OPrincess ShinigamiO here! Yes yes, I'm very very late in posting! I could give some excuses for the lateness (like my old laptop suddenly going mad and I cannot create a new chapter until I got my new laptop *Mac Jr. is proud to be now part of my story-making*) but unfortunately, I also lost inspiration for quite awhile. It's not that schoolwork's keeping me off fanfiction, but without any motivation, it's best not to write at all. But now, I'm back! I'll still post chapters irregularly, meaning there's no telling when I will post a chapter or two. But I do appreciate all those who are asking for a new chapter, and I feel kinda guilty for lagging behind on my fanfic when I promised to finish it. I'm just not too good with long stories. ;P

Anyhoo, to put things in a nutshell, this is the chapter where all your SasuHina dreams come true! ;D Okay, maybe not all, but I do hope you'll like how it turned out. It's a bit shorter than the previous ones, but I do kinda like it. So please, enjoy your readings and I hope y'all like it!

Also, I'd like to thank all the lovelies who reviewed last chapter!_ Also, thank you to all who continue reading this fic without fail! I may not know all of you, but I appreciate all your silent support!

Disclaimer: Okay, Kishi-sensei, I'm happy with that NaruHina scene in chapter 615. If it were me, I never would've thought of doing that :P

Roses

…

Everyone knows that Sasuke Uchiha, the handsome former avenger who defected Konoha once and tried destroying it for revenge, was far from being a romantic prince charming.

At least in the eyes of his comrades.

Sure, he could be quite affectionate (and possessive) around his Hyuuga girlfriend (though he believes she is a lot more than that), but other than that, he hasn't really had the notion to shower her with presents, maybe except for when he decorated her room, and that was mostly because he was afraid of losing her to Gaara (though there was really nothing going on between the two friends).

Mostly, it was the other way around. Hinata loved babying her Uchiha lover.

She planted tomatoes and herbs in the Uchiha's backyard. Almost everyday if they weren't on missions, the former heiress would come to the Uchiha household and cook his favorite meals. If Sasuke wasn't around, she always made sure to look after his home, clearing off any dust or arranging private scrolls on the shelves without even a pique of curiosity of their secrets.

Others used to be afraid that the Uchiha was just using her, but their friends knew that that was far from the case. They knew that Sasuke loved Hinata with all his heart, despite all the setbacks they had in the past. After all, only she was able to bring him out of the darkness completely, and everyone knows it's a terribly big feat to make an Uchiha love again.

But still, their friends thought that the sole Uchiha should show his appreciation a bit more.

Unknown to them though, Hinata has been receiving gifts from Sasuke daily.

Aside from lavenders, the former heiress has lately become fond of roses and their different meanings. Ever since she visited Ino's flower shop and noticed the several varieties of roses, she decided that growing a colorful rose garden in the Uchiha Compound would definitely brighten up the place more.

She began studying them, of how their varying colors meant differently from one another. She studied on how to care for them, to be careful of their prickly thorns, and to let them grow into full bloom when the time is right.

Unfortunately, it takes a bit of time for them to grow, not to mention the difficulty of being sensitive and precise with these flowers. With her busy schedule, the disappointed Hyuuga only managed to successfully grow a tiny patch of budding red roses.

However, those very roses became an inspiration to the Uchiha.

Since then, the former avenger gave Hinata a single rose every once a week, each with different kinds of colors depending on his mood.

Of course, he wouldn't dare walk into the Yamanaka shop and risk having a certain blonde annoyance gossip about his doings. He still has his pride and reputation to hold onto.

But that doesn't mean he can't have his ways.

Every time, he would "hire" different little boys and have them buy the flowers in his stead, and then deliver them to places other than the Uchiha Compound. That way, Ino would have absolutely no clue as to who was buying roses from her every week despite her growing suspicion at the pattern.

Every single week when Hinata would arrive in the Uchiha's mansion, she would find a single rose lying in the porch without fail. She could tell when the former loner would be in a happy mood when he gives a yellow rose, or sad and angry when it's a blue rose, or extra affectionate when it's an orange rose. The only thing that she noticed was that he never gave her red roses, and she consoled to the fact that it was because she planted a patch in his garden.

But one Saturday, the day he usually leaves a rose, she didn't receive one.

This puzzled her, and she sought out the last Uchiha to question his inconsistency. Unfortunately, the indifferent brunette just shrugged and claimed that he couldn't find an innocent little brat to get one for him.

The next weekend, the former Hyuuga heiress wondered if Sasuke was getting tired of his rose game when she didn't find another rose waiting for her. The Uchiha claimed once again that he was too busy all week from his mission in the Cloud Village to worry about the roses. This disappointed the white-eyed beauty greatly, but decided to let it pass and believe her beloved's excuses. She did worry that this moment was going to happen sooner or later anyway.

But to her surprise, she found a rose sitting on the porch the next day. But it wasn't just any rose he usually gave her. No, this time, it was a black rose.

This sent the Hyuuga into a panic. When she first read about roses, she realized that black roses usually meant "death". And as far as she knew, black roses naturally don't exist. If Sasuke went all this way to give her a black rose instead of a blue one, then something really terrible must've happened to him.

Immediately, she picked up the dreaded flower and entered the Uchiha household, desperately calling the Uchiha to see if he's alright.

Instead, she found a single white rose lying on the dining table. Under it was a tiny white envelope with something written on it. Placing the black rose down and picking up the letter, the former heiress read the message.

"If you can put two and two together, until then can you meet me in the backyard."

Hinata was confused. This obviously seemed like a trick. Slowly ripping open the envelope, a tiny glittering object fell into her palm.

Curious, she brought the shiny thing close to her eyesight, and ultimately gasped as she realized what it was.

It was a simple diamond ring.

The band was a beautiful rose gold, with one tiny pink diamond so flawless and glitzy, it was impossible to look away from its beauty.

Hinata recalled the message Sasuke wrote in the letter. If you can put two and two together…

She placed a hand delicately on her lips. Now she realized the meaning of the pink diamond. It was the mixture of red and white, the Sharingan and the Byakugan. Unity between two very different colors.

Marriage.

Trying to suppress a sob, she looked down at the two roses lying peacefully beside each other. Analyzing the meaning of the roses, she smiled as she realized that the black rose didn't necessarily mean "death of a loved one". It was just a farewell to their current status. In exchange, a white rose, to signify a pure, innocent love.

The promise of everlasting love.

The former heiress giggled softly as she felt her tears slowly gliding through her cheeks. She knew that she was blushing madly, both in excited embarrassment and pure joy. Clutching the tiny ring in her hands and holding it onto her beating heart, she closed her eyes and thanked Kami for allowing her this moment of happiness.

She needn't have to think about her answer at all.

Almost forgetting that she should meet her now future husband after she figured out his riddle, she quickly patted her face and took deep breaths to calm herself before snatching up the pair of roses and the letter and ran (or skipped) to the door leading to the backyard.

As she slid the door open, she gasped as another huge surprise greeted her.

The backyard was transformed into like some sort of magical garden. Fairy lights glittered on the plants and flowers she loved growing. The grass was spread with colorful petals, with a circle of white petals surrounding a red picnic blanket full of the former heiress' favorite meals and tiny-lit candles.

And behind the candle-lit picnic casually stood the very person she's looking for, with a bouquet of red roses in one hand. He wasn't exactly dressed formally, but somehow his plain black v-neck sweater and dark gray pants looked fitting to the theme. Not to mention, it made him look incredibly handsome than any bulky traditional kimonos, though he'd probably still look great wearing those as well.

Smiling softly, she slowly made her way towards her beloved. The Sharingan-wielder plastered no clear expression on his handsome pale face, but his dark eyes were twinkling with such excitement and worry.

"How did you do it?" Hinata whispered as she finally stood in front of him.

"Nothing special you need to know." He replied.

Hinata giggled shyly as she pointed at the bouquet of red roses. "Are those from the rose patch I grew?"

Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly. "They were begging to be useful."

Hinata grinned, dropping the roses and the letter on the ground before holding up her rose gold ring before Sasuke.

"I want it done properly please, Sasuke-kun."

The Uchiha smirked. "I guess there's no other way."

Placing the bouquet of red roses down beside the black and white roses, he knelt in front of the Hyuuga, taking the ring from her hold.

Delicately pulling her left hand to his lips, he slowly closed his eyes and took in her sweet lavender scent.

"Hinata Hyuuga, will you do me the greatest honor of staying with me forever? I will not surrender you to anyone else, and I will not be accepting any other answer than 'yes'. I didn't ask the dobe, your weird teammates and your bratty sister to help me prepare all this for nothing you know."

Hinata suppressed a giggle, mentally reminding herself to thank her friends and sister for helping Sasuke pull all these off. This was the moment she's been dreaming of all her life. And now, she was living her dream. If it were her past self, she would never have thought of falling deeply in love with the vengeful Uchiha, the last person she would ever imagine to be with, what more marrying him. All her life, she thought that Naruto was the only person who could possibly make her feel this way.

But this was her life, and a new beginning was about to start. Whatever and whoever opposes them in the future, they'll stand firm as each other's walls.

Their love will forever bloom like the white rose. Eternal.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun. I will marry you!" She tearfully smiled as the relieved Uchiha slid the tiny engagement ring on her ring finger. Immediately, she tackled her now fiancé into a hug, ignoring the fact that she must be looking terrible at the moment.

Smug with his successful proposal, Sasuke smiled serenely as he held his one true love in his arms. For the thousandth time since he fell for the former heiress, he thanked his older brother for giving him another chance to live to see Hinata's smiling face. He thanked Naruto for his faith on him, for never giving up on him even when he seemed like a hopeless case. Finally, he thanked Hinata for bringing the feeling of love, joy, and excitement back into his heart.

For allowing him to feel true happiness once again.

The roses on the ground sat side by side with each other. The first time they met, it was like a black rose, hard and frightening. Then it blossomed into a white rose, blooming with love unbreakable by obstacles. And the bouquet of red roses? They're for all the wonderful memories they're about to experience in their new life together.

Once again, reviews are appreciated! Next chapter, no, it's still not the wedding yet. But... it'll another friend's point of view. And if you haven't guessed what letter's next,... well, good luck with guessing who's the next guest! :D