedrooms. No family pictures dusted the walls throughout the house. Modern art and shelves hung there instead.
I stood as still as a statue under Madara's trained gaze as person after person entered the front door and took their place near me.
Masumi finally entered the room, clipboard in hand, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek at her ridiculous getup. She wore a business suit with a skirt and had her hair back in a calm ponytail at the nape of her neck. I could feel my face redden as I fought to control my disbelief and anger. Just who is she trying to fool?
My attention was pulled back to Madara as I noticed him narrow his eyes at me to her right. I quickly averted my gaze to the ground, albeit with a glare and clenched teeth. The skin on my upper arm burned under my shirt.
Two days ago, he'd squeezed so hard that he'd left a hand-shaped bruise. This was while he threatened to hurt my sister if I didn't do exactly as he and Masumi said.
~The Previous Night~
I stood from my desk when the door to my room creaked open slowly. Usually, I'd have my headphones in, but since the lock was taken from my door, I couldn't let myself be caught off guard.
To my disdain, Madara slipped silently into the room, closing the door behind him. I stepped to the side and slowly moved my desk chair in between us as I glared at him, "What are you doing here?"
The man put his hands up in defense with an easy-going grin. "I just came to chat with you about what happened at dinner."
At dinner earlier, Hanabi, Masumi, Madara, and I had a massive argument. He and Masumi came clean about the fact they'd been dating a couple weeks ago. Of course, I'd known from the first time he'd spent the night under the guise of looking out for his late best friend's family as they grieved that something wasn't right. Catching Masumi riding him like an electric bull on the couch when they thought my sister and I were asleep didn't help their case either.
I shook my head at the tall man, disgusted that he'd even consider coming to talk to me about it, "My father taught me to hold my tongue if I have nothing nice to say." I put an emphasis on the word father so he'd know that I was definitely still angry.
Madara let out a wry chuckle before pulling the chair out of my grasp and making me jump at his sudden movement. He smirked as he turned it around to sit, gesturing for me to sit on the side of the bed, obviously aware that he was making me nervous.
Gingerly, I did as he requested.
He didn't hesitate to start speaking, but he didn't talk about his relationship with Masumi, which caught me off guard, "You will be taking part in The Program."
I opened my mouth to argue, but he raised a finger to shush me as he continued, "You're to tell nobody about your relationship with Masumi or me, and you're to do your best. We expect you to be an upper-ranked participant with no excuses."
I angrily stood from my bed, my hands in fists as I failed to control my temper, "You can't do this to me! I refuse!" My plans to leave home immediately for college quickly slipped through my fingers.
In an instant, the man was on his feet and wrapped his large hand around my arm, his grip tightening as he leaned down to look into my eyes, "Hanabi will be the one to suffer if you so much as think about misbehaving."
The blood drained from my face, and my voice shook as I bargained with him, "You don't mean that."
His grip tightened harder, and I winced with tears in my eyes. He held my gaze hard for a moment before speaking in his usual deep voice, "Let's hope you don't have to find out."
After another moment, he released his grip on me and pushed his long hair out of his face, his charismatic grin reappearing on his handsome face, "I'm glad we've come to an understanding."
I glanced back up at my unassuming stepmother, swallowing hard as I accepted that she either didn't know about his threat or didn't care. I don't know which would be worse.
For what felt like an hour, and very well may have been, I stood in silence among my new peers as they whispered and introduced themselves to each other, too uncomfortable to interact with any of them. The front doors must've opened and closed more than twenty times, and soon, it seemed that everyone had been marked off on Masumi's checklist.
She and Madara approached the group, which naturally hushed as they realized we were about to be addressed.
"I want to start by congratulating each of you for being accepted into The Program!"
There was a slight pause in his words to allow for the group's various sounds of excitement before he continued, "You've been carefully selected out of over a hundred applicants."
My mind reeled as he continued talking about how we'll each have the opportunity to earn one hundred thousand dollars: untaxed. My father's life insurance policy was undoubtedly top-notch, but it's impossible that they could offer that much money to any of these people without raising red flags somewhere out there. My lips twitched as I tried not to be evident with my frown. It must be yet another one of their lies.
Madara explained that The Program was a type of camp or training project that would train us mentally and physically for various situations. Everyone involved was either older than eighteen or their guardians had signed waivers. Murmurs started up from around me, and I wondered what everyone here had been told that The Program was so they'd sign up with little to no questions asked. Honestly, though, many people will agree to almost anything if the price is right and they're desperate enough.
He was smart enough to keep his description short to not scare anyone away and quickly moved on to the next topic, "Bunking: This is a co-ed program, and you'll not be separated by gender. However, there are many cameras for your security, and if you're caught doing anything inappropriate, the punishment will be severe."
The room was silent momentarily as everyone was undoubtedly trying to figure out if he was serious and, if so, just how serious he was. Wasting no time, he continued, "The showers and bathrooms are separated by curtains and stalls. Again, if anyone is caught doing something they shouldn't be, there will be punishment."
He continued before anyone could interrupt, "You'll be provided with food and clothing the entire time you're here, but you will not get to decide your meals or clothing as those factor into some of the testing we'll be doing."
I was beginning to picture what the ad for this camp-type program must've looked like. It probably had something about testing experimental techniques and medicines for a large sum of cash.
Madara took a long pause as he looked over the group I stood amidst before smiling and putting his arms out from his sides, "I would like to give each of you a chance to opt out of The Program now, as once you've entered, you will not be permitted to leave prior to its conclusion. This is one of the clauses in the contracts either you or your guardian have signed."
The room was silent for a few moments, and when no one moved a muscle, he clapped his hands together, eyes locking onto mine confidently as he spoke to us all, "Let's get started."
Sasuke sleeps better than he has since Sakura left Konoha. That said, he wakes before the sun comes up. He isn’t sure why that is, but supposes it’s his subconscious being worried the pinkette will try to slip out and run away from him again. The woman doesn’t, though. No, when he comes to, Sakura is snuggled into him as though sleeping in the same bed is something they’ve always done. It’s not. In fact, this is the very first time they’re cuddling. Even after hooking up that first time, they weren’t all cozied up when he woke in the middle of the night.
The Uchiha man’s initial reaction is to gingerly move away. He’s never, not once, gotten close enough to someone to allow such affections as the thought of it has always made him uncomfortable. He doesn’t act on that instinct because, to his surprise, a content warmth meets his chest at the sight of Sakura’s defenseless sleeping face.
Cautiously, he pulls back just a bit so he can view more of her appearance. One of her hands clutches a loose handful of his shirt, while the other is beneath his arm, which was resting under her neck.
She looks so thin in his clothing that it makes him want to force feed her until she’s back to normal. The thought reminds him of why they’re where they are: Sakura’s test results. Vowing to stay with her regardless of their outcome feels natural to him. This is the woman who knows him better than anyone else in the world, after all. With that said, how will he react if there’s bad news waiting for them? Sakura disappearing was hard enough to palate, and she’s still alive. Is this the price a person must pay for caring?
Unconsciously, the arm under her neck bends to pull her closer.
The woman softly groans, but nuzzles her nose under his chin and becomes still again.
Sasuke’s lips press to her forehead naturally, and he squeezes his eyes closed. It’s not fair that this situation is happening at all. Sakura deserves the future she’s worked so hard towards, and he has done nothing to ruin his karma enough to have her taken away. It’s as though a gaping hole in his chest has been filled now that they’re no longer separated. All the tension in his body has released. He feels more at ease than he has in weeks.
Tears well in his eyes as he slips his other arm around Sakura. His lips move against his will as he whispers dazedly, “I think I might love you.”
At some point, he falls asleep again, only to wake once more to Sakura tracing gentle patterns into his back, her arm bent over his side. In an effort to soak in the situation properly, he doesn’t move or open his eyes. He tries to swallow his instinct to put a stop to the unfamiliar act instead. It’s not as though he has some trauma related to physical touch. He wasn’t beaten as a child and has never experienced any sexual distress. It’s more of a mental blockage he unintentionally built up after years and years of being pursued for impure reasons. If he can prevent himself from being physically vulnerable, it’ll be easier to remain distant psychologically.
He has to constantly remind himself now that Sakura’s here that he doesn’t have to do that anymore, and shouldn’t. Sakura deserves someone who can give her things a normal man can, that includes emotional, physical, and financial support. The last one, the man has no qualms about. Money is and never will be a problem for an Uchiha. The last two, though, he has an abundance of work to do.
The fingers on his back softly flatten so Sakura’s palm is flat. Sasuke feels her embrace tighten, her head under his chin as she takes a long, slow breath.
He feels guilty for pretending to still be asleep, so he bids his arms to encircle the slender woman after a few moments of awkward hesitance where he second guesses whether he should touch her so casually. They lay there silently for a long time, lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, Sakura whispers into his chest, “So, what’s the plan?”
Sasuke is as happy that she’s accepted he isn’t letting her out of his sight as he is unsure if encroaching on her freedom is the right thing to do. Either way, he responds, “Stay here until your results are ready. Then, we go back to Konoha.”
There’s a lengthy pause before Sakura groans, “I’ll have to stay with my parents. I’m sure they're so angry with me.”
Another hitch in the conversation occurs.
“...You don’t have to stay with your parents,” The Uchiha man says before he can second guess again. Sakura tenses before pulling back so their eyes meet. He adds, losing confidence under her stunned gaze, “If that’s not what you want.”
“Are you asking me to move in with you?” Her disbelief is clear on her face and voice.
A heavy weight drops in his stomach as he realizes things will become extremely uncomfortable if his offer is way too premature for where they are in their relationship. He tries to think of a possible hidden explanation to his words and fails, so he has no choice but to stand by his statement. He feels nauseous and foresees the worst possible outcome as he attempts to be nonchalant, “I’m saying that you can, if you want.”
The expression that meets her face is familiar and welcome. It’s annoyance. “So, what you’re saying is that you don’t care whether I do or not, just that you’ll allow me to be a guest if I have to?”
His eyes narrow, “That isn’t what I said.”
She frowns, “I mean, it kind of is….”
Sasuke freezes with his mouth open, halfway through the intention to respond with another irritated remark, only to close his lips and smile softly. The change surprises Sakura, obviously, because she looks at him like he’s crazy.
He kisses her quickly, gently, before pulling back and shaking his head, the lapse in stoicism replaced with his usual frown, “You can have your own room.” He says it in a way that she can infer that he’s decided she will, indeed, be staying with him. Sasuke’s relieved she hasn’t entirely lost her spark amidst all this drama. If they don’t argue all the time like they used to, it’d feel as though something has changed for the worse. The cute pout she then dawns reassures him that this is the same woman that he fell for all those weeks ago.
…..
To both of their surprise, the doctor calls Sasuke’s cell phone while they’re eating breakfast. She glances at him for what feels like the hundredth time in a very short amount of time. His eyes are on the road as he drives toward the hospital.
Last night, despite them not having sex, feels like the most intimate encounter they’ve shared to date. Waking up to such a reserved man holding her tightly despite being asleep causes a feeling to flood her chest that she can’t identify. It’s like pride, relief, fear, and adoration are all boxed into one overwhelming sensation. The pleasant evening feels like it’s tearing the pinkette in two. One half of her is beyond happy to be in his comforting presence, while the other half is on the lookout for an escape route because she doesn’t want to see his face when the doctor says she’s going to die.
Sasuke has dark bags under his tired eyes, darker than she’s ever seen in the past, and that’s her fault. How awful will it be for him when she inevitably loses the battle with her illness? She can’t bear to even imagine it.
She doesn’t want to hurt him, so she just wants to disappear. She wants to turn back time and take back the effort she put in to get to the point of connection they now have. It’s not that she doesn’t care about him. In fact, she cares more for him than she ever has another guy. It’s that she’d rather suffer alone than have him share in that sadness. If it’s for his sake, and if it were possible, she’d do it.
Her nerves are so shot that by the time they arrive at the hospital, she’s visibly trembling with anxiety. Sasuke gets out of the car, realizes she isn’t following, and walks around the vehicle to open her door. He offers a hand in her peripheral vision as she stares straight ahead with dazed eyes. “...Sakura.”
She places a shaking hand over her chest, dizzy with heart palpitations, “I-I don’t think I can go in there. I don’t want….”
A silent pause follows her inability to finish her statement. Sasuke then awkwardly clears his throat, crouches so he’s at her eye level and searches her face for a few moments before nodding, “Wait here.”
Sakura snaps out of it when the car door recloses. She watches the Uchiha man pull out his phone and call someone but can’t hear what he’s saying. What is he doing? Calling the doctors to try and get the results over the phone? Maybe he’s trying to have them emailed instead. A minute passes, the man’s conversation becoming more heated before abruptly ending.
Rather than come back to her, the man leans against the hood of the car so she can only see his back. Just as she’s about to roll down the window to ask what he’s doing, the doctor who ordered her tests be redone steps out of the hospital’s double doors with a folder in-hand and a big frown.
She gasps, fumbles to unhook her seatbelt, and struggles out of the car, “S-Sasuke, what did you do?!”
He spares her a glance but ignores her question as the doctor approaches with a glare, “I don’t suppose you threaten everyone in your life that tells you no? I could be reported for breaking policy if I’m found out!”
Sakura wishes she could disappear right there; she's so embarrassed. Obviously, Sasuke had called this man and said whatever he had to in order to get him to bring the results outside. She lifted her palms defensively, “I am so sorry, Doctor! This is my fault, not his. I-I just couldn’t bring myself to go in.”
The man’s gaze turns onto her as though he hadn’t noticed her until she spoke. They soften. Then, he takes a deep breath and hands over the folder, “So long as he doesn’t do it again and you both keep this to yourselves, I won’t call the police.”
“Thank you,” she bows politely after accepting the file. The duo watches the doctor cross the street and reenter the hospital before facing one another. Sakura gives Sasuke a warning look, to which he responds with an exasperated frown. Sighing, she looks at the folder in her hands before closing her eyes, “This is it, I guess….”
Don’t hope for good news. Don’t do it because then it’ll hurt that much more. It’ll be like discovering the illness for the first time all over again.
Sakura tries to make herself open the file, but can’t. Her eyes shoot open moments later when the object is gently taken from her grasp.
Sasuke gives her a knowing, serious look before opening the folder and putting an emotional mask on. Tears begin to flow down her cheeks as his eyes widen ever so slightly. A stranger wouldn’t have noticed the change, but she definitely does. Moments later, after flipping through the few papers, Sasuke’s eyes lifted to lock onto hers. Slowly, like ice melting on a summer’s day, the wall crumbled and tears were in his gaze. When he speaks, his voice is choked and strained, “....You’re not dying….”
Sakura shakes her head quickly, snatching the file from his hand. Her voice cracks as does her composure, “You’re lying!” Tears drip onto the papers as she reads over them with disbelief. It’s true. All of her results are relatively normal, meaning she doesn’t have the incurable blood disease. The confusion and relief is simply too much. She throws her arms around his shoulders, “Sasuke! Oh my God!”
He holds her close, a strangled chuckle becoming buried under the sound of her sobs.
The tears refuse to slow as she clutches handfuls of the shirt on his back. It makes no sense. Were the test results from Tsunade wrong, somehow? Or is there something else going on? Diseases like Leukemia don’t just appear and disappear on their own, especially in such a short amount of time.
Sasuke interrupts her bewilderment by gently pulling away. When she does the same, he captures her lips with his own.
She melts into it with a sigh. The anguish leaves her body by the second. She doesn’t know why things have happened the way they have, but they can find that out when they get back to Konoha. For now, she wants only one thing, and that’s to share these feelings with this wonderful man.
Synopsis: (Two-Shot) Hinata Hyuuga goes to public school for the first time as a freshman in college. Desperate to make friends, she agrees to go clubbing with her roommate. When she wakes up next to the handsome blonde man Sasuke introduced her to, she flees before he wakes up. Naruto Uzumaki took her virginity, and he doesn't even know it.
NaruHina with minor SasuSaku SaiIno NejiTen
Hinata Hyuuga had a terrible day, to put it lightly. It all started in the morning, right after clocking in for her part-time shift at the cafe. Despite Icha Cafe being the only of its kind, it was overwhelmingly successful, and there had even been recent talk about opening a few more locations.
Usually, she either made the drinks or worked the drive-through window because the shy girl didn't do well when facing unruly or rude customers. Today, though, Sakura called in sick. Hinata knew better. Yesterday was Friday, meaning the pink-haired girl went clubbing with Ino like she does almost every weekend. It's almost certain she was simply hungover.
If the owner, Jiraiya, didn't think Sakura was so attractive, and Sakura didn't flirt with him because she was aware of the fact, she'd have been fired long ago for how often she didn't come to work. All of the employees are young women between the ages of eighteen and twenty-three, as a matter of fact.
When Hiashi Hyuuga heard where his eldest daughter had chosen to gain work experience while attending college, he was so angry he threatened to make her move back home. Neji and Hanabi had to talk the man down, explaining that it was Hinata's choice now that she was an adult.
And that she was: an adult.
After having some particularly disabling panic and anxiety disorder issues, the family doctors and therapists all but demanded the heiress take a gap year before attending school. She blamed her father for the social conditions because he forced her to be homeschooled by hired professionals. So, at age nineteen, Hinata was a year behind those her age at Konoha Private College, struggling to figure out how to befriend someone, anyone.
With trembling fingers and her very best attempt at a casual smile, Hinata took order after order and insult after insult from snobby, entitled customers who probably didn't have another outlet for their frustrations. Her blood pressure was so high by the time her shift ended that she spent ten minutes in her car with the windows rolled up and the air conditioner on full-blast to calm down.
Then she returned to her dorm, which she shared with a bubbly woman named Tenten, who was twenty-one, the same age as her cousin Neji. She was tan, tall, and easy-going, meaning she had plenty of friends. In fact, Tenten had tried many times in the three weeks they'd lived together to convince Hinata to hang out, but the Hyuuga girl panicked each time and found an excuse. Afterward, she'd internally curse at herself because all she needed to do to start making friends like she wanted was to say yes.
Fresh from the shower and in casual clothing, Hinata then attended her afternoon classes. One of her father's stipulations for allowing her to live in the dorms, work, and experience things outside the compound was that he chose all her classes. Unsurprisingly, he loaded her schedule with law-oriented lessons Monday through Saturday. He'd indeed have signed her up for Sunday classes, too, if any professors offered them.
The Hyuuga family is famous for breeding incredibly successful lawyers, attorneys, and even a few court judges in the past. Hinata herself was expected to follow in her family's footsteps, despite having a disposition that severely opposes that line of work. In her own opinion, she'd better thrive as a teacher, preferably of younger children, or at least some office job where encountering consumers face to face wasn't necessary.
In the two classes Hinata attended, she struggled to focus for a number of reasons, many pertaining to her inability to control her anxiety. Living amongst the public, far away from the protective walls of the compound, was scary. By no means did she expect the adjustment to be a cakewalk, but she also hadn't foreseen the atmospheric shock that'd left her mentally and physically reeling since day one. Hinata wasn't sleeping or eating well, and her anxiety medication wasn't enough to quell her unease.
As timid as she was, she still had a grip on her pride.
The last thing she wanted to do was flee with her head low in shame, having to admit to Hiashi that he was right; she wasn't ready to leave home. No, Hinata would stick it out until it wasn't possible anymore, regardless of how that time may arrive.
Back on the topic of her classes, being unable to focus wasn't the worst part. No, that would be the fool she made of herself when the cute boy beside her, Sasuke, asked to borrow a pen. Fumbling to adhere to his request, she dropped the pen on the floor.
Both she and the young man bent to pick it up simultaneously and hit their heads together. The shy heiress apologized profusely, stuttering like an idiot, and couldn't bring herself to meet his eye again for the rest of the lengthy lesson, even though Sasuke immediately assured her everything was alright. When the class was over, Hinata escaped the room before he could return the pen she'd lent him.
"How am I ever going to face him again? We sit right next to each other…." She thought to herself as she walked back to the dorms with her fingers wrapped tightly around the strap of her bag and her head low.
The sun was beginning to set, but her extremely low spirits refused to allow her to look up and enjoy the beautiful colors of the sky. Despite most students not having classes since it was Saturday, the culdesac of dorm buildings she was approaching was alight with life, both inside and out.
Hinata expertly dodged rowdy co-eds playing street basketball, escaping into the second building on the right, where her dorm was on the top floor. The sigh of relief she nearly gave because she thought she'd successfully evaded another awkward encounter with a peer got stuck in her through when she entered her room to see Ino, Sakura, and Tenten in varying states of dress.
Sakura smiled sheepishly while Hinata neatly placed her study items atop her desk, "Hey, sorry about work. My nemesis bested me last night."
Ino and Tenten snickered, the former doing her makeup in a small mirror propped up on her roommate's desk and the latter searching her closet for something to wear.
It'd be uncomfortable if she didn't respond, so Hinata forced herself to ask, "N-Nemesis?"
Sakura sighed defeatedly, causing the heiress to look her way, "Tequila."
"Ah…."
The three continued getting dressed, seemingly to go clubbing for the second day in a row. Hinata sat at her desk, opening her notes from the class she'd just taken so she could review them since she couldn't focus earlier. The other three girls chatted casually, ignoring her as she ignored them.
That is until Tenten suddenly spoke from her side, maybe ten minutes later, "Hey, are you alright? You seem more down than usual." Thankfully, she'd lowered her voice so the other two didn't hear as they continued gossiping about some guys they were crushing on.
Swallowing nervously, Hinata pressed her glasses further up her nose with a frown as she shook her head, "I-I…I just had a rough day, that's all. Th-Thank you for your concern."
The assumption that the other girls weren't listening was proven wrong when Ino asked, "Why don't you come out with us, then? We'll cheer you up!" Instantly, the Hyuuga girl stuttered, "I-I-I'm only nineteen, so I-I can't drink. They'll t-turn me away at the door."
As she turned in her seat, Hinata's heart seemed to rise into her throat as the two girls shared a knowing look before the blond replied, "Don't worry about that. The owner's son of the place we're going is, like, in love with me. Sakura and I are the same age as you, anyway."
Hinata's first instinct was to refuse their offer swiftly, but she froze with her mouth half-open. "This is it. Say yes. Prove everyone wrong, and make some damn friends!" She panickedly thought.
Still unsure, the shy girl nodded slowly, "O-Okay, then."
Chaos ensued. Glasses were replaced with contact lenses, bookish clothing was replaced with a strappy black dress, and Hinata's hair and makeup were expertly styled so that when she looked in the mirror an hour later, she didn't even recognize herself.
"How do you hide your chest so well? I had no idea you had such a nice figure!" Tenten mused as the darker-haired girl slipped on short, black high-heeled shoes and practiced walking in them momentarily.
Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, frowning, but her voice was more sad than antagonizing, "Why hide them? Some of us would kill for boobs like that!"
Ino cackled loudly, slapping her best friend's arm, but then she tugged the pink-haired girl's arms and offered a compliment, "You have a nice ass, though. Most men prefer that over tits these days anyway, so cheer up, Forehead."
Tenten, who Hinata felt more comfortable with than the other two because she was more down to Earth and empathetic to her timid nature, led the pack of sexually-dressed young women down the four flights of stairs and into the awaiting taxi she'd summoned.
"You're okay. Everything's okay. Normal people go to these kinds of places all the time, so you can too," Hinata reassured herself internally as they passed the threshold into a dark, loud, and rowdy dance club half an hour later.
Ino was correct earlier. As soon as she told the security guard handling the front doors her name, they were motioned to proceed without a second glance. It'd be impossible to see if it weren't for the hundreds of flashing strobe lights and the dimly lit bar areas on either side of the massive building.
Hinata jumped in shock when Tenten grabbed her hand and began pulling her toward the bar. Once there, she spoke loudly so her uncomfortable friend could hear over the thumping music, "Take a couple of shots with me, and this place won't seem so scary anymore, okay?"
Without much choice, the Hyuuga girl accepted a tiny glass of clear liquid and glanced over to see the three other girls smiling her way with their own. Sakura moved so they could toast, almost yelling over the speakers, "You drink it all in one go! Ready?"
Taking one last deep breath for strength, Hinata nodded, clinked her glass against theirs, and tossed her head back to take all of the liquid in the glass into her mouth at once. Her nose crinkled at the almost medicinal sting when she swallowed, shaking her head as she delicately wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
Ino cheered, "You're a natural, Hinata! Let's do another and then go dance!"
The bartender soon refilled their glasses at the overcrowded bar, and the four girls repeated the process before heading into the giant crowd of sweaty bodies moving to the bumping music.
Having not eaten anything since her morning shift at work, Hinata immediately felt the liquor's effect. In fact, it wasn't until Tenten interlaced both of their hands and began coercing her into dancing with her did she realize they'd already arrived at the room's center. The more time that passed, the easier it became for Hinata to loosen up.
"This is fun! I can't believe I was scared all this time!" She mused as she jumped, danced, and sang along to the popular pop song playing.
After a couple more songs, the tipsy girls returned to the bar to cool down and get some actual drinks rather than shots. Tenten ordered her something clear, but it tasted a bit like cherries or maybe strawberries. Either way, it was easier to palate than the straight liquor from earlier.
Ino, who appeared to be a lightweight, slurred happily, tossing an arm around Hinata's shoulders, "So what happened; why was your day so bad?"
Hinata felt more relaxed than she had in her entire life, so she smiled into her half-empty glass and admitted, "Work sucked, and I made a fool of myself in front of one of my classmates earlier." After some drunken coercion, she explained what happened in class to the three curious girls.
As soon as she told them who it was she'd quite literally butted heads with, Sakura choked on her drink, leaning forward with wide eyes once she cleared her throat, "Sasuke? Sasuke Uchiha?"
The Hyuuga girl nodded, frowning at the humiliating memory before finishing the rest of her drink, "Are you two friends? Can you tell him I'm sorry?"
"Oh, sweetheart, I don't think a man like that has female friends, if you know what I mean," Tenten snickered, patting her pink-haired friend's back reassuringly.
Hinata's brow furrowed confusedly, and she opened her mouth to ask for elaboration but was cut off by a familiar voice, "Hinata!?" The tipsy young woman turned on the barstool, only to nearly fall out of it when she came face-to-face with Neji, her elder cousin.
His pearly eyes danced over her appearance, jaw flexing, "What are you doing here? How did you even get in? And what the hell are you wearing!"
Tenten interjected, standing to pull the statuesque man's arm into hers, "Don't blame her, handsome. I made her come out. Let me make it up to you. Can I buy you a drink?"
Unbelievably surprised, Hinata watched as the slightest hint of pink appeared about her cousin's cheeks, and he sputtered to respond. On the other hand, Tenten offered her roommate a wink, gesturing with a nod that she should use his distractedness as a chance to escape.
Sakura and Ino came to either of her sides and pulled her along to the bar on the opposite side of the club. Once they sat, Sakura in the middle, they ordered another round of drinks.
"Who was that?" The pink-haired girl asked around the straw on her tongue, turning to look in the direction of the other bar, even though it was impossible to see it from where they were.
"Whoever he was, did you see his shoulders? They were so broad! I bet Tenten'd like to put her legs over them!" Sakura and Hinata both gave her bewildered looks as she cackled loudly and drunkenly, slapping the counter as though it were her knee.
"He's my cousin, Neji. I grew up with him, so he's pretty much my brother."
"Hey, Hinata."
The three girls turned to the person sitting on the Hyuuga girl's other side, only to freeze in shock when none other than Sasuke Uchiha sat with a beer and poorly masked irritation.
Hinata sputtered with a bright red face, unable to form a coherent thought in her drunken surprise. The man saved her, "This is the last place I'd expect to see you." Sasuke's eyes were so dark they were almost black, and he chose to keep them on the bar rather than on the girls.
Since he wasn't staring at her, Hinata overcame her shyness enough to reply, "U-Um, I'm sorry about earlier, again."
He scoffed, lifting his drink to his lips as he shrugged as though saying it wasn't even worth speaking about.
"Hinata, introduce us!" Sakura hissed into her ear, making goosebumps rise on her skin.
She did as asked, not wanting to disappoint the girls who could become her friends. "This is Sakura and Ino, by the way. I-I'm not sure if you've met before."
This time, Sasuke's eyes did lift from the counter, and he looked over the three girls with a bored expression, "Nice to meet you. Do you habitually stare at strangers, or are you just drunk?"
Confused, Hinata turned to see both young women staring at him like he was God, and they didn't want to blink or miss a moment. Hinata brought a hand to her lips to hide her amused smile. They seemed as nervous as she always does, and it was humorous that she felt relatively calm.
When neither woman said a word, Hinata faced the Uchiha man again, "Drunk, I-I think."
The corner of his lips turned into a smirk, only to drop when a group of guys arrived, fresh from the dance floor, to join him. One even threw an arm over the man's shoulders as he leaned forward and tried to get the bartender's attention.
Sasuke began bickering with him, so Hinata turned to the girls beside her with a grin, "Want to trade me seats, Sakura? I need to visit the restroom anyway." The pink-haired girl apparently had a thing for the Uchiha man, and she could move seats while the darker-haired woman was gone. Her green eyes widened; she looked back at Ino for reassurance and then faced forward again excitedly.
Not wanting to simply leave without a word like she had after class earlier in the day, Hinata softly nudged Sasuke's arm to get his attention, "P-Please excuse me." He nodded, barely glancing her way before returning to his argument with his friends.
After standing, Hinata fixed her dress as it'd lifted to her upper thighs while she sat. Ino grabbed her arm before she could take a step, "Do you want one of us to go with you?" The Hyuuga woman politely declined the offer, only to be surprised by an unfamiliar voice speaking at her side.
"I'll walk you. There are some creeps out there, y'know?"
Hinata visibly jumped, took a step back, and arched her neck to meet the eye of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, tan-skinned, and extremely attractive man. Sasuke and the other guys he was with stared, waiting for her response, but she couldn't offer one in her current state.
"At least introduce yourself first. She doesn't even know you!" A brunette man with red facial tattoos teased.
"Oh, shit, you're right!"
The blonde man offered his hand and a blinding smile, "I'm Naruto. You're Hinata, right? I think you're in my professional communications class."
Hinata's eyes darted over to Sasuke since she knew him better, if only slightly, and he rolled his eyes before nodding. So, she shyly shook the handsome man's hand. A small cry of shock left her lips as he continued holding it and led her through the crowd toward the restrooms.
Blush warmed her cheeks as she stared, doe-eyed, at this "Naruto" person's back as she thought, "His hands are calloused, but it feels nice…."
There was a short line for the ladies' room. Naruto didn't let go of Hinata's hand even as the other women glanced at them and whispered to one another about how attractive the pair looked. For some reason, the usually shy Hyuuga girl didn't pull her hand from his and didn't want to, either. Instead, she snuck a peek at him, averting her gaze when he nearly caught her.
"Where did this man come from? How did I even get here, holding his hand? I was at the bar with the others just twenty minutes ago. Neji showing up really changed things."
"You look so different without your glasses that I hardly recognized you. Sasuke had to tell me who you were." The long fingers intertwined with Hinata's tightened slightly as Naruto broke the silence, and the line moved ahead a few steps. She briefly met his eye before looking away, blush flaring hotter as she struggled to respond.
"Sorry. I'm making you uncomfortable, aren't I? My grandpa says I come on too strong sometimes."
"N-No, you're not scary!" Finally, past the point of being tipsy as her most recent drink began to set in, Hinata squeezed his hand back and made herself meet those deep blue eyes head-on.
They widened in surprise before Naruto laughed, tilting his head slightly as he grinned at the short girl, "That's not something a guy hears every day, is it?"
It was finally Hinata's turn to use the restroom, and she brought her hands to her cheeks the moment she was behind the closed door of a stall. Naruto, obviously, waited outside.
"Oh, he's so handsome and nice! What is this feeling?"
After relieving her bladder, she washed her hands but paused to put a hand on her chest, where her heart was beating rapidly.
"If I was with a guy that looks like that, I'd be nervous, too, girl! Go get 'em!" Looking up, she realized three girls were looking at her as they waited their turn. Someone spoke up from one of the stalls, "Are you talking about the blonde guy? I was thinking the same thing!"
After receiving encouragement from strange but friendly drunk women in the restroom, Hinata gathered her strength and exited. Naruto wasn't there anymore. Her stomach dropped, somewhat disappointed, but she shook her head and prepared to brave the crowd on her own so she could return to the bar.
The alcohol had helped her anxiety substantially up to this point, but as she surveyed the hundreds of bodies in the club, a cold sweat dusted her skin. What if someone grabs her, or she faints, and no one realizes it, and she gets stomped to death by drunk people? Trembling hands clenched into fists as she gritted her teeth. Just as she was about to take the first step out of the hallway and into the crowd, a hand wrapped around her wrist.
Hinata jumped in fright, her other hand coming to her chest as she turned to see it was just Naruto. Tears welled in her eyes, but he appeared not to notice as he looked out at the crowd like she'd just been, running his fingers lower on her wrist so his hand could slip into hers, "Sorry, had to take a leak. You ready to head back?"
When they approached the bar where their friends had last been, both were surprised to find most of them missing. Only a couple of his guy friends remained. The same one from before with the facial tattoos gestured for us to join them, "Sai and Sasuke stole your friends; sorry, babe."
Hinata couldn't visually locate any of the girls she'd arrived with, so she had no choice but to join the three men at the bar. "Want another drink? I'll buy." The girl nodded absently at Naruto's question, accepting a glass from the bartender a few moments later.
"This is Kiba, by the way, and that's Shikamaru." "Kiba" lifted a hand in greeting with a toothy grin, but "Shikamaru" just lazily nodded without looking in their direction. His eyes were trained on the crowd as though searching for someone.
"So, what're you majoring in, Hina?"
Hinata's blush returned as Naruto leaned slightly over so their shoulders brushed, lifting a beer bottle to his lips as he waited for her response.
"C-Criminal Justice. You?"
The blond man angled his body toward her, and she mirrored the act, shyly studying his face as he replied, "Business administration. I'm gonna take over my grandpa's business when he retires."
Over the next couple of hours, the two drank, talked, and even danced a bit. The club's closing time, two o'clock in the morning, was swiftly approaching, and neither could find the rest of their friends.
Hinata was drunk, for sure. Naruto held an arm around her back to keep her upright as they headed for the exit, "Let's just head out. We're all going to the same place anyway." His words were slurred and uneven, as he'd had his fair share of alcohol, too.
After somehow hailing a cab and returning to the dorms, Hinata hugged Naruto's arm between both of hers as they stumbled up what felt like a million steps.
Hinata seemed to refocus despite not having been unconscious in what felt like the blink of an eye. It was because Naruto was suddenly kissing her. She thought they were sitting on a bed, hers, and his hands were in her hair while hers clutched at his shirt. Never in her life had she kissed someone, but it felt incredible, so she kept on.
Her voice didn't sound like hers when Naruto pulled back momentarily to pull his shirt off over his head, "Am I doing this right?" A quiet, happy sound rumbled through her chest when she opened her eyes to see that Naruto had a great body with muscles in all the right places.
Then the blonde man kissed her again, speaking through each press of his lips to hers as his hands danced down, "You're doing great. Can I touch you? God, I wanna touch you." He rushed through his answer to her question, too focused on his own.
Hinata nodded quickly, "Me too? Can I-" "Yeah, Hina, go ahead." Naruto was as eager to experience the Hyuuga girl as he was cautious not to do anything without consent.
Hands explored hot, sweaty skin, and tongues danced almost frantically as the pair made their way under the covers. An unfamiliar, brilliant heat began pooling between Hinata's legs when Naruto first laid a hand on her, and its temperature rose with each minute that passed after that.
He eventually tore his lips from hers, dipping down to kiss her neck, knicking her skin occasionally with a soft love bite. The inexperienced girl didn't know what to do about the sensations she was feeling and drunkenly informed her partner of her condition, "I'm so hot right now!" Her voice was breathy and soft in a way she'd never heard in the past.
Some sort of groan vibrated Naruto's chest, and he turned his face more toward her ear, breathing just as heavily as her, "Should I stop?"
Hinata made a disgruntled sound instantly, "No, don't! Just…. Just help me undress." Maybe removing the stuffy dress would bring her some satisfaction.
Naruto sat on his knees, helping Hinata sit up so he could reach behind her and unzip the dress that hugged her body as tightly as a glove. Then they drunkenly removed it, tossing the clothing item haphazardly away.
Calloused hands met damp skin, offering gentle yet energetic caresses and grips in a way that made Hinata squirm. She slowly lay back down, eyes dancing over Naruto's sensual appearance. His knees were on either side of her, and the moonlight coming in from the window put a shadow over his body that was incredibly flattering.
Lavender eyes traveled down, blue ones taking in the girl's reaction, to his pants, where something had obviously hardened and wanted to be released from its clothing prison. With inexperienced hands, Hinata unbuttoned Naruto's belt, unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, and then ran a hand up his torso to feel the firmness of his body under her fingers.
Naruto hovered over her, then, a hand on either side of her head to support his weight. Before he could speak, Hinata breathed out, staring at his lips and hoping he'd kiss her again, "What do I do? I'm still so hot."
The blonde man's blue eyes were hazy and unfocused in his inebriation, "Wanna do it?"
Hinata couldn't comprehend what "it" meant in her state, but she nodded anyway because everything the man had done to her since their meeting had been stellar. Maybe he knew how to cool her down. He didn't seem surprised or confused at all by anything she did, so she put her trust in his judgment.
The pair removed the remains of their clothing before Naruto reached over to fumble for something on the nightstand. Hinata panted for breath, hands on either of his thighs and eyes struggling to tear from the male body part she'd yet to see in person until that point, "What're you doing? Can I do something to help?"
The man straightened his torso with his blue eyes dark and dancing over her sultry, nude body, "Fuck, you're doing more than enough, believe me."
Naruto began kissing her again, to her delight, only this time, one of his hands danced down her body and between her legs to the epicenter of the heat. Hinata's body jerked in surprise when he first began exploring her most intimate place.
The woman's brow raised when, after a few moments, his fingers brushed against something that sent lava and electricity up her spine. A moan interrupted their kiss, and Hinata tried to look down between their bodies so she could see exactly what he was doing that felt so good.
The man's voice was lower, quieter, as he studied her face, "There? You like it right there?"
Curious lavender eyes raised to meet his, and she nodded, mouth half-open as she breathed more heavily through the pleasure.
"I'm gonna go down, okay?"
Hinata nodded, still not completely aware of what was happening but having a fantastic time. Naruto moved lower on the bed so he could replace his fingers with his mouth. "O-Oh, God!" Her voice raised slightly because she hadn't expected the pleasure to rise so significantly.
She gripped the sheets, arched her back, and stared at the ceiling in disbelief as the gorgeous man between her legs spoke while continuing his work, "You have such a pretty voice."
Hinata couldn't respond to his compliment, instead trying to communicate her surprise, "No one's ever-! This is-! Mmm…."
Naruto drunkenly slurred, "Really? You're dating the wrong guys, Hina."
The woman couldn't reply because something began changing about the fire in her loins. It started swirling, twisting, and boiling into something more intense. She could feel her muscles tightening, untightening, and then doing it all over again as her breathing increased.
One moment she was confused and curious, and then it was as though the flames spread up her spine, turned into electricity, and then shot back down to the little bundle of nerves Naruto's tongue was expertly massaging. When he realized what was happening, Naruto opened his eyes and watched with intrigue as the dark-haired woman trembled.
The moment came to pass, leaving the Hyuuga heiress stunned that the human body could feel like that and a little upset she hadn't experienced it until then. Naruto straightened his spine, tore open some sort of wrapper with his teeth, spat it away, and then reached down to put something over his penis.
Then he came down on top of his partner, glancing between her face and her body as he lined himself up, "You alright? Can you keep going?"
"There's more?! What could possibly be better than that?" Hinata wondered, but she wasn't sure if she had said it aloud. Either way, she nodded, head cloudy and full of dizziness from the alcohol.
A sharp pressure shot through her lower body suddenly, and she hissed in pain. Naruto kissed her a few times as he slowly began moving his hips. The room span as Hinata laid beneath the man's much larger body, unsure if she should say something or just wait and see if the discomfort faded.
Naruto's hand traveled around her waist to press against her back, pressing her chest up against his as he steadily increased the speed and effort of his movements. Somehow, arching her back like that made the pain begin to recede. Hinata reacted for the first time since this new process began, running her fingers through his soft hair and holding onto his strong shoulder.
The tongue in her mouth disappeared, and her partner raised himself slightly to see her face, "You're quiet now."
He pressed his forehead against hers, looking down between their bodies to watch where he was entering before bringing his knees under her bottom and lifting her body slightly with both hands gripping her waist tightly as he bent over her. Naruto changed the speed, the angle, and the force he moved with until a shock of pleasure suddenly erupted up Hinata's spine like before, only better. The woman mewled, fingers twitching as she was tempted to reach between her legs to make the heat build more quickly.
The blonde sighed, relieved, "There we go; that's better, huh?"
Hinata nodded, clutching his hands as they held her waist. Slowly and steadily, the bundle of nerves in her lower body began to tighten and coil, but it was more difficult to not squirm or move her hips. Naruto seemed to sense her yearning for a change because he reacted smoothly when she sat up and pushed his chest until he was lying down, his legs slightly bent.
Then, just like when she was kissing him, Hinata did anything and everything that felt good. A minute or two later, the timid woman straightened her spine, moving her hips just the right way as she gasped, "I-It's going to happen again!" Naruto's hands, that'd previously been exploring her body with vigor, dropped down to her hips so he could aid in the movement.
Hinata's hazy and drunken gaze locked onto his face when he suddenly moaned and tossed his head back, "If you keep doing it like that, I'm gonna-"
Maybe it was the movements or seeing such an attractive expression on his face, but Hinata fell into the abyss for the second time in one night. When Naruto gasped, something felt different inside her, like something was moving or pulsing, and then they were both panting for breath, covered in sweat, and exhausted.
Hinata's eyes shot open with a start sometime later, early in the morning, when the sun was just beginning to rise. The memories from the previous night returned instantly because a gorgeous, not to mention naked, blonde man lay beside her on a bed that she then realized was not hers.
Tears welled in her eyes as she gingerly removed his arm from around her and slid out of bed to not wake him. She felt sick, and it wasn't just because of the hangover. Luckily, Naruto's roommate wasn't present to see her shamefully locating her abandoned clothes, shoes, and purse. Her bra was missing, and she couldn't risk spending too much time searching for it, or else Naruto might wake. After dressing, she offered the sleeping man one last glance before stepping out into the hall.
Her anxiety heightened with each step she took out of the building, down the sidewalk, and into her own dorm. To her dismay, a sock was on the door when she arrived. Even someone as sheltered as Hinata knew what that meant.
So, the distraught woman sank to the floor beside the door with her head in her hands as the tears finally overflowed. The tightening in her chest became so severe it felt like she was on the verge of a heart attack, and it became hard to breathe as she recalled all the out-of-character things she'd done last night. It was a mistake not to put her anxiety medication in her purse. It was in the dorm with Tenten and whatever guy she'd brought home.
It wasn't a big mistake as sleeping with Naruto, though.
She honestly might die from the humiliation. When he wakes up and remembers what they did, what she did, he would think an array of things about her, none of which were good. He would think she was easy, a slut who slept with whoever, whenever. He'd also think she wasn't a good one because she had no idea what she was doing last night. Sure, it felt good, great, in fact, but she didn't know if he'd agree.
The door to the dorm opened, and Hinata looked up to see Neji looking down at her, both unbearably stunned. He overcame it first by hurrying into the dorm to retrieve her medication and a bottle of water. Trembling like a leaf and on the verge of fainting, Hinata took the pill and allowed him to help her to her feet. When she glanced inside the room, she saw that Tenten was still asleep, meaning Neji was doing something similar to her.
The Hyuuga man looked over his cousin's appearance, jaw flexing angrily at the small love mark on her lower chest, almost covered by her dress. By the way she held her arms around herself, it was apparent she was attempting to hide that she wasn't wearing a bra, too.
Hinata frowned, wiping her eyes, "P-Please don't tell F-Father about this."
He silently held her gaze before shaking his head, "You weren't hurt, were you?"
The heiress didn't expect him to say that, of all things, and denied it quickly, "N-N-No! I-I'm alright."
"Then why are you having a panic attack right now?" Neji was there during that gap year when his cousin could barely hold a conversation without feeling overwhelmed, so he was familiar with her tells.
Hinata wiped at her tears some more, "I-It's complicated. I'm sorry, b-b-but can I please go in? I need a shower."
The older Hyuuga relented and turned to descend the stairs after one last glance at her disarrayed appearance. Hinata entered the dorm feeling worse about herself than she had in a long time.
As she showered, she thought about the man with whom she'd just spent the night. At the club, he seemed at least a little interested in her. Hinata had been homeschooled, but she had access to the internet, movies, and television, so she could deduce that much. They'd talked about everything from school to their favorite fruit.
"If only I hadn't ruined it by sleeping with him, he might've asked me on a date. At the very least, we could've been friends," she thought.
Hinata Hyuuga was no longer a virgin. Last night, she was beyond irresponsible and allowed something to happen that shouldn't have when both parties were so inebriated. Naruto couldn't be blamed, either, because she remembered him asking for consent and verifying that she wanted to go through with it a second time.
And she said yes.
She's the one who said yes, so it's all her fault. The timid woman couldn't even fault him for not realizing she was a virgin. He was just as drunk as her.
A glimmer of hope lifted Hinata's spirits as she realized there was a slight chance the man had blacked out and wouldn't remember it. Then she felt guilty because no one should go through the traumatizing experience of not remembering a sexual encounter, man or woman.
Whatever the outcome or consequences of her actions, she'll just have to take responsibility.
The following day, Hinata did something she'd never done, calling in sick to her job and classes. She wasn't completely lying, either, because her panic attack in the hallway took a lot out of her. Physically, she felt weak, light on her feet, and nauseous. Mentally, she was drained from having her mind race for nearly twenty-four hours straight.
Contrary to what she should've done, Hinata all but shunned Tenten when the girl awoke yesterday, especially when she catered to her anxiety the most out of the three girls that'd accompanied her to the club. The only thing Hinata had said to her since then was a reassurance that nothing terrible had happened and that she didn't blame her for leaving the group to hang out with Neji.
By Tuesday, Hinata had recovered enough to feel too guilty to call in again. So, she counted to one hundred over and over while completing drink orders, thankful no one expected her to work with customers today.
In a rare, slow moment, Sakura came to stand near the shy woman as she cleaned her workspace in preparation for the next rush, "I owe you big time, Hinata!" The girl in question made a weak, inquisitive sound but didn't look at the pinkette.
Sakura either didn't notice or did and was pretending things were normal in an attempt to avoid an awkward atmosphere, "I've had a crush on Sasuke since last year, and because of you, he finally knows I exist! What do you want as a thank-you gift? I've been saving up, so don't be shy!"
Hinata shook her head dismissively, a deep gnawing eating at her chest. "Please go away. It's nothing personal; I just need to be left alone for a few days," She thought it but couldn't bring herself to say the words out loud.
"Hinata, are you alright? Tenten said you've been acting weird ever since yesterday. Did something happen? Are you mad at us?"
The girl in question's eyes watered up, so she squeezed them shut, shook her head, and excused herself to flee to the bathroom until more customers arrived so Sakura wouldn't have time to talk. The pink-haired girl tried to speak to her once through the door but left when she didn't receive a response.
Guilt was stacking up rather quickly for Hinata. Not only had she taken advantage of Naruto's kindness, but now she was icing out the only people who'd ever attempted to befriend her. The worst part was that she had no idea why she was doing it. Sakura, Ino, and Tenten did nothing wrong, nothing to deserve being treated so coldly. So why couldn't she stop acting this way?
For the remainder of the morning shift, Hinata avoided Sakura. The girl seemed to give up and didn't try to speak with her again, anyway.
Her stomach was in knots as she sat in the back row of her day's last class. Earlier, she nearly ran into Ino in the hallway and had shamefully ducked into a nearby closet to hide. To make things worse, she and Tenten, who must've gotten her phone number at some point the night they went clubbing, were blowing her phone up with text messages and calls because Sakura told them about what happened at work.
Hinata rested her forehead in her palm as she looked down at the screen of her phone, musing, "Six missed calls and twenty-two unread text messages. I don't think I've ever received this many notifications."
Her teeth gritted tightly as the screen lit up, signaling an incoming call from Tenten. The device was silent, so it didn't disturb the quickly-filling room of students. Hinata stared at the screen with dull eyes and a lethargic feeling.
"You not gonna answer that? Class doesn't start for another five minutes."
Jumping in fright, Hinata nearly fell out of her chair as she looked over to see Kiba stifling a laugh in response to her reaction. Tenten's attempt to reach her ended, and the screen returned to displaying notifications.
Kiba noticed, eyes wide with amazement, "Whoa, someone really wants to get ahold of you! You must've been popular in high school or somethin', huh?"
Hinata snatched the phone up and put it in her bag, pointedly ignoring the young man and staring straight ahead with a pen and notebook ready to take notes. He, unlike Sakura, immediately commented on the odd behavior, "Was I being too nosy? Sorry! Don't be mad!"
The woman's heartbeat quickened, the grip on her pen tightening as she fought not to react to him.
"Hinata- It was Hinata, right? Do you not remember me? My name's Kiba. We met on Saturday night. I'm Naruto and Sasuke's friend."
Sighing defeatedly, the Hyuuga woman nodded, eyes falling to the desk, "I-I remember you."
There was a short, silent pause. "...Is there something wrong, then?"
She shook her head, feeling her panic rising, and mentally trying to use the coping skills her therapist taught her so no one would notice.
"You weren't here yesterday, too. Are you sick? Want me to walk you to the infirmary or maybe your dorm? I don't mind. We can-" The man's mouth clamped shut when a tear fell from Hinata's face to land on the blank paper on the desk, then another, and then a third one.
Fingers shaking, Hinata gestured dismissively at him before he could even ask, turning her face away so he couldn't see her wiping at her tears.
To her utter surprise, Kiba began talking as though what'd just happened hadn't, "You know, I almost didn't recognize you when I came in just now. You look super different with glasses." He laughed sheepishly, "If I'm being honest, I didn't even know you were in this class until the professor asked if anyone knew where you were yesterday."
For some reason, the casual way he spoke as though nothing was wrong helped Hinata calm down. The tears stopped, but she kept her face turned away and listened as Kiba continued to babble, "Did you know Sai and Ino are dating now? Talk about moving quickly. They just met! I guess that's how Ino's always been, though. I went to high school with her. If you think I talk too much, wait until you spend a full day with that girl."
The professor arrived, and the class quieted down, so he lowered his voice to a whisper, "She and I dated, you know."
Hinata couldn't stop herself from turning to meet his gaze, eyes wide in surprise.
Kiba grinned, nodding, "It was, uh…. Three years ago, I think. She dumped me for Shikamaru, then dumped him for another guy. For some reason, Shika and I became friends after that. Trauma bonding, eh?"
Throughout the two-hour-long class, the young man would whisper little funny tidbits of info about his friends. It didn't make sense to Hinata, but by the end of the lesson, her chest felt lighter, and she wasn't on the verge of crying like she had been for the past two days.
As everyone gathered their belongings and began vacating the room to go to their next class or home if they had no more, Kiba stood and stretched his arms above his head with a loud yawn, "Hey, you wanna exchange numbers?"
Hinata tensed halfway through shoving her notebook into her bag, causing him to panic, "I'm not trying to hit on you or anything! I just wanna be friends!"
Cautiously, the girl got to her feet and faced him fully for the first time, searching his face silently. Kiba's happy-go-lucky facade dropped, and his smile became reassuring rather than joking, "Here, at least take mine. If you ever need someone to talk to or wanna hang out, don't hesitate, okay?"
He handed the shy woman a small piece of paper with his phone number, offered one more grin, and then left the room without another word.
When Hinata returned to her dorm, she was surprised to find Tenten inside, looking like a worried mess. She pulled the Hyuuga girl inside the rest of the way and looked over her appearance, "Something had to have happened on Saturday. What is it? Did someone hurt you? Sakura said Sasuke's dad and brother are cops. I'll ask her to call him if you want."
After going through the last two hours with Kiba showing an unexpected amount of understanding, Hinata finally gave in and burst into tears, shaking her head, "N-No, don't do that."
Tenten guided her to the bed, sitting silently at her side to show she was ready to listen. Hinata frowned at her hands, allowing the tears to drip freely from her chin onto her shirt and lap, "N-N-Naruto and I hooked up."
Tenten was silent momentarily before asking, "...That's it? You slept with a hot guy? What's there to be upset about?"
"Because I was a virgin!"
The brunette woman's mouth clamped shut. Slowly, the stunned expression on her face morphed into one of understanding, "Does he know? Has he said anything?"
The younger woman shrugged, "I-I left before he woke up and haven't seen him since. I-I-I don't want to see him. I'm t-too ashamed."
Sharp eyebrows furrowed, "Why would you be ashamed? Sure, you're a little late to the party, but everyone loses their virginity at some point. Naruto doesn't seem the type to care about that kinda thing."
Hinata turned her torso to meet her roommate's eye, finally admitting her problem since they first met: "I was homeschooled. I-I've never even had a friend."
She lifted her hands, palms up as though asking the powers that be to explain why she was this way, before letting them fall heavily back into her lap, "And N-Naruto was nice to me from the start. I-I wanted to be his friend, b-b-but I ruined it!" Her tears flowed more heavily as she sobbed, covering her eyes with one hand.
Tenten rubbed her back soothingly, her voice softer, "Hey, don't think like that. There's no point in crying when you aren't even sure how Naruto feels yet. Besides, if he doesn't wanna be your friend, you've still got the girls and me, right? We'll take good care of you, promise!"
Hinata's hand slowly fell, watery eyes wide, "W-We're friends?"
Tenten laughed, "Well, duh! Do you think we'd be this worried about you if we weren't? Friends that take tequila shots together stay together!"
So, Hinata called Ino and Sakura to apologize for ghosting them, and all became calm between the four girls. The substantial low she'd been experiencing appeared to lift ever-so-slightly. She thought things were looking up, that normalcy was on the horizon for three days; that changed when Naruto walked into their professional communications class.
The Hyuuga woman opted for back-row seating in almost all of her lessens because professors wouldn't call on those they couldn't see, but Naruto's deep blue eyes locked onto her instantly, and then he was coming her way.
Hinata thought she was over it. She felt she could let go of the mortifying situation, but she was wrong. As the blonde man approached, every atom of her being was screaming at her to flee.
There wasn't a safe place to look, either. If she looked at his hands, she was reminded of how skillfully his fingers had moved even when he was drunk. If she looked at his torso, the memory of how the sweat had glistened on his skin. Worst of all, if she met his gaze, it felt like he was looking right at her soul and would be able to tell she was a tragically pitiful human being.
The moment he got close enough to speak, Hinata's body moved independently. She shot to her feet, grabbed her stuff, and hurried down the steps on the opposite side of the room.
"Hinata, wait!" Naruto called despite the classroom almost being full. She could feel dozens of pairs of eyes on her as she fled.
The door closed behind her, and she briskly hurried down the hallway toward the stairs, so she could leave the building and return to her dorm. There weren't many people around because classes were starting within the next couple of minutes.
"I'm going to have to drop that class or see if they offer it at a different time. I can't face him…. I'm so embarrassed!"
If Naruto didn't take her for a slut, then he had to take her for a sheltered loser, which was what she truly was. Even Tenten said it was rare for someone to be a virgin at their age.
Her chest suddenly felt so tight that it was hard to breathe, and her skin felt ice cold despite her insides taking on a burning sensation.
"Medicine! I need my medicine, or I'm going to faint!"
Hinata fumbled to reach into her bag for her inhaler, which she used only for emergencies, but her hands trembled so severely that it fell off her shoulder, its contents spilling out onto the floor. She dropped to her knees, frantically searching for it, only for someone to crouch before her. They began gathering her items with steadier hands.
"Are you alright? What's wrong?"
Her brow furrowed when their voice was familiar, and a breathless sound of disbelief passed her lips as she returned to her task, giving up and simply turning her bag upside down so the rest of its contents would fall out.
"There it is!"
Hinata's vision blurred as she reached for the inhaler, and she could feel herself falling forward.
"H-Hinata, hey!"
Naruto's panicked voice was the last thing she heard before losing consciousness completely.
When Hinata woke, she was in the infirmary with Tenten and Kiba at her bedside. Her roommate sighed in relief, running a hand through her messy hair before frowning, "You should've told me about your condition. Passing out like that is dangerous!"
Kiba just sat there with an uncomfortable expression. When he noticed her unsure gaze, he explained, "Naruto thinks it's his fault you fainted, so I'm here on his behalf."
That's when Hinata recalled the events that led to her waking up here, and she sat up quickly, "I-I-I need to go! T-Tell him that I-I'm sorry, okay?"
Tenten laid a hand on her shoulder, guiding her back to the bed, "I know you didn't ask for my advice, but I think you should just talk to him. He seems like a nice guy. I bet he's just as worried as we've been."
Kiba seemed confused, "Did something happen between you guys?"
Tenten and Hinata shared a look, which wordlessly confirmed the man's question.
His posture straightened, and he hissed, "Wait a minute; you guys slept together?"
Tenten raised a fist at him, "If you tell a single soul, I'll make sure you'll never be capable of having children."
The man dismissively waved his hands, shaking his head, before returning to his state of disbelief. He leaned back in his chair and brought a hand to loosely cover his mouth, slowly dragging it down to fall into his lap as his eyes dazed over, "Now it all makes sense."
Hinata couldn't help but ask, "What makes sense?"
The young man seemed to snap out of it, frowning, "Naruto's been acting weird, too. I thought maybe he was catching a cold or something."
Tenten asked, since Hinata was too nervous, "What kind of person is he? He won't make fun of Hinata or go around telling people stuff, right?"
Kiba looked almost offended on the blonde man's behalf, "What? No! Are you kidding? The guy's an idiot, but he'd never do something like that."
The Hyuuga woman almost let out a sigh of relief. Almost.
Tenten and Kiba exchanged numbers after that. With Sai and Ino dating, Sasuke and Sakura seeming to be quote-unquote talking, and a few of them haven gone to the same high schools. The guys and girls that met at the club on Saturday night seemed to be coming together into one big friend group.
After work the next day, Hinata attended her Saturday classes. To her surprise, Sasuke Uchiha initiated a conversation, albeit unenthusiastically. While organizing her items atop her desk, she'd been sneaking glances at the stoic man and wondering if he needed a pen today.
"Is there something you want to say?"
Hinata jumped, startled, "N-Nope!"
"Then why do you keep looking at me? It's annoying."
With a blush, the Hyuuga girl dropped her gaze to her desk, "Sorry…."
It was silent between the pair for an extended moment before Sasuke unexpectedly spoke again, "I'll give you Naruto's number if you give me your pink-haired friend's."
Hinata turned her torso toward him with wide eyes, "W-W-What? Why would I-I-" "You two were into each other at the club. Don't deny it. He had a girl over that night; I know it was you. Now give me the pink one's number."
She continued to sputter in disbelief, "N-No, it wasn't me!"
Sasuke's bored gaze turned onto her, finally, and he lifted an eyebrow quizzically, "Really, now? Because she forgot her bra, and her boobs are the exact same size as yours."
Unconsciously, Hinata crossed her arms over her chest. She'd forgotten about the fact that she'd been unable to locate her bra. It was the cutest one she owned, too, so it stung that much more.
She couldn't find the words to say and turned a deeper shade of red as they stared at one another silently.
Sasuke, without looking, scooted his notebook closer to Hinata and pointed at it haphazardly, "Pinkie's phone number; now."
The Hyuuga woman had been bested. With her head low in shame, she begrudgingly wrote down Sakura's number before stubbornly facing the front and waiting for class to begin. Oddly enough, Sasuke didn't make her as nervous as most others because of his blatant indifference. He likely couldn't care less about her, which was fine.
Her elbows slid as her notebook was pulled, almost resulting in her smacking her face on the desk. When she looked over to see what he was doing, she realized he was holding up his end of the bargain and writing down Naruto's phone number.
That wasn't why she agreed to give him Sakura's number, so she waved her hands dismissively as he wrote, "N-No, stop that. I-I-I don't want it."
Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Well, he wants you to have it. Reject him for all I care, but at least text him so he'll stop moping."
Hinata paused, awkwardly searching the usually quiet man's face. He met her eye again, visibly irritated, "What now?"
"...D-Did he…tell you anything?" She couldn't help but ask. She had to know.
Sasuke's frown deepened, brow furrowing, "He won't even admit it was you, so what makes you think he'd give up details?"
Hinata was relieved, but the reassurance didn't bring solace to her unease about the situation as a whole.
The Uchiha man stared back momentarily before sighing defeatedly and lowering his voice to barely above a whisper, "He's been more obnoxious than usual, zoning out and sighing all the time. The dumbass barely leaves our dorm. Whatever you did, fix it."
He pointed at the phone number he'd scribbled onto the corner of her notebook, "Do it, or I'll hang your bra from the flagpole and tell everyone it's yours."
Swallowing nervously, Hinata nodded because she genuinely believed he'd do it, "A-Alright, fine! Stop it already." As though trying to prove her intentions, she pulled out her phone and began creating a contact for Naruto.
She thought the conversation was done, but Sasuke Uchiha appeared to be in a talkative mood because he mumbled almost shyly, "By the way, what's her name?"
Hinata raised her eyebrows at him, "I introduced her to you; how-" "I was drunk, okay? Just tell me her damn name."
"S-Sakura. Her name's Sakura."
In her peripheral vision, the Hyuuga woman noticed the slightest lift at the corner of his lips but said nothing else as the class had begun.
Another week passed, packed to the brim of Hinata avoiding Naruto while becoming better acquainted with the others in their shared friend group. Every night she would type out a message to the number Sasuke gave her, erase it, retype it, erase it again, and then give up and try to get some sleep.
Time usually helped the timid woman embrace challenging situations, but not this time. She couldn't even step foot into the professional communications classroom because she was too afraid Naruto would try to talk to her again.
It wasn't until the following Saturday night that things finally changed.
"We're going to a party at the public college; You're coming," Ino demanded of Hinata as she stormed into the dorm room, Sakura in tow.
Tenten's eyes danced quickly between her roommate and their friends, "I don't know guys, she's just now starting to get over what happened…."
Hinata's face warmed. She'd also confided in Sakura and Ino, so they knew the truth about what was really bothering her. Despite feeling slightly uneasy, the shy Hyuuga interrupted, "A-Actually, it might be good for me to g-go out and relax." She couldn't let her stupid little issues control her for the rest of her life. Sure, she messed things up with Naruto, but that didn't mean she had to dwell on it for all eternity.
So, the group of girls dressed up, not quite as much as they had for the club, and took a cab to Konoha's public college across town. The party was being held at a large house that was being rented by a group of students, and it was located just a couple blocks from the college's main buildings. The thump of loud music's bass could be heard from the sidewalk as the girls exited the vehicle.
"Alright, ladies, you know the drill: don't drink anything you didn't see being poured, and let everyone know if you leave so we don't have a repeat of last time," Tenten instructed in a leader-esk voice.
Then they went inside.
Hinata didn't feel right, not at all.
She took Tenten's advice and only drank drinks she poured for herself, but even in her unstable state, she felt like someone had slipped her something. Tenten and Ino left almost an hour ago, notifying the others through the group text because the blonde girl drank too much and felt sick. It was around midnight when that happened. It was also around that time that Hinata lost track of Sakura in the crowded house.
It was hot, but not in a good way like it'd been when she was with Naruto. Someone was pulling her into a dark room with a tight grip around her wrist. She wasn't sure who was tugging her along, either. Her back hit a wall out of nowhere, and someone's lips were pressed roughly against hers, their hands greedily feeling her curves as though it was their god-given right.
Hinata had only drunk two drinks. They weren't that strong either because she'd made them herself. Maybe that was why she was able to resist the stranger's affection.
"No…I-I...Who are you? I don't like this…."
It felt more challenging than usual to lift her hands and shove against the person's chest as though weights had been tied to her wrists. Strong fingers wrapped around her palms and pressed them against the wall as their owner continued their assault.
Tears welled in her eyes even though she couldn't keep them open long. Her eyelids were as heavy as her limbs. In a moment of desperation, she regained her wits enough to knee the tall man between the legs. A deep voice rumbled out curses, but Hinata didn't stick around to see if he was alright. No, she dashed out of the room and stumbled into the crowded living room, hoping her attacker would lose sight of her and give up.
The poor girl wasn't so lucky. While searching for Sakura, ready to leave, someone grabbed onto Hinata's purse's strap. Over the loud music, she recognized the angry voice speaking nonsense to her as the same person who'd pulled her into that room earlier.
"L-Let go!"
The room spun and swirled, but she managed to comprehend that she was in danger when the stranger didn't release her purse and made a grab for her wrist as they had earlier.
Left with no choice, the Hyuuga woman let her purse fall off her shoulder and rushed as steadily as possible to the exit, successfully slipping out into the cold autumn air. When the door reopened behind her, she ran, ignoring the rage-filled male voice that cursed and called after her.
It may have been five minutes, but it also might've been an hour. All she knew was that she had no idea where she was when she suddenly awoke in a dark alleyway. Cold brick was against her back as she slumped against it.
"Is that man still chasing me? I can hardly think straight," Hinata fretted.
The tights she wore under her dress were torn at the knees, and they were both bleeding. Obviously, she'd fallen at some point, but she couldn't recall it. Groaning, she pulled her phone out of her dress's pocket and realized her palms were also scuffed.
The dim light of her screen sent a strong wave of dizziness over the girl. It took nearly ten seconds for her to adjust, and then she called Sakura. It rang all the way through to her voicemail, as did Tenten and Ino's numbers when she tried them.
A sudden sound at the end of the alleyway shook her, and she looked for a sign of life but found none. Her heart was still palpitating stressfully. Drugged and a little drunk, Hinata was terrified and had no idea what to do. If she left the alleyway, that man might find her, but she couldn't just spend the night outside.
"I can't call Neji. If he finds out I've gotten myself into another upsetting situation, he might tell Dad this time," she thought.
Hinata scrolled through her contact list, worried tears rolling down her cheeks as she fought a wave of dizziness. Her pearly eyes darted anxiously as more movement sounds came from the far end of the alley.
"The only other people who might be close enough to help are Kiba and Naruto…."
Had she been sober, she would've opted for the Inuzuka man, but she wasn't, so she hit the tiny green phone icon next to Naruto's name. A breath caught in her throat when he picked up after four rings because she was sure he wouldn't answer.
"Hello?"
Hinata couldn't speak because she couldn't breathe.
"Is someone there? I'm gonna hang up."
"No, please don't!" Her voice was unsteady, her inebriation evident.
"...Who is this?"
The dreadful sound of footsteps came from the end of the alley, and Hinata tried to make herself smaller, bringing her knees to her chest as terrified tears rolled down her cheeks, "I-I need help…. Can you help me? There's this guy who-" Her words cut off when the soft rumble of male voices floated through the air, and she saw a group of them pass the alleyway.
"Is that you, Hinata? What guy? Are you alright? You sound weird."
Trembling and scared, the Hyuuga girl was so off-kilter and confused that she couldn't do anything except cry as she held the phone in both of her scuffed hands and stared down at Naruto's blurry name.
"Where are you?"
She sniffled, "I-I-I don't know. I'm so dizzy."
There was a long pause, but Naruto eventually responded in a slightly breathless voice, "Stay where you are. We're coming to get you. Don't hang up, Hinata."
Hinata hissed at the sting on her knees, sitting her phone on the concrete as she rested her forehead on her bent knees in an attempt to still the spinning world. Five minutes passed, then ten, and then fifteen. Naruto would make sure she was still on the line every so often, which snapped her out of a drugged haze repeatedly.
Twenty minutes after first calling Naruto, a car's headlights suddenly shined down the alleyway, and Hinata tried to scramble to her feet to hide just in case it wasn't the blonde man, but her body was too heavy to lift. Eyes wide, teeth gritted, and tears in her eyes, Hinata cowered further into herself as footsteps came closer and closer.
"Hinata!"
The Hyuuga woman's brow furrowed when a breathless and visibly concerned Naruto jogged up to her, a frowning Sasuke Uchiha slightly behind him, albeit more composed. She tried to get to her feet but couldn't.
A strong arm came around her waist and quickly pulled her upright, "Hinata, what happened? You're bleeding!" The girl could only lift a trembling hand to her head as she stumbled and wobbled, causing Naruto to pull her against his side.
Sasuke's unenthusiastic voice barely registered as Hinata suddenly became encaptured by Naruto's scent and froze, "Someone probably roofied her. Sakura said they were going to a party tonight."
The mention of her pink-haired friend snapped her out of her daze, "S-Sakura! I couldn't- She didn't answer…." She was helped down the alley and into a car.
Naruto sat in the backseat with her, taking her hands into his, "Was someone chasing you?"
Hinata simply stared at the man's handsome face, unable to grasp that he was really there before her. Time passed as Sasuke drove to the party to search for Sakura after getting the address from her phone. Hinata passed out before they arrived.
Before she could even open her eyes, Hinata groaned. The dizziness and confusion had finally receded, leaving her with a headache, a dry mouth, and aches from her scuffed hands and knees.
"Here, Hina, drink some water."
She blinked a few times before widening her eyes. Naruto was knelt beside the bed she was lying on and seemed to be in the process of bandaging her palms. She ignored his request.
"Oh, god. I can't believe I called him! As if I hadn't embarrassed myself enough already."
The blonde man moved back as she slowly sat up. When she recognized Sakura's pink hair, Hinata realized they'd taken her to their dorm. Sasuke was asleep with the young woman, but their faces weren't visible because the blanket was too high.
"Are you alright? Do you feel sick?"
Hinata's eyes darted to meet Narutos before immediately welling up with tears. Her chest began to tighten, "N-Naruto, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have called you."
Blue eyes narrowed slightly, making the man almost seem angry, only for them to soften with defeat, "No, I'm sorry. I should've been more careful." He was obviously referring to their night together.
Hinata whispered, voice wavering as she watched him return to wrapping a bandage around her hand, "It was my fault, not yours. I-I should've said something. I…. I-I'm so embarrassed." Her voice faded toward the end of her sentence, and she turned her head with closed eyes, trying to keep herself calm and not doing a very good job of it.
Naruto took his time coming up with a response, keeping his voice low to not wake the others in the room, "You have nothing to be embarrassed about. If I never realized that you were…. Well, it was amazing. I had a good time."
Hinata's eyes shot to his face, and he grinned sheepishly, "Am I an asshole for thinking like that?"
Her mouth opened, closed, opened again, and then she gave up speaking and shook her head.
Naruto's expression turned into one of discomfort, "I can't blame you for being scared of me now."
"S-Scared? Why would you-" She closed her mouth as she recalled fainting in the hallway after running into the man in class.
Her fingers curled over the now-finished bandages on her palms, face warming as she averted her gaze again, "I-I have an anxiety disorder. I'm better at managing it than I used to be, but I've been struggling lately. It wasn't because of anything you did."
The blonde man appeared visibly relieved by the news, smiling as he tilted his head, "So you don't hate me, then?"
Hinata's heartbeat quickened at the attractive sight, swallowing nervously, "No. I just…. I-I know how pathetic I must seem to you now, and I didn't want…." She sighed defeatedly and gave up on her explanation because she couldn't find the right words.
Naruto simply stared as she fidgeted and avoided his gaze. When their eyes finally met, she looked around again as though only just realizing where she was, "I should go. Thank you for helping me."
The blonde man got to his feet as she did, appearing utterly confused, "What? It's the middle of the night; why not just stay over?"
Hinata tried to look anywhere but at him as she gathered her purse, which she had no idea how they found, and began pulling her shoes onto her feet, "I…." Her pearly eyes briefly landed on his bed, reminding her of the night they spent together and setting her nerves further on edge.
Naruto stepped into her line of sight with an expression that said he was figuring out what she was upset about, "It's not like I'm gonna force myself on you. I'll sleep on the floor if it makes you feel better."
The two held one another's gaze for an incredibly long moment of silence before Hinata slowly shook her head, slipping out of the room without another word. The blonde man didn't move to stop her, either.
In the morning, Sakura and Ino found their way to Tenten and Hinata's dorm, where the four girls caught one another up on the previous night's events. As it turned out, Sakura hadn't answered her phone because she'd dropped it, and the screen shattered.
Ino and Tenten had simply fallen asleep before Hinata tried to contact them. The latter successfully went to sleep in her own bed, but Ino had drunkenly managed to get her boyfriend to come over.
When Hinata told the girls what'd happened between her and Naruto, they didn't ask many questions because it was understood that the Hyuuga woman was too ashamed to befriend him. They'd met one another two nights, and both were tarnished somehow.
A week passed.
Naruto texted Hinata several times over the remainder of the weekend, asking her to meet so they could talk, but she didn't reply. By Monday, the blonde man had taken the hint and didn't approach her in person, either. Anytime their friends brought up the other, they'd find a way out of the conversation.
Hinata was at odds. No matter how much she avoided Naruto and told herself they needed space for a while, she also struggled to see him as just a friend. For the first time in her life, she had feelings for someone. She found it ironic that it was someone she had ruined her chances with from day one.
"You're both so fucking annoying."
Sasuke Uchiha's blunt voice broke Hinata's focus, and she looked over to see him balancing his pen on his index finger with a frown. The class was almost over, and the pair hadn't spoken once since he assisted his roommate in rescuing her.
"Huh?"
The man scoffed, "You know what I'm talking about."
Hinata's eyes fell sadly to her desk as she nodded. Try as she might, she couldn't stop herself from sneaking a glance or two at Naruto in the one class they had together, and he'd looked sad. Kiba told her on Monday that he'd asked him to tell her he was sorry, which only made the Hyuuga woman feel worse about herself.
"I have to hear about you from Naruto and Sakura now. What's your problem anyway?"
Hinata felt irritation toward the man for the first time, "Why do you care?"
Sasuke didn't verbally respond, so she looked to see his jaw had flexed, and he was at least pretending to focus on what their professor was saying with a glare narrowing his eyes.
Guilt immediately panged in the girl's chest, "I-I'm sorry, Sasuke. I didn't mean to snap at you."
He sighed, choosing his next words carefully, "You like him, right?"
Blushing, Hinata suddenly found her notebook incredibly interesting, "Wh-What? N-No, I-" "You like him, and you're too mentally fucked up to do something about it."
The atmosphere became tense because his words hit her like a knife in the chest. She thought he was insulting, but the man further shocked her by lowering his gaze to the desk, "My mom struggles with that stuff, too. That doesn't mean I understand whatever's going on with you, but I know enough to say it's time to get over it. It's been weeks."
Hinata's chin quivered, but she didn't cry. Instead, she nodded, offering a humorless laugh, "T-Truth hurts, huh?"
Sasuke glanced at her, his gaze softening slightly, but he said nothing else.
Even after receiving some tough love in the form of the Uchiha man's brutal honesty, Hinata struggled to figure out how to break the ice with Naruto. They hadn't spoken since she left him confused and likely hurt, so fixing things was up to her.
Another week passed.
Friday night came along, and the girls dragged Hinata to a different club than the last time. Sasuke and Sai joined them, so Hinata felt safe enough to actually drink and try to have a good time.
Feeling relaxed and happier than she had in weeks, Hinata giggled as she and Sakura sat at the bar, the Uchiha man having gone to the men's room. The others had disappeared into the crowd of bodies on the dancefloor.
"Jiraiya's gonna be so *hic* angry tomorrow!"
Hinata nodded in agreement to her pink-haired friend's statement, "I'm going to be so useless."
Sakura nudged her in the ribs, grinning mischievously, "Just press your boobs together a little and pout; he'll get over it in a heartbeat."
An arm snaked over her shoulder, Sasuke's unamused voice barely audible over the loud music, "I better not catch you doing that."
Sakura turned on her stool to face him, "Not even to you? Shame."
The Uchiha man grabbed her hand when she offered it, eyes dancing over her appearance as she stood, "You don't have big enough boobs to pull it off."
Sakura rolled her eyes before smiling at Hinata, "You wanna come dance?"
The Hyuuga girl waved dismissively, "No, I'll watch our drinks. Have fun!"
Sasuke offered her a brief look, "Don't get into trouble."
She smiled as she turned to face the bar again. Somehow, some way, she and the Uchiha man had formed an odd kinship. Giddy that she'd finally made some good friends, Hinata tossed back the rest of her drink. She found herself at a happy medium, somewhere between tipsy and drunk, where everything was vibrant, and the smile on her lips just wouldn't disappear.
Another drink was placed before her, and she looked up to see the bartender gesture to her right before leaving to assist another patron. When she turned, she nearly fell out of her chair to see Naruto Uzumaki sitting there.
He didn't offer his usual bright grin and seemed hesitant, "Hey."
Hinata gradually overcame her shock, eyes dancing nervously between the drink and the handsome man as she took a sip through the straw, "...Hey…."
It was silent between them for a moment as they drank. The awkward tension came to a fault when he suddenly spoke, "I'm gonna leave you alone. Later."
Hinata had no idea what possessed her, but she reached out and grabbed his arm. Bright blue eyes widened slightly, and the woman avoided looking straight at them as she continued to sip her drink with a hot blush about her cheeks. Naruto relaxed once more on the stool, ordering himself another drink. The pair pretended not to be exchanging glances, but at least the atmosphere wasn't awkward anymore.
An hour passed before Hinata finally spoke, eyeing Sakura's abandoned drink. The ice was almost completely melted. "They were supposed to come back."
Naruto followed her gaze, a red hue dusting his cheeks from the alcohol, "Do you wanna get outta here?"
Hinata was drunk, but not to the degree that she'd been the last time they were in this situation. For some reason, she still found herself nodding.
"Don't let things escalate again. You're just now starting to get comfortable around one another," she thought as she followed him up the stairs to his dorm. "Why am I not going to my own room? What am I doing here? I should know better by now!"
Sasuke and Sakura were still at the club, meaning they were alone like before. Hinata fumbled to remove her shoes, dropping her purse atop his desk as she looked around. The dorm was surprisingly clean for belonging to two young men. Naruto sat on the edge of his bed and watched as she made her way over to sit beside him.
They remained there, silent and staring at one another for a long time.
Then it was like a fire was ignited, and they were kissing. Hinata bravely moved to straddle his hips, a soft sound emanating from her chest when Naruto's hands ran down her back. Unsteady fingers fumbled to unbutton the man's shirt.
"It's hot. It's so hot."
His tongue, his gaze, and his body set Hinata aflame.
She was so lost in him that she was visibly shocked when he stopped her after she tossed her shirt off. "Wait, stop…." Both were panting for breath, searching one another's faces.
Hinata's voice was soft and husky, "You don't want to?"
Naruto made a tortured face, "Hina, I want to." The Hyuuga woman took his response as an okay to continue and tried to kiss him again, but he put his hands on her shoulders to stop her, "But last time…."
Hinata briefly sobered up, finally recognizing the situation and nodding slowly, "It was good for me, too."
The man's eyes widened, but she continued, "I want to do it again." And she did. Her arousal was overshadowing every bit of common sense. All she knew was that her body wanted him, yearned to be close to him again.
So they ended up naked. Hinata's quick heartbeat excited her further rather than send her into a panic as she reached between them to pull the hardened part of his body into her hand. She spoke breathlessly between desperate kisses, "Show me how."
Naruto shook his head, lifting his hips to move them further onto the bed, "You don't have to-!" Hinata interrupted his argument by climbing off his hips and moving lower to take the tip of his cock into her mouth. An agonizing sound left his lips, and he propped himself up on his elbows to watch as she drunkenly figured out how to breathe and what to do with her tongue when she'd take more of him in.
After a few moments, she met his eyes and slid him out of her mouth to ask, "Am I doing this right?"
Naruto nodded; his face was red and took on a look of disbelief. So she continued until the man moaned, his head falling back, "I'm close."
Long fingers wrapped in her hair, urging her not to stop. That was until he lightly pulled his handful of her hair so she'd release him. Hinata watched with curious eyes as his other hand cupped hers to aid her effort to massage him to his climax.
When she met his gaze, he tilted his head before rising onto his knees and guiding her so that he could thrust between her breasts, "Push them together- Yeah, like that."
It was just like Sakura said earlier. When Hinata figured out what Naruto wanted, she adapted, and the man appeared enthralled. One moment, his ocean-colored eyes were hyper-fixated on her, and the next, they were cloudy as he released over her chest, lips parted slightly.
When he was done, they remained still for a moment. Hinata couldn't take her eyes off his face because the sultry expression he'd made was too attractive for her to comprehend. That was what she thought until she felt him begin to harden between her breasts once more. She looked down to see a mess of cloudy ejaculate about her chest. Naruto seemed to snap out of it and fumbled to grab a condom from his nightstand drawer.
As clueless as ever, Hinata got up to stumble toward the bathroom, mumbling under her breath, "I should clean up so it doesn't make a mess."
"What? Who cares?"
Hinata waved a dismissive hand, only to gasp when Naruto appeared behind her, his hands on her hips. The man seemed to have a goal, so she let him almost frantically guide her to his desk, where he carefully slid into her from behind, moving one hand from her hips around to squeeze her breast.
Hinata was stunned, to say the least. The experience was different from what she knew. His sex pressed at a different angle, and she could feel his breath on the back of her ear. She let her body respond naturally, arching her back and moving her hips slightly when he'd thrust in. Bated sounds of pleasure bubbled up between the pair.
"You're so….fuck…." Naruto's voice was low and took on an almost out-of-control tone. The hand squeezing her breast slid between her legs to massage the bundle of nerves there.
That was when Hinata realized he'd been the only thing keeping her standing straight. Her palms pressed against the desk, a louder moan escaping her. Her eyes shot open when Naruto suddenly reached around her to brush his notebooks and pens aside, most falling to the floor, before almost roughly bending her over the desk.
Hinata's cheek hit the table as she gasped. The coldness of the surface turned her on further, and she found herself approaching climax, "This is- I'm gonna-"
Her hands formed fists when Naruto encouraged her, "You're almost there. Just a little more."
Soon after, she felt a burst of pleasure and cried out, coming up onto her elbows and pressing her forehead to the desk.
Naruto slowed his movements but didn't stop entirely as he bent over her, kissing the damp skin of her back as she trembled, "You feel better now, huh?" Rather than come off as corny or teasing, his occasional comments felt reassuring to Hinata. Hearing his voice didn't hurt, either.
Once her climax passed, Naruto slid out of her, turned her around, lifted her so she was sitting on the desk's edge, and reentered. The breathless woman followed his every direction, eager to experience each new thing.
"Hold onto my shoulders."
When she obeyed, Naruto kissed her like she was the air he needed to breathe. His large hands gripped her hips and thighs as he pressed into her. The man seemed to lose his grip on his control because the speed and force he was beginning to act with were new to his partner.
She soon began feeling another climax start to build. Suddenly, her bottom slid off the desk, and their kiss parted so she could cry out in shock when Naruto caught her, and she crossed her legs around his hips to save herself from falling. Gravity caused her to press against him completely, where he couldn't physically go deeper.
"A-Again! Do that again!"
Naruto pressed Hinata against the wall with his eyes locked onto hers for any sign of trouble as he heeded her plea, "Are you gonna cum for me again, Hina?" The woman in question could only whine as he fucked any sane thought out of her head.
Much more quickly than the climax she'd had just minutes ago, Hinata's insides coiled and tightened around his cock until she couldn't hold it back anymore and fell over the edge. Naruto made some sort of pleasured sound before pressing into her one last time and staying there as they relished the sensations.
When the Hyuuga heiress came down from her high, exhaustion hit her like a freight train, and she collapsed against his chest. The man chuckled, carrying her over to the bed and carefully laying her down before pulling out. He disappeared for a moment to remove the condom before returning, sliding in next to her.
"Are you alright?" His voice told her he was just as tired, if not more.
She made some sort of acknowledgment before snuggling closer to him under the covers. Hinata mumbled, barely awake, "You smell nice."
Naruto chuckled, pressing his lips to the top of her head as she cuddled into his chest.
The pair fell asleep almost instantly.
When Hinata awoke the next morning, she didn't open her eyes or move a muscle.
"Naruto definitely thinks I'm a slut now. Good going, Hinata."
The memory of their most recent tryst was clearer than the last because they weren't as inebriated. That said, Hinata was nearly as mortified as she was the last time she woke up in this comfy bed that smelled like Naruto. Images crossed her mind, snip-its of the previous night. That and the husky sound of Naruto's voice as he talked her through not one but two orgasms.
The woman took notice of her body without giving away the fact that she was awake. She was lying on her side with her legs bent almost to her chest. One arm was cradled toward herself, but the other was touching something warm, something alive: Naruto. His legs were bent beneath hers. A heavy arm rested lazily atop her thigh, his hand seeming to have slid between her legs and stomach at some point in the night. His other arm was under her neck.
Hinata couldn't tell if Naruto was awake. His breathing was steady, and the room was quiet, so she leaned toward yes. As though thinking about it set things in motion, the blonde man groaned softly, his limbs tensing slightly before moving to hold her more firmly. Long fingers ran into Hinata's hair and gently brushed over her hip.
"Think she'll freak out this time?"
That voice wasn't Naruto's. No, it was his roommate's: Sasuke Uchiha.
Luckily, Hinata's face was downward toward her partner's chest, so no one noticed her eyes creep open in shock.
"We're still naked. What am I going to do? Sasuke'll see everything!"
Naruto sighed, distracting the woman from her panic, "I don't know. I hope not." His tone was almost sad.
Sasuke scoffed, "You guys trashed the room. I'm not helping you clean it, either."
Naruto turned his neck to look over his shoulder, quietly chuckling to not wake the apparently sleeping girl between his arms, "Fuck, it was worth it, though."
The unfamiliar sound of Sasuke offering a short laugh met Hinata's ears, "She has you whipped, and you're not even dating."
Naruto mumbled, irritated, "Like you have any room to talk. You looked ready to murder someone when we picked them up from that party."
The Uchiha man took a long time to respond, and the blonde man faced Hinata again, pressing his lips into her hair in an intimate way that made the girl's stomach and heart flutter.
"At least I go after what I want. You've just been pouting."
Apparently, the jab hit a chord because Naruto didn't respond.
The situation suddenly hit Hinata harder, and she began panicking. She saw Naruto's tan chest and shoulders when she opened her eyes.
When he noticed her quickened breath, the man spoke softly into her hair, trying to keep Sasuke from hearing, "Please don't run away this time."
His strong arms acted as a cage, keeping her still, but it didn't scare her like she expected. Instead, the Hyuuga woman nervously rested her palms against his midsection, slowly moving closer to press her forehead to his skin. The palpitations weren't ceasing, and her chest was beginning to tighten.
Desperate not to have another fainting spell in front of the guy she likes, Hinata whispered, "P-Please tell me everything's okay."
He obliged without missing a beat, gently massaging her scalp as his fingers were still intertwined with her hair, "You're fine. We're fine. I'm really happy we're not avoiding each other anymore." Tears welled in Hinata's eyes, but she allowed his words to comfort her.
A moment or two later, when she was calmer, she apologized, "I-I'm sorry I'm like this. I-I-I'm working on it, I swear."
Slowly, Naruto pulled back and guided her face up so their eyes could meet. Rather than respond to her words, he said something unexpected, "You look pretty in the morning." Hinata's face warmed.
"Well, I'm gonna go take a shower so you can do whatever you need to do," Sasuke suddenly piped up before doing just as he said and disappearing into the bathroom.
The pair sat up and looked around. The room was indeed messy. Desk supplies, Hinata's purse, and her phone were tossed randomly about the floor. The desk chair was also lying on its back, likely knocked over amidst the chaos last night.
Naruto casually got up, located a pair of boxers, put them on, and then began searching for Hinata's clothing. She watched, embarrassed, with the blanket pulled up and covering her chest.
The man stretched his arms above his head, handing the items over, yawning loudly, "Wanna go out for breakfast or somethin'? If we leave soon, a few places might still serve it."
Hinata's heart sank into her stomach, eyes darting to the clock on his nightstand. It was nearly ten in the morning. She was late for work by over two hours. Feeling frantic, she fumbled to her feet and began dressing, "I-I have to go! I'm late!"
The breath left her body when she slid the bra straps up her arms and looked down while reaching back to fasten it. A very specific, easily identifiable, dried substance was messily over her chest and breasts. Naruto noticed, too, and stared with a red face but said nothing.
Mortified, Hinata turned her back to him and finished dressing with haste. After grabbing her purse and phone, she hurried to the door, "G-Goodbye!"
"Hinata, wait!"
The girl's focus snapped when Naruto grabbed her wrist, causing her to slowly turn to look up at his handsome face. He sheepishly grinned, "I just wanna be sure that we're okay, y'know? You're not gonna disappear on me again, are you?"
Hinata's lips pressed together in surprise at his earnest expression. Blushing, she said, "W-We're good, Naruto."
For some reason, the same action that ruined the beginning of their friendship helped mend it.
Hinata couldn't fathom going to work, late or not, without first showering, so she was almost three hours late by the time she burst through the doors of Icha Cafe.
Luckily, only a few customers were present, and they were regulars that the coworkers were able to be more casual with, so it didn't take anyone by surprise when Sakura leaned forward on the front counter, by the register, with a knowing grin, "Somebody must've had a late night."
Halfway through pulling her damp hair into a ponytail, Hinata hurried behind the counter so she could clock in and get to work. She didn't bother responding to her pink-haired friend's tease. No one missed the bright blush on her face, though.
While she was tying the strings of her apron behind her back, the door to Jiraiya's office opened, the boss himself stepping out, but he wasn't alone. Hinata kept her head low, hoping he wouldn't notice her sudden appearance, only to do a double-take when familiar blue eyes locked onto hers. Next to Jiraiya was Naruto.
The white-haired business owner noticed his company had frozen and turned to look between the two, "Ah, Hinata! How nice of you to grace us with your presence. You'd better have a good excuse for showing up so late."
The Hyuuga woman could only stand there, dumbfounded, as she stared at Naruto with wide eyes.
"Why is he suddenly here? He seems familiar with Jiraiya, too. What's going on?"
Thankfully Naruto was quicker on his feet than the stunned girl and elbowed the taller man, "It's my fault she's late, so go easy on her, Grandpa." Even though he'd lowered his voice, every employee turned to look at him in shock.
Jiraiya's eyes danced between them a few times before he seemed overcome with realization, "Wait, she's the one you've been trying to meet?"
Naruto nodded, bringing a hand to his forehead with a red face, "I haven't had a chance to tell her about that, so thanks for announcing it to the entire building, but yes."
Sakura squealed excitedly, "Wait, so you knew Hinata before…?"
The woman in question was still completely frozen, her mind reeling as she tried to understand what was happening. Naruto bashfully averted his gaze to the ground, "I'd hoped to do this without other people staring at us, but I guess it's too late for that."
The blonde man met Hinata's gaze again, awkwardly moving his hands as he spoke as though it helped him emote more clearly, "I've, um, kinda liked you for a while now. Since the first class that we had together. I was trying to figure out how to introduce myself, but then we ran into each other at the club and, well, you know the rest."
For some reason, all Hinata could think about was how he'd held her hand at the club the night she first met him. It'd seemed so natural for him, which encouraged her to accept the gesture. She'd still wondered why such a handsome man was treating her so familiarly out of nowhere, but he hadn't seen her as a stranger; that's why he didn't treat her like one.
"Uh, Hinata, are you gonna say something to the poor guy? He looks like he's about to have a heart attack."
Sakura's amused voice snapped the timid girl out of it, and she brought her hands up to cup her cheeks, feeling how hot they were with blush, "I-I-I…. I don't know what to say!"
Naruto's face was almost as red as hers, but he stepped toward her, "Do you like me, too?"
"H-Huh?!"
The man stepped closer, cautiously reaching out a hand once he was standing in front of her and smiling softly when she grabbed onto it, albeit trembling with nervousness. "I want to know if you like me. I'll feel like a real idiot if you don't, and I ask you out."
Sakura giggled excitedly from nearby, reminding Hinata that at least six other people were watching them. Her eyes darted to Jiraiya, then Sakura, then out to the lobby, where a couple patrons were waiting for her response just as eagerly.
Calloused fingers gently guided her face back toward the man before her. "Just look at me, Hina. Do you wanna be my girlfriend?" Naruto's words were a little firm but also offered gentle encouragement.
Hinata found herself lost in deep blue, attentive eyes. Unable to hold onto her inhibitions any longer, she slowly nodded.
Sasuke wakes to his phone ringing in the middle of the night. He's angry because he's barely able to rest these days, what with helping with the search efforts and maintaining his job. He grumbles into the device with his eyes still sleepily closed, "What is it?"
"Is this Mr. Sasuke Uchiha?" The voice that comes is authoritative and professional. It wakes the man up a bit.
His eyes crack open, "Yes. Who is this?"
"My name is Detective Minuka. I'm calling from Yugakure. I've been advised to contact you in regards to any leads in the missing persons case of…." The person pauses as though looking up the information they should already know, "Of one Sakura Haruno. Is now a good time?"
Now, the Uchiha is wide awake. He sits up, "Yes. Did you find her?" It's only been a few days since the official missing persons alerts were sent out. After a month of coming up with zero leads on their own, Sasuke, Ino, and Sakura's parents had low expectations for results.
"My unit chief directed us to be on the lookout for anything that might relate to your missing girl."
So, does that mean they haven't found her, then? Sasuke can't tell by the person's voice what he's trying to say.
Thankfully, the detective elaborates, "I hope I'm not giving you false hope, I just know that if it was someone I love out there, I'd want to have someone keeping an eye out." Mr. Minuka sighs, "There's a young woman that arrived at the local hospital tonight. She mostly fits the description of Miss Sakura."
Sasuke's heart nearly jumps out of his chest as he shoots out of bed and immediately begins getting dressed, "I'm leaving now. I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Wait! Wait, Mr. Uchiha."
The man freezes with one arm out of his sweater, "What?"
"The thing is…. Authorities are aware of the circumstances of your girlfriend's disappearance, and this Jane Doe doesn't have that."
"Have what? What are you talking about? Is it her or not?" Sasuke barks. He's at his wit's end and has little ability to care about manners.
Detective Minuka says, "This girl doesn't have any blood diseases. The doctors screened her for all kinds of things, and the tests came back negative. That's why I was hesitant to reach out."
All the hope in Sasuke evaporates, his entire being feeling heavier in a snap. The line is quiet as he tries to figure out what to say. How is he supposed to react to having his emotions stretched and released like a rubberband?
The officer seems to pick up on his struggle because he clears his throat and says, "Anyway, would you be able to determine if this is your Sakura? I'm not technically supposed to do this since her identity hasn't been confirmed, but I'm willing to let you visit her if you want. I just have a gut feeling…."
Though pessimistic, Sasuke makes a confirming sound. It's obvious to him and likely the man on the other end of the line that his demeanor has become much less hopeful, "Of course. I'll get on the quickest plane I can catch." After exchanging some necessary information, the call ends. The Uchiha man packs a small suitcase, texts his elder brother to let him know he won't be at work tomorrow, and leaves the condo.
By the time the sun comes up in the morning, he's in a cab in Yugakure heading toward the city's only hospital. His thoughts are scrambled. He wants to keep a positive state of mind but knows this mystery woman can't be Sakura due to the blood test results. Perhaps he unconsciously decided to come out here for some time away from Konoha, where all who know him stare with pity in their eyes.
A heavyset officer is waiting for him outside the hospital. He shakes the man's hand, "Detective Minuka?"
"Yes, Sir. How was the flight?"
"Fine," Sasuke mumbles, walking ahead and through the doors to go inside.
"You can call me Kirigi," the officer says while trying to keep up with the Uchiha's pace.
Sasuke steps into an elevator when it opens, saying nothing. He's not in the mood for pleasantries or meaningless conversation. He just wants to get this over with so he can go hide out in his hotel room for a few days.
"Our Jane Doe is in room two hundred and two, but there's something you should know-" The doors open and the Director strides out with his eyes peeled for the room numbers. The officer jogs to keep up, but Sasuke ignores him when he locates the one mentioned.
He tells himself not to let his hopes get raised once more because they'll inevitably be shot down. It doesn't matter because his heart is racing by the time he opens the hospital room door. Stepping inside, he freezes when he sees familiar pink hair and deep green eyes.
"S-Sasuke?!"
It's her.
Detective Minuka is breathing heavily as he arrives at the Uchiha's side and explains, "She tried to escape as soon as she woke up, despite her injuries. The doctor's gave her a sedative, but it's not doing much."
That's when he finally notices that Sakura's wrist is strapped to the bedrail. Only one of them, though, because her other arm is in a cast. Sasuke doesn't know what to say or do. All he knows is that he's beyond relieved to see the pinkette alive. He was sure he never would again.
"Can we have a moment alone?" He manages.
Sakura nods at the officer when he looks her way for confirmation. Then, the duo is alone.
Sasuke is angry. He's hurt and confused. Tears well in his eyes as he steps cautiously toward the upset woman, "Sakura…."
"No! No! Stop!" She cuts him off. His mouth clamps closed in shock as she bursts into tears while tugging at her bound wrist, "Why did you have to look for me? I didn't want you to see me like this! That's why I left!"
The man doesn't know how to respond to that. Instead, he takes in her appearance. She's skinnier than he remembers and her skin and eyes aren't full of life like they always have been. Sakura looks as ill as he's pictured over the last month. The thought reminds him of the detective's words and he shakes his head, "There's been a mistake. The doctors said you aren't sick."
Tired green eyes widen before squeezing closed. Sakura shakes her head before lowering it so he can't see her face well. Her shoulders tremble as she softly cries, "They're wrong."
"Then we'll have them run the tests again!" Sasuke surprises even himself when he suddenly loses his composure. He glares at her, annoyed by her defeated demeanor when he's so used to her being headstrong and unyielding, "And even if they are wrong, you can't just leave like that! Do you have any idea-" He closes his mouth, gritting his teeth before looking away from her stunned face.
His inability to properly verbalize his thoughts seems to knock some sense into the pink-haired woman. She speaks in a more stable voice, quieter than before, "I-I'm sorry, Sasuke. I was scared. I thought it'd be better if everyone didn't have to watch me wither away." When the two share a long, silent moment of eye contact, she repeats with a crack in her voice, "I'm so sorry."
Just like that, the terrible pain in Sasuke's chest eases. His body feels weak and tired to the point that he shakily grabs a chair and pulls it up to sit at the crying woman's bedside. He watches her try unsuccessfully to wipe her tears with her injured arm before wordlessly lifting a hand to do it for her. Her brow furrows as she searches his face.
Though he's happier than he's been in a month, the man can't bring himself to smile. So, he simply returns the look and says nothing. Hopefully, the action will be enough to explain to Sakura that he'll be here regardless of what those test results may be.
…..
Sakura feels like a fool. More than that, she's actually irritated with herself for having the audacity to feel relieved to see Sasuke when it was her who fled Konoha. He must think she's a massive burden for making him travel all this way for her sake. She feels guilty and embarrassed, but again, the happiness of witnessing his awkward yet gentle way of wordlessly comforting her overrides it all. It's obvious he has more to say, a lot more. He hasn't spoken much, though. He must be saving it for when they can speak outside of the confines of this hospital.
The doctors are hesitant to release her since she quite literally tried to sneak out of the place upon waking up, but with reassurance from the Uchiha man that he'll personally ensure her safety, they relent. They're both consenting adults, after all.
Sasuke generally respects her independence, so she didn't expect him to drag her along to his hotel upon leaving, ignoring her weak excuses as to why they should part ways again. His anger is palpable, but he's also being overly cautious of her injured arm and the bruises she obtained from the car wreck.
He nods toward the bathroom once they're inside his huge room. She gives him a confused look, to which he finally breaks the thick silence, "Shower." He sits one of his shirts and a pair of his boxers on the counter of the bathroom for her to use as pajamas then leaves her alone.
Since he's not watching, Sakura finally allows her tears to flow again. Any sound they might've made becomes masked by the shower running. She has no idea what to do. The hospital drew more blood before releasing her so they can rerun all those tests. She doesn't want to know the results just as much as she can't wait to discover the truth once and for all.
If the negative results were a mistake, she'll have to receive the terrible news all over again, this time with Sasuke there to witness the turmoil. If they're true, by some miracle, and she's not dying…. No, that's impossible. It's wishful thinking like that that's going to make parting ways with the Uchiha man more difficult.
"Eep!" Sakura squeaks in surprise when Sasuke suddenly enters the shower behind her. She blushes when she accidentally glances at his lower body before facing the shower head with her uninjured hand over her eyes, "What are you doing?!" The man says nothing. Nervous to the extreme, she babbles, "You can't just help yourself into a woman's shower without-!" Her words die when Sasuke gently pulls her long hair over her shoulders and begins washing it without so much as a peep.
Slowly, her hand slips off her eyes and she stares dazedly at the shower wall. Maybe he's helping because of her broken arm and bruised body from the wreck. Maybe he just wants to be sure she won't do anything stupid in here now that he's located her. Perhaps both, or neither. It may just be that he's been lonely in her absence and this is his own way of communicating that he's missed her.
Tears fall slowly down the woman's cheeks, only to be sucked down the drain with the soapy water.
Though their romantic relationship had been short-lived at the time of her diagnosis, they were friends long before that. So, she knows just how closed-off Sasuke gets when something is wrong. And the one person that he'd have turned to for support? That'd have been her, but she wasn't there. That means he's been bottling things up like he had when she first met him, and it's all her fault. The guilt threatens to eat her alive.
As if he can hear her chaotic thoughts, Sasuke pauses after rinsing her hair of soap. Sniffling, Sakura's breath hitches when his hands hesitantly land on her hips. For a moment, neither moves, but then his arms are firmly around her middle, his face pretty much nuzzled into her neck.
The silence as they finish bathing, get dressed, and climb into bed is as comfortable as it can be given the situation. Sakura feels emotionally unstable as she's surrounded by her boyfriend's comforting scent since she's wearing his clothing for pajamas, not to mention laying beside him. The couple eats a meal. Sasuke orders some clothes to be delivered for her. It's as if they're on a weekend getaway rather than an ill-fated reunion.
Once night falls and they're supposedly trying to fall asleep, Sakura can no longer take it. She turns her back to Sasuke and blurts out what's been on her mind all day, "You should go back to Konoha. It'll only hurt if you stay with me."
The man takes his time responding, but eventually does, "That's not your decision to make."
She bites her tongue. She said those exact words to him before. The bittersweet memory makes her chin quiver. Quietly, she admits, "I'm selfishly happy you're here when I should be trying to disappear again so you don't have to suffer."
There's a soft rustling behind her as the Uchiha turns onto his side, facing her back. "I'm selfish because I won't let you get away again, no matter how much you want to run."
Sakura glares pathetically at herself in the convenience store bathroom mirror while brushing her teeth. Whether it be from her illness or fried nerves, she had to pull over to be sick. Honestly, she has no idea what town she's in or how long exactly it's been since she all but fled Konoha. All she can think about is Sasuke, her family, and friends.
She feels like the biggest coward on Earth for leaving. When CEO Uchiha stated he's supportive of her relationship with his youngest son, it's like all the bravery in her being evaporated. In that moment, she couldn't help but to picture it all, the future they could've had together.
The Haruno woman is still so young. That doesn't mean she doesn't have adult dreams. Someday, she wants the fairytale wedding. She wants to be a mother. She wants to be a world-renowned surgeon. Tears well in her eyes as she rinses her mouth. Sakura has always wanted to make enough money that she can take care of her parents for the remainder of their days so they can finally relax and be comfortable. She wants her dad to walk her down the aisle, crying like the giant teddy bear that he is while her mom watches from one of the front pews with nothing but pride.
It's a tragedy, how things have ended up.
After purchasing some snacks and water for the road, Sakura leaves the store and begins to drive again. Does she have a destination in mind? No. Does she have even an iota of a plan? Also no. All she knows is that she panicked. Obviously, she regrets leaving without a word to anyone, but not enough to go back or even find a payphone to call home.
As someone who's recently learned how fragile a human life can be firsthand, Sakura's not thinking entirely straight. Tsunade gave her an estimate of two to three years, but she isn't going to make it that long if she doesn't immediately begin treatment. Maybe that's another reason why she left Konoha, so she won't have to spend her numbered days in a hospital, suffering through blood transfusions and chemotherapy.
"Like living out of motels, eating junk food, and avoiding everything is any better…" She mumbles to herself.
Sakura's not a monster or an idiot. She knows how worried her family and friends must be, but damn it! She's spent most of her life serving others and focusing solely on the future. For once, while she still has the chance, she wants to be selfish. She wants to be a child and pout and cry and drown in her own self-pity because if there's a time to do those things, it's now.
Her vision blurs as tears flow down her cheeks for what feels like the thousandth time in two weeks. That's how long it's been since she left Konoha, and that's how long it's been since she's seen a familiar face.
That night, in some large city that she doesn't care enough to identify, Sakura lays in bed at the cheapest motel she could find. The television is on, but she's not really seeing or hearing it. It's her own fault she's alone. She knows that, but she's still ever-so-aware of the emptiness on the other side of the bed.
If things were different, would she and Sasuke have ended up moving in together somewhere down the road? Would he have slept on the right or the left side? Would the time have ever come where they'd be able to relax entirely around one another? God knows it's what she wanted when the idea of being together first crossed her mind.
Sakura wanted to be there for the reserved man through thick and then. She wanted to prove to him that she could be trustworthy and that he wasn't alone. The woman's brow furrows as she tries to remember what the last thing she said to him is. More than anything, Sakura wanted to see a genuine smile on Sasuke's handsome face, one that he doesn't even try to hide.
And then there's Ino.
The Yamanaka woman is destined for success, and Sakura wanted to support her through it all. She wanted to be her maid of honor when she eventually got married, and she hoped to someday be the godmother of the blonde's children. Ino has been like a sister to her for years. Having to leave her alone on this planet breaks the woman's heart.
Her chest tightens as she imagines what Ino's face will look like when she discovers her death sometime in the future.
The last thing Sakura wants is to hurt anyone. She's convinced herself it's better this way. One swift bout of sadness upon discovering the truth when its already too late will be easier to overcome than witnessing the pinkette become a sickly shell only to die anyway. Suffer one big day of trauma rather than multiple miniature ones. Sort of like ripping off a bandaid.
In the back of her mind, Sakura knows there's no course of action where no one gets hurt. This is just the one that is easier to palate since she doesn't have to look anyone in the eye and see them pretend to be hopeful for her sake.
Sakura has never been more depressed. She keeps telling herself she should be proud of taking what's left of her life into her own hands, but she's not. There's really nothing that can make the situation better. It's as hopeless as hopeless can get.
Days pass, each duller than the last.
Before the Haruno woman knows it, a month has come and gone. She's lost some weight, her skin and hair have lost their shine, and she's feeling more strung out by the day. The routine of waking up, driving, going to sleep, and repeating has become so ingrained that time passes in a blur.
Her muscles are weak and sore from it all, too. She can't tell if it's solely from the lack of exercise or if her illness is also affecting her body. Regardless, she feels awful both mentally and physically.
It's the first week of February when there's a break in her routine. Sakura is passing through one of the busiest cities she's ever visited. She stops to refuel her car, the cold air whipping her hair around her face and stinging her skin. While shivering, she hurries inside to pay. As she goes to the end of the lengthy line at the register, she notices a few people glance her way but ignores it. It's likely they think she's some kind of drug addict by her appearance. She doesn't care enough to say something or correct them. Instead, she keeps her eyes averted to the ground.
Usually, this tactic works fine and those staring lose interest, but not this time. No, this time she hears someone whisper from nearby, "That's her, isn't it?"
Her attention is piqued. She still doesn't look up, though. There are other women in the store. They can't be talking about her.
"It has to be, with that hair. Should we say something or just call the number?"
That makes Sakura's gaze lift. It locks onto one short young man and one tall one standing in a nearby aisle with their phones in their hands and wide eyes. Teenagers. He and his friend look surprised that she heard them. The taller of the two smiles awkwardly and approaches with his phone facing her direction, "Is this you?"
Sakura wordlessly looks at the device's screen, not wanting to make any sort of scene in the busy store. There, on the most popular news channel of the area, are multiple photos of her with a number to call if she's spotted. Shock floods the woman's veins. Who registered her as a missing person?! The caption says she's potentially a danger to herself, too!
She shoves the phone away and shakes her head, "You've got the wrong person!"
The teenagers glance at one another, obviously not believing her. Panicking, Sakura rushes past the long line of customers and slams cash onto the counter, barking what pump she's paying for, apologizing, and rushing out of the place. By the time she's in her car, she's nearly hyperventilating. She wrestles her seatbelt on and tears out of the lot as though she's being chased by a pack of wild dogs.
She drives and drives, even into the night because she wants to put as much space between her and that convenience store as possible. Her eyes droop, but she keeps on. They can't find her now, not after so much time has passed and she's in this sorry state.
One moment, she's speeding down the freeway in the early hours of the morning, and in the next, a high-pitched squealing sound is ringing her ears. The steering wheel yanks roughly out of her hands, and then the car is hit with an overwhelming force. It flips once. It flips twice. Then, Sakura loses consciousness.
…..
Sasuke and Ino share a glance before awkwardly looking away. Then, the blonde woman knocks on the door before them. The unlikely duo would usually not be alone together, but right now they share a common interest: Sakura. It's been a month since the pinkette was last spotted. It's difficult to guess if she's just that good at covering her tracks or if she's managed to go unnoticed by sheer luck. Either way, all who're worried about her are at their wit's end, Sasuke included.
The door opens to reveal a busty blonde woman with a frown, "Ino, you know I can't give out Sakura's health records to-" "We have this this time!" Ino cuts off the doctor by holding up a signed and notarized document of authority from Mr. and Mrs. Haruno, the missing woman's parents, and their attorney.
Tsunade looks between the two young adults on her doorstep before sighing defeatedly and motioning for them to follow her inside.
It takes everything in the Uchiha man to not get his hopes up that the following conversation will lead to a clue regarding Sakura's whereabouts. He and Ino have been trying for weeks to verify Fugaku's claim that the woman had just received some medical news that she's dying.
The Haruno woman's parents became distraught upon hearing their daughter was missing, leading to Mr. Haruno collapsing again. Sasuke and Ino vowed to them both to do everything in their power to find Sakura so the two elders won't have to. Well, Ino made that vow and Sasuke tersely, yet wordlessly agreed.
"Would you like something to drink?" The doctor asks, obviously as a formality. She seems to have known what response she'll receive before the two younger persons decline. Sighing, she closes the door to her at-home office, which she's led them to, "Right. Let's get right to it, then."
Sasuke watches her walk around her desk to ultimately sit down and begin rummaging through one of the file cabinets beneath it.
Still, even after so much time has passed, he can't stop thinking about Sakura Haruno. For the most part, he's able to maintain a stoic facade in front of others. It's not easy. Oh, how he wishes his concerns and fears would dull, but they aren't. They can't because it's uncertain whether she's safe. There's no guarantee he'll ever see her again.
His thoughts are interrupted when Tsunade finds the file she's searching for and sits facing them with a frown. Her topaz eyes narrow, but even Sasuke can tell her heart's not in it. Clearing her throat, the woman wastes no time opening the file and reading off the paper with as little emotion as possible, "Following a blood test requested by the patient, it's been discovered that the patient has developed Acute Myeloid Leukemia."
The woman closes her mouth with a huff as though she can't bring herself to continue reading. Her gaze lifts to the two staring at her with wide, stunned eyes.
Sasuke feels like he can't breathe. He doesn't know many medical terms as that's not his area of expertise, but he's heard of Leukemia and knows it's not a good thing by any means. His father had been telling the truth.
Ino bursts into tears. Somehow, she manages to speak through the sobs, "What does that even mean?"
The doctor then tears up, too, which is something that can't hint to positive news. Sasuke's mind is a jumble of useless thoughts as she sets the file down and wipes at her eyes. There's a pause of silence before she clasps her hands together, regains her composure, and confirms the worst part of the truth, "With aggressive treatment, there's a possibility Sakura will live two to three years. Without it…."
Just like that, it felt like the Uchiha man's lungs had been ripped from his chest. His throat seems scratchy and swollen, which makes him cough. With a hand over his mouth, he stumbles to his feet and walks toward the door.
"Sasuke…?" Ino breathes through her own panic attack.
He presses his forehead to the closed door, waving dismissively at her with his free hand so the two women can't see his face.
She's really, truly dying.
Sasuke feels nauseous as his vision becomes blurry with tears that don't fall.
The room becomes silent except for Ino's sniffling. Minutes pass before the Uchiha man is able to gather his thoughts even a small bit. He takes a deep, slow breath. He straightens his spine and looks up while blinking to clear his vision before returning to his seat and fixing Tsunade with as firm a glare as he can muster, "Prepare the best treatment possible. I don't care what it costs. I have money."
The doctor's brows narrow, "You don't even know where she is, young man. How-" "I'll find her."
With that, Sasuke spared the weeping Yamanaka woman a glance that said it's time to go because there's work to be done.
Even as Fugaku Uchiha's son, Sasuke can't seem to get into contact with him Friday night or even on Saturday. No, it's Sunday evening before the frazzled man is able to do anything in regards to Sakura's sudden disappearance.
It isn't just him that's worried, either. Karin, Itachi, and even Ino have asked him if he's heard anything from the pinkette. If her best friend doesn't know where she's gone, the situation must truly be serious. A million possible scenarios have run through his head this past day and a half.
His index finger taps the steering wheel anxiously as he pulls into the large round-a-bout leading to his parents' massive home. He's rather on edge, not only because Sakura is missing but because he didn't sleep a wink last night. He couldn't.
Above all else, a sense of dread has turned his stomach round and round. Immediately after discovering her abandoned apartment, Sasuke came to the conclusion that her meeting his father is the cause of her disappearance. While laying awake all night, though, he realized that might not be the case, at least not entirely. On Friday morning, Sakura had uncharacteristically hugged him at the office, crying softly and clearly attempting not to burst into sobs.
The Uchiha man can't help but feel cheated. They were just starting to get the swing of things. He was well on his way to earning her complete forgiveness for the mess that'd been made. It feels as though a limb is missing or something. It's a deeply uncomfortable feeling that he's never experienced in the past.
As the man steps out of his car, hands the keys to the valet, and begins stalking toward the main entrance of the mansion, his entire body is itching to hit something. There's so much stressful energy crackling beneath his skin that he doesn't quite know what to do about it. Sasuke ignores the greetings of maids and butlers as he heads for the unnecessarily extravagant dining room, too focused on getting some answers from his father this evening. When he steps through the double doors to said room, his eyes lock firmly onto Fugaku's, narrowing defiantly for the first time in his life.
He takes one step toward the large dining table and opens his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by his mother pulling him into a soft embrace, "Oh, Sasuke! I'm so relieved you actually came! We were starting to worry you wouldn't show." She whispers where only he can hear as he awkwardly accepts the hug, "Dear, please behave yourself tonight. Your father is in a particularly foul mood and I don't want you two to argue."
Sasuke has to put effort into keeping his expression still when the woman pulls back to offer him a warm smile. She gestures to the seat across from Itachi, "Have a seat so dinner can be served, Honey."
Almost on autopilot, Sasuke obeys.
It's at this moment that he realizes there's an unfamiliar face at the dining table, right beside his older brother. It's a tall, thin woman with straight brown hair, dark eyes, and a calm demeanor that doesn't seem to come naturally. Itachi's glare steals Sasuke's attention from the stranger. The usually mild-mannered and good-spirited elder Uchiha brother resembles the younger one more at this moment than ever in the past. If looks could kill, the spot on the wall across the room would burst into flames.
The room is tense and silent as the kitchen staff serves the meal. Once the Uchiha family and their guest are alone again, they begin to eat wordlessly. Or rather, Mikoto and the unnamed woman begin to eat. The three men at the table continue to exchange terse, irritated glances.
Sasuke can feel the accusations rising in his throat the longer his father refuses to hold his gaze for more than a few moments. The grip on his knife and fork tightens. The rage and confusion begins to bubble and rise from the pit of his stomach until it reaches the point that he can't choke it back any longer.
Just as he opens his mouth to break the awkward silence, Mikoto cuts him off yet again, "I can't believe we forgot to introduce you to our guest! This is Izumi Kagemine. She and your brother are to be married." His eyes widen. He isn't able to contain his surprise this time. His eyes dart between the composed woman and his still-seething brother. Now it makes perfect sense why Itachi's acting so oddly.
Izumi bows her head politely and speaks as though reading directly from a script, "It's an honor to meet you. I look forward to becoming a member of your family."
"...Likewise," Sasuke manages, not understanding what suddenly prompted an arranged marriage when Itachi has managed to avoid one for so long.
This news only proves to make the man more unstable. No longer can he hold back. He locks eyes with Itachi, "You're actually going to marry this woman?"
"Sasuke!" Mikoto snaps in a reprimanding tone. "Don't be rude to our guest."
He ignores her and keeps his attention on his older brother, who narrows his eyes. The man responds in a way that makes it clear he's feeling trapped by the situation, "Father arranged our engagement."
Before Sasuke can react in any way, Mikoto hisses, nudging his shin under the table, "Apologize to Izumi this instant."
The woman in question lifts a hand and shakes her head, an obviously fake smile on her lips, "It's alright, Ma'am. Marriage is an important decision. Your son is simply worried about his brother. I'm not offended."
It's at this point that Sasuke metaphorically throws caution to the wind. He turns his glare onto Itachi and barks, "So, because Father says to marry her, you'll do it?"
The entire table becomes so quiet, a feather falling to the ground could've been heard. The elder brother looks taken by surprise.
"If he tells you to only eat vegetables or to kill yourself, will you obey him then?"
Izumi coughs, choking on a mouthful of water. She covers her mouth with one hand and lowers her gaze to the table. Her discomfort is almost palpable. No one makes a peep as Sasuke turns his glare onto the woman, "And what about you? If your family tells you to spend your life breeding heirs with a man you've never met, what will you do?"
"Sasuke Uchiha! What has gotten into you!" Mikoto stands, anger evident on her usually calm face.
The man stands, too, but looks down at his father instead of mother. His voice is laced with poison as he hisses, "What did you do?"
There is a long moment of silence. Fugaku calmly sets his utensils down, not that he's used them, and comes to a stand. He leers at his youngest son before surprising everyone present by punching him right then and there.
Sasuke stumbles, his chair clattering to the ground behind him. Everyone is out of their seats by this point. Mikoto hurries around the table to wrap an arm around Izumi and guide her away from the scene, Itachi not bothering to spare them a glance while studying his father and brother with attentive eyes.
"Uchiha men control their emotions. No son of mine loses his composure so recklessly." Fugaku says.
Sasuke wipes his bleeding lip with the back of his hand before straightening his spine and biting back, "Yeah, that's worked out real well for us all, hasn't it?" He gestures at Itachi without looking his way, "Your eldest hates the family business, but he's too afraid to pursue anything else because of what you might do." Then, he gestures at Izumi, who's composure has finally disappeared so that fearful tears fall quietly down her face, "And there's this poor woman who has no idea what hell her family has sold her into."
Finally, he gestures to his mother, "And Mom…." Sasuke does spare the woman in question a short, sad look before shaking his head and glaring at his father again, "Your wife has to tiptoe around your temper. She spends her days cleaning up the messes you make living out your days as a god damned money-hungry robot!"
Fugaku Uchiha suddenly grabs his youngest son by the front of his shirt and hisses down at him. It's almost surreal to his children because it's the first time true emotion has graced the man's features. "You will apologize to everyone here, and you will leave. I'll not have you make an even bigger mess of this evening."
Rather than obey, Sasuke grabs onto his father's shirt and pulls him so it's easier to glare right into his eyes, "What did you do to Sakura?"
As quickly as a snap of the fingers, all the rage in the CEO's eyes disappears, if only for a moment. Realization meets them, and then all emotion disappears. He shoves Sasuke away, sneering down at him, "..."
Tears prickle at Sasuke's eyes, but he blinks them back. "She left because of you; I just know it." His voice raises as he barely holds on to his self-control, "Where is she, Dad?"
"Sweetheart…." Mikoto mumbles through tears from the sidelines.
Fugaku clears his throat and soothes out his clothing before addressing the other three in the room, "Have the staff clean this up." Then, he turns and leaves the room without another word.
Sasuke, and the others, are understandably surprised. He snaps out of it quickly and hurries after his father, who seems to want to speak without an audience. Once the duo is in the CEO's personal office, Sasuke speaks more calmly than before, "Tell me what you did."
His father walks around the large desk and takes a seat, interlacing his fingers on its surface before finally meeting his gaze, "Have a seat."
"Did you threaten her?" The Uchiha man does as requested but refuses to give up on his quest to obtain the truth.
"I may be a monster in your eyes, but I'd never stoop so low as to threaten an innocent woman," Fugaku says. He pauses before changing the subject, "Of all the so-called truths you told out there, you failed to mention how I've affected your life." "
You…." Sasuke breathes before anger warms his face like it had minutes ago in the dining room, "That doesn't matter. Now, where is Sakura?"
"I'll tell you everything." The man before Sasuke is cold as ice, right down to the tips of his fingers. How he'd had flames in his aura just a bit ago seems like a fever dream now. He's back to being the unfeeling robot like usual.
Sighing, the youngest Uchiha man takes his time thinking of a response before finally stating the truth, the feelings that have weighed heavily on his heart for years, "You have so many expectations. You take and you take and you take. You know how desperately I've wanted a single word of praise, so you've strategically withheld just that so I'll keep killing myself for your sake."
Sasuke feels sick to his stomach, his voice perfectly emoting his disgust, "You care more about the company and money than you do your own family, and I hate you for it."
Fugaku says nothing. He simply stares at his son with a guarded expression.
This irritates Sasuke because he wants to know the reason. He wants to know why he's been treated more like an investment than a child from the time he was born.
"I'm an idiot. I-I don't know anything because of you!"
Tears well in his eyes once more, this time actually threatening to overflow as the man struggles to explain himself to his father, "I can't hold a normal conversation, and I can't enjoy anything because all I've ever done is try to make you notice me. I don't have hobbies. I barely have friends. And I've…." He angrily wipes at a tear that overflows as he raises his voice again, closing his eyes, "And I don't know what love is supposed to feel like."
Sasuke wipes at his cheeks while the anger subsides, turning into fear and confusion, "I've hurt her over and over again because I'm like this, and she forgives me every time, and I don't know why."
All through the Uchiha man's gut-wrenching admission, his father simply watches and listens. It's clear Sasuke is finished when he reopens his eyes and glares down at the carpet. No more tears fall, but they remain welled up and ready to overflow if the stressful atmosphere doesn't resolve itself.
For a long time, more than an entire minute, neither says a word or moves a muscle.
Then, Fugaku speaks quietly, "I told Sakura to come to my office on Friday evening." His tone is almost somber, which stuns Sasuke enough to keep him quiet as he stares at his father.
"Before I say what we spoke about, let me say this: You have changed since hiring that girl. You aren't nearly as efficient in your duties, and you don't work as many hours." Sasuke's eyes narrow as he waits for the man to scold him, only to widen when that doesn't happen. "And I've been relieved to see it."
Wait, what? He's relieved? Sasuke is taken off guard. His mouth opens but words don't come out. His confusion is obvious, so his father continues.
"I'll be the first to admit that I'm not suited for being a father, but that does not mean I don't care for you and Itachi." He looks away from his son's gaze almost awkwardly, "I'm grateful that your mother is so gifted. Who knows how you two would've turned out without her."
To say Sasuke is bewildered is an understatement. He can't believe his ears. Who is this man sitting there? It can't be his father because he'd never say these kinds of things.
Fugaku sighs and then clears his throat, hardening his gaze and meeting his son's eyeline again, "I asked Sakura if you two are romantically involved."
Sasuke responds quickly, "Why? So you could scare her away so you can sell me off like you have Itachi?"
"I wanted to know because I didn't plan on interfering if Sakura was the one you see yourself with in the future."
All of this is shocking, of course, but one thing about that remark draws Sasuke's attention. "...What do you mean "was"?"
Fugaku's mouth clamps shut before his brow uncharacteristically furrows, "I…swore to her that I wouldn't say anything." Rage lights a fire in the Director, but his father continues before he can act on it, "If it means you'll stop hating me, then I'll tell you what I know."
He pauses before shaking his head, "When I asked Sakura if she sees herself marrying you someday, she started crying. She…." Fugaku swallows hard, his fingers tightening their grip, "She said her doctor told her she doesn't have long to live."
Just like that, Sasuke's blood runs as cold as ice. His face pales and he becomes nauseous, "What?"
His father nods with sadness glinting within his dark eyes, "She wouldn't tell me exactly how long she has, why, or where she plans to go, but it was clear she thinks her disappearing will hurt you less than…."
That's just like Sakura to worry about others while her life is very much on the line. Sasuke is beyond livid, of course, but he knows her intentions are to leave as small of a scar on his heart as possible. She would rather him hate her and think she abandoned him than have him know there's nothing he can do.
The man sits there for a long time just trying to process the news. Overwhelming panic and remorse takes the main spots in his emotions. The vibrant and energetic woman he's come to know is going to die soon? But why? And how? Of all the things he expected to have happened, this wasn't one of them.
Without speaking a word, Sasuke rises from his seat, turns, and walks out of the room.
He'll find her.
He'll find her, and he'll learn the truth no matter the cost.
Hey….😅
Y'all aren't mad, right? *dodges tomatoes*
Anyway!
For plot/drama/literary reasons, this chapter doesn't have Sakura's POV.
Sakura is running behind. Today, Friday, is going to be busy, anyway, and now it's even worse. She calls Tsunade while in a cab on her way to work. The doctor answers after a few rings, "Is there a reason you're not in the waiting room right now?"
"I'm so sorry, but I slept through my alarm! Can you just give me the results over the phone?" It's much less professional, but she hopes the blonde will make an exception.
Tsunade sighs, "Let me put you on hold so I can check my email for the results."
The pinkette waits on hold for so long that she arrives at the Uchiha Corp. building. While she's digging into her purse for her wallet to pay the patiently waiting driver, the line is finally picked up.
"Finally! I was starting to think you forgot me!" She's felt relatively fine since the fainting spell, so she isn't particularly worried about the test results, especially since the doctor said it's likely nothing serious.
"Sakura, you should come see me right now." Tsunade says after a long silent moment.
The nonchalance in the woman's being fades. Obviously, something is wrong. She hesitates before glancing at her work building, "What is it?"
"This isn't something I-" "I'll drive myself crazy with worry if you don't!"
Another long pause occurs before she hears a sigh from the line, then she's met with terrible news, "You have AML, Sakura."
The pinkette's purse falls from her hands onto the floorboard of the cab, its contents spilling. This can't be happening. Not to her.
AML stands for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. It's often considered one of, if not the deadliest diseases that a person can develop. The survival rate at five years is less than thirty percent, granted it is diagnosed early and treatment is immediately begun.
"How…H-How long do I…?" Sakura can barely speak, her voice shaking.
"More tests are needed to narrow it down, but it seems further along than I'd like. With the information I have, I'd say two years, three if we're lucky."
Just like that, everything Sakura has ever hoped or strived for seems like a waste of her precious time. If she knew her days are numbered, she'd have spent time with her parents and friends rather than spend all-nighters studying. She would've gotten that second piece of cake. She would've been more honest with others and herself about her feelings. Tears well in her eyes as she glances at the Uchiha building again. She never would've gotten involved romantically with Sasuke, or anyone for that matter.
"Are you alright? You haven't fainted again have you?" Tsunade hesitantly asks.
Sakura snaps out of her gut wrenching stupor and blinks away her tears. She takes a deep breath and forces herself to get a grip, "I-I'm here. Thank you for telling me."
It's obvious from the doctor's tone that she understands just how much of an impact such a diagnosis can have on a person. Her words are softer and more comforting, "I'll call you later to schedule a follow up appointment so we can do more testing, okay?" A sound of affirmation leaves Sakura, and then the call is over.
With trembling hands, she gathers her items, pays the cab driver, and steps out of the car. She has no idea what she should do. Does she continue living her life as though nothing is wrong? Does she quit her job and sell all her things to travel the world in her final days? What if…. What if she just moves the timeline up so her family and friends don't have to watch her deteriorate in front of their very eyes? Sakura shakes her head. No, she can't do that. She won't. Whether refusing to consider suicide is brave or cowardly, it isn't an option.
Somehow, she manages to gather herself to seem relatively composed before entering the large building. It simultaneously feels like everything is a giant blur while all of her senses seem to be in overdrive so that each sound is deafening, each scent is nauseating, and the slightest bit of light is blinding. Sakura is overstimulated. Once on the correct floor, she steps out of the elevator, breathing heavily with effort to remain outwardly calm. Her mind races with numerous half-baked plans on how to live out her limited time left on Earth, none of which she can bring herself to actually consider.
Sakura doesn't want to die.
She wants to finish school and become a world-renowned surgeon like she's always dreamed. She wants to some day get married and maybe even have a couple of kids for her parents to spoil. Her chest tightens as she nears the office door. The woman wants to experience so many more things than she has time to do now.
The walls very much feel like they're closing in as she enters Sasuke's office. The man turns to meet her gaze, having been standing near the file cabinets with a few documents in hand. Seeing the subtle warmth meet his gaze upon realizing it's her should've made her heart ache because she doesn't want her death to hurt him, but it doesn't. No. Instead, everything becomes softer, more palatable. Tears well in her eyes. She sniffles while hurrying across the room without so much as taking off her coat.
Sasuke turns toward her with obvious concern, "Sakura?"
Her voice cracks as she throws her arms around his middle and buries her face in his shirt, "I know you don't like this type of thing, but please…. Just let me stay here for a moment."
The Uchiha man is stiff for a long moment before he sets the documents on top of the cabinet and cautiously wraps his arms around the stressed woman. When he speaks, his voice is much quieter, not to mention tense, "Did something happen?"
Sakura can't bring herself to admit to him the horrible truth she learned just minutes ago, so she makes a negative sound and hugs him more tightly, "I've just had a rough morning. I'm alright."
A short sound vibrates Sasuke's chest. He doesn't move and continues to allow the embrace, but he also doesn't demand a different answer, so Sakura is satisfied enough to focus on the feeling of his helps, his awkward comforting. Her pulse slows to a manageable level, and the lump in her throat is finally capable of being swallowed.
Just as she's about to pull away and thank him for entertaining her out of character selfishness, the door to the office opens and closes, signaling the arrival of their other co-worker. "Oh my! What do we have here? PDA! At the office?!"
The duo quickly jumps apart, the pinkette's face burning hot as she quickly gets to work while avoiding looking in her boss's direction.
Karin snickers, "Don't stop on my account."
Sasuke clears his throat. He speaks sternly, a subtle threat to drop the topic, "Here is what we need to accomplish today…."
The day passes in a blur for Sakura. By the time six o'clock rolls around, she glances at Sasuke, only to lock eyes with him. Surprised, she tries to mouth words at him that he fails to understand. Sighing, she points at her phone and texts him so Karin won't be aware of their communication. 'Your dad asked me to visit his office, but we're still on for dinner at eight, right? I should be home and dressed by then.'
The Uchiha man's eyes narrow when he receives and reads the message, lifting onto her briefly before lowering to the screen again so he can respond, 'Why are you just now mentioning this to me? What does he want to speak about?'
Sakura shrugs with a pout, 'I'm sorry! You're right. I should've said something sooner, but you've been stressed enough as it is this week. I didn't want to add to it.'
Sasuke scoffs, earning a glance from Karin, who glances between the pair before shaking her head with a smirk and gets back to work. 'Tell me what he says later.'
Sakura rolls her eyes with a tiny grin, 'Yes, sir!'
Being near him all day has done wonders keeping her mind too occupied to fret over her medical condition. She isn't sure what she'll do yet. Tonight, at dinner, though, she'll make a decision on how to proceed. It's only fair not to string things along.
So, the woman gathers her belongings and excuses herself earlier than she usually would. The elevator is full when she enters it, but it's empty by the time she reaches the top floor, where the CEO's office is located.
She walks down the elegantly decorated hallway and stops at the massive double doors.
She takes a slow, calming breath.
Then, she knocks.
…..
Sasuke can't stop himself from glancing at Sakura all throughout the day, which isn't all that abnormal. What is, though, is how she acted this morning. Sure, he's not new to physical contact, especially with her, but up until now it's solely been for sex. He has never, not once, attempted to comfort someone in person. Any time a colleague or family member experiences something bad, he's the type to send flowers with a generic letter because he doesn't know what else to do.
The man refused to push the emotional pink-haired woman away when it was clear she was about to burst into tears. Afterward, she returned almost entirely to her usual, focused self. He doesn't believe her reassurance that she simply had a bad morning. He himself has gotten into yelling matches with her that could make a grown man cry, so he knows a little stress isn't enough to bring such an expression to her face. Rather than argue about it at work, though, he decides to save that interrogation for dinner.
He glances at her empty desk with a frown. Just what does the CEO want to speak to her about? It can't be good, whatever it is.
"I'm glad you two are giving it a try," Karin suddenly interrupts his train of thought.
He glares at her, already knowing she's going to tease him about catching them hugging this morning.
As expected, the redhead grins amusedly while typing away at her computer, "I was getting tired of you guys pretending to hate each other."
"Quit talking about personal matters at work," the man bites.
Karin's eyes leave her screen to lock onto his before narrowing, her painted lips curving into a confident smirk. Sasuke doesn't need her to say anything. She knows it. It makes no sense saying that to her when she caught him being even more inappropriate just hours ago.
He sighs, shaking his head, and waves a dismissive hand in her direction, "Go home."
The woman obeys, albeit with a victorious glint in her smug eyes.
For the first time in a long time, Sasuke leaves work before seven in the evening. It's a special occasion, after all. He can't believe how his pulse is quicker than average as he freshens up and changes clothes. It's been a very long time since he's looked forward to something that isn't work related.
A slight thrill meets the pit of his stomach as he drives through town toward Sakura's apartment to pick her up. There's something special about tonight. It'll be the start of something he's never considered even trying and that's to work on something he wants for himself. He feels lucky to have met someone as understanding and beautiful as Sakura. Another woman would've given up on him long before this point, but no. She's demanded respect, rightfully so, and calls him out when he's out of line. She's also forgiven him and been an empathetic ear time and time again. Now that he's sorted out how he feels about her, he intends on showing his appreciation in the form of trying to become less awkward when it comes to…well, everything.
Sasuke parks out front before jogging up the steps to Sakura's floor and pausing outside her door. He feels uncharacteristically anxious and runs a hand through his hair before taking a calming breath and knocking on the door. His pulse quickens, sounding loudly in his ears as he awaits an answer, only to slowly quiet down the longer he stands there with no response. Frowning, he knocks again. Again, there's no response. There isn't even a peep of sound from within the apartment.
Sighing, the Uchiha man pulls out his phone and dials the woman's number. The meeting with his father might've run over. That's what he assumes has happened.
"The number you've dialed is not in service. Please try again later."
It then feels as though the man's heart has stilled in his chest. Before he can form an intelligible thought, a gruff voice comes from behind him, "That was quick. I literally just posted the ad. You'll have to wait until next week to look at the place. We haven't had a chance to get rid of the last tenant's stuff they left behind."
Sasuke turns to see a short, stout man with a tag on his shirt that states his title of "Building Manager". It's obvious what the situation is, but the Uchiha man is too bewildered to properly comprehend the truth. "...What happened to the woman who was in this unit?"
The building manager shrugs, "How should I know? I just do what the higher-ups tell me." He looks over Sasuke with some sort of judgment that is undefinable, "Anyway, come back on Monday if you want to look at the place."
Then, the Uchiha man is left alone, standing in front of what used to be Sakura's apartment.
His blood then begins to boil as he stalks back downstairs.
This is obviously his father's doing, and he'll do whatever it takes to figure out what happened during that meeting.
Sasuke averts his gaze from Sakura onto his mother, not for the first time in the last few minutes. Ever since their dinner last night, he's had trouble thinking of anything else. That includes work. Regardless, he sighs and tries to focus on his mother. "You know as well as I do that the end of the year is the busiest for those of us actually working, Mother. Pardon me if my mind is elsewhere."
Mikoto pouts, and her youngest son bites his tongue because he hadn't meant to be harsh. He even feels the other two womens' stares.
Quickly, he backpedals, "Sorry…. You know what I mean."
Though the Uchiha matriarch doesn't hold an official title within the family business, she does tend to Fugaku's every need and handles a great deal of the public relations side of things, which can sometimes be even more difficult than working an office job.
His mother smiles, placing a hand on her hip and shaking her head, "I know you're overworked right now, but your father says Saturday will be incredibly important for the family's future. I'm only here to confirm you aren't going to skip."
And she has to do this in person? Right in front of his colleagues? Sasuke nods, "I already said I'll be there, didn't I?"
She narrows her eyes, though her smile doesn't falter. A familiar, terrifying aura begins to emit from her. It's the energy of a mother threatening her child, and it has the Uchiha man's face going pale. Her voice is sickly-sweet, "Great. Now, let me warn you that I won't tolerate being spoken to like this again."
He nods quickly, recalling the few times he'd incurred her wrath growing up.
"And you'll be sure to be gentlemanly to all women. Do I make myself clear?" Obviously, Mikoto is referring to the other employees present.
Sasuke nods again, and his mother returns to her usual, doting and bubbly self. "Wonderful, Dear. I'll see you on Saturday, then." After briefly exchanging pleasantries with Karin and Sakura, the woman finally leaves.
Karin hisses once the door is closed behind her, "And here I thought the CEO was scary!"
The pinkette snickers, offering an empathetic shrug when her eyes meet Sasuke's. He averts his glare onto the computer screen and pretends not to be affected while trying to refocus on work. The holidays truly are the most stressful time of year for everyone, but especially those spearheading a multi-million dollar company.
So, for the remainder of the day, he does his best to remain entirely locked into work. If he wants to go to dinner with Sakura tomorrow without having anything else on his mind, he needs to catch up completely. After his terrible judgment call at the banquet, he knows she deserves his full attention. It's been a long time since he's taken someone on a date, and this will be the first time he's actually interested in the woman.
By the end of the work day, he's still not satisfied enough has been done to warrant taking the entire weekend off without doing some work from his home office. Karin and Sakura bow politely whilst standing at his desk. They both stayed until seven o'clock to assist in the heavier workload. For the first time in hours, Sasuke's distracted from his computer screen by Sakura's intent gaze.
"Have a good night. I'll see you tomorrow!" Karin begins walking toward the door, but her pink-haired counterpart hesitates.
Sasuke lifts a brow, confused by her concerned expression.
"You coming?" The Uzumaki woman interrupts before either can speak a single word.
With a pretty pout, Sakura offers a short, quick bow before excusing herself. The Uchiha is unsure what she wanted to say just then but doesn't have time to dwell on it.
Hours pass.
It's nearly midnight when Sasuke finally arrives at home. His cell phone rings as he's walking up to his door. Sighing, the man assumes there's an emergency with security at one of the malls and doesn't bother looking at the name or number before answering, "This is the director."
The exhaustion weighing down his limbs and eyelids relents momentarily when an unexpected voice responds, "I knew you'd still be up. You'll make yourself sick working like this."
It's Sakura.
She sounds mildly sleepy, as well, and he can't help but wonder why she isn't asleep. As usual, he doesn't say that and instead comes off as unintentionally blunt, "Why are you calling me?"
Either the woman is unfazed or pretends to be, "I just said I knew you'd still be up, didn't I? I'm calling to scold you." When Sasuke can't figure out how to respond, she teases half-heartedly, "You said you want to go on a date even though I treat you like a kid, so you can't get mad at me!"
Genuine annoyance warms the man's face, or maybe it's embarrassment at her confident remark. He scoffs, entering his condo and heading straight for his room to fall onto the bed. He doesn't even bother taking off his work clothes.
"So, you're calling to prove yourself correct?"
This time, Sakura didn't immediately reply. She paused before speaking more quietly, "No." There's a long moment of silence before she continues, "I just wanted to make sure you're alright after that talk with your mom. I know you're stressed with work right now, and I wanted to lend an ear earlier, but I chickened out of talking to you in person."
Sasuke is entirely flabbergasted. Sure, as Haruki, this woman said sincere and heartfelt things all the time. This is the first time she's doing so aloud, so it feels foreign and new. The Director doesn't know how to take it.
He's very uncomfortable but also the opposite. It's a feeling he's never experienced. He also can't tell if he likes it or not. Deep down, he knows the cause. He's stuck between trusting Sakura and being grateful she's so earnest, while also having been raised to never utter a word about personal weakness. It's ingrained in his body to be outwardly perfect.
Sasuke's mouth opens and closes. No words come out. He turns onto his side, glaring at the dark room with tired eyes. His heart begins to race because he knows Sakura's waiting for a response, but he simply can't figure out what to say. This is his first time verbally trying to open up to someone, no matter how irrelevant the topic may be.
"It's alright," She suddenly says. His brow furrows with frustration as the woman continues in a soft, calming voice, "You don't have to push yourself."
"I'm…." Sasuke manages. He trips over his words, sighs, and admits, "I'm trying."
A muffled sound meets his ears. He imagines the pinkette curling further into her blankets and pillows. The thought brings him a tiny bit of comfort. "I know."
The receiver goes silent as the conversation lulls. Eventually, the man panics and says the first thing he can think of, "How's your dad?" He inwardly cringes because talking about her father is the last thing a person should do when called by a woman late at night.
Sakura answers as though the question isn't as odd as he believes, "Mom says he's nearly back to one hundred." A tiny giggle meets his ears. "She's been making him do yoga with her. She said the other ladies in the class keep teasing him."
Sasuke tries to picture the man in question amidst such a situation and finds himself smirking, "I'm sure he's enjoying that."
"Of course. A normal person would be embarrassed, but he's eating up the attention!"
The pair continues to talk about whatever oddball topics arise until they lose track of time.
Before Sasuke knows it, he's waking up to his alarm sounding loudly. Groaning, he clicks it off. Just before he can lock the device's screen again, he does a double-take because the call with Sakura is still going. The timer at the bottom of the screen says they've been connected for nearly six hours. Then, the man doesn't know if he should say something to verify if she's awake, hang up, or just wait until he hears something from the other end of the line.
He sits up to throw his legs over the edge of the bed, running a hand through his messy hair while staring at the pinkette's name. Before he can make a decision, a bubbly-sounding pop song erupts from the receiver. Moments later, it ends, followed by a familiar voice, albeit groggy and unaware, mumbles, "...I don't wanna go to school today, Mom…."
Sasuke's lips tug into an amused grin as the line goes silent once more.
She's sleep-talking.
Deciding to give the woman a break, he ends the call, but finds himself staring at the call details instead of getting up to prepare for work. Warmth meets his chest and stomach as he recalls their seemingly pointless conversations last night. Rather than force him to talk about his feelings, Sakura was happy to be a distraction. If the man is being honest, he wasn't sure if they can go back to how things were before they knew one another's identities. That is, until now. This feeling…. It's just like back then.
…..
Sakura curses under her breath when she wakes up and realizes she slept past her alarm. Naturally, she's feeling frazzled while hurrying into her doctor's office, already five minutes late and feeling terrible about it. The blonde woman, named Tsunade, seems unaffected by her patient's breathless appearance, "Sit. So, tell me what's wrong. You said you fainted?"
Tsunade has been the woman's doctor since she was around ten. She's ultimately the reason Sakura chose to go to medical school. Their relationship is a bit closer than the usual patient-doctor's, so she doesn't hesitate to be honest.
With a reddening face, she nods, soothing out her hair and avoiding eye contact, "I was smack in the middle of some…strenuous activity, if you know what I mean."
The well-endowed doctor laughs loudly, tossing her head back, "Dusting off the cobwebs was a little overwhelming, huh?"
Sakura glares at her, face only becoming hotter, "Can you just run some tests and make sure nothing's wrong with me so I can get out of here?"
"Yes, yes. Alright." Tsunade dons an amused grin whilst taking a blood sample, waggling her eyebrows suggestively, "So who's the lucky guy?" She pauses, smile fading, "You didn't let that friend of yours set you up with someone, did you? The men she dates…."
"Who, Ino? No!" Sakura waves her free hand dismissively.
She's careful not to move her other arm so as to not interrupt the process of having her blood taken, "He's…. Well, he's just a guy I met at work." She may be comfortable around Tsunade, but she doesn't want to hear the ear-full she'll get if she tells her she's sleeping with her boss. Before the blonde can reply, she interrupts with a change of topic, "So, just by what I've told you, do you think I should be worried? It's been a while since I've fainted."
"It's difficult to say, but if it only happened once, I'd air on the side of it not being something serious," the doctor put a bandage over the small bleeding spot of Sakura's arm and shook the small vials of blood with a frown, "I'll send these in right away and call you when the results come back."
The duo catches up for a few moments before Sakura inches toward the door. Just before she can turn the handle to leave the room, Tsunade stops her, "This guy you're seeing…. Is it serious?"
The pinkette thinks about all the drama and stress they've gone through. Then, she thinks about the good things. She doesn't want to jinx things by saying it out loud, but she can't help herself. With a smile that won't be held back, she tilts her head, "I hope so. I really like him."
After such an eventful evening, Sakura has trouble sleeping. She can't believe she attacked Sasuke like that, especially while at the office! What's more humiliating? She fainted! The fact is alarming, so she schedules an appointment with her family doctor for Friday, the day after tomorrow. She feels fine otherwise, so she doesn't see it as something too serious. When she was younger, she often had fainting spells due to a weak constitution. While she's worked hard to strengthen her mind and body, it's always a possibility that her immune system didn't fight off some kind of minor infection. To put things plainly, she isn't overly worried about it.
The pinkette all but drags her feet while approaching the Uchiha corp building the next morning, Wednesday. When Sakura arrives at the office door, she refuses to let herself hesitate and walks in, head high with faux confidence.
Sasuke looks right at her. Unlike lately, he doesn't avert his gaze. Instead, he waits for her to put her things away and sit at her desk before speaking. It's clear by his hesitant tone that he's unsure of how to approach the situation, "Are you…alright?"
Blush dares rise to Sakura's cheeks, but she somehow prevents it. She nods, searching the man's handsome face for emotions he may try to mask, "Thank you for taking me home yesterday. It must've been uncomfortable for you."
All of her attention is drawn to the Uchiha man's lips because they twitch as though he wants to smirk at her. He doesn't, though. Instead, he says in his usual, semi-emotionless voice, "After work today…. Dinner?"
Sakura's mouth opens as she tries to come up with a response. She's just so surprised by his sudden invitation. No words come out as her control slips, blush warming her face steadily.
Sasuke's lips do turn up into a smirk this time, nearly a smile, as he releases her gaze by looking at his computer screen, "It'd be inappropriate to talk here, don't you agree?"
Irritation meets Sakura's brow. It twitches as her blush fades. He made it sound like a date on purpose to tease her, didn't he? What a jerk.
Huffing angrily, Sakura texts Karin, 'Where the hell are you? It's been three days! You can't be that sick!'
As if she'd been outside waiting for that cue, Karin struts in with a satisfied grin and coffees in hand, "Good morning, you two! Did you miss me?"
Sasuke simply grunts a thank you out when he's handed his drink, but Sakura glares at her friend when she's given hers, "You look like you're feeling better."
Karin sighs dreamily, tossing her long hair over her shoulder while sitting at her own desk. A glint of mischief meets her eye as she waggles her brow at the pinkette, "Much better."
The day continues semi-uneventfully. After lunch, the other two leave to do their rounds, leaving Sakura to hold down the fort, just like old times. A nostalgic sensation warms her chest as she digitizes the files of new clients, her foot tapping happily. In the afternoon, around four o'clock, a knock comes at the door. Sakura stands to answer it, but tit opens before she can even take a step. She'd usually expect Sai or Itachi but both were out of the office this week. No, someone she very much does not want to see steps through the door.
"It's you," A familiar, gruff voice meets her ears.
Snapping out of her stupor, Sakura bows and steps out from behind her desk, "Good afternoon, Sir. Director Uchiha isn't-" "I'm aware of my son's whereabouts."
The woman's face pales at Fugaku's cold demeanor. She tries to remain composed while trying again, "I see… How may I be of service to you, then?"
The Uchiha patriarch and CEO looks down his straight nose at her as though staring at a sick and abandoned stray puppy on the side of the road. And he doesn't seem like an animal person, so the expression leans toward disgust.
"I have a task for you."
Sakura's spine straightens in surprise, "For me?"
"Yes," Fugaku spares her one last look-over before heading for the door, "Come to my office Friday evening once your duties here are complete." She's so stunned that she can't do anything but watch as the statuesque man opens the door to the office. Rather than immediately leave, he pauses and locks his glare onto her once more, "This stays between us. You're to tell no one."
Then, he's gone.
He leaves Sakura there, dumbstruck and confused as to what such a powerful man can possibly want from her.
…..
Sasuke's on cloud nine. Well, actually he's still a bit confused as to why Sakura's suddenly into him again and is worried she'll swiftly change her mind again, so maybe it's more like he's on cloud seven or eight.
While the pinkette is out of the office to deliver documents to some other departments in the building, he stares at the desk he's sitting at with images of last night's activities floating repeatedly across his vision. Karin, luckily, doesn't try to speak to him about anything personal. It's a ticking time bomb, though, because she keeps sending him knowing little smirks.
The Director of Operations is conflicted only because he's unsure if Sakura let what happened happen due to her being sick. On Tuesday afternoon, he only had an inkling she wasn't feeling well. Her fainting in his arms in the middle of the sexiest office meeting he's ever had pretty much confirmed it. Sasuke wants to tell her to go home and rest, but he knows her well enough by now to keep his mouth shut. If he wants to stay in her good graces, it's best not to give her orders that don't directly coincide with work.
The memories of their first night together are tarnished by the fog of liquor, but yesterday's encounter isn't. No, he can clearly picture her milky skin, dusted with sweat and flushed with lust. He can still see the fire and desperation in those gorgeous green eyes. His hands freeze on the keyboard, his gaze dropping to them. The arch of her slim waist as he held her to the desk….
Sasuke clears his throat and shoves the inappropriate memories away. Now is very much not the time for that.
In an attempt to distract himself, the Director buries himself in his work. When he leaves the building in the afternoon, Karin accompanies him instead of Sakura. It's likely for the best. The two of them might not be able to be alone while working for a while lest a repeat of yesterday occurs.
"You're welcome," Karin suddenly says while they're inspecting one of the older locations to ensure everything is up to code. "Hm?" He responds, uninterested. She flounces along, taking notes while babbling, "Obviously something good happened between you two while I was away. You can't keep your eyes off of each other! So, you're welcome."
He tries. Oh, how he tries not to lose his cool with the woman, but he fails. "You're out of bounds, Uzumaki."
"I'm right, though, aren't I? If you two weren't forced to be alone together the past two days, you'd still be moping around all confused on how to flirt. It's sad, really."
As much as his pride hates to take a hit, Sasuke knows she's right. He doesn't admit that aloud, but does her the courtesy of not arguing the topic further.
Finally, after hours of nervous anticipation, the end of the day arrives. Karin wordlessly looks between him and Sakura, realizes they're not following her out, smiles amusedly, and bids the duo goodbye.
At long last, the pair is alone. Sasuke waits silently for Sakura to pull on her coat and gather her purse before holding the door open and allowing her to pass. She seems flustered, but not overwhelmingly so. Neither has to speak to agree it best to remain silent until no one else can potentially overhear the words they share. He opens the car door for the woman, who seems confused by the gesture.
Once he's seated and they're pulling out of the parking garage, Sakura can't seem to contain herself anymore. She blurts out, albeit quietly, "You don't have to do this just because you feel bad about yesterday, really. I came onto you."
She thinks he's doing this out of obligation? The Uchiha man almost smirks because he's thought he's the naive one in this relationship the entire time. That said, he isn't sure what to say in response, so the car becomes awkward and silent.
He's been so focused on not thinking about Sakura all day that he never chose a destination for their dinner. On instinct, he drives to the sushi place where they'd had their welcoming dinner for her and Karin. She seemed to enjoy it back then.
When he opens the door for her upon arrival, she steps out with a red face, "Th-This is too much, Sir! We can go somewhere more affordable."
Her lack of using his name leaves a bad taste on his tongue, but he ignores it for now. Instead, he audaciously pulls her hand into his and leads the way inside, where they're promptly escorted to one of the private rooms once the staff recognize his Uchiha-esk features.
Their orders are taken, and then they're left alone in a small room. Sakura's skin shows the first signs of flush, and she seems unable to look at him for more than a few seconds at a time. Sasuke can't see her hands, but he knows she's likely fiddling nervously with them in her lap.
Now that the time has come to swallow his social awkwardness, Sasuke, too, hesitates. What should he say? How should he say it? Will she reject him again? They have only been getting along, if you can call it that, for a day and a half. Maybe it's too soon to jump the gun and have The Talk.
"Sir, listen-" "Sasuke." His lips move of their own accord.
Sakura's mouth clamps shut in surprise.
With no other choice, the Uchiha man continues, "I'm sorry for what I said at the banquet. I was way out of line, and I…." He pauses, nervously tugging at his shirt collar and averting his gaze from hers, "I want to go back to how we were before we knew the truth."
The pinkette, unsurprisingly, seems mildly perturbed, "We can't do that. The only reason we got along so well was because we didn't know we were speaking with one another." Sasuke opens his mouth to rebuttal, but she continues, "We barely got along in person, if you recall. We fought all the time, and I annoy the hell out of you."
Both become silent as the door opens so the waitresses can serve their food and drinks. Once they're gone, Sasuke narrows his eyes, "I don't care."
Obviously, that's not what Sakura expected to hear because she can't find the words to say.
He feels warmth begin to meet the tips of his ears. Being this open and communicating clearly is so very out of character, but if he wants to be on the same page with this passionate woman, he has no choice, "It's because you stayed when I was cold or annoyed that I'll put up with arguments and you treating me like a child." A familiar expression, one of irritation, meets Sakura's face. It's then that Sasuke knows he has a chance because it's the most genuine emotion she's shown since the truth was revealed.
"Well, if you'd take care of yourself, then I wouldn't have to treat you like a kid," Sakura grumbles with the straw to her water in her mouth. She looks away with a huff while taking a sip.
He can't help it. A tiny smirk tugs at his lips.
The woman frowns when she notices, bristling, "Stop looking at me like that."
"Go on a date with me." Sakura's usually pale face goes from white to bright red in a heartbeat.
She stumbles over her words, choking on the water and coughing behind her hands, "A-A date?! B-B-B-But-" She finally clears her throat and shakes her head, "Aren't we already on one?" Obviously, she's trying to get out of it with that logic.
Sasuke's smirk turns into a small grin, "Let me take you on a real date."
The Haruno woman is speechless. She searches his face in disbelief for a moment before bashfully looking away, poking at a piece of sushi with her chopsticks.
Sasuke's chest warms at her stubborn expression, "Is that a yes?"
Sakura nods, sparing him an annoyed glance before averting her gaze again.
The rest of the evening passes in a daze for Sasuke as he tries to pinpoint what exactly caused the change in attitude in Sakura. To his surprise, Naruto is waiting for him at his condo. The blonde has a spare keycard. When he gets especially annoying, which is often, Sasuke threatens to take it back but has never followed through with it.
The Uchiha man sighs when his eyes land on his male best friend watching a hockey game on the large television with a beer in-hand. Naruto laughs, mimicking a woman's voice terribly, "Welcome home, Honey!"
Sasuke tosses his keys and wallet onto the island counter, grabs a beer of his own, and sits on the other side of the sofa without speaking a word. His dark eyes are glazed over despite being directed at the tv. He's not actually seeing the sport, though. No, he's still lost in thought over a certain pink-haired woman who kissed his cheek out of the blue earlier.
"Hey, Dickhead, don't ignore me!"
In response, he scoffs, sipping his beer and finally shooting Naruto a smirk, "Has Neji's cousin let you off the leash for tonight?"
Naruto's annoyance dissipates. Rather than become bashful, he beams while wiggling his eyebrows, "Have you seen Hinata? I'd let her leash me any day."
"Gross," the Director of Operations says.
"You're just jealous," the blonde insists, "Sakura isn't giving you the time of day even though you're trying so hard. I'm embarrassed for you, Bro."
Sasuke coughs, choking on his beer. He coughs with the back of his hand to his lips and a glare on his friend. When his throat is clear, he forces his gaze onto the television, "Whatever, Idiot."
"...Wait a second," Naruto slowly begins to smile while studying the Uchiha's profile. He punches Sasuke's arm a moment later, "You asshole! Something happened, didn't it? Tell me!"
Begrudgingly, Sasuke tells his friend about his day and how confused he is about its turnout. Naruto isn't the brightest bulb, so he's even more stumped than him.
"I don't get it. You totally stopped trying to butter her up and suddenly she's into you again? Is she a masochist?"
Honestly, the Uchiha man is surprised his friend knows such a long word. He shakes his head with a sigh of defeat, "No idea."
"Oh, I know! Let's ask Ino!"
"No, don't-" "This had better be good, Uzumaki. I'm in the middle of something," Ino's voice comes from Naruto's phone speaker. Sasuke slaps his hand over his eyes and groans as he listens to the two blondes talk about his love life.
Once Ino's been brought up-to-date, a grin can be heard in her voice, "Men are so stupid." There's a murmur that the two men can't make out, to which Ino responds, "Not you, Handsome. You're an exception."
Sasuke and Naruto share a look, the former understanding that a certain pale-skinned liaison is likely with her and the latter blissfully ignorant. So that's what she meant by saying she's in the middle of something. Sasuke's eager to get off the call, so he cuts off whatever Naruto's about to say, "Either explain or we're hanging up."
"You really are all beauty and no brains," the Yamanaka woman remarks. She sighs dramatically before saying in a sing-song voice, "What's the difference between the things you got for Sakura today compared to the flowers and jewelry?"
Naruto gasps, "They're cheap! That's it! Thanks, Ino!" "Wait, dumbass! That's not-" The Uzumaki man clicks the call to an end and smiles proudly at Sasuke, "You lucky dog. It's rare to find a woman who prefers cheap things. Sealing the deal should be easy for you now that you know."
Sasuke stares at his friend in disbelief, "You're not really this stupid. You can't be."
Baby blue eyes go wide with confusion, "Huh?"
Later, after Naruto's left, Sasuke showers and falls into bed. With an arm bent behind his pillow, he stares at the ceiling and thinks about what Ino said. While it's true that the things he purchased for Sakura today are cheaper than the gifts he's sent, that being the reason she cheered up a little is implausible.
Confounded, he thinks back to each interaction they had while together. First, he lost his temper at the perfumery when that douchebag salesman kept grabbing Sakura's hand and wrist even though she was clearly uncomfortable. She didn't say anything about it, but he saw her ears turn red like they do when she's angry, so that can't be why she kissed him. At lunch, that color met her ears again when they ate lunch together.
Realization comes upon the baffled man as he suddenly recalls that her cheeks had some pink dusting them, too. He groans, covering his eyes. He feels like an idiot. Whispering to himself in the dark, he defeatedly says, "She must've had a fever, and that's why she acted weird."
…..
Sakura is humiliated with herself.
"Why did I do that!?" She hisses to herself while rolling back and forth on her bed with the perfume Sasuke bought her in her hands.
Her heart flutters when she recalls the serious expression on his face when he tore her wrist away from Mino earlier. Excitement bubbles in her stomach until she can't hold it back and squeals, closing her eyes and kicking her feet. Then, she gasps, sits up, and sets the expensive bottle on her desk with a frown.
She can't let herself be swayed with just one day of the man treating her correctly, no matter how hot it is to see him play the role of protector. The seriousness of the situation, or lack thereof, doesn't matter. In that moment, the pinkette wanted nothing more than to jump his bones right there in the middle of the store.
Then, he bought her lunch without even having to ask what she likes. Green eyes wander to the perfume on the desk, warming. He also knows what type of scents she likes, and she's certain she never mentioned that sort of thing. That means he noticed on his own. Sasuke showing that he pays attention is so out of character and flattering that even someone with stone cold resolve like Sakura can't help but melt.
Sakura dreams of their night together. When she wakes to her alarm the next morning, she's disappointed because it was just getting to the good part.
After showering, she frowns at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes drift down to her slim figure. She looks at her neck and recalls how it felt for Sasuke's tongue to taste the skin there. Her gaze falls to her small breasts so that she remembers how good the friction of his calloused hands felt as he massaged them. When her eyes lower further, Sakura has to stop herself. She groans, turning away from the mirror to begin preparing for work.
The heat in her body fails to fade in the time it takes for her to flow through her morning routine, remaining even as she rides the elevator up to the office. She spares a glance at the few others riding along, not missing the wandering gaze of one of the men even though he quickly averts his eyes when he notices her looking.
Someone's cologne is noticeable in the air. Unconsciously, Sakura thinks to herself that it's a decent scent, but it's nothing compared to what Sasuke smells like. Especially when he's sweating and on top of her.
!
The pinkette grits her teeth, shakes her head to try to rid of the dirty thoughts, and rushes out of the elevator with her head low and face red the moment the door opens. She hisses under her breath while avoiding eye contact with everyone she passes as she hurries through the hallway, "Stop it. Stop it. Stop it."
Why did she have to dream about that night? She's done so well to distract herself until now!
When she arrives at Sasuke's office, she pauses with a hand on the doorknob. Closing her eyes, she takes some calming breaths. If she can go years without having sex, then she can control herself around the Uchiha man now, no matter how perfect he is and regardless of the fact that they'll be alone almost all day
...
…In this office with a lock on the door.
Sakura bites back a groan as she hypothetically bites the bullet and enters the room. She takes her time removing her coat and hanging it up with her back turned to the rest of the office. When she can no longer put it off, she holds her breath, turns around, and pointedly avoids looking in the direction of Sasuke's desk while heading to her own.
To her surprise, the door to the room opens the moment she sits down. Confusion clouds her thoughts as she watches her temporary boss enter, slightly out of breath and with messier than usual hair as though he's been running. When those hawk-like eyes lock onto hers, she forgets how to breathe and panics.
She lowers her head and stutters, "U-Um, good morning, Sir."
Sasuke says nothing, but Sakura can hear his footsteps as he crosses the room. Her eyes shoot open and she lifts her head when a bag is placed in front of her. She watches the man wordlessly go to his desk and begin checking emails as if this is an everyday thing for them. Sakura's too curious to not, so she peeks inside the bag to see some sports drinks, cold medicine, and cold compresses.
….Huh? What is all this?
The woman glances at Sasuke, entirely lost. It's obvious he can tell she's looking, but he chooses to ignore her stare, so she loses the courage to say something. Is this him trying to change his approach again? But he did so well yesterday, and she clearly let him know that, so why would he…?
A lightbulb could've appeared over Sakura's head. She bites her tongue to stop herself from giggling. With a tiny smile, she takes out one of the sports drinks and opens it to take a drink.
How cute.
Someone as intelligent and stoic as Sasuke thinks she kissed him yesterday because she had a fever, so he made sure to stop by the store on his way to work to buy her things that'll help her feel better. Butterflies flutter about her stomach as she shakes her head to herself and proceeds to focus on work. Sakura can't help but feel a little guilty for not addressing Sasuke's misunderstanding, but the effort he's putting into showing he cares is too admirable to correct.
Many hours pass before the duo speak a word to one another, and even then, it's just Sakura informing Sasuke that one of his meetings has been moved up. Lunch has already passed and they're nearing the end of the day. The man says nothing, but nods toward the door as a silent instruction to follow him as he rises from his desk and begins walking that way. She obeys with green eyes studying his broad shoulders.
Trying to ignore his allure all day has been exhausting, to put it lightly. Sakura feels like something must be wrong with her because she's never felt like this before. Hell, she never so much as bought a vibrator during her "dry spell" between her first boyfriend and now.
Rather than fight the traffic and use the elevator, the pair uses the stairs to join the CEO in a meeting on the top floor. Recognition meets Fugaku's ever-present glare when his eyes meet hers.
She submissively lowers her gaze. This is the first time since Mikoto brought her to dinner that they're meeting. Before then, they'd been in the same room a couple of times, but he never seemed to notice her. Given the icy sensation of intimidation chilling her spine right now, Sakura considers herself lucky to have escaped his notice for so long.
As per usual, Sakura stands by the wall behind where Sasuke takes a seat in one of the chairs in the CEO's office. Her task is to remain silent and pay attention so she can remember any details Sasuke may forget. The meeting is entirely professional. It's long and full of business-y discussion that Sakura finds extremely boring. Despite that, the Haruno woman fails to miss the few tense glances the CEO sends her way. She pretends, for her sake and Sasuke's, that she's ignorant of it. Finally, the meeting ends. Sakura bows politely to Fugaku, as does his youngest son, before following her temporary boss out of the office.
It's as though a weight has lifted from her shoulders the moment the door closes behind them and they're on their way toward the elevator. By this time, almost everyone has gone home for the evening.
Her mind is busy with concern about why Fugaku had been glaring at her like that when, out of the corner of her eye, she notices Sasuke roll his sleeves up to his elbows. He isn't wearing his suit jacket, so the subtle muscles and noticeable veins in his forearms are impossible to miss.
Just like that, the relentless desire to pounce on the man returns in full-force. The CEO's unwanted attention is long forgotten. Sakura swallows nervously as they step into the empty elevator. She glances at Sasuke every couple of seconds, hoping he hasn't noticed. Her eyes dance down his appearance and back up before closing. It's hard not to sigh aloud. Sakura steels her resolve when the door opens on their floor and hurries out like she did earlier in the day.
Her heart is pumping loudly in her ears. So much so that it comes as a complete surprise when Sasuke grabs her wrist the moment they're in his office with the door closed behind them.
She turns to look up at him with a blush, "Is something wrong?"
The Uchiha man quickly releases her, his uncertainty clear on his guarded face, "...If you're feeling sick, you should stay home and rest tomorrow."
Just as she has no idea why she's been so turned on all day, Sakura doesn't know why words are suddenly leaving her mouth. She hisses almost angrily, "Stop it!"
Sasuke takes a step back. His jaw flexes and he nods, "Sorry."
"No! No…" Sakura runs an irritated hand through her hair before throwing her arms out from her sides stressfully, "You haven't done anything wrong. It's me this time. All day today, I've been-" She gets lost in Sasuke's confused gaze, losing her train of thought.
Understanding slowly begins to seep into his expression as she lowers her hands to her sides. Without speaking a word, the Uchiha man reaches over to click the lock on the door.
And that's the last straw.
"Please don't hate me for this," she breathes while closing the distance between them. In a blink, her legs are around Sasuke's hips, her fingers in his hair, and her lips pressed to his hungrily.
The heat burning her core flares wildly when Sasuke reacts smoothly. Large hands grab her leg and hip to support her weight as he slips his tongue past her teeth and carries her seamlessly further into the room.
This is it. This is what she's been yearning for since the night they first slept together.
The hand on her hip momentarily disappears, followed by the sound of whatever's atop a large section of Sasuke's desk being carelessly tossed out of the way and onto the floor. Then, her bottom meets the piece of furniture and she's able to free her hands to frantically unbutton the man's shirt. Both are breathing heavily with desire when their lips part.
A tiny moan leaves Sakura as Sasuke's fingers run into her hair so he can guide her neck to arch. His tongue runs over the sensitive skin where her neck meets her shoulder. The pinkette's legs part further so he can press against her. Her hands fumble to run beneath his shirt over his shoulders so that she can feel his muscles flexing there.
Sasuke's shirt is unbuttoned, but he keeps it on as he speaks in a gruff voice against her damp skin, "You're wearing the perfume."
He pulls back, meeting her gaze hungrily as he unbuttons her shirt.
The warmth between Sakura's legs also appears on her face as he studies her appearance, but she doesn't allow that to ruin the mood. Instead, she gasps out, arching into his touch when her shirt is finally undone and the man has pushed her bra up so he can fondle her chest, "I hoped you'd notice."
Something resembling a growl rumbles through the man as he presses his lips to hers again. The sheer amount of lust blurs things as the pair continues with their heavy petting. Somehow, Sakura's pants are removed and her underwear is shoved to the side, while Sasuke's pants are undone just enough. When he shoves into her, it's as though neither can wait another moment. It's as though they need one another's body to breathe or live.
Though she'd been drunk during their first time together, Sakura is filled with satisfaction as she feels how fully this man fills her up. With each thrust of his hips, the very air in her lungs is stolen, and she's happy to let it happen. Her chest presses against his as she kisses his neck, tearing her lips from his so it's easier to breathe. Tiny, hushed moans become buried in his salty skin. She knows she can't be loud, lest a straggler working late overhear them.
Pressure begins to build within her loins, to the point that she can no longer focus on anything but what the sexy businessman is doing to her insides. Sakura moans his name quietly while leaning back, her hands on the desk slightly behind her so she doesn't lose balance.
The Uchiha man's gaze is burning hot as he grips her hips and studies her body while picking up the pace.
She allows her own eyes to wander over his body. Sasuke's more muscular than she expected, something she learned from their night together, but his form isn't overwhelming. It's just enough to be noticeable, and it suits him way too well. As if he needs to be any more perfect. The woman groans, reaching up to run a hand down his torso, "I've been thinking about this all day." She barely recognizes her own voice because it's so sensual and airy.
Sasuke's jaw flexes and suddenly he's hitting something special inside her. A cry passes her lips, which makes her slap a hand over her own mouth.
Complete and total focus sharpens the lines of the man's face as he watches her steady descent into pleasure. Only when Sakura's insides explode with climax do his lips part for a heavier breath to escape. The woman clings to him, nails digging into his bicep and shoulder as she trembles around him. Then, she's standing, facing the desk, and bent over it.
Sasuke grumbles while sliding back into her from the new angle, "Tell me next time."
Sakura smiles to herself, momentarily having a moment of clarity amidst her lust to appreciate his efforts to communicate. Her body moves on instinct, pressing back against Sasuke's hips with each thrust and relishing in the feel of his sweaty skin against hers. She attempts to casually tease him, though her voice hitches while she does, "You just want to get lucky." A squeak passes her lips when she's suddenly pressed down to the desk, the cold surface contrasting greatly with her warm body.
One of Sasuke's hands is at her hip, holding her in place as he thrusts harder into her, and the other gathers her long hair before moving it over her shoulder to hold it against the desk. He isn't pulling her hair, but he is preventing her from moving much.
"I want you to cum again," he argues quietly, voice rough and unfocused.
Sakura presses her forehead to the desk and bites back louder moans. Everything about him is incredible. Unbelievable. She never expected to feel so good, and it's all his fault. It takes little time for her to begin building toward a second climax.
Sasuke notices, nails digging into her hip as he breathes out, barely audible, "That's it." It feels as though her entire body is on fire as she feels her insides begin to tremble again.
The next thing Sakura knows, she's waking up in her apartment. She gasps, sitting up and looking around. Realizing where she is, she brings her hands to her cheeks and speaks to herself, "What a dream…."
A heavy blush makes her a little light-headed. She wants to get up and wash her face with cold water to calm down. When she does, though, she looks up at the mirror and pauses mid-reach for her towel. There, on the bathroom mirror, is a sticky-note. On it is oh-so-familiar handwriting. 'You fainted, so I brought you home. We should talk. -S'
Sakura's face pales as she snatches the note from the mirror. "...Fuck," she hisses.
It doesn't take long for Sakura to forget about the awkwardness between her and Sasuke. There's simply too much work to do. For the first half of the day, the duo works in silence to keep up with the mountain of paperwork, emails, and phone calls needing processing. They just fall into their old routine, the one they had when Karin was on vacation.
The time comes, around noon, that it's time to visit a few of the company's locations.
Sakura follows her stoic boss downstairs, to the employee garage, and into his car. That's when she begins to feel the tension resurface. Heat threatens to flood her cheeks as she steals a glance at the Uchiha man driving. He looks godly, as usual. She bites the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from sighing and averts her gaze out the window. As far as appearances are concerned, Sasuke looks exactly like he did when they first met: straightfaced and unconcerned with her presence.
Self-irritation churns the woman's stomach as her mood falls. Is it just her that can't stop thinking about how close they are in this enclosed space? It'd take little energy to reach over and touch him.
But Sakura can't do that, and even if she could, she wouldn't. As strong as her affection is for the man, she can't just pretend he didn't treat her improperly. If she just ups and forgives him without forcing him to reflect on his actions, she'll not only be disrespecting herself, but also their relationship because it'd have started off sourly and never been fixed.
Sakura shakes her head when they arrive at their first stop. Then, she follows Sasuke out of the car and through the shopping mall with her tablet at the ready to notate anything necessary. It's the same location where the opening party had been, the beauty-based mall. Ino's face is on a lot of the posters and window displays for various stores, like makeup, shoes, salons, and more.
Soon, they approach a perfumery. It's the only of it's kind in Konoha because most shops sell perfumes and colognes, just not as their sole product. The CEO, Fugaku Uchiha, wasn't entirely on board with putting such a place into one of his malls, but his two sons provided substantial evidence that it'll do well. As a result, Sasuke is checking in on it today to verify how things have gone with his own two eyes rather than relying on reports emailed to him by the staff.
Before they can enter the shop, Sakura notices Sasuke pull on a ballcap and a pair of glasses to alter his appearance. If they were on better terms, she'd have laughed at his disguise. He doesn't need to explain what needs to be done because they've done this a few times in locations that underperform. If the Director of Operations shows up, of course the stores' staff will be on their very best behavior. If they aren't aware of his identity, though, he'll get a sincere experience. Usually, Karin is the one to go with Sasuke on these little secret missions, so this is the pinkette's first time.
Since it's part of her job, she doesn't argue and simply takes a deep breath before sticking the tablet into her purse and walking into the perfumery while trying to tone down her professional aura. A soft, pleasant scent is in the air. It isn't overbearing or headache-inducing. Sakura temporarily forgets about what she's doing as she looks around in awe. It's a beautiful shop. She finds it odd that she's thinking such a thing because she's never found a store pretty before. Elegant lavender and pastel pink lights hang from the ceiling, which casts a gorgeous, mood-setting light over the dozens of crystal perfume bottles on display.
There's a thin, feminine woman behind the counter in a form-fitting dress that smiles, "Welcome!"
Sakura returns the smile, only to jump when a man suddenly appears before her. He's tall and in shape, wearing a dark blue business suit that makes his similarly-colored eyes pop. The man offers a blinding smile while taking Sakura's hand in his own, "Thank you for stopping in today. My name is Mino. May I help you find the perfect scent?"
The way he's staring confidently into her eyes makes her feel both uneasy and bashful, so she gingerly slips her hand from his and averts her gaze, "Oh, um, sure. Do you have any recommendations?" She's uncomfortable with his overbearing customer service but doesn't say anything because the goal is to experience a genuine interaction with the staff. They greeted her immediately, which is great, so things are off to an alright start.
"Of course! Follow me," Mino says. He gestures to the row of bottles furthest away from the exit, which coincidentally are the most expensive. Sakura doesn't fail to notice the difference in price from these compared to the ones closest to the entrance.
The salesman holds out a hand while picking up a tiny pink bottle. She isn't sure what to do, and he picks up on that with a chuckle. Mino grabs her wrist and turns it around in his hand so he can spritz a tiny bit of the perfume onto her skin, "This one will suit you perfectly. It has hints of strawberry and vanilla-" Suddenly, Sakura's wrist is pulled from Mino's.
It's then that the woman realizes she'd forgotten about Sasuke, who's been silently following along the whole time. He frowns, releasing her. Rather than acknowledge the act, he corrects the salesman on something else, "She prefers floral scents. Shouldn't you use a test strip rather than automatically put a product on her?"
Sakura barely manages not to drop her jaw in surprise. She stares, wide-eyed, at her angry boss as Mino bows and politely apologizes for the mistake. How does he know what kind of perfumes she likes? He's right, too. She does prefer floral scents compared to fruity ones. Absently, she wraps her hand around her wrist, the one he'd tugged away from the salesman, a blush dusting her face.
…Sasuke was really cool just then….
…..
Sasuke grits his teeth as he and Sakura leave the shop later, after thoroughly experiencing the place. He ended up buying a bottle of perfume for the woman, one she picked out, because it'd be weird to spend so much time in there and leave empty-handed.
They stop by the food court, where she excuses herself to the restroom.
He shouldn't have acted possessive like he had. She's been dead silent ever since. Sasuke's irritated with himself for making her so uncomfortable, but even more so because he can't figure out what to say or do to make it easier for her.
Rather than wait for Sakura to return, he orders food for them both. He's both eaten with Sakura and been treated to her cooking when she used to bring him lunch, so he has a general idea of her likes and dislikes.
His phone rings as he's sitting down with their tray of food. He notices Sakura approaching as he answers it. His mother's voice meets his ear, "Hi, Sweetheart. How's your day going so far?"
Sasuke bristles when Sakura meets his eye, sitting across from him. He isn't sure what to say or do to her, so he wordlessly gestures at the tray, scoots it closer to her, and averts his gaze with an uncomfortable glare.
He responds to his mom on auto-pilot, "I'm well. I'm working right now, so I-" "Of course you are. I know that. I just wanted to let you know that your father would like to have a family dinner this weekend. Are you free on Sunday?"
"Yes, fine. I'll be there," he says. Anything to get off the phone.
The call ends, and the man notices Sakura hasn't touched anything. He takes a sip of his drink and grumbles, "Eat. We need to get back to work soon."
Sakura says nothing, but wordlessly follows his order. He braves a glance at her face and almost groans. Not only are her ears red, but so are her cheeks and nose as she keeps her gaze downward.
Why does everything he does make her angry? The man is confused as to why she's upset and speaks quietly so no one will overhear, "Do you not like it? I'll get you something else."
"No!" Sakura bursts out.
The pair stares at one another in dual-surprise at her sudden outburst.
The red on her face burns brighter and she repeats herself more softly, "No, I like this. Thank you."
Hold on a moment…. Is that redness not from anger? What else would cause it? He hasn't done anything to embarrass her, he's sure, so why? Sasuke thinks on it for a moment before deciding to shelve the query for later. He's just relieved she isn't upset with him for now.
The rest of the day is relatively uneventful. Soon, the duo is back at the office and it's nearly time to leave.
Sasuke pretends not to be sneaking glances at the beautiful pink-haired woman as she closes down her computer and begins gathering her coat and purse. What should he say? Should he say anything at all or just stay quiet until she approaches him first? Before he can make a decision, the pinkette is suddenly standing in front of his desk.
There's an unfamiliar expression on her face. "Um, I want to apologize for making things so awkward today. I'll try to be better in the future." Sakura doesn't wait for his response and turns, walking toward the door to leave.
The Uchiha man's body moves independently, and he finds himself grabbing her hand before she can reach the door. She turns to face him, her shock evident. His courage disappears as she stares expectantly up at him with those pretty green eyes. Sasuke opens his mouth while trying to figure out what to say, but no words come out.
Should he explain that he's never felt so desperate to earn the approval of someone other than his father? Or maybe he needs to tell her, again, how sorry he is for hurting her feelings. It doesn't matter what he should do because his body and lips won't move. He closes his mouth, gritting his teeth with a disappointed frown.
Why is he like this? Why can't he just say what he's thinking and feeling? Why must it be so hard to be normal?
A soft, warmth meets Sakura's face, a look of understanding. She sighs and pulls her hand from his. She's unhappy that he touched her without permission, right? It must be. To Sasuke's surprise, the pinkette reaches up to tug the collar of his shirt so he'll lean down slightly. When he does, she bashfully kisses his cheek, which sends electric surprise through the Uchiha man's entire being. He then stares at her in disbelief, unable to speak for an entirely different reason than before.
Sakura releases him and takes a step back. Shyly, she says, "I like the you from today." Then, like she didn't just severely confuse the already baffled man, she exits the room without another word.
Sasuke's hand slowly lifts to the cheek she'd kissed, warmth meeting his chest. Why did she do that? And what does she mean she likes the him from today? There wasn't much different from how he used to treat her before everything hit the fan like it had. All he knows is that he's never felt such odd sensations from something as simple as a kiss on the cheek.
He clears his throat and shakes his head when he realizes a small smile had met his lips, forcing himself to frown seriously again before turning to go back to his desk. He'll just have to keep trying to earn praise from Sakura like what she gave just moments ago. Surely, with time, she'll forgive him and they can't start over. Sasuke's determined.
He swears to himself and whatever God may be out there that he won't mess it up if he gets another chance.
This time, he won't let his fucked up insecurities get in the way.
If there's one thing Sasuke Uchiha dislikes about being at the office, it's the constant stream of whispers and stares that follow him. All of that has quadrupled since Sakura began working as Itachi's assistant instead of his.
He's pretty sure that a certain loud-mouthed Yamanaka woman told someone about their situation, and those people told others, and now it feels like everyone is in on a secret he desperately tried to hide. If Sai and Karin weren't so serious about their careers, he'd have assumed they were in on it, too. Alas, the duo is more than satisfied teasing him behind closed doors.
The rest of the week passes rather uneventfully. Wednesday, the day Sakura came back and began working for Itachi, the younger Uchiha brother gifted her with pink roses and a short apology note. Each day following, he hired a private driver to take the Haruno woman wherever she pleases so she'll no longer have to rely on cabs or taxis. On Thursday and Friday, Sasuke sent her a pretty diamond bracelet and macaroons from overseas, respectfully.
Though Sakura accepted her new position as Itachi's assistant, she hasn't said a single word to Sasuke.
At the end of the work day on Friday, Sasuke stays late, as usual. Hours pass as he works to catch up on the paperwork he missed from taking Tuesday off. Time passes. It's as if he blinks and the sun has disappeared behind the horizon. The clock's hands have moved further than expected. He snaps out of his focus when a knock comes at his office door.
He looks up from the screen, only to frown when Itachi strides, "I'm about to leave, so I figured I'd stop by to see how you're holding up."
"I'm fine," Sasuke says.
Itachi isn't deterred. He instead seems more sympathetic, "Sakura is doing a great job. She seems to be trying to take out her frustrations by putting it into her work." His dark eyes warm when Sasuke grits his teeth, so he adds, "I know you're worried."
It's quiet between the brothers for a moment before the younger one sighs defeatedly. He speaks in barely more than a whisper. There's an uncharacteristic shyness in his words, "And the gifts…. Has she…?"
"No," the elder one cuts him off, "She's designated a drawer in her desk to store them, but she hasn't spoken a word about it."
A sound of confirmation rumbles Sasuke's chest. The room becomes silent again. Itachi wordlessly wishes his little brother farewell for the evening and leaves.
Sasuke rubs his tired eyes and groans. Naruto and the others said this approach will work on Sakura, but it hasn't yet. Of course, he knows it's only been three days, but the Uchiha is not an overly patient man. He just keeps telling himself to give the woman space while also making it clear that he hasn't given up on earning her forgiveness.
Another week passes.
That Friday, instead of Itachi visiting him after closing hours, the Director of Operations is taken aback when Sakura Haruno steps gingerly into his office. Judging by her anxious glance out into the hall prior to shutting and locking the door behind them, it's easy to tell she doesn't want anyone to know.
Sasuke's spine unconsciously straightens, and he pushes his keyboard away a bit to give the woman his focus.
Her emerald-colored eyes appear darker than usual as she approaches. She doesn't hold his gaze. Instead, she stands further away than she had in the past and says in a voice that bleeds discomfort, "I want you to stop." The Uchiha man frowns. He doesn't reply, not because he's angry, but because he has no idea what to say. He knows she's referring to his relentless attempts to show his regret.
Sakura appears to take that as something defiant and clenches her fists with a frown, "Listen, I understand that you're trying to apologize, but trying to do that by blowing your money on meaningless things like jewelry and expensive sweets…. Do you not know me at all, Sasuke?"
This time, the man's mouth opens, "What would you like instead?" The words leave his lips before he can stop them.
Her face warms with a stubborn expression. She crosses her arms and turns on her heel to stalk toward the door without answering the question.
Sasuke can only watch as the door closes behind her. In her absence, he sighs. He sits back in his chair and runs a hand through his messy locks.
So, Ino and the others were wrong. What does that leave? How can he re-win over such a stubborn and headstrong woman on his own? Sure, the Uchiha man is intelligent, but that's almost solely when it comes to business and books. Interpersonal relationships and peoples' emotions is a completely different story.
…..
Sakura is angry. More than that, she's baffled by Sasuke Uchiha's audacity.
"Just because he has a pretty face and is good in bed doesn't mean a few trinkets and flowers are going to make things right!" She vents to her friends.
Tenten, Karin, Ino, and Hinata are sitting on the Yamanaka woman's large sofa, watching the pinkette pace back and forth with a beer in her hand. She didn't start talking about her romance issues until she'd had a few. Luckily, the other girls have also had their fair share of alcohol, so they handle her aggravation more smoothly than usual.
Ino is, as usual, the first one to respond. She matches her bff's energy by raising her own drink and almost yelling, "Yeah! He should grovel at your feet!"
The pinkette gives the blonde a grateful look while tossing back a big mouthful of the bitter liquid. Karin scoffs before whispering something to Ino, who's face reddens.
Tenten shakes her head, ignoring them, "I'm still pissed I had to find out about all this from Neji. Do you know how out of the loop you have to be if that introverted man is finding out gossip before you?!"
"Don't be so harsh, Ten. How would you feel if you were in her shoes?" Hinata softly chimes in, always the empath.
Sakura sighs, "No, she's right. I've not been a very good friend to you guys lately." She pouts at the brunette in question, "I'm sorry for not keeping in touch. I've just been so focused on all this craziness."
It's immediately clear that there are no hard feelings and the group of girls continues on with their sleepover. Soon, it's the early hours of the morning and they're all in their sleeping bags, Ino and Hinata sharing the blonde's massive bed.
The Haruno woman turns onto her side with a half-drunken sigh. Her eyes linger on her phone. Ever since he showed up unannounced at her apartment, Sasuke hasn't called or texted. A large part of her is grateful that he isn't harassing her, but a tiny bit of her wishes he'd do something unexpected.
The reason she hasn't forgiven him yet is because it's clear he isn't comfortable with their situation being public knowledge. All his gifts have been delivered covertly and never have his full name on the tags, just "S". They work down the hall from one another, so it's not all that unlikely that their paths will cross during the day, but when they're nearby, he very pointedly avoids looking her way.
As much as Sakura cherishes the sincere relationship she had with her anonymous friend, she can't possibly be just friends with Sasuke Uchiha. Not when she knows how gratifying it is to be kissed, touched, and trusted by someone so cautious. A man of his status and prestige deserves a partner who can stand on equal ground. While Sakura can't picture herself being someone of that multitude, she has enough self-respect to refuse to be hidden by someone who claims to care for her.
So, unless he changes his approach, things will never go back to how they used to be.
"Can't sleep?" Karin's whisper disturbs Sakura's thoughts. The pinkette turns to face her with a frown but says nothing. A small grin meets the redhead's lips moments later and she says something unexpected, "Listen, you know I'm just messing with you about stealing Sasuke from me, right? I'm actually happy for you guys."
Deep down, she does know that, so she nods. She says, "I know. l…I just wish…."
"You wish he'd get his head out of his ass?"
Sakura snickers half-heartedly, "That's one way to put it, yeah."
A sympathetic aura comes from Karin, then, "Well, his mother and brother already adore you, so it's only a matter of time before he comes along."
"I shouldn't have to wait for him to not be ashamed of me," Sakura mumbles.
The redhead bites, "He's not-!" She suddenly shuts her mouth, shakes her head, rolls her eyes, and turns so her back is facing her friend, "God, you two are perfect for each other. Good night."
Sakura is confused, but she's also exhausted, so she doesn't argue and allows sleep to take over.
On Monday, she's met with bad news. "The Vice President is on a business trip this week, so you'll be temporarily reassigned to work alongside Karin for the Director of Operations," Sai's voice is professional, but the mischievous and smug look in his eye is undeniable.
"...You're kidding," Sakura groans.
He smiles faux-kindly, "Let's work hard to make this another productive week, shall we?"
Sai excuses himself when they near Sasuke's office. Sakura takes a calming breath before turning the knob and entering. As luck would have it, Karin isn't present yet.
The Uchiha man looks up for a quick moment before quickly averting his gaze to the computer screen. Neither speaks a word as Sakura puts away her personal items and sits down at her old desk to check the company email.
Outwardly she appears collected and serious, but inside she's panicking. Sasuke is right there, close enough to look at and hear the typing of his fingers on the keyboard. She steals a glance before turning her gaze back to her own screen. She swallows hard. His hair is still damp from his morning shower. Before, she would've made a comment on how leaving his house in the winter with wet hair is likely to have him develop another cold, but they're no longer on speaking terms, so she swallows the nag.
Around ten minutes before Karin's usual arrival time, the phone on Sakura's desk rings. She answers it swiftly, allowing her hair to fall over her shoulder and create a curtain between her and her boss, "Director Uchiha's office."
"You're gonna hate me." It's Karin, but there's obviously something off about her voice.
She immediately realizes what's happening and hisses, trying and failing to hide their conversation from the nearby Uchiha man, "Don't you dare say what I think you're about to say."
Karin groans, sounding congested and sleepy, "I'm sick. Can you tell Sasuke I'll try to be better by tomorrow?"
The line is quiet for a moment as the pinkette tries to think of a way out of this situation. When that fails, she sighs defeatedly, "Alright. I'll come check on you after work. Get some rest."
Once the call has ended, Sakura puts the device back on its receiver and takes a second to gather some internal strength before plastering on a fake grin and straightening her posture. Sasuke looks at her with an extremely guarded expression.
"Karin isn't feeling well, so she won't be coming in today."
He says nothing but an air of understanding drenches the room.
Sakura's smile falls but only slightly. She faces the computer and pretends to get back to work.
Sakura is flabbergasted. Not only is Sasuke's timing impeccable, but she fully expected to never hear from him again. She's so stunned that she just stares at the message with wide eyes and an open mouth for a long period of time. Only when a second text arrives does she snap out of her stupor.
'How do I prove to someone that I'm genuinely sorry?'
Tears well in the woman's eyes as she frowns. What does he think he's doing? Just when she finally accepted his rejections, he tries to communicate. The overwhelming emotions fuel her fingers as they move quickly across the screen, 'Do you get some kind of kick out of stringing me along like this?' She hits send and immediately regrets it but can't take it back.
Sasuke types for a while before a response comes. 'Open your door.'
Sakura's spine straightens, her head turning swiftly toward the apartment's entrance. He wouldn't…. Would he?
With trembling hands, the pinkette tries to soothe her messy hair and wipes at her damp cheeks before daring to crack open the door. There, in all his brooding glory, stands Sasuke Uchiha. His lips are in a firm line. His tired, dark eyes are guarded as he takes in the Haruno woman's bewildered face. He slides his phone into his pocket and gestures with a nod. Sakura is too confused and doesn't move to stop him from entering the premises.
The Uchiha clears his throat after a moment and she shuts the door, turning slowly to face him with a glare, "What do you want?"
Clearly, speaking face to face isn't nearly as comfortable for both as it was to text one another as strangers. Sasuke's teeth grit as he clenches and unclenches his hands, fumbling over his words, "I just wanted to…. I know I have to explain, I just…. I…."
Sakura crosses her arms while attempting to hide the fact that she's about to burst into tears again, "You what, Sasuke?" Normally, she's considerate of his social ineptitude, but he's hurt her feelings in a terrible way, so she has little empathy at the moment.
Dark eyes narrow into an irritated leer, but the man doesn't completely lose his composure. Instead, he seems to use his annoyance as fuel to say what needs to be said, "I was wrong for assuming you had ill intentions."
"And what about accusing me of cat-fishing you?" Sakura's chin quivers, but she holds his gaze firmly.
"That, too," Sasuke quietly says. They stare at one another for a silent moment before he lowers his eyes to the ground, the anger fading in his tone, "I should've thanked you for being a good friend, but I pushed you away because I was scared."
She can't believe her ears. Sasuke Uchiha just admitted, to her face, at that, that he was in the wrong and afraid. Her lips part as she tries to comprehend the unexpected situation, but he interrupts before she can.
"Once I realized what I'd done, I thought it'd be best to leave things as they are. Becoming involved with me will only lead to you getting hurt."
Sakura wipes angrily at the tears she can no longer hold back, "That's not your decision to make!"
"I know!" Sasuke barks with fire in his eyes. "I couldn't do it, obviously, or I wouldn't be here right now."
Where is he trying to go with this? Sakura's so confused. She wants to punch his pretty face as much as she wants to kiss it right now, but she still isn't sure what he hopes to achieve by coming over and apologizing like this. She doesn't allow her hopes to rise as they had before. That's what got her into this situation in the first place.
So, she takes a deep breath and shakes her head, steeling her features to not betray her emotions, "What do you want from me, Sasuke? Forgiveness? I can't-" "Don't quit."
Emerald green eyes dart to the man's hand as he reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out the phone she handed to him last night after the horrendous dinner with his family. Her brows furrow and she takes a step back. No words seem to accurately encapture her thoughts, so she simply searches his face in disbelief.
He steps closer, refusing to let her look away, "Come back to work."
That's it!
Tears flow down Sakura's cheeks as she half-heartedly shoves the man's chest. He lets her, listening silently as she all but yells at him, "After all we've been through, that's what you came here to say? You want to work with me again?!"
Sasuke grabs her hands in his with a serious expression, "I don't know what else to do right now." The room becomes deadly quiet as the pair searches one another's face. Hesitantly, the Uchiha man breaks the silence. His voice is much quieter than before, "We both know I'm an asshole, Sakura."
Feeling defeated, the woman pulls her wrists from his grasp, "Yes. We do." She knows she won't find a way to support herself financially in time to not be evicted from this apartment if she doesn't accept his invitation. She knows he knows that, too. So, she snatches the phone from Sasuke and straightens her posture, "Fine, but I don't want to work as your assistant anymore. Find me a different position."
He frowns but doesn't argue. No more words are spoken between the duo before he excuses himself with an air of uncertainty.
In the morning, Sakura nearly chickens out from going to the Uchiha Corp. building. Karin happens to see her and grabs her arm to lead the way inside, "You little sneak." The pinkette doesn't fight and allows herself to be pulled into the elevator. Her red-headed friend ignores the handful of gawking passengers as she smirks at Sakura, "You act all innocent and professional, but really you're a bigger player than the rest of us! How could you not tell me?"
"I don't want to talk about it," she replies, not doing nearly as well at ignoring the stares.
"You steal my man and you don't even have anything to say to me?" Karin bites, releasing her arm and facing her with her hands on her hips.
Sakura's mouth moves before she can stop it. She bites, "He wasn't your man, first of all." Her face warms when the redhead's lips turn into a knowing smirk, but she tries to play it cool, "And secondly, there's no way you don't know things ended badly, so why the hell would I want to tell anyone about it?"
Karin laughs loudly, tilting her head and looking down her nose at her friend, "Here I thought you'd try to deny it at least once."
When the elevator reaches the correct floor, the duo steps out. The woman with glasses sighs almost wistfully, "How does it feel to have Sasuke Uchiha losing sleep over you? God, I'm jealous."
Sakura doesn't respond and keeps her gaze forward. She's in no mood to joke around and gossip. If her way of life wasn't at risk, she never would've come back to this place.
When the duo turns the next corner, they come face to face with Itachi and Sai. The latter smiles his usual, fake grin, and sarcastically plays stupid, "Oh, Sakura. How nice to see you back. I heard you weren't feeling well." He shares a look with Karin before returning his gaze to the pinkette, "The director was also away yesterday. What a coincidence."
He and the redhead snicker at Sakura's irritated face, but Itachi offers a knowing expression, "Come along, Sakura. You'll be working with me."
She does as told and follows the eldest Uchiha brother. This is all so humiliating. It's obvious everyone's figured out the truth. Karin splits from the group to report to Sasuke, leaving Sakura and Sai with Itachi.
They enter his office, which is nearly identical to the other brother's. The man gestures toward a beautiful mahogany desk near his, "I've had this prepared for you. Let Sai know if you need anything else." He shoots the assistant in question a firm glance before sitting at his desk and wordlessly getting to work.
Sakura hangs her purse and coat on the hooks near her new work station, eyes locking onto a beautiful bouquet of pastel pink roses sitting right by the keyboard. She glances at Itachi, who does little to stifle his smile but avoids making eye contact. Hesitantly, she walks around to sit at the desk, noticing a card in the elegant arrangement. The woman holds her breath as she turns it in her fingers to see a short sentiment written in dark gold cursive, the penmanship extremely familiar: "I really am sorry. -S".
…..
Sasuke's knee bounces as he glances at his assistant for the tenth time in less than a minute. He's supposed to be focusing on work right now, but all he can think about is Sakura. Somehow, he managed to convince her not to leave the company. It's evident she's still incredibly upset, though.
Following hours upon hours of contemplation, the Uchiha man finally came to the realization that he simply couldn't give her up, not even for Fugaku Uchiha's approval. She makes him feel appreciated and understood, something he's never experienced. He's selfish for using her situation against her, but he didn't know how else to keep her around.
After all but begging Itachi to let her act as his assistant while things are still tense, Sasuke was graced with some advice from his older brother. "There's only one way to win over a girl like Sakura when you've messed up as badly as you have. Send her gifts. Write her notes. Show her you're serious about her." Sasuke called his brother an idiot, but Karin confirmed the advice was sound when he begrudgingly asked.
So, Sasuke swallowed his pride and, with the help of Naruto, Ino, and Karin, came up with a list of gifts and plans on how to woo the Haruno woman. He ruined their first attempt at a relationship before it could even lift off the ground, so it's up to him to make things right. If it was anyone but Sakura, he'd refuse, but things are different when it comes to her. That much has become increasingly clear.
Sasuke can't stop picturing the gut wrenching hurt on her face when he yelled at her during the banquet, calling her a liar and refusing to listen when she tried to explain herself. The image of her leaving the building in tears that night isn't pleasant, either. All of that is his fault. It took many people and hours of self-reflection to come to the conclusion that his state of mind has been unbalanced.
Now that his eyes are open, Sasuke doesn't know how to act. He honestly feels like he's smack in the middle of an identity crisis because in the past he'd never say or do the things he is today. Buy a woman flowers? Get advice from those around him? No way. Here he is, though, and his biggest concern isn't what his father will think, like it usually is. Instead, the man only wants to know if Sakura's still hurting because of what he did, all he'd said.
Will she like the roses? What if she throws them away? What if- "Seeing you so anxious kind of makes you seem less hot, Sasuke," Karin breaks his focus with a sarcastic scoff. He shoots her a glare that she ultimately ignores while typing away at her computer across the room, "You're seriously this worked up over some silly little flowers? Appearances can be so deceiving these days…."
"Be quiet and do your job," he bites, annoyed and embarrassed.
They aren't just silly little flowers to him, and he's sure they aren't to Sakura, either. He can only imagine the wild emotions they must've stirred within the pinkette when she realized they're from him. His only hope is that they're of the positive variety and not complete and utter hatred.
Sasuke isn't able to get a wink of sleep, just as his brother expected. Come morning, he's still lying on the sofa with glazed over eyes, fully dressed from dinner the previous night. His mind is filled with thoughts of Sakura, both positive and negative ones.
After hours of doing nothing but obsessing over his current situation, he's come to a conclusion, albeit one that doesn't settle his unease: Sakura is a massive distraction from the plans Sasuke made years ago. Ever since he realized his feelings for her, his mind hasn't been as sharp and focused on his career. There have even been times where he'll come home from work and realize he's gone the entire day without worrying about his father.
To Sasuke, that's not a good thing.
That said, there's a throbbing ache in his sternum, as though he's been punched and can't inhale a full breath. Sakura is gone, so he can turn his attention back to what matters. …Why isn't he relieved that she left?
If his mind is a scale, it's been tipping back and forth. These unfamiliar emotions are weighing down one side, while his responsibility to his family and their business is on the other. Each time one end seems ready to determine a winner, the Uchiha man's mind will spit out an argument that turns the tables once more.
"Oh, Sasuke, Honey, I never thought I'd see you like this."
The man's vision refocuses and he sucks in a surprised breath when he recognizes his mother smiling comfortingly down at him. She gestures for him to sit up and ruffles his messy hair with one hand when he does.
"Mom, what are you-" "Maybe you don't tell me everything like when you were a kid, but surely you don't think your mother wouldn't notice such a drastic change in her youngest child."
Sasuke's mouth clamps shut. He feels ashamed for having been caught in his weakness. His eyes darken, and he lowers them in a weak glare at the ground.
Mikoto giggles softly while walking toward the kitchen to make them both a cup of coffee, "So, what will you do?"
Sasuke sighs. He stands, smooths out his wrinkled clothes, and sluggishly sits at the island bar, "..."
The Uchiha matriarch silently pours their drinks before leaning on the counter across from him with an unserious frown, "Your plan is to let her go, then?"
For some reason, the question strikes a chord.
"What else is there to do, Mom? I can't just…." Sasuke groans, cutting himself off before regaining his composure and speaking more calmly while glaring into his mug of coffee, "Dad won't allow it. We both know that. I haven't worked myself this hard just to have him disown me for wanting to be with someone who's not from "our world"."
Mikoto takes a sip of her drink with a pondering expression. She swallows slowly before asking, "And if you do inherit your father's empire, will you be satisfied?"
His eyes narrow, "What?"
"How will you feel when you're all alone at the top? Sure, your father will have acknowledged you, but what happens after that?"
"I'll run the family business, Mom. You know that's been my goal since I was young."
Mikoto leans forward, her usually lax aura becoming stone cold as she studies her son's frowning face, "Will you be happy, Sasuke?"
The youngest Uchiha's mouth closes, his eyes widening. He almost answers affirmatively but hesitates. What does she mean by that? Of course he'll be happy when he reaches his life-long goal! …Right? He tries to picture the future and sees himself in that CEO office, his parents happily retired while he accepts the responsibilities of the family name and business. It's cold. It's lonely, the image. What is his reward for working himself to the bone all these years? The rest of his life spent alone, continuing to slowly kill himself just to cling to something as stupid as acceptance and pride?
"You need to take a step back and reconsider some things, Sweetheart," Mikoto interrupts his deep thoughts. Sasuke focuses on her, and her aura once again softens. Her eyes visually warm, as does her tone of voice, "It's time to take your own wants and needs into account. Your life is yours to live, no one else's."
As if Mikoto's words have opened the young man's eyes to the real world for the very first time, Sasuke's mind floods with the truth before he can choke back the thoughts like always. He already had acceptance and pride. Sakura had given it to him in the form of validation that his thoughts, feelings, and hard work aren't something to write off. She, both as herself and as Haruki, showed Sasuke that he's more than his family name or some robot made to work sixty hours or more a week.
His mother seems to pick up on his sudden state of mind and smiles beautifully, "Know that no matter what happens, whether you make a choice that puts you and your father at odds or not, I love you."
He rises to his feet when she leaves her mug on the counter and walks around it to head for the door. As she begins slipping her shoes back on, he follows her, "Mom, wait! I-" The woman stands once her shoes are properly on before hugging her son around the middle, burying her face in his chest with a happy little laugh, "You'll make the right decision. I'm sure of it."
Then, the woman is gone. She doesn't give him enough time to figure out what to say or do.
Before he can even return to sulking, something in his back pocket begins to vibrate. He sees his phone laying on the ground beside the sofa and is confused. Only when he pulls out Sakura's ringing phone does he recall the fact that she'd given it to him last night. It's Ino calling.
With a tightness in his throat, the man forwards the call and intends to slip the device back into his pocket, only for a text to arrive and catch his eye on the screen. 'Answer the phone, Handsome. I know you're there.'
Before Sasuke can comprehend what's going on, the phone rings again and he answers it in a panic. He doesn't even say anything before the irritating Yamanaka woman is all but yelling at him, "You're all beauty and no brains, Uchiha!"
"Excuse me?" He breathes, bewildered.
Ino sighs as though she's speaking to someone stupid, "You fumbled the definition of wife-material. You do realize that, right?"
Sasuke glares at nothing, arguing with the annoying woman, "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm hanging up. Don't call this number again."
"Oh, you don't know what I'm talking about? Well, Pretty Boy. Let me tell you what you're missing out on." Though he's becoming more angry by the second at the woman's audacity to speak to him so brazenly, he can't bring himself to hang up as she begins to rant, "Did you know Sakura used to set her alarm early so she could make you lunch? She defends you when people call you a cold bastard or a robot. You have to know how hurt she is right now, but she didn't even badmouth you when I tried to get her to vent!"
Sasuke swallows nervously, guilt burning his chest, "I didn't want any of this to happen."
"You're the only guy she's felt safe with in years, and you broke her trust. You hurt my best friend. You're a fool if you think I'll let you get away with this."
The Uchiha man's mouth goes dry so that he can't respond. Ino pauses before speaking at a lower level, "Fix it." Her town is very obviously threatening. She ends the call before the man can process her words.
…..
Sakura looks up from the book she's trying to focus on reading when Ino helps herself back into the apartment with a brown sack full of alcohol and a grin, "Took you long enough."
Ino flops onto the bed, handing a tall can of some kind of fruity liquor to her friend. She ignores the statement and lifts her own drink, "To Sasuke Uchiha's demise!"
The pinkette scoffs. She doesn't bother clinking her can with Ino's and simply pops it open to take a lengthy drink. Her mood is beyond low. At the end of the month, she'll have to pack up and move back home if she isn't able to land a job or two that pays as well as Uchiha Corp. does. The tears stopped a while ago, but she isn't confident they won't return.
Why is she so upset? Well, aside from the obvious rejection she's humiliated to have received from her boss, she only wants to talk to S. She desperately yearns for his blunt and awkwardly comforting way of talking her out of her bad moods and cheering her up. It's impossible to have that when the solution has become the source of the problem.
The familiar sensation of a lump forms in Sakura's throat and she tosses back another large mouthful of liquor to try and wash it down.
She can't help but blame herself. If only she hadn't allowed her sexual attraction to Sasuke get the best of her. They'd be co-existing in their weird, sarcastic, and somehow amusing way again.
Sure, the Uchiha man is acting cowardly by refusing to sit down and talk about things, but it's her who let him into her apartment that night. It's her who couldn't fight the instinct to take care of the man when she saw how he wasn't eating properly. No one made her try her best to encourage and comfort that man. It's Sasuke's fault for how he's acted, but it's Sakura's fault for allowing this to happen at all. She should've known better. She should've kept swearing off men and focusing on making money and school.
For once, Ino doesn't try to fill the silence with endless gossip and simply sits with Sakura until she's good and drunk. Then, she makes sure she has some water before saying her goodbyes and taking a cab back to her own place.
Sakura's eyes creep open once she's alone again. She turns onto her side, pulling out her old phone, the one she'd retired when she'd been given the new one at work. Her number had to change, but that's the least of her worries right now. The woman stares at the icon for the AC application, her thumb hovering over it.
In that moment, she decides this won't be the thing that breaks her. Sasuke rejected her, but she still has a bright future ahead. That Uchiha man doesn't and never has defined her. No man ever will. It doesn't make the heartbreak any easier to swallow, but it does give her the strength she needs to press on the AC icon with the intention of uninstalling the app.
Just as the option to delete it shows up, a notification freezes Sakura in her place.
"Mikoto, I can't accept this. We barely know each other!"
Sakura tries again to walk toward the dressing rooms, but the dark-haired woman grabs her hand and smiles warmly, "There's a dress code where we're going to dinner, so it's the least I can do! I'll hear nothing more about it!" The Haruno woman runs her free hand down the gorgeous cocktail dress she's been tricked into trying on and frowns, "But-!" "And you look so beautiful in it! I'll be heartbroken if you refuse me, Sakura."
Her mouth closes as Mikoto bows to the cashier. The older woman accepts her receipt and gently pulls the pinkette along toward the exit. In the car, Sakura is stunned to discover that Mikoto has her own personal chauffeur. Only when they're in the backseat and the vehicle is moving does she say something.
She hisses so the driver in question won't hear, "Um, Mikoto, just who are you?"
"I'm just a lonely woman with no daughters to dote on," the woman chuckles attractively at Sakura's bewildered face. "I'd have been honored to have been blessed with a girl like you, Dear."
What is she talking about all of a sudden? Sakura is confused but senses a strange sadness in her mysterious new friend. "You're too kind…."
The pair speaks about other topics while their car ride continues. Only when the vehicle comes to a stop in front of Prestige, the single most expensive and hard-to-get-into restaurant in Konoha, does Mikoto inform her that they won't be dining alone. The longer the evening passes on, the more the pinkette is coming to regret accepting the woman's invitation.
She whispers uneasily while looking around as a well-dressed host guides them from the vehicle to the entrance of the elegant building, "Maybe I should just go. I still have work tomorrow, and I'm really not cut out for places such as these. I'd hate to embarrass you in front of your friends."
"Nonsense," Mikoto smiles gracefully at the host before they're passed off to a separate one and led through a dining hall fit for royalty. "Besides, we'll be meeting some of my family members, not my friends."
Sakura's face warms. She's extremely uncomfortable and every atom in her is screaming to flee before she makes a fool of herself. She feels way out of her element. The host stops in front of a massive door and bows before gesturing to it, "Your private dining area, Madam. The rest of your party is already inside. Please enjoy your visit."
Mikoto thanks the young man and he opens the door with a grace that only comes from practice. Sakura nervously follows the dark-haired woman. The door closes behind them, and then her new friend's voice comes calmly, "Good evening, everyone. I've brought a friend to join us for dinner. Her name is Sakura, and she's studying to become a surgeon. Isn't that lovely?"
Sakura bows politely, feeling quite awkward. The room remains silent. It's unsettling to the point that she has to lift her gaze to figure out what's going on. Every bit of breath leaves her when her gaze lands on none other than Sasuke Uchiha, who looks every bit as stunned as she feels despite his obvious attempt at masking it.
"What a surprise to see you here, Sakura! I wasn't aware you were acquainted with our mother," Itachi, who she now realizes is at Sasuke's side, says with a grin that does little to hide his amusement.
"...Y-Your mother?!"
"My name is Fugaku Uchiha. What is your family name, young lady?"
An already overwhelmed pinkette's attention is stolen by the overwhelming presence of the patriarch of the Uchiha family and corporation. All the heat in her face turns to ice as his cold eyes take her in. She bows her head, intimidated by his unsettling aura, "Haruno, Sir."
Mikoto motions for her to sit on Sasuke's other side, so he's sandwiched between her and his brother. She does, unable to look away from Fugaku because it feels as though it would insult him if she did. Without haven ordered anything, waiters and waitresses arrive and begin serving priceless-looking dishes to the quiet table. It's all Sakura can do to keep it together. She feels like some kind of animal for these rich people to study.
"I'm unfamiliar with such a family." The CEO does absolutely nothing to hide the distaste in his tone. As if discovering her low birth status has ruined his curiosity, Fugaku's frown deepens and he focuses on his meal with an uninterested glare.
"So, you're acquainted with my eldest son, then, Sakura? I'm relieved your relationship doesn't seem negative," the Uchiha matriarch smiles warmly as though trying to make up for her husband's lack of social skill.
"Um, yes. I am," Sakura responds. Not only that, but she's also spent a night on top of and underneath her youngest son. That fact is even more hard to ignore when the man in question is sitting tensely at her side. It would take little effort to reach over and touch him, but she can barely manage to look in his direction these days.
Itachi, notoriously happy to tease his brother, pipes in, "Sakura is one of Sasuke's personal assistants, Mother. They've worked together for nearly five months."
Mikoto's eyes light up as her grin widens. She tilts her head at Sasuke, "You never mentioned your assistant is such an outstanding young woman, Sweetheart!"
Sakura's eyes shoot down to her plate, where her food is barely touched because she's too anxious to stomach much. What will he do? What will he say? He completely hates her now. Will he tell his mother about his negative opinion?
"It's inappropriate to speak of employees outside of work, is it not?" That's a very Sasuke response to give. She was sure the man would be a little softer, at least to his doting mother.
Itachi and Mikoto share a look.
Sakura bites back a sigh.
Dinner continues awkwardly with the more talkative Uchiha family members carrying most of the conversation. When it comes to an end, Sakura politely excuses herself, "Thank you for the lovely meal, but I really must be going. It's been a pleasure to meet you, Sir."
Fugaku barely acknowledges her farewell, but Mikoto intervenes before she can leave the private room, "I'll see you home, Dear. A young lady shouldn't travel alone at night."
"I'll take her," Sasuke suddenly says, surprising every person in the room.
Sakura pales again, lifting a hand in dismissal, "Really, it's alright. I don't want to be a bother." The stoic man opens the door and nods in the direction of the exit, wordlessly communicating that he isn't listening to her arguments. The pink-haired woman does as he desires if only to not cause a scene in front of his family or the other high-value patrons of the restaurant.
It's quiet and tense between them as he leads the way to his car. When they're seated and exiting the lot onto the highway, Sakura bursts out what she's wanted to say all night, "I swear I didn't know she's your mom! I'll pay back the cost of the dinner and the clothes a-and I'll tell her we can't-" "It's fine," he cuts her off.
He doesn't look her way, though. Instead, he keeps his eyes on the road. To Sakura, it feels like things are very much not fine. In fact, he seems ready to explode on her. Tears well in her eyes, but she blinks them back and glares out the passenger seat window. He just wants her to be quiet. That's evident.
How can it be true that this man is S? S wouldn't make her feel like everything she does is wrong. He'd be blunt and honest, but he'd never be unreasonable like this. Sakura wants to say those words aloud but doesn't. Their relationship is beyond repair, in her eyes. Trying to force him to talk about it will only make things worse.
The longer the pair is silent on the road, the stronger the pressure becomes in her chest. Each second, Sakura's heart feels more broken because it means that Sasuke is choosing over and over again to let things remain as they are. He doesn't care that he hurt her. If anyone else knew what's going on, they might argue he isn't aware he's hurt her, but if he cared enough, he'd verify. No, Sasuke Uchiha doesn't give a damn about Sakura Haruno. Despite her best efforts to be a good employee and friend, she failed.
By the time the car pulls up to the curb in front of her apartment, the woman can't contain her overwhelming emotions and realizes she won't be able to face him again after this horrific evening. Her brow furrows as she looks at her phone. What should she do? She can't focus on school or work because of him. Sakura's at her limit.
Sasuke's grip on the steering wheel tightens as he wordlessly waits for her to get out of his car.
A bittersweet laugh passes Sakura's lips as her tears overflow and she shakes her head, clicking the phone's screen off. After taking a deep breath, she finally turns her head to look at the gorgeous man. He looks at her, too. She wipes at a tear with one hand and holds out the device with her other. He doesn't take it, so she sits it in the cup holder and bows to the best of her ability while sitting beside him, "Thank you for the opportunity, but I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry for not giving you more notice."
Sasuke's eyes widen, glancing down at the abandoned phone before turning onto her again.
Another sad laugh passes her lips, and she opens the door to step outside. Before closing it, she pauses to lean down and spare him one last look, "Goodbye, Sasuke."
…..
Sasuke watches in a daze as Sakura jogs into her apartment building. She just quit. He glances at her phone in his cup-holder and clenches his teeth when he looks back up to see that the pink-haired woman is out of sight.
The last person he expected his mother to befriend was her. To say he was entirely bewildered to see the beautiful girl walk in at the restaurant is putting it lightly.
The man pulls away from the curb and begins driving home. His mood has been beyond foul, but what just happened seems worse than everything else for some reason. He knew it was coming by how uncharacteristic she's been acting, but a part of him must've been hoping she's too stubborn to give up at least the job.
So, Sakura's gone.
It's highly likely he'll never see or meet her again. They won't work together or see each other outside of business, either. It'll be as if they never met, like before she was hired. Sasuke feels like someone punched him in the gut with all their might. It's like he can't breathe, but he's also so angry that he doesn't care if he does or not.
While driving home, he sees nothing. He isn't sure how he didn't wreck his car because he can't focus. When he arrives, his phone rings. He slips Sakura's device into his back pocket and checks the screen to see it's Itachi.
Sighing, he rubs his forehead before answering it, "What?"
"Just calling to make sure you got Sakura home safe. I tried to call her, but she's not picking up."
Sasuke's voice is monotone as he opens his condo's door and slams it behind him before falling lifelessly onto the sofa, "She quit." He doesn't even take off his shoes or winter coat and just lays there with eyes dulled-over at the ceiling.
Itachi pauses before responding more quietly, "You fool."
"There's nothing I can do, and you know that," Sasuke bites.
There's a long moment of silence before his elder brother remarks in a surprisingly serious voice, "If you're giving up this easily, then she's too good for you anyway. I'm disappointed, Brother."
Sasuke closes his eyes, "Good night, Itachi."
"Like hell you're going to get any sleep."
The younger brother ends the call and lets the phone slip out of his fingers onto the floor beside the couch.
He's right.
There's no way he'll be able to rest after officially losing the one person he's ever dared see as a comfort.
