strawberry laces

...

"what music do you like?" she asked, eyes alight and head tilted slightly to the left in a way that made Minato wary of her. She always made him wary of her, and for some ungodly reason this feeling had intensified now. For whatever reason, he didn't know, but that wasn't the problem.

Minato shook his head internally, and focused back onto the question.

He licked his lips slowly, taking his time to answer.

"I'm not sure if I should bore you with the details, Haruno."

Sakura allowed her smirk to widen, "Whatever you tell me won't be boring, Namikaze. It never is."

Minato knew her game. Play him like a fiddle and then leave him wanting more, talk to him today but barely talk to him the next. It was a game they loved to play and she was always two steps in front of him, but he didn't mind.

He was faster then her on the track anyway.

"Agree to disagree, Haruno. However I have to say, this sudden question has made me curious; what's your taste in Music?" He challenged with a smirk too similar to the one playing along her lips.

They were currently in Sakura's flat, for a change, and Minato took great pleasure in drinking in where his enemy lived... well, he would call Haruno his enemy, but he wouldn't really call her his friend either. Instead of mulling over whether Haruno was his friend or not, Minato decided that he was going to stick to calling her his acquaintance.

But that was besides the point in what he was trying to make.

A scowl played on her faded red lips.

"I do believe I asked you first, Namikaze, so please, do answer the question."

"I don't see why I should."

"You should because we are polite individuals who answer questions when they are proposed with them."

"That doesn't necessary mean that I have to abide by them rules, Haruno. You should know that by now."

The glare that stained her face was something he didn't think he would ever get tired of. Minato knew he was a normal individual with simple needs, and having Sakura there to quickly wind up or stay calm in the face of danger filled half of those simple needs. She was intriguing and even after all the years he knew of her, all the years he hated her, all the years he loved her, she still managed to piss him off and press his buttons in ways he never even knew was possible.

"Fine." She hummed for a few seconds, dangling her legs from her kitchen table while he closed his eyes, listening to the way her clothing lightly brushed one another.

"i like r&b," she said suddenly.

"r&b?" Minato blinked.

"Yep, r&b. slow, upbeat, truly a masterpiece, that kind of r&b. are you still with me Namikaze, or do I need to call the paramedics?"

He scowled, blue eyes suddenly fire and liquid gold rushing through his veins.

"I'm still responsive Haruno, no need to go wasting your time calling someone who doesn't need to misuse their time on a childs call."

She laughed and it was sharp and bright, but Minato got a slightly warm feeling coiling around his stomach and he felt weirdly good to hear the laugh that he knew would one day burn him.

"I beg to differ Namikaze, if you suddenly went into a fit I think the first thought in my mind would be to call them," She uttered, but then quickly changed the subject before he could fully process her words. "but that's enough about my song. What's your taste in Music?"

And the game was back again. He was begining to wonder if they had gone too deep into a conversation, if they would ever find a reason to pull themselves out of the sexual tension that always seemed to cloud their twisted relationship like a knife would in a tensed conversation.

Minato thought he would never truly know.

Instead of answer, he gave a one shouldered shrug towards the pink haired devil still silently swinging her legs from where she still sat on her table.

He changed the conversation as quickly as she had.

"Where are you parents?" Minato asked instead, slightly more curious then he knew he should be.

"Do you really need to know, Namikaze? Honestly," she rolled her light green eyes and even without conciously knowing the sky-eyed boy knew he was following her every move. "privacy was not in the contract we signed, Mi-na-to."

She lightly laughed, and instead of answering her Minato just sighed silently.

They hadn't really signed a contract; it was just their way of telling the people in their school that they could now tolerate each other. Tolerate wasn't really the right word he would've used, but it was the only one other than another that could describe their abnormal relationship.

"I guess not, Sakura-chan. But still," he smirked. "A contract shouldn't determine the fact thaat I get to know where your parents are."

Mint green eyes watched him from the tabel, and slowly, a quiet smile emerged.

"I guess. Smartass."

He winked, stood up, and then shouldered his bag. Before she could even realize he had kissed her cheek and was halfway out the door.

"Bye, Haruno!"

Sakura turned her upperbody and slid from the table. Standing at apartment door, she watched him turn the corner.

"Tch. Smartass Namikaze."

the only reason i haven't deleted this mess yet is because a) it's a mess, b) i need something to look back on after all the changes of writing style etc etc blah blah blah, c) i either deleted or forgot to save every other story, one-shot, old drafts, old work-in-process, old plotline in process etc (whoops) and this is pretty much the only thing left of my 2014 and onward, mess.

it's okay but .. s'always nice to keep a reminder that you've grown uwu