Only Time Will Tell

I've finally returned after a MONTH[or so and I'm back with a fanfic for the holidays.

I promise you guys that I'll have at least 2 NEW chapters of my latest fic Till the Last Rose Dies up by the end of the week. And I don't have an excuse to not upload now that I'm done with all my finals and I'm off until the 7th of Jan. :)

Special thanks to all my reviewers in my other fics sniff. None of this would be possible without you guys. I LOVE getting reviews/comments from you guys!

It gives me the motivation to continue writing

"I can't let him see me like this, Ino." I told my blonde-haired friend as I stared at a woman in her twenties with rosy cheeks and emerald green eyes wearing a furry Santa hat that covered pink hair and a matching Santa one-piece dress with a furry white hem that barely reached mid-thigh and around my bust.

Ino grumbled at me. "Well why the hell not Sakura?"

"You know why. It's been 3 years, the least I want is for him to think I'm some kind of slut after being in a coma…"

"Just because that happened it doesn't mean you can't still be sexy for him."

"Well it doesn't exactly set a good example."

"You aren't making sense Sakura. It's just because you're nervous. I mean it's been 3 years since you've talked to him after the accident after all…"

"Well we aren't exactly together, Ino…what if I told him the news and he…walks out?"

"Then it's his own damn fault! He must be crazy if he does something like that- which I highly doubt he is. Even if you guys aren't together, this is the perfect excuse to finally tie him down!" Ino reassured me with a huge grin.

It was true, I couldn't lie about who I loved. Occassionally, Sasuke would come to my doors, usually in the dead of night, and then leave in the morning. Though I would always open my doors to him, when it was morning, it was as if he had never come at all.

Ino must've read my expression and put a hand on my shoulder. "When you love a man like him, you're gonna have complications, Sakura. Besides, I think years of 'messing around' is going to tire him out-"

Knock Knock

"Oh, that must be him! I'll see you later Sakura, I wish I could see his face when he sees Naruto and- well just call me later and tell me how it goes."

And without another word the cheery blonde hurried out of my room and to the back of the house where she would sneak out the backdoor.

When Ino was gone the knot in my stomach tightened and my body tensed up.

What would he think of me? Would he think differently of me…?

Before I could answer my rambling thoughts, I found myself face-to-face with obsidian eyes. The same eyes that made me fall over and over. The same pair of eyes that stared at me so many times without an ounce of compassion or remorse; the same pair of eyes that belonged to the man who was none other called Uchiha Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun…" I murmured as I shifted awkwardly. He said nothing as he stepped in, eyeing my interestly festive outfit which made me blush and shiver from the cool air he had brung inside.

He didn't seem to have changed at all besides a few scars and barely visibly scar on the side of his forehead, hidden by raven hair, but Ino was right, I was nervous.

My breathing hitched when he wrapped his strong pair of arms around my waist and pulled me close to him, intaking the light scent of cherry blossoms and strawberries my perfume and hair had brung.

I blushed and awkwardly rested my hands on the rough planes of his chest. "S-Sasuke-kun?-"

"Sakura…"He murmured against my neck as his hands wandered across my body, sliding lower and lower. My shock froze me completely.

What was I doing? This wasn't one of my childhood fangirl fantasies of being touched by Sasuke, this was reality! He hadn't been home 5 minutes and he was already trying to get into my dress with words thick and sweet like honey?

I wasn't going to let him win this time, and as much as it irked me, I plastered a light smile on my face and grasped his hands in mine.

"You just got here, Sasuke-kun. There's plenty of time for that later, Sasuke-kun. Come on."

Though he seemed somewhat disappointed, he allowed me to lead him into my small living room where a tree with lights, tinsel, and ornaments were nicely decorated, but the star was missing.

"Did you do all of this yourself?" he asked quietly as he eyed the tree. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his chest as I stood behind him and whispered in his ear. "I had a little help."

Sasuke turned his head slightly to eye me suspiciously. "A little help?"

I nodded as I moved away from him. "Naruto and Ino came over. But it's not quite finished yet since Ino had to leave."

"So you mean Naruto's still here-"

"The tree's missing its star." I interjected softly. Behind my back I wriggled my fingers around nervously. Was now a good time to tell him the news? How would he react to it…?

He sighed. "You wanted me to put it on.?"

"Actually, I…wanted you to be here when Keita put it on…with your help." I told him as I started to move toward the dark hallway entrance.

"Keita?" he asked me questioningly as he followed me. When I didn't answer him he softly whispered my name and grabbed my wrist. He never failed to make me shiver when he said my name.

"Sasuke…what would you do if I told you-"

"Oi, Sakura-chan is he here yet-" Naruto called as he came from around the corner of the hallway with a child in his arms who's head was turned away and resting on his shoulders.

Horror struck, he stared at him, then the boy, then me.

"Sasuke-kun..? This- is Kira." I told him as he stared at the floor.

"You could've told me that you and Naruto were together before you invited me in, Sakura." He told me coldly as he started to walk away.

"W-Wait, Sasuke-kun-"

"How long exactly have I been asleep Sakura? Has it been so long that you had to rub in how much of a happy family you and Naruto have become?" Sasuke exploded as he eyed me angrily. His eyes showed a mixture of anger, betrayal, and sadness.

"W-What? Me and Sakura?" Naruto asked, surprised as he pointed to himself with his free hand.

"Sasuke-kun I only asked Naruto to stay to help watch Keita while Ino and I got things set up before you came!"

"Then who's-?" Sasuke started to ask as I took his hands in mine. "Kira is your child."

That's when the shock set in and the room became silent.

"My…child?" he repeated, with a confused look on his face.

"I know, you're probably wondering how could I possibly have had a child by you if you've been in a coma for the past 3 years." I told him softly.

By the expression on his face, Sasuke seemed to remember where he had been.

"…The day after you…came to visit me, we had a mission, an S ranked one. You found your brother, Itachi, and you two fought. With his last ounce of strength he did…something to you. You started bleeding heavily from cuts that suddenly appeared all over your body…with all the blood loss you fell unconscious…"

"Everyone tried to convince Sakura-chan that you weren't coming back, that we should just pull the plug and let you die, but she refused to give up on you." Naruto added.

"3 months after the mission I found out that I was pregnant with your child, Sasuke-kun, not Naruto's." I told him quietly. I bit my lip as I remembered how hard it had been being pregnant with his child, especially since he was in a coma and I had no support from him.

'I can't do this alone…Sasuke-kun…please wake up…come back to me!' I cried as I held my stomach.

Naruto had always been there when I had a breakdown, and always reassured me that Sasuke would wake up to see his new family…and he was there when I had Kira, after 8 hours of agonizing labor…

Naruto had always been there for me. And when I was going to give up on Sasuke and finally focus on Naruto, he refused and kept pushing me to hold on a little longer.

And I did. After an impossible 3 years of waiting and raising my child as a single mother, Sasuke woke up.

"Despite how much we told her not to, Sakura-chan also refused to have an abortion."

Sasuke kept silent, as if he was in deep thought, and still confused.

"…Do you want to hold your son?" I asked him as Naruto placed Kira in my arms and I held him up to Sasuke.

Sasuke looked up to stare at him. There was no doubt that he was the father. Kira was the split image of Sasuke, and his obsidian eyes belonged to the Uchiha clan.

"Go on, teme. Otherwise your son might choose me as his dad." Naruto grinned as he taunted him. "After all, this is the first time he's seen you in his entire life."

That was all Sasuke needed before ignoring his comment and taking hold of our son.

"……Daddy?" Kira asked innocently as he reached his tiny hand to touch Sasuke's face.

I could've sworn his eyes started to tear up as he gave a small smile to his son, whom he cradeled in his arms. "Aa. I'm daddy."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around my family. For the first time, I had both my boys; the father of my child and the man I loved, and our son, Kira who had just turned 3.

"Well now that Sasuke knows me and you aren't together Sakura-chan, I'm going to go. I promised I'd go to the Hyuuga's to meet Hinata's dad…" Naruto told us nervously. He had told me before that he was afraid that he was going to end up with an attitude like Neji and needed all the prayers he could get.

We told him goodbye before Naruto through on his jacket and hurried out the door.

"What now?" I asked Sasuke quietly. There was still a matter unsettled after all.

"What do you mean?" He asked me as he walked towards me. Nervously, I averted my eyes to our Christmas tree. "…We messed around for years, Sasuke-kun, and it was always at night, so no one knew. But the next day you ignored me, like nothing had happened. It was if I was just some toy you used when things got to stressful…How long would that would've gone on before you got tired of me?"

"…You weren't just some toy, Sakura." Sasuke told me as he caressed my face. I moved away from his hand and eyed him doubtfully. "If you hadn't messed up and Kira wouldn't have been born what would have happened?"

That he didn't have an answer for.

"I don't know." He answered honestly as we moved over to the couch and sat down, placing our son, who had fallen asleep, on a pillow. I bit my lip to keep the tears away. "…Do you love me, Sasuke-kun?"

He kept silent, looking down at his hands which were rested on his knees. I couldn't keep the tears from falling as the silence slowly started to break me. "I understand." I answered and stood up.

"What am I to you, Sasuke-kun? Am I just your teammate who you could sleep with willingly? You're a bastard who took advantage of my feelings and then ignored me like nothing had ever happened. Then left me alone for years to take care of our child whom you didn't even want to have!"

"Sakura that isn't true-"

"Yes it is!! Don't lie to me!!" I cried as I slapped his hand away from me and opened the door. "I think it's better if you left me and my son alone for good."

"Saku-"

"LEAVE!!" I screamed as I stared him down. Shock filled his face as I lowered my head and clutched my hands over my heart. The pain he was causing me was starting to become to much.

Slowly he closed the door and held me in his arms. Hopelessly I beat his chest and scratched at him, trying to push him away from me. His chest muffled my yells as I swore at him before I finally broke down and held him tightly.

"Sakura, I never meant cause you this much pain." Sasuke whispered to me as he held me tighter. "I admit, that I didn't expect you to become pregnant and keep the child I never knew I had when I was in a coma, but now I realize I did take advantage of your feelings. When I was stressed, I came to you-but after everything that happened…it doesn't mean that I don't love you."

I looked up at him. Did he just say that he loved me?

"What?" I asked him, unsure. He hesitated but a smile curled at his lips. "I said I love you. Is it that hard to believe, Sakura?"

I wiped my eyes. "N-No of course not, I just…"

"Shut up." He told me before he captured my lips. It was something I had dreamed about for years, and if it had ever happened it, like my dreams would take my breath away entirely, and that's exactly what it did.

We seemed to stand there, cradled in each other arms, with our eyes closed and lips still pressed together forever. And I wish that it could've lasted forever, because then I could've died in total bliss.

But forever didn't seem to last as long as I would've wanted because I felt something tug at my dress.

We broke away to find our son, awake and confused as he stared up at us.

"Mommy? What awe you and Daddy doin'?" he asked us innocently, still too young to understand. I smiled and bent down to be at eye level with our son. "Daddy was showing me that he loved me."

"How about you and Daddy put the star on top of the tree?" I asked with a smile as Kira's obsidian eyes lit up and nodded as he took Sasuke by the hand and lead him to the tree where he crawled behind it to pull out the box where the star was held.

With my arms crossed and a smile on my face I watched Sasuke lift Kira onto his shoulders and let him set the star gently on top of the tree.

I imagined ourselves later, maybe married with another child, maybe a daughter, on-the-way, happily settled.

Only time would tell, and that was something I was willing to wait for.

The End

I don't know If I like this ending either, but it means you can use your imagination for your own ending :) unless you somehow want me to create an epilogue or something (doubt it).

Thanks for reading!!