unedited, not proofread (11/5/2020)

Deep down, he'd always known.

Their lives were spent in complexities the average shinobi couldn't even imagine going through, an insurmountable amount of blood, sweat, and tears to prove their suffering and minds shaped by the horrors and trauma that the universe and, perhaps fate, laid upon them. Years were spent in uncertainty, but somehow they had made it past all of that. Past the crimson stained war, past the darkness of hatred, past all of the lies and manipulations that had set them on differing paths only to find themselves here.

Her hair had grown a little longer, he observed, since they had started their travels. It was just past her shoulders now. Sasuke found himself missing its shorter length, the way he'd be able to see a glimpse of the skin of the curve of her neck, the way his eyes would linger at a specific spot where he knew would garner a reaction from her. But she didn't notice his introspection.

Instead, her eyes were fixed on the firewood she had collected for them for the night, all ready and piled up as she rose from the ground, proud of her work. That's when her eyes reached his. He didn't shy away. His gaze lingered and a light dusting of pink appeared on her cheeks and on her nose, bashful at his blatant staring.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her eyes look to focus on anything but his. "Is there something on my face?"

He said nothing as he closed the distance between them, only a few inches between their bodies remained. His hand went up and caressed her cheek, tucking a stray strand back to the back of her ear.

Their journey had barely reached the four month mark, but there was a palpable shift in their relationship. One could argue that shift had happened after the war, but to them, it was very new. It was the first time in a long time they got to spend time alone together, without the worry or fear of some inner or otherworldly menace to fight off. And in that short space of time where a series of firsts came and went, they could not deny the connection between them.

Sasuke knew there was some kind of connection, a bond that he had so desperately tried to sever time and time again. Back when they were genin when he only had one goal in mind, where she was the only one who knew where he would be that fateful night. It was as if the universe called her to appear right before him to test his resolve. It was as if the universe knew that deep inside him, there was a part that knew he would regret it. But that voice was ignored. However, he couldn't ignore the way the moon's light reflected down onto them, the way her tears streamed down her cheeks, the way he could feel his heart pound out of his chest, the desperate call for him to say, the words she uttered that moved him more than she'd realize.

But he had made up his mind. So he left her that cold night with nothing but two words, the only two words he could utter after hearing such words. It was genuine. He really did thank her. He thanked her for the bond that they had built together in their time as a team. He thanked her for reminding him warmth did exist. He thanked her for showing him real, genuine love. But he couldn't reciprocate it then.

It was different now.

Now that he was freed from the shackles of what he was dealt with as a child and his mind was cleared, he could finally look back and see all that he's done. Everything he had taken and everything that was taken from him. Everything he was given, and everything he gave away. And there were a few constants. She was one bright pink light that always found its way back to the forefront of his mind every time he would think about the past.

But he was in the present now, and the more he spent time with her, the more he understood why she was always there in his thoughts.

He leaned in closer, their lips barely touching as she stood on her toes to meet him halfway. Her hands wound around his neck as his hand rested on the curve of her waist, breathing her in, inhaling her sweet scent, and relishing in the way her lips felt on his.

Their trip felt like it had only begun, but their intimacy would have them thinking differently. Within just a month, the two shared their first kiss, the moon their only witness, bringing the wind as if releasing a content sigh after witnessing years of heartbreak to finally arrive at that moment. Then, another month passed, and their bodies met, nothing between them but skin on skin. A moment embedded in his mind, forever to leave a mark on him just as the woman in front of him had.

It didn't feel rushed. It wasn't a destination. It was part of the beginning of a new stage in their life where their actions caught up to their emotions, changing what could have been to what is.

She broke the kiss, looking bashful. "Sasuke-kun." Her voice was airy, breathless. "The fire."

Reminded of the firewood she had gathered still laid on the ground, unlit, he turned for a moment, his sole hand weaving signs before he took a deep breath and let the fire escape his mouth. He looked at the flames he'd created for a beat and felt a smaller hand in his.

Sakura looked up at him with a dazzling smile. "Thanks, Sasuke-kun."

He loved the sound of his name escaping her lips. It was why he'd call out to her first whenever they would meet again. To remember what it would sound like coming from her.

The sun was coming down to rest somewhere beneath the horizon. The chill in the air was afoot, making her small form shiver a little. Of course, her travel attire could also be part of the blame. With her stomach exposed and her legs on display, it was easy to maneuver and fight in but ill fit for the cold. He knew there were men out there who were taken with her. He understood why. She was a beautiful woman, a rare kind of beauty. But that was not all she was. She was hard working, determined, kind, hot tempered, vulnerable and strong, stubborn, always thinking of others. And for her, it was always him. Despite everything, it would always be him, and he was grateful. Still, there was the ever present guilt nagging at him from the deep recesses of his mind. Did he deserve her?

He noticed her brows furrow in worry. And just like that, she knew what was going on in his mind. With a single glance, she knew. "Sasuke-kun, I told you." Her hand reaches up to his face.

She did tell him, but it's hard not to regret things he did to her that she didn't deserve. He leaned onto her warmth, communicating what he wants through his eyes. That was all it took with them. A look, and they'd know. Words weren't necessary.

Standing on her toes, she kissed him, her hand still on his cheek, while the other rested on his upper back. The fire crackled as he moved them back until her back was on the nearby tree. She let out a small gasp before he captured her mouth again, her lips opening, inviting him in. He was overcome with the need to be closer to her, and she shivered as his fingers tangled in her pale pink tresses. Her body pressed against his as she tilted her head, granting him more access to explore her mouth, invade her senses, taste her and everything she's willing to give him.

"Sakura," his voice was low as he said her name in between kisses and hearing him call out to her made her mewl in response. She felt something hard on her middle as she pulled their bodies even closer. His hand lifts from her waist to trace his fingers lightly over her exposed collarbones.

Growing impatient, she took his hand and moved it downward until it rested on her left breast. Lightly cupping it, he could feel her rub her thighs together, eager and waiting. Kissing her, his hand left her breast only to slide down to her lower back and finally cupping her backside, the contours firm beneath his touch.

Sakura felt her heart pound excitedly. She wanted him, and he wanted her. Soft sighs fell from her lips as his lips were no longer on hers, instead it was tracing hotly up the cord of her neck toward her ear. He wanted to savor her.

"I want to feel you, Sasuke-kun." Her breathy voice only made the tent in his pants harden even more as her hand glides down his chest and rubs on the strain beneath his trousers.

"Not yet."

She made a noise that only made him smirk. With his cloak left by the fire, she moved her hands to the hem of his shirt, lifting it up to no competition, Sasuke raising his arm to allow its removal. Then, her fingers traced his upper body, lightly touching faded scars that could not be healed, and her lips fell into a frown. Every single one of those scars told a story, and she knew just how painful his life had been. She lowered herself to these scars, tracing kisses atop them, hoping to create a new, less painful story. He called out her name, and her eyes darted up to see him. She went lower, never straying from his gaze, not even when she fiddled with his pants, pulling them down until he was fully bare in front of her.

On her knees now, her hand stroked him slowly, from base to tip and down again. His pained groan was a shot of exhilaration down her spine as she continued, her pace speeding up. Her free hand moving up his torso then lightly scratching down. Her tongue licked the tip, her eyes looking up to see the pained expression on his face. His one hand tugging at the hem of her shirt. She moves away briefly, helping him remove it, so now she was only in her bra and shorts.

Facing his cock, she licked her lips before she took him in, tip only, then removed her mouth to lick up from the base back to the tip then engulfed him into her mouth. She could hear a low moan from him as she cupped his balls all the while taking him in, agonizingly slow, until his cock was deep in her mouth, sucking him close to the hilt.

His hand grabbed the back of her head, eyes struggling to stay open as she continued sucking, his cock turning to steel, his arousal clear. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up, making her whimper in the process. She looked at him with a sly grin before he took her mouth, tasting himself but intoxicated in her, the way she tasted him, the way her body inched closer, grabbing him tight as she let him conquer her mouth. Her free hand was pulling her shorts down, and she wiggled out of them until both it and her underwear were on the ground. She kicked them to the side as he pulled her closer, his fingers squeezing into her bare ass. She moaned into his mouth at the sudden gesture.

His cock was between their bodies, upright and wanting release. She wound one arm around his neck and the other found his length and began stroking up and down. She relished in the low groans he made, her excitement growing for what's coming. Sasuke could tell just how much. His hand moved to her uncovered folds, her thighs parting, welcoming him.

"I want to feel you," Sakura panted.

"Not yet."

A lone finger entered her folds, making her body stiffen at the sudden movement, but she quickly relaxed as his fingers went in and out, her hips moving to match him. A second finger encountered her smooth folds, and she gasped, his pace quickening as his thumb found her clit, rubbing as he continued his assault. He bit down lightly on her shoulder as she writhed around his fingers, her teeth biting her upper lip, wanting more. He pressed his swollen hardness onto her stomach at the same time his fingers curled inside her.

"Sasuke-kun!" She panted, her brows furrowed in pleasure, her lips apart allowing him to give her one long kiss. "I love your hands on me, but..." She squeezed him, giving her the guttural groan he wanted.

Her heart thrummed in her chest. He was beautiful; his scent, his voice, his words, his body, the way he knew exactly how to please her. It was as if they'd done this for longer than they had. He knew how to please her. She was helpless to stop the delicious tightening that was growing within her. She clenched around his fingers, eliciting another groan. She was unraveling, shuddering and quaking, but he was relentless, drawing every delicious twitch from her until her breathing evened out slightly. She could tell he was wound as tight as a drum as her breathing calmed.

His fingers exited her folds and, with shaky legs, she gave him a light push, wanting him to lower to the ground until he was seated. Her legs were on opposite sides of him as she lowered herself, sitting on his lap and stroking him some more, making him wait. He moved forward, his tongue exploring her mouth as if he wasn't already accustomed to it. They kissed hungrily, devouring and sucking. Sasuke pressed himself to her and she took in a sharp breath.

"I need to feel you inside me." She was high off of him, wanted every part of him.

Raising herself slightly, she positioned herself above his length, her hand guiding him inside of her as she breathed out a long and breathy sigh.

"You're beautiful," he said as he watched her, his jaw clenching at her clenched walls encircling him. He let out a breath as he pushed into her, his arm winding itself around her waist as she slowly rose up and went down. The sound of their skin meeting was the only thing filling the space along with their laboured breaths. His hips rose, pounding into her as she continued.

She was drenched in desire, her slick heat absolute heaven to him. He watched as their bodies met, and as erotic as it was, he wanted more contact. He moved closer to cover her pebbled nipple with his mouth, suckling it and grazing it with his teeth as he continued thrusting up. Sakura gasped, the sensation connecting straight to her clit.

Her head was between his neck and his shoulder, crying out as he made his mark on her. He worshipped her flesh as her hips rocked against his, taking him in as deeply as she could. She was tightening around him, and his own climax was building.

Their mouths crashed together again, delving deeply into each other as their bodies moved in unison. Sakura's heart was full, too full. She shut her eyes against the keening sounds of their arousal coming to a climax, concentrating on what she needed to do to pull him over the edge.

Sasuke's guttural moan tumbled her over the edge, his mouth still feasting on hers, swallowing up the soft sounds she made as she climaxed with him following closely. His arm tightened around her, rocked her against his body, even as everything he had burst inside her, tensing and stilling as she quivered and jerked in his arm.

They stared at each other, onyx and emerald, as their chests rose and fell to their breaths. He lowered his back onto the ground, her falling onto him as she rested her head on his chest and listened to the thrumming of his heart begin to soothe back into normalcy.

He could hear her giggle, breaking the silence. Sasuke looked down to see her biting the corner of her lip in an attempt to quell it. His quizzical brow only made her giggle some more.

"Are we ever going to make it to an inn or somewhere not so… public?"

He shrugged. "It's never bothered you before."

"Well, because we're in the middle of nowhere, but who knows what'll happen if some unsuspecting person gets a glimpse?"

"We'll know when someone's nearby," he replied, then smirked. "Unless you want someone to see-"

She gave him a light smack on the shoulder. "No! You're for my eyes only."

"Likewise."

The moon was overhead now, the stars of the night sky a welcoming sight as the two stared at it from below, with nothing but the background of each other's heartbeats, steady, calm, right where they belonged.

Training today proved illuminating for their young daughter, but it was clear she was worn out. As soon as they got home, she retired to her room planning on taking a bath before dinner was served.

His wife watched Sarada's retreating figure, a proud smile gracing her lips. "We did good, didn't we, darling?" Her head turned to him, her smile still as dazzling as ever.

His lips rose in an expression similar to hers as he walked to her side, her head leaning onto his shoulder as his hand found her waist.

After everything they had gone through, it was all so they could share this moment. As partners. As husband and wife. As mother and father. It was always going to be her for him. It was always going to be them. It was always going to be Sasuke and Sakura Uchiha. Despite all the uncertainty, they were inevitable.

Notes:

Happy canonversary, fellow SS stans! It's been, what, 7 years since canonization? How time flies!

Anyway, this is part of the Eternal-verse. I'm gonna start posting oneshots and vignettes of SS in their past lives/ canon-verse when I feel like it to hopefully get me back in the mood to write a new chapter of the main fic.

Hope you liked it!