Uchiha Sasuke thought he was imagining things. As he was wandering around the new, small town he had come across, he kept sensing an awfully familiar chakra. A chakra pulse he was sure could not be anywhere near him, but resided peacefully within his home village - Konoha. His senses were usually sharp, making very few mistakes, yet for the last hour he had the odd feeling that this all too familiar chakra was lurking around, following his every step. He was hoping his journey of atonement wasn't finally making him lose his mind.
Nodding politely at the old woman who had acknowledged his presence in front of the herb shop, he entered to replenish his supplies. In the year he had been back to Konoha after the war, Sakura had helped him learn the use of a few simple medicinal plants in case he ever found himself in a situation where he had to fend for himself with nothing but mother nature on his side. He smiled fondly at the memory. The little crease between Sakura's eyebrows as she was trying to pick out the best things to teach him was a precious memory to him still.
And it was amplified by the sensation that she was so close she might as well be breathing down his neck. Briefly, he acknowledged it might be his homesickness affecting him this much. He'd sometimes imagine hearing Naruto's obnoxious laughter, or Kakashi's never-ending stream of excuses for being late. Or the sight of pink locks flowing in the wind, seen from the corner of his eye, disappearing as soon as he tried to lay eyes on her.
Purchasing a few essentials from the old lady at the counter, he took his leave, exiting the shop and walking into the warm sun. Deciding that assessing the size and condition of the little town from somewhere above would be the best option at this point. Sasuke quickly located a hill on top of which he could do his scouting. The few trees at the top of it provided him with nice shade, and as he sat down, facing the town, the feeling of the chakra pulse suddenly intensified.
Hand on the hilt of his katana, he decided it was better to end this sooner rather than later, and if it was someone threatening, imitating the familiar chakra, they'd have to be dealt with. As he stood up, he called out to the sensation.
"I know you're there. Just come out already."
It took a few moments for there to be any movement. Then it took a few minutes for his brain to register what he was seeing. He always noticed her pink hair first. It was one of the most unique things about her. Like a beautiful creature come to life from an old mythology book, she stood there, her hair blowing in the gentle wind, with her green eyes wide, lips slightly parted and breathing heavily.
"Sasuke...-kun." she spoke softly.
"Sakura." was his reply, and with it, a sort of tenseness from his shoulders disappeared completely.
He stared blankly at her for a few more moments, unsure as to what to say. How did she find him? And more importantly, what was she doing here? In the year they spent together, she must have learned to read him pretty well, because she answered before he spoke even one word.
"You're not that hard to track if you know exactly what to look for." her expression softened as she spoke, a playful smirk appearing on her lips.
It wasn't even his intention, but before knowing it, Sasuke took a few steps closer, until Sakura had to bend her neck and look up at him. He could see every molecule of skin on her face, every little ounce of red spread along her cheeks. Having learned so much about the world, about people, having been freed from such hatred, the feeling of relief flooded Sasuke instantly and was stopped by no barriers. He had missed her more that he dared acknowledge.
Almost as if drawn to him by a natural force, Sakura's hands reached up to Sasuke's cloak, grabbed a fistful of it and raised herself on her toes, her heavy breathing hot on his lips. Flustered and blushing, shaking slightly, yet bravely initiating a kind of interaction they'd never had before. Sasuke could not help but smile a little at how much bolder she'd gotten. Ever since he came back she tip toed around him a little, afraid of doing something wrong that would put him off. He'd felt guilty about it, but it seemed that two more years apart erased all fears. Or at least, the feeling he saw in her eyes erased everything else inside both of them.
Hand acting on its own, he grabbed the small of her back, pulling her against him and raising her up slightly, lowering his own head until their lips were touching gently. It felt like taking the first real breath after nearly drowning. Her lips tasted like berries, and were soft against his own as they began to move more forcefully. Two years apart with almost no contact made Sasuke - and no doubt Sakura as well - feel as if they had to make up for lost time. It turned the kiss into such an intense action it was almost violent. His hand kept pulling her so close it almost felt like they'd mold together somehow, yet it was still not enough, and only when he remembered he had to breathe did he pull away slightly and looked at her face.
It became obvious how much shorter than him she was. His back and head both bent to look her in the eyes, still close to her flushed face. The height difference, for whatever strange reason, made Sasuke's stomach flip in a delightful way. It made him see her from a completely different angle. It also made him realize they'd just kissed for the first time.
"I didn't expect a greeting like that." she said, looking away shyly, her hands still holding onto his cloak.
"I... " he had no response or excuse for his impulses, and he was still learning how to deal with these sort of emotions, so he opted for changing the topic. "What are you doing here, Sakura?"
Worry replaced the earlier bliss he could see on her face. Briefly, Sasuke panicked that something terrible had happened back in Konoha. A thousand horrible scenarios entered his mind and took root inside of him. An attack. Death. Destruction. A new war brewing, a new enemy to worry about. The chaotic thoughts were silenced however by Sakura's quiet admission.
"I couldn't stay away anymore." it was barely a whisper.
Taking a few steps back from him, Sakura awkwardly threw a backpack on the ground - one Sasuke hadn't even noticed before - and stared at it, waiting for some kind of response. Away from him, she meant? Her worry would make sense then, seeing as he advised her not to come along when he originally left. Still having the taste of her in his mouth, he wondered why the hell he'd do that. But then he remembered the terrible things he'd done, or at least wanted to do. He remembered his hand against her throat. It was one of the things that pained him so much he wanted to scream.
"I told you before, Sakura. This is something I have to do on my own. I have to atone for everything I've done, and we both know that's a lot of things." he said half heartedly.
He wasn't even sure why he was protesting. Perhaps it was just an old habit. It was easier to deal with things alone. It was easier, or maybe just familiar, to come across something that reminded him of his family, or a piece of information that put everything into perspective, and hurt on his own for a little while because of how ignorant he used to be. How hateful. He couldn't imagine showing that to someone else. He couldn't imagine ripping Sakura away from her home, either.
"Would I be an inconvenience? Is that what you're saying?"she asked, although even she didn't seem to believe that was the meaning behind his words.
"You know that's not it."
Did she though? He'd never allowed her to see too far inside. She knew his darkness, she saw it, she fought it and cried over it. Did she know it had left so many marks inside of him he was afraid, some days, that it wasn't entirely gone?
"Here is what I know, Uchiha Sasuke. I know you left the village when we were little, and I know why you did it. I know you've been to hell and back. I know you were gone for so many years some days I'd forget the sound of your voice. I know you did things to me I perhaps shouldn't have forgiven, but above all, I know you said you were sorry, did you not?"
It seemed like such a pitiful word to describe the way his insides twisted whenever he remembered what he'd done to those who loved him when there was nothing of him left to love. Sorry didn't even begin to cover the way he wished, so intensely, that whatever harm might come upon this tiny, pink haired creature would come directly onto him.
"I'm more than sorry." he managed to mumble.
"Then stop leaving me. Your sins may be your own, but you don't have to bear them by yourself. See you next time, right? Next time is now, Sasuke-kun. Let me walk beside you. Let me see the world with you, let me know you. Let me love you properly, Sasuke-kun, because God knows that will never stop."
The first time she's said it, it hurt. It hurt because he had to leave it behind him, and it felt like it had to be forever. The second time it hurt even more, because everything inside of him was twisted and angry and he'd felt her warmth before, when she hugged him, as well as when he was trying to draw it out of her by force. It hurt to say no, and to walk away into a path that seemed right. Who was he kidding. To walk away into the only path he thought possible. But wasn't she here giving him the option to choose better? Maybe distancing himself from his team, even now, was another one of his mistakes. The problem with the still too confused Uchiha was how to express some of his thoughts out loud, since they seemed loud enough inside his own head.
"Well, I was planning to look for an inn. We'll be spending the night here, but no more than that." was a blunt enough response.
The smile that broke free on her face melted and put everything inside of Sasuke back together all at once.
Sasuke forgot how much Sakura liked to talk. Hearing her voice after such a long time made him feel like he was at home. She described everything that had happened in the last two years in great detail, making him feel almost as if he was there himself. Naruto's wedding, in particular, he missed because his invitation somehow got lost. It made him a little sad he was not able to attend, but Sakura was descriptive enough about the idiot's behaviour once he'd a had a few drinks that the sadness went away for the most part.
The town had one small yet incredibly beautiful inn. The wooden structure was kept in excellent condition by its owners, who welcomed the pair warmly. It was still quite early, barely past noon, so the intention for now was just to check in and make sure they had rooms to sleep in later on at night. Well, one room, according to the innkeeper. It appeared to be a busy time for travellers and inns alike. It didn't help that the young woman made a few remarks towards them, quite obviously assuming them to be a couple. Neither Sasuke nor Sakura protested.
After having paid for the room, Sakura proposed they find a place to eat, seeing as, according to her, tracking him was exhausting and made her hungry. It seemed odd to think about the fact that she had just joined him, not too long ago, yet it felt like the most natural thing to have her decide it was time to go eat. Sasuke shook his head, wondering why he was even surprised at this point by the familiarity between the two. He bit his lip briefly, remembering exactly how familiar they'd gotten. It hadn't escaped his attention how she watched him do it, and how she tried to hide her smile afterwards.
They hadn't walked for too long, until they found a place to settle into and share a meal. The whole time, Sakura pestered Sasuke to fill her in, insisting it was his turn to tell her everything there was to know. So he'd told her. He told her about what it was like to look at a completely unfamiliar place from up above, from the edge of a cliff that loomed above what seemed like the whole world. What it felt like to have people thank him for small gestures of kindness, like holding baskets for them and fixing a roof. What it felt like to see life and death, all part of natural cycles. Even more importantly, he struggled to tell her what it felt like to know the Uchiha crest on his back left all the people he'd encountered with fond memories, not bloody ones. By the end of the story - one he never imagined he'd enjoy telling - he felt more peaceful, and a lightness in his chest.
Afterwards, all they did was walk and talk. It was like once he started he couldn't stop. It felt so good to have Sakura beside him, someone who simply knew. Brushing against her from walking so close, having the urge to hold her hand, telling her about things he hadn't talked about ever before. It was too wonderful for words. So wonderful that eventually he did take her hand and didn't dare let go of it until the moon was high up in the sky and they decided it was actually time to get some rest.
The young woman from earlier had been replaced by a much older man who directed them towards the last available room, after which he took his leave, allowing Sasuke and his companion to settle in.
The room was quite barren, having only a relatively large futon, a few lanterns and a small drawer. The two agreed it was more than enough for a single night, and began to settle their belongings around the room. Before long the lanterns had been extinguished, the only light coming from the moon, and Sasuke and Sakura laid beside each other on the futon, prepared for a full night's sleep. Or not.
Nervousness hung heavily in the air, coming from both of them. Sasuke could sense Sakura shifting from one position to the other every few seconds, and he himself felt jumpy. Memories of their earlier kiss conjured up a new kind of tension he felt between him and Sakura. At first, he'd tried to brush it off as something he did impulsively upon seeing her for the first time in forever. He had known, of course, from a very long time ago he'd loved her in a different way he'd loved the rest of his team, or his family. He'd known he loved her in a way that made him want to kiss her until his lips were raw. He just never had the chance to properly acknowledge that until now. Yet again, it seemed as if Sakura had read his mind.
"I think... it's best we talk about what happened earlier."
She turned towards him, her face illuminated only by a faint light, almost covered entirely by their blanket. Her eyes almost betrayed everything she felt, at least when it came to him. A terrible quality to have as a ninja, yet an incredible one to have when dealing with Sasuke who often dared not ask questions of an emotional nature.
"All I know is I wanted to do it since I first laid eyes on you."
Funnily enough, she nodded very seriously, as if she'd just heard a very good battle strategy.
"Do you want to do it again? I mean, do you want this to become a thing between us?"
It helped Sasuke that, for the first time, she seemed as awkward as him talking about her feelings and their relationship. It made it easier to be awkward in return.
"I've learned many things since you first told me you loved me. How to deal with this is not one of them."
"This?" she asked.
In response, he moved his arm beneath the covers, found one of hers and moved it slowly towards his chest, placing it right where his heartbeat could be felt best. It was beating faster than it ever had in battle. It was beating like it wanted to escape and jump in the palm of her hand, right where it belonged. After a few moments of stillness and silence, she'd done exactly the same thing with his hand, and it seemed like her heart was just as erratic.
"I know sometimes I might want to kiss you, or touch you, and if you'll allow me I'll do just that. I want to keep you safe and show you everything I've discovered about this world. I know that, since you chose me, I want to choose you back, Sakura." he said, although the last part was untrue, since he'd chosen her a long time ago without even knowing.
At this she simply smiled, her eyes lighting up, her whole expression changing. Sasuke worried it might not be enough, this confusing mess of emotions he spilled out for her, but she understood perfectly.
"And all I know, and all that matters to me, is that I love you."
She said it so confidently. Snuggling closer to him, releasing his hand and allowing it to wrap protectively around her, she buried herself under the blankets and so close to him he wasn't sure she would still be able to breathe. All he could do, all he was capable of doing in that moment was hold her as tightly as possible, bury his own face in her hair and say very, very quietly:
"And all I know is that I've always loved you too."