Home Is Where The Heart Is

pairing: SasuSaku

Summary: For a few precious minutes, she can pretend that she wakes up in his arms every day.


The sound of chirping birds wakes Sakura up. She blinks open her eyes, as the room slowly slides into focus. The sunlight streaming through the open window lights up the entire room.

Sakura moves until she's lying on her side. The sun is bright outside, but it's a cold autumn day. Her bed is unusually warm, and she's not yet ready to toss the blankets aside and be exposed to the cold draft in the room.

That is when she notices him, and almost slaps herself for not realising the way her bed dips on one side due to the added weight. She scowls.

His presence explains the mystery behind the open window, and the reason why her bedroom is freezing.

She can see him slowly opening his eyes, probably woken up by her movement. For a minute he stares at her, mismatched eyes unblinking, and Sakura feels as though he can look right into her soul. Then the minute is over, and he moves to throw one arm over her waist, to pull her closer to him.

He rests his chin on top of her head and Sakura nuzzles closer. She can feel the heat practically radiating off him and she breathes in his familiar scent. He smells like grass and campfires.

"When did you get back?" her words come out muffled.

"Early this morning," he mumbles in reply, and Sakura can't help but jump slightly at his voice. It's been too long since she's heard it.

Sakura knows that in a few minutes, she'd have to leave the comfort of her bed and his arms to get dressed and head to work.

It seems that he can read her mind, for he wraps his other arm around her and pulls her in deeper into his embrace. Sakura sighs.

"When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow."

The word hangs in the air, and Sakura feels as though the air has been knocked out of her lungs. She detaches herself from him and looks him straight in the eyes.

"But you just got back!"

He gives her the slightest of smiles. She takes in his appearance then. His dark hair is longer than when she saw him last, and his usually pale skin is tanned with the weather. It has been six months since she's seen his face, and she plans to engrave the way his mouth curves into her brain.

"Can't you stay?" she asks, her voice a breathy whisper. She knows what his answer will be, but she must try.

There is silence and all Sakura can hear again are the chirping birds outside the window. She closes her eyes and moves closer to him once more. For a few precious minutes, she can pretend.

Pretend that she wakes up in his arms every day.

She can feel her throat constricting, tears threatening to fall, but she tries to hold it in. He looks at her unspeaking, but she knows he notices. He notices everything.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, and for a moment, his voice sounds as strained as hers.

"I have to go to work," she says, surprised by how calm she sounds. He's still looking at her, an unreadable expression in his eyes. She sits up and tries to ignore the goosebumps that rise on her skin from the cold. "Let's have dinner tonight. The three of us. Naruto will want to see you."

"Sakura," Her name falls off his lips like honey. She turns around to look at him, eyebrows raised. He looks like an angel, splayed out on her bed like that. Even after all these years, he's still beautiful, and Sakura's heart aches at the sight of him. Her frustration melts away when she notices how tired he looks, and she wants nothing more than to crawl back into bed with him, and stay there until he leaves again.

"What?"

The small smile is back, and suddenly he's looking at her like she's his home, and Sakura, only moments away from bursting into tears, almost misses his next words.

"Your hair looks better short."


Author's Note: I hope you like this word-vomit.