Naruto reached out and grabbed Sakura's arm. "You're hurting me," she said levelly, her eyes portraying no such emotion. In fact, they weren't showing any emotion, just a strange emptiness he had once related to his mother and father's eyes when he found them dead on the bedroom floor in his early childhood. He didn't let go of her arm, just like he didn't let go of that memory. Maybe she was doing it on purpose, just to mess with him. He was sure it wasn't the first time.
He'd sat at home for hours after Kiba warned him, going over and over the words in his head and it just didn't add up. Sakura wouldn't hurt him, and he wouldn't hurt her. They were engaged. Engaged to be married. Married, for Christ's sakes.
"Where were you yesterday?" he asked slowly. Her eyes never left his, their bright green dimmed by his own unnaturally bright blue ones.
"Shopping with Ino. We got back around nine."
"I called her house and she picked up. She said you weren't there," he said, and cut her off before she could come up with another excuse. "She said you were at TenTen's. So I called TenTen, and she said she thought you were with me. Where were you? Because we called pretty much everyone you might have been with, and all of them said you were with someone else."
"I'm a grown woman, Naruto, not a three year old. You don't have to watch me all the time. I can take care of myself," she said reproachfully. He gripped her even harder. She stared at him levelly, her lips frighteningly bloodless. She thought about telling someone; surely she could pull off the frightened fiancée in front of the police. She could probably get him arrested and no one would even know he didn't do it. But she still needed him. She wouldn't dispose of him until a time came when he was rendered unnecessary.
"We were supposed to go to dinner at that place."
"I forgot." She choked on this particular lie: she had never once forgotten one of their dinners before. Especially one at a particularly fancy restaurant, for which she had paid a large sum of her newly obtained money. In cash, even. Naruto tightened his grip on her arm again until she gasped, and then let go slowly, his wide brow creasing.
"We're in this together now," he said, picking up her left hand with his, the metal bands around their fingers making soft ticking noises against each other. "So I'll just wait. Tell me when you're ready."
Her heart almost stopped. Just for one moment, she was almost guilty. Almost guilty because of the looks Sasuke shot her way--that lust, that smoldering look in his eyes. Something about being wanted by him again, for the last time, maybe, was making her stomach flip. Naruto was old news now. For another moment she thought of telling him the truth. The whole truth, she wondered. No. That was too much for him now, so instead she kissed his cheek and smiled like their dysfunction was purposeful.
It was time to leave, though. Once she felt guilty it was always time to leave. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, removing the ring from her finger. It was always better to keep your eyes closed. Then you didn't have to watch the shock painting their faces, like it had happened so many times before. All the rumors of her finally settling down would be quelled. She held the metal band out and dropped it in his open palm. "I'm sorry," she said, although she was not. Never once had she been sorry.
The shock was still shaking his bones as she left, closing the door softly behind her, her lips curled catlike. He was left with only that gentle last kiss; so soft it was almost cruel. Everything in him told him to follow her, but he was frozen firmly in place. She moved gracefully down the hall, her dress flowing about her legs. More than anything she was thankful to be away.
She didn't think she'd be returning to her old life. Not this husk, this silly pass time. Merely a fleeting fancy, a footnote in the novel she was creating. Outside the door of Naruto's building was a payphone, vandalized so much that vandals had begun scrawling messages to each other over the original writing. Dropping to coins in, she cocked the phone between her shoulder and ear, mouthing the numbers as she dialed them.
The phone rang twice before Hinata's timid voice filled her head. "Th-this is Uchiha Financing--where you r-r-r-really matter, Hinata Hyuuga speaking. How my I be of service t-t-t-t-to you?" Sakura sucked in a long breath. She really didn't like Hinata. Always listening at doors and stuttering and acting innocent. It was sickening to listen to, even if she couldn't see that tomato-red face.
"Get me Sasuke," she said, carefully annunciating each letter to make sure the message was clear. By God, she was PMSing and she wanted to get all the pent up hormones out before she talked to Sasuke. Hinata made a whimpering noise over the phone, and then her voice grew fainter and she yelled through the door to her employer.
There was a muffled thump and Sasuke picked up the phone. "Ye-s?" he slurred. Sakura raised her eyebrows. Either he was enthusiastic to hear from her, had decided to come out about his sexuality, or was drunk. She opted for the latter and acted accordingly. She hung up the phone and hailed a taxi.
Five minutes later found her in his office, helping him into his chair while he hiccupped and smiled at her dimly. "Sasuke," she said, her voice dusted a hint of exasperation. "Sit down. Why were you drinking? You don't drink." He sat down a little too enthusiastically and grinned widely at her, his eyes blank. She rubbed her face and sat down across from him, staring into his glassy eyes with determination, as if her gaze alone could sober him.
Unfortunately, it could not. "I'm going to hurl!" he said excitedly, and she dove for the trash can, making it back just in time to hold his hair away from his face. After three hours of alternating giggling and puking, he had finally calmed down, and was sleeping on her shoulder, the two of them huddled on the floor next to the door. Hinata had asked if he was okay twice, her head barley visible around the door. Every so often he would mutter or hum or nuzzle her, and she would ignore him.
Around six in the morning, Sakura nudged Sasuke away, her fingers lightly pressing against his collar bone. "Ohhhhh, fuck," he whispered, his throat feeling like more trouble than it was worth. "Did you hit me again?" She sniggered and stood up, stretching her taught limbs, her bones creaking from misuse. Instead of answering with words, she strode across the room and picked up a empty bottle of whiskey, shaking the last two drops around the bottom. His already pale face lost any color it had. "Did I?" She nodded.
"You don't remember anything," she stated. He shook his head in response and stood, his head feeling heavy and a fuzzy taste in his mouth. Tripping over his shoes, he staggered to his chair and sat down, his face now once again silent and solemn. Still with a smirk on her face, she sat down on the table, elevated above him as she usually did. "I came to talk to you about that deal."
"It's off," Sasuke said instantly, leaning back in his chair and surveying her face, which she forced into a controlled smile. Before she asked why, he told her, his voice, although still sounding froglike, clear and obnoxiously calm. "Someone broke into my office while I was at a meeting. Hinata was slacking off, so they got in easily. I think you have something to do with it."
Sakura hated controlling her anger. She liked it better when problems were resolved by pulling out a gun and shooting one another. She stood up, her hands landing on the table in front of him. "Why would I want to break into your office? The only reason I come here is because of you and because of my business--which reminds me: I just gave my week's notice yesterday morning," she snapped, and then pursed her lips and brought a shimmering piece of silver out of her pocket. "I want keep this."
He brushed her off, standing up again and pacing--still clumsily--to the window. "Who else could it be? You're the one who's here for the money and the power," he said, his voice low. It was just paranoia, he wanted to tell himself. Last night he'd been pondering it over the single glass of whiskey. Who could it have been? Another glass. Itachi? But he has plenty of money. We're in a gridlock; he can't move without his stupid cult being annihilated. Another glass. Not Naruto. He wasn't smart enough. Another glass. Maybe? No. Another glass. She wouldn't. Another glass. But she would. Another glass. Another glass. Another glass.
"And you're not in it for the money? Isn't this why you haven't just given up the company to your brother?" Sasuke flinched. His brother was still tender after all these years. He paced back and forth between the window and the door.
"At least I've never killed anyone for it," he said slowly. Her stomach flipped, her lips moving but with no words coming out. Her fists clenched and unclenched; her eyes focused on the floor and stayed there. Maybe his brother was a soft spot for him, but that was going too far. He couldn't. He wouldn't. It was so long ago. Her breath hissed out from between her clenched teeth.
She knew he'd seen her reaction, it was too late to cover it up. So retaliation was the only means left. "I never killed anyone, and you know that's true. And I didn't break into your office--or send someone to do it for me," she said loudly. "There's nothing here worth stealing." He snorted.
"Will it be worth it for me to go through with this?" Sasuke asked, unclenching her fist and plucking his ring, not unlike the one Naruto had chosen, out of her palm. "I certainly don't want you against me, do I?" His breath, still smelling sweetly of day-old alcohol, was falling on her jaw. With her regained composure, she met his eyes and watched him blankly. "Not you. But could I control you with only my gun and my hands."
It occurred to her that she was holding her breath, and she released it. "Without a doubt, Mr. Uchiha."
Note: Putting this up a day early, because I am determined to fuck my schedule.
Okay. That was a lie. I put it up a day early because it's better than putting it up a day late, which I would somehow manage to do if I don't post now.