ten things

1. the way she sings in the shower.

the first night she stayed over at his house, he woke to the sound of her slightly off-key voice singing along to some pop song while she was showering. he stayed still in bed the whole time just listening to her. there was something that he decidedly liked about the sound.

when she had walked out, dripping wet with a towel around her petite form, he pretended to still be asleep.

now every time she stayed over at his place, he always listened to her sing while she was in the shower. Sakura, to this day, still doesn't know.

2. the way she surprises him.

once, when he was having an extremely bad day, Sakura showed up on his doorstep in a black dress and a box of tomatoes in her hands. he was so shocked, all he could do was move aside and let her in.

she never stopped bringing him tomatoes after that.

3. the way she watches him sleep.

one morning after sharing a particularly boring night in bed, Sasuke woke to Sakura staring at him.

without even opening his eyes, Sasuke smirked. "you're staring." he stated.

"i'm gazing." she countered.

"it's creepy."

"it's romantic."

he opened his eyes and looked at her just as she smiled.

since that morning, Sasuke always made sure he woke up before Sakura, just so he could watch her sleep.

4. the way she walks.

the first time Sasuke saw Sakura in her red heels, walking sexily away from him, he couldn't stop looking at her legs, watching her hips sway as she strutted away, her shoulder length hair moved with her. he remembered noticing how every male in the vicinity watched her walk away.

the second time Sasuke saw Sakura in her red heels, he was taking them off of her feet.

5. the way she smiles.

Sasuke knew he was falling hard for Sakura when she smiled at him.

the first time he made her truly smile was when he showed up on her doorstep, a single flower in his hand. the way her eyes lit up and her lips pulled up in a single breathtaking smile had his heart beating uncharacteristically fast in his chest.

"thank you Sasuke, you really didn't have to!" she had said.

"it's not a problem." just keep smiling at me like that.

6. the way she calms him down.

when he found out some creep had tried to grope Sakura while he wasn't looking, Sasuke had instantly whirled around, his hands coming out to grip the collar of the man. he was lanky and thin, with a stupid, doped up look on his face. Sasuke had felt so angry when he didn't even apologise.

Sasuke had punched him right in the face, pummelling him over and over again before Sakura finally stepped in and dragged him away, telling him that he should be better than the guy who was currently bleeding on the ground. Sasuke still felt so angry, but something in her emerald green eyes had him giving up easier than he thought he ever would.

ever since then, Sasuke always made sure he was by Sakura's side when she went shopping.

7. the way she lets him comfort her.

the first time Sakura cried in front of him, Sasuke didn't know what to do. the tears just kept flowing and he wasn't sure if he should hug her or kiss her or walk away. but watching her cry made him realise that she was beautiful even with those terrible tears staining her cheeks.

eventually, he had wrapped his arms around her body and leaned his cheek against the top of her head. they stayed like this for a while; her crying, him holding her. and although he knew he was bad at it, and she knew he was bad at it, Sakura still let him comfort her whenever she was sad.

since that night, Sasuke turned to Naruto, paying the dobe fifty bucks a week to keep his mouth shut about their weekly sessions of learning to comforting someone.

8. the way she loves him.

the first time Sakura told Sasuke she loved him, she was asleep.

he never told her about it because he wanted to be the one to say it first.

9. the way she already knows.

Sasuke tried to tell Sakura he loved her on her twenty-second birthday, but the only words that came out was: "Sakura.. i.."

she had leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. "i love you too."

he had smiled at her words before reprimanding her playfully. "don't say 'too', it makes me feel like you're just agreeing with me."

she laughed, but told him she understood.

ever since that day, he always made a point to tell her he loved her more than five times a day.

10. the way she's his everything.

"do you, Uchiha Sasuke, take Haruno Sakura to be your lawfully wedded wife, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward?" the priest had asked loudly on their wedding day.

"i do." Sasuke said confidently, lovingly.

the priest turned to Sakura and asked: "do you, Haruno Sakura, take Uchiha Sasuke to be your lawfully wedded husband, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward?"

"i do." she replied without hesitation.

"i now pronounce you husband and wife! you may now kiss the bride."

and as Sasuke leaned forward and kissed Sakura passionately on the lips, he barely heard the round of applause and the cheering from everyone in the church, because he knew, then and there, that he would always love those ten things and more.