a/n: my mind was a bit blown by the sudden influx of emails to notify me of things! I would like to thank everyone following, or who has favorited and to the guest review-er. I'd thank you more personally, but you're a guest so it's not an option!
I'm just flowing with this, in truth. I do have a vague idea for where I'm taking it and short bits and pieces lined out. Hopefully I don't lose track of things. Sakura, I've discovered, is strangely difficult to give character to. I need to brainstorm that one probably hehe!
Enjoy the next chapter. I wrote it as soon as humanely possible because I was so excited by the e-mails!
Time passed fast, and yet slow. But no matter what speed it went, Sakura still found that all too quickly she was waiting to be let in to Sasuke Uchiha's dorm room to begin her first day as his 'buddy'. Kakashi had specifically approached her for this role, one rainy school afternoon. Eager to please her superiors, Sakura had instantly agreed. She saw it as an opportunity to gain experience in helping others and to do something noble. Suddenly, the less-noble option of pounding fists to Uchiha-faces seemed much more appealing.
He didn't bother to look up as she entered but kept his eyes pinned down to his book instead. He didn't so much as grunt. He was sprawled out on his bed with his jumpsuit unfastened, pooled at his waist and his torso completely exposed. It was beautifully intimidating. He knew Sakura was coming at this time and it somehow seemed as deliberate as his ignorance.
"H-Hi, Sasuke-kun," she stammered, waving slightly and remembering the pleasantries she'd vowed to take in her time here.
"Hn."
That was all he offered. Sakura stood around awkwardly for a moment more before pulling out the chair at his desk and sitting down slowly. Sasuke slammed his book shut, making her jump slightly.
"I didn't invite you to sit down. In fact, I was just about to invite you to leave and not waste your time."
"That's very thoughtful of you but that's not a very good invitation," she answered back. "Listen, Sasuke-kun. I have quite a temper. I'd hate for you to invoke my wrath."
"Your wrath?" snorted Sasuke. "Why would you intentionally tell me that when you know I don't like you?"
"I was hoping to appeal to your humanity."
"Have you seen where we are? Do you really think this is the kind of place where you'd find 'humanity'?"
He'd put his book aside whilst grilling her and sat up, intrigued against his will in bantering with this strange girl. He caught himself though, just in time, before he seemed too eager and too involved in their little debate and laid back, pulling his pillow around his head comfortable.
"Go. This is my nap time."
"I'll stay."
"Jeez you're annoying."
"Thank you."
"Wasn't a compliment."
"I'll take what I can get."
"Desperate."
"Thug."
"..."
"..."
"Shut up. I want to sleep."
"Good night then, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke snarled and turned away completely, almost embedding himself into the wall in an effort to ignore her. She took it in her stride, finding some small grain of amusement in their exchange. Instead of letting his attitude annoy her she turned around at his desk and looked at the books on his shelf and eventually pulled one out.
The shuffling caught Sasuke's attention and he cautiously peeked over his shoulder. She was seemingly engrossed in one of his class textbooks. Oh no. he thought. Kakashi gave me a studious geek for a companion. I cannot go to school with that hanging on my reputation. I need to get her to leave and give up.
Sakura vaguely felt the prickle of someone watching her and there was only one culprit but she decided to keep her back turned. If she kept looking at his body any longer, she'd jump him. If he wasn't in here for disorderly behavior, he'd just be in for criminally good looks instead. She sniggered to herself at the idea and sat back, yawning gracelessly and glancing up.
Oh she pondered slowly Those are very beautiful eyes. Coal, but there's bits of gray and blue. She tilted her head, letting it loll slightly towards her shoulder and blinked. The eyes had an owner, and a voice.
"Are you high?"
There was a pregnant pause before all hell broke loose. Sakura bolted to her feet clumsily, shoving the chair back which belted Sasuke in the abdomen and left him winded. Before he could nurse this, Sakura had her palms firmly on his chest and slammed him back against the bed, scrambling over to the opposite side of the room to get as far away from him as possible. He lost his footing and caught his head on the wall behind him which left the world waving slightly.
Whilst being beaten about by this lithe slip of a girl, Sasuke was struck with a realization: he genuinely didn't want to 'invoke her wrath'. She'd be taking his place in Juvie whilst he left in a body bag. If she caught him unawares, that is, like she just did. It was a daunting thought, but somehow the most daunting thought was that his brother would stand in front of his grave and call him 'foolish' but find some humor in the idea that he was beaten to death by a girl who might just have been an overgrown fairy - a buff overgrown fairy.
"Sasuke!" cried Sakura breathlessly as she unfurled from the corner of the room she'd hidden in. She scuttled over and tried to comfort him but his bare chest was getting the way and so she ended up clumsily waving her hands about in front of him. Sasuke lamely swiped at her so she'd stop. There was enough unnatural motion going on before his eyes without her adding to it. "I'll get ice packs!" decided Sakura finally, backing away from him.
She was out of the door before he could object. He blinked at where she had just been when a thought occurred to him. She'd left the dorm with an awful lot of ease, just now. Despite his wooziness, he heaved himself off the lumpy mattress and ventured towards the door, reaching for the handle. His hand slid down the smooth cold metal, probing for the jutted-out fixture but his hand kept meeting a flat surface.
"What the-?"
There wasn't a door handle. His face fell as he stared ahead. Was he just being dumb? Had there never been a handle or had it... fallen off? How could she have gotten out of here if there was no fricken handle?
He carried on staring blankly right until the moment Sakura came back with an armful of ice packs. He was forced to step out of the way of the door quickly to avoid getting whacked with yet another object. Sakura carefully closed the door behind her and narrowed her eyes at him, scanning him for injuries. But Sasuke turned away from her guiltily, mistaking it for suspicion. Realization adorned her expression.
"You were trying to leave," she said, smirking. Sasuke turned his head away, blatantly ignoring her. He heard Sakura laugh. "You need a key card which triggers the mechanism to push the door back slightly. I suppose, if that mechanism ever failed, I'd be stuck in here the same as you."
"You deserve it," he spat. "That was battery, just now."
"You want me locked in here with you?" she taunted, fluttering her lashes at him. She was privately surprised with herself but tried not to let it show, lest Sasuke lose the look of absolute horror he was currently wearing. "Should I rough you up a bit more?"
"Hn," growled out Sasuke, snatching one of the ice packs. Sakura took it back just as swiftly.
"You're not allowed to have hold of these. You might use them as a weapon."
Sasuke raised a brow, the undertone of it being a questioning 'seriously?!' but Sakura just waved the pack and pointed at the bed. Grunting and huffing to himself, he parked his backside down on the poor excuse for a bed and chose to displace his angered glare onto the wall instead of looking at her. Because if he looked at her, he might just start laughing at things because deep down he found it humorous too. It was the most entertaining experience he'd had in a while.
"Stop sulking," she said, pinching his cheek. His eyes inadvertently shot up to meet hers. "Your face will get stuck, Sasuke-kun!"
"Don't touch me," he grunted. That was a fruitless request - she already was.
The rest of the time was passed with him throwing sour looks towards her and her returning the exchange with a light smile. When it was time for her to leave, after 1 and 1/2 hours, she stood and headed to the door with a pleasant farewell. Sasuke kept his head turned towards the slim window so he wouldn't have to face her. Otherwise, she'd see his smile.
