Disclaimer: Dear God, I have to type this thing again? *sigh* I don't own anything in this fic. The songs are Tears of Pearls and I Want You by Savage Garden.
Author's Note: Hey everyone, I'm back and with a new fic! I kinda got this idea from watching Pushing Daises, which I just got Season 1 on DVD! This one's for freexflyer with special thanks for sticking with me for so long.
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"God gave angels wings, but he gave humans chocolate."-Anonymous
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Music flowed down the street and no one had a second thought about it. The music flowing from the small bakery/café on the corner had long since become a part of their normal routine, although the songs were never the same twice in a row. The small café had shown up about a year ago and was known as a hangout for the college a few blocks away.
And running to this café was a certain pinkette who shall be known as Haruno Sakura was late for work. She ran into the café, the radio on the shelf behind the counter playing some new song, and a familiar expression of blonde eyebrows rising in a familiar face met her over the counter. Naruto had owned the place since his godfather died a year and a half ago. His godfather had run a bookstore of 'questionable materials' as Naruto put it.
Naruto was taller than Sakura by a little more than half a head with her heels on. And oh, why had she worn the heels?! Her feet were killing her from that run! Naruto's blonde hair was trapped in a bandana, something she knew had taken him some work because his hair was the messiest in existence, and the cobalt orbs he called eyes were sparkling with amusement. Naruto wore the apron tied around his waist and never around his neck. It made him uncomfortable, he said. He usually Sharpie'd all of his aprons with something interesting. His current apron? It read Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pies.
Sakura had told her best friend/brother that wearing an apron with something from a musical about cannibalism in a bakery of all things wasn't with the work ethic. His answer? A laugh and a shake of the head.
"What is it that makes you so late every day, Sakura?" A grin slowly began spreading across his lips as he turned to the oven, knowing she would know his expression. "A boyfriend you haven't told me about perhaps?"
"Naruto, I swear to God, if you pull up that theory one more time-" Sakura began when an apron was gently pushed in to her hands.
"You'll castrate me, cheerfully beat me to death and bring me back because you can't run this place on your own." Naruto smiled, planting a brotherly kiss on her forehead. "I know."
Sakura grumbled as she turned so he could tie the apron. She frowned at what it said. "Seriously, Naruto?"
He gave her an innocent look as he finished the bow at her waist.
"Kiss the cook? Anything original?"
"Well, I was gonna put something from Silence of the Lambs, but since you don't agree with cannibalistic aprons in a bakery…"
"Can't you ever just buy normal aprons, ones a solid color or with a normal pattern?"
"I could…but where's the fun in that?" Naruto flashed a grin. "Now get baking. It's Test Day at the University."
The University that Naruto no longer attended because he couldn't afford it. The café brought in decent business, but between paying his rent and bills for his apartment along with the ingredients for the café and the bills for it as well, he didn't have much left over.
The radio switched to a new song and Naruto began bouncing around the kitchen, dancing as he began baking his half of the pastries. They'd each taken half of the menu to bake. Naruto had drawn the pies, something he loved doing. Why, Sakura had no idea. She'd asked once and had never gotten an answer.
And we
stare each other down Is love really the
tragedy the way you
like victims in the grind
Probing all
the weakness and
hurt still left behind and we cry
The tears
of pearls
We do it. Oh we do it.
might describe?
Or would a thousand
lovers
still leave you cold inside?
Make you cry...
These
tears of pearls
Naruto began singing along, voice a little too high to actually be good. But Sakura only laughed, knowing his antics. Naruto loved his work and he knew almost every song on the radio.
Your kisses are like pearls, Well I could be
the tired joker All these mixed emotions
"All
these mixed emotions
we keep locked away like stolen pearls
Stolen pearl devotions we
keep locked away from all the world
so different and so rare
But anger stole the jewels away
and love has left you bare,
Made you cry...
These tears of pearls
pour my heart to get you in
Sacrifice my
happiness just so I could win
Maybe cry...
These tears of
pearls
we keep locked away like
stolen pearls
Stolen pearl devotions we
keep locked away from
all the world"
Naruto
took a wooden spoon and used it as his microphone. Sakura smirked,
knowing that he hadn't noticed the person leaning against the
counter. We twist and turn where
angels burn All these mixed emotions
Like fallen soldiers we will learn
Once
forgotten, twice removed
Love will be the death...
The death
of you
we keep locked away like
stolen pearls
Stolen pearl devotions we
keep locked away from
all the world"
Naruto saw the person by the counter as soon as the song stopped and he smiled sheepishly at the half-smile that was playing at his friend's lips. Shikamaru worked at the bakery part-time, but he stopped in every day to say hi and to make use of his employee's discount. Shikamaru had been always been lanky and skinny the entire time Naruto had known him, since middle school. His dark brown hair was always pulled back in a tight ponytail, and his intelligent eyes were watching him with amusement. His messenger bag was slung over his shoulder, thick with books with a single button on it. The button read 'Procrastinators UNITE….tomorrow." Shikamaru's black T-shirt was baggy, but then, anything he wore was. The shirt had the Batman sign on it and his faded blue jeans rode low on his hips.
"You're lucky I'm the only one that saw that, Uzumaki. But I have blackmail material now." Shikamaru smirked at him as Naruto slid a banana nut muffin across the counter to him.
"Like you don't have enough blackmail already."
"Maybe not for you. I've got some on Neji that I intend to use though."
Naruto grinned. "Talk."
"It involves a certain closet in the Medical building with a certain person who shall not be named at the present time."
Naruto arched an eyebrow. "Do I know this unnamed person?"
"You might." Shikamaru ignored the signs that Sakura was sending him behind Naruto's back. "About…5'4, twenty-two years old, a questionable hair color and is always late to work."
Naruto paused to put the pieces together before turning to Sakura, a disbelieving grin on his face. "You were holed up in a closet with Hyuuga Neji?"
Sakura's cheeks flamed. "Maybe…"
Just as Naruto was about to go full blast on big brother tease mode, Shikamaru nudged him in the back, nodding to the people coming in the door. Three people came in the door. Shikamaru had put up the OPEN sign every time he walked in out of pure habit. Naruto recognized two of them; they were from the college crowd.
One, the oldest looking one, had his medium brown hair pulled into a long ponytail and his pale, pale eyes observed the bakery with a blankness that Naruto had become accustomed to dealing with. His clothes were nice, Naruto supposed; a white dress shirt and black jeans with a pair of black boots. Hyuuga Neji in the flesh; oh, this was going to get interesting.
The other one he recognized wore a gray hoodie that read Angels and Airwaves, and baggy dark blue jeans. His white sneakers looked brand new, something that Naruto had never quite been able to figure out how he kept them in that condition. His eyes were hidden behind sunglasses and he nodded his greeting to Naruto. They'd known each other since high school, though they never really talked much.
Naruto's eyes raked over the last one. Blacker than black hair, the darkest Naruto had ever seen, was spiked back and two hard obsidian eyes looked at the worn, but clean wooden floors, the gleaming countertops that Sakura cleaned meticulously and finally looked straight at Naruto. The young man, probably at most a year or two older than him, had very pale skin, like he never went outside. His black T-shirt looked poured on underneath the navy blue jacket. He wore black slacks, something that Naruto found odd, but he'd seen stranger, so he didn't comment.
"Morning!" Naruto greeted. "What can I get you guys?"
Neji and Shino had seen the pastries before, had tried everything at least once. That was their form of consideration, Naruto supposed.
"An apple turnover, if you please, Naruto." Neji requested. The two might not like each other much, didn't interact often, but they were always at the very least civil.
"And a cinnamon bun for me, please." Shino added.
"Sure thing. And you, sir?" Naruto asked the unfamiliar one.
"Do you have coffee?" the young man asked.
Naruto frowned. "Not entirely sure. Sakura brews it on and off." He turned and called, "Sakura! Any hot caffeinated beverages?"
"Uh, yeah!"
Naruto turned back to the young man and nodded, smiling brightly. "I take it you want a cup of coffee?"
"Would I have asked otherwise?"
Naruto felt a slight twitch in his cheek for the comment, but forced the smile to stay on his face. He could beat up the arrogant prick after he got paid. Sakura handed Naruto the steaming foam cup of coffee while Naruto slipped the pastries into a bag. "Ten eighty-five total." Naruto told them.
They all paid their fair share for their morning sugar before choosing a seat by the window, speaking mostly in low voices. Shikamaru and Naruto both shot Sakura a smirk. She answered by sticking her tongue out at them and the two laughed quietly.
Naruto pulled a sheet of paper from a notebook that he kept by the cash register and reached across the counter to grab a pen from Sakura's handy dandy Minnie Mouse pen cup. He scribbled on the paper and turned it so Shikamaru could read it.
Who's the prick?
Shikamaru arched an eyebrow at the query. Which one?
The new one.
His name's Uchiha Sasuke from what Ino was yelling in my ear yesterday. He's the youngest, and from what I hear, only, heir to Uchiha Industries. His older brother apparently was a disgrace to the family, etc. He didn't wanna do business. His brother's supposed to be an artist or something.
I already like the older brother better and I ain't even met the guy. What's this bastard's problem anyway?
Shikamaru bit back a smile. He pissed you off already? I think that's a record.
Smart-ass remarks not necessary.
*gasp* smart-ass comments are always necessary.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Don't you have school anyway?"
"Not for another hour."
"What about your girlfriends?"
"I only have one, Naruto." Shikamaru reminded.
"Tell that to the blonde one."
"They're both blonde."
"I know."
* * * *
Naruto put up the Velcro sign—Out to Lunch, with a sigh of relief. Mornings on University Test Days were the worst. The blonde didn't mind, he loved his work, but keeping track of all the orders with only two people behind the counterwas asking for hell. Sakura had literally gone out to lunch, something Naruto didn't believe for a minute. To the closet in the Medical building maybe, but not for lunch.
Which meant he was alone for lunch again. Naruto sat on his counter, pulling his cup of ramen from the microwave and a bottle of root beer from the fridge. The blonde remembered he never used to like root beer, but after Shikamaru had put a twelve-pack in the fridge, he just suddenly liked it. Naruto popped open the top as he pondered on the weird little ironies in life. He reached up and switched the radio on again, wanting to fill the silence.
Anytime
I need to see your face I don Come stand a
little bit closer Ooh I want you I'm the kind of person who endorses Conversation has
a time and place Come stand
a little bit closer
I just close my eyes
And I am taken to
a place where
Your crystal mind and
Magenta feelings take up
shelter
In the base of my spine
Sweet like a chic a cherry
cola
I just hold on tight
And if it happens again I might
move
So slightly
To the arms and the lips and the face
Of
the human cannonball
That I need to I want to
Breath in and get a bit higher
You'll never
know what hit you
When I get to you
I
don't know if I need you
But ooh I'd die to find out
Ooh I
want you
I don't know if I need you
But ooh I'd die to find
out
A deep
commitment
Getting comfy getting perfect
Is what I live for
But
a look then a smell of perfume
Its like I'm down on the
floor
And I don't know what I'm in for
In the interaction of a lover and
A mate
But
the time of talking
Using symbols using words
Can be likened to
a deep sea diver
Who is swimming with a raincoat
Breathe in and get a bit higher
You'll
never know what hit you
When I get to you
Naruto hummed along to the beat through his mouthful of noodles. Sakura had always told him that his preferred radio station played a random assortment of music and every time, Naruto would shrug in response. Sometimes he just didn't feel like listening to just one kind of music. His favorite station played all kinds.
Ooh
I want you
I don't know if I need
you
But ooh I'd die to find out
Ooh I want you
I don't
know if I need you
But ooh I'd die to find out
I don
Anytime
I need to see your face
I just close my eyes
And I am taken to
a place where
Your crystal mind and
Magenta feelings take up
shelter
In the base of my spine
Sweet like a chic a cherry
cola
I just hold on tight
And if it happens again I might
move
So slightly
To the arms and the lips and the face
Of
the human cannonball
That I need to I want to
Ooh
I want you
I don't know if I need
you
But ooh I'd die to find out
Ooh I want you
I don't
know if I need you
But ooh I'd die to find out
Naruto looked up from his lunch at a knock on his door. The person standing just outside it was a semi-familiar arrogant prick standing just outside his café door.