I Think I

Chapter 21:Nominations

The sound of the front door opening and closing made Sasuke almost look up, but he stopped himself from doing that. Instead, he tried to continue focusing on the jutsu scroll he was reading as he sat on the sofa in the living room, and let his displeasure radiate from him.

"Tadaima," the dobe's voice sounded tired and depressed. She gasped. "Oh no! It's my turn to cook, isn't it? Sumimasen, Sasuke! I'll go start now!"

Sounds of her footsteps receded to the kitchen where sounds of washing, chopping and pot banging started. Sasuke finally raised his head and sniffed the air delicately. There was a new scent in the air; one that arrived together with the dobe… it smelled like… roses. Outwardly Sasuke's face was emotionless, but inwardly he frowned. What was the dobe doing with roses? Had someone given them to her? Was it that civilian man who was always giving her flowers? He hadn't quite had the gall to give her roses yet, but had he done it today?

Am I jealous?

He bit his lip and moved his eyes away from the spot that he had been staring at. He… was… jealous. He was jealous, of someone giving flowers to the dobe. Of someone trying to win her affection. He snorted – why would anyone want the dobe? The idiot – it isn't like she's so beautiful. But he couldn't convince himself that he actually believed what he was saying.

He folded his arms across his chest and fisted his fingers, hard. He didn't feel anything towards the dobe at all, right? Right?

"Dinner's ready!" called the dobe from the kitchen door behind him. Sasuke let her wait for a minute or so before getting up and stalking to the kitchen. The first thing he saw was the dobe sitting at her usual place with her hair falling across her forehead. Her posture was a tired one – her shoulders were slumped and her face was in her hands, which were supported by her elbows on the table. The second thing he noticed was the bouquet of red roses – a dozen of them – on the kitchen counter away from where they cooked. He looked back to the table to see that there wasn't a flower in the middle of the table this time, like the dobe used to do when she brought back flowers. Something was up.

He slid into his seat and took up his chopsticks, murmuring a quiet "Itadakimasu," before starting to eat. The fare today was simple; something that the dobe could prepare in a relatively short time.

The sound of his voice seemed to startle her out of whatever thoughts she was in, and she quickly lifted her chopsticks, said "Itadakimasu," maybe a tad more loudly than usual, and ate at a hastened speed.

As he ate more sedately, he peered discreetly at her, and his heart skipped a beat when he realized that she was looking at him. He locked gazes with her intense, beautiful cerulean blue eyes that were partially obscured by her fringe, and felt his heart start beating faster. Then she quickly averted her eyes with an almost heartbroken look on her face that disappeared before he could confirm it, and a sheepish expression spread over her features.

"Heheh, sorry bout today, Sasuke. Got caught up with something unexpected. Don't worry, I don't think it will be happening again," she said, and smiled sheepishly as she looked at him, or rather, at a spot just past his head.

Something unexpected? Sasuke swallowed down a scowl, and said coldly, "I suppose receiving flowers counts as something 'unexpected'." His tone was almost sneering, and he expected her to snap back at him, but instead she seemed to shrink into herself even more, although her face registered mild surprise.

"Those?" her eyebrow rose. "Oh, Sai gave them to m… I mean, I was talking to Sai earlier. Hadn't seen him in quite a while – he just got back from his mission two days ago. He's a nice guy, even if a little emotionally-challenged. Hope he can find a nice girl to settle down with; he deserves that much."