notes: typos fixed! (5/25/19)
rating: K
disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
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6. glory
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Sakura's mirthful eyes light up even more while she listens to Sarada gloat about getting another perfect score on a test. She laughs and rewards her with a huge warm hug and whispers, "Congratulations, honey!" Pride flourishes in Sakura's chest; Sarada's behavior now is akin to Sakura's own back when she still attended the Academy and her smarts ended up safely securing her in the list of top students of her class. Of course, Sasuke was always number one, but she had never minded being second or third because of that—she knew Sasuke deserves that spot; never would she feel inferior for it. He had a purpose for scoring such grades. She all but found it as a reason to boast. Her eyes of stunning green crinkling in silent glee, she knows fully well that Sasuke will be happy too once he comes home. He'd promised he'd be back today for a change. Sakura, with hope brimming in her heart almost achingly, planned to stay home and see to his return. Luckily Sarada brought back some news for a brief moment of entertainment, a new accomplishment for Sakura to exhibit her motherly love for. "You should wait until Papa comes back, and then you can tell him too!"
Feeling a bit drenched in her ego, which admittedly is a trait inherited from Sasuke, Sarada mopes when Sakura tells her to wait. "But Mama!" She hugs her test paper closer to her chest. "We could go and Skype with Papa right now!" Knowing Sasuke, he'd bring that phone of his everywhere, even if he does seem to prefer the old fashioned way of communicating (that hawk of his is probably not even at Naruto's office right now, so to speak). Hardly even exchanging words with him, she wanted to talk to him! She wanted to see what he'd react with to her test grade. Surely, it's just trivial in his eyes, menial—but, she feels that he'd be proud of her either way. That's what parents do, right? Be proud of their children's accomplishments? They smile at them, praise them? During some days, Sarada could feel the twinge of jealously blooming in her heart whenever she'd see parents flocking to their children with a prideful grin and give out a pat or hug. Sure Sakura does that a lot for her, but... She'd like to see some signs of support from her Papa too. She would love it.
Sakura gives up when she meets Sarada's glossy, expectant eyes and sighs, not feeling upset in the slightest bit. She too wishes to see him anyways. He could be in the middle of a mission right now; he could be in danger and here they were, thinking of distracting him with a call! She'd like to think Sasuke wouldn't mind, if he were truly not busy right now, but a small piece of her conscious seems to doubt this whole situation. Although... The more Sarada looked hopelessly desperate, the more Sakura's will seem to wither away. With Sarada's face in her mind, Sakura rushes to get her laptop as her daughter sits on the living room couch, anxiously swinging her stocking-clad legs back and forth.
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"Hi Papa!" Sarada jubilantly waves as she settles herself on Sakura's lap, the latter also not hesitating to greet him with a wave and smile too. Sakura tenderly looks at the screen, relieved, to notice the lack of action going on, confirming that her husband is indeed in the middle of doing nothing. They hadn't caught him in a bad time, for which she's happy for—it wouldn't do anyone any good if he was forced to discard the call and let Sarada's feelings get crushed (even the Uchiha has their weak moments, she notes, amused).
Happiness makes Sasuke wave back to the screen of his iPhone, glad to see his wife and daughter greeting him with love. He notes Sarada's pink cheeks and assumes she has good news for him as he questions, "So how's my little salad doing?" Terms of endearment weren't really his style, but really, only Naruto—that idiot—would judge him on that, and Naruto is nowhere to be found. Practically anyone is safe except him, and knowing Sakura, she's giggling at this nickname in her head. He isn't blind to the stifling of her smile behind Sarada.
Amused giggles fled Sakura's lips as she tries—and fails—to cover them up when Sarada yells indignantly at the nickname he sometimes calls her, "Papa! How many times have I told you not to call me that!?"
"Sorry dear," he chuckles heartily, not really sorry at all. He'd hardly the family man type, but he supposes that she brings it out of him whenever she wanted, which is quite a talent. "Back to the topic, Sarada."
Her eyes glimmer with childish excitement. "Papa, look!"
Sasuke gazes at the bright red letter 'A' that sat on top of Sarada's name and he nods in his usual manner, but Sakura can see the pride swelling in his eyes. "That's great."
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"Papa, when are you coming home?" Sarada inquires for what Sasuke and Sakura believes to be the fourth time all in one Skype call. Her tone contains impatience, but she tries and struggles to be the opposite. She knows he's busy, truly she does, but apart of her just wanted to be selfish for once. Prodigy or not, she's a child, so let her whine for a change!
With the patience of a saint, Sakura hugs her from behind like how a little child would hug their teddy bear and consoles gently, "Papa will be home by tomorrow, okay, Sarada?" Her fingers gently rake through her child's hair, soft strokes and all.
"Sarada, promise me you'll behave," Sasuke begins shortly after her, "Just like what your mother said, I'll be back by tomorrow, but since nightfall is arriving, I have to go." You should be in bed. It doesn't escape his lips, because she's right in front of him, calling him around the stroke of 11:30pm. He'd let it slide, just this once.
Sarada opens her mouth, then closes it for a bit, the words just shy of jumping off her tongue. "Fine... I expect you to hold your word to it!" Behind her, Sakura smiles, endearingly, lovingly.
"Good girl." Sasuke nods approvingly. He'd only been in a village nearby Konoha; it was by sheer coincidence, but it did give him less of a trip to make back. Naruto did reassure him that sometimes, it was fine to take breaks. Sasuke hears those words a lot, but he still needs to cope with it somehow, for his family.
Sarada raises a hand to wave goodbye, but quickly remembers something. "Oh—Papa, one more thing! Don't go yet!"
Upon hearing her sudden statement, a startled Sasuke takes his finger off the 'End Call' button, and keenly pays attention to her. An eyebrow arched, and he motions for her to continue.
"I love you, Papa!" Sarada grins, adjusting her glasses. Sakura's eyes meets Sasuke's surprised ones, and her eyes spoke 'I love you as well' to him.
When he looks at Sarada's innocent face, he hides a smile behind his cloak's collar, ending the call at last. He didn't have to say it back—it wasn't him to do that, and she knows it. Sakura knows it. They can tell what he felt about it. He trusted them to.
