He leaves her with a poke on the forehead and a promise to return. That is all it takes for Sakura's feelings for him to bubble up to her heart once again. She didn't fall out of love with him, but thought that maybe they just weren't meant to be. The past two years served as a life lesson for her: Things don't always go the way you want them to.
She cares for him. Not because he is her romantic interest, but because he is her friend and teammate. He is precious. Perhaps she was a child seeking his attention- a long time ago. But now she's an adult and knows what love is.
What is love?
She finds it difficult to explain. She doesn't know what it is. What she is certain of is that she loves her friends, her parents, and Sasuke. She thinks of Naruto as a younger brother, and of Sai as an obnoxious companion; one that she loves. She loves her girlfriends, and Tsunade, and all her other elders. Sakura loves many people, and can identify where each of them stand in her life. She is aware of what they are to her. But what is Sasuke to her? She does not know. Maybe it's not meant for her to know.
When he leaves, she decides to wait for him. "Maybe," she thinks to herself, "when he comes back, everything will be cleared up." If he wants to be her friend, she will be more than happy to accept him. Almost sure that he would never want to be involved with her romantically, she tries to think of him as a teammate. Only teammates, she reminds herself.
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On a calm Tuesday evening, on her way back from work, she realizes that she has no intentions of chasing him anymore. She will not seek for him to become her lover, as they are both damaged beyond repair. Only teammates.
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Naruto and Hinata's wedding arrives with spring, and she occupies herself with helping with the decorations and most importantly, Hinata's dress. Ino and Tenten throw her a bachelorette party, inviting all the girls. She joins them, along with Temari, who visits from the Sand Village to attend the wedding, but Sakura doubts that this is the only reason she is present.
She meets up with Naruto, her bestfriend, and gives him advice about being a good husband. "You give good love advice for a person that has never had a boyfriend before, Sakura-chan!" he tells her. She is aware that he doesn't mean to offend her, but she still sends him crashing through the wall of her apartment.
"I wonder if Teme's gonna make it in time for the wedding," Naruto tells her.
"He probably won't, Naruto," she answers, a melancholy tone evident in her voice.
"You guys should get married soon as well!"
"W-what?! N-no, no! We're just friends! I'm already over him; he was just a childhood crush! We're only teammates!"
"Then how come you aren't dating anyone else? I'm pretty sure all the men at the hospital are head over heels for you!"
The question catches her off guard. Why am I not dating anyone?
She brushes it off, and offers to help Naruto with choosing a ring for Hinata.
A few days later, it is the special day already. Everyone is present; their friends, the Kages, but not Sasuke. She sees Shikamaru and Temari together, and thinks that although Temari is three years older than him, they fit together perfectly. Sai and Ino seem more interested in each other than they are in the wedding. Naruto and Hinata look so in love, and she is happy for them.
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A few months later, Temari barges into Sakura's office, all the color from her sharp face gone. After a few tests, she confirms to her friend that she is pregnant. Nine days later, Temari moves in with Shikamaru, and soon after another wedding invitation reaches her.
By the end of the year, almost all of her friends are married or in a relationship, and she can't help but feel left out.
Whenever they ask her why she's still single, she replies with the same excuse: I'm focusing on my work. After all, life is much more than having a boyfriend.
"I'm not waiting for Sasuke, I simply am not interested in a relationship right now," she convinces herself. Only teammates, she repeats to herself every single time.
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She receives a scroll from Sasuke. She is dumbstruck and speechless. Her soft hands shake from excitement as she holds the short letter and reads it.
Sakura,
I'm coming home.
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He sent me a letter, and not anyone else, she tells herself proudly, almost arrogantly. She shuts her tired eyes, and feels the cold breeze bursting through her open window. She gets up to close it, but as her feet touch the wooden carpet, Sakura feels her stomach clench and her vision blur. Then last thing she sees is a glass of water falling to the floor, and the rest is black.
When her eyes finally open, her view is three blonde heads and the bed she is placed on.
"SAKURA! YOU'RE AWA-"
"Shut the fuck up, Naruto!" she hears Ino's voice, high-pitched, piercing through her ears.
"Both of you, get out. Now, she needs to rest and," Tsunade's words fade away, and her eyes close again, forcing her into a deep sleep.
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The next time she wakes a hand is shyly pressing itself onto her now average sized forehead. The sensation is foreign, the coldness against her warm skin sending a shiver through her spine. One eye cracks open, her head turns slightly to the left, and a silent gasp leaves her dry mouth. It is Sasuke, with all his glory, sitting next to the hospital bed. His raven hair is quite long, covering one eye, his jawline is as sharp as a knife, his thin lips are frowning, and his visible eye is is so black she could get lost in it. She blinks, and when she realizes that she is staring, a blush creeps down to her neck, embarrassed of herself.
"Are you okay?" Sasuke's deep voice resonates throughout the room.
I'm better than okay.
"Yes," she answers hoarsely, still blushing, and turns her head further to the left to see him better.
Sasuke removes his hand from her forehead, and gets up from the chair next to the bed,
"where, don't go," she attempts to question him, but the words rather come out as a plea.
"Water, drink." He pours her a glass of water from a bottle on a table next to the window, and brings it to her. She sits up, an exhausted groan escaping from her, and stretches out her hand to hold the cup, but Sasuke avoids it and brings the water right infront of her face, so close that the glass touches her lower lip. She lets him help her, and the liquid passes down her sore throat.
This is not how she expected to meet Sasuke after so long. Not in a hospital. Not with her lying down, vulnerable and weak, something she swore she would never be again. But here she is, looking pathetic. Looking weak in front of the most precious person in her life, Sasuke Uchiha.
"Welcome home, Sasuke," she whispers tenderly to her teammate. Only teammates, Sakura.
"I'm home," he answers after a second or two, softening his voice, trying his best to seem friendly.
"What happened to me?" Sakura inquires after remembering that she is in the hospital.
"Fatigue, going past your limits as usual," he answers, his sentences never too long.
But I'm not weak.
She cannot believe that after so long, they're both talking to each other so casually. Well, at least he is. It's ironic, because she always thought that their encounter would be awkward.
Her thoughts are interrupted when a nurse enters the room, telling Sasuke that visitors are not allowed after 9 PM. In her head, Sakura curses the nurse for doing so. God, she just wants to be with him, she craves his attention, and she craves him. But we're only teammates.
As Sasuke leaves her side, Sakura notes his state. His clothes are torn and dusty, and his travel bag sits next to the bed.
"When did you-"
"I came back an hour ago," he replies before she asks.
"I'm sorry for bothering you."
The first thing he did was see her, it seems. The thought makes her heart swell.
"Don't be. I'm going now. I'll come in the morning."
"You don't have to, it's okay."
"I want to."
She thanks the heavens that he is no longer with her now, because tears start running down her face all of a sudden. Her face flushes, her face stings, and it is not clear whether she is happy or sad.
She cries herself to sleep, just like she always has in the past.
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The following morning, Sakura feels rejuvenated and healthy. She begs Tsunade to let her leave, but the latter insists she stays for one more day. Naruto and Hinata visit, then Ino and Sai, then Shikamaru and Temari. They all come in pairs.
Sasuke makes an appearance at noon, but he visits alone, without a significant other.
"Tell me about your journey," Sakura says to him, her back propped up on the pillow.
"Nothing interesting happened," Sasuke nonchalantly replies and runs his right hand-his only hand-through his spiky soft hair.
"Three years, and that's all you have to say?"
He pauses, and diverts his eyes from hers.
"That's all I have to say."
Sakura thinks that he's still shy, or maybe timid. She starts babbling about unimportant things, such as what happened while he was gone or their friends' weddings. He doesn't talk as much, but he listens to whatever she has to say, never once seeming uninterested.
Sakura cannot deny the bit of awkwardness between them.
We need time.
He leaves soon after.
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The next day, Sakura goes back to her house, and back to work, and back to the endlessly repetitive everyday routine. The next time she sees Sasuke is a week and a half later, when Naruto invites her, Kakashi, Sasuke, and her for ramen. The four of them chat, Naruto and Sasuke bicker, and Kakashi-sensei giggles behind his mask. For the first time in so long, everything feels so normal, like when they were genin. It's almost as if the war didn't happen, as if Sasuke didn't leave, as if no one died. But the feeling only lasts for a while, and when they go their separate ways, to their homes, she can't help but feel disappointed for an unknown reason. She wishes she was closer to Sasuke.
She lies down on the bed, clad in nothing but shorts and a tank top. Sasuke, she muses, is like a puzzle. Unsure of what to do next with him, she decides to avoid him and continue her life. He is probably going to leave again, so it's better not to get accustomed to his presence.
But I simply want you to be with me.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, she rolls over on her stomach and plants her flushed face on the soft pillow. How can Sasuke occupy her thoughts so much, when he's barely even with her?
Sleep does not come easily that night.
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Sakura, Sasuke thinks, is like the sunrise: always brightening the sky and spreading hope. Sakura is like an orchid in a field of daisies, unique and one of a kind. Sakura is like the spring, bringing warmth to the chilly morning breeze. She is precious to him. After a decade, he finally understands her love for him, and most importantly, he reciprocates it. But she cannot know that. Soon, but just not yet.
Sakura is a strong Shinobi. She built her strength from scratch, and worked silently. Even though she has surpassed her own master, she still remains humble. He respects her for that. He respects her for everything she has done to prove herself.
He feels guilty of putting her through so much pain, and decides that he is not worthy of being her friend, or anything beyond that. He soon finds out that he cannot help but want her in his life. After his journey of redemption, he comes back to Konoha to mend the relationships with his friends, teammates, and Sakura.
We're more than teammates.
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"Y'know, you gotta work things out with Sakura-chan before she finds someone else," Naruto finally speaks up, one day when they're lying on the grass after an intense sparring session.
"Someone else to what?" Sasuke asks, irritated at him.
"To, y'know, be with. Have a relationship with. Someone else that makes her fall out of lo-"
"She's not in love with me," Sasuke counters, his voice somewhat sad.
"She so is! Haven't you seen her when you guys are together?"
I have, and I'm saying that she isn't. We're just friends. End of discussion."
And with that, Sasuke pushes his worn out body off of the damp ground, and attempts to leave.
"I know you guys are friends, and I know that she has forgiven you. You know what else I know? I know that the way you too look at each other isn't the way friends look at each other! Friends my ass! Stop being a coward and make the first move, teme!"
"Go back to your wife, Naruto," Sasuke sighs, exasperated from this rocky situation.
"You go to yours, Sasuke!" Naruto teases, bracing himself, perhaps from a Chidori or just a punch in the guts. But instead, Sasuke just looks back at him, and smirks.
"I will."
He heads to Sakura's house. Midway, he stops and turns back to his own.
I should shower first.
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Sakura arrives home after her shift at the hospital at around 5 PM. She showers, tidies up her tiny apartment, then decides to eat some instant ramen noodles. For a doctor, she doesn't eat that healthy.
Her life for the past three years has been almost the same. She always comes home exhausted, but that doesn't mean that she hates her job. Sakura usually finds happiness in little things, such as the fact that the war is over and that she has a roof above her head.
At 7, she hears a soft knock on the door.
Who would visit me now?
Sasuke stands at her front door, expressionless per usual.
"Sasuke? What are you doing here? I mean, come in please!"
He takes off his shoes at the doorstep, and steps into the small home.
"Hn. I just wanted to check," he mutters, avoiding eye contact.
"Check what?" She tilts her head, giving him a curious look.
"You."
"W-what?!" she stammers, cheeks flushed.
"Your health."
"Oh! I'm much better, thank you," she says. Trying to sound calm, she lowers her voice and inhales a deep breath, though that doesn't stop her heart from beating like a drum.
Sakura ends up telling Sasuke to stay over for dinner, and he accepts her offer right away. Together, they make onigiri and a plate of smoked salmon, and of course, a salad with extra tomatoes in it.
Sasuke insists on helping with the dishes, so she washes and he dries them. Later, they decide to have some green tea.
Sasuke sits across Sakura, sipping on his hot drink. There is an awkward silence until Sakura speaks up.
"I wasn't aware of your cooking skills," she compliments him.
"I'm just average."
"The average man barely knows how to chop vegetables. Besides, you can make the rice balls with one hand only! Naruto doesn't even know how to make tea. Poor Hinata!"
"I guess I'm not average then," he admits, and takes another sip of his tea.
"You never were, Sasuke." Sakura looks down at her lap, and fidgets with her tea cup.
He senses the weight and deeper meaning of her words, and his body wants to envelope her and hold her tight, right then and there. But Sasuke has mastered self-control, so he instead he reaches out to her and captures her chin with his thumb and index finger, forcing her to look straight into his eye.
"You're more than average as well," he whispers. This is his way of telling her that she is special to him, that she matters the most.
His action catches her off guard, and she lets out a breathy gasp and widens her eyes. Blushing, something inside hopes for more than this.
I need more of this, more physical contact. I want to-
Her thoughts are cut short when he removes his hand, and the moment is lost.
Sasuke decides that what he has done is too overwhelming for the both of them, so he stands up, ready to take his leave.
"Thank you for the food. I have to leave now."
"U-uhm, you're welcome. Feel free to come again anytime." Her voice is still shaking.
He wears his shoes, and opens the door. Before he takes his first step outside, he feels a tug on his left sleeve, the one with no arm. Turning around, he eyes Sakura. She's so close to him that he can see her emerald eyes, full of tears threatening to spill down her face.
He can understand what she's saying. There's no need for her to speak.
"Sasuke?" Sakura's tears finally slide down her cheeks. She wants to know what they are.
We're only teammates, inner Sakura chants. More tears gather in the corner of her eyes.
It's really funny, Sasuke thinks, how we both know what we are to each other, but are too scared to admit.
"I love you, Sasuke. Not just as a friend, but not just as lover either." She is relieved, because she has been waiting for years to say this. On the other hand, she feels so embarrassed of admitting something so cheesy.
It's something more than that for us.
Sasuke wastes no time and closes the distance between them. He holds Sakura's face in his hand, and presses his lips against her soft ones. They stay like that for a while, and when they part, they are both smiling.
He leaves without a word immediately afterwards, but Sakura knows that this is the start of something beautiful.
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She spends the whole night replaying the earlier events. And so does he. But Sakura is slightly more worried than he is about the complications of their messy relationship. Sasuke is happy about accepting himself and being worthy enough for Sakura.
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"I don't want him to think of me as an annoyance, Hinata," Sakura frets. She chooses to confide in Hinata because she is trustworthy, realistic, and kind.
"He wouldn't have asked you to be his girlfriend, then." Hinata pats her friend's shoulder, and then offers her a home-made cupcake.
"He asked me when we were eating at Ichiraku's. It was more like, please be with me for the rest of your life."
"That's even better! He loves you."
"I want to be his friend as well. I don't want to be his romantic interest only!"
"Trust me, you're not. He told Naruto-but do not tell him I told you- that he feels at ease when he's around you," Hinata spoke softly.
Sakura tries to change the subject.
"So tell me, Hinata, how's your pregnancy going?"
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Kakashi sighs, and then takes another look at the scroll. The only one suitable for this mission is Sasuke, but he only came back to the village a month ago.
He calls for him.
"I'm sorry Sasuke, it's urgent."
"It's fine. I want to help with this case, but," Sasuke pauses, his thoughts shifting to his new lover and her devastation if he leaves.
He wants to stay with her and build their newly found relationship. They are friends, teammates, and romantically involved. It's quite complicated now, especially after the previous weekend. He had shamelessly spent the night at her place, and now there's no turning back.
Sasuke thinks up an idea, then requests, "I need a medic to-"
"Sakura can tag along with you as well. I guess it's settled then. You leave tomorrow morning."
"Thank you," Sasuke bows down, and Kakashi's shocked at the gesture.
"Sasuke, wait!" the Hokage exclaims, stopping his student from leaving the office.
"Yes?"
"Do you want a copy of Icha Icha Paradise?"
The walls of the Hokage's office are damaged because of the shuriken Sasuke sends flying.
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"I'll agree on coming with you on one condition," Sakura responds to his offer after a few minutes of silence."
"What?"
"I want to make sure you want me to be there and that you're not doing this to make up for the past."
"Sakura?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
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Hi guys! I'm back after almost a year of absence…
First of all, I would like to apologize in advance for the bad quality of my writing in this fanfic. I feel like as though it is rushed, the words are crappy, and I just don't like it in general. I will, of course, gladly accept any criticism as long as it's not mean or rude.
It's crazy how my life has changed since last year. I love this community, and I want to continue to write, even if I'm bad at it right now. I want to improve, and I hope that a few years from now, I can look back at my old fanfics and see how my writing has improved. Hopefully. A long time ago, I used to read stories on this website and thinking that I would never have the courage to share my own writing. But here I am today! J
I also want to apologize for grammatical and spelling errors. My mother language is not English.
Thank you for all of my friends here that have been supporting me ever since I started my account. I appreciate it more than you ever think!
Now, I'm going to stop saying sappy stuff! XD
I hope you enjoyed this short story, and stay tuned for another one-shot soon!