not just a pretty face [sasusaku modern au]

fourteen

"I-," Sasuke paused, unsure what to say. Well, this was strange. Wasn't he always full of confidence? Wasn't he always in control of his emotions? Then how come they were roaring up, making their way to the surface to express themselves. All kinds of emotions, it made his head pound. It overwhelmed him, just like this situation. Everything overwhelmed him.

And Sasuke broke down. 

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Crying. 

It was a strange sensation to Sasuke Uchiha. On very little occasions had he cried. It was unfamiliar, to feel droplets of water emerge from his eyeballs and roll down his face, bringing scarlet blotchy skin with it and irregular breathing patterns.

And when he looked at himself in the mirror, his eyes looked dead. That is, more dead than usual. Looking at the mirror caused disgust to well up in his throat, as if the lump residing there wasn't enough.

He looked like such a pathetic mess, with his dark hair looking disheveled and even more spiky than usual. His skin seemed gaunt and tainted with lack of sleep now that he carefully examined it. It made sense, most of his nights were spent with him just thinking and thinking and continuing to overthink everything in his life. 

'Over' would be a perfect description of his life, actually. Everything was over, overwhelming, overthought, overcautious, over-pressured, over-complex, the list just seems to go on and on. And now, it seemed like he was over with his pathetic life. For once he just wanted to be 'under'. 

He looked in the mirror again.

What a pathetic mess.

"Cold water helps, it cools down your blood," Naruto advised from besides him. They were in the bathroom, alone, Naruto helping clean up Sasuke and clear up the flushed skin. Cold water was splashed onto the latter's face, clinging to his eyelashes as he cringed from the coldness. 

Maybe that's how people felt whenever they saw Sasuke, a great blob of coldness. They feel like cringing. Those fangirls must be delusional, he thought as he entered a state of self-pity. What was there to love about him? He was just a pretty face. Nothing more than that. His personality consisted of coldness, ignorance and sarcasm. 

What a pathetic personality. 

"Hey Sasuke," Naruto said gently. "You okay?"

"I guess," he grumbled. He glanced at his best friend next to him and marveled how lucky he was to have a friend like Naruto. "Thanks for helping me, Naruto. You're my closest friend and I'm grateful for that."

There was a moment where Naruto stood there silently, gaping like a fish and Sasuke wondered that his out-of-characterness had broken him. Then the former grabbed his phone out and beamed, "Say that again so that I can show everyone you actually aren't a coldass person!"

Just as Sasuke opened his mouth to retort with something colorful, the device on the bathroom bench started vibrating. Sasuke and Naruto exchanged curious glances when they saw who was calling the former. Fugaku Uchiha. 

"Father," Sasuke acknowledge. Feeling like he was invading the Uchihas' privacy, Naruto silently exited the bathroom. "Why'd you call?"

"We need to talk," the stoic, monotone voice of his father emitted from Sasuke's phone. Fugaku paused. "Are you crying? Your voice is all stiff and hoarse."

"Of course not," Sasuke summoned all of his confidence and acting skills. "Just a little under the weather. What is it now?"

"I saw you at the rehearsal. You stood up for Sakura Haruno. I know other people stood up for her too, but considering your past with her and how your friendship and work circles intertwine, I can't help but wonder if you're still in love."

Sasuke shut his eyes tightly. "I assure you Father, I am not interest in Sakura Haruno in any romantic way."

He could almost hear his father's smirk. "Excellent. So you finally realize that rejecting her love is the better option."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Sasuke continued. Glancing in the mirror again, he saw that all emotion had been drained out of his place. Just emptiness. "I heard she's moved on and wants to forget about me as soon as possible."

"Perfect," Fugaku's voice was rich with triumph. "Now, for the wedding dinner I need you to be with a female partner. This person will most likely who you'll get married to in a couple of years. At first I was thinking of Hanabi Hyuga, a good family name and fairly successful in the modelling industry. However, Hiashi pulled out of the agreement and I hear she's taken a liking to Konohamaru Sarutobi, the son of a wealthy family.

"So," he continued. "I've decided you will be with Kurotsuchi. She's your senior in modelling, and from a well-off family with many successful individuals."

"Alright," Sasuke said tiredly. He couldn't bear to hear what Fugaku had to say anymore. "I have to go now, bye."

As soon as he hung up, Naruto came back into the bathroom. "What was it about?"

Sasuke sighed. "Just to confirm what I already knew."

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ending is so crappy, sorry

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Word count: 2131