Disclamer: Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

Note: This was written in hopes of reconciling all the angst these two have gone through. It may not follow canon, but I suppose one can hope it will.

It is dedicated to all those who hope chivalry and true love never die.

There are moments in your life when you know with every part of your being, that a particular piece of time will forever be seared into memory. Life around those key times can fade, but those special ones only gain clarity and significance as time goes on.

He knew this was one of them, not for him of course, but for her. For all the pain and suffering he had caused her, and for all the future suffering he would cause, he knew he had to get this right. It had to be perfect, because as flawed as he was, she was his saving grace. She was the source of light that forever flickered for him, even when the darkness nearly consumed his very soul. Her love for him never wavered, not once. She deserved everything from him, and now that he could, he was determined to love her with every part of his being.

In younger years, he had been adamant about leaving her behind, hoping she'd move on. He left her, despite begging him not to, and when that didn't discourage her to forget about him, he ran so far into the depths of the darkness, there was little possibility of anything left for her. A lesser woman would have obliged and given up, knowing there could be better things in store if she did. It defied reasoning why she hung onto her undying love despite the odds against it. She continued wholeheartedly to cherish and cling to it, when clearly there was no return in its wake.

Even when he made attempts to take her life, she forgave him and put him on a pedestal. Her love was pure and devout, saved only for him. She seemed to see through all the lies, pain, and evil enmeshed within. There was clarity in all that was terribly wrong. Despite everything, good and bad, she accepted him with nothing but true love.

He knew, she deserved perfection, if only for a fleeting moment. He would never be able to make up for all the damage he had caused. He'd be a fool to even entertain that thought. No. It was his job to go on from here, to give her all he had, and all she ever wanted: his love.

It was her birthday party. The Fourth Shinobi War had come to a close awhile back, and the devastation and loss was slowly beginning to fade. Incarceration for his war crimes was vehemently opposed by his two teammates, and to his surprise, his former Sensei, the current Hokage, allowed him to repent without jail time. He was untrusted and unwelcomed by most shinobi, but legally, through it all, he remained a free man. Wariness would forever be brewing just under the surface, but unbelievably their closest shinobi friends cast it aside. He knew it was because of her, and no doubt, the blond idiot, his best friend. For that he was thankful. He had really come to love them as family and made this realization in coming into adulthood.

Casualties from the War hit hardest upon the shinobi of the Village. They were first in line and suffered the greatest damage. Konoha had thrived off their strength, boasting Kekkei Genkai from numerous Clans. It was only logical to breathe new life into them. In part thanks to Naruto and the Alliances forged, the shift in paradigm led to encouragement to revive the populations of this precious commodity, and rebuild with new intentions in mind. Many began this journey in the years of peace that followed.

Naruto and Hinata of course led the way. No one in the vast shinobi world would have opposed such a union, not even Hiashi, her father. Shikamaru and Temari soon followed suit, encouraging eventual marriages of the Ino-Shika-Cho team. Lee, who would not lose to the youthfulness of it all, eventually found a civilian to settle down with, much to Guy Sensei's boisterous congratulations.

When he returned, everyone assumed he came back to fulfill his goal to revive his Clan. There wasn't a single man, woman, or child who didn't know he was the last Uchiha, and it was a reasonable conclusion. Even with his soiled name and acts of treason, it wouldn't be hard to find a mate. Fangirls were a part of his life since the very beginning. His gorgeous looks easily attracted hundreds at his first beck and call. Deep down however, the reality was, he was back to see her. Rebuilding a Clan couldn't take place until he made amends with Sakura. He could no longer deny she was a precious person in his life. Reparations with her could make him whole again, and then maybe, just maybe, he could begin to live life.

Honestly, she was no longer the girl he knew from long ago. She had become a legendary kunoichi in her own right. Trained by the Godaime herself, she proved to have the strength and power to level a mountain while maintaining the good sense to fight or concede a battle for the best interests of all involved. Moreover, she was a conundrum: armed with the ferocity of power to kill, while blessed with the intrinsic gift to heal.

She was drawn to him, so at first he retreated back to see if she would pursue any of the other opportunities that presented themselves. She could have won over any eligible shinobi. Really, anyone would have felt blessed a thousand times over to have her, to hold her, to love her. There were so many who could have given her the life she deserved. Sometimes it made his heart hurt to know she loved him so deeply. She deserved the best, and yet he was the one she wanted.

Yes, she loved him, but there were so many things wrong with that statement. He, who yearned for power, sought revenge, forsook his friends, tried to kill her, and then dared to ask forgiveness when all was said and done, no, he did not deserve her. Certainly the bright star that she was did not deserve to be stuck with him either. She was supposed to have so much more. He would ruin her like he did everything else he touched, and he couldn't bear that thought.

And so, he worked to become her steadfast friend, standing by her side, earning trust, and being there for her. He put reasonable distance between them despite the overwhelming feelings that stirred within. Then he waited, and waited, hoping time would change her mind and lead her on a path better suited for her.

She persevered though, assuring him all the while that her love was still there and that it was okay if he didn't want her just yet. She would be patient until he did. More friends married, and lives continued, yet she never felt she was giving anything up. When he reached out, she was always there. Friendship was their solid base and eventually he knew what he'd come to feel for her was special and that he had fallen for her too. There was no one else who saw him for whom he really was or made him feel the way she did.

As time went on, it was painful to know he was holding her back. She, who had clawed her way up, bit by bit, pushed forward, surpassed everyone, it was she he held back. Worse yet, his will was again the cause of her pain.

How much more could he really steal from her? 10 years? 20? What was the cost she had to pay for loving him?

He knew he was not the Prince Charming she deserved and could never be. If his conscience was any indication, he knew he couldn't hold back anymore. It was time to embrace her hopes and set her free. Perhaps once he did, she could thrive. He gradually let her get under his skin and eventually reveled in the closeness they began to share. It was a foreign feeling to expose himself so openly but it felt unbelievably good. Darkly he wondered once she had his attention, and all of his love, if she would finally see the real Sasuke and choose to abandon him. It would hurt, but didn't he deserve that? Wasn't it his turn to take a risk? For his fate to be determined by her whim? At the very least, he owed it to her to give her the lifetime promise of his love. No one deserved it more than Sakura.

Friday had come sooner than he had anticipated, and since it was her special day, he was determined to make it memorable for her. She had just blown out her birthday candles and was happily mingling with the guests. Everyone had gathered around in the living room at Naruto and Hinata's house for her gift opening.

He stood to the side carefully watching her. She meant the world to him and had really become the part of his life he cherished. He absently palmed the small box in his pocket readying himself for a proposal to his pink haired teammate, friend, and love. As time was ticking down to his turn to share his gift though, he would admit he was a little nervous.

As a distraction, he worked to convince himself he cared less of what their friends thought. Deep down though, he knew they were important. They could really make or break how she reacted to his proposal. With each second that passed, the niggling feeling that this was a stupid idea stirred into his consciousness. Of course, since it originated from Naruto, what did he expect?

He internally fought with himself. There was no doubt he would do this, but if it weren't for the dobe, he would have ditched the whole idea of an audience.

Naruto's words then reverberated back to him. "Sasuke-teme, I'm holding you to this. Do it this time. You know you want to, and she deserves it. Everyone needs to know you care. Her birthday party is Friday at my house. Be there!"

"Sasuke-kun?" she gently questioned, but he was still lost in thought.

"Sasuke-teme!" Naruto nearly yelled and eyed him suspiciously, catching his attention.

"What, dobe?" he replied automatically, focus returning to the present moment.

"Don't you have anything you want to give Sakura?" Naruto asked, emphasizing her name. Sasuke suddenly noticed all the gifts were opened and everyone had been thanked. He was the last hold out.

Silence filled the room as everyone looked to the infamous Uchiha.

Sakura shifted in her seat as discomfort set in.

"Uh, don't worry Sasuke-kun. I don't need a gift. Just having you here was gift enough, and..."

In the blink of eye, Sasuke was beside her. "No," he stated without preamble. "I'm sorry Sakura, I don't have a birthday gift for you," he said seriously, looking directly over at Naruto.

Her green orbs looked up at him in confusion while Naruto's eyes narrowed and started to turn red.

"It's okay," she began.

"No," he repeated, "hear me out."

"Okay," she said softly.

Sasuke locked gazes with Naruto. The stare was piercing, and everyone tensed. It wasn't the time or place for an all out brawl. Surprising everyone, Sasuke was the first to look away before giving him a slight nod. Soon Naruto began to relax with a smile and everyone let out a breath they were holding.

With classic coolness, the raven haired Uchiha surveyed the crowd. The friends who stuck by her through thick and thin were there. These would be the family she and he would rely on in the future. No matter what he had thought about them prior, they would be an integral part of their lives. If he couldn't do this in front of them, what kind of man was he?

"Sakura," he began.

She focused back on him.

"Yes?" she answered.

"This is not a birthday gift," he continued. "But..." he paused as he glanced over to a frowning Ino, then shifted his eyes back to the pink haired beauty, "it's something I want to give you freely. You can decide if you want it or not. No matter what your answer is, it will not change our friendship, okay?"

This was so not Sasuke. Sakura was confused, but when he looked back at her, she nodded, albeit a little warily.

He took in a shaky breath and smiled faintly. That act stunned her. Something was amiss, those moments were so rare and never in public. What was going on? The next thing she knew, he was down on one knee holding her hand.

"Sakura," he crooned with that velvety voice of his that always made her melt.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Ino wailed, then quickly worked to contain herself.

But Sakura was lost. What in the world?

"I love you," he admitted, in front of everyone. This first declaration in public made her blush.

"And I promise to love," he paused, "and protect you with my very life, no matter what your answer." It hurt to not promise to honor her but being associated with an Uchiha could hold no honor. He would never make a promise to her he couldn't keep.

Slow realization crept in. Was this?

"Haruno, Sakura," he looked her directly in the eye, "will... you... marry... me?" He left the question hanging and waited with bated breath. She could accept or refuse. No matter what the emotional cost, he owed this to her.

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Was this even real? She started to tremble, not sure if was nervousness, excitement, or anticipation. Her heart pounded away and was the only real sensation she could register at the moment. Silence filled the room as she stood there, stunned, wide-eyed, and speechless, as he popped open the small velvet box and removed out a precious emerald cut diamond ring and held it out to her.

Her hand went to her mouth in sheer shock. Everything she had wanted, everything she had hoped, was culminating in this moment, this one precious moment! Tears formed and threatened to fall. A stray one even managed to slip down her cheek. She carelessly wiped it away, taking a deep breath in to steady herself before the crescendo would hit.

"Yes," she responded, half laughing and half crying, gazing deeply into his eyes. "Yes!" she cried as he placed the ring on her finger and stood to embrace her. Memories of the loving, tender kiss that followed would resound in their minds for years to come.

Congratulatory wishes and a few teasing barbs from Naruto followed but everything else would fade in time. That moment would remain untouched and pure, forever etched in history as 'the moment' when Uchiha, Sasuke, finally showed her how much he loved her, and when his beloved, Haruno, Sakura, accepted his promise and knew, at long last, he would forever be hers.

Author's Note:

This was my first Sasu/Saku fanfiction piece. I admit I've had some difficulties coming to grips with Sakura's undying love despite Sasuke's treatment of her, and in figuring out what really goes on in that head of his. I want to believe there is good in him, and he is capable of giving her all that she deserves. Can you tell I hope he can redeem himself for her? And that they will be good for each other too? It's possible this hope of mine made the characters seem too OC, so I'd love to hear what you think. It may or may not comply with canon depending on how things evolve too. Constructive criticism is likely to help me untangle my own curiosities in what other fans gather about this couple and how they ultimately come together.

I'd like to personally thank: Shadow Owner, Oldest Soul, black'nwhitepanda, Dagger-flints, and Wintry-Leen for pointing out corrections that needed to be addressed and for helping me to improve things in this revision. A big thank you to others who have read and reviewed or placed the story on their favorites list.

At this time, I would like to ask a favor of my readers. I'd like to start a fanfiction movement whereby readers pay it forward by reviewing the stories they enjoy. If you enjoyed this piece, please review and let me know your thoughts. If it didn't appeal to you, it would be great to hear that as well, but if you'd rather, all I ask is to please leave a review for someone else's work you read to let that author know what you thought. Reviews on written quality and your impression of the story can make my day and I'm sure holds true for other authors. Please start this practice today and thanks for reading!

8-19-2017 Addendum

If you're up for something very different and open to the Crackfic genre, I invite you to hop over to my story, "Permission to Marry." As fair warning, it's nothing like this one shot but it loosely continues on from here and shows just how much Sasuke loves Sakura in it's own twisted way.