Talking About The Hard Stuff

"So, let me get this straight. You don't hate your boss anymore, but you also still don't like him?" Ino asks while waiting for Sakura to come out of the dressing room. They're at one of Ino's sponsors' boutiques and trying on dresses for the upcoming ball. 

Sakura opens the curtain and fans her red face while walking out and doing a spin for her friend to study the look, "Yes.….No? I don't know! I'm so confused." Today was day three of working at Sasuke's house, and things have only gotten more awkward between them. He stopped putting an edge on all of his statements for some reason, and it threw Sakura off guard, so she's been tense and hyper-aware of every word he says and everything he does. 

"Sounds to me like you've got a little crush, Babe. Is it because he saved your life? I think I'd fall for a man if he did that for me, too." Ino shakes her head and shoos the pinkette back into the dressing room to try on the next dress, "I don't know why you're trying so hard not to like him! What did he do that was so bad?" 

Sakura groans, pushing her hair out of her face before grabbing the next floor-length article and slipping it on, "He…! He's so stubborn and prideful! We fight all the time, and he's never once said the word "sorry" to me!" A memory of Sasuke's concerned, sharp gaze when he checked over her immediately after tackling her out of the way so that car wouldn't hit her crosses her mind. She closes her eyes. Her voice becomes softer, "But he's not a bad guy. He works so hard even when he doesn't feel well, and he cares for people in his own way." 

Ino slowly opens the curtain with a knowing smile and twinkling blue eyes. She cups her best friend's cheeks and teases her quietly, "I know you're scared Sakura, but you can't let something that happened in high school control you for the rest of your life. Maybe it's time to give love another shot." 

The pinkette shakes her head, wordlessly ending the conversation. She doesn't want to think about her boss anymore. He already plagues her mind all day. 

Her best friend sighs defeatedly but smiles because she understands, "This is the one. You look amazing. It compliments your figure and skin tone. What do you think?" 

It's a floor-length blood-red gown with a single black stripe running down one side. The neckline is a sweetheart one, and the skirt flows out from the hips with a tall slit up the thigh. It accentuated Sakura's tiny waist to make her humble curves more defined. 

Sakura runs her fingers down the dress while blushing, "It's so pretty, but I can't-" "Ah, Ah! None of that! Consider this my thank you gift for landing me this awesome contract." 

Later that night, the pinkette curls up in bed for her usual routine of messaging back and forth with S. She hesitates when there's a lull in the conversation but ultimately gives in and attempts to be honest with him, 'Is it okay if I vent?' 

'Sure.' 

Sakura types a message, deletes it, types it again, deletes it again, and then finally decides to send a text, 'Do you remember the other day when I mentioned my coworker? I know you said not to let things get personal, but I think it's already too late for that. I don't know what I should do or how I should act around them.' 

S takes his time responding, and his advice is what she expects, 'Haruki, are they worth your career? Because if not….' 

'...You're right.' Sakura asked him for advice because she needed someone to tell her to knock it off. She tries to casually laugh it off, 'It's not like they'd ever go for someone like me anyway, right? I'm lower on the corporate totem pole, and they come from a super rich family.' 

'I didn't take you as the type to fall for someone who'd care about that kind of thing,' S surprises her. 

She takes a moment to picture Sasuke's face. How would he react if she confessed to him? A sad ache meets her chest and she sighs. He'd undoubtedly turn her down and possibly even have her transferred to a different position or fired altogether. The only solace would be that he wouldn't reject her for her background but because it's her. Sasuke doesn't like her, much less in a romantic light. He sees her as a colleague. An underling and nothing more. 

Another message arrives before she can sort out her emotions and thoughts, 'To be honest, I'm not a good person to ask about these things. My longest relationship was less than three months, and it was an arranged thing between my mother and one of her friends.' 

'Oh. Sorry for bothering you with it,' Sakura dejectedly responds, feeling like a burden. Did she make him uncomfortable by asking about relationship stuff? 

S replies quickly, 'That's not what I meant, Idiot.' 

Sakura rolls her eyes, glad that at least he's being his usual self, 'Well, put yourself in my shoes. What would you do?' 

…..

Sasuke's eyes glaze over after reading Haruki's message. What would he do in his friend's shoes? All he knows about the situation is that his friend is developing feelings for a coworker he previously didn't get along with. 

When the Uchiha tries to imagine himself in that situation, the only person that comes to mind is the pink-haired assistant who constantly gets on his last nerve. Sakura is someone with whom he used to argue every day. Things are relatively civil between them, but he can't picture her falling for a guy like him. Not only that, but he doesn't know enough about the Haruno woman. She could have a boyfriend for all he knows. 

Sasuke sits up when a slight anger meets the pit of his stomach at the thought. In an instant, he shakes his head and responds to Haruki to end that conversation, 'I'd cut them off in a heartbeat. It's too risky.' Then, he sits his phone on the nightstand and rolls onto his side with a frown. 

For a moment, he almost allowed himself to see Sakura as something more than his assistant. It can't happen again. It absolutely won't, no matter what.

He tells himself that, but when the woman in question flounces into his condo the following day and hands him a coffee while on the phone with someone in the office, not sparing him more than a half-hearted glance before sitting at the kitchen island to unpack her laptop, his mouth goes dry. 

She returned to wearing her older clothes after Monday's incident, a fact neither of them mentioned because it'd partly been why they fought. 

Sasuke lifts a brow when he realizes she hasn't gotten herself anything from the cafe all week but says nothing and closes the refrigerator door before heading toward his office with the coffee and a bottle of water in hand. 

What is it she always drinks when she and Karin pick up breakfast? He has no idea because he never asked. 

His brow furrows as he checks his email. Come to think of it, Sasuke doesn't know much about Sakura at all. It'd be easier to list what he does. He knows that she's doing online school to become a doctor, that she's nineteen, and that she's not afraid to stand up for herself. …That's pretty much it. 

When Sakura enters the room, the D.O.O. looks up. Her pretty green eyes focus on her phone's screen, "Kana from H.R. wants to know if you'll attend Matsuri's birthday party tonight." 

"It's Matsuri's birthday?" 

"Yes. Many from the office are going out for drinks this evening, and they want to know if you're coming." Sakura finally meets his gaze, and his teeth grit when his mind goes blank. The woman takes his silence for something it's not and nods with a frown, "I'll make up an excuse for you. Don't worry about it." 

"No." What is he doing? Why'd he stop her? 

"Sorry, Sir? You want to go, then?" Her surprise is warranted because he hates get-togethers, a fact she's undoubtedly aware of. They've only gotten together with their coworkers once and it was enough for her to figure it out because she'd silently tried to ease his tension back then. 

His lips move automatically, "Yes…." 

Sakura seems stunned but quickly composes herself, "Okay. Should I get her a gift on your behalf?" The man nods, observing as the woman bows and exits the room to return to her duties. 

What is going on this week? Ever since Monday, it's like he's unconsciously expecting Sakura to try talking to him casually like she does with Karin, Sai, and Itachi, but he should know better. The first time she tried it, which was on her first day, he shut her down fast and hard. She hasn't tried it since, and that fact has begun to eat at him for some reason. Has he become too accustomed to hearing his assistants whispering and giggling while they work nearby? 

Maybe that's it. It's too quiet since Sakura doesn't have someone to talk to, making Sasuke's mind space believe he's not at work. That has to be why he can't focus. 

A text chimes on his phone, and he distractedly checks it. It's from Haruki. 'May I ask a personal question?' 

'Okay.' 

'Is there a reason you're so disinterested in love? You don't have to answer if you don't want. I'm just curious.' 

Why is he asking this, and why now, in the middle of the day? Sasuke runs a stressed hand through his messy hair and stares at the screen for a long time while trying to choose how to respond. After glancing at his doorway to ensure Sakura isn't there, he sighs and opens up a little with his friend, 'I think I've just convinced myself that it doesn't matter if I develop feelings for someone because my father will ultimately make that decision for me. It'd only mean I'd have to tell them I can't be with them. I don't see the point in signing up to be hurt.' 

'Your father? Like an arranged marriage?' 

'Yes. He'll disapprove of probably anyone I choose because they won't be from a respectable enough family.' 

'Well, have you tried meeting people from those kinds of families?' 

Sasuke's temples begin to throb with a stress headache, but he continues to respond, 'I don't like those types of women.' 

Haruki lightens up the mood, if only slightly, 'Oh? You have a type, then?' 

This is stupid. Sasuke feels like a gossiping teenager talking about this sort of thing. He still replies, though. 'I guess, if I had to choose, I'd want to be with someone who could give me something happy to go home to at the end of the day. In a perfect world, I'd want a wife who can cook and doesn't care about money or status.' 

Haruki knows a lot about how he was raised without being told exact names or locations. He knows his mother and father are cold toward one another, that his father is a jackass, and that his brother despises the family. He may not have told his new friend outright, but he undoubtedly picked up on the fact that the concept of a loving family is foreign to Sasuke. It's something he's always yearned for and never had. 

'Yeah, I guess most of the people in the upper class were probably raised similarly to you.' 

'Right.' 

Sasuke feels ashamed for some reason. He types out a message but erases it when Haruki sends one first, 'I'm sorry. You must've felt so alone all this time. It couldn't have been easy.' 

Tears sting the corner of the Uchiha man's eyes, and he gasps, blinking them back in surprise. What the hell? Why is he about to cry? 

'I know you're probably feeling awkward as hell because I'm being all sappy, but I hope you'll tell me if you ever need someone to talk to.' 

What is wrong with Sasuke today? He gets up to close and lock his office door, sliding down to sit on the floor with his back to it as he stares at his phone screen. Hesitantly, he says, 'I've been told that asking for help means you're weak all my life.' 

What will Haruki say to that? What will Sasuke do if he agrees and calls him weak? 

He should've known better before even thinking that because the man responded with, 'That's not true! I think having the strength to admit that you're not perfect is far more impressive than bottling it up and pretending to be fine.' 

For the first time, the D.O.O. dwells on why Haruki is so good at talking about these things. Rather uncharacteristically, he asks, 'What about you? What do you struggle with?' 

He waits a long time for the response, reading it carefully when it arrives. 

'I'm not sure. I guess I'm a lot more insecure than I appear to others. I care too much about how I'm perceived. I don't want anyone to think of me as weak.' A moment later, another text appears, 'I guess we have that in common, huh?' 

Sasuke smirks. They are pretty similar at the end of the day. If only Haruki lived in Konoha instead of Suna. The Uchiha man might've been tempted to meet him in person.

'Yeah.'