Yeeeah, I know this isn't AWNW 7, but I have like…no inspiration for that right now. So have this instead!
9.03am.
The bakery was filled with a scent that could only be described as sickly sweet, a combination of cooking apples and cinnamon and flaky pastry dough. Clatters of pots, pans and cooking utensils echoed even into the restaurant area, despite there only being one (very clumsy) chef in the kitchen. The occasional curse word slipped from between his lips. In the front of house, Sakura rolled her eyes, and continued to open up shop.
After slipping the final tray of freshly baked bread into the window display, the charming bakery worker took the keys from her belt and unlocked the front door; she turned the 'closed' sign around, propped the door open with the ceramic cupcake doorstop, and returned to her post at the till. Shortly, Naruto poked his head around the kitchen door, flour smeared across his face.
"Sakuraaaaaaaa," he cooed. "Help me?"
She shook her head. "You know I can't help you, Naruto, you can't work front of house."
"Sure I can!" he cried back indignantly. "It can't be that hard…"
"That leaves nobody in the kitchen, and you know I can't do it. I get that Shino's sick, but you're just gonna have to cover it on your own, little dishwasher."
Naruto grumbled his way back into the kitchen. Sakura took a breath and hoped for everyone's sake that Naruto knew what he was doing; Shino had phoned at stupid o'clock that morning, calling in sick with man flu, leaving the bakery less its only chef. Naruto, the dishwasher, had bravely stepped up to the post of filling in – before, of course, realising that he hadn't the slightest clue about baking. Sakura had dug out the recipe book of every cake, pastry and roll sold in the establishment and thrust it into his hands before running away in hysterics. Naruto may have been an idiot, but so far this morning, he'd been able to follow the recipes just fine…Sakura simply prayed that they didn't get any big or specialised orders today.
The bell above the door chimed, signalling the entrance of a customer. He or she stopped momentarily to scrape his or her feet on the welcome mat. Sakura looked up in greeting, only to fall short – in front of her stood Uchiha Sasuke.
"…mornin'." she grumbled.
"Hm."
She looked back to him subtly, to find him making no attempt to communicate with her. Instead, he stood before the glass cabinet, examining the delicate cakes and pastries inside.
"If I recall correctly," Sakura said heavily. "You don't have a sweet tooth."
Sasuke stopped shifting his weight in decision, and looked sharply up at her from under his eyelashes. "Does this have to be for me?"
Hurriedly, she shook her head and averted her gaze. He just heaved a sigh.
"If you wait a little while, there'll be some apple and cinnamon pastries, they're really—"
"Tch, how disgusting…"
"…alright."
They stood in an awkward silence for a while, not looking at one another. After a while, Sasuke sighed again. "What are we doing?"
Sakura shrugged. "I miss you."
"…you want to get some coffee and talk?"
"I can't," she said, trying to conceal her smile. "Naruto's in the kitchen on his own and Ino's not working 'til 12."
Sasuke cocked an eyebrow, and nodded at the machine behind the counter. "I meant, you make some coffee."
"…oh. Right."
They took their seats behind two steaming cups, and began to rebuild a bridge.
Short, unplanned, and whatever. Review please!