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Sakura spent the night at Sasuke's humble apartment.
It was the best night's sleep she had in a long time.
Complete peace, true rest.
When the sunlight of a fresh new day came streaming through the curtains, the pinkette was still snuggled up in the Uchiha heir's arms.
Both of them woke, but neither opened their eyes.
Not yet.
Just one more minute…
Neither wanted to admit that the night was over.
The arrival of daylight meant they would have to part.
Sasuke could delay his errands for the day, but Sakura's hospital shift started at 8 o'clock sharp.
She had no choice.
Green eyes opened first.
Sasuke grit his teeth when he felt her stir in his arms.
It was over now, the night…..
Their wonderful night together was gone.
Inevitably, Sakura would soon say…..
"Sasuke-kun, I…...I have to go."
The raven-haired male internally flinched as he heard those words leave her pink lips.
No!
He wasn't ready!
He wasn't ready for Sakura to leave yet!
After all these years, they'd finally come together!
It was so cruel to think he had to part with her, yet so completely unavoidable!
Sasuke gripped her tighter as if the bed would crash through the floor and Sakura would be pulled from him.
Sakura giggled and flipped over onto her stomach so she was eye to eye with him. "Sasuke, I REALLY have to GO."
Uchiha eyes widened as realization struck him.
"Oh, I…...uh, sorry!" Sasuke instantly released her as a blush of embarrassment spread across his cheeks.
Sakura stood and trotted off to the bathroom.
Sasuke nervously adjusted the blanket.
Well, that was awkward.
Sasuke thoughtfully fluffed up the pillows and by the time Sakura returned, he had moved the disheveled bedding around to make an enticingly cozy little nest, hoping to ensnare the pinkette and have her with him for a little while more.
When Sakura saw Sasuke lying there, waiting on her, the pinkette felt her heart melt.
The covers were soft and warm, the pillows piled up high, and Sasuke was lying there, watching her with hopeful onyx orbs.
Oh, how nice it would be to just crawl back in beside of him for another hour…
Or five…..
She knew she couldn't.
Sakura sighed and gave him a sad smile. The medical nin tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear as she spoke, "Sasuke, I can't. I've got to get to the hospital. You're going to make me late."
The Uchiha heir's heart was pierced by disappointment as he watched his lover walk away, watched her clean up and put on her uniform.
His eyes ghosted over her curves in an appreciative stare as she prepared for work.
Sasuke loved Sakura.
Sasuke knew that now.
Sasuke's heart began to beat faster even though Sakura was across the room.
They were together now, at least in a sense.
Sasuke would marry Sakura…
Maybe one day, they would have…
A family?
That thought sent bolts of anticipatory electricity pulsing through the Uchiha heir's body.
He smirked as he gave a delayed response to Sakura's previous statement. "In more ways than one…."
"What?" Sakura asked as she finished putting on her hospital outfit.
"Nothing." Sasuke replied quickly, wiping the smirk off of his face.
Sakura would find out for herself one day.
Sasuke wouldn't be the last Uchiha forever…...
"See you this evening?" Sasuke asked as Sakura leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss goodbye.
Sakura glanced down Sasuke's abdomen then back up to his gaze coyly. "Actually, I have plans with a friend from the hospital."
For just a moment, Sasuke missed the fact that she was joking.
His face turned from a mixture of lust and passion to pure rage.
Sasuke half-sat up in the bed and reached to grab Sakura before she laughed, "Sasuke, I'm kidding!"
Sasuke's stare didn't lose its seriousness.
The joy left Sakura's eyes as he pulled her so close that his breath hit her face.
"That's not funny, Sa-ku-ra…..." The Uchiha heir purred dangerously.
Sakura's cheeks began to pinken as his hand slid down, coaxing her entire form onto the bed again.
"Sasuke, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! It was just a joke!" Sakura squirmed as Sasuke playfully pinned her down.
"Now I'll have to spend all morning teaching you again who you belong to." Sasuke sighed as he unzipped Sakura's blouse and began to slide off her skirt.
"Sasuke!" Sakura laughed in mock protest.
It may not have been all morning, but Sakura was quite stubborn.
She was very late to work that day.
—
Later, that afternoon, Sakura found herself midway through her rotations wishing she had never come in.
It seemed her work was soon coming to a close in the small village.
By the end of the week, she would need to return to Konoha.
Far away from this little village….
Far away from Sasuke…..
The usually chipper pinkette wore a melancholy frown the entire afternoon after receiving the dismaying news.
Her frown deepened as the clock grew closer to seven.
Several of her coworkers asked if she was feeling alright, since it was so unlike Sakura not to be smiling, pleasant, and in a wonderful mood.
Of course, she quickly put on a fake smile.
Of course, she couldn't tell her coworkers.
Sakura sighed to herself when she had a moment between patients.
She was going to have to be apart from Sasuke again.
Sasuke…..
How would she ever tell Sasuke?
—-
When it was a quarter after six that evening, Sakura finished up with her last patient and washed her hands.
She let out a breath as she dried them off with a couple of paper towels and collected her purse, heading to the tiny restaurant.
Sasuke…..
Sasuke was going to be so disappointed.
He was still doing his travels, when would they even see each other again?
Sakura walked numbly through the village streets.
She had been foolish, she had become comfortable, here, in this village.
She had become comfortable with her and Sasuke's routine.
She had been very, very comfortable last night during their love making.
But a kuniochi's life wasn't about comfort.
It was about duty and honor.
Sakura knew that despite his misdeeds in previous years, Sasuke respected those two things.
He would understand.
That did not mean he would be happy about the news.
Sakura walked into the small restaurant, tuning out the noise of the other customers that buzzed all around her.
Sasuke was already there, as he was every night, waiting for her.
He waved even though he always selected the same table in the corner.
Sakura waved back, approaching the table, and taking her seat across from him.
Sasuke wore the same stoic expression on his face but Sakura could see the mirth dancing in his dark eyes.
He was happy to see her.
In turn, Sasuke could also see how much the light had vanished from Sakura's green orbs.
For some reason, for once, Sakura didn't seem happy to see him.
"Hey, Sasuke." Sakura greeted him as their gazes met.
She failed to hide the sadness in her voice.
"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked quickly.
Sasuke was never one for tedious fronts.
Something was wrong and he wanted to know what it was.
"Did you have a bad day?" He asked as tears welled in Sakura's eyes.
"Yes…..no….I…...its…" Sakura stumbled for words as she fought the tears that were welling in her eyes.
"Do you feel ok?" Sasuke asked, his face tense now with genuine concern.
She had to tell him.
There was no hiding.
"I have to go back to Konoha soon." Sakura blurted out.
Sasuke's eyes widened.
His heart shattered.
Sakura had to leave him…
No more dinner dates.
No more late nights together.
He would be alone on his travels again.
How could this be?
"What?!" Sasuke gasped.
He would have to work faster.
Sasuke craved her, Sasuke wanted her.
He needed to be with Sakura.
