Ball and chain|| Sasusaku

Chapter 15

"I forgot to ask what you like."

She takes it from him, the small can as warm as she remembers, so like Sasuke to buy, and says, "This."

The man raises a questioning eyebrow.

"I like this."

Satisfied, Sasuke hums and leans over her shoulder from behind the chair, studying the page from the red file she has long forgotten and can't care to remember as the perimeter of his chest grazes briefly against her head, his fingers drumming against the head-rest behind her ears, his other arm beside her, palm firmly pressed on the armrest. She breathes in his scent, sandalwood and beer and something manly, and hopes he doesn't notice her lack, or rather, redirect of attention.

"Anything you found not to your liking?"

"No..." Sakura opens the can and takes a sip. It tastes bittersweet as it glides down her throat, and just the right amount of warm. "There's really nothing about me except my name, age and job."

Sasuke takes a swig of his own before letting an affirmative hum out.

"Didn't need much from you. Considering your schedule, you were too busy to plot anything shady."

He almost chuckles at the glare she throws his way.

"You must not be a good detective if that is how you make judgements."

"I don't know, Sakura. Was I right?"

Sakura can almost feel her taste buds dance around the opium on her tongue as Sasuke sounds her name in his voice, a pitch above a growl and as sweet as honey. She closes the file shut, choosing to tune out his teasing voice and the tickles in her stomach, before emptying the can of its last drop.

"Ah, right," he mumbles, making Sakura turn back to face him.

"Give me your socials."

"What?"

"Socials... Line or Insta..?"

Hesitantly, she fiddles her thumbs, flushed to her core, and very confused about his sudden request, as she barely whispers, "CouldaTonyAte... on both."

"Huh?"

"In English..." Seeing the puzzle etched on his face, she elaborates, words blurred into one another, "It's a wordplay on Kura28 translated to English. I-Ino was the one who asked me to put something fun—stop judging me!"

A frown creases Sakura's forehead as Sasuke's lips twitch in the effort to stifle his chuckle, his eyes twinkling with mirth as he hands his phone for her to type in. It is then Sakura realizes the boundary they have just crossed, the unadulterated trust he puts in her when he lets her have something as personal about him as his phone. It's as bare as she expects; a transparent cover clean over its length, which doesn't surprise her in the least, given the Apple logo on its back.

Rich people, she broods.

"Good humor. Who's Tony?"

"The One Piece character..."

"You've watched it?"

"No..." She wonders if he'll judge. "I just find it cute. Have you?"

"No. Too long."

Sasuke takes his phone when she passes it to him, a subtle scoff for a reply earning her a roll of his eyes, and presses 'Add', before typing her username in the Instagram search bar.

"Sent you a request."

The phone tings and lights up immediately and she finds a small icon of a black cat beside his username.