Chapter 25 – Feeling Grateful

"As you can see, Uchiha-san, Haruno-san, this is a very spacious apartment. There are two bedrooms and the master has a three piece en-suite, as well as a four piece family bathroom and a balcony."

Sakura stared around at the apartment with wide eyes.

It was beautiful to say the least and it was decorated in such a way that it made her feel relaxed and comfortable (though it could do with repainting in some places). Nothing was too much, yet it wasn't plain or boring, either. It was just enough. Also, according to the real estate agent, they would be able to decorate the place if it wasn't to their liking. With the other apartments they'd been to see, they couldn't decorate those, since they would only be renting for now.

"The balcony doors can be located in the living area, which also opens up to a dining room." She gestured to the double glass doors on one side of the living room and then to the archway at the other side. "If you will please follow me."

They did so, following the agent closely with their fingers linked. It made Sakura feel so grown up and mature, having her own place with her boyfriend. Sure, they weren't buying it and until they both had stable jobs, his parents would be paying the rent and other bills, but that was beside the point. The point was, was that she was going to be living with Sasuke. They would be taking care of each other in their apartment. Cooking, cleaning, washing… Boring chores, sure, but they seemed so… so exciting, because they were going to do them together. They were going to be living together!

Of course, Sakura knew she would feel completely different about the chores in less than a week of living with Sasuke. It was a good thing he had that need for everything to be clean.

It felt like time was passing quickly as they listened to the real estate agent going on and on about the different rooms, trying to make them seem greater than they actually were. Granted, Sakura thought the apartment was beautiful and she'd already made her mind up about it, but there was no need for the exaggeration. The view wasn't that great and the wallpaper in the bedroom would need replacing as soon as possible.

Her hand itched to reach for her phone to call her mother. Mebuki had always been gifted in decorating homes.

"What do you think?" Sasuke asked quietly once the woman left them alone in the bedroom for a few moments. "This is the last apartment. After this, they're all homes."

A home would be much too big for them. Knowing her luck, they would move into the home and a family would be made homeless – or something of the sort. What they needed was a decently sized apartment. The homes were to be left for families who needed them – that was what they had agreed on before they even began to look at places.

"It could do with some serious redecorating." She raised her hand, feeling the wall for a moment. "This wallpaper's so old. It's no wonder it's beginning to peel off the walls."

"Well, she did say we can redecorate."

"I know. I'm just trying to think of how."

Sasuke frowned. "How?"

Nodding once, she rejoined him, once more taking his hand in hers and entwining their fingers. "Like, what colours? Carpet or wooden flooring? Wallpaper or just paint? Curtains or blinds or both?"

His eye twitched ever so slightly. "…I'll leave the decorating to you."

She couldn't help but laugh at him. "I'll have to recruit Hinata, my mom and yours."

Oh dear God. Sasuke made a mental note to be aware of when they would all be redecorating, so that he could stay the hell away from the apartment until they were all gone. It wasn't that he didn't like any of them, because he did. It was just that he'd rather not be involved when they were all together.

"Uchiha-san? Haruno-san?" The voice was hesitant as the estate agent popped her head of dark hair around the door, smiling apologetically. "I don't mean to rush you both, but I have another young family waiting to be shown around."

Young family?

Young family?

This time, it was Sakura's eye that twitched, just like her hands as they clenched into fists. What the hell did she mean by that? Young family! She wanted to scoff. Did she look pregnant to her? On second thought, it was best she didn't ask that, as Sakura was certain she wouldn't want to hear the answer.

Damn it. Why did young couples receive such labels? Sure, not all were careful, but she and Sasuke were. If they didn't have any condoms, then they would not have sex. It didn't matter how horny either of them were or how much they needed each other. No condom equals no sex.

Thankfully, Sasuke always carried one in his pocket as a just in case.

"We'll take it," Sasuke answered before Sakura could explode with her anger and warningly, his hand (which was almost being crushed in her grip) squeezed hers. "Thank you."

The woman smiled warmly and bowed her head. "Then please, follow me."

Once more, she was leaving the room, giving Sasuke just enough time to look down at his fuming girlfriend.

It had been only a week since Sakura had decided to get help for her anger issues and she had yet to hear anything about the referral. She'd spoken to Tsunade, who had been more than understanding and helpful, but there was no rushing the health service. Until she heard back, Tsunade had suggested that Sakura tried breathing exercises, or if they didn't work, then excusing herself and walking away from the situation to take a breather.

"She didn't mean anything by it, Sakura."

"Like hell she didn't," she grumbled in response. "Because we're moving in together, she's automatically assuming that I'm pregnant. What's next? Is she going to put me down as 'Uchiha-san', too?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and smiled softly, bringing her closer so that her face was buried into his chest. "As tempting as making you officially mine sounds, I don't think either of us are ready for marriage just yet."

A raging blush took over her face and Sakura was grateful for the cover his chest gave her. "I wasn't proposing, you idiot. I'm just saying that she'll presume we're getting married, too."

He kissed the top of her head. "Don't take it so personally. We're not doing this because we have to. We're moving in together because we want to be with each other."

Some of her anger faded, though not enough to bring back her good mood. Damn it, she hoped the referral came back to her soon. "I suppose."

"Come on." Sasuke kissed her hair once more and pulled away, more or less dragging Sakura out of what was going to become their bedroom. Then, once the woman came into view, he raised his voice slightly. "What should we do with the second bedroom?"

Sakura's eyes widened a fraction, catching onto what her boyfriend was doing and a small, playful smile pulled at her lips. "I don't know. A gaming room? We can put the television from my old room in there and set up an old computer tower."

Dark eyes snapped to hers as Sasuke looked over his shoulder at her. "That's not a bad idea."

She laughed, not surprised in the least that the thought excited him. That was how they met (as Avenger–S and Fall–of–the–Blossom), through online gaming. The second bedroom was a good size, big enough to fit a comfortable sofa bed in there. That way, should they ever have friends over, they could just pull the bed out like at her mother's place.

Her earlier excitement returned. Oh, she couldn't wait to start decorating.

"You're not using the second bedroom as a bedroom?" The woman tilted her head to the side. "I thought…"

Sakura's smile faded away and she raised a single eyebrow. "You thought?"

"It doesn't matter!" She waved dismissively and there was an embarrassed blush on her cheeks, matching her sheepish smile. "You'll have to excuse my assumptions – I have been viewing properties with many young couples and all of them were expecting. I just thought–"

"Well you thought wrong," Sakura cut her off and even though she was smiling, Sasuke knew that the smile was fake. It was forced. And very faintly, in his hold, her hand shook with the need to clench into a fist. "I'm not pregnant and I don't plan on getting pregnant until I have a stable job and I'm married." Thank you very much.

"I didn't mean to cause any offence. Please forgive me." She bowed her head, her dark hair covering her face.

"We'll be in contact," Sasuke muttered, pulling Sakura out of the apartment. "But take this place off the market. We're definitely taking it."

There was no waiting for a reply. He didn't give her a chance to reply as he shook off his slippers and slid on his shoes, passing Sakura hers. She was also quick to switch shoes, thankful that she had chosen to only wear flats.

Once the door was shut behind them, Sasuke spun them around and caged Sakura in against the wall, raising a single, unimpressed eyebrow at her. Unlike her current apartment building, it wasn't an open hallway that doubled as a balcony. Sure, they could see the beautiful park opposite the building, but only through the windows.

"What happened to the breathing exercises?"

Green eyes quickly dropped from dark eyes. "I…"

Since her father's latest attack, he had noticed that it didn't take nearly as much as it used to, to anger Sakura. One sly remark, a simple dirty look and she would snap. They all knew it was because of the attack, that it was messing with her head, and Sasuke agonised at the thought of her being unable to control herself. Why? Because it wasn't hard to see that it hurt Sakura that she couldn't control herself.

She needed to be reminded why it was important she kept up with the treatment, despite there being so very little of it at that moment in time.

"My hand is throbbing, Sakura." He lowered it from its place on the wall so that she could see and sure enough, his hand was an angry shade of red. "You–"

"I'm sorry!" She looked horrified and as her hands hesitantly raised for his, they shook. "I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be sorry," murmured Sasuke. He felt sick for causing her pain, but it was important to keep reminding her. That was what Tsunade had told him and Mebuki. "I love your freakish strength." She was too upset at the sight of his hand to react to his backwards compliment. "But when you get angry," He tipped her chin upwards so that Sakura would look him in the eye, focusing on him, "remember this and remember why it's important to keep calm."

Sakura nodded, still gently cradling his hand with both of hers. "I really am sorry, Sasuke."

"It's okay–"

"No, it's not!" She squeezed her eyes shut, raw pain flitting across her features. "I hurt you!"

The hand gently holding her chin slipped over her shoulders, bringing Sakura against him in a comforting, one-armed embrace. "It hurts you bottling it all up," Sasuke stated just as quietly. "That's what you told Tsunade, Sakura. It hurts you."

"I don't care," she argued, pulling back to get a look at his face. "I'd rather be in pain than hurt you."

There was no use in arguing with her. He sighed and took a step back, once more linking his fingers with Sakura's. "Come on, our mothers will want to know that we've chosen a place."

"And that's the final touch!"

Mikoto and Mebuki smiled warmly at one another, proud of all their hard work, whereas Sakura grinned over at Hinata, who smiled shyly in response.

Since the rent wasn't nearly as much as they'd originally thought it would be, Sasuke's parents had given them some (a ridiculous amount of) money to redecorate – not that Sakura was complaining. She was so grateful for their kindness. And whenever she could, Mebuki also gave them money towards setting the apartment up, even if all she could afford were small furnishings or items for the kitchen.

Four days had gone by since she and Sasuke decided on the apartment and only a day later, Mikoto had been ordering an insane amount of furniture for them, going off the ideas Sakura had told her about. It wasn't too different and it didn't stand out greatly, but it looked so much better than it previously did and it felt so much more like home.

"When will Sasuke-kun be joining us?"

Sakura sighed at her mother's question and placed her hands on her hips. "He said he wanted to stay out of the way, so it's more than likely that he's hiding out at Naruto's playing video games. I doubt he'll be joining us any time soon."

"Then I wish to treat you all to dinner, for a job well done." Mikoto smiled warmly. "We have been working tirelessly over the past few days."

"Are you sure, Mikoto-san?" asked Mebuki softly as she frowned. "You have already done so much for Sakura–"

"For my son, also," she cut her off quietly, though the smile never faltered. If anything, it warmed. "I am doing this for our children, Mebuki-san. However, right now, I wish to treat the three of you for doing such a good job with the decorating. It's impossible finding others who think in the same way as I do when it comes to designs and decorating."

"Well, I at least want to buy the drinks." There was no backing down from the blonde.

Mikoto chuckled at her stubbornness, though nodded once in agreement. "Of course. I know this beautiful little place that serves the best tempura."

Everything was unpacked. The kitchen was fully stocked. Music was playing loudly and the apartment was filled with their friends and family.

Somewhere between that moment in time and her father's attack, Naruto finally confessed his feelings to Hinata (Sakura had a strong feeling it was before the party) and they were now a couple. Her wrist was still healing, though her concussion wasn't as serious as they'd all thought it to be and it was now completely healed.

It was adorable, really. The couple were speaking with Gaara and Lee, shyly holding hands, blushing and never really making eye contact with each other. And it showed how different people were, because when she and Sasuke started their relationship, she hadn't felt shy about holding his hand – that she could remember, anyway. Or maybe she had and couldn't truly remember because of how far they'd come and how comfortable they were with one another? Whatever the reason, Sakura hoped Hinata and Naruto were as happy together as she and Sasuke were.

Speaking of her boyfriend…

Glancing over her shoulder, she watched Sasuke as he interacted with Itachi and Shisui. It seemed the latter was making some kind of joke, mostly at Sasuke's expense, because there was a faint blush on the youngest Uchiha's cheeks, spreading to the tips of his ears (and she knew it would be on the back of his neck, too). Sakura wondered what Shisui was saying.

On the other side of the room, admiring the view, were Sasuke's parents and her mother. They were chatting quietly to one another, seeming content and during her distraction of watching them, Sakura failed to notice Itachi excusing himself, failed to notice him approaching her until he stood in front of her, offering her a small smile.

"Shisui called me this morning."

Hardly earth-shattering news… "Oh?"

His smile warmed before growing serious. "Your father's trial is coming up – it's in three weeks, actually. We don't have to discuss this now, as you should enjoy yourself while you can, but I thought I should let you know."

He really was quite easy to see through, Sakura realised with obvious shock. Sasuke had always told her that you would know when you were seeing the real Itachi, because he was much more open and didn't hide his thoughts or feelings as well as he usually did. Right now, she could see concern on his features.

"I'm feeling a lot better, Itachi-san." Sakura smiled up at him. "Does my mom know about the trial?"

At her question, he looked over to Mebuki, who still had her back to them. "Not yet."

"Can you be the one to tell her?" she asked quietly with a frown. "Either you or Shisui-san. She feels comfortable with you both and my mom… She hasn't been comfortable around men for… so long. She'd appreciate the news coming from either one of you."

He nodded once. "Of course."

There was a pause, one that was filled with the music and others' chattering. "Do you… know how long he could get?"

"Anything between ten years and life."

So either way, he'd be coming out of prison as an old man, though if he received life, then he'd die in prison. And it was everything he deserved and more, so Sakura refused to feel sad about it. That man had beaten her mother, had abused her physically, mentally and emotionally. And then he'd harmed her friends. He'd almost killed her! His own freaking daughter!

Deep breaths.

"Maybe he can finally get the help he needs," mumbled Sakura.

"Perhaps."

When she looked up again, Sakura smiled at her boyfriend as her eyes met his, enjoying how they warmed at the connection.

Thankfully, she'd received a letter earlier that morning from the psychiatrist Tsunade had referred her to. It wasn't anything too interesting, but Sakura now had an appointment with the psychiatrist in two weeks; on a Thursday, at nine in the morning. It was kind of scary, really. What sort of questions would be asked? Would the doctor be male or female? Would they judge her? All irrational fears, Sakura was aware of that, but they were still there and didn't seem to be budging any time soon.

"Um… Sasuke told me," Sakura murmured suddenly, looking back up at Itachi.

"What did he tell you?"

"That you beat him up. My dad, I mean." Something flashed in his eyes at the memory, intriguing her. "And apparently you inflicted quite a bit of damage, something none of us were able to do."

Accepting the handcuffs, since Itachi himself had been off duty, he knelt beside Gaara, who was once more pinning a clearly beaten up Kizashi down with all his weight. The older man's face was being squashed into the ground and below his face were a couple of small pools of his own blood.

"He attempted to escape."

"How did you do it?" she questioned. "I mean, Sasuke smashed a bottle over his head and he barely even flinched! I punched him with everything I had and Hinata used Neji-san's attacks and–"

"Calm down, Sakura-san." He smiled softly at her once more. "I have been training in martial arts for as long as I can remember and it isn't difficult for me to find a person's weak points. Sasuke aimed for your father's head with the glass bottle, effectively weakening him for me. Not to mention his arm was broken from Gaara-kun's restraining hold."

Sakura frowned. "That's it? No badass fighting?"

His smile slipped into a smirk and Itachi gestured with his chin over in Sasuke's direction. "You would have to speak with my brother. After we returned and found you unconscious, he attacked your father out of pure rage. Gaara-kun had to put everything he had into pulling Sasuke away."

Sasuke had fought with her father? Why hadn't he told her that? And he hadn't looked beaten up in the least. Not a single bruise other than–

Other than the grazes on his knuckles.

A sudden warmth flooded through her. Sasuke had lost it when he saw her unconscious, when he saw what Kizashi had done to her. He'd lost it and attacked and did his best to defend her. But why had he been so sad at the hospital, begging her for forgiveness for being unable to protect her? He beat up her father! Not even when lashing out with anger had Sakura been able to do that and that was when she was her strongest – when she was so pissed off that she couldn't even see straight.

"Do you mind if I…?"

"Not at all." His smirk widened, a knowing look flitting over his features.

She didn't even take notice of it as Sakura instead made her way over to her boyfriend, who was now talking to Neji and Kakashi as well as Shisui. Doing her best to focus on the others, she smiled at them, politely excusing the pair of them and once they were excused, Sakura pulled Sasuke away from the party, smiling up at him rather impishly as she dragged him into the bathroom. He didn't fail to notice how she locked the door behind them.

But much to Sasuke's surprise, just as he had been about to grab her hand and pull her to him, Sakura instead made the first move by bringing him closer and kissing him heatedly.

"You didn't tell me," she breathed into the kiss, her hands fisting in his hair.

"Tell you what?"

"That you defended me."

Sasuke tensed ever so slightly and tried to pull back, to look at her, but Sakura was having none of it as she arched her back, her eyes slipping shut.

Oh, Christ. He knew that look. He knew that look and just glimpsing at it had him hardening.

"Now?" he asked breathlessly.

Despite his unsure question, he allowed Sakura to push him against the sink, to take his hands and force him to grip the edges of it.

There was a blush on her cheeks when she spoke, admitting, "It's a… a fantasy of mine."

It took a lot to hold back his sudden need to groan and in his pants, his erection throbbed painfully.

"Not to mention hearing about you defending me against my dad…" Sakura slowed and gave him a smile. "I want to thank you."

"You don't have to–"

"I want to." Her voice was slightly lower than usual and she leaned against him, pressing a tender kiss to his throat. "I want you."

And so Sasuke didn't bother to stop her. He didn't want to. Instead he gripped the sink tightly when her kisses moved lower, when she knelt in front of him and unbuttoned his pants, sliding them down his hips so that his erection was freed. The beautiful sight she made had him panting, had his harsh grip on the sink tightening even further until his knuckles turned white over the strain.

It felt like he'd died and gone to heaven as she stroked his length. First with her hand and then with her tongue. The sensations were indescribable and his eyes damn near rolled to the back of his head when Sakura wrapped her lips around him, testing to see how far she could take him into her mouth. They were only halfway down his length when Sakura gagged, but Sasuke wasn't complaining. Just the thought of her doing something so unlike her almost had him coming undone.

They were hosting a freaking party, after all. It was a house warming party, to celebrate moving in and taking another step into their relationship and here they were. Sakura was giving him a blow job in the bathroom while their friends and family were just outside the door.

His head tilted back, pressing against the mirrored cupboard above the sink and his expression was one of pleasure when Sakura increased her pace with her hand, pressing lingering kisses and running her tongue along his erection.

But then, much to his dismay, she was releasing him and standing up, though before he could say anything, Sakura reached into his pocket and pulled out a condom, holding it up for him.

"Put it on me," he ordered, his eyes heavy with pleasure and arousal.

Hers weren't much different as Sakura ripped open the packet and pinched the tip of the condom like she'd seen Sasuke doing many times before. Why he did it, she didn't even know, but if it was to make it more comfortable, or to lessen the chances of the condom breaking, then whatever.

"I was thinking about going on the pill."

"Now?" asked Sasuke disbelievingly after he had tugged her underwear down until they fell to her feet, frowning down at her. "We're–"

"We'll talk about it later," she murmured as he turned them around, pushing her up against the sink. "After the party."

He nodded and not even a moment later, Sasuke was tugging her dress higher and lifting one of her thighs over his hip, slowly entering her. The following thrusts were just as slow and each thrust was deep, leaving her to gasp and hold him tightly. The feeling was so intense, only intensifying when he pressed his forehead to hers, watching her eyes.

They hadn't had sex since Suna because of Sakura being on her period before the attack and after… Well, she hadn't really been in the mood or they'd both been too tired to really do anything such as that. Not to mention the fact that people crowded around her now, wanting to protect her and watch her back and whatnot. It never really gave them a chance to be that way with each other.

His pants for breath felt hot against her lips and Sakura wondered idly, as she gripped at his behind in an attempt to bring him closer, if hers felt the same. But then his lips were claiming hers once more and leaving her breathless, taking away all thoughts. Sakura tried her best to hold on, to cling to him, however, it was growing difficult as the sensations began to overwhelm her.

Noticing this, Sasuke reluctantly pulled away, though was quick to lower Sakura onto the floor, soon joining and entering her once more. He immediately moved at a faster pace than just moments before, grabbing one of her hips and doing his best to pull her against him so that she was meeting his thrusts more easily.

Only moments later and the gripping of her hands on his ass once more shot spasms of pleasure through his body. It was impossible holding back the urge to pound into her, especially as she breathed into his ear for him to move faster. They were doing their best to be quiet, to make it quick and Sasuke still couldn't believe they were actually having sex when they had guests, when they were hosting a party.

The moaning of his name in her ear had Sasuke gritting his teeth and his hold on her hip tightened, bringing her against him more forcefully.

And then an explosion seemed to erupt within him and he didn't care about somebody hearing them. He didn't care about the wet slapping sound echoing around the bathroom. He didn't care about the moan coming from beneath him before Sakura slapped a hand over her mouth, throwing her head back and squeezing her eyes shut.

Once it was over, once his orgasm – the most intense orgasm he'd had so far – had drifted away, Sasuke was disappointed when he realised that Sakura had not reached orgasm.

"Don't." She smiled just as he went to say something. The hand that had been used to cover her own mouth was suddenly on his when Sasuke tried to say something else. "I don't care if I didn't orgasm this time."

He sighed in response and gently pulled out of her, sitting back onto his knees and removing the condom. "Next time you will."

She couldn't help but blush at his words, averting her eyes when he tied the end of the condom and threw it into the waste bin that resided next to the toilet. Like the estate agent had told them: the bathroom was a four piece suite with a toilet, a sink, a bath and then a separate shower cubicle.

"What brought this on, anyway?" asked Sasuke. He picked up her discarded underwear and slipped them back up her legs, gently caressing her thighs as he did so. "You've never been so forward before."

Again, she smiled. "I was feeling very grateful."

This made him frown. "You don't have to have sex with me whenever I do something for you, Sakura. That's–"

"You're saying it like I'm forcing myself." Sakura laughed and sat up, leaning up to kiss Sasuke's cheek sweetly. "I just couldn't wait until tonight or until everyone's left."

He nodded in agreement. They could have drawn it out had they waited and Sakura definitely would have reached orgasm, but Sasuke knew he could make up for it tonight. Sex with Sakura, as stupid as it probably sounded, was like a drug to him. It relaxed him and pushed away all negative thoughts, leaving Sasuke to feel… free, in a way.

"We should probably get back to the party," she told him quietly. "People are going to be missing us."

Reluctantly, he agreed.

Panting hard and body still thrumming with pleasure, Sasuke rolled over and collapsed onto his back, watching the ceiling and listening as Sakura breathed just as heavily, as they both attempted to control their breathing and the spasming of their trembling bodies.

Living together was…

It was amazing.

They'd been living together for just over a month now and in a few hours, they would be going to college for the first time. What better way to start the day than a quick romp? Sasuke had whispered something along those lines in Sakura's ear between the heated kisses that had been littered up and down her throat.

Sakura was so tempted to fall back asleep, to just shut her eyes and allow the post-coital bliss to lure her into unconsciousness, but she knew that that could not happen. Not just anybody would be teaching her first medical class – it would be her shishou, Senju Tsunade. She knew that she couldn't be late to that class not only because it wouldn't look good for either of them, but also because Tsunade would surely kick her ass for it.

Like Itachi had more or less promised her, Haruno Kizashi received a lengthy sentence of fifteen years. Sure, it wasn't as long as she or her mother had hoped, as they knew there was a chance they'd one day see him on the street again, but it was enough for now. They would have fifteen years of peace. Maybe her mother could even find love during that time?

She didn't attend the trial and instead did her part via a video. Shisui had been by her side the entire time, much to her gratefulness and he'd been very supportive. Sakura was still trying to find a way to thank him for that.

"Do you want some breakfast?" Sakura asked once she'd eventually caught her breath.

Sasuke leaned up and over her, kissing his girlfriend softly. "Yeah."

Nodding, she kissed him one last time and then slipped out from beneath him, reaching for her robe to cover herself. Sleeping naked was something she still wasn't entirely used to, as there was always that fear that somebody was going to break in and see her in the nude. Having Sasuke by her side, equally as naked, took those fears away, though. In fact, he was quite the distraction.

Since moving in, Sakura had rejoined the dojo with Gaara, who had been very patient with her as they relearned everything (only she needed to go over everything, but Gaara never complained once). Even Rock Lee had slowed himself down in order to assist her, taking things as slowly as possible without offending Sakura. Sasuke didn't use a local dojo. Why? Oh, his father owned one or two. No big deal.

When he'd asked Sakura if she'd like to use his dojo instead, she had grimaced. Not out of disgust or anything or the sort, but out of awkwardness, because she'd replied negatively, quietly telling Sasuke that she enjoyed spending time with the other martial artists at Gai's dojo. They were all unique characters. He'd taken it well, Sakura believed. Now, he trained with Itachi, Shisui or even his father.

It was distractedly that Sakura made the breakfast. Growing up, she had always helped her mother in the kitchen, so she knew what she was doing and what every piece of equipment was for.

Arms wrapping around her waist and soft lips against her cheek almost startled her.

"Do you know what time your lunch is?" Sakura shook her head and in response, Sasuke kissed her cheek again. "Text me when you do. Naruto wants us all to have ramen together."

Even though she wasn't a huge fan of ramen, it did sound like a good plan. That way, they could all tell each other about their day so far and what their schedules were. Who knows? Maybe they'd all find a few new friends who could tag along? Something about that thought had her stomach in knots. Sakura didn't want her group to disband or for anybody else to join it. What if the newbies caused trouble? What if they got in between them all? After everything they'd been through, Sakura didn't want to lose any of her friends. And what about Sasuke?

Sakura's eyes lowered to the pan once more and she frowned at it. What if there were a whole load of beautiful girls in his classes? What if they tried to seduce or tempt him? What if he became good friends with them and realised they were better than her? What if–

She was being stupid and worrying over nothing. A little bit of possessiveness and anxiety was good for a person, but not like that. Sasuke wasn't her property. If he wanted to talk to other girls, then fine. It would be hypocritical of her to say he couldn't, especially considering her friendship with Gaara and how close they were. As long as those girls knew about her and knew that Sasuke was not single, as long as they respected their relationship and didn't try to intervene, then Sakura would accept it. She would–

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

Switching off the hob, for breakfast was now ready and on the verge of overcooking, Sakura sighed and stepped out of Sasuke's embrace, walking over to the plates set out on the counter.

"It's nothing."

Even though her eyes weren't on him, Sakura just knew that he was frowning. "Sakura."

Again, she sighed and faced him. Like she had thought: Sasuke was frowning. "I'm being silly."

"I won't laugh. Is it about yesterday's therapy session? Did the psychiatrist say anything?"

"No. Nothing that you don't already know." There wasn't really anything to know because at that moment in time, they were examining her to see if the anger was more than just anger issues. They were trying to figure out if it went deeper than that, if it was a mental illness or something of the sort. "I just…" Green eyes slipped away from grey-black. "I don't want any of us to grow distant. College is going to be filled with so many new people. What if… What if we all find new groups? Everything's going to change."

Instead of growing annoyed like Sakura had thought he would, Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow at her. "You're worried about us finding other people."

It wasn't a question, but she nodded anyway. Sasuke knew her too well not to catch onto what she was thinking.

"I've told you before, Sakura: I'm not interested in anyone else." He sighed and stepped closer to her, resting his hands on her hips. "They could be otherworldly beautiful and insanely intelligent and I wouldn't care."

"But–"

"Are you saying somebody could replace me so easily?"

"No, but–"

"Then why do you think somebody could replace you?"

"I…" He was giving her the chance to speak now, but Sakura couldn't find the words to describe her thoughts. She couldn't figure out how to put those thoughts into words without sounding like a paranoid girlfriend, which she probably was. "I don't know."

Fortunately, Sasuke still didn't seem to be annoyed with her and when he kissed her forehead affectionately, Sakura suddenly became aware of their proximity, of the fact that he was wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants that were very low on his hips. And like every other time Sasuke came so close to her, her heart began to pound and her breathing grew shallow.

He smirked and pulled away. "It's not your looks that keep me with you, Sakura. It's your intelligence and personality. Sure, you're beautiful, but your personality makes you unpredictable, meaning you're never boring." His smirk widened and he ran a finger across her blushing cheeks. "The only thing that makes you predictable is this."

Much to both of their amusements, Sakura's blush deepened. "I can't help it."

"I know." Sasuke then grew serious, frowning down at her softly. "Feeling any better?"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I was just worried, Sasuke. Not upset or angry."

"Well, have I eased your worry?"

A smile pulled at her lips. "You have. Now hurry up and eat, because breakfast is getting cold and I'm not making more!"

Sakura couldn't believe how nervous she felt – so much more than she'd thought she would. Just moments before, in the car, her mother had called her and wished her good luck on her first day. She also invited the pair of them over for dinner, so that they could tell her all about their day.

It had been difficult not being with her mother, Sakura wasn't even going to bother to try and deny that. For the first week of living with Sasuke, she'd rung her mother every night before bed, checking up on her and making sure she'd eaten, that she'd been getting enough sleep. She needn't worry. Now that Sakura had moved out, Mebuki saved so much money and was currently saving up to buy herself a car, to make travelling to work easier. There was even the possibility of dropping her second job now, too, though Mebuki wasn't too sure on it. The extra money was useful and she had good friends at the diner.

As Sakura stepped through the door to her class, all thoughts came to a screeching halt as she saw the size of it. The class was huge and already, it was packed with other students, making her rather uneasy. It also made it hard to find a seat, because–

Platinum blonde hair caught her eye.

When Sakura looked back to the blonde, her eyes widened with shock when blue eyes met hers. And then the blonde was removing her bag from the desk beside her, pulling out the chair in a silent invitation, one Sakura accepted without hesitation. Her heart was in her throat and her palms were growing sweaty, but even though she'd been certain that she was frozen in place with shock, she took the seat.

"Sakura."

What the hell was going on? "…Ino."

She raised an eyebrow at her, regarding Sakura with some unknown emotion. "You look different."

Her hand raised to her hair, fingering the ends of it self-consciously. Damn it. Ino always managed to make her feel so inferior. With just one look, she could make Sakura feel like she was only an inch tall, but it was great sometimes. Why? Because that feeling always knocked back her anger. It always forced her to calm down unless she wanted Ino to knock her on her ass and put her in her place with force. She was a hell of a lot tougher than she looked.

"I got a haircut."

Ino actually snickered at that. "I didn't mean your hair."

"Then what did you mean?" Sakura demanded, frowning up at her.

But the blonde merely shook her head, still seeming a little unsure. "I don't know. You look… happier than the last time we spoke."

It was Sakura's turn to raise an eyebrow and huff with amusement. "That's because the last time we spoke, I was being ambushed by Sasuke's fan-girls."

"Speaking of which. I suppose…" A single blue eye rolled and she sighed. "I was wrong about your relationship with Uchiha Sasuke. It seems he has changed."

Was this her way of apologising? Or was she just admitting to being wrong? Ino never admitted to being wrong, which was why Sakura felt so unsure and confused. "He has. We're living together now."

She looked stunned. "Really? Since when? I thought you spent all summer in Suna."

The air around them felt a little more relaxed at the questions and when Ino rested her elbow on the desk and her head in her hand, watching her, Sakura felt more and more tension leaving her body. It was so easy telling Ino everything that had happened (perhaps not everything, because the subject of her father would take forever to discuss) and in a way, it felt like they'd never fallen out in the first place.

"Look." Ino suddenly sighed when Tsunade entered the room, sitting up straighter. It was crazy how the rest of the class also snapped to attention, bright eyes focusing entirely on the woman. "I'm not saying we can be best friends again, because I'm still not over you ditching our friendship like it meant absolutely nothing for a guy, but… We can try again, if you want."

A small smile played along her lips. This was what she'd been hoping for before finishing high school. A second chance to try and make it up to Ino, because their friendship certainly hadn't meant nothing to her. It was Ino who helped her with the bullies, who'd helped her overcome her issues with her forehead. Sakura knew it was going to take a while to earn back Ino's trust, to prove to her that she was serious about being friends again, but she was determined to earn that trust again, just like Sasuke had with her. People were capable of change if they truly wanted it and she did. Sakura wanted it so badly that her heart ached.

Ino was giving her a chance, was helping her to change.

"I've really missed you, Ino-Pig. There's so much that I need to tell you!"

In return, Ino smiled, too. It was small, tired, but her eyes warmed at the old nickname, like she was incredibly happy to hear it once more but didn't want to show it. "I know, Forehead."

THE END

A/N - Please don't kill me! I know that it's a quick and unexpected ending, but I felt I would be dragging it out if I continued and I wanted to leave you guessing about how Sakura's treatment went and if she managed to earn Ino's trust once more.

This week has been really good so far and I'm hoping my sudden luck doesn't run out any time soon. First, after my interview, I got a call back the next day... I GOT THE JOB! Then, today, I collected the rest of my results. Distinction*, A, Pass, Pass and a C! I finally passed maths hahaha. That has to be the worst subject for me, so I'm actually really happy that all my hard work paid off. The first time I took the exam, I got a U. Then an E. And now a C!

The kitten is doing really well, though my mum thinks there's something not right in her head. She gets quite confused sometimes about where her food is and where the litter tray is. Quite a few times, we've had to stop her from using the sofas as her litter tray. Not only that, but she won't go upstairs at all. She hates it. Any advice, anyone? I'm hoping we get to keep her, but I think the others still think it's too soon since our other cat, Gizmo, died. I understand and everything, because I still miss the terrifying furball so much, but I'm sure she'd want us to take in a kitten who can't be rehomed because of her bathroom habits, right?

I wasn't planning on updating, but for the first time in a while, I feel genuinely happy and I wanted to share it with you all, because of how nice and caring you have all been to me. I'll try my best to get around to replying to you all, too!

Thank you!

Edited: 03/05/17