Day 4: Compliment
Pair: SasuSaku
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"You improved," Sasuke says during their first sparring session since his return from his journey.
Sakura blinks in surprise. Considering her position—kneeling on the ground and her arm twisted behind her back in his steely grip—she doesn't feel like the compliment is warranted.
"Not enough to beat you," she snorts dismissively. She dusts herself off when he finally lets her go, not noticing his disgruntled look. When she looks at him again, it's already smoothed out. "Thanks for the spar, Sasuke-kun," she says before seeing the time and poofing away in a hurry.
Next time he sees her is in the evening, eating ramen at Ichiraku's with Naruto. Sasuke joins them and listens intently as they catch him up with everything that's been going on in their lives. Soon, Naruto claims that he has to leave, but his foxy grin tells a different tale. Sakura doesn't see it, too absorbed in telling Sasuke about her clinic for children.
"That's impressive," he comments.
Sakura shrugs it off. "I wish I could do more."
He frowns, but she misses it, because she's ordering sake.
They share a few drinks, then he walks her home without prompting.
"It's a nice night, isn't it Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asks, spinning around to look at the cloudless, starry sky.
He agrees. Sakura leans closer to him, hands clasped behind her back, and gives him an inquisitive look. Her emerald eyes are striking and he's momentarily spellbound.
"What are you thinking about?" she asks.
"That you're beautiful," he blurts out. The alcohol loosened his tongue.
Sakura stares at him in astonishment, then her eyes narrow in suspicion. "Naruto," she hisses angrily, "did you transform into Sasuke again?"
She pokes him hard in the chest to dispel the technique, but the muscle under her finger is solid and he doesn't disappear. He raises an amused eyebrow at her.
Sakura moves her mouth soundlessly, then finds her voice again. "You... you're real!" She lets her finger down in panic. "And you said... that? Why?" She lowers her eyes with a blush.
"Sakura." When she looks at him, he quickly taps her forehead, taking her by surprise. "You should just learn to take the compliment," he says affectionately.