#ssm17d24

‘A strong flower that waits for the hope of spring.’‘

Sasusaku Month 2017

they led separate lives, she as a pseudo head for the hospital, he as an invisible nomad who occasionally worked for the hokage, but always for himself. yet they were connected by a single band on the third finger of their left hand that, for her, she forgot constantly, that was not enough, and for him, a heavy weight that he carried. sometimes, he came back, they spent days together, always with the reality that he would leave soon. she didn’t dwell too much on the feeling, rather, hadn’t she settled in a life of constant waiting, solidified since she was twelve, when he had left for the first time and set the tone for the rest of their lives.

she settled into a quiet understanding, she did not let her moods change when he arrived, rather she worked hard to maintain her warmth all year. she knew if she started to hope, to expect, she would inevitably be disappointed, that it would cause turbulent changes in mood, in standards of living. 

“you smile less often, now,” he had said once, when they lay side by side, fingers touching. he sounded as one did when they could identify the problem clearly, but could not, after much searching, solve it. 

ironically, she smiled, and she touched his face. she never harbored any ill feelings towards him for leaving, she never blamed her state on him, she happily took in everything he gave her. 

“i’m okay,” she said, even though he did not ask, because he knew. 

he sighed, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and pulled her face to his chest. she didn’t cry, she inhaled, and felt comforted by his unchanged scent from when she was young.

they had gone on like that for months, for almost a year, like an old couple who had lived together for fifty years, comforted by their past, yet worn by their unwavering bond. in the heat of the summer, she discovered her pregnancy, and her mood plummeted.

sasuke was ecstatic, he put a hand on her stomach, he rubbed it, he spoke to it even in its embryonic stages. he made porridge for her wary appetite, he closely followed her instructions on tonics, but he did not change his ways, he departed as he usually did, and sakura was so used to not saying anything that she did not, even when her stomach felt heavy, even when she felt like throwing up. 

 sakura’s pregnancy was not pleasant, she was riddled with pains, she was constantly angry, her temper spilling over into friendly gatherings, work meetings and she started to constantly quarrel with sasuke. when are you coming back, she would say as he left even though she never asked; i don’t know, he would reply, and it was true, he came back at any time. he left less often during her pregnancy, but she didn’t notice.

in her seventh month it got worse, she cried often, she held her growing stomach and nobody left her alone. hinata, who was also pregnant, wobbled around her house, and they usually sat together, reading, in the garden. sometimes they would talk, but sakura was content without words. ino came sometimes, newly pregnant, bright and shining, without a bump in her stomach. compared to her, sakura felt dull, fat, and it depressed her. 

he came back one early evening, and was especially affectionate with her; he made dinner, he bathed her, he rubbed her feet. finally, he took her to bed, where he seduced her and made love to her. she slept soundly for once, she was quiet, and he laid awake, watching the curious twitch of her stomach, occasionally running a hand over it, always sending his thoughts to the baby inside. 

“i’ll be staying,” he said to her in the morning, as she slowly woke, as she turned to him without focus, “in konoha.”

she did not feel a weight off her shoulders, rather she felt even heavier, because she understood sasuke’s need to be outside the village, to protect it without being in it. but, she didn’t say anything, she didn’t want to leave him, she whispered thank you, and she fell asleep again.

sarada was born in march, just like her, yet she looked just like him. delivery was difficult, but the sounds of her first cries made sakura giddy, in a way she hadn’t felt throughout her pregnancy, and sasuke handed her the baby. she looked at him, he looked at her, they understood that they were husband and wife, that they were married. sakura’s love reignited, she remembered the academy days of chasing a sullen boy, she couldn’t believe he stood next to her as she gave birth to their child. it seems he understood the same; in an unlikely gesture he bent his head and gave her a kiss, while the nurses watched, while the baby squealed, and he pulled back, kissed her again.

“sarada uchiha,” he whispered, and it sounded like sakura uchiha, as if he was reminding himself of their family, of their unity.

SasuSaku Month 2017

Day 24: After Winter Comes Spring

***

FFnet link :D

***

Uchiha Sasuke has never known what spring felt like in his life. His childhood days were filled with happiness and brightness like summer. Later, he experienced fall when he struggled to gain his father's and his beloved nii-san's attention.

His years of loneliness and revenge was the long, harsh winter in his life. He spent most of his life in bitter cold it was basically a part of him now.

He saw a glimpse of spring when his teammates accepted him again after the war. Ever since, he yearned to fully experience it. During his road to redemption, it made him hopeful that one day, spring will indeed come to his life. But travelling alone was like the hazy days that came with the changing of the season – in which one's uncertain if winter has indeed ended and if spring will ever come.

All uncertainty disappeared when Sakura became his wife, officially becoming Uchiha Sakura.

His heart warmed with the thought that he is not the last of the Uchiha any longer. Her love thawed the ice and snow and paved the way for everything to bloom once again. Her love was different from any kind of love he knew, and Sasuke seeks it every single day – like how the sunflower yearns for the sun.

Happiness filled their days together, and just when he thought nothing could get any better – it just did.

When Sakura told him she was pregnant , his mind went blank for the first time in his life. His wife… carrying another Uchiha in her womb… their child… a human being made from the love they have for each other…

If his heart could burst from overwhelming happiness it would.

Their beautiful baby girl came to the world just days after her mama's own birthday – in spring. As he saw his wife and daughter, the tears flowed freely and he didn't bother to wipe them away. Sasuke grinned so wide it almost hurts; his happiness overflowing for everyone to see. Sakura smiled with him and both gazed lovingly towards their daughter – their precious, beautiful Uchiha Sarada.

Spring has indeed come to Sasuke's life. The harsh winter has ended after consuming him for so long. This time, he hoped that it will never end.

He would lie to himself if he says spring is not his favorite season. Seeing his family's happy smiles – his own personification of spring – made him realize that winter was just a phase.

Her mother had taught her that after a tragedy something good will inevitably come to balance the scales. So Sakura knew that after the rain came the sun, after the winter came the spring, and after a bad hair day came a good hair day. Now she wished the problems were as simple.

Disaster after disaster had befallen them after the chunin exams an every time something bad happened she told herself something good’s on its way.

And then, Sasuke left.

After that everything was a downward spiral of bad after bad. And she learned something new, something her new teacher taught her, you can’t sit around and wait for a change, you have to make one.

She thought she’d learned, but as she turned to the sound of lighting she was back to being a child. After a bad thing came a good thing.

We’re the bad thing. There was a wild look in his eyes as he charged toward her, a final confirmation that her Sasuke was long gone. She closed her eyes, awaiting the strike of the lighting blade against her chest.