The Gate
"Sasuke, what are you doing?"
The man in question looked over his shoulder as he shifted clothing around to fit in the bottom drawer of her (their) dresser to better fit his freshly washed (and new) clothing. "Moving my things in." Sasuke replied obviously. He shoved the drawer closed and brushed his somewhat wet locks out of his eyes with his only hand.
The "her" in question, Sakura, blinked at his response. "But… I thought you were moving into the spare bedroom, not my room." She pointed to the door across the hall from hers' behind her form.
"Why would I do that?" He questioned, confused. Sasuke stood, meeting her eyes. "I thought engaged couples were supposed to sleep in the same room?"
Sasuke watched her eyes quickly shift from confusion to shock within seconds, color draining from her cheeks. "En...g-g-g-aged?" Sakura looked as if she was about to pass out for a moment. He flitted to her side immediately, catching her around the waist and carefully leaned her on her (their) bed. Sasuke gave her a few moments to rest her head on his shoulder as he brushed fingers through her hair in comfort and as an apology. Sasuke gave her time to calm and process his explanation. Once she did, they would talk.
It had been a good hour and he was growing concerned as he poured her a cup of tea and went back to her (their) room. Sakura was exactly as he had left her 15 minutes ago. He curled her hands around the warm cup of tea to bring her back to him. Sasuke took her murmur of thanks that came from her lips as a good sign that she was going to be okay. He waited patiently at her feet as Sakura took small sips from her cup. After a few more minutes, she finally spoke.
"Sasuke?" Her voice was small and concerned. "When did we… when did you propose…?"
He rested his chin on her knees, thinking back to that time. "At the gate, before I left for my redemption trip." Simple and direct was his response. He didn't dare look up to meet her eyes, for fear of embarrassment or rejection. And he even did it in front of Kakashi of all people.
There was a pregnant pause, seconds turning into minutes as he patiently waited for her to speak again. The longer she took to speak, the more nervous he became. Had he assumed wrong? Did she not want to marry him? Had he made her wait so long that she got tired of it and moved on? Did she miss the meaning behind his small gesture?
Surely she knew. The Fourth Great Ninja War taught him that they could communicate in levels that were beyond words, so that shouldn't be the case. He loved her. He always had loved her. Sasuke knew that now. But, did she?
Did all of those lunch dates they took together before he left not mean anything? The one time he tried to kiss her (and it went horribly wrong)? All the time he spent with her and her family as they picked up the shambles of their broken home and business. The time he made to speak to Kizashi about Sasuke's wish to marry his only child before Sasuke left on his trip. The scrutiny he endured from Mebuki as he explained that he had no intentions of hurting her daughter ever again. Was it all in vain?
While he struggled with processing his thoughts, soft hands cupped his cheek and tilted his head upwards. Amused green eyes met his own mismatched ones as she smiled gently. He glanced away in embarrassment for a moment, before meeting her gaze again.
"I love you."
The way she said it, though, was different, almost teasing. Pure laughter rang in the room for a few seconds as he gave her a blank stare. It was astounding how these three words could just wipe away all of the fear and doubt in his mind. Sasuke stared at her in wonder, a small smile on his lips. "I love you too." There, he finally said it.
The gasp from her lips caused his smile to spread into a soft, affectionate gaze. Sasuke nuzzled her hand against his cheek, closing his eyes.
"Okay."
He raised a brow, indicating for her to explain.
"I think I'm calm enough to talk about this."
"Ah."
"I mean, I've waited for… so long."
Aaaaaand here comes the panic. If it wasn't such an important subject, he would have rolled his eyes at her babbling. Instead, he leaned against her hands and let her get the words out.
"You left me on a damned bench, Sasuke. Do you know how aggravating that is?" Her fingers curled into his hair, tightening only for a second. "I was lost and alone after you left. I begged you- begged you to stay. To let me give you happiness and fun and….. and Love."
"You threw that aside for revenge and that hurt me. So much." Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. "It hurt us. I could kick your ass for that, if I wanted to." He didn't need her to elaborate on who 'us' was. "I worked so hard. I had to— to drown out the emptiness and pain. To suppress the loneliness with these people who needed me." He smiled at her faintly, brushing her straying tears away with his one hand. He was so damned proud of the woman she became. The kunoichi she became. The healer she is. Everything that he was not.
And, strangely, that seemed to balance them.
"I'm sorry." He murmured, drawing her into his arms. Her small fingers gripped his freshly washed shirt. He let her speak of his past, his sins and insurrections. Sasuke took it all in. He deserved to be reminded of all the reasons she should say no.
"I watched them take you away from us." He wasn't sure if she meant the first time they crossed paths again, or…. "We came home to a destroyed village and they just arrested you. It was like they didn't care that you had already done everything to redeem yourself. And you went with them… without complaint." She took a deep breath, anger lacing into her words. He remembered walking through the gates of his home and immediately being arrested for his crimes. Not that he blamed them. It helped that Kakashi had given him a warning. A chance to get away. But he couldn't do it. Not to them. Not to her. "I thought they would kill you. And then I would never see you again."
"Sakura." It was too much, her grip tightened on his shoulder.
"To look at you and tell you…"
"Sakura."
"I love you. You should know what that was like, I…" She took an achingly deep breath. "thought I would never see you again, when you left again on your redemption trip. I thought you didn't give yourself a reason to return. I didn't know where we stood. What I meant to—"
Her words were cut off with his lips pressed against hers…. and it felt so right. Sasuke couldn't wait for her words any longer. He wanted, no— he needed her. In his head, his heart, his home. He would not take no for an answer.
She whimpered, finally submitted to him after a few moments of shock. Tongues brushed against each other, fighting and loving all the same. She whimpered again and he released her, their breaths brushing against their wet lips.
"Sa-ku-ra." He said her name so achingly slow, brushing small pecks against her lips. "I'm sorry."
She kissed him again. "Forehead pokes" and again. "Do not" and again. "Constitute" and again. "As a proposal" and again. "You jerk" and again. "I should" and again. "Hit you for" and again. "That too" and again.
"I'm sorry." He replied again, between his own kisses. He had to stall her to ask the next question. "What can I do to make it up to you?"
Sakura laughed breathlessly. "Ask me, in your own words. Your own way. Something that is entirely you." She pressed her forehead against his. "None of that flowery shit that Naruto did to Hinata, you hear me?"
"Ah." He nodded.
"That's all I need. Nothing else." She whispered, lips ghosting against his. "Just you, Sasuke."
He tilted away from her, meeting Sakura's brilliant and bright eyes evenly. Sasuke brushed a kiss on her palm, remembering words from a time when they were but mere children. "I can't stand it." He started off, and he instantly regretted how his words came across. Sasuke swallowed and took a deep breath, watching tears forming in her eyes again as he tried to speak. His voice cracked as he tried to find the words to convey what he truly felt. "I love you so much. I promise that I will never make you regret it, being with me." Words, Sasuke— he thought. Use your words. "I want to be one who brings you happiness, as you have done me. I'll try to keep things fun, but I can't always guarantee that it will be perfect. I know I'm not— nor will I ever be. But I'll do anything for you."
He gave himself a moment to breath, voice shaking. He never realized how difficult it was to convey his feelings into words— his heart was pumping in his ears. "And if you can't find it in your heart to say yes, then I will do everything I can to earn your love again. Until you can find it in you to be with me. To build a home and a family with me." He brushed lips over her knuckles— these beautiful hands that could break and heal. "Marry me. Please—"
"Yes."
Blinking, he met her smiling eyes with his own confused gaze. "Yes, what…?"
"Yes, I'll marry you." Her smile could light up the night sky, if it had the chance to.
His heart overfilled with joy, hearing these words. So much so that he couldn't resist having a taste of her lips once again. Sasuke put everything on the line in that kiss. The pain, the joy, everything.
"Thank you."