Prompt 22: exposed

Summary: Sasuke is an idiot for thinking Sakura wouldn't pick up on it. "You're going back to them aren't you?"

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Sasuke is in the middle of fixing a jeep when he gets the call.

Suigetsu peeks his head from the office and is yelling at him about his phone ringing non-stop. He slides out from under the jeep, shouts at Suigetsu to calm down, and "quit shouting I'm coming over, damn" as he wipes his greasy hands on a towel. He shoves him aside on his way to his locker to take his phone and sees he has at least ten missed calls from his mom and three from Itachi.

The calls from his mom are not really out of the ordinary. She does this sometimes when Sasuke hasn't called her in a while. What surprises him is his brother. Itachi never calls twice. If he misses his call once, it will be followed by a message asking (demanding) to call him back and that's it.

His phone rings again and the caller ID flashes to show that it's his mom. He answers on the second ring.

"Sasuke." His mom's voice is quiet, a little hoarse, not at all like the calming tone it usually has that washes over Sasuke like a wave of warm comfort. She sounded distressed, an undertone of franticness despite her efforts to hide it. "Oh, Sasuke."

Sasuke has been mostly operating on autopilot as soon as he finished his Taxation finals early in the day, but whatever lethargy he's been feeling was instantly wiped out at the sound of his mother's voice.

"Mom? Mom are you okay? What happened?"

"It's—it's your father. He—he's—oh, Sasuke." He hears his mother sob on the other end of the line and Sasuke feels his heart seize. "I need you to come home. Can you please come home? I—I don't know what to do. I—"

"Mom." Sasuke swallows. "Mom, just stay calm. Hang on, okay? Where's Itachi?"

"He's on his way too. I think—" she trails off "Oh, I think—I think he just came in. Sasuke—"

"Okay, mom. I'm on my way. Just hang on until I get there, okay? I'll be there soon."

Sasuke is out of his overalls in record time not even bothering to finish his shift. Suigetsu shouts after him when he saw him snatching his things and slamming his locker shut. Sasuke hurriedly tells him to tell Ibiki he needs to leave and almost slips on the linoleum floors on the way out in his haste.

His hands are shaking as he tries to key in the ignition and almost crashes to another car as he backs out of the parking lot. It's a two-hour drive to get to the other side of Konoha but Sasuke doesn't think about this as he rushes over to the Uchiha manor and only thinks about how distressed his mother sounded on the phone.

When he gets to the house, he practically catapults himself upstairs to his parents' bedroom and is met with an armful of his mother. His father is bedridden with a doctor and a nurse tending over him as they attach an oxygen mask and an IV drip on him. His father looks worse for wear and by all means, should be admitted but he's not taken to the hospital at the risk of the media finding out that the Uchiha patriarch's health is getting worse.

Sasuke spies Itachi at the other end of the room face tight and body taut. To an outsider, his brother looked calm as they wait for the doctor and his team finishes their assessment of their father, but Sasuke could see the tick in his brother's jaw, how tightly one of his hand is grasping his other wrist behind his back, and the way his back is ramrod straight rigid.

His mother held up appearances for as long as the doctor is present but as soon as the medical team is out of the door she collapses with a sob at the nearest chair.

Itachi had gone out to see the doctor and his team for their next steps and Sasuke is left to comfort their mother and hold her. He has never seen his mother look like such a wreck. She's always been the epitome of grace and poise, true emotions are hidden behind a mask of perfect calm, traits drilled into all Uchiha. His mother has never been sparing of showing her children her true emotions, however, seeing her like this is a shock as much as it also hurts him.

Later when things have calmed down and Mikoto has settled down beside an unconscious Fugaku, Itachi and Sasuke talk. There is a collective decision that their father should move up to Oto as soon as he is able to travel to continue his recuperation. Sasuke knows his time is up.

"Sasuke—"

"I know." He sighs, resigned. "I know."

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Sasuke doesn't come home for a couple of days and only shoots Sakura a text saying he's had a family emergency. He'd text her every now and then just to keep her at peace and reminds her to eat and sleep.

People have dropped by their house to offer their support. Only the family and a few close friends were informed of his father's condition. Governor Namikaze and his wife Kushina visited the next day and Sasuke was grateful at Kushina for managing to distract his mother even for just a little while. Ambassador Jiraiya and Dr. Tsunade Senju visited two days after the Namikazes' visit and even ran a check-up for his father. Shikamaru and his father dropped by as well and chanced upon Fugaku while he was conscious. Shikaku chatted with his father for a bit—nothing about work or anything stressful as Mikoto warned so Shikaku had instead got his father updated on the different sports league, baseball mainly, and Fugaku was grateful to have someone to talk to other than the doctors and nurses. The Naras stayed for dinner just when Naruto and Hinata came by along with Neji and Hiashi. His friends paid their respects and well wishes for the Uchiha patriarch before leaving him alone with Shikaku and Hiashi. Mikoto sternly warns them to not let Fugaku have even a sip of alcohol or a whiff of smoke from a cigar or else which had Fugaku making a face at his wife while the other two just shrugged and gave him looks of commiseration.

Sasuke is glad for his friends dropping by every once in a while. They're a welcomed distraction. He hasn't talked to his father ever since he got home, hasn't even stepped foot on his parents' bedroom, and actively makes sure he's not in the same room as his father.

Look, it's not like Sasuke is avoiding his father—well, he is but not because he wants to. It's just that Sasuke doesn't want to aggravate his father and worsen his condition. He's not sure where he stands and god forbid Fugaku sees him, remembers the shit he's pulled and goes into cardiac arrest as he yells at Sasuke to get the fuck out of the house. He's already branded as the Uchiha's black sheep. He's not going to be the reason why his father is sent to the grave.

So instead he busies himself caring for his mother, keeping her company and avoiding getting in the line of his father's sight. House of Uchiha Fashion Designs is being managed by Izumi while Itachi is the one taking care of the company and making sure Shimura Danzo doesn't get any ideas. The clan thinks it's a good idea for the two of them to handle the family business. It's no secret that the clan has been planning Izumi and Itachi's engagement since they were children. Sometimes Sasuke would help whenever Itachi brings work at home which is more often than not.

Once, he caught Itachi drinking by the fireplace. His suit jacket is placed neatly on the back of a chaise chair. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbow as he nursed a glass of scotch. Itachi almost never drinks, thinks it's unnecessary as it muddles the brain, but when he does it's usually to calm his nerves. By the light of the fire, Sasuke can see the bags under his brother's eyes looking deeper than usual from where he stood on the threshold of the den. He watches as Itachi swirls the glass before tipping it to his mouth and drinking it all in one go. He brings the glass back down and slumps forward heaving a heavy sigh.

It's a testament to how out of it Itachi is when he didn't even acknowledge Sasuke's presence despite clearly knowing he's there. Itachi always knows when someone is within his immediate vicinity. Or maybe he just doesn't care enough right now. Sasuke slowly backs away and leaves his brother to brood in peace.

More than a week passes before he finally deems it's okay to return home. His father continues to be confined in bed most of the time but preparations for their move back to Oto are on the works so they can leave as soon as everything is in order. Mikoto assures him that they'll be fine and as much as he loves having him back home she knows he has his own life. Besides, she knows Sasuke is not entirely comfortable being home and around his father—which Sasuke tries to deny, but it dies as soon as Mikoto gives him a knowing look. As much as Mikoto wants them to resolve whatever rift he and his father has, she knows it's not something that would happen easily. Not when both Sasuke and Fukagu seemed to share the same quality of being emotionally inept. She sends him off with a playful warning that if he decides to stay any longer the clan might just keep him forever which got Sasuke packing and out of the house just as fast as he got there.

When he gets back to his side of Konoha, Sasuke makes the split decision to swing by the hospital and pick up Sakura on the way back to the apartment. Sakura is surprised to see him waiting by the secluded parking lot at the back of the hospital when her shift ended but is clearly very happy to see him after more than a week of not seeing each other if the way she kissed him long and sweet as soon as they're inside the car is anything to go by. She noticed he looked tired, like he hasn't been sleeping, and he just assures her that she's fine. But as Sakura is Sakura, Sasuke knows she doesn't believe him but knows him well enough not to push it.

When they got home, Sakura offers to make dinner and tells him to wash off. Sasuke dozed off on the couch while waiting for dinner to cook and in the morning, he wakes up to a note from Sakura telling him that she didn't bother waking him up because he looked dead-ass tired. Leftover dinner is in the fridge with directions on how to reheat it. She'll see him later after her shift.

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To be clear, Sasuke has never had any delusions about his life and the role he plays in the Uchiha as the second son of the main family. Despite all efforts to live separately and as he is now, at the back of his head, he knows he would have to come back and fulfill his familial duties. At the time of his deserting, it may have seemed like a plausible idea and even now Sasuke sometimes flirts with the idea of never return and turning his back on them completely. But time away from his family does not erase who he is especially not when he still carries the family name and continues to enjoy the privileges it affords, something he never did quite shed. Sasuke knows it's because he never really wanted to cut himself away from it all. He just needed a breather and see what it would be like on the other side of the wall.

Looking at it now, he acknowledges that it was—is—highly selfish of him. After all, Itachi was the one who had to bear the full weight of the Uchiha's expectations. Sasuke is just a spare, the support. If anything, Itachi is the one who needs a breather. And yet his brother never wavers.

More than a breather perhaps the way he's isolated himself from his family is just a token effort to rebel against the way of the Uchiha no matter how insignificant it may be in the grand scheme of things. Perhaps he just wanted to see if he could make it in life without having to rely on the power and influence the Uchiha has. A failed attempt if there ever was one because Sasuke has never really taught himself to unlearn that lifestyle and not that he even wanted to, now that he thinks of it. Perhaps it's all just an effort to live his life before he inevitably takes his place in the Uchiha's plans and plays the role he is born in to for as long as he lives.

Still, no matter the reasons for his brief detachment, Sasuke had always known and has come to accept that whatever life he had built for himself outside of the Uchiha's shadow has a deadline.

In theory, one would think there would be no problem if Sakura and Sasuke take their relationship in public. In fact, it would be easy—easier rather than sneaking around—because technically, they're both cut from the same social class.

It's just—from Sasuke's experience relationships have never been easy with the Uchiha. Everything has to be approved and should be good for the family. Sasuke may be a selfish asshole but he would never want for Sakura to be under the same scrutiny as what some of his relatives have gone through when introducing someone that was not arranged or pre-approved by the Uchiha. The whole thing sounds so archaic and medieval it's hilarious, but the Uchiha live in tradition and continues to make sure that those traditions are upheld. He wouldn't want Sakura to undergo that kind of pressure—not when she's already dealing with her own problems with her family.

So instead, he tells Sakura they might not see each other much anymore—at least for the coming days.

"What? You're cheating on me is that it?" Sakura says over a mouthful of Kung Pao Chicken. She adopts a fake about-to-cry look and in her best wobbly voice says, "Oh, Sasuke. How could you?"

Sasuke puts down his chopsticks to shoot her an 'are you kidding me look' and say, "I tell you I might be gone for a couple of days a week and your brain immediately thinks I'm cheating on you?"

"You're breaking up with me then."

"What? No! I—"

"Oh, woe, Sasuke. I knew you weren't in this for the long haul. I knew we'll never last forever."

"Will you fucking stop it." Sasuke throws one of the fortune cookies at Sakura in annoyance but couldn't help the grin creeping on his face at her antics.

"Hey, stop it! You might literally be throwing away a good fortune!" Sakura picked up the fallen cookie while giggling. "Mm. Of course, you're not. You can't get anyone better than me. Face it, Sasuke. You've already peaked when you got me to say yes."

"How dare you. I'll have you know that you're the one who already peaked when you bagged me." Sasuke says just to continue their banter but agrees that Sakura is right even if he knows she's only kidding.

"Hmm. I think I can do better but you're definitely not my worst." She laughs when Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Anyways, I know we've both been busy this past couple of weeks and you've had some things to take care of. So, what's up?"

"As I was saying before you rudely interrupted me by jumping to stupid conclusions," he puts his bowl of Chow Mein on the coffee table to face her properly. "I might have to be at the Uchiha manor more on weekdays. My father's health is…not doing well and I—I need to help out with some things and—and yeah."

"Oh, I see."

At Sakura's somber tone and the thoughtful look on her face, Sasuke knows Sakura is just brimming with questions. He just didn't expect her first one.

"So, how's your mom?"

"What?"

"Is she doing okay? How is she holding up?"

The look of genuine worry and concern on Sakura shouldn't surprise Sasuke and it doesn't. He's more taken aback at how Sakura didn't ask about how they're going to be, whether they'll be seeing each other at all and whatever other else questions that Sasuke had thought she'd ask. Mainly about them and their relationship, of him and the Uchiha, what will this mean for them now and in the long run. Sakura didn't seem to be concerned about all of that, instead, she asks about his mom.

"I—" Sasuke sees the genuine worry on her face, worry for people she hasn't even met before, and swallows around the sudden surge of affection he feels for Sakura. "She's had bad days but she's doing okay. She said father just needs some rest and will get through it."

"Well, how bad is it, really?"

Sasuke tells her about his father's collapse. He had an attack in the middle of the day, but thankfully he was in the car going back from a meeting and not out in public. News would have spread throughout the company and the press would have had a field day if Fugaku Uchiha collapsed in broad daylight for everyone to see. His assistant was with him and was able to phone their Konoha home and his mother ahead just in time to have medical staff waiting at their house to attend to his father as soon as he arrived. He tells her of how he got the call, in the middle of the day at work, and how his mother's voice on the line felt like tiny needles pinpricking at his heart. His father was bedridden most of the time in the days Sasuke was in the manor taking care of his mother and helping Itachi with work. Some friends visited and he thinks it did both his parents good. They're planning to move back in Oto once his father's health is stable enough to travel but for now, they're going to stay at their Konoha home. He tells Sakura how his mother practically shooed him out of the house the moment his father seemed to be doing well saying Sasuke should get back to his life and not worry about them lest the Uchiha decides to keep him back for good. Sasuke appreciates his mother's sentiments, but he's not sure leaving her at the time was the right thing to do.

"You should've stayed longer," Sakura says, tone mildly chastising. "Next time don't worry about getting back right away. I'll take care of everything here. You just make sure your mom is okay while your dad is recovering."

"But what about yo—"

"Seriously, Sasuke. You shouldn't worry about me. I'm not the one bed-ridden and in poor health."

"You would be if I don't remind you to eat and sleep at least twice a day."

"Alright, fine. I'll set an alarm or something, okay? I promise I'll be fine and I'll take care of your apartment when you're not here. Besides, what's technology for? We can always just text or call— facetime if you really miss my face that much. I'll even send you nudes if you want."

"I love how you're so casual about sending me your nudes."

"Right? Am I the best girlfriend or what?" Sakura steals the last of the spring rolls. "So, you know, just be with your family. They need you now."

Sasuke slides her the remaining sweet buns and smiles at Sakura's thrill of delight. He wonders where Sakura gets that kind of compassion when she herself didn't have much of a family her own. Perhaps that's why she knows its value better than him.

"I'll be home for the weekends. I promise."

Sakura smiles. "Sounds good. I'll see if I can switch and ask for weekends for my days off instead. Or if I can at least have shorter shifts then so we can spend time."

That sudden surge of affection is back full force as Sasuke listens to Sakura mumble to herself about fixing her schedule to accommodate his. Not for the first time, he can't help but wonder what exactly he has done to deserve her. Sakura Haruno seems to be the only silver lining in his mess of a life.

"I love you. You know that, right?"

"What? Just because I said I'll fix my schedule for you? Boy, you're easy—no, wait. You damn right should love me because I just remembered how much of a hell it is to fix shifts at the hospital."

"I love you for a lot of reasons, but thank you for doing that for me." He moves to kiss her and feels Sakura smile against his lips.

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"Nothing. I just love you 'is all." He kisses her again and revels at the way Sakura's warm hands cups his face tenderly. "Now, can you shut up and just let me show you?"

"If you really love me you'll give me the last dumpling."

"Jesus, Sakura. Way to ruin the mood."

"We're still having dinner, dumbass. Try to keep it in your pants until we're done cleaning up, damn." Sakura says gently shoving Sasuke off of her and returning to her Kung Pao Chicken. "Now, do you love me or not?"

Sasuke just rolled his eyes and sighs as he slides the last two dumplings towards her.

Sakura gasps. "You really do love me!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

Well, having surrendered the last dumplings aside, he really does.

.

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Trips to the Uchiha manor becomes frequent.

In the years following his decision to leave the Uchiha's walls, Sasuke had always thought that if and when the time for him to come back comes, he would have to be dragged back kicking and screaming. He never expected it to like this: him driving back and forth from his downtown apartment all the way to the Uchiha estates on the other side of Konoha.

At first, it was only a couple of days a week, once or twice every other day, and then it turns into full weekdays. He starts helping with Itachi's work beyond the boring general paperwork for the company, has had to accompany his brother once or twice on meetings, and now there are even talks of plans for him to start training in the company.

And with Sasuke being in the manor more, it was inevitable that, at one point, he and his father will cross paths.

It happened on a Thursday afternoon. It was a rare day where his brother didn't have meetings lined up so Itachi opted to work from home. They've been holed up in his study for the better part of the day and Itachi had stepped out to get some fresh air.

To Sasuke, that means he's going out for a smoke, but since it's Itachi and his brother is as straight-laced as they come, he knows his brother really meant it when he said he was just getting some fresh air. He's probably even brewed tea on his way out.

He was about to step out himself, yelling for Itachi about some suspicious shit he found in a document or some other from Shimura Danzo's office when he chanced upon his father at the exact time he was passing by the study. Sasuke opened one side of the double doors yelling Itachi's name and there his father was, in a casual sweater, cotton slacks, and house slippers, leveling Sasuke with an unreadable gaze.

Sasuke just kind of froze in his steps mouth hanging slightly open as he caught his father's eyes. His face does not betray any emotion but Sasuke knows, with years of experience being on the receiving end of that same gaze, that his father is looking at his disheveled state in slight judgment.

To his surprise, Fugaku is the first to speak.

"Sasuke," his father's low voice rumbles, inclining his head imperceptibly.

"Father," Sasuke greets back, straightening himself in the process and inclining his head in a bow.

"Itachi is on the phone in the patio."

It takes him approximately three seconds to realize that his father is speaking to him somewhat amicably, casually informing him of his brother's current whereabouts, and not actually demanding what he is doing in his house and ordering him to leave.

"A-ah, yes," Sasuke swallows, trying and possibly failing to hide just how bizarre he is finding this interaction to be. "Thank you."

Fugaku grunts and turns to continue on his way signaling the end of their very brief yet very surreal (at least to Sasuke) conversation. If one can even call it that. Sasuke was about to retrieve back to the study and resolve to never come out again unless absolutely necessary when Fugaku stops in his steps and he hears his father call out to him again.

"And Sasuke."

"Yes, father?"

"It's—" Fugaku cuts himself off and Sasuke waits, expecting the worst, but then his father just clears his throat and turns away again. "Don't shout around the house like a barbarian. We raised you better than that."

Sasuke could only nod blankly before he realized his father couldn't see him and quickly stutters out a "Ye-yes, father" as he blinks in bewilderment at Fugaku's back.

And that was that.

As with anything in his life, Sasuke is under no delusion that his relationship with his father will be fixed just like that. Regardless of his somewhat okay and civil interactions with his father, being back in the Uchiha, no matter how temporary it may be at least for now, comes with very real responsibilities, and this results in not so temporary changes in Sasuke's life.

Since having gone back and helping more with the company, Sasuke has had to miss a lot of schoolwork. The new term will start next month and he hasn't gone around into thinking about registering for his courses let alone whether he'd be enrolling or not. He hasn't thought about it as much as he figures he won't be able to anyway. In the weeks he's spent going back and forth his apartment and his parent's house and helping Itachi out with managing the company, somehow along the way Sasuke has had to make peace with himself that maybe it's time for him to accept what's coming and stop fighting it.

Well, he's not exactly at peace with it yet but he figures he'll get there eventually. Sasuke knows a losing fight when he sees it and has always been good at picking his own battles. It's just—he wishes he could have finished at least. It would have been better if he had come back with a law degree and a title under his belt. It would have made him look less pathetic and not like he's come crawling back with nothing to show for.

So Sasuke doesn't wait for the next term and decides to drop the program.

It takes him around three days to process all the necessary paperwork and complete his withdrawal from the program. On the day of his exit interview, Dean Sautobi finds him exiting the registrar's office and calls him over.

Dean Sarutobi invites him in his office, offers him coffee which Sasuke politely declines, before going straight to the point.

"I heard you're dropping out of the program, Mr. Uchiha."

"Ah." If he hadn't had the man as his professor for the whole time he was in KU law Sasuke would have been surprised. As it is, he's learned that nothing that ever happens within the program escapes the man. "Yes, sir. Some urgent family matters came up."

"Do you not want to be a lawyer anymore, Mr. Uchiha? Did you ever? Or was this just something to pass the time before you eventually work at your family's company?"

"No, sir. I do—want to be a lawyer, that is. It's just—"

"I know, I know," Hiruzen says in that low slow drawl of his. "I've heard about your father. I hope he's doing well nowadays."

At this Sasuke wasn't surprised either. Of course, Sarutobi Hiruzen will know. He just didn't think he will bring it up. The man has never acknowledged Sasuke's heritage, after all, never brought up anything about his family, and had always treated him as just another one of his students, and for that Sasuke is grateful.

"Yes, sir. He's been resting under my mother's strict surveillance. I'm helping my brother with the business."

"That's good to hear." Hiruzen hums, picking up his pipe and taking a puff. "I'm sure you and Itachi are doing a good job keeping business in order and," he trails taking another puff and pinning Sasuke with a meaningful look, "away from trouble."

And of course, Sarutobi Hiruzen will know about Shimura Danzo and his attempts to slowly but surely outbid the Uchiha and have full control of its assets.

"Of course, sir."

"It's a shame, Mr. Uchiha. You're one of KU laws brightest and I truly wish you'd reconsider but given the current circumstances you've found yourself in, well." He takes another puff from his pipe and shoots Sasuke a genuine smile. "Well, that will be all for your exit interview, Mr. Uchiha. I wish you all the luck."

"Thank you, sir."

Sasuke bows low and exits the dean's office and KU's law building feeling like iron lead had just settled in his stomach.

A week later he resigns from the garage.

There's no use keeping that job when he's being paid with a manager's salary working for his family. It's a starting point for him, is what he gathers, before he inevitably enters the executive levels. Besides, he hasn't been in the garage since the day he had to rush back to the Uchiha estates. His shifts just kept on being covered by his friends because he's always either over at the company with Itachi or at his parents' house. He thanks Ibiki for letting him work there, for the fair hours and adjusting his shifts according to his class schedules, and apologizes for abruptly leaving.

Naturally, his friends expressed their disbelief at him quitting. Well, it was mostly Suigetsu. Shikamaru was pretty chill about it other than commenting on how troublesome it will be to have to cover more hours now that their one-man short for the time being.

Suigetsu lets him know just how bullshit he thinks Sasuke's whole family ordeal is.

"What? They couldn't just leave you the fuck alone? Man, I thought they disowned you already or something."

"Yeah, well. Apparently not."

He doesn't go into detail. For one, he's not really into the idea of explaining just why he needs to go back to his family, but more than that he thinks he'll just sound like a privileged asshole trying to make a, frankly, sweet life deal into a bad thing. So, what if he'll never have the freedom to do things he wants, live the life he wants, and be the person he wants to be? At least he's pretty fucking loaded.

"I'll see you at the top brass then," Shikamaru says as he follows Sasuke out of the garage and to his car, a cigarette dangling from his lips. "It won't be long now for sure."

Shikamaru, perhaps, is the only one who doesn't need an explanation. He's aware he's got to stop taking it easy at some point and follow in his father's footsteps. He knows he can pursue other professions, keep doing what he likes—like this right now, being a mechanic, but Shikamaru also doesn't mind continuing the family legacy. It's just a family thing, really. The same reason Naruto is in politics. The Naras have always been the pillar of Konoha's Ministry of Tactics and Defence.

Sasuke continues to get his affairs outside of the family in order. He makes a detour to get some of his stuff from his apartment before he drives back across the other side of Konoha back to the Uchiha estates. He gets a text from Sakura asking if he's got everything in order, hoping that everything is okay and that she'll see him when he gets back. She doesn't ask him when he'll be back, just wishes him well, reminding him to drive safely, and to text her how he's doing from time to time when he can.

Upon seeing Sasuke return with a couple of his things, Mikoto makes a fuss about fixing his old room and arranging accommodations for when he needs to fly to and from Oto. He and Itachi are still working out which one of them will be in charge of certain things and where but it seems like Sasuke will be the one to be sent to Oto more frequently while Itachi covers the Konoha front. He just hopes it won't be a permanent thing, the Oto stationing that is. He'll gladly take on more meetings and butting heads with the Konoha execs if it means he gets to stay here. Sasuke would much rather like it if he can come home one in a while.

Home as in the apartment he half-shares with Sakura. That apartment can't be left alone for long and with him gone and Sakura working long hours, it probably won't take long before it becomes a mess. Besides, there's also the matter of Sakura's tendency to forget that she's human and needs to sleep and eat a proper meal once in a while when she has no one to nag her about it.

It's funny how he's literally back at the Uchiha manor but the one he calls home is the one on the seventh floor of an ancient apartment building in downtown Konoha with the eternally broken elevators and occasional shitty heating.

Well, maybe it's not that. It's not the building at all but Sakura and Sasuke can't wait until he can go back home.

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Nauro shows up at the Uchiha Corps' office one lunchtime successfully dragging Sasuke to an impromptu lunch out.

"I can't be out long, stupid. I have—"

"Cut the bullshit and shut the fuck up. I know you don't have anything else to do past 1 PM and even if a sudden meeting comes up I'm sure Itachi can handle it on his own."

"Did you fucking flirt with Itachi's secretary you slimy fuck."

"I charmed her, okay?! Charmed and befriended her. I don't flirt with anyone else now. I have a wife and I'm happily married."

"Oh, is that what we're calling it now? The governor's son charming and befriending office secretaries sounds awfully a lot like a potential making of an affai—"

"I hate you. Just for that, you're paying for lunch."

Naruto brings up Sasuke's belated birthday party just because it was one of the good things that have happened before the now and the last time he saw Sasuke outside of family matters. It was a good segue to conversation. Sasuke remembers how packed the apartment had been with his and Sakura's now shared circle of friends. Some new unexpected connections were also made like Shikamaru finding out that he and Sakura's friend Ino are both childhood friends with Chouji, the son of the owner of the Akimichi chain of restaurants.

He didn't even have the heart to pretend to grumble and not like it because it's Sakura who made it all possible. Sakura who, even after giving him the best birthday he's ever had, she thought that's not enough and organized a party inviting all the people he can tolerate and consider his friends. It was Sakura who thought up of games that have Sasuke laughing the hardest he's ever laughed and danced to cutesy catchy K-pop songs. It was Sakura who stocked up on food and alcohol that got Sasuke hungover for the next two days. Just thinking about it simultaneously gives him a headache and makes him smile.

It was…nice. Warm. Normal. And strange all at the same time because how fucking weird is it that a bunch of Konoha young elites, practically the industry leaders of the next generation, are gathered in an old brick building in a small apartment in a not so known part of Konoha, largely away from the rich and glamorous side of the city, drinking cheap alcohol, take-out and chips, just being normal twenty-somethings partying and doing normal stupid twenty-somethings shit and having the time of their fucking lives.

"Okay, but you seriously gotta tell me where you were on your birthday, dude," Naruto asks as he waits for his third bowl of ramen. "I know we had to celebrate it the day after because of our schedules and shit but what did you do on the day itself?"

Sasuke swirls the noodles on his bowl not looking up. "I was with Sakura."

"Oh, right." He pauses as a bowl is placed in front of him and thanks the server. "You guys are like officially together-together now."

"Why do you still sound like you didn't know? I've told you about this. I had a breakdown at your apartment the first time Sakura and I kissed."

"Shit, I'm sorry. I don't keep tabs on my friends' personal lives, okay? I forget things. Geez." He takes a big slurp of his noodles. "Besides, it's not like it's in the news or something."

"Is something only official to you then when it's on the news or what?"

"In our lifestyle and the world we live in? Yeah, pretty much."

"You and I both know that not everything announced to the public is true."

"Eh, fair enough." Naruto shrugs wiping his mouth with a napkin. "That aside I have to ask. Is it true? Did you really drop out of KU Law program? I heard Jiraiya and grandpa Hiruzen talking about it."

Sasuke still doesn't look up, just keeps picking at his food. He waits it out, doesn't really know what else to say, and doesn't really want to talk about it.

"Hey—"

"How's married life treating you by the way? Hinata sick of you yet?"

"I—excuse you. It's going great—the best, really. My wife loves me very much, thanks for asking, but don't change the subject. We can talk about that some other time." Naruto puts down his spoon and sets his chopsticks atop of his bowl. "So, it's true then."

"Yeah. Quit the garage too."

"Yeah, I got that from Shikamaru. Said it made him think."

Sasuke hums and takes a page from Sakura's book filching one of Naruto's gyozas.

And speaking of—

"What about Sakura?"

Sakura hesitates. He knows what he means but plays dumb anyways. "What about Sakura?"

"Don't give me that. You know what I mean."

"I—"and he genuinely means it when he says, "I haven't thought about it yet. I…I haven't even told her what's going to happen." He hasn't told her anything yet—well, nothing of the important matters at least, nothing of the things he should have told her when he had the chance.

Naruto just stares at him with a slight wince and worry in his eyes.

"Dude."

"I know." Sasuke sighs and gives up at trying to finish his lunch. "I know.

.

.

When Sasuke comes back to his apartment on a Saturday noon, he is greeted with Sakura in one of his shirts, hair still wet from the shower, singing loudly and slightly out of tune on his kitchen to some godawful indie song on the radio.

She's dancing about as she cooks, jumping around and swaying her hips to the beat of the song. Sasuke's not sure what it is she's cooking but he knows it'll be great because it always is. He leans by the threshold and keeps quiet as he watches her prance around his kitchen. The shirt she's wearing is a tad big on her that the neckline is slightly slipping off of one shoulder, the sleeves coming down to her elbows. She's wearing shorts at least and Sasuke is torn between being thankful or disappointed.

It's nearing a month since Sasuke went back to his family—unofficially that is and that's what he keeps telling himself but he knows the moment he first sat down with Itachi in the study and took a company document on his hand he's as good as back.

It's just…he really didn't think it would be that anti-climactic.

In the short time he's been back, the Uchiha has managed to utilize him as his brother's support in the company. He's had training, briefings about what each department does, who is who, who handles what accounts. He's slowly being incorporated into his role, the corner office came earlier as expected given the circumstances, and is being poised to take over the company along with Itachi in a few weeks' time give or take. Sasuke knows it's only a matter of time before he is scheduled to meet with the elders.

Sakura turns, a ladle on her hand being used as a makeshift microphone. She stops at the sight of him smirking and stopping the high note she was about to belt out (and murder, Sasuke thinks) along to the song.

Sasuke is exhausted but he pushed himself to do the two-hour drive back to come home. Just seeing Sakura smiling at him like she's so happy to see him is enough to curb his exhaustion.

"Oh, hey, Sasuke. Welcome home. I didn't hear you come in. Have you just been watching me, you creep? How long have you been standing there?"

She glares at him, a hand on her hip while the one holding the ladle is pointed at him. Her shirt falls off to the side completely exposing her shoulder and the bright fading hickey from last week, the light purple still visible against her pale skin.

Sasuke smirk turns into a grin, pushing off from where he's leaning and stalking towards her. He kisses her just as she was about to say something, long and slow and sweet. He punctuates the kiss by a succession of short chaste ones before pulling Sakura against him and capturing her in a loose embrace.

And when Sakura asks, "Hey, what's gotten into you?" Sasuke replies with, "Nothing. I just wanted to kiss you. You smell nice."

"And you're a sap."

"Whatever. What's for lunch?"

Later, after they got bored and inevitably ended up in the bedroom, Sasuke will remember Sakura saying at one point that she's always taking and never giving and he'll think about how wrong she is because if anything, she was the one who gave him things he didn't even know he wanted, things he needed, and things he didn't even know was possible for him to have until he met her.

And if she'd let him—God, if she'd let him—he'll give her everything back tenfold. Everything because Sakura deserves nothing less.

Sasuke just wishes he wasn't running on borrowed time.

.

.

On a particular Sunday, Sasuke wakes up from his nap with a crick in his neck. He feels Sakura's gentle hands carding through his hair and she doesn't stop even as Sasuke shifts around to adjust and find a more comfortable spot.

He looks up and sees that it's almost nightfall. The setting sun casting a mix of warm orange and purple glow in the living room. Sakura is sitting by his head; a leg outstretched on top of the coffee table in front of them while the other is bent propped at the edge holding up a book. One side of the large navy-blue sweater she has on, which Sasuke is pretty sure is his, falling off revealing the strap of her camisole on a milky shoulder. Her hair is parted on one side and he imagines her running her other hand through pale pink locks over and over. Her side profile is illuminated by the warm late afternoon light coming from the window and Sasuke still can't believe he gets to wake up to such a sight.

Sakura spares him a glance when she feels his stare, nimble fingers paused into turning a page in her book, and she smiles down at him as Sasuke openly stares.

"Hey, Sasuke. Finally awake?"

"You're beautiful." Is what Sasuke blurts out in answer to her greeting.

Sakura looks mildly surprised at this and Sasuke half-expected her to return a joking narcissistic remark but she doesn't. Instead, she lets out a soft laugh, the hand playing with Sasuke's hair moving down to cradle his face gently like Sasuke is something precious. Her laugh fades to a soft small smile, looking down at Sasuke with gentle eyes and that look that has his heart seizing.

Sakura always looks at Sasuke with so much warmth and like he's the only person in the room worth talking to, looks at Sasuke with that twinkle in her eyes like just seeing him makes her the happiest she's ever been. Sakura looks at Sasuke and he feels so, so loved.

But these days—these days Sakura still looks at him the same but there's that look. Sakura looks at him differently—he doesn't know how but just…differently. There's a heavy feeling to it that Sasuke couldn't explain but he does know when it started.

He noticed it a couple of days after he told her that he quit KU's law program and handed his resignation at the garage. It was on a Sunday, too, he remembers because they were lounging on the couch then much like they are now. He was dreading having to wake up at the ass crack of dawn on a Monday to drive back at the estate before heading to the office. He hated the fact that he could only spend two days with Sakura and decided to beg off Fridays so he can spend more time with her. Sasuke started volunteering cooking their dinner more and also made it a point to drop and pick her up from work when she gets called on the weekends—discreetly of course. Sasuke has always had a hard time saying no to Sakura but in the wake of their current situation, he's become more susceptible to her every whim and fancy. Partly because he can always trust to have a good time with her anyway whatever the fuck they decide to do but mostly because he really just always wants to make her happy. Their time together is limited and Sasuke makes it a point to do everything he could to maximize his time with Sakura.

And Sasuke is an idiot for thinking Sakura wouldn't pick up on it.

Sasuke sits up to face her as Sakura sets her book down on the coffee table. She turns to him, cradles his face on both hands, and leans in to kiss him chastely. It short, just a soft brush of their lips, but it still warms him all over.

Sasuke forgets to breathe and doesn't make a sound for fear of shattering the moment.

They stay like that for a while with Sasuke's face gently cradled in Sakura's hand. He closes his eyes and leans to her touch hands lightly gripping at her wrists.

He is reveling in the feeling of her thumbs stroking slow circles on his cheeks when Sakura speaks.

"You're going back to them, aren't you?"

It's not accusatory, just a plain statement, and Sasuke opens his eyes to stare at her with his brows furrowed and denial at his lips.

"No. No, of course not. It's only temporary until my father gets better." He reasoned but even to him it sounds empty. "I'm just helping out a little that's all."

Sakura kisses the corner of his mouth and it is equal parts sweet and heartbreaking.

She hums, smiles, and looks at him with that damned look again

"It's okay, Sasuke. You don't have to explain yourself to me, okay? I understand."

Sasuke doesn't know why it felt like her words are weighing down on him, why the look in her eyes felt too heavy despite the softness in it. Sakura's tone is light like it was just a casual reminder, but Sasuke hears the undercurrent of melancholy in her words.

From the time Sasuke had told her that they would have to be apart for a while, Sakura has been nothing but understanding. She never demanded anything from him—not his time or his attention—just takes what little she could have of him and makes the most of it.

"Even if you need to leave. I'll understand."

At this moment, Sasuke would rather have her angry and screaming at him, demand for him to give her due attention, prioritize her. It'll be much more preferable than the resigned tone she has like she's finally come to terms of their situation—or what it's inevitably going to be.

It feels like she's letting him go.

And Sasuke knows that Sakura has figured it out. Of course, she has. She probably figured it out that first night Sasuke got back. She's had to deal with the same stupid family responsibility bullshit Sasuke has going on all her life and she knows that he's going to have to come back to them. This time permanently.

But that doesn't mean that it's the end for them. Sasuke should have told her from the start that he doesn't intend and would never want to end them for as long as she would have him.

"Sakura, I—"

"I love you. You know that, right?"

Sasuke startles a little. He feels his mouth go dry and the words stuck on his throat. Sakura's words ring through his head and Sasuke thinks he might have hallucinated it.

They're generally not the kind of couple that's big on words of affection. They're more into actions, sweet little gestures that translate just how much they care and feel for the other (cleaning and picking up after the other when they are exhausted, giving up the last slice of pizza or the last can of beer, giving the other control of the movie to watch, reminding each other to eat and sleep properly, being there on the good days and especially on bad days), but as far as words are concerned, Sasuke has always been the more vocal one about his feelings for Sakura.

Since they started dating, this is the first time Sakura had ever actually said the words out loud.

Sasuke is wide-eyed as he grasps at Sakura's hands. He swallows thickly.

"What? What is it?"

"Say that again." He needs to hear it again, just to know it's real. "Please."

Sakura blinks at him in understanding, kisses him chastely on the lips again and it feels like an apology.

I'm sorry I never said it out loud before. I'm sorry it took me this long.

"I love you."

Sakura repeats, loud and clear, and Sasuke lets out a breath he didn't even know he was holding in.

"Again."

"I love you."

If it were said at any other time, it will be all perfect. Sasuke desperately wishes that it was any other time instead of in the middle of Sakura trying to convince him it's okay to leave and him realizing that he fucked up once again.

But perhaps he needed to hear it the most right now.

"Again."

"I love you."

She doesn't ask why (she never does, she just understands and Sasuke is so, so lucky and so, so in love), just says it over and over again until Sasuke is satisfied. As if she knows he needs it. As if she knows Sasuke is using her words as a lifeline.

And perhaps he is. Perhaps Sakura's words present themselves as the perfect anchor for Sasuke to ground himself, to always remind him of what's on the other side of the Uchiha walls, and what he has to come home to.

Sasuke clings to her words and desperately hopes it will be enough to hold him down and make him stay.

.

A/N: Man, idk. I just wanted to show that Sasuke is still attached to his family and the things he grew up in (fame, fortune, the privilege of a big shot name, etc.). I wanted to show a character who embraces these things that afford him comfort and are not apologetic for it but honest in admitting that he likes and needs them. IDK. I just…majority of the stories I've read are always portraying rich characters as these people who would trade that privilege for a normal life and I just find that unrealistic. I'm speaking from a POV of a poor person BTW. LOL.

Question from YeahYeahYeahs: Sakura was concerned this chapter about her family finding out where she lives, but don't they already know since they're sending her letters?

– hello, yes, thank you for paying close attention uwu I fucken love that readers are so keen on details in my stories. to answer this…I've forgotten about that. Lol. I'M SO SORRY. I backtracked to past chapters and lo and behold you are right oh my god I am an embarrassment. I've recently edited the previous chapter. Instead of dreading that the Sabaku knows where she lives, Sakura dreads that they put a tracker and her phone and now has more access to her and her day to day life. She's accepted that she knows where she lives and works but she'll be damned if they can also have access to her every move.

anyway, can you believe it only took me a month to update? Lol. Can't say the same for the next ones though. every day just seems like a giant fucking chore.

anyone here a fan of haikyuu! Or BTS? No? well, you can still talk to me about anything and everything on twitter (proserandom)

wear your mask, keep safe, and as always thank you for reading.