Category: Romantic Fluff
Characters: Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuga, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno
Requested By: Anonymous User
Sakura frowned thoughtfully as she experimentally squeezed the tomato in her hand. Its red skin was not overly firm, providing just enough yield to indicate to her that it was at its peak ripeness. Sakura smiled, dropped the fruit into her handbasket, and handed the vendor an appropriate amount of change. Sakura retrieved her shopping list from her pocket as she stepped away from the fruit and vegetable stall to allow other patrons to inspect his wares properly. She hummed contentedly as she listed off the items remaining in her head. Sugar… Bay leaf… Mirin… Garlic Paste… And some chicken! After stowing the list, Sakura prepared to proceed to the spice stall.
"Sakura!"
"Oh?" the pink-haired woman blinked when someone called out to her from behind. She glanced over her shoulder to see Hinata trotting up the dirt road, clutching a shopping basket to her chest. Sakura smiled pleasantly as the dark-haired woman approached. "Hello, Hinata. Out shopping for dinner, too?" she asked with a light laugh. Hinata came to a stop in front of her, smiling civilly.
"That's right!" she confirmed brightly. "I heard Sasuke's returned home! I'm sure you're delighted." At the mention of her beloved husband, a giddy, bubbly feeling bloomed in Sakura's body. She hummed happily as she pressed a hand to her reddening cheek; already, she was drifting off into space, fantasizing about her dreamy man. She only returned from orbit when Hinata coughed politely.
"O-oh! Yes, I am thrilled that he's home…" Sakura answered bashfully. Hinata giggled; she was usually the shy one, so Sakura was sure that it was a breath of fresh air to see someone else grow bashful. Hinata thoughtfully traced the wicker patterning of her basket.
"You know, we should do something to celebrate," she posed suddenly. Sakura raised her eyebrows, eyes widening.
"Like what?"
"How about a double-date?" Hinata suggested. Sakura immediately gasped and clasped her hands together with sparkling eyes.
"What a wonderful idea, Hinata!"
"You think so?" the dark-haired woman laughed and tilted her head to the side slightly. "I'm glad you think so. Naruto's been working so hard lately; I thought it might be good for him to take a break, and so all of us going out would be a wonderful opportunity."
The two fell in step as they made their rounds through the market, hammering out the details of their fun double-date. They decided for the following evening at the Green Calanthe, a high-end but not too expensive restaurant located in the more upscale part of the Hidden Leaf Village. After bidding Hinata farewell at the edge of the bazaar, Sakura found herself trotting a little faster towards home that evening, clutching her basket of groceries to her chest as her green eyes glimmered with girlish glee.
A double date with Sasuke…! Oh, it's been so long since we went on a proper date… I haven't been this excited since I was a girl!
Sakura turned side to side in front of the floor-length mirror, smoothing the wine-red dress over her curves and tilting up the back of her heels to display the thin, sophisticated arch of the mahogany-colored shoes. She heard the slight clunking of Sasuke's dress shoes as he strolled out of their shared bathroom, the spicy scent of his cologne wafting around him in a dense, husky cloud. Sakura breathed it in deep as he leaned into the junction of her neck to press a sweet kiss against her jugular and smile against the pulsing vein.
"You look lovely," Sasuke purred, turning his head to rest it against hers so he could smile sweetly at her through his reflection. Sakura hummed in satisfaction and petted his tufts of raven hair, twirling a piece of it around her index finger.
"Thank you, handsome." The corner of Sasuke's mouth twitched up into a playful smirk. He dropped another kiss to her bare shoulder, exposed by the broad neckline of her dress, before straightening up, leaving one large hand secured to her waist as he glanced around.
"Did Sarada leave already?"
"Yes, she's at Choji's for a sleepover with Chocho."
"A sleepover?" he asked in a sultry, seductive voice and pressed his face into her fluffy pink hair. Sakura squealed at the suggestive tone of his voice, wriggling in his grasp with a bright blush on her face.
"Sasuke!"
"What? Am I not allowed to seduce my wife after a certain number of years being married?" he teased with a wicked grin. Sakura's face brightened to a shade darker than her cherry blossom-hued hair, so she lunged forward to bury her nose into his sternum, whining miserably at his playful derision. He chuckled deeply, massaging the skin of her hip with his hand in purposeful squeezes.
"You're annoying," she accused, smirking as she peered at him through her pink lashes. He responded with a "tch" and pressed his first two fingers against her forehead, pushing her head back slightly.
"You're one to talk."
Sakura hummed in amusement before snaking her arms around his waist. She allowed herself the luxury of basking in his presence for a few short moments. She never knew when her husband would depart on more vital business for the village, so every time Sasuke was within her grasp, she soaked up every bit of his being that she could. She osmosed his energy, absorbed his presence, compartmentalized the feelings away in the recesses of her heart so that she could call upon them in the deep, lonely hours of their separation. Sakura pressed every inch of herself against his front as if she were trying to meld the two together so they would never be separated again. Sasuke clicked his tongue.
"You know, we can just stay home," he offered. As much as Sakura would like to take him up on the offer, she knew she had to refuse. Hinata looked so pleased with the prospect of a double date, and if Sakura were quite honest with herself, she had almost looked forward to it as much as a regular date with her man. Besides, Sasuke could use some socialization.
"No," she exhaled deeply, forcibly prying herself away from him. Her cells lamented the loss of his body heat with indignant tingles, but she suppressed the urge to clamp herself right back onto him. She peeled herself away, leaving them only connected by their linked hands. Sasuke's thumbs rubbed gentle circles into the tops of hers as he gazed down at her with glittering mismatched eyes. "No," she repeated with a small. "We should get going now before we're late."
Sasuke groaned audibly, indicating that he very much hoped that Sakura would consent to give Naturo and Hinata a rain check. As she started walking towards the door, Sasuke muttered something unflattering about his boisterous best friend and waddled behind Sakura like a dejected puppy. It made the kunoichi laugh. Still so unsociable, even after all these years.
"Sakura! Sasuke! Hello!"
Sakura turned her head as she heard Hinata's cheerful call echoing through the restaurant. The dark-haired girl and her sunny husband had already grabbed a table. Sakura cheerfully greeted them both as she slipped into the booth, with Sasuke languidly sliding onto the end seat beside her. As the couple joined their friends, the waiter cruised by to give them a menu and take their drink orders before bustling off to the kitchen. Sakura snuggled herself close to Sasuke while giving her friends an apologetic look.
"Did you have to wait long?"
"Oh, no, we've only been here a few minutes!" Hinata reassured with a dismissive wave of her hand. Sakura found herself sagging a little in relief; she'd hate to make the couple wait on them for too long because Sakura kept stopping Sasuke to trade little kisses and sweet nothings on the way… Sakura just couldn't help it; she had to steal as much affection as she could before she was starved of it again!
Naruto snickered under his breath, and when Sakura settled her spring green eyes on his sky blue ones, she saw an unnerving amount of knowing rippling around in his clear irises. As he opened his mouth to say something inappropriate, Sakura kicked him hard in the shin. Naruto shot up with a yelp, banging his knees on the underside of the table. He whimpered and curled in on himself to cradle his bruised kneecaps and probably fractured shin bone.
"Ow… Sakura! I didn't even say anything!" he protested, puffing out his cheeks while pouting at her with watery blue eyes. Sakura snorted and crossed her arms.
"You didn't have to! Hinata, I can't believe you married an oaf like Naruto. You have more class in your pinky finger than he does in his whole body!" Sakura griped. Hinata blushed and timidly heartened her whimpering husband with whispered compliments, while Naruto glared so savagely at Sakura that the pink lines of his gums peeked out beneath his teeth.
"And Sasuke married a grumpy ogre…"
"What did you say?!"
"Wah! Nothing! Nothing- uh- oh, hey! Our drinks!" Naruto hurriedly evaded, frightened by the vein that bulged in Sakura's forehead and the curling of her fists against the polished surface of the table. The waiter sauntered up with a tray laden with drinks, smiling cheerfully and oblivious to the aura of tension swirling between the blond and the pinkette. When prompted, Sakura politely informed him that they would need more time to decide on their food. As soon as the boy disappeared back into the kitchen, Sakura leaned across the table to smack Naruto upside the head, nearly knocking over the glass of water that the waiter had just delivered.
"That'll teach you for calling me a troll!"
"That's not even what I called you!"
"Haaaah?"
"Wah! Sasuke! Control your wife, please!" Naruto begged while cuddling into a very reticent Hinata. Sasuke flashed the cowering a blond a look that screamed, "Bold of you to assume I can or will control my wife," before casually leaning forward to rest a placating hand on the quaking Sakura's shoulder.
"Now, Sakura," he crooned in that velvet-rich deep voice that had Sakura melting before he even half-heartedly scolded her. "I know he's an idiot, but let's not make a scene, hnn? You'll upset Hinata…"
"Oh, no, I'm not upset," Hinata laughed while waving her hands dismissively. Still, Sakura could tell by the woman's strained chuckle and tense posture that Sakura's brutish antics were indeed fracturing the girl's image of an enjoyable double date minute by minute. As Sakura reclined back against the booth with an audible sigh, Sasuke's arm slinked around her waist to firmly hold her body against his side. The tension dissolved from her being like sugar in water.
He's an annoying and uncouth moron, but like Sasuke, he hasn't changed a bit either, Sakura thought in bemusement, watching Naruto bleat pitifully at Hinata while she giggled and kissed his forehead endearingly. The heartwarming scene admittedly made Sakura's heart swell. For all his annoying tendencies, she was still glad the boy found someone to dote on him.
Sakura picked up the menu to peruse it. Sasuke, rather than pick up his own, plopped his head against hers to read over her shoulder. She tilted it to allow him better access to the bulleted items and decadent meals pictured beside them. A smile began to creep onto her glossed lips, not only from the closeness but from Sasuke's limber fingers painting patterns into her hip over the satin of her dress.
"Sasuke," she said while pointing at a picture of chicken and tomato nimono stew. "Would you like to share this with me?" Sasuke hummed thoughtfully, leaning forward to inspect the details of the dish critically.
"Are you on a diet or something?" he asked playfully. Sakura batted his shoulder with a pseudo-offended scoff, making Sasuke release a rare chuckle. Behind the sanctity of the laminated menu, he even flashed her a small smile. She reeled in the happiness that gushed within her, delaying her response just enough for it to be mildly embarrassing.
"I-I'm not on a diet, Sasuke," she huffed when she began to feel Naruto's amused stare boring into the side of her head. "The portions here are just really large; I know I can't eat a whole plate by myself. If you want to have something of your own, that's fine. I'll just take home leftovers." She dropped her gaze to begin looking for something else. She'd only picked the tomato-based dish because Sasuke enjoyed tomatoes. Ironically, that was what she intended to make for his homecoming before Hinata had brought up the idea of the double date. Guess I have an excuse to use those tomatoes now. However, the words- and thoughts- became an unfocused blur as he nosed underneath her chin and kissed the side of her neck.
"No," he said, smirking as he felt her pulse jump against his lips, "we can share. I don't mind."
"Oi," Naruto complained loudly, shattering the mood instantly. The two sprang apart, and Sakura wrenched down the menu to see the blond scowling at them through lidded eyes. "Y'all want a room?"
"Naruto, what did you think would happen on a double date?" Hinata frowned, looking at him with just the faintest hint of disappointment. Sakura could tell from her expression that she was hurt because Naruto was too involved in berating Sasuke and Sakura for their PDA to pay proper attention to her. Sakura would have thought Naruto would be oblivious to the girl's dismay. To her shock, Naruto immediately dove in to hug Hinata around the middle and tuck the top of his head underneath her chin.
"Ahhh, I'm sorry, Hinata~" he whined, snuggling into her. Hinata patted the top of his head with a knowing chuckle.
"Let me guess- you're starting to get competitive because you don't want Sasuke to upstage you?" Hinata tutted slyly. Naruto's cheeks immediately turned red, shining like the smooth skin of apples in the fluorescent lighting. The glare he shot Sasuke told them all they needed to know.
"Idiot," Sasuke snorted as he pulled Sakura even closer to him. "It's not a competition." Yet, from the way that his fingers dug into the plush skin of her hips, Sakura just knew that the unspoken challenge had begun to burn inside her quiet husband as well. Sakura flashed Hinata a smirk, a smirk that only two weary wives could exchange. Meanwhile, the two men traded lightning and daggers.
"Soooo, are we ready yet?" came the bubbly waiter, again ignorant to the silent battle waging between the two sides of the table. This time, they were indeed prepared and so rattled off their orders in quick succession. Sasuke quirked a brow at the sheer amount of food Hinata requested.
"Uh," he frowned when the waiter retreated. "That's a lot of food for a… Yeah," he coughed uncomfortably and shifted in his seat. Hinata blinked uncomprehendingly and cocked her head to the side with a small "eh?" while Naruto reclined back with his hands behind his head, snickering proudly.
"Yep, that's my Hinata! She could put away this whole restaurant if she wanted to!" he exclaimed. Hinata flushed, slapping her hands to her pinkening cheeks, and looked away in embarrassment mixed with a great deal of delight. When Sasuke glanced at Sakura to confirm, the pink-haired woman shrugged with a smile.
"He's right. I've seen Hinata put away ten bowls of ramen without even being fazed."
Sasuke knitted his eyebrows together and stared at Hinata like she was another Ōtsusuki descended from the sky.
Sasuke was still gawking at Hinata- actually, the pile of licked-clean plates piled high beside her- as Sakura spooned some of the last bits of stew into her mouth.
"Mm," she complimented with an appreciative hum, "that is delicious. Sasuke, there's a little bit left; do you want some?" Without tearing his gaze away from the simply astounding stack of platters beside Hinata, Sasuke grunted in affirmation. However, too transfixed by the slightly disturbing wonder he'd just beheld, he made no move to finish off the stew. Chuckling, Sakura spooned it up and held it to his lips. "Here, Sasuke, say ahh!"
His gaze finally moved, first jumping to the dab of stew resting on the spoon against his lips, and then to her sparkling green eyes. The glitter within her spring depths certainly indicated that she was only teasing him in front of Naruto (who was scowling, as predicted). Still, he wrapped his lips around the spoon, never breaking eye contact with her. After he swallowed and licked a lingering dollop of tomato broth from his lips (which made Sakura's heart stutter), he released an approving hum.
"Thanks," he told her simply. As he reclined against the booth, running his hand against his thigh before extending it behind her to loop his arm around her waist, Sakura flushed giddily. Though Hinata and Naruto were present, it still reminded her of their dates in their early courtship. I missed this… Couple things, she thought with a small sigh. Sasuke's mismatched eyes twitched, but he said nothing.
"Ah, it's getting late," Hinata said suddenly, pressing her cheek in her palm with a thoughtful blink at the clock. "Time sure flies when you're having fun!"
"Yeah. Fun," Naruto echoed unenthusiastically, slouching so deep his shoulders were up to his ears as he glared at the couple opposite them. Sakura snorted, long since done with his nasty attitude.
"Naruto, if you're so disgusted by Sasuke and I acting like we're married, why did you agree to this double date?" Immediately, Naruto's cheeks turned bright pink, and he side-eyed the beautiful woman beside him.
"I- well, I- uhh… H-Hinata was just so excited," he mumbled, burying his mouth into his forearms as he crossed them on top of the table. Hinata uttered a small gasp, and her hands flew to her mouth as she looked to her husband with wide eyes. Though her fingers covered most of her face, a blush crept high up the girl's cheeks. Sakura snickered. She had to admit that they were an adorable pair.
"Gross," Sasuke muttered in her ear. A grin stretched across Sakura's lips as he nuzzled his face into her cherry blossom-colored hair; clearly, he was as unenthusiastic about watching his best friend flirt with his wife as Naruto was watching Sasuke. "Let's go home." The deep tone of Sasuke's voice and the ghosting of his lips across the shell of her ear sent a pleasurable shudder down Sakura's spine. Her heart thumped in her chest, not unlike in her girlish years when she'd crushed on him.
"Hinata, Naruto, we had a lovely time," Sakura said as she fished out some bills from her purse and set them on the table, "but I have an early shift in the morning, and so we need to get going. This was fun! Let's do it again sometime, okay?"
"Yes! This was lovely," Hinata smiled pleasantly with a polite wave. "We'd love to do this again, right, Naruto?"
"Yeah, yeah," Naruto admitted in defeat, sitting back up and putting his hands behind his head. "I had a good time. It was nice to be out of the office for a while." As he flashed Hinata a loving smile, the dark-haired girl flushed and snuggled up to the blond, pecking him affectionately on the cheek. Naruto snickered bashfully with a stupid grin.
Sakura smiled. There was no denying that the two were still totally whipped for one another, even after so many years of marriage.
With one last wave of farewell, Sakura grabbed Sasuke's hand to tug him out of the restaurant and into the night. The cold air embraced them like an old friend, wrapping them in a gentle breeze that carried the hint of rain. Puddles leftover from the drizzle reflected the night sky; they shone like pockets of alternate universes in the dirt streets.
Sakura hugged close to her husband as they strolled down the street at a leisurely pace, illuminated by the soft lamplights and the brilliant moon above. The only sound was the gentle wind and their synchronous footsteps. Sasuke rubbed little circles into her hips as he strode beside her, being sure to match the stride of his long legs to her smaller one.
"Honey?" she asked suddenly, propping her chin on his shoulder to peer up at him.
"Hnn?" Sasuke didn't look at her, only peeked at her out of his peripheral vision. His black eyes glinted like obsidian in the moonlight, yet softened like smoothly polished onyx when they fell upon her.
"Did you have fun?"
"Of course," he sighed as if it were a silly question. "I had dinner with my wife."
"You seemed in a hurry to get out of there."
"Well, you know I can only take that idiot in small doses," he huffed. Sakura rolled her eyes; he and Naruto would fight to the death for one another, yet they couldn't stand spending more than a few hours together in social settings without bickering. Hell, sometimes, they acted like the married couple! Sakura's sardonic grin fell from her lips when Sasuke continued.
"Besides…" He suddenly whipped around to scoop her up in his arms, making her squeal in alarm. Her hands immediately clenched around his shoulders as he held her in a bridal carry with one powerful arm, her bright red face close enough to smell the lingering sake wafting off his seductive smirk. "Why waste my time with that moron when I have all night to spend with my gorgeous woman?"
"Oh, Sasuke-!" she gasped, titillated by his sudden flirtatiousness. Sasuke seemed to have no care to put her down, instead opting to continue carrying her the short distance remaining to their shared apartment. A purr rumbled in Sakura's chest like a pleased housecat's as she rested her head on his shoulder. Her index finger traced patterns over his shoulder.
"I missed this," she said softly. Sasuke's black eye came to rest on her once more. The starlight hit it at just the right angle to make the beams scatter in his irises, alighting it like the Milky Way. Sakura's smile widened as she started painting invisible constellations in the fabric of his dress suit to match the galaxy in his eyes. "Us doing couple things. I've missed it."
Sasuke hummed thoughtfully. His gaze slowly slid away from her to gaze sightlessly into the horizon. His grip tightened around her, though, as if securing her to his being.
"I missed it too," he admitted in a small voice. His eyes flickered back to Sakura, and those galaxy eyes glimmered with comets of guilt and regret. "Sakura…"
Sakura knew that he was about to delve into apologies and comments that he didn't deserve her. She sat up in his arms, pressing her fingers against his mouth with a small, soothing "shhh." When he obediently stopped talking, staring mournfully at her with cinched eyebrows, she slipped her hand to the side to cup his cheek.
"Sasuke, I'm okay. You do what you have to do," she reassured him gently. Her fingers softly stroked the curve of his cheekbone and caressed the plane of his jawline. "Just come home to me. That's all I ask."
A smirk tugged at the corner of Sasuke's lips. He leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers, a surrogate for his familiar forehead poke since his only arm currently supported her weight.
"Of course."
By then, they'd arrived at the front of their apartment. Sasuke finally set her down, allowing her to fish her keys out of her clasp and unlock the door. However, no sooner than she'd stepped over the threshold and kicked off her heels, he enveloped her from behind and turned her face so he could plant a passionate kiss on her mouth. They stood in the doorway, the night air flowing in to cool the heating atmosphere around them, kissing fervently for several minutes. He finally pulled back, only slightly, with glittering black eyes and a satisfied sneer.
"S-Sasuke, what are you doing?!" she wheezed through kiss-swollen lips. Sasuke loomed over her bewitchingly, making pleasurable tingles oscillate back and forth between the tips of her toes and the crown of her head. His arm wound around her hips to tug her against her body.
"Couple things," he rumbled.
As he kicked the door shut and picked her up again to begin carrying her off towards their bedroom, the only thing Sakura could think was, Couple things, indeed!
Giggling, she wrapped her arms around his neck and began pressing open-mouthed kisses along the column of his throat, drawing an impatient groan from her husband. As she lavished him in kisses and caresses, Sakura blissfully anticipated the impending evening of couple things…