Title: Speculation

Summary: Didn't you know? Even emotionless boys gossip too.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Prompt: His side of the story

Warnings: Mild swearing (one word)

Comments: What is dating. Actually. Contains ShikaTema because they're adorable.

It was Konoha's best kept secret: that once every month, eight of its finest shinobis met to talk about girls. One might call it a support group of sorts; every time Kiba got a new girlfriend, Lee was thoroughly beaten by another love interest, or Naruto needed help, the men would convene and offer support or congratulations and even on occasion, advice.

"Hey, how're the talks with Suna going, Shikamaru?" someone asked one night as they sat around the bar.

"Eh, how troublesome," he grumbled. "He's being surprisingly overprotective."

"There does not appear to be any reason for the surprise," Shino intoned. "Temari-san is the elder sister of Sunagakure, and you are the Head Strategist of Konohagakure. A relationship between the two of you could potentially lead to marriage, which may have disastrous consequences in the future should Sunagakure and Konohagakure ever go to war."

"Thanks for pointing that out," Shikamaru muttered. "Troublesome."

"It's okay! That'll never happen as long as Gaara and me are Kage, ya know!" Naruto chipped in, giving Shikamaru a thumbs up.

"Baka, you don't know that, as troublesome as it is," he said, but his lips curved into a slight smile. "But, I think for once I'll stop thinking so hard and believe that everything will work out."

"Have you asked her out yet?"

Shikamaru nearly choked on his beer. "Eh, not yet. Troublesome. I wanted to get her brothers' approval first."

"Ah…" Everyone lapsed into silence; Shikamaru was the only real point of drama at the moment…

"Oh, that's right! I forgot to tell you guys!" Naruto suddenly said, grinning madly. "Sasuke went on a date with Sakura."

"WHAT?" Half the table fell off their chairs.

"Aa," Sasuke replied easily, taking a sip from his sake.

Well there went the other half of the table.

Naruto cackled gleefully as their friends picked themselves back up, mouths still frozen in a gape of disbelief. "Bastard finally got up the courage to ask her."

"Wha—Baka, that's not the type of thing you forget to tell us about!" Kiba yelled, bonking Naruto on the head.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR, YA KNOW?" Naruto yelled, tears springing to his eyes.

"YOU MORON! YOU DON'T JUST SPRING THAT KIND OF NEWS ON US!" Kiba yelled right back.

"WELL, I'M GONNA TO TELL HINATA!"

Kiba's face visibly paled. "W-wait, Naruto! Don't do that! Ah, I'm sorry, okay?"

"When did this happen?" Shino asked, turning everyone's attention away from the two idiots. (Naruto was now stubbornly pouting while Kiba was practically on his knees.)

"A few nights ago," Sasuke replied tersely.

"Where'd you take her?"

"How did you ask?"

"Did you kiss her?"

"MY YOUTHFUL CHERRY BLOSSOM!" All eyes flicked to Rock Lee, who sat in the corner, tears streaming down his cheeks, fist clutched to his chest. All eyes flicked away.

"I knew she finished working at around 5:30, so I waited in the lobby for her to come down. When she arrived, I asked her to eat with me, and she said yes. We went to a sushi bar. I paid, then walked her home."

"Wow…" came the collective tone of awe. And then the congratulations began pouring in:

"Hey, that's great, man!"

"Way to go!"

"Fucking finally."

"Tch, took you long enough."

"Waitwaitwait," Kiba interrupted, halting everyone in their tracks. Apparently, he and Naruto had resolved their differences because Naruto was listening just as wraptly. "The most important question is, are you going on a second date?"

Silence.

"Hm, that's true, I forgot about that."

"Yeah, I mean, a first date is great, but ultimately, it doesn't mean anything unless there's a second one."

"Guys, come on. This is Sakura we're talking about—you know, the girl who's been in love with Sasuke all her life? Of course she's going to say yes. Why are we stressing him out for?"

"You know, that's not necessarily true! She's gotten spunkier lately. What if she decides to reject him to prove her independence?"

"Now, that's just stupid—"

"Yeah, or maybe she went on this date with him, and realized that—well—he wasn't what she was expecting. You know, that happens sometimes."

"Ugly is certainly known for deluding herself."

All around him, his friends bickered back and forth, analyzing and reanalyzing the actions of a girl told to them second hand. Sometimes they would ask for clarification or an elaboration, but for the most part, they were happy to surmise to their heart's content. One thing was glaringly certain to Sasuke though:

It might have been hard asking her out the first time, but it seemed that doing it a second time would be infinitely more nerve-wracking.

Uchiha Sasuke had never been so scared in his life.