Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Chapter Ten
Sasuke opened the door to his apartment, and walked in expecting to see Sakura sitting on his couch watching TV, like she usually does, but apparently not tonight. His apartment was dark and empty, and there wasn't a trace of fresh strawberry splash perfume, that usually welcomed him.
"Sakura?" He called out, turning on the lamp close to him. But the apartment looked exactly the same as it did when he left.
"Maybe she's in my room…" He thought to himself, as he jogged slowly into his room. "Sakura?" He called out again slowly opening his door, but his bed was empty. At first, Sasuke's first instinct was to call a manhunt for her, but he decided against it. She was probably at her place, even though this week she was supposed to be staying at his house. But whatever, she probably forgot.
"Che." Sasuke said out loud and threw his ninja equipment on his bed, and sat down next to them. He ran both of his hands through his hair and let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He pulled out the engagement ring box from his pocket, and ran his fingers over the velvet case. And to his great surprise his fingers were shaking. Was he actually…nervous? Him? Sasuke Uchiha? He doesn't get nervous. Not even when he saw Orochimaru for the first time. Okay, so at first he was kind of nervous, but… he got over that quickly. Right?
"Whatever." Sasuke muttered, placing the case back into his pocket, but again involuntarily let out another insecure breath. He stood up and grabbed his coat. There was only person he knew that he felt somewhat comfortable talking about this problem and that person unfortunately was Naruto Uzumaki.
Naruto groaned on the couch when he heard a repeated bang on the door. He stretched and glanced at the red digital numbers in the corner of the room, and it read, 12:01.
"N-Naruto-kun! C-can you get that?" Hinata somewhat screamed from the other room, as their son, Kaori, bawled hysterically. She was in their bedroom attempting to put Kaori back to sleep, but so far mission unsuccessful. So, Naruto thought he'd get some peace and quiet on the couch, but no, that rude stranger decided that now was good time to visit.
The knocking persisted, and Naruto groaned loudly while getting up. "I'm coming!" He shouted, reaching towards the door and opened it, only to Sasuke freaking Uchiha on the other side.
"What are you doing here?" Naruto screamed, pissed off. "And why didn't you just say it was you!"
Sasuke shrugged, "Didn't want to disturb Hinata."
"What!" Naruto hit his palm against his head, and dragged it down his face. "Do you know what time it is?"
Sasuke screwed his face in response. "Does it really look like I care?"
"Hey! You know what Teme! You can't just waltz over to my house, pound on my door like you're the freaking FBI, and then-"
Sasuke held his palm out, signaling that his little speech should seize, "I need...help." Sasuke spat out, slightly shivering a bit, who ever thought that it would come to the day where he would ask this blonde dobe for help?
Naruto raised a single eyebrow, "Really? Why, what up? Is Sakura-chan missing again, because seriously I think you might need to put a tracker on-"
"No, she's not missing." But then Sasuke remembered he couldn't actually find her, but he ignored that passing feeling. "I just bought something for her, and I wanted…wanted…"
"…to show me?" Naruto finished his sentence with a freakishly annoying grin on his face that exposed all his teeth, opening the door wider allowing Sasuke in, but Sasuke shook his head.
"I'd rather show you out here." Sasuke motioned Naruto outside, and he followed shutting the door quietly behind him. The air outside was chilly, since it was a February night. The moon was full and was shining over the entire village, and from Naruto's apartment on the 5th floor, when you stood on the balcony you could clearly see its beauty, and at this time there were just a trickle of villagers walking about getting their last minute errands, or…going to pick up whores at clubs that were probably wearing stripper high heels with bedazzled rhinestones.
Sasuke leaned against the banister just like how he used to back on the team's old meeting spot, the infamous team seven bridge. Naruto stood next to him with his arms crossed. "Okay, well what is it?"
Sasuke reached into his pocket and pulled out the velvet case and tossed it at him. Naruto caught it with a curious face, and then opened it.
Naruto's face dropped in surprise, as he looked at his best friend in shock, "You're proposing to Sakura-chan!" Sasuke flinched at the loudness of his voice. "You're joking right?"
"Do, I look I'm joking?" He said in a dead toned voice.
"Shit." Naruto cursed, which he rarely does. "Wow, you really do love her."
Sasuke flinched. "Who said I love her?"
"Well, you can't propose to someone unless you love them. That's kind of the rule." Naruto said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"I don't exactly 'love'." Sasuke said looking up into the sky. "That emotion was wiped away a long time ago."
"Sasuke..." Naruto's voice faded off, surprised by Sasuke.
"I've learned that it is better not to go to that extent in a relationship, or you're more susceptible to get hurt." His voice trailed off as his face looked very distant and hard. Naruto stared at his best friend completely numb by his friend's complexity. Honestly, Sakura was the best thing that ever happened to Sasuke, and he was always happier when he was around her. Everyone could tell that he was happier though, they didn't exactly really know the real reason why.
"Sasuke are you scared…to fall in love?" Naruto whispered. Sasuke didn't respond but just kept his head facing the night sky. "Sasuke! You don't have to be scared! Sakura-chan would never hurt you! And you know that!"
"Che. I once thought of Itachi in that way." Sasuke retorted bitterly.
Naruto suddenly felt anger surge through his body, and he punched Sasuke in the stomach. Since it was so unexpected, Sasuke actually bent over and spat on the floor.
"What the fuck, is your problem!" He shouted angrily.
Naruto gritted his teeth, "Are you stupid? How can you compare Sakura-chan to your blood thirsty brother? Have you lost your mind? Or are you just being a scaredy-cat? You are just afraid that Sakura-chan would be taken away from you, and you'll feel like shit, just like how you felt when your family was taken away from you!"
Naruto threw the engagement ring back at him, and Sasuke caught it, still glaring at him angrily, but his words were seeping into his mind, and Sasuke didn't like the tone of them. "Fuck you Naruto, who the hell do you think you are?" Sasuke shoved him roughly, not enough to knock him down, but it was enough to make him take a few steps backwards.
"I think I'm your friend. And I think you came here for my help because you know what I am saying is the truth. You know it. But you're just afraid to hear it." Naruto said sternly. "Sakura-chan will never leave you Sasuke, so you don't have to be afraid to committing a hundred percent of yourself into this relationship! You can propose to her tomorrow, and I promise she won't run off with some stranger, or go of killing your neighbor, and I can almost guarantee she's not going to die tomorrow by some freakishly rare disease. So you won't get hurt teme, and you won't be lonely."
Sasuke stared down at the ground, licking his bottom lip that was now chill due to the air. What if Naruto was right? What if he really is just…afraid (ugh)…of getting hurt?
Hinata opened the door to the apartment and peaked through. "Oh, hello S-sasuke." She greeted looking nervously between the two. Sasuke nodded in response and stuck his hands in his pockets. Naruto walked over to his wife and kissed her on the cheek.
"Why are you out here Hinata-chan? You're going to catch a cold." Then to Sasuke he said, "Sasuke-teme! Gimme your jacket!"
Sasuke looked surprised, were they not just having an argument? "No, you loser. Wait, why?"
Naruto rolled his perfectly blue eyes, "Obviously, Hinata-chan is cold!"
Hinata blushed, "No, N-Naruto-kun! It's alright!"
"She doesn't even want it." Sasuke replied.
Naruto crossed his arms, "Oh, I see. So you're going to let my wife suffer from hypothermia. That's great seriously. Thanks. After all we've been through, you punching a whole through my stomach when we were twelve and everything… all I'm just asking-" Naruto was cut off, when the Uchiha tossed his favorite winter jacket at his face.
"Just shut up, and take it. You fucking loser." He put his hands in his pocket and walked off. Naruto smirked, and placed the jacket around his wife. Hinata's blush deepened.
"Naruto-kun! He didn't have to give it to me. I-I could have just gone inside." Naruto smiled in response and rubbed Hinata's dark raven locks.
"I know, Hinata." He watched his retreating friend, and smiled softly to himself. He knew Sasuke would learn to face his fear in due time, and find true happiness, just like he had. "I know."
Sasuke ran over to Sakura's house and didn't even bother with the front door, but leaped into her bedroom window swiftly and quietly so he wouldn't be detected by her neighbors or anyone else that happened to be about. He frowned for a second when he realized her window was unlocked perfect for Kabuto, or whoever, when they decided to bust threw it and kidnap her again. Seriously, does she not learn her lesson?
Sasuke made a mental note to lecture Sakura about this when he woke her up, but when he looked on her bed, she wasn't there. He ran downstairs and looked on the couch, expecting her to have fallen asleep there by accident, but she wasn't there either, and according to her pink clock hanging above her stove it was one o'clock in the morning.
Sasuke knew there was something wrong and cursed himself for not picking up on this earlier when she hadn't been at his place.
"May be she's at a friend's house…" Sasuke sat down on her sofa thinking, maybe he could just wait till the morning, and see if she'd arrive. But then thoughts about what happened that night when he was sleeping and how Kabuto managed to just sweep her away right under his freaking nose. Maybe this was another scenario just like that. "Shit!" Sasuke cursed out loud as he ran outside.
Naruto crept slowly into his bed, where Hinata had already fallen asleep. He yawned, finally Kaori had fallen asleep, and the two of them were finally at peace. He rested his head against his amazingly soft pillow (a gift from Neji), and closed his eyes waiting for slumber to approach him, until he heard loud banging at his door … again.
"N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata whispered drowsily. "Please answer the door, before the baby wakes up."
Naruto grumbled something incoherently, but did as he was told and headed for the door for the second time that night. And not to his great surprise, it was Sasuke.
"Are you back for your jacket, 'cause I thought we had this silent agreement that I'd give it to you in the morning!" Naruto snapped, but Sasuke brushed by him, as if he didn't even hear him.
"Sakura's gone!" He yelled. Naruto threw his palm over his mouth and hissed at him.
"Are you crazy, you're going to wake Kaori." He whispered.
Sasuke shoved the hand away from him, "Do you think I care about a fucking baby? Sakura's not at her house, or my house. So I need you to check Kakashi's, Ino's, and Tsunade."
Naruto stared blankly at him. "I'm sure she's fine! You're just over reacting. They got ninjas surrounding this whole village on high alert if that glasses wearing freak, or your snake master appear again. I don't think searching this town is necessary and you know how she hates when you get all protective on her."
Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm, "I don't have time to wait till morning to see if she's okay! I gave my jacket to your wife, and carried her to the fucking delivery room when she was in labor because your dumb ass was on a mission. You fucking owe me!"
Naruto pried himself out of Sasuke's grip. "Okay, deal I'll go look for her." He grabbed Sasuke's jacket of the coat rack and wore it. "No need to get all snappy with me…" He muttered as he closed the door.
Sasuke cracked his knuckles as he sat of their sofa and placed his head in his hands. Now all he had to do is wait.
Sasuke nearly jumped out of his seat, when he heard Naruto open the door, but the look on Naruto's face wasn't his usual cheerfully happy one, but it looked forlorn. And Sasuke knew the answer before he even opened his mouth.
"Dude, I'm sorry." Naruto said rubbing his hands threw his hair. "I checked everywhere and woke up everyone she's close to. I even checked the library to see if she collapsed from learning too hard again, and that bench that she likes to go to and think, but she wasn't there. But Tsunade wasn't home either. And when I went to eat ramen on my way back, the old man there told me that he saw the old hag and Sakura-chan just before closing time."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously, "So you're saying that she's probably with Tsunade."
Naruto nodded, "Yeah, your best bet is to just go home and wait for her to come home."
Sakura slowly walked her way back home after a tedious day. She knew it was late, and she knew that Sasuke had probably already gone off the deep end worrying about her, but right now she just couldn't think about him. Especially how he was going to react when he found out she was … pregnant. If she was pregnant with his child, and though they were only seventeen, she would be excited. Sasuke would make an amazing father, and it would be great to start a family with him.
But through lab tests, x-rays, and everything else that was medically helpful right now, she knew exactly who the father was, and it was not him.
Sakura felt hot tears fall down her face for the thousandth time that day. What was she going to do? Give birth to a freak of nature, whose father was the biggest ass in the world, and thought it was a flipping great idea to inject their freaking chromosomes, DNA and everything else that makes it possible to create a living being inside of her?
Tsunade came to the conclusion that the father wanted their genes to continue in this world, and the only way it could grow up in a nurturing environment for it to develop and become stronger, is in Konoha.
And the only person that this man knew, would not have the heart to kill this innocent baby… is Sakura Haruno.
Of course instantly Tsunade had offered the idea of abortion ,but Sakura couldn't bring herself do it. She couldn't kill that baby inside of her. Because it wasn't fair to the him…or her.
Sakura's tears came more, and she attempted to wipe her eyes, but it was no use. The wiping, the crying, the tears… nothing could erase this moment for her, nothing could erase this baby. Nothing.
She walked up to her house and opened the door, which she rarely locked, and when she stepped in and flipped the switch closest to her, she saw Sasuke sitting right there facing her.
"S-S-Sasuke-kun!" She shouted jumping nearly a foot in the air. Her hand flew over her chest in attempt to cover her panic attack.
"Where have you been?" He demanded in a very cold tone.
Sakura just sighed, ignoring his question and dropping her keys on the kitchen counter. She looked up at her clock and it read 3:06. "How long have you been here?" She asked guardedly.
"Long enough."
Sakura heard movements behind her and definitely knew that Sasuke was coming closer to her. And she knew that she was supposed to tell him about the pregnancy…she knew it…but how would he react?
Sakura turned around to face him, and noticed that Sasuke had crossed the room and was now standing two feet in front of her.
"So where were you?" He demanded again staring hard at her.
Sakura avoided his glare. "Um I was at the library studying…"
Sasuke's eyes hardened he lifted her chin with his finger so she would look him in the eye. "Why are you lying?" But then his eyes widened when he noticed that her eyes were red and puffy. Her face was blotchy on her pale skin. He instantly felt his anger vanish. "Have you been crying?" Sakura didn't answer though, but kept her head down.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Sasuke gently shook her, but instead of her responding, she started crying. And it wasn't like normal everyday Sakura tears, but they were full out sobs that shook her tiny frame. Her knees gave out as she collapsed on the floor in only what Sasuke could explain as hysteria.
"Sakura?" He called out nervously, as he knelt down beside her. "Did someone hurt you?"
But she lamely shook her head, like it was the only thing she could do, as her body shook severely. Sasuke honestly, had no idea what to do but to just wrap his arms around her till she calmed down. And so that's what he did. He held her.
"S-S-S-S-Sasuke-k-k-unn…" She stuttered her hysterics still not under control. Sasuke loosened his hold on her so he could look her in the face, questionably.
"I-I-I l-love y-you…and I-I-I will always love you, no m-matter what." She whimpered barely audible.
"Sasuke are you scared…to fall in love?"
Sasuke stared into her murky greenish eyes and felt something stir inside of him, and could feel a certain three words at the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed those words and pushed aside that feeling.
"I know you do," he replied, and though he felt bad for not saying the words that he knew she wanted to hear, she just nodded and laid her against his chest.
And he sat on that cold kitchen floor the rest of the night with her trembling reducing, but the tears still flowed down her face.
Sakura awoke that morning to the blinding sun coming through the window and her ass stiff from sitting on the cold hard kitchen floor. She looked up and saw Sasuke's head bent over her own, his bangs falling forward. His arms were limp, but still wrapped around her waist, as his back was leaned against the counter.
Sakura reached over to him, and brushed his hair out of his face, so surprised to see his face so serene and peaceful when he's sleeping. She completely adored him this way, and she was sure many girls would as well. He reminded her of his twelve year old self when he was asleep, and how she used to gaze at him when he would fall asleep, and think how amazing it would be to wake up to that face every morning.
Unless he was having a dream about Itachi, and when he was, that's when his face looks strangled, as if he is being choked. And that was face that could actually terrorize you in the morning.
But those were on rare occasions, and she really treasured the days when she could gaze at him, just like she was twelve years old, and not seventeen with a barely two week old baby inside of her.
She caressed his hard, callused palm with her gentle one for some time, until he stirred.
"Hi." Sakura smiled beautifully, as Sasuke awkwardly tried to stretch his back as he mumbled something under his breath.
"Aa." Sasuke looked over at her, and noticed that she looked sane this morning, "You seem better."
Sakura nodded and unconsciously rubbed her belly. "I feel …better." Sakura stood up and Sasuke followed suit, stretching as he got up.
"Would you like to tell me what caused all that last night?" Sasuke asked.
Sakura nodded her hand still on her belly, "I have to tell you something."
Sasuke crossed his arms, waiting. Sakura swallowed, and picked anything to keep her eyes on, anything but Sasuke, so she wouldn't chicken out on this.
"I know you have a month long mission tomorrow, and I just wanted to tell you before you left. Sasuke-kun, I am -"
But then suddenly the door to her apartment rudely just opened, and Kakashi walked in with a politely happy look on his face.
"Yo! Just came to say Happy Valentine's Day!" He greeted, but then his happy look turned into a deadly one when he noticed the Uchiha, who looked like he just woke up, in Sakura's kitchen. "What are you doing here?"
Sasuke frowned, how annoying could this guy be? "Well, I didn't see a 'No-Uchiha' sign on her door."
Kakashi crossed his arms in defense, "Remind me to get her one of those."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes but looked back at Sakura that wasn't even following the conversation, but looked a bit nauseous.
"Hey, are you-"
But Sakura quickly shoved Sasuke to the side, since he was standing in front of the sink, and she vomited inside of it. Sasuke quickly, using his ninja reflexes, held back her hair so she wouldn't get crap on it, but Kakashi suddenly appeared and smacked his hand out of the way, and replaced them with his own.
"Let me." Kakashi said with some assertiveness.
Sasuke growled, but figured that this was not something he needed to argue about, he must learn to pick and choose his battles, as Sakura would always tell him. Sakura finally finished lifting her head up from the sink and looked apologetically at Sasuke, and thankfully at Kakashi.
"Kakashi-sensei, why are you here?" She asked wiping the mouth with back of her hand.
Kakashi's smile returned, "Well it is Valentine's Day, and I thought I'd take you out for breakfast but I see you have company, and that you look a little sick."
Sakura looked at Sasuke, who was now looking at a spot on the floor, obviously uncomfortable with Kakashi in his presence.
"Oh, I'm fine, must've been something I ate last night." She said shaking it off, even though she really knew it was morning sickness. "And I'm booked for the day, I already have a date." Sasuke looked at her a bit shocked, was she really going to tell Kakashi that she was dating him? Had she lost her mind? Kakashi would literally explode, or something relatively close to that.
"Really?" Kakashi said a bit taken back, looking cautiously at Sasuke. "Who is this date?"
Sakura opened her mouth to reply, but then the door opened again (she really must learn to lock it) and a green jumpsuit appeared.
"I AM!!" Lee screamed holding a bouquet of flowers. "SAKURA-CHAN! IT IS THE DAY OF LOVE. THE DAY THE GODS DECIDED WE SHOULD BE UNITED! THE DAY YOU WILL BE AT MERCY AS I SHOWER YOU WITH EXPENSIVE UNNECISSARY GIFTS!" He ran up to her and gave her the bouquet and kissed her on the cheek.
Sasuke twitched; clearly annoyed, but no other word could some up what a shitty day this 'V-day' was turning out to be. And this is the day that he was supposed to propose! No other word can sum up the way he felt than his favorite four letter word, "Fuck."
"Oh, Sasuke! Please don't curse in my presence! It does not flow well with the mood of LOVE!"
HAHA! It's like a double feature! Lol I finished this chapter! Haha I have promised myself I would finish this story if it's the last thing I DO! Lol review, review, it makes me happy! Hahah btw. Who do you think the babies for? Kabuto, or Orochimaru…or can it be… it is for Kaori? O_O