AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'd like to this as a chance to honestly thank all of you for your uplifting reviews! I don't even know how to comprehend how much I appreciate it! Especially, considering this is my first attempt at fan fiction. I know this is out of topic, but do you guys have any suggestions to wear on your first day of freshman year? (College, in particular). Taking a minute to post some suggestions will mean a lot to me. :)

This one shot will lack the usual comedy relief, so sorry about that. This is more of a Fluff!oneshot.

Anyway, please review and I hope you guy like it!

6. Morning Walk

. . .

It started as a spontaneous thing.

Sasuke was a systematic thing. He was that 1%, to sleep at gravely hour at night and wake up before the break of dawn. Sasuke was surprisingly fully rested, but apparently being cranky all the time didn't show it. He'd pick up some takeout for breakfast, a brisk and lukewarm shower, followed by spending a few hours of his unperturbed mornings reading scrolls. It made things a methodical pre-requisite, to good day of training, errands and other things when not busy on missions. It was dull, not denying. However, having this routinely followed, with no interruptions, cohesively pieced his day together.

He always thought that he should just let things fly by unexpectedly.

Sakura was a spontaneous thing. As she took painstakingly long graveyard shifts at the Hospital, she would come home to the confines of her home, exhausted. It was a little different everyday, or night in that manner. On good days, she'd come home with a warm pack of Korean Barbecue takeout, along with a few sweet dumplings, she'd enjoy her dinner, propped up in her living room, occasional squeals as romantic scenes came on her favorite soap operas. Then, she would clean up, change into some pajamas, and lull herself on her bed, soundlessly sleeping. If not, she would usually walk home cold, eating a few rice crackers and unexpectedly always falling asleep on the couch as she kept up with her soap operas, still wearing the same thing. She'd wake up frantically -even if she wasn't late for work, but there was almost never a time she'd be idle. There was always things she needed to do.

She always felt that she should plan things before hand.

Beep, Beep, Beep.

Beep, Beep, Be-

"Ugh!" Sakura groaned, as she slammed her alarm clock into a mechanical salad. Rigidly sitting up on her bed, she yawned trying to distinguish her surroundings warily. A smile slowly curved on her drowsy face. She found comfort in the fact that she finally made her way to wake up on her bed, with pajamas like a normal person. Rubbing her eyes, the window refracted lights that glared ever so slightly.

"Hm, 5:37am." Sakura hummed, and slowly walked towards her bay window, spreading her curtains out. The sky was a gradient from a faded baby blue to a sweet orange. Peering down the cobbled road, a familiar figure was placidly walking, a plastic bag in hand, and his other in his pocket. "Sasuke-kun…" Sakura squinted, and watching him intently. His muscular, but lean frame walked rhythmically against the soft wind. His raven black locks swayed and he held a calm and forbearing expression. Sakura was almost convinced he was some sort of morning person. Blushing, her eyes followed as he slowly faded away from her sight.

Times like this reminds her what she misses out on, when it came to him.

Sakura grinned, and skipped her way towards the bathroom.

For the succeeding days, Sakura would out of the blue, take the cobbled stone path, even if if was a longer route to the hospital. It was whenever she felt an abrupt gut feel, she made it a means to take a longer time in her day, if ever she'd come across Sasuke again. However, Sakura would arrive the hospital, slightly more tired and less happier than usual, upon not seeing him.

She maybe the freshest version Sakura 2.0, but she still had that Genin romantic interest for her teammate.

Today, Sasuke felt different. Feeling more fired-up than usually, he finally worked his way through destroying his routine, skipping the scroll reading and decided to invite his blonde idiot of a best friend for a spar session. It was peculiar he'd think from time to time, but he also had the twinge of excitement coursing through his veins. As a strategic and highly-skilled shinobi, his career was no where near being dull, but he finally felt exhilarated by the very thought of doing something new. It was kind of ironic.

Clad in his ninja attire, he walked through the hustle and bustles by the Village market. As he tranced beside some of the fruit vendors, he scanned the stand of the many red and glossy tomatoes. Being too engaged looking at every sphere ball of red juiciness, he was unwary of a step he made forward. Without warning, he stepped on a solid figure which came his literal downfall.

"Ow!" A feminine voice shrieked.

Slowly fading into a flashback, he remembered his father, Fugaku, one time at breakfast, telling him "If there's one thing I have to say when you meet the woman of your dreams, she will most likely bring the best in you, but most likely be your downfall." as his mother, Mikoto nagged him all the way into another planet.

Literal downfall.

"Sakura?" Sasuke groaned, as he was pinned on top of the petite pinkette. "Annoying, watch where you're going!"

"Hey! I was tying my shoes, not until you decided to step on me!" Sakura winced.

Unknowingly, Sasuke landed on her with his hefty frame, breaking a potentially more painful fall, his one leg bent between her strayed thighs, as he hovered over her. His elbow was scraped, and an impervious hand cupping her left breast.

Before he took the chance to remove it,

"Sasuke-kun, you pervert!"

Smack.

He laid half-unconscious on a wrecked wooden stand, viscid fluid of the tomatoes dripping on his body, smothered tomatoes on the ground and the eyes of curious marketers, not forgetting the furious tomato vendor.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun I'm sorry again…"

"Stop apologizing Sakura!"

"…sorry…" Sakura giggled out.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, as Sakura guided him, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, and carefully stabilizing their selves as she gripped on his rib. Recoiling his foot forward, she delicately took the liberty (more like obligation) to take Sasuke with her to the Hospital, on her way to work. Wincing, he frowned at the very thought that his ego dissolved along with the latter tomato juice he landed on as Sakura had just kicked his ass (or more like shinned his groin).

This followed by a silence, exempting the grazing of their foot steps, he felt comfortable. This was rare, he thought. Being a man of few words, he'd had his fair share of awkward silences among many other people. But the walk (limping) towards the hospital, as he watched Sakura steadily recoil his foot, and then lean forward for another step, it was rare. It was rare, and also stupid for him to never notice that about Sakura. At that moment, he knew she was something special, so foreign, so loss of methods. He could let his guard down, at this comfortable silence.

"And that's the last of it!" Sakura cheerfully announced, finishing up the last wrap of sports tape around his grazed arm.

Sasuke abled a succumb smile, and watched Sakura organize her medical equipment in corresponding drawers.

"Sakura,"

Looking up from her packets of ointments, "Yes, Sasuke-kun?"

"What time do you wake up?"

"Hm, 5:30!"

"How long does it take before you leave the house?"

"An hour? Wait Sasuke-kun, what's up with these questio-"

"I'll pick you up tomorrow at 6:30."

And Sasuke limped his way out of Sakura's clinic, leaving her agape.

It started as a spontaneous thing.

Sasuke was still a systematic thing. His mid-mornings, spent training and following up some errands, with each corresponding time management allotted. If he'd fall behind schedule, he'd take an easier mode of transportation, and leap on the roofs. Lunch would consist of him eating at Ichiraku's with Naruto, and occasional visits by Sai, Shikamaru, Chouji, Lee and even Kiba and Shino. On the afternoons, it was either more training or an afternoon nap at home. Sometimes breaking his routine, (This he learned from Sakura) by reading some scrolls. At exactly 7:30pm everyday, he'd jog his way to the VIllage plaza, get some take out, on his way to the hospital, making sure Sakura eats a proper dinner. He also makes it a means to lend her a jacket everytime, so she wouldn't freeze her ass off, when she'd go home later. He stays there until Sakura takes a power nap on a cot, at exactly 10:30, and makes his way home.

And Sakura was still a spontaneous thing. Her mornings spent with her early shifts, consisting of varied cases everyday. Usually it was children an infant check-ups, but on interesting days, some injured ninjas. Until noon, it was by chance if Ino, or Tsunade-shishou or Shizune would invite her into some lunch at a teahouse. Whether she had vacant time, it was always something different. Sometimes window shopping, a visit to the library, errands and maybe even training. She was sure it was always different. But whenever the clock struck 4:30pm, she learned to move habitually more organized (This she learned from Sasuke), and made her way for her evening shift. She would wait for Sasuke, in the waiting area at 7:40pm, and they'd have dinner at the Hospital cafeteria. Her shift will process through, as she gradually learned to come home, with a full stomach and have a quick shower before he went to bed.

They brought the best in each other.

And at every 6:30am or so later-it didn't matter if it were a minute longer or two, they would walk slowly on the cobble stone path everyday. Sakura leaned on him, as Sasuke wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder. They watch the sky of a gradient from a faded baby blue to a sweet orange, and their locks tangled with each other swaying against the soft wind. They both felt at peace with the comfortable silence.

It ended as a affectionate routine.