Hi, this is gonna be a little something I'm going to be working on for a little while :)
I hope that this is to your liking!
The Lover's Curse
SeeingYourLoveMakesMeSick
Looking around, Naruto felt livid.
'Valentine's Day... what a load of crock.' With the day coming up,Naruto kept seeing happy couples, smiling, laughing and hanging all over one another.
Seeing their love made Naruto sick to his damn stomach. Matter of fact, he had been seeing nothing but red, pink white, some of his least favorite colors, all fucking month. He was getting so fucking tired of seeing it!
"Naruto!" A girl with pink hair, coming down to her waist, came running up to him, smiling happily. 'Ok, so maybe I'll never get tired of that pink.' Sakura was his life long best friend. Their mothers were best of friends and always visited one another. So it was only natural the two, both being only children, got along.
The two had been each other's first kiss, just to test feelings out, after being close friends. Sakura and Naruto had gotten even closer after the kiss, but that's as far as they went.
And that's all that will remain. Extremely close friends. The two had told each other that they were bi, and kept it a secret until they were ready to come out.
"Sakura." Naruto smiled, kissing her on the cheek. "How are you doing?"
"Good." She nodded, a cute blush in place on cheeks when he smiled at her. Naruto had asked about that, and she simply replied, 'You have a nice smile, Naruto. It just makes me feel a little flattered that its being sent my way.'
He passed it off as Sakura being mushy.
"What are you going to do Tuesday?" Sakura was up to something. That much Naruto already knew.
'Tuesday... fucking Valentine's Day.' Naruto growled internally but smile outwardly. "Nothing that I know of. Why?" Fuck! She was going to try and set him up with someone! Naruto kept mentally cursing, trying to think of a way to get out of it.
Ever since Naruto had introduced Sakura's current girlfriend, Yamanaka Ino, she was insistent on hooking him up with someone.
The moment Naruto had met Ino, he knew that she would be perfect for Sakura. And he was right. They complimented each other with their attitudes, natural spunk and beauty. They were dating each other for a little over two years. And since then, Naruto had been on a total of 43 dates.
"Weeeell," Sakura drug out the word, twirling a lock of hair. "I was wondering..."
"Sakura, please." Naruto sighed, dropping his fake smile in favor of begging.
"Oh c'mon, Naruto! Let me find someone nice for you! I've never seen you taken an interest in anyone!" Sakura was already making a fuss. She puffed her cheeks as she latched on to his arm when he tried to walk away.
"Sakura, we've already been through this!" Naruto exclaimed, walking into a restaurant, the rosette still latched on to him. "Every time you try this stunt, it end up a complete disaster!"
"What!" Sakura started making a scene, as Naruto calmly sat down in a booth, completely ready for the upcoming conversation.
"Hinata was very pretty and-" Sakura started.
"She fainted when I shook her hand, and her damn cousin thought I had drugged her when I carried her home. I literally fought for my life that night!" Naruto had interrupted quickly, but despite all this, motioned for Sakura to sit.
She growled, "She fainted because you were handsome! She said so herself!"
"Either way it was horrible." A waitress handed them both menus, and Naruto ordered for their drinks, knowing exactly what Sakura wanted.
"Well, personally I liked Kiba. He was tall, dark, and handsome-"
"-don't forget perverted-" Naruto grumbled, looking at the menu.
Sakura frowned, "Plus, he was very nice. He held the door for you, pulled out your chair for you, and even paid for the meal. I don't see what was wrong with him."
"I'm a guy, Sakura. I don't know when you forgot this, but you don't need to wined and dined me to get me to like someone. Plus, the guy couldn't keep his hands off of me! Every chance he got, he groped me! That shit isn't cool!" Naruto had remembered the way Kiba kept looking at him like he was a piece of meat. Naruto shuddered.
"What about Shikamaru? You said he was nice." Sakura countered.
"He was nice." Naruto commented, and ordered when the waitress came back with their drinks. He couldn't help but notice the suggestive looks she was giving him and how short her skirt was. The blond again, ordered for Sakura. She was livid now so she would want something spicy by the time this conversation was over.
Sakura paused to take a drink of her mint tea. "Then what was the problem with him?"
"Nothing. He just wasn't my type and I wasn't his." Taking a sip of his tea, Naruto continued. "We both agreed on that… but that was one of the few dates that went well. Me and Shikamaru are friends now." Naruto just talked to him yesterday. Shikamaru had asked if he wanted to see a horror movie with him, since his best friend had something to do the day he wanted to go. The raven had reminded him that they were still remaining friends, and even before that Naruto was ready to say yes.
The guy was really someone nice to talk too. But he didn't want to tell Sakura that he was going. That was just asking for trouble.
Sakura had been gnawing at her lip, "Look, just listen to me this one last time. If you go on this double date with me and Ino-chan and you don't like the guy, I won't bother you about it anymore and I'll let you live a life without love." She waved her hands offhandedly as if it was nothing.
Naruto paused. "Fine. Deal."
Sakura smiled automatically, leaning forward. "I have a really good feeling about this one, Naruto. Ino-chan helped me with this one!" There was obvious love and adoration when she said the platinum blond's name.
A groan. "Great. Now she's in on this too."
She ignored him, "He's very handsome, and he goes to a college near here. Ino-chan has known him for a while and says that you two would hit it off."
"Hm." Naruto held his face in his palms, showing that he doesn't believe a word she was saying.
"Really! And I showed him that picture of you, and he liked what he saw."
Sakura always carried a picture of Naruto for this reason. In Naruto opinion, it was an ok picture. Naruto had been sitting on the bench in the park reading a book propped on his crossed legs, when it was taken. He had dressed very casual that day, a tight black shirt and dark blue jeans. You could see the chain on his wallet, and the loop of his ear ring shined when the flash went off in the picture.
"Just because he liked what he saw, doesn't mean he'll like me, Sakura." Naruto started disliking the guy that instant. That he would say out loud that he liked what he saw. 'God, I hope its not another pervert.'
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know that." She waved it off as nothing. "But Ino has known him for a while, and she said that he was a good guy."
The waitress came with their food after a while. Naruto could feel her eyes on him, even when he looked away. Sakura had noticed the deliberate way she had bent over to set Naruto plate down, showing a deliberate amount of cleavage, but didn't do the same when she placed Sakura's in front of her. 'Tch, what if I wanted to see some cleavage too?' Sakura frowned. She could understand why anyone would want to flirt with Naruto. The blond was a walking Adonis and had great manners if you caught him on the right day.
"Is there anything else I can get you?" She had asked Naruto more than anything.
But all in all, the rosette was insulted! She could've been Naruto's date and the bitch would've still flirted with him. 'I'll fix that.'
"Naruto, dear." Sakura slid out of the booth, "I'm going to go to the restroom." She leaned over, right in front of the waitress and kissed the blond on the mouth, adding deliberate tongue.
When she pulled away, the waitress was already gone and Naruto had a scornful look on his face. "What? I just couldn't stand the way she was flaunting herself in front of you. What a total whore." Sakura ran her fingers through her hair and continued off to the restroom.
'Great.' Naruto looked around and found that everyone had their eyes on him, 'Just fucking great.'
Was a peaceful, uneventful meal too much to ask for?
- - - -
"Ok, I want you to wear this along with these." Ino looked over. "Hey! Sasuke? Are you listening to me?" Ino stomped her foot, fuming.
Dark eyes looked up casually before replying, "You want me to wear the black dress shirt along with those jeans. Yes I'm listening." Sasuke mumbled.
Ino pouted before putting the clothes aside. "What cha thinkin' about?"
"Hn." He leaned back on his bed, looking up at his ceiling. "Why did you insist that I go on his double date with you and Sakura?"
"I don't mean to sound insensitive, but I asked you for Naruto sake." Ino sat down next to him, "Sakura has been having a horrible time trying to find a date for him, someone that he actually likes."
The blond twirled her hair absently, a habit she had gotten from her girlfriend. "Naruto is very handsome, as you've noticed."
If Ino was looking at Sasuke, she would've noticed a light blush. 'Naruto was more than handsome.' But thank god she hadn't.
She continued, "From what Sakura been saying, Naruto hasn't been interested in anyone. She's been getting worried about him."
Sasuke scoffed, the blush had already vanished, "Not everyone wants to be in a relationship."
"True." Ino agreed, "But, everyone does get lonely after a while. It doesn't even have to be physical, just someone to talk to. Even you need that."
"Tch. Hardly."
She poked Sasuke in the side, knowing he was ticklish. "Admit it, Uchiha. You like having me around."
Sasuke glared. "Remind me, how many times have I kicked you out of my house?"
Ino pouted, "I was drunk all those times!"
"And since we are on that topic, why do you always come and visit me when you're drunk?" His glare intensified.
Ino seemed to really think about it. "I dunno. That's a very good question. Maybe its because you take care of me, and Sakura's house is waaay across town." She shrugged.
"I have a solution then." Sasuke stood and walked out of his room, Ino following close behind, "Move in with her. You've been dating for over two years now, I don't know what is taking you guys so long."
"But if I did that, I won't be able to visit with you as much! You'd die of loneliness!" Ino giggled.
"As if." Sasuke plopped down on his couch, grabbing his remote. "Don't you think Sakura will get a little jealous of her girlfriend hanging out with a guy?"
Ino shook her head, looking at the TV also, after she sat down, "She hangs out with Naruto just as much as I hangs out with you."
"…You two are a weird couple."
"From someone who has never been in a relationship, I'm quite shocked that you would say that." Ino snatched the remote away. "I like the space we have from time to time. Sakura is the only girl that I have met that isn't clingy and needs my free time 24/7." Ino started twirling her hair again. "Just as long as I get to talk to her everyday, I cool with it."
"Hn."
"You're a nice guy Sasuke." Ino said out of nowhere. "I'm sure you can find someone that will make you happy… even if it isn't Naruto."
"Quit being sappy." Sasuke looked at the clock, "Now get out, I have to go to work."
- - - -
After eating lunch, Naruto and Sakura went over to his mothers house for their weekly visit.
"Mom! I'm home!" Naruto yelled as walked through the door.
"Oh, there is my handsome son who has yet to give me grandchildren!" Kushina came from the kitchen smiling, her long red hair was thrown over her shoulder. Through out the years, Naruto's mother constantly retained her figure and her young looks despite being in her forties.
Sakura giggled before Naruto elbowed her, "Mom, c'mon. I'm only twenty three."
"That doesn't mean anything." Kushina kissed Naruto on the cheek and gave Sakura the same treatment. "I had you at the great age of twenty two, and it's a good thing too. You were a bundle of energy back then. I swear, I didn't know that children knew so many ways to kill themselves. Running across the street, onto oncoming traffic, sticking your wet fingers into electrical outlets, turning on the heaters in the summer times only to stick flammable things into them-"
Sakura just couldn't get enough of these little stories. She could picture a small pint size Naruto happily doing all of these things just as Kushina walked into the room.
"Mom, enough with the stories… please." Naruto said hopelessly.
Kushina looked like she wasn't going to, but soon smiled motioning for them to move to the kitchen. "Oh alright. Come on into the kitchen, I made cookies!"
"Oh yay! Cookies!" Sakura said childishly, scampering after her. Naruto could only roll his eyes.
This was, surprisingly, a routine for the three of them. Kushina would start to bicker at him for not making any grandchildren and Naruto would try to make up some excuses. A rather tiring process, really, but Naruto could still feel the love from it.
"I'm going to go to my old room to get something real quick." Naruto yelled before walking to the other part of the house.
Naruto didn't see the big deal with being single. He didn't have to worry about bickering or remembering, and horribly failing, anniversaries. 'I like being a bachelor.'
Walking to his room, Naruto went to the closet, were he kept his clothes. The blond kept his formal clothes, such as tuxes and nice dress shirts here and his street clothes at his apartment.
"A plain button up shirt with jeans should do. I mean, its only Valentine's Day."
Then, suddenly, Naruto got a craving.
There were two things that no one knew Naruto did. Sakura, Ino, his mother and Sakura's mother never like drinking anything coffee related. Tea was ok, cause it didn't leave that horrible taste in their mouth. Naruto was scolded for the longest time for just saying, "Coffee doesn't taste that bad."
That, and no one knew that Naruto smoked. The blond didn't do it very often. Hell, a pack of cigarettes lasted him about three weeks. There were just instances where the day was so horrible, mostly after his blind dates, that Naruto would just need that nicotine to calm his nerves.
'I want an ice coffee.'
- - - -
Uchiha Sasuke stood behind the counter, wearing a maroon shirt and black slacks. They didn't have any costumers around mid-day, so he mostly just spent his time just lounging around.
He leaned on his elbows, sighing. He worked at a small coffee shop a little off Main Street. Working here wasn't a lively hood for Sasuke; he had a lot of money in the bank to keep him set for the rest of his life, if he spent it right. Working here was more like a hobby. Coffee tasted good, and Sasuke like to make things with coffee, tasted even better.
Ino would bitch about how much coffee was bad for you, and that it slowed down your metabolism, but he didn't care. Hell, he only cared about a handful of things the blond said.
The door rung as someone was walking in. Sasuke straightened himself, absently walking to the cash register. He hardly ever looked at the costumers because he already knew what they were looking at.
Either the menu, or at Sasuke. The latter irked him.
"What can I get you?" Sasuke knew what every drink cost, so all he needed to do was punch the numbers in.
"Ice coffee, and would you mind putting whip cream on the top with caramel?" A medium pitched voice requested.
Sasuke punched the buttons, making the register open up, before looking up, "That would be $4.5-" Sasuke's eyes widened. "-2."
There, standing before him, was his date for Valentine's Day, and he was even more breath taking in person.
The sweater the blond was wearing did nothing to hide his built, as he was reaching into his pocket to retrieve the money. The golden, slightly spiky hair was barely neck length, that defined jaw, identical lines in those cheeks, nearly everything about Naruto made Sasuke's heart beat faster. You can only imagine what had happened when those blue eyes finally looked at him.
Naruto looked up, wondering why the man wasn't taking the money, only to find that he was just openly staring at Naruto.
Naruto frowned, oblivious to what was really going on. "The marks on my face are birthmarks. Not tattoos." Naruto offered, thinking he was staring at the lines on his face. It wouldn't be the first time someone had asked about them, so it never really bothered him.
Sasuke snapped out of himself. "Huh? Oh! I'm sorry!" he quickly took the money, slightly feeling the smoothness of Naruto hands before going to make his order.
Naruto watched confused as the man, in his opinion, scampered out of sight. 'That wasn't weird.'
Sasuke was beating himself up as soon as he got in the back. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!" he hissed to himself. What a great first impression Sasuke just gave. Sasuke wouldn't blame the blond for thinking he was a retard!
But Naruto was very handsome, to say the least. Just seeing the blond, made Sasuke want to just dive across the counter and have his way with him. This was something Sasuke wasn't use to. He wasn't even use to thinking like a horny animal.
Those azure eyes, was what did it for Sasuke. You didn't see eyes like that often in this part of the world. Having Naruto look at him, made Sasuke act completely unlike himself.
'If Naruto can make people act like total barbaric animals by just standing there, then no wonder he is completely turned off by nearly everyone he meets.' Sasuke added the whip cream on time and strung the caramel neatly on top.
He took a deep breath before walking back, handing the blond his drink. "Here you go, sir."
Should Sasuke mention he was going to be the blond's date? Should he at least introduce himself?
"Thank you, Sasuke-san." Naruto smiled before swiping some of the cream on his finger before inserting it into his mouth, making the raven's mind turn to mush.
"How, uh." Sasuke watched the finger disappear into those luscious perked lips. "d-did you know my name?" the Uchiha watched Naruto repeat the action.
A small slurp, "You name tag."
Oh. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid-'
"And I don't think its safe to leave the register open the way you did." Naruto said politely, pointing at the open shelf full of money.
Sasuke was really beating himself up now, as he closed it.
The two stood there.
"Uh." Naruto frowned. "I gave you a ten… I'm going to need my change."
Sasuke slapped his forehead. 'Fucking stupid, stupid, stupid-'
- - - -
Naruto walked out of the small coffee house. 'Well, that was interesting.'
The ice coffee was very delicious, hell, he usually got his drinks further down the road, but only in curiosity had he went to this one.
This ordinary ice coffee tasted way better there than anywhere else Naruto had ever been. If Naruto survived Tuesday, he was definitely going back again.
'The guy there was pretty cute too… a little out of it, but cute none the less.' he smiled, heading back to his apartment.
TBC
This is my first fanfiction, so please review :) I just might get discouraged. If I get some reviews, I'll update faster!
So if you like it, please say so!