There's something about her …

… because as she welcomes you—bowing almost a full 45 degrees—it begins.

Your pupils dilate. A chain reaction of physiological processes bulldoze through conscious thought as your ocular muscles loosen, the nerves and chakra pathways shiver and you have to forcibly prevent the activation of your sharingan. (That would be an unforgivable slip and such reactive undisciplined actions were beaten out of you long ago under the kind and thorough tutelage of a certain Sannin.)

At first you're unbalanced—rigid with tension—because your instincts (they start at the base of your spine and end in your fingertips) say run hide fight don'tlookback. It's almost foreign … this disastrous lack of control (the last to inspire it was your brother and no one since has quite measured up ...—although Naruto has come close).

But yes, it would be instantaneous—a simple thing and so so easy … but there's no reason for it. She's such a little thing, barely reaching your shoulders; petite in a way that men who like to validate their superiority find attractive. You can't quite tear your gaze away and a frown darkens your face and tightens your jaw as she leads you to an empty table (back corner facing the door). She must be new. You've never seen her before and yet …

… there's something about her.

You've been told a number of times that your silence can be 'off-putting' ('what's that look for TEME? You brain dead or somethin'?'). But she seems to take it in stride; the teahouse is a popular haunt for Iwa shinobi after all. And if Konoha can take credit for something in your development, it's the ingrained xenophobic prejudice that unfurls in you at the thought of them. They're possibly some of the most inbred shinobi to exist; they go hand in hand with weird kekkai genkai and bizarre manic-like behaviour. (It certainly explains that blonde freak who went kamikaze on your ass).

Your thoughts abruptly stop as she places your order—green tea, rice, tempura—in front of you. You realise that your hands are sweaty as she bows again and hands you your chopsticks. Your eyes follow her hair (dark with the refractive shine of an oyster) as it slips over her shoulder.

Yes, there's something about her.

Then the scent hits you. It's like falling into an orchard … all apple crisp and citrus tang. You distantly realise that you're still awkwardly holding the hand that's passed you the chopsticks and the pounding in your ears and dry mouth are indicators that there's something very wrong about this. And though you're not aware of it, like all Uchiha men presented with some sort of faux pas, you deal with it in the only way you know—you glare at the supposed offender (because the esteemed members of the Uchiha clan can do no wrong).

But you can honestly admit that while you're not quite poleaxed you're a bit stumped when she laughs at you. And oh Kami-sama, her laugh … is like a half-remembered dream. It pierces you like senbon, like kunai, like a bell tolling clear and bright in a cold mountain pass. It sweeps you up up up into soft hands and warm embraces, a once upon a time of older brothers, mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins. And you are thrown face-first (mercilessly) into a time that was good and young and hopeful. It must be a dream you think, no … genjutsu maybe. And finally finally your sharingan swirls into a rhythmic kaleidoscope, but it's real she is real.

And what a terrific torture she is, this woman, this Mirai—a simple waitress is achieving what every trained shinobi/samurai/demon/zombie/god has attempted and failed—she is breaking Uchiha Sasuke.

… the river of love has a reverse flow.
He who floats up will drown (will be lost), and he who drowns will get across.

—Amir Khusro–Hindavi Couplet

A/N:

WC= 640 I was reading an article the other day about adrenaline and the fight-or-flight response. Apparently you can experience an adrenaline rush when falling in love. The brains' levels of the reward hormone dopamine increase, creating a feeling of ecstasy. The brain also signals to the adrenal grands that something exciting is going on. This results in the adrenal glands pumping a surge of adrenaline and noradrenaline into the bloodstream. The adrenaline increases heart and breathing rates, and noradrenaline produces body heat, making people sweat. So it can make you feel euphoric but it also creates a bodily state of anxiety.

So of course I thought it'd be fun to fool Sasuke into thinking he was in some sort of engagement or at least about to be … I think he'd be the sort to confuse love and violence especially with his history. I hope I was able to get that across :)