AN: If you enjoyed the previous chapter you're going to love this one! Not as long, but of a good length, in my oopinion. Please tell me if you like it :)
Story summary: Naruto meets a perfect stranger who turns out to be a bastard and keeps meeting him over and over again. And why does it seem that elevators conspired against humanity?
Chapter summary: After a stressful day, Naruto can't wait to be home and get some sleep but elevators have other plans...
DAMN ELEVATOR
Floor 4. When elevators have plans
Naruto walked into his building shivering from the cold. The snowfall started coming down hard just as he left the bus, getting in the eyes, nose, mouth, and forming a little snowman on his head. He shook the melting snow off like a stray dog and went towards the elevators, slowly relaxing to the welcoming warmth of the lobby.
Not surprised at the fact that one of the three elevators was on service and the other two slowly moving up, Naruto waited patiently. He noted that the building manager put up a Christmas tree and decorations here and there, it looked rather cute, actually.
Elevators aside, he really liked it there. The building was located in a quiet neighbourhood just outside of downtown Tokyo and had easy access to transit, local shops, and a couple of nice parks. It had a gym with pool and complimentary swimming and yoga lessons. There was even a game room, but he never had time to actually go there.
His patience started running thin when one of the elevators didn't stop at the ground floor, but instead moved past to the parking level. He could see that it stopped at the lowest floor where the most expensive parking spaces were located, but it didn't bother him, not at all... It was okay, he could still wait...
Finally, the elevator chimed and the blond, anxious to get home, prepared to walk in. However, as the door opened he lost all desire to do so...
Crap...not again...
"I-I'll just wait for another, you g-go ahead" Naruto said to the man inside, then turned around and prayed that this entire thing was just a bad dream. Since when did he start stuttering?
"Get inside, dobe. You start pissing me off." The soft baritone instantly sent a wave of goosebumps all over Naruto's body and he could almost feel the pair of midnight black eyes drilling through the back of his head.
Why does it keep happening?
Like hypnotized, he slowly faced the man inside the elevator and froze under the intense stare.
"Don't wanna..." He mumbled, backing away slightly.
There was no way it was happening again. And if it were, nothing good could come out of being inside the hateful metal box together with the insatiable man that already managed to ruin his day, twice. What was this bastard doing here anyway? The blond quickly went through all possible reasons for Sasuke Uchiha being inside the elevator in his building. Was he visiting someone? Maybe, but chances were slim. Was he a stalker? Doubtful, but possible. Did he work for some secret organization and had an assignment to kill all of Naruto's brain cells? Okay...this one was too much.
"Just get in. Or you're scared?"
On second thought, that was exactly what the raven haired man was doing – mercilessly killing Naruto's brain cells. One by one. Every. Damn. Second. Retard.
"Okay, teme!" The blond quickly went inside, immediately cursing his decision. Though, he figured that everything was going to be over in a few seconds as the second floor is not far. He just needed to stay calm... "I am in, happy now?"
"Hn. Which floor?" Sasuke asked as the elevator's door slid close.
"Second" stay calm..
"Lazy moron"
"Hey, shut up!" How was it even possible to stay calm around this person?! All these perfect features were wasted on this man. He's just intolerable! "I can't use stairs! And why are you here, anyway?"
Though before the other man could answer the elevator chimed and opened the door. Naruto let out a sigh of relief and continued:
"Nah, forget it. I don't want to know. I am going to walk out of this damn elevator and forget all about you."
He turned around swiftly and walked away, the two objects of his hatred left behind, forgotten. Out of his life. Forever.
The End.
As if!
That was not what happened, though Naruto couldn't quite grasp what did, exactly. He was not given a chance to take even a single step outside as out of nowhere he was forcibly yanked back by a hand on his shoulder.
Eyes wide in disbelief, he watched the elevator door close before him.
...
...
The damn machine was now happily moving up and away from Naruto's floor.
...
The blond shook his head trying to put the thoughts together and keep his rage in the cage but to no avail. Who did this bastard think he was?!
"What the hell was this for, teme?!" He violently brushed off the hand and glared straight into the midnight black orbs. Damn stars distracting him. "Why are you here? What do you want from me?"
He was tired, frustrated and deserved the answers, dammit. So, he demanded a response from the man that was driving him crazy for the whole day. The same man that he met for the first time only this morning and with whom he didn't even have what could possibly be considered a legitimate conversation. The owner of the most powerful and cold eyes he ever saw that still shone like starry skies. How could this beautiful man be so mean? It was disappointing...angering even.
"That was not your floor"
"Huh?" Naruto stared completely dumbfounded. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"The elevator skipped your floor and stopped on the third"
The blond remembered that this already happened a few times before. On several occasions, he found himself trying to unlock the door of the apartment located just above his, like a total idiot. Thankfully it didn't seem like anyone lived there, so there were no problems.
It was too embarrassing to admit that this time, being as angry as he was and not paying attention to surroundings, Naruto would have repeated his mistake, so he did the next best thing...
"I knew that!" ...he lied... But hey, the bastard needed to mind his own business! "I planned to wait for another elevator! The one without you in it!"
Black eyes narrowed at the last comment.
"Hn. Liar"
"I am not!"
"You lied this morning, too"
"No, I didn't!" Naruto shouted back frustrated at how calm the other's voice sounded. "Not this morning!"
"So, you admit to lying now"
Urgh... He dug this grave himself...
"Yes, I lied" he said dejectedly. "I didn't know that was not my floor, but I didn't lie this morning, I was not staring at you, not in a literal sense"
"What makes you think I would believe you? You already have an established track record"
Deciding that now was the time to set the record straight about this mornings events, Naruto took a deep breath, looked at the man with determination and said "Listen, I.." but was met with an elegant brow raising in curiosity, damn, all the little things in this arrogant man were driving him nuts.. "I made a mistake this morning! I admit it, okay? I saw you standing there looking like a cover of a magazine and started thinking about work related matters, as a designer, you see? There was a certain harmony and contrast in colours and patterns that picked my interest, only as a designer"
"Really?" The man asked sceptically.
"I lost myself in thoughts and it looked like I was staring, which pissed you off. But I apologized already, didn't I?"
"And what was it about stars?"
"Argh!" Naruto shut his eyes tight to keep the last pieces of his sanity. There was no way he was explaining the bastard how gorgeous his eyes were. He needed to end all things between them, even though he didn't quite understand what it was between them. "I was indeed thinking about stars! It is related to my other job! Anyways, this is not a reason to stalk me know!"
"I am not stalking" the raven crossed arms in front of him and leaned on the elevator mirror, looking infuriatingly calm and composed.
"Why else would you be here? You didn't answer this question before by the way, just like the other one!"
"I live here"
"Now, who is lying?! You are Sasuke Uchiha, shouldn't you live in a mansion somewhere? With maids, butlers, and no elevators?" The blond snorted. From what Iruka told him, the man's family could buy all of Tokyo three times over.. Why live in a condo?
"Hn. So, you know my name..." Naruto's eyes narrowed at the smirk on Sasuke's face. He missed a tiny spark of excitement in the dark eyes though. "...and now you know where I live. Are you absolutely sure, you are not the stalker here?"
"Hugh? Are you seriously asking this again?! I only know it because of Iruka's nagging after the fiasco at lunch! Which was all your fault by the way! And you keep changing the subject and avoiding questions!" The blond expressively pointed an index finger at the arrogant man. He froze when the black eyes narrowed and elegant brows curved in a frown. Was it from anger or disappointment? Whatever it was, it sent his heart racing at an incredible speed.
Sasuke took a step forward, wrapped his palm around Naruto's wrist and violently pulled him close.
"Because of Iruka's nagging, huh?" The man growled, voice cold as the snow outside, sending shivers down the blond's spine. "And you were staring at me with these ocean deep eyes only as a designer?" The man took a step with each word, forcing Naruto to retreat all the way to the opposing side of the elevator, until his back was pressed against the wall. "And you plan on forgetting all about me as soon as you step outside, Hn?" Sasuke's pressed even more forward until their noses almost touched. "Everything."
"Hugh?" Naruto felt his heart stop for a moment, cheeks growing with colour as he stared into the two black holes before him, tantalizing fragrance tickling his senses with every inhale.
"You asked me what I want from you" the man continued. "You won't forget about me, because I intend to make you m.."
The elevator chimed, signalling its arrival to whatever floor that was. Naruto jumped at the sound and sucked in a sharp breath as the movement made their noses brush softly against each other.
The businessman slowly closed his eyes and grumbled under his breath.. "Damn elevator".. unintentionally letting his lips ghost over Naruto's in the process.
The raven then walked out of the elevator leaving the blond behind, and only turned around to say:
"See you around, Naruto Uzumaki"
Left alone in the hateful metal box, Naruto stood there speechless staring into space. He wanted to run after Sasuke, force him to finish the sentence and explain what exactly he meant by that, then, ideally, kick the prick's ass. His body didn't want to obey his wishes though, it froze to the wall and refused to move a muscle. Hell, he couldn't even blink.
The elevator started moving downwards, and with it, Naruto's senses slowly started coming back. He pressed the button for his floor and looked at himself in the mirror.
He was a mess.
Tousled hair were still wet from walking outside, flushed cheeks competed with the bright red scarf he wore, dilated pupils made the eyes look so much darker. He looked as shocked as he felt. Skin on his wrist suddenly got cold from the absence of heat that was there just moments ago and Naruto stared at it blankly. Thoughts were running frantically through his head trying to comprehend what triggered the bastard's weird outburst and the blond's reaction to it. Everything became so much more confusing..
He broke the promise to Iruka... He made things so much worse...
Once inside the apartment, Naruto absentmindedly hanged his drenched coat on a hanger to dry, he was going to need it again in just a few hours. He then threw other stuff in the washer and went to shower.
Hot water pleasantly massaged tense muscles and slowly relaxed the stressed out blond. He could finally close the eyes and even out his breathing.
"What was that all about?" Naruto quietly asked no one, massaging his temples. There was no way he could answer this question himself, though. So, he made a mental note to confront the bastard the next time they meet. Would they meet again? Did Naruto want to meet him again?
The blond groaned at the last thought. Somehow, it seemed like meeting the bastard again was not a choice but a matter of time. Like something changed in the Universe the first time they met.
He snorted remembering the intention to forget the man as soon as he walked out the elevator. It's going to be so much more difficult to do now, when it was not just the eyes of the bastard stuck in his head. He could easily recall how Sasuke's deep voice vibrated in his ears and almost feel the warm hand still firmly wrapped around his wrist. He memorized the man's whole face so much better after seeing it up close, and the smirk. God, that smirk should be illegal for making Naruto's insides flip as much as it did. Porcelain white skin was as soft as silk and he hated himself whole heartedly for noticing it from only one accidental touch of their noses.
The image of Sasuke Uchiha standing impossibly close to Naruto was too vivid. It felt as if the man was still standing right there in front of him... in the shower... midnight eyes burning him through with emotion he could not quite understand.
As wet fingertips softly touched his parted lips, the blue eyes snapped open in shock.
"Dammit! The hell am I thinking?!" Frustrated, he washed himself quickly and walked out of the shower. Wrapped in a towel, he went to the kitchen – it was time for that tea he promised himself in the bus.
After turning on the kettle, the blond went through his stash of different teabags to find something relaxing. One scent caught his attention and he groaned at sudden realization.
"The bastard smelled like freaking bergamot..." he mumbled remembering the fragrance he felt in the elevator. "And you, sir Earl Grey, are getting out of here. Fast" the innocent tea bags flew into the trash can at the speed of light.
Happy to be rid of irritating smell and finally settling on a blend of chamomile and cornflowers, he left the kitchen to search for some sleeping pants and to tidy up his home a bit while waiting for the kettle to boil.
Naruto's apartment was just a tiny studio but it's clever layout held everything he needed and wanted. He was not an interior designer in a name only and he put all the knowledge into designing the place so that it gave him total relaxation after working hard days and nights.
There were two large windows that usually gave the room a lot of light during the day making it feel more spacious. Though most of the time they were covered by heavy curtains, bright orange in colour contrasting with creamy walls. They were needed to filter out the sometimes problematic excess of light to accommodate Naruto's rather unique sleeping habits. Due to him working at the observatory at night and at the Paradise Architectures during the day he slept twice – four hours in the afternoon and four and a half in the morning. This way he was getting enough hours of sleep while still keeping up with his crazy schedule.
He rarely had visitors so the room was divided into only two zones: a home office and sleeping area. What separated the zones was a tiered bright orange bookshelf accessible from both sides. The lowest tier also acted as a table for when his guests did come over, square stools were smartly hidden within the shelf too.
His office space was usually the one in need of tiding up, he kept too many books there even for his own liking. Unfortunately, not all research papers were available online, so he had to have copies to make proper references in his thesis. As the blond was cleaning his desk, he battled the urge to turn on the computer and google the bastard. He almost lost, but the sound of boiled kettle saved him.
Once he poured hot water into a mug, he went to his sleeping area and settled comfortably on the bed, which was actually just a thick mattress laying on the carpeted floor with lots of colourful pillows. His friend Kiba once said that too many pillows is a sign of loneliness but Naruto refused to believe it, he just liked them. They were bright, fluffy, and made him happy, the rest can burn in hell. These said pillows in combination with warm herbal tea did a damn good job at making him feel nice and cozy.
Finishing the cup he turned off the lights, set up an alarm for 8:30pm, crawled under the covers, and just laid there staring at the ceiling, which was a work of art on its own. With the help of his colleague Sai, he painted it with a special paint that was invisible during the day but glowed in the dark, giving off a feeling of the night sky above.
It was beautiful, but not as beautiful as the starry eyes he saw today. Again, the images of Sasuke Uchiha from multiple encounters were haunting him. Like a movie, each meeting played before his eyes, confusing him even more. Naruto finally admitted to himself that he found the man attractive, not just the face, but the aura he carried, and the arrogance..
He said that my eyes are ocean deep..what did he mean by that?
"Dammit!" he abruptly interrupted his thoughts. "Stop thinking about the damn teme! Again, all of this is because of the damn eleva-to-r-hugh?!"
Naruto gasped and set up abruptly on the bed, breathing heavily, blue eyes wide and a trembling hand covering his mouth. Something weird just happened. What was it? He was about to blame the hateful metal box for skipping the floor and making him spend more time with the bastard, but felt a faint touch of Sasuke's lips over his...
Why?! No it couldn't be...
"Damn elev-ARGH!" It was happening again! A soft brush of lips just like in the elevator. Shit. This was no longer elevator's fault! It was the bastard's! Damn! "DAMN TE-ME-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E!"
