Chapter Text
'the hour of fulfillment
is buried in years of patience'
― mary oliver
this isn't how your story with sakura starts. with you returning to konoha back from your journey of redemption, ready to accept her feelings and let yours be known.
it starts when you are only six and a pink haired tiny girl tries to introduce herself to you in the academy. in the next few years you find yourself in the same team as her and really vet to know her. many things happen after that— you grow up on your own in the period of separation, become enemies for a while, go through a whole war beside each other.
but this, after many trials and tribulations, is also in a way, a new beginning for the both of you.
she is the first person you seek when you come back to konoha. after all you had promised to see her before you left. sakura greets you with a not so surprising embrace and hesitantly, you allow yourself to place your chin on her hair. she still smells of wildflowers and as always it brings back memories from a distant past.
as if sensing her action, she separates from you with blushing cheeks and shuffles her toes for a moment before looking up at you with a smile.
"welcome home, sasuke-kun,"
it warms your heart and you have never rejoiced in any of your decisions more than coming back.
the disappointment that fills you when sakura has to leave for the hospital because there is a scheduled surgery doesn't feel odd anymore. you reassure her that she will see you again once her duties are over and despite her obvious pout she hands you a key and asks you to make yourself at home.
you agree and stay there for a while as she turns a few times to wave at you and when her red finally disappears in a cutting path, you set your course for the hokage tower.
dealing with kakashi doesn't take long. you report the few missions you did during your journey and your sensei subtly shades you for ignoring the kido situation until sakura got involved in it. you ignore most of them but you can't help but glare when he offers you one of his novels for information now that you have come back. you are grateful your idiot best friend is out of the village for he sure would have joined in the ridiculous teasing. you do your best to endure kakashi's blabbering until he finally dismisses you.
now that you know about naruto's mission you head straight towards the apartment complex located a few streets away from the hospital.
the key sakura gave you fits into the lock and the door opens to welcome you into the place you had stayed during your probation before leaving for atonement. you sigh as you open the windows and look around the small living room. some clothes were thrown about and a few books lay opened on the ridiculously colored sofa. the opened can of tuna and the half finished bread draws a frown on your face. of course Sakura's habit of eating processed food remains the same regardless of how much she has grown.
a gust of wind blows inside and the wind chime hanging on the balcony entrance chimes bringing your attention to the potted plants on a low bench. the tomato plants you had grown two years ago were still in their full glory.
.
.
sakura stumbles into the apartment, carrying a bouquet of fresh daffodils, looking flushed and panicked— a little into the evening. you raise your eyebrows as she looks around in nervousness before meeting your eyes.
"i didn't know you were coming," she says defensively, "or i would have cleaned it up before leaving."
"hn. still as sloppy as before," you tease, feeling amused.
"i was in a hurry, shannaro…," she whines.
"and you are still eating canned food when you always scold naruto,"
"i was in a–"
"hurry. yes i heard" you can't help yourself as your lone hands moves to trace the new curl of her hair. it looks good on her, you think as you move some behind her ears before your hand slides down to cup her cheek. "take care of yourself, will you?"
she stammers a little, all pink and thrusts the flowers to you. shyly she adds, "welcome home,"
.
.
together you cook a warm dinner and your taste buds thrum tasting something decent in weeks. sakura talk mostly, letting you know about everything happening in konoha while you were away. you respond a few times, but mostly relish being in her presence once more.
later when you come back from the shower, you find sakura quietly sitting on the sofa, staring blankly at the tv. not sure of the sudden tensed air, you sit yourself on the sofa, a little ways from her.
"you didn't write any letters," she says as soon as you sit and in such a low voice, you aren't sure if you heard her right.
"...what?"
"you didn't write any letters to me, sasuke-kun" despite the sad green eyes that makes your heart clench, her accusatory voice irks you. for you had waited and waited but naruto or kakashi's message were the only thing you got. she had never sent any. you speak it aloud.
"but– i thought…" sakura backs away to the end of the sofa, fully turning to you. "i wasn't sure… i thought you might be annoyed if i send anything."
"why would i be annoyed?"
"i don't know… i just… you never said much when you left" she pauses and you watch her swallow, her lips wobbling a little, "for a while i thought you would never come back."
you feel lost now because didn't you make it clear back then? "i told you i would see you when i'm back sakura,"
"i didn't know what that meant," she says, blinking back tears, "maybe i still don't know…"
for a moment you wonder how long she had been holding it in. since dinner? since she saw you again today? or since the second you left? you realize she must have felt the same way you did when your beloved brother would excuse himself with a 'next time' after another but the next time never really coming. you look at sakura, sitting with hunched shoulders and kakashi's words come back to you.
"she suffers from loving you"
you force down the urge to move away, to go out of the door and run away into the night, to make your pathetic presence scarce in front of her because somehow in some way you always manage to be the reason for her misery. however you have seen what that path leads to. you know what that path leads to.
so you calm your racing heart and take her hand in yours. you don't know which one is trembling, yours or hers, you tighten your hold nonetheless, and pull her close to you.
"when i said i would see you, i meant i really would. that i would be ready to start…" you lick your lips before continuing, "it was my mistake for not making it clear,"
"oh" she says, nodding to herself.
"aa. i'm sorry, sakura." you take your time running your thumb across her soft skin. what if she never lets you hold her hand again?
"if you're sorry, then take me with you the next time."
her eyes widen a little and she looks away with pink cheeks, "if you want…"
the clenching of your heart ceases and it finally slows down to a normal pace, "hm, i would like it if you will come with me the next time,"
"what!? really, sasuke-kun?"
your fingers touch the middle of her forehead in confirmation, right on her proud byakugou and you hope she now knows the significance of this gesture. if not, you will only have to do it more times until she finally does.
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