Priorities
It was at their practice's Christmas Party when she first noticed Sasuke's mask slip. It was only a small amount, but it was enough to have him in Sakura's thoughts for weeks.
Their director rented out an entire winery for a cocktail hour and dinner. Tsunade said it was to give back to all the therapists at the practice for all their hard work this year. She's known Tsunade for her attitude towards spoiling her staff with their quarterly events. She takes great pride in seeing all the staff members engage in her activities.
Sakura is only a postdoc trainee at the practice; she still needs to impress Tsunade enough to formally hire her after she's done with her training. One of those steps includes showing how well Sakura fits at the practice. Overall, Sakura's plan has been going great: her patients love her, her research work is getting used by her colleagues, her coworkers think she is a great resource. It's almost perfect! That job offer is practically in her hands!
There is, of course, the matter with Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke is not her boss. She does not take orders from him. Sakura spends one hour every week receiving supervision from him. They are not friends, thank you very much. He is only an obstacle getting in the way of her perfect track record.
Everything she does is wrong in his eyes: "Haruno, you need to put relevant pronouns for everyone on your notes."
"Haruno, you forgot to screen for childhood trauma in this evaluation."
"Haruno, do you know the differential criteria between these two diagnoses? You can't put them together."
"Haruno, you're too new to have forgotten to screen for access to firearms in a suicidal patient."
"Haruno, this is an incomplete criteria match; it's subclinical."
"'Haruno' this."
"'Haruno' that."
"Haruno." "Haruno" "Haruno."
'Would it kill him to simply call me Sakura?'
Maybe it was her temper. Maybe it was how Sasuke could counter all her quick remarks with a coolness that matched the intensity of her passion. Maybe it was the camaraderie she felt with someone who was clearly affected by her but refused to perform it. Whatever was at the root of that connection, Sakura was all too willing to pick a fight when her supervisor intercepted the last of Sakura's shots.
"Hey! That was my shot!"
"'Was,'" Sasuke said before downing the tequila without a single wince. There was no one else to impress; the two were alone at the bar.
"What the hell?"
"It was your shot. Now it's mine." Sasuke's nonchalant attitude continue to pervade his every word. At work, Sakura can handle the irritation. But right now, he's killing her buzz, dammit!
"Why are you being such an ass? You're not even drinking!"
"That's the point," he quickly retorts. Sasuke emphasizes his point by bringing a bright green can of ginger ale to his lips. Sakura can feel her already pink flush darken, as her swimming vision seems to clear. Forget the party. Forget the social expectations. Her eyes seem locked on Sasuke's lips.
'Snap out of it, Sakura. We can't have a hook up at a work party.'
"Being an ass," she starts, trying to distract herself. "Is that the point, then?"
Sasuke lets out an exasperated groan, every vibrato from his deep voice hitting Sakura low in her belly. She knows every minute she's in his midst Sakura is in danger of making things uncomfortable. She risks all the great commendations she's gathered in the past 6 years of her psychology training. She could lose any chance at ever getting her own independent license.
"You're so annoying, Haruno. I'm not drinking because I'm around coworkers who need to keep me in high esteem. It would do you well to do the same."
"But Tsunade – "
"Doctor Senju," Sasuke emphasizes, "owns the practice. She controls your paycheck, your recommendations, and your future job offer."
Sakura sobers up at his words. Sasuke is right. What the fuck is she doing? She could get into some serious trouble with the Psychology Board. Sakura wants this more than anything in the world. She wants the job, the research, the teaching opportunities, and the ability to actually make a living trying to help people. She has avoided any dangers of a true romance. She's turned down all her invitations to parties. She's given her blood, sweat, and tears for this.
Sasuke continues. "If you want to stay here, you have to stop trying to be her friend and be a professional."
Mood soured and feeling utterly chastised by an incredibly handsome man only a few months her senior, Sakura purses her lips. Her eyes disconnect from Sasuke's chiseled face and thick neck. Her deep red blush makes the skin of the tops of her cheeks sensitive to every movement in the wind, begging her to scream out and hurt his pride like Sasuke has hurt her.
"Speak up, Haruno. You look like you have some annoying comment to make."
"Why do you care whether I stay here if I'm so annoying?"
Sakura's gaze lands on his polished black shoes, willing Sasuke to give a satisfactory response that she knows won't come. She's been working alongside him for the past fur months and Sakura has never come close to pinning down Sasuke in a verbal confrontation. No fancy words, direct or indirect, help Sakura figure him out. It's like he's some undecipherable map with no compass, no legend, and no directions. Is she truly such a horrible therapist that she can't understand what it is that she wants?
Out of the corner of her sight, Sakura notices Sasuke's feet shift uncomfortably. He's rolling an ankle in jittery movements. Complete lack of confidence in the stride… from Mr. Nonchalance Incarnate Himself, Sasuke Uchiha?
She looks up to get more context. He's holding his shoulders higher than Sakura has ever seen from him. Sasuke's jaw is clenched, like he's trying to hold back something he wants to say. If Sakura hadn't spent every week of her employment getting to know him, she probably would have been fooled. But Sakura knows what stifled anxiety looks like in anyone.
A beat passes between the two therapists, with the both of them acknowledging that Sasuke is nonverbally communicating… something or other.
Sasuke's grip around the aluminum can tightens after Sakura makes a mental note of the miniscule jitters. He downs the last of his drink before taking out his phone and walking away abruptly towards the front doors.
Without a look back at Sakura, Sasuke raises an arm and yells out, "See you on Monday, Haruno."
END OF CHAPTER ONE.