[Sakura]
Before I know it, it's the middle of the week.
I groan as I roll over in bed, cracking open one eye to peer at the alarm clock. Five minutes to six. The birds are already in full choral mode outside my window.
I am not a morning person and the alarm clock has been chiming away for the last five minutes, making sure I know it exists.
Slapping the top of the clock until it shuts up, I battle the urge to rest my eyes a little longer. In the end, though, responsibility wins out and I slowly sit up.
Going through the motions of the morning, I use the toilet, shower and brush my teeth. I'm still wearing my pajamas as I make a light breakfast and eat it, squinting blurrily at the morning newspaper.
After about fifteen minutes, the caffeine in my tea starts to kick in. By nine, I might actually be human.
Too bad my shift starts at seven-thirty.
I've got some time before my shift, but it's Wednesday so I need to make a quick stop beforehand.
Tying my wet hair back into a rough bun, I throw on a worn pair of sweatpants and - after a slight hesitation - the oversized sweater from last night, zipping it all the way up. I don't even bother changing out of my pajamas - a ratty white tank top that's somehow two sizes too small and two sizes too stretched out at the same time, and equally ratty white shorts - I call it my loungewear, though Ino says that I should burn it - and I head out the door. I'll pass by my apartment on the way to the hospital, so I never bother to change into my medic uniform until I come back.
The sun is just rising and the fresh scent of dew on the grass lingers in the air. The cool, crisp air of the morning does wonders to wake me up as I walk down a couple of blocks to another apartment building, but it's chilly enough that I pull my hood up over my head to keep my damp hair from getting too cold against my scalp.
Reaching my destination, I let myself through the main doors of the building and trudge up three flights of stairs, taking two steps at a time and into the narrow hallway.
It's barely seven in the morning, but the neighbors are already up, if the sound of the blender bleeding through the walls is any indication. A television is blaring in another unit, broadcasting a children's program, accompanied by the happy screams of the children singing along with the television while getting ready for school.
I get to the cheery green door which sits midway down the hall, and frown. That's strange, it's been two weeks since I've last been here - usually, I arrive to find a pile of paper advertisements and letters overflowing underneath the door. But there's nothing here today.
Shrugging the thought aside, I insert the key into the lock, turn, and let myself in.
The door opens into a tidy apartment - untouched, as usual. The main space is the living room area where a comfortable couch sits in the middle of the room, facing a television. A bookshelf sits in the far right corner filled with a mix of books ranging from war strategies to natural history to manga. A small dining table with four chairs sits on the other side of the space, near the kitchen. The walls are painted a calming taupe and bare of any artwork or photos, although a few nails - from previous tenants - are scattered here and there on the walls. It's a neat and clean, if rather impersonal, apartment. Very fitting to the owner, who's rarely around.
Even though there's no mail for me to pick up today, the plants sitting by the window need some love. Clearly, two weeks is pushing it, and their leaves are looking slightly wilted. A pang of guilt hits my stomach as I take in their forlorn little leaves. I usually come in once a week, but it's been so busy at work I just couldn't make it last week.
Fighting a yawn, I head into the small kitchen to get the watering can.
As I'm crouched down in front of the kitchen sink, rummaging under the sink cabinet, a prickle of awareness suddenly trickles down my spine and goosebumps rise on my skin.
I know without doubt that I'm not alone.
Instantly, I twist to the side just as an arm strikes out from behind me, grabbing the space where the back of my neck was a moment ago.
There's no time to think. In one smooth movement without looking behind me, I pivot and kick out, trying to catch the intruder from behind. My leg hits nothing but air, though I hear a soft grunt of someone - definitely a man - jumping out of the way behind me. By the time I've turned around to face the entrance of the kitchen, the person has disappeared from sight.
A trickle of unease filters through me. Not many people are able to keep up with my speed. Also, my reflexes are far from dull, thanks to Tsunade's relentless training - yet I barely dodged his attack.
I quickly run through my options. I'm limited in what I can - or want - to do. For one, I can't go all out without damaging the building and possibly hurting all its residents. I also don't want to kill this man. The Konoha mandate is that all intruders are brought back, alive, to our headquarters for interrogation.
Instead, I unsheathe a kunai from a holster hidden in the waistband of my pants as I advance towards the kitchen doorway. I can't help but feel slightly annoyed at the same robs a vacant apartment like this anyway? So early in the morning too?
Carefully, I make my way into the living room, ears straining for any sounds within the unit.
Silence, other than the pulse of my heartbeat in my ears.
My eyes are panning around the space, and nothing seems out of place either.
Suddenly, the air shifts, but it's too late. Fuck. The sharp point of a kunai is touching my throat, cold and unyielding, as the intruder appears behind me. It forces a gasp out of my mouth as I tilt my head back to avoid getting cut, straightening my spine. Thick ropes appeared out of nowhere, pinning my arms so tightly to my side that it's hard to breathe.
Alarm bells are ringing in my head that this shinobi's skill level is very high. And he's armed and dangerous.
I'm also pissed.
This asshole's invasion of my personal space is wearing me thin. But I keep still, for now. My chakra is already beginning to warm the skin underneath the ropes, buzzing like electricity. I'm biding my time, waiting for the perfect moment to release it and obliterate the bindings. I can't wait to sink the son-of-a-bitch for giving me this kind of start to my morning.
"Who do we have here?" A low voice growls into my ear.
My chakra dissipates, though, the instant I hear him speak. His timbre is so familiar it almost makes me laugh, though my stomach tightens at the tone. I've never heard him like this - cold, detached and unforgiving. There's a tinge of darkness that feels as foreign as he is familiar.
A shudder escapes my body. This is the closest I've been to him in years. My pulse is racing, and I'm not sure if it's from his proximity, which is as unnerving as it is thrilling, or the fact that he has a kunai at my throat.
He doesn't recognize me - probably because I'm covered from head to toe in clothing so baggy and shapeless I could pass as easily for a human as I could a sack of potatoes.
But when he pulls my hood down to reveal my hair, I turn my head to the side as much as I can without cutting myself on the sharp edge of the kunai to glare at him out of the corner of my eyes. I feel the bite of the blade anyway.
"Lose the kunai." I seethe.
"Sakura?!" Naruto drops the kunai and stumbles back so hard he nearly trips over his own feet. The weapon clatters to the ground, instantly forgotten, next to mine.
"What are you doing here?!" His eyes bounce from my face to my throat, where his kunai was, and back to my face. I can feel a small drop of blood welling from where I got nicked.
Annoyed by the pinprick of pain, I turn to look him fully in the eye to give him a piece of my mind.
Whatever I wanted to say dies in my suddenly dry mouth. Oh my god.
Naruto isn't wearing a shirt. In fact, he's wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. He must have just come out of the shower. His hair is wet, and there's still some moisture clinging to his body.
I'd have to be blind to not see how much he's filled out. Before he left, he was still kind of scrawny, still growing more in height than mass.
Now … I know I'm staring, but I can't help it. My eyes are gorging on his broad shoulders and chest, and the taut muscles wrapped around his arms. His skin is smooth and unmarked by any scars, thanks to his healing abilities. I can't even tell which of his two arms is the one that had to be re-grown. When my eyes travel down to the ridges and planes of his stomach, it sends a flutter through my stomach, which is enough to knock me out of my idiotic, dumfounded state.
With a gulp, I remind myself. Ignore it.
"Hey, are you okay?" Naruto asks, reaching out his arms in the air in a cautious surrender as he tries to edge closer to me, as if approaching a dangerous animal. He peers a little closer. "Are you … hyperventilating?"
Okay, my breath is coming in a little fast, and it sounds like I'm wheezing. Maybe I am.
"I'm fine." I force out, as I try to pull myself together.
Naruto pauses, a worried expression on his face. "You don't look fine."
I deflect.
"What are you doing here, Naruto?!"
"Me?" He shoots back, "What about you?"
He leans back, squinting at me narrowly. "You spend a lot of time here? Even when Sasuke's not around?"
"I come by to water his plants." I nod towards the wilted plants, wincing again as I'm reminded of their sad looking leaves, which I swear have gotten even yellower since I got here.
"Glad to see they're thriving." Naruto raises an eyebrow at me.
"And I collect his mail." I say defensively. Though there was none this morning … I look around again, finally spotting the unopened envelopes shoved into a small cardboard box on the floor by the entrance.
"I've been taking care of that all week." Naruto says dryly.
"Well I didn't know you were staying here. Sasuke never mentioned it." I respond shortly. I'm going to kill Sasuke the next time he comes back. I think I lost about five years of my life just now. Sasuke's the only person on earth that knows how I feel about Naruto so he really should have warned me ahead of time.
Though he's also kind of a sadist. I wouldn't be surprised if he "forgot" on purpose. That bastard.
"And how often do you and Sasuke mention things?" Naruto says this casually, but his eyes are sharp and assessing.
"Not as often as we need, apparently." I mutter.
He doesn't say anything for a while, and neither do I. He just keeps watching me. Unnerved, I open my mouth.
"Can you untie me now?" I'm asking to be polite. We both know these ropes wouldn't do much against me if I wanted.
It seems to jolt him out of his moment, and he shakes his head slightly as he releases a breath.
"Right. Sorry." With a wave, the ropes melt away and circulation returns to my sore arms. I rub my hands gingerly up and down my arms to get the feeling back in my limbs. I need a moment, and taking a few steps towards the couch, I plop myself down wearlily.
Naruto takes a few steps towards me, which makes me panic again.
"No!" I blurt. "Stay there!" With him standing a few feet in front of me, shirtless. My head and heart can't take this so early in the morning.
Naruto freezes where he is.
"Did I do something wrong? Look, I'm really sorry about the kunai …" He starts, but I cut him off. I would have done the same as him if I had the chance. I lost fair and square and I'm just lucky he didn't choose to stab first and ask questions later.
A flashback of the sound of his voice, so close to my ear, makes me swelter. It was so unexpectedly intimate. I'm pretty sure that memory will haunt me for the rest of my life.
I know my cheeks are hot and I'm just hoping he thinks it's because I'm overdressed.
"No, no you didn't." I breathe. "You're just …so…"
I don't know what to say as I point in weak little circles at his chest. Don't say anything embarrassing.
"...naked."
I clamp my mouth shut. That is not what I thought I'd say. Boy, I'm overheated. My hand reaches over to the front of the sweater and I mindlessly use it to fan myself.
Naruto looks unsettled by my words for a second, then suddenly cocks his head, focusing on my body. He opens his mouth, frowning slightly. "Is that… my sweater?"
I die a little inside. Why did I have to put on his sweater this morning.
"Yeah." I answer evasively.
"Why are you wearing it?" He's not angry, but he's got a funny expression on his face.
"I was returning it." I blurt out. Maybe a little too quickly because I don't think I thought this through yet.
"But you didn't even know I was here." He looks confused.
Damn.
"I was returning it later." I quickly amend. "I'm bound to run into you or someone who'll see you, sooner or later. And I was thinking that when I do, I'll take it off and give it to them - or you. I'm just wearing it so I don't forget it." I finish lamely.
Naruto's eyebrows are so high up his forehead they'd disappear into his hair if he had longer hair.
"That's one way to do it, I suppose." He says, bewildered.
"What's wrong with my plan?" I shoot back.
A million things.
"Nothing." His eyes are wide, and his hands are stretched out again, placating me. "Though, it does seem a little … up to chance." He says delicately.
I can't even disagree because my plan is a terrible plan.
God, there's something about Naruto that makes me stupid.
"But I guess it worked, since you're seeing me now." He muses. I can't tell if he's impressed or in disbelief that my fake plan actually worked.
He scratches his head. "I guess I'll take it back now." He finishes, shrugging.
I'm too annoyed with myself to argue and I need to do something to distract me from the flex of his chest as he stretches out his arm. With a small growl, I stand up and unzip the hoodie. I take it off and toss it over to him, which he catches reflexively.
He seems perturbed though, and his eyes are on me, burning and intense.
"You were going to walk around town like that? " Naruto asks in a strangled voice.
Not understanding, I follow his gaze to my front.
Fuck. My sad ratty top doesn't do much for my decency. While it covers my breasts, the material is threadbare and also ends about two inches north of my belly button.
Ino's right. I should have gotten rid of this a long time ago. Maybe I will burn it when I get home.
This makes for the second time in less than a week that I wish I could burst into flames from embarrassment. And both times were caused by him.
With what's left of my dignity, I fasten a look on my face of someone who meant to do what she meant to do. I wish I could just run out of here but I still haven't watered the plants, and I owe it to them. I'm also not a coward.
With a small huff, I hold my head high as I stalk past him to the kitchen. The watering can is still under the sink. Naruto shifts as if he's about to make a move towards me as I pass him but seems to think better of it.
Good.
Less good, however, is when he also begins following me into the kitchen. As I finish retrieving the watering can and start filling it up in the sink, he walks in, filling the small space with his presence. He begins clanking around, ignoring me.
I steal a glance in his direction.
His back is to me and he's making himself a bowl of cereal with milk - the sweet, sugary kind with colorful marshmallow pieces in it that a ten year old eats. Good grief, this man needs a nutritionist.
Turning back to watch the water flow from the tap to the watering can, I can't help but ask.
"So when did you get back?"
Naruto grunts a little before responding. "Last Wednesday. Came back straight from Sand."
"How's it feel to be back?" I'm curious.
I can hear the smile in his voice. "It's good to be home."
Home. His use of it warms me from the inside out. Naruto had a tough childhood here, his home. No one will argue that. It's no secret that we were horrible to him when he grew up. And people, myself included, have apologized and tried to make it up to him. He certainly hasn't forgotten his past. But he's loyal to a fault and he's never considered Konoha as anything but his home, through good times and bad.
"You back for good now?" I ask.
"Yeah, I think so. I might have some missions here and there, but I'm now officially the Hokage's apprentice. Started Monday"
My eyebrows raise at this piece of news. Naruto, doing office work. It's not all flashy, being hokage. In fact, if the Hokage is doing their job right, it isn't flashy at all.
"Mr. Protege." I murmur, smiling to myself.
I tense when I hear the sound of his footsteps drawing close to me, and freeze when his shadow looms over my head. I'm reminding myself to calm down, but my heart keeps pounding anyway.
"Damn straight." He says, dryly.
Reaching over my head, he leans forward, brushing his chest against my back. He opens the cabinet above the sink in front of me and pulls out an empty glass. I can feel the heat emanating from his body. The clean smell of soap also wafts past me.
Too soon - or not soon enough - I'm not sure which - he retreats over to the fridge and helps himself to some juice.
Focus, Sakura. Just water the plants and get the hell outta here.
"You're getting wet." He calls over his shoulder as he walks out of the kitchen to the dining table.
"What?" Startled, my eyes whip towards him. I then realize that the watering can is overflowing and splashing me.
Gasping, I shut the tap quickly. My ears are red. As I walk out of the kitchen with the watering can, I can see Naruto smirking at me. Bastard.
Face flushed, I try my best to ignore him as I water the plants. But I can feel his eyes on me.
For a minute, the only sounds in the apartment are that of water pouring into each flower pot and the crunch of Naruto chewing on his cereal.
"You're drowning them." He remarks.
My jaw clicks tight because he's right - I was too distracted and now the poor plants are flooded so much I can see soil swirling with the movement of the water in each pot. Luckily, the pots have holes on the bottom of them and the excess water will drain into the pans under each plant.
"Maybe I should take over the plant watering too." Naruto muses. Ridiculous. Naruto, the kid who killed his cactus when he was twelve?
I can tell he's trying to goad a response out of me.
"No, thanks." I respond tightly. "I've got it taken care of." Still holding on to the now empty watering can, I move to pick up the two kunai off the floor.
"But doesn't Sasuke want his plants alive?"
What a jerk. It only takes a fraction of a second for me to make up my mind. I was going to hand him his kunai on my way back to the kitchen, but I've got a better idea.
Whipping around, I fling his kunai straight at him, between his eyes.
Without even letting go of the cereal spoon in his right hand, his left catches the weapon with two fingers. He raises an eyebrow at me meaningfully, but says nothing, dropping the kunai onto the table and bringing up the glass of juice to his mouth. He holds my gaze the entire time.
Despite myself, I'm fighting to keep my lips from turning up.
"The plants will be fine." I say sweetly.
Naruto studies me for a moment before he responds.
"You sure you don't want to mention you've both dehydrated then drowned them? Let him know I can take over. You won't need to go around to his place anymore."
My hands itch to throw the other kunai that's still in my hand, but I resist. I can fucking keep plants alive.
"Don't you have some protege training to get to?" I bite out as I return the watering can to the kitchen and come back out into the living room.
"I do." He drawls. "But I don't have to be there until eight, so I've still got twenty minutes.
Twenty minutes? Wait, but that means -
"Shit!"
The clock by the door tells me it's already 7:40 am, which means I'm already ten minutes late.
I don't have time to go home and change. My office has a full change of clothes and a spare medic uniform. But to get there, I'd have to wear this in public…
Looking down at my top, I wince. I'm forced to admit that it's barely appropriate even when I'm alone by myself. Should I really go into the hospital with what I'm wearing and hope that I can avoid running into anyone?
My eyes slide to the sweater that I threw at Naruto a short while ago. It's sitting on the edge of the dining table where Naruto left it.
It takes about half a second for me to make up my mind. As much as I hate looking like an idiot in front of Naruto, I will not bring this mess into my workplace. Professionalism is everything to me at work and I'm not about to sabotage myself out of pride.
Snatching the hoodie off the table, I jerk it on in one smooth motion.
Naruto hasn't said a word, but he just watches me, amused.
I don't think he believed the reasons I gave him earlier.
But I don't have time to be embarrassed about it right now because I gotta get my ass to the hospital before Tsunade comes by my office and realizes I'm not there. Last time that happened, I was stuck on toilet cleaning duty for a month and I nearly died in our training sessions.
"I need this just a little longer." I mumble, and I'm out the door before I can hear a reply, though something sounds suspiciously like a snort.