A soft glow blanketed Konoha as the last of the sun's light slipped below the horizon. Sakura looked down on the town as it began to prepare for night, watching the villagers go about their business. The breeze on the mountain was cooler than she had expected, and a slight shiver prickled her skin with goosebumps. Before her arms had time to act upon the thought to try to warm herself, perfect timing intervened.

Two warm arms slid around her waist from behind, capturing her and her attention. Sakura hadn't heard anyone approach, but she wasn't startled. Perhaps she was expecting the man to whom the arms belonged. She must have been. The pink-haired woman leaned back into the embrace, and the man tucked his chin against her head affectionately.

Time ceased to exist for a moment, as an intimate silence passed between the pair. Sakura felt so innately safe and loved in that moment, a feeling she eagerly let consume her. If only she could stay here forever, she'd be content to let everything else go. Everything but him.

Reaching up, Sakura's fingertips found the warm skin of the man's cheek, and she slid them along it before pressing her palm against his face. The man leaned into her hand. She could feel him smile against her skin.

Sakura had yet to turn around to see her lover. There was a whispered fear that he'd disappear if she saw him- a fear that the moment would cease. The man's arms felt so strong, but the moment so fragile. She wanted to say something- to hear his voice- but she found herself unable to form words. Silently, she yearned for him to break the silence, to say her name, to tell her that things could be like this forever.

But he didn't speak. And she couldn't.

And the silence was becoming heavy.

Surely if she just turned slightly, just tilted her head ever so slightly, Sakura wouldn't ruin the moment. She gripped the man's arm around her waist with her own hand, hugging it tighter against her. He couldn't slip away. Sakura took a breath, breathing in his scent, and tilted her head up and back, her eyes searching for his face.

There was a moment of stirred emotion when her green eyes met his brilliant blue ones. Surprise ebbed into relief, as if she had hoped but not dared expect to see these eyes. Relief ebbed into fluttering happiness and anticipation that she would be happily drowned in unconditional love.

Sakura let her whole body rest against his, and he smiled more down at her.

"Naruto..." She thought aloud, shattering the silence.

It was as if saying his name aloud, acknowledging that she was there in his arms, was the magic word to break the spell. Time began moving again, double time as if to make up for the lapse.

Naruto's smile faltered and he looked off into the distance as if someone was calling him. Sakura felt his hold on her relax, and he was moving away from her and disappearing into the darkness before she could even register what was happening or stop it.

The warm moment in the glow of the light was suddenly replaced by a cold, stark darkness. Sakura was alone and empty and -

Sakura's eyes flashed open and she took a deep breath as she returned to reality in the waking world. It was all a dream. Nothing more. Her gaze fell upon the photo on her nightstand. Sasuke's dark eyes stared back at her.

"Sasuke..." Sakura breathed out, as if reminding herself that it was him she was married to. A feeling of guilt washed over her.

She rolled over onto her other side, expectantly reaching out an arm to touch her husband, but Sasuke's side of the bed was empty, untouched and cold. She was alone. She was always alone.

Sakura stared at the place in the bed where Sasuke would have been, should have been, if he wasn't always away on missions. A wave of sadness washed over her, replacing the guilt from moments before. She grabbed Sasuke's pillow, and pulled it over to her, burying her face in it, trying to capture any form of solace that she could... but the pillow hardly even smelled like him anymore. It had been too long since he was last home.

Tossing the pillow back to Sasuke's side, Sakura rolled onto her back, staring up at the dark ceiling. Fleeting sensations and emotions from her dream danced around the edges of her mind, tempting her, teasing her to chase after them. Was it wrong to?

Was it wrong to have a dream about Naruto? Maybe not, it wasn't like Sakura had asked for the dream. It wasn't like anything really happened in the dream... Was it wrong to want to return to the dream though? Yes, that was wrong she thought. She loved and married Sasuke. Not Naruto. She had had the opportunity to have a life with Naruto when they were younger, but Sasuke had always been the one. Even if now, their marriage wasn't especially affectionate, or close, or like that of others... Even if she no longer felt the way that she had while in Naruto's arms in her dream, if she ever had even...

Sakura's eyes were shut again and she was trying to recapture the feeling of safety and warmth and love while in Naruto's arms. Just to feel it for a few more moments again, to appreciate it... but the dream was just out of reach. She couldn't catch it, couldn't make it real.

She had made her choice a long time ago. This was her reality. The empty bed, the unsatiated desire to be held, the longing for unconditional love... was all hers.

Sakura sighed and glanced over at the picture again. This time she focussed on Sarada, and another pang of guilt swept over Sakura. She wasn't actually alone. Sakura had a daughter, whom she unconditionally loved and could hold. That's what mattered. Not what was lacking with Sasuke, or could have been with Naruto. Sarada was her life and reality now.

Sakura pushed away the feelings of loneliness and sadness, boxing them up again as she had learned to do over the years, and let herself fall back asleep, focusing on the happy parts of her life.