Song mentioned - I hate everything about you By Three Days Grace
Chapter 8 – I hate Mondays
From the moment Sakura got out of bed the next morning, she knew it was going to be a crappy day. She peered outside the window in the company's hallway and took in the gloomy clouds over head and the hailstones that attacked the window with vengeance.
The only good thing about that morning was that she didn't feel like the walking dead. She felt a little more relaxed about feeding now that her Uchiha stalkers knew her secret. For once she hadn't felt the need to go out at unholy hours of the night.
Sakura yawned once again as she marched through the colourful hallway, newly wrote lyrics in hand. Sakura's hair now bounced and swayed behind the red hair band as she walked into the music room. The room was completely empty besides the two men in the corner. Sakura was surprised and rather annoyed to see Sasuke talking to Naruto.
They were both sitting on the sofa discussing some paper work that Naruto had been working on last Friday. Both men looked up when Sakura walked in, Naruto gave a simple hello, which she returned while Sasuke just kept looking at her. Sakura felt rather awkward and began to fiddle away with the edge of paper that she was holding. His intense eyes never left her until eventually Naruto forced his attention on him. Sakura felt awkward, she didn't like that look in his eyes, it was an almost sympathetic look and the last thing Sakura wanted was sympathy.
She walked over to them, pretending to play it cool and not like she was confused and rather annoyed at the look she just received. She leaned over the coffee table and glanced down at the paper. It was something about legal crap that very quickly lost her interest. Naruto looked up and grinned at her, showing every one of his white teeth.
"Hey Sakura. What you doing here so early?" Naruto asked in his usual chirpy tone. Sakura smiled back at him before answering.
"I woke up early so I decided to just come in. I've got some knew lyric's." She added in as an after thought with the same chirpiness that Naruto showed. She handed over the sheets as he began to read.
Sasuke looked at her from the corner of his eye and watched her smile. He didn't know why he found it so enchanting, but he did, probably because she never smiled like that for him. Heck, the only time she had smiled for him was when she won a stare off that one time. Sasuke didn't even know why he liked her smile, but he did. It probably had to do with that new hair of hers; the newly cut locks made her look older and less like a tramp.
He watched as Naruto raised an eyebrow at the sheet and turned a curious eye at Sakura.
"'I hate everything about you'? That's a little dark don't you think?" He asked with a questionable tone added into his voice. Sasuke agreed with him, he'd seen Sakura's other lyrics; they hadn't had a title like that one before. He peered over at Sakura again and noticed her dusted pink cheeks; she gave a nervous laugh before scratching her cheek.
"Heh, I wasn't in the best of moods at the time." Sasuke suddenly thought of the night before, which was probably when she wrote it. He wondered what it was Karin had actually said to her when she disappeared before they left. The thought almost made him cringe; Karin could be very spiteful when she wanted to be. Sasuke actually felt sorry for her, Karin had said some very mean things that he knew were uncalled for, like insulting her parents and her intelligence. He knew now that her parents were dead, and that she was very close to them, the look in her eyes when she so much as breathed on the topic made Sasuke want to cheer her up. He also knew that Sakura was by no means dumb, and that he was forced to admit but had in fact out smarted him a good few times before.
The fact that he was siding with Sakura didn't surprise him as much as he would have liked. Ever since he found out Sakura's heritage he couldn't help but let some of the hate he felt for her melt away. He knew now that she couldn't help what she was and what she needed to stay alive, he accepted that surprisingly enough. He felt like he understood her situation better and found no more reason to hate her in that way. Now he only found her annoying.
"Yeah, I gathered." Naruto sighed. Sakura watched Naruto read through her work as she ignored the feeling of Sasuke's intense eyes gazing over her face. She turned to look at him, prepared to give him a glare for staring. It was rude after all.
She didn't get around to glaring however, when she caught sight of Sasuke's eyes, she froze. There was something in them that she didn't like, they weren't hard or guarded like they normally were. They were filled with fondness and even understanding with a touch of worry. It actually scared Sakura, she wasn't used to eyes like that, she was sure that even he didn't realise he was doing it.
Sakura didn't like getting close to people, or at least anything further than friends. She didn't want another reason to be hunted down, she'd already broken one law and wasn't in the mood to break two.
They both blinked at each other in silence until Sakura felt her cheeks blush. The mere thought of her red cheeks brought her out of the weird trace they'd both seemed to have found themselves in. Sakura snapped her head back around to Naruto, her eyes slightly wide from the surprise of having shared a moment like that with Sasuke of all people.
It was weird; it was like they were both seeing into each other's souls, like they were on some short treaty of sorts. The thought made her want to snort. It could even be considered romantic but Sakura wasn't going to admit that anytime soon.
Naruto looked up from the sheet with excitement clear in his eyes, he looked up at sakura, completely oblivious to the short moment his best friend and Co-worker had just shared.
"This sounds good! It sounds like it's got some deeper meaning you know." He sniffed, waving the paper around as he grinned. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at his antics, it reminded him of a hyper child, which he really was at heart, there was no denying it.
Sakura listened as Naruto began to rabbit on about the album everyone was working on, she wasn't really paying much attention, she'd heard the speech so many times she could recite it in her sleep. She noticed how Sasuke seemed to become almost invisible the longer the conversation went on, it was almost like he was deep in thought, which is exactly what he was.
Sasuke didn't know what was going on with Sakura, that moment they'd just shared couldn't exactly be considered 'normal', Sakura looked very surprised when she turned round, and so was he. Even though he didn't show it, Sasuke was very surprised. The fact that he'd been thinking of the woman as anything other than an annoyance was shocking enough, but wanting to build bridges with her? What was that all about? He'd been thinking of maybe starting up a conversation that didn't evolve business or arguing. He didn't know what he was going to talk about; he just felt the need to talk to her, have her attention, all of it.
The thought worried him slightly; this was someone who was like him. That fact alone should have him running. But he wasn't, the fact actually had him wanting to know more about her. He'd never felt this much interest for someone before, he had to keep reminding himself that he was engaged, though he couldn't think of a reason why, it was just curiosity.
Naruto had just finished his long speech when he turned his attention to the two other people in the room. Sakura had been listening, but not Sasuke, the teme; it was rude to not listen! Sakura looked over at Sasuke with a thoughtful look, wondering about something. She'd heard that he was coming over to the Uchiha Mansion after work, she thought she could maybe bunk a ride off of him.
"Hey Sasuke? Can I get a lift back tonight? I hate riding the bus." She asked in a bored tone. She didn't like the sound of being in the same car as him but it was better than riding the bus. It took so long on the bus, well over an hour and it was always freezing! Plus it wasn't like she couldn't just ignore the Uchiha.
Sasuke just looked at her blankly for a second, not quite taking in what she'd just said. He thought about it, he was going to see his mum tonight, without Karin. The thought of being stuck in a car with Sakura for about thirty minutes was very appealing, for some unknown reason, he knew they'd just end up squabbling, but liked the idea none the less. So he just simply shrugged and gave an uninterested nod of agreement, hiding his liking for the idea.
Sakura gave him a small smile, showing a few teeth in the process. Now at least she didn't have to wait for ten minutes per stop for the bloody slow pokes to get on the bus.
"Thanks Sasuke!" She chirped and saw the small smirk he gave her in return. Sasuke stood up and walked to the door, preparing to leave before he turned.
"Be at my office by seven." He stated simply before walking out. Sakura felt her jaw drop, seven? Freaking seven! She finished work at five! She didn't want to have to hang around for two bloody hours! It was the curse of Mondays Sakura thought dryly before turning back to Naruto with a broken expression.
…!...
Itachi came into Sasuke's office with a smug grin in place, naturally this got Sasuke nervous. Itachi only grinned like that when it would be at Sasuke's expense. He walked up to his desk and leaned against it, looking down at his little brother with an amused expression.
Sasuke felt his eyebrow twitch as he looked down at the files on his desk, what did the twat want now? With an irritated huff he looked up and gave Itachi a dry look.
"Care to let me in on the joke?" He asked without emotion. Itachi just chuckled under his breath, further annoying Sasuke. With a sharp glare Itachi raised his hands in defence, not wanting to face the wrath of an Uchiha, even if he was one himself.
"Just thought I'd let you know in advance but Father is wanting to promote the company." Itachi answered. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, failing to see the urgency in that.
"And I need to know this why?" He asked in an impatient tone, wanting to get on with his work. Itachi chuckled darkly again as he stood up and faced Sasuke full on.
"It's a Halloween Party. VIP only and he wants' everyone under the Uchiha Company name to come including us. Only it's fancy dress." Itachi added the last part as an after thought. The last part made Sasuke cringe in instant dislike. Dressing up was not his 'thing', in fact, the last time he did the deed he'd been eight and went out for Halloween after being dragged out by Naruto.
Sasuke sighed in pain and looked up at Itachi, seeing the amusement in his features, the twat. He hated it when he had to go to social events, they involved, well, being social, something Sasuke wasn't all that fond of. The thing that sucked the most was that his Father never let him skip them either. He'd always say something about 'being the responsible one'. It was stupid really, Itachi was the Heir, not him, he was only his second hand man, Sasuke shouldn't have to go.
"Who came up with the idea?" Sasuke asked. He looked up at his brother with interest, there was no way in hell it was his Father that came up with the idea, he was to boring for that sort of stuff.
"His assistant, I think. He usually comes up with stuff like that. It's a wonder Father listens to him at all actually." Itachi chuckled. He folded his arms lazily as he looked around the office, looking for something to do. He'd finished all his work so decided to pay his brother a visit, but this place was only proving to be slightly more interesting than where he'd just came from.
"Have you seen Sakura today?" He asked with fake uninterested tones. Ever since Saturday night He'd found himself more curious about the woman. It wasn't every day you knew someone who was part vampire, the need for new information was eating away at him like a hungry dog. Plus he was growing ever more interested in her relationship with his brother. He bet neither one would admit it out loud or inwardly for that matter, but they seemed to like each other more than they claimed. Sasuke would never behave the way he does with anyone besides her, he'd always just ignore him or her if they pissed him off, and he'd never talk back like he does with Sakura. He just hoped he'd realise that soon before another man takes her away from him. Even though he highly doubt's it.
"Yes, this s'morning. She asked me if she could ride with me back to the mansion." Sasuke stated, keeping his gaze cool as he regarded his brother. Itachi nodded and raised his eyebrows in question; Sasuke noticed this and gave him a small glare, noticing the surprised sarcasm in his expression.
"What?" He demanded in a low questioning voice. Itachi never lowered his brows but did let out a nervous chuckle.
"Oh nothing really, never mind me." He said playfully. Sasuke's brow twitched, he hated it when Itachi was in these moods, and Sasuke always ended up the victim. With another irritated huff Sasuke massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on. Itachi chuckled again; seeing his brother's obvious annoyance, he may not look like it but when the moment calls for it Sasuke could be as hot headed as Sakura. The very thought made him chuckle again and caused Sasuke's eyebrow to twitch, further deepening his bad mood.
"So what you dressing up as?" Itachi asked, pulling Sasuke out of his bad mood just to dump him in another one. He didn't even want to think about that. The thought of dressing up was still shudder worthy for him.
"I'd rather not think about it right now." Sasuke groaned, earning a light chuckle from the older man in front of him. Itachi decided to maybe change the topic back to Sakura again, he was very interested in their relationship, plus he didn't think Sasuke could take the current topic of 'dress up'.
"So what compelled you to give Sakura a ride home today?" He asked. Itachi noticed the slight stiffness to Sasuke's back when Sakura was mentioned again, he wondered if the man would talk at all.
"Why are you so interested with Sakura all of a sudden?" He asked suspiciously, eyes narrowed. Sasuke was wondering whether or not to trust him, he could tell.
"You can tell me Sasuke, I'm your brother after all." Itachi assured. Sasuke seemed to consider what he said for a moment before giving up, he did trust Itachi with his life after all, and vice versa.
"I just want to patch thing's up you know? I just feel like I want to get to know her better." Sasuke breathed out, waiting for his brother's response. Itachi wasn't very surprised by his answer; he'd expected it was something like that. A small smile made its way up to his lips; sometimes he wished his brother wasn't so blind when it came to the pink haired Half-breed. Of course he realised that the main reason was Karin, he wouldn't just break it off with her and he probably wouldn't notice Sakura until she was out the picture. Not to be mean about the red head but she wasn't exactly what Itachi would call 'Marriage material', everybody else seemed to think so.
With a shake of his head Itachi gave up on the topic and decided to just go home, his brother still had work to do and him staying here wasn't helping. With a simple 'see you later' Itachi headed home where Taya, the person he noticed before it was too late was waiting for him.
…!...
Sakura sat quietly, cradling a hot cup of coffee between her palms and stared into space. She ran out of things to do in the recording room and had felt the need to buy some coffee in the lunch hall of the company building. The rain was still pelting against the window and Sakura could hear the beginnings of a thunderstorm. She wondered what it was with this town and storms. She shook her head and looked into the dark liquid of her addictive drink.
Sakura still had an hour to go until she could get a ride back and was glad that Sasuke had accepted, if she had to wait for a bus in that weather Sakura would die from the cold.
She was still confused over the look he gave her that morning. Her stubborn side was telling her it was nothing and she shouldn't bother with it, but her logical side was telling her that it meant something, something that she wouldn't like. She refused to look into it however, Sakura liked where she was right now, here people didn't see her as trash, or a waste of space, they saw her for what she was and accepted it. The only exception of course was Karin, but she didn't count her as a person, more like an annoying pet that refused to leave its master, the master being Sasuke.
A frown stretched over Sakura's face, then it left and she snorted in amusement. When she actually thought about what Karin had said the night before she realised it was nothing more than empty words. Karin couldn't ruin her reputation because she didn't have one, black mail would work because she had nothing against her and physical force wouldn't work, Sakura was stronger than Karin, heck, she was stronger than a grown man for god sake! She could easily beat a group of hired skinheads any day, whether it be fight or flight.
With a proud huff she puffed her chest out unconsciously, she could protect herself if she needed to and Karin had nothing on her.
Her thoughts came drifting back to the youngest Uchiha; memories of their first meeting all the way up to that morning came rushing through her head, a small smile playing at her lips. She wouldn't admit it out loud but she would be forever grateful to him. Not only did he give her a home and a job, but also he along with Itachi accepted what she was. They may not have said it out loud but she could tell they didn't mind what she was, and that thought alone got them pretty high on her ranking system, Sasuke being the highest of course. She was convinced that they would report her to the police at the first chance they got, but they didn't, instead they just continued on like it was the most normal thing in the world, even though it wasn't. Sasuke's face came into her mind again and once again she didn't find the urge to spit, maybe she was coming to even-
"Hey Sakura! How are you doing? Miss me?" The annoying voice boomed, breaking Sakura from finishing her sentence. She looked up from her coffee to see the sound producer who had what Naruto called it a 'crush' on her. His slick gelled back hair reflected the light as a few strands fell forward onto his forehead, his dull brown eyes washing over her again and again. Sakura held in a sigh as she forced a grin on her face. Don't get her wrong, he was an okay guy, wasn't bad looking either, but she just wasn't interested, she knew what he wanted and he wasn't getting it, no matter how many times he tried to ask her out.
"Hey Saito." Sakura replied with a forced grin. Holding back the urge to just run. Sasuke wouldn't mind if she hung around the office for a while, would he?
"So, how you been? Got any more songs? I'd love to hear them!" He beamed as he pulled out a chair and sat down. Sakura's grip on her coffee tightened as she held her smile in place, she didn't want to be rude to the guy, it wasn't nice, even if he was just chasing skirts.
"Yeah, I finished one last night actually. Just not the music, I've still got to finish the guitar notes for that one, plus everyone else." She replied. Saito nodded, looking impressed, folding his arms on the desk and peering out the window behind Sakura, a frown appearing on his face.
"I'm so doomed." He mumbled to himself. Sakura raised an eyebrow as she took a sip of her coffee, loving the way it warmed her as she swallowed it.
"And why are you 'doomed', may I ask?" Sakura asked in a polite tone but it showed the sarcasm in it. Saito laughed a little, scratching his cheek absentmindedly. Sakura placed her cup back between her hands and looked at him with friendly eyes.
" My car is about two blocks away in that multi story, in the roofless top floor obviously." He whined. Sakura couldn't help but laugh at that, parking spaces were next to impossible to find around the city centre. A smile lit up his face at having made Sakura smile. A large bolt of lightening smashed overhead, making them both jump, Sakura turned around and glared out of the window, she refused to be scared by a little innocent storm.
"I don't think the rains goanna stop by simply glaring at it Sakura." He chuckled, but stopped when he was on the receiving end of the glare. Sakura mumbled to herself quietly, she didn't care if it wouldn't stop; she just wanted it to know that she didn't like the little scare she got…
"Stupid storms and stupid city." Sakura mumbled, making Saito laugh lightly all the more.
"What did the city ever do to you?" He joked; he couldn't help but think she looked so cute with that little pout on her lips. Sakura gave him a dark look and took another sip of coffee, finishing off the cup with a slightly depressing feeling. she wanted more coffee.
"Konoha's got a thing for thunder and lightening. I've never been anywhere with whether like this." She answered in a grumbled mumble. He blinked and smiled, he hadn't expected an answer but was happy he got one.
"So you've not been here long then? Where are you from then? Tokyo?" He asked in real interest, he wanted to know more about the girl he was trying to ask out.
Sakura thought about her answer for a second, wondering whether or not to tell him about the whole streets thing. She wasn't exactly in the mood for sympathy at the moment plus it would make her feel more normal if she gave a normal answer, not to mention it would help hide her origin better than if she told the truth.
"Yeah, I was. It isn't as bad over there. The sun's out more over there." She huffed. Sakura had been to Tokyo once, when she was on the road and the place wasn't that bad, except for the exhaust fumes.
Saito looked deep in thought for a moment, not quite sure what to say now. Their conversation had seemed to die out. Sakura wondered if maybe now would be a good time to make an escape, she could feel the 'question' floating around Saito's head and she didn't want to have to refuse him, again.
With silent movements she got up from her chair and grabbed the empty cup. Saito looked up from his daze with surprised eyes, he hadn't heard her move at all!
"You going already?" He asked, disappointment deep in his voice. Sakura nodded as she moved away to throw her cup in the bin. Saito stood up also and looked around nervously, wondering if he should ask her.
"Hey Sakura I was wondering if… You know. You wanted to grab some coffee with me tomorrow?" He asked, looking at the roof and scratching his chin. Sakura let out a huff, why did he persist! She was goanna say no so why keep asking!
"Sorry I can't. I've got something I need to do." She stated simply, the same as every other time. He looked her over with the puppy eyes, a very disappointed look on his face, Sakura almost felt bad… Okay maybe a little.
"Okay maybe some other time then." He sighed and Sakura sighed silently, slowly edging closer to the doors before he noticed.
As Sakura practically ran down the hall she could hear him shouting 'bye' so she lifted her hand over her head to show she heard. Sakura wished he'd just go after someone else, she wasn't good for him, she was weird and he'd just end up getting hurt. Plus she wasn't very good at controlling her thirst when she was 'intimate' with people, being so close just brought her instincts up from under the surface she'd created.
As she entered the lift and pressed number thirty-nine she pushed all thoughts of relationships from her head, it wouldn't do her good at imagining things that would never happen. The golden doors glided shut and began to move up she still had half an hour till she had to be up there but who cares? Certainly not her.
Once she reached the floor Sakura felt a little better and marched forward with firm steps. The floor was completely empty, and a little spooky. Sakura puffed her chest out and didn't allow herself to get spooked by anything; she was part Vampire for Christ sake! She was the scariest thing in the entire building! With a frown she turned another corner and then another, wondering if the halls had gotten longer since the last time she visited.
Sakura stopped, looked around and shook her head; she swore she could hear something, like eerie echoing footsteps. A shudder travelled down her spine, remembering that she'd never been a fan of horror films. Her fists tensed as the sound started to get louder and louder. She looked around again the thunder and lightening going on outside not helping her mood in the least.
Her mind kicked into overdrive, what if it was a vampire coming to kill her for breaking the law? What if they'd finally found her after all this time and weren't even going to let her defend herself. What if's travelled through her mind at the speed of light, her mind paying little attention to the figure coming up behind her.
A firm hand slammed down on Sakura's shoulder, the corridor was filled with Sakura's panicked scream. She turned around, fully ready to protect herself, her fangs out and everything to only be met with the amused face of Sasuke Uchiha. He was rubbing his ear like it hurt, and looked down at the now red faced Sakura, her fangs still showing as her jaw gaped open, eyes wide.
"What sort of Vampire are you?" He teased. Honestly? She went around dark alleyways drinking blood and an empty corridor and a tap on the shoulder scared her? Even though Sasuke had meant to scare her, when he'd turned the corner and saw her standing there he just couldn't resist, call it mean but it amused him to no ends that she was scared shitless.
Sakura stood there, completely in shock as he stood there smirking, fucking smirking! Arrogant twat, Sakura thought as she closed her mouth and retracted her fangs. She glared at him and Sasuke merely chuckled, he could never be affected by a glare weaker than his own.
Sakura huffed and marched off down the hall, heading for the office in the mile long hall. Sasuke followed lead and tried not to chuckle at her antics, she was acting like a child having a tantrum. She marched with her arms, as straight as toothpicks and her fists clenched so tightly he was surprised her fingers didn't break. He shook his head and caught up with her easily with his slightly longer stride, walking side by side. He looked down at her face and raised a single perfectly shaped eyebrow. She had a pout, a bloody pout of all things, what was she? Nine?
As they entered the office Sasuke took his normal seat behind the desk and Sakura took a seat on the sofa, turning on the TV and flipping through the channels. Sasuke blanked out the noise for now, he needed to get his work done and then he could talk to her.
Sasuke had taken this moment to be the perfect time to try and build his relationship with the woman, he'd been thinking about it all day, ever since his brother had paid his little visit. He was planning on breaking the news of the Party next month, he was interested if she would have the same thoughts on it as he did, she didn't seem like the sort of person who liked dressing up.
About half an hour later Sasuke saved the last document onto his computer and turned it off. Sakura, who had been watching some film, romantic by the sounds of it, had also turned it off and sat up from where she'd laid down on her stomach. She stretched and watched him as he got his coat from the hook in the corner and packed a few files into his case.
It was still violently raining outside and the lightening had only gotten worse as it crashed outside, huge forks of electricity stabbing the buildings below. Sakura watched with fascination instead of annoyance this time as it danced across the sky to its own rhythm of thunder. She was forced to look away however when Sasuke turned off the light and walked out of the office, waiting for Sakura to hurry up out of there. They both walked in comfortable silence, neither one wanting to break it.
They were just turning the first corner when the loudest crash yet sounded from above. Sakura jumped as the bolt of lightening hit the top of the building they were standing in. The hall lost all light as every single electronic device lost power.
Both of them knew exactly what had just happened, the lightening had hit the power generator on the roof, which was bad, that was the back up. It said on the news earlier that the main power station that supplied the company with power also went out about an hour ago.
Sasuke huffed in frustration; they were both stuck in there, all night by the sounds of it. He looked around the darkness for his companion and saw her shadow slightly.
"Sakura?" He asked. Sakura turned towards the voice and answered once she saw his dark outline.
"Yes?"
"I think we're stuck in here." He answered back. Sakura shifted nervously from foot to foot as she looked up at the dark splodge.
"What do you mean we're stuck here? We can get out the fire escape. Or the stairs." She answered back in a stubborn tone. Sasuke frowned back, not that she could see it.
"Can't. There locked after five, that's when everyone goes home and my key won't work since its eclectic." He huffed back in a worried tone; he didn't want to be stuck in here all night, even if he would be with Sakura.
"What the hell's the point in that? How are we going to get out! Sasuke!" She panicked and whined. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, wondering if she was scared of the dark to. She was looking around frantically like she could see, Sasuke put his hand on her shoulder gently to try and calm her. It didn't work.
"Calm down Haruno. It'll only be for one night." He reassured, not really under standing her panic.
"It's not that! I can't just calm down!" She yelled, hopping away from his hand and out of reach. Sasuke frowned; he couldn't be bothered with this.
"For the love of god Haruno. I'm not asking you to jump into a volcano." He snapped. Sakura only glared into darkness, she had to get out of here.
"You don't understand! I've not fed today!"
...!...
Okay well there you have it! I hope you like it and this hopefully makes up for having so much of Karin in the last chapter =]... Please REVEIW! YOU'LL HAVE MY ETERNAL LOVE AND GRATITUDE!