Anko glared down at the mug nestled neatly between her hands, decorated by a soft pastel pink and cream design, with a harshness that threatened to crack it just by its severity.

The tea was warm. Pleasantly so. Not overly hot, just warm in a way that the heat of the cup spread up through her from the hands that held it. Lifting it slowly to her lips and taking a sip, she could feel it move to her stomach, settling firmly in her core, warming her very being.

And its taste was...sweet. They must have put a lot of sugar in it. Not that it tasted bad, but…

The setting sun casted a golden glow over her through the shop's slatted windows, holding her still in its reach. All of it wrapped her in a warmth and relaxation she never thought possible. It felt so...soothing.

Her grip on the cutesy mug tightened, as if she were threatening to strangle it.

'...how the hell did I end up in here?'

This wasn't like her. It's not like she'd planned to come here, it just sort of...happened. Sudden and on a whim, while taking a walk in the evening after work.

She'd been under a lot of stress lately. Being a rogue monster's former student gave you plenty of that, and her job at T&I had been demanding more and more of her the past month. Normally, she just got some dango, or went off to do some private training to work the stress out. However, she'd been overdoing it on sweets and treats lately, and she wasn't in the mood to work it off. She'd skulked around the streets of Konoha for a while, looking for something to do, and the tea shop was just...there. That's all it was.

With its pastel designs and the cheery frilly uniforms the servers wore, this is the kind of place that could ruin her reputation as a tough chick.

But...the quiet murmuring of the other patrons. The nice atmosphere. The kind and pretty waitresses...everything was coming together as if it had a mission, throwing everything it possibly could at Anko to make her give in to its delights.

And...it was working. Ever so slowly, the stress of the previous weeks melted behind the sweetness of the tea, and her muscles relaxed, causing her to sink down into herself as a small smile inched its way onto her face.

She closed her eyes, allowing herself a moment- just one moment to bask in the comforts this shop offered her rather than fighting it.

"...Anko?"

*CRACK*

The mug shattered in her grip as her eyes flew open in panic, madly searching for the source of the voice that had called her, settling on-

Inoichi!? Inoichi, her co-worker in the T&I department, was staring at her in shock from the doorway of the tea shop. As far as bad could go, this was BAD. He couldn't see her in a place like this. With- with that LOOK on her face! She had to- she had to get out of here NOW.

Inoichi quickly regained his composure, scratching the back of his head and chuckling lightheartedly.

"I didn't know you-"

*CRASH*

The glass blew apart as she dove through it, shards of the broken window flying in every direction around her. Her heart was beating like a drum, adrenaline coursing through her as she fled the scene. She would worry about consequences later. She just had to get away with her dignity intact.

AN: This story is completely inspired by the passing thought, 'What if Anko was adorable?'
And, oh boy, I am having one hell of a field day writing this one! Updating twice a week, Saturdays and Sundays.
If the idea of "the universe conspires to make Anko as cute as humanly possible" is appealing to you, then I'm happy to say there's tons more to come!

Big thanks to Artesiant, who did the commissioned cover art for this story, who can be found on tumblr with the same username.
Support artists, everybody!

Thanks for reading, yo