A/N: Last one guys, hope you enjoyed the 2014 SasuSaku Anthology! I loved these prompts, because I actually had to think about what to write and how to write the plot for some of them. Anyways, enough of that, last one. *Tears up* And hopefully we will get a beautiful SasuSaku ending or at least some more hope from Kishi-sama. Enjoy!

XXXI. Three Wishes

(it's recommended that you listen to "Always On My Mind" by the Pet Shop Boys for this one ^o^)

In his twenty-one years of life, Uchiha Sasuke had only ever had three wishes. Two of which, never seemed to come true.

The first, of course, was to prove to his father that he was equal, if not better than his older brother Itachi.

The second, after the fated end to his first, was the childish, heartbroken desire to bring back his family, clan, his life. What he had known as childhood and innocence had been robbed from him, and all he wanted until he was twelve was for it to be brought back to him, as if by some magical trick. He wanted to come home and see his mother singing and cooking dinner in the kitchen, see his father at the table reading a scroll, older brother entering the front door, dropping his ANBU gear to the ground with a tired sigh.

After countless lies, heartbreaks and heart mends, he accepted the failure of that wish too and opted to make more realistic wishes.

His third wish was simple, but covered a mass array of options.

He wished to be happy again.

It seemed like an easy wish to accomplish, whatever he felt content from was leaning towards the fulfillment of this wish. To be completely honest, he was never hit with the sudden realization of it until a day like any other.

He returned from his mission on a summer evening, humid air sticky against his neck. He clutched his gear in his hands and fought back a yawn as he walked through the entrance to the Uchiha compound. He slid through the door to the kitchen, eyes registering the sight, legs slowly halting to a stop.

His obsidian orbs slid up the creamy legs facing away from him; over his rumpled, black, long sleeved Jounin shirt falling haphazardly off one shoulder of her body, revealing a porcelain shoulder. The large Uchiha insignia on the back of his shirt was evident. She was singing, a small tune he faintly remembered from an opening of a movie he had taken her to months back. Knife thumped dully on the chopping board, and the boiling pot on the stove wafted the scent of something utterly delicious to his nose. On the kitchen table, were his jutsu scrolls, unraveled, and ready for him to sit down in front of and read.

It hit him like a truck.

His breathing became shallow, and his vest and discarded weapons and gear dropped to the floor with a light thud. With three strides of his long legs, he was behind her, throat welling up with everything he could and couldn't say.

I'm home. He wanted to say, but his mind wanted to spew out so much more.

(give me another chance to make you happy)

(there are little things I should have said and done)

(thank you)

(I'm sorry I didn't appreciate this before)

(I'm sorry that I haven't treated you the best)

(I'm so happy that you're mine)

(you were always on my mind)

(I'm so happy)

He swallowed and opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off with a gentle giggle.

"How was your mission?" She asked gently, hands moving among the mess of tomato slices and onion and pepper peelings. Tears welled up in his eyes, and not just from the onions. His hands slowly ran up the sides of her thighs, over the hem of his shirt, and over her arms and shoulders. He stroked the back of her neck, parting his mouth in a quiet breath. His throat was still heavy, and she was completely ignorant of the turmoil in his mind. She continued singing, a smile coming to her pretty features as he slipped a hand to her hair clip, pulling it out of the carnation locks. He pressed his lips to her cheek, feeling her soft hair cascade around him.

(because she looked so much like his mother with her long hair down)

"I-" He started in a whisper, but found himself unable to form a coherent sentence.

(I'm so happy)

Her delicate fingers set the knife down on the counter, and she turned in his arms, hand gracing over his high cheekbones. Her eyes searched his cloudy ones in worry, thumb going to the corner of his eye to catch a tear.

"What's the matter?" She asked him gently, cupping his cheek. She was so calm, considering that he had never shown such emotions around her, or anyone in a long time. With shaking fingers, he cupped her hand, and leaned his face against the soft skin of her palm. His lips parted once more with the promise of speaking his mind, or at least saying something, but all that left his mouth was air and a hint of a strangled noise.

(when did I become so happy?)

(tell me that you still love me)

(give me another chance to keep you satisfied)

"I love you."

She was silent at his wavering voice, her emerald pools widening, pupils dilated. Her lips opened in a gasp. His calloused thumb stroked the back of her hand, and she joined his battle against forming tears. She didn't put up as much of a fight as he, because tears streamed down her cheeks, and she choked out a sob mixed with a laugh.

"W-What?" She murmured, and her lips formed into the kindest of smiles. He tried to swallow the hard knot in his throat. To repeat what he had just said. He opened his mouth to attempt to repeat it, but didn't get the time, because her lips were already on his, free hand yanking him by his shirt down to her and against her. He gripped her hand to his cheek and kissed her back passionately, before she was sobbing once more against his lips.

He gently pulled away to rest his forehead to hers, free hand traveling down her cheek and neck to wrap around her waist.

"I love you too. Always. Always and forever." She whispered, and finally, he let himself shed a few tears. The lump in his throat died down at a slow pace, and he tried once more to speak.

After everything he had put her through,

(maybe I didn't treat you quite as good as I should)

all of the times he pushed her away, yelled at her, broke her, ignored her for a higher purpose,

(maybe I didn't love you quite as often as I could)

and she still loved him.

A soft sob escaped his lips, and his eyes shut, clenching in attempt to halt more tears, but it was too late. They were already flowing down his cheeks. Her other hand slipped up to cup his other cheek, catching his tears, and she pressed his nose to hers, eyes watching his closed ones. Slowly, his eyes slipped open and through a haze of tears, stared back at her with an intensity that they had grown to register with.

"I'm so happy, Sakura.." He whispered in a choked breath, "..so goddamn happy.."

(I'm so happy that you're mine)

She was crying too, their soft sobs echoing through the quiet kitchen. She wriggled her hands from his embrace and pulled his head to her shoulder, arms wrapping around his shoulders, pulling him tight against her. His arms sloped around her hips, bringing her small frame to him.

"Finally." Was all she could form through a throat as clogged with emotion as his was.

I'm so sorry I was blind
You were always on my mind

A/N: I THINK I JUST HAD AN EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN OVER THIS AND I GODDAMNED WROTE IT. THE SONG + THE STORY WAS TOO MUCH THE FEELS GOT ME GOOD I AM LEGIT CRYING OK SORRY BUT I HAD TO GO OUT WITH A BANG AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYED ALL OF THESE WORKS I WILL GO CRY IN A CORNER NOW OK NIGHT.