"C-Can you believe this weather?"

Naruto regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth.

Her head jerked towards him, eyes slightly widened as though she didn't quite believe he'd actually spoken to her, and it was her gaze alone that stopped him from slapping himself then and there and making a further fool of himself. He smiled at her crookedly, wishing nothing more than to sink into oblivion while a single word played on repeat in his head like a broken record.

Why. Why. Why. Why. Why. WHY.

Why did he have to choose the most cliché of conversational topics as his first words to her?

Obviously this wasn't what he'd expected to happen. No, he'd had the entire scenario planned out in his head to a tee: he'd walk into the elevator at 7AM, just like he did every morning, and there'd she be, just like she was every morning. He'd flash a bright smile, stride towards her, and lean suavely against the back of the elevator as he looked down into her pearly eyes and say, "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. How about we go out sometime?" And she'd swoon, obviously charmed by him, before falling into his waiting arms and proclaiming her undying love for him. And they'd live happily ever after.

And to think it had only taken him 3 months, countless wordless encounters, dozens of sneaked glances and friendly nods, and 5 missed opportunities due to him chickening out for him to finally utter any semblance of a word to her.

"A-ah, um, yes…" She granted him a small smile and nodded her head ever so slightly in his direction before turning her gaze back towards the elevator doors with a light pink dusting her cheeks and effectively stunning him into silence.

He was an idiot.

An idiot in love with the girl he rode the elevator with every morning.

Where did his plan go wrong? Somewhere between the elevator door sliding open to reveal her petite frame and him tripping as he walked inside, he was sure. That must have been a pitying smile she'd given him, he convinced himself. She obviously felt sorry for him and his obvious lack of charm and didn't want to hurt his feelings. 'A-ah, um, yes…' So she could believe the weather? What does that even mean? That she agrees the weather is bad? It had been raining a lot lately. Maybe he was just trying too hard to read between the lines. Did that make him desperate? No, he was definitely not desperate…

Okay, so maybe he was a little desperate.

He wanted to tell her that he thought she was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen. He wanted to tell her that her voice was angelic, the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. He wanted to tell her that he usually wasn't this quiet, and that he wanted to get to know her- wanted her to get to know him! He wanted to tell her that he didn't really care about the weather so much as he cared about finally manning up and talking to her. He wanted to tell her countless things, but as her voice echoed repeatedly in his ears, drowning out all other thoughts and processes, his world skidded to a halt.

...Alright, he was a lot desperate.

Her voice was more soft and sweet than he could have imagined, and he could hear the echo of it ringing in his ears like a symphony. He could listen to that melodic voice forever, he decided. He wanted that voice ingrained into his eardrums. And as pretty as her eyes were, he thought they were that much prettier when their attention was focused on him. He didn't even get to ask what her name was! Or tell her his! Why'd she have to be so pretty? Why'd he have to be such an idiot? And for the love of God, why'd he have to ask about the weather?

He gave her the sneakiest glance he could manage, watching as she tucked a long strand behind her ear and shifted her weight onto one leg nervously.

'Say something!'

His mouth open and closed repeatedly as he watched the numbers above the door decrease steadily.

'Say anything, you idiot!'

Ding!

"Told you you'd fuck it up," his unsympathetic roommate drawled that evening without so much as looking up from his book as the despondent blonde dropped his suitcase by the door and dramatically threw himself onto the ground in front of the TV.

"I asked her about the weather," he croaked miserably and Sasuke spared him a glance as the blonde drug his hands down his face as though it might erase his shame. "She took one look at me and all I could think to ask about was the fucking weather."

She'd definitely never speak to him again.