She was awake. On instinct Sakura turned over to look at her husband beside her, just to make sure he was there. A sigh left her lips as her eyes met the familiar silhouette of her beloved one. He was breathing deeply with his back turned to her. All she could do was smile to herself because even before waking up she knew that he was going to be there, right there beside her – he wasn't going anywhere.
Slowly turning back on her side she threw her legs across the bed for her feet to meet the cold floor. It was pitch dark but Sakura perfectly knew every curve of her house, she knew this place better than the familiar streets of her home town Konoha. Her target was simple – a glass of water. As always she looked out the window and saw the all too familiar garden of their house. The trees around were almost bare reminding her that it was almost winter, leafs flying around let her know that the wind tonight was fierce. The sun isn't going to rise for hours that she knew but still her gaze slipped to the nearby watch to see that it was 3 am in the morning although she already knew what time it was. It's not like guessed it but rather she just knew, because every night for the past two months she had woken up at the exact same time and doing her routine: checking if her husband was there and then making her way for a glass of water. She just lowered her head in shame but she couldn't do a thing. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, no, she could trust him with every life she held dear to her. She knew deep inside that he wasn't going to leave but something inside her would wake her up every night at 3 am just to check up on him.
It has been this way since they had moved in together after getting married. She didn't think he knew about this, well at least he hadn't mention it to her not even once and she couldn't tell him because she knew that he wouldn't be happy about it, maybe he would even feel guilty. The cause of her routine was something that happened years ago when they were just kids around 14 years old. At exactly 3 am Sasuke Uchiha had left the village and Sakura wasn't able to stop him. Right there she confessed her love for him and in exchange he thanked her but left non the less. It was traumatizing not only for her but for their teammate Naruto as well. The named teammate made a promise to her back then that he would bring Sasuke back and he did that after years of searching, fighting and wars they were able to get their best friend back. Now Team 7 was all grown up.
Thinking about her team she couldn't help but smile. Who could have imagined that everything would turn out like it was now? The three of them were the disciplines of the Three Sages, herself being the head of the hospital, an excellent medic, even stronger than her teacher Tsunade and married to her childhood love Sasuke Uchiha. With pride she looked around the house because everytning there was her accomplishment. Her husband Sasuke who once was a criminal and a traitor but now the head of the ANBU and a respected person in their village. Everyone knew about his ways and that he had almost sacrificed his own life just so that everyone could sleep soundly at night and of course their little family were the friends of the sixth Hokage Naruto Uzumaki.
The loud mouth and annoying blond had made a long way, he experienced probably the most and had felt more pain than anyone she knew but he never stopped fighting. So looking out the window again she gazed at the mountain ahead with her best friends face on it next to her teachers. She was proud of him, she loved him dearly and knew that if it wasn't for Naruto she wouldn't live the life she has been living now, she sure as hell wouldn't be happy.
Suddenly the floor creeked and the young pink haired woman jumped then laughing at herself for being scared of something so childish. "This has to stop" she said to herself taking the last sip of her water. "You're right, it has to" a loud and strong voice came from around Sakura making her drop the glass on the floor and shatter in a million pieces. "Annoying" came the same voice again and with a yelp she turned around "Sasuke-kun you scared me. Don't creep up on me like that. Why aren't you sleeping?" she said with a relieved tone looking at the wonderful onyx eyes of her lover.
Sasuke Uchiha standing there in all his glory with only sleeping shorts on and crossed arms which didn't cover his well built stomach. He was amazing, even more attractive now when his facial features had matured from when they were only sixteen. Sasuke Uchiha was still desired by women in this village but only Sakura Uchiha had the privilege to touch this man. "I should ask you the same question Sakura. Why aren't you sleeping?" his voice broke her from her train of thoughts and she felt herself stiffen up, she wasn't going to tell that she was awake because she thinks that he is going to leave her. No that would certainly get a death glare.
"I…I was thirsty" she smiled and was about to take a step further but accidently put her foot on the shattered glass "Ouch" she winced. "But I guess sleep will have to wait until I clean up" Sakura said sheepishly. "Do you really think that I'm that dumb, Sakura?" the Uchiha said as he came up to her "I know that you have been waking up every night and I know why" he said looking at her with his dark eyes. It seemed like they were just blank no emotion was showed.
"What do you mean Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said scared that he may really know what was the reason for her every night routine. "Hn. Just clean up and go back to bed" he said and made his way back upstairs to their bedroom. A deep sigh left her lips even though he was her husband but he was also Sasuke Uchiha and even if she knew that he would never hurt her it still scared her sometimes when he talked to her like that. "You could have at least helped" she said to herself while picking up the scattered shards. From the top of the stairs Uchiha Sasuke silently observed his wife cleaning the mess she made even though it was partly his fault. Two months ago when they had moved in together he thought that her waking up was normal. Though it bothered him and at first he would find himself scared that she was really gone but hearing her come back to their room he would relax again. Time passed and her waking up didn't stop so he came to the conclusion that Sakuras routine was more than just a 'I was thirsty' or 'I couldn't sleep'. Still he never told her that he knew about her checking up if he was still there. It made him uneasy knowing that his wife was scared of him leaving her.
If it wasn't her talking in her sleep he wouldn't know that but when he had heard her in her sleep saying the exact words she had said a few years ago when he left the village seeking revenge on his brother, he came to understand her inability to sleep peacefully. He himself wasn't good at sleeping to; he would always wake up just to check if everything was in peace, if there were no strange chakra around their house and if Sakura was next to him safe. Once he returned to the village he had promised to himself that it would be his life goal to keep her unharmed. She was his life now, the one person never giving up on him and always being there by his side, supporting his decisions and even loving him after all the things he had done to her. Sakura was truly a miracle in his eyes.
"You know if you where just going to stand there you could have helped me" Sakuras voice broke his train of thoughts as he saw that she was now at the top of the stairs with him and no longer cleaning up the mess. He just ignored her and made his way back to their bedroom. "And he says that I'm annoying" she murmured to herself and followed him back to bed.
After a few minutes neither of them had been sleeping – him on his side and her on hers. They would never sleep in a hug. As much as Sakura would want to lay her head on his chest she knew that Sasuke wasn't a fan of cuddling and it made her sad sometimes, making her ask herself if he really loved her. She knew he did but she was a woman and she needed comfort from her husband. Still she knew far too well that it wasn't going to happen. Drifting off to sleep she was woken up by Sasukes deep voice. "I'm not going anywhere Sakura. Back then I had a reason to leave you and Naruto behind, I didn't care. My goal was to kill Itachi but now my goal is to be the best I can be for this village and for you. So there is no way that I'm leaving so stop checking up on me"
She was wide awake now and turned on her side just to see him laying there o his back with eyes closed and a frown on his face. "You knew?" she asked him still in shock "You sleep talk" was all that he said. The young woman was blushing now as she lay looking at him. She couldn't believe that he had known all this time about her fear and he didn't even say a word to her. Sakura could feel tears coming to her eyes something deep inside made her want to cry. She was shocked mostly not for the fact that he knew but his words were the ones who made her shed tears. It made her happy.
"You wake up to check on me in fear that I won't be there but always find me there. How do you think it makes me feel to wake up and see that my wife is nowhere near me,huh? Shouldn't I be the one thinking that YOU want to leave?" Sasuke said still laying on is back, his hands supporting his head. "i..what.." She was at a loss of words. Did Sasuke Uchiha just say that he was worried? That he might be scared of losing her? No, she couldn't believe her ears, maybe it was a dream. Sakura only felt more tears came to her eyes as she closed them tight feeling her heart race. She didn't know if she was sad or happy now. "You really are annoying" she heard him say and felt something move around her. When she opened her eyes she finally noticed that Sasuke had wrapped her up in a hug having her head on chest, his own pressed on top of hers and his arms securely holding her body next to his. "Sasuke-kun" she said stunned.
"Sleep already. I'm not going anywhere but don't get used to this" he said his voice not cold as always but there was compassion in his tone and Sakura couldn't help but smile to herself and curl up more against him. The way his body warmth met hers and his hands holding her close was heaven. And even though he said to not get used to it she knew that this is going to be her new sleeping routine: sleeping in his arms. "I would prefer if this was our new sleeping routine" she said and felt him grunt but he didn't say a word so she guessed that he liked it too.
What Sakura Uchiha didn't see was a smile that crept on her husband's lips as he took in the soothing smell of her hair. As much as Sasuke didn't want to accept it, he felt somewhat calm and happy having the pink haired woman in his arms. And maybe he too could get use to this sleeping routine.
She was his life now.