Alright, I finally managed to put together the second chapter, thank the All Maker! I admit, I was in a rut when it came to trying to think of a plot for the second chappie and so I apologize for taking so long. -wipes brow- Same rules apply, I guess. Have any comments or CC, go right ahead. But please refrain from pointlessly bashing. If you have anything to say, a well orchestrated criticism is way more productive, don't you think?
Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Sailor Moon, they belong to their respective owners.
Despite whatever protests Sasuke had in mind and had spared no second thoughts on sharing aloud, the Uchiha found himself retracing his steps to the very same café a few days later, an exuberant Naruto, all but bouncing on the soles of his feet, trailing after him like a lost puppy. The day was mockingly sunny and picturesque, as if pointing fingers at his dour mood. And the idiot's severe case of logorrhea did not help soothe his already stretched patience either, if anything, it made him edgier and all the more irate.
"Not interested, huh teme?" Naruto chimed, narrowly avoiding the vicious jab aimed at his ribcage. His best friend made a noncommittal grunt, stuffing his hands into his trouser's pockets.
"I only agreed to come with you because you refused to shut up otherwise," Sasuke returned darkly, his brows dipping dangerously above his murderous eyes (oh, if looks could kill).
The shorter boy waved a flippant hand, shifting the straps of his bag to a more comfortable position. "Semantics," he scoffed, quickening his pace to catch up to the brooding boy ahead of him. The Uchiha couldn't resist the curve of his brow, the corner of his mouth twitching in a restrained smirk. "I'm surprised you even know that word, much less know its context to use it in a sentence."
Naruto scowled, pressing his lips together in a displeased line. "Oh, a-ha ha, you jerk. And you wonder why you're labeled as an A-class ass."
He stretched his lips into a familiar smirk, his tone bordering on patronizing. "If it means that I can freely insult you to my heart's content, then by all means, call me an ass." His dark eyes glinted steely, daring the other to diss him. Naruto bit onto the bait with a wolfish grin and an equally hardened glare.
Before the verbal murder could commence, a bored if not familiar voice called out from behind them, "Isn't it a bit too early for another one of your petty squabbles?"
Both boys turned around, already clued in on who the owner of the voice was. And true to their assumption, the familiar visage of a boy about their age with his hair fashioned in a high ponytail stared back at the two, favoring his signature deadpanned expression, a toothpick clenched between his teeth.
"Nara."
"Oi, Shikamaru!"
The boy identified as Shikamaru cocked a thin brow, silently roving his eyes over the two, the animosity all but palpable, before coming up with a decision. With a labored sigh, he held up a hand, silencing any side comments with the single gesture. "You know what? Never mind, this is all too bothersome to begin with."
Pivoting on his heels, Shikamaru left the two to their own devices and, unbeknownst him, diffusing the thick tension before it could escalate to a physical exchange. They watched his back retreat around the curve of the pedestrian lane, blinking as they tried to piece together what had just transpired. Sasuke, being the first one to recover, turned his sights back on Naruto, rubbing his suddenly throbbing temple with two fingers. "Look, dobe," he began, gaining the blond's attention, "Can we please just get this over with? Kaa-san expects me to help her with lunch today. The last thing I need is to tell her that I was late because I was trying to pick up a girl."
Naruto sniggered, anger suddenly forgotten in the forefront of potential blackmail material, no matter how insignificant it may have been. "Oh, that's rich, Konoha High's resident bad boy; a secret boy scout and certified mama's boy."
This time, Sasuke didn't hold back the punch he had been itching to serve ever since the idiot had first suggested this whole mess of an idea earlier in the morning. Wincing, Naruto rubbed his injured arm gingerly. "Alright, alright, shutting up now," he relented finally, proving to Sasuke, in one of those rare occasions, that he was capable of showing a semblance of humility.
By some work of a higher being, the foliage finally thinned to reveal the piazza, the café not too far from their sights. "Finally," the Uchiha muttered under his breath, casting a quick but grateful glance heavenward. The sooner they finished with this foolish 'set-up', the sooner he could leave.
They wove their way through the early morning bustle, only managing to sustain a shove or an occasional trample. The sun was high in its peak, beating down on their backs with its excessive warmth, and the mass of bodies didn't help matters. By the time they made it to the front of the little bistro, Naruto was sweating up a storm and Sasuke was decidedly more unruffled than usual.
They pushed past the glass doors, the soft toll of the tinkling chime announcing their arrival. The welcoming gush of an air-conditioned breeze nipped at their reddened cheeks, along with the distinct aroma of coffee that only a handful of yen could afford. Admittedly, it was Naruto who noticed their subject nestled in the back of the café, nursing a latte as she leafed through a thick book with an occasional distracted sip.
The blond was suddenly feeling less confident about his plan than he was previously. But he shoved aside his second thoughts with his usual brazen style that he was (notoriously) renowned for. Grabbing his scowling friend by the arm, he steered him towards the table occupied by one Hino Rei. Turning to cast a quick glare at his companion, the Uchiha couldn't help but quietly add, "This had better be worth all the trouble."
Naruto grinned and flashed him a clichéd thumbs up while Sasuke made sure to send him a displeased scowl.
Rei noticed a shadow set over the worn pages of her novel, a frown tugging at her lips. She cast her confused gaze upwards and nearly faltered in her shock.
Oh. Hell. No.
It was same guy she had seen some days before, the same guy her classmates couldn't stop gushing over. If she could piece together fragments of their whispered chatter, a Sasuke something or another came into mind. Slipping a piece of paper into the section of her book, she shut it with a mighty slam, sparing him no remorse as she glared full out.
"Can I help you?" she inquired icily. Call her presumptuous but this guy before her screamed of the playboy/heartbreaker archetype, hot maybe, but they way he held himself so haughtily had her blood boiling. And if there was anything that personified her as Rei, it was her distaste for men who thought that they could get away with anything.
She saw conflict shine in his eyes before it hardened. The boy had the gall to lean forward and press a palm on the table, those cold eyes boring down at her. "Look, let's get one thing clear. I wouldn't have come here of my own volition, not in a million years. But see that idiot over there?" He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. She craned her neck and peered over his the curve of his shoulder to glance at the blond who was desperately trying to blend in, pursuing the menu with an air of determination, oblivious to the fact that the manuscript he held was upside-down.
Rei rewarded him with a measured nod, trying to ponder over the boy's ulterior motive. She was met with a labored sigh, the Uchiha scrubbing his face with his free hand. "Well, he has this brilliant idea that I should hook up with you and refuses to leave me alone unless I came here and set things straight." His forefinger and thumb pinched the bridge of his nose in a manner that made her wince. "Whatever the hell that means," he muttered darkly.
She flinched at his tactless phrasing, something about his dismissive manner with his words prickling her uncomfortably. At least he's blunt, she thought sarcastically with a sporadic twitch of her brow.
"Oh, does he now?" She laced her fingers together and rested her chin on them, her tone a few octaves away from indulgent.
He spared her a dull once-over. With the curl of his lips, one would think he was browsing through a bucket of slugs rather than the irate girl before him. "Here's what I'd propose," he bent a bit lower, matching her feverous glare with his own frigid counterpart. "You go out with me for one date to shut his trap and I leave you alone thereafter, do we have an understanding?"
Mikoto was busy shuffling through the cupboards, gathering the ingredients as she hummed softly to herself when she heard the front door slam forcefully. Gently placing the salt shaker on the island counter, she walked over to the kitchen door, only managing to catch her youngest son's back as he stormed up the stairs. "Sasuke-kun, is everything alright?" she called out with an air of concern.
Her son turned at her call, and she couldn't resist the slight gasp that slipped past her lips as she saw the large coffee stain on the front of his shirt. "Oh...my, what happened to you, dear?" She whispered through the gaps of her fingers. He seemed to debate with himself, finally unclenching his jaw enough to push a reply through his gritted teeth. "I...I had an accident in the café. I'll just clean up and join you shortly, Kaa-san."
She nodded wordlessly. Sasuke turned and continued his angered trek up the stairs, pausing only a moment to glare heatedly at Itachi's mirthful look.
This was definitely the last time he ever even considered listening to any of the dobe's harebrained ideas.
Goodness, I apologize if I made any of them OOC, it's really hard keeping them in track, you know? I tried, tried being the heavily underlined operative word, adding a bit of humor. But to quote a friend, I have the humor of a cucumber. So thanks, friend who shall remain nonie. Anyways, please don't hesitate and leave a little review.
