Reposting this chapter to include a fun playlist I made for writing this story! Also will add this to chapter 1 once I finish the fic entirely! Obviously remove the spaces: open. spotify DOT COM /playlist/0qN4J9znN1jf5FWEtwm6tm?si=1f8cadcdfd624ba7
What You Want
CH 6
Thud.
She looked over and saw a bagel wrapped in parchment paper suddenly beside her notebook she was supposed to be reading before her banking app pinged her. Who needed a calendar when you had monthly tuition bills? Not that she had the intention of putting off her latest payment, but she figured it could wait until she got home later that day. Her eyes then turned to her watch. Fifteen after ten.
"I thought you said not to be late," Sakura commented without looking up.
The adjacent chair slid out before the tall and ever-brooding man sat down in it. "I said for you not to be late."
She shook her head and decided to throw a half-serious glare at Sasuke, but when she saw the unusual state he was in, her eyes widened. Dark circles under his eyes, genuine bedhead and a subtle shade of stubble to complete the look. Did he really own a sweatshirt? Granted, it was probably the kind that cost eighty bucks on sale, but she tried her hardest not to crack a smile.
"Uh, long night?"
He flashed his signature glare in return as he took a sip from his coffee in hand. Seeing him so obviously sporting a hangover felt like such a rare sighting and she had every intention of treating it as such since he was usually so composed. After an hour of studying ahead of him getting there, she figured she could indulge in a few minutes of teasing.
Her book snapped shut. "What were you up to?"
He ran a hand through his unruly hair and took a deep breath - to center himself or hold back nausea, she did not know - before meeting her eyes.
"We have a new prospective investor that could be very valuable for us, so I was asked to join a few others in taking their group out."
Sakura could barely contain her smirk as she started unwrapping the bagel he brought her. "And you forgot to eat before you drank?"
"Just because you're not old enough to have had a hangover yet doesn't mean you can mock me for having one," he muttered as he unfolded the newspaper he had brought with him.
She gawked at the man. "Sasuke, I'm in grad school, not middle school."
His dark steely eyes cut to her for a considerable amount of time as though he was actually questioning her age. "You're still just a kid."
If he thought he was being funny, he was sorely mistaken, especially with the amount of studying she had in front of her. When she stood and started stacking her books, his confusion was evident on his face.
"If you came here to mock me, I can go find another table."
When his hand caught her wrist, she froze where she was and couldn't help but feel what could only be described as a pulse of electricity run through her. His fingers lingered for a second longer before withdrawing slowly.
"I'm sorry," he sighed. "Please sit."
She slowly sat back down, watching her disgruntled companion closely as she waited for him to explain his unexpected and uncalled-for rudeness.
"I'm just drained, I didn't mean to snap at you."
His shoulders angled inwards, his usual prideful posture compromised by whatever was clearly weighing on his mind. She took in his guarded expression and wondered if his sharp criticism of her maturity was him projecting outward.
"Did something happen?"
He leaned back and took another sip of his coffee. "Nothing I'm not used to. That dick Kabuto you met at the catacombs was just stirring up shit as always."
"I thought Kabuto didn't work with you," she noted with a furrowed brow.
Sasuke fingered the cardboard holder around his coffee cup. "Asuma has him join certain outings when party favors are appreciated."
She all but blanched at him. "He's a drug dealer..?"
"He's a loose friend of Asuma's," Sasuke pointedly described, but did not in any way imply she was wrong in her assumption.
"What did he-"
"What are you studying today?"
She blinked in response to his swift interruption, quickly understanding he didn't want to discuss his night any further. As much as she wanted to learn more and help him, she knew she had no choice but to hold off at least for the time being.
"Health policies," she stated, offering him a glance at her notes.
He turned her notebook more to get a better look at what she had written. As his sharp eyes scanned the page, she felt a wave of self-consciousness wash over her. His job at its core was to efficiently evaluate tons of information and decide if it was worth investing in or not - she suddenly worried for her own stock value.
"You have a very succinct notetaking style," he mentioned as he finished the page. She made a grab for notebook but he was faster in moving it out of her reach. "A couple SAT words for fun, I assume?"
She made another attempt to take back what was hers and was once again evaded by her alleged study buddy. "Unless you plan on offering any actual help, I'd like my notes back so I can go back to studying."
"Hn," he grunted, sliding the book back. "Don't let me get in your way."
With a huff, she found where she had left off while he busied himself with unfolding the newspaper he brought with him. Her chin stayed tucked towards the table she was working off of, but her green eyes dared to drift back to the man she found so infuriatingly handsome and just enough of a mystery to make up for it. His right eyebrow lifted unconsciously as he read whatever article caught his interest and she couldn't help but admire the pensive gaze locked on the paper framed by thick black lashes. Anytime he had looked at her with those deep and brooding eyes, she wished she could allow herself - both of them - the vulnerability to explore them to their core.
"I know I didn't stand in front of the mirror long enough this morning to get a shave in," he started to say, gaze still focused on the words in front of him. "But I know for a fact the text you're studying isn't on my face."
She snapped back to her book as her face flooded with color. Without him saying another word, she could hear him smirking.
The rest of the morning glided by with much fewer distractions after that, but not without the occasional more subtle glances in between. By noon, Sakura had moved from her notebook to her textbook and Sasuke had finished the paper and was working on a magazine he had as well. Although it was accompanied by a heavy air of caution, she had to admit studying in his company wasn't all that bad. She might even be convinced to say it was pleasant.
"How much longer do you plan on subjecting your brain to this torture?" He asked her at some point.
She rested on her forearms in front of her, careful not to give any hint that she was in fact quite tired. "You don't have to stay, you know."
He took his time putting down the magazine before looking over at her with those dark eyes she found impossible to look away from. "Let's go to the Cloisters."
"The Cloisters?" She scoffed. "That's all the way up in Inwood or something."
He turned the magazine around so she could see the write-up in the spread. It was about the newly restored tapestries just put back on display in time for spring, when visitation picked up heavily at the medieval art museum. Whether he knew it or not, Sakura adored the romantic imagery woven into those tapestries and yet in years in the city found time to go see them herself. He leaned back in his chair, hands in his pockets. "I have a car."
She couldn't hold her poker face any longer. "Of course you have a car."
He grinned, not at all phased by her tone. "So what's the plan? Staying or going?"
Less than thirty minutes later, the pair were bounding up the Hudson Parkway in Sasuke's shiny black Range Rover on their way to the Cloisters. Sakura watched the city fly by through her tinted window as the radio filled the spacious interior around her.
"Where do you even park this?" She asked, not bothering to hide her judgment in the least.
He seemed amused and she wasn't sure if that annoyed her further or not. "My building has a parking garage."
"Of course it does," she grumbled under her breath.
"Something you want to say?" He retorted in return.
Her face reddened for the second time that day as she realized how bratty she was being. She gave herself a second to reign it all in. "Sorry, I'm just a little stressed out. I shouldn't be taking it out on you."
They were cut off by a flashy sports car and Sasuke clicked his tongue behind his teeth. From where she was sitting, Sakura could see the brief flash of red behind his sunglasses. He must have noticed her watching him from the corner of his eye, judging by how quickly he muted his aggression.
"What's stressing you out?"
She hesitated to say at first but knew it would only be a matter of time before Sasuke poked holes in her lie if she withheld the truth. How could she lie to someone who entrusted her with a secret as dark and deep as his?
"I just got my tuition bill," she sighed, resting her head in her hand while her elbow perched against the car door.
"For April?" He asked. "Don't school charge by the semester?"
She nodded, then realized he was still watching the road. "I have monthly payments."
"Ah."
It felt strange letting Sasuke in on that part of her life, even if he was only dipping his toes in the shallow end. His all-black Rolex caught the afternoon sun in its glass as he turned the steering wheel to exit the highway. She wondered what it was like to drop thousands of dollars on something as non-essential as a watch. Her parents gifted her a designer watch when she graduated from undergrad, but that wasn't more than a few hundred and she only wore it when she was trying to round out a 'polished' look.
As they made their way up the hill off the exit, the greenery grew closer as did a truly magnificent view of the Hudson River. Pulling up a few minutes later to Fort Tyron, Sakura filed away her money woes to take in the beautiful escape from the city they had arrived at. The fort was a property of the Met and repurposed into a medieval arts museum up in the tip of Manhattan. By public transportation, it could be quite a commitment to get up there, but by car it was only a half hour.
"It's so hard to believe this is still technically New York City," Sakura breathed, taking in the fresh air.
Sasuke met her in front of the car, his messy hair only further mused by the breeze passing through. "First time here?"
"Yeah," she admitted as they started walking up to the main entrance. "I never found the time to make the trip."
"Hn," he grinned. "Lucky me."
They strolled in alongside the other smatterings of people who also made the trip that afternoon. Sasuke bought their tickets while Sakura admired the stonework of the building, feeling more like a kid exploring a castle than an adult visiting a museum. Sasuke caught her lost in her own curiosity and blushed when she saw the amusement on his face.
Even though they came for the famous unicorn tapestries, Sasuke made no effort to rush her as she examined each and every artifact and artwork on display. For the most part he kept fairly close to her side, but occasionally he wandered about to look at something that caught his interest. While standing in front of a bejeweled sword in the center of the room they were in for the moment, Sakura found herself next to a pair of young women while enjoying an ornate urn of some sort.
"There's that guy I was trying to point out before," the taller of the two whispered to her friend.
"Oh fuck, he's hot," the other muttered. "One of us has to say something to him."
Sakura slowly lifted her gaze to see without any surprise that it was Sasuke they were looking at. There was a warmth in her cheeks again, but instead of embarrassment like it usually was, she was shocked when she realized it was something closer to envy. How wonderful would it have been to be able to ogle at such a beautiful man like Sasuke without any qualms or consequences?
One of the women took an audible inhale. "He's coming this way, is he coming to us? Oh my god, he is!"
Not knowing what else to do, Sakura just continued standing there just behind the pair as Sasuke stalked over in their general direction. Despite the burden of his hangover, he still looked fit for a runway.
"Ready to keep moving?" He asked this just as he stepped around his two admirers and Sakura had to wonder if he knew how hard he just crushed their lofty wet dreams. When his hand on her lower back steered her to the next gallery room, that suspicion was not only confirmed but promoted to a level of cruelty.
"Was that necessary?" She bit out once they were out of earshot of the deflated women in the other room.
Sasuke shrugged. "That's on them for not being observant enough to see you right behind them." His hand had lingered for another beat before migrating to her shoulder. "We're here now, though."
Following his gaze, Sakura looked up at the wall in front of them and gasped. It was the majestic unicorn tapestries.
"Oh my gosh," she found herself saying as she took a few steps closer to get an even better look at the detail. "I can't believe how gorgeous they are."
She could feel Sasuke close behind her, but he didn't say anything. It didn't bother her, though. These tapestries were something she had been admiring from afar for years at that point. Nothing would steal her attention until she had her proper fill of them.
The lush and plentiful array of colors filled her entire scope of vision. Flowers and foliage delighted the eye and framed a most magical and pearly white unicorn at the tapestry's center under a charming pomegranate tree. She wanted more than anything to pick up a book and crawl into that very woven image.
"The unicorn is commonly associated with Christ," a tour guide's voice echoed beside her, a small group listening eagerly to his scripted explanation of the work. "But this piece," he noted, gesturing to the one she was still focused on, "is believed to represent true love and marriage, as the mythical wonder is adorned with a golden chain signifying devotion and commitment. Whether you see the ball and chain as a romantic metaphor or tongue-in-cheek commentary is entirely up to you!"
Rosy lips parted as she felt herself sink back into reality. She blinked up at the lovely tapestry a few more times before shifting to step around the crowd. There were more woven works around her she meant to look at, but fresh air needed to come first.
Through the next opening was an open-air courtyard that she made a bee-line for. Some people were passing through on their way to one of the other connected gallery spaces, but she took a seat on an open bench she spotted nearby. A few minutes later, she could feel him hovering beside her.
"It was starting to feel a little stuffy in there," she lied, staring into the small garden in front of her. When she didn't hear a response from the looming man, she looked up to see what was the matter.
"Why haven't you been here before?" The question caught her off-guard, but as she prepared to answer he spoke again. "And don't tell me you didn't have time. I saw the poster of that exact tapestry on your wall."
Her jaw snapped shut. If she didn't find his keen eye and perceptiveness annoying before, she was starting to then.
"If you must know, Kiba and I were supposed to go this spring." Sasuke snorted and she shot a glare at him, thinking he was mocking her. "You find that funny?"
"Yes." He looked down at her with tired, hooded eyes and a lopsided grin before moving to sit beside her on the bench. "Because you think I'd believe that's the real reason."
Her glare only intensified. If he was mocking her, this was an odd way to go about it. "What are you talking about?"
He stretched an arm across the back of the bench and tilted his head back as he closed his eyes. The length of his neck stretched and she watched his Adam's apple rest at the center.
"Those tapestries have been here for years," he stated, still settled in his recline. "Kiba's not the reason you haven't seen them until now. You just haven't given yourself the time to come and see them on your own."
Her shoulders rose and her brow creased as she physically readied to deliver a rebuttal, but she soon realized there was none to give. It was right then and there that it dawned on her that what he said was true. It wasn't that she was waiting for Kiba to take her, it was that she was waiting for the justification to do it herself. A cool breeze with the lingering chill of winter's end grazed her and left prickly skin in its wake.
"Trust me, I understand prioritizing work," he spoke again as he slowly pulled himself up to sit with a straight back. "But what's the point if that's all you do?"
She let his words marinate in her brain for a minute as they continued to bask in the sunlight just warming their shoes in front of them. He was right, she admitted to herself. She was the only person truly standing in her way - she had always been her entire life. If she didn't work her hardest now, how would she achieve her goals later in life?
"Sakura."
The way he said her name made her heart stutter.
"There's more to life than work," he stated, intense eyes fixed on her. She watched with a hitched breath as they shifted to a scarlet red before flashing back to black with a blink. "Take my word for it."
It was a struggle to swallow right away after such a heavy conversation was thrust her way in the middle of what she thought was a frivolous afternoon.
"You want me to berate you some more or would you like to go back inside?"
It was hard not to smile when he grinned at her like that. She stood up with him before he rested a gentle hand on her shoulder to guide her back to the tapestries she waited so long to see.
The pair admired the tapestries alongside the rest of the medieval works until the sun started to rest atop the trees lining the lawn surrounding the museum. With a fresh head that could only be obtained after such a peaceful afternoon as that one, Sakura almost felt like she was floating as they walked back to the car.
"Thanks for bringing me out here," she mentioned as she climbed into the passenger seat.
"My pleasure," Sasuke grinned as the engine revved to life. She pretended the trees out the window caught her eye so he wouldn't see the pink tint she could feel collecting on her cheeks.
The drive back was quiet, but not uncomfortable. The radio was on again, the familiar beat of the latest trending songs playing in the background. The trees soon pulled back to reveal the lines of buildings that signaled their return to the city. Much to her surprise, traffic was almost non-existent. They didn't discuss it, but she knew he was driving her home. She wouldn't dare to admit it out loud, but she secretly wished they would hit at least a hint of a slowdown so she wouldn't have to face her empty apartment. Something about Sasuke's company that day was putting her usual hum of anxiety at ease.
His left hand held the top of the steering wheel while his right was on the gear shift between them. In the privacy of her mind she pictured him moving his hand just a little closer and resting his palm on her thigh. It was a big car - plenty of room for him to move the seat back to have her straddle him while he'd pull her closer.
The images from her head with a jump as the car suddenly jerked to a stop and Sasuke laid on the horn.
"Fucking prick," Sasuke cursed at the car that cut in front of him. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," she assured him with her hand over her heart where the seat belt snapped against her.
She took a deep breath and leaned her head back on the cushy head rest. Thoughts like those were dangerous and she knew she couldn't afford to let her mind drift much further without getting herself in trouble.
She needed to get laid.
"Thanks for driving me all the way home, you really didn't need to do that."
He arched a brow. "Should I have just dropped you back at the library?"
She shrugged, pulling her bag onto her lap. "I'm just saying I appreciate it."
"Text me later," he called out behind her through the window as he waited for her to unlock her front door.
Although they were a decent distance apart, she knew he could see her smiling before she walked inside.
She couldn't move her wrists as hard as she tried to lift them from the silk sheets beneath her. Pressed into one another, it seemed they were bound together above her head.
She was panting.
There was a cold wind against her, making her immediately aware of her lack of clothing and the wetness accumulating between her thighs.
"You want it so bad, don't you?" His husky voice in her ear drew a shudder from her. "Tell me what you want, Sakura."
She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice wouldn't work. She tried to clear her throat and try again as Sasuke's face emerged from the shadows, but she still couldn't make a sound.
His eyes grew cold, the burning scarlet irises fading back into the darkness. "What a shame."
She strained against her bindings, pulling with all her might to reach him, touch him, stop him from leaving her cold and alone.
But he was gone. And then it was just her.
A sharp inhale startled her from her sleep as she sat up in her bed. One hand flew to her forehead to feel for the accumulation of sweat while the other dared to check between her legs for the arousal pooling in her underwear. She cursed as she caught her breath.
She really needed to get laid.
Like, really, really.
If time was what she needed to find a solution to her personal predicament, that following week presented every challenge it could to ensure she had none. Her work schedule was brutal and the study sessions she scheduled with classmates were just as merciless. When Sasuke tried to make dinner plans, she declined so she could run through her flashcards for an extra couple of hours. It was her last chance to cram as much knowledge in her head before the upcoming exam, so it wasn't hard to justify the self-inflicted torture that it felt like. After six days of straight working and studying, she was finally reaching her limit.
"I'm sorry, Hinata, what did you say?" She could barely focus for more than a minute, as was plenty evident to her study partner after an hour of reviewing their shared notes from the last class they had together.
"I was saying I think we should take a coffee break or something," the soft-spoken woman repeated with a small smile. "But maybe you need a nap?"
Sakura straightened up immediately. "I'm fine, don't worry about me. But…" She pulled her phone from her bag to check the time and groaned. "Sasuke…"
Hinata tilted her head. "Is something wrong?"
Sakura sighed as she looked back at her. Hinata had become a decent friend over the course of the semester. They were pretty well matched in terms of their determination to do well in the classes they shared and had made a habit of sitting together through the lectures. Some candid conversation with her wasn't out of the bounds of their relationship.
"I agreed to some plans with a persistent friend of mine even though I told him I was going to be studying today and he's pestering me now about it," she confided in her.
Hinata's pale eyes narrowed. "Sakura, not to be rude here, but I think you've done enough studying for the both of us the last couple of weeks."
Sakura was about to object when her phone vibrated again with a new message. Her brows lifted with complete surprise. "Are you kidding me?" She hissed.
"What is it?"
Sakura dropped her phone in her lap. "He's outside."
When Sakura told Sasuke she was going to have to pass on dinner so she could maintain her study streak, he let it slide on the condition that they make plans when she was done. The one detail she failed to confirm was when exactly she would be done. Sasuke, on the other hand, took the liberty of drawing a line in the sand for her.
"You're done studying. If we keep going, you won't have any energy left for the actual exam." Hinata brushed a lock of glossy violet hair over her shoulder as she closed her own book. "I'll walk you out, come on."
Hinata was right, as much as Sakura wanted to fight her on it. The pair packed their bags and found their way outside the library where they were greeted by the most perfect weather and clear skies above.
"Is...that your friend?"
Sakura turned her head to look where Hinata was staring. Just down the sidewalk she spotted Sasuke's Range Rover with him posed like his usual modelesque self outside with a cigarette in hand. He was dressed down in a pair of black jeans, sneakers and dark grey bomber jacket. When he noticed her, he took one last drag before putting out the cigarette under his shoe. She saw him mutter something back in the car just before a blonde head popped out from the sun roof.
"SAKURAAA! OVER HERE!"
She stiffened with embarrassment as people on the street turned their heads to see who the loud-mouthed blonde was yelling at.
"I guess so," she replied through a locked jaw. Hinata only giggled as she accompanied Sakura to the car.
During one of their many dinners weeks prior, Sasuke had mentioned in passing that one of his hobbies was collecting handcrafted knives. His father was an avid sword collector, so he figured it was something in the blood. That week that Sakura was doing her final study marathon, Sasuke had purchased an incredible vintage Italian hunting knife with a well-kept leather holster and bronze finishings from a collector upstate. Shipping was going to be a hassle, so he opted to come pick it up himself. Beacon was the town the seller was in, a cute little artsy place up along the Hudson River. It was farther north than The Cloisters, but a beautiful drive that couldn't ask for better weather than what they were forecasted to get that weekend.
After some strategic persuading she had come to expect from her white-collar friend, she agreed to join him, so long as they stopped for lunch. He said he could manage as much.
What he failed to mention, however, was that there would be additional company. Very, very loud company, at that.
"Hop in! I'm ready to go! Yeah!" Sakura shot a questioning look at Sasuke who couldn't look any less phased by the hyperactive stranger in his car.
"That's Naruto. I mentioned we were driving up to Beacon and he insisted on coming with us," he explained, sending a glare in the general direction of the man inside his car.
Sakura cringed for a second before turning her attention back to the two next to her. "This is my friend Hinata who's been studying with me," she introduced.
Hinata extended her hand, which Sasuke shook in return. "Nice to meet you," she smiled.
Sasuke nodded, examining her for a second. "Have we met before?"
The woman furrowed her brow as she searched her memory. "Not that I'm aware of."
"Did you say your name is Hinata?" Naruto yelled through the window.
She was visibly startled by the unexpected comment but nodded.
"Come with us! It'll be fun!"
Sakura was about to tell Hinata she didn't have to and was free to run away, but the woman herself beat her to a response.
"I don't have anything else going on today, where are you all going?"
Sasuke smirked, seeing Sakura was completely caught by surprise. "The Hudson area. We'll be back by seven or so."
"If you don't mind, I'd love to go!"
Sakura blinked at her study buddy who she didn't expect to be so spontaneous as she climbed in the back seat ahead of her.
"You're lucky," Sasuke said just loud enough for Sakura to hear before she got in the car next. "Naruto will have someone else to harass other than you the whole trip."
Sure, the guy was loud and obviously easily excited, but how bad could he be?
"ROAD TRIP!"
Sasuke and Sakura locked eyes in the rearview mirror just as one of Sakura's lower lids began to twitch.
"How long of a drive is it exactly?"
"An hour and a half," the raven-haired analyst responded flatly.
Hinata gave her friend's knee a light pat to help her unclench her jaw and release her shoulders. It took all the patience Sakura could summon from within herself to hold a pleasant demeanor while in the company of others - clobbering a new acquaintance was probably not going to make the best impression, whoever he was.
The guy named as 'Naruto' fiddled with the center console to connect his phone as Sasuke made his way to the Hudson Parkway like the last time Sakura was in the car. Despite having just met him, she already could tell this Naruto character was not going to be the easy and peaceful drive she had been hoping for.
"So," he started out saying as soon as his playlist was queued up, "explain to me how a nice girl like you crossed paths with a bastard like Sasuke."
The blonde twisted around in his seat to look back at Sakura with a mischievous grin like a child who was getting away with cursing for the first time. She could feel the muscles in her face twitching again and took a clearing breath before humoring him with a response.
"We met at his company's holiday happy hour event," she finally explained.
Sparkling blue eyes that could rival Ino's seemed to inspect her face as though looking for a clue she was lying. The nerve he had to so blatantly stare…
"How do you two know each other?" This was Hinata who spoke. Sakura turned to see her friend smiling at the obnoxious man with pink cheeks on her otherwise porcelain complexion.
"Oh, us?" Naruto asked, his attention fully locked on the dark-haired grad student. He flashed one of the biggest smiles Sakura had ever seen. "We used to be high school buddies!"
"I wouldn't say 'buddies' exactly," Sasuke interjected.
"Okay, fifteen years ago we were sworn enemies, but now we're best friends!"
Observing the pair, Sakura had no idea at all how the two could possibly be compatible. How did someone so reserved like Sasuke get along with such a hyperactive creature like Naruto?
"That's really sweet," Hinata commented. "It must be nice to have someone who knows you as well as you two probably do."
"Oh, you have no idea," Naruto chuckled as he settled back in his seat.
Sakura's eyes shot up to the rearview again as Naruto was saying this and was not surprised to see Sasuke looking right back at her. She didn't need to ask, after seeing that dark stare, to know exactly what this old friend of Sasuke's knew about him.
"Do you also live in the city?" Sakura asked, kindly pivoting the conversation to alleviate the tension she felt brewing around the raven-haired man.
Judging by the speed at which Naruto perked up at the question, she knew he had felt it as well. "Yeah, I have an apartment in the East Village."
"Oh, where exactly? I'm on 10th and 1st," Hinata blurted out in her delicate voice. She wasn't normally so chatty, so Sakura couldn't help but smile at how eager she was to talk with this guy. When Hinata caught Sakura aiming a coy grin in her direction, she blushed again.
"I'm on 7th between 1st and 2nd!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Can you not scream?" Sasuke snapped, shoving Naruto back down in his seat. "You're a fucking animal."
"Takes one to know one," he shot back.
To anyone else, this would have seemed like fairly ordinary bickering between friends. Sakura, on the other hand, was stiff with nerves as she witnessed this. At that point, based on Naruto's word choices and Sasuke's visible annoyance, she was almost certain Naruto had to know about his friend's curse. With this in mind, she wondered what he knew or thought about her friendship with Sasuke. Did he know she knew?
The majority of the drive up was filled with conversation mostly between Hinata and Naruto. Sakura stared out her window at the early spring trees and budding foliage, every once in a while spotting a dozen or so swans in the frigid water. Those damn birds didn't know how good they had it, only having to worry about eating, mating and not being eaten by something else. If they were hungry, they found a fish or whatever. If nature dictated it was time to procreate, they found a mate. When danger was near, they flew away. The nuances of modern human life took all those basic principles, complicated them exponentially and then tacked on a list of other concerns for the hell of it and to be quite frank, she was over it. All she wanted was to skip all the nonsense and get to what really mattered.
When they pulled into the tiny town of Beacon, it was immediately evident why it had grown so popular in recent years. A reasonable train ride from the city, surrounded by nature and the gorgeous Hudson River, loads of shops along the main street and a flourishing artist community to top it all off - another destination right in her peripheral Sakura hadn't visited until then.
They parked in the small lot at the base of the town by their quaint city hall. Beacon was situated on a hill of sorts, so they would have to walk almost literally up the main street to reach the shop Sasuke had bought his knife from. Looking around, Sakura didn't mind. The air was extra crisp and all the curious store fronts and little restaurants were plenty to occupy herself with.
In the distance, she spotted a long, fairly flat building that seemed to be connected to the road perpendicular to the one they were on. While Hinata and Naruto walked on ahead, Sasuke trailed behind next to Sakura when he saw her staring off.
"That's Dia Beacon, the museum."
"Oh," she managed to say before she started walking again.
"We can come back another time if you'd like to check it out." She looked up at him, but he kept his face turned towards the sidewalk ahead of them. "Even if you don't love the work, the building itself is worth seeing."
At first, she didn't say anything and just kept walking alongside him. Sure, as friends, there shouldn't be anything wrong with going to a museum together. In fact, going to a museum during the day could arguably be way more of a platonic activity than their recurring weekly dinners. Even if that were true, she couldn't deny that she felt a flutter in her stomach when he suggested they come back. Would she be making a mistake by taking him up on it?
She thought about those swans again in the water. If she were one of them, she wouldn't have to think about any of this shit. She'd just do whatever swan business she needed to do to survive and be done with it. That's what she wanted.
"Trust me, I understand prioritizing work," she suddenly remembered Sasuke saying, "but what's the point if that's all you do?"
"I'd like that," she responded a moment later. He only glanced at her for a split second, but it was enough for him to see the smile she offered a well.
"Could you two be any slower?" Naruto whined up ahead.
"And this is your best friend?" Sakura asked with heavy skepticism in her voice.
He shrugged, burying his hands in his jacket pockets. "He's not always this unbearable. Your friend might have something to do with that."
She followed his line of sight to the pair ahead and noticed how close they were standing. The pink coloring that found its way to Hinata's cheeks earlier in the car had only deepened as Naruto whispered something to her while Sasuke and Sakura were still far enough out of earshot.
She had to admit, they did look awfully cute together.
"Sasuke?" Sakura called to him, lowering her own voice. He looked down at her, his attention undivided. "Does Naruto...know?"
His head turned back. She could hear him exhale through his nostrils before answering. "We can talk later."
The group piled into the little shop a few doors down from where Naruto had stopped to yell at them. There were a couple of other people inside looking around, taking in the collection of blades behind glass display cases and pinned carefully to the walls around them. Because there wasn't all that much room to spare, they all shuffled to the side along the unoccupied wall while Sasuke approached the man sitting behind the main counter.
"I'm here to pick up a knife I bought earlier this week," he stated when the gruff gentleman nodded in greeting.
"Sasuke, right?" He guessed, looking him over once. Sasuke gave a curt nod in response. "The Artemis blade, it's a real looker of a knife. Give me a minute to go get it from the back and I'll send you on your way."
While the shop owner fumbled around in the back room, Sasuke turned to face Sakura who was waiting beside him. "You don't want to look around?" He asked.
To avoid coming off rude, she gave the shop a slow surveying look. "Knives aren't really my thing," she explained.
Right after he clicked his tongue with disapproval, he put a firm hand on her back to bring her over to one of the displays they passed on the way in. "Look down," he ordered.
She sent him a warning glare for speaking to her like that, but he ignored it.
"You see that knife on the left? Hand-carved walnut with brass and damascus steel. The one on the right? Enamel and steel handle, single flat steel blade."
She pursed her lips as examined the knives a little closer. "They're pretty," she noted.
And she wasn't lying. She did find them to be nice-looking knives, but at the end of the day, that's all she could think of them as. Sasuke didn't seem satisfied with this reaction in the slightest.
"The art of knife making requires a lot of skill and precision. To hammer out and craft a blade, and then to shape a handle to best help wield it…" He looked to her to gauge her engagement and sighed, hands back in his pockets. "You could say knives are to me what those tapestries are for you."
She could feel the itching sensation of someone watching her and shifted her gaze in front of her to see Hinata holding back a coy smile. In that instant she became hyper aware of how close Sasuke was standing next to her. If she were anyone else watching from the outside, she'd be certain beyond any reasonable doubt that she and Sasuke were a couple. His broad frame loomed over her even from the side, his chest connecting with her shoulder, his face craned down close enough to keep their conversation exclusively between the two of them.
Why was it that he was always so close when they were together?
She straightened up and pretended something else caught her eye a few display cases down. As her face cooled down, she actually took a minute to examine what was under the glass. There was a mint green enamel handle with a simple blade attached - nothing fancy, but it had a decisive shape and looked more functional where the others looked like works of art.
"See something you like?" Hinata chimed over her shoulder, having snuck around from where she was previously with Naruto on the other side of the shop.
"Just looking," Sakura shrugged.
"Sasuke seems to have found something he likes," the usually reserved study partner teased.
Sakura struggled to keep her facial expressions in check. Hinata had become a decent friend over the past few months, and aside from Ino, Sakura really didn't have too many friends she saw on a regular basis. Looking back at the kind but surprisingly cheeky woman, she realized this was her chance to change that.
"We hooked up once, but we're just friends now," she confided in Hinata.
As expected of anyone who'd be on the receiving end of such gossip, her eyes widened. "You didn't want to keep that going? You seem so close."
Sakura glanced over her shoulder to check where Sasuke and Naruto were and was pleased to see them on the opposite side of the shop with the owner examining a sword.
"There's some baggage I decided I couldn't take on," she explained.
Hinata gave a soft nod. Her eyes were focused intently on Sakura and seemed to reflect the myriad of emotions she couldn't even put to words. "That must be really painful for you," Hinata finally said. It was Sakura this time who didn't have anything to say.
"You two hungry?" Naruto asked the women across the shop, paying no mind to the other customers around him. He and Sasuke made their way over, one beaming and the other simply tolerating the circumstances.
"I could eat," Hinata smiled sweetly. As she did, Sakura caught the tint of pink on the tops of the outspoken blonde's cheeks.
"What about you?" Sasuke asked Sakura.
She shrugged before nodding. "I'm hungry, I'd be interested in grabbing something."
He took a few steps closer until he was just a foot away like he was before. "What were you looking at earlier when you came over here?"
At first, her words jammed up in her throat, his close proximity and warm cologne making it hard to concentrate. "Um, just that little knife, that's all."
"Hn," he grunted, leaning over the glass case to get a better look. "Looks like it's in good condition, an easy vintage pocket knife." He turned and raised his arm just enough to get the shop owner's attention before turning back to Sakura and the display. "The color suits you."
"What are you doing?" She hissed at him as she saw the man approaching them. Meanwhile, Hinata and Naruto were huddled off to the side and visibly amused by the scene unfolding in front of them.
He ignored her and turned to address the owner. "Can you box this one up for me as well?"
As the knife was removed from the case and being carried off, Sakura felt the heat return to her face once again. "Sasuke, I don't-"
"I want to do this for you," he interrupted, his tone even and decision finite. "It's a nice tool to have around and I'd like to get it for you."
The frustration she felt boiling inside quickly dissipated as he explained himself. Although she didn't quite understand why exactly he was insisting on this purchase, she could tell it meant something to him and she didn't want to be in a position of robbing that happiness from him.
"Thank you," she whispered as he handed her the box a minute later.
He grinned before turning to wave Naruto and Hinata over. "Let's go eat."
There was a small outdoor restaurant they had passed on their way to the shop that Naruto noted had burgers and beer. With such a holy combination already in his sights, Sasuke knew it would be a wasted effort to survey any other options.
"You two can grab a table and we'll get the food," Sasuke delegated to Naruto and Hinata before he and Sakura headed inside the small storefront. Sakura was going to object so the group could at least give some input, but a strong palm on her back guided her away.
"Could you be any more obvious?" Sakura scoffed once they were out of earshot of their friends and in line for the counter.
Sasuke only raised a brow at her, unphased by her jab. "He asked me to buy him a few minutes with her."
Sakura's jaw fell at that. Naruto seemed like such a loud-mouthed buffoon that she would never picture being friends with a guy like Sasuke, but maybe they had more in common under the surface.
"He's a good guy," Sasuke added, possibly having read her mind. "Overwhelming at times, but loyal."
She looked up at him as he said this, but his eyes were conveniently focused on the menu board overhead. Thinking back to the car ride up, she couldn't help but wonder what secrets their fifteen-year friendship entitled Naruto to. How loyal did Sasuke trust Naruto to be? Did he know about…?
"Sakura."
She blinked at the sound of her name and realized Sasuke was no longer next to her but instead up at the counter ordering. "Oh, sorry," she apologized before taking a quick step forward.
"What kind of beer does Hinata like?"
"Not sure," Sakura admitted.
"Give us two IPAs and two lagers," Sasuke decided. "Four burgers and fries." Before Sakura could say anything else, Sasuke was already signing the receipt while the man behind the counter started filling their beer glasses.
"And if she doesn't like either?" Sakura challenged.
Sasuke threw her a side eye. "I guarantee she's barely going to notice what's in her glass right now."
"That's a lot of confidence you have in your friend."
As they grabbed the drinks to head outside, Sasuke smirked in response. Knowing how easily Sasuke was able to turn on his dark charms, she had to wonder if Naruto was working with a similar skillset. Should she be worried for Hinata..?
The brick patio was nothing short of a picturesque scene from a brochure for little towns like this one in the Northeast. A pair of callery trees offered shade overhead and sprinkled the ground and tables below with their adorable white flowers. At the farthest end of the patio was Naruto and Hinata, sitting notably close together despite all the room they had around them. When Naruto moved to pluck a fallen flower from Hinata's hair, Sasuke snorted.
"Still worried about the beer?" Sakura didn't dignify the question with an answer.
"Yeeesss," Naruto cheered as the pair approached. "Beer me!"
"She has the IPAs and these are lagers," Sasuke explained before Naruto made a grab for an IPA.
"Which do you want, Hinata?" The fair-skinned woman pointed to the lagers and Naruto made another quick swipe at the beers to get one for her.
Before Sasuke could ask Sakura which she wanted, she pulled the last IPA closer to her. "Doesn't matter, right?"
The two of them held eye contact as she took a defiant first sip from her glass. She meant for it to be a playful gesture when she claimed the beer, but when Sasuke's dark eyes fixated on her mouth she found herself struggling to swallow normally.
"So," Hinata started off saying, "you two met in high school?"
Sakura quickly set her glass down, unsure if her friend was trying to break the tension or simply chatting. The other raven-haired character at the table seemed unbothered and was still watching her with dark pools of unspoken feelings Sakura wasn't in the headspace to untangle. Her stomach swirled with a fluttering she imagined only animals felt when spotted by a predator and couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be caught by this particular beast. She shivered at the thought and knew Sasuke noticed.
"The idiot was always trying to pick a fight for no reason," Sasuke answered, his eyes finally turning away from Sakura.
Naruto slammed his hand on the table, causing all their beers to quiver. "No reason!? You were being a complete jerk!"
Sasuke smirked and sipped his beer. "Only because you were being an idiot."
The blond seemed to ignore that last comment as he threw an arm across the back of Hinata's chair. "Sasuke doesn't like to admit it, but as much as people wanted to think he was a cool lone wolf type he was actually a socially awkward guy. If it weren't for me, he would have spent all his time outside of school alone in his room jacking off."
"So what I'm hearing is that you two became pretty close and inseparable," Sakura commented, trying not to smile at how cute Sasuke looked as he struggled to fight a small blush of his own. "That's really cool that you both have that kind of friendship, it's like mine with Ino."
The burgers and fries came out a minute later and the conversation took a rest while the sound of Naruto demolishing his plate filled the silence. Once there were only crumpled napkins and empty glasses left, the four made their way down to where the car was parked to head back to the city. Sakura and Sasuke lead the way while Hinata walked with Naruto, who was fighting off a food coma after eating not only all of his own fries, but most of everyone else's as well.
"You guys are an interesting pair," Sakura commented just as a group of young kids rushed past them chasing one another. "Not the kind of person I'd picture you being so close with."
Sasuke shrugged. "Like I said, he's a loyal friend. We've been through a lot together."
Sakura chewed her cheek as she took a sneaking glance over her shoulder at the two friends behind them. They were too caught up chatting with each other that she didn't feel like they were listening in and she was feeling too impatient to wait until later to get her burning question answered.
"Does he know about your-"
"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled from behind at that most inopportune moment. "Remember when we were freshmen in college and you traded a pair of sneakers for those fake IDs?"
Sasuke sighed before cocking his head back just enough to glare at him. "Yeah, and I also remember when you drunkenly dropped them into the East River."
Naruto laughed without an ounce of shame at that and simply scratched at his wild mess of hair. "Your fault for letting me hold onto them."
They reached the car at that point and Sakura was forced to file away her itching question for another day. She so badly wanted to know if this guy who seemed to know Sasuke better than most knew about his dark secret. With such a big mouth, she had a hard time believing he could keep much of a secret, but then again, she had only just met him.
A large tanned hand reached for the door handle before she could. Looking up, she was met by neon blue eyes and a giant smile. "I'm gonna take the backseat! You can sit up front, Sakura."
She tossed him a knowing look before walking around to the front passenger seat. At the very least, she could deduce that the two friends shared a similar skill set when it came to women. Hinata seemed pretty smitten as far as she could tell.
The sun was drifting fast to the East as they approached the city, drenching it in warm yellows and pinks. It had been a long day of driving and the car had settled down for the most part as they melded into the usual city traffic.
"Hinata I'll drop you off first," Sasuke explained as he headed downtown. "Naruto, are you going home or what?" Sakura blushed, taken aback by what she felt was a blunt way of asking if he was going home with Hinata or not.
"Can you drop me in Brooklyn? I'm gonna grab dinner with Iruka." Through the rearview mirror, Sakura watched Hinata's expression deflate only slightly with disappointment.
A minute later they reached Hinata's building. There was an exchange of quick goodbyes in the car, but Sakura didn't miss the squeeze Naruto gave to Hinata's hand or the wink he sent her off with.
"T-thank you for letting me join you and for lunch," she smiled at Sasuke, her cheeks bright pink.
"No problem," he nodded before pulling off. Naruto was looking absolutely pleased with himself in the back.
"She's fucking awesome," he exclaimed.
"Did you trick her into a date?" Sasuke asked, voice seemingly uninterested.
"Sure did! Getting drinks and dinner this week!"
Sakura whipped around in her seat, completely incredulous. "You already made plans?"
"Were you hoping I'd ask you out instead?" Naruto flashed another billboard of a smile at her and threw both arms behind the headrests in the back. He was a goof, but she couldn't deny that he was a very handsome guy. Like Sasuke, he had a set of broad shoulders and enough self-confidence to start up a cult. She couldn't blame Hinata at all for falling for him, but...
"Not a chance," Sasuke interjected.
Sakura looked over at him, caught off guard by his quick comment. His face was the very image of calm and collected, but she didn't miss the whiteness of his knuckles gripped around the steering wheel.
Naruto, on the other hand, was only grinning wider. "Is that so?" His voice was suddenly not booming and dropped an octave. He leaned forward before Sakura could turn back around in her seat and hooked a gentle finger under her chin. "I want to hear her say it."
Brilliant blue eyes locked onto her shocked green ones, sending heat to her face almost instantly. Was this really the same guy she watched inhale a burger and mountain of fries just hours earlier?
"What do you say, Sakura? Should we give this a shot?"
Sasuke took his free hand from his lap and used it to shove Naruto back in his seat. "Touch her again and I'll break your fingers straight off your hand. Am I clear?"
Sakura was left stunned by the exchange and slowly turned back around in her seat while Naruto clutched his nose where Sasuke pushed at his face.
"Fuck, Sasuke! I was just playing around, come on!" He groaned and checked his hand for blood.
"You're fine. Just stay in your damn seat."
"The offer still stands, Sakura."
She didn't know what to say after that. She sucked in her lips and couldn't help but feel like she did something wrong. Sasuke's right hand which he used to shove his friend was gripping the gear shifter, his index finger tapping at it with visible agitation.
"You okay?" She heard him ask her so quietly she wasn't even certain he had said anything at all. Looking over at him, she could see his dark eye shifting between her and the road as he waited for an answer.
"He was just playing around, I'm okay."
His tongue clicked behind his teeth and she was left wondering if the annoyance was aimed at her or Naruto, although another part of her dared to think he was embarrassed for his own bold reaction.
"Thanks for driving me all the way home," she said once they were on her block. "And the pocket knife."
He sighed and nodded. "Thanks for coming along. I'm sorry you had to put up with this fool the entire time."
"You know what?" Naruto shouted. "I'm sorry you've had to put up with him!"
"What are you even saying, Naruto?" Sasuke quipped.
The blond was about to respond and then at the last second just waved him off. "Forget it. I'm going to get out here, Iruka's isn't that far."
Sasuke didn't object and Sakura figured he was probably dying to get home himself. As Naruto got out of the car, she turned back to her dark-haired friend in their brief moment of privacy. "I know you were just looking out for me earlier, so thank you."
She tried to read his eyes when he looked at her then and once more was struggling to make sense of what she was seeing. Was he upset? Tired? Annoyed? Did he have anything to say? Did he just want her to leave? After a few seconds of awkward silence, she shifted to grab her bag at her feet so she could leave.
"Just text me when you're upstairs."
His voice was soft, as were his features behind a slightly guarded expression. She could see him straining against whatever was battling inside of him. He was staring ahead at the street again, but she could see the hint of red bleeding into his iris from the side.
"Sure," she responded, suddenly finding her mind and body at odds over whether or not to get out. "Get home safe."
When she closed the car door behind her, he pulled away from the curb without another glance in her direction. She took a deep breath as she stood there. It was only then that she realized how warm she had been all over and all the way through as she became cold, the heat replaced by something more akin to an emptiness than anything else she could describe.
"You forget how to use your legs or something?"
Sakura's head jerked around to see Naruto still standing there against her building, his arms folded across his chest and a cocky grin on his face. She wasn't expecting to see him there and he must have gathered as much judging by the way he held up his hands then as if to offer his surrender.
"Getting hit in the face wasn't how I wanted to say goodbye," he jested. "I uh, was hoping we could talk."
As she walked toward him, she could see the previously jovial blues of his eyes had darkened as though she were looking into the ocean as a storm approached. And although he easily towered over her, he appeared deflated under the weight of what he was hesitating to say.
"Do you want to come up?" She found herself reflexively offering.
He considered this, looking up at the building behind him before back down at Sakura. "I do have to pee, so that would be great actually."
Sakura led the man inside and up to her studio apartment. She in no way felt like she was in danger or doing something risque, but her stomach formed a pit the second she started on the stairs and she could only hope it would dissipate once Naruto had left.
"Bathroom's right there," she directed him as soon as they were inside.
He disappeared into the bathroom and Sakura took the few minutes she had to check for rogue pairs of underwear that might have been hiding in plain sight. Once the coast was confirmed as clear, she plopped down on the couch just as Naruto emerged.
"Nice apartment," he complimented as he took a sweeping look around. "You live by yourself?"
"It's a studio," she slowly explained the obvious.
"Oh," he scratched at his head. "Guess you're right." She watched him gingerly place himself in the armchair next to her and then all at once slumped into a comfortable position.
"So what did you want to talk about?"
He let out a sigh and leaned over his knees, his hands clasped together as he met her gaze with intent. "I know about Sasuke's situation, and I also know you saw it."
She could feel the color drain from her face as she stared back at this man sitting before her. She swallowed hard and stiffened. What could she say? What shouldn't she say? Wait, was he talking about his condition or maybe his secret elite sex club membership?
When Naruto let out a full-on belly laugh, she could only blink at him. "Man, he wasn't kidding! You really do overthink a lot!"
A glare took hold of her features as he continued to laugh. When he finally calmed down, she decided she needed answers. "What situation are you talking about?"
"His incubus situation."
It was an odd mix of sensations that swelled inside her then as she learned she wasn't alone in harboring this dark secret. She was relieved, but she was afraid. Having someone else confirm and further validate this reality was almost as striking as when it was revealed to her for the first time.
"He's an asshole, but I love the guy." Naruto stated, leaning back. "You've made him a little softer, which is cool." She could feel the 'but' that was inevitably following and braced herself for whatever was coming.
He stood and she could only watch with confusion as he reached the door. That was it? He was leaving?
"But you should be careful."
She sat there long after the door shut behind him, knowing very well that she should be careful, but also finding it hard to ignore the fire just beyond her grasp.
Chapter Six DONE! Forgive me for taking so long, it has been a wild month for so many reasons. Anyway, still feeling good about the direction of the story but would love to hear what you think about the pace and the dynamic between our dear Sasuke and Sakura. Thank you for your patience and I hope to get the next chapter out faster than this one! xoxo