Happens after Prompt 11 :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Prompt 12: Silver Lining
Ever since that night, Sasuke had tried to be more attentive of Sakura. He waited for her outside the hospital after her shift. If he was free, he even walked her to the hospital in the mornings. During their quiet times at home, he moved closer, as he knew she enjoyed leaning her head against his shoulder.
He tried to bargain for shorter missions away from Konoha and the action had Naruto grinning widely, arms crossed against his chest as he leaned back his seat. "About time, Sasuke-teme! I was almost enjoying giving you longer missions just to make you two realize that absence makes the heart grow fonder!"
Said the person who was dense to his own feelings for a certain Hyuuga heiress. Sometimes, Sasuke really wanted to hit the man he considered his best friend.
If Sasuke thought that asking Sakura to marry him was hard, making their marriage work was much harder.
It took much effort in his part. Caring for another person consciously was foreign to him, having lived reclusively in hate and anger for almost half his life. He had to rearrange his activities and even made an effort to buy a small pocket watch, making sure that he was at the hospital at the right time to fetch her.
Kakashi had started pestering him, offering his collection of Icha Icha Paradise to supplement his 'sweet' gestures. Ino had been more of a harpy, squealing in glee as she ushered him to her family's flower shop, pointing flowers that Sakura would definitely love.
It destroyed the quiet life he had been accustomed to.
Just like now, as he sat in the noisy bar with Naruto, Kakashi and Tsunade upon Sakura's insistence, he wanted nothing more but to go home. His head was pounding and he realized bitterly that the former hokage who sat next to him must have dropped something in his drink. A drunk Tsunade giving Kakashi thumbs up and mouthing 'Aphrodisiac' as Sasuke felt the swimming headache was definitely not a good sign.
Really, they didn't need to go so far. He could feel his anger simmering, and he wanted nothing but to blast the glass with his chidori. He really didn't appreciate so many people involving themselves with him and Sakura, because they could manage just fine. He flexed his hand testily.
But Sakura peered at him worriedly, her hand touching his arm lightly, "Are you OK, Sasuke-kun? You're burning up." And he felt all his anger dissipating, her hazy green eyes mesmerizing him more than he wanted to. God, she was beautiful.
"I'm fine," he bit out tersely. He could have told her that he wanted to go home, but he didn't. Because he knew she enjoyed spending time with the team and her mentor. And so Sasuke would keep quiet and stay.
"Are you sure?" she asked, unconvinced.
The quiet of their home versus the loud noises of drunkards? "Yes."
Sakura smiled brightly and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun!" It must have been the alcohol talking when she leaned forward and whispered, "I love you." And she resumed laughing at Naruto's joke.
It was easy to be a husband. It was harder to be a good husband. But as Sasuke remembered his wife looking forward every time he fetched her, grinning as he acquiesced to her requests, smiling as he moved closer to her and even giggling quietly as he took her hand in his, he knew it was all worth it—it was worth borrowing (begrudgingly accepting, he insisted) one volume of Icha Icha Paradise, worth going to the Yamanaka's flower shop every other day to buy flowers he leaves in the vase in Sakura's office, worth Naruto goading him to take A or B-ranked missions below his skill level to make sure he was home more often.
Sakura stared at him in surprise as he placed an arm around her waist, a blush evident on her cheeks, and Sasuke's lips quirked in a small smile.
It was all definitely worth it.
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