Office Romance

With the tip of his pinky, Sasuke traced the round strokes of the letters of his name etched on the empty cup of coffee.

The contents had been drained over an hour ago but he couldn’t will himself to toss the cup into the trash bin. At least not until he got the next cup.

But it wasn’t likely that Haruno would be making another coffee run with how late in the day it was.

He would just have to hold onto the paper cup she had scribbled his name on until her break the next day when she would pop on over to his work station and ask if he wanted her to pick him up anything while she was on her break.

Sasuke was always working straight through his and it was nice that someone had noticed.

Especially that the assistant with rose gold hair had noticed.

Haruno Sakura was new to the company, a student taking sabbatical to do some temp jobs. At least that was how it started. Somewhere along the way someone higher up must have forgotten that it was a temporary position and she was never returned to the temp agency that had assigned her to their office.

Sasuke wondered how much of it was the much needed help and how much of it had to do with Shisui making a passing comment to his cousin Obito.

“Sasuke apparently likes coffee now,” Shisui had snickered as they took their smoke break.

Obito had responded with a “oh really?” and let it go. He didn’t tease him at work but every now and then he would pass by Sasuke’s desk and give him a sly grin when he spotted the coffee cup.

Sasuke didn’t care for the taste of coffee. Just because he disliked sweets it did not mean he enjoyed the bitter taste. His preferred drink was matcha tea.

But of course Haruno Sakura didn’t know that when she offered to grab him some on her run for some “real coffee.”

She had tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a slight blush on her cheeks and without really processing the question Sasuke answered:

“Sure.”

And now everyday when Sakura ran out to grab a latte she would bring back a cup of strong black coffee with his name on it. Literally.

“Here are your copies Uchiha-san!”

A cheerful voice broke Sasuke from his reverie.

“Ah. Thank you Haruno.”

“I keep telling you to just call me Sakura.” Sakura made a tutting sound and put her hands on her  hips.

Not like you call me Sasuke.

“Oh I’ll take care of that for you.”

Sakura snatched the paper cup and tossed it out. All Sasuke could do was watch her throw it in the trash.

At least she would be bringing another one by the following day.

---

“I’m going to grab some coffee.”

Sakura stood in front of his desk, wringing her hands around the skinny strap of her shoulder bag.

“Ah.”

Sasuke reached for his wallet to grab some money for his share. She always insisted it was on her but after weeks of buying coffee every day it was getting to be too much.

“You don’t actually like coffee do you?”

Sasuke froze. Slowly, he shut his drawer.

“You always make this face,” Sakura exaggerated a frown, “when you drink it. You get a wrinkle right here.”

Sakura tapped the area between her eyebrows.

“You could have just said no, you know that right?”

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He wasn’t going to tell her that he wasn’t paying attention to her first offer because he was too busy staring at her.

“I can grab you something else.”

Sakura shrugged nonchalantly. Her act was only given away by the dusting of pink on her cheeks.

“What do you actually like?”

You.

“…tomato juice.”

“Tomato juice!” Sakura giggled. “That’s kind of cute.”

Sasuke scowled. Cute?

“Alright then. One can of tomato juice.”

She skipped away before Sasuke could give her any money for his drink.

“Awww.”

Sasuke snapped his head to the other side of him. Shisui was snickering from behind his computer monitor.

“So cute, Sasu-chan.”

Sasuke scowled at him and turned away, shuffling through his notes for the meeting in an hour.

“Sakura-chan never offered to get me anything. But every day she’s at your desk.” Shisui tossed him a smirk. “I wonder why.”

Sasuke coughed into his hand and hid his red face behind his computer monitor.

Messenger

Ino was always busiest at this time of year. Even when she was younger she couldn’t celebrate the holiday until the day was almost over because she was busy helping her mother out in the shop.

She use to gripe and moan but as she got older she began to get excited to prepare the many floral arrangements ordered for Valentines Day.

Especially now that her husband helped her out in the shop, spending most of the day with her, only stepping out to make deliveries.

At exactly noon the bell on the front door rang. Looking up from the counter where she was bundling up a bouquet, Ino saw a head of black hair enter the shop.

Right on time. As always.

“Hey Auntie Ino.”

Uchiha Sarada approached the counter. It was the same thing every year.

“Your father knows that it’s usually women that give gifts out on this day right?”

Every Valentine’s Day and every White Day, Ino had an order for a bouquet of daffodils from none other than Uchiha Sasuke. And every year Sarada came by to pick them up.

“Funny. He said to give you this if you said that.”

Sarada handed Ino an envelope. Opening it up she found a few bills for the payment and a letter. Ino unfolded the parchment and read: It’s none of your business Yamanaka.

Cheeks flushing red in anger, Ino almost took back the bouquet. Fortunately for him she couldn’t do that once she caught a glimpse of Sarada’s adorable eager face.

“What are you doing here?” Inojin had finally shown up to help his mother. “Another errand for your dad? He knows this is a holiday where traditionally women are the gift givers right?”

“It’s none of your business Inojin.”

Sarada narrowed her eyes at him in a glare reminiscent of her father and planted her fists on her hips. Ino almost burst out in a fit of giggles. It was like looking at a little Sasuke only with Sakura’s attitude.

“But yes I’m running errands. I gotta head out to the chocolatier now. Bye Auntie!”

---

“Sarada!”

Sarada paused and turned at the call of her name. Chocho was making her way towards her.

“Whatcha up to?”

“I’m on my way to pick up some chocolates.”

“From that fancy place? Count me in!”

“Oh.” Sarada shuffled her feet nervously. “They’re not for me. They’re for my mom.”

“Oh, please.” Chocho rolled her eyes. “We know they’re going to give you your own box.”

And sure enough when Sarada picked up the pre-ordered box of chocolates, the chocolatier gave her a smaller box of her own.

Sarada pulled out a second envelope from her pouch and handed it to the man. He opened it right in front of her and chuckled. Sarada noticed that he had pulled out more money than was due for the single box. It was just enough for the second box as well.

“Give your father my thanks for his continued patronage.”

“What did I tell you?” Chocho grinned smugly as they made their way towards the hospital.

“Yeah, yeah.” Sarada handed her the box. “Here you can have a few pieces.”

“Your dad always gets the good stuff.”

Sarada giggled. She had to agree. Her parents were just too cute.

---

Sarada wish she remembered to bring her phone with her. Her mother was always so cute when she got flustered.

No matter how many years passed by her mother always reacted the same way when Sarada popped into the hospital carrying the bouquet of flowers she loved so much.

Sakura’s face would flush pink and she would cover her face with her hands in embarrassment.

“You still have that vase right?” Sarada asked walking behind Sakura’s desk and looked in one of the cabinets for the ceramic vase she hid away just in case Ino or someone came by with flowers.

“He didn’t have to…” Sakura mumbled, unable to keep the smile out of her face.

Sarada rolled her eyes. Her mother wasn’t fooling anyone. She always got giddy when Sarada’s father was involved.

I swear it’s like they’re newlyweds.

“Can you help me with this?” Sakura asked pulling out a carton of tomatoes and a red ribbon from under her desk.

Nodding enthusiastically, Sarada helped her mother tie a neat bow on the box.

“You know where to find him?”

“Uh-huh.” Sarada nodded securing the carton in her pack. “He was going to be looking through the archives today. See ya at home, Mama.”

And with a wave she was off to continue playing messenger for her busy parents.

It’s Not The Clan

Surprisingly, it’s not the Uchiha that have a problem with the idea of Haruno Sakura and the youngest son of the clan head.

Despite their somber looks and the stoicism that seemed to be built into their genetics, they are a clan of love.

Mebuki can see it in their eyes when she passes them in the streets. Sees the shine when they gaze upon their own children, their lovers, and their friends.

She sees it in the gentle chiding and the soft smiles that grace Uchiha Sasuke’s face when he thinks no one is watching him and her daughter.

There was a time she wouldn’t have believed it was possible. She wouldn’t have dreamed of her pretty bookworm child catching the eye of someone from an elite clan.

But there she goes. Sakura blushes at the attention she never thought she would receive. Just a hardworking girl from a civilian clan.

Mebuki takes pride in embroidering their clan’s crest in all of their clothing but she knows that to all it is nothing but a mere circle, an empty space.

Sasuke is always punctual and polite when he picks up her daughter for a mission or training. Mebuki has met his mother on multiple occasions and knows she would be proud that her harping on manners have been deeply ingrained.

Sakura is always forward and latches onto his arm, intertwining their fingers. Red tints the tips of Sasuke’s ears but he lets her have her way, only letting go in the presence of Kizashi.

A funny habit considering her husband is so sunny in disposition and is quite fond of the boy. But Mebuki knows the boy is only attempting to be chivalrous and not step on any toes. To not cross any boundaries of a father’s comfort.

But it is in these moments that Mebuki can hear the whispers.

The words weave around her head and settle in her ears.

“The police chief would not like that.”

“Look how she makes him carry her things,” another voice scoffs.

“Using an Uchiha as an errand boy? How impudent!”

And those are the kindest things she has heard.

When did names mean more than feelings? When did a piece of fabric on a person’s back hold more value than a human being?

Mebuki looks down at her qipao. Looks at the red circles embroidered for her husband’s clan. A crest he does not wear on his own clothing but she wears with pride on her own.

That their daughter wears with pride on her own back. A ninja of the Haruno clan, a small civilian family of no significance.

A small family proud of their daughter who works hard and is strong all on her own despite having a name of no significance.

Who is loved not because of a piece of fabric on her back but because there is something in her that speaks to the dark eyed boy she holds in high esteem.

If she were not already looking at the doorway, Mebuki would not have known that the dark haired beauty had entered her humble little shop.

Once a ninja, always a ninja.

Uchiha Mikoto smiled softly as she walked towards her, her footsteps not making a single sound. Bowing slightly, the matriarch moves with grace and is far more respectful than those of Mebuki’s own status.

“I must apologize.”

Her voice is clear without a hint of an accent. Proper enunciation all the way through. A truly posh manner of speaking she had once heard her own child attempt to emulate.

“I did not mean to postpone this meeting.” There is a flush of red on the woman’s ears, reminiscent of the embarrassed look her son displayed himself. “I only just discovered the nature of our children’s relationship. If I had known sooner I would have properly introduced myself.”

Ah, Mebuki caught on to what she meant. This isn’t a confrontation.

“It’s nice to make your acquaintance Uchiha-san,” Mebuki responded, not bothering to hide the dialect she spoke in. She bowed, slightly lower. “Haruno Mebuki at your service.”

“Mikoto.” There was a firmness in her tone that promised difficulty if Mebuki did not do as asked.

“Mikoto-san.”

“From a shop I favor.” Mikoto handed her a white carton. From the sound of the shifting items and weight, Mebuki knew what the gift was.

Sasuke brought a box every week, a pink flush on the apples of his high cheekbones, as he politely greeted the Harunos before being dragged away by Sakura.

“Kizashi really likes these senbei.”

“Oh?”

“Your son brings them all of the time. Such a sweet and polite boy.”

Mikoto’s face flushed pink as she beamed with pride.

“I am glad to hear it.”

“Would you like some tea?”

“Um…” Mikoto’s eyes shifted to the wall of canisters that held the loose tea leaves. Her eyes quickly ran over the foreign script on the labels.

“No,” Mebuki chuckled. “Have tea with me! What’s your favorite? White oolong, perhaps?”

Mikoto nodded shyly.

“Sasuke picks this one up a lot. I assumed it would be for someone at home. He only drinks matcha.”

“He prepares the tea the best,” Mikoto admitted.

“The key is in controlling the heat,” Mebuki instructed. “I’m sure being from a clan of fire gives some kind of advantage.”

“Does he come by often?”

“Can you believe how far she makes him travel just to pick her up?”

Mebuki chanced a glance at Mikoto’s face. The tone of her voice did not give away any underlying resentment. And neither did her eyes.

In them was worry. A worry that looked all too familiar.

“Yes. He’s so polite. He always offers to help around the shop when he’s waiting for Sakura.”

The stress around Mikoto’s eyes smooths out. The corners of her lips quirk upwards into a familiar smile.

“That’s good.”

Mebuki prepares the tea and sets it down on a chabudai closest to the opened doors that led to the back garden of the shop. A gentle breeze was quite relaxing and she was sure Mikoto would enjoy it as well. Hopefully enough to let go of the tension in her shoulders and neck.

It is on their second cup of tea that Mebuki brings up what she concluded was the true reason for the visit.

“Your son is nothing but charming. He treats my daughter well. She is happy. He makes her happy. And that in turn makes me happy.”

The tenseness Mikoto carried in her shoulders is gone.

Mikoto is a mother, just like Mebuki is a mother. Before anything else, she is Sasuke’s mother.

“Sakura makes Sasuke happy as well,” Mikoto offers shyly. “He gets so flustered when I bring it up. He’s so cute.”

And there it was. A sweet smile Mebuki is sure is reserved for those Mikoto holds dear. A smile she has seen on Sasuke’s face when he is with her daughter.

A smile that says more about the Uchiha than any whispers or gossip of the villagers that look down on her daughter simply for being with the one she loves.

Because that’s what it all buckled down to, wasn’t it? Love, simple love.

And the love Mikoto has for her son and his happiness, was all that mattered. More than the crest on her back or the one on Mebuki’s skirt, her son’s feelings held more value in her eyes and in her heart.

Tomato Miso Soup

There was a misconception about Sasuke that he never thought he would need to correct.

It was one of those things he always viewed as a luxury and never had time for or cared about. When one was always on the road living the life of a vagabond, cooking wasn’t a priority. The taste of food never mattered as long as he got sustenance. As perfect and talented as people believed he once was, there was one skill he had never picked up.

Uchiha Sasuke did not know how to cook.

When he was a genin and went out with Team Seven, he would give in and allow himself to enjoy the spicier foods he loved. He would take out portions of his pay and allowance and enjoy an outing for food.

But he couldn’t live on takeout and instant foods like his teammate Naruto. He would never stoop so low as to build his diet up of cups of ramen and milk. It was better to use his village allowance━and later on his mission pay━to buy his favorite fruit and ready made meals at the closest conbini.

It was the best place to stock up on onigiri, his go to snack or quick meal.

Although he didn’t know how to cook, he did know how to prepare onigiri. Always busy training, he only set time aside to make his own when he was in a particular mood. He found it therapeutic to mold the triangular shaped balls of rice.

Shaping the rice and making his favorite filling of okaka reminded him of his mother. She had been the one to teach him how to prepare rice balls when he was younger and Itachi had left him behind. He would wait until his mother’s back was turned and take rice into his little hands and try to make the biggest ball he could, which earned him a scolding from Mikoto.

The reminder of those scoldings would make him feel hollow when the only sounds coming from his kitchenette was the sound the rice made as he squished it with his fingers and the sound of his own breathing.

When he finally came back home one of the first things he learned to enjoy was cooking. Or at least he enjoyed cooking with Sakura.

Sakura didn’t cook often but she fared better than he did. It was amusing to watch her attempt to make anything because she was completely by the book, strict about following recipes to the tee as if she were following the instructions for one of her antidotes.

“What’s this?” He would ask holding up a foreign looking cooking utensil. He always stocked his kitchenette with the most basic of tools.

“A mandolin slicer. We can use it to julienne some vegetables for stir fry and other things.”

“And what’s that?” Sasuke would point out an odd looking fruit or vegetable,

“I don’t know but let’s find out!” Sakura’s eyes would gleam with excitement and she would toss the produce into their shopping basket.

Every day was a new experience in his tiny kitchen. Sakura would bring over a journal full of recipes her mother had compiled over the years and they would pick a new one to try.

“That’s a good look for you,” Sasuke mumbled one day, warmth creeping up his neck.

“It’s cute, huh?” Sakura winked flirtatiously as she tied her apron strings behind her back. “Ino found it and thought the pattern was so me of course.”

She pulled out everything she needed to make the dashi for their miso soup. It was the first thing they learned to make together and it was a staple at any meal they shared.

“You should blanch the tomatoes,” she suggested with a smile. The corners of Sasuke’s lips twitched upwards in amusement. She was always casually throwing in the cooking vocabulary she learned, happy to know what they meant. “We can toss them into the soup. Wouldn’t that be interesting?”

“You should stay here,” he said just as casually as she used her new words. “We could make miso soup everyday.”

For a moment the only sound was of the water of the two pots boiling until Sakura’s soft voice broke the silence.

“Yeah. We could do that.” She averted her gaze, cheeks blazing a vivid pink.

The kitchen was quiet again as they moved around, preparing their dinner. Sakura took a peek at what Sasuke was doing and she almost dropped the dashi she had made.

“What are you doing with those chillies!?”

“Won’t they be interesting in the soup?” He teased.

“No!”

And as she tried to wrestle the peppers out of his hands and the kitchen was filled with warm pleasant sounds, Sasuke couldn’t help but feel as though this was a luxury he would gladly indulge in as often as possible. A luxury he could make all of the time in world for.

Breaking The Desk

Ino shut the door behind her with one foot, puffing out an exasperated breath.

Toting groceries up to the sixth floor walkup she shared with Sakura was one of the reasons why she wanted to move. The budget friendliness of it had lost its appeal within the first few months and her boyfriend’s crowded studio apartment was starting to sound like heaven. Who cared if it was right across the street from a concert venue? At least she could take an elevator up to the apartment.

Dumping the bags of groceries on the peninsula countertop and tossing her weekend bag onto the ground, Ino rubbed her poor aching shoulder.

Who needs the gym when you gotta walk up six flights of stairs?

Grabbing a sparkling water from the fridge she made her way to the futon, ready to sprawl out on it and relax.

It was good to finally be home. Whenever Sasuke, Sakura’s soldier husband, came to visit she vacated the premises and spent that time with Sai.

She was about to call out for Sakura when the sound of a heated conversation finally grabbed her attention.

He’s still here? Ino groaned inwardly. He’s supposed to be gone by now!

Sakura and Sasuke were known to be quite…amorous when they were finally able to meet up. It was the reason why Ino always escaped the apartment whenever he visited but she wasn’t doing it today. She still had lots of work to get done and an early lecture the next day.

Knowing that a heated discussion would lead to a fight which would then lead to them almost immediately making up in the most carnal of ways, Ino decided to cut them off before it could escalate. There was no way she was heading over to Sai’s this late in the day. He lived farther away from campus and she was putting her foot down.

Marching over to Sakura’s bedroom door, Ino stopped her first from knocking when she heard Sakura shout at Sasuke.

“You broke my fucking computer desk!”

Oh no. Not again.

“You weren’t complaining at the time!”

Yep. They did.

Ino looked down at her bottle of sparkling water and knew she was going to need to break out the emergency wine.

“Wha—? Th-that’s not the point!” Ino could just picture Sakura’s face burning a shade of hot pink to match her hair. “You still broke it you fucking idiot!”

“Yeah, well, you married this idiot so what does that say about you!?”

Ino stood up and grabbed her weekend bag. She whipped out her phone and dialed Sai’s number.

“Yeah, babe. I’m coming back. Yeah he’s still here. They broke another fucking desk. Yeah I know. You would think the idiots would buy a more durable desk after the second time it happened. No, I’m not going to ask them what position they were in that caused it to break!”

Ino paused half way down the flight of stairs and pinched the bridge of her nose. Leave it to Sai to want the details of their friends’ sex life.

I think it’s time to move out.

“dronk”

She should have stopped him a few drinks ago.

And all of those shots were definitely a mistake.

Sasuke Uchiha was passed out and Karin wasn’t sober enough to worry about the way she was dragging his body as she pulled him by his legs.

Suigetsu was suppose to be holding Sasuke’s arms but he disappeared once they got outside. Karin wouldn’t be surprised if he got himself picked up and taken to the drunk tank.

I should have stayed home and cuddled with Tenten, Karin grumbled inwardly.

She propped Sasuke up so he was leaning against a streetlamp and sat on his other side so his head could roll over onto her shoulder.

“Ah, shit.”

Karin pressed the power button on her phone two more times, hoping it would come to life. No dice. Her battery had drained a while ago as she overzealously added snaps to her story.

She rummaged through the pocket of Sasuke’s utility jacket and pulled out his phone glad that he finally switched to a smartphone instead of the flip phone he used last semester.

“Here we go.”

Karin pressed Sasuke’s thumb on the home button on his iPhone and unlocked it. She was originally going to order an Uber to get them to her place but the feeling of tape on the back of Sasuke’s cell phone case was bugging her.

“What the fuck?”

Karin squinted her eyes and then removed her glasses before putting them back on when she remembered that she couldn’t see without them.

“Return…to…Sa..kura?” Karin frowned trying to remember what she knew about her friend.

They had become part of a group in their first semester when Suigetsu had forced them all to work on a project together. Karin wasn’t friends with anyone in university yet so it helped that Suigetsu dragged Jūgo over to her seat at the lecture hall.

Sasuke had been walking by, probably trying to figure out how to do all of the work on his own, when Suigetsu wrapped an arm around his neck and sat him next to Karin.

They sort of were stuck with each other ever since.

Karin scrolled down Sasuke’s contact list until she found a Sakura with blossom emoticons and a sparkling heart next to the name.

“Cute…”

Karin dialed the number and right before she realized what time it was, “Sakura” answered.

“Can’t sleep?” A sleepy voice giggled.

“No, actually, he’s passed the fuck out.”

“Umm…who’s━”

“Karin. I’m one of his school friends and I was trying to get him home but that asshole Suigetsu ran off on us.”

“And you’re calling me because…?”

“My phone’s dead and I’m too drunk to remember my girlfriend’s phone number and this idiot apparently has ‘Return to Sakura’ taped on his phone so here I am calling Sakura.”

“You sound very coherent for a drunk person.”

“Thanks. It’s a blessing.”

There was a pause and Karin thought maybe Sakura had fallen back to sleep.

“Are you somewhere safe?”

“Yeah, yeah totally.” Karin pushed back her bangs and took a deep breath. “Do you think you could come get us?”

“It would take me an hour possibly but yes. Anywhere you could go for now?”

“University Diner is twenty-four seven I could try and get us there. It’s only a block away.”

“Okay. I’ll try and get there as quickly as possible.”

“I lost my phone.”

Karin jumped, not expecting Suigetsu to say anything since the last time she saw him was in the bar.

“You didn’t have it when we went out. To prevent any regrets.”

“What was ringing in my pocket then?”

“Nothing you nimrod. Where’s Jūgo?”

Suigetsu went silent. If she wasn’t looking at him she would have thought that he passed out too.

“We lost Jūgo.”

“What do you mean we lost Jūgo?”

“I left ‘im in a safe place after he fell asleep but I can’t remember where…”

“You had one job Suigetsu.”

“To be fair.” Suigetsu took a long pause before his next set of words. “I’m drunk as fuck.”

“I hate you.”

“Yeah, yeah. So what are we doing?”

“We gotta take Sasuke to the diner. Then you’re going to look for Jūgo.”

“Can’t you just drag him there?”

“Grab his arms, stupid!”

---

It was a total invasion of privacy. She would kill anyone if they did the same with her phone but Karin was one jager bomb too many in to care.

She was feeling wired from the energy drink but also slightly brain foggy and she needed to entertain herself somehow.

Sasuke was the weirdest person she had ever met. He had created folders for everything. Not a single app was allowed to float around on its own unless they were the apps on the toolbar.

She learned a lot about him though. He had one email account for gaming, another for school, and one for social media. Karin rolled her eyes that he even bothered with social media apps considering he rarely went on them.

She slid down the booth so her head rest on the top of the seat and sighed. Suigetsu went off to figure out where they had left Jūgo so she was stuck alone at the diner with a passed out Sasuke.

Karin balled up the wrapper to straw for her milkshake and flicked it at Sasuke’s nose. She was already bored with the games on his phone and although his dog was cute, there was only so much cute she could take before she cried because she was still kind of drunk and there was no puppy around for her to cuddle with.

Opening up the Notes app she thought she would find random class schedules and the like. Karin hadn’t expected to find locked notes.

Why would he lock notes?

Karin attempted to open one but it required a password and she couldn’t use Sasuke’s thumbprint to unlock it.

What would he hide? Photos? Sexts???

Karin gagged and put Sasuke’s phone down on the table. She picked it back up again when she realized she could use the contents of the locked notes for blackmail.

Karin wasn’t fond of scooping out the litterbox of the cat Tenten adopted and she could always get Sasuke to do it for her and a bunch of other errands.

But only if she knew the contents of the locked notes.

“Typical,” Karin huffed, blowing her hair out of her face. Sasuke was the type of person that didn’t need a hint to remind him of his password.

She groaned and stretched out her arms on the table top. Next time she was bringing Tenten along.She was her impulse control. Then maybe she would be at home getting smooches and cuddles instead of babysitting a grown ass man.

No. She would have to drag him back to her place where he would be drooling on the comfy couch she and Tenten coerced a salesman to give them at a discount. And then she would be disgusted. So then she would have to draw on his stupid pretty face with a permanent marker.

In fact, perhaps she could get one from one of the waitresses…

“I got here as quickly as I could!”

A pink haired girl plopped down across from her in the booth and brushed Sasuke’s hair out of his face.

Pink.

Pink!

“Your hair. Is pink.” Karin’s jaw dropped in fascination. She squinted her eyes and then backed away with a soft, “whoaaa..”

“Oh wow, you are drunk.”

The girl that could only be Sakura waved over a waitress and ordered a tomato mozzarella panini and cheese fries and a strawberry milkshake.

“He’s going to be hungry when he wakes up,” Sakura explained. She grabbed some napkins and wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth.

“Your boyfriend is a hot mess.”

“Well, he doesn’t usually get this drunk. He doesn’t usually drink enough to get drunk.” Sakura’s mouth quirked to the side as she watched Sasuke’s nose wrinkle up when she smoothed his hair away from his face again.

“I should have realized that when after his fourth shot he shouted something about his girlfriend being his impulse control and slammed three more before promptly passing out.”

“Why did you guys go out drinking like this?”

“Well we just finished a paper and this is the first semester we could actually all go to a bar since Sasuke just turned twenty-one. But tell me how you’re his impulse control. He never talks about you outside of the small updates about what he does on breaks and every weekend.”

“How are you this coherent?”

“Like I said, it’s a gift.” Karin propped her chin on her hands and leaned forward on her elbows. “But please tell me more about yourself and Sasuke. I would like to know some embarrassing things about him while you’re here and he can’t stop me.”

“I don’t think I should.”

“Boo you whore.”

“Excuse me?”

“Do you know all of Sasuke’s passwords?”

“We believe in trust in our relationship. Of course I know his passwords. We have nothing to hide from each other.”

Karin pulled out Sasuke’s phone and flipped it around to face Sakura.

“Then do you know the password to his locked notes?”

---

“What are you doing?”

When Suigetsu returned to the diner━without Jūgo━Karin was scribbling on a napkin and the girl on Sasuke’s lockscreen was sitting across from her sipping at a milkshake. Sasuke was still passed out except now he was propped up against his girlfriend and drooling on her shoulder.

“We’ve tried like every possible password Sasuke could have used but we can’t unlock this folder of notes.”

Suigetsu looked at Sakura and then back at Karin. He looked at Sakura again for a full minute before holding out his hand.

“Give me the phone.”

“Okay but if we can’t figure it out how are you going━”

“Got it.”

Karin’s jaw dropped as Suigetsu slid the phone across the table. Where the gray lock screen was before was a picture of Sakura looking out a car window.

“What was it?” Sakura asked, eyebrows pulled down in frustration. She should have known him best.

“Bro code.”

“You still unlocked it, Sui.”

“Yeah but I’m not telling you what the password was.”

“Whatever.”

Karin started scrolling down and was confused the further she scrolled. They were all just normal candid photos of Sakura. Why would he━

“OH MY FUCKING GOD!”

All of the patrons of the diner turned to look at the source of the screaming. Karin shot them all a glare.

“What? What did you find?” Suigetsu attempted to grab the phone from her hand but she slapped his hand away.

“Not for your eyes!” She snapped at him.

Karin broke her glare to peek back down at the phone but then looked back up, her cheeks turning a blazing hot pink. She looked over at Sakura and shielded her eyes with a hand.

“I’m so sorry,” she muttered, handing the phone back to the source of her new discomfort. “The first set of pics looked so normal. I didn’t think he would have those.”

“Sasuke’s got nudes!” Suigetsu gasped, a giant grin spreading on his face. He pointed at Sakura and guffawed. “Her nudes!”

“Will you shut up!” Karin yanked on his shirt hard enough for him to fall into the booth. She looked over to Sakura who had gone paler than she already was.

Sasuke continued to snooze away on her shoulder despite all of the noise.

Karin hadn’t expected to meet so much of Sasuke’s girlfriend on their first meeting.

“I can show you my tits if that would make you feel better,” Karin offered.

“No thank you. I think I should just take you all home now.”

“Sui. Where’s Jūgo?”

“Oh shit! I knew I forgot something.”