Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

He was back two months and a week later, with a tray of cookies in his hand and a grim look on his face.

"You came from Naruto's," she said with certainty.

"The idiot forgot I hate sweets," he muttered, rolling his eyes. He made no complaints as she took the plate from him and swiped a cookie underneath the plastic, taking a generous bite. "Since when can he bake anyway?"

"He can't," she replied simply, giggling. "He and Hinata baked enough batches to feed the town, a couple days ago. Of course, Hinata did most of the work, and Naruto was so proud he gave them to everyone."

"Are they dating?"

"I'm not sure." She gave him a curious look. "Are you honestly interested in hearing about Naruto's love life right now?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Whatever makes him stop nagging me every time I come around."

She gave him a teasing smile. "I'm not sure that'll stop him."

"Probably not," he agreed.

She took another bite, and chewed thoughtfully, putting a finger to her chin. "Well," she said, grinning cheekily. "I could always do you a mercy killing."

Snorting, Sasuke replied without a beat, "So the idiot can go resurrect me with an illegal scroll? I think I'll pass."

Sakura's eyes widened, and she laughed. "Oh, you're probably right," she said, still giggling lightly as she headed down to the kitchen. "It's been barely more than a year since we've gotten you back, and Naruto wouldn't stand to lose his best friend again so soon."

"Best friend," Sasuke muttered, striding shortly behind her in soft steps. "Half the time, I don't even know how that happened."

Putting the plate down on the counter, she grinned and shifted towards him, hands clasped behind her back. "Oh, you know, Sasuke-kun," she said, crossing her arms. "Don't try and pretend otherwise with me."

"Hm."

She watched as Sasuke leaned against the wall, his mismatched gaze carefully set on her. Her feet shuffled a little at the intensity.

"Have you eaten yet?" he asked, after a long pause.

"A little while ago."

"Ah."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "I haven't."

Her mouth parted, surprised. "You wanted to get food?"

Sasuke replied nothing, and she took it as a confirmation.

"I would have loved to," she said softly. "But... I have work in fifteen minutes. I was just getting ready to leave until you showed up, actually."

"I won't keep you, then," he said, pushing himself off the wall, and heading towards her front door. "I'll see you next time, Sakura."

"Wait!" Quickly, she caught up to him, her cheeks flushing as he turned to look at her curiously. "If you want," she said, fiddling with the fabric of her skirt, "you can walk me to the hospital. I haven't seen you in a while, Sasuke-kun, and I'd like to hear about how you've been doing."

Something in his eyes brightened. Her heart pounded harder.

"Sure."

.

.

"You're leaving again, right?" she said, as they reached the front doors of the hospital. "That's why you wanted to spend time with me."

He simply nodded, hand slipped in his pocket.

"Take care of yourself, then, Sasuke-kun." She smiled gently. "And come back soon."

"Aa," he hummed. Lips curling into a smile, he raised his single hand and pressed two fingers to her forehead gently, gaze full of affection. "As always."

Hand falling to his side again, he turned on his heels and said, "See you soon, Sakura."

She allowed herself a few moments to watch him walk away, her smile falling slightly, before finally heading inside to work.

Something told her this would be his longest trip away, thus yet.

.

.

.

A couple of weeks later, Sakura got the news that Sasuke had caught a terrible cold.

"You should have seen him, Sakura-chan! Sick as a dog! The bastard couldn't even get out of bed for three days!"

A smile came easily to her mouth. It always amused her how Naruto took such delight in Sasuke's misery when it came to the little things; like his underwear drawer being raided by fangirls, or a random civilian sneezing directly in his face.

Sakura shook her head a little. "Naruto, you didn't see him either," she reminded him, nudging his shoulder with her own.

"Psh. Details!" Naruto grinned, lacing fingers behind his head as they continued to walk down the market street in a light snowfall. "I take Shino and Kiba's word for it. Must have been a sight."

Sakura laughed, this time. "Probably was. Sasuke-kun's always been grumpier when sick." She fitted her hands to the warm pockets of her red winter coat and tipped her head back a little, catching a snowflake on her tongue. Exhaling softly, she burrowed her face in the collar, and said, "I'm sure you can remember how he was during Christmas week after he came back."

Naruto scrunched up his nose at the memory. "I don't understand why he had to snap at everybody over nothing—he was such a pain to deal with!"

An unladylike snort slipped from her mouth, and Sakura cleared her throat to cover it, looking at the store windows to her right to hide the amusement. "You always think Sasuke-kun is a pain to deal with, Naruto."

She heard him laugh lightly in response, the sound of it a clear picture that he was probably grinning again.

"Yeah, but that's because he is!"

Sakura smiled, giving him a playful shove without looking, silently admiring a nice winter hat in the window display. Ino would probably like that one—she'd be sure to pass on the store name the next time she and her had a coffee date.

Then something caught her eye in the next window, and she blinked, pausing in her steps.

"Hey, Naruto," she called, cocking her head to the side curiously. "Where did you say he was again?"

"Who? Sasuke?"

Her eyes ran along the beige fabric, wondering how thick it was. Patiently, she replied, "Yeah."

"Somewhere near Yukigakure, I think," he replied. "Don't really know the specifics."

"Mm." She considered the poncho some more, stroking her chin as her brows furrowed. "Yukigakure, huh? That would probably do…"

"Sakura-chan?"

He sounded confused.

Sakura turned on the balls of her feet to look at him, smiling. "Hey, Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Think I can borrow your hawk, later today? I think I'd like to send Sasuke-kun something."

Naruto blinked, before he smiled brightly and gave her a thumbs up. "Sure! Just come by my apartment when you're ready!"

Sakura grinned at him. "Thanks!" she said, skipping backwards toward the shop entrance with a wave. "I better go now, but I'll see you in about an hour!"

.

.

"Ah, Sakura, it's you," she heard Kakashi say, as she stepped into his office and quietly closed the door behind her. "I was wondering when you'd visit me."

Sakura smiled, and moved to face him, giving a polite bow as she greeted, "Kakashi-sama."

He waved her away and placed his quill on his desk, leaning back into his chair with crinkling eyes. "No need for formalities, Sakura. They make me feel so old."

Her smile grew wider, and she hummed a little, putting a finger to her chin as she said, "Well, you are getting pretty old, Kaka-sensei."

She watched as his shoulders slumped and laughed at his exaggerated sigh, wide smile turning into a full grin as he lamented, "Even as Hokage, I still get no respect from my students. What else is a man to do?"

"You're always complaining, Kakashi-sensei," she teased, taking the seat in front of his desk. A giggle escaped her when her former teacher leaned his head on his hand and looked at her, sighing once again.

"So what are you bothering this old man for?" Kakashi inquired, his voice nothing but a slow, lazy hum. "I don't suppose you're just here for a visit, what with the package you're carrying."

"How would you know it isn't for you?" Sakura retorted, playfully sticking her tongue out.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, with that all-too-knowing look in his eyes. Softly, he asked, "Is it?"

Cocking a hand on her hip, Sakura grinned. "Nope."

"Of course not," her former teacher answered, the laughter clear in his tone. He leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "So what are you sending Sasuke?"

Stiffening a little, Sakura felt her cheeks warm. "How do you know it's for Sasuke-kun?"

The look Kakashi gave her, then, had her blushing even more.

"It's…a poncho," she said quietly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I figured maybe it would help him not to get sick again."

His eyes crinkled again. "That's very thoughtful of you, Sakura."

She smiled shyly, and whispered, "Thanks."

"Naruto sent you to get his hawk, didn't he?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah. He forgot he gave it to you for a while, so he told me to see you, in case you still had need of it."

Kakashi shook his head. "Not at the moment," he said, and turned to gesture to the hawk perched on the fake branch by the window. "Go right ahead."

She bowed a little and murmured her thanks, before making her way to the animal cleaning its feathers. Tucking the letter in the wrappings, she caressed the nape of the bird in greeting and secured the package, before softly whispering, "Go—find your master."

With a smile and longing in her eyes, Sakura leaned her head against the window's frame, watching the hawk flap its long wings before taking flight; as it faded away into the glowing orange of the sunset sky, she couldn't help but to wonder when Sasuke's next visit would be.

.

.

Sasuke-kun,

I heard you got sick. I'm surprised you didn't bring anything warmer with you before going to the Land of Snow! Did last year's holiday not teach you anything? You're not immune to the cold because you breathe fire!

So here's a little something to keep you warm. I'm not sure if it's thick enough, but Naruto told me you were near Yukigakure, and it's pretty mild over there. I hope you'll fare better with it.

With love,

Sakura

.

.

.

It was nearly twelve weeks after she'd sent him the letter before Sakura saw him at her door again. The first thing she noticed was that he was wearing her poncho.

"Sasuke-kun? Oh, hey!" Her eyes ran along the length of him, and she stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest with a pleased, nearly too-prideful smile. "You're not sick, I see. Unless you just got recovered from another bad cold, I take it the poncho I sent you did the job?"

He nodded. "How much do I owe you?"

Sakura clicked her tongue and waved him off with a grin. "Nothing!" she said.

When he gave a look of protest and opened his mouth to say something, Sakura giggled a bit, gently grabbing the stump of his arm to stop him.

"No seriously, Sasuke-kun, you don't owe me anything." She cocked her head a little, smile coy. With a more affectionate tone, she added, "You can consider it a birthday gift for while you were away."

He hesitated, but nodded anyway. "Thank you."

The corners of Sakura's lips tugged higher, pleased with the way he relented, and she stepped aside to give him space, clasping her hands behind her back. "Well, come in! Why don't you tell me about your—"

Sasuke's features shifted, and her smile dropped. She sighed. "Why do you even drop by when you don't have the time?"

He was silent, and simply looked at her, eyes weighted with guilt. She knew he hated to let her down, after all that had happened between them. She wondered if maybe she wasn't the only one disappointed when he couldn't stay.

After a moment, Sasuke murmured, "I didn't want you to hear I was around and wonder why I never came to see you."

A blush spread to her cheeks, and she nearly gasped as she peered at him timidly, swallowing the lump in her throat. There was something in the way he looked at her, in the way he held himself and shuffled his feet, that told her maybe, just maybe, there was a little more to it than that.

She swallowed again. Just thinking about the possibility of Sasuke making time to drop by even when he didn't really have the chance—for the simple reason that he had missed her terribly in his time away—sent her heart careening in anxious rhythms.

Brushing a lock of hair out of her face, she asked him gingerly, "Are you leaving the village again, Sasuke-kun?"

His eyes softened, and he exhaled a long breath, shaking his head lightly. "Council says I've been away for too long, so I'll be here for a while. Just have a few things to deal with today." He paused, and seemed to hesitate. "I… have time in the evening."

A tender smile split her lips, as bright as the sun and full of hope. "So you'll come back? I'd love it if you could."

His lips twitched. "I'll be back later tonight, then."

.

.

Only he wasn't. Several hours after their meeting, there had been news of a flood in the neighboring village. Kakashi had sent a good deal of the Konoha-Leaf nin population to help; Sasuke amongst them. Sakura had been instructed to go, too, but she'd been in a vastly different area, handling the wounded and those at death's door. Their paths had crossed a few times, where he'd brought wounded, dirty and wet people, and they had shared a look and a nod, but that was as far as their situation allowed their interaction.

After no more than a day and a half, they sent her home once everything was under control, no longer needed now that all that was left to do was to scout and clear out debris. She'd wanted to help, too, but was told by Iruka (who'd been leading the operation) that they had more than enough people to do the task, and that she had been requested back to the village anyway; Lady Tsunade had taken too much sake again, and was too hungover to run the hospital. Shizune was currently taking control of things, but word was heard that there was a little too much work to be handled for one person.

Sakura had only nodded her assent and started her way back home in a rush, feeling slightly disappointed, but understanding that it was nothing personal.

She was more needed at the hospital, anyway.

.

.

The next time Sasuke went to her house, it was several days after she'd been sent back home. Surprisingly, he was not the one to initiate the visit, this time.

"Sasuke-kun?" she said, straightening herself from her crouched fighting stance, bafflement clear to her tone. "Why are you—It's almost four in the morning, what are you doing out here?"

Sasuke's mouth parted, his eyes a little wide as he stood halfway down the stairs of her front porch. He was evidently stunned that she was awake, and even moreso that she'd known he was here when he hadn't even knocked in the first place.

"…You're awake," he said slowly, frowning. "I thought you were sleeping. What are you doing up?"

Sakura pursed her lips a little, gaze falling to the ground, and rubbed her free hand over her arm to rid herself of goosebumps. "I had a nightmare," she said. "I don't get them very often, but I couldn't get back to sleep. So I got up to get a glass of water in the kitchen when I saw a shadow by the door." She smiled, small and quiet and only meant for him. She waved the kunai pointedly. "I thought you were a burglar or something."

His eyes stayed fixed on her, and she shivered at their intensity. She was glad that the night was cold—Sasuke would likely not think of blaming it on anything else. Expectedly, he frowned at her shuddering, and she nearly giggled when he started towards her and lead her back inside, closing the door behind them.

"You shouldn't be out dressed like that," he muttered.

Despite his concern, Sakura thought he looked exhausted. She wondered if he had been getting enough sleep, recently.

"You shouldn't be out at all at a time like this, Sasuke-kun," she replied with patience. "What were you doing here, earlier? Why didn't you knock?"

His lips mulled together, and he was quiet for a moment.

"I needed a place to sleep, but all the inns are full with the villagers from the next town because of the flood," he finally said. "I came here out of habit, but when I realized the time I…" He looked away, and let his gaze fall to the ground. "I didn't want to wake you."

Sakura could practically feel her heart melting in response, his words creeping warmth into her skin. She smiled tenderly, and reached out to cup his cheek with a gentle hand. She swallowed as he stiffened in surprise, but was glad that he didn't jump away from her.

"Don't ever be afraid to knock at my door, Sasuke-kun," she murmured. "There's always going to be a place for you here—especially if you need to rest and you have nowhere else to go." Her hand fell from his face, fingers brushing the line of his jaw in a way that felt so natural. She trembled as his mouth parted a bit, and beamed brightly at him. "But if it really means that much to you, then you won't have to worry about waking me up because I'll leave my bedroom window open for you, all right?" Laughing softly, she looked at him sheepishly. "I'd give you a spare key instead but… I don't have one right now."

Sasuke's eyes lightened, shining with such soft mirth that she couldn't help but smile again, feeling shy. She thought he must have caught the meaning behind her words.

For one long moment, he did nothing but look at her. She could see the gratitude, the affection. She could see how it meant something to him, to always have a place to come back to. To have someone, somewhere, always waiting for him to come home.

His gaze flickered to her mouth, and Sakura held her breath—she'd read enough romance novels to know what that meant. The seconds passing were near agonizing, as she stared at him and waited for him to do something.

But after a moment, he merely said, "Thank you."

She could only nod dumbly, before silently turning around and bidding a quiet goodnight, wondering if she'd gotten it all wrong as she headed back to her room.

It was a bit hard to decide where to end the chapter. At first I wanted to end it after the letter, but it made the chapter too darn short, and then I battled between ending it with two other parts after it, but then it just seemed like an abrupt end of chapter, or scenes that wouldn't fit well at the beginning of one. This one seemed to be the best way to be able to end it!

Now, as exciting as that may be, and although it may look like it, their first kiss is nowhere near in line of sight at this point! They've got a lot of getting closer to do before that, hehe.

Next chapter, as usual, will be in a couple of days!

DeepPoeticGirl