Chapter 13 – Make A Good Impression
It had been two days since they saw her father at the mall.
After they had managed to find an exit, Sasuke had taken Sakura straight to his car and sat her down in the passenger seat, leaving the door open so she could keep her legs out of the car and breathe the fresh air deeply. It was obvious she had worried him and it was most likely because he'd never seen her scared of anybody before. However, at the time, all Sakura had been able to do was keep the contents of her stomach down.
That woman had no clue about who Haruno Kizashi really was.
And Sakura felt so guilty for not telling her, for stopping her mother from telling her.
She told Sasuke that, too, to which he pretty much repeated what he'd said as Avenger–S: to contact her now would be too risky. Not only for her but for them, too. What if Kizashi completely snapped and went on a rage? He knew where she and her mother lived.
He must have messaged Naruto and Hinata somehow because the two hadn't come looking for them, although Hinata sent her a message, hoping she was feeling better soon.
He had been so… supportive that it had stunned Sakura, in all honesty. Instead of overcrowding her, Sasuke gave her space but at the same time made it known that he was there by simply sitting by her side. He didn't leave her alone yet gave her as much time as she needed to collect her thoughts. The balance had been bordering on perfect. And once Sakura had managed to calm down, Sasuke had started the car and drove around, taking her to a place she'd never been before.
It was so peaceful there, so calming and it had taken immediate effect on her. And once the car was parked they'd gotten out and rested on top of the hood, just laying there together until white flakes began to fall from the darkening sky, much to Sakura's happiness. Her earlier mood was forgotten as she watched the snow fall around them and even though it was too light to stick, it was still enjoyable to watch.
"Will this be okay, Sakura?"
Her eyes snapped open and instantly flew to the clock beside her bed, widening with horror.
She had five minutes before Sasuke arrived.
Five freaking minutes.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" Sakura demanded as she hurriedly threw back her covers and all but leapt out of bed.
Mebuki's eyes also widened when Sakura entered the living room. "You were talking to me an hour ago, Sakura. I thought you were already up!"
Vaguely, so very vaguely, she could recall the conversation. It was something about Sasuke's preferences and what he enjoyed to eat as a light snack before lunch. Oh Gods, she must have fallen back to sleep! There was so much that needed to be done. Thankfully, her mother had already steamed her qipao so that it would be ready for today and had set out appropriate accessories to match it along with shoes. However, Sakura still needed to shower, do her hair and makeup and then get dressed.
What could–
The buzzer went off.
Sakura's wide and hopeless eyes met her mother's, the latter's softening at the fear she found in them.
"Go for a quick shower, Sakura," she told Sakura calmly, comfortingly. "I'll have to find some way of entertaining Sasuke-kun until you're out."
"But…"
When Sakura's eyes lingered over in the direction of the bathroom, Mebuki couldn't help but sigh. "I'll make sure he sits with his back to the bathroom."
Hesitating for a moment, Sakura eventually ran into the bathroom just as Mebuki hit the button to allow Sasuke access into the building. Once in there, while trying to calm herself from having a full on nervous breakdown, she started the shower and quickly stripped down, tossing her pyjamas into the laundry basket and hopping into the shower before it had even fully warmed up.
Outside of the bathroom, Mebuki took a deep breath and glanced around her home, making sure that nothing was out of place before she went to the front door, answering just as Sasuke knocked and she couldn't help but smile at the sight of the youngest Uchiha.
"Good morning, Sasuke-kun."
"Good morning, Haruno–"
"Just Mebuki, please." She smiled, gesturing for Sasuke to enter. "My husband and I divorced quite a while ago."
Sasuke nodded, inwardly cursing himself for forgetting such a thing but in his defence, Sakura hadn't told him what her mother's maiden name was. "Here." He held out a bouquet of flowers, his ears burning. "My mother has always told me that it is polite to bring your host flowers."
The smile on Mebuki's face warmed and she accepted the flowers with both hands. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun and make sure you tell your mother I said thank you, also."
He nodded once and glanced around the living room.
"I'm afraid Sakura has only just woken up," she informed him sheepishly. "She was up late last night with one of her assignments and slept straight through her alarm. How, I'll never know. That alarm clock is loud enough to wake the neighbours."
Great, Sasuke thought, though smiled politely anyway. What was he supposed to talk to her about? He'd already messed up with her surname and usually, Sasuke was not the type to act formally or politely. It was only because he wanted to make a good impression, to make sure that nothing would stand in the way of his and Sakura's relationship. Her mother meant everything to her and if she suddenly had to choose between them? Sasuke didn't doubt her loyalty to him, he really didn't, but he knew she would choose Mebuki without hesitating.
It seemed Mebuki also felt unsure about what they could discuss because she did the same thing Sakura did when she was unsure of something: chewed on her bottom lip.
They didn't look that alike, Sasuke decided. Sakura had pink hair whereas her mother had dirty blonde and while Mebuki's eyes were green, they weren't the same stunning, attention demanding shade as Sakura's. All they really had in common was their nose and their habits.
Her mother was a stern looking woman, a woman who would hold nothing back when putting somebody in their place should they deserve it and her hard work was obvious, as there were fine wrinkles showing on her pale features. However, she also looked kind and warm and as Sasuke looked around the living room, he could tell that she lived for Sakura, that she always did the best she could for her. He could understand why she admired her mother so much and he hadn't even held a proper conversation with the woman yet.
Their apartment was small, but not so small that there was hardly any room and the way the two females had decorated it made it homely and cosy. The living room and dining room was one room, which connected to the hallway with an archway. There were two doors in the hallway and one of them was wide open, revealing to him dark wooden flooring, a cherry blossom feature wall and a messy bed.
Sakura's room.
The living room had the same dark wooden flooring, which seemed to go throughout the entire apartment from what he could see and to make it more spacious, to make it appear to be bigger, the walls were cream except for the longest wall in the living room/dining room, which was a charcoal grey feature wall that matched the sofas.
In the living section of the room were two charcoal grey sofas spread out in an 'L' shape around a black glass coffee table. And in the corner of the living section was a fairly large television of around forty-two inches, which was also being held by a black glass stand, matching the coffee table. As he looked behind himself at the dining section, he saw that there was a matching black glass table, resting on top of a charcoal grey rug and around the cream walls were pictures of Sakura and Mebuki as well as their friends and other loved ones. Near the television was the kitchen, he presumed. The half–wall reached around the top of the television, if that and gave him a view of a tidy kitchen.
Sasuke was guessing that the door behind the dining table was the bathroom.
"Please, take a seat," Mebuki told him before indicating to the coffee table. "Sakura said that you like tomatoes?"
Yes, he did and since he was quite hungry, he accepted them gratefully. Sakura must have mentioned that his favourite type of tomato was when they were firm and ripe, because as he bit into the cut-up tomato, they were exactly to his liking. "Thank you."
She smiled.
It was twenty minutes later when the shower shut off, when the door creaked open and despite the urge he felt to turn around, Sasuke kept his eyes forward, understanding that Sakura would not be dressed decently. Not only that, but he could feel Mebuki's eyes on him, most likely expecting him to be like the other guys his age, who were all horny dogs who would hump anything they caught sight of.
"You know my brother."
Inwardly, Mebuki smirked at the awkward look in his eyes. "I wouldn't say I know him, but I've spoken to Itachi-san a few times. He and your cousin often come to the diner and go over reports. Sometimes it's just your brother and other times it's just Shisui-san, though." There was a pause. "He speaks about you often, you know. Itachi-san, I mean."
Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction. "He does?"
"Yeah." She smiled at the look in his eyes. It seemed Uchiha Sasuke admired his older brother greatly. "After the incident between you and Sakura not too long ago, before she decided to forgive you, he came to the diner and asked to speak with me." The back of Sasuke's neck was burning for reasons he couldn't understand. "Itachi-san asked me to give you a chance because you've matured since you were twelve years old. He also said he's proud of how you've matured."
Itachi was… He was proud of him? It took a lot to hold back his smile.
"And when you came to pick Sakura up on your first date, Sasuke-kun, that's when I started to believe him."
"Why?"
"Let's just say I know a bad guy when I see one," Mebuki stated seriously, "and you're not a bad guy. I know you won't hurt Sakura again and not just because she can be scary when she wants to be."
Sakura's anger. So Mebuki knew about it, too? Didn't it ever worry her? "Yeah." He gave a small smirk. "It's no secret that people pray to avoid angering her."
Something saddened in her green eyes and they dropped to the coffee table between them. "She gets it from her father," she admitted quietly. "But there's a difference between the two of them."
The words came out before he could stop them, "Sakura doesn't like hurting the ones she loves."
"She told you… about what he did." When Sasuke nodded, Mebuki shut her eyes and sighed. It was only when a hair dryer in the next room switched on that the woman continued, asking, "Has she ever…" She looked up at Sasuke, frowning. "Has Sakura ever mentioned anything else to you about it? She rarely brings it up to me."
The hatred towards Haruno Kizashi once again multiplied within Sasuke. So far, Mebuki seemed like a genuinely nice person, a woman who cared deeply for her daughter and would do anything to make sure she was happy. How could somebody mistreat her the way Kizashi had? And since the topic of Sakura's father began, the woman seemed to have aged at least ten years. She seemed more withdrawn. Unsure of herself.
"Sakura…" Sasuke struggled to find the right words and after a moment, he threw away the thought of making a good impression, of trying to win Mebuki over. This woman, even though Kizashi was gone, was still suffering. It was so clear in her eyes that she was. "She fears him. There's only two things Sakura fears – three if you include losing her place at the hospital and her scholarships – and her father is one of them."
When green eyes opened, tears were filling them. "All I wanted was for her to be happy–"
He cut her off firmly, "But while she fears Kizashi, she respects you." Mebuki's eyes went wide. "You're all she talks about and I'm not just saying this because I'm trying to make you like me. Sakura…" Once more, he struggled for the words. He wasn't one to try and comfort someone, to try and make them happy. "She admires you and everything you've done for her. Staying with Kizashi so that she'd grow up in a family. Choosing her over him. Working multiple jobs so that she'll never go without, to the point of exhausting yourself." He gave her a smile. "She adores you and everything you have done, are doing and will do for her."
Mebuki wiped her eyes, trying to hold back her happy sob. Hearing those things definitely made it all worth it. All the pain and suffering, all the hours she worked, all of the exhaustion and gruelling days… Just hearing that her daughter adored her? That she admired her? So worth it. It was all so, so worth it.
"More tomatoes?" Mebuki asked with a smile, one that she knew wouldn't be disappearing for quite a while.
He shook his head, politely declining.
"Oh, so you finally joined us."
At her mother's teasing and when Sasuke turned around, she blushed and made her way over to the sofas. "Sorry, I overslept."
He shook his head. "It's fine. Your mother kept me entertained."
And when she sat down beside him and saw what was in his lap, her eyes went wide with horror and snapped to her mother's. "You didn't."
Mebuki scratched behind her head sheepishly and chuckled. "You were taking quite a while, Sakura."
Reluctantly, Sakura looked down at the old photo album, the sight of the picture Sasuke was on making her pout. She was around five years old in the picture, looking incredibly dirty and she was missing her front teeth but that didn't stop her bright smile.
Sasuke turned the page and his eyes widened in surprise. "That's…"
"Ino." Sakura nodded, gazing down at the picture sadly. They had their arms around each other and it seemed to be the same day as the previous picture because Sakura looked exactly the same. Ino was just as filthy, although she wasn't missing her front teeth like Sakura was. Their short hair was sticking out in many different directions but it didn't bother them in the least. Appearances back then never had. "We were best friends for years."
"That reminds me," Mebuki suddenly exclaimed, gaining her their attention. "I saw her mother not too long ago while I was out grocery shopping. She was very pleased to hear how well you're doing. Apparently Ino-chan is torn between art and medical college."
Medical college… "Would that mean Ino would be going to Konoha? If she's studying medicine, I mean." Mebuki nodded. "Oh…"
Noticing the sadness in her voice, Sasuke turned the page once more. Since the incident with his fan-girls, she'd attempted to speak with Ino four times and every single time, the blonde brushed her off in one way or another. It was angering him. Couldn't Ino see that Sakura was trying to make amends? Why did she keep pushing her away?
The next picture had him raising an eyebrow. "I didn't know you were friends with Naruto for so long."
They looked around seven in the picture, possibly eight, and the sight of it had her smiling. "We weren't, really. I just met him in the park that day and never really saw him again until high school."
"Does he remember this?"
"I think so, yeah." Sakura smiled down at the picture. "When he saw that we were in the same class, he sat next to me straight away and said 'found you, Sakura-chan'."
And because of the picture, he understood why Naruto said 'found you' and not 'hello'. They were apparently playing hide and seek in the picture because Sakura was hiding behind a big tree, shushing whoever had been taking the picture while Naruto wasn't too far behind it, a wickedly playful expression on his features.
"We invited him for ice cream," Mebuki recalled. "But his staff wouldn't allow it without all these security checks and whatnot. In the end, Naruto-kun told Sakura he'd find her again soon. About five years later and he was over here pretty much every day." She chuckled. "We couldn't get rid of him!"
The next picture had him tensing, had his eyes going wide once more. "This is…"
Even Sakura seemed shocked to see the picture. "You still have this?"
Mebuki smiled. "It was your birthday, Sakura. Of course I kept the picture."
There were four people in the picture. Sakura, Naruto, Ino and Sasuke. Like Mebuki had told them: it was obviously Sakura's birthday as she was wearing a huge badge with the number thirteen on it. And in the picture, Naruto's arm was over her shoulders, his hand gripping Sasuke's arm and yanking him against them, creating a sandwich and on Sasuke's other side, making sure he didn't move away, was Ino.
They were all smiling.
If only they knew how everything would be falling apart only months later.
Sakura took the photo album from Sasuke's lap and shut it, placing it under the coffee table even though it belonged on the black glass shelf near the archway. "I think that's enough embarrassing pictures." She smiled. "Should we have lunch now?"
There was a pause in the way Mebuki nodded and stood, but Sakura paid little attention to it and instead smiled at Sasuke, gesturing to the table.
The meal with her mother had gone rather well, Sakura decided. The conversation had been pleasant and light, such as questions about what Sasuke was planning on doing in the fall, or what he was planning on studying. While he hadn't yet chosen a college, he was hoping to obtain a bachelor degree in criminal justice, along with any other qualifications required to become a detective.
So, in other words: he was entering the family business.
He didn't look opposed to the idea, however. In fact, Sasuke seemed rather into it in his own way. His father was the chief of police and both Shisui and Itachi were regular officers, although Itachi was training to become something more (she didn't ask questions, since they were discussing Sasuke's future and she knew how it got to him). He would be the first in the family to become a detective.
Just before leaving, Mebuki had wished him luck and hoped to hear great things from him once he achieved and gained his bachelor degree.
And now here they were, sitting in his car. They had come to a stop only a few minutes ago and Sasuke was giving Sakura some time to prepare herself. The nervousness had crept up on her during the journey to his place and now that they were sat outside a large home, one that was decorated with many flowers and shrubs, that nervousness was turning into panic.
"Are you sure I'm decent?" The place looked so formal…
"Stop worrying."
Sasuke was wearing dark jeans and an ordinary shirt, but that guy could wear a plastic bag and somehow manage to pull it off. "Is it just your parents?"
Pulling his keys out of the ignition, he shook his head. "Itachi and Shisui will be, too."
That relaxed her somewhat. Itachi was a gentleman and Shisui, during the assembly, had seemed like a really laid back guy. According to Naruto, Sasuke had asked them both to accompany him when he went to meet Fall–of–the–Blossom, so obviously they were people he trusted greatly. And if he was comfortable enough to trust them with something like that?
She sighed. "Okay, I'm ready."
The second they were out of the car and he reached for the front door (which slid open sideways, might she add), somebody else was already opening it for them, the sight of the woman making Sakura nervously tug at the hem of her red, golden phoenix qipao dress.
"Haruno Sakura, right?"
Sasuke watched his mother with hidden wariness and noticed that behind her, stood the rest of the family.
Sakura nodded. "Yes, Uchiha-san."
And then Mikoto was smiling warmly at her and stepping to the side, gesturing for them both to come in. "It's about time Sasuke brought you over. I've been very impatient and wanted to meet the girl who managed to gain his attention."
She looked around the large home before slipping off her golden pumps, copying Sasuke as he neatly set his own shoes just in front of the step. The floor was cold and nothing more than plain wood, but up on the step was a more luxurious looking wood, one that seemed to go throughout the entire home.
"Here." Mikoto smiled, offering her a set of slippers. "I had Sasuke find out your shoe size from your mother this morning before I went shopping."
Accepting the slippers with both hands, Sakura smiled gratefully. "You didn't need to, but thank you, Uchiha–"
"Just Mikoto."
She smiled sheepishly. "Thank you, Mikoto-san." There was a pause and Sakura took the flowers Sasuke was holding for her. "My mother said thank you for the flowers and she hopes you like these?"
Mikoto glanced behind her at the three males, her smile widening momentarily before she was facing the two teenagers again, gratefully accepting the flowers with both hands. "These happen to be my favourites and I know the perfect spot for them."
It didn't take a genius to realise Uchiha Mikoto was a traditional woman and Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as she slipped off into a different room with the flowers. And down the large hall, Sakura returned the polite smiles Itachi and Shisui sent her, but her smile became more nervous as she locked eyes with Sasuke's father, Uchiha Fugaku.
Apparently Sasuke got his looks from his mother rather than his father, as Fugaku had more of a square jawline and his hair was a medium brown, whereas Mikoto's jawline was delicate and her hair was as dark as a raven's feather. As well as this, he was much more tanned than the others. Sasuke definitely had his indifferent expression, though. And when Mikoto appeared once more, she realised that he also had his mother's eyes. However, that didn't make him appear feminine. He was just…
Well, beautiful.
"I have heard many things about you, Sakura-chan," Mikoto told her, gesturing for them all to follow her and not even a moment later, they were entering a large living room. It wasn't traditional like she was expecting it to be, though. The dark navy sofas were both corner sofas, seeming to be framing the dark wood coffee table and behind them, was a large, unlit fireplace. "Both from Sasuke and Naruto-kun."
Her shock was obvious. "You know Naruto?"
"My mother was friends with his before she passed away," Sasuke murmured, sitting beside Sakura on one of the sofas. Shisui sat down on her other side and on the opposite sofa sat Itachi, Fugaku and Mikoto. "Since he found out, Naruto's always coming by here and asking for stories about her."
"Which is understandable," Itachi added smoothly. "Naruto-kun never had the chance to meet his mother. It is only natural for him to be curious as to what kind of woman Kushina-san was."
Kushina. That was the first time Sakura had heard about Naruto's parents, including what their names were. Previously, all they'd been referred to as was 'his parents'. Never any names. "Did you know his father, too?"
There was a pause and during that pause, Mikoto looked up at her husband expectantly. "We went to the same school." Another pause. Another expectant look. He sighed. "Minato was known as a prodigy student who excelled in many things."
"He and Kushina were childhood sweethearts," Mikoto told her. "They were always there for each other and even though they were lovers, they were also best friends."
Sakura couldn't help but smile at that. "I can't imagine how happy Naruto must have been to hear that. He's… always wondered about them, though never knew how to have his questions answered, or what to even ask."
She nodded in agreement, something in her eyes softening. "Despite his loud personality, Naruto-kun can be rather shy in his own way. He was very hesitant about asking me such questions though has definitely been more comfortable with doing so lately. I even managed to find old school photographs for him, which are currently in the process of being copied and framed."
That was… It was amazing. Sakura had believed the Uchiha family to be harsh and cold, but Mikoto was definitely kindhearted and seemed to care not only about her family, but also Naruto. And even though it wasn't her place, Sakura found herself thanking Mikoto for her kindness, for helping Naruto with finding out who his parents were.
"I heard that your mother has also taken care of him."
"Yeah… We met Naruto once while he was still at the orphanage and then he found me again in high school. Whenever it got too much for him, or he needed somebody to talk to, he went straight to my mom. At one point, she was thinking of adopting him…" There was a pause, one where Sasuke stared down at her in stunned silence, since he hadn't known that fact. "But then his godfather returned and he left for a while."
"Has your mother put any more thoughts into the adoption?"
The question was, surprisingly, asked by Fugaku and after a moment, Sakura shook her head. "Naruto seems really happy with Jiraiya-san and a lot of things have happened since we were thirteen years old. My mom barely has the time to sleep, so I don't think she will be adopting anyone any time soon."
Itachi nodded once. "Your mother works two different jobs. It is no surprise."
At his words, Mikoto leaned forward, her eyes sparking ever so slightly. "Your mother works two different jobs? She must be exhausted!" At Sakura's sheepish nod, she smiled. "It is something to admire, Sakura-chan. Many women nowadays rely completely on their men to provide for them. I respect that your mother earns her own living and provides for you. Us women do not need men to survive."
Her heart warmed. "I think my mom will like you a lot."
"I hope so," she replied smoothly, her smile warming. "Sasuke has warned me not to push you too hard, but I do hope to meet your mother before you both go off to college."
Before she could even think of a reply, Fugaku asked, "What college do you plan to attend?"
Sasuke had told her that his father was a hard ass, that he expected no less than excellent results and perfect grades.
She opened her mouth to speak, but was swiftly interrupted by Sasuke as he said, "Sakura has received two full scholarships to the colleges in Konoha and Suna, though is unsure which to attend. This summer, she will be shadowing an experienced doctor in Suna's hospital and it will be during the summer that she makes a decision."
There was a pause.
"That's impressive," Shisui commented. "Apparently only one woman has received an opportunity such as that and she was much older than yourself."
Sakura nodded, unable to stop her smile. "Senju Tsunade-sama. I'm hoping to surpass her. Word is, is that she travels a lot and helps out in foreign hospitals, so there's a slight chance she may turn up at Suna's hospital while I'm there."
"And if she does?" Itachi asked. "What will you do?"
Her smile widened. "I'm going to ask her to take me on as her apprentice!"
Silence.
Mikoto was stunned but there was obvious approval in her eyes. "No more needs to be said, I think. You definitely have my approval and Sasuke, you are a fool if you mess this up again."
Both Sasuke and Sakura blushed, much to their amusement.
"I wondered if you would possibly be distracting my son from his studies," Fugaku muttered, watching them both with a critical eye, "but it seems he may be the one who will distract you. Do not let that happen."
Itachi chuckled at their expressions. "You already have my approval. I simply want to thank you, Sakura-san, for giving my brother a second chance. It can't have been easy."
By her side, Shisui smiled at her. "I'm certain his fan-girls believe you to be the lucky one, but personally, I think it's the other way around. I remember you from that assembly. You looked rather angry when I picked on your friend–"
Sakura's blush deepened. "She has severe anxiety problems. I thought it was kind of obvious."
Mikoto frowned at Shisui. "You picked on a young girl with an anxiety disorder?"
He raised his hands defensively. "I didn't know! I just thought she was shy." Chuckling, he scratched the side of his face, speaking to Sakura once more. "You were a good friend to stand up for her like that, however. Not many people interrupt me the way you did."
"A back bone, as well." The woman smiled. "Even better."
Itachi explained his mother's words when Sakura looked confused. "Naruto-kun has told my mother all about your… anger. Sasuke clarified it, but did not say much."
Great. Sakura made a mental note to strangle them both later on. "I'm working on it."
"You want my opinion?" She looked up at Shisui, who shrugged. "Don't. I think more women need to express their anger instead of bottling it up and allowing men to walk all over them."
Clearly he didn't realise just how serious her anger could be. Instead of going into detail or explaining why that wasn't an option, however, she smiled politely. After all, even if she did work on her anger and managed to control it, it didn't mean that Sakura would allow a man – or anybody – to walk all over her. She'd still put that person in their place.
"Sakura also goes to the dojo owned by Maito Gai."
At Sasuke's words, Fugaku raised an eyebrow. "The one co-owned by Hatake Kakashi?"
Sakura nodded when he looked at her. "Kakashi-sensei is rarely ever there because of his job, but when he is, there's always some kind of contest between them both. Gai-sensei goes all out, Kakashi-sensei goes all out and in the end, we all end up joining in. It's really fun!"
"So you can fight."
A pause. "I started at first just to learn self-defence but I made friends there, ones who thought I could benefit with learning martial arts, too. It's more so I don't become a hermit more than anything, I think. If it weren't for the dojo, I'd be crammed up in my room with my assignments, only leaving for food."
At her sheepish chuckle, Mikoto smiled. "You are a hard worker." She nodded. "It is nothing to be embarrassed about. I was like that at school, too."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at his mother, earning a quiet chuckle.
"Since you have both just had lunch, dinner won't be served for another few hours. Sasuke, why don't you show Sakura-chan around? I'm certain she will enjoy the pond despite the snow."
They had a freaking pond?
He nodded once and stood up, waiting for Sakura as she also stood up.
Just as they were about to leave the room, Mikoto called after him, "Make sure you stay on the veranda, Sasuke. I will be very unhappy if you ruin Sakura-chan's qipao."
He held back the urge to grumble under his breath, instead taking Sakura's hand and leading her to the double sliding doors that would take them outside.
The moment they were gone, Shisui sat up and raised an eyebrow. "Well?"
Mikoto smiled. "I like her."
Three sets of eyes went straight to Fugaku expectantly and the man sighed. "Sasuke seems fond of her."
"Do you approve?" she pushed.
The eventual nod had her smiling brightly.
"Sasuke!"
He leaned back slightly. "What?"
"Somebody might see," she hissed, dragging his hand away from her side. "It wouldn't be appropriate–"
Cutting her off, Sasuke once again leaned forward, his lips lingering over hers. "Nobody is watching us."
He sounded so sure but Sakura still couldn't help but turn her face to the side when he closed the distance between them, changing his aim from her lips to her cheek. There was a sigh before Sasuke leaned more fully against her, trapping her against the wall.
"Unless they suddenly appear by our side, I assure you nobody is watching us, Sakura."
Hesitantly, she looked up at him. "Are you sure?"
Instead of answering her, Sasuke finally managed to capture her lips with his own, his hand falling to her side while the other was still being held tightly by both of hers. Like their first kiss, there was no hesitancy as he pressed his lips to hers more demandingly, more fully and Sakura found herself lost in the kiss. She was lost in the feeling of his soft lips moving against hers, of his other hand holding onto her hip when she released it. There was a possessiveness about the way he held onto her, tightening his grip on her hips and Sakura would be lying if she said it didn't make the kiss just that little bit better.
When they parted for air, it surprised her to find that his eyes were heavy and his breathing was shallow. But before she could look further into it, he was once more kissing her.
Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, tugging him down to her height and he responded by slipping his tongue into her mouth just as her lips parted during their kiss. There was no gasping and no shock like there always seemed to be in the romance novels she read. Sakura had actually been wondering when Sasuke would push their kiss into something such as this, so she welcomed the action and hesitantly responded by meeting his tongue with her own. It didn't feel weird or disgusting like she'd always thought it would. Sure, she'd kissed a guy before but not like this. Sasuke's kiss was making her feel lightheaded and weak, it was making her feel incredibly warm despite the cold weather and–
Her eyes flew open for two different reasons.
The first being that, belatedly, Sakura realised Sasuke was turning her on.
The second was that she wasn't the only one who was aroused, although his arousal was a hell of a lot more obvious than her own.
Releasing his hair (when the hell had she even grabbed it?), Sakura grabbed Sasuke's wrists, silently telling him to put her down. That was how she realised he was turned on. Just a few moments ago, his hold had slipped to her thighs before he was lifting them up around his hips, trying to get closer, effectively pressing his erection against her.
They were getting too carried away.
"Stop, Sasuke," she whispered, trying to get her breath back.
He nodded, reluctantly setting Sakura down on her feet once more. "I didn't mean–"
"It's fine." Sakura gave him a small smile. "I-I'm not against you kissing me like that. Just… not when people are around, when they could find us in a position like that." Again, another nod. "And, um…"
Sasuke smiled. "You're not ready to take things further."
"Not yet," she told him quietly, truthfully.
They'd only been together for a month, after all.
His forehead pressed against hers and his eyes slid shut. "Don't do that." At her questioning silence, Sasuke languidly opened his eyes and he continued, "That look. It's fine that you're not ready. I got carried away because they like you. All of them."
Her eyes widened and her previous uncertainty slipped away, being replaced by happiness and hope. "They like me?"
He smirked and nodded. "Especially my mother. She has only ever taken to one of my friends like that and that's Naruto."
"Yeah, but I'm not your friend," she pointed out with narrowed eyes.
Sasuke rolled his. "She's never liked any of the girls Itachi brought home when he was my age and made it blatantly obvious that they weren't welcome."
It took everything to hold back her sudden urge to squeal.
"My mother isn't as traditional as she seems," he told her quietly with a smirk. "She was just testing your etiquette. You pretty much won her over with the flowers and how you arranged them yourself on the way here."
Sakura's smile was warm now instead of overly bright. "And your mom won me over the moment she said she respected my mom."
There was a pause as Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, looking back at her with a small amount of reluctance. "Expect some questions about your father." He continued at her frown, saying, "They know your parents are divorced after they asked if I would be meeting them both. Chances are, it will only be my father who asks. If it gets too personal or anything, just tell him."
She bit her lip worriedly. "What if…"
When she trailed off, he sighed. "If my mother picks up on even the slightest hint that you're uncomfortable, she'll find a way to take his attention off you. If she doesn't, Itachi will. He's used to attention like that from our father so it doesn't bother him when he has to cut him off or knock him down a peg or two."
Remembering her conversations with Avenger–S and how he often told her about his older brother and father arguing, she nodded. The last thing she wanted to happen was an argument because of her and Sakura most definitely didn't want Sasuke to be the one getting into an argument with his father. So far, other than his friendship with Naruto, he hadn't stepped a toe out of line and was on his father's good side.
She wouldn't let that change.
According to Sasuke, Itachi never lost his temper, no matter how angry Fugaku got. On the other hand, Sasuke had quite a bad temper and easily lost it depending on what he was arguing about or what kind of day it was for him. If an argument was to break out (and she seriously hoped it wouldn't) then Sakura would rather it be Itachi who was defending her. He could calmly tell Fugaku to back off, in that weirdly polite way of his and then the conversation would be done, over and the problem would be dealt with.
That was what made people so uneasy about him in school. Back during the debate, Sakura had told Sasuke people feared Itachi and it was the truth. But why did they fear him? It was his freakishly calm demeanour. Sakura could vaguely remember what had happened, as just when they started their first year in high school, Itachi had been in his final year. Some guys hadn't liked the way all girls flocked around Sasuke, believing that his older brother was too unapproachable for them to even think about trying anything. It had only gone on for a few days and during those few days, Sasuke had ignored it like he had the fan-girls. However, it ended as soon as Itachi caught wind of it.
The guys who had been picking on Sasuke were cornered (all of them at the same time, might she add) by Itachi in a busy corridor. This part, Sakura could remember clearly, as she'd been right at the front of the huge crowd that had gathered, both Sasuke and Naruto on either side of her and Ino had been just behind her. He'd calmly demanded if the guys had a problem with his younger brother. Yes, they'd replied. They didn't like how arrogant he was.
Sakura had wanted to scream at them for that comment, to yell that her precious Sasuke-kun wasn't arrogant. He was simply misunderstood. The way Itachi had shifted, however, stopped all her attempts to argue and wiped all thoughts of getting involved out of her mind. He was skilled in martial arts and everyone knew that. They knew how hard he was pushed to become the best. He was a prodigy student. What they didn't know was that, while he had a great amount of patience, Uchiha Itachi had one button that should never be pushed.
People messing with his younger brother.
When the guys had continued to curse Sasuke, when Itachi had discovered that his words alone wouldn't stop them, he had reacted to one of them foolishly swinging for him. Only a few minutes later and he was calmly walking away, like he hadn't just beaten up over seven or eight guys by himself. Not once did he break composure.
That was why everyone feared Uchiha Itachi and that was why nobody screwed with Sasuke.
Shoving the thoughts from her mind, for there was no use in fretting over something that might not even happen, Sakura leaned up and pressed her lips softly against Sasuke's in a chaste kiss, one he returned with surprising gentleness.
"And your father?"
It was only because of Sasuke's warning that Sakura didn't show any outward reaction to Fugaku's question. They had just finished fully discussing what her plans were and what she would be doing in whichever college she attended in the fall. There was also the topic of the jobs her mother worked and what college she had gone to.
Pausing in her eating and making sure to swallow her food, Sakura gave the eldest Uchiha a polite smile. "He's no longer a concern of mine. Or my mom's, for that matter. However, to answer your question," She looked thoughtful for a moment, "the last I heard, he was working with some big business."
Sasuke glanced up at his girlfriend as he chewed his food, watching her reaction. Nothing. She was simply answering his question as politely as possible, while also making sure it was known that he wasn't a part of her life anymore.
"No longer a concern?"
She nodded. "Sasuke told me that he informed you all of my parents' divorce."
Fugaku narrowed his eyes a fraction. "Surely you see him at some point? After all, he is still your father. The honourable thing to do would be to acknowledge his child and raise her."
And that was another fair remark, Sakura supposed. "Even if he thought the way you did, Uchiha-san, I don't want anything to do with a man like that."
He opened his mouth to say more, but Itachi smoothly cut him off, "Each person is entitled to their own opinion. I'm sure there is a completely different side to Haruno-san behind closed doors, leading to your thoughts of him, Sakura-san." His dark eyes lifted languidly from his meal, staring down his father in an unblinking and bored gaze. "However, it is none of our concern unless it is made to be our concern."
It almost floored Sakura when Fugaku briefly closed his eyes and resumed his eating, like he was keeping his temper in check. "I suppose that is true."
"You're going to the festival tonight."
The two looked away from Fugaku and Itachi, turning their gaze on Mikoto as she calmly ate her meal.
"Yes," replied Sasuke, even though it hadn't been said as a question.
Nodding, she watched Sasuke and Sakura for a moment. "I want you both to be careful."
While Sakura's eyes widened and her entire face turned red, Sasuke choked on the piece of food he had been in the process of swallowing, coughing until Itachi reached out and patted him firmly on the back.
"It's not like that," he eventually managed to answer.
By his side, Sakura was still red and still staring at the woman with wide eyes, earning them a moment of confusion from Mikoto before the woman chuckled softly and waved a hand. "Oh, no, no! I didn't mean that. However, if you do decide you are ready, make sure you are careful in that area, also. I simply meant be careful tonight whilst you are out. Many get stupidly drunk this time of year and I don't want to hear about either of you getting into trouble."
Shisui just barely held back his laughter, gaining himself a look of amusement from Itachi, who was also silently warning him to keep his laughter hidden. They could laugh at the couple later, once they were gone and wouldn't hear them.
Instead of answering, Sakura's eyes finally broke away from Mikoto's and dropped to her meal. Her words had done many things at once. Such as brought many, many scenes to the front of her mind. It had reminded her of the pictures Sasuke sent to her as well as the video chats they'd had. It took her back to what had happened only a few hours ago outside.
"We will." Sasuke held back his urge to mutter the words. His current thoughts weren't much different from Sakura's and he'd rather not have his thoughts become obvious to them all, so tried his best to push them out of his mind.
"And remember, Sasuke," Mikoto continued, "a gentleman always treats his lady."
He felt Sakura pause briefly by his side, though thankfully, she didn't say anything. No, his mother was not dependant on his father and no, she didn't demand that he should be the one to pay for everything. What Mikoto meant was that treating your partner, especially on holidays such as this, was always appreciated. She believed that women should be spoiled, respected and praised and whatever else that comes along with it, because of all the hard work and pain they had to go through.
Again, Sasuke held back his urge to sigh or mutter. "Yes, mother."
The festival was breathtaking, just like she'd always thought it would be. It was like every other festival, with music and games and food and laughter, but there was a more intimate mood to it. Somehow, it differed and felt like it was more for couples than families or friends. That wasn't to say that there weren't groups of friends or families there, but they certainly weren't the majority.
Special lights were wrapped around lampposts and trees and above them whenever they walked down a street were huge illuminations, all of which created some sort of picture about love.
And now, as the evening went on and the families began to disappear and head home, it truly did feel like it was only for lovers, especially when Sasuke guided her over to a park a short way away. They were far enough that they could still hear the festival going on, but also so that they had some privacy.
She stayed close to him when they entered the park and found a surprisingly dry patch of grass to lay back on. It was so dark in the park and it had her heart beating much harder and more loudly than it had been earlier, but she was grateful that Sasuke didn't comment on her obvious panic or fright and instead brought her closer to him.
"Why did we leave?" she asked quietly, looking up at the dark sky.
There weren't many stars out tonight, much to her disappointment, but it was nice. A bit chilly, but as they were laying back on the grass, Sasuke had shuffled closer to her, keeping her against him so that they could share body heat.
"You'll see."
And at his words, the fireworks started, much to her happiness.
Sakura had always been a huge fan of fireworks, especially the ones during festivals. They were bigger, more dramatic and demanded everyone's attention. They were beautiful and colourful and they never failed to mesmerise her.
Surprising Sasuke, she snuggled closer to him, though never took her eyes off the fireworks. "Thank you, Sasuke."
"There's something else," he said after a short pause.
She sat up when he did, frowning in confusion when she finally looked away from the fireworks. "What is it?"
"Since the fireworks have been set off, that means it's midnight," replied Sasuke, reaching into his pocket. "Which means it's officially Christmas Day."
Midnight already? Sakura was so grateful that her mother gave her a later curfew during holidays and her dates, just as long as she knew her daughter would be careful and safe.
With wide eyes, she quickly reached for her bag and at the same time as he did, pulled out a long, rectangular box.
A pause.
And then Sakura smiled brightly and accepted his gift, while also handing over her own to him. They opened them at the same time, admiring the different coloured boxes hidden beneath the wrapping paper as they did. The one from Sakura was red velvet, whereas the one from Sasuke was blue satin.
She opened hers without pause, her breath leaving her in a gasp at the sight of her gift. It was beautiful. Always something she'd admired and wondered about, but never actually bought for herself. She simply never had the spare money to do so. What had he gotten her? An Iron and Lacquer necklace. It was a necklace that had a history to it, had a story. That was what she loved most. Not priceless jewellery that could only be worn on special occasions, but gifts that came from the heart, that had stories to them.
As for Sasuke, he couldn't help but be stunned. "How did you…?"
"Know?" She smiled sheepishly. "I have my contacts."
He looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. "Itachi?"
Her sheepish smile grew. "He told me what the pendant should look like and the correct colours." There was a pause. "…Do you like it?"
He nodded and leaned forward, kissing her softly. "I do."
Still in the box that he was holding tightly was another necklace, although this one had a specific pendant on it in the colours of red and white. It was the emblem that signified he was a member of the Uchiha family and although nobody really wore the emblem that often anymore, it was definitely something he'd wear all the time. Reaching for the necklace with the family's emblem, Sakura raised her arms and fastened it around his neck, smiling when she saw it fit him perfectly, falling against his collarbone. Only a moment later and he was doing the same for her.
"Do you like it?" Sasuke repeated her question, tapping the pendant on her own necklace.
Instead of replying immediately, Sakura gently tugged on his necklace, the leather cord being able to withstand such a thing and brought him down to her level, kissing him. "I really like it."
He smirked into their kiss. "Did you choose a leather cord instead of a chain just for this purpose?"
Like he had, Sakura smirked and tugged on the necklace once more, bringing his lips closer to hers as he leaned over her. "Maybe."
"Good," Sasuke murmured, his smirk slipping away as he focused on nothing but Sakura and the way she kissed him.
A/N - And I have officially finished college! I finished on Friday, but my final exam was today. And I won't be going back to that college when summer is over. Why? Because they fucked everything up for me. I can't remember if I ranted about it or not, but meh.
So, just before my first exam (a few weeks ago now), my personal tutor and her head of department told me that I can't come back to the college due to funding issues. At nineteen, they stop and since I'm nineteen next month... Yeah. However, that's all they told me. I had the choice of either appealing or finding another college, so I decided to do both. Only, a different college told me that my allowance has been used up and the government is refusing to fund me anymore. And do you want to know why? Because my college forced me to study a subject I didn't even want to do and that single subject used up all of my allowance.
I was supposed to complete this year, pass all of my subjects and then go onto doing my a-levels. That's what they promised me. I get that legislation and whatnot can change, but why did they make me sit through an entire year of IT, when I could have been doing something that will actually benefit me?
Anyway, I've found a different college, one that has found a way to help get the funding I need and hopefully, if it works, then I'll be studying a Humanities - Access to Higher Education course and if I pass that then I'll be going onto university next year!
When one door closes, break your way through a different one! ;-)