Title: The Art of Gratitude.
Authoress: Yuneh-chan.
Number of Words: 5,455 (excluding all the lengthy Author's Notes…ehehe. I was feeling talkative. So, sue me).
Universe: Alternate.
Pairing: SasukexSakura.
Type: Continuous (Completed! This is the last chapter –Cue: snifflesob-).
Disclaimer: Yuneh-chan owns nothing whatsoever.
Just a little note before we get started. The hierarchy of Legendary Sannin Inc, Sakura's workplace, is probably a little bit confusing (although as smart as most of my readers ((not saying that any of you are stupid; I don't know any of you well enough to make my opinion of you)) are, they probably understand it without my having to explain. XD). Here's how it goes:
President: Tsunade.
CEO (only one is mentioned): Iruka.
Head of Office of External Affairs (this particular office probably doesn't really exist, but I thought that they would deal with affairs with clients, especially really important ones): Kakashi.
Highest-ranked employee in OoEA: Sakura (she's actually really high up in the company, if you think about it) and her Assistant, Sasuke.
There's more, but I'm too lazy to keep listing stuff.
As to what it is they actually specialize in, well…you guys are imaginative. XD
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ALSO, I figured I'd be extra nice, and here's a present from me to you. I'm going to make this chapter as long as all of the other chapters COMBINED. So, it's going to be 3,209 words or more.
And without further ado, I give you the fourth and final chapter of my wonderful (coughcoughyeahrightcoughcough) story, The Art of Gratitude. I hope you enjoy this. I know I enjoyed writing it, and having you guys leave such lovely reviews, or even just take the time to read my story.
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The Art of Gratitude
Introducing, Chapter Four/Grand Finale:
'My Thanks'
In the meeting, I stared at the wall. When asked a question, Sasuke would answer. I never really was expected to do much at these meetings, anyway. I don't see why I had to come. Maybe just to listen to final decisions? I never did. That's what Sasuke was for. Maybe I should have been a little less reliant on him to get my job done, but our system worked. At least, it did for me. He listened and took notes, left me memos about what was going on, and set up my schedule. I met with the clients and ignored pretty much all of what he said…
…Did I really do so little?
'Maybe…I should become a little bit more responsible…' I thought as I started scribbling something on a note. I kicked Sasuke's ankle, and passed it to him silently.
'I'm going to start actually doing my job better,' it had read. I watched Sasuke's eyes widen.
'You don't have to, I kind of liked our system,' he replied in a much neater handwriting than mine.
'Really? Well, okay then. I stay irresponsible at work. If that is the way you like it.' I smiled softly.
'Well, maybe you could just start reading my memos. One every now and then doesn't really work.'
'Oh, all right.'
"Sasuke-san? What do you think?"
"I think merging is a great idea. Uchiha Corp would definitely benefit even if this is a corporation that makes less money," he replied without looking up from his note. "What do you think, Haruno-san?"
"About merging with Uchiha Corp?" I mentally thanked Sasuke, for propping me up with a response. "It's possible. What, with our budget being in the high millions, and them being a trillion-dollar corporation, and all. We would only be doing our company good."
"I notice you didn't say we did ourselves well. Care to elaborate?" my boss said, a twinkle in his eye.
"Well, we would be making more money, no doubt about it. But when it becomes to be all about the money, the client is less important, when it should be the other way around. It shouldn't even have to be thought about on what comes first in a businessperson's mind, but nowadays it does have to be thought about."
"Well said, Haruno-san. Kakashi-san is lucky to have you in his department," the CEO, Umino Iruka, said.
"Thank you, sir." Sasuke passed the note back to me. 'Good answer, Haruno-san. We've only got one more thing to discuss, then we can go see Ryuu.'
'All right. Thank you for setting me up like that.'
"Now, the last order of business. The President of Uchiha Corp proposed something rather rare these days. Merging the businesses through marriage," the President, Tsunade, said. I snorted silently.
'I wonder who the unlucky girl is,' I thought to myself. ((AN/ Like you don't all see this coming!))
'Sakura, will you marry me?' the note said. My eyes bulged, and I thought they would fall out. I missed the strange look they were all sending me.
"Sakura, the President of Uchiha Corp wants to take your hand in marriage, to seal the deal between our companies. We will use their trillion-dollar funding to make things easier for our clients."
"I-I…" I spaced out. There were two healthy, wealthy men that wanted me? Nobody had approached me before now, especially…when I was with Sasuke. I 'awoke' to my cell vibrating in my pocket. "H-Hello?" I answered wearily. "Yes, this is she." I gasped, and sat up completely straight. "Are you serious? When can I see him?"
"What's going on?" Sasuke mouthed.
"Ryuu's okay," I murmured back, tears filling my eyes. "Okay, I'll be there as fast as I can. Tell him Aunt Sakura's coming soon. It will calm him down some. Thank you so much. Bye." I tackled Sasuke. "He's okay! Ryuu-kun is okay."
"Who is…Ryuu?" the Iruka asked.
"My nephew, I'm his legal guardian. His bus driver was drunk, and Ryuu-kun's been unconscious."
"What were you doing here, then?" Tsunade asked, seemingly irritated.
"Sasuke-san said I could go right after the meeting, as I've already missed four—" Sasuke coughed. "Excuse me, five meetings this week. Ryuu-kun's needed me a lot lately."
"Well go! And think on the proposal."
"I…um…refuse." Sasuke's eye twitched. "Sasuke's asked me to marry him." I could see the tight restraint that he held on his laughter was slipping.
"Er, Sakura-san?" Kakashi, my boss, said quietly. "Sasuke-san IS the President of Uchiha Corp" I turned sharply to examine Sasuke.
"I knew you were already rich, but you didn't tell me you owned a trillion-dollar company!"
"You…didn't know?" Tsunade asked incredulously.
"Of course not! Do you think I would have allowed him to make himself my assistant? I didn't that that was what Naruto meant when he said you needed humbling work."
"Yes, that's what he meant, Sakura. Now, I do believe we have to take our leave. We have a nephew to visit." My anger dissipated, and I cheerfully stood up.
"Thank you all for rescheduling the meeting for me," I said, bowing. "Farewell for now." I grabbed Sasuke's hand and dragged him out. We sped all the way to the hospital. We walked in and to the reception desk. "Hi, my name is Haruno Sakura, and I'm looking for Uzumaki Ryuu-kun." A doctor looked over at us, and the receptionist kept reading her magazine.
"Haruno-san? We spoke on the phone earlier. My name is Wakaouji Keiichi ((see note one at the bottom)).
"Ah, hai, Wakaouji-sensei. You said Ryuu-kun was fine, now."
"Well, he is. He just wasn't calming down, so we had to give him a mild sedative. It's fairly common in trauma patients."
"A sedative? Why didn't you call me and ask before you did that?"
"If we had waited, one of our nurses would be more than just black and blue right now. Luckily for you, she's a trooper, and won't cause any ruckus about being punched in the eye."
"Oh, I understand. Can I see him, now?" He nodded.
"Let me show you to his room." We walked to Ryuu's room, and he looked at us with dilated eyes.
"Aunt Sakura, Uncle Sasuke, nice to see you," he slurred.
"Ryuu-kun, we have something to tell you…" Sasuke squeezed my hand to tell me to let him speak.
"Ryuu, I would like to ask you for permission to marry your Aunt Sakura," Sasuke said confidently.
"As long as I can get a sort-of sibling," he answered, his eyes not really focused.
"Thank you," Sasuke murmured, brushing Ryuu's hair back from his eyes. Ryuu closed his eyes, and I watched the two males interact with awe in my eyes. I felt a surge of peace well up in me, that I hadn't felt for an extremely long time…
Six Months Later:
"Haruno Sakura, do you take this man to be your lawful wedded husband?"
"I do," I murmured softly.
"Uchiha Sasuke, do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife?"
"I do," Sasuke said, poise etched in every feature, and in his voice.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife; you may now kiss the bride." Sasuke leaned forward to place a gentle, chaste kiss on my lips. I smiled softly at him.
I threw my bouquet, and smiled at Yamanaka Ino, whose Maid of Honor I had been, and she had been mine. She had gotten married about two months before Sasuke and I, and was four months along in her pregnancy.
We went to the reception, where Sasuke and I danced one dance. I didn't pressure him for more, as any type of public displays of affection were not really his thing. I was fine with it, too, and had a good time talking to my new husband. Ryuu talked with us for a while, but then decided to play with a few of the children that were invited. It had been an extremely small wedding, as I didn't have any family (my parents had cut off all contact with me after getting a divorce and moving to opposite ends of the country, which had been about six and a half years ago, when I had turned eighteen and moved out. Naruto and Hinata were dead, I didn't have any sort of contact with distant relatives, and I didn't have many friends. Most of the ones I did have were at work. I invited my bosses, all the way up to the President. They all came, and were involved in a heated discussion of business ethics with the few representatives from Uchiha Corp ((see note two at the bottom)).
Sasuke had only invited a couple people aside from the representatives, as his psychotic elder brother (who was now resting in a grave, thanks to having been executed on Death Row) had murdered his entire family while they had been at a family reunion in the Uchiha estate.
Sasuke had invited his best friend and fellow emotional cripple, Hyuuga Neji. Yes, my former sort-of boyfriend (having one date doesn't really make the relationship truly boyfriend-girlfriend level) and Hinata's elder cousin. He also invited a weird guy that I didn't know the name of, but was extremely creeped out by ((see note three at the bottom)).
We had fun until about midnight, when Ryuu had fallen asleep on Sasuke's lap, and I was nodding off on his shoulder. "Ready to go, wife?"
"Yes, Sasuke. It's way past Ryuu-kun's bedtime, and we have a meeting tomorrow at work."
"And then it's off on a honeymoon for our little family," he murmured into my ear. I kissed him, pleased to have such an understanding husband. Most probably wouldn't want a child to tag along on the honeymoon, but Sasuke had suggested he come before I could even ask. We were going to go to Suna, a city that was about five hundred miles from Konoha, the city we lived in.
That night, as Sasuke and I put Ryuu to bed. I stayed to watch my nephew sleep for a while, and then crawled into my bed with my new husband. "Sasuke," I whispered, curling against his side. "Are you going to move in here, or are Ryuu-kun and I moving in with you?"
"We…haven't discussed that yet? I left you a memo on your desk." I laughed, and he chuckled. "Where do you want to live?"
"If you don't mind, I'd like to stay here. But if that's not what you—"
"If that's what you want, Sakura, then it's what I want." I stared at him for a moment.
"I love you, Sasuke." I kissed along his jaw line with a serene smile on my face. "Thank you for being so wonderful to me and Ryuu-kun."
"It's not a problem, wife," he purred back before pinning me beneath him. "Now what do you say you and I participate in the usual goings-on of the wedding night?" I smiled.
"I say that we grant Ryuu-kun's condition for our marriage," I retorted. He smirked and his lips descended upon mine.
Two Weeks Later; Location: Suna
"Ne, ne! Aunt Sakura! Guess WHAT?!" Ryuu exclaimed.
"What, baby?" I asked, trying to focus on the video game I was playing in the arcade Ryuu and I had visited while Sasuke went to do some shopping.
"I won you a prize!"
"Oh, that's so sweet!" I cooed, turning around and ignoring the sounds of me losing terribly. Oh well, I hadn't been doing too well anyway. After the fourteenth level, it got almost impossible. He handed me a stuffed chicken.
"I thought it looked like Uncle Sasuke's hair, and you seem like you miss him, even though you've only been apart for a couple hours." I squealed and hugged my nephew.
"Ryuu-kun, you're so lovable."
"A-Aunt Sakura?"
"Yes, baby?" I asked, kneeling to look him in the eyes. He sounded like whatever he was going to talk about was serious.
"Do you…um…think of me as…maybe…possibly your son…?"
"Of course I do. I always have, even when…" I trailed off, knowing he would know what I meant. 'Even when your parents were still alive.'
"Does it…offend my mother's memory…to call you okaa-san?"
"We'll ask her when we get home, okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"Even though she's not with us in body, she's still here in spirit. That's what I believe, anyway, and we can visit her grave. I'm sure we will get an answer."
"O-Okay." He sniffled a little bit.
"Ryuu-kun?"
"Yes?"
"I love you so much. Don't ever doubt that, okay? Your mother did too, and she would want you to be happy. Do you understand?"
"She wants me to be happy?" he asked, and I nodded. "Then…it would make me feel happy to call you okaa-san." I smiled softly and kissed his forehead.
"It makes me happy to call you my son," I whispered as I hugged him tightly.
"I bought you an ice cream, Ryuu," Sasuke said softly, not wanting to break the mood. It was inevitable, though, because the ice cream would melt soon, and Sasuke hated sweets.
"Thank you, otou-san," Ryuu said, looking shyly up at Sasuke, afraid that Sasuke would reject him as his son. Instead, Sasuke dropped his shopping bags, handed the ice cream to me, and pulled Ryuu into an awkward hug, as he didn't like to show affection very much. Ryuu held onto him tightly. It warmed my heart to see my two men hugging like that…
Seven and a Half Months Later; Almost Six Months Into Pregnancy
"W-What do you mean, Sasuke?"
"Sakura, I didn't mean it as an insult."
"B-But…you called me fat." I let out a choked sob.
"You know, Sakura. Being pregnant does tend to make you bigger than you normally are. All he said was that you were too big to fit in your office chair. All you have to do is get a more spacious chair. It will be better for your back, as well. In fact, I'll swap chairs with you. Mine has a massager, because your back will start hurting even worse later on. Since I'm not pregnant anymore, it isn't imperative that I be comfortable," Ino said soothingly.
"O-Okay. Sasuke could you go out for a minute? I need to talk to Ino privately for a minute." He nodded and closed the door behind him. "Ino, I can't get out of my chair. My butt is stuck," I whimpered pitifully. She laughed and held the chair down while I stood up. I let out a hiss of pain as pain shot through my feet.
"So, have you figured out the gender, yet?"
"I went for the ultrasound yesterday." I paused (for dramatic effect, of course).
"Well? What is it?"
"A, it's twins. That's why I'm already so big. And B, one's a girl, and one's a boy."
"You're having twins?" Ino exclaimed.
"Yes…and Sasuke doesn't know yet. I don't know if he'll be ready for two children instead of one right now." I left out the part that the doctor felt that I wasn't built for twins, and that birth would be very hard on me.
"Well, get to it in a roundabout way. Start with 'Hey hot stuff, how many kids do you want?' and get to 'Take me now, my love!' at about eight o'clock and make sweet, passionate love until sunrise. I stared at Ino in absolute horror.
"'Take me now, my love?'" I repeated disbelievingly. I could have sworn that my eye started twitching.
"Am I interrupting something?" the President of the company asked. I jumped, and then winced, as my feet started hurting again.
"No, Tsunade-sama. Ino said I should say that to Sasuke." Tsunade burst out in raucous laughter.
"You should, but only while I'm there. I want to see the look on his face. I bet it will be absolutely priceless."
"Do I even want to know?" Sasuke asked as he wheeled Ino's chair in through the open door.
"NO," I said, a little too loudly as my face turned beet red.
"O-kay," he said, shaking his head. I blushed harder.
"What did you need, Tsunade-sama?" I asked, sighing as my face slowly faded into the pale shade it had been since I'd gotten pregnant.
"Oh! I just wanted to tell you that you're getting promoted, if you accept." I frowned.
"To what position? The only one above me is Kakashi's, and I refuse to take his job."
"Thank you for your concern, Sakura, but you're thinking too low," Kakashi said, coming in as well.
"W-What? Tsunade-sama, whose position will I be assuming?"
"Sakura, there comes a time in a person's life where they realize that they're getting older."
"What are you saying, Tsunade-sama?"
"As much as I hate to admit to this, but I'm getting pretty old. Kakashi's right when he says that I need to start grooming an heir so that I may retire. Sakura, I want you to become the next president of LSI."
"What?! What about the people that are better qualified? I don't have the credentials nor the experience to run a company! Why me?"
"Qualifications mean nothing if you don't have common sense, a love for people, and the client's best interests at heart. Plus, Sasuke has been running a company for a while as well as being your assistant for almost two years."
"But…Kakashi—"
"I'm not exactly a spring chicken, myself. Besides, I told her fifteen years ago that I didn't want to run the company, if the need ever arose."
"W-Well…I don't know what to say…"
"You can think on it for a while. I'll ask for a decision in about a week, maybe a week and a half."
"All right. Well, thank you for the offer, Tsunade-sama."
"Oh, jeez. Just call me Tsunade."
"All right, Tsunade," I murmured. My cell started vibrating. "Excuse me for a moment." I opened it and accepted the call. "Hello? Yes, this is she. Oh, is that so? I'll be there in a few minutes." I hung up and sighed. "Ryuu-kun's in the principal's office. I have to go have a conference to discuss his terrible behavior."
"I'll get the car."
"Sakura," Tsunade said softly. "I really do think you'll make a good President, and I know that you'd make a wonderful apprentice." I grew teary-eyed, and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.
"Thank you, Tsunade," I whispered into her ear. "I'll see you guys later, okay?" She smiled at me, and Ino patted my head with a grin on her face. I waddled down the hallway to the elevator, and pushed the button to go to the ground floor. Halfway down, the elevator stopped, and the lights turned off. "What the fuck?!" I screeched. I waited for about five minutes, to see if it was just a glitch. When I realized it wasn't, I pulled out my cell. I dialed Sasuke's number, and was sobbing softly.
"We're sorry. You cannot be connected to the other party, because you are not in service range. Please return to service range and try again," a cool voice said patiently.
"NO! Damn it!" I screamed. I pounded my fists against the unmoving doors. "Help me, I'm stuck in the elevator!"
After a few minutes, the elevator gave a sudden lurch that jerked me into the wall and slowly made its way downward to the lobby. I sighed with relief and sunk to the floor. When it stopped, I realized that I was going to have a hard time getting back up. 'Crap. That was stupid.'
"Hey." I looked up to see Sasuke holding out his hand and keeping his foot in the doorway so they wouldn't close.
"Sasuke!" As soon as he'd hauled me up (which he made look easy, even though I looked like I was trying to hide a watermelon down my shirt), I tackled him. "Sasuke, I was so scared! The elevator got stuck for a few minutes."
"I know; they fixed it really quickly." He stroked my hair gently. "Let's get to the school." I nodded into his shoulder, not wanting to move. We left the building with a wave to Ino, and got into his car. "Sakura…"
"Sasuke, you don't have to say it. I know."
"No, I do have to say it. I…I love you. It really scared me to think that you could have plummeted from the fifteenth floor to the bottom…I thought I might lose you…" I stared at him in disbelief. He'd admitted to feeling something? I looked out the window to see if there were any pigs that decided to fly today. "Say something, would you?"
"Oh, Sasuke…I love you too. It just sort of surprised me. I thought you were going to say something else. Something more along the lines of chastisement or something."
"Would you like me to punish you for being a bad girl?" he asked slyly.
"You are such a pervert."
"Yes, well. I thought I was going to lose you. So, I want to reaffirm your existence."
"No, you just want to get some."
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"Nope. Not a single one." He chuckled, and I smiled brightly at him.
Two Months Later, Almost Eight Months Pregnant
"Sasuke! What the hell is this? You bleached my black pants! Look at this! This stain will never come out!" I screeched.
"Sakura…"
"I'm so sorry, Sasuke! I didn't mean to be so cruel!" I burst into tears and rushed to hug him. It was slightly awkward because of my gigantic stomach. "S-Sasuke…I need to tell you something…"
"Let's go lie down. I'm sure you're feeling tired today," he murmured soothingly, putting an arm around me. I nodded, proving him right with a little yawn. He knew I didn't like to sleep alone anymore, so he held me protectively as I curled into his side.
"Sasuke…it's about the children."
"…It's twins? And you're just now telling me this?"
"I didn't want to disappoint you. I didn't know if you wanted more than two children…" We always referred to Ryuu as one of ours. "I'm sorry."
"Sakura, I'm not a doctor, but it doesn't seem like you are built for twins."
"…That's what I was trying to tell you. The doctor doesn't think that it will be an easy birth. But I want the children so much! That's why I didn't tell you. I love them already. Sasuke, please don't be angry with me! I just wanted what was best for them."
"Sakura, calm down." He nuzzled my neck. "I'm going to love having three children. I think you'll manage to pull through the birth, you always did have a stubborn streak." I frowned at him.
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"I love you, Sakura." My bad mood evaporated, and transformed into a mega-watt smile.
"I love you too!" With that, I snuggled close to him and fell asleep quickly.
Approximately Seven Years Later:
"Honey, please share with your brother. If you don't, otou-san will be disappointed." That always scared them into behaving. I guess it was an Uchiha thing; that disappointing your father was extremely bad. I never had any problems like that; I didn't care for either of my parents. Nor had they cared for me, for that matter. My parents had neglected me my whole eighteen years with them. I had stayed over at Naruto's more times than I could count, just to get away from my parents' frequent fighting.
"Here, Hiroko," my seven-year-old daughter, Amaya, said, pouting. She handed a cookie to her twin brother.
"Thank you, Amaya. Okaa-chan, are you okay?" Hiroko was extremely respectful and a total mama's boy. He was also a prodigy; he was speaking fluently and politely by age three, and I was teaching him to read by the time he turned four.
"Hm? Yes, honey. I'm fine. Just thinking."
"I'm home," Sasuke called from the door. I heard him close it and walk down the hall to the kitchen. "Were they good?" he asked, a slightly mischievous glint in his eye. I let out a fake sniffle.
"They were so mean to me, Sasuke-kun," I whined, winking at him.
"But okaa-san," Amaya interjected, looking at me pleadingly. "We weren't bad!"
"Amaya-chan is right," Hiroko said. "We were not malicious in any way."
"What does malicious mean?" Amaya asked, an irritated look adorning her face. She hated it when Hiroko used big words. Although she was extremely smart in her own way, it wasn't in the same way. She had blossomed later than he, and she excelled in numbers rather than language.
"It means cruel, or wicked, Amaya-chan," Hiroko explained. He never seemed condescending when he explained the words that he used, which was good, because Amaya had a short fuse as it was.
"Sasuke-kun, they were extremely good," I said, smiling fondly at my children. Hiroko and Amaya had returned from school an hour ago, and Ryuu would be home in about a half an hour. I always got off of work an hour before Amaya and Hiroko got home so I could make them an after-school snack.
Both of the children got along exceedingly well with Ryuu, and never questioned why he didn't look like any of us. Maybe they were just too young to actually realize it, maybe not. If either of them were aware, they hid it extremely well.
"I'm going to go change, and then when Ryuu gets home, I have a surprise for you all." I followed him to our bedroom, lacing my fingers with his.
"How was your day?" I asked quietly.
"It went well. You really are doing an excellent job with LSI, Sakura. The clients are so pleased with what you've incorporated in dealing with them."
"Okay."
"Just okay? Aren't you happy with that?"
"Sure. It's just…that's what I thought I was supposed to do. The only thing it means is that I'm doing my job."
"Sakura, be honest," he said, stopping right in front of our bedroom. "You don't see it as just a job."
"I know," I conceded. "I really love those people. I want the best for them." He smiled lazily at me.
"That's what I like best about you. You're so selfless, and not greedy at all." I grinned back at him.
"And I love that you like that best. Now, what's the surprise?"
"If I tell you, it won't be much of a surprise, now would it, children?" Sasuke said, raising his voice a little. There were two squeaks, and scampering footsteps away. I giggled and led him the rest of the way into the bedroom. He closed and locked the door behind him, and I kissed him softly. He pushed me toward the bed.
"Sasuke," I said softly. "We can't—the children."
"You want to know the surprise, wife?" I looked at him, confused.
"You'll tell me?"
"Well, as it mostly concerns you, I will tell you first. I can't believe you didn't notice first. I talked to the CEOs at LSI today, and they all agree that you've been working much too hard." He smirked against my collarbone as he kissed it.
"And?"
"And, the children are on spring break now, after Ryuu gets home. I was thinking we could go on a vacation."
"A vacation? Where to?"
"To a hot spring resort, or possibly the beach. We have seven days off, and the children five. We'll stay there for four, the fifth day spend the day here together, as a family. And then the two days that we have all to ourselves…" I giggled.
"I never knew you were such a pervert. Oh wait, yes I did. And it's what I love most about you. It's not what someone would expect of the icy Uchiha Sasuke."
"I don't know if I should feel offended or complimented." I hugged him tightly. I hummed lightly in contentment.
"Nii-chan!" came two twin squeals of delight.
"I love you, Sasuke," I purred, my eyes drooping. "I have…something to tell you also. I don't know if you'll be surprised or disappointed."
"Is it bad?"
"I don't think so." I looked up into his eyes, slightly nervous. "Sasuke…I'm pregnant." His eyes widened considerably, and I thought that he was unhappy with it. I bit my lip, right before he pulled me into a tight hug.
"You're pregnant?" he whispered. "But the doctor—"
"Obviously he was wrong. The twins didn't damage me as much as we thought." I smiled softly. "You're not discontented?"
"Why would I be? I've always wanted loads of children." I frowned at that.
"You never told me that, Sasuke."
"Icy as you may say I am, I'm not such a malicious man. Telling you that I wanted many children when you could have no more would be hurtful. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, Sakura. You should know that by now." He nuzzled my neck, and I giggled. "I love you too, Sakura," he whispered. "And I love the family that you've given me, and all of the joy."
"I love it when you're all sappy like this," I teased, kissing him.
"I bet you do," he said dryly when we broke apart. I smirked.
"Otou-san! Okaa-san! Are you done changing your clothes?" Amaya whined. I giggled softly.
"Almost, Amaya-chan. We'll be out in a second," I replied. I stood, and started peeling off my clothes. "I'm changing into my pajamas."
I pulled on a pink spaghetti strap tank top, and a thin pair of pale green sweats, a similar color to the ones I'd had and Ryuu had teased me about all those years ago, when I'd looked so disheveled. Sasuke changed into a pair of jeans and a black tank top. We left our room, holding hands and walked to the living room.
"Okaa-san, when is dinner?" Amaya whined.
"After we tell you the news, Amaya," Sasuke said. "Whining is not befitting of an Uchiha."
"I'm sorry, otou-san," she said grumpily.
"Where are your brothers?"
"In nii-chan's room. Want me to go get them?"
"Yes, please. Thank you, Amaya-chan." Minutes later, all three of the children were assembled on the couch. "Sasuke-kun, you can go first."
"Okay. Kids, okaa-san has been working very hard, you know that." Ryuu grinned. "Yes, I know you know where this is going, Ryuu. Don't spoil it, though. Amaya, Hiroko, I talked to okaa-san's bosses, and she gets to take a vacation."
"Okaa-chan will be home more?" Hiroko asked excitedly.
"Just for a week, love," I said, ruffling his hair. "Keep going, Sasuke-kun."
"I was thinking that we could go on a trip, as a family. Maybe to a beach, or a hot spr—"
"We should go to an amusement park!" Amaya cheered. Sasuke let a tiny smile creep onto his face.
"If that's all right with okaa-san," he replied.
"I see no issues with it." I wouldn't be able to ride the rides, but I could still watch my babies have fun.
"Now, okaa-san has something else to tell you."
"Amaya-chan, Hiroko-kun, Ryuu-kun…okaa-san is going to have a baby. You're going to be older brothers and sister to the baby."
"But I thought—" Ryuu started, and I shook my head fiercely. If the twins thought that they'd hurt me, they'd feel awful. I would let them continue to be in ignorance.
"I'm going to be an older brother?" Hiroko asked, with a curious look on his face.
"Yes…" I replied.
"Good. I was tired of being the youngest."
"You're only the youngest by twenty-five minutes, silly boy," I teased. "I love you all so very much. Don't ever forget that, okay?" Hiroko rushed forward to hug me tightly. I smiled at him. He had always been a mama's boy, just as Amaya had been a daddy's girl. Ryuu stood up (he was almost a foot taller than me) and patted my head.
"We couldn't be happier, okaa-chan," he said, and then bent over to kiss my forehead. I smiled brightly at him.
"I didn't like being the middle child anyway," Amaya said, her nose upturned. She did always have a way with putting up a gruff exterior. I smiled. This was my family, and I only had them thanks to Naruto.
He had, in fact, given me every single person in it. Ryuu, when he'd gotten into that wreck that took his life. Sasuke, when Naruto begged me to give him a job. I wouldn't have Amaya and Hiroko, because without Naruto, I wouldn't have met Sasuke, or fallen in love with him. We wouldn't be married with this perfect life. I wouldn't finally be complete and happy.
"Okaa-chan, can I talk to you alone for a second?" Ryuu asked softly. I nodded, and he led me to his bedroom. "I remember very clearly, my otou-chan saying something." My breath caught.
"What did your otou-chan say, Ryuu-kun?"
"He said that…he knew that Sasuke could change you, and you him. He knew that you didn't work hard enough, and that Sasuke worked too hard. He knew that you both would have an effect on each other that would even you both out. He knew you were perfect for each other."
"N-Naruto," I whispered harshly, before breaking into sobs.
"It's okay, okaa-chan. This is what he wanted. He wanted us all to be happy. And okaa-chan, we are happy." He wrapped his arms around me and stroked my hair while I cried.
"You know, Ryuu-kun…it's almost ironic."
"Hm?"
"Well, all this time I was thinking I should be grateful to Sasuke-kun. He, after all, did save me from becoming too out-of-control, and giving me what I've always wanted: affection, and a family. But, now…I know it was really your otou-chan that taught me…the art of gratitude."
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Note one: If you can tell me who Wakaouji Keiichi is from without looking it up, you amaze me. XD
Note two: It made sense to me that representatives from Uchiha Corp would be at the wedding, because it was 'them' that proposed the businesses merging. Although, in reality, we all know it was dear, old, Sasu-cakes.
Note three: I'll write a story with a pair and plot bunny of the person's choosing that first guesses which creepy guy I'm referring to. There are actually a lot of creepy people in the Naruto series, so it won't be that easy. -Shivershake-
Author's Note: So, what did you think? I'm sorry it's kind of late (my updating every day thing didn't go quite as planned, although I DID start it the day after I posted chapter three. I just finished it now, at 2:35 am (quite literally, too; I mean, not at 2:34 or 2:36; just 2:35) on Friday, July twenty-fifth, of the year two thousand and eight.
I guess this is the end, eh? It's actually a lot longer than I had originally anticipated, but I wanted to outline the rest of their lives. And I KNOW it was incredibly cheesy toward the end. Believe me, nobody hates that more than me. I just…I think that if Sasuke had spent seven plus years with Sakura (who is usually annoyingly cheerful) in an alternate universe, he wouldn't be quite so prissy. Maybe that's just me. Oh well. XD
Anyways, thanks for sticking around until the end of The Art of Gratitude. To all that reviewed, you have no idea how much they've meant to me. The numbers aren't even important to me (although, they are nice), but the kind things that you guys have said makes me squee inside.
To all that read, thanks for taking the time. I know there are a lot better of fics out there than mine, so I really appreciate it. I know a lot of people probably don't even read the author's notes in stories (I do, because I think they're an interesting perspective on why an author writes a certain way), but if you are reading this, just know that I really appreciate you guys a ton.
Loves,
Yuneh-chan.
PS, comments are nice, flames are ignored, and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.
PPS, I REALLY think that you guys are so awesome, you don't even know.
Loves and goodbyes-for-real-for-now,
Yuneh-chan.
EDIT! 1/09-ish/08 (Technically, in a half an hour it's going to be the tenth. XD)
I revamped this chapter! I re-read it tonight, and decided that it wasn't good enough to fit my standards. I totally re-wrote the elevator scene, because as The Legendary Kanin stated, it didn't really make sense. Plus, it's a little longer now! Aren't you so proud of me? :D
I hope you like it better now.