A/N: I started writing sidefics for Berlin because who knows. I don't plan on writing Berlin, but I did always have a plot for it. Sidefics take no time for me, so maybe this is the only way we'll get there. I have three done, so if I ever add to this, I'll have to make sure they stay in order (so look for the one you haven't read yet).

If it helps, this might be the summary I'd use for Coffee: Berlin. "After a year in Berlin, Sasuke spends his days and nights growing his company with a friend and long-time mentor. Meanwhile, Naruto's enrolled in an MBA program at a local university. Both sense a distance growing between them as insecurities fester. Will this be what breaks them, or will they see beyond a series of misunderstandings?"

Timeline: You'll need to have read all of the It Started Over Coffee fics to follow these, including ISOC: Nezumi. The order for ISOC is: It Started Over Coffee, ISOC Sidefics I, Seattle, ISOC Sidefics II, Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year?, ISOC: Nezumi. No, there is no Berlin fic. I only have sidefics for now.

Separate universes are Dream and all of its sidefics and its version of Merry Xmas/Happy New Year. NYC is a second alt Coffee universe.

Posted: 5/28/2018

Naruto & Sakura

Naruto stared out the window of the coffee place where he was meeting a friend from his MBA cohort. The skies were a grisly gray, and a light rain pattered against the glass. Always a popular neighborhood spot, most of the tables were taken and conversation was bustling. He caught bits and pieces of German, his skills at the language only about average despite being in Berlin for a year already. His new friend Sakura had been the one giving him lessons ever since their MBA program began a little over four months ago. They'd first met during the program's "boot camp" held late in summer. At first he'd thought Sakura might be aloof or stuck up, but after he cracked a few jokes during class, she quickly warmed up to him, even being the first to ask him out for coffee. Since then, they'd become unexpectedly close friends and with Sasuke working so many late nights, he had plenty of free time on his hands.

While he was stirring his coffee (for some reason he'd started drinking it black), he glanced up and saw Sakura returning from the restroom. She looked pretty in a long cream sweater and dark pair of skinny jeans. He'd already learned that she wasn't one of those women who drowned themselves in makeup, reminding him of Ino. Sakura took a seat while hanging her purse on the back of the chair, muttering in German about an annoying girl in the restroom who was bent on hogging the sink and mirror. However, as she settled in, she quickly plastered a smile on her face, let out a sharp exhale of breath, clapped her hands together, and then picked up her own cup of coffee (a little cream and a dash of sugar).

"So, you were saying?" She asked, tilting her head slightly, the light catching the jewel on her tiny silver nose piercing.

Naruto smiled. "I wasn't. You were tellin' me about what Dr. Umino was sayin' to you after you went to talk to him about the presentation."

"Didn't I tell you already?"

"No, you were just startin' and then apparently that third cup of coffee finally got the best of you."

"Right, right, well," Sakura tucked her hair behind an ear, "He said he's fine with the second case study we chose for the project and was looking forward to what we'd learned about the company. If you need any help with your research, let me know."

"It's alright, I've made some progress with my part of the narrative. In fact, I only need to edit it."

Sakura blinked at him. "You're… already finished?"

"Not much else to do at the apartment when I'm home, so I thought I'd get my part done on time for once instead of waitin' until the last minute."

Her expression became openly sympathetic. "He's still working late?"

Naruto, grasping his mug in both hands, held the rim pressed to his bottom lip. "Yeah."

"And that doesn't bother you?" She looked offended on his behalf.

He shrugged. "What can I do? It's not exactly what I signed up for, but… I guess it is actually."

"Yeah, but how long have you been living here? A year now?"

Naruto nodded, lifting his fingers in a useless gesture. "More or less."

"I don't know how you do it," Sakura huffed. "If my partner spent all day and night at work like that, and especially if he's spending an extraordinary amount of time with his boss—"

"Sakura," he said and, when his hands began to shake, set down the mug so it wouldn't spill.

"You can't just—" Sakura sighed heavily, looked to the side, and then at him again, her expression softening. "Let me at least ask you this."

"...Okay," he offered hesitantly.

"Do you feel in your gut that—"

"I don't want to talk about this."

Sakura's nose twitched and it was obvious she wanted to probe him further, but Naruto had already felt his mood drop. He already had a lot of things on his mind, so this outing was supposed to serve as a distraction. On the one hand, Sakura's directness (a very German quality) could be quite charming; on the other hand, it could… be very invasive at times, too.

"Change of subject?" She asked.

"Yes. Please."

"So," Sakura leaned halfway across the table and posed. "What do you think of my hair?"

Naruto let out a loud laugh. "I already told you. I think it looks amazin'. Very stylish."

"You think? I've always wanted short hair. The shortest it's ever been, but I think it's wild."

"It is," he said. "But sometimes I can't see your one eye." Reaching over, Naruto swept her hair to the side only for it to fall back in front of her face. It was one of those short, asymmetrical haircuts. When he'd first met her, Sakura had hair that came midway down her back.

Recently, she'd broken up with a partner, and, after that, decided to chop it off. Now, it was dyed a light pink and silver color. The length was non-existent in the back except for some carefully-styled spikes; in the front, it came to her chin but typically covered one eye.

As she fussed with it, Naruto observed her quietly.

"If we were younger and your hair was black, I'd almost call it 'emo'."

"Tch." Sakura pulled a face. "Good think it's not black then, hm? But, I'll have you know, when I was young I used to run around with a group of kids who liked to listen to some metal German bands. We'd sit around in my friend Lizbet's basement and paint each other's nails black."

"Sounds like a scream," Naruto replied dryly.

Sakura hummed thoughtfully, picking up her mug again. "I hardly talk to any of those girls anymore. I wonder what happened to Lizbet?"

"Did you try Facebook?"

"Do people still use that?" She asked, a sly smile curving her lips.

"Our client does," he replied.

"Yes, yes. That's business, but personally… I can't think of anyone in my circle besides my grandparents using it. Well, my parents, but they're practically stuck in the stone age."

"Ah, well. I think it's sweet."

"I don't think it's sweet that my mother texts me about 20 times a day asking if I've heard about this or that diet and if I were to just lose a few kilos, a man might take interest in me."

Naruto's smile thinned. "She's still sayin' that, huh?"

"I've been out since I was 13, and yes she's still saying that. Can you imagine?"

"On the one hand," he said carefully. "I'd be happy to receive any text from my mother, but when I think about what Sasuke went through growin' up… that stuff stays with you forever."

"I ignore it most of the time. There's only so many times I can scream in her face that 'I'm a lesbian!' before she'll finally accept it. My father doesn't say much. I mostly think he's come to terms with it. Their biggest issue is… what about grandchildren. It's as if they don't realize there are women who don't want children or that there aren't other ways a woman can get pregnant besides having sex with a man." Sakura made a face of disgust. "No offense."

"None taken," he said. "I never would've imagined I'd have sex with a man one day, too."

Sakura chuckled, her jewel-colored eyes twinkling. "So, when will I get to meet this mysterious Sasuke, do you think?"

"I… maybe I can arrange somethin'."

"Not if it cuts into what little time you get to spend together. Haven't the two of you made any plans for the holidays? You might return to the states perhaps?"

"Honestly… " Naruto frowned. "We haven't talked about it."

"You must be feeling homesick, no?"

"I am. To be honest, I am. Yeah."

Sakura gave him another one of those looks.

"I'm okay," he said. "Really."

"You don't look okay to me, but I know you won't let me pry. But, after this presentation is over, I might start nagging you more about it."

"Is that supposed to be somethin' I should look forward to?" He asked.

"Any time you spend to me is time you should look forward to. Why don't we go out next weekend? I'm single now, you're typically free. We'll go see a band and then dance."

"I…" Naruto thought it sounded fun, but it felt odd going out without Sasuke. "We'll see."

"You say that every time." Sakura wrinkled her nose. "You're going to rot away in that apartment. Sasuke gets to do whatever he wants, work as much as he wants. He's the one neglecting you, so no point in holing yourself away as if it's a crime to so much as breathe without his permission."

"It's not like that," he argued. "There's just some compromise involved."

"You moved here for him. He spends all his time at work. Where exactly is he compromising in this relationship?"

Naruto hadn't thought about it that way. Or, well. He had actually, but mostly as of late.

"Okay. I'll… think about it. It might be good to go out. I do wanna let him know at least."

"It's not like I'm going to steal you from him," Sakura chided.

"I don't know that I've told him you're a lesbian."

"Really?"

"...I feel like there are better ways to describe you first than your sexual orientation, but yeah. We… now that I think about it, he just doesn't really ask anymore. About… friends. Or… classes. I mean he sometimes asks stuff when he sees me doin' homework or research."

"Hmm." Sakura clucked her tongue.

Naruto's brow went up. "What was that for?"

"Nothing," she replied in that way women do when it clearly isn't "nothing."

"Are you two even—"

"Sakura."

"I'll take that as a no. I'm really concerned about you, Naruto. I hope you know you can talk to me about anything, anything at all. Call any time of day."

"Thanks," he said. "I appreciate that. But we're okay."

"Alright."

"Okay."

"Do you want to get out of here after this last cup of coffee and check out that new museum?"

"Oh God, yes," he said. "If I have another cup of coffee, my heart's gonna explode."

Sakura giggled. "We wouldn't want that. Thanks, too, for always listening about my stuff."

"It's okay. Breakups are rough."

"They are. Hanging out with you has been a very welcome distraction."

"I'm glad someone enjoys my company at least," he said, reaching for his wallet to leave a tip.

"Is it just the coffee or do I detect a note of bitterness?" Sakura quipped, only to laugh at her own joke.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You'd love my friend Kiba. Laughs at his own jokes, too."

"I'm more interested in his girlfriend," Sakura replied, waggling her eyebrows.

"Down girl. She's taken. And she's like a sister to me."

"Fine, fine. A girl can dream."

"She'd be flattered, though. I'll let her know next time we FaceTime."

"Please do. I'd love to visit where you live in the States sometime. Well, once you've gotten rid of that God awful president of yours."

"He's not my president." Naruto lay down a couple of bills. "Are we ready?" He put on his coat and waited while Sakura got up to do the same. She tugged her pale pink beanie over her head.

He went over and adjusted it for her and helped style her hair so that she could see.

"This haircut really gets in the way of my otherwise perfect depth perception," she remarked while looping her arm with his as they walked out of the cafe.

"It's a good thing you don't drive then, huh?"

"Good for you, yes."

"I don't know if I'd be willin' to take that risk with my life."

"Oh, come on," she said. "I can't be that bad of a driver!"

They walked under the store awnings along the sidewalk so as to avoid the rain.

"Sure," he said. "Maybe I'll take you out for some lessons one day. Out in the country where you can't hurt anyone. Somewhere with less roundabouts."

"That would be nice." Sakura squeezed his arm. "I look forward to it. Is this what having a boyfriend would be like?"

"You haven't had girlfriends who knew stuff about cars?"

"True. But, I never bothered to listen. They'd just change my oil and we'd screw on the hood afterwards."

Naruto gave her a look. "Thanks for that."

"Come on now," she said. "Don't be a prude. You used to be into girls."

"Technically I still am, but yeah. I get what you mean."

"Do you ever miss it?"

"Of course not," he said.

"Mm. I would. There's nothing better than eating snatch."

"Jesus Christ," he said, giving her a shove while the pink-haired girl laughed maniacally.

Sakura danced back his way, once more intertwining their arms. Naruto accommodated her and began to softly hum something he'd recently heard on the car radio. His friend joined him, and together they harmonized as perfectly as two amateurs could.

"Sasuke loves this song," he murmured.

"At least I know he has good taste."

"Better than snatch?" Naruto asked.

Sakura let out a bark of laughter. "Well… I didn't say the taste was great, just the act."

"Can't argue with you there," he said. "From what I remember."

She giggled again, and it was nice, Naruto noted, to be able to laugh like this and just have a mindless conversation. No arguments, no suspicions, no drama. Just… fun.

"What are you thinking?"

Naruto looked over at her and realized she'd been staring at him. "Thinking?"

"Yeah… you looked sad just now."

"Oh," he said, shaking his head. "It's nothing. Which line takes us to the museum?"

"Nice change of subject. Just follow me. I'll lead the way."

"Alright then. I'll follow you obediently, Miss Haruno," he said, feigning a Southern accent. "Anywhere you'd like to go ma'am I am at your service."

"That… that accent is horrid!"

"Is it because it's not zee German accent?"

"Tch. Mocking our beautiful language." Sakura tsked. "It's much better than that high-pitched American accent I hear girls from there use. Just awful!"

"It's great to know Europeans think so highly of us."

"Don't even get me started." Sakura stuck her nose in the air.

"I am American, just in case you were confused or didn't know."

"You're that special exception," she said and, stopping, planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Heh. Let's not tell Sasuke about that."

"Of course not. Not that I'm likely to ever have the chance."

Naruto didn't have a comeback, but it didn't matter since, as they jogged down the stairs of the metro, the rushing sound of a train cut short their conversation.