note for poket: hello there. If this story isn't quite to your taste, I do have a few other fics brewing. One will be a GaaSakuSasu triangle. No boyxboy though. Another shall be… GaaSaku from Sasuke's perspective. And maybe a straight up SasuSaku if I'm up for it. I'm glad you don't mind it so far.
With Hinata, I'm just a little bit sick on how she is normally portrayed. If I get a chance I will show a softer, more-canon side of her. As well, she isn't a main character, so I don't think she'll be appearing much. But basically I wanted her to be cool, so I made her cool to my standards.
Thanks for your review. It's awesome to see a reviewer from Bedroom taste my new stuff.
this is: chapter five
She spotted him as he was unloading cardboard boxes from the back of a steel delivery truck.
He wiped his face with his much-toned forearm, the tips of his red hair dripping with sweat.
"Hi there, delivery boy."
He spun around, and broke into a surprised but delighted expression.
"Why, Sakura, I didn't think you'd approach me while I'm working."
"I would have never pegged you as a delivery boy." she regarded him with a perplexed face.
"Ah." he shrugged. "I just do odd jobs for my sister." he carelessly gestured at the building. "This is her flagship store."
"Cool." she smiled. "Would you show me around?"
He chuckled, glancing down at his somewhat-grimy appearance. "If you don't mind, Sakura, waiting until I've finished taking in all the boxes? Then I will be free to show you the store."
"Oh!" she exclaimed, a sprinkle of pink dusting across her cheekbones. "I'm keeping you from your job! I'll just stand over here by this…uh…trash can." she said sheepishly, edging away from him.
He turned away, a silly grin on his face.
She was growing more and more adorable every time he met her.
He held the glass door open for her as she walked into the beautiful multicoloured pastel-coloured room.
He took in her arrestingly wide-eyed expression as a good sign.
"Welcome to Menthe."
"Oh my gosh." she tiptoed towards a cracked Corinthian pillar, where a pair of stilettos stood, a spidery crisscrossing of delicately beaten chains across the top. "This is beautiful."
"Handcrafted." he smiled. "Temari ordered only ten pairs are to be made. Size seven only. This one is just a prototype."
"Just a prototype?" her eyes bugged. "It doesn't look like a prototype!"
"A lucky ten buyers have already reserved them, with a list of a three hundred waiting in case one of them chooses not to purchase them."
"Oh my…" she gasped, her hands fluttering to her chest. "That's crazy."
"Just goes to show that I'm the brains of the family."
They both turned to see a dark blonde standing behind them in the tallest pumps Sakura had ever seen on a pregnant woman.
"Temari." Gaara inclined his head. "I've finished unloading."
"Thanks, baby brother. And who is your gorgeous friend here?" she winked at her as she stretched out her manicured hand.
"I'm Sakura. Nice to meet you." she said shyly, shaking the offered hand.
"Likewise. A friend of my brother's?"
"You could say that."
"Hm." the elder woman scrutinized her with a interested eye. "She could be a model."
He sighed in exasperation. "You say that about all my friends, Temari. And look now, they all model for you."
"What can I say? I have an eye for the ladies." she giggled. "As well as the men. Feel free to look around, Sakura, and select anything you want to take home. Just don't take the whole store with you."
"No way." Sakura gasped. "I couldn't!"
"Anyone who is a friend of my brother's has got to have impeccable taste. Go!" she shooed the pink-haired woman away to pick from the couture ball gowns to expensive gold bracelets. "Enjoy!"
He led his twenty-seven year old sister to one of the plush chairs used for waiting husbands. "How's the baby? And didn't Shino tell you not to wear high heeled shoes?"
"Fuck that. The heels stay on my feet until my ankles are too swollen. I've got an image to uphold, you know. Junior's being a good boy, so far he hasn't been overly active in here." she stroked her engorged belly tenderly. "Can't wait. Two more months."
"Good."
"So, tell me about this lovely thing you've brought."
"She's engaged."
"What?" she craned her neck to stare at the pink-haired sylph. "Pity. She's adorable. Love the bone structure her parents blessed her with. You two would be absolutely a dream in my Valentine's Day campaign next month with your hair colours."
"She's a university student with a rich-ass fiancé."
"Touchy aren't you, baby brother." she laughed. "You have a crush on her."
He pursed his thin lips.
"You do. I can tell." she laughed again, adjusting the neckline of her stylish maternity dress. "A part of me says don't go marriage-breaking, but the other part is all like screw that, you need love." she ruffled his hair to show her his tattoo. "So you don't have to go on inking yourself like this. I do love that you did it though."
"Is this okay to take?" Sakura came back clutching the stilettos she had seen in the beginning.
Temari gave Gaara a knowing look. "Of course. They're yours."
"Oh, thank you!" she broke out in the happiest grin.
"Why don't you wear them out?" he said softly.
"Sure!" she agreed as she bent over to take off her shoes.
"She's got a nice ass." Temari mouthed.
Gaara only nodded, still stunned by his sister's half-approval to pursue the strawberry-haired woman.
"I've got a customer coming in about…" she glanced at her watch- "ten minutes. I have to go get ready." she disappeared into the back room.
"What do you think, Gaara?" she unfolded her body.
"You have beautiful ankles." he muttered with some difficulty. "You wear the shoes well."
"Thank you." she looked at herself in the mirror.
"Shall we go?" he asked.
"Sure."
They ended up at Araxia again.
He sipped his Americano as she examined her new footwear for the umpteenth time.
"How much do these retail for?" she inquired.
"I don't think you want to know." he smirked, knowing full well that the exorbitant amount would shock her.
"Please?"
He changed the subject with a chuckle. "I apologize for coming up to your table last night."
She flushed an angry colour. "It wasn't good. I had a terrible meal thanks to you."
"Oh?" he gave her a mildly interested look.
"Sasuke wasn't too happy with you intruding our meal."
"Fussy, isn't he."
"He just likes things going his way."
"I do hope Hinata acted properly in saying she met you first."
"Oh, yes." she said, twiddling her fingers as she kept her viridian irises down. "Thank her for me. Sasuke doesn't like it when I meet new boys he doesn't know."
He feigned a yawn. "Does he not trust you?"
"He does! He just doesn't trust other men."
"I see." he said pensively. "You are a beautiful woman. I wouldn't blame him for being worried that another man would snatch such a prize from his hands."
She blushed. "T-thanks." she stuttered.
"Is he always so…interrogative towards new people?"
"Unfortunately a negative quality but I can live with it. He warms up though. But I'm friendly enough for the both of us." she laughed. "He's the total opposite of our best friend Naruto."
"Naruto…?" he raised an invisible eyebrow. He remembered that blond man he met in the park.
"I know, it's such a funny name right? To be named after Japanese fish paste?" she giggled. "I love him anyways. He's loud, talkative, and great fun to be around. Blonds do have all the fun."
He distractedly agreed, cogs turning in his head.
If the blond boy she mentioned was Naruto, the man he met in the park looking for his friend…
"Sakura! What are you doing in- oh. Hello there. Who are you?"
A red -haired woman stopped her strut.
"Tayuya! What are you doing here?"
Then Sasuke was the inebriated idiot that tried to attack him.
He allowed a flash of a malicious grin before looking up to greet the stranger.
Cause I'm not livin' up
my own expectations
I promise Gaara will seriously begin his chase in the next chapter.
Review please?
:E hypheniated