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Day-14 Prompt: Jewelry
It was an unknown fact to everyone but Uchiha Sasuke was a very traditional man. Born in a reputed clan made him respect the traditional values. He remembers his mother saying that a girl should be treated with respect and dignity. His mother may have also mentioned about the courting process. Even with an indifferent stoic facade, he always knew that if he had to marry, he would marry Haruno Sakura. It wasn't like "love at first sight" but he also knew that he would grow up to ultimately love her. He had always liked her, even as a naive, 12-year-old genin.
That is what brings us to the scene where Sasuke stood outside Sakura's apartment awkwardly with his hand inside his pocket. He was fiddling with a gold chain inside his pocket. He was trying to calm his racing heart before knocking the door of Sakura's apartment. If he thought that his heart was racing before knocking the door, he was wrong. His heart almost leapt out of his chest when he saw his girlfriend standing in front of him with a scowl on her face. Though, her scowl soon changed into a confused expression, he couldn't take his eyes away from her. She was wearing one of his shirts (the one he lent to her and she never bothered to return back) and a pair of shorts. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was sticking to her neck. He assumed that she had just finished taking a shower when he knocked on her door. He wasn't much guilty because he was enjoying the view.
Breaking his mental tirade, Sakura called out his name and looked at him questioningly. He cleared his throat and began to speak, "Can I come in?"
"Oh, um, sure, Sasuke-kun."
She moved away from the door and gave him space to enter her humble apartment. It wasn't everyday that Sasuke visited her apartment. After they had started dating, she visited his house and it was never the other way around. She was feeling self conscious about the condition of her place. Her apartment wasn't large but large enough for her to sleep. She noticed that Sasuke was looking around her apartment. And wait. Did he seem nervous?
Sasuke looked at Sakura's when she was locking her door. Her back was towards him which made him notice the Uchiha clan insignia the back of the shirt. He thought that she looked good in his family symbol.
Sakura looked at Sasuke nervously and asked him, "Uh Sasuke-kun, did you want to say something?"
"Hn."
A few minutes, which seemed like hours, passed by after his grunt. He was still trying to think how he was supposed to give her the necklace. He wasn't an expert in the areas of dating, or rather, courting. He should have asked for suggestions from Ino before coming. He shook his head when he remembered that Ino was the biggest gossip in Konoha. Uchiha Sasuke was many things but he wasn't a nervous man. But now, standing before the girl whom he wanted to court, he wanted the earth to open up and engulf him.
Sakura was still looking at his change of expressions wit rapt attention. She could proudly tell everyone that she knew Sasuke the best. She could see him shaking his head and sighing occasionally. Was he hurt? Did she do anything wrong? Was he leaving Konoha again?
Sakura decided to break the silence so she said, "Are you hurt?"
Sasuke looked at her with his dark eyes and said, "No."
She sighed and rubbed the side of her face before asking him once again, "Did I do something wrong?"
"What? Obviously not."
She continued to look at him with her forest green eyes. He sighed. He realized that now he had to steel his nerves and do what he wanted to. He stood up from the love seat he was sitting on and walked in Sakura's direction. Unconsciously, she took a step back but stopped immediately when he continued strolling towards her.
She stood frozen when Sasuke passed by her and stood behind her. Flashbacks of his chidori came into her mind and shivers passed down her spine. She knew that Sasuke wasn't the same angsty boy anymore.
He places his hand on her shoulder and said in a soft tone, "Relax, Sakura."
She momentarily relaxed when suddenly she felt Sasuke moving her hair to one side of her collarbone. She looked down and saw him latching a gold necklace with a pendant of his clan design. She felt his trembling hand and the nervousness he was showing.
"Uh, Sasuke-kun, what is this for?"
Sasuke looked flustered for a second before he answered coolly, "This shows that I have formally started courting you."
Courting?
Sakura covered her mouth to stop the giggles that were threatening to come out. That didn't excape Sasuke's sharp eyes and he scowled at her. He was going to snap at her when suddenly she threw herself at his chest and started snickering.
"Courting? Seriously?"
"Hn." Yes, so what?
"Oh god, Sasuke-kun, you are so old-fashioned."
That annoying woman.
How is courting someone old-fashioned?
Sasuke scowled at her once again and his ears turned bright red at her words. When she finally stopped laughing, except the occassional giggles, she looked at him bright-eyed with a happy smile. Unconsciously, the scowl on his face disappeared to be replaced with a small smile reserved only for her.
Sakura looked down to see the pendant attached to the necklace. Only then did she see the two cherry blossom branches inside the Uchiha clan symbol. Uchiha Sakura. She had tears of joy in her eyes and she looked at the pendant lovingly.
"Thanks, Sasuke-kun. This is beautiful."
Sasuke nodded his head at her and continued looking at her. She looked beautiful herself in his shirt with his clan symbol before and now she looked even more beautiful to him in the necklace bearing his clan symbol. She was his and he was hers.
END.