notes: still fighting the writer's block for this story, but i hope this is decent food for you all T-T also sarada seems more ooc whenever i write her? rip
rating: K
disclaimer: i don't own naruto.
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44. presence
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Sarada has come to realize that Sakura will probably never answer her if she asks her Mama why she loves Papa.
"Ah," Sakura always had said, sometimes like how Papa does it but nicer and softer and much more pleasant to the ears. "It's a long story," she had also said. Sakura would look away and something akin to affection stirs in her eyes after, like a formula. Thinking about Papa often led her to look like this, Sarada knows. Mama plus Papa equals love—everyone is familiar with this formulaic saying. "I can't seem to sum it up in one single story!" Sakura would then laugh and go back to her duties at the hospital or at home, wherever she is needed next.
Sarada would remain there, often in a quiet long pause and muses to herself.
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"I got what you needed," Sasuke says in his naturally-low voice, handing Sakura a plastic bag that Sarada knows is not groceries but other supplies for Mama's hospital stuff. "I couldn't find the exact bandages you wanted, so I picked an alternative."
Sakura smiles and browses through the bag with cheery eyes. "That's fine, as long as they work."
"They do," Sarada sees Papa tell Mama near the closed entrance door of their apartment.
Sasuke begins to unbutton his cloak and hangs it at the rack nearby. If she squints, she can see the corners of Papa's lips a millimeter or two upward. Yes, a millimeter or two. It pays to have a good attention span, she inwardly applauds herself, because it can help her discern things. For both missions and personal things alike. For Papa and Mama.
Sweetly, Sakura says to him, "Well, thank you for stepping out for me today, Sasuke-kun." Sarada is also home because today is a day off, and has seen the mess Mama had to clean up in the bedroom of old mission scrolls and withering stacks of documents. She thinks Mama should take a break, honestly. Sakura beams with pink at her cheeks.
Papa sounds stiff and looks away briefly. "Ah," he simply says and nods before he goes to the kitchen for a cup of tea Sarada had brewed.
She doesn't say anything and just sips her own cup of tea, glancing at Mama's chipperness and Papa's awkwardness, and wonders how dorky they look right now.
Adults, Sarada rolls her eyes.
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It's not to say that Sarada hadn't tried to ask Papa the same question she had asked Mama. Because she really did try. "Why do you love Mama?"
Sasuke always lacked much on his face normally, but this time, he is once again blank and loses the caustic and cold edge in his eyes and he actually looks awkward this time. Her Papa, awkward. Uchiha Sasuke. Awkward. Wow, just wow. Sarada is in awe. Pure, utter awe.
"We'll discuss this another time," he finally speaks up after what Sarada thought to be about ten long seconds. He tries to sound stern, but she knows he loves Mama too much to let himself be unfazed for so long. Maybe he would've had better luck had they gone back in time or something since Mama sometimes told her Papa was way too different when they were kids, way before Sarada was born.
"But I'm curious and it's not like you have anything better to do than think," says Sarada on top of the boulder in the training grounds, snacking on her riceball that Sakura made with love. They had been working a sweat and he was training her again—it was going good, but it is now break time and Sarada plans to rest. Rest and talk with Papa than stare at him looking at nothing and brooding. Psh, Papa's strange like that.
"It's not that simple," Sasuke offers her indulgently, reluctantly, lamely.
Sarada rolls her eyes and takes another bite. Of course it's not that simple. That's what Mama has been telling her for years. Geez. "Okay," responds Sarada casually. "Maybe I'll just prod Mama some more until I get the details. Maybe something about your first date or when you two met or—"
"Eat," stresses Sasuke, closing his eyes.
Angelically, she smiles and takes a hearty bite and tells him, "Alright."
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"Our first date was only two minutes," Sakura finally discloses to her with fond laughter spilling from her lips. Sasuke is not home, so Sarada takes advantage of this. "We went to the cliffside. Sat on the bench there."
Sarada washes the spinach at the sink. "How romantic."
"The most romantic thing ever," grins Sakura, goofily. "He told me he had to do something and teleported away! I was very sad, of course, but then I thought, Oh, Sasuke-kun isn't really a let's-enjoy-our-date sort of person anyway. It's fine." Checking on the rice, Mama continues saying affectionately, "He left me a note the next morning, so I let it slide."
She doesn't want to snort in front of Mama at the memory, but she does inside her mind. Papa, really? "How about when you two met?" she asks.
"Oh…" Sakura murmurs, slightly dimmed. For a moment, Sarada thinks that maybe she had asked the wrong thing. "Well… He didn't like me at all back then!" Dismissively, Sakura smiles. "But it's fine. I think of how far he and I got and I think that's all that really matters. I'm… I'm happy now. With you and Papa. Our family." Sakura fishes around for the plates in the cupboard above her. "Now let's set out the plates before Papa gets back."
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Okay, so Sarada may never find out how Mama and Papa met, but at least she knows they are content together. She sees Sakura smile broadly, so broadly and brightly that it sort of hurts the eyes if someone looked at her.
Sakura lovingly places a bowl of rice in front Papa when he sits down. "I'm making your favorite tomorrow! I bought some ingredients today," she tells him as she sits in the chair next to him.
Sarada is across from them and quietly watches as she shoves rice into her mouth with her chopsticks.
"Ah," Sasuke says like usual, chattery as ever. "You don't have to." He looks softer when he gives her a look. Sarada is tempted to smile because she is the peanut gallery tonight.
"I want to," insists Sakura with something in her eyes that reminds Sarada of cozy warm blankets and pillows during a wintery night.
Sasuke sighs and smiles back. Sarada thinks it's sickenly sweet, the atmosphere right now. "I'll come back tomorrow," he says and Mama nods.
They all ate in silence by then, though Sarada inwardly laughed. Her parents are such dorks. And that's okay—because it feels like they are family again, because Sasuke comes home more nowadays. And that's also fine.
