#ive been watching naruto at request of some friends but i have to do something else while i watch it

[skytlake]

i have spent all day with cookie clicker open and either watching naruto or playing botw

[might-guys-acorn]

Got an amazing imagine request for Gaara seeing how excited his S/O is about Naruto and Hinata's wedding and decides to propose! Im so excited to do this one!!! -🦎

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A startled Gaara looked up from his paperwork sitting on the kitchen table. That squeal had to have been beyond a human's capacity to create. He stood up quickly as you blazed into the room like a hurricane, looking desheveled with your hair falling out of its bun and clutched an envelope tightly to your chest.

"Y/N, what's the matter?" He asked, in a concerned tone, thinking something must be wrong to have you this worked up.

"NARUTO AND HINATA ARE GETTING MARRIED!!!" You shriek excitedly, the biggest smile plastered over your delicate features. You hold the envelope out for him to see. He returns your smile calmly and takes the mail from your hand. Its addressed to the both of you, everyone considered it a package deal at this point. You were forever at his side, from the office to travel to a simple walk down the street. It was odd to see his hand unnaccompanied by your own.

"Im so happy for them!" You giggled and thought fondly of the double dates you and your boyfriend went on everytime youd visit the Leaf Village. Youd met the two of them through Gaara just a few months after you'd started dating, and theyd been some of your closest friends for 2 years now.

"I couldnt agree more, itll truly be the happiest of events." He used a magnet to place the invitation on the fridge and sat down to return to his work.

"I know its not for another 8 months, but Ive just gotta do something! Maybe go look for a gift? Yes! I'll go find our gift!" You place a kiss on his forehead and duck out the door.

Just a few minutes of your absence left him with swimming thoughts. He placed the paperwork down, it was no use trying to go throught it with all this static in his brain. Marriage? Of course he had thought about it, youd been together for nearly 3 years at this point, and Temari was always badgering him about it. But now, Naruto was getting married. And how your eyes glistened when youd found out. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. You were so excited. So happy. He loved to see you that happy. He decided right then that he had to be the cause of that joy. Everyday for the rest of his life.

-❤❤❤-

"Gaara, where are we going?" You tugged on his hand excitedly and skipped forward to stand next to him. He took you on dates around the village every once in a while, but he usually preferred the piece of mind of being at home. And he's never tried to surprise you before, he liked to ask for your opinion on places to go.

He brought the back of your hand to his lips and looked at you with a sweet smile. "We're almost there, just hold on a little longer."

The sun was nearly setting over Suna, and you loved to watch the honey glow of golden hour light up the sand around you. This was your favorite time of day.

Gaara squeezed your hand lightly and brought you back to the moment, and as you turned a corner, you saw a large greenhouse in front of you. As he opened the door, he gestured you in and chuckled softly at your gasp of surprise. All of the greenery around you was lit up by your favorite warm sunshine, tinged slightly with the orange and purple highlights of the incoming sunset. In the center of the plants was a small picnic, and you turned to the man behind you to place a soft hand to his cheek.

"Honey, this is beautiful." You whispered. He place his hand over yours, looked deep into your eyes and took in the light casting on your hair, your eyes, your smile. "Yes, you truly are." His soft tone made your cheeks heat up.

"Lets not let this picnic go to waste." You reply, pulling him over to sit down with you.

As you pulled the food out of the basket, he picked a nearby flower and tucked it behind your ear. In the glow of the greenhouse, you took his hand and asked, "What's all this for?"

He smiled nervously, "Well, I wanted tonight to be as perfect as you. Ive been thinking a lot lately, about how precious you are to me. About how much light you've brought into my life. About how, no matter how long Ive been able to be yours, the sight of you still makes my heart flutter. Your smile makes me smile, your laugh can take any pain away, the sight of you next to me in the morning still feels like a dream." He takes a deep breath, and your smile persists as you lightly tuck a stray lock of his bright red hair back into place. He can be such a romantic sometimes.

"Sounds like you've got an awful lot to think about, honey." You say softly, and watch his warm eyes take in your playful words.

"I don't want to spend a single moment without you. For the rest of my time in this world." He grabs your hand quickly with both of his, "Marry me, Y/N."

His statement takes a second to sink in. But as soon as you realized what he was asking, you flung your arms around his shoulders, knocking the two of you to the ground and let out a long string of "Oh Gaara" and "yes" and "of course" and "I love you". Silence only filled the air when he kissed you passionately, laying in the middle of the greenhouse, and the sun tucked itself behind the soft sand dunes of Suna.

In the soft light of the new night sky, you moved to lay next to him, placing your head on his chest to feel the still-rapid veat of his heart.

"I love you, Y/N." He said, stroking his fingers lightly over your arm.

"I love you too." You shut your eyes and smiled and felt his heart literally skip a beat. As he pulled you closer to him, Gaara smiled under the emerging stars and the excitement he felt radiated in every direction. You wanted him to be yours forever. He sighed and knew now why you were so joyful to get that invitation. Celebrating a love like this was the most wonderful gift in the world.

[avenger-hawk]

oh btw i just gotta say that my favorite fic for itasasu has to be ‘what he wanted’, i wept twice while i read it cuz its so darn beautiful lol. ive been reading uchiha tropes all evening so i decided to write a thing (well, i had started writing it before i made a tumblr, cuz i thought "i gotta have something to show off my style if im gunna bug someone about writing junk"). honestly half the reason i even contacted you is cuz im thankful there was a fic up that didnt simply portray him (tbc1)

as an awful abusive child diddler. i get that he had a big ol sadist phase but i was super disheartened to discover 80% of the fics on ao3 focus on/exploit all his worst traits. its so sad. im pretty new to the fandom (like i started watching naruto in january) so i super missed all the good stuff as it was happening. its just weird that everyone thinks hes gunna be a jerk to the one person who matters the most to him. so uh anyway this thing im writing, its just a oneshot of some ideas (tbc2) portraying my headcannons for itachi (and i guess to a degree sasuke since hes, yknow, a big part of it). perhaps sometime when youre not occupied with other stuff you could give it a read. its not finished yet, but im in no rush. i dont have any friends who like naruto much, and i was also inspired in part by your fic and some of the stuff on your blog. so i mean itd be cool if you could, but i wont be upset if you never do. im a pretty patient and understanding person who would (tbc3 omg) rather respect someones space than get attention, hence the anon (okay and also im just super dumb awkward shy). my knowledge of the narutoverse and other characters is paled in comparison to my interest in the uchihas (mostly itachi, but i enjoy reading about all of them). im only on ep 351 of shippuden so i am not even finished and i likely will never read the manga, cuz i work and stuff. im rambling cuz im just trying to let you know why im asking you to read a thing, it would be rude (tbc4) not to give you context. plus, i really dont wanna seem like i NEED attention, i just wanna express some things. anyway my apologies for the ask spam, you definitely dont have to reply to any or all of it really. i probably didnt need to elaborate so much but i just want to avoid being annoying, which in turn may bite me in the ass for being so long winded. but its just how i am lol. i wish you well in life and writing! people suck, i like to avoid them, but i also like to write with them. 

Haha it’s ok, it was an enjoyable read…and thanks, I’m glad you liked WHW and my portrayal of Itachi. I try to balance his good traits with his negative ones, which I don’t overlook, pretty much the opposite. In fact I love those negative traits cause they make him more fascinating and interesting, and because everything he does it’s out of love for Sasuke. His controlling side, the way he wants to protect Sasuke by lying to him and hiding him the truth, the effort he puts in keeping Sasuke “safe” according to his idea of safety, in a village whose dark sides he knows well but that is still the best place to live in, for Sasuke, even if it means hurting Sasuke himself. THis is more fascinating to me than his martyr-only side that I see too often. 

Actually idk where you found those ao3 fics where Itachi is portrayed so negatively cause super old fics aside I stopped reading IS fics cause I can only find fics where Itachi is such a sweet and cute cinnamon roll and Sasuke is so mean and I can’t accept them. Like, I read this fic that seemed so promising, but it turned out that Itachi was so submissive to Sasuke (and this NEVER happened in canon. NEVER) who wanted to create new Uchihas to repopulate the clan with some random women but since he couldn’t have children because of some pact with some snake demon, he had Itachi have sex with them and he kinda watched them and even got aroused, and the whole thing had Sas*ita vibes even tho it was recommended to me as IS and amazing lol. Oh and there was Itachi being such a cutie with Sasuke’s snakes when it’s canon that Sasuke loves animals. But ok. I don’t want to criticize other ppl’s fics cause this one was well written and I’m sure lots of ppl will love it but my point is that I’ve read a lot of stuff that is not for me and now I don’t read many fics anymore cause the disappointment happens more often than not xD

Anyway, I’m not saying I don’t want to read your fic, in fact I find it cute that you contacted me for it and the whole story and context of your reading the manga and writing was interesting to read. So if you link it to me I will, as long as your portrayal isn’t totally different from my view? It’s only a natural request, no one wants to read the portrayal they totally disagree with~

[southsidestory]

Homecoming

Rating: Teen

Pairing: SasuSaku

Summary: Their first kiss was on Homecoming night. The briefest touch, his lips to hers, before Sakura pulled away, blushing. Then again, a kiss not so fleeting, followed by one after another until the sun rose above them.

Notes: I’ve been in a mood for SS lately (blame @xxlovendreamsxx), and it seemed like the perfect time to write this little high school fic. @jjibbless sent me a request for “high school popular kid / nerd AU” awhile back, which ties into the Day 9 prompt pretty well in my opinion! Thank you jjibbless for the request and @sasusakumonths for hosting this awesome event. 

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prelude

It isn’t that Sasuke Uchiha is a misfit, exactly. He’s too good-looking—and high schoolers are too shallow—for him to be an utter outcast. But he’s the kind of boy who spends more time alone than with their classmates, and if he has any friends besides Naruto, who’s friends with everyone, then he’s keeping them well hidden. Sasuke’s GPA is tied with Sakura’s for the highest in the Class of 2018, but she’s sure that if he’d socialize, people would stop dismissing him as a nerd. Instead, he blows off every dance, football game, and party he’s invited to.

Until homecoming. It’s the kind of warm October evening that you can only find in southern California, late enough in the year that autumn’s edge has calmed the weather from suffocating to balmy. Sakura is crowned homecoming queen, the San Junipero Sharks kick the Gardena Wolfhounds’ asses, and Sasuke Uchiha shows up to a school event. All in all, it’s a beautiful night.

watch the queen

Only a loser would lurk around the corner, pretending not to spy on a pretty girl, and Sasuke is not a loser. He isn’t lurking either. Just standing around, keeping himself busy with people-watching—well, person-watching.

Sakura is sitting with the other girls from the homecoming court, all of them trussed up in ridiculous fluffy gowns and torturous-looking shoes. Ino seems pissed that Sakura took the crown, but in that strangely fond way that characterizes their relationship. Maybe Sasuke is too distant from Sakura’s circle to understand how that odd friendship functions, but he thinks it might be every bit as confusing to witness up close.

Seven months. He has seven months until graduation. He needs to either ask Sakura out or get his head on straight and forget about her.

Moving on would be better. He heard that Sakura is applying to Ivy League schools all over the country, and God knows she’s accomplished enough to be accepted into most of them. Sasuke keeps pace with her academically, but foster kids don’t have the financial backing for Yale. He’s about to age out of the system, and it’s going to take all of his time and energy just to get by. Even if Sakura wants him back—and sometimes, when he catches her looking at him across the library, he thinks she might—Sasuke knows that it’s not enough. She’s beautiful, brilliant, privileged, and loved. Her future is too bright to risk dimming, and she deserves better than anything he could provide.

But then he thinks, What’s one date? It’s not like watching a movie together and grabbing dinner (maybe kissing on her doorstep, if he’s lucky) would turn into something committed. Sasuke can’t hope for any of that, much less more, so why not at least try?

laid bare

Ino steals Sakura’s crown and puts it on her own head. “You should just give this to me,” she says.

“Oh really?” Sakura asks. “Why’s that?”

Ino sticks out her tongue, adjusts the tiara, and says, “Because all anyone will look at when you wear it is the big billboard brow it’s sitting on.”

Sakura pinches Ino’s shoulder. “I guess the majority of the student body disagrees, Pig.”

She pulls a handful of pins out of her hair, kicks off her shoes, and props her feet up on the bleacher seats. Ino gossips about the torrid affair that she’s certain Mr. Sarutobi and Ms. Yuhi are having.

“That’s ridiculous. They barely talk.”

“Well, duh, that’s because they’re trying not to be obvious,” Ino says, rolling her eyes. “Because when they are in the same room, the way they look at each other is practically pornographic. Mark my words, Forehead: they’re doing the nasty.”

Ten-Ten says, “Please shut up. I don’t want to think about Ms. Yuhi getting busy while I’m trying to learn calculus.”

“Seconded,” Hinata says gently.

Ino shrugs. “Why not? She’s hot as hell, and sex is way more interesting than differential equations...”

Sakura thinks Ino might still be talking, but she can’t focus on the conversation because Sasuke Uchiha is walking up the bleacher steps, and it looks like he might be walking toward her. They’re friendly enough that her silly coronation merits some kind of congratulations, right?

“Sakura,” he says.

The other girls fall quiet around her, and Sakura could kick them all for staring.

“Hi,” she says. “It’s, uh, really nice to see you here.”

“And surprising,” Ino adds.

Sasuke doesn’t seem offended, although he’d have every right to be.

Sakura jumps up, straightens her dress, and asks, “Wanna take a walk? I’d invite you to sit down, but this bunch probably wouldn’t let you get a word in edgewise.”

There’s the briefest flash of unbridled emotion on Sasuke’s face, a slight expression of surprise, maybe even excitement. But he reins it in before Sakura can be certain, and he only says, “Yeah, sure.”

Sakura is so elated to have a moment alone with Sasuke that she runs off without her heels. By the time she notices, it would be embarrassing to go back to fetch them, so she just walks on the dewy ground barefoot, too happy to even care that she’s getting grass stains on her snow white dress.

until sunrise

Their school is dark, empty, and locked at this time of night, but there are still places to linger. They take seats at a picnic table outside the cafeteria doors, splitting a funnel cake. Sasuke bought it when they passed the concession stand, but he didn’t think about the intimacy of sharing food. They have to sit close, and their hands keeping brushing as they eat. It tugs at something in his chest when Sakura steals the choicest pieces of cake, her smile teasing and bright.

“I wouldn’t have guessed you’d be so greedy,” Sasuke says.

Sakura ducks her head, then looks up at him through her lashes. “Well, maybe we should get to know each other better.”

“So I won’t be surprised when you steal my food?”

“Our food,” Sakura corrects. “You bought it for both of us. It’s not my fault if you can’t defend your territory.”

She swipes the last chunk of cake and eats it. Sasuke doesn’t think she means to be seductive, but he still has to look away as she licks the snowy sugar off her fingers.

Silence falls between them once the funnel cake is gone, and just to break it, Sasuke asks, “How’s your English paper going?”

“Oh, no,” Sakura says, laughing. “I’m not giving you an update on your competition.”

“Hn. You’re not my competition,” Sasuke says. He pokes her side, purely for the sake of making her jump. “Valedictorian is mine. We’ll just have to wait a few more months to confirm it.”

“Is that so?” Sakura asks, suddenly serious, except for the brightness of her gaze. “What makes you so certain?”

“I need it more,” Sasuke says, without thinking.

Sakura’s teasing expression slips away, replaced by something softer. She doesn’t say anything—which is good, because if she pitied him right now, it would ruin everything.

Then she reaches for his hand and grasps it in her own. They stay this way, linked by a singular touch, for a long while.

the valedictorian

Sakura can’t be upset when Sasuke takes the number one spot. His GPA barely edges hers out because of an A- she made in English IV, and if anyone else had ranked above her, she would have been furious. But Sasuke hadn’t lied four months ago at Homecoming, when he said he needed this more than she did. She hopes that maybe, with a little luck, he’ll get a financial package from Stanford that will allow him to accept the place they offered him. With her.

She takes Sasuke to a little Italian restaurant by the shore to celebrate their accomplishments. While they eat their appetizers, Sakura lifts her glass of water and says, “To my amazing boyfriend, the Class of 2018’s valedictorian.”

Sasuke rolls his eyes, but his smile is happy, if small. Sakura counts that as more of a victory than class rank could ever be.

coda

Their first kiss was on Homecoming night. The briefest touch, his lips to hers, before Sakura pulled away, blushing. Then again, a kiss not so fleeting, followed by one after another until the sun rose above them.

On graduation day, in the wake of his speech, Sasuke thinks of that night. It was a beginning, the start of something he could never have anticipated. Maybe today is an ending, the closing chapter of their simple school days, but what he and Sakura have together, it’s the kind of love that can be counted on.

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[kyvir]

Hello Tyy! Thoroughly enjoy your work on ff, so I have a request! I'd like a canonverse night change on the night Sasuke gave Naruto his message for Sakura and have him go home instead. If you'd be so kind as to write the reunion that'd be amazing! Thanks!

Thanks so much for the request! I love and enjoy your work as well, Blu.

I hope you enjoy Sasuke’s decision to drop by his home… If only for the night.

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The Brief Reunion-

Rating: M

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Though it may have been a clone, Sasuke found himself slightly bothered by having to meet Naruto. He’d been waiting a while and it annoyed him because he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. It had been a while since they’d met and though he had to meet him now for some information, it was hard for him to do so.

Naruto reminded him of home. Reminded him of his family. His wife and daughter, who he never got to see.Actually, he thought of them on a daily basis and that wasn’t the hard part, no he enjoyed thinking of them. But, when he thought of being so close to them, and yet so far away… it hurt.

Once Naruto finally showed up and called out to him, Sasuke turned to look at him.

“You’re late.”

Naruto annoying tried to explain himself and even took the time to complain a bit. Typical of him, but Sasuke wasn’t interested on wasting his time on such blabber.

“I don’t even know my way back home now, damn it!” He whined. “Where are we anyway?”

“Don’t ask me.” Sasuke muttered and then went to change the subject quickly. “So, where’s the scroll?”

Naruto seemed taken aback and somewhat annoyed by Sasuke’s eagerness, but he handed the scroll on over nonetheless.

Things weren’t looking good. It seemed that no matter how hard they tried to maintain peace, there was always something to worry about. Sasuke wanted to finish his mission, to get rid of these threats and know that his family, his home, was safe.

After discussing a bit of the scrolls contents with Naruto, Sasuke stood, feeling confident that this new information would help him a great deal. Though he’d never expected Danzo to have any information on Kaguya, he was happy to have any information he could. Pretty soon, this would all be over.

“I didn’t get it at all.” Naruto admitted. That didn’t surprise Sasuke, and this wasn’t Naruto’s mission, it was his.

“But with this,” Sasuke said as he got to his feet. “I should be able to get closer to the Time-Space where Kaguya existed.”

“Hey, you’re leaving already?” Naruto asked with disappointment. “What’s wrong with coming back to the village for a while?”

Sasuke turned to Naruto, his brows knitted together. Naruto knew his reasons for keeping a distance well enough, and he didn’t take too lightly to Naruto’s suggestion, even if he did mean no harm.

“Naruto…” He chided him before looking away, his mind going to his wife. She was a saint for putting up with him and all his baggage. “Give Sakura a message for me.”

Naruto frowned, feeling saddened by the way things were. He’d always regret things turning out this way for his friends. Neither of them deserved this. Neither of them could ever be completely happy, when they couldn’t ever even see each other.

“Tell her, I’m sorry for everything.” Sasuke told him, and then he was gone, leaving Naruto to mull over his thoughts alone and he couldn’t help feeling, that it wasn’t Sasuke who should be sorry at all.

…

Cursing under his breath, Sasuke leaned against a nearby tree, feeling more torn than he had in the longest time. Sending a message through Naruto, to his wife, was pathetic. He felt like shit. He knew Sakura understood. Knew that she missed him, but would always wait for him. She loved him that much, he knew it, but still, that’s not how he wanted things to be. He worried about her a lot, having to raise Sarada alone, without him every being around. Hell, his own kid didn’t even know him.

Meeting with Naruto truly hadn’t been good for him, because as much as he knew he shouldn’t do it, he was going back. He had to see her, to tell her himself, if only to know that she really did understand. Did she forgive him? Would she welcome him home with open arms, or send him packing, which in his eyes would be what he deserved. It was true that he was only trying to protect them, and Sakura knew that, but still, they were his only family and he was never there for them.

He almost turned around when he arrived at their home. It was late. He shouldn’t be doing this, he really shouldn’t… But, he had to.

Before he could stop himself, Sasuke walked inside and silently closed the door behind him. He took a moment to look around, taking in his home for the first time in years, though not much had changed.

It was quiet in the house and for a moment, he feared that Sakura may have been sleeping. He knew Sarada would be, having academy the next morning and all, but he hadn’t thought if Sakura would be or not. If she was, he’d wake her because he’d come this far. There would be no leaving until he saw her, spoke to her, and showed her just how much he truly missed her.

A loud crash and the sound of something breaking, followed by and even louder, “Shannaro!” told him that she was actually more than awake. The sound was enough to draw a smirk to his lips and he found that his feet had no intention of letting him stall any further. It would probably be hard to leave, in fact he was certain it would be, but he couldn’t stop himself.

He only hoped he was making the right decision.

Sasuke felt guilty for many things, but he refused to feel guilty for a leisure night and seeing his wife. Nobody was following him, though he was still taking a risk in coming here. He had to believe if he deserved nothing else, he deserved one night… and if he didn’t, Sakura did.

Their bedroom was where he found her. The door was wide open, so he could see her instantly. She was on her hands and knees, picking up several pieces of broken glass, that had once been a picture frame. She was biting her lip, looking quite conflicted and deep in thought. Sasuke wondered idly if Naruto had delivered his message, if that’s what had her so shaken.

Once each piece of broken glass was gathered into her grasp, she stood with a sigh, taking only one step before she noticed him in the doorway, watching her. Lips parting in surprise and green eyes widening considerably, she dropped the already shattered frame and once more it clashed to the floor, all around her feet.

“S…Sasuke…kun.”

Instantly, he was before her, gazing down at her adoringly. He’d missed her more than she’d ever know. More than he’d ever admit.

“Sakura…”

Overwhelmed with emotion, tears welled in her eyes and Sakura flung her arms around her husband. My, how she’d longed for this day, and not only her, but Sasuke as well.

It felt good to see her. To hear her voice. To feel her against him.

He wrapped his lone arm around her in return to her embrace, and rested his chin atop her head.

“I’ve missed you.” She grumbled into his chest, but he was still able to make out her words.

Sasuke said nothing in return, but when she leaned back to gaze at him, he released her to bring his hand to her face instead. His fingers ghosted over her cheek tenderly and as she met his eyes, she noted the pain that was there.

Usually, Sasuke wasn’t an easy person to read, even for her. But at that moment, she could see the confliction he felt, the concern, the guilt, and it only made her hold him tighter.

“How long do we have?” She asked, knowing by the look on his face alone that he wasn’t home for good.

That didn’t matter to her though. Just knowing that he’d come to see her, if only for a moment. For her, it was enough.

“Just the night.” He murmured quietly in answer, his hand now cupping her face as his thumb stroked her cheek affectionately.

Sakura nodded in understanding, but Sasuke frowned. His wife was strong, he knew it better than anyone and though he admired her greatly because of it, he resented himself for putting such a heavy burden on her. He’d been doing it his whole life. When would he ever be able to make her truly happy?

“You should have a nice meal while you’re here… Oh, and a shower! I’ll-”

“No.” Sasuke cut her off.

Food was the furthest thing from his mind and he’d stopped to bathe not long before meeting Naruto, but it warmed him to the depths of his soul to see how much she cared. She would always worry about him before herself and this annoyed him. He loved it, he adored her for it, but things should have been the other way around. He didn’t deserve her kindness, her love and affections.

She’d always been far too good to him.

“Is everything okay?” She asked worriedly then. “You’re not injured, are you? You should rest-”

Sasuke cut her off once more, though this time by sealing her lips in a kiss. Astounded by the abrupt kiss and even more-so by how quickly it ended, Sakura gaped at her husband with pinkening cheeks.

Sasuke smirked at this and casually ran his thumb across her bottom lip, his eyes softening.

He really had missed her.

“Uh… Um…” Sakura averted her eyes nervously, having never anticipated this happening to her tonight. For a moment, she felt as if she must have been dreaming. But then, this was far too real and too amazing to be a dream.

“Thank you, Sakura.” Sasuke told her meaningfully. When it came to her and all she’d done for him, and continued to do, he’d always be thankful. No words could express his gratitude. She looked back to him timidly, her heart pounding.

“I mean it.”

“Sasuke-kun,” She whispered, gripping her hands into his cloak. “You don’t have to thank me. Ever.”

Fingers slipping into her hair, Sasuke tugged gently, forcing her head back at the same time he leaned down and kissed her again, this time much more passionately. Sakura kissed him back desperately, holding onto him for dear life.

Things were heating up and moving rather quickly. Before either of them knew it, they’d shed all their clothes and ended up on the bed together, an eager Sasuke on top of an equally eager Sakura.

“Sasuke-kun!” Sakura gasped as he pressed himself against her, his long and thick member prodding against her entrance before he filled her completely and so suddenly that she lost all her breath.

It hadn’t taken long (seconds really), for her to be more than ready to accommodate him, but it had been so long that she nearly forgot how it felt.Sasuke had almost forgotten himself, or rather, he remembered well enough, he just missed it; and nothing compared to pleasing his wife because it was so… pleasurable.

He moved slowly, enjoying the feel of her as he held himself up with his only arm and trailed hot, wet kisses from her lips, down her throat and to her breasts. His tongue laved at her skin, and the longer his stuck to one spot, the more forceful his mouth became. He nipped at her skin and suckled it too, leaving marks behind that she could heal, or enjoy until they vanished on their own. Honestly, he hoped she’d leave them.

When they were together like this, nothing else existed and Sasuke found himself more vehement and affectionate in those moments than he usually ever would. Sakura moaned loudly, her hands digging into his raven locks as he had his way with her body. Though it was the first time in such a long time, he reminded her easily of just how strongly he could make her body react to him.

Sasuke was close, so close he’d had to stop completely for a moment to collect himself and remember just who he was here to please. Himself, yes, he wanted to please himself but he wouldn’t forget about his wife. She was building towards her own orgasm, and though he was prepared to stop moving for a bit and tease her body until it begged for release, as he laid still, most of his weight rest on her body and his length throbbed inside her, he felt her body convulse.

Eyes rolling in the back of her head, Sakura groaned loudly and Sasuke kissed her hard to keep her quiet. The last thing he needed was Sarada waking up and coming to find out what her mother was moaning and groaning about in the middle of the night.

It wasn’t easy though, even keeping himself quiet as he moved again, thrusting himself inside her only a few more times before they both fell apart together. Sakura’s entire body trembled with aftershocks of her orgasm and Sasuke laid on top of her, completely breathless and at a loss.

How he’d ever gone so long without her, he’d never know.

…

“It’s been so long… and yet… with you being here now, it almost feels as if you’ve never been gone.”

Sasuke sighed and turned his face to kiss Sakura’s forehead. They’d gotten more comfortable in bed and were now under the covers, laying together. Sakura was halfway on top of him, much like he remembered her being when they’d used to sleep together. He hated to have to leave her at all, but he was thankful for what time he could have. He made himself believe that Sakura was looking at it the same way.

“I really am sorry, Sakura.” He wanted her to know that, to understand how sorry he was, but no words would ever be enough to explain his feelings, and he wasn’t good with words anyway. Luckily, that was something else she seemed to understand.

“Don’t say that.” She tipped her head back a bit to glare at him. “You know you’re only gone for good reason.”

“I know.” He muttered. He did know, but that still didn’t make it any easier.Sakura frowned but snuggled up to him again. Oh, it was heaven. She wished they could have this moment forever. “I’m the one who is sorry. You shouldn’t have to bear this burden alone.”

“I’m the only one who can.”

Rolling her eyes at this, Sakura found herself smiling in reminiscence. “You never change, do you?”

“Hn. Neither do you…” He smirked. “Annoying.”

She giggled then. How she wished he was around every day to call her annoying. “I miss you, so much.”

“I know. In time though, I’ll be home. For good.”

“Sarada asks about you. She looks just like you, you know…”

Sasuke flinched then. Though he was sure Sakura was doing an outstanding job of raising their daughter, with love and care enough to drown the child, he still feared her turning to hatred because of him and the last thing he wanted was for her to ever end up like him.

“She’ll never forgive me.” He muttered, more to himself than to Sakura and that was when she sat up in bed and really glared at him.

“Don’t say that!” She scolded him, pointed her finger into his chest. “Sarada loves you very much, even if she can’t see you right now. She’s a very kind child and once she can show you, you’ll see for yourself. She will always love you, just as I have.”

If there was one thing he truly hated, it was getting in his feelings. That was way out of his comfort zone, though he supposed with Sakura… it wasn’t the first time… she’d love him anyway, “I can only imagine how much she’d grown.”

“Oh, so much. She’s brilliant, and beautiful.” Sakura grinning broadly, it was easy to see how proud she was. Sasuke was proud too. He wished Sarada would know that.

“Of course she is.” He sighed and pulled her down, back against his chest before wrapping his arm snuggly around her.

Sakura rested her head on her husband’s chest and yawned. She was tired but she never wanted to sleep with Sasuke here. She only had so much time before he’d be gone again and there’d be no telling when she’d see him again.

“Sleep,” He told her with a yawn of his own. “I’ll wake you before I go, I’ll take a short nap as well.”

“Okay, Sasuke-kun… I love you.”

“I love you too, Sakura.”

Loved her, respected her, cherished her. He felt certain that she’d never be able to grasp how much she truly meant to him and her knew, he didn’t deserve her, but he was damned glad he had her.

…

“I wish you didn’t have to leave.” Sakura pouted and Sasuke knew she was really struggling to keep it together.

He knew it’d be hard to leave, for the both of them. “I know. I’ll be back though.”Sakura nodded. “I know… you always come home.”

Leaning down, Sasuke kissed her hard, savoring the feel of her lips against his. She was blushing scarlet by the time he pulled away. “Take care of yourself, and Sarada. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.”

“Easier said than done.” She scoffed. She’d always worry about him. Taking care of herself and Sarada was just second nature to her.

She hugged him tight, wishing she never had to let him go but she did, and she didn’t want to make it any harder on him. So, after a moment, she pulled away, forcing herself to let go. It wouldn’t be forever. It would be time for Sarada to get up soon and she knew he’d want to be long gone before daybreak.

“But don’t worry, we’ll be fine too, as long as you are. We’ll be here waiting for your return.”

Sasuke nodded, knowing that they would be. He hoped to be back sooner, rather than later. After coming home, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could stay away. Years was something he wasn’t willing to waste. He’d already wasted too many. This mission was important, his family’s safety was of the upmost importance, but he wanted to be home with them. He couldn’t though, as long as he was putting them at risk to his enemies.

“Thank you, Sakura. For everything.” He gave her a soft smile, tapped her forehead and then he vanished in a puff of smoke, as if he’d never been there at all. It wasn’t easy for either of them, but he had to go.

He had to go, but he had so much to look forward to when he finally would be able to come home. He couldn’t wait, and with that to think about, he found himself in a much better mood as he headed towards his next destination. Soon, his travels would be over.

.

.

[sariasprincy]

Where it Happened v - ItaSaku

Part i    Part ii    Part iii    Part iv    Part v (here)    Part vi 

Where it Happened part v

A frown pulled at the corners of Itachi's mouth. He sat back in the chair he had been preoccupying for near that of an hour as he stared unseeingly at the rows of scans lining the wall. They were the latest of many for his patient, but he needn't look at them any longer to know there was no positive change to their health. The tumor had continued to grow. It had been an outcome they had been anticipating for some time now, but it still didn't make the fact any easier.

Releasing a soft sigh, Itachi couldn't yet find it within himself to move. He knew he needed to update his patient but he was in no hurry to finish this case. He knew what came next, but after treating the young woman for so long, the concept of giving up and letting her go left an uncomfortable lump in the bottom of his stomach.

Silently he rested his chin on his fist as he mentally prepared himself for the rest of his day. There was still so much to be done, but it wasn't until the door opened again that he finally picked his head up. He swiveled his chair slightly to find Kakashi standing in the doorway with his mismatched eyes focused on a file. Given the slight purse of his lips, he was displeased with what the document held, and he raked a hand through his silver locks before he finally looked up.

"Oh sorry, Uchiha," Kakashi said, his expression displaying his surprise at his presence. "I was looking for Hyuuga. We were supposed to meet here ten minutes ago to discuss a patient."

"Hyuuga had a complication with his patient this morning," Itachi informed him. "He is likely still in surgery."

"Damn," he cursed softly as he closed his file again. "Alright. Guess I'll go see how much longer he'll be. Thanks."

Itachi made a noncommittal noise in his throat before he returned his gaze to the scans on the wall again. However, he glanced back at Kakashi before the older male could back out of the room. "Hatake, have you seen Haruno?"

He hadn't seen the young surgeon in his department all day and could only assume the older male knew where to find her. Itachi was quickly learning that the pair was surprisingly close – at least close enough to keep tabs on one another.

It seemed his observation held true as Kakashi frowned thoughtfully. "She helped cover the ER last night. My guess is she's asleep somewhere. Try the third floor on-call room. She usually gravitates towards that one."

"Thanks."

Kakashi merely nodded before he exited, leaving Itachi alone once more. He continued to eye the scans a moment longer, but he knew he could stay hidden away all day and with a deep sigh, Itachi eventually pushed himself to his feet and gathered his things before he headed down to the third floor.

He found the on-call room easily, having mastered the complicated layout of the hospital after several weeks of walking the halls. Without knocking, he soundlessly pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was dark and quiet, but he could just make out a silhouette in the bed against the far wall. "Haruno," he called softly.

Almost immediately, he heard her deep breath before the figure in the bed shifted and stretched. "Uchiha?" she murmured sleepily in the darkness. "What time is it?"

He held his watch up to the hallway light shining into the room. "Quarter past noon. I apologize for waking you but I need a second opinion."

"'course. Can you hit the light?" she said with a soft yawn.

Closing the door, Itachi flipped the switch before he faced her again. Unconsciously he stilled.

Her shoes were kicked carelessly to the floor at the foot of the bed while her scrub top lay bundled near her feet, leaving her in her scrub bottoms and a form-fitting tank top. Her shirt had ridden up slightly in her sleep and automatically his gaze drew down to the exposed smooth skin of her stomach. It was only a flash, barely a peek at what was hidden underneath, but he was a man and warmth stirred in his lower stomach.

Realizing his gaze had turned inappropriate, Itachi ignored the feeling as he forced his attention upward. Fortunately, Sakura seemed unaware of his wondering gaze as she sat up. She adjusted her clothing and pushed her wavy, pink hair over her shoulder before she swung a leg over the side of the bed. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she held her hand out. "What do you have?"

Itachi swallowed before answering. "Twenty-eight-year-old female with a cardiac tumor."

He stepped forward and handed her the patient information before he moved back once more to avoid hovering. Sakura accepted the file soundlessly, still attempting to wake herself up, before she pulled out the scan and held it up to the overhead light. The room was silent as she studied the picture. Itachi merely waited patiently, his gaze fixated solely upon her face.

It wasn't long before her eyes widened. "Not to sound crass, but this woman is still alive?"

Her gaze flickered to him and he nodded. "She is. For now."

Sakura shook her head as she returned her attention to the scan. "This tumor has entirely eroded through the ventricle wall. This thing is completely inoperable."

Even from across the room, he could see the astonishment etched into her expression. From the way she chewed her bottom lip, he knew her mind was still spinning through scenarios and possibilities, but the longer she examined the image, the graver her expression turned.

Eventually she lowered the scan. "I'm not sure what we could even do. In all honesty, it's amazing this woman has lasted this long at all." She glanced at him with a deep frown on her face, but it quickly faded to be replaced by a curious expression as if something had suddenly occurred to her. "But you already knew that, so why are you bringing it to me?"

It was a moment before Itachi answered. "My patient has requested Physician-Assisted Suicide."

Understanding dawned on her. Her emerald eyes widened as she processed what he said before she breathed out a heavy sigh. "Which requires two signatures. That's why you came to me."

He nodded. "She has already waited the required time period and passed her psych evaluations. All that is left is for you to sign off and to inform the Chief, and then I can…" He paused before continuing, "Then I can follow through with her request."

Sakura said nothing as she glanced down at the chart again. Itachi understood her hesitation. As doctors, they were trained to save lives. They spent countless hours gaining knowledge and honing their skills to help patients, and to fight even when it seemed there was nothing left to fight for. It was never an easy decision when it came to helping a patient end their care.

A heavy silence pressed down upon them as Sakura continued to look at the information before her. Itachi merely watched her quietly. There was a discontent pinch between her brows and an aura about her that he couldn't help but feel guilty about. He knew this was the worst way to be woken up, but in their line of work it couldn't always be helped. And so, he waited.

Eventually Sakura glanced up at him again. "Do you mind if I look this over a little longer?"

Immediately Itachi shook his head. "Page me when you have your answer."

"I'll find you before the end of the day."

Her attention returned to the charts, but he didn't immediately step out of the room. He observed her a moment longer as she set the scan down and flipped open the patient file. Her hair was still slightly disheveled and there was the slight smudge of mascara under her eyes but it was the intensity behind her emerald irises that gave him pause. Warmth curled within him again.

The moment broke as Sakura glanced up again. "Was there something else?"

"No," he murmured. "Excuse me."

Without pause, Itachi backed out of the room as silently as he had come. He closed the door behind him and took a moment to let out a deep breath. The heat in his lower stomach was fading, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of attraction that welled within him.

It was a strange, almost amusing emotion. He had been working with Sakura since the week he had arrived and though her bold, green eyes and pastel, pink hair turned most heads, it had been her sharp tongue and even sharper intellect that had captured his professional attention. Her confidence in her abilities was what strengthened his trust in her. It was the very reason he had sought her out for this case rather than an older, more experienced surgeon. She had quite the backbone to her – and short temper – which, in combination, was a great source of amusement whenever he chose to push her. It wasn't entirely shocking that he found his body reacting to her.

However, Itachi knew such impulses could never to be acted upon and he pushed his line of thinking from his mind before he stepped away from the door. He still had plenty of work to do while Sakura reached her decision.

##

Closing her eyes, Sakura leaned her head back against the bookshelf with a soft sigh. Her eyes ached from reading and researching for so long and though she had gained some new medical knowledge in her quest for information, it hadn't been what she was looking for. The lack of guidance left her feeling hollow and helpless.

"Rough day?"

Turning her head towards the voice, Sakura smiled softly as she watched Naruto approach from the far end of the bookshelf. Her blond friend was out of his scrubs and donning a pair of jeans and his favorite, obnoxiously orange hoodie. Normally she would tease him about how he should just trade in his stethoscope for a hardhat and power tools, but she left the joke unsaid as he lowered himself to the floor next to her.

"Yeah," she said eventually. She turned her gaze back to the patient chart in her lap with pursed lips. "Uchiha has a patient that requested Physician-Assisted Suicide. All day, I've been going through case studies and articles trying to see if there's anything we can do, but the only thing that can help her at this point is a transplant and because she's had tumors removed from her liver and kidneys, UNSO says she's an unsuitable candidate."

Naruto frowned. "So you're going to sign off?"

She frowned. "I hate to, but yes. There's nothing that can be done, and who am I to tell a patient they have to suffer the rest of their life?" she said helplessly. "It's a horrible decision, but it's either this or she dies in a very painful way in a week or two weeks or a month from now."

He said nothing but he leaned his shoulder against hers, offering his silent support. They sat quietly for some moments before Naruto glanced at her. "Wanna get a drink?"

The thought was tempting but Sakura shook her head. "No. I think I'm going to stay here tonight and help out."

"Alright. You'll call me if you need anything?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Naruto."

She was grateful he didn't mention anything about her staying the previous night, and she accepted his brief but warm hug before he pushed himself to his feet and disappeared back out of the library. Sakura watched him go before she returned her attention to the mess of paperwork spread around her. Quietly she collected the patient information before she replaced the books and files she had removed from the shelves and stood to leave.

With the evening rounds completed, the hallways were clear of residents as they ran labs or caught up on sleep. It left her journey to the Chief's office uninterrupted. She knocked on the door and waited for the call to enter before she pushed the door open.

Tsunade was sitting behind her computer, a frown on her face. However, the moment she spotted Sakura, she relaxed and reclined back in her chair. "Oh good, it's just you."

Her remark almost sounded insulting, but Sakura had known the woman long enough not to take her words to heart. She merely smiled to herself and closed the door before she crossed the room and dropped herself into one of the chairs in front of the Chief's desk. She studied the older woman, noting that she appeared tired but content. It didn't take long for her to connect the dots. "You had an interesting surgery today, didn't you?"

A sly smile crossed Tsunade's face. "A man came into the ER this afternoon impaled on rebar. In three different places."

"How did you get it out?"

"Carefully. We had to bring a saw into the OR."

Sakura blinked in astonishment. "There's no way that didn't cause sparks. Did you remove all the oxygen tanks from the room?"

"Of course," Tsunade smirked. "It's been a long time since I've had such a dangerous procedure."

"You've always enjoyed the risky ones," Sakura murmured, her voice full of amusement. "Who did you steal it from to get in there?"

"Mitarashi Anko. An added bonus of being Chief. Remind me to give her a good surgery this week to make up for it," she said as Sakura laughed. Tsunade's gaze then turned thoughtful. "Speaking of being Chief, the Annual Association of Surgeons party is in a few weeks. You wanna come? I would ask Shizune but she's still across the world doing her own work and I'm not sure if she will be back in time or even when she will be back, and-."

"Tsunade," she interrupted. Shizune was still a bit of a sore topic for the older woman and Sakura knew she could talk when riled. It was best just to interrupt her before she reached that point. "Yes, of course, I'll go. Just let me know when so I can trade on-call shifts if I need to."

Tsunade showed no outward sign of her appreciation, but Sakura knew she was glad to not go alone. These parties were usually long and contained far too many male surgeons trying to 'one-up' one another with stories of their successes from years long past. She had been to them in the past and though it was not her favorite way to spend her evening, at least they had good food and even better wine.

"I'll email you the invite," Tsunade merely said. Then she cocked her brow. "Now what is it that you want? You hardly ever come here unless you need something."

Normally her sharp, teasing words would force a smile from Sakura, but she found herself unable to now as she glanced down at the chart in her hands. "We have a terminally ill patient that has requested Death with Dignity."

Tsunade's interest immediately piqued. She held her hand out for the file and quickly flipped through it. "You and Dr. Uchiha agree this is the only option?"

Sakura nodded. "It is."

"And all the legal steps have been taken?"

"They have."

The room fell quiet as the Chief read through the rest of the chart. There was a contemplative frown on her mouth, but Sakura waited patiently as she looked through all the information. It was some minutes before she closed the file again. "Alright. I will inform Legal. Go ahead and prescribe the meds."

Sakura accepted the chart before she stood. "I will let Uchiha know."

Tsunade nodded before she glanced back at her computer. She heaved an audible sigh before she returned her attention to the screen and resumed her work.

Sakura let herself out silently and closed the door in her wake before she headed towards the in-patient ward. She found Itachi at the nurses' station reading a lab report, but he glanced at her as she set the chart on the counter next to him.

"I signed the form," she said quietly. "And I let the Chief know. She is informing Legal but said to go ahead and prescribe the medication."

"You informed the Chief?" Itachi asked in surprise.

She hesitated as it suddenly occurred to her that she may have overstepped. "I hope that's alright. I still had the chart and I needed to speak to her anyway," she lied.

Her uncertainty vanished as he shook his head. "No. Thank you for doing that."

Sakura smiled tightly in response before he reached for the file and quickly flipped through it. She observed him as he read, noting that he had his white doctors' coat on over his scrubs. Its presence didn't surprise her; they usually wore them when they spoke to patients. However, it was the small frown tugging the corners of his mouth down that drew her attention. It quickly dawned on her that he wasn't so much as reading the chart but instead mentally preparing himself for the conversation he was about to have with his patient. A sudden sense of empathy filled her.

It was in a doctor's nature to keep fighting for their patient even when they had no fight left, but to have a patient ask for them to end their care was not something she had ever experienced before. She could only imagine the helplessness Itachi felt, even if he hid it well. The urge to comfort him pressed on her, but she knew there was nothing she could say or do to ease his burden. It was a case he would have to finish and come to terms with on his own.

Sakura bit back her frown as Itachi finally closed the file. He pulled out a prescription pad from the inside of his doctor's coat and filled out an order for Secobarbial, a drug commonly used in cases like these, before he tore off the top sheet and pocketed the pad once more. However, he didn't immediately move as his gaze turned towards one of the in-patient rooms. She didn't need to ask to know it belonged to his patient. It was a long moment passed before Itachi finally pushed off the nurses' station and stepped away.

"Hey," Sakura called for him before he could get too far. He turned to face her, his expression unreadable. She simply held out her hand. "Give me your pager." She had anticipated his look of confusion and she merely smiled comfortingly as she explained, "I'll handle your cases until you're done."

Itachi blinked in surprise but then a grateful expression briefly crossed his face and he pulled the device from the pocket of his coat before he handed it to her. His obsidian eyes met hers evenly. "Thank you."

Sakura smiled at him again but said nothing before he turned and continued towards the patient's room. Itachi closed the door behind him, but she didn't immediately return to her cases as she watched their interaction through the window next to the door. She couldn't hear their conversation, but she didn't need to to understand what was being said.

As Itachi spoke, the young patient and her boyfriend listened with rapt attention. She knew he was explaining the results of her latest scans and that despite their best efforts, there was nothing left they could do. It wasn't until he handed the patient's boyfriend the prescription he had just written that a relieved expression crossed the young woman's face. However, the grief from her lover was obvious even from across the floor, and she watched Itachi placed a comforting hand to his arm.

Sakura could almost feel his comforting words sweep through her as he spoke to the pair. It was apparent by his soft expression and comforting gestures that he cared a great deal about his patient. It made her briefly wonder how she had ever considered him an emotionless ass, and she smiled faintly at the memory of their Pro Bono surgery those few weeks ago. She hadn't been entirely convinced back then that he wasn't still at least somewhat of an arrogant jerk, but she could feel her opinion of him actively shifting the longer they worked together. She could admit he was a good doctor – a really good doctor.

Her attention was suddenly pulled away as Itachi's pager went off in her hand. A patient was coding in the ICU. Turning her back on the room, Sakura sprinted towards the elevators as she returned to work.

##

It was dark. The on-call room was cast into shadows with the lateness of the hour, but Itachi found himself unable to sleep no matter how much exhaustion weighed behind his eyes. He was unaware how much time passed as he continued to lie back against the hospital mattress with one hand tucked under his head and the other across his stomach. Alone in the quiet room, he stared unseeingly at the ceiling as his mind ran in circles around the events that had taken place that day.

Itachi knew there was nothing that could have been done and he knew that he had followed the law and the wishes of his patient, but it didn't alleviate the burden that he had helped end the life of a woman today – a young woman, at that. The same, unpleasant knot of emotion that had formed under his breastbone twinged again. He was aware that sleep was a ways off for him, but he found himself unwilling to move and be productive as he took himself through the alternatives for the umpteenth time.

It wasn't clear how much time passed as his mind kept him company. It wasn't until the door to the on-call room opened quietly that he realized he had finally begun to nod off. He blinked his eyes open and turned his head towards the doorway just as a familiar figure slipped inside the room.

"You asleep?" Sakura whispered.

He exhaled softly before he pushed himself up. "No."

Upon his answer, she closed the door behind her before she quietly approached him, not bothering to flip on the overhead light. In the darkness, he saw her shadow stop before him and hold something small out to him. "Here's your pager back."

"Did anything happen?" Itachi asked as he accepted it from her. He set it on the bed next to his phone before he returned his attention to her.

"Your patient in the ICU coded but we were able to revive him. I'm having Hyuuga Hanabi run labs now to hopefully determine what happened but for now, he's stable."

He processed the information quickly and nodded more to himself than her. "Okay. Thank you again."

"Of course," she murmured. He could feel her gaze in the dim and a brief moment passed before she spoke once more, "How's your patient?"

The hard ball in his chest tightened again and he cleared his throat lightly before answering, "She passed some time ago."

"I'm sorry." He could hear the sincerity in her voice. "How are you doing?"

"I am fine," he lied.

It had been his patient's wish to die, but he could not shake the feeling that he had failed the young woman. It settled on him heavily, but he was not comfortable betraying just how deeply this case had affected him, even here in the darkness. He appreciated her concern, but she was not Shisui.

"All right, move over," Sakura said suddenly. To his surprise, she nudged his leg out of the way before she slipped onto the bed next to him.

He watched her with wide eyes as she settled herself until her back was pressed against the wall and her legs were stretched out in front of her and partially dangling over the bed. "What are you doing?" he asked incredulously.

Once she was comfortable, she held something out towards him. "If you're not going to talk about it, then we're going to eat about it."

Bewildered, Itachi could only stare until she waved the object again, silently pressing upon him to take it. Hesitantly, he grasped it only to grow more confused as he recognized it was a spoon. It was then that he realized Sakura had something else in her hand as she pulled the lid off a container and placed it upside down on the sheets next to her.

"I brought ice cream," she explained simply.

At a loss of what to say, Itachi stared at her, completely flummoxed with the situation. Sakura just smiled as she held the container out expectantly. A pregnant pause followed, but eventually his shoulders relaxed and he found himself smiling, if only a little. The simple action lifted the heavy weight from his shoulders.

"What kind?" he asked after a moment.

In the lowlighting, he saw her smile widen. "Chocolate, of course."

She said it like it was obvious, causing a soft snort to escape him before he dipped his spoon in the small tub and dished out a generous helping of ice cream. Sakura did the same, and in the darkness of the room, they sat side-by-side as they ate the entire container.

to be continued…