#for ino! bc you finished your assignment!

[static-radio-ao3]

@jegulus-microfic // january 29 // prompt: fancy // words: 411 // cw: implied sexual content

Friday nights are date nights for James and Regulus. Usually, they’ll order food, something from their favorite Vietnamese restaurant or the Italian place down the street. They’ll get cozy on the couch and watch a movie.

Sometimes they go out. Bowling, or dancing, or there was that one time they went to a wine tasting and got wine drunk and and kicked out of the wine tasting for giggling and getting handsy under the table. They never went again.

And sometimes, they’ll cook. Most of the time it’s nothing fancy, but tonight James is looking to impress. And get laid. And the tandoori chicken he has perfected over the years normally does the trick.

Regulus is perched on the kitchen counter, keeping a watchful eye on the stove as James digs around in the pantry for the baklava he’d gotten on his way home from the shop Regulus likes. He’d gone to great lengths to make sure Regulus didn’t find it early.

“Timer’s done,” Regulus calls out from behind him. James huffs out a laugh, endlessly endeared by the fact that Regulus could get up and do it himself if he wanted to. But he’s clearly committed to the idea of being cooked for and refuses to lift a finger.

“Yes, chef,” James calls out, moving to the stove and stirring through the pilau one last time. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows and he doesn’t miss the way Regulus’ eyes catch on his forearms.

“What if we opened a restaurant,” Regulus muses. His eyes track James’ every move, bottom lip caught between his teeth.

“I think we’d be at each other’s throats all day, love.” James starts plating; two pieces of perfectly cooked chicken, the pilau and some vegetables on the side.

“Aren’t we already?” Regulus asks, poking a finger into the tender bruise blooming on James’ neck. James jerks away with a hiss, careful not to disturb the plates too much as he sets the table.

He shoots Regulus a droll stare. “Very funny.”

Dinner passes easily, conversation lulling between bites, ankles hooked under the table. James really doesn’t know what it is about the food, but as soon as the plates are cleared, Regulus pushes him up against the kitchen counter.

“I bought dessert,” James breathes as Regulus mouths along the line of his jaw.

“No need,” he murmurs in response. He drops to his knees, right there in the kitchen. “I’ve got mine right here.”

[rairaidango]

SEEDS THAT GROW - madasaku, tobisaku, ita(ma)saku, sasusaku

CHAPTER 1 - GOOD THINGS

First chapter of the AU I have in my head. I’m just testing the waters because I’m not sure about continuing this because it’d be pr long? Like long, and maybe slow burn? It’d be a studentxteacher AU bc i’m a sucker for those. Hurt/comfort, but has depressing themes. Angsty? Dont know if its worth writing bc I’m not a writer at all i’m not good at it but I’m giving it a shot !!

TW: Depressing themes, mentions of anxiety, doing drugs and alcohol

It was loud in the house, but at least it was a familiar kind of loud that she could appreciate. People were laughing and yelling and it wasn’t ideal for Sakura, but she was excited to be going out partying. It was rare for her to feel excited about most things but clubbing on freshers week was definitely an opportunity she wanted to take advantage of; she just wanted so badly to have fun again. 

“Sakura! I have more vodka, pass me your cup! I know you’re aiming to get wasted tonight babe!” Ino dragged Sakura to her side of the kitchen counter.

“Honestly, not complaining! I NEED to get drunk, lets go!!” Sakura hollered as Ino poured her a large amount of vodka and mixed it with not enough lemonade. Ino may be an experienced clubber, but she never mixed her drinks right and that’s how Ino always ended up puking by the end of the night.

Not that Ino ever really regretted it though, she lived on the edge. 

More, I want to drink more. Note, get some soju next time to get fucked fast. 4 badly mixed drinks in, she knew she was tipsy and her giggling wasn’t starting to make sense. She was relatively lightweight, but that just meant it was easier for her to get to everyone’s levels. All the girls were laughing, even Hinata was starting to get loud over the music. Sakura was getting more excited by the minute and her smiles were getting wider by the second. This is going to be a fun night. 

“Shall we leave now? If we leave now I think we’ll get in by decent time where we won’t be too late or early.” Tenten spoke loudly over the music. “Plussss I think all of us are on a good level of drunk to dance it out tonight!”

“Oh shit I’ll call an uber now-”

“Wait!! Do it in 5 minutes Temari! I got a present for y’all before our first sem of second year starts..” Ino smiled wickedly. The girls looked at her brows furrowed, unsure of what Ino was leading on to. “Oh come on!! You know! I got some from Shika and for a discount!” Sakura’s eyes widened, she knew exactly what Ino was on about.

“Woah, already? Honestly I forgot we had even tried that in first year!” Sakura smiled as her face fell into her hands, she was even more excited now. “I’ll have just a little okay, because I’m honestly...really tipsy..” Ino grabbed Sakura’s hands and placed the budding joint between her delicate numb fingers. 

“I’ll have me some of that please and thank you! I can’t believe Shikamaru gave it to you for a cheap price! Bitch you’ve been banging him haven’t you?!” Tenten roared across the counter in their kitchen. Wicked was the face Ino plastered on but she simply answered with a zip of her lips. 

“Call the uber!”

It was going to be a night to remember.

--

Lights flashed and Stormzy’s Vossi Bop boomed loudly throughout the club, causing a large roar of students jumping and yelling. Drinks were flying everywhere and the floor was sticky with alcohol, but the girls wouldn’t have preferred it any other way. 

“Oh my god. Ino! Shikamaru is there looking over at you!” Sakura whispered loudly to the blonde’s ears. Ino’s face, already red from alcohol, turned even redder at the mention of the boy’s name. “Go oveerrr come on I know how much you love making out-”

“Shut up forehead!” Ino shouted. She was dancing in the circle of their group squashed by the many other students all jumping and dancing over the loud R&B music. “Okay I’m gonna go over, will you be okay?”

“Of course! I’m not drunk!”

“Yes you are!” Ino laughed. “Finish that drink of yours! That’s like what you’re seventh?” Ino yelled to Sakura’s ear.

“Sakura’s on a mission tonight!” Temari yelled from the centre of their circle and jumped to the music.

Sakura nodded her head grinning as she downed the glass sloppily with the alcohol spilling from her mouth. Sakura was feeling good. Her body was feeling alive with the music, she was having fun, she was with people she loved and trusted, and she couldn’t feel anything but the music on her skin and alcohol on her lips. 

“I’ll be fine!” Sakura reassured her with slurring words, with Hinata and Tenten pulling Sakura closer into their group. Ino nodded and winked at the girls, leaving their tight circle and squeezing her way towards Shikamaru. Sakura wondered how fun it must feel to be chased and wanted the way Ino was. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t miss the feeling of hands over her waist and the broad shoulders of-

No. Nope. Remember that’s a baaaad trigger and we aren’t going there! 

“Girls shall we get more drinks? Temari’s only tipsy!” Tenten shouted. 

“More drinks!?” Hinata squealed, barely able to hide her own drunken state. 

“Me and Temari will get some, you guys can choose if you want to! But I don’t think Sakura should have anymore.” Tenten laughed looking at Sakura’s slanted smile and red face. 

At the bar it was less crowded, but not by much. The girls had to hold hands and squeeze through people otherwise they’d lose each other in the sea of alcoholic students. Sakura was holding on to Hinata for dear life, pushing people away as she tried to get to the bar. She was just almost there with the girls, until suddenly she was seeing the floor and a pair of strong arms caught her.

“Shit, are you alright?” a soothing voice woke Sakura from her heavy eyes. 

She blinked slightly trying to make the image of the man in front of her, but she couldn’t recognise him. Her vision was so misconstrued and she could barely make out where in the club she was. “Hey, hey, don’t worry, just get up slowly.” the voice told her.

Who...what...who is this? Where’s Tenten? Hinata? Her thoughts ran as she stood up and was pushed into the man in front of her. Ugh...Sakura, remember this, you fell..and..soothing voice. Tall man. Is that black hair?? There’s a certain shine to it... She squinted her eyes trying to focus on the man as her vision kept swaying. Her head was pounding and the club was changing, moving, morphing... but the man was steady in front of her, his eyes looking right at her amongst the chaos of the club. It’s so dark…

She moved closer to him to smell the alcohol on his mouth. Her mouth curved into a small slight smile as she giggled in front of him, not sure of what she was doing. 

“Yeah i’m fine, but...so are you.” she giggled over the music, her voice getting higher by the end of her sentences. She couldn’t really see anything and she could barely hear her own thoughts over the loud blasting music but she could feel his hands on her back. It was innocent, but she liked the warm feeling. The touch, the feel, the electricity.

Maybe it was because she was drunk, but she snaked her arms onto his shoulders and drew her face closer. She wanted to feel more. In the club everything was blurry, she could feel him, and his hands snaked a little lower to her waist. 

“I like..the way you look.” She slurred, her face inches away from his. She could barely even see his face in the dark, but handsome was all she could think of. She saw a smile, or maybe it was a smirk, hell she didn’t know. 

“You’re very drunk.” 

“I know.” He laughed.

“Where are your friends?”

“The bar...”

“Okay, let’s get you back safe to them-” He stopped as her lips crashed onto his. Her body was pressed against his and she could hear him grunting. He didn’t push her away, but she could feel he was hesitant. 

That was, until he hugged her tight and let her tongue slip in. He tasted sweet, but poisonous. She could taste the alcohol in his mouth mixed with a sweetness that tasted foreign. Her hands slid behind his neck and into his hair as he pushed his mouth against hers even harder. It felt so good, and there was a rush of adrenaline rising in Sakura’s body on top of every other intoxication that was swirling inside her. 

Sakura remember this, remember this...you made out with this tall man, he smells like…citrus?

She tightened her hold on his hair, desperate to fall in this delightful, hazy and hot moment. She almost forgot what a hot makeout session with someone felt and tasted like; oh how she fucking missed this.

He pulled back with heavy breaths; his eyes and large hands were still on her, and she felt so at large in this fuzzy busy place swamped with other drunks. She was catching her breath as well whilst trying to get a hold of her vision. She looked down and noticed just how close they really were, and how much bigger than her he really was. 

He chuckled, a small goofy grin on his face. 

He was really cute. 

“Sakura! There you are- HEY GET OFF HER!” Sakura whipped her head in a daze to the familiar voice.

“Temari?” The said girl yanked the pink haired student away from the arms of the man. Sakura fell back into Temari’s hold giggling cheekily, glancing at the other girls.

“Sakura are you okay? Sorry I let go, you just fell and then I couldn't find you because of all the people!” Hinata cried out.

“Did the man hurt you?” Tenten asked.

“Nope!” Sakura chuckled. She was clearly drunk, and if her literally hanging onto Temari’s shoulders wasn’t enough indication of her alcoholic state, her red blushed face definitely said ‘drunk’.

“Sorry to trouble you, hope she’s fine.” He turned to the drunk girl he had the pleasure of making out with. “Happy I caught you.” He grinned, and slipped past the dancing crowd.

All she remembered was seeing a glimmer of red before her vision had darkened and faded to black.

--

“Alright, so make sure to study this chapter for next week’s class. And a reminder, all of you should have started your assignment this week even though we’re only two weeks in. I expect good work.” 

Sakura typed out the notes on the projection. This was her last class of the day, and thank god it was because she was exhausted. Second year had started more like a rollercoaster than first year had; she was ready to get into her books and assignments but this was another level of crazy. It sucked to be frank. She was excited to get back to studying and really wanted to do well, she had the motivation to excel like how she would normally be able to. However, she hasn’t been able to locate that person. She wasn’t failing, but she wasn’t working at her usual efficient standards and this was not a Sakura that she wanted to be. 

But it’s the Sakura she has been for over a year now. 

“Haruno Sakura?” a deep voice called. She looked up from her bag and saw her professor. 

“Yes sir?”

“You don’t have to call me sir, just Madara is fine. No need for that, you're in second year.” He said calmly with a slight smile. Sakura nodded and smiled embarrassingly. “About the introductory session you volunteered to help with, are you still doing that?”

Ah fuck. Sakura totally forgot about that. She had signed up to help volunteer with the session for people aspiring to do medicine in University of Konoha. 

“Yes sir- uh Madara.” The name felt weird in her mouth. 

“Okay, good. There’s a meeting later today at 5pm, you should have gotten an email about it?”

“I must have missed it, sorry. It’s been really hectic but I’ll definitely be there.”

“I understand, it’s very different from the first year experience isn’t it?” he chuckled, arms crossed.

“It really is, but I’ll be fine. And I’ll be there today at 5pm.” she repeated, not so much to reassure Madara but more to remind herself. 

“Alright, I’ll see you later. Keep up the work.” He waved off as he walked away. Sakura let out a breath she was holding. She didn’t know Madara very well but had occasionally passed by him in first year. He was a very tall man with a brooding face, but he wasn’t very scary in all honesty. He was actually quite friendly for the serious face he had.

It was just Sakura who was anxious speaking to people.

You’d think at 21, in her second year of university, having done 3 months of an internship with the well known Konoha Hospital shadowing the famous Tsunade, that she would be confident enough to talk to her professor. Even her coursemates. Or really, anyone. That guy who works for the sim card company. The cafeteria people. Honestly, this was a problem for her. She was always so anxious when there was a conversation she hadn’t planned on having; but it wasn’t always like this. At least she doesn’t sound anxious, she could fake the confidence.

She was out of the medical building and on her way to the cafe street where she would meet Ino. She needed to just talk. 

Kokoro Kafe was their meeting spot. She entered the softly illuminated cafe. Smiling to herself, she remembered why this was their meeting spot. It was adorned with gold lined lights hanging from variable lengths, pink and grey walls with pink LED lights; all of it was so very pretty. The serving counter and cashier were situated in the centre of the large cafe, like an island amongst the sea of pink and yellow lights. It had such an urban but almost angelic atmosphere to it, making it very welcoming for the many students and teachers of UoK. 

“Forehead!” a blonde with a high ponytail that could only be Ino, stood up waving. Sakura smiled, jogging to the back of the cafe. “I ordered you your fave, mint chocolate chip ice cream and sprinkles on top. I also got a large hot coco to share because you look like you need it!” Ino exclaimed, pushing the hot coco with frothy whip cream towards Sakura.

“It’s honestly just been such a long day. I had Kakashi from 9 to 12 and then Madara from 12.30 to 3.30? I’m just exhausted. I barely slept last night because I was trying to get through my damn assignment. Honestly I don’t know how you girls are not as stressed out as me..” The pink haired girl let out an exasperated sigh sipping the hot coco.

“I saw your lights on last night, at like...5am? Are you overworking already? Babe I’m really worried about you. You were alright before uni started.”

“I guess yeah I was...I don’t really know Ino it’s just...I don’t know why I’m like this.”

“Have you talked to your therapist yet?” worried features dawned on Ino’s face.

Their usual chatter bounced off each other and was filled with gossip and laughter. But silence ensued between the two friends. 

“I haven’t…”

“When was the last time?”

“I...a while ago. I just, I don’t know if I trust her anymore she’s not very helpful. She validates my feelings but I don’t feel like she’s really wanting to help me figure it out.”

Ino looked at her best friend. Ino’s grown up with Sakura ever since they were little, and she’s seen how bad things can get for her best friend. She’s seen Sakura go through some really hard times, and she knows Sakura had found therapy really tough.

“I don’t want to push you Sakura…just let me know when you’re comfortable, if you’ve started to talk to a new therapist or…” Sakura knew what was coming, closed her eyes, and sucked in a breath. “The student welfare office is actually really good.”

Sakura opened her eyes and looked down at the hot coco. “I know...I’ve been wanting to contact them for a while now…”

“I’ll come with you. And the other girls would love to come and support you as well, you know we got your back babe.” Ino’s hands touched Sakura’s on the table, reassuring her. “We just want the best for you.”

Hearing such supportive words was not uncommon, but it didn’t feel normal for Sakura. It was hard to accept the support, the love and belief that Sakura could get better. Her jaw was tight and there was a very uncomfortable feeling sitting in her stomach.

They just want the best for you...you know they do. They’ve always been there for you and...they won’t leave. Come on Sakura you know they won’t. Sakura looked at the girl in front of her. They...want the best for me. And believing that is okay...because..I deserve support.

“I’ll email student welfare...tonight?” Sakura said, each word coming out slowly as she was unsure of this promise. Her breath was stuck in her throat, like she was being choked as she continued to ponder on the thought of her friends supporting her. She knew this was a trauma response. 

“And we’ll be there. Or just me if you want okay?” Ino smiled with concerned eyes. “You deserve support, and you deserve good things.”

A tear ran down Sakura’s cheek. 

She deserved good things.

“Ah, speaking of good things, your ice cream!” 

--

Shit it’s almost 5pm! 

Sakura jogged her way to the student union past the small garden of flowers on campus. 

Student Union, alright. And 10 minutes to spare!

Small hands pushed the door open to reveal at least 20 other students all chit chatting and lounging in chairs. It was still bright outside, but the union was buzzing like it was 3pm in the afternoon. Sakura looked around, hoping to spot someone she’d recognise.

Are all of these volunteers from my year? I don’t even recognise any of these faces. she huffed as she found an empty seat by the edge of a table that seemed unoccupied. Okay Sakura breathe, nothing to be afraid of. Just talk, be happy, it’s fine, you won’t even see these people again after this week.

“Oh hey, sorry but are these seats taken?” a honeyed voice parroted. 

“Ah, no not at all!” Sakura nervously smiled and gestured for the boy and his friends to sit. The boy smiled. He had odd hair, as in, it looked mismatched. brown hair and white highlights? And Sakura thought her pink hair stood out. 

“I’m Itama by the way. And this is Shisui and Itachi.” Sakura blinked at them. She knew those names.

“Oh! You’re Sasuke’s brother aren’t you?” Sakura said, a bit loudly and excitedly. “I’m Sa-” she stopped herself. “I’m a friend of Sasuke’s.” 

Itachi, the tallest one amongst the three and definitely the oldest looking, smiled in amusement.

“OH what! You know Sasuke?” The Itama boy chirped. 

“I think I have seen you around before..” Itachi thought. “No, I’ve definitely seen you around.” his words weren’t hostile, but Itachi was definitely trying to piece it together in his head.

“Are you on the medical degree?” the one with curly hair, Shisui she noted, asked. 

“Yeah, I’m a second year.” She found it quite easy to continue this conversation, though unexpected. It wasn’t making her as anxious as she usually would feel in these scenarios. She’s also quite good at hiding though. 

“Ah, Madara is our uncle, he asked us to help out with this whole schbang of a taster session.” Shisui rolled his eyes. “But Itama-”

“I’m in my third year doing medicine. Nice to meet you, I definitely recognise you with the pink hair in the medicine building.” Itama mused, ignoring Shisui’s pointed look. Itachi just chuckled. 

“Nice to meet you guys. I won't lie, I was a little nervous sitting all alone.” she sighed.

“Awh, well I promise Itachi, Itama and I aren’t nasty-”

“I think I might even recognise you from a night out?”

Sakura choked.