The First Date

"In the car, I just can't wait

To pick you up on our very first date

Is it cool if I hold your hand?

Is it wrong if I think it's lame to dance?

Do you like my stupid hair?

Would you guess that I didn't know what to wear?

I'm just scared of what you'll think

You make me nervous so I really can't eat"

-Blink 182: First Date

The reflection of himself scowled back as Sasuke glared at his spiky hair sticking out every which way on his head. Snatching up a comb, he ran in through his thick locks in an attempt to tame them. However, with every pass of the combs teeth, his unmanageable locks sprang straight back up. Sasuke growled and threw the comb into the sink.

Grabbing at the edges of the sink, he leaned forward and went back to glaring critically at his reflection. From the corner of his eye, he caught something in the background and his dark eyes zeroed in on it. It was a bottle sitting on the shelf behind him and the moment he spotted it, he turned around to look at the real thing. Crossing to the other side of the bathroom he reached up and took it down and read the label.

Shinobi Stylez: For that killer look that's all the rage.

Sasuke examined the bottle contemplatively, chewing at the inside of his cheek. He was pretty certain his mother bought this for him years ago and Sasuke and never bothered to use it. He had never cared or minded what his hair looked like.

He looked back up to the mirror across the room, his dark eyes meeting his reflections as his mind churned. Looking back down at the bottle, he flipped it over to read the directions. Slowly his feet began to take him back over to the sink. He looked back up at his reflection, taking in the spiked hair that went every which way.

He shrugged at himself. Well it couldn't get any worse than it already was, he thought to himself, unscrewing the cap and squirting a generous portion in his hand.

.

.

.

It did get worse. In fact it got a lot worse. Very much so.

"Easy as one, two, sleek," Sasuke muttered darkly as he hung his head under the tap of water, rinsing out and dampening the disaster of a look. "As stealthily natural as the ninja within," he mocked sarcastically as he towel dried his hair.

He stopped rubbing at his hair when it only had a slight dampness to it and lowered the towel from his head to look at it. It looked how it always did and Sasuke let out a heavy sigh. He supposed it would have to do. What had possessed him to think he could somehow miraculously tame his hair after struggling to do it for sixteen years was beyond him. There was just a certain jitteriness that he had woken up with this morning that made him suddenly second guess everything about himself.

If he did not know and better he would have thought he was being insecure. "Tch," he scoffed, shaking his head and trying to rid himself of the feeling. He was Sasuke freaking Uchiha! And Sasuke freaking Uchiha was NOT insecure.

He was the most popular senior boy in the entire school. The entire fellow student body either wanted to date him or be him, What did he have to be insecure about? He had secured a date with Sakura Haruno. Who else had a date with Sakura Haruno? And that hit him. He was about to go on a date with Sakura freaking Haruno! Of course he should be insecure. Sasuke Uchiha was nothing compared to her!

He ran a nervous hand through his hair and cursed as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He needed to change his shirt. He had already changed it three times but this one just wasn't right either. It was too simple and perhaps it was the lighting in the bathroom, but the black contrasted too much. It made him look pale. Too pale as if he were sickly. Pacing towards his closet, he started to unbutton his shirt as he slid the door open and began to frantically riffle through hangers and hangers of greys, black, all monochrome colors.

Did he not have anything with some color!? This was a date not a funeral for the gods sake!

He let out a growl when nothing seemed to be suitable and he kicked at the already rejected and discarded shirts as he threw his hands into the air. He was hot and irritated and he began to fan his shirt in an effort to cool off as he felt his skin become damp as his heated body began to sweat from a combination of nerves and frustration.

Great, he thought. Now he was going to be sweaty and smell like Naruto's room after the dobe forgot a half eaten ramen container under his bed for a month.

He looked at his watch and his stomach did a somersault. He had an hour before he was supposed to pick her up for their first official date. That was not enough time for him to shower...again!

He already had deodorant on but he spotted a small glass bottle sitting on his dresser and immediately went over to it. Picking up the cologne, he sprayed himself, went to set it down then sprayed himself for a second time before sniffing at himself then grabbing for the other bottle of cologne on his dresser.

From the door, a tall figure watched as his teenage younger brother fretted about his room. So torn up and a bundle of nerves, he had not even realized Itachi's presence as he watched him. When Sasuke had made a critical error in spraying himself more than enough times with his cologne and was about to spray himself a fifth time, Itachi knew he had to interfere.

"One more of that and she will smell you before you have even reached her street," he said, causing Sasuke to jump and accidentally press the spray an extra time.

It took everything within Itachi not to cover his eyes and shake his head. Instead, he pushed off from the door frame and walked across Sasuke's bedroom to where he stood. Itachi gently confiscated the bottle, before his foolish little brother dumped it all on himself.

"Nervous," Itachi asked quietly as he set the bottle on the dresser far out of Sasuke's reach.

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed. "Of course not."

Despite the show of confidence that Sasuke feigned, Itachi could see right through the mask his brother often wore. On the outside Sasuke always exuded calm and composed...at least around most people who didn't know how to push his buttons. People like Shisui and Naruto who knew exactly what would make Sasuke fly off the handle. Itachi was more than aware of these buttons as well, but in this moment, like many, he chose not to torture his brother more than Sasuke was already internally torturing himself.

Itachi was actually even surprised that Sasuke had even disclosed the events of tonight. Two days ago Sasuke had stoically called him on the phone when he was still back on campus and informed him that he had a date with Sakura Haruno. It took everything within him to not laugh in the way Sasuke had so formally announced her full name. As if Itachi would suspect he had a date with some other girl named Sakura...or any girl with any name for that matter.

"Of course not, it's just Sakura...right?" Itachi casually said, sneaking a glance at Sasuke who nodded automatically but Itachi could see that phrase did not sit right with his little ototo. Sakura was never just Sakura, at least not to Sasuke. Or any Uchiha for that matter.

The moment of ease quickly passed as a certain, uncertain tension came to Sasuke's face. Itachi let out a brotherly sign and grabbed the tie that Sasuke had tangled around his next like a noose.

"Take off the shirt," Itachi said with a tone that only an elder brother could have as he moved past his little brother towards the closet.

Sasuke obeyed after a short delay, reaching up to undo the buttons. As Sasuke stripped himself of the cologne drenched shirt, Itachi dug around for a moment before pulling out a crisp white button up shirt. After examining it for wrinkles and stains, he tossed it towards Sasuke who caught it.

"Put that on," Itachi instructed before going back to the closest to pull out a light grey sweater. "Layer it with this," he said, not even looking back as he tossed it to Sasuke, who caught it at the last moment as Itachi began looking through Sasuke's shoes. After careful survey, he pulled out some plain black vans.

Itachi dropped the shoes down by Sasuke's feet, who immediately began putting them on without instruction to do so. When he stood up, Itachi was undoing the clasps of his watch and Sasuke stood quietly watching his brother.

"Arm," Itachi instructed calmly as he slipped the watch off his wrist and onto Sasuke as his brother obediently and quietly stood still, absorbing Itachi's calm aura as his brother adjusted and clasped the watch to fit him. "Every man should have a good watch," Itachi commented. "He should not be pulling out his phone whenever he needs the time. Your date won't know the purpose of the action and will think you are more interested in your phone and will feel neglected."

Sasuke silently nodded as Itachi released his wrist and he took a moment to look at the watch. Itachi had gotten it when he was the same age as Sasuke now. It had been a gift from their parents when Itachi had graduated from high school early. Sasuke was confident this was the first time he had ever seen his brother not wearing it since the day it had been gifted to him.

As Sasuke admired the craftsmanship of the Rolex, Itachi reached out and began messing with Sasuke's collar. Pulling it out from under the sweater and straightening it. Then he moved down to the sleeves and rolled them up a couple of times. Once finished, he took a step back and gave a satisfied nod.

Sasuke looked at himself in the mirror and found himself for the first time that day, okay with what he saw. It wasn't anything he would normally dress himself with. But it gave him a fresh look that was still casual but certainly not at the level he would just hangout with friends. Before he had been trying too hard but now he felt like himself. And the watch that shined around his wrist gave him a sophisticated look.

"You should probably get going," Itachi said, grabbing at his wrist to look at the time. "You don't want to be late. But take your time walking over. You don't want to get there too early and rush her. Nor do you want to come off as having rushed over because you were running late."

Sasuke nodded then swallowed, making no move to go. It was then that Itachi's expression cracked and he gave his brother a half smirk of amusement.

"It's going to be fine. Make sure you are respectful and walk her all the way home, no splitting ways at the bus stop or dropping her off at the end of the street. You walk her to the door," Itachi said more seriously, to which Sasuke nodded. Itachi gave his own satisfied nod. "You have enough money."

Sasuke nodded as he patted his pockets and for a moment his eyes went wide as he began patting around his body, including places where he did not even have pockets. He was certain he was about to throw up before he glanced at his desk and spotted his wallet. Quickly he snatched it up and put it in his pocket.

Itachi's mouth twitched in amusement. "Alright, get going."

Sasuke nodded and made his way to his door. But before entering the hall, he paused at the threshold. "Itachi?" he said, causing Itachi to pause in his tidying of Sasuke's earlier wardrobe mess. "Thanks," Sasuke said plainly.

"Hn," Itachi hummed with a nod, watching his younger brother scamper off before he allowed an amused smile to show on his face.

A few minutes later he was interrupted when someone gallantly walked into the room without a care of the strict prohibition of trespassing that had been instituted since Sasuke was old enough to say no.

"Where is Sasuke going looking like a suave dapper Dan?" Shisui said, coming to a halt in the middle of the room as he sniffed the air. "And why does it smell like ten thousand yens worth of cologne in here?" His attention instantly shot to Itachi. "Is Sasuke going on a date?" he blurted.

Itachi cursed his cousin's knack for detective work as he ignored Shisui's question and went back to putting Sasuke's clothes away. He picked up the shirt Sasuke had been wearing before he intervened and shook it out. Immediately he cringed from the overpowering musky scent on it and deposited it into the laundry before taking up the basket and moving to exit the room, ignoring his cousin completely as he walked by.

Shisui gave him a slitted look of suspicion before following him out into the hall. "Itachiiiiiii," he drawled out as he pursued his younger cousin who went about domestically collecting laundry. "I know you won't lie so your silence tells me everything…" Shisui trailed off, waiting for his cousin to respond. When Itachi did not reply, Shisui quickly ran ahead and slammed his hand across the doorway Itachi was headed for, barring him from the laundry room. "Come on 'tachi, spill the beans! Where is he going?"

Itachi gave him an irritated look. "Leave him alone," Itachi said. "Just give them tonight and one of them will tell you."

"Ah-ha!" Shisui shouted, shoving a finger into Itachi's face. "So it is a date! And Sasuke does not…" Shisui drifted off as his mind began to process exactly what Itachi had said. "Wait a minute...Sasuke is on a date...you said one of them will…" His eyes widened into saucers and then took in a gasped breath as he connected everything. "You mean that little pigeon head actually asked her on a date!?"

Itachi knew that there was a high chance that if he did not divulge, Shisui being Shisui, would go straight to the source. And Itachi knew he would not wait for the source to return home, he would search for them. So he took a risk.

"Ah," he confirmed.

Shisui let out the smallest of squeaks, his hands going up to his cheeks as his features formed an unnatural look of excitement displayed by Uchiha features. Then he paused as a seriousness came over him.

"Wait...wait," Shisui reigned back, holding out a hand and suddenly Itachi felt like he was under interrogation by the look his cousin was giving him. "Did Sasuke actually ask Sakura on a date?"

"Yes."

"And she agreed. She was fully aware of what she was consenting to?

Itachi gave his cousin a quizzical look. "Yes."

"As in Sakura actually likes him?"

Itachi gave him a dead panned look. "If you didn't know how they both felt since they were twelve years old, then I worry for our judicial system."

"Hey! Don't go questioning my occupational methods," Shisui defended. He jammed his thumb into his own chest. "I am just trying to make sure we aren't dealing with a Stockholm syndrome case."

Itachi rolled his eyes and Shisui narrowed his.

"Hey, it is a perfectly valid theory considering the grouchy little bastard kidnapped her the first time they ever met!"

Itachi titled his head in consideration, Shisui had a point. However, "Shisui, I promise you, Sakura is of sound mind and of her own free will she has accepted to go on a date with Sasuke."

Shisui was quiet for a moment as he seemed to lag. Then suddenly he took in a deep gasp and Itachi cringed as his cousin let out a high pitched squeal. The moment he finished, he was scampering down the hallway exclaiming his disbelief as he shouted for his Auntie Mikoto and proclaiming he had wonderful news.

Itachi let out a heavy sigh. He had tried. Perhaps he could do better but at the same time, they all knew it was inevitable. He just hoped that his family was dignified enough to at least leave the poor couple alone tonight to enjoy each other before word burned through the grapevine like a forest fire. Because once word got fully out that Sasuke and Sakura had finally begun dating, he was positive neither of them would have a moment's rest. As clan leader, Madara will be breathing down Sasuke's neck and Itachi was positive Mikoto already had three volumes of wedding notebooks and multiple dresses put on hold for Sakura. Again Itachi shook his head at his family's antics but in full disclosure, he understood. Because deep down inside, he too shared an obsession with bringing Sakura into the family one way or another.

With his hereditary fuchsia hair, never ending collection of dad jokes, and the boisterous laugh that always followed his own jokes, Kizashi Haruno was by no means a man of intimidation. At least that is what Sasuke had always thought since he had met the man when he was five years old and hardly four feet tall.

Now, over a decade later and at nearly six feet tall, in this moment, Sasuke felt like he was four feet again as Kizashi stood in the doorway. The older man was looking at him through narrowed eyes as an ominous aura seeped from him that made his family look like softies.

For some reason, as Sasuke had walked up the pathway to her house and knocked on the door, Sasuke had envisioned things to run very similarly to when he had picked her up for the dance. He would knock, she would answer the door looking like a fresh spring nymph, his heart would skip a beat, he would compose himself, and then they would make their way down the steps. He had thought it through and planned for exactly that, rehearsed it in his head a thousand times on his walk to her house.

Which was exactly why when Kizashi answered the door, and not Sakura, he was thrown off.

"Is S-sakura here?" Did he just stutter?

Kizashi crossed his arms across his-what Sasuke was realising for the first time- large and muscular chest.

"So you're taking my daughter on a date?" Kizashi inquired.

Sasuke nodded and gave out a signature 'hn'. And while that kind of behavior had been tolerated and accepted over the years, tonight was different. Sasuke wasn't just a friend coming to hang out, he was a suiter. And no matter how well Kizashi knew the Uchiha's and accepted their odd behaviors, this response did not sit well with him at the moment.

"What was that?" the fuschia haired man said, his tone dripping in a warning.

"Yes!" Sasuke quickly found himself vocalizing. When Kizashi raised a brow, Sasuke found himself adding a respectful 'sir' afterwards.

Kizashi's eyes ran up and down Sasuke, giving him an inspection as if this was the first time they had ever met. Under his gaze Sasuke quickly straightened up, doing his best to not be obvious as he wiped his clammy palms on his jeans.

"And where will you be taking her?"

"The movies?"

"Is that a question or a statement?"

Sasuke swallowed, unsure of how he felt about this new version of Kizashi. "We are going to the movies, sir."

"Which one?"

"Road to Ninja."

"What time does it start?"

"7:00."

"And when will you have her back?"

"11:00."

There was a heavy long pause as Kizashi pulled out his phone and tapped at it for a few seconds. Sasuke, unsure of what to do just silently stood and watched as Kizashi typed, selected, then paused. He seemed to read the screen for a moment then looked back up at Sasuke.

"That movie is only an hour and forty-nine minutes. Which means the movie should be over by nine at the latest with previews. The bus runs every fifteen minutes and the route only takes thirty minutes," Kizashi calculated out loud. "If you get done with the movie at 9:00, you should be able to catch the bus by 9:15 and be back at the corner of the street by 9:45. Walking briskly you could be at the doorstep in five minutes flat." Kizashi took a towering step forward and looked down at Sasuke with a dark menace. "So what exactly do you intend to do to my blossom in that extra hour一"

"DAD!" Came a horrified screech from behind. "What are you doing? I told you I was on my way down when the bell rang."

Kizashi turned around to reveal a shocked and embarrassed looking Sakura.

"What?" Kizashi asked innocently. "Just having a nice chat with your date." Kizashi's large hand came to rest on Sasuke's shoulder, his fingers digging in tightly as he looked at him. "Right Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded mutely.

"And you will have her home by...what time was it again?"

"9:50."

Kizashi gave a nod. "No later than 10:00," he said, tightening his grasp on Sasuke's shoulder. He then looked to Sakura. "Sakura, did you remember to pack that spray? And do you have that whistle that I一"

"OH MY GOSH DAD!" Sakura exclaimed, pushing past him and shoving Sasuke down the stairs in a hurry. "Please just go inside!"

She rushed them down the cobblestone path that led them to the street and did not stop or stall until they were at the end of the street just in time to board the bus, the doors closing shut right behind her as she pushed Sasuke forward. Sasuke glanced back at the last moment to see Kizashi standing at the gate of their house with his arms crossed. When he noticed Sasuke look back, the older man gestured with his fingers that he was watching the Uchiha.

By the time he recovered from his encounter with a whole new Kizashi, they were half way down the road before Sasuke was able to take a moment to actually take Sakura in. They stood in the back, Sakura clutching to the metal pole that ran from floor to ceiling as she stared out the window, her eyes watching the transition of suburban housing turn to city businesses. Sasuke stood next to her as he held onto the rail above them, his chest occasionally bumping into her shoulder when the bus stopped or sped up with the flow of traffic.

His dark eyes ran over her. A loose knitted sweater kept her warm, the red color of the thread's pairing with the charcoal scarf that wrapped around her elegant neck. A black skirt hung from her hips as a pair of black tights kept her legs warm with the pair of boots that were laced up around her ankles. At first glance she seemed calm and at ease, but her knees bent and straightened repeatedly as she stood restlessly while her knuckles protruded out as she grasped tightly to the metal bar she held onto.

There was something calming about the knowledge of not being the only one nervous that gave Sasuke the confidence to chance a glance at her face. Her hair and makeup were done in her usual style which made him feel a bit braver with the familiarity.

"You look nice."

His words caused her to finally break her focus on the moving cars outside of the bus as she looked at him. First startled by the sudden break in silence then nervously as her face turned crimson and she tucked in her chin, biting at her bottom lip. The action had Sasuke's body doing funny things but those feelings were neglected when she gave a response.

"Thanks," she said, glancing at him. "You too."

He held her gaze for a moment as he tried to form a response or some other words. When he didn't, Sakura's mouth opened but was cut off when the bus driver slammed on the brakes and had Sakura jolting forward. Sasuke managed to catch her in his arms at the last moment as her face pressed into his chest. When the bus began to accelerate, Sasuke's footing faltered again and he grasped onto her tightly with his free arm as he braced himself on the railing above them.

After a moment, Sakura pulled away from him slightly, her green eyes looking up at him as her cheeks took on the same hue as her sweater. Automatically he raised his hand and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear which had her biting at her lip again which in turn had his stomach fluttering. Simultaneously they each nervously separated themselves, Sasuke helping her regain her grasp and balance as he focused on the passenger notice overhead as he tried to ignore the thundering beating within his chest.

It was all a blur as to what entailed the rest of the bus ride, their disembarking of the bus, standing in line for tickets, the concession stand, and sitting through the reel of cheesy reminders to silence cell phones. He could have sworn he just blinked and next thing he knew, he was sitting in a dark theater with a tub of neglected popcorn in his lap and Sakura holding a soda sitting so close yet so far away from him.

He was sitting straight backed with his arms to his side as his knee bounced rapidly, the heel of his shoe tapping against the sticky ground of their aisle. The palm of his hand rested on his thigh as he kept his elbows in tightly so as to create space between himself and the arm rest separating himself with Sakura, unsure if it would be rude if he used it or if he would come off too strongly. All of this despite the fact that he went to the movies all the time with her and had never once thought about such considerations.

He had hardly paid any attention to the action packed movie playing before him and when his mind became conscious of the space between himself, his eyes darted down from the screen to the section of space between their chairs. It was then that his heart skipped a beat when he noticed Sakura's hand was resting on the seat cushion when the glow of the screen brightened as the scene displayed an explosion which he hardly reacted to.

From the corner of his eye, Sasuke glanced as Sakura, who seemed deeply absorbed into the battle scene playing out before them. His eyes darted back down to her hand and the words of his everly annoying cousin echoed in his mind.

"It's all about being smooth in your moves," Shisui had once told him back when his cousin first started bragging about his lady skills. "Nothing is more attractive when a guy takes initiative and just takes a girl's hand like it's no big deal. It secures a feeling of safety while creating a connection. Chicks dig that shit."

Sasuke was not exactly sure how sound Shisui's advice was but with the vast amount of dates Shisui always had, his cousin had to be doing something right...right?

Sasuke swallowed and stared down at the small space of the seat cushion between them. Regardless of Shisui's advice and proclamation, Sasuke himself wanted to feel that. He wanted to feel a connection wanted to separate tonight from all the hundreds of times they had gone to a movie together. While he had first thought a movie would be good because he would not have to speak, he was finding a flaw. There was no connection or bond that was being formed between them. If anything it was no different than as if Naruto was here.

Licking nervously at his dry lips, Sasuke shifted in his seat. He did his best not to draw attention but also make it seem natural. Bending over, he set the half eaten bucket of popcorn down on the ground then sat back up, dragging his hand across his jeans to rid them of the clammy feeling of his palms before settling his hand down on the cushion next to himself. As he settled he glanced once to Sakura who had glanced at him, gave him a quick smile, then looked at the screen as she too slightly shifted.

She settled down, Sasuke noticed that her hand had slightly moved, just a little closer and was now just a few inches from his own. Ignoring his dry mouth, Sasuke subtly moved his fingers. With his face tilted towards the screen but his eyes focused on his peripheral vision, his fingers crept towards her's.

His breath hitched when his pinky finger grazed hers and he froze when Sakura startled at the contact. She shifted and Sasuke found himself focusing on the screen, not daring to move and certainly not willing to look her way.

Was he moving too quickly? He was tempted to instantly pull out his phone and google at which date it was okay to hold hands, but then that would fall under Itachi's violation of looking at his phone. And it would not exactly be subtle is such a darkened theater.

Just before Sasuke began to wish that the seat would just swallow him after the rejection, there was a bright flash on the screen and he glanced down at his hand. And there he saw Sakura's just an inch away from him, laying at the side of her thigh, palm up and so looking inviting.

Then it hit him. It was not exactly the most comfortable or natural way for a hand to rest and a thought came to him. Was she wanting him to hold her hand?

Sasuke peeked at Sakura just in time to catch her eyes dart down to their ever so slightly distanced hands then he saw her fingers twitch. Looking back towards the screen, Sasuke began to slide his hand across the seat cushion, millimeter by millimeter, until the tips of his fingers grazed against her smooth skin. He froze the moment he made contact and waited with baited breath for her to move. But she didn't. In fact he could have sworn her hand slightly moved closer, her fingers opening up more.

He swallowed, knowing it was now or never. He could not pull away now. Nor could he wait too long and risk her eventually giving up for him to make a move. So he did. Reaching out he moved his hand over hers, his fingers threading through hers lightly before securing more tightly upon feeling her own fingers respond to his grasp in likeness.

He did not dare look at her when her head turned and he felt her gaze fall onto him. Instead he leaned on the armrest, his free hand covering his mouth as he focused on the screen, grateful for the darkness of the theater to cover the burning heat that was rising in his cheeks. The final battle was only a blur of moving color to him as his entire mind was focused solely on remaining cool and collected. All while he ignored the thundering of his heart and hoping she could not feel his racing pulse in his wrist as it rested against her own wrist where their hands were entwined.

To his relief, upon the ending of the movie as they emerged from the dark theater towards the lobby to exit the building, there was a certain ease he felt as they walked together hand in hand. They moved together through the crowd that flowed from their theater, herding down the hall as they passed by a line of upcoming blockbuster posters. When they reached the lobby with its fragrant smell of buttered popcorn and oddly colored floor of crushed candies cemented into the questionably selected carpet pattern, Sasuke took the lead.

Still holding tightly to her hand, he maneuvered them through the crowd of late night showings until he reached the door and the coolness of the night hit him in the face, reminding him of just how overly warm he had been all night. As they waited for the bus, Sakura animatedly spoke about the movie. Expressing how the main characters were so similar to their own friends yet just slightly off. Sasuke, having not gleaned but two seconds of the plot only 'hn'd and ah'ed through their conversation as he always did when he was listening to her voice. All the while he was fully conscious of their entwined fingers and he wondered if the faint pink in her cheeks was from being in the overly warm theater or if like him, had a different reason to be flushed.

Then the bus arrived and at his reluctance, Sasuke had to release Sakura's hand when they boarded to head home. And when the connection of their hands was severed in lieu of boarding the bus, there was a new tension. Sasuke found himself hesitating to reach out again.

As they stood on the bus, grasping onto the handholds to stabilize themselves, Sasuke could not help but be fully conscious that Sakura's left hand remained dangling empty at her side. Unfortunately unlike in the theater, he was not sure if this was in invitation or a natural habit. Regardless, the light strips of the bus overhead made him feel far more exposed and intimidated than in the darkness of the theater. Not to mention the prying eyes of the old woman that was sitting a few rows from where they stood, her withered mouth curling knowling up at them.

He glared at the woman and her assuming expression which only seemed to entertain her, not intimidate, as she chuckled to herself. Sasuke looked away from her, feeling mocked. And Sasuke did not appreciate being mocked. Especially when he was feeling vulnerable like he had all night.

Spurred by the challenge to prove himself, Sasuke reached out and grabbed onto Sakura's hand, lacing his fingers between hers with a firm grip. He did not dare look at her. Not in all this light. But his pulse thudded wildly when in the corner of his eye he caught her looking up at him in surprise.

For a moment he panicked but then she leaned closer, her own fingers curling around his as her hand relaxed naturally in his.

Sasuke could not help but cast a smug smirk at the older woman who merely winked at him which threw him off and he found himself growing warm again as he became hyper aware of every point in which his body and Sakura's were making contact. Their palms pressing together, the interlacing of their fingers, her finger tips curling around to the back of his hand, his thumb which on its own accord was rubbing against the smooth skin of her hand, and finally their shoulders bumping against each other with the sway of the bus.

He didn't risk releasing her hand when they departed. Instead he led her down the stairs, bringing his arm around his back as he led her out to allow the connection to remain, too afraid that if it was severed he would not be able to muster the bravery for a third time tonight.

They walked in silence down her street and when they reached the stone wall that enclosed the front property of her house, Sasuke paused. Sakura halted and looked back at him when she felt the gentle pull of his hand to signal her to stop as well. Sasuke felt his mouth go dry as she looked up at him. He wasn't sure why, he had seen her like this dozens of times but there was just something about tonight that made her even more...lovely.

Sakura looked down at their feet where she shifted and dug the toe of one of her boots into the cement sidewalk. "Thanks for tonight," she said, looking up at him again and making his pulse falter.

All he could do was nod.

Sakura's head turned to the opening of the gate where the porch light flooded the opening, no doubt left on by her father who would be positioned at a window with a pair of binoculars. When she turned back around, she was biting at her lip nervously. Sasuke could read the hesitancy. It was time for her to go, but he could tell she didn't want to. And neither did he want to leave her...at least not just yet. There was one more thing that had been on his mind since earlier this week after the unexplainable success of his disaster of a confession.

He glanced around, finding the darkened alcove created by the wild vines that were slowly overtaking the tall wall that ran down in front of all the homes of the street. Without a word, he moved towards it, gently guiding her into the alcove. His eyes cast around the neighborhood for a moment, surveying for a possibility of prying eyes.

Confident that they had their privacy, Sasuke turned back to her. He gave her a moment of his full attention, taking in what little of her face he could see in the dim light in before raising a hand to her cheek and swooping in to press his mouth to hers.

He was not sure how long or little he let his lips linger against hers but it was not long enough before he was pulling away. His dark eyes studied her closely as he withdrew, looking for any signs that such actions were unwanted. She looked slightly shocked, mostly surprised by his unannounced intention but then he saw the slight pull of her lips upwards he relaxed. He watched her fingers go up to press against her lips, as if savoring the lingering feeling that he himself could feel against his own mouth.

Pleased by this reaction, a confidence overtook him in seeing such a result of his actions and he could not help but smirk. Without a word and feeling much more satisfied with ending the night now, he began guiding her back into the light of the street and through the open gate.

He led her up to the steps, right to the front door just as Itachi had instructed him. For another moment they paused, Sasuke looking down at Sakura who was still blushing faintly. He gave her hand a squeeze, signaling for her attention and she looked up at him.

"Goodnight," he said.

"Goodnight, Sasuke-kun."

She had said his name with the same letters and suffix countless times in his life in just as many different ways. Yet somehow, she still managed to make those syllables tonight sound like they never had before. The musical tone and the way she seemed to sing it out with a warmth he had yet to know. It had his mind going blank as it craved to hear that sound repeatedly for the rest of his life.

And as tempted as he was to beg her to repeat it, instead he released her hand after one more squeeze and slowly began back down the stairs. "Sleep well, Sakura," he bid, his voice creating its own responsive tone when he said her name. And he could see it in her eyes, just before she nodded and went inside that she had heard what he had as well.

It was obvious neither fully understood the depth or meaning of it. Their adolescent and young hearts still not developed enough to fully grasp the concepts of what they would one day feel. But Sasuke felt the humming energy within himself the entire walk home, his body buzzing and wild with enticement to someday learn what exactly this all meant for them.

Unfortunately, such exuberance was doused the moment he walked up his driveway and spotted an unwelcomed sight.

Shisui was leaning against the support column at the front of Sasuke's house, a wide smirk plastered against his face as his eyes glinted mercilessly. "Hey Saucey," Shishui called out as Sasuke's feet faltered at the sight of his cousin. "How was your date?"

In the window, Sasuke could see his mother peeking out, her face one of pure excitement as she failed to subtly peek out at him. He felt his phone vibrate within his pocket and since arriving at Sakura's house earlier that night, he pulled it out from his pocket.

A quick glance at his screen showed he had an unread message from his brother, the preview looking to be some kind of warning message, then another one from Naruto. Above it, the most recent was one from Sakura. However, before he could even open the message, his phone lit up with an incoming call. The name attached was Madara.

Sasuke let out a long sigh, and yet he could not find himself to be quite as bothered as expected. It was all worth dealing with, he thought to himself as the image of Sakura's lip biting smile and the lingering feeling of her cherry glossed lips tingled across his mouth.

That start of something was all he needed to face his family and endure their torture in the best way Sasuke knew how. He pressed his thumb against the decline button on his phone, then walked towards the front porch, passing by Shisui completely ignored as if he was an unseen ghost. The only one he could not completely ignore was his mother. So after slamming the door in his cousin's face and securing the bolt lock into place, he prepared himself for the gushing inquiries of his mother, offering her simple answers that satisfied her just enough so he could finally be released to his room.

It was then and only then, that he was able to pull his phone out again and open the text from Sakura. A message in which he responded immediately and for two hours they texted back and forth about absolutely nothing before one of them had fallen asleep after the promise that next weekend they would be going to the small carnival that was coming to their neighborhood together.

Bonus:

With a large bucket of freshly popped and heavily buttered popcorn in one hand, and a prized movie ticket in another, Kakashi Hatake turned away from the concession stand to make his way to the designated theater for the midnight showing of book-to-movie adaptation of Icha Icha Paradise. Determined to take advantage of his early arrival to choose the perfect seat in which to view what he had already deemed the movie of the decade, he managed to lift his eyes from the ticket stub in his hand to avoid a crowd of people pouring into the lobby from a recently finished showing of another movie as they made their way towards the exit.

He was just about to recheck the theater number when a familiar sight of a certain pastel color contrasting with a midnight shade had him pausing. At first he did not believe what he was seeing.

It was not unusual for him to spot his students at the movies on a friday night. In fact he had seen these particular two students of his several times only usually accompanied with a certain boisterous blonde to form the infamous trio among his students. But it was not the odd absence of Naruto that had him dropping his bucket of popcorn on the floor as he stared at the youth. It was the entwined fingers of the pair that had him completely frozen in shock.

Kakashi did not dare to blink, fearful that he would find his wide eyes were playing tricks on him. But when his eyes began to feel dry, his body involuntarily blinked in reaction and he found his eyes were not deceiving him, he still could not believe what he was seeing.

Sasuke and Sakura were holding hands.

Kakashi watched as Sasuke's dark eyes cast around, sharply looking for a route in which to guide his pink haired companion. As Sasuke's gaze moved around the lobby, Kakashi caught his eye. The young Uchiha seemed to freeze for a moment then Kakashi watched as Sasuke ducked his head down and Kakashi saw the red tint burning in his ears as they passed by, Sakura oblivious as she seemed to be slightly more chatty as she nervously talked about what Kakashi assumed was the movie they had just seen. When the crowd had cleared and the lobby was empty, Kakashi dazedly returned to the concession stand for a refill of his spilt bucket of popcorn.

Once restocked, the mature aged educator all but skipped down the hall to his theater. He settled himself in the middle center seat, assuring himself of the optimal acoustic and prime viewing experience. And as he sat in the empty theater, two and half hours early of the showing, Kakashi giggled to himself every five minutes when a rise of giddiness took over each time he recalled what he had just witnessed.

"Finally," he muttered to himself, mentally rewriting the next week's entire curriculum to better suit the new developments of his students, not caring how irrelevant the materials may be to their actual education. There were more important things at hand.

Thank you everyone who took the time to drop a comment for feedback and sharing some love for this story! Also to those who checked in on me! I appreciate it!

I went with simple for this chapter just tried to capture the moments that always stood out to me during a first date. I can't exactly say teenage dates are overly romantic or lavish but I hope I captured that teen dating experience in this with the old hand crawl both aware but both nervous and the getting ready and overly protective dad lol. (When we transition into the final chapters in their adulthood section- which we are fast approaching- we will see the more romantic interactions).

Up Next: The Career Expo- It is their final year before they become adults and big decisions have to be made. The students of Konoha high sit down with their councilors and talk about their futures. Some already know exactly what they want, others are unsure, while others just don't care one way or another. This will be snippets with of course our main crew, but also some others as they plan out their futures. And then probably a random bonus scene that didn't quite fit in the timeline/flow of this chapter but also is not long enough for a chapter of its own. Featuring teenage hormones and Detective Shisui on patrol ;)