Just so you know Sasuke is one of my least fave characters. I hate the way he left Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. Sakura however is my fave character. However, I am a hopeless romantic, and I thought I would try at a Sasuke and Sakura one shot. I hope the Sasuke fans enjoy this. I am trying to due him some justice.

Sasuke sat in her apartment waiting for her return. She had been gone for six months. Her ANBU team dispatched to a foreign country on an A ranked recon mission. He hated it. Six months without her smile. Six months without her voice. Six months without her touch. He sighed deeply as he looked out her window. The sky was bright, and the view of Konoha was beautiful from her living room. During the day the village looked alive with people hustling back and forth. In the night the sky was bright with stars and lights from the village below.

He walked onto her patio and hopped from the patio to the tree beside it. Their favorite spot to sit during the night. He would lean against the tree and hold her close in his arms. Closing his eyes he could almost hear her wishing on a star, and if he focused hard enough he could smell her hair. In his mind he could feel her arms around his waist, as he rubbed her back. This illusion like many he had cast before was only in his mind. The reality was she was not here, and he was alone.

'This is how she felt. Everyday waiting, and hoping I would return to her. Feeling helpless and worried for me. How did she endure? Not knowing if I would come back to her. Only living on hope. Is this why she is so much stronger now? Enduring this loneliness and not even sure if I would love her when I returned, having hope as her only companion.' Sasuke thought. The afternoon breeze moved his hair into his eyes.

At twenty years old, he was a jounin. An ANBU captain. Yes, Sasuke was confident in many aspects of his life. His abilities as a shinobi. His friendships. His desire to protect those who matter the most to him. In the present moment, Sasuke could not be sure if Sakura valued him as someone precious to her. Having lived so many years alone, even surrounded by people, fan girls, teammates, enemies, he could not go back to the emptiness his heart felt then. A heart full of vengeance and anger. Now that it had been touched with love and acceptance, he could not return to the shell he was before. He returned once vengeance had been served, and accepted the punishment of a criminal.

Neither of his teammates faltered in offering their friendship at that time. When he was at his low point of shame and humility, they were there to build him back up to his confident self. She never forced herself at him. In fact she had moved on, and was dating. He had to woo her. He had to prove himself worthy of her love. The love she offered so freely before, yet he was so blind to see.

Sasuke thought of the point when he realized he loved her. Was it the moment she stood up for him to a crowd of villagers, when she didn't know he was within earshot​? Or when she helped him clean and repair the buildings in the Uchiha compound. Was it the fact she visited everyday during his house arrest to train with him or prepare dinner for him, before she left for a date? Or when she stood beside him in front of the Hokage, vouching for him as a shinobi ready to serve his village and not his own desires. No it was when without fail, she held him every night through the nightmares that ravaged his mind. Even the nights he told her he didn't need her, those nights he said such horrible things to her out of hurt and anger. When she stood up to him and call him on his own bullshit and self pity. When she began to help him rebuild his being, so he could rebuild his clan. It was when he reached for her hand other nights she was gone on missions, and he found no one.

Those were the moments he knew he loved her. Not because she took pity on him, but because she wouldn't let him pity himself. Because of this, he wooed her. He chased, rather than being chased. One day she let him catch her. She would never move in with him. Her independence is what she called it. However he felt that deep down, she wanted to keep her heart guarded, in case he ran again. He felt guilty that he caused such distrust in her heart that she could not fully give herself to him.

Six months prior her ANBU team was called to the hokage's office, immediately. This messenger came at the worst possible time. Sakura and Sasuke were in the middle of a heated argument. One of many they had been having lately. This argument was different. This was the argument. The one that could make or break a relationship. He wanted her to stay to finish the discussion, no argument, before running off to the Hokage's office. She left anyway. Duty first, he knew the protocol. An hour later she returned, explaining her ANBU captain, Hyuuga Neji, wanted her and her teammates, Aburame Shino and Inuzuka Kiba ready in less than an hour to leave. She gave no more information other than the time frame of the mission as she packed. She left asking him to please check on her apartment, and if he felt it was too much to ask considering the crack in their relationship, to give responsibility to Naruto.

Letting out a deep sigh, he returned to the patio and into the apartment. He caught his breath as he looked in front of him. There she stood, still in her ANBU gear. She was real and not one of his own illusions. Sasuke crossed the room with a quickness he had not had in six months.

He embraced her and pulled her close to his arms. He wanted her so close she could never leave again. He moved his hands to her face and held it close to his.

"Never again leave me that way." He whispered as he pulled her face to his, and kissed her with a passion that had built up in six months of separation. "Never Sakura, do I want to face another night not knowing if you won't return to me. To have no hope of you coming back to me is worse than death itself."

"Sasuke." She returned his kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck. "I, I..."

"No wait, I am sorry Sakura. I am sorry for the worry, I am sorry for the pain." Tears began to overtake him. He was overwhelmed with the emotions that have been locked away for so long. "I will never do that to you again, Sakura I know in your deepest heart you fear I will leave you again."

Sakura's head fell. She could not look him in the eye and almost admit she did not trust him.

"I won't run away from you, and I have no other way to prove to you that I won't." Sasuke released her, and slowly fell to his knees in front of her. "No other way than this. Marry me Sakura. Marry me, and be by my side in my heart every day whether we are together or apart."

Sasuke felt the tears falling from Sakura's eyes splash together with his. "Yes, Sasuke. I will be yours."

The Uchiha stood and pulled his future bride into his arms once more.

read and review if you want to. thanks terri.