Hello, old friend. It's been some years and I have finally decided to come back! This is a work that has loosely been taunting me for some time and I felt would be good practice to get back into fanfiction. Please enjoy and feel free to share your thoughts, feelings, desires and overall feedback. Nothing is set in stone after all.

She let herself lean back in the armchair and busied her fingers with the throw pillow in her lap. It was an interim solution to mask her jittery nerves. This was an inevitable feeling since she was, after all, surrounded by new people she was being acquainted with through a new co-worker...who she met through her new job...in a new city. She decided to give herself a pass and quietly let out a breath as she tried to focus in on what was being said on the couch in front of her.

Her co-worker was narrowing her eyes at the man on the floor between them. "You promise you won't take it out on me if you don't like what you see then?" Her tone was playful but her expression hinted at her lack of tolerance in that moment. She shuffled a deck of ornate cards, her blood red nails grazing their edges.

The man let out a childish whine. "Just read my cards, Ino!" He drummed his hands in his lap and ended up jamming his elbow into the coffee table next to him, causing his beer bottle to shake. "Ack!"

"You idiot! You're already a drunk mess, it's not worth the trouble. Sakura," she turned her dark blue eyes onto the quiet girl in the chair, "come help me pull together some more snacks." As she rose from her velvet couch she placed the neat stack of tarot cards onto the table and sent a warning glare at Naruto, who was still nursing a bumped elbow.

"Does anyone need more to drink?" Ino led Sakura towards her kitchen, her kimono-esque robe gliding gracefully behind her. Sakura knew right away Ino was a stylish woman from the moment she first met her, but the silk slip dress and plum lipstick let Sakura know there was more to this woman's lifestyle than she would have initially guessed from working with her at the clinic. She wasn't generally insecure, but couldn't help but feel a little plain in jeans and her grey chunky knit sweater next to this moody bombshell.

"Just bring out the two wine bottles we brought, less walking back and forth." This was Shikamaru's suggestion, who sat in the chic armchair next to Sakura's.

"I'll come with you to grab some water," Hinata quickly tagged along, not wanting to burden anyone with bringing her a glass. She was a friend of Ino's from a previous job at a posh store in the East Village years ago and now shared this apartment with. She was so sincerely kind-hearted and reserved Sakura could hardly make sense of their friendship. That said, she immediately felt a connection with her.

The women migrated to the cozy kitchen hardly out of earshot from the living room. It wasn't that Ino's apartment was small, but it was New York, and space was at a premium. The fact alone that she had a separate bedroom was a luxury in itself. Sakura had just moved into her studio apartment two weeks prior and was barely accepting the reality that was her 400 square foot box. Before moving she had watched tiny house shows in pure disbelief and now was wishing she had taken some notes. Ino's apartment felt like a retreat by comparison. Maybe 'retreat' wasn't the right word here. 'Indulgence' is more fitting when you take in the deep luxe fabrics, warm candles, and lights strung on the windows. It was something out of a catalogue with glittering crystals and stones displayed on her bookshelf and plant vines draping whimsically from gilded pots around the space.

"So do you hate us all yet?" Ino was scanning her fridge as she asked, but Hinata timidly watched for Sakura's reaction from the sink.

"What! Not at all!" Sakura knew Ino was mostly joking, but suddenly felt self-conscious of her lacking contribution to the conversation back on the other side of the apartment. "I'm slow to warm up, I'm sorry I'm a little lame in that way."

Her blonde host handed her a brick of cheese and small stick of salami. "I'll let you cheat your way in by having you cut up these guys for us. Naruto will be begging to walk you to the train later, I'm sure of it." She stuck the tip of tongue out between her teeth in a coy fashion and Sakura felt herself shed a layer of anxiety in that moment.

"I'm really happy Ino invited you over," Hinata's voice was small but warm. "It's hard finding people in a new city."

A knock on the door was heard over the music someone had put on moments earlier. Ino slipped around the two women to answer it.

Her ears perked as the melody revealed itself to be one she knew too well. Sakura recognized the song playing as one she had heard at a concert back in college on the West coast and then played for weeks on repeat after to relive the moment. Her mind suddenly filled with the glittering confetti raining on the crowd that warm night and remembered how fearless she felt about her future there in California, with her internship, her oceanside apartment, with Kiba-

"Sasuke, this is Sakura who I was telling you about." She found herself unintentionally directing her dumb blank stare at this new guy Ino had just let in. Her face heated as she tried to recover from her thoughts and this gorgeous tower of eye candy was no help at all.

"Sorry, I completely spaced out there. I'm Sakura," she extended her hand towards him. He held his stare on her as he offered a firm handshake.

"Sasuke." While he didn't really smile or anything, his eyes told her he was in some way amused.

"Sasuke and I went to college together here in the city, so we go back a bit." Ino nudged him, but he ignored her attempt at sister-like banter and took his black coat off to hang. Sakura eyed his equally black jeans, thick cashmere sweater and leather boots. He was a vision out of a catalogue yet inspired a thread of a certain feeling down her spine to her heels...what was it? More anxiety? No, this was different, more instinctual. Fear?

"What the hell are you doing here, bastard?" Naruto yelled, throwing a pillow at the taller man. He caught it with little effort and turned to his attacker with a devious smirk.

"You mean you didn't miss me?"

"Not even if you were gone for five hundred years!" He met the smirk with his own and pulled Sasuke in for a hard hug.

Sakura felt her neck was still warm from her awkward introduction, but noted the small flutter in her gut while she watched Sasuke recline on that couch. He fit too perfectly on it and quickly made himself at home with his arm extended across the back. Ino already had a glass of red wine in hand for him. It was clear he was a frequent guest of Ino's and she wondered what the exact nature was of their friendship during those years in college.

Before her mind wandered too far into the dark rabbit hole, she took to the cutting board to prepare the platter. Hinata saddled up next to her with a smaller cutting board to help with the cheese.

"He's scary good looking," The pixie cut woman whispered, not looking up. "And fully embraces it."

Sakura's face warmed once again, feeling like a child who was caught trying to hide a stolen treat.

"What does he do?" She tried to keep her eyes on the salami as she finished slicing but couldn't help stealing one more glance.

"Finance," Hinata answered, oblivious to Sakura's sneaking line of sight. "But I wouldn't say he fits the Wall Street stereotype. He can be pretty odd."

As Sakura greedily stole yet another look at him, she was met by hooded black eyes and thick lashes over a half empty wine glass. He held the stare even as he put his glass down on the side table next to him and formed a smirk that sent her eyes darting straight back to the cutting board.

The two women brought out their assembled charcuterie board, grabbing the room's attention. Hinata also brought out a dip with crackers and reminded Ino of a few other finger foods they had for later. Ultimately they would be serving up more than a dinner's worth of food, but if you don't label it dinner, you don't need to set a table.

"I see we were reading cards tonight?" Sasuke asked, taking a bite from the platter.

"I was going to, but I decided against it when I remembered how awful Naruto is when he doesn't like what the cards say." Ino explained with a dismissive hand. Naruto groaned on cue.

"You should read Sakura's cards then." Ino sent him a skeptical glance but Sasuke gave no sign of acknowledgement. "Have you ever had your cards read before?"

"No, can't say I have." She shifted in her seat completely caught off guard and aware of everyone looking at her. Surely she had a loose idea of tarot cards being a mystical way to tell your fortune, but only for fun. "I'm guessing you have?"

"All the time. It's something Ino and I got to know each other very well through, didn't we?" Another smirk graced his lips and Sakura's curiosity only amplified.

Ino sighed, then pointed her attention at Naruto. "Since I know you'll just be asking later, I'll do one reading for you. Sasuke, you shouldn't push anyone to have their tarot read. If Sakura wants me to do a reading for her she'll ask herself."

"I don't push anyone to do anything." The dark haired man clicked his tongue and Naruto made no effort to hide his excitement.

Sakura watched on as Ino dropped herself to the floor in front of the coffee table and had Naruto identify three cards. He was seeking guidance regarding his current apartment situation and was trying to determine whether to stay where he was or move to a new place with new roommates. Ino helped him pull three cards: Two of Cups, Six of Pentacles, and the Emperor - Self, Situation and Challenges.

Everyone leaned in to examine the ornate cards, especially Naruto. Sakura looked around and wondered exactly how seriously these people were taking this.

"It seems you're finding yourself filled with love and idealism. I would think as you and Hinata are becoming more settled in your relationship you are finding a sense of completeness in yourself." Hinata burned bright red and immediately turned her face to the window. Naruto giggled and nodded with pride.

"The Pentacles tell us you're strained by an imbalance," His toothy grin faltered. "There is someone in your life too dependent on the other and-"

"That's why I need to move! It's that damn kid Kohonamaru!"

"The challenge is The Emperor card," Ino finished, weighing her cheek on her fist. "You have to find a way to balance what you want with what is overall best for the situation."

"ARGH! Why do I have to be responsible for him? He's so annoying! I just want to dip and move somewhere else." He crossed his arms with defiance and Ino rolled her eyes.

"What a drag," Shikamaru sighed and collected the deck to shuffle himself.

"This is exactly why I didn't want to do this." Ino huffed and knocked back the rest of her wine.

The familiar pop of a wine bottle being uncorked sounded through the room and Sasuke swiftly began pouring the red liquid into his host's empty glass. "Then let's just drink instead."

It was a good hour or so later that Sakura had tried to determine if she had consumed what could equate to a whole bottle's worth of wine by that point. She hadn't moved much from her arm chair and wondered if when she stood to walk if anyone would notice a drunk sway. Her bladder didn't care and if she didn't get over herself soon, she'd have much worse things to be embarrassed about.

Ino was lounging on her side almost to the point of laying down on the couch. She gestured widely with her wine glass as she ranted about how the clinic's receptionist was too nice and needed to not expect any interactions before coffee was consumed. Shikamaru was half listening from his arm chair and Hinata was snacking and giggling with Naruto over a plate of hummus and carrots.

Sakura couldn't help but feel grateful for Ino's invite and lucky to feel so welcomed by these people that very well be her first friends in New York. Sure, they were a bit odd, but she had her own quirks that would find their way out eventually.

"Need a little more?" She looked up to see Sasuke towering over her chair with the last of too many wine bottles in hand.

"I think it's best I say no," She smiled sheepishly, her bladder still fresh in her mind.

"Hn," He tipped the remaining wine into his own glass. "Do you eat?"

"O-of course I eat, what do you mean?" If he had any awareness for how close his hips were to her face, he must have been determined to ignore it. She didn't like talking to him from this angle and he showed no sign of leveling himself more appropriately with her.

"You couldn't have eaten more than two slices of cheese since you've been here."

Sakura didn't know how to respond since she realized that was all too true and made her feel all the more foolish after all that wine. He was also clearly observing her. A small smirk formed on his lips that she didn't notice.

"I'm going to pick up a pizza around the corner for everyone. Come with me."

"Well," her eyes traveled over to Hinata who tilted her head to the side.

He leaned down next to her, "The fresh air will probably help clear your head a bit." Add another blush to the list that night.

With that and what she would chalk up to liquid courage later, she slowly stood. Ino immediately took note, "You're not leaving are you?"

"We're going to pick up a pizza to bring back." Sasuke responded smoothly.

"I'm going to run to the bathroom first." Sakura excused herself and Ino locked eyes with Sasuke.

"So I take it you're already making moves to ruin this friendship for me?" She sat up and crossed her arms below her breasts with a scowl.

His face revealed something sinister. "What in the devil would make you say that?"