Sasuke was disgruntled, she could tell.

Hands firmly stuffed into his pockets, Kakashi style posture. He was not dissatisfied—just very disgruntled.

Few people knew the political system of Konoha better than Sakura. So she could use that knowledge to manipulate. What bothered him was the fact that things turned out so very well, when Sakura recited in front of Tsunade that the Uchiha district was too neglected to live in safely.

That resulted in being able to find another suitable living space. Rather, confinement.

Since Sakura knew everyone in the village, she got the owner of an apartment building not too far from hers to agree to sell Sasuke an apartment. Against the owner's better judgment, at that. But Sakura was willful, and she won when she set her mind to it. The apartment owner had even said it would be "bad for business" at first.

And there was no way Sakura could twist that into somehow being in her benefit. He hated favors. Maybe it was relying on others, or his pride, or because he knew so very, very well that he didn't deserve anyone's help that it bothered him. But it did, and that was all that mattered.

Positively scowling, he sulked in the doorway of his apartment.

Sakura and Naruto, along with Kakashi and Sai, moved him aside as they carried in the cardboard boxes of his stuff. They had refused his help and gone beyond his boundaries of what he deemed acceptable small favors. In that respect, the biggest offender was Sakura. She insisted on doing everything. She was also the one who carried the most boxes, to no one's great surprise.

Naruto huffed and dropped his three boxes to the floor. Sakura waltzed in, the boxes she carried stacked to the ceiling, and chimed, "No dropping it, Naruto! You could break something." As she walked past Sasuke, she added a hesitant tease. "And we're supposed to be responsible movers, right, Sasuke-kun?"

He glowered at her, but it had the opposite effect he wanted. Her hesitant smile grew wider. Gently she placed the boxes in the corner and turned around.

Sakura laughed when she saw Naruto digging through the box he knew the microwave was in. He already had a cup of instant ramen in his hands. Sakura chuckled, glad she'd gotten all of Team Seven to help. They lightened the mood a little.

She risked a glance at Sasuke, eyeing his dark form in the entrance. Sometimes he looked like a wraith; sometimes the sadness in his eyes caught up with him, and he looked otherworldly.

It was still weird to be around Sasuke. But it was easier to do most anything with Naruto's cheerful smile in the room. Naruto let out a whoop when he found the microwave and plugged it in. He watched the seconds tick by with anxiety.

With a grin, Sakura walked behind him and looped her arms around Naruto's neck. She rested her cheek next to his.

She hadn't really been able to welcome any of them from their mission. Since Sasuke was back, they all had their share of things to do.

She tightened her hold, then let Naruto go, not missing the smile in his eyes. She ruffled his spiky hair and laughed, "You've got to find something else to obsess over, Naruto! It isn't healthy!"

Naruto gave a half-hearted frown and responded with a boisterous, "No chance, Sakura-chan! Ramen is the best! Believe it!" He finished with an enthusiastic fist in the air.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head, before returning to the ever-faithful orange book in his hands. Sai had the same smile on his face as always. He shifted from his spot beside Kakashi, and said he had a mission briefing to go to. In an instant he disappeared.

Sakura caught sight of Sasuke by the door again and bit her lip. She still couldn't quite figure out how she was supposed to act around him.

Naruto hollered next to her as the microwave beeped the end of three minutes. Ramen in hand, he spun around and sat Indian-style. "So, Sasuke-teme, are you just going to let Sakura do all the work?"

Sakura's cheeks tinged pink. Naruto and Kakashi were supposed to be detracting attention from her, so she didn't feel as uneasy.

Sasuke scowled again and answered from the doorway. "I don't want help from any of you."

Silence returned to the room, and Sakura fell speechless. Dejected, she stared out the window and felt the familiar feeling of an old pain tear into the bottom of her stomach, twisting and turning into knots.

Kakashi's smooth and controlled words broke the silence. "Well. It seems our help is a burden," he said, motioning around the room. "But we three are persistent people, and it looks like you're going to have to deal with Naruto's loud voice for at least a little longer. Be strong, Sasuke."

Sasuke sighed. But that was a sure sign of his giving in. It was one of Sasuke's idiosyncrasies—he could bear any "burden," but not one favor in the world.

Sakura released the breath she was holding, inwardly thanking Kakashi. And Naruto, better than anyone at ignoring something was wrong, continued his happy ramen-slurping as he brushed off Sasuke's comment with ease.

Thoughtful, Sakura stared past the window, into the streets where she could see the tops of the Hokage Tower. Who had picked the members of Team 7? In their own way, Sakura thought they went well together. She'd thought that for years. She believed it even more when one day she woke up and realized she was the only one left. Naruto and Sasuke-kun, gone. Kakashi-sensei, busy.

Sakura's eyes roved around the room. It was hard. They were having to rebuild everything. Trust, friendship, everything. But with a determined look around the room, she knew it was worth it. It had to be worth it. It was more than worth it.

They were her reason for living. They were the reason that she breathed, fought, tried, healed. Loved.

Instinctively she looked at Sasuke. He met her eyes and stared at her with that intense look, the one that made her feel like he knew everything and could see straight through her. Until she remembered how very long he actually had stared straight through her.

Her heart clenched.

Two hours later, the four ninjas had the apartment looking lived in. Naruto and Kakashi spread out on the couch (which Sakura had moved) and set their feet on the heavy, cherry wood table (which Sakura had moved) in front of them. They both had a drink from the refrigerator (which Sakura had moved) and Naruto flicked on the television (which Sakura had also moved). Of course.

Sakura let out an unladylike snort.

Sasuke was crouched on the floor by a pile of scrolls. His pants were messily rolled up. His hair was spikier than normal, from his hands raking through it in frustration. And ink smudges stained his fingers.

Briefly she thought he looked painfully beautiful. Then she shut that thought away, far into the back of her mind.

At the unfamiliar sound coming Sakura of all people, Sasuke lifted an elegant eyebrow in question, a gesture she wasn't entirely used to seeing on him.

She gestured towards Naruto and Kakashi, and could have laughed at Sasuke's reaction. If anyone could convey the action of rolling his eyes without rolling his eyes, it was Sasuke.

He returned to his task at hand and arranged the different scrolls. Naruto and Kakashi must have noticed that it was about time that the heavy stuff would start happening. Neither had any intention of organizing anything.

Naruto scratched the back of his head and hoped Sakura wouldn't hit him. "Uh, I think it's about time I have to go," he said. "I promised Hinata I'd... Gotta go, bye!" He hurried out before Sakura had the chance to stammer a "What for?"

Kakashi sheepishly turned around on the couch and offered his excuse, "I hate cleaning." In a puff of smoke he was gone.

Sakura blinked a couple times after half of the group just left. Now she was alone, with Sasuke.

She turned to Sasuke, who shrugged. With one look at his body language, Sakura figured he thought she was about to leave.

Was this a bad choice? "I guess..." She looked up at the ceiling. "I guess it's just you and me, then."

Sasuke lifted his eyes from the scrolls to her. He hadn't expected that. A part of her was glad to help, but there was a another part that couldn't think around him. One that wanted to avoid rejection at all costs. After a moment, he simply shrugged his heavy shoulders and turned his head down.

Pursing her lips, Sakura tried not to smile. Nothing too horrible had happened so far. Within the first three days Sasuke had come home, he had thrown a table, a door that was off the hinges, and a lamp or two.

Various people had decided to take a look at him. And patience was not Sasuke's strong point.

And he wasn't throwing, anyway. It was a flip. Or a toss. She remembered having to defend him in front of the Elders, saying no one was hurt because he wasn't aiming to hurt anyone. He only didn't want to be watched. As if he were in a glass bowl, and everyone was entitled to stare.

They had really only half-bought that. But it did work. Sakura fought the smirk claiming her lips. She loved to out-maneuver the Elders. It made them so angry.

Sasuke was looking at her again. "I was just... thinking," she explained.

Why was it still so hard to talk around him?

To distract herself, Sakura faced the stack of books, magazines and papers, trying to make sense of it. She separated the reading books from the ordinary books—phone books and such—and thought where to put them. She'd long ago toed out of her boots, so she padded across the linoleum and placed the paper and phone book in the living room desk. That left the bookcase. Hopping on a chair, she filled the first shelf, then the second, and so on.

The floor was nearly bare. Grabbing the box of glasses with eerie ease, Sakura hefted it onto the counter and stepped onto the same chair.

He had wine glasses, she noticed. It almost didn't seem like him, since he never had company. Not that he currently could.

What they were doing now and earlier today took a lot of bargaining. Missing ninjas were not to have any conversation. Isolation in every respect. Sakura was afraid what Sasuke would be like in isolation like that. He seemed like someone who needed to be around people so he didn't... sink farther into his grief. Or guilt or loneliness. Or hate. She didn't pretend that she knew him so well, but she wasn't blind, and it wasn't hard to see if someone was miserable.

Looking for another glass, she found the last two wine glasses. Surprisingly, he had a lot of normal household items. Even though she guessed he never used them or even intended to.

Stepping down, she thought she felt Sasuke's eyes on her, but she shrugged it off. Kneeling in front of the refrigerator, she grabbed the wine bottle from the lowest rack and pulled it with her as she stood up. When Sakura turned around, she noticed that he was looking at her. She tried to shove her nerves out of the way.

Leaning against the refrigerator door, she lifted the bottle of wine, and asked, "Momentous occasions? This is your new home."

He seemed to contemplate the idea after the initial expression of no. He faced away from her, and fit the last three scrolls into a desk drawer. She took it as a yes.

Screwing the cork off, she chuckled at the fizz that popped out with it. She filled two glasses and hesitantly plopped next to where he sat. Sasuke took the glass with his normal silent dignity and lifted it to his lips.

"We can't cheer that way, you know," she pointed out.

His forehead wrinkled, before he consented.

She tapped her glass against his and offered, "To happier living."

Happier, instead of happy. Time had made her a realist.

The wine was a mix between a very old taste and just a hint of something vaguely tangy. Sakura approved. With another tilt of her head, she sipped more of the wine and let it swish in her mouth. It tasted very good, she appraised again. Very distinct. Slyly, she let her eyes wander to him. His taste in wine was very much like himself.

After another couple of tastes, Sakura stared at the near empty wine glass.

"The turning point, I'm afraid," she said. Closing her eyes, Sakura laid on her back. She didn't have to look, to feel his gaze pouring all its focus on her face. She continued, "To get another drink, or not to get another drink. To get drunk, or not to get drunk." The former of each comparison always sounded the most favorable on her lips.

Had her sensei taught her that well, or was it just everything that had been happening? Sakura supposed it was both. Either way, she wanted something sliding down her throat, and washing away the stinging remains of fatigue and loneliness...

Were Kakashi-sensei and Naruto just better at it than she was? Maybe having to see everything happen was what made it so sensitive for her. Seeing it and not being able to do a damn thing. Except watch him as he was so blatantly became something else, someone else. The lump returned in her throat.

The next thing she felt was the smooth handle of the wine glass being picked out of her hands. Opening her eyes, she watched as Sasuke filled up her glass and his, before he handed it back to her. She ignored the childish—foolish—flutter in her heart when her hand touched his.

Laying back down, she lifted her head every so often to take another sip. She wasn't sure how much she could handle of this particular wine, and she had no intention of going to work tomorrow with a splitting hangover. Of course, she never had that intention, but it always happened on these "momentous occasions."

Although she hadn't ever had a "momentous occasion" with Sasuke. She looked him over thoughtfully and prepared to ask a question. She also knew that it was the wine that was making her feel less nervous.

"Are you okay being here?" she asked.

Sasuke turned away from the opposite window and stared at her. She had to remind herself forget that those beautiful and bottomless eyes weren't the only thing in the world. She found that hard to do.

He noticed her wording. She didn't expect him to say he was happy here, but she wanted to know that he didn't hate it.

"It's better," came his deep, rumbling voice.

She nodded, the corners of her lips turning up. She knew he meant that comparatively to the past few years. It wasn't a "I love it here," which she hadn't expected, but it was as close as she was going to get to "It's better than anywhere else."

"Since when do you and the dobe get along?" Sasuke suddenly asked.

"Since you left," answered Sakura. She was also aware that wine took away her tact. "Common goal."

She gave him a meaningful look, but he averted his eyes.

"He's an idiot, I know," Sakura added. "But he's so good."

Good. It was an accurate description of Naruto.

Night had fallen, and she suddenly realized how late it was. It was quiet throughout Konoha, especially quiet in Sasuke's apartment.

A familiar weight landed on her chest, but she knew now was not the time to say something like she missed him. But oh, she did. It was never the same. Not without him. Even though she had gotten so much better, so much stronger without him.

She finished her second glass and threw responsibility to the wind. Leaning over, she dipped the wine glass over the rim and watched the ruby drops fall. Not moving, she remained on her side and pillowed her head with her arm.

"Sasuke-kun."

He turned and looked at her, eyes positively boring into hers. Wrinkling her forehead, she tried to grasp the words, but failed. She sat up to down half the glass and paused.

"I know that as pointless as this sounds, I'm sure you expected to be asked this eventually." Her short hair tickled the back of her neck. As she asked, she became acutely aware of herself. "Why... What persuaded you to come back?"

Why was nothing else good enough? Why were they not good enough before? Why was she never good enough?

His eyes seared into hers. There were few people who were as observant as Sasuke. She felt small under his stare. Vulnerable.

He didn't answer. She figured he didn't have the words, and that was okay. Sakura lay back down and let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. She was almost scared of what his reason might be. That it might not have anything to do with them.

Didn't he know how important he was? Didn't he understand he was family?

Moonlight filtered into the room. The lights from the kitchen were blocked by the half-shut door. Sakura didn't notice when exactly she fell asleep.

a/n. yowza, fifty one reviews! have i told the reviewers today that i love them? i think not. so I LOVE YOU. here's a special shout out to the reviewing readers of the last chapter:

shkh4ever, TigerLilyette, luvinukag83, darkangel261, callmeclueless, jolteonforever, izzybell117, Storms-winter, Sakura's Indecision, Misery's-Toll, Emily Leen, Sakura Haruno . . . CHA, Broken-Midnight, MidniteCurse4Eternity, foreversnow, and starry123. oh, and a special thanks for the super long review by luvinukag83. ;)

you know the drill, ff-ers. read and review.