Title: Your Hand
Summary: Mikoto's desperate for her otp to happen, both in her favorite anime series and in real life.
Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns Naruto despite how much I pay him to give it to me.
Biting her lower lip, Mikoto tried to swallow the boiling laughter stuck within her throat. Swiftly sliding her thumb on the smooth surface of her phone's screen, she excitedly scanned the contents written on the black device, ignoring the blinding brightness it emits. Soon did her eyes sparkle as a particular sentence made her laugh causing her to loosen her control as she gave a short yet loud chortle.
The Uchiha matriarch realized her loud outburst and bowed her head, hoping that none of the men within the wide dining room heard her. Her soft plea failed for the act didn't go unnoticed as three pairs of charcoal black orbs turned and gave her questioning looks.
Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment, her hand trembling as she quickly pressed the small button on her phone's right side, instantly locking the high tech device.
Composing herself as she straightened her back and fixed her seat, Mikoto raised her head gracefully and gave her family a sheepish smile. This earned her a half meant scoff, both from her irritating yet well-beloved husband and adoringly cute youngest, and an understanding chuckle from her eldest.
"So…" Itachi began as they resumed their quiet dinner. "Care to share your networking life, QueenOfFans3?"
Never in Mikoto's life did she imagine herself forcefully spurting the water she was drinking on her husband's face. It was a good thing that her husband could control his emotions well as Fugaku simply wipes the liquid off with an indifferent face.
"I am a bit curious, too." Fugaku suddenly spoke, crossing his arms on his chest as a sign of slight indignation.
To the Uchiha patriarch, seeing his wife alternate her features from grinning and trying to hold her laugh back to sniffing and wiping her tears away is perplexing. Never in their married life had he seen her show different kinds of emotion in just a span of an hour.
Also, really? Queens-of-Fans-3? Even he would've chosen a better name.
He should probably speak with a certain red habanero for infecting his beloved wife.
Mikoto felt like a poor deer caught in a bright spotlight, just when she thought that she'd managed to keep her 'new' hobby in secrecy.
She glanced at the look on her eldest son's face. He sports the same look he'd show when answering a relatively hard math question or when he's fixing a 30x40 cm large puzzle.
Mikoto turned to her youngest son.
Sasuke simply ignored his mother's look. Really, her actions remind him of those rabid fangirls that constantly barrage him at school.
Mikoto knew she had no escape, especially when her youngest did nothing to shield her from their dominating aura. Where had her obedient little boys gone?
Truth be told, Mikoto began her fangirling life when she realized that her two sons no longer needed her 24/7 TLC (which is about time in Sasuke's point of view considering how his mother would literally stalk him to school until recently. He's 16 now, for crying out loud! He's even driving his own car.)
She borrowed Itachi's laptop in the guise of wanting to contact her friends through friendbook. The black haired woman just couldn't fathom that her eldest doesn't keep a stack of porn magazines under his bed. She would've jumped to the conclusion that he was gay if it wasn't for Izumi.
While searching his private files and web history, she accidentally stumbled upon a site called . How yagle seemed to have known her needs and suggested the site to her was downright creepy but Mikoto's not complaining now.
She had been reminiscing the events of her favorite anime show, Taruno, as of late. Wondering what happened to the characters, she began to search for the manga online and marveled at how the story, in fact, is still ongoing. One thing led to another and soon, she had finished the entire manga up to the latest update.
Sasuke was still small when the anime first aired and due to boredom, she watched whatever show her son picked up, never during that time did she ever thought she'd grew to adore the story depicted by 2d animation.
What truly hooked her to the story was the small and vague interactions between the characters named Hana and Daisuke.
When season 2 began, there was a minimal amount of interaction between the two which prompted an emotion that had laid dormant within her for the entirety of her existence.
Her inner fangirl, soon she was craving for more, searching pictures and fan made videos between the two until she stumbled upon the site.
What the canon-story could not give, the faithful authors of the pairing did. Fictions ranging from angst to romance to fantasy filled her days, satisfying her craving of interactions between the pairing.
Soon she began adapting to the site's terminologies and learned that HanSuke, was the proper OTP name for her favorite pairing.
Her life of a lonely housewife was changed. No longer was she bothered by the aching realities of separation anxiety as she soon realized that life simply moved on and she couldn't really chain her dear sons to her hip.
Mikoto didn't realize how she'd been lost to her thoughts until she heard a rather loud cough from her eldest.
"The internet isn't a safe place, mother." Itachi began with Fugaku nodding his head in agreement.
Sasuke continued. "Plus, it's full of foolish people who are too much of idiots to realize that seating inside a cold room staring all day at their computers would never bring their fantasies to life. Not to mention the fans, those rabid beings are too crazy to be considered humans. To them, human rights do not exist as the law does not reach their realm. Let's not forget how it is a place where-"
BANG
Fugaku paused as all the table wares shook from Mikoto's outburst.
"I apologize but I've lost my appetite." She excused before standing up to leave the room. The lady of the house made sure to vocalize her annoyance as she stomped loudly out the large dining room, all the occupants, even the maids terrified of her burning temper.
"Hn." Fugaku sighed, watching his fuming wife leave the room. Sasuke tried hard to hide the guilt on his face but failed.
"You just insulted one of those you call too rabid to be considered a human, otouto"
Sasuke stomped on his brother's feet.
...
Mikoto is beyond furious.
How dare they disrespect her newly found hobby. When Fugaku began to golf, never did she spoke ill against it despite how expensive it was, nor did she force Sasuke to stop his football career despite how dangerous the sport was. Heck, she even sponsored Itachi's basketball team when she heard that they needed the financial help. She'd been a constant support to each and every one of them and now that she finally found something worth her time, they insult her.
None of them would understand the bitter feeling of the unconditional love and loyalty she has for her one true pairing.
Lying on the huge satin king sized bed of her room, or rather her and Fugaku's room, which will solely be her room for the time being. For sure Fugaku knows better than to expect he'll be sleeping with her tonight.
Mikoto knew she was being immature, far from the graceful and understanding façade she would commonly wear.
However, for a long time, she had never felt so young. Two decades ago, marrying young had been a norm for their family. That means, at the age of 16, people expected women to be a proper, elegant and very wife like.
It was disgustingly wrong, she knew, but it was tradition and she didn't really abhor it, if it wasn't for it, she wouldn't have met her now beloved husband, whom she's still angry at.
Thank God, the generations have changed. No longer do they observe this particular culture within the clan.
Still, she felt rob of her teenage years.
Now though, reading made her feel young or at least gave her the sense of young and sincere love.
Her thoughts briefly went to the red-haired niece of her best friend Kushina. Somehow she understood an inkling of what the girl felt for her son, that doesn't mean she likes the girl though. She was too clingy and mean to those who were not her son.
Giving out a long sigh, Mikoto chose to unlock her phone and resumed her interrupted reading.
When her eyes met the black letter on her screen, Mikoto was then again in another world.
A barrage of emotions filled her gut as she continue to read.
Mikoto couldn't help but smile and cry at the emotions the story was giving off. Somehow, the update of her favorite fanfic had dwell on the martyrdom of Hana's unconditional love for Daisuke.
The story eerily reminded her of her own. The AU fic centers on how the two had been trapped into an arranged marriage, with one, Hana, in her kindness of wanting to give the marriage a try, had quickly fell in love with her husband. However, the latter could not be said the same as he kept on denying the budding love he was slowly festering within his heart.
Mikoto went on, immersed in the world.
A few minutes later, her eyes widened.
"What the -!"
….
Sakura was having a rough day.
"I can't believe I had an A on the exam, I was pretty sure I would get an A+." She murmured to herself as she ate.
Mebuki sighed. "Sakura, dear, we can't always be perfect. Look at your dad." She pointed to her husband who was currently watching the t.v. "He never got an A but I still married him."
'But that's the thing', Sakura thought to herself. ,Regardless of what I achieve, Sasuke never notices me. For him, I'm just that dreaded label of a friend.'
Sighing, Sakura finished her food.
"I'll be going upstairs now mom, thanks for dinner." She smiled.
Mebuki simply sighed.
"What's wrong?" Kizashi asked, entering the dining room as he watched his daughter leave.
Mebuki could glared.
….
Click, Click.
With just a few press, Sakura was in her haven again.
Staring at the screen of her laptop, she smiled. 'At least here I'm noticed' She thought bitterly as she open her account in fanfiction.
Glancing at her profile, she noted the (28) next to the Private Message tab. Ignoring the feeling of excitement and comprehension, Sakura clicked to check her mails.
Scrolling down, she smiled as she found one mail that she would surely have the delight of answering to.
From: QueenofFans3
You -! How dare you do that to my dear Hana!
Sakura laughed, oh she was going to have a blast with this one.
How could you?! Making Daisuke cheat on Hana, and her find out just when she was about to tell him she's pregnant! That's a very low blow, dearie. That's a low blow. Please have mercy on my heart. T-T And how could she still be so forgiving? The part where she claims, she'd continue loving? Like, she should leave him and make him realize how much she matters! Ugh, I hate you, but please don't die because I want to know what's next.
Sakura smiled, amused at the antics of her recent favorite reader. QueenofFans3 came to her notice after she'd pointedly corrected her errors, spotting things that her 17 year old mind did not see.
The pink haired girl maybe the top of her class, but Sakura knows she's far from perfect. Especially when writing, it's the reason why she began this hobby, to improve her story telling skills and at the same time contribute to her HanSuke fandom.
Queen-san.
She began typing.
I don't really know how to kindly assure you without disclosing my plans for the fic. Just be patient. I want to convey a message within this story, a far cry from my other ones which are solely based on satisfying my craving of time travel fictions.
And she means it. The reason why she made Hana the way she is in the fic is because she wanted to show that not every problem can be solved by leaving. Which is true. Sakura had witnessed it from her parents.
Her father, who had lost his sister a few years back began drinking and cheating on her mom as a way to let out his grief. Sakura could barely remember a day that wasn't filled with tears and the anxiety of knowing, anytime, her mother could be filing a divorce. But, she didn't.
For all her mother's gusto and antics, Mebuki didn't give up. She could've left anytime, but she remained. She understood her husband, even when Sakura could not, her mother was patient for him when all he did was hurt them. She stayed. So then Sakura did too.
Even when her mother was submissive, she was the strongest, she was the one in control.
When his father woke up and returned to the loving father he had always been, both Sakura and her mother were there, smiling.
"If I had left then." She recalled her mother saying."Then I wouldn't have seen this miracle." They both cried.
Sakura relished at the memory.
She briefly wondered if this was the reason why she had kept holding on to her feelings towards her world's version of Daisuke.
Sending her reply, she returned to typing the next chapter.
She had a fic to update.
….