Title: Cotton Candy
Prompt: Day 3 / Carnival
Character/Pairing: Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke
Summary: There's a carnival nearby.
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"What's that noise?" Sakura asked, peering through the carriage window. In the distance, hidden behind some trees, they could see glimpses of colour and light.
"Oh, there's a carnival nearby," Naruto replied, leaning next to her to look out the window. "I went with Hinata the other day."
"Oh?" Sakura turned to him with a smile. It was something he unfailingly brought out of her, even when he made her mad.
Sasuke averted his eyes, leaning against his seat instead. The carriage ride felt long enough as it was with them chattering away the entire time.
He didn't need to see any more.
"So, how is that going?" Sakura teased and was she acting this open just because Naruto was there? With Sasuke, the rides were always quiet and awkward, two people forced into a room together.
"F-fine," Naruto stuttered, his face beet red.
"Just fine?" Sakura needled. "Nothing that would make Lord Neji—"
"S-Sakura!"
Giving him a break, she looked back out the window. "So what'd you do?"
Relieved, Naruto leaned out the window. "We're really close to it, so if you want we can stop and take a look before we go home."
"Really?" Sakura brightened, looking back at Sasuke a brief moment. "We should g—oh, right. Maybe next time, we're expecting guests later."
"If you say so."
"Tell me about it so I know what to do," and her tone, her tone was light and if he didn't know better, Sasuke would have guessed she recovered.
But her hands were clutching her dress, tight fists crumpling the fabric. A small disappointment, one in a chain of many, and he wondered just how many she put up with up to this point.
(And when he considered it, just how much did he know about her? How much more did he not?)
"So Hinata couldn't handle it—it wasn't that scary really, don't give me that look Sakura!—and I got her some cotton candy." Sasuke tuned in again to catch the end of the sentence.
Just in time to notice the slight perk in her posture. "Cotton candy?"
"Yeah, have you had it before? It's delicious, like—"
"Eating a cloud!" Sakura chimed in finishing his sentence for him.
"Yeah! It really is." Naruto grinned, patting his belly. "I had to get seconds."
"I can imagine that." Sakura laughed, poking him. "Better be careful or you'll get flabby."
"Sakura!"
-x-
"Huh?" Sakura stared at Sasuke, then back at the cotton candy in his hands. "When did you get that?"
"Naruto ran and got it while you were getting ready." Sasuke lied, not sure if she'd accept the gift if she knew it was from him. "You looked like you wanted it."
"Oh." Sakura took the food gingerly, a soft look on her face. "Naruto, huh?" She looked back at him and offered a small smile—a polite smile, he'd seen it on her a thousand times.
"Well, thank you, my lord." It was a practiced line, he'd heard it before. "I will see you at dinner, then." She moved back, to close her door and he turned away to head back to his own quarters.
Her next words were too quiet for him to hear.
"I didn't think you were listening then."