Anata
They found a small cave for them to rest and had finished unpacking their sleeping mats. It was going to be a cold night, Sasuke knew, judging by the way the crisping autumn leaves shivered on their branches. Behind him, Sakura finished gathering their firewood that would last the night and placed the first pile next to their conjoined sleeping area.
Sasuke scanned the forest surrounding them, his sharingan's tomoe spinning lazily to life and sharpening his vision. They would be safe while they slept, but his habits resolved him to taking first watch regardless.
"Ready for fire," Sakura called behind him, clapping her hands free of any residual dirt.
Sasuke took one more lingering glance at the trees before pivoting on his heel and making a small hand seal for a fire release jutsu. She caught his eye, however, with her own grass green irises staring at him almost...expectantly. Her lips were parted slightly as though a word were just about to slip from them. Instead, though, she gazed at him in silence as though frozen in time.
"What?" he asked, raising a questioning brow.
"Nothing, nothing," she assured hastily, her cheeks flaring a blush as she gestured lamely to the firewood. "Just...uh, fire away."
He snorted at the pun before taking a moment to mold his chakra. She'll say what she needs to say eventually, he figured. Sasuke inhaled through his nose, focusing on the way heat swelled in his chest, his throat, then opened his mouth for release—
"Thank you, Anata."
She called me wha—
FWOOSH!
Rather than a steady breath, Sasuke choked and coughed out fire, the word of endearment catching him completely off guard. The campfire roared, the lick of flames grazed his windpipes as he gasped for breath, and his cheeks reddened from embarrassment more than pain. Sakura gasped and covered her face with her hands in shock.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god!" she sputtered while Sasuke had to turn away towards the mouth of the cave, eyes watering as he coughed the residual burn from his system. She rushed towards him, hands emitting their warm green light in preparation to soothe his throat. "Oh, god, Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to distract—"
"You—you called me—"
"It was a mistake," she shook her head, "I shouldn't have called you that, I'm so embarrassed."
"No," he croaked. "It's—" he coughed again.
"I know pet names aren't your thing," she sniffed, her gaze focused on healing his throat. "I shouldn't have said it."
"Sakura." He took hold of one of her hands that hovered above the tender column of his neck. He sucked in an unimpeded breath, thankful she worked fast. "It's fine."
She blinked up at him, eyebrows raised in surprise. Her hand's chakra flickered out. "It's...it's fine?"
Sasuke nodded once, feeling sheepish. "We're...married, after all, so...it's fine." He lowered her hand by her side but didn't release her cold fingers. "I don't dislike it."
His new wife seemed to toss his admission around in her head for a moment before a furious blush bloomed across her cheeks. Sasuke felt a swell of pride in his chest that he could make her react that way, but he kept his exterior composed. She looked pretty like this, all flustered.
"Oh," she breathed, unconsciously intertwining their fingers. "Then...does that mean you like it?"
The effect she had on him was just as powerful. The question made heat rush to his cheeks again, and he forced himself to maintain eye contact as he nodded once. They stood like that for a moment, the whispers of trembling leaves rustling around them, before a wide smile broke out across her face.
"Okay, Anata," she beamed, turning and guiding him towards their sleeping mats. "Sit with me, Anata."
Sasuke sighed in a playfully exasperated way. He took his seat while she nestled between his legs, cradling her while she snuggled against his form. She was warm, so warm.
"I love you, Anata," she murmured into the crook of his neck.
He pressed his lips to the crown of her head and murmured, "I love you, too."