The following Monday, Sasuke found himself eating lunch with the rest of the members of Group 3 when he learned some interesting information. "You all have girlfriends?" Sasuke questioned, finding it hard to believe in some ways. "Sounds like someone is jealous" Naruto said with a grin. "No I'm not, I'm just surprised you didn't say anything about them before" Sasuke said, before taking a bite of his sandwich.
"We were more concerned with your love life, but we met the girls at a club a few months ago and we all hit it off" Shikamaru told him, as he gazed up at the clouds passing by in the sky. "They're all teachers at Konoha Elementary School and just happened to be at the club that night" Choji said, while munching on a sugar cookie.
"You should have seen Ino in that dress, I couldn't take my eyes off her" Naruto mused, as his mind drifted back to the night he met her. "I couldn't with Temari either, no matter how troublesome it was" Shikamaru remarked, as he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket. "I barely remember what Karui was wearing, but the plate of cheese fries we shared were really good" Choji chimed in, as he reminisced about first meeting her in his head.
"Hey Sasuke, how about we go on a quadruple date together? And you bring Sakura" Naruto offered, wanting to help out his group mate. "Hn, sure. I was going to ask her out anyway but that works" Sasuke agreed, even though he would normally despise the idea.
Sasuke wouldn't have ever thought he would agree to something like a group date, but he felt like it would help ease any nerves Sakura might have after what happened recently. And he thought that maybe Sakura could potentially become friends with Ino, Temari, and Karui.
"How about we go bowling and then eat barbecue afterwards?" Choji suggested, while finishing off the last bit of his sandwich. "Temari would like that I think" Shikamaru added. "Ino would too, how about we go at 1:00 on Sunday? There shouldn't be too many people then" Naruto figured. "Ah, I'll ask Sakura the next time I see her" Sasuke said, as they all got up and headed back to work.
Sakura got off work early on Thursday and decided to wait outside the construction site for Sasuke since she hadn't seen him in a few days. It was 3:15 when she saw the men beginning to head home for the day, she scoured the crowd in search of Sasuke but had no luck. She was unable to see him due to her small stature, thankfully her pink hair was able to catch his attention and he walked up to her. "Hey what are you doing here?" Sasuke with a concerned look in his eyes, worried something might have happened again.
"Everything is okay! I just got off early and wanted to see if you were free, it's okay if you aren't though" Sakura reasoned, while clutching the strap of her purse. "I got paid and need to buy a
phone, do you want to come with me?" Sasuke asked, hoping that would be okay. "Of course! I know a few places we can look" Sakura said happily, while tugging on his arm for him to follow her.
"You don't have to do that" Sasuke said, but when he saw her face fall and her release his arm, he realized she had misunderstood. "I mean we can just do this instead" Sasuke corrected, as he grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers together. A soft blush broke out on Sakura's face which caused Sasuke to smirk, "I do like this better" she said shyly, averting her eyes from his.
They made their way into the first phone store and began browsing through all the options available. Sasuke told her that he didn't want anything complex, just a touch screen that had call and text. Sakura was able to find one that fit his criteria easily, and they spent the next hour working with one of the employees to get the phone set up for him.
"That was tedious" Sasuke sighed, as they walked out of the store. "It was, but aren't you glad it's over with? And now you have the phone you've been needing" Sakura stated, as she watched him adjust all of the phone's settings to his liking.
"Ah you're right, do you want to get something to eat? I haven't had anything since lunch" Sasuke told her, as he felt hunger pains coming on. "That sounds good, I'm fine with anything" Sakura responded, leaving the decision up to him.
The pair walked through the streets of Konoha until Sasuke decided on a pizza place that Sakura liked as well. They were seated in a booth next to a large window and ordered a large pizza with half pepperoni for Sakura, and just cheese and diced tomatoes for Sasuke on the other half.
"You must really like tomatoes" Sakura pointed out with a giggle. "Ah they've always been my favorite, Mother used to put them on everything for me" Sasuke said, though he regretted it instantly, "Forget I said that" he said dismissively. "It's okay to talk about loved ones who've passed Sasuke, it helps their memory live on" Sakura said genuinely, as she gazed into his dark eyes.
"She hasn't passed away, at least I don't think she has" Sasuke muttered, while clenching his fists under the table. "I don't understand, how do you not know if your mother is alive or not?" Sakura asked, starting to get frustrated with how cryptic he was being.
Sasuke could sense this so he decided to explain everything that had happened with his parents and brother, even though he wasn't planning on doing it so soon. He watched her facial expressions change throughout his explanation and her sincerity made his chest tighten.
Once he was done Sakura hesitantly asked, "Have you ever thought of reaching out to your mother at least? And maybe your father has changed and I'm sure Itachi wants to know where his little brother is" she tried to reason. "Maybe someday when I'm ready I will, but I'm fine where I'm at for now" Sasuke assured her, as he reached across the table and held her hand.
Sakura's lip trembled at his words and gentle actions but she held in the tears and tightly held onto his hand. It would take her some time to process everything he had told her but she was happy he opened up to her about his past. And Sakura couldn't help but want him to reunite with his family, especially his mother. But she wouldn't push it anymore, for now she was just happy to be with him.
Their pizza arrived and they began eating quietly until Sasuke spoke, "Do you want to go on a date this Sunday? The guys from my group invited us to join them" he told her. "Wow really? I'd love to, are you sure they're okay with me coming?" Sakura asked, insecurities getting the better of her. "Of course they are" Sasuke said simply, as he took another bite of pizza. "Then I'd be happy to go, what are we going to be doing?" Sakura asked, while taking a drink of her tea.
So Sasuke told her the plan and that he would meet her at her apartment before so they could walk there together. They also exchanged numbers and Sakura couldn't help her quickened heartbeat at the thought of their upcoming date and finally being able to text and call Sasuke.
As they finished their meal, Sakura tried to sneak a few pictures of Sasuke but to no avail, "Why do you need pictures of me?" Sasuke questioned, never having been one for pictures. "Well I wanted one for your contact picture, but I can delete them if you want me to" Sakura fretted, as she opened her phone back up and went to the gallery. "No it's okay, keep them" Sasuke assured her.
Once Sakura finished setting Sasuke's contact picture, they left the restaurant and walked back to her apartment. They talked quietly and Sakura felt confident enough to take hold of Sasuke's hand, to which he gave a comforting squeeze.
They arrived at her apartment and neither wanted to part even though they knew it was time, "I'll see you tomorrow?" Sakura asked hopefully. "Ah you will, we tend to run into each other" Sasuke said with a smirk, recalling their first meeting.
As Sakura laughed at his comment, Sasuke couldn't help but wrap his arms around her waist and breath in the smell of her sweet perfume. Sakura tensed up for a moment until she relaxed and looped her arms around his neck.
They stayed in each other's hold until Sasuke slowly pulled away but not without placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Get home safely" Sakura whispered, as she rubbed her thumbs over the ink decorating his forearms. "Ah I will, have a good night" Sasuke said back, before reluctantly leaving and heading back to the center.
Over the rest of the work week Sasuke and Sakura saw each other a few times, and were even able to have lunch together on Friday.
But when Sunday morning came, Sakura felt extremely anxious about her date in the afternoon. She wasn't nervous about seeing Sasuke, no he was going to be the one she counted on during the whole outing. She was more nervous than anything about meeting the girlfriends of the men in Sasuke's group. What if they didn't like her? What if they ignored her the whole time? All these thoughts were going through her head, so she decided to text Sasuke.
Good Morning Sasuke, are you excited for today?
Good Morning Sakura, I'm looking forward to seeing you. Are you excited?
I'm ready to see you too, but I'm honestly more nervous about it all.
Why do you feel nervous?
I'm worried the girls won't like me and the whole date will be awkward.
I understand but I have a feeling you all will get along. But if you don't we can leave early and go somewhere else.
Thank you for being so understanding.
Of course, do you want me to come over early?
Yes please, if it's not any trouble.
I'll be there in an hour.
Sakura sighed in relief after her text conversation with Sasuke, he had eased her mind without even realizing it. To help the time go by until Sasuke arrived, Sakura busied herself with cleaning up the apartment and picking out an outfit to put on later.
A knock at the door paused her movements and Sakura went and opened the door, "Hi, thank you for coming early" Sakura beamed, as she ushered him inside. "It's no big deal, I brought you a pick-me-up" Sasuke told her, as he placed the white box he was holding into her hands.
Sakura gave him a suspicious look before placing the box on the kitchen table and opening it, "These look so good, thank you Sasuke!" she gushed. Sasuke had bought an assortment of different donuts for her, and a plain cake donut for himself. "You're welcome, I hoped this would help some" Sasuke said softly, as he admired her smiling face.
Sakura then poured them both a mug of hot coffee, and they began having their coffee and donuts together. As they ate, Sakura somehow managed to get Sasuke to take a bite of a chocolate sprinkled donut. Which resulted in Sasuke grimacing at the sweet taste and Sakura laughing until tears pooled at the corners of her eyes.
It was nearing the time for them to head to the bowling alley, so Sakura went to her room to begin getting ready. About thirty minutes later Sakura came out dressed in a grey graphic shirt that was tucked into a pair of jeans shorts along with a pair of white sneakers. She had on a light pink cardigan to keep her warm, her hair was straightened and she had tied the top half behind her head. For accessories, Sakura had on a couple bracelets on both wrists and a few layered necklaces and a pair of studs in her ears.
"Do I look okay?" Sakura asked nervously, as she began rummaging through her purse. "You look very nice" Sasuke assured her, as he stood up and walked towards her. "Thank you Sasuke, you look really good too" Sakura said back with a blush.
Sasuke was dressed in a navy button-up shirt with black jeans and a pair of black dress shoes. He won't admit it but after Sakura agreed on the date, he went out and bought a whole outfit for the occasion.
"Are you ready to go?" Sasuke asked, while he went and opened the door. Sakura walked up to him and grabbed onto his hand and said, "Now I am" with a smile. Sasuke gave her a soft smile back as they left and made their way to the bowling alley.
When they arrived Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji were all waiting outside the alley with their girlfriends. "Now I'm even more nervous" Sakura whispered to him as they got closer. Sasuke said nothing but just held her hand tighter, hoping it would help ease her nerves.
"Hey loser, about time you got here" Naruto said loudly, as Sasuke and Sakura stopped in front of them. "Glad you made it" Shikamaru said lazily. "Me too, it's weird seeing you outside of work though" Choji said, while chewing on a piece of gum.
"Ah yes it is, this is Sakura" Sasuke said to all of them, enjoying the feeling of showing her off in a way. "Hi, it's nice to meet all of you" Sakura said, trying to control her shaking voice. "Us guys already know you Sakura! Even though this is the first time I've seen you outside the hospital" Naruto pointed out much to Sakura's chagrin.
"Naruto would you stop being so dense, you're obviously making her uncomfortable" a woman with long blonde hair said, before adding, "Pardon my boyfriend, he can be a real idiot. I'm Ino and I'm happy you joined us" in a genuine voice. "Agreed, we can always use more girls around here, I'm Temari" a woman with dirty blonde hair that was styled into four ponytails said. "That's the understatement of the year, I'm Karui" a dark skinned woman with honey eyes and red hair added on.
Sakura felt more at ease after being introduced to all the girls and how they seemed glad that she was there. She could tell that they all had strong personalities but were good people nonetheless.
They walked inside and were greeted by the neon lights that illuminated the entire alley, and the flashing colorful lights from the arcade games. The alley wasn't too busy, only a few families there bowling together and couples in the arcade playing the games.
The group went to the register and paid for a lane and got their bowling shoes. Sasuke insisted on paying for Sakura's portion and after bickering back and forth, she finally relented and let him pay.
They all went to their lane and started putting on their shoes, "We can't bowl without snacks and drinks, what do you want baby?" Choji asked his girlfriend. "Honey you're the one who can't bowl without snacks and drinks, but I'll just have some of whatever you pick out" Karui said with a smile, knowing this was his way of showing love.
"We'll come with you since there's going to be a lot to carry, come on guys" Naruto said to Sasuke and Shikamaru. Both men groaned in irritation but got up and followed Naruto and Choji to the snack bar.
Now it was just the girls and Sakura felt some of her nerves coming back, but Ino broke the ice, "So Sakura, what do you do for work?" she asked, as she typed everyone's names into the scoreboard. "I'm the Head of Pediatrics at Hashirama Hospital" Sakura said proudly, while she finished lacing up her bowling shoes. "That's very admirable, I bet you've treated a lot of our students" Temari pointed out. "Without a doubt, our kiddos are always getting sick or eating things that should not be eaten" Karui said with a slight roll of her eyes.
The women continued talking about their careers and before Sakura knew it she felt completely comfortable with them all. Well, that was until they started asking her about Sasuke and their relationship.
"We aren't dating, at least not yet" Sakura said timidly, feeling all their eyes on her. "Really? Sasuke doesn't seem like the type to string a girl along" Ino said with a surprised look. "He's not! We're still getting to know each other but I know he shares the same feelings I do" Sakura assured them, but before they could say anything back the boy's were back with the food.
They had gotten pretzel bites, mozzarella sticks, fries, onion rings, cheeseburger sliders, nachos, and a pitcher of beer to share. Sasuke sat back down next to Sakura and handed her an iced tea, "How is it going?" he asked her. "Much better than I thought it would, I feel so silly for worrying so much this morning" Sakura said with a small laugh. "Your feelings were valid, but I'm glad you're having a good time" Sasuke said, as he draped his arm across the back of Sakura's seat.
Sakura leaned into him and asked, "Are you having a good time?" in a hopeful tone. "Ah for the most part, I don't really like having to share you though" Sasuke admitted, causing the tips of his ears to burn. And Sakura couldn't help but laugh at his expense, "Annoying woman" he muttered as she kept laughing.
"Alright, let's get this game started! Sasuke you're up first" Naruto hollered to his group mate. "Tch, why do I have to go first?" Sasuke grumbled, as he got up and picked up his bowling ball. He walked up to the line and brought the ball to his nose with both hands, Sasuke focused for a moment before moving and bowling the ball with great precision. The ball rolled down the lane and slammed right into the first pin and knocked the rest of them all down.
STRIKE!
The robotic voice called out, as Sasuke walked back to Sakura and took a seat next to her, "Top that loser" he said to Naruto.
And then the game was on, Naruto and Sasuke battled back and forth even though it was mostly one sided. Temari got onto Shikamaru for not trying hard enough, Karui had to wipe the nacho cheese off of Choji's hands before he bowled, and Ino had to keep Naruto from yelling too much and getting them all kicked out.
The girls also enjoyed bowling but they were really there more to talk with each other. Karui got two strikes in a row, Ino broke a nail on one of her turns, and Temari bowled the fastest MPH out of everyone. Sakura wasn't the best bowler and had a few of her shots go straight to the gutter, but she was still able to get a spare and a strike.
In the end, Sasuke won with no issue, much to Naruto's annoyance. "I don't think there's anything you're bad at" Sakura joked, as she and Sasuke changed their shoes. "Hn, there's plenty. I just couldn't let Naruto win" Sasuke said with a smirk, as he stood up and offered Sakura his hand.
Sakura took it and they walked over to the counter and returned their shoes, and then went outside to where the rest of the group already was. "Took you guys long enough" Shikamaru said, while blowing out his cigarette smoke. "Barbecue time!" Choji said happily, as he wrapped his arm around Karui's waist and headed down the street.
Everyone followed suit and talked with each other as they made their way to the restaurant. When they got there, Choji greeted the host and took them to a large booth in the back of the restaurant. They all slid in and then ordered their drinks, and Choji went ahead and placed their orders since they all trusted him to do it.
The group had a pleasant dinner together and spent about two hours at the restaurants, eating and enjoying each other's company. After dinner they all said their goodbyes and Sakura exchanged numbers with Ino, Temari, and Karui.
Sakura was unusually quiet on their walk back to her apartment, she appeared to just be enjoying the night and holding onto his arm, so Sasuke decided to say nothing for now.
Fifthteen minutes later Sakura was unlocking her door for them both, "Do you want to stay for a little while?" she asked him. "Is it okay if I do?" Sasuke asked back, not wanting to overstep. "Well you are the one who said you didn't like sharing me" Sakura recalled in a teasing tone.
Sasuke just rolled his eyes at her words and pulled her to sit down on the couch next to him. "I'm really happy I ran into you that day, it hasn't been that long but you've already changed my life for the better" Sakura confessed, as she turned to look at him.
"I could say the same thing about you, I've never felt as accepted and comfortable with someone as I do with you" Sasuke confessed, while tucking some stray hairs behind her ear.
The gesture was so gentle, and the moment was so perfect, Sasuke couldn't help but lean in and lightly press his lips to hers. At first neither of them moved, too afraid of doing something wrong to ruin the moment. But Sakura began to tentatively move her lips against his, and Sasuke responded by leaning forward and placing one hand on the side of her face and the other on her hip.
When they finally broke apart, Sasuke was breathless and Sakura's hands were slightly shaking. "That was my first kiss" she told him, "Mine too" Sasuke said back, as he pulled her into his chest. "You really are good at everything" Sakura teased, while looking up at him. Sasuke said nothing but only smirked and shook his head at her praise.
Sasuke and Sakura stayed in each other's embrace for the next couple hours, talking quietly and half watching a movie. The conversation was slowing down until Sasuke spoke, "Next time we go on a date, it should just be you and I, and it could be our first date as a couple" he suggested, trying not to sound nervous. "Does that mean we're dating now?" Sakura asked in a silly tone even though she knew the answer. "If you're okay with me as your boyfriend, then yes" Sasuke said back, amused with the conversation.
"There's no one else I'd rather be with" Sakura said as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I feel the same but you'll have to bear with me, I don't know how to be a good boyfriend but I'll do all I can to make you happy" Sasuke promised, while pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.