Prompt 10: impulsive
Summary: Sakura does things to him that he can't explain but at least he's not the only one.
notes: Sorry for the wait. Consider this as a sort of last Christmas gift for 2014.
Beware. Crazy!Sasuke is on your way.
Sasuke spent the walk back to their apartment in a dazed state.
He'd lost count of how much he's had to drink at the restaurant that by the time Sakura ordered her dessert Sasuke had gone numb. He ignored the questioning look Sakura shot him when he forewent his usual coffee after dinner and stuck to finishing their bottle. And he didn't even put much of a fight when Sakura went to snatch the bill. After that they took a cab and got down at the curb by their building because Sakura wanted to walk the rest of the way. He didn't even remember if they split the cab fare.
Sasuke stuffed his fisted hands further his coat's pockets as he buried half of his face in its collar. Beside him Sakura is babbling away over something like she usually does but then he can't find it in him to be interested. Her words from the restaurant are still ringing clearly in his head and he's still trying to understand why there is a certain heaviness in them that seemed to seep into his bones and stayed there.
That and he's trying his best not to fall face first on the cold pavement.
"So, I'm thinking of moving back."
How can six measly words make his stomach feel like it has dropped to his feet, make his chest tighten like somebody is seating on it, and make him feel like something is lodged in his throat he had to down three bottles of wine to get rid of it and even then it's still there?
And wow, what was that? No, that is not disappointment, nope.
Because Sasuke knows disappointment like the back of his hand. He's seen it in the way his father looked at him as a kid and even later on in his life when he did something he didn't particularly approved off. And he's been doing that all his life it seems judging by the way his father looks at him at the rare chance they do get to see each other.
So, no. That was not disappointment, he was sure. It was something else.
"Sasuke? Are you alright? You've been standing there for awhile now."
Sakura's voice jolted him out of his reverie and he realized they were already in the living room of their—soon to be only his again—apartment. Sakura's winter booths are off and she's half sprawled on the couch looking up at him with confusion and slight worry.
Sasuke grunted before making a beeline for his room and slamming the door shut.
The feeling stayed with him even after he's changed for bed and as he lied awake trying to pin point what the feeling in his gut was.
When midnight rolled in and he's still awake, Sasuke turned to his side as he grunted in frustration, slightly drunk and confused as fuck just like he always is when it comes to Sakura. The feeling in his gut remained and Sasuke convinced himself it's indigestion.
It's probably just because rent's coming up and with Sakura leaving he's got to work twice as hard again. Yeah, that's it.
The morning after was a Friday and Sasuke woke up with the mother of all headaches and his back in pain.
His alarm clock is still loudly beeping on his night stand and he pulled out whatever it was that was digging at his back (it was his hardbound copy of Konoha's bylaws and foreign policy and he cursed as he remembered the paper due on it later) and used it to hit the snooze button. That was clearly a wrong move because aside from the resounding thud that only made to worsen his already worst headache, he now also probably need to buy a new one after that but he really doesn't care.
He reached over for his phone to check the time (because turning his head is just not an option) and to check if he has any messages.
Eh. A text from Naruto. Unimportant.
Sasuke threw his phone somewhere beside him and contemplated why he was awake and whether or not he should get up. But if he's awake that means he needs to get up but somehow he can't manage to find a reason why and he really doesn't want to. His head is throbbing and his back is in pain. Clearly the world is sending him a message not to get out of bed today.
The reason came at the sound of the front door slamming shut and suddenly, like a movie fast forwarding in his mind's eye, the events of last night came flooding back to him and so did the reason as to why he has no motivation whatsoever to get out of bed.
Sakura treated him to that tomato restaurant on seventh. She told him she's moving back. He responded by drinking the wine on his glass straight up and then refilling it again and again and again until the whole bottle was finished and ordering another one—or two, maybe three.
The heavy feeling from last night was back with a vengeance coupled with his slight hangover. Sasuke, now half sober and the haziness of sleep gone from his system, finally realized what the godawful feeling in his gut was.
It was like every time Itachi says he's gonna watch his soccer game but never does. It was like that one summer Naruto told him they were gonna leave town to escape the annual gala only for him to ditch Sasuke because he was staying at the Hyuugas. It was like in third year high school when he was left to work on a Chemistry project for finals because his supposed partner already passed her own. It was all of the godawful shitty things he had to go through only this time it felt ten times worst because at least then from Itachi he knew there was never a guarantee that his brother would come knowing the constant demand of his familial duties. Naruto at least made up to him when he came back and had pictures of Neji, that prick, making a fool out of himself in an attempt to woo a very unimpressed Tenten and at least his lab partner was apologetic and offered to help him on his project.
But with Sakura there was no preamble. There was no buffer whatsoever. She just outright told him she was gonna move out and back to her apartment without even so much as a warning; like she just happened to stay the night at his place and not for three fucking months almost four.
And Sasuke realized that the heaviness in his bones and the sporadic jabs in his chest felt a lot like betrayal.
Sasuke felt betrayed.
By Sakura, who he'd only known for a couple of months, of all people.
And the bitch hasn't even paid her share of this month's rent.
Suddenly Sasuke didn't feel like staying in bed anymore. Suddenly, Sasuke felt so pissed and angry at the world he needed to get up and do something.
How fucking dare her. How fucking dare her lure him into a false sense of security and then leave him high and dry. How fucking dare her just suddenly decide she was gonna up and leave as if she didn't invade his home and his life for three fucking months.
Sasuke sat up and wrestled his way out of his sheets that smelled like fucking jasmine from all the times Sakura fucking slept on his bed (God, that woman is awful) and stomped out of his bedroom to his kitchen. He sent a sneer to the direction of the couch and the neatly folded comforter atop the pillows. Great. Now his couch smelled like jasmine too and that's going to be a bitch to get the fuck out once Sakura moves out. Fuck it. He probably smells like fucking jasmine already. No wonder the assholes at work keep on sniffing him like fucking dogs and smirking at him. Fucking Sakura and her obsession on smelling like fucking jasmine.
A mug of steaming coffee was on the counter beside a plate of freshly heated tomato flavored bagel. There was a folded note under the plate. Sasuke snatched it up and read the barely legible chicken scratch Sakura calls her handwriting (fucking doctors and their shitty handwriting) on the piece of paper.
For your hangover. You drank a lot last night your head must be killing you. I'll be home early so I'll see you at dinner!
Laughing at your misery but still hoping you feel better. –xoxo Sakura.
Somehow this only made him angrier because fuck it if he's not gonna miss all these dumb little shit she does.
Sasuke glared at the mug of coffee and the plate of bagel as if they personally offended him. He decided not to touch them and went to shower instead in hopes that the warm water might soothe his anger.
It didn't and by the time he got dressed and passed by the kitchen counter again, his resolved crumbled and he ate the now stale bagel and drank the now cold coffee too. God, did it taste bad yet good at the same time. Bad because it's all cold and stale but at the same time the coffee tasted just like how he preferred it. It settled wrong in his stomach and he blamed Sakura for it.
He grabbed his backpack from his room and on his way to the door. As he hastily and angrily shoved his feet in his Vans, he saw the envelope Sakura usually puts her rent in on the table beside the door. Sasuke glared at it for a moment before snatching it roughly. He cursed her again in his head he was sure Sakura was probably choking by now.
Sasuke slammed the apartment door shut so hard the sound echoed of the whole floor. He passed by Sakura's door on the way to the stairs and glared at it hard enough to almost set in on fire. He vaguely contemplated the thought of infesting her apartment with spiders again before he realized what the fuck he's thinking and questioned his sanity. He cursed and stomped all the way to Kakashi's office on the ground floor and didn't even bother knocking, only flung the door and threw the envelope of cash in his desk with Sakura's rent along with his.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow at Sasuke's more brutish than usual behavior before smiling as he counted the money on the envelope.
"So, how's it going with Sakura? I trust you've made her feel welcome?"
Sasuke grinded his teeth and reminded himself that he cannot maim his landlord. Even if he is partly to blame for Sakura moving back.
"She's moving back to her apartment."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. You're getting your number one tenant back." Sasuke snarled before slamming Kakashi's office door shut much like how he did with his.
Kakashi only chuckled and shook his head as he continued counting his money.
"Silly boy."
Sasuke went about his whole day seething and utterly pissed at the world.
In their court simulation exercise, he went and grilled the opposition and completely and ruthlessly destroyed her case. His professor gave him a grade a point short of perfect (because professors just don't give perfect scores on principle and this somehow made him angrier even when it doesn't normally bother him) and failed to feel unapologetic towards the opposition even as he sighted her leaving the room in tears. If she couldn't take it, she shouldn't be a lawyer.
(It has nothing to do with the fact that she has the same haircut as Sakura and that Sasuke felt a sick feeling of satisfaction imagining her leaving the room crying. Of course not.)
His raging anger continued on even as he drove to work, going over the maximum speed limit and almost running over a pedestrian or two. He slammed his card door shut hard and didn't even winced even when he normally would because damn if he didn't love his car. He stormed up the garage and ignored everyone around him as he timed in and don his overalls. He nearly hit Suigetsu in the gut when he grabbed his tool box and merely growled out a "fuck you" when Suigetsu called him out on it.
When he cursed after dropping his wrench for the third time Naruto came bounding over and hauled him up by the neck of his overalls from under the hood of the car he's fixing.
Fuck. He didn't even know the idiot was around. What the fuck is wrong with him.
"Alright, bastard. What's got your panties in a twist?"
"Let go of me you fucking idiot. I'm fucking working here."
Naruto only rolled his eyes at him and proceeded to haul him off to where the others are. He dropped him on the beat up couch next to Shikamaru and tossed him a can of beer. He waited until Sasuke finished half the can before demanding answers.
"Alright. Talk."
"Sakura's moving back to her apartment."
Naruto looked surprised. He probably thought it wouldn't be that easy.
But Sasuke's anger was fucking with his brain and if they even asked him why he'd probably run his mouth dry telling them why he's so fucked over about his shrew of a soon-to-be-ex-roommate moving out.
"Oh, really? Hey, that's great! We could finally hang around your—"
Naruto's words died down along with his excitement at Sasuke's glare.
"Oh. Is that a bad thing? But, wait, why is that a bad thing? I thought it was only for awhile and you wanted her gone?"
Suigetsu slid out from under the car he's fixing. "Wait, wait, wait! Who's this Sakura chick and why are we only hearing about her now?"
Shikamaru snorted. "Idiot. This bigger idiot" he jabbed a thumb to Naruto resulting to an indignant 'hey!' "has only been yammering about her since summer. She's the girl living with Sasuke. You've seen her when we had poker night at Sasuke's last month."
"What the fuck—thought tha' was a 'untime thing? Thought she just forgot some'ing at the bastard's place. So, Sasuke really has a chick in his apartment? Since when are ya shackin' up with this chick ya sly motherfucker."
"Hozuki, how is the car going? Please refrain from doing anything else until the car is fixed."
"Shut up, Hyuuga. Didn't ya hear nothing? Sasuke's shackin' up with a chick. Obviously this is more important than your stupid car."
Sasuke opened his mouth to let them know just how much of an idiot he thought they all were in the most colourful language he knows before Naruto cut him off.
"Okay! Listen up kiddies! Imma tell you the story of how little Sasucakes and Princess Sakura met. It all started with The Battle of the Tarantulas..."
Sasuke tightened his grip on his beer as he massaged his temples.
He'd known them all for as long as he can remember. Naruto he'd been friends with since diaper days because of their parents and Neji because the Hyuuugas and Uchihas are major business partners so they run the same circle. He and Sasuke don't get along much most of the time and they both think the other is a prick but they do get along in terms of agreeing that Naruto is an idiot.
They met Shikamaru and Suigetsu when Sasuke started working at the garage. Shikamaru's a lazy piece of ass who does nothing most of the time. His father is the Chief of Konoha's Intelligence Division and he says he works at the garage just for the heck of it but Sasuke suspects it's because he's actually more interested in cars than anything. Dude's actually a genius especially in mechanics and parts. Suigetsu was the douchebag Ibiki assigned to show Sasuke the ropes around the garage but only ended up annoying him when he works. Like Shikamaru, he has a certain specialization when it comes to cars and his is oils and fixing up the really battered and trashed cars, the kind that looked like it has no hopes of ever working again but Suigetsu somehow always manages to get them up and running again.
Sasuke looked at them all enraptured (Suigetsu more so) as Naruto tells them a rather exaggerated and half-untrue version of why Sakura was staying at his apartment and why he's pissed now and decided that they are all idiots and he needs new friends.
"...and now Sasuke's in love with her and doesn't want her to go. Isn't that right Sasukins?
Sasuke threw his crushed can at Naruto's head and made to strangle him before Shikamaru held him back and Neji pulled Naruto away.
"I'm not fucking in love with her, dipshit." He growled as he shoved Shikamaru off him, "And don't fucking call me that."
"Uzumaki, if you sport a bruise or, god forbid, a black eye before the wedding I will castrate you."
"Dude, chill." Suigetsu sniggered, "It's Hinata's wedding, not yours. And I don't think she'll appreciate you castratin' Uzumaki here."
"Shut up and finish the car, Hozuki."
"Hey! It's my wedding too! And fucking Sasuke you bastard! If I get a black eye before my big day our friendship is over! O-V-E-R—Over!"
"Your big day? Man, you sound just like a chick. Are you sure you're not the one who's gon' wear the big ol' white dress?"
Naruto made a strangled sound at the back of his throat and tried to lunge at Suigetsu before Shikamaru spoke.
"Children," he drawled "I'm sure the big wedding's got you all high and shit but can we get back to the real problem here?"
Naruto straightened himself and plopped down next to Sasuke. Suigetsu wiped his hands off a rug before standing up and going to the mini fridge in the corner to get them more beer.
"I'll have the car fixed by tomorrow, Hyuuga. Let's be proper asshole friends ta this bastard first, yeah?" Suigetsu said grinning at Neji as he handed him a can before leaning beside him on the car. Neji only rolled his eyes but accepted the proffered can all the same.
"So, what's got you so angry now? I thought you wanted her gone already?"
Sasuke took a swig of his new can before letting the dam out. He raged at how his apartment had been altered and how it smells like fucking jasmine all the time; how his bathroom is filled with all sorts of girl products and tampons—fucking tampons! She helps him pay the rent. How is he going to save up now that she's moving back? And how there's always beer in the fridge because Sakura's twice the drinker as he is and how she makes him clean all the fucking time. How ever since she moved in he gained a pound or two because she's always cooking and what the fuck is he supposed to do with all the extra food and extra shit in his apartment now? How is he supposed to go back to living with just pizza and take-outs? He's gotten used to a certain kind of lifestyle now and how fucking dare her just up and leave and change that? How dare her just fucking leave as if she didn't just invade his home and life?
When he's done it felt like some of the weight and anger in his chest was lifted.
His friends looked at him as if he grew a third head.
"So..." Suigetsu started "you're mad about all the extra food at your place? Whaaaat? Dude, if that's your problem we can come anytime ta take it off your hands."
"Let me get this straight," Shikamaru shifted on his left "you're mad because your apartment is always clean, there's always beer in your fridge and she always cooks and now that she's moving out you're gonna have to go back to living like a slob and without someone like a mother to take care of you?" He sighed as if he's given up on his case and raised his hands up as if in surrender. "Okay, yeah, sure I can totally see your point."
"Uchiha, you are an idiot."
Sasuke glared at Neji. Clearly the prick is not sympathizing with him. Cold blooded selfish bastard.
"You're mad because Sakura-chan is moving out." Naruto said beside him as he looked at him as if he's just had an epiphany.
"That's what I've been saying, idiot. Were you even listening?"
"No, I mean you're actually mad because Sakura-chan is moving back!" Naruto grinned and actually clapped his hands in glee that Sasuke wondered how are they still friends. "I mean, I was just screwing around when I said you're in love with her but I never thought I'd hit the nail right on!"
Sasuke massaged his temples once again. "Naruto. For the last time I am not fucking in love with Sakura. Why do you—"
"Dude, is that why you're so mad? Because this Sakura chick's movin' back ta her place? Dude, what the fuck. Ya have no right to be angry."
Actually, why is he still friends with all of them? And why is he still talking to these idiots?
"Why the hell not?"
In front of him Neji sighed. "Clearly, Uchiha isn't seeing the real depth of the situation here."
You know what? Fuck Hyuuga. "Shut up. I'm the one having the problem here of course I know the depth of the fucking situation. I'm losing a source of income. I'm gonna have to go back to eating junk and shit. My apartment's gonna go back to being shit because you shitheads are always there and you never help clean the mess after. And clearly you have no idea how fucking expensive law school is. Just because you don't have to worry about finances doesn't mean all of us can be as fortunate as you."
"It is not my fault that you have trouble managing your finances, Uchiha. You should've thought of all the consequences before you went and got yourself kicked out. I've met Sakura and she is actually a very decent human being. I would understand if she would want to leave your presence as soon as possible." Neji shot him a condescending stare as he stood to his full height. "You just proved my point. You couldn't be anywhere farther from the real nuance of the situation. And you're supposed to be a lawyer?" he scoffed "Pathetic."
There was silence after Neji's spiel, all no doubt in a bit of shock at his words.
Sasuke was seething. How fucking dare Hyuuga bring that up. They all know the subject of his family was a taboo. He was not kicked out, he left on his own. Sasuke glared at Neji feeling his anger slowly rise into an all out rage.
"What did you say you fucking—"
Before a brawl could commence, Shikamaru, ever the voice of reason, cut in. "What Neji means to say is perhaps you're missing out on the real reason of your anger." When Sasuke didn't say anything he continued, "With the way you said it, it sounded as if you've gotten rather fond of her presence. You're not mad about the changes in your place or—heck, it's not even because you're losing income. You're mad because you just don't want her to leave."
"Dumbass. You're the one who let yourself get attached. She's gon' have ta move back out eventually. Didn't ya say that's the deal?"
Sasuke let their words sunk in. He glared at the smug looks of Naruto and Suigetsu and at Neji's ever condescending one.
"I'm not fucking attached to her." He growled as he stood up to get back to work.
Sasuke was wrong. Telling his friend didn't make him any less angry. If anything it only made him angrier.
At Sakura because she messes with him so hard and he has no idea why or how. At himself because he lets her.
And at his friends. Dumbshits decided to actually be logically the one time he didn't need them to.
The minute Sasuke stepped inside the apartment, he was greeted with the smell of something heavenly and the sight of Sakura's luggage parked beside the couch.
The combination was oddly ironic and Sasuke frowned. He knew it was gonna happen. It's only been the cause of the awful mood he's been all day but it didn't made him less angry to see it happening right before his eyes.
"Sasuke? Is that you?" Sakura called from the kitchen and Sasuke looked up from hanging his coat in time to see her come in the living room.
Sakura visibly brightened when she saw him. She stood on the doorway of the living room her well worn apron over her clothes and her hair in a messy ponytail while she held a ladle in one hand. The image made the coldness in his body disappear and managed to warm him in a way strangely only Sakura can. "Oh, you're just in time! Dinner's ready. Clean up and come eat."
When he came to the kitchen, the table was already set and there were at least three dishes prepared. Sakura was standing with her back on him pouring over something on the counter. She told him to sit down and when she came to, she placed a plate of stuffed tomatoes in the center of the table and beamed at him.
"I promised I'd make you them didn't I?"
"What's the occasion?"
"Well," she removed her apron and moved to sit on the chair opposite him "think of it as a going away thank you dinner."
Sasuke eyed the lime green suitcase beside the couch and the large tote bag beside it. Sakura's already packed all of her stuff and he wondered if she's really in that much of a hurry to leave.
"Hey, why the long face? I mean, I know that's your default but aren't you supposed to be celebrating 'cause I'm finally getting out of your hair?"
"Tch."
"Well, turn that frown upside down and don't ruin my going away dinner with your fugly face and your dreary brooding cloud."
They ate in silence after that. Sasuke didn't entertain her attempts at small talk and questions about his day like he normally did. Sakura tells him about her day but he was deliberately unresponsive that by the time she finished recounting how her shift went at the hospital and the horrors of Friday market sale their dinner was spent in moderate silence with nothing but the clinking of the table wares as background noise. The food was divine and the wine perfect but Sasuke failed to enjoy it all.
"Are you mad? Is it because I didn't tell you sooner? That I'm moving back?" She asked later after they finished washing the dishes. They sat on opposite sides of the couch by the fireplace finishing their bottle of Merlot thatSakura got for their dinner. She looked up at him through her lashes cautiously and Sasuke felt a little angrier at himself. She made them a wonderful dinner the least he could do is not be an asshole to her. "Because I could always stay of course but I have to have your bed."
Sasuke snorted at that and Sakura smiled and shifted to lean on him. He automatically raised his arm and draped it over the back of the couch as Sakura snuggled on his side her with head on his shoulder. It was already an instinct. Sakura would lean on him and he would move his arm up and around her so she could snuggle on his side better. Sasuke wondered if every instinct and second nature and every other muscle memory involving Sakura will go away with her.
"Shut up, Sakura. We both know you won't be completely out of my hair because you live right next door. You'll still come screaming to me when you see a fucking spider."
And probably to use his coffee maker because damn this girl just loves his coffee maker. Sometimes he suspects that's the reason why she stayed this long.
"And my coffee maker because God knows you can't function without drinking at least a bucket of caffeine."
"It makes me so happy that you know me so well, Sasuke."
"Hn."
"Hey, don't be mad at me anymore. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Sasuke." Sakura poked his cheeks and Sasuke made to bite her finger. This only made her laugh. "You'll help me move back in tomorrow right?"
"And why the hell will I do that?" She's asking him to help her move out. Did she still not get that that is the last thing he wanted to do? Unbefuckinglievable.
And damn it if he didn't know he was gonna cave in before she even finished asking. Damn Sakura and her bewitching ways.
"Because we're friends and friends help each other out. Also, because I slaved over tonight's dinner and made you bitching stuffed tomatoes!"
"Tch. It wasn't that good."
"Liar! You had five out of seven! Five! And I saw you lick your finger after running it on the side of your plate."
"...lies."
"Sasuke!"
She laughed—head thrown back her shoulders shaking, loud and uncontrolled—and Sasuke smiled despite himself.
"Dammit. Alright fine, if it will get you to shut up, fine!"
"Thanks, Sasuke! You're the best!"
And goddamit he can't even stay properly mad at this girl.
The next day, true to his words albeit out of frustration, Sasuke helped Sakura moved her things back to her apartment.
Or, the more appropriate account would be, he moved all her things back in her apartment for her while she took pictures of him from his own camera.
"You know the deal was I was going to help you move back, not that I would do it myself."
They were on the sixth floor and he is carrying two boxes labelled 'medical books' while she sits at the last flight of stairs leading to their floor fiddling with the camera. Sasuke is used to carrying heavy things what with his work in the garage but damn these boxes are putting a real strain on his arm muscles. He could literally feel them tingling.
"Just how many of these boxes do you have?"
Sakura lifted the flaps of the box and peered over them. "Well, these are volumes ten and eleven. There's one more of these in the storage and then all my other stuff."
"How many of these medical textbooks do you have?"
"Your bookshelf with all your law books? Twice of that and then some."
"Jesus Christ."
Sasuke heard a click and scowled at her as she fished out the polaroid and waited for the picture to show.
"Oh, wow, Sasuke. You're arm muscles are looking really freakin' good. Damn."
The picture that came out was of him standing and slightly facing away from her after he just dropped the boxes he was previously holding. If he wasn't so annoyed he would be extremely flattered but as it is his annoyance over her won.
"If you have time to ogle at me like I'm some grade-A manmeat" he sneered using the term she often used when describing the models she ogled at "from one of your ridiculous magazines, you have time to help with moving your shit back. They are, after all, yours."
"Okay first of all, I cannot believe you just said grade-A manmeat. And second, excuse you. You don't look half as good as the grade-A manmeats in my magazine. Please." Sakura scoffed.
"That's not what you said."
Sakura sneered back at him as she rolled her eyes. "Whatever asswipe. Alright fine come on." She set his camera down on one of the boxes as she pocketed her latest picture of him. Something tells him she's had a lot of those and he doesn't understand why this somehow pleases him. "Let's finish moving me back in. You have somewhere to be in two hours, yes?"
Tch. That too. It's a Saturday and he's supposed to meet Itachi in two hours. That means he woke up three hours early than his usual time to help Sakura with her stuff. God, the things he does for this girl and he still has no idea why.
An hour and a half later found them slouched on his couch munching on pizza and drinking cold beer after just having finished moving back all of Sakura's stuff from the building's basement storage.
Sasuke couldn't even remember how many times he had cursed Kakashi and his incompetency as a landlord as they went up and down, up and down the fourteen flights of stairs of this godforsaken building. The thing could crumble tomorrow and Kakashi will still put off fixing it until it's nothing more than dusts.
"God, I'm beat." Sakura bemoaned beside him and he snorts.
"You're beat? I'm the one who did all the work."
"Lies. I helped too and I treated you to pizza and beer. Consider yourself duly compensated."
Sasuke watched her as she practically inhaled two slices of pizzas in less than five minutes and then proceeding to throw her head back to finish her can. He shook his head when she shamelessly belched and thought something must be wrong with him because he found it endearing more than disgusting and he thought he would actually miss this.
"So, hey, Sasuke I know you don't like taking pictures because you're a grouch and all but can we take one right now?"
"Why?"
"I don't know. I just want a photo of us together."
"We already have a lot of pictures together. We have too many pictures together, Sakura."
"Shut up and smile."
Sakura leaned over him and pointed the camera at them. There was a click and a flash that temporarily blinded Sasuke after and he is once again reminded why he prefers to be behind the lens. When he came to, Sakura is smiling at the polaroid in her hand and Sasuke leaned over her to look at it.
She was leaning on his side again, with one of his arm draped over her and on the back of the couch. Sakura has a big smile on her face with her free hand doing a peace sign and Sasuke...
"Well, I'll be damned." Saskura breathed. "You're actually smiling here! I didn't know you could do that, Sasuke!"
He just rolled his eyes at her as he took a sip from his can.
"Hey, can I keep this? I think this is the only picture we've taken that you're not scowling at me."
"Whatever."
They were quiet after that, with him finishing the remaining slices and Sakura beside him looking through the pictures she'd taken. There are a lot of things that Sasuke will not miss when Sakura leaves, like the scattered female garments on the floor and mistaking her razor for his, but this he will. Sitting side by side in comfortable silence in the living room just enjoying each other's company. Sakura may be annoying most of the time but her presence is something that Sasuke had grown accustomed to. It's not to say that he wouldn't know what to do now that she's not going to be around all the time but it does messed up his routine and Sasuke likes routine.
"Why are you scowling on all the pictures we've taken since last night? Are you really that sad that I'm moving out?"
"Don't flatter yourself too much."
"Hey, don't be too sad." She said as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll still cook for you whenever I can. God knows you'll kill yourself eating nothing but take out and pizza."
"I can take care of myself. You should worry about yourself more so you don't end up homeless—again."
"Meh. I'll be fine. Besides," she turned her head and smiled up to him "you'll be right next door if the spiders come back."
Sasuke shot her a look. If she thinks he is going to wake up in the middle of the night to her screaming about goddamn bloody spiders she is sorely mistaken.
"This is the last time I'll ever sit on this couch." Sakura sighed as she looked down at the couch while stroking it lovingly.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Good bye lovely baby. I will miss you and all the wonderful nights we spent together."
Sasuke scoffed. This girl and her theatrics.
"You're being overly dramatic."
"What? It's not like you're gonna invite me back any time soon."
Sasuke wondered at her words. Why does it feel like she thinks he hates having her around? Was it something he said? Or did?
"Well," she stood up and dusted her hands on her shorts "I gotta go. Actually, no, you gotta go so I'll just leave now so you can—"
Before she could even make her way to the door, Sasuke sat up and grabbed her hand.
If anyone asks why he did what he did, Sasuke wouldn't know what to say. But in that moment, he swears his body moved on its own without asking permission from his brain and apparently his mouth was in on it too because the next words that left his mouth were, "You can come and stay over anytime you want."
The shock in Sakura's face was evident and Sasuke half expected her to either make a teasing remark about it as she is wont to do or something equally degrading to him.
But instead Sakura smiled a smile that made his heart ache and his grip on her hand tighten. He stared up at her wide eyed as she turned back towards him. He'd seen her smile at him countless of times. He's had them captured on film numerous times. But the smile she gave him then... if he wasn't frozen in place he would've captured and immortalized it in film but as it is he couldn't even take his eyes off her. Sasuke knew that Sakura was some kind of pretty but in that moment, with Sakura smiling down at him like a dream, the image of her will be forever ingrained in his mind.
"What? Miss me already?"
The next moment he felt something warm and soft against his right cheek as Sakura swooped down to place a chaste kiss on it.
Sasuke's grip on her hand slackened until it dropped. There was a stunned silence in which both of them digested what just happened. Sakura came through first and Sasuke watched as her eyes widened and her face colored at the realization of what she just did. He vaguely heard her squeak a good bye before storming out of his apartment.
He sat there still trying to figure out what just happened. Did he seriously just told her she can come and stay whenever she wants? Why the hell did he say that to her? He should really learn to control himself because who knows what he's bound to do next time? Invite her to stay over forever? Jesus Christ.
She did this to him, that bewitching pixie-girl. He has never been this brash and it's pissing him off.
He thinks of Sakura's reaction and the act that followed. He lifted his hand to where her lips touched his cheek and felt the stickiness of her lipgloss.
It pleases him that at least he's not the only one.
Sasuke deliberately took his time making his way at the cafe he and Itachi were supposed to meet. He was already late to begin with, what with him lingering in the apartment after Sakura left, it wouldn't matter even if he hurries up. Itachi would still call him out on it regardless.
He almost wanted to call to tell Itachi he didn't feel like going. But he was so hung up about that morning that the time passed and before he knew it, Itachi was calling him asking where the hell he was.
When he got there Itachi didn't say anything. Just shot him a look over his newspaper as he made his way over to him. Sasuke wordlessly pulled the chair opposite Itachi and sat heavily.
"What's wrong, Sasuke? You're looking more sullen than usual." Itachi asked as he turned a page of his newspaper.
"Nothing. I'm fine. Sorry I'm late."
"It's fine. I'm well used to it by now and I know you've been preoccupied."
Sasuke looked at his brother. As brothers there has always been a sort of gap between them and Sasuke knew this even when he was young. But as much as Itachi thinks he knows Sasuke's quirks and idiosyncrasies Sasuke also knows his. Unlike Sasuke, Itachi's doesn't show so much at his facial expressions or actions but in his words and the way he speak.
And something about Itachi's words tells Sasuke that his brother knows something.
"What do you mean preoccupied?"
Itachi waved over a waitress and asked a refill of his coffee. He turned to Sasuke and asked, "What would you like to order?"
"Itachi."
"So, how is it going with your roommate?" Itachi asked casually after the waitress left.
Sasuke sighed. He knew it was coming. They've delved into the topic of his roommate in passing before. Since his brother seemed to make it his personal mission to know everything there is to know about his life, naturally he knows about the move out too. That or Naruto babbled again. It's probably the latter. Sasuke is going to seriously murder Naruto now.
"How did you know? It's Naruto isn't it? I'm going to fucking kill him."
"Is that why you seem troubled, Sasuke?"
"I'm not troubled over it."
"Over what, Sasuke?"
Sasuke glared at his brother's faux innocence. Itachi raised a brow at him. Sasuke watched as he finally put down his newspaper and took a sip from his coffee. It reminded him of the way Sakura nuzzled down mug after mug of coffee and he shook his head.
"I hope you aren't giving her a hard time over it, Sasuke."
A hard time? Sasuke scoffed. Heck if the events that morning were anything to go by he's been giving Sakura anything but a hard time.
"You've no right to be angry at her, Sasuke." Itachi continued "And if what I heard about your feelings for her is true, you're going about it the wrong way."
"I knew it was Naruto!" That fucking blabber mouth. Sasuke was going to maim him. Hinata's wedding photos be damned.
"Look, I'm not angry at Sakura." Sasuke sighed as he ran a hand through his hair "and I don't have any feelings for her no matter what that idiot told you. Sakura and I are neighbors—friends. There's nothing going on between us."
"Of course."
"Look, I'm just being an idiot over it. Law school's expensive as fuck even with the scholarship and Sakura helped pay the rent while she was crashing over. I just gotta figure out how to budget the expenses again without her on the picture. It's fine. I don't even know why I'm so messed up about this. God."
Sasuke sighed and Itachi shrugged and they left it at that.
After Itachi, Sasuke decided to drop by the garage to do some extra work. Now that Sakura's not going to pitched in on rent, he has to work double again. He cursed himself for dropping his hours. Now he has to work double to make up for the extra money he could've earned when he didn't have to worry about paying the rent in full. Ibiki was surprised to see him on the garage on a Saturday but didn't complain and was glad to give back his previous hours.
It was late when Sasuke trudged back to his place. He fumbled with his keys and wondered why the lights were all off when he opened his door. Usually the lamp in the living room will be on because Sakura would still be reading her—
Sasuke almost said "I'm home" before he realized there was no one waiting for him, not anymore.
notes: I didn't like this chapter too much. Meh.
edit: 111815