AN: This is my longest chapter yet because there was so much that I wanted to include. Thank you for all of the positive comments you gave for the last chapter! They really made me smile and I appreciate that you loved reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Some of you said it was your favorite so far, but I hope this one surpasses it. Enjoy!
I do not own Naruto.
Chapter Eighteen
Sasuke sat next to Sakura's hospital bedside, eyeing the monitor that beeped and recorded every beat of her heart. The steady sound of the machine was comforting because it meant that Sakura was here next to him. She was alive. But she had also been unconscious for several weeks since he'd used the Rinnegan to transport them back to the Leaf village. This had left Sasuke with nothing but his thoughts, which tended to be less than forgiving.
Sighing, Sasuke's eyes slid to Sakura who was resting on the bed. A mask with tubes covered her face that Sasuke was told was meant to help her breathe. With a feather-light touch, he slid his fingers across her forehead to brush the hair away from Sakura's face. As he did so, he caught a flash of himself with the Chidori, walking towards Sakura with the intent to kill.
He flinched back and gritted his teeth as he shifted away from Sakura. Sasuke remembered every painful moment of being trapped in a poison-induced stupor. He remembered the way he had loathed, hated, Sakura. He remembered the darkness that so easily rose back to the surface and became directed to the one person who never deserved any of it. He remembered the way he so easily convinced himself that Sakura was responsible for his hatred and that he needed to punish her for it. Sasuke had planned to kill Sakura. He could have killed her if she hadn't been strong enough to stop him. The Uchiha winced as he tormented himself with every minute detail of how he'd nearly taken her life once again.
Sasuke's eyes slid back to Sakura's broken form sitting in a hospital bed. I don't deserve to be here, he thought. I put her here. What the hell gives me the right?
Even as Sasuke thought this, he stayed glued to her side. Whether it was his own selfishness or something more, Sasuke knew that he couldn't leave. Sakura had once asked him in the darkness of her room for him to stay and Sasuke had promised himself that he would remain by her side for as long as she wanted him there.
The door to Sakura's hospital room opened and the telltale sound of heels clicking against the floor signaled Tsunade's arrival. She made a noise of distaste from the back of her throat that Sasuke knew was due to his presence.
"You're still here," she said, the displeasure in her voice like venom.
Despite Naruto and Sakura's insistence on Sasuke's pardon, Tsunade had yet to forgive him. It wasn't as if Sasuke could blame her. After all, he had once planned to kill all the Kage and every person in the Leaf village. Now, here was her most precious student lying on a hospital bed. Because of him.
"Ah," Sasuke mumbled.
Tsunade moved around him and made her way to Sakura's side to check her vitals. Sasuke glanced at the woman, noting her furrowed brow and tight lips. She had tried many tactics to get Sasuke to leave this room, everything short of bodily harm and having him removed by guards, though he knew that wasn't off the table. She had yelled, threatened, blamed, and insulted while only backing off slightly when Kakashi and Naruto had come to his defense during one particularly ugly assault on his character. But Sasuke had never defended himself. He stayed silent and remained next to Sakura's bedside. Regardless of what the former Hokage thought of him, Sasuke wouldn't leave. He wouldn't leave unless Sakura woke and ordered him to do so.
Now, it seemed, Tsunade had chosen the silent, cold approach. Sasuke had momentarily thought that he might have won some slight approval from the harsh woman over the weeks when every tactic hadn't scared him away from this hospital room. But that didn't matter to Sasuke. Her thoughts on his character were the least of his worries.
She was expertly ignoring his gaze but he asked anyway, "Is she going to be okay?"
Tsunade sighed, clearly annoyed as she checked Sakura's bandages. "You keep asking me that and the answer is always the same. Of course, she's going to be okay. You have this to thank for that," she said, tapping the seal on Sakura's forehead.
Sasuke ignored the hostility and asked, "How long until she wakes?"
Tsunade shrugged and looked up at him now. "Could be a few more weeks. Maybe a month. Her body was heavily broken. It'll take time to repair and recuperate from all that damage."
Sasuke tried to hide his wince but from the way Tsunade was now carefully studying him, he knew that she had caught it. He ignored whatever look she was giving him and let Tsunade continue the rest of her work in silence. Her full attention needed to be on Sakura, anyway.
After checking the monitors and tubes connected to the unconscious kunoichi, Tsunade made her way to leave the room.
"She saved me," Sasuke blurted.
Tsunade glanced back at him with a look of surprise. Sasuke was surprised too, unsure of what made him bring this up. He hadn't planned on saying it.
"I know," she said slowly. "Kakashi told me what happened after your report. You're lucky." Tsunade looked at Sakura, concern plain on her features. "You both could have died." Tsunade chuckled darkly now and gave him a sharp look. "When I saw the state you brought her body back in, I could have killed you. I almost did."
Sasuke ignored that comment and mumbled again, "She saved me." Sasuke shook his head as he kept his eyes on the pink-haired woman. "Sakura thinks that she's the one who always has to be saved. But she's been saving me all this time."
Sasuke looked up Tsunade who watched him with unforgiving brown eyes. "Beats me on why that is, but it doesn't matter," Tsunade said. She turned on her heel and slid the door open. "The only question now is whether or not you can see it too."
And with that, the door closed and she was gone.
Sasuke stood at the edge of a dark forest staring straight ahead. Sakura took a few tentative steps toward him and, despite standing directly in front of his field of vision, Sasuke's gaze seemed to look right through her. With dead, unblinking eyes, Sasuke stood motionless as she neared him.
"Sasuke-kun?"
He didn't answer her.
"S-Sasuke-kun? It's me. Sakura."
Slowly, Sasuke's eyes focused on her. Gone was the emotionless gaze but what was replaced there were eyes full of hatred and loathing.
"W-what's wrong?" Sakura asked, feeling herself become more panicked. She lifted her hand towards him and, as she did so, a shadowed hand appeared out of the darkness to grab Sasuke by the shoulder.
"No!" she screamed, grabbing onto the empty sleeve of Sasuke's shirt. But more hands appeared out of the dark forest to pull Sasuke into the void and away from her. "Don't leave me! Come back!" Sasuke's sleeve disappeared from her hand and all that was left in front of Sakura was emptiness. He had slipped back into the darkness with no trace left behind.
Tears welled in Sakura's eyes. "Come back!" Sakura jolted forward towards the dark forest but stopped when strong arms pulled her back.
"Come back, Sakura."
Sakura's green eyes widened and she turned around to find Sasuke behind her. A familiar Sasuke whose eyes were filled with kindness and..
He tapped her forehead with two fingers. "Come back to me, Sakura."
Sakura opened her eyes and blinked at the harsh overhead lighting.
"Come back..." a voice sleepily mumbled next to her.
She shifted her head to follow the sound and found herself looking at the man who had pulled her back to the waking world. He sat on the floor with his head resting on the hospital bed, raven locks shielding his face.
"S-Sasuke-kun?" Sakura croaked out, her voice straining from lack of use.
Sasuke lifted his head from the bed and looked at her in disbelief. "Sakura-ka?" His eyes studied every inch of her face, the clear look of concern written on his features.
He was worried about me, Sakura thought, not quite understanding his reaction.
Sakura's eyes shifted away, taking in the surroundings and recognizing it as the Leaf hospital. "How did we get here?"
"I transported us here."
"Right..." Sakura's pink eyebrows knitted together as her brain worked to piece together the events that had transpired before she lost consciousness.
There was a fight with Kei on the mountain, Sakura thought. And an explosion, and...
Sakura's stomach twisted as a painful realization washed over her. "What... W-what happened to those kids on the mountain?"
Sasuke closed his eyes and sighed. "They didn't make it."
Sakura's green eyes widened in horror as she sucked in a sharp breath. "Oh god..." Overwhelming nausea overcame her as Sakura laid back and stared up at the ceiling. It was a mixture of sadness and sickness that controlled her emotions now. Too engulfed in grief to be able to handle it anymore, Sakura laid her arm across her eyes to shield her face.
She was so damned tired of feeling helpless and weak all of the time. Why, after everything she tried, why was she never good enough? In front of her were seven defenseless and innocent children ripped apart from their families and now they were gone forever.
Sakura had failed her mission.
Her throat closed up and burned painfully as she fought back the onslaught of tears that were now seeping from beneath her arm and splattering the pillow.
"It's not your fault, Sakura," Sasuke mumbled next to her.
"Please, Sasuke," Sakura whispered. "Just don't."
How could it not be my fault? Sakura thought as the faces of those children etched themselves into her mind's eye. Children whose families had struggled with poverty and would now be stuck with everlasting despair. If we had gotten to Kei sooner... If I had done something different...
"Tsunade took the antidote you created and made copies to distribute to the rest of the children who were afflicted," the Uchiha said. "They've all been transported to your mental health clinics to be taken care of."
Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat as she listened to Sasuke's words. He continued, saying, "Kei is gone, Sakura. You stopped him. You saved the rest of those children. You saved... me."
The pinkette slowly removed her arm to look into the pained eyes of the man next to her. They were eyes that told her that he wanted to take her pain away, if only he knew how. They were eyes that harbored the despair of a man who blamed himself for the situation just as much as she did, if not more.
Sasuke-kun...
Sakura reached over and took his hand in hers. As she intertwined their fingers, she felt a tug in her heart at the way he didn't flinch or pull away from her affectionate gesture. Instead, Sasuke's fingers naturally curled around hers and he squeezed her palm.
Sakura smiled a soft, sad smile and whispered, "Thanks, Sasuke-kun."
After two weeks upon waking, Sakura was finally allowed to check out of the hospital and return to her apartment. Sasuke refused to leave her side and chose to stay at her place, rather than go back to his lonely apartment. He wasn't sure that he could bear to part from her now anyway, for his razor-sharp eyes caught every small wince or stumble she made that had him reevaluating whether Sakura truly should have been released.
"I'm fine," Sakura had said, rolling her eyes. "It's good for me to walk around. My body won't recuperate and get strong if I don't."
Now, he laid next to the pinkette on her bed, resting underneath the covers with her while he listened to the rhythmic sound of her soft breaths. The moon shone brightly through the window to illuminate her features for him and he took note of every shadow on her face.
Sasuke couldn't help but let his mind wander again as it had been for many excruciating weeks on end. As he thought back to Sakura's confession that had momentarily broken him out of the poisoned state from Kei, one particular memory kept popping up for him.
"The truth is... I've always known in my heart, there was nothing I could have done for you. But I love you! No matter what's happened, I still care about you more than I can bear... If I could have taken all your pain onto myself to comfort you, I would have..."
As Sakura continued to speak, her words caused Sasuke to pause and shake him to his very core. At the time, he couldn't bring himself to let go of his hatred. Not even for her. Sasuke was so blinded by it that he did all that he could think to do at that moment. He placed Sakura under genjutsu, knowing it would be the only way to stop her. That damned annoying woman would have thrown herself been him and Naruto, even if it meant dying in the process. She almost had so many years ago during their battle on the hospital rooftop when Kakashi stopped them both from accidentally hurting Sakura.
"Sakura... never stopped wanting to save you. Never," Kakashi said.
"Was she having fun in her little make-believe fantasy of true love?" Sasuke sneered. "As for me, I have absolutely no reason to love her and likewise, I can see no reason why she would love me..."
Sasuke winced and shut his eyes.
"Stop it," Sakura murmured groggily.
Sasuke looked at her and noticed Sakura's eyes now open, hooded and observing him sleepily.
"Stop what?" he asked.
"Whatever you're thinking." She narrowed her eyes at him and sighed before they fluttered closed once again. "Go to sleep."
Sasuke's lip twitched upwards in amusement at the sound of her chastising him. With hesitant fingers, Sasuke reached out and traced her cheek in thought. His fingers trailed from her cheek to her jaw, and he heard her breath catch. Sakura's eyes fluttered open, still heavy-lidded, as the pad of his thumb lightly ran over her bottom lip.
"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura whispered and he watched each movement of her lips. Sasuke never knew the sound of his name could sound so comforting. "What are you doing?"
Sasuke swallowed. There was a question at the forefront of his mind that he'd never before dared to speak. His mismatched eyes flickered up to meet her green ones as he quietly asked, "Why do you love me?"
Sakura blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting this question. Her face quickly heated and she looked away in embarrassment. "Why are you asking me this, all of a sudden?"
The Uchiha looked at her closely and a place in his heart that needed to know ached. It was the same part in him that wondered why Naruto had never ceased in trying to bring him back to the Leaf Village. Sasuke couldn't wrap his mind around what it was that Sakura saw. Why, after all of the pain and heartbreak he'd put her through, why had she never stopped loving him? She had every reason not to love him and yet...
Tsunade's words sounded in Sasuke's mind. "That's because she sees something inside of you that she believes is worth saving."
Sasuke sighed and shook his head as he removed his fingers from her face. "I..." he struggled to find the words. "I don't know what it is that you and Naruto see. I don't know why you chose to love me."
Always you.
Always you.
Always you.
Why couldn't he understand that? For Sakura there had never been anyone, would never be anyone else. This wasn't some silly schoolgirl crush anymore. For a long time, Sakura harbored so much love for Sasuke that she could hardly stand it. It was a love that made her sick with longing and at times made it difficult to breathe. There were instances in the past where she had desperately tried wishing that love away. Knowing that if she could love someone, anyone else, maybe things would be easier.
But Sakura had accepted long ago that Sasuke would be difficult to love. That she may never have her love returned and, even if she did, their relationship would never look like anyone else's. But Sakura didn't care about that anymore. She knew now what she had always known deep inside. What her heart would never let her forget.
It's always been you.
"I didn't choose to love you, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said, taking him by surprise. "If you think it's choice, then wouldn't I have given up all those years ago when you first left? Or every time after that? I don't know if I can explain it you, Sasuke-kun..." She smiled her sweet smile and pressed a hand lovingly against his chest. "It's because Naruto and I see you for who you really are. We understand that pain led you down a dark path but that it doesn't define you. We know that goodness lies in your heart and that those decisions were made out of the pain of loss and love. It's happened to so many shinobi before..."
Sasuke watched her closely, her green eyes shimmering at him as she continued, saying, "And... I love every piece of you. The good and the bad. I always have and that's something that won't change. It can't."
Sasuke's heart nearly broke hearing that. That this kind and selfless woman could freely pour her heart full of love to him was a gift that he was more grateful for than words could express. Despite Sakura believing she couldn't fully explain her love to him, Sasuke finally thought he understood. Because he also knew exactly why he loved Sakura, even if he couldn't explain it to her in return. He had known why the first moment he found himself falling for her, even if he had refused to admit it to himself. Regardless of how indifferent he had appeared, her love made him feel so seen and wanted. Her endless love despite all of the many mistakes and the pain he had inflicted upon her. She reminded Sasuke of everything he had lost, which was why he felt that he had to break his bonds with her all of those years ago. Her love was familial love.
Sakura was his family.
And here she was, pouring her heart out to him yet again while he struggled reciprocate. If only he could show her... An idea popped into Sasuke's mind.
"Sakura, do you trust me?"
She breathed out a laugh. "You know that I do."
Sasuke inched his face closer to hers until he could feel her unsteady breaths against his cheek. He reached out his lone arm to cup her face with his hand. "Don't move," he mumbled.
With their faces mere inches apart, Sasuke closed his eyes and, when he opened them again, Sakura's eyes widened in return. The red of his Sharingan reflected in her emerald irises and Sasuke tried something that he had never thought to do before, despite the many times he had used his visual powers to cast genjutsu and see the memories of others.
He showed Sakura his memories of her.
During their genin days, Team 7 had spent so much time together that it was impossible for them to become anything less than a family. Sasuke and Sakura bickered with Naruto like siblings and Kakashi watched over them as a pseudo father figure. But for Sasuke, Sakura had become something far more precious...
Sasuke was throwing his body in front of Sakura's on their first real mission as she defended the bridge builder, Tazuna. Despite how badly Sasuke desired to stay alive to avenge his family, Sasuke rushed to put his life in danger to protect his pink-haired teammate. That was one of the first instances where Sasuke had put his life on the line until...
Sakura's cries brought Sasuke back to the surface of the living as his body pulled him away from unconsciousness.
Sakura... he thought. I... I...
"Sakura, you're heavy."
Sasuke blinked up at her in a daze as he saw the tears she shed for him and the pain written all over her face. He looked up at her in quiet wonder, puzzling over why someone cared enough to cry over him. To care that he was alive.
"Sasuke-kun?" The girl whimpered. "Sasuke-kun!"
Sakura threw her body over his, holding him close as her tears transformed from pain to relief.
"Sakura, that hurts," he said, but didn't dare push her away...
Sasuke watched Sakura as they waited for Kakashi in the Leaf Village, noting silently to himself at how strange she was acting. A thought pooled in his gut as he remembered his sharp words to her, saying that she was worse than Naruto...
"Sakura, how about you? You should've noticed first," Sasuke asked her on their first day of the Chunin exams. "Your analyzation skills and illusionary technique know-how is the best on our squad." Sasuke hid his smile as a look of determination returned to Sakura's eye.
"Of course, I noticed. Because this is the second floor."
In the Forest of Death, while facing their most frightening opponent yet, Sasuke had seen his own death to Orochimaru who had disguised himself as a Grass ninja.
"S-Sakura..."
Sasuke looked over to see Sakura shaking and paralyzed with fear.
Move! Move! Move! Sasuke screamed to himself, knowing he had to do something to keep them both safe. He wouldn't leave her to die here, even if it meant putting himself in harm's way. Move! Sasuke stabbed himself in the leg and activated his Sharingan. Looking to Sakura, he leaped towards her and scooped her up in his arms to carry her to safety...
Sasuke was screaming in agony after receiving the curse mark from Orochimaru. As he cried out, he clutched Sakura's hand in his, seeking her comfort. Her fingers intertwined with his were the only thing tethering Sasuke to reality and keeping him from falling off the edge. He felt safe with her and collapsed freely into her arms as she held him against her chest while he faded into unconsciousness...
"Sakura, who did that to you?"
Sasuke had awoken and felt nothing but power and hatred. It consumed his very being and he felt the uncontrollable urge to kill whoever had harmed Sakura. He saw her chopped-off pink hair, swollen eyes, and the wounds scattered all over her body. He could have killed all of those Sound ninja. He would have if...
"Stop!"
Sakura grabbed Sasuke from behind and held him closely. "Please..." she cried. "Stop."
Sasuke looked back at her, seeing her frightful green eyes. With all of the raging emotions inside of him, it was her pleading gaze that pulled him back and tamed the hate inside of him...
As Sasuke fought his opponent in the preliminary round, his curse mark threatened to overtake his body. He could feel himself losing his grip of control but it was Sakura's voice who saved him.
"Please..." Sakura's voice rang in his ears. "Please, stop."
The curse mark subsided and Sasuke used the last bit of his energy to win his fight...
"Naruto, you better rescue Sakura no matter what. And once you rescue her, take her and run," Sasuke said as they faced off against a disfigured Gara. When Sasuke had become overpowered by the curse mark once again, it was Sakura who had stood in the line of fire of Gara's attack to save him. Now, she was passed out and pinned against a tree by Gara's sand.
"I have already lost everything once. I never want to see an important friend die in front of me again."
Later when the sand began to recede around Sakura and her body plummeted to the ground, Sasuke sprang through the air to catch her. He placed her down gently on a tree branch next to Pakun and observed her face with soft eyes, thinking of how easily she placed her life on the line to save him. "Take care of Sakura."
"Sasuke-kun, thank you," Sakura said as the two stood off to the side together, watching Naruto and Kakashi. "For that time you saved me from the grip of the sand."
"The one who saved you was Naruto... To save you, that guy risked death," Sasuke admitted. "Up until now, you haven't really seen him, so you haven't seen his strength either."
As Sasuke trained alone, he bitterly thought back to the smile Sakura gave as she watched Naruto, upon hearing he had saved her. It was the kind of smile that she typically reserved for Sasuke and it only managed to fuel the jealousy he felt inside at how quickly his blonde-haired teammate was surpassing him.
Sasuke woke in the hospital after suffering from Itachi's visual torture, woken up by Tsunade's medical ninjutsu. As he sat up, Sakura's embrace was the first thing he registered. Still emotionally numb, he looked at her silently as she held him close and gave him the love and care he'd been missing for so long. She wept for his pain and he failed to remember the last time someone had cared for him the way that she did.
And...
Sasuke was leaving the Leaf village and in the dark of the night, he approached the bench where Sakura stood waiting for him. He should have known that, out of everyone, she'd be the one who would know his heart's intentions. It was the route to leave through the gates and Sakura had known that she would find him there. Sasuke couldn't afford to falter, so he pushed her away instead and acted coldly towards her. But Sakura was nothing if not persistent.
"I'm different from you guys," Sasuke told her. "I'm walking a road that's incompatible with the rest of you. The four of us worked together and it's true that there was a time when I thought that was my road. The four of us have worked together, but in the end, I decided on revenge. That's been my reason for living. I can't become like you and Naruto."
"Are you going to isolate yourself again, Sasuke-kun?!" Sakura yelled him. "You taught me that solitude is a very tough thing that time, Sasuke-kun! Now I know exactly how that feels. I have both family and friends... But if you were no longer here, Sasuke-kun... For me... For me it would be the same as solitude."
Sasuke stared at the ground while Sakura cried and a picture of Team 7 flashed in his mind. He didn't want to admit that despite him trying to numb his heart, Sakura's words truly affected him.
"From here, we're going to start walking our new path individually," he said and continued to leave the village.
"I... I love you so very, very much, Sasuke-kun!"
Sasuke's eyes widened hearing those words. He paused on his path as she continued to speak.
"If you would only be with me, Sasuke-kun, I won't let you regret it, no matter what! I'll make it fun every day and you will definitely find happiness! I'll do anything for you, Sasuke-kun! So... I'm begging you, please stay here! I'll even help you with your revenge!"
Sakura... No, he couldn't let her do that. He wouldn't let her walk this path.
"I'll make it happen somehow, I promise you..." she continued. "So stay here, with me! If that doesn't work for you... Then take me with you."
Sasuke closed his eyes tightly, hearing her pain. He couldn't drag her into this. He wouldn't. Instead, Sasuke wiped the emotion from his face and turned to her with a smug expression. "You really are... annoying."
"Don't go! If you go, I'll scream and..."
Sasuke flash stepped to appear behind her.
"Sakura..." he said and hoped she believed his next two words. "Thank you." He tried to convey every meaning in those words. All of the gratitude he felt for having her love and care for him all this time. But Sasuke couldn't stay.
He knocked her out and caught Sakura in his arms as her body crumbled towards the ground. After scooping her up and carrying her towards the bench, Sasuke paused, his footsteps halting as he looked down at her tear-streaked face. A sharp pang hit his heart. Out of everyone, he had never wanted to hurt Sakura.
The full moon shone brightly overhead, its soft light illuminating a tragic scene. Sasuke hugged the girl close to his chest and hung his head over her as he gritted his teeth. "Sakura..." He placed his forehead against hers and squeezed his eyes shut tightly to hold in the pain. "I'm sorry for everything."
Unable to stay any longer lest he be tempted to remain in the village, Sasuke gently placed Sakura onto the bench. "Please," he mumbled, "forget about me."
Sasuke turned on his heel and left the village, unable to look back at the girl he never wanted to leave behind.
Always you.
Always you.
Always you.
Sasuke wanted to scream these words at her and he struggled. He struggled with the part of him that instead screamed danger. That warned him not to get too close, that bonds were something that were made to be broken, that he didn't deserve this, that he never did. But Sakura saw something inside of him that was worth loving so he decided to see it too. He wanted Sakura and he loved her more than his heart could ever express.
Sasuke tapped two fingers against her forehead and found the courage to open his mouth.
"It's always been you. I love you, Sakura."
Sakura's eyes widened through the tears falling fast down her cheeks. It seemed as if the wheels were turning in her head, remembering all the times he tapped her forehead in the past as she realized the significance behind the seemingly small gesture.
"A-All this time you...you..." Sakura stuttered, her eyes watery but so full of happiness and love. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun." She clasped her hands against her heart as if she was keeping it from bursting out of her chest. "Thank you."
Sasuke cupped her cheek and used the pad of his thumb to wipe her tears away. Shifting his hand to rake his fingers through her soft pink locks, Sasuke pulled her close to him. Her eyes were glazed, now so full of longing and it was a sensation that he easily matched when their lips brushed for the first time. His stomach flipped and his mind buzzed on strange new energy as he instinctively deepened the kiss. Her lips were foreign but so inviting, both unbelievably soft and slightly salty from her tears. Sasuke felt alive and whole and wide awake. Sakura hummed in pleasure and pressed her body more firmly against his as her small hands clasped the fabric of his shirt. Sasuke had wondered more than once what it would feel like to kiss Sakura, but any imagining he had never quite matched pleasure like this.
A life with Sakura...
A life like that surely meant many more pleasures to come.
When their lips finally parted, breaths so heavy from one intimate action, Sakura gave him a smile that he naturally returned. Catching him by surprise, Sakura giddily wrapped him in a tight hug that knocked the breath out of him. He was startled at the sudden movement of her strong arms after such a gentle embrace.
"Sorry," she mumbled bashfully into the crook of his neck.
He huffed out a laugh as she moved to snuggle her face into his chest.
"I love you, Sasuke-kun," she whispered to him. "I love you so much."
Sasuke sighed and rested his chin on top of Sakura's head as he snaked his arm around her waist to pull her into him. "I know..." he said, burying his nose into her hair to breathe her in. "Thank you for everything."
AN: Out of every chapter I've written so far, this one and the snow scene of chapter one have been in my head since the beginning. I'm so happy that I could finally share it with you! I haven't always known where I was going with this story and there are many things that I figured out along the way. But specific segments of this chapter have played out like a movie in my head for years before I ever started this fic. I've had snippets of this in the Notes app on my phone months before I ever wrote the first sentence of chapter one. I really hope you liked it! I know exactly how I'd like to end this story but I'm not ready for it to be over quite yet. I think I want "Always You" to consist of at least 25-30 chapters. I'm going to have to do some brainstorming for the next several chapters to decide how I plan to continue. If it takes me a bit, I hope you'll be patient and know I plan to continue this story until the very end!