[A/N] Hello, love! Thank you for stumbling to my story. I know the premise might be a bit overrated but I'm a sucker for romance. I'm keeping it light and fluffy because my heart can't take angst and drama at the moment (have you guys read Gaiden!?) so yeah. Let me know what you think. First story since forever so just take it easy okay?

Never Changing

Chapter 1

She poked her head out in the window as the cab steadily wound through traffic in the highway. With wind in her hair and sunlight on her skin, she smelled spring and a fresh new beginning. She finally moved in Konoha after living all her life in Ame – a town famous for water resorts and gorgeous beaches; which ironically is known for their all year summer-like weather contrary to its name. Even for 20 years of living in the same town, graduating with the same friends; she couldn't stop the grin from spreading on her face. Looking outside, something caught in her eye and her grin turned to the biggest smile she ever had since landing in Konoha. A huge billboard of a magazine cover featuring a good looking man towering over small buildings and other ads:

Leaf Weekly: MAN OF THE HOUR – UCHIHA SASUKE – Hottest and most Successful Bachelor… in the whole Fire country!?

Good looking doesn't even cover how handsome he looks like, she thinks. Uchiha Sasuke was wearing a white dress shirt – a few buttons left opened – in his crisp dark blue suit effectively giving a sophisticated, corporate but excitingly handsome vibe off him. He wasn't smiling, in reality he looks devoid of any emotions. His pose involved lazily standing in what looks like a white background but he still managed to look like a divine being gracing the cover. Divine. Maybe that's what he looks exactly like.

Uchiha Sasuke is always looking strikingly handsome even in photos that supposedly have him look anything but. She remembers reading through newspaper articles about him and his business; his family affairs, his likes, dislikes, dating life, academic years, and the like. He grew up with the paparazzis always hot on his heels, the world constantly fascinated with his aloof and cool demeanor. He could probably blame it on his family's business empire or his good looking inherited genes but somehow she knew that he doesn't think of it that way.

Ever since she first met him that day on the beach 14 years ago, she can't take her eyes off of him. It may border to downright creepy but she always prided herself to be a proud, adoring fan. She collected magazine articles, snipped photos from newspapers and tabloids, and had even read the memoir his mother wrote just to see if there are references about him written. People think she was obsessed - she probably was – but in her heart she knew she loves him. Even in just a fleeting moment of meeting in a cliché sunset beach shore, she never felt her heart beat faster than it did that day.

She smiled at Uchiha Sasuke's billboard, looking straight into his onyx eyes, she says, "Uchiha Sasuke-kun. I will give you all the love you need."

Haruno Sakura knows that loving him is going to be easy. She's been doing that for 14 years now. She came prepared with her heart on her sleeve, resolve and luggages packed, and flew to Konoha.

It was definitely a good start. Or so she thinks.

He fought down the sigh that threatened to escape his lips for the nth time since the meeting started. Seated in the center of a long mahogany table with the executives of his company, with his arms propped on the table, chin resting on his folded hands – he looks as if he was concentrated on the meeting, wherein reality he tried to listen to the conversation around him just to alleviate the boredom he felt.

"… We have to make drastic measures to please the clients! The stats from this month are not looking so good especially with the inflation," a dark-haired man bordering in his 40's said.

"What would you propose we do?" a woman with blazing red hair asked the man.

"Image change! The company needs a little support from the consumers and when we have people's attention, we have clients."

"How do you suppose to change the company's image?"

"Make a new project! Do more charity! People are excited about knowing our company's efforts in making the world a better place."

"It's not as easy as you make it sound, Tachibana-san."

"We just need a new wave of fresh air, fresh ideas…" said Tachibana-san.

From there on, Sasuke stopped listening and shifted his eyes on the window in his right. He looked to the adjacent building to their office and caught a few birds fly. He knew he should be listening since this is an important executive meeting and he can't afford to make another mistake much less his brother apprehend him again.

Ever since he got his share of stocks in the company, his older brother, Itachi, has always been on constant vigil on his every move. Sasuke felt like Itachi's preying on him to make a first blunder on his company debut. And blunder he did. The first time Sasuke made an error, the whole company almost lost its major client. How would he know that the girl he rejected was the daughter of the company's chairman? Just his luck, of course. Imagine his surprise when little miss daddy's girl barged into the meeting smirking at his direction and cutely – not remotely close to it – demanded her father to not sign the renewal of contracts.

Itachi did not waste any time and jumped aboard to save Sasuke. After a few gruesome hours of convincing, negotiating, and a promise of a dinner date of a certain young onyx-eyed lad to his daughter, the partner caved in and ended the meeting with a boisterous laugh and a firm handshake. Sasuke knew right then that Itachi has this smug look on his face by saving his little brother's – and the family's – business.

"I hope this serves as a lesson for next time, otoutou," said Itachi as he gathers his files, ready to leave the conference room.

"I can handle it on my own," Sasuke retorted furiously.

"So it seems. Next time, when you handle it on your own as you stated it, try not to lose the partner we had ever since you're a child," Itachi replied cooly. He left Sasuke in the room to ponder on his thoughts.

Since then, he started to get wary – if he already didn't – of the girls approaching him. It isn't his style to be polite, like his brother, to every girl that tried to show off their chests in the process. He never really liked girls. His best friend, Naruto, always find that fact humorous if not weird. Naruto even asked him if he was straight. That one horrifying night when Naruto brought Sasuke to a gay bar and he almost – almost – killed Naruto for even thinking he "swings that way" as he so casually mentioned. It was a lesson Naruto learned the hard way.

He does appreciate girls. He finds them extremely annoying but some of them are just relatively attractive. He was never attracted to a girl before. Wait, hold that thought. He did find someone attractive, but it was more or less 15 (or was it 16?) years ago in a beach. His family was on a vacation in a remote beach they privately owned. Sasuke, being an adventurous child, strayed off the property and followed the long beach line. His discovery of new landscapes and people made him walked a little farther using a stick to drag with him. Sasuke was looking at his tiny feet sinking in the sand and marvels at how amazing sand feels between his toes. He stopped abruptly as he heard a faint sound of scuffle and looked ahead. Instead of finding an empty beach shore, he saw one of the most gorgeous creatures he ever laid his eyes on - with pretty braided hair, yellow sundress, and piercing emerald eyes. He thought that his heart stopped beating right at that moment. Sasuke walked towards the enchanting person before him and the girl finally took notice of him. She smiled a dazzling white smile that put his entire body feeling warm and fuzzy. It was foreign to him. He never felt warm and fuzzy, only when his mother is with him during stormy nights armed with his favorite dinosaur to put him to sleep.

"Hi, are you new here?" she said and looked at him straight in the eye. Her voice sounded like tiny bells ringing in his ears. Unconsciously, he finds it a nice blend of music he hasn't heard from anything let alone anyone.

"…" it's not new that Sasuke is quiet but he found this feeling speechlessness less appealing at the moment. He doesn't even know how to respond or what to do.

"Do you want to play?" she asks and he takes note that she's holding a small toy pail and a plastic red shovel.

"…Sure." He finally says.

"Great! I'm building a castle! But I don't want a princess in that castle, I want a shinobi! Do you know what a shinobi is?" she says as if she hasn't just met him a few minutes prior their meeting.

"You like ninjas?" he suddenly finds himself asking the girl because it was rare for girls to like boyish stuff. He actually likes ninjas and plays with Itachi sometimes about throwing kunais and shurikens around their home.

"Yeah! What's wrong with that? My mommy always says that I can be who I want to be and I want to be a ninja! Ninjas are so cool they have cute shooorie-shoo-shuuur-" she struggles saying the last word. Sasuke finds this struggle too cute and smirks at her face as she scrunches up her nose and huffs at the word.

"…whatever, but that's what I want!" she finishes.

They played all afternoon until Sasuke sees the sun about to set and he knows he has to go back before his mother sends a squad of bodyguards to look for him (he knows because his mother already did when he went on a little adventure in Europe before). So he says his goodbye and hopes that he will get to meet her again tomorrow.

"Wait!" she cries at his retreating figure.

He looks back at her and he finds her stunningly beautiful form drenched in the twilight glow. He raises an eyebrow, not trusting his voice because he knows his words will fail him again.

"What's your name?"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Well, Sasuke-kun, can we play again tomorrow? I'd love to play Ninja with you again!" she grins and he can't help but smile back in return.

"Sure."

"I'll see you tomorrow then!"

She runs off and before he walks down his own path to their beach, he stops, turns around too quickly almost giving him a whiplash and shouts, "What's your name?!"

The girl looks back at him and smiles the most beautiful smile he has seen all day.

"My name is –"

"UCHIHA-SAN!"

Sasuke blinks back into reality and looks at the people present at his table. They were all looking at him and silently judging him for not even paying attention to a crucial matter at hand.

"What." He dumbly asks, although it sounds like a statement.

"We were thinking if it was possible for you to do another charity event. Especially now that you are acting head for the company, it would be beneficial to uplift the company's image. We need a new image and appeal to consumers and new clients!" cried the balding 40 something year-old guy.

Sasuke sighs and stands casually. He resisted the urge to stretch because that would be defeating the purpose of his authority.

"Make a proposal to what kind of image change you want to pursue. I will be expecting this presentation at the end of the week. I'll make a judgment and weigh the options evenly." He replies with a kind of authoritative and cool voice he uses during meetings.

Everybody nods and scribbles off to take notes of their plans.

"If that is all, let's adjourn for today."

People left one by one and Sasuke continues to stare off the distance through the window. He recalls, not the meeting that just ended, but the meeting he had with the girl 14 or 15 years ago. He can't remember how she looks like, only her gorgeous green eyes and smile that could put Helen of Troy's name to shame. He never did meet the girl after because their family had to go back quickly to the city.

He hoped – even a little bit of hope that lay asleep in his heart – that one day he'll meet this girl again. He was so sure that if he did, he'll remember her.

Oh how wrong he was.