Hello again.
I've had this idea for a story for a long while, it just took me many months to finally take a chance to start it and several more months to finish it. I do hope you all enjoy it. As always, please review.
Love you all xxxx 😘💕💕
Sakura walked through the almost empty streets, her sight set on her favourite shop in the distance, the Dango Shop. As she got closer to the place, she was greeted by the sweet scents of mochi wafting towards her, almost urging her to walk faster into the shop. Her mouth filled with water as she stepped into the door, her eyes falling on the counter filled with different mochi; all enticing and delicious in their own way.
"Good evening, what can we get you?"
Sakura smiled at Akari behind the counter, "hi, can I please have a large bowl of anmitsu."
"Coming right up."
Sakura placed the money on the counter and walked over to the empty seating area. She sat in the corner and looked out the door, watched people, some rushing by, others taking their time.
"Here you are," Akari placed a bowl in front of Sakura and handed over a spoon, "call if you need anything," she smiled as she walked away.
Sakura looked down at the bowl that was filled with slices of kiwis and strawberries, chunks of pineapple, segmented oranges and cherries. Perfectly cut cubes of clear fruit jelly, finished with a serving of sweet red bean paste. She licked her lips in anticipation as she picked up the spoon, scooping a few cubes of jelly and a slice of kiwi and placed them in her mouth. She moaned inwardly as her mouth filled with delicious sweet and tart flavours, she chewed the food slowly, savouring the flavours before scooping another spoonful.
She took another bite, this time, her eyes closing in delight as the tastes flooded her mouth, her lips pulling up in a small yet satisfied smile. As she opened her eyes, and scooped another spoonful of her favourite dessert, her eyes fell on the man sitting a few tables away from her. She hadn't noticed anyone walk in, nor heard the man pull out the chair and sit down. She spied a plate in front of him with three lots of Hanami Dangos. Sakura watched as the man picked up one skewer and brought the dango to his mouth and ever so elegantly popping the pink dango into his mouth and gently chewing it. She couldn't help but notice how he savoured the sweet, how his eyes closed softly and how he licked at his bottom lip, swiping away at any sugar left behind.
She smiled softly at him before turning her attention back to her dessert. For the next few minutes, she scooped bite after bite of her dessert until it was all gone. She sighed happily and placed the spoon in the bowl and stood up. Her eyes falling on the table the man occupied, only for it to be empty.
"Thank you for the delicious anmitsu, as always," she smiled at Akari as she made her way out.
"Thank you for coming, take care."
Sakura waved at her and made her way back to her home. She went through her nightly routine and got changed for bed and sat on the sofa, reading a book for a while before calling it a night.
XxxXxxXxxXxx
Over the next two weeks, Sakura visited the Dango Shop almost every night and as always, she sat in her usual spot in the corner. Every other day, Sakura would spot the man from before, always sat on the same table and always with a portion or two of Hanami Dango. Sakura watched him in fascination as he ate his desserts, amazed by how he would enjoy and savour each bite. Almost like he was in a trance when eating the dango.
Each time she saw him, she would wonder what he looked like, seeing as all she had made out was that he had long, raven hair that was tied at the nape, high cheekbones and a strong jaw. From what she could make out, he was a handsome man.
"Here you go," her bowl was placed in front of her.
"Thank you," Sakura smiled at her and picked up her spoon, digging into the dessert and enjoying each bite. She looked over at the man and found him looking at her as well. For a moment, they both looked at one another, before both of them smiled small and looked back down at their desserts.
Sakura chanced another look and found him looking at her, his black eyes looking at her and his lips pulled up in a small smile. Sakura returned the smile and looked away, taking another bite of her dessert. She took her time enjoying the deliciousness of the dessert, when she looked up, the table was vacant, the man had left, again without a single noise. She smiled to herself and stood up, making her way out of the shop, saying goodbye as she went.
XxxXxxXxxXxx
"Seriously Sakura, you're the only person I know that would choose to stay in on a Friday night over going out to the bar," Ino crossed her arms over her chest, her lips pulled to the side in annoyance.
Sakura looked over at her best friend, placing her book in her lap. "Ino, I've had a busy day at work, and all I want to do is stay home and rest," she picked up her book and continued reading her book.
Ino sighed loudly and sat down on the sofa next to Sakura, "when did you become so boring?"
"When did you become so annoying?"
Ino rolled her eyes and looked at Sakura. She was dressed in her pyjamas already and it wasn't even seven yet. She shook her head, "I'm going to go and get ready," she stood up and faced the pinkette, "if you change your mind, you know where we'll be."
"I'll see you tomorrow," Sakura turned the page in her book.
"Tomorrow?" Ino raised her eyebrow in question, "what's happening tomorrow?"
Sakura sighed this time and placed the book down once more, "we're meant to be doing a job for Tsunade."
"Oh shit, I completely forgot about that," Ino slapped her forehead, "I've made plans with Sai…"
Sakura stared at the blonde before shaking her head, "it's fine, I'll do it alone."
"Sakura, I'm really sorry, I completely forgot."
"It's fine," Sakura picked up her book once again, "go and have a good night and I'll talk to you later."
"Sakura…" Ino waited for the pinkette to look up, "I really am sorry."
"And I said it's fine, now go away before I get mad at you."
Ino gave her a small smile, "you're the best, and I love you so much, forehead."
Sakura returned the smile, "I love you more pig." She watched as Ino grabbed her bag and made her way out of her house. She turned her attention back to the book, trying and failing to read. She slapped the book down on her lap and sighed deeply, looking up at the celling. In the silence of the room, her stomach groaned out in hunger. Sakura untangled herself off the sofa and made her way to the kitchen. She rummaged through the cupboards, trying to find something to eat, but coming up short. Next she looked in the fridge, but nothing satisfied her. She shut the door and leaned against the fridge; her arms crossed over her middle, she thought about what she'd like to eat and the only thing she could think about was anmitsu.
With her mind made up, Sakura pushed away from the fridge and walked into her room, changing into her jeans and a hoodie and slipped into her trainers. In the living room, she grabbed her phone, bag and keys and walked out, locking the door behind her and making her way to her favourite shop.
"Good evening," Sakura called as she walked into the shop.
Akari behind the counter turned and smiled at Sakura, "good evening, I didn't think you'd come today."
"And miss out on the best anmitsu ever?" Sakura smiled wide and walked towards the counter, placing money down, "I wouldn't dream of it."
She laughed heartily, "I'll get it ready and bring it over."
"Thank you," Sakura walked towards her usual spot, her eyes wandering around the room and falling on the table occupied by the man, who was looking at his phone. As she sat down, she watched as another waitress walked towards him and placed a plate of Hanami Dango and a cup of green tea in front of him. The man looked up at the woman and spoke quietly and put away his phone, pulling the plate closer to him.
The man looked up and towards Sakura, making her look away quickly, only to slowly look back and find him smiling at her. Sakura returned the smile and nodded her head once in a way of acknowledgement, the man smiled again and nodded back before picking up one of the dango sticks and taking a bite, savouring it before taking another bite.
"Here is your anmitsu," Akari spoke, pulling Sakura's attention away from the man.
"Oh, thank you so much," she smiled up at the woman.
She looked over at the man and back at Sakura, "he's a very handsome man, and he isn't wearing a ring," she winked at her.
Sakura blushed at the comment, "it's not like that…"
"Sure, it's not," she smiled and walked away, leaving Sakura alone with her dessert.
Sakura pulled the bowl closer to her and dug the spoon in, she kept her eyes firmly on the pudding, afraid that if she looked over at the man, he would see her blush and that would only make things more awkward. She piled the spoon with cubes of clear jelly and slices of fruit. She took her time chewing and tried to keep her eyes from wandering, but seconds later, she peeked towards the table, watching as the man picked up his last Hanami dango and took a bite, before taking a sip of his tea. He looked up and smiled at Sakura, a warm, inviting smile. Sakura blushed and quickly looked away, digging into her dessert, scooping spoonful after spoonful into her mouth.
Finished with the dessert, Sakura wiped at her mouth and stood up, her eyes drifting over to the table. The man was still there, and he was looking at her, his lips pulled up slightly and his onyx eyes kind, almost inviting her over. Sakura smiled and waved at him as she walked away, she wasn't sure what she should say to him. He was dressed casually, and he seemed to enjoy his own company, making her not want to disturb him.
"Have a good evening," a rich, husky voice spoke as she walked past.
Sakura turned to look at him and smiled again, "you too." She found his voice very appealing, and standing near him, she noticed just how good looking he was, with his fair complexion and his strong build. She could make out broad shoulders and defined arms under the jacket. His hair longer than she imagined, with tendrils framing his face on either side, adding to his handsome looks. His eyes were not only kind, but also seemed to be filled with wisdom far beyond his years. He had long eyelashes that framed his eyes, adding to his looks.
"Thank you," the man smiled and picked up his tea.
Sakura nodded and made her way out.
"Looks like you took my advice and spoke to him," Akari smirked at Sakura.
"I was only saying have a good evening, nothing more," Sakura pointed out.
"Maybe next time, ask for his number," she winked.
Sakura felt her face heat from the blush, "it's not like that," Sakura pointed out.
"Not yet it's not."
Sakura shook her head, "good night."
"See you soon."
She made her way home, her thoughts falling on the man. She couldn't stop replaying his words, thinking about his voice and how good looking he was. She shook her head, forcing the thoughts away. She got changed for bed and went through her nightly routine before setting an alarm, "it's going to be a busy day," she sighed out, wishing that she hadn't agreed to helping Tsunade with moving her belongings. "I can't back out now," she said to herself as she laid down and turned off the lights.
XxxXxxXxxXxxX
Sakura placed the last box down and sighed deeply, and stretched her arms above her head, "that's the last one."
Tsunade moved into the room, placing a box on the desk, "thank you for this," she smiled at the pinkette.
"You're welcome," Sakura returned the smile. She grabbed her jacket, shrugging into it and walking towards the door.
"Sakura," Tsuande turned to face her, "how do you feel about going to the Dango Shop with me?"
"What? Now?" Sakura looked over her shoulder.
"Yes, I want to treat you for your help today," Tsuande grabbed her bag.
"You know you don't need to treat me to anything," Sakura smiled kindly.
"Is that you saying no to anmitsu?" Tsunade cocked up an eyebrow, her lips pulling to the side in a smirk.
"Who am I to say no to free anmitsu?" Sakura pulled open the door and walked out the door, she heard Tsunade laugh, followed by the door closing behind her.
Together, the women made their way to the Dango Shop.
"Good evening, what can we get you tonight?" the elderly woman smiled at them both.
"A bowl of anmitsu, a portion of mitarashi dango and green tea please," Tsuande ordered, placing money on the counter.
"Coming right up," Akari smiled at them, as she got busy pouring green tea into a cup and handed it over to Tsunade.
Sakura turned to face Tsunade, "why don't you go sit down, I'll bring over the food once it ready."
Tsunade nodded, cup in hand she made her way towards an empty table.
Sakura grabbed her phone out, checking her messages and social media while she waited for the desserts.
"Thank you for waiting," another waitress placed the bowl and plate on the counter, she smiled at Sakura.
"Thank you," Sakura eyed the bowl, her mouth watering at the sight of the fruits, jelly cubes and red bean paste. She pocketed her phone and picked up the bowl and plate and turned around, walking into someone and spilling her anmitsu all over the person. Sakura stared in horror at the mess in front of her. "I am so, so sorry," she turned and grabbed several napkins and started to dab at the person's shirt.
"Don't worry about it," the person spoke up.
Sakura stopped and looked up, finding the man standing in front of her, his lips pulled up in a small smile. For a few seconds, she stood there, looking up at him, admiring him. She shook her head clearing her thoughts, "I really am so sorry," she said again, gently dabbing at his black shirt.
Gently, he placed his hands on top of hers, stilling her hands, "it really is okay," he spoke softly.
Sakura looked at him and nodded. She gently pulled her hand away from under his, "let me at least buy you Hanami dango and some green tea."
He raised his eyebrow in question.
"I sort of noticed that you favour Hanami dango and green tea," she blushed slightly.
"Thank you," he smiled again, his tone soft.
Sakura turned to face the counter, finding several eyes looking at them, either looking shocked or worried.
Akari smirked at Sakura and raised her eyebrows suggestively, "a portion of anmitsu and Hanami dango?"
Sakura felt her cheeks redden more; lost for words she nodded her answer. She placed the money on the counter, she gave the woman a small smile.
"Coming right up." Akari turned away and walked away, returning a few moments later. "We'll bring your food out to you," she smiled at them coyly.
Sakura turned to face the man again, "I really am sorry again," Sakura picked up Tsunade's order.
The man looked over and back at Sakura, "you don't have to apologise," he smiled and added, "my name is Itachi."
Sakura smiled at him, "Hi Itachi, my name is Sakura."
"Nice to meet you Sakura," he returned the smile, "enjoy your anmitsu."
"And enjoy your dango," Sakura's smile stretched across her lips. She turned and made her way towards Tsunade.
"What took you so long?" The blonde narrowed her eyes.
"I dropped my anmitsu and had to get another order," Sakura sat down and pushed the plate towards Tsunade.
"Looked like you were having a delightful conversation with that handsome man," Tsunade raised her eyebrow.
"I spilled my anmtisu all over him," Sakura blushed in embarrassment.
Tsunade nodded at her answer, and picked up one of the sweet dumplings and brought it to her mouth, taking a bite of the sweet morsel. "Would you like a bite?" Tsunade pushed the plate closer to Sakura.
"No thank you," Sakura gave her mentor a small smile, her eyes wandering around the place, falling on the man, who happened to look at her at the same time. She gave him a small, tight smile, until she noticed the waitress walk up to him, she quickly looked away, not wanting to give the woman anything else to tease her about.
"Here you are," Akari arrived at Sakura's table, placing the bowl down in front of her.
"Thanks," Sakura looked up at her, giving her a small smile, averting her eyes quickly.
"I thought you would have listened to me," she placed her hand on her hip, her lips pulled slightly down.
"I'm with my-
"Listened to you about what?" Tsuande cut in, her eyes focused entirely on Sakura, watching as her cheeks reddened more and more with each second that passed by.
"About sitting with the handsome fellow, the one she accidently spilled her anmistu on. I suppose that was one way to get his attention, after all the days you two have sat near one another but not speaking," she smirked.
Tsunade looked over at the man, watching as he gently tucked into his dessert. She turned her gaze back at Sakura, an eyebrow raised in question.
Sakura kept her gaze firmly on her dessert, not wanting to look at either woman, but she could feel Tsunade's eyes on her, burning her with unasked questions. "It's… it's not like that," she stammered out, "I saw him a few days ago while I was eating anmitsu and we said hello, but that is all," Sakura explained hastily, wanting to get the interrogation over and done with.
Akari chuckled lightly, "sure darling, if you say so. Though, I have seen how you had looked at him before."
"Maybe our little pinkette here has been visiting you not only for your anmitsu, but also to eye your customers, or at least one of them." Tsuande added, both women chuckling slightly.
Sakura looked at them both in frustration, "I- I- That is not the case," her words flustered. She shook her head and picked up her spoon digging into the dessert, making both women laugh once more.
"I'll leave you to enjoy your desserts," she smiled at them both, walking away and leaving them alone.
Tsuande opened her mouth to speak, but Sakura spoke over her.
"Can we please just enjoy our desserts and then call it a night? I'm tired and I want to go home," she scooped bite after bite, not stopping to enjoy the tastes that flooded her mouth.
Tsuande raised her eyebrow, but did not speak any more on the matter. She followed Sakura and ate her dessert in silence.
With Sakura's bowl empty, she stood up and excused herself, walking into the small toilet. She washed her hands and stared at herself in the mirror, her mind conjuring the image of the anmitsu all over Itachi, she groaned, her face turning red with embarrassment once again. She forced the thoughts away and made her way back to the table.
"Are you leaving?" Tsuande asked.
Sakura nodded and picked up her bag, "thanks for the anmitsu," she shouldered her bag, "I'll speak to you later." She turned and walked away, her eyes landing on the table where Itachi was sat and found it empty. She sighed with relief and walked out the shop, glad to finally be by herself.
XxXxxXxxXxxXxxXxx
Sakura avoided going to the Dango shop for several days, too embarrassed to face either Akari, the other staff or Itachi. She was mortified by the events at the shop, constantly reliving when she spilled her anmitsu all over Itachi.
Sakura walked into her house and set down her bag and walked into the kitchen. She opened the cupboards, looking for tins of anmitsu, but coming up empty. She looked in the fridge and groaned. She craved the sweet dessert and the only place she could get some now was the shop. She stood there wondering what to do, whether she went to the shop and bought a portion of anmitsu, or if she stayed home and didn't have any dessert.
She groaned and walked into the living room, grabbing her bag and made her way out of the house and towards the Dango shop. Once there, she took a deep breath and walked inside and smiled at the waitress behind the counter, glad that it wasn't Akari.
"Good evening, what can we get you?" the young woman smiled at her kindly.
"Hi, could I please have a portion of anmitsu?" she smiled and placed money on the counter.
"We'll bring it over to you," the woman put the money away, and walked towards the back.
Sakura walked over to her usual spot, sat down and grabbed her phone, scrolling mindlessly through her social media profiles.
"Hello there," a rich, husky voice called around her.
Sakura looked up from her phone to find Itachi sat at his usual seat. "Itachi, hi," she spoke quickly, clutching her phone tightly in her hands. She felt the pinpricks of embarrassment run down her spine, her cheeks heating.
"It's been a while since you've come in," Itachi smiled at her, placing his phone on the table. "How are you?"
"I've been really busy at work," Sakura shot out the lie, before adding, "I'm well thanks, how about you?"
"I'm good, thank you for asking," he smiled at her kindly.
Sakura nodded at his reply, not knowing what else she should say to him, the only thoughts running through her mind were her anmitsu all over his front. Before she could stop herself, she said, "I really am sorry for the other day."
"You don't need to apologise," he replied kindly, his smile stretching slightly to the side, "you already made up for it by buying me some Hanami Dango."
"It's the least I could do," she scrunched her face slightly.
"You didn't need to, but I appreciate the gesture."
Before Sakura could reply, the young waitress made her way towards her table. "Here is your anmitsu and green tea," she smiled and placed the bowl and cup on the table and walked away.
"You seem to favour anmitsu quite a bit," Itachi commented.
"It is arguably the best desert around," she smirked at him.
He chuckled slightly, "I'd beg to differ."
"Don't knock it until you try it," Sakura ate a spoonful of jelly and fruit, smiling in content.
"I could say the same about Hanami Dango," he picked up one of his dangos and took a bite.
Sakura looked over at him and chuckled lightly, "maybe we should swap desserts and find out once and for all which one is the best."
"Okay," he took another bite of the dango, "how about tomorrow?"
"Sounds good," Sakura took another spoonful, chewing the soft jelly cubes and the sweet fruit, "be prepared to accept defeat."
Itachi laughed, "we'll see."
For the rest of the evening, the two debated why their desserts were superior than the other, laughing as each tried to come up with an answer that was more ludicrous than the last. With their desserts over, they said their goodbyes, making their way homes.
XxxXxxXxxXxxXxxXxxX
The next day, Sakura was rushed off her feet again, seeing patient after patient, that by the time she was done, she was drained and her feet were aching. She slumped in her chair and sighed deeply, glad that she was finally done. She looked over at the clock, it was pushing close to eight. She smiled remembering the deal she'd made with Itachi the night before; sure, that she would win. She stood up and shrugged out of her lab coat and into her jacket, bag in hand, she made sure that she had her phone and keys in there before leaving.
Twenty minutes later, she walked into the shop and found Itachi at the counter. He turned to face her and smiled, "I thought you were forfeiting."
"Nope," Sakura smirked and stood next to him.
Akari walked towards them and smirked at Sakura, "the usual?"
"Not today," Sakura replied, "I'll have some Hanami dango today, please."
Akari raised her eyebrow in question, before looking over at Itachi, "what about you handsome?"
"I'll have a portion of anmitsu please," he gave her a small smile.
Akari nodded, looking between the two of them, "what are you two up to?" she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at them.
"I'm just proving that your anmitsu is the best dessert around," Sakura said smugly.
"Personally, I prefer the mitarashi dango," Akari tapped at the cash register.
Itachi placed down money on the counter, pushing it towards the lady.
"I can pay for myself," Sakura shoved her hand into her bag, grabbing a few lose coins out.
"It's my treat," he smiled kindly at her.
Sakura returned the smile, "the next one is on me then."
Akari looked at Sakura and raised her eyebrow, before smirking, "next time, huh?" she whispered low.
Sakura blushed slightly and shook her head, "it's not like that," she spoke through clenched teeth.
"You keep saying that to yourself," Akari winked, "I'll being the dishes out to you," she turned and walked away.
Sakura turned to look at Itachi, "ready to lose?"
"I was about to say that to you," he smiled at her, he waved his hand in front of him, towards the seating area, "after you."
"Thank you," Sakura walked past him and towards her usual spot, Itachi following after and sitting down opposite her.
"How was your day?" he asked her.
"It was good, busy though," she took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. "You?"
Itachi looked at her, her hair looked like she had run her hand through it several times, her eyes tired. He could tell that she'd had a tough day. "Are you okay?"
Sakura looked at him and nodded, "I am," she smiled slightly, "why?"
"You look like you've had quite a hard day," he returned the smile.
Sakura was surprised that he had noticed that about her, her smile stretching slightly across her lips. "I was rushed off my feet and barely got a chance to sit down and take a break."
"Where do you work, if you don't mind my asking?"
"I'm a doctor at the hospital. What about you? What do you do?" her eyes drawn to his. And when he looked at her, she felt like she had his whole attention.
"I work with the police."
"A police office? That's amazing," she smiled at him, "how was your day?"
"It was good, busy though."
"Did you arrest someone?" Sakura leant forward, wanting to know about his day.
"No, not today," he laughed lightly. He couldn't remember the last time he was able to have a conversation with someone about something so simple and enjoy it.
"Here you go, your desserts," Akari placed the dishes down, "now, just so we're clear, I don't want food thrown around the place or thrown at one another," she pointed at them both, narrowing her eyes slightly.
Sakura looked at her and laughed, "don't worry, we promise not to play dirty."
Akari eyed them once more before walking away.
"Ready to lose?" Sakura pulled the plate towards her, grabbing the pink dango off the stick, bringing it close to her mouth.
"We'll see," he picked up the spoon and placed it in the bowl.
Sakura took a bite of the mochi, enjoying the subtle taste of cherry blossoms. She picked at the other two mochis, surprised by how much she was enjoying them. She looked over at Itachi, watching how he ate cubes of jellies, followed by fruits and the red bean paste. "What do you think? Ready to accept defeat?"
Itachi finished his bite, "it's delicious, I'll give you that," he smiled at her.
"Looks like I win," Sakura smirked, putting another dango into her mouth.
"It looked like you've been enjoying the dango quite a bit," he pointed towards the almost empty plate.
Sakura laughed lightly, and nodded, "it's really good."
"Looks like we both win then," his lips pulled to the side slightly.
"Shall we call a truce then?"
Itachi's smile spread across his lips, "okay."
"I never thought I would find anything as good as anmitsu," she sighed, her lips pulling in a smile.
"I could say the same about the dango," he added, grabbing his cup and taking a sip.
Sakura laughed and shook her head.
"What?" he looked at her inquisitively.
"I… it's nothing, don't worry," she smiled small.
"I'd like to know, please," he coaxed gently.
Sakura looked at him, wondering whether to tell him what was going through her mind. "I haven't ever had a debate over dessert with anyone before," she laughed slightly with embarrassment.
"Neither have I," Itachi smiled at her, "but I did enjoy it."
Sakura looked at him in surprise, he really wasn't what she had expected, she couldn't help but smile back, "so did I."
For the next hour, they got to know one another, talking about their likes and dislikes, how they came to love the sweets at the shop and things they would like to do in the future.
Sakura looked at her phone, surprised to find that it was almost half ten, she placed her phone in her bag and faced Itachi, "thank you for a fun evening," she stood up, watching as he stood up with her.
"Thank you as well," he smiled at her.
Sakura walked to the exit, waving goodbye to Akari, "thank you for the delicious sweets, as always."
"I'm glad you enjoyed them and other things," Akari winked and smirked suggestively.
Sakura rolled her eyes and walked outside, and turned to face Itachi. "Thank you again, and have a good evening."
"You too, take care of yourself, and see you later."
"And you," Sakura smiled at him and made her way home. The smile still stretched across her face as she got ready for bed.
XxxXxxXxxXxxXxxX
Over the next few months, Sakura and Itachi spoke more often, either when they met at the dango shop, or either over text.
Itachi was sat at his desk, he picked up another report and started to go through it, filling in the relevant fields, before moving onto the next one, followed by another and another. He placed his pen down and let out a silent but deep sigh. He thought about the Wagashi stall that he walked past each time he would come to work, and each time he thought about trying their sweets. An idea formed in his mind.
He went through his phone, finding a picture he had taken a few days ago of the stall, selected it and tapped the message app. He clicked on Sakura's name and sent her a message with the picture.
Apparently it's meant to be better than anmitsu and Hanami dango.
He watched as the three little dots appeared on his screen, followed by her reply.
Only one way to know for sure…
His lips pulled up in a small smile, he typed another message.
There is a Wagashi stall near the station.
Within seconds, her reply came back, making his smile spread across his lips.
And be unfaithful to Akari and the dango shop?
He chuckled lightly and replied back.
I won't tell, if you don't?
I'm going to lunch in twenty minutes, if you're free, we could try the wagashi?
Itach looked over at the clock, he was due his lunch break in about twenty five minutes. As he went to reply back, he found Kisame, his friend and partner looking at him with a smirk. "What is it Kisame?" Itachi quickly replied to her message.
I'll meet you by the station?
"Oh, I'm just wondering who you are messaging that is making you smile and chuckle like that," Kisame's smirk stretched further across his lips, his teeth on full display, like a shark.
Itachi raised his eyebrow in question.
"I've been watching you for the past ten minutes, and as I'm such a good friend, I noticed how your smile slowly spread across your lips and the fact that you chuckled, something I have never seen you do." Kisame answered.
"I'm messaging a friend," Itachi turned his attention to the report on his desk, when his phone pinged. He clicked on the notification, finding a message from Sakura.
Great, see you soon.
He smiled at her reply. He placed his phone down and picked up his pen, trying to pay attention to the report.
"So, are you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what Kisame?" Itachi signed the report and placed it in the complete pile.
"Who this friend of yours is?" Kisame smiled wide.
Itachi knew that if he didn't say anything, Kisame would only keep asking and he was good at being both persistent and annoying. "It's Sakura," he sighed. He clicked his computer awake and went through his emails.
"The pinky that you've been dating at the sweet shop?" Kisame asked.
"I'm not dating her, she's a friend," Itachi pointed out.
"You keep telling yourself that," Kisame laughed.
Itachi looked over at Kisame, "I am telling you that, we are just friends."
"I've seen you message lots of people before, and never have I seen any kind of emotion cross your face. But since you've been talking to the pinkette, you smile more and even chuckle."
Itachi shook his head at Kisame, "can't a man and a woman just be friends?"
Kisame replied, "sure they can, but the amount of time you two spend together, and the fact that you're almost glued to your phone, messaging her, and the smile that lights up your face each time you receive a message from her, points to you having feelings for the pinkette."
Itachi tried to say something back, but he came up blank.
"Guess I win this one," Kisame laughed at his friend's silence. "You gonna tell her you like her?"
Itachi thought about it, realising that he did have feelings for Sakura, and he would only be lying to himself if he denied it any longer. As for telling her, he wasn't sure how to bring it up, or if he should say anything. Not only that, he had no idea if Sakura felt the same way about him. He worried that if he were to say anything, it could ruin their friendship.
"You'll never find out unless you talk to her," Kisame pointed out.
"I'll think about it," Itachi sighed out. For the next twenty minutes, he forced his attention on his work, but he failed. His thoughts constantly falling on Sakura, wondering what she was doing.
XxxXxxXxxXxxXxxXxx
Sakura placed her phone down on the table and looked up at the ceiling. Her body tingled either from nerves or excitement and she couldn't understand why she had reacted this way to a message about going to try a new sweet. She shook her head and sat up, picking up her pen once more.
Twenty minutes later, Sakura walked towards the station. As she got closer, the tingly feeling spread all across her body, as if her body was filled thousands of bees buzzing through her. She forced her thoughts away from the feeling, concentrating instead on her footsteps. As she reached the building, she saw Itachi walk out and look around for her. She rushed the last few footsteps and stood next to him, "hi," her tone breathy, her heart hammering fast against her chest, as if it was ready to break out.
Itachi smiled at her, "hi, how are you?"
"I'm good, thanks. What about you? How are you? How's your day been so far?"
"I'm well, thank you and my day has been okay," he smiled at her, "the stall is just down the road," he pointed towards the area.
Sakura nodded, and began walking towards where he had pointed, "just okay?" she faced him.
"Hmm?" he looked over at her, "I've been busy filling out reports."
"Sounds like fun," Sakura gave him a small smile.
"As much fun as watching paint dry," he chuckled lightly.
"I bet," Sakura smiled at him.
"What about you? How's your day been so far?"
"It's been good, busy though." She looked at him, finding his onyx gaze on her, giving her his full attention, and she couldn't help but notice, just how handsome he was. She felt her stomach flutter, and her cheeks heat slightly. She forced her gaze away from his, looking in front of her.
Itachi noticed how her cheeks had coloured ever so slightly, adding to her beauty. Since speaking with Kisame, he noticed her more, how beautiful she was, how she would scrunch her nose slightly when she laughed, and how her eyes would be bright when she spoke about something she was passionate about.
"Here we are," he stopped at the stall, "let's see if their sweets are as good as the dango and anmitsu," he smiled at her.
Sakura furrowed her brow slightly, "what if we end up enjoying this more than the others, what are we going to say to Akari?"
"Well, we could always keep it a secret?" He suggested.
Sakura smiled at him and nodded in response. She sat down at an empty stool and grabbed the small menu, looking at the different shapes and colours of the wagashi, not sure what she should try. She turned to face Itachi, "have you had anything from here before?"
Itachi looked at the small menu in her hand, "No I haven't," he sat down next to her, "I found this place a few days ago, and I wanted to try it out with you," he gave her a small smile before quickly averting his gaze, looking straight ahead.
Sakura bit her bottom lip, stopping herself from smiling at his comment. She forced her attention on the small menu and decided on the Sakura wagashi.
"Hello, what can I get you today?" The young man smiled at them both.
"Could we please have some of your floral wagashi?" she smiled at him, and placed money on the counter.
"Sure," the man put the money away and turned towards the back of the stall.
"You didn't need to pay for it all," Itachi said, turning in his chair to look at her.
"I wanted to treat you," she smiled at him, "plus, you did find the place."
"So, I should be the one paying, and what if you don't like it?" He pointed out, resting one elbow on the table, leaning his face into the palm of his hand. Once again, he was blown away by her beauty and he wanted to reach over and tuck the loose strand of hair behind her ear, but he restrained himself, fisting the other hand on his leg.
"Then at least we'll know that nothing can beat anmitsu and dango," she smiled at him.
He laughed lightly, "I'll give you that."
"Here you are," the young man came back with a plate that had an array of different flowers in all different shades and shapes, "enjoy," he bowed slightly and left them alone.
Sakura eyed them, "which one should we try first?"
Itachi pointed towards the orange one first, "let's start here and make our way down?"
Sakura nodded and picked up the small knife that was placed next to the plate, carefully cutting the sweet in half, "after you."
"Too scared to go first?" he raised his eyebrow, his lips pulling to one side.
Her eyes were drawn towards his lips, thoughts about how his lips would feel against hers plaguing her mind. Her eyes widening at where her thoughts were at, she forced her gaze to the sweets in front of her, "nope, not scared at all," she picked up one half and placed it in her mouth, chewing the soft sweet. Her mouth flooded with flavours of red bean paste and sugar.
Itachi smiled at her, picked up his half and placed it in his mouth, and took a bite. Savouring the taste of sweet red bean paste, followed by the sugary mochi surrounding the paste and a subtle hint of different flavours. He found himself enjoying the taste. "Not bad."
Sakura nodded, still forcing her eyes away from him. "Next one?" She cut the red flower and ate the sweet. From the corner of her eye, she watched as he ate it, how he seemed to enjoy the sweets. "What do you think?" She looked at him, forcing her eyes to stay on his.
"It's good," he smiled at her.
By the fourth one, both seemed like they had had enough of the sweets. She faced him, "I think I've had enough," she whispered to him, before laughing slightly, "I never thought I would say I've had enough of a sweet thing."
He smiled at her, "I think I have to agree with you," he wiped his fingers on the napkin next to him. He looked over at the plate, there were two more sweets left. "How about we take one sweet back each?"
Sakura looked at the plate, her stomach churning at the thought of eating another sweet anytime soon.
Seeing the look on her face, he quickly added, "save it for later?"
Sakura looked at him and nodded, "okay, which one would you like to take?" Her eyes back on the plate, looking at the two flowers left, a round purple one and a pink Sakura one.
"Can I have the Sakura one, please?"
Sakura looked at him, her eyebrow raised slightly.
"I find the flower really beautiful," he gave her a shy smile.
Sakura felt her cheeks heat slightly at his comment, she gave him a shy smile and nodded. She grabbed a few napkins from the side and gently placed each flower on them. Carefully, she wrapped them and handed Itachi the Sakura wagashi, while putting the purple sweet in her bag. "Thank you for bringing me here," she stood up, Itachi following suit.
"Thank you for coming with me, and thank you for buying the sweets. Next time, I'll treat you to something," he picked up the sweet and held it in his hand, making sure not to hold it too tight.
"I'll hold you to it," Sakura started to walk back, Itachi next to her.
Once at the station, Sakura turned to face him, "have a good rest of your day."
"You too, take care." He held out his hand for Sakura.
Sakura took his hand, not surprised at the firm hold, or the callouses that rubbed against the palm of her hand. She wondered what his hands would feel like against the rest of her body, shocked at where her thoughts were headed once more, she pulled her hand away quickly. "I have to go," she said as an explanation for her sudden movement, "see you later?"
Itachi nodded, his lips pulling slightly in a smile, "sure, see you later."
Sakura smiled and walked away, mentally hitting herself for how she had acted, "what is wrong with you?" she questioned herself as she walked into her office. "Why am I such an idiot?" she sat down in her chair, and pressed her forehead against the desk, "why?" she asked herself over and over, unable to think of anything except how she had pulled her hand away at her lecherous thoughts. "Nothing I can do about it now," she groaned out after a few minutes and sat up, forcing herself to look at her work, and trying not to dwell on what she'd done.
XxxXxxXxxXxxXxxXxx
With work over, Sakura made her way home, only to find Ino waiting at her door.
"Let me guess," the blonde smirked at her, "you forgot."
Sakura furrowed her brow slightly, trying to remember why the blonde was at her door step. "I haven't forgotten," Sakura walked to the door, unlocking it and walking in, Ino following behind.
"Sure, you haven't," Ino chortled.
Sakura placed her bag on the table, trying her hardest to remember what they had planned, but all she could think about was Itachi, all afternoon, thoughts of him had plagued her mind, from innocent thoughts, to thoughts of him in her bed, his hands all over her, hers all over him. She forced the thoughts away, trying to remember what they had planned.
"I'll put you out of you misery," Ino sighed from behind her, "we planned on eating together tonight."
Sakura scrunched her face, remembering now. She turned to face Ino and gave her an apologetic smile.
"Next time, you better not get all high ang mighty with me when I forget something," Ino narrowed her eyes.
"I won't, I promise," Sakura hugged her, "I am sorry though."
"I forgive you forehead," Ino hugged her back.
"What would you like to eat?" Sakura asked, pulling away from the hug.
"How about a pizza? It's been ages since we had one," Ino leant against the table.
"Let's do it. Pass me my phone from my bag please."
Ino opened the bag and fished inside, pulling out something wrapped in napkins, "Sakura, what is this?" she asked, unwrapping the object.
Sakura turned to see what Ino was holding up. Her eyes falling on the wagashi, "that's wagashi," Sakura smiled, her thoughts turning to Itachi once again.
"When did you go and get wagashi?" she eyed the beautiful and intricate dessert in her hand that was slightly squashed from being in Sakura's bag.
"At lunch today," Sakura's smile widened slightly.
"What by yourself?"
"No, with Itachi."
Ino raised a pointed eyebrow, "isn't that the guy you spilt your anmitsu all over?"
Sakura nodded.
"Well look at you," Ino teased, smiling wide at the pinkette, "so, that's why you are always going to the dango shop."
"I go there because I like their sweets," Sakura pointed out.
"It's not the only thing you like," Ino added.
"It's not like that," Sakura blushed.
"Sure, it's not," Ino added, "you just go there to look at the eye candy," Ino laughed.
"Stop it, it's not like that," Sakura frowned, her blush intensifying, heating her from head to toe, her not so innocent thoughts plaguing her mind.
"Alright, alright," Ino laughed, "I'm only teasing," she handed over the phone and sat down next to Sakura.
Sakura found their favourite pizza takeaway and ordered their usual pizza and sides. With it all paid for, she locked her phone and turned to look at her best friend. "How are you anyway? How's work been?"
"I'm good, thanks. And work has been busy, all these weddings and birthdays, ugh," Ino sighed and threw her head back against the sofa.
"I thought you'd have been happy to have all this business," Sakura raised her eyebrow.
"I am," Ino looked over at Sakura, "I just can't deal with annoying brides who throw tantrums because some other bride has a better floral arrangement than the one she chose."
Sakura laughed, "I can only imagine the look on your face."
"I have had to bite my lip so much to stop from saying what I'm thinking," Ino rolled her eyes. "What about you? How has work been?"
"Work is always busy, people to save, people to train, the usual," Sakura sighed.
"And finding time to go eat desserts with the hottie police officer," Ino teased.
Sakura groaned and covered her face, hiding the blush that coloured her cheeks. "Seriously, what is it with you women constantly bringing this up?" her words muffled behind her hands.
"Clearly because we see a lot more than you do," Ino teased, "are you going to ask him out or are you going to continue dreaming of him while eating sweets?"
"It's not like that," Sakura faced the blonde, "there is nothing between us."
"I know you Sakura," Ino raised a pointed eyebrow, "and I know you want there to be something between you two."
Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but no words left her mouth. She realised that there was truth behind the blonde's words, she did want there to be something more between them, more than friendship.
"There you go, point to me," Ino said triumphantly, "next time you talk to him, you need to ask him out, or I will find him and ask for you."
"You wouldn't dare," Sakura looked at her, eyes wide.
"Try me," Ino smirked.
Sakura knew that when the blonde put her mind to something, she would go and do it, and she was known to act upon her threats. "Fine," Sakura groaned, "I'll think about it."
Before Ino could say anything, the doorbell rang and Sakura jumped to her feet, rushing to open the door.
"Your pizza," the young lady smiled, handing over the boxes.
Sakura grabbed some money and handed it over to the lady, "thank you," she smiled and shut the door. She walked to the kitchen and placed the boxes down, grabbed two plates and filled two glasses with some wine, "oi pig, come and get your food."
They grabbed their food and sat down, Ino chose a movie to watch. Sakura tried to pay attention to what was happening, but her mind kept falling on Itachi, wondering what he was doing, whether he was thinking about her, wondering whether he wanted there to be more between them. She thought about earlier, when they were at the Wagashi stall, how he had said that the Sakura sweet was his favourite, because it was his favourite flower, and the look he had given her. She bit the inside of her lip; maybe cherry blossoms just happen to be his favourite flower and he was only being nice; she sighed and shook away the thoughts, unable to understand whether he was just being nice, or whether he was hinting at something.
Sakura forced her attention on the movie, while stuffing her mouth full of chewy, cheesy goodness. With the movie over, and the pizza finished, Sakura washed the plates, while Ino threw away the boxes.
"I'm off," Ino grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulders, "thanks for the pizza and remember what I said."
Sakura nodded, "yeah, yeah, I know," she dried her hands on the towel and walked Ino to the door, "thanks for coming over."
"Anytime forehead," Ino hugged Sakura and walked to her car, waving goodbye as she drove away.
Sakura locked the door and walked into the kitchen to grab a drink, her eyes falling on the purple wagashi sweet on the counter. She picked it up carefully and smiled at it, her thoughts turning to Itachi, again she wondered whether he thought about her the way she thought about him. She grabbed her phone and took a picture of the sweet and sent it to Itachi, with a message. Thanks for the sweets again, just about to devour this beautiful flower.
She took a small bite of the sweet, enjoying the sweet tastes that flooded her mouth, her eyes constantly falling on her phone, waiting eagerly for his reply. With the sweet finished, she sighed in defeat to find no reply from him, he must be sleeping she sighed deeply. She washed her hands and grabbed a glass, filling it with water and drinking it. She rinsed it and placed it on the drying rack, phone in hand she walked to her room, and got changed for bed, her phone next to her.
She was just about to drift off to sleep when her phone pinged next to her, she unlocked it to find a message from Itachi, she smiled wide, her stomach filled with butterflies and she quickly opened the message. A picture of the Sakura wagashi greeted her, with the message, I can't bring myself to eat this, it's too beautiful to destroy.
Sakura bit her lip at the words and quickly typed back a reply. If you can't eat it, give it to me and I'll eat it.
She watched as the three dots bounced on the screen followed by his message.
It's too good to share… but maybe I can make the exception with you.
Sakura squealed at the message, her smile spreading further across her lips, causing her cheeks to hurt, she replied back. My door is always open to free sweets.
How about we share it?
Sakura chuckled lightly, her fingers flying across the keyboard of her phone. Fine, let's meet tomorrow.
Where and when?
Sakura thought about it, it was the weekend and for once she didn't have anything planned, it seemed like the perfect thing to do, meet up and share a sweet. If you're not working, we can meet at the park around 11?
I'm free tomorrow, I'll see you then. He ended the message with a smiley emoji.
Sakura beamed at her phone, her stomach filled with a fluttery feeling, as if there were there were thousands of butterflies flying inside her. She checked the time on her phone, almost midnight. Too giddy to sleep, she spent the next hour preparing her outfit for tomorrow. She selected her favourite pair of blue jeans, paired with the white lace top and brown sandals. Happy with her choice, she placed the clothes on the back of her chair and laid back down in bed. The smile still plastered over her face. Sleep finally took her, her dreams filled with sweets and Itachi.
XxxXxxXxxXxxXxxXxx
By ten o' clock, Sakura was dressed and sat in her living room, watching the clock tick away, each second seemed to take forever to tick by, she groaned out in frustration and picked up the book at the table, and forced her attention on the words, but her eyes kept drifting towards the clock each minute. Sakura shut the book and slapped it against the table, she made her way to the kitchen and busied herself cleaning the dishes, followed by the counters and stove top. She checked the time, happy to see that it was half ten.
Instead of waiting around, she decided to make her way to the park now, and take the longer route. By the time she made it to the park, her body tingled from head to toe, her stomach full of nerves and her heart thumped hard and fast against her chest. She looked around the park, trying to spot Itachi, but no luck. She found an empty bench and sat down. She fished out her phone and scrolled through aimlessly. As the minutes ticked by, she started to worry that he wouldn't show up. She sighed and checked her messages, the last one was from the night before, where they had agreed to meet up at the park.
Sakura pocketed her phone and stood up, sliding her bag over her shoulder, she turned to leave.
"Sakura!"
She heard her name being shouted, she looked behind her, finding Itachi walking towards her, a bag in his hand. She turned to face him, the nerves flaring up again, making her feel hot and cold at the same time. As he reached closer to her, she smiled at him, "hi."
"Hello," he returned her smile, "I'm sorry I'm late, I stopped to get these." He held up the bag in his hand.
"What is it?" Sakura furrowed her brow at the bag, all she could make out was a box.
"I got us some dango," he smiled sheepishly, "I sort of felt bad for not having anything from the Dango shop, so I stopped to buy us some, hope you don't mind."
Sakura's smile stretched across her lips, "that's very sweet of you, thank you."
They both sat down on the bench, the bag in between them. Each time Sakura looked at him, she felt her face heat up, her thoughts turning to what Ino had said, about asking him out, but she couldn't bring herself to voice her thoughts.
"How has your morning been?" He turned to look at her. He noticed how her cheeks were slightly flushed, and some of her hair had fallen away from her bun, adding to her beauty. Without thinking, he reached over and gently tucked the tendril behind her ear. The backs of his fingers gently caressing her cheek. As soon as his fingers touched her, he quickly pulled his hand away, "sorry, I shouldn't have…" he averted his eyes.
Sakura's cheeks heated up slightly, causing them to redden more. She gently touched her cheek where his fingers had been seconds ago, her lips pulling in a shy smile, "it's okay," she spoke softly.
Itachi looked at her and gave her a small smile. For a while now, he had wanted to touch her, to feel the softness of her skin, but he had always held back, never knowing whether he would be stepping over the line. He wanted to tell her how he felt, the words on the tip of his tongue, but he struggled to voice them. His eyes were constantly drawn towards her, and each time she looked at him, he would look away quickly.
Sakura watched his, watched how his eyes would dart towards her, only to move away as fast. She watched as his eyes turned thoughtful, before he shook away whatever he was thinking about. "Are you okay?" She moved slightly closer towards him, her hand resting near his.
Itachi looked at their hands, so close together. Slowly, he looked up at her, loosing himself in her eyes. Eyes that shined as bright as emeralds, eyes that were filled with kindness and something else. "I am," he smiled at her, "how are you?"
"I'm good thanks," she returned the smile.
"I'm glad to hear that," he smiled again, turning his attention to the bag between them. "I brought the Sakura wagashi," he fished out the small box and opened it up. "You can have the first bite."
Sakura's mouth watered at the sight of the sweet, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. Carefully she picked up the sweet and brought it to her lips and took a bite, eating half of the flower, enjoying the taste that flooded her mouth. Her eyes closing on their own accord.
Itachi watched her intently, how she reacted to the sweet taste of the Wagashi, how her face lit up at the sight of it. Again, he was struck by her beauty and he desperately wanted to reach over and hold her close to him. "Is it good?" he asked after a while.
Sakura opened her eyes and looked at Itachi, her cheeks heating slightly, "it is," she licked her lips and held out the sweet for him to take, "your go." But what she was not expecting was him taking a bite of the sweet while she held it. His lips brushed against her fingers gently, his tongue stroking her fingers, making her gasp and her body tingle. She bit on the inside of her lip, stopping her from making any sound.
He looked into her eyes, "it tastes delicious." He licked his lips and smiled at her, enjoying how her cheeks reddened more and more.
Sakura bit down harder on her lip, the look he gave her, almost like he craved more than the sweet that was in her hands, and she wanted to lean towards him and capture his lips, to revel in his touch, in his kiss. She forced herself to look away from him, worried that she would act upon her thoughts, only to make a fool of herself.
Itachi watched her carefully, and he couldn't hold himself back any longer. He placed his hand on hers and gave it a gentle squeeze, getting her attention back. "Sakura, I need to tell you something…" he started, waiting for her to say something, anything. But she stayed silent. He took a deep breath and went on, "I want you to know how much I cherish you and our friendship and how much you mean to me." He gave her a small smile.
"I've enjoyed all our time together, and enjoyed our little debates over what sweet is the best," he chuckled lightly, and watched as she smiled and laughed lightly, remembering their time at the Dango shop.
He took another deep breath, 'here goes everything', "over the last few months, I've come to like you."
"I like you too Itachi," Sakura whispered to him.
Itachi smiled, "what I mean is, that I like you more than a friend, and I wanted you to know. But I am not expecting you to feel the same, I just had to tell you and I can only hope that this doesn't affect our friendship too much." He couldn't bring himself to look at her, to see whatever emotion was on her face, instead, he looked at the floor, counting down the seconds and mentally kicking himself for taking Kisame's advice and telling her how he really felt.
Sakura was stunned by what he had said, she couldn't believe that he felt the same way. For a while she thought it was a joke, that he was only messing around with her, but she knew him, and he wasn't someone who would hurt anyone's feelings. A slow smile spread across her face. She placed her other hand on top of his, giving it a squeeze. When he turned to look at their hands, then at her, she leant towards him and pressed her lips against his. For a while neither of them moved, until Itachi cupped her cheek and kissed her back.
Itachi pulled away from the kiss and looked at her, her cheeks were a beautiful shade of pink, her lips slightly parted and her eyes alight with happiness. "H…how long?"
"For a long while," Sakura smiled at him. "I needed a push from a friend to make me realise that I like you a lot, more than a friend, but I was afraid to tell you how I felt. Now you know."
"Now I know," Itachi smiled and pulled her in for another kiss, enjoying the feel of her soft lips against his. "We can enjoy the sweeter things in life together now," he spoke against her lips, making her smile.