Lost and Found

FIVE

Sakura woke earlier than usual but instead of being exhausted, like she normally did, she woke up feeling refreshed. She used this extra time to thoroughly enjoy her shower and get ready for the day rather than sleep.

Once she was ready she tip toed down the stairs, careful to be quiet so she didn't wake Sasuke unnecessarily, but to her surprise the couch was empty, the blanket folded neatly over the pillow.

It was disappointing for her to see he was gone already with no indication of whether he was returning or not. She decided to put it out of her mind and head to work.

She returned home late that afternoon and found the house dark, quiet, and empty. She let out a deflated sigh and kicked off her shoes before walking into the living room. Her paperwork on the clinic was still on the coffee table, abandoned from days prior. She scooped it up, cradling it against her chest, and took it to the dining room table.

She was about to sit down when she heard a soft knock at the door. A smile slowly spread across her lips. Sakura shuffled quickly towards the door all the while hoping it would be Sasuke. She couldn't imagine anyone else showing up at her doorstep this late.

She stopped in her tracks with her hand just inches from the door knob. She took a second to run her fingers through her hair before finally opening the door. Sasuke stood just outside the threshold.

"Welcome back" Sakura greeted him as she stepped aside. He smiled with one side of his mouth as he walked past her into the house, "Happy to be back" he said quietly.

"I didn't know if you would be back or not."

"Neither did I."

She walked down the hall behind him, watching his back. His shoulders were broad, his hair had grown just past the tops of them. When he was young his hair used to stick out in the back but with length it's laid down a little more.

"Your hair has grown quite long" Sakura commented.

"Hn" he agreed as he turned to look at her. He no longer had face framing strands either but instead it was all pushed to one side to cover his Rinnegan. "I guess it has."

"Do you like it that way?"

"I guess I like it." She approached him and slowly moved her hand up to brush the hair from his face, sweeping it to rest behind his ear.

"Me too" she said with a smile before walking around him. Of course she loved it, she loved everything about him. She left before she could see a small blush creep across his cheeks.

"H-how was your day?" he called as he walked down the hall after her, she had turned the corner into the living room after making him blush.

"It was fine. And yours? Where did you run off to?"

"It's not important" he said as he moved to sit next to her on the couch. He said it was such nonchalance and certainty she didn't try to pry. "I'm just happy to be back" he admitted.

"I'm happy you're back too" she replied softly.

"I can't stay here long, I know that, but I just wasn't ready to go yet."

They each smiled at each other softly.

"Sakura-" "Sasuke-"

"S-sorry. You go first" Sakura offered after they each started to speak at the same time.

"Uh" he started, "I-I want to talk to you about s-something."

Sasuke wasn't accustomed to this feeling, this feeling of self consciousness. Never before had he sat face to face with Sakura to talk about his feelings. Sure she's told him about hers, more times than he could count probably, but now it was his turn.

"I wasn't fully honest with you when you asked why I came back to the village. It's something more than just feeling like it was a good time to come back."

"Well? What is it then?" she prompted as she moved closer to him. He decided words were not enough to convey his feelings, but actions were. He moved forward and pressed his lips to Sakura's.

She moved back just slightly out of surprise. He stared at her with his mismatched eyes. Panic ran through him suddenly then, maybe he overstepped and Sakura didn't feel that way for him any longer. But to his happy surprise, she leaned forward and kissed him back.

It was light and tentative but he quickly took charge and deepened the kiss, pulling her closer to him. Her hands moved to rest on his chest, then slowly slid up to hold each side of his neck.

"Sasuke" she said breathlessly as she broke their kiss to come up for air. She had always dreamed of this moment, ever since she was a kid. It was better than anything she could've ever imagined.

He kissed her again, his hand moving up to cup her cheek. This kiss was filled with meaning. The fact that he initiated it meant a lot to her, it meant that he really felt something for her. Something more than just an old teammate.

"I was scared that you didn't want me" she admitted softly between kisses, "I thought that was why I never heard from you."

"I have come to realize a lot since the end of the war."

"What do you mean?" she asked as she fully pulled back to look at him.

She could tell he was having a hard time trying to convey his feelings. Sasuke was always so stoic, he didn't like to be vulnerable. There have been rare occasions where he showed that side of himself to her but it's been a long time since that happened.

"You can tell me" she encouraged. She was desperate for him to try and say what he had come to realize. It could be so many things but there was just one thing she wanted to hear. She didn't have time to react when he kissed her again, this time filled with more hunger, more need. The time for talking was done. He pulled her closer, his hand splayed on her lower back.

A million things were running through her mind but they were all about him; the way he made her feel, the taste of his kiss, the way he smelled. It was overwhelming her senses.

He pushed her back and crawled on top of her, resting his weight on her. That part of her that believed he didn't want her was washed away. He was here now, and they were sharing the most intimate parts of themselves with each other. She became tangled up and lost in him. It was a better homecoming than she could've ever imagined.