Sakura knocked lightly on the doorframe to the dark room. The only light came from the flickering television in front of a hunched figure. “What is it?” The figure mumbled vaguely, unmoving.

The young woman held up the plate she’d been holding. “Watari-san asked me to bring some cake up for you. Can I come in?”

The dark head cocked to the side. “What kind?” He asked in a thoughtful voice.

Sakura smirked. “Strawberry shortcake.”

L finally turned away from the TV. “Dozo, Kurowara-san.”

She smiled timidly and walked over, setting down the plate and fork in front of him.

“Take a seat,” he said politely, picking up the fork in his usual peculiar fashion.

Sakura blushed and tucked a stand of pink-streaked hair behind her ear nervously. Her deep green eyes roved around a bit before she finally decided on sitting across from him, on the opposite side of the small coffee table.

By then L was already on his second bite.

“There’s something odd about this strawberry shortcake…” he murmured, stabbing his fork into the dessert anyways.

“I—Is there?” She stammered. “Ah! Ryu-kun, did you find anything worth looking into on those Kira videos? Watari-san told me to ask you that, too.”

The detective grumbled in frustration as he chewed. “Not particularly.” He suddenly paused, his fork held in mid-air.

Sakura felt her heart drop. “R—Ryu-kun?”

Round, black eyes bored into her as he set down his fork, his hands returning to his knees. “Kurowara-san?”

The woman looked down at her lap. “H—Hai?”

“This is strawberry shortcake.” He bent forward slightly, ignoring her fidgeting. “Right?”

Green eyes glanced from left to right. “H—Hai.”

Sakura finally looked up just in time to see him smirk. “Then where, may I ask, is the strawberry?”

She felt faint. “A—Ano…about that…”

Extra

Sakura felt lips against hers and before she had time to even form a fleeting thought about what happened, they were gone.

“Ryu-kun?” She squeaked out, watching him lift his fork once again.

“So that’s where it went,” he said calmly.
~~~
Scene 2

“Look, look, Kashi-kun. Kawaii, ne?”

Kakashi muttered something under his breath before turning towards the Suna jounin. The red-headed woman was bending towards on of the shop’s display windows. Her pink eyes were wide and smiling, her expression was cheerful.

What was she pointing at? Something brightly colored, no doubt. Aikawa Momo was just that kind of person.

We have time to kill, I guess, the Konoha ninja thought with a sigh.

He sauntered over and peered to see what she was pointing at with a slender finger. “Nan desu ka?” He muttered.

He smirked beneath his mask. The many cakes of rainbow-colored variety would have caught anyone’s eye. Especially Momo’s.

“Ne?” She prompted him.

He slid an ebony eye towards her and noticed that she was no longer looking at the bright little baked desserts, but at him.

He made eye contact with her calculating pink eyes. “Kawaii, desu,” he finally agreed.

Momo paused, blinking before clasping her hands together. “Hontou?!”

Kakashi sweatdropped. “H—Hontou.” We are still talking about the cakes, right?

~~~
Scene 3

“Kurenai-sensei and Asuma-sensei’s boy's birthday is soon,” the youngest Hyuuga girl mused with a vague smile, chin in her hand.

Nezumi smirked. “Really? That was fast…I don’t believe you, Hanabi nee-sama.” He leaned back on his hands comfortably.

Hanabi spun, eyes wide. “You brat! I can’t believe you don’t—”

The girl stopped abruptly as Kurenai hurried past them, hand gripping the small, dark haired boy's beside her. Her crimson eyes were narrowed thoughtfully.

Nezumi giggled. “Gomen nasai!” He laughed.

Hanabi reached out, ruffling his bright red hair affectionately. “You better be!”

Stopping suddenly, she cocked her head to the side so that some of her deep brown hair fell into her pale eyes. “Ne, Nezumi-kun. Why are you talking to me and not any of the kids at the Academy?”

Like she knew he would, Nezumi’s pink face turned away from hers and his bright eyes lowered to the ground. Hanabi grumbled. She secretly called it his Mouse Expression. Just like his name.

“I’m not good at making friends,” he admitted meekly.

“Because you’re so shy?” Hanabi asked. She normally wasn’t this patient with anyone, including herself but Nezumi was different. He was like her little brother.

“Hai,” he mumbled.

“Sou ka…” she said with a sigh, thinking. She grabbed his hand and jumped off the porch, pulling the bewildered Suna boy with her.

“Nee-sama?” He questioned warily.

“We’re going to the Academy,” she announced casually and started pulling him along.

“Eh?” He exclaimed, emerald eyes wide. “D—Demo…”

“Don’t worry, Nezumi-kun.”

He looked up at her hair flying from the speed she was dragging him at. “Hanabi nee-sama.”

“I’ll be right there, so don’t worry, ne?” Then she turned and smiled, squeezing his hand.

Nezumi blinked and the nodded in determination. “Wakatte. Let’s go.”

“Mm!”

As she walked with the Kazekage’s son through Konoha, Hanabi had a sudden flash of Kurenai walking with her hand in her son's/

Oh. I get it now.

She glanced at Nezumi who was smiling once again.

I think…I get it now.

Cut