Sasuke stirred lightly in his sleep as he felt the rustle of sheets beside him. He automatically put an arm to shield his eyes from the morning sunlight. He told himself he just needed an extra five minutes of sleep, but the familiar buzz of his phone interrupted his slumber once again. Groaning in response, he reached out for his phone by the bedside table and sighed as he read the time. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes in an attempt to keep him awake.
After a minute, he tried to get up, but an all too familiar arm encircled around his waist. He turned his eyes on his side and smiled lightly at the sight. A whimper of protest left his daughter's mouth. He then turned to the other occupant of his bed, events from the previous night dawning upon him.
Sakura still had her eyes closed, sleeping peacefully and mouth slightly ajar, the morning sunlight illuminating her pretty face. Her eyes furrowed slightly but did not awake.
He counted a full minute just looking at mother and daughter. The sight caused a warmth spreading from his chest to his entire body. He checked on the time again and it read 6:42 am. He cursed inwardly, knowing that if he takes another minute, he will really be late.
He tried to disentangle Sarada's tiny arm around his middle carefully, trying not to disturb her sleep. However, his daughter even buried her head into his side further. "Nooo.. Papa..m'sleep" She mumbled.
Sarada's musings were enough to awake Sakura. She slowly fluttered her eyes open, confused as to why Sarada was on her bed. And then their eyes connected.
The realization hit her and she slowly sat up. "Oh..uhmm..good morning." Her voice slightly hoarse, she greeted awkwardly and then she asked what time is it.
"It's almost 7." He answered.
"You'll be la-" She did not finish her sentence as she noticed Sarada clinging to her father in her sleep.
Exhaling heavily, Sakura tried to pry her little arms away. "Sweetheart, your Papa has to go to work."
"Noooo..." Sarada whined.
And then Sasuke shook his head at Sakura.
He proceeded to tuck away the hair that had fallen to Sarada's face. He sighed once again before asking his daughter gently. "Sarada, are you still sleepy?"
No response.
"Want to have breakfast with Papa?" With that, Sarada's onyx eyes snapped open, blinking at her Papa.
Sasuke then leaned in to kiss her forehead lightly. "It's okay if you're still sleepy."
"No. I'm awake!" She sat up, already energized. "I will make pancakes, Papa!" She exclaimed, looking at him with a wide smile.
"Okay, I'm looking forward to it. Thank you."
Sakura then used this as an opportunity to carry Sarada out of the room. "Let's brush your teeth first, Sarada."
Sakura prepared coffee and toast for Sasuke afterward, as the butlers assisted Sarada in making mini pancakes. She even decorated it with some chocolate syrup to make a smiley. She squealed in delight as her Papa took a bite and praised her for a job well done. Sakura chuckled at Sasuke, knowing full well how he dislikes sweets.
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Sasuke still has to review certain documents before they leave in three days to Singapore. Various files and contracts are placed neatly on his table. He glanced at the time and scowled as the clock read 12:42 am. His eyes hurt from staring at his laptop screen for a long time.
It had been a tiring day. Meetings after meetings. On top of that, he barely got sleep the night prior.
He stifled a yawn, stretching his shoulders for a second. He decided to take a ten-minute nap before continuing his work. He did not bother to remove his eyeglasses as he lowered his head on his desk, using his right arm as a pillow.
He did not know how much time had passed when he heard a familiar voice calling him. Light footsteps closing in, Sasuke remained his eyes closed, gauging the situation.
After like a minute, his guest carefully removed his glasses, placing it somewhere on his desk with a click. A heavy cloth then wrapped around his shoulders making him feel warm instantly.
Hundreds of thoughts immediately plagued his mind, hitting him like a ton of bricks. He knew, of course, it was Sakura. No one else would do something like this. He could also tell just by the sound of her steady breathing, her sighs, and her occasional clicking of tongue in disapproval.
He remained perfectly still for another minute before he felt her hand slowly brush away his bangs that got into his face. He felt a light pressure on his forehead, a chaste kiss he knew full well. It barely lasted a second before he could process what happened. He did not notice he was holding his breath the entire time until he heard the door of his room shut quietly.
He opened his eyes, staring at nothing in particular for a while.
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After a few reminders from his mother, Itachi boarded the private plane that will take him to Sydney. He was advised that it may take nine to ten hours before they arrive. With no one to accompany him (saved for a few guards and a secretary) on this impromptu visit to his fiancee, he planned on sleeping the entire flight after the takeoff.
He looked through the windows admiring the view of blue and white. He inclined his head, thinking about how everything will change from now on.
He didn't think it will be that bad, getting married. He knew this will happen ever since he was seven. He just felt a little bad for his future wife. Madara sent a picture of her together with a file containing basic information about her. Despite not being born a full-blooded Uchiha, Itachi could tell Izumi is part of the clan. She had long dark brown hair, side bangs framing her face, and black eyes with a mole just under her right eye.
According to the file he was holding, she graduated in advance as well. She seemed kind-hearted and caring, and all the more Itachi felt guilty for disturbing the life she created, away from the spotlight and public commotions brought by their surname.
He heaved a sigh before closing the folder in his hands. He placed it on a nearby table before adjusting his position to sleep.
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Hazuki Uchiha-Wilson regarded the young man warily. He is the complete epitome of an Uchiha. He had jet-black hair and onyx eyes that could make any woman swoon. He was clad in business attire, making him even more handsome. Looking at him certainly brought back memories she long sealed away.
"Hazuki-san.." Itachi began as he bowed his head in greeting. "I am Itachi Uchiha, eldest son of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha. It is my privilege and honor to meet you and your only daughter."
Hazuki snorted in response. "I couldn't say the same to you." She looked tired, resigned as she stepped aside to make way for Itachi to enter their apartment.
An awkward silence settled in as Itachi sat on their sofa while Hazuki shot him a distrustful stare. Nonetheless, she offered green tea to their visitor while waiting for Izumi to come home.
"I know very well you do not approve of this, Hazuki-san, but I promise to take care of Izumi." He broke the silence and regarded the elderly woman sincerely.
"How can you do that? When this marriage will take away her freedom and happiness."
Itachi had nothing to say at that. If he were in her position, he would also never allow his daughter to be an Uchiha. But the soft sigh from the woman surprised him.
"Itachi-kun, I'm sorry if I cannot be too enthusiastic at welcoming you into our family. But I had a hard life, and my late husband and Izumi made me feel happy at last. I did everything I could to protect my only daughter but in the end, Madara-sama still found her." Her lips were set in a grim line as she remembered her past.
"You do not have to worry too much about me. I understand." Itachi tried to assure her.
"Still, I should not blame you. I can only imagine what it feels like being the eldest heir of the Uchihas. You must have a hard time as well." This time, she gave him a sympathetic look.
Itachi smiled politely. "The Uchihas are very conservative, too old-fashioned. They still follow their old traditions up to date and these may seem unreasonable and impractical, but I grew up knowing my parents love and support each other. This marriage could be a political union, but I will fulfill my duties as her husband. I will see to it that she's comfortable enough."
Hazuki merely gave him a small smile.
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Izumi was beyond frustrated to see how her mother treated her now-supposed-to be-fiancee kindly. Sure, he was handsome and smart and kind, but she actually thought her mother was on her side.
Her mother even preached about how cursed the Uchihas are and that she was happy she met her father. But what is this? Her mom continued to smile fondly at their guest, asking him questions about Japan and how it changed throughout the years.
She scowled in her direction, folding her arms in annoyance. That is when Itachi turned his eyes on her. She gave him an annoyed look, showing her resistance to this arrangement.
"You may have bewitched my mother, but I refuse to cooperate with this nonsense." She blurted out, to which her mother gasped in surprise.
"Izumi! Your manners, please."
She only rolled her eyes at that. Not really knowing what to expect, Itachi merely blinked at her. He inclined his head slightly, examining her before trying to talk to her once again."Madara-sama told me you were taking your Master's degree in Business. What made you decide to pursue a career in business? I'm sure you could have been successful in any other field." He remarked sincerely.
Caught off-guard, Izumi felt her cheeks blush at the compliment. She had been acting like a brat ever since she returned home, but he was nothing but respectful. "My father was a Business Analyst in the real estate industry. He taught me everything. I enjoyed negotiating and studying economic trends." She replied, and then frowned at him. "How about you? The Uchihas are widely known in the corporate world, but you are a lawyer. Isn't that why your younger brother running the Uchiha Enterprises?"
Her mother shot her another disapproving look that she ignored altogether. She waited for Itachi's response, raising her eyebrows. "I wanted to explore different aspects of life. Life outside being an Uchiha, specifically." He paused briefly before giving her a meaningful smile. "Laws are created to sustain peace and order in our society. Being a lawyer also gives me a feeling of accomplishment as I helped other people. It broadened my knowledge as to what was happening outside of our clan. Although I couldn't say the same thing about Father."
Izumi could not help but gape at him. He is entirely different from any other men she dated. He thinks and speaks as if he understands everything. He shows kindness and deep compassion for other people. She thought Uchihas are cruel and selfish, but Itachi is none of those. She was sure even if she just met him.
No wonder her mother could not hate him.
But it will take more than that for her to surrender. She gave him another unimpressed look before scowling in his direction. "You can speak Japanese you know? I can totally understand that. Or do you think I can only speak English just because I'm living here in Australia?"
Her mother shook her head at her.
Itachi gave her a small smile. "We can converse in any other language you are comfortable with. Perhaps, French?"
Izumi glared at him once again. Surely, he must have some sort of weakness. She vowed to discover it.
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Something had definitely shifted days after she stole a kiss from him, something more than the intense sexual tension previously. His chest started pounding uncontrollably like all those years ago. But she merely gave him a small smile as she passed by him in the kitchen to get some water. It was already late at night and he went out of his room to get himself a coffee.
She was wearing the same nightgown previous nights before. She scanned the contents of the refrigerator, humming a soft tune in the process. She was completely unbothered by his presence as he stared at her back while waiting for his coffee.
He felt uncomfortable looking at her now, felt guilty about how he treated her all this time. However, when he looked back, it was the only sensible course of action for him to take. He tried pushing her away, thinking that giving into his impulses would just give her false hopes and confuse her even more.
However, it is getting harder to resist her every day. She seemed to grow bold in expressing her affections. She was calling him by the familiar suffix again, cooking his favorite food, smiling at him. It took almost all of his willpower, but he still kept his distance.
He pretended to be oblivious to the fact that she visited him in his room and kissed him. He was aware of how she still harbored feelings for him, but she deserves to be happy. He could not tie her down with him.
"Sasuke-kun?" Her brows furrowed in concern as she eyed him confusingly. "Is there something on my face? You've been staring at me for a while now."
He averted his gaze in a second, scolding himself for losing his focus. He muttered a quiet 'Nothing' as he looked back at the coffee maker, glad that his mug was already full.
"You're working late at night again? Are you really okay, Sasuke-kun?" She questioned as she put the now empty glass on the sink.
"I'm fine." He replied as he carried his mug of coffee, intending to go to his room. However, Sakura stopped him from taking another step as she blocked his way.
"Tch. The coffee almost spilled, Sakura." He glared at her. But she did not seem to mind his outburst as she placed a hand on his cheek. His eyes slightly widened as panic arose within him at their close proximity.
"What are you doing?"
"You have a slight fever." She noted, giving him a disapproving look.
He blinked at her before she took away his coffee from his hands, placing it at the counter. "You can't stay up late, you need to rest or it'll be worse tomorrow."
A silent battle took place as he held her gaze for a moment. But as she put a hand on her waist, he knew it was a losing battle. "Fine, but if Shisui asked me if I have already signed the documents, you have the responsibility to explain everything to him."
Sakura rolled her eyes as she turned her back on him. She gave him a glass of water and began lecturing how drinking plenty of fluids will help and make him feel better.
And then, it happened again.
Their eyes met. This time, it felt like there was nothing else but him and Sakura. The world faded and they were just existing together.
He did not know how long that lasted before he came back to his senses. He was about to break their eye contact. However, her eyes moistened in response as she anticipated the rejection from him. He knew she recognized the hesitance in his eyes once again. She then tore her gaze away and made an incoherent excuse to leave.
But before she could even take one step, Sasuke grasped her arm, stopping her altogether. He knew at that moment that he could no longer hold back. She looked up and before she could even question his actions, he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.
She felt his other hand on her waist, every single touch of his igniting. Her eyes widened, in contrast to his closed eyes, his long eyelashes brushing lightly against her cheeks. The feeling of his lips against hers sent conflicted emotions from within her. Because what now?
The kiss was light and lasted only for a few seconds. But it was enough to make her pulse race. Her chest thundering against her ribcage.
Sasuke did not give her a chance to respond to the kiss as he pulled away for a second and then he muttered, "I've been wanting to do that all this time."
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A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated.