If there's one thing Sasuke Uchiha dislikes about being at the office, it's the constant stream of whispers and stares that follow him. All of that has quadrupled since Sakura began working as Itachi's assistant instead of his.
He's pretty sure that a certain loud-mouthed Yamanaka woman told someone about their situation, and those people told others, and now it feels like everyone is in on a secret he desperately tried to hide. If Sai and Karin weren't so serious about their careers, he'd have assumed they were in on it, too. Alas, the duo is more than satisfied teasing him behind closed doors.
The rest of the week passes rather uneventfully. Wednesday, the day Sakura came back and began working for Itachi, the younger Uchiha brother gifted her with pink roses and a short apology note. Each day following, he hired a private driver to take the Haruno woman wherever she pleases so she'll no longer have to rely on cabs or taxis. On Thursday and Friday, Sasuke sent her a pretty diamond bracelet and macaroons from overseas, respectfully.
Though Sakura accepted her new position as Itachi's assistant, she hasn't said a single word to Sasuke.
At the end of the work day on Friday, Sasuke stays late, as usual. Hours pass as he works to catch up on the paperwork he missed from taking Tuesday off. Time passes. It's as if he blinks and the sun has disappeared behind the horizon. The clock's hands have moved further than expected. He snaps out of his focus when a knock comes at his office door.
He looks up from the screen, only to frown when Itachi strides, "I'm about to leave, so I figured I'd stop by to see how you're holding up."
"I'm fine," Sasuke says.
Itachi isn't deterred. He instead seems more sympathetic, "Sakura is doing a great job. She seems to be trying to take out her frustrations by putting it into her work." His dark eyes warm when Sasuke grits his teeth, so he adds, "I know you're worried."
It's quiet between the brothers for a moment before the younger one sighs defeatedly. He speaks in barely more than a whisper. There's an uncharacteristic shyness in his words, "And the gifts…. Has she…?"
"No," the elder one cuts him off, "She's designated a drawer in her desk to store them, but she hasn't spoken a word about it."
A sound of confirmation rumbles Sasuke's chest. The room becomes silent again. Itachi wordlessly wishes his little brother farewell for the evening and leaves.
Sasuke rubs his tired eyes and groans. Naruto and the others said this approach will work on Sakura, but it hasn't yet. Of course, he knows it's only been three days, but the Uchiha is not an overly patient man. He just keeps telling himself to give the woman space while also making it clear that he hasn't given up on earning her forgiveness.
Another week passes.
That Friday, instead of Itachi visiting him after closing hours, the Director of Operations is taken aback when Sakura Haruno steps gingerly into his office. Judging by her anxious glance out into the hall prior to shutting and locking the door behind them, it's easy to tell she doesn't want anyone to know.
Sasuke's spine unconsciously straightens, and he pushes his keyboard away a bit to give the woman his focus.
Her emerald-colored eyes appear darker than usual as she approaches. She doesn't hold his gaze. Instead, she stands further away than she had in the past and says in a voice that bleeds discomfort, "I want you to stop." The Uchiha man frowns. He doesn't reply, not because he's angry, but because he has no idea what to say. He knows she's referring to his relentless attempts to show his regret.
Sakura appears to take that as something defiant and clenches her fists with a frown, "Listen, I understand that you're trying to apologize, but trying to do that by blowing your money on meaningless things like jewelry and expensive sweets…. Do you not know me at all, Sasuke?"
This time, the man's mouth opens, "What would you like instead?" The words leave his lips before he can stop them.
Her face warms with a stubborn expression. She crosses her arms and turns on her heel to stalk toward the door without answering the question.
Sasuke can only watch as the door closes behind her. In her absence, he sighs. He sits back in his chair and runs a hand through his messy locks.
So, Ino and the others were wrong. What does that leave? How can he re-win over such a stubborn and headstrong woman on his own? Sure, the Uchiha man is intelligent, but that's almost solely when it comes to business and books. Interpersonal relationships and peoples' emotions is a completely different story.
…..
Sakura is angry. More than that, she's baffled by Sasuke Uchiha's audacity.
"Just because he has a pretty face and is good in bed doesn't mean a few trinkets and flowers are going to make things right!" She vents to her friends.
Tenten, Karin, Ino, and Hinata are sitting on the Yamanaka woman's large sofa, watching the pinkette pace back and forth with a beer in her hand. She didn't start talking about her romance issues until she'd had a few. Luckily, the other girls have also had their fair share of alcohol, so they handle her aggravation more smoothly than usual.
Ino is, as usual, the first one to respond. She matches her bff's energy by raising her own drink and almost yelling, "Yeah! He should grovel at your feet!"
The pinkette gives the blonde a grateful look while tossing back a big mouthful of the bitter liquid. Karin scoffs before whispering something to Ino, who's face reddens.
Tenten shakes her head, ignoring them, "I'm still pissed I had to find out about all this from Neji. Do you know how out of the loop you have to be if that introverted man is finding out gossip before you?!"
"Don't be so harsh, Ten. How would you feel if you were in her shoes?" Hinata softly chimes in, always the empath.
Sakura sighs, "No, she's right. I've not been a very good friend to you guys lately." She pouts at the brunette in question, "I'm sorry for not keeping in touch. I've just been so focused on all this craziness."
It's immediately clear that there are no hard feelings and the group of girls continues on with their sleepover. Soon, it's the early hours of the morning and they're all in their sleeping bags, Ino and Hinata sharing the blonde's massive bed.
The Haruno woman turns onto her side with a half-drunken sigh. Her eyes linger on her phone. Ever since he showed up unannounced at her apartment, Sasuke hasn't called or texted. A large part of her is grateful that he isn't harassing her, but a tiny bit of her wishes he'd do something unexpected.
The reason she hasn't forgiven him yet is because it's clear he isn't comfortable with their situation being public knowledge. All his gifts have been delivered covertly and never have his full name on the tags, just "S". They work down the hall from one another, so it's not all that unlikely that their paths will cross during the day, but when they're nearby, he very pointedly avoids looking her way.
As much as Sakura cherishes the sincere relationship she had with her anonymous friend, she can't possibly be just friends with Sasuke Uchiha. Not when she knows how gratifying it is to be kissed, touched, and trusted by someone so cautious. A man of his status and prestige deserves a partner who can stand on equal ground. While Sakura can't picture herself being someone of that multitude, she has enough self-respect to refuse to be hidden by someone who claims to care for her.
So, unless he changes his approach, things will never go back to how they used to be.
"Can't sleep?" Karin's whisper disturbs Sakura's thoughts. The pinkette turns to face her with a frown but says nothing. A small grin meets the redhead's lips moments later and she says something unexpected, "Listen, you know I'm just messing with you about stealing Sasuke from me, right? I'm actually happy for you guys."
Deep down, she does know that, so she nods. She says, "I know. l…I just wish…."
"You wish he'd get his head out of his ass?"
Sakura snickers half-heartedly, "That's one way to put it, yeah."
A sympathetic aura comes from Karin, then, "Well, his mother and brother already adore you, so it's only a matter of time before he comes along."
"I shouldn't have to wait for him to not be ashamed of me," Sakura mumbles.
The redhead bites, "He's not-!" She suddenly shuts her mouth, shakes her head, rolls her eyes, and turns so her back is facing her friend, "God, you two are perfect for each other. Good night."
Sakura is confused, but she's also exhausted, so she doesn't argue and allows sleep to take over.
On Monday, she's met with bad news. "The Vice President is on a business trip this week, so you'll be temporarily reassigned to work alongside Karin for the Director of Operations," Sai's voice is professional, but the mischievous and smug look in his eye is undeniable.
"...You're kidding," Sakura groans.
He smiles faux-kindly, "Let's work hard to make this another productive week, shall we?"
Sai excuses himself when they near Sasuke's office. Sakura takes a calming breath before turning the knob and entering. As luck would have it, Karin isn't present yet.
The Uchiha man looks up for a quick moment before quickly averting his gaze to the computer screen. Neither speaks a word as Sakura puts away her personal items and sits down at her old desk to check the company email.
Outwardly she appears collected and serious, but inside she's panicking. Sasuke is right there, close enough to look at and hear the typing of his fingers on the keyboard. She steals a glance before turning her gaze back to her own screen. She swallows hard. His hair is still damp from his morning shower. Before, she would've made a comment on how leaving his house in the winter with wet hair is likely to have him develop another cold, but they're no longer on speaking terms, so she swallows the nag.
Around ten minutes before Karin's usual arrival time, the phone on Sakura's desk rings. She answers it swiftly, allowing her hair to fall over her shoulder and create a curtain between her and her boss, "Director Uchiha's office."
"You're gonna hate me." It's Karin, but there's obviously something off about her voice.
She immediately realizes what's happening and hisses, trying and failing to hide their conversation from the nearby Uchiha man, "Don't you dare say what I think you're about to say."
Karin groans, sounding congested and sleepy, "I'm sick. Can you tell Sasuke I'll try to be better by tomorrow?"
The line is quiet for a moment as the pinkette tries to think of a way out of this situation. When that fails, she sighs defeatedly, "Alright. I'll come check on you after work. Get some rest."
Once the call has ended, Sakura puts the device back on its receiver and takes a second to gather some internal strength before plastering on a fake grin and straightening her posture. Sasuke looks at her with an extremely guarded expression.
"Karin isn't feeling well, so she won't be coming in today."
He says nothing but an air of understanding drenches the room.
Sakura's smile falls but only slightly. She faces the computer and pretends to get back to work.
Today is going to be hell for both of them.