A/N: First installation. Theme: time.

Rating: K+

It had been two years, nine months, and fourteen days since she had seen Sasuke Uchiha.

Really, seen him.

She didn't, she wouldn't, count the time they found him at Orochimaru's hideout. And especially not the time she found him on her own, both of them seconds from killing each other (though he was admittedly much closer than she).

That wasn't Sasuke she had seen.

Sasuke was in medical tent number seven, recovering from critical condition.

He was safe.

It was over.

But she wouldn't go to him. Even though she could. She wouldn't be the one to risk getting hurt the hundredth time.

It was Sasuke's turn. And even though he'd made the right decision in the end, even though she had never seen Naruto so completely and utterly overjoyed that they were a team once again, she was going to let him come to her this time.

It was two months, one week and five days later when he was actually walking the streets of Konoha again.

They trained together as a team again. Even Kakashi was there with them (though he was often disgruntled at the sheer energy he had to exert to keep up with them.) Sasuke even got along with Sai-

Alright. That was a lie. But for what it was worth, seeing the two of them and Naruto go at each other's necks at the same time was hilarious.

Sasuke had approached her one day while out in the fields and stood about three feet in front of her, face pensive, staring at her with an unnerving steadiness.

She didn't say anything to him, she just waited.

He opened his mouth once, then closed it. He nodded towards her in a farewell and then shot off through the trees, back into the village.

One week and two days later, she found herself pouring over medical texts at her desk around ten at night.

It was a Thursday night, and the rest of Team 7 was out eating dinner. She had to insist that they have fun without her.

She and Sasuke were on good terms. Really, they were. He was closer to Naruto than ever, he tolerated Sai, he took Kakashi's advice and with her he maintained a polite, distant friendship.

And she hated it.

He was careful around her. She could tell that much. It was almost as if he was ready to be friends with everyone else again except for her. And the problem was that he wasn't unkind. He wasn't rude and he didn't give her any reasons to make her believe he thought of her any less than the rest of them.

She had nothing to work with, no plausible concerns to voice. So she tried to accept that it would stay that way for as long as he wanted. Fine.

Fine.

She heard a knock at her door and flinched out of instinct. Why now? She was trying to study and trying to forget about dark haired, dark eyed pretty boys who had an affinity for monosyllabic speech patterns.

Grumbling, she shoved the scrolls out of her lap and extracted herself from her desk to pad through the hallway and then to the front door.

She unlocked the bolt and swung open the door, immediately stilling when she saw him standing there.

"Sasuke?"

His head was hung so she could see his expression, but then he stepped forward and looked her in the eye.

She'd…she'd never seen that look before. That look that screamed everything and nothing but that silent moment in her doorway at the same time.

He brought his hands up and wrapped them around her forearms, watching her the entire time. The night was so dark and silent that it was surreal.

And then he leaned forward, slid one hand up and tangled it into her hair, and kissed her.

She could hear him let out a shaky breath through his nose as he finally drew back, arms still wrapped around her, and eyes darker than ever.

"That's how it should have been," he exhaled. Closing his eyes as if to ground himself, and then opening them again.

She was more coherent than he was. He had some nerve showing up here at ten o'clock and kissing her. But by god she'd be lying if she said that wasn't everything she'd ever dreamed it would be.

"How what should have been?"

"Everything." He answered instantly, and Sakura gasped softly.

"You-

"I'm sorry." He cut her off. He pulled her into his arms and held her in a crushing embrace, speaking into the side of her neck. "I'm so-

His voice broke.

"-sorry."

"Sasuke." She whispered and hugged him back. She understood everything from the sound of his apology, his normally smooth voice sounding so cracked and torn.

"You don't have to be sorry anymore Sasuke."

She pulled him inside her apartment so that the night would stay silent as she held him close and kissed him again, hard and unforgiving.

From that point she knew they were both done waiting.