Day 1

Irusu

Uchiha Sasuke had three locks on his door.

The first one he installed when he first moved into his apartment, for obvious security reasons. The neighborhood was decent enough, for the price range. Not exactly old-money, as he had been accustomed to for so long, but close enough. Arrogant Wall Street bankers. High-profile lawyers. Celebrity plastic surgeons. For a loft near the private academy, he knew rent was going to suck most of his inheritance dry. But he at least expected reasonably updated deadbolts on his door. The upgrade, as it seemed, would come out of his own pocket.

The next installment came six months after, when a carjacking put all of the neighborhood on high alert. Sasuke did not own a car, but cars had windows and his loft certainly had plenty of them. Never mind that he was on the twelfth floor. After he finished the upgrades on the automatic window sliding locks, he decided adding another latch on the front door couldn't hurt.

The last one was installed after he met an annoying blond in school that had a habit of showing up unannounced and making a show of trying to pick the locks. With a reinforced chain, Sasuke could crack open the door, mutter a 'piss off, loser' and slam it shut without giving Naruto an opportunity to elbow his way in.

But, more often than not, Sasuke eventually let him in.

"Man, why do you even need that many locks?" Naruto's muffled scratchy voice demanded from behind the door, irritated by the amount of time it took Sasuke to unbolt all the locks and get the door open. "You know your building comes with a doorman, right? Dude's there 24/7, he doesn't even sleep, Sasuke!"

"They're on six hour shifts, dumbass. Hurry up." Sasuke waited for him to step in before quickly locking up shop again.

"Whatever." Without waiting for an invitation, Naruto hurried to the kitchen. The sounds of cabinet doors being slammed barely registered to Sasuke, who mulled quietly over the question Naruto hadn't been expecting an answer to. "Sasuke, what the hell?!" So he had locks. "You said you would have instant ramen next time I came over!" Everyone had locks. And so what if his building had a doorman and a guard stationed at every floor? "There's no ramen!" That didn't stop people. You could have all the money in the world, the most meticulous bodyguards in the country, a prestigious family name-it didn't stop anyone. It didn't stop thieves, and kidnappers, and rapists. And it certainly didn't stop murderers.

Man, he hated people.

"Sasuke!"

He really hated people.

"Sasuke, let's go Ichiraku's."

"No."

"What? You're the one that didn't stock up. Come on, just this once."

"I said no." Sasuke walked away to the living room, now irritated and regretting not turning the blond away. He threw himself down on the couch, reaching for the remote, and turning it on to a mindless reality show. Not a minute passed by before Naruto collapsed besides him.

"Alright, fine, Mr. I'm-a-loser-that's-too-scared-to-step-foot-outside-my-fancy-apartment-with-my-fancy-security-system-and-"

"Shut up."

"Well, you are. You never leave this place, and when you do, it's only to go to school. That's weird." Sasuke didn't bother responding. "You know I don't give a shit, but...people talk. They know you've got this fancy ass apartment, and that you live alone. Kiba says he'd be throwing parties every night if he had his own place. You know, that time you told Sakura off-"

"I didn't tell her off."

"You told her, and I quote, 'Stay the fuck away from me, you goddamn groupie'. Not saying you were wrong or anything, but you coulda been nicer about it. A simple 'no' would have sufficed." Naruto sniffed disapprovingly. Sasuke didn't agree. For some reason, his classmates-particularly the female ones-couldn't wrap their tiny brains around the fact that no, he was not inviting them over. No, they weren't going to hang out. No, being an unsupervised kid with his own place and a virtually unlimited inheritance didn't mean he was going to live out their rebellious teenage fantasies. And Sakura, in her blind infatuation, just couldn't take no for an answer.

Sasuke liked his privacy. He liked his space. He liked being alone.

Might it have something to do with becoming an orphan and the sole survivor of a burglary-turned-homicide at the tender age of twelve? The mandated therapist thought so. Not that Sasuke had seen him in a while.

"Look, all I'm saying is maybe if you just-I dunno, went out every once in a while, they might leave you alone. Just saying."

Sasuke didn't respond.

"Whatever. I'm going to Ichiraku. If you change your mind-" Naruto stood and stretched, yawning and crossing over to the door. "You know where I'm at."

The door slammed after him, and the only thing Sasuke could think to do was get up and lock it after him.

Sasuke was in the middle of folding his laundry when a series of soft knocks on the door made him pause.

Odd.

The doorbell was most commonly used when he had the occasional solicitor, and since he had it removed when he moved in, they usually were discouraged and went away on their own.

But someone had found it necessary to ring the doorbell and knock. Sasuke was baffled. And annoyed. He continued matching his socks.

For two minutes, the knocks persisted. Some stretched to six-tap-sequences, some reduced to heavy-single-knocks. And while there was a pause in between each set, probably for the invader to rest his knuckles, the determination sent him on edge. Sasuke stood from the couch and quietly padded over to the door, socks aiding him in his noiseless glide. Cautiously, he peered through the peephole.

Gone.

He was doing homework when the knocks came again the next day.

This time, Sasuke felt vengeful. He considered the methods available to him. He could report this to the president of the building's board committee. Better yet, to the manager in charge. He was sure a Google check could reveal to him the name of the building's owner.

Sasuke pulled out his cell phone, ready, when the sound of scraping paper grabbed his attention. Quickly, he looked over to his door and snarled at the sight of a sheet of notebook paper sliding under his door.

He stalked over, swiped it up, and crumpled it without a second thought.

"Dude, what's with the towel?"

Naruto stared at the green towel bunched under the door, looking back at Sasuke for confirmation.

"It's temporary." Sasuke answered, shining an apple on his shirt. The rubber door weatherseal was already on the way.

The next day, Naruto was there-again-and was helping himself to a frozen pizza as Sasuke tidied up the kitchen, nerves on high alert.

Three knocks.

Sasuke paused, eyes narrowing.

"I'll get it!"

Before he could stop the idiot, Naruto leapt away. Infuriated, Sasuke almost yelled out to stop him before quickly remembering he was not supposed to be home. Instead, he sprinted to the door, thankful for his socks and smooth hardwood flooring that afforded him squeakless silence. Just as the blond buffoon reached for the first lock. Sasuke arrived and brutally smacked his hand away.

"Oww-MM!" Naruto was stunned as Sasuke slapped a palm over his overused mouth and pulled him back.

"Shut. Up. Dumbass." Sasuke hissed as quietly as he could. The two stared at the door, eyes wide in anticipation, as the knocks continued. Gradually, Sasuke loosened his hold, and Naruto slipped free, glaring at him. Thankfully, he didn't move to answer the door.

"Who is it?" Naruto whispered hoarsely to him. Sasuke shook his head. "I'm gonna check."

"No."

"They won't see me, dammit."

Sasuke watched as Naruto tiptoed over to the door, bracing himself as he leveled with the peephole. A few seconds passed, and Sasuke waited in agony. "Dude," Naruto said lowly. "She's really hot." At this, Sasuke stilled.

She?

"I'm opening the door."

At lightning speed, Sasuke yanked Naruto back by his shirt, and the blond retaliated with a sharp jab of his elbow. The two squabbled as quietly as they could, hair-pulling and arm-yanking with dangerously gritted teeth.

Then, the knocks stopped.

Upon realizing it, Naruto flew back to the door. "Aww, man! You let her get away! Damn you Sasuke, always ruining shit."

"Good." Sasuke snarled, returning to the kitchen in a huff.

"Who was she?"

"I don't know."

"Why didn't you answer the door?"

"Why should I?"

"Well, what if she needs help?"

"She won't find it here."

Naruto was silent after that, but he turned and looked at Sasuke in such a way that made even the impenetrable sullen teenager feel uncomfortable. Naruto excused himself shortly after.

Well, what if she needs help?

The question bothered Sasuke the day after.

There was the issue of who this mystery woman was.

Another student, perhaps. The knocking, though random, was always timed accordingly after school hours. Or, his paranoia kicked in, a stalker who knew his schedule.

She must live in his building. How else would she constantly get by the doorman? Or, the quiet voice chimed in, she snuck in through the ventilation system. At the thought, Sasuke peered up at the vent in his living room, filtering in crisp cold air. His mind was whirling on possible ventilation-shaft-security-systems when the knock sounded again.

Sasuke stared at the door.

She could be a normal girl that needed to borrow his phone or use his bathroom or something trivial like that.

Or she could be a drug addict, a thoughtless crackhead looking for money or her next fix.

In a luxurious apartment building, in one of the wealthiest counties in the country. Yeah. Maybe not.

Sasuke sighed into his hand, pressing the heel against his brow. What the hell was he supposed to do?

The knock sounded louder this time, and it sparked urgency in him. Quickly, he shuffled silently over and decided he needed to take a look.

For a long second, Sasuke watched a supple ass and shapely legs walk away from his door.

"Damn it."

He decided he wanted to see her.

Not in person, per se, but through the door.

Parked on a stool by the counter, he waited. He didn't know what to expect. Naruto had been approving, but he didn't have much standards. Then again, Sasuke had seen part of her, and those parts had been...convincing.

It seemed unlikely that she was a drug addict. Her jeans, though snug, didn't look frayed or tattered. Her physique clearly wasn't one of a malnourished vagrant.

But that didn't rule out the other possibilities. She could be saleswoman, or worse, a member of the Peace Corps. They were known for being persistent. But this persistent? Knocking every day for five days straight? Didn't they usually get the hint and leave? The very few others one had.

For some reason, she came back. For what, he wanted to know. He regretted disposing of the paper she had slid under his door. It would have solved his dilemma, knowing what she wanted. What it wouldn't answer was her determination to speak with him. He had plenty of neighbors she could bother. Why was she fixated on him?

As if on cue, the mystery woman knocked again.

This time, Sasuke was ready and in position. Quickly, before she could escape again, he leveled himself with the peephole.

There were very few times in his life that Sasuke felt helpless. There was his birth, in which he had very little say, and instances in his childhood where nannies and his mother often held the upper hand. There was the day he had been hidden under the bed by his older brother, amidst the sound of screaming, breaking glass, and a gunshot. Don't open the door for anyone. I'll come back for you. Itachi never came back.

Sasuke thought to himself, with a desperation he had never experienced before, that he needed to get this door open. And yet, he couldn't move, he couldn't tear his eye away from the microscopic bead of glass that was his only window to the outside world-to her.

She was beautiful.

With dark hair, tinted purple and blue in the hallway light, and soft gray eyes. Creamy skin. Pink lips that were trying to smile, but twisted into an impatient scowl with every passing knock.

Open the door.

Open the door, dumbass.

Open the door. What are you waiting for? She'll leave.

But she'll come back. She always come back.

Sasuke stayed glued against the door, even as she gave up, sighed with her beautiful eyes shut in agitation, and left.

The next time, he decided. Next time, he would open the door.

Three days passed and Sasuke felt like the biggest fool to ever walk the Earth.

"So, whatever happened to that chick? Did you find out what she wanted?" Naruto asked distractedly, eyes glued to the screen as his thumbs whirled away on the PS4 controller.

Sasuke felt his throat constrict. "No."

"Shame. She was pretty. Looked like a nice girl too. Well, I hope she got what she needed."

Sasuke sighed through his nose. "Yeah. Me too."

By the fifth day, Sasuke had given up on ever seeing her again. Clearly, she had moved on. Found another target to bother. He was glad.

He had seen it in the news, pretty girls going around luring young men to their doom. If he had opened the door, who knows where he would be now. In some sex-trafficking ring in Thailand, most likely.

It was for the best. He had done the right thing.

And yet, when three knocks sounded at the door, Sasuke was out of his seat before he realized it.

And for the first time, as he quickly set on unlocking his door, he wondered to himself, why the hell do I have so many locks? Finally, he snagged the reinforced chain and yanked it to the side, ripping open the door.

He froze at the sight. And resisted the temptation to slam the door shut.

A girl-and not the one he had been hoping for-peered up at him. He looked her over, noticing the obnoxious uniform. A Girl Scout. Sasuke sighed and started to retreat back inside.

"Wait! Would you like to buy some cookies?" The girl shouted before he could escape. Sasuke paused, his sense of morals coming back to him. She was little. If she cried, someone might get the wrong idea.

"No."

"Are you sure? I have all kinds!"

"No thanks."

"Oh, but-"

"Hanabi!"

Sasuke felt an unmistakable rush of heat and did his best to feign indifference. The mystery woman. He knew it was her.

He and the little girl paused, listening as the footsteps echoed closer and closer.

She was even more beautiful in person. Even when she was lugging around a wagon of cookies.

"I told you, don't knock on any doors without me. It's dangerous."

"I know, but I didn't think he'd answer, he hasn't been home all week!"

Sasuke watched as the mystery woman suddenly seemed to remember him. Her skin-that pale, creamy skin-reddened and she quickly looked up at him. He met her eyes and tried to breathe normally.

"Um, hello." She said slowly.

Sasuke blinked. "Hey."

She laughed nervously, and he could tell it wasn't genuine. She was embarrassed. Of what, he couldn't fathom. "She-uh, she just meant that-well, we've been knocking on your door for a few days now, and you never answered so…" Pausing, she took a breath and then let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, I should start over. This is my little sister. She's a Girl Scout. We're selling cookies."

"I...see." Sasuke didn't know what else to say. He knew this. This was all he knew. What he wanted to know was who she was.

"Normally, I go with her to every doorstop. It's not safe for a child to go knocking on just anybody's door. We did try you for a few days, but it was probably bad timing. I did leave her council information, just in case you wanted to use her code online…" She trailed off, looking at him expectantly. Ah, yes. The paper he had balled up and stuffed down the garbage disposal.

"I didn't see it."

"Oh." Silence persisted for the longest six seconds of Sasuke's teenage life, and he hated himself for it. "I see. Well, we won't bother you any longer. Thank you for your time. Let's go, Hanabi." She turned around and the creaking of the wagon wheels prompted urgency. This time, he wouldn't miss it.

"Cookies." Sasuke forced out. The Girl Scout and her beautiful sister paused, looking back at him. "What kind do you have?"

She smiled. It was warm, and comfortable, and he wanted to see it again. "All kinds. Do you have a minute?"

For the next ten minutes, Sasuke dragged on a conversation that shouldn't have lasted more than two. He wanted to know every type of cookie they had. Which was the most popular. How far along was Hanabi with her sales. Was there a prize she was hoping for. Two boxes or three. He couldn't decide. And, what was her name.

Hinata, she told him. Hyuga Hinata.

And ultimately, "I'll probably finish these soon. I have a friend that eats all my food. Will you be back tomorrow?" And he looked at her in a way he hoped she could understand.

She blushed. It was faint, and barely noticeable, especially when she dipped her head down to scribble something in their log. "Oh-um, yes. Yes, we are."

Sasuke felt the beginning of what he would come to know as a sign he'd be waiting for Hinata every day for the rest of his life. To knock on his door, just so he could look forward to answering it.

She knocked on his door approximately eighty-four more times, before he gave her three different keys.

And, as they shopped together for the last lock-for the crib in their bedroom-he wondered how many locks he would have kept buying, if he had never found his key.