There were three things one can guarantee in this world:
One: The sun will rise tomorrow.
Two: Death is inevitable.
Three: Hyuuga Hinata loved sweets.
Which was why she was always on the lookout for a new shop to try whenever she was in the shopping district. Usually she'd walk out of the sweets shop with a small baggy of chocolates or a warm pastry wrapped in wax paper; today she'd had the bad luck of walking into 'Uchiha Cakeya' cake shop right in the middle of an employee quarrel.
They stopped the moment the bell on the door jingled and fixed her with intense stares, as if she was the one who didn't belong there.
"Irashai." The taller and visibly older one welcomed her gently, upon closer inspection, he seemed to have been calm all along.
Unlike the younger one wasn't even trying to hide how pissed off he was. "What do you want?"
"Oi, Sasuke, be polite to our customers."
The one named Sasuke sighed and, without really changing his tone of voice or facial expressions, welcomed her professionally. "Welcome. What can I get you?"
Hinata, now stiff as a rod, backtracked towards the door and blindly searched for the handle. "It's- it's no problem I must have- I won't intrude further so…"
The one in charge offered a small smile and picked up a small square of chocolate for her to try. "I apologize for my brother's behavior, it will not happen again, my princess." His smile brightened at her blush; he knew exactly what he was doing. "Please, allow me to apologize with an orange chocolate trifle. It's our shop's most acclaimed product, it's the least I can do."
Hinata glanced worriedly between the charming shop keeper and his brooding younger brother, and decided it would be impolite to decline his offer now that all the attention was on her. Her hand slipped off the silver doorknob and went to adjust the strap of her purse out of habit; the air was still tense but the smell was intoxicating.
"Thank you." She accepted the embossed fork and inhaled the sweet scent of the treat balanced on the tip. Orange and high quality chocolate, and the tiniest hint of toasted nuts. The ganache collapsed against the roof of her mouth to release the oozing explosion of velvety cacao and sharp orange essence, tiny bits settled against her tongue which when chewed, turned out to be pistachio.
Her eyes fluttered open to the image of the older brother smiling contently, as if he could taste it too; she flushed and covered her mouth because, well, what kind of face was she making in front of a complete stranger?
"Your reaction was beautiful, thank you." He chuckled at her increased embarrassment and retrieved the now empty fork. "I apologize again." He said in a voice that was as smooth as the chocolates he made, drawing death glares from his coworker. "Please, feel free to browse, or ask for recommendations. My brother and I make them ourselves, so if you have any dietary needs we will be happy to create pieces to your satisfaction."
Oh no, he was buttering her up, it was totally working!
How on earth will she walk out without buying anything now?
Well… Maybe she should get a piece or two, Tenten and Hanabi would have a field day if she told them about what just happened, and they'd demand physical –edible- proof. These boys seem like hard workers, too. It's not their fault she walked in when they thought the shop was empty, family businesses were like that.
"Well, then, I guess I'll take a look."
"Of course. Take your time, princess. As further apology, I will offer you a discount if you accepted a cup of tea and enjoyed yourself at any of our tables." Her stuttered attempts at politely refusing the offer hit upon deaf ears. "Now now, I remember every customer who walks through these doors, you see. It is the first time you've come here, right? I'd feel bad about you buying the chocolates I put my heart and soul into just to appease me, even worse knowing you'll be walking out with the conviction that you won't be coming back again. So please make some good memories before you leave. I can't force you, though, so if you're pressed on time I will not hold you."
Hinata was starting to feel a hiccup coming up; he was cornering her from all directions with a cage of sweet words and warm chocolate and she wasn't sure she could object. For someone who was embarrassed easily, she appreciated a good businessman who knew when to push and pull.
The look on his face said he knew it, too. It was both charming and heavy in her gut.
Oh man, she was always a sucker for the hard working types. It's why she got fat eating at Uzumaki local foods every day before they moved to a busier part of the district. Furthermore, wasn't this what she'd come here for? To be persuaded and charmed out of her credit card by a new shop, and the constant seduction of new flavors to experience?
This bait and hook was what excited her to try new shops, even if she told herself it was purely for the pastries.
Gulping down the sweet scent of vanilla and defeat, she nodded her head. "Well, then, please surprise me with your recommendation for a cake with my tea."
"Excellent! While you wait, feel free to take a seat wherever you fancy. My brother will be up with your order right away." His name tag finally unhid itself from under his fashionable scarf when he leaned forward to show her to the tables, the golden lettering said 'Itachi Uchiha'.
Hinata decided to sit by the shop window , into that comfortably cushioned chair that looked like it belonged in some European castle. By the time she took her muffler and coat off, and set her purse aside, she noticed the shop front was deserted save for her. The back end of the shop could be seen through a wide glass that looked into the kitchens, the brothers' argument seems to have revived anew now that she was out of earshot.
Itachi was completely calm but Sasuke was knotted all over, his movements were stiff and angry as he pulled up utensils and yanked open the refrigerator door to extract the cake. As a fourth-generation masseuse, she couldn't help but wonder what could be causing him so much stress, and why he wasn't doing anything to relieve it.
And then he aimed his hot glare in her direction, as if she was the cause of everything gone wrong in his life. Hinata jumped so hard her knee knocked against the textured underside of the table, the glass panels did little to obscure the interaction and she was left to stiffly ignore the pain in her leg. She continued to absently observe the empty street outside even when the kitchen door swung open and the jingle of plates on a tray drew closer and closer.
The scent of cinnamon and citrus swirled seductively around her as the younger shop keeper arrived at her table: the cake was a simple white sponge with cream in the middle and some kind of pale sauce dribbling from the top. The tea was aromatic and definitely piping hot, served in a cute rose-painted cup with a frilly bottom and a heart for a handle. The fork and knife were polished to perfection, and the napkin was pure white with a small red fan in the corner; the shop's brand no doubt.
"What is it?" She asked tentatively.
"Your order." The boy snapped and set the tray against his hip.
Gulp. "Um, I meant… What's in it? It's a surprise- you see, I asked for the recommendation, so…" Usually, this was the part where the waiter or shop keeper described the flavors vividly, or told her a little bit about the idea behind the piece.
"Huu…" Sasuke regarded her wide-eyed for a moment, seeing for the first time the unusual shade of her eyes. "It's uh… What is this? It's apple-pie-cake. Vanilla sponge, whipped cream and apple sauce." He motioned to the cup. "And that's Earl Grey, two sugars, no cream."
The cake looked appetizing, already her mouth was watering, but the way he introduced it was like he didn't approve of it at all. In fact, his uncreative description somehow managed to decrease her appetite and that was no small feat for someone who was as enthusiastic about food as she was.
Well, nothing like a taste test to settle it!
The fork cut through the cake like butter, the delicious sound of spongy bubbles tearing against the silverware was a small thrill, the real festival began once she put it in her mouth. First the scent of cinnamon that she loved so much exploded all over the roof of her mouth, smoothed over by a gentle coating of fresh cream and the neutrality of vanilla in the sponge. The apple sauce came next, right after the first chew, it wasn't too sugary or dense but not at all tasteless, and it left a soft hint of almonds in the back of her mouth. It rolled down her throat like a little piece of heaven and she wondered if it was sin to eat the whole piece in one day.
Aah… It was really like eating an apple pie in the form of a cake; it was perfect because she rarely enjoyed pies.
Her eyes eased open from the blissful trance, the unpleasant Sasuke was still standing there, watching her carefully.
Reality came crashing down, as if she'd done something illegal in front of a police officer. "Eh? W- what is it?"
"Nothing." He sighed but continued to stare. "It's just… You looked like you were enjoying it."
"Are you kidding? It was like a rollercoaster! Umm… Was I not supposed to?" she washed down the tightness in her chest with some smooth tea.
"It's not that it's…" He scratched his head and made a constipated face, at a loss for words. In the end he just set his jaw and straightened his back. "Nevermind. Please enjoy your meal."
"Sas-" She began, causing him to pause on his way back behind the counter. "Sasuke san… Do you need a massage?"
If he noticed her inner meltdown, he didn't address it. "The hell?"
"Oh, I mean- wait one second!" Hinata nearly broke a nail rummaging through her purse for her business card holder, even trembled slightly when handing one out to him with both hands. "I'm Hyuuga Hinata, I work at my father's business in the health district, perhaps you've heard of it?"
The boy glanced at the card with disinterest from front to back. "Are you asking me if I want to sleep with you?"
"Eeeh? No! of course not- my father wouldn't- I mean, it's not that kind of busi- Why would you right away…" She wet her lips, took deep breaths, covered her face and then retreated into a dark corner of shame. "I'm sorry please forget it, it's- it's nothing."
"Hnn?" He drawled, curious. "I wouldn't mind even if it was."
She looked at him like he grew a second head, he looked at her like he was bracing for a firecracker to go off.
"Oh…" Her voice went up a few octaves, her face colored several shades of red. "It's not- it wasn't- I didn't mean- I'm sorry!"
She'd had perverted customers before and was trained on how to deal with their sneaky hands, but never in her life did her stomach actually tighten up at the admission of someone planing to!
Before she could burst out in tears of absolute mortification, the voice of the elder brother saved her from where he stood at the trifle counter. "Sasuke, are you bullying our cute customer? It's not why I sent you there."
"Why did you send me, then? You know I'm not good with people." Sasuke's voice rose, his anger reared it's ugly head again. It gave his voice a certain gruffness, and for some reason the sudden intensity in his attitude made her toes curl in her leather boots.
What would that voice feel like right against her ear, she wondered…
What?! No!
What is this, suddenly?! Why was she thinking inappropriate thoughts!?
Oh no, this cake was made of sin! The ingredients were made with witchcraft!
Probably tear-jerkingly expensive witchcraft, too.
"Practice makes perfect, little brother, you need to interact with them more. Please be kind to our new customers, god knows you've chased out most of our regular ones with your attitude."
"If you'd let me handle the bonbons we wouldn't be having this argument!"
"Your bonbons aren't fit to be put on the shelves! You don't follow instructions, you just do it as quickly you can, and in the end chocolates turn out dry and bitter." Itachi finally gave in and showed his displeased face, splaying his hands on the glass counter as a means of self-control. "You say you want to surpass me and you work hard on your technique, but it's worthless if you don't care about our generous customers who take time out of their busy life to appreciate our work. If you can't be gentle with the people who accept your heart, how can you be gentle with untempered chocolate?"
"I don't even like sweets!" The tray dropped on her table with a bang, startling Hinata out of her anxious fidgeting. Sasuke yanked off his decorative scarf and tossed it on the floor with force, then shoved the front door open and left without another word.
The quiet that followed was filled with the echoing chime of the bell, then the footsteps of Itachi as he approached and eased into the chair across from her.
"I'm sorry you had to see that. It was unprofessional of us, I wholeheartedly apologize for my brother's attitude. I'm very sorry, my princess." He bowed his head to show his deep remorse.
"Oh no! It's nothing! Really, p- please! It's… You keep apologizing but I'm not upset, ok?" she offered a small smile and busied herself with another forkful of cake.
"I see. May I ask? How do you find it?"
"It's great, thank you for asking." For a few moments longer she tried to eat without really thinking about how he continued to sit there and look at her. Like he was waiting for her to make a mistake, or find something bad in the cream. "Is something the matter?"
Turns out he hadn't been seeing her at all, his eyes had been fixated at a distant point way beyond her physical body. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just wondering… I'm trying to come up with a different method of naming the products in the shop. I don't know if I should name them something that's easy to understand, or maybe something exciting and mysterious. What would you like?"
The longer he waited the quicker her thoughts scattered around like startled bunnies. "Um, I don't know. I don't really worry about the name, as long as it tastes good."
"I see. Would you be so kind as to describe the cake? Even if it's something you dislike."
"Huh? Well… It's apple pie cake, isn't it?" all she could think of was 'vanilla, apple sauce, cinnamon.' No wonder Sasuke was brief about it… "Let's see… I can taste the cinnamon, vanilla, and maybe… Almonds?"
"Very few people notice it." He smiled and nodded for her to continue.
Her eyes looked everywhere but at his face as she considered. "The flavors come one after the other and not all at once. The sponge cake is very soft, the cream is also light, so the apple sauce gives it a nice texture. There's nothing I don't like about it, and the name apple pie cake expresses that very well, I think."
"Apple-pie cake, huh…" his fingers tapped on the tabletop absently, she took a few more mouthfuls as if to confirm her final judgment. The tightness in his face relaxed into a polite smile. "You have cream on your nose."
Hinata was by the sink washing her hands when her next customer came through the door.
"Welcome, please feel fr" her whole thought process came to a screeching halt at the sight of Uchiha Sasuke, grimace fixed in place and shoulders squared. She smiled as per training even as her thoughts raced. "I'm glad you came."
"The receptionist said there was no other way to see you unless I booked an appointment." He shifted his weight to the other leg. "That shorty was merciless, charged me a whole hour when all I wanted was five minutes."
Five minutes? What kind of massage can be done in just five minutes? "Yeah, Hanabi was born to do business." She smiled, but his face remained guarded. "Is everything okay?"
"I just came to apologize about last time. Itachi wouldn't let me in the kitchen unless I did, and I don't want to live another day kissing ass." He released a short breath and nodded to himself. "So there."
"Eh? That's it?"
Anger flashed in his eyes, "What, you want me to get on my knees and grovel at your feet, your highness?!"
"No- it's not that! I meant, you booked an hour in an expensive place like this, just to say that? Not even the real words…"
Of all the things he could have fixated upon, it was the last bit. "Real words? What does that mean?"
Oh no… "It's not a big deal, it's just that you came to apologize but you didn't really say the word 'sorry.' I don't mind, i forgive you. But you know, if I was someone else and if I was upset, it's probably not enough."
Sasuke was angry, and then surprised, and then chuckled to himself. "So that's what he meant…"
"Your brother?"
"Yeah. I'm not good with words, I'd rather be in the back focusing on work, but he wants me to talk to people for some reason or another. I guess he wants me to learn the hard way... I don't even care for sweets, I'm just doing it because I'm good at it."
"I see." She smiled.
Slowly, the tension in the air subsided the more he breathed. As an afterthought, he apologized again, with words. "I'm sorry, I showed you an uncool face at the shop."
"Mm, it's okay. Family is like that sometimes, you can't help but be personal during business hours." Now that it was settled, and he was noticeably less agitated, each noticed the irony of the situation.
Instead of his uniform, he was now wearing a simple jacket and jeans. And she who had been fashionable the last time they met, was now in light-purple scrubs with her hair gathered in a low bun.
When it seemed like it would turn into a staring contest, Hinata cracked under the pressure first. "Do you, maybe, want to have a massage after all?"
"Nah, I'm not into these kinds of things. If I want release I'll pick up someone at a bar and go to a hotel."
The heat rising in her face worked like a stupidity filter that made the words jumble together on the way out. "It's not that kind of business!"
Amusement gleamed in his eyes, and then he shot the table a wary glance. "I am booked for the next hour…"
"Exactly. Who knows, you might even enjoy it!"
"Do I have to take my clothes off?"
"Not if you don't want to." Hinata knew that someone so unconvinced by the practice would be reluctant to be touched intimately on the first try, so she let him set his own pace. "Please make yourself comfortable on the table, would you like some music to be put on?"
"No." Sasuke hopped up onto the elevated bed, and sat there like it was a doctor's examination. It was obvious he felt foolish about it, so she started by helping him out of his jacket, then holding his right hand to gently rub out the tightness at the base of his thumb. Realizing that she was actually massaging his hand and not simply admiring the calluses, he shifted in his seat and mumbled, "Hey, you don't have to start that far off. Just rub my back and get it over with."
It was hard not to find his attitude endearing, somehow this complicated bundle of pride was giving away his embarrassment without realizing it. "Nee, a massage is not an event, you know; It's a process that you enjoy for as long as possible to unwind from the day's worries. Like a warm bath you take after a long day, or the weekend mornings where you get to roll around in bed long after you're up."
"I don't do that." He scoffed, "What a waste of time."
"What's the rush?" She asked gently, the startled look in his eyes allowed her a small window into his inner turmoil. "You don't enjoy your time alone?"
He didn't answer, she didn't press him about it.
The silence between them was cushioned with the sound of a distant stream, running in the lobby to create white noise for the whole spa. The tension in his hands was rubbed out little by little, first the fingertips, then the knuckles, up to the wrists.
Sasuke began to relax as he realized there will be nothing else to do for the next hour but to wait it out.
She smelled nice, he noticed, like cherry blossoms and green tea. It was a gentle smell, not too hard to distinguish between the artificial aroma of the candles and the evaporating essence of oils on the tray. In the droning sound of running water and air conditioning, he noticed how calming her voice had been, too. In a rare moment of indulgence, he decided he'd paid enough to be selfish, to make her talk some more. "Are you always quiet through these things?"
"Hm?" She smiled, focusing on rubbing circles with her thumbs just below the inside of his elbow. The muscles there were hard and tight, as expected of someone who spent years as a patisserie. "I try to feel what the customer wants, and I give it to them. I'll do whatever makes you relaxed more, talking or not."
"Brown nosing even in a place like this..."
Calmly, she decided he needed to tell the difference between this and that. "You know, as a paying customer, it's not too much to ask to be treated nicely. Your brother is generous with his words, but it's ok because I know it's just business. You know, some girls enjoy being flattered like that, it makes them feel special for the fifteen minutes they will spend in the shop. Like princesses in a dreamland being admired by dashing gentlemen."
"Don't they know it's all a show?"
"Yes. We enjoy watching TV even though we know it's scripted, why does it matter as long as it offers good feelings?"
He let that sink in for the longest time, then track backed to a different part of what she said. "How do you even know what the customer wants?" He tipped his head to the side, unaware of how relaxed he'd become thanks to her ministrations."I didn't say anything of the sort but you still assumed I want quiet."
Hinata switched to the other arm as she mulled it over. "It takes time and practice, but I guess all it needs is a personal interest in the individual. I was very bad at it for a long time… My father always told me to 'read the mood' but I never got it. My younger sister learned that and became a better masseuses in no time, she could read people like an open book! But me…"
"Can't say I don't know what it feels like." It was tough when your rival was also family member. "So now you learned to read the mood?"
"I didn't know what it meant until I got rejected by this boy I liked." She shrugged helplessly, as if it was something silly she would rather not mention. "He said: Hinata, you're a great person, but you're creepy!" Sasuke's scoff relieved her somewhat, at least one of them was finding it humorous. "He said I thought about him too much, that I catered to his needs more than I should. His exact words were: Maybe you should share a little bit more of it with others instead of putting it all in one person. And then I realized it: I never really cared what the customers wanted because I thought of them as strangers, I simply followed the diagrams in the books because I was too scared to make a mistake."
He stiffened noticeably. "You can make mistakes in massages?!"
In all seriousness, she nodded. "Yes. Athletes tend to have injuries, right? It would be painful if I massaged their healing muscles with the same intensity as I would any other. Or, you see, some customers have areas that they'd like to focus on more than others; Tired necks from sitting at an office desk all day, for example."
"I see…" the conversation drifted off into comfortable silence, she'd finished his arms and was waiting for him to either take his shirt off or ask her to do it over the fabric. "Do you get grabby customers often?"
Hinata smiled at his curiosity, "More often than you think. We have training to deal with it, especially as the daughters of the owner. It's serious business." her eyes peeked up at him for just a second, "Are you going to get grabby?"
"Will I get in trouble for it?"
Her laugh was quiet and musical, he liked it. "Excuse you! Haven't you seen the security dog outside? It's as big as a bear!"
"That was a dog?!"
She hid her laugh in her hand. "Oh yes, he's very intimidating, but tell you a secret? He's a huge sweetheart."
"You got the 'huge' part down, at least." Without prompt, Sasuke pulled his shirt off and set it aside. He could tell she was staring at the dark scar on his chest where the skin looked like it went through a cheese grater. "Car accident."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
"Yeah." She made no move to proceed, so he finished, his voice low and unsure. "No... Both of my parents died in it."
"I'm so sorry for your loss."
"So am I…" Sasuke released the breath he'd been gulping back and pulled her into a hug, hiding his face in the crook of her neck to salvage what little shreds of self-respect he had left.
"Please, you're not allowed to do that!"
He spoke against her neck, his breath warm and shaky. "So call security."
She was trained well enough to push him off and call for help, and she'd done it several times, but this was different. This wasn't an attack, he wasn't being grabby or inappropriate, he probably didn't care that she was a woman; it was a stage of the process of letting go of the tension.
That was part of her job, wasn't it?
There had been the occasional customer who cried their heart out, some who kept talking about everything and nothing at all; she usually let them have their way as long as it didn't involve touching her.
But this was… A much-needed hug wasn't too bad, was it?
It wasn't really in the job description, she had to admit it was her enjoying the sensation of being hugged rather than contracted obligation. She rubbed his back lightly to show support, and to try to bring the focus back on the fact that he was here for a backrub. He squeezed her to him for a second more then released her altogether; there was a warm hand-shaped spot on her back and she didn't know what to do about it.
It took him a moment to catch his bearings and pretend nothing has happened, when that didn't work he rolled face-down onto the towel-covered table and turned his head away. "You can start."
The reminder of his appointment was spent in complete silence, not at all as tense as it had begun. She rubbed his back twice, once to warm it through and loosen him up, the other because he carried his worries right between the shoulder blades and those deep tissues were stressed to their full capacity.
Sasuke startled himself awake five minutes before the end of his hour, he sat up and rubbed his slack-jawed face awake, letting the towel she'd covered him with slip off. "I fell asleep?"
Hinata had already washed her hands, folded his shirt and jacket on the tray, and was leafing through a gardening magazine on the couch. "It's fine, you still have about five minutes."
"How embarrassing." He pulled his shirt and jacket on, and tried not to address the warmth tingling in his cheeks and ears as he slipped into his shoes.
"Not at all." her eyes were twinkling, glad to see a noticeable improvement in his overall mood. "I'm sworn to secrecy, so nobody will know what your sleeping face looks like."
"You will know."
"I've seen worse." She set the magazine aside and stood up to lead him to the door. "Mumbling, snoring, and other unmentionable sounds. It's nothing I can't handle."
He paused at the door and looked at her, his vision clear for the first time in a long time. "You're surprisingly professional at this. I didn't think much of you at the shop, but now…"
She blushed, "Well, we're allowed to indulge in our private time."
"Hn…" He nodded once, then considered saying something twice before finally saying it. "Can I kiss you?"
It startled her that after showing him exactly what kind of a respectable business this was, he was still asking for something like that. "Think of the giant dog!"
His chest rose and fell, a sigh or a chuckle she couldn't tell. He hesitated again but this time, it was something more appropriate. "Will you visit the shop again?"
"Your brother made me promise, so…"
"Not for my brother… I want to see you again, Hinata. I'll bribe you with a cheesecake, if that works."
The way he looked at her wasn't like his brother, he wasn't trying to make sure a customer would be returning, this wasn't about her wallet at all. He looked at her like a mythical creature was standing in front of him, it gave light to his eyes and a pleasant upwards curve to his mouth; it was heartwarming.
No, forget heartwarming, it was practically gut-wrenching. Her heart was beating horrendously hard, banging in her ears like Taiko drums in a festival.
Suddenly the heat in her face wasn't of awkwardness, but of genuine shyness that she hadn't felt in a long time and it made her impossibly bashful. She couldn't meet his eyes at all, and nodded her head to every grateful word he said until he walked through those glass double doors.
Her face was hot all day, and every time someone called her name she flinched a little.
"Irashaimase!" Two voices chimed at once when the bell on the door jingled early that morning.
"Hinata!" "Princess!"
Hinata giggled at the two young men as they gave each other disapproving glances, "Good morning! I came on my day off, just like I promised."
"I'm honored." Itachi picked up a small notepad and pen, and rounded the counter to take her order. "It's been two weeks, are you being overworked?"
She waved her hand dismissively and made a point of not looking in the general direction of the younger brother, already she was regretting not putting on heavier makeup to hide the flush in her cheeks. He stared at her rather intensely, too; did he not know the impact he made with those piercing eyes? "Last weekend I had to cover for someone, so now I get four days off!"
"Excellent, so I will take your order for the next four days now. How's that?"
"Stop bullying her." Sasuke groaned from where he stood, arranging chocolate mousse cups for the umpteenth time. "Just look around, choose whatever you like. You don't have to listen to everything he says."
Itachi turned to look at him. "Ooh? have you forgotten your manners already? And here I thought you were getting used to being out here." Hinata's questioning stare spurred him to explain regardless of Sasuke's protests. "You see, princess, ever since he talked to you he'd been different. He wouldn't tell me what happened but you've become something of a muse."
"Oi! Itachi!"
"He burned through slabs and slabs of chocolate trying to perfect this one recipe with no results, you show up and poof, he comes up with this little jewel in no time. I won't be surprised if you tell me you'd sprinkled some fairy dust on him." He pointed to the display where a few pieces of white chocolates sat on the other side of the glass. The whiteness of the surface seemed to hint at peach and violet colors swirling under the surface; like a frozen lake warming through from the bottom up.
Noticing her interest, Itachi rounded the counter to offer her one; Sasuke clenched his jaw as she put it in her mouth.
There were no explosions, no surprises, the difference in the maker's technique was tangible. Hinata hadn't had many instances of enjoyable white chocolate, but this one might be the one to tide her over. The flavor was simple and straightforward, not at all clunky or overbearing. The scent of spring filled her nose, like those days she spent drinking warm tea under the cherry blossoms with the family. It was tender in the back of her throat, and left her mouth coated with the velvety essence of good quality cocoa butter.
Her eyes sought his, and for a second she wondered if he knew what kind of emotion he was making her feel just by creating something like this. She'd had her doubts, but after what his brother said, after seeing the chocolate up close and realizing just how much the colors matched her skin and eyes, there was no more room for doubt.
She'd inspired someone to make something as wonderful as this; she, the small insignificant girl that men thought of as nothing but a pair of supple buttocks to grab.
She'd never told him that her fragrance was scented with cherry blossoms, or that her favorite kind of tea was simple green tea; this was the only line of white chocolate on display so he must have gone to great lengths to balance out the flavors while keeping it bright.
Oh... Was this was what falling in love tasted like?
It was unexpectedly kind.
"Are you… Okay?" Sasuke asked hesitantly, shooting his brother a worried look in case the batch was bad or something.
"Mm." her nod relieved the eldest one, but the youngest continued to watch her carefully. "Well, I uhh… I don't plan on always having free samples, so I would like to order, please." She looked at the displays one after the other, but couldn't see the cake she'd been dreaming about for the past two weeks. "It's not available today? You know, that… uhh… That rollercoaster one?"
Itachi was utterly confused, but Sasuke knew exactly which one she meant. "Oh, yes of course. We were planning on having it out in the afternoon, but I can get you one from the back. Earl Grey, same tea as last time?"
"You remember!"
Sasuke was busy putting together her order in the back when Itachi joined him, leaving Hinata and two more guests to get comfortable on the seats around the shop."Rollercoaster?"
"Yeah, she said it was like a rollercoaster the first time she tried it. Lots of flavors one after the other."
"That's brilliant! Let's name it that!" Itachi beamed. "And all this time worrying about a distinctive name, you guys had it all along. You're right, she is as bright as the sun."
"Shut up, I didn't say that."
Itachi laughed and busied his hands with an order for coffee and croissant. "That's not what the white board said for fourteen days straight. You think I didn't notice?"
"It was for a recipe!" Sasuke sulked and pretended to be too busy watching the tea steep to contribute to the conversation any further.
"Oh I see, a recipe made of sunshine, cherry petals and green tea. No, you're right, it makes perfect sense." When there was no reaction, he decided to tease his brother from another angle; after all, it's been several months since the last time Sasuke had been in high spirits. "I can't blame you, she makes the cutest face when she's enjoying herself."
"Yeah…" For some reason his eyes wouldn't stop blinking and his ears wouldn't stop tingling.
"Oh?" Itachi picked up the tray and on his way out the door made a point of leaning close to Sasuke's ear. "Were you just picturing it two inches away from yours?"
Every single customer in that shop jumped in surprise at the loud crash in the kitchens. Itachi walked out like nothing was the matter, albeit with a barely stifled grin of satisfaction on his face.