Sarada had opened the door to the condo assuming it to be her father coming home from work early. That should have been the first red flag. Papa never came home early; it was either on time or late. Sarada had been excited, briefly, the dark hair and similar features to her Papa had her fooled for a moment before she recognized her grandmother.

"Obaa-san, hello."

Mikoto leans down to place a kiss atop Sarada's head.

"Hello, my darling. Is your father home?"

Sarada loved her grandmother in the way a granddaughter 'should' love a family member. Though, Mikoto gave Sarada mixed feelings, for one she was always on her father's case about something or another but on the other hand she had been there in the times her parents weren't, just like Itachi. Although unlike Itachi, she was more uncaring and busy with her own life to give Sarada much attention.

"No. But–"

Sakura had come out of the hallway into view of Sarada and Mikoto.

"Oh. Sakura. It's not Sunday is it? I just called Sasuke." Sunday was her parents' switch day, where they took over for the week.

"Mikoto, nice to see you. No, it's Friday. I'll try to call him too, maybe he's just running late?" Her mother hangs up the call when no answer is heard.

"Did you want something to drink?" Sakura asks.

"No, no. Although I am confused. Why are you here?"

"Circumstances I would rather not get into."

"Hm. Come now Sakura, we are still family, you can talk to me."

"Let me try calling Sasuke again, I wonder if traffic is holding him up…" Her mother tries calling her father again, no luck.

Sarada had taken their interaction as her cue to vacate the premises. She walks down the hall and dials her fathers number to no answer. When her parents had first divorced Mikoto had been in the mix of it all. She knew that Mama could not stand to be around her grandmother for long, or else things got…'lively'.

Sarada excuses herself to the restroom where her basic cell phone is vibrating. Her parents had provided her with the phone for emergencies and switch-off help.

Sarada answers it seeing it was her Papa.

They talk briefly and Sarada hangs up when she hears her Mama start speaking fiercely from the kitchen area. Sarada creeps down the hallway not to alert them of her presence yet.

"Have you been well? Still a doctor? Been on any dates? Have any boyfriends?"

She hears her mother sigh heavily.

"I do not appreciate you asking about my personal life."

"Come now dear, I am just curious how the woman who broke my son's heart is doing?"

The front door opens and Sasuke appears, Sarada emerging from the hallway finally.

—-

Sasuke and Sarada had cooked in a companionable quiet. As she had gotten older Sarada had taken more and more interest in cooking when she was with him. Sasuke has gladly taught her basic kitchen skills and as she improved with those he would teach her new ones.

Once their meal is plated and they sit at the kitchen table he pushes around the food, while it looks and tastes delicious his appetite is non-existent. He watches Sarada push around her food as well.

"I thought cooking would help make me hungry."

Me too.

"Sarada."

"Hm?"

"Does your mother still camp out in the hospital?"

When Sakura had been in her last few years of school and she had particularly tough concepts or exams, she would hold herself up in the hospital. She had done her apprenticeship at Konoha General Hospital and was eventually rewarded with a position at the hospital. During her training and final years she would study hours at a time there, from the cafeteria, her mentors office or any empty bench. Sasuke knew her workplace was her comfort as much as it was a crutch for Sakura.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

Sakura and Sasuke since their divorce interacted only when necessary. Something she said a year or two prior to their separation has haunted him since, 'You never engage! If we are having a disagreement I want you to get heated, I want you to chase after me and work through it rather than shutting down!'

Contrary to popular belief he had many emotions under his placid exterior. He felt so many things that they would become overwhelming but his facade would give nothing away. It made him seem broody and aloof, when really he felt too much.

Sasuke had vowed to himself if the opportunity ever presented itself to him again he would chase after her.

"Let's clean up, then we're going for a drive. Sound good?"

Sarada provides him a sly grin and nods, collecting her plate and bringing it to the sink. They finish tidying up their unfinished dinner and set out to the hospital. It was dark outside now, night time quickly approaching.

They enter the hospital and are told visiting hours are ending soon. He used to come here often and knew most of the staff, but now he doesn't recognize the person sitting behind the front desk.

"Lead the way." He says to Sarada.

"Oh, Mama is still in the same office." Sarada says as they ride the elevator up to her floor.

She hadn't moved offices. Helpful information to tuck away.

The elevator doors open to a darkened hallway, the hospital lights dimmed at night time for the patients who needed rest. Sasuke ends up walking ahead of Sarada and stands in front of his ex-wife's office door, the small window next to the handle shows it's dark inside and no obvious movement.

He freezes, had he been wrong? Should they leave?

Sarada knocks on the door before he can overthink. They wait for any movement.

The door opens a crack, a few painstaking moments after Sarada had knocked.

Sakura appears from behind the door, with puffy eyes and tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Mama!" Sarada pushes the door open wider and embraces her mother.

Sasuke's heart clenches in his chest, he wants nothing more than to comfort her, apologize and hold her. Instead he stands and observes his daughter and the mother of his child hugging in her office space.

"I'm sorry to have worried you dear. I-I just nee–"

"Mama, it's ok."

Instead of offering physical comfort, Sasuke offers something else.

"Come on. I'll take us to the condo, we can get your car in the morning."

Sakura looks up at him and looks like she is about to fight back or retort but ultimately decides to go with. With Sarada gazing worriedly upon her it was hard to refuse. She wipes her eyes with the back of her hands.

"I can drive. Let me just lock up. I'll meet you there."

Sasuke and Sarada wait for her to lock up, listening to her sniffling as the key turns in the lock. The three walk to the parking lot and Sasuke makes sure, without being too obvious, that Sakura had made it safely inside her vehicle.

—-

Sakura wants to bang her head on the steering wheel. One of her fatal flaws was fleeing tough scenarios. The interaction with Sasuke's mother was unexpected and it had jarred her more than it should have.

Having the reminder that she had broken the only man she had ever loved, shook her to her very core. She knew that she had, but hearing it in daylight, by her ex-husband's mother was another thing entirely. Granted they had broken each other but her half of the guilt always caught up to her no matter how much she tried to ignore the pain. It's why Sakura always tried to keep interactions brief with him post divorce. If she didn't have to talk to him then she wouldn't have to deal with the emotions and ties she still felt towards Sasuke.

The reminder that she had broken Sasuke and proceeded to hastily leave the situation proved she had more healing and work to do than she had initially thought. Sakura had been pushing her emotions about the divorce and Sasuke down for years, and tonight set in motion something she had been avoiding–

Herself.

—-

They are all settled back at Sasuke's condo and Sarada has since gone to sleep. Sakura had been browsing her phone, catching up on emails, and texts. Her friend Ino had texted her hours ago. Sakura and Ino had been friends since grade school, and had ended up having kids nearly nine months apart, unplanned.

| Ino: Forehead, I miss you! I'll be in Konoha this weekend for one of Sai's art fairs. Do you have Sarada this week? Inojin and I miss her! Let me know if you're available. 3

Sakura stares at the cursor blinking, waiting for her to type a response. She hears the balcony door open and close down the hall. Choosing to wait on a response she looks at the clock in the corner of the phone screen, 1:34 AM.

Does he ever sleep?

Sleep evading her as well, Sakura trudges to the balcony. She opens and shuts the door, moving to stand beside him. She stands silently next to him, another tepid night. Letting him take a few drags of his cigarette before she speaks. Other than scooting over down the railing, he hadn't done anything to acknowledge her presence.

"Do you ever sleep?"

He takes another drag and dumps the butt into a cup of water he had brought out with him.

"Sometimes. Do you?" Sasuke side eyes her, looking at her now.

He was truly the most handsome man she had ever met. His perfect nose and deep dark eyes, his tall stature and built frame. Everything about him sucked her in, he was a vortex and Sakura fell prey to him every single time.

She feels the urge to flee this situation and just go lie down in bed. Instead, she opts to stay.

"I'm sorry." Sakura mutters before she can finish the thought.

"For what?"

"About us. The divorce, breaking your heart. Your mother was right."

"Back up. What did she say to you?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm just…sorry."

"We are both at fault." Sasuke adds.

Sakura gulps down a cry that is beginning to form in the back of her throat.

"You got another one of those?" Sakura finds herself asking.

Sasuke gives her an incredulous look.

"The doctor is asking me for a cigarette?"

"Come on, I know you do." She smiles playfully at him now.

"No. Not for you. Come on, let's get some sleep." He motions to walk away and back into the condo.

"Oh wait! Before I forget, I'm taking Sarada into the city to meet with Ino tomorrow."

"Alright. I have to go over Itachi's anyway. I'll be back later in the evening."

Back in her borrowed bed Sakura sends a text back to Ino telling her they will be there and to send her the address.

—-

Sasuke is staring up at the ceiling in his bedroom. Two hours had now passed since his and Sakura's brief conversation on the balcony, these talks seemed to be becoming regular things. Part of him wants to relish these small moments with her in the quiet of night, where nothing can touch them. While the realistic part of him knows these moments are temporary and to not get addicted.

The problem was Sakura was more addictive than any cigarette.

—-

Sarada is surprised the next morning by the news that they are going to see Auntie Ino and her son Inojin. Sarada liked Inojin, he was sarcastic and smart. She had been friends with Inojin since they were babies, according to her mother.

What is even more surprising to Sarada is that her father is still asleep. Usually he was the first one awake. Mama ends up making them breakfast and they set out in the mid morning to the downtown area. They had parked down a side street and walked onto the blocked off section of road where an art fair is set up.

"Sakura, Sarada! Over here!" Sarada hears Ino down the road waving them over.

Once Ino has squished her into a hug and she has said her hello's to Inojin they set off and walk around the fair. Inojin and Sarada are talking about school and their friends when Sarada overhears a conversation between Ino and her mother.

"Are those new clothes?" Ino asks.

"Oh yea! Got a few new items."

"It was about time! You need more color in your wardrobe forehead. You have such wonderful coloring and you don't even take advantage of it!" Auntie spouts.

"I only see you a few times a year and you seem to remember every piece of my wardrobe."

"Ooo! Let's walk around the park." Ino says as a local park with a playground comes into view.

The group agrees.

—-

Sakura had not told anyone other than Sasuke about the fire. She had felt no need to share this bit of information with anyone else, but now in the presence of her best friend she is about to break.

"Why don't you kids go play? Forehead, and I have to catch up." Ino says to the kids. Sarada and Inojin smile and run off to the open field and playground.

"They are going to be too old for this soon enough." Sakura says.

"I know." Ino sits on a bench and they watch their kids play from a safe distance, Sakura sits beside her.

In the company of her closest friend tears begin to well in her eyes and she starts to sniffle.

"Hey, hey, it's ok. We still have a few years before they become teens!" Ino supplies scooting closer to Sakura.

"That's not it." Sakura adds.

"Sakura? What's wrong?"

Sakura explodes, crying like a crazy person on this park bench as her friend consoles and listens to her. She tells her everything that has happened over the past week.

"Why didn't you call me?"

"Y-you're too far away and S-sarada has school still and I have w-work!"

"So what! You should've called me, I would've been down here in a heartbeat. I'm so sorry, Sakura. Is there anything I can do now? Where are you staying?"

Here we go.

"Sasuke's."

Ino turns to her and stares with wide eyes.

"I think I just hallucinated. What?"

"No you heard correctly. He has everything Sarada needs and a guest room while I look for a new place."

Ino looks like she is doing mental math as she sorts through everything Sakura has just told her.

Sarada and Inojin choose then to come over.

"Mama, are you ok?" Sarada asks, placing a hand on one of her arms.

"I'm fine Sarada. You two must be hungry. Should we go get some lunch?" Sakura wipes her eyes on one of her long sleeves.

"Yes! Can we go to the pizza place we passed on the way?" Inojin asks.

—

Sakura can feel Ino staring daggers at her as they walk from the park back down the path to the pizza shop, she knows she will have more explaining to do. The four of them eat and the two tweens go play in the small arcade alcove of the pizza joint.

"You still have feelings for him." Ino says once the kids are out of earshot.

"That can't happen, Ino. Not after everything, and with Sarada. It just can't."

"So you do."

Sakura gives her friend a glance, a confirmation.

"Who says it can't. You two never even tried to fix your issues. You both were stubborn and gave up."

"Ino!"

"Go on, tell me I'm wrong."

Sakura's temper starts to flare.

"Maybe, if you want him, and you want things to work, you two should get counseling."

Sakura says nothing.

"It's just a thought." The two tweens come back shortly after, Sarada has a small snake plushie she had won from one of the machines.

"Come on, we should probably check on dad, right Inojin?" Ino asks her son.

The friends separate, Sakura and Sarada drive back to Sasuke's condo. Later that day after the two had eaten dinner Sakura gets a text from Ino.

|Ino: Sorry if I was harsh earlier. I'm worried about you! Let's start doing weekly calls like we did in college, yeah? Sarada seems like she is truly blossoming, what a smart girl you got. Here's the number of a counselor Sai and I used in years passed, he works wonders. Ya know, if you ever feel the need. Attached .

Sakura saves the information into her phone and the girls watch a movie on the widescreen television before going to bed.

—-

Sasuke had promised Itachi he would visit him this weekend for a family dinner. He pulls into Itachi's driveway and turns off the ignition, staring ahead to the panels of his garage door. Breathing deeply, he grounds himself before being subjected to his mother.

He loves his mother, he really does. Though, ever since the divorce she had started to hover and fret over him more and it was wholly unneeded and drove him mad. She had not always been like this. This new irritating version of his mother got onto both Sasuke, and Itachi's nerves. Thank gods Itachi was going to be there as a buffer.

Finally emerging from his car he knocks on Itachi's door. Itachi answers and looks him up and down.

"You have explaining to do." Itachi says calmly and ushers him inside. Itachi walks ahead of him down the hallway to his kitchen failing to see Sasuke roll his eyes preemptively.

Their mother is sitting on a barstool adjacent to Itachi's kitchen island talking to his sister in law Izumi. The women turn and greet him, his mother standing and giving him a hug.

"Hello Mother, Izumi."

"Sasuke Uchiha. Explain why your ex-wife is staying over at your condo?"

"Do I have to?" Sasuke answers, regretting it immediately when his mother shoots him a scary look.

"Her apartment building burned down earlier this week."

This was apparently not what his mother had been expecting from the surprise written on her expression.

"Oh my goodness. Is Sarada doing alright?" Izumi asks.

"She's fine."

"How's Sakura?" Itachi asks, behind the kitchen counter, while cutting some tomatoes for a salad.

"She's as you would expect of someone whose home burned down." Sasuke answers.

"How reckless! How could she live in a place, with your daughter, that burned down so quickly, how dangerous! Who knows what would have happened to Sarada if she had been there!"

There it was. Any reason for her to get mad at Sakura.

"Mother. That's not nice. She can't control that kind of calamity." Itachi says.

Understatement of the century. Yet, here he was letting this battle go unfought. Too weary to defend Sakura and too weak to argue with his mother.

Sasuke walks over to Itachi's fridge and pulls a beer from it.

"What part of town was she in again? It must be dangerous if it's catching fire at all."

Sasuke's eye twitches.

"She lived at Konohaview, they were close to the hospital. Right Sasuke?"

"Ah." Sasuke uses a bottle opener to open the beer, and takes a swig.

"Hmm, ah I know where that was. Not a desirable part of town. Her doctor's salary must not be providing as much as was promised. And yet, that still doesn't explain why she is mooching off of you Sasuke." His mother spits.

Sasuke feels something snap. He places the beer on the countertop with more force than necessary.

"That's it. I'm leaving. Sorry Itachi, Izumi." Sasuke is already walking back down the hallway to the front door. He hears the knife Itachi had been using being put down and Itachi walking after him, out into the driveway.

"Sasuke!"

"Not tonight, Itachi. She went too far." Sasuke steps into his car and rolls down the window to hear what Itachi has to say.

"She did. I'll deal with her, but you and I do need to talk. Later this week, ok?"

"Fine." Sasuke shifts gears and reverses out of his brother's driveway.

He opts not to go home right away. Driving around and stopping at some shoddy bar. He drinks for a couple hours, nursing a few glasses of whiskey. Sasuke is tipsy but not drunk when he finally decides to drive home. It was his week for Sarada starting tomorrow and he needed to force himself to rest.

A part of him is curious if Sakura will meet him on the balcony again tonight. He won't get his hopes up, but he has missed her so incredibly much over the past few years. This past week, as terrible and awkward as it has been; has also been the happiest he has been in years. It may be some of the most backwards nonsense he has had to deal with, but he reluctantly will take the crumbs of his former family being together under one roof. Even if this situation is temporary.

Sasuke opts not to change out of his day clothes, and beelines for the balcony after grabbing his pack and lighter. He opens and shuts the door without trying to be quiet.

You're ridiculous. Playing at romance with your daughter sleeping down the hall.

He waits a few minutes. Checks his phone.

2 missed calls from his mother, and a few work issues he would deal with tomorrow.

No sign of movement still.

He lights one of his squares and waits.

Finishing one he grabs for another and lights.

You're an idiot for getting your hopes up.

The balcony door clicks and he straightens up, choosing not to look back afraid he will give himself away.

Without a word Sakura comes over to stand by him. Her pink locks are put into a high ponytail, the shorter strands falling out of it. She was in a not so modest tank top and flannel pajama pants. His whiskey laced mind fabricating unsavory thoughts and past memories.

Her choice in pajamas had always been contradictory. Long pants because 'her legs would get cold', but only a tank top or sports bra because her top half would 'get too hot'.

Sasuke is snapped out of his creative thoughts when she surprises him. Two of her slender fingers grasp the lit square he is holding and she examines it. Bringing the cigarette to her plush pink lips she takes a deep inhale and blows the smoke in the opposite direction. Sasuke finds himself staring at her, watching every small movement she makes. Sakura looks at him and brings the cigarette to his mouth. He parts his lips slightly on instinct and she places the square in between them.

Sakura turns and faces out towards the city skyline letting out a small cough.

"That was the first and last time you will see me do that."

Perhaps his mind is clouded with alcohol and nicotine. Or perhaps it is clouded by Sakura.

Moving closer to her, the wind blowing lightly through her hair she looks over and up at him. Lacing one of his hands through her soft strands he brings his face close to hers. With his other hand he takes the cigarette out of his mouth and leans down closer, her breath mingling with his. Sakura's emerald gaze shone, and her eyes briefly look down to his lips and back up into his dark eyes.

Leaning down he presses his lips lightly to hers. Sasuke feels her arms wrap around his neck and she leans up. He takes this as his cue to kiss her more deeply. All too quickly they are ravenous, she bites at his lower lip and he slides his tongue inside her mouth.

His body moves closer to hers, pressing himself to her body, molding together to feel her warmth.

A minute moan escapes his throat, killing the moment. Reality crashes down.

Sakura's eyes widen and she removes her arms from around his neck. She steps away from him, a chill left in her wake.

"Sakura–"

"This…was a mistake."

Sakura doesn't look back as she walks inside. The feel of her lips on his after so long only fan the embers that had been dying in his heart.