Chapter 2

…

As she walked to work the next morning, Sakura couldn't shake the blush off her face. Actually, what had happened the night before felt like a dream. There was no way she was the first person Sasuke came to see after so long, and if she truly was, why did he leave so suddenly like that?

"Sakura!" Naruto waved from across the street near Ichiraku Ramen.

She blinked and looked up. "Look who's back!"

After giggling at how Naruto's antics made all the bowls of ramen go everywhere making Hinata quickly scatter and catch them, her eyes found a familiar figure leaning against the wall drinking from a small cup.

The intense blush returned.

"Hello again, Sasuke" she managed to choke out, not meeting his black eyes.

Naruto frantically glanced back and forth between the two.

"AGAIN? Sasuke came to see you first?!"

"I can visit who I please, idiot." Sasuke barked as Naruto fumed

Suddenly, Naruto noticed something. As Sasuke's eyes slipped back to his drink, Sakura would look up at him, and as soon as she'd blush and look away his eyes would find her again. A big sly smile came across the future hokage's face.

"I know what this is..hehehe. don't you worry Sasuke I've got you on this." Naruto said as he wrapped his arm around Sasuke's shoulders, ignoring Sasuke's discontent.

"what are you up to, dope." Sasuke said through closed irritated eyes.

Naruto stood straight up again and yanked Hinata with him. "Come on Hinata I have things to do and kids to make!"

With Hinata's wild blush and an orange flash, they were gone. Leaving the awkward couple alone.

"I wonder what's got into Naruto." Sakura said as she stared off at them.

Sasuke watched her as she looked, "There's a few things at the Uchiha clan compound I want to take and keep for myself. If you want to come."

As Sakura looked up at him in surprise, he did not look away. He didn't start walking with his back to her in aloofness as usual. This surprised Sakura, and made her speechless.

"Unless you have other plans" Sasuke began walking away.

"No!" Sakura ran after him, matching his pace. For once, she was walking side by side with Sasuke. Not staring hopefully at his back, praying for him to stay.

The Uchiha clan's buildings were all abandoned of course, lined with crime scene tape and random debris. They were alone here, and Sakura felt excitement. The two have shared so many intimate times alone together. Times filled with her agony and begging. But they were secrets they shared, that their other teammates would never understand. That not even Naruto would understand.

"This is it." Sasuke stopped at a random home that Sakura did not recognize, but knew in an instance what it was.

"Your family home."

"Yes."

"Are you sure this is okay if I'm with you Sasuke?"

"I've told you I have answered all my questions and atoned for all my sins. The past is in the past. I will not treat my home as a ghosttown, but as a friendly reminder."

Sakura was so glad she could share this moment with him. She couldn't believe how far he had come.

After gathering a few things and looking around, Sakura found a dusty necklace on the table. It was very simple. I shining string with an emerald amulet hanging.

"that's so beautiful."

"keep it."

Sakura jumped "What!? Sasuke I could never-"

"It matches your eyes."Sasuke said as he gathered up his pack, almost nonchalantly.

The blush returned again "Sas-Sasuke I..okay.."

…

Right as they approached the ending of the Uchiha village, Sasuke finally spoke.

"Naruto and I. What are we to you now, Sakura?"

"Wha-what do you mean Sasuke?"

"You've grown Sakura. Your feelings for certain things and people have changed. Have they not?"

"Not really, the only person I've changed feelings for is Ino." Sakura blushed wildly hoping Sasuke would guess what she meant. Through everything, no matter how old she got Sakura would never stop loving Sasuke. She was 21 and single, practically an old maid. Lady Tsunade made over.

"We are like brothers to you. Teammates."

Sakura looked up at him as he said the last word. He had repeated it the night before as well.

"Sasuke I..nothing has changed. My feelings are still the same. And I know you wish they wouldn't, but I just can't stop-"

"Sakura."

Sakura stopped at the sudden interruption and noticed Sasuke had stopped walking. As she turned around, Sasuke's eyes were hidden. She shook. She was terrified at what he might say, the rejection she was so used to now terrified her. After this rejection there would be no more hope.

Sasuke still looking down, spoke softly, choosing his words carefully.

"I have been thinking a lot while on my journey. I've seen many things, and met many people from all walks of life. I thought what was in store for me in this life was vengeance and death. Nothing more. I threw away all hopes at a better life. At a family. At friends. At romance. That was not in the cards for me, and I was content with that. But you didn't try to keep me in the village like Naruto. You even offered to help me, to leave your beloved village for my personal gain. You would leave everything you knew behind for me. And I put my hand through your heart. I thought surely, this will do her in. She'll never look at me the same. But it never happened. Time and time again you never stopped looking at me like how you always did. I felt your feelings, I thought on it many times. I cast it away as weakness. I casted you away as my weakness. You didn't deserve the path I had chosen. But now..now I am being selfish again Sakura. Selfish by asking you to forgive me. And by asking you..if you truly feel the same way you always told me you have."

Sakura could not move. Sasuke had asked her if she still was in love with him. In his own Sasuke manner he had told her he loved her and if she still felt the same. Teammate. He must have thought her calling him that was her way of saying she was over him. But it wasn't true in the slightest.

Sakura eased up and smiled "If you're asking me if I'm still in love with you, then the answer is yes. You should know that Sasuke, I've waited this long haven't I?"

Sasuke was shocked, blinked once, and composed himself again with a soft smile.

"that necklace you're wearing, it was my mother's. My father gave it to her as a symbol of their relationship. Green was her favorite color, as is mine."

Still hiding his eyes smiling, Sasuke didn't see the immense blush across Sakura's face. She could've exploded from the embarrassment and pure joy.

"Sakura..Thank you." Sasuke looked up, smiling.

Sakura's heart skipped several beats before she could recover.

"There you guys are!" Naruto's voice pierced the air of the perfect moment. And Sakura could've killed him where he stood.

"I should be going, I have a few errands. I'll see you, Sakura." Sasuke held Sakura's eyes for a moment and as he walked passed her spoke "the necklace really suits you" and walked on with a small smile as he caught the bright red face of Sakura as she looked as if she was about to pass out. When Naruto made it over to her she snapped out of it.

"Hey so how did it go love bird-"

"NARUTO I WILL KILL YOU. YOU STUPID IDIOT." Sakura yelled as she hit him over and over before finally smashing him into the ground.