Something new. For everyone following my other stories, I'm still working on them. School is almost wrapped up and I will have a bit more time in the summer.
I'm rewatching the anime right now, and this scene is just so sad. I remember watching it the first time it was aired on tv. Still gives me the feels after all this time. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters or plot.

The night air was warm against her skin, but Sakura couldn't help from feeling chilled. Calling the earlier fight between Naruto and Sasuke intense would be an understatement, and it left her with a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. After her and Naruto parted from Ichiraku, Sakura found herself walking around aimlessly. The full moon lit her path as she eventually found herself on the road leading to the village gates.

She waited.

She wasn't sure why, but she knew he would come eventually. Sakura didn't have to wait long to hear the soft pat of shinobi sandals against the stone path.

'tok…tok…tok..tok…'

Her gut sank when she saw it was Sasuke. It sunk even further when she saw the bag he was carrying.

Sasuke wasn't wearing his headband but he was as beautiful as he had always been to her. His inky hair reflected the moonlight and his long eyelashes could be seen from their distance away. Their eyes met as they had thousands of times before; ebony and emerald.

He looked as devastating handsome as she looked absolutely devastated.

"It's the dead of night. What are you doing out here?"

She could hear the irritation in his tone and she felt the prick of tears at the corners of her eyes.

His presence was intimidating and she wasn't sure if coming here had been the right decision. She lowered her eyes from his.

"This road is the only one out of the village. So I've been keeping watch."

"Just go to bed."

He walked right past her.

'tok…tok…tok..tok…'

The tears filled over her eyes and left a cool trail down her face.

She turned around but his back was to her now.

"So that's it? You're choosing the lonely path? Remember how you showed me what it means to be lonely? Well, now I understand. It's all painfully clear to me."

He stopped walking and her heart tightened.

"I've… I have family and friends… But Sasuke-kun, if I lose you, I… I'll be… I will be very lonely."

She couldn't stop the tears as they poured down her face. Her heart clenched so hard it hurt and she couldn't even think of what she would feel if he actually left. Nothing had ever hurt this bad before.

"We're each starting off on a new path. They're just different is all."

His voice wavered slightly, as if he was unsure of what he was saying, but she was desperate now. Desperate for him to stay, for this to stop, for him to turn around and realize the mistake he was about to make.

"I'm so in love with you that I can't even stand it Sasuke-kun! Stay with me and I'll never let you regret it! We'll have fun every day and you'll be happy! I'll make sure of it. I'll do anything for you Sasuke! Just please… Please don't go."

She still hadn't looked up at him, but she could feel him pausing. She could feel his hesitation.

"I'll even help you take revenge. I mean, I'll manage it somehow so please… Stay with me. If you can't then maybe I can go with you."

She heard him shifting and looked up again.

Ebony met emerald. Her eyes stained with anguish, his with uncertainty.

Then, he smirked at her and she was sure it would haunt her for the rest of her life.

"You're so annoying."

Her chest felt like it was going to burst until he started walking towards her. Her eyes widened in shock.

"What're you…"

"Come on. I'll walk you home. It's late."

She had no idea what to feel as he walked up to her with the sour look on his face. She finally moved when he grabbed her wrist and started dragging her along. The air was still warm and his hand seared the skin around her wrist. A shy blush crossed her face.

"Wait what are you… Just wait a sec Sasuke-kun. Aren't you leaving? How do I know you're not going to take me home and leave?"

He scoffed and pulled her along harder, causing her to stumble forward. His grasp held tight and he continued to guide them forward.

"Just hurry up."

Sakura really wasn't sure what was happening now. One minute she felt as if her world had been ending, but now she was being walked home? Could he really have a change of heart so quickly? Either way, she felt Sasuke continue to lead her forward until they reached a small house.

"This is…"

"Just come on, it's late. Your house is too far and I'm tired."

They walked up the steps together. She had been here before. They had all been to each other's houses, they were a close team after all. They had even slept over at Naruto's a bunch in the past. But now all Sakura could do was slip out of her sandals and walk forward as she was pulled along by Sasuke. A fleeting thought of how she was always looking at her boy's backs crossed her mind before she realized she was in Sasuke's room. It was clean, but there were a couple things left out, as if he hadn't been planning on leaving the village that night. He dropped his pack in the corner and walked towards the bed.

"I don't have a couch so just sleep here."

Sakura followed Sasuke as he crawled under the covers.

"Sasuke-kun, what are you doing."

The things he wasn't saying her telling her something. She laid there on her back next to him for a moment, awkwardly. His back was to her, and his bed smelled like him. It was warm. They had slept in close proximity for missions, but never in the same bed. Her heart raced.

"You said…"

He began speaking, but never finished. She waited for him to continue but he never did. She would never know the way his throat clenched before the words came out, stopping him from doing so.

"Said what Sasuke-kun? Something I said earlier?"

Sakura was suddenly feeling very shy and embarrassed as she remembered. She mentally scolded herself for saying such things out loud. Especially to Sasuke!

"It's nothing. Just sleep Sakura."

Yet she could clearly hear the rasp in his voice. Suddenly, before her mind could tell her body not to, she reached over to gently touch his back. She felt him flinch slightly at the contact, but she was committed now. Sakura began rubbing soft circles on his back, like her mother had done for her when she was a child.

"It's ok Sasuke-kun, we're all here for you."

They stayed like that for a while and her heart calmed down. She wasn't sure she would ever sleep if it had kept hammering away under her chest. But today had been the most emotional day of her life, and tiredness was setting in. Her breathing slowed until her eyelids felt heavy, and she slowly stopped rubbing circles on Sasuke's back.

Sakura was almost asleep as she felt the young ninja shift next to her.

The weight of his arm covered her waist, and the warmth of his chin sunk into the crook of her neck. The ends of his silky hair tickling her exposed shoulder.

She could feel wet against her neck and she thought she heard a sniffle, but couldn't really be sure this time. Sakura moved her hand towards his resting on her waist and she wove her fingers through his. He clung to her tighter. Sakura barely heard his last words before they drifted off to sleep.

"Thank you, Sakura."

He may have thought he was a grown-up, but they were all still just kids and Sasuke needed her to chase the loneliness away that night.

Please review. They really make my day :) Hope you enjoyed!