Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Carnival

"Oi, teme!" A blonde teenager yelled as he crossed the street, waving to another boy with dark hair. "Teme, wait for me!" Having arrived at the "teme's" side, the blonde grinned. "There's a carnival in town this month."

"Hn." The dark-haired boy continued walking as if he didn't have a companion. The blonde, apparently accustomed to this behavior, quickened his pace to keep up.

"You know, girls love carnivals." The blonde swung an arm around his friend's shoulders. "I bet Sakura's the type to want one of those giant stuffed animals."

"Hn."

"Teme, are you listening! Sakura would love a carnival. You are madly in love with Sakura. Solution: take her to the carnival!" At this, the blonde received a sharp slap to the back of his head.

"Shut your mouth, dobe."

Despite being hit, the blonde grinned. "We'll take the whole gang, so you should grow a pair and ask her out quickly. See you this Saturday, teme!"

Honestly, he couldn't believe he was doing this. Sure, he liked the girl, but come on – a carnival? It didn't get lamer than that. While Konoha didn't have one of those sketchy "built in one day" get ups, it was a carnival. They were meant for five-year-olds and couples that displayed way too much affection. How was he – Uchiha Sasuke – supposed to ask her – Haruno Sakura – out?

He blamed his so-called "best friend" – Uzumaki Naruto – for this. If he had just asked everyone as a group, there would be no pressure. It wouldn't be so obvious that the Uchiha was really asking for a date. With her.

That's why he was walking towards the ice cream parlor. It was already Friday afternoon, and he hadn't had the courage to ask her out yet. She worked at a number of odd jobs around town – at the library, the grocery store, the bowling alley, and the ice cream parlor – to save money for her college education. Med school wasn't cheap, after all.

Arriving at the shop, the boy stood in front of the window meant for placing orders and tried to ignore the shrieking of children as they gobbled up their treats. A pretty face appeared on the other side of the window. The skin was a light tan, the eyes a dazzling emerald, the hair undeniably pink. Put them together, and you get her – Sakura.

"Sasuke!" A quizzical expression bloomed on her face. "What are you doing here? I thought you didn't like sweets?"

Sasuke cleared his throat. His mouth was too dry. Damn her for having this kind of effect on him. "Sakura." Her eyes sparkled. "The dobe wanted to tell you that we're all going to that carnival tomorrow night. Ah, uh, I could walk with you to get there, if you wanted." That statement was as close to asking for a date as the boy could go.

The girl stood motionless for a second, evidently caught off guard. "Oh, Sasuke…" They boy knew what was coming, and steeled himself for it. Rejection. Excuses not to go. With him. "I'm supposed to work tomorrow night. I'm sorry…"

"Ah…" The boy would have told her to take one night to herself, but then it would only rub in the humiliation if she turned him down a second time. Instead, he turned away, muttering a goodbye.

"See you, Sasuke…" He missed how she shook her head in confusion, and how her mouth was opened – prepared to say more.

"Teme! What do you mean you're not coming!" Naruto was yelling, as usual. The two boys were at the gym; the Uchiha pounded on a punching bag while his friend held it in place.

"Hn. She's working, so there's no point in me going as well." This earned the bag a harder punch. Admittedly, the boy was pissed. Not at Sakura, but at the world in general. The one time he asks her out, and she can't go.

"But…" A light bulb appeared to go off in the blonde's head. "Oh, yeah! I forgot – she told me like a week ago that she's starting a new job somewhere. My bad, I guess…"

In order to prevent injury of his best friend – though it was very tempting – Sasuke delivered an exceptionally powerful kick to the bag. "You couldn't have remembered this before I asked her out?"

"Heh, sorry! But you still have to come to the carnival. I mean, there might be another girl that catches your eye!"

"I seriously doubt it, dobe."

Giant stuffed animals. Spinning rides. Cotton candy stands. People walking around on stilts. Yep, this was definitely a carnival. Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets as he observed his friends. Though they were supposed to be just friends, it was undeniable that they came in pairs. The dobe and Hinata. Neji and Tenten. Shikamaru and Ino. He was the odd man out.

"We should go on some rides!" Naruto eagerly announced. "C'mon, Hinata, let's go!" The poor girl turned a violent shade of red as the blonde took her hand and began pulling her towards the merry-go-round.

"Hey, idiot, not everyone wants to puke first thing. I say we play some games first!" Ino, the female equivalent of Naruto, suggested as she placed her hands on her hips and pouted stubbornly. A faint "troublesome" was muttered by her companion.

"How about we just wander around for a bit and see what there is?" Tenten was almost always the median, as most of the group members were notoriously hot-tempered and stubborn.

Muttered consents followed. The group wandered around the grounds. There was a general air of happiness, except around the lone Uchiha boy. Though he tried to hide it, he was internally sulking. This night was going to be a complete waste without the pink-haired girl by his side.

"Hey!" The group turned towards a boy with brown hair and red face paint that was jogging toward them.

"Kiba, hey!" Naruto grinned good-naturedly at the newcomer. "Is this cool or what?"

"Oh, yeah, it's pretty awesome." His eyes seemed clouded over, and a goofy grin adorned his face. "Have you been over near the kissing booth? Two words: holy shit." He blinked and focused his eyes on Sasuke. "I recommend you go especially, Uchiha. Might help get that stick out of your ass."

"I don't need to make out with a random girl, dog breath."

Instead of taking offense, the brunette's gin broadened. "Heh, whatever you say, buddy. If I were you, I'd hold my tongue before you say anything more." With that, the boy disappeared into the crowd.

Two hours into this little endeavor and the group was getting antsy. They had pretty much covered the whole fair grounds, leaving very little to do.

"You know, I'm curious what Kiba was talking about. Maybe there will be something interesting by the kissing booth." Ino yet again made a suggestion after ten more minutes of walking.

As they approached the far side of the grounds, cheesy love songs blared out the speakers. The lights of the booth were tacky reds, pinks, and whites in the shape of a heart. A man in his mid-twenties had a megaphone to his mouth and was speaking at large to the long line that had formed.

"Step right up and enjoy a smooch from a local beauty! Three tickets get you a peck on the cheek and one lucky man will get one on the lips before the end of the night!" He directed his words towards the oncoming group of teens. "Come on, gentlemen, how could you resist this lovely lady?"

A curtain was pulled and the kisser revealed. The girl was a local beauty for sure. She wore a simple white shirt and low-rise jeans. Her skin was a light tan, her eyes a dazzling emerald and her hair undeniably pink.

"S-Sakura?

Seven jaws gaped to the floor. What on earth was she – the picture of innocence – doing in a carnival kissing booth?

Ino, the first to recover, giggled. "Well, I guess we know why she couldn't come tonight."

"Sakura working the magic on strangers; who would have thought she liked it that way." Tenten smiled and waved at her friend. "Wonder which of those guys she'll have to kiss on the lips? They all look kind of sketchy to me."

Unnoticed by the group, the raven-haired boy's fists were clenched. His eyes appeared to be flashing between their typical black to red. He began to walk forward.

"Oi! Uchiha, where are you going?" The boy didn't respond. He also ignored the many protest as he shoved through the men in line in order to reach the booth.

"Hey, kid, you're not getting in here without tickets. These guys are paying good money to see this chick."

"This should cover it." Reaching into his pocket, the boy pulled out some money and shoved it at the attendant before stalking into the booth.

"Sasuke!" The girl was obviously alarmed at his appearance. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I'll ask you the same question." The boy was seething.

"I'm working, Sasuke, like I told you yesterday." The girl crossed her arms defensively. "And I know what you're thinking, but I'm not being a whore for being here. It's only a kiss on the cheek."

The boy's anger melted away – it was impossible for him to stay angry at her. "Yeah, well, in case you haven't heard, you'll have to go further than that with someone." The trademark Uchiha smirk crossed the boy's mouth. "So, it might as well be with me."

The girl barely had time to blink before her lips were pressed against the boy's. The kiss was sweet and innocent, but it was still enough to make Sakura's cheeks turn a bright red.

"I… Sasuke… what…?" She managed to splutter as the crowd, which had witnessed the kiss, began to roar in protest. "What was that for?"

"It's a kissing booth, Sakura." With that, the boy walked away – a smirk still on his face. He hadn't gone more than fifty feet when the distinct sound of footsteps reached his ears.

"Uchiha!" Apparently the girl was now stalking him. The blush remained on her cheeks, but her eyes held flames. "You can't just do that!"

"What exactly did I do wrong?"

"You kissed me! You're supposed to win me one of those giant stuffed animals and buy me candy and tell me how pretty I look from the top of the Ferris wheel before you can kiss me!" She stopped with a few feet between them. "At least that's what you're supposed to do when you like someone…"

The boy's smirk only faltered for a second as he noticed Sakura's crestfallen expression.

"Tch, you're a baka, you know. I did ask you out. You're the one that shut me down for work…" Before the girl could reply, he took her hand in his with a small smile. "But if you want me to do all that stuff now, I can."

A wolf whistle coming from their blonde friend was audible as the two teens kissed again – this time with a little more passion.

So Sasuke had to admit, maybe carnivals weren't so bad after all.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading! Reviews would be lovely :)

xo, Katie