Disclaimer applied.
A/N: If you've read this story before, prepared to be surprised. As you can see, I'm in the process of rewriting. Sadly to say, the pairing in this story has been changed, and the plot has been altered as well – though not too majorly, as to adjust to the change in pairing. If you haven't read the previous one, I do hope you enjoy this!
(START)
Is it weird when someone you can't stand suddenly comes over?
And…for help?
She couldn't be anymore confused than this.
"You…you have a kid?"
((PROLOGUE))
"Where is she?!"
It was hectic.
Voices everywhere; panic overflowing.
"Tell me where she is."
He wouldn't let it go. He continued to force his way through.
"God damn it, calm down! She has to stabilize! If you keep trying to push your way through-…!"
"I need to see her."
Cries of desperation came from behind – others who worried for her safety.
"If you keep this up, she won't be able to receive the proper treatment, sir! Please, calm down!"
"I have to see her. Let me see her-…!"
He was beginning to grow frantic. His heart thudding erratically as he brushed past.
"She's fine, now. You can settle down."
A face of a calm doctor…
A serious look.
"Now if you can steady yourself, I will explain her current situation and the best way to handle this."
"How'd it go doctor?"
"I suggest you take her away from all these troubles. The events that have occurred to her have traumatized her." The doctor only offers an apologetic look.
"You're saying that…"
"He can't stay by her side, not like this."
A heart seemed to stop beating.
"…I can't be with her?"
Her eyes were glued to the ceiling, still dazed and dreaming. Her arm was stretched out from reaching towards the alarm clock, a hand set on the snooze button. She blinked slowly, processing what she had to do today and wondering if she could continue to stay in bed. After sighing, she made a quick move to get up, bringing her whole body forward. Her sakura pink locks covered one eye, and one hand instinctively pushed the hair back so that both of her eyes could see. "Well, time for another boring day."
She stretched, her arms up in the air, her thin shirt lifting up to reveal a toned stomach. "Haaa!" She let out a breath before mumbling about having to get up. She proceeded to get off the bed, slipping on her adorable fox slippers and wondering if Ino still wore her kitten ones.
She headed to her tiny office across the hall and groaned at seeing the site of unorganized papers and opened books. She carefully treaded through the pile of papers and books on the floor before finally reaching her computer. Her slender finger pushed the large button and after hearing the familiar whirring noise come from her precious computer, she got up and immediately headed to the bathroom to tidy up her visage and brush her teeth.
The first thing she did was look at her face in the mirror. She sent a glare to her reflection in the mirror. "Now aren't we just a bag full of sunshine?" Oh, how fun it was to be sarcastic. After taking some time, her face looked refreshed. Her stomach whined at her, pleading her to go eat already.
"I hear you!" She groaned, patting her belly. "You, my friend, will have what you want!" And her feet patted all the way to the kitchen to prepare a delicious breakfast to start the day. "Breakfast, breakfast," She hummed lightly as she dug through the refrigerator in hopes of finding something good to eat. "Eggs and toast it is." She took out two eggs and went to grab a loaf of bread after setting aside the eggs on the counter. As she put the loaf into the toaster, the phone rang.
She immediately went to answer it. "Hello?"
"Morning Sakura!" She recognized that optimistic voice anywhere.
"What are you doing calling me so early, Naruto?" She asked amusingly as she shuffled back to the toaster after hearing it pop out her toast. "You know I'm not a morning person."
"I know, I know!" He whined on the other line. "It's just, I had something to tell you, and I knew that if I didn't tell you now I would forget."
"Well tell me before you go off topic!" She laughed, grabbing the butter out of the fridge. "Knowing you, you'd wander off to a different topic anyways."
"Oh! You're right…" She could picture him scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Anyways! It's about Sasuke!"
She groaned at the name. "Oh, let's not talk about him! You know how much I don't get along with that cold-hearted prick."
"No, it's just that, he's back! And, well…I just thought it'd be a good idea for you to go and visit him or something."
She scoffed. "Why would I go visit him? Ever since the first time I laid eyes on him, all he's done is make fun of me! I'm not going over to his place just to get mocked. And you know how much he hates me. He thinks I'm a fan girl." She rolled her eyes as she applied the butter onto her toast.
"But, he would appreciate it, you know?"
"Why? He's the one that said I was annoying." Sakura retorted. "I don't think he would want me to come visit him with a batch of cookies and be like 'Welcome back, you heartless bastard!'"
"W-Well that IS pretty harsh for you to say. Why don't you try to get along, you know?" He suggested. "I'm sure he'd be at least a little bit happy. And you could get along with his brother, too!"
"Why are you so persistent on that? And what about his brother? I'm not that close to any of those two. They live in a completely different world, compared to me." She sighed, taking out a frying pan. But the blonde's persistence and pleading voice only makes her imagine the puppy pout that could have possibly made its way on his face. "Well, if you insist. I'll go visit him later."
"Yeah!" He cheered. "Thanks, Sakura! He'll be happy; I'm sure of it!"
"I'm a bit busy making breakfast, I hope you don't mind."
"Oh, it's fine! I'll talk to you later then!"
"Alright," She smiled. "Bye, Naruto." She hung up the phone before heading back to her cooking. "Now, for the eggs!" Humming a familiar tune, she turned on the stove and got everything ready before cracking the eggs into the sizzling pan. She flipped it over a couple of times, watching it cook before deciding it was done.
Grabbing a plate from the dishwasher, she placed her eggs and toast on it before putting the pan in the sink. She took out the apple juice and poured herself a glass before finally sitting down and getting to eat. Settling down, she put the toast in her mouth and chewed silently.
She thought about Naruto's suggestion, her forehead wrinkling. Had something happened to Sasuke that caused the blonde to tell her this? But hadn't he only gone on a business trip?
She didn't see what the big deal was. It wasn't like Sasuke never went away for that long. Not that she really kept track. It wasn't her business to. Sasuke was a twenty eight year old man, for Pete's sake! He had a professional job and came from a very wealthy family. There was nothing to worry about there.
And now that she thought about it, what was the point of bringing up the Uchiha's family members?
After finishing up her breakfast, she proceeded to change into some casual wear: a green tank with a floral design on the bottom and black capris. Then, she decided it was finally time to settle down in front of the computer. The first thing she decided to check was her e-mail.
Spam.
Spam.
Ads.
…!
She blinked when she saw one with the subject 'Gokudo – Bloodstained Blossoms'. Curiosity flashed in her eyes, wondering if this was the latest newsfeed. "Gokudo…" She snorted. "As in, yakuza…?" Was it news on the latest crimes around the city? Bloodstained blossoms? As in, it was in the cherry blossom district?
Then again, the sender wasn't someone familiar to her. Without thinking further, she sighed and deleted the message. It was probably spam.
"Hmm, no messages." She browsed through the rest before deciding there was nothing important. Suddenly, the phone rang next to her. "Now who could that be…?" She answered it. "Hello?"
"Sakura?"
"Eh? Hinata? What is it?"
"There's an emergency at the bakery! I-I know you don't work for another hour or so, but no one else has picked up their phone. There's a huge order a-and…I can't handle it! I need your help. I-I can't reach the manager so-…!" The girl's voice was panicked on the other line.
"Ah, don't worry! Alright! I'll be down in a jiffy!" She laughed. "Good thing I live right across the street."
"That's also why I called. S-Since you lived so close, I was hoping…."
"Mmm, no need to panic, Hinata. I'll be right down." She hung up and stood up from her seat, grabbing a hair tie on her way out. As she took the elevator down, she tied up her hair swiftly, making sure it didn't get in the way of her work. Leaving the apartment, she headed across the street to the tiny bakery labeled 'Fresh Delights'. She stepped into the smell of baked goods, quickly making her way to the kitchen and spotted a frantic Hinata running around.
The pinkette immediately reached for an apron hanging on the back of the door. "Woah, slow down, Hinata! Let's take this in. What did they order and how many?" She asked curtly, easily tying the apron.
"They ordered 150 crème puffs and want it in less than 2 hours!" She panicked, her pale eyes wide. "W-What do we do, Sakura?"
"We'll split the numbers to thirds. Since we'll need to split it into 3 separate groups to bake. Get out all the proper utensils. I'll go grab all the ingredients we'll need for 100. Did they want any toppings along with it?"
"No, just original crème p-puffs."
"Alright, then!" Her emerald eyes glint, hands clapping together. "It's been awhile since I've taken such a challenge! Let's get started!"
It was at the exact moment that the two girls finished the order that the entrance bell rang delightfully, causing the pinkette's head to turn. Quickly, she padded out of the kitchen and into the store itself, wiping her hands on her apron as she offered a quick, quirky smile. "Welcome to Fresh Delights!"
She stopped for a moment when her eyes landed on an amazingly handsome, tall man. His keen eyes took in the quaint bakery before approaching the counter quietly. It took a lot of effort for her jaw not to drop to the floor with how drop dead gorgeous the dark-haired man was. "Ah…are you the one that ordered the crème puffs?"
Without a word, he merely nods. "Let me go get Hinata really quick! She's the one that took your order." Sakura went back into the kitchen, her back pressing against the door for a moment as she let out a relieved sigh. Her shoulders had felt so tense, with his eyes gazing so attentively on her. It seemed Hinata had managed to box up the crème puffs while she had gone out. "Are they ready?"
The pale-eyed girl smiles contently. "Yes!"
"Go confirm that the person outside is the one that ordered. I'll take these out." Hinata gave an obedient bob of the head before heading out. Her emerald eyes landed on the three boxes, piling them up together before letting out a huff and lifting them into her arms and placing them on the cart beside the metallic table. Outside, Hinata smiled courteously before glancing back at Sakura.
"Those are his."
"Thanks for waiting patiently! Here you go, sir." She smiled brightly at the man, rolling out the three boxes of crème puffs.
The man, whom had remained expressionless throughout the course of his wait, suddenly held an almost unnoticeable smile. The corner of his lips twitched upward just the slightest. "Thank you for preparing all these in such a short notice." He replied smoothly, his voice sending shivers down Sakura's spine.
"Well, it's my pleasure!" She laughed, quelling down the anxiety welling within her. "So, would you like me to help you put these in your car?"
"That would be wonderful." As she walked alongside this dark-haired man, she examined him a bit closer. His appearance resembled that cold-hearted bastard a lot. However, he had manners, and though his expression was, once again, blank, his tiny smile from before seemed genuine. His eyes were a dark onyx, and he looked older than her by a few years. "Is there something on my face?"
"Huh?" She realized that she was staring. "O-Oh! No! You just remind me of someone." Sakura smiled.
"Aa."
"A-And I was just wondering why there was such an order out of no where." She defended herself, a flustered look on her face. "T-That's all!"
"I see." Despite how reserved he was, it was obvious that he was, if anything, slightly amused judging by the glimmer in his dark orbs. The taller man opened the back of his car before starting to load the boxes of crème puffs. "As for the reason, my co-workers had a sudden craving for the crème puffs that originate from this bakery." After all the puffs were in, and the trunk was closed he turned to her and pulled out his wallet. He took out a couple of bills. "Compensation for the abrupt request."
She looked down at the money, counting it, before her eyes widened. They were all hundred bills. She immediately looked up at him. "Wait a minute! This is way too much! You only ordered 150, a-and it's our job to take orders, no matter how late they come in. And you already paid Hinata inside!"
"I know that." There was a spark of amusement in his eyes, yet again. It seemed like he found her entertaining.
"B-But, I really can't accept this! This is 500 dollars!"
Really, how could he so easily give out this sort of money? Wherever he worked, he must be one of the higher-ups. It made Sakura uncomfortable, accepting so much money from a handsome stranger.
"Just take it." Once again, she finds herself blown away by the calming smile on his lips. With a curt nod, he gets in the car and drives off. She stares off at the car before looking down at the money grasp in her hands. Well, that really takes care of a lot of things she needed.
"What are you doing standing there?" A familiar masculine voice asked her from behind, and she turned around to find someone she didn't want to see.
"…Well, well, if it isn't Sasuke Uchiha." There was a smirk on her face. "Now what are you doing here? Passing by?" Quickly, she tucked in the bills into the pocket of her apron before her hand came to rest on her hip nonchalantly.
"Not really." He shrugged, continuing to stare straight at her with a blank look – quite similar to the man whom had recently left the establishment. One of his eyebrows rose. "This where you work?"
She twitched, already hearing the insult beneath his question. It was like he was trying to down her some way. "So what? I like working here." She retorted, her arms crossed. "Agh, whatever." She just shook her head before heading back into the bakery. "Say what you want – I'm getting off."
The moment she stepped in again, Hinata gave her a nod and a grateful smile. "Heading back home, Sakura?"
"Yeah – my work here is done." She took out the bills, grabbing a slip of paper and a pen and listing the reason as to why they had so much extra cash today before slipping it inside the register. With a sigh, she takes off her apron and makes a quick detour to the kitchen to hang it up before proceeding back out.
She heard the shy Hyuuga greeting someone outside the moment she opened the kitchen door.
Much to her amazement, Sasuke had followed her in, judgmental eyes glancing around the room. Hinata merely stood there, looking a bit flustered as she waited for the new customer to make his purchase. "Oi, Sasuke, stop scaring Hinata and hurry up and pick." Sakura spoke impatiently, eyes narrowed.
"Go find something you like, Satoshi."
"Hai." That was when she made a completely turn to see a little boy with dark hair quite like Sasuke's with dark tinted eyes.
She continued to gape as the little boy looked around, trying to find something he liked. After spotting something that looked delicious, he immediately grabbed for it and ran up to Sasuke. "I want this one."
"Give it to the lady up front."
The little boy with big round eyes turned towards her, and Sakura almost squealed in delight at his expression. For some reason, rather than going to Hinata, whom had been at the register, he had chosen to approach her instead. His large eyes stared up at her in wonderment – and the pinkette wondered whether it was because of her unusual hair color. After a moment of silence, the tiny voice speaks up again. "I want to buy this."
There is no resistance on Sakura's part. "Well, of course you can!" She had immediately gone into her 'how to talk to children' voice. She patted him on the head, and he frowned just the slightest.
"Sakura," Her emerald eyes turned to face onyx eyes. "I'm not here to chat. I'm here for a favor."
Her eyes narrowed. "A favor…?"
"I can't rely on anyone else for it. You're the only one I can depend on in this kind of situation."
"And…what kind of situation are you talking about?"
"Do you see him?" He brought his little replica in front of him. "Can you tell who he is?"
"Someone you're taking care of?" She suggested, not really believing that Sasuke would have a child. I mean, it's not like she needs to know about his love life, but it just seemed to obvious that he wasn't married. "Whose kid is that anyways?" Before he continued on, he pushed the child along, urging him to go look at the confectionary up front. The moment he was out of hearing distance, Sasuke turned back towards Sakura.
"…I want you to take care of Satoshi. Satoshi Uchiha." He was blunt and to the point, words coming out so clear that it couldn't be a lie.
Sakura's eyes widened, her mouth wide. She felt herself go numb as she looked over at the child whom was gazing at the slices of cakes, a spark of curiosity in his eyes. "You…you have a kid?" She managed to choke out in words.
"I want you to take care of him for me."
((END PROLOGUE))
A/N: Please leave commentary for me! I'd love to know what you thought of this.
