Chapter Nine; Silent Night
Later that evening after Naruto was already fast asleep in bed Sasuke finally decided to confront his wife. "Well Naruto sure acts like he's starting to feel better." Sakura began.
"Yeah, he is. And that should make you happy." He told her.
"It does. Since Christmas is coming up so quickly I would hate to see him sick for it. Hopefully that means that he can make the Nativity play." She said happily while smiling warmly at him.
"Alright Sakura that's enough." Sasuke began. "I'm your husband. That fake smile of yours can't fool me." He told her.
"What? What are you talking about?" she wondered while raising her eyebrows up questioningly.
"You know very well what I'm talking about." He told her when suddenly her smile escaped her face.
"Alright so maybe it's true. You're right." She began before she took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "I guess I'm just sort of jealous about all the attention you've been giving Naruto lately." She admitted. "But he's sick right now and he needs you. I'm sorry Sasuke, I should have told you how I felt sooner, but I just didn't want you to take it the wrong way." She told him before sighing again and looking at the carpet. " And I really don't want you to leave me again." She said before he slowly took a few steps towards her.
"Look at me Sakura." He began before he brushed some of her hair out of her eyes and tucked it around her ear before lifting her chin and tilting it back with his finger. "You don't ever have to hide anything in fear that I would leave you. Or the children, or Naruto. Believe me, I have already learned my lesson on turning my back on the people I love and I'm never going to make that mistake again. You're all way too precious and dear to me. And I realize that ever since Naruto's accident that we haven't had much time to spend together but just be patient. Christmas is in less than a week and it will come soon enough." He told her as he smiled at her before pulling her in for a passionate kiss.
A few moments later they broke apart. "And just for the record, the love I have for you should be obvious since we had two children together." He told her with a sly grin when suddenly he heard something that made his heart stop.
"Sasuke!" he heard Naruto's shrilling scream. Sasuke felt his heart pounding frantically against his chest before he and Sakura exchanged worried glances and then raced down the hallway. "No!" Naruto sobbed while Sasuke and Sakura burst into the room and Sasuke quickly sat down and wrapped his arms tightly around him.
"What is it Naruto? What happened?" he questioned before Naruto started sobbing inside his chest.
"It was awful Sasuke! Just awful!" he cried hoarsely before coughing and choking over his tears.
"Shh,.. shh,.." Sasuke began while rubbing his back. "Just calm down now it was a just a nightmare." He reassured him soothingly. "That's all it was." He told him softly. "Now just tell me what happened." He said.
"You,.. you went back to Orochimaru. And then he killed you. I mean I know that he's dead but it was still very real and scary to me." Naruto explained as Sasuke glanced up at Sakura before wrapping his arms around Naruto tighter and resting his chin on top of his head before planting a kiss on top of it.
"I know. But as I just finished explaining to Sakura, that's never going to happen." He said before kissing it again.
"But how do you know that? You left us before remember?" Naruto inquired with a sniff.
"I know, but that's because I was a different man back then." Sasuke began feeling his heart beat steadily against his chest. "And not a very good one at that. You helped make me a better man and made me see the error of my ways. And in the process I rediscovered what love is. I observed how you gained all your strength and power from the love that you had in your heart instead of the hatred that I once had. So I stopped being an avenger and I gave up my quest for revenge. Which is something that I should have done a long time ago. And I would have never come to that decision at all if it wasn't for you and Sakura." He told him before giving his head another soft kiss.
"You're even the reason why Sasame and Hiro were born. For if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have married Sakura and we never would have_" Sasuke began.
"Done the hanky-panky?" Naruto questioned him with a mischievous giggle before looking up at him with a grin as Sasuke rolled his eyes at him.
"Yeah, that's pretty much it. Or perhaps we still would have done it, but back then it would have been simply for the fact that I wanted to restore my clan. Not because I loved her. However you changed all of that when you made me realize that there were more important things in life than restoring my clan." He told him.
"Listen Sasuke, you restored your clan a long time ago when you Sakura and I became a team. You just never knew it. Of course now with Hiro the Uchiha name will live on, but what's really more important here?" he asked him as Sasuke just simply grinned at him.
"That's an easy one. Both of you look over there." He told him directing his head over towards the wall.
"Huh?" Naruto questioned before he and Sakura turned their heads and caught a glimpse of their reflections along with Sasuke's in the bedroom mirror.
"We might not have our sensei anymore with us, but that doesn't mean that we aren't still a team." Sasuke told them before glancing up and looking into the mirror himself.
"Yep!" Naruto began before pointing his thumb backwards back at Sakura. "She's still the brains of the operation, I'm still the fun one and you,.. well,.. you need work." He told him.
"Hey!" Sasuke snapped.
"What!?" Naruto cried.
"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed before a moment of silence fell over them and then suddenly all three of them busted out laughing.
"Alright Naruto, it's time to go back to sleep now." Sasuke told him.
"Uh,.. I don't know if I can. Sasuke, can you stay with me until I fall asleep?" Naruto wondered before Sasuke turned his head and looked over at Sakura.
"I don't know Naruto that's up to Sakura." He replied.
"It's alright Sasuke you can stay." Sakura began. "I'll go ahead and meet you in the bedroom." She told him before she turned around and exited the room.
"Alright Naruto, now you have to promise me that you'll shut up and go to sleep." Sasuke told him.
"I can't Sasuke, I'm too scared to." Naruto admitted.
"It's alright Naruto. I'm staying right here. I'm not going anywhere. I promise you that. I promise you that with my life. After all, I'm your big brother now and I have a job to protect you as well as the rest of my family." He told him but Naruto just simply continued to sob while resting his head upon his chest. "Shhh,…" he whispered. "I'm right here and I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He reassured him before all of a sudden he got an idea. "You know, whenever I had a nightmare as a child, my mother used to sing me a lullaby to get me back to sleep. Maybe that will work for you too." He said while he gently rubbed his back before starting to sing softly to him in the most hushed but peaceful sounding voice that Naruto ever heard.
"Silent night,.. holy night. All is calm,.. all is bright! Round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace,.. sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night,.. holy night. Shepherds quake at the sight! Glories streams from Heaven afar. Heavenly hosts sing alleluia! Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born. Silent night,.. holy night. Son of God,.. love's pure light! Radiant beams of thy holy face,.. with dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus Lord at thy birth! Jesus Lord at thy birth. Jesus,.. Lord at thy birth." After Sasuke had finished singing his song he noticed that Naruto's whole entire body went limp as he was now fast asleep. Sasuke smiled warmly down at him.
"Goodnight Naruto." He whispered before planting one final soft and tender kiss on the top of his head and then tucked him into bed.
Awww,… this story is just so freakin' cute! :P