Hey all, I must be crazy for doing this- again, but I don't care. I've been tossing the idea around, and I'm gonna go for it. As a notice: I will be inserting previous oneshots into this story, because I have so many, but I will be writing some new material, so not to worry!
Naruto and Sakura belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
Sakura woke with a shriek, panting heavily. Pink strands were matted to her face, her heart was racing. In all the commotion, she had woken Naruto up, whom quickly sat up and turned on the bedside lamp next to him. He turned and grabbed Sakura's shoulders in an attempt to calm her.
"Sakura-chan, calm down, I'm here," he said hastily.
Sakura threw her arms around him and began sobbing loudly, her whole body trembling. She was in a cold sweat and felt sick.
"Naruto, it was terrible!," she wailed into his chest. "I'm so glad you're alright!"
"Shh, it's alright, it was only a dream, Sakura-chan. Now tell me what happened," he said in a soothing voice, beginning to rock side to side.
"I dreamt that you were captured by them, and all I could do was watch as you died," she explained, a small hiccup escaping her lips.
Naruto, after hearing all this, pulled Sakura closer to him. Sakura felt the warmth he radiated, felt the steady beating of his heart, felt the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, and was comforted, reassured he was alright.
"Sakura-chan, remember that promise I made to you all those years ago?," he asked.
"Gee, Naruto, which one?," she joked.
"The one where I said I'd always be with you, if not in body, then in mind and spirit, no matter what."
"I remember," she answered, recalling that day perfectly.
"I meant it when I said it was a promise of a lifetime. I'll be with you, always and forever."
"I know you meant it, love."
"Come on, let's get back to sleep, Sakura-chan."
"Yeah," she agreed, snuggling closer to Naruto as she drifted into a more peaceful slumber, his words echoing in her head.
"Always and forever..."