chapter four
She was the one who said his name and made his heart beat slightly faster. That's why he chose her.
It was two months later when Sakura saw him again. He had always dropped off her blood delivery in a package, usually with supply enough to last her the month. It was a relief to her, to say the least, when she realized she would never have to see him again.
She had gotten used to the new diet. Life was the same, just with a little bit of blood in it. She also found that blood didn't drive her crazy like they said it did to vampires in the movies. She drank not because of hunger or thirst, it was more like a required vitamin.
She was sitting alone in a cafe across from her apartment when she saw him. It was early February and it was snowing heavily. She realized a while ago that the cold didn't bother her as much as it used to. One of the perks, she remembered thinking. At least something good comes out of this.
It was ten o' clock at night, and there were only a few shops open; the cafe being one of them. She sipped her coffee as she observed him. He was easy to spot, with his hair sticking out like a sore thumb. These days, many people dyed their hair various colors. She herself had an unusual hair color, but his shade of blond somehow managed to glimmer brilliantly despite the low lighting. She noticed he wasn't alone. There was another man walking next to him. From what she could make, he had dark hair and skin as pale as the snow. It wasn't hard to guess that he was one of them.
Sakura was used to seeing him in his dark hoodie, from the two times she saw him. But tonight, he wore something presentable that made her realize just how attractive he really was. He was wearing a dark royal blue trench coat. It was unbuttoned, allowing a view of the black sweater vest and the light orange collared shirt underneath it. He wore black jeans, complimented with a pair of black oxford shoes. Sakura was so impressed by his outfit that she didn't realize he was heading her way.
Three taps on the glass knocked her out of her reverie. Turning around slowly, she groaned inwardly when she saw him standing on the other side of the glass. He waved at her, mouthed something she couldn't understand, and pointed at the door of the cafe.
She frowned, shook her head, and turned back to the paperwork she was working on before he so graciously distracted her. She gritted her teeth when he knocked on the glass again.
"Go away," she mouthed, much to his delight. He held his right hand up, and mouthed what looked like wait there, and walked towards the entrance. Her eyes followed him for a while, cursing her luck. She turned her attention back towards the glass when she realized his companion was still standing there.
He looked at her with eyes darker than black and she felt unnerved. He turned his attention to Naruto who was already inside, and then back to her. Sakura stubbornly held her gaze with his despite feeling like he was planning to murder her. She noticed him smirk condescendingly at her, and then he turned to leave.
"What a freak," she breathed.
"He's not a people person."
"Go away," she looked at the blond haired man standing in front of her, grinning from ear to ear. "I told you to go away, why did you come in?"
"I wanted to see you," he said. "It's been a while."
"Yes, it has," she said, sipping her coffee once.
"Did you miss me?" he asked, pulling the seat in front of her.
"No," she said, putting away the paperwork she finished, and grabbing another.
"I'm going to get something, do you want anything?" he said after a while.
"I have a few somethings already," she said, gesturing to the coffee and croissant with her pen.
She heard the seat in front of her shift, and felt him leave. It wasn't long before he came back with his cup of coffee and a bag of what smelled like grilled cheese.
"Eating this late at night is unhealthy," she said. She cursed herself for her immediate reaction, hating the idea that he'd start thinking they were friends.
"I'm pretty sure drinking coffee this late at night is also not the best," he said, she could almost see his cheeky smile. "So, what are you working on?"
"Work," she said, scribbling down a few notes.
"What do you do?" he asked, curiosity clear in his voice.
"What do you do?" she returned his question, finally looking up to look at him.
She wasn't surprised to find him staring at her, almost fondly. He had made it quite clear that he was keenly interested in her.
"I'm a soon-to-be lawyer," he said, shrugging. "It's real boring."
"I didn't think you'd be the lawyer type," she said, surprised. "When do you graduate?"
"This fall," he sipped his coffee. "I'm interning at a firm this coming Spring. It pains me already just thinking of all the work I'll have."
"Hm," Sakura tapped her chin with the pen. "Good luck."
Her good wish clearly surprised him since she had always been antagonistic towards him. His eyes widened slightly and Sakura found he was able to look genuinely touched.
"Thanks," he said. "So, what do you do?"
"I'm a therapist," Sakura said after a while. It was only fair for her to tell him since he shared his side. "I help people with depression."
"That's admirable," he said.
"I don't do it for the credit," she said.
"You're not that type of person," he agreed, biting into his sandwich. "Right, Sakura?"
She felt her heart flutter at the sound of her name in his voice. Coughing awkwardly, she turned her attention back to her paperwork.
"No, I'm not," she managed to blurt out.
She heard him chuckle, and she rolled her eyes at how easily amused he was. But then again, she supposed, it's much better to live happily.
"Do you still remember my name?" he asked after they sat in silence for a while.
"Yes," she said. She'd never forget his name. He was the reason why she needed to drink blood every week to live.
"Say it," he said.
"I'm working."
"What's my name?" he demanded stubbornly.
Annoyed, Sakura placed her pen on the table and looked up at him. He was looking at her intently, his blue eyes sparkling brilliantly.
"Naruto," she said, noticing the way his pupils dilate. She could hear her heart drumming faster at his reaction. "Happy?"
"Yes," he smiled, but it wasn't his usual goofy smile. It was an absolutely content and happy smile.
They spent the rest of the night sitting in silence. With her working, and him observing her. When they left, it was midnight and Sakura was glad that she was able to finish her work considering how nervous she had been with him just staring at her.
They stood outside the cafe, the snow stopped a while ago but it was also a lot colder than it had been. Despite the cold not affecting her as bad as it did before, she still found herself shivering.
"Cold?" Naruto looked at her when he realized her shaking.
"Kinda," she breathed a column of white vapor. "It's more bearable though. One of the perks, right?"
Naruto laughed, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"You really like to say that, don't you?" he said.
"Yeah," Sakura smiled. "I suppose I do."
"Come on," he walked in front of her, gesturing towards her apartment with his head. "I'll walk you."
"I'm fine," she looked at him. "I live literally right there."
"I'm offering to walk you anyway," he said.
"Thanks," she laughed, walking behind him. He noticed this, and he adjusted his pace so that they walked side by side.
"How are you adjusting?" he asked, glancing at her.
"It's alright," she shrugged. "It's not that different than before."
He noticed she still distanced herself from the reality of being a vampire. He sighed, and he went to pat her head.
"Um," Sakura eyed him, confusedly. "Why are you patting me?"
"I'm sorry," he said, stopping in his steps. Sakura stopped a few steps in front of him. She looked at him and despite how much taller he was than her, he looked so small in his guilt.
"I forgive you," she said after a few heartbeats, walking towards him. She reached forward to pat his cheek.
"Why are you patting me?" he smiled at her.
"Payback," she grinned. "Come on, I'm freezing."
But before she could turn to leave, he grabbed her hand and she felt his lips on her forehead. She froze in shock, unable to think or move. She noticed him moving, and the next thing she knew he was kissing her left cheek.
"What are you doing, Naruto?" she squirmed when he kissed her right cheek, half nervous and half uncomfortable. No matter how much he made her heart beat, no matter how attractive she thought he was, and no matter how much friendlier she was towards him; this progression was much too fast.
He stopped with his lips hovering slightly above hers. And she felt herself sweating cold sweat from the feeling of his breath on her face.
"Sorry," he said, moving away. "I don't know what happened."
He froze when he saw her face. Sakura was blushing and breathing almost erratically. The light from the street light was reflected in her eyes, making the green shine beautifully. Noticing what he was about to do, Sakura held up her hand to his chest, stopping him.
"You can't, Naruto," she said.
He looked at her and saw her resolve. Taking a deep breath, he nodded.
"We're here," he said, turning to look at her apartment building. Sakura was surprised she hadn't realized they had arrived long before his kisses. She turned to look back at him who was still looking at her building.
"Hey," she called his attention. "Thanks for the packages."
She turned and walked up the steps. She smiled at him, and waved him goodbye.
"Thanks for walking me," she said, feeling genuinely thankful.
"You know," she heard him say when she started unlocking the front door. "I think I'm in love with you."
Surprised, she turned around so hard she heard her neck crack. But he was gone, leaving her with a pained neck and heart beating so fast she was sure she'd have a heart attack.
"Shit."
a/n
wow this is long. i feel like the chapters are gonna get longer and longer lol. anyway, this was a lot of fun to write hehe. i'm used to writing angst but i actually really love writing their interaction in this au. (also yes, sasuke made his appearance in this chapter)
+ spring break's ending, sadly, and so updates will most likely be weekly instead of daily. i seriously feel like i didn't do anything during spring break but feed turtles and write fanfiction lol.
- dramadelicacy.
