notes: typos fixed! (12/27/2018)

rating: K

disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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2. love

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Sasuke cracks open an eye stealthily when he hears soft footsteps outside the bedroom, shifting the blankets further up to cover his shivering wife. The translucent covers of the window allowed the shimmering moonlight into their master bedroom.

His sleepy wife breaths, "Is she gone, Sasuke-kun?" She rubs her weary, dull viridian eyes as she stifles an upcoming yawn. The clock strikes at 1am, a time not meant for wandering eight year-olds out of bed. Sarada is rather smart for her age; Sakura is not mad, but merely piqued by this small act. On previous nights, Sarada had taken habit to knocking thrice, knuckles lightly tapping at the wood, and slowly lets herself in after a few moments of waiting. But she didn't do that this time, today.

Sasuke buries his face deep into her hair, his arms tightening around her tummy. In a loving gesture, plants a reassuring kiss on her head before he replies back gradually, "Yes, she's gone."

She furrows her brow at the thought of her daughter being up in the middle of the night— she worryingly, briefly, casts a diminutive glance to the door with thoughts in her head. She turns to her husband who almost dozes off. "Maybe you should check on her." Sakura leans closer, "It's not like her to be up at such a time of day—night."

He groans, an uncharacteristic move, but still sits up after releasing his hold on her. She couldn't blame him, not when he hadn't had a good night's sleep in a while on the days he'd been away. Sasuke's hand rub the back of his neck. His questioning eyes peers at her; he was still having a desire to just collapse and sleep with her in his arms. Yet, he knows it's important to attend to his daughter's comfort—if she needs it of course.

It's a dying battle; he would surrender, she could tell. He sighs, pushing the warm covers away from him; the cold air immediately basks him. "I'll be back," he tells her, trying to pull his long sleeve over his hand after he issues a curt nod. Sakura smiles, her back sinking deeper into the mattress, awaiting for him with sleepiness in her wake.

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Sasuke hesitantly steps into the cold quiet room, making sure he didn't wake up his daughter. Splashing over him is the feeling of relief, and Sasuke allows a small smile to his pale face. He is a father now, something he thought he could never be. He is showered with love, something he thought he wouldn't get. He finally found love, something he thought he didn't need.

All that love gave him something too: a beautiful daughter. Sasuke vows to treasure her for as long as he can live. She's Uchiha Sarada. Daughter to Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Sakura. She is the Uchiha heiress. A proud future awaits her, and he can't wait to see it unravel—he'd seen the way her eyes glisten and her hands would ball up excitedly whenever she reports back her endeavors for the day, and all her talk of training and practicing could eat up hours of the day. She certainly has enthusiasm; he can fondly see Sakura whenever Sarada talks to him.

Sasuke's hand reaches forward to brush away loose strands of her hair to prevent prickling into her beautiful onyx eyes—practically clones of his eyes with a hint of cheery Sakura in them—for when she wakes up. He bends down to give her an affectionate pat on her head, being careful to not make her stir out of her slumber. Her blankets had slid down to her waist, and Sasuke made sure to place it back up to her chin—he also places an extra blanket to help preserve the warmness she felt because she certainly didn't need to experience the coldness he'd felt when he slept in this room, in this very house back when his days were so so much more happier.

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"Sakura."

Sakura adjusts herself so she faces him, blowing away her messy bed hair she had obtained from the short amount of sleep she had gotten when he'd been with Sarada. "Yes, Sasuke-kun?"

Her husband lurches forward to gaze into her lovely eyes with an emotion Sakura could not describe with words. Sasuke murmurs, "I'm... grateful for our family."

She embraces him as best as she could with one arm because her other one seemingly fell asleep, whispering, "Me too, Sasuke-kun." She could tell what he meant, as usual. I love our family so much. I love you. I love us.