Two months later

Spring had arrived in Konoha, and early May brought warm weather and the final traditions of senior year.

To Ino's delight, Sakura had agreed to let her name be put on the ballot for prom queen. At this point, she didn't care so much anymore, and the slim prospect of getting that ridiculous crown alongside Sasuke wasn't nearly as repulsive as it had been before Homecoming. She was going to prom with Sasuke, and that was all that mattered. No crown or speech would make the night any better than it would already be.

But that didn't stop Ino from exclaiming over it. "I can't believe you actually agreed to this, Forehead," she said with a huge grin as they walked to lunch the Wednesday before prom.

"Me either. I didn't realize you'd be this giddy about it." Sakura said, rolling her eyes.

"Look, you have to realize that I've been waiting for this for years. Both of us are gonna be queens."

"You have to realize that this thing is just a popularity contest," Sakura said, "And being prom queen isn't going to take someone anywhere in life."

"Hey. You never know. Anyway, at least it's a popularity contest with deserving winners." Ino said, shrugging. "And you're not allowed to deny that you're going to win."

Sakura rolled her eyes and glanced at the noticeboard, where all the names nominated for Homecoming court were pasted on a large poster. People had continued to add to it throughout the week, and the final vote was tomorrow.

Ino did too, and a smile began to spread over her face.

"What?" Sakura frowned.

"Look who put his name in."

Sakura read down the list of names, and then saw Sasuke's. She grinned.

"I sense a scheme." Ino said. "You two are creating a monopoly. No one in their right mind is going to pick one of you without the other."

"Yeah, right." Sakura rolled her eyes and started walking again. "Can we please talk about something else? This is so stupid."

"Forehead, allow yourself one week of carefree girliness before you go back to your dry and analytical life, please." Ino said, sighing dramatically.

"How about you allow yourself one week of not nagging me?" Sakura said.

"Point taken." Ino rolled her eyes. "But seriously. Just enjoy it."

Sakura shook her head and couldn't help grinning. "I know. I'm planning on it."

Sakura wouldn't hesitate to say that the past two months had been the best of her high school experience. For the first time, it felt like her life wasn't missing something, and maybe that was cliché, but she'd never been this satisfied. It was getting into college, and finishing a strong year, and being with her friends, and Sasuke.

Because this year would never have happened without him.

Sakura, Ino, and Hinata were getting ready at Ino's house on Saturday evening, before being picked up by their respective boyfriends. They were sharing Ino's bathroom mirror; Sakura was wearing a button-down shirt of Sasuke's while she did her hair and makeup, to prevent as few mess-ups as possible when she would have to change into her dress. Ino, of course, wouldn't let it go.

"Can I ask how you came by that shirt?" Ino asked, raising an eyebrow as she braided a section of her hair meticulously. She was attempting a complicated style, with braids weaving back into a mass of curls that fell over one shoulder.

Hinata smiled, and Sakura rolled her eyes. "You can ask. I have the right to remain silent."

"Come on, Forehead, we're your best friends."

"I don't know, I was over at his house a month ago. The heat wasn't working. Hence the extra shirt."

"And you stole it afterward?" Ino smirked.

"Hey, don't give me crap for stealing anything. You've got a drawer full of Shikamaru's shirts."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine."

"I think you box yourself in too easily, Ino." Hinata said. She pinned some of her hair back, fingers weaving a braid with ease.

"Uh, yeah." Sakura laughed and picked up Ino's hair curler.

"Why do you two always have to gang up on me?" Ino said, shaking her head. "Honestly."

Sakura and Hinata laughed, and then Hinata went to change into her dress in the bedroom while the other two girls finished their hair.

Sakura's prom dress was strapless and pale gold, and the chiffon skirt brushed her feet. She'd bought it two months ago with Ino; the two of them had gone shopping together. It was the first dress Sakura had tried on, and she'd fallen in love immediately.

Not to mention Ino had been speechless when Sakura had shown her in the dressing room, and that was always a good sign.

Ino's dress was (predictably) much more daring than Sakura's: it was sky blue, with a bedazzled, revealing bodice and a high leg slit. It screamed Ino, and made her look like a supermodel.

Hinata, to the surprise of Ino and Sakura, had picked out a spaghetti strap dress. It was a dark, forest green and looked amazing. She looked a bit uncomfortable, standing there awkwardly as Ino and Sakura came out of the bathroom, still in their normal clothes, to see what it looked like.

"Do you guys think this is okay?" She held her shoulder self-consciously. "I really loved this dress, but now I'm not so sure…"

"Hinata Hyuga. You are gorgeous. That dress is gorgeous." Ino put her hands on Hinata's shoulders. "Embrace it."

"I know I'm being so stupid." Hinata said quietly. "Sometimes I can't help it."

"You're not being stupid." Sakura said.

"Hinata, it took me eons to sort out Sakura's confidence. I mean, this is the first time she's wearing a dress that's actually worthy of her. You've only been getting ready for us for like two years, and you've already made so much progress. Remember sophomore year? You'd only go out in a nun's habit."

Sakura rolled her eyes and Hinata smiled reluctantly. "It wasn't that bad…"

"It was very bad." Ino said matter-of-factly. "And don't you dare put a sweater on over that dress." She returned to the bathroom.

"You guys are always so amazing. I feel like I shouldn't need you to make me feel better about everything I wear." Hinata said uncomfortably.

"What are you talking about? That's what we're here for." Sakura said, shaking her head and grinning. "And bring a sweater if you want. One step at a time."

"No, I'm okay." Hinata smiled and looked at herself in the mirror. "I think...I feel good."

Sakura grinned and went to change into her own dress in the bathroom. Ino zipped her up, and Sakura did the same. The two girls stood in front of the bathroom mirror for a moment, doing a final check of everything.

Sakura touched up her mascara and looked at herself, satisfied. She'd done her own makeup this time, preferring to keep it slightly less dramatic than Ino's style. Unlike Homecoming, she was wearing her hair half-back, with the majority of it falling down her back in waves.

Ino looked over at her and grinned.

"What?" Sakura asked.

"It's kind of weird, isn't it? Senior prom. Like, we're finally here."

Sakura smiled. "Yeah, I know."

"I'm glad we made it." Ino said seriously.

Sakura frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Sometimes high school felt like it was never going to end. And I was worried about you."

"I was always fine." Sakura said.

Ino frowned. "I know. But 'fine' isn't always 'good.'"

"Well, I'm good now. That's what matters." Sakura smiled at her.

"So am I." Ino smiled back. "Let's do this."

The two girls met Hinata back in the bedroom. "I can't wait to see Naruto drop dead when he sees you." Ino said to Hinata with an evil grin.

"I think that's a bit over-dramatic, Ino," Hinata said.

"No, trust me, it's not." Ino said. "And I don't think it's a stretch to say that we are by far the most gorgeous girls Konoha High School has ever seen."

Sakura just shook her head. "Whatever you say, Pig."

"See, you're not even denying it." Ino grinned triumphantly.

"INO! There are some cars arriving!" Ino's father called up the stairs. "You girls almost done?"

The three girls strapped on their shoes and headed out.

It almost didn't feel real as they came down the stairs to the front hall, where the three boys were waiting. Ino's father was snapping picture after picture, and her mother and Hinata's father were there, too, standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

Shikamaru's tie was sky blue, and Naruto had matched his green vest to Hinata, but Sasuke had gone for a black suit and tie, matching only the pale gold pocket square in his pocket. He looked striking. Handsome didn't seem to be enough.

And he was staring at Sakura as she came down the stairs, feeling slightly self-conscious at his glance. His eyes had widened ever so slightly when she'd appeared, and she could tell he was speechless, even if it was less obvious than Naruto's gaping mouth at Hinata's appearance, or Shikamaru's raised eyebrows at Ino's.

"Hold there!" Ino's father said, rushing forward and holding a hand out to stop the three of them before they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Just let me get a few good shots before the boys ruin the beauty."

"Yes, please," Ino said. She turned to the side and posed with Sakura and Hinata. The girls laughed and made different faces for the camera, before Ino's father finally let them come all the way down.

Sasuke came forward a few steps to meet Sakura.

"Hi," She said with a smile.

"Hi," He said, his voice sounding slightly husky.

"So…How do I look?" She gave him a little half-twirl.

Sasuke didn't even smirk. "You look—"

"Don't forget the corsages, boys!" Ino's mother said loudly.

Sasuke didn't finish his sentence and instead withdrew Sakura's corsage from his jacket, tying it onto her wrist with fingers that seemed like they were fumbling more than usual. Sakura reached up to pin on his boutonniere, as careful as possible. They met each other's eyes and Sakura gave him a slight, almost tentative smile.

"Alright, the six of you line up! I'm not letting you get out of here just yet!" Ino's father said, positioning all of them in a line. Sakura stood in front of Sasuke and he put his arms around her waist.

After several minutes of pictures, Ino's father finally put his camera away.

"Remember, no mischief." Hinata's father said sternly to all of them, though it was clear he was really talking to Naruto.

Sasuke raised her eyebrows at Sakura and she grinned. Neither of them knew exactly what that meant.

"Don't worry, sir." Naruto said, and Sakura almost thought he was going to bow to Mr. Hyuga.

"Have a good time!" Ino's mother called.

"Bye!" Ino said, and then led the way out, holding on to Shikamaru's hand.

There was a limo waiting outside, courtesy of the boys. Sasuke held the door open for Sakura as she lifted her skirt and climbed in.

"Thanks," she said, giving him a smile.

"No problem," Sasuke said, smirking back and looking much more like his normal cocky self.

They sat next to each other on the way there, legs touching and Sasuke's arm around Sakura's shoulders. Prom was at one of the nicer hotels downtown; the prom committee had apparently spent hours decorating the ballroom.

"If only I got some champagne." Ino said, shaking her head. "That would've made this ride amazing."

"It's probably better if we do this sober. It's prom, after all." Shikamaru said with a shrug.

"Yeah...You're right." Ino smiled wrapped an arm around him.

"This is gonna be awesome," Naruto said, looking at Hinata with a grin. She smiled back at him.

Their limo pulled up to the front of the hotel ten minutes later, and slowly rolled forward in the long line leading to the doors. Sakura watched her classmates get out in the cars ahead and make their way up the stairs to the brightly lit entrance. It looked like senior prom was already a step up from last year.

Finally they stopped, and the guys ducked out first to wait for the girls right outside. Sakura accepted Sasuke's hand with a smile as she got out of the limo, and the two of them led the way up the steps. If anything didn't feel real, arm and arm with Sasuke, it was this.

"Here we go," Ino said to Sakura with an exhilarated grin as the six of them walked inside to the registration table.

Sasuke handed in their invitations and then they were through to the ballroom, which looked, well, if not like a movie then perfectly suitable for a prom. It wasn't shining marble and crystal chandeliers, but no one could care less. There was a makeshift stage at the front of the room, put together slightly haphazardly, but the decorations looked amazing.

There was a huge crowd there already, sitting at the round tables that surrounded the dance floor, and Sakura could feel people looking at them as they came in. The six of them had arrived at the exact right time to make an entrance that Ino would be extremely happy with: they came through the doorway alone, making them the stars of the show for about fifteen seconds. Sakura grinned at Sasuke. He rolled his eyes, but she could tell he didn't mind.

There were already parallels between tonight and Homecoming, almost seven months ago, but they seemed so strange considering how different Sakura felt. Their entrance was almost identical (albeit with more people) but it couldn't have felt more different…Or better. She was really, truly, happy. And Sasuke was no longer always in a corner of the room (and a corner of Sakura's mind), he had his own space, closer to the middle. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Yo!" Kiba came up to them with his date, one of the juniors on the cheerleading squad. "Fashionably late, as always!"

"That's the way I like it," Ino said, holding on to Shikamaru's arm.

"You guys look great!" Kiba said. He looked at all of them, mouth open slightly.

"Aw, man, you're too nice!" Naruto said.

"I meant the girls." Kiba said, rolling his eyes.

"Thanks," Sakura and Hinata said.

"We know." Ino said, giving him a wide smile. "Now, where's our table?"

"Sai and Shino got one. This way," Kiba led the way back to a table right off the dance floor. Choji, Sai, and Shino were all waiting there with their respective dates.

"Hi, guys!" Choji said. "Where've you been? It's seven thirty."

"Ino's dad decided to take about a thousand pictures," Shikamaru said with a yawn.

"Hey. It's prom." Ino said.

Shikamaru put his arm around her shoulders. "I know."

Sasuke pulled out Sakura's chair for her and she grinned at him as they sat down. "Are you trying especially hard to be a gentleman tonight?"

Sasuke shrugged.

"It's the tux, Sakura-chan," Naruto said, leaning over Sasuke from the seat to his left. "It immediately makes him more polite."

"Shut up, dobe." Sasuke said immediately.

"Apparently it only does good things," Sakura said, catching Sasuke's eye. He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You should just wear one all the time."

"You guys are gross. Anyway, it's way too uncomfortable to wear all the time." Naruto said.

"Leave them alone, Naruto-kun." Hinata said mildly from Naruto's left.

"I'm just kidding. But I'd only ever wear a tux for you, Hinata-chan."

Hinata blushed. "No…"

"I'm serious!" Naruto said. "I'd even give up orange!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and Sakura smiled at the two of them. She had faith that their relationship would be alright, even with Hinata going to the University of Kusa in the fall. She'd confirmed it last month, and while Naruto hadn't taken it that well, he wasn't going to stop Hinata from doing whatever made her happy. Sakura knew she'd been extremely torn over it, but in the end Hinata had been content (the program at Kusa was everything she wanted). And if Hinata was happy, then Naruto was happy.

Naruto was attending KU, along with the majority of them; Sai would be going to art school in Iwa, and Shino was going to Suna for a technology program. Next year was going to be strange, but they'd all accepted it. Because no matter who stayed, college was going be a whole new experience. And everyone was ready for it.

Waiters began to bring out the food a few minutes later, when the trickle of people coming inside had stopped and everyone was sitting down.

"This is definitely a step up from last year," Ino said, looking impressed.

"It must be, if you noticed," Shikamaru said with a smirk.

"You had to have noticed. Look at this! This was exactly what I thought prom would be when I was little. Except I never imagined the most important thing, obviously."

"Which is what?"

Ino just looked at him. "Um. You."

Clearly something was spreading over all of them. Especially if Ino's acting like this, Sakura thought. Shikamaru raised his eyebrows, surprised. "Well. Oh."

Ino leaned over and kissed him, and he leaned forward to meet her. It was only a minute before she pulled back, however. "Don't ruin my makeup, though. Not yet. I spent hours on this face."

Well, maybe Sakura had assumed too soon. Some things didn't change.

Shikamaru just rolled his eyes.

"Speaking of my face, we should take pictures! Before we start eating." Ino said, clapping her hands together.

The rest of them agreed (somewhat reluctantly), and phones were passed around to take different pictures of each other: girls, guys, couples, and everyone together. Sakura had a feeling she'd end up with about a thousand photos of her and Sasuke on her phone, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

And then the waiters were bringing food to their table, and they all started to eat. Sakura had been hungry earlier, but now for some reason it had gone away; she didn't know if it was nervousness (which was ridiculous) or adrenaline or something else.

"You going to eat?" Sasuke asked her, frowning.

"Yeah, I'm just not hungry. I don't know." She smiled at him. "I swear I'm fine."

"I can tell." He said.

"Yeah?"

"Aa. You've got this…I don't know."

"Aura?" Ino asked helpfully. "Air?"

Sasuke nodded. "Something like that."

"Oh." Sakura said, blushing and not really knowing why. There was a pause and Sakura changed the subject. "Do you want my chicken?" She asked Sasuke with a slight grin.

"Sure." Sasuke said, spearing it off her plate. He pushed some of his pasta onto hers. Sakura just looked at him.

"Just eat it." Sasuke said. "You'll be hungry later if you don't."

"Yeah. Thanks." Sakura said, shaking her head.

Sasuke just shook his head and turned back to his plate, but she didn't miss his glance a second later. She caught his eye and he looked away. They both grinned.

Half an hour later, all the plates were cleared, and Shino was setting up his equipment, taking over for the DJ who'd played the slower, oldies music during dinner. People were starting to get up and move towards the middle of the room.

"Shall we?" Sakura asked Ino, motioning towards the dance floor.

"I was just about to ask." Ino stood up.

"Coming?" Sakura asked Sasuke with a grin. She relinquished his hand.

"Tch. Funny." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'll be here."

"Me too." Shikamaru said.

"Ugh, fine." Ino said. "Hinata?"

"Yep." Hinata said with a smile.

"No way I'm missing out!" Naruto said. Hinata took his hand and the two of them led the way onto the dance floor.

Sakura and Ino pushed through to the middle of the crowd, who gladly parted for two girls; more and more people followed them.

Then the ceiling lights dimmed, and Shino's colored lights switched on. And then it really started.

"Welcome to PROM!" Ino yelled, and people cheered.

Dancing in a long dress and decent-sized heels wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but there was no way it was stopping any of them. Sakura and Ino got down in the middle of the dance floor.

Sakura could feel the adrenaline in the group and she laughed and danced with Ino, and then in a group with Hinata and Naruto and Kiba and fifty other people. She lost track of the music; all of the songs blended together.

It wasn't until she was completely out of breath that she edged out of the group and went back to the table, where Sasuke was still sitting with Shikamaru and a few other boys.

"Ino still in there?" Shikamaru asked skeptically.

"Yeah," Sakura said breathlessly.

"I'm gonna go find her." Shikamaru said. He stretched, stood up, and made his way into the throng of people.

"You look hot," Sasuke observed, and Sakura blushed despite knowing that he hadn't meant it in that way.

"I am," she said, tucking a strand of hair back into its place. "You have any water?"

Sasuke gave her his glass and she drank a few mouthfuls. "You should come out with me," she said playfully.

"Not my thing." Sasuke said.

"I just feel bad leaving you here." Sakura said.

"Tch. I'm fine." He smirked. "You should go."

"I will." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss because she couldn't resist. It wasn't just the tux; it was something about the general atmosphere (though the tux wasn't a bad thing, either). "Just need to catch my breath first."

Shikamaru came back then, holding onto Ino's hand.

"There you are, Forehead," Ino said. "I thought you two might've skipped out out of here." She smirked at Sakura and Sasuke.

"It's not even nine." Sakura said.

"Whatever." Ino shrugged. "God, I'm thirsty."

Shikamaru handed her a glass of water and put an arm around her waist.

"Thanks—Jesus, your hands are freezing."

"Your fault for wearing no clothing." Shikamaru said, smirking at her.

"You love this dress, don't lie." Ino drank down half the glass and put it down. "Let's warm up, shall we?"

"Sounds good to me," Shikamaru said, and a minute later they were kissing, hard.

"Someone's gonna get kicked out," Naruto, who had just appeared, said with a grin.

"Yeah, really." Sakura glanced around the room. There were several teachers there as chaperones, but they were all on the edges of the room.

"Yo, guys, keep it PG!" Naruto said loudly, and Shikamaru and Ino broke apart.

"You hypocrite, I saw you and Hinata making out five minutes ago!" Ino hissed.

"To be fair, it wasn't in plain sight." Sakura pointed out.

"Oh my God, Forehead." Ino shook her head and grabbed Shikamaru's hand. "Come on, you're coming with me this time." She led the way back to the dance floor. Sakura grinned as she watched them go.

"Coming, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, one second."

"Cool." Naruto chugged an entire glass of water and then jogged back to meet Hinata. Sakura turned back to Sasuke.

"Aren't you completely bored?"

"Hn. No, of course not. Don't worry about me."

"Okay. I'll be back soon."

"Aa." Sasuke said. "I'll be here."

"I know." She smiled at him and then headed back into the fray.

An hour later, Mr. Sarutobi (who would only show up for this express purpose), climbed the makeshift stage and adjusted the microphone. "Alright, everyone settle down." He said, holding up a hand. People obediently quieted down and Shino switched off the music; everyone in the room gathered on the dance floor. Sakura felt someone grab her hand and looked over, surprised, to see Sasuke next to her.

"Oh, hey," she said with a smile.

He smirked. "Hi."

"The time has come to announce this year's prom king and queen," Mr. Sarutobi said formally. "An old tradition for Konoha High School. May the winners carry the title proudly." He smiled and Sakura exchanged an amused look with Sasuke.

Mr. Sarutobi cleared his throat. "So without further ado, this year's prom king is…" He opened the envelope. "Sasuke Uchiha!"

People screamed, and Sakura didn't think she'd ever heard this much enthusiasm. Sasuke's eyes had widened slightly and he glanced at Sakura. She beamed. "Go on, go up there."

"Jesus Christ." Sasuke muttered, clearly unsettled, but he made his way through the crowd. They automatically stepped aside for him, making a path for him to walk down.

"And winning by one of the largest margins ever seen, your prom queen is…Sakura Haruno!"

The crowd erupted. And if the cheers were loud for Sasuke, they were deafening for Sakura.

"What did I say? What did I say!" Ino called, laughing. She gave Sakura a quick, tight hug, and then let her go.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled.

Sakura made her way to the stage, climbing slowly up the steps and hoping she wouldn't trip. The clapping wasn't stopping, and the lights pointing at her seemed extremely bright. She focused on Sasuke's face; he was smirking.

Sakura felt like she was in a haze as she shook Mr. Sarutobi's hand and he put the crowns on both of their heads. "Congratulations. Miss Haruno, I believe custom indicates that you say a few words." He smiled and then stepped away from the microphone, indicating that Sasuke and Sakura should come forward.

"I—Wow." Sakura said into the microphone, her mind momentarily blank. "Thank you so much."

There were cheers and some particularly loud whistles.

"I guess I should thank everyone who voted me," Sakura said. She found her friends' faces in the crowd and suddenly felt more comfortable. When Sasuke found her hand and held it steadily, she smiled at everyone. "I never really expected this, but apparently everyone else did." People laughed and whistled more. "But the only thing I really want to say is more important than any thanks for making us prom king or queen. So...Thanks for a great senior year. It's been amazing."

The cheers started again, even louder. Sakura looked questioningly at Sasuke to see if he wanted to add anything, even though the clapping wasn't stopping. He just shook his head with a smirk.

"Alright. Alright, everyone quiet down!" Mr. Sarutobi said loudly, though even he was smiling slightly. People obeyed, moving back from the stage. He moved forward to the microphone again and cleared his throat officially. "And now, in keeping with tradition, I'd like to invite this year's prom king and queen to lead everyone else in the first dance. Sakura, Sasuke?" He indicated open space that everyone had cleared in front of the stage, and Sakura and Sasuke, still holding hands, went back down to the floor.

Somehow, Sakura had completely forgotten about this: the dance in the middle of the floor, just the two of them, with everyone else watching from all sides.

Except it was Sasuke. There was no one else she would've wanted to do this with, Sakura realized.

The room was unusually quiet as the two of them walked out to the middle of the floor and the music started, a slow song. Sasuke put his hands on Sakura's waist, looking slightly unsure. She hooked her hands around the back of his neck with a slight smile. He met her eyes and raised his eyebrows slightly, as if asking if he was doing this right. She smiled at him.

They moved slowly in time to the music. Sakura had a few extra inches with her heels, but she still had to look up into Sasuke's face. He held her gaze, and for once neither of them felt awkward about it. There was a spotlight shining down on them, making them the brightest spot in the room. Sakura kept her eyes on Sasuke, trying to ignore everyone watching.

It wasn't as hard as she thought it would be. Everyone around them faded away, because the two of them were all that mattered, in this moment. Sakura would later attempt to explain the feeling to Ino, and wouldn't be able to get the words right. But that was okay.

Five minutes later, Sasuke and Sakura were joined by more people slow dancing; gradually the circle around the two of them had disbanded, to be replaced by other pairs and small groups.

The room was no longer completely silent, so it didn't feel completely strange to talk to each other. It was the first time they'd really been alone, all evening.

"Earlier at the house, I was going to say, you look…Beautiful." Sasuke said quietly.

Sakura coughed. "Who are you and what have you done with Sasuke Uchiha?" She was blushing.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Tch. Just being honest."

"Thanks," Sakura said, meaning it.

They revolved in a circle, slowly.

Sakura thought back to Homecoming, when she'd almost envied the way Ino completed Shikamaru, and Hinata completed Naruto. She knew what that felt like now. But she didn't think it was necessarily completion anymore. No one completed you; they added to you, like pieces to a puzzle that didn't necessarily have one shape. They saw who you were, and they helped you find where you were going.

And while Sakura knew where she was going now, it wasn't just because of Sasuke; it was because of herself, too. They'd changed themselves, and they'd changed each other.

"Sakura…Thank you." Sasuke said suddenly. His dark eyes were staring at hers, intensely, and she knew immediately what he was trying to say. Clearly they were thinking about similar things.

"I love you." She said quietly. "I think I should say that."

"I love you too." He said softly.

She smiled at him, and Sasuke smiled back, and she could see what he was feeling. Sakura leaned forward, and so did Sasuke; he pushed his hands into her hair, gently, and Sakura pulled him closer. And they kissed, long and slow, in the low light of the dance floor.

Sakura knew that even though this moment wasn't going to last forever, even though there would surely be ups and downs and in a few months so many things would be changing. But life changed, and people changed...and you had to acknowledge it, no matter how much you didn't want to face it. Sasuke had helped her see that, more than anyone else. And she loved him for that, and a thousand other things.

Thank you.

A/N: The end :)

Wow it's been a crazy ride. This story has been such a big part of the past year for me (like a ridiculously big part, when I think about it), it's going to be really weird not to be updating all the time. Honestly I wasn't sure if I'd ever finish, sometimes it felt like it was never going to end. But I guess here we are :)

Anyway, I've loved reading your reviews and seeing who you are (and even getting to know some of you pretty well?). It's made this whole thing so worth it, and you're all awesome. I hope you liked reading this thing as much as I liked writing it (you probably did, if you're still here). When I started I never would've guessed there would be so many people reading and getting so invested in the story–your distressed reviews could not have made me happier haha. So thanks for sticking around until the end, and for all the comments and questions and exclamation points.

If you want to check out some of my other stuff, I've got another sasusaku story up (Ignition) that I'm going to keep working on (and hopefully start updating more than once every three months haha). It's a slightly more angsty AU, but I love writing it so hopefully you'll go read it. As for other stuff...I'm working on a couple of new things (this is probably the best place to just mention those considering this story gets the most traffic). I'm planning on posting another AU in a few weeks; it's probably the definition of guilty pleasure sasusaku. They're both musicians/celebrities and it's ridiculous and so far has been way too much fun to write. PM me if you want to know when I publish it, I guess unless you're following me already. Or check my tumblr.

And last but not least...B(P)B sequel. :) I've gotten the most questions about this and I have something that I'm thinking about (it'd be freshman year of college/summer after freshman year). I'm thinking about writing a one-shot series or doing maybe a 10 chapter thing, I'll have to decide (or tell me what you'd like to read). There'll definitely be something though, just because I love these versions of the characters.

But as for right now, I'm going to take a break and work on other things...which will probably mostly schoolwork haha. So unless you're reading my other stuff, I guess this is goodbye for now. Feel free to PM me/message me on tumblr whenever, though; I'll miss seeing you guys around in my inbox all the time.

Thanks for reading :)