A songfic based on Forever and Always by Parachute. I kind of wrote it all in one go, so I apologize for any grammar mistakes.
I know I should be updating THBS, but I'm a bit stuck on the next chapter atm.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
He rushed through the halls, twisting around corners and speeding past what seemed like a million doors. Finally finding the correct door, he slowed down his steps and approached the room with a frantic need to just know.
He had received the message just five minutes earlier, and had rushed here as fast as possible. So many thoughts rushed through his head, so many possibilities that it made him grit his teeth together even harder. What if, what if.
He didn't even see Tsunade as he rushed to the bed. The broken form of a body lay in front of his eyes, chest barely rising with life. He gently took her hand into his and stroked her fragile fingers. No matter how hard he tried to keep it in, the tears were overflowing and leaving dark stains on the bed sheets. Now wasn't a time to keep up the Uchiha name. It wasn't a time to act like a unfeeling bastard. Not now, not when she was in such a state.
He only registered bits and pieces when Tsunade tried to explain the situation to him.
…on her solo mission…not enough chakra…caught…too difficult…message to Katsuyu…anbu found..
He couldn't think straight. His never-ending tears didn't help either. He couldn't concentrate on anything except for the fact that Sakura was lying on the hospital bed, dying. But his concentration was cut short when he heard a barely audible whimper coming from her.
"S-Sasuke…" She whispered, her eyes fluttering open. She slowly, painfully, and weakly squeezed his hand back.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd ever cried so much. He probably never had.
"S-Sakura…you have to get better. This is nothing you can't heal, right? You can't just leave us, think about Naruto! He'd be losing one of his only family members. He'd be devastated! And Kakashi! You can't give him another reason to stand in front of that memorial. He can't lose another teammate, not again. Tsunade would never forgive you if you left. Even that bastard Sai would miss you. And, and Ino would kill you for leaving her behind. Then she'd kill me. Hinata would probably help too. Y-you just can't leave…" He whispered, his voice shaking as he tried to reason with her. It was ironic how their roles were now switched and it was Sasuke begging Sakura to stay. So ironic it made him want to scream in anguish, "…and you can't leave me…oh God p-please, don't leave me behind. Don't do this, fight back. You're so strong, this has to be nothing…"
Behind him Tsunade was desperately trying to muffle her sobs with her hand. There was nothing she could do for her student, absolutely nothing, and that fact alone was killing her. What use were her amazing medical abilities if she couldn't even save a single loved one? Nawaki, Dan, Jiraiya, and now Sakura. She could not save a single. one. of. them.
"And what about Keisuke and Shigeru? You can't leave them behind, they're only three! How do I tell three-year-olds that their mother isn't coming back? They won't understand! They need their mother!" At this point Sasuke really was screaming, with so many tears pouring down his face that it'd probably leave a permanent track. On his face was such a broken look of pain and anguish that it could make anyone turn their heads away in tears. It was simply too much to bare.
He bent over her dying form and softly held her face in his hands, his voice cracking painfully, "I-I love you…I love you so much…so please, please...I beg you...please don't leave me behind…"
Sakura's face was twisted in a mixture of sorrow and downright agony. Sasuke's tears mingled with hers as they streamed down her cheeks.
She cried, her voice trembling, as she whispered painfully, "S-Sasuke…Sasuke…Sasuke I l-love you, so, so much…Sasuke…d-don't cry…don't cry for me…I-I want to see your smile…your smile j-just for me…" His attempt to do just that was so pathetic Sakura could've laughed if she wasn't dying.
"Tell everyone I'm s-sorry…I'm so, so sorry…I'll need to leave them f-first…Shigeru…Keisuke…t-tell them m-mommy is sorry…that I love them so much…forever and always…I'll w-watch over them from the skies…"
It was so heart breaking for Sasuke to hear the words coming from her mouth. She was saying goodbye. Her final goodbye.
"I always dreamed…of the life we would have together…Shigeru and Keisuke would s-start their shinobi training…we might've had m-more children...we would've been s-so happy…we would've grown old…and died together…"
"We still can, Sakura! I-If you would just get better…we still could…we could be together forever…" He couldn't just leave it this way. He had to do something.
It was then an idea formed in Sasuke's head. He turned to Tsunade, determination in his broken eyes.
"Could you wed us? Right here, right now, before…" He couldn't finish his words.
She nodded quietly and made her way to the couple. "Do you have rings?"
He nodded back and pulled a box out of his pocket. He had planned to propose to her after she came back…but…
So in that small, hospital room that smelled of salty tears and death, Tsunade wed the dying woman and grief-stricken man together.
Finishing the vows, Sasuke pulled out a simple, but beautiful, white gold band with a diamond set in the center. Slipping it onto Sakura's finger, he helped her slip on the matching ring, which was a simple white gold band, onto his finger. They kissed, sealing the last of the vows. Her eyes were glowing and the tears in her eyes were now of happiness rather than sorrow.
Tears still quietly slipping down his face, he said, "I want you forever, forever and always. Through the good and the bad and the ugly, we'll grow old together, and always remember. Whether happy or sad or whatever, we'll still love each other, forever and always."
It was obvious to the both of them that it was almost time as the heart monitor began to slow down, bit by bit. It made the tears rush out a bit more, it made the voices tremble a bit more, and it made hearts crack a bit more.
The glow in her eyes were beginning to fade as she replied, "I love y-you forever, forever and always. P-Please just r-remember, even if I'm not t-there, I'll always love you, all of you, forever and always."
The grip on his hand loosened, her eyes fluttered back shut, and Sakura let out her final breath, "Thank you for loving me…"
There was only silent sobbing and a lack of beating from the monitor left in the room.
And all he could do was remember, remember every thing that happened between them.
How he left her on a cold bench, how he almost attacked her when they found him, how he had taken advantage of her on her first solo mission, how Naruto dragged him back three years later, how he had found she had been pregnant, how she had hated him, how he found how beautiful his children were, how he had apologized for the second time in his life, how their relationship slowly, painfully, began to regrow, how love first began to creep into his heart every time she smiled, how they finally loved, how he was finally accepted.
It was all there, every, single, damn memory. Every damn memory he would force himself to remember until the end of his life. He would never forget the beautiful, kind, and strong woman who taught him how to love once more. He would never forget her unusual pink hair, or her brilliant smile, or her green eyes that shone of mirth and happiness.
He would never forget. Ever.
"Daddy, daddy! Tell us again about our mommy!" Giggled a young eight-year-old.
"Yea! I wanna hear about mommy again!" Another eight-year-old exclaimed.
Sasuke smirked as he looked down to the two young kids holding his hands. He had just picked them up from the Academy and they had been telling him how boring the classes were, how he taught them more than their teacher. He looked up to the bright, blue sky, "Well, she was a beautiful woman with the strangest pink hair and she was an amazing doctor that could heal any wound. Daddy used to think she was very weak, until one-day she kicked daddy's butt. Also, your mommy can get very scary when she's angry, especially with uncle Naruto when he was being silly, which is always. But she can also be very, very kind and gentle. Like when she healed my wounds every time I came back from a mission. She's the most amazing woman I've ever known in my life, and I love her. Forever and always."
The only reason I added the twins in was because I didn't want Sasuke to eventually "move on" and get married to someone else (like in those cliche stories where the dying person tells their lover to move on without them) because he needs to revive the Uchiha clan. So I just stuck the twins in there so I could give an excuse that Sasuke never remarried after Sakura's death since he already had heirs and his love for Sakura was too strong to remarry someone to have more heirs.