Hello, everyone! Here is the second chapter of Healing Demons. Please review and enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto only.
SUMMARY: Sakura was a diligent medical student with dreams and aspirations of greatness. Sasuke's dreams had been crushed by a dark past, leaving him broke and depressed. What happened when these two crossed paths and their lives got interwoven together? Modern world AU
Spring had indeed sprung and brought about beautiful sunlight and life, Sakura thought as she lounged on the outdoor patio of TonTon Coffee Shop with her friends Ino and Hinata. As Ino chatted animatedly away with the raven haired woman, attempting to catch up on four years' worth of gossip, the young med student basked in the sweet spring breeze and reflected on her life recently. She knew all she had been doing up until today was stress herself over examinations and her future. It didn't help that money was a bit tight on her end, especially considering the monstrous student loans lingering over her shoulders. The main financial support she could find herself was lending a helping hand every now and then at the university's hospital, and she only recently got hired at the town's local bookstore. Getting paid minimally while doing everything in her power to pull herself to the top of her game was a long, grueling process, but at least she had friends to help her make it through day by day. If Ino didn't incessantly insist on getting her mind off of things every once in a while, Sakura knew that she would have succumbed to insanity ages ago. That's why she found herself relishing a relaxing afternoon and enjoying the company of her companions.
TonTon Coffee Shop used to be a hole in the wall, but gained much deserved popularity over the years. Sakura always credited the admirable Naruto for that fact; young women and men from all over town come to "purchase" the coffee and confections served at the shop, but everyone knew they came just to see the young blond man. He was so charismatic, almost magnetic, and made all who interacted with him feel welcome and cherished. Smiling, Sakura wondered how many times Naruto was slipped a phone number or home address, but politely turned them down. Though he was currently single, he was loyal as a lion to the one who held his heart. Sakura took a sip of her caramel latte and discreetly looked over to her friend she hadn't seen in years. Deep down, she knew that Hinata hadn't dated when she was living across the country for the very same reason. When the pair finally came face to face when she ordered her cinnamon muffin, the eye contact between them said it all; they still love each other wholeheartedly. It was Sakura's guess that they had to have been in contact the entire time she was away since they were so nonchalant about their whole exchange. Maybe, even, Naruto was the first person she visited when she returned. It would be expected and unsurprising, and Sakura felt herself rooting for them even more so than she had in the past.
"So, were there any cuties at your university?" Ino questioned, effectively tearing Sakura away from her inner monologue. She wiggled her perfectly groomed eyebrows at their black haired companion. "There had to be at least one guy who fell right at your feet just by looking into your eyes….and that body." With the suggestively provocative addition, Hinata's heart shaped face turned beet red and she struggled to find the words lost on her tongue.
"I-Ino! You know I love Naruto too much to do anything!" she quietly exclaimed, quickly finding her muffin much more interesting than anything around her. She picked at it and brought tiny morsels to her full lips, taking nibbles of cinnamon and raisins. She loved the bakery at this shop because everything was made fresh each morning, not just because Naruto was the one who came in early as the sun rose just to make everything with warmth and love. Swallowing her food and from apprehension, she continued, looking both Ino and Sakura in eyes, "It never even crossed my mind to pay attention to those sort of things."
But it was true. She adored her first love so unconditionally and wholeheartedly that she was willing to wait four years just to be with him again. Hinata was afraid at first that Naruto wouldn't be willing to deal with their long distance, but as with everything, he was enthusiastic as ever and promised her that they would last. Her father tried his best to separate the two, but they swore there was no one else but each other. She had a golden necklace wrapped around her porcelain neck to prove that vow. After all of that agonizing time, Hinata never strayed from the conclusion that Naruto Uzumaki was worth it.
"I know, I know, Hinata. You'd never sleep with anyone but Naruto…" Ino responded nonchalantly, slowly removing her cerulean cardigan to reveal a white camisole with shadows of birds printed all over the front and back. Tucking a stray hair behind her ear, full of piercings she accumulated over the years, Ino continued in a mischievous tone, leaning in, "Best sex you'll ever have, eh?"
After a moment processing what Ino just suggested, Hinata nearly fell out of her chair in exasperation. She nearly forgot about Ino's straight-forwardness after being away from it for such a long time. It wasn't as if Hinata was a prude, she just wasn't one to kiss and tell and kept personal matters under wraps. It was tough for her to open up about something she grew up being taught was such a negative thing. But, what shocked the shy girl the most wasn't Ino's blunt nature. It was that Hinata didn't necessarily want to admit that her friend was right; the sex with Naruto was mind-blowing. Best and only sex she'll ever have. And when Naruto discreetly visited over the years, the secretive nature of their liaisons made it that much better.
"Oi, Ino, you really shouldn't pester poor Hinata too much, " Sakura interjected, snapping her green orbs away from the azaleas she had been observing while listening to their exchange, "You know she likes to keep her sex life private." Sakura gently placed her latte back down on the square napkin and folded her smooth hands together, closing her eyes. "It's rude to pry, dummy." The confidence and superiority dripped from each word as they slipped from her pink lips, prompting Ino to throw a piece of her chocolate croissant at her best friend.
"Says the girl who's always begging for the juicy details of my hot dates!" Ino retorted. And once again, it was true. Sakura was closeted in her perversion, which was to be expected from a doctor, she supposed. Sakura was curious about her friend's sexual endeavors, hoping to gain some insight to different pleasures and exploits. Maybe even get some tips for herself for the future. At this, however, Sakura merely turned just as red as Hinata, if not brighter than the Hyuga heiress did just moments before.
"Hey, Ino! That was a private conversation!" the pinkette exclaimed. She absolutely hated being put on the spot, no matter how much she may have deserved it at the time or how quick she would be to do it to others. Dropping her bangs in front of her eyes and attempting to hide behind them, Sakura took another sip of her warm latte as Ino's infectious laugh echoed throughout the patio. Even Hinata found herself melodically giggling at the absurd situation, prompting Sakura's lips to turn upwards reluctantly. Boy, she really missed her girl time…
"Naruto! There you are!" Ino excitedly exclaimed, breaking through the little moment the girls found themselves in. This caused Hinata to freeze up and accelerate her heartbeat. No matter how many times she was in his presence, Hinata would never get used to the electricity Naruto sent through her nerves with just a wave and a smile. Her flight had only landed a few hours prior, so she thought she would have a bit more time to prepare herself to face the love of her life once again. She hadn't seen him in person for months since she had to prepare for her graduation. After a brief moment, but what felt like a thousand years dragging on and on, Hinata finally turned to meet the blue eyes of the man Ino flagged down. Her own ice blue, nearly ghostly white, eyes shuddered slightly and time stopped altogether for Hinata. Naruto's face fell from excitement to complete and utter dumbfoundedness. But just as quickly as he was caught off guard, he recovered and all but tackled the poor girl on the crowded patio.
"Hinata! Hinata! Oh my god, you're here!" he bellowed nearly at the top of his lungs, happiness laced between every word. He wrapped his strong arms around Hinata, securing her in a bear hug that was almost immediately reciprocated. From talking on the phone nearly every night to finally being able to hold her in his muscular, tan arms; there was nothing more Naruto could ask for in that moment, even with nosy onlookers peering over to the scene to understand what the commotion was about. Naruto released his girlfriend and looked over to her nearly forgotten companions. Nervously laughing, clearing his throat, and reaching into his orange apron, Naruto took out a pen and notepad. "Oh hey Ino, Sakura! Is there anything I can get you while I'm here?"
Sakura couldn't help but break out into a fit of laughter. She saw Naruto just last week and considered him one of her closest friends. All of them went to high school together, though after they graduated, everyone had their own busy schedules that kept them apart. They never spent time together outside of the coffee shop, but since he was dating one of her best friends, he was close to her by default. Over the years, Naruto had proven himself to be a loyal, loving, and devoted friend. And not just for his own benefit. No, he genuinely cared for everyone who waltzed into his life, and Sakura cherished that. She knew that Hinata was lucky to have him in her life, and vice versa. As her laughter died down, tears threatening to spill over her rosy cheeks, Sakura responded, "No thanks, Naruto. We just wanted to make sure you two were officially reunited." At this, a bright white smile was spread over the young man's face, accentuating his sunny features in the most flattering of ways.
Before Naruto could respond, Ino interjected, "Well, while you two lovebirds are attaching yourselves at the hip, do you mind telling me who that beautiful new coworker of yours is, Naruto?" As if to support her inquiry, Ino's words rolled seductively off her tongue and her eyes pointedly darted to the young man behind that cash register, clearly struggling to remain calm and uphold quality customer service with the guest right in front of him. The man's features were fairly remarkable: a button nose turned upwards at just the right angle, a chiseled jaw with stubble seemingly perfectly tattooed on, plump pink lips that effortlessly moved as he spoke. Even his messy hair seemed perfectly sculpted, almost begging for someone to run their fingers through it. And, oh god, those beautiful pools of darkness that were his eyes. One could drown in them and not even care because they belonged to him and him alone. Ino absolutely had to know who this mysterious stranger was. She had never spied him before, and she frequented this shop weekly.
"Hm? Who?" Naruto questioned, turning his head curiously around to face the front of the store through the large glass window. A light of recognition lit up his tanned face. 'Oh! You mean Sasuke! He's my best friend and I just got him a job here with me today!" With another blinding smile, Naruto tried to wave to the poor cashier, who in turn sent a deadly scowl in Naruto's direction. The negative energy being sent over made Hinata squirm and Ino begin to giggle. Sakura, who had been watching this all transpire, merely stared at Sasuke through her thick lashes. She had no idea what it was about this man, because he wasn't her type whatsoever. But, disregarding the menacing aura he emitted, Sakura found herself inexplicably drawn to him, and they never even had a single interaction. Ino ordered all of their items while Sakura found their table, so that's most likely why she noticed the handsome man before she did. She was sitting so far away from him at the front counter, but she felt as if the proximity between them was getting increasingly smaller, and if she reached her aching fingertips out and tried to grab him, he would disappear from her sight. She had never felt this level of attraction to someone before, and it left her utterly speechless.
Licking her lips and training to maintain her composure, Sakura parted her mouth to speak. "How do you know him? ...Sasuke, was it?" The nonchalant curiosity oozed from each word she spoke, which made Ino turn to her, quirking an arched eyebrow. Sakura rarely showed any interest in boys, so seeing her pry for answers was truly an anomaly in itself. Sakura's questioning green eyes darted back and forth between Naruto and Sasuke, contemplating her next move. Should she go up and order something? Should she ask for his number? A date? Or nothing at all? Sakura was so rusty when it came to dating. She never had a serious boyfriend, save for a small fling she had her freshman year of college. Due to her inexperience, she never had to worry about what to say or how to act to attract someone she actually wanted. She was usually the type of person to let things come naturally, but damn, just by laying her sight on him, Sakura knew she would do everything in her power to gain Sasuke's affection. Desperate? Maybe, but at that point, Sakura didn't care. Naruto, ever oblivious to Sakura's blatant interest in his friend, enthusiastically replied to Ino and Sakura's questions.
"Yeah! That's Sasuke Uchiha. He went to high school with all of us," Naruto excitedly replied. "He usually kept to himself, so I guess in that respect, he hasn't really changed much. He rarely even went to class, so I never understood how he graduated. Maybe it was because he's too smart for his own good...It's probably why he got into Konoha University. Well, he's not there anymore, but he was there for a good year or so...Well, almost a year. But, he didn't have bad grades! Well, I mean, they weren't perfect, but…" As Naruto unnecessarily rambled on about things Sasuke would most likely prefer him not to tell people he considered strangers, a growing sense of annoyance emanated from both Sakura and Ino from across the table. Finally, after Naruto spilled the beans that Sasuke lives alone and secludes himself from the outside world, Sakura put her small hand up in front of his round face, accented with peculiar whisker-like birthmarks, to signal that she had heard quite enough.
"Uchiha? I've heard of him, and it's not too good. I might have seen him in high school, but I was too busy actually caring about my grades to notice." Sakura stated, trying her best to conceal her disappointment with arrogance. Of course she had heard that name before; it was fairly infamous. Around the end of summer three years ago, the incident occurred. It was all the town would talk about. The son of the family that was in charge of the town's police force and owned Uchiha Industries was caught sneaking into the university and stealing test answers and drugs from the school's science labs. The security sensors were triggered, and many specimens in the labs were destroyed. There was thousands of dollars worth of damage, and to this day, a cure that the school's doctors had been working on was never to be seen again. Many people were hurt during their dramatic and hasty escape, and rumor has it, a few casualties took place. The only person who was caught was the youngest Uchiha son, and he refused to give up the names of his accomplices. Whether it was from loyalty or stupidity, he wouldn't give up any information regarding the heist. This was all Sakura had heard regarding that night, and she wasn't sure what had happened to the young man after that. For all she knew, he was either rotting in jail or graduating along with her with his head down for the remainder of his time there. She supposed this was the answer to the question she never paid much mind to over the years. Sakura had never been able to place a face to the name, though she could have sworn he was supposed to have grown up with her. It was a curious thing to Sakura; to grow up with someone but not really know who they are. The only thing she knew was his name and damaged reputation.
"Hmm...so he's a bad boy, huh?" Ino's voice chimed in as she nudged Sakura's right shoulder with her left, then rested her chin on her right hand, placing her pinky finger between her shining white teeth. Her eyes gazed dreamily over to the clearly struggling cashier inside the shop. The atmosphere inside was soothing; it had dim light, a sweet aroma, and indie music playing softly over the speakers hanging from the ceiling. All of this made the air around the raven-haired man all the more heavenly and enticing, bad boy or not. Just imagining all the ways Ino could wrap him around her made her skin scream with excitement. "I'd like to see where that could lead…"
Sakura had no idea why that made her so irrationally jealous. She had never spoken to the guy and already convinced herself against his pursuit. But, what if there was something more to him? No story could ever be told with what's seen on the surface. Everyone was an iceberg, with most of who they are hidden beneath the water. Some people just held their demons underwater longer than most, hoping that the bubbles emanating from them would subside until they drown for good. Sakura supposed Sasuke was one of the latter people. The utter compulsion to figure him out was nagging, and he wasn't even aware of her existence. Hell, she hadn't even removed herself from her seat yet. What was going on with her?
"Well, he's not as bad as everyone thinks," Naruto insisted as he grabbed a nearby chair and dragged it into place right beside Hinata. As he took a seat, he stole a glance over as his best friend, and Sakura could have sworn she spotted a hint of sadness and pity in his eyes. But, her mind could have easily been playing tricks on her. Naruto turned back around and took a bite of the silently content Hinata's muffin, but then his face turned into one of disgust.
"Eww! I thought this would have chocolate chips in this! Hinata..." Naruto whined, "why would you get raisins?" His complaining caused all three females seated at the table begin a fit of laughter in a compelling harmony. Smiling, Sakura thought that it really was nice to finally be back to how it was before they all went their separate ways in college.
"Naruto, you're the one who makes the food here! You should have known better," Sakura lovingly chided and gulped down the remainder of her drink. Naruto had always been on the move. No one could ever really pin him down, but if Sakura were around Hinata, they would be able to drag him to the mall or out to eat with them. Since Ino and Naruto were social butterflies, they became acquaintances early on in the grade school years. Sakura's group of friends always sat in the center of the courtyard and Naruto, being as persistent as he was, somewhat forced his way into her inner circle. He grew on everyone fairly quickly and it got to the point where she would get sad without his ray of sunshine pouring around. Despite all of the relentless flirtation on Naruto's part throughout the years until he met Hinata, they remained close friends. So, why hadn't she heard anything about his friendship with Sasuke Uchiha? It stumped her completely.
Letting Naruto and Ino continue the conversation about the latest gossip, like who Kiba Inuzuka is dating this week, or the fact that Shikamaru Nara and Temari no Sabaku finally starting dating exclusively, Sakura noted that maybe, just maybe, she really was a bit lonely. Maybe that was why these intrusive thoughts were eating at her mind, consuming, ravishing, and distracting her. Naruto's muscular arm wrapped around Hinata's delicate shoulders while his hand played with the ends of her long hair. She leaned into him, savoring the fact that he was indeed finally with her. She would deal with her father at a later time. There was still a hint of a blush painted on her pale face, one that to that day, she still couldn't seem to outrun. But, she wasn't alone anymore.
Ino wasn't all that alone, either. She wasn't one to let loneliness necessarily consume her. She didn't feel lonely in a room full of people, and Sakura wasn't her only friend. Her closest one, yes, but not the only one. She had close family friends in Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi, and their fathers were basically brothers. They were essentially family; they were there whenever she needed someone, never having to ask. Solemnly looking toward the sky, Sakura lamented that she pushed most people away besides her few close friends. Maybe, instead of the walls she built protecting herself, she should have been constructing bridges instead. She looked down at her twiddling fingers.
Since when did she really care about being on her own? Was it because she never really had time to sit down and think about it? Again, it was something that she didn't know. Sakura was very book smart, but her social intelligence required much improvement. After all these years of studying and learning new things, one thing Sakura never really sat down and took the time to understand was her own feeling and emotions for others. Hopefully, if she ever had a chance to break out of her shell and decide to speak with Sasuke, she wouldn't make such a complete fool of herself. For now, though, she would enjoy the time she finally could spend with her closest friends, with a certain strange boy lingering in the back of her mind.
The rest of the coffee date lasted well into the evening, with the companions chatting away about lost time and hopeful future endeavors. Sakura couldn't stop smiling, even with the uncertainty lingering over her shoulder and in the back of her mind. Naruto had to leave the females to their conversations since technically, he was still on the clock and he said he should really check in on Sasuke. He was a new employee, after all, and couldn't leave him to the wolves. When the sun finally decided to begin its rest behind the horizon and turn the sky a vibrant mix of yellow, orange, and red, Sakura sighed, collecting the trash accumulated on their table to throw away. The air was crisp, and she regretted not bringing her cardigan from home. Ino already opted to put hers back on, and Naruto gave Hinata his sweatshirt from his locker in the back of the shop. With the cool breeze creeping under her skin, Sakura decided it was as good a time as any to head inside and order a hot chocolate to go. Getting slowly up, her metal chair scraped against the brick flooring of the patio. Ino spared her a glance as she continued on to Hinata about the guy she met in her last art class. Sakura remember that story; they went on a "disastrous" date, but Ino thought he was attractive enough to continue seeing for several months after that. He was mediocre in bed, and finally she decided they weren't compatible. Completely broke the poor boy's heart, but there's no forcing love.
Sakura headed inside the coffee shop to order her drink, willing and begging herself to play it cool. Breathing softly in and out, she reminded herself she wasn't that interested anyway. He's just hot, that's it. She swiftly tossed out the trash and walked up to the cash register, going over her simple order about ten thousand times more than necessary over and over in her mind. Sakura snapped her eyes up to meet the seemingly onyx eyes of Sasuke's, and she blushed like a damned schoolgirl. Black holes swallowed up green orbs of light, causing her heart to skip a beat and her breath to hitch. What should she do? Her inexperience was causing her to fail a normal everyday interaction, and she was an adult, dammit. She never felt so dumbfounded in front of a guy. It just didn't happen. Wracking her brain for the words, the smooth voice of the cashier tore her from her thoughts.
"What do you want?" Sasuke's monotonous voice inquired. So monotone, yet it was sickeningly sweet music to her ears. His hair was perfectly messy, urging her to remove the orange visor he wore and run her fingers delightfully through it, raking every crevice of his unruly, beautiful mane. His lips were so inviting, nearly intoxicating, even as they were pursed together in a clearly unhappy sneer. Against all of her previous morals she thought she had, Sakura just wanted to jump right over the counter and ravage him. Catching herself before her thoughts went too far, she cleared her voice once, twice, even a third time and finally found her voice enough to order a simple drink.
"Hot chocolate, please" Sakura replied in a sweet voice, sounding almost innocent, contrary to her unfortunately intrusive thoughts. "Not too hot, though. I have a very sensitive tongue…" After a moment, Sakura registered the unnecessary comment she made and turned beet red. Her hand shot up to her mouth and her eyes bulged, widening in the face of sheer embarrassment. She swallowed her gasp, knowing that would only make things worse. She truly looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Could she be overthinking it? Did he catch the suggestiveness in what she said? Did he even care?
"So, one not-so-hot chocolate, cooled down for your….sensitive tongue, is that correct?" Sasuke repeated back to Sakura, almost smugly. There was a slight smirk on his face and, if she didn't know any better, Sakura would think he was internally laughing at her slip up. So much for not making a fool of herself in front of him. All Sakura wanted to do in that moment was slink away and hide under her covers. She was so rusty in her interactions that something so miniscule was momentous and basically, the end of the world. Was she being dramatic? Yes, but she mortified herself in front of the first super hot guy she's set her sights on in such a long time. She felt she deserved a pass.
In response, all Sakura could bring herself to do was lower her hand and nod in agreement.
"That'll be 500 yen for your cold hot chocolate, then." Sasuke stated, causing Sakura to blush a bit deeper and pout. Did he really have to tease her? "Anything else?"
"Uh...no, just that," Sakura replied, reaching for her rose-covered wallet and grabbed a green piece of plastic. Since she was in school and had no other source of income besides her menial side jobs and parents, she didn't have much money to spend on trivial things. Sakura's credit card was for emergencies only, but being cold on a spring evening and scrabbling for an excuse to speak to a new, attractive employee was an emergency in Sakura's book. On top of that, she needed to get out as soon as possible before she embarrassed herself even further.
"Here," Sakura said, handing over her credit card and avoiding the eye contact she actually craved with the male, "You can use this."
As Sakura handed Sasuke the piece of plastic, their fingers brushed together and it felt like a shock was sent through Sakura's arm, causing her to snap her arm back fiercely. She looked to his fingertips, busily typing away at the cash register, and imagined blue lightning emanating from them. Lightning strong enough to cause damage and loud enough to screech like a thousand birds. Sakura had no idea why she was imagining such things, but the current sent through her hand to each and every nerve in her body felt real enough to leave her shaken. She glanced to Sasuke, who didn't even seem to notice the raging storm behind her eyes.
Sasuke printed the receipt and extended it to Sakura, along with her chilled hot chocolate, and she felt a need to shy away from his touch. What if there was another shock? Slowly, Sakura reached for the items, careful not to touch his fingers again, wrapping her fingers around the paper cup. Sakura had no idea when she became so shy or how she reverted back to her childhood self in such a short amount of time, but Sasuke Uchiha made her senses go into a frenzy with a simple look and mere touch. The only thing left for Sakura to do was say her thanks to the young man who was just doing his job, and meekly turn away from the counter, drink in hand. She slowly turned to head over to her animated friends outside, ignorant to the rollercoaster Sakura found herself on just then.
As she murmured her thanks and began to walk away, Sasuke simply replied, "See you soon, Sakura." There was a smile laced into his words, and he surprised Sakura by knowing who she was. She hadn't mentioned her name to him.
With a pounding heart, she decided she couldn't leave him hanging, so she threw a shy smile over her shoulder and responded, "I definitely will, Sasuke."
Hey guys! This was chapter two. I hope you enjoyed it! I know everything is starting off fairly slow, but I promise it will pick up once everything has been established. The next chapter will begin with Sasuke's POV, so stayed tuned!
As always, please like/subscribe/review and let me know what you think! Have a great week :)