Authoress' Note: BECAUSE I SUCK AT CONTINUITY. AND IM SO SORRY. BUT LIFE FOR A FRESHY IS NEVER EASY D:
Will I finish this one up…? Hopefully. It feels kinda different to me, because the entire plot is actually written out. Ehh. I'm trying really hard to level up from mediocrity; help me, please?
Note(s)/Fact(s):
1) In a way, loosely based off of the end of the Special A. God, I love that anime.
2) The title kinda fits, but I abhor it.
3) I flailed when I wrote the summary. A lot. Seriously. It was mucho difficult.
4) This can basically be regarded as a family/romance, okay? It's not all about fluff and kisses and flowers; so don't expect such.
5) Grey line break denotes beginning/end of chap :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Only this plot. Hopefully.
life, unwritten
chapter 01: him
The conference room was much more shadowy and cold than he remembered. It was odd to be in this room, a room of nothing but white and pale; it was almost unrecognizable without it's usual inhabitants of about a dozen frantic business men.
Sasuke found it increasingly more foreboding than he had initially anticipated. He did not allow himself to study the room any closer, for he was sure that it would only disturb him further. Instead, he sat in the black leather coach pensively silent, patiently waiting for any one of the two men before him to make a move.
The navy-black haired young man's senses suddenly sparked when one of the men strode across the room in long, swift steps. He paused before a large window that allowed sunlight to protrude through the thin spaces of the blinds. Pulling on a string, the sunrays that were previously hidden now illuminated the hollow room with a warm, orange glow.
Sasuke did not flinch, only blinked and continued to tentatively monitor the man's actions.
The lean man strode back over to the side of a chair on the other side of the table. For the first time in the entire afternoon, he finally allowed himself to meet eyes with the ever-tense Sasuke. He offered an empty smile, and Sasuke deemed it a rather sardonic gesture, considering the circumstances.
"Is this any better for you, Little Brother?"
He did not answer, even as the other man continued his condescending, pseudo pleasant smiling.
Sasuke thought it hideous.
Instead, he shifted his gaze from that of his older brother to that of his father's, who was seated on the other side off the lengthy table; Uchiha Fugaku. His lips were pressed into a thin, unhappy line. From Sasuke's angle, the shadows emphasized his father's aged cheekbones more harshly than usually.
He was internationally known; a man to be feared, indeed.
But Sasuke was not moved.
And that was precisely the problem.
"Little Brother," the man tried again. He knew that the phrase displeased his brother greatly, but the sight of Sasuke discreetly cringing from such petty words gave him a sort of smug satisfaction.
Smoothly, he continued, "I don't see why you insist on wearing that cheap, unsightly piece of jewelry. Surely you can afford one with a bit more…" He seemed to struggle for the correct word. "…grandeur."
Sasuke's hold on the edge of the table tightened in the slightest; Itachi was irking him. Badly. The simple silver band he sported day in and day out may not have been the most 'grand' per se, but it meant something to him. How much or how little, he was not yet ready to admit to himself.
"Itachi, that's enough." His father raised his hand in a swift motion, signaling for Itachi to cease immediately. He did, but not before sparing Sasuke amused eyes.
The stony man's voice was low and booming. "While I do agree with you to an extent, Itachi, there are far more pressing issues to address at the moment."
"But Father, is it not odd that the son of Uchiha Fugaku is parading around like a common pauper?" He said it as sweetly as he could. "It's embarrassing."
His patience had reached a breaking point. This was enough. "Please, say what you want and be done with it. I want to get the hell out of here as soon as possible. You're making me itch, Itachi."
Itachi chuckled in response.
The oldest of the three leaned forward in his seat, giving Sasuke a grave stare as he began to speak. "Very well then, Sasuke. What I am saying is something that I'm sure you've heard before. You will attend one of the highest rating universities in London, study for no less than two four-year terms, and then and only then will you be allowed to become chief executive officer of this company… My company."
Frank and bitter was Uchiha Fugaku.
However, the quick answer seemed second nature to Sasuke, and it was one that Fugaku as well as Itachi had expected.
"I wont."
Defiance.
"Sasuke, why do you constantly refuse your fate? It's inescapable," his father explained.
Itachi added to Sasuke's foul mood, "Don't be so foolish, Little Brother. It's not as if you have an actual say in the matter. And I'm sure you already know this; it's impossible to go against Father's wishes."
"For you, maybe," Sasuke snorted.
His brother—his older brother, one whom he used to recognize as a steadfast leader when he was a mere child—was now nothing more than the spineless pawn of The Uchiha Group. That in itself disgusted him about his brother; but even more so, Fugaku.
He did not seem to view Itachi and Sasuke as his sons, only as convenient tools to advance the family business.
…Despicable.
Itachi coolly leaned forward, placed one hand on the polished brown table, and the other into his finely tailored black slacks. "For anyone," he reinstated.
Sasuke was not swayed by the truth in his words, but he would challenge them without a second thought. "Will you tie me down, then?"
"What?" Fugaku narrowed his eyes into threatening slits at the preposterousness of his inquisition.
"Will you tie me down and force me to go?" he asked again with unabashed audacity, a playful look in his young eyes.
Secretly, Itachi was impressed at his brother's valiant daring.
In a bored tone, he continued his statement, "If not, then just shut both your mouths right now. I'm not studying abroad and I don't want your stupid company."
"I see… So this is what it has come down to, Little Brother?"
Boldly, he nodded.
Itachi once again stood straight. "That's really a shame, then. –No, I will not physically force you to do anything that you oppose this strongly… But do realize that there are methods to make you do as we wish, Little Brother."
Sasuke's intense frown deepened considerably at the ominousness in Itachi's tone. "Spare me the idle threats, Itachi."
Sasuke just barely noted that they were almost as empty as their father's heart.
When Sasuke felt a numb vibrating in his pocket, the thoughts of Itachi as well as his predicament were temporarily forgotten. He extracted the electronic device, before peering down at the brightly lit screen.
way 2 b an hour lte, asshole!!1! im sad & FLAILING~! :D
Immediately after examining the almost inexplicable message, Sasuke silently stood from his seat. Amused, he allowed the tiniest of smirks to grace his handsome features before slipping the device back into his pocket.
"Sasuke," Fugaku eyed him unhappily, and his name was more an order than a request. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I have a prior engagement," he explained, taking a meager contentment in the fact that his father would most likely be displeased with his sudden, rude departure. With his lack of respect.
Itachi once again revealed a cynical smile. "Then, would you like me to call you a car, Little Brother?"
"No," came his stony reply. When he was half way out of the room, he glanced over his shoulder and at the unmoving forms of his older brother and father. Upon witnessing Fugaku's discreet seething, he flashed a careless, yet condescend smirk. "I'll walk."
-x.o.x-
"Oh, Uchiha-sama, it was very nice seeing you again! Please come back soon, sir."
He acknowledged the brunette doorwoman the best way he knew how; with a hard smile, albeit terribly false. He was not one for polite pleasantries and such, for it was all-awkward for him. He hadn't been trained with people skills as a child… and it now showed as a young adult.
With a simple flick of the wrist, Sasuke bid the young woman adieu the best he could without seeming overly abrupt. He shoved his hands into his pockets before striding into the brisk spring air. He was more than eager to exit the godforsaken place, one of the many buildings under Uchiha Fugaku's control.
The mere thought of his father's name perturbed him beyond all rationality. And his face… it made his stomach churn. His name left a bitter taste in his mouth, and it was true Sasuke was not in the slightest form fond of him.
Squinting at the overly bright sun as he walked, he could only faintly remember a time in his childhood when his father wasn't such a deplorable man. It was a time when Uchiha Fugaku wasn't infamously known worldwide for being the heartless, ever frowning businessman that he was, but rather as the well-liked father of Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke. Although aloof, he was the least bit bearable.
He supposed that his father used to smile back then, too—it was a distant memory now.
His family life was relatively normal back then; as normal as it went. On any given summer afternoon, he could be spotted backdoors in the Zen garden with Itachi. He would be fully enamored in whatever Itachi was saying, usually something trivial about the multi-colored Koi fish in the pond or something of the sort. He was only seven, and at that time, it was fascinating. Anything coming from his older, wiser brother was fascinating. He adored him.
His mother would be in the kitchen, preparing for supper. And all the while, his unsociable father would be in the living room, wholly absorbed in the day's newspaper. He didn't usually tend to pay him or Itachi any mind, seeming to find Current Events much more interesting than either of his two sons could ever be. When he did acknowledge them, he'd droned on and on about how one day, he would become a wealthy, influential businessman able to provide for all of them—Itachi, Sasuke, Mikoto—and that no one would dare cross his path…
No one.
That was okay, because back then it seemed to only be a wistful dream of his father's. But one day, it happened. His father was seated in the parlor as usual, and he received a phone call.
Unconsciously, Sasuke immediately thought it ominous.
Everything changed after that.
From that day forward, Sasuke rarely saw his father. When he did, he wore a grim looking suit, and he appeared even more so unapproachable than normal. He did, after all, have a reputable job now. He worked as an attorney at a little known law firm.
It should have been good enough for his father, Sasuke seethed.
But it hadn't been.
He slowly worked his way up the company, utilizing underhanded tactics and shameful business deals to overthrow the organization. That no name business was almost instantaneously under new management; The Uchiha Group.
Certainly after that, he became the influential businessman that he had yearned to be. He soon branched out from law and began opening high-end string of hotels with the excess money, all under the same name.
What Uchiha Fugaku desired, he received.
That was why on one particular occasion, twelve-year-old Sasuke did not speak. He did not speak as he witnessed his father with a blonde-haired woman. Mommy has black hair… He did not speak as his mother inquired to his uncharacteristic silence the next morning; or as his father gave him a knowing, grave look. He did not speak as he witnessed a familiar incident with a sultry redhead only days later.
He did not speak, even though he was knowledgeable to the various affairs that his father had with multiple women for years. He did not speak because his father told him not to, and Sasuke always did as he was told.
It was different now, however. He was an now a young man of twenty-one years, wise from experience; no longer a feeble twelve-year-old boy too debilitated with the fear of no longer having a stable family. No longer would be bended to his father's will.
The life of the head of The Uchiha Group consisted of ruining the careers of morally upright men, some of whom had families to provide for; and Sasuke wanted nothing of it.
It turned decent mean sour.
Fugaku was a prime example.
Sasuke, even now, could hardly forget the looks on his mother's face whenever night came… Missing his father, though believing that it was worth it, for he was performing reputable deeds on the family's behalf. Sasuke knew differently, though.
He's not thinking about you, mother. He doesn't even care…
He should have told her back then, but what would have came of it? It would have killed his mother, and what would she do? Divorce him? Wouldn't they have been worse off if that had occurred…?
The guilt was still there, even now. Perhaps it was already too late to mention anything to his beloved mother, for the lies had been simmering for years, perhaps even more painful than before.
It took all the willpower in Sasuke for him to simply shove the memories out of his clouded mind as he finally reached his destination. He ran one hand through his black locks exasperatedly, before entering a small café.
It was warm, and he faintly noted as the fragrance of hot coffee and sweet milk filled his nostrils. He examined the place absentmindedly before finally deciding to head over to a table in the far back of the quaint café. He ungracefully plopped down in the seat.
"Well ho-ho! Look who decided to show up!" A watch was slid across the table and it slipped into his lap. Sasuke bent his head to tiredly, impassively blink at it. "And guess what? You're only and hour and thirty minutes late! Nice going, Sasuke."
He raised his head until his onyx eyes fell upon an intense bright blue gaze. On the other side of the circle table sat a rather peeved Uzumaki Naruto, whose blonde hair contrasted sharply with the serene ambiance.
His loud voice broke through the quiet chatter of the many patrons; "Now, if you have a good reason for your lateness, then maybe I'd be willing to take you back… and maybe you won't sleep on the couch tonight…" he pursed his lips. "…just maybe."
Sasuke slumped, averting his eyes from that of Naruto's. "Be quiet, idiot. You don't even know the half of it." He quietly sighed and placed his chin in the palm of his pale hand. "And please refrain from sending me stupid messages. It's distracting."
"Oh?" The blonde's face went from ridiculously 'enraged' to disturbingly delighted. "How do they make you feel, exactly…?"
Sasuke only looked at him wholly unimpressed, eyes half lidded.
Naruto the briefly mulled over his friend's irritatingly placid tendencies, only a little disappointed that his humor had failed to crack a smile on the male's face. "Geesh Sasuke, you're such a killjoy…"
"And you're surprised?"
Both men looked up at the source of the mellifluous voice. Sasuke was particularly enchanted; she was soft and sweet. She was a petite woman with shiny pink locks down to her chest, with a pair of glossy green eyes to boot. She wore a playful smile as she stood behind Naruto's chair.
Naruto strained his neck to stare up at the girl standing behind him. However, he could hardly view her entire face. "Sakura… your boobs look a lot bigger from this angle…"
She took to a nervous laugh as she glanced at Sasuke, using her entire palm to obscure the blonde's wandering eye. "Next time, you should probably keep that to yourself…"
"Sakura, I said they looked bigger! 'Never said they were!" his voice was muffled under her palm.
"Sakura…" Sasuke, who was growing bored, stood from his seat and headed toward the door. "Let's go already."
"Oh, right!" She hurried after him, the slightest bit apologetic for being so abrupt. "Uh, I'll see you later, Naruto! You should drop by later on!"
Naruto folded his arms across his chest in an displeased childish manner, offended at his 'friends'' sudden departure. He slumped as he glanced around at the now empty table, watching as Sakura scurried after a rather swift Sasuke.
"Yeah, ditch me for a chick; just like Sasuke."
-x.o.x-
"Thanks for picking me up, Sasuke-kun…"
He shoved his hands into his pockets, and made a small sound to signal the acceptance of her gratitude.
The girl walked close to his side, attempting to keep up with the pace of his stride. She hugged her purse close to her chest, watching the ever impassive man discreetly in her peripherals. His eyes were glued straightforward, and his fine lips were pressed into a line.
Sometimes, the girl was left to wonder if he ever made any other facial expression.
Noticing her gaze, he wordlessly tilted his head to meet her scrutiny.
She turned away quickly—Sasuke revealed an amused smirk at her expense—and managed a nervous giggle. Her hand went up to her hair, using slender fingers to rub at it in a uneasy fashion.
Looking at everything other than his face, she sputtered, "You uh… Y-you wouldn't believe the day I've had, Sasuke-kun…" she spoke, even knowing that he wasn't one for idle conversation. It was worth a try, at least. He only looked at her, and she continued.
"So. There was this lady who asked for a fat-free mocha latté earlier, which was a ridiculous order to begin with, and then she gets it, and says that she can taste the fat! Seriously, what type of ungrateful person says that?" Sakura sighed exasperatedly, thinking back to the event. "I swear, if I wasn't in fear of being fired, I would tell some of these people about themselves…"
He nodded, though she wasn't sure whether it was in agreement, or to indicate that he was just hardly listening.
Thoughtful, she glanced up at a terse Sasuke. "What about you? How'd that rendezvous with your brother and father go?"
"Fine," he lied, muttering. "Just the same old crap…"
"Like what?"
"Life," he answered briefly, wanting to satisfy her inquisitive nature, yet not seeking to divulge too much unnecessary information. There was no purpose in telling her that there was a possibility he was moving away; no matter how slim.
Sakura brought her hand up to her face, absentmindedly studying the silver band on her ring finger. "Really now?" she asked softly, "He came all the way from London… just to talk about life?" The pink haired woman raised a curious eyebrow at him.
"Yes. And there really is no need for your interrogation."
Playfully, she smiled at his blunt disposition. "But you never actually tell me about what's going on with you, Sasuke-kun. If you're having some type of personal dilemma, I want to be able to help…" Sakura paused in a brief contemplation. "Being that I am what I am, I should be able to read you like the back of my hand. I should be in tune with the very fiber of your being. I should be able to feel you insi—"
Sasuke paused, and finally allowed himself to study the pleasantly obtrusive female.
She stopped as well, watching him carefully. She blinked. "Sasuke-kun…?"
He took a step toward her, at which, she backed away hesitantly. She felt her heart instantaneously flutter at the intensity of his stare. He continued stepping forward until, finally, her back came into contact with a glass window. That of a flower shop, it seemed. Her mind was too clouded to actually pay any attention to it.
Sakura sputtered breathlessly. "Um, I… I d-don't know if… if we… Sasuke-k—"
He placed his hands on the wall just above her soldiers and leaned in closely. "You should be able to feel me where?"
Bashfully, her hands found and grasped onto his arms. Nervous at his close proximity, she looked away from him. The young woman managed an uneasy chuckle, before mustering the courage to softly speak. "Well I… I didn't mean it literally, of course. N-not yet, at least… I mean, I didn't realize that you were such a pervert, Sasuke-kun."
She thought that her heart would stop when he impishly smirked at her. "…It's natural."
And, immediately after, he kissed her.
Authoress Note: Yes, they're already in a relationship. I just blew your mind, huh?
Anywho, I worked on this for about a week. Heh! I know it seems a bit… slow (or fast) to start up, but I can guarantee that things get better. And, while I am a HORRIBLE updater, with PROMISES THAT ARE ALMOST NEVER FULFILLED, I have a bit of hope for this… Actually, unlike my other stories, up to chapter three has been written in my handy dandy notebook… go figure. I also am having a ton of fun writing Itachi and Sasuke in this situation.
So yeah, don't be so harsh with the reviews, okay? I went a bit out of my comfort zone with this… :/
Review (softly)