Summery: "You like him," my editor stated. And though I had a feeling I would soon be eating my words, I opened my mouth. "Prove it"- And it all started with a fat lady, though it hardly ended with her singing. SasuNaru AU
Warnings: Slight OoC, though I'm trying my best to stick to the characters. =/
Mentions of a lemon and bad language
Also, I gave Sai and Naruto a very adventurous sense of style
Disclaimer: Plot © Me, Naruto(+characters) © Masashi Kishimoto
Edit*: Slight SaiNaru because I love Sai too damn much. Also, Naruto is an idiot in this one.
Edit*: Less SaiNaru, still hints though. Less idiotic Naruto
Sequence Three: Click Click
It was still not quite day when I pulled out of the parking lot in my Audi on my way to Barnes & Noble. Where I would be bombarded with fans for thirteen hours, only to have it happen the next day… and the next day.
Not even looking at the caller-ID when my cell buzzed softly, I answered on my Bluetooth- it could only be Sakura.
"Hello?" he asked politely.
"Don't you 'hello' me! Where the hell are you, Uchiha? I told you to be here by six! We're already setting up!"
I winced and pulled the Bluetooth device from my ear and listened to her raving for another minute before the gods witnessed my suffering and offered rescue. There was a beeping, indicating a waiting call.
"When I get a hold of that scrawny neck of yours-"
"I'm so sorry Sakura but I have another call. I'll see you soon,"
"You wait just minu-"
I hung up on her and answered the other call.
"Yes?"
"Ah, little brother. Today is your big day, no?"
"It's only a book signing, but yes, it is today. I'm on my way now," I answered, happy to hear from Itachi. His deep voice lifted my anxiety a little.
"Father sends his regrets for being too busy to say anything,"
"Of course he does," I drawled sarcastically, pushing on the gas a little more.
"Now, now Sasuke. Be kind. I'm only calling to say good luck. I have class in an hour,"
Naruto's face flashed in my memory.
"Hey, wait, Itachi. Do you remember a student you have last fall?"
"I had many students last fall. I'm afraid you have to be a tad more specific,"
"This one is particularly… unique. Naruto…"
I finally realized Naruto had never given me his last name.
There was a beat of silence.
"Give me a hint," he teased.
"Blonde hair, blue eyes, scars on his cheeks, really loud and-"
"Obnoxious? You wouldn't happen to be talking about my top student Namikaze Naruto, would you? Did you two meet by chance? He was wonderful in class. Often lead debates. We email from time to time,"
"Yes, that's what he said too,"
Was he talking about my Naruto? Well, not mine, obviously- but the Naruto I was currently associating myself with. Not my Naruto, because it wasn't like I owned him or anything. Just the Naruto I knew. Understand?
Namikaze… The famous local architect? I wondered my Naruto had failed to tell me. Then again, I never did directly ask…
"We're apartment neighbors,"
"That's interesting. Do tell him I said hello,"
I pulled up into the Barnes & Noble parking lot.
"Sure. I have to go Itachi," I said. We shared our brief farewells and hung up. I looked at the building and realized something with a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach. The Dobe worked here.
Stepping out of my car with born grace, I strode across the black asphalt to the front doors and glided through the glass doors- a little jingle of bells signifying my entry-, the smell of books and coffee permeating the air.
No one had really noticed that I had arrived, hence they were probably used to the bell going off my now. I saw employees of both B&N and SPC huddled in tables in the Starbucks area of the book store.
Sakura was chatting happily with a girl with pale eyes and dark hair, he immediately understood to be Neji's cousin. There was a tan, scruffy looking young man attached to the girl, his arm over her shoulders. The scruffy man seemed to be having a separate and animated conversation with my blonde neighbor (What? He is my neighbor.) One the blonde's side was a leeching Sai (were they even together?) and across the table, while Naruto talked, he also played thumb wars with a red head who was wearing thick eyeliner.
I stared at him (Naruto, not the red head) and took in his attire from what I could see. His sunny hair was pooled back by a flowery headband and a golden hoop earring hung from one of his ears. Under his eye and above those ever present whisker scars (that I had been intending to ask about for a while) was a heart tattoo, the shade of his eyes. Underneath his work vest was an oversized purple sweater that hung off of both of his sun-kissed shoulders. His laughter brought my eyes back to his face and I noted the black choker and lip ring in the corner of his mouth. When had he gotten that?
"Sasuke!"
I was reluctantly brought back to Earth in time to see a storming Sakura headed my way. Chances of wind damage, tornado warnings everywhere, flash floods…
"You're late!" While there is an exclamation mark at the end of that sentence, Sakura's voice was low and the mark only came from the sheer force of her anger.
"Only fashionably so," I replied with a smirk. She growled.
"You're lucky I need you for the next three days, or so help me god-"
"Y-You!" a horrified cry filled the book store, causing everyone to hush down.
I looked for the source of the noise and found Naruto standing (giving him a nice view of his waxed legs from those indecently short plaid shorts), a red fingernail pointing at me, a sight so similar to the second time they had seen each other. Déjà vu, huh?
"It's good to see that your impersonation of a fish is still by far, the best I've ever seen, Dobe," I said, sneer widening, hoping to get a rise out of him.
"Teme! What are you doing here?" the blonde demanded, sounding suspicious.
"Naruto, you're making a dumb ass of yourself. Sit down," the red head stated in a -surprisingly- pleasingly deep voice, "It's Uchiha Sasuke, A.K.A. The Avenger. A successful writer and employee of SPC,"
I watched the blonde clench his jaw, then he pouted and sat down, this time Sai not clinging so close.
"So? Like I care. Famous or not, he's just a bastard,"
I had to bite my cheeks to keep from laughing. There was just something too cute about this guy. I walked over, pulled up a chair and sat right across from Naruto, so that he would be able to see me unless he turned his chair around in the opposite direction. He seemed to notice this and stuck his tongue out at me. I was alarmed that I was only a little shocked that I wanted to take that tongue… If that made sense…
"Hyuuga Hinata," the pale-eyed girl introduced herself in a soft voice, gripping his hand firmly, "You work with my cousin Neji,"
I nodded. The resemblance was too striking for anyone not to know anyways. My first guess would have been brother and sister.
"Kiba," the rough man said. His voice was kind of gravely, but not in an 'I'm a chain smoker' kind of way. The way talked briefly reminded me of Naruto, "I don't work here, but everyone loves my face so much I just can't stay away,"
Naruto snorted and Hinata reached over to smack him.
"We already met, bastard," Naruto all but whined.
"I know, moron,"
The blonde was about to reply, but the red head shoved his hand in Naruto's face to stop him.
"Sabaku Gaara,"
I nodded once just as the bell jingled. Naruto's attention followed it and he smiled. I turned around and saw a blonde woman scurrying in.
"Hey guys!" she greeted, untangling herself from a green scarf, "My mom called and I just couldn't get away!"
"Pig?" Sakura asked uncertainly.
The blonde woman narrowed her eyes as if insulted until she saw Sakura.
"Forehead?" the blonde woman finally replied.
"Oh my god! I haven't seen you since high school graduation!" Sakura gushed and the two were soon hugging, "Sasuke, this Yamanaka Ino. My old best friend,"
Ah. I shook her hand. Tampon girl.
Everyone's chatter died down as Tsunade and Sarutobi walked out of the old man's office. All of the authors' booths had been set up, a pack of pens and a stack of books on each.
"All right, everyone listen up! Time to set up! We're opening in ten. You see those people out there?"
I looked with the others and to my astonishment, there actually were people crowding at the doors.
"Each author will have a runner to get him water or what ever the hell he needs. Authors, get to know them while you're bossing them around,"
Sarutobi pulled out a sheet of paper which I assumed had everyone's names on it.
"Gaara, you will be Sai's wingman; Ino, you'll be Neji's when he gets here (I thought Tsunade was about to blow a fuse, at that point); Naruto, you're Sasuke's runner-"
"What?"
"No complaining, brat! Or I'll tell your mom about the skydiving trip you went on with Kiba,"
"You're so mean to me, Granny," Naruto pouted. I raised an eyebrow. It seemed like the two were familiar with each other. I realized with a bit of bitterness that I didn't know much about Naruto. But he was my runner and Tsunade had said 'get to know them while you're bossing them around'.
"Iruka, you keep working at the café; TenTen… look after Orochimaru until Neji gets here (the mentioned man smiled creepily at the woman); Hinata, you'll work for Jiraiya; Kiba, I need you to work at one of the counters; Sarutobi and I will take care of everything elsef,"
"Lunch break will be at eleven until twelve and dinner will be from seven to eight," Tsunade was saying when there was a loud bang from the back of the building.
"I'm so sorry I'm late!" Neji said as he burst through the back storage room. He probably had to come in through the back to avoid the crowd in the front. TenTen, who was Neji's manager, fell to the ground in relief.
"Explain yourself!" Tsunade screamed. I didn't hear his reason because a certain blonde was walking towards me, a wary expression on his face.
I walked over to my station with him, and took a seat in one of the two fold-out chairs.
Naruto picked up a stack of copies of a picture of me holding a cup of coffee and looking off with a distracted, deep-in-thought look. Obviously, I hadn't been aware of the camera being present and would have to corner Sakura about it later.
"How do you know Tsunade?" I asked Naruto. He turned to me and smiled.
"Her and Jiraiya helped raise me. They're like my grandparents. But don't tell Tsunade I said that because it makes her feel old." He giggled.
Eventually, the doors were opened and a steady stream of fans filled the store. I sighed, already set to work at my own line forming. A few minutes, Naruto walked off and returned with two cups of coffee in his hands. He handed me one and I raised a questioning brow as I signed a picture off to a giggling girl.
"A asked Sakura how you prefer it. I added a little more sugar though. How can you stand it so bitter?,"
I just shrugged and forced a small smile as another fan trotted happily away.
"Do you mind taking a picture with me?"
"Not at all," I told the girl, giving the camera to Naruto so he could take the shot, "Naruto?"
"Sure. Say cheese!"
Click.
She took her camera from Naruto and pushed her glasses up, a small smile on her face.
"I really enjoy your work," she whispered before turning away and disappearing into the crowd.
The morning passed slowly for me, but I used very pause in my line to ask Naruto a question. If I coulfn't think of a question, I would send him on a pointless errand just for the hell of it.
"What's you're favorite color?"
"Orange!" he answered immediately, "No… Yellow. Or maybe purple. All of them!"
And after a few other signings, he had managed another.
"What do you plan on doing with medical school?"
"I want to be a psychiatrist at Konoha Institute,"
Eventually, all of the authors were allowed a short break around nine-thirty and Naruto tool to force-feeding me a bite of chocolate cheesecake.
"Delicious, isn't it?" he asked smugly, taking a bite himself.
I swallowed and grunted, stealing his fork back easily and taking a large hunk out of the treat. Naruto gawked.
"Hey! That was like, half the cake!"
I liked the remains off of the fork with a smirk of accomplishment. He grumbled and snatched it back. Naruto smiled as he took a small bite, savoring it. I vaguely noted that he was the only person I have shared a fork with is years.
"You secretly have a sweet tooth," he declared, holding the fork to my mouth. I bit the cake off trying not to think about the fact he had just fed me, "You drink your coffee so gross, but it's just a cover up!"
I snorted. Where did he come up with this stuff?
"It's a weakness," I answered and nodded, deciding to humor him.
Naruto laughed and scooped up the rest of the cheesecake with the fork.
"Weakness or not, there's no way you're getting my precious last bite!"
I sneered at the subtle challenge and grabbed his wrist before it could reach his pretty mouth.
"Bastard!" Pretty loud mouth.
Leaning towards him to get closer to the fork, I watched him scowl trying to cover the redness of his face- though I couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or anger.
"Go buy your own cheesecake!"
"You shouldn't have shared,"
I drew closer.
"Get away!" Naruto whined.
A group of guys walked by- no doubt going to get a copy of Icha Icha- and I pretended to be too engrossed in Naruto's pouty face as they walked a little closer to us than necessary. (I mean, who wouldn't have been able to see this coming?)
The last guy bumped into Naruto's back- on purpose? I would never know.
"Ack- mmff," he began, loosing his balance and falling the only way he could possibly go- into me. The silver fork was dropped, smacking the floor and spreading cake onto Sarutobi's carpet, but I was more absorbed with the smacking of Naruto's mouth on mine. I shifted, trying to resist the urge to grab onto him, and the movement caused a little whine from the blonde. I felt his lip-ring against my mouth.
I guess he finally realized what was going on, because he jerked away with a gasp. Once Naruto got settled in his chair again, he looked at me from the cornered of his eyes.
"That was an accident," he stated loudly.
"Yes," I agreed, watching him fidget and feeling the edges of my mouth quirking up.
"I mean, it's not like we would aver actually…"
"Hn,"
He looked at me, a confused expression on his face.
"What?"
"I didn't say anything," I answered, smirking.
"Get that haughty look off your face, jerk!"
"It was just a kiss, idiot,"
"I don't care!" Naruto insisted.
"You did seem to like it, though," I taunted, unable to keep my smirk from growing into a grin.
"Shut up!" he snapped, cheeks flaming with even more heartiness than before.
I decided to fall silent, though my smile held- much to the happiness of my fans when our break ended.
I didn't get to really talk to Naruto again until our lunch break. It was a depressing thing when Sai frequently abandoned his post- leaving an angry Gaara- to come molest the blonde. It confused me. I didn't think they were dating, but I wasn't sure. I would have to ask Naruto. Between all of that, the security had to be called three times- twice for me and once for Jiraiya. Some fans just didn't understand that the purpose of the table was to separate us.
"May I get a picture?" a girl asked as we were standing up to go to lunch. I glanced over at Naruto who glanced away, and sighed.
"Sure,"
Naruto held his hand out to wait for the girl to hand him her camera. She smiled.
"No, no, no. Not with me. I want a picture of you two,"
Naruto's hand dropped and he looked at me for help. I smirked.
"Do you mind?" she asked when we stayed silent.
"Not al all. Come here Naruto,"- but when he took too long, I grabbed him by the belt loops of his too-short shorts and yanked him to me. He squeaked and I drew my arm around him shoulders.
Click.
"Wait!" Naruto cried, wriggling in my grip, "I don't-"
Click.
"You never came off as shy to me, dobe," I sneered. He growled.
Click.
"I'm not shy!"
"Prove it!" (I remembered the last time I said this, it had back fired on me terribly and prayed it wouldn't this time.)
Something I took as tenacity flashed in the blonde's eyes and suddenly, he was lunging as me. I felt more than saw his arms go up my chest and rest on my shoulders and the nape of my neck.
Click.
"That's all I need," she said, putting her camera down and smiling, "Anything more, and my parents will make me delete them,"
We stayed like that while Tsunade had all the fans leave the building and lock the doors so we could have our lunch break. Naruto's stomach growling broke the moment and those tan arms were withdrawing.
"Let's go eat," he said happily, grabbing my hand and pulling me along. I followed him, holding his hand only a little and reminding myself that it wasn't really my hand to hold.
We grabbed what we wanted and paid at Iruka's register. Honestly, I would have preferred sitting somewhere alone with Naruto, but he lead me where everyone had pushed the tabled together so they could all eat with each other. I sat between Naruto and Kiba and across from Ino. I ignored the weird and uncomfortable twinge in my gut when Naruto let got of my hand.
"And then he tells us we weren't in trouble! So the whole time, we were just sitting in the principal's office for nothin'!" Kiba exclaimed melodramatically. Everyone laughed and Naruto leaned towards me.
"He's telling a story about him and me. We were quite the trouble makers in high school," he whispered. I just snorted.
"I wouldn't doubt it,"
"Hey, Sasuke," Ino said, catching my attention, "Tell us about your books. How many have you published?"
"Mostly a mixture between horror and science fiction: the theories of alternate dimensions or bio-weaponry with a hint of the unexplained," I answered, "And this latest one is my third,"
"Sounds kind of Stephen King," Naruto said.
I felt embarrassed at the amount of pride I felt swell. Naruto had probably never even opened one of my books. Sakura laughed.
"Funny you should say that. Sasuke's always admired King,"
We steered away from me after that and discussed other random things. I let their voices become white noise and spent the rest of lunch focused on a certain someone's arm brushing against mine. (And I'm not talking about Kiba, you smart asses.)
"So, what are you going to do now?" Naruto asked me at the end of the day, as the last of the fans were trailing away and the clock struck ten. He flicked at his lip-ring and I snorted.
"Going home and going to sleep," I answered uninterested.
"You know," he said with a grin, "Trams don't run this late. You wouldn't let little adorable me walk a twenty minute route in the middle of the night all alone, would you?"
"If this is your way of asking-"
"I'm not asking," he interrupted, natural boldness rising as he leaned towards me, "I'm skillfully persuading,"
Naruto's breath- an odd combination of spear-mint and something sweeter- feathered over my face. We hadn't kissed long enough for me to know if he tasted the same. Mentally batting the brief recollection of the firm slid of his mouth on mine, I sighed.
"You will not put your feet on anything but the floor,"
Naruto laughed.
"Nor will you touch the stereo,"
"What are you a mother? I get it,"
"Nor will you make any loud noises,"
Everyone was pulled away from their conversations when Tsunade, ignoring protests from Hinata, climbed up on a check-out counter.
"You all showed a lot of hard work today. I'm going to need the same attitudes for the next two days in order for us all to get through this. If this ends well, Sarutobi has agreed to let it become annual," Tsunade paused then added, "No one is late tomorrow!"
Neji shuffled his feet in ignominy.
As everyone began setting everything up in preparation for the morning, Sai lingered his way over to Naruto.
"Gaara wasn't very fun today, Naaaaru," he whined, arms wrapped tightly around the blonde's waist. Naruto laughed and patted Sai's cheek.
"Give him some time to warm up to you," Naruto stated, not phased in the least when Sai began nuzzling his neck.
"But I want you to be my helper," Sai pouted, and at that point I had to force myself to look away, "Do you need a ride to your place?"
I tensed and couldn't resist looking up. Sai was practically wrapped around the blonde twice, nibbling his ear, but miraculously, Naruto slipped out of his grip and trailed over right next to me. I was amazed that he had escaped and made it look easy.
"Actually," Naruto hooked his arm around mine with a grin, "Sasuke is my escort this evening,"
My breath involuntarily hitched at the sound of my name coming out of the blonde. I think it was the first time I had ever heard him say my name.
Sai frowned, his eyes cutting to me before returning to Naruto.
"See you tomorrow then, Dickless," he said, blowing a kiss to Naruto before leaving.
"Ready to go?" the blonde asked, not waiting for an answer to start pulling me out and across the dark parking lot.
We rode in silence and Naruto did well to heed my car rules. He didn't open his mouth until we reached the fourth floor of the apartment building.
"Thanks for the ride," he said, sounding a little off-key, like he wanted to say something else. I studied his face carefully, taking in the heart tattoo, scars, and landing on the lip ring. He smiled.
"They're fake,"
I raised an eyebrow as he pulled the black hoop out and held it up: a clip-on.
"My mom would have a heart attack if I got anything on my face. I had to get my ears pierced, then tell her about it to get away with it. I don't think she knows about my tattoo" he said with a chuckle.
I eyed the whisker marks and he shrugged.
"Scars,"
My door would be in front of me in five steps and I discretely took smaller strides. We reached it anyways.
"I guess I'll see you at work,"
"Do you need a ride?" I blurted out (Thankfully, I was naturally poised, being an Uchiha, so even my slip-ups sounded relatively articulate.)
"Are you offering?" he asked carefully.
"Didn't I just ask, idiot?"
"Don't answer my question with another question! You're being evasive!" he yelled, putting his hands on his hips and tilting forward.
"You started it,"
"And to think I thought we could have a decent conversation! God, you are such an ass! What part of-"
I shut him up the best way I could think of. His shoulders tensed in my grip when our lips touched for the second time that day. I leaned back before he could react and smirked.
"I'll be knocking on your door at five-forty,"
Leaving him gaping in the hallway, I went to bed with a pleasant buzz of a small triumph in my veins.
Sequence Three: End
I feel like I'm popping these chapters out like Kate Gosselin popped out babies.
Anyways, everyone's support is much appreciated. Keeps me motivated :D
R&R