note.
Please don't ask questions in unsigned reviews! I won't be able to reply =[
The beginning chapter is supposed to be a companion of the chapter where Mikoto met Sakura for the first time - after all, they say married couples become more alike as time goes on.
track 19.
Through the newspaper he is holding, Fugaku successfully maintained his composure when he saw his younger son lead an similarly drenched girl into their living room. His wife was preparing dinner still, and his older son had just returned earlier - albeit, with an umbrella. To his knowledge, neither of his sons had ever brought home a girl for a meal. And according to his dear wife, even before that, Sakura was the first girl Sasuke had introduced to her.
"Tou-san, you're home."
"Hn. Your brother is upstairs. I see you've brought a friend." He nodded in Sakura's direction.
"I'm Haruno Sakura. It's nice to meet you Fugaku-san. Sasuke and Mikoto-san speak well of you." She bowed, the pink hair dry at its roots, but dyed a deep magenta at the ends by the weather.
"Do they now? I'm surprised they don't complain too much about me. I find that neither seem to have any trouble complaining about my supposed quirks to my face."
He folded the paper on the table and stood to meet the duo. Fugaku could tell that she was quite obviously wearing his son's blazer and there was a sense of irrelevant pride present when he knew he raised his son well enough to take care of his classmate (whom, Mikoto claimed, Sasuke seems to have favourable feelings for); but he was also well aware that if the state of his son's white shirt was anything to go by, Sakura may not be too comfortable at the dining table unless see-through and clinging was the new modest.
Abandoning the living room in lieu for the kitchen, Fugaku knocked at the rim of the open door twice. "Mikoto, we've a guest at the door." Placing a hand at his wife's waist, tangling it with the straps of her apron to lead her out, it surprised him to find that his son had already fetched a towel from the nearest bathroom (Sasuke's own navy one, he muses) and dropped it over her head while Sakura tried to wrap the towel around Sasuke instead - failing to do when Sasuke used his height against her favour.
Sasuke's father was in a bit of a brown study moment.
But how strange it was to find his son taking care of a girl.
Ever since his two sons had been born, they had been spoiled by the general female population for as long as he could remember. Either because of the sharp intellect they inherited from him or their regal appearances from their mother. But it was a rare moment to see them care for a girl. He could tell why his wife had so excitedly mentioned this girl, a 'pink fairy' by her description, to him over the phone those nights ago when Sasuke first brought her over. His dear wife had not lost her touch through retirement when it came to examining people; it did seem as if his son was completely captured by the girl's every action and enamoured by her animated expressions.
For his part, Sasuke is more than embarrassed to be standing next to Sakura at the door, dripping water over their carpet. He hadn't expected his entire family to be present the one night Sakura decided to come over for dinner. Nor did he expect the downpour that would cause his parents, and his older brother to see them in such a deplorable state.
"Sakura-chan! You're soaked!" Mikoto rushed to use the towel Sasuke left on Sakura to dry her hair before wrapping it around her body. She then led her towards the master bedroom and hurried to fetch some dry clothes for the girl.
"Kaa-san, your son is right here. Equally soaked." Sasuke shouted after the duo that was leaving a trail of wet footprints up the staircase.
"Don't be a big baby, kaa-san doesn't need to get you clothes. Go get them yourself." Itachi appeared instead of his mother.
"Nii-san, you're back as well." Sasuke nodded to acknowledge him, though he wanted to sigh at the thought that to come down his brother must have already passed by their mother and Sakura.
"You didn't have an umbrella with you." It was more of a statement than a question, and Sasuke couldn't stop the familiar warmth that was touching his ears - something that would continue to become even more of a common occurrence tonight.
"You don't have the state the obvious." He muttered. Heading up to change into a drier affair at his brother's prompting, Sasuke stopped at the base when he remembered something. "Nii-san, are you free the weekend after the next?"
"I should be." He paused, as if picturing his normally tightly packed schedule in his head. "Why? You want to head for the shooting range? It's been a while."
"No. The bunkasai is coming up. You missed your last one right? You can come by." Itachi smiled at that. His little brother was trying to make it seem as if it was all for him when he knew that Sasuke just wanted him to show up so that he could show off his work as a committee member to him.
After a moments thought, Sasuke also added that Sakura would be there. "We're in the class committee together." As if that was reason enough for him to bring her over to meet their parents and eat dinner with them.
"Just text me the place and time. I'll be there." He promised.