Author's Note: This is a one-shot. I'm becoming lazy, so writing long chapter stories is quite tiring. But don't worry, I'm still going to update my stories though not really soon.
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"Biscuit"
Written by: bloomsburry
Betaed by: ottawa
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Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto :(
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"Biscuit"
Itasaku
General/Possible Romance
Rated K+
Alternate Universe
One-shot
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"Have a nice day Miss," the woman behind the counter said, smiling congenially at Sakura while a hand extended forward as she gave the change to her.
"Thank you," Sakura said taking the change and pocketing the biscuit into her bag. "This is my first time to leave Japan," she confided, not really trying to hide the excitement from her voice while her face glowed with pride at the thought that she was going to America to continue her work as a nurse there. "And I'm pretty excited."
There's no surprise there. The cashier thought and nodded in understanding. "That's great," she said, matching her excitement but hers was amply subdued. "I've been working here in the souvenir shop but I haven't step into the runway yet…. I have no place in mind to go to, and—and I love Japan." She added as an afterthought.
Malachite eyes still glittering with excitement peered at the other woman, a discernible frown marring her beautiful features. "You should try going out of country. I think it would be wonderful if you see other places…like America for one thing," she pointed out.
The cashier shook her head. "I think I'll be staying right here. I like my feet on solid ground than up there on the sky or in the sea where something could happen to me." The cashier shivered as horrid images of crushing airplanes and sinking boats rose into her mind. "I hate traveling…" She muttered. "I rather much prefer to see people leave on those huge air transportation than me."
Sakura gave her an empathetic look. As a nurse for five years and address as the best medical provider in Konoha Hospital for three consecutive years, Sakura understood the woman. She had been assigned to the psychiatric ward countless of times and had seen different cases of mental disturbances from her patients. Many of them had been under severe and traumatic experience in their life and Sakura wondered what had caused this kind fear from the other woman.
"You have never traveled before?" She asked curiously, medical eyes assessing the woman.
"Yes," The cashier nodded.
Sakura's frown deepened. "Not even once?"
"Not even once," The cashier inclined her head in assent though she didn't explain anything to her as she noticed the line of people waiting impatiently behind the pink haired woman. They were too polite to interrupt there conversation. However, there was a man at the back who suddenly cleared his throat.
Sakura glance behind her, becoming aware of five pairs of intent and impatient eyes pinning her with a glare.
She gave an embarrass smile and apologized to them. "I'm sorry," she said, bending down and taking hold of her baggage. The woman next to her in line just snubbed her and proceeded to unload the stuff from the basket she was carrying. Sakura shuffled away throwing a perfunctory glance at the cashier who caught her eyes and wave.
"Have a nice trip" she said, her face lit into her usual perky grin.
Sakura wave back and called. "I will," before making her way towards the door, carefully handling her bags as she weaved through the people who were sorting through the souvenir racks and the food and other necessities in the aisle, apologizing once in a while as the people nearly tripped over her huge bags. For a woman as slight and as she is, she could still carry three enormous baggage on both her hands and a handbag on her arm. People, especially men who would want to help, wondered how she manages all of that.
Nearly to the door and with her muscle arms straining to carry all of her bags, she was presented with a problem. How could she open the door? Sakura was disgruntled but no matter, her resourcefulness that came from her years as a nurse, saving lives and all that blood and gore, she decided to place her bags on the floor.
The bottom of her bags hadn't even brush the cold tiled floor when the door of the souvenir shop was pulled open by a man wearing a expensively tailored business suit, a well-pressed necktie, black shining stud shoes and a thin, gleaming briefcase on his masculine hand. The man's cool demeanor spoke of wealth and to her close observation, purely business.
"Excuse me," She said, the hint of a clean after shave and the man's compelling musky scent wafted towards her as she stepped forward, intending to squeezed her way out from the crushed of people that appeared behind her on their attempt to leave the store while there are other people who are also determine in coming inside.
The man languidly maneuvered his lithe body to the side, allowing her to past. Their bodies brushing against each other and briefly, Sakura met his expressionless dark eyes, intensely aware of a leanly built body underneath the business attire and the nearly scorching heat that was suddenly pressed against her front.
Her eyes remain locked with his as she sidled away, only tearing her gaze when she had successfully escape from the jammed of bodies and took a good distance away from the souvenir shop.
She stood in front of the shop, the bustle of people around her went unnoticed, even the sound of the woman echoing through the huge airport, stating every departure and the arrival of flights was deafened by the sound of the pounding of her. The man's scent and body heat still lingered, while the memory of it seared into her mind. Her eyes strayed unconsciously towards the direction of the man, where she could still see his dark head over the crushed of people. He was tall that she could see the expanse of his broad shoulder and Sakura was slightly shocked to see that he had tied his long black hair into a loose ponytail behind him. As far as Sakura know, she had never met a business man sporting his hair long. In fact, this was the first time that she had seen one.
Sakura followed the man's broad shoulder over the heads of the people who were still trying to squeeze through the door jamb. Silently, Sakura admired the man's tall form and when the people finally cleared the door, she saw him striding inside the souvenir shop, the briefcase swinging gently beside him opposite to his strides.
The door was slowly closing and Sakura craned her neck to the side to catch a glimpsed of his tall form before he disappeared from her view. Then when the door finally closed, Sakura straightened, instantly realizing what she had been doing.
She was checking out a man for goodness sake! What came over her, she didn't want to know. It must be the man's handsome face or the man's scent that had triggered her feminine interest.
Sakura mentally shook her head and pivoted around. It's all because of a handsome face and a hot body that I suddenly became aware of my empty love life? Such foolishness!
She was a romantic through and through and she hadn't dated anyone that didn't fit her category. Like most of the woman, Sakura expected her man to be dark, tall and handsome like the man who brushed against her earlier. Yet Sakura was impelled to forget her fantasy.
She knew reality better than anyone. After facing numbers of death injuries and physically disabling or scarring in her profession, Sakura knew that beauty wasn't valued on the face but what lies within. If she knows better, the man might be a complete sociopath on the other life. It would be unwise of her to be instantly attracted to a handsome stranger.
Still rebuking herself, Sakura blended into the throng of people, who were rushing forward with their luggage, baggage carts or with their families along side them. She watched with a soft smile on face as a man embraced the woman and the three lovely children in front of her. Obviously, the man had just arrived and Sakura sauntered by them and quietly enjoyed the view of their family's heart-warming reunion.
Her smile wavered slightly as loneliness gripped her heart. Ino and her other friends had left already after seeing her off, giving her hugs and kisses that she would bring with her to her new home and new life in America. Sakura would miss them.
Sakura's face dimmed as she looks on towards the smiling family, suddenly needing someone beside her. If she arrived in America, no one was there to greet her, except for her Shishou's compatriots abroad whom Tsunade had contact with to secure an apartment for Sakura before she arrived, though they were complete strangers to her.
Despite Sakura's standards that she came highly recommended from the Konoha Hospital for job abroad, Sakura was still uncertain if she could put up with the challenge. Adapting and being flexible had been one of the traits that a nurse should possess and Sakura wasn't lacking from either one of those traits. Though she doubted herself if she could live normally in America. She would certainly miss the Japanese food and talking in her native tongue but Sakura's optimism banished the negative thoughts away. She would be fine like she normally is when presented with obstacles. Whatever the outcome of this journey, Sakura would be sure to come out from this unscathed. It might be overconfidence but Sakura knew that it was the truth.
Then Sakura was lost to the sea of rushing and blurring figures as she scouted for the reception area and the baggage inspection. She found it.
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Later, Sakura was busy attending to her passport and luggage that she forgot the handsome man and his dark obsidian eyes.
Sitting on the waiting area with her luggage on the chair next to her and in front of her, Sakura crossed her leg and flipped the page of the book she was reading while a hand unconsciously reached for the biscuit on her armrest where she had placed it. She ate the biscuit while she read, lost to the story in her book.
Immerse was she with the conflicts of the characters in her book that she had become unaware of her surroundings while her movements had turn to automation. After years in her profession, Sakura was taught about cleanliness or in medical term 'sterility', and out of habit and ingrain desire for a sort of order and unconscious knowledge to practice 'surgical asepsis', Sakura didn't just throw the biscuit wrapper to the side but instead, she pocketed it in her arm bag after she had consumed all of the salty and tasteful snack. Then she resumed her reading, forgetting what she had been doing after momentarily being distracted by the sexy and hot scenes in her novel. Her face slightly flushed while she bit her lip to stifle a giggle.
A shadow fell beside her and Sakura was barely aware of the movement as someone took a seat next to her. Still buried in her book and intensely enjoying what was happening in the story, she didn't noticed the man who glanced at her, and did a slow, lazy double-take to only openly stare at her.
Sakura was lost to him.
A giggle bubbled inside Sakura as her eyes flew over the colorful words and splendid description that had elicited a blush from her as the written art works there magic overly active her imagination.
The man pinned her with a penetrating stare that Sakura was too distracted to even notice. Then with a casual roll of his broad shoulder, the man unfolded the newspaper that he had been carrying in his hand and did some reading of his own. The man reclined comfortable in his chair, his posture at ease while his pale hand flipped through the pages to look for the business column.
When he found it, he too became half-tuned to his surrounding but reserved some of his attention to the woman sitting beside him. He kept the image of her pink hair, her white shirt and navy pants at the corner of his eyes, dark lashes fluttering low every time he heard her soft girlish giggle.
It was quite distracting and if someone passed by, they cast a wary look at the woman before scurrying away and leaving him to handle what looked to be a crazy woman in their wake but Itachi knew better.
After carefully taking a peek at the book the woman was reading, Itachi had to mentally cringe at the title as he read, "Melting the Ice", and nearly grimaced when he saw the picture of a man and woman in a very suggestive position on the front cover.
"Hn,"Itachi mumbled, staring at the cover which was visible in his line of sight, noting the picture of a woman with red hair spilling over her bare shoulder and molding her body against a dark haired man who was also half clothed, the white bed sheets that tangled over their entwined limbs not really providing any decency. It was very obvious what they were doing.
The woman sighed suddenly, surprising Itachi. He watched with curiosity as her eyes seem to glaze and Itachi couldn't take off his eyes from her intent face.
Apparently the woman had no shame at all to be reading one of her explicit books in a very public place where children might see the picture. But despite his disapproval, Itachi didn't voice out his opinions and allowed her to continue with her reading while he reverted back to his newspaper, though he remained watchful at the corner of his eye.
Every once in a while, Itachi heard her sigh or giggle and even noticed her frown. Itachi had lost interest in his newspaper and became fascinated by the woman's absorption on her novel.
This was the first time that a woman had been too distracted to even give a damn about him. She didn't even glance his way when the sound of a wrapper being torn permeated between them.
He eyed the biscuit in his hand for a moment before he look sideways at the woman. She was still lost to her book. Itachi hesitated, and then deciding against it, he placed the biscuit on the arm rest on his left, where the woman had propped her right elbow.
It was Itachi's silent invitation to share a biscuit with her. He understood that reading was one of the things that could easily make you hungry and as what Itachi had seen, the woman had been reading her book for quite sometime now.
That was very gentlemanly of him. Sliding one biscuit from the wrapper, Itachi drew it towards his mouth and silently ate. At the corners of his eye, he saw the woman move.
Malachite eyes peeked above the book to land on him and Itachi wasn't certain why he had brought the newspaper up to cover the side of his face. Maybe because of the smirk that tagged at his mouth or the fact the he had finally caught her attention.
There was no mistaking it; the woman was the same one he had brushed against the souvenir shop. Those malachite eyes were a give away and her unusual hair.
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She was in the middle of reading the good part in the book when a distinct crackling sound could be heard beside her. She wasn't sure why it had brought to her attention but when her stomach rumbled, she knew why.
She was hungry and she suddenly recalled the biscuit on her arm rest. Peeking up from her book, she glances beside her and was quite surprise to see a man sitting there. She hadn't notice him there before but dismiss her absentmindedness with a biscuit.
She took one and bit, delighting in the salty taste and its appetizing present in her mouth as her stomach rumbled again. She was really hungry and took another biscuit, oblivious to the man who was staring at her again.
The look in his eyes was out of bewilderment. Though Sakura was instantly buried in her book while her hand automatically reached for a biscuit, her eyes fleeting over words which Itachi couldn't read and have no desire to.
Having lost herself to her book yet again, Sakura was extremely startled when her hand brushed against something warm and clearly male on her way to take another biscuit.
Their eyes meet over her book and his newspaper.
Sakura stared through cool obsidian and something warm bloom over her face. She quickly retracted her hand as if burn from his touch.
"Ah," Sakura said, at lost.
"Hn." The man mumbled, amusement flickering in his eyes at her expression.
Hurriedly, Sakura hid her burning face in her book while she could feel his intense gaze directed at her. She didn't say anything for fear that she might stumble over her words and just embarrassed herself in front of the man.
It was the same man she had brushed against the souvenir shop.
How long has he been there? She asked herself, How long has he been sitting beside me that I didn't notice his presence?
She stole one surreptitious glance at him and widened her eyes when she caught him taking a biscuit.
What is he doing? Her eyes had narrowed into dangerous slits, still watching as the man had the audacity to eat her biscuit. Is he eating my biscuit?
Obviously, someone said from the corners of her mind while her gaze had turn bits of ice. The embarrass flush on her face was fading. Indignation making her lips drew into a forbidding line.
This isn't happening!! She mentally screeched. How can the only attractive man I met today, happens to be a biscuit thief? God must surely hate me for being attracted to someone like Him!
How long had he been eating my biscuit? She asked herself as she inwardly calmed down, though her temper was boiling on the surface. Her shoulder was already tensed as she force herself to calm down.
Still visibly shaking with indignation, she took a peek at him. The man had averted his head and was reading his newspaper again. But the thing that Sakura found unacceptable was the sight of his hand on her biscuit. Her biscuit!
The thought of where those hand had came from made her shudder. He might as well be transmitting an infectious disease as he boldly and with deliberate arrogance shoves his dirty fingers into the wrapper and took a biscuit.
Sakura didn't care if his hands look clean and well-manicured or neatly clipped on the outside because she knew for a fact, as a professional nurse that there are thousands or even millions of microorganisms in his hand that could be past to her by mere contact of their skin, or more importantly by the contact of his hand on HER biscuit!
HER biscuit, God damn it! Her only favorite snack before she boarded the plane. And speaking of planes, hers was going to leave in about 30 minutes as what she heard from the flight calls.
But she had to handle this—this squeamish before she took her leave. The man had no right at all to put his dirty huge paws on her biscuit!
That's it! She had enough!
She was right. A handsome face and a hot body could never be trusted. The man had proven her correct as she abruptly stood up on her 5'6 height and loomed over him in a threatening manner. The man still has the audacity to reach for the last, remaining biscuit and Sakura snatched it before the man could.
She swiftly placed the biscuit into her mouth and pointedly ate it, right in front of him in a very provocative manner. Her eyes clearly saying that it was her biscuit.
By this, Itachi was puzzled. A small creased appearing in his forehead.
"Look here you—you," Sakura jabbed a finger at him. "Do you think that just because you wear expensive clothes or you have a pretty face doesn't mean that I couldn't see right through you?"
Itachi's eyes narrowed when Sakura roved her eyes over his clean and neat clothes in disgust. It was clear to her that the man was rich and she wondered why the man as rich as he is even eating her cheaply bought biscuit.
"Apparently you took credit more on the clothes on your back than what you eat," her lips curled into a snarl. "You couldn't even afford to buy a biscuit that you have to steal from me!" she burst out, drawing the attention of some bystanders near them.
The man glared but didn't say anything.
"I hate arrogant men," Sakura scowled as the man's face drew blank. "especially when they pretend to be cool and collected."
Not even a fleet of expression crossed over the man's face as Sakura continued to glower at him.
"What? You got nothing to say to me?" She snapped, her eyes flashing.
"No, I haven't," his tone was calm, not a hint of anger tinting his lilting voice.
Sakura scowled fiercely. "Are you really sure that you have nothing to say to defend yourself?"
"There's no need for me to defend myself," the man said breezily, his hand reaching out and taking hold of his briefcase before standing up without warning that Sakura had to stumble back.
At this position, Sakura was currently at the disadvantage. The man was a head taller than her and Sakura had to tip her head up to meet his cold stare while his face was remain an impersonal mask.
"Because I haven't done anything wrong," and with this last statement, the man turned his back to her and strode away.
It was like a slap to Sakura and she jerked back, stung and completely infuriated at his unexpected response.
She was about to unleash her fury on him but the man moved swiftly, his agile form was already so far away from her that Sakura had to clamp her mouth shut before she could shout obscenities at his back. After all, she was a nurse and she was supposed to be considerate and understanding of every man's behavior.
She stood there watching him leave and like before, her eyes couldn't help but admire his perfect physique. Even at this distance, she still had a clear view of him through the bustling airport.
The man was a total jerk.
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Sitting on a chair as her plane set for flight, Sakura rummaged over her hand bag in search for her pen, intending to write the things that occurred that day in her daily journal. She couldn't wait to write how she had been treated so ungraciously by that arrogant man to her confidante; her black notebook.
She was getting exasperated when she still couldn't find it and decided to start taking the contents of her bag one by one. She emptied her bag on the vacant seat right next to her and hoped that she was the only one occupying on that lane. She would really like to have some peace to herself after that episode in the waiting area. The chopsticks in her hand bag would be a very convenient weapon for her to poke any obnoxious and insufferable person.
Grumbling underneath her breath, she started pulling the pockets outwards. There was a crinkling sound as the plastic wrapper slipped out from the inverted pockets and into her hand. Sakura stared. Her face becoming blank as her eyes remain glued to the biscuit wrapper. Then she frowned in confusion, her hand absently reaching out towards the pocket of her pants where she recalled having placed the torn wrapper there.
Her fingers brush something plastic and she slowly pulled it out from her pocket. Sakura presently stared at the two biscuit wrappers in her hands. A flush of mortification suffuse Sakura's face as she slump back on her chair, still staring at the wrapper in her hands.
How long had she been like that? She didn't know. She was still mentally reproaching herself and muttering incoherently beneath her breath that she wasn't aware of the man hovering beside her chair, and waiting for her to acknowledge his presence. Only the narrowing of his eyes fell on the category of expression over his blank face.
Sakura lifted her head up when the unnerving feeling of being stared at penetrated through her diverted mind. Almost immediately, Sakura's eyes went wide like saucers as she bluntly ogled at the familiar man standing before her.
Obsidian eyes looked back at her before pointedly looking down at the seat next to her, where her personal items lay scattered in disarray. Sakura flushed scarlet, silently groaning as she hurriedly and diligently started retrieving her things and dumping them back in her bag. When all of her stuff was back on her hand bag, she gingerly stood up and allowed the man to claim his seat, which was unfortunately placed next to her.
Fate must be laughing at her now as Sakura's face turned a darker shade of pink as the man brushed against her, his scent flooding her senses so much that she had to hold her breath and mentally scold herself.
Her embarrassment was written all over her face as she settled back on her chair once the man had taken his seat. She didn't look in his direction. She was too embarrassed to even apologize for accusing and antagonizing him earlier. Their flight was about to set off in about ten minutes and her slight anxiety of riding a plane for the first time dispersed as the feeling of complete mortification encroached her whole being.
There side of the plane was silent. Tsunade had given her the first class seat as what was expected for an assistant head nurse. Sakura had been awestruck by the luxury and the marvelous upholstery on the first class seats that she had been anticipating to try the mini- flat screen television on her arm rest and their services. However, her excitement seemed to flicker and die down as the tense silence reign over the man and herself.
Sakura started to fidget on her seat, really uncomfortable at the situation. She cleared her throat when she felt a lump had gathered there and to her chagrin, the man deign a casual glance at her that Sakura mistakenly met; his eyes conveying his dislike towards her.
Not taking it any longer, she blurted, "I'm sorry." She looked at him, her face flushing in utter embarrassment. "I didn't know that it was your biscuit,"
Silence.
"I'm really sorry," She said sincerely, pulling off a disgruntled face. "I have been reading and I rarely notice anything around me when I read."
"Hn," The man finally responded and Sakura had to smile gently at that, watching as his eyes became cool and aloof though that didn't discourage Sakura from talking to him. She knew from his monotonous response that he had accepted her apology.
"I'll buy you a biscuit when we get to America," She promised and couldn't stop the blush that crept on her neck as she realized that her words came out more intimate than what she had intended.
The man turned to look intently at her and Sakura had to cover her mistake by a stiff smile and the gesture of her hand.
"I know that we had gotten off on the wrong foot," She said before extending her hand. "But I think introducing ourselves would banish the hostility around us, ne? I'm Haruno Sakura by the way."
Her candor was refreshing to him and Itachi noticed that she didn't hold her negative opinions when she all but accused him of stealing her biscuit. Admiration fluttered on Itachi's mind as he reached forward and enfolded her small, dainty hand into his callous one.
"Uchiha Itachi," He stated coolly, clasping her hand firmly.
"Nice to meet you, Uchiha-san," Sakura smiled, and then sobered while her malachite eyes became softly apologetic once again. "And I'm really sorry for the biscuit."
"I'm rich. I can buy another one." He remarked dryly and just like that, the tension around them dispersed as Sakura's soft chuckles cut through it like scalpel.
And as usual, Sakura was unaware of a pair of intent eyes staring at her.
"No," She said, shaking her head while her eyes sparkled. "I'll buy you a biscuit. It's the least I can do for accusing you." And then she added. "And I'm sorry for what I said before. I was furious and I usually say what is on my mind. I'm really sorry if my words hurt you."
Not in the least. Itachi thought before replying with his usual, noncommittal, "Hn."
Sakura smiled at him, "I'll buy you a biscuit. I promise."
That's what she said before but Itachi had never doubted her the first time she said this.
He knew that he would get that biscuit before long, whether it is in America or right in the plane.
The woman was very determined to please him and Itachi couldn't help but feeling pleased that the woman was finally directing her full attention towards him.
Uchiha Itachi didn't like to be ignored.
THE END
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AN: Hope I didn't make the characters too OOC.