A/N: I posted this on tumblr for Sasusaku smut week, so I just wanted to share it with you guys (since it received positive reviews). And I deeply apologize for not being able to update my pending stories. This one was written early handedly so I had no problem in posting this one. School is being a pain and my preliminaries are in Feburary. If I don't score a fairly good grade, my parents are sure to kick me out. So again, I'm really sorry. It's sad to break it to you, but I will (definitely) update both of my pending stories in May (after I'm done with finals.) that is, if I couldn't update it during the next month. But I really hope you guys understand me. Honestly, I'm never gonna abandon those stories, even if my parents do kick me out. So please, wait just a little longer.

Again, sorry for the bothersome A/N. Enjoy the story and PLEASE review it.

GOODBYE

By Sanguwin

He could feel it. Her sweet scent, her heavenly warmth, the pulse of her heart, and most importantly, her love. Even though he could feel just how broken she was at the moment, she never failed to make him feel at home.

Home.

And how much he was going to miss his home.

After he discovered a place where he could finally live, where he could breathe, where he could be happy- he had to leave it. He was bound to leave it, he was bound to leave her. To leave his wife.. alone.

The promises he had made to himself long ago, the vow to not hurt her again, to not break her already shattered heart into pieces, to not make her cry again, the vows and promises- they were all for nothing.

And here she was, holding back them tears, giving him hope, trying not to appear weak and vanquished.

He could sense the warm skin of her neck, even though her fingers and toes were frozen cold, she never failed to provide him the much needed sympathy which left him even more guilt-ridden.

She lightly brushed his silky, dark hair, her fingers massaging his scalp, allocating him the affection he could never return back. Her exhaled breath blew past his collar as she rubbed his back.

The dimness of their bedroom hid their presence completely while their quietness made it possible to listen to the voices made by rustling leaves of their garden.

A tear escaped her eye.

She moved a hand to wipe it off but his much bigger hand avoided her attempts.

Freeing himself from the heat he was feeling when their bodies were tangled, he lifted his head to look her in the eye. Her eyes, moist; wet; teary. She had held her breath in, to cage the rest of her tears from escaping but he could read her like an open book. After almost an year of being married, he could tell these little things about his wife.

He rubbed her cheek; in a tender way that never once failed to hide his vulnerable side from her, brushing away the drop of moisture.

" Don't cry like this." He obsecrated.

" I-I'm not crying." She stated, still holding her breath.

" You can't lie." He told her, tucking a strand of her pink hair behind her ear.

Hearing those sincere words and looking into those penetrating, dark orbs of her husband, Uchiha Sakura surrendered to her tears. The warm, salted water came out of her eyes like pools of hot streams until her cries became hiccups and hiccups turned into silence.

All the while, he watched her. He watched how the area under her eyes became red, how the whiteness of her eyes turned bloody and how the spark of her always shining eyes was slowly fading away. And he was responsible for all of this. Uchiha Sasuke had made her cry- yet again.

"Sakura.." he whispered and the whisper came out in form of a sharp, painful whimper. She stayed silent while he wiped away the tears straining her eyes. Even though the illumination in the room was negligible, his eyes could see the emotions behind the tears of the woman he called his wife. The agony, the suffering, the uneasiness; he could see it all.

" Can't you stay a little longer?" asked Sakura. " I'll go talk to Kakashi-sensei. He'll assign someone else to this mission."

Even though he himself didn't want to leave, he couldn't let the shinobi World suffer because of his mistakes. Just because his emotions and desires were getting in the way, he couldn't let his duties slip away. For he had swear to himself to redeem his sinful soul of its crimes by protecting those in need.

But what about his family? They also needed him by his side. The people most precious to him necessitated him to be there for them. Even though he trusted the abilities of his wife- the strongest kunoichi in the world and best medical ninja, he couldn't depend on her for everything. He couldn't force his duties as a father and as a husband to her.

But what choice did he have, any way?

" I don't.. really know." He diverted his gaze from her, avoiding to look her in the eye due to the guilty state he was in.

Just how many times was he going to make her cry and watch her cry, unable to do anything… but walk away.

Just run away.

She saw the change in him. She saw his anger turning into discomfort. Pain. Caressing his cheek in order to comfort him she started whispering sweet nothings into his ear. Massaging his scalp, ruffling his hair, she tried her best to kill her own feelings so that he could be calmed. He could be made happy.

" I'm sorry." His apology came out as a faint mumble.

" You don't have to be, Sasuke-kun." Muttered Sakura. " It'll be fine. I promise."

He looked up to see her face, a smile plastering her profile, hurt visible in her eyes and hope dominant in her words.

Just how optimistic was she?

He brought his face closer to hers until their foreheads met. Her let go of the held back breath and so did she. They breathed each other's air. She smiled. This time genuinely.

" Promise?" He husked.

" Promise." She replied.

She cupped his face with her small hands as she brought his lips closer to hers pausing only when they were barely touching.

" This might be the last time." She stated.

" The last time until we meet again." He corrected.

It was true that there was no guarantee if they'd be seeing each other again anytime soon in the future, but hope was still the key to happiness.

Happiness? She didn't even know what it was without him.

Their lips brushed lightly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him closer, claiming his lips in the process. The tenderness of the kiss was enough to melt both their hearts along with the doubts in them. At that time, they belonged only to each other and nothing else mattered.

He was to one to pull back first, leaving her disappointed but amused when he lusciously kissed her again. Her heart was pounding by the second he pushed her lower lip in order to attain an entrance which she gladly granted him. He pushed her tongue until they were fighting for dominance. They pulled back when oxygen was needed and panted. Looking into each other's eyes, smiling. Holding back tears.

He brushed her cheek, and intertwined his calloused fingers with her pink, messed locks.

" Lets not make too much noise and wake Sarada." She told him earning a nod from him.

He rucked her shirt up, uncovering her body and leaving her only in her panties. Revealing her silky, smooth skin. No matter how many times he'd see her naked, he could never stop a faint blush from appearing on his cheeks. Sometimes, his ears would burn when he'd touch her skin, sometimes fire would lit in his belly when he'd give her breasts a squeeze.

She did the same and undressed him leaving him in his boxers. He helped her lay down on the king sized bed of their room until her back touched the soft surface.

With his knee between her thighs, he towered his body over hers, supporting his weight on his lone arm.

Leaning close to her, he buried his face in the crook of her neck, taking in the familiar, calming fragrance. She brought him closer to her body, legs wrapped around his waist, arms around his strong shoulders. She frantically kissed his temple while he placed a trail of kisses from her throat to her shoulders. Dipping his tongue into her collarbone, nuzzling his nose against her skin.

Her wet lips travelled from his temple to his jawline, tasting his very familiar taste while her hands got lost in the deep forest of his dark locks, bringing him closer and closer by the second.

His tongue roamed the skin of her shoulders down to the origin of her breasts. His hands travelled the skin around her waist and the softness of her toned stomach making her shiver at the contact. He massaged one of her breasts, making her arch her back. She was soft and silky. He gave it a gentle squeeze making her moan.

He didn't know when he'd be able to listen to those content moans again. The moans that would always end up satisfying him, the moans that would take away all his tiredness.

He carefully took one of her pink, erected mounds in his hot, wet mouth. Her body quivered at the contact but she pulled him closer by his hair. He flicked his tongue over the surface, getting lost in the coziness he was receiving.

She kissed his hair, pleading for more while he played with her other breast. She had no idea about when was it going to be the time when she'd feel this way again. Making love with the only person who had her heart. It felt heavenly to her and at the same time painful. It was sure going to be a lot more difficult than she had thought. To live alone, without Sasuke by her side, was unimaginable to her. But somehow, she was going to do it.

For his sake.

For their daughter's sake.

He pulled back to look into her eyes only to be met by an expression he couldn't quite understand at first, but knowing his wife, tears along with a smile on her face, was the countenance she'd show when she's determined to do something difficult.

He kissed her nose and wiped away the tear that had escaped her eye. Pressing his forehead against her, he sighed before speaking.

" you don't have to be worried, Sakura."

" I'm not worried. I just want you to do what you have to, that's all." She assured him. " You can leave the rest to me." She smiled.

" I know." He smiled back at her. And even in the dark, she could feel that honest smile of his, lighting her dimed world.

She kissed him again. Running her tongue over his lips, passionately, lusciously and he answered her needs with much more desire. She pushed his lower lip until both their tongues were dancing along with the rhythmic beat of their love. She belonged to him and he belonged to her. Overwhelmed by the immense pleasure, she unconsciously bit his tongue, making him moan, which left her totally speechless. He moaned tranquilly in her ear and it was for the first time that she had heard him make a voice as such and it left her completely satisfied.

She pulled back to stare him in the eye while he tried his best to hide the crimson blush on his cheeks.

She chuckled, cupping his face.

He pouted, looking away.

The voice of a baby- their baby, crying brought them back to the world. Their little, ten months old daughter was up at 3 am in the morning.

It ached his heart to realize he wouldn't be able to hear her cries, squeaks and giggles again. He felt culpable. He was left guilt-ridden and most of all, he felt empty. He wouldn't wake up to his little Uchiha's yelps again. He wouldn't wake up by his wife's side again, the woman he had learned to love. He wouldn't be at home again.

The thought alone was enough to penetrate daggers into his throat. It felt as if a sharp steel knife was cutting his wind pipe. He couldn't breathe, but he had to live for the sake of others. He had to live for them, so that he'd one day return to them, so that one day he'd return home.

" Trust me, Sasuke-kun. It'll be alright. I've promised you." And her smile was all the remedy that he needed.

Even if he'd be a million miles away, he wouldn't ever be alone. For his heart was connected to hers. And he'd eternally be grateful for that.

THE END.