Chapter 1: Mockery of the Sun

Second fic! Constructive Criticism welcome!

Oh, yeah. I don't own Naruto. Why the HELL does everyone want to rub it in?!

The thought of waking up is enough to give me nightmares. So far, it's six in the morning and I'm laying here. Like a log. In my bed, tangled in the warm sheets. So far, I have made the stretch of turning off the damned alarm clock, and I just passed the horribly realistic and agonizing step of acknowledging the fact that I have no choice but to get up. I haven't even opened my eyes yet. The sun is mocking with its little rays of light coming in to greet me…if the sun were to blow up or something, I wouldn't really care as long as I could sleep. I would be asleep eternally, so, no, that wouldn't quite work. Now I have to haul my ass out of the bed. The other agonizing part. The rest goes on with 'decorative' words to 'decorate' the already morose environment.

So now I'm dressed, standing in my apartment making preparations to not 'lose' my sanity with Anko…my partner. The psychotic lady that yells at me for no reason. I don't let myself be bossed around, especially by her, so we end up yelling at each other and then Tsunade yells at us because we didn't get anything done. Cycle of Abuse. By the way, Anko always starts this, not me. Fetching my infamous toothpick and heading out, I tried to look alive as I went off to the main building. You might as well call me a zombie, it'd be more accurate. "Genma!" I ignored Raidou. He may be my best friend, but he actually LIKES mornings. Mind boggling, how is it even possible to enjoy getting out of bed and having all the energy in the world like him? Yes, I eat breakfast, but it makes no difference. "Genma, good morning!"

"…ugh…"

"Heheh, you're such a bed bug! Hurry, or Anko will be pissed."

"Don't remind me…" I replied, passing Raidou. He just chuckled and got back to work. A chuckle. In the morning. That, I don't think, ever will, can, or has happened to me.

Somehow, I managed to drag myself into Tsunade's office. Anko was already waiting for me. "Genma, you're early. Good. Anko and you will be running errands for me. Getting papers, filing things, sending out letters, checking my e-mail, all that." Tsunade had recently decided to make the other jounin do her work. Unfair, but she couldn't care less.

"Yay." Anko said dryly, making a swirl in the air with her finger. A snicker escaped my lips, and how, I don't know at all. There must be something wrong with me to even make a sound of laughter in the morning. Whatever. I'm too tired to care. I realized suddenly both women were looking at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh my god. Did he just…laugh?" choked out Tsunade.

"I think so." replied Anko, walking over to me. Taking of my headband, like I even gave her permission to, she put a hand on my forehead, scowling. But why, why oh why, did my heart suddenly flutter? Now I'm getting heart disease. Great, I'm going to die at a young age. If Asuma hasn't died yet because of lung or heart disease yet, why am I here feeling my heart doing little skips and squirming in my chest? Oh, for the record, I don't even smoke, so someone explain that to me!

"Uh, wow. He's not even feverish at all." Anko removed her hand and I hastily put on my headband again. We both turned to look a Tsunade, who raised an eyebrow suggestively. "What?" demanded Anko, folding her arms obstinately. She looked...no, I have to get that out of my head. She did NOT look cute when she made that pout. Wow, along with heart disease, now I'm suffering from senile dementia. If I'm not past fifty, that is definitely a problem.

"Nothing!" quickly replied, Tsunade hiding a smile, "Nothing at all, actually..." she snickered and got out of her chair. "Alright, it's up to you guys. So, I'm off. Toodles!" Tsunade grabbed her purse and took off. We shifted around uncomfortably.

"Well...what now?" asked Anko.

"Uh...paperwork, right?"

"Yeah."

"So..."

"I'll do the e-mails and half of the paperwork and errands, so you'd do the other half of the delivery...yeah."

"Okay," I agreed. I walked over to the stack of papers and grimaced before I picked up a pen and got to work. Anko was already replying to an e-mail. At once, I began to chew my toothpick fervently. Paperwork made me edgy. The noise of the pen on paper, the feeling of your wrists, and most of all the fact I have no patience for this crap. I don't like doing this, much less in the morning, and no, I'm not a nocturnal freak or something, okay? I just like to sleep and I'm not, as you know by now, a morning person.

We worked for three hours straight. I'm not kidding, my eyes never strayed the blankness of the paper, and by now, I must have gone colorblind. Anko sighed suddenly, and getting my attention, I looked up to make sure everything was alright. Wait, why do I care? She's my partner, not a friend, I'm forced to work with her. Nonetheless, I looked at her, and my chest got that stupid prancing feeling. I shuddered, not only at the thought I probably have heart disease and senile dementia, but it was the only way to relieve that tickle. Now, why did I look at her in the first place? She looked the same...but she had taken out the ponytail, and she gave to computer screen a blank stare. She looked, well, pretty. Normal, sub-psycho, but mostly pretty. Okay, so this is the new thing. I'm hallucinating. Did I just think she was pretty? Wow, I seriously need help.

"What was that all about?" she asked, amused, "Were you having a seizure?"

"I...was stretching!" I lied. She smiled and got back to work. Why does my heart dance around when I look at her? I'm looking at her discreetly as I can, and I'm so sure that if the Richter scale measured the my quaky heart, it would measure higher than and eight, I'm sure. Great, now I'm catching a fever. My palms are beginning to sweat. Well, I have been holding a pen for three hours, what else could it be...? And why are my cheeks suddenly getting all hot and gross? This is bad. I must, I HAVE to be suffering from some disease, whether it's senile dementia or some terminal cardio problem, and there is one more thing. But I won't believe it, much less admit it, to myself or anyone else.

I can't be in love with Anko Mitarashi. I just can't.

That was chapter 1! The story gets better! Just keep reading, and please review!