Date: 4/29/13
Rating: T
Genre: Angst, Action, Drama, Romance
Prompt: A few months after war, Sasuke returns to Kohona and has to live with Sakura. She has a nightmare, blaming it on him. He admits that he has loved her since the war when she jumped in front of him to save him from a blast, leaving her unharmed expect for a scar over her heart. Time skip a few years and they're married with two kids named Itachi and Mikoto (Itachi is five with Sasuke hair and Sakura eyes; a boy, Mikoto is four with Sakura hair and Sasuke eyes) and have a moment!

Sakura was running. The sounds of explosions and metal clanging against metal rang in her ears. However, she wasn't running away from danger. She was running towards it, running towards him.

Although Sasuke was in the middle of fending off yet another opponent, he wasn't aware of Obito charging towards him with his Wood Release. And it didn't seem anyone else noticed either; they were all preoccupied with their own battles. But Sakura saw, and she knew she couldn't just stand and watch as Sasuke was attacked from behind, even if she was a medic-nin. This was Sasuke she was talking about.

The man she was in love with.

The man she would forever be in love with.

However, she was only a few feet away from Sasuke when he finally killed the shinobi he was fighting and noticed Obito sprinting towards him. But Sakura made sure Sasuke would never feel the blow from the root of Obito's Wood Release. Yet, despite her resolve, nothing could prepare her for the pain; it was unbearable, forcing Sakura to her knees. She cried out in agony. However, despite the pain, knowing that Sasuke was safe made everything worth it. Her eyes darted to the area where she pushed him, but she was surprised to find that he was gone.

"S-Sasuke-kun!" Sakura sputtered, blood dripping down her mouth, when he suddenly appeared before her. "Hurry! You have to—What are you doing?!"

Sasuke ignored her question, amused at the sight in front of him. Instead, his eyes flashed red, a sneer on his face as he pushed the root deeper into Sakura's chest. "Die."

But just as she began to scream Sakura's eyes snapped open, suddenly finding herself back in her room and out of her nightmare. Sitting up, she let out a sigh of relief. "Just a dream …" she whispered slowly, yet, still unsure.

"That's the third time this week you've woken up screaming."

Sakura jerked and turned her head to look at the doorway where Sasuke was now standing, arms crossed. How long had he been watching her? But when she hadn't said anything in response to Sasuke's comment, he began to enter her room. But as he got closer, Sakura's hand instinctively went to the scar on her chest. Even though her nightmare skewed the facts of reality, Sakura couldn't help but be guarded.

"Sasuke-kun," she said wearily, "just go back to sleep. I'm fine."

"You're shaking."

"No, I'm not."

"Sakura—"

"Just go away, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura snapped. "Please."

Sasuke froze. "I don't understand why you're angry with me."

But Sakura turned away so she couldn't seem him and hugged her knees to her chest. "I wish I was angry," she said softly.

Because the truth was, Sakura was only hurt—physically, mentally. It had been months since the end of the war, since she almost threw everything away to save Sasuke. Yet, not once did he say anything to her. And now, being forced to live with him was like a daily torture, a daily reminder that he didn't care for her, not the way she cared for him. "If you must know, Sasuke-kun," she finally said when she realized he wasn't going to leave, "there hasn't been one night that I haven't dreamt about my injury. Except for some reason, you're always the one that kills me. I wonder why that is."

When Sasuke didn't answer her hand went back to her scar as she laughed bitterly, "I guess you'll always be breaking my heart."

But soon, her laughter turn to tears, and her tears turned to sobs. A knot formed in the pit of Sasuke's stomach, only made worse with the awareness that he was the cause of Sakura's tears. Slowly, he walked closer to her, ignoring her protests as he sat on her bed and took the sobbing girl—no, woman—into his arms.

"Sakura," Sasuke breathed softly when she finally calmed down. "What would you say if I told you that there hasn't been one night when I haven't dreamt about what you did for me either?"

That was odd. Sakura looked up at him, confused, but he wasn't looking at her. Instead, he was fixating on the wall in front of him. "Sasuke-kun?"

"What would you say if I told you that you've been the only thing on my mind since then? That I might feel something for you? That I might," Sasuke hesitated before he gathered enough courage to continue, "That I might love you?"

Sakura gasped. Did Sasuke just—? This had to be a dream. It had to be. Sakura closed her eyes and pinched herself. No, not a dream.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

He was looking at her now. "What would you say?"

However, instead of answering, Sakura grabbed Sasuke's face and kissed him. Her boldness left Sasuke in shock before he pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. Sakura had dreamt about this for so long she almost couldn't believe it was actually happening. Sasuke loved her. Sasuke loved her. Her heart fluttered, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling—grinning, giggling, laughing—into his kisses. And when she pulled away, her arms still wrapped around Sasuke's neck, she continued smile.

"I'd say I loved you, too."

xx

"Okaa-san? Why do you have a scar over your chest?" Itachi, age five, asked Sakura one morning. Sakura placed his breakfast in front of her son and raised her brow, trying to quickly come up with a story that wasn't so … gruesome.

"Well—"

"Your Okaa-san has a scar there," Sasuke suddenly interrupted her as he entered the kitchen, "because I stole her heart."

"Stole it?!" young Mikoto, age four, exclaimed in horror.

Sasuke smirked as he picked up his daughter and placed her in her chair. "Of course, I did," he answered, matter-of-factly, and took a seat next to Mikoto. "I needed to make sure it was safe."

"But Okaa-san told us stealing is wrong, Otou-san!"

Sakura rolled her eyes and playfully pushed Sasuke, making a mental note to speak to her husband about teaching their children about stealing. "No, Mikoto-chan, Itachi-chan, your Otou-san did not steal my heart." She kissed him and winked.

"I gave it to him."