Day 15 Prompt: "Love notes/letters"
What a fucking relief.
The moment Sasuke received that message, he was over the whole moon, plus a few thousand stars.
Sasuke thinks that maybe he's a bigger sap than he realized. He's never had his heart yanked around like this, all the wonder and worry that comes along with it, and then so effortlessly put to rest.
It must be noticeable, too, because Jūgo gives him this knowing look. One that lingers as he passes by, but doesn't look concerned, just curious. Sasuke hates to think he has 'pep' in his step. That's not his intention, but he guesses if he feels a little lighter than normal, then…
He gets to his desk, sets his backpack down instead of tossing it, and immediately, his eyes land on a folded note on top of his keyboard. He reaches out to instantly open it.
I enjoyed our date! See you at lunch!
The exclamation points are dotted with hearts and Sasuke feels his heart squeeze inside his chest.
He looks around the office, knowing his face is probably pinker than he wants it to be, wondering if anyone's looking. When he confirms no one is, he gets in his seat and stares at the note. His eyes trace all the lines and curves of her writing. It looks so delicate, like she could've spent hours making sure every letter printed is perfect. But something tells him this probably took her no time at all, and her writing really is just that nice. He thinks that it'll be nice to know a doctor that doesn't have chicken scratch writing.
Lunch can't come fast enough, and of course, the hours drag by again. Naruto stops in around ten to chit-chat with him, and he doesn't even pretend to be annoyed by him. His favorite time to talk to Naruto is during work hours because he's wasting company money, and that tickles him.
"A date," Naruto repeats back to him, wide-eyed, resting his cheeks in his palms with his elbows on the other side of Sasuke's desk. "And you took her back to your place. You dog!"
"Naruto." Sasuke narrows his eyes disapprovingly and Naruto just laughs.
"Kidding, I know you're not that guy." Naruto grins turns mischievous as his eyebrows wiggle, slightly. Never a great sign. "I'm sure you've been, uh, getting close, though, huh?"
"If we've gone on a date, I would hope so?" Sasuke says it sarcastically, hoping he'll say what he means.
"I just mean, y'know. Been getting your mack on."
"My mack on?"
"Making out, dude!" Naruto exclaims and Sasuke shoots upright, finger over his lips to quiet him while looking around. Naruto waves a hand, even though Sasuke simply refuses to trust him to be discreet. In a quieter voice, he repeats, "making out. Kissing. Necking. Snogging like the brits say. Pressing lips together—"
"No," Sasuke responds, flatly, furrowing his eyebrows. He's fine with talking about a date, going out to eat, watching a movie together, but he's not about to go blabbing about the more intimate details. He's told Naruto in the past to stop telling him his intimate details, too, but to no one's surprise, he doesn't listen.
"Your kiddin' me." Naruto huffs, shaking his head. "What, just some little pecks? Maybe she doesn't like you as much as you think."
"She – she definitely likes me." Sasuke doesn't even know why he's arguing this with Naruto. "We've kissed, okay? And maybe made out. You know that's not your business, Naruto."
"Maybe?" Naruto rolls his eyes all exaggerated style. "Sure, pal. Whatever you say."
"I have a client."
"Time to kick ol' Naruto out." Naruto laughs as he pushes himself back in the chair and gets up. Sasuke rubs the bridge of his nose as Naruto knocks his knuckles on the wood before pointing a finger at him. "Seriously, though. Don't be your usual weird self and get all standoffish now."
Sasuke resents that but doesn't even bother to say it out loud to Naruto because he knows it's pointless.
Before the clock ticks to 12, Sasuke decides to peel off a post-it note to scribble his own message back onto.
I want to take you out, next time.
He briefly wonders what someone else might think if they saw him doing something like this. Then, he decides he could give a damn. He folds up the note and stuffs it in his pocket.
When he gets to the food court, she's already there, and he sneaks up behind her. He decides to be cute for once in his life, like Rin told him to be, and poke her side gently. She does that little squeak he nicknamed her for and it makes the hairs on the back of his neck tingle. Her smile greets him right after and he can't get enough of it.
They spend their lunch sitting right next to each other, knees against the other, just kind of in each other's space, and he can honestly say it makes him feel happy. Decides to keep the fact he knows about her note a secret for now so that he can surprise her by leaving her one in her office later, too.
But something lingers in the back of his mind, like a scratch in the back of his throat, begging for him to cough it out.
Are they kissing? Yes and no. Naruto has him in his own head again, just like always. He hates that he lets it get to him, but it does. He's been hesitant, but he likes to think it's because he's a gentleman. His mother taught him right, he figures. But Hinata's given off a lot of strong hints, and he's found himself frozen every time, hoping she doesn't notice. The long hug the other night was his replacement for a kiss on the lips and it just sort of felt right at the time.
Now he wonders if he's letting his chance slip him by.
After they part ways, he decides he's not going to let that line of thinking ruin the one good thing he's got going in his life. If they're meant to move forward, he figures the universe will give him a sign. It always does.
Toward the end of the day, it slows down, and Sasuke asks Lee to cover for him so he can leave early. He figures Shikamaru does it plenty, Sasuke can do it once in a while, too. He checks to make sure he has the note, then grabs his things to go up to the next floor. Carefully observes the plaque on each door until he finds the right one.
Konoha Vision
Tsunade Senju, O.D.
He peaks through the little window (like a creep) just to make sure she doesn't happen to be in the lobby, and when all he sees are a few people in the waiting room, he pulls open the door. Starts to walk to the receptionist while pulling out the note. She greets him with a big smile, asking for his name for the appointment. He leans in close and she gives him a funny look.
"I don't have an appointment." He feels guilty when her expression turns to something like fear as if he's here to rob the place. He makes it worse by passing the note to her, so he quickly clarifies, "can you give this to Hinata Hyūga?"
"Uhm…" the woman reluctantly reaches out for the note. He tries his best to smile but fears it looks more like a grimace. "I suppose? What was your name?"
"She'll know." He steps away, trying not to make this interaction any worse. He's realizing he probably looks like some stalker freak, so he wraps it up. "I appreciate it. Thank you."
Before he can turn, he catches a glimpse of red hair that makes him freeze. Then bright eyes behind glasses flicker up and his stomach drops.
What the hell? Since when does Karin work in an optometrist's office?
He knew she worked in this building: it was something he was hypervigilant of. Always making sure to get here early because he knows she's chronically late. Doesn't skip work early often because she usually does. He's been very diligent about avoiding crossing paths with her. But Naruto failed to inform him she was working in an optometrist's office. Why the hell wouldn't he tell him?
Before she can open her mouth, he spins around and hurries out. Books it down the hallways, practically sprinting like a lunatic, ignoring the questioning look someone towards the end gives him. He dares to look behind him and breathes a relieved sigh when he can't see her hair in the distance.
Since he's out early, he ends up walking down a few bus stops to catch the bus at a stop before his usual one.
Thinking about it more, he shouldn't be surprised Naruto hadn't bothered to tell him. Sasuke made it very clear he had no interest in knowing about Karin unless it somehow directly affects him. Naruto probably didn't even make the connection between his cousin and Hinata both working in optometry offices in the same building as Sasuke.
Just his luck. Now Karin's going to be on Naruto's case for the next week.
It's not something he's proud of, but Karin was his first girlfriend. Way back when they were barely freshmen in high school. He figured all his friends were in relationships, so he should be, too. Karin was more of a convenient option because he already knew her through Naruto. He thought he could trust her because they'd been acquaintances for years at that point. He came to the realization that there were some screws loose in her brain the hard way when she smashed up his bike tires with her dad's golf club after he told her he just didn't see her romantically after a year of dating.
That's probably where his distrust of relationships came from, he figures. It's hard to feel comfortable with others after being gaslit for an entire year. Your first relationship ending in violence doesn't breed confidence in future endeavors. Seeing Karin brings back a flood of unpleasant memories, and now his mood is ruined.
Yeah. That's his luck.
The next day goes on as normal, but there's no note this time. He wasn't sure if it would become a thing between them, so he's not entirely surprised. Maybe she'll want to talk about it over lunch?
Lunch comes and goes, casual conversation about what they watched last night, how their workday is going. He's careful not to bring up Karin, afraid that they might actually be friends (a nightmare scenario for Sasuke). She cuts it off short, though, this time.
"I promised Tsunade I'd come set up a patient," she tells him with this little sympathetic smile.
"Oh." He deflates a bit but tries not to let it show too much. "I can walk you back."
"No, please." She holds out a hand as she stands up. "Finish your meal. I'll see you soon."
The days keep going kind of like this. The next day, she gets to lunch late because she would help Tsunade or someone else with something. Then the next day, she tells him she's not feeling well and that she was going to tell Tsunade she needs to go home. The next, she's not even there.
Sasuke starts to panic internally when her messages start to come fewer and fewer at a time.
He starts running through the scenarios in his head.
Number one: she's actually sick and doesn't have the energy to communicate with him. This is understandable and he has nothing to worry about. Things will go back to normal.
Number two: she's starting to regret everything. Finally realizes what an abnormal freak he is. That he's just a pessimistic asshole and not really deserving of love and affection.
The second one downright terrifies him, because being with Hinata has made him realize affection is something he's been missing in his life for a very, very long time. Being close with someone, holding their hand, feeling their body heat and breathing patterns. The thump of their heart when it's right against his chest. Those are all things Sasuke's been craving and he just didn't know it until Hinata gave it to him.
But now Naruto's words slide around in his head like noisy marbles, clanking about, causing him stress and headaches.
Making out, dude!
Maybe she doesn't like you as much as you think.
Don't be your usual weird self and get all standoffish now.
Sasuke was his usual weird self.
They haven't really been kissing. They haven't had another date. She never brought the note up. And now she's avoiding him.
Sasuke feels like he's fucked up, now. Just like he fucks up everything else. Going to college for a worthless degree. Rejecting the family business. Can't be trusted to keep guinea pigs alive.
It's just another day in the life of Sasuke Uchiha, he figures.
A master of disappointment.