CHAPTER 3
"I thought I'd meet you here. I just didn't expect to see you now."
Sakura couldn't believe her luck. 'What the heck?' she gaped at him, confusion plastered all over her face. When was the last time she saw this person? Oh, the concert, just last night. 'I've been coincidently seeing this person for three days straight!' she thought disbelievingly. How many times do you get to see this gorgeous stranger and interact with him? For Sakura, it's been three subsequent days. 'Oh kami, are you trying to tie me up with him? Just let me know coz I've no violent reactions whatsoever.' She mentally slapped herself and tried to calm her heart. Damn tachycardia.
Sakura straightened, recalling that the red head is not just a fragment of her fantasy, "W-what? You were expecting me?" she asked. Sasori paused and blinked, "Well, kind of. Konan told us what happened and mentioned your name. I thought it sounded familiar and seeing you today made me recall." He entered the room and noticed Itachi on the corner. "Itachi, where are the others?" Itachi simply glanced at him and resumed reading the newspaper, "Out. The kid wanted some ice cream so they went out to buy some."
"Ah. Nao woke up, that's good." Sasori muttered to himself and placed his keys on the key rack and turned to Sakura, "So were you able to talk to him?" he asked. Sakura shook her head, "No, he's still sleeping when I came in, but I'll try to come back before he gets to leave this place." She said which Sasori only nodded to as a reply.
'Not much of a talker, huh?' she thought while watching him sit down on the sofa beside Nao's bed. Itachi placed the newspaper down the table and stood up, "It's almost time for my shift at the station. I have to get back now. Take over while I'm gone, Sasori." He heard a soft mutter of approval and grunted, heading towards the door.
'Oh right, Sasuke did say that his older brother's a cop.' Sakura thought, remembering what her ex said to her before, 'and crap, I don't even wanna start reminiscing about that punk.' It wasn't really a good story to even recall and she wouldn't even bother to. It's just that Itachi is like a spitting image of his younger brother, minus the gorgeous, silky long hair and stress marks under his eyes—something that she wanted to give advice to since it's making him look old.
Itachi paused for a second and glanced at the pinkette. "You said you were about to leave. Would you like me to give you a ride, Haruno-san?" he politely asked. Sakura looked up at him, startled by the sudden offer. "O-oh, uhm...that's very kind of you," she gave a last look at Sasori, observing a bit while he was rubbing the gap between his eyes before slightly yawning. Sakura frowned to that. "…erm, but my house runs the opposite way from the station, you might get late." Itachi nodded to her, "Very well. I'll take my leave then."
After Itachi left, Sakura turned her gaze back to Sasori who was leaning back on the sofa. He looked a bit disarrayed and she also noted the dark circles under his eyes. "Are you all right?" she blurted and froze after realizing that she said it out loud, slightly surprising Sasori. "Ah, it's nothing. The concert last night ended a bit later than expected." He replied.
"You should go to sleep then. Looking at you now, I'm guessing the concert took a lot from you."
Sasori watched at her with a blank face as she went to sit on the chair Itachi used a moment ago. "I said I'm fine, Haruno-san. I don't like repeating myself." He said; a bit irritated. She frowned and stood across him, "Hey, I'm just worried—
"You need not concern yourself to a stranger, Haruno-san. And it would be best if you mind your own business, as you see, I am not in the right condition to bicker with you. Now if you please, let me do my job quietly as I see it fit for the resting patient."
She gaped at him. Sakura couldn't believe this guy! And here she thought he's a nice person because he has helped her a lot of times already. How dare he talk to her like she's some sort of plague that he wants to get rid of quickly? She sighed slowly and tries to calm her raging mind. She wants to give him a piece of her mind (where she actually imagines him tied upside down as her new punching bag), but she understood his current situation, which actually made sense. Looking at his state, he must be exhausted and she shouldn't try to pester him anymore.
But hey, what kind of doctor would just leave a patient with a nasty headache? Surely not her, she won't let him. Sakura calmed herself and tried again. If this doesn't work then to hell with it; I'm out.
"Right, I'm sorry but here, I have some painkillers. At least let me get you some water then I'll leave you alone." She placed the medicine beside him and walked to get him some water. He watched her confusedly, albeit quite annoyed. "You just don't know when to give up, do you?" Sakura snorted. "Too bad for you; I was a nurse before I became a medical student. I can't just let you watch over a patient while looking like you're gonna pass out any time soon. You need to soothe that headache and temper." she handed a glass of water to him, which he accepted hesitantly but muttered a small 'thanks'.
"You're welcome. Well now that I've done my part, I should get going. I have to catch up with my studies." She took her bag from the counter and was about to head towards the door only to have it slammed open, making her back away quick. Loud shouts and curses were heard as several people entered the room and slammed the door shut.
"I thought I told you to buy strawberry!?"
"I did! But the strawberry ice cream from that shop is a bit sour, yeah!"
"Then where the fuck is it, coz I see nothin'!"
"It's coz you guys don't have taste, so I told Tobi to buy it from another shop since the place we went to sells sour ones, hn!"
"Will both of you shut up?!"
"But Kakuzu, this asshole just wasted money!"
"Hidan, have you completely forgotten what you did? You just suddenly flipped a damn table full of perfume because you said it displeases your icon! Do you know how much that cost me, huh? It cost a lot than that fucking ice cream." Kakuzu glared at the grey-haired man. "But Jashin was not pleased! He wanted those demonic scents gone!" Hidan whined.
The blond-haired man suddenly noticed another person in the room and turned his head to Sakura, "And who are you?" Sakura composed herself and cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention but Sasori beat her up to it. "That's the person who saved Nao." The blond man's eyes widened in recognition, "Really, your name speaks for your hair. It looks natural, yeah." Sakura glared to that, "it IS natural." She retorted.
The man blinked, "Oh, cool. I'm Deidara by the way." Deidara grinned at her and held his hand out and Sakura cautiously shook it. "Nice to meet you, Deidara."
Hidan shoved Deidara away from her and hung his arm around Sakura's shoulder. "Well helloo there~ so you're the one who saved Pein's kid. I'm Hidan, the sexy beast. Why don't you and I go together and leave this unattractive place? I've got some nice places in mind, if you know what I mean." He wiggled his eyebrow suggestively. Sakura blanched.
Kakuzu pulled Hidan off by the ear, effectively releasing Sakura from him. "Oouch ouch! Son of a bitch! Why'd you fuckin' do that!?" Hidan shrieked. A nurse came by and tried to quiet them down but quickly left after being abused by Hidan's flowery curses.
"Seriously, shut up. Nao's resting, Pein and Konan won't be happy if they hear the nurse's complaint about you, Hidan." Sasori slowly stood from the couch, still trying to feel his temple. "And my headache is getting worse because of your rants." He looked at them pointedly. Deidara looked at him, frowning "You alright, danna?" he asked the red head. Sasori only gave him a glance that says, 'what does it look like?'
"I did give you the medicine to take, not just for show." Sakura sighed and took the pills from the couch and shove it on Sasori's hand. "Drink it now. I won't stop ranting unless you drink the medicine." Sasori glared at her stubbornly, "Fine." He quickly replied, realizing that the woman was really serious about ranting when she started to open her mouth. Sakura beamed as Sasori took the pill and drained it down to his throat, "Now can you stop pestering me?" his face deadpan. "Yes. Well I should really go now; I do have a lot of things to do. It's nice to meet you guys. I'll visit again before he leaves the hospital, please take good care of Nao." She bowed slightly and left the room after hearing their goodbyes (mostly from Deidara, a nod from Kakuzu, and not much of a goodbye but a perverted assault from Hidan).
Silence.
...
"..."
"So…danna. What's with the hand?"
"I think she just dislocated my wrist."
"Ohh, a strong one, that feline. I like that…~"
Sasori ignored them as they started to ramble again; he noticed something beside the sleeping Nao and silently approached the bed and took it. 'A cellphone?' he examined the case only to find a 'sakura' sticker at the back of the phone. "Hopeless brat." He sighed and shoved the phone to his pocket.
A/n: all right, I seriously wanted to add some more but looking at the time, I don't have much left because I need to sleep. I have an early class (and quiz) tomorrow/later. This has been on my stash for quite a while and I only revised some parts. Not beta-ed, of course (don't even know how that works). Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this short chapter. Until then!