Chapter Three

– Heartbeat

Sakura gulped audibly as she gripped the knob to the front door. Sucking in a deep breath, she swung the door open. Slowly her eyes grew wide, and a blush fell across her cheeks as she slowly took in his form. He wore jeans and a dark-blue fitted tee-shirt. His backpack hung over a single shoulder. Mentally shaking herself, she stepped aside and gestured for him to enter.

"Where do you want to work?" Sasuke asked briefly.

"Let's go… into the living room." Sakura's blush grew as she stuttered over her words.

"God I sound like an idiot!" She berated herself. Quickly she led Sasuke into the living room, and then ran off to the kitchen mumbling something about food and drinks.

Once she reached the sanctuary of the kitchen, Sakura let out a deep sigh of relief. Planning for Sasuke's visit and actually having him in her house were two very different things. His presence made the whole process completely terrifying. Taking deep and what she hoped would be calming breaths; she splashed her face with cool water, dried off, and quickly assembled some tea and finger snacks. Steeling herself against her nerves she re-entered the living room.

Sasuke had cleared off section on the coffee table on which he had placed his own and Sakura's math books. He had also turned on the radio to play softly in the background. Sensing her presence, Sasuke turned and took the snack and drink tray from her hands, and placed it at the center of the table before sitting down. His silence was suffocating; Sakura felt her heart rate begin to slowly accelerate. Matching his silence, she sat on the opposite end of the couch, and they began to work.

Sakura groaned lightly as she stretched her hands above her head and arched her back. She'd been working hard for nearly an hour, and her back and shoulders felt like they needed a complete realignment. Working with Sasuke proved to be very helpful. The radio had been playing pop music, softening their long periods of silence. Sasuke had started out by giving her a sheet filled with Trigonometry problems similar to the ones they has been doing in class. He read a book while she struggled through them, leaving the ones she didn't understand blank or unfinished. When she was done, it had taken only a minute to check and correct everything. Sakura felt a wave of jealousy as she watched him quickly maneuver from one problem to the next. Then the lesson started. Sasuke was a surprisingly patient and throughout teacher. He was abrupt and monotone, but he knew what he was doing. And more importantly how to teach it. By the end of the hour, Sakura felt as though she had finally begun to understand Trig.

Sasuke was sitting in his trademark pose – hunched over with his chin resting in his folded hands. Silently he regarded Sakura out of the corner of his eye as she stretched, and smiled in satisfaction. His scowl deepened.

"Haruno." He spoke in a low and faintly menacing voice.

"Huh?!" Sakura grunted in surprise. Through out the entire evening he had spoken as little as possible and avoided referring to her directly. He preferred to show her everything rather verbally instruct her. And his ego stated that she would simply listen to him, alerted by the sound of his voice (he was right).

"Where are your parents?" Sasuke asked, after a short pause.

"They travel a lot." Sakura stated in surprise. "They're business people."

"Where are they?" Sasuke repeated.

"London. They left last week. Unless things go well, and they get a new deal, they'll be back in a month." Sakura stopped abruptly, feeling as though she were rambling. Silence stretched uncomfortably over the two, until Sasuke quickly stood, grabbed his bag and began to walk to the front door. Sakura, surprise jogged to catch up to him and see him out. She went to close the front door behind him when he caught the door with a dull thud. Leaning in so he towered intimidating over her, he stared directly into her eyes. Blood rushed in Sakura's eyes as her heart beat went erratic.

"Lock the doors and windows." He growled finally. Holding the eye contact for a moment longer then necessary, he turned and slammed the door shut behind him. Sakura leaned back against the wall and sank down to the floor. Hugging her knees, she struggled to regain control of her body and mind.

"What was that?!" She thought frantically. "Could he… have been worried about me?"

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