I, Me, You
By: Xeora
Summary: (AU) Everyday on the way to work, I always see him there with those oversized headphones over his ears, and blasting the same song… Romance (ones-sided humor), smut, possible lemon. KakaIru (mentioned SasuNaru)
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Chapter One
Breaking Routine
I'm a natural early riser. I guess that's a good thing, as I am a teacher after all. It's the same routine every morning: wake up a minute before the alarm, pick up the clothes I laid out the night before, take a shower, dress and stop the alarm from buzzing. Then I pick up my briefcase and go to the kitchen for some strong coffee (I never liked the stuff, but it woke me up). On my way out, as usual, I'd look up at the clock and it would always read five-thirty A.M. exactly.
Who in gods' name would be awake at that hour, you wonder? Me, for one, as I'm always early (and first to arrive) at Konoha Academy. And someone else whom I don't know the name of. Though he's always there at the corner of Jane's and Halo Street, wearing a light yellow jacket and oversized yellow earphones screeching out the same song. He'd lean against the lamppost, bopping his head, unruly silver hair swaying to and fro, to the tune while reading a bright orange (and obviously dirty) novel ('Icha Icha Violence!'). I never see his face, as he's buried within the pages of that (immoral) book. In exactly one minute, I'd see him, straight after I lock the door to my house and walk down the porch steps. I count the seconds out of habit as I turn the first corner of the street.
He's always the first thing I see in the grayish morning of the empty sidewalks. His bright colors contrast so strongly, despite the near-whiteness of his yellow jacket. I suppose it was the brightly colored book that's never left the front of his face that really caught my attention.
Or was it the music? It was quite loud after all…
At the first few mornings he was there, I took no real interest in this man, who looked to be maybe in his late twenties or early thirties. Though I learned to acknowledge his presence out of sheer politeness. Every morning now, as a newly added part to my routine, I'd pass by with a cheerful smile, wave, and a hearty-
"Good morning!"
I doubt he ever heard me of course, but that's how I was raised by my parents (to be kind to the people around me and to always have a smile on my face. "It takes more muscles to frown than to smile, Umino Iruka!" is what my mother always told me with a bright grin of her own). After my unheard greeting, I'd continue my half-hour walk to the Academy.
That's how the morning always went, much like the directions on the back of a shampoo bottle: "lather, rinse, and repeat". Everything goes without incident, complaint, no words except for my own. I'd make it to the Academy, give my lectures, and at four-thirty-five P.M., I walk home. On the way I'd pick up dinner from a local shop and a can of tuna for a cat that always visits my porch in the night. Opening the can and placing it by the "Welcome!" matt, I unlock my door and place my briefcase in the entry hall, go into the small dining room, toss my jacket on a vacant chair and have a quiet dinner. After that I readied for bed and fall asleep at exactly eight.
Everything was a routine for me. I lived a quiet life with a good paying job and little money problems. It's… a lonely life, as I live by myself (aside from the nightly visits from the stray cat), but stable. A stable, quiet life.
But all that changed when I awoke the next morning.
The first sign of the breaking of my routine was that I woke up after the buzz of my alarm. I didn't find that too strange, as I supposed I was a little too tired from yesterday. I did have to break up a fight after one of my classes, after all. The next thing I noticed is that I had forgotten to set out my clothes yesterday. That was another thing I pushed aside as an excuse of tiredness. I picked something rather plain from my closet and showered. I walked down the stairs and took my briefcase from the entrance hall. As soon as I pulled it up the handle snapped. Irritated, I took a deep breath and decided to just take a few folders from the now broken case. The lock on it was jammed.
A little more agitated, I just told myself that it was an old item (fifteen years old to be exact) and it was doomed to fall apart anyway. Pushing the briefcase into a closet, I decided to just leave it here and explain to my class that the results to their latest tests would be brought in later.
Sighing out my slight irritation, I grabbed my coat from the dining room table and looked at the clock. It read five-forty. Ten minutes late. I should be walking down passed the bakery by now.
Walking out, I slipped on my coat and locked the door behind me. Hurriedly, I went down the porch steps and down the sidewalk. Turning the corner, I almost tripped but caught myself quickly. Looking around with a light blush of embarrassment, there was nobody on the streets yet. It was too early still. Sighing yet again, I continued on. Smiling to myself in slight relief, I noticed at least one thing hadn't changed.
The man with his light yellow coat and his perverse orange book. Feeling more composed I put on my smile and walked by with my usual enthusiastic "Good morning!"
I expected to just keep on going with only his loud music to greet me, but just like everything else this morning, it was different. I was nearly shocked out of my skin when a just as happy "Yo!" reached my ears.
I stopped in my tracks, thinking I may have imagined it. Turning around, I looked at the silver haired man. He was still reading, bopping his head to the music pounding in his ears. Perhaps I was just hearing things. Just to be sure, experimentally I said,
"Excuse me?"
Even more to my surprise, the man snapped his book shut and tucked it in his yellow jacket. Taking off his oversized earphones and letting them rest on the back of his neck (the music still playing) and shoulders, he looked at me with one sparkling dark eye and one scarred blood red. Despite the mismatch and scar, he had a handsome face with naturally smiling lips. He looked at me brightly and repeated, "Yo!"
I blinked, unable to say anything for a moment. Finding myself staring, I blushed and looked away. Turning around I kept walking, feeling foolish.
"You know," his voice reached my ears again making me pause in my stride. "You always said 'good morning' to me every day for about a month and half, I figured you to be a polite person."
"What are you implying?" I said, turning to face him again. The man shrugged. Another bit of irritation I didn't know I still had rose.
A carefree smile graced the man's lips. "I felt rude, " he shrugged again, "Just figured I'd finally say hi back."
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O.o Christ…… THIS SUCKS! XP and it's so SHORT! o.o;;;;;; I'm sorry… hit me if you must.. ew…
REVIEW please. XD;;;;;;; Tell me if you think I should continue this… YES I'll update everything else soon… when I find the time… X3
Xeora