Disclaimer: Haha, me? Own Naruto? I wish!
When Uchiha Sasuke had come home, Haruno Sakura had not been the nurse to first see him, first tend to him. In fact, Sakura had been treating a little boy who had broken his leg. She had been gently soothing the boy and pouring a little bit of chakra into his leg to ease the discomfort when a nurse burst through the door. "Haruno-sama, Uchiha-san has returned!" She managed to gasp out. The 12 year old that was still in Sakura wanted to jump up and run to Sasuke, but she had a job to do. She nodded absentmindedly, and continued with what she was doing. Of course, Inner Sakura was screaming at her outer self, but Sakura expertly tuned her out.
A half-hour later, Sakura still hadn't had a break. Naruto then barged through the door, where Sakura was healing an ANBU who had gotten hurt on a recent mission. "Sakura-chan, teme's asked about you." He blurted out. "In fact, he wondered why you aren't at his bedside already." Sakura's lips twisted into a painful smile, and she turned to the 23 year old blond.
"Tell Sasuke that I have a job to do." She said simply, and turned back to the thirty year old, who was watching the exchange with amused eyes. They all remembered the way Sakura used to follow Sasuke around like a besotted puppy, but she had grown up in the time that he had been gone. No longer was she that weak little girl that needed to be saved constantly. She was a confident 23 year old medic-nin, and wouldn't trade her life for the world. She had overcome a painful battle, and had come out with scars, but she was a better person for it. The pink-haired girl was, however, still in love with the Uchiha genius. Well, somethings obviously couldn't be helped.
When Sakura was finally on break, she went to the front desk and required Uchiha Sasuke's number. They gave it to her, and she walked towards the room, trying her best to slow her breathing and heartbeat. It had been 10 long, painful years without him, and Sakura had doubts on wether or not he would ever return. However, when she pushed open the door, he was really there. He was also alone. Sasuke turned to face her, and obsidian eyes locked with veridian. Sakura decided to take a professional approach to this. That meant no hugging, declarations of love, or squealing. "I take it that you've been examined, already?" She inquired. Sasuke gave a curt nod and his eyes wandered to the window.
Sakura squashed the slight feeling of anger that flared briefly in her, and inhaled sharply. "Have they given you any pain killers? Checked your wounds for poisons?" He nodded. 'Well, what did you expect?' She mentally chidded herself, 'An apology to just come pouring from his lips? Telling her he loves her, only her, and wanting to know if she'll marry him and rebuild the clan with him?' Sakura shook her head to get rid of these silly thoughts. That would never happen, no matter how much she wished for it. "How are you feeling?" She tried again to get a response out of the stoic boy, but he merely shrugged. Sakura could feel the frustration slowly mounting up, so she took a deep breath to keep from cursing.
"The painkillers are starting to wear off." His voice was deep, the change evident from that of when he had been twelve. Sakura nodded, and she headed over to the counter. She came back with a needle, and Sasuke shifted slightly. Sakura bit down the sadistic smile that threatened to creep up. Well well, the unfeeling Uchiha was afraid of shots.
"Don't worry Sasuke, this won't really hurt." His eyebrow went up slightly at the loss of his usual Sasuke-kun from her, but then Sakura injected the needle and he didn't say anything. She quickly cleaned the wound of any blood that may come out, and cleaned the needle. Glancing quickly at the clock, Sakura realized that she had a food break. "Are you hungry?" She asked, turning to the stoic man. He shook his head, and Sakura sighed. "Well, I'll be right back then, I'm starving." Sasuke snorted.
"I hope you didn't think I'd care." Sakura bit her lip and didn't reply, instead, she left.
She refused to be hurt by his blunt insults. While she had long ago given up on the notion she was over him, she wouldn't get her hopes up for a relationship that would never happen. She grabbed a salad for her, and as an afterthought, grabbed some tomatoes as well. Even if he wasn't hungry right now, he probably would be later. She headed back to the room, and Sasuke was staring out the window. He hadn't turned when she came in, but that didn't matter.
"I brought you some tomatoes." She said quietly.
"Hn."
Sakura sighed, and sat down on a chair and began to eat, ignoring the other person in the room, which didn't go unnoticed. Sasuke's eyebrows were in danger of falling into his hairline. She was being surprisingly proper about this, and he couldn't help but wonder where the old Sakura had gone. The girl-no, woman- in front of him was nothing like the bright, bubbly girl he had left all those years ago. Then again, that had been ten years ago. Surely he couldn't expect that he would return to Konoha and all would be as it once was. Sakura had not yet jumped on him, nor had she screamed and hugged him the moment she had seen him. It was...discomforting. He was so used to their old routine that for a moment, Uchiha Sasuke felt lost.
Sakura stood up and threw away the empty plastic bowl, and she stares at him, head slightly tilted. She's almost afraid to ask this, but she knew she had to. The curiousity was eating away at her, and even if he ended up hating her, it wouldn't matter. He had hated her before, hadn't he? She just had to know. "Why did you return to Konoha?" She enjoys the momentary shock that flitters across his face. Then, he smirks, and a sense of forebidding floods in the pit of her stomach.
"Why should I tell you?" He sneers at her. "You're just an annoying girl." Her eyes narrow, and anger replaces the forebidding, and before she realizes it, she's up in his face, screaming at him.
"You don't know ANYTHING about me! Where have you been these past ten years, huh Uchiha? You've been off gallavanting in Sound, that's where! Taking orders from Orochimaru, the traitor! Then, you probably kill Orochimaru. Woah, big deal!"
She pokes him in the chest harshly, and continues ranting. At this point, she can't help the words that flow from her mouth. Years of pent up hurt, betrayal, and unrequited love can do that to someone. She's almost half-ashamed at the feelings, but she continues anyway. "You then go off searching for your brother, Uchiha Itachi! After probably years of sucking up to Orochimaru, only to realize that Itachi could whip Orochimaru! Thus, you head to find Itachi, and probably kill him! Do you realize how alone you are?! How in your search for Itachi, you've become JUST.LIKE.HIM. Do you realize that you pushed away the people that loved you, the people that still love you? Do you even regret it? You-" She stops, and it takes her a split second to realize that Sasuke's hands are buried in her hair, she's straddling his waist and they're kissing eachother with such ferocity that it makes her knees weak.
"You." He mutters, finally pulling away. Sakura's head is somewhere far, far away though.
"Me? Me what?"
He sighs.
"You're the reason I returned to Konoha." Sakura freezes, and stares at him, her eyes searching his. "I didn't mean what I said. You're not annoying, I just did that to see you get mad." Her eyes narrow, and she punches him lightly on the shoulder. He chuckles, and green orbs soften slightly at the sound, before she places her head on his shoulder. After a moments hesitation, he wraps his arms around her, and Sakura shifts to get more comfortable. She's now lying flat, her face buried in the crook of his neck.
"I love you, Sasuke-kun." She whispers slightly, and he kisses her temple gently.
"Aa." Sakura falls asleep in Sasuke's arms unknowingly, and a little while later, Sasuke follows.
A blond head peeks through the door before coming back out, smiling.
"Should we wake them, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asks, but the Hokage shakes her head.
"No, let them be. I'll just have somebody cover for Sakura." She tells the other female, who nods and rushes off to find a replacement on such short notice. 'Congratulations, Sakura. You finally got your life-long dream.' Tsunade thinks, walking away from the door with the sleeping couple in it.
----What's meant to be will always find it's way-----
A/N- The plot bunnies attacked me on the way home from school, that's my only defense to this fluffy one-shot. I tried to keep Sasuke as in character as I could. Quite obviously, I failed that at the end. I don't think it's too bad, and seeing as how you've made it this far, wanna review and tell me wether you liked it or not?
