"SASUKE-KUUUUUUUUN!"
The onyx eyed boy winced. He closed his eyes and stopped himself from turning his head around and glaring at her. After all, you should never look directly into a wolf's eyes.
Instead, he increased his pace, walking briskly and praying that she would give up on her chase.
No such luck.
"SASUKE-KUUUUUUUUN I KNOW YOU HEARD ME BECAUSE YOU SAY I SPEAK LOUDER THAN A BANSHEE ON CRACK SO STOP NOW AT ONCE PLEASE!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes and increased his pace ever so slightly more. Hmm, he had told her that hadn't he? Well he certainly thought so, and he wondered at how she could possibly do so while saying such a long sentence without taking a break for breath.
"SASUKE-KUUUUUU –(HEY SAKURA-CHAN, WHAT'S THAT?)–!"
Sasuke conjured hopeful prayers that Naruto could detain her with his ridiculous commentary.
"–NARUTO, YOU TOUCH THAT AND I WILL CUT OFF YOUR MANLINESS EMENATORS!"
"ACCK SAKURA-CHAN!"
And the prayers go down the toilet hole.
.
.
.
Today was a day Sasuke-kun hated. Today was a day he wished no one knew about. Today was a day he wished to spend normally, although really, there were no such thing as normal with the rookie nine.
He sighed.
Today was his birthday.
AND Sakura insisted on giving him presents each year. Though he would have been touched, her choices of gifts irked him and irritated him.
Last year, he had gotten a sweater with a plushy heart sticking out of it. He knew better than to resist Sakura's presents (for she might present him with a knuckle sandwich with her iron fists). It made him look like he had a stomach and whenever someone slipped past his defenses (Sakura) and hugged him, the sweater produced –in a very high pitched, unmanly voice–"I LOVE YOU!" In which then Sakura would proceed to squeal very loudly into his ear ("I mean, I'm not going to wait forever for you to say that!") and render him deaf for a few minutes, something utterly frightening for a ninja.
It had frightened him so much that he "accidentally" burned it with his katon jutsu.
The year before that was the year Sakura discovered his "emo blankie," which was her childish term for his sophisticated, black blanket, which he used when he had trouble sleeping (which was everyday, but he wouldn't admit to that). She had scoffed at his explanation.
"It's okay to be scared, Sasuke-kun. But if you want protection, you'd best be off with something cooler and stronger!"
He had fumed inwardly, chanting that he was not scared and did not need protection and he was the coolest and strongest of them all.
That year, she gave him pokemon boxers. They were ridiculously colorful with something that looked liked blue turtles attempting summersaults and karate moves.
His eyebrows had rocketed sky high and he had retorted, "This is cool?"
Her eyes bulged.
"OF COURSE POKEMON IS COOL! ALL THE COOL KIDS ON THE BLOCK PLAY IT!" she screamed, flailing her arms wildly about in her pokemon induced rage, huffing and puffing angrily.
He had deadpanned, "Define cool," and nearly avoided having his head chomped off.
"Anyway," she had explained, "you can relax and trust in Squirtle's water powers! He will fend off any potential enemy so sleep in peace!"
Sasuke had to admit, she was quite endearing in her efforts to please him, but her presents were too eccentric for his tastes. He had "accidently" burned that one too.
.
.
.
Sakura hit her head against the wall as she tried in vain to think of a birthday present to give to Sasuke. He had never taken well to the presents she had given him in the past and they always seemed to burn in a tragic incident with his katon each time.
Finally, with only a few hours remaining before she would look for Sasuke, she gathered her wits and turned to Naruto for advice.
.
.
.
"Here, Sasuke-kun."
The dark haired boy stared down at her suspiciously and eyed the small box she was holding hesitantly. It was intricately decorated with cherry blossoms. In the center, he could see that the Uchiha crest was sewn carefully into it.
She held it out toward him and he took it cautiously. She stammered as he started to open it.
"A-ano, I wasn't sure what to get you, so I asked Naruto for advice a-and he said to get you a candy g-string."
Sasuke dropped the box as if it was on fire.
Sakura's eyes widened. "No, NO, but I didn't!…I punched him…but I did NOT get that!" she exclaimed, waving her arms frantically.
Sasuke stared at her and tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. He was going to mangle Naruto and then feed him to the dogs.
He watched as Sakura bent down and retrieved the box before handing it to him again. Again, he hesitantly lifted the lid.
There was nothing in it.
His brow creased and he held the box closer to his face for closer inspection.
His eyes widened as he felt a soft pair of lips graze his cheek in a gently kiss.
"Happy Birthday, Sasuke-kun."
.
.
.
"And you better not burn that box."
He smiled and kissed her back.