Hot tea was cooling by the open window. In the background could be heard the quiet murmuring of Sakura, who was most likely singing a song under her breath. She often did this, Sasuke noted, but he never asked her what the tune was. He concluded that he still had time.

The vanilla scent reached his nostrils. He glanced at the teacup, its perfect rim, well-formed handle and beautiful hand-painted flowers. Such looking porcelain would not want to be spoiled. Every time he picked it up and put it to his lips, it could end up falling. Sasuke was aware of this, and still enjoyed taking it in his hands and observing it from all sides, drinking warm drinks from it and marveling at its beauty. It was a selfish act that he was ashamed of after so many attempts to become a better person.

"Do you like it?" the melodious voice he already knew so well, since he heard it almost every day, snapped him out of his reverie.

He had been notoriously drifting his thoughts elsewhere lately.

"Yes. Where did you get it?"

He took a sip from it, not taking his eyes off Sakura. The woman smiled softly, then took a seat across from him. With a mug of steaming tea, she looked out at the sky full of stars that reflected in her pupils. Sasuke couldn't stop falling in love with her more and more every day.

"I did it myself. I was at a pottery workshop three months ago with Ino and Naruto." she squatted a cup in front of him "We should go there too, if you want."

Sasuke nodded, keeping his eyes too long on her hand, causing Sakura to get tense and quickly take it from there. Could it be that through his two-year absence, she had stopped having the same feelings for him as before? Had Sasuke begun to misinterpret her hospitality? The fact that she allowed him to stay with her until he decided what to do with himself could only have been an act of friendly service, nothing more. But then it would mean that he should get out of her apartment at the earliest opportunity. Sakura had her own life, and Sasuke could be in her way. And that's exactly how he felt, as if he were an intruder.

He rose abruptly, accidentally tipping his teacup over in his haste. The tea spilled on the table, but fortunately the china did not disintegrate. Instead, a scratch formed on it. A bloody scratch.

"Sorry."

Putting it aside, he didn't look at Sakura once. It made him feel stupid; /him/.

"What's wrong, Sasuke?"

She approached him, but he dodged her, as if in an amok walking toward the exit. His feelings overwhelmed him. He felt too much at once. He was not used to this. He had spent the last few months alone, traveling and rearranging everything in his mind so that he could come back stronger and a newer man, not to hurt her again by not controlling his emotions.

"Nothing, it is not important." he said rather quietly, grabbing the coat hanging next to the door.

""It is important." sounded her voice firmly, "Sasuke, don't do it again. Don't cut yourself off from me. I'm here to understand."

He stopped and swallowed his saliva with difficulty.

"I can't tell you what happened, Sakura, I'm not able to."

"Then show me."

His legs betrayed him; his body did what it wanted; his mind thought only of her as the woman he loved. Sasuke found himself next to her and kissed her, confidently and greedily, as if he hadn't fought with his head and his conflicting thoughts at all a moment ago. And Sakura returned the kiss, capturing his face in her gentle hands. The scratch on the cup can be repaired.