(Wo)man of my life!

A/N: to the person who gave my story a one star rating (and consequently implying that it sucks a high mile): Please, after such a harsh condemnation, I expect some words explaining why you think so poorly of my story... It is much more helping!

Women of my life!
(chapter 2)


Some time later, Naruto woke up with a splitting headache, a churning stomach, a bruise the size of Hokkaido on his forehead and a feeling like he had never been happier in life.


This could have been because he could see the familiar orange walls of his bedroom, which meant that Sasuke was not so angry that he had left him to die at the reception, but rather that he had bothered to call his butler and father-like figure, Iruka, to pick him up.


This could have been because the ice pack carefully placed on his forehead and the home-made hangover remedy fizzing on his bedside table meant that for the time being, Tsunade no baa-chan was home.


But in truth it was because a few seconds before reaching consciousness, his mind had offered him the image of red hair, pale skin and ice blue eyes, and his heart, recognizing the memory, had swelled in joy.


The woman of his life. Now he HAD to find her.


He jumped out of bed (or rather, stumbled out, but it was still in a very spirited fashion) and began to search for his cell phone. Iruka had put his champagne-soaked clothes away, but his watch and cell phone were set on a low table.


Naruto snatched up the device, hoping that Sasuke left him a heated message full of abuse and hopefully, information about the red head beauty.


Bingo. Nevertheless, he had to briefly put away his phone to drink Tsunade’s remedy, because Sasuke’s screeching voice was a bit too much on his hangover-suffering brain.


He went back to Sasuke’s message, and felt his eyes widen. There, amongst the reproaches, Sasuke was telling him that the angel was actually his boss.


Wow. He should really be grateful that Sasuke had not left him to die, and had not even tried to finish the job out of anger.


He felt his insides bubbling in excitement. He had already found her! It HAD to be fate, and for once, it was smiling at him.


Now he had to see his best friend and convince him to arrange a meeting with his boss. Hm. Easier said than done; after all, he hadn’t been an exemplary date and Sasuke was probably still a bit sore about it.


He rushed to the bathroom for a quick bout of washing. Then he called the Uchiha heir.


Sasuke answered quickly. “YOU-”


“Sasuke, I need your help!” Naruto interrupted. He SO didn’t have the time to let the other man build up a steam.


“After last night?! Get lost.” Beep, beep…


Naruto frowned. He hated having the phone hung up on him. Any other day, he would have shouted the raven haired man’s ears off, but said man had his future happiness lying in his susceptible hands.


He called back, but switching to his office number. The Uchiha would not pick up otherwise.


“Sasukeeee” he whined, only to hear the receiver being slammed down.


Okay, that leaves only one option: fighting dirty.


“Teme, either u talk 2 me or I come 2 ur office & bug all ur colleagues till I find where u hiding. And I’ll use ‘those photos’. :D Luv u. XXX”


He sent the text. Barely a minute later, his cell phone was playing the opening of ‘Caramelldansen’ and Sasuke’s moody face was flashing on his screen. He flipped it open.


“What do you fucking want?” Sasuke spat.


“Please, Sasuke, it’s important” Naruto decided a bit of grovelling wouldn’t be amiss there. ‘I really, really need your help! Can we meet up for lunch somewhere?”


There was a long silence, then…


“In half an hour, meet me in front of Sabaku Corps Tower. Don’t be late, because I won’t wait for you.” He hung up before Naruto had time to answer.


Naruto grinned, inwardly doing a victory dance. Then he rushed off to his car, nearly knocking over a bewildered Iruka in his haste.


Time to conquer the woman of his life!


OOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOO


Half an hour later, Naruto was bouncing impatiently in front of Sabaku Corps. In his hand was dangling a bag containing Sasuke’s favorite salad from Laverdure (lettuce, eggplant and mushroom, olive oil dressing apart) that had been bought as a peace offering.


He was busy craning his neck in every direction trying to see if he could spot her amidst the people going in and out of the building, when Sasuke finally exited the edifice, a scowl on his handsome features.


The raven haired man immediately grabbed his friend by the elbow and steered him toward the revolving doors, all the while hissing quietly at him:


“Don’t talk to anybody, keep your head down, and hurry up.”


Naruto rolled his eyes upwards at his friend’s paranoia but did as told.


They reached the elevators and Sasuke batted his hands away when he asked what floor he was in.


“Don’t, dobe, that blasted device will get you stuck between levels for ten minutes if you push more than three buttons at once, or just breathe hard at it.”


Since they were alone and Sasuke had let go a bit of his murderous aura (he probably had spotted the Laverdure bag) Naruto piped up.


“Teme…I’m er, sorry for last night…”


Sasuke held up a hand. “DON’T remind me, I’m just lucky my superior didn’t investigate to see who was accompanying the assaulting moron who ended up on the buffet table!”


Naruto just kept his gaze locked on his shoes, afraid that Sasuke would take wrongly the giddy expression that crossed his face at the mention of his boss.


The elevator’s doors opened, and the Uchiha heir led him to his spacious office. Naruto had to bite back a laugh when his friend started to close the curtains, blocking the view of his place –and the blonde sitting inside- from anyone passing the corridor. Instead, he took the food off the bag, smiling a bit at the hungry gleam in Sasuke’s eyes when he noticed the two raspberry and chocolate fondants.


Naruto never cared to remember the technicalities of Sasuke’s job, but he knew that he had quite a big position in a company linked with fashion products. And, like every person who was more or less in contact with the world of La Mode, he had grown extremely self conscious about his looks and unfortunately, his weight.


This meant that the raven haired man lived mostly on coffee and salads. But with the typical hypocrisy of people forced on a diet, he would wolf down every sugary or grease-laced threat that Naruto would bring, all the while claiming that it was out of politeness.


Naruto watched with a grin as he friend began to consume his salad at lightning speed. He did not eat himself, he was too excited for that, and the happy butterflies fluttering in his stomach might not want to share the space.


Sasuke finally put away his plastic fork to glance at his friend.


“So, apologies aside,” a glare. “What brings you here?”


“I need you to help me conquer-“ He flashed his friend a bright smile. “-the woman of my life!”


He was rewarded by a sharp poke on the nose via plastic fork.


“For God’s sake, Naruto!” Sasuke exclaimed. “I told you, stop saying that about every woman you met! For one, it’s ludicrous! And you freak them out! Look at Sakura, and Tenten!”


“Hey!” the blonde roared. “First, I never considered Tenten that way, t’was a mistake, dating her…” He slumped on his seat. “As for Sakura…well, she never gave me a chance, eh?”


His friend let out an exasperated sigh. “Because” he enunciated “you freaked her out, with all your proposals of life-long commitment when you were fucking fifteen! And” he added warily. “How does ‘conquering’ your obsession concern me now?”


Naruto gave him his trademark foxy grin. “Because I’ve already found her! She works for your company!”


A look of wariness crossed Sasuke’s handsome face. “Please don’t ask me to set you with some poor woman…I’d feel like a judge sentencing someone innocent to jail.” He started to inch the napkin with Naruto’s fondant closer to him. The blond tugged it back with a frown. “And I thought you found the women at yesterday’s reception uninteresting?”


“Yes, but not her!” the blonde’s eyes seemed to glow with an internal fire, as he half rose from his seat, one fist clenched in an fervent pose. “She’s gorgeous, and strong, and fierce! She had the most beautiful eyes I ever saw! And she’s…she’s…just so great!” he flailed his arms wildly, words failing to express his excitement.


The Uchiha heir swallowed a mouthful of Naruto’s fondant and shook his head, amused in spite of himself. He had to admit, even his own shrivelled cynical black heart felt touched by his friend’s enthusiasm. Sasuke believed as much in eternal love as he believed in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus, but if there was someone able to make him consider that it was remotely possible, it was Naruto. The guy had a gift to convert people to his ridiculous ideas.


“Doesn’t remind me of anyone here.” He commented instead. “Are you sure she’s working for Sabaku corps?”


The blonde wiggled his eyebrows. “That’s what you told me.” Seeing Sasuke’s dubious face, he added. “Come on, I’ll help you. She has red hair, blue eyes and the sexiest body ever!”


The raven haired man shook his head. “No, that doesn’t ring…” then his face turned blank, and an expression of both dawning realization and horror started to form. “You- you don’t mean…”


“Yep!” said his friend, all foxy grin and totally clueless. “I mean your boss!”


Sasuke stared at him for long, still with his “Oh My God it’s a train wreck!” face, then Naruto witnessed something he wouldn’t have thought possible.


Uchiha Sasuke began to laugh.


Not a chuckle, not his ‘haughty snort’ laugh, but a real, full-fledged one, soon complete with teary eyes and red face.


Naruto was starting to feel a bit eerie. For once, Sasuke’s laugh was creepy. It sounded like the love child of a dying vulture and a donkey in rut. No wonder his friend never laughed: that kind of honking cackle was better kept private.


And most of all, he did not understand why Sasuke laughed at all. If anything, he had expected him to be freaked out about his boss, his job, possible repercussions and promotions…in other words, the boring stuff.


“Sasuke?” he finally asked. “Are you alright? What’s wrong?”


His friend snorted, dabbing his eyes with his fondant stained napkin. “Wrong, indeed.” Then he exploded in the gales of laughter once more.


“Shit, Sasuke, what the fuck?” asked an angry –and worried- Naruto.


“Aah, my friend” exhaled a slightly breathless Uchiha. “I’ve b-begun to understand your peculiar taste for tomboyish, hehe, women…Tenten, Sakura …not the most feminine kind of girls, now are they?”


Naruto crossed his arms, the uneasy feeling gaining up on him. “Yeah, so what?”


Sasuke put the napkin away, a smirk on his lips. “You’re right; the red head you set your views on is indeed my boss.”


His smile grew wider, taking a wicked edge around the corners.


“My very, undoubtedly, a hundred percent certified male cross dresser boss.”

TBC


Voilà (guess you didn’t see that one coming, lol)! Next is Gaara’s chapter!