Ch2
"Guten Abend Freunde," Naruto greeted in German; a large smile practically splitting his face in half. His wife Hinata shyly waved, revealing a small hand; red from the cold.
"God damn, am I ever happy to see you guys!" Sakura said as she pulled the two adults into the house. She immediately wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck, basking in his firm and familiar touch. "Wow, I can't believe you're here." Upon meeting Sasuke her freshman year of college, Sakura had also met his right-hand man Naruto, and the three of them had become the closest of friends. If Naruto was around the night was destined to be full of laughs, lively stories, and friendly banter.
After she released the blonde man from her grip, she proceeded to give Hinata an awkward, short embrace. She hadn't seen much of the smaller woman past Sarada's and Boruto Uzumaki's 8th-grade graduation; ten years ago. Which was a real shame, considering they both lived in the same city. Hinata was a quiet and polite woman; lovely and reserved. Sakura felt somewhat bad for her because when the four of them ever got together she was usually, but unintentionally, cast off as a fourth wheel. While Sakura didn't have a personal relationship with Naruto's wife, she couldn't say or think of anything negative about her. Hinata was beautiful, respectful, and just genuinely a good person.
"Naruto, Hinata," Sasuke greeted, and his best friend attempted to loop an arm around his shoulder, but the blonde was immediately stopped by a hand to the chest. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Wow, don't be such a prude bastard," the blue-eyed man answered and forced Sasuke into his arms. Sakura noticed that their hold on each other lingered, but she didn't think much of it. Once Sasuke was released, the stoic man took a step in front of Hinata and bowed. "It's good to see you again," he spoke, and she bowed back. "May I?" he asked and assisted her in taking off her coat. "You look stunning." Her dress was an uncomplicated, black, laced, long-sleeve top that dipped slightly between her chest, revealing a small amount of cleavage. The skirt stopped just before her knees. "The closet is just over here down the hall," Sasuke said and she followed him closely.
"So what you cook up for us, hopefully something we all can actually eat," Naruto joked turning towards Sakura. She narrowed her eyes, silently warning him.
"Oh, how I've missed that scowl of yours."
"We're having pot roast. Now go make yourself at home!" she commanded, pushing him forward
"Yes ma'am," he said and pulled her into another hug before starting down the hallway. He tugged off his coat revealing an outfit very similar to Sasuke's; only his pants were black instead of navy blue.
Sakura cupped her hands together behind her back. It really did feel great to see Naruto again. He was like a breath of fresh air; always making the atmosphere light and fun. She almost forgot, that only a few minutes before, her and Sasuke had been caught up in a tense conversation. In no way was she going to let that discussion go unaddressed, however, duty beckoned her to get into host mode and entertain her guests. Well, Naruto would probably be doing most of the entertaining tonight, but she had to at least get the roast out of the oven. She walked down the hall and into the kitchen to find Hinata, Sasuke, and Naruto sitting in the nook. The blonde was explaining in great detail the issues he and Hinata had at the Dresden airport. Apparently, one of their suitcases had yet to be sent to their hotel. Sakura quietly listened in on the animated monologue as she pulled the roast out of the oven and set it on the counter.
"Mmm, that smells absolutely divine," Naruto cooed as he and his two audience members turned to look at her.
"Yes it does Sakura," Hinata added.
"It's done now, but I need to let it cool a little before cutting it." Sakura slipped off her oven mitts. "So why don't you guys take this conversation into the dining room and I'll have dinner ready, here in a moment."
The three adults were quick to follow Sakura's directions and stood to their feet.
"Let me help you," Hinata offered, and Sakura happily accepted the extra pair of hands. In seconds the two of them got into an easy rhythm of preparing each dish.
"Our wives are so cute. Don't you think Sasuke?" Naruto looked up at his best friend who completely ignored him and took a seat at the dining room table.
"I think you're cute," Naruto grinned at his wife and Sakura, conveying an authentic appreciation of them both.
The two women gave naruto the typical glance they always gave him whenever he chose to be a doting suck up.
Naruto chuckled at their expressions then disappeared into the dining room. But just before he exited the kitchen Sakura could have sworn his demeanor changed, and he seemed anxious.
It didn't take long for Sakura and Hinata to wrap things up in the kitchen. Not much was said beyond some of the instructions Sakura had to explain to the other woman in minor detail. Actually, what really caused Sakura to ignore small talk was her curiosity of the silence coming from the other room; which, if you knew Sasuke and Naruto, silence between them was very odd. If they weren't talking about business they were arguing about everything else.
"Hunger can make a man mute," Hinata offered, seeming to read Sakura's thoughts. So she wasn't the only one who noticed the silence.
"Than we should get in there with the food," Sakura responded and sighed with a smile.
"Un," Hinata nodded.
Dinner started off more awkward than Sakura could have ever guessed a dinner with the Uzumaki's could start. Clearly, her husband and Naruto were in some kind of disagreement, but about what? What issue could possibly keep the two of them from at least yelling at one another? Somehow Sakura knew this was all tied in with the way Sasuke had been acting before their guests arrived. "So what's been new with the Uzumakis?" she casually asked, trying to get some kind of conversation going. She was next to Sasuke who was sitting on the opposite side of Hinata. Sakura folded her arms on the table and looked between her two friends.
"I don't think there's too much happening these days," Hinata replied tucking a strand of her long, dark hair behind her ear.
"Don't be so modest." Naruto leaned gently on her shoulder. "Hinata is the new PTA president at Himawari's high school." A proud smirk graced his lips as Hinata blushed. Sasuke nodded his head in approval.
"That's really great Hinata." Sakura congratulated. "So, tell us some of the big plans you have for the parents and-"
"Um, you see," Hinata interjected, her cheeks were still red and her voice was soft. She began to shift uncomfortably in her seat. "I'm not exactly the president. I've just been nominated to run for the presidential position next fall."
"Being nominated is still worth the mention," Sasuke tried to help. He gave Sakura a side glance; a sign to add on to his comment. Sakura caught the glance but didn't say anything.
"To be honest, I don't know," the brunette continued. "I think some of the more …" Hinata looked up at the ceiling searching for the appropriate word, "intense female members of the group were playing a prank on me or something."
"Then you'll just have to show them Hinata. You're an Uzumaki! We prove ourselves to those who look down on us!" Naruto threw his fist on the top of the table which earned him a kick from Sasuke.
"Ow!" Naruto flinched. "What the hell?"
"I'd appreciate it if you would refrain from pounding on my furniture," the Uchiha stated calmly.
Sakura sat a little straighter; now that was the type of interaction she was used to seeing between her husband and his best friend. "I agree with Naruto," she said looking back at Hinata. "You should run for the position and get those bitches off your back."
Sasuke shook his head at his wife's brusque language
"Right," Naruto wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders. "You'll have to run and win and make those jerks sorry they ever made you a nominee."
"I don't think it'll be that easy," Hinata sighed and nervously folded her hands on her napkin.
"It probably won't be, but you shouldn't count yourself out before you even try," Sasuke encouraged, yet his eyes seemed to stare at the arm that was currently around Hinata. Naruto noticed and retracted his hold on his wife.
"I'll think about it," Hinata shrugged, ending the conversation. She no longer wished to be the center of attention. The situation with the PTA was, in her opinion, one of great misfortune.
"So what about you Naruto," Sakura turned to look at her blonde friend across the table. "You and Sasuke clearly always have something new and exciting going on. What's your new assignment?"
"Um, that's classified," Naruto answered, a light tease to his tone, but it was very forced.
"Is that really how it's going to be?" Sakura whined, ignoring the strange way he answered her question.
Naruto smiled. "Let's see, I can at least tell you this much." He scooted closer to the table. "So there's this specialist out in Saudi Arabia who I'm trying to recruit. I want to use him to help infiltrate some terrorist hideouts in the middle east."
"Specialist?"
"Yeah, apparently he's a master of a hidden fighting style that's only known to his village. It's called: qiblat min alrramal alllahI. In English it means something like the Kiss of the Sand God."
"Oh? that's kinda cool. Do you know anything about this Guy Sasuke?" Sakura looked at her Husband
He shrugged. "I've worked with him a few times. I like him. He's quiet and not annoying, unlike some colleagues I know."
"Ha. Ha. You're hilarious," the Blonde squinted his eyes, which earned him a light chuckle from the Uchiha. "He's got pretty cool hair too," he continued about the new recruit. "It's like a deep red, and it's all natural."
"It's hard for me to believe that there's an all-natural, redheaded Saudi chilling out in a village somewhere," Sakura replied, mindlessly twirling her fork on her plate.
"Only half Saudi actually," Sasuke pointed out.
"Oh, I guess that explains it."
"Enough about us Sakura. Tell us about yourself. What new and exciting things are happening for you back at home?" Hinata politely asked
Sakura was taken aback by the question and not fully prepared to give a detailed answer. She wasn't sure if anything "new" was happening in her life besides the trip. Her days at home were monotonous, apart from some of the evenings she'd spend with her girlfriends, shopping or going to the spa. "The only thing new is this trip," she answered truthfully. "I have a pretty boring life. I mean, now that Sarada is in college, I just….well, I keep the house in order and make sure the bills are paid. That's it; nothing great."
Sakura wondered if her tone sounded bitter. By the look on everyone's faces, she guessed it may have. Hinata was practically red and fighting to keep her gaze from falling down towards her hands. Naruto was rubbing the top of his head, the trace of a nervous smile on his lips, and Sasuke was as stiff as a stone.
"What, did I say something wrong?" she asked feeling slightly offended. It was the truth. What the hell were they expecting her to say?
"It can't be all that bad Sakura," Naruto said. His voice was soft and nurturing, and for some reason that struck a nerve.
"I never said anything was bad!" she snapped then immediately composed herself. "I don't think there's anything wrong having a routine lifestyle. I get important shit done. I wasn't complaining. At least I don't think I was."
Naruto sighed and a look of guilt seemed to wax across his face. Sakura couldn't even begin to understand how Naruto could feel guilty. Any bitterness she felt towards anyone or anything was not his fault. For a moment a tension seemed to grow in the air and make the room feel heavy. It wasn't like Sakura to be negative, and now she seemed to be doing a terrible job of playing host to her guests. She could feel the side of Sasuke's body lightly bumping into her, and she looked at him hoping he'd look at her and reassure her that she wasn't making the start of the night shitty.
"Your life doesn't seem routine to me," her husband spoke. "On your facebook, you're always posting pictures of you and Ino doing random stuff. You guys really like visiting those wineries."
Both Sakura's and Naruto's mouths flew open.
"Yeah, I look at my wife's facebook posts from time to time. It's a shocker I know," he said rolling his eyes.
"Seriously Sasuke, that's so creepy," Sakura started to laugh, and just like that the tension seemed to be pushed down into an overlooked undercurrent.
"How the hell is that creepy?" the Uchiha groused.
"Do you have a facebook?" Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, a haughty grin forming on his lips.
"Don't you dare look down on me, and what kind of question is that? Do you know who we are Naruto, and what we do?"
Naruto stared. "That's not an answer."
"No, you idiot. I don't." This response caused Hinata to cover her mouth and giggle.
From that point forward the dinner became what Sakura had hoped it would be: light, fun, and entertaining. Several embarrassing stories about Naruto in college were brought up and Sakura and Sasuke were relentless in their teasing. Hinata seemed to just soak up the camaraderie between the trio and appreciate it for what it was. The tension that seemed to fester in the back of everyone's minds was distant from the present moment, but it only took one innocent question from Naruto's pretty wife to bring it right back to the table in a new and full form.
"The News?" Naruto coughed, his eyes immediately focusing on Sasuke.
"Yes, you told me that tonight you and Sasuke had some important news about work that you wanted to share with me and Sakura," Hinata pointed out.
"Is that So?" Sakura said licking her lips and resting her hands in her lap. She looked at Sasuke. So the trip wasn't for leisure. She wasn't surprised at all.
"Why don't we save it till after dessert. I want to show Naruto around the house first," Sasuke spoke softly. He was avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.
Annoyed, Sakura pushed herself out from the table. "Ok, then I'll get the apple crisp baking. It should take about ten to fifteen minutes."
"Thank you," Sasuke replied and grabbed her hand to squeeze it.
"I'll start clearing the table," Hinata said standing to her feet.
Naruto was still looking at Sasuke, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking. He held almost no expression on his face. "Let's make this quick Sasuke," he said in a full, deep timbre and it sounded almost like a warning.
The two men left and Sakura was standing with her hands on her hips looking over at Hinata who had collected most of the plates off the table. "Is it me or does something feel very off?"
"I think the boys are just stressed about their jobs," the petite woman shrugged. "Their line of work is fast-paced and dangerous. I think it might be hard for them to act normal when they're used to always being on edge."
Sure that made sense, but Sakura couldn't figure out whether Hinata truly believed that or if she was just telling herself that to ignore the gut feeling women often got when something was just wrong.
"Maybe you're right," Sakura replied and didn't say anything else about it. She walked over to the fridge and grabbed the dessert from the bottom shelf.
"That looks good," Hinata looked at the glass pan in Sakura's hand before she carried the dishes over to the sink.
"I got the recipe from my mom. I hope it tastes as good as her does."
Naruto's wife turned on the sink and began to lather a rag in soap.
" We have a dishwasher," Sakura announced and used her free hand to point to the handle.
"It's ok I like hand washing dishes."
The fair-haired woman gave her a peculiar look
"It relaxes me."
"Heh, You're kind of old fashion aren't you?" Sakura chuckled as she placed the apple crisp in the oven.
"Hmm, maybe," the brunette answered. "I think there's a profoundness in the simple things that often gets overlooked."
Sakura made a face but allowed Hinata's words to sink in. Clearly, there was a lot more depth to the woman than she ever chose to notice.
The two of them were quickly caught up in another rhythm of work, tidying the kitchen and the dining room. There wasn't a real conversation being held. Sakura was contemplating the weird air that had formed during dinner, and Hinata seemed to respect the space Sakura needed to think, which made the wife of the Uchiha like Hinata a little bit more.
Just as Sakura was about to take out a set of bowls Sasuke's phone started to go off over by the nook. She quickly walked over to pick it up but cringed when she saw the name that flashed across the screen.
"Who is it?" Hinata asked from behind the counter.
"Hatake."
"Oh," Hinata's eyes widened. "You should probably get that to Sasuke right away."
"Right," Sakura agreed and waited till the phone stopped ringing. It buzzed seconds later, signifying a message had been left. Sakura knew that a call from Kakashi Hatake was nothing short of an emergency. If it was really bad Sasuke would no doubt have to leave immediately, and she wouldn't hear from him for days; maybe even weeks. "I'll be right back," she said and dismissed herself. First, she looked outside on the front porch to see if they were smoking cigars, but when she found no sight of them she came back inside and traveled down to the basement. Strangely, they weren't there either which indicated they were probably on the second floor. As Sakura walked up the stairs and down the hallway she felt a tangible pressure that bewildered her and stirred up foreign, flares of anxiety. Her intuition was giving her the impression that something was wrong, warning her that if she continued down the corridor she'd regret it. But her legs wouldn't stop moving; she was enticed by the mystery of uncertainty. A pair of voices could be faintly heard coming from outside and Sakura wondered if Naruto and Sasuke were on the balcony. The balcony did have an extravagant view; so it wasn't strange that her husband would take his best friend out there; however when Sasuke had mentioned he wanted to show naruto around the house she figured he would take the man to his office (which was in the basement) to throw back a shot or two of aged whiskey.
Slowly, Sakura crept closer to the french doors that were left ajar; the voices of the two men becoming louder with each step. A cold breeze whistled through the crack and blew across her cheeks causing goosebumps to form around her nose. Just What were they talking about? She thought, wrapping her arms around herself.
"Don't you fucking touch me! Please... don't."
Sakura halted at the sudden outburst. She was less than a foot away from the entrance and could see a reflection of Sasuke and Naruto in the glass door closest to her.
"Why are you being like this?" Sasuke asked, and Sakura stared as the Uchiha moved forward with heedful steps, trying to close the gap Naruto had apparently created between them.
The blonde watched him apprehensively, his eyes reflecting so many emotions, Sakura thought he would start convulsing. "We can't do this anymore. I can't do this anymore. I'm... I'm-"
"You're what!" Sasuke suddenly snapped. "A damn coward?" There was a pause and no one said anything. "If that's what you're wondering," he continued, "then, yes Naruto, you are a coward."
"I'm a coward?" the blonde growled. His knuckles were turning white at his sides.
The dark haired man shrugged, his face hard, but Sakura knew he was using that expression to hide behind his hurt, and it seemed Naruto new as well because his posture changed to that of being cautious to downright pissed and annoyed.
"How am I a coward Sasuke? Because I'm choosing to face reality rather than live in some fucked up fantasy?"
"No, you're a coward because you can't admit that what we have is the realest thing you've ever felt, and it's making you question your marriage and whether or not you should have ever started a family with Hinata."
If Naruto hadn't grabbed Sasuke's collar and shoved him against the railing, Sakura's gasp would have certainly been heard. She felt weak in the knees and had to rest her hand against the wall to keep herself from slumping to the floor. She shouldn't be hearing this conversation, and while her conscience was screaming at her to get up and leave, to turn around and pretend nothing was happening, she forced herself to watch and listen."
"You have no idea how wrong you are," Naruto seethed through his teeth. "I don't regret the life I've made with Hinata. I don't regret having children. Just how low of a person do you think I am that you would say something that goes against my very nature. How could you convince yourself that I would abandon my family for something that should have died years ago!" Naruto was leaning so far forward that Sasuke was almost hanging off the banister.
The dark haired man swallowed, wrapping his fingers around Naruto's wrist.
"I am not like you Sasuke. I am not so selfish that I would throw away what I already have in light of what I perceive may make me feel better about myself!"
When the Uchiha still didn't respond Naruto pulled him back onto the balcony and slowly retracted his hand from his collar. "Don't compare your marriage to mine. Me and Hinata are different. What we have is different than what you have with Sakura, and I will not allow you to undermine it to satiate your ego and nullify your guilt."
At these words Sasuke didn't even bother to hide his emotions behind a stoic glance or an icy glare. He looked devastated and the raw display of emotion caused Naruto to release his anger and soften his bearing. The blonde began to reach out his hand but hesitated.
"So tell me; be honest with me Naruto. Do you love me?"
Naruto feigned a look of confusion. "Yes, I love you. Isn't that obvious. You're my best friend."
"You know that's not what I mean." The Uchiha replied darkly, a warning in his tone. "Tell me how you truly feel about me."
Sakura dropped the phone and gripped her chest. She slowly slipped to the floor, the wall no longer a reliable support, and was sitting on her knees. The anticipation of Naruto's answer weighed so heavily in the atmosphere that the fair-haired woman found it hard to breathe.
"I-" Naruto began.
Sasuke's smoldering gaze was locked on the man before him. "If you can look me in the eye and tell me without a shadow of doubt that you feel nothing for me than I swear to you that I will never bother you again."
Silence lingered between the two adults for what felt like an eternity until Naruto finally turned his head in defeat. Sasuke used this as an invitation to remove the distance between them and stand directly in front of his friend.
"Please Sasuke. Don't," Naruto whispered, clenching the front of the man's shirt. His blue eyes were glazed over with a veil of oncoming tears. "We can't do this anymore."
"I'm sorry," the other responded and cupped Naruto's face with his hands. "I'm just too selfish."
Sakura closed her eyes just as the distance between her husband and his best friend disappeared. She was somehow able to stand to her feet then and walk back to the stairwell. The weirdest thought of jumping down the full flight of stairs passed through her mind, but she quickly ignored it and daintily carried herself to the first floor.
In the kitchen, Hinata had pulled the apple crisp from the oven and cut out moderate-sized pieces and set them in bowls. Sakura stood in the nook area until the petite woman noticed her and smiled.
"I hope taking this out is alright with you. The timer went off and I got worried it would burn."
Sakura stared, lost in a million thoughts. She was unaware of how hollow the look in her eyes had become.
" Um, is everything alright Sakura?" Hinata asked very concerned. "You look really pale. Maybe you should sit down."
"Oh…. uh, yeah," She shook her head attempting to regain her focus. "Thanks for getting the cake, pie- shit- whatever the fuck it is. Could you excuse me for a moment?" Before the other woman could respond, Sakura turned on her heel and headed straight towards the basement. She ransacked her husband's office of all its finest liquors and brought them back upstairs to the kitchen. She placed the different colored bottles on the counter and grabbed a pair of small, round glasses from the china cabinet. "Here," she said, handing Hinata a full glass of a dark, brown liquid, before pouring a glass of her own and downing it instantly.
Hinata watched her, feeling slightly alarmed. "Sorry, I'm not really one for hard liquor."
"Tch," Sakura scoffed. "Trust me dear, you're gonna need this."
