Somewhere I Have Never Travelled, Gladly Beyond - Chapter 13
Back at university so as to better write essays... So of course I'm posting this. When I was reading through and editing this chapter there were about fifty billion typos -- it's likely there's still a few that escaped my notice so please point them out!
Oh do I ever hope I pulled this off...
Title: Somewhere I Have Never Travelled, Gladly Beyond
Fandom: Naruto
Type: Multi-chaptered
Rating: Pg-13
Pairings: Deidara/Sakura
Word count: 7,902
Summary: Naruto had been bragging all day that his new jutsu was his best yet. Sakura and her new situation beg to differ. Post time-skip. DeiSaku.
“Here it is,” announced the innkeeper, who had introduced herself as Paola. She extended a hand towards the house in front of them.
On second thought, Sakura wasn’t sure it could be called a house. More of a cottage. Or even... A quick glance over at Deidara - his mouth pressed thin and clearly unimpressed - reassured her that she wasn’t the only one to think the small building resembled someone’s abandoned shed.
The tiny building was squished against the side of a larger house. The shutters were gone, except for one whose hinges hung by only a nail, and the peeling paint along the siding wavered in the wind. Sakura stared at the roof for a moment before realizing that yes, it was very much slanting worryingly to one side.
“Let’s look inside.” Sakura winced; she hadn’t intended so much hesitation to creep into her voice.
“I know it doesn’t look like much,” Paola said as she struggled with the key and rusty lock, “But you’re actually quite lucky I was able to find this for you. Housing can be hard to find here in Cìen. I happened to mention your situation to my cousin and she suggested this. The previous renters left just before the winter and she has been looking for tenants ever since. It comes with some basic necessities - pots, pans, bedding, and the like - and my cousin, Chimène, is even willing to give you a discount on the rent.”
“That’s nice of her, yeah,” Deidara remarked with a bit too much sarcasm as they went inside. Sakura shot him a warning glare - it would be best not to start on wrong terms with their landlady.
“So what do you think?” The woman asked as they stepped into the front room, their boots leaving footprints in the dust that covered the wooden floor. “This is the kitchen - it can also work nicely as a sitting room in a pinch. That door leads to a bedroom, and the other one to a washroom.”
Sakura swallowed hard, trying unsuccessfully to rid her mouth of the taste of stale air. The room was bare except for an old table, two chairs, and the smallest, most pathetic kitchen set-up. The plaster on the walls was chipped and discoloured, and the bedroom door was missing. The overhead light flickered occasionally and emitted a strange buzzing noise.
“There’s even a bed, and the shower should get hot water.” Paola smiled and rubbed her hands together. “So? Will you take it?”
Sakura exchanged a skeptical look with Deidara before he shrugged, resigned. “It’s not like we have much of a choice, yeah.”
“Excellent!” From Paola’s tone, Sakura had the impression that they had just done her a great favour. “Chimène will come by at the end of each month to collect the rent.” Fixing Deidara with a stern look, she told him, “So you’d best find yourself a job soon, young man.”
With that, she bid them good-day and left with a cheerful grin. When she’d gone, Deidara sighed and turned towards Sakura. “Why is it up to me to get a job, yeah?”
She ran a finger across the surface of the table, frowning as it came away with a layer of dust, before explaining dryly, “Because in traditional societies the male role in the household is that of the breadwinner.”
With a snort, Deidara slumped into one of the chairs, which creaked distressingly. “Why do I suspect that if I would have said that, you would’ve punched me?”
“You know me too well.” She grinned at him and tried the faucet on the kitchen sink. The water that spluttered out was brown and murky. “Don’t worry though - I’ll find a job too.”
“Let me guess,” Deidara said as he got up from the chair and made his way into the bedroom, “You’re going to find work as a doctor, yeah.”
“Of course.” She followed after him, hoping in vain that the bedroom would somehow be nicer than the kitchen. “Even though I use chakra a lot in healing, I’ve had basic training as well. I should be able to pass as a nurse or assistant healer. Medical personnel are pretty much always in demand -”
Sakura’s words were cut off as she stepped into the bedroom, where Deidara had stretched out across the bed. The one double bed. It had never been a problem before, but her sudden awareness of the way his shirt threatened to ride upwards, revealing a sliver of skin and the barest shadow of a hipbone just above the low waistline of his jeans, twisted the thought of sleeping next to him into all new possibilities. Sakura felt an odd curl of emotion in her belly.
“I don’t even think this mattress has springs anymore, yeah. If I sink any further into it I’ll drown.”
Brought back from her reverie by his words, Sakura turned away to hide the blush staining her cheeks. “Come on, we’ve got to clean this place up as best as we can today.”
It was a lost cause though, she knew. No matter how much she devoted herself to cleaning and repairing their new home, it wouldn’t be nearly enough of a distraction.
+ + +
The first light of dawn poured freely through the shutter-less window in the bedroom. Sakura groaned. Between the ancient mattress and the torture that her body had put her through as she’d curled up with Deidara against the chilly night, she’d hardly managed to sleep at all.
Sakura stood up and stretched her back, tempted to relieve its aches with chakra. A quick glance back at the bed revealed that Deidara was still asleep, sprawled out as usual. Sakura watched him for a moment, intrigued at how he managed to sleep in positions that looked like they would actually be quite uncomfortable. A few pieces of blond hair lay across his face and fluttered with each breath.
Before she could stop herself, Sakura reached out to brush away the stray strands of hair. The sensation of her fingertips across smooth skin, no matter how light and brief the contact, sent a shiver low in her spine.
Sakura withdrew her hand abruptly and all but fled from the room. She jammed her feet into her boots and was still trying to find the armholes of her coat as she dashed out the front door. The cool morning air helped clear her mind and she shook her head to rid herself of the last vestiges of sleep, among other things. Sakura took a deep breath, feeling the cold air burn her throat.
Now was not the time to be feeling like she’d just hit puberty, she reminded herself. The rollercoaster of teenage hormones was well past. She was just being silly. At her age, she should be completely capable of controlling this ridiculous infatuation, no matter how long it had been in the making and no matter how badly she wanted to kiss Deidara absolutely senseless. Sakura grimaced as tempting images flooded her mind at that thought. What she should really be concentrating on was finding a job so they could actually have something to eat that night.
Squaring her shoulders and forcing all thoughts of infuriating smirks and blue eyes out of her mind, Sakura set off to find the town’s clinic. With the exception of a handful of shopkeepers setting up stands, the early morning streets were largely deserted. After a few inquiries, Sakura found herself standing in front of a rundown house, almost indistinguishable from the others on the street. The paint was faded, but the symbol of a medical cross was still discernable above the door.
Taking a deep breath, Sakura rapped her knuckles sharply against the wooden door and waited. When no one answered after a few minutes, she tried again, harder. Just as she raised her hand for a third try, the door swung open.
The older woman who answered came only up to Sakura’s shoulders. She had dark hair that was streaked with grey and wound tightly into a bun. Along with the thin, angular style of glasses she wore, her face had a decidedly severe look about it. Sakura could tell by the dark, almond-shaped eyes and hint of high cheekbones that she had perhaps been beautiful once, but time had not to been kind to her. The woman scowled and wrapped her shawl tightly around her shoulders as she spoke quickly in her own language.
At Sakura’s look of confusion, the woman narrowed her eyes and tried again. “I said: this had better be an emergency. I don’t start work until eight.”
Mentally smacking herself for not waiting until a more reasonable hour, Sakura gathered her courage. It was slightly disturbing how such a tiny woman could radiate such power and authority. Sakura swallowed nervously and all thoughts of eloquence vanished. “I want to work for you,” she blurted without preamble.
The woman’s eyebrows raised slightly, more in exasperation than surprise. “I don’t take apprentices,” she said and closed the door.
In a panic, Sakura managed to wedge her hand painfully between the door and its frame before it slammed shut in her face. “Please!” she pleaded with the woman, aware of how desperate she sounded. “Please - I’ve just arrived in town and I don’t have any money. I’m not looking to be an apprentice, I just need a job. You won’t have to teach me anything. I’ve had a lot of experience and trained under the lead healer of my village. Please give me a try, even if it’s just for a day!”
The door crept open again and the woman fixed her with a piercing gaze. After a long moment, she asked, “Can you treat frostbite?”
Sakura nodded weakly, cursing herself for being so easily unbalanced. “Y-yes.”
The woman grabbed Sakura by the arm and pulled her inside the house as she closed the door irritably. “Fine. You have one day to show me you’re worth having around, much less paying.” She stalked over to a large cabinet on the wall and threw it open. “All supplies are kept in here, but you’re not to touch the herbs on the top shelf - they’re too expensive. There’s some more general stuff in the closet over there - mostly for cleaning, which you’ll be doing. You’ll also handle the minor cases that come in. You’re to greet the patients - the ones that speak your language at least - and get them registered, but I’ll take care of the payment. You’ll be responsible for delivering medicine to bed-ridden patients and you’ll run all other errands for me. If you’re still here at the end of the day we’ll discuss future arrangements. What’s your name?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Sakura hesitated before replying, “Err... Sakura?”
The older woman set her mouth in a thin line and peered at Sakura from over the rims of her spectacles, before turning to march up the nearby stairs. “Patients won’t start coming for another half hour. I’m going back to sleep.”
Stunned at the unexpected reception, Sakura took a moment to compose herself and absorb her surroundings. The clinic was small and clearly very old, but it was tidy. A few chairs were lined up by the entrance, presumably for waiting patients. The large cabinet full of medical supplies hung beside the desk, which was bare except for a thick account book. Aside from a closet and the stairs that led to the upper level of the house, the only other remarkable aspect of the clinic was the nearby door that led to an examination room.
With a deep sigh, Sakura forced down her feelings of discouragement and prepared herself for the trials of the day.
+ + +
“Your child has a cold. A plain old ordinary cold. There’s nothing I can do about it. Go home, have him rest, and make sure everyone else in your house washes their hands more often to avoid catching it too.” The healer all but pushed the last customers, a woman and her child, out the door.
“Parents these days,” she grumbled to herself when they’d left, “There’s no cure for the common cold. Never has been and never will be. Do they think I work magic or something?”
Sakura finished mopping the floors and felt as though she were about to collapse. She hadn’t had a moment of peace all day - there was always something that needed to be cleaned or delivered. On top of that, a steady stream of patients with everything from athlete’s foot to broken bones had poured into the small clinic since it opened. Without the use of chakra, treatment of even the most minor problems was a long and difficult affair. The hospitals in Konoha were busy, but everyone had a specialized task which helped make the day run smoothly. Here in the little clinic, however, it all seemed far too much for only two people to handle.
Lightheaded, Sakura sat down in one of the waiting room’s chairs. Aside from an apple - “Keeps the doctor away,” the woman had told her, straight-faced - Sakura hadn’t eaten all day. Her feet ached and even though the clinic was kept fairly cold, she could feel that she’d worked up a sweat.
“You there, girl.” The older woman’s voice snapped Sakura back to reality. “Come here.”
An uncomfortable knot formed in her chest. It was time for judgment. Sakura stood carefully, fighting off a dizzy spell, and went to stand in front of the desk, behind which the healer was seated.
The woman gave her an appraising look and Sakura had to make a conscious effort not to shift uneasily. After a long moment, the healer asked, “You’re one of the two who came to town the other day, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Sakura replied, surprised. “How did you --”
The woman interrupted her with a wave of her hand. “Cìen’s not very big - word of interesting newcomers spreads fast. Especially when they have the most bizarre hair colours. Your’s is quite remarkable, to say the least, but even your boyfriend’s is one we don’t see around here very often.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Sakura corrected with a blush.
The woman appeared not to have heard her comment and continued, “But I suppose I can overlook your strange appearance if you keep working like you did today. Or was it too much for you to handle?”
Sakura’s aching body cried out that it was indeed too much, but she ignored its complaints. She could handle it, if only because she needed the money. “No, it’s fine.”
The woman narrowed her eyes, and Sakura wondered if she was ever in a good mood - it would certainly make work more tolerable. Memories of Tsunade and Shizune rushed back, causing her swallow hard against feelings of nostalgia. “In that case, I’ll expect you here again tomorrow at eight o’clock sharp. No sooner than that, but you had better not be late.” The woman withdrew a handful of coins from her money pouch, carefully counted out a sum, and handed them to Sakura. “Here’s your pay for today. Go get yourself something to eat.”
“Thank you,” Sakura said, and wondered exactly how much food the money could buy her. Unfamiliar with the currency, she had no idea how much she was being paid.
Sakura was just about to leave when the woman made an unexpected movement. Holding out her hand towards Sakura, she said, “Now that I’ve seen you’re worthy of working for me, you may call me Alvara.”
Sakura blinked, momentarily stunned. Recovering quickly, she reached out to shake the woman’s hand, whose grip was deceptively strong. “I’m pleased to meet you, Alvara.” Sakura winced at her awkward pronunciation of the name.
“Just roll the ‘r’ a bit more and you’ve got it,” Alvara told her, and Sakura could have sworn that the faintest trace of a smile pulled at her perpetual frown.
+ + +
A quick stop at a grocer’s stall revealed that Alvara was perhaps not as stingy as she appeared. Even after buying a basketful of food, Sakura still had a few copper coins left over. All the better, she thought as she remembered her dismal new home. She could certainly do with some extra spending money to help clean the place up.
Despite its dreary appearance, Sakura was nonetheless glad when she arrived home. Her feet, already aching from the tiring day, couldn’t take much more of the hard cobblestone streets. Looking forward to collapsing on the bed, she pushed open the wooden door and was greeted by an unexpected surprise. The floors that had been covered with dust the night before were now spotless and even the old kitchen appliances seemed to be tinged a less dreary shade of yellow. Shirt sleeves rolled up and hair tied back, Deidara scrubbed at the countertop with a rag.
“Hey,” he called over his shoulder as Sakura placed her purchases on the wooden table.
“I could get used to this,” she remarked as she lowered herself into a chair. Kicking off her shoes and sliding out of her coat, she sighed contentedly. “Am I going to come home to a nicely cleaned house every day?”
“Since when did I become a housewife, yeah?” Grinning, Deidara tossed the rag into the sink and pulled up a chair beside her. “I’m never doing this again, by the way. Do you have any idea how dirty this place actually was?” He reached out and pulled the basket of food closer, poking through the contents. “You got a lot of stuff, yeah. I take it you found a good job?”
“I definitely found a job, but you’d never believe the day I had to go through.” She rubbed her eyes wearily and leaned back, but thought better of it when the chair creaked loudly. “The healer, Alvara... I think I would rather face a team of jounin than get her angry. I have no idea how she can be so intimidating when she’s at least a head shorter than me.”
“That bad, yeah?” Deidara asked as he pulled an oddly shaped fruit out of the basket and bit into it experimentally.
“You have no idea.” She gave a tragic face, knowing she was exaggerating. It was perfectly fine by her though, she could do with some sympathy. Her hopes were misplaced, she realized with a frown, as a glance over at Deidara revealed that he was more interested in the tasty fruit he was munching on rather than her complaints.
At the thought of food her stomach sent her a sharp pain, reminding her that she had hardly eaten during the day. As she leaned forward in her chair to examine the contents of the basket, her leg brushed against Deidara’s. Her reaction was so sudden that she had no chance to mask it. A shiver ran all the way down to her toes and she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Eyes wide and unable to help herself, Sakura’s gaze locked with his for an instant before they both looked away hurriedly, shifting their legs under the table so they no longer touched.
She was failing miserably at hiding her emotions, Sakura knew. How much more obvious could she be? Flustered, she cast about for a conversation topic to cover her reaction. “So... What else did you get up to today? Any luck with finding a job?”
He shrugged, the tension in his shoulders belying the unease that lay beneath the casual gesture. “I took a look around in the afternoon but didn’t find much, yeah.”
Sakura’s heart fell. She wasn’t keen on being their small household’s only source of income. “Nothing at all?”
Absentmindedly licking his fingers clean from the remnants of fruit, he explained, “There was one place that sounded interesting - a guy down by the docks who makes fireworks.”
“Why would you work for a place that makes fireworks?”
“Because art is a bang,” he told her with a grin.
“You’re such a dork.” She rolled her eyes at him. “So why didn’t it work out?”
“The guy wasn’t looking for an apprentice, yeah. And he was too much of a dick anyway, I’d never be able to work with him.”
Unable to help herself, she felt a smirk creep across her face. “They do say people with similar personalities don’t get along well.”
He glared at her before waving a hand in dismissal. “Whatever, yeah. Point is, it didn’t work out.”
“So I take it you’re going to try looking around again tomorrow?” Sakura ventured.
“No.”
Quick to anger as always, she felt her jaw tighten and hands curl into fists. “Why not?”
“I don’t really think I’m cut out for working, yeah,” he replied simply, as though the answer was both obvious and acceptable.
Although she had foreseen this and in all honesty couldn’t say she saw Deidara as the sort who wouldn’t murder his coworkers, his response made her blood boil. The stress from her hard day at work had taken its toll and Sakura all but exploded at him, “That’s no excuse! You think I want to work either? We don’t have a choice! And I refuse to be the only one out slaving away while you just laze around and leech off my pay!”
Resting his elbows on the table, seemingly unconcerned by Sakura’s mounting rage, Deidara said, “Relax, yeah. I didn’t say I wasn’t going to be making money. I’m just not getting a job.”
It took all of her willpower to rein in her temper enough to ask with the barest semblance of calm, “And how do you plan on doing that?”
“First I need a bit of money from you, yeah.”
That was the last straw. Her chair almost toppled over as she stood up, slamming a fist against the table. “No way. No way am I giving anything! I was out working all day for this money, and what did you do?”
“What did I do?” His temper snapping as well, Deidara stood up, raising his voice. Squaring her shoulders, Sakura resented their difference in height. “I cleaned this whole place up, yeah! It wasn’t like I just slept all day or something!”
“That doesn’t make you entitled to --”
“-- Who said anything about entitled? I just need a bit of money to --”
“-- To waste on things, I’m sure!”
“More like to get supplies so I can start painting. People will pay for that sort of thing, you know!”
She blinked as what he had said registered. Her rage evaporating, she sat back down at the table. “You should have said so sooner.”
“I was trying to, yeah.” Still seething, he sank back into his chair and crossed his arms.
Sakura sighed, suddenly even more exhausted than before. “So you’re going to do some work as an artist? I probably should have seen that coming.”
“Not an artist, a painter.”
“It’s the same thing, isn’t it? You could probably make some of those clay statues and sell them too.”
Judging by the expression on his face, Sakura’s suggestion might well have been the most blasphemous thing he’d ever heard. “I am not selling my art, yeah!”
Confused, Sakura attempted to figure out how a painting was any different from a statue. “Well they wouldn’t have to explode, of course.”
His face somewhere between pained and appalled, Deidara explained, “Look, paintings are just paintings. I can sell those. But my art is something else - you can’t put a price on it.”
Still perplexed, Sakura decided to leave it at that. She’d always known he was a bit odd. “Okay. So you’re going to paint and sell the paintings. That makes sense.” One little detail gnawed at the back of her mind though. She narrowed her eyes. “You can paint well enough to sell, right?”
“Let me borrow some money and you can judge for yourself.”
“Fair enough.” Defeated, she reached into a pocket and withdrew the last remaining coins she’d received from her day at work.
Taking them from her, he said with a weak laugh, “I can’t believe you honestly thought I would just live as a charity case. I know I’d be out on the streets if I tried that with you. And besides, what kind of a guy do you think I am, yeah?”
Sakura fixed him with a pointed look.
He grimaced. “On second thought, don’t answer that. Seriously though, I just need a bit of money to buy some paints and canvas and that sort of thing. I’ll pay you back, yeah.” He flashed her a grin and Sakura was almost ashamed to feel her heart do a little somersault in her chest.
“You’d better,” she threatened, but knew the words were empty. He’d better or what?, Inner Sakura asked with a laugh, You’ll jump him? Sakura clenched her teeth and pushed aside her annoyingly truthful inner self. “I can’t be the only one bringing in money here.”
“Don’t worry, yeah. People will always pay for this sort of thing. I just need to do some landscapes or sketch the harbour and they’ll eat it up. It’s almost sad.” Sakura tuned him out and turned her attention to the basket of food on the table as Deidara started to ramble about the tragedy that true art was neglected in favour of frivolous images without meaning.
“I tried to buy enough food to make a few decent meals,” Sakura said, realizing belatedly that she’d interrupted Deidara’s art tirade, “But I’m at a loss for what to make for dinner. I’m not the best cook,” she admitted while stifling a yawn, “And I’m so tired after today that I don’t feel like making anything.”
As Sakura seriously considered just eating a few raw vegetables and calling it a night, Deidara eyed her suspiciously. “If you think I’m cooking you dinner, you’re sadly mistaken, yeah.”
“I wouldn’t trust you to cook anyway,” she scoffed. “Somehow I don’t see Akatsuki as master chefs.”
Indignant, he narrowed his eyes at the perceived challenge. “I’ll bet I’m better than you at least, yeah.”
Sakura had to drown her giggles in a coughing fit as Deidara turned on the stove and began preparing their meal - that had been far too easy.
+ + +
“Your boyfriend’s down at the harbour again,” Alvara commented as she stepped into the clinic, returning from a house-call.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Sakura corrected automatically, knowing by now that it was useless to dissuade the older woman otherwise.
“Can’t say I approve of that one,” she said with a sniff and adjusted her spectacles, “He’s off painting all day while you’re here caring for the sick and injured and earning a living. Why doesn’t he get a real job?”
Sakura didn’t bother to reply as she ushered an elderly man from the waiting area to the examination room. After a week working under Cìen’s healer, she knew she’d get nowhere arguing with her. Sakura was certain that deep down Alvara had a good heart, but she certainly hid it well behind a thick layer of criticism and impossibly high standards.
Taking a seat at her desk, the older woman scribbled notes in the account book and continued, “He should be off working in a factory or helping repair boats before the spring. What use are a bunch of colours on paper to anyone? No one’s going to buy that sort of rubbish.”
Sakura winced as the words hit home. Deidara had as of yet to complete a painting, and Sakura was beginning to worry that his contributions to their income were still a long way off. He had assured her that he would have a piece finished soon and she’d given him the benefit of the doubt, if only because his cursedly attractive blue eyes succeeded in disarming her every time.
Feeling she had to at least make an effort to defend Deidara, she said, “He’s a good artist - painter, I mean.”
“So you’ve seen one of his works?” Alvara asked as she made her way over to the patient waiting in the adjacent room. When Sakura hesitated to respond, the healer gave her a look that radiated superiority and closed the door behind her.
The rest of the day passed as usual and Sakura was kept busy with patients complaining of what seemed to be every possible ailment, but she couldn’t help but worry over what Alvara had said. Maybe she was right. Maybe Deidara was wasting his time, and Sakura her money.
When at last the day was over and she made her way home, Sakura took a deep breath before she pushed open the door. They couldn’t keep living only on what she brought home each day. It was enough to cover the cost of food, but they needed other necessities too. She would have to confront Deidara about his progress.
She had barely stepped into the house, however, when she was surprised by Deidara who pressed a box into her hands. Sakura took in his cheerful expression and raised her eyebrows. “You seem happy today.”
He grinned widely and Sakura had to make an effort not to melt into a pile of jelly made of teenage infatuation. “I am, yeah. Open it.”
Lifting off the top part of the box, Sakura pulled out a cute pink and white striped v-neck sweater. “I love it!” she exclaimed, unable to conceal her feelings. If possible, Deidara’s face broke into an even bigger smile. Certain that her own face was glowing from a blush, Sakura asked curiously, “But where did you get the money for it?”
“How do you know I bought it?”
Sakura groaned. “We’re supposed to be keeping a low profile. You can’t go around stea-”
Deidara burst out laughing. “I was joking, yeah.” At Sakura’s doubtful expression, he continued, “I didn’t steal it, I promise.”
That was slightly reassuring, but Sakura’s question was still unanswered. “So how did you manage to pay for it?” The money she’d been giving him certainly wasn’t enough.
“How do you think, yeah?” He couldn’t sound more pleased with himself. “I’ve been working on a painting of the harbour for the past week - you know, in front of the bar we went to with that old man. I was just finishing it up today when the owner of the bar came out and asked to buy it, yeah. He wasn’t stingy with the price either.”
“That’s wonderful!” Sakura looked down at the sweater he’d given her, feeling bad that she’d doubted him earlier. “I almost wish I could’ve seen the painting before you sold it though.”
“I’ve got another one I’m working on, yeah. Let me go get it,” he told her before disappearing into the bedroom for a moment.
When he reemerged and presented a canvas to her, Sakura felt her mouth form a small ‘o’. The painting was incomplete, but it was nonetheless quite good. Exceptional even, she had to admit. It was a simple view of the harbour, but the subtle shading and luminescence of the oil paint made her almost believe she could feel the sea breeze against her skin.
“Good, yeah?” he asked, exuding confidence. Sakura could do nothing but nod in agreement. “Now go put on that shirt and we’re going out for dinner.”
She blinked. “We’re what?”
“We’re going out for dinner,” he repeated. “The man from the bar paid a lot, so we might as well put the money to good use, yeah. Besides, I don’t think I can handle your cooking again.”
Ignoring the jibe, Sakura considered his proposal. Although her rational side told her they should put the money towards fixing up their draughty old house, she had to agree. “We definitely deserve a night of celebration after all we’ve been through.”
“Exactly,” he said, taking her by the shoulders and steering her towards the bedroom, “Now go put on the sweater because I’m not being seen with you in that awful red thing.”
“Don’t tell me that’s the only reason you bought it,” Sakura called over her shoulder as he left her alone in the room.
“Of course it is, yeah.”
Sakura shook her head in disbelief, but changed into the new shirt anyway. The sweater felt a bit snug, but judging by the stretchy fabric she guessed that was how it was supposed to be. Tugging a strand of her hair forwards, Sakura noticed that its colour was an uncanny match to the shirt.
Wishing fervently that the house had a mirror so she could see how she looked, Sakura stepped back out into the kitchen and tugged at one of her sleeves self-consciously. “Well? What do you think?”
“You look... really good, yeah.” It didn’t escape Sakura’s notice that Deidara’s gaze lingered a little too long.
Shamelessly basking in the ego boost from his attention, she shrugged her coat over her shoulders. She cleared her throat to draw his attention back up to where it should be. “So where do you want to go for dinner?”
His cheeks turned a slight shade of pink as he realized he’d been caught staring. “I’ve already got the place picked out, yeah. Made sure to get reservations and everything since it seems kind of fancy.”
Sakura almost tripped at his words. Not only had he bought her a gift - for selfish reasons she didn’t entirely believe - but he’d also made reservations? Impressive, Inner Sakura whistled. Some of her dates in Konoha hadn’t even done the same.
Dates.
Sakura felt her face flush. Was that was this was? A date? She glanced over at Deidara, but his loose blond hair hid his expression as he busied himself with buttoning up his coat. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she remembered him staring, remembered all the little glances they’d exchanged, the physical contact between them that made her shiver and him pull away, the teasing kiss, the flirting...
Sakura bit her lip. Now that she thought about it, they had flirted almost constantly throughout their adventures together. She hadn’t realized it at the time, of course, but looking back it was glaringly obvious. And it hadn’t only been her either - he was just as guilty. He’d even kissed her, after all. As Sakura pieced together events that had happened between them, she suddenly had far more than a slight suspicion that she wasn’t the only one holding concealed feelings.
As they made to step outside, Deidara held the door open for her and gave a mock bow. “Ladies first, yeah.”
“Why thank you, sir.” They both grinned at the sound of her ridiculously fake posh accent.
As Deidara struggled with the rusty keys to the house, Sakura took the delay to compose herself. Drawing in a deep breath of the chilly evening air, she decided to put her theory to the test. Patience wasn’t one of her virtues - she wanted to know if she was right. Besides, there was no reason not to; she had nothing to lose. If he reacted poorly, she could always pass it off as teasing. But if he didn’t...
Finally winning the battle against the door’s decrepit lock, Deidara turned back towards her. Certain that she was using all her reserves of courage for the next few months, Sakura hooked her arm around his and arched an eyebrow at him playfully as she pressed herself close. “Shall we?”
The effect was immediate. He tensed, his breath caught in his throat, and even in the dark Sakura could see a blush appear across his face. Her own eyes widened involuntarily.
She was right.
Almost unable to believe her realization, she stayed arm-in-arm with Deidara on their way to the restaurant. He relaxed after a while, his good mood returning, and shifted his arm so that Sakura rested more comfortably against him. Sakura struck up a light-hearted conversation, although her mind was more occupied with other matters.
What should she do now? All signals indicated that she wasn’t the only one with a crush -- probably hadn’t been the only one for a while. She felt silly for not having noticed earlier; Deidara wasn’t good at hiding his emotions. Did she pursue this attraction? Her inner self agreed enthusiastically with that suggestion, but Sakura wasn’t so sure. Starting something with a former enemy was just about the worst possible idea for a relationship she could imagine.
But as they walked through the dark streets, snow falling gently around them, and Deidara gave his usual charming smiles, Sakura found she didn’t really care. All the complicated feelings between them had been in the making for far too long to resist them now. Her new understanding that she wasn’t the only one who felt this way only emboldened her further. Perhaps she was just punch-drunk from her discovery, she thought, but what harm could a little more flirting be? After all, they were both enjoying it.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Deidara once again held open the door for her. She had no doubt that the gesture was more playful than gallant, but Sakura gave him a smile and looked up at him through her eyelashes, exactly the way Ino had taught her. “Thank you.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly and Sakura looked away. He was onto her, she knew, uncertain as to whether or not that was a good thing. It made her heart race all the same.
The dim lighting and red walls of the interior of the restaurant were decidedly classy, and Sakura worried for a moment that they were underdressed. Casually glancing into one of the many decorative mirrors, she brushed back a few loose strands of hair and smoothed out her shirt. She gave her reflection a smile - her new clothes looked good on her.
A waiter in the lobby area nodded at them to follow him. As they wove their way through the other tables, picking up snippets of low conversation from the other patrons, Sakura’s hand brushed accidentally against Deidara’s. He raised his eyebrows at her, and she found herself almost wishing she’d done it on purpose. As they arrived at their table, she felt Deidara brush a hand lightly against her lower back. The sensation of the contact sent a tremor through her spine. She glanced up at him, startled.
Two can play at this game, his expression said clearly as he smirked at her. Narrowing her eyes, Sakura smirked right back at him. They can indeed.
They settled into their seats and looked over the menu. Pretending to be absorbed in the selection of her meal, she stole a glance across the table at Deidara. Her gaze met with his and they both looked back down abruptly. In an effort to cover the huge grin she knew was plastered across her face, Sakura held the menu up higher. It was only then that she realized the entire thing was written in a language she didn’t understand.
Feeling thoroughly silly, they both lowered their menus and tried to stifle giggles. “I guess we’ll just get whatever the special is tonight?” Sakura offered, her attempts to be seductive momentarily ruined.
As it happened, the evening’s special was a seafood dish. Sakura wrinkled her nose. She wasn’t particularly fond of fish, but she figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try the local specialties. They were in a port town after all.
The waiter brought them both a glass of white wine, explaining in his broken English that it went well with their order and, not to worry, was included in the special. Sakura picked up her glass, admiring the delicate crystal, and sniffed at the wine. The light aroma was appealing, and she thought it smelled faintly of fresh pears. “I don’t usually drink,” she told Deidara.
“Neither do I, yeah,” he admitted. Sakura wasn’t surprised - life as one of the most wanted criminals in the bingo book probably didn’t leave much time for relaxation.
“We should have a toast to something though,” she suggested, raising her glass. “How about: To our grand adventures, past and future?”
“I’ll drink to that.” He raised his glass and touched its rim lightly against hers.
Sakura took a sip of the wine. The taste was soft and fruity, but she could feel the slight bite of alcohol on her tongue. Unused to the taste, she wasn’t sure if she liked it or not. Her next experiment was the dish in front of her, piled high with seafood. She picked up one of the many forks set beside her plate and twirled it in her fingers. It was oddly small and only had two prongs.
“That one’s for the shellfish,” Deidara pointed out as he noticed her hesitation.
“I see,” Sakura said, hoping her awkwardness with the strange utensil wasn’t entirely visible. Since Konoha was landlocked, the only experience she’d had with seafood was in the form of sushi or ramen flavours. Poking at a strange red carapace, she wondered if it was edible.
“Use this to crack it open, yeah,” Deidara laughed and handed her something Sakura swore was a surgical instrument.
“How do you know all this?” she asked, struggling with the hard shell but finally managing to break it open.
Deidara paused before answering, as though wondering if he should tell her. “The hidden village I’m originally from... It was in a coastal region in the north. We ate this sort of thing all the time.”
Sakura opened her mouth to ask which hidden village in particular, but stopped short. It wasn’t the sort of thing she should ask, and besides, she was beginning to find that she didn’t really care about the past.
They continued to make small-talk and Deidara teased her incessantly about her clumsiness with the strange new utensils. Sakura began to figure out the little tricks needed to eat seafood and found that it wasn’t quite as gross as she’d previously imagined. They laughed and smiled at each other, and Sakura admired the way the soft lighting glanced off Deidara’s hair, turning it a rich gold colour. The wine was just enough to warm her all the way to her toes, but still allow her to keep her head.
The evening was pleasant, but ripe with an unbearable tension; they both knew their attraction wasn’t one-sided. Their legs brushed under the table but neither of them made any effort to move away. Deidara flashed her a particularly enticing smile, and Sakura felt her heart skip a beat. In retaliation, when they were served sorbet for dessert, she licked her spoon clean ever so slowly, reveling in the way his gaze was drawn helplessly towards her action.
When they’d finished their dinner and paid the bill, Deidara helped her into her coat. The gesture wasn’t out of kindness or any sense of tradition, Sakura realized as she felt him brush a hand softly across the back of her neck, sweeping her short hair over the collar of her jacket. Still warm from the wine and snug in her coat, Sakura nonetheless felt goose-bumps rise along her arms.
As they stepped outside, Deidara slid an arm around her waist, drawing her close. Sakura swallowed hard. This gesture was different than before, direct and assertive, nowhere near their previous teasing, furtive touches. It wasn’t that it was unwelcome, Sakura thought as she leaned into him, but it was a clear signal that their game had evolved. “What are you playing at?” she asked, her voice low.
“I’m playing at something, yeah?” His usual smirk was in place, but Sakura couldn’t read his eyes.
Halfway back home, they turned onto a small side street, bordered on both sides by brick walls. A thin layer of snow caused the cobblestones to glisten under the moonlight, and Sakura found it all very picturesque. The alley was quiet, except for the muffled sound of their footsteps. In the stillness of the night, Sakura tried to sift through her thoughts over the sound of her beating heart.
They were both interested, that much was undeniable. Sakura couldn’t pinpoint exactly when their feelings had become so tangled together, but by now there was no way to extricate themselves. The situation could only end in disaster, she knew. They already fought enough as friends, it would only be infinitely worse if they became more than that. Even if they pursued something and it miraculously managed to work, they’d still have to go back to their old roles as enemies once they reached the Fire Country. The whole idea made absolutely no sense.
Of course, humans are never logical beings, and Sakura was to discover this soon enough.
As she tried to decide what to do about the situation, Sakura was only vaguely aware that Deidara’s hand resting against her waist had begun to trace the curve of her hip. It was only when he ventured lower that she was shocked into full awareness.
“Deidara!” she exclaimed, snapped out of her thoughts by his bold actions. She gave him an incredulous glare but made no effort to remove his wandering hand. “You have got to be the most irritating person I have ever met!”
He only replied with his trademark smirk and an obnoxiously quirked eyebrow, and Sakura didn’t know whether she wanted to kiss him or strangle him for it.
The choice was easy enough.
Acting purely on instinct, she grabbed Deidara by his scarf and pulled him down towards her into a kiss. Not a chaste one like what he’d given her before, but a kiss that spoke of all her frustrations, worries, fears and desires better than words ever could. Breaking away, she pushed him up against the wall of the alleyway, leaving him dazed. Feeling her face flush with emotion, she opened her mouth to tell him to stop toying with her.
She’d barely managed to find her voice before he pulled her close and returned her kiss with equal force.
With that, her world exploded into a great emotional inferno, but Sakura wouldn’t have it any other way. Unable to stop long enough to make it the rest of the way home, they ripped at each others coat buttons, which tore away and fell unnoticed onto the cobblestones. Sakura’s head slammed hard against the stone wall of the alley as Deidara reversed their positions, but that was fine by her because her hands wasted no time in discovering that he had been hiding some nice abs under his clothes. She could taste the metallic tinge of blood in her mouth but couldn’t tell whose lips had been bitten. The cold air of the night bit at her exposed skin as Deidara tugged off her jacket, but Sakura couldn’t have cared less; everything that had happened on their journey had been building towards this moment, and nothing was going to stop her from enjoying it. She squeezed her eyes shut and blocked out all thoughts of what this meant for the future.
As Deidara’s hand stole unashamedly up into her shirt, rough fingers coaxing noises from her that would have been embarrassing in any other situation, Sakura wondered vaguely how badly this night would count as fraternizing with the enemy before she lost herself in the moment.
++
Chapter 14
Oh do I ever hope I pulled this off...
Title: Somewhere I Have Never Travelled, Gladly Beyond
Fandom: Naruto
Type: Multi-chaptered
Rating: Pg-13
Pairings: Deidara/Sakura
Word count: 7,902
Summary: Naruto had been bragging all day that his new jutsu was his best yet. Sakura and her new situation beg to differ. Post time-skip. DeiSaku.
“Here it is,” announced the innkeeper, who had introduced herself as Paola. She extended a hand towards the house in front of them.
On second thought, Sakura wasn’t sure it could be called a house. More of a cottage. Or even... A quick glance over at Deidara - his mouth pressed thin and clearly unimpressed - reassured her that she wasn’t the only one to think the small building resembled someone’s abandoned shed.
The tiny building was squished against the side of a larger house. The shutters were gone, except for one whose hinges hung by only a nail, and the peeling paint along the siding wavered in the wind. Sakura stared at the roof for a moment before realizing that yes, it was very much slanting worryingly to one side.
“Let’s look inside.” Sakura winced; she hadn’t intended so much hesitation to creep into her voice.
“I know it doesn’t look like much,” Paola said as she struggled with the key and rusty lock, “But you’re actually quite lucky I was able to find this for you. Housing can be hard to find here in Cìen. I happened to mention your situation to my cousin and she suggested this. The previous renters left just before the winter and she has been looking for tenants ever since. It comes with some basic necessities - pots, pans, bedding, and the like - and my cousin, Chimène, is even willing to give you a discount on the rent.”
“That’s nice of her, yeah,” Deidara remarked with a bit too much sarcasm as they went inside. Sakura shot him a warning glare - it would be best not to start on wrong terms with their landlady.
“So what do you think?” The woman asked as they stepped into the front room, their boots leaving footprints in the dust that covered the wooden floor. “This is the kitchen - it can also work nicely as a sitting room in a pinch. That door leads to a bedroom, and the other one to a washroom.”
Sakura swallowed hard, trying unsuccessfully to rid her mouth of the taste of stale air. The room was bare except for an old table, two chairs, and the smallest, most pathetic kitchen set-up. The plaster on the walls was chipped and discoloured, and the bedroom door was missing. The overhead light flickered occasionally and emitted a strange buzzing noise.
“There’s even a bed, and the shower should get hot water.” Paola smiled and rubbed her hands together. “So? Will you take it?”
Sakura exchanged a skeptical look with Deidara before he shrugged, resigned. “It’s not like we have much of a choice, yeah.”
“Excellent!” From Paola’s tone, Sakura had the impression that they had just done her a great favour. “Chimène will come by at the end of each month to collect the rent.” Fixing Deidara with a stern look, she told him, “So you’d best find yourself a job soon, young man.”
With that, she bid them good-day and left with a cheerful grin. When she’d gone, Deidara sighed and turned towards Sakura. “Why is it up to me to get a job, yeah?”
She ran a finger across the surface of the table, frowning as it came away with a layer of dust, before explaining dryly, “Because in traditional societies the male role in the household is that of the breadwinner.”
With a snort, Deidara slumped into one of the chairs, which creaked distressingly. “Why do I suspect that if I would have said that, you would’ve punched me?”
“You know me too well.” She grinned at him and tried the faucet on the kitchen sink. The water that spluttered out was brown and murky. “Don’t worry though - I’ll find a job too.”
“Let me guess,” Deidara said as he got up from the chair and made his way into the bedroom, “You’re going to find work as a doctor, yeah.”
“Of course.” She followed after him, hoping in vain that the bedroom would somehow be nicer than the kitchen. “Even though I use chakra a lot in healing, I’ve had basic training as well. I should be able to pass as a nurse or assistant healer. Medical personnel are pretty much always in demand -”
Sakura’s words were cut off as she stepped into the bedroom, where Deidara had stretched out across the bed. The one double bed. It had never been a problem before, but her sudden awareness of the way his shirt threatened to ride upwards, revealing a sliver of skin and the barest shadow of a hipbone just above the low waistline of his jeans, twisted the thought of sleeping next to him into all new possibilities. Sakura felt an odd curl of emotion in her belly.
“I don’t even think this mattress has springs anymore, yeah. If I sink any further into it I’ll drown.”
Brought back from her reverie by his words, Sakura turned away to hide the blush staining her cheeks. “Come on, we’ve got to clean this place up as best as we can today.”
It was a lost cause though, she knew. No matter how much she devoted herself to cleaning and repairing their new home, it wouldn’t be nearly enough of a distraction.
+ + +
The first light of dawn poured freely through the shutter-less window in the bedroom. Sakura groaned. Between the ancient mattress and the torture that her body had put her through as she’d curled up with Deidara against the chilly night, she’d hardly managed to sleep at all.
Sakura stood up and stretched her back, tempted to relieve its aches with chakra. A quick glance back at the bed revealed that Deidara was still asleep, sprawled out as usual. Sakura watched him for a moment, intrigued at how he managed to sleep in positions that looked like they would actually be quite uncomfortable. A few pieces of blond hair lay across his face and fluttered with each breath.
Before she could stop herself, Sakura reached out to brush away the stray strands of hair. The sensation of her fingertips across smooth skin, no matter how light and brief the contact, sent a shiver low in her spine.
Sakura withdrew her hand abruptly and all but fled from the room. She jammed her feet into her boots and was still trying to find the armholes of her coat as she dashed out the front door. The cool morning air helped clear her mind and she shook her head to rid herself of the last vestiges of sleep, among other things. Sakura took a deep breath, feeling the cold air burn her throat.
Now was not the time to be feeling like she’d just hit puberty, she reminded herself. The rollercoaster of teenage hormones was well past. She was just being silly. At her age, she should be completely capable of controlling this ridiculous infatuation, no matter how long it had been in the making and no matter how badly she wanted to kiss Deidara absolutely senseless. Sakura grimaced as tempting images flooded her mind at that thought. What she should really be concentrating on was finding a job so they could actually have something to eat that night.
Squaring her shoulders and forcing all thoughts of infuriating smirks and blue eyes out of her mind, Sakura set off to find the town’s clinic. With the exception of a handful of shopkeepers setting up stands, the early morning streets were largely deserted. After a few inquiries, Sakura found herself standing in front of a rundown house, almost indistinguishable from the others on the street. The paint was faded, but the symbol of a medical cross was still discernable above the door.
Taking a deep breath, Sakura rapped her knuckles sharply against the wooden door and waited. When no one answered after a few minutes, she tried again, harder. Just as she raised her hand for a third try, the door swung open.
The older woman who answered came only up to Sakura’s shoulders. She had dark hair that was streaked with grey and wound tightly into a bun. Along with the thin, angular style of glasses she wore, her face had a decidedly severe look about it. Sakura could tell by the dark, almond-shaped eyes and hint of high cheekbones that she had perhaps been beautiful once, but time had not to been kind to her. The woman scowled and wrapped her shawl tightly around her shoulders as she spoke quickly in her own language.
At Sakura’s look of confusion, the woman narrowed her eyes and tried again. “I said: this had better be an emergency. I don’t start work until eight.”
Mentally smacking herself for not waiting until a more reasonable hour, Sakura gathered her courage. It was slightly disturbing how such a tiny woman could radiate such power and authority. Sakura swallowed nervously and all thoughts of eloquence vanished. “I want to work for you,” she blurted without preamble.
The woman’s eyebrows raised slightly, more in exasperation than surprise. “I don’t take apprentices,” she said and closed the door.
In a panic, Sakura managed to wedge her hand painfully between the door and its frame before it slammed shut in her face. “Please!” she pleaded with the woman, aware of how desperate she sounded. “Please - I’ve just arrived in town and I don’t have any money. I’m not looking to be an apprentice, I just need a job. You won’t have to teach me anything. I’ve had a lot of experience and trained under the lead healer of my village. Please give me a try, even if it’s just for a day!”
The door crept open again and the woman fixed her with a piercing gaze. After a long moment, she asked, “Can you treat frostbite?”
Sakura nodded weakly, cursing herself for being so easily unbalanced. “Y-yes.”
The woman grabbed Sakura by the arm and pulled her inside the house as she closed the door irritably. “Fine. You have one day to show me you’re worth having around, much less paying.” She stalked over to a large cabinet on the wall and threw it open. “All supplies are kept in here, but you’re not to touch the herbs on the top shelf - they’re too expensive. There’s some more general stuff in the closet over there - mostly for cleaning, which you’ll be doing. You’ll also handle the minor cases that come in. You’re to greet the patients - the ones that speak your language at least - and get them registered, but I’ll take care of the payment. You’ll be responsible for delivering medicine to bed-ridden patients and you’ll run all other errands for me. If you’re still here at the end of the day we’ll discuss future arrangements. What’s your name?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Sakura hesitated before replying, “Err... Sakura?”
The older woman set her mouth in a thin line and peered at Sakura from over the rims of her spectacles, before turning to march up the nearby stairs. “Patients won’t start coming for another half hour. I’m going back to sleep.”
Stunned at the unexpected reception, Sakura took a moment to compose herself and absorb her surroundings. The clinic was small and clearly very old, but it was tidy. A few chairs were lined up by the entrance, presumably for waiting patients. The large cabinet full of medical supplies hung beside the desk, which was bare except for a thick account book. Aside from a closet and the stairs that led to the upper level of the house, the only other remarkable aspect of the clinic was the nearby door that led to an examination room.
With a deep sigh, Sakura forced down her feelings of discouragement and prepared herself for the trials of the day.
+ + +
“Your child has a cold. A plain old ordinary cold. There’s nothing I can do about it. Go home, have him rest, and make sure everyone else in your house washes their hands more often to avoid catching it too.” The healer all but pushed the last customers, a woman and her child, out the door.
“Parents these days,” she grumbled to herself when they’d left, “There’s no cure for the common cold. Never has been and never will be. Do they think I work magic or something?”
Sakura finished mopping the floors and felt as though she were about to collapse. She hadn’t had a moment of peace all day - there was always something that needed to be cleaned or delivered. On top of that, a steady stream of patients with everything from athlete’s foot to broken bones had poured into the small clinic since it opened. Without the use of chakra, treatment of even the most minor problems was a long and difficult affair. The hospitals in Konoha were busy, but everyone had a specialized task which helped make the day run smoothly. Here in the little clinic, however, it all seemed far too much for only two people to handle.
Lightheaded, Sakura sat down in one of the waiting room’s chairs. Aside from an apple - “Keeps the doctor away,” the woman had told her, straight-faced - Sakura hadn’t eaten all day. Her feet ached and even though the clinic was kept fairly cold, she could feel that she’d worked up a sweat.
“You there, girl.” The older woman’s voice snapped Sakura back to reality. “Come here.”
An uncomfortable knot formed in her chest. It was time for judgment. Sakura stood carefully, fighting off a dizzy spell, and went to stand in front of the desk, behind which the healer was seated.
The woman gave her an appraising look and Sakura had to make a conscious effort not to shift uneasily. After a long moment, the healer asked, “You’re one of the two who came to town the other day, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Sakura replied, surprised. “How did you --”
The woman interrupted her with a wave of her hand. “Cìen’s not very big - word of interesting newcomers spreads fast. Especially when they have the most bizarre hair colours. Your’s is quite remarkable, to say the least, but even your boyfriend’s is one we don’t see around here very often.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Sakura corrected with a blush.
The woman appeared not to have heard her comment and continued, “But I suppose I can overlook your strange appearance if you keep working like you did today. Or was it too much for you to handle?”
Sakura’s aching body cried out that it was indeed too much, but she ignored its complaints. She could handle it, if only because she needed the money. “No, it’s fine.”
The woman narrowed her eyes, and Sakura wondered if she was ever in a good mood - it would certainly make work more tolerable. Memories of Tsunade and Shizune rushed back, causing her swallow hard against feelings of nostalgia. “In that case, I’ll expect you here again tomorrow at eight o’clock sharp. No sooner than that, but you had better not be late.” The woman withdrew a handful of coins from her money pouch, carefully counted out a sum, and handed them to Sakura. “Here’s your pay for today. Go get yourself something to eat.”
“Thank you,” Sakura said, and wondered exactly how much food the money could buy her. Unfamiliar with the currency, she had no idea how much she was being paid.
Sakura was just about to leave when the woman made an unexpected movement. Holding out her hand towards Sakura, she said, “Now that I’ve seen you’re worthy of working for me, you may call me Alvara.”
Sakura blinked, momentarily stunned. Recovering quickly, she reached out to shake the woman’s hand, whose grip was deceptively strong. “I’m pleased to meet you, Alvara.” Sakura winced at her awkward pronunciation of the name.
“Just roll the ‘r’ a bit more and you’ve got it,” Alvara told her, and Sakura could have sworn that the faintest trace of a smile pulled at her perpetual frown.
+ + +
A quick stop at a grocer’s stall revealed that Alvara was perhaps not as stingy as she appeared. Even after buying a basketful of food, Sakura still had a few copper coins left over. All the better, she thought as she remembered her dismal new home. She could certainly do with some extra spending money to help clean the place up.
Despite its dreary appearance, Sakura was nonetheless glad when she arrived home. Her feet, already aching from the tiring day, couldn’t take much more of the hard cobblestone streets. Looking forward to collapsing on the bed, she pushed open the wooden door and was greeted by an unexpected surprise. The floors that had been covered with dust the night before were now spotless and even the old kitchen appliances seemed to be tinged a less dreary shade of yellow. Shirt sleeves rolled up and hair tied back, Deidara scrubbed at the countertop with a rag.
“Hey,” he called over his shoulder as Sakura placed her purchases on the wooden table.
“I could get used to this,” she remarked as she lowered herself into a chair. Kicking off her shoes and sliding out of her coat, she sighed contentedly. “Am I going to come home to a nicely cleaned house every day?”
“Since when did I become a housewife, yeah?” Grinning, Deidara tossed the rag into the sink and pulled up a chair beside her. “I’m never doing this again, by the way. Do you have any idea how dirty this place actually was?” He reached out and pulled the basket of food closer, poking through the contents. “You got a lot of stuff, yeah. I take it you found a good job?”
“I definitely found a job, but you’d never believe the day I had to go through.” She rubbed her eyes wearily and leaned back, but thought better of it when the chair creaked loudly. “The healer, Alvara... I think I would rather face a team of jounin than get her angry. I have no idea how she can be so intimidating when she’s at least a head shorter than me.”
“That bad, yeah?” Deidara asked as he pulled an oddly shaped fruit out of the basket and bit into it experimentally.
“You have no idea.” She gave a tragic face, knowing she was exaggerating. It was perfectly fine by her though, she could do with some sympathy. Her hopes were misplaced, she realized with a frown, as a glance over at Deidara revealed that he was more interested in the tasty fruit he was munching on rather than her complaints.
At the thought of food her stomach sent her a sharp pain, reminding her that she had hardly eaten during the day. As she leaned forward in her chair to examine the contents of the basket, her leg brushed against Deidara’s. Her reaction was so sudden that she had no chance to mask it. A shiver ran all the way down to her toes and she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Eyes wide and unable to help herself, Sakura’s gaze locked with his for an instant before they both looked away hurriedly, shifting their legs under the table so they no longer touched.
She was failing miserably at hiding her emotions, Sakura knew. How much more obvious could she be? Flustered, she cast about for a conversation topic to cover her reaction. “So... What else did you get up to today? Any luck with finding a job?”
He shrugged, the tension in his shoulders belying the unease that lay beneath the casual gesture. “I took a look around in the afternoon but didn’t find much, yeah.”
Sakura’s heart fell. She wasn’t keen on being their small household’s only source of income. “Nothing at all?”
Absentmindedly licking his fingers clean from the remnants of fruit, he explained, “There was one place that sounded interesting - a guy down by the docks who makes fireworks.”
“Why would you work for a place that makes fireworks?”
“Because art is a bang,” he told her with a grin.
“You’re such a dork.” She rolled her eyes at him. “So why didn’t it work out?”
“The guy wasn’t looking for an apprentice, yeah. And he was too much of a dick anyway, I’d never be able to work with him.”
Unable to help herself, she felt a smirk creep across her face. “They do say people with similar personalities don’t get along well.”
He glared at her before waving a hand in dismissal. “Whatever, yeah. Point is, it didn’t work out.”
“So I take it you’re going to try looking around again tomorrow?” Sakura ventured.
“No.”
Quick to anger as always, she felt her jaw tighten and hands curl into fists. “Why not?”
“I don’t really think I’m cut out for working, yeah,” he replied simply, as though the answer was both obvious and acceptable.
Although she had foreseen this and in all honesty couldn’t say she saw Deidara as the sort who wouldn’t murder his coworkers, his response made her blood boil. The stress from her hard day at work had taken its toll and Sakura all but exploded at him, “That’s no excuse! You think I want to work either? We don’t have a choice! And I refuse to be the only one out slaving away while you just laze around and leech off my pay!”
Resting his elbows on the table, seemingly unconcerned by Sakura’s mounting rage, Deidara said, “Relax, yeah. I didn’t say I wasn’t going to be making money. I’m just not getting a job.”
It took all of her willpower to rein in her temper enough to ask with the barest semblance of calm, “And how do you plan on doing that?”
“First I need a bit of money from you, yeah.”
That was the last straw. Her chair almost toppled over as she stood up, slamming a fist against the table. “No way. No way am I giving anything! I was out working all day for this money, and what did you do?”
“What did I do?” His temper snapping as well, Deidara stood up, raising his voice. Squaring her shoulders, Sakura resented their difference in height. “I cleaned this whole place up, yeah! It wasn’t like I just slept all day or something!”
“That doesn’t make you entitled to --”
“-- Who said anything about entitled? I just need a bit of money to --”
“-- To waste on things, I’m sure!”
“More like to get supplies so I can start painting. People will pay for that sort of thing, you know!”
She blinked as what he had said registered. Her rage evaporating, she sat back down at the table. “You should have said so sooner.”
“I was trying to, yeah.” Still seething, he sank back into his chair and crossed his arms.
Sakura sighed, suddenly even more exhausted than before. “So you’re going to do some work as an artist? I probably should have seen that coming.”
“Not an artist, a painter.”
“It’s the same thing, isn’t it? You could probably make some of those clay statues and sell them too.”
Judging by the expression on his face, Sakura’s suggestion might well have been the most blasphemous thing he’d ever heard. “I am not selling my art, yeah!”
Confused, Sakura attempted to figure out how a painting was any different from a statue. “Well they wouldn’t have to explode, of course.”
His face somewhere between pained and appalled, Deidara explained, “Look, paintings are just paintings. I can sell those. But my art is something else - you can’t put a price on it.”
Still perplexed, Sakura decided to leave it at that. She’d always known he was a bit odd. “Okay. So you’re going to paint and sell the paintings. That makes sense.” One little detail gnawed at the back of her mind though. She narrowed her eyes. “You can paint well enough to sell, right?”
“Let me borrow some money and you can judge for yourself.”
“Fair enough.” Defeated, she reached into a pocket and withdrew the last remaining coins she’d received from her day at work.
Taking them from her, he said with a weak laugh, “I can’t believe you honestly thought I would just live as a charity case. I know I’d be out on the streets if I tried that with you. And besides, what kind of a guy do you think I am, yeah?”
Sakura fixed him with a pointed look.
He grimaced. “On second thought, don’t answer that. Seriously though, I just need a bit of money to buy some paints and canvas and that sort of thing. I’ll pay you back, yeah.” He flashed her a grin and Sakura was almost ashamed to feel her heart do a little somersault in her chest.
“You’d better,” she threatened, but knew the words were empty. He’d better or what?, Inner Sakura asked with a laugh, You’ll jump him? Sakura clenched her teeth and pushed aside her annoyingly truthful inner self. “I can’t be the only one bringing in money here.”
“Don’t worry, yeah. People will always pay for this sort of thing. I just need to do some landscapes or sketch the harbour and they’ll eat it up. It’s almost sad.” Sakura tuned him out and turned her attention to the basket of food on the table as Deidara started to ramble about the tragedy that true art was neglected in favour of frivolous images without meaning.
“I tried to buy enough food to make a few decent meals,” Sakura said, realizing belatedly that she’d interrupted Deidara’s art tirade, “But I’m at a loss for what to make for dinner. I’m not the best cook,” she admitted while stifling a yawn, “And I’m so tired after today that I don’t feel like making anything.”
As Sakura seriously considered just eating a few raw vegetables and calling it a night, Deidara eyed her suspiciously. “If you think I’m cooking you dinner, you’re sadly mistaken, yeah.”
“I wouldn’t trust you to cook anyway,” she scoffed. “Somehow I don’t see Akatsuki as master chefs.”
Indignant, he narrowed his eyes at the perceived challenge. “I’ll bet I’m better than you at least, yeah.”
Sakura had to drown her giggles in a coughing fit as Deidara turned on the stove and began preparing their meal - that had been far too easy.
+ + +
“Your boyfriend’s down at the harbour again,” Alvara commented as she stepped into the clinic, returning from a house-call.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Sakura corrected automatically, knowing by now that it was useless to dissuade the older woman otherwise.
“Can’t say I approve of that one,” she said with a sniff and adjusted her spectacles, “He’s off painting all day while you’re here caring for the sick and injured and earning a living. Why doesn’t he get a real job?”
Sakura didn’t bother to reply as she ushered an elderly man from the waiting area to the examination room. After a week working under Cìen’s healer, she knew she’d get nowhere arguing with her. Sakura was certain that deep down Alvara had a good heart, but she certainly hid it well behind a thick layer of criticism and impossibly high standards.
Taking a seat at her desk, the older woman scribbled notes in the account book and continued, “He should be off working in a factory or helping repair boats before the spring. What use are a bunch of colours on paper to anyone? No one’s going to buy that sort of rubbish.”
Sakura winced as the words hit home. Deidara had as of yet to complete a painting, and Sakura was beginning to worry that his contributions to their income were still a long way off. He had assured her that he would have a piece finished soon and she’d given him the benefit of the doubt, if only because his cursedly attractive blue eyes succeeded in disarming her every time.
Feeling she had to at least make an effort to defend Deidara, she said, “He’s a good artist - painter, I mean.”
“So you’ve seen one of his works?” Alvara asked as she made her way over to the patient waiting in the adjacent room. When Sakura hesitated to respond, the healer gave her a look that radiated superiority and closed the door behind her.
The rest of the day passed as usual and Sakura was kept busy with patients complaining of what seemed to be every possible ailment, but she couldn’t help but worry over what Alvara had said. Maybe she was right. Maybe Deidara was wasting his time, and Sakura her money.
When at last the day was over and she made her way home, Sakura took a deep breath before she pushed open the door. They couldn’t keep living only on what she brought home each day. It was enough to cover the cost of food, but they needed other necessities too. She would have to confront Deidara about his progress.
She had barely stepped into the house, however, when she was surprised by Deidara who pressed a box into her hands. Sakura took in his cheerful expression and raised her eyebrows. “You seem happy today.”
He grinned widely and Sakura had to make an effort not to melt into a pile of jelly made of teenage infatuation. “I am, yeah. Open it.”
Lifting off the top part of the box, Sakura pulled out a cute pink and white striped v-neck sweater. “I love it!” she exclaimed, unable to conceal her feelings. If possible, Deidara’s face broke into an even bigger smile. Certain that her own face was glowing from a blush, Sakura asked curiously, “But where did you get the money for it?”
“How do you know I bought it?”
Sakura groaned. “We’re supposed to be keeping a low profile. You can’t go around stea-”
Deidara burst out laughing. “I was joking, yeah.” At Sakura’s doubtful expression, he continued, “I didn’t steal it, I promise.”
That was slightly reassuring, but Sakura’s question was still unanswered. “So how did you manage to pay for it?” The money she’d been giving him certainly wasn’t enough.
“How do you think, yeah?” He couldn’t sound more pleased with himself. “I’ve been working on a painting of the harbour for the past week - you know, in front of the bar we went to with that old man. I was just finishing it up today when the owner of the bar came out and asked to buy it, yeah. He wasn’t stingy with the price either.”
“That’s wonderful!” Sakura looked down at the sweater he’d given her, feeling bad that she’d doubted him earlier. “I almost wish I could’ve seen the painting before you sold it though.”
“I’ve got another one I’m working on, yeah. Let me go get it,” he told her before disappearing into the bedroom for a moment.
When he reemerged and presented a canvas to her, Sakura felt her mouth form a small ‘o’. The painting was incomplete, but it was nonetheless quite good. Exceptional even, she had to admit. It was a simple view of the harbour, but the subtle shading and luminescence of the oil paint made her almost believe she could feel the sea breeze against her skin.
“Good, yeah?” he asked, exuding confidence. Sakura could do nothing but nod in agreement. “Now go put on that shirt and we’re going out for dinner.”
She blinked. “We’re what?”
“We’re going out for dinner,” he repeated. “The man from the bar paid a lot, so we might as well put the money to good use, yeah. Besides, I don’t think I can handle your cooking again.”
Ignoring the jibe, Sakura considered his proposal. Although her rational side told her they should put the money towards fixing up their draughty old house, she had to agree. “We definitely deserve a night of celebration after all we’ve been through.”
“Exactly,” he said, taking her by the shoulders and steering her towards the bedroom, “Now go put on the sweater because I’m not being seen with you in that awful red thing.”
“Don’t tell me that’s the only reason you bought it,” Sakura called over her shoulder as he left her alone in the room.
“Of course it is, yeah.”
Sakura shook her head in disbelief, but changed into the new shirt anyway. The sweater felt a bit snug, but judging by the stretchy fabric she guessed that was how it was supposed to be. Tugging a strand of her hair forwards, Sakura noticed that its colour was an uncanny match to the shirt.
Wishing fervently that the house had a mirror so she could see how she looked, Sakura stepped back out into the kitchen and tugged at one of her sleeves self-consciously. “Well? What do you think?”
“You look... really good, yeah.” It didn’t escape Sakura’s notice that Deidara’s gaze lingered a little too long.
Shamelessly basking in the ego boost from his attention, she shrugged her coat over her shoulders. She cleared her throat to draw his attention back up to where it should be. “So where do you want to go for dinner?”
His cheeks turned a slight shade of pink as he realized he’d been caught staring. “I’ve already got the place picked out, yeah. Made sure to get reservations and everything since it seems kind of fancy.”
Sakura almost tripped at his words. Not only had he bought her a gift - for selfish reasons she didn’t entirely believe - but he’d also made reservations? Impressive, Inner Sakura whistled. Some of her dates in Konoha hadn’t even done the same.
Dates.
Sakura felt her face flush. Was that was this was? A date? She glanced over at Deidara, but his loose blond hair hid his expression as he busied himself with buttoning up his coat. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she remembered him staring, remembered all the little glances they’d exchanged, the physical contact between them that made her shiver and him pull away, the teasing kiss, the flirting...
Sakura bit her lip. Now that she thought about it, they had flirted almost constantly throughout their adventures together. She hadn’t realized it at the time, of course, but looking back it was glaringly obvious. And it hadn’t only been her either - he was just as guilty. He’d even kissed her, after all. As Sakura pieced together events that had happened between them, she suddenly had far more than a slight suspicion that she wasn’t the only one holding concealed feelings.
As they made to step outside, Deidara held the door open for her and gave a mock bow. “Ladies first, yeah.”
“Why thank you, sir.” They both grinned at the sound of her ridiculously fake posh accent.
As Deidara struggled with the rusty keys to the house, Sakura took the delay to compose herself. Drawing in a deep breath of the chilly evening air, she decided to put her theory to the test. Patience wasn’t one of her virtues - she wanted to know if she was right. Besides, there was no reason not to; she had nothing to lose. If he reacted poorly, she could always pass it off as teasing. But if he didn’t...
Finally winning the battle against the door’s decrepit lock, Deidara turned back towards her. Certain that she was using all her reserves of courage for the next few months, Sakura hooked her arm around his and arched an eyebrow at him playfully as she pressed herself close. “Shall we?”
The effect was immediate. He tensed, his breath caught in his throat, and even in the dark Sakura could see a blush appear across his face. Her own eyes widened involuntarily.
She was right.
Almost unable to believe her realization, she stayed arm-in-arm with Deidara on their way to the restaurant. He relaxed after a while, his good mood returning, and shifted his arm so that Sakura rested more comfortably against him. Sakura struck up a light-hearted conversation, although her mind was more occupied with other matters.
What should she do now? All signals indicated that she wasn’t the only one with a crush -- probably hadn’t been the only one for a while. She felt silly for not having noticed earlier; Deidara wasn’t good at hiding his emotions. Did she pursue this attraction? Her inner self agreed enthusiastically with that suggestion, but Sakura wasn’t so sure. Starting something with a former enemy was just about the worst possible idea for a relationship she could imagine.
But as they walked through the dark streets, snow falling gently around them, and Deidara gave his usual charming smiles, Sakura found she didn’t really care. All the complicated feelings between them had been in the making for far too long to resist them now. Her new understanding that she wasn’t the only one who felt this way only emboldened her further. Perhaps she was just punch-drunk from her discovery, she thought, but what harm could a little more flirting be? After all, they were both enjoying it.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Deidara once again held open the door for her. She had no doubt that the gesture was more playful than gallant, but Sakura gave him a smile and looked up at him through her eyelashes, exactly the way Ino had taught her. “Thank you.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly and Sakura looked away. He was onto her, she knew, uncertain as to whether or not that was a good thing. It made her heart race all the same.
The dim lighting and red walls of the interior of the restaurant were decidedly classy, and Sakura worried for a moment that they were underdressed. Casually glancing into one of the many decorative mirrors, she brushed back a few loose strands of hair and smoothed out her shirt. She gave her reflection a smile - her new clothes looked good on her.
A waiter in the lobby area nodded at them to follow him. As they wove their way through the other tables, picking up snippets of low conversation from the other patrons, Sakura’s hand brushed accidentally against Deidara’s. He raised his eyebrows at her, and she found herself almost wishing she’d done it on purpose. As they arrived at their table, she felt Deidara brush a hand lightly against her lower back. The sensation of the contact sent a tremor through her spine. She glanced up at him, startled.
Two can play at this game, his expression said clearly as he smirked at her. Narrowing her eyes, Sakura smirked right back at him. They can indeed.
They settled into their seats and looked over the menu. Pretending to be absorbed in the selection of her meal, she stole a glance across the table at Deidara. Her gaze met with his and they both looked back down abruptly. In an effort to cover the huge grin she knew was plastered across her face, Sakura held the menu up higher. It was only then that she realized the entire thing was written in a language she didn’t understand.
Feeling thoroughly silly, they both lowered their menus and tried to stifle giggles. “I guess we’ll just get whatever the special is tonight?” Sakura offered, her attempts to be seductive momentarily ruined.
As it happened, the evening’s special was a seafood dish. Sakura wrinkled her nose. She wasn’t particularly fond of fish, but she figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try the local specialties. They were in a port town after all.
The waiter brought them both a glass of white wine, explaining in his broken English that it went well with their order and, not to worry, was included in the special. Sakura picked up her glass, admiring the delicate crystal, and sniffed at the wine. The light aroma was appealing, and she thought it smelled faintly of fresh pears. “I don’t usually drink,” she told Deidara.
“Neither do I, yeah,” he admitted. Sakura wasn’t surprised - life as one of the most wanted criminals in the bingo book probably didn’t leave much time for relaxation.
“We should have a toast to something though,” she suggested, raising her glass. “How about: To our grand adventures, past and future?”
“I’ll drink to that.” He raised his glass and touched its rim lightly against hers.
Sakura took a sip of the wine. The taste was soft and fruity, but she could feel the slight bite of alcohol on her tongue. Unused to the taste, she wasn’t sure if she liked it or not. Her next experiment was the dish in front of her, piled high with seafood. She picked up one of the many forks set beside her plate and twirled it in her fingers. It was oddly small and only had two prongs.
“That one’s for the shellfish,” Deidara pointed out as he noticed her hesitation.
“I see,” Sakura said, hoping her awkwardness with the strange utensil wasn’t entirely visible. Since Konoha was landlocked, the only experience she’d had with seafood was in the form of sushi or ramen flavours. Poking at a strange red carapace, she wondered if it was edible.
“Use this to crack it open, yeah,” Deidara laughed and handed her something Sakura swore was a surgical instrument.
“How do you know all this?” she asked, struggling with the hard shell but finally managing to break it open.
Deidara paused before answering, as though wondering if he should tell her. “The hidden village I’m originally from... It was in a coastal region in the north. We ate this sort of thing all the time.”
Sakura opened her mouth to ask which hidden village in particular, but stopped short. It wasn’t the sort of thing she should ask, and besides, she was beginning to find that she didn’t really care about the past.
They continued to make small-talk and Deidara teased her incessantly about her clumsiness with the strange new utensils. Sakura began to figure out the little tricks needed to eat seafood and found that it wasn’t quite as gross as she’d previously imagined. They laughed and smiled at each other, and Sakura admired the way the soft lighting glanced off Deidara’s hair, turning it a rich gold colour. The wine was just enough to warm her all the way to her toes, but still allow her to keep her head.
The evening was pleasant, but ripe with an unbearable tension; they both knew their attraction wasn’t one-sided. Their legs brushed under the table but neither of them made any effort to move away. Deidara flashed her a particularly enticing smile, and Sakura felt her heart skip a beat. In retaliation, when they were served sorbet for dessert, she licked her spoon clean ever so slowly, reveling in the way his gaze was drawn helplessly towards her action.
When they’d finished their dinner and paid the bill, Deidara helped her into her coat. The gesture wasn’t out of kindness or any sense of tradition, Sakura realized as she felt him brush a hand softly across the back of her neck, sweeping her short hair over the collar of her jacket. Still warm from the wine and snug in her coat, Sakura nonetheless felt goose-bumps rise along her arms.
As they stepped outside, Deidara slid an arm around her waist, drawing her close. Sakura swallowed hard. This gesture was different than before, direct and assertive, nowhere near their previous teasing, furtive touches. It wasn’t that it was unwelcome, Sakura thought as she leaned into him, but it was a clear signal that their game had evolved. “What are you playing at?” she asked, her voice low.
“I’m playing at something, yeah?” His usual smirk was in place, but Sakura couldn’t read his eyes.
Halfway back home, they turned onto a small side street, bordered on both sides by brick walls. A thin layer of snow caused the cobblestones to glisten under the moonlight, and Sakura found it all very picturesque. The alley was quiet, except for the muffled sound of their footsteps. In the stillness of the night, Sakura tried to sift through her thoughts over the sound of her beating heart.
They were both interested, that much was undeniable. Sakura couldn’t pinpoint exactly when their feelings had become so tangled together, but by now there was no way to extricate themselves. The situation could only end in disaster, she knew. They already fought enough as friends, it would only be infinitely worse if they became more than that. Even if they pursued something and it miraculously managed to work, they’d still have to go back to their old roles as enemies once they reached the Fire Country. The whole idea made absolutely no sense.
Of course, humans are never logical beings, and Sakura was to discover this soon enough.
As she tried to decide what to do about the situation, Sakura was only vaguely aware that Deidara’s hand resting against her waist had begun to trace the curve of her hip. It was only when he ventured lower that she was shocked into full awareness.
“Deidara!” she exclaimed, snapped out of her thoughts by his bold actions. She gave him an incredulous glare but made no effort to remove his wandering hand. “You have got to be the most irritating person I have ever met!”
He only replied with his trademark smirk and an obnoxiously quirked eyebrow, and Sakura didn’t know whether she wanted to kiss him or strangle him for it.
The choice was easy enough.
Acting purely on instinct, she grabbed Deidara by his scarf and pulled him down towards her into a kiss. Not a chaste one like what he’d given her before, but a kiss that spoke of all her frustrations, worries, fears and desires better than words ever could. Breaking away, she pushed him up against the wall of the alleyway, leaving him dazed. Feeling her face flush with emotion, she opened her mouth to tell him to stop toying with her.
She’d barely managed to find her voice before he pulled her close and returned her kiss with equal force.
With that, her world exploded into a great emotional inferno, but Sakura wouldn’t have it any other way. Unable to stop long enough to make it the rest of the way home, they ripped at each others coat buttons, which tore away and fell unnoticed onto the cobblestones. Sakura’s head slammed hard against the stone wall of the alley as Deidara reversed their positions, but that was fine by her because her hands wasted no time in discovering that he had been hiding some nice abs under his clothes. She could taste the metallic tinge of blood in her mouth but couldn’t tell whose lips had been bitten. The cold air of the night bit at her exposed skin as Deidara tugged off her jacket, but Sakura couldn’t have cared less; everything that had happened on their journey had been building towards this moment, and nothing was going to stop her from enjoying it. She squeezed her eyes shut and blocked out all thoughts of what this meant for the future.
As Deidara’s hand stole unashamedly up into her shirt, rough fingers coaxing noises from her that would have been embarrassing in any other situation, Sakura wondered vaguely how badly this night would count as fraternizing with the enemy before she lost herself in the moment.
++
Chapter 14