Dedication: Sarah
Summary: She's just across the counter. – And out of reach.
A/N: AU
Bar tending.
Your hands move mechanically, having repeated the same actions day in day out for the past thousands of days. You hold your glass up to the light and spit on it, unsatisfied. You go back to wiping it.
The corner of your eye twitches as an unnamed bloke with the girth of an elephant settles down before you and blocks your view. Yes, that's all that you do. Twitch your eye. After all, you are Uchiha Sasuke, and you're not allowed to show emotions.
'Sake.'
You don't even look as you reach for the steaming clay flask behind you, slamming it down before this oh so annoying large customer (won't he just get the hint and move off!) and sweeping the dulled coins off the counter.
He moves off and you continue watching as you always do.
She in sharp contrast to the elephant man, moved with the grace of a gazelle and the footsteps of a panther. She bends over a table to serve a customer, exposing some skin. But you find no reason to object.
Your eyes narrow as a gorilla (don't they have the decency to even shave?) settles his mammoth hand on her butt and you resist the urge to burst from behind the counter and just kill him like you've done thousands of time before. She growls, slapping the hand away as you watch her lips part and deliver bitingly sharp retorts.
She stomps off and somehow manages to slink her way through the screaming mesh of flashes and dancers to settle in the now vacated barstool before you.
'They never learn. What's happened to decency these days.' She growls out to start the conversation.
You slide a martini over (her favourite) murmuring in your lowly tuned voice to carry over the yelling mesh of customers.
'This isn't your first day Sakura.'
You know you speak in roundabouts but you just can't be bothered to change. That way, only the intelligent will understand you and this allows (gives you an excuse) to roll her name off your tongue.
'Doesn't change the fact that these lechers,' she sulked in contempt, 'can't keep their hands to themselves.'
You smirk in mock amusement at her, letting the facial expression slide into your words.
'We've had to change the bed sheets more than once.'
You resist the urge to grin for that is not what you do. Instead you let a glimmer enter your eye as her already flushed face grew tomato red.
'Sa-Sa-Sasuke-kun!' she stammers out.
You inwardly revel in her calling out your name with such an affectionate tag on. Outwardly, you tell her that table four was calling.
She slides off the barstool and saunters away, already having made the smooth transaction back into hostess-mode.
You sweep her martini off the counter just as your bouncer comes in. He settles down before you and you bother to quirk at him.
'Aw come on now, teme! Give me a break. Besides, I've got Sai out there watching the line.'
'Naruto. He's. Gay.'
He waves his hand around airily. 'So am I. Sake. I told him not to let anyone in till I got back.'
You grunt as you hand him his drink, making the effort to remind him that, 'I'm taking this out of your pay.'
'Bastard.' He offers before leaving.
You had the best friends didn't you.
A random girl comes over and starts flirting with you. But you can't be bothered because you've only got eyes for one and she's across the bar, working for you.
***
It's later that night. Or was it day? When finally the last drunkards stagger off and your bar was blissfully devoid of girls flirting with you, perverts taking their turns at your hostesses and drunkards and flashes killing your eardrums.
You watch as Naruto wobbles off, with one arm around Sai and you thank the heavens that you're straight.
She stays with you as you sweep and clear the table tops, just sitting there nursing her Sake.
Done, you face her across the counter top and both of you spend some quiet time together. You gazing at her. She, at the past and future.
Finally, there is a shift in the silence and you ask her, 'No one tonight?'
'No one was pretty enough.' She mumbled, tired out from walking the floors in her 6-inch heels and heavy make-up.
In your mind you change her words and will yourself to just believe in its echo. 'No one's as pretty as you.'
You close your eyes, letting vigil seep out of your mind as she strokes your cheek in time.
Ba-boom. Ba-boom.
'I still love you.' Her fingers say.
You reply, but only in your mind, leaning into her soft touch.
-I love you too.
