-Modern AU-
Warnings: N/A
Rating: Gen
The long line of children with their parents seemed to stretch on and on forever in the mall. Excited chatter, yelling, and crying filled the empty spaces and made her crack a smile.
"How're you holding up, Mr. Claus?" Sakura casually asked with a grin, planting a hand on her hip as she leaned on the large armchair.
Sasuke scowled over at her, huffing quietly. "Barely. When can I go home?"
"You signed up for two hours!" She chirped merrily. "You have about fifteen more minutes before you get to switch out with Naruto."
Her sullen boyfriend grumbled before the next child scampered up from the line and hopped in his lap. Like a switch was flipped, he went from grumpy to smiling, belting out a 'ho ho ho' and asking what they wanted for Christmas.
Sakura giggled from her position behind the fake Christmas tree cutout that hid her away from the front. When Hinata had told her about the desperate need for mall Santas this year, and that Naruto had already signed them up to be the titular arctic couple, she knew it was only a matter of time before he was knocking down Sasuke's apartment door begging him to join.
"I wish you a very merry Christmas," Sasuke's voice was loud and clear, and that was her cue to come out in the outfit of one Mrs. Claus, fake white wig and glasses and all.
She handed the child a present and warbled a warm, "Merry Christmas, little one," and watched as their parent led them away, their eyes wide with awe.
The next child followed, and then the next, and then the next.
Before either of them knew, Sasuke's last fifteen minutes were up, and she was calling out to the children and parents that Santa needed a short five-minute break before they would be able to meet him again.
As predicted, there were some groans and a few children started crying, but she was able to placate them with promises of photos with the next Claus couple.
With that done, she took Sasuke's hand and led him away behind the cutout, where they both quickly undressed from their costumes.
She pecked his nose with a mischievous grin. "You did well for your first day as Santa! Better than Naruto ever did. His first day he was practically begging to leave in the first twenty minutes."
He groaned. "Don't even mention it."
The two of them walked away from the attraction hand-in-hand, aiming for the food court.
"Y'know," she piped up as soon as they made their way to a line for a Chinese food stall, "I don't think I've ever seen you that enthusiastic about... anything."
Her boyfriend stayed silent.
"In fact," she tapped her chin before booping him on the tip of his nose, "I'd almost think you enjoy being around children!"
That got his attention. He turned a sharp glare on her before shaking his head. "What are you getting at?"
"Nothing, nothing," Sakura said in a sing-song tone, glancing up at the menus as the person ahead of them started to order. "Just that maybe I wouldn't mind it if you wanted kids in the future."
Sasuke's eyes went wide in confusion, but before he could open his mouth to ask, she stepped up and started ordering.
When their food was ordered, and they had found an empty table, Sasuke finally spoke up. "Are you trying to tell me something?"
"Hm? Tell you what?" She asked, distracted. "Oh, darn, I was gonna get boba. Mind waiting for me?"
"Sakura." Sasuke grabbed her wrists and looked up at her, his lips pressed into a serious line. "Do you want kids?"
Her eyes softened, and she chuckled softly. "I'm not hinting at anything. All I'm saying is that we're twenty-three, fresh out of college, I'm trying to get through my internships, and you've got a job at the precinct keeping us afloat. Not right now, but all I'm asking is that you think about it."
She gently twisted her hands out of his grip, and as she walked away, he stared at his food in thought.
Sakura let out a quiet sigh as she got to the front of the counter. Yes, it was unfair to dump the question on him now, but if not now, when would she be able to? The next day off she got every other month? "Hi, can I get one Thai milk tea with regular boba pearls?"
The wait time was relatively quick, and by the time she headed back to their table, tea in hand, the second she sat it down Sasuke was curling his arms around her.
"Sasuke, what...?" She started, wrapping her arms around him.
"I want kids," he confessed. "Not now, but... soon."
Her mouth fell open in surprise for but a moment, but in the next she was smiling, squeezing him back.
