Chapter 10 – The First Of Many

She was in meltdown mode.

It was Saturday night and in just under an hour, Uchiha Sasuke would be picking her up and taking her to dinner for their date. Already it was dark out, seeing as though it was past seven in the evening and they were entering winter. It seemed cold out, also, which was partly why Sakura was so frustrated.

What the hell was she going to wear?

Her best dress, her favourite dress, was still in the corner of her room and there wasn't a chance in hell that she was wearing it again any time soon. All of her other outfits were currently thrown across her bed and not a single one appealed to her because not a single one of them looked good enough for a first date.

Since the elevator day (as Sakura had dubbed it), she and Sasuke had eaten their lunch together every day since then, though yesterday hadn't been able to eat in Naruto's hideout due to the horrendous weather. It had been lashing it down with rain and the wind was so fierce that there was honestly no point in even looking at an umbrella. So instead they had eaten in the cafeteria, trying their best to ignore the disbelieving stares and whispers that had followed them.

Grabbing all of the hangers that were carrying jeans, shorts and t-shirts, Sakura put them back into her wardrobe and frowned to herself. At least half of her clothes were now gone, making it easier to see the others but it still did little to help her make her choice. So when she saw a few mini skirts, Sakura also hung them back up inside of her wardrobe. They wouldn't be appropriate for a formal restaurant.

She resisted the urge to scream.

Seven dresses were left. Seven dresses, three blouses and six knee length pencil skirts. The pencil skirts accentuated her figure, made her seem curvier and they definitely made her ass look good, but… But she didn't want to wear a skirt and have to worry about her blouse sticking out or making her seem lumpy. Sighing, she put the skirts, along with the blouses, back into the wardrobe and turned to look at what she was left with. Seven dresses. Each was different in their own way and they were all different shades of different colours. Some had pretty patterns, others were plain. Some were like a second skin when worn, others were quite loose. Some were knee length, some were floor length and some were short.

Floor length seemed a bit too formal for a first date (more like something for prom), so Sakura got rid of the two dresses, looking over the final five with a critical eye. Sasuke seemed to have liked the red dress and, realising this, she picked it up and unscrewed it, sighing at the creases but also taking note of the style. It was loose and only formfitting around her breasts. Placing the red dress over the chair in her room, Sakura got rid of the skin tight dresses and found that she was left with three dresses.

One was a fairly short qipao and aside from the shoulders being covered, there were no sleeves. The dress was made out of red silk with a golden phoenix design and while it wasn't the loosest dress she owned, it certainly was not the tightest. She supposed it would look nice with a pair of her mother's black heels…

Placing it down onto the bed, she assessed the next dress. There wasn't much to it, really. It was almost exactly like her red dress only in navy and instead of there being straps for sleeves, this one was long sleeved though with a low neckline. White heels would look nice with it, but then again, white heels always managed to look tacky. She grimaced. Black heels wouldn't be too bad, depending on which pair.

Finally, the last dress. It was made out of a satin apple green fabric, matching her eye colour. She could recall wearing it for a wedding, so it was definitely formal. Completely strapless with a white belt around the waist and it also reached mid thigh. It was tight around her breasts and loose every where else. If she was not mistaken, she should still have the heels that had matched the dress, since it had been worn to a wedding.

Glancing at the clock, she grimaced. Twenty minutes. Had she seriously just wasted over forty minutes trying to decide on what to wear? Sasuke would be here soon and she still hadn't done her hair. Grabbing two of the dresses, Sakura shoved them into her wardrobe and quickly shed her dressing gown, pulling on a pair of white underwear along with the matching bra. Thankfully, after getting out of the shower and going through her face creams, she had done her makeup, so that was one less problem to worry about.

Reaching for her hairdryer, Sakura tipped her head upside down and quickly began to dry her hair, ruffling it about with her free hand. It always gave her more volume to dry it this way and it made her layers appear spikier. Ten minutes later and Sakura was slipping her dress and shoes on, leaving her bedroom.

"Mom, do you mind if I borrow your bag? Mine still needs cleaning."

"You look amazing, Sakura," Mebuki sighed happily when her daughter entered the living room. "I was hoping you would choose that dress, too. Here." She held out the bag Sakura was asking about. "I already cleared my things out of it for you."

Smiling gratefully, Sakura grabbed the bag and put her phone and purse into it as well as her lipstick. Nothing else would really fit into the bag since it was more of a clutch, but like her dress it was made out of a satin material, though was white. That had to be the best thing about being so close with her mother. The trust that she gave to her. This bag… Well, it hadn't been cheap, but Mebuki trusted Sakura not to ruin it or get it dirty. The same went for when Sakura wanted to borrow her shoes (they were the same size, much to her delight).

"Do you need any money?"

Her mother's question caused Sakura to pause. Sasuke had already told her not to bother bringing any money when she asked how much she would need, and said that he would pay for it all, but… It didn't really feel right to make him pay for everything. Sure, Sakura felt comfortable with Naruto paying for a hot chocolate and muffin every now and then, but that was because she paid for him just as much. They took it in turns.

Rubbing her bare arm, she frowned at her mother. "Sasuke said he'd pay, but…"

Mebuki chuckled when Sakura's sentence trailed off and stood up from her seat on the sofa. "Don't worry, Sakura. I was the same when I was your age – I still would be if somebody asked me out. You like to be independent. There's nothing wrong with an independent woman." There was a pause as Mebuki riffled through her purse before turning to Sakura once more, offering her a handful of money. "Here. We won't need the extra money this week, so hopefully this will cover your half of the date."

"Are you sure?"

They weren't poor, but they certainly weren't rich. They managed to get by with paying the rent and other bills as well as grocery shopping, but other things were a bit of a push at times, depending on what time of month it was (Mebuki's pay day was at the end of every month). Since it was the end of November, her mother had been paid only a couple of days ago, but would it be okay to take the money with Christmas being so close?

"Take it, Sakura."

Nodding, she did so and put the money in her purse. Even though Sakura felt unsure of taking the money, she felt somewhat relieved that it wouldn't only be Sasuke paying for everything. "I'll bring back any change for you. And–"

The doorbell ringing cut her off and she pursed her lips, glowering over in the direction of the front door.

"I don't know how the hell those damned Uchihas keep getting past the downstairs door, but–"

"Oh, are you talking about Itachi-san getting in the other day?" Mebuki questioned as she gently pushed her daughter in the direction of the door. "I let him in on my way out. He said he needed to talk to you and would do so while giving you a ride to school."

Wow. So Uchiha Itachi really was a gentleman and not some creepy stalker. "And Sasuke?"

"He buzzed not too long ago and I told him to come up."

"Mom! You could've given me some warning, you know."

She chuckled softly and gave a final push, taking a step back to watch as Sakura opened the front door. It was such a nostalgic sight, seeing her daughter's first date. It reminded her of her own, in a way. And the way the young Uchiha boy looked up at her, his eyes threatening to widen a fraction… Mebuki bit back her smile. "Have fun on your date," she told them cheerfully, scooting Sakura out of the door. "And make sure you're home for midnight at the latest."

Midnight? Sakura couldn't help but be shocked. "That's later than usual…"

"It's your first date. Just go and have fun."

With that, she shut the door, leaning against it and sighing happily.

"Geez," she heard Sakura sighing. "Anyone would think that my mom was the one going on a date."

That boy… Yes, he had hurt her daughter, but Mebuki knew that Sakura had always cared for him. Oh, she could remember when she used to write his name all over her notebooks, when she used to talk about nothing but "Sasuke-kun". He had to be something special for Sakura to forgive him for hurting her, but that wasn't the only reason why she was allowing them to date. She had met his older brother before and just the other night, not long after Sakura had attempted to meet Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi had approached her. Since she had been on a break during her shift, Mebuki reluctantly sat down opposite the man in a booth and listened to him while sipping on her coffee.

According to Itachi, his younger brother had done a lot of growing up over the years and can now understand that he had hurt Sakura with his actions. As well as that, he said that he'd never seen Sasuke so down. Never. That meant the day he met Sakura, he'd been hurt, too. Oh, Mebuki knew about that violent, angry streak in her daughter and sometimes, it worried her when she'd see the ticking in her brow, so she knew that Sakura had lost her temper that day and most likely hurt Sasuke too.

He was trying to make amends, Itachi had murmured to her. And if they decided to try a relationship, he had asked that she accepted it and didn't step in the way of it or interfered. Sasuke wasn't one who opened up to others. He preferred to keep to himself and deal with his problems by himself. The fact that he'd opened up to Sakura meant a lot. And Itachi would like for him to keep that bond with Sakura, he would like for Sasuke to be given the chance to earn her forgiveness and trust.

Smiling, Mebuki stood up straight.

She needn't worry. Sure, she'd been worried at first but the second Sasuke caught sight of Sakura…

That boy was diving head first and smashing his way back into Sakura's life, Mebuki could see that clearly and she could also see that it would take one hell of a devastation to make him disappear again. And that was why she was okay with it. After spending sixteen and a half years with Haruno Kizashi, Mebuki could tell a bad guy a mile off. It was their eyes that gave their impure thoughts away. She could see in Sasuke's eyes that…

He would not hurt her again.

He was being quiet.

Sakura glanced up at Sasuke out of the corner of her eye as they walked side by side down the open corridor. On one side were the doors to apartments, but on the other, was a balcony of sorts, allowing fresh air to fill the corridor. It also gave them a view of the car park below them.

Not a single word had been said. At all.

Did he not like her dress? Was her hair a mess? Raising a hand, she tugged on a strand of it, biting the inside of her cheek. Since her dress was so formal and pretty, Sakura had thought it would be best to leave her hair natural after blow drying it and because of that, her layers were spikier than usual, although not dramatically so. Maybe she should have straightened it after all? Or was it her makeup? Was the winged eyeliner too much? Or was it the lip gloss?

However…

When they were alone and in the elevator, Sasuke tilted his head in her direction, but his bangs shielded his eyes from her. "You…" It surprised her when his cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. "You look beautiful."

Her heart stopped. Not knowing what to reply with, Sakura released her hair and reached out, taking his hand. Her eyes stared down at the ground and a small, shy smile on her lips.

Beautiful.

He called her beautiful.

It made her chest feel warm.

"So… Are you going to tell me where we're going?" she asked quietly, trying to calm the pounding of her heart.

Sasuke smirked and raised his head so that his bangs were no longer shielding his eyes. "No."

Pouting as the elevator doors opened and they stepped out, she looked up at him. "Why not?"

"Because–"

"Sakura-san!"

Her eyes widened and she quickly turned to the side, grinning at the boy running towards her with a large smile on his face, waving one of his long arms at her. "Lee-san!"

Once he came to a stop in front of her, he calmed down ever so slightly, though still continued to smiling. That smiled dimmed, however, when Sasuke stepped closer to Sakura and Lee glanced down at their joined hands. "What's this, a date?"

"Yeah," she replied with ease, silently asking Lee with her eyes not to cause a scene like he usually did. "Sasuke and I are going on our first date tonight."

"Oh, I see." The older boy frowned before looking to Sasuke. "Please take care of Sakura-san, Sasuke-kun. She is one of my closest friends and I don't like seeing her upset."

Sasuke remained silent. Just as Lee opened his mouth to say more, Sakura leaned forward and smiled. "Have you just got back from training?"

A faint blush swept across his cheeks and Lee glanced down at his attire. "Ah, yes."

"Don't worry," she told him. "You don't smell bad like the last time!"

He chuckled and scratched the back of his head, his blush deepening. "Thank you, Sakura-san. Gai-sensei didn't push me nearly as hard this time since my leg is still recovering."

Oh yeah, how could she forget? One time during training, Lee had been distracted by something and landed wrong, breaking his leg as a result. Sakura felt so badly for the way Naruto had just barged into the dojo, uncaring of the fact people were training and trying to concentrate. It wasn't all bad, though. Lee had been very pleased about the blond's return and talked him into rejoining the dojo now that he was home.

"We can talk tomorrow, Sakura-san. You are on a date right now and Gai-sensei has given me orders to relax for the rest of the night. If you're free tomorrow, I could come upstairs and visit you?"

That sounded nice. Since Lee lived on the floor beneath her, he was always popping over whenever they had free time to check up on Sakura and her mother. And Mebuki liked having him around, too. "That'd be nice. My mom was saying the other day that she hasn't seen you in a while."

"Then it is settled," Lee told her with a bright smile, offering her a thumbs up. "I will come and see you both after my training." He patted her shoulder in a friendly gesture, calming down once more. "Have fun tonight, Sakura-san, Sasuke-kun. It was good seeing you both."

He was such a nice, polite person, Sakura thought as Lee walked around them and entered the elevator. "Bye, Lee-san!"

"Goodbye!"

She chuckled to herself and looked up at Sasuke, but he was looking away, making her frown. "Sasuke?"

He said nothing and instead guided her in the direction of the door, holding it open for Sakura and just as quietly making his way over to his car.

She tugged him to a stop.

"Look at me."

It seemed he did so reluctantly. "What?"

"Lee-san is my friend."

He scowled. "And?"

"And there's no need for you to be jealous," Sakura told him, giving him a small smile. "Lee-san… He's like Gaara, in a way. He's always been there for me, even though I wasn't always nice to him. I'm lucky to have a friend who's so persistent and kindhearted, since I'm not exactly the nicest person to be around."

Sighing, Sasuke pulled on her hand to bring her closer, making Sakura's eyes widen a fraction. "Ino was wrong when she said you're unpleasant, Sakura."

Was she, though?

"And I wasn't jealous," he added with a frown.

"The blush on your cheeks says different," Sakura teased.

Sasuke looked away and pulled her forward once more as he began to walk closer to his car. Her eyes widened at the sight of it. Like his older brother, Sasuke had an expensive looking car and it made her uneasy for a number of reasons. First: it was in this car park. It was an open, public car park that anyone had access to. People came in and out of it all the time.

Second… Sakura lowered her eyes as Sasuke opened the door for her and shut it once she was in. Second: it proved that he was swimming in money. Did he ever think about the difference between them? Did he ever think that he had to pay for things, because she may not be able to afford them? It made her uncomfortable. His car looked as though it cost more than everything inside her apartment.

Then again, Sakura wasn't ashamed by the lives she and her mother lived. As always, she was proud of her mother and everything Mebuki did. The woman was working two jobs and never complained once about them. She was always putting others first. As well as that, she did whatever she could to make sure Sakura had everything she needed, to make sure her daughter never went without. Sure, they weren't rich, but like Sakura had been thinking earlier: they weren't poor, either. They were comfortable. She was worrying over nothing.

Sitting up for a moment, Sakura smoothed down her dress, making sure there would be no crinkles when she got up again. There was no telling how long they'd be driving for.

When Sasuke was in his seat and putting on his seat belt, she smirked. "So?"

He paused and looked up at her. "So?"

"Do you prefer the red dress still?"

It made her blush when Sasuke's eyes trailed down from her face and over her body, lingering on certain areas before meeting her eyes once more. And instead of being embarrassed about so blatantly checking her out (he shouldn't be really, since she'd asked), he instead smirked at her. "It's a draw," replied Sasuke as he started the engine. "But this dress matches your eyes." Turning his head to the side, his smirk widened at the blush on her cheeks. "I like that."

He was like a completely different person tonight, so much so that it was making her more nervous than usual. The blush on her cheeks was still obvious as Sakura turned to look out of the window, watching as the darkened street passed them by. It was decided as they met their first traffic lights that Sasuke was a fast driver, yet also a cautious one. Not overly cautious that it drove her insane, but more like wary of what could happen and avoiding those things, if that even made any sense. It did in her head.

She looked over to him again, watching as he focused on the road. "Who taught you how to drive?"

"Shisui. You?"

Sakura shrugged. "I can't drive."

Even if she could, she wouldn't have a car. It was simply too much money. Her mother didn't have a car, either, even though she could drive. Instead they both took the bus or the train, since it was much cheaper when they paid for passes. Sakura hoped that one day, however, she'd be able to buy her mother a car to take herself to and from work. That way, she wouldn't have to leave so early in the mornings or return so late at night. Mebuki would be able to sleep in longer and hopefully relax more.

"You're not missing much." Sasuke also shrugged, turning a corner.

She honestly couldn't help but laugh, effectively gaining his attention immediately. "Seriously? I know I'm missing out, Sasuke." Sakura rolled her eyes and laughed once more. "I'd rather have a car and my mom was going to buy me one, but I told her not to bother. If one of us is having a car, then it'll be her."

Something flashed in his eyes, something she couldn't fully distinguish. It was definitely a positive thing, though. "You really care about her."

Even though it wasn't a question, she nodded, once more looking away. "For years she put up with my dad to try and keep our family together, so that it didn't have any negative effects on me. My mom wanted me to grow up thinking we're a happy family and that I was loved and safe and…" She shook her head. "How can I not respect her for that? For me, she gave up her freedom and safety and stayed in a loveless, abusive marriage." Realising that she was dampening the mood, Sakura decided to change the topic. "How's your family, anyway?"

There was silence for a moment as Sasuke repeated Sakura's words in his mind, not for the first time cursing Haruno Kizashi as he did so. "I asked Itachi about him giving you a ride to school and he told me that I was taking too long, so he gave you 'a nudge' in the right direction."

Her eyes widened, snapping to meet his even though Sasuke's were on the road. "What?"

He sighed and once more, his cheeks were burning. "…He thinks you're good for me."

Good for him. Her. Haruno Sakura, good for Uchiha Sasuke? That was… It was actually kind of romantic, now that she was thinking about it. "Do you think that?"

Another pause.

This one stretched out for quite a while.

"…Sasuke?"

"You're one of very few people I've reached out to," Sasuke told her quietly and refused to meet her eyes.

"That doesn't answer my question."

At the next red light, Sakura was surprised when Sasuke turned his head to the side and gave her a serious look, his eyes narrowing a fraction although not out of anger. "If we can make this work then yeah, I think you would be good for me."

She didn't answer until the light was green, until Sasuke was facing forward once more.

"I think you'll be good for me, too."

The restaurant was intimidating.

Don't get her wrong, Sasuke was being a great date. He held open doors for her, pushed her chair under the table and even removed her jacket for her. All of those things were things Sakura had believed he'd never do. However…

Focusing entirely on the menu, Sakura tried her best to hide her discomfort. Everybody here was of the upper class. They all appeared to be elites. And in his navy suit, Sasuke seemed to fit right in with them all. He held himself proudly and had that look on his face that made one aware of his class. Hell, he didn't even look at the menu because Sasuke already knew what was on it and what he wanted to order, so instead sipped his water patiently.

He was probably doing it unknowingly but it all intimidated her. Sakura had seen the looks she received when she entered the fancy restaurant. She'd seen the looks of disapproval as they eyed her pink hair, shockingly apple green dress and heels. It… It irked her! Compared to the other women, she looked like a kid going to her prom. She looked like a child trying to play dress up. It was embarrassing. Not only that, but the prices of the food was just ridiculous. The money her mother had given her would just about cover the starter. Her hold on the menu tightened. She wasn't used to luxury such as this. Yes, she'd been expecting to go somewhere nice, but this was…

Feeling eyes on her, Sakura glanced to the side, frowning when she met the hard eyes of a middle aged woman. Her blonde hair was thick and wavy, reaching the middle of her back and her make up appeared to have been done by an artist, as it was all done in a way that accentuated her natural beauty. Nothing on the woman looked unnecessary – everything had its place and looked like it belonged there. Just like the woman in the restaurant.

She didn't fit in and it intimidated her. It made her uncomfortable. And as her eyes slid back to the table, remaining fixed on the menu, she felt a blush of humiliation rising on her cheeks.

"Sakura?"

Her eyes snapped up to Sasuke's. "What is it?"

"You look uncomfortable."

Shaking her head, she gave him a smile. "Do I? It's nothing."

His eyebrows knitted together. "You don't like it here."

Her smile dropped and her stomach plummeted. It wasn't a question. "…No."

Instead of seeming annoyed, Sasuke sighed and leaned back in his seat, raising an unimpressed eyebrow. "You should have just told me that – I don't like it, either. My mother mentioned this place and said it would make a good impression on you."

And just like that, Sakura's smile returned. "You told your mom about me?"

There was a pause, one where Sasuke looked startled. "Yeah."

He told his parents about her. For some reason, that made the discomfort fade away ever so slightly. It made her focus entirely on Sasuke and how he now seemed to be uncomfortable. It was like he hadn't wanted her to know about such a thing just yet for whatever reason. However, Sakura thought that it was rather… adorable.

She hadn't thought of Uchiha Sasuke as adorable in a long, long time.

"Did you tell them good things?" She smiled, resting her chin in her hand as she placed her elbow on the table. "About how my personality is amazing and I'm such good company?"

Sasuke smirked. "Sure. I told them all about your tendency to speak with your fists and how you enjoy winning, even if it means using a sneaky, unfair attack."

Her mouth dropped open in shock and she sat up straight. "They hate me!"

"Actually, they like the sound of your personality."

"B-But why? It sounds horrible!"

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke signalled to the waiter. "Because if you weren't who you are, I'd walk all over you and grow bored in no time. Our… This would be meaningless, if that was the case."

The waiter approaching had him turning his head to the side, not looking at Sakura as well as not listening to what she was saying or about to say.

"Are you ready to order, Uchiha-san?"

He shook his head. "We're leaving."

Sakura's eyes went wide.

"O-Oh!" the waiter stammered. "Is something not to your liking?"

"Something like that," he murmured and reached into his blazer, taking out a few notes. "Here. This is for the drinks."

She was still staring at Sasuke with wide eyes when the waiter left. "We don't have to leave."

"You don't like it here," replied Sasuke with a frown.

Her hands clenched into fists against her thighs. "But… I don't want our date to end."

Realising why she was so upset, he couldn't help but smirk. "It's not ending. I'm just going to take you somewhere else."

Oh. Sakura lowered her head and sighed. That was good. Strangely enough, since giving Sasuke a chance, she hadn't wanted to do anything that could mess it up for either of them. It was like watching him trying so hard to make things work made her want to try even harder. So when Sakura had heard that they were leaving, she'd been certain that she had messed things up and that the date was over.

Standing, Sasuke pushed his chair under the table and waited as Sakura also stood up, tugging at the ends of her dress while self-consciously looking around herself. And it was at that moment that he figured out why she was so uncomfortable.

"I don't see what they're all glaring at you for." Sasuke raised his voice ever so slightly so that they could all hear him as he took Sakura's hand, leading the way out of the restaurant. "Maybe it's because they're all below Uchiha standards?"

The women who had been glaring quickly looked away, feeling just as humiliated as Sakura had been.

All Sakura could do was stare at the back of Sasuke's head with wide eyes and a disbelieving yet happy smile. Just those two simple sentences made her insecurities feel less there. As arrogant as they were, he made it obvious that he found her to be better than the other women, who were all so very beautiful and dressed in the finest of clothes and jewels.

Sakura smiled at the waiter as she gave her order, so very happy that they'd had a last minute cancellation.

It was a beautiful place and fortunately, they were sat by a window that looked out at a large, beautifully decorated pond, giving them a stunning view. The waiter had told them that they had outdoor tables also, but due to the winter season, they were currently out of use. That didn't matter. Sakura found that the table they had at the moment in time was more than enough and she couldn't stop her eyes from trailing over to the stunning pond every few minutes.

"How do you know Rock Lee?"

He hadn't spoke in over five minutes and that was what he asked her? "Self-defence classes." Sakura offered him a smile as she sipped her drink. "I met him when I started the dojo a few years ago, asking Gai-sensei for self-defence lessons. I was the only girl in the class and I didn't really know anyone, so Lee-san offered to work with me as a sparring partner."

She was glad he did, because she wouldn't be nearly as skilled as she was right now without him. Whenever she hit a block, whenever she grew too weak to continue, he pushed her and he pushed her, breaking down those barriers for her like it was the easiest thing to do. In a way, Lee was like her older brother. He was protective of her and would do anything to keep her safe but at the same time, he forced her to learn how to protect herself, so that she wouldn't be relying completely on others' strength.

"Self-defence?"

She nodded once and placed her glass down. "I needed something to do outside of school, something that took my mind off everything else and when I became friends with Gaara, he told me about the dojo he was at. So I joined. It was a great way to take my mind off everything and at the same time, I was learning to protect myself. I suppose it's like an outlet, even though that probably sounds really stupid and cheesy."

The blush on her cheeks had Sasuke shaking his head. "It doesn't. But why did you need to protect yourself if your father was gone?"

There was a sigh and Sakura resisted the urge to run her hand through her hair. "My mom kept taking him back," she murmured with a frown. "He kept coming back to us and sweet talking her into thinking he'd changed. Altogether, I'd say it worked four times. So many times, so many times I yelled at her and tried to warn her what would happen, but my dad, he… He kept telling my mom that growing up without a father, especially during my teenage years, would be damaging."

"It would be more damaging to grow up in an environment like that."

"Which is exactly what I told her." Leaning back in her seat, she sighed again. "That's where my anger issues truly started – or became worse. Having to listen to him coming home every night, drunk and then beating the crap out of my mom and then hearing him sweet talking her into his bed. It was driving me insane."

He frowned. "What did you do?"

"I gave her an ultimatum." She shrugged and once more reached for her glass. "Either she left him and never spoke to him again or she gave me up and put me in a care home. I know it seemed a bit dramatic, but I was tired of it. I was tired of hearing her pain and I was tired of being unable to do anything about it. I had to make sure that the marriage stayed dead."

"You were just protecting your mother." The frown on his face was still obvious. "Has she ever said anything to you about the ultimatum?"

Again, Sakura nodded and gave a small smile. "She thanked me for making her see what she was doing to me by staying in such an abusive relationship. My mom was terrified of me growing up thinking it was normal and somehow finding myself in the same situation one day."

Like hell that would happen, Sasuke thought. Haruno Sakura would never allow anybody to push her around or bully her, especially not a man. Then again, even the feistiest of women, even the strongest and most defiant, could be controlled in one way or another. Somehow, they were always broken like Haruno Mebuki had been. And not just women either. Men were also sufferers of domestic violence. He couldn't really say anything about it though, could he? Not unless he experienced it for himself.

"Has he tried contacting you again since the other week?"

Sakura shook her head. "We haven't heard a thing from him. Well, I haven't."

That was the moment their food arrived, making Sakura grin brightly at the delicious smell that wafted straight over to her. It smelled amazing and looked just as good. And unlike the other restaurant (from what she'd seen of other people's food), her plate was completely filled with food and there was none of that rubbish, tiny portion crap going on. After murmuring their thanks, they dug in.

Somehow, Sasuke had managed to pay for their date. How? By having the waiter refusing to take her money, of course. Instead, with a smirk on his face since he knew he won their little whatever the hell it was, Sasuke had paid for everything. Looking on the brighter side of things, at least she could give all of the money back to her mother.

However, standing in front of him now, outside of her apartment, Sakura felt a strange sense of owing Sasuke. That wasn't how a date was supposed to work, right? Well, it wasn't exactly that she felt as though she owed him something. It was difficult to explain. It felt like there was something she had to do, but what? If it was a movie, he would be leaning in to kiss her right about now. But that couldn't happen. Not yet, at least. It was only their first date. She tightened her hold on his hand for a moment, giving it a gentle squeeze. There was probably something she could do to meet him halfway. Then again, was Sasuke having the same thoughts as her, or did he want to kiss her? It was hard to tell. As always, he was unpredictable.

And suddenly, Sasuke was pulling Sakura against him, surprising her greatly.

A hug.

Instead of a kiss, he was giving her a hug. It was rather warm, she supposed and oddly comforting. Also, in his arms with her face against his neck, Sakura could smell his scent quite strongly. Strangely spicy, yet with a hint of something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Whatever it was, it was appealing and it horrifyingly caused her heart to do a strange thudding sensation in her chest.

She closed her eyes and willed the weird sensation away, returning his embrace.

"I liked tonight," Sakura said quietly into his neck.

"Yeah." I did too.

Hearing the silent words at the end of his sentence, she smiled. "Same time next weekend?"

She felt his smile. "Wear another dress."

Sakura couldn't help but chuckle, slowly pulling back ever so slightly. "Wear another suit."

"I suppose it can be arranged."

Stunning him, Sakura leaned up, doing her best to stubbornly close the height distance between them and when he leaned down to make it easier, she turned his head to the side and sweetly kissed his cheek.

"Thank you for tonight, Sasuke."