XxX

ANBU Headquarters

SsSk Ages: 16/16

XxX

"So, are we placing bets on the two idiots, or what?" Shisui looked over his shoulder at the other ninjas in the office, continuing with a wide grin. "Since he's back, I think it's time to set the terms."

Kakashi let out a long suffering sigh and shook his head. "We should not be making a bet about my student and your cousin– who is also my student, by the way."

"He's right," Itachi said, though there was a subtle glint in his coal eyes. "We will make two bets regarding their relationship."

Shisui fist pumped, whereas Kakashi merely rolled his eyes, easily defeated. Although his young student had promised him at twelve to not let her infatuation affect her training, Kakashi had found himself a silent cheerleader on the sidelines as they grew older. For some reason, the two seemed to be what the other one needed. Whatever variation you wanted it in, be it grumpy/sunshine, light/dark, or rainbows/storm clouds, they were opposite, but in the most complimentary of ways.

Sadly, it was the ways in which they were similar that were far too deadly for Kakashi.

It had only been a few days since Sasuke had returned from the forests outside of Konoha, but everyone could see that the two teammates that used to be attached at the hip were now avoiding one another. Their interactions after Sakura healed him had been short, and Sakura had holed herself up in the hospital ever since. Sasuke probably could have physically pulled her from her office like he'd done countless times in the last year, but he was holed up at home, refusing to even see Naruto. When Kakashi had asked Itachi where Sasuke had been the past few days, Itachi had replied without room for comment, "In Father's old office. He'll come out eventually."

"So, what's the new bet?" Shisui asked, jumping over the back of the couch to sit next to his cousin.

"Who will be the first to breach the gap, and how long it will take them to do so," Itachi said evenly and in the same tone he used to discuss missions. In some ways this was to him. He was ready for his little brother to take the next step with Sakura. Everyone in their family adored her and had been ready for a lot longer than they'd ever admit to Sasuke.

Maybe on their wedding day.

"What about the manner in which they settle things?" Kakashi added. He crossed his leg over his knee and said thoughtfully, "I highly doubt Sasuke will make a move any time soon, but I could see Sakura frustrating him enough to make him snap. It almost happened several times on a mission, though never in combat, thank Kami."

"I'd want to talk to him, if that were the case," Itachi said in a low tone, his eyes flashing.

"It's not," Kakashi said, waving his hand, and that was that.

"So, let's leave out the manner?"

"Yes. Too many variables."

"You guys are forgetting something," Shisui sang, flopping to the side to poke Itachi in the ribs. "Sakura-chan's gotten much more popular amongst the notable males of the village, and even with few females. She might get picked up by some guy wanting to have Konoha's Cherry Blossom all to himself."

"And are you part of that group, Shisui?" Kakashi asked, smiling at his friend while he twirled several kunai with his fingers.

A shuriken embedded itself in the wall behind Kakashi's head.

"She's like my sister, usuratonkachi," the other ninja replied, grinning back.

"Settle down." Itachi sighed, folding his arms with a frown. "We still need to make our bets. Time and who makes the first move."

Shisui went first. "Sakura's going to be the one to prove once and for all that her dick is bigger than our dear Sasuke's, and it'll be within the month."

Kakashi laughed, but said, "I give it another year, max. Neither one of them are ready, and it'll be Sasuke that eventually breaks." Winking at Shisui, he added, "Sakura made me a promise at twelve that she wouldn't pursue him while they were on the same team, and you know how fond she is of her sensei. She truly hates letting me down."

Shisui snorted. "Please. She's been stealing liquor from your apartment everytime you leave for a mission without Team 7 for the last year."

The Copy Nin gasped, his hand shooting to his masked mouth. His voice cracked in true despair. "No."

"It'll be within the week, and it'll be Sasuke's doing," Itachi said, his voice nonchalant compared to the catastrophe occurring next to him. When they both tuned in to what he said, they each gave him a suspicious look. Itachi merely shrugged and added, "He's my brother. I'd like to think I know him rather well."

What the other two ninjas didn't know was that he and Sasuke had had a conversation about the situation the evening they had left for the Rite, telling him everything he needed to know.

XxX

Sasuke's POV

Age: 16

XxX

Sasuke couldn't believe how stupid he was.

He was Sasuke Uchiha. He didn't fuck up. He was smooth. He was calculated, poised, and always had the right plan of attack for every situation. He never lost a battle, was capable of some of the most fantastic feats that even Itachi couldn't do, yet he had told Sakura that he was sick of her.

Sasuke sprinted to the training grounds under the crashing and booming of the fireworks above him, lighting his path through the village in shades of blue, green, red, and white. They were ignorant to how each time they exploded above him, it made him want to scream, knowing that Sakura's night of watching the fireworks on her birthday was ruined. He felt like he was going to combust from the rage within himself as he wound throughout the village, jumping from rooftop to rooftop and swinging low when he got closer to the edge.

He needed a release.

Bursting from the trees near the edge of the training ground, Sasuke hit the dirt with his mind and hands already working. His feet were planted and his hands were already through forming the signs for his family jutsu by the time he was in the clear to cause mass destruction. As soon as he formed the last seal, Sasuke blew from the largest fireball he'd ever produced.

Katon no Jutsu!

He screamed it. It was ripped from his throat, a deep and heavy thing that did nothing to stop the burning sensation already crawling up his esophagus. He pulled everything, all of the hate and the rage, and threw it out of him with the force of raging fire.

The tears he shed over the misery he caused in her eyes evaporated right off of the skin of his cheeks.

Sasuke hadn't cried since he was a kid, but he had never felt guilt like this. It made him torch everything in front of him. The trees blazed, the grass was burning, and the air smelled of ash. Again and again, Sasuke released his rage and horrific self-loathing onto the space around him, begging for either the flames or chakra exhaustion to take him first.

The chakra exhaustion of course came to take him before he could truly injure himself, and Sasuke fell to his knees, his breaths coming in gasping bursts. The entire time, his sharingan forced him to relive the look on her face while he'd spat those words at her. He had to watch the tears that had formed in her eyes not from worry, pain, or anger, but from hurt, stream down her perfect, perfect face.

I've also found myself rather sick of you.

That couldn't have been farther from the truth.

Sasuke let out a howl of rage, his fingers digging into the smoking dirt beneath him. More of the same was pouring over his bottom lip, and the churning ball of emotions in his gut hadn't lessened one bit with the release of his fire jutsu.

It was at that moment that Itachi found him.

A purposeful step on a fallen branch was all that was necessary for Sasuke's head to snap up and around, his red eyes spinning, glaring.

Walking out from the trees cautiously, his hands held aloft and his eyes holding more concern than the younger Uchiha had ever seen before, Itachi slowly approached him.

"Otōto," Itachi said softly, his expression drawn and worrisome. "...what has caused this?"

Sasuke could only laugh bitterly and turn back to the dirt he had clawed and dug into. He threw what was left in his hands to the ground. "Myself, obviously."

His brother slowly came to a stop beside him and lowered himself to sit next to him. It was a long while before Itachi broke the soft ambiance of flickering flames. "You can tell me anything, you know."

Sasuke knew this, of course. That didn't mean that he wanted to tell Itachi everything. He especially didn't like sharing his failures.

Tonight had been one of his most spectacular.

So, Sasuke said nothing.

Itachi let the silence go on for a bit longer before trying again. "You didn't kill anyone, did you?"

Sasuke merely snorted.

"Is it Naruto?"

"No."

"Did you hurt someone?"

At that, Sasuke grit his teeth and turned his head, unwilling to let his brother see the fresh tears forming in his eyes, no flames to evaporate their evidence now.

"Sasuke."

He said nothing.

"Sasuke."

"What, Itachi?"

Finally meeting his older brother's eyes, Sasuke was shocked to see a slight smile curling his brother's lips. "What the fuck, Itachi?" he bit out, leaning back in irritated confusion.

"You told me you were going to tell me when you were in love, nii-san," was his beloved older brother's soft response.

"What?"

Itachi shook his head, still smiling. "Who else would cause you to tear yourself to pieces like this outside of myself, mother, father, or Sakura? And, before you start to argue about the last one," Itachi said, noticing the narrowing to Sasuke's eyes, "it is for naught. I have seen you bend over backwards for that girl more times than I care to admit, and no one else on this earth can get you moving faster outside of your immediate family."

Sasuke's lips thinned, but he said nothing. He was too busy trying to build up his last line of defenses before he crumpled into a boy who desperately needed his older brother's advice. "Okay, so what?"

Itachi sighed. "You and I have nothing to fight about, mother and father are more than pleased with you, so there is no one else but Sakura. So, tell me otōto, what happened between the two of you?"

He couldn't help it. His sharingan was still active, causing Sakura's pain stricken face to cover his entire vision once more.

Sasuke flinched, and it was the guilt that got him talking. "I was hateful. I was cruel. I was frustrated by my inability to talk to her about something important, and it came out all wrong."

Itachi nodded sagely. "Most people perform the worst of acts against those that they love the most."

Sasuke said nothing to this, knowing what it would mean. The thing was that it was true that Sasuke was in love with Sakura. It was quite annoying, really, how infatuated he was by the pink haired kunoichi. Outside of missions, he couldn't concentrate on anything outside of the flashes of pink in his periphery, hoping that one was the teammate he was always fiending to spend time with.

He waited for a while with tense shoulders for his brother's assessment of the non-answer. It seemed to take forever, but eventually, Itachi said softly, "You know I have always loved Sakura like a little sister, Sasuke."

Sasuke's response was barely audible. It was hard to speak because his chest had suddenly become extremely tight. "I know."

"Mother has always dreamed of the two of you together."

"I know."

"The jounin have started taking bets on which of Konoha's young men will beat you to the punch on asking her out."

"I already fucking know."

"Father said that she was filled with enough fire to have always been an Uchiha."

At that, Sasuke's head whipped around to face his brother. His mouth was slightly open in shock, and he searched his older brother's face for a lie. All that was there was a warm, welcoming smile. "You won't have any setbacks when the time comes, Sasuke," Itachi added, his smile turning slightly into a smirk. "Mother has already started her dress' train."

Sasuke was aghast. "But– I–Itachi, we're only sixteen!"

Itachi shrugged. "Mother and father married at eighteen."

"I still have no idea if Sakura would even be open to the idea of it," Sasuke rushed out, feeling like such a dweeb as he did so.

His brother had the gall to laugh at. When he got done chortling, his eyes were twinkling like dark stars. "Sasuke," he said slowly, like he was speaking to a young child, "that girl has been in love with you since you were genin. You are blind if you haven't seen it."

Sasuke was floored. "But— she never–"

"Because she's a damn good kunoichi, Sasuke." Itachi chuckled at Sasuke's continued dumbfounded look. "Sakura's power extends far beyond just her chakra control, something I know you have noticed and admired."

"But– I–"

Sasuke bit his tongue. In response, Itachi gently inclined his head and said, "You must be able to verbalize your emotions, Sasuke. It is vital to learn how to live with them."

"What, do you want us to talk about her like Naruto and Jiraya do?" Sasuke snapped, annoyed with both himself and his brother.

Itachi's response was severe. "You have been raised better than to think that the only way to talk about a woman is in a degrading way, Uchiha Sasuke."

"I just don't know what you want me to say!"

"Tell me why you love her."

"I– I'm not– I won't–"

Sasuke took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The problem was that Sasuke himself had been trying to put a name to the feelings he'd been having toward his teammate for years, but he hadn't been able to get through the unsettling aspect of feeling them before he could try to consciously live them until recently. Now that he had acknowledged his feelings for what they were, he found that loving everything about Sakura was as easy as breathing, but far too complicated to put a name to.

Everything flashed behind his eyelids, everything that drew him toward the pink haired kunoichi. Her laugh, her smile, her will and stubbornness. Her intelligence, her massive heart, and her strength were all things he could name, but he appreciated those things about other people. Yet, when it came to her having those qualities, they were somehow…brighter, more refined, and so distinctly eye-catching that she outshone everything else around her. He could never do her justice with just words.

Sasuke couldn't explain it. It was like… "Floating," he said quietly. "Everytime I'm around her, I feel like my feet never fully touch the ground."

It sounded ridiculous and Sasuke immediately regretted saying it, but Itachi nodded like he understood exactly what he meant. He let Sasuke settle a bit back into his skin before he quietly said, "I felt like I couldn't breathe around Izumi for a long time, you know. Sometimes, I still feel like that."

Sasuke was floored. But then– "It… it doesn't ever go away? That…feeling?"

"You don't want it to." Itachi replied softly, but firmly.

Adjusting to the conversation, Sasuke finally was able to admit, "I don't know if I can fix what happened between us." He looked up at his brother, baring his guilt. "I hurt her, nii-san. I said things I truly didn't mean."

Itachi frowned. "Do you want to fix it?"

"Of course."

"Then you will handle it in the Old Way. The way of our ancestors."

Sasuke closed his eyes and felt the weight of the burden that Itachi had placed on him.

A thousand times more services and verbalizations of the opposite emotion you invoked upon the person you love. For physical harm, it was about providing a new sense of safety and acts of laborious service. For acts of emotional distraught, it demanded affection and attention to detail and person. Sasuke knew immediately which one he fell under.

He bowed his head like he had been taught to do at just seven years old and after he had broken his mother's heirloom vase. "I accept the pain I caused and accept the work to replace its memory."

When Itachi accepted this with a nod, the two lapsed into silence.

It was only when the sun began to rise did either of them speak again.

"Sasuke."

"Hm."

"Your trial to become a Jounin begins today."

Whirling around with wide eyes, Sasuke jumped to his feet. "What? When? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" He growled, punching the dirt as he stood. "Can I–"

"No," Itachi said softly, standing and brushing the dirt off of his clothes. "You can't. We have to leave now, as we are already late. However, there is someone other than who you desire waiting for you at the gates to wish you well."

Sasuke grimaced. "Naruto?"

He shook his head. "Kakashi-sensei."

Sasuke felt a bitter feeling grip him, but he shook it off. He would fix this with Sakura, he would, but he had to do this first. She would understand, and if she didn't…

Well, he might as well try and leave a message for her with Kakashi, even if his sensei was kind of an idiot.

XxX

Sakura's POV

Age: 16

XxX

Sakura was exhausted.

She had spent the last four days in the hospital, working nonstop. The first day she had been called in for an actual reason that kept her there for nearly an entire twenty-four hour shift. Four ANBU had come in torn to shreds, and it had taken her and Shizune twenty-two hours to stitch them back together. It had been exhausting, and Sakura had passed out for twelve hours in her office after the fact.

The following two and a half days were filled with monitoring them, yes, but Sakura knew that she had been using it as an excuse to hang out at the hospital and avoid a certain new jounin back in town. A certain new jounin with whom she had left things on rather weird and uncertain terms.

Even after she had healed him after returning from his Jounin exam, things seemed off between the two of them. When Kakashi left them in the examining room by themselves to alert the Hokage of Sasuke's return, Sakura had mindlessly chattered about stupid things in an effort to fill the silence, something she hadn't done since she was a genin. Sasuke had merely sat there and listened, his eyes on her own the entire time even though she refused to meet his gaze. It was right after she had gotten done healing him that she had been called in to help with the incoming ANBU, and off she had gone, leaving him frowning on his exam table.

How they had left it on the rooftop the night of her birthday had been horrible, raw, and filled with miscommunication. Sakura knew this after Sasuke had made it a point to say it a few days prior, but Sakura didn't know exactly what Sasuke had been trying to get across to her that night. She wasn't sure she was ready to find out either, so she stayed in her office off of Tsunade's main one and worked on paperwork, researching her poisons, and generally avoiding everyone and anyone.

Her avoidance of the entire thing came to a screeching halt when Sakura heard a tap on the small window of her office. Looking up with a start, she saw a beautiful hawk sitting on the sill, its head cocked while its beak clicked against the pane once more.

Recognizing it as a summoned companion with a message, Sakura rushed to the window and threw it open, the hawk immediately offering her its leg. She thanked it quickly, taking the scroll, and off it flew, not waiting for a response.

Wondering who it could belong to, Sakura's breath caught upon seeing the familiar scrawl across the parchment.

Sakura,

Is Tsunade a slave driver?

I have a book for you. I'll be home tonight.

Sasuke

Sakura gripped the small note between her fingers, the shaking of her arms making the words blurry.

She never expected Sasuke to reach out like this. Every other time they had gotten into an argument that lasted more than an afternoon (the seldom few) both of them usually skirted around the other until something happened when they were around their friends that made the other one crack a smile or laugh, and the tension was gone. She had been hoping that that would be the route they would take this time, but apparently Sasuke was in the mood to get right to the punch.

Taking a settling breath, Sakura turned to look at the clock. It was definitely past the acceptable time for a hardworking employee to leave, so the timing of the note definitely stood to say, It's late, you're working too much, now come over.

It wouldn't be the first time that he'd found a way to send her a late night reminder to get out of the office, but it would be the first that would include an invitation to come over.

Sakura bit her lip, weighing her options. She couldn't ignore him, but could she really show up at his house, collect this book that he had for her, and then head back home? It would be painful, being in such a domestic place with him and knowing that when he started courting another girl, it would be inappropriate for her to go over and bake cookies with Mikoto or train with Itachi and Shisui at the Uchiha's training yard. It hurt, the thought of their close relationship coming to an end soon, and she wasn't sure that she was in an emotional state to deal with that.

She could forgive him for what he said on her roof. It was the living life with him but not with him that she wasn't sure that she could do. Having to watch another girl love him, give him children, share in Uchiha family traditions with the family and learn their jutsus? It was the most likely scenario that she could come up with for her future because a one with her and Sasuke together and in love was one that she just couldn't see.

There wasn't a chance in hell that Sasuke could ever love her as much as she loved him.

It wasn't the ridiculous kind she had proclaimed to be in as a child. No, this love was built from coming to know the person beneath the persona, learning who he was inside and out, and falling for every single faucet and flaw that he had. To Sakura, Sasuke wasn't just beautiful on the outside, he was priceless on the inside.

Still, he was her friend, and she cared about their friendship. So, she stiffened her upper lip, took off her white doctor's coat, and grabbed her bag. Slinging over her shoulder, she set the note on her desk, hoping that tomorrow when she returned to work, it would bring a smile to her face.

She left the nearly deserted halls behind for even more deserted streets. The cool quiet was calming for Sakura. She was able to collect herself before arriving at the gates of the Uchiha district, smiling at the police officers flanking the entrance. They gave her distinctly different welcomes than before, something that caused Sakura to frown. Normally, she could get a smile in return if she knew the guard or a friendly dip of the chin if she didn't. Instead, the two on guard snapped to attention as she passed, giving her firm fists to their chests as she passed.

It was odd, but Sakura figured that their protocol could have just changed. Still, she couldn't stop the negative thoughts in her mind from whispering that they were somehow looking down upon a clanless girl for visiting her of-marrying-age teammate late at night. The thoughts licked at her heels as she turned the corner down Sasuke's street, the oil lamps lighting her way.

Sakura ascended the wooden stairs and took a deep breath before knocking, hoping that it was Mikoto that answered. It was only a few moments before the door opened and there he was.

Sasuke was in comfortable clothes, wearing a long-sleeved shirt and training pants. His hair was damp, like he had gotten out of the shower not too long ago, and the smell of ash and wood wafted across the threshold like it always did at his house. He had a hand on the door and another against the frame, but his eyes never wavered from where they had snapped to meet hers as soon as the door had opened wide enough.

"Hey," Sakura said weakly, wiggling her fingers like an idiot.

She wanted to facepalm, but settled for a grimace.

"Hey," Sasuke replied, smirking slightly. He was flushed, but looked happy to see her.

"I got your note," Sakura rushed out, flushing. God, strike two for her inability to speak. "So I came over…yeah."

Her right eye twitched. Fuck me, honestly.

Sasuke chuckled. "Yeah, I figured." Turning, he opened the door wider to let her in. "C'mon. It's in our wing."

For Sasuke's promotion, his father had built another wing onto the main house, allowing his two sons a bit more privacy as they were both considered adults in their clan's eyes. Mikoto had claimed it was to decrease the noise of them coming in and out for missions, but she too knew the two boys wanted some space. Sasuke had been excited about it for the past year. He and Naruto had made far too many plans for their own good, but luckily nothing outside the realm of two idiot teenage boys with access to weapons.

Still, if she heard them mention their 'arsenal' one more time, she was going to kill them both.

It felt odd, following him along a different route as they walked down the new catwalk built around the garden. His old room was being turned into a sewing room by his mother, and Itachi's was his father's new office. Speaking of…

"Where are you parents?" Sakura asked, turning to look back over her shoulder. The light in their room being off was odd as well. It was the evening, but it was much too early to go to sleep, especially for a night owl like Fugaku. He was normally up at this time, doing dishes or reading in the tea room.

Sasuke scratched the back of his neck but didn't turn around when he said, "They stayed behind in the northern part of the country after the Rite. It's where the Uchiha ruins are from before Konoha, and every so often, they have family reunions and rituals."

Sakura frowned, confused. "Why aren't you and Itachi there?"

She felt more than saw his shift in posture. "You have to be married or betrothed to attend."

"Oh," Sakura said softly, mentally kicking herself. She grimaced at Sasuke's back but tried to shake off her nerves before they stopped at a door down the new, long hallway. He opened it and turned on the light before walking in.

Sakura followed, clutching the strap of her bag between her fingers tightly. She tried one last time for helping her sanity. "Is…is Itachi-san home?"

Sasuke tsked at her use of the suffix, but it was still a hard habit to break for her. "No, but he will be sometime in the early morning," he said, shrugging as he moved to turn the lamp by his bed on. "He has guard duty at the Hokage's office tonight."

Great. Alone. With Sasuke. At night, and in his giant new room. What else could Sakura fuck up?

Finally, after fiddling with one of his pillows, he turned to face her, seeming to take a deep breath before just….looking at her. From head to toe. It was like he was scanning her or committing her to memory.

Sakura took an awkward step into the room, glancing over at his bookshelf. She tilted her head toward it. "So… the book?"

Sasuke blinked rapidly and cleared his throat at its mention. It made him look nervous. "Right. Yeah, the book."

Her brows furrowed. "Right…the book." When Sasuke said nothing in reply, Sakura added slowly, "Where is it? Or, better yet, what is it?"

Sasuke blinked once, twice, then whatever trance had come over him since they had walked into his room left, because all of a sudden, the stiffness was gone, and he wore the hard, determined expression she had become well accustomed to over the years. He looked like a man on a mission, and Sakura was beginning to doubt that she understood why she was here.

"Okay," he started, taking a step forward until he was standing by the foot of her bed. "The book is part of everything, but I have a lot to say and I have no idea how it's going to come out, so just– just bear with me, alright?"

Sakura felt her heart start to race. Fuck, this was it, wasn't it? It was time to finally face the music. She could do this.

So softly, Sasuke could barely hear it, Sakura whispered, "Alright. Go on."

Sasuke didn't react well to that. His brows furrowed with frustration and he took another step forward, his hands raising and lowering like he wanted to reach out and touch her. "Sakura…what I said on the rooftop the night of your birthday…everything came out so, so wrong, and I need to explain myself."

"I already accepted your apology, Sasuke. We're good," Sakura replied, smiling softly, though it wobbled just a bit. His words still hurt, but she knew that he was a person who needed forgiveness, and she could never not give it to him freely.

"We're not good," he insisted, surprising her. "You left not understanding what I was trying to tell you, and that was before I told you a bullshit lie. Everything was just–it came out so wrong, and then you left and I had no idea how to fix it. Fix us."

Sakura nibbled on her bottom lip. "Is…is this you fixing it?"

"Yes," he said, taking a step closer. Sasuke wasn't close enough to touch, but with the way that he was looking at her, Sakura felt like he was touching her already. His attention always felt heavy and warm, but right now, it felt scalding. It was as if Sakura had suddenly taken a dip into a steaming bath, and the way that Sasuke's eyes seemed to flicker with red only made the heat within her increase.

She had seen those red eyes of his on her more and more over the past year, and she was starting to wonder if it meant something more.

Sasuke took a deep breath, and his voice was fierce and determined when he said, "I'll never be sick of you, Sakura. I'll never not want to go on missions with you and Team 7, and I'll never stop wanting to have you in my life."

When she felt like she could speak without choking up, Sakura managed to get out, "I know all of that, Sasuke."

"But you still don't know what I was trying to explain to you before that," he insisted, and the proximity of his voice caused Sakura to open her eyes. He was right in front of her now, his head bowed enough to keep her from tipping her head too far back up to look him in the eye. It was startling, the mixture of intensity and nerves that she could see. Coal eyes flicked back and forth between her own, searching for something.

"You talked about being of marrying age," Sakura offered. Her voice came out in a weak whisper, so she tried for a grin. "You talked about courting and– and dating." She forced a laugh next. "I can't imagine you taking a girl out on a date."

"I can," Sasuke responded immediately, his voice low and gruff. "I can see exactly how everything plays out. The courting, then dating, then getting married and starting the next generation of Uchiha's. I can see it all so damn clearly, but I can't figure out how to make you see it too."

Sakura's heart stopped when he started speaking, but it picked up at a rigorous pace as he leaned in closer. Surely he could not be saying what she thought he was saying. "What do you mean?" she whispered, her fingers curling into fists at her sides.

Sasuke closed his eyes and shook his head before looking back down at her, his face raw and left open for her to see in a way she never had before. He smiled down at her, grim and a tad bit sheepish, but he managed to speak clearly and without pause. "I mean that on the night of your birthday, I was trying to tell you that when I got back from the Rite, I was going to ask if I could start courting you."

Sakura felt like the world slipped out from under her feet.

Nearly falling over, she caught herself with a hand on her chest. She couldn't… she didn't… she hadn't been prepared for…

"Me?" Sakura asked, her voice broken and so horribly unsure.

Sasuke looked like he was seconds away from crumbling as well, but more out of exasperation instead of shock. "Of course you, Sakura." He chuckled self-deprecatingly, his palms up at his sides as he shrugged. "Who else would I want to spend the rest of my life with?" he added in a softer tone.

Sakura's hands shot to her mouth, her fingers trembling. She took a step back, the emotions coursing through her too overwhelming for her to process. Sasuke wanting to court her in the official way of the Uchiha's was a big deal. Huge. It meant something bigger than crushes and bigger than just thinking she had a nice ass. It was– It was–

Looking pained, Sasuke took a step toward her, his hands reaching out to ghost over her elbows. "Sakura," he said, drawing her name out. "Please…Talk to me…"

"I don't understand," she whispered from behind her fingers. Her eyes were wide and she couldn't help but shake her head back and forth. "I don't…you don't…you haven't ever before…"

"Sakura," he said again, this time drawing her name out with an audible sigh of exasperation. "If you knew how long I've felt this way, you'd be embarrassed for me."

It just came out of her, like her filter was apparently on an extended vacation. "I bet it's not longer than how long I've felt that way about you."

The change in Sasuke was instantaneous. Before, he had been slow, cautious, and acting like he was afraid that she was going to run for the door if he so much as stepped too quickly in her direction. But upon hearing her words, Sasuke's spine straightened with a snap, and he looked at her with a new understanding.

"How do you feel about me, Sakura?" he asked softly, though there was nothing placating or gentle about this softness. It was almost…threatening. Like he would do anything it took to hear her truthful answer.

But Sakura could never feel truly threatened by Sasuke.

"I've loved you since our first day at the academy," Sakura whispered, her words equally miserable as they were breathless and filled with a tinge of hope, wondering if he might feel even close to the same as her.

Sasuke's eyes shuttered closed and he took a deep breath. They were shut for a long time, but when they opened, Sakura had to gasp at the swirling red that greeted her.

"Sasuke-kun…" she whispered, staring in awe at the new, six-pointed design on each of his eyes. "Your eyes…but I thought… losing a loved one…?"

"It's not just that," Sasuke murmured, walking steadily toward her, moving her further and further back. When her back hit the door, Sakura gasped, her nerves completely frayed and on edge, but Sasuke was there to take her hands, squeezing them tight between his own and grounding her. He whispered her name and that was all it took for the tension to fall from her shoulders, her eyes locked on his as his head tipped down to rest against her own.

"Do you really not know when an Uchiha can gain their Mangekyo?" he asked, his thumbs brushing against her wrists.

Sakura's stared wide-eyed at him and shook her head.

His next smile was her favorite smile. Soft, and filled with the warmth only the Uchiha new. "It can happen when an Uchiha feels a great amount of love, as well."

The tears that had been threatening her all day finally fell with a vengeance, and Sasuke looked like he couldn't hold himself back a second longer.

"Can I–"

"Sasuke-kun–"

It was like two magnets, drawn together. Sasuke's arms shot out wide to accept the pink haired girl as she flew into them, wrapping them tightly around her as soon as she crashed into him. Her own wound around his waist, her fingers digging into his back as she clutched him as close as he could get. Sasuke was no better, his own hands sweeping down the back of her head, her shoulders, elbows, and back. They held onto each other like the moment they let go, they'd be pulled apart for eternity.

Sakura was shaking so hard, she had to cry with her mouth closed so she didn't bite her tongue. The tears kept coming and she wasn't sure what to do with herself, so she did what she wanted and held onto him with all of her might. In return, Sasuke's tight grip and his constant flow of affectionate words and caresses were overwhelming and so, so sweet, Sakura felt like she was going to shatter into a million pieces.

Years. Years of wanting, years of forcing herself not to dream, all for nothing. Not when he loved her too.

Eventually, Sakura found herself in the air, Sasuke having swept her feet out from under her with one arm and keeping her close with the other. He walked them over to his bed and settled them down in the middle, his back against the headboard, then he settled Sakura sideways across his lap. He held her close, his hands moving to cradle her face against his neck while keeping her secured to him with a hand against her hip, squeezing her close.

If Sakura had been more aware of the situation, she would have been having a mini heart attack about the fact that she was in Sasuke's lap in his bed, sans anyone else in the room.

Instead, she finally let herself fall into the soothing scent and feel of the boy she'd loved for forever. She let herself run her nose against his skin and her fingers twist in his shirt. She let herself bask in the knowledge that Sasuke was here with her, that he was the one that had pulled her to him, that he was the one who had bridged the gap and brought her to him. He was there for her, needing her, and wanting her.

Sasuke wanted her.

Eventually, her tears stopped and only a few sniffles remained. Sakura had stained his shirt, but Sasuke didn't seem to care. In fact, he seemed inclined to not let her go at all, even when her crying completely stopped, and all that was left was their breathing and the soft cooing of the owls in the courtyard.

Sasuke's fingers eventually tapped her shoulder, and when he whispered her name, Sakura leaned back enough to look him in the eye.

"I'm sorry I cried all over you," she said, hiccuping through the apology enough for a flush to rise to her cheeks.

Sasuke merely smiled and brushed a strand of hair off of her forehead. His smile looked conspiratorial as he said, "I highly doubt that'll be the last time you cry all over me, Sakura."

The look she gave him had to be something, because Sasuke was biting his lip to keep from laughing at her. Tapping him on the chest, Sakura tried her best to glare up at him, but Sasuke let the laugh out anyway, shaking his head at her.

"Sasuke-kun," she said, drawing his name out in reproach. He didn't seem to care, continuing to smile softly down at her as his fingers drifted in and out of the hair that fell against her temple. He looked so peaceful, so happy, that Sakura could only stop and stare.

It hurt sometimes, how beautiful Sasuke was.

"This doesn't seem real," Sakura whispered, her eyes trailing all over Sasuke's face. God, when was the last time she had been able to just look at him like this, up close and without restraint? Could she trace her fingers over his features next? "I never dreamed it could end like this."

"This was all I could dream about," Sasuke responded quietly, his eyes slightly downcast. "I'm sorry it took me so long to do something about it."

"No, don't say that," Sakura said quickly, sitting up slightly. She placed her hands on Sasuke's shoulders and gave them an affectionate squeeze. "We're…here, right? That's all that matters?"

When Sasuke didn't say anything back to her, Sakura frowned. She tried to sit back even further, the thought of getting off of him all together was definitely in the back of her mind, but everything stilled when she felt the hands that had shifted to her hips stop her in her tracks.

Sakura couldn't see his face because of her shifting hair, so she raised one hand to pull a sheet of it back. Sasuke's hand caught her by the wrist before she could, but the act was enough to push it behind her shoulder, freeing her eyes to see the look in his.

Sasuke looked dazed. His mouth was slightly open, his lids were lowered, making his long, thick lashes brush his cheeks, and his breaths were deep and heavy. The look in his eye was something that Sakura had never seen on him, only in the eyes of other men who looked at her.

Desire.

Sakura felt her stomach hollow and she swallowed, her eyes never straying from the coal across from her as he reached up a bit higher to tuck her hair behind her ear. His fingers caressed the edge of it as he lowered his hand down to her cheek, and when the warmth of his palm pressed against her skin, Sakura whole body shuttered, her eyelids flickering shut for a moment.

Sasuke's grip tightened, and Sakura's eyes flew back open.

"I don't know what to do next," she whispered into the quiet stillness that had surrounded them. She felt so small and unsure, not used to anything that was going on. She'd thought about this, sure, but when faced with the physical and real presence of the object of her affection? She had no idea what to do. She'd never been on a boy's lap, though she'd read many books that had scenes that were similar. Kakashi never should have left his books out when it was her turn to take watch. A kunoichi could only fight sleep for so long. Still, she felt wildly out of depth.

Sasuke on the other hand looked determined, though she wasn't sure what about. Eyes moving back and forth between her own, he started off slowly before gaining traction. "We can take it slow. Figure out how we want to be more than we are now. We'll do whatever you want, go wherever you want, and figure it out together. Then, whenever you're ready, I'll ask you to marry me. We'll move into the house my father, brother, and I will build for you, and then live the rest of our lives together."

Sakura couldn't help but choke on a half sob, half laugh. At Sasuke's bewildered expression, she shyly managed to get out, "I meant right now, Sasuke-kun." Her eyes moved from his eyes to the scant amount of space between their bodies.

Sasuke's eyes widened fractionally with understanding before he grinned. "Honestly? I'm just happy you didn't punch me through the wall when I picked you up."

That got a hearty laugh out of her, though part of her was slightly horrified that it could have happened. "Yeah, you're right. I totally could have–"

She never saw it coming.

One second Sakura was talking and grinning down at Sasuke, and the next, the hand on her cheek was leading her lips toward his, and he kissed her.

Sakura swore she saw fireworks brighter than her birthday.

Outside of the small squawk of surprise that she let out, Sakura immediately melted. Sasuke would make fun of her for it for years, but the moment his lips touched hers, every thought escaped Sakura's mind but being kissed by Sasuke Uchiha.

It was slow and sweet, a slightly fumbling first kiss between childhood friends, but it was more than perfect. The way Sasuke's fingers slipped into her hair to tilt her head back made her feel soft and delicate, things that she had never felt before as a kunoichi. The slow sipping and tasting that he seemed to perform with his lips left her delirious, and she felt her fingers slipping from his shoulders to his chest and tightening in his shirt to keep him close.

He smelled like spice and ash and tasted like fire.

Eventually, Sasuke pulled back just enough to press the lightest of kisses to her lips, then her nose, and then both of her cheeks. By the end, he was flushing due to her giggles, but Sakura knew he didn't regret the sweet action. Throwing her arms around his neck, she settled against his chest naturally, only stiffening for a moment at her audacity before the thick arm banding across her back and holding her to him gave her relief.

They laid like that for a while, Sakura sprawled out across Sasuke's lap, her body resting against his chest while her legs kicked out to the side. Sasuke drew his knees up eventually, and he used his thighs to keep her close, freeing his hands to caress her arms and hip. Sakura drifted off into bliss, smiling into Sasuke's shirt as she felt and heard his heartbeat settle and slow to match hers.

It was a while before something occurred to Sakura.

"Oh!" Sakura shot up, Sasuke sitting up straight as well in alarm. "We totally forgot about the book!"

Sasuke looked puzzled at first, then he blushed about seven shades of fuschia.

Immediately, Sakura was intrigued. What the hell was this book about? "Sasuke-kun…?"

Clearing his throat first, Sasuke said somewhat quietly, "It's an official copy of the Uchiha family ceremonies. It's a tradition for… for new wives to read it, but many men give it as a courting gift if the woman is outside of the clan."

Sakura's mouth popped open. "I–you— are you serious?" Stories from their childhood told by Sasuke about attending Uchiha weddings flooded her vision. "You want to give it to me? Now?"

Sasuke's answering smile was fonder than ever before in memory. "Ah. It's like I said before. There's no one else I'd rather share my life with."

Sakura's shocked expression slowly morphed into pure, utter elation, and when she swooped in to kiss Sasuke, he welcomed her with open arms.