love at first sight
theeflowerchild
quatre
He doesn't intend for it to happen, but, despite himself, she begins to become commonplace in his life.
It's small at first; he sees her on the train in the morning, when she's drowning in pretty dresses, and a big, black pea coat, and walks her to the subway at night whenever she works. It only makes sense, he thinks; they're a stop apart, and he'd be a terrible person to let such a small, young girl walk all by herself late, late at night. At least, that's what he tells himself.
Then, he begins letting her into his office during the day. It begins with cases from Tsunade turning into small conversations about medicine, that turn into tiny conversations about their days, which mold into lingering questions between them. He learns that she loves classic rock, and that her hair color is natural, and he tells her that his favorite author is Franz Kafka, and that he loves to run.
He becomes acquainted with her quirks, like the way she snorts when she laughs, or how she pushes her hair behind her ear when she's unsure. She hums when she looks through files, and walks like a ballerina. She has small little anecdotes for anything, and everything, and he loves to hear about them. She's an open book, but he expected as much.
She seems like a happy girl, he thinks, a girl who is all smiles, and pretty glances from big, green eyes. He thinks there's more, though, but he sets that aside, far in the back of his mind, because that's none of his business.
She joins him one Thursday when she seems him eating alone in a near-empty cafeteria. From then on, they eat dinner together ever Thursday at eight o'clock.
"It's funny," she comments one day, twirling her spaghetti on her fork. "For someone who smokes like a chimney, you eat fairly healthy."
"I'm an enigma," he quips.
"That you are," she agrees, and smiles. He loves her smiles, like he loves her laughs, like he loves her pretty face, like he loves her.
"I wish I could be home more," Naruto says over his cup of ramen, a sad smile on his face. "Boruto-chan is growing up so fast, you wouldn't even believe it, bastard."
He offers the sincerest smile he can to acknowledge that he's listening.
"You know he'll be five months tomorrow?" he asks, with a grin. "Hinata-chan was saying he should start talking soon, which is amazing. Soon he'll be walking, and then running, and then going to school—!"
"Slow down a little, he's not even one yet," Sasuke says. "I don't need you crying all over the table, anyway, stupid."
Naruto scoffs at him, but smiles nonetheless. "He's so smart, too—"
"If he's related to you, I doubt it."
"—And sweet, just like his mommy!" he finishes, ignoring his friend, his big blue eyes sparkling.
Sasuke won't admit it, but he's almost jealous.
He's almost jealous of Naruto, and his happy life, and his beautiful wife, and his wonderful child. He's almost jealous that Naruto has someone to come home to, a family that loves him dearly, a wife that dotes on him, and a son that smiles and laughs whenever he holds him. He's almost jealous that Naruto has someone to kiss, and someone to fall asleep with at night. He's almost jealous that he has a beautiful son to read stories to, and then tuck in at night.
It isn't as if Naruto is anything less than deserving, though, and Sasuke believes that Naruto deserves all the happiness in the world. So he smirks, and makes snide comments, and supports him, because he deserves it.
"You have to come see him soon, bastard," Naruto says, grinning. "He misses you!"
He smirks. "Soon."
"Yeah, well—" Before Naruto can even continue speaking, Sasuke is suddenly distracted, eyes focused intently on something that isn't him. "Uh, Sasuke?" he asks. He turns around and follows his line of sight.
Suddenly, Sasuke is frowning. "Turn around, you look like an idiot."
He does. "You're the one that went all otherworldly on me, asshole!" he defends, frowning himself.
He shrugs. "I don't know what you're talking about, dead last."
Naruto sighs, running a hand through his wild, blonde hair. "What's got you so distracted lately?" he asks, concerned.
"I'm fine," he says. "Don't worry about it."
"I don't know, Sasuke," Naruto says, frowning. "You haven't seemed fine the past few days."
He purses his lips. "Really, I'm fine."
He frowns. "Sasuke—"
"Hey, Sasuke." A tiny girl comes up to their table, smiling. "How are you today?"
"Uh, Sakura, hey," Sasuke says, suddenly nervous—not enough for her to notice, but enough for Naruto to raise an eyebrow. "I'm well, how are you?"
"I'm good! Tsunade finally let me have a break," she says, her pretty smile widening.
She's short, and skinny, with choppy pink hair that reaches to her shoulders. Her eyes are impossibly green, and she swims in her scrubs. Naruto believes she can't be more than sixteen-years-old.
"You deserve it," he offers.
Naruto's eyes narrow.
"Well, I better get going, she's only giving me twenty minutes. I'll see you tonight?" she asks, already stepping away from the table.
"Tonight," he confirms with a nod.
Without missing a beat, Naruto asks, "Who was that?"
"What are you talking about?" he responds, raising an eyebrow.
"You know what I'm talking about," he says. "An intern? Your intern?"
"Obviously not," he says.
"So, how do you know her? Why are you seeing her tonight?" he questions.
"I'm not having this discussion with you, moron." He stands up suddenly, plate in hand. "I'll see you later."
"Sasuke, wait a second," Naruto calls after, grabbing his own ramen and running after him. "What are you hiding?" He raises a wild blonde eyebrow, and laughs. "You're not sleeping with her, are you, bastard?"
Sasuke frowns.
"Oh, oh my god," he says, eyes widening. His pace quickens to catch up to his friend. "You aren't sleeping with her, right, Sasuke?"
Sasuke quickly turns, glaring fiercely. "What the fuck are you—"
"Sasuke, she has to be like, sixteen-years-old, what are you thinking?" Naruto whispers harshly at the man, frowning.
"Dead last, what the fuck is wrong with you—"
"What are you thinking?" he repeats, wide blue eyes frantic.
"Moron, you're making a fucking scene," he hisses, aware of the sudden onset of a dozen prying eyes. "Shut the fuck up." He walks out of the cafeteria, into the emptier hallways.
"Bastard, talk to me—"
"I'm not sleeping with her you fucking moron," he says, eyes dark, frown plastered on his face. "Why the fuck would you even think that? I just help her a little with her studies, that's all."
"Then why are you seeing her later?" he asks, frowning. "What does she want from you?"
"I was walking her to the subway you fucking idiot," he explains, his frown deepening. "She doesn't get off until ten."
Suddenly, Naruto starts slowing down, his face softening slightly. "Why is she distracting you?"
"Again, I have no clue what you're talking about," he reiterates.
With a sigh, Naruto halts in the empty hallway. "Listen, bastard—"
"I don't need a lecture, thanks," he sneers.
Naruto purses his lips, hands deep in the pockets of his lab coat. "I'm not here to lecture you."
"Just mind your own fucking business, okay?" he repeats.
"I will, but if there's anything you want to talk about—"
"There's not," he says curtly. "Now go do your job, moron. Don't you have a patient to see, or a report to write?"
Naruto frowns. "Why are you always deflecting?"
"There's nothing to deflect," he says.
"Alright…" he says carefully, skeptical. "But remember—"
"I can always talk to you, yeah, I get it," he cuts him off, frowning. "Now I'm going to go do my job, maybe you should consider doing the same."
He rolls his pretty blue eyes in response, now smiling. "Why don't you come over for dinner tonight, bastard?"
"Can't, working late," he snaps, then sighs at his friend's sad expression. "But how about tomorrow night?"
"Tomorrow night it is, asshole!" he cheers, grinning wildly.
"Sasuke, hey—"
"Sakura, I wanted to talk to you," he says, not even bothering to look up from his paperwork. "I can't walk you home tonight."
He doesn't want to see her expression.
"Or for the rest of the week, either. I'm sorry," he offers.
"Um, okay," she says, surprised. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine," he lies.
"Did I do something to upset you, Sasuke?" she asks, frowning.
"No, Sakura," he says. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like you to leave."
"Um, sure, of course," she says, backing out of his doorway. He can feel the hurt in her voice, and it pulls at his heart like fingers on guitar strings.
There's a part of him, a small part of him that wants to call her back, tell her he was just kidding. Of course he can walk her to the subway tonight, of course they can take the train together, just like every other night. They can still get lunch together on Thursday, and she can stop by his office to talk any time.
But there's a much, much larger, far more logical part of him that knows if his moronic best friend is on the verge of figuring him out, he probably isn't the only one.
Before she's out the door, he tells her, "And, please, it's Uchiha-sama."
edited: 8/17/15
Please review! Your reviews make me smile, and I just started school, so I could use all the smiles I can get.
Sorry I gave you some SasuSaku in the story just to rip it away LOL.
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Thanks for reading. I love all of you! Hope this new semester goes swimmingly for everyone, hope the New Year brings you all smiles and joy, hope all your jobs are well, and your families are fine.
Peace.