He was watching her from across the room as she sat staring into her champagne flute, ignoring the celebratory crowd. If he was truthful with himself it seemed like he'd spent the better part of the last few years watching her, unable to act on the fascination he held for her.
At dinner the table she'd been sitting at had been filled with her smiling comrades, Naruto babbling incessantly to his pale, white eyed girlfriend, Kakashi holding hands with a dark haired jonin, and Sai rapidly deflating some bubbly blonde. That left her alone, apparently the only person in Konoha without a date, while everyone crowded the dance floor to watch Temari and Shikamaru's first dance and then pair off and hold each other close.
Idly she dipped a finger into her glass and licked the resulting drops off her finger tip, the expression on her face more appropriate for a funeral than for a wedding. Finally finding that innate courage that all shinobi should rely on, he hesitantly crossed the room toward her, telling himself that the least he could for the woman who had saved his life was have the balls ask her to dance so she stopped looking so small and alone. Besides, he smirked to himself, he wanted to see that adorable thing she was doing with the champagne up close.
"Oi, Pinky." At the term of endearment he'd invented to cover his nervousness her best glare was quickly turned in his direction. "Now or never…" was his only thought as those green orbs flashed anger that he wasn't entirely the cause of. "Umm…" He ran a nervous hand through his hair. "Wanna dance?"
For a second he closed his eyes, hoping she wasn't somehow offended and was going to start beating him unconscious. Aside from the pain, Temari would probably kill him for ruining her wedding. When he opened them he was surprised to find a dainty outstretched hand. "Sure."
As he led her out onto the floor he couldn't help but notice the way her dark green dress complimented her flawless skin, the gold ribbon in her hair made her eyes sparkle, or how the chiffon skirt swayed temptingly around her hips. Wrapping her arms around his neck she nearly impaled his foot with one of her dainty high heels.
"Pinky, how much have you had to drink tonight?" Mentally he kicked himself for sounding like a jackass.
With a menacing smile she purposely stomped his other foot. "I'm fine and don't call me that, it's irritating." They moved in silence until song was over, her closeness making his pulse race. He hesitated, not wanting to let the little blossom in his arms go. "Dance with me again Kankuro, I feel lonely tonight."
"Whatever you want Pinky."
She growled quietly. "Why do you insist on calling me that anyway?"
He smirked at the indignation that was so ingrained in her from years of having male teammates. "How else am I supposed to get some of your attention while you're surrounded by your dependent man children, especially the blonde one?"
She giggled and playfully smacked the back of his head. "That's the dumbest thing ever. I'm sure you could find a way that doesn't annoy me."
Pulling back from her he hesitated a moment, knowing how he wanted to get her attention. Finally he leaned down and brushed his lips gently against her perfect pink ones. When she stood shocked into silence he whispered in her ear. "Is that a better method Sakura?" He let her name roll of his tongue slowly and deliberately.
He felt her press tightly against him to reply in a matched whisper. "I suppose you can have a bit of my attention if it's all that important to you." Her soft laughter tickled his ear.
"What if I want all of it?"
She rolled her eyes at him. "That makes you worse than my man children." He was caught off guard when she suddenly kissed him delicately and pulled away with a knowing look in her eyes, his hand caught in hers. "Walk me home, I have feeling we need to have a long talk."
Deftly he ensnared her waist with an arm. "Anything you say, Pinky."
He gasped as an elbow caught his ribs, knowing he had asked for that. The last thing he saw as they exited was Naruto's threatening glare as she shouted to him. "I'm sober and I can take of myself." Shaking her head she muttered "man children" under her breath.
Once they were outside all he could concentrate on was the feel of her hand in his, and how perfect she felt leaning against him. He should have asked her to dance a long time ago.