Please enjoy this fic the way you feel comfortable. I write out of my love for SasuSaku and I deliberately post them on a free platform. You don't OWE me any follows/favourites/reviews. I'm very thankful you even gave my fic a chance, I hope you enjoy it.

The familiar sound of the alarm pulls Sasuke back into consciousness. He sits up on the bed without wasting a moment. Lazing around isn't in his nature. Always getting up as soon as the alarm goes off and leaving the bed the next moment to continue with his daily routine. Punctuality is encoded in his DNA.

However, there are days when he allows himself to take it a little easy. For example Sunday mornings. Or basically any day when he doesn't have work. Technically, he doesn't have work today. To be more specific, he actually did but took it off. Because today he has an appointment. An important once-in-a-lifetime type. One that involves a wedding hall and a bride.

A gorgeous pink haired bride.

She is gorgeous. There's no shame in admitting it to himself. And if he thinks about it, to her either. In fact, he'd very much love to see her reaction when he makes this confession to her.

Sasuke falls back onto the bed; staring at the blue ceiling.

Bride, huh?

However, it's not the idea of a bride that amuses him. The moment he agreed to get married, he knew there'd be a bride involved. It's common sense. What baffles him is the idea of being so in love with so called bride. That wasn't within his calculations.

If he recalls correctly, which he does, when it all started he wasn't excited. He wasn't irritated. He just saw it as a task. Something he needed to do.

He was to be married. For that, he needed a girl. His parents had found him one and he had to see if she was compatible with him. It was simple maths.

She had asked if they could meet at a café of her preference and it was fine by him. According to his logic, it was actually better than a dinner date. Going to a fancy restaurant required getting properly dressed up. And of course there was this whole ordeal of eating dinner together. He was very familiar with the pains of having to put up with an entire dinner with people he couldn't stand thanks to his job.

So, a café was definitely a better idea. Just order a cup of coffee and exchange a few words to see if she doesn't irritate the hell out of him. If the signal was green, then he could take the next step and ask her out on a dinner date next.

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.

.

He had dressed up casually, taking his mother's advice and paying extra attention to his choice of shoes although he himself had no idea why on earth it was so important. Whatever, when he walked into the café, he was completely casual about the whole thing. But when he came out, circumstances were slightly different.

He was getting a little impatient, waiting by himself. But he was almost half an hour early. So, he decided to study his surroundings to while away the time. The only thing he found interesting was the table football at the corner that no-one was paying any attention to. He continued his inspection.

These tables are sturdy enough. If the roof fell down, they'd make a good shelter.

Hn.

What about a fire?

He looked around to see where the fire extinguisher was.

The bell chimed gently and as he turned his face towards the glass door, he saw her standing there. Glancing at the few customers occupying the tables .

He hadn't seen her before. But had heard from his mother that she had naturally pink hair and was called Sakura. So, he immediately knew it was her.

She was wearing a light green loose sweater top and a pair of white capris. She kept searching for a few seconds before finally spotting him. The two pairs of eyes met and Sasuke nodded slightly in affirmation. Sakura started walking towards him. The heels of her pink sandals clicking against the wooden floor.

She gave him a smile. A bold and beautiful one and pulled the chair to sit down across him. And just like that, out of nowhere, in the back of his mind Sasuke heard a voice.

It's going to work.

"I'm not late, you're way too early," she said with a cheerful smile.

Sasuke couldn't come up with a reply except "Hn."

"Hn?" she raised an eyebrow but then offered him another smile; "I'm Sakura by the way; although I assume you might already have figured that out."

"Ah," Sasuke realised he was sitting completely straight, tucking his tummy in and puffing his chest. So, he breathed out and relaxed his muscles a little bit before replying, "I'm Uchiha Sasuke."

"I know who you are," she giggled; "By the way, do you want to order? I really love the chocolate pudding here. Haven't had it in a while. What about you?"

.

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"So, Sasuke… Mr. Uchiha… Okay, first tell me how I address you."

"Sasuke is fine," he informed curtly.

"So, Sasuke, tell me a little about yourself."

Sasuke stared at her for a while, "Like?"

He wasn't familiar with this procedure. He had absolutely no idea how these 'date' things went.

"Like..." Sakura thought for a while, "Tell me what your favourite colour is."

That was a dilemma. He had never tried to give it much thought. He never felt the need. But being asked about it, he tried to think, to analyse.

"Black."

"Black?" Sakura raised an eyebrow, "Are you a narcissist?"

"What does black have to do with being a narcissist?"

"Apparently a lot. I heard narcissists have a liking for black."

"Heard?" Sasuke frowned, "From?"

"Actually it was from a drama I watched. They also said that narcissists have a crazy obsession about appearances. Like if you enter the room of a narcissist, it'd be so clean and tidy at first glance. But then, if you open the wardrobe or the drawers, you'll see how untidy things actually are. They basically try to hide the mess from everyone's eyes."

Sasuke listened to her intently. Before he could make a comment, their orders arrived.

"Aren't you gonna add sugar to that?" Sakura asked as if in a shock as he proceeded to take a sip of his coffee.

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't like sugar," why she was overreacting like that was beyond him.

"So, you drink your coffee just like that? Black and no sugar?"

"Ah."

"That must taste really bitter."

"I like the flavour."

"Seriously, I'll never understand how that works. I'm totally obsessed with sweets," she stopped speaking to take a huge spoonful of her pudding.

"Mmmm… It's so good!"

Sasuke frowned at her, a little startled by the noises she was making. Sakura looked up at him, completely oblivious to her own indecent behaviour, "So, you didn't tell me. Are you like that? Faking appearance type?"

"My room does look tidy at first glance," he shrugged, "And when you look inside my wardrobe or drawers, it still looks tidy. I'm a very organised person. I like my things properly arranged."

"So, you're not a narcissist then."

"By your logic, I might not be."

Sakura stared at him for a while, "Whatever, we're getting off-track here. The main question was your favourite colour and the answer, as you've said, is black. Mine is red."

So, her favourite colour is red.

He eyes automatically travelled to her red hairband.

"What about your favourite food?"

"Favourite food?" Sasuke thought for a while, "Anything with rice and tomato."

"Rice and tomato?" Sakura drew her brows together.

"Hn."

"Okay. Mine is anything sweet. I often get scolded by the dentist because of how much sweets I eat."

Sasuke took a sip of his coffee to feel less… clueless would be the correct choice of word.

"So, colour and food done… Next should be…" she looked deep in thoughts and Sasuke took the time to properly study her facial features. She had a small face, two bright green eyes, a sharp nose and luscious pink lips. Her silky pink hair barely reached below her chin and was adorned with the red hair-band. Altogether, she was a really pretty girl.

Yes, definitely pretty.

Sasuke knew better than to be fooled by looks, but being good-looking definitely didn't count as a negative trait.

Let's see where this goes.

Suddenly his extreme nonchalance regarding this meeting was replaced with a feeling of curiosity.

"What's your hobby?" Sakura finally asked.

"Hobby?"

"Yes, hobby. Like what do you do in your free time?"

"I don't have free time."

"Seriously?" she was clearly scowling.

"I'm busy with my work."

"Then what are you getting married for? To permanently solve the problem of having to find someone to sleep with? Or do you need a free housekeeper? Or are you looking for a uterus to carry your children and then raise them while you're busy with your work?"

Sasuke was completely baffled by her words. It was their first meeting and this clearly wasn't the type of conversation he had anticipated. He had expected her to be… nicer and a little more on the defensive side.

He had no clue regarding how to respond to her accusations.

"Do you think you can look down upon me just because you have a job?" there was a certain pain in her eyes. And also what Sasuke recognised as pure rage. Contempt.

"That's not what I meant," Sasuke leaned back on his polished-wood chair, crossing his arms over his chest, "I think I phrased it incorrectly. I don't have free time because I don't want it. I love my work. And there's nothing else I'd rather do."

Sasuke saw her brows furrowing a little. So he continued, "And regarding why I'm getting married, the simple answer is because my parents want me to. Doesn't the same go for you as well? I don't see why you'd be so excited to marry a stranger."

Sakura raised her brows a little before exhaling loudly.

"Well…"

"My parents, especially my mother is worried that if left on my own, I'll spend the rest of my life indulged in my work. And her worries aren't completely baseless. In general, I lack the energy to go out and interact with people unless it's work-related. I'm not very likely to find a partner for myself. Because like I said, my work is my first priority."

"So, It's kind of like you're in love with your work, isn't it?" she asked is a serious tone.

He contemplated the idea for a while.

"I guess you could say that."

"I see. That's how it is," Sakura nodded like she just understood how to solve a very complicated mathematical problem.

"However," Sasuke sat straight once again, hands on the table; "If I do end up getting married, I'll balance properly between my private life and professional life. I won't ignore my family and spend the entire time at work like I do now. I know how to do that. I've seen my father."

"I see," Sakura looked convinced, "I'm sorry I attacked you like that. It's… just that I'm tired of people looking down at me," she gave a smile but it was different from her previous cheerful ones. There was a certain sadness in it. Especially evident in those green eyes of hers.

"Whatever," suddenly it was back. The bright cheerfulness in her eyes. And Sasuke decided on a whim that it suited her far better than the sadness. "We've moved too far from our topic. So, you don't have a hobby because let's say your work in itself is your hobby. Mine is books."

"Books?"

"Yep. I absolutely love reading books."

Sasuke nodded slightly.

"And I love watching films too."

"What's your favourite film?" Sasuke surprised himself by how fast he came up with the question.

"That's difficult, you know. I mean there are so many good films and they're all so different. I can't really compare them."

"Hn," Sasuke nodded as he took a sip of his coffee.

"But if I had to pick one-"

He looked at her face, she was deeply immersed in her thoughts. Thin rosy brows furrowed and glossy pink lips slightly puckered. He wondered what her answer would be. He himself had watched quite a few films. Maybe she'd name one of them? He was starting to wish she would. He felt it'd be nice to have a common topic to talk about. Because for some reason unknown, he didn't want this conversation to end.

"No. I'm sorry, I can't."

"Huh?"

"I can't pick one," Sakura shook her head and then took a sip of water from her glass.

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.

.

Sasuke frowned as Sakura pulled out a light green bicycle from the shade.

"What the-"

"It's my bicycle," she informed him with a wide smile on her face.

"You came here on a bicycle?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded; "I came from work. I ride this to work."

"Work?" he frowned.

"Yeah. Contrary to what you might've been told, I'm not completely unemployed. I work part-time at the library," Sakura gave a proud smile.

"Oh," that revelation was unexpected. And interesting in his opinion.

From then onwards, it was rather easy. In fact the more time passed, the easier it got. Although, things didn't go as he had initially planned them to. For example, the fancy dinner date never really took place. But he didn't have any complaints.

Growing up, he never felt attracted to the opposite gender in that sense. Therefore, he was under the impression that falling in love was practically impossible for him. He had laughed at his elder brother who once told him about the 'right person' and how everything changes in an instant.

But there he was, having left work on time in a state of impatience and standing in front of the mirror, checking his hair and trying to figure out exactly how attractive he looked. That was when he knew.

"Yeah. It's pretty simple. Scan the bar-code on the membership card, scan the bar-code in the book, issue the book for two weeks."

Sasuke was looking at her face as she spoke cheerfully.

"I bet it sounds too boring to you. Your job is so complicated," she smiled a little and then shouted, "Oh shit! It's melting!"

"But it'd seem boring to you," he shrugged as Sakura struggled to manage her melting ice lolly.

"Eh?"

"My job. It'll be boring for you. Because you're not interested in it. You enjoy your work, that's all that matters. How I or anyone else feels about it is irrelevant."

He saw the look of surprise on her face. Green eyes wide, brows going up, pink lips parted; as if at a loss for words. Then, she smiled. Very gently and he'd bet he saw her eyes filling up with tears that she somehow managed to keep from spilling out.

Sakura suddenly brought her face near his chest and sniffed.

"WHAT… are you doing?" Sasuke almost jumped. He could feel a heat rising to his cheeks and ears.

"Your perfume," Sakura spoke as she sniffed him once again, very attentively, "It smells really nice."

Sasuke was about to bask in the glory of the compliment when she added, "Did you put it on especially to impress me?"

What?

Her face was still very close to his chest, green eyes sparkling, an eyebrow raised and a mischievous smile playing on those glossy pink lips.

There were several things going on in his head.

First and foremost, of course that was the purpose of the perfume. But there was NO WAY he was going to admit it to her.

Then, those full lips. He suddenly had the urge to know what they'd feel like under his own. She had put on some lip-gloss or something, making them look even more luscious.

Thirdly, his heart was beating too fast and too loud. And her face being so close to that particular organ made him nervous that she'd hear those loud thuds against his ribs.

"You really did put it on to impress me," Sakura said decisively and she finally stepped away from him. A little to his relief but mostly to his disappointment.

Okay, Sasuke, say something.

"You know, I read there's a scientific explanation to it," she continued as she resumed walking. "Like I'm liking the scent of your perfume, so I'm gonna try to inhale it more and more. Which in turn will make me inhale the pheromones your body is releasing. They will affect my female hormones and I'll feel sexually attracted to you."

Choking on water was a known concept but that was the decisive moment of his life when Sasuke learnt that choking on thin air was also physiologically possible.

But Sakura didn't notice. She just went on, "Although these things would be more effective when I'm ovulating. There are research reports saying ovulating women release the most effective pheromones. So, you'll smell my pheromones and they'll affect your male hormones and make you want to have sex with me. The ultimate purpose being reproduction. Sometimes, it surprises me, you know, how everything has been planned perfectly by Nature. I personally think babies being cute is also Nature's way of ensuring their safety. Otherwise how is it that babies of any animal look cute? Humans? Cats? Dogs? Chickens? Rabbits? Tigers? Goats? Sasuke, are you alright?" she had finally turned around and discovered a Sasuke whose face closely resembled the colour of a boiling lobster.

"Are you alright?" she took a step towards him with a concerned look on her face. "Do you have a fever?" she reached out her hand to feel the temperature but before she could touch his skin, Sasuke managed to take a step backwards. He didn't think he could survive her touch at the moment.

"What happened?"

"Nothing," he declared confidently. Well, he tried his best to make it sound confident but his voice wasn't being very co-operative.

"What are you-" the frown on her face disappeared and Sasuke knew it was bad news. "Don't tell me you're embarrassed because I talked about us having sex?"

Thank you for pointing it out once again. This time more blatantly.

"Seriously?" she laughed hard, throwing her head back, "I can't believe you. Are you one of those kids who get embarrassed during the reproduction chapter in biology?

Sasuke stood there, feeling utterly humiliated.

"But I remember I said things about me carrying your babies on the day we first met. You weren't flustered then. So, why now after all this time?"

Because back then I wasn't particularly in love with you. Therefore when you said those things, my mind didn't automatically jump to produce images of them.

Very graphic ones.

"Tch. As if."

"What as if?"

"Why'd I be embarrassed? I think I might really have a fever," he put his hand over his mouth and fake coughed.

Sakura scrutinised him, an eyebrow raised and then turned around to walk ahead of him, "Let's go get some ice-cream."

"What?"

"Your fake fever won't get worse if you had an ice-cream."

"What? It's not fake. I really have a-" cough cough.

"You're terrible at lying."

"I'm not."

"So, you are lying?" she spun around with a mischievous smile on her face.

What the-

"Let's hurry. If we don't, we'll miss the fireworks," she was already running ahead of him.

"Annoying," he muttered and then followed after her.

It had taken him a lot of courage.

What if she thinks I'm planning something and that's why I'm inviting her over?

But you really are planning something, that's why you're inviting her over.

But it's nothing inappropriate. So isn't it okay? And I think it's very important.

Of course it is.

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.

.

"I didn't know you could cook. And so well," Sakura gave him a bright smile and took a sip of her wine.

"Now that you do, you can finally believe I wasn't planning to marry you so that you can cook my food," he tried to act smug.

But something in Sakura's face changed. There was a sudden shock, evident in her eyes. And… there was a certain something. He couldn't exactly read it yet, but it was there.

"I know," she finally said and looked down at her plate, "I… I didn't…"

"What are you getting so worked up for? I was just teasing. Eat your food," he said and took another spoonful of the fried rice.

Sakura kept quiet after that, just eating in silence. The only sound in the room was of spoons clinking against the plates. It felt weird to Sasuke. Generally, she'd chatter continuously about all sorts of things. Irrelevant things, unimportant things. Her being quiet just didn't… make sense.

It was making Sasuke tremendously nervous. Also because of the plans he had. Suddenly, his spoon slipped from his hand because of the sweating, making a loud noise as it fell on the china plate.

Sakura looked up at him.

Do it. Now.

He knew exactly how to do it, he had practiced over and over several times. But still, with her actually sitting opposite to him on his dining table, it seemed like his confidence was being sucked away by a black hole.

He looked at her plate. She was almost halfway done.

I have to do it now.

"Sakura-"

She was looking at him with full attention.

Sasuke cleared his throat. "I have something to ask you."

He saw her brows furrowing a little bit. But she still didn't ask any questions.

"Well…" he rubbed the sweat away from his hand and reached inside his pocket.

He placed a small deep blue velvet box on the table between the two plates and saw her eyes go wide.

Getting his confidence back, he smirked a little and reaching out, opened the box.

Inside, there was a ring. A silver band adorned with a single dark red ruby.

He cleared his throat once again, "Now," he reached his right hand out to hold hers, "Haruno Sakura, will you marry me?"

He felt her small soft hand tremble inside his grip, her eyes went wide, "S-Sasuke…"

The expression on her face wasn't exactly what he had anticipated. There was something in her eyes… Something different… It wasn't just surprise…

"You didn't have to-"

"I know," he squeezed her hand lightly, trying to offer her some assurance. "But I want to ask you properly. I want to know if you want to marry me. Because I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

She looked shaken. He saw tears falling from her eyes onto her plate. She pulled her hand away to cover her face with. Sasuke was starting to get a little confused.

Did he make a mistake? Did he do something he wasn't supposed to do? Or was this how women normally reacted to a proposal?

He was absolutely clueless.

But I had to do this.

To him, it was no longer a marriage he was going through with because of his parents. He was already in love with her. He wanted to know if she shared the same sentiments. If she wanted to be with him like he wanted to be with her. Not because it was what their parents had arranged, but because it was what she wanted.

He didn't think doing it outside in a public place was a good idea. That's why he had planned all of this, offering her the ring within the confines of his flat.

After a while, Sakura slowly removed her hands. Sasuke could see that the tip of her nose and her cheeks had turned red. He could feel his heart beating erratically in his chest.

"I do," she finally spoke in a raspy voice. Giving him a gentle smile, and Sasuke felt like he could breathe again. All doubts and insecurities disappeared in a moment.

He took the ring out of the box and very carefully placed in on her left ring finger. It suited her perfectly, as if it was meant for her. He lightly brushed his thumb over the ring and then placed a gentle kiss on it.

He saw her blush.

"Thank you, Sakura."

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.

.

He was dropping her off since it was already late. Throughout the entire ride, he caught her looking at the ring several times.

"The ring," she spoke, examining it once again, "It isn't very expensive, is it?"

Sasuke was a little taken aback by that question.

"You know, I'm very clumsy," Sakura gave him an awkward smile, "I lose things pretty often. I'd feel worried going around wearing an expensive ring."

Sasuke's chest felt light again and he replied smugly, "It's not that expensive. But I picked it especially for you. So it's still very valuable."

Being flirtatious wasn't in his nature. But this, according to him counted as a really impressive performance.

Although his eyes were focused on the road, he could see her staring at him, bright green eyes shinning. After a while, she gave a soft smile and said, "Of course it is. Thank you, Sasuke. I promise I'll always treasure it."

She went back to admiring the ring once again, much to Sasuke's satisfaction.

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"Goodnight, Sasuke," Sakura smiled gently as the two of them stood outside her house.

To Sasuke, it all looked like a dream. There was a gentle breeze, messing with her hair and the hem of her pink knee-length dress. The moon was almost full and the shadows of the trees were dancing with the wind.

Sakura tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and the moonlight reflected on the cherry like ruby of the ring. It reminded him that this woman, this beautiful woman standing in front of him was his. His to love and cherish. There was a strange feeling inside his chest. A completely foreign one.

Before he knew it, he had taken a step towards her. A single strand of pink hair was still stuck to her lips, thanks to the lip-gloss. Sasuke went ahead to remove it casually. But as his hand made contact with the soft skin of her face, suddenly all calculations went wrong. He felt like there was nothing else in this world. Nothing except the two of them under the magical moonlight.

He bent down and brushed his lips against hers. Very gently. He lingered there, a moment too long. Soon, she started to kiss him back. And there was nothing gentle about it. She was kissing him passionately, with everything she had. Taking him by surprise.

When they parted, they were both out of breath and pink in the cheeks. He saw tears streaming down her face. It left him a little confused. He was just about to ask her if she was okay but she spoke before he could.

"I'm so happy," she whispered with a smile on her face, "Thank you Sasuke," her tears were glistening in the moonlight.

Sasuke feels a little giddy in his stomach as he reminisces. That night, everything about it was so special, so ethereal, they left an indelible mark on his heart. In his mind, he has played these scenes again and again. Re-living every single moment innumerable times. And yet, every-time it feels just as special.

Today is the day.

After today, she'd be his. And him hers.

For the rest of their lives.

It's a very serious commitment. But instead of making him nervous, somehow it only makes him very comfortable and warm inside. The idea of waking up every morning next to Sakura, seeing her smile every-day, listening to her constant chatters, sharing every aspect of his life with her. Then after a few years, there'd be babies. Tiny babies, half him half Sakura. He had never imagined himself looking forward to the future this much.

Life is so strange. You never know how things are gonna change, huh?

He lazily reaches out for his phone on the bedside table.

Maybe she has sent a text?

He still finds it hard to believe that he's so deeply in love. For someone who spent his teenage days, those infamous days when hormones make real fools out of people, he spent those days thinking about cars instead of girls and now, at twenty five, here he is.

To his satisfaction, he indeed finds a text from his would-be-bride. He smirks as he opens it.

'I'm telling you because I really don't want you to embarrass yourself in front of people. Don't arrive at the wedding hall today because I won't.

And also, I know this won't make a difference, but I am sorry.'

He stares at the screen for a long time.

What type of a prank is this?

He calls her immediately as his brain starts functioning again. But surprisingly, it doesn't reach.

What does this mean?

What is she doing?

Don't tell me she really did run away on our wedding day?

Did she get a cold feet?

He tries calling her again as his brain storms through a million possible reasons behind her bizarre text. But in vain.

What's wrong with her?

Damn it, Sakura. What are you thinking?

Suddenly, scenes from that night flash in his mind.

That look, the one he couldn't figure out back then. The tears he had taken to be tears of joy. The concern about the ring being expensive.

Guilt.

Shame.

Lies.

Sasuke sits up on the bed once again, a vain throbbing in his forehead. The phone plops onto the grey mattress. But he doesn't really care, because he knows calling her won't make any difference now.

Damn it! She didn't get a cold feet. She had it all planned.

Note: Yes I started another fic. These days I'm having some struggles regarding Helter Skelter tbh.

Whatever, I'm not in my right mind right now cause this latest news about SasuSaku going out on a long mission together (again! seriously?) has got me totally high. These two literally have no chills, they just have to be so extra. I haven't been able to focus on my studies or literally anything. Hell I was eating my food with the paper wrapping until my mother pointed it out. Yes I'm that excited.

I hope that was a good first chapter. Do tell me if you find typos.

Love,

June ❤️

[31.05.2020]