How about we add the barest hints of spice, yes? This was HARD to write. I have no idea if I gave Cannon Adult-Sasuke any justice, but hopefully it resonates.

Sasuke's POV

*Lots of thoughts in the beginning, dialogue towards the end. Enjoy!

Sasuke made Sakura stay home for another day after her training with Tsunade. She argued with him until she was unsteady on her feet, but Sasuke didn't waver. It was home with him or at the hospital as a patient, not as a doctor. She accepted the deal, albeit begrudgingly.

She still tried to do too much too soon. Sasuke urged, then argued, then ordered her to sleep more, to rest on the couch during the day, to not even set one foot in the kitchen. That morning was the first time in a while that Sasuke was on the receiving end of one of Sakura's glares. It didn't bother him. He'd let her be angry with him as long as she let him take care of her.

However, Sasuke noticed that after the first few forceful instructions he gave, Sakura's irritation turned into a quiet thankfulness. By mid-afternoon, she was biting her lip to keep her grin in check. Sakura might have been frustrated with his level of care, but she was also desperately trying to hide how much she secretly adored it. Sasuke swore he saw cartoon hearts dancing in her eyes.

He felt silly, but seeing Sakura wrapped in a blanket, staring lovingly at him while he handed her another glass of water, did satiate a small part of him that was male, that said protect, serve. It boosted his ego and his pride to know that Sakura didn't let anyone else take care of her like this, that it was only him. He felt that it was more than fair to take care of Sakura when she was vulnerable when she had saved his life over and over again, without complaint and with all of her heart.

She still blushed as much as she did as genin.

Sasuke had even begun a small game of it. He felt entirely childish, but it had grown too amusing to stop. After the fifth or sixth time checking Sakura for a fever and watching her face grow red, he started counting her blushes. After the eleventh or twelfth, he only counted the ones he tried to elicit on purpose.

His moves were elementary, tucking her hair behind her ear or brushing his hand across her back, but it didn't really matter. It turned out, pretty much every time Sasuke prolonged eye contact, Sakura would flush and look away, chewing on her bottom lip. In the end, it was entirely too distracting for Sasuke, so he ended his game that evening.

He had grumbled about her chakra levels only being at ninety percent the following morning when she was to return to work. Sakura shut him down quickly, chakra knives poking from between her fingers to remind him of a surgery on a little boy that was a day delayed and wouldn't take more than an hour or two. He of course relented, but not before giving her a ghost of a kiss on the cheek and squeeze of his hand against her arm, telling her to have a good day.

Sakura was as red as a strawberry her entire, clumsy way out the door. Sasuke had watched, hiding his smirk behind his coffee, and added one more to his tally.

The day passed by quickly enough for him. He didn't find anything else about the sharingan's connection to strong emotions in the Uchiha secret meeting place, so he spent the rest of the day with Naruto and Kakashi, outlining different parts of the war for the record. It was one of his primary objectives after returning to the village, assigned by the Hokage himself.

It was a pain and helpful, all in one. He learned about what went on in other parts of the world while he was with Orochimaru and Taka. The painful part was Naruto and Kakashi inserting random comments about Sakura and Sasuke. Examples were, Then, Sasuke stared longingly at Sakura, speaking to her first, or He looked so turned on when she smashed those ten-tailed miniature beast things. Sasuke corrected the overzealous parts through gritted teeth, but left a few of the tasteful additions the two idiots managed to sneak in.

Naruto looked at Sasuke like he was going to explode when he had intoned that Sasuke placed the genjutsu on Sakura because he loved her too much to let her get hurt. Sasuke's expression didn't change, so it was kept.

The two idiots high-fived.

He picked up dinner on the way home, but still made it back before Sakura. He knew she didn't have any late patients, so he plated the takeout and covered both bowls before stepping into the bathroom to quickly clean up. While getting dressed after his short shower, he heard her come home.

"Tadaima!" she called, unbearably cheerful. She seemed excited.

Sasuke expected to feel withdrawn or hesitant like he normally did. He felt nervous about cohabiting with Sakura since they started sleeping in the same bed. Instead, he felt a warm presence take residence in his chest as soon as he heard the front door open. If he was being honest, he wanted to rush dressing in order to get out to the kitcher faster. He wanted to see her, to hear about her day, a feeling he hadn't felt since he was a child and he had been waiting anxiously for Itachi to come home.

The thought gave him pause and Sasuke felt the tension release from his body. He truly was home.

He walked into the kitchen. Sakura had brought the food to the table and was seated, her doctor's coat hung on the back of her chair. She seemed to have forgotten to have taken it off at work. When she looked and saw him, her eyes shone with her smile. Sasuke wondered if she had been in a rush to see him, too.

After dinner, Sasuke still itched to go outside, so he offered a solution. "Would you like to sit on the balcony?" His eyes found the large window in the living room before moving back to her. "It's still nice out and I've been inside all day."

Sakura looked thrilled with the idea. She agreed with a twinkle in her eye, like he had just asked her for something beautiful and wonderful. She grabbed both of their drinks and led the way.

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke followed her to her room and out onto her small balcony. There was no room for a table and chairs, but a small stool rested in the corner. The iron railing was covered in a green vine that grew from a pot hanging from the roof and various other colorful plants decorated the space. She pulled him down to sit beside her, their backs against the glass door. Sasuke felt every press of her clothes and skin against his own like tiny shocks.

"It's nice," Sasuke commented once he settled in. And it was. She obviously cared for the plants enough for them to thrive. "The plants look good."

Sakura smiled woefully. "They're mostly Ino's. A few have medicinal purposes so I keep them here."

"Mmm."

They sat in companionable silence after that, watching the evening fade in warm colors and drinking their tea. Sasuke eventually found his eyes wandering down to Sakura. Her knees were drawn toward her chest and her head tilted up, eyes on the stars beginning to appear over the horizon.

Sasuke took in her red dress, her hair loose around her shoulders. He couldn't believe he had ever tried to convince himself that Sakura wasn't good looking. She had grown into her big eyes and small nose and became one of the most stunning women in the world. It struck him everytime she was caught unawares under his eye. She didn't even know how beautiful she was. He had heard of the pink haired beauty of Konoha from five countries away during his travels.

Sasuke sat back and looked around, wondering what on earth was going to happen to disturb this peace. He had no world ending problems or childhood trauma to keep him up at night outside of the Ōtsutsuki clan's mysterious background. The weight of that unknown was still around his neck, but with Sakura, he could maintain it, keep it at bay until it was filed away in his brain to stew with another day. For now, all Sasuke wanted was to sit with Sakura and talk about anything or nothing, it didn't matter. As long as she was there.

The air became languid and sticky in the aftermath of the warm day, causing a small bead of sweat to fall from Sakura's temple. Sasuke found himself tracking it like a madman, now spiraling into his rapid heartbeat and the woman next to him. Without warning, he darted out to wipe it away with his thumb.

Sakura started with a small, "Oh!"

Why is her skin so soft? Why are her eyes so green?

Sasuke's eyes and mind marked every detail of the pink haired kunoichi staring up at him. Her upturned nose. Her ability to put him at ease, yet drive his heart rate through the roof. Her ways of getting him to relax within moments, but also keep him on his toes. He was becoming unglued at the seams for the woman next to him and she had no idea. He had no idea how it happened, but he couldn't deny the feelings in his chest.

He wasn't very good at it, but he loved her. Precious wasn't a good enough adjective to describe what she meant to him.

Sasuke hummed, deep in thought, letting his thumb glide across Sakura's cheekbone again. Her eyes widened even further, but what hitched the breath in his throat was the way her lips parted with his ministrations. He felt unbalanced, staring at them.

"Sasuke-kun?" A hand rose and lightly rested against his forearm.

Sasuke felt thunder in his ears. He wanted to kiss Sakura. Intensely. The thought hadn't been there a moment before, but it was burning in his mind now. He was nervous since the last time he had properly kissed her was nearly a week ago. His breathing shallowed out and his chest tightened and Sasuke knew he was slowly losing his grip on his perfect control.

Sasuke's head fell forward until Sakura's forehead rested against his own. This was all he allowed himself for the moment, but he wanted more. He didn't know what that meant, but he wanted it. He felt it everywhere and it startled the breath out of him.

Sakura continued to stare at him, her eyes flickering back and forth between his own. He realized that she could see both of his eyes from where she sat beside him, a whole head shorter. And she did so unabashedly, unafraid to look into the mighty Uchiha's eyes. It made him want to simultaneously hug her and run for the exit, a common theme while navigating his life with Sakura.

Sasuke closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, hoping to settle himself, his nerves. He didn't want to scare her with his feelings. It scared him. He didn't know if he was any good at what they were attempting and he never liked being at a disadvantage. He didn't know why he wanted to kiss her, just that he did and he might die if he didn't. It was overwhelming, the want and the fear. What if he was gross? What if he smelled bad? What if he kissed her too hard and scared her? What if-

Sakura's hand on his cheek made him open his eyes. Doe eyes, creamy skin, and the most stupidly cute nose. She looked ethereal, a goddess of green and pink and purple swirling in his tomoe, having been activated without his realizing. He drank her in with heavy breaths and desire stronger than he ever felt coursing through him. Fear fell to the wayside. She was so stunning.

She smiled softly at him, her thumb tracing his cheek. "Sasuke-kun. I…" She flushed. "I really want you to kiss me. If you want to, that is…"

Sasuke held in a groan. He was embarrassed, relieved, and struck with need, all at once. Of course Sakura understood his dilemma. He was an open book to her, after all. But in this…he didn't know if she truly understood how much he needed her. He had to stop himself from touching her all the time and with her underneath his thumb like this, he was losing the battle. He had never felt like this before.

He opened his eyes and made a small noise of discomfort, his control snapping like a cut chord.

Sasuke's mouth fell to hers in a hard press. It was harder than he meant to, but he didn't care, not when Sakura's gasp of surprise slanted their lips in an extremely pleasant way. Sakura was warm against his chest and she tasted like lemons.

Sasuke nearly sighed in relief. The weight on his chest fell to the floor and he felt lighter than he had in days. He moved his lips against hers slowly at first, relishing in the feeling of finally, but he wanted more. He pressed and pushed, pulled and prodded, tilting her head to the side for a different angle. He felt his teeth tug on her bottom lip when he shifted.

Sakura's second breathy sound encouraged him further. He slid his thumb under her chin, tilting her head back. He kissed her and kissed her until Sasuke's lips began to feel bruised, his hand falling to feel her pulse, to feel her alive.

Sakura's response was to slowly sweep her hands into his hair, gently pulling at the raven locks. His grip on her tightened and a noise escaped his lips, but he didn't care. He knew Sakura wouldn't, so he pushed past it.

Sasuke kissed her harder, his hand pulling and pushing her against him, battling with himself. What he wanted and what he thought he deserved clashed. In the end, Sakura decided for him, placing a hand on his chest to push with her inhuman strength. In a second, Sasuke was back against the door and she sat over him, one leg thrown over his.

Sasuke couldn't stop. He felt like he was falling off a cliff with the way his heart was pounding in his chest. Sakura fared no better. She was gasping, clutching at his shirt, rising up on her knees, pulling him closer, but not close enough. His hand traveled down her neck, over her shoulder and down, down, until it splayed across her waist, her dress bunched up in his fist. Sakura made a soft noise into his mouth, her back arching until her chest was smashed against his.

Sasuke felt like he was on fire. He also felt like if he didn't stop, he'd embarrass himself. Slowing down, Sasuke let himself kiss her languidly, lazily, like he had all the time in the world. He slowed down until they broke apart, still gasping for air and heart rates a bit too high, neither of them moving more than a few inches apart.

Sasuke's post-kiss panic was avoided when a blush that rivaled all previous ones bloomed across Sakura's cheeks, her nose, and her forehead. Sasuke couldn't help it. He smiled, his eyes crinkling from the movement. He counted it.

Sakura's glow dimmed to that of hesitant shock. Her hand withdrew from Sasuke's chest, but he caught it in the air before it could move too far. He could see the guilt in her eyes. She thought she had pushed him, especially after physically pushing him down.

Keeping eye contact, hoping that Sakura understood that it was okay, he was okay with what just happened, that she hadn't pushed him, he had really pushed her, he gently laid her hand back on his chest. He squeezed it once, sending the message of it's okay, you didn't do anything wrong.

Sakura watched with wide-eyes, her expression somewhere between embarrassed and uncertain. When Sasuke gave her a small tilt of his lips, she finally smiled. It was soft and secretive, like she wasn't sure if it was the right response. Sasuke's hand squeezed hers once more before returning to her waist, hoping she was reassured.

The hand on her waist made her jump about a foot in the air.

Sasuke sighed, but the exasperation was with himself, never with her. He was an idiot. He couldn't just kiss her like that and not say anything. And he hadn't said anything at all. Sakura was too internal and spent too much time in her own head. She would beat herself up for it on the inside if Sasuke even slightly retracted from her or made a move to distance himself in the days to come. Sasuke knew, then, why Sakura would change her behavior so often for his sake.

Looking up at her from where he lounged against the door, Sasuke asked quietly, "Was that alright with you?"

"Of course!" Sakura squeaked, her free hand flying to her mouth. The hand against his chest pressed into him, though he thought it might have been subconscious of her. Sakura winced at her high pitched response. "Sorry, I always seem to do that. Scream at you."

Sasuke shrugged. He had more to say, but he didn't know what to say to that. He looked up at Sakura and hoped that she saw the calmness there, the contentedness in his eyes, even if there was nervousness with his next question. "Did you…like it?"

Sakura, now permanently red, fidgeted in his lap and nodded vigorously, as if words had failed her. Sasuke thought he should make it a holiday, the day that Sakura Haruno was speechless.

For only about ten seconds. Then, she asked quietly, "Did…did you?"

Sasuke tried very, very hard not to grimace. He didn't want to give away how much he liked it, how much he wanted to do it again, how uneasy it made him feel. He felt like he was left footed before and after they kissed, but during, all he thought about was her. He needed to tell her something, though.

Sasuke's hand squeezed her waist as he sat up a bit higher, bringing Sakura's face closer to his. She watched him warily, but also like she couldn't wait to see what he did next. "I wouldn't have kissed you for as long as I did if I didn't like it," he said.

"Oh," Sakura said, her eyes shining.

Sasuke, wanting to do something he had thought about for a while, pulled Sakura down until she was settled against him, her head under his chin. She made a noise on the way down, but situated herself further between his legs to get comfortable. Both of her legs were thrown over one of his thighs and her cheek pressed to his chest. She wasn't fully relaxed, but she wasn't stiff. Sasuke could say the same about himself, now a bit unsure of what to do next. He moved his hand to Sakura's hip and kept it there, unknowingly pressing the entire length of his arm down her back. Sakura stiffened then, but eventually relaxed, her fingers unclenching from around his shirt.

Sasuke, looking for anything to say, mentioned a memory that popped up in the aftermath of their kiss. "You once said you couldn't stand handsome guys who think they can get away with awful things."

Sakura peered up at him, dumbfounded. "When on earth did I say that?"

Sasuke smiled, remembering the eventful day. It had actually been fun. "Do you remember when you, Naruto, that photographer guy, and I tried to find out what Kakashi looked like under the mask?" When she nodded, still confused, he said, "It was after that. You said it about the photographer."

Sakura nodded slowly. "I…remember." She raised a single brow. "Why are you bringing that up?"

Sasuke swallowed. He had to know. "Do you think that I've gotten away with awful things…with you?"

Sakura didn't understand the layers of meaning beneath until Sasuke slid his hand further down her leg. It was only an inch, maybe two, but it sent a clearer message. Touching her, kissing her… was he asking too much of her? Taking too much?

Sakura's lips parted and she leaned farther back to look at him, her eyes searching. "Sasuke-kun, are you asking if I think you're getting away with too much in our relationship?"

Sasuke closed his eyes, nodding, but also shook his head. He opened his eyes to take in their positioning, his hand, her hands. It was hard to put into words, but he would try. "I don't want you to do anything you don't want to." At her distressed look, Sasuke tugged her closer, his guilt racking through him. He had to tell her. "I know how often you base your actions on how you think I'll react. You don't act on your love for me in a physical way because you're afraid of my reaction. That I'll reject you."

Sakura looked hurt, but she knew it was true, and didn't argue otherwise.

He made sure to keep her eyes on his when he spoke next. "I don't want you to think you're pushing me every time we kiss." He brought his hand up to Sakura's face and cupped her jaw, tilting it up to see her better. She had to understand and for her to understand, Sasuke needed to be vulnerable. It came out strangled, but he managed to say, "I want to kiss you. I want to touch you. So much so, it's been driving me insane."

"Really," Sakura whispered, as if she were in a trance.

A small, shy smile graced his lips. "Really. So don't worry anymore about pushing me. I'll tell you to stop if I want you to stop."

"Okay," Sakura whispered.

Sasuke sighed, bringing his lone hand up to brush the hair from her face. "Your one word answers are starting to concern me."

Sakura's smile was wide. "I have no thoughts. Just bliss."

Sasuke was relieved his crude explanation had been enough for Sakura. Or, by the way she settled into his chest, more than enough. He let his head fall back against the glass door and closed his eyes, content to sit with Sakura as the stars came out.

Sakura stirred against his chest a few minutes later. Sasuke opened a single eye to peer down at her. She was furiously chewing on her lip and her foot was tapping.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun," she eventually whispered.

"Mmm."

"Why do you…" She trailed off, her lower lip sawed between her teeth.

When she didn't continue, Sasuke sat up straighter, pulling Sakura up with him to face him better. "You can just ask."

Sakura swallowed and blurted, "Why do you like me?"

Sasuke blinked once. Twice. He hadn't expected that. "I…"

Sakura's eyes squeezed shut. She looked like she was about to leap out of his lap and take a trip several countries away. "No, never mind, forget I said anything."

Sasuke clamped his hand down on her side. "Why are you asking me that?" He grew a bit unsettled once the question and its possible motives sunk in. "Do you think I don't like you as a person?"

"Oh Kami, no!" Sakura took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I just… I just wanted to know what you liked about me because I don't really understand why you do…sometimes."

Sasuke didn't know what to say at first. He was disappointed in himself for not making it clearer to Sakura that he enjoyed her presence, that he looked forward to seeing her. He cursed himself for placing too much credence in their ability to communicate nonverbally. While Sasuke preferred it, he knew Sakura needed more. He needed it too, regardless of his comfortability. He would beat it into his skull until he was better at it.

Sakura smiled softly, surprising him. "You look like it's somehow your fault that I'm asking you this," she explained. She smiled more when his eyebrows furrowed. "You're obvious when you feel guilty, Sasuke-kun. I can always see it."

Sasuke felt heavy. Of course she saw it. And of course she tried to make him feel better, despite. "Sakura, I should have told you before now all the things I like about you."

Sakura shook her head, her smile fixed and true. "No, I'm just being a girl, Sasuke-kun. I… know how you feel about me."

"But you don't know what I think about you," Sasuke countered softly. It was true. He rarely shared what he thought about her and only when she obviously needed it. Tonight seemed like one of those times.

Sakura was quiet. She didn't look like she had a response. Sasuke took it as an opportunity to answer her question. He didn't have to think very hard to come up with several examples. "I like how wild your eyes get when you fight. It's the brightest green I've ever seen. I like how you make my coffee. When I make it, it never tastes the same."

Sakura's jaw dropped, staring at Sasuke like she was seeing him for the first time. Sasuke smirked, then softened before continuing. "I like listening to you talk about your day. It always makes me think of new ways to apply my own chakra in battle. I like how kind you are, to anyone who needs it, even if they don't deserve it."

Sasuke's hand moved to her hair, capturing a few loose strands between his fingers. "I like your hair color. I can find you anywhere." He glanced down at her clothes and this time, when he spoke, his ears were warm. "I like when you dress up to go out but I like seeing you comfortable in those giant sweaters you love. I like it when you wear navy."

The words were like a waterfall pouring from his heart and out of his mouth. He couldn't stop once he started. "I like watching you work. With my eyes, I can see how delicate you are with your healing. I like watching your heart grow a thousand times bigger when the kids you work with at the clinic come up to you in public, giving you hugs and sending me glares."

Sakura laughed at the last one. "Kiki didn't glare at you, he just-"

"He said I was his rival since he is going to marry you someday."

Sakura flushed and mumbled something under her breath that Sasuke didn't quite catch.

He tapped her on the side, none too lightly.

Sakura looked up, wide-eyed. "Hey!"

"What did you just say?"

Sakura looked like she wanted to throw up. "Absolutely nothing."

Sasuke let it go, but he wasn't going to let go of the previous conversation. Not yet. Taking Sakura's hand, he stood, tugging her up with him. It was getting late and Sakura had an early surgery to leave for. But, when she turned to open the door, he caught her hand.

"I like you, Sakura," he said, his head dipped down to her cheek, kissing it softly. "Don't forget it. I like all the little things and the big things, even if everything I like about you also annoys me to no end."

Sakura was a statue beneath his hand, her lips curving up towards the end. She grinned up at him as he finished, her eyes sparkling like fine wine. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

"You're welcome," he murmured, pulling back to stand up straight. He felt lighter, yet a bit unsteady on his feet. He remembered something he thought of last night. "I want you to know that I'm working on it. That I'll figure this out. Us. How to be together."

Sakura laughed, startling him. "No you won't, Sasuke-kun." His light feeling disappeared until she spoke again. Then, it returned with a vengeance. "We'll figure it out. Together." She laughed again, light and filled with mirth. "You can't have the blind leading the blind, right?"

Sasuke had half a mind to feel insulted, but he was too busy feeling amused by her change of attitude. He pulled open the door behind them. "I guess you're right."

She laughed again, following him inside. It was music to his ears. "I know I'm right."

Sasuke didn't need to respond. The squeeze of his hand over hers as he passed by her to get his change of clothes from the living room said everything.

In fact, Sasuke had just said a lot of things he never thought in a million years he'd be saying. It seemed that a few weeks of living with Sakura, spending time with her, and reacquainting himself with the grown up version of the girl he knew were all he needed to change his stoic and indirect ways. At least, where she was concerned.

When Sasuke crawled into bed next to Sakura, winding his fingers with hers, Sasuke made several conclusions. He was in it for the long haul, no matter what it took. He knew he would leave on missions, perhaps years at a time due to the power of his eyes, but one thing would always remain true. Sakura was his home. The life they created together, their memories, their feelings, they would all be connected and intertwined to the point that nothing, not even time would unravel them. He was sure that she would never waver. As for him, it was only ever going to be her.

When she was asleep, Sasuke allowed himself the luxury of laying next to her, promising himself that he would pull her closer tomorrow. Tonight, he just enjoyed laying next to the person he loved the most in the world.

…..

Sakura's POV

Sakura looked up from her journals as soon as she heard the lock start to turn on the front door. She had been anxious ever since getting Sasuke's note about sparring with Naruto earlier that morning, especially since the note indicated that Sasuke would be thankful if she healed the injuries he was most likely to sustain. Like an idiot, she had taken light work that day, just in case Sasuke was seriously injured. She knew it was silly, but she couldn't help it. The two of them fighting still set her nerves on edge. They liked to take things a bit too far. She wanted to be prepared.

Sasuke came inside with a quiet Tadaima before taking his shoes and cloak off at the door. Sakura watched him hide his injuries with stiff and slow movements and felt a sense of deja vu, remembering the last time he had come home injured. Shaking her head, Sakura set her things down and made her way over to him.

"How was training," she asked, taking kusanagi from his hands. Sasuke nodded gratefully and watched as she put it away.

"It was good. Naruto's gotten faster." The second comment held a bit of a bite behind it and Sakura had to fight to stop a grin from forming.

Still bent over from storing away his sword, Sakura could see a bit of blood at the edge of shirt. Poking his ribs and earning a light wince from the Uchiha, Sakura sighed. "Come on, I'll fix you up."

Sasuke followed behind, not a whisper of argument. Sakura smiled to herself, happy that this was something she could do for Sasuke that she could see, that was tangible. It healed a small part of her that still felt useless around Sasuke.

Sasuke sat down on the couch and whipped his shirt off without Sakura having to ask, his expression tightening with the movement. Sakura held her feelings in check and turned into Dr. Haruno, sweeping her glowing green hands over his torso, mending the tear at his hip, healing the cracked rips, and-

Sakura gasped at what she found, her eyebrows furrowing in concentration immediately. "Sasuke-kun, I'm going to need you to go lie down in bed," she said, scanning his abdomen again to confirm. "You have a small tear on your spleen. I'm going to need you to lay flat for me to fix it."

Sasuke sat up with a heavy sigh, but nodded. He left his shirt on the couch and headed off to the bedroom.

Sakura followed behind, but almost wished she hadn't. Sasuke was beautiful, she knew that, but it was usually his face she was referring to. It was the only part of him she saw, for the most part. The other times he had been shirtless in front of her, he had been sick or changing. He was still injured, but this, walking to her bedroom, the one he slept in as well, was giving her heart palpitations. Sasuke's body looked as strong as it was, yet he was still lean, his arms long and corded. He reminded Sakura of a panther, lazily making its way back to its den.

Blinking the craziness out of her eyes, Sakura turned her bedside manner back into a professional ease. She helped Sasuke lie down, smiling softly in comfort when he made a face. Kneeling at the side of the bed, she placed her hands on the upper left side of his abdomen and settled into her chakra, letting it build within her before she began pointing it directly in the direction it needed to go.

She weaved it into what she needed. She sewed, cauterized, and smoothed over Sasuke's internal injuries until she was wasting time in the heady feeling of healing Sasuke, of having her hands on him. She sent needless amounts of chakra to warm him, to ease his pain, to stop any possible swelling. She could feel Sasuke's body growing warmer, filled to the brim with healing chakra until not a scratch marred his skin.

Sakura slowly leaned back, blinking her eyes open. Sasuke's head, propped on a pillow, was turned towards her. He was smiling his barely there smile, the one he saved just for her, like he was in awe that she was still in front of him. Sakura sat back on her knees and tucked her hair behind her ear, smiling down at her knees. That smile of his did things to her stomach, to her heart.

Sasuke sat up slowly, rolling his shoulders. He blinked slowly, his head tipping to the side and stared down at Sakura, a sated happiness in his eyes. "You overdid it. You healed a bruise on my back from weeks ago. I could feel it fading."

Sakura bit her lip. "I… might have overdone it, yeah."

Sasuke's smile widened. After a small shake of his head, Sasuke leaned forward and kissed Sakura's cheek, his fingers barely grazing her jaw. "Thank you, Sakura."

"Of course," Sakura murmured, her eyelids fluttering. She tried to fight a blush but failed, her cheeks warming under Sasuke's continued stare. However, she grew still when she noticed Sasuke mouth something to himself, almost subconsciously. Did she hear something as well?

"What was that," Sakura asked, genuinely curious. She could have sworn she had also heard him say something like 'sixty-four'.

Sasuke looked shocked, like he had been caught with something. Sakura was immediately more intrigued. "Did you say something under your breath?" When Sasuke's eyes refused to meet hers, Sakura knew she had caught him.

However, before she could corner him, Sasuke said quickly, "I'll tell you what I said if you tell me what you said last night."

Sakura's smug expression was immediately wiped from her face. But, it seemed like he wanted to know that badly. She could admit this one, tiny embarrassing thing. "Well, you mentioned that Kiki wanted to be your rival because he wants to marry me and, well, I just made a mean comment to myself."

The look Sasuke gave her told her that her explanation wasn't enough. Sighing, Sakura looked up at the sky and grumbled, "I said that you'd have to want to get married to me to be his rival."

"I've been counting your blushes."

Sakura's head snapped back down and, like it was called into existence, a blush bloomed across her cheeks. "What?"

"Sixty-five," Sasuke whispered, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Sakura's jaw dropped and her hands slapped against her cheeks. "You have not."

Sasuke nodded, hiding his smile. He looked like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar too late, all of the cookies already eaten. "I have."

Sakura felt like she was going to faint. It was so unlike him, she almost didn't believe it. Counting her blushes was playful, like he had made a game out of it. It made her stomach do summersaults. "Well," she said, as primly as she could. "I can believe that I've blushed that many times. I seem to do it all the time around you." She couldn't help but grumble out the last words, hiding her eyes from his. She felt caught, but not in the same way he had.

Sasuke pulled one of Sakura's hands from her cheeks. Naturally, she stopped and watched, waiting to see what he did next. Sasuke's thumb glided across her cheekbone, warmth following its wake. She felt frozen under his touch, his watchful gaze. He looked like he was memorizing her features, her face, her eyes.

Sasuke smoothed his thumb over her cheek one more time before dropping his hand. "I like it when you blush. Though you blush at random moments," Sasuke said thoughtfully, "I like it best when you blush after I've made some effort."

Sakura wanted to squeal. Sasuke had been making an effort to make her blush? He was purposefully trying to make her flustered, to see her reaction to him? Oh Kami, she definitely felt like fainting at that moment.

Sasuke seemed to realize her internal chaos. He backed up, but stayed close enough for his breath to still warm her skin. He looked up from underneath his eyelashes, looking incredibly young and unsure of himself. Almost as if he were afraid of being scolded. "I'm not making fun of you, Sakura."

Sakura dug herself out of her panic for his sake. "I didn't think you were! I just…". She wanted to say that she blushed like an idiot around him because of how handsome he was or how open he had become since returning home. His smiles, his innocent and unconscious touches. All of them were stark reminders that he found a home with her. But for too long, her feelings for Sasuke were like a scythe hanging over both of their heads. Mentioning her feelings used to cut the rope holding the blade, forcing Sasuke to act in ways that always hurt her. She tried a different route.

"I don't want to act like the lovesick little girl I used to be," Sakura finished, her voice rather small. She felt Sasuke lean closer, but she didn't look up, shifting on her knees. "I feel childish sometimes, always blushing and stuttering."

"I told you, I didn't mind it as much as I let on," Sasuke insisted quietly. He looked perturbed by her change of attitude. "You were an innocent child. You had no idea what I had gone through."

"But that doesn't mean I'm not embarrassed!"

Sasuke tugged on her shoulder to turn her back in his direction. His eyes were severe, his jaw set. His expression left no room for arguments. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about. If anyone should be embarrassed, it's me. I didn't try hard enough."

Sakura felt her heart squeeze. She grasped his hand. "No. Don't say that. You gave everything to your family in the only way you knew how, the way you were told to do it." Sakura hated it when he spoke so low of himself. He had been through hell, through worse than hell, and still came back to her. He still came home.

"You don't get to say that anymore," she ordered softly. "Not when it isn't true."

Sasuke looked pained. His hand squeezed hers. "You give me too much credit." His eyes fell from hers. "You were always kind to me. Above all, you were kind. I wasn't. That's what I am embarrassed about. I was angry and bitter and mean. Especially to you."

Sakura wished she could take the weight from his shoulders. She knew it would take time for them to get over their past together, but she had thought they would have more time, become more settled into their present before falling back into the pain of a thousand yesterdays. Their relationship was moving faster than Sakura ever thought possible, only making their conversations of the past more complicated, more necessary.

Sakura looked down at their entertained hands. "Well," she said. "I think we both had some growing up to do." She looked up at Sasuke with a smile filled with patience, love, and understanding. "We were kids. We can forgive ourselves for not knowing what to do."

Sasuke sighed. He looked lost. "I still don't know what to do."

Sakura giggled, unable to help it. "It's a good thing I don't know either." Her grin softened to a warm smile as she stood up, her hand still wrapped in Sasuke's. "I'll make some dinner, ya? We can figure everything else out tomorrow."

Sakura knew she didn't imagine the fiery warmth in Sasuke's eyes when he squeezed her hand once before letting go. "Thank you, Sakura."

Sakura didn't hide her blush when she whispered back, "You're welcome."

Sasuke didn't hide his smile.