Title: Pretty
Prompt: friend of a friend needs a place to stay before they get evicted
Note: Holy shit, my dudes. I'm so tired, and this is so not good, but I got my second one out for NaNoWriMo. Never work 12-12 and then try to write. I was like dozing in and out of this mess. Fuuuuuu.imsosorry imjustreallystubborn.


He's not sure what had possessed him to agree to let a stranger into his home—let alone live with him.

Waking up at five in the morning to frantic knocks upon his door had soured his mood. The begs of the blonde hadn't been what he was expecting when he had opened his door prepared to chew out who had disrupted his sleep. The blonde had been rambling, and decorated in concern when he had pushed his way into the house. There was that habitual need to pace as he went through the motions to explain what had made him come with a favor of a lifetime—so he had called it. There was a friend evidently that was about to be evicted, and needed somewhere to go. Fingers had pulled at the blonde locks giving way to promises that this friend of his would cause him no issues and would only stay until they found a new place to live.

Ah.
Never at any point did he explain what this friend had done to be on the verge of eviction.

It had been hard to turn down the blonde in such a state. This was his best friend after all.
Wasn't this what best friends were supposed to do in times like this?

That had been then, and now here he was staring at this woman of pale rose-colored locks, and vibrant viridian in his door way. There's a touch of shy to her—maybe something closer to nervousness—as she darts her eyes to look anywhere but his own. The dusty pink upon her cheeks leads him to believe maybe it's not nervousness. Perhaps it's something closer to embarrassment.

There is a shake to her voice as she stares at the ground before wetting her bottom lip with her tongue, "Excuse me—you're Naruto's friend. . .Uchiha-san?"

"I am. Come in." he makes a motion of his hand stepping aside—his mother would never let him here the end of it if he left a girl in the cold.

She's soft in her steps and there's only the slightest hesitation before she's entering the two bedroom apartment. There's the realization that at no point had his blonde friend given him the idea she was a woman. There's the realization that at no point had he asked his friend for more information on who he was letting live within his home.

This is just one of the many mistakes he thinks he's made within this short span of nine hours. Women were trouble. This woman had to be trouble. There was nothing good that could come from this arrangement.

Those vibrant viridian still have yet to make their way to gaze within his own eyes as she stands within his kitchen fumbling with her fingers and attempting to hide her face within her forest green scarf. The drag of time comes and still neither makes the attempt to speak. He's leaned himself against his kitchen counter, and there's the deep inhale he takes as he crosses his arms against his chest digesting her. She's small—how old was this woman even? She was at least over the age of twenty-one, right?

The more he thinks of these things the more he's seeing he's made a grave error in agreeing to let a stranger within his ho—

"My name is Sakura Haruno—I'm twenty-three, and am going to school for nursing. I work at a small coffee shop near the university. Thank you for welcoming me into your home. I apologize for the intrusion." she's rushed in her introduction as her fingers squeeze within each other as if to give her the push she needed to finally speak within the silence.

"Ah—Sasuke Uchiha. Twenty-seven. Graduated." his voice is gruff in response at the awkwardness of this whole situation.

Fingers come up to push a few strands of rose-colored hair behind her ear, "It's a pleasure to meet you—Naruto talks of you often."

This woman was—annoying. She radiated within the nervousness that washed from her being in waves. She was far to demure to be Naruto's friend. There's no way he would be able to handle a woman this meek. There's no doubt that this woman is absolute trou—

"Sorry—I just wasn't expecting you to be so. . . pretty?" those viridian are finally coming to meet with his own obsidian.

He's choked upon his tongue at what she has called him—did she just called him pretty of all things? This was a joke right? It had to be a joke. He wouldn't accept it as anything other than a joke.

"Excuse me?"

"Oi—Sakura-chan! I've brought your stuff over." there's a whip of their heads to the voice from down the hall leading to the entrance.

"Ah! Naruto!"

She's no longer soft steps and hesitation. She's no longer meek, and no longer demure. She's no longer radiating in nervousness, and she's no longer shy. She's all smiles and giggles in addressing the blonde that was their mutual friend. There's the drag of his fingers within his hair of obsidian, and it's only moments later he's pushing off the counter and headed for the call of the blonde, who had just waltz right in his front door.

He's quick to slip within his shoes and grab his winter coat from the rack at the door. She's right behind him as they head out to the car. There's an odd air as they're bringing in her things. It's obvious the two know each other well. It's obvious they're close. He's questioning if his friend has a crush upon this woman of rose-colored locks. There isn't much to her 'stuff' as Naruto had called it. Four boxes hardly equated much in the way of possessions.

It's as he's carrying the fourth box in and setting it within the unused guest room that he finally notes that which would have caused her to be on the verge of eviction. He had promised Naruto to give this woman a place to live. He had promised a place for her to go with eviction over her head. He had not promised this though. He had not promised anything concerning possible other guests within his home. He had not promised anything concerning an animal. He had not agreed to having a cat.

He regretted saying yes. Now he's absolutely not agreeing to these conditions. No one had spoken a word of that which sits within the small animal carrier.

"Naruto!" he's hissing out as he's leaning out of the door way, "What is that!?"

The blonde is decorated with a raised brow, and the look of confusion, "What's what?"

He's solid in his stride to the blonde completely ignoring the woman of pale rose-colored strands who's own face is decorated in wide doe-eyes, "You said nothing—absolutely nothing about a cat."

"It's a cat, Sasuke." he's no longer decorated in confusion, and instead staring at him with the plainest of expressions.

"You said nothing. I agreed for her to stay—not a cat." he's pointing at the mostly forgotten woman who's eyes only continue to dart between the two before taking a step between them.

"I'm sorry I should have said something earlier. She's actually really well behaved! I promise!" she's got her hands up as if to calm him, and that only serves to annoy him further.

"Naruto." his voice is tight as his eyes shift to her vibrant viridian, and back to the bright blues.

"You're no really having an issue of a small cat—are you?"

"Listen if it's an issue I'm sure I can figure somewhere e—"

"Just. Stop." he's hissing out as he brings his finger's up to pinch his nose, "Just—fine. I'm not doing this right now. I've got work soon, and I need to finish catching up on my sleep. It better be as good as you say it is. Lock up when you leave Naruto." he's turning and heading passed her room not catching the looks that are shared between the two he's no longer willing to deal with.

Naruto's right. It's a small cat. It's not as if it's the end of the world. She won't be staying with him for long as it is. It's annoying though—annoying that his best friend had neglected to tell him so many of the finer details, and even more annoying that he had neglected to ask for such details.

He's has far to little in the ways of time to deal with this now. It's something he can revisit later when he's rested and has his next day off. He can deal with her later. There's no point in him being aggravated right this minute. There is no point, and yet it's got his mind reeling that he has a roommate in the span of literal hours. He's trying to remember if there was ever a time when Naruto had ever mentioned the girl before now. He's trying to understand what exactly he had caved and agreed too without thinking all of these things through.

The clock ticking faster than he expects, and it's not long before he's up, and getting ready for work. There's been no noise since he had retreated within his room. At least this woman was quiet—that's a silver lining if there ever was one.

He's got his apron tied around his waist well before he's finished buttoning up his shirt, and it's as he's walking out to pass the guest room's door that he finds himself hesitating. There's a wonder if she's still up at ten at night. Finger's curl upon the doorknob with the gentlest of pressure so as not to wake her. The light within the room is still on and yet she's deep within the comfort of the guest room's bed. There's movement, and then there's her cat laying beside her upon the bed. The small rise and fall of her chest is the only true indication that she's even truly asleep.

She's removed nothing from her boxes. He wonders if he's offended her, and that's got him running a hand through his obsidian strands. Maybe he had been too annoyed. Maybe he had been to harsh within the afternoon after learning of her feline friend.

He's quiet in flicking of the light before making his way through the house.

He's managed to leave without making a noise, and work's not as bad as he would have thought. Serving at the local and expensive bar is what he's grown accustom to within his late nights, and while the lack of sleep is thick upon him there's no doubt within his mind that he's making decent money. The job required patience with those that drank one and then two drinks—the number forever increasing before he'd have to cut them off. There's little doubt that his looks have always been part of the reason he makes as much as he does. Women held no restraint in throwing money down upon the table. He can't help the snort the falls that falls from him as he thinks of the rose-colored woman's comment of him being pretty.

The sun's making its way up as he makes his way home within the snow. It's some time passed five he's sure as he enters the apartment. The lights are on and that has him raising an eyebrow as he places his coat upon the rack with practiced movements.

His steps are light as he's walking down the hall, and there she is sitting at the small kitchen table with a mug in hand. Those vibrant viridian are all wide, and all doe-eyed as she looks at him. The purring of the animal upon her lap is barely noted. The long sleeved night shirt of navy blue and light gray sleeping shorts look big on her. The silence between them is there, and so is that slow drag of time that seems to come with them. They're strangers. He doesn't know her. She doesn't know him.

"I couldn't sleep." she's whispering shifting her eyes from him as she sips from the mug, "Want some tea?"

There's a shift of his weight from one leg to another before giving way to a hum of an answer that has her bringing her viridian back to him. She's a woman of odd hereditary makeup. She's trouble, no doubt, but she's probably feeling just as awkward as what he does within their abrupt little first meeting.

She's placing her mug down and then patting the cat before it removes itself from her lap. He can't help but follow her within his kitchen as she starts to pull another mug from his cabinet of glasses. She's looked around enough to know where the things she seeks are—Naruto had more than likely walked her through as he hid within his home.

There's the smallest hum coming from her as he takes his place in leaning next to her against the counter. There's that habitual need to cross his arms as he waits, and he can't help but stare at her as she's making him a cup of tea bobbing the tea bag within the warm water she had poured from the tea kettle on the stove.

"I promise I'll be out soon. I'll be looking at apartments today." she's got the softest of smiles on her face as she speaks removing the tea bag from the mug and making way to throw it within the trash.

Maybe he had been too annoyed—no he definitely had been to annoyed to make her feel so unwelcome. Maybe he had been to harsh within the afternoon after learning of her feline friend—no he had definitely overreacted to the small animal that appeared to be was behaved. Maybe he was making a lot of judgments upon her far to fast—no he definitely had already marked her as an issue when she truly had done nothing to warrant it.

Obsidian can't stop their follow of her fingers as she brings the mug to her lips blowing softly upon it. She's small, and gentle in all of her movements right in this moment. She's got a warmth he feels like he could adjust too even if it would mean practicing a lot of patience.

She's extending the cup to him with that same soft smile, and it's now that he's choosing to respond, "Take your time." he's not sure why he's said it so soft—maybe he's the one feeling a touch of shy around her now, "I'd rather you not just jump into a random place."

Her lids fall and her smile is growing as he takes the cup from her. It's far from the smile she had given his blonde best friend but it's a step. She doesn't need to make hasty decisions. He would do her best to make her feel welcome in the time that she was under his roof.

"What's her name?" he's humming out between sips as she goes to retrieve her own cup and take her place beside him.

"Dorie." she's giggling cradling her cup within both hands.

"Ah." there's the smallest touch of a grin upon his lips as he breathes in the aroma coming from the tea.

She's has a touch of soft steps and hesitation. She's lingering within her meekness, and that demureness has found it's way back as she leans next to him. She's no longer radiating in nervousness, but she's definitely holding a hint of shy upon her cheeks dusted in pink. She's wide smiles, and giggles as she chats within whispers to him.

They're strangers, but now they're roommates.
She's absolutely trouble, and he's not exactly the best at dealing with people he doesn't know.

He's not sure what had possessed him to agree to let a stranger into his home—let alone live with him.
He's not complaining though if she's giving him smiles like that.