Thank You, Sakura

The first time, they went to Ichiraku.
The second, Ichiraku again.
And the third. The fourth, the fifth, the sixth, the seventh, and more after that.
This time was different.
He turned up at her house, dusty and seemingly indifferent. Though, when she looked closer, his (now) black eyes that were staring at her showed a hint of weariness. His headband and poncho were scuffed, his hair slightly matted, as if he hadn't showered in a while. This surprised her. Even in the war, the only time his appearance had looked this unkempt was when he had fought Kaguya, then Naruto in succession.
She smiled.
"...Sasuke, come in."

The first time, she had made small talk, drawing every single scrap of conversation from him as diligently and persistently as if they were ounces of gold being chipped out of a stone wall. They spoke about the state of things in the village, the new additions that he was unfamiliar with, and the ceaseless state of preparation the village had been in, in order to insert Kakashi as Hokage. They spoke briefly of his travels, about the things he had seen and reported to Tsunade-Sensei in the short time that she was still Hokage after the war (through contact with Kakashi and Naruto, mainly) that needed intervention or supervision, as a matter of course. Very rarely, he would give her details that he thought would intrigue her, such as the medical setup in some of the smaller villages and other areas. He would ask for her input on those matters, and she was pleased. He did not treat her the way he would treat Naruto, but that was alright. He valued her in his own way, of that she was certain. And for the moment, that was all she wanted.
As time went on, she found that he visited her increasingly often. They'd only talk, and eat. Then he'd leave, silently placing two fingers on her forehead as a gesture of farewell...and a promise that he'd see her again. She knew he was going to talk to Naruto, or Kakashi-Sensei, or Tsunade-Sensei. Less likely, but still possible, he was going to talk to Shikamaru-kun, who had taken Nara-san's place as advisor to the Hokage and Head Of Intelligence, as well as a lawyer of sorts for Naruto, who had been caught up in much political nonsense since being deemed "The Great Uzumaki-san, Konoha's Hero, The Great Saviour."
Those titles were well deserved, she knew.
But more than anything Naruto had achieved, she had been (secretly and selfishly, she knew) most grateful for one achievement: getting Sasuke to return to the village. Getting him to become part of Team Seven again. Getting him to accept the fact that the three of them were family, friends, for Naruto and Sasuke, brothers, and...between him and her, hopefully something else.
She still took missions, but (although many) they were minor now that the villages were allies and the war was over, mostly ones that needed a quick feat of her superhuman strength, then a "No, no, you're most welcome, my pleasure" to the requesting party and a quick trip back to the village-in which time nothing had changed.
But, for the most part, she worked in the hospital.
She loved it.
That was an understatement. She adored it, revered it. The work she did, healing injuries, curing illnesses, unblocking tangled, twisted chakra networks, carrying out checkups, making people happy, it was hers. All hers. A job, no. A way of life, yes.
Tsunade used to be the head of the medical team, the head of the hospital. As soon as the war ended, she had undergone a series of exams and Tsunade had dealt with a slew of paperwork in order to pass on the job to Sakura.
Tsunade had felt she was ready, and was she ever.
Things weren't as bad as they were before, when the village had enemy villages and ninjas got hurt regularly, but there were a ton of rogue nins in the areas that had been left undefended by the ninjas that had left to fight on the battlefield. She would know. She had dealt with many of them herself on those tedious missions that had been necessary right after the war. They left a lot of injured behind, and quite often Sakura was the one to heal them. That was the main cause of injuries to ninjas and civilians alike, now that the war was over and they had won. It was the worst right after the ninjas had returned victorious, in those first months.
After Sasuke left on his journey of redemption.
She had kept herself busy, of course. It wasn't that hard, being one of the key ninjas in the war, with her critical medical assistance, sheer fighting power and expertise, and of course that fateful punch that sent Kaguya careening into the range of Naruto and Sasuke's seals. She was very popular, and so recieved many jobs. She had barely had time to think those first few months;even so, she had missed him every single moment. Secretly, she had been afraid that he would never return to the village, to her. She knew the fear was unfounded, for Kakashi had been quite clear that Sasuke was on a tight rope now, and one toe out of line would mean the Council would call for immediate elimination of...the threat. But still, she there was that nagging voice in the back of her head that told her she was never going to see him again.
Until he returned, showing up on her doorstep that one precious night.

He removed his shoes at the doorstep area, and followed her into her living room. She swept some of her medical texts off of the couch, and gestured for him to sit.
"I'll make tea." She said, walking to the kitchen.
She saw him turn slightly, body shifting, eyes following her as she began preparing the beverages. She reached into a cabinet for the tea leaves and smiled; it was nice that he seemed more attentive to her, if only a tiny bit.
The silence that stretched on after that was not strained at all; rather, it was quite comfortable. Sakura had matured greatly since she was a thirteen year old girl who only cared about romance; she had learned the value of silence.
She returned to the living room with the drinks, handing one to Sasuke and keeping one for herself as she sat down.
"Thank you." Sasuke said quietly.
"No problem!" Sakura responded brightly...but on the inside, she was wondering what was wrong. Something about Sasuke seemed...off, somehow. She snuck a glance at him out of the corner of her eye. He was sipping his tea; just as silent, graceful, and strong as he always was. He turned, catching her eye.
"What is it?" He questioned.
"Nothing, it's just..." She responded, slightly embarrassed at being caught in the act. "...You seem...tired," she finished lamely.
His eyebrow raised, and he hnned. "Really." He said. His expression irked Sakura slightly, and she was rankled. She raised her head higher.
"Yes, tired." She retorted. "Your eyes are weary, your body looks to be tighter than it normally is, you have slight shadows under your eyes...have you not been sleeping, Sasuke? You remember that I am a medical ninja, right? This is slightly offensive. You need to sleep!" Her voice had become increasingly indignant as she spoke. His eyes had widened slightly. She sighed. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I didn't mean to be annoying, I just-" She was startled when she heard a slight exhalation of breath. Sasuke had closed his eyes, grimacing. As she watched, his hand reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. She frowned. "Sasuke-"
"Sakura." He spoke quietly. "You're not."
"Not what?" Sakura questioned, confused.
"Not annoying. I...truly do value your opinion."
She stared at him in surprise. "...Thank you, Sasuke." She said after a moment. "That means a lot to me."
For some reason, this made him grimace even more. "I know it does." He muttered almost inaudibly.
They sat in silence for a while longer.
Then Sasuke spoke again.
"I was passing by a village in the Land of Rice Paddies, and I saw a group of boys and girls...a family." Sakura was silent. Rarely did Sasuke ever initiate a conversation about himself; she didn't want to do anything that might make him clam up. Sasuke continued.
"They were running around their parents, and chasing each other. One fell-the girl-and the other three boys all stopped when they saw her hurt herself. She was screaming the loudest, most ear-piercing screams I had ever heard from a child-" Here Sasuke smirked-"but the boys didn't leave her to keep playing. They helped her up, gave her a hug, smiled at her...and made her laugh. And the parents...they watched with the strangest expression on their faces. I have seen it before...on my mothers face. On Itachi's, when he looked at me. On Kakashi's, when he watches us...it's like they were the most amazing beings to walk the earth, and they...loved them. It was clear even to me, a stranger. I...something about that family..." Here Sasuke trailed off, sounding uncharacteristically hesitant. Unsure.
Sakura felt the same. She took a deep breath. "Something about them...reminded you of yourself and Naruto...and me?" She questioned softly.
He turned to look at her. His gaze was now steady. "Yes." He said firmly. "It did. I began thinking about bonds- the ones that connect all of us shinobi, all of us people, and family. Suddenly...I wanted to come here. Back to the village. I wanted to see the Dobe. Kakashi. And...you. That's why I 'look tired', as you say; I was traveling back, and got caught up in the movement of running."
She smiled at him; it was an involuntary action, she just couldn't help herself. "We miss you when you're gone, Sasuke, I hope you know that." She said, slightly shy. She meant what she said, but mostly it applied to herself. The only one that was even close to missing him as much as she did was Naruto, and that was because they were the closest of friends, the closest of brothers. She was not. But she loved him with all of her heart. Her feelings had matured from the schoolgirl crush she had harbored for him when she was younger, and matured from the heartsick love later on. She was a young adult now. But she still got flustered, still felt unsure of herself and self-conscious around Sasuke. She was nervous sometimes too. But there was no way she was giving up because of those feelings, not ever!
Sasuke smiled very faintly back. "I am aware."
Those words somehow did not just seem to be a reply to her earlier statement.
They stayed like that for a moment that seemed to last for years.
Suddenly, Sasuke grimaced in what seemed to be discomfort. Sakura frowned. "Sasuke, what's the matter?"
He turned away. "Nothing, just a little tense from the mission. Don't worry about me." His commanding voice immediately made Sakura do the exact opposite. She activated medical chakra in her hands, bathing the dimly lit living room in a pale green glow. Before Sasuke could move away, she placed her hands onto his back that was now facing her, roaming, searching for any medical disparities. Her frown deepened. "Sasuke, you're as tight as a garrote wire. What have you been doing?"
He didn't answer.
She moved her hands towards the stump of his arm. He tensed minutely, a response that only a medical ninja such as Sakura would have noticed, and Sakura being the only one out of them who could tell that it was not a normal reaction.
"It's your arm, isn't it?" Sakura spoke softly.
"Hn." Was the only response she received. "Alright, then." She said, removing her hands and standing up. I'll try to help, but in the meantime, you need to relax. Lie down." She spoke assertively, despite blushing slightly. She didn't want him to refuse her help, so the best way to communicate with him was through orders, right?
She was quite surprised, however, when he immediately got up, standing right next to her. She stared up at him as he took off his black cloak...very slowly. His eyes were on her, and she swallowed, averting her own. He reached past her suddenly, and she jumped slightly...then realized she was standing in front of the table, where he had just set his cloak. As he straightened, he smirked, as if aware of her reaction. Unfortunately, he probably was. She sighed inaudibly, gesturing towards the couch. "I said, sit." He promptly laid down on his stomach, stretching out to his full length. She swallowed. He was amazingly attractive. She seemed to have been becoming increasingly aware of that as the days went by. It was a burden sometimes; for instance, when she was trying to treat his muscles and genuine problems. Oh, well, suck it up, Sakura, she thought to herself, dropping down to her knees beside the couch. She activated her chakra once more, running her hands over his back, loosening the muscles that really were coiled up so tightly she wondered how he was not groaning in pain. She loved doing these kinds of things. She closed her eyes, concentrating solely on the flow of chakra that was in her hands and being distributed throughout Sasuke's back. She eased the tension in the shoulder blades, then the lower back, then the sides, then the muscles just around his waist...waist...ah! Her eyes flew open and her chakra wavered for a fraction of a second; she sincerely hoped Sasuke hadn't noticed, but, of course, she never was the lucky one:
"Is something wrong?" Sasuke questioned. She could her the smirk in his words, and was about to discontinue her work in embarrassment when she noticed the change in his voice. It was lower and breathy. It was...relaxed, relieved, as if the burden on his shoulders had just lifted.
She did that. Her. Her!
Her eyes shone as this realization came to her, and her mouth split into a huge grin. She was helping him, and it made her so happy she thought she would burst.
"Nothing, Sasuke. Nothing at all."
She continued her work on his back, making sure it was as loose as it could possibly be, especially the muscles that were connected to his half-arm; you had to loosen them first before you could do anything to the actual arm, she knew. As she moved onto the shoulder of that side, he groaned at her touch- a tiny, almost silent sound that set Sakura's nerves buzzing with...adrenaline, she guessed? That was the closest thing to it; It was a strange, unknown feeling, but it wasn't unwelcome. She had to monitor her chakra carefully to make sure it didn't spike due to her weird emotions.
Oh, geez. His arm was bad. When was the last time he had gone to see someone about this? She wondered silently, her eyebrow pulling together in concentration as she attempted to unravel the mess of muscles and tendons that seemed to have gotten rolled up into a ball of pain and tension. Little by little, she was making progress, and, after a good twenty minutes, she finally got things sorted out and loosened up as best as she, massaging him using the pressure of her own two hands and chakra, could do. The rest was up to his body, which meant that he had to get a lot of rest, preferably starting now. Just as she was finishing up a last sweep of his arm and back, he let out a sigh. She stopped, listening in awe; she had never heard such a relaxed sound emerge from Uchiha Sasuke's mouth, ever! It was beautiful, the amount of relief and contentment that was contained in that breathy, whispering sound, and to think it was she who caused it...she almost wanted to cry with happiness. She slowly let the chakra fade from her hands, and they rested gently on his back.
"Sasuke, I'm finished. How are you feeling?"
No response.
She moved closer to his face, leaning over him.
"Sasuke? Are yo-" She stopped.
Sasuke's eyes were closed, his mouth slightly open. soft breaths of air entering and exiting. He was asleep.
Sakura's mouth was wide open, she was sure. She had never before seen such a peaceful expression on Sasuke's face. It was angelic, as if every bad thing that had ever happened to him had been washed away and forgotten. There were no lines of tension. There was no scowl, no glare, no negativity at all-just peace.
She must have been staring for a long, long time, because the next thing she knew, she was waking up. Because of a movement. Under her. What?
She lifted her head...and came face-to-face with a pair of ebony black eyes, staring up at her with a fathomless expression. "...Good morning, Sakura."
She gasped.
"Morning? But..I don't...what?" She spoke confusedly. Then she looked down.
She was halfway lying on top of Sasuke, with her head on his chest and her arms and upper body sprawled over his torso. Her face turned what she was sure was a tomato red, and she flung herself away from him.
"I- I can explain, I-" she sputtered.
He gazed at her in something similar to amusement. "Sakura, I was the one who fell asleep on your couch, invading your space. You don't have to explain anything."
She stopped defending herself and stared at him. "O-oh, when you put it that way..." she said faintly.
There was another awkward (and yet still companionable) silence; they seemed to have a lot of them these days. Finally, Sasuke spoke. "Thank you for letting me sleep here, but...I should probably go. I need to report to Kakashi and Dobe." Sakura shook herself out of a Sasuke-induced daze. They weren't the only two people in the world. Right. "Yeah," she replied. "They're probably waiting." She and Sasuke stood up. "Huh," she heard him say, again almost inaudibly, in surprise. He turned to stare at her with an expression of gratitude. "I feel...very good. Much better. Thank you, Sakura." He spoke.
She blushed slightly.
"Glad to help!" She responded brightly. She felt like she could fly across the entire world now. "Remember to get your cloak!" She said, almost bouncing over to the door.

She had her hand on the cool, smooth metal and was turning the knob when suddenly...it happened. The hairs on the back of her neck rose, and a tingling of her sixth sense alerted her to the movement.

She turned in a flash to see Sasuke striding silently towards her.

His eyes were unfathomable, but determined. Suddenly, Sakura's mind flew back to the time he had used his genjutsu to impale her; to knock her out. Then, even further back, when she had turned to find his Chidori blazing, ready to run her through at any time.

All this was experienced in half a second, and her breath hitched.

She tensed in fear, fear she knew she should not be feeling; Sasuke had repented of his crimes. He had helped to save the world. He was good now!...but there was still that tiny part of her that feared him, or, rather, what he could do to her. She stared at his approaching figure, eyes locked onto his, caught in the fear of the past.

He was only a meter away now, and Sakura's hands shook. She felt she had to do something to defend herself, but she was rooted to the spot. He stopped abruptly, right in front of her; his body was only an inch away from hers. She stared up into his eyes, which were as unreadable as she had ever seen them. His hands moved towards her, and she flinched instinctively, her eyes squeezing shut in anticipation of a blow; a blow like the one that knocked her out when he had left the village for the first time, a blow like his fingers forcefully tightening around her neck as he prepared to stab her with the kunai, a blow like the one that pierced through her chest both physically and emotionally as he left to fight the final battle with Naruto, a blow that she knew she shouldn't be expecting but did anyway...but it never came.

Instead, a pair of arms wrapped around her, sliding across her waist and back and crushing her against a hard chest. Sasuke's arms. Her eyes flew open and her mouth opened in shock. This wasn't what she had been expecting at all...she would never have dreamed of this happening! His hold on her tightened. "Sasuke-ku-" she said in a shaky voice. She was a grown woman; she shouldn't be as affected by this as she was, but...she didn't care. "Sakura..." She started as Sasuke spoke. His voice was deeper and lower than she'd ever heard it; that might have been because it resonated through his chest and vibrated through her body, setting it tingling like crazy. He seemed to inhale, then continued.
"I'm sorry. For everything. For all I've done to you. I am so sorry. I understand that I've hurt you. I know I can never repair the bonds we-Team Seven-used to have. But...thank you. Thank you for forgiving me, even though I don't deserve it. Thank you for not giving up on me, thank you for caring about me. Thank you for treating me so well after all that's happened. Thank you for waiting. Thank you for being you." Sakura heard these words, but she almost couldn't believe them. She stood, unmoving, as Sasuke's arms tightened ever further. His soft, nearly silent breath tickled the top of her head. Her body was flush with his, but she noticed he was the only one that was breathing. All of these facts registered in some part of her brain, but all she really cared about were the words he had just spoken.
Suddenly, she moved.
Using a bit of her handy super strength, she pulled herself out of his embrace as quickly as she could. Her eyes found his, which were slightly widened in surprise, and she stared at him for a fraction of a second. Then her eyes welled, and she smiled; a huge, unique smile that can only happen when a person has recieved the utmost happiness. As a lone tear escaped her eye, she smiled at Sasuke and pulled him close, crushing him in a hug of her own. "Sasuke-kun...I will always wait for you. I'll always be by your side. You don't have to accept that, but I will be. You don't have to thank me. I'll always be here." And Sasuke...he hugged her back. "Thank you." He breathed into her ear. "Thank you."