Beeeeep. Beeeeep. Beeeeep. The room awakens with movements despite the dark sky hovering overhead; becoming the head of the hospital entails grueling hours requiring an abundance of physical and mental perseverance as well as the experience and knowledge to deal with any medical problem that may walk through the doors or in some cases, through her window. There's a light tap on the clock and the bed suddenly rushes with cool air, the absence of his body noticeable. Their bedroom door opens and closes, the kitchen light switches on and she can hear his feet shuffling across the wood floor, creaking as he does so; the warm glow from the light fills the gap between the door and the floor and soon the smell of coffee swirls in her nostrils.
She sighs, her body heavy with the stress of every responsibility in the world… getting 6 hours of sleep is rare especially with Sasuke back in Konoha. She flips the covers off her body and heads to the bathroom to start her very long day. As she gets ready for work, the man in the kitchen moves around as he's done the past few weeks, getting into his routine of making her breakfast and making her a cup of coffee just the way she likes, a little sugar and splash of milk. As she enters the crowded kitchen observes a bowl of rice and fried eggs waiting for her at her spot at the table; she sits down and starts digging in, thanking the man with an eggy smile and bright eyes. A cup of coffee is placed in front of her shortly after, who would've thought one of the most feared shinobis would look so peaceful in a domestic setting; the pink apron tied around his body, a neatly tied bow sitting on his back.
She continues to eat her food and sip her coffee, complimenting the chef as she's done the past few weeks. He listens to her talk about work, the research she's doing and the books she's reading to better understand the ever-changing medical field she calls home. He doesn't say much, or anything really, as he prepares her lunch; packing her a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as a few candies he knows she loves because she has a stash of them in a cabinet behind the bag of flour. Teriyaki chicken and rice rounds out the meal and he neatly stacks it all in a bag; his mother wouldn't believe her eyes, he thinks.
"Thank you, Sasuke." She places the dishes in the sink and leans her head against his shoulder, he nods and responds with his normal 'hn' before she walks to the bedroom to get dressed. Before he knows it, he's left in her apartment by himself; a routine he's come to welcome more and more every day. When he was out traveling, he found solitude repaying everyone for the hurt and damage he caused for so many years but this solitude, this newfound peace he has cleaning the strongest kunoichi's apartment because she has no time to do so anymore and read the medical books she has piled high in the living room, is a different solitude. Maybe because it isn't really solitude; she'll come back at the end of the day and he'll be waiting with dinner made and her favorite tea steeping in her favorite mug—no this isn't solitude this is simply the life he has dreamt about since he was a boy, coming home from the academy when he saw his mother in the kitchen preparing dinner for the family, and Itachi waiting for him by the entry way; this is the life he never thought he deserved yet he has been living the past few weeks.
It's another long shift full of paperwork and civilian cases; a summer cold must be going around because she's already treated 3 patients for similar symptoms. She sighs as she finally sits back in her chair, the lunch Sasuke packed that morning sitting on her desk thanks to a kind nurse who brought it to her probably on orders from Shizune; she knows she's just looking out for her and her forgetfulness.
She unwraps the tied plastic and like every day since he returned to the village, there's a folded piece of paper on the bento box. She smiles to herself, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she unfolds the paper, deciphering its inky lines. As she finishes scanning it, she opens the bottom drawer of her desk revealing a small, pink box filled with his other handwritten notes full of love and admiration. She adds the letter to the pile and puts the box back into its hiding spot, safe from the world and any danger.
2 years later…
The squirming child lets out a piercing scream, tears streaking down her cheeks as her arms flail about. His arm is wrapped around her securely, the red and white pacifier in his mouth as he tries to comfort his daughter. Genin Sasuke never thought of having a family, at that time all he could think about was seeking revenge for the family he lost due to his older brother, but things changed once he learned about the sacrifices and hardship Itachi suffered through just to keep him and Konoha safe. Fighting through a war alongside Sakura and Naruto momentarily thawed part of his heart— the feeling of Team 7 being together once again— standing next to Sakura reminded him of their mission in the Land of Waves when he woke to her crying over his body, and the forest of death when he collapsed in her arms, they were his family and despite the heinous crimes he committed they still fought for him. They were his family then, even if he didn't know it, or want it.
"Sarada," He soothes removing the pacifier from his mouth, leaning her against his thighs, his folded legs creating a triangle with the floor. Her small hand wraps around his thumb as he gently sways his legs, desperate to make the screaming stop.
"Sasuke?" She calls out, instantly grabbing the wailing child's attention.
"In here." He responds, seeing his wife only seconds later. Her pink hair is short falling just below the lobe of her ear, manila folders in one arm, a white plastic bag hanging in her other hand.
"Brought dinner dear, from that new shop that opened by the hospital." She heads towards the dining room, setting dinner down on the table and her folders on the counter. She unwraps the food and spreads it all out, the sound of her husband cooing and softly singing horribly off-key to their daughter fills the house as she hums to herself. This is the life she always hoped for. Everyone called her boy crazy growing up and she was, but she grew out of it. Her love for a certain boy, however, she would never outgrow.
He appears in the dining room next to her, their daughter cradled above the world in his arm, her cheeks shiny from fresh tears. The youngest Uchiha starts to wail again, her fists rubbing her eyes, "I've tried feeding her, putting her to sleep and checked her diaper." He knew fatherhood would not be easy, but he didn't think it would be this up and down so suddenly. The first few months were great, Sarada was a happy baby and due to the nature of Sakura's job his daughter found comfort in loud noises and chaotic afternoons once she was born. It was helpful when Naruto would bring Boruto over and they would talk about missions and whatnot once they got them down to nap, but after her first birthday something changed and now his loud voice can't even put her to sleep.
The sound of him doing dishes or the tv turned up a few levels too high didn't work either, he had to hold her or tell her a story and he didn't mind, but recently it's gotten even worse. No made-up story about a giant snake and its family or a hawk finding its way back home will put her to sleep and he's run out of ideas, "I might have something." His wife says, offering a small smile before she heads towards their bedroom. He follows close behind, a weeping Sarada in arm.
He watches Sakura dig through the back of their closet, a small pink box in her hands as she emerges. She opens the box, and he sees the stack of folded notes he slipped in her lunches when he first got back to the village, his way of apologizing and showing her, he changed despite her protests. He steps forward, "You kept them."
"Of course, I kept them." She looks up at him, her cheeks light pink as her green eyes catche his dark ones, an unspoken language being exchanged between the two. A pudgy hand reaches towards her pink hair, and she instinctually reaches for their daughter, grasping the child close to her body. Sasuke takes the box in his hand, a tiny smile creeping onto his face. "Every single one." She promises.
She sits on their bed, their daughter in her lap. She reaches out for the box and takes the first note out, unfolding the paper and holding it in front of the squirming girl in her lap. She begins to read the black ink, her daughter focusing on the paper as if she can read his horrible scribbles. As she continues to read note after note, her husband watches her in awe and their daughter slowly falls into a needed nap.
She gets up and they walk into her room, placing her into the crib. They tiptoe out of the room, shutting the door behind them. As they sit at the dinner table, finally indulging in their cold ramen, she marvels at her husband. This is the life she wanted, the life she dreamt of and always hoped for. Even if she and Sasuke don't always say it, she knows they will always be connected by their feelings, no matter what happens, no matter how close or far away.