A/N: I have a problem where I have other stories up and instead I write new ones. Don't look at me, I'm terrible. Anyway this is going to be a few chapters, because I'm jonesing for a fic with Sakura and the Akatsuki and modern au's are my lifeblood. I also really, really wanna explore the Sasuke and Sakura best-friend thing. (Also I've been watching Naruto from the beginning. I cannot wait for Sakura to get to the badass face punching shit.) Also, FYI, eventually going to be ItaSaku, so there's a head's up about that.
Dedication: To Sonya, who suggested I read the great fic with Sakura and the Akatsuki and the dancing and just, ugh, it's so good. I love you, girl, like, so, so much.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
The plan had been that Sakura would pick Sasuke up at 7:30am and they would head out, hitting the donut place on the way, but when Sasuke opened up the car door at 7:27am he didn't get in immediately. He made a face, one where his nose scrunched up like a rabbit's before he sighed in a long and dramatic way. Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes at him a little bit.
"What's up, Drama Queen?" Sakura asked. She was fiddling with her phone absentmindedly, trying to find the song she wanted to start the day out on. She only had a few hours of music on there, enough to get them half-way to the university, mostly because she figured that was all Sasuke was going to be able to stand. He had a terribly low tolerance for the pop music she and Naruto indulged, but it was her car and her rules, so he would keep his mouth shut for a little while. Sasuke sighed again before flopping into the passenger seat, legs still dangling out into the drive way.
"My mother wants to say goodbye to you," he said not meeting her eyes. Sakura groaned and repressed the urge to smother him with her bare hands.
"We were supposed to escape before anyone could catch us," she told him. He shot her a Look, one that clearly said What did you expect, I am a sad sissy momma's boy who couldn't leave for college without one last kiss on the forehead, okay, now go and say goodbye to my mommy before I cry.
"Stop that," Sasuke grumbled as he slumped further into the seat.
"Not doing anything," Sakura said, though her lips curled into a little grin to let him know that she wasn't completely innocent. Sasuke had a strange sixth sense kind of feeling for when his two best friends were making fun of him in their heads and it never stopped being the weirdest and most hilarious thing ever. She put the car in park and unlocked her seatbelt, kicking open her door with her foot as she elbowed the handle open.
"Don't touch my stereo," she ordered before sliding out. The fingers that had been quietly creeping toward her scratched up, battered, and case-less phone froze before sullenly retreating to tap in agitation against Sasuke's knee. He grunted at her to let her know that he heard, though it was probably also meant to let her know that he was too cool to give a shit. Since his usual pre-noon charm was combined with a particularly sullen scowl Sakura left him alone, shutting the door quietly and making her way back toward the front door of the Uchiha's ridiculously huge house. She slipped inside warily , despite the fact that she knew the only person inside was Mikoto, Sasuke's mother.
"Sakura," Mikoto called, her voice coming from the kitchen. Sakura sighed a little, guilt creeping up on her bit by bit. A big goodbye party was planned, set later on that day for their group of friends who were going away from college and now that they had been caught trying to skip it and avoid clinging, desperate hugs and tears that were more than likely to appear amongst the balloons and cupcakes. Sakura and Sasuke both had a strict policy against such public fiascos of emotion and therefore had concocted a plan to leave a day earlier than originally planned. But nobody had ever successfully pulled one over on Mikoto, so deep down Sakura wasn't really surprised to find the woman standing in front of the coffee maker, still in her pajamas but otherwise seemingly more awake than her son.
"Hi," Sakura said sheepishly. It briefly occurred to her to blame the whole thing on Sasuke's sullen attitude, but before she could Mikoto crossed the room in four long strides and engulfed her in a tight, secure embrace. Sakura tensed before relaxing, guilt surfacing even more. She wrapped her arms around Mikoto carefully, feeling small and foolish and childish in the loving embrace. The dark haired woman smelled like coffee beans and apples and the fabric of her pajama top was soft against the eighteen year old's cheek.
"Sasuke really, really didn't want to go to the party today, huh," Mikoto mused quietly. One of her hands reached up, running down Sakura's back in a comforting gesture. Sakura didn't answer, shrinking instead into the arms of the woman who had bandaged most of her wounds over the years of chasing after Naruto and Sasuke on the playground.
"Oh well," the woman continued, drawing back a set, her hands still on Sakura's shoulders. "You're adults now, I guess, so there's nothing I can do to stop you." She smiled like her words weren't a complete lie; if Uchiha Mikoto had wanted them to stay for the party there wouldn't have been a single damn thing in the world they could have done otherwise. But then her hands cupped Sakura's cheeks, fingers brushing her hair away from her eyes as the woman tipped her chin side to side like she was studying her face.
"Take care of yourself and Sasuke," the dark haired woman ordered sternly. She was using her Mom Voice and Sakura shrunk a little bit inside her own bones. "And call me if something happens. I don't care if you two are worried I'll be mad, promise me you will call me immediately if something goes wrong."
"Promise," Sakura murmured. Mikoto nodded, releasing her carefully and stepping back. The older woman glanced to the side, eyes going to the clock for a moment before she bit her lip, an uncharacteristic gesture.
"I have another favor to ask," Sasuke's mother said, turning back. Sakura motioned for her to go ahead and say what she wanted to, already internally set to agree. Mikoto smiled, head tipping to the side.
"Would you mind checking in on Itachi while you're there too? He's moved into a house in a neighbor just outside the campus and I'm worried about him."
Sakura smiled again, this time a little widened and more genuine. "I doubt Itachi needs my help," she said, recalling the dark haired stoic genius that had helped her with her English homework in middle school. "But of course I'll check in on him. I'll even drag Sasuke along with me when I do it." Mikoto laughed softly as she stepped back, arms folding over her stomach.
"Go on," Mikoto urged after a moment. "Get on the road before your aunt wakes up and finds you gone. I'll handle the party guests and Naruto."
Sakura winced, looking away. "Naruto knows, actually," she murmured, shifting. Mikoto laughed again, but a little less happily.
"You three trouble makers," she said fondly. She waved her hand in a shooing motion before turning back to the coffee maker. Sakura bit her lip, but she knew if Mikoto followed her out Sasuke would sour even more. No one liked to watch their mother cry and so Sakura backed out, shut the front door quietly behind her, and made her way back to the car. She hopped in the front seat and absentmindedly swatted Sasuke's hand away from her phone, drawing his scowling attention back to her.
"You okay?" he asked quietly after a moment. She gulped and nodded, jaw sticking out a bit as she clenched it. Mikoto's sad expression just behind she had turned away lingered behind her eyes, but Sakura shook it off and knocked her phone over the cup holder and into her best friend's lap.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, just as quietly. She curled her fingers around the gearshift to put the car in reverse, chest rising and falling as she took a deep, steady breath. "Find Best Day Of My Life and put it on."
Sasuke's groans echoed throughout the quiet car until he sullenly located the song on her phone. She was well aware of the way the curtains twitched as she backed out of the driveway and drove down the street. She would have bet money that Sasuke was aware of it too, but no one spoke as they drove to the donut place. Once they had a half of dozen chocolate glazed donuts and two steaming coffees sitting between them, hers black and his so sugary it would make small children cry, she turned the car toward the highway and started their journey to college in earnest.