The Victorian Lace Café
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, never have, and never will. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Warnings: Probably a lot of OOCness and some slight inaccurate information.
Summary: He didn't know why he ended up like this. Cross-dressing as a female, and working in one of those oh so famous Cosplay Cafés dressed in Lolita. But what he really didn't get was why a certain Raven-haired man chose him to be his Hostess. SasuNaru. AU.
The Victorian Lace Café
By: Naoko-Miharu
Chapter Two: Okaerinasai Sasuke-sama!
The three Hostesses turned around to see who was at the entrance, and to their surprise, it was no other than Tokyo's famous and wealthy family's youngest son, Uchiha Sasuke.
Naruto's crystalline eyes widened.
'The Uchiha Sasuke was here? Err, you're serious right? The most seriously stoic and wealthiest business man in Tokyo was in a Cosplay Café? A café for the otaku of all otaku…?' Naruto thought to himself, bewildered.
Sakura's jaw had almost dropped but she kept her poise.
"O-of all the men, S-Sasuke-san came here?" Hinata whispered.
Naruto's eyebrow twitched, 'From what I've heard, this Sasuke dude is an ass. I really, really don't want to be associated with him...'
The Hostesses watched Sasuke place a hand on his hip and examine the entire café.
One thought shot through Naruto's head, 'No way… is this jerk going to buy Victorian Lace?! Oh like hell he isn't!'
Naruto tensed up and the young Uchiha took note of this.
He smirked, his night colored eyes boring into Naruto's sky colored ones.
"N-Naruko, I t-think he wants you to a-assist him," Hinata whispered to the blonde.
Naruto turned around and spoke so that only Sakura and Hinata could hear him.
"I know that it's a policy here that the Hostesses should take care of every customer that walks through those double doors, but I think this time that a Hostess named Naruko refuses to take care of this customer," He said, pointing his thumb towards the stoic man.
"Che, come on Naruko, just do your job. He'll leave soon anyways, it's almost closing time remember? He has like thirty minutes at least, or whenever Karin gets one of her outbursts again," Sakura reassured.
"Besides, Hinata, the other Hostesses and I can take your place if the Uchiha bothers you," She added, "It won't be THAT bad... and he's pretty damn good looking if you ask me."
Naruto groaned before the young Uchiha cleared his throat.
"Mind if I get some service over here?" He asked dully.
Naruto shot the girls a look of annoyance before Sakura shot him a look of seriousness, and Hinata with a look of sympathy.
He grabbed a menu off the bar counter before walking over to the Uchiha.
---
"Okaerinasai, Sasuke-sama," Naruto greeted before bowing, "I apologize for the long wait."
The Uchiha smirked before returning the bow, "It took you long enough."
Naruto's eyes shot open, 'This dude is one heck of an ass alright.'
The blonde ignored the blunt comment before standing up straight and leading him towards the empty tables on the second floor, for the ground floor was still occupied by the other late-niters that remained in the café.
Sasuke took a seat on the leather cushioned chair a couple of tables away from the conversation room and took of his jacket. He completely ignored the couple of awed stares at some of the customers, but instead stared at Naruto with those piercing obsidian eyes of his.
The blonde slightly blushed, but remained in character.
"Thank you for coming to Victorian Lace."
Naruto smiled while gracefully opening up the triple folded menu and holding it open for Sasuke to see.
Sasuke scanned over the lists of delicious courses, overly sweet desserts, and the tons of beverages the overly popular café had to offer.
After a few glances and a low sigh, the raven-haired man chose order 17; a grilled tomato and egg sandwich.
'A tomato and egg sandwich? Ha, I thought he would order something fancy like steak,' Naruto thought absently before snapping out of it.
"Thank you, your order will arrive shortly. Would you like anything to drink?" Naruto asked flashing another smile.
The man looked at Naruto, his eyes ringed with dark shades, "A cup of coffee would be fine, thanks…"
Naruto almost made a face when he looked at him. Sasuke looked like he hadn't slept for ages, yet he came in here with attitude and such poise.
The blonde slowly took the menu away from the man, closed it and bowed, "Alright, I will bring your order in a few minutes."
Sasuke remained still before returning the bow.
Naruto walked down the large staircase before thumping the menu into the rack full of other baby-blue colored menus.
"Seeee, it wasn't that bad was it now Naruko?" Sakura drawled out as she held up a dusty wine cup for Hinata to clean.
Naruto groaned, "Don't know about that yet."
The blonde headed towards the kitchen to give the chef Sasuke's order before walking back out.
---
Naruto sat quietly, enjoying his short five minute break. He watched as Sakura, Hinata and the other remaining Hostesses serve the happy customers with their food, variety cups of hot tea, and occasionally small talk of different Anime and new-made electronics out in Tokyo.
The blonde leaned forward in the chair he was sitting on and rest his hand on his palm. Sounds of Japanese Power-pop music still blasted energetically in the café and Naruto couldn't help but smile. He should have more fun; I mean a lot of girls would love to work in a Maid Café, and Naruto didn't seem to have the excitement he used to have a few years ago…
"Man, that guy never stops talking!"
"Hmm, problem with another customer, Karin?" Naruto asked quietly.
Karin, the oldest Hostess in Victorian Lace being twenty-two, plopped down in a chair a few feet away from Naruto. She was definitely the 'Moe' of the café if one would speak for one's self. Her hair was unusual, with the right side of her hair cut short and spiked, and the rest of her hair neatly straight and ending up above her waist. She wore thick framed glasses that hid a lot of things from her mischievous dark eyes.
She crossed her slender legs and rested an elbow on the back of the chair and sighed.
"Apparently, yes. I mean, I love talking with the customers, but talking about Hentai and huge busty girls for two hours can really get on your nerves," She explained.
Naruto smiled, "At least you get paid a good amount per hour."
Karin scoffed, "Hell yeah."
"Naruko! Your order is ready," The chef exclaimed.
"Thanks Teuchi," Naruto thanked before grabbing a silver tray and placing the grilled sandwich on it. Teuchi smiled before returning to cook more awaited orders.
The blonde walked over to the coffee machine and prepared a cup of coffee. In a few seconds, he placed the freshly made cup of coffee on the tray along with small cups of milk and sugar.
"Oh yeah, that kid, Sasuke," Karin started before Naruto walked away, "he seems pretty depressed or something, go cheer him up will 'ya?"
"Eh?! Why me? Can't you do that?" Naruto asked, stedying the tray on his right hand.
Karin cocked an eyebrow, "Naruko, I would love to, no seriously I would. But as you can tell, I'm pooped out from that perverted idiot, and besides… he keeps looking at your cardboard."
The blonde placed his free hand on his hip, "Why the heck would a guy like him stare at a piece of cardboard with my 'anime-formed' picture on it?"
The twenty-two year old shrugged before crossing her legs the other way and began to fiddle with the laces on her dress.
---
"Here is your order, Sasuke-sama!" Naruto said happily to the raven-haired man, "A grilled tomato and egg sandwich".
Sasuke didn't mind the teen knew his name; he was famous after all…
The blonde carefully placed a napkin in front of Sasuke and gently placed the dark navy colored plate on top of it. He placed another napkin to Sasuke's right side and placed an extra stirring spoon with the café's logo, on top of it.
"And here is your coffee Sasuke-sama," He said sweetly, placing the cup to the side, "how many teaspoons of sugar would you like?"
"Two please."
Naruto picked up the cup of sugar and gently scooped two teaspoons of white sugar and poured them into the cup of coffee.
"Would you like some milk in your coffee, Ojisama?" Naruto asked sweetly.
The blonde could see Sasuke get a bit fidgety but he remained calm.
"Yes, please."
Naruto placed the sugar down on top of the silver tray that was at the edge of the table before pouring the milk into Sasuke's cup of coffee.
"Here you are, Ojisama."
The blonde placed the milk on top of the tray as well and paused.
If Naruto was going to make Karin 'happy' and hopefully cheer this obviously depressed dude out, he was going to have to do that.
Naruto stepped back and the man watched, "Now I, Naruko, will add my love."
Sasuke cocked an eyebrow, "What…?"
Naruto ignored him, took a deep breath and moved his hands in circular motions next to his head.
"Hnnnnnh…," he paused then, "moeeee!"
Naruto exclaimed and placed his hands together in front of him and the cup of coffee after saying the word.
He flashed Sasuke a bright smile and let out a small laugh.
"I put it in and I tried especially hard to put in my love for you, Sasuke-sama."
Sasuke seemed dumbfounded, and it was pretty humorous to the blonde.
"…Thank you..."
Naruto smiled and brought the cup of coffee near Sasuke.
"Enjoy, and take care, it's hot."
Sasuke nodded, "Itadakimasu."
He took a cautious sip of his coffee.
Naruto bowed before he took the tray and headed downstairs. He glanced at the large clock on the way down; it was twenty minutes until closing. That Sasuke better hurry up, along with the other customers…
---
"Did you do it?" Karin asked amused.
"Yeah, I did it. He seemed shocked though."
"Oh well."
The woman yawned before going into the back closet of the café and took out her black-colored fall jacket.
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, and remind me to come down for Rock-Paper-Scissors," She said, buttoning the jacket up.
"Got it," Naruto said, placing the empty tray on top of the other stacks of empty silver trays.
Bells were heard as Karin exited through the double doors.
---
Sakura bowed, "Thank you for coming!"
Sakura ushered who she thought was last customer out, and sighed.
"Today was another success. Iruka-san would be happy to hear that," She said quietly.
Naruto was at the back of the café scrubbing the bar and making sure everything was clean and neat.
The other Hostesses including Hinata and an about-to-leave Sakura had gone home, leaving Naruto to close up the café.
Sakura yawned before looking at the clock.
"Ah, I guess it's time I should go, my mom would like to hear what I did at work today heheh."
Naruto smiled, "Alright Sakura-chan, go home safely now. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Oyasuminasai Naruto," Sakura said before slipping on her dark pink jacket and exiting the café.
Naruto huffed, "Today was tiring…"
The blonde stopped what he was doing and dropped the towel in the kitchen sink. He had been cleaning up the bar too often lately.
He shut off the lights for the first floor, excluding the entrance light and headed upstairs to lock the conversation room up.
When he reached the top floor, he stopped dead in his tracks.
"Sasuke?" He breathed, 'What the hell is that bastard still doing here?!'
Naruto quickly went up to the man before studying him. He was sleeping.
"Jeez, why does he have to sleep here?" Naruto asked aloud.
He picked up the plate and the empty cup and placed them away from the man.
Naruto bent down to the man's elevation and softly shook Sasuke by the shoulder.
"Sasuke-san, wake up, the café's closed and you need to get home to your loving family, expensive bed, and house filled with gold." He said half sarcastically.
"…Ugh, what the hell are you talking about dobe?"
Naruto stood up, pouted and crossed his arms.
"The café is closed now, and you need to get home," He said sternly, "And I am not a dobe, jerk."
"What kind of person are you to talk to me like that?" The raven haired man said in a slurred and tired voice. Sasuke returned to his sleeping position with his head on his arms.
Naruto grunted before shaking the man by the shoulders once more.
"I'm sorry Sasuke-san, but I'm really tired and I have somewhere to go, now would you please get up?"
Sasuke's eyes shot open before he pound his fist against the table, making the plate and cup fall and break onto the floor.
"Listen, Naruko, I've had a VERY tiring day, and being dragged into here wasn't my plan at all."
Naruto flinched at Sasuke's outburst.
"What the heck are you talking about Sasuke-san? Wasn't your plan?"
Sasuke grunted before he slumped back down.
"Tell me," Naruto said curiously while poking Sasuke on the shoulder.
"Why would I want to tell it to someone like you?" Sasuke asked quietly, not moving an inch.
The blonde raised an eyebrow and stopped his continuous poking.
"What? Did my love do no good for you?" He asked innocently.
Sasuke scoffed, "No, hell, it did a lot."
Naruto could feel his cheeks warm.
"Sooo, what happened then?" Naruto drawled as he picked up the broken shards of porcelain, trying to cover up his blushed self.
"Let's just say I have a bunch of moronic friends…"
"Ah."
-----
"Sasuke, don't you ever take any breaks?"
"No. Don't you ever do your assigned work, Nara?"
"Sure I do, I just finish 'em later than usual."
Sasuke swiveled on his dark colored leather chair, facing the man, dubbed Nara.
Nara Shikamaru was one of Sasuke's close friends and one of the highest placed businessmen in the Uchiha's Corporation. He had a tendency to multitask and slack off, but he had never made his position be placed in jeopardy. His wore his hair in a tight ponytail that made him look like a 'Pineapple head', or that's what one of his friends had told him.
Shikamaru looked at his watch on his wrist before leaning on the doorframe of Sasuke's office.
"Sasuke, you're not even twenty one yet, and you're working like a dog. Take a break will you?" He asked again.
Sasuke was about to retort back with an answer before Shikamaru cut him off.
"Forget about the unnecessary paperwork and your brother for just one day. Can you do that?"
Sasuke's grip tightened on the arm rest of his chair.
All his life he was competing with his older brother; and being inferior to him for more than ten years would definitely bring out the competition and hate towards one another.
Shikamaru had always asked Sasuke for a break from his work, but Sasuke had always turned down his offer each time.
Ever since Itachi had gained another high-ranking position in the corporation a few months ago, Sasuke started to work three times as harder than before. He wanted to outshine his brother, and he hoped he'd do it fast.
The raven-haired Uchiha released his death-tight grip on the arm rest before thinking carefully over what his friend had just asked.
Shikamaru was still waiting ever so patiently by the door frame, awaiting the answer he was hoping that would come out of the Uchiha's mouth.
Thinking only Shikamaru would take him to a random bar, Sasuke sighed before nodding his head.
"Fine, I'll go… just for today," He said, "After today, no more breaks; I need to get all these things done."
Shikamaru scoffed at the 'I need to get all these things done' part before parting away from the door frame and walking out to the open area of the office.
"So, put your crud down and c'mon. We can meet up with Chouji and Ino and go to that place downtown."
Sasuke slouched on his chair before swiveling towards his desk and paper-clipping a stack of paper and a few folders together.
'That place downtown is nothing but a place full of otaku and random bars…' Sasuke thought to himself.
---
"Shikamaru! Sasuke! Over here!"
A peppy young woman with long platinum blonde hair, sitting next to a rather plump young man, waved over to the two friends.
It had been an hour since both guys left their office and headed downtown to a very common and popular bar, The Diamond Edge.
"Hey Ino," Shikamaru greeted lazily, "hey Chouji."
The blonde-haired youth smiled before offering the empty seats next to her and Chouji.
The two of them plopped down on the crimson-colored seated stools; Sasuke next to Shikamaru, and Ino between Shika and Chouji.
"Hm, this is rare for Sasuke to take a break from work; did your begging finally kick in, Shikamaru?" Ino asked quietly.
The brunette half-smiled, "Yeah, I guess it did."
-----
"So you went to The Diamond Edge?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke grunted in response, his head still nestled in his arms.
"How the heck does going to a bar a few blocks down from here have to do anything with you ending up at Victorian Lace?" The blonde asked, narrowing his eyes.
Sasuke shifted his head so he was facing Naruto and sighed.
"Those block heads got me drunk… and they shoved me in here and told me to have a 'good time'."
Naruto cocked an eyebrow; his story didn't make any sense at all.
"So long story short. Your friend, Shikamaru made you take a break and you agreed. You both met up with your other friends, Ino? And Chouji? And after a few hours and a dozen rounds of drinks, your friends made you drunk. You all left completely coo-coo and they all shoved you in VL 'cuz you're such a hardworking, anti-social jackass?"
Sasuke gave Naruto a 'WTF' look before returning to his 'head on arms' position.
Naruto chuckled, "You know, you didn't look that drunk when you came here."
Sasuke huffed, "I know."
"Do you always look sober when you're drunk?" Naruto asked while getting up from the chair he was sitting on.
Sasuke didn't reply.
The blonde youth paused to look at the clock that was hanging on a nearby wall and nearly gawked.
"Dang it, I'm LATE!"
Naruto grimaced at the motionless business man before rushing towards the conversation room and locking it shut.
It was thirty minutes past closing time.
Naruto hurriedly shut off the entire second floor lights, leaving the autumn moonlight to slip pass the windows and into the surrounding area.
Naruto was about to bring the dish and the empty coffee-less cup downstairs to the kitchen area before he stopped to look at the man again.
"Oh come on, Sasuke-san, we've spent enough time talking, so would you please get up?!"
Sasuke replied with a short 'no'.
Back to square one.
At this rate Naruto was sure Iruka was going to pummel him again for being late.
The blonde's eye twitched before he calmed himself down and thought of what he could do to make the guy wake the up and get the heck out of the café for a proper closing.
'Gawd, I'm going to hate myself for this… but here goes.'
Naruto gently placed the silverware down on the table once more and softly walked over to the raven-haired man.
The blonde walked behind Sasuke, wrapped his arms around him, and lurch his head over so his mouth was right next to the Uchiha's left ear.
Gently, Naruto let out a small puff of warm air from his mouth.
The blonde felt Sasuke stiffen at the sudden contact.
"Sasuke-sama," Naruto said playfully, "Naruko would be very happy if Ojisama could get up, will you do that for me, onegai?"
"No."
Naruto's face dropped and he quickly got off of Sasuke.
"Gosh dang it, bastard, why won't you get up and go home?!"
"Do you really want me to leave that badly Naruko?"
Naruto's chest tightened.
"No, Sasuke-san, I actually don't…"
Sasuke finally picked his head up from his arms and slowly stood up from his chair.
"Then what is it Naruko?"
Naruto grimaced, "Look Sasuke-san, it's almost midnight, VL is supposed to be closed now due to some weird construction going on around the block, and I should have met up with someone thirty minutes ago. It's not that I don't want you here, since you're a customer, but you should really leave when it's closing time…"
Sasuke smirked, "Fine, you win."
Naruto let out a small sigh of relief, "Arigatou Sasuke."
The raven-haired man pulled on his dark colored jacket that was hanging behind his chair and walked up to Naruto.
Naruto's breath hitched as Sasuke titled his chin. His eyes locked with Sasuke's and he could feel his heart beat more rapidly.
"Shikamaru was probably right… coming to Victorian Lace wasn't such a bad idea."
A/N: OMG. I am SO sorry for failed update in the past month. I was busy preparing for AnimeNEXT 2007 and everything just came to me in full blast… D: I wonder if my readers went to AN xD. Hehe, I went as Karin with the supposively wrong color schemes; got a glomp and a couple of pictures, I is happy about that. –Cough- Erm, yeah, I got stuck up to Sasuke's part and this was a very frustrating chapter for me to write, but stay tuned for the next chapter, I'm currently writing it as you read this A/N. Hm, what else… oh! I just wanted to thank all of my 10 reviewers and all the people who put this story on Alert, their C2, and all that. It makes me happy XD.
And about the word for master... I have no clue what it is in Japanese. So, I'll just follow what the hostesses say in the cafés; Ojisama. Oh! And where Naruto gives Sasuke the cup of coffee, the dialouge is credited to "Tokyo Eye" this education tv show thingy that explores Japan's cultures xD.
Btw, DERN YOU FFN FOR NOT LETTING US USE THE SQUIGGLY! Dx