Date: October 18th, 2014
Pairing: SasuSaku, lots of friendships
Prompt: Speechless
Title: Little Loves
Summary: Team 7 knows that the love between friends is just as powerful as the love between soulmates.
Disclaimer: Naruto, not mine since 1999.
Author's Note: Another wedding fic, this one more westernized. Also, apparently there are some "concerns" about my stories. I will address these at the bottom.
It has been four days, seven hours, and forty-three minutes since Sasuke proposed to Sakura.
Sakura wants a spring wedding, which gives her two months to get everything planned and booked.
She needs flowers, a cake, an officiant, a dress, and someone to walk her down the aisle (Haruno Kizashi passed away two years ago). She will leave it to Sasuke to figure out his best man (as if there were a question of who it would be), a venue for the reception, and a band to play at it.
Team Seven's resident kunoichi smiles fondly to herself as she thinks of each of the friends that she hopes will be a special part of her wedding day, the day she has dreamed of since she was a little girl at the Academy.
"HE PROPOSED? WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN? HOW DID HE DO IT? TELL ME EVERYTHING, NOW, WOMAN."
Yamanaka Ino is, of course, the first person Sakura tells the news to. They have been friends and rivals since they were children, and if there is anyone who is going to be Sakura's maid of honor, it is Ino.
It also doesn't hurt that Ino's family owns the finest flower shop in all of Fire Country.
"Calm down, pig. He asked me four days ago while we were lying in bed." Sakura smiles and sips her tea, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
But Ino is not satisfied. "Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. You're saying he asked you to marry him in bed after doing the no pants dance? Ugh, totally unromantic and totally Sasuke." The blonde wrinkles her nose in disapproval.
Sakura scowls. "Shut up, it was romantic. It was intimate and sweet, and you're just jealous because Shikamaru's too lazy to propose so you'll probably have to do it yourself."
At that, Ino is on her feet and ready for a (mock) fight. "WHAT DID YOU SAY, BILLBOARD BROW?! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW-"
"Anyway, are you going to be my maid of honor or not?"
For once, Ino has nothing to say as her mouth snaps shut. Her baby blue eyes water and her lips quiver before she launches herself at her friend in a tackle-hug that Sakura assumes is a yes.
"Congratulations Sakura-chan, I'm so happy for you!"
Hinata embraces her friend tightly, truly happy for the long-suffering girl. As they let go, she offers Sakura a wide smile that reaches up to her eyes. She knows that it will also make Naruto overjoyed to have his best friends finally tying the knot.
As they walk through the gardens of the Hyuuga compound, Hinata asks when she plans to have the wedding. Sakura looks a bit sheepish when she tells her it will be in two months.
"Oh, but that's so soon! Will you have everything ready in time? Oh, but Sasuke-san might not even want a ceremony. I know he's very private."
Sakura giggles, touched by her friend's concern. "Sasuke-kun agreed to a wedding ceremony. It will most likely be our old Rookie Nine gang invited along with Sai, Yamato, and Tsunade-shishou. And yeah, I'm cutting it pretty close. Ino insisted on doing all the flowers herself, so that's a huge relief for me."
They reach a bend in the path, and stop to admire the artfully arranged peony bushes. Sakura fiddles with the hem of her shirt as if she is nervous and sucks in a steadying breath.
"Hinata, I also wanted to ask you a favor. Well, two actually."
The heiress blinks and smiles at her. "Anything, Sakura-chan. What is it?"
"I'd like you to be one of my bridesmaids. Also, Naruto has told me that you make the most delicious cakes he's ever tasted. Sasuke and I were wondering if you would do us the honor of making our wedding cake."
Hinata claps a hand to her mouth in surprise as her face turns beet red from the double compliment. It's all she can do to nod her reply emphatically before she starts giggling from happiness.
Soon after, Sakura starts giggling too and then they are both a ridiculously happy mess, as only girls utterly in love can be.
"Dobe."
"IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU ASKED SAKURA-CHAN TO MARRY YOU, YOU BASTARD."
Sasuke sighs. "Can we just go get ramen like normal friends?"
"HELL YES, WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO EARLIER?"
Naruto half-drags his best friend down the street to Ichiraku, rambling about something and Sasuke doesn't even know. Every few feet a "dattebayo!" pierces the air.
As they reach the ramen stand, Sasuke yanks his arm out of Naruto's grip. "Dobe, shut up. I have something I want to ask you." He takes a seat on one of the stools and orders a miso ramen.
"-and I'd better not ever hear about you sleeping around on Sakura-chan or ignoring her or yelling at her because if I find out you are-"
"Dobe."
"-I swear to ramen I'm going to kick your ass all the way back to the Valley of the End-"
"Oi. Idiot."
"-and if she doesn't break your face, I will-"
"Naruto."
"-and I'll get Kakashi-sensei and Sai and we'll-"
"Naruto."
"-two ice picks and a nutcracker-"
"NARUTO."
"WHAT?!"
"I'M TRYING TO ASK YOU TO BE MY BEST MAN."
The entire ramen stand (even Narto) goes silent. The noodles fall out of the blond jinchuuriki's mouth as he stares at his best friend in astonishment.
"Come in, Sakura."
"Hai, shishou." Sakura stands before her old mentor, the Godaime Hokage (who is rumored to be wanting to step down soon in favor of a younger, more bewhiskered Rokudaime-in-training).
Tsunade smirks at her younger pupil. "So I hear you're getting married. And to the Uchiha boy no less. Good job on taming that one."
Sakura rolls her eyes. "Sasuke-kun isn't tamed, shishou, he's just more...mellow now."
"Sure he is. And that technique I taught you had nothing to do with it."
Her former apprentice flushes to the roots of her pink hair. "ANYWAY. I was hoping you would be the one to officiate our wedding."
The older woman doesn't say anything, though her smirk widens. Instead, she pulls out a two small cups and a bottle of sake from her desk drawer. Filling both cups, she raises one to the girl she considers a daughter.
"So, let me get this straight. You guys...have a band."
"Yup."
"And how long have you been playing?"
"A couple of years. We do a couple of gigs here and there, mostly birthday parties."
"And who does what in this band?"
"Shino's on drums, Lee's on bass guitar and does back-up vocals, and I'm the lead guitarist and main vocals."
Sasuke stares at Kiba.
"Fine, you're hired."
"Sakura, I'm not sure I'm really qualified to be the one helping you with this."
Tenten looks supremely uncomfortable in the bridal store, a walking arsenal of sharp, metallic weapons amongst delicate lace and tulle wedding gowns.
Sakura grunts from inside the changing room. "It's not that you're the last person I'd ask, Tenten, but Ino-pig's on a mission for the next few days and Hinata is busy with family stuff. I have to get a dress today so that they'll have time to take it in and fix the hemline."
The sounds of a female versus fabric struggle filter through the stall door.
"And I can't ask the guys because they have no taste whatsoever. I need a woman's opinion on this, and you're the only other person I trust, Tennie."
Tenten, who doesn't have much experience with dresses or female friendships, melts a little on the inside at that.
And then Sakura finally emerges from the dressing room in the most gorgeous lace key-hole gown that Tenten has ever seen, and all she can do is squeal and point at the dress, jumping up and down in her excitement.
This is definitely the one.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
The grey-haired mentor of Team Seven emerges from his favorite tree, the pages of his favorite book unruffled by his descent. His eye crinkles in fondness for his only female student.
"I heard the news. Congratulations."
Kakashi can't help but feel a strong admiration for this student of his, who once spent all of her time chasing the backs of her teammates, and now could hold her own against any of them.
His old heart can't help but be warmed by the smile she gives him as she sits down next to him at the base of the tree.
"I have a special favor to ask of you, Kakashi-sensei."
"Oh? And what's that?"
Sakura goes silent for a few minutes, her face unusually somber as she stares out at the forest. When she finally turns back to him, her smile is gone and there is a certain gravity to her expression.
"I want you to be the one to walk me down the aisle."
His eye widens in surprise.
She continues, "I know that may seem odd. My father's gone, but even if he weren't, you have known Sasuke-kun and I the longest. You know what we've been through and you understand us. You understand me and how I feel about him."
Kakashi nods. He does understand. He pulls her close in a one-armed hug and her brilliant smile returns.
The ceremony is held outside in the viridian fields of the Nara estate. A white trellis covered in the most beautiful flowers the Yamanakas could grow marks the spot where Tsunade stands. Sasuke stands to her left in his tailored black tuxedo with Naruto to his right.
There is chatter amongst their guests as the music starts playing. Hinata and Tenten, clad in pastel bridesmaid dresses colored two shades lighter than Sakura's hair, begin to make their way down the grassy aisle. Following them is Ino, who is already struggling not to cry.
Then, finally, the bride appears on the arm of one Hatake Kakashi.
And the whole world hushes.
Sasuke doesn't hear anything else until he hears her say the words "I do."
Author's Note: Right, so. My first flames. I'd like to tackle these constructively, but I will probably get snarky. Here we go:
1) I do not hate Sasuke. There are times, many many times, when I would like to beat the snot out of him with a halibut, but I don't hate him. He's a complex character, and he's interesting to write (even if I do veer off into OOC territory). I understand that he is a character who, because of the trauma and tragedy he has suffered, does not particularly know how to interact with other people. He needs help, more than anything, and while I enjoy using him as a pinata in my stories, I recognize that he has serious mental issues. I feel sorry for him more than anything, and I hope he finds happiness by the end of the manga.
2) Regarding chapter 9 (Engagement Entanglement), all I can say is what the fuck to this one. I put Sasuke and Karin in the same story and that somehow makes me a SasuKarin shipper and equates to him nearly cheating on Sakura with her? What? Like, really? I will point out, in case this was somehow missed, that Karin GOT SASUKE DRUNK and married him WITHOUT HIS CONSENT. He did NOT know about it until he and Sakura applied for a marriage license. Furthermore, this event happened FOUR YEARS AGO. Since then, Karin has changed and now regrets what she did. Her crazyness has calmed down and she is in a committed relationship with Suigetsu. THERE IS NO SASUKE/KARIN CHEATING VIBE GOING ON THERE. I did not write it that way, so that's all on you. And now for the one that really bugs me, are you seriously telling me that a girl can't smile, have a guy acknowledge that she's pretty, AND NEITHER HAVE FEELINGS FOR THE OTHER? You are either twelve and/or have zero relationship experience.
3) Regarding Chapter 11 (Family-Friendly Filicide), Sasuke did not actually decide to get a hotel room away from his family. It's one of those things you think in your head when you're being melodramatic, but you don't actually mean it. I do it all the time, maybe I'm weird like that. And Sakura is not offering him sex in exchange for doing anything. It was a surprise from her, because she just wanted to. Sakura and the kids don't even know how stressed out he is by their antics. He has not told them how he feels about it BECAUSE HE IS, AS CONSISTENTLY SHOWN, TERRIBLE AT COMMUNICATION.
I would like to remind people that these are one-shots. Some of them have the potential to be multi-chapter fics, but they are not. Which means they are heavily condensed, and you will have to do a certain amount of extrapolating of details. I could probably do a better job of expressing time passage, and it's something I will work on. I apologize for the length of this rant and my bitchiness. Unfounded anonymous flames fuel my bloodlust. ;)
TL;DR: If you have any questions or concerns about my stories, please don't hesitate to shoot me a PM either here or on tumblr.