Author's Note: Oops, I did it again… Can be read alone or as a sequel to Characteristic Silences. Enjoy.
Uncharacteristic Acts
They found out.
Of course they found out.
He hadn't anticipated it being kept quiet for long, but it was irksome nonetheless.
He trusted Sakura. She looked as surprised and baffled as he had been, though more pleasantly so.
No. He knew exactly who decided his relationship—his private and personal relationship—was banquet worthy. And he was staring the blonde idiot down now.
"Congratulations!" Naruto shouts, holding up a bottle of sake.
The mass of shinobi behind him raise their glasses with their own varied "Congratulations!"
Sasuke feels his eye twitching. Sakura grabs his arm, probably sensing his intent to kill the moron.
"Thank you," she says warmly and guides him to the empty seats at the head of the long table.
Sakura's friend—the Yamanaka girl—leans over and slurs out a "Have you had sex yet?" At which point, Sakura's face reddens, Naruto chokes, and Sasuke darts behind the kunoichi and knocks her unconscious. She shouldn't be drinking more anyway.
…
Sakura is the one to throw the first punch after everyone has left. "You idiot! What were you thinking? Big parties are the last thing we want!"
"You mean the bastard wants."
"I want what he wants so shut up!" She punctuates it with another punch.
From his position slumped against the wall, Naruto squints up at Sasuke from his good eye. "You secretly enjoyed it, didn't you, bastard?"
Sasuke's eyes narrow.
"He did. Now everyone knows you belong to him, sick bastard."
Sasuke surges chakra to his feet seconds before Sakura slams her fist down and splits the floor in two.
Squealing, Naruto scrambles to safety. "What the— I'm not paying for that!"
"You bet you are!" Sakura shouts. "Or you won't live long enough to become Hokage!" She storms outside, her stomping feet shaking the ground.
Sasuke stares at Naruto for a good five seconds before smirking and following her out.
"Those two are terrifying…" he hears Naruto say behind him.
Then Sakura turns, sees his poorly-hidden grin, and laughs.
…
"Hey, lovebirds!" Naruto claps both Sasuke and Sakura on the shoulder, wedging himself in-between them. "Happy anniversary! Where you headed? Picnic at the park? Dinner and a show? Hinata and I went to this one place—"
"I'm going to work, idiot," Sakura says with a tiny smile.
Sasuke side-steps out of Naruto's grasp. "I'm going to the training grounds."
"Ooooh! I see." Naruto winks and nudges Sasuke. "Saving the fun for later. I got you, I got you."
Sasuke scowls. "It's the night shift, moron. There is no later."
Naruto's grin drops. "Then…what did you do for your anniversary? It's been a year! Considering what a bastard you are, the fact that she hasn't dumped your ass requires celebration."
Sasuke scoffs. A celebration like that is superfluous. She's with him, she's agreed to be his wife and bear his child, there's nothing more to be done. He shoves his hands in his pockets and nods. "I'm leaving. See you later."
"Wha—wait a minute!" Naruto grabs Sasuke's arm. "Hold up. You and I need to chat."
"Leave me alone."
"No. Now say goodbye to Sakura-chan like a proper gentlemen. With a kiss on the hand and everything."
Sasuke tosses Naruto a glare over his shoulder. But, yes, he can be proper. Just not ridiculous. "See you later, Sakura."
A faint blush colors her cheeks and she ducks her head, presumably to hide it. "See you," she whispers.
Awkward. Very awkward. This is why he avoids situations like this. He stalks away and hears Naruto trailing at his heels. "I told you to leave me alone."
"Not a chance. Don't you want her to be happy?"
Sasuke ignores him, or attempts to. The idiot is putting up with it, however, and blocks his path.
"I'll ask again. Don't you want her to be happy?"
"Isn't she?" Sasuke says with a sigh.
The blonde's eyes widen. "If you really think that, you should break up with her now. She's not happy at all."
Sasuke grits his teeth. How does Naruto even know that? Sasuke didn't seen any difference and he's with her plenty. "Whatever," he grinds out and pushes Naruto aside. There's a roaring in his head, a tension, an ache, he needs to rid himself of it.
But Naruto won't let him go. "Whatever? Did you seriously just say whatever?"
"What do you want me to say?" Sasuke hisses.
"What the hell. You're being more of a bastard than usual."
"I'm celebrating," he says, spiteful.
Naruto's chakra surges. Sasuke glances at him over his shoulder.
"You don't deserve her," he says.
Unaffected, Sasuke meets Naruto's stare. "I know."
The blonde's shoulders droop and he sputters, disbelieving. "Wha—You—Then fix it, you idiot!"
"Fix what?"
"Change! Be a man who does deserve her."
"No."
"No?"
Sasuke remains silent.
"No," Naruto echoes. His eyes flash red. "Well, now I'm just pissed."
…
The fight isn't nearly as bad as it could be. Not much jutsu, just punches and screaming and Naruto's inane, irritating remarks on relationships and bonds and family.
It's when he's down on the ground, Naruto's hand clamped on his throat that the roaring in his head, the tension, the ache, whatever it is, snaps and he surges upward, nose to nose with the irritating, imbecilic idiot of a shinobi who calls himself a friend. "Don't you get it?" he shouts, grip tightening, voice cracking. "I'll never deserve her!"
Naruto jerks backward. Sasuke's hand falls. Their eyes lock and, slowly, Naruto eases his hold.
Sasuke manages one large gulp of air before the fist comes flying and his cheek is slammed into the ground.
"That's your problem," Naruto rasps. He stumbles away and collapses next to Sasuke with a thud. "You know you don't."
Sasuke's eyes narrow. "What's your point?"
"You need to try. Try to deserve her."
"I told you, I'll never—"
"Doesn't matter."
Sasuke waits.
Naruto grins. "You need to try every day until you do. Even if that day never comes. Because that is what she deserves."
Sasuke clenches his jaw, turning his head to look up at the sky. "Moron."
…
He never should've listened to Naruto. As if the looks from the hospital staff and the Yamanaka girl weren't enough, the look on Sakura's face demolishes his ego entirely. There he is. Standing in the doorway of her office. Carrying a bouquet of white roses. White because…because he took one look at the red, heard the Yamanaka giggle, and felt bile in his throat.
Sakura licks her lips and takes a hesitant step forward. "What are you… Did I miss something?"
"I…" He chokes on the words Naruto had fed him, something about appreciation and love and…no. This is impossible. He can't do this. "From Naruto," he says on impulse.
The shock melts away to warm affection and he feels his stomach drop. That stupid moron forever ruining everything.
She takes the flowers—gently, gladly—and places them in an empty vase. Before he can question its presence, she says, "He used to bring me flowers every now and then, so I keep a vase handy."
Moron.
"Tell him I said thank you."
"After I kill him."
"What did you say?"
"After work. I'll be waiting for you."
The shock returns. "But I won't be back until dawn."
"I'll be waiting."
"But—"
"Sakura."
She freezes.
He steps toward her, hand circling her waist, drags her into his chest, watches her cheeks redden, and smirks. "See you then."
She gasps when he releases her, looks baffled when he toys with the pink stone around her throat—his gift—and watches him turn away with an expression torn between pleased and perplexed.
"Ah." He stops, hand on the doorframe. His eyes flicker to the flowers. "You're welcome."
She glances back, sees the flowers, and her jaw drops. She gives him a skeptical look and he bites back a smile as he saunters down the hallway.
Take that, moron.
…
She's cautious when she returns home, opening the bedroom door a crack, peeking in. He meets her cursory glance blankly and she instantly straightens, door opening wide.
"I'm home," she says breathlessly.
"Welcome back," he replies, softly shutting his book—well, her book on poison remedies.
She fidgets at the foot of the bed.
He lifts an eyebrow. "I ran a bath," he says and gestures with his head to the open door.
"Oh." She looks taken aback, but then she smiles. "Thank you."
When he stands, she eyes him warily. His fingers dance along the edge of her shirt and her breath catches. "I'll help," he murmurs, eyes hooded, watching the way her throat moves as she gulps.
"Um, what?"
"I'll wash your back."
"Why?"
His fingers freeze on her spine. "What do you mean why?"
Blushing, she averts her gaze and shifts her weight from leg to leg. "I mean… You're acting weird."
"I'm…celebrating," he says, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.
She stares at him wordlessly, skeptical again.
He leans in.
"Happy anniversary," he whispers on her lips.
Her body is taut in his arms, but her lips are pliant, cautious, but willing.
He pretends not to notice.
Eventually, she softens—melts, more accurately—hands clutching his shirt, shivering as he strips her bare and litters her skin with soft, barely-there brushes of his lips.
He guides her to the bath, washes her back just as he promised, and when she bites her lip and shyly turns away, he pulls her into his embrace, slants his mouth on hers, and sets her body alight with his touch.
…
"Soooooooo…?" Naruto drops his chin on Sasuke's shoulder. "How'd it go?"
Sasuke jerks his shoulder and backhands Naruto's nose.
"Ow..."
"I'm not telling you anything, moron."
Naruto's answering grin is wicked. "That means it went well." He dodges the vicious sweep of Sasuke's arm and laughs.
…
"You sent me strawberries?" she asks when she returns home, clutching the flowery pink box in one hand and holding the doorknob in the other.
Irritated—though at what, he can't determine—he eyes the box first before looking at her. "Welcome home," he says and decides to ask Naruto tomorrow what the chocolate alternative is in the flower and chocolate scheme. Chocolate-covered strawberries apparently wasn't it. She wasn't happy in the slightest.
She purses her lips and settles her hands on her hips. "Did you send them?" Her eyes are narrowed.
He shrugs.
She sighs and sets the box on the dresser. "I was just wondering if today was special or something."
"It has to be special for me to buy you strawberries?" he mutters.
She watches him for a moment before shrugging and heading into the bath.
He mutters a curse under his breath.
He's really not good at this.
…
The door bangs open and she stands, feet shoulder-width apart, bag in hand, eyeballing him like he's a stranger.
"Ramen," she says simply.
"Welcome home—"
"Ramen."
His eyes twitches. "Naruto said you might be hungry."
Abruptly, her jaw drops. "Naruto. He's the one doing all this!"
He grits his teeth.
"I knew it. I knew there was something weird going on."
Sasuke stands from his position on the bed and brushes past her.
"Where are you going?"
"Out. Don't wait up."
"Sasuke—"
He shuts the door.
That moron.
…
She waits up.
He's not surprised.
"You okay?" she murmurs sleepily.
He lifts his arm, eyes seeking hers in the dark, and she curls into his side.
"Thank you," she whispers.
He closes his eyes.
…
She has that look of cautious acceptance again when he visits her during her break.
They sit outside, her head on his shoulder, fingers interlocked, thighs pressed together, unspoken questions weighing heavily in the air.
"Is there something I don't know about?" she finally murmurs and Sasuke lets out a sigh at the release of tension.
"No."
"Are you leaving?"
Surprised, he turns his head to look at her, but she keeps hers on his shoulder, so all he can see is the way the light makes the pink strands glow. "No…"
"Not yet," she finishes.
He clenches his jaw.
As though sensing his discomfort, she squeezes his hand and shifts to meet his gaze. "I love you."
He softens and gently pokes her forehead. "I know."
…
He stands in the doorframe, watching the way her body shifts as she bustles around the kitchen, pointedly avoiding his eyes.
"Let me get this straight," she says, opening a cupboard for her favorite green mug. "You're taking me to the festival. You got me a kimono, to wear at said festival. And you're totally okay with being at said festival…with the entirety of the village and Suna and…everywhere else."
He doesn't respond. He knows she doesn't expect him to.
She rubs her temples and scrounges the counter for the container of green tea leaves. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful. It's just…" She spoons leaves into her mug and reaches for the kettle. "No one expected you to… I mean, to ask for permission…just to take me…despite all the people who still don't trust you…just… I don't… Ugh." Finally, as he anticipated, she breaks and whirls around to look at him. "It's weird. You're weird. Who are you?"
Anticipating and actually hearing the words differ entirely. He can't prevent himself from wincing at the sharpness of her tone. "Who do you think I am?" he murmurs, slipping into the kitchen to stand across from her.
Worry tinges her eyes. "Some kind of faulty Sasuke clone."
He snorts.
A tentative smile touches her lips. "I talked to Naruto."
He stiffens.
Oblivious, she continues. "The words romantic and Sasuke don't go together, you know."
That makes him frown. He crosses his arms, glaring at a point on the floor, unsure what to say. He was trying, damn it.
Sakura groans. "No, don't start pouting."
His eyebrow shoots up. "Pouting?"
"Brooding then. Don't start brooding. I did say I was grateful. I just—"
"Don't want me doing anything romantic," he scoffs.
Groaning again, she pushes her fingers though her hair. "It's not that I don't want you to. It's just—"
"You wanted to go with Naruto. Go then. I'll be here."
"Sasuke—"
He turns his back.
"Wait—" She grabs his arm. He stares at her over his shoulder. "Hear me out. It's not that I don't want you to do these things. I just never expected it."
His mouth forms a thin line. Is he really that bad of a…a… He can't even say the word in his own mind. Damn, he really is that bad.
"Sorry," he mutters.
Her grip on him tightens. "I love you, Sasuke. I went into this relationship fully knowing who you are and what you've done. I went into this relationship knowing it wouldn't be conventional. You don't have to try so hard."
He inhales and reaches for her hand to lightly run his finger over the lines on her palm. "I…want you to be happy."
He hears her laugh. "I am happy."
He inhales deeply again. "I want…I need to deserve you."
Her breath hitches.
Her free hand finds its way to his cheek. He meets her eyes. She kisses him lightly. His arms lock around her waist, clinging, though he'll never admit it aloud.
She pulls away suddenly, smiling at the way he falters, still leaning in for her kiss. "I love you," she whispers.
Eyes fluttering closed, he lets out a shuddering breath and presses his forehead to hers.
…
They curl into each other, his fingers splayed across her stomach, and she pretends not to notice the tear rolling down his cheek.