Author's Notes: I would like to apologize for the long gap between updates. Not only did I have finals week to deal with, but my computer was in the shop getting fixed during Spring Break so I didn't have time to write (I get audio now!) . Thank you for your patience.
Promenade
The first thing Sasuke was aware of was the sound of the phone ringing faintly downstairs. Slowly, his senses came back to him; he could feel his hand on his comforter, the smell of the shampoo he used lingering on his pillowcase, and the dim light of the sun creating long shadows in his room. His mouth was dry, and he realized he was ravenous with hunger. He turned his head slightly as his mother tiptoed into his room. Allowing himself to be doted over, Sasuke lay still as she sat on the side of his bed and stroked his hair gently.
"Sasucakes, honey," she prodded, "It's time to get up."
Now he was fully awake, but Sasuke was still not enticed to move.
She tenderly shook his shoulder. "Come on, baby, I bought tomatoes at the store today. I'll cut one for you the way you like it, where it quarters just right so the seeds don't spill out."
He wanted to milk this just a little longer.
"Come on, Sasuke, you've been asleep for three days."
At that, Sasuke jerked his head up in panic. "Are you serious?!"
Surprised, Mikoto stood up. "Yeah, it's Saturday. Your brother called in to your work to say you couldn't make it, and your driver's license came in the mail yesterday."
Inwardly, Sasuke swore. "I'll be right back Mom, I've got to talk to Sakura-"
"Sasuke dear," said his mother flatly, "you are not leaving this house until you've had a shower."
It was five thirty in the afternoon by the time Sasuke marched barefoot across the lawn over to Sakura's house, his hair still wet and dripping onto his shoulders. He didn't have a plan. His steps were almost erratic with anxiety across the grass and onto the Haruno's porch, but there was no stopping him now. He pounded on the door.
"Sakura! Haruno Sakura, let me in!" he shouted.
A few seconds later, a harried looking Sakura popped the door open and gave him a skeptical glare. "Where's the fire?"
Now that he was there he didn't know what to say, so his kneejerk reaction was just to stand and stare at her. She wasn't wearing makeup, and her hair was tossed carelessly back into a ponytail; she wasn't the sort to bother much on weekends. She met his gaze evenly, although confusion was etched onto her face. He knew he had to say something, anything to fill the chasm of awkward silence between them.
"Sa…Sakura." Again with the stuttering. "I have to ask you something."
"Um… ok. Don't hold back."
"Go to prom with me." It didn't come out right; it wasn't a question but a command, just the way he had thought it. He regretted looking her in the eye just then, because suddenly she looked very uncomfortable. After another painstaking moment of silence, she answered him.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke… well, Lee already asked me, and since prom's coming up so soon, and since you didn't ask me, I saidI'd go with him."
Sasuke's stomach plummeted. "Come on. I was sick," whined Sasuke.
"And you couldn't have asked before you got sick?" snapped Sakura, suddenly on the defensive. "How was I to know if you were going to ask me at all? Am I just supposed to-"
"And you're going with Lee? Lee, of all people?" Sasuke sneered, feeling vicious. "Bushy Brows going to make sure you have the most youthful prom ever?"
"Don't make fun of him!"
"Are you kidding me, Sakura? The guy can't go five minutes without telling someone how much he likes you, and he's always fawning over you and saying- saying stupid things, and doing stupid things that won't make you like him as anything less than a friend!"
"Well at least he says things!"
"I told you I liked you and you didn't believe me!"
Sakura glared at him. "Well it's too late now. You should have asked me last week when you had the chance. I've made a commitment, and I'm not going to back out of it now."
Sasuke pouted. "But… but what if he tries to-"
"Goodnight, Sasuke." With that, she turned on her heel and slammed into the house. He stared bewilderedly at the door for a few moments before moping home. Even tomatoes and couldn't cheer him up now.
From Sasuke's point of view, this looked like the end of his friendship with Sakura. Now that he had his license, they left the house at different times for school that Monday and did not speak to each other in the classes they had together. She didn't turn to look at him, and when lunchtime rolled around, Sasuke sat with his soccer friends, figuring it was better to not show up at their table than to be ignored by the main person he wanted to eat with anyway. Tobi was off visiting another friend in the area that week, and Sasuke didn't want to admit it but the loss of the two of them left him very lonely.
His pessimistic attitude persisted for three days, during which time he took to avoiding Sakura on their breaks and silently observing her during class. Part of him was left genuinely averse to her company after their argument on Saturday, but underneath was still the pull to sit next to her, the urge to talk to her, and the feeling that he was missing something, like water slipping through his fingers.
Suddenly Sasuke also found himself observing Lee intently, initially with unconcealed jealousy. The way Lee would come up to Sakura in the hallway and just greet her before coming to class made his stomach churn. But Lee had other habits that even Sasuke could not find fault in.
On Thursday, Sasuke took a long time at his locker after school and the halls were sparse by the time he slammed the door shut. It was relatively quiet because only the stragglers like him were still there. Suddenly a sharp cry echoed through the corridors. Normally Sasuke would not have been interested- it was probably just some kids messing around, anyway- but as he turned the corner, he saw a different scene unfolding before his eyes.
Suigetsu was standing against the wall, holding Konohamaru, a freshman, up against the wall by the hood of his jacket. Sasuke knew the brown-haired kid as a friend and neighbor of Naruto's- the mayor's grandson, a loud kid, but not obnoxious. At school he minded his own business and didn't throw is weight around like most freshmen. He was a little short for his age, but then lots of boys were short as freshman- like Naruto. He was a nice kid, he really was, but this was just not Sasuke's place to get involved. Suigetsu could get very nasty when he wanted to, and a fistfight or getting his head shoved into the toilet was not what Sasuke needed while he was feeling like such an idiot about Sakura.
Konohamaru's short, undeveloped little legs kicked against the wall as Suigetsu licked the tips of his sharp teeth. "Well, Little Man, let me rephrase myself in case you didn't understand me the first time. You. Will. Give-"
"Halt, Suigetsu!"
It was Rock Lee. Sasuke ducked behind a locker.
"Can I help you, Eyebrows?"
"I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about the swim team." Lee held up a small tape recorder and a notepad. "For the school paper."
Suigetsu's attention diverted, Konohamaru was able to squirm back down the floor. Suigetsu glared at him out of the corner of his eye and gave Lee a dirty look. "What's in it for me?"
"Well, the editor of the school paper, Kurenai-sensei, was wondering about how you feel about our swim facilities. If there is enough dissent among the swim team that Konoha High takes so much pride in, the school board might give us some funds."
"They suck," spat Suigetsu. With another glance back to Konohamaru, he turned away and followed Lee down the hall. "We need to get a new diving board, and…"
Konohamaru gave Lee a thumbs up. Behind his back, Lee returned the gesture as he and the shark-toothed bully turned down the hallway. From out of nowhere, a little red-headed freshman with pigtails ran up to Konohamaru and pulled him up off the floor.
"I was so worried! I thought he had you!"
"Yeah, thanks for the help, Moegi."
"Shut up."
Bickering playfully, the two walked out the doors of the school. So that's why she likes him. Watching them turned Sasuke's mood sour- Lee had been the better man and Konohamaru had gotten the girl, but he was left empty handed.
The Saturday of prom dawned hot and sticky. Determined not to think about Sakura all day, Sasuke showered quickly and crammed down some cereal before heading out to work. His resolve was tested when a car pulled up to Sakura's driveway and deposited Hinata and Ino onto the sidewalk, dresses bagged up and makeup bags in tote. God, how much time do they need?
He was out of the driveway and down the street before he could see Sakura come to the door to greet them.
Konan wasn't there yet, but Pein greeted Sasuke with a cheery smile as he made his way to the back where the cars were kept. He barely noticed Hidan swearing at him to get to work before he attacked the first car with his squeegee. After the first few cars he began to work up a sweat in the humid morning sun, but it cleared his mind. The physical labor kept him from sulking. He barely even heard when Hidan stopped him hours later for lunch.
"Slow down, shithead. It's lunchtime and Konan's brought pizza."
Lunchtime at Daybreak Car Rental was always an interesting affair, although in his current state of mind Sasuke could hardly enjoy it. He ate a few pieces of pizza hurriedly while Kakuzu, the miserly man in who kept the books, and Hidan bickered about the toppings ("I fcking hate artichoke hearts!" "Shut up, Konan knows that they're the cheapest things on the menu,") and Konan filled out forms, careful not to get grease on them. Sasuke didn't wait for Hidan to usher him back out to wash more cars and limos. Around three o'clock, Konan called him inside for two tedious hours of data-entry and filing, which he did mindlessly without comment as the radio played from the back of Konan's office. At five, Konan came in with a soda and cookies for him.
"You can stop now," said Konan brightly, surprised at how quickly he had finished his task. "Take a breather and I'll get you your cash for today." She ruffled his sweaty hair casually. "Then you can get out of here." The cookies went down like sawdust, but at least the soda was cool, a welcome change from the stuffy office. Konan came back a few minutes later with a wad of cash in her hand. She counted it all out for him, a total that he had racked up during the week. "Now go home, Uchiha."
Sasuke trudged lifelessly down the stairs. When he reached the foot of the stairs, he heard a familiar voice that caused him to stop just before appearing behind the counter.
"Reservation for a limo under Rock Lee." Sure enough, the bushy-browed wonder was in the office to pick up a limo rental. Sasuke vaguely recalled overhearing that Naruto, Hinata, Neji and his date Tenten, Lee, and Sakura had all decided to pitch in money for a limo to go to prom in.
"Sure, we've got your limo out back. Your party has already put up a down payment…" there was a rustling of papers as Hidan flipped through the books. "So that will be one hundred dollars."
For a moment there was silence as Rock Lee dug in his pockets, and after several moments Hidan began to get impatient. "Dammed kid, do you have the money kid, or not?"
Sasuke peeked out from the stairs. Lee was searching frantically through all the pockets in his tux for his wallet with a look of desperation on his face. "I must have left it on the bus, oh God- I'll be right back," said Lee frantically. He bolted out of the office and down the street.
Sasuke finally turned the corner and headed around the counter to the main part of the office. If Lee forgot his wallet on the bus, there's no way he's getting it back. The thought was enough to stop him in his tracks. If they didn't get the limo, Sakura and the others wouldn't be able to get to prom. He could feel the money in his pocket- half of it was enough to cover the remaining cost of the limo.
Sasuke didn't know what possessed him to turn back to the counter where Hidan was tapping at the computer and muttering obscenities about irresponsible teenagers. It certainly wasn't a desire to help Lee, or Neji, or even Naruto, but if this is what Sakura wanted, he would see it done, with or without him. He counted out one hundred dollars in twenties and plopped it on the counter.
"Cover that guy," he said to Hidan, who looked up from the monitor and raised an eyebrow.
"What the hell? Do you even know that guy?"
"Yeah. I owe him."
"Are you sure about this, Uchiha?"
Sasuke took a deep breath before answering. "Yes, I'm sure. His cell number is in his reservation information, right? Call him back here. He'll never catch the bus."
Hidan was surprised, but none the less processed the transaction and punched Lee's number into the office phone and held it to his ear as it rang. "What do you want me to tell him?"
"I don't really give a shit." With that, Sasuke turned and sped out the door. He was parked a few blocks away in the downtown parking garage, and as he walked into the shaded cement complex he wondered which of the limos he had washed that day would take Sakura to prom. Not so eager to head home so early, Sasuke drove to the mall- he still had some cash to blow, and besides, the next edition of Shonen Jump was out.
It was dark by the time Sasuke parked his car in the driveway and headed into the house. His parents had already eaten dinner and Tobi had not yet returned, so he heated up the remains of teriyaki chicken in the microwave. If Itachi was lurking about, he made no effort to talk to Sasuke, and his parents had picked up on his bad mood and gave him space to eat and fume in silence.
To his surprise, dinner made him feel a little better, but it was not until he showered off the day's sweat and grime did Sasuke really feel at peace. The warm water and steam gave him a feeling of contentedness, and for the first time in a week, he thought that maybe he could live without going to prom with Sakura. It wasn't like she was dating Lee, or anything. Maybe tomorrow, he'd call her and apologize, he thought sleepily. Tomorrow.
The night was warm. Still not in the mood to socialize, Sasuke took his copy of Jump out to the front porch where Tobi had set up a hammock before he left. In the semi-darkness, he started to read. The hours slipped by as he found solace in the problems of the Straw Hat Pirates and an escape into the inner workings of the soul society. After a time, his eyes slipped closed.
When he finally awoke, the porch light had been turned off and the night was still. The streetlights shone and the neighbor's houses were quiet. Ryuu trotted up to him from across the street with a dead mouse in his mouth, his gray fur wet with dew. The cat dropped the rodent at the steps and jumped into the hammock with Sasuke, who scratched behind his ears. At least someone loves me. Ryuu purred loudly.
The sound of a car rolling down the street broke the silence. Sasuke turned his head to see a long black limo pull up to the Haruno's next door. As the door opened, he could hear loud music being blasted from inside. Laughing, Sakura stepped out of the car with her small clutch purse and heels in her hands. She waved goodbye, and Sasuke heard some shouts of farewell from within. Then the limo sped into the night.
Sasuke didn't mind watching her as she walked through her yard and descended the steps to her door. He was a little surprised that Lee hadn't seen here there, but then Sakura didn't look sad or disappointed. In fact, he indulged himself to think her beautiful. Her hair was loose and curled about her shoulders, and her deep red dress was pale in the moonlight. She let herself into the house and disappeared. Sasuke leaned back down and swayed peacefully in the hammock.
A second later, he heard the door open and shut. Sakura stepped out of the house again, without the purse and barefoot but still in her dress. Leaving it unlocked, she scampered down the steps and across the lawn to his porch. Surprised, Sasuke sat up in the hammock. Sakura tiptoed up to the porch railing.
"Sasuke?" she breathed. Gingerly, she tiptoed onto the porch and slid into the hammock beside him. Speechless, Sasuke turned to look at her.
"You're here," he said confusidly. "Why?"
Sakura hung her head. "I wanted to apologize."
Dumbstruck, Sasuke sat up and stared at her until he found his voice. "Why are you apologizing? I was a jerk, and-"
"Lee told me what you did," she interrupted. So Hidan told him the truth. "And that was really selfless of you, Sasuke. I know you didn't do it for Lee, and I was so rude to you… I'm sorry."
"Sakura-"
"No, let me finish. I didn't listen to you, and I didn't take your feelings seriously- I mean, I think I had a good reason, but even so, I shouldn't have been so…so… dismissive of you, and…" She trailed off, blushing.
"Sakura, I'm sorry. For everything," said Sasuke solemnly. "I was the one who dismissed you, for years- I had it coming to me. Really, I deserve it."
They swayed in silence for a moment.
"I still love you, you know," she breathed. Their eyes met with a quiet spark, and after a second they mutually leaned in.
If their first kiss was rushed, and the others non-consenting or frustrated, then this one was perfect. Clandestine in the darkness they kissed while Sasuke's heart pounded through his chest and Sakura pulled him close, swaying in the breeze.
When they parted, Sasuke let his head fall to her shoulder. "What are we?" he whispered. "Let's be official."
"Let's."
End Notes: Not a humorous chapter. I hope you're happy with the conclusion: no fireworks or waterfalls and rainbows, but I believe that love comes quietly- and to me, that's more romantic. Once again, I'd like to apologize for the long gap between updates,
especially if this didn't live up to your expectations. One last chapter, the Epilogue, will follow this one. Thank you so much, Boba readers. –LittleSax
P.S. By the way, Sasuke and Sakura might not know it, but in my mind, Mikoto and Tobi were watching them out on the hammock from the living room window, cheering them on.