Chapter 4: Better Than Me
If there was anything he knew about Sakura it was that she could do so much better than him. He knew he did not deserve her kindness. The shelter she was providing was too kind. The love. The child.
He could hear her hum in the living room as she sewed material together for his new shirt, already finishing one quickly. He was trying it on as requested. Glancing into her three way mirror, he could see she'd even taken time to embroider the Uchiha symbol on the back.
No, he definitely did not deserve her.
"It looks good on you," she smiled softly. He hadn't heard her come up behind him. He didn't say anything, just moved around to see how well it fit.
"Thank you," He said softly, just barely able to hear across the room.
"It's no problem," she said, helping him pull it off. She didn't tell him she'd already had material waiting for his measurements.
She gave him a small kiss on the cheek before taking the shirt to fold it with the others. She'd kept herself busy with that the past couple of days.
She hadn't always been this sweet to him. In fact, he recalled how she had treated him with the same disregard he had her for all their life.
The world slowly came into focus around him. A blurred room with a white ceiling loomed above him. His memory clouded with drowsiness and what he assumed was a slight concussion.
Hearing came next. Quiet, muffled sounds came in through the wooden door on his left. He couldn't tell what they were.
His mouth tasted as if it were full of cotton and he picked up the glass of water on the table next to him and drained it. The water was cool as it rolled across his tongue and down his sore throat, leaving a soothing icy feeling behind.
To his right he could see a photo. One he remembered all to well. The Team 7 photo was set gently on the nightstand. He pulled himself sorely up, trying to figure out where he was. He had been captured. That much he knew for sure. Somewhere between being attacked by Juugo and seeing a bright light, then black.
He had to get out of here, but that was made impossible by the searing pain from his limbs and soreness that he hadn't felt in years.
He looked down at the sheets he was wrapped in. Pink with little red flowers. Sakura... It had to be. Unless Naruto was more of a dobe than he thought.
He also found that he had been stripped to his silky black boxers. His only other clothing was bandages that'd been wrapped around his body. Some were blood stained.
"Well, you're finally up," the voice came from the doorway. He was quick to glance over and find her leaning against it. She was still in her work scrubs. She'd been with Tsunade all day. "You should lay back down."
Her eyes were dull and held hurt behind them. He had half-expected her to run over and hug him until she re-cracked his ribs. But, she didn't. She just stood in the doorway, staring about her small bedroom.
"You'll be free to go in a couple of days," she said. "You should really catch up on your sleep, Mr. Uchiha. I'm sure you have more important things to do than sit around healing. I'll be back with your dinner later."
Mr. Uchiha…since when was he a Mister…
She nodded goodbye and left him there. Who was this woman that took over the body of his Sakura?
I guess I deserve as much… He put his face in his hands, rubbing his temples, trying to recall all that happened and why Sakura was acting that way.
Despite the pain he pulled himself out of the bed, escaping into the halls to find her at the desk in the living room. She was staring intently down at a book, an angry look set on her face.
"You should be in bed," she said quietly, her voice taking on a monotone that was unusual to it. It wasn't the light and airy tone he remembered.
"Sakura…"
"You're not healed, get in bed. I'll check on you later."
He turned back towards the bedroom in defeat. He was in no position to argue with her.
They'd kept that routine up. Barely speaking. Her being cold and distant. She was not like she used to be. She was not his Sakura anymore.
She was never your Sakura in the first place. You made sure of that.
A demonic part rose in him, smashing down his feelings again.
And that's the way it'll stay. You'll get healed and then gone. That's the plan.
But still, she had been the only thing tempting him to come back these many years. He had missed her the most. She had always believed in him. He had crushed that. He had crushed her.
I'm sorry…
At night he could hear her cry and then her telling herself to stop, "Stop it, Sakura. Do you want to be weak? Do you want to be pathetic? Do you want to be annoying? You're worthless. You're weak if you keep crying. They don't like weak ones. They're annoying and worthless. He said you were annoying and worthless. Two separate paths. Remember, Sakura. His path holds nothing for you. He doesn't want you."
After a moment of silence only broken by her quiet hiccups did he hear her walk softly to her make-shift bed in the living room, curling up on a thin mat and under a thin blanket.
After that, the hurt was on her face. Written out. Showing him that he should feel guilty and that she wasn't going to change back anytime soon.
When she brought him his food and sat in the chair he could finally see how tired she actually was. He could see her shoulders sag and her eyes were dark with sleep deprivation. Her hair was thrown up in a messy, short ponytail. Her face was pale. She honestly looked more sick than he did. Being a medic nin meant she used up most of her chakra too. This extra she used on him was not helping her. It wasn't uncommon for her to nod off in the chair next to him. He would see this and always throw his top blanket over her.
One day he had even ventured to ask her why she was doing this. She smiled sadly and said simply, "So you can go back. I'm sure you'd much rather be with them than stuck here with me."
You couldn't be more wrong…
This was such a change from then. She was always smiling. He supposed it was better than the hurt expression in her eyes all the time. Love. That's what he called it. A look he hadn't seen that for a long time.
Some may argue that Karin gave him those looks all the time (Karin especially) though whoever said that were wrong. He thought her rather stalkerish and obsessive. That wasn't love. That would never be love.
"In here, some one is at the door," Sakura whispered, pulling Sasuke into a room he'd never seen before and shutting the door softly before calling "I'm coming! Hold on!"
He turned to look at the room she'd stuck him in. The walls were a mint green. Scanning the walls he found the Uchiha clan symbol on one. It was faded, giving it a vintage look, but still nice. On the opposite wall he found the circle that was printed on almost all of Sakura's clothes. The Haruno Clan.
His eyes rolled down the Uchiha symbol and to the crib that rest beneath it. Green sheets to match the rest of the room and a small baby blanket with an Uchiha symbol on it.
He slumped down into the rocking chair, listening intently to the conversation going on outside.
"I'm sorry, I can't work right now. But I can recommend a good medic for you."
"You don't understand! He needs attention now!" He knew this voice.
"What's wrong with him?"
"He just fell over! You need to come look at him! He's not far!" Karin…
"Well, um…"
"Please! He might die!"
"I can't do much, I'm sorry. Take him to the hospital. He'll be in better care there. I can't spare much chakra."
"Listen, sweetie! You're coming with me or I'll run this Kunai right through you."
"Okay, okay! I'll come! I'll come!"
He had to stop this, no matter the risk. He stood bolting from the room, appearing in front of Sakura outside in a flash, arms out, sword in hand. A glare came to his eye as he activated his Sharingan.
"My, my, Sasuke. Don't you look nice," Karin purred. "I was wondering when you'd come back."
"Beat it, Karin," Sasuke snapped.
"Aw…Sasuke, are you still mad about that little incident in the woods," Karin asked, eyes becoming big and puppy like. She thought that she could melt him. She was wrong. "To tell the truth I wasn't really apart of it. It was all Juugo. I love you to much to hurt you like that."
He heard Sakura snort behind him. A small smirk played on his lips. Karin's eyes narrowed in front of him. "I see you're already following Lord Orochimaru's orders. Good work. Be careful with the poor thing. She's so fragile."
"What orders?" Sasuke asked.
"You'll have to go to Lord Orochimaru and find out for yourself," Karin said, smirk playing out on his face. "But I'm sure you'll comply with whatever he says. I mean that was your plan all along. Do anything for him. Even insure him another heir to his cause."
"What?" Sakura whispered, hand on her stomach as she watched Sasuke's back tense. He wouldn't...
"Don't listen to her," Sasuke said over his shoulder.
"How sweet, you didn't want to worry her by telling her," Karin said. "I can see why you picked her. She'll be easy to dispose of after. Shall we get a move on then?"
"We're not going anywhere with you," Sasuke said. "You'd best just get out of here and never let me see you again. You can tell Suigestu and Juugo to do the same."
"Why do you like her so much, Sasuke-kun?" Karin asked. "She's nothing special."
"She's more than you'll ever be," Sasuke replied. He didn't see the look of anger in Sakura's eyes and how determined she looked when she moved past him.
"Listen up, Sweetie," Sakura snapped, jabbing a finger into Karin's shoulder. Her voice was not really loud, but still was clear with anger."I want you away from my house! My town! Damnit I want you out of my village! Sasukue doesn't care about you, because frankly you're to stalkerish and obsessive to realize what he really needs. Do you even know what happened to him before Orochimaru came along? Do you even care? Wake up and smell the coffee because he doesn't love you! He never loved you! Now get out of here before I have to hurt you myself!"
"Oh, and what are you going to do about it?" Big Mistake. Sakura balled her hand into a fist and let her chakra flow there, enveloping her hand in the blue energy. The one blow she delivered sent Karin through four trees and crashing to the forest floor.
Sakura's chest heaved and she felt a little weak in the knees, but she was too angry to care anymore. She had worked too hard to be called weak again. And the thought of Sasukue using her like that made her blood boil.
"Sakura..." she heard his mesmerized voice from behind her.
"You!" she exclaimed, whirling to face him. Her legs almost gave out from the effort. "Is it true? Because if it is you can just take your little red headed whore and leave! I don't care where it is, just as long as it is far away from me and my baby. And if it is true and I ever see you near my child I will kill you!"
Tears of anger rolled down her pale face and dropped to the ground in thick, heavy blobs. She searched his face for an answer, any answer. Her fists were balled up into tight fists that made her knuckles go white. She was ready to hit something else.
"Tell me!" she ground out through clenched teeth.
His onyx eyes found her mint ones with a truthful stare. "No, it's not true."
She searched his face, finally looking into his eyes for any sign of a lie. Nothing was found there. She took two shaky steps forward, before she collapsed. Sasuke had to lunge to catch her before she hit the ground.
"To much exertion," she smiled weakly looking back at the trees Karin had gone through that were now toppled over. "Forget how much chakra that took."
He had to crack a smile through his worried expression. He kissed her forehead before lifting her up off the ground.
She snuggled into his shoulder, closing her eyes and taking in his warmth. He held her close to him senses heightening trying to find any danger around them. The only thing he caught were figures moving quickly this way from the direction of the Hokage's office. They must've got the message.
They're only 5 minutes too late.
He carried her in the house, shutting the door with his foot and dropping his sword by the door. It thudded gently against the tatami mats and fell to the side out of view behind some plants.
He sat on the couch leaving her resting on his lap. He pulled one of her dark green blankets over them, then night leaving them chilled. Warmth was slowly flowing through the three of them. The corners of his usually straight lips turned a bit as he slid his hand down to rest on Sakura's stomach as he contemplated the new change he had discovered in the beautiful woman with him.
She had definitely changed. She wasn't the loud, obnoxious, know-it-all, annoying fangirl she'd been before. She also wasn't the broken girl he'd left behind eight short months ago. She had become indestructible, independent woman that had threatened to kill him to protect her family. She had stood up for herself against Karin and wasn't afraid. And that strength! He had never seen her throw such a punch in all his life, or if he had, he hadn't paying attention very well. It felt like he was seeing her for the very first time and he was in love. He was undoubtedly in love with this perfect woman that he had been so stupid for ignoring all those years.
He stroked her skin softly, hoping to whatever god had control over them that their child was more like her than his stupid,stubborn, power-hungry self. The child beneath her skin kicked rather hard and he notice her wince a moment before lacing her fingers through his and caressing her stomach with their hands.
"Sasuke," she whispered, not opening her eyes nor stopping their movements.
"Hn," he muttered, not wanting to leave the warm moment that was putting him to sleep. He just rested his head against hers.
"I love you." He opened his eyes to look down into her half-opened ones. They were hazy and full of an emotion he couldn't explain to anyone if he tried, not even himself.
He bent his mouth to her ear, so only she could hear him, "I think I love you too." He followed his overwhelming statement with light kisses trailing down her jawline until his lips met hers in a heated kiss.
An overwhelming feeling welled up inside of him; one he couldn't possibly resist. One feeling he didn't want to resist. He was finally doing something right, that much he knew for sure.
"Sasuke, wha-" she gasped when she saw him kneeling before her. He took her hands softly in his then resting his head on them joined hands as he tried to choke out the words all building in his throat and threatening to come out all at once.
"Sakura," he rolled the "r" off his tongue slightly, the way he knew she liked it. He felt her hands squeeze his gently, urging him to continue. "I have nothing to offer you. I don't even have honor anymore. The only thing I could really give you is my heart...Actually, I don't think I could even give you that...You stole it from me a long time ago...
"I've wanted to say I love you for so long, but I kept telling myself I didn't need anyone. I just needed to get my power and destroy my brother. I was wrong and I was stupid. All I ever needed was right here with you. And I had to stop you from coming with me. I didn't want you getting hurt. That's why I left again. I didn't want you to get hurt.
"Sakura, I've hurt you so much. I can't understand why you still accept me. Why you haven't knocked me out then sent me packing. I deserve that much. I do. I have never been worthy of you. And if you refuse, I'll understand because I've had so many chances I've let pass up. But, if you accept, I promise I will never leave you again. Never."
He looked up into her eyes now as he spoke his next words, finally finding his nerve to see her reaction. It was what was expected, happy tears rolling down her face and a smile spread across her face, an eagerness and love in her eyes that could keep him lost in there forever.
"Sakura, will you marry me?" he asked, voice soft and somewhat desperate, needing even. He needed her to say yes. He felt he would die without her yes.
She didn't say it. She couldn't. Her voice was caught in her throat and her lip trembled as she nodded. When she finally could feel words begin to form, Sasukue had already crushed his lips against hers.
When he finally freed her she spoke in a whisper. "Yes."
He kissed her again, this time more gently. He moved next to her on the couch. "I don't have a ring for you yet, but I know where I can get one."
"Sasuke, I don't need a ring," she said, leaning against him and pulling her feet up. "Just you."
"You're getting a ring. By tomorrow, you'll have one," he said, as though he wanted no argument.
"You can't go out there! ANBU are getting ready to guard outside the door! Tsunade sent me a message earlier so I wouldn't get scared! They'll be here any minute!"
"Just trust me," he said it with a smirk. "And leave the window open."
He stood, pulling her to her feet also. "Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."
He kissed her softly before disappearing into the night.