Hers (21)

He was back.

A few weeks had passed since her encounter with Naruto at his office and then his apartment. They were uneventful weeks, to the eyes of everyone around her. She was a busy mom, with three kids, and an even busier job. How she made it work, no one knew. The fact was that, as head of the hospital, she had many liberties. Her children, although young, spent their time at the academy, or training, on in missions (in Sarada's case), so she did in fact have free time on her hands most days. Time she used to spend cleaning, or cooking, or whatever else needed to be done around the house. Lately, however, she'd been using her free time for herself.

Whenever she found herself with little to do, or responsibilities that could wait, she'd visit a certain blonde man that was currently driving her crazy, in the best of ways. As the exceptional kunoichi she had once been, she was particularly skilled at sneaking into said blonde man's apartment and wait for him there, without anyone being the wiser. The minute he arrived would mark the start of what she knew would be the happiest part of her day. He never failed to make her smile, to make her blush, and make her feel beautiful.

Their time together, while often very physical, also entailed a lot of talking and joking around each other, something she felt like she hadn't done in years, after all, with so many years of marriage, flirting wasn't a thing anymore. It was so enjoyable and easy to be with him, it felt like the old days, when he'd visit her in her office and bring her snacks to talk about their days. She had missed this; the warmth he brought to her heart, the smile so easily put on her face by him, the irreplaceable need to be near him.

However wonderful this joy she was feeling was, it was short-lived. After a long shift at the hospital, wanting to arrive home early to cook something delicious for her kids before her... getaway, she noticed her house wasn't quite as empty as she was expecting. She could feel his chakra as soon as she neared her residence, and her blood ran cold. Sasuke was back. Her husband. And she had just been sleeping with another man just yesterday. Suddenly scared to step in, she debated whether she should go in the house or leave the way she came. However, she knew he would know that she was there, lingering to go in and face him. Slowly, and with shaky hands, she opened the door to their house.

"Hey," her husband greeted her familiarly, sitting at the couch in the living room, waving at her with his one hand and looking at her with a stare she couldn't quite place. Something in his eyes didn't quite match what she was expecting.

"Sasuke... you're back," was all she could say in her confused stay. She hesitated by the doorway, but he waved her towards him and motioned for her to sit next to him.

"Come here, please?" He asked, way too warmly for her comfort. Wasn't he angry at her anymore? When she sat next to him, he pulled her into a hug. He spoke softly into her hair as he pulled her close. "I'm sorry I acted like a fool. I shouldn't have left, I just... I couldn't deal with it. I'm sorry. I already apologized to Sarada and told her that I had an urgent mission and that that was the reason for my absence. I had to explicitly say 'super-secret mission,' in case she asks, I don't know what you told the kids, but I didn't want them thinking bad about you..."

She hugged him back as he spoke, relieved that he was feeling better, and enjoying his warmth. She couldn't deny she loved this man; she'd built a life with him, a family, a home. That thought brought back the memories of what she'd done, how she betrayed him, how she was with another. She pulled away.

"Sasuke, we need to talk," she confessed, tears starting to fall form her eyes. He didn't reply, he only pulled her to him again and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He didn't want to talk right now, she knew.

Looking at his face, she could almost feel her heart tearing apart. His expression was one she'd never seen on him, but she knew what it meant: he was afraid. She hugged him tighter. It broke her to no end to know he was afraid of losing her, of losing his family. What they had together was all he ever wanted, all he ever dreamed of for his clan, his future. All he wanted was a family, and he got it, and loved it. Now he was about to lose it and she could see it in his features how much it hurt. It crushed her.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear, and she only cried harder, clinging to the fabric of his shirt. "I know I don't say it often, but I do." He continues placing tender kisses on the top of her head. "And I'm really thankful for everything you've done for me, something I also rarely say, but I feel it. I just… Need you to know that."

"I know," she managed to mumble as she tried to calm herself, clinging to him. "I've always known."

He remained quiet for a moment, caressing her hair tenderly as he thought. "Have I been a bad husband?" He asked quietly, not meeting her eyes when she looked up to see his face.

He hadn't been, at all, not ever, so she told him so, "no, of course not. You're excellent as both a husband and a father, don't ever doubt that." She wanted to reassure him in that he'd done nothing wrong, she was the one making one mistake after the other for the majority of her life.

"Have I mistreated you in some way? After the war and everything, I mean," he joked with a small smile on his lips.

"You know you've done nothing wrong, Sasuke. It's me... It's... something that's always been there." She didn't know how else to explain it, it was very difficult. She wasn't so sure what she felt herself. She was certain she loved Sasuke, but what she felt for Naruto was... more.

She heard him sigh. "What's even sadder is that I've always known, and yet here I am."

And yet here I am, she repeated his words in her head. Married to her, with children, sharing a home, building his future together with someone who was in love with another. It broke her even more. "I don't know what's wrong with me, I'm so sorry," she cried again, not finding words sufficient enough to really express how deeply it cut.

They spent a while there, in each other's arms as she calmed down once more.

Suddenly, he tenderly pulled her face up to his by the chin and spoke to her softly, lips only a few inches away from hers. She could feel his breath touch her face as he spoke softly. "Have you made up your mind on what you want to do?" He met her lips with his tenderly before letting her answer. "I'm still willing."

She didn't know what to say. Had she made up her mind? She didn't know. She hadn't thought about it too much. Instead of spending these last few weeks thinking about what she really wanted, she'd spent it at another's bed, not even mourning her husband being gone. And how was she even going to confess that? She couldn't bear to break his heart any more than it already was. She decided not to say anything.

"You're my wife," he murmured, kissing her again. "I don't want that to end." Licking at her bottom lip for her to grant her access, he kissed her deeply, letting her know with actions rather than more words that he needed her. She could taste the salt of her tears on her lips. She knew it was up to her, he was giving her one more chance, saying that he was willing to look past it, to continue being with her as if nothing happened.

Her thoughts faded away when he stood, carrying her with him, to the bedroom. She froze, "Sasuke, wait- I-"

He silenced her with more kisses when he threw her unceremoniously on the bed. He trailed kisses down her throat, where her words were stuck, torn between confessing and just letting it happen. However, he made that decision for her, as he definitely noticed the unusual stiffness of her body.

Pausing, he looked up at her seriously, suddenly looking enraged. "He touched you, didn't he?" At her silence, he shouted, "You let him touch you?! You're my wife!" He scrambled off her and left the room, slamming the door so hard she heard it crack.

She ran after him, calling out his name between sobs, and hugged him tight when her body collided with his, crying her apologies into his back. She could feel the tension leaving his muscles with every minute that ticked by. Finally, when it felt like an eternity had passed, he turned to face her, but in his eyes, she didn't see what she expected, once more. The anger was gone; instead, he was broken, thoroughly destroyed. He stared at her for a few more seconds without saying anything, before meeting her mouth with his and carrying her back to the bedroom.