Disclaimer: I don't own anything to Naruto. This is just an alternate universe fan fic. NaruSaku.
Table for Two
Chapter 1 – Alone on Valentines Day
Sakura
I'm rather amazed at myself. I managed to somehow snag a date with the great Sasuke Uchiha. After many of my childhood years spent crushing on him finally my annoying persistence paid off.
It was Thursday night. My shift was over at the hospital. Like usual I head to the bar, to see him. Usual he's in a back room with some of his "friends", but he slips away from them often to "go to the bathroom".
I know I'm like every other girl in this damn city that likes him. My heart skips a beat when he walks by. His movements, even his smell have captured me. He smells like some kind of soap, one that works great for him. If some other guy tried it they would fail. I just know that when he slips away from his friends and walks by me I contemplate bumping into him and spilling my drink.
Just an accident, but it would capture his attention, even if only for a minute.
So the day before Valentines Day I watch him slip away from his friends like always.
Time to set something in motion I think. I walk over and he goes a different direction today. Curious I follow him. He unconsciously leads me down a crowded hall up crowded stairs and up to a surprisingly empty balcony.
I take a deep breath in. Walking out after him is hard to do. My heart is beating so fast I wonder, briefly, if he can hear it too.
For a moment I chickened out. I went to turn around but his smooth voice was carried over a gentle breeze. I froze. He spoke to me.
"Sakura," it was all he said. I had no clue he even knew my name. I turned around and he was leaning against the railing. The sky so starry behind him. His dark eyes locked right one me. I could feel my face getting hot.
I moved closer, was I supposed to say something to him?
"You know my name?" Great conversation starter there Sakura!
He nodded. So I understood it was up to me.
"Sasuke," I didn't know how to begin so I was just gonna say it. "What are you doing for Valentines Day?"
"Hmm..." he seemed deep in thought. Suddenly he was standing right before me. He was taller by only a few inches but it seemed taller for a moment. "I was just going to stay home."
He gave a weak smile.
"Well," I tried to think quickly of something smooth to come up with about Valentines Day. "If you don't want to spend it alone, uh, you could do something with me..."
I tried to be brave and look him in the eyes. I felt weak, shaky.
"Be at Apple-bee's Valentine's Day night at 7," he said.
"At night?" as soon as it was said I wanted to hit my head againt the brick wall behind me. Even more so when he laughed at me.
"Of course," he smiled. "I'll be there. I'll make reservations for two under Uchiha. Be there."
My mind had to have imagined the wink at the end. I felt lightheaded after that.
That's how I ended up sitting here. Alone. Half hour after seven. My mind and heart feared he wasn't showing. The waiter was nice, he came back frequently to check up on me.
Naruto
It was sad really. Here was this girl I've seen many times in my life before and she's sitting alone tonight. I always wanted to talk to that girl. Mostly because at first I saw the pink hair and thought it was really cool. No girl walks around with pink hair.
I spotted her once leaving the hospital at night, name tag pinned to her white coat. Sakura, such a beautiful name. So what is this beautiful pinkette with outstanding green eyes doing at Apple-bee's sitting alone and looking sad?
"Neji," I elbowed him repeated in the ribs until he turned to glare at me.
"What!?" he whispered loudly. "I'm working here!"
"When did that girl get here?" I got to the point.
"Which one?" he asked through gritted teeth. I was getting on this guys very thin nerves.
"The one that's sad and lonely looking. The pink haired girl," I specified. "Was she supposed to meet someone?"
He sighed. "Let me look."
Not a minute later he looked up.
"Kinda sad," his piercing gaze looked at her. "She arrived under the reservation for two under Uchiha. Apparently the other never showed up half an hour later."
I must have looked odd to him. My mouth had dropped open like I was in a cartoon. I quickly closed it. "Has anyone called the phone number available on the reservation contact?"
"Do I look like I have time for that Naruto?!" Neji snapped. "I've customers to serve, hurry and get going!"
I did my best to copy the number down, I'd call later and give him a piece of my mind. The name sounded familiar. She looked familiar, kind of like the first time I saw her. It was that pink hair. I could have sworn I saw a girl sometime before then with pink hair. It's hard to forget something like that.
For now I'd settle for calling the guy who had the nerve to stand this girl up.
I waited until the opportune moment and went out back. Shikamaru, our manager, was outside already.
"What are you up to Naruto?" he opened his sleepy eyes.
"Uh, gotta make an important call," I said quickly. "I'll go behind the dumpster so I don't bother you."
"Whatever," he sighed. "Just make it quick, I'd hate to have to cover for you."
I nearly laughed at that. Shikamaru, smart guy, but lazy. I took out my phone and dialed the number. The phone rang three times and a voice finally came on.
"Yo," he answered. He sounded like he was missing nothing.
"Did you have reservations at Apple-bee's tonight with a pink haired woman?" I got right to the point.
"Hmm..." he sounded deep in thought before he answered. "Oh yes, I believe I did make reservations."
"Aren't you coming?!" I nearly shouted.
"Why should I?" he asked nonchalantly, which was making me mad.
"Because there is a very lonely woman sitting there waiting for her date," I said as coolly as I could muster.
"I've left my credit card number with the reservations, tell her to get whatever she wants one me," he laughed lightly. "Maybe she'll meet some other loser alone tonight and finally stop stalking me."
"Whatever man," I said. "She's not that type. I went to school with her, I went to school with you too Sasuke Uchiha. You're still that womanizing jerk. It's sad. I'm going to ask that after tonight you don't take your services to Apple-bee's any more. Good day Uchiha."
I hung up and went to go back inside.
Sakura
This was hell. Here I was waiting. There had to be some reasonable explanation for him being fifty minutes late. I was on the verge of tears. All around me, at nearly every table is some couple. What had I done to deserve such a hell.
All I wanted was this one date. One date. He was fully capable of saying no more, i'd respect that, because he'd have given me a chance. This wasn't even that. Who knows where he was. But here I was, this sad pathetic woman all alone in a restaurant surrounded by these happy couples.
What had I been thinking?
I didn't realize I was crying until the blond waiter that had been checking up on me frequently was standing in front of my table. I wiped furiously at the tears, horribly embarrassed at being caught.
"Sakura," he said softly, he sounded sad too. I wonder if he was having a crappy night too. "Mind if I eat with you?" He looked down at me with those big blue eyes that were smiling, along with this big kind smile that looked slightly goofy on his face.
"You know my name?" Again Sakura, way to sound smart. This was just how it started out with Sasuke too, look where that got you.
"Yeah, of course I do," he smiled as he slide into the booth across from me. He took off his apron and sat it down beside him. "We went to school together."
A memory sparked. "Konoha Private School!"
"Yeah!"
"You were in my history class," I recalled. "You were always looking out the window. I remember because I hated when you actually tried to pay attention in class. Your head got in the way of my notes. Well, your hair did."
Naruto laughed. "I managed somehow to pass."
"I think it was Iruka-sensei that helped you pass," I pointed out. "That teacher hated failing anyone. It was his goal to get everyone to graduate."
"It's good to see you smile Sakura," the way he said it made it sound like it was a wonderful thing. It made me blush.
I had to change the subject, this was dangerous territory for me.
"That, uh, that looks like the ties we had to wear at school," I poked fun at him. I could have sworn that for a moment he looked crestfallen. I felt bad. Naruto was always nice, but I don't know how much more hope that lead to disappointment my heart could take.
"It is, I happened to be the right color so it worked," he went along with it. "Why don't we order something."
His smile was back, so I smiled.
"Why not," I said, suddenly feeling much better.
"I'll buy," he said happily. "Order anything and everything your heart desires!"
"I couldn't," I could have him spending so much on me. I was quite hungry and all but I wasn't a pig.
"I insist!"
Naruto
I know I messed up. The second I said it I felt like it felt wrong to say. I could see the hurt on her face, the disappointment, and the tears.
We'd just gotten done eating when she thanked me. She patted her belly and looked content.
"It's good to see you smile Sakura," I said for the second time tonight. This time she laughed, and I laughed along with her.
"Thanks Naruto," she patted the hand I had on the table. She let her fingers linger for a moment but pulled them away as soon as I said that stupid thing.
"Well someone had to sit down with ya, I mean you looked so lonely it was sad," I knew that was a bad thing. Not only should I have not brought it up but the way I said it sounded horribly like I was saying she was some charity case. She may not have caught the teasing in my voice in her fragile state. We'd already covered how she was upset about being stood up by him.
After the little flirting I had done, I just ruined it. I liked that pink haired girl and now I said something that made it sound like I didn't cared, but I did.
She had that pretty pink dress that matched her hair. It swayed as she turned and I swear the whole time she walked away I felt like the world's biggest jerk.
"Neji," I grabbed his sleeve as he walked by. "I made a mistake."
"Yeah, you ate with her and she ran off," he nearly laughed. "Now you have to pay for it all."
I wanted to hit him in the face, so I settled for pinching his upper arm on the back. He squealed like a girl for a second. He glared, rubbed the hurt part and walked away. Tenten passed and laughed as she went to poke her fun at Neji for the night too.
That night I went to bed and prayed. If there was anyone out there who cared at all, please let me have the chance to make it right with her.
So I had this idea after going out to eat. I wanted to expand on it. Reviews are welcomed.
