Hey everyone… well for some reason the original document containing this fic stuffed up and displayed as a blank document so basically I've lost it all. This copy is something I tried to reconstruct from memory. It's probably nowhere near as good as the original, not as long or interesting either but I tried my best. Hope you enjoy it.
Sasuke sighed deeply into his steaming mug of coffee. It had been a long day at the office and the stress of spending each day trying to rebuild his family's business after it had become bankrupt under the management of his older brother was really getting to him. It was at times like this, he really enjoyed coming to this coffee shop and just taking a break.
Sighing again, he took a biscuit from his plate and dipped it into his coffee. As he did so, he saw a girl sitting at a table at the opposite side of the shop. She was fully decked out in every shade of pink known to mankind. He immediately recognised her.
Sakura breathed in the warm aroma of her black coffee. She looked around the shop and smiled. This place had been her safe haven all throughout college. It was here she relaxed and studied with her best friend, Ino. As she glanced around she noticed a dark haired man staring at her, sitting in a dimly lit corner. Her heart dropped as she realised the man was her childhood crush, Uchiha Sasuke.
In high school he had always been the top student, athletic and sporty and always had the best of everything whether it was a mp3 player or a flashy new car. He was also incredibly handsome, the daydream of every girl and guy. Unfortunately, this made him very smug and arrogant. He refused to have absolutely anything with Sakura.. He thought of himself as too good for her.
Sasuke smiled as he remembered the years of school he had shared with Sakura. He remembered everytime she sent him a love letter and stood by nervously as he discovered the scented envelope in his locker, everytime she shyly asked him to help her with homework, everytime she tried to impress him by winning woman's division of the school's annual swimming carnvial.
His small smile faded as he remembered everytime he pushed her book away as she asked for help, everytime her shy smile crumpled as she watched him rip the love letter to shreds, everytime he rejected her without explanation, everytime he merely raised an eyebrow at her great accomplishments and everytime he would feign interest in her best friend, Ino, just to see her cry at the betrayal.
New wrinkles creased his face, a face that had once been smooth and pale, flawless in everyway like the perfect pearl. His face was now prematurely aged, the stress of a real life away from the care of his mother eating away at his good looks, eroding his conceited smirk.
Sakura's eyes flicked down and stared deep into the swirling mass of her black coffee. She took a sip of the bitter blend. It reminded her of Sasuke, dark and bitter, complex and mysterious.
Suddenly the front door clanged as Neji came in and swooped down, giving Sakura a small kiss.
"Hey honey, are you ready to go to dinner now?" he asked Sakura.
Sasuke jerked involuntarily as he realised that Sakura was dating Neji now. He had heard such rumours but never believed that Sakura would go for someone who was so similar to himself.
Sakura's eyes flicked towards Sasuke to see his reaction at Neji's kiss. Sasuke immediately looked away, trying to act indifferent to Neji's evident affection. Her eyes flicked back down to her coffee cup, a small sad smile curved her lips. Sasuke was still the same although he now appeared prematurely aged and dull. She drained her cup of the dark bitter drink, tasting Sasuke as she swallowed.
With one last glance at Sasuke, she gave Neji a fake radiant grin and nodded. They left together side by side, leaving Sasuke to stare at Sakura's retreating back, thinking of what could have been, what should have been.
I was too stupid to realise I really did like her, maybe even love her! I just never thought she was good enough for me, although in reality it was I who wasn't good enough for her.
Sasuke took a large gulp of his sweet light coffee.
I guess we were just never meant to be. She was too sweet, I was too bitter. We just weren't each other's cup of coffee.
But as Sasuke left the coffee shop to return to his lonely home he wondered why was it he still drank over-sweetened coffee if Sakura was too sweet for him?