Prompt: Sasusaku at a restaurant/foodplace together.
xxx
Sakura notices a shift in her behaviour around the fourth week that Sasuke has been back from his travels. They had become friends again before he left, and Sakura can feel them growing closer. Perhaps it is the reason for the small changes in her lifestyle. She hasn't been doing it on purpose, but her beauty standards have been changing. Things that she used to not care about, such as hair and makeup, have become a priority, and for what? For Sasuke? To change his opinion of her?
Sakura shakes her head and looks down at her painted nails. She is sitting in a café waiting for Naruto and Sasuke to arrive. Her hair has been cut, there is gloss on her lips, she has picked a new favourite outfit, and Sakura feels good.
Except, now she is questioning her intentions – especially since she primps automatically as Sasuke comes in through the shop entryway.
He is dressed in his standard clothing – black high-necked shirt, white pants, and shinobi sandals. His brand new forehead protector is tied around his head and Sakura thinks it looks good on him.
Her heart picks up a beat as their eyes meet and she knows that she is losing.
"Naruto can't come." Sasuke says as he sits down.
Sakura utters a quick, "Oh," and she tries to hide the panic she feels.
If Naruto isn't coming then that means she is here with Sasuke alone…like a date.
Sasuke hasn't noticed anything and he picks up the menu.
His expression doesn't say much but Sakura thinks that he likes what he is reading; she can see by the shift of his brow and the look in his eyes.
The waitress reaches their table and Sasuke orders the tomato onigiri – how expected. What isn't expected, is the way he looks at her.
"Sweet tea and dango." He states and Sakura blinks at him.
"What?" She asks dumbly, and Sasuke frowns. He is an impatient man.
He repeats the words and Sakura realises that he is asking if that is what she wants to eat, "Yes please! Sorry." She grins sheepishly. The woman writes down her order, eyeing the two of them curiously, and Sakura finds herself blushing.
Do they look like a couple right now?
She flushes with happiness at the possibility, even if she feels a bit depressed for herself. Yup, Sakura is always finding new lows when it comes to Sasuke.
"You remembered my favourite." She says, and Sasuke's eyes narrow a little.
"You're consistent with your habits." He tells her, inferring that it was a logical assumption. Still, even if it is logical, she is extremely pleased.
"You are too, you know." She replies, and Sasuke nods.
Like always they are met with a pause of silence, and Sakura looks around the room. The café is fairly busy but not enough for it to be crowded.
She tugs at her dress hem, and tucks some fallen hair behind her ear nervously.
"Is this weird?" She asks finally, finding that she is unable to go on without saying something; she wants to dispel the awkwardness.
"Is what weird?" Sasuke responds with a question of his own and Sakura rolls her eyes.
She can see that this is going to get more awkward.
She gestures between the two of them, and doesn't look him in the eye when she says, "You and me. Here."
Sasuke looks serious for a moment, and she braves a look at him. She shouldn't have because she can't turn away now.
"Why?" He asks, and his tone is harsh. He seems to be picking apart the question in his mind and Sakura can't believe that he is so clueless.
It must just be her.
Sasuke doesn't feel anything…
Without warning her stomach churns with something like rejection and her shoulders slump a little. She shakes her head, "Don't worry about it. It isn't important." She tells him, reaching for her water.
He makes a "Tsk" noise and Sakura looks at him with annoyance.
"You're not ignorant, Sasuke-kun. Why are you making me say it?" She asks, and his expression halts, like he is frozen.
His eyes widen a little and Sakura can see it dawning on him. He looks to her, meeting her eyes, before glancing swiftly to the side. Apparently there is something very interesting outside the shop window.
"I'm sorry." He says. Sakura can see that he's blushing now, and her previous hurt starts to fall away. "It's fine." He continues.
Sakura nods, and for a good minute their conversation all but fails and they are comfortable to just sit.
"So it's not weird?" She asks tentatively, after a moment.
A small smirk comes to his face then, and he responds, "I said it was fine, not that it isn't strange."
Sakura is oddly happy with his words, and reiterates.
"So it is weird being here with just me, but it's fine that it's weird?" She questions in her overanalysing manner; she sounds like a child trying to understand a new concept.
Sasuke sighs, and fixes Sakura with a hard look.
"Sakura." He says tiredly. "Just shut up."
Funnily enough, the statement makes her smile.
