A/N: Old submission for Sasusaku Month 2014 Day 23. Prompt: A Hot Cup of Tea.

It was a lovely morning. The sun was shining, the wind was gently breezing and not a cloud in sight. Just perfect for the birthday boy.

Sakura had woken up earlier than usual to prepare breakfast Sasuke. It wasn't every day for Sasuke to get to sleep in. Working overtime at the police station yesterday was also a factor.

Sakura kept herself busy in the kitchen. Sautéing some eggs and tomatoes on one stove, and frying some chicken katsu on the other. And of course she wouldn't forget to brew a cup of black coffee, just like how Sasuke liked it.

Perfect.

After putting on some finishing touches, she divided the food into their plates before slipping back to their bedroom, kneeling so she was within eye level with Sasuke.

"Sasuke." She whispered. He twitched upon hearing his name. His eyelids were too heavy that he didn't have the strength to open them. "Sasuke wake up." She tried nudging his shoulder.

His eyes fluttered open just the slightest, trying to adjust to the surrounding light before they were completely open.

"Sakura." His voice came out hoarse, still full of sleep.

"Happy birthday." She leaned in to give a quick peck on his cheek.

"Hmm." Pulling away, she traced his jaw line with her thumb. He shifted to his side, facing her. His consciousness fully kicking in, he stretched before propping himself up in a sitting position.

All the way from their bedroom he could already smell the savory aroma and a hint of coffee.

"I made you breakfast." She finally got up, making a bee line towards the kitchen before Sasuke followed suit. They both took a seat at the opposite ends of the table. He eyed each plate hungrily, his mouth already watering at the sight of his favorite tomato omelet. She poured a cup of coffee for him before handing him some chopsticks.

"Do you like it?" She looked at him with such anticipation in her eyes.

"Aa." Mouth still full with food, that was the only answer he could mutter. Satisfied with the answer, Sakura began digging at her own breakfast.

"Naruto's inviting us to a party this evening." Sakura said.

"Hmm." Whatever party it was, Sasuke wasn't going to be a part of it.

"It'll be at the new club across from Ichiraku."

"I'm not going."

"Oh come on, it's for your birthday, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn."

"So does that mean yes?"

"No."

"We don't have to be there for a long time. We could just go and meet everyone, maybe stay for a few minutes. And then we could go home."

There were several things he was considering. One, clubs were never Sasuke's scene. He's not particularly fond of loud and crowded places. Two, alcohol was bound to be present. And last time they drank with Naruto and their friends, boy Sasuke just wished he wasn't anywhere near them. Three, this was his birthday. He had the right to do whatever he wanted and they shouldn't force him to do anything against his will.

But on the other hand, he knew they meant well for him. Perhaps seeing everyone for a bit would show how grateful Sasuke was.

"Fine." Sasuke finally gave in. Leave it to Sakura to convince him to do stuff, he didn't want to admit it, but she was his weakness.

"Great. I'm going to go run some errands and do some work in the hospital for a few hours. You're welcome to come along." She moved to place the dirty dishes in the sink before gathering her stuff.

"Hn. I'll stay."

"Mkay I'll see you later! Have fun!"

.

.

One thing he was grateful for was that he wasn't needed to come into the police station. He really needed the day off to slow down and relax for a change. Sasuke had always been a clean and neat person. And his time alone would always be spent cleaning and sharpening his weapons.

He was left alone in the manor for two hours tops before Sakura came back with a bag of groceries.

"Sasuke-kun." She called out for him.

"Aa." She followed his voice to the living room and found him casually polishing his chokuto.

"Several people gave presents for you!" He noticed she was holding a large bag around her right wrist. She settled it on the coffee table and took out its contents.

"This is from Ayuko-san, the lady from the fish market, remember?" She held out a frying pan. He remembered alright. She was always flirting with him whenever they visited the fish market. For some reason Sakura was never bothered by it. It actually gave her amusement.

"And this is from Iruka-sensei." He remembered his former Academy teacher very well. Sakura took out a box of shurikens.

"And this is my present for you." She took out a box from another bag that was hanging from her shoulder and handed it to him. It was a medium sized burgundy box. Just by looking at its exterior he knew it was something precious.

He carefully lifted the lid and it revealed a set of eight handmade kunai. The blade was thinner and longer than the usual kunai. It felt lighter than usual and judging by the texture, color, and appearance, it was composed of a special material. He took one from its set and carefully examined the blade, its hilt, the coating. He could tell these kunai could conduct chakra. He tried channeling his chakra into it and sparks of electricity surrounded the blade. At the base of the blade, there was the Uchiha fan emblem specially carved into it, that was obviously custom-made.

"Sakura."

"I know you like practical stuff, so I wanted to give you something that would be useful." He carefully put the kunai back in the box and closed it. He didn't need any gift to be happy. All he wanted was for Sakura to stay by his side for the rest of his life. That would make him happier than any gift in the world.

"Thank you." He looked straight into her eyes and she could see all the gratitude displayed in those beautiful onyx eyes, melting her heart.

"You're welcome."

.

.

It was half an hour before they were supposed to leave for the party. Sakura had just finished arranging her medical files before she was going to shower and dress up for the event. Sasuke, on the other hand, was happily sitting on the terrace, looking over the fishpond in the backyard.

The sound of the wind howling, the water splashing from the koi fishes, the leaves rustling with each other was a harmony that never failed to soothe him.

It had been sunny in the morning, but clouds were soon gathering at dusk. The air was getting more and more humid and before he knew it, there were tiny droplets of water dancing on the koi pond.

Just in a matter of minutes, those droplets grew bigger, before turning into a storm. The wind had picked up its pace, blowing wildly at his hair. He kept his distance and stayed under the roof to avoid getting wet.

He heard soft pitter patters approaching him.

"I don't think we'll be able to go to the party after all. Not in this storm." Sakura sat next to him with a blanket over her shoulder and two cups of hot tea in her hands. Sasuke couldn't contain his relief as he mentally rejoiced.

"Hn."

"It appears this is nature's gift for your birthday." She shoved his shoulder playfully before she handed him the cup of jasmine tea, his favorite, and spread the blanket across his lap. She scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. He instinctively wrapped his hand around her waist to pull her closer.

Other people would enjoy drinking alcoholic beverages but he'd rather drink a hot cup of tea. It reminded him so much of when he used to drink tea with his mother. It used to calm him down. Even until now, the warm liquid warmed him.

He didn't want luxurious parties or expensive gifts for his birthday. He only wanted to spend his time with the person he loved, while drinking a hot cup of tea and snuggling with each other. He never knew happiness could be this simple, until he met Sakura.