Artheph's Note: BIRTHDAY FIC FOR CRYSTHUR! YAY! And yes, I know this sort of is a songfic ("Smile Like You Mean It" by The Killers). Bah humbug. Let the fanfiction secret police cancel our account. Also, yes, only slightly Sasuke/Sakura. Then again, Sasuke heeding Sakura's advice equals love for him, right? Anyway, enjoy, Crysthur!

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura knocked loudly on his door. "I brought you some chicken broth! Open up!"

Sighing, as the knocking brought only a dull ache to her knuckles, she twisted the knob, not expecting the door to open to her will. But it did, and she was suspicious. Had he laid traps, as all good ninjas should? Or was he really that sick?

She cautiously made her way to his room, avoiding all ominous-looking wall hangings and rickety floorboards. It wouldn't do any good to trip over a nearly invisible wire and spill broth all over the white walls. Once she reached his door, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Now, it was time to plaster a smile on her face because she had heard Sasuke was pretty moody after hearing he needed to stay in bed for a full week.

"Sasuke-kun, you left your door open," she began, as she stepped into the room.

As expected, the curtains had been tightly drawn closed, and the room was left in a mottled yellow gray haze as the sun tried to filter through. Sasuke was sitting in his bed, lazily twirling a kunai between his fingers.

Sakura sighed. "Just because you're sick doesn't mean you can just sit there. At least let a little sunlight in."

Leaving the broth on his bedside table, she went over to open the curtains. "Have you even eaten anything? You at least took your medication right?"

Sasuke looked up at her, as if he had just realized she was in his room. "What are you doing here?"

She pouted, her hands on her hips. So much for a little appreciation. "Just showing some teammate affection. Eat the broth—Oh! Is that a mandolin?"

She went toward the heavy case, which was barely sticking out from under his bed. Easily pulling it out, she worked on opening the latches.

"It's a guitar, stupid."

"Hey," she admonished, frowning at the name-calling. "Did you get this imported from America? It must be expensive!"

The latches were almost undone.

"Don't touch it," he deadpanned, his voice flat.

"I'm not going to break it; don't worry."

He clenched his fists, wrinkling his bed sheets.

"Don't touch it. It was my brother's."

Surprised, she almost reflexively stepped away from it, but then she thought maybe it was about time they all let go of their phobia.

"Hm, that's interesting. I didn't expect he'd have time to play the guitar between training and doing missions."

"Sakura."

"Did he teach you any chords?"

He glared at her.

"No? Well maybe you should teach yourself. After all, playing music helps sharpen the brain," she replied, tapping the side of her head. "You can improve your hearing too!"

She finally opened the case, and inside was a finely polished guitar with only a few traces of dust lining its hollow interior.

"Leave it alone, Sakura."

Sakura knew she had breached his limits.

"Fine." She quickly closed the case and turned to leave. "But drink the broth."

The next day, Sakura had another bowl of broth as she stepped into Sasuke's room. The guitar case was not as carefully placed under his bed as it had been yesterday. She grinned.

"I'm just stopping by to drop this off. I need to go help Ino at the flower shop."

He grunted in reply, as she waved and left.

On the third day, she could have sworn she heard a few chords as she stepped around the suspicious-looking floorboards and avoided looking at the austere paintings. But when she reached his room, the guitar was nowhere in sight, and he was lying asleep. A little puzzled, she left the broth on his table, left the curtains closed so the light wouldn't wake him, and went back home.

Hospital work kept her busy for the next couple of days, but on the final day of Sasuke's bed rest, Sakura was able to get some time off. She was rounding the corner of his neighborhood when she heard the fragmented chorus of some bygone song. Walking closer, she realized it was Sasuke, sitting in front of his home, experimenting with a few chords on the guitar. She was about to scold him for being outside when he strummed the strings and murmured a few lines to himself. It was the same song her father had sung for her when she was a little girl.

"Save some face, you know you've only got one
Change your ways while you're young
Boy, one day you'll be a man
Oh girl, he'll help you understand…"

Grinning, she decided to leave him to his memories and come back later in the day.

Smile like you mean it.