troublemaker
theeflowerchild

drabble

Karin had this philosophy: to feel good, you have to look good. She lived by this idea rather religiously.

No matter where Karin planned on going, she always liked to dress well, fix up her hair and paint her face to her heart's content. She took care of her skin, body and weight to an almost obsessive point that very obviously paid off. Not only did it considerably boost her self-esteem, but she never really knew who she was going to run into, so the best policy to live by was just to look amazing all the time.

She especially felt particularly fabulous walking through the grocery store looking nearly flawless, with her hair swept neatly to the side, freshly dyed to match her natural, fiery red color, her lips painted a baby pink, her face clear and eyebrows plucked, her dress newly steamed, falling perfectly against her body that she exercised frequently—she might be in her late thirties, but she could totally pass for early twenties—and her heels clicking loudly against the linoleum; she always saw the clicking of heels as a sound of feminine power. It made her feel good knowing that men ogled and women turned green, it made her feel even better when women simply complimented her. Green was never a good color if you didn't have red hair, anyway.

With a grocery cart filled with fresh vegetables, fruits and wheat thins—seriously, how could something be that delicious and still be that fiber-filled?—she headed toward the frozen dinner isle for the quick meals she brought to her consuming job. She was completely consumed by her emails, subsequently ignoring the thirsty eyes of a few stock boys, when she felt her cart thrust into someone else's.

"Oh my God!" she dropped her phone into the seat of her cart. "I am so sorry!"

The man she bumped into was just as surprised, looking up from the list in his hand. "Don't worry about it—!" he cut himself off with furrowed brows. "Do I know you?"

She gave the man an once-over; very tall, lean, around her age. His hair was shaggy and black, messy, but neat, framing his aristocratic face. His eyes were sunken and large, a deep brown color and breath-taking. He was dressed in a pair of slacks and a button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his cart filled with veggies and fruit snacks. He was incredibly handsome and absolutely unforgettable. She smiled and quirked an eyebrow toward him. "Sasuke Uchiha?"

His mouth fumbled for a second before his eyes lightened in realization. "Karin, right?" He smiled a friendly, unfamiliar smile. "Karin Uzumaki?"

She smiled. "At your service… It's been too long."

"Right, it has," he agreed. "Maybe ten years, right?" He folded up his list and stuck it in his pocket. "What are you up to these days?"

"Working," she answered almost immediately, laughing. "Always working. I'm a partner at a firm over in Suna… It's incredible," she told him, nearly gushing.

"That's fantastic," he agreed. "I'm glad things are working out for you."

"Me too… What about you?" she questioned, seemingly aloof, but actually intensely curious. "What have you been up to?"

He shrugged. "Teaching, as always. I run the marching band, which is amazing."

"You always loved music," she mused. "I'm glad it's finally a part of your life again."

They stared at each other for a hot second, her heart swelling. How could she forget Sasuke Uchiha? This was the boy who consumed most of her high school days, the beautiful man who caught her eye in every class, the one she jumped ropes to become friend with, the one she followed the college, the one she prayed would one day be hers. Granted, she grew up considerably and realized the way to a man's heart wasn't through texting him periodically throughout the day and following him to college, taking all the same classes as him and then being too scared to ask him out, but seeing him after so many years made her feel nineteen again, consumed and in love.

He was just as pretty as she remembered, his voice just as smooth and his stature just as brilliant. Perhaps he was a little friendlier, a little more mature, but he was nearly the same person.

Her thought process was interrupted by a little girl with hair black as night and eyes green like beer bottles running down the same isle, yelling, "Dad! Dad, where are you?!" She couldn't be over five. Karin nearly rolled her eyes, the moment between them abruptly brought to a screeching hault.

She was about to make a comment about parents needing to keep their children on a leash when she was interrupted by him. He turned around to look at the girl, "I'm right here, sweetheart. Did you find what you wanted?"

Her eyes almost fell out of their sockets.

"Yes and no!" she yelled. "I can't reach the crackers, Daddy."

He laughed, scooping the girl up into his arms. "When I'm done here, I'll come and help you with them, okay?"

"Thank you, Daddy!" She grinned and kissed his cheek. "I found them all by myself!"

"I know you did!" he agreed, seemingly proud. "But you ran ahead of Mommy. Where'd she go?"

She shrugged, suddenly distracted by the ice cream in the freezer isle. "I don't know. Can we get ice cream?"

He laughed. "Maybe, if Mommy says it's okay... Sweetheart, I want you to meet somebody."

"Who?" she asked, suddenly looking at Karin. "The pretty lady?"

He laughed. "She's very pretty, isn't she?" Karin blushed unconsciously, still frazzled by the child calling the man she used to stalk Daddy. "This is Karin, Miko. Mommy and Daddy used to go to school with her."

Karin nearly gagged; she knew mommy? Despite herself, she smiled at the little girl; she was gorgeous, seemed very smart and had the loveliest smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"My name is Mikoto!" she yelled, grinning. "I'm five! How old are you?"

She laughed, suddenly enamored with the girl. "I don't remember."

"You look twenty," she said.

"Smart girl," Karin commented under her breath. Sasuke didn't miss it, laughing. "She's beautiful, Sasuke."

"Isn't she?" he agreed. "She looks just like her mother."

"Oh shut up," another voice entered, suddenly removing the girl from her father's arms and placing her on the ground. "Let her walk, Sasuke."

Sasuke pouted and Karin almost screamed. Never had she seen the man show more emotion than a smirk. "She's a princess and should be treated as such."

"And you're a pain in the ass," she mocked him.

He knocked her knee with his and she pushed his elbow, both lost in each other for the moment. He caught himself and smirked at Karin again. "You'll never believe who I ran into."

The woman was suddenly very aware of the beautiful redhead, but rather than growing green with jealousy like most, she smiled warmly. If it wasn't the pink hair that made Karin very aware of who Sasuke's wife (baby-mama?) was, it was surely the smile and the way her eyes lit up a bright emerald when her face warmed up. "Karin Uzumaki! No way!" She opened up her arms for a hug that Karin easily agreed to.

"Sakura, hello." Karin let go just as quickly as she had accepted.

"You look gorgeous!" she gasped. "Sasuke, doesn't she look gorgeous?"

He was already very consumed by his daughter, Mikoto chatting his ear off and Sasuke completely interested. Sakura kicked him. "Pay attention, moron."

"Be nice," he mocked, picking up his daughter again. Sakura didn't fight it. "It was very nice seeing you, Karin."

"You should come over for lunch one day!" Sakura quickly added as an afterthought. "Why don't you give me your number? I make some mean sandwiches."

Karin laughed. "I'm sure you do. Of course, I'd be glad to." Sakura handed the woman her phone and Karin happily gave her number. "I'll be hearing from you soon, then?

"Definitely!" Sakura gushed, opening her arms for one more hug. "We have to run, but I'll call you soon!"

"I'll talk to you then," she confirmed. Sakura smiled.

"Bye Miss Karin!" Mikoto yelled, friendly and exuberant, like her mother.

"Bye Mikoto, it was very nice meeting you!"

The family walked off toward the check-out line and Karin smiled. You really did never know who you'd run into.

So drabbly. No development. Got the idea while walking aimlessly through the supermarket

Peace.