a/n: I know I'm over a month late and all, but I NEEDED to write something for my favorite girl! It's short, I know, but at least it's something cute this time. College has been killing me lately and I can't wait for vacations so I'll finish all the fics I've started through these past few weeks! Please, be just a bit more patient with me. It hurts not to be able to write as much as I would want to T.T Still, I hope you enjoy this little one, and please, tell me what you think! It's always good to get some feedback!

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She looked incredibly serene at that moment. Emerald eyes focused as they read every word in front of them, pink lips forming a thin line as she signed a few pages and fingers slightly brushing the rim of her coffee mug as she continued to make her way through another stack of documents. Papers were scattered all around the table as well as a mix of medical records and pathology scrolls, and he could easily tell there were some pens lost in the middle of that organized mess she usually makes while taking care of her daily share of paperwork. There were barely any sounds echoing through the walls of her apartment, and even if the silence wouldn't normally bother him, Uchiha Sasuke couldn't be more annoyed at the scene in front of him.

That idiot, he thought. She had done it again.

As he watched her from her couch with those intense eyes of his, the raven haired boy had no doubt in his mind that Sakura had forgotten what day it was again. It was probably the third time in a row already, and right now, not even the Uchiha could take that lack of common sense from her. Not anymore.

Not this year, when they were finally together, and— according to that dobe— it was now his responsibility as her boyfriend to make sure the pinkette's workaholic tendencies didn't keep her from being a decent human being.

As her boyfriend, it was now his responsibility to make sure she remembered her own birthday.

Even if he had to be a little rude to do so.

After he finally gave up on the idea that she would somehow surprise him by suddenly remembering her own day, Sasuke closed the book he had been pretending to read since she got home and walked over to her. He found himself a seat across from her in the middle of all those papers, and had she spared a glance at him, Sakura would've found a pair of mismatched eyes judging every cell of her body.

" You forgot it again." He stated, his voice calm as ever as he was clearly condemning her actions.

" Well…" She started, not taking her eyes from her papers as she remained unaltered by his clearly condemning words. " Since nothing comes to mind even after your words, it's safe to say you're right, Sasuke-kun. I forgot."

" Don't you even wanna try remembering it?"

" Not really. I'm kinda busy, as you can see, and it's not like it's an emergency or anything."

" Oh, and how can you possibly know that if you don't even know what you forgot?"

" That's pretty easy to tell, actually." Sakura finally looked up at him, her ever-so-green eyes calm and serene, as she was clearly not bothered by whatever it was that she had forgotten. " You see, you're here, safe and healthy. No one barged in through the front door telling me either Naruto or Kakashi-sensei aren't okay, so I assume they're also safe and healthy. There's a closed box somewhere in the kitchen from my parents that arrived a few hours ago, so I also can assume they're safe and healthy. Tsunade-sama is also safe and healthy since Shizune-san didn't call me or anything, and the village is clearly not on fire… So, yeah, whatever it may be that I forgot, it's not an emergency, therefore, it's not more important than these papers."

The way her expression didn't change as she said all those things slowly grew on him. His hand turned into a fist, words got caught up in his throat and he swore he had to count up to thirty not to burn down all those papers with his Amaterasu. At that moment, as she slowly returned to her work without further explanation, Sasuke didn't really know what to do to put some sense into her. He knew he couldn't scream, for her neighbors would start knocking on the door worried about her. He wanted to shake her stubborn head— and damn it!

He wanted to smack a calendar on the table and scream that she was becoming one year older on that very day and that she was supposed to be a normal person and celebrate it with her loved ones and cake!

Of all the things the pinkette could've become during the three years he was away, a medical ninja with no sense of normality was the last thing he would've placed his bets on. At first, those new traits of hers were really appealing, and seeing how professional she looked even did things to him he couldn't really name. She got rid of that childish personality of hers and he was really proud to see her focusing on her training now.

The Uchiha was proud of the woman she became. Though, as he began to spend more time at the village and with her, he realized the ninja world did not need an emotionally dense Haruno Sakura.

Honestly, all those technical terms and medical priorities made of her an incredibly stoic and messed adult. Always running late to places, barely getting any food or sleep; and constantly worrying about the people she loves while holding that beautiful smile on her face.

Tch. She's so, freaking responsible. He really wonders where all that strictness came from considering her master's personal records.

That is certainly not the girl he left behind on that tragic night all those years ago. She's no longer that girl he once fell in love with during the spring of his troubled youth. She's smarter, stronger and a lot braver than she used to be, and he doubts he could ever not be captivated by how she's flourished.

Sakura has become a formidable woman, there's no denying that.

But at times like those, when her emotional density is flourishing, Sasuke knows she's still that same, annoying girl as before. The only diference is that, now, apart from her incredible skills and that twisted sense of normal, he's there to take care of her. Even if she's more than capable of taking care of everything, he's finally there to make sure someone will take good care of her.

And that, of course, means reminding her of the existence important things that are not related to her job.

Once he realized she was not going to leave her spot so soon, Sasuke stood up from his place and took a few steps until he was standing next to her. His eyes were looking down at her, and if anything, he couldn't help but love the way those short, pink strands refused to stay tucked behind her ear. She seemed incredibly focused based on those angry highlights, and were that any other day, he swore he would've let her finish whatever that was that she was working on.

Too bad for her that it was her birthday.

" Sakura." He said, almost as a whisper, immediately attracting her attention. She turned her face up to meet his, her hair falling a little to the side. Judging by how fast she turned, it was possible to tell the pinkette was about to offer him a snarky comment regarding his unusual impatience, however, before she could even open her mouth, his lips were already on hers.

Green eyes widened, hearts skipped a beat and her mind was clouded by that unexpected kiss initiated by her stoic boyfriend. The contact was as soft and intimate as the first time, and since he had to lean down, his jet black hair was falling forward and brushing her cheeks. It was a calm, chaste kiss, but judging by her flushed face, it felt a lot more than that.

Any kiss between them always feels a lot more than that.

" W-What was that for?!"

" Hn." He smirked, taking a few steps towards the fridge so he could drink some water. " Can't I just kiss my girlfriend for no reason?"

" No, you can't!" She stood up, still flushed and with her face growing a bit angry due to curiosity. " I mean, yes, you can, but that's not something you would do without a very good reason!"

" Aah… You're right. There's a reason for that and it has something to do with what you forgot."

" You have got to be kidding me!" She whimpered, pouting like a small child. " What could it be so important for you to actually stop what you're doing to tease me?! Is it our anniversary or something?!"

" Well…." He started, enjoying that situation more than he probably should. " You can say so. Though you don't need to know, right? It's not like it's an emergency."

" I really hate you right now, Sasuke-kun." She glared at him, hands crossed over her chest and eyebrows knitted together. " This is so unfair, shannarou!"

" Are you sure you don't even wanna try finding out?"

" Can't you at least give me a hint?"

" No. You're not a child."

" Meany… Tch." She sighed impatiently, running her fingers through her pink locks and knowing very well that she was playing right into his game. " What could it possibly be?! I don't know what on earth is supposed to happen on March—" Her eyes suddenly widened, as if a really cold breeze hit her face. Bingo, he thought, as her entire expression showed him that, at last, she had remembered about the day she was born " …28. Oh… Are you seriously making such a mess just because of my birthday?!"

" Tch, You're impossible… Do you seriously not see any problem in forgetting your own birthday?"

" Not really…. It's not the first time, and it probably won't be the last, but…" She smiled softly, clearly not caring about the whole point of this conversation anymore. " If it will make you kiss me like that again every year, then I'm fine with that."

A chuckle escaped her lips, and at that moment, the Uchiha didn't know if he wanted to scold her for being so dense or if he wanted to just kiss her again for being that cute. His girlfriend can really be a dork sometimes, and even if he will never admit it out loud, he loves that pure side of hers.

It's annoying and incredibly troublesome, but it's who she is and he would never change anything about her.

Not even if he wanted to, Haruno Sakura could never be changed.

And surprisingly, he's glad about that.

" You're really annoying, Sakura."

"What did you just say, you ba—" Her phrase was suddenly cut by the sight of a blue, flying box coming towards her. She managed to catch before it hit the floor, and by the time the small object was safe in her hands, her boyfriend was already by the door putting on his shoes. "W-Wait! Where are you going!? And what is this?"

" You see... " He turned to her, his face calm and serene as he had clearly given up on hoping his girlfriend would be able to connect the normal dots of life. " I'm heading out to get a cake and some drinks like Naruto asked me to. There are a few people coming over later today, so could you please prepare everything around here?"

" What?! But I still have work to do! There are still all those papers to read, those documents to sign and—"

" That's not my problem. That Dobe is your friend and he has invited a few people over. They're coming to celebrate with you, whether you like it or not, so you better be ready by the time they get here."

"... Okay. And what about—"

" The box? It's called a birthday present. Open and find out what it is. I'm heading out now but I'll be home soon. Do you need anything?"

" Actually…." She tagged along, standing closer, but not close enough to reach out and touch him.

" What is it, Sakura?"

" Thank you, Sasuke-kun…" She smiled softly, clutching the small box to her heart. " Thank you."

" Hn." He turned around, hiding a small smile from her. That girl…. She really is annoying. " You're welcome. It is your birthday, after all."