Sakura tips back her head and finishes off her drink, sitting the glass down heavily on the bar afterwards and running her hand through her hair while looking around at the lively party. It's hot because there are so many people, most of whom are inebriated and dancing. The woman isn't sure how many drinks she's had, but she is positive it's more than enough to get her drunk.
She takes her time visually locating her friends to verify they're safe, or at least in the presence of someone who will make sure they don't get into trouble. After that, she sighs and gathers her handbag. When she stands from the barstool, she wobbles, snickering at her own drunkenness. Dipping and dodging her way through the crowd of bodies, Sakura makes her way to the exit, not bothering to spare the huge party another glance before leaving.
It's snowing and ice cold outside. Though it's the middle of the night, the world is alight with the city lights, not to mention the busy street filled with cars. Before she can even take another step, someone grabs her elbow. Surprised, she yanks it away, stumbling but catching herself with a hand on the newly constructed building.
When she lifts her eyes, they land on a familiar face. "...Kiba?"
Tan skin. White, wolfish grin. Muscles. Warm, chocolate eyes.
The man tilts his head and looks her up and down, "Long time no see, Saku. How've you been?"
Sakura doesn't want to see him, not when she only just decided to try moving on from what'd happened with him. That's right. Kiba Inuzuka is the person she slept with in high school. The person who spoke so lowly of her performance and appearance to their classmates, effectively breaking her, at the time, teenage heart.
"I was just leaving," she tries to keep her speech steady, but even she can tell the words are a little slurred.
He nods, his mouth turning into a grin, "I see that. I almost didn't recognize you when you walked past me inside. You've changed a lot."
"No, I haven't," she bites. Sakura may be sound enough to recognize that she doesn't want to be around Kiba, but she's still drunker than she's been in a very long time. She's known for being way too honest and acting boldly in that state. Her next sentence confirms that statement, "I'm still that plain girl with no sex appeal."
Kiba's grin disappears, his face paling. Satisfied she's deterred him from further bothering her, Sakura turns to leave, only for him to say, "Wait!"
She faces him again, crossing her arms across her chest with a glare, "What do you want?"
"Listen, I didn't know you heard about that, okay?" Obviously, the man now knows exactly why she dumped him so long ago. He lifts his palms in defense, his brow furrowing into a guilty expression that's hard to determine if it's real or not, "I only said that stuff because….Well, I don't have a good reason, Saku, but you know how boys are! They'd call me gay if they found out I actually loved what we did."
"How does sleeping with your girlfriend make you gay, Kiba?! That makes no sense!" Sakura throws her hands out from her sides, unable to believe his poor explanation.
"I don't know! I was young and stupid. You have to believe me!"
Sakura smacks away his hands when he reaches toward her, taking a step back, "I don't have to do anything. Leave me alone."
It's at that moment that the Haruno realizes Kiba, too, has had his fair share of drinks because he tries to grab at her again. His movements are heavy, and a soft red dusts the bridge of his nose that she failed to notice before.
Angry and inebriated, Sakura shoves at his chest, "Back off, Kiba!"
He glares, "Just hear me out!"
When pushing him away doesn't work, the pinkette's fight-or-flight instinct kicks in, and she's never liked running. Before either comprehends what's happening, her fist connects with his nose, and she's cursing at him with slurred, enraged words, "I don't want to hear any-fucking-thing from you, Asshole! I said leave me the hell alone!"
Dark brown eyes lift to lock onto hers in a glare. That is the first time Sakura realizes it's possible for a man to scare her because the only thing she can think about as Kiba straightens his spine and takes a step toward her, blood running from his nose to his lips, is that he'll kill her and she's not strong enough to protect herself if he really tries.
Tears well in her eyes as she backs away, "Kiba, stay away…."
He lurches forward and grabs her wrist, hissing in her face, "That's always been your problem! You don't think about the consequences of your actions."
Sakura doesn't know what to do because she's never been frightened like this. All her life, she's stood up to bullies for herself and others, and her little strength and knowledge have been enough to end things without serious repercussions. Now, though, there's no way out. In school, there were teachers or parents she could go to if things got out of hand. In a mugging, the people are almost always weak from being poor and have little fighting training due to the same reason. This isn't either of those, though. No, this is a healthy, muscular man staring at her like a bull about to charge a cape.
Kiba yanks her wrist so she stumbles forward, her free hand coming up to push his chest. Before she can even look up at his face, a loud thump meets her ears, and the man begins to fall toward the ground.
She almost goes with him, but someone else grabs her wrist from Kiba's grasp and pulls her away, a hand coming to the small of her back when she nearly trips. Her forehead hits something firm that smells incredible. Her eyes slowly open to see a familiar shade of blue. With a trembling hand, she touches the cloth.
"Who are you? Let her go. We were in the middle of a discussion," Kiba interrupts her awe. Sakura turns in whoever has saved her's arms to see the Inuzuka man coming to a stand with a busted lip to match his bleeding nose.
She opens her mouth to bark something derogatory at the man, but a deep voice cuts her off, "That wasn't a conversation." Every ounce of blood in the pinkette's body goes cold because she knows that voice. It's a voice she's had trouble not thinking about for over a week now. Slowly, she looks up to confirm that none other than Sasuke has rescued her from her drunk ex-boyfriend.
"We used to date, and were catching up. Tell him, Saku," Kiba tries, lifting a brow at her.
Sakura temporarily forgets her boss and glares at the man, "If you ever lay a finger on me again, I'll call the cops, Kiba Inuzuka."
He's stunned but shakes his head in defeat upon meeting Sasuke's eye again. Cursing under his breath, he disappears back indoors to return to the party.
Once she's sure he's not coming back, Sakura drunkenly tries to bow to her boss, "I'm so sorry, Sir."
"Your hand."
The surprise is too strong, so all she can do is stand there dumbly as the Uchiha man gently lifts her hand to hold it in both of his, eyeing the slight swelling on her knuckles from hitting Kiba. When she doesn't say anything, he meets her gaze expectantly.
It snaps her out of it, and she gingerly pulls herself free of him, face warming bashfully, "I'll ice it when I get home." She steals another glance at his handsome appearance before waving down an approaching taxi. Quietly, she lowers her voice so the driver won't hear as he pulls up to the curb, "Thank you for helping me. I'll make it up to you."
Once the vehicle has come to a complete stop, she opens the door and slides into the backseat. When she goes to close the door, Sasuke grabs it. He lowers his head to peer at her with an unreadable expression, "You're drunk." Ignoring her complaints, the Uchiha man climbs in. His dark eyes don't leave Sakura's as he pulls out his wallet and hands one of his cards to the driver, "Take us wherever she says."
To say Sakura is bewildered is an understatement. Yes, she's drunk and confused, but something about how her boss isn't immediately looking away from her face like he always does makes her arguments disappear.
Unsure, she quietly tells the cab driver her address, and then the vehicle is in motion. It's quiet for a few minutes. The Haruno woman has turned her gaze forward, stealing a glance every so often at her equally as silent ride partner. Sasuke, on the other hand, sits as normally as if he's being escorted by one of the company's drivers to a meeting. His dark eyes are focused out the window, and his elbow is resting on the door's armrest.
What in the world has gotten into him? Sakura is too afraid to ask because she's weak in her inebriated state. Who is she to tell her crush that he can't ride to her apartment at one in the morning?
Suddenly, the woman's lips move, and she's speaking without realizing it, "Tonight was the first time I've seen your father." The Uchiha man makes a curt sound of affirmation but doesn't look her way. She keeps talking because she doesn't know what else to do, "You don't resemble him much. I'd say Itachi favors him more."
Again, no response.
"...Can I ask you something, Sir?" She whispers after a long pause. He finally glances at her, eyes narrowing expectantly. For the first time, Sakura doesn't avoid eye contact when her face begins to warm. Instead, she says what's been on her mind all evening, "I'm sorry."
Sasuke replies, sparing a glance toward the driver, who seems unable to hear their hushed conversation, "Don't. It's out of line to grab a woman like that."
The pinkette shakes her head, placing a hand on the leather seat between them so she can lean a little closer and subsequently speak more softly, "I'm not talking about that." Sasuke's mouth closes, his eyes dancing over her face as though trying to read her mind. "I'm sorry for how difficult I've been. You took a huge risk by giving me a job, and you've gone out of your way to help me more than once after that, too."
Guilt has been eating away at her ever since the day he saved her from being hit by a truck. That, plus the stress of doing online schooling, her family's financial troubles, and her own inability to develop a genuine inkling of self-confidence, has created a daily life of constant unease for the woman. Sasuke doesn't say anything. He just continues to stare for a moment before looking back out the window.
…..
Sasuke doesn't know why he followed Sakura out of the party or why he eavesdropped on the conversation between her and her apparent ex-boyfriend, but he's glad he did because things could've gotten ugly if he hadn't. He fights the urge to stare at his underling as they near her apartment in the cab.
Throughout the night, he tried to keep an eye on all of his close employees. It wasn't hard in regards to this woman because she didn't move from her spot at the bar almost the entire time. His father demanded he and Itachi mingle with the many influential guests of the grand opening, so he wasn't free to investigate why the usually straight-laced woman was throwing back what looked like straight whiskey all alone with an unfamiliar expression. All he could do during those hours was make sure no strange people approached her or the others.
The fact that he couldn't keep his eyes off her was irritating to the point that when he saw her get up and leave and noticed a man following her, he couldn't just sit back and do nothing. Sasuke is telling himself that it's only because she's his employee and that's why he cares for her safety, but the illusion is incredibly weak. Truthfully, he's aware of the fact that Sakura doesn't drink much in public, and the fact that she spent the evening doing just that is cause for concern.
As the cab slows to a stop at a curb in front of a worn-down apartment building, the man takes a calming breath before stepping outside. Don't allow personal emotions to dominate. Don't let the alcohol make decisions, either. The D.O.O. has been drinking tonight, too, after all.
Sakura stumbles upon getting out of the car, and his body moves on its own. He wraps an arm around her waist, cringing when she leans drunkenly into his side, and a wave of her scent meets his nose.
She's warm.
As they approach the door to the building, the woman speaks honestly, appearing slightly more inebriated than before, "I'm a bit embarrassed for you to see my place since I know how nice yours is." He knows she wants to ask why he's here at all, but she doesn't. Instead, she mumbles a thank you when he gingerly lets go of her in the elevator. Sasuke's simply taken by her appearance tonight.
Her long hair is straight and loose, and her clothing hugs her body like it's been painted on. And her eyes…. Whatever makeup or styling they did makes them pop to the point that he's finding it harder and harder to look away. The soft pink dusting her warm cheeks suits her very well, too, giving the woman a seductive aura that she's probably not even aware of.
When the elevator door opens, Sasuke hesitates before grabbing Sakura's hand, "I'm just repaying you for getting me home last time." Why did he suddenly come up with a bogus explanation? Neither knows. The woman makes an amused sound but says nothing.
They finally reach her unit, and Sasuke hesitates before following her inside, carefully looking around to take in his surroundings. It's small but charming. He can immediately tell Sakura lives here. By the door, there's a shoe rack with many familiar pairs that he's seen her wear to work, plus many new ones. There isn't really a den, and the kitchen isn't large enough to even have a table, but there's a small desk near the bed with medical books and school supplies stacked tall.
"I'd offer to let you crash on my couch, but I don't have one…" Sakura distracts his studying. He watches her slide off her jacket and toss it over the back of her desk chair, her purse joining it moments later.
The pair takes turns stealing short glances in a long, awkward silence before she breaks it, "Do you want some tea? It might sober us up a little."
He nods, "Thank you." Anything to get her to stop looking at him like that.
It takes her a few minutes, but Sakura eventually gestures for him to sit at the edge of her bed, brushing her hair behind her ear to blow on the steaming mug of tea, "Sorry. I don't usually entertain. You're probably uncomfortable."
She's cute.
Sasuke's teeth grit together as he catches himself staring yet again, and he averts his gaze to his mug, "I'm not. This is fine."
For a bit, they sip their tea quietly. The Uchiha man sits there inwardly cursing himself out for putting her in this situation. He thinks her almost shy attitude is because she thinks he's helped himself to her apartment to hook up and doesn't have the heart to tell him to fuck off. Sasuke knows sober Sakura wouldn't stand for something like that, but he isn't familiar with the woman when she's drunk. Because of this, he doesn't know what to do or say at all. He just wishes he possessed an ounce of her or Naruto's easy-going personalities.
"You seemed tense at the ceremony. Do you not have a good relationship with your father?"
Over the past few weeks, Sasuke has wished for the Haruno woman to try being casual with him, but now that she is, he wishes she wasn't. Swallowing nervously, he confirms her suspicion, but only because he's stealing courage from the alcohol, "It's complicated." He feels her eyes turn onto him, waiting for elaboration.
When none comes, Sakura speaks softly, "...Sir?"
"Don't call me that." Shit. He didn't mean to say that. It just slipped out.
The man has no choice but to meet her gaze and push forward. Searching her face, Sasuke says, "You call everyone by name except for me."
"You're my boss-" "Itachi is your boss's boss."
Sakura's mouth closes, her green eyes wide with surprise. Great. Now she'll think he's jealous. Instead of accusing that, a warm glint reaches her face, and she teases him, "You don't call me by name, either, you know. You do Karin, but when it's me, you just say "Hey" or "You"."
"That's not true. I've definitely said-" "Yeah, like once or twice, but definitely not as much as you do everyone else!"
It's Sasuke's turn to close his mouth in disbelief. There they go, arguing again. Sakura seems to come to that realization again, but instead of getting mad this time, she brings a hand to her lips and giggles. Warmth meets the Uchiha man's ears and chest as he tilts his head to watch her, a smirk tugging his mouth.
At the end of her fit of giggles, the pinkette sighs and steals his breath with a smile, "I think we're similar in some aspects, and that's why we argue so much."
He doesn't know what to say. He agrees but can't seem to make those words leave his mouth. Sakura meets his gaze again, this time not looking away. It's silent between them for a long moment. The Uchiha's pulse quickens when his eyes betray him and drop to her lips. They look soft. Will she taste as good as she smells?
As if she can hear his thoughts, the pinkette averts her gaze and pats her cheek with her free hand, awkwardly laughing, "Whew, I'm sorry. I don't usually get drunk like this."
"I know," he says without thinking. Green eyes lock onto his in surprise. Sasuke, also being a bit drunk, decides to test the waters with his coworker, keeping a close watch for her responses, "That's why I followed you outside at the party."
"You…followed me?" Sakura's face pales. She stares at him as though he's just witnessed her commit a serious crime and has threatened to turn her in, "Don't tell me you…How much did you hear?"
It's obvious how uncomfortable she is, but the man doesn't want to lie, so he admits, "All of it." The blush that'd left her face reappears with a vengeance. She opens her mouth to say something, seeming mortified, but he uncharacteristically cuts her off, "You two really dated?"
Sakura's mouth clamps closed, her bewilderment appearing to increase, but then she sighs. Her shoulders droop, and she takes a sip of her tea before drunkenly explaining, "During our last year of high school, yes. He, um…He was my…." She covers her eyes with a groan and mumbles, "You're smart. I'm sure you've figured most of it out already."
And he has. From what he overheard earlier and the woman's current state of embarrassment, he's deduced that the tan-skinned guy had said bad things about her without realizing she could hear it. He's also convinced something about their relationship is still bothering her today.
The alcohol and Sasuke's failed-to-be-buried emotions cause his eyes to wander again. They slowly drop to her neck. Did that asshole kiss her there? His brow lifts as he turns his attention to her hands holding the large mug. Did she like it? All the civilized thoughts in his head evaporate when Sakura straightens her spine and uses one hand to pull all of her hair over one shoulder. What kind of face does she make when she's feeling good? Sasuke wants to know everything, and his ability to control his desires is slipping quickly.
"...Sir?"
Shit. She noticed.
Sasuke's eyes dart up to lock onto Sakura's curious ones. He reaches over to set his mug on the nightstand, not looking away for even a second. Emerald eyes follow his every move. There it is. He can tell by the look on her face that she's beginning to pick up on his current state of mind. What he can't tell is if she's interested. That blush could be because she's drunk, because she's too shy to deny him, or because she feels uncomfortable telling him no in fear of retaliation. Cautiously, the man takes her tea and sets it next to his.
Plump, soft lips part for a breathy voice to meet his ears, "Sasuke…?"
He doesn't know why he says what he says then, but he does, "It doesn't have to mean anything."
Actually, he does.
It's because, even in his inebriated state, he knows he'll never be allowed to actually have her. Sure, they might hook up tonight, but his family will never allow them to be together, and Sakura definitely isn't interested in something serious with a man she thinks is a complete asshole. But Sasuke can't help himself. He thought he had more self-control than this.
The Haruno woman reacts surprisingly smoothly. She nods, the look on her face showing complete understanding and willingness, "I'm not a virgin, but I'm fairly inexperienced."
He moves closer, hesitantly running a hand into her hair to rest at the back of her neck so she can't pull away, "Doesn't matter." It's soft, so so soft between his fingers.
His pulse is so fast that he can feel it in his eardrums. An excited feeling bubbles in his stomach at the vulnerable expression on the beautiful woman's features. That's a new face. One he hasn't seen before. How many have seen her like this? He wishes it was no one because he'd like to savor it for himself, but she already said she isn't a virgin.
In a moment of clarity, Sasuke pauses. If he moves even an inch closer, they'll be kissing. He can feel her holding her breath in anticipation.
This is Sakura. This is the woman who has been driving him crazy in one form or another for the past two months. She's the one who came into his office for an interview only to call him a spoiled rich boy, and she doesn't care if he thinks she's attractive. Can he really throw away their professional relationship, which has just become stable, for one night of selfishness? What will happen on Monday when they-!
Sakura cuts off his hectic thoughts by closing the distance between them with a slow press of her lips to his. A sensation arises in his chest that he's never experienced before, something he can't identify.
Her voice is quiet and husky as she whispers, their lips brushing, "It has to be a secret."