Like Gold

by cherrynojutsu

Sasuke grapples with love and intimacy regarding his developing relationship with Sakura after returning to the village from his journey of redemption. Kind of a character study on Sasuke handling an intimate relationship after dealing with PTSD/survivor's guilt for so long. Blank period, canon-compliant, Sasuke-centric, fluff and pining, slowly becomes a smut fest with feelings.

14. Embers

AN: I know, I know; a new chapter on top of a 9.3k one-shot for Sasusaku month? Who am I? Happy July, besties! (More notes at the end.)

Chapter 14: Embers

---

Sasuke all but falls into his own bed just after the sun has inched halfway over the horizon, the morning painted in broad brushstrokes of pale pink.

It's a restful sleep he finds there, incredibly fulfilling and buoyed by a mission accomplished, forthright affections, and an uchiwa fan on foremost display.

He dozes until shortly beyond one in the afternoon. It's a rare thing for him to be able to ease in and out of sleep this easily in general, but especially in Konoha; he takes full advantage of it.

There is some meat left in the freezer, he observes while standing in his kitchen half-asleep, but as it's frozen, he sets it aside in a bowl in the fridge to defrost for tomorrow. He then proceeds with the task of fixing a heaping portion of vegetable curry, as it appears that most of his produce are still good for such a purpose. The butter and fair amount of flour melt in the saucepan, sizzling as he stirs. He's blinked the majority of the oscitancy from his eyes by the time it's warmed enough to add the curry mix to the amalgam.

Onion, carrots, potatoes, and ginger grace his countertops, sliced methodically on the specialized cutting board, discarding any questionable edges. Once those are portioned out, he prepares mushrooms, a third of an eggplant, and the last of his tomato stash.

It's not a quick meal to prepare, especially because he starts the rice a little late in his somnolence, but it's satisfying when it all begins to come together, spiced vegetable medley aroma wafting through his small kitchen. He's coming to appreciate the opportunity of kitchen-prepared food more and more the longer he's back, as he expected he would. Mission meals usually leave something to be desired in comparison, and it's not as if he has much to do here, really, in the meantime; he won't have a new book to read for several hours yet.

Sakura offered to meet him outside his building later today for another trip to the library, and then dinner at her apartment after that.

…And hanging out after dinner, too.

He assumes they'll probably read, but he's been eyeing the living room window from his vantage point in the kitchen to ascertain what the weather's likely to do today. An enormously pleased feeling is still buzzing behind his ribcage, center liquified to mush, as he sits at the table to eat by lamplight.

He's spent fathomless hours thinking about kissing Sakura like that, speculating what it would be like, yet somehow the thoughts and preconceptions all paled in comparison to the reality of the action. In fact, he's not really sure what he's going to do with himself now, because he knows he wants to kiss her like that all of the time, but he's still an extremely reserved person, and to initiate such a thing again intimidates him, despite how badly and intrinsically he aches to. He's retroactively glad for the circumstances that led up to said initiation; he doesn't really think he'd have had the courage to try something like that without the culmination of events preceding it. It also doesn't seem like the type of thing one would do at the door prior to departing, at least given the current context of their relationship and their established routine.

Kissing like that was simply… different. Better somehow, more gratifying, though he still esteems normal kissing, too. It just feels as if he's made some type of progress, however intangible or hard to pin down it is, moving past a threshold and beyond the liminal stage of beginnings.

It's also especially nice to have a little confirmation that his near excruciating yearning is at least somewhat requited, in that regard.

Overthinking, he reflects, or moreso scolds internally. He shakes his head a bit as if to regain his foothold in this new day, as if there is any chance of dispelling the knowledge of how it feels for Sakura's tongue to glide by his, the impossible tenderness of touching noses, or the options of kissing at varied angles within the privacy of her apartment.

Trying to eat all that he's put before himself is a superb distraction. It's a monstrous portion, and perhaps overly nutritious in terms of accomplishing his goal, but it may help combat the amount of calories he burned over the past week or so while they were out of the village.

It is conjointly nice to eat a meal without the dobe's incessant teasing.

---

He finds Sakura waiting for him outside of his building as planned in the early evening. She wears a soft smile that reminds him a lot of the one that's been tugging at the corner of his own most of last night and all of today thus far.

Her expression is somewhat shy as he gets closer, Interlocking Maps in his hand.

"Sasuke-kun," she greets, stepping away from the brick. She's holding her own books to her chest.

"Sakura," he responds with little pause, insides feeling as if they've gone aflame all over again.

"I hope you got to sleep in a bit." She says it kindly with shifting shoulders, gently biting the edge of her lip and regarding him sheepishly.

He nods, a second late to processing her words because he was stupidly gawking at her mouth. Once the sentiment computes, he question, "...Did you?"

Her smile grows, and he thinks she seems a bit flushed as she moves to begin their path down the road.

"I did."

It doesn't take long until they're passing over the threshold, easy silence interrupted by the bell jingling softly over the door.

It's a smidgen busier than it usually is; they're not typically here this late in the day. A pair of older-looking patrons are studying a shelf near the front of the building that houses the newer fiction selections. Ichika is working again at the front desk, brown eyes scanning each book she's holding prior to adding it to a stack. Sasuke has begun to wonder if there's another librarian or not, as she's always here on the days they come by.

"You know, Sakura, one of these days we have to get the whole Team Seven experience here," Ichika remarks brightly as they get closer. They both slide the texts they're returning across the counter to her.

Sakura pauses, blinking twice as if taken completely unaware by the statement, and he does, too, though it's less shock on his part and moreso how utterly ludicrous the idea of Naruto ever coming within a ten foot radius of a book is.

"Ahaha, Naruto's not really the reading type," Sakura tells her, laughing a little.

Nor is he the thinking type, Sasuke ponders drolly. He wouldn't shut up about him cleaning dirt off Sakura's cheek the entire trek home.

"Huh? Isn't he going to become Hokage?" Ichika asks, expression curious.

"He is," Sakura answers, her voice as sure and firm as can be. "But most literature would go over his head, I think. He's more… in the now, I guess, than in fiction or nonfiction?"

The librarian appears to be stumped, and Sakura laughs nervously as Sasuke mentally summarizes that the dobe probably wouldn't perceive the difference between fiction or nonfiction even if it slapped him in the face.

"Is Sai here, then?" Sakura inquires, seemingly catching on to the other implication of the librarian's statement, and Ichika nods.

"Yeah, he's in the art room, same as always." She shifts her shoulder in its general direction. "New research journals are in their usual spot, too."

Sakura beams. "Thank you," she murmurs, before catching Sasuke's eyes. "We'll have to say hi."

We. Though Sasuke is inherently not a social person and offers little to conversation, it's a nice word all the same.

They make their way through the first couple of rooms - they see one additional person browsing, a civilian too engrossed in what he's reading to pay them any mind - and, sure enough, when they round the corner, Sai is seated in the exact same chair he was on the previous occasion they ran into him here.

"Hey, Sai," Sakura murmurs as they clear the doorway. "I didn't realize you were back just yet."

Dark eyes peer up from what appears to be another art-related book, though this one he imagines is to a greater extent philosophy-related; the title on the cover reads What is Art For?

"Ugly." Sai nods in Sakura's direction, then once at Sasuke, too. "Traitor." He turns back to Sakura. "Yes, I returned the day before yesterday. I was saddened to have missed out on a Team Seven mission."

Sakura's lips curve into a smile as her brows furrow. "Eh, you didn't miss too much. We didn't even get to fight. Just a lot of dirt and traveling at whiplash pacing." She pauses, then adds, "Your birds would have been nice."

"I see." Sai smiles in a way that somehow manages to be both kind and awkwardly delayed. "Perhaps next time will be more opportune."

Silently, Sasuke agrees. He's still not sure he quite understands Sai, but he's adept at ironing out their idiot teammate when he's being overbearing, and he does have a rather uniquely useful skill set.

Sakura dips her chin in confirmation. "Yeah, that would be pretty fun." She pauses, angling her head to the side a bit as if she's curious. "Say, did you get a chance to look over the new drafts yet?"

Sai blinks calmly.

"...I did. I agree with Beautiful; you are still not being bitchy enough. You must leave no room for doubt."

Sasuke's brows knit together in confusion, because he cannot imagine a world in which that word would describe anything Sakura does, even coming secondhand from Ino.

Leave no room for doubt for what?

Sakura simply sighs next to him.

"Figures. Alright, I'll rework the wording again. Thank you for the feedback."

Sai nods, completely blank-faced before he speaks again.

"Beautiful says that Shizune has returned." He doesn't use any sort of nickname when referring to her, but Sasuke chalks it up to her duties as an assistant to the Hokage; it could be a sign of respect, deference to her formal rank. "Though she used a strange figure of speech."

"Oh?" Sakura grins now, simultaneously managing to also look a little apprehensive.

Sai dips his chin again in confirmation, and continues in his unique brand of monotone. "Something about lighting a fire under the ass. She said it means to force someone to do something they have been putting off."

Sakura stiffens as the crease between Sasuke's eyebrows etches deeper in severity, puzzled.

"Ah," Sakura verifies more quietly. "Yeah, generally speaking, that's the correct usage of the term. You… don't really need the expletive, though. Just saying 'light a fire under them' gets the same idea across."

Sai nods mechanically, chin dipping too fast between up and down to seem natural in any way. "I see."

The artist then swivels his attention to Sasuke, apparently unwilling to wait for the appropriate pause that typically accompanies conversations when the subject is about to be changed.

"Would you like a book recommendation, Traitor?"

Sasuke blinks, disconcerted. He sees Sakura regard him with an expression that says she's extremely entertained in his periphery.

He supposes it won't hurt.

"...Sure."

Sai nods once more, blankly this time, his expression not changing in the slightest as he neatly situates a bookmark halfway through the text he was reading to mark his place.

"Since I will pick one that I have read before, you should, as well." He smiles in a way that is somewhat maladroit, stiff and disjointed. "A favorite. That way I will learn more about you."

Sasuke blinks again prior to nodding. He's not actually sure what he would recommend for Sai to read, but he's read a few books now; he can figure something out easily enough. Sakura is still peering up at him from his right as if she's amused as Sai rises from his chair and begins perusing the shelves of texts behind him, not saying another word.

Abruptly coming to the realization that this must be the end of the conversation for now, he and Sakura proceed to the next room. As they pass through the historical fiction section, he glances down at her again and sees she appears to be trying not to laugh.

"...What?" He asks curiously once they're three rooms deeper and politely out of earshot.

A giggle sneaks past her lips. "Sorry. You just look so… mystified." They pass another room with a lone woman on the south side, skimming pages in a book on gardening. "He does that with people he wants to get to know better."

Sasuke assumes she must be speaking from experience. It's an easy question.

"...Did he do that to you?"

Sakura nods, grinning. "Yeah. Ino, too. He tried to ask Naruto once, but it went about as well as you'd expect since he doesn't really read."

Sasuke snorts.

"Kakashi-sensei, too, at some point," she adds through a chuckle as they finally make it to the section in the back with the medical journals. "You can probably imagine the chaos that ensued."

Sasuke's eye twitches, because he knows in an instant that their old sensei likely gave him one of his pornographic books. The mental image of Sai leafing through such a text is unsettling, to say the least. He wonders what Kakashi read in exchange; it's hard to picture him holding any book that isn't orange and pocket-sized.

Sakura gathers the pile of research texts waiting for her in their usual spot from Ichika, carefully perusing each spine with what appears to be ample intrigue.

"...What kind of book will he pick?" Sasuke hopes it's not anything comparable to Kakashi's. It appeared as if he was just going to browse the books in the art section, but perhaps he reads other genres, too. Ino, he's gathered, is a profound influence on Sai, and it seems like she must read fiction, among… other things.

Jade eyes flash to his, and she smiles again, though now it's less playful and moreso gentle and kind.

"It'll be something related to art. Usually some kind of general anthology featuring a collection of pieces. Lots of pictures and descriptions of the historical background information." Her gaze softens a little. "He'll ask you which one was your favorite once you're done. It's a way he tries to get to know people." She adjusts her hold of the miniscule mountain of books she's picked up. "He sometimes gifts people with drawings, after, too. Something related to what you said you liked, just so you know in advance."

Sasuke doesn't really know how to respond to that. He's no art critic, though he does appreciate skillful imagery. He's not sure what he would even do with a drawing in his stark apartment.

"...What did he have you read?"

She exhales a small laugh. "A book on well-known botanical artworks and the artist scientists who created them. Made for scientific identification, so dual purpose. It was pretty fun to page through, actually." She pauses as if deliberating, then adds, "I framed the drawing he gave me; it's on a shelf in my room: apple blossom ink wash. I…"

Her mouth twitches to the side as if she's contemplating something.

"I… can show it to you later, after dinner. We could sit on the balcony again, since it's still kind of nice out. And… read." A dusting of pink is settling over her cheeks as her pupils dart elsewhere, as if the other books encased in the shelves of this room are suddenly of great interest. "...If you want, I mean."

Heat sears up the back of his neck, tracing each vertebrae of his spine.

"...I would like to," he murmurs in a hushed voice, trying to ignore the way his heart's pacing has quickened. He would love to, actually. It would be nice to see her room a second time; he was pretty… distracted, the night previous.

Her eyes flash back to his, lighting up, flashes of gold catching in the fluorescent wattage above them.

"Oh. Good," Sakura breathes. "Well, we should probably pick our books."

Sasuke nods, and they proceed to their usual respective sections, dispersing and then crossing paths again in the fiction room. While internally beating his pulse's skyrocketing into submission, he wonders what book she recommended to Sai. Perhaps one of the fiction ones she likes, he deduces, or perhaps a collection of poems.

Ultimately, Sasuke ends up selecting the book on the history of kenjutsu he checked out on his initial trip to the library. He's not sure if any of what's in it will pertain to Sai at all, but it seems like the safest option. He's enjoyed the other ones he's read, too, such as the fiction one narrating the journey of the fisherman Ichika recommended, as well as what Sakura has recommended, but if the purpose is for Sai to gain information about him, the kenjutsu one makes the most sense. It could also be useful in terms of teamwork, he supposes, giving Sai an improved grasp on his abilities. In addition, Sasuke picks up another book to check out, a lengthy chronicle of the establishment of the Land of Tea.

Sai, in turn on their way out of the library, hands him a large text titled Art From Around the World.

"Since you have traveled extensively," he says simply. "Please let me know which piece is your favorite."

When Sasuke nods his assent and then hands him his own selection, the artist responds, voice monotonous, "I will read this within the next two weeks."

Sasuke simply inclines his head again, staring at the cover curiously. Behind the text denoting the title is a detailed fiber pattern wrought in scarlet and navy and beige, akin to the complexity and style of an old rug.

---

It's easier for him to study Sakura's room the second time around.

Following an early dinner of somen served aside chilled salad and grilled chicken, they breeze through the dishes and then proceed to brew a peach tea from the decaffeinated shelf for Sakura and the usual decaffeinated sencha for him. While Sakura carries both teacups, he carries their books: Art From Around the World and one of her research texts, titled Developmental Psychology.

The color of the walls is more apparent in the early evening; soft sage green cloaks everything a halcyon hue. Diaphanous light leaks in via the gauzy curtains in a way that's tremendously calming, sunbeams refracting into rectangular patterns that ripple across the varnished light wood.

It also bathes the uchiwa fan in arrestive light. His gaze lingers on it for an extra second, heart thudding loudly from behind his ribs, before he regains himself.

Sakura catches his eyes prior to ambling towards one of the wall-mounted shelves, teacups in hand and cheeks inking red, and something in his stomach flips over; he's clearly been caught staring at it.

He trails to stand by her side, in front of the framed artwork propped up on the northernmost part of the wood. It does seem reminiscent of what he's seen thus far of Sai's artwork, textured brush strokes in primarily black and shades of gray, though now that he's closer he sees that a small amount of diluted green ink was utilized to render the leaves. His signature is scrawled in tiny letters in the lower right corner.

It's a nice piece, classic and very complementary to her room. He wonders if the decision to paint the space this particular shade of green was in any way related to this painting; he assumes it was gifted to Sakura prior to her moving here, as from what he understands Sai replaced him when Sakura and Naruto were around fifteen years old.

It's odd, to reflect on that time; it seems so far away, in both the context of age and self-identity, yet it still has the capacity to fill him with enormous guilt, as if worms are twisting and churning in his gut. He shoves the thought away, as now is not the occasion.

"It's nice," he comments, gaze flickering briefly to the other things lining the petite shelf; there appears to be a photo album of some sort, alongside a scented candle that is almost entirely used up. The label says that it's lilac scented; that knowledge is nice, a fondness bubbling up and drowning the nettlesome entozoon before they've taken up full residence.

"Yeah, he's a pretty successful artist. He sells some of his work in the flower shop now. He's sold quite a few, actually." Lashes shining rose gold in the evening sunlight flutter up at him, eyebrows furrowed as if she's deep in thought. "I wonder what he'll paint for you."

Sasuke's not entirely convinced that he'll paint anything for him. His interests are, contrary to the term, decidedly uninteresting; most of them are centered completely on their line of work, so it's not like he gave the artist much to work with in regards to his selection. Most Shinobi employed in hidden villages, he knows, have hobbies that aren't centered around the fastest way to kill someone, hobbies that are by necessity designed to distract from the reality of what they do. He supposes that's just how it is, though; in his quest for revenge, there was no time to develop conventional interests like the rest of the people he went to the Academy with. It's yet another way in which he lags far behind them.

"...I'm not sure," he finally discloses honestly, realizing she may be waiting for an answer.

Sakura's response is to look semi-amused, cheeks still red as a rose as she takes a sip of her own tea. She meanders past a second wall-mounted shelf - this one contains several additional books, seemingly collections of poetry, one about the theory and practice of medicine that appears well-read, and the old book she had picked up at the antique store - to push open the curtains again so they can head out onto the balcony. He surreptitiously trails his gaze on the other furniture in the room as he turns, greedy for a second study now that he is slightly less overcome by his emotions. He realizes that though they are all painted with the same finish, they aren't matching in any other sense; all antique, then, he assumes. The texture design adorning her comforter is somewhat reminiscent of an abstracted floral pattern, focused mainly in the center and framed by linework on either side. The two throw blankets she's brought to the living room from time to time lay neatly folded towards the bottom of the bed. In this lighting, he can also see that the book on the bedside table appears well-read, spine worn, though he can't read the title from this angle.

Sasuke follows her onto the balcony, where she's just finished placing their teacups in their corresponding places and is setting out the cushions again. She sinks once she's finished, resting the ends of her toes at the boundary of the balcony, and he follows, allocating their books between them.

Sakura's gaze drifts skyward for a moment as she takes a few sips of her tea, clearly enjoying the nice weather. Sasuke takes it as an opportunity to sip his own and examine her plants more closely.

He's able to place the vast majority of the other flower varieties this go-around. Powder blue forget-me-nots, several pale pink chrysanthemums, white camellias, daisies, cosmos, and even a few waxen purple and yellow irises are strategically placed around the small space in what he assumes are the spots where they'd receive their most ideal sunlight. He notices areas where some of the blooms have been clipped away, too, including a couple of diminutive pots, the contents of which he is unable to identify due to said cuttings. He can see spots in which they are regrowing where they've been cut, new green eking in to replace the old.

The sky is pale rouge above them again when he eventually also fixes his gaze upward, clouds lazily floating by in the early summer breeze. He's eaten a great deal of food today, but as he takes another sip of tea, he finds he feels remarkably light.

He catches Sakura sneaking a glance at him, an expression on her face that looks almost doting before her cheeks redden and she hastily reaches for her research text. Following one more immensely gratifying sip of tea, Sasuke takes the book Sai picked. Given its size, it's apt to lay it out in front of him for his perusal rather than to try to hold it one-handed.

Sasuke is a little caught off guard when he opens the text and finds that it is a fairly new publication, pages still crisply pristine. Perhaps it's due to his propensity to select traditional academic texts; most of the books he's checked out thus far have been older, featuring pocket-sized black and white illustrations rather than full photographic references.

Each spread contains one page of writing and one page that is entirely artwork in vivid color. He's not accustomed to books with quite this level of detail captured; the picture of the works are so cleanly rendered that it's almost as if he's actually viewing them in person.

The first spread is a portrait of a courtesan that was created over one hundred and fifty years ago in the Land of Silk. The print is somewhat faded, hailing its age, and a number of adornments decorate her person; a pink and gold kimono, as well as hair ornaments teasing lengthy dark hair up and away from the woman's face. She appears to be holding folded cloth of some kind. The paragraph accompanying the work outlines the past history of the nation, of the time when there was augmented prejudice against women from the ruling class and Nunogakure was not yet founded.

He is slow to turn the page, carefully analyzing the picture before moving on.

The next spread denotes a series of three paintings meant to be displayed together, hailing from what was once the Land of Whirlpools, an island nation. He vaguely recalls Karin mentioning in a passing conversation - she had been yelling at Suigetsu - that she and her mother fled the hidden village there to seek refuge from war. There had been no reason to go there during his travels, as it is still uninhabited as far as he knows; the war destroyed any remnants of the civilization that had been there.

The painting must have been taken off the island elsewhere in order for it to have survived in such a condition. It's detailed, depicting a woman appearing as part of a mirage atop water in the center, surrounded by onlookers. A huge clamshell lies behind her, and further back one can see what must have been a town. A local folklore tale, he concludes from the older style and the paragraph that accompanies it, notions of apparitions and the messages they bring.

He is greeted by a scene from the Land of Frost on the subsequent spread. A traditional temple from a more heavily populated part of the country is coated in softly falling snow, the entire scene etched in soft blues and grays. It's a peaceful scene, rendered in woodblock print, and one that fits well with what he saw when he passed through on both of his trips to and from the Land of Lightning.

He had skimmed by the edge of a small village the first time in search of work, ways in which he could help forge the world into a better place. An older woman running the inn there had directed him to a nearby house where an injured trapper resided with his daughter. He'd broken his leg, and was thus unable to check his traps, all in rather wild locations, heavily forested and hilly. The primary exports of Frost are furs and other animal materials, as the creatures that inhabit the area need thick waterproof coats for survival.

Sasuke had quietly offered to check the traps and bring back any game in exchange for a hot meal and a roof over his head for the night, as he saw they had a fireplace he could sleep aside that could possibly set his aching stump at ease. The man had rapidly agreed, seeming adamant to not leave injured animals suffering for extended periods in the cold until they starved to death.

His dislike of winter aside, it hadn't been entirely unpleasant. He'd ended the suffering of the animals the trapper had snared - one of the white flying squirrels and two of the snow rabbits that inhabited the area, well equipped for both the cold and camouflaging with the ever-present snow and frost in the region - and brought them back swiftly, eager for an avenue out of the bitter wind. He had sat by the fire with the man to assist in skinning the animals and then preserving their meats for their food stores. The soup the man's daughter had prepared for them hadn't been the best he'd ever had, kasujiru that was more daikon and burdock than salted salmon, but it was still pretty good after hours spent in the chill. Studying the picture reminds him of it, of the way snow fell gently like a blanket, coating the world in a layer of ice that shined in the dawn. It wasn't so bad if he focused on the trees instead of the footsteps he was leaving behind him.

The following spread of the book skips across the continent to the Coral Isles. This one is a watercolor, thin layers of pigment layered over each other to build a richly pigmented sea, atop which are three wooden sailboats taking off from the shoreline. The style is unique; the sky is rendered to be much more faded than it would have appeared in real life, a stark contrast to the rich layers and saturation of the ocean. Two sago palms lie resting on the tiny strip of green blocking in the foreground earth mass, while the rest of the land fades into the blank areas of the page. The passage denotes the unusual art style developing in this region around fifty years ago or so, marking it as anomalous from other areas.

He had only gone by the Coral Isles once when he was away; though the piece is a bit older, the boats they use in that area still greatly resemble the ones shown in this recreation.

"That one's pretty," Sakura remarks just after he's turned to the fifth one: a visage of slightly abstracted people rendered in pale chalk pastel, trading goods beneath a banyan tree.

Sasuke catches sight of her at his right to see her text has come to rest in her lap; her hand is reaching for her teacup.

After deliberating for a scattering of seconds, he nods and slides the text carefully so that it sits in front of both of them rather than just himself. He then takes a drag of his own tea.

He watches Sakura quickly scan the passage, explaining the common custom in the Land of Vegetables to barter beneath banyan trees spread across the expanse of the country. In addition to that, they are a mass producer of pastels, as the lands there are ideal for collecting pigments as well as the binders for them from their vast varieties of plant growth.

"...They make them right underneath the trees, sometimes, at the markets," he mentions after she's finished reading and has risen back to her normal posture.

Fine pink eyebrows arch.

"Really?"

Sasuke dips his chin in the affirmative. He'd seen it several times, passing through. It was an opportune place to help during harvest if he was in the area. The climate there allows for multiple harvests a year.

"How does that work?" She questions, jade eyes shining up at him. It takes him another second to process what she's asked him, distracted as he is by her proximity.

"...They put pigment in a bowl, crushed with stones, and then add a binder one drop at a time." Sasuke pauses to take a sip of his tea, mentally reviewing the steps. "Once it starts to pack in on itself, they cut paper to roll it into, and press it more firmly." He recalls some of the artisans would even draw a few strokes with them right away to show the quality. It had been a speedier process than he would have anticipated.

"That's interesting," Sakura mentions. "I wouldn't have guessed that it's that easy, if you have the ingredients." She wears a thoughtful expression. "I don't know much about how they collect different pigments, though, other than charcoal for black. I guess binders would be easy to come by in the Land of Vegetables, though."

Sasuke dips his head in acknowledgement, pondering. Most of the merchants had pigment chunks sectioned by color already pre-prepared for the markets, though he thinks he recalls once learning when he was very young about red pigments perhaps made from some kind of beetle.

"...Sai probably knows."

An infectious grin overtakes her expression. "He probably does." Sasuke returns his cup to its resting spot so he can flip the page, though he keeps the book centered between them.

"You don't mind if I look at it with you?" She subsequently questions softly, smiling and setting down her own tea.

Sasuke shakes his head. It's more entertaining to look at it together, though it was honestly more interesting than he thought it would be prior to opening the book's pages. Sakura might have insight to add on some of them, too, and he's additionally a little curious about what her favorite piece in the book would be.

They slowly flip through the text together until the light no longer allows, her academic journal set aside. Pages spanning the continent blend together before them in washes of watercolor, charcoal, ink, and paint: children on an old miniature rocking horse, women in formal dress viewing the moon, a samurai committing seppuku, and so on. There are occasionally photographs of fiber pieces and three-dimensional works, as well; rugs and lacquerware and ceramic teapots and sculpture, too, wrought in stone or marble. The Hokage Rock of Konoha appears on one page near the center of the book; the photograph is recent, as evidenced by Kakashi's masked face on the far right. The paragraph accompanying it discusses the series of carvers who have added to it over the years, as well as the First's original purpose for it being a metaphor for the Hokage to always be watching over the village.

They finish their tea this time, caught up in visuals from both far away and close to home.

All in all, they journey through over half of its pages. Sasuke's not quite sure he has a favorite yet, but Sakura mentions liking a faded painting of pale yellow daffodils the best thus far. When he flips back to it, he surmises that perhaps Sai gets a better read on people than he had initially anticipated. The edges of the piece are wrinkled with age in its photograph. Three clusters of flatly colored yellow daffodils fill the confines of the page until they reach the symmetrical border, green fronds poking out every which way. It hails from the Land of Flowers, but it reminds Sasuke of a hospital room years ago, though the daffodil he's recalling was white in color, center pliable gold.

It's worth a second study, and a third, and far beyond that, he deems.

"Have you been there?" Sakura queries quietly after they've closed the book and the sky has darkened above them, rapidly deliquescing to a lustrous black.

It takes him a minute to process that she's asking in reference to the Land of Flowers. Eventually Sasuke nods, shaking himself out of the memory, then adds, "A few times." He'd helped during the harvest there occasionally, too, when he was passing from Earth to Lightning.

"I'll bet that it's really pretty when everything blooms," Sakura says softly, eyes flickering toward what's growing here on her own balcony.

Sasuke is concluding that there's someone else aptly named that's really pretty when her focus returns to him once more. Her pupils are dwarfing the green there again, and he's not certain how she can be so beguilingly mesmeric and seemingly have no awareness of it, of how enticing the simple curve of her bottom lip is.

"What was growing when you were there?" Sakura inquires, smiling, dimple sinking into existence.

Briefly Sasuke takes stock of what he can recall. The fields were unique each time, depending on the month he was passing through. Once the colors of the flowers were so intensely saturated that they hurt his eyes a little.

"...Zinnia, once," he begins, remembering fields flush with intense reds, oranges, and yellows on a passing in September of his first year away. "Sweet pea, another time, in February. Lavender the third time; end of July." Both occasions had been a bit overwhelming with the aroma of those particular flowers, but they had been nice to look at, pale pink and desaturated violet.

Sakura is apparently of the same mind. "Overwhelming scent?" She questions knowingly, at which he inclines his head again.

"Very." He thinks it over, then adds, "...You would like it."

He's attempting to conjure up an image in his mind's eye of what Sakura would look like against row after row of soft-hued flowers as far as one can see when she turns slightly, adjusting her seating on her cushion.

His pulse crescendos, because her legs are folded behind her now, much like they ended up the night previous when they became immersed in each other. He can hear his own heartbeat roaring in his ears.

"Show me sometime?" She asks now, grinning widely as she gazes up at him, closer than before. Roots and vines in his stomach effloresce, twisting and intertwining with the fit of nerves currently smelting his heart into a different shape.

He nods, an intrepid attempt to smother his internal tension, and leans down.

The kissing begins as pure as the driven snow in the Land of Frost, but it rapidly melts, replaced by something more ardent, wholly initiated by Sakura this time, much to his relief. Errant sparks perhaps, he reflects after he overcomes his nerves at the newness of this particular activity, taking some comfort in the recent familiarity of it in this exact spot, flickering with each movement of lips and tongues and clacking teeth.

It's still very much in the beginning phases, intermittently stunted by lack of practice, though Sasuke realizes they have plenty of days to do just that.

She tastes like peach this time, and orphic evenfall.

---

The temperature the next day is up by fifteen degrees, rendering any outdoor plans, inclusive of time spent on Sakura's balcony, obsolete, though she mentions tomorrow is supposed to be nicer.

They spend the majority of the afternoon watching a movie on her couch. It's one she's already seen, though she's presumably seen all of the movies in her collection at some point. Intermittently, she scribbles things in a notebook as they watch, jade eyes poring over paper and then switching focus to the television every few minutes. There's a short stack of documents on the table nearest to her that he assumes is related to the hospital, given it was laid out when he arrived.

He wonders initially from his end of the sofa if perhaps she's too busy to spend time with him - he assumes the papers are related to her research - but her eyes flick to him occasionally, too, jade gleaming like sunlight on seafoam and a small smile on her face that clearly communicates that she's happy; it reassures him that he's more than welcome. Sasuke finds he likes spending the afternoon with her like this nearly as much as anything else they do together; there's an ataractic sense of domesticity that envelops him whenever they're alone in her apartment, a tranquil bubble of equanimity that is beginning to feel less and less foreign as he adjusts to her companionship.

"Naruto seems to be of the mind that I can convince you to go to a grill-out at his and Hinata's place tomorrow night," Sakura reveals softly as they eat supper beneath her green market light.

Sasuke blinks.

"...For dinner?" He questions after swallowing his bite of shrimp yakisoba, varied and nutritious with cuts of broccoli and mushrooms. He's working on a mammoth helping again.

Sakura nods, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards slightly. "Mm-hmm. After I finish up at the hospital at seven."

"...When was that?" Sasuke asks, thinking the dobe is being moderately duplicitous by having Sakura ask rather than inviting him directly, though he guesses he did already sort of agree over a week ago.

She laughs, a light, high, infectious sound that never fails to make his chest go to flame.

"He sent a clone, early this morning."

There is an extended moment of silence in which Sasuke contemplates the situation, studying her pleased expression.

"...He's not cooking, is he?"

Sakura chuckles as if she expected this, her eyes laughing as the gold-flecked irises refract the setting sun.

"No, Hinata is. I assumed that would be part of your terms and conditions." Her brows knit together as she smiles. "Jidori tsukune, and a few other things. She's a good cook."

She is, he recalls silently, recalling the stocked fridge at their house the one time he'd eaten there with the dobe. Sasuke studies Sakura across the table for the better part of ten seconds as he thinks it over.

"...How late?" He finally asks, reflecting on both her work schedule and also on the fact that he's not the most sociable person.

"Mmmm, not really sure. I'd guess not more than a couple hours? It's supposed to cool down moreso in the evening tomorrow, I think, so he's pretty adamant that it happens sooner than later." She rotates her chopsticks around her bowl, twisting noodles around them before she adds, shyly, "We could… hang out here after, to decompress, if you want. Since I don't work until eleven."

Chewing slowly, he mulls it over.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He assumes it will be in their backyard, as Naruto suggested, so not really a formal dinner of any kind. His hesitance comes mainly from the fact that he doesn't know Hinata very well, though he perceives her as a nice person from his limited interactions with her.

…It would also probably make Sakura happy.

As if she has determined he needs additional convincing, she adds, expression shifting to seem just the tiniest bit conspiratorial, "We could say we have a new movie to watch." Her eyes catch his, and she grins. "Good excuse to make sure time doesn't get away from us."

Sasuke loves this about her, he thinks as the edge of his mouth twitches with the urge to smile; the incremental pushing with simultaneous respect for who he is. Despite having numerous friends and connections through her work, Sakura still has introverted tendencies like him, and is incredibly cognizant of his low social battery, his hesitancy to put himself in situations that involve people he doesn't know well.

"...Just us and them?" He asks in a low tone, though he's relatively certain he already knows the answer.

She nods in affirmation, looking a little amused as she mentions, "He didn't think you'd agree if it was more people than that."

Ah. He supposes both of his teammates know him well.

"...Okay," he agrees. It's been a while since he had jidori tsukune - possibly years, actually - and it's not so bad, if it's outside. Their yard is sort of nice. In conjunction with that, he presumes that Naruto is less likely to goad him with additional teasing if Hinata's present.

Sasuke finds himself wondering as they finish their dinner in an easy silence what Naruto likes best about Hinata, what drew her to him, though he would never ask. They're an interesting pair, certainly.

They watch another movie on her couch afterwards, lamplight illuminating the space as a drama involving a mysterious disappearance at a bathhouse takes place within the screen. She's neatly stacked her papers and notes away for the evening, set on one of the few empty spots of her bookshelves.

Sasuke sits just the slightest bit more in her direction than he usually does, three or four inches to his left, though several feet remain to separate them. He doesn't act on the impulse tonight - it still feels a little intimidating, the thought of initiating kissing like that here rather than on her balcony like the two occasions previous - but it's a good step.

---

He spends much of the following day cooped up in his apartment, alternating between the beginning of the book about the Land of Tea and leafing through the second half of the art book recommended by Sai. It's hot enough during the day that sparring is out, and he assumes the dobe must be busy at the Hokage's office despite Shizune's return, as he doesn't come banging on his door. It's also possible that Hinata instructed him not to break anything today so as not to ruin their plans.

He flips through pages filled with art for the greater part of several hours, broken up only by laundry chores that need doing and the preparation of a late lunch. There's a painting of a traditional tea ceremony in the Land of Hot Water, and one of a goddess-like entity shining light on the people of the Land of Volcanoes. An archer on the back of a white horse decorates the two hundredth page, followed by an illustration of two cranes flying towards each other, wings spread wide atop a sea of green and a red sun.

He'll admit that it's not boring. He supposes he always has been a visual creature, and he can appreciate viewing the places he's traveled through new eyes, giving them more dimension in the theoretical space they occupy in his mind.

He also turns back to study the daffodil piece more than once or twice.

The one that ultimately catches his attention the most depicts a falcon; he studies it, then finishes the remainder of the book before coming back to it for more careful analysis. It's a woodblock print, somewhat old-fashioned. Rendered in a multitude of small lines, the feathers are painstakingly wedged in with what must have been an incredibly fine carving utensil. The bird of prey is perched atop the arching trunk of a pine tree, with a blazing sun centered behind it.

What snares his attention to it, really, is the positioning of the bird. Most pieces depicting similar birds of prey, both in his lived experience and encompassed even within this particular text, portray birds in a solid stance, upright on a secure branch, or with their wings lifted as if they're about to take flight off the very page they are drawn on.

This one is the opposite. The falcon faces downward towards the base of the trunk, tail feathers pointed upright into the air at its back. It gives the impression that the falcon is retiring for the evening, sun low in the horizon in the distance, inching its way down the knotted wood with sharp talons and returning to some semblance of a home, or as much as there can be for such a creature. The paragraph accompanying the piece explains the life of a master printmaker who was also an accomplished naturalist, residing alone in a permanent residence nestled in the Land of Forests, just southeast of the Land of Fire.

It makes sense that he's drawn to it, Sasuke surmises, if he thinks about the symbolism of it in regards to his own life. It's a prudent one to choose, also; there's not much Sai can read about him based on this painting alone, other than maybe his favoritism for that which is considered traditional and perhaps an affinity for the natural world, things he probably has already gathered about him anyway. He's showcased his particular brand of outdoor resourcefulness on several missions now, starting campfires and skinning animals. Again, his interests aren't interesting, utilitarian and intertwined with their profession.

He closes the text only after examining it for twenty minutes, taking stock of the minute details down to the wrinkled feet of the bird, the almost aggrieved expression found on the faces of nearly all birds of prey, and the tiny amount of evergreen peeking in the lower right corner.

He then folds the remainder of his laundry and puts it neatly away prior to departing to meet Sakura at the hospital.

---

The dobe is peering through the windows at the front of his residence when he and Sakura come within viewing distance of the Uzumaki household. Sasuke resists the inclination to twitch as his teammate visibly cheers and vanishes from his place behind the glass; he was obviously waiting for them.

"Yoooooohooooo! Sakura-chaaaan! Temeeee!" Naruto's voice booms deafeningly after his front door flies open, rousing the entire neighborhood from its previous pocket of quiescence, though Sasuke supposes that's a short-lived thing, if you are neighbors with the dobe.

Sasuke rolls his eyes as Sakura laughs.

"Hey, Naruto," she calls in a more appropriate volume as they close the distance between them, a blur of highly saturated colors in their periphery.

Sasuke says nothing, which prompts the dobe's face to twitch into a frown.

"Uh, teme?! Don't I get a hello, at least?!" He crosses his arms as if to block their entry into the house.

Sasuke merely contorts his face into his most put off expression. Naruto's answer to that is a frown morphing into a scowl.

"Sakura-chan, why does teme always have to be such a grouch?" The dobe complains, though he pulls the door open wider for them both as they come upon the steps, allowing them plenty of room to pass. Sasuke's brows knit together as he trails behind Sakura up the stairs, simultaneously leveling the idiot with an exceedingly threatening glare.

"Because you're stupid," Sasuke retorts simply, breezing past him and following Sakura's lead in briefly removing his shoes; they can put them back on at the back door.

"EH?!" Naruto closes the door behind them before he crosses his arms again, petulance furthered. "You're the one who-"

Sakura rounds on both of them, smiling in a way that could curdle milk; it's the look she used to direct at Naruto when they were all twelve, just prior to punching him into the next week. It immediately causes whatever the idiot was about to say to evaporate from his throat.

"No," she says simply, grinning menacingly. "Hinata has prepared us all a nice meal. We're not repaying her with fights like when we were twelve."

Naruto promptly shuts up, cowering behind Sasuke now with ten fingers digging into his shoulder as Sasuke himself blinks, a little cowed.

"Agreed?" Sakura asks sweetly.

"Agreed," the dobe whispers from behind Sasuke's good shoulder. Sasuke shrugs him off before he nods at Sakura; the action was imperceptible to the dobe from this angle, but it seems he's too scared to comment on it.

Apparently satisfied, Sakura spins on her heel, foraying further into the house in the general direction of the kitchen as Sasuke and Naruto track behind her.

Hinata's not there, though there are cooking utensils strewn about the counters, cutting knives and small dishes of what appear to be marinades left out in the aftermath of preparation.

"Hinata-chan's in the yard already!" Naruto informs them, positivity returning to his demeanor as he bounds by the kitchen to the door at the back of the house; it takes him all of three seconds to haphazardly shove his sandals back on from where they were resting by the threshold. Sasuke and Sakura pass by the Team Seven portrait to do the same; it's still sitting by a candle in the corner, though this one is different from his last visit, a balmy yellow in color. The house in general smells more akin to pineapple right now, appropriate for summer in a brightly colored house.

The dobe holds the back door open for both of them, and Hinata comes into view. She's crouched over a fire with a grilling table placed over top of it, hair pulled back in a loose ponytail and turning various things over the flames with a pair of tongs. With the angle of the sinking sun, the area is cloaked in a fair amount of shade. Sasuke quickly identifies the jidori tsukune, skewered onto kebabs in rounded chunks slowly singed black from where they come into contact with the grill. He's hit by the pleasant smell of cooked chicken, well-seasoned and close to being finished. There are other things of note grilling on the expanse of metal, too: peach halves, chunks of pineapple, portobello mushrooms, and, most notedly, tomato halves that he immediately clocks to be that of the heirloom variety, after a bewildered blink.

He steals a covert glance at Sakura, and she grins knowingly, endearingly making eye contact before angling her face slightly away from him and bringing her hand up under the guise of scratching her neck, hiding her mouth as if she's trying to contain a laugh.

He has to admit that the food looks pretty good as he takes in a greater extent of his surroundings. There's a table set up a foot and a half away from the blaze that's laden with plates, eating utensils, and several varieties of spices and herbs, as well as a salt shaker and a tiny dish of lemon slices. Four chairs are set up surrounding the fire, though they are a few feet away so the flames won't lick too close. Branches laden with leaves gently creak in the wind.

"Hello," Hinata greets softly as they come upon the main area. She briefly makes eye contact with Sakura, then Sasuke.

Sasuke himself nods, coming to a stop behind Sakura as she returns the greeting. "Hey, Hinata. Thank you for having us. It smells really good."

"Well, duh it smells good! Hinata-chan is the best cook alive!" Naruto announces enthusiastically as he proceeds to the spare table and begins to somewhat clumsily group plates and cutlery.

"I don't know about that," Hinata comments, voice still hushed and cheeks faintly pink as her gaze follows her husband. "But thank you, Naruto-kun." She begins to shift portions onto a plate Naruto is holding towards her, marked teamwork without words. After two kebabs are placed, she glances back to Sakura as if she's just remembered something. She adds, faintly, "Oh! And thank you for coming; we're happy to have you."

"Of course," Sakura responds as she takes a seat just east of the fire. Sasuke follows her lead, not wanting to hover around the cook too closely, and helps himself to the chair closest to hers. A cursory glance towards the garden in the back corner reveals that the sprouts have really shot up since the first time he was here. When he looks behind them towards the house, he sees that the bulbs appear to be sprouting, too, and there's a modest birdbath nestled in a wider portion of the bed, as well.

Hinata finishes plating what he assumes must be a plate for Sakura, filled with several skewers of jidori tsukune, a handful of lemon slices, a peach half dripping an ample amount of juice, several chunks of the pineapple, and one each of the mushrooms and tomato halves, grilled to a crisp and topped with a bit of the herbs and salt that lay on the table. Sure enough, Naruto brings Sakura her plate along with a pair of chopsticks. Sakura thanks him, carefully lowering the plate to rest in her lap. Hinata's prepared what must be Sasuke's plate before Naruto even makes it back to the table, which is a feat, as he's flitting around the area rather like a bee repeatedly flits about a garden, stoking the fire and slightly adjusting the spare chairs at reckless speed. There are no pineapple chunks or peach halves on the dinnerware meant for him, and extra tomatoes.

"...Thanks," Sasuke says quietly when his friend holds out the spread of food, settling it on his lap to mirror Sakura. The dobe just grins before returning to his wife with a skip in his step.

Sasuke is somehow both appreciative and a little unsettled by the fact that his teammates have obviously shared his food preferences with others. It feels foreign, to have someone outside of his team know information about him, even something that's rather irrelevant; it reminds him of the bewilderment he felt when Ino mentioned Choji and Shikamaru talking about their missions. It's kind of them, though, and he knows he should be grateful; he just dislikes the notion of being perceived in general, but he supposes Hinata is far from an outsider at this point.

It's still a bit difficult for him to believe Naruto is married. Their match seems to be well-founded, the more he sees them interact; they maneuver food onto their remaining plates with zero spoken communication necessary, topping things with herbs and salt in varying amounts as if it's a rehearsed routine.

He waits to eat, as does Sakura, until they all are seated with their food in their laps.

"Itadakimasu," Hinata intones tacitly, shortly echoed by an antipodal and thunderous, "ITADAKIMASU!" next to her, and they all proceed to taste the beginnings of the meal.

Sasuke chooses to try the main portion of the meal first, jidori tsukune dripping with juice and charred hot. The edges are almost caramelized, crisp but flavorful on the inside. It's very good; probably one of the superior recipes of this dish he's tried.

He glances over at Sakura as he chews and sees her placing a recently squeezed lemon slice to the side of her plate prior to picking up her own kebab. It seems Hinata is well aware of Sakura's food preferences, too; it settles him a little.

"As I said; you're the best cook ever, Hinata-chan!" Naruto declares jubilantly, sending a squirrel that had been inching away from one of the trees nearby scurrying back up the trunk. He's too busy stuffing his face as full as he can get it to say anything else; he's demolished an entire kebab already.

Hinata flushes as she chews her own much smaller bite, neatly sectioning off another chunk of the peach on her plate.

"It really is great, Hinata," Sakura offers animatedly. When Sasuke fixes his gaze back to her direction, he sees she's also demolished an entire kebab and is embarking swiftly on another mere seconds after delivering the compliment. She must have been hungry; seven thirty is much later than Sakura usually eats supper.

Sasuke glances back at Hinata, swallowing his own food prior to adding, "...It is," politely.

She smiles at them both from across the low flaring flames, looking content.

He finishes his first kebab before carefully acquiring a section of tomato, dripping juice and coated lightly in salt and herbs. Basil, he concludes as he chews, savoring the taste. He might like it better than the chicken. It's been a while since he had them grilled like this; if he cooks them, it's usually just in a frying pan.

"How was the hospital today, Sakura?" Hinata asks in a reticent voice from across the fire, pale eyes inquisitive as she raises another cut of peach to her mouth. Sasuke concludes that she may have a sweet tooth; she's only cut into the fruit thus far.

Sakura purses her lips. "Uneventful," she says after a moment's thought. "No major emergencies, thankfully. Shizune's been helping today and yesterday, so I didn't have to do the schedule, at least."

Sasuke blinks as he chews slowly. He wasn't aware that the woman was also helping at the hospital in addition to helping Kakashi. He briefly contemplates why Sakura had to bring work home if she has more assistance than usual, but chalks it up to the simple fact that she was away on a mission with them for the majority of the previous week.

"Yeah, she ripped Kakashi-sensei a new one this morning about the stuff he's been putting off for the Chunin Exams. Correspondence or something, how many numbers we're bringing." Naruto takes a catastrophically large bite, nearly inhaling all of the chicken on one stick at once.

"Oh, yeah, when is that? You're going, right?" Sakura questions. "I'll have to feed Shiruba again, since he takes his summons with him."

The dobe nods emphatically, finally swallowing the monstrous amount of food he's been chewing. "Third week of June is the first round. And yeah, I'm goin'. Oh, and good luck!" At this, Naruto frowns at Sakura, expression fearful. "She hates me!"

Sakura laughs, and to Sasuke's surprise, Hinata does, too, a high-pitched quiet sound.

"You just don't know how to pet a cat," Sakura asserts, grinning teasingly. "They're not like dogs; they don't like tummy rubs unless you know them well."

Sasuke is barely able to suppress a snort, recalling a prior conversation in which the dobe claimed a stray cat 'hated his guts'. Of course it does, if he went for its stomach promptly upon meeting it.

Idiot.

"Hey, I've been practicing!" Naruto insists, frowning. "And even still, Hanabi's tomcat hates me! And Shiruba scratched me good the last time I stopped by Kakashi-sensei's; I was just minding my business dropping stuff off until she clawed me from the top of that shelf by the door!"

It takes great effort on Sasuke's part not to snort, imagining a gray cat swatting his idiot teammate with claws outstretched from above.

"Senshi doesn't hate you," Hinata says softly, smiling affectionately at Naruto. "You just aren't the one feeding him every day, so he doesn't have any familiarity with you."

Sakura nods from Sasuke's right. "Yeah, that's the only reason Shiruba likes me; I give her food. Trust is something you have to earn when it comes to most cats, especially strays. Start feeding her or giving her a treat every time you go, and things will change."

"Kakashi-sama's cat was a stray, too?" Hinata inquires curiously, gaze switching to Sakura across the fire.

The smile fades from Sakura's face. "Yeah, she was. She… had kittens in one of the bushes outside his building." Her voice trails off towards the end of the sentence, as if something about this fact is-

Oh. Momentarily, Sasuke stops chewing.

Hinata is still regarding Sakura, concern etched into her face. Sasuke notes that Naruto has also stopped eating, a frown overtaking his expression.

"...They had septicemia," Sakura offers, pupils settling down into the blaze and mouth set in a hard line. "Their kidneys and livers had already failed. I… had to put them down."

It is so quintessentially their sensei that the knowledge feels bruising. Sasuke is additionally trying very pointedly to not think about all of the stray cats he himself shared his meager suppers with while away, and the fact that Kakashi can often see straight through him.

Sasuke shifts slightly, hoping to redirect his gaze to the skyline as distraction from this information, because the guilt that he carries around with him for what he put his team through needlessly is resurfacing in the pit his stomach has become. His gaze flickers across the fire in the process, and his focus catches.

Hinata looks as if she is about to cry, and Naruto's reaching an arm around her shoulder with an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face.

"I didn't know. That… was very kind of him," Hinata says sympathetically, eyes briefly downcast before forcing a smile in Naruto's direction as he rubs her shoulder tenderly; there's an apparent confidence and affinity there, the kind that comes with multiple years of practice.

In a single, absolutely blindsiding second, Sasuke can see why Naruto and Hinata are a sterling match. It's the egregious level of empathy, to the extent that she would be in near tears on behalf of a deceased litter of kittens she never met. She's exactly like his teammate, in that regard.

Sakura shifts to his right, drawing his attention back to her. He finds her smile pained; it implies she is plastering it on via sheer force of will alone.

"It was," she affirms in a hushed voice, exhaling subtly in a way that Sasuke would not have noticed had he not spent most of his free time with her the past two months; it's clear the memory pains her. "Kakashi-sensei spoils her, too. He has a catnip plant, and a cupboard with what I'm pretty sure is every cat treat available in Konoha. She's gained at least six or seven pounds, I think."

Hinata offers Sakura a watery smile prior to dabbing at her eyes daintily with one hand.

Sasuke forces himself to take another bite, looking away to the rich verdance of the yard. There's a long moment where they all simply chew.

"Well, anyways, how is Hanabi? I haven't seen her in a while," Sakura remarks, changing the subject. "She gets hurt a lot less than the other Chunin do."

A pause passes in which Sasuke returns his attention to the circle, where Hinata is blinking.

Then she beams.

"She's doing well." She turns to Naruto briefly for some reason, who returns her smile before she rotates back to Sakura. "She… has a lot of ideas. Good ones."

Sakura's shoulders relax a bit, transparently relieved that this topic of conversation seems to be heading in a more positive direction. "I'm glad to hear that. Will she be taking the Jonin Exams this fall?"

Sasuke's focus veers to Hinata curiously to hear her answer, briefly trying to place in his memories how many years of age separate her from her sister.

The dark haired woman nods as she chews. "Yes. My father…" She frowns slightly into the fire. "Well, he's supportive of her taking it, but… not for the right reasons."

Naruto's brows furrow, but he doesn't comment; just continues eating, albeit slightly less enthusiastically than before.

"Ah," Sakura acknowledges. "Well, I'm sure she'll do well." She wears the countenance she typically has when she's calculating through a problem in her head, then asks, "She'll still be fourteen by the time the exams roll around, right?"

Sasuke's brows rise at least half an inch. He'd have thought Hanabi was only two or so years younger than Hinata, but by that age, she is at least five years her junior, considering their generation's age brackets.

"Yes," Hinata responds, shoulders settling and expression brightening as if recalling something exceedingly entertaining. "I'm sure she'll do well. She… wants a Genin squad, by the sounds of it."

Sakura's reaction is an openly incredulous look, eyes widening and jaw falling slack for a moment as Naruto snickers.

"A Genin squad?" She questions following several low crackles of the fire, pink brows raised nearly to her hairline.

Naruto's snicker erupts into open laughter.

"I know, right, Sakura-chan?" He chuckles again. "She'll punish them worse than Kakashi-sensei did for us; run them 'til they puke!"

Hinata observes her husband fondly, an infectious smile rising to her expression as she chases a pineapple chunk around her plate with her chopsticks.

"I… Well. Yeah." Sakura seems as if she's trying not to laugh. "She'll have any Genin whipped into shape in no time at all." A genuine grin spreads across her face. "We'll have to go cheer her on."

Hinata's smile widens now.

"We will," she says softly.

"Duh, of course we will!" Naruto announces, turning to Sasuke. "And we'll drag teme along, too!"

Sasuke does his best to appear disinterested, but honestly it wouldn't be an abysmal way to spend an hour or two by any means. He likes watching other peoples' fighting styles, and Hanabi Hyuga really must be a prodigy to even be considered for promotion that young; for her to consider competing presumably means she's already been recommended by Kakashi to partake in the exams.

He tries not to focus on the thought of prodigies and siblings for too long, alternatively choosing to work on polishing off another section of the food on his plate.

He is surprised when there is a lull in the conversation that shifts focus to him, from the person he least expected.

"...What about you, Sasuke?" Hinata queries tentatively. "How are you?"

Sasuke supposes it's polite of the hostess to ask that of every guest, even if this dinner is informal, or perhaps she's just being considerate.

"...Fine." It's an understatement again, but he doesn't wish to talk about his feelings.

Hinata nods as if that answer satisfies her - she has more preference for manners than Ino, it seems - before she looks between both him and Sakura.

"My husband said your last mission was tiring… And muddy?" she remarks, raising a kebab to her mouth.

Naruto barely bites back a snort of laughter, and Sasuke, unamused, internally prepares to shoot him his harshest glare from across the blaze, but to his teammate's credit, he doesn't take it further than that. Suspicions confirmed; Hinata's presence does keep him in line.

"It was," Sakura finally says - she must have realized he was going to let her answer that one - as she frowns at Naruto and any hint of laughter on his face dies. "I hadn't been on a mission in a while, though. It was nice to get out of the village as a team again, though I wish it had been under better circumstances."

"I suppose that's always the case with missions," Hinata responds softly after several more euphonious crackles resound in the flames.

At this, Sakura smiles. "I suppose it is."

It doesn't take much longer for each of them to finish what remains of their suppers as Sakura chats with Hinata about a few other things: a little girl named Mirai that Hinata must know who was brought in recently for a check up, other summer grill recipes, and a compliment on their growing garden and flowers.

The mushrooms are pretty good, too, Sasuke concludes as he chews.

Naruto, predictably, is the first one with an empty plate.

"Y'know, we can have some drinks after this, too!" The dobe divulges from across the fire, rising to his feet and grinning. "Hinata-chan and I have been drinking this blackberry thing."

Pale eyes flicker to Naruto.

"Blackcurrant liqueur," Hinata gently corrects, seeming amused before she returns to carefully nibbling the last kebab on her plate.

Sasuke inwardly reflects that it must be possible to turn any food into alcohol as he sees Sakura blink in his periphery.

"I didn't know that existed," Sakura says once she's swallowed, echoing his thought a bit. "But it sounds like it would be good. Rich, maybe?"

Hinata nods. "It is. A relative gave us a bottle as a wedding gift last year. It's good on its own, but… I like it mixed with punch."

"A wedding gift?" Sakura's brows furrow. "It's for you two. I couldn't…"

The dark-haired woman shakes her head, looking from Sakura, to Sasuke, and then back to Sakura.

"I insist. We're friends." A smile that's wide and genuine overtakes her features. "Also, I don't think we can finish it on our own. We've been working on it for weeks." She swivels to her husband. "Naruto-kun, could you grab it from the fridge? And some glasses, since you're finished?"

The dobe dips his chin emphatically a few times, though Sasuke catches a flash of something in his expression that seems rather… sneaky. He eyes the dobe warily as he disappears into the house, chuckling to himself. This is another ploy to get him to drink, he concludes.

The last time wasn't so terrible, though. He watches Sakura out of the corner of his eye and thinks that perhaps a small amount wouldn't hurt, though he's not sure if it will be sweet or not.

She glances his direction once also, reading his expression prior to turning back to Hinata.

"Is it sweet?"

Hinata blinks, gaze flickering briefly to Sasuke before she smiles.

"No. Not too sweet. It's tart, actually. Though…" Her eyes flicker to Sasuke again. "We have some other things, too, if you don't like it. We have sake, and… shochu… I'm sure we could find something." She blinks again as if something has just occurred to her, then adds, quietly, "Or… You don't have to have any, if you'd rather not. I know Naruto-kun can be… pushy, but he means well."

There is a protracted moment of wood crackling.

"...I'll try it." He doesn't wish to be a difficult guest, and it is extra calories, even if he only has a little.

Hinata nods, seeming satisfied with that answer. Sakura's lips are curving upward when he regards her again.

The dobe comes barreling back out of the house, nearly tripping over the step with what appears to be a traditional ceramic sake glass set in his hands, and a rather expensive-looking one at that; shiny raku crackle barely catches the scant light left as the sun is sinking further into the horizon.

"Whoops! That was almost a close one," his teammate says, making his way to the table with the set as Hinata begins to rise from her chair. She must be used to him nearly breaking things; she barely reacts to the near slip.

Sakura stands up from her chair, too, likely with the intention to pour for their hosts out of politeness. Sasuke follows her example, trailing behind her.

The dobe's filled the decanter nearly to the top, he sees, eyebrow twitching as he hovers at the edge of the general vicinity of everyone else. It seems as if it's more alcohol than is needed for four people, especially if Sasuke's only going to have a little. His focus hones in on the cups now that he's closer, noting that two of them have a fair amount of what appears to be some sort of punch poured into them already; he assumes those must be for Sakura and Hinata. Naruto is probably pretty familiar with Sakura's drink preferences in addition to food, too, he gathers.

The other two cups are empty as of yet, and their interiors bear shiny gold luster, catching the last sliver of light left on the horizon.

Sasuke is reminded eerily of a teacup far away from Konoha, though these are very clearly sake cups without handles or sencha.

Naruto is raising his glass to take a swig barely a half second after Sakura's finished filling it; somehow he manages to not spill, though his mouth is now tinged slightly purplish from the darkness of the liqueur. Hinata smiles at him exceptionally fondly, both hands around her own glass that Sakura is now pouring. Hinata holds it, after, but doesn't yet sip from it. It's proof of a traditional upbringing where manners were held as important, Sasuke deems, though she must not be terribly bothered by them if Naruto's not strictly following the rules.

Sakura's eyes flick to him as he closes his lone hand around the remaining empty cup. There's a playfulness there, and her lips are upturned, and Sasuke supposes this whole evening was worth it after all. She pours him a slight amount prior to returning the vessel to its previous position on the tray. Hinata then lifts it one-handed to pour Sakura's glass.

It's been years since Sasuke has been in a situation at someone's home that called for table manners. Though this isn't a formal occasion, old habits die hard for those raised in traditional institutions such as the Uchihas or Hyugas. He was too young to drink any alcohol at any formal dinners he attended as a small child, but he remembers that it's considered polite to wait until everyone is served, and also that in formal settings you never pour your own drink. It's not as if Naruto ever had anyone there to teach him that, though his table manners are still remarkably improved compared to when they were kids; he's taken a few additional swigs now, but he hasn't spilled it.

Briefly Sasuke wonders if that has played into the enmity he's gathered there is in regards to Naruto and Hiashi Hyuga - it's possible he was invited to dinner and left a poor impression initially in regards to table manners - but Sasuke quickly extinguishes that thought as it's not any of his business.

Sakura raises her glass the highest - she is the oldest, though not by much - and the three of them murmur, "Kanpai!" in unison as Sasuke raises his own glass just the tiniest increment.

They all seem to take a generous swig while Sasuke merely sips, watching a firefly flash by Sakura's temple.

As it settles on his tongue, it becomes apparent to him that blackcurrant liqueur has an interesting taste. It almost suggests vanilla, as well as an aftertaste that vaguely calls to mind black orchids for some reason. It's definitely fairly rich, though it's not entirely sweet; just a hint of it, and offset by tartness simultaneously.

The amount Sakura's poured in his cup is plausibly plenty for him, he deduces, but she peers at him questioningly as if trying to determine from his expression if he actually likes it or not.

"Oh," Hinata intones faintly in awe, interrupting his musings. "The fireflies are out."

"Hey, they are!" The dobe's voice echoes, much quieter than his usual tenor. Though Sasuke has already clocked the fireflies' arrival, he twists his head along with Sakura anyway, following her gazing towards Naruto and Hinata, and beyond them, to the garden and the tree line where tiny specks of pale yellow are intermittently flashing glow.

Though Hinata's face is angled in the direction of the garden, Sasuke notes that the dobe is regarding his wife with a lovesick expression.

Sakura is still scanning the yard in conjunction with Hinata, breeze wisping pink hair by her cheeks, when Sasuke silently places his cup back in front of her.

She doesn't look away just yet, immersed in the pastiche of early summer, so he takes the opportunity to study her profile, the way her forehead eases into her nose, the full curve of her mouth and the way that her lips are parted a little in delectation.

Her nose is… cute, he realizes as he stares audaciously, small and dainty and slightly upturned at the end. It's not a word he uses often, but it's the main word that comes to mind to describe it after careful analysis.

When she does turn back, her focus falls to the cup as if it's an anomaly before her lips are tugging wider and her eyes are rising to meet his.

"Say when," she murmurs softly, cheeks darkening a little as he continues to study her. She's pretty in the yard, green encompassing everything around her.

"When," he says, voice husky, when the glass is slightly over half full. "...Thank you."

The crackling of the firewood and the way the embers are licking into the now indigo air is considerably pleasant, once they're seated again. Fireflies continue to filter in and out of the yard, rising beyond the confines of the fence and beyond into the all-consuming pitch.

Naruto is still looking at Hinata fondly, paying no mind to the glowing insects at all. It's pure, in a sweet sort of way. Sasuke is resoundingly happy for him.

As they watch them flicker, amber glow similar to the embers that are disintegrating into the air, Sasuke finds himself contemplating gardens anew, overcome with the thought that nothing grows without help in some respect. Perhaps they'll be invited over again sometime later in the summer; it would be nice to see their garden progress.

He also wonders, briefly, if Sakura would like a house someday, with flowers and a garden lining the yard, ripe with pale daffodils and the hum of tinder, fire, and smoke to enkindle their evenings.

For now, he internally reprimands as he lifts the cup for another sip, wrestling that thought back into constraints before he gets ahead of himself.

---

Her apartment complex is tranquil when they come upon it, all lights shut off in the late hour and wind floating through the eaves. They stayed later than expected, though the movie excuse did prove useful when the time came; their teammate, somewhat inebriated after making it his personal mission to finish the rest of the alcohol in the decanter when no one needed more, kept insisting that they stay longer.

Sakura flips on the lamp in the entryway after he closes the door behind them with a resounding click. It echoes in the silence of the space; it's so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

"Do you actually want to watch a movie, or should we do something else?" She questions softly, casting a cursory glance back in his direction as she drifts into the living room area.

Sasuke nods absentmindedly, though it's perhaps dishonest of him to do so, as he actually would prefer to do something else, an immensely specific something else, but he's not quite sure he knows how to articulate it or what the best course of action would be. He switches the entryway light off prior to moving past the threshold, feeling as he does so like something paramount is tugging at his heart again, tender and resolutely compelling.

"...You pick."

He lingers somewhat at the edge of the space, observing her breezing by the living room lamp without turning it on. She selects one they've already watched together once before, A Tale of Archery. The pair of actions are enough to have him contemplating, mind marginally loosened from the meager amount of alcohol sifting through his blood currently. He's not anywhere near drunk - he's not comfortable with that yet - but he did finish his glass, so he's just slightly, slightly inebriated, maybe a tiny bit more than the gin that one time. It's not a bad feeling by any means; rather, it's comfortable, as if his insides have liquified into placid warmth.

It barely takes the span of a few seconds for her to flip the player to the on setting and take her seat. It's several increments towards the center, slightly away from her side, moreso than the day previous. Her stack of work items lies untouched on the bookshelf.

Sasuke tries to banish his overanalysis of the situation - not everything needs to be approached as if it's a battle - and pointedly takes a seat close to her, his left thigh mere inches from her right.

The look Sakura gifts him is tremendously dear to his heart. Pleased, a flush inking her cheeks in washed out lighting and jade eyes shining lambent with affection. There's a sort of wonder in her expression, like she can't believe he would willingly sit so close.

His lips are on hers and her hand is sifting through his hair, deliberate and unhurried, before the exposition is even over.

In this moment, she tastes like flame, absuming, and appetence, ripe with berry.

---

AN: What is Art For? is an Easter egg, and a gem of a real book by Ellen Dissanayake. If you are interested in art and human evolution at all, I would highly recommend it. :)

Gonna be real honest and say that I'm not doing the best mentally right now given all that's going on in the U.S. I'm going to try my best to put out at least a chapter a month for the remainder of the year, but it's been rough as my mind is everywhere right now; my husband and I are contemplating a cross country move (25 hour drive from where we live currently) next June to a state that's not ass backwards. While it is something we had always planned to do someday anyway, the timeline being moved up this significantly has me uh… quite stressed, to say the least.

In general I am rather over living through major historical events, but I am also aware I'm preaching to the choir here, so… just stay safe out there, besties, and be kind.

[AND know that I'm still working on this story.]

Let me know your thoughts as always!❤️