Quick A/N here: I am most certainly not perfect, so let me know if you find anything grammatically wrong in this story that bothers you to the extreme and I will fix it! And if any of you are awaiting my return to writing HWA, then you are in luck as it is on my mind. Someday soon there shall be an update for it...But, in the meantime, enjoy this little number. :)

Chapter One

"Hey, do you mind reaching that for me? The Fruity-Os box up there on the top shelf." Sakura tried reaching for her favorite multi-colored cereal, but extending herself as far as possible wasn't enough. But she saw movement from the corner of her eye, and without looking she asked the random passerby for assistance.

She was met with silence, which was awkwardly extending past the normal pause for a reaction. She dropped her arm to her side and turned around, coming face to face with the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen.

Feeling stupid, she just stared at him, her mouth slightly open. There was no way that she was really acting like this, was there? This kind of thing only happened in movies, the mysteriously handsome stranger coming to her rescue…

Wait, but he wasn't helping her at all. He stared up at the box and back at her before turning his head the other way.

What?!

"I need help, could you please grab me the box?" she huffed. Handsomeness be damned.

He gave an annoyed grunt before easily reaching up, taking hold of the box before swiftly depositing it in her cart. Right on the bread.

"Hey! Watch it," Sakura raged and righted her grocery cart to her liking. She turned her head to tell him off, but he had already marched away, his back disappearing behind the end of the aisle. "What's his problem?" she grumbled to herself.

Her phone rang then, the familiar tune travelling from her purse to her ears. She shuffled through the bag's contents of receipts, tampons, hair ties, a brush, pens, and yes, more receipts, swearing she just cleaned her purse out, until she found the buzzing, ringing box.

She checked the name before answering and then said, "Hey, Hinata."

"Hey…" Hinata's timid voice came through the phone's speaker. "Naruto's having a party tonight, and I was wondering if you wanted to come to it with me?"

Sakura instantly forgot about Mr. Grumpy and dove into the conversation. "Naruto, eh? The famous Naruto Uzumaki, the one you're so smitten with? So I finally get to meet him then?"

"Well, I guess so...if you put it that way."

Sakura let out a happy squeal and bounced around. She couldn't wait, Hinata had been talking of nothing but this Naruto guy since she started teaching at the high school with him. "Want to come over and get ready before we go?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, he actually lives in your building, so it's perfect."

"Seriously? What floor is he on?" Sakura kept her phone to her ear and put the other hand on the cart to continue her search for groceries.

"He told me he was in 406."

"Huh, he's two floors above me then. Wonder if I've ever run into him in the elevator." Sakura reached out and tossed a package of chicken breasts into her cart. "No, I think I would notice such a loud mouthed blonde with dazzling cerulean eyes, at least if you're description is correct," she joked.

Hinata's pause over the phone made Sakura snicker. The girl was so shy, she couldn't believe that Hinata was gathering the courage to even go to this party tonight. She must really like this Naruto guy.

"Okay, okay, I kid," Sakura relented while reaching out for a package of bread crumbs. "Let me finish shopping and I'll meet you at my place in about an hour."

"Thank you, Sakura." Hinata's smile was easily heard through her voice.

Sakura clicked the end button and raced around the store, not once catching a glimpse of the dark haired asshole from earlier. She didn't know if she was thankful or sad about it. Probably a little of both if she was telling the truth.

Everytime the checker rung up an item, Sakura felt the hit to her bank account. She grew up in a home where money was scarce, so she still had trouble spending any of her hard earned money. And now, it wasn't that she was poor by any means. No, she lived rather comfortably as a receptionist. Sure it wasn't her dream job, but for now it paid the bills. And boy did it ever pay the bills. She had to admit that working for Uchiha Publishing didn't sound like much, but when she walked into the building she couldn't believe her eyes. There was color everywhere, popping wall art and interesting chairs. The carpet had a fun zig-zagging arrow throughout the whole building, stopping right at the head publisher's office, Fugaku Uchiha.

Sakura had never actually met the guy, only seen him in passing. She was only ever in contact with his assistant to help greet clients he was meeting with and the like. Still, Sakura wasn't a complainer.

Plus she loved reading, and being able to have a job being surrounded by books was a dream come true. Living the dream and whatnot.

She stuffed the groceries in her car and moseyed on home.

XXX

"Black or purple?" Sakura called out from within her walk-in closet.

"Which one do you want to wear more?" Hinata answered.

Sakura grabbed both dresses and walked out to show them off. "They aren't for me, they're for you." She rolled her eyes and shook the two hangers in her hands. "I love you, Hinata, you know I do. But you have to change."

Hinata looked down at her clothing. "What's wrong with what I have on?"

Sakura quirked an eyebrow. "That dress looks like it's from the amish country. It's got absolutely no shape! We are going to a party tonight, you are going to talk with Naruto Uzumaki and you will be doing so while showing off your curves. You have a beautiful shape, show it off."

Hinata gazed from the black dress to the purple, really scrutinizing each one. The black one was a skin tight, mid-calf dress that had three quarter sleeves. It had a high neckline, but she wouldn't need to show off cleavage in it to look damn sexy. Sakura knew her friend would go for the purple one though as it was a bit less scandalous as the black. It was more of a lilac color, and had a rose pattern all over it. The v-neck was just low enough to pique interest and the cinched waist hit the whole thing out of the park.

Sakura gave herself a mental pat on the back when Hinata reached for the purple one.

"Will you wear the black one then?" Hinata asked as she stood up from her perched spot on Sakura's bed.

"Nope, I just wanted to see your reaction to it!" Sakura couldn't help but to giggle as she put the dress back in the closet. "I'll just wear some nice jeans and a shirt."

"How come I'm getting so dressed up then?" Desperation began to color Hinata's features.

"Because it never hurts to wear a pretty dress. Plus, you have your eyes on someone at this party, I don't have an agenda so I'm going with comfort over pizazz."

Sakura took out her favorite pair of jeans and shimmied into them. Reaching for the white shirt she was going to wear, the top was lace and just when it hit the collarbone it flowed down to the hips in a fun, loose way, Sakura heard her phone beep, signalling a text.

The shirt fell over Sakura's shoulders easily as she followed the chiming sound to her bedside table. She picked the phone up and saw the screen was lit up with none other than her ex-boyfriend Sai's text saying, "Hey, can we talk?"

"Nooo," Sakura moaned and threw her phone onto her pillow.

Hinata tupped her way in from the hallway bathroom now wearing the floral dress. "What's wrong?"

"Sai just called me."

For a moment, Hinata looked unsure of what to do, what to say. She settled on reaching out her arms and beckoning Sakura in for a hug. To which Sakura gladly accepted.

"I don't understand why he thinks he can just do that. Just talk to me like it's no big deal," Sakura mumbled into Hinata's shoulder.

"I know," Hinata cooed warmly, comforting Sakura through another Sai related meltdown.

Sakura was tired of this. She'd go around all fine, but then a memory of her and Sai going apple picking or dancing at a family wedding or cuddling up on the couch would pop into her brain. It's been two months since he broke up with her and all she wants to do is move on, but now he's forcing his way in again. Even with this little text, it brings it all back up.

She could feel the corners of her eyes being to sting, and she quickly pulled away from Hinata to fan her face. She would not cry over him anymore.

Hinata still stared at her, Sakura could see her worry through her waving hands.

"I'm okay, or I will be okay anyway," Sakura admitted. "Thank you for always helping me."

Hinata gave a kind smile. "Anytime."

Sakura didn't know what she would do without Hinata. The two had been friends since childhood, bonding over getting picked on by the other kids in their class. But a few years in, Sakura grew a tough skin and wouldn't let the other kids bully them any longer. This was their relationship, Sakura was strong, Hinata was quiet. And she had to admit, it threw Sakura off a lot now that the roles were reversed for once. But Hinata had taken up that strong mantle like it was nothing, holding Sakura up when she couldn't do it herself. And slowly coaxing Sakura out of her sad bubble to where she was finally feeling normal again.

Sakura shook her head and very pointedly decided to not look at her phone for the rest of the night, even opting to leave it behind in her apartment all together.

"All right, we better get a move on if we don't want to be late," Sakura attempted to bring the lightness back into her voice.

"We don't have to go, you know," Hinata offered.

Sakura shook her head. There was no way she was ruining this night for Hinata. "We are going, and we are going now."

She gave Hinata a gentle nudge to turn her around and then continued to push her out her apartment door. Sakura grabbed her keys from the key bowl before shutting the door and locking it behind her.

The elevator was taking its time reaching them, but then Sakura saw why when it finally arrived at her floor. It was packed with people. Sakura recognized none of them, well all except for Hinata's cousin Neji, but Hinata began rattling off names in greeting: Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Ten Ten, Lee, and of course Neji.

The two joined them in the elevator. Sakura smiled at the group. "Do you all work with Hinata then?"

The guy with the bad haircut and bushy eyebrows answered her, making sure to squeeze his way past everyone in order to be next to her.

"Yes, that is correct! My name is Lee, who might you be?"

Sakura was taken aback a bit by his enthusiasm, but still said, "My name is Sakura." He seemed nice enough.

"It is wonderful to meet you-" Lee was cut off when the elevator door opened and the group moved out automatically. Sakura gave him a quick smile but turned to walk down the hall, following a guy with a spiky ponytail who was lazily talking with a chubbier set man already munching on a bag of potato chips.

Ponytail guy knocked a few times and the group waited to be let in. Beyond the door, Sakura could make out "Sasuke, get off your lazy ass and get the door!" Then there was an indistinguishable low growl that she couldn't make out before the same booming voice replied. "I'm making ramen, I can't leave, this is time sensitive stuff!"

A few seconds went by before the door opened inward. The group began filing in one by one, but then Sakura was pulled aside by Lee.

"I know we just met, but I just wanted to tell you how beautiful you are!"

"Uhh...thanks." This guy was giving her the creeps. The only thing that was keeping her from not punching him in the nose was the fact that he was invited to this party, so he must be normal enough to be in the same group of friends as Hinata and Neji. "We should go in now."

Before Lee could utter another word, Sakura turned and practically sprinted inside. But, she pulled up suddenly, unable to take another step as she was face to face with the rude, handsome stranger from the grocery store. He was the one who opened the door for everyone, his hand was still on the handle, and his eyes roved over her in bored recognition.

"You!" Sakura shouted and pointed her finger at him.

"Me," he replied, his smooth voice wrapping itself around her in a velvet blanket she never wanted to be untangled from.

But that's besides the point.

Sakura didn't think about it, she just asked him outright, "Why are you such an ass?!"