Chapter 2

Come Monday, it was back to business as usual for Sakura. That meant waking up at five in the morning, going for a morning jog, showering, either eating breakfast at home or stopping by a cafe on her way to school for breakfast, attending classes until two in the afternoon, working a couple of hours at Power (a high-end clothing store at the mall) Monday through Thursday, and then coming home at approximately six in the evening to study for the remainder of the night. Then the routine repeats.

Sasuke officially apologized for his behavior the morning after Halloween, claiming he'd never have treated her so carelessly if it hadn't been for the alcohol. Sakura believed him. She thought things would go back to normal, especially since they finally broke their dry spell, but he returned to his dorm on Sunday night and has barely responded to her texts since. By the time Thursday rolled around, the woman was an anxious mess. She kept making mistakes at work and couldn't focus on her studies when she got home, either.

'Did I do something to make him mad? He's not usually the type to ghost me like this….'

She chewed on the end of her pen with emerald eyes glazed over in deep thought rather than taking in the reading material she was trying to comprehend.

It soon became evident that she was wasting her efforts, and she decided to break the cycle by walking to the little grocery store at the end of the block. Sasuke usually comes over on Saturdays to hang out, so she planned to prepare a nice, home-cooked meal for him in an attempt to remedy whatever was going on.

The next day passed quickly, and Sakura still couldn't get much out of her boyfriend. She even called him when she got home from school, but he didn't pick up. On Saturday, the Uchiha man finally texted her around noon, confirming that he'd join her for dinner at six. Feeling encouraged, Sakura went to work making her mom's famous chili. Since it was cold out, it was perfect for eating while staying in. Maybe they could cuddle up and watch some movies afterward.

'Oh, I should take some to Madara tomorrow. I still haven't thanked him again for helping me out,' she smiled softly as she recalled her polite new neighbor and how he'd saved her from having to sleep in the hallway while dicing spicy peppers into tiny pieces.

He'd been a perfect gentleman the entire night, not making her uncomfortable even once after showing her his ID card. In her opinion, men her age needed to learn from his example. Even close friends like Kiba and Shino were likely to make a move on a drunk girl if they encountered one like Madara had her.

Six o'clock rolled around, but Sasuke didn't show. By seven, she called, and he didn't answer, so Sakura realized he wasn't coming. 'It looks like I'm gonna spend the night watching movies alone and eating ice cream to make myself feel better,' she sighed.

She began transferring the meal into a large storage bowl because she wasn't in the mood to eat it alone when she remembered her neighbor. After preparing a tupperware for him, she knocked on the room next door. It took so long for him to answer that Sakura nearly left because she thought he wasn't home.

It was apparent to her that he was surprised to see her standing there. Smiling as naturally as possible, she held out the container, "Hey, I wanted to thank you again for letting me crash at your place."

The man gave her a mildly confused look, and her face warmed as she realized her approach might not be welcome, "Um, I figured you probably don't get to eat a lot of homecooked meals, so I thought I'd bring you some dinner. You don't have to take it if you don't want; I just-" She trailed off when the statuesque man accepted the bowl, appearing less uncomfortable.

He smirked, almost a smile but not quite, "Thank you. I'll return your bowl."

He moved to go back into his apartment, but Sakura lifted a hand, feeling inclined to warn him, "It's, um, pretty spicy, by the way. I hope you don't mind."

Madara studied her face in silence for a moment, the corner of his lips tugging upward slightly when he finally spoke, "Do you…want to join me?" His voice was softer than before, as though he thought someone would overhear their conversation.

Sakura's false grin dropped in surprise at his sudden invitation, but she didn't feel uneasy as she searched his face.

'He's just trying to be friendly. I owe him for helping me, anyway,' Sakura bargained with her subconscious when it immediately told her she was doing something bad, joining a man for dinner when she has a boyfriend.

She nodded, pointing to her apartment with her thumb, "If it's not too much trouble, can we use my place?" Since she'll have company, she won't be too depressed to eat. It'd be a shame not to enjoy some of her chili while it's still fresh.

Madara followed her into her apartment and glanced around calmly while she flitted into the kitchen to serve herself a bowl before the refrigerator could take the heat from the meal. The man sat at her little dining table, which was only big enough to have two chairs. Its surface was littered with studying materials and the like.

"Sorry for the mess. I usually clean up when I know someone's coming over."

Madara shook his head, his dark eyes warm with amusement as he watched her panic, "I don't mind."

Sakura felt embarrassed as she frantically gathered up her note and textbooks, turning to dump them on the already crowded coffee table. Then the pair sat down.

For a couple of minutes, it was comfortable and silent. It was odd, but the pre-med student liked the peaceful aura her neighbor gave off. Not every moment had to be filled with words, but it also didn't get awkward.

When she and Sasuke first began dating, he had a similar vibe. The more time passed, though, the more anxious his silence made her. They still communicated well, primarily when problems arose, but that healthy habit began fading in the last six months.

Sakura's chest tightened as she poked at a chunk of meat with her spoon and frowned. The fact that Sasuke couldn't be bothered to text her so she'd know he wasn't coming really stung. He'd never done something like this before, blatantly standing her up.

"Are you alright?"

The pink-haired woman's spine straightened as she lifted her gaze and remembered she wasn't alone. Her spoon clattered loudly against the side of her glass bowl as she dropped it and shot to her feet, "I'm fine. Do you want a drink? I have water, iced tea, and beer."

"Water is fine, thanks."

The pair doesn't know one another all that well yet, but Sakura could tell by his tone that he didn't believe her. She returned to the table with two glasses of water, setting one closer to her guest.

She forced a grin onto her lips and tried to keep the conversation flowing, "Do you like spicy food? You're handling it well!" She'd lost her appetite thinking about Sasuke.

Madara nodded, taking a sip of water before tilting his head slightly. Those dark eyes were calculating, making Sakura feel like he could see right through her.

She crossed her legs in her chair and leaned forward with an elbow on the table and her chin on her fist, "It's not awful, is it? It's my mom's recipe, but she makes it way better."

"I might be stepping out of bounds here, but you must know how terrible of a liar you are, right?"

Sakura's smile dropped, and she sighed defeatedly. She hadn't expected him to come right out and say it. He was bolder than she remembered. "Yeah, I know. Sorry."

The closest thing to a smile yet pulled at Madara's lips, and he politely averted his gaze down to his empty bowl, "If you're not in the mood for company, I can leave. Really, I won't be offended."

"No!" As the word left her mouth, she realized she'd answered much too quickly. The man met her gaze again, obviously startled. She shook her head apologetically, "I mean, no, you're not bothering me. If you didn't ask to eat together, I'd be elbow deep in ice cream and rom-coms by now."

"A fight with your boyfriend?"

Sakura begrudgingly explained why her mood was so bleak, even giving the man some backstory to their relationship so he'd understand the nature of it. Madara listened attentively, like he was interested in what she said, but she knew he was just being polite again.

When she was done, his brow furrowed, and he shook his head, "The thing I'm most surprised about is that you've been dating for six years, and you still don't live together?"

It was like he took a knife and shoved it right into her gut. That wound was still fresh.

When she moved in, right before beginning college, she thought they would both be staying here. They hadn't sat down and talked about it, but Sakura asked him what he thought of the place before choosing it and even told him she was excited to see him every day. She understood the situation only after she moved in and Sasuke told her he was going to share a dorm with Naruto.

At the time, she convinced herself it was her fault because she hadn't been clear enough about her expectations. Now that some time had passed, though, there was no way he didn't know. If he'd sat her down and had a conversation with her about it, even if he didn't have any other reason than simply not being ready to live together, Sakura would've been happy.

The pink-haired woman blinked while looking up, trying not to cry and succeeding, "I don't want to rush him. He's not the type to put up with that sort of thing."

Madara looked at her with an expression that said he really wanted to be honest and speak his mind but wouldn't because it'd be rude to badmouth her boyfriend, especially when he doesn't even know his name. Instead, he sighed before offering the first smile she's seen, "Well, come get me if he pisses you off again. I'll buy the ice cream."

A blush warmed her face, and she quickly grabbed their bowls and walked into the kitchen to empty her leftovers into the bin and wash the dirty dishes, "Sounds like a plan!"

'Oh my God, he looks like a completely different man!' Sakura's inner personality was shamelessly gushing at the attractive sight she was just blessed with, 'I might melt if he does that too often.'

In Sakura's opinion, Madara has a naturally intimidating aura. If she hadn't been drunk during their first meeting, she never would've spoken a word to him. Hell, she would've gotten out of the elevator after he stepped inside. He's attractive, yes, but he's also visually dominating. He was more than a head taller than her, and his frame was broad, fit, and muscular. Both times she's seen him, he's been wearing sweaters, but it's impossible to completely mask his physique.

When he smiled just then, though, he was charming. He was approachable. Something about it made her want to know more about him, made him more interesting.

After finishing the dishes, Sakura's face was still a little warm, and she gave in to her instincts. Grabbing herself a beer from the fridge and taking a sip, she strolled back out to sit at the table and stared him down, "I hope It's not weird of me to say, but you have a really nice smile."

The man seemed surprised for a fraction of a second before he masked the emotion, responding casually, "Thank you."

It became quiet momentarily, but Sakura refused to let it get awkward, "So, I've told you all about my boring love life. What about you? Is there a special lady in your life?" She smiled playfully when his eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"I…. Work takes up too much time." The girl was almost stunned because Madara seemed hesitant to respond.

Though this was only their second time hanging out, she felt like they'd become close quickly. They seemed to have a naturally honest approach to one another, and she embraced that by tilting her head and stating, "It's my turn to call you a bad liar, old man."

His gaze fell into an unserious glare, "How old are you that you can call me that?"

Sakura laughed loudly, a hand on her stomach as she tossed her head back. She smiled teasingly at him, "I'll tell you if you guess it correctly." Before he could try, she pointed at him with the neck of her beer bottle, "And you're deflecting."

Madara's demeanor became more stoic. So much so that she expected him to find a reason to leave because she'd pushed him too far. Instead, he held his glass of water in his hands and looked down at it, "I know it makes me seem like a dick, but I've never had the urge to get into a relationship. I like hooking up and casual sex because it's not as exhausting as having to deal with the same person day after day. I don't see that changing anytime soon, either."

She was a little embarrassed by his honesty but appreciated the vulnerability more, so she offered an understanding smile when he lifted his gaze to see her reaction, "If that's what you want, then there's nothing wrong with that, right? Maybe a good girl will come around one day and change your mind."

The man seemed grateful for her lack of judgment. They talked a bit longer before he excused himself to return to his own apartment for the night.

Once he was gone, Sakura threw herself onto the sofa and clicked on the TV.

It was nice having a friend to talk to about this kind of stuff. Usually, she only had Ino, but the blond was studying fashion overseas, and the time difference made it hard to keep in touch as often as before. Hinata is a great person, and Sakura likes her a lot, but it's hard to get her to come out if Naruto won't be present. Tenten is a good friend, too, but the two don't share any interests, so they're not close.

While flipping through movies to potentially watch, her phone began ringing. When she saw Sasuke's name on the screen, she sighed.

'This had better be good.'