𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝟣𝟤

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Exhaustion washed over Sakura as she lay on her bed, the echoes of her difficult conversation with her father still ringing in her ears.  A knot of anxiety tightened in her stomach. She hadn’t spoken to Sasuke since abruptly leaving him, and she knew he must be upset. Reaching for her phone on the nightstand, she saw the glaring absence of any messages or missed calls from him amidst the flurry of other notifications.

A sigh escaped her lips, a wave of self-reproach washing over her.  She knew Sasuke was usually understanding and considerate, but she hadn’t been mindful of his feelings today, a fact that gnawed at her conscience.

Scrolling through her contacts until she found his name, she hesitated, debating whether to call or not. “I should just call him,” she murmured, steeling her resolve.  With trembling fingers, she pressed the call button, a nervous flutter in her chest.

“Hello.”  His voice, flat and lacking its usual warmth, sent a shiver down her spine.

“H-Hey,” she stammered, “I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“You’re not bothering me, Sakura,” he replied, the subtle edge in his tone betraying his irritation.

“Are you… are you at work?” she asked tentatively.

“Yes,” was his curt reply.

“Do you mind if I stop by your office around lunchtime?” she ventured.

A simple “Okay” was all he offered before abruptly ending the call without a goodbye. The click of the disconnected line resonated in the sudden silence, leaving a cold pit in Sakura’s stomach. Sasuke’s displeasure weighed heavily on her. He was the last person she wanted to upset, but she knew her actions had justified his anger.

Tossing her phone aside, Sakura rose and went to her closet, determined to make amends. She selected an emerald green, one-shoulder dress with an asymmetric hem, pairing it with silver heels.  Wanting to look her best, she styled her hair in loose, bouncy curls and applied light makeup, adding a touch of elegance with diamond earrings and a matching bracelet.  After grabbing her phone and wallet, she slipped out of the house unnoticed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Having completed his morning meetings, Sasuke retreated to the break room, brewing a cup of coffee solely for himself.

“Hey, jackass, you’re not the only one who needs caffeine right now,” Naruto’s voice boomed as he dumped a stack of paperwork onto the counter.

“Hn,” Sasuke grunted, “you got your nap while I was giving my presentation, dobe.” He folded his arms, his gaze drifting towards the main lobby.

“It was a great presentation, by the way,” Naruto added with a grin.

Sasuke’s eye twitched.  Some days he wished he could fire his best friend for being an insufferable idiot, but he knew that would qualify as wrongful termination. Today was definitely one of those days – everyone seemed to be testing his patience.

“So,” Naruto continued, leaning against the counter, “how are things going with your future wife?”

“They’re going, I guess,” Sasuke replied noncommittally.

“Can you give a little more detail, jackass?” Naruto pressed.

“Our families are upset with us both,” Sasuke admitted, a hint of tension creeping into his voice.

“What? Why?” Naruto’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Isn’t it obvious? We told them we’re having a baby out of wedlock,” Sasuke explained, his tone sharper now.

𝓐𝓬𝓬𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓘𝓷 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮Where stories live. Discover now