Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto owns all, I just like to use his characters for my amusement.

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He came back.

Of course, he still looked at me disdainfully, as though I was nothing but weak in his dark eyes (or maybe they were crimson, it didn’t really matter). And I was - at fighting, though I could throw a punch that split open the earth and was swifter than ever. And I was most certainly not weak. He knew it, too.

But that wasn’t the point. The point was, he came back.

I remember that day, when we stumbled back into Konoha, still battered from our ordeal with first Itachi, and then Orochimaru. With his brother out of the way, Sasuke was free to turn upon his master - who had held him in his clutches for nearly three years. That day, when the gates opened for us, and Naruto turned to me, smiled, and said, “A promise is a promise. I brought him back, Sakura-chan!”

We traveled easily to Tsunade-sama’s office, and she smiled secretly at Sasuke while dealing out his harsh punishment for abandoning Konoha. He didn’t even flinch when she told him that he was restricted to D-rank missions only, for at least five years. After that time, they would consider lessening the punishment.

I remember flinching, but he stood there, staring back, meeting Tsunade-sama’s eyes, and said, “I understand.”

It was only then that she allowed herself to really smile, which she had wanted to do all along, although only I knew that. I wasn’t Tsunade-sama’s apprentice for nothing.

“I’m glad we’ll have an Uchiha around,” she said, but what she really meant was, ‘We’re glad you’re back.’ Then she continued. “Now, then, all of you, to the hospital. Sakura, thank you for treating the worst of their wounds, but you’re exhausted. I need every person hale, if I’m to run this place.”

All three of us bowed, said our affirmatives, and left.

It wasn’t ten seconds after we were out of Tsunade-sama’s office that Naruto and Sasuke took up their baiting of each other.

“Sure you can walk all the way to the hospital, dead last?” Sasuke said, baiting Naruto, who grinned. “You look pretty beat up.”

“Only ‘cause I was pulling all the work, back there,” Naruto teased back. “Geez, I don’t think that old geezer Orochimaru taught you anything.”

I had to admit, he was getting better at this teasing business.

“Who, me? Of course he didn’t teach me anything - I learned by myself. But I bet I’m still stronger than you, dead last.”

“What are you saying? You don’t think I could beat you in a fight?”

“Well…” Sasuke pretended to think for a second. “No.”

“I’ll bet you I could! I’ll bet you enough for three bowls of ramen that I could!”

“Guys, guys,” I cut in. “We really need to get to the hospital.”

I gave a smile to both of them. Always the peacekeeper, I thought to myself. Even after all this time.

It was a role I’d unconsciously assumed, for I’d never liked the two important men in my life fighting, even though it was their nature to do so. Naruto, who I loved as a brother, and Sasuke, who I’d do anything for.

It was walking to the hospital that I got my first, real look at Sasuke, since he had returned. He was still the same stoic, handsome person I remembered from the dreamlike years that had passed, but he at once seemed lighter and darker than he ever had. He looked as though a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders, but like he had seen endured the worst tragedies it is possible to endure.

But more than anything he looked lonely, and I almost called out to him “Sasuke-kun” out of habit. But I held my tongue, knowing that he’d give me that scathing glare and tell me that nothing was wrong, even though everything was.

Ah, that glare. The one that I hated, but had gotten so used to seeing I expected it. So imagine my surprise when, several weeks after our admission to the hospital, I got a call from Sasuke asking me to meet him at Ichiraku Ramen.

At first I assumed it was Naruto’s idea - after all, his favorite thing (besides being a ninja) was ramen. I was shocked to realize that he wasn’t even present, and that Sasuke was sitting there, trying and failing to politely refuse the shop owners attempts to get him to buy a bowl of pork ramen.

The shop owner positively beamed when I showed up, and paid for a bowl of ramen (though mine was miso, not pork), and he promptly left us alone. I began to eat it - after all, I was hungry, dammit! - while Sasuke stared at me.

“Will you cut that out?” I asked finally, a little creeped out by his intense gaze.

“Cut what out?” he asked, infuriatingly.

“That… that staring! It’s unnerving!” I exclaimed. “And why did you call me here, anyway?”

“Naruto suggested it.”

Ah, so Naruto was behind this. I figured. But still… “No, I mean what was your reason for calling me here?”

It was times like these when I wondered if he was being purposefully dense just to irritate me. I was so angry, that I didn’t notice him slip off the chair, or get down on his knee, or even take my hand.

What I did notice, however, was his next question.

“Haruno Sakura, would you do me the honor of marrying me?”

For about a second I was on cloud nine. Uchiha Sasuke was proposing to me! Me! Forehead girl, Haruno Sakura! He really did love me, all this time! Oh, fortunate, happy me! Oh, joyous day! It was my dream come true!

The next second, I crashed back to earth.

“M-m-marry you? Wh-why me?” I stuttered out, breathless. Why was he proposing all of a sudden? We’d never even dated, let alone kissed, or done anything romantic!

Sasuke looked thoughtful for a second, and then said, “Well, Temari would be my first choice, but she’s dating Shikamaru. Then it would have been Tenten, but she’s engaged to Neji. Ino’s too annoying, and marrying Hinata would be chancy, mixing our bloodlines. Anybody else isn‘t around my age, or is too weak.”

Oh, so this was about bloodlines, was it? He just wanted to continue the Uchiha clan, that jerk! Stupid Sasuke… I felt near to tears.

“Plus,” he continued, “you’re intelligent, strong, a medic-nin, and would make a good mother. So now that that’s cleared up, could you answer so I can stand back up?”

Oh, that was so like Sasuke! Inconsiderate imbecile! Still, I could hardly expect anything else. And this was Sasuke. The man I’d been in love with for nearly half my life! And he’d just given me the closest thing to a compliment I was ever going to get. How could I be expected to say no?

“Well, uh, I guess,” I said, berating myself for even wanting to refuse.

“OK, it’s settled then,” he said. “Well, then, lets get going, Sakura.”

I looked at him incredulously, childhood dreams crashing to the floor. I was supposed to be teary-eyed, but not because I was sad. And after he’d proposed, he was supposed to smile softly, and kiss me gently, and whisper sweet words to me. And there was supposed to be a fucking diamond ring, damn it!

“Sasuke-baka!” I yelled at him, already pissed beyond reason. “I’m not finished with my ramen! And how dare you forget that Hinata-chan is dating Naruto!”

I wondered briefly why those two things, such trivial matters in the whole scheme of everything, were the only things that came from my mouth that day, when there were a million other things I wanted to scream at him for.

It was only later, lying in my bed and crying, that I realized that I’d only spoken of trivial matters that the other wounds were too new, too personal, and that I’d feel like an idiot yelling them in front of Sasuke. Yet another childhood dream crushed - that I’d have a good relationship with my husband.

“Geez, is that all?” he said. “How annoying. Naruto said I‘d have to do mushy crap like this.”

And again, I felt like bursting out into tears. Naruto had gone along with this plan? Didn’t either of them thing about my feelings? Oh, hell, I supposed I couldn’t blame Naruto - after all, he probably assumed I’d be overjoyed.

I was right. Not fifteen minutes after I returned home, he called, sounding as giddy as though it were him getting engaged.

“Hey, hey, Sakura-chan! Did he do it? Did he do it? How was it? I almost couldn’t keep it a secret! Besides, Sasuke looked so silly, coming over to ask me for advice on how to propose to you! How was it? Did he screw it up?”

I smiled. “It was… wonderful, Naruto-kun.”

And just like that, I was engaged to Uchiha Sasuke.

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Authors Notes: So, umm, how did you like it? Ne, ne? Suki? Daisuki? Ah, well, tell me if you liked it. It's really my first attempt at writing angst, and I don't think I'm ver good at it.