One Day, Three Autumns
IV.
It was the first time he forgot to go to the grocery store. He realized this as he searched the empty cabinets looking for something to eat for breakfast. Fumbling and peaking at the rows of cabinets and spaces where there would be a possibility of potential food. He spent too much time in the office lately these months. His large pale white hands grasp of something with a shape of a box. Pulling it out immediately, it was a box of pancake probably from the farthest corner of the cabinet.
They woke up Monday morning, twenty-minutes later than the usual and still, debating on who will cook breakfast. It was always him who did those things, but she wanted it to be her turn. Her viridian orbs reflected determination and headed to the kitchen without any of his word within her range of hearing. He sighed exasperatedly and glanced at the sleeping form of a blonde young man sprawled on the floor of the living room with his notes and books surrounding him. He was still asleep and snoring so loud that it irritated him. He kicked the blond on his leg, once, twice…. No movement.
He resisted the urge to punch the guy literally. He's going to be late.
He was about to kick him on the ribs when he smelled something burning. He instantly knew it headed in the kitchen quickly, inwardly panicking. His eyes widened at the disaster of his kitchen (if a plain mixing bowl and a mixer on the counter is considered to be disastrous enough). Nonetheless, what bothered him was the woman in his kitchen, with an already messy hair and some pancake mix joining her lower locks, who was biting her lower lips and giving a sheepish smile at him. Beside her was a black smoke from the non-stick pan he owned. His eyes slightly glared at her wide and enchanting emerald ones while its owner gave a small nervous laugh. Nonetheless, he kissed her forehead,
"Don't go near the kitchen again."
'Not pancakes today' he then decided to get a shower instead, heading to the hallway with hopes to get rid of his unusual flashbacks which were becoming frequent nowadays. He hypothesized that maybe it has something to do with her arrival. He sighed and ran his dominant hand though his raven locks.
"I got her schedule." Juugo said handing a short legal size paper to the raven haired young man sitting across him. They had just finished eating lunch. Upon realizing that his boss won't be accepting the paper soon, he placed it gently on his desk. The dark haired young man simply grunted,
"Hn."
Before Juugo could speak the additional information about the underground, a loud blonde with warm cerulean eyes entered- barged rather, in the room. Juugo, excused himself upon the greeting of the blonde young man which he responded too.
His coal eyes eyed the man with scrutiny, wondering why of all mornings he can barged in, he chose this busiest one. He watched him take the opposite seat in front of him, the dark mahogany table as their barrier, which he wished he ordered wider. He then remembered his stupid plan when he gave him an unknown number
"So…" the irritating blonde started, "You called the number?" matched with the same foolish grin he had known painstakingly in his life.
He glared at him in return, hoping that his gaze burn holes in his tan figure which the young blonde man in return, rolled his cerulean eyes at his attitude.
"Quit being a girl, Teme."
It took everything in him to be calm and professional in his office before he could punch the daylight out of the idiotic blonde before him. The blonde laugh at his inner turmoil and all the more reason he thinks that there is nothing funny.
It seems like the blonde never grew up from his immaturity of being a prankster.
Or maybe he's just sensitive at the moment.
"What do you want?" He asked straight to the point and turned to flip the folder his right-hand man, Neji Hyuuga laid out for him. The said case was the latest mutilation and salvages happening at night which the police department haven't solved at all.
"Well, nothing in particular. Just thought I drop by!"
"Hn." Please leave me be, you idiot.
"What!? Not happy to see me?"
"Oh yes, Naruto. I'll fucking throw a party." Came his reply laced with all sarcasm.
"Aw, that's so adorable. Sasuke-kun." Naruto fake cooed at the man, even placing his hands above his heart with voice as high as he can.
"I'm busy, goddamn."
"Yeah, I know. I heard about the salvages at night." Sasuke paused at the paper he was reading, now listening to his dear best friend, "Dad mentioned it. If the underground police can't solve it, the military will help. Just so you know."
"I know." Sasuke sighed and closed the black folder, "I have to make sure, it will not reach that point. The civilians must not be alarmed."
It was always like this, one moment they were bantering like kindergarten children and the next moment they knew, they are talking with high professionalism about their jobs. Understanding each other as well.
"I hope so." Naruto replied with his warm cerulean eyes gazing at the closed black folder placed in front of his long-time best friend. "Teme, about Saku-"
He was interrupted by the abrupt two short knocks and a man with long brown hair entered aloofly. His skin was pale but healthy in a way and his pearl eyes eyed the visitor he very well knows. He held a tray with his right hand, two cups of coffee and a plateful of bread. He gave the blonde man one of his famous glare and wondered how the hell he came here in the office.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
"What? Can't I get to see my cousin-in-law and best friend?" Naruto replied, very much annoyed right now which in return, Sasuke hid his growing smirk. The dark haired man felt relieved at the appearance of his right-hand man
"Yes, apparently we're busy. Who knows, maybe Hinata will change her mind soon."
"Why you assh-"
"What brings you here, anyway?" Neji cut him short and told the very things Sasuke wanted to ask him earlier since he arrived.
"Well, I was about to tell Teme, that Sakura-chan is taking a late night shift at the hospital. Thought, he should know." He grinned sheepishly and stood up before Sasuke could get his claws to the young man.
"Who's that?"
"Oh, she's the only one who captured Sasuke-teme's heart, even if he's a big asshole."
"Oh?" Neji replied with a smirk and turned his eyes to the silently fuming Sasuke Uchiha at his chair. Naruto stood fast and head out of the office, running as fast as he can and shouted somewhere in the hallway,
"See ya guys later!"
Ignoring the blonde, Sasuke opened the black file again and resumed reading the latest case. In return, Neji sat across him, placing the tray in front of them. The brown-haired man took his share of coffee and morning bread.
"Sakura, eh?" Neji said, with a smirk as he sips his black coffee. "Your girlfriend?"
"Ex." Sasuke replied, not bothering to look up from the file he is currently indulged in.
"Interesting." His pearl eyes watched him, "Still love her, I assume?"
"Who knows." With that, Sasuke Uchiha turned to drink his black coffee.
It's two in the afternoon when Tsunade asked her to her office and inform her of tomorrow night's party whereas different company sponsors will attend. The party will be held after the official opening of the hospital. Sakura was taken aback with this, considering that she never partied at all in her whole life. She never even socialized in any gathering possible.
"Can I not go?"
"You can't." Tsunade confirmed and the older woman sorted the files on her table. "The whole team must be present and I trust that it is only acceptable to meet the sponsors. After all, they invested so much in the surgery and pediatric department – both of your expertise.
"As much as I hate to attend to, Sakura, it is a must."
"Okay, I understand." She turned her heels and opened the door from her mentor's office and headed down to her own one. Just thinking about her own office bring this stupid smile on her face. Stupid as it may sound, she worked so hard for this. Since she worked hard for this, she decided to stay until late at night in the hospital, help with some equipment, entertain the questions of some interns, nurses and doctors and probably prepare the things urgently needed in some parts of the hospital. She was pretty excited and even though, her home was an hour travel (she still can't drive and still haven't bought a car at all) it will be all worth it.
Soon after hours of working and fixing and making everything is according to plan, her mentor almost dragged her out of the hospital. The pink haired young woman would not go outside unless force acted upon on her.
"Stubborn brat!" Tsunade called out to her, she remembered. Almost laughing at the memory but any sane person who may pass her by may think of her as crazy. So she suppressed it in her own thoughts and messaged Jiraiya that she's coming home and not to wait for her, because he's old.
She went to the train station she took earlier before heading out to the hospital and found it already closed as the staffs were conducting maintenance. With a sigh, she walked away, heading to the bus station. While waiting, she glanced at her white wristwatch: 11:46 it read. She should've not stayed out this late.
"Miss, the new bus stop is over there." A teenage boy around fourteen informed her with a trash in his hand, his vacant one pointed its index finger westward two blocks away from where she was standing.
Oh dear god. She mentally cussed out and thanked the young boy with a new found information.
"Take care, Miss!" The boy waved and went inside his house across from the old bus stop.
He gathered his team, all dressed in black tux and fedora hat, save for the females who wore black blouse and pencil skirt instead. They were inside one of the most hidden meeting room, white blinding lights adjourned the room and the massive whiteboard in front of them.
The dark haired young man discussed the case they will be investigating for some time. Gruesome pictures of mutilated people were plastered on the white board, fingerprints, and chemical compound written all over, with the victims' names respectively. Some investigators resisted the urge to puke at the horrendous sight before them but Neji and Sasuke paid no heed as they further explained the case. They will be patrolling at night and the nights that will follow after and gather suspicious evidences as soon as they can and what they can grasp.
"You'll come by pairs, so no slacking off." Sasuke finalized, "You know the punishment."
Neji proceeded to announce the pairs that would be working together and as usual, he'll be Sasuke's partner, being the second in command at all. As much as a red-haired young woman, with a devilishly developed body would like to complain about her new bleached haired partner, she did not say anything nor agreed. Under her red rimmed glasses, she eyed Sasuke with pure adoration.
By pairs, they headed out of the facility to patrol. The last one coming out was the infamous bachelors of the respective families. The midnight haired young man, loosened his black tie and unbuttoned two buttons from his black long sleeve polo shirt under the black coat. Oppositely, Neji fixed his own tie and looked dignified than him but less intimidating than Sasuke. Something about Uchiha genes carried out.
They found themselves on a quiet street, deadly quiet with few and countable cars passed by. They blended in the dark so well.
"Go East." Sasuke ordered as he thought that they could search properly when separated seeing that they could handle themselves well enough. Neji gave a brief nod and silently head out for the direction pointed to him.
Sasuke turned West and further. He walked silently as a cat, sleek and cautious. He adjusted his hat to shadow his coal eyes before turning left because he noticed a shadow, realizing that it's standing still and nothing suspicious, he was about to turn away until he heard a muffled scream.
He took a sharp turn to the left with a blink of an eye, took his Heckler & Koch P30, he silently paged Neji with the mic and earpiece equipment. He pointed the handgun to the man, coincidentally one of the primary suspects in the case.
"West. 4 blocks from our last meeting. Fast."
"On my way."
A chemistry professor from a small community college, Haruki Suzumi. He glared at the man under the shadow of his hat. The said professor doesn't seem unafraid as he held a lovely woman as his hostage. He glared even harder as if all the wrongs in the world were his fault.
Because he wanted to meet her again, not at this kind of scenario, not at this kind of setting, not when he's working and especially not when she's in danger. He wanted to meet her again in a proper place and time wherein he's ready for her to take out her anger on him, to slap him hard because he knows how strong those fists at all.
The pink-haired woman was so shocked to her core, one moment she was waiting for a bus then a man called her pretty, asking her out for a drink and when she politely refused the offer, he lashed out to strangle her and muttering words that she caught up as, "Fine specimen. Porcelain skin. Pretty eyes"
And now she's nervous as hell when a tall man dressed in all black tux with his tie loose and two buttons opened to view the alluring strong and slender neck, pointing a gun to her oppressor. It wasn't even an official first day of work and she got into a mess.
Someone above must really find her funny.
And then she decided that someone above must really hate her when the man in an all-black tux lifted his face for her green green eyes to see the familiar face she had been longing to see for years now. The man she tried to hate so much because she loved him so much. And this setting is so damned. Because she's not ready to face him and right now, her emotions got mixed up in her head and her heart was pounding loudly insider her chest whether from nervousness because of the situation she's in as a hostage or anticipation and unpreparedness for the love of her life to show up.
She thought she prepared for the moment to meet again where, he would say "Sorry, I made a mistake." And then he'll kiss and hug her and she would reply with tears in her eyes, "It's okay. We're going to be okay now. I forgive you." And she'll hug him back tighter and kiss him on the cheek. She then realized that our plans cannot go according to our will after all, especially when love and forgiveness are on the line. And no one informed her that the feeling she'll recognize first was hurt and anger.
It wasn't the time she wanted for them to meet again. Because right now, she can't slap him for the hurt and shout at him to leave her alone or give her some time. The masochist inside her, wanted to see him again. So much that it breaks her inside.
"S-Sasuke…"
I know it's short and all. Sorry! It took me a looooong time to upload. School stuffs made me a vampire now haha. It's also a miracle that I finished this. There's not a single day without exam or quizzes. If anyone is wondering what my course is, it's Accountancy.
Anyways, I'll try to update as soon as I can, but give me two-three weeks my major subjects will have an exam ALL TOGETHER. *sigh* thank you for updating and reviewing. I really appreciate it :)
Leave a review, it lifts up my spirit in this hellish world, knowing I'm appreciated.
Bye for now :)