Summary: Sasuke, a rock star, meets one of his fans as they were about to buy the same and last copy of a certain CD. Who says they can't fall in love since this is just one world after all. Completely AU. Mainly SasuSaku.
Pairings: SasuSaku, NaruHina, NejiTenten, ItachiNoOne, AnkoKaka
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and if I did, I would probably promote the pairings up there.
Just One World After All
Chapter Seven – They Learn
Three months since they met each other. The first signs of a snowstorm were appearing. Sakura was wrapped up in her thick black jacket and a red flannel blanket and was in front of a warm mug of coffee, within the confines of the apartment. Hinata was out on a date with Naruto and luckily, they were both getting particularly close. So had she and Sasuke but they were just friends, truly just friends. It was Sunday today and since that first Sunday, Sasuke was coming over to pick her up and bake. They were supposed to go to Blossoms again but she'd suggest staying here, and anyway, they could have lunch while whatever they were making was baking in the oven.
Sakura switched on the TV as she sipped some more coffee. She really didn't feel like going out of the house and she hoped Sasuke would understand. After all, even he might not want to go out after arriving here, or, he might not go out at all. She was currently watching the news and it was the weather segment. There would be a snowstorm that day, possibly snowing everyone in their own homes, or wherever they were, by midday. Looking out the window, she saw that the trees outside were starting to hold some amount of snow. Just then, the doorbell rang.
"Coming!" shouted Sakura as she set her mug down on its coaster on top of the side table. Removing the red flannel blanket, she thrust it down on the sofa and made her way to the door. Sighing slightly, she grasped the doorknob then opened it, only to see Sasuke standing in front of the door, his hands inside his black trench coat, a navy scarf around his neck. "Sasuke-kun, you came!" she said in mild surprise. Sasuke slowly nodded and bent forward, a bit of the snow collecting on his shoulders falling to his black slacks. He was a black kind of guy, one could really tell. "Come in! I can fix a mug of coffee for you if you want," she invited as she stepped aside, inviting him in.
"Black coffee," he replied as he went inside. Removing his shoes, he stepped on the slightly raised area, just wearing his socks. Sakura nodded as she closed the door and began to make her way to the kitchen where the still slightly warm coffee was sitting. Removing his scarf and trench coat, he hung them on the coat rack. Walking over to the sofa, wafts of coffee made its way to his nose. It smelt oddly like home. Coffee was something he always had in the morning. Soon enough, Sakura came back with a black and white mug in her hand, steam escaping from the dark brown liquid. "Thanks," he said as he took the mug from her and sipped from it, warmth coursing through his body.
"Why'd you come? It's not that I don't want you to be here but there's going to be a snowstorm so you will get stuck in this place for quite a while," asked Sakura as she plopped down on the couch and wrapped herself in the blanket again. She hated the cold, that's why she wasn't as cheerful as usual during winter and early spring but after a while, she'd be happy again. Sasuke kept quiet when she asked that, then, sipped from his mug of coffee again. "Is it good?" she asked as she waited for his reaction.
"Yep," he said monotonously as he looked at her, "And I always go to lessons or whatever, that I dedicate myself to, even if I have to get stuck there for a while. It's a habit." He sipped again from his mug. It was true, even as a little child he'd go to wherever he dedicated himself to. When he was small, he was fascinated with taking photographs, be it still life or people, and he was pretty good. Then, he graduated to playing instruments, specifically the guitar, and he was still at it, unlike taking photos. He'd take a couple every once in a while, but not as often as he used to. Now, it was the baking lessons he had been taking with Sakura. He was doing pretty well, only needing a little help from Sakura and her guidance in what to do next.
"Oh, okay," she said as she looked straight at the television which was still on the news channel. The weather segment was over and it was back to the current events in Japan. "What do you want to bake today? You baked cookies last time, how about a pie with cream on top and chocolate swirled with caramel filling?" It was a recipe she made just a couple of weeks back since she remembered her mom making a pie that was similar to that.
"Sure," he said as he continued drinking his coffee. His mind was replaying an earlier scene with his brother. They argued and it ended up with a slight physical brawl. Sasuke managed to land a punch at Itachi's jaw, causing it to bleed, and Itachi kicked him in the stomach which caused him to lose his breath and a slight bruise was forming there. Itachi just pissed him off at the time. Normally, Sasuke would have just brushed Itachi off and ignored him but what the older Uchiha said today just pissed him off to extreme extents.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Flashback
"Are you going to Sakura's house again, little brother?" asked Itachi as he blocked the doorway to the garage. Sasuke looked at his brother's crimson eyes. Their parents had been able to go home regularly for the past week so Itachi didn't have to watch over the business intensely, leaving him more time to annoy Sasuke. Sasuke kept silent and just glared at his brother. Piercing onyx eyes evened out with vengeful crimson ones. "Well, are you little brother?" prodded Itachi once more.
"So what if I am?" answered Sasuke coolly as he pocketed his hands in his trench coat. Itachi laughed as he heard Sasuke's reply. "What's so funny about it?" he asked as he continued glaring at his older brother. They were never on good terms, ever since their father started comparing Sasuke to Itachi. When Sasuke was five, he idolized his older brother but when school started and his grades came, their father was sorely disappointed. Though he did well, extremely well too, it wasn't as good as Itachi's grades. Itachi just laughed even louder when Sasuke asked him what was so funny about it. When Itachi laughed, it wasn't one of those laughs you could hear miles away but it was an annoying sort of laugh, something that had a hidden tone of malice in it.
"You're seeing your girlfriend. That's what's so funny about it," finally said Itachi, after catching his breath. An annoyed glint shined in Sasuke's eyes. Sakura was not his girlfriend! Though, of course, he was treating her better than most girls, meaning he actually talked to her and not brushed her off, he still didn't have feelings for her, in that sense. "What, hurt about me talking about it?" asked Itachi as he eyed his younger brother's reaction. Sasuke grunted.
"Shut up, you have no right to say anything," he said, his jaws clenched shut. Again, not that he cared about her as anything more than a friend but this was his older brother annoying and teasing him! It was no matter that he'd let slide and he'd just ignore. This meant war. A sly smirk appeared in Itachi's face as he heard Sasuke's reaction. How he loved it when Sasuke reacted this way. It made life just more interesting, so very interesting.
"Oh? As a matter of fact, I do since I am your older brother," commented Itachi as he crossed his arms, eyeing Sasuke. That was the last straw! Losing his self-control, Sasuke sent a punch flying at Itachi, landing squarely as his jaw. Itachi's head turned, facing the wooden frame of the doorway. Turning to face him, Itachi sent a kick towards Sasuke's stomach, causing the younger Uchiha to falter and clutch his stomach, trying to regain the breath that escaped him when Itachi's foot made contact to his stomach. "Never try and punch me ever again," seethed Itachi as he glared at the crouching form of his brother, "You know how I am when someone angers me." With that, Itachi wiped the slight crimson trail near his jaw and pocketed his hands, leaving Sasuke in his position.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Flashback
Unknown to the young rock star, he was clutching his mug tightly, almost to the point of breaking the ceramic. Just thinking about what happened earlier this morning just aggravated him. Sasuke wasn't someone whom Itachi could just tease and annoy without worrying about a reaction! He, too, was human. Sipping from his mug once more, draining it of its contents, he finally erased this morning's scene from his mind. Itachi was just too damn annoying. He didn't know why they were both a part of the same band; yet, he couldn't imagine Sharingan without his older brother, no matter how much he got annoyed.
"Maybe we shouldn't bake today," said Sakura, breaking his train of thoughts. Sasuke looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "I mean, you look upset," she said as she twiddled her thumbs, "You look distracted or something." Sasuke shrugged as he held the empty mug in his hands. It was silent for a few moments, as Sakura stared at the TV screen and Sasuke just stood there. "Come on, let's not. We can stay in my room and surf the internet or watch a movie or something," suggested Sakura as her green eyes lit up. It had been a while if she did those things.
"Okay," he said slowly, unsure of why she had just suggested that. "As long as the movie we're watching isn't overly sappy, I'm fine," he said as he plopped down on the sofa, at the opposite end from where Sakura was seated. Setting down the mug on the floor, he sat back and waited for Sakura to start whatever movie they were watching. Unwrapping herself from the blanket, she walked over to where the DVDs were stacked. As she was hunting for a good movie, Sasuke noticed that she was wearing clothes that would keep her extremely warm. She was wearing a pair of dark gray, almost black, jogging pants, a white shirt and a thick black jacket. She must hate the cold.
"How about Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within?" suggested Sakura as she took out the DVD and showed him the cover. It was made by a Japanese company that produced mainly video games, the hit set being the Final Fantasy series, or fondly called by its fans by its abbreviated name. Sasuke shrugged as he covered the lower half of his face with his hands clasped together, each elbow resting somewhere near his knees. "Okay, that then," said Sakura as she switched on the DVD player. Inserting the disc, she pressed play as she switched the TV to the video format. Soon, the menu came up and Sakura selected the play option. As soon as the opening credits appeared, she stood up and sat down on the sofa, across Sasuke and wrapped herself up with the red flannel blanket. She really did hate the cold.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After the Movie
Exasperatedly, Sasuke handed Sakura the box of tissue. It wasn't that sad. So Gray had died and left Aki Ross all alone, what's the big deal about that? Though it was really touching, despite the fact that Sasuke was normally devoid of emotions, that he sacrificed his life for the rest of mankind but still, why did she have to cry over that fact? It was silly to bawl over a fictional character. Besides, the thing that happened there would probably never happen! Or if it did, he, Sakura and the rest of mankind that currently lived on this Earth would be dead and be replaced by their descendants.
"Sorry," she said as she dried her tears, "I can't help but cry. I'm very sentimental." Sasuke shrugged as he just sat there. At least she didn't cry her eyes out. She did cry but it wasn't the type that would stop after a few moments. After catching her breath, she dried her slightly puffy eyes then faced Sasuke. "So, what do you want to have for lunch? I can always make pasta," she suggested as she looked at him, trying to smile a not too pained smile. Of course she was sad. Gray had died for Aki and the rest of mankind! It would be extremely sweet and sappy if anyone did that for her. But, who would? It's not like anyone needed to die for her, unless she was part of some underground syndicate and she wasn't and never will be.
"Whatever," replied Sasuke in monotone. Despite the fact that he was trying to be as nice as he, Sasuke, could possibly get, it wasn't really working. Sakura stood up and stretched slightly, her shirt going a bit above her waist line. It went back down, as soon as her arms were down as well. With that, she walked over to the kitchen, got a large pot and a cylindrical colander and filled the pot with water, inserting the colander inside. Putting it on the stove, she switched it on and waited for the water to boil. Standing up, Sasuke picked up his mug and walked over to the counter near the kitchen. Sitting down on one of the high chairs, he put the mug on the counter and rested his chin on the counter, his arms crossed and half-hiding his face. "What pasta?" he asked as he raised his head slightly, the lower half of his face still covered.
"Carbonara. Hope you don't mind," she said as she walked over to the fridge. Taking out the ingredients, she set them on top of the kitchen table tops. She had wanted to eat that for a while now but it was too much if only one person ate it. Because of her suggestion, Hinata was going out more, but she was still home often enough. Surprisingly enough, she went out a lot with Naruto. It was good that Hinata was starting to like Naruto more solidly, rather than just a crush and Sakura could see the special sort of affection Naruto had for Hinata in his cerulean eyes. She wished it was something more than that; Hinata did deserve to be happy after all.
Sasuke just watched Sakura prepare the pasta sauce. It's not like he could do anything anyway. Besides, he never cooked an actual entrée for himself. Desserts were okay, seeing as they could last for a couple of days, a week or even a little longer than a week. An entrée was to be for that specific time in the day and only that specific time in the day. He never degraded himself to having to eat leftovers. It wasn't Sasuke enough to do that. A few minutes later, the water was starting to bubble and steam was rising from the pot. Grabbing a tall cylinder made of plastic that was hazy purple in color, Sakura opened the glass cover and grabbed a hand full of spaghetti and dropped it into the pot of boiling water. Grabbing a wooden spoon, she began mixing the dried pasta and the boiling water.
Sasuke, even as a child, enjoyed watching people cook, especially his mom. Every time it was five in the afternoon, or eleven in the morning if it was the weekend or he didn't have school, he'd run down to the kitchen and watched his mom cook, helping her out by passing her the things she needed. Even if they were part of a rich family, his mother wasn't that rich before she married his father. She'd be assigned to cook for her family every now and then, particularly the main reason why her cooking was so good! Even after the marriage, she still insisted on cooking for the family, saying that a home-cooked meal prepared by someone part of that family always tasted better because it had the one thing most food didn't, love.
Grabbing the ingredients for the sauce, Sakura proceeded to make the thick, white, creamy Carbonara sauce. As she worked, Sasuke watched her. She was pretty comfortable even if this wasn't baking. She was an all-around chef, so to speak, but she highly preferred baking over cooking but she knew enough to be able to make her own food, that is. Looking straight ahead, Sasuke gazed at the kitchen window. Snow was whirling around violently and all he could see was an endless field of white. Turning his head slightly, he looked at the kitchen clock. It was nearing noon so right on time for lunch. Facing the window again, he let his eyes go a little up, tracing the darkening sky. It was still a bit blue but traces of gray were starting to dominate the sky and it wasn't as bright anymore. Yep, he was stuck here until the storm stopped and the snow cleared a bit. So would everyone else in where they were staying.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- During Lunch
They were eating at the counter, a napkin near their plate. Not that they were messy eaters but there was a tendency for the white sauce to get stuck on their lips as they sucked the pasta covered with sauce. It was a quiet lunch, only the slurping of the pasta or either one of them drinking water were the sounds. As they ate, thoughts coursed through Sakura's mind. Really, why did Sasuke go to the house today for lessons which didn't even take place. He could've called to tell her that he wouldn't be able to make it due to the fact that a snow storm was coming but he didn't do that; he went to her house anyway.
"Is it okay?" asked Sakura, the first sentence said since after she had told Sasuke what they were having for lunch. The young rock star nodded, his head bobbing up and down slightly. Twirling some more pasta onto his fork, since it was virtually impossible to eat pasta with a pair of chopsticks, he lifted the fork and popped the ball of pasta into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "Good! There's Apple Pie in the fridge, if you want dessert," she informed him as she too resumed her lunch.
"Okay," he replied curtly as he continued eating. It was good. Maybe, if it wasn't too much trouble, he'd ask Sakura to teach him how to make this next Sunday. Why not spread into cooking? If her regular cooking was good, why couldn't his? And anyway, when his parents were out of the country, he was itching for a home-cooked meal but couldn't really cook so he had to settle for take-out. So he was picky with the kind of food he ate at home, insisting that they be home-cooked since he grew up eating them anyway, but who was he to blame? Setting down his fork on the white porcelain plate, he turned to face Sakura. "Listen, can you teach me how to make this next week? I know that I've asked you to teach me how to bake but, why not how to cook entrees as well?" he asked, his voice cracking a little due to the fact that he had to ask that. Sakura didn't notice, thank God.
"Sure, why not?" she replied, smiling at him slightly, "It's not a big deal, if you're worrying about that part." Sasuke nodded, thanking her in the way he knew how. Picking up her empty plate, she set the fork on it and walked over to the sink, placing the plate nearby. She'd wash them later, after Sasuke was finished and if they had dessert, then after that. It wasn't exactly the most polite thing to do, to wash the dishes while someone was still eating. Sitting down in her chair, she noticed that Sasuke had finished his plate of food. Making a motion to get the plate, Sasuke himself put his fork on the white porcelain and stood up.
"I'll do it, you go get the apple pie," he said as he made his way towards the sink, "I'm in the mood for something sweet." Sakura blinked. Was this the Uchiha Sasuke of the band Sharingan? He usually didn't do things like this. Though she did see him fix up the baking things Sundays before, he never made a motion to put them in the sink and start washing them. Certainly he was changing. Nodding at his back, she stood up and proceeded to take out the apple pie and the small dark purple and pastel pink jug of cold cream.
"Why are you doing this for her? You are Uchiha Sasuke!" blared a mental voice within Sasuke's head as he rolled up his long black sleeves and proceeded to do the dishes. "You can't degrade yourself to doing menial labor! You're the great Uchiha Sasuke that many girls would die for!" blared the voice again, somehow louder than it did earlier. Sasuke rolled his eyes as he began scrubbing a porcelain plate. As he scrubbed the plate, he felt it quiver, as if it was about to break under the pressure he was applying. Loosening his grip on the sponge, he dropped it into the metal sink, letting the plate under the running tap water to remove the suds.
"Because this isn't menial labor," retorted Sasuke mentally, as he finally replied to that annoying voice inside his head. The mental voice was about to blare again but Sasuke interrupted. "It would be menial labor if it was for Neji or Naruto or even my stupid brother but it's not for them. It's for Sakura." Sasuke froze as he recalled what he had replied mentally. He said it was for Sakura and this wasn't menial labor since it was for her! When did he consider things to be like that?! He blushed slightly as he thought about that. Here was the great rock star, Uchiha Sasuke, slowly starting to feel something more for a common pastry chef.
"Sasuke-kun, are you okay there?" asked Sakura as she finished setting up the counter with the dessert things. Sasuke stiffened slightly as he heard her voice. Slowly nodding, Sasuke proceeded to finish the rest of the things there. Sakura frowned slightly, unconvinced, but she didn't press on the matter any further. Sitting on one of the high chairs, she waited for him to finish the task. Tapping her fingernails on the countertop, she waited. Soon enough, Sasuke was done. "Here you go," she said as she tossed him a towel.
Sasuke deftly caught the long rectangular cloth and wiped his hands and forearms dry. Crunching it up, he set it down a little way away from where he and Sakura were seated, as he sat down on the high chair next to her. Seeing Sasuke sit down, Sakura picked up a knife and cut two pieces of the pie, setting one each on a small white plate with soft lilac-colored hazy designs. Picking up the dual colored ceramic jug, she motioned to pour some cream on the pie. Nodding in consent, Sasuke picked up a small fork and waited for her to finish her task.
"I hope you like it!" she said as she blushed slightly, pouring some of the cream onto her pie. Setting down the jug on the counter, she added mentally, 'Because I baked it for you.' True enough, despite saying she didn't like like him the way other girls in his fan club did, she was slowly developing feelings for the young rock star. As each Sunday passed by, she got to know him a little better, since they did talk about other things. She knew that even if they were in the same band, he didn't really like Naruto but he was okay, as long as he shut up. She also knew that Kakashi was forever late for some unknown reason and that their manager actually had a girlfriend that they never really knew of. Also, Sasuke could act like a little child when he burnt himself. That happened once and Sakura could still remember how child-like Sasuke acted when she bandaged his burn. He was cute, kiddie cute, then and unknown to her mind, her heart fell for him then, and it fell hard.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To Be Continued...
Okay. I was depressed last weekend so I wasn't really in the mood to finish the chapter and post so here it is! I'm okay now, don't worry, and you'll see more JOWaA chapters coming! Though I might not have a definite schedule as to when I'll post, I definitely will, at least once a month, at most, twice.
Now, I was finally able to write a near almost Sakura/Sasuke chapter! With the exception of that flashback, it is mainly a Sasuke/Sakura chapter! I hope that flashback helped you realize that without you guys, perhaps, and Sasuke as well, knowing it, he is developing feelings for our favorite pink-haired pastry chef! And yes, I did put a hint there for a Naruto/Hinata pairing and they obviously will end up together!
Okay, I deleted my other SasuSaku fic but heh, I don't really mind. I got stuck on it anyway. I did start off another fic though but it's for Cardcaptor Sakura so if you want to read that, go do so and review! And anyway, another reason why I deleted my other fic was because I wanted to solely concentrate on this Naruto fic, since I like it and so do a lot of people.
Anyway, that's all from this side of the computer screen and I hope you liked the chapter! Here is my chapterly (heh) next chapter introduction for your pleasure! Oh, and if I mentioned anything about the Sharingan, the bloodline limit I mean, and I don't think I did, it's going to make an appearance! Read the preview to know how.
Next Chapter: Chapter Eight – They Deny
Chapter Preview: "No! No! And no you idiot!" bellowed Sasuke as his piercing onyx eyes glared at Naruto who for the umpteenth time in their lifetime, provoked the younger Uchiha again. Neji was just standing there, his arms crossed and his back against the wall. He was not particularly caring since he had a date with Tenten that evening. "I. Do. Not. Like. Sakura. In. That. Sense.!" He shouted, his eyes turning crimson, flecked with black. Only when the Uchiha was provoked did his eyes turn to that eerie sort of pupil that was called by the Sharingan or the Copy Wheel Eye. They came from a ninja Clan that had that sort of eye but due to the declining need of the shadow fighters, it merely became a decoration for the modern Uchiha. Itachi's eyebrow rose. So that was how the famed Sharingan looked like, crimson, like his eyes, with three black comma-things swirling around. Even he was never that provoked for it to appear.