Title: Home Pairing: SasuskexNaruto Summary: Sasuke's returned but he wonders 'why?' Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Naruto Dedicated to: TheaBlackthorn a gift for her because it was a scrap I came up with while writing her commission 'Birthday Surprises' Warnings: Possible OOC since I don't write the two very often... sorry if they are.
Keeping his expression neutral, Sasuke took the bag of food from the man running the stall. He inclined his head and even though the man didn't, he didn't comment on it. It did nothing, however, to improve his otherwise dark mood.
Despite having been back in the village for over a year and having helped to rebuild it both by offering up all of his familiy's fortunes and through no small effort on his own part in helping with the reconstruction, Sasuke did not feel welcome. He didn't miss the glares that came his direction no matter where he went or what he did. People who had praised him for his abilities as a child now looked at him as though he was a monster ready to bite their hands.
Of all of the girls who used to fawn over him only Sakura and Ino paid him any attention at all. Ino was oblivious to who he really was and Sakura watched him with a certain amount of caution. When they were training together, her guard never dropped and when they were on missions together she always seemed surprised when he did what he was supposed to and guarded her back. He couldn't blame her for not trusting him but it didn't make it any less disconcerting that she didn't. Naruto did but he'd never understood him and the Uchiha was convinced he never would. Sai smiled politely but Sasuke knew the guy both resented his presence and didn't trust him. Being around any of the rookie eleven was uncomfortable at best.
Shifting the bag of take-away from one hand to the other, he turned up the street towards the oldest of newly constructed housing, taking him closer to the city center. Originally civilians had stayed in these buildings with the shinobi sleeping in tents outside around them. The logic being obviously that it would be easier to protect them that way. Then as construction expanded and the wall was finished families moved out and shinobi moved into the barracks style apartments.
He looked up at the building that wasn't home and honestly wondered what he was doing there when they didn't want him there.
"Food!" The shout was followed by yellow and orange streak barreling into him and grabbing the bag away. "Aw, you didn't get ramen. You should have gotten ramen. Why didn't you get ramen?" Naruto sulked, his face still poked in the bag.
"Idiot." Sasuke grabbed the bag back. "You need to eat something other than ramen."
"But I like ramen," he protested as they headed inside.
"Yeah, well some of us don't." He smirked and looked over. "If you don't like it then I won't share."
The remarked started Naruto up whining slightly about how Sasuke shouldn't make threats like that and he'd eat it even if it wasn't ramen. It was several seconds before the rest of what he'd said registered and Naruto stopped and looked at him again. "What do you mean not everyone likes ramen?"
Sasuke smiled, something he realized he was starting to do again since coming home even if it was still rare. He pushed the door to his apartment open and the one entire reason this was where he belonged, followed him inside.