Joy Writes

“I mean, I get it, he’s got the looks but, he is like on his own world most of the time” she chatted as she continued to make mannerisms with her hands in an attempt to get the recently applied nail polish dry.

Sakura vaguely thought “He doesn’t seem that all over the place when we hang out”. A thought her best friend could totally read in her open book face.

Rolling her baby blue eyes, she scoffed. “Of course, you wouldn’t notice that”.

She didn’t get the chance to recall further from that time, brought back to their present conversation as Ino turned her away from her reflection on her mirror and hurried her up to get her sandals on their way to the graduation ceremony.

Since it was today, the day they officially left behind their last moments of young girls playing around and became kunoichi.

Naturally, Ino greeted everyone loudly and excitedly. On the other end, equally loud and excited was Naruto, greeting back and waving effusively at Sakura while he screamed her name.

Sakura smiled gleefully nowadays, Sasuke noticed as he spotted her approaching the group, long gone was the petite girl that had a secret hideaway to be her own self. She was her own self at plain sight, and a selfish part of him had hoped she had kept that part of her as a secret between them, just like many things had stayed through the years after that one summer day.

Another part of him, which was the bigger proportion, was pleased to see her confident and radiant like the blooming cherry blossoms, melting with the scenery and making it glow brighter.

It was never that he tried to prevent from noticing Sakura as a woman, she was pretty ever since a little girl. She simply got prettier as the years passed by and he certainly was not the only one to notice that.

He was the only one to never say anything about her appearance though. To him, what had interested him the most had not been her bright and pretty colors, even if he agreed they were unusual and lovely, but rather the way she continuously challenged herself.

And maybe, he had missed more than one opportunity to voice it out. But it was a fact that he was not the only one affected by how pretty Sakura Haruno was.

It was simply gravity, to fall with spring approaching. To fall for spring, gently and preciously.

“So even you, huh” Sasuke was brought back from his thoughts by a lazy and sluggish voice. Turning his head to the side, he spotted the Nara genius. Instead of answering, he settled to simply arching one of his brows, a silent inquiry. The boy with the high pony tail sighed as he scratched the back of his back “Even you think the smart girl of our generation is far from reach”.

He grunted and went back to ignoring him, the genius walked away with the cue. Both hands behind his back making his sluggish way towards his happily snacking best friend.                                                          

Sensing he was alone again, Sasuke dared to glance back at Sakura, who seemed to be reprimanding their loudest classmate about how he continued to be immature despite becoming a ninja as of today.

He could relate. He may be a teenager, but even if he wanted to be as aloof and cool as his older brother, when it came to taking the next step closer, he was still a kid.

While she brightened up the place with her presence and intelligence, he was still overshadowed by his older brother. But that, was an insecurity he had made the mistake of sharing with her once before. He feared her was now the boy foolishly insecure of his older brother’s figure. Which he was, but it was not the kind of cool thing someone would tell to someone you wish to be cool in front of.

“Sasuke-kun!”

Even so, she was the kind of girl that would make you feel like you’re the best of the world, just by being greeted with her genuine smile.

Or so it’s what he thought, because when they were close to the other, neither of them realized that standing together, they had become the center of attention.

“We’ve made it! Congratulations, we are ninjas now” she said once she stood just a few steps away. Holding her bandana still on one of her hands, Sasuke glanced at it.

“You should be wearing that too” following the line of sight of his, Sakura realized she was talking about her shinobi band.

“Oh, you’re right, I might ask Ino to help me with it” She might throw a fit if she messed the hair she so diligently tried to stylish earlier, Sakura thought absentmindedly.

“Hand it over” he said as he extended his hand towards her, and Sakura blushed.

She might be the best of her class, the youngest girl in qualifying the perfect score on her graduation exams, but she continued to be young and lovestruck. Although it had always been him the one to make her falter over and over, it had been years of comradery and yet, she kept tripping and falling harder.

Certainly, Ino wouldn’t mind her hairstyle be a little different if she told her it was Sasuke-kun who had fixed it, right?

She clutched her hands tight towards her chest as she felt her heart quicken its beats. She had never seen the young Uchiha so close before, and he hadn’t even glanced back at her that much.

But then he did, and her air caught up. He stared a few seconds, she seemed to start to heat up and he wondered if she would be alright after removing his small hand from her face.

She simply blinked, he simply raised one of his eyebrows.

“Sorry” he said shortly, quickly avoiding her curious eyes and directing his own towards the floor, he had heard something falling when they clashed.

Sakura was slowly brought back to present when she heard him speak. Her eyes following the boy as he picked up what had fallen from her arms.

“Is this your book?” he heard him ask, and she gasped as she took the item from his hand.

“Yes, thank you Sasuke-kun” she spoke at last, although letting him know she knew his name before even introducing himself, which made him realize he didn’t know hers.

“Um, what was your name?” smart, Sasuke, he thought. That would made her think he had known of her instead of being the only one who does not know his classmates’ names.

“Sakura, Sakura Haruno” she had calmed down her heartbeats but the blush was now threatening to reveal how embarrassed she was of speaking with him. She was feeling self-conscious since a while now, but the boy in front of her had suddenly had something attracting his attention as a new presence neared them.

“I see, so, Sakura, please come with me” Sakura’s eyes widened once more as she felt herself being mangled around by the boy.

Soon after she noticed too, footsteps and giggles echoing in the narrow passageway both Sasuke and her exited through the other side. She supposed Sasuke-kun surely disliked attention but she also couldn’t help but feel a little giddy inside seeing as she was the one stuck with him by choice.

Because, he could have just left her there, couldn’t he?

Glancing at the boy leading their way, she noticed his focused gaze as he continued to hold her small wrist.

She averted her eyes to avoid dwelling into it and becoming red faced. In the process, noticing the small path she used to follow towards the small lake. A small corner in which she used to read peacefully. Without really intending to do so, she stopped and made Sasuke be pulled back.

“Wha—”

“Here, they never come here” she said as she took the role now and lead him towards the grown path of grass, greenery reaching to the height of their small chests, shadowed by really bushy and green trees surrounding the area.

Sasuke was skeptical, since what he really wished was a way to return back home, but he figured he still had time before his curfew and those girls would surely find something else to entertain themselves in short time.

He let himself be guided by Sakura, somehow curious about this secret passage and the way this girl seemed to know her way around the area. She blended so naturally between the greenery and bright natural colors, her hair glowing and flowing with the natural light and air of the summer day.

He was still the one holding onto her, she simply led the way seemingly unaffected by his touch and he suddenly felt self-conscious. Why was he holding on to a girl?

He couldn’t dwell much into that detail because the second right after he heard her telling him they had arrived.

Looking up he saw the small cave a few steps afar from them, beneath a really old tree leaning towards the luminous lake. He let go of her and she run towards her hideaway. Book in hand, she left a trace of her small feet on the soft dirt ground. Completely out of sight of everything up hill, she smiled back at him when she had taken a seat under the small gap the cave allowed for a tiny person like her, and maybe also him.

Compared to his first impression, she was now glowing; surrounded by this soothing and natural atmosphere, she was even flipping the pages of her book now at ease. He blinked a few times, taking in the surroundings because one can’t simply be too cautious. But, after noticing they were really down hill and at a blind sight from up, he approached once more.  

Sakura seemed to be expectant of his thoughts about her secret spot, so she was staring at him with an excited smile. He decided to ignore her bright eyes and instead distract himself from the uncalled heat that had started to burn in his ears by looking at the book she was flipping through.

“What is your book about?”

“It’s a story book. My dad brought it from one of his trips to Iron” she took the bait and instead continued to excitedly tell him all about the book that held so much history about the Iron country. She also told him about how his father liked to collect different storybooks for her, all from different places and she enjoyed adventure stories the most. How the hero saved the citizens, how he battled many enemies, his special techniques, and some jutsus were even thought through the book. That particular point picked the boy’s interest.

“That is really cool, have you learned it?”

“Oh” Sasuke watched how Sakura’s radiant light gradually faded “well I don’t have anyone to practice it with, my friends don’t seem that interested in books and the likes”.

“Why not?” this time Sasuke burrowed his brow, he could never understand girls. So far, Sakura seemed much different from the rest. Sure, she was petite and seemed just as fragile; but she was also curious and brilliant. And he kind of liked it, she was easy to be with, interesting even.  

“Well, they like making themselves look prettier and cooler”.

“What is so cool about fixing hair and giggling all the time? I think you are cooler” before he could help himself, he spoke his mind. He was a little absent recalling the times his brother came home from a mission and told him about his adventures. He enjoyed that, and he was glad he had found someone that enjoyed and admired the same things like him.

The wind blew letting the trees make a fresh lullaby as it caressed their blushing faces, having realized the secret thoughts that had been shared without noticing.

In the peaceful hideaway of summer memories, both of them had found a partner who would have their backs.

He was wrong. He took notice of it now that they both were seated on the couch of her small living room, eating some portions of tonkatsu.

It shouldn’t be so provocative, but it seemed like Sasuke was underestimating his impatience after looking at how Sakura opened her mouth to introduce a portion of the meal into her mouth.

He fought against his desire to claim her lips and opted to let her eat properly after her long shift. In its place, he decided to focus on the drama that seemed to have Sakura engrossed as she ate.

Which was also part of the problem, since her expressions kept on being an open book, adorable and genuine. Once more without allowing him to avert his gaze from her as she continued to watch the television despite finishing her meal minutes ago.

It was as soon as he heard her gasp that the last bit the sanity he tried to keep, cracked.

In that room illuminated dimly only thanks to the light the tv emitted, the concentrated look of Sakura towards it and the sound of the air she had held escaping from her lips drove the Uchiha to move without reflecting if this was the right moment to give in to his desires or not.

He simply approached her, in that movement stealing a second of the girl’s attention so that, when she finally dared to look at him, he could steal the breath she had been holding in a passionate kiss.

He tasted the warm breath hit his, every small corner of her mouth as he looked to memorize the texture and softness in which her lips pressed against his. The dampness of her cavity when he attempted to introduce his tongue inside her small mouth.

Distantly, he heard her voice complain, releasing a whimper as her hand tried to interpose between their bodies. As reflex, he reached for her hand between his and halted her. He wanted this, he wanted to be able to touch her without interruptions.

Noticing the firmness of his hold, Sakura managed to twist her face, breaking the contact of their lips and recovered her breath. Moment Sasuke used to deviate his attention to the lobe near him now that she had averted her lips from his.

Sakura continued to pant, unsettled. Out of it after not expecting this assault of attentions from Sasuke, without being able to order her thoughts since it was not easy to ignore the intensity in which he kissed her, in which he longed for her.

“S-Sasuke-kun, wait!” her voice broke as she pleaded for him to put some distance, her hand still intertwined with Sasuke’s, pushing towars his chest and making him finally to stop in order for him to listen to her clearly.

Suddenly Sakura felt a light buzzing in her ears and her face burning but not the touch of Sasuke, only that of their hands still unified. Feeling still a little light of mind, she returned her gaze in search for Sasuke’s .

It burned. Looking at Sasuke like this, burned.

It burned because he was looking at her intensely, he was looking at her through her gaze, looking at her through her thoughts, and at the same time, she also saw through him all the conflict that was going through his mind.

Which was why, when he reacted to put distance between them, Sakura reacted the same by moving and grabbing his shirt before he put more distance between them.

Whatever the conflict of thoughts he had, it was clear that both wanted the same.

She didn't know how to tell him that she wanted the same thing, but, as she looked up with that thought in her mind towards him, and Sasuke stared back at her, she knew.

He knew that she accepted to be with him, to continue with what he had begun. Or maybe, she had started without realizing it, with all those little actions looking to provoke a reaction in him.

Perhaps, they really just wanted to be together this way.

When Sasuke's hand cradled Sakura's still contemplative face and kissed her, she stopped thinking. Melting at Sasuke's contact on her, bordering her to recline on the couch, seeking to give space for him to approach her. Looking to be able to feel him as close to her as she could.

Sasuke could tell, the difference between the kiss he had started a few minutes ago compared to this one, now that Sakura corresponded to his caresses, he could put aside his insecurity for having ruined the closeness between them because clearly this was what they had long expected.

When he heard her sigh between his lips, when he felt her hands explore his body over and under his clothes, he knew. He was not the only one wishing to be with her beyond their innocent approach.

He could feel it in her pulse, kissing the path of her lobe to her collarbone, accelerated just like his. He could feel it in her touch, impatient just like him as she sought to get the garments out of the way by raising his shirt to reveal the lower part of his abdomen.

He wanted the same thing, but it was complicated since it was she who was under him. With a pull of his arm, he pulled her toward him until Sakura ended up sitting her thighs on his. Now her height being greater when trying to reach her lips, but with more space to move his only arm in search of getting rid of her clothes.

The softness of her thighs, covered by the tiny shorts, the firmness and smooth texture of her belly contracting at the feel of his broad hand climbing towards the curve of her breasts, completely protected by her bra and blouse.

Now that she was so willing to him, he wouldn't allow the clothes to get in the way of preventing him from achieving satisfaction.

Unbuttoning her blouse, and pulling up her bra to expose Sakura's breasts, he growled as soon as he noticed her nipples bristle as she felt his breath crash against them. Sakura letting out an audible groan at the sensation.

She wanted more and was not afraid to hide it, helping Sasuke to expose more of her skin, she got rid of the band on her waist and, while feeling the moisture and warmth of his mouth assaulting her breasts, Sakura hurried to unbutton her shorts, Sasuke's quick hand looking to loosen hers as well same, pulling the elastic of it until revealing the black underwear that adhered sensually to the curve of her butt.

His member throbbed insistently, being a constant reminder that the only way to end this would be with his penis inside her. They had played with fire for a long time to stop halfway.

Separating his lips from Sakura's skin, Sasuke sought to regulate his breathing after that thought crossed his mind.

Sakura, with one of her hands climbing up Sasuke's strong arm and the other on his agitated chest, also stopped to contemplate the pause he had put between them.

She soon noticed what was the source of his concentration. She bit her lower lip as she felt the humidity in her lower area increase at the image of the growing lump between them.

Unable to restrain herself after noticing his member throbbing between them, Sakura moved her pelvis towards him. Once, without making contact, but getting Sasuke to hold his breath. And then once again, making him growl as he followed the movement of her hip with his gaze, stopping her attempt to brush her pelvis with his hand tightly on her thigh.

Instead of stopping her, the firm grip of his palm against her thigh only caused Sakura to groan in frustration and move her hips more insistently.

"Sakura ..."

"Sasuke-kun, please ..." she pleaded this time by moving one of her hands toward the bulge between them.

Sasuke's hand couldn't move in time to stop as Sakura's skillful hand dared to unfasten his pants and expose his swollen member. Stopping at the height of her torso and growling as she moaned while she took his penis in her hand, pressing it between her small hand, the feeling again familiar, again perfect.

This time he did not stop her, quite absorbed in the sensation to notice that she was eliminating the distance between their intimacies until the moisture of her folds was enveloping the length of his member. Replacing her hand with her lower lips looking to wrap it. He felt her hand lean on his thigh while Sakura arched her back slightly and let the sound between a sigh and a groan out.

Without being able to avoid it, Sasuke smiled, his arm circling her until he held her neck. Looking to appreciate the look she hid behind her eyes closed in concentration.

Yes, he liked Sakura more this way, Sasuke thought as he smiled between gasps, while memorizing the Sakura from this present. Not to that of his imagination, but rather, this one, inhibited, ecstatic, daring.

With her eyes closed, her eyelashes stroking her pink cheeks and her lips releasing restless breaths, with strands of hair swaying just like her figure.

With her moisture wrapping his penis and her body emitting the heat he craved above him, Sasuke rammed up, seeking to achieve more of those reactions he loved so much about her. Glad to be the one who provoked this side in her, he caught every one of her groans, every one of her swings, every one of her prayers.

He could feel her trying to meet his movements, feeling her buttocks collide with his thighs, feeling her nipples brush against his covered chest with each thrust.

How he liked Sakura like this.

Holding her neck while he circled her waist and pushed her into the ramming of his pelvis, seeking to reach as much inside her as he could, as fast as he could to take advantage of the warmth and dampness, pressure and pulsation in which her interiors made the heat increase between them.

How she liked Sasuke liked this.

When despite looking for his limit, he brought her closer to him and relieved the tension of her breasts, kissing them, outlining her nipples with his tongue, biting the texture of her skin, while still searching to reach his limit with each trust in the place that filled her the most.

"I'm close, Sasuke-kun," she announced, but he didn't react, still focused on enjoying the feeling of her, still memorizing the sensation of her body, the sensation of her interior, the sensation of her breath crashing into him.

He wanted more, he thought as his onslaught began to demand greater speed, regardless of certainty, growling when he felt her press insistently on his member, but still moving even when the breaths escaping her lips were replaced by gasps and groans.

He felt her drop on him, allowing him to maneuver at will until he let all his essence escape into her.

Even as he regained his breath, it was he who moved first, with his arm still surrounding a disarranged and distracted Sakura, he moved her delicately until she could sit next to him and lethargically fix her clothes so he would do the same before noticing the belt of Sakura on the floor.

Leaning over to take it, he overlooked the way Sakura regained her modesty and shrank in his direction.

Sasuke extended the belt in Sakura's direction when he heard her speak softly: “Sasuke-kun ... It's over." When he heard her say those words, he came back to reality.

Suddenly all that uncertainty from before returned to him. Had he really crossed a line? Had all those signs been a mistake? Had he misunderstood that encounter?

“W-what?” He couldn't help but ask with some fear, noticing how Sakura cringed to hide her face behind her hands, he felt panic assault him.

“The drama! How could you? I could not see it!” Sakura groaned, her gaze rising to reveal her tarnished stare toward him.

A part of Sasuke told him that it should be wrong to feel relieved to see Sakura's fogged look, but it was impossible after hearing her words. Not after having revealed that it was not regret for what they had done, but for an afternoon of ruined fanaticism.

“... Sorry” it was the only thing he managed to articulate, even though he wished he had said more, he let Sakura regain her composure and fix her clothes while pouting.

Without being able to avoid it, he chuckled. When Sakura's ears caught that sound, she turned to him still with the pout present in her features and frowned at him. Sasuke pulled her body to him and kissed her on her forehead.

"Would you rather we didn't do it?" He asked to make sure, his face hiding in her hair, but still feeling the warmth wrap around her.

"It's not that ... We could have waited ..."

“Seriously?” He asked incredulously, quite certain otherwise of how she had been as impatient as he had been.

“Alright! You're right. I guess I can ask for a copy of the episode later...”

Noticing that she avoided his gaze with that blush on her cheeks, he leaned toward her again and whispered against her ear:

"Should we continue in bed?"

Sasuke never knew what to tell her after waking up to her sweet gestures, so instead he would try to control his breathing, then his heartbeat, so she had one less thing to worry about during the night.  

She knew she had to give Sasuke the scroll, inform him of the information that Kakashi had shared with her. But after noticing how he still moved away from her touch, from her help, she wondered if asking him about himself will make him move farther away from her.

Sighing as she looked into the drawer of her office, more specifically, the scroll with that distinctive seal inside said drawer, she bit her bottom lip as she frowned.

She had read it. And while she had no problem answering most of those questions about herself, would this make Sasuke tell her more about himself? Or would he be offended and close back up?

His dreams, the things that motivate him… Would she be able to know about it someday?

“It’s very confusing, Naruto. Sometimes he comes and says kind things and the next moment he’s back into his shell. I know I should be patient, but really, I don’t know what is making him unable to trust me…”

She should know better than to let others know about her problems, least of all to Naruto, who thought their romantic relationship was real and had cheered her on more than one occasion to give it her all, but she figured her blond best friend was the most adequate to let her know how to handle their dark haired best friend.

Their bond was honest, they knew each other like two drops of water.

Surely, Naruto was the best one to help them both.

She felt a little more at ease now that she had confessed her preoccupations to someone —at least one of many, and she could now focus on her work.

As she continued her routine after having that small breakfast with Naruto, the latter visited the other member of their team.

“So, Sakura-chan seems to be having a tough time lately”

He grunted, because he certainly knew, he had seen it after helping her lay down to rest not so many nights ago.

“And it seems to be because you’re not letting her take care of you”

“I don’t need her to take care of me”

It was her who needed to be taken care of. A reckless idiot just like the one sitting in front of him.

“Oh, really? Then why there isn’t any bottles of sake left on the shelves? I thought I brought plenty for when I came to visit”

“Idiot, you drank most of them the same day” with him, he recalled briefly, but refraining to inform Naruto about it. It was pointless and utterly ridiculous to have them worry about every little thing he did or not.

“Oh. Did I? Well— anyways, Sakura-chan wishes to know more about you, she’s your partner and you have yet to let her know anything other than what she has seen. Don’t you think you need to trust her more?”

Sasuke didn’t look back at his friend, but rather he remained focused on the scroll he was reading when Naruto arrived.

“She needs to know you trust her, Sasuke. Don’t you think she deserves to know that even if you didn’t want her help?”

This time, as he hid his eyes behind his long bangs, he frowned. His silence making his hyperactive friend smile.

“So, tell her, whatever you think of her, she deserves that at least”.

He had wished for this moment to not come just yet. There was a reason to his actions, even now, after the incident a few nights prior. It downed on him the moment he looked at her so vulnerable in his embrace.

If she wanted to be there for him, he was fine with it. But there was a whole difference to be there for her. To let her into his life by allowing himself to be concerned about her.

It meant there was no going back, only going further in.

Only more and more depth and more and more dependence of her by worrying and concerning over her. He had lost so much once, he had decided to not let that happen twice and if he accepted her, if he let her in as someone special to him, there was no doubt he would not be able to let go. He would be fully concerned over her. Which would not be a terrible thing were it any other person than Uchiha Sasuke.

How much freedom would a person as apprehensive as him would be willing to give?

There were oceans of distance between them, seas of emotions to discover, depth in their thoughts that didn’t manage to be expressed because first of all, there was a barrier that did not allowed them to cross.

The uncertainty of not knowing to where they were directed with their intentions, with those numerous feelings that piled up between them when they were in the presence of the other.

So, they remained pretending there was none, pretending that it was enough with this unusual friendship between them, thinking that it would be enough to count with the friendship of the other for now, while they arranged their thoughts. While the other took the first step to something more.

It was after she left as soon as she finished checking on his condition that he allowed himself to reflect on what had happened between them through the years. He owed her respect, gratefulness, he owed her honesty.

But it was right at this concept that he inevitably closed back up. How could it be possible for him to express all he had confronted through the long years of their absence? How could she get to understand so that she would keep giving him the same unconditionality? Why was she so unconditional?

Surely because of her ignorance. Knowing of all his sins, of all the blood that his name carried, of all the pains inflicted to others and to himself in order to pursue a manipulated truth —lie after lie.

It was after she moved away from him that Sasuke felt more at ease, knowing she did not know all about him.

This was a burden that he did not wish for anyone else to carry. He decided day after day, without noticing how night after night, his demons were seeking out the comfort of whom he assured should never know about them.

“I’m here, Sasuke-kun”

She would whisper during the night, her breath fanning his troubled expression.

Her voice echoing through the dark fog of his most mischievous thoughts and luring him awake, only not as soothing as her voice.

In a quick flip and swift movement of sheets, it was Sakura who now laid back against the floor, her body making a deaf sound as it hit the surface and gasping when his hand circled her neck, his large palm feeling the way she gulped when she realized the position they were in.

His eyes widened as well, slumber dissipating as soon as he took notice of the all too familiar scenario laying in front of him.

He, supposedly her beloved partner, clenching his hand against her fragile neck and preventing her from moving. Too caught in the sudden action to move, only staring back at the wide mismatched pair of eyes looking back at her behind long and dark bangs, Sakura remained still as she tried to untangle the messy position they were in now.

Breathing unevenly, she noted the quivering of his lip, probably taking notice of the painful resemblance it held to the last time they were this close and Sakura felt her eyes start to dampen. Not because she was afraid, but because she could see so clearly how he was in pain, how he was affected by what he did, how he was still tormented with the mistakes he had done before and how he regretted them all, but it seemed like he could not help to react like this.

She closed her eyes, cutting off the contact they had before she slowly raised her almost trembling hands and searched for his face, cupping him despite feeling how he flinched at her touch.

“It’s okay, Sasuke-kun. I’m not going anywhere”

Her voice was low, Sasuke felt how her vocal cords resounded underneath his palm, his brow clenched and unclenched as he tried to look for her eyes as she slowly opened them once more, looking back at him.

Once more, she smiled reassuringly at him.

“You’re okay now, Sasuke-kun. You are home”

There was a slight tremble in her voice, almost unnoticeable had he not been circling her neck with his palm in order to feel the vibrations of her voice against it.

Slowly, he retreated until he was sitting, allowing space for Sakura to sit as well, facing him as he avoided her face.

“You shouldn’t do that” he said after a few seconds, his voice a striking contrast with the silence that had loomed over them in the obscurity of their room.

“Do what?”

“Care”

Sakura took a hard intake of air after listening to him.

“Of course, I should! Sasuke-kun!” she called out to him, her voice now louder making him raise his gaze in order to meet hers. Her small hands rushing to reach for his, tightening her grip around his. “I love you! No matter what!”

As soon as she confessed once more, she felt the color rush to her face, her eyes widening as she took notice of how Sasuke’s gaze was still on her.

There was it again, those two feelings connected to each other. To care and to love.

“I see” was all he said, not moving an inch as she felt herself continue to flush and remove her eyes from his stare, looking anywhere but his penetrating eyes.

“Certainly, I have long since told you this but… there’s also something we should discuss” now that she had gone as far as to say such strong words, she figured letting him know of the interview should be a perfect divergence to their current topic. “If you’re willing, Kakashi advised for us to get to know each other better”.

At the mention of their former mentor, Sasuke squinted his eyes.

“How?”

“He provided us a scroll with questions that are frequently used during these kind of interviews, he said we should get to know most of them for a better result” she explained as she tried to ignore the way Sasuke had chosen to focus his question in the ‘how’ rather than ‘when’ or ‘where’, probably as concerned as she was when she heard their mentor try to give them advice. Obviously, their mentor’s reputation prevailed through the years.

“Ok, then” he said without much ado, getting back on his feet now that the previous obscurity of the room had lightened a little with shades of brown grey filtering through the curtains. Taken aback by the easy acceptance, Sakura blinked as she followed his form moving to the door before listening to him call at her. “How do you like your tea?” he asked her, even though he most certainly had cleared up the traces of her rushed breakfast she had made for herself over the weeks they had spent together.

She restrained a smile, because this was him letting her know he will try.  

“Should we make breakfast?” she proposed, determined to make use of Sasuke’s small opening, whatever it took for them to reach closer. If only a little more.

He made her brighten up when she noticed the small nod, before heading out of the room with a beaming Sakura trailing behind. Despite himself, he felt a chuckle escape his features.

All slumber and overwhelming atmosphere seemed to had ceased the moment they were now side by side on the counter of the kitchen, their elbows gracing each other since the space was so small, their hands occupied trying to make some onigiri.

Sakura could not help to gawk at the dexterity in which Sasuke now took a generous amount and molded in his right palm the rice. Compared to her smaller two hands, his onigiri were larger, fuller and much messier.

She observed with adoration how he looked like this, relaxed and focused on mundane chores like this one, right next to her on a fresh morning of autumn.

They had answered all the questions as they shared a meal for the first time since they lived together. They had eaten in the same space, but never at the same time. Sakura’s late schedules were hectic and Sasuke would always eat something small and earlier while he prepared meals for the next day.

Sitting in front of the other while the display of warm and abundant plates of food laid between them made Sakura feel motivated, now that she was able to spend time with Sasuke like this.

They had agreed in most of the questions, of course they were plenty to be left out since they were only engaged as far as everyone else knew, but only one remained unanswered between them: were their feelings true?

Certainly, it was not part of the questions they held, reviewing them they noticed how most of them talked about their everyday routine, which, in their case, was none. As mentioned, it seemed more like a shared apartment rather than a loving home for a couple soon to be married.

Even so, as they had agreed in most details of their supposed backstory, she believed it would be ideal for them to know things that made them seem as confident as a loving couple should.

“What was he like? To you…?” she dared to ask him.

Sakura wondered if getting to know this particular side of his past will reveal that truth.

Sasuke was also looking back at her, his heavy stare fixated on hers as he contemplated his options. Letting her know this, letting her unravel him at last to the remaining pieces of his past could not only make his resolutions falter, but also his increasing emotions about her turn stronger.

As he looked at her sincere, gleaming green eyes he realized he couldn’t choose a safer place to lay them.

Just when he was about to open up his mouth to let the pandora box loose, the familiar presence of an ANBU at their door made them turn to it.

They didn’t seem to expect to be called out by Kakashi later that evening. Luckily it was Sakura’s day off, or rather, she requested the day off as the morning with Sasuke took most of her time now that they had agreed to look into the scroll their mentor had provided.

She wanted to make use of the good mood they both had managed to get after a hectic early morning, so she had dispatched one of her summonses to let the hospital know of her absence.

It was not every day that she took some time for herself so she would take care of the incomplete assignments when she came back.

However, Kakashi seemed to shrug it off and instead calling about the reason of their calling.

“The council has decided to appeal to close testimonies to approve of the permission to reintegrate Sasuke to the village”.

Sasuke remained silent as Sakura blinked in surprise, not expecting a response so soon, and through Kakashi rather than the meeting they had mentioned they would have.

“What’s the meaning of this?”

“Close testimonies have been requested to state their stance regarding your…”as he paused, gesticulating from Sasuke to Sakura before continuing “…situation, in order to make a decision concerning your request of allowing him to be reintegrated”.

“I see but then… why the heads up?” Sakura eyed her mentor with curiosity, listening to him letting them know about the intents of the council to talk to other people about their agreement surely meant he had something in mind for them as well.

Kakashi explained then, his eyes zeroing on Sakura as he folded his hands in front of him and smiled.

“I hope you be nice to your future visitors at home”.

Sasuke scoffed but it was to be expected. Sakura remained silent; blinking flabbergasted as Kakashi continued to explain the new change.

After hearing Kakashi explain the details to this new arrangement, they heard a knock at the door and a familiar face peeked, searching to meet with Sakura’s eyes who blinked in surprise. Shizune hardly left her spot at the hospital to the Hokage tower, since it was her who made the paperwork to Kakashi.

“Excuse me, I was looking for Sakura, I was told I could find her here” Kakashi gave Shizune a short nod behind the requested medic, letting her now she could come in.

Shizune, all too familiar to the comings and goings in the Hokage’s office, seemed unaffected by the prior meeting they were holding, as she hurriedly approached Sakura while explaining:

“The results for the investigation arrived, you told me to call you out as soon as I got them” it was then Sakura noticed the folder the dark-haired woman carried and her emerald eyes shone with recognition.

Turning on her feet in the direction of Kakashi, she pleaded “May I be excused, Hokage-sama?”

Nodding, Kakashi complied “You may, I have something to discuss with Sasuke, anyways”.

At this, Sakura glanced briefly at Sasuke, who seemed to acknowledge her stare as he nodded.

“We’re not talking about someone who lost his memory, we are talking about someone who—”

“Someone who made mistakes in the past thanks to a judgement badly influenced. Exactly, it needs to be proven the right truth” this time, she whirled her face in order to face the person that had tried to speak ill of him.

Sakura suppressed the urge to frown at the member. It was clear to her, to Naruto and even to Kakashi that these people, responsible of so many misjudges, were the least indicated to point out misconceptions of other people, and yet…

“It might be like that but we keep talking about someone with instability of great abilities. We could not possibly leave him unsupervised overnight” once they addressed the issue she had been thinking about, Sakura smirked —maybe something she had gained from him, maybe something she had been hiding in her as she grew older and more confident.

“What about a volunteer as escort?” she tilted her head to the side, one of her pink brows raising.

“What do you mean?”

“Uzumaki Naruto, the only person capable to keep him at bay, isn’t he?” she offered.

Once more, she made good use of the knowledge of the village’s needs in their favor. This, Kakashi noted as he hid a smirk under his mask.

After a long minute of silence and glances from one to the other, they replied:

“We’ll consider your proposal, and check on it on the next meeting”.

It soon became a custom, to have Naruto daily with them. Not always arriving at the same time, but spending hours at their flat nonetheless.

He’ll excuse himself saying he gets bored of studying and needs to clear his head. In reality, he was as concerned as Sakura about Sasuke adapting to this new atmosphere in which he was left alone surrounded by only four walls.

Sasuke was no fool; he had noticed their ulterior motives, but said nothing. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was thankful too. It was harsh to deal, actually; Solitude often making his thoughts drift to murky ghosts, often making him abruptly wake up after unknowingly falling asleep.

Today, though, the blond had barged in with a considerable amount of liquor in his arms.

At first it was like usual, just the two of them. Without having nothing much else to do, the pair started to chug the sour yet addicting liquor in small shots and soon enough, their heads became lightheaded.

They were arguing about why tomatoes were better than ramen (and why Sasuke was just talking bullshit), when Sakura got home from her shift. It took only one glance at the mess they had created in the living room for her to know she was far too exhausted to argue so she just opened up a brand-new bottle of sake and slumped on the once tidy floor in front of her boys.

Silently listening to their usual banter, she quickly caught up with them and finished her first bottle when Naruto changed topic abruptly.

“We might as well just date each other already”

Both his best friends snapped their heads in the blond’s direction, completely taken aback by his blunt confession.

“Why?”

“No way” both of them replied simultaneously.

Naruto replied with a grunt, a gesture he had completely taken from the Uchiha, but had yet to notice; he fidgeted with his glass of sake a few moments before continuing.

“I mean, we’re too messed up to be dating anyone else out of the team, aren’t we?”

“Excuse me?” Sakura argued, baffled and offended. Sasuke, on the other hand, remained silent and continued to taste his liquor also stumbled somewhere on his living room’s floor.

“Yeah okay, except maybe Sakura-chan, but honestly your taste in men so far has proven that you’ve got some kind of twisted kink don’t you think?”

As a reply, Sakura took a long chug of her drink and looked elsewhere.

“We’re not that messed up…” her voice was barely a whisper, only for her ears to hear.

Sakura decided then to turn and face her usually optimistic and loud teammate, finding him tumbled against Sasuke’s backseat, resting one of his elbows on the back and in hand hanging his almost empty bottle of sake. His usually childish and goofy smile turned into a concentrating frown of worry.

“What about Hinata?” her mind suddenly lightened.

“This is about Hinata…”

“Oh?” now, both Sakura and Sasuke looked curiously at the blond, the latter raising an eyebrow at his blond friend.

The tanned boy ruffled his hair with his free hand, now aware of the curious stares of his friends.

“She’s so gentle, composed and has this whole bunch of prospects… most certainly less fucked up than me… She should be better off without a burden like me”

Sakura squinted her eyes in his direction, leaning over the small table. Sasuke kept as skeptic as before, but his attention seemed to be diverting to his own glass of sake which he had now found a liking.

This was rather unusual coming from someone who just not long ago cheered on her relationship, but maybe, this and that were totally different things after all. While Sasuke and her tried to make a fake relationship work, Naruto and Hinata…

The girl broke the unusual silence by bursting into a laugh, now it was the males turn to snap their heads in her direction.

“You are that stupid, huh?”

“Wha-?”

“This concern of yours, it is stupid” She shook her head in disapproval. “That you are concerned over something so silly as to being worthy of the one you love is proof that you reciprocate her feelings”

“Wa-wait! The one I love…?” still shocked by the reveal, Naruto incorporated from his slumped position and leaned into the table like Sakura, who was smirking.

“You do” she shrugged as she continued explaining “us girls tend to have the same thoughts once or twice, the only thing that should worry you now is… are you willing to fight and be worthy of her? And I don’t mean physically strong, clearly, you’re over that but rather… fight for her feelings? Make her happy and stuff”

Then she noticed his eyes sparkling once again, face lighting up and foxy grin coming across his features.            

“Yes, dattebayo!”

As both of them continued to brighten up, Sasuke fidgeted with his now empty glass of sake, contemplating on what his female teammate had said…

It seemed like there was a name for his constant concern over her wellbeing.

Because, even if he could tell she handled her liquor quite alright, even as they managed to tidy up the mess and get to bed with much ado, Sasuke sometimes wished he could do more.

The truth was that there was little to do at home with only two persons living in that small apartment. Even if Sasuke wished to help and do some chores, even if he took his time struggling from time to time due to his lack of arm, he often managed to get it done before Sakura arrived. Which he came to notice, it continued to keep being later than last time.

He tried to understand, she was an important asset to the hospital, probably in charge of more than one field and even if he tried to tell himself that it was all to be expected, something felt wrong.

While she was working her ass off, she also felt this need to help him out by living with him in this deplorable place.

It somehow irked him. How powerless he was at the moment, not being able to do much but the trivial stuff at home like washing and tidying. Not that there was much to wash or tidy up anyway but as he scrambled through the scrolls Sakura had left out of its shelf, he wondered if there was something useful there. He had his chakra sealed still, but he wondered.

If what Sakura had accomplished all these years had been thanks to her outstanding skill at controlling her chakra, could he be able to give it a try?

And so, while the hours alone continued to pass, he studied. He read and consulted, and he also discovered. How unusual all these discovering’s were when he noticed as the most recent scrolls mentioned an anomaly in the chakra source.

An anomaly like they had called Kaguya’s power.

Just as his thoughts led him to that issue, his eyes squinting in contemplation, he heard Sakura stumble through the door, her usually graceful and chirpy greeting lost between the loud fumble of things clashing against each other.

The forming frown on the dark-haired man pronounced. Talking about unusual things.

“Sakura” he called for her as he neared the entrance, only to find her panting as she tried to steady her elaborated breathing while resting against the wall of the corridor.

He had to suppress a curse as a sting invaded him while watching how she tried to force a reassuring smile on her face even if she was panting and her eyes were clouded and lost. Even as she was at the verge of collapsing, she still tried her best to look strong in front of him.

As if he didn’t know already how capable she was, as if he didn’t know how much of her, she offered for everyone that surrounded her.

He opted to click his tongue and approach her, just in time to catch her as she gave out to his chest.

He gently laid her to rest on the futon, her tired eyes struggling to remain open as he measured her fever before emanating some of his chakra to light his palm—soon emitting a soothing sensation against her forehead that she was pretty familiar with.

"W-where did you learn to heal?" looking tiredly at his face, she noticed a ghost of a smirk decorate his lips.

"Your books" he replied shortly, too focused on remain emanating his soothing chakra on her, aware this was a task that required much of his attention.

"Heh, you've run out of things to do that you've been going through my stuff?"

"Hm"

"--Wait! You've been going through my stuff?" she reacted a few seconds later, trying to reincorporate herself into a seated position but stopped midtrack by Sasuke's palm against her shoulder.

"Tch. Why are you getting so worked up? Is there something I shouldn't find out? Even though we're engaged..."

"Sasuke-kun!"

Noticing the blush that had little to do with her fever, he smirked once more, this time without holding back before chuckling and instructing her.

"Lay down, you annoying patient" he commanded with a tone half playful half strict. She could only stare at his form as he lifted from the ground where she laid at their futon and went out of the room towards the kitchen, she presumed.

She closed her eyes trying to steady her hearbeat, since recalling the tender touch of his hand against her heated forehead had been so delicate and so soothing, she had trouble trying to keep up with this new side of Sasuke she had just discovered.

Even in her delirious state, she wondered. Had she been doing enough for those who did not have someone to look after them like she did? Had she been doing enough to stop being a burden to those who worried about her?

When he entered the room again, He found her incorporated in a seated position against the wall, her gaze somewhere else as she stared at her lap.

"This war is far from being over" her voice was even, almost talking to the past, as if recalling, must certainly the events that had transpired earlier that day, most certainly someone who she had been attending to.

He silently observed, how her eyes glassed before clenching shut, the trembling of her lip letting him know she was way too tired to pretend she was okay.

"Even when we are no longer in the battlefield, we... have so much to deal with still".

He listened to her, silently agreeing as he recalled the suspicious coincidence he had discovered as he studied the scrolls.

Now that they had finished clearing a proper space for them to unfold the only futon of the room, they stood in silence for a few moments and stared at the seemingly small and traitorous cloth before Sakura —once more, decided to break it.

“So you take the futon, I’ll take the floor”

“I’ll take the floor” He quickly refuted.

“You’ve been sleeping in terrible conditions until now! You need to get a decent sleep” She tried to reason, the medic in her awakening at the situation.

“And you’re going to be on duty all day” He reasoned back.

“I can take care of myself!” Now she was about to start barking.

“Just take the damn mattress Sakura” But he didn’t seem to be affected by it at all.

“Not if you’re not going to sleep in there either!”

Quiet followed suit.

“I mean…”

Sasuke lifted his head and pressed the bridge of his nose with his fingers in search for patience. He wondered why they didn’t at least have a couch to share; that’d make things easier…

“So you’d be more comfortable with us sharing it?”

“You…wouldn’t?”

“I asked first”

“But would you?”

He grunted.

She stammered, worried she had angered him again and answered first: “Y-yes! I wouldn’t mind… unless you…”

“I don’t. Now get to sleep”. He insisted one last time before flopping down on the mattress and staring at the ceiling, or rather, glaring at it.

Sakura twisted her lips but said nothing, slowly, she bent down until she was lying on the mattress, and also facing the ceiling. While she tried to think of something to say, she kept frowning at the material above their heads.

“I’m sorry” She was surprised when she heard him apologize at the same time she did —a soft blush coming to her cheeks as she blinked appalled, briefly recalling the time she heard those words coming from him for the first time not so long ago.

Still, even as she tried to even her heartbeats, she wondered aloud:

“What are you sorry for? I was the one who put you through this”

“I had said I was going to accept your intentions of making things go back to how they used to, yet—”

“Yet I overdid it by claiming something so silly…” she interrupted him, turning on her side so her body was facing in his direction and continued with determination, “I’m the one who should apologize. I don’t blame you of anything, Sasuke-kun. We’ve been apart for a long time and I put a new burden to deal with instead of making things better”

“Don’t be annoying, Sakura” He declared, rolling his eyes before meeting her gaze “. You said you did it in order for me to not freeze to death in an isolated prison”

An apologetic grimace appeared on her features, guiltily recalling her selfish reasons to blurt out her statement. Was that the real reason she had claimed something so impulsively? She refused to dwell on it, she had no room to be thinking of selfish reasons, she needed to be there for him.

“I guess so…” she mumbled, her voice turning to a tender whisper. Her thoughts drifting to that moment as she continued to stare at the man lying beside her, absently roaming the details of the moonlight that hit his factions.

Neither noticed the way their gazes softened as they stared at each other, soon finding out this was the first time they had seen each other this close ever since the time he was at that underground prison.

That was, until his voice interrupted her concentration.

“How can you be so calm with this?” he asked her, face frowning.

She took her time in answering, deciding to stare at his profile meanwhile, and taking in the changes his face had made over the years of being apart one more time —since she had also done that while treating him at prison.

“I’ve told you already, haven’t I? How I don’t want us to keep being apart” she said barely whispering, feeling as if her words were giving away the raw feelings she carried. Her eyes now running away from his powerful stare. She certainly felt that way: as if she was exposing herself nude in front of him, offering her heart for him to reach it, yet one more time.

The real question here was if he was going to take it with him one day.[J1] 

Lost in their thoughts, silent slowly filled their room and just as delicately, she closed her eyes and surrendered to Morpheous’ arms. Sasuke remained awake for a few more minutes, recalling her words as he realized just how serious had Sakura been since day one.

With tiredness finally beating the remains of their exhausted forms, Sasuke dozed off to sleep as well.

The next morning Sasuke noticed a few things.

Sakura had left her side of the futon and ordered her belongings on the right side of the room. The shower was full of steam, meaning she had taken a hot shower before leaving. She had left prepared meals for him in the fridge and a fair share of tomatoes like she knew he liked. She had drunk coffee, but had also prepared some black tea for him, none of them sugared.

The fact that she remembered those little things about him didn’t pass unnoted.

Sakura endured her long shift, much like she had done since they had returned to the Village. Not only had she been part of the recovery and emergency units, but also she had been working alongside with Tsunade to investigate the remains of Hashirama’s cells. After her shishou had noticed some real valuable information in those cells, her need for Sakura’s assistance was imperative. Not that she actually needed much convincing, if there was a way to help those close to her to get back to their normal selves, Sakura was more than willing.

Time passed by and she hurried from here to there without worrying about the time, but something told her she had passed her meal time because she bumped into Naruto as she entered her office. He had been waiting for her so they could eat together, she could tell because of the empty plate of ramen he had brought for himself and then there was another bag still remaining unopened on her desk.

Of course Naruto wouldn’t be as patient as he had expected to wait until she arrived to eat his portion of ramen.

She frowned, because even though she was touched by her blond’s friend actions, she was still upset about what he had announced without her consent last night.

“Yo, Sakura-chan!” he grinned, playing fool as he sat up from the chair that was placed in front of her desk.

“I just came to grab some files, I’m not staying and neither are you” she declared as she passed by him and ignored the baffled blond. It only lasted seconds, though. The boy quickly followed her as she stepped out of her office once more and walked alongside. He knew what had made her teammate this cranky —at least towards him, so he went ahead and confront the matter.

“Hey, look. Do you want to know why I said it?” he said, because even though Naruto was an oblivious idiot, there were matters that he knew how to deal with, how to approach them. He just knew her teammate’s heart too well now. What he had told the other day was not unintentional, she now had started to consider.

Sakura could only frown deeper “Because you’re an idiot, that’s why”.

“What? No! Hear me out please, Sakura-chan” he pulled her arm back so she came to a stop just like him, now in the middle of the almost lonely corridor, Naruto got Sakura’s attention as she glared at him only half-heartedly. He was, after all, his idiotic and loving best friend.

“Because even though your relationship has been suddenly announced, ever since you came to heal us; and ever since I heard Sasuke apologize sincerely that day, I knew there really was hope for the two of you to get closer”.

Sakura stared at Naruto with curiosity now, how could he know?

“I am your best friend, of both of you” He grinned, confident that he had read her mind. “And no matter how much time we’ve been apart from each other, just as I know our bond has always been there, I knew the one the two of you had still laid there. I believe it is just a matter of time before you get to be happy and at ease with each other” He paused a moment in which he realized what he was implying and panicked, he fixed: “Ah! Not that I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with your relationship now! ‘ttebayo! I just… believe you both need to be more honest with each other, trust that no matter what had happened between our bonds, it still is there; So Sakura-chan, open up to him once more. He might be ready to accept you this time”.

She was blown away. Naruto… he really had looked and sounded so mature while he explained himself. She smiled back at him, grinning even as she teased:

“Those are some real big words for someone still fidgeting over his own love life, don’t you think?” the reaction was instant, her blond best friend opened wide his blue eyes and moaned.

“Sakura-chan!” he whined but still managed to chuckle with her when she chuckled back, the previously tense atmosphere between them completely vanished.

Her rounds continued a little more after that, while she still managed to have Naruto’s company for a while longer; in the end she had to finish her work so she could head back home to the apartment.

She twisted her lips as she scribbled. The idea of leaving Sasuke alone was somehow troubling her.

Not because she doubted him, nor because of thinking he was incapable of taking care of himself; but rather, that she couldn’t help but worry that loneliness was Sasuke’s most loyal enemy.

However, before she could dwell more into that concern of hers, there was a knock at her door and she let the newcomer in.

It was Kakashi, his distinctive robe removed and wearing just his ninja suit, meaning he was either on his way back home or this was just a clone. Whichever, he made himself comfortable as he took a seat in front of Sakura’s desk.

“So, I’ve got something for you” he announced, as he stretched his arm and laid on her desk a small scroll, unlabeled and black. Sakura blinked perplexed.

“Okay?”

“It’s a guide, for yours and Sasuke’s interview. I managed to get a copy of it so you had a head start” he explained once he saw her confused expression. “However it is up to the interviewer to decide which ones are going to be made, so make sure both of you know most of them perfectly, okay?” he smiled as he usually did, eyes closed to the point of accentuating his forming wrinkles at the corner of his eyes.

Sakura nodded, reaching for the scroll as she thanked him “We will. Thank you, Kakashi-sensei”.

Back at home, Sasuke continued to struggle at getting used to having only one arm.

While he was skilled, usual shores turned out to be annoying, there were no swift movements or speed implied; just dull, regular, basic tasks that needed to be done.

It would be a waste of energy and chakra to retort to jutsus just to get some domestic tasks done, so he refused to summon a clone or even one of his familiars as he begrudgingly continued to curse under his breath at the dishes he had yet to be able to wash.

He silently thanked he was alone at the moment, and not accompanied by someone else chuckling at his struggle.

Due to his lack of pending issues, and seeing the hour it was at the clock hanging on the living room, he decided to prepare something to eat. It was simply because he had nothing else to do, clearly. Not because he felt some need to be grateful for the…

He sighed. So okay, he really needed to start being less of a jerk and be actually thankful for the opportunity he was given.

Although it didn’t make this new task any more appealing.

He ignored his creasing annoyance at his troubling coordination as he carefully sliced some vegetables.

It had probably been only matter of minutes before he felt Sakura’s presence arriving at the door, but he couldn’t turn to face her since he was too busy trying to hold the pan for steadiness while he also needed to mix it up.

“Tadaima” her voice came to him distantly, she was probably still at the front door, removing her footwear as she asked “Sasuke-kun, are you cooking?”

He didn’t reply, obviously the intense smell that had invaded the small place gave away the answer. He was no expert, but he wasn’t the worst cook either. It had been a while since he last prepared a meal and also…

Using only one arm was so damn annoying!

He cursed under his breath for the nth time and soon, her presence was already beside him, holding with one of her hands the pan to steady it as he mixed the content inside of it.

“Let me help you” she said, voice kind, face focused. Suddenly he found himself wondering if this was how she looked like when she was at the hospital.

Speaking of which, he noted her appearance. Even though she seemed focused and wearing an impassive expression, her ever so emotional green eyes reflected the fatigue she was holding back as she moved her bangs out of her view.

Sakura turned on her feet to check on the vegetables before turning off the fire, placing a cover on top.

She was about to head and start to wash the dishes when Sasuke placed his hand on top of hers, haltering her progress and making her look up at him with surprise.

“You should go take a bath” he said, concerned she would collapse anytime soon as she methodically paced from a place to the other rather than being on her full senses.

She, as expected, took his comment the wrong way and her face instantly turned a notorious shade of red thinking he meant to say she stank.  

He chuckled and added.

“You must be tired” his voice was even, and maybe his statement was true because his voice sounded so alluring and calm, and that really must have been because she was that exhausted. Right? There was no way Sasuke felt like talking to her so tenderly, was it?

Still uneasy and a bit confused, Sakura managed to nod before heading out of the kitchen.

She missed the way his eyes trailed off her figure as she left the room, being too caught in her own thoughts. A ghost of a smirk placed on his features without him noticing.