-XXX-
SASUKE
Sakura was silent for the rest of that evening. She was cleaning out the top shelves in the kitchen, washing the pasta bowls and rearranging the freezer. All at the same time. It had started to drizzle outside again, and the rain didn't stop relatively until sometime around midnight.
Hinata sensed the tension in the air between Sakura and me, so she tried to be discreet and pretend like she didn't notice anything. It was probably weighing on her because at one point she asked me if everything was okay. I sighed and looked up from the book I was reading in the living room. "We had a bit of a disagreement." I admitted. Couples argue commonly, hence my answer seemed believable.
Hinata was quiet for a moment, her gaze fixed on her lap. "Is this... Is this because of what happened earlier... at the nursing home?" She asked in a muffled voice, as if afraid to speak her thoughts aloud. She was probably worried it might be because of her misspoken words earlier. "Yes." I answered truthfully, not wanting to lie to her. However, I hadn't mentioned to her our later argument about our contract. I let her think it was about the Tsunade thing.
"Sasuke-kun..." Hinata continued coyly from her seat in the living room, brushing her fingers against the hem of her purple fuzzy sweater. "Should I... should I go back home?" I shook my head in disagreement. It was pointless for her to leave now when Naruto would pick her up first thing in the morning. "No, it's fine." I answered her, returning to the spaced out page of the book I was reading for about the fifth time, because I always got lost in my thoughts.
"I'll... I think I'll go upstairs and give you some privacy." Hinata suggested, slowly rising from her seat. I didn't know what to say to her, so I just nodded. I didn't even know what I should say to Sakura, but not long after Hinata, Sakura headed upstairs as well, apparently done with her work. I waited for a moment, turned off the TV that had been playing in the room the whole time as a backdrop to drown out the silence, and followed Sakura into the bedroom.
She was already lying in bed, curled up at the very edge. I took my sleeping clothes from the dresser and changed in the bathroom. I slipped into bed, next to her tiny, warm body. I hesitated and then reached my arm over her hips and pressed myself against her back. "Are you angry?" I whispered in a hushed voice next to her ear.
"I'm not angry, I'm just sad." It came back from her, and I was glad that Sakura hadn't decided to be quiet, or that she wasn't trying to pretend to be a heavy sleeper. It frustrated me when we argued, and the whole thing with our contract frustrated me, but we had decided to do it together once and I didn't know what to say to her.
"I can't change who I am and what I want." I reminded her. I felt movement and my hand slid from her hip back to my side as she turned around. She turned to face me, her eyes brighter in the dark than they were in the daytime. "I think you've already changed in many ways, Sasuke-kun."
"Maybe." I admitted. I wasn't going to deny what decisions I had or hadn't made. I made mistakes, yes. I need to learn to live with them, yes. But life goes on. We both have a future and we both have different opinions about it at this moment. "But even so, it doesn't change my opinions on certain things like love and children." I said firmly, I wasn't going to compromise on what the future had in store for me. I was going to make my own decisions about my future.
"For you, everything is always black or white." She stated gloomily, her eyes sullen. Her eyes directly screamed the thought that she wanted to hear completely different words out of my mouth. "Ah..." I agreed with her statement. "That's how I see life." Sakura closed her eyes and her chest heaved a long sigh.
There was a short moment of silence before she opened her eyes again and added. "You're missing out on a lot..." I reached out to her again and touched the softness of her face in the darkness, running my finger over her cheek. A trace of wetness remained on my finger and I realized she had been crying. The thought of her lying there miserably unsettled me.
"Sakura..." I began. "What?" she whispered. "I know it's getting harder and harder. I didn't expect Minato and the others to become a part of our lives outside of the office." We both looked at each other with understanding on our expressions. We both had the same thoughts. We both knew that this pretending was destroying us more than we could imagine. The only difference was that I was stubborn and wrong. It was time to lay all the cards on the table.
"You were right." I swallowed most of my pride and gave her the truth. I'd been thinking about it for days and nights. I knew ending this charade would make us both feel better, but I didn't want to end it. I was afraid of what would come next.
"In which case?" She asked me. "In everything." I slumped my shoulders resignedly, and the corners of her lips lifted sadly. "But I wish I wasn't right..." She muttered, and it was clear to me what she meant. "Then you'll be glad to know you were wrong about one thing after all." I smirked and she frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?" She asked, not knowing herself whether to be offended or curious.
I took her face in my hands and pulled her closer to me. The tips of our noses were almost touching. "It's not true that I don't like you." Not at all. I regretted every nasty word, every nasty damn errand I'd sent her on, every unpleasant job I'd given her. "You have my admiration for how brave and strong you are."
She opened her mouth in all surprise, as if to say something, but I continued. "You are selfless and kind. The way you've become important to me is a testament to how special you are." Sakura had become irreplaceable partner to my over time. Just like I told Tsunade before.
"So don't say things like I hate you. You're far from that..." I was going to end my speech there, I've had enough emotions for one day. Sakura took a moment to process what she had just heard and slowly new tears began to form in her eyes. And here I was hoping I wouldn't make her cry anymore. I wiped away her tears with my thumb before they could fall on her neck, and she simply grinned broadly at me. "It's just... I just wasn't expecting it. That's all."
"Sakura... I'm sorry." She lifted her head off the pillow, so she could better reached up to me and she lightly kissed me on the cheek. "Apology accepted." She said softly and I forgot to breathe. I buried my hands in her hair and pulled her closer to me. A kiss on the cheek wasn't enough. I craved the kiss that was directly offered with her full lips in front of me. I longed to taste, devour and ravish her lips. Therefore, I didn't hesitate to connect my lips with hers to savor the moment even more intensely.
Sakura responded with a muffled moan that washed over my face. Long minutes passed, but our mouths couldn't pull away from each other. Tongues brushed and fondled, desire slowly grew stronger and heavier, and my body was overwhelmed with lust. I groaned and lifted up to look at her.
Her lips were puffed out and she was breathing fast. I traced her lower lip with my finger. "Sakura..." I rasped huskily and began to run my hand slowly and gently over the curves of her body until my hand was down under the covers and my fingers were caressing her naked thigh.
She lifted her head and at the exact moment our lips met again, we heard it. The rumble of a sudden clap of thunder, followed by a crash and a loud scream from the guest room. I groaned and laid my head on her shoulder. "Damn Hinata, not again." Sakura suddenly laughed at my comment and our unfortunate timing. "I think she broke my lamp, goddammit. That lamp I liked so much, shannaro..." She whimpered in disappointment.
I started to chuckle, because she rarely expressed herself so vividly. I rolled over on my back and covered my face with my forearm. "Go and check on her, see what she's up to." She nodded in agreement and slid briskly out of bed. She stood by the bed for a bit, hesitating whether or not to go check on Hinata, afraid that Hinata may think she's causing us trouble. Just from her expression, I knew what she was pondering.
The dim light coming through the open crack in the door emphasized Sakura's silhouette in the light nightgown she wore. She'd rounded out a bit in the right places since we'd started living together, her figure now defined by new curves. Her hair in a slight tousle and her eyes dilated with longing as she looked at me now and then. She looked gorgeous. Insanely gorgeous, to be honest.
"Just go..." I said. "If you don't go, I'm not taking responsibility for myself." I made a small joke with a smirk that wasn't a joke at all. Sakura turned her back on me and rushed to the door. "Sakura..." I called out to her. With her hand on the doorknob, she turned to me and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" I lowered my voice and said: "If the lamp is broken, I'll buy you a new one." She smiled beamingly and disappeared down the hallway.
What the hell am I doing? That's the second time I've tried to seduce her today. And this is the same woman I've been trying to get away from for so long. Now I had her around me all the time. She had infiltrated every aspect of my life. Even my bed. And what was the strangest part? It didn't bother me at all.
…
"Syrup is for flavoring, not a stand-alone food." I commented at breakfast and Sakura looked up from her plate and was already shaking her head. "No way, every waffle grid must be full of syrup, Sasuke-kun. That's the rule." I gave a little smile and lifted my coffee cup to my mouth. "You have more syrup on your plate than food." Just the load of sweet made me sick.
"This way is much better!" I shook my head in disbelief and took another look at the contents of her plate. "Did you put bacon on there, too?" She cooed with her mouth full: "It's perfect, shannaro!" Hinata giggled and started on her breakfast as well. Despite the fact that Hinata ate like a true lady and Sakura dug into her waffles like they were about to be snatched from her at any moment, I liked Sakura's way of dining much better.
"You don't like syrup, Sasuke-kun?" Hinata asked me slowly. I shook my head at her question and sipped from my cup of properly bitter coffee, just the way I liked it. "I don't like sweets, and when I have waffles, I want them to taste like waffles." Sakura stabbed a piece of waffle from her plate onto her fork, syrup dripping everywhere, and pushed it towards me. "Try it!" She waited for me to open my mouth and taste it. "No." I objected. "Please, Sasuke-kun!"
Sakura gave up after a moment and looked down at herself and cursed. "Damn, I dripped syrup on myself. Sorry, I'll be right back." She said and ran out of the kitchen up to the bathroom. I, meanwhile, sliced off my much drier waffle and Hinata started giggling. "You two are very sweet. Haven't you ever eaten waffles together before?"
I had to think of something fast. "No. I only bought her the waffle maker as a wedding present." Hinata stared at me open-mouthed in surprise. "Sasuke-kun... you gave her the waffle maker as a wedding gift?" I furrowed my brows in puzzlement. "She wanted it herself." Hinata made a cranky face at my answer. Was there anything wrong with buying a woman what she asked for if she wanted it? I didn't understand what was so strange about it.
"When will that idiot arrive?" I changed the subject to Hinata's boyfriend and the pain in the ass in my life calling himself my best friend. Hinata rolled up her sweater sleeves slightly and looked at the watch on her wrist. "Naruto's coming for me in a bit." The thought of finally having peace at home without any visitors, even welcome ones, was satisfying. "Good." I added, calmly finishing my waffle while Hinata sipped her mint tea.
…
I came out of the study to look for Sakura. Hinata left a little after breakfast and I got busy with my unfinished work. Then I did some business with Minato on the phone. I heard some noises coming from the lobby, so I went to check on Sakura.
The door to the storeroom was wide open. A lot of stuff had been taken out or thrown away, and after Sakura had moved in and fixed up the whole house, only some boxes and files were still left there.
I leaned against the door frame and watched her for a while. A hidden smile appeared on my lips. "What are you doing here?" She pointed to several framed pictures. "You've got some nice pieces here." She said pleasantly surprised as she held pictures of me as a little boy and framed pictures of my brother Itachi on her lap.
"I didn't know where to hang them." I lied, I didn't want anything personal in plain sight. I didn't have a good reason, I just wasn't a sentimental kind of person. "They would look wonderful in the main room, Sasuke-kun!" She pulled out a few photos of my mother from the box she was going through. "They're very nice pictures, it would be a shame to leave them wrapped up." I held out my hand and she placed a stack of pictures in it.
I skimmed through them and felt a little embarrassed at first when I saw the photos I once took. "I took these..." I said in a muffled voice, looking at pictures of landscapes from my work trips when I started out after college and went on various internships. "Really?" Her eyes lit up in surprise. I used to have a phase where I would try to see how my photography would go. It didn't last very long.
I bent down and handed her back the stack of photos. "I wasn't very good." She shook her head in disagreement. "I think they're great." I didn't know what she liked about them, but whatever. "Then do what you want with them." Satisfied with my answer, she started rummaging through the boxes again, as if perhaps hoping to find a secret treasure.
"Minato called me." I started after a while. "Yeah? And what did he say?" Sakura said with her head slowly shoved in the box, deeply engrossed in her work. "He wants me to go on a business trip with him, to meet a client out of town." I sighed and scratched the back of my neck, not really wanting to go anywhere, which didn't happen often.
"When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow."
"And for how long?"
"I'll be gone until Thursday, so I can't go to Tsunade this week."
Sakura straightened her back, pulled her head out of the box and smiled at me. "That's not a problem, I can skip yoga. I'm not that good at it anyway." She slumped her shoulders, luckily for us, she wasn't disappointed that she had to miss one lesson. Yes, this was probably the most reasonable thing to do. "All right." I agreed with her suggestion. "Tell her I'll go see her on Friday and get her a drink." Sakura nodded and added, "She'll be thrilled."
"What are you going to do here when I'm gone?" I asked, wanting to know how she would spend her time here alone when I was gone. Sakura didn't need a second to think and answered immediately. "I'll be working on the living room." I figured she wanted to finish painting all over the house.
"Have you booked a painter?" She'd managed to paint her room amazingly, but the living room was too big for her to do it alone. I had confidence in her that she could do it on her own, but the idea of Sakura on a ladder that high made me pretty nervous, especially since I was going to be out of town.
"I ordered professionals, don't worry, Sasuke-kun. It'll be done in two days. You'll miss all the fun." She said mischievously, sticking her tongue out at me playfully. "What a shame." I stated ironically with a smirk. She stood up and dusted off her knees.
"I'll help you pack your things. I need to wash and iron your best suits and make you some food for the trip..." She turned off the light in the closet and a list of things she needed to do before I left and during my absence began to formulate in her head.
"And I also need to move my things from your bedroom back to my room while you're gone, and change the water in the vases in the hallway, they're getting a little stale..." Sakura looked frantically around the corridor in all directions, looking quickly to see what all needed to be done and prepared.
"Don't."
The words flew out of me before I could stop them. "What?" She stopped in the middle of the hallway and in the middle of her monologue and turned back to look at me. "Don't move back to your room. When I'm gone, sleep in my room." She stared at me with a look of incomprehension and I continued. "You're obviously going to find enough to do here, so don't bother moving." She bit her bottom lip nervously, trying to avoid my direct gaze. "But what about today, before you leave?"
I furrowed my brow in puzzlement. "If I keep my things at your room..." She paused. "Then we'll have to sleep together too I gues…" She finished her thought and I raised an eyebrow. "So you want to extend our contract after all, huh?" I took the perfect opportunity to tease her with that double meaning. And watching her gradually figure it out was amusing. "What?! No... I meant..." She started to stutter and I had to smirk at her reaction.
There it was again, that blush on her cheeks that always amused me so much. It flooded her chest and turned her cheeks pink. "Don't tease me, shannaro! I just meant you have all my pillows, blanket and lamp in your bedroom!" She cried out in offense, folding her arms at her sides. "I'm not teasing you... I'm just trying to look at the practical side of it." I made an excuse as to why I wanted her to stay in my bedroom tonight, and other nights too.
"Alright, Sasuke-kun... I'll stay in your room while you're gone." She agreed and I immediately followed up. "And tonight?" The blush on her face darkened even more. "Tonight... too." I took a few short steps towards her and leaned in close to her ear. "That's good to hear." It was true. When I woke up this morning, I cuddled up to her and I hadn't slept so well in a long time. Her closeness did me good. I was refreshed and relaxed, even though I had to fight with the effects of being near to her body.
Embarrassed, she gave me a fleeting glance. She stepped back and turned on her heel towards the living room. "Fine, if that's what you want." She uttered behind her as she walked away from me without turning back to me. That was what I really wanted. I smiled and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water before it was time for dinner.
…
"What are you smiling at?" Minato Namikaze asked me while we were on our business trip. The meeting went well and our client was delighted. I spent the afternoon preparing for the following day's meeting, working on suggestions and new ideas that I would like to implement for our new client in the future.
Minato insisted that we go to lunch at the best restaurant in town to celebrate it. I lifted my head from my cell phone and handed it to him across the table where we had stacked our fancy meals. "Sakura sent me a picture from the nursing home." In the photo, it showed Sakura visiting Tsunade and the two of them feasting and having fun in Tsunade's room. Minato chuckled at the sight of them and handed the phone back to me.
"It's nice to see you like this, Sasuke." I looked over at him but made no comment, tucking my phone in my pocket in the meantime. "Hn..." He looked at me questioningly over the rim of his glass and I pretended not to notice. "You don't like talking about yourself much, do you Sasuke? Especially not about your past." I wasn't sure if that was just his observation or if it was a question to me.
"I guess."
"But you do talk to Sakura, don't you?"
"Yeah."
I nodded in agreement, hoping he would take this as a prompt to change the subject. What's this about? He was silent for a while. Then he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out an orange designed envelope and slid it across the table to me. "What's this?" Minato tapped his finger on the thick, cream-colored paper. "You've had an excellent results since you joined us, Sasuke." He complimented me with a warm expression. "You have exceeded my expectations. All my expectations." He added while smiling as I observed him.
"Your work on the shoe commercial for the Fūma company was great. The way you designed it and the way you became a key part of our team, and the fact that you immediately left on a last-minute business trip... It was all a proof that you have a passion and responsibility for what you do."
In my mind, I wondered if this is how a boy who is warmed by the sense that his father is proud of him feels. Something I've never known. Minato Namikaze always preferred to praise and rarely criticize, both his employees and his family. His comments were rather enlightening, certainly not judgmental.
It was surprising how quickly I slipped into my role at Namikaze Group. I loved the positive energy here and their whole "work with others, not against them" attitude that prevailed. Still, his current words meant a lot to me. A lump formed in my throat, and I had to take a drink of water before I spoke.
"Thank you. It's an important job for me too." Minato pushed the envelope closer to me. "For you, Sasuke." I reached for the envelope and opened it. Inside I found a check. I took it between my fingers and looked at the amount Minato had paid me. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when I saw the huge amount. Also in the envelope was a copy of my employment contract. I put the check on the table and looked through my employment contract. Minato must have changed something in there or he wouldn't have put it in the envelope with my check.
I immediately noticed that the clause about trial employment was crossed out and signed with Namikaze's initials. I raised my eyes to him across our table and looked at him questioningly. "What's that supposed to mean?" Minato started laughing and took a sip from his glass. "Think of the check as a bonus for a job exceptionally well done. The Fūma company signed a multi-year contract with us, and it's only because of your idea. They want you to do future commercials for them as well."
I raised my copy of the contract to the level of my face and waved it a little. "That's not what I mean." I retorted. "You crossed out the trial term." I let him know which part in the envelope didn't make sense to me. "Yes. I originally put it in there so I could make sure my instincts about whether you'd be a good fit... were correct." I nodded, because I knew that.
"But you have more than sufficiently proved that you are indeed what you claim to be. You are a different person than your reputation claimed. Sakura certainly contributed to that change and helped you find your true self." He explained, getting up from the table. Minato walked around the table and stopped to my right. He then reached out his hand to me to shake it in agreement.
"You have a place in my company, Sasuke. For as long as you want. And I hope we have many years together ahead of us." I stood up in return and accepted his gesture. I shook his hand, my head turning around a single thought as I did so. I'd made it. I'd done it. I could be happy. All my plans, all my arrangements had led to this moment.
I secured a position with the Namikaze Group and tricked Minato. Mission accomplished. I was absolutely thrilled, but it wasn't for the reasons I expected. I realized I didn't give a damn about Danzo Shimura and how he was going to feel now. He could easily come in, offer me a job at his ROOT Inc. company again for more money than I ever imagined, and yet I wouldn't even think of accepting.
Actually, I only wanted Namikaze's appreciation. I wished he could be proud of me. I wanted to keep working for him and hearing his kind, complimentary words. Along with these thoughts, however, came a feeling to which I was not accustomed: guilt. Guilt about how it all started and why I was sitting here now. Guilt at the deception that has brought me to this moment.
I stared at the papers and wondered how much Minato's decision was influenced by the fact that Hinata was with us and Kushina was so friendly with Sakura. Surely during their visits, both women had seen that Sakura and I were acting like a normal married couple, and could have confirmed it to him as much. That we're a real couple.
They saw that we treated each other with respect and nicely. That we help each other out and that we both like the peace and comfort of our shared home. They saw that even though we disagree and argue sometimes, we make up. In short, like all other married couples.
Not only did we get closer to Hinata thanks to that stupid storm, but she, as Minato's former secretary and possibly his once and future daughter-in-law, was able to dispel any doubts Minato might have had. I shook my head inwardly, however. It didn't really matter. All that mattered was that I continued to work hard and prove to Minato that I belonged in his company.
It doesn't matter how it started, it matters that I achieved it, and that's how it will stay. "Thank you." He patted me on the shoulder, joy on his face. "I'm sure your wife will be happy too." Another emotion rose in my chest. I looked forward to telling her, and to sharing my victory with her. I smiled, knowing how positively she would react. " I'd like to tell her, but I think it can wait until I'm home."
I looked at my check lying on the table. "I should probably buy her something to celebrate." After Hinata questioned my gift of a waffle maker, I figured I should get Sakura a gift more suited for a woman. This will be a great opportunity, just think of something. Minato nodded at my suggestion and even solved my dilemma. "Very good idea! I know of a good jewelry store near here." I furrowed my brow. Jewelry. I hadn't thought of that, but it was... Perfect.
-XXX-
End of Chapter 26