Chapter four: game night
A/N: sorry if this story feels a little slow… I'm not trying to just like rush into it like BOOM relationship… I'm trying to let it build naturally.
It was the night of the Konoha team's home match. Sakura had been at the rink almost for the whole day. She had dashed out to grab a bite to eat but now she was awkwardly standing at the rink doors waiting for them to open into the large arena so she could take her seat. A woman walked up to her smiling gently with two other men in tow behind her.
"You must be Sakura!" she chimed happily and said female nodded. "I'm Mikoto, Sasuke's mother; this is his father Fugaku, and older brother Itachi." She introduced the men and Sakura bowed in return her hair still up in a messy bun and she suddenly felt out of place in her training outfit.
"It's lovely to meet all of you." She told them and Mikoto ushered her over to a few of the other parents, she recognized some of them, Neji and Gaara's family (Tamari and Hinata included who looked just as she did), which put her a little more at ease. When it came time for them to enter Mikoto sat the pink haired girl next to her and Itachi who smiling kindly.
"Had I known I'd have met you tonight I might have made an effort to run home and change first…" she admitted and Itachi shook his head
"Oh please, Sasuke told us Saturdays are long days at the rink for the skating team." Itachi commented and soon the game started giving her something else to focus on. She often was slightly confused having not paid too much attention to the game and often asked what was happening.
By the time the first period ended Sakura was more relaxed about it. She was told they had 17 minutes before the next period so she ran off to talk to her friends explaining how freaking weird it was. She also grabbed something to eat before going back to her seat.
The second period ended with the Konoha team winning against the Sound. She stayed put this time checking her phone shooting a quick 'good luck' text to the boy on the ice, their places reversed.
"So Sasuke told me you were helping him?" Mikoto spoke up
"Aye, trying…" she jested and Itachi laughed, "he asked me to teach him how I do my switches, he's improving… seems faster even now." She mentioned and his mother nodded
"He's a good kid… little stubborn." She laughed and Sakura smiled
"Just a little…" she started and the third period started.
Soon she was watching with rapt attention jumping every time he was slammed into the wall. Soon a slam by the other team left blood pouring out of his nose Sakura's eyes widened and a fight broke out between the teammates before it was broken up. Both were given a penalty, the box was a few feet below where they were sitting. Sakura reached into her skating bag stashed at her feet and took out one of her towels. She tapped on the glass and he turned giving her a half smile filled with blood. She handed him the pink towel and he mouthed, or maybe said she couldn't tell, a quick 'thank you' before wiping it on his face and pressing it to his nose. She sat back in his seat and soon he was back on the ice and she was watching again.
The game ended with Konoha winning against Sound 7-5. Sakura was called by her two friends as they joined the team on the ice, their skating bags on their backs keeping them from jumping. Tamari gave her brother a bear hug as he came over and Hinata smiled at Neji. She watched them not even noticing the person coming up behind her. She gasped and looked at him he gave her a smile still blood stained and she laughed taking out her phone and taking a picture of the moment, she was smiling wide, he in turn keeping his bloodied teeth hidden.
The team went to the lockers to get changed and showered before they would greet the news and their families. Sakura, Hinata, and Tamari slipped on their skates gliding around on the ice as people waited to file out into the lobby or home. The girls filed out into the lobby once the Zamboni came out to clean up the blood and they went to their families. Sakura standing by the door watching Sasuke talk to his own, said person spotted her and jogged over, hair still damp, he grabbed her hand and dragged her over to his family as they recounted tails of the game they had just watched. Soon they parted ways and Sakura got home taking a shower and staring at the photo. She smiled and sent it to the other person in it. With a captain that said 'if you make it greyscale you can't see the blood'.
Sasuke smiled at his screen as he walked through the door of his house.
"She's such a sweet girl." Mikoto commented seeing the photo. "You should invite her over to dinner…"
"I don't know mom… she seems like she has to be on some crazy diet." Sasuke commented.
"Invite her." Fugaku added looking at the photo. "She seems smart, driven for sure… plus… you invited her to a game." He commented with a smirk earning a pout from the younger. Itachi laughed and grabbed the phone from his brother shooting the pinkett a quick text.
"You can thank me later." He said with a wink as they cooked a late dinner.
"What did you…" he looked at the screen and glared at his brother.
'You should come to dinner next week, my place.' He stared at it and soon her reply popped up
'That sounds nice… should I bring something?' She replied and Itachi laughed to which Sasuke glared
'No, but tell me what you like… or usually eat…' he asked
'Don't do anything crazy. I'm not picky.'
'Good.'
A/N: see it's cute. Lil bit slow perhaps but cute.
