A/N: Ok peeps, I'm back with this story hope you enjoy. It is a song fic of sorts and I hope ya'll enjoy. It was insired by 'Colder Weather' by Zac Brown Band. I do NOT own the song OR the Naruto characters. They belong to their respective creators.

Gone Again

As Sakura makes her way home from her late night hospital shift, she thinks she sees someone following her from the shadows. She knows she's only being paranoid, but she can't help the urge to run. She scolds herself for being so foolish, but still picks up her pace, telling herself that its' because of the pre-winter chill setting in and not the thought of being followed.

Within a matter of minutes, she's speed walked to the parking lot of her apartment complex. It wasn't the nicest place in town, but it was cheap and close to the hospital in case of an emergency. She takes the rickety old stairs two at a time up to the fifth apartment on the third floor, letting out a breath of relive at having making it to her door without being attacked, only to have a strong sense of terror envelope her as she hears footsteps approaching her from behind.

She holds her breath, waiting for them to pass as she digs in her bag for her key. Two strong arms wrap around her slim waist, a cold nose resting on the back of her neck, making her shiver in the stranger embrace.

She hears the stranger chuckle behind her. "Why so tense, Blossom?" the grip on her waist loosens enough for her to turn in his hold. Emerald green eyes clash with onyx black as shy smile crosses her lips, the name leave her lips, a breathless sigh as she wraps her arms around his torso and buries her face in his blue hoodie.

"Saskue."

"Hn," came the reply as he wraps her arms around her and breathes in the scent of her strawberry shampoo that lingers in her unnaturally bright hair. She pulls back to look at him, silent tear stream down her face. With the pad of his thumb, he gently wipes away her tears and she rests her face against his hand.

"Let's go inside before you get sick," his voice was smooth, like a dream. She opens her eyes and nods, not thrusting her voice. Untangling from his hold, she continues her search for her keys, pulling them out and unlocking the door. Pushes the door open and steps in. Kicking off her shoes, she motions for Sasuke to follow as she drops her purse on the counter and makes her way to her bedroom.

Sasuke steps in and closes the door behind him and kicks off his black Vans and pads to the kitchen table, looking around.

'This place ain't changed much since I left,' he thinks solemnly to himself. 'I'm not exactly sure if that's a good thing or not...'

His thoughts trail off as the pinkette re-enters the room wearing black fleece pajama pants and an old t-shirt. She gathers the ingredients and makes hot chocolate for both.

"So how have you been, Sakura?" He asks the pinkette with a quick nod as he accepts the mug. He's not a fan of sweets, but he is grateful for the heat coming off the porcelain surface, slowly thawing his numb digits.

"Good," comes the reply as she sits opposite of him and draws her knee to her chest. "Naruto really misses you though."

"Well that ain't saying much considering the fact the Dobe misses his ramen between bites." Sakura smiles a bit at the joke. It doesn't have much bite to it because they both know it's kind of true, but they love their friend regardless.

The two lapse into a comfortable silence. Neither saying a word until Sakura speaks.

"How have you been Saskue?"

Her question was quite, almost like she doesn't want him to hear, but he does. Sighing, he looks down at the half gone liquid in his mug.

"I'm good." He replies without much conviction. Sakura looks up and studies his face. It looks more tired, older almost. The dark circles around his eyes show and the small frown lines appear on his forehead.

'So much like Itachi...'

Itachi was Sasuke's older brother.

He died about five years ago when he was on his way to a business convention. It was mid-February, so it had been snowing steadily for a few hours. The roads were snow packed and icy. Before he left, he and Sasuke had gotten into a fight about Sasuke taking over the family business when he was deemed responsible enough.

"Sasuke, you're not a child anymore," his brother told him. His face was smooth, betraying no emotion, but Sasuke could tell from the stiffness if his shoulders and harsh tone of his voice he was beyond angry. "You need to learn how to be responsible for your actions. Father has always intended for you to take over his company. Its time stop wasting your time chasing these stupid 'dreams' of yours and join the real world."

Sasuke looked up at his brother and held his gaze. His own dark eyes stared back at him. It was almost unnerving how similar they really were. "That is bullshit and you know it Itachi. You're just miserable and bitter because dad said you couldn't do what you wanted to with your life. Daddy crushed your dreams so now you have to crush mine like a vindictive little bitch."

Both of the Uchiha boys knew it was true, though neither would admit. "So you know what? Fuck you, Itachi! I don't fucking care what you do. I hate you so why don't you just fucking die?!"

Saskue stormed out of the house. Itachi didn't go after him. He just stood there in shock. 'How could Sasuke say that to me?' It was true. It was all true, but what had hurt more than the truth was that his only brother said he hates him.

'I hate you...fucking die. Those were the last words I said to my brother...'

"How long are you in town for?"

The question snaps him back to reality.

How long until you disappear again. The question is obvious. How long to I get to hold you before you leave me again. She was afraid for the answer, but she had to know. "Why are you really here?" Her voice was strong but on the inside, she was terrified.

He lifted his head to meet her gaze. Emerald green stared back at him, cold and unforgiving, yet scared and hopeful.

"I wanted to see you again." Honesty was always the best policy. "I would've been here sooner, but I got caught in a bad storm on my way. It was coming from back east so it was really bad. I was going to call but-"

"Sasuke your rambling, man," she cut him off in a hippie voice. With a smile she looks down into her almost empty mug. "You know, when I was a little girl my grandmother told me that everyone has a soul. They help to make us who and what we are." She ran a finger along the rim of the cup. "She told me that the people who can never stay in one place for too long have the souls of gypsies."

"Gypsies?" Saskue raised an eyebrow at her. "Why gypsies?"

"Born for leaving." Came her reply. "So why did you decide to come see me?"

"I was at a diner outside of a small New Mexican town, it was named after a president I think, and I saw a waitress there who had the same color eyes as you. I started thinking about you, so I decided to come see you."

"You wouldn't have to make a special trip to come see me if you'd stay. Or take me with you." She drops her gaze and whispers, "I'd trade anything for you to take me with you." She finishes her hot chocolate which is now lukewarm and pushes herself from the table. She moves to the sink to wash her cup, not looking at Sasuke.

With a sigh, Sasuke pushes back his chair and moves to stand behind Sakura at the sink. With regret in his voice he speaks.

"Well it's a windy road, when you're in the lost and found," he snakes his arms around her waist. Her breath hitches when he presses his lips to the side of her neck.

"You're a lover. I'm a runner. We go round and round." He presses a gently kiss to her shoulder. "I don't want you, but I need you."

He turns her around her in his arms and looks her in the eyes. "I love you but I leave you." He kisses her briefly, but it's enough to say everything he never could with words. "You know it's you that calls me back here, Blossom."

With tears in her eyes, Sakura stands on her tiptoes and kisses him again. She wraps her arms around her neck and he lifts her onto the edge of the counter without breaking the kiss. He stands in between her legs, holding her there. She threads her hands in his jet black hair, grip almost painful.

Sasuke breaks the kiss and leans his head on her shoulder.

"Sasuke," he voice quiet and afraid. "Please stay with me. Even if it's only for tonight," she buries her face into his shoulder, inhaling the scent of leather and cinnamon, perfectly him. "Just until I fall asleep."

He wants to say he'll stay for as long as she wants and that he'll never leave again, but he can't. Knowing he can't trust his voice, he nods, agreeing to stay.

Swallowing hard, he tries to speak, voice like gravel.

"Just until you fall asleep."

Gently, as though she would break, he picked her up off the counter and carried her bridal-style to her room. She leaned her head on his chest, heart beating fast under her ear.

Flicking off the lights in the house as he goes, he's careful not to bump her into anything.

Finally making it her room, he turns on the light and closes the door with his foot. He walks to stand at the edge of the bed and bends down to where Sakura can pullback the blankets so he can place her on the bed.

He laid her down and stepped back from the bed. Taking off his sweatshirt, he dropped it on the floor and laid with Sakura. He put his arm under her head and pulled her close to him. He tucked her head under his chin and tangled their legs together.

"I love you, Sasuke," she murmurs into his chest as she snuggles closer to him.

He kisses the top of her head gently. "Get some sleep Sakura."

She hums contently and her breathing starts to even out, lulled into a deep slumber by the raven's steady heartbeat.

Sasuke laid there with the pinkette in his arms, drifting in and outta consciousness for a few hours. He studies the sleeping girl in the pale moonlight, the shadow on her sweet face. How young she looked. He took that time to memorize the curve of her face, the arch of her nose, the way her lips felt pressed against his.

When the sun started to come up at about 5 am, Sasuke knew it was time for him to leave, even if he didn't want to. He knew if he stayed to say goodbye, he'd never leave. She would just have to ask him to stay and he would. He would give up any and everything just to be with her.

He laid there for a few more minutes before he kissed the top of her head and untangled from her. From the floor he grabbed his sweat shirt and pulled it over his head. On the bedside found a pen and pad of paper. Quickly he scrawled a note and bent to kiss his blossom one last time before making his way back through the house, pulling on his shoes, and closing the locked door behind him as he slipped away into the early morning light.

Sunlight filter through the thin curtains as Sakura wakes up. Blinking into the morning light, she pulls the blanket up higher to block out the sun. She turns to feel the bed beside her, finding it cold and empty. With a sigh, she throws back the blanket and stretches, knowing she couldn't possibly go back to sleep now. She pulls on a pair of socks and grabs a rubber band to tie back her unruly hair. She catches sight of a folded note on the bedside table. She grabs in and unfolds it. The familiar scrawl makes her chest tighten, realizing he's already gone. Steeling herself, she reads the note.

'Sakura.
I'm sorry for not waking you before I left, but if I did, I never would've been able to leave you again.
Trust me, Blossom. It's better this way.
Take care.'

The note wasn't signed, but she knew exactly who it was from. The smooth flow and the fact that only one person would ever call her 'Blossom.' With a sigh she places the note back on the table and makes her way to the kitchen and starts a pot of coffee.

"I can't believe he was really here…" she whispered to herself as she made her coffee. " What's even harder to believe, is that he left me again." She wraps her arms around herself and leans against the counter. "He stays with me for the night and thinks that's enough."

Sakura turns around and stares out the small window above the sink those outlooks the park next to the apartments. "You're a rambling man and your never gonna change. You got a gypsy soul to blame and you were born for leaving. Born for leaving."

Saskue stops in the middle of the park and looks back towards Sakura's apartment. "When I close my eyes I see you, no matter where I am. I can smell your perfume through these whispering pines. I'm with your ghost again. It's a shame bout the weather but I know soon it will be better. I can't wait till then, I can't wait till then." He bows his head against the cold and walks into the snow.

A/N: Yea so that was it. hopefully ill have another one done by next week, but I promise nothing. take care.

GothicAngel-sama out. (=^_^=)