My first Fanfic
Contains Male love...Yaoi...Adam and Steve, not Adam and Eve: thus you have been warned
Naruto story and characters not mine...go sue someone with money
Present day AU
Do enjoy
Sakura…
pink hair, pink lips, pink like the blush that creeps to my face every time she gives me her undivided attention. I've known her since grade school. We became inseparable friends early on...but then came the time right before graduation from the prison called high school when I looked at her nicely filling-out body and realized that I'd really like a more than friendly relationship with her. Unfortunately I was a dumbass and never acted on my developing feelings...she was a friend and I didn't want things to be awkward if she wasn't into me, and blah, blah, lame excuse, blah.
So we graduate and I (being more of a low brains/high athleticism type of guy) join the Army Infantry, while she (being a super smart in science kinda girl) goes off to the other end of the country to Caltech to be a chemical engineer or something along those lines. We keep in touch though...we're still best friends after all. In our emails, we talk about the basic stuff: interesting people and things we've know and seen, her grades, my time in Boot Camp and AIT...you know...general small talk. But every other email or so, I'll ask her in a jovial way how many hearts she's broken and much to my relief she always says that between school work and her part time job, she has no time for such - as she puts it - 'trivialities'. So I'm like, 'it's all good'...but it was during her first summer break that things turned not so good.
I was on a fifteen day leave just before my unit was to deploy to the desert and I was stoked: my pink haired goddess was between jobs and would be home the whole time I was back. We arranged a late night get together at the old-style, railroad car looking diner that's our favorite place to eat. I'm in orange and black; which (the orange part) Sakura doesn't dig too much, but for me they're the colors of victory...cause I am gonna achieve a victory: I'm finally gonna tell Sakura how I feel and she's gonna say that she feels the same way back.
At lease I hope she will.
Anyway, I get to the place a little early and it's packed as always on a Friday night. I circle to look for her car or one of her parent's cars and also to find an open spot for the Orange Demon (my trusty bright orange 91 Chevy stepside K1500 truck). I see neither...well, on the second matter there WOULD be space for me or another customer but somebody has their high and mighty Mercedes hogging up two spaces...
figures!
Guess I had no real reason to bitch, cause with my ground clearance I just parked on the raised section that serves as the base for the place's sign...I've done it before and I'll do it again.
When I get in, I'm thinking Sakura isn't there so I start jaw-jacking with friends and acquaintances. Some of the old-timers who fought in previous wars are slapping my back and giving me advice on what to do when I get 'in the shit' over in Afghanistan. Ino tells me that Neji (he's like a top guy with some VIP security firm over there) is supposed to come back to the States soon...unfortunately it will be the day after I leave. I talk to several people I know and like...hell, even people I don't care much for and who feel the same about me (like that Kabuto guy) wish me good luck when I get to the desert and I thank them for it. But that's small town America baby: we got our differences like in everyplace else in the world, but when the shit really matters, we're all on the same team.
So I'm sitting at a table with Ino, Sai, and Choji and they're telling me about how Kiba is part of the K9 unit of some Police Department over in Ohio...my meeting with Sakura is on the back-burner in my mind cause I figure she'll just see and grab me up when she gets in...and then suddenly cold water and ice cubes are tumbling down the front of my shirt and into my lap
"Sorry"
"Sorry"
I hear two apologies simultaneously and one of the 'sorrys' is voiced by an angel
"That was my fault"
"No, I'm the one to blame, I was looking off to the side while I was walking"
"No..It's actually all my fault for being so dry and warm that the water just had to jump on me" -I say while standing up with a grin to let the two ladies know that I took the accident in all good humor
One of the ladies is of course Sakura, while the other 'lady' (holding a now empty glass) is Haku
"Naruto!..." -he says all surprised and happy, and then a second later he's back to being apologetic to the tenth degree- "...Naruto, I'm really sorry..let me ask the cashier for some towels"
Before the beautiful boy can run off, me and Sakura grab a wrist
"He's a big tough soldier boy now...let him take the blame and get the towels himself" -she's smirking when she say's this
"No I can't let him do that..."
"It's ok..it's just water and it's not like you threw it on me on purpose"
"Well...I have to get more water anyway"
And so all three of us walk up to where the stool seating area is cause a waitress or two is always there; and since it's where the entrance is, I excuse myself and tell the two lovelies (yeah that's right, I called a guy lovely...cause it's the truth...doesn't mean I'm all gay for dudes now) that I got an extra shirt out in my truck. As luck would have it, Sakura follows me out to it
"So you must have just got here"
"Nah..I've been here since a quarter till ten"
'A quarter till ten?...man, that's when I left the house'
"No shit..." -I wasn't looking at her, but I knew she was grimacing at my choice of words, so I adjusted my vocabulary with a quickness- "...I meant no kidding...I didn't see yours' or any Haruno cars I recognized"
"Well no..you wouldn't cause I got a ride here"
At that point I just assumed that a friend or family member dropped her off thinking that I'd give her a ride back, but man was I wrong about that
"Oh...ok...well I'm sorry you had to wait long"
"Well, you aren't the kind of person to be late when you promise to be somewhere at a certain time..so ten minutes after the designated time rolled around, I started to head out to the parking lot to look for your truck and then I saw the back of Ino's head so I was going to ask if she saw you come in..." -she smiled at me and had a gleam in her eyes- "...and now here we are with you in a spare shirt and half wet pants"
This is it: she's lookin at me with sparkly eyes and a sugar sweet smile I'm gonna let her know how I feel right now under this big glowing sign...but nah, it didn't happen
"So let's get back inside..I'm sure my ride is wondering where the heck I went"
'Her ride?...huh?...it's gotta be a cousin...or a friend...a chick friend...cause if it's a guy...
no don't even think that shit!'
On the way back to where she and her 'ride' are seated, I'm getting pissed, and scared, and nervous. But I tamp that shit down and walk through the place like it ain't no thing...cause I'm a highly trained and motivated, hard-core Infantry Soldier! I'm fixin to go to war and I'm not letting that get to me, so no thing, and no one is going to get to me...
but then we're right in front of him...
the bastard to end all bastards:
Sasuke Uchiha
"I know it's only been a little over a year since we graduated, but you remember Sasuke right?
Forget the golden boy of Konoha High?...I wish I could!
"Yeah..." -the disappointment can't help but seep into my words no matter how hard I try to act like everything's just dandy- "...I remember him"
Damn right I remember him! I remember trying to be friendly to him - like I am with just about everyone - for years, and having it thrown back in my face with a high and mighty attitude plus added insults like "dead last" and "loser" to boot
"Hey there" -saying that low and in monotone is about all the enthusiasm I can muster
He glares at me and gives his signature dismissive:
"Hn"
My fingers begin to curl into fists on reflex, but I keep my cool and straighten them out
"Now you two be nice or I'll ditch the both of you and go to Ino's table"
She takes a chair beside the bastard at the four person table leaving me the options of sitting beside her and being opposite Mr. crazy hair, or vice versa. I opt to stand until she orders me to take a seat, so I take the one opposite her cause I just can't stand looking at the prick.
For the next couple of hours or so, we talk in between eating our meals...well...me and Sakura are the only ones who eat because obviously this kinda place - a regular folks place - is just too lowbrow for the royal bastard. Though Sasuke is mostly silent, I still get an ear-full about all his recent doings from Sakura.
Sasuke and her ran into each other out in Cali where she worked...
and Sasuke is at Caltech studying applied physics and has his whole program paid for by scholarships and whatnot...
and Sasuke is already being scouted by governmental agencies and many top companies...
and Sasuke this and Sasuke that...magical Sasuke does it all
You know what is the worst part about Sasuke and people like him: it's that, unlike some people who act all big but have nothing to back that shit up, Sasuke and his kind have their big shot credentials sitting high on foundations made of big shot achievements. Hate Sasuke all you want (and I do, and many others do too...many other guys that is), but the bastard has brains, social standing (cause of his highly affluent family), ambition, and the ability to maximize all three to churn out quality results in everything he chooses to do, and it wins him nothing but praise and goodwill from damn near everyone. Every-stinkin-body except us pee-ons of the same gender and in his own age group who have the fruits of our labors regarded as tarnished because they automatically get compared to those of the bastard's.
Oh ya, I forgot about looks. The chicks dig him like no other. It's just sick. I think he looks kinda androgynous, but I suppose that's what the ladies want nowadays...they want a pretty boy who can moonlight as a pretty girl.
So eventually the three of us in unison decide to end the semi-tense reunion and we make our way out to the parking lot. Half way to my truck I see Sasuke pull out a key fob and point it at his vehicle to disable the alarm.
I should have guessed it would be the Benz
"Wow, nice car..big and roomy...big enough to take up two spaces"
Of course the bastard is quick to respond, and so starts our usual mode of interaction; minus the swearing and insults for Sakura's sake
"That car is worth more than all the vehicles here twice over...of course I would want to keep it safe from scratches and dings...it's what any intelligent person would do"
"Is that so huh...well the Orange Demon may not be worth the price of your tires, but with all the speed parts I've got in there, I could glide past your car like it's parked"
"Hn...Going faster than other people...that's what matters...it's the destination that counts, and my car is going to important and classy places while your truck is just going fast to the junk yard"
My fists ball and his do likewise. We take a step towards each other but then Sakura is there between us
"Would you two grow out of your adolescent behavior" -she says with authority giving us stern looks
Some kind of silent communication takes place between the beauty and the bastard, and after a few moments he walks to his fancy car while Sakura and I move over to my truck to get out of the way of incoming vehicles
"So I got a full tank...lets cruise around and then hit the park before I take you home..." -she gives me a weird look for a second or two; and thinking the options I gave were way off the mark, I blurt out nervously- "...or not...maybe we could hang at your house?"
"Naruto...I'm sorry but Sasuke is giving me a ride..." -she hesitates a moment too long- "...back to his family's house...cause that's where I'm staying while my parents finish having my room renovated"
I'm drawing a blank at that point and sort of go into auto-pilot mode and I stutter:
"Wu..well y..you could stay at my place...my room is really clean now, I swear...the Army drilled all the slob out of me"
"I have no doubt about that Naruto..and you know I love your folks, but I'd have to stay in your room where at the Uchiha estate they have a guest room...well...several guest rooms" -she says the last part sheepishly, which lets me know that she's not trying to rub it in that I come from a family of modest means
"I'll sleep on the sofa in the living room then..."
"No Naruto..." -now she's taking on an apologetic look and tone, which tells me that I'm about to hear something that I don't want to hear (as if I haven't already heard enough)- "...look...I know you'll go way out of your way to accommodate me..you're one of my very best friends after all...but it's better that I stick close to Sasuke...there's things going on..."
She looks to the side momentarily and trails off her words; and feeling like the worst case scenario has just happened - or maybe it happened a while ago and now I'm just learning about it - I murmur in defeat:
"Oh...so you and Sasuke are together now...that's just great"
I'm shocked out of my little pity party by Sakura's loud laughter. It's like I'm telling jokes up in here or something
"Naruto..." -laughing- "...that's just so ridiculous..." -more laughing- "...I can't even tell you..." -finally she gets semi-serious and I'm feeling relieved and at ease...but confused- "...listen Sasuke and I are really good friends that's all..."
Well that's news to me, so I interrupt her by blurting out:
"Really good friends?...I knew you sorta got along since junior high but now he's a really good friend?"
"Actually...I consider him one of my best friends just as much as you are, and we've been that way since the tenth grade..." -my surprised look turns into a WTF look at this point- "...it's true...I've just kept it from you all this time since I know how you feel about him"
There's silence between us for a while as I take in this new information
"Well...so what's this thing going on with you and him?..." -she looks at the pavement, then over my shoulder...I can tell that she doesn't want to answer, but I'm persistent- "...come on, we're friends till the end right?...whatever I feel about Sasuke, he's your friend and I trust your judgment..so whatever you two got going on, you can count on my support" -I lie with a grin
Sakura looks instantly at ease and she's back to smiling
"I'm so glad...I should have known you'd be the more adult one between the two of you..."
YES!...score 1 for Uzumaki!
"...ok...can you keep a secret?"
"You know it babe"
"I know you will...anyway, Sasuke has been doing some fashion modeling for a big time agency and through him and his family's influence, they're giving me a chance to do some modeling too"
She's beaming with excitement; and since I don't understand the fashion world at all or the extent of her and the bastard's involvement in it, I say with as much positive emotion as I can put into the words:
"So like Sears, JC Penny..." -I'm trying to quickly think of the places where I shop for clothes- "...and Cabela's...well that's great...I always thought you looked good enough to be a model and now finally someone in that business has realized it"
Her expression drops for a fraction of a second as if she thinks I've said something dumb, but then she gives me an angelic smile
"That's very sweet of you Naruto..but it takes more than being attractive to be a professional model, and the places the agency I'm hoping to get into does work for are along the lines of Vogue and Elle magazines and top fashion designers like Calvin Klein and Donna Karan"
That information goes way over my head and I just stare at her with a crooked grin plastered to my face as if I know exactly what she's talking about. Her reaction is to giggle at what she knows is my complete ignorance while giving me a quick hug. As she runs to Sasuke's car, she looks back and does the zipper across the lips gesture and then tells me to call around noon tomorrow so we can do lunch.
That particular lunch was the only time during my leave that me and Sakura spent alone. Other times we were joined by various mutual friends, but the one person who was always there was duck head. He gave off some really weird vibes, and by the time I left to go back to my unit, I was strongly suspecting that he had the same intentions toward Sakura that I did...but he was just a good friend right? Hell, he used to not be able to stand the girl, and then he got to where he was nothing more than polite to her. Oh well, I'm out in the sun, sand, and shit of Afghanistan trying to get by without my mind or body blowing up...
while she's with him chillin back at school in the States...or off doing photo shoots in exotic and romantic places the world over.
But I can't think that shit right now or for the whole eight months that I'm supposed to be here. Whatever Sasuke wants with Sakura, I'm the one who's gonna win cause I'm the better man...believe it!