summary: Flower Shop AU - Sasuke works at his mother’s flower shop, and every Wednesday, this girl comes by to buy some flowers. Though he doesn’t know her name, he can’t help but be curious about her.
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When he thinks about it, Wednesdays must be the busiest day of the week whenever he’s helping his mother at the shop. They start with his alarm forcing him out of bed at 4am so he and his brother can be at the shop before the clock strikes 5am. They take a 10-minute walk— 5 when they’re not that sleepy— make some coffee and wait a little for the truck that arrives with the fresh flowers.
Carefully, then, the brothers unload all the products and take them to his mother’s atelier behind the shop so, by the time she arrives, she can start working her magic into the flowers she loves so much. Mikoto puts the right flowers for the right pots, works on some orders and prepares some bouquets to put on display.
Everything has to be ready and perfect for when they finally open the shop for the clients at 7am.
Everything has to be ready before she arrives.
He’s sitting behind the counter today, playing a game on his phone, when his eyes slowly drift to the clock on the wall. It’s been at least 30 minutes since Itachi turned the sign to ‘open’, and any minute now he knows she will walkthrough that door so she can buy her weekly supply of flowers. For the last couple of months, she’s always their first customer every Wednesday, and he has no reason to believe today will be any different.
Seven more minutes pass, and finally, the bell rings, announcing that someone has entered the shop. His dark eyes immediately follow the sound, and he can’t ignore the slight sense of satisfaction that spreads across his chest when his dark eyes land on pink.
Right on time, he thinks.
From the corner of his eyes, he watches as she walks into the shop, her emerald eyes looking straight at the new hydrangeas. She’s wearing a green summer dress that falls just below her knees, and whose skirt dances freely around her legs. The strap of her small, white purse hangs on her right, sun-kissed shoulder and he notices the way her small fingers are delicately holding it. Her hair— always short and pink— is loosened, the tips just below her chin-line and a stubborn lock brushing her cheek.
Normally, he doesn’t pay that much attention to the people that come by the shop, but for a reason he can’t quite pinpoint, it’s different with her. Sure, she’s a beautiful client, and that alone is enough to catch his eye, but he knows himself well enough to know he’s better than that.
Something about her has caught his attention, to the point where he’s found himself waiting for her to arrive every week now. Perhaps he’s just grown curious over time. Seeing such a young girl almost religiously coming to the store to buy flowers makes him wonder about the actual reasons why she actually does that. Are those flowers for herself? Are they maybe for her mother or even her girlfriend? Not that it’s any of his business, but shouldn’t girls like her be receiving the flowers? Could it be that her boyfriend is that useless?
A sigh escapes his lips. He really doesn’t know why he even cares. He doesn’t know her name, to begin with. Even after helping her more than once, never before has Sasuke bothered to ask for it. It’s going to sound weird, or at least that’s what he tells his brother whenever they end up talking about her— and that happens more times than the young Uchiha dares to admit.
One day, perhaps, he might find out her name. For now, though, he will just continue calling her Flower Girl. It’s not the most creative or specific nickname, but it works just fine whenever he needs to talk about her or even judge the flowers she choses.
He likes to think it’s a good nickname. Besides, it’s not like anyone apart from him and his brother will ever know about this.
Sasuke finds himself resting his face on his right hand as his eyes unconsciously drift back to her. Itachi is showing her the lilies now, and apparently, he said something funny because she’s laughing at his words. For a second, then, she looks at where he’s standing and their eyes meet briefly before she looks back at his brother.
She seems to be in a good mood. There’s a contagious smile on her face, and he can’t help but let his lips twitch upward at that scene.
Eventually, Flower Girl chooses a bucket of blue hydrangeas and starts making her way towards the cashier. He straightens his posture, then, clearing his throat so he can properly greet her. In less than 10 seconds, she’s in front of him and she places the flowers on the counter. She mutters a soft ’hey’, to which he nods politely before proceeding to do his job.
“Would you like anything else?” He asks, cordially.
“No, thanks. Just the hydrangeas today.”
As he registers her products, he steals a glance and can’t help but notice the way her lips twitch as she waits for him. She’s playing with her hair, tugging it behind her ear, and softly, he sees the way her tongue comes out to wet her own lips. Flower Girl takes a deep breath, and it’s as if something ignites inside her eyes.
“Excuse me, but I have to ask…” Her voice comes out, a little too low at first, but eventually, it settles into a more consistent tone. His curiosity peaks, and immediately, he stops what he’s doing and turns to face her. “Are you Uchiha Sasuke?”
He’s confused for a moment, a blank expression spread across his face. His dark eyes are slightly widened as he looks at her face, failing when he tries to read her real intentions. Her eyes are even brighter from such a short distance, and he finds himself fighting the urge to just lose himself in those green pools of hers and in the way his name rolled out of her tongue. “Yes. Can I help you?”
“Oh, no, don’t worry. I don’t need your help or anything like that.” She starts, waving her hand in front of her face as to brush off any formalities. There’s a soft smile on her face, and he doesn’t miss the way her cheeks are weakly tinged in pink. “I was just making sure it was really you.”
“Well…” He starts, adjusting the name tag on his shirt. “That’s me.”
“Good. I guess that makes me your Flower Girl, then.”
Her words catch him completely by surprise, and it’s as if the entire world turns silent around him. His eyes widen, his lips part, and the first sound he registers after what feels like an eternity is his own heartbeat inside his chest. It’s slow, at first, to the point where he thinks it might suddenly stop, but eventually, it grows faster in what he concludes to be pure despair.
“W-what?” He asks, though he knows better than to believe he heard it wrong.
“Your Flower Girl.” She repeats, and even if he thought it wasn’t possible, he starts to feel worse.
His chest grows inconveniently warmer, the heat spreading all the way up to the tips of his ears. His throat is dry, but that doesn’t bother him because Sasuke can’t find it in himself to form any words right now. He’s dumbfounded, experiencing a mix of shock and embarrassment for the first time in his short life, and it’s safe to say he hates the way it feels. He wishes the ground could just swallow him whole right now, but he knows better than to believe life is fair. Especially his life.
Fuck.
He can’t believe this is happening right now. How on earth does she even know about the Flower Girl thing? It was meant to be a secret he would take to the grave and not something meant to be discovered after just a couple of months by some random girl. The only ones beside him who know about that are his mother and—
Itachi. Oh, that bastard.
He steals a glance at his older brother, who’s simply watching him with a guilty smile on his face. He’s not trying to hide or deny anything, and that only serves to infuriate him even more. Itachi waves teasingly at him before disappearing behind the stacks, leaving him all alone with the pinkette. He was just betrayed by his own blood and even if all he wants right now is to become an only child, there are more pressing matters standing right in front of him with the prettiest green eyes he has ever seen.
Sasuke needs to find a way out of this whole mess, he knows, but nothing comes to mind. No last-minute trick or plausible excuse. No perfectly calculated accident to ruin the conversation or blow him away. Nothing that would make her believe this is all just a big misunderstanding instead of the purest truth. The Uchiha can’t escape this situation, at least not without making things worse. He needs to think. He needs to use his mind to get himself out of this thing, and he needs to do it fast or else he will lose their best customer, his pride as a man and the reason for his Wednesdays to be at least bearable.
His dark eyes are now looking at her because that’s the only thing he can bring himself to do. Instinctively, he’s trying to find something— anything, really— that will help him bring his mind back to his body so he can, at least, find the right words to apologize. He then begins to note the unique color of her hair, her bright, emerald eyes; the barely visible sun freckles on her cheeks, and he really starts to feel his heart calming down, but that’s just until he sees it.
A sly smirk is taking over her lips. It’s a tricky one, and judging by how she’s not even trying to hide it, Sasuke immediately realizes she knows exactly what she’s just done. She’s up to something— Flower Girl is clearly messing with him. She’s intentionally teasing him with all those words, and right now it’s clear that he has just fallen for her act.
Oh, that girl. Who would’ve thought such a beautiful girl like her would posses such a cunning mind?
Before the youngest Uchiha can even bring himself to say anything, a giggle escapes her lips, and soon, it grows into a full laughter. He watches as her burst of happiness reaches her eyes and how genuine that whole thing is as it fills the entire store with that warm feeling. If his social misery can bring out something like that, well, perhaps he should start telling her more about his best friend’s love life.
After a couple of seconds, then, her laughter fades with a sigh and she uses her right index to wipe a tear that had threatened to roll down her face. There’s a smile gracing her lips, and he swears he could feel his heart skipping a beat just now. “I’m so sorry. Oh, my.” She chuckles. “You should’ve seen the look on your face.”
“Tch.” He scoffs.
“I was just messing with you. Or—well— maybe I should say that I’m just helping with your older brother’s prank. He’s the one who wanted to leave you in an uncomfortable position. And judging by your reaction, I guess it worked.”
An annoyed pout now takes over his lips. “How very mature of you two.”
“I know… I know, my bad.” She agrees. “Sorry about that.”
His eyes watch as she scratches the back of her head and he realizes she’s actually feeling guilty about the whole thing and that doesn’t help him soothe his nerves at all. She should not be the one apologizing. Not when he was the one who called her Flower Girl in the first place. He’s never meant it as a bad thing— quite the opposite, in fact— nevertheless, he should’ve been more considerate. If anyone should be apologizing, it was him. And that was exactly what he was going to say.
“Look.” He started, taking a deep breath. “You don’t have to apologize. I do. Sorry about this whole thing. I shouldn’t have given you a nickname to begin with. I promise I didn’t mean to be rude or anything like that.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. It’s fine, really. I didn’t think it was rude or anything like that. It was pretty cute, actually.” She smiles at him, and it’s as if he can finally feel his heart beating again. “Besides, it’s not like I was meant to even know about that in the first place, right?”
“Definitely not.” He answers, a little too quickly for his own liking.
“You should thank your brother for that.”
“Oh, later I will, for sure.”
Another chuckle escapes her lips, and he’s glad to know she didn’t mind the nickname— cute, she even said. Now that most of the embarrassment has faded, Sasuke can think clearly again and even if he’s still plotting a revenge against his older sibling, it’s undeniable that having his secret revealed got him a chance to openly talk to her for the first time. They’re making small conversation and it’s nothing really important, but it’s already something.
It’s a start, at least.
The smile on her face suddenly changes into a small pout, and he can easily tell she’s curious. Though they don’t really know each other, he likes the way her expressions are so clear and honest. She bites her lower lip, then, her eyes fidgeting for a moment. She clears her throat and her attention returns to him. Flower girl is staring at him, and if not for her pink hair and inoffensive looks, he would’ve been intimidated by that.
“What is it?” He asks, not really taking in that stare anymore. “Is there something wrong?”
“No, not really… It’s just…” She starts, her eyes narrowing a bit. “Why Flower Girl?”
“What?”
“Why did you choose this nickname? Flower Girl, I mean… I’m pretty sure I’m not the only girl that comes by to get some flowers.”
His eyes widen slightly for a moment until his expression returns to normal. Of course she would be curious about that, he thought. Thinking about it now, that was probably the most generic nickname he could’ve come up with for her. Truth is, he has started calling her like that simply because he never really knew her name, but it’s not like he knows the name of every female customer that comes into the store. The thing that made Flower Girl the Flower Girl was probably the fact that she was the only female customer that actually caught his attention in all the time he’s been working at the shop.
Maybe it was the unusual color of her hair or even the fact that she comes by every week morning, but he can’t deny that he was captivated by her. She’s a very beautiful and attractive woman, sure, but there’s more to it, he knows. Still, it’s not like he can tell her that without sounding like a weirdo. And if anything, he has already sounded like one a lot today.
“Your name… I didn’t know it— still don’t know it.” He starts, and suddenly, he realizes that saying it is harder than he had imagined. His eyes look down for a moment, and instinctively, he uses his index finger to scratch his cheek. “And since you’re basically the only girl who comes by every week, then, you know… Flower Girl.”
“Oh… I see.” She says bluntly, and a pensive expression takes over her demeanor. Though he’s sure she is going to add more to that, silence settles between them. It’s not really uncomfortable, he notices, but it still leaves him wanting more. More of her stories, more of her laugh—more of her.
He needs to keep their conversation going. He has to find a new subject so it can be easier for him to properly talk to her when she returns next week. It’s his only chance and he can’t let it go to waste. He can’t let her—
“Sakura.” She starts, her eyes switching from her feet to his dark orbs. “My name is Sakura.”
Her soft voice catches him off guard, and he’s taken aback by that. When he looks at her again, he can see a small blush tinging her cheeks, and for the first time, he can see an inch of embarrassment in her. Earlier, she had no problem with the nickname, but when it comes to her real name, well…
And just when he thought she couldn’t get any cutter.
“Hn, how very ironic for you to have been named after a flower.”
“Yeah.” She chuckles. “I guess I was destined to become Flower Girl.”
The corner of his lips slightly curl upwards as he finds himself surpassing a smirk that wants to escape. “It’s nice to officially meet you, Sakura.”
“You, too, Sasuke.” She smiles at him, her head tilting to the right as she does so. Her hair responds to the gravity of her movement and he watches as some of her pink locks sway. “I’m glad I could finally talk to you.”
“Uh? Were you trying to talk to me before?”
“Well, to be honest, yeah…” She shrugs, somewhat shyly.
“Are you, perhaps, stalking me?” He smirks, watching as she gets slightly embarrassed.
“Shannarou, that’s not that!” Her face grows a shade of red and he can’t help but notice the peculiar expression she used. “It’s just that you’re the first person I’ve met in this city that seems to be the same age as me, and I guess I was just looking for a reference or something. Living alone in a strange city isn’t really that simple.”
A familiar warmth takes over his chest at her words, and unconsciously, Sasuke starts to sympathize with her current condition. She’s a young girl, and she’s all alone in a big city like Konoha. Even if he has never really left the safety of his parents’ house, it isn’t hard for him to imagine how difficult it must be to go through all that by herself. Whatever her reasons for choosing this might be, it’s still something that will take the pinkette a lot of time to get used to.
She must be lonely, he thinks, but decides not to mention anything about that for now. He simply nods at her, showing Sakura that he comprehends her feelings, and she simply smiles in return. Her eyes delicately fall to the hydrangeas she chose, and he doesn’t miss the tenderness that is decorating her expression right now.
“They help me a lot, you know? The flowers, I mean.”
“Do they?”
“Aah.” She nods, excitedly. “They make my small apartment seem happier, somehow. It’s nice coming home to them. So—uhm— thank you, I guess.”
The smile plastered on her face easily makes its way to her bright eyes, and his heart skips a beat. This girl— this gentle and talkative girl— is really thanking him for selling her flowers every week. Though they’ve just discovered each other's names, she’s telling him small parts of her life that seem so pure and fragile; and for a moment, he feels like their connection is heading beyond flowers and nicknames.
He’s growing fond of her, he can tell. Sasuke knows he’s no longer just curious to know about her reasons to buy the flowers or why she comes by every week. There’s a lot more to it, for now he finds himself wanting to know about certain aspects of her private life that have nothing to do with plants or fertilizer. He wants her to tell him more about herself— as long as that’s what she wants, of course.
He wants to know Sakura. And something tells him that, eventually, he will.
Without thinking much, the young Uchiha smiles back in return, slowly pushing the bucket of flowers back towards her. “Shouldn’t we be thanking you for shopping here?”
“You’re probably right.” She chuckles, giving him her credit card so she can pay for the hydrangeas. “I guess I just can’t help it. I do love your flowers. Sometimes I get so excited about them that I leave home before breakfast.”
“What?” He asks, slightly shocked.
“I can’t help it. It’s stronger than me.”
“Tch.” He sighs. How annoying, he thinks, and the expression spread across his face clearly gives away. She giggles, then, and a sudden idea comes to his mind. “Did you leave home without eating today?”
“Oh, no. Not today. I had a nice breakfast this morning.” She states, proudly. “Why do you ask?”
“Well…” He starts, scratching the back of his neck as a reflex. “Whenever you leave without breakfast, there’s always coffee here. I don’t know if you like it or not, but—”
“I love coffee.” Sakura cuts through his speech, a little too excited. “Next time, then, we’ll have some coffee together.”
A soft smile takes a couple of seconds to make its way to her lips, and he finds himself growing a little too excited about said next time. Sasuke doesn’t know when it’s going to be, but he can already imagine certain things that make him feel at ease.
A morning spent with Flower Girl… It will be a good day.
“Next time, then.” He confirms.
“I’ll be waiting.”
It will be a pleasant Wednesday, indeed.
fin.
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a/n: this took me way too long to finish and I don’t really know why. I had this idea at least a month ago, but I JUST COULDN’T FINISH! Well, now it’s finished lol. Anyway, this is a cute one mostly because I needed something cute. Hope you guys enjoy this, and please, leave me your opinion!
summary: Modern AU - It’s Sakura’s birthday, and after the party, she’s left to take care of the mess of dirty plates and glasses. Luckily, she’s not alone, but he can’t really stay forever, right?
a/n: Okay, this story was supposed to have come out way earlier, but I changed the plot so many times that I just couldn’t finish it for her birthday... The original idea was so different, and perhaps, I end up writing it another time when the inspiration strikes again (seriously, it was a nice one). Anyway, I hope you can still enjoy this one! As always, my fluff side took over me and I just had to make something simple and domestic for the Queen’s bday! Hope you enjoy it, and please, let me know what you think!
(also, this is un-betta’d. I wanted to post this asap because I’m working on a different project, so... bear with me)
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“Thank you for coming! ‘Careful on your way home!”
The sound of the door clicking shut reverberates across her entire apartment, and it only takes one second for that smiley expression to fade from her face. Her right hand is still placed over the door-knob, and for a brief moment, she closes her eyes, letting out a deep sigh in pure contentment. The last guests are finally on their merry way home now, and at last, she can stop worrying about things such as making sure no one’s feeling left out or re-filling toilet paper. Even if they’re all good friends, her perfectionist mind can’t simply allow her to enjoy the night without worrying about those details.
After turning the key, her hand moves to massage the back of her neck, and finally, she sets her toes free from her black heels. A mix of relief and calmness spreads all over her body, as a soft smile takes over her cherry-colored lips. This, perhaps, might be her favorite part of her birthday parties— or any party, for the matter— because, right now, she can finally savor all the things she's prepared for the night. The food, the decoration, the soothing music...
Oh, what a dream, she thinks, at first, before looking around with her lazy eyes and frowning at the scene. If only all of that mess could magically disappear by the time she wakes up tomorrow morning.
A sigh escapes her lungs as she makes her way back to the center of the hurricane that is her living room. Just like last year, she starts wondering why on earth she let Ino convince her to host her own birthday party instead of going out for a couple of drinks like most people do. Though the pinkette really enjoys having her friends over for a couple of hours, she can’t deny that the day after March 28th is probably the most tiring of the year. Sakura knows she's barely gonna get any sleep tonight, and by the time her alarm goes off around 5:30, she will certainly need at least 1 liter of coffee in order to go through her shift without falling asleep.
In theory, she could leave all that mess for tomorrow, sure, but thanks to her cleaning compulsion, that’s not really an option for her.
If only she could be a little more like Naruto...
Still, as she shakes her pink head, Sakura decides there’s no use in thinking about it tonight. That’s a problem for her future-self, and even if she’s probably going to regret that decision in the morning, right now, this is her moment. She can drink a full glass of champagne while eating another piece of her strawberry cake, and the best part is that she can do it all while enjoying the company of the only one whose presence will never be a bother to her.
Once she finally reaches her kitchen, the pinkette is fast to register the dirty dishes laying around the counter. There are way more glasses than the number of people she invited for the party, but for a brief moment, she forgets that she’s the owner of that mess. Her emerald eyes automatically drift towards the sink, and her heart skips a beat at the scene playing in front of her.
Not even in her wildest, teenage-ish dreams would she have ever pictured Uchiha Sasuke doing her dishes after her birthday party. Though she knows she’s the one who’s technically responsible for all of that, it’s inevitable for her to be entertained by how focused he seems to be while attempting to remove that lipstick stain from the cup.
How lovely, she ponders, bitting her lower lip in order to suppress a chuckle.
Too bad she can’t just keep watching him for the rest of the night.
“You know, even if I appreciate both your help and the view, you don’t have to do this, Sasuke-kun.” Sakura says, picking up some of the plates laying around and walking towards the sink. She’s standing by his side now, his tall body towering over hers, almost a head taller. The expression decorating his features remains unaltered, and she notices how he slowly moves to give her some space next to him. “You can go rest, if you want.”
“Do you want me to go leave?” He asks, unaltered, while scrubbing another knife.
“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” She answers, grabbing a piece of cloth to dry the cutlery he has already washed. “I just don’t want you to do something you don’t want just because it’s my birthday or anything like that. It’s fine, really. I can do it alone.”
“Hn, It’s faster if we do it together.” He stops, a sly smirk taking over the corner of his lips as he closes the tap. His eyes are on hers, now, and she can feel her chest warming up in response. “Unless you wanna do it all by yourself.”
“Nope.” She says, promptly, handing him another dirty spoon and he’s quick to resume what he was doing. Her eyes watch the way the water runs through his fingers, and oddly, she can’t help but find that amusing. “If you’re willing to help, who am I to say no, right?”
A giggle escapes her lips when she hears the ‘tch’ that escaped from his lips, and eventually, they fall in a comfortable silence that is only disturbed by the clanking of the dishes touching each other. Every now and then, their fingers brush when he hands her the plates, and though she can still feel the sparks, those simple touches are no longer enough to make her blush in embarrassment as they used to.
His touch is no longer a stranger to her skin. His presence and his warmth have long been registered by her subconscious, marking every cell of her body with his constant presence. It’s been over 5 springs since their childish love finally bloomed into a serious relationship, and by now, both Sasuke and Sakura have grown used to one another. It goes beyond carnal desires or any poor excuse for a casual company, for their hearts share a connection deeper than words could ever describe.
Blame it on the fact that they used to be good friends before or even fate itself, but it’s impossible to deny the fact that they’ve reached the apex of their young love-life, to the point where doing the dishes together feels wholesome in ways neither of them can explain. There’s a sense of domesticity and mutual understanding shared in between unspoken words, and perhaps, that’s why it works so well for them as a couple. Even if they’re very different people, with different routines and personalities, they make it work.
They have enough trust, love and companionship to last for a life-time.
And though that should be enough—hell, that should be more than enough— Sakura can’t help but feel that there’s still something missing.
Something she can’t quite pin-point, but something that makes perfect moments lose their magic, for she knows they just won’t last. Even now, as they’re doing the dishes and making small conversation about how the party went, deep inside, her heart is heavy because she knows that once those dishes are clean, it will all be over and she will be left alone in her apartment before midnight strikes.
No matter how hard she tries, their moments together have their life-spawn shortened by the common laws of the universe, for every time there’s that stupid parting moment in which they both have to go separate ways. It’s painful for her to watch him disappear in the distance, and even if he doesn’t really express it with words, she can see the light in his eyes fading whenever they have to say goodbye. It’s always a new ‘good night’ and never a constant ‘good morning’ for them, and after so long, she’s sick and tired of this.
Perhaps, it’s just her tired-self speaking too loud in her head or even the few drinks she had during the party, but tonight, she doesn’t want the world to stand between them. Tonight, Sakura will break the natural laws, not caring about the consequences of finally taking the next step.
It’s still her birthday, after all. That has to count for something.
Her heart is beating faster now that she has made up her mind, and she realizes that she’s shaking when she picks another fork from his hands. She’s swallowing dry, and if not for the make up in her face, she knows he would be able to see a crimson blush decorating her cheeks. It’s now or never, she thinks. And before she has the chance to talk herself out of it, Haruno Sakura decides to act.
“Uhm... Sasuke-kun.” She starts, her voice shaky as his name slips from her tongue. Clearly, she forgot to think about the proper way of actually saying what she wanted, choosing instead to improvise— something she’s never really been good at. “I was thinking... Why don’t you spend the night here? You don’t have to go home after this.”
“Don’t even think about going to sleep, Sakura. You’re not leaving all of this mess to me.”
“Oi, that’s not what I meant!” She scolded him, a pout taking over her expression. “Shannarou, I just don’t want you to go home all alone at such late hours. Besides, is it wrong for a girl to want to stay with her boyfriend for the night?”
“You pervert.” He smirks, earning an elbow to his ribs in response. For someone so small, it’s undeniable that his girlfriend has some sort of abnormal strength people like her shouldn’t possess.
“Shut up. That’s not what I meant either! I just... I just don’t want you to leave, that’s all.”
Her words come out a little too low, but high enough so that he can hear them. Her voice sounded an octave too-melancholic, and perhaps, that was what made him actually take her offer seriously. “Hn, I guess I could. I don’t have to work tomorrow, so I can go home once when you leave for the hospital.”
“Really?” Sakura starts, a smile now threatening to take over her features. Though she still had to convey her real plan, that was already a win. A small one, but a win, nonetheless. “Well, you don’t have to leave that early if you don’t want to. You can just...stay. Maybe even wait for me to get home from the hospital and then we could eat dinner together.”
“What?” His eyes widen at her idea, and right now, she can’t really tell if his surprised expression is good or bad. “Aren’t you going to stay there until late tomorrow?”
“Well, probably, but you can stay here... is that a problem?”
”It’s not really a problem, but... I just don’t want to abuse your hospitality. It’s still your apartment, Sakura.” He scratches the back of his neck, and she could see that he was truly concerned about his manners. His mother has taught him how to be a gentleman, and even if she loves that about him, right now, she wishes he could let loose and just take her offer.
She bites her lower lip at his words, a puff of annoyance inflating her cheeks at his answer. Her boyfriend’s has never been good at reading her signs, and now, when not even she’s understanding them, the pinkette is starting to freak out.
Things are not going as planned— not that she actually planned anything to begin with. Her head is spiraling as she watches the snow-ball being created by her messy words, and slowly, she can feel her chance slipping through her fingers. If she doesn’t say it now, Sakura’s going to miss her opportunity, and who knows what’s going to happen to them. Will they break up? Will he think she’s not interested in a long-term commitment? Will they never do the dishes again?
No, she’s overthinking again. They have a solid relationship that has been built over the years and she’s not going to ruin it all in one night because she’s acting like a coward. She’s a modern, independent woman. A doctor, damn it. She has done a lot of things that were harder than asking her boyfriend to move in with her.
She can do it. She will do it.
“Sasuke-kun!” Her voice is determined now, her eyes filled with a different fire in them. This is it. No backing out now. “I need to ask you something important. It’s about our future together.”
“Okay... I’m listening.” He states, a little taken aback by her sudden burst. He stops what he’s doing, his dark irises now looking into her emerald ones. They’re holding a certain hope in them, and if anything, she was not expecting him to be paying that much attention to her. She’s feeling pressured by them, intimidated even. Her knees are shaking, her lips are trembling and her mind is suddenly blank.
She can’t do it. Nope. Not with those eyes staring into her soul.
“I-I... I...” Her heart is beating faster, and she feels like it will burst out of her chest any minute now. She’s going to faint, she can tell it.
“What is it, Sakura?”
“I-I...” She swallows, then, sighing as courage escapes her body. The pinkette has chickened out, finally opting for her ever-reliable plan B. “Naruto is an idiot, right?”
“... Yes.” He starts, his brows furrowing in confusion. “But what does that have to do with our future?”
“E-Everything! I mean, did you see how drunk he was tonight? Thank god Sai offered himself to take him home tonight, but we can rely on that forever. As his best friends, we have to do something about it. He lives far from both of us and we need a plan whenever we have a drinking night together.”
A moment of palpable tension grows between them, and right now, she’s sure he can hear her heart beating like crazy inside her chest. I’m an idiot, she thinks, holding back the urge to lower her head and cry. Sakura has just ruined everything, and right now, she’s going to have to pretend to actually care about where Naruto crashes when he’s drunk just so her boyfriend doesn’t think she’s completely crazy.
Ugh, those damn eyes of his. Why do they have to be so *freaking beautiful?
Thankfully, they can also read her like an open book.
“Hn, you’re right.” He says, finally breaking the silence that surrounded them. His voice is calm and understanding, as always, and she can feel her heart settling down at that. If anything, at least, his reaction isn’t bad or anything. “I guess we will have to have a spare room for him when we move in together.”
“Yeah, sure. A spare room when we—“ Her mind stops. Her hands freeze while holding the cloth and her green eyes widen. Her lips part slightly, but no word dares coming out of them.
Did he... Did he just say what she thinks he said?
She doesn’t know what kind of face she’s making right now, but if anything, she’s completely dumbfounded by his words. Sure, it’s not like he’s making a move tonight or anything, but he did say the words, right? Move in together. The three words she was trying so hard to get out of her chest, simply rolled out of his tongue as if it is the most logical thing in the world— and perhaps, it is. He says them in a way as if that decision won’t change their lives forever. As if it won’t affect their routine and the amount of food they have to buy at the grocery store.
It’s a decision that goes beyond a drawer filled with socks or an extra tooth-brush. And even if he sounds as calm as ever, she knows he’s aware of all that, because, if anything, Uchiha Sasuke doesn’t do anything based on impulse. He’s the kind of man who thinks things through and studies every possibility before making a decision.
So that means...
“Sasuke-kun... Are you suggesting that we move in together?”
“Aa.” He nods, no hesitation in his voice. “Weren’t you trying to say the same?”
“I-I... I was?” She says, sounding more like a question, to which he simply quirks an eyebrow in inquiry. If anything, that was not the moment for doubts anymore. “I mean, yes! That was exactly what I was trying to say.”
“Good. Then it’s settled.”
“Is it? Really?” She asks, hope now running through her veins and lighting up her entire system.
“Yes. It’s only natural for people like us, right?”
“Yeah...” He cheeks grow warmer, and her chest suddenly feels lighter. At last, he took the words out of her. “It’s settled, then.”
At last, their days of saying goodbye are counted and now they can enjoy each other from dawn to dusk.
A smile slowly makes its way to her eyes, and she can’t help but switch her attention to him. Sasuke is now looking at her, a soft expression taking over his face. She’s bewildered right now as she looks at the man who will be living with her. Totally and completely marveled, and more in love with him than she has ever been before in her life.
He understands her unsaid words and they share similar ideas regarding their past, present and future.
They are in love, and now, they’re ready to share the same roof above their pretty, little heads.
“You’re still staying with me tonight, right?”
“Tch.You really are a pervert, Sakura.”
He splashes her face with some water from the sink and her giggles fill her kitchen with joy. They’re young and in love, and for now, that’s all they need to take the next step towards their future together.
summary: Set after their mission at Redaku – Sasuke and Sakura are finally going back home after their latest discovery when they’re surprised by a storm. She’s worried about her best friend, and he knows he has to do something before she puts herself at risk.
a/n: So, if you’re tired of seeing Sasuke caring for Sakura, this story is definitely not for you. I had this idea a while ago and of course I used it as an excuse to re-read Sasuke Retsuden (everything can be an excuse for that XD). I had initially planned to post this for the SasuSaku Month, but life happened and... Well, enough of me, I hope you enjoy this one, and if you want, I would love to hear your opinion on it!
(also, this is un-beta’d. Please, go easy on me)
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Redaku continued to prove itself as a strange land even now that they were just a couple of miles away from the border with the Fire Country. Dark clouds had been announcing a storm ever since they left the Tataru Astronomy Research Institute— or at least what was left of it— and even if there were still a couple of hours left of sun-light, the forest where they were had been enveloped by a shady atmosphere. Birds were coiled up inside their nests and squirrels hid in tree-trunks as an ominous wind swept the leaves beneath their feet.
All the signs around them indicated that Mother nature was about to unleash her fury, and neither of them wanted to be out in the clear when that happened. Even if they were in a hurry to return home with the new info they had gathered regarding Naruto’s condition, they knew better than to defy the natural forces.
For the storm was due to any moment now, they decided that it would be better to deviate from their original route so they could seek shelter in a safe place. It sure took them a while, especially because they didn’t really know the area, but eventually, Sasuke managed to spot an empty cavern. It was damp, cold and filled with bats; but it would have to do for the time.
It was not like they had any better options.
As soon as they verified the cave to make sure it was safe, his wife was the one who used her fists to gather some dry wood, and by the time he had started the fire with his fire jutsu, the downpour began. It had been years since he had last seen a storm so destructive and powerful like that, and for the moment, he was just glad to have found a place where they could stay.
They had fire to keep them warm, enough food and water for the night, and—well— they also each other so they wouldn’t feel lonely. All they had to do now was wait.
However, for his wife, waiting seemed to be a lot harder than facing the storm.
Once they had settled inside the cave, the male Uchiha couldn’t help but notice how restless the pinkette was. While he was calmly sitting by the fire, she was standing up, pacing around and looking outside. Her arms were crossed across her chest, and he had already lost count of how many times she had already sighed or cursed the heavens for the rain outside.
Sakura was pissed, he could tell. Her shoulders looked tense and she had barely said a word ever since they were forced to stop. He knew she wanted to go home as fast as possible, and being stuck inside a cave had certainly not been part of their plans when setting the fastest route home earlier that day. More than anyone, he knows how much she hates the unforeseen, and at that moment, of all times, anything slightly different from their original plan was enough to give her a huge headache.
They needed her back in Konoha. Naruto was slowly getting worse, and even if they hadn’t really found the cure in their mission, they had found new and relevant information that could lead to something— anything, really. Ever since the blond had fallen ill, she had been on the edge, reading countless medical books and ancient scrolls, looking for a cure or at least a way to slow down its progression. She might have found a thing or two during the many nights she has spent up, but it was still not enough.
Naruto was still sick at the end of each day, and the only difference now was the she wasn’t by his side. And even if she knew that what they had done in Redaku was also very important, he knew better than to believe she wasn’t bothered by the fact that she was miles away from Konoha.
In fact, the guilt of being away was slowly eating her alive, and if she continued to put herself under so much pressure, it would be just a matter of time before she had a mental breakdown.
He had to do something. Just like in the past, he would have to take care of her so she could take care of the others.
“Sakura.” He started, his voice soft as her name rolled out of his tongue. “It's no use. You know the storm won’t just stop because you’re glaring at it. Come sit by the fire.”
“Don’t even try. You and I know I don’t want to sit.”
“So are you just gonna stand there all night?”
“Maybe I will, so what?” She turned to him, her hands balling into annoyed fists as her voice came out an octave louder. She forcefully closed her eyes for a second, then, sighing exasperatedly before her stiffened expression melted into a worried one. ”I’m sorry, Sasuke-kun. I just…I just want to go home.”
He knew she didn’t mean to sound rude. It was just the stress getting the best of her, and even if he hated to see her like that, Sasuke knew there was nothing he could do to solve her problem at that moment. For he was still feeling a bit drained after what had happened at the Astronomy Institute, he knew he didn’t have enough power to use his Susano’o all the way back to the village, and anything other than that would be useless— irresponsible, even.
There was really no way out of that situation.
Still, it was not like their friend was facing an imminent threat at that moment. Even if he really was getting worse, all of his vital parameters were stable and the progression of the disease didn’t seem to be so fast that his condition would suddenly become life-threatening. A day or two wouldn’t make any difference, both Shizune and Shikamaru granted that in a letter they had sent on the previous day.
Naruto would still be okay by the time they got home. And however logical that sounded, it would never be enough to calm her poor heart.
“I know you do.” He said, his voice offering her some sort of comfort. “But we both know we can’t do anything right now. Not with this storm out there.”
“But…but don’t you think we should take the risk?” She spoke, her green eyes now looking at him with a serious expression. “We have experience in field missions, and if we are careful, we can escape the storm. It will save at least a day of journey.”
His eyes widened at her statement, and it worried him to listen to her talking like that. She was actually serious about that— serious about walking aimlessly in search of a new way back home in the middle of the pouring rain. It was possible to see that her thoughts were now clouded by her sense of guilt, as she was clearly considering putting herself at risk out there just so they could try to arrive a day earlier or two.
Sakura was acting recklessly. And he had to stop her before she did something stupid.
“We’re not going anywhere in the middle of the storm. It’s not worth the risk.”
“What? Why not?”
“What do you mean why not? Tch, you know very well how hard it is to move in such terrible conditions. It’s dark, we don’t know the area and the storm is too strong.”
“I-I know it’s dangerous, but this is an emergency, right?”
“It's not an emergency yet. They said his condition is stable and we still have time to get back to Konoha.”
“They don’t know for how long it will be stable, Sasuke-kun. It might get worse.”
“You don’t know that, Sakura. This is just speculation.”
“Of course it is. We don’t know anything about this stupid disease.” She started, her voice now growing irritated. “He might as well be better by the time we arrive, but he also might drop dead before we get the chance to use what we’ve discovered in Redaku.”
“Hn.” He nodded in acceptance, closing his eyes. “I guess we will just have to wait and see, then.”
“Wait and see?” She said, turning to face him. He watched as her green eyes were now glaring at him with vivid fire, and at that moment, he suddenly remembered how intimidating his wife could be. “Are you perhaps suggesting that we should just bet on his life? He is the Hokage.”
As he watched the pinkette growing angry at his words, Sasuke realized that, apart from his efforts, she had finally lost it. She was now using their official positions at the village as an excuse to her behavior, and though she has always respected the shinobi hierarchy, that was probably the first time he ever heard her calling Naruto 'Hokage' when they were just the two of them in the room. His words had been completely misunderstood by her, and at that moment, even if she wasn’t really using words to describe it, he knew exactly what was going through her head.
Sakura was angry. Truly and inexorably angry.
Guilt was taking over every fiber of her heart and even if she knew it wasn’t her fault that Naruto was sick, she was blaming herself for not being there by his side. It was not like she didn’t trust the people back in Konoha to take care of him, but she knew she was the only one really capable for a job that has always been hers.
Whenever one of them needs her, she’s there. Whenever they’re sick, she finds the cure. That has been the ultimate rule of her life as a medical ninja, and even if they’re all grown ups now, it was still hard for her to let go of that motherly part of hers.
She has always been overprotective towards them. She has always tried her best to make sure they were both safe, and after marrying the Uchiha— much to her husband’s surprise— she grew even more worried about the blond. Perhaps it was the fear of losing her bonds with him or even the fact that they were each other’s closest fraternal connection, but whenever Naruto ended up at the hospital, she wouldn’t sleep until he was feeling better.
They’re too close. They have always been, especially after all of the time that were just the two of them. They’ve shared memories, promises and dreams; and it would be impossible for her to just ignore all that and not worry about him. It was stronger than her, and fighting against that would be useless.
He couldn’t change that part of hers even if he tried to. All he could do was make sure it didn’t hurt her like it was hurting at that moment.
Sasuke stood up, then, his heart beating as calmly as before. He knew better than to be mad at her for letting her feelings rule her thoughts, especially when his own emotions almost made him destroy Konoha. Just like all the times when she has showed him compassion during his times of pure rage, he owed her the same kind of reciprocity.
His wife deserved to be heard, and for she has always been more technical than him, he knew she would eventually give in to reasoning if he presented it to her in a way she could understand.
His feet slowly took him closer to her until his body was towering over hers. For she has never been the kind to be intimidated by anyone, Sakura kept glaring at him with the same intensity as before. He was holding a serious expression, and his voice didn’t change when he started his speech. “Stop pretending you care about the Hokage.”
His mismatched eyes watched as her expression changed. Her eyes widened, her lips parted, and slowly, she grew even angrier at him. “What did you say?” He could tell she was really mad at him, and if he didn’t choose his words correctly, chances were she would end up beating him to dust.
“I told you to stop pretending you care about the Hokage, Sakura. If you really want to go out there in the storm, at least be a little more honest about your reasons.”
“How dare you say something like that to my face? After everything I did and after leaving my daughter alone so I could help you gather new information, are you really saying I don’t care?”
“Aah.” He confirmed, his voice still as calm as before.
“Screw you, Sasuke.” She said, finally looking away from him. “I'm going. With or without you." At that moment, he realized he had driven her to the edge, and that was the right time to act on their problem.
That was the only way he could ever talk some sense into his wife. And even if he could end up with a broken rib or two, he figured it would be better than letting her get hurt.
She was fast to take her backpack from the ground, and as she was making her way towards the exit of the cave, Sasuke took a deep breath before giving her a decent answer. “At least admit why you’re leaving.” At his words, she stopped in her tracks, turning one more time to glare at him. Sakura opened her mouth to talk, but before she had the chance, he continued. “At least admit that you’re doing this for your best friend. Admit that him being the Hokage has nothing to do with this.”
Her eyes widened once more, and he watched as she bit her lower lip before balling her hands into fists. “Stop with your silly games. You know it makes absolutely no difference right now.”
“Of course it does.”
“Oh, and do you care to explain how?” She crossed her arms across her chest, her legs now slightly parted as a sign that she was standing her ground.
“You wouldn’t be acting like that if Kakashi was the one sick.”
“Bullshit. You know I would–”
“You wouldn’t.” He said, firmly, and he realized she was taken aback because of his words. At that moment, he used that opportunity to get closer to her. “If the one sick wasn’t that idiot, we both know you would be a lot calmer right now. It has nothing to do with his position as the Hokage. It never had.”
“Tch, and so what, Sasuke-kun?! Am I that wrong for caring?” She started, her eyes now tearing up. At last, his wife was admitting the truth to herself and it was relieving to see the walls she had built around herself crumbling down. If he wanted to help her— and he certainly did— he needed to be able to reach her first. ”What if I really am worried about my best friend? He’s sick, okay!? He’s sick and I have no fucking idea of what’s happening with him! I’m scared that something bad might happen and I won’t even be there by his side. And though I know there are very capable people back home, I don’t know if any of them would go far enough to keep him alive like I would!”
Her arms were now embracing her own body, making her seem smaller than she really is. She was bitting her lower lip, and even if it hurt him to see his wife like that, unfortunately, it was the only way he knew to calm her down. Thanks to that depraved shinobi system they grew up in, it was only natural for her to keep it all to herself. According to that system, her fears, her thoughts and her emotions meant nothing in times of crises, and there was no reason to prioritize them over their mission or their Hokage. She’s a medical ninja, trained to heal and not alarm those around her, even if it meant she would be haunted by her own secrets for the rest of her life.
No wonder why the previous generations of shinobi suffered so much. More than anyone, he knew how destructive emotions can be when they’re kept inside for too long, and he was not going to let her go through that kind of suffering.
Sakura had to let it all out. That was what Naruto would tell her if he was there. That was what he has always fought to protect.
And now that she did, it was time for her to pull herself together. He has seen her doing it before, and for she is this brave woman, he knew she could do it again. She just needed to be reminded of that.
“Sakura, look at me.”
“Leave me alone, Sasuke-kun.”
“I'm serious.” He said, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Look at me.”
Though she refused to do as he said at first, her worried eyes eventually gave in to her husband’s words. Her cheeks were puffed in anger, her eyes were turning red due to the unshed tears and he could see that her teeth had already left their mark on her rosy lips. His wife was sad, but it was inevitable for him to think about how beautiful she was, as her true colors oozed from her every pore.
“Let me go to him.” She said, her voice low, almost as if she was begging him.
“I can’t do this. I can’t let you risk yourself out there.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re his only hope, Sakura.”
“What?” Her eyes widened in surprise, and her lips went agape. She was certainly not expecting those words, and he knew he had to take advantage of her state of bewilderment to tell her the one thing she needed to hear.
“Just think about it. You are the only one who can actually save Naruto. Shikamaru, Kakashi and I can search for things that are related to his condition, but you are the only one who can actually do something about it. You will put all the pieces together and you will find a cure, I’m sure of it.”
“What if you’re wrong? What if I can’t do anything and he dies before we get the chance to get to him?”
“I'm not wrong.” He said, his voice powerful and with no hint of doubt. “I know you can do it. We all know it, and that includes that idiot. He understands why you had to leave, and right now, he’s also doing his best to make sure you have all the time you need. He’s not going to die, Sakura.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I’m not.” He said, his voice soft and delicate as he spoke to her. “But I trust him. He’s strong and he’s too stubborn to lose before using his best weapon.” His hand moved, then, slowly climbing up to her neck until he was cupping her left cheek. He brushed his thumb against her soft skin, and he offered her a tender smile before continuing. “And right now, his best weapon is you, Sakura.”
At his words, a delicate silence took over them as he simply watched as she made peace with her mind. Knowing his wife like he did, Sasuke knew she was probably thinking about a million ways to refute his arguments, but thankfully, she didn’t seem to be finding any. He felt as she allowed her head to rest against his palm, and she carefully placed her own hands over his as if to indicate she was welcoming the comfort he was offering her. She closed her eyes after that, letting go of all the tension that was taking over her shoulders, and he sighed in relief after that.
“You're right.” She nodded, slowly, as she opened her green eyes to face him. “He's strong and…he’s gonna make it.”
“I’m sure he will.”
“It’s gonna be hard, but I have to trust Naruto on this.” She giggled, finally moving her head away from his hand so she could wipe a tear that had dared to fall. “Shannarou, when did he become such a dependable adult?”
“Hn, he didn’t. Don’t forget that Kurama is the one doing it all for him.”
“Yeah, that’s the only possible explanation.” She blinked, tugging a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Thank you for helping me see things through.”
“No need to thank me. You already knew everything I said.“ He reassured her, their eyes still connected. "You were just a bit confused because of your maternal instincts towards that Dobe.”
A chuckled escaped her lips at his words, and slowly, a smile was decorating her face. It was good to see her like that again. "I guess you’re right. “ She said, scratching the back of her head. “I should probably start worrying more about my husband, don’t you think?”
“I wouldn’t mind that.” He started, turning away so he could walk back to where they had placed their belongings. The night was getting colder because of the storm, he was tired, and after all of that commotion, he just wanted to sit by the fire with his wife. “Now come. It’s been a long day and we need to rest for tomorrow."
“You’re right.” She agreed, instinctively following his steps. “Help me heat the water, then. I’ll make us some tea to keep us warm.”
“Aah.”
And so, after the raging thunder in her heart dissipated, the Uchiha couple could finally settle down by the fire. The water she had collected from the rain was now boiling inside an old kettle with some herbs, and while they waited for their tea to be ready, both Sasuke and Sakura sat next to each other, finally sharing a moment of peace. Her back was pressed against his chest, her head lingered near his chin and he could feel the way her muscles were relaxed against him. The sound of the rain outside felt like a serene symphony, invading his ears and allowing his heart to beat slower.
In a couple of hours, he knew they would both be up and back on their way back home, and perhaps, they would have to face some challenges. The near future seemed to have a lot of uncertainties that they would have to deal with, but for the moment, he figured he could let himself rest while enjoying his wife company.
He really had missed her, after all.
With that in mind, Sasuke closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Her sweet scent invaded his nostrils, and slowly, he could feel his thoughts disappearing one by one, until it was just them, the fire and the rain.
summary: high school AU— they’re in the middle of biology class when Uchiha Sasuke realizes that there are way more interesting things that deserve his full attention.
[Ao3] [ffnet]
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He’s doing it again.
From the corner of his eyes, he can see as she eagerly writes down her notes on her biology book. She uses her small fingers to tug a stubborn strand of her pink hair that has been falling forward since first period, and he watches as the sunlight highlights her soft skin. An absent smile graces her lips, and he supposes it’s because she’s enjoying whatever it is that their teacher is saying. He hasn’t been paying attention to the class for a while now, his concentration completely switched to the girl sitting next to him. Last time he checked, though, they were discussing genetics. Or could it be fungus? He doesn’t know.
Lately, he’s been doing that a lot— the whole staring thing, that is. Though unaware, at first, now he knows exactly when his attention drifts towards her. It happens when he’s at ease or when anxiety is starting to grow inside him. When he’s calm and relaxed; or when he finds himself in need of a familiar face not to blow it all away.
Sakura has this effect on him. Even without really saying or doing anything, her sole presence is enough to warm his chest. It’s as natural as the clouds floating in the sky, and sometimes, when they’re not in the same room, he finds himself missing her figure. With her green eyes and pink hair, she has become a constant presence in his life, and if anything, Sasuke likes constant. Always has.
He also likes her, but that’s not been questioned right now.
He’s acknowledged his feelings for her for almost three months now, and he figures he’s still trying to get used to the idea of seeing her as more than just his best friend. It’s not that their relationship has changed that much from what it was before, but everything around her just feels different ever since Naruto pointed out the obvious. Sasuke has accepted this new side of him, and perhaps, the biggest change in his young life is the fact that he has to constantly remind himself that he no longer needs silly excuses to hide his feelings for her. He has to keep telling himself that it’s not an absurd for a boy like him to consider making a move in a girl like her. He can dare to reach out for her hand or— if he’s feeling bold enough, and the situation calls for it— kiss her lips.
It’s weird to even think about doing that to the girl who has been by his side since they were in dippers. She‘s still the same Sakura, but now that he has allowed himself to picture them together, she’s just different. He’s different, too, and he can’t really say he hates it. Quite the opposite, in fact.
And right now, while he’s still trapped in his thoughts, he also has to remind himself that staring at her is not as creepy as it would be if he was just a stranger.
It isn’t, right?
Perhaps he should stop, then. Or maybe—
His thoughts are suddenly interrupted as a folded piece of white paper shows up on his desk. He quirks his right brow in confusion, and without thinking twice, his eyes drift to Naruto because— well— who else would’ve thrown that at him in the middle of the class, right? However, much to his surprise, his blonde best friend couldn’t have done such a thing, no. He’s fast asleep on his desk across the classroom, and the Uchiha is almost sure he can see drool sliding down his open mouth.
That loser, he thinks. If he’s not going to pay attention to the class, he might as well try to pretend otherwise in order to avoid a future lecture. Maybe he really deserves it, after all.
Still, if the idiot didn’t throw the folded paper, then who did it?
He arcs his brows again, and before trying to reach another conclusion based solely on his speculations, Sasuke decides to read the hidden note. Carefully, then, he unfolds the paper, only to be surprised by the familiar and delicate handwriting in it.
“Shouldn’t you be paying attention to the class?”
A smirk crosses his lips as he reads those words, and he knows he’s been busted. Dark eyes, then, turn to his right only to find green ones already staring back at him. She offers him a teasing smile, using her index finger to point towards the blackboard, to which he simply shrugs. Apparently, Sakura has caught him staring for a little too long, and if he were to be honest, he’s glad she did because now he has an excuse to silently flirt with her.
Now, he has an excuse to observe and to be observed by her emerald eyes.
If he had to pick, that’s probably one of his favorite activities of the day now that he has decided to build up some courage to make a move. He likes to tease her without using words just to see all of her unique reactions flourishing. He likes to see the many shades of red that tinge her cheeks whenever she’s embarrassed and the way she sometimes has to cover her mouth to suppress a loud laugh. He likes when she bites her lower lip whenever she’s thinking about something, and he sure as hell loves it when he sees one of her soft smiles slowly making its way up to her bright eyes.
She really is the cutest girl he knows. Not that he will ever admit that to her.
Without thinking twice then, he grabs his black pen and rips a piece of paper from his notebook. He scribbles around, folds it and expertly throws it so their secret lands on her desk. She spares him a knowing look before unfolding it, and he watches as she silently grows embarrassed at his written words. Her cheeks are flushed pink, and the pout that takes over her lips is enough to tell him his silly message worked. It was just a regular compliment, but he knows she’s never been good with those ever since he called her annoying on second grade.
One would say he’s to be blamed for her complex, but he likes to think he has only helped her develop one of her unique traits.
Sakura shakes her pink head, then, and he watches as she rips another piece of paper so they can continue their sneaky conversation. They certainly look like children right now, especially since they both know they can just pick their phones from their pockets and text each other. It would be easier, sure, but not half as fun.
“Very charming. Still, you’ll need more than, that if you want my notes!” is her answer, with an exclamation mark written with a big dot on the bottom, and he pretends to be taken aback by those words. She’s still blushing, he can tell, and he feels oddly proud for that. Maybe he shouldn’t, though, because he knows she dreams of becoming a great doctor someday and she just loves biology so so much that, perhaps, he should really just leave her to her studies.
But it’s stronger than him. Having her reactions and her attention all to himself makes him selfish, and even if he hates to act differently than what he’s used to, he doesn’t complain one bit when he does that for her.
It’s all for her. All because of her.
He’s but a teenager living his first love, and that alone should give him the right to enjoy this fleeting phase next to her. People say it’s the best moment of life, and even if he doesn’t know wether it’s true or not, he’s ready to, at least, try to make the best of it.
So, yes, Sasuke is going to keep sending her notes during her favorite class if they make her smile. He’s going to keep choosing the right words to make her blush and he’s going to keep stealing glances, hoping to be caught, until the day comes when he doesn’t really have to steal anymore.
fin
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a/n: okay, first of all, HAPPY SASUSAKU MONTH, y’all! Here’s to another wonderful month filled with love and sasusaku! Let’s all have fun and celebrate our beloved ship! Now, to the story... honestly, I hate it so much. I think this is one of the worst things I’ve ever written, but at least, it’s over now. Nothing came to me when working with this theme and I really just wanted to move on with this already. I thought about writing something about Sasuke making amends with his newfound love for Sakura in a high school setting, but it’s just meh. Sorry for that. It’ll get better, I promise XD Still, hope you have fun!
summary: It’s the middle of the night and Sakura can’t sleep. Her thoughts are clouded by an ugly feeling she had never felt before and Sasuke is the only one who can do something about it. It’s his fault that she can’t sleep, after all.
Rated K
[ffnet] [Ao3]
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There was a strange heat polling inside her stomach that made her entire body burn. Her heart-beat was beginning to sound too loud in her ears, and no matter how many times she had already tried to close her eyes, sleep refused to come. She had been tossing and turning for at least 3 hours now, stubbornly battling against the urge to get up and do something in order to save what was left of her night.
It will pass, she kept telling herself, knowing very well that was a lie. It was not going to pass. Not anytime soon, at least. She sighed for the seventh time— but who was counting, right?— and tried to appeal to her logical side to free herself from that inner turmoil.
The shinobi world was at peace, her patients were well and her loved ones were safe and sound, probably enjoying the warmth of their beds at that exact moment. Naruto’s dream was getting closer with every passing day, her sensei was doing a great job as the Hokage and Gaara had agreed to expand her recent project to the Wind country.
Nothing was wrong, except—well— everything was.
The air inside her lungs felt heavier than all the boulders she has crushed with her bare hands during the war, and as soon as her lips started to tremble, Sakura knew she was losing it.
The eight sight came. Fuck, she muttered.
She used her forearm to cover her eyes as she bit the insides of her cheeks. It was way too late for her to be awake, let alone to be so filled with such unexplainable rage— or maybe not so unexplainable as she would like to admit.
It was all because of those stupid words. Words that could mean nothing, but since they came from his lips, could also mean everything. How could he say those things about a stranger? How could he ruin her day like that after talking about someone else with such easy words?
How could he compliment a girl he had just met when all she ever had were the recurrent “you're annoying”s? That jerk.
Though Sakura has always considered herself to be above such things, experiencing those feelings for the first time was a lot harder than she had originally expected. Jealousy hurt. It stung her heart like multiple needles, and the simple memory of that fleeting moment was enough to make her feel another projectile penetrating deeper into her core. It made her disgusted to even think of him, and more than that, it made her feel ugly inside.
She should be better than this. She’s a highly ranked medical ninja and shouldn’t let those feelings corrupt her like that. If anything, she should be happy for him, right? Happy because, after so long, he was finally being able to interact with different people and move on with his life.
Sasuke deserves to be happy. However and with whomever he chooses to. And if she really was his friend, she should be happy for him.
If she loved him— truly loved him, then she should be happy for him.
But she was not. She just couldn’t. Instead of happy, Sakura was mad, resentful and begrudging.
She was ashamed of herself.
Ashamed for not wanting to share a free and independent person with a world of his own choosing simply because she somehow felt entitled to a position that has never been hers to begin with. In all of those years he was away from the village and she was trying to get him back, it never crossed her mind that, perhaps, just that didn’t make her special at all. She was his teammate and friend, sure, and even the only girl he has ever spoken to for over 10 minutes straight, but there was never any guarantee that she would ever become more than that.
Just because she was the only one by his side, it didn’t mean she would be the one if he ever opened himself to those kind of experiences.
Sakura had no right over his love life. She had no advantage or extra points for being who she is.
His heart is not a prize to be conquered at the end of a game. There’s no winner, but she was certainly the loser.
Her cheeks turned red and angry tears were threatening to spill from her eyes at that moment. She was feeling like a spoiled little girl, crying in order to solve her problems. She had to get herself together. He has always done whatever he wanted and there was no reason it would be any different when it came to the matter of his heart.
He leaves whenever he wants to and returns whenever he pleases.
And as always, she simply accepts it all. It’s their own routine— an old habit which she refuses to abandon. Sakura has settled into that kind of life of waiting for him to make the next decision, and that was fine until she realized that, maybe, the one decision she’s been waiting for him to make might not involve her.
In fact, it might even take her away from his life.
The stubborn tears finally fell down the side of her face, and her eyes widened. It became harder to breathe at the idea of losing him forever and it was as if her chest was being crushed. Her fingers were now clutching the covers until her knuckles turned white, and the turmoil was now stuck in her throat, making her sick.
And if she didn't do something— anything about it, she was going to throw up.
Without thinking twice, she threw the covers away and stood up from her bed. She didn’t know exactly what she was doing, but before she could convince herself otherwise, the pinkette was already jumping through her window. With her bare feet, she was running through rooftops, the winter night gracing her exposed skin. Her heart was beating faster now, adrenaline rushing through her system, and as she jumped around, her eyes could already see her destination from afar.
Her cheeks were burning due to the icy breeze, but she didn’t care. Sakura had to get to him. She had to listen to a different voice from the one hunting her thoughts.
Once she got to the Uchiha compound, she ran towards his house, only stopping at the threshold. She was not thinking straight anymore for, in the dead of the night, she started banging on his door, calling his name, and had he had any neighbors, they would all be cursing her at that moment.
“Sasuke-kun!” She screamed, her heavy fist almost making a hole in his door. Her voice was rushed, and she could see the white haze escaping from her lips. “I need to talk to you! Sasuke-kun!”
Her heart was beating as fast as she was knocking, and for a moment, she decided to stop banging to see if her ears would capture something coming from inside the house. Nothing. The only sound she could hear came from the night wind and that was not what she needed.
Her emerald eyes glared at the door, a pout taking over her lips. It was impossible for a skilled shinobi like him not to hear all that noise. She was growing anxious and even considered the idea of invading his house through the window, however; she knew better than to believe that catching him by surprise like that would be a good idea. It was Uchiha Sasuke’s home, after all. She could bet anything that he had traps all over the place. Breaking in was definitely out of question.
She shook her head and decided that it was too late to start changing her original plans— not that she has any plan at all. The pinkette raised her fist, then, ready to start knocking all over again. When she was about to move her hand, though, the door suddenly swung open, only to reveal the alarmed figure of the man she had been looking for.
“Sasuke-k—”
“What!? What is it?! Are you okay!?”
He sounded breathless, his mismatched eyes scanning her from head to toe, as if he was trying to find any injury or any trace of blood. His dark locks were a mess, and his lips were parted in awe. Now that she was thinking about it, showing up like that was probably not the best of the ideas if she didn’t want him to get all worked up. There was really no need for all that, but there was no way he would know it. Especially when she was the one who started all that noise to disturb his sleep.
She would have to do something about that, too.
“Calm down, Sasuke-kun, I’m fine.” She sighed, her head now starting to throb. “No one is hurt or anything.”
“Huh?” His brows arched in confusion, his lips still slighted trembling until they formed a frown. “Then what’s wrong, Sakura?”
Everything. “Nothing. I—“
“Nothing!? Tch, bullshit. If you’re here in the middle of the night, almost breaking my door, then something must be off. Is it something with Naruto?”
“No, he’s fine.”
“Kakashi, then?”
“No, he’s okay, too. I—“
“Are you sure you are okay?”
“I’ve said I’m fine already, didn’t I?!”
With every question, she could feel her anxiety building up inside of her. Of all the things that could have happened that night, being practically interrogated by him was not something she had imagined at all. And whether she liked to admit it or not, that was probably better than what she had originally planned— which was, again, nothing at all.
“Sakura, then, why—“
“Can you just shut up for a minute and let me talk!?”
Her heart was beating too fast inside her chest now, and she realized she had no control of the situation anymore. Sakura was just there, growing mad for no reason at all, and he was also growing slightly irritated because it was the middle of the night and she had just woken him up so she could literally stand there making no sense.
God, what a night.
Silence settled between them for a couple of seconds and her green eyes started to inspect him out of habit. His breathing pattern was slower now, his eyes still trying to read her, and Sakura was starting to feel overwhelmed by that. She had to say something. Anything or else he was going to think she was insane— and maybe she was because she didn’t really know what the fuck she was doing there anymore.
A new sigh escaped her lips, and she closed her eyes for a second, trying to recollect what was left of her. She looked at him, then, and took a deep breath, the cold air reaching her lungs. “Look, no one is hurt. The village is safe, and for all I know, all of our friends are sleeping safely right now.”
“Then why—“
“Why am I standing at your door at such stupid hours and making a fuss for nothing?” She asks, rhetorically. “Honestly, I don’t even know, but here I am.”
He stopped for a moment, his face now holding a very confused expression. His fingers reached for the bridge of his nose and he closed his eyes for a moment, the adrenaline from earlier finally wearing off. He was annoyed, she could tell. Still, at least the interrogatory was over.
“Look, Sakura… I’m going to ask you something and I promise your answer won’t change the way I see you as the respectable shinobi you are.” He stopped for a second, tension now building up inside of her. “Are you drunk?”
Her brows knitted in confusion, and his question took her completely by surprise. She had no idea of what kind of expression was spread across her face right now, but she could bet it was a strange one. He couldn’t really be serious.
“What?” she asked, not really believing he was asking her such a thing.
“It’s a completely normal question. Did you go out for drinks with the Godaime?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Are you sure?”
"I’m not drunk, Sasuke-kun!” She yelled at him, her red cheeks now puffed in anger. She clenched her fists, but loosed them after a second. It was late and cold, and damn, she should’ve thought properly before crossing the village wearing only one of her father’s large t-shirts and some fluffy trousers. That was not working at all. “Can I come in?”
When she asked him that, it was like something clicked inside of him and he realized that they were, indeed, in the middle of a winter night. Whatever was happening, they could do it inside his house, where it was clearly more comfortable. “Aah, of course. Come in.”
“Thanks.”
They entered his house, then, and for she was already used to it, the pinkette ended up leading him towards his living room. She sat on his couch, and with no ceremony, he sat next to her, their knees practically brushing. He was close enough so she could feel some heat radiating from him, and somehow that offered her some kind of comfort.
Of course it did. He is Sasuke-kun, the boy who has been holding her heart for at least a decade now. The same boy who can make her smile and cry with a single smile— or the lack of one— and the one who has dared to compliment a girl in front of her. Ugh, not that again.
“Can I get you some tea?”
“N-No, I’m fine, thank you.” She bit her lower lip, the ugly jealousy starting to bite her insides again. “Sasuke-kun, I need to ask you something.”
“Hn. I’m listening.” And indeed he was. He has always been a good listener, and perhaps that’s why it has always been so easy for her to talk to him. Just being with him has always been enough for her, but now— now that it was late and she knew there was a chance that he could, eventually, be taken away from her— it just wasn’t. Not anymore.
She had to get it out of her chest. No matter the risks, she had to be honest, and whatever he decided to do with that honesty, she would have to accept it.
“The thing is… I don’t want to lose you, Sasuke-kun.” She bit her lip, her cheeks growing warmer. “Not again.”
His eyes widened, and she noticed the way his expression slowly melted into a softer one. His lips were pressed in a thin line, and he was looking at her with all the tenderness in the world, as if he immediately understood her. “I'm not running away from the village again, Sakura. I won’t—“
“Not like that.” She spoke, and she could feel her cheeks growing redder in embarrassment. “I’m not worried about you leaving the village again, Sasuke-kun. I’m just scared that, when you decide to stay… It won’t be with me.”
Though she had decided to be straightforward about the whole thing, Sakura didn’t think she could use any other words to describe her feelings at that moment. That was the best she could muster at that moment, and that would have to do.
Her eyes were looking straight at him, carefully searching for something— anything that told her he had understood the real meaning behind her words. She could feel that her heart was about to burst out at any moment now. Her hands were shaking on her lap, and with every second of torturing silence, she could feel her senses screaming at her to run away and never look back.
Perhaps, if she ran home at that moment, he could go back to bed and pretend it was all a strange dream. Perhaps she could try to convince him she was, in fact, wasted after a night out with her master. Perhaps—
A sudden warmth enveloped her small hands, and when she looked down at them, she saw his big, calloused palm over them. His skin was warm and his thumb carefully started to caress the back of her hand in circular movements. Her eyes widened at that, and when she lifted her head to look at him, his eyes were already on hers.
They were so deep at that moment— so delicate and caring that she just couldn’t bring herself to look away from them. His eyes have always been her favorite things about him, and even after everything, she still found them the most gorgeous things in the entire world.
“You’ve always had the strangest concerns, Sakura…” He spoke softly, as his lips slightly curled upwards. “How could it not be with you?”
Her eyes were tearing up now, her lips twisting into a pout. A wave of relief was spreading across her body, and she knew she was really close to start ugly-crying in front of him. “It couldn’t?”
“Of course not.” He squeezed her hands. “As long as you don’t change your mind, then—“
She cut his words before he could finish his sentence as she pressed her cold lips against his warm ones. It was an impulse she couldn’t control, and she was glad for that. After years of holding back and imagining how actually kissing him would feel like, there she was, making the first move and making sure he knew there was no changing her mind.
His lips, as she realized, were soft as she had always pictured them to be, and she couldn’t help the sparks that took over her at such simple contact. She had dreamed about that for most of her life, and once she felt his hand cupping her cheek as he started to kiss her back, Sakura realized that it was all worth it in the end.
She was smiling against his lips, and though chaste, that was probably the most intimate moment they’ve ever shared. Once they parted, she noticed that his hand remained on her cheek, and she couldn’t help but lean against it. Her eyes were holding a smile of their own, and even if her life depended on it, she didn’t think she could hide the happiness radiating from inside of her core.
Not from him. Not at that moment.
“I won’t ever change my mind.” She said, eagerly.
“Hn, that’s good to hear.” He said, caressing her cheek one more time before letting his hand slide from her face.
“And you better not change yours either, Sasuke-kun!”
“Where did you even get this stupid idea from, anyway?”
“Eh?” Her eyes widened, a new blush taking over her cheeks. How on earth was she going to explain to him that she woke him up and kissed him in the middle of the night just because he complimented a random girl the other day when the whole team 7 was together having lunch? He would never stop mocking her if she told him that. “No particular reason…”
“Tch.” He scoffed. “Honestly, you’re spending too much time with that Dobe.”
“And whose fault is that?” She crossed her arms across her chest, a mocking tone lacing her words.
“Hn, you might have a point.” He nodded, accepting her words, but choosing not to comment on them. “Are you feeling better now?”
“A lot. I was going insane back home, and I just had to do something about it. Sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night.”
“It's fine. Whenever you need."
“Hey, don’t get used to me just coming in and kissing you!” She blushed madly, finally remembering her boldest move.
“Your words, not mine.”
“Shannarou.” She sighed, her heart a lot lighter now. Anxiety was no longer torturing her from the inside, and the green monster of jealousy was now silenced in the depths of her mind.
In the end, Sakura was glad for doing what she did. She was proud for finally taking a stand and not just keep waiting for a magical moment that might never come.
She took the first step towards a new future filled with possibilities, and though she didn’t really know what was to come next, at least, she knew for sure that, in the end, they would be together. And for the moment, that was enough.
fin.
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a/n: so, why not write a jealous Sakura every now and then, right? I had a lot of fun writing this one and I can really imagine that pink-haired dork being all worked up over something like that XD Also, this was inspired by that song “Stay with me”, which is originally a Japanese song, but I can’t stop listening to Caitlin Myers’ version of it! Anyways, enough of me. Hope you’ve enjoyed it, and please, leave me a comment with your thoughts!
summary: every Tuesday, both Sasuke and Sakura go out for lunch during her break at the hospital. It’s a sacred tradition between them, but what happens when she’s too tired to even walk?
a/n: I tried to make a very cute pic this time so they could take a break from all the stress of being a ninja hahaha I have to admit that this theme made me want to miss the time when I could take more naps, and perhaps, I should start taking them whenever I can XD As always, I hope you enjoy this one! Have fun!
PS: This story is still un-beta'd. My beta-reader is quite busy lately and she didn't have time for proofreading this one yet. Sorry for the mistakes you're gonna find!
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Rated K
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According to the big clock displayed above the central desk of the hospital reception, Sasuke had arrived just in time for her break. It was Tuesday, and just like every week, it was the day of their weekly lunch. He was on time, as always, and for some of the staff already knew what he was doing there, it wasn’t unusual for some nurses to look at him and whisper something to each other. Some would even giggle, eventually, and when they did, the Uchiha couldn’t help but wonder if seeing two people going out for lunch together was really that amusing.
It really was just lunch, after all.
A couple of months before, Sakura had been the one who had first created that tradition between them, saying it would be a nice chance for them to bond, and even if he liked to believe they didn’t really need an official reason to meet, the Uchiha eventually decided to play along. Every week since then, she would normally be waiting for him in front of the hospital reception, and as soon as their eyes met, she would greet him joyful before they could go find a place to eat. They would spend some time together, just the two of them, chatting while enjoying a nice and peaceful meal until her break was over. He would walk her back to the hospital, then, and he wouldn’t cordially wait until he made sure she was already inside.
Those were their Tuesdays. Simple, comfortable and consistent.
They had fallen into that delicate and domestic routine, and it didn’t take long before he grew fond of that unaltered part of his new life. He enjoyed those moments to the point where he would sometimes catch himself growing excited for their weekly encounter and lose a couple of hours of sleep because of that.
Tuesdays had become really great days, for sure.
And as soon as he saw her smiling, small figure talking to an old lady, he realized they were about to have another good day just the two of them.
When her green eyes made contact with his mismatched ones, a brighter smile lit up on her face and it didn’t take long before she excused herself from what seemed to be just a civilian wanting to chat. Ever since he returned to Konoha, Sasuke realized the pinkette had become quite popular among the elderly, and it wasn’t unusual for them to greet her with a wrinkled smile whenever they saw her on the streets. She would always treat them nicely, he realized, and perhaps that was the reason why they all liked her so much.
She walked up to him, then, yawning deeply as her heels clicked across the hospital reception. Now that she was standing closer, his eyes could see that she seemed to be a bit tired, her eyelids looking too heavy as they threatened to cover her eyes completely. There were dark circles around her eyes, and her breathing pattern was calm and slow.
Apparently, someone had had a rough day.
“Hey there—” She started, but her words were cut by another yawn that escaped her lips. The back of her right hand went to cover her mouth, and she blinked twice before fully opening her eyes. “—Sasuke-kun.”
“You look tired.” He said, simply, his face unaltered.
She looked at him, lifting her brows in surprise. The pinkette was still not used to how straight-forward he was, but it didn’t take long before her lips curled up. “Is it that evident?”
“Aah.” He agreed. “The dark circles around your eyes are quite big.”
“Ugh.” She pouted, her small hands now touching her face. “I guess not even all that make up could hide them in the end.” She smiled weakly at that, her head tilting to the side.
“Bad day?”
“Not really. It’s just that I got home pretty late last night.” She started, and soon they were walking towards the exit of the building. She stretched her arms above her head, moving her shoulders in order to relax her muscles a bit. "That mission took a little longer than I had initially expected and I didn’t really have much time to sleep.”
“Oh, I see.” He nodded in understatement, remembering she had, indeed, talked about a mission Kakashi had selected her for. If he recalled it correctly, she had been sent to Amegakure so she could help the new governors establish a new health care system based on medical ninjas. It was something the Shinobi Alliance had decided to do together, and though it would cost her many days of going back and forth to the village hidden in the rain, Sakura seemed very excited about the outcome. “At what time did you get back?”
“I think it was around 2am or something like that… I just know Kakashi-sensei wasn’t there when I went to his office to report back.”
“2am?!” He sounded surprised, his brows arching at her words. No wonder why she looked that tired. “And at what time did your shift at the hospital started today?”
“My shift officially began at 7am, but I was already here by 6:30am. I had an important surgery scheduled so I came in earlier to prepare everything.”
His dark eyes grew wider now, and suddenly, he stopped walking. Sakura couldn’t really be serious at that moment. She was basically telling him that she had returned to the village from a long trip around 2 in the morning, and instead of taking at least the morning off, she was already up before 6am and operating at 7am.
Normal people shouldn’t push themselves that hard.
She had definitely spent way too much time alone with Naruto, he thought.
“You've barely slept, Sakura.”
“I know…” She said, yawning once more. “I'll get some sleep when I get home.”
“And at what time will that be?”
“It won’t take long. Probably around 7pm.” Her voice came out softly and an innocent tone lingered to it. Her eyes held no malice, and at that moment, he really thought she was even worse than the Dobe.
Maybe she had hit her it during the war or maybe it happened during her time spent training with her master, because there had to be something really wrong with that girl’s head. At that moment, she was barely being able to hold herself up, yawning every three seconds, and yet, there she was, all smiles on her face as she was ready to go out with him for lunch. Even knowing about that mission at least 1 week before she had to go, Sakura had decided that it would be okay to sign in for a 12h shift at the hospital the day after she got back. Couldn't she just haven been a decent person and allow herself to get some proper hours of sleep at least once?
Apparently, the answer was a big, irresponsible and tired no.
Perhaps, he wasn’t the only one who needed to have some sense knocked into him.
A couple of seconds went by until the pinkette finally realized the Uchiha had stopped in his tracks. She turned around, then, her heels also stopping, as her green eyes were now looking at him with a confused expression. She tilted her pink head to the left, her lips pressed in a thin line. “Why did you stop, Sasuke-kun?”
“Sakura…” He stopped talking, his mind still trying to think about his next words. He knew he had to be helpful without sounding rude, but he could feel an urge to call her annoying running through his veins. Even if he really hated the idea of ruining their little routine, the Uchiha knew better than to believe she didn’t have more pressing needs at that moment. “Do you still have a couch in your office?”
“Yes, I do. Why?”
“Hn.” He nodded, his hand now hiding inside the pocket of his dark pants. “Go back upstairs then and try to get some sleep. You still have most of your lunch break.”
“What?” Her eyes widened and she unconsciously approached him. At that moment, her confused expression melted into a childish pout, and he would be lying if he said that face didn’t make him feel a bit moved. “What about our lunch?”
“We can just reschedule. You need to get some rest if you want to last until 7pm.”
“This is ridiculous, Sasuke-kun. I’m fine. I’m a bit sleepy, sure, but I’m also hungry. Come on, it’s Tuesday…”
The way she was batting her eyelashes at him made his heart skip a beat. Even if her current appearance was affected by her lack of sleep, Sakura still held traces of the cute girl she has always been, and like before, it was still hard for him to say 'no' to her. She had always known how to be pretty convincing around him, and at that moment, even if he knew she could use a power nap— or any kind of nap, for the matter— it was still hard for him to simply give up on their lunch.
It felt selfish of him— futile, even, because, really, it was just lunch— but he really wanted to go out with her so they could spend some time together. They had a lot of catching up to do, and even if he would mostly just listen to her while she talked about something that had happened at the hospital or at her missions, it was always great to see her looking that happy.
After everything that had happened in the past 3 years, Sakura needed happy times in her life. Both of them did. And if their happy could be achieved by doing something so trivial as going out for lunch, then it was worth fighting for it.
However, if she could use that time in order to recover from a tiring mission, how could he deny her such thing?
“You really need to sleep, Sakura.” His voice came out firm and with no hesitation. His eyes were locked with hers, and there was no sign in him that indicated that he would back off from his decision. “It will be good for you if you can rest a little.”
“But—“
“No ‘but's. You look like you were hit by a boulder and we both know how distracted you get when you’re sleepy.”
Her lips parted at his statement, but no words came out from her mouth. Even if she wanted to answer him that she was fine and that she wasn’t really that sleepy, they both knew it would be useless. The Uchiha, if anything, is as stubborn as his blonde best friend, and at that moment, he wouldn’t simply be convinced by her white lies.
A soft smile crossed her lips, then, and she shyly looked down for a bit before her glance returned to his eyes. Her hands were now hiding behind her back, and she bit her lower lip before deciding to talk again. “I bet every girl would love to hear such delicate words regarding her looks.”
“Tch." He scoffed. “You know what I meant.”
“Yeah, I’m just messing with you.” She giggled, softly. “Are you sure it’s really okay?”
“It is, don’t worry. Try to get some sleep and I’ll go fetch you something to eat.”
“What?” She asked, confused, her sleepy head clearly not working well anymore.
“I'll go out and bring you some food. You weren’t really thinking about skipping lunch, were you, Sakura?”
“… Of course not.” She said, looking away from his judging stare. Sakura was clearly lying— or, at least, trying to— and if not for her need to sleep, he would’ve certainly scolded her for being that irresponsible.
Maybe next time, he thought.
“Hn, yeah, right…” He nodded, his eyes closing before he could start his way towards the exit. Their shoulders brushed as he walked past her, and though he knew she wanted to follow him, he was glad she didn’t. “I’ll be back soon with your food.”
“Fine.” She said, stretching the first syllable. “Next week lunch will be on me, then!”
“Aah.” He agreed, as he continued his way across the room.
“Oh, and Sasuke-kun!” She called his name, and immediately, he turned his head to look at her. She was smiling now, her arms crossed across her chest. “Don't forget to bring your food, too! We can still eat together in my office, right?”
The cheerfulness lingering in her voice made his chest feel warmer, and even though her eyes were surrendering to her exhaustion, she still looked quite happy to have found a way for them to be together for lunch. She was smiling softly at him, and even if he had initially planned on bringing her food and leaving her to rest, Sakura had just convinced him to stay. With her joyful features and her sleepy expression, she had just managed to save their beloved tradition.
It should be okay if he stayed for just a little, right? Just until she could finish her lunch, and then he would be gone. Yes, it would certainly be okay.
“I guess we can. I’ll meet you there.”
“Hai!” She said, and he began walking again. “I’ll leave the window open for you!"
At her words, his lips formed a soft smirk as he finally exited the hospital. Though she would normally tell both him and Naruto not to invade her office through the window, on that day, Sakura figured it would be easier like that. His ears captured the sound of her heels clicking as she turned back, and he just hoped she could get some sleep before he returned with their food.
It was going to be a different Tuesday, for sure, but he figured it should be okay as long as they could be together in the end.
–––––––––
Though there weren't many people in the small restaurant down the hospital street, Sasuke made sure to take his time before ordering so she could have some more sleeping time. With his eyes always checking the clock, the raven haired boy made sure to calculate a decent amount of time— given the circumstances, of course— for her to sleep and eat properly before going back to work.
For they have gone eating together multiple times already, he knew about her taste for vegetables and something lighter for lunch, choosing to order her the special salmon with a bittersweet sauce that was made of honey, rice vinegar and soy sauce. It was a very popular dish according to the guy who worked there, and he hoped she would like his choice.
The food inside the take-out bag was still hot by the time he reached the hospital, and he made sure not to waste a single moment before climbing up the walls to her office. His chakra-coated sandals helped him make his way up, and in no time, he was at her window, which had been left open for him. He was very careful while entering, making sure not to bump on any of her belongings. As always, her office was filled with piles of papers and medical books, and he wondered how she even managed to find anything in the middle of that mess.
Once he was completely inside, his eyes wasted no time before they could start their search for her, and quickly, they found her small and delicate figure still asleep on the couch. She was sleeping soundly, her shallow breaths escaping her slightly parted lips in a smooth rhythm. Her chest was going up and down in a slow rhythm, and if he had never seen her breaking large trees with her bare hands, Sasuke would even believe she was just a defenseless and powerless girl.
Sakura looked really peaceful like that, he thought, as he looked at her with softness in his eyes. She was so calm and tranquil, clearly too busy sleeping to even notice his sudden presence in the room. Back when they were younger and they had to camp outside during their missions, she would always wake up at the slightest noises, but at that moment, he doubted she would wake up unless he literally shook her awake.
She was really tired, for sure. She was all curled up on her couch, her head resting against a crumpled jacket that was serving as a pillow for the moment. Her pink locks were falling forward, covering the seal on her forehead, and there was a small pout decorating her rosy lips.
Though he has never been the most sensitive person out there, it was undeniable that Sakura looked incredibly cute. His eyes— even if he was probably unaware— looked at her affectionately, and suddenly, a mix of tenderness and empathy coursed through him, and he had to hold back the urge to move her pink locks from her soft face.
He didn’t want anything to disturb her at that moment. She deserved those minutes of pristine silence, and he would do everything he could in order to protect them. After seeing her like that, it didn’t take long for the Uchiha to decide not to wake her up to eat, choosing, instead, to leave her food there so she could eat it later that day.
The salmon would turn cold, sure, but he figured that she could heat it some other time.
A soft smile took over his lips, and slowly, he made his way towards the couch where she was sleeping. For it was a chilly afternoon, he took his dark coat off, covering her small body in order to keep her warm. The piece of fabric weighted over her small figure, and he watched as she tugged it closer to her with a comfortable expression on her face. After that, the Uchiha found a spot next to her, and since they had decided that they would eat together, he believed that it would be okay if he just ate his lunch there, by her side before it also turned cold.
Slowly and carefully not to wake her up, he fished his sandwich from the paper bag, taking a bite from it and allowing the tomato, the cheese and the basil to mix inside his mouth. The sandwich tasted very good, indeed. It was just a simple thing anyone could prepare, but it still tasted pretty special for him. His eyes would eventually drift from his lunch to her sleepy, little head; and even if her small breaths were the only sounds filling the room, Sasuke couldn’t simply find the words to describe how domestic and pure that whole thing felt.
It felt so casual and intimate, in a way he hadn’t felt in years. His heart skipped a beat at the thought, bringing a shy smile to his lips, and he mentally thanked her for bringing back that innocence to his life. As the months went by, he realized how much that girl alone could do for him— even when she was doing nothing more than sleeping by his side— and he wondered how many other things could she bring into his new life if he just allowed her to.
In a matter of weeks, Sakura had turned his Tuesdays into pleasurable days, and now, he wondered what else could she do were she to take care of the rest of his week.
A sigh escaped his lips, and quickly, he brushed that thought away. After a couple of minutes, he had finally finished his sandwich, satisfied with his pleasurable lunch, and slowly, he allowed his head to fall back a little so he could rest it against the couch. He closed his eyes, for an instance, solely paying attention to the sound of her breaths, lulling him into a moment of pure bliss.
His head was feeling lighter, his breath was matching hers, and suddenly, he felt an odd warmth against his leg. It caught him by surprise, at first, but it didn’t take long before his body grew used to that small contact between them. A feeling of calmness invaded his body at that moment, and soon, he emptied his mind from whatever bad thought could even dare disturb that moment. He felt his conscious slipping from his grip, then, knowing very well what would happen if he just let it go.
He was going to fall asleep, he knew. He was going to fall asleep on a couch by her side, and even if that would probably be something hard to explain once they both woke up, Sasuke couldn’t find it in himself to care.
It felt too good. It felt right and even if he had had a good night of sleep himself, he figured he could allow himself to rest for a bit.
It was just a nap after lunch, after all. Was it really such a bad idea?
No. At least not at that moment. Not on that odd, yet ordinary, Tuesday.
sasusaku month 2020
day 1 - stuck with you
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title: Behind Your Curtains
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summary: Feudal AU- She's the daughter of the Daimyou and he was design to be her personal guard. They had already accepted the obligations that came with their titles, but life had other plans for them.
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a/n: HAPPY SASUSAKU MONTH!! Ahh the best month of the year is finally here and not even the quarantine will ruin our party! I have a lot of nice things planned and I can't wait to see our tag flourishing! Well, enough of my rambling! I hope you enjoy this one (even though it's a little too long). I started this fic a couple of years ago and only now it felt right to continue! Let's see how it goes!!
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Rated: K+
sudare: are screens or blinds. They protect the inhabitants of the building not only from the elements, but also from the eyes of outsiders. In old tales, a court lady would conceal herself behind a screen when speaking with a man outside her immediate family. She could peep through it and see her interlocutor, but because he had to remain at a distance from it, he could not see her.
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They were all gathered at the main room of the Haruno palace when he first laid his dark eyes on her delicate silhouette.
__
Times were difficult in Konohagakure. Due to the new political scenario unwrapping around the village, both he and his older brother had been called that morning by the Daimyou so they could be designated to their new positions within royal guard. Itachi, the smartest, had been promoted as chief of the royal family’s personal guard and Sasuke, the fastest, was now only responsible for the princess’ safety. Those were very honourable positions and only the best warriors could be selected to be so close to the most important family of the Fire country, and if anything, both the Uchiha brothers knew their parents would be proud of them if were they still alive.
The three men in the room were now discussing new strategies regarding the newly acquired positions, and every now and then, Sasuke caught himself sparing quick glances at the princess who sat obediently next to her father. For she was the newest object of his protection, his objective mind couldn’t help but try his best to find out whatever detail he could in order to succeed in his newest mission. Even if she was hidden behind her sudare, it was possible to tell that the rumours that travelled around the village regarding her secret and royal beauty were, somehow, true. Her figure was small and delicate; and if anything, he carefully observed how her body remained still and collected during the entire meeting.
She is a princess, he thought. In the same way he was trained to fight and kill, she was trained to obey and endure long hours without doing as much as take a deep, noisy breath. She could wear the most precious jewels of the entire country, and her ceremonial clothes could’ve been made with the most expensive silks her father could afford, but still, he knew better than to believe her life was only filled with luxuries and royal pleasures.
No, life wasn’t easy for her, he knew. However, the hardships that came with her social status meant nothing to him. Even if he was now bound to stay by her side during long periods of the day, right now, Sasuke had no desire in offering her his condolences or expressing any of his feelings in front of her. He would carry no pity in his eyes whenever he looked at her, for she is still graced with many things normal people can’t even dream of.
In his eyes, the only feeling prevailing was his sense of responsibility. He is a proud warrior, and his mission within those walls was solely to keep her safe given the new rebellious rumours that had been growing around the village.
His sword is loyal to the Daimyou, and he certainly had no time to waste on the princess’ emotions.
Whenever he looked at her through those bamboo curtains, he wondered if she also understood her part in that whole scenario. Sasuke couldn’t tell whether or not she could see what he was doing— what he was thinking— every time his dark pearls drifted to her, but there was an odd feeling growing inside his chest whenever he looked at her. He could sense her own stare on him, and for some reason he couldn’t quite name, he could feel a mutual agreement talked through hidden glances.
She is the princess and he is the warrior that is supposed to protect her.
There was no logical reason to cross that line given their positions, and certainly, there was no desire to disrupt the balance created by the rules of their respective duties within the Fire country.
“I’m counting on you to keep my daughter safe.” The Daimyou said, his dull, green eyes set on his dark ones as he spoke with all the authority given by his title and all the concern of a father.
Sasuke nodded, bowing his head down in respect. He looked at the princess one more time, and was surprised to see her own silhouette bowing down to him, too. “Thank you for serving my father. From now on, I’ll be at your care.”
Her voice was soft and delicate, catching him completely by surprise. There were people who said the princess’ voice was as serene as the prettiest of the melodies, but if anything, Sasuke believed her voice to be ordinarily enjoyable. The sound felt comfortable in his ear, and judging by her father’s expression, her words meant more than a simple courtesy.
There wasn’t much he could tell about the princess yet, but he had a feeling that, soon, he would eventually learn more about the secrets she hides behind her curtains.
His eyes didn’t leave her, and cordially, he bowed down in respect.
xxxx
It didn’t take long for him to get used to the softness of her voice.
–––
By the end of their second week together, Sasuke had already memorized her— and consequently, his— schedule. They would meet every day after her breakfast, and right after that, the maids would take her to first of many lessons of the day. At first, he believed he would eventually end up seeing the princess’ mysterious face while she was lectured, but soon, he learned that his eyes would be denied of such privilege, for he would always stay outside of whatever room she was in. Even if he had tried to enter a couple of times, saying he was only following orders, there was this old, crinkled lady that would always stop him in his tracks, telling him that his eyes were not worthy of seeing the princess during the practice of her feminine arts, whatever that could possibly mean.
He tried to argue a couple of times, but in the end, his will didn’t prevail against that woman’s strictness. Eventually, the Uchiha settled for sitting outside the door with his guard up, blocking the passage of anyone who tried to interrupt the princess or cause her any harm. His so observant eyes were denied the secret image of the Daimyou’s daughter, however, due to the thin paper that sealed the walls, his ears captured every word that left her lips.
It was not like he had planned on listening to their conversation or anything like that, but that was the only thing left for him to make sure the princess was, indeed, safe. After a while, he realized that he was able to tell a lot about her simply based on the tone of her voice whenever she answered a question. The changes were barely perceptible, but for a skilful warrior such as himself, her real emotions were hidden within every word she pronounced. He knew when she was sad or when she was angry, but he couldn’t really tell when she was happy or excited. Such feelings were harder to detect, he realized, mostly because they seemed to be rare in her life.
The princess wasn’t happy. He had never seen her face, but he could bet his own sword that tears were more common on her face than a sincere smile. He had never heard her laughing, let alone giggling, and if he were to be honest, the only time he had actually heard her voice holding some positiveness was when she ended up correcting her instructor after the older woman had mistaken the kanjis. On that day, not even he could suppress the smirk that grew on his lips, for that woman certainly deserved to be countered after the many times she yelled at both of them for stupid things.
For a reason he couldn’t quite understand, though, the Uchiha was tired of listening to her mean words towards the princess. No matter how hard she seemed to try to follow the lessons, it was never enough.
That’s not how a princess must behave. You’ll never find yourself a husband if you keep up with such childish act. Your father would be ashamed of you.
Harsh words left those old, chapped lips every day, and if anything, the princess would always answer politely with a Forgive me, sensei or I’ll try harder next time. She didn’t deserve such things, but Sasuke figured he was not the one to judge. As a warrior, he had no idea of how she should actually behave or what abilities she was supposed to master. Her world was incredibly strange to him, who saw and heard things from a completely different point of view.
He couldn’t care less about things such as etiquette or the proper way of serving tea. Even if those were traits that probably impressed the royalty and the rich people, common men such as himself knew better than to believe women should be evaluated by the way they held a fan. Were the princess able to wield an axe or even heal the wounded, then he would certainly be impressed.
However, he knew he would never have any say in what the Daimyou’s daughter should do or know in order to be worthy of her title. He was nothing but a mere warrior whose more valuable possession was his sword.
His opinion didn’t belong to her world.
Still, he couldn’t help but take the side of the stranger he was destined to protect.
“We should stop here, ohime-sama. The lesson is over.” Her instructor said, no sign of empathy detected in her words.
“Hai.”
The sadness in her voice was the last thing he noticed before standing up and straightening his clothes. Her next lesson was about to begin, and unconsciously, he just hoped for her day to end already.
xxxx
The first time she actually called him by the name caught him off guard.
––
After the many complaints received by the Daimyou regarding his daughter’s lack of compromise during the lessons in the past few months, the concerned father allowed the princess to take some time to decide on what should be done about that. Her father, for what Sasuke could tell, has always been a decent man, whose number one priority was her well-being. Of course, he also understood the implications of her position and the importance behind every skill taught to her by the old women of the palace; and he knew how that would affect her future in a couple of years. More than anyone, perhaps, that poor man knew how important those lessons were, especially because those women would be able to teach her certain things that, as a man, he could never truly understand.
Sakura needed those women in her life, even if she couldn’t really see the reason why, for she needed that kind of guidance in order to blossom into the perfect princess they all want her to be.
She needed to be more feminine. Even a stoic warrior such as himself could understand that. So, imagine his surprise when, on a summer morning, the servants brought her small, bamboo prison to watch the morning practice of the royal guard.
“The princess is watching you, little brother.” Itachi started, a smirk on his face as they spared together. “You better not lose in front of her.”
“Tch. You say that as if knowing that would make any difference.”
“Oh, come on…” He dodged an attack, his long, tied hair dancing in the air. "You have to be at least excited with your job. You are protecting the princess of the Fire Country. All the others are jealous of you.”
“If you all care so much about the princess, maybe you should spend more time training in order to take my position.”
“Oh, so are you saying it wouldn’t matter if someone else took your position away from you?"
At his older brother’s words, his glance quickly shifted to the princess. Just like before, he couldn’t see her face, but he knew her eyes were on him, and for a reason he could not quite name, knowing those hidden orbs of hers were watching his moves ignited a certain confidence inside him. It was not like it gave him more strength or a new reason to beat his brother, but it certainly made him want to show more of his own world to the imprisoned princess.
Call it possessiveness or even an exaggerated sense of care, but deep inside, Sasuke didn’t want someone else doing his job. It wasn’t because he had grown fond of the princess or anything like that, but the delicacy of their situation had created an unspoken bond between the two of them. In the same way she understood his position, he also understood hers, and in silence, both of them created an intimacy neither of them ever believed to be possible. He was there for her when everyone else judged her, and she was there for him when the world seemed to be comparing him to his older brother.
It was hard to explain for it made no sense, but it was real, nonetheless.
So real that it made him unconsciously want to show her how strong he actually was. And even if he wasn’t truly aware of such will, that was exactly what he did.
In a matter of seconds, his attacks grew more precise and aggressive, catching his older brother by surprise. The impact created by their wooden swords created an echo that spread throughout the training grounds, making everyone stop to look at the them. Even with all those amazed eyes on them, Sasuke could only care about hers at that moment. His heart was beating faster, his muscles were perfectly responding to his commands, and for the first time, it became easy to detect Itachi’s own openings during his counter attacks.
He was going to beat his brother. He was going to win and show everyone he was the only one fit for his position by her side.
One, final and precise blow was the last thing that took him to defeat his brother. He didn’t really know how or when it happened, but soon, Itachi’s eyes were looking at him from the ground. There was a surprised look on his face, and dust stuck to his cheeks due to sweat. His wooden sword laid far from his grip, and when a smile crossed his brother’s face, Sasuke realized he had, indeed, won.
“You sure didn’t let the princes down, little brother.”
“Tch, stop with this nonsense. I didn’t know the sword had hit your head.”
A small wave of happiness took over the younger Uchiha. As he panted, a smirk crossed his lips before he used his free hand to brush away the strands of hair from his face. For the first time in what felt like years, he was the winner of their sparing session, and that felt oddly right considering the unexpected guest that had her royal eyes on him. The princess was there, still hidden behind her curtains, but her presence alone was strong enough to shift the entire atmosphere around them. Sparing in front of her made things more exciting, and even if he would never admit his selfish feelings out loud, having her there made him want to win like never before. She gave him a new sense of duty— a new sense of power— that was, at the same time, fierce and pure.
So, this is how it feels to fight for someone, he thought. So, this is how it feels to fight for the princess.
From that moment on, Sasuke understood the real meaning behind their silent bond. He would fight for her and she would watch over him. He would protect her and she would offer him a reason to win.
All of his victories now belonged to her in the same way her eyes and her attention now belonged to him.
With a new fulfilling sensation taking over his proud heart, Sasuke spared her a respectful glance before turning his attention back to his brother. He helped Itachi get back on his feet, ignoring whatever he was saying regarding his connection with the princess, as he took a deep, relaxing breath. There was a soft breeze brushing his face, and even if he was expecting more sneering words from his older sibling, Sasuke was surprised at the supportive squeeze of Itachi’s hand on his shoulder.
“You did really well, Sasuke. You’ve grown a lot.” He smiled, dropping his hand to his side and resting it on his hip. “Maybe I should take our training more seriously from now on.”
“Hn, maybe you should or else I’ll steal your spot, captain.”
The way that last word rolled out of his younger brother’s tongue made Itachi turn his attention back to the others around them. The warriors seemed to be dividing their attention between the siblings and the princess, clearly forgetting about their own sparing partners. For the moment, the training session seemed to have reached its end, as the warriors were only waiting for their captain’s words to make it official. And at last, that was exactly what he did.
“That’s it for today. Good job, everyone.” Itachi said, clapping his hands and looking around at his men. “Take a break now and start your own patrolling shifts. A-squad, you’ll take the front gate tonight and the others will surround the palace.”
“Hai" The dirty men said in unison, politely saluting their captain.
“Oh, and Sasuke…” He started, his voice now slower in somewhat of a mockery tone. “I believe the princess is waiting for you.”
All the men with swords, including his brother, started to walk away, heading out to their own dorms. In theory, Sasuke was supposed to follow them, but since the princess herself was mere feet away, the younger Uchiha decided to let her know he was only going to retrieve his sword before starting his real job.
Quickly, he crossed the training grounds and soon found himself bowing down in front of the princess’ sudare. Once again, he could feel her eyes on him, feeling proud of the first victory he had dedicated to her. Unlike her handmaidens that looked at him with shallow interest, he could feel that the princess herself was ecstatic to be there.
At least, that was what his heart was telling him.
“Good morning, Ohime-sama. I shall retrieve my sword before I can escort you to your next appointment.”
“The princess will be waiting for you.” One of the handmaidens spoke, catching him by surprise for he could swear the princess was about to answer him herself. He closed his eyes, then, and started to collect himself in order to walk away. Sasuke turned around, and when he was about to take his first step away from her, his ears captured the ordinary and comfortable sound of her voice.
“You were incredible today, Sasuke-san.”
The sound of his name rolling out of her tongue caught him by surprise, making him stop in his tracks. He knew he should just turn around and bow respectfully, but somewhere in the middle of his bewildered thoughts, the Uchiha forgot his manners. Once again, he turned to face her curtains, and apart from the surprised expression he wore, Sasuke couldn’t control his own mouth.
“Sasuke…san?” His lips were parted and there was a tender look on his eyes. He was confused, for sure, since he had no idea that she had memorized his name, but somehow, he also felt honoured.
“I-I… Forgive me for my manners.” She started rambling, clearly caught off guard by his words. “I took the liberty of calling you by your first name since both you and your brother are Uchiha and… Please, forgive me.”
Through the bamboo curtains, he could only see as she messily shook her hands as she spoke, and the clumsy way her words came out brought a soft smile to his lips. For the first time since he started working with the princess, Sasuke could tell she was feeling comfortable around him. She seemed to be happy and excited, and it was not like being called by his first name would be enough of a reason to demand a royal apology from her. If anything, being called like that by her felt quite nice.
“You don’t need my forgiveness, ohime-sama.”
“O-Of course I do. I—“
“Just Sasuke is fine.” He said, softly, making her stop in her tracks at the same time. He offered her a comforting expression, and waited for her to settle for their decision regarding his name.
“Hai. As you wish, Sasuke.”
A sudden, easeful sensation took over him, making his heart skip a beat at the sound of her soft voice. He bowed down his head once more, and with that light feeling surrounding them, the Uchiha finally made his way back towards his companions.
xxxxxxx
The first time he sees the colour of her hair, he understood the reason behind her name
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It was still early in the morning when his ears captured a ruckus that suddenly shook the great walls of the palace and scared the birds that were still comfortably asleep in their nests.
He had just finished his daily rounds and was on his way to meeting the princess when the pristine silence was broken by an exasperated and loud voice coming from the chamber where the princess was supposed to be meeting her tutors. By the time he reached the sealed doors, he could hear a certain commotion going on inside, and even if he was quick to identify that it was only that old woman’s cranky voice lecturing her again, the Uchiha couldn’t help but notice there was something odd going on in there.
“What did you do, ohime-sama!? This is not unacceptable! A disgrace! How could you!?”
His eyes widened in surprise at such harsh words, and he wondered what on earth could have happened. Though he sensed no imminent threat in her voice, he couldn’t help but feel his overprotective instincts taking over his body. His hands clenched, he bit his lower lip, his eyes held a glare and even if he had no idea of what the princess might have done, it only felt natural for him to take her side.
He wasn’t going to let that woman speak to her like that, no. No matter what might have driven such words towards the young girl, people shouldn’t be treated like that.
He took a deep breath, then, and quickly, he opened the door, his skilful eyes surveying the place. The princess was behind her curtains, scrolls were spread across the floor and the filthy woman stood right above them, an irritated demeanour taking over her features. She was mad— really mad— as her glaring eyes were still set on the princess.
“What is happening here?” He asked, the tone in his voice as stoic as ever. “Is the princess in trouble?”
Her head turned so she could face him, and the Uchiha couldn’t help but feel goose bumps running down his spine. “The princess is fine.” She stated, lifting her chin as if trying to recompose herself. “Or, perhaps, she has lost her mind completely."
“And what makes you think like that?”
“See for yourself! Or, even better, ask her since she seems to be having a string of arguments lately!” She said, and at that moment, Sasuke could tell she had lost it. Never before had he seen that woman losing her balance, but apparently, the princess had driven her to the limit. Still, he couldn’t find it in himself to neither judge nor blame her just yet.
“Whatever might have happened, there’s no excuse for the way you’ve spoken to the princess.”
“You're but a simple warrior, raised to fight. Who do you think you are to speak to me about manners?”
“I am a subordinate of the royal family, just like you. I am making sure no one speaks ill of the ohime-same, therefore, be sure I’ll inform the king about your words.”
“You little—” Her face grew madder at his words, and if she didn’t hate him before, she certainly did now. “Don't waste your precious time. I will go inform the king myself and I will tell him to find his precious daughter a new tutor. I hope the next one can make a real woman out of this child before she embarrasses the whole country. Before she—”
“I will not tolerate another word against the princess.” His voice came out strong and without hesitance, cutting the older woman before she had the chance to conclude her speech. His eyes were intensely glaring at her as he held eye contact, but she didn’t seem intimidated by his imposing presence.
“You should know your place. Just a lowlife who’ll never—“
“That’s enough!” Her voice— usually so soft and polite— sounded mature and powerful as it echoed across the big chamber. Two hearts were caught by surprise and eyes widened as all the attentions were now set on the girl behind the curtains. “Not another word about my protector. Leave, at once.”
A deafening silence took over the room after her words, and his heart skipped a beat. The princess made herself heard, and for the first time, she had decided not to stay silent and simply accept such harsh words. Sakura was not going to just listen as she said those words about him, and even if he was more than capable of defending himself against a woman, it felt good to see her fighting for both of them.
She was standing her ground, like a princess should. She should be proud of herself.
A scoff left the older woman's lips before she looked away from the Uchiha, finally deciding to leave the room. Her heels clicked across the floor as she made her way out, and even if he didn’t turn to see her leaving, the door loudly shutting behind them indicated she was gone. They were both left alone in a large chamber, and even if it was normally considered to be an inappropriate situation for a princess, neither of them could deny that the atmosphere felt lighter than ever before.
There was no telling what kind of consequences her actions would have, and chances were her father would scold her for driving that woman away, but the warrior figured that was not the right time to worry about that. His brother has always told him to be proud of his choices, and even if he couldn’t see her face, something told him she was aware of that.
The raven-haired warrior, then, took a deep breath and took a few steps until he was standing closer to her, just next to the scattered scrolls. He still didn’t know what had started that whole thing, but he figured it was none of his business and decided that gathering those things would, at least, help them move forward with their day.
He kneeled down on the ground, his hands carefully took the scrolls. For what he could see, they were all about medicine and medicinal herbs, and he thought that, maybe, that was one of the reasons why that old lady was so mad. Based on all the times he had heard her scolding during their classes, the Uchiha could imagine she didn’t like seeing the princess reading about such things. Women don’t need to know about those things, she probably said, and it was as if he could hear her voice saying such things while taking them away from the young girl. She should be allowed to read whatever she wanted to without being scolded, and if anything, he believed everyone should know a thing or two about herbs and medicine.
Life is really unpredictable, he knew, and he believed she knew it, too.
There was nothing wrong about learning new things and—
His eyes widened once he reached out for the last scroll and saw all that hair on the floor. The colour tinging that long, pink ponytail resembled the Daimyou, but it was prettier and more filled with life—probably due to years of brushing and soaking it in bath oils. It reminded him of the cherry blossoms that flourish on the spring, and perhaps, that was the reason behind her name. Apparently, it had been cut by a clean blade, and now, well, he thought he really understood what went on between those two.
A princess with short hair and peculiar interests. Such an unusual girl, he thought, a soft expression taking over his face.
“Sasuke-san…” She started, making him shift his attention. His eyes were now on her silhouette, and even if it was hard to see, he couldn’t help but imagine those pastel-pink strands now falling just above her shoulders. “Thank you for those words. I’m sorry you had to witness that.”
“Hn, it was not your fault, Ohime-sama.” He finally took all the scrolls, standing up so he could assume his position next to her sudare. “I should be thanking you, as well, for defending me.”
“Oh, save your modesty. We both know she wouldn’t stand a chance against your sword.”
“Your majesty is probably right.” His lips lifted upwards at her words. Judging by the tone of her voice, her heart didn’t seem troubled anymore, and such thing also brought him some unexpected peace. He placed the scrolls in front of her, so she could retrieve her belongings. “Also, if I may intrude, I think short hair is more practical for a princess.”
A warming silence spread around the room, as she slowly took the scrolls with her tiny, delicate hands. Since she was clearly not having any more classes any moment soon, he figured she could resume her reading while they continued sharing that comfortable moment. “Thank you, Sasuke-san.”
xxxxx
The first time he heard her laugh made him realize she was no longer that princess he had met 5 months before.
–––
After spending so much time following her routine, it was inevitable for the Uchiha to feel bothered by certain obligations forced on her by of her position. At first, he had decided that nothing could be worse than the hours spent on marital lessons, but now, he realized that enduring actual marriage proposals were a lot worse than that.
Whenever the Daimyou received an offer from one of his allied landlords to marry their children, the promised finance ended up traveling all the way to the palace so the princess could somehow interview the candidate. They would spend hours listening to the first-born-sons of whatever land they came from, as they would talk unstoppably about how much of a great candidate they were. They would brag about their lineage, their conquers; and more importantly, they would brag about how much money and gold they could offer her if she accepted the proposal.
Not once had the Uchiha heard any of them actually asking things about the princess. They didn’t seem to care about her interest or her qualities, focusing only on trying to buy her with their fathers’ fortune. It disgusted him to listen to all futility, especially when it came from a person who had the power and position to make her happy. Those men had the chance and the status to actually offer her some company worthy of a princess, and they could show her a life different from the one she has at the palace.
They could give her a reason to smile and be free— or as free as a princess could be.
But they were no good. None of them could actually understand the woman she is, and because of that, Sasuke knew she would probably grow even sadder were she to marry any of them.
Those men were all useless.
And he saw no good reason to believe the newest candidate that had arrived from the Wind country would be any different.
His hair was dark brown, his eyes were blue and he had spent the last hour or so bragging about his ability to hunt desert frogs. The Uchiha believed he had explained anything interesting about the animals at the beginning of their conversation, but in the end, he had just resumed to talking about himself.
What a waste of time, Sasuke thought. Just another noble and egocentric man. The Uchiha would love to see his reaction when he eventually realized the princess was probably more interested on the frog than in him.
Perhaps they should’ve just sent her the rare creature instead.
“Oh, but enough talking about me!” He said, though neither Sasuke nor the princess believed he was, indeed, tired of talking about himself. “I’ve also brought you a gift, Ohime-sama!” The man stated, looking at his servant that was holding a small chest. The other man approached them, offering the said chest so his master could take it.
The Uchiha’s dark eyes followed the chest, his instincts now telling him to keep his guard up in case that gift could offer the princess any harm. He took a step forward, then, making sure that his presence served as a warning to their visitants.
“Worry not, my dearest guard. I mean no harm to your princess, believe me. My gift is but a mere plant that grows in my country.” The man said, opening the chest to revel, indeed, a small, green plant. Her leaves were incredibly thin and pointy, her veins drawing a peculiar pattern the Uchiha just happened to know quite well. During his missions, many times has he seen those leaves, and many times has he seen some fools touching them and suffering the consequences.
That plant was an urtiga. And though it seemed harmless, there was no way he was going to let the princess anywhere near that thing.
“This is a very rare medicinal plant from my country, Ohime-sama. I’ve brought it to you as a proof of my feelings. This plant is said to cure the wounded and it does wonders to the skin! I myself can’t spend a day without them in my bath!”
That fool had absolutely no idea of what he was talking about. He was obviously lying as if to try to impress her, and at that moment, he just feared the princess was actually believing that nonsense. The urtiga wasn’t an uncommon plant outdoors, but for someone who’s spent her entire life surrounded by walls, maybe it was quite easy to believe such lie.
Maybe she would actually be fooled by that man and be charmed by the idea of a plant with such miraculous properties. Maybe she would even accept—
"What a delightful plant you’ve brought me, Ōji-sama.” She started, and for the first time, her voice actually seemed thrilled about something. “I've heard stories about this plant a couple of times by my tutors, but I had never really seen them with my own eyes. I thank you for that.”
“There is no need to thank me, Ohime-sama. This is just one of the many wonders of my land that I would love to show you, were you to accept my proposal.”
“How extremely kind of you. I’m certain your land has many wonders like this, but for now, let’s focus on this plant. What’s the name of it?”
“The name?” He repeated, caught off guard by her sudden interest. At that moment, the Uchiha couldn’t quite understand her intentions anymore, and he could feel his curiosity growing on him.
“Oh, yes. Such a wonderful plant must have a name, I presume.”
“Yes! A name! It’s called… Uhm… Divine Branch, right?!” He looked at his servant, and the other man barely managed to nod in agreement. "Yes, this is the name. Divine Branch”
“… Such a wonderful name for such a wonderful plant.” She said, her voice soft as silk. There was a mix of bewilderment and joy, and if he didn’t know any better, Sasuke would have believed that voice to be mirroring her feelings. After spending months by her side, he unconsciously knew how read her emotions through her voice, and at that moment, he knew she wasn’t been honest with that foolish prince.
Those emotions were untrue, he was sure. She was faking them elegantly, and he almost fell for her lie. Almost.
The princess knew about the plant. She knew he was lying, but instead of exposing him, she had decided to mock that man who believed her to be yet another naive girl.
That poor man, he thought, suppressing a smirk that tried to make its way to his lips. He really had no idea of what that girl was capable of.
“Yes, it is, indeed! And now I’m giving it to—“
“Oh, but please, before you give it to me, would you mind showing me how to use it?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Don't be so modest, Ōji-sama! It’s just us, here. Please, show me how to apply it on the skin.”
“D-Do you… Do you want me to rub it on my skin?”
“Yes, of course. You’ve ignited my curiosity now. I want to see the effects of such miraculous plant with my own eyes. Unless there’s a problem with that, of course.”
“Ōji-sama, I don’t think—“ His servant started, but the prince didn’t listen, determinedly reaching out for the plant with his bare hand. Then, he lifted his sleeve, rubbing the plant up and down his arm. His servant’s face showed a mix of horror and concern, and the prince, being fully aware of what he had just done, did his best to maintain a straight face.
“T-This is how the plant must be used, Ohime-sama.” He started, then, his arm growing redder. “Just rub it and wait for its miraculous effects.”
“O-Oh… I see.” She started, and Sasuke could swear she had just suppressed a laughter. “And this redness is normal, I presume?”
“Well, indeed.” He said, his voice crackling as he began scratching the red area. “Y-You may also feel a bit itchy, but it’s also normal.”
“How wonderful, indeed.” She started. “Thank you for showing me such wonderful plant. I shall try it myself one day.”
“Y-You really should, O-Ohime-sama.”
The young prince tried to be short with words as he scratched his arm more vigorously. His expression seemed very troubled and his now red arm seemed to be growing as red as a tomato. The Uchiha has never seen that plant causing anything other than an immense discomfort, so they figured there was no real danger to the foolish prince.
He was certainly going to learn his lesson. In the worst possible way.
“You seem troubled, Ōji-sama.” She asked, knowing very well what was happening to him. “Is there anything wrong?"
“Ohime-sama, if you’ll excuse me, I believe I need to be going now.” He said, quickly standing up, trembling as he held himself not to scratch himself like a stray dog with fleas. "I’m afraid we’re going to settle our matters in another occasion."
“Certainly. I wish you a safe trip back home, then. And thank you for showing me how to use the… Divine Branch.”
“I-It was my pleasure. Excuse me.”
After clumsily bowing down his head, the man rushed out of the room, his servant running after him so they could try to help him somehow. The large doors were closed once they were out, and as soon as they were out of their sights, the Uchiha allowed himself to relax. There was a sly smile on his face, now, and were he not by her side, he would be laughing out loud at that moment.
He couldn’t lose his composure in front of her, no. However, as the princess, she couldn’t seem to care about that at that moment.
The silence of the room was ruined by a wave of laughter that escaped her lips. It was silly and pure laughter— much similar to a child— and it was undeniable that she was having a great time. The was probably the best reaction he had ever seen from her, and at that moment, he just wished to hear her laughing more often. She had been a great actress during the whole thing, and right now, she just couldn’t hold back the satisfaction of a well-done job.
“I can’t believe he actually rubbed the urtiga all over his arm!” She said, still laughing to her heart’s content. “Divine Branch!? What did he take me for? That fool!”
“Your majesty!” Her handmaiden said, surprised to actually see such reaction coming from her.
“Oh, please, every person in the room knew what that plant was.”
“Still, this is no way for a princess to behave. I shall inform your father immediately.”
The maid spoke, firmly, quickly leaving the room so she could go inform the Daimyou of what had happened. That woman was supposed to have stayed by the princess’ side, and yet, she was just another one who didn’t really care about the young girl.
How sad, the Uchiha thought. Such a woman with no sense of loyalty to her princess. He just hoped the princess wouldn’t let those words discourage her laughter.
“Tch.” The princess sighed, taking a deep breath and recomposing herself. Silence took over the room for a couple of seconds, until she decided to speak once more. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone rubbing an urtiga so vigorously against their skin. He’s going to keep scratching for at least two days, don’t you think, Sasuke-san?”
“At least three, your Majesty.”
“Yeah… I believe he won’t forget me anytime soon.”
“Certainly not, your Majesty.”
“And my father will also be quite mad, too.” She said, but her voice was still filled with joy.
“I'm afraid he will.”
“Did you think it was too much? Be honest with me.”
“If I may, Ohime-sama… I don’t think you should worry about of anything that has happened in this room. You were simply curious about the Divine Branch. We all were, so I believe your majesty was great today.”
Another silence took over the room, and though he couldn’t see, he knew she was smiling. She shouldn’t blame herself for making a fool of that man, especially when he was the one trying to impress her with that lie.
She really was great that day.
She had played the prince’s own game and won in all the best ways possible. He didn’t even know what hit him, but the princess—oh— she knew exactly what she was doing. Her father would be furious once he heard about what she had done in order to get rid of yet another suitor, but it had certainly been a pretty fantastic trick.
Fantastic enough to make her laugh.
xxxxx
The first time he saw her tears, he knew he could never let her go.
––
And though the rumours had stopped and peace seemed to have prevailed, the castle was soon attacked.
It happened at night, when most people were asleep and no one was expecting an attack. Over 300 men carrying swords and spears invaded through the gates, killing everyone that stood between them and the Daimyou. Royal guards were down, maids were slaughtered, and in the middle of that bloody mess, the rebels set the palace on fire. Screams composed a symphony of despair, and at that moment, both of the Uchiha brothers knew what they had to do.
They had to save the royal family. While the rest of the guards took care of the masses, they had to take the king and his daughter out before it was too late. They were asleep in their rooms when they heard the commotion, and they had barely any time to say goodbye before heading out and mixing themselves amongst those warriors. Itachi went after the Daimyou and Sasuke went after the princess, and even if they had been together for a long time, eventually, the two brothers were separated.
Each of them had their own orders to follow. Each of them was bound to their own person. And though they didn’t want to part, the Uchiha brothers knew what they had to do.
In order to reach the princess’ chambers, Sasuke had to fight his way through a lot of men that were trying to kill him. He swung his sword, landing precise hits and dirtying himself with the blood of his enemies. Eventually, he got cut on the arm by a spear that came from behind, but thankfully, it was really just a scratch. He kicked that man backwards before stabbing his stomach, trying his best not to take too long to reach her.
He had to be fast. At that moment, when the moon seemed to be tinged by the blood of innocent people, he could just hope for her to be alive. She still had her whole life ahead of hers, and the gods would be unfair if they allowed her to die before even living. There were still scrolls she had to read, stories she had to tell and places she had to meet.
No, the princess could not die that night. He wasn’t going to allow that.
His tired feet had finally arrived at the corridor that lead to her room, and much to his apprehensive heart, there was an assassin trying to force his way inside. Though the door seemed to be holding up for now, Sasuke knew it would be just a matter of time before that man could get to the princess. His bloodshot eyes were seeking to spill her blood with his blade, and he knew there would be no stopping that man without taking away his life.
A man who’s driven by hatred will stop for nothing, his brother would say, and at that moment, Sasuke really understood the meaning behind those words.
“Open the door, princess! It useless to run away! Come outside and take responsibility for all the things your father has done to us!”
“Stand back from this door!” The Uchiha screamed, right before storming towards the bandit. It didn't take long before they engaged in a sword fight, and though he was not as fast as his brother, it was undeniable that his opponent knew what he was doing.
Their blades clashed multiple times, and even if the enemy was trying to distract him by badmouthing the royal family, Sasuke gave him no ears. Both the Daimyou and the princess were good people, and whatever it was that those bandits were trying to obtain, murdering a father and his daughter was not going to get them anywhere.
They weren’t going to get what they wanted. He was not going to let them.
In a swift move, then, the Uchiha purposefully offered his enemy an opening, and when that dirty man decided to take advantage of that and pierce his left arm, Sasuke took the opportunity and stabbed him in the heart. His left arm was bleeding now and it certainly hurt, but at that moment, as his enemy fell onto the ground, he knew there was no time to worry about himself.
He had to save the princess. He had to get her out of there.
“Ohim-sama, open the door! I need to get you somewhere safe!” He said, banging against the door, his teeth gritted in pain.
“Sasuke-san!?” Her voice sounded exasperated, and at that moment, he was glad to know she recognized his voice.
“It's me. Hurry, you’re not safe here!”
In a blink of an eye, the door was opened, and even if he had expected things not to be as calm and serene as they usually are, he couldn’t help. but be taken aback by the sight of her.
The princess was right there, standing in front of him, and for the first time, there were no curtains hiding her features. His dark eyes widened at the scene, and though he had many times wondered how she looked like, not even in his sweetest dreams would he have pictured such a beautiful woman.
At last, he saw her face.
Her skin was pale and delicate like porcelain, her short hair covered her ears, and her eyes— her emerald-green eyes that have observed him so many times— though clouded by tears, were probably the prettiest things he had ever seen in his life. They shone brighter than her father’s and it was as if they were incapable of holding any secret behind them. They clashed against his dark orbs, looking relieved and scared at the same time.
They were begging him for help. And he would gladly risk his life for those eyes.
“Sasuke-san! Y-You’re bleeding!” She said, immediately reaching out to inspect his arm. Her touch was warm and soft, and even if his arm was sensitive, her touch didn’t hurt him.
“Don't worry about me, Ohime-sama. We need to get you out of here.”
“What about my father? What about your brother and the others?”
“My brother went after the Daimyou. You are my priority now.”
“But if you come with me, they will go after you, too! Sasuke-san, get out of here!”
“What are you talking about, Ohime-sam—“
“Stop calling me that!” She screamed, leaving him speechless. “If my father’s lucky, his title as the Daimyou will be the only thing he’ll lose! I’m not a princess anymore and you are no longer a royal guard! You’re free!”
As she spoke those words, his eyes could see the way her hands were trembling. The young girl was scared— of course she was— and yet, she was doing her best to protect him. She knew he would have better chances if he didn’t have to protect her, and if that meant he could live or just focus on helping his brother, then she wouldn’t mind staying behind. Sakura was looking after him, like a princess looks after her people. If not for that rebellion, perhaps, she would’ve become a terrific leader.
“Sakura.” He said, firmly, his eyes looking directly into hers. She was certainly caught by surprise by the way her name had rolled out of his tongue, and her green eyes widened at that. “I'm not leaving you behind.”
“B-But why? I’ve told you that I’m not—“
“It doesn’t matter. Even if you’re no longer a princess, I want to save you. So, please, come with me, Sakura.”
His eyes were still on her as he spoke those words, and he reached out with his right hand so she could take it. At that moment, the world she knew was turning into ashes and the people she knew were losing their lives. The former princess was about to begin a new life and he was the only one who would be by her side. They have gone a long way together already, and as she took his hand, they both realized that they still had a long way to go.
Together. The former princess and her former guard.
As they escaped through the narrow corridors of the burning palace, they were leaving behind everything they knew. A new life was about to begin and they didn’t know if her father and his brother would be able to join them one day.
summary: Modern AU - it’s a lonely, Sunday night and Sakura doesn’t want to spend it alone with her memories.
a/n: I suck at summaries hahaha okay, I LOVED writing this one! I had this idea a while ago when I was listening to an old song and I just had to use that feeling of two lovers in the night with SasuSaku. I’m not sure if it worked the way it was meant to, but I’m happy with the result! I hope you guys enjoy this one, and I also hope you forgive me for my mistakes. My beta is still busy, so all the typos and grammar mistakes are on me. Have fun!
Rated T
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Though Sakura has always considered herself to possesse a wild imagination, her 13-year-old self would’ve never pictured she would eventually grow up to become a regular costumer at the nearby pub. In fact, being the goody two-shoes she used to be, her younger self would’ve laughed at whoever said anything that stupid about the brilliant future that certainly awaited for her.
First, I will graduate high school with the best scores, then I will be a famous doctor. I’ll stay away from any addictions and I’ll marry a wonderful guy so we can have two, wonderful kids before I turn thirty!
She would answer that whenever someone asked her about what she wanted to be when she grew up, and there would be no doubt lingering in her voice regarding it. Sakura had everything planed for herself, and anything slightly different from that scenario would be unacceptable.
Poor, little girl, she thinks now, taking a sip of her double scotch. There’s a smirk decorating her lips as she places the glass back on the wooden counter, and she closes her eyes as the liquor slips down her throat.
It doesn’t burn anymore. Hasn’t burned in ages, in fact. The alcohol now is no stranger to her body, but unfortunately, it’s not as effective as it used to be when she first started coming to this place. She rarely gets drunk anymore, needing many doses to make her pass out, but she doesn’t know if that’s something that a small-town girl should be proud of.
Her life was supposed to have been different. Maybe not exactly like the one she had pictured, but she should’ve been able to do more after she actually managed to become a doctor and work at a prestigious hospital. She believes she has become a successful woman— a strong one, as some of her young patients usually call her— but that alone isn’t enough to protect her from a lonely night.
If it were, perhaps, she wouldn’t be all alone in a pub, drinking her problems away and talking to her only friend in the city, Uchiha Sasuke— the pub-owner.
Tonight, since most of his employees are off duty, he is the one serving his clients their drinks, and right now, he is giving another dose of whiskey to the old man sitting some benches away from her. Her green eyes carefully observe him from her seat as he slowly pours another dose while telling him that, maybe, he’s had enough for the night. There aren't many people drinking on this Sunday night— 4, including her, all of them men around their fifties— and she couldn’t help but feel a bit greedy.
Maybe it’s the alcohol or maybe it’s the night itself, but Sakura doesn’t want to share him tonight. She enjoys his company more than she cares to admit, and seeing him so far away makes her rosy lips turn into a pout. He’s the reason why she keeps coming back to this place, and he’s also the only person who makes her feel less shitty about herself— and that says a lot.
At first, the pinkette thought it was just the way he treated all the other costumers, but slowly, she realized that was not the case. He’s a cordial man to everyone, at most, but it’s become easy for her to tell that he actually likes her. He is always sincere whenever he asks her about her day, and more than once has he closed the pub earlier so they could have a drink or two while sharing a pizza. They talk about a lot of things, and she simply loves to hear the weird stories about some weird costumers and their weird stories.
Whenever she hears about these people, a part of her just hopes she’s not just another weird story in his repertoire.
Ever since she arrived in the city and destiny brought them together, he has been there for her, giving her tips on the urban life and even telling her which restaurants she should order food from whenever she didn’t feel like cooking. Eventually, they discovered that they have a lot of similar interests, such as mystery books, horror movies and old, American songs— the kind that would always start playing whenever she came by— and it’s undeniable that they feel comfortable enough around each other to share some personal memories, too.
In the same way he knows about her life before she ended up where she is, Sakura knows about his family. Knows that he has lost them in an accident over 10 years ago, and that he gave up on his layer carrier after that. She also knows about the fan tattoo he has on his right forearm and that he has a snake named Aoda in his small apartment.
He’s a very interesting guy, indeed. He holds an unique and mysterious charm behind his obsidian eyes and stoic features, and even after years of coming and going, the pinkette still feels herself being drawn to him.
How intriguing, she thinks, propping her elbow on the counter. Unconsciously, she rests her chin on the palm of her right hand, squinting her eyes a bit as she continues to stare at him. She notices that he slightly turns his head to spare her a side glance, and instead of looking away when their eyes meet, Sakura holds his stare for a couple of seconds too long until, eventually, he has to break contact in order to pay attention to his other costumer. There’s a sly smirk decorating her face now, and she also notices the way his lips twitch upward.
This is something they do on regular basis, now. She didn’t really notice it, at first, but eventually, Sakura realized that it’s not unusual for their eyes to meet whenever he’s serving another person. It used to be shy and unconscious, but after a while, she started doing it on purpose, just to see what his reaction would be.
It’s a bold move of hers— or, at least, she thinks it is. An unspoken challenge between their eyes, as they tease and expose each other with every exchanged glance. It’s an amusing and harmless flirt, and though they have no idea of how to beat this ruleless game, neither of them seem to be in a hurry to end it or anything like that.
However, losing this game doesn’t seem to be that bad.
Once he finally manages to walk away from the older guy, the Uchiha doesn’t waste his chance to come to her. His steps are slow, but soon, he’s standing across the counter from her. The warm lights that illuminate the bottles behind him highlight his handsome features, and she knows she could just stare at him for hours without stopping.
“Having fun with your other costumers, Sasuke-kun?” She asks, her eyes now holding a joyful gleam.
“You can say so.” He says, simply, organizing some of the glasses and bottles near his reach. “In fact, he’s curious about you.”
“Me?” She furrows her brows.
“Aah. He doesn’t understand what a pretty girl is doing all by herself in a place like this.”
“Well…” She starts, the tip of her tongue smoothing her lower lip. Sakura loves hearing that question whenever she comes by, especially since she doesn’t know the answer herself. Every time, she makes a new excuse and creates a different lie, just to see how people would react to her crazy stories. Tonight, though, she doesn’t really feel very creative. “Tell him it’s just a lonely night playing its tricks.”
“…I see.” He nods, knowing better not to press on her matters. Though he has heard her problems many times before, Sasuke has learned that, on some nights, nothing really can be done. He knows when she needs space and when she needs a shoulder to cry on, and right now, it’s clear that it’s the former. “He's been ordering the same as you, but I don’t think he will be able to stand for too long.”
“It takes years of practice to reach my level, right?”
“Years, right?” His lips curl up slightly at her words, probably remembering the girl she used to be when they first met. On that day, she had ordered a diet coke, and she made him swear at least three times there was no drop of alcohol in her glass before she took a sip. And even if nowadays there are times when she really just comes for her diet coke, she knows he’s a man worthy of her trust.
“Yeah.” She giggles, then, taking the last sip of her drink. “Tell him that befriending the pub-owner does that to you.”
“Oh, so now this is on me?”
“Of course. If you weren’t such a nice guy, perhaps, I wouldn’t be here tonight.”
“Hn.” He closed his eyes, pouring some more in her glass. Though she didn’t really use words to ask him, he already knows how to read her unspoken wishes. “I'm glad I’m a nice guy, then.”
“Very nice, indeed.”
She takes another sip of her new drink, and allows her mind to drift back to the moments they shared. Though she really believes him to be a nice guy, Sakura can’t help but feel a certain heat pooling in her stomach because of the times when he wasn't really that nice.
Her eyes land on his hands— so strong and firm— and she remembers how warm they feel against her bare skin. The way his muscles tense at her touch and the marks he leaves on her hips whenever he pins her against a wall are signs of his hidden roughness, and she bites her lower lip at the memory of his kisses trailing down her neck.
Though that black shirt might make him look composed and recollected, she knows better than to believe that professional facade of his. His intense stare and his dark locks hide more than anyone can tell, and she likes to believe this is their little secret.
It has happened a few times already and even if they say they can’t keep doing this forever, it’s a lot easier said than done. They share a deep connection neither of them really understand, and from time to time, their souls seek for a certain comfort that they can only find within each other.
It’s more than just physical need, they know. It’s more than raging hormones and alcohol, for there’s an intimacy neither of them had counted on when they first started their rendezvous. They’re already past that one-night-stand thing, but to say it’s something more—well, perhaps she’s still too sober to dwell into this.
“You're oddly quiet tonight.” He says, breaking her from her thoughts.
A soft smiles crosses her lips as her fingers start playing with the brim of her glass. She looks down, at first, then her eyes return to him. “I guess I don’t know what to talk about.”
“Anything is fine, I suppose.”
“Uhmm…” She hums, trying to think about what to say. “I guess it would be easier if I was like the others that come here with marriage problems or because they got fired.”
“But you’re not like them, Sakura.” He states, his dark eyes intensely staring at her. Her heart starts pounding faster in her chest, the air feeling too heavy inside her lungs. She feels defenseless under his stare, as if he is stripping her of her good senses, and although she really came by just for a couple of drinks and a nice talk, something inside her urges for more. His sincere concern is probably his most charming feature, and he knows exactly when to use it against her.
Damn it, she really hates him for that.
“Well...” She starts, a teasing smile on her lips. “You would probably know exactly what to tell me, right?"
“It depends a lot, to be honest.”
“How so?”
“If the problem had anything to do with your job, I would probably just tell you to try again since this is the main reason why you came to the city in the first place. Your job is important to you, and even if you complain about it every now and then, we both know you love what you do.”
“This is a very good advice, indeed. Very professional.” She giggles, tilting her head to the side. “And what if it was about marriage problems?”
“In that case, I don’t think I would be able to give you a real advice on that.” He starts, looking around, as if he is checking his surroundings. She can tell he’s mostly messing around, but by the time he leans towards her, she doesn’t miss the way his eyes grow a bit darker. Their faces are bare inches apart, and the smell of his cologne invades her nostrils as he whispers to her. “I don’t think I would be able to remain impartial.”
Her eyes drift to his lips for a second, and it’s as if she can feel his warmth irradiating towards her body. Sakura is very aware that he’s teasing her, and even if she would normally be a bit more cautious with her words around him, right now, she doesn’t really seem to care about extending their little game for the night. “I guess I would be talking to the problem himself, right?”
A smirk grows on his face at her words, and slowly, he returns to his previous position. He’s towering over her now, only the wooden counter standing between their bodies. They don’t move for a couple of seconds, their lustful eyes still too busy flirting with each other to even pay attention to the world around them. And if not for his other costumer calling his name, they would’ve remained like that for who knows how long.
Once their eye contact is broken, she looks down at her drink once more, her lips still holding the memory of a smirk. Seeing how bothered his face seems right now is incredibly amusing, and for that, she decides to forgive that man for interrupting them.
He just wanted his drink, after all.
“Someone’s calling you, mister barman.”
“Tch.” He scoffs. “Don't go anywhere. I’ll be right back”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll be right here with my drink.” She starts, her eyes now sparing his other costumer a side-glance. “But I don’t think our pal over there is gonna last that much longer.”
Sighing defeatedly, the raven haired boy makes his way towards the other guy. He’s speaking louder now, his words coming out with no connection between them. For what she could understand, he was trying to say anything about being an excellent drinker, and that he could drink more than everyone in that pub. He seems completely sure about that, but to no one’s surprise, it doesn’t take long before his head falls face-first on the counter top. At first, both Sasuke and her worry that he might have stopped breathing, but as soon as the Uchiha confirms that the man is just asleep, she relaxes again. Apparently, instead of an ambulance, they believe calling a cab should be just fine.
Her eyes are still looking at Sasuke from afar as he ponders his next options with his sleeping costumer. Judging by his face, the Uchiha seems troubled, and this is enough to make her laugh. It’s an honest laugh, she knows, and she realizes she hasn’t laughed like that for a while now. She rests her head on her left hand this time, and allows herself to appreciate that rare moment of joy in such an awful night.
When she left home that evening, the pinkette could’ve never imagined she would actually be able to laugh at a drunk man, and she believes she has to thank Sasuke for that. Though she knows her problems are still lingering in her mind, haunting her for even daring to show signs of happiness, Sakura is not a woman who willingly chooses to remain unhappy. As long as she can identify a valid way out, she’s always fast to ignore whatever is bothering her, and even if that doesn’t solve anything, at least it works as a coping mechanism.
Sometimes, she thinks, overthinking is just a useless, human reaction. There are times when worrying about something won’t really do anyone no good, and tonight is one of those times.
Sure, she could have chosen to tell him about her childhood best friend who got married in her home town and even the fact that she wasn’t invited for it. She could tell him how those severed ties made her really homesick, and how missing her family makes her remember her grandmother’s harsh words when she first told them she was moving out because of her new job.
Sakura could’ve really told him all that, but what difference would it have made tonight?
Knowing him, Sasuke would probably try to tell her not to let those things get to her, but at least for tonight, it’s already too late. It’s already gotten her— a lot more than she thought it would— and now it’s just too late to fix anything.
Not that she even tried, to begin with.
At the same moment she decided to come by for a couple of drinks, the pinkette had an idea of how her evening would end. She never really planned on getting a different point of view on that matter and she certainly wasn’t looking for any advice on what to do next.
Sakura was just thirsty for a drink or four and some good company. His company, more specifically.
By the time she makes up her mind, the Uchiha has already called that man a cab and the other costumers are also taking their leave. They all pay him for the drinks and the service, and when they’re finally left alone, Sasuke decides that it should be fine if he closes earlier tonight. She’s still sitting on her bench when returns from the now locked door, her glass now almost empty, and her eyes follow him as he starts placing the bottles back on the shelves.
“Do you want some help with anything, Sasuke-kun?” She asks, sincerely.
“Thank you for the offer, but don’t worry. I’ll just organize a couple of things so Naruto can finish everything tomorrow morning.”
“I bet he’s gonna love the surprise.” She chuckles, her mind already imagining the blonde cursing his boss. “You should give him a raise.”
“Not happening.” He denies, firmly.
“Well, I’ve tried.” She shrugs, a smile on her face as she closes her eyes for an instant, her mind drifting back to his other costumer. “I guess that guy still has some training to do if he wants to beat me.”
“He really didn’t know what he was getting himself into.” He nods, wiping the counter top from peanut shells. “Barely he knew you would be drinking him under the table so early.”
“They never do.” She says, proudly, before finishing her drink.
There’s a smirk on his face at her words. Thinking that such a small girl would actually be able to handle so much alcohol without even losing balance really amazes him. “Do you want another drink?”
“Oh, no. I’ve had my share for tonight, thank you, Sasuke-kun.”
“Are you sure? You don’t have to work tomorrow or anything and you didn’t even drink that much tonight.”
“I’m sure.” She says, and it’s as if she can feel her eyes turning a darker shade of green as she looks at his back. Her heart is beating faster now, and she knows she won’t be able to hold an innocent conversation for too long. When he turns to face her, then, she holds his stare for a bit too long, and unconsciously bats her eyelashes. She’s blushing now— just a dust of pink on her cheeks— and she takes a deep breath before her voice comes out almost as a whisper. “I might not be close to drinking myself under, but…as they say, another drink and I’ll be under the host.”
Her eyes are half-closed now as she looks at him, and slowly, she makes a bridge with her fingers that lingers just below her pouting lips. Sakura is very aware of what she’s doing right now, and judging by the way his eyes grow fonder, she can tell he knows it, too. They’re way past subtle advances now, but they know better than to just skip the steps.
A little romance never did anyone no harm, after all.
After they maintain eye-contact for a couple of seconds, the Uchiha is the first to break it, as he clears his throat, causing the smile on her face to widen a bit. Once he finishes what he was doing, he grabs a bottle he keeps under the counter and a clean glass before walking away so he can join her on the other side. He takes a seat next to her, and carefully, he pours them another dose and handles her the previously-empty glass. He’s also holding one, now, and her expression softens as he comes closer.
“Then let’s make it worth it."
Their faces are just inches apart when he says that, and she can’t find words to describe how good this feels. Though it’s far from the relationship she had pictured for herself a long time ago, Sakura believes this is much better than settling for what’s considered to be normal all over the world. Sasuke has brought an adventurous charm into her life, and he has showed her how beautiful the rain is even in the middle of a storm. He’s probably the most simple, yet most intriguing part of her life, and right now, she can’t really imagine herself without him anymore.
He has turned her small and monotonous world upside-down, and made her learn that, sometimes, people can grow thirsty for one another and there’s nothing wrong with that.
They clink their glasses before drinking the liquor, and they giggle a bit to that. His hand is now cupping her face, and his thumb softly brushes her cheek. They don’t need any words to express their feelings now, and when he finally kisses her— so roughly, yet gentle and passionate— it’s like all the alcohol she has consumed during the evening is making her throat burn. Her stomach is on fire, her heart is racing and she’s growing intoxicated by his touch.
Uchiha Sasuke is certainly the strongest and most inebriating thing in her life, and in this big and lonely city, he’s the only one who can quench her thirst.
