AN: Happy Father's Day! Okay, this is a bit sad, but I really hope everyone gives this a chance. I hope you guys enjoy! ;D
Recommendation(s): Azu- "For You"- as many already know, the twelfth ending theme of Naruto Shippuden; Fall Out Boy- "Lullaby"; Eminem- "Mockingbird"
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
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A Naruto One-shot
Author: wubbzy
Count: 2010
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Mockingbird
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"Hush little baby don't say a word,
Daddy's gonna' buy you a mockingbird."
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Never had he seen anything more spectacular, more amazing and surreal… it was all just so beautiful. Sakura's unruly hair was everywhere, and beads of dried sweat were still stuck to her face. strands of her hair were clutched to her soft cheeks. She seemed tired – rightly so – but her eyes showed a gleam of excitement and a new kind of energy that he couldn't really explain in her deep, emerald orbs, staring down at the little thing tucked in her arms.
Her eyes moved to him, a tender smile working its way up her face as her eyes showed accomplishment and satisfaction.
"Do you want to hold her?" she asked, and for a moment, he didn't know what he was doing with himself, not sure if he really could. She chuckled at his disposition, reading him clearly. "Don't be scared of your own daughter," she joked. She positioned herself to hand the little baby wrapped in blankets to him.
He truly was frightened, his knees shaking. Kami, he didn't want to hurt her or anything. He felt a bit awkward when first holding his little girl in his arms, her being such a fragile thing. And he rocked her, thinking that was what she needed.
Her eyes cringed, her little lungs expanding as she cried out.
He had no idea what he was doing then, but just continued to rock her. He barely started holding her and she was already crying. Was this supposed to happen? He shushed her gently, thinking maybe that would do.
Sakura laughed, making him wonder what was so funny.
"Why don't you try humming to her?" He continued to rock and sway her, this time singing a soft tune he once heard –"hush little baby." As he continued to sing, her crescendo of cries soon seized. Her eyes fluttered open.
His breath hitched, amazed by this little thing, his daughter, in his arms. She had the prettiest eyes he had ever seen – innocent green eyes, just like her mother.
Her tiny hands reached out, grabbing for something.
From that moment on, he vowed to give her everything he didn't have and more so.
His daughter deserved the best of everything. And he would do anything in his power to give her that.
Sakura knew Naruto far too well, making a vow herself: to make sure that idiot of a father wouldn't go overboard and buy into the things that she had done to her father; to let her eat cookies before dinner, not take her nap, going outside without her jacket...
Knowing him and the way he melted when she opened her eyes made her realize he'd say yes to anything their child would ask in the future.
Sakura smiled. "You're going to be a great dad, Naruto."
"What are we going to call her?" he asked, still staring at the little girl who soon closed her eyes once more.
"Hmm, I'm not sure."
"How about-"
"Nothing weird, Naruto," she cautioned, knowing that the last time they talked about this, he gave the most ridiculous names. She would not allow her to have an odd name.
"I wasn't gonna' name her anything weird," he pouted. "I was gonna' say that Mai sounded really cute, don't you think?" Her lips curled.
"I really like that," she simply said, surprised by the great suggestion.
"Then Mai-chan it is!" Naruto said, staring down at his little girl.
Their life together, as a family, began.
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They were happy
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It would never come easy for the two of them. And the very fact they had absolute no experience in this kind of stuff made it worst.
"Sakura-chan, she won't stop crying!" Naruto complained as he tried to cradle her in his arms and feed her warm milk. She'd just spit it up and yell even more. Sakura sighed, getting up and trying to help the poor man who wasn't sure what to do.
But she still kept crying, because Sakura was inexperienced as well.
Sakura plotted herself on the rocking chair, her head hurting from the cries. Naruto continued to carry the little girl, trying just about everything.
"Aww, come on little Mai-chan. Please don't cry anymore," Naruto pleaded with a frown, cradling her once again in his arms. "Hmm, do you want me to make you funny faces?" he asked her, soon laying her down on her blanket and making ridiculous faces that only a baby would be entertained by. She stopped, her brows furrowing at the funny faces. Soon, a big smile rose. Her mouth opened as she gave the cutest little giggles he had ever heard.
Naruto grinned, turning to Sakura. "Look Sakura-chan, she stopped crying for her daddy."
Sakura could only smile in relief when her own drowsy eyes closed in absolute exhaustion.
Later into the night, when she finally went to sleep, Naruto laid her down in her crib, smiling down at her with a hackneyed, yet content expression.
"You can be real trouble, just like your daddy." Naruto gently beamed, looking back at Sakura one more time before he turned to his little girl. "But you're going to be as awesome and beautiful as your mommy, you know. G'night Mai-chan," Naruto said, giving her a peck on the forehead before picking the slumbering Sakura up and taking her to their room.
No matter what happened, everything was going to be okay.
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It was all okay
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"Aww, come on Mai-chan, open up," Naruto pouted, almost as childish as the little girl in front of him, Sakura noted. "Look, this spoon is an awesome… shuriken!"
"A shuriken?" Sakura asked, raising a brow. Naruto's brow furrowed, his face scrunching in thought.
"Okay, maybe not. How about you just pretend you're eating some good ole' ramen like your dad, eh?" Naruto laughed, while Sakura shook her head. "I wouldn't want to eat this either though."
"Naruto, give me the spoon then," Sakura said, reaching, while Naruto quickly retreated.
"Nope, she wants her daddy to feed her. You need to rest Sakura-chan, I got this!"
Sakura sighed, rubbing her head. Sure, Naruto was trying to put her mind at ease, but she swore, having him get her to rest was putting her under more turmoil than relief.
"Naruto…" she trailed off, rubbing her temple.
"Oh look! She took the first bite!" Naruto cheered, only to make a face when she spit it up.
"Well, we'll get it right some time. Don't worry, there's worst things than this!" Naruto said, taking a bit of it in his mouth.
He spit it out.
"Maybe not. Sakura-chan, next time we're getting ramen flavored."
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And he loved her
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"Mai-chan's walking!" Naruto stood up from his laying position, watching as Mai tried walking towards the myriad of cherry blossoms falling in an attempt to catch one. She was absolutely awe stricken by the lazy petals as they tranquilly floated on blue skies.
"Mai-chan, come to daddy! Come to daddy!"
"Dada!" she mumbled, running, but soon falling as she took five steps. However, she got right back up – a bit wobbly, but up nonetheless – and waddled to her father. Sakura smiled, shaking her head.
"Can you believe that? She finally said dada! And here I thought she was all about mommy!" He nuzzled his head to hers while she giggled. He laid her on the soft picnic blanket, blowing on her stomach while she giggled and laughed even more.
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Their life continued
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"Daddy!" the little girl yelled, and he jumped into action, falling from his bed first, and rushing to his daughters room in a sleepy state.
"Ugh, huh? What's wrong?" Naruto drowsily asked, rubbing his eyes lazily since he saw no invader or something really serious.
"I think there's a monster in the closet," Mai whimpered, covering her head with the covers as she peaked at her dad heading towards the closet. Naruto grinned, giving her a thumbs up.
"I promise you, Mai-chan, there will be no more monsters here tonight. I made sure to get'em with my cool ninja skills. You know what daddy can do, can't you?"
"Yup! Daddy fights bad guys all day!"
"That's right! No monster is a match for me!" she giggled a sweet sound to Naruto's ears. "Well, there might be one… let's see… who is it I'm sensing? He's somewhere around here."
"Oh no," before she had a chance to say anymore, Naruto smirked, wiggling his fingers.
"No, the tickle monster is here! It's after you for eating the last instant ramen, Mai-chan!" and his fingers glided over her little stomach, her giggles echoing throughout the room.
"M-mommy said I-I can h-have it!" she said in between fits of laughter. He stopped.
"Mommy?" he asked, but then continued to tickle. "Are you sure?"
"I'm s-sure! I-I p-promise!" Naruto grinned.
"Alright, the tickle monster is satisfied now. Now all he wants is a goodnight kiss." She rolled her eyes.
"Night daddy," she said, and kissed him on his whiskered cheek before he tucked her in.
"Night Mai-chan, love you," he said, and he kissed her on her forehead before heading towards his room.
"Love you too."
And she closed her eyes, lulling into a peaceful slumber.
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He was always there.
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"Don't worry Mai-chan. I'll be back as soon as possible."
"Alright daddy. Come back really quick. I have something to show you!" she mumbled, clutching onto his robes. He patted her head, ruffling her neat pink locks, soon making them messy. "Dad, stop messing up my hair," she giggled.
"I love you," Naruto said, kissing Sakura before she nuzzled her face to his.
"I'll see you later. I love you too," she smiled before he grinned and knelt down to hug and kiss his little girl.
"Love you too," she gleefully called, placing light kisses on each kiss, "mwah," she said loudly. They waved goodbye.
And he left.
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He left
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He didn't come back from that mission. That was the last time she saw him. She hadn't even known anything was wrong until she noticed her mommy crying by her dad's portrait, looking as devastated by something. That's when the pit of her stomach dropped, knowing something was wrong. She had never seen her mommy cry like that.
Even when her mother quickly wiped away her tears and made her best effort to smile, she knew something wasn't right.
She couldn't smile either anymore.
She didn't even know why, but seeing her mother cry made her want to start bawling, because she could already sense something bad had happened.
It was so unexpected. One moment he was there - hugging her in his arms sneaking cookies to her so her mommy wouldn't see - and the next he was gone.
It felt like it had happened in a blink of an eye.
He was gone.
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And he wasn't coming back
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It had been so many years ago, but she still thought about him every night, wishing he'd come back to see her one more time. She wished she could get held like she used to while in his arms.
He'd do anything for her, anything to make her smile. Her mom use to tell her how he'd always hold her all through the night so she could fall asleep, and that was why she would always fall asleep easily when she ran to her dad and hugged him. She wished she could see him one more time, hear his voice, have him fight all the monsters out of her closet.
She missed him.
"Daddy."
She loved him.
Now he was gone, and there was nothing she could do to get him back.
"Daddy."
And she cried.
He gave her anything she asked for, but now, she wished that she had asked for one final hug –a hug that would last forever.
Because really, she just wanted to see her daddy one last time.
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He'd buy her the world,
But all she needed was him.
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AN: I wrote this because I was having a few issues with my dad, but… the thing is, you should try to clear anything up, because you don't know what could happen. You should treasure every moment spent with the people you love in general, because sometimes, in a blink of an eye, you may lose them for good. I hope you all enjoyed, and please leave some feedback. I've never written anything like this, so I want to know what everyone thinks (plus it took a lot of work to even post this because of internet problems). Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! ;D