•••
The gathering just started a few minutes after Mikoto had left the two. Sakura was still in awe of the place, in awe of Mikoto and all the rich people around her, but nothing beats her awe for the food! All you can eat buffet, and the food are super delicious too. Not just fancy, but delicious.
Sasuke observed Sakura from afar as she happily strolled through the food tables. A tap on his shoulder stopped him all of a sudden.
"Itachi." Sasuke stood to hug him - he missed him a lot. He had been away for a while because he recently got married to Izumi and they were on their almost-a-month long honeymoon.
The couple sat down together with Sasuke, "I heard from mom," Itachi smiled. "Is it true, though?"
"Yea, I brought her with me." Sasuke grinned.
"We'd love to meet her." Izumi added.
Sakura, after taking what she wanted, strolled back to their table with two full plates on her hand. She kinda regretted it after seeing Sasuke with a handsome guy who looked a lot like him and a beautiful brunette.
"Hi," The handsome guy said as she arrived.
"Hello!" The pinkette tried to silently place her plates down quietly.
"Sakura, this is Itachi, my brother and his wife, Izumi."
"Nice to meet you!" Sakura was blushing. They were quite surprised with her plates.
"My, I would love to have your appetite." Izumi said, almost serious. "I'd love to try one of everything too, but sadly I can only eat as much."
With that, Sakura felt relaxed for the first time in the evening. The couple were great. They told them about their adventures on their honeymoon. They went to a lot of places outside Japan, ate a lot of other countries' street food, went to falls and mountains too! Their stories were so awesome that the pinkette hadn't even noticed that she finished her food. Sakura felt kinda envious though, they were a happy newly wed couple. Something she wished she could be. But right now, it seems so impossible.
The couple took off after a while to meet with the other guests, leaving the two alone again.
"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked. Noticing the sudden change of the pinkette's mood.
"Nothing," Sasuke was unsatisfied. "Come, let's walk. You ate a lot anyway."
Sasuke and Sakura went inside the mansion. It was the best house Sakura had ever been too. But they didn't stay long. Sasuke lead Sakura to the back garden instead. It was peaceful there, and the moon was clear in the sky and shone brightly at them. The raven sat on the wooden bench and loosened the grip on his necktie as he sighed, "So, be honest with me, what's up?"
Sakura sat at the bench with Sasuke. Sighing as well. "I just envy Itachi and Izumi. They're a happy new-wed couple. You may think it's funny but I wanna be married someday too." She bit her lip, "But I don't think it'll happen to me, I mean - I invested a lot with my relationship with Sasori. In a few more years, I'd be 30! I look older! Who'd wanna be with me?"
"I could be with you,"
"What?"
"Well, I never thought of being with someone, let alone marry, so I guess I have some spare time to be with you while you wait for your husband-to-be." Sasuke grinned.
"You're crazy." Sakura laughed. "But I would love that." She blushed.
They were silent for a moment.
"But I would also want you to be happy with someone, Sasuke. You're a great person. The day we met - the first day you moved in beside our apartment, I thought you were bad, but then, you had small talks with me at the balcony, and not to mention offering me a place to stay when I ran away. You may be cold at times, but you have a big heart." Sakura smiled. "I'm sure it would be easy loving you,"
For a moment - Sakura realized what she just said - "I-I mean it would be easy for me-I mean your future partner to love you,"
Sasuke's face was serious. Suddenly, it looked like the moon glowed beautifully at his face.
"I- really like your pink hair," Sasuke ran his fingers gently on Sakura's hair and suddenly pulled her head towards him to kiss her.
It was just a peck. A second long kiss.
"W-what're you doing?" Sakura was blushing crazy. She has never felt so hot like this for god knows when. Her heart was about to pop out her chest. Get a grip, Sakura!
"I thought I saw someone looking at us that needed convincing." He lied.
"Well... we.. we better convince them more," Sakura leaned forward and held his face, kissing him gently, not a second long before Sasuke responded. His kisses were fervent and he was kissing her hastily. His hand was holding her back, trailing his fingers on her spine, pulling her closer and removing the gap inbetween. They broke the kiss for a few seconds to catch their breath, but returned quickly as if they were in a hurry. Before Sasuke's hand could reach for her chest - They broke off when they heard a voice.
"Get a room, you two!!" Itachi shouted from the doors of the mansion, grinning, and left finally.
They were apart now - not knowing what to do next.
"D-do you think he was convinced?" Sakura swallowed, her lips a bit sore.
"I think so."
He lied about thinking someone was looking at them. And she knew it from the start.
The moonlight started to glow more. The night was young.
Sasuke held Sakura's hand and chuckled, Sakura felt more embarrassed but the tension was gone and she laughed with him.
"Come, it's time for you to meet my father." They left the garden hand in hand. Sakura had one more look at the garden. Her inner self won't definitely forget this place.
When they arrived at the front yard for the gathering, someone was making a speech and he was beside Mikoto, Sasuke's mom, thanking the guests for their visit and celebrating with them, speaking of which, Sasuke had never told what celebration it was. But Sakura immediately assumed that the guy who made the speech was Sasuke's father. Why else would his mom stand beside him in awe?
"Sasuke, you never told me what celebration it is,"
"Must've slipped my mind." It didn't. It would've ruined the surprise.
After the speech of his father and thanking the crowd for celebrating another year of U corp, Sasuke lead Sakura towards his parents.
"Ah, finally." Mikoto said excitedly, "Dear, meet Sakura, our little Sasuke's girlfriend."
Looking up close at Sasuke's father, he seemed familiar to Sakura. But she wouldn't know because she was bad at remembering.
"Nice to meet you, Sakura. My wife told me about you, barely from my son right there." He smiled. Sakura can feel Sasuke facepalming.
"Sakura, he's Fugaku, my husband. I'm sure Sasuke here haven't told you."
"M..Mr. Fugaku?? I-It's a pleasure meeting you." The pinkette blushed. She finally remembered.
He's the company's CEO.
How could she miss that!!
"I heard from Tsunade that you've been a loyal and hardworking employee. If we have another chance, I would like to invite you at the main quarters of the U-Corp."
Ms. Tsunade? So she knows about Sasuke's double life?
This was Sasuke's queue to drag Sakura back. He knew he'd use Sakura to bring him to the main too. His parents had been bugging him for months now. Worrying that the branch he chose was too far from them. "Mom, dad, sorry to interrupt but we'd love to roam around."
"Show her around the house, sweetie." His mom recommended.
•••
The gathering was done by 10pm, and the waiters and busboys were already wrapping up. Sakura and Sasuke stayed in the mansion's living room for a while. Izumi was sleepy so she and Itachi hurried to go home, but later declined by their mother.
"Itachi, have mercy on your dear wife, she's tired. I don't want her and the baby stressed out."
"Mom, for the last time, she's not yet pregnant." Izumi giggled.
"Just throwing it out there." Mikoto rolled her eyes. "Just sleep on your bedroom."
"Fine." Itachi said in defeat and the two went upstairs to rest.
"We'll be heading home, mom." Sasuke said, followed by a glare from Mikoto.
"Sakura, I wanted to have breakfast with you all so we could talk properly. Is it okay if you stay overnight?" Mikoto said, almost begging, as if this was a once in a lifetime chance. Sakura didn't dare to refuse.
"I would love to, but I don't have spare clothes for the night," she said, embarrassed.
"No problem, dear. I'll have it delivered to Sasuke's bedroom. You two run along now."
The two didn't have much of a choice. If they asked for a guest room, it would've been suspicious. They had no choice but to sleep together in his room.
The second floor of the house was as mesmerizing as the first. Sakura was sure it was their mom's taste. The mansion was primarily colored with gold, beige and white. It was beautiful and fancy looking. Sasuke's room was a bit different. The walls were white and the curtains were navy blue. One side of his bedroom had a window almost from ceiling to the floor, some part covered by the curtains, the outside of it had a good look of their front garden.
His room alone was the size of their apartment. Now Sakura wonders how he managed to adjust his living standards. If he came from this, and managed a great life like an average person, he was crazy awesome.
His bed was king size, and now the two of them were staring at it at the same time.
Will they be sleeping together here?
"I can sleep on the couch." Sasuke shrugged.
"No, uhm, this is your room, I can sleep on the couch, just like in the apartment." His couch wasn't exactly for sleeping though. It was a cleopatra style couch and neither of them could stretch out their feet on it.
"No, I insist."
"I insist as well." Sakura rolled her eyes.
"I insisted first."
"I guess we have to fight for it over rock paper scissors then. Whoever wins, will sleep on the couch!"
"You're crazy! Fine!"
It was one of the most serious rock paper scissors game of the history, Sakura thought. They had 5 rounds, and unfortunately, she lost - so it means she had to sleep on the bed. It felt great, but she was shy, this was Sasuke's bed, and he should sleep on it. Moreover, he was tall, meaning he'd have a hard time sleeping on such a short couch.
"Come on, another round." Sakura bit her lip.
"I won the couch. What do you want?"
"I don't want you to sleep on the couch, I mean - this is your room!"
"And I don't you to sleep on it too. It's me sleeping on the couch or we'll both sleep on the same bed, Sakura."
"Fine!"
"Fine what?"
"We both sleep on the same bed. It's spacious anyway!" Sakura blushed.
"If that's what you want, tiger. You got it." Sasuke smirked, as if he planned all this. "I'll take a shower," he said before he entered his own bathroom.
A knock on the door shocked Sakura in the middle of her inappropriate thoughts.
"Sweetie, sorry to keep you waiting, here's your night clothes. I also have you some new underwear. Goodnight!"
"Thank you, Ms. Mikoto."
Sasuke's mom was an evil plotter, Sakura thought. She had given her a silk white nightgown that covers her from top until only a few inches below her sensitive part. And the underwear were silk too. She would feel so rich in these.
But that wasn't her concern, she'd be sleeping with Sasuke with these on.
It was already late at night, but Sakura felt differently:
The night has just begun.