Prompt 14: his side of the story
Summary: There is a pattern with regards to events in his life involving Sakura Haruno. The pattern being everything happens before Sasuke could even think about them and everything is over before he could even realize what's happening.
Notes: Sorry. Please read the A/N at the end of the chapter. IT'S IMPORTANT.
Dedication: To you all because your reviews and PMs give me life. :)
"Okay. So, we need lettuce, carrots, tomatoes—what the hell, Sasuke we don't need a fucking sack—chicken, whole cream, macaroni, mayonnaise, flour, eggs…"
Sasuke slowly pushed the cart down the grocery aisles as Sakura droned on with their shopping list. He had to keep avoiding running over someone because there were a lot of people doing their Christmas grocery shopping even if it was a weekday. Mostly he had to avoid kids who wandered off from their parents and so far he's managed to almost run over four running and screaming kids if not for Sakura directing their cart by the side.
"Do you want raisins on the macaroni salad? Because I hate raisins and I'm not planning on putting them unless you want them."
"It's fine. I hate them too."
"Good. Oh, let's go to the poultry section next."
On Thanksgiving, Sakura asked if he was going to go home for the holidays. His prompt answer can be roughly translated to 'hell no' and Sakura looked at him in confusion for a moment before he realized not coming home for the holidays wasn't the norm. In any case, she (thankfully) didn't dwell on it and just asked him if he wants to spend Christmas together. There was a mentioning of her not coming home for the holidays too but Sasuke figured it's probably because of her work and returned the favor of not prying. Naturally, she offered to cook—as if Sasuke needed any more convincing of spending Christmas with her.
"Right. So, we have the potatoes and the pumpkin. What else are we forgetting—ah! Hey, Sasuke can you get the cheese? Cheddar, okay, the quick melty kind not Mozzarella. I hope to god you know the difference. Just ask a shelf stacker if you don't know or whatever. I'm gonna run and get some herbs."
"I know the difference, Sakura. I wasn't raised in a barn." He grumbled after her and narrowed his eyes as she threwa smirk and a sarcastic 'sure' over her shoulders.
Sasuke reached for a block of Cheddar cheese and put it in the cart, then, after a second of contemplating and a sigh, reached for another one and a block of Mozzarella for good measure. Sakura has the propensity to use cheese…liberally and will always find ways to use it on any dish.
With a sigh Sasuke pushed the cart to where the herbs are and met Sakura halfway. She dumped a shaker of Rosemarie, Thyme and Cinnamon into their cart.
"I think we got all we need, yeah? C'mon let's go. Cooking takes time and I wanna be done in time for the Christmas reruns."
They lined up at the counter and waited for their turn in the long queue. Sakura forgot something and made a quick run for it leaving Sasuke in line and he can't help but begrudgingly think how very weirdly domestic they are.
He thought of what Sakura said about wanting a nice Christmas gift. And it's not like he's not planning to give her anything, of course she's gonna get something from him, that's almost a given. He knew Sakura was only joking but then, he thought as he glanced down at their full cart, practically more than half of it were for some dish he wanted and seeing as he's pretty much useless in the kitchen she's probably gonna end up cooking all of it.
Sakura deserves a nice expensive Christmas present. In fact, Sakura deserves the best fucking Christmas present ever. Heck, Sakura deserves all the Christmas presents.
"Hey, we're next. Help me load the—what are you looking at?"
"Nothing."
Except, how in the hells is he gonna find the best fucking Christmas ever for Haruno Sakura, he has no fucking idea.
Truth be told Sasuke had never been fond of the holidays.
As a child he tolerated it because his mother absolutely loves it and had a blast decorating their house and makingenough food to feed an army and—okay, the presents weren't that bad but all the other things are just horrible. At least in Sasuke's opinion.
The cold, the snow, the stupid mistletoe tradition, the caroling, the whole Santa Clause myth (he remembers how he made a cousin cry once because he blatantly told her "Santa isn't real, stupid" and his cocoa privileges were taken away but it's not like it was a problem for him, he hates sweets) is, at the risk of sounding like Shikamaru, such a drag. And don't even get him started on the influx of obnoxious relatives with shitty manners. The aunties and uncles with their inane comments of 'hey, you've grown since I last saw you!' and the questions of 'do you have someone special now?' and the 'what are you gonna do with your life? Are you going on about that law degree?' with their screaming and out of control children in tow set free in their household to wreak havoc in his house and his life.
Itachi, much like their mother, Sasuke knew likes the damn holidays as well despite his forced nonchalance on it. It's not like he can fool Sasuke. He drowns, like, three cups of cocoa a minimum per day as soon as the weather is cold enough and eats the Christmas cookies right off the pan like they're gonna run out. He and their cousin Shisui often fight over the last one even as adults—and they get more and more creative and dangerous about it every time, too—instead of just giving it to the younger ones. He thinks his father shares the same sentiments as him (one of the few things they actually agree on) but it makes their mother happy and therefore he just lets her do as she pleases.
So when the twenty fourth rolled in and he went to open his door upon his return (Sakura had sent him for alcohol run) it's not with the expected holiday cheer or whatever it is Sakura has judging from his enthusiastically and very seasonally appropriate decorated door and apartment.
He sighed as he swept a stray red garland off the table where he set his keys. Sakura called from the kitchen when she heard the door opened and confirmed it was Sasuke and not some Christmas psychopath killer.
"I got what you asked me." Sasuke said as he set down the bag on the counter by the kitchen entrance. "What do you need me to do next?"
"For starters you can kiss me under the mistletoe." Sakura said with a smirk and her hip cocked to the side, arms crossed over her green apron and a wooden spoon on her right hand. She's leaning against the threshold behind him and is using the spoon to point at something over them.
Sasuke followed the direction she's pointing at and saw the mistletoe hanging above them. He stared at Sakura in disbelief and slight panic—which he would later smack himself for because what the fuck, Sasuke—as he felt heat crawl up his neck to the tips of his ears. He stiffened when he saw Sakura rolled her eyes laughingly and moved towards him. Soft, sticky lips came in contact against his cheek and Sasuke's eyes, which he unconsciously closed, shot up because what the fuck.
He's not even gonna lie. Disappointed as all hell will not even cover his reaction with what just happened. He even held his breath there for a second—which is, admittedly, kind of lame of him—and for what? A measly kiss on the cheek? Unbefuckinglievable. Never mind that he's not entirely sure why he's disappointed.
"What? Were you expecting a full on make out session? You're gonna have to buy me dinner first."
"I buy you dinner all the time."
"So, you're saying you really want to kiss me?"
"I didn't—I mean—I just—you—"
Sasuke flushed and Sakura laughed. Dammit. How does this woman make it so easy for him to make a fool of himself? Someone in a gaudy, ugly as fuck Christmas sweater and mismatched socks shouldn't have this much effect on him.
"You should've seen your face! Aw, man that was hilarious. The gingerbread cookies are done by the way. Sorry, it's a little bit sweet. I forgot to lessen the sugar. You should still try to eat at least one though. Put some Christmas cheer on your miserable self."
Unbelievable. Even now, when he didn't have to spend Christmas with his family, he's still suffering through all the traditions but for a different reason.
"Oh, good you bought the good stuff. Now I can make eggnog. You want one? Hmm, of course you do. Extra bourbon, yeah?"
Sasuke hates the holidays and all the frivolities that comes with it but if it makes Sakura this happy then what the hell. He'd happily shove gingerbread cookies down his throat if it meant hearing her laugh all the time.
Dinner was a joy as always because Sakura is some kind of culinary goddess. Sasuke couldn't even decide what to eat first it was actually a problem. It was a good problem but a problem nonetheless because he had to make calculations of how much pasta he could eat if he wants to still have room for the stuffed tomatoes, the ham, the chicken and what of the minced and pumpkin pies? Can he still have room for those if he only has half a plate of mash potatoes?
"Are you sure you don't have plans with your family? I'd hate to find out you canceled on them because you felt the need to spend Christmas with poor old me." Sakura spoke beside him on the couch as he reached for another slice of minced pie, looking perfectly content in watching him scarf down her cooking. "Because I swear to God, Sasuke I will never cook you those damned tomatoes ever again if that was the case."
They've decided to assemble their dinner in front of the TV because Sakura said something about wanting to watch a Christmas show rerun. Said Christmas show rerun is playing on Sasuke's flat screen (it's The Grinch and Sakura points at the TV saying "that's you" to Sasuke every time the Grinch appears on the screen. Talk about Christmas spirit).
Sasuke didn't answer straight away. He's not sure if he's already full or if somehow the mention of his family made him loose his appetite. The minced pie on his place has been cut to bite size pieces as he tried to put into words his feelings about spending the holidays with his family. The scene where the Grinch was looking through his yearbook and chanting 'hate, hate, hate' was playing and Sasuke couldn't have made a better analogy if he tried.
"I…never liked spending the holidays with my family. My mother was the one who loves it so I tolerate it. My brother likes it, I guess. My father's just indifferent and the rest of our family are unbearable pricks. Family gatherings on special occasions are very formal and never intimate. I am always exhausted whenever I attend one."
"Oh."
"Naruto says that my family's gatherings are 'legendary levels of awkward in epic proportions.'"
Sakura giggled and it elicited an involuntary tug at the corners of Sasuke's lips.
"And you?" Sasuke asked "Why aren't you spending the holidays with your family?" He had thought she would be they type seeing her ardent likeness of the season.
Sakura looked uncomfortably thoughtful as she swished her wine glass. A wry smile replaced the cheerful smile on her face and Sasuke knew he must've said something wrong.
"Oh. Well, we all have our own thing going on. My parents divorced when I was young and they went their separate ways. And my brother has his own life so I guess that's that. They check up on me now and then but that's it."
Sakura shrugged and sipped her wine. The melancholy expression on her face didn't look like it belonged there and amidst the very festive atmosphere of the apartment. And for some reason, the ridiculous smiling reindeer sewn on her obnoxious sweater didn't seem as jolly as it did when Sakura isn't practically bouncing in her seat from excitement. Clearly, Sasuke just fucked up a perfectly happy day with his stupid question. It's obvious Sakura is the type that will make it possible to be with family on holidays even if the hospital is full of patients and understaffed—even if she has to drive an ambulance on a blizzard to get home. He should've known the only reason someone like Sakura would not be with family during the holidays is because she doesn't have one. Sasuke felt like he needed to say something but didn't know what. Luckily, she didn't seem to want to talk about it.
"Anyway, that's that. My family doesn't get to spend Christmas together anymore, not since the whole divorce thing and anyway we were never really big on the whole holidays thing you know?"
"Then why do you like it so much?"
He would think she would hate it, what with the tragic back story and—god, was he drunk? Was it the eggnog and the wine? He knew he can be a prick but he must be really drunk because why else couldn't he keep his mouth from asking stupid insensitive questions? He thought—knew—what he said was rude and was about to take it back and apologize when Sakura spoke before he could.
"Because it's exactly that."
Sakura's eyes are on him, big and shining and bright, before it softened into something like nostalgia, like she's remembering something and is lost in it.
"I never really had a proper holiday growing up with my family but Ino…Ino will always invite me to theirs. I remember it was always so fun and noisy because Ino has a lot of cousins and they have these big family reunions during the holidays. It's just so…alive and fun, you know? Little cousins running around in their best Christmas clothes, aunties and uncles laughing, and the gifts! Oh my god, there were always so many gifts. I never go home without at least ten gifts on me. Everything is so alive and fun and great and I love it."
Sakura mulls over this before smiling at him.
"So, I promised myself that when I'm old enough I'm going to throw the best holiday every year."
Sasuke thinks back to his family and how different they celebrate the holidays from Sakura's family. He wondered how that felt like, to celebrate the holidays like a luxury instead of a normal annual thing. He never knew how much he took it for granted. Sasuke thinks over what she just told him and felt selfish.
"Well, enough about that. Just wanted to make sure there's no one waiting for you at home and wondering why you aren't there. Makes it easier for me to sleep later without the help of alcohol." Sakura laughed. "Anyway, where's my gift?"
Sasuke put down his plate on the coffee table as he reached for a red paper bag behind his arm rest.
"Here."
He handed it to Sakura, who looked stunned at the fact that he actually bought her a gift (of course he bought her a gift what does this girl think of him, seriously), and shook it a bit when she still didn't take it.
Sakura finally snapped out of her stupor as she took it and placed it on her lap, gripping the side of the bag with one hand and starting to part away some of the excess brown paper wrapping.
"Well, gosh, Sasuke when I said I wanted a nice Christmas gift you knew I was joking right?"
He just shrugged.
Sakura reached in the bag and pulled out a rectangular leather box. It's at least as wide as her hand and as long as her forearm and she turned to look at Sasuke with a questioning look. He nudged her to open it.
She let out a small gasp and swore under hear breath when she opened it and saw what was inside.
And Sasuke inwardly panicked because what does that mean? Was it too fancy? Did she not like it? Was it the wrong kind? Was the color wrong? Did she hate it? Should he have stuck to the things he was certain Sakura would've liked better like boring-ass medical tomes and coffee shop gift cards? Should he have just given her a lifetime supply of assorted candy bars? Fuck, he knew he should've just given her a gift card. Why is it so hard to buy gifts, goddamn it.
"Oh my god, Sasuke."
It was a stethoscope. Apple green and the chest piece the diaphragm is engraved with her initials instead of the brand of the stethoscope. Sakura took it out of the box and ran an almost reverent hand over it, mouth agape and her face in disbelief.
"Do you…like it?"
She turned to Sasuke with the same disbelieving look.
"Like it? Are you kidding? I fucking love it! This is the best gift anyone has ever given me."
Sasuke heaved a sigh of relief. That's great, that's all he wanted to hear and he was so relieved Sakura's words kept replaying in his mind over and over again like a broken record. Except it isn't because Sasuke is fucking thrilled to hear them and fuck, what was that? Was that the feeling everyone's been harping about when they talk about the joy of giving or whatever?
"Damn it, Sasuke. You could've warned me that you were throwing in the big guns. Now I feel guilty for not getting you anything."
"It's fine. The dinner was great."
Is she kidding? Sasuke couldn't possibly want anything more from her at this point.
"Do you mind if I try it on you?"
"Sure."
Sakura beamed as he put the stethoscope on her ears and leaned towards Sasuke to put the chest piece on him—and oh my god what was that? What the fuck is happening? Why does his heart feel like jumping out of his ribcage?
Fuck, what. What the fuck did he just say? That was a wrong move he did not think that one through. His heart is beating so fast, shit. Goddamnit man, calm yourself down.
Sakura's angled the chest piece and slipped it between the spaces of his shirt buttons. Sasuke could feel the cold metal pressed against his chest right above his heart and he swore that's the reason for the shiver that shot straight down his spine and not Sakura's fingertips brushing against his skin.
Shit, he didn't think it was possible for his heart to pump anymore faster but there it is and, oh fuck, she's gonna hear it and ask about it and what will he say to her then.
"Wow, Sasuke your heart is beating really fast. Are you okay?" She asked as she removed the chest piece against him and leaned back.
Sasuke swallowed around the lump in his throat as he worked to breathe normally and slow his stupid, treacherous heart down.
"'m just the alcohol."
Smooth, real smooth. Sakura has seen him drunk enough time to know he drinks like a fish. He really can't blame her for the skeptical look she's giving him.
"I'm fine, Sakura. Stop giving me that look."
"Well, if you're sure."
She beamed at him again and—oh, there it goes again.
"Thank you so much for this, Sasuke. Really. It's…I really, really love it. Now I'm really sorry I didn't actually get you anything. I'm not really good with gifts, see. Unlike some people I know. I mean, I didn't really know what to get you."
"It's fine, really." She could've just greeted him a 'Merry Christmas' and asked if he wanted to eat pizza and get drunk as usual while watching shitty Christmas show reruns and he wouldn't ask for more. "You don't have to get me anything."
"Well, I did do something for you though."
Sakura set aside her stethoscope before she stood and hauled him up. She asked him to close his eyes and led him down the hallway. He begrudgingly obliged after Sakura pinched him meanly at his sides. As she guided him, Sasuke mapped out in his brain where Sakura was taking him and frowned when they stopped and he realized where they are.
"Ready? Open your eyes."
"Sakura, I swear to god if you—"
"Would you just open your eyes and see."
When Sasuke opened his eyes he saw that they were standing in a middle of the room—his storage room to be precise. Or rather, his ex-storage room that was just turned into some sort of photography studio. Some of his framed works are hung on the wall, the stacks of boxes were gone and it's free of the dust that accumulated in it over the years. There were some furniture that were well coordinated and arranged aesthetically along with some bean bags. It even looked like the paint in the walls is new. In one corner of the room was a door he didn't remember being there and when he walked to inspect it he realized it's a room that Sakura made out of a couple of dividers to create a some sort of a make shift darkroom complete with the proper lighting and everything. When did she even havethe time to do all this?
"Well, I have to apologize for coming in and out of here without your permission but I could only do this without you knowing. I do it every Saturday when you're out. Did you like it?"
Sasuke is speechless.
A moment ago she was gushing about him giving her the perfect gift and being all apologetic that she didn't even have anything for him but here they are standing in what essentially is a total renovation she did of his once dingy storage room that he never once thought would look as half decent as it does now and Sakura is acting like it's no big deal.
Sasuke is fucking speechless. He literally has nothing to say about Sakura's ridiculously unbelievable kindness. He actually feels defeated that all he had given Sakura was a stupid stethoscope he didn't spend much effort on other than having it engraved and also disbelieving that she actually thought all she did was nothing. But honestly, he also just feels so fucking blessed he is actually speechless.
"Sasuke? You're not mad are you? I mean—oh, shit what was I thinking. I'm sorry! I shouldn't have meddled. I knew I should've bought you a crate of tomatoes instead or that set of law books you've been lusting over at the bookstore but I am broke as fuck and this is the only—"
"Sakura."
"—thing I can do on such notice and I'm so, so, so sorry I—"
She was cut short when Sasuke pulled her into an abrupt hug.
"Thank you."
Because what else can he say amidst all this? Fuck, thank you doesn't even cover it and frankly no amount of it ever will.
"I—you're not mad?"
Is she fucking serious, really.
"Sakura, you're so annoying."
Later, after Sakura has finished giving him a mini tour of his new studio (Sasuke will be forever impressed and inwardly giddy over how Sakura literally built him his own darkroom), they moved the wine and their celebration in the room, too. The room is filled with soft Christmas songs as Sakura plugged her iPod on Sasuke's speakers. Then, because he supposed he was pleasantly buzzed with the eggnog and the holiday spirit, he pulled Sakura to dance despite the latter's protests. It seemed to be a habit of his when he gets drunk, pulling Sakura for a dance.
"I'm not drunk enough for this and neither are you." Sakura laughingly said even as she swayed in time with Sasuke.
"What, a couple of eggnogs, a bottle of wine and the holiday spirit not enough to get you on a Christmas high? Who's being the Grinch now?"
Sasuke twirled her to the tune of "Let it Snow" playing in the background and Sakura laughed breathlessly as her back collided with Sasuke's chest as she spun back towards him.
"Alright, alright. But can we sit down now? I think the eggnog and the wine is finally working."
"Stop trying to destroy Christmas, Sakura."
"What, are you telling me you actually want to dance more? Wow. Either you're really drunk or you're really neck deep in holiday spirit. What's next? Are you gonna sing Christmas carols as you twirl me? What happened to not liking all this frivolous shit?"
Sasuke shrugged. "I guess it's alright."
And it really is, Sasuke thinks as he watched Sakura collapse on a red bean bag, at least with her.
"Hey, Sasuke. I'm bored but it's too early to sleep. Also, sleeping with a full stomach is not advisable if I wanna make sure I live to see the New Year. Sooo…talk to me, tell me about yourself or whatever."
"There's nothing to tell."
"There's plenty to tell." She whispered as she scooted her bean bag closer to his. "I don't really know much about you. Hell, I don't even know your last name and you obviously don't want me to know so I won't pry. I've lived with you for three months and I'm still not sure if you're really not a psychopath murderer. That shit about you not wanting me to know your full name is really telling."
"I could say the same to you."
"You've been eating my food since we met and you haven't collapsed on the floor with foam coming out of your mouth. I would've put rat poison on your cereal the first week after that shit you pulled with the shower temperature if I wanted to kill you."
"You never know. You might still be bidding your time, planning your escape, buttering me up before you end me."
"It's weird isn't it? We've already lived together and yet we don't know much about each other. I mean, the most I know about you is that you're obsessed with tomatoes and you're best friends with the mayor's son." Sakura mindlessly takes his hand and plays with his fingers, he can't help but think of how small Sakura's hands are compared to his and how it would be nice to hold them. "At least tell me about your family."
For as long as they've known each other, neither of them had ever mentioned anything about their families. From what he got from Sakura's obviously forced casual explanation at dinner, he figured family is a touchy subject for both of them albeit for different reasons. But, sometimes it's also necessary to talk about these things. Sasuke never talks about his family with other people because practically everybody he knows and some already knows about it. And in the society circle his family belongs in it's almost normal. It would be redundant, annoying even and slightly improper he supposes, to talk about it anymore. But then, as much as it is convenient, because these things always gets messy and complicated and he's glad he doesn't have to explain himself all the time, sometimes Sasuke have his moments where he just needs to get it out of his chest, to tell someone that, yes, it still bothers him sometimes and yes, he wishes it doesn't and things were different. It's usually hard for Sasuke to open about the subject but Sakura did talk about her family no matter how brief it was and it somehow feels easier to talk about it with someone on the same boat. And anyway, this is Sakura, the girl who's lately made his life more than just okay and first person who made the holidays not shitty in a while so, why not?
He stared down at their hands, Sakura's index finger drawing random lines on his palm, before he caught it in his and intertwined their fingers. He sighed as he felt her warm soft palm over his.
"My family…is not a nice bunch. My mother is the only one I ever really cared for. My brother, Itachi, is somewhat tolerable and I guess so is my cousin, Shisui. My father and I...don't exactly see eye to eye.
"Itachi had always been the family favorite. He was the first born; he was—is—our father's Golden Boy. I didn't have a problem with it. My brother and I don't have the most conventional of sibling relationships but we understand each other. And we love each other I guess. Well, he doted on me a lot as kid and I look up to him. He was just always great at everything he did, no matter what it was, and everyone loves him. People have high expectations of Itachi and Father always put a lot of pressure on him, but even then he always meets them. Growing up, we didn't get to spend too much time together and more so when we became adults.
"My mother is a kind, charming woman. She smiles at you and you just fall in love with her. I think it's because she's so beautiful, she just has this charm about her. Mom loves us equally. She was always fair in her affections. When Itachi was out with Father, Mom and I would go out and spend the day or she would take both of us out when Itachi was free. She's also a great cook and bakes better than anyone I know. She was also the only one who could handle Father. Father never disagrees with Mom. In all my years I've lived in their house, I have never once seen or heard him say no to her. She's just great like that."
"She sounds like a lovely woman." Sakura smiled up at him and gave his hand a light squeeze.
"Yeah, she is."
Sasuke is aware that he's talking more than normal and it feels weird and a little overwhelming. But he couldn't help the upturn of his lips as he thought of his mom. And when he caught Sakura smiling at him as she complimented his mom, he thinks his mom would've liked her.
"What about your dad?"
"Well, my father—my father and I…we see things differently. As, the second son I tried to follow in on Itachi's example. Excel in class, do sport, play an instrument, extracurricular activities, all that elite student shit parents want for their children. I was doing great but Father has a different standard and a higher bar I could somehow never reach. Art was not discouraged in our family but it wasn't encouraged either so I didn't pursue photography—but I've always wanted to go into law anyway. My life is still not a tragedy, Sakura."
Sakura's eyes shot up and looked ready to interrupt before he shot her down and he smirked.
"Going into law was my first choice. I got into a good program for my pre-law and then at a prestigious university for my law degree but Father has…other plans. We often had shouting matches when I was a teenager and it only got worst as I got older. Eventually, I just moved out and I haven't come home since."
They were silent as Sasuke finished talking. 'Frosty the Snowman' is playing in the background and their hands are still intertwined. He stole a look at Sakura looking down and wondered what she's thinking. Pity, most likely, feeling sad for him and his sorry excuse of a family, and she probably definitely thinks Sasuke's life is a tragedy now. For a moment, he is overcome by a desire to snatch his hand and move far away from her, away from her silence and her sad eyes, away from her pity and guilt because she's probably sorry she asked now.
Sakura let out an abrupt sigh and Sasuke tensed, unconsciously squeezing her hand.
"Maaaan," Sakura drawled. "And here I thought your family is a bunch of weirdos. They sound like they're actually pretty boring. Except your mom. Your mother sounds like she's an exceptionable lady."
And Sasuke couldn't help the slight laugh that came out of him. Beside him, Sakura just smiled and let out her own giggle as she squeezed his hand back.
"Sakura, thank you."
"That's the second time you thanked me tonight. I get it. You liked it."
"I really mean it."
"Thank you, too."
"For what?"
"For spending Christmas with me. I don't know if what you said about your family during the holidays is true but I do know that you don't like the hassle of Christmas and you still went through it for me. So, thanks."
"It's not that I hate it."
"Don't lie. I saw how pained you were when we were out shopping. It was super hilarious."
Well, the fact that it was only because he was thinking of the perfect gift to give her, but she doesn't need to know that. She also doesn't need to know that he actually likes shopping with her.
Sasuke looked around at his new studio before his gaze landed on Sakura, in an obnoxiously ugly Christmas sweater still giggly and flushed from all the eggnog and wine she drank, beaming and singing along to 'Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer' playing in the background, and thinks she is so, so beautiful and perfect.
"We should do this again next year."
Sakura stopped and looked at him in surprise, mouth hanging open mid-chorus, before she smiled. They're hands are still clasped together and Sasuke chalked the heat crawling up his neck to the wine.
He still doesn't care much for the holiday frivolities but he thinks this is definitely the best Christmas he's ever had.
Every year, the Governor's family hosts the annual Konoha New Year's Eve Gala and every year since Governor Namikaze came into office, Sasuke has attended the gala as a guest of the governor under Naruto's insistence.
As an Uchiha, and one of the founding families of the city, he's been attending the gala for as long as he can remember. He can only remember a year when his whole family didn't come and that was when his grandfather had a rift with the then governor. He doesn't know the exact details of the rift, as it was way before he was born, but he heard that even then his family still sent a representative.
The gala has always been held in the Governor's mansion, a big expanse of white building built way back by old architecture in Greco-Renaissance design surrounded by high walls and a tall iron gate. Behind it stood the historical Hokage Mountain carved with the face of the three founders looking down at Konoha. The mansion is decorated as classy and fancy as the shiny people from the upper echelon of Konoha's society who filled the massive polished marble ballroom.
Sasuke absently swept his eyes around all the guests clad in the best dress and suit money can buy, jewelry flashing under the light of the chandeliers above them, their laughter fake and high and filled with ill motives one way or another, and felt bored. He saw his peers in various corners of the ballroom. He spotted Neji is with a polite smile on his face as he says something to Madame Koharu Utatane and smirked at his obvious irritation. Madame Utatane, one of the higher ranking members of the Council, has always been the hardcore conservative. Shikamaru is with his father being introduced to General Hatake, one of Konoha's well decorated soldiers. Naruto is talking with people from what Sasuke knew are from the Ministry of Education, Hinata by his side and his diplomat face on. Meaning, he's wearing the same polite smile as Neji's and speaking in a calm and pretentious voice Sasuke knew he uses when he talks to official and important people. Just normal, everyday political family etiquette, except it made Sasuke smirk because it's Naruto and he's heard him squawk over cockroaches and see him be an idiot almost every day.
While his friends are mingling and creating networks to climb higher at the social ladder, Sasuke is hiding out in the bar and wasting his evening in this godforsaken gala of the super rich and pretentious.
Well, actually, it's not so much hiding as keeping an eye out. His eyes scanned the crowd once more over the rim of his whisky glass. He's not sure who the Uchiha sent to attend this year but he's not keen on running into any of them. He only ever needed to be here long enough for enough people to see him and know of his attendance. He'd met with Governor Namikaze earlier and paid his greetings to him and his wife, he'd greeted his friends in passing and exchanged words with some acquaintances. He's only really bidding time until it's no longer considered rude to leave.
Sasuke sighed, a self-deprecating smirk on his lips as he turned to lean on the bar. What a way to spend the last day of the year and the start of a new. A lady in a revealing off shoulder red empire cut dress came bounding to the bar to order an apple martini. Sasuke stared after her as she left with her drink and couldn't help but remember who else looks good in red and has a penchant for apple martinis.
Well, at least he's not working on New Year's Eve.
Sakura had mentioned that the hospital needed all the staff available for the night because apparently, a lot of patients come in at New Year's because of all sorts of accidents. She said she's looking forward to the ones caused by firecrackers—the bloodier and gorier, the better—and that she'll tell him all about it as soon as they see each other after New Year's.
Crazy woman, Sasuke thought as he took another sip, he wondered what she's doing now. Probably at an operating table over some poor sod bleeding through his gut because of stupidity, or at the ER tending to a kid who's blown half their hand off lighting a cheap firecracker, or stitching someone up and definitely not enjoying an apple martini.
The clock struck ten and Sasuke heaved another sigh. It seems he's been doing nothing all night except that and trying not to get himself drunk in case he needed a quick getaway. He forgot just how boring these things could get if one doesn't have any motive like business or getting on some stuck up upper society sod's good graces. It'll be at least more tolerable if he had someone to drink with and make fun of all the pretentious fucks here tonight.
The music changed as the hired orchestra switched to a slower piece. There is a considerable change in the crowd on the dance floor as casual partners switched to more intimate ones. Sasuke spotted Naruto leading Hinata to the middle of the floor, her hand delicately placed on his arm. At the corner of his eye, he saw Neji getting in position with Tenten and could even see Shikamaru awkwardly asking the Suna Governor's daughter for a dance. He felt eyes on him and he knew he's bound to be approached to ask to dance anytime soon. Not for the first time tonight, he wished he had a tolerable companion by his side to ward off any interest to approach him.
In about an hour, the party will be ready to count down to the New Year. The dance started and Sasuke considered his options.
He could leave now; the party is well on its way where people will barely recognize his lack of presence. He could leave now and have an early night. He doesn't care much about all the fuss of welcoming the New Year anyway, he could do that in the morning. Sakura will come barreling through his door at an ungodly hour, coffee and pizza in hand as she proceed to tell him all about the carnage she immersed herself on the last day of the year and through the next. Then, she would ask him how he welcomed the New Year and will make a face and probably go on a rant on how boring and dull Sasuke is when he tells her he went home and slept through the fireworks.
Sasuke smirked, that doesn't sound half bad at all and yet—and yet.
He looked down at his watch as a sudden thought struck him.
One and a half hour to New Year. He can still make it and have time to spare to pick up some things if he leaves now.
"Oh, for fucks sakes."
Sasuke threw his head back and finished his drink, wincing as the whiskey sent an unpleasant burn at the back of his throat, his glass hitting the bar's counter top with a dull thud. He maneuvered his way through the crowd, exchanging hurried pleasantries to acquaintances and smoothly filching a bottle of champagne and two glasses from a passing waiter, before finally reaching the coat check and asking the valet for his car.
He reached Konoha General in a record time of forty seven minutes considering the Konoha holiday traffic and that he just came all the way from the other side of the city. He looked at the clock in his car that read 11:07 and hoped to the gods Sakura is not elbow deep in somebody's gut right now otherwise he nearly got a speeding ticket for nothing.
Sasuke walked to Konoha General's ER and was just about to approach the front desk and ask for Sakura when a curtain divider slid to the side and Sakura herself emerged removing bloody surgical gloves from her hands. Her patient was a teenage boy with a bandaged arm and was being led out by who Sasuke assumed was his mother.
"Alright, Mrs. Michimiya, just bring him back tomorrow so we can change the bandages. You can approach the front desk for his release papers."
Sakura turned around as she tossed her gloves at a bin. She looked up and saw Sasuke standing at threshold of the waiting area and the work stations, formal tux under a black wool coat, extra large pizza box on one hand, champagne and glasses on the other. Her eyes widened as her mouth formed an 'o' before morphing into a surprised smile and—oh, it was worth almost being pulled over for over speeding.
"Sasuke? What are you doing here? I thought you were at the Governor's Gala?"
At the sound of her voice, Sasuke snapped out of his momentary trance and stalked over to her.
"Do you still have a patient?"
"Well—no, not at the moment at least."
"Good. C'mon."
"What? Wait, where—Sasuke!
Sasuke speed walked to the nearest elevator, continuously pushing the close button even as someone (probably a doctor and it was probably an emergency but he didn't really care) signaled for him to hold the door.
"Sasuke, what the fuck?"
"Here, hold this. My grip in the bottle is slipping."
Sakura still looked at him confusedly but accepted the pizza box nonetheless.
"Okay. So, where are we going?"
"Konoha always has a fireworks show at New Years."
"Oh." Sakura blinked at him seemingly processing what he just said before her eyes travelled to the bottle in his hands then to the box of pizza on hers. "Oh."
They were silent then and the elevator ride seemed to stretched on forever. Sakura brought the box at eye level and peeked inside, simultaneously taking a whiff, before nodding and humming in approval.
"So, how was the party?"
"Boring as fuck."
"Really? Shame. Is that why you sneaked off and decided to seek my charming company instead?"
"You wish."
The elevator dinged and opened to the last floor. They both stepped off and climbed the flight of stairs leading to the door of the rooftop. A cold gust of wind assaulted them as Sasuke opened the door and he held it for her before stepping out himself.
"There's no point in denying it, Sasuke. I mean, what else are the champagne and the pizza for if not to bribe me into spending the last hour of the year with you?"
"Have you considered being less pompous and shutting your trap more as a New Year's resolution? Because you should and the world and I would thank you for it."
"You say that and yet here we are. You choosing the company of my 'pompous' self over that fancy Governor's Gala."
"Shut up and eat, Sakura."
"Don't have to tell me twice."
Sakura sat down beside him on the rooftop floor not minding the coldness seeping through the thin fabric of her scrub pants. She took a huge bite on a slice, chasing after the melted mozzarella cheese, as Sasuke opened the champagne bottle and poured them each a glass.
"What, we're having champagne now? Classy. This is, like, ten levels up our usual."
"Hn. Grabbed it by a passing waiter on impulse. They have more than enough they'll hardly notice a bottle missing."
"Such a badass rebel move, Sasuke. I'm already swooning."
Sasuke rolled his eyes at her but couldn't control the tug of his lips. He took a large bite of his pizza to cover the by now half smile because, yes, okay, this is definitely better than hanging around the bar by himself at the gala. He watched Sakura in his periphery as she closed her eyes and took another bite. She hummed a bit and Sasuke didn't think he's ever seen anyone so happy over pizza as Sakura was right then. He somewhat felt stupid for finding it ridiculous and endearing at the same time but then again it's not the first time Sakura has made him feel this way. He's learned to ignore it over time and figured it's just an effect Sakura has on people.
And because Sakura can never keep quiet for longer than ten minutes, she took a sip of champagne before she turned to him and proceeded to tell him about her shift.
"—so there was this man right? And he came in the ER all calm and shit like there isn't a huge gash on his torso and his gut isn't spilling out of it. It was literally spilling out, Sasuke! Literally. Spilling. Out. He had his intestines on his arms like he was carrying a heavy bag of groceries and I swear to God the man was as calm as they come. You'd think he was just in for a casual visit. He was under the state of shock of course and when we finally put him under the table, I don't know, the overhead lights must've snapped him out of it because he started shouting and crying 'Oh my God! What happened to me?!'Good thing somebody had their head on right—that somebody being me—and injected him with anesthesia. Tsunade patted me on the back and everything and it was great. I have no idea how he didn't collapse from blood loss before he got to the hospital because there was literally blood everywhere. You probably have some traces on your shoes by the way. I don't think the floor was finished being mopped when you came in."
"You never miss a chance to gloat don't you?" Sasuke rolled his eyes and tried to smother his smile as Sakura flipped her hair and said something about 'giving credit where credit is due.' "How did he get the wound?"
"I was just getting to that. Apparently—"
Sasuke half listened as Sakura proceeded to give him the gory details of her 'New Year's Eve ER escapades.' To be honest, he stopped listening as soon as Sakura started telling the man's story. She's always so vibrant when she talks about her job and it distracts Sasuke from actually listening. She can complain all she wants about the stubborn patients, the hard to deal with relatives, and the most disgusting of all that is disgusting part of her job but Sasuke knows she loves it and there's nothing else she'd rather do. Heck, even in the last day of the year she'd rather be stitching up people than watch the fireworks. She'd probably be in an OR if Sasuke didn't show up.
He watched as Sakura tells him about having to stitch a kid's arm as he sat beside her crying and wailing while his mom lecturing him. He watched the light in her eyes, the animated way she recounted how she had to force herself to not tell the mother to 'shut the fuck up,' watched the way she smiled as she recounted how Tsunade praised her after they finished operating on a man who had his ear blasted off by a cheap firecracker. Sasuke didn't notice he was staring until Sakura stopped talking, her champagne glass halfway to her lips.
"What?" She asked self consciously as she took a sip from her glass and tucked a stray strand of her short hair behind her ear. It's gotten longer, Sasuke observed, it's now almost reaching her shoulders.
"Nothing."
Sakura tells him he's weird and when he countered back with saying she's weirder she threw a pepperoni at him and he caught it with his mouth. He didn't know how he did it, and he's sure he probably looked ridiculous doing so, but Sakura laughed and she is so fucking pretty what the fucking hell.
And Sasuke mused, as Sakura continued her stories and Sasuke half listened, contemplated as he continues to admire the way Sakura lit up as she talked about her job, and compared his night earlier to now. He realized he'd rather sit in a hospital rooftop half freezing his ass off eating pizza and drinking champagne with Sakura than on some gala he doesn't even care about or want anything to do with anyway.
Fuck it. The truth is, he can be anywhere else right now as long as Sakura is there to fill the silence, bloody guts gory details and all.
In the distance, he could hear the tell-tale sounds of people counting down to the New Year. His brain vaguely registered that the fireworks are starting soon, but Sakura is still talking and Sasuke just nods yes to whatever it was she just said.
"And then she was like—oh, Sasuke, look! The fireworks are starting!"
Sakura pointed to the sky as the first firecracker explodes. There are shouts and echoes of 'Happy New Year!' coming from everywhere as the Konoha Fireworks show goes on. Sasuke turned to the watch them briefly before his attention was caught again by Sakura.
Because how can he look away when she is smiling like that and looking like fireworks personified?
How Sakura always mesmerizes him, Sasuke doesn't know, but the most spectacular fireworks in all of the Five Great Countries may be going off and he still wouldn't take his eyes off of Sakura in this moment.
He wished he had his camera with him to immortalize this; he'd keep it for himself and never let anyone see it, see this side of Sakura. He wondered about that strange desire, the strange selfishness and possessiveness to keep this image to himself, as he fumbled with his phone and decided to make do with it. He clicks once, twice, thrice.
Sakura looked up at the sky with so much wonder and awe, her lips perpetually stretched in a giddy smile. The lights from the fireworks bounced around them and Sasuke stared and admired the way Sakura is illuminated by them, the bright pink of her hair looking almost luminescent amidst the vibrant reds, blues, greens and yellows of the firecrackers; the lights danced in her eyes and the explosion of colors around her makes for a picturesque silhouette. Sakura makes a picture all on her own, but like this, illuminated by the lights of the fireworks, the colors dancing beautifully around her and making her eyes shine brighter than ever, Sakura looks like a masterpiece.
And she just takes his breath away.
"It's beautiful, Sasuke."
"Yeah." Sasuke replied as he lowered and pocketed his phone still looking at her.
The smile lingered on Sakura's lips even as the fireworks end and the lights die around them. Sasuke let himself stare a little more. If Sakura noticed him staring she doesn't mention it and launched into conversation again as the last of the fireworks end and all the light from it is gone.
"So, tell me about the Governor's Gala. What's it like?"
Sasuke cleared his throat and took the time to collect himself as he refilled their glasses.
"I told you, it was boring."
Sakura hums. "Was Naruto there?"
"Of course he is. He had this smile on his face which he thinks looks diplomatic and polite but really, he just looks constipated."
"You're one to talk."
"Shut up."
"And Hinata? Neji and Tenten? They were all there?"
"Yeah."
"You know, sometimes I still think you're some big hotshot who's just being low key about it. I mean, you're friends with all these important people and get to actually be invited to high class socials. Me, I'm always just a tag along but you, you have VIP invitations and everything—and your name is still a mystery to me. I mean, what kind of normal law abiding citizen will be hiding their last name—unless you're a wanted criminal. But, you haven't killed me yet and you are in a law program in KU so I guess it's just one of your weird quirks and everything just comes with being friends with the Governor's son."
Sakura looked so honest. Why does she always have to be so honest? The way she's just so blasé about the fact that Sasuke is so secretive, the way she doesn't ask and just trusts him, the way she just arrives to innocent conclusions, like she believes—knows—Sasuke will never do her wrong, it's driving him insane! If it were any other person they would've probably Googled him by now. Hell, he's not sure why Sakura hasn't done it or why she is still clueless even after almost half a year of knowing him. It may sound narcissistic and egoistic but it's the truth for people like him. It's driving him insane wondering how much longer this will last, how much longer before Sakura finds out and everything changes.
And Sasuke felt guilty, even dirty, knowing that he's not being honest with her. Sakura, who has done nothing but good for him since she came in his life, Sakura who is always so honest and doesn't keep secrets, Sakura who has full faith in him—has always had full faith in him—and he can't even tell her who thefucking hell he really is.
"Sakura, I—"
"Oh! I almost forgot!"
There is a pattern with regards to events in his life involving Sakura Haruno. The pattern being everything happens before Sasuke could even think about them and everything is over before he could even realize what's happening.
Just like how he decided to leave the Governor's Gala and spend the last hour of last year half freezing in a hospital rooftop to watch the fireworks with her. Just like how Sakura leaned towards him, shining green eyes swimming with mirth locked into his, their noses almost touching. And for a moment Sasuke thought she was actually gonna kiss him, before she veered to the side and Sasuke felt damp lips at his cheek instead, near the corner of his mouth.
"Happy New Year, Sasuke."
Sakura's smile was blinding as she pulled away and Sasuke resisted the urge to touch his cheek where she just kissed him.
"W-what was—" Sasuke swallowed as he cursed his trembling voice. "What was that for?"
"Your New Year's kiss! Everybody should get a kiss on New Year's."
And because lately everything in Sasuke's life seemed to be intertwined with Sakura one way or another, the pattern repeats itself for the third time that night.
"Sakura, I'm an Uchiha."
A/N: Aw, man. Where do I even start? Well, first off, I would just like to say thank you to all of you who still reads this and kept it on your alerts and sent me encouraging reviews and messages on Tumblr. Sorry this took some time. I had a pretty hectic start for 2016. I started on my new job and it got toxic and hectic real quick. My family had some financial troubles that I had to help with and I was also studying. There were a lot of other things that happened which I will not say here because, well, it'll take forever. I literally leave the house at the ass crack of dawn and arrive home at 10pm and by then I just really want to sleep. On the times that I itched to write, the million dollar question of: 'cry, sleep or write?' comes up and most of the time (if not always) the option to sleep prevails.
Now, I need to address some comments from Chapter 13: drowning:
From Guest: Oh god...you're turning Sakura into a fangirl. What happened to her cool and witty attitude from the other chapters? Hinata, Ino, and Mikoto are apparently god's gifts to man so what are you implying about Sakura? You make her seem like trash to be honest. You make Hinata, Ino, and Mikoto so otherworldly but Sakura is a brute who just drinks all the time. When is Sakura going to be "perfect" or "nymph like" all the other girls? It's sad to see Sakura being put down and feel so insecure all the damn time :/
I portray Sakura as a woman who can appreciate other women's beauty. Did you not read the first part of the last chapter? "You make her seem like trash to be honest" – this comment honestly offended me because of the fact that you view women admiring other women's beauty makes them trash. Sakura is aware of her appearance and is also proud of it. When did I ever write that she thinks that she's not pretty enough? She admires Ino, Hinata and Mikoto and thinks their beauty is other wordly because some girls are like that okay? While they know that they are not by any means unattractive and are conscious about their attractiveness they see other women and think 'ohmygod that girl is so pretty it looks like god put extra effort on her.' It's called not being self-obsessed and appreciative. It's 2016 for fucks sakes. Are we honestly still pitting women against each other? And on Sakura being a brute who drinks all the time: what the hell? Can't she be a tough cookie and enjoy her alcohol while also being 'I know I'm gorgeous, bitch and I'm strong and I like to drink so there'?
Also, in terms of Sakura being insecure: well, the age group of the people here is around twenties and honestly you tend to be very insecure around this age because this is the age you start to actually realize things you want for yourself but at the same time not having the idea how or where to start. I believe the 'insecurities' you say that Sakura has here are normal though? They're not something which destroys her character at all but something that just makes her human. She's not a med-nin in this story after all.
From Guest: I know the girls are just teasing Sakura but every interaction she has with them seems to bring down her self confidence. Sakura seems to have a lot of image issues from the way you portray her and how everyone basically puts her down, even if its in a playful way. Ino and TenTen sound so harsh and treat her very mean, almost mocking. Even Hinata sounds like a bit of a prick the few times she shows up. It just comes off as that way to me. And the constant "bitch" is very overused. It's cute that they have that gal pal relationship like in the manga but maybe some other pet names would add variety? I'm sorry if this sounds pushy or rude but this chapter didn't seem as... in touch with the other chapters. It's very lighthearted and less witty than the others. Sakura doesn't seem to have a perfect life like everyone in this fanfic does. Idk if that's what you're going for and that her lower class is going to cause a rift between Sasuke and his family. But Sakura sounds miserable right now with the groups of people she's with and the situations she's being forced into.
How are the girls putting her down? I don't understand? No one is putting her down in the story? And Sakura is by no means a lower class here you'll see in the future chaps. it just seemed like every person she's interacted in the story so far is in the same high society circle but there's a reason for that don't y'all worry. And Tenten doesn't have a perf life in this story. I'm not gonna go into details about that because this story is just focused on SS mainly with mentions of sidepairings. Just know that Tenten is just an ordinary college student here from a middle class family. She works at the bookstore for fucks sakes.
On her being miserable and the situation she's being forced to, well, that's life though isn't it? You're not always where you want to be and sometimes you find yourself in situations you never imagined yourself will be and don't want to be in, but that's how you learn and grow. I aim for this story to be as realistic as possible given the setting that the story revolves around Konoha high society. I'm trying to make the characters at least relatable. (Also, the prompt was 'drowning' so that was the vibe I was trying to give in that chapter.)
I'm sorry that their pet names and the way I portray their friendship dynamics makes you feel uncomfortable but again I want this story to be as realistic and relatable as it can. I'm mostly basing their friendship on real life friendship dynamics with a mixture of their interactions in canon. I don't want to make their dynamics seem two dimensional in that they're all just so nice to each other in the most conventional of ways. There are different types of friendship dynamics and I just so happen to write theirs as a tough-love kind of friendship. I'm sorry but this is the one thing that I will not change in this story. :(
From Guest: This chapter made me cringe a little. It sounds like a middle school fic :/ the dialogue is REALLY less witty than before.
I do agree, though, that last chapter seemed less in touch with the others. The times I was writing it I was out of whack and was all over the place. (And I don't have a beta. :P)
As I always say and always promise, I will not abandon this story and will finish it. It might just take a while because life, work, and studies are teaming up against me and the fight is, frankly, very exhausting. It's why I give you guys long-ass chapters, to compensate for my very slow and rare updates.
Again, thank you very much for still being with me and if you have other opinions about this talk to me about it! Chat me up on Tumblr (randomprose tumblr . com)! I love hearing from you guys. :)
-Angeline