A/N: Okay, well I had a couple ideas, and when my sister brought up this fact she got off of shampoo bottle, I thought it'd be funny to write about lol. I originally had a fic called The Number Four written solely for the purpose of being Shut up's sequel, but this can be considered a stand alone, or its sequel. Either one. Anyway, This is ridiculously short, 1200 some worded, and I hope, somewhat humorous. I wrote it today, so if it seems a little rushed, that's why. Review after you read! If I get enough, I'll most likely post up another one. While you're at it, send me ideas. I'm horrible when it comes to thinking up a plot.
Disclaimer: All I've got to say is that I own nothing of Naruto.
The Average Difference
"I've gotta go," Sakura swung her messenger bag over her shoulder and took off. "See you guys at dinner!"
"Stupid girl," Sasuke breathed out softly. "Her shift doesn't start for an hour."
"Why do you know that?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow, amused. "Is it cause you two are dating? Or is it because you're just obsessive?"
Sasuke shot Naruto a heated glare and turned on his heel to head towards the training grounds.
"You're different, teme," Naruto thought about what to say next. "You're soft now. Mushy, even. Sometimes."
"Say that again, to anyone, and you'll lose your precious teeth." Sasuke's fist curled uncontrollably by his side.
"I think it started with that one incident four months ago…" Naruto waited for Sasuke's attention, which never showed its head. "The one where you nearly killed her. Is that right?"
Sasuke just pointedly ignored him and continued on his way.
Naruto stifled an unmanly giggle and followed clumsily after his best friend.
—
"Good morning!" Sakura cheerfully waved to the guard at the doors of the off-limits Konoha medical library.
"Morning, Sakura-san," the guard lazily saluted her and sent a lopsided smile.
"How are things, Takashi-kun?"
"Great. Been taking it easy?"
Everyone working around her could tell that it took an enormous amount of energy and chakra to pull of the surgical procedures that were appointed to her.
"Yeah, sort of." Sakura sighed and brightened up again. "I talked to Tsunade-shisou about your vacation. Looks like it'll be a three week break for you."
"That's great," he sighed thankfully. "I can't wait."
The Konoha Medical Library was in the same building the public library was, though it was in the forbidden branch. Forbidden to regular citizens, anyway. It occupied the third story was rarely had any visitors.
Sakura stopped in her tracks. "Hey, Takashi-kun. How old are you?"
Surprised at the sudden shift in subject, Takashi stumbled over his words. "T-Twenty-five."
"And your girlfriend, Erin?"
"Twenty." Takashi sent an uneasy look to her.
"That's cool. Sorry." Sakura swept a hand through her locks. "Survey purposes."
He shrugged, seemingly accepting the answer. But not fast enough to say good-bye to the teen that practically ran off to close the heavy oak doors behind her, sealing herself in the room surrounded by books for the remainder of the hour.
Sakura was surprised he couldn't tell she was lying through her teeth.
—
"How old are you and your spouse, Usaki-san?" Sakura nibbled at her silver, metallic pen while she looked over her patient's paperwork before they left.
"Thirty-seven and I'm thirty-one."
"I thought so," Sakura nodded her head affirmatively and waved goodbye.
Shizune rounded the corner to meet her before she could escape into the lounge. She'd obviously been eavesdropping. Sakura would have to close the door more. "That was the sixth time you asked a patient for their age. Don't you have it in your records?"
So Shizune was suspicious. No matter. "I don't feel like looking." Baadd lie.
"And on top of that, you asked for their partner's age as well…"
"Curiosity is never gratified with me," Sakura shrugged a shoulder tiredly. It was five o'clock already?
"Wanna talk about something, Sakura?" Shizune handed her a foam cup of steaming hot tea and gave her a worried look.
"No. Not today. Maybe later."
That was her usual response to whatever she was asked nowadays. Like she was hiding something and had to refuse three times to get someone off her back.
"Okay. But I expect an explanation before the weekend is here. Otherwise, I'll go to the drunk lady upstairs," Shizune threatened.
Of course, she meant Tsunade. But she wasn't upstairs. Hopefully. That was the floor that had the emergency patients waiting for their imminent deaths to wash over them.
Sakura off-handedly waved her hand and went to depart the hospital for the day. With three human biology books in hand.
—
"Sasuke?"
"What?"
Dinner had gone well. Normal, except for the fact that Sakura was oddly placid and subdued.
"I was thinking…" Sakura bit her lip, scared of what he might say.
"Yeah?" he prompted her.
Sakura was already standing. Sasuke stood as well, after seeing her jump up so abruptly.
"Maybe we should see other people," There. The words were out. Maybe a little less gracefully than she wanted…
Sasuke gawked at her for a couple seconds. His chopsticks clattered to the floor, with resounding echoes. "What?"
"Yeah…" She turned and fiddled with the silky red bow on her waist. It was big. Maybe she'd have to change that later tonight. "Before it gets out of hand, don't you think?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Sasuke whirled her around to look at him, but her eyes kept darting around him, as if to avoid any eye contact. His fingers dug into her shoulders briefly before he forcibly relaxed them. "What brought this on?"
She mumbled something incoherently and scratched at her temple sheepishly.
"Speak up."
"Did you know the average difference for a bride and groom is 5.3 years?" Sakura blurted out, loud-voiced.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "And?"
"I was talking to a bunch of the people at the hospital," her glazed eyes dropped down to her feet, which were also fidgeting nervously. "And most of them were couples anywhere from four to eight years apart in age."
"So what?" Sasuke appeared to be very dense in these kinds of situations.
Sakura huffed impatiently. "That means since you and I are essentially the same age, you have a better chance of dying before me."
That's what all that meant? Sasuke didn't think so before.
"Everyone dies, Sakura. You of all people should know that," Sasuke said somewhat gently.
"I don't want to be alone," Tears choked her throat and made her sniffle.
The damned Uchiha just shrugged indifferently and said, "So you can commit suicide and follow me to the grave. When the time comes."
Sakura glowered. "You insensitive baboon. Maybe we should break up!"
"Stop saying that!" Sasuke threw a hand over her mouth, making her shriek momentarily. She didn't struggle, however. Guess she knew he'd never hurt her, physically. "All this talk of breaking up is pissing me off. What'd I do to deserve this?" Sasuke muttered angrily. He used a free hand to tug a cluster of his own hair in a frustrated manner and looked down at her again.
He took a quick moment to pick through his thoughts and put things together. "Look, I don't care about how old we are. Age doesn't matter, so long as we're…happy…right?"
It seemed tough for him to drag the words out, and Sakura wanted to choke him with a hug to show how cute he looked. Sasuke even tried putting on a smile. Just for her.
If she'd been the fan girl she was five years ago, she might have squealed.
She ripped his hand off her mouth and smiled victoriously, "Fine. I'll drop this age difference thing permanently if you do one thing for me."
"What…"
"Drop this book off for me."
She tossed him a rather fat and girly looking book and pranced away to leave his property. The ogre of a book had a title that made his eye twitch uncontrollably.
How to dump a guy who doesn't know how to take NO for an answer.
And he didn't even have to correct this fairy tale idea of hers that they were going to end up married.