Approaching Sun

Chapter 6: Over Tea

Sasuke's eyebrows drew together at the kunoichi standing a few feet in front of him. Her silly red rain jacket nearly reached her knees and Sasuke couldn't help but think she looked as if she were drowning in it despite the water that was running off it. Just having thrown his jacket at him, she was trying her best to look serious, one hand on her hip and the other still clutching the remains of the bento box. If only she knew how ridiculous she looked.

It took everything in the Uchiha to check his temper. The previous night had been rough on him. Just as he feared, after all this time, the nightmares returned and Sasuke struggled to find peace in the darkness. With the dawn, had come the rain and the Uchiha had retired to the training zone nearest his campout, fighting the invisible targets in his mind to ease the tension in his body that accompanied the memories. Just as he was about to send his chidori through a tree, he had sensed her. Why he had immediately turned and headed in her direction, the Uchiha didn't know and was now regretting approaching her.

Now, as he sat with his jacket in his hands, he swallowed his retorts. After a few seconds, he rose to his feet and crossed his arms, replying to her order, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Then neither am I," Sakura said, walking over to him, situating herself in the exact spot where he had just been sitting.

Sasuke raised his hand to massage his temples and under his breath, he said, "I see you're just as annoying as you've always been."

"You haven't changed much either," she replied, glancing up to make eye contact with him. After a few seconds of shared glaring, Sakura's stern expression faded and she offered him a faint smile, to which Sasuke couldn't help but breathe out his frustration at the sight. Infuriating woman.

The thunder that shook the ground had the both of them wearing shocked expressions as a tree a few meters away from them lit up as it came into contact with the lightning that streaked down from the sky.

Without another second's hesitation, Sasuke reached his hand out and grabbed Sakura's arm, pulling her quickly away from the tree, just in case. He led her a safe distance away before releasing her arm and slipping back on his soaked cloak.

"Ok," he said, "I'll go."

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . .

This was not a good idea, the Uchiha thought as he stared at Sakura's apartment door. She was fumbling with the lock in the rain and Sasuke frowned as the rain went from heavy to excessive in the span of two seconds.

He was making a huge mistake. It would be one thing for Sasuke to accepts someone's hospitality but it was something entirely different to accept Sakura's—the one person he was doing his best to avoid at all costs. What was he going to do now? This was the last thing that Sakura needed, for him to show up back in her life. He was doing her harm just by interacting with her.

A large click resounded and Sakura pushed firmly on the door.

"Come in," she said pleasantly, and Sasuke took one last second of indecision before sighing and stepping over the threshold.

Sakura flicked the lights on and hung her rain jacket on the rack next to her door. He jumped when her hands lightly touched his shoulders and he made to jerk away from her before realizing that she was just trying to lighten him from the load of his drenched cloak. He rolled his shoulders back, allowing it to roll off into her hands.

"Well, it's not much, but make yourself at home," she said after hanging his jacket next to hers. She gestured to the apartment around her and Sasuke couldn't help but take it all in, committing the layout to memory. He didn't know exactly what to expect, other than that it would be small, but the room before him was simple, clean, and surprisingly comforting. There was a large sofa, a yellow sitting chair in the corner, and a small bookshelf on the adjacent wall. He couldn't help but realize how warm it felt compared to the cool weather outside and the smell of cooked rice instantly made his stomach growl. He coughed in an attempt to disguise the sound.