Title: Thankful
Summary: "Say it, Sasuke-kun. It's okay."
Date: February 21, 2013
Genre: Friendship
Prompt: 3. Grateful
Pairing: Sasuke x Sakura (if you squint real hard)

Thankful

Haruno Sakura's steps were heavy. A perpetual frown tugged low on her lips as she walked the white, linoleum hallways, sluggishly pulling off crimson-stained gloves from her sweat-slicked hands. She veered to the left, grunting as she shouldered open the door to the darkened space of her office, switching on the light with a sigh as her dulled emerald eyes scanned the interior. Her gaze raked uninterestedly over the cluttered paperwork on her desktop before she closed the door with a soft click and made her way to her chair, settling wearily into the seat and automatically bringing her right hand up to massage her throbbing temples.

Five hours straight of surgery; a C-Ranked mission gone horribly wrong; and blood stains smeared gruesomely on the front of her green scrubs. She frowned before bringing the article of clothing up and over her head, leaving her in a black, fishnet top, which, thankfully, had no transference of liquid scarlet.

She glanced up at the clock above the door, discovering that it was hours past dinner and that opening the curtains behind her wouldn't reveal a sunny day that she had been hopeful for, to help brighten her mood.

A sudden shift of movement and the soft click of wood and metal alerted the kunoichi to another presence and she twisted her head lethargically to acknowledge the figure that had decided to climb through her window.

"…Sasuke."

The male raised the ceramic mask from his face, pulling it off to hang on his belt. Emerald eyes sadly examined the wolf-decorated guise, flashes of memories in the emergency room causing her to shut her eyes and physically shake her head in an effort to get rid of the images. Her company silently placed his weapons pouch on the corner of her desk before beginning to remove his arm guards.

"Did you just get back?" Sakura questioned, opening her eyes to watch him.

"Aa," He affirmed, nodding his head once, "A success."

She raised a brow, curious, "So why are you here?"

Sasuke frowned, unlatching his left arm guard with a subtle flinch before holding out the bleeding limb, a long and deep laceration tracking along his bicep, "Kakashi wanted you to take a look at this."

"What happened?" Sakura yelped, fatigue gone as she jumped up from her seat and rounded her desk to stand in front of him, emerald irises examining the wound with worry, "Here, let me see."

Sasuke held out the limb calmly, watching the medic efficiently channel healing chakra to her left hand before hovering it above the injury, "A careless mistake between a windmill shuriken and…a rock." A small scowl curled his lips and Sakura raised a brow with confusion but decided not to press.

"Well, it's not poisoned," Sakura assured, watching the skin knit together, "And it doesn't seem to be infected." She retracted her hand once the damage was completely fixed, removing a cloth from her back pocket to help wipe off the excess blood still decorating his skin, "You're all set."

Sasuke watched her and her careful movements, noticing the tire in her eyes and the heaviness of her shoulders, "Aa…" He opened his mouth, wanting to say more, but her weary eyes looked up to connect with his and he snapped his lips shut, a frown tugging his mouth with self-deprecation, "…Aa." She looked at him curiously, but allowed his silent gratitude.

"You should go home and get some rest," Sakura suggested as she moved away, retaking her seat at her desk and mechanically looking over paperwork – but her eyes didn't seem to be reading the words.

"What about you?" Sasuke questioned, retrieving his discarded arm guards and weapons pouch but making no move to leave, "It's late."

"I have a lot of paperwork," She replied.

"…Have you eaten?"

Her eyes fluttered upward and she watched as Sasuke took a seat on the far couch that she kept in her office for when she needed naps in between shifts, "…Not yet."

"Then I'll wait," He wasn't looking at her, opting to focus on cleaning the blood off his skin and adjust the equipment that weighed on his person.

"You don't have to, Sasuke-kun."

"I'll wait," He repeated, finally meeting dark eyes with emerald, "Just don't take too long." He shrugged carelessly before loosening the buckles of his attached scrolls and pouches, "I'm sure the idiot will be at Ichiraku's. Besides, it's been a while since we've had dinner together."

It was true. Ever since Uchiha Sasuke's return to Konoha, a little over two years ago, Team Kakashi had been making the best effort they could to spend time together despite their different – and separating – roles within the village. Every moment together was always cherished.

A sudden tear slid down Sakura's cheek and Sasuke blinked at her with veiled alarm, watching as the kunoichi hurriedly swiped the wetness away.

"Sakura?"

"It's nothing," She assured, closing her eyes and bowing her head to help gain back her bearings.

A movement caused Sakura to look up and Sasuke was standing and on the opposite side of her desk, staring at her intensely.

"Tell me," He stated bluntly, though his expression was softened with silent concern, "What's wrong?"

Sakura shook her head once more, "It's nothing, really, Sasuke. It's just…" She let out a long exhalation of breath and raised her head to connect her watery green irises with puzzled obsidian, "…It's just I was in surgery today. An entire Chuunin team slaughtered on a mission gone wrong and I only managed to save one."

"There are always losses," Sasuke began to placate but Sakura was shaking her head.

"It's not the losses. It's not me and my limits," She explained, "I know I'm not all-powerful and that I can't save everyone – I understand that. It was the survivor. A Chuunin kunoichi and I delivered the news that none of her teammates survived. The look on her face – the despair," She lifted her hand to press against her chest, "It hit right here. Just the knowledge that this girl wasn't going to be seeing her comrades – the boys she grew up with, the sensei who taught her – ever again. It hurts," She blinked back more tears and looked up at Sasuke sadly, "And call me selfish but I couldn't help but think of myself in that position – where you and Naruto and Kakashi and Sai and Yamato would someday just disappear, all at once, from my life. And I couldn't help but feel so grateful that you're all okay and that I still had all of you."

She breathed in deep and closed her eyes again, "And then it made me think of the war and how Naruto almost died and that you almost didn't come back…" She looked up at him and the emotion in her green depths almost staggered the Uchiha, "I'm so glad you came back, Sasuke." She sniffled, "I guess that surgery – seeing who I could have been and realizing how lucky I am – it just makes me appreciate what I have even more."

A sardonic chuckle escaped her lips as she deftly began to wipe away her tears with a nearby handkerchief, "…That's what was wrong, Sasuke-kun, if that answers your question. Sorry for the waterworks."

"No," He rectified instantly, "Don't apologize." She looked up at him and that same uncertainty from before was coating his expression, eyes downcast, clearly wanting to say something but struggling.

"…Sasuke-kun? Are you alright?"

"…I…" He paused again, looking down at her seated figure and the way she smiled weakly up at him with her confession – it brought him back a moment in time when she had admitted something so many years ago and he had answered with a flimsy statement that she probably never wanted to hear from him again. It probably brought up bad memories for her if those same words ever fell past his lips.

He shouldn't say it.

Sakura, however, could read his expression and slowly stood from her seat and walked around her desk to stand in front of him; she took his hands into hers, effectively grabbing his attention once again, and smiled in encouragement, "…I've noticed, Sasuke-kun." His eyes widened fractionally and shame flooded his features; she shook her head, "It's okay, Sasuke-kun. You can say it."

The Uchiha frowned, "But…"

"It won't hurt me," She assured strongly, "I want you to move past what happened that night. I'm okay. And I want to hear you say it."

Sasuke still looked uncertain, waiting for a trigger that could potentially send the woman into tears or anger that would destroy any relationship they had managed to shakily create over the past two years, "Sakura…"

The kunoichi nodded, smile widening a little more, "Yes, Sasuke-kun?"

He clenched his jaw tightly before exhaling, hands unconsciously tightening over hers, "…Thank you."

The words were out and Sasuke stared, fingers still tight around hers with an underlying fear that she would move away. He stared down at her as she smiled, though his heart pounded in his chest when he recognized the wetness of tears brimming her eyes. His heart stopped when she pulled one of her hands from his grasp –

– only to wipe the mistiness of her eyes away.

"See?" She whispered, re-curling her fingers around his, "You said it. And I'm still here. You're in front of me. You're not leaving. And I'm not sad." She released his hand again to affectionately trace his cheek, "I'm grateful you're home, Sasuke-kun. What's happened has happened; I have no more bad memories with you, so let's continue to make happy ones, especially now that we have this chance, okay?"

Slowly, Sasuke nodded, still a little relieved that his spoken words hadn't turned her away, "Aa."

"Besides," She chuckled as she released his hands, "It's quite nice hearing those words after every time I heal you – especially with how much you and Naruto get into nasty brawls – so, let's say I'd like to hear it more often, yes?"

A smirk tugged on Sasuke's lips, "Aa." His hesitation was less noticeable, but he helpfully grabbed up her medical bag as she gathered her belongings to go home, "Thank you, Sakura."

Sakura smiled, "You're very welcome, Sasuke-kun. Let's get something to eat then." She reached out and grasped his hand, desiring to be in physical contact with her teammate because he was here, with her, and would hopefully be staying there for a long time to come.

There was a time when she never thought she would have the whole of Team Kakashi within her grasp – but since they were, since she was given the privilege to live her life with all her teammates safe and alive in her life – Sakura was damn grateful that they were given that chance.

A/N: Always wanted to do a story where Sasuke was unsure of his words with Sakura, especially with words with such impact on their relationship. Not really romance this time around, more like friendship, but hopefully, the first of many 'kind-of' drabbles?

This will mostly be a SasuSaku and TeamKakashi fiction.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Company. I also do not own the Summary Quote.

Review Please?

Len