A/N: This was an old submission for Sasusaku Month 2014 Day 7. Prompt: Night Out

7 July.

The day of the Tanabata festival. It had always been a big event, one that attracted many villagers in Konoha.

It was to celebrate the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi every once in a year. It had been a custom for people to go to the festival as a couple.

Sakura had been looking forward to the festival for some time. She'd always enjoyed going to those as a kid, despite not knowing what it meant.

People did say that it was better to come to the festival with a certain special someone, which immediately gave her the idea of going with Sasuke. Now the real challenge was actually getting Sasuke to go with her. She knew how much he hated crowds.

She was raking her brain all day to come up with excuses.

.

"Are you going to the festival?" Naruto asked as they were sitting by the docks.

"Hn. Don't know." Sasuke was leaning back on his arms, closing his eyes as he felt the wind caress his face.

"Well if you do, you're gonna need a date teme!" Sasuke was aware of that. That was why he was restless all day. He already had someone in mind, but he didn't exactly know how to ask her.

Tell him to infiltrate enemy base and he'd do it in a flash. Tell him to assassinate a Jounin in a classified S-rank mission, he'd be down for. But when it came to dealing with romance, Sasuke was lost. He didn't know what to do. Granted, he didn't really have much experience in that field.

"Say, I bet Sakura-chan wants to go!" Naruto eyed him from the corner of his eyes, dropping the very obvious hint. Naruto already knew what his friend was thinking and it's driving him nuts to see him so clueless like this. To him, the answer was just right in front of them, so he didn't get why Sasuke was delaying it.

Sasuke didn't say a thing. He just stared at the horizon. That was enough to push Naruto's patience off the edge.

"Just try asking her teme!" He flailed his hands in frustration.

"How?" Now Sasuke was getting frustrated. Naruto sometimes wondered who was the real idiot between them. Naruto sighed in defeat.

"Just talk to her!" He didn't respond. As if he was contemplating on it so much. "Look, you're her friend and she's your friend. Just go ask her already! I can bet she's waiting for you to ask her right now teme!"

Sasuke thought there was nothing wrong with asking her. Their relationship had gotten so much better these last few years, and Sasuke was certain she still had feelings for him.

Time was passing by quickly and the festival would begin in an hour. Naruto decided to leave and get dressed before meeting up with Hinata, leaving an exasperated Sasuke behind.

.

The festival had begun more than an hour ago. The streets of Konoha were filled with people of all ages, men and women, children and grandparents. Buildings and streetlights were lined with bright lanterns and colorful streamers. They seemed to come alive underneath the stars and moonlight.

Sakura had been asked by a few men to go to the festival but she gently declined all of them. She was still hoping Sasuke was the one who asked her. Because if he didn't, she would rather sit back at home than to go to the festival with another man.

Sitting alone on her rooftop, she rested her chin on her knees, seemingly fixated at the crowd underneath. She paid attention to the couples roaming the streets, how they're practically glued to each other. Sakura chuckled at the sight, thinking if she and Sasuke would ever be like that. She looked at the families holding their child in their hands, giggling at the lovely dolls hung on stalls. She smiled, knowing how much fun they must had been having.

She noticed people were starting to head to the river after everyone was done hanging their wishes on some bamboos and decorations. It was a custom that those bamboos and decorations were set afloat on a river or burned.

She was ready to go inside when she sensed another presence behind her. She sensed the familiar chakra.

Sasuke approached her and took a seat right next to her. They let silence fill the space.

"You're not going?" Sasuke asked after a while.

"Mm no." She kept fixating her attention to the crowd.

"Why?"

"I figured it won't be fun going alone. Even if I do go, I don't want to go with just anyone." Besides you.

A part of him felt bad he didn't ask her sooner. He could see the longing in her eyes, to be able to experience that herself. But a part of him was relieved when he heard that last part.

Seeing this as his golden opportunity, he got on his feet and held out his hand. She wasn't sure what he was doing and simply raised her eyebrow.

"Let's go together." Her eyes lit up and the corners of her lips tugged into a wide satisfied smile. She quickly nodded, grabbing his hand before jumping to the ground.

It was ironic how earlier that day, she didn't think it was possible to go to the festival with him and yet here she was, holding hands with him and walking to the festival together.

He let her hold his hand as they sift through the crowd, illuminated by the lanterns above them. He noticed how her face glowed, marveled by the attractions around her. He noticed how radiant she looked. And he wondered why he hadn't done this sooner.

He tightened his grip on her.