Chapter 2 – You're Toxic, I'm Slipping Under
Although she'd done it several times in the space of a few minutes, Sakura once more turned to view every angle of her outfit, running her hands down her sides to smooth out the non-existent creases.
After her boyfriend informed her it was semi-formal, she'd known exactly what outfit to go with: one she had her eye on for a while in the store, but never had a good enough reason to buy. The deep shade of green complemented her skin in such a way that it wasn't too much, allowing her to embrace her natural paleness without looking worryingly ill. Even in the harshest of temperatures, Sakura didn't tan much. At best, she would be a shade darker and that was only if she seriously risked her health to achieve the tan.
The dress fell to mid-thigh, accentuating her subtle curves until it flared out at the hips while also remaining reserved with its high neckline. Its lack of sleeves and the lace material was her favourite part of it, its simplicity stunning. To make it that much better, with her staff discount, it didn't put too great a dent in her savings and to go with the dress (because the only way to celebrate saving money was by spending more), she treated herself to a pair of heels.
It was only when she was certain she was presentable that Sakura slipped on the bracelet Sasuke bought for her sixteenth birthday, smiling down at it as she did so. She'd been worried when he first bought it, as any jewellery she owned soon grew discoloured and she'd feared she'd ruin the gift. However, that wasn't the case. It was just as sparkly as the day he presented it to her.
"Shoes, bracelet, bag, phone…" Sakura murmured to herself, listing off everything she needed. "Keys."
She spun on her heel, reaching for the set of keys resting on the table beside her bed. The room was fairly large, enough to fit all the essentials in and more. Her furniture was made of the same shabby chic wood, contrasting nicely with the laminated flooring and pale walls. Sasuke often said that it was typically girly, much to her annoyance, though he did admit she had a decent collection of books and movies that he admired.
With one last look in the mirror, ensuring her makeup and hair was just so, she left the room. There was no one home since it was midday, meaning her mother was out for dinner with friends while her father was working.
Like the other day while she was working: the weather was hot, but there was a breeze that worked hard to keep her cool as she left the house, locking up behind herself. For a moment, she struggled with the lock, her hair obscuring the view as it was blown in front of her face. Sighing irritably, she brushed it behind her ear, giving the key and handle a simultaneous shake. Stupid thing was always getting jammed when it was hot. Once it was locked, she turned to face her red Clio, which, might she add, was parked elegantly on the drive – unlike her mother's car, which was wonky and filthy. Sakura, however, took pride in her car. It was one of the greatest gifts she'd ever received and up until she decided to leave home, her parents had offered to pay the insurance as it was easy having her added to their policy.
The drive was long, like it always was, but it gave her the chance to enjoy the music being played on the radio, singing along loudly. Due to their status, the Uchiha family lived on the wealthier side of Konoha, where all the oversized houses were spaced out ridiculously and every one of them had a pool and several acres of land. Saying that, her parents had a hot tub in the garden, but Sakura rarely used it unless she was in serious need of relaxing or simply wanted to show it off. The novelty of having something like that didn't last long. She'd grown tired of it only weeks after they bought it.
When she arrived, the house appeared to look as normal as it possibly could on the outside, which only went to prove that the party was a surprise for Itachi. None of the other guests had arrived yet, from what she could tell, but that wasn't too much of a surprise. She'd turned up an hour early so that she could help Mikoto with last minute arrangements.
"You don't have to knock," Sasuke muttered with a roll of his eyes when he opened the door to her. "Mother has told you that many times."
It didn't feel right inviting herself in, however, so Sakura never paid the older woman any attention.
Stepping into the home, she smiled and once the door was shut, she grabbed his wrist and tugged Sasuke towards her. He didn't stop her. In fact, he initiated the kiss despite her pulling him closer, his lips moving with hers softly, tenderly. The hand on her hips dragged her that little bit closer and in response, Sakura had to tilt her head back further due to the height difference. Her previous smile returned briefly, arms coming around his shoulders. The Sasuke she was kissing, was the version of Sasuke she loved most. The open one. The warm, loving one. It was a side of him that he didn't show that often and whenever he did, Sakura made sure to take advantage of every single moment together, for she never knew when he would treat her so nicely again. No, Sasuke never treated her badly, it was just that he could be so cold and distant sometimes that it hurt her.
A flash of a camera separated them quickly.
"You don't have to stop." Mikoto smirked as she turned away and walked back to the kitchen, camera in hand. "I simply had to capture the cute moment. It reminded me of your first dance together."
Sasuke's cheeks burned brighter than she'd seen in a while, making Sakura smirk widely. She'd long grown used to Mikoto's ways – all the woman really wanted was to see her children happy. Sasuke's sudden coldness as of late didn't only affect her, it affected his family, too. It broke his mother's heart. So, together, they both worked hard to try and drag him out of his shell.
"I'm going to help set up," she informed her boyfriend, leaving him in his embarrassment.
The Uchiha home was excessive to say the least, but it had always fascinated her. Every so often – about a year or so, depending on when Mikoto grew tired of the style – it would be redecorated, sometimes even redesigned entirely (including tearing down walls or adding them, etc). Who could really blame her for it, though? The family had earned their money, their home was spacious and she was an interior designer. It was the kind of home Sakura had often dreamed about living in as a child, filled with expensive furniture and ornaments, everything holding a purpose in the way they were carefully placed. To add more of a personal touch to their luxurious home, family photographs hung on the panelled walls and Sakura knew they were littered throughout the house. Mikoto was proud of her boys and loved them both dearly, so she enjoyed boasting about them to her guests.
"Do you need help with anything, Mikoto-san?" she asked while entering the large kitchen. It had always reminded her of one of the kitchens out of a commercial. Saying that, most of the rooms in the house gave her that feeling.
Appearing thoughtful for a moment, Mikoto replied, "The caterers have already set up outside. The weather has been wonderful as of late, so I decided to host the party in the garden."
Oh, that sounded like a good idea. Their garden was half grass, half paving and complete with a pond filled with koi. Further into the garden was a pool, which was surrounded by sun loungers for the guests to relax in. Damn it, she should have brought a swimming costume. "The breeze will help keep everyone cool, too."
The older woman nodded and smiled, adding the final touches to a cake. "I can't think of much else to do – we have added a gazebo and several tables for the guests to eat at, which were all set up by the waiters. I have taken a risk and allowed one of Sasuke's friends to DJ for the party – Sasuke assured me I will have nothing to worry about. The drinks are also supplied by the caterers."
So there really was nothing for her to do. Great. Why had she arrived so early? Then again, she should have known that Mikoto would hire people to help them. No expense would be spared, especially not when the party was being thrown for her son.
Deciding there was nothing for her to do in the house, Sakura made her way to the garden, breathing in the tantalising smells of the food as it was prepared. While Mikoto hadn't informed her what food they were serving, it became obvious that it was a BBQ, much to her delight. The sight of the gazebo had her wondering if it was truly necessary for it to be so large, but upon closer inspection, she found their were several tables filled with different foods, giving the guests a variety to choose from.
The sun would soon be directly above the garden, bathing them all in its warmth and giving the party just what it needed to make it perfect. Fortunately for her, since she was wearing heels, the tables and chairs were on the paving, along with the gazebo. It was odd that Mikoto hadn't warned her guests that the party would be outdoors, though she supposed she was excited about her son's return, so probably forgot.
Soon enough, the guests started to arrive and as they did, the waiters began making their rounds with trays filled with drinks. Sakura drank two glasses of icy lemonade while watching the arrivals, wondering who some of the guests were and how they knew Itachi. It seemed Mikoto had invited many of Sasuke's friends, too.
Speaking of Sasuke, where had he gone? Sipping her third lemonade, she eyed the garden. The guests were dressed smartly and Sakura was glad to spot that she wasn't the only woman wearing heels, eyeing the grass with disdain as they found themselves trapped on the paving. There was nothing worse than being overdressed at a party.
"Hello."
Blinking in surprise, for the person had seemingly appeared out of nowhere (unless she was seriously zoned out without realising), Sakura replied, "Hey."
It wasn't somebody she knew. At least, Sakura didn't think she'd ever met him before. Surely she would remember a man like him? His dusty red hair was hardly unrecognisable and neither were his brown eyes, for they were lidded with a boredom that never seemed to let up. Kind of rude, really. He could have at least tried to look interested in the party. Mikoto had worked so hard on it.
"My name is Sasori," he told her, but just as he opened his mouth to say more, somebody else appeared beside her.
"Sakura, Mother wants your help with something in the kitchen."
The sudden act of possessiveness had her blushing faintly and while Sakura knew it wasn't behaviour she was supposed to encourage, it kind of made her feel excited. He was staring at Sasori with a narrowed gaze, his dark eyes intimidating. However, it didn't seem like Sasori was bothered in the slightest. That bored expression was still present.
"Really? I thought everything was already set up?"
The look she was given was unimpressed to say the least and deciding he'd had enough, Sasuke grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Sasori, quite honestly surprising her. Never before had he ever acted in such a way. Why was he so determined on keeping her away from Sasori? Was it really just possessiveness?
When they were out of earshot of the other guests and hidden in the living room, Sasuke finally released her. "Stay away from him, Sakura."
"Are you serious?" she demanded, indignant. "He was only introducing himself, Sasuke-kun. It's a party. You may not be one to socialise, but I am. Sasori-san may be, too."
"Sasori happens to be one of Itachi's friends," he told her, voice flat. "And not the kind of person you want to screw around with. Stay away from him."
Folding her arms over her chest, she pursed her lips, staring at him with narrowing eyes. "If Sasori-san is really such a bad person, why would your mother invite him into her home?"
It was obvious he was quickly losing his temper. "Are you not listening to me? He's Itachi's friend and has been for years. This is Itachi's party. She's doing all of this for him, not for herself. If Mother believes that Itachi would be grateful to have his friends here, despite who they are, she would invite them without a second thought."
That did sound like Mikoto. Always putting her boys' happiness before her own. "Okay," she said with a sigh. Dropping her arms to her sides to show her resignation, she added, "I'll stay away from him. Anyone else I should be wary of?"
"All of Itachi's friends. None of them are to be trusted."
Gods, her boyfriend was so dramatic. "Fine."
Just as she turned away to go back to the party, Sasuke grabbed her wrist. "I'm being serious, Sakura. They're not the kind of people you should get involved with."
"And I won't get involved with them." Her annoyance was growing by the second as she yanked her arm free. "Really, Sasuke-kun. You don't have to be so worried."
She walked away, sending him a glare – one that increased in strength when he shook his head at her in disbelief.
"Is he here yet?"
Glancing over at her best friend, Yamanaka Ino, Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes. For the past half hour, the blonde had been in and out of the bathroom every couple of minutes to check her hair and makeup, wanting to look perfect for Itachi's return. Yes, she would admit to putting an unhealthy amount of time and effort into her appearance for Sasuke, but he was her boyfriend. Ino only knew Itachi as Sasuke's hot older brother.
Was it sad that part of her was always paranoid about Ino being around Sasuke? Gods, she was such a terrible friend. Ino was her best friend, yet she couldn't trust her around her boyfriend. But that was just the point. She knew Ino because of how close they were. For pretty much her entire life, the blonde had had a huge crush on Sasuke, had declared that she was in love with him – a love that would never die, to be more exact. It was humiliating to admit, but Sakura had been no different back when she was a kid, but she mellowed out once she and Sasuke become friends. A year later and they were dating.
And Ino was pissed.
However, at the time, Sakura had been too happy, too thrilled, to care about Ino's anger. All that ran through her mind was, "He's mine, he's mine, he's mine." If she thought about it now, she knew that it'd been selfish for her to go out with him, especially since she and Ino were supposed to be best friends. Now, she was too in love with him for any other option. Besides, Ino got her own back by continuing to shamelessly flirt with him, no matter how angry it made Sakura. The angrier, the better, it seemed.
"No. People would be yelling 'welcome home' if he was, Ino-Pig."
"Whatever," she snapped, running her hands down her sides. The dress clung to her body nicely, making Sakura feel self-conscious as she caught sight of her own body from the reflection of the windows. "You're just jealous that you're stuck with Sasuke-kun now, whereas I'm going to have the older, more experienced and hotter brother."
"And what makes you think my brother is a man-whore?"
"Well, because-" The blonde's mouth snapped shut as she finally realised Sasuke had joined them at some point, looking slightly annoyed. "Sasuke-kun," exclaimed Ino, hand going to her ample chest. "You need to stop sneaking up on people like that."
Yes, he really did. Sakura looked up at her boyfriend, frowning at the distaste in his eyes. He disliked being compared to Itachi and having Ino say that his brother was the better version was no doubt driving him insane.
"Ino." Sakura couldn't help but wince at the smirk on Sasuke's face – the look meant he was about to do something cruel. "Itachi hates the colour purple."
The devastated expression on Ino's face made Sakura feel bad for her friend. It really did. However, she kind of asked for it by comparing the two brothers, because even Naruto knew that Sasuke didn't appreciate it – and he was totally clueless.
"They're here," came the yell of their friend, Naruto. He ran excitedly into the garden, arms flailing to capture everyone's attention. "Quick, everyone hide!"
Instead of hiding, they stared at him blankly.
"Where the hell are we all supposed to hide?" she demanded, hand settling on her hip.
Noticing the dilemma, he grinned sheepishly. "Okay, okay, but we still have to yell 'welcome back' really loud."
With that, he ran to stand beside a group of their friends from school: Kiba, Sai and Shikamaru, shoving an elbow into the latter's side to wake him up.
It was then, as the music died down and the guests grew silent, that they heard the sound of Shisui talking. They wouldn't be able to hear them walking through the house considering they would be barefoot or wearing slippers, but they could tell when they were close due to the opening of the door to the room that led to the garden.
"I think your mother is outside," said Shisui and they heard what sounded like a clap on the back. "Go say hello to her – she's missed you."
"Welcome home!"
Itachi came to an abrupt halt at the doors, blinking in surprise at the loud yells that greeted him the moment he came into view. The sight of his startled expression had many grinning and behind him, Shisui gave him a gentle push into the garden.
"I'm so glad you're home," Mikoto told her son, smiling at him warmly.
Standing off to the side with her boyfriend, Sakura watched in awe as Itachi made his way around the guests, greeting and thanking everyone who had come to welcome him home. It'd been so long since she last saw him. His hair was longer, reaching the middle of his back and there was an air of superiority about him, one that brought Ino's words of Itachi being the more experienced of the two brothers to the front of her mind – though, she had to admit, she wasn't thinking about the same kind of experience as Ino. She meant life experience, going from the clips of conversation she heard. He seemed wiser, if that was possible.
"Aren't you going to say hello to your brother?" asked Sakura with a frown as she looked over to him. He was leaning back against the wall of the house, looking as though he hadn't a care in the world. Her boyfriend had never really been the life of the party.
Sasuke shook his head, muttering, "I'll wait until he's spoken with everyone else first."
She could understand his reasoning, she supposed. If he spoke with his brother now, he would have no choice but to keep the conversation short so that he could go back to his rounds with the guests. They were there to see him, after all and welcome him home. In a way, Sakura felt sorry for him. The Itachi she'd known from a few years ago had been quiet and rarely spoke. Unless that changed during university?
It surprised her how similar he was to Sasuke in appearance – well, from a distance, anyway. There were a few differences in their appearances: Itachi was more tanned (probably from studying abroad), his hair was much longer and he had pronounced tear troughs. The latter two were definitely his most distinguishing features. Further surprising her, she soon began to notice the carefully composed features. Itachi knew when to smile, knew when to laugh at somebody's joke. He knew exactly when to appear attentive or intrigued in the conversation. That wasn't too surprising, however. According to stories she'd been told by Sasuke: he was stuck up. He didn't really care about anything other than himself and his studies.
Around half an hour later, just as Sakura was about to say something to Sasuke, he suddenly stood up straighter, leading her to smile softly when she saw Itachi approaching them. As much as he hated to admit it, she could tell he was eager to speak with his brother.
"Sasuke," he greeted with a nod, a small smile tugging at his lips. It was different from the way he'd smiled at his guests, she noticed. More genuine, perhaps?
"Itachi." Unlike Itachi, he didn't smile, but it was obvious by the way his shoulders relaxed that Sasuke was happy to see him. Then, almost like an afterthought, he added, "This is Haruno Sakura – I'm sure you remember her."
Trying not to look annoyed with the way Sasuke had so offhandedly introduced them, Sakura smiled politely at Itachi. "It's nice to see you again."
Once again, he nodded and smiled. "Of course I remember. Are you still together?"
"Yes."
Rolling her eyes at the predictable one word answer, she added, "Five years in three months."
"Five years?" he repeated with real surprise. "I'm surprised you haven't grown tired of my little brother."
She couldn't help but laugh at the annoyance in Sasuke's narrowed eyes. First at Itachi, then at her for laughing. "Believe me, there have been times."
His smile grew for several moments before simmering. "So, Sasuke. How have you been?"
"Fine," he answered, then added after a short pause, "And you?"
His brother chuckled at the dark look sent Sasuke's way by Sakura. "I've been well."
"How was university?" she asked after sending her boyfriend a second glare. Why was he being such a jerk? He was supposed to be excited about his brother's return.
"It was enjoyable, although I didn't have much time outside of studying." He didn't seem all too bothered by it. Then again, Itachi had never seemed like the type who hung out with friends all day long without doing anything worth his time. "Father thought it best to focus on my studies rather than making friends."
No change there, then. Sakura tried her best to hide her frown, but it was difficult. Even Sasuke didn't seem particularly fond of the thought of Itachi going several years without having any friends by his side. It was in the way his indifference dropped, eyebrows knitting together.
"But you did make some friends, right?"
"Of course," he assured him. "I may not have had time to spare, but I still made a few."
"Are you telling people about me again, Itachi-san?"
At the sight of a huge – and Sakura meant huge – man whose skin was covered from head to toe in blue ink approaching them, Sakura tensed ever so slightly, for he was definitely intimidating. His sudden appearance was that much of a surprise that Sasuke wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her closer, making it obvious that he didn't like this friend of Itachi's, either. However, that didn't surprise her. The guy looked like a thug. A dangerous one.
No, it was wrong to judge people based on their appearances, she scolded herself. For all she knew, the guy was one of the nicest people she'd ever met.
"He was," she replied before Itachi had the chance to. "Itachi-san was just telling us how you're both the best of friends." The dead pan that suddenly entered the older brother's features had the heavily tattooed man bursting into laughter, stunning and terrifying her with the fact his teeth had been sharpened. "Oh? Was I not supposed to tell him that, Itachi-san? Sasuke-kun often likes to pretend that he's not best friends with Naruto, so…"
The tightening of the arm around her waist was a warning, one that had her falling silent. It was Sasuke's way of telling her she was talking too much and being annoying.
"Men do not admit to being the 'best of friends', Sakura-san," Itachi informed her with a sigh. Gesturing to the man beside him who was towering over them all with his impressive height, he said, "Sasuke, Sakura-san, this is Kisame-san. Kisame-san, this is-"
"The little brother I've heard so much about," Kisame stated with a grin.
The way Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction told Sakura that that tiny piece of information alone made him happy. It was probably the thought of his older brother telling people about him, believing there was something to be proud of.
"Yes," he replied without pause. "I-"
"Sakura-chan!"
The voice had her head dropping onto Sasuke's shoulder with a groan and she tried her best to ignore the blond who was barrelling towards them. There was a grin on Naruto's face, so wide that his eyes looked pretty much closed. He was an amazing friend to her, but sometimes, he was way too overbearing. Due to being so much taller than her now, Naruto made it his personal mission to remind her of it all the damn time, as she'd constantly teased him when they were younger because he was so short. And by reminding her, she meant he went out of his way to prove he was now the one who was physically superior. That involved, and was not limited to, picking her up (to prove he didn't struggle with it), dragging her places (to prove he was strong enough to drag her around) and throwing his arm over her shoulders or placing it on top of her head (to make the height difference known).
"Hey, Itachi. Welcome back," he said in a rush before grabbing Sakura's hand, ignoring the glare sent his way by Sasuke. When the younger Uchiha wouldn't release her and Sakura continued to hold onto him, Naruto rolled his eyes and grabbed Sasuke's arm, forcefully removing it from around her waist. It was only when she was free that he grinned that wild grin of his. "Are you ready?"
Seeing it made Sasuke's eyes go wide. "Naruto, don't-"
But he didn't listen, wasting no time in stooping low and throwing Sakura over his shoulder, laughing loudly at the shriek he was received in response. Oh, the nerve he had. She was going to strange him when he put her down. No, she was going to do more than that. She was going to annihilate him.
"Put me down!"
More hands were suddenly grabbing at her, the feeling of Sasuke yanking her dress down making her blood run cold.
"Oi, get off, you bastard. I wanna dance with Sakura-chan."
"Naruto-"
"Naruto," he snapped with more venom in his voice. "Put her down."
"Why?" he whined, tightening his hold on her thighs. At least the dress was trapped beneath his arm now. "I'll bring her back by midnight. Can't promise she won't be exhausted, if you know what I mean."
Oh, that damned, perverted bastard was going to die a horrifically painful death. It didn't help that his proud words had Kisame laughing.
"Know the time and place, idiot," snarled her boyfriend, who was still fighting to take her back from him. Hissing much lower so that only the two of them would hear, he said, "She's wearing a short dress. What the hell do you think that means?"
The tensing of the muscles beneath her told her he'd caught on. It was soon followed by his whimper of, "S-Sasuke." It didn't help his fear any when she began shaking with her rage, because while he was physically stronger than she was, she was scarier. "Before I die, just know that I blame you for all of this – oh and it was me who spilled ramen on your bed."
Oh God, what must the others think of her? Was it stupid of her to hope that Naruto would have behaved for just one freaking day?
"Naruto," she spat out through clenched teeth. They were probably attracting so much attention. "Why are you still carrying me?"
His fear doubled. She could feel it in his locked muscles. "Because… Because if I put you down now, y-you're going to kill me."
Yes, yes she was. "And how is continuing to carry me when my underwear is on show going to help?"
He knew it wouldn't, but she also knew that he was too scared to put her down. His head turned to the side, probably looking to the others for support. They mustn't have offered him any help, but he whimpered again. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan."
"Put me down."
It was slowly and reluctantly that he did so and once Sakura's feet touched the ground and she was standing straight, she made sure to give him her scariest glare yet, her pride gaining a boost when he took a wary step back.
"Where do you think you're going?" she questioned softly, nodding her thanks to her boyfriend.
"Heh." He was grinning sheepishly again, scratching the back of his head. "I just remembered that Shikamaru asked me to…"
"To what?"
"Uh…"
"Naruto?"
His expression pleaded with her to go easy on him and when he spoke, his voice was an octave higher than usual. "S-Sakura-chan?"
Her eyes narrowed. She had no intention of going easy on him. He had to learn his lesson for embarrassing the hell out of her. "Run."
So he did, almost knocking people over as he fled.
Leaning down and using Sasuke's arm to keep her balance, she slipped her heels off, pretending not to notice the four inches difference in her height. "Please will you look after my shoes for me, Sasuke-kun?"
Of course he gave the shoes a death glare. "Can't you ask Ino-"
"No. She'll end up borrowing them and I'll never see them again."
"Fine," he grumbled, snatching the heels out of her hands. "I'll put them in my bedroom."
Smiling, she stepped onto her tiptoes and gave him a peck on his cheek before flashing Itachi and Kisame an impish smile, dashing off after Naruto. They could tell when she caught up to him because of the suddenly loud yelp that seemed to echo around the house and garden.
"Oh, you don't need to stay and tidy, Sakura-chan," Mikoto told her. "You already helped set up."
Not that there was much for her to do during the set-up process. It was all pretty much done by the time she arrived. The least she could do was clean the dishes they'd used when the party died down – not the ones from the BBQ, but the ones Mikoto used to give everyone some of the cake she made.
After the incident with Naruto, Sakura had made sure to steer clear of both Itachi and Kisame. She was way too embarrassed to see them any time soon, even though Sasuke assured her they hadn't seen her underwear thanks to his quick actions. She needn't have worried, as Itachi was busy speaking with his guests once more and Kisame stayed with one group. It was a group she wasn't allowed to speak with: Itachi's friends.
"I don't mind." Besides, it was the least she could do after Naruto had broken one of Mikoto's picture frames. Sure, she was partly to blame as she'd been the one who punched him into it, but still. It was his head that broke it.
"I will call Sasuke to give you a hand," the woman said with a sigh, knowing there was no use in arguing. They were similar in that they were both stubborn.
At her words, the kitchen door opened and Sakura glanced over her shoulder to see who had entered, only to blanch at the sight of Itachi. His hands were full with dirty dishes from the desserts.
"There is no need for that, Mother. I will help Sakura-san."
For a moment, Sakura was stunned into silence. Given the fact it'd been years since she last spoke with him, she'd been going off the stories Sasuke had told her about Itachi, leading her to believe he was arrogant and proud. But if that was true, then why was he offering to help her out with such a mundane task? From what Sasuke had been telling her, Itachi was stuck up and believed himself to be better than everyone.
"It's fine. I don't need any-"
Mikoto smiled warmly at her son, interrupting Sakura. "Thank you, Itachi. I'm sure Sakura-chan will appreciate your help."
He merely nodded before making his way over to the sink where Sakura was currently stood, placing the dishes down beside it.
"I will dry," he murmured, grabbing the towel. She wondered if he even remembered where everything went, as he hadn't been home in years and it was redecorated several times.
Unable to find her voice as Mikoto left the kitchen, she nodded and got to work with washing the dishes. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate his offer, even though she accidentally came across as such. She simply wanted to avoid the awkward silence. Earlier, with Sasuke around, it was easier to talk because they had someone to help fill the silence, or giving them ideas on what to discuss. That wasn't mentioning the fact that he more than likely saw her underwear a few hours ago.
Gods, what was she supposed to say? The silence was so strange. She had never really had a problem speaking with people before – she worked in a customer based job.
"May I ask you something, Sakura-san?"
She looked up at him, surprised that he would be the one to initiate the conversation. He didn't look at her as he spoke, instead focusing on his drying. "Sure."
"Earlier today, I noticed how you stopped speaking after Sasuke gave you a warning. Does he do that often?"
The casual way he asked the question shocked her, but what surprised her more was the fact he'd even noticed it. His warning squeeze had been subtle, could have been passed off as him merely wanting to bring her closer. How had he noticed that? "Uh… I guess so. But I was speaking too much and-"
"Sakura-san," he said seriously, turning his head to the side, regarding her silently for a moment before he continued, saying, "Do not allow my brother to control you. You are not his pet who must obey his every order, you are a person."
His words made her bristle for unknown reasons. Was it the truth behind the words? Was it because of how they made her feel about herself? It wasn't like she didn't know the relationship was unhealthy, because she did. It also occurred to her that being in a controlling relationship was damaging. But… she loved him.
"It's easier just to do what he says," she groaned with a roll of her eyes. "Trust me, Sasuke-kun can complain more than Naruto when he doesn't his own way."
He hummed. "That may be so, but you should stand up for yourself next time, otherwise he will always try to control you."
Deciding she had no answer to that, she remained silent, angrily scrubbing away at the plate in her hands. His words hit too close to home for her liking – the best thing to do was to ignore him. After all, when you loved someone, you sacrificed a lot for them. If relinquishing control made their relationship easier, then why not?
It was normal, right?
A/N - Trying to rewrite the introductory chapters without changing the story altogether is hard work - I'm glad it's out the way. And don't worry: they don't all drag as badly as this one. Starting from the next chapter, the rest of them are much, much better, as I didn't have to do much rewriting. I have an awful habit of writing the first couple of chapters, then only little snippets for each chapter, then forgetting about it completely. So, since I wanted to keep the original storyline, I kept the majority of the first two chapters (cutting out so much Mary-Sue behaviour and cliches) and am currently writing the others from scratch, more or less. You all just need to bear with me while I work through all the bad parts.
Thank you so much to those of you who took the time to review! It's a boost in confidence when I feel a bit unsure about a story - something I really needed for this one.
Again, I promise it'll improve.