Step 19 - Difference
Sometimes something happens in a persons life, maybe just something small, and suddenly everything is different. Differences can occur in people, just like in situations and this difference is often the reason for problems or quarrels, especially between family members, lovers or friends. One starts behaving differently than usual and the other just wants to know why. But the one who acts different, generally thinks that the other can’t understand, or help them either, so they just keep it to themselves. The thing is, sometimes this difference can destroy everything...
The music booms loudly from the speakers and creates a good atmosphere in the club. People dancing around in a good mood on the dance floor and indulge in the music. "The best birthday ever!" Naruto slurs with a loud laugh and sinks deeper into the couch, sleepiness making itself obvious on his face. The Haruno laughs too and then looks at the clock. “We should slowly go home. It's already late, or rather early." She mumbles and yet everyone seems to have understood her because they nod and then laboriously get up. “Come on Naruto. The party's over, let's go home.“ Sasuke has to concentrate very hard to get this sentence out while he shakes the shoulder of his best friend, who apparently fell asleep. "Okay." He then nods and lets the Uchiha pull him up to his feet. The group moves toward the exit, swaying and staggering. The fresh air makes everyone shiver while the stifling and muggy air in their lungs is replaced with fresher.
Silently, the young Haruno looks around, leans back and against the chest of her husband, who immediately wraps an arm around her stomach and gently rubs her side. "Okay..." Naruto starts and takes a deep breath. "Hinata, are we going to share a cab again?" He asks and looks awaiting at the blue haired woman, while he notices how the fresh air is doing him quite good. "No, no, no." Laughing, the green eyed woman holds up her right index finger in protest and moves it back and forth, while she reaches for Hinata with her left hand. "Hinata will get back home with the same cab as Sasuke and me. We don't want it to be embarrassing for you tomorrow on your date.“ The Uchiha's wife explains with a chuckle. "What, a date? You’re going out?” The Yamanaka girl immediately asks with perked up interest and looks back and forth between the Hyuga girl and the birthday boy of the day. Or rather, now, of the previous day.
"Yes, he called Hinata at the company party and finally asked her out." The pink haired woman explains, nodding and smiling proud of him finally acting like a man. "And tomorrow they will go out. That's why Hinata goes with us, because otherwise they'll just end up in bed again.” "Uiiii." The Yamanaka squeaks with excitement. "Well then. Good night folks.“ The Ama says and begins to hug her friends goodbye. The group says goodbye to each other and then go to the cabs waiting in front of the club.
~> * <~
Rain is pouring over the city this Wednesday evening, like out of buckets. A small yawn comes over the Haruno's lips as she lowers the magazine onto her legs, which are stretched out on the seat of the couch. She gently rubs the edge of her eyelashes with her finger and then looks around at the television, where one of the popular series is silently playing. A small laugh escapes her lips as she listens to Hinata's story. She casually turns the page of the magazine while running her finger over the back of her new smartphone, on her left ear.
The Uchiha enters the villa in silence, immediately putting his keys on the drawer next to the entrance door. Sighing, he takes of his shoes and pulls his suit jacket off his shoulders and hangs it over the stairs’ railing. It's been another long and exhausting day at work, which is why he comes home so late again. His legs carry him into the kitchen, where he takes out a glass and a bottle of iced tea and empties the glass again after he just filled. He leaves the empty glass on the kitchen counter and tiredly runs his hands over his eyes. Sighing, he lets his arms drop again and enters the living room, where he finds his wife, sitting relaxed on the couch. He gently greets her with a kiss on her head and then walks around the couch to sink into it. The pink haired woman smiles at him and puts the magazine aside before pulling her feet to her body. "Nice. I'm glad you enjoyed your date, Hinata. Has he already asked you out on a second date?” He hears his wife's voice while staring at the moving images on the television. “Well, if he doesn't, he's an idiot. But I do believe that he will try his best to keep this going." He listens further, with half an ear to the conversation. "OK. Well then, bye Hinata, have a nice evening.“ The Haruno finally says, before she hangs up and puts her new bought device on the coffee table.
"Hey." She then greets her husband with a bright smile. Sasuke looks around tiredly at his wife. “So much work again?” She asks cautiously. Ever since a week, he isn’t coming home before 8 p.m. again, due to too much work. Today he came home pretty late as well. The Uchiha just nods at her question and turns sideways so that he can face his wife properly. "How did that idiot’s date went?" He then asks and runs his fingers through his hair. "Good. Hinata was thrilled and completely surprised. She had expected for him to take her to a movie and pizza. But Naruto took her to an observatory with an associated museum, where they spent a few hours and went to a restaurant afterwards, which she described as not too plain and neither too fancy. They apparently had their fun and a few romantic moments as well as it should be for a date. And! They didn't end up in bed afterwards, he actually said goodbye to her at her door.” The Haruno explains with a smile. "And you think Naruto will ask her out on another date?" He keeps exploring silently.
"I think Naruto has finally understood what is better." The green eyed woman just shrugs with a gentle smile before leaning back against the couch cushions. Her hand reaches for the remote control on her left and she presses the mute button to turn the sound back up.
"And you really don't want me to kick Karin out because of the incident at the company party, or to punish her in any other way?" Sasuke then suddenly asks into the silence that has overcome the two. Sakura looks up at her husband with surprise. A smile slowly forms on her lips before she shakes her head and quietly takes a breath. "No." She exhales again. “All of this only happened because I was standing on that pedestal. If I hadn't stood on it, she would have pushed me against the railing. So I am partly to blame myself. Of course she should have expected it because I was standing on the pedestal, but she was drunk." Her smile almost looked like she felt amusement when she thinks back to it and runs her fingers through her pink hair. The Uchiha can’t under his wife. Karin is here annoying her and even him all the time and tries to bully her. That woman even attempted to drown his wife because, apparently, his own wife is in her way. Because of that woman he almost lost another important person in his life and still Sakura keeps more or less protecting that obsessive woman. She should know that the Kaseguchi being drunk at that time is no excuse. That drunk people do exactly, what they desire when they are sober. He just can’t understand his wife at all. "I'll take care of it myself, besides, you shouldn't pay her too much attention, because that's exactly what she wants." His wife then explains and smiles at him once more, before she looks back at the television.
Her eyes are on the television, but her mind wanders to something completely different. She was really lucky that day. So much could have happened to her. She could have died. Could have drowned, lying on the bottom of the ocean or being eaten by any animal. But none of it happened. She has only passed out for a short time and was saved by Sasuke. He was so selfless, like she wasn’t used of, or would have ever expected from him. He just jumped after her without thinking about the consequences.
Both of them were so lucky. So much could have happened to her just from the impact on the surface of the ocean. She could have broken her neck, suffered a serious injury, or received a shock. Although the chances of a shock were slim. She had realized that she was falling into the water and the air temperature that day was 18 degrees Celsius, so the water was around 13 degrees. Not exactly the water temperature at which you go swimming, but at least it wasn't too cold and she hadn't suffered any shock. And still, she felt so cold.
Then there would also have been the propeller, which could have hit and injured her, but because it was pushed from the side of the stern deck and the propeller is hidden in the middle under the stern on cruise ships, the risk of any injuries or damages were just as low. With a yacht or a sailing boat, it would have ended far worse for her though.
Sakura is also not surprised that they were rescued by the Coast Guard instead of the ship's crew. After all, it is also a shock for those who are around at the time of the accident. Of course they first try to rescue the person in need with the lifebelt and only when they realize that they can’t do anything, they run off to inform the captain. Not to mention that a ship moves with quite some speed, making the person in need of help unable to get after it. Even if Sasuke, as an Uchiha, has the highest priority at the party and thus also on the ship, but it would have been irresponsible from the captain to turn back for him. The ship itself could not have saved either of them. The luck of the both of them was simply this island, which was nothing more than a pile of sand, in the middle of nothing but the wide ocean. The island wasn’t more than three to four meters with a handful of plants, but it still had been their salvation.
Sakura is just glad that everything turned out so well and that the coast guard did not insist on taking her to the hospital. She would not have been able to cope with that after this eventful day. Besides, it would have been unnecessary, since she was just tired and weak. She is fine.
A sneeze startles the Haruno out of her thoughts and makes her looks at her husband to her right. Sasuke is rubbing the bridge of his nose and looks tiredly into the television. That’s what he has of it. He jumps selflessly into the floods to save her and now he has caught a cold from it. The green eyed woman has to smile. He went so far to do that and even made sure that she wouldn’t freeze while they were waiting for someone to save them and that's why he now got himself a cold.
But it's not just the runny nose. Since the day she fell into the sea, he's been acting weird, so different than usual. She can't say exactly why or what it is, but she just noticed that something was different. On Naruto’s birthday he even drunk alcoholic drinks until he was wasted. He, who doesn’t like drinking, he, who asked her to drink less. Something is wrong and it is worrying her. She lets out a deep, but silent sigh and looks into the television to follow the course of the episode of the series.
A laugh comes over her lips and makes the black haired man throw a quick glance at her. He smiles slightly as he cuddles deeper into the couch pillows because he is feeling a little cold. Now he would really like to make himself some tea or maybe some cocoa. Concentrated he looks at his feet, which he moves and plays a little around with his toes. Then he sighs out silently. "Tell me." he begins, trying to get Sakura's attention. When the Uchiha looks back at her, she looks at him questioningly. "Do you already have plans for Friday evening?" He asks in an almost hoarse voice, as soon as he notices this he swallows and looks at her, awaiting he answer. A little puzzled, she looks at him briefly before she seems to think about it for a moment. "No, I don’t. Why?" She then shakes her head and pays him attention again. He nods in understanding and exhales to ease the tension in his body a little. “Good, uhm... Do you want to go out with me then?” He slowly looks back up at her from the couch next to him, examining her facial expressions, which only too clearly reflect how surprised she is. She really didn't expect this coming at all. He hadn't planned to ask her here or now either. This idea just somehow occurred to him all of a sudden and he felt like it would be a good idea after all. “You… you mean, a real date? Not just a meeting for the public eye and the paparazzi?“ It comes hesitant over her lips at first, while her voice is oozing with disbelief, at the same time he can see a pleased smile laying on her lips. The black haired man nods briefly at her question, but doesn’t let her out of sight. "I would love to go out with you. I’m all for it." She then finally replies with a warm smile. There is also a smile forming on Sasuke's lips. She lowers her gaze a little shyly and puts her right leg up in front of her to hug it with her arms and support her chin on her knee.
The Uchiha now turns his attention back to the television. Relaxed, he leans into the pillows and makes himself comfortable in them. Slowly he feels goosebumps and the next moment his nose tickles, before a loud sneeze can be heard from him, which pulls him out of his comfortable half-laying position. He sighs annoyed. His nose is completely blocked and that for days now. His gaze is focused on the television when suddenly something hits his head, right above his left ear. Surprised, he looks at the object next to him on the seat. A pack of tissues. His gaze wanders to the pink haired woman who is sitting at the other end of the couch and has put her hand over her mouth in shock. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I just wanted to reach out your handkerchiefs to you. Sorry.“ It comes in a somewhat horrified tone from his wife. "It's okay. After all, it wasn't a golf bat.” He just replies with a slight smile and finally picks up the package to take one of the handkerchiefs. That woman. He’s seriously starting to think that she’s doing it all on purpose to pick on him, all while acting like an angle. "Thank you." He then mumbles. In the next moment he hears her getting up from the couch and encircling it, leaving him alone in the living room.
A strained sigh comes over his lips. Apparently she misunderstood the little joke about the golf bat. Annoyed, he blows his nose and finally lies back down on the couch. Actually he should go after her and talk to her, but he doesn’t have any nerves for that right now. The runny nose is a real burden and bothers him at work, which just piles up on his desk and doesn't seem to be getting any less. As soon as he works off a pile and turns around there is a new one. "Here." The bright voice of his wife suddenly resounds next to him, making him look up in surprise. He had actually thought that he said something wrong and somehow offended her, but it seems like this wasn’t the case after all. A warm smile lies on her lips as she holds out a steaming mug to him. "Green tea, so that you will feel better soon." She explains to him. Sasuke sits up a little surprised and finally takes the cup into his hands. Smiling, Sakura sinks down on the couch next to him, while he immediately takes a sip of the tea and can feel how the warm liquid makes its way through his throat and then starts to warm him up. He sips once again at the cup with relish, before he puts it down and lies down on the couch again, laying his head on his wife's lap.
The green eyed woman gently plays with his hair while her attention is on the television and the series. Almost ten minutes later, the credits are running and the ads begin instead. A yawn comes from the lips of the dark grey eyed man and closes his lids. "We should go up." He can hear his wife say, but he doesn’t dare to open his eyes. Instead he just lets out a sigh. "It's not that late yet and as far as I know, the actual program that you want to see is going to start now." He just replies silently. "It doesn't matter what time it is." The Haruno laughs amused, looking down at his closed lids. “Besides, we can turn up the TV in the bedroom and watch it there. You should go to bed and cure your cold, I'm not saying that you have to sleep." Sakura then includes and lets her fingers keep running through his hair. "Okay." He then sighs and gets up slowly. Smiling, she turns off the TV and takes his teacup to follow him into the foyer. "I'll lock everything up. You should change your clothes in the meantime, you have to get out of this suit." She instructs him and immediately shoos him upstairs.
Sasuke sighs in resignation and slowly climbs up the stairs and towards their bedroom. A pleasant, cool air welcomes him when he enters the room and when he turns on the light he finds a neat room in front of him. Since he and Sakura have been sleeping in the room together, it has always been clean, and no matter where he puts something, it is cleared away by the next evening at the latest. Of course, he is careful not to cause her too much trouble and chaos. His legs carry him to the bed, under whose blanket Sakura has already placed his pajama. A yawn comes over his lips as he begins to peel off his suit and shirt and slips into sweatpants and shirt instead. He throws his work clothes in the laundry basket and then lies down in bed. The cool fabric immediately covers his body and even though he's cold, he can’t stop himself from sighing with relish.
Just as Sasuke turns on the TV and wants to look for the right channel, his wife enters the bedroom with two cups in her hand, with which she comes up to him. Smiling, she puts one of the cups on his bedside table before walking around the bed and placing the second one on hers. She turns her attention to the television, which is still showing ads. Sasuke silently watches her as she goes into the bathroom and disappears there for a moment to remove her make up and wash her face. The Uchiha sighs silently when his nose starts to tickle again. The next moment his body forces him to sneeze. "Bless you." It sounds from the bathroom. "Thank you." He responds with a tired sigh and turns back to his pillow, in order to position it and leans back into it and watch the upcoming show while feeling more comfortable.
He sips from his cup when Sakura comes back from the bathroom, her face freed from any make up and still she’s so pretty, if not even prettier. She quickly exchanges her work clothes with her hot pant and shirt before she sits down next to him in bed and leans against the head end, looks at the TV with joyful anticipation and watches the short opening credits with the events of the last episodes. As the intro starts, she adjusts her pillow and lets herself sink a little lower. Briefly she looks at Sasuke, who has put his left arm behind his head and looks quite exhausted and tired at the TV. Smiling slightly, the pink haired woman takes her mug and leans back on her pillow to enjoy the next two episodes.
The couple lies or sits next to each other in silence and look at the television. Sasuke tries with all his might to stay awake, but tiredness wins the fight, making him fall asleep halfway through the first episode. When the first episode ends and the ads begin, the Haruno puts her empty cup back on the bedside table and turns to her husband. A gentle smile pulls on her lips. She knew that he was tired but just didn't want to show any weakness in front of her by going to sleep so early. He just works way too much and doesn't allow himself any rest, which he really needs in order to cure the cold. Sometimes he's just an idiot. Taking his empty cup out of his hand and putting it next to hers, she looks back at the television and turns the volume down to let her husband sleep in peace.
An hour later, the second episode of the series also ends. Sleepiness is also slowly pulling on Sakura's lids. A yawn comes from her lips as she turns off the TV and lets it disappear back into its hiding place in the dresser. She glances at Sasuke, who has started to toss and turn around restlessly in the last few minutes. This is been going on ever since the company party. He’s going through so much stress with work and everything, that it probably haunts him in his sleep, making him unable to find peace there either. Little did she know, that it doesn’t have anything to do with work at all. She sighs softly and prepares her pillows to sleep, only to then drop into it and turn off the light on her bedside table. Yawning, she closes her eyes and snuggles into the pillow when she suddenly gets kicked by Sasuke. Sighing, she straightens up again and looks over at her husband. She gently plays with his hair and a few moments later the Uchiha calms down. She doesn't know why but it works every time. She squeaks in surprise when suddenly he grabs her hand and pulls her against his chest. She smiles lightly but thoughtfully. She can't tell what it is, but something has changed ever since she went overboard. Something is wrong with him and he doesn't want to talk about it either. A last sigh comes from her lips before she cuddles up against his now peacefully sleeping husband and falls asleep not much later as well.
