Chapter Text
Kakashi slumped comfortably in his chair, chin in hand, staring at his student. He didn't need to show his teeth for Sasuke to know he was grinning; the mockery was practically rolling off him in waves. Sasuke’s patience, never in high supply, was rapidly evaporating.
"The entire reason I brought this to you," Sasuke gritted out, "is for an answer. Not for you to sit there and—"
The Hokage finally broke, chuckling at the familiar growl. He waved a lazy hand in apology. "Okay, okay. You can't blame me for being a little shocked!”
Kakashi gaze drifted back to the messy desk, landing on the small calendar for the umpteenth time. He tapped a specific date with his finger. "Your birthday is next week, isn't it? That’s cute." He looked back up, his eyes crinkling again. "You're arranging a little birthday treat for yourself, aren't you?”
Sasuke made a valiant effort to ignore the insinuation, though the vein in his temple throbbed dangerously. It was hard to take the man seriously when his "sacred text"—that filth he called literature—was practically enshrined on his desk.
He deepened his scowl, looking at the man with utter judgment. "Have a little decency.”
"You're a grown man now," Kakashi shot back without missing a beat. "So, yes, of course you have permission for a honeymoon! I'm not heartless."
He propped his chin up, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "I’ll even do you a favor and loan you Icha Icha Paradise if you want. It might give you some creative ideas.”
"I don't need your trash," Sasuke grunted, eyeing the book with disdain. "I’m simply informing you that I will be taking a short leave."
Technically, he didn't need to ask. As a roamer who operated outside the system, he could have simply vanished for weeks, and no one would have questioned it.
"You know you don't need my say-so,” Kakashi finally admitted. "That said, I appreciate you coming to me first. I’ll ensure you aren't disturbed unless it is a dire situation.”
Sasuke gave a curt nod, accepting the offer in silence. He turned on his heel immediately, desperate to flee the office before Kakashi could utter another ridiculous comment.
He almost made it. Just as he was stepping across the threshold, the Hokage called his name again. Sasuke stopped, clicking his tongue loudly.
"What is it?" he snapped.
Kakashi held the orange book aloft, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "If you change your mind about the loan, I can always have a ninja hound run this over to you! It has a great chapter on—"
SLAM.
The door shut with a violent bang, leaving the office vibrating in his wake. Sasuke was gone.
Kakashi chuckled, shaking his head as he finally opened the book to his bookmark. "Kids these days. No appreciation for the classics."
Sasuke would have preferred to head straight home—and he would have, if he hadn't happened to glance down at the market district mid-jump. There, amidst the crowd, he spotted Himari browsing a stall, deep in conversation with the vendor.
He skidded to a halt on the rooftop tiles. For a moment, he just watched her, debating what to do. A second later, he made his decision. He leaped down to street level and made his way through the crowd toward her.
As he approached, the chatter in the market seemed to dip in volume. People stepped aside instinctively, clearing a path for him. Himari, however, was blissfully unaware.
"Himari."
She turned at the sound of his low voice, her face lighting up in a way that made the awkward walk through the crowd instantly worth it.
"Oh, Sasuke!" she beamed. "I thought you were still in your meeting with Kakashi-sama."
"There wasn't much to discuss," he replied with a slight shrug, actively avoiding thinking about the orange book. His gaze drifted to the food stall in front of them. "Takoyaki?"
Himari nodded happily. "The smell was just so tempting when I walked by, I couldn't resist. Oh, but look at this!"
She lifted a small sack in her hand, peeking inside to show him the contents: a cluster of perfect, ruby-red tomatoes. "I saw these and they reminded me of you, so I bought them! I can use them for dinner tonight.”
"Hn," he murmured, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. He reached out and took the bag from her. "Sounds good.”
Himari let him take the weight from her hands, beaming as she looked straight into his eyes. Sasuke felt his own faint smile widen despite himself, his eyebrow arching in silent question—wondering just what had put his wife in such a good mood.
The takoyaki vendor called out to her, breaking their gaze as she turned to accept her order. It was a box of six octopus balls, still steaming hot in the cool evening air. She speared one with a wooden skewer and blew on it gently.
"Try it, Sasuke," Himari urged, holding the treat up to his lips, that radiant smile still playing on her face.
Sasuke paused, eyeing the snack offered to him. Normally, he would never entertain this kind of thing in public. Yet, today, his mood was uncharacteristically light.
He lowered his head and took the bite straight from the stick without complaint.
"Hm." The burst of umami hit his tongue, warm and salty. "Not bad."
"Isn't it?” Himari beamed, looking even more delighted than before. She actually bounced on her heels a little before popping a piece into her own mouth. "This is already my third time buying from this stall."
Sasuke watched her in silence, committing the sight to memory. He could only hope she would look just as happy later, when he finally told her what he had planned for the two of them.
"Ready to head back?"
Himari nodded, feeding him another bite—which he accepted without a single complaint. "I need to start cooking anyway. Let's go." She peeked back at the stall owner. "Thank you, Mister!"
"You're welcome, Uchiha-san! Please come again!"
They fell into step beside each other, walking home in companionable silence. Himari was busy polishing off the takoyaki, generously feeding him one last bite before claiming the rest for herself.
Sasuke noticed the eyes following them. He ignored it, as he always did, but he found himself watching Himari to gauge her reaction. It hadn't been that long since she moved to the village, and he remembered how overwhelmed she had looked in the beginning.
To his relief, she seemed blissfully unbothered today. She was walking with a light step, humming softly as she chewed.
He smiled to himself, pleased by the change.
"What’s the plan for these?" Sasuke asked, gesturing with the bag in his hand.
"Salad," Himari decided after a moment of thought. "They are too fresh to cook down into a soup. I think I'll just slice them with that onion dressing you like. And maybe grill some fish to go with it?”
"Sounds good," Sasuke replied as they turned the corner, the familiar crest of the Uchiha clan visible on the wall of their compound, and then they reached the front gate of their home soon after.
He watched her fumble for her keys before the lock finally clicked, and Himari pushed the door open. "I'm home!" she called out softly to the empty house, slipping off her sandals.
Sasuke stepped in behind her, locking the world out. "I'm home."
Himari relieved him of the tomatoes, flashing a smile. "Why don't you wash up? Dinner won't be long since the fish is already prepped."
"Take your time," he answered.
The girl nodded, ready to walk away, when an impulse struck her. The mood between them was lighter than usual, and considering how close they had been earlier, pushing her luck a little seemed fine.
So, acting before her courage could fade, Himari stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss right on his cheek. She pulled back with a cheeky grin.
"I'll get started then," she chirped.
Himari trotted into the kitchen, fully aware that Sasuke was staring after her, but she decided to play it cool and focus on her cooking instead.
As soon as she was out of his line of sight, Himari let out the breath she’d been holding. She shook her hands out vigorously, trying to dispel the nervous energy vibrating through her fingertips.
"Don't overthink it, or you'll drive yourself crazy," she muttered to the empty room, pressing a cool hand to her flushing cheek. Her heart was still doing somersaults in her chest. "Pull yourself together. He is your husband, after all, not some stranger."
Needing a distraction, she yanked the refrigerator door open. The blast of cold air was welcome against her warm face. She retrieved the glass container where she had stored the marinated mackerel earlier that morning.
She had prepped enough for a few days, but for tonight, three would be plenty for just the two of them.
The kitchen was soon filled with the comforting sounds of cooking as Himari placed the fillets onto the hot grill pan, followed immediately by the savory aroma of soy sauce and ginger rising in the steam.
While the fish cooked, she turned her attention to the star of the evening: the tomatoes.
Himari washed them carefully, admiring their vibrant red color one last time before slicing them into thick, juicy wedges. She whisked together a quick dressing of rice vinegar, a dash of soy sauce, and finely chopped onions.
Just as she promised, it was a quick affair since she had already done the heavy lifting earlier; she simply had to warm up the rice and soup. All in all, it took just half an hour.
Himari beamed with satisfaction as she laid out the final side dish. She couldn't help but remember how she used to be terrible in the kitchen—preferring any other duty over this one—but looking at the spread now, she realized she could actually do it after all.
The soft pad of footsteps on the tatami drew her attention, and a moment later, Sasuke appeared in the doorway. He was dressed in fresh lounge clothes, the faint scent of soap clinging to his damp hair.
He moved past her, his palm sliding gently across her shoulders in a silent greeting before he took his seat. He looked at the steaming rice and the perfectly charred fish, noting the care she had put into the simple meal.
"This looks good," he said honestly, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. He gestured to the empty chair across from him. "Sit with me. Let's eat.”
Himari beamed at the compliment, feeling a warm flush of pride. She untied her apron and set it aside before finally settling onto the seat across from him.
"Itadakimasu," she whispered, clasping her hands together in thanks before picking up her chopsticks.
They ate in a comfortable silence for a while, the quiet of the room broken only by the rhythmic click of wood against porcelain. The grilled mackerel was perfectly crisp, the savory oils balancing the sharp tang of the tomato salad, while the miso soup warmed her from the inside out.
Yet, as she ate, she found her eyes drifting toward him.
There was an odd energy about him today. He seemed preoccupied, his mind clearly wandering elsewhere, but the usual tension in his shoulders was gone.
Himari swallowed a bite of rice and decided to just ask.
"So," she ventured, tilting her head slightly. "What are you intending to do that's important enough to ask for time off?"
Sasuke paused, his chopsticks hovering over the tomato salad. He met her gaze, and for a split second, she thought she saw a flicker of amusement.
"We," he stated clearly, "are going on a honeymoon."
For a long moment, the only sound in the room was the wind rattling the windowpane. Himari blinked once, then twice, trying to process the words.
"A honeymoon?" she repeated slowly, feeling a treacherous heat creeping up her cheeks. She cleared her throat loudly to cover it. "Us? You and I?”
Sasuke gave a small, amused snort at the question. "Naturally, you and I. Who else would I take?"
Himari, still processing the bomb he had just dropped, lifted a bite of food to her lips with a vacant expression. Her mind was spinning. She didn't know much about the intricacies of wedded life, but she knew full well what people did when they were alone on a honeymoon.
She swallowed hard, feeling a wave of nervousness spiked by the second.
"You don't want to?"
Himari’s head whipped up. He was studying her with a frown, looking genuinely unsure of her reaction.
"No, no, no!" She shook her hands in rapid denial, laughing jitterily. "I'm thrilled, really! I mean, going with you? Of course I'm happy! It’s just—I mean—"
She abruptly clamped both hands over her mouth, realizing her words were tumbling out in a jumbled mess.
She inhaled deeply through her nose, willing her heart rate to slow down. She lowered her hands slowly.
"What I'm trying to say is, I am happy. I'm just a little nervous."
It was the exact moment Sasuke decided to return the favor. He mirrored the mischievous grin she had given him earlier in the kitchen, but on him, the expression was far more dangerous.
"Why are you so nervous, Himari?” He asked, holding her gaze with amusement dancing in his eyes. “What exactly are you picturing?"
To say Himari was stunned would be a gross understatement. Her brain seemed to grind to a halt.
"What am I—" She spluttered, her face burning hotter than the grilled fish. "Wait, what are you implying with that question?!”
Sasuke shrugged, looking thoroughly pleased with himself for flustering her this much.
"Interpret it however you like," he said as he picked up his chopsticks again and pointed them at her bowl. "Don't forget to finish your food, it’s getting cold.”
Himari looked at him incredulously, observing how he went back to eating as if nothing had happened, before she finally sighed and retrieved her own chopsticks.
It took her a full minute to wrestle her composure back into place. She took a slow sip of tea, willing the heat in her cheeks to dissipate. When she was finally sure her voice wouldn't squeak, she broke the silence.
"So," she started, keeping her eyes on her rice. "When are we leaving? And where exactly are we going?"
Sasuke hummed, calculating the dates in his head. "It's a fair distance to walk. I want us to be settled in by the twenty-third, which means we need to head out the day after tomorrow."
He met her eyes. "We're going to the Land of Tea. There's a hot spring resort there that I think you'll like."
The twenty-third? Himari knit her brows together. The date rang a bell, but she couldn't quite place why. "What’s special about that date?"
"Nothing at all," he said dismissively.
She squinted at him, her suspicion rising. He was definitely hiding something. "I know I’m supposed to remember something about it. Tell me right now or—"
Hold on. July twenty-third?
A gasp escaped her lips, and she smacked her forehead in realization. "Goodness! It's your birthday, isn't it?"
Sasuke let out a long breath. He took his time swallowing the rice in his mouth before answering, buying himself a few seconds.
"As I said, it is nothing special," he insisted. "It is just an ordinary day."
He was aware, of course, of the contradiction. Claiming a day was meaningless while simultaneously booking a luxury resort and requesting official leave for it didn't exactly scream "ordinary." But in his defense, he hadn't chosen the date solely to celebrate his birth. It was just practical timing, or so he told himself.
Himari, however, wasn't buying it. She was looking at him with a strange expression now.
"Goodness," she whispered, covering her mouth to hide a grin. "I had no idea you had such naughty thoughts.”
Sasuke blinked, confused. "What?"
And then, unbidden, Kakashi's teasing voice echoed in his skull from their meeting earlier that day.
You're arranging a little birthday treat for yourself, aren't you?
Sasuke looked at his wife, who was currently turning a dangerous shade of red from holding her breath. He felt his lips quirk up.
"Are you absolutely certain," he deadpanned, "that you want to finish that thought?"
That did it. Himari dissolved into a fit of giggles that quickly escalated into full-blown laughter. She had to hold onto the edge of the table, clutching her midsection.
"Goodness, gracious!" she wheezed, wiping a tear from her eye. "My stomach... I can't breathe!"
Eventually, the laughter subsided into soft giggles. Himari sighed contentedly, leaning her cheek against her hand as she looked at him with sparkling eyes.
"You really are terrible," she teased, though her voice was fond. "Using your birthday as an excuse to whisk me away."
Sasuke didn't deny it this time. Instead, he took a slow, deliberate bite of his tomato salad, holding her gaze.
"And if I am?" he countered smoothly. "Is it such a crime to want my wife to myself for a week?”
Himari felt her breath hitch.
"No," she whispered, her cheeks pinking. "Not a crime at all."