Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Daisuki ❯ How Sweet It Is ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Naruto characters, DAMNIT.

 

Daisuki Ch. 4

How Sweet It Is

 

"Thank you so much for stopping by!" The cash drawer chinked shut while Sakura waved off her last customer as he carried a large bouquet of sunflowers out of the shop. She sighed in contentment, stuck in a daydream with her eyes fixed on the sunny day outside the shop windows.

 

"Hey," Ino called, staring at her over the top of the bushel of roses she was carrying. "Oi, forehead!" Sakura sighed again, a lazy smile tugging at her lips. The blonde frowned before she chucked the pen from her apron pocket, nailing the other girl smack on the face.

 

"Ouch! What was that for??" The pink haired kunoichi pouted while she rubbed her nose, narrowing her eyes at her attacker.

 

With one hand on her hip, shifting her weight onto her other leg Ino raised her eyebrows. "Maybe if you weren't off in some other world I wouldn't have to throw objects at your face." Eyes glancing up at the clock she moved to set the roses into the nearest bucket of water. "It's a little past lunchtime, but would you mind picking up some food for the both of us? I'm starving."

 

Sakura smirked, "You would be, pigs tend to eat throughout the day." The blonde shot her a death-glare but the other only laughed, holding up her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll go get the food, don't get your panties in a twist."

 

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"Lee san, take a break already! You're making me tired just from watching!" Tenten whined, her chest heaving as she plopped down into the shade. Neji had taken his place in the shade a long time before then, watching Lee with curiosity even though his face never gave it away. Once again his chest was bare, sweat glistening on every inch until the next kick hit the post and droplets shook to the ground. He paused to look towards his teammates, that familiar childlike pout on his face.

 

"What's the point in training if we're just going to take breaks the entire time?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

"Don't make it seem like we haven't been training just as hard as you have, Lee!" Tenten immediately replied, "If you don't want to rest, then make yourself useful and get some food for all of us. I haven't eaten since yesterday…" She was whining again, patting her stomach with her free hand.

 

"Lunch would be nice," The byakugan user added in his usual serious tone.

 

Lee sighed; there was no arguing with either of them. Wiping the sweat from his forehead he nodded compliantly, "I'll go get lunch then, but when I come back you better not be asleep!"

 

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"Waah, it's so hot today!" She fanned herself as she walked through the marketplace, still unable to decide on just what kind of food to get herself and Ino. Sakura had skipped on her usual ninja attire on account of the weather, instead she'd gone out in a simple white sundress, tied in a bow behind her neck and stopped mid-thigh. Never one to wear flats, not even during missions, her cork sandals had heels as well, with light green ribbons criss-crossed up her calves and stopping in a bow behind her knees.

 

With a barrette in hand she reached behind her head and quickly pinned up her hair, too hot for even her short strands to hang down. The pink haired kunoichi stopped at a sushi stall, the idea of cold fish on a hot day an inviting idea; it would be expensive, but well worth it. She leaned over the tubs of ice, cradling an assortment of sushi packages with a variety of combinations. Putting a finger to her lips she carefully thought of which ones to grab, having a hard time making a decision.

 

He stopped the moment he saw her. Lee swallowed the lump in his throat, allowing his eyes to wander over all of her. Up creamy legs, a pause at the small of her back, her petite waist, slender arms. When he finally came to her chest he had to force himself to watch her face instead…an accident in the middle of the marketplace wasn't something he wanted to happen anytime soon.

 

"This one and…" Sakura pursed her lips but shivered suddenly as a chill went down her spine. The strawberry blonde looked over her shoulder and was surprised to see Lee only a few feet away. Her features relaxed and then her entire face seemed to light up when she smiled, or maybe he was caught in another daydream.

 

"Lee, come over here!" The kunoichi was waving at him and he shook off the daze, walking over as if he hadn't been off in another world only moments before.

 

"Shopping for lunch, Sakura san?" He asked with a smile, genuinely happy to have stumbled upon the girl who constantly took his breath away.

 

"Ino sent me out since I wasn't being much of a help in the shop…Lee san, you're completely drenched." Sakura finally took in the latter's physical state, surprising herself that she hadn't noticed this shirtless body sooner. She found herself grinning, "And is there any particular reason every time we run into each other you're always half naked?"

 

He was the one to blush this time; now this was more like it. Lee laughed at her joke, reaching up to brush the damp bangs from his gaze, "Gomen ne, Sakura chan, it's not on purpose I promise. Neji and Tenten stopped me in the middle of training to go get food, I didn't really think about what I was wearing."

 

"Well, remind me to call you for a favor when you're showering." She stuck her tongue out at him, chiding him in a playful way for being careless. Sakura laughed softly before sighing, staring at him with a tenderness he hadn't noticed before. Lee found himself swallowing a lump in his throat again, the words he wanted to say in his mind having trouble forming on his lips. "Lee kun, I just want to say thank you for talking with me a few days ago…I know I had a little too much to drink, so I'm sorry if I did anything that made you uncomfortable. I didn't, right?" She asked with a worried look on her face.

 

He quickly shook his head, not allowing his mind to drift back to that night for fear it would show up on his face. "You didn't do anything that made me uncomfortable, honestly. And I wanted to thank you as well, it's not everyday that I get to spend time with you, it meant a lot to me."

 

The edges of her emerald eyes crinkled when she smiled at him and his heart fluttered; did she get swept away like this whenever he smiled at her? Lee wondered. A packaged box of sushi plopped into his open palms, bringing him out of another daydream. "Here's your lunch on me, Lee. Go put some clothes on," Sakura winked before brushing past him, trying her hardest to not look over her shoulder to see if he was watching her go.

 

The raven haired jounin glanced down at the box of sushi rolls and then back up at the retreating Sakura, the warmth of their conversation already missed.

 

"SAKURA!" He hadn't meant to call out after her, but his mouth had gotten the better of him and silently he cursed himself for saying anything at all.

 

She stopped and turned to look back at him, raising a brow curiously. "What is it?"

 

Lee watched pink strands dance across her cheeks, the edges of her ivory dress rippling in the late summer wind. She was watching him watch her, a smile tugging at the corners of her rose colored lips, patiently waiting for his response to her question.

 

"Lee kun, what is--"

 

"Tomorrow night," He began, swallowing his fears, "come to dinner with me."

 

When she bit at her lower lip to keep from grinning he knew he would never love any other girl as much as he loved Sakura at that moment. Finally the grin revealed itself and the kunoichi nodded, "Sure, Lee, I'm already looking forward to it."

 

The green ribbons of her sandals flew behind her as she ran back through the marketplace, disappearing into the crowd and leaving Lee to watch her go; completely dumbfounded by her reply.

 

"She…Sakura chan said…" He clenched his fists, unable to stop the happiness from spreading throughout his entire body. In the next second he had jumped into the air, then throwing out both fists with a triumphant, "YATTA!!"

 

He may have gotten older, a lot more handsome, a little bit cooler, but he was still Lee, and that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

//NOTES

 

So I actually finished the fourth chapter today! I was

reading reviews and got all pumped up and ended up

writing it without stopping. XD I promised it would

be happier, and in my opinion it is, so I hope you all

enjoy it, and please review!! Chapter 5 soon!

Lovelovelove, Usagi.