Chapter 84!
Title: "Coupling Targets"
Note: Just a little mini-chapter, really…. more story to be had, though.
Dislcaimer: I own nothing!
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After he disappeared I almost didn't know what to do with myself. I would have hated feeling like that again, if I wasn't still distracted by the fact that I could feel like this again.
There was something strangely addictive, that I'd forgotten, about the way he always had a way of turning my world around just enough to disorient me.
But right now I needed to get back to the rest of my world.
I had to focus on my life right now.
Family, friends, job.
I had to get home, I had to check on my parents, I had to let them know I was alright. I would have to wait to check on the rest of my team till tomorrow, moving around the village too much right now isn't a good idea. And if I get any further orders, they'll be coming from Kakashi who will know where to track me down.
My mind travelled, at that thought to the fact he had actually visited my home tonight…he had used the front door and had spoken to my mom and everything. I nearly smiled at how domestic that seemed.
But as I let my eyes fall to my feet, which were taking me in the direction of my home, before that smile could form on my lips, I realized I also needed to change.
I hadn't realized till now all the blood that was caking into my shirt and jacket. My mind spun back to Iruka-sensei, the victim this blood belonged to. I worried about him for a moment. I would have to see him tomorrow before he was dismissed.
I decided to pick up my pace so I could get home faster.
I was almost there, thinking about how much I wouldn't mind a shower after all of this, when something stopped me.
"Sakura-chan." A familiar voice called my name. The business-like tone sounded funny with that friendly suffix. I knew right away who it was.
I stopped in my tracks looking around the dark street for the black-haired boy I knew was somewhere around here.
"How did you find me?" I called out, frankly a little confused at the coincidence of bumping into him now.
"Tracking." He said as he finally appeared from the shadows. He wore one of his friendliest smiles, apparently making an effort to seem nice.
I shuffled on the spot.
"You shouldn't do that to friends." I told him. "It's a little impersonal." I explained with a testing look.
He nodded seriously, as if making a point to remember my advice.
"I just wanted to inquire about your progress with Umino-san." He continued.
My eyes opened a little in surprise. This boy has a seriously strange timing… it's almost as if he knew what had happened. Then again, it wouldn't surprise me… Sai was always extremely observant.
"Why?" I asked warily, but without any seriousness.
"I heard about his injury, and that you were his attending physician." Yep, there it was. "I assumed you had made some progress given the intimate situations between patient and physician."
I nearly cringed at that last sentence. 'Intimate situation', alright... embarrassingly intimate, actually. Sai, for having learned everything he knew about relationships through books, seemed to have a knack for figuring out my life at least.
He spoke up again before I could confirm his assumption, "You've switched targets, correct? Umino-san is your coupling partner now, isn't he?"
My face twitched at the way he said that.
"No." I said a little loudly.
His expression went blank with confusion. I sighed before explaining. "Listen, Sai, I want you to start telling everyone who thinks I'm with Iruka-sensei that I'm not."
He nodded again, but this time as if I was giving him an order. I worried he didn't understand what I actually meant and was only nodding out of habit, but he asked up only a moment later, "What would you want me to tell them? Have you switched back to Kakashi-san?"
"Yes." I said too soon. "No." I corrected even quicker. I took another moment, ignoring Sai's observant stare. "… I-I never switched. I mean, I don't have a target anymore." That sounded like the right thing to say, it bothered me a little.
"No target." Sai repeated dutifully.
"Don't tell anyone anything new. Just tell them I'm not with Iruka-sensei."
Sai nodded again and seemed to move a little, like he was about to just drop the conversation and leave like that, but his curiosity apparently got the best of him. He paused and turned to me.
"Why not?" He asked that immensely complicated question so simply, like a little kid.
I stammered, struggling for a quick way to explain something that took me a long time to figure out myself, "Uhh… I just don't…. We're… just friends."
He took a moment to compute that. I was actually a little worried he didn't understand or something and I'd have to explain some more. But after that moment he looked up at me and very plainly said:
"Like us."
I smiled.
"Yeah. Like us." I sighed again, with relief.
"So Kakashi-san is your current coupling partner." My relief was stifled at that.
"Please stop saying it like that." I told him sternly. "And, no, Kakashi and I are…" I paused, thinking hard now. "I don't know…." I admitted.
I thought back to what had just happened between us. He seemed so cold to me... but there was a glimmer of the warmth I remember from him, as well. It was like he was caught between being two different men: the one I had had that relationship with, and the one who was probably upset with being lied to.
I grimaced a little as I spoke up again.
"He probably won't want anything to do with me now… at least not with coupling… or partner-ing…. Probably…" I finished awkwardly.
"You care for him, don't you?" Sai asked."You want him to have something to do with you?"
"… Yeah." I responded after taking a moment of my own to compute how poignant Sai was starting to sound.
"With coupling?" He ruined the poignancy.
"… That's a lit-"
"Then don't give up." He smiled his uniform smile and I just stood there, taking that in.
I never thought I'd get love advice from Sai… at least not advice I'd take this seriously.
"Good evening." He bowed a little, ready to leave.
"Wait." I called to him.
"I have to get back to headquarters. I'll be sure to tell everyone you're not coupling with Umino-san." He reassured me over his shoulder as he started up a jog.
"Ok….Thanks." I showed my gratitude with a smile and a wave, which he returned in an almost mimicking manner.
He disappeared into the shadows after a few seconds of running.
I shook my head a little at how crazy that little conversation was, but I was glad to have a friend like Sai to help out… even if he said the most uncomfortable things sometimes.
'Coupling'…. How embarrassing…
But a part of me hoped that the days of potential 'coupling' weren't over for me just yet, I admitted to myself with an embarrassed cringe.
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More to come!