Sakura slammed the door behind her.
She didn't trust herself to act accordingly in front of her sensei after the information he just told her.
So what if he's here? So what if he's asked about her? She wasn't supposed to be melting on the inside, right? And yet… and yet…
"Sometimes I really do hate myself," she muttered under her breath as she continued to storm out of the Hokage tower.
"Ah, seriously – I should've just kept my mouth shut," Kakashi said as his hands crept up to massage his temples.
"Oh man, Sakura, you're a train wreck!"
"How very kind of you to notice, Ino. I've tried everything to achieve the train wreck look, you know."
Ino snorted at her friend's response but promptly asked: "So how'd the meeting go?"
"Well, I honestly thought I could get both Kumo and Kiri this time but I guess one is better than nothing, ne?"
"Kumo?"
"Yup."
Ino sat across Sakura and looked at her as if to tell a secret. She continued in a low voice: "You could've gotten both of them today, you know."
"You think so?"
"Of course! It's just that the Kiri representatives weren't expecting a zombie in today's meeting," she said as she caught the book Sakura sent flying her way.
Sakura rolled her eyes as she walked to the bathroom to take a good look at herself in the mirror.
"That bad, huh?" She traced the puffy bags under her eyes.
"Yup," her blonde friend affirmed.
"Ino... Would you mind if I took the day off?"
"Of course not, moron. I'd even give you a medal if you can take the week off," Sakura grinned at her best friend and her endless attempts to make her go home and rest. She must be so happy to finally send me off, she thought.
"Off you go!" Ino handed Sakura her stuff. "Now don't go scaring people on your way home."
"Ino!"
After establishing the ward more than three years ago, Sakura decided to move to a quaint, little apartment located between the clinic and the training grounds. With all the nights at the hospital, it's more like my storage room than my home, she thought.
She was so exhausted she dragged her feet towards her home – looking forward to a whole day of sound and undisturbed slumber. As she turned the corner to her street, she heard a voice from behind.
"You look tired."
She's had enough of this. She knows that she looks like one of Kankuro's puppets at the moment, shannaro! No need to point it out. She turned to the voice's direction, face pink with annoyance but as soon as her emerald eyes met the deep, dark orbs of the person in front of her, everything dissolved.
Her anger, her exhaustion… everything.
It was all she could do to force herself to speak.
"Sa.. Sasu.. ke-kun..?"
Sasuke continued walking in the direction of her apartment as Sakura followed in confusion.
"I thought you already left," she didn't even dare look at him. Kami-sama, if this is a genjutsu, let me be trapped in here for eternity.
"I was, but then I realized I was hungry."
"Oh."
Dammit, Sakura. Five years and "Oh" is all you can come up with?
Sasuke stopped in front of her apartment and looked straight at Sakura as if waiting for what she would do next.
"Ano… I don't have much stocked in the kitchen but would you like to come inside to eat?"
Sasuke's eyes were darting back and forth Sakura's apartment when he suddenly spoke, "Do you even sleep in here?"
Sakura who was heating the miso soup was so taken aback by question that she nearly dropped the ladle. Everything he says seems to surprise me. How childish could I get? She needed to keep her cool.
Sakura answered, her back turned against Sasuke, "Of course. It's just been a bit busy on the clinic these past few days."
She turned off the stove and took the steaming bowl to the dining table where Sasuke sat – as calm as ever, hands folded in such a delicate yet defined manner. Who am I kidding? How could I ever keep my cool when he's around?
"Past few days or past few years?" Sasuke ran his index finger across the edge of the table, dust gathering at his fingertip.
Sakura laid bowls of rice and two pairs of chopsticks for both of them. She didn't like this interrogation, she needed to turn the tables: "Sasuke-kun, why are you really here?"
"I told you already. I was hungry," he said before lifting the bowl of soup to his lips.
"You've been in town since last night.. With all that time.. you could've found somewhere to eat," she said through mouthfuls of rice.
"Where?"
"Ramen, donburi, yakitori, sushi, hotpot," Sakura enumerated, "It's not like Konoha's such a small village. There are food shops every corner." Sakura couldn't believe how much she's ruining this long-awaited encounter.
Sasuke looked at her as he set aside his chopsticks: "Ramen, donburi, yakitori, sushi, hotpot… Why are you naming places I don't want to visit?"
Sakura was dumbfounded.
Was he.. Was he telling me that… he wanted to visit... me?
Before Sakura could respond, Sasuke cut in, "You really should sleep. I'm going to clear up."
Sakura wanted to say something. Wanted to plead him to stay, to please stay with her, like now: clearing the plates and dusting the countertops. So close, like how she always wanted… but she's too tired – too tired from everything.
"Sasuke-kun, I'm going to sleep."
"Hn." His voice resounding from the kitchen.
She headed closer to where he was. She needed to ask – even if she knew the answer. Everyday waiting, everyday putting on a brave face. Waiting for when he returns for good, when he finally returns to stay.
"Sasuke-kun…" He walks to where she is, facing each other, finally.
"When I wake up… will you still be here?"
A tap on the forehead.
"No."
A/N: Aaaah, this is a really long chapter. I hope I didn't go overboard! Please review, I worked really hard for this chapter!