The Cottage
By: RobinSparkelz
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
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She didn't know when it became their home, not hers butours.
She had found it on the outskirts of the village, tucked away in the embrace of tall willow trees and hidden from prying eyes. It had taken five years to rebuild Konoha after the war, two years for Sasuke to return and another year for Team seven to reform, to heal, it was a slow process. One's heart never heals quite as fast as a broken limb – it runs to deep, pains too much and never truly fades.
But we carry on broken, heartbroken we carry on…
Maybe that's why she chose it, hidden away, solid, something untainted by war, by blood, it was a sanctuary. "Why Sakura-chan?" Naruto whined as he dropped the garden shears and flopped down on the ground.
"Do we have to do this genin work!" he pouted childishly and rolled on his side so he could see her.
" Because Naruto" I said as I paused from digging up roots.
"It gives us a chance to spend time together"
Naruto grinned, "As long we get to have ramen after this"
I rolled my eyes at his antics and glanced over at Sasuke, she thought he wouldn't come, but here he was, ridding her new garden of weeds and making much better progress than Naruto who kept complaining and Kakashi whose face was buried in his book.
She felt warm and cold just looking at him
She thought her new home was beautiful. The shadows of the trees created blocks of light across the roof. The sound of water from the pond in the back garden created the perfect music. Ivy snaked its way up one side of the cottage, rose bushes adorned the sides of the pathway, filling the night with an intoxicating aroma. It looked perfect, absolutely exquisite as if it had been borne from the ground itself, but it was all alone, all alone just like her…
If she wasn't really alone, why did she feel like this?
Team seven had decided that weekly dinners were too hard to arrange. Everyone being occupied considering they were all ninja. So it became "Have dinner at Sakura-chan's whenever you can and if we all land up there even better." It was one of the rare days when everyone was home and had come to Sakura's cottage for dinner (free food – the bunch of freeloaders). They were gathered around her kitchen Naruto talking loudly, Sasuke meticulously cutting a tomato and Kakashi stirring a pot, hos head buried in his book. As she was setting the table a feeling of warmth spread over her– all of them, her boys, even him, even Sasuke.
He makes me feel guilty, because I don't love him anymore, or don't I ?
At twelve 'o clock no one was making any move to leave, and she selfish as she was didn't ask them to, because she'd rather not sleep and relive the memories of her past, present, future, she didn't want to feel the kunai pressed to her neck, the sound of shuriken tearing through flesh, the screams, and the blood, so much blood….
She couldn't save them, their faces haunt her
She woke up with a stiff neck and a sore back; she had fallen asleep on the couch. She was more than surprised to find a sleeping Kakashi on her couch, an Icha Icha Paradise book lying open on his stomach. Upon further investigation she found a passed out Naruto sprawled in her guest bedroom, snoring. Sasuke hadn't stayed, it didn't surprise her, she smiled slightly as she made her way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for three.
She didn't know he stayed all night to watch over her, she didn't know he did it every night
It became a tradition, to visit her. On a holiday, If you wanted food (Naruto), after a mission usually collapsing from injuries – to get healed because, "Why go to the hospital when we can just come to Sakura-chan right?" She would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy their frequent visits. An Icha Icha Paradise book could now be found on her book shelf and a bright orange blanket draped over the bed in the guest bedroom coupled with a pair of boxer's printed with ramen cups on it, in the chest of drawers.
They filled the void, but she was still empty
The first time Sasuke tumbled through her window dripping blood over her wooden floors, she had been awake studying a medical scroll. He had collapsed into her arms. Soaking her pajamas in blood, she had half carried half dragged him into her bathroom and then into the bathtub, unable to assess his wounds with all his gear on, she stripped him and hosed him down with cold water, he stirred but just barely. Taking a deep breath Sakura began to heal, two broken ribs, punctured lung, fractured arm, and a ruptured spleen, not too bad, not to bad….
Later Sasuke would remember lying in a bathtub a gentle humming in the background and fingers running through his hair.
Sakura lay Sasuke down on her bed after washing the blood out of his hair, he's pulse was weak, but he's breathing steady. Sitting on her window seat, she dozed off to the sound of his breathing and the smell of blood.
When she woke up he was gone
After healing him for the fifth time, she woke up once again alone with no evidence that he'd been there except in her memory and his smell that lingered on her sheets…
She realized he never stayed
One night he came through her window barely alive, her heart seemed to have stopped beating in that minute and the fear that she would lose him overwhelmed her, it felt as if her soul was being torn to shreds…
Because shecaredshecaredshecared
Pushing her feelings aside she worked through the night to heal him, it was only once she had him stitched up (barely) that she allowed herself to feel and let go, and she did. Tears ran, in rivulets down her face and blurred her vision. Chakra depleted and borderline hysterical she fell asleep sobbing next to the unconscious Uchiha.
She woke up curled against he's side, an irrational amount of joy seem to fill her, finding him still there…
Until she realised he hadn't really stayed…
Sasuke was put on probation after six months, and Sakura appointed as his medical practitioner, Surprisingly though with nothing to do (strictly no training lest his wounds re-open) he spent most of his time with her. He ate with her most days and walked her home from the hospital most evenings… Talks become intenser, eyes lingered longer, touches were not so innocent and she caught he's gaze drifting to her lips more than once…
She dared hope
On his second last check-up (which she usually did right at her home) she motioned Sasuke – who was sprawled across her bed something he seemed quite fond of doing - to take of his shirt so she could check his incision.
" It seems to be healing well" she said.
Acutely aware of their close proximity, her hands lingering on his bare torso for longer than necessary, just as she was pulling away she felt a warm pressure envelope her hand. Sasuke had caught her hand in his and was pressing it to his chest. He looked up at her through his bangs, smoldering onyx meeting emerald green, and she found herself leaning closer.
"What is this? She whispered
His response was low, velvety. She could feel his hot breath fan her face.
"We're just us" he murmured.
"What if?" her throat suddenly felt incredibly dry.
"What if I want more?" and it was she who closed the gap between them…
He set her on fire
His kisses were scorching, his fingers left a burning trail down her back. He consumed her and made her feel alive, so alive... Her hands fisted in his hair, he's lips moved against hers feverishly. He pressed his hips into her, gasping at the sensation. He dragged his tongue along her neck, a muffled moan escaping her lips. His hands made their way to her hips gripping her, in one swift move he pinned her beneath him, and looking into his eyes she could see the desire, fear and love?
Maybe, maybe love
Her nails dug into his back as he moved within her, his lips left marks across her chest, neck, collarbone. His pace became harder, faster and in the last moments just before they came he kissed her a bruising, violent, passionate kiss and in that moment everything was perfect from his bruising grip on her hips, to the way he felt inside her, and especially to the way he called her name over and over and over…
He is... She doesn't know, but she likes him... More than she should
Things seem to appear in her life afterwards, his toothbrush next to hers, his shampoo in the shower, a pair of boxers and t-shirt in her drawer. She remembers a particularly funny incident of finding her cotton sheets replaced by silk ones, and an extremely embarrassed and defensive Sasuke, who decided to reclaim his dignity after her numerous jabs of how silk sheets are feminine, by pinning her down on those very sheets and having his way with her.
She decided she liked silk sheets very much…
She supposed she should have felt surprised at finding the intricately carved wooden box with a white gold engagement ring and gorgeous arrangement of emeralds, cushioned in red velvet, but happiness overruled any form of shock. Sprinting out the cottage still clad in pajamas, she found him at the training grounds and she didn't think twice about catapulting into his arms and saying, "Yes, yes, yes!" And the smile he gave her lopsided and crooked lit up his handsome face and just seeing that smile was worth it, worth everything…
But most of all he was worth it, she supposed he always would be.
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Note: thank you for reading :)