Sasuke and Sakura
“I will only bring you more pain. It would be selfish of me to love you knowing I can’t give you what you want.”
“How do you know what I want?”
“You deserve better than me.”
“I know but…”
“…”
“I don’t want better.”
I’ve been alone for the longest time. In that time I learned that one can only draw strength from solitude, that is, until a friend showed me that there’s beauty in standing together with those you love. In learning to grow and doing what is right. When Itachi killed my parents I felt empty. I lived for one thing, to grow strong enough in order to defeat him. To get justice for my clan. To avenge them. I left everything behind in search for power. Ran towards the darkness. My first stop was a man who ironically is standing here today. We are on a mission after all. Then it was the man we now know as Obito Uchiha.
In my time with both of them I never considered anything other than blood and revenge. I wanted to cut out every part of my life that pulled me towards the light. I’d be lying if I said she wasn’t one. I thought she would have forgotten about me. If I hurt her enough she would finally see that I could not be changed. She never stopped. Even when she tried to kill me on that bridge I know she only did it out of love. She had burdened herself with trying to save a broken man. When the dust settled and Naruto had finally slapped some sense into me, there she was. I felt… guilt. Because deep down I knew that she had always been a symbol of love. This is it, I thought. She had finally discarded me. Then the tears fell from her eyes and I knew that she didn’t hate me. Over the days and weeks to come I imagined where life would take me. What would the future hold? And suddenly in the visions of said future I saw the bright smile of a girl I so cherished. So I left her with a promise. A promise that she didn’t know at the time was a promise. A promise to return. After a long while I heard of her efforts in helping people all across the great nations. She had become a ninja people could rely on. I never doubted she could. After a while I heard Naruto was getting married. What a big step to take. I was happy for him. Then I wondered what it would be like if I got married. And suddenly a flash of pink painted my mind once again.
Truth be told, I never considered anyone else. When I finally returned to the village, she was there waiting to welcome me back with open arms, and I realised exactly what I had left behind all those times before. I doubt anyone would ever love me the way that she had. When we journeyed together I began to see the bliss in having someone by your side. I began to feel something much more than the affection one held for a comrade. I wanted to run away. To push it aside. Then I realised that I could not and so I embraced it. Where’s the harm in that? And so I opened up my heart to love. To Sakura. Now here we stand.
I wish my parents were here. My mother would have loved her. My father would have learned to. Her over bearing positivity would seep through his hardened heart for sure. I know Itachi would be proud or so Sakura has told me many times. Honestly and above everything else… I am happy. I never would have imagined there would come a day I stand before Haruno Sakura who just so happens to be carrying my child, and say whole heartedly that all I feel in this moment is joy. Joy and love. This is where my path has led me and I wouldn’t ask for anything more. Am I scared? Yes I am. But I look into her eyes and that fear slowly fades away. No matter what happens, we’ll be okay. Though it’s hard for me to express there is no doubt in my mind. I love her.
“Here”
“A gift?”
“Open it”
“Ah Sasuke-kun, it’s beautiful. I needed a new coat it’s getting colder now.”
“…”
“Is something wrong?”
“Turn it around…”
“…”
“…”
“This is…”
“Sakura… Be with me?”
The Uchiha fan. I was confused at first. I didn’t know what to think of it. I never would have guessed what he was implying, after all he isn’t exactly straight forward when it comes to these things. Then he said it. “Be with me.” When it finally dawned upon me I didn’t know whether to cry because he was proposing to me or laugh because this was the way he decided was best to do it without feeling overwhelmingly embarrassed. His ears grew red when I didn’t respond for a long time but when the first tear fell he knew that I had already said yes in my heart.
I would be lying if I said I had no doubts. A voice in the back of my head told me I should decline. We had spoken about it before. We both knew that perhaps we were heading down a slippery path. That we wouldn’t be able to have everything that we wanted. But we had resigned ourselves to live in the moment. Is that not the beauty of life? Love. I had started our journey knowing that he was just my friend. A friend who I had missed so dearly. Down the line I noticed the small but quick glances. The way he moved closer without stiffening. The way he began to speak about his family, about his brother without worry or concern that I would judge him for all the things he had done. And when he kissed me for the first time, under the bright stars of the night, I knew that nothing would be the same again. Things moved so quickly. At times I felt perhaps we were in over our heads. And then touching became more natural to us until one day we woke up in the same bed, clothes on the floor and a blissful memory of the night before. Everything went up from there. Where did it all lead? Well… here.
I’m scared. This is not at all what I expected. I love him. I’m pregnant. Sometimes I forget that I carry within my body the heir to a long dead clan. No pressure. The night he proposed I had just found out. I waited a week to tell him. The look on his face was priceless. I cried. We’re not ready for anything like this. At the same time, my heart is filled with joy because this is what our love has created. I know he’s afraid though he won’t admit it. So am I. Though I guess we will do what we always do, take one step at a time. I’m getting married today. To the man I love. I don’t expect the world. I just hope that in the end everything will work out. Isn’t that the beauty of it all?
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“For what?”
“This probably isn’t how you imagined your wedding day. I’m sorry we couldn’t do more.”
“What are you saying? This is perfect.”
“It is?”
“Yes. I never expected anything extraordinary. I know you don’t like crowds.”
“Hn”
“It’s perfect because…”
“…”
“Because it’s you and me. The two of us”
“Three”
And suddenly my tears began to fall as he reached out his hand to wipe them away and then, in that moment I thought that maybe just maybe, we weren’t crazy. No matter what, our love would not fade away.
They are lighting the fires. We should really pay attention to the ceremony. Kakashi-sensei isn’t good at hiding his tears. Perhaps ill tease him about it later.