Here's Chapter 2 to prove to you guys that this isn't a one and done sort of thing! Luckily I have my husband to bounce ideas off of, encourage me to write, and give me gin and tonic to get the creative juices flowing :D
THIS STORY CONTAINS MATERIAL REGARDING SEXUAL ASSAULT, PTSD, SURVIVOR'S GUILT, AND MANY SENSITIVE TOPICS
I will make clear which chapters contain more explicit material, but a focus of this story will be there areas. I will include this disclaimer at the top of every chapter, and will note which ones are particularly sensitive. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.
With that… let's begin!
There was no reason Sakura should be flustered that Sasuke was sitting in the corner of the locker room, likely there the entire time she had gotten changed.
Since Sasuke had returned to Konoha there were several times where Kakashi had sent her, Sasuke, and Naruto on missions. And often times on these missions privacy was not an option, and especially as a medic to the two boys there was a fair chance Sakura knew both their bodies better than they did. All of those occasions though had been with the knowledge that 'yes, I am looking at you naked right now, and that's okay because you just cut your entire thigh and need medical attention'.
Sasuke must have seen her visibly tense and let out a heavy sigh.
"Relax, Sakura. I wasn't watching you get changed." Sakura wasn't sure whether or not to feel relieved or insulted, but she quickly dismissed the latter, smiling slightly.
"Well, if you're not here to watch me get changed, why have you decided to meet in the locker room of the hospital, of all places? Usually I have to drag you and Naruto here as you guys are gushing blood," Sakura said playfully. Judging by Sasuke's composure her joke did not lighten up the situation.
"I need to talk to you, but I didn't want to interrupt your shift. So I waited." Sasuke responded, shrugging his shoulders ever so slightly. Sakura stared at him with a confused expression.
"Sasuke-kun, it's a quarter past seven in the morning. How long have you been here?" Sakura inquired. All of her years knowing him she always knew he was the antithesis of a morning person.
"Since five last night." Sakura's jaw dropped. What on Earth was so important that Sasuke would wait all night to talk to her?
"Sasuke-kun, if it was so important why didn't you just grab me from the hospital floor? Or at the very least ask when I would be off duty?"
"You were teaching your students, I didn't want to interrupt." And was doing an excellent job of it. Patient and firm. She would make an excellent mother…Sasuke cut off his own thoughts before they could devolve further. He still needed to talk to her. "Now that I've waited over fourteen hours, we really do need to talk."
Sakura took a step towards him, studying his face intently. As hard as he tried to be the stone-cold, stoic shinobi Sakura could see the slight anticipation in his onyx eyes. She softened her expression and extended her hand to help him up. It was a simple gesture, but it was one that meant she was willing to listen.
"Okay Sasuke-kun, where do you want to talk? The hospital locker room is hardly-" Her sentence was cut off by Sasuke grabbing her hand and transporting them to a cliff that overlooked the water to the East. The sun was still rising, tinting the sky a faint pink. The sea was gentle, the sounds of the small waves crashing into the rocks below was hardly noticeable. Sakura gasped slightly at the scenery.
"Sasuke-kun, where are we?" Sakura stared out at the sea, then back at Sasuke, who was also staring out at the water.
"My… mother used to take me here. On days Father and Itachi were off training and I was too young to join," Sasuke responded in a low voice. Sakura could count on one hand the number of times Sasuke brought up Itachi since The Great Shinobi War, and he certainly never brought up his family.
"What would you and your mother do here?" Sakura pressed, eager for the opportunity to learn more about his life before his entire family was taken from him.
Regardless of his motives, in secret Sakura still blamed Itachi for all that happened to Sasuke.
Sasuke was quiet for a moment, and then Sakura saw what looked like the corner of his lips turn upward ever so slightly.
"We would come here with rice balls. We would eat them, and then I would see how far I could throw different rocks into the water. I thought if I threw them hard enough they would go all the way across the sea." Sakura let out a soft laugh, smiling at the image of a young, happy Sasuke trying his hardest to throw pebbles. Regaining her composure, Sakura stared him straight in the eyes. Like Kakashi, she was one of the few not afraid to hold eye contact with him, and of those even fewer did not feel intimidated by him.
"Sasuke-kun, why did you really bring me here?" She saw his dark eyes waver slightly; he was anxious. That was an emotion she rarely saw out of him, and her brow furrowed in concern. "Sasuke-kun, are you sick? Did something happen on your last mission? How can-"
"Sakura, stop." Sasuke cut her off, suddenly irritated by her jumping to conclusions. He wanted to make sure he said everything right, and conveyed everything as clearly as possible. Her jumping to every conclusion in the book would not help. He closed his eyes and forced his face to soften. "This is very important, and I need you to listen to everything I have to say. Then you can ask me whatever you want, okay?" Sakura nodded. Sasuke took a slow, deep breath.
"I had a meeting with Hokage-sama yesterday. The village police is having trouble finding homes and space for all of the refugees coming in the past several years. The village police want to take over that land again." Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but Sasuke's stare made her close her mouth and continue listening. "Kakashi said their reasoning is that I have not made an effort to re-establish the clan."
"You're eighteen years old how-"
"Sakura," Sasuke cut in, his expression all but saying 'yes thank you for stating the obvious'. Sakura quieted down again. "Kakashi gave me an option. I could give up the land, or I could take a wife and begin repopulating the Uchiha clan." Sasuke paused, knowing Sakura would interject. To his surprise, she didn't, and just stared at him. Several moments passed.
"Well… go on." Sakura said cautiously, making every effort to mask the hundreds of emotions and thoughts running through her head. He's telling me he's chosen a wife to make it easier on me. I suppose it's easier to hear from him than the gossip on the street…
"Sakura, I want you to help me repopulate my clan."
Sakura's eyes widened, for once not having anything to say. Sasuke took it as his opportunity.
"Sakura, this would not be easy for you. This is out of duty, not a fairytale love story. Your duty, our duty, would be to restore the Uchiha name. I am asking you to give up a lot. I am asking you to have children before you are in your peak shinobi years. I am asking you to put the fate of the Uchiha, your loyalty to the clan, first." Sasuke said sternly. Sakura shocked expression did not change. Sasuke exhaled a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.
"I am asking you to help me." Sakura shoulders relaxed slightly. "I am not asking for an answer right now, and I fully expect you need to think-"
"Yes," Sakura said softly. It was Sasuke's turn to be surprised. "I will be your wife, and I will help restore honor to the Uchiha name." You deserve to be happy for once in your life.
"Sakura, this is not something you have to decide on right now. You can think about it. This would change your entire life," Sasuke said, trying to reinforce how serious of a commitment she was about to make.
"Sasuke-kun," Sakura began, her voice soft. "I was willing to leave the village at thirteen years old if it meant helping you. I spent years chasing after you, wanting you to come home and be a dysfunctional family with Naruto, Kakashi, and I again. I have fought by your side and want to continue to do so. And if that means helping you regain your clan, a family, I will be by your side through that." Sasuke stared at her, utterly speechless. "I know you don't love me, not in a romantic way at least, and that's okay. Your clan is everything to you, and seeing you, Naruto, and Kakashi happy is all I need." Sakura smiled, her eyes closed. Sasuke began rummaging in his pockets, and pulled out something in his fist.
Sakura looked at him inquisitively as he opened his hand. In the palm of his hand was an onyx ring, with a red jewel in the center, not unlike the red of the Sharingan. Sakura gasped slightly, knowing what this ring signified.
"This ring symbolizes devotion to the Uchiha clan. That you live to protect those in the clan, and those in the clan live to protect you. All of the women of the Uchiha clan wear it," Sasuke grabbed Sakura's hand. "This was my mother's." He said softly, almost inaudible as he slipped the ring on her left ring finger. Sasuke, not looking Sakura in the eyes, could hear her soft sniffles. Unsure of what to do, he rested his hand on her shoulder, and she leaned me face into his hand, cradling the hand with the ring.
"Thank you," she whispered, fearing tears would fall faster if she spoke more. Sasuke gave a soft squeeze on her shoulder and released her, turning to leave.
"I have business I have to attend to."
As he was walking away, Sakura yelled out, "Hey Sasuke-kun!" He stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Does that make this our first date?" Sakura said with a smile. Sakura could see the smirk on Sasuke's face.
"Hn. I suppose so."