Hello all! This will be an ongoing thread of sssnippets that I post on my Twitter (thisthatfiction) account. Many of the users who saw these requested that I put it in one place to refer to them, so your collective request has been granted! Some of them will remain their original length while others will be expanded here. I'll try my best to upload them to FFN when I can, as sometimes I end up writing snippets for Twitter at four in the morning and am too lazy to jump through anymore hoops so late (early?) at night. Please leave reviews if you want to see more of them expanded! I'm open to potential one-shots, as these are good side-exercises while I work on my main project, Reacquaintance.

Without any further ado, please enjoy!

New Life

Sasuke hadn't left his wife's side since the child was born, hovering over the two of them in his quiet doting way. Sakura woke to let the baby eat every few hours and make sure she was snug in her white blanket before slumbering once again. Karin would enter the room sparingly, leaving the little family in peace as soon as she was done checking the child's physical state.

Their family alone once more, he studied the little one resting on Sakura's chest in rapt fascination as though he was staring at a sunrise for the first time despite not having moved for hours.

Her eyes looked like they were squeezing tight in her sleep, little slits that wiggled every now and then like she was in a mysterious dream. Her little mouth was slightly open, and each quiet breath and sigh that escaped only served to draw him in to study her more. Feathery black tufts of hair decorated her head, something Sakura admired as an adorable trait, barely framing her tiny, fluffy face.

That was what was most fascinating thing: the sheer tininess of her. Her entire length was barely that of his forearm. Her fingers, which he religiously counted ten to be sure, looked like they would struggle to wrap around one of his. Her feet, also having ten toes, were a small fraction of his hand. She was just so little.

How could something so little grasp his heart so fiercely?

Sarada released another sigh, a one-note breathy song that made his eyes trail back to her slumbering face. Her cheek was pressed into Sakura's clavicle, her visible hand curled tight into a fist by her own shoulder as she lay flush and prone against his wife. A strong fist, he thought, pleased, like her...mother.

Sakura stirred then, and Sasuke straightened himself immediately in his chair. He leaned closer as tired, grass-green eyes met lavender and midnight. A lazy smile graced her face as she silently mouthed, "Good morning."

Sasuke reached out to brush a strand of hair away from her forehead to return the greeting and watched as his wife carefully tilted her head to check on their sleeping daughter. She adjusted her hand to rest on her little back, feeling the soft rise and fall of each breath Sarada took. With her free hand, she offered it out to her husband to take. He obliged, hesitant, as he knew where she would lead his fingers.

Carefully, he allowed his hand to be guided to the back of Sarada's head and felt the cloud-like softness of her black tresses. He worried if his calloused fingers would hurt her, if his hand would be heavy for her and cause her to wake. He propped his elbow on the bed beside Sakura's arm to concentrate on curving his hand just right against his daughter's form. Sakura's own rested lightly on his, encouraging him.

"She's sleeping deeply," she assured him, noticing his caution.

He nodded once, letting himself rest his palm on her little back. The rhythm of her breaths made his eyes widen, and he hardly noticed he'd leaned in even further to examine his daughter's face.

"You're a good father already, Sasuke-kun," Sakura whispered, her tone laced with a smile.

He didn't look up to meet her gaze as he whispered back, "You're already a better mother."

He'd spoken his fears aloud a few times to his wife. He feared not being fun enough, not being knowledgeable enough, not being watchful enough, not being good enough for their child. He didn't want Sarada to be fearful of him or shun him. Less than twenty-four hours of life had sprung these fears to the forefront of his mind. He wondered if Sakura could tell.

And oh, she could tell.

"Sarada already loves her papa," Sakura cooed, watching his furrowed brow relax. "I have a theory that she likes your voice more than mine."

Sasuke scoffed quietly. "What makes you say that?"

"She moved more when you spoke. Even now, look." The pair watched as Sarada's tiny hand unclenched and clenched, then their eyes widened when an audible sigh left her small mouth. Sakura smiled. "No doubt, she loves you. And she will love you more each day."

He hummed audibly, hoping Sarada was still listening and would keep wiggling softly at the sound of his voice. A comforting warmth filled his chest as he let his hand slide off Sarada's back and wrap around his wife's fingers, hoping every ounce of his gratitude was felt through the gesture. They both clutched his heart. He knew he would protect and love them just as fiercely, with every inch of fire and adoration in his being. Years ago, he would have never thought it possible. He looked into his wife's shining emerald eyes.

"Thank you, Sakura."