3A/N: Naruto and its characters all belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
Moongazing
Summary: 'Tonight's the night,' Sakura thought to herself, as she leaped from one rooftop to another towards her destination.
With the gates of Konoha in sight, Sasuke couldn't help but sigh with relief. It's been a year since he last saw his village, and now that he is no longer plotting its destruction, he felt relief to be inside its gates again. And longing. For one particular person.
A kunoichi. With ridiculously pink hair. Sakura. His Sakura.
The memory of their last parting at the village gates sent a small smile on Sasuke's lips, because really, he isn't a man who would be caught dead with a wide grin for all to see. Although, his memory of Sakura's surprised face when he kissed her goodbye was worth a megawatt smile from the normally stoic Uchiha. She was there as usual, green eyes peeking from beneath her lashes, asking him if she could come with him on this mission. He declined, of course, saying this journey was another one to atone for his many sins. He stepped towards her, hand poised to give her his usual forehead poke as he bid her goodbye. He saw her close her eyes and anticipate his fingers on her forehead.
Only to open her eyes in surprise when it was his lips, not his fingers, that touched her forehead this time.
If Sakura blushed a pretty shade of pink when Sasuke first poked her on her forehead, she turned bright red this time, a shade rivaling that of Hinata's during their genin days when she found herself inches away for Naruto's upside-down face in his hospital room.
Sasuke smirked at this, expecting such a reaction from the pink-haired kunoichi all along. Then again, he turned around quick enough to not let Sakura notice the slight flush that graced his own cheeks. This relationship was all new for him too, after all.
He walked down the streets of Konoha at a casual pace, nodding at some people he knew along the way. He meant to stop by Sakura's apartment, maybe ask her to have a casual dinner with him if she hadn't have one yet, and talk about his mission or her days at the hospital.
He reached her door but frowned, for he couldn't sense her chakra inside her home. He tried to knock and call out her name, only to hear the chorus of crickets instead of her sweet voice.
'I wonder where she went,' Sasuke thought. He decided to go ask Naruto where she was.
Sakura jumped from one rooftop to another in quiet leaps. There was an excitement in her green eyes, and she was like a child skipping after receiving a well-deserved treat.
'Tonight's the night,' she thought to herself, pacing herself so as not to be out of breath when she reached her destination. She has packed a small basket containing some sandwiches, fruits, and some tomatoes. Sakura aren't really fond of tomatoes, confused herself whether it's a fruit or a vegetable, but she packed some anyway. On her way out of her apartment, she grabbed her water bottle.
Sakura made it on top of the Hokage's stone faces, and settled on her favorite spot: on top of Kakashi-sensei's head. She decided not too long ago that this is the best place to be at this mountain - when you look down, you could see the lights of the village twinkling in the night, and when you look up, you see the moon and stars.
What's so special about this night? The supermoon. It's the perfect night to go stargazing. 'Well, moon-gazing,' Sakura told herself as an afterthought.
Stargazing brings Sakura peace, takes away all the stresses of the day and relieves her of the horrible memories of the past. She always liked the stillness of the night sky, and it almost reminds her of the only constant in her life.
Sasuke.
Sakura thought how much better stargazing would be tonight if Sasuke's here right now. But she knew Sasuke's out on a mission, and when he will return, she has no idea.
She blushed at the memory of their parting at the gates when he left for said mission. 'Cheeky bastard,' she thought.
Sakura laid her blanket on her chosen spot, and laid on her back, her hands behind her neck, as she gazed at the stars. The moon was being blocked by clouds at the moment, and Sakura waited for it to clear.
When the clouds finally gave way, Sakura was in awe. The moon was indeed bigger and brighter tonight like she heard people say.
She got even more excited when she saw a shooting star not far from the unusually large lunar beauty. She closed her eyes and made a wish.
When she opened her eyes, she couldn't believe what she saw.
"Thought I'd find you here," Sasuke remarked, hands on his hips.
'That was fast,' Sakura thought. 'I just made that wish...'
"You're here," she said, more to herself than to him.
"So it seems," came Sasuke's reply, lone hand stretched out to help her up.
Sakura took his hand and sat on the blanket instead. She noticed Sasuke eyeing the basket she brought.
"Uhm, dinner?" she offered meekly.
"Hn," and he opened the basket to take a peek. He immediately picked one of the tomatoes, rubbed one side on his shirt, and took a bite.
Sakura dug into the basket as well and took the sandwiches out. She offered one to Sasuke. He simply nodded and mumbled, "later."
They ate in silence, casting side glances at each other.
They sat side by side: Sasuke, his right leg bent with his arm on his knee, his other stretched in front of him; and Sakura on his right side, both legs stretched in front of her, hands supporting her from behind. The couple gazed at the night sky, still in silence, and still casting side glances at each other when one thinks the other wasn't looking.
Sasuke sighed and inched closer to Sakura. She looked up at him, eyes questioning, but moved to meet him nevertheless. Sakura leaned against Sasuke's right shoulder, arms hugging her knees. Sasuke draped his coat over Sakura as well, to shield her from the chill of the night.
They remained like that for the rest of their stargazing - moongazing.
Sometime later, Sasuke spoke. "Sakura."
"Hm?"
"Look at me."
Sakura did as she was told. Sasuke gave her forehead a gentle poke.
"You're beautiful." Sakura felt her cheeks warm up.
Then Sasuke kissed her on her forehead. "And strong." She swore her face was now as red as the tomatoes she earlier packed in her basket.
Sasuke leaned down to Sakura until his lips were ghosting over hers. "And I love you," he whispered, then claimed Sakura's lips in a slow, gentle kiss.
A/N: *sighs*