title: this is being called "chapter 14" until further notice, please let me know if you have any ideas bc jfc i'm running out
prompt: #14 - hunger
summary: in which family dinners at the haruno household include five minute long hugs, staring contests, and broken chopsticks.

Sasuke arrived at Sakura's front step a good seven minutes earlier than the time they had agreed on, but the door still swung open as he climbed the stairs, Sakura's mother smiling down at him from the gap of the door. Sasuke offered her a smile, and she welcomed him in graciously, engulfing him in a hug before he could do as much as bend down to take off his shoes.

"My, my, you've gotten even taller since the last time I've seen you, Sasuke!" Mebuki chortled, refusing to let go of him even after a moment or so. "Oh, you're all tense! Relax, everyone's family here."

Sakura made an apologetic face at Sasuke from behind her mother, but despite his nerves, the word 'family' curved his lips. He and Sakura had been together for a long time, and her mother had already come to consider him a part of the household and always wanted to make him feel at home.

Sakura tugged him away soon enough, and they meandered down the hallway, Mebuki following close behind, laughing from behind her fingers. "Look, Sasuke, I made her jealous!" she teased, seeming to want to illicit some form of reaction from her daughter.

Sakura sighed and pressed her right palm to her forehead, and Sasuke ducked his head in attempt to hide his laughter before choking as she punched him in the shoulder, barely holding back.

Upon them entering the kitchen, Kizashi immediately put down the newspaper he had been reading at the table and stood to greet Sasuke, who stiffly stuck out a hand. "Hello, sir."

"Hello, Sasuke," Kizashi responded, his voice sounding unnaturally grave for someone so light-hearted. He was staring him square in the eye, almost seeming to wordlessly challenge Sasuke to a staring contest that Sasuke lost in all his confusion. Kizashi's grip was incredibly strong around Sasuke's hand, and Sasuke barely managed a sort of wince-smile.

A hearty laugh escaped Kizashi's lips at Sasuke's expression. "Say, Sasuke, when are you going to start calling me 'otousan'?"

Sasuke coughed slightly, trying to meet Kizashi's eyes again but failing. "Actually, that's part of the reason I'm here today—"

"Ah, that's right! Sakura invited you to dinner again. I hope you like my cooking, but you've come over often enough so I imagine you must be used to it by now." Kizashi gave another good-natured laugh and reached for his newspaper.

Sasuke stood in place for a moment, wondering if Kizashi had realized where the conversation was going and cut him short on purpose but shrugged it off as Sakura dragged him to the dinner table.

Together, they gave their thanks for the food and began to eat.

The first portion of their meal was comfortably quiet, and Sasuke was halfway done with his food when Mebuki piped up. "Sasuke, do you remember back in you and Sakura's academy days, when she had long hair?" she asked, and Sasuke heard Sakura drop her chopsticks from beside him. "Did you know she grew it long for you?"

The chopsticks clattered against the floor a second time, and Sasuke heard the poor sticks being broken in half as Sakura bent down to pick them up. The color rushed to her face as she sat straight up again.

Sasuke's fingers were cool against the dewy surface of his glass of ice water, and he swallowed a smile. "I didn't know," he said.

Mebuki clasped her hands together. "Oh, but she did!" she exclaimed. "I clearly remember her telling me she heard Sasuke-kun liked girls with long hair. But it ended up short in the end, though, hm?"

"Either way is nice. I…like both."

Mebuki beamed, and Sakura hand came up to balance her chin above the table as she muttered 'kissass' beneath her breath. As she turned away scowling, Mebuki figured she was probably trying to hide the flush of her face and stifled a giggle.

Sakura excused herself to fetch a new pair of chopsticks, and Sasuke returned to his meal.

As Kizashi offered Sasuke a second plate, Sasuke paused, before clearing his throat. "Sir, I have something to ask you," he said, tentatively.

"Otousan," was all Kizashi said, waving his hand.

"Er, right…o-otousan, I have something to ask you," Sasuke said, attempting the word.

"And what would that be?"

At the question, the entire speech Sasuke had spent the prior week carefully memorizing slipped his mind. Sakura stilled beside him, and he made the decision to skip the speech completely and get to the point: "I'd like to ask for your daughter's hand in m—"

Kizashi cut Sasuke off with another soundless challenge at a staring contest.

This time, they called it off at a draw.

He took a swig of water and met Sasuke's gaze. "So, Sasuke, what is it you like about my daughter?"

Sasuke brought his own glass of water to his lips, placed it down, and pushed aside the last of his hunger as he began to speak, lips curved in the slightest of smiles.