Chapter 1: Spicy
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It was her hair that first caught his attention.
It was hard to miss even in the chaos of the backstage before a fashion show. In the sea of blondes and brunettes, her pink hair stood out. He knew for a fact that it was natural. After all, Uchiha Sasuke was an expert in his craft.
His trained hands moved precisely as he wove a model's brunette hair into an intricate coif and secured it with a pin. While at this, he was watching the pink-haired model being made up by the show's lead makeup artist, Sai. He had never seen hair like hers, and naturally, he wanted to be the one to style it.
After securing his brunette charge's hair with one last spritz of hairspray, Sasuke moved past the tables of models and their hairstylists with such grace, one would think he too was to walk the show later.
He stopped before Sai's makeup station, the latter already spraying some makeup setting spray on her face.
"You. On my chair."
The crisp male voice jolted Sakura from her relaxed state brought by the soothing strokes of the makeup artist's brushes. She fluttered her eyes open to look up at the owner of the voice. It was a tall man, dress in a black t-shirt and pants. His arms were crossed and she could make out the firm muscles of his biceps and forearms. Her eyes travelled up and met his sharp onyx gaze. His eyebrows were slightly drawn together, giving him an arrogant look which complimented every breathtaking dip and curve of his aristocratic face. It was as if he was etched by the gods.
What a delicious-looking man. Probably one of the star models of the show, she thought.
He returned the stare before cocking his head in a motion that looked like he wanted her to follow him. He then turned on his heel and made his way towards the hair section. Sakura shot a confused looked at Sai who plastered on a grin.
"That is Uchiha Sasuke, hair director for this show." he said, removing the makeup bib that protected Sakura's couture dress from makeup. "I'd hurry if I were you. Patient is not a word that one would associate with him."
With this, Sakura hopped off the makeup chair and muttered a low "Thanks" to Sai. She squeezed through aisles of models, each shooting her the stinkeye, all of which she ignored.
Sasuke looked at her form approaching his station, and soon she stopped and stood next to him. It gave him a chance to observe the rest of her features, noting how her eyes were a vivid jade, her lips plump and rose-colored like her hair…
And she was short.
She was lithe and slim but she was nowhere as tall as the regular model who would strut the catwalk. Save for her hair and delicate features, she would be a very very regular, petite girl.
Sakura knew that look. That incredulous expression that questioned why she was even there to begin with. Fighting off the swell of embarrassment pooling in her stomach, she took a huff of air and angrily deposited herself onto his awaiting chair. That seemed to shake the hairstylist back to earth.
"I know what you're thinking." she just said.
He scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about.
The show was an absolute success. It was well-attended by the top celebrities who expressed how much they loved the new collection launched by Akatsuki Atelier. They raved about how this year's origami-inspired aesthetic led by Konan would sure be a hit, given how her pleating techniques could apply both to couture and tailored everyday pieces. They congratulated the models at how effortlessly they carried the the dresses as they glided the stage.
Sasuke tried not to roll his eyes as watched the closing from behind the stage. Models trying to get the celebrities and politicians to notice them, trying to get into as many photos as they could. He cringed at the actions, but also understood how a model's career is short-lived. Which is why in the ruckus of all the cameras flashing and people subtly elbowing each other to get into the frame, he found it interesting that a certain pink-haired sprite had been hiding behind a taller, blonde girl.
He had never seen someone so out of place.
He found her again at the afterparty, slouching alone on a sofa that looked like it had swallowed her up. She was cradling a gin tonic and scrolling lazily on her phone with the other hand.
"Is this seat taken?"
Sakura looked up and saw her hairstylist. He still had that aura of arrogance in him, but he seemed more relaxed now that the show was over. Her eyes spying a glass of whiskey cradled between his fingers.
"Nope. By all means, sit down. I don't bite." she motioned, patting the leather of the couch.
Sasuke sank down the couch and took a gulp of his drink. "Why aren't you mingling with your model friends?" he asked.
Sakura choked on her drink. Sasuke turned to help by patting her back. "You're either blind or stupid. They all hate me, if it isn't obvious."
She turned her body so she could face him and she spoke. "I don't belong here, even you can tell." She took a sip from her glass, eye jade eyes still looking at him as if to make a point.
"Then why are you here?" he challenged.
"Well, med school ain't paying for itself."
Sasuke cocked an eyebrow. "A doctor, huh."
"Yeah. Miss Konan approached me while I was on a coffee run, asked me if my hair was real, blah blah blah. Told me my look was what she was looking for. She gave me her card and offered me this gig, saying it's just a one-time thing. Never thought it would be this big, obviously."
"Obviously." he mimicked, taking another sip off his glass.
She turned out to be a very good conversationalist. She was smart, opinionated, and she can argue. On several occasions, she made him laugh, though he wasn't sure if it could purely be attributed to her humor or partly because of the alcohol. Sasuke found himself leaning his body closer to her and tilting his head towards her, enjoying how her lips would tickle his ears when she whispered something funny to him. She would playfully land her hand on his bicep and his chest and he would feel heat sear from where she had just touched him.
The music was pounding loudly in their ears when Sasuke beckoned his fingers at her, motioning for her to come closer.
"Do you want to get out of here?"
"Thought you wouldn't ask."
She felt his hot lips on her nape the moment she stepped into his apartment. A low moan escaped her as she turned to face him, taking in how his handsome face was illuminated by the silver moonlight trickling through his window.
The sight of him was too much that she took his face and brought her lips to meet his, tiptoeing to connect the gaps. His hands immediately found the hem of her top and soon enough were roaming her lower back.
Heat pooled inside Sakura's lower belly as her lips engaged his in a fervent battle for dominance. His tongue entered her mouth when she gasped for air. In a split second, his tongue was dancing with hers, frantically wanting to taste every bit of her.
Sasuke pulled back and began focusing his mouth on her creamy, slender neck as he trailed kisses down her clavicle. She tasted the salt on her skin but he could swear the sensations she was conjuring in his body was more spicy. The petite pink-haired woman in his arms had so much feistiness in her, meeting his every move, even taunting him to best her, as her hands rubbed the throbbing tent of his pants. Soon enough, both their hands took a mind of their own and they were tearing every piece of clothing away from each other's bodies until there way nothing left and their heat melded into one.
Sakura laid panting on the bed, her kissmarked breasts rising and falling as she tried to steady hear breath from her orgasm. Beside her was Sasuke, eyes hooded and sleepy, taking in the sight of her, remembering how she looked out of place in the show but admiring how she looked like she easily belonged in his bed.
He twirled a lock of her pink hair around his fingers, admiring how its disheveledness made her look like a wild woman, who he was sure would haunt his dreams. Sasuke decided, before surrendering to sleep, that he liked her hair like this the most.