summary: Like a spell, he spiraled into one of his own cliché romances.

notes: I know I said I wouldn't update until my exams were finished, but I found out last night that today was Sasuke's birthday and I absolutely couldn't miss it! -anime freak- This'll be approximately three chapters, excluding this prologue. I think. A short, plotless, fluffy romance. Sort of. :)

This'll be dedicated to xx. false - deception, because she's been there for me from the start. We both love writing, and we both love music. It works. (She has me on alerts, but I don't know if she'll even read it. Her loss. ;)

.prologue— E-flat major

In the modern-day world, the most important thing in a good piece of writing was the perfect balance of being generic and being original. Not many were able to find this balance.

One of the few that had was Uchiha Sasuke.

This man was known for his enticing words written on paper of heartbreaking and breathtaking romances in the most unique ways. Perhaps a regular high school student going out with a senior, only to have been an undercover hitwoman to kill her boyfriend. Or an uptight businesswoman meeting a handsome man on the subway, only to find out that he was the son of the leader of the yakuza. They were all so cliché, but Uchiha Sasuke always managed to make it incredible.

But his next novel—what was it going to be about?

That was what Sasuke wanted to know, too.

x

The quirks of being a writer was that he could set his own work hours.

Sasuke sat for two hours straight, staring at the blaring screen of his laptop until the early morning.

Lawyers. Dancers. Swimmers. Police officers. He'd done it all. There was nothing more to write about.

He fell asleep to a blank document for the fifth night in a row.

x

A spark. That was all that was needed to start a fire.

All he needed was a tiny wisp of an idea, and there'd bound to be a new novel out within months.

He visited his local Starbucks with his laptop, a steaming black coffee with two creams and no sugar sitting beside it. He hadn't been here in weeks—he was too busy with family "get-togethers" (which were really just parties hosted by his family's corporation; Sasuke was the only one who had decided not to follow in their footsteps) and spending "quality time" with his self-proclaimed best friend, Uzumaki Naruto—but it felt nice to be in a familiar setting again.

Until something not so familiar happened.

The bell tinkled in the quiet coffee shop as a girl walked in with a guitar case in hand. She had light pink hair that caught everyone's attention—Sasuke's included. She marched right up to the cashier and said a few quiet words. The cashier headed to the back of the shop, and a minute later, Hyuuga Hinata, who Sasuke knew as the manager, came out. The two women spoke a few words before the pink-haired woman pulled over a chair from an empty table, set down her guitar case, and opened it.

It was one of the oddest things Sasuke had ever seen. He had come across a fair number of guitarists in his life—most of them assertive, obnoxious bastards—but this girl was just…weird.

(It wasn't often that he couldn't find the right word to describe something, and it unnerved him.)

He wasn't knowledgeable when it came to guitars—or music in general, really—so he had no idea what the girl was doing when she plucked each string on her guitar with a pick and turned certain pegs at the end of the…handle thing. But then her left hand moved over the handle and her fingers pressed the strings with familiarity and she began to play.

Sasuke had no idea what she was doing. Because, really, who the hell randomly played the guitar in Starbucks?

He was surprised when he recognized the song. It was one of his favorites back when he was a child.

When that was done, she launched into another song—jazzier, less mellow—and smiled when the people within the coffee shop applauded her performance. She played a number of songs—none of which were popular—and Sasuke turned back to his laptop and drank his coffee, hoping the new background music would stir up some ideas in his mind.

Five minutes passed. Then ten. Twenty. Finally, the sound of the guitar and the woman's voice stopped, and he turned around, breath hitching.

Her music didn't stir up ideas. But she did.

She was packing up when he strode up to her, business card at the ready.

"Excuse me," he said, clearing his throat. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke." She was bent over, placing her pick and whatnot back in its proper spot in her case, and she looked up at him, messily tucking a lock of pink hair behind her ear.

"Hi," she said, smiling. "I'm Haruno Sakura." She straightened up and accepted his card, shaking his hand. Then she paused, and blinked.

Sasuke blinked, too.

"Wait." After another moment, her eyes widened. "You're Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Yes," he said uncertainly. "I believe that's what I said just moments prior."

Her grin widened. "You're one of my favorite authors," she explained to him excitedly. (At this, he reconsidered his decision—because he certainly didn't want to spend too much time with an overenthusiastic fan—but this opportunity was too good to pass, so he brushed it off.) "Can I have an autograph?"

A smirk tugged at his lips. "Is that necessary?"

Her brow furrowed, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I would like you to be the main character of my next novel," he said, voice clipped and business-like. "Provided, of course, that you have the time and patience."

If possible, her eyes seemed to bulge out of their eye sockets. "Are you serious?" she asked, flabbergasted. "I'd be—I'd be honored!"

"I'm glad you feel that way."

Actually, Sasuke wasn't feeling too shabby himself anymore, either. After nearly two weeks of not finding a new inspiration, it tended to be rather frustrating. Writing was his way of expressing himself, because, even he had to admit, he had a lack of human contact. It wasn't healthy, but it wasn't as if he was going to do anything about it.

When Sakura's guitar was packed and she held the case in her hand, she was grinning brightly. "I never thought I'd ever meet you in person—I mean, you never hold autographing functions, and rumors are that you rarely go out, too. I'm—I'm excited. I'm sorry." Sasuke frowned. She'd better not get too annoying, or else he'll just have to make up her character.

"Do you have some time?" He gestured towards his laptop at his lonely table. "I'd like to discuss how this will work."

She checked her watch. "Yeah, I think I'm free for the next little while."

He smirked. "Good."

x

After typing for a moment on his laptop, Sasuke looked at Sakura. "Let me confirm this," he said. "Your name is Haruno Sakura, you're twenty-four, pink is your natural hair color, and you like umeboshi onigiri. You're studying to become a doctor, but you enjoy playing music on the side."

"That's pretty much it." She sipped at her Strawberries and Cream frappuccino happily. "And I like sweets."

He added that to his notes.

"And what about you?" He raised an eyebrow at her, and she rolled her eyes. "You know about me, but I only know you by name. Introduce yourself."

"My character is not necessary in the book."

"I feel uncomfortable working with someone I don't know." Sakura frowned. He couldn't help but notice the way her bottom lip pouted—it'd prove to be important information later. Being observant was one of his fortes. "C'mon. Tell me about yourself."

He scowled. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I'm twenty-three."

"You're twenty-three? You look so—so old!" He glared at her. "Oh. Sorry. Please continue."

"I like tomatoes," he finished stiffly. This girl had a loud mouth—almost as bad as Naruto. Only for a couple of months, he told himself. Until his novel was finished—then he'd be finished with her, too.

"Really," she said incredulously.

"Really."

"Tomatoes are disgusting."

"I find that highly offensive."

She giggled, leaning back in her seat. He cocked an eyebrow, but she just shook her head. "You're interesting, Sasuke-san. I'm looking forward to working with you."

He was tempted to frown again, because he wasn't all that excited.