Beautiful People

Chapter 2: My Naruto

Beta: None at the moment. Still searching.

….

Dear Sakura,

Well, this is the second time I'm writing to you, the first day of my "recovery." I guess I started writing because I was thinking about today and I just got too caught up in my emotions because I had started to pick at my face in the mirror. It's a bad habit I really have to stop doing because I don't even have bad skin, and I've seen girls with bad skin, and I still think they are prettier than I'll ever be. Is that weird?

Oh yes, I'm talking about beauty today. I have to start getting serious. Now...the first person I saw today was…oh yeah, it was Naruto-k…Naruto. I had decided to go out for breakfast then attend a family brunch so I stopped at a nice restaurant and I saw Naruto come in with Sasuke. They were only about 4 tables down from me, but they didn't notice I was sitting there, and I wasn't even hiding myself. It must've been the hair…


I scanned the menu over quickly; searching for a platter I could eat quickly and cost me little. "I'll just have the okayu with tamagoyaki(1), please."

"Yes, ma'am. Do you want that to include the grated daikon as a side dish?" The perky waitress scribbled incoherent words down on her pad and looked at me expectantly.

I smiled politely. "Yes, please." The waitress nodded and stepped away, returned briefly to set a steaming glass of green tea in front of me before disappearing to other tables again.

I made sure I was seated in the far back of the restaurant, away from any windows. I didn't particularly want to be seen because I didn't want to be interrupted while eating, but I won't mind if someone I know saw me either. Kiba sometimes travels here with Akamaru on their way back from training. It's how I discovered this place.

What I didn't expect was to see Naruto suddenly walk in, cheery and smiling, and I certainly didn't expect to see a grumpy Uchiha tagging behind him, angst and gloom casting dark auras even I could sense, even from afar. Naruto must have a death wish.

I sipped my tea softly, wondering if I should catch Naruto's attention and wave without getting up, or what to say if he noticed me first. I decided to remain stoic and ignore them, but even if I had tried to go back to daydreaming about things I'd love to do, Naruto's voice had already overridden my mind and forced me to catch everything he said.

"Why so grumpy when I compromised with you not to have ramen for breakfast this time?" I couldn't see Naruto's face, only the back of his head, but I could imagine he was frowning because he poked Sasuke in the arm.

I could see Sasuke's face though, and quite clearly because I noticed his eye twitch at the physical contact and the frown of his lips. "I never said I wanted to go out and have breakfast. I never said I wanted to go anywhere."

There was a pause and I couldn't hear much more of their conversation, only watching Sasuke's lips move silently, twitching into happy, smug, and annoyed positions. I would've kept trying but my food had finally come and I forgot all about them once I started eating.

Now Sakura,

I don't remember much about the part where I stopped listening and began eating. I do remember that the tamagoyaki was really good, and that the tea was delicious. I guess I stopped watching them because Sasuke was smiling a little too often for my taste, and Naruto was laughing a little too often…, and I guess I got really upset because I was ready to order a second helping if only that waitress wasn't so busy returning to Naruto's table every 2 seconds…

I have to thank her though. If she hadn't been so busy ignoring me this morning, I would've had to buy bigger pants.


"I'm getting tired of that waitress ogling you while I'm sitting right here." I perked up, and started taking smaller bites, making myself look as inconspicuous as possible, eavesdropping the way I was. That was Sasuke's voice.

Naruto shrugged. "It happens; I'm more popular than you are now."

I nodded despite myself. It was a fact that more women these days preferred Uzumaki over Uchiha, probably because not all of them realized that he wasn't going to be killed for treason like the rumor had said.

Sasuke snorted, lifting his cup to his lips. "Whoever told you you were attractive is a damn liar." He sipped cautiously while the blond took the invitation to inch his chair closer to the raven.

"It's not good to call yourself a liar, teme." Naruto gave a sly smile that I could only get a glimpse of in my position, all leaned over for a peak. But it didn't matter, I knew what it looked like, the image was burned in my memory, bouncing back to my mind when I caught that flush on Sasuke's cheeks.

This was the worst case of déjà vu I have ever had the displeasure of having.

But his smiles wer..are beautiful, Sakura. I remember each and every one he's ever given to me. If you ever want to see beauty at its best, you should go see an Uzumaki smile. That's beautiful.

And since when can I compare myself to a smile like that?


It was a shame that I had finished my food too early. Now my choices were to get up, leave, and be seen by the two of them since I'd have to walk past them, or I could stay and watch the Uchiha blush under Naruto's suggestive smiles and touches.

Regarding my own situation, I would prefer the latter. But watching Naruto touch the bottom of Sasuke's chin gently, lifting his head and forcing him to stare back into sapphire orbs rigged with raw emotions…it stabbed at my heartstrings.

I don't have a doubt in my mind anymore that Uzumaki Naruto would now and forever be smitten with the raven before him, now blushing and shyly leaning in to take the blond's lips, untouched dishes on the table completely forgotten. They've done a good job at keeping it secret though. Well, not a great job because obviously I found out, but it was a good job nonetheless.

'Ugh, what am I still doing here?'

I was ready to leave. I put my jacket back on and grabbed my equipment pouch, leaving enough money to pay for the meal and even left a couple of dollars for the waitress as a tip, because it must've hurt to see Naruto kiss another guy when she was trying so hard to catch his eye.

Even if I couldn't tell you know I think the way that Naruto grinned after the kiss was over… was beautiful. Everything Naruto did was beautiful.

He did notice me though, trying to exit as quiet as possible. He even made a big scene about it, getting out of his chair to give me a hug, leaving the blushing raven to pout by himself. I guess that Sasuke won't ever be too friendly with me either huh, Sakura.


"Hina-chan? Hey!" Naruto crowed and scooped me up in a tight hug, and I'm ashamed to have gasped in surprise, the musky smell of Naruto overtook my senses for a moment.

'Gosh, I remember this smell…'

"Were you here the whole time?" He said, smiling politely.

I waved about the restaurant casually. "Oh, yeah, I was, pretty far back there. Why, did you guys just get here?" The best I could do was make casual conversation, even if the thing I wanted to do most was give him a slap for treating me like a casual friend just because Sasuke was there. Jerk.

Naruto nodded eagerly, motioning to Sasuke behind him. "Yeah, I was just treating him to some breakfast since the teme doesn't enjoy ramen as much as you do, Hina-chan."

I must've blushed again. "Yeah, that was all you, y'know. Eating ramen everyday can grow on you." I feigned a chuckle.

I could see Sasuke souring as the time passed, but I was enjoying the fact that Naruto's attention was solely on me for a moment, so I kept talking.

"The food is really good here; I come here with Kiba sometimes."

"You too? Akamaru loves the pork here, and their ramen isn't that bad either. Uhh, yeah, so I noticed your hair. I really like it, it's…cute."

'Liar. You hate short hair on a woman.' I thought sourly but forced a smile anyway, touching my hair gently. "Yeah, I needed a new style. Long hair got in the way of training. Sakura's been working on a project at home mostly but I can let her know if you're trying to―"

"Don't you have somewhere to be, Hinata?" Sasuke had bit in sharply.

And the glare that followed it didn't intimidate me as much as I thought it would, maybe I just got over it, maybe I was just as inwardly angry, not sure. What I really wanted to do was say something both homophobic and rude. Like…like I could call him...queer.

Yeah, that would make him think twice before treating me badly, because I know his secret.

….

Hm.

I don't think that would be a very nice thing to do though, Sakura. Naruto would never appreciate that, since he's so nice and loving and open-minded. The total opposite of me.

Maybe I'm ugly because I'm inwardly mean…

...

Do you think I'm mean, Sakura?


I nodded. "Yes, I do have to go. It was nice seeing you two, Naruto." I took a few more steps, smiling back at the radiant blond who sped up my heart with his sweet eyes before giving the raven a bored look.

"Sasuke." As bored as I could muster it. I could tell he would've liked nothing else but to stick out his tongue at me or flip me the bird as I walked out the door. Only when Naruto wasn't around.

And can you believe that this all happened early in the morning Sakura? But even with telling you everything I could remember about it, I don't see how this is supposed to help me figure out why Naruto is beautiful.

I already know he's beautiful. The way he laughs, jokes, and makes faces is beautiful. Naruto is adorable, and I don't think I'll ever stop thinking of him this way. It hurts to talk about him, but I have to keep going. Let's see… his smile is beautiful, his eyes are beautiful…the way he treated me nicely was beautiful, even though Sasuke regarded me poorly, and for whatever reason that could be.

He still was polite, and nice, and gentle. He's probably that way with everyone (Sasuke) but it still made me feel nice. I…I don't know Sakura. Is that beautiful? Does the way Naruto can make a person feel good about them beautiful?

Is that what you call inner beauty?

Do I even have that?

I wish you could answer me Sakura. I wish the real Sakura was here, she's been ignoring me, on purpose probably because I have too many questions. Like HOW is this supposed to help me!?

I already know that Naruto is everything I couldn't be! I know that for a long time I tried to be like him! But I can't!

I can't be like him. I can't be perfect in an imperfect world.

I can't be beautiful.

I...I don't want to write anymore. It's late, I'm going to bed.

Goodnight, Sakura.


And goodnight to you, my readers. I hope that I didn't build up too much in the first chapter just to have a let down for the second, but if you don't understand what I was trying to aim at in this chapter, then I…could explain it, but maybe that would be giving it away? And I see that a lot of people looked at this, and I'm eternally grateful to anyone who would try to read this, but it would also help if you reviewed and let me know you got what I was trying to say. I'm out on a limb here, haha. Partially because I need a BETA. o_o

Okay, I'm done now.

(1) Okayu is rice porridge. Common and plain for people to eat at breakfast in Japan. Tamagoyaki is a type of omelet with different things inside.

Review please~

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