After Sasuke dropped off Sakura's daily orchid at the hospital early that morning, he went back to the Uchiha compound with a renewed sense of purpose. After a successful interaction with Sakura (well, successful in his mind, anyway), his desires had been confirmed: he wanted her. In what way, he was still unsure. But he now felt very sure of the fact that Sakura was what had drawn him back to Konoha more so than his other teammates. He wouldn't exactly say that he harbored romantic feelings for the kunoichi, but rather a sense of responsibility for her. He wanted to ensure that she was safe and taken care of at all times. He felt like he owed it to her. He wanted to give her whatever she needed.

What he didn't realize was that Sakura might also give him what he needed before he was even aware of it himself.


"Did you hear? Uchiha Sasuke is back!" a woman whispered to her friend in the hospital lobby.

"I heard! Apparently he's still quite handsome, too." the friend quipped back, smiling dreamily.

Sakura's interest had been piqued as soon as she heard Sasuke's name. She was temporarily filling in for the hospital receptionist behind the large welcome desk in the lobby. She was bent over, writing notes to herself about her latest training with Tsunade; the women could not see her, nor did they even suspect she was there.

"What's he doing back here anyway?" a third woman asked, walking through the lobby and joining into the conversation.

"No one really knows for sure, but I heard he's done nothing but shop for furniture since he's been back! He's been at the marketplace since early this morning, ordering people to take tables and couches and a brand new king-sized bed back to the Uchiha manor. He must be moving back home for good!"

Sakura's brow furrowed momentarily. Obviously these women were under the impression that Sasuke had just returned today, not nearly a month ago. And since gossip traveled so quickly, it seemed that Sasuke had finally decided to make his presence known to the village by participating in a common practice such as furniture shopping. But it was odd to think about Sasuke filling his old home with all sorts of brand new furniture simply for himself. He wasn't the type of person who needed the creature comforts of a fully furnished home, but Sakura also wondered just how lonely that house felt when it was completely devoid of personal possessions.

After a few musings about how heavenly it would be to share a bed with Uchiha Sasuke, the women dispersed, leaving Sakura alone with her thoughts and her work.

But she wasn't alone for long.

An orange figure burst through the front doors of the hospital, and Sakura immediately recognized the person as none other than Uzumaki Naruto. He looked very upset about something; his eyes were about to pop out of his head.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" he hollered down the main hall, searching for the kunoichi.

Sakura jumped up from behind the desk, a threatening fist already in the air. "Will you shut up?! This is a hospital! You cannot just come in here and start shouting, Naruto!" she hissed in irritation.

Naruto's face lit up when he spotted his friend. "Sakura-chan!" he exclaimed again, running over and throwing both of his hands down upon the desk. "Did you hear? Sasuke is back! He's back in Konoha! He's really here!" Naruto said emphatically, unsure why Sakura wasn't quite comprehending the magnitude of the situation.

"Of course he is, you idiot! He's been back for weeks! Now stop disturbing me while I'm at work."

Naruto's eyes widened with shock. "What?! You already knew about this? Why does everybody know except me? Kakashi knew, you knew…why couldn't he have come and said hi to me? What, am I not important to him anymore? After everything we've been through?" he asked, about to explode with a cornucopia of emotions.

Sakura had to hide a smirk as she shook her head at her rambunctious teammate. "Maybe this is why he didn't tell you. He knew you'd stir up a ruckus just like you're doing now. Haven't you figured out that Sasuke is very private? I'm sure he doesn't want you blabbing his business all over Konoha."

Naruto thought about that for a second, and he knew that she made a good point. But he was still mad. "I don't care, I'm going to hunt him down and ask him what the hell is going on!" Naruto said, raising a fist in the air in determination.

"Whatever, just keep your voice down or I'm sure he'll kick your ass." Sakura reminded him sweetly, waving goodbye to him as she left the lobby and went to make her usual rounds.


Naruto found Sasuke at his house in the Uchiha district, directing various store employees where to place the new furniture and housewares inside his home. He was cool and collected; he had already mentally planned out where everything would go before he set out to make his luxurious purchases. By the end of the day, the house would be completely furnished, as was his goal.

"Sasuke! What the hell are you doing?!" Naruto asked angrily, skidding across the gravel path and coming to a halt directly in front of the Uchiha.

"Moving in." Sasuke answered shortly.

"Moving in? What? No! I mean, what are you doing back in Konoha?!"

Sasuke smirked and repeated his answer. "Like I said: I'm moving in."

"For good? Like you're staying in Konoha this time?" Naruto asked eagerly.

Sasuke would not and could not answer that question; he didn't know the answer, and even if he did, he wasn't sure if saying it aloud would be a smart idea, because once something was said, it could never be taken back. So he merely walked inside to check on the progress of his latest endeavor.

"Hey! Don't walk away from me, I'm still mad at you for not telling me that you were back!" Naruto hollered, chasing after him.

Once Naruto had gotten all of his energy out of his system (and Sasuke had been exceedingly patient while he did so), he resigned to helping Sasuke "move in". Naruto was amazed at the quantity of things that Sasuke had purchased: couches, futons, side tables, coffee tables, a kitchen table, pots and pans, brand new kitchen appliances, light fixtures, towels and linens – the list went on and on. Sasuke indeed seemed to be making a long-term commitment to his parents' house, even if he wasn't willing to admit it.

"Just curious, why do you need all of this stuff if it's just going to be you here all by yourself?" Naruto personally preferred to keep his small apartment sparsely furnished and simply decorated (but that didn't necessarily mean he kept it clean). It just didn't make sense to waste money on a bunch of things that he just didn't need when that money could be going towards Ichiraku ramen.

Sasuke outwardly shrugged, but secretly thought to himself, Hopefully I won't be by myself for long.


That night, Sasuke met Sakura on her way home as usual. She had gotten off early due to a lack of emergencies or new patients, so it was only about nine o'clock, and she wasn't nearly as exhausted as she normally was. In fact, she was wide awake and excited to see Sasuke as he strolled up the path.

"Good evening, Sasuke." she said cheerfully as he surveyed her arms for something he could carry. But tonight, she had nothing. "I'm off tomorrow, so there was no need to haul anything home with me tonight." Sakura said happily. "Looks like you got off easy!"

Sasuke smirked. "Hn."

They walked through town as usual before they came to a fork in the road where they would normally turn right to go to Sakura's apartment. But tonight, Sasuke nudged Sakura to the left with his shoulder.

Without any words, Sakura followed his lead and the proceeded down the road that she couldn't recall ever having used before. As they walked, she realized that the area was a lot less populated than the main part of town, even at night. Sasuke led her down to the end of the street where two wrought-iron gates stood wide open, welcoming anyone to come inside the compound. Sakura gasped quietly when she saw the Uchiha crest on the gates.

"Sasuke," she said quietly. "Is this your…?"

"Hn." he confirmed, continuing to lead the way through the gates and toward his home.

Sakura followed quietly, feeling a bit ill at ease with the place. In her mind, this district only existed in horror stories her parents and teachers told her. She knew how many people had been slaughtered in the streets and in their own homes. She knew Sasuke had come home to see his dead parents in his house somewhere. She knew Sasuke's brother was the one who had committed the atrocious act. She'd never heard any of these things from Sasuke himself, of course. She'd also never heard of anyone ever being invited into the compound. She saw the remnants of police tape lingering on the doorways of each house that they passed, and she shivered.

"You're uncomfortable." Sasuke observed, and there was a hint of displeasure to his tone.

Sakura looked up at him and quickly shook her head, trying to shake off her nerves. "No, no! Not at all! I've just…never been here before." she finished lamely.

Sasuke stopped suddenly in front of one of the larger houses, deciding whether or not he should follow through with his plan. With his back to Sakura, he faced the front door of his home. "You don't have to come inside," he said, hesitating; unsure how to convey the fact that he really wished she would come inside.

Sakura pulled herself together. Where are my manners? Uchiha Sasuke is inviting me into one of the most private parts of his life after all these years, and I'm being rude! "I'd love to come inside." she said genuinely.

Sasuke shrugged and led her up the porch steps and through the front door. Sasuke flipped a light switch – it seemed that he had had all of the utilities turned back on – and Sakura was able to take in the grand foyer and sitting area. Sasuke's house was rather spacious, with an open floor plan. The main rooms such as the living room and kitchen flowed together seamlessly, while the bedrooms and bathrooms branched off all around the house. She quite liked it. It was much nicer than her tiny one-bedroom apartment.

"Sasuke, this is wonderful." she breathed.

Sasuke walked into the sitting area and sat down on a black leather couch, kicking off his shoes and propping his feet up on his brand new coffee table. "It's a lot better with furniture." he admitted. "You can walk around if you want. I don't care." Sasuke said offhandedly.

But Sakura somehow knew that he was actually inviting her to explore his home, and in return, to give him her opinion of his new furnishings. I think he wants my approval, she thought. She obliged, removing her shoes as she made her way toward the kitchen. After the kitchen, she peeked in all three guest bedrooms and what appeared to be an old weapons room. She found the laundry room and the home office. Then, at the very end of the hallway, she found the master bedroom.

The first thing that caught her eye was the enormous bed that occupied the center of the room. It was covered in large, plush pillows and a very soft-looking duvet. There was a nightstand with a table lamp on each side, and there were two dressers on opposite sides of the room. There was a large walk-in closet at one end, and the master bathroom was on the other end. Sakura walked into the bathroom and was impressed by the spacious shower (with two shower heads) and the large Jacuzzi tub that could certainly fit two people with plenty of space leftover. The large mirror over the double sinks was quite grand, reflecting the entire bathroom.

"What do you think?"

Sakura jumped, startled by Sasuke's sudden appearance over her shoulder. "How long have you been there?" she asked, rather flustered.

"Sorry." he mumbled. Then, on a different note, "All of this used to be my parents'." he said to no one in particular. "And now it's all mine." he finished quietly, exiting the bathroom.

Sakura heard a small bit of sadness in his voice, so she followed him, eager for him to share more with her. It made her feel good to be his confidant, and she longed to know everything that there was to know about the life of Uchiha Sasuke. The fact that he was still a mystery to her after all these years was fascinating to her.

"Does being back here…make you think about them?" she asked carefully.

Sasuke nodded, standing in the middle of the room and looking around him, taking in the room and all that it now contained. "I thought that new furniture would make it better." he said more to himself than to Sakura. "But it still feels empty." He sat down on the bed.

Sakura sat down beside him, trying to find the right words to offer him comfort without making him think that she was feeling sorry for him; she knew he would not appreciate that. She didn't know what to say, so she slowly reached out and grasped his hand in hers, laying them both on his lap.

Sasuke stiffened at the gesture, but after a minute or so, his shoulders fell and relaxed.

"There we go," Sakura said softly.

Sasuke looked over at her, and she couldn't quite read his expression. He seemed to be struggling internally with something. He gazed at her for several minutes, never once taking his eyes off of hers. Sakura returned his gaze softly but steadily, wanting him to know that she was ready to listen if he wanted to say something.

But after another minute, Sasuke cleared his throat, quickly pulled his hand out of Sakura's, and stood up from the bed, looking a little disconcerted. "Shower." he said abruptly, leaving a confused Sakura behind as he went into the bathroom and shut the door firmly behind him.

He was about to say something, I just know it. Maybe it was about his family? Could it have been about me? Sakura wondered vaguely. She scooted herself further back onto Sasuke's bed; she'd show him how someone makes themselves at home! The pillows felt like clouds beneath her, and she sunk back into them, sighing with contentment. She heard Sasuke run the water and remembered the twin shower heads. I wonder if he'll use them both, she giggled to herself. She laid there on his bed, happy as a clam, until the water stopped and she heard him step out of the shower. She tried very hard to keep her thoughts from wandering in the direction of a naked, wet Sasuke, fresh out of the shower with messy, towel-dried hair.

However, it was hard not to think about such things when they were right in front of you. Sasuke had opened the door, and with a white towel wrapped around his waist, casually walked across his bedroom to get himself some clothes.

Sakura averted her gaze, blushing. Stop acting like a child – this is no different than what you did last night! she told herself. However, she reasoned, I had no idea that Sasuke would be waiting for me in my room. But Sasuke was very aware that I would be waiting on his bed. She continued to look away as he walked back into the bathroom to get dressed. When he shut the door, she sighed to herself longingly. She may not still be madly in love with the Uchiha, but she sure could recognize a handsome man when she saw one. Sasuke was the very definition of handsome, and he always had been.

Sasuke reemerged from the bathroom in a black, sleeveless undershirt and white shorts. The shirt showed off his arm muscles and his broad chest, and Sakura chided herself for noticing such details. She felt the need to look away again, and that's when her eyes found the clock on the wall. It was nearly ten-thirty at night, and she did not want to overstay her welcome. Sasuke was probably tired from the day's events.

"It's getting late, I'm sure you want to get some sleep soon." She rose from the bed and made her way towards the bedroom door. "Thank you so much for giving me a tour of your home." When her hand reached out to turn the doorknob, Sasuke intervened by grabbing her by the wrist. Sakura looked up at him, shocked.

"Stay." It was not a demand, but a request.

Sakura laughed nervously. "You want me to stay? Like, for the night?" she asked, wanting clarification. She'd never spent the night in a man's home before, although she'd slept alongside Sasuke and Naruto during their past missions as genin. The thought definitely made her nervous.

"Yes." Sasuke said firmly, looking into her eyes.

Sakura swallowed hard. "But, I don't have any clothes…"

"You can borrow mine."

Sakura blushed for the second time that night, thinking about wearing Sasuke's clothes.

"I'm all dirty from the hospital, I'd hate to get your clothes dirty, too." she said, trying to be polite.

"Take a shower." Sasuke replied.

Sakura bit her lip, really unsure of what to do next without being rude. Quit making excuses. He's your friend and he's reaching out to you. He needs you, she thought to herself.

Sasuke seemed to guess that she was unsure of what to do next, so he dragged her by her wrist into the bathroom. He released her arm and opened the cabinet under one of the sinks, retrieving a white towel like the one he had used. He shoved it into her arms and reached under the sink again, pulling out a brand new bottle of women's shampoo. "There." he said, confident that he had won the battle. "Take your time." he told her as he exited the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Sakura let herself lean against the countertop for support as she exhaled. She wasn't even going to ask why he already had a bottle of shampoo ready for her, and that's when it dawned on her that Sasuke had planned this all out from the beginning of the night. He might be a bit socially awkward, but he sure can be smooth when he wants to be, she thought, shaking her head in amusement as she stepped into the shower.


A/N: Sasuke is starting to realize that he can't keep going through life alone – he needs some companionship! I've always imagined Sasuke to be awkward at conversation, but very direct with his actions. So even if he can't talk to Sakura about his feelings, he has no problem telling her what to do. Please add me to your Story Alerts and review! Thank you!