Koi no Yokan [Uchiha Sasuke X Reader]

6. Nothing

Vl. Nothing

       You were absolutely amazed, eyebrows raised in surprise as you peered at the man standing adjacent to you.  Currently you were standing in front of a little restaurant that went by the name of Age Dango Grill in Un no Keiro, a small town laid out in the middle of nowhere.  You never thought Sasuke would do anything like this, not even glance at the place, yet here you were.  The Uchiha sighed in exhaustion as you continued looking at him which successfully snapped you out of your thoughts.

"You said you wanted to go to a restaurant and have a nice hot meal, right?"  He gestured to the quaint eating establishment.  "Here it is."

        You bit your tongue as to not voice out a snappy retort.  You didn't know he would actually fulfill his promise to you, internally you were feeling relieved and thankful, and had it not been for the rude way he was bringing it about, you would certainly feel more grateful.  Casting out these thoughts, the both of you walked into the restaurant.

        The place was dimly lit with red paper lanterns patterned with cherry blossoms and chrysanthemums hanging from the ceilings.  The walls were of a cream colored canvas and mahogany wood.  Instead of tatami mats booths lined the walls and tables and chairs were scattered all around.  You breathed in deeply, steam smelling of delicious food wafted into your nostrils pleasantly.

        A waitress soon seated you both and after a short amount of time took your orders with a prompt 'Right away.'  You and Sasuke decided to wait in uncomfortable silence until thankfully a steaming hot bowl of Shoyu-style ramen was set in front of you.

You clapped your hands loudly in the form of a prayer sign, eyes sparkling with glee as they gazed upon the heavenly meal.  "Itadakimasu!"  You chanted before greedily digging into your food.

        As Sasuke - already having said a small prayer of thanksgiving - savored his beef teriyaki dish while you inhaled your ramen in voracious hunger, the Uchiha couldn't help but think about Naruto.  The way you slurped it down so merrily reminded him of the times Team 7 would have ramen together at Ichiraku's.  Those were the times he truly missed, and eating with practically a stranger wasn't like what he experienced back during his genin days.  A wave of nostalgia almost flooded the ravenette but he managed to keep it at bay.  All throughout lunch he thought of his friends, and in a neglected corner of his mind a part of him missed them dearly.

       Sasuke's eyes were shut one he finished eating, a tranquil look taking over his features over his peaceful reminiscence.  You peered up at him after slurping down the last of the delicious bowl of ramen broth and set down the glass dish.

"What is it, Uchiha-san?"  You inquired in curiosity.

        At the sound of your voice his eyes opened; eyes that looked empty, as if he missed something.  His mouth fell into a straight line before lips parted to speak.

"It's nothing."

"Ah, I see."

        You twined your fingers together and placed them on your lap, looking down at them absentmindedly.  "You know, you can tell me if something is bothering you."  You chanced a quick look at him, which he returned without a trace of emotion within his dark irises.  The Uchiha drew in a big inhale from his nose which exited from his mouth in a long sigh, resting his elbow on the tabl.  You noticed his knuckles turning white from clamping his fist tight before relaxing it again.

"It's my home."  He confessed, and for a few seconds your mouth opened in surprise that he would answer you, before clamping your jaw shut, as there was nothing you could say to comfort him. You never had a home, so you couldn't really speak from experience.  You did, however, know traveling could be extremely lonesome, which was something you did know about firsthand.

"While I may not know what a real home is like, I do know how lonely traveling on your own can feel like.  It's hard sometimes.  Humans need companions, friends, people they can rely on."  Now you set your forearms on the table, voice a little louder than before.  "And, even though being out in the world like this does seem lonely, you just might meet people that become important to you." You finished with a smile, and Sasuke eyes widened just a fraction.

        It was startling how much your words held truth.  Everybody needed somebody, and Sasuke was no exception.  He had learned that the hard several years ago.  The Uchiha straightened up.

"You're right.  Bonds are important."

-

        Sasuke paid for the meal much to your relief.  You were low on cash because usually you would take on odd jobs to make money.  Now you walked away from the town, your hunger finally satiated, and a contented smile taking over your features.

        Meanwhile, Sasuke's eyes darted back to the quaint town.  In no way was it like Konoha.  While this place was small and quiet, The Hidden Leaf Village was large and lively.  The contrasts between the two places was clear, and it seemed that the neglected part of his mind, the nostalgic part, stepped forth and demanded attention.

You took notice of him stopping, so you walked up to him.

"Is something wrong?"  You again inquired.  His eyes snapped back to look into yours, but then trailed off to the path laid forth in front of you before walking again.

"It's nothing. Let's go."

        As you tailed the Uchiha, you could tell there was undoubtedly something he was thinking about.  You could tell from the negativity practically wafting off of him in waves.  You figured it had to do with Konoha, how he probably missed his home and friends, who undoubtedly missed him as well.  However, you would take his word for it.  It was his privacy, after all, so you had nothing to worry about.

[Author's Note]:  I promise next chapter will be when they arrive at Konoha!