Chapter 2: Windows

Konoha slips into April in the blink of mismatched eyes, for once trying hard to focus on promising visions of the future rather than painful recollections of the past. Trying being the key word, as Sasuke still finds being in Konoha tremendously difficult, though the ache has dulled slightly, offset by a little time in her company and a gentle nocturne of confession.

He departs from the hospital shortly following their reunion, once her tears subside; Sakura tells him, misty-eyed and voice thick with emotion, that she still needs to finish the stack of paperwork she'd been reckoning with at the end of her shift, and that she knows he needs to report to Kakashi sometime this evening.

"Be sure to get some rest tonight," she murmurs kindly before he goes, soft-spoken and ever-caring, smiling at him with an affection he has desperately missed. "You've come a long way."

He promises to see her the following day; he'll meet her at the hospital at seven, once her shift is over. He's not sure what they'll do, but she seems sincerely excited about it. She's glowing when he steps back out her window, jade coruscant and still gripping the uchiwa fan tightly in her hand like it's made of precious metal instead of wood and textile. He can feel fervid eyes following him as he leaps to the nearest adjacent roof.

He's more than happy the gift was well-received, though he hadn't foreseen that it would make her cry like that. He had contemplated whether she would like it, turned it over in his head, heart, and hand for a long time, tracing her name and worrying if it was right. Emotion is still thrumming in his chest, but now instead of apprehension, it is relief and anticipation and something tender, just for her.

Intermittent between various necessary tasks, he uses the newfound clearance to think of the feel of her lips on his for hours, after.

He makes quick work of procuring a room at an inn for the evening; he's pretty sure if he goes to check in with Kakashi without one, he or the dobe will offer for him to stay with them. Naruto has been married for just over a year. Sasuke is sure he is well into a more domestic routine, with the expectations that come with being a husband, coming home for dinner and the like. He doesn't know Hinata well, other than his recollection of her from their academy days; from what he does remember, she was very shy, and he doesn't wish to intrude. Knowing how witless Naruto is, he would probably invite him to stay without even checking with his wife first.

He also senses that being around Kakashi for longer than necessary might put him on edge, especially after seeing Sakura. The Hokage knows everything that happens in Konohagakure, and he did not cloak his chakra on the way to the hospital. His old sensei has always been able to see straight through him, and he's not keen on having him dissect how he's feeling for longer than necessary, at least not this evening. Warmhearted homecoming with Sakura aside, he still feels a bit raw at being back here, in this village that Itachi loved so much but that caused them so much pain.

He takes the time to shower once he's checked in, savoring the feeling of deliciously scalding water against beleaguered muscles, something not often found on the road. It was a long trip, productive, but he was perhaps too eager to be done with it towards the end, hopeful yet incredibly anxious for what awaited him at its conclusion.

Sasuke allows himself a deep sigh of relief now that he is alone as he closes his eyes, endlessly grateful that his worries were for naught. The bland soap provided by the inn is a simple but much appreciated amenity, cleansing away dirt and grime and, finally, scratching the topmost layer of years' worth of uncertainties regarding his own worthiness. All he has to do is exhale in the steam, and a small chunk of the consternation, that outermost coating that he hadn't realized was so heavy, goes down the drain easily, bolstered and partially eroded simply by seeing her, hearing her voice and seeing her smile, confirmation that her feelings have not changed. It's as if the entire past few years boiled and then simmered down all at once to an evanescence of absolution, extremely necessary but over now, a finished chapter gone up like smoke from his clan's signature ninjutsu.

There are still layers and layers underneath, of course, years of peeling to do, and a susurrus lurking beneath the surface, but it's nice, he finds, to partially shed a minute fraction of that top layer of sediment.

He wonders, as he stands under the hot water, how Sakura can be so steadfast in her convictions. Outwardly, it is as if love is easy for her, when he knows loving him is more likely a grand burden than any kind of blessing. He has spent years and miles on repentance, trying to bleach the stains of his past, with the hopes of becoming a better man. He hopes it is enough, and that she can forgive his absence.

Always.

He is longing to see her again already.

Sasuke stands under the downpour of clear water for a long time, thinking about Sakura and Konoha and the process of cleaning a wound before binding it.

He then changes into less threadbare clothing, forgoing his cloak, before heading to check in at the Hokage's office. Despite the complexities swirling around in his gut, he is surprised into a strange sense of calm upon stepping outside. He has gazed upwards at stars nearly every night since leaving here for his journey of atonement; it is for some reason very comforting that they look much the same here as they have everywhere else, blinking into existence one by one as the last light of March dwindles.

"Sasuke. It's good to see you. Welcome back." There is no tone of surprise in Kakashi's casual drawl at all; Sasuke had expected none. His old sensei shifts aside some of his paperwork, putting down the pen he'd been holding to regard him fully.

"Kakashi," He says, nodding in his version of a greeting. It feels good to see him in person again. Being the Hokage, he had ways of contacting him if there were any particularly pressing matters he felt his skills were suitable for, but his tone of greeting right now feels less business and more casual, like they're just talking man to man rather than subordinate to superior.

"Long journey?"

He nods.

"How are you?"

Sasuke shrugs carefully, noncommittally. "Fine."

Something gleams in Kakashi's single visible eye, and Sasuke has the vaguest sensation that he has just walked right into a trap.

"Well, I'm relieved to hear that. A little birdy told me you beelined straight to the hospital after coming through the gates, and spent some time there. I hope you weren't terribly injured."

Sasuke is not going to dignify that with a response. The copy ninja is grinning at him knowingly through his mask like he sometimes does at his stupid books; he knows without a doubt that he's being teased.

If he is outright asked about Sakura, he'll answer truthfully, but he won't respond to thinly-veiled chaff.

"Of course, you seem more than fine now. Whatever needed healing, she must have done an excellent job."

Sasuke just blinks at him, unimpressed and unwilling to take the bait, though his ears heat up to the extent that he's pretty sure it's visible.

If Kakashi notices, he doesn't comment on it. He instead meets his stare for a long moment, then sighs and closes his eye, apparently making the decision to let it go for the time being. "Chipper as always. Well, anyways, welcome back. I'm sure Sakura was very happy to see you. Naruto will be, too, once he finds out you're here." He pauses, eye flitting back to his and searching his expression before continuing. "Are you planning on staying awhile?"

He echoes his answer to Sakura. "...For more than a while."

Kakashi smiles at him, then, sincerely this time, instead of like he's trying to figure him out. "Great. We'll be glad to have you within the rankings regularly again. You are quite the asset."

Sasuke nods, waiting for the rest.

"...And I suppose a Team Seven reunion may be in order at some point, too." His expression is more fond now, softness in a single dark eye.

"...I suppose," He acknowledges, something shifting in his chest. He did miss them.

Kakashi cracks his knuckles and swivels his chair to grab some sheets of paper from a stacked organizer on the table behind him. "Well, I'll start getting your reinstatement paperwork together. I'll have a few things for you to fill out tomorrow morning. Obviously I won't assign you anything for a few days; I imagine you have quite a bit to do, just having gotten back and all."

Sasuke tries not to read into that.

His old sensei is searching his gaze again, papers gathered in hand now, rotating back to face him. "Do you have somewhere to stay? Sakura's, maybe?"

Sasuke feels his face color this time at the implication of staying at Sakura's. He hasn't seen her apartment, doesn't even really know where it is; she had mentioned she'd moved into her own place in their letters, and that it was fairly close to the hospital.

He then feels somewhat suspicious, because if Kakashi knows he's been to the hospital, he likely is also aware that he's gotten a room at an inn already.

It's raillery again, he realizes, though more subtle. He resists the urge to roll his eyes.

"...I have a room at an inn on the north side," He responds, looking resolutely away.

"Ah. Well, all in due time, I suppose. Will you be looking for a place, then? I know of a few buildings with openings. There's a bit of an expansion boom going on right now; I could give you a list to start with."

Sasuke's face slowly changes back to a normal color, though the all in due time sticks with him. He's remembering the feel of her lips on his again. "...Thank you."

"What do you think you would prefer? Older building, or newer? We have a little bit of everything, honestly."

He thinks he would prefer older, something with history and archives beyond himself. "...Anything's fine."

Kakashi sighs. "Talkative as ever. Alright, I'll give you the list with your paperwork tomorrow. Naruto will probably be here when you arrive; he's been working on a few things with me, in between missions. Training successors and all." He smiles warmly. "It will be quite the surprise."

Sasuke takes that as a tacit admission that Kakashi is gifting him an evening of quiet instead of letting Naruto know he's back tonight, to come pounding on the door of his room at the inn. Sagacious as always, in more ways than one.

"...Thank you," He says again, this time more sincerely.

Sasuke eats what remains of his rations for a late supper, back at his room; he's not sure he can stomach a real meal just yet. The building was fairly busy earlier for as compact as it is, guests filtering in and out, but those staying must be settled in for the evening now. It is surprisingly quiet.

He thinks about how much Konoha has changed, but also how it hasn't. There is a memorial stone he thinks he should perhaps visit, but Kakashi's face offers distraction, emerging out of the ink of night from the mountain outside his window. It is dark enough that one could imagine another up next to his in the craggy shadows; Sasuke wonders how long it will be before Naruto's face also materializes from the rocky terrain.

He thinks about pink hair and jade eyes, too, all redamancy and cicatrized scar tissue, and an uchiwa fan clutched in hands that heal like it's something cherished instead of a curse. He'll go to the memorial tomorrow, he decides, after he's seen Sakura. He thinks he can handle it if he goes right after, bolstered mood and fresh binding. He's done fleeing from what he feels, even if it is slow and excruciatingly acidic, even if it hurts and he makes mistakes. There is more corrosion that needs to occur, he knows.

Be sure to get some rest tonight. You've come a long way.

Sasuke falls asleep in a bed for the first time in months. It is, fortunately, dreamless. He thinks that her words have something to do with that... or perhaps it's one more recollection of soft lips on his, and a tenderhearted voice filled with promise.

Naruto's jaw drops to the floor when Sasuke walks through the door of the Hokage's office the next morning.

"EH?! Teme?! When did you get back?!" His idiot best friend looks at him in shock, then looks at Kakashi accusingly, because he's not reacting to Sasuke strolling in at all; he didn't even glance up from the scroll they're working on. "Hey, did you know about this?!"

Kakashi shrugs, composed as ever. "He got in last night. You were already home. You have a wife to please now, you know. Hello, Sasuke."

Naruto narrows his eyes, clearly flustered. "I've been pleasing my wife for over a YEAR now, thank you very much." He emphasizes the word year by poking Kakashi's chest with the pen he'd been using. The copy ninja ignores him and reaches across his desk for papers pinned to a clipboard.

Sasuke watches this unfold in a combination of contained amusement and nostalgia, though he did not need the particular mental image his stupid teammate has provided. "Kakashi. Dobe."

Naruto turns his gaze to him, blue eyes blazing in scrutiny. "Really?! You just walk in here after this long and that's what you say?! I busted my ass to bring you back here!"

Sasuke directs an irritated glare his way now. "You just called me teme all of five seconds ago."

The blond gets a faraway look that clearly signifies he is thinking, gears turning and searching his memory to confirm if he had indeed called him that. Sasuke rolls his eyes; he hasn't changed much. Maybe it'll be a while before he's on the side of the mountain, after all. Idiot .

Kakashi sighs. "Well, this is certainly familiar. Now all we need is Sakura, here to punch Naruto out of my office and down the street." He pauses, and there's the glint in his eye again, meaning danger. "Too bad she's working, huh, Sasuke?"

Sasuke narrows his eyes as Naruto defends himself, oblivious as ever. "Hey, she hasn't punched me that hard in at least a year! You guys fucking suck." Naruto, the juvenile that he apparently still is, sticks his tongue out at both of them.

"That's less a compliment to you and more a testimony to her self-restraint," Sasuke says flatly, walking up to Kakashi's desk to take the paperwork he's now extending. Naruto chooses this moment to chuck his pen at him in retribution, which he narrowly blocks using the clipboard. As it drops, he swivels his hand to catch it deftly between two fingers, clipboard still clutched between the other three. He then takes a seat to start looking through the forms, taking way too much satisfaction in how annoyed Naruto looks from the corner of his eye when he realizes he's keeping the pen.

"Well, welcome back, I guess. Bastard. I'm assuming you're actually back now, since you're filling stuff out. Thanks for the heads up," Naruto grumbles sarcastically, miffed and grabbing another pen from Kakashi's supply before returning to whatever they'd been working on in a dramatic huff.

Sasuke contemplates not saying anything, but relents. He actually did kind of miss him. "Hn. Thanks. Idiot."

Kakashi shoots him an authentic smile as if he is proud of him, and Sasuke rolls his eyes. They settle into a short silence as the three of them focus.

The first page is pretty basic. Standard consent to mission assignment, updated information, and the like. He leaves the address blank for the time being, knowing he'll likely be able to fill it in later today.

The second page is the beginning of an assortment of health screening forms, which is also pretty standard, given his haven't been updated in just under two years. Physical exam, cholesterol and heart disease screening, infectious disease screening along with bloodwork, and an ocular exam. Sakura had done his last one, after the war; she was the medical ninja most familiar with the Sharingan at the hospital, having been assigned numerous missions with Kakashi. It had been quick and pretty painless for the most part, though he'd still been healing from his arm, back then, so there were extra steps and rehabilitation documentation, too; that part wasn't as painless. He flips the page to preview what's on the next, and sure enough, there is another slip for a progress update on his amputation.

Sasuke wonders if she'll be able to do this one, or if it would be considered a conflict of interest, now that they're… together. He's not necessarily keen on having anyone else near his eyes, or his bad arm, now that he thinks about it.

Kakashi glances up, and he must notice his brow furrowing, because he advises, "It would make sense for Sakura to do your health screening, given her experience with the Sharingan and also her familiarity with the status of your arm. You'll have to make an appointment."

He nods, as Naruto looks up momentarily at the mention of their third teammate. "Oh, yeah, Sakura-chan will be so excited to see you! She's missed you a lot."

Sasuke finds himself pleased to hear this information from a supporting source, heart swelling with affection in his chest, but he also isn't sure what to say, given that he's actually already seen her, so he stays silent. He wonders if Sakura told Naruto of their exchanging of letters while he was on his journey, or if she kept that to herself.

He hopes they're both too engrossed with what they're working on to notice the heat that has crept up the back of his neck, because he's very stuck on the phrase a lot, and he's thinking about her lips on his again, as well as the aroma of berries invading his olfactory senses. He's looking forward to seeing her tonight.

He flips to the next page; it's a separate packet, stapled, listing several apartment vacancies, along with their addresses, pricing, and contact information. He scans the list, previewing the options. There are a few he knows he's not interested in based on description or location, but some could work fine.

Sasuke stands and unclips the papers from the clipboard before returning it to Kakashi, figuring the sooner he figures out a place to sleep, the better. The inn was fine, but he checked out this morning, and he'll need to pick up some things before seven in the evening comes. "When do you need these by?"

"Oh, within a week or so would be fine. You can take a few days to get settled."

Naruto's ears perk up, and Sasuke groans inwardly.

"Hey, where're you staying anyways, teme? You should have said something. Hinata-chan and I have a guest room!"

"Don't worry about it," Sasuke responds with a note of finality, struck with a sudden desire to get out of here. He senses something is coming, by the way Kakashi is slyly looking at him, so he starts taking measured but casual steps towards the door, papers in hand.

"Sasuke is going to be looking for an apartment this morning," Kakashi offers to Naruto cheerfully and purposefully, as Sasuke closes his eyes in annoyance and continues walking, though he knows at this point it's a lost cause. The blond is already up and out of his chair, project forgotten.

"What are you doing?" He asks in a last ditch effort, already sighing in acceptance as his idiot teammate follows him to the door.

Naruto rolls his eyes. "Obviously I'm coming with you to make sure you don't pick a shitty apartment. Knowing you, you'd probably pick something super depressing with all black walls."

"I don't need your help. Don't you have something to work on here?"

Kakashi grins somewhat deviously, as if he was waiting for this to happen. "Actually, Naruto, you've been working so hard here this week that I think you've earned a morning off. Go for it. I'm sure there's a lot you both can catch up on."

Sasuke can see it in his single visible eye: He's your problem now. This was probably Kakashi's plan all along, to use him as a stratagem for getting Naruto out of his hair. Tricky bastard.

"This is gonna be so great, teme. I know all the best buildings. Hinata-chan and I learned a lot when we were looking for our place! Fuck you for missing our wedding, by the way. We can swing by, so you can see how nice it is! Hinata-chan just planted all of these pretty flowers; we look at them every morning out the window. We can even go to Ichiraku's for lunch before that; it's close by!" Naruto is opening the door and walking out already, continuing his jabbering like he just expects him to follow him.

Sasuke suppresses a twitch and throws a withering glare at Kakashi, who is looking rather like the cat that swallowed the canary, before preparing himself for what he knows is about to be one of the loudest mornings of his life.

A few hours later Sasuke begrudgingly claims a seat next to Naruto at a way-too-familiar restaurant. He orders something small as the dobe talks his left ear off, filling him in on what he evidently deems relevant information, things that happened during his absence. Some of what he mentions Sasuke actually already knows from Sakura's letters, but he feigns interest anyway. Ichiraku's is not super busy, it being a Wednesday afternoon, so at least it's not crowded; he's not sure he could handle so many people at once, just yet.

He'd ended up picking an apartment towards the northern edge of the village, not terribly far from the inn he'd stayed at; he'd liked the placidity of the area well enough, and the lack of abundant streetlights meant that he could see stars at night still with less likelihood of light pollution. Naruto had lamented its plainness; there was another one he thought he should pick instead that also met all of his specifications: second story, older construction, non-crowded location, furnished simply so he doesn't need to add much, a shower with good water pressure, a washing machine, and all sealed wood floors; no carpet. But Sasuke liked the other one better, so that was that.

It's under ten minutes walking distance from the hospital, and far away from the memorial stone and what used to be the Uchiha District. He's not sure if that's growth or cowardice.

He's dreading doing that. He wishes it was seven. Green and unfurling as Konoha is right now at the emergence of spring, he hasn't seen a thing today quite the same shade as her eyes.

Naruto finally shuts up when their food is placed in front of them. To his absolute bewilderment, he notices there are vegetables in the idiot's bowl of ramen: chunks of spinach, watercress, and scallions. He used to avoid them like the plague, way back when, and also after the war.

"...So you've graduated to adult food," Sasuke quips sardonically after observing for a second, snapping his chopsticks using his teeth and his hand. He stirs the contents of his own bowl around.

His friend grins and swallows his first bite before speaking - another improvement, Sasuke notes. "Uh, hehe, yeah, Hinata-chan gets on my case if I don't eat my vegetables. She puts them in my ramen at home, so I'm kind of used to it now. They're not so bad, I guess!" There is something fond in his eyes at the mention of his wife. He's still not quite sure he believes someone agreed to marry Naruto, let alone the Hyuga heiress. Ex-heiress, now, the dobe told him earlier, though he didn't seem upset about it.

His best friend must be hungry, because he's shoveling food into his mouth now and not saying anything more, still smiling dazedly as if he's thinking about her. Sasuke realizes when he takes a bite of his own food that he was rather hungry, too. He didn't eat breakfast, and his dinner last night wasn't large or particularly nutritious.

A few minutes pass as Naruto demolishes his first bowl of ramen and orders another, while Sasuke works on his own, eating slowly to really savor the flavor. He knows it won't taste as good in a few weeks after he's been dragged back here repeatedly.

"So when are you gonna go see Sakura-chan?" The blond asks after he puts in his second order. "She really missed you, you know."

Sasuke glances at him, then looks back at his own bowl. It doesn't escape him that they went straight from talking about Naruto's wife to him seeing Sakura.

"...I saw her last night," He finally says honestly, before taking a bite, preparing himself for the inevitable ribbing or an interrogation.

It never comes.

Naruto just looks at him for a second, as if sizing him up, and then responds, "Hm," as if he's thinking, which is weird, because it's Naruto . He's smiling, but it's not really a teasing smile like he expected, just a sincere one.

What feels like a very long moment passes as Sasuke chews his food. His ears feel warm.

"...And you're seeing her tonight?" The inflection he uses makes it sound more like a statement than a question.

Sasuke swallows before answering simply, "At seven."

Naruto's second bowl of ramen is placed in front of him, and he goes back to eating as if nothing happened, though he's still wearing the same jovial expression.

Maybe the dobe is less oblivious nowadays than he thought.

Sasuke meanders back to the Hokage's office with Naruto after lunch to turn in part of his paperwork; all he has left are the medical clearance documents. He figures he can ask Sakura tonight if there's a good time to stop by while she's working for an appointment. On the way, Naruto chatters some more, and they walk by the dobe's house, so he knows where it is for future reference. They don't go inside, but Sasuke tells him it looks nice.

"It does, doesn't it?" His friend replies, getting that faraway look in his eyes again that tells Sasuke he's thinking about Hinata. There are flower beds out front, freshly planted and well-tended as he'd said, within view of the main windows. They are near overflowing with color, marigold and cobalt and fuchsia. It is one of the more impressive displays he's seen since returning to the village.

It gets Sasuke thinking about the concept of a home. He is happy for his friend, he realizes; Naruto has never had someone to go home to before.

His teammate doesn't ask about Sakura again, though Sasuke suspects he will eventually; he's too nosy not to. In the meantime, he is appreciative of the space he's been given.

Naruto mentions a Team Seven reunion dinner soon and the possibility of sparring, though he doesn't specify when. Sasuke nods his assent before leaving the Hokage's office, where Kakashi and Naruto apparently are diving back into their project. Sasuke is intent on getting in and out of a few stores before five hits and people flood home from work, so he doesn't say more than a few words before leaving.

It doesn't take him very long to make the first trip. He quickly procures some hangers for the closet, as well as a few things for the bathroom: a shower curtain, towels, a new toothbrush, and soap. It takes him a moment to choose which scent; he's not used to having options, anymore. He wonders what Sakura would like. Maybe her shampoo is where the berry aroma comes from. It could also be a perfume, he supposes, though for some reason she doesn't strike him as the type to wear something like that often.

He also finds a set of simple white plates and bowls; they are light and easy to carry. He grabs silverware, too, and a few cups and mugs, because he likes tea, occasionally. Before he leaves, dish towels, laundry soap, and a few more necessities are added to the stack in his arm.

He walks everything to his apartment and leaves it on the kitchen table before heading back. If he had two arms, he might have been able to make it in one trip, but he's used to it at this point.

On the second trip he remembers to get hand soap, dish soap, and some cooking utensils. He also picks up cleaning supplies, a small clock, a pillow, two thin comforters, and two sets of sheets.

After he's set that load on the table, he makes one more trek out, this time to the market. He picks up basic essentials - meat, rice, vegetables, tomatoes, simple seasonings, tea, and so on. He stays away from food that's challenging to prepare for now; he hasn't been in a kitchen regularly for a long time, living on rations or wild game. He hasn't really done any genuine cooking in a kitchen for years at this point, with his arm the way it is now. Another adjustment.

Sasuke finds he's fatigued once he gets back for the final time, making it inside just a half hour before five hits. It was good to see Naruto again, and spend some time with him despite his chattering, but he could use some quiet now, he thinks. Introverts need time to recover from social burnout; he'd read that somewhere, once.

Sasuke looks out the main window in the living room for a bit, and then at the clock, before beginning to put things away.

He wonders if Sakura will have eaten dinner yet. Probably, he thinks, so he puts some rice in to cook while he washes the cutlery and puts it away. He kind of wishes he could eat with her. There's something less than joyful about eating here, alone with his thoughts.

It's barely past six by the time he finishes putting everything in its newly designated location and eats the last of his meal - onigiri and a few tomatoes. It was good, despite its simplicity. It used to be his go-to meal, when he was younger and also living alone.

Since he has time, he decides to unpack his few belongings, most of which are sealed as part of a scroll for easy travel. He puts away the majority in the upper portion of the closet. He also puts a load of well-worn clothing into the washing machine, and thinks he'll need to pick up a drying rack; he'd been using whatever tree branches were available for that purpose while on his journey. The apartment Naruto liked had a dryer, but he can just air dry his laundry, he thinks. He's been doing it that way for years, and not everything of the past is necessarily a bad thing.

When he gets to her stack of letters and the worn photo of his family, he stops for a minute or two, and just looks at them. He should figure out something to store them in, he decides, so that they don't get more crinkled. He chooses to examine them in the living room since he's done unpacking everything else; the lighting is better there due to the window. The small sofa that came with the place is situated so that one can enjoy the quiescence of the street below.

The photo is old; it's been in his possession since he was eight. Sasuke thinks that he should perhaps frame it, now that he has a residence somewhere, but he's still not sure if he could handle looking at it every day. He couldn't when he was younger. That will be a layer in itself, and he thinks it's probably down pretty deep. He sets the photo aside for later.

The letters are newer, all written in the past two years, but they are wrinkled from being folded and unfolded numerous times. Sakura's handwriting is very characteristic of her, measured and neat with a hint of femininity. She swoops the tails of her As more than most people, he'd noticed, by the time he'd received the third one. He thinks it comes from swooping the same letter at the end of her name when she inscribes her signature.

He wonders what she would think if she knew that he's kept all of them. He also wonders if she's kept his, if they're tucked away somewhere for safekeeping by now with an uchiwa fan that has her name etched into the wood.

He's still thinking about heartfelt lips pressed against his and gentle fingers around his neck.

Always.

He looks at her signature for a long time, thinking of the concept of home, of how nice Naruto and Hinata's house looked from the outside, a superfluity of color placed to be enjoyed from the inside, too, through glass. He imagines the dobe's wife has helped to make it tasteful throughout the interior, as well, and less littered with empty ramen cups.

Sakura seems like she would have a green thumb; he had noted a few unique plants residing in her office. He can't imagine the deluge of color at the Uzumaki residence being quite what she would choose to cultivate surrounding her own living space, though. She would probably like something lighter, more variety and less saturation, a subdued but purposeful viridescence. Like her personality, but also like her namesake, blooming and then settling into a calming, lingering green.

He idles in the main room of his apartment, letters still held carefully in his lone hand as he studies what lies within view of his own window. Hanami has come and gone for the most part; the majority of the cherry blossom trees in the village have already flowered, pink fading and falling and floating away, with green eking in slowly to replace it.

Not this one, though. This one he can see from his apartment, directly below, across the street. He's returned just in time to catch its blooming, thin glass being the only thing separating them.

Eventually, he leaves for the hospital, giving himself enough time that he arrives five minutes early. He can't wait any longer.

AN: So not a lot of direct SS interaction in this chapter, but that's coming, I promise! I felt like it was important to detail Sasuke's first full day back in the village, set some pacing, and give a little insight to what's going on in his head beneath the surface. I imagine returning would obviously still be difficult for him, after everything, and I also wanted to detail his reuniting with his other important people there, too. Naruto and Kakashi will definitely be fairly prevalent in this story; I have several relevant future scenes already written involving them. (Also, Kakashi is the biggest SS shipper, and no one can convince me otherwise.)

A slow pace overall is really what I'm going for, as I feel that's the most true to what would be necessary for Sasuke's processing and adjusting. There is something to be said, too, introspection-wise, about moving into a new place on your own and unpacking/putting things away, really taking stock of your belongings and what they represent to you. It was also a good opportunity to foreshadow a few small things here and there, hint at some of Sasuke's issues. 'Windows' obviously refers to the literal windows throughout the chapter, but also less literally as the window of time in which he has to wait to see Sakura again - which will be the next chapter!