Title: Coffee Hut

Rating: PG

Summary: Because sometimes there are things far more interesting than the coffee

AN: I accidentally skipped a prompt! My bad! After this comes chapters shatter and summer, which are NOT new chapters. Sorry for the mixup! READ&REVIEW

Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto...but think of all the things you could do to him...

Prompt 12- scent

The coffee shop was small, yet homey. There were just enough people inside without it being considered overcrowded. Which was just fine with Sasuke, who disliked crowds. Almost as much as he did sweets. Which was why the smell was one of the things he liked most about places like these. The scent wasn't sweet, but instead, it was heavy and rich. Like a never-ending rainstorm or a musky forest.

He frowned slightly. Since when did he talk pretty? He was no poet.

Soft twinkling chimes could be heard from the front entrance, signaling someone had just walked in. He hoped it was Naruto, who promised to be on time for once in his life. Sasuke briefly wondered if his best friend would even be on time for his own wedding. And snorted at the thought.

Tearing his gaze away from his bored window gazing to check, the young man sighed in dejection. It was a woman. A first glance revealed pale skin and a petite figure, which was complemented by a tailored brown jacket and the short forest-green and white summer outfit she wore—a dress, Sasuke could not help but notice. The color was bright and lively, which popped out in comparison to the dark setting of the café.

That wasn't the only reason he had yet to look away, though. Her back was to him as she stood in line to order her drink, and her hair, he noticed was pink.

He turned away before he was accused of 'checking her out' and wondered what kind of person in their right mind would dye their hair pink. Although, the café was located in deep Downtown. There was bound to be crazy people running around, he reasoned.

Now if only Naruto would show up so he could get the meeting over and done with, and get the hell out before one of these people struck up a conversation with him-

"Hello?"

Too late.

Suppressing a sigh, the man turned to meet the one who had apparently read his mind. It was the girl from the line.

"Friend of the bride or groom?"

"Huh?" Not the most intelligent of ways to start off a conversation, he knew, but one he couldn't help but use. There was no way this stranger could possible know he was here to meet up with-

"Are you here for Hinata or Naruto?"

-unless she was a witch. Or a psychic.

"You are Sasuke Uchiha, right?"

Or both.

"I'm sorry. I think I have the wrong person." The woman turned to leave and the sight of her retreating back was enough for Sasuke to abruptly say, "I am him."

She stopped, and slowly pivoted to the sound of his voice. "Are you, now?"

"Aa. Have a seat," he said, extending a hand out to the semi-circled closed booth he had chosen to hold everyone in their party. "Naruto and the others have yet to arrive."

"Well that's not surprising," she smiled. "Ever since meeting Naruto I hadn't known him to keep to a schedule."

"How long have you known him?" Because he was pretty sure the idiot had never mentioned this woman before. Or at least, he didn't think Naruto had. Sasuke made it a point to block out most of what his idiot friend yapped on about. And asuke didn't even know her name, even though she knew his. "What was your name?"

"Sakura. Sakura Haruno," she extended out her hand and they shook. "And I've known him for three years now. I met Naruto overseas while managing my father's firm while he was recovering from back surgery. Totally boring stuff," she admitted. "The job, I mean, not his health."

He nodded with understanding. He knew the feeling of a boring work life. "So you're here for Naruto then?" Sasuke was surprised by how easy it was to talk to this stranger. Usually, he preferred not to talk at all if it was possible. Yet he found himself trying to keep the conversation between them going. Something he had never done before. And something he was enjoying doing with this woman.

"I'm actually one of Hinata's bridesmaids. She says I was the one to introduce them, and if it hadn't been for me she would have never met the love of her life." Sakura shrugged. "Whether that's true or not, I couldn't tell you. She had said something about a party so I guess, there's why I can't."

Sakura laughed then. It wasn't loud or obnoxious or overly done. It was like those chimes on the doorway, Sasuke mused. God, a poet he was not.

"I love places like these," she commented all of a sudden.

"Why's that?"

"The smell. It's not like a candy shop. Don't get me wrong," she smiled slyly, "I love that stuff as much as the next girl. But there's always something so...calming about these kinds of places. The aromatic smell kind of reminds me of the outside world after a downpour or something." Sakura shot a giggle over at her companion who now wore a shocked look on his face. Raising her hands in mock surrender, she said, "Hey, I never claimed to be any sort of poet or nothing."

And suddenly, amidst the waitresses retrieving empty saucers and cups, patrons leaving, the bells chiming, Sasuke didn't mind waiting for the rest of their group. Not if it meant he could talk to Sakura some more.