Hey guys! Yes I'm still alive, but a lot has happened in the last year too. Graduated, new laptop, moved cities, moved countries, and went back to school. Life's been crazy!
I re-read this story to help with some details of this chapter, and realized how *bad* it is a the beginning. I started writing and first uploaded this story in 2004- almost 10 years ago! You can obviously see my writing progress (thank god) but I really need to go back and edit the first few chapters. Jeez.
Anyway, here is the second to last chapter of surfers and I hope you guys like it. Full of fluff! (Which is all this story is really anyway)
I am still having some formatting issues with ff dot net, but hopefully they/ lack of won't interfere with your reading too much!
Chapter 13.
Sakura struggled to sit up as her long term boyfriend, Syaoran walked through the bedroom doorway with a bowl full of soup.
"Syaoran, when the doctor said bed rest I don't think he meant that I couldn't leave the bed at all," she exclaimed.
"I flew all the way from California to make sure you were alright, and I'm going to make sure it stays that way. Now, I need to finish the grilled cheese sandwiches but you are not to move from that bed until our child is born!"
"But what if I have to pee?" Sakura asked with an impish smile.
"Hold it." Syaoran answered in all seriousness. Sakura's face paled.
"I'm not going to hold my bladder for a month!" she yelled down the hall after him.
As Syaoran flipped the sandwich on the stove top, he thought about what had happened in the last few days.
After running, literally since he abandoned the taxi halfway, to the hospital where his pregnant girlfriend had been brought he had been so relieved to find her ok that he almost had cried. She, of course in true Sakura fashion, had apologized for making him worry and ruining the after party of him winning the Mavericks tournament. He had laughed and enveloped her in a big hug.
"It wouldn't have been the same without you anyway," he had told her.
Sakura had had to stay the night in the hospital so they could monitor her Braxton-Hicks, especially because they didn't stop until later that morning. Syaoran had stood constant vigil over her on the sofa in her room. The fake contractions were painful, and it was impossible for him to sleep while she was in so much pain. Finally, after a few walks and tips from the doctor, they ceased and Sakura was released only to be on bed rest for the next month until the baby was born.
It had only been a day since their return, and Sakura was already bored out of her mind. Syaoran, at least some part of him, could understand. Ever since meeting Sakura her life had been non-stop action. Surfing, hiking, swimming- she had been a very active girl, and since getting pregnant (which was his fault he supposed) she had been limited to the amount of exercise she could get. And now, bed rest.
However the other, more dominate side of Syaoran, never wanted her to leave the bed. In fact, she should be in a bubble. A bubble where no harm could come to her, that gave her and the baby the correct nutrients needed, where no germs could penetrate-
"Syaoran, you cannot put me in a bubble!" Sakura yelled, making Syaoran realize he had been muttering insanely out loud. He looked at her frown sheepishly.
"I know, I'm sorry. Besides, there are no bubbles like that in technology," he said coming to sit down next to her. "Unless there's something I don't know about. Or something I can invent…" he continued, staring off into space again.
"Syaoran!" Sakura yelled again, fuming.
.
Syaoran managed to make Sakura stay on house arrest for about a week. But limited to wandering between their room, the living room to watch tv and refrigerator- Sakura got very bored, very quickly. She did however, become entertained with reading Syaoran's fan mail.
Syaoran and The Clan had always received some type of fan mail. After being the subject of many surfer magazines, there had always been a letter or two from a hormone-crazy girl, a kid who wanted to learn how to surf, or even a few die hard surfers. Once Syaoran signed on with Quicksilver, his fan mail multiplied, but it normally went to Mike first. But now that Syaoran had won the Mavericks Competition as a non-native rookie, it was practically piling up and while on bed rest, there was nothing more fun to Sakura then to read it.
Her favorites were the ones from young aspiring surfers. Sometimes there would be one so touching, that she shared it with Syaoran, who rarely read them, and they would right back together. Syaoran was an inspiration to many young kids, and they both often thought of what they could do on a larger scale.
Some letters, however, were a little scary. Sakura didn't like it when one of these letters came up, and would report it to Mike immediately. Stalkers, with an obsession with Syaoran and his fame, promising of a future of just them in multiple scenarios. Sakura could usually tell the type of letter before opening them, and would leave them sealed and put them in a pile for Mike to handle.
Most of it was fan girls. Not one to be jealous Sakura found these the most fun to read. Occasionally she would forget that they were real letters sent to her real life boyfriend, they just seemed like snippets from romance novels and tv shows. A few letters stated that Syaoran was the father of their child, but Sakura honestly couldn't find the time between her and surfing that Syaoran could have to have time for an affair.
When Jia read them however, she seethed at the mouth and turned red with anger. Once Syaoran chided her for being so jealous and over emotional during one of these outbursts, she became flustered and embarrassed and she once again internally compared herself to the ever calm Sakura. The only one who would ever carry Syaoran's child.
It was after reading one of these letters that Jia finally decided to leave the Paradise House.
The letter wasn't anything special, Sakura had read it first, giggled and sighed and handed it over to Jia to read one morning. But it was written by a lonely girl who had "been in love with Syaoran forever" and proclaimed that she had always known that something was missing from all her previous relationships because they weren't with him. She gave her number and address, which was nowhere near Hawaii, and stated that when (not if) he and Sakura finally broke up she would be waiting for him with welcome arms.
At first Jia just scoffed at the idea of the letter, this girl, all together. But then she realized, she could have written it herself.
She had been in love with Syaoran for years. She was waiting for him and Sakura to break up. And was waiting for him to realize it and come to her.
But it would never happen.
Anyone who was around the pair knew they had a special bond. Just because there was no ceremony, or legal signing of papers, they were still married in a spiritual way. Both knew that he was hers, and she was his. No questions, no doubt, no jealousy- well, perhaps a bit from Syaoran, but more of a "don't even think about looking at my girlfriend like that" way.
The girl writing this letter didn't even know Syaoran.
But then Jia stopped- neither did she.
She had left an 18 year old lonely boy who hadn't chased after any of his own dreams. That was the Li Syaoran she knew- and continued to love for all this time.
But Sakura's Syaoran was a new Syaoran. A man who had not only chased his dreams to Hawaii, but was living them out as one of the best surfers of his generation. A man who was not lonely at all but had amazing friends, amazing girlfriend and soon an amazing family.
Jia and the girl from the letter were in love with the idea of Li Syaoran.
So one morning when she usually joined the pair for a breakfast that was getting less awkward by the day, she brought her bags with her.
"Where are you going?" Sakura had asked, her now eight month pregnant belly trying to balance her tea cup. "I didn't know you had a trip planned. Don't forget my birthday is next week!" Jia looked at her with new light, as the only one meant for Syaoran.
"I'm leaving." She answered, looking at the man of her thoughts. His eyes furrowed.
"Where too?"
"A friend of mine from high school, she lives in Beijing now."
"When will you be back?" Syaoran asked.
"I won't." she answered back after a moment. Sakura almost dropped the cup.
"What?! What do you mean?" Jia sighed.
"You guys are about to have a baby," she said like she was reminding them. "I don't think there's really room for the ex and bad memories."
"Jia you don't bring bad-" Sakura started to say, her eyes softening, but Jia cut her off with a laugh.
"Sakura you'll be such a good mom, I don't know why you're worried. And its ok, I know what I did then was wrong and, while I think coming here was right and may have started me down the path of closure, staying was wrong too." She turned to Syaoran. "You are starting a new chapter in your life. My part in it has already been written and passed on. Some day however, I would like to rejoin it with better intentions and maybe friendship." Syaoran nodded. There would be no hugs goodbye- from him anyway, since Sakura was already struggling to get up out of her chair- no words of comfort he could really give her.
"I hope that day comes, but it's going to take me a little longer," he said. Jia blinked and nodded, sad but understanding. Syaoran half watched to two women say goodbye, and only heard half of Sakura's parting words- call us when you get in…keep in touch…I hope you find your special someone….
And she was gone.
Though Syaoran had said it days before, he had actually found a bit of closure during Jia's visit. However, he could also honestly say that things were a little less tense in Paradise Place after she left.
Sakura could honestly say that he was a little less tense.
Although the little nagging feelings that usually arose when they cuddled at night, or had special time when he whispered to the baby were gone. It really was only the three of them now, and they didn't have a big pink and purple spotted elephant in the room.
.
The end of March brought a new vibe to the island. As spring showers hit and the temperatures are slow to rise, the island empties out of most of the tourists. Work slowed down a bit at Joe's, and Sakura and Syaoran got to spend a little more time with the gang. They spent most of their time watching the last of the whales migrate north and of course surfed. Now that Syaoran was considered a famous celebrity, it was usually hard to get a break from the crowds of people wanting his autograph. Now that it was just mostly locals on the waves, it was easier to have some privacy. Though occasionally they would run into some fans…
"Dude! You're like, THE Syaoran Li!"
Everyone, especially Sakura, was enjoying the down time. Still technically on bed rest, Syaoran had started his paternity leave from Quicksilver early, and it was great to have some time to themselves. Tomoyo had even left the couple to some together time before the baby was born to plan Sakura's birthday party, which was happening on the first.
Eriol had to keep reminding her that the energy level needed to be on the low side, but one look of Sakura's ever growing belly helped that out too.
The baby's room had been finished and completely furnished thanks to the "baby shower" gifts sent by Yelan. Most of the baby clothes had been provided by Sakura's friends at the shower, but Sakura and Tomoyo couldn't help shopping a few more times themselves.
Everyone and everything seemed ready for the baby- except Sakura and Syaoran.
It was their evening routine. After dinner the pair would head upstairs to their bed room, put on their pajamas (if they weren't already wearing them), Sakura would read a book and Syaoran would talk to the baby. Tonight, Syaoran was telling her baby bump about the first time he had ever seen the ocean.
"My dad took me, it's one of the strongest, and few, memories I have of him. We lived in Hong Kong, which is an island, so I was used to water. But the ocean…" he trailed off and Sakura stroked his hair. "Wei drove us to the other side of the island, it felt like it would last all day. When we finally got there, the sun was just about to set and all I could see was water. Water forever. We watched the sun set, and he talked to me about things I wish I could remember. But I still remember thinking that the ocean was the most beautiful thing I would ever see." He paused, absentmindedly playing with Sakura's shirt where it hit her bump. "And then I saw your mother." Sakura giggled.
"When did you become such a romantic?" she laughed. Syaoran shrugged. "It must have been from your dad." She said again. Syaoran glanced up at her.
"Why would you say that?" Sakura wrinkled her nose.
"Because you're one of five children." Syaoran openly stared at her as she turned red. They both started laughing. Happy tears trickled down both their cheeks, and Sakura actually hiccupped trying to stop. Finally they did and the mood sobered up.
"I don't have a lot of memories of my mother either," Sakura said softly. "My brother mostly tells me stories of her. She was a model you know." Syaoran nodded, she had told him before and even showed him a few photos. "What happens…" she trailed off. "What if we're not good parents? I don't have a mom to show me things, and you don't have your dad…" she was struggling to get the words on her mind out. Syaoran stared. It had been awhile since Sakura had this deep of a mood swing and dip in confidence.
"Hey hey, like you've told me a thousand times- we are going to be great parents. Your dad is going to be the best grandfather of all time- look how great you turned out to be!" He smiled.
"And Touya," she mumbled. He frowned.
"Sometimes Touya," he countered. "And my mom raised five girls who all became great parents!"
Sakura sighed.
"Sorry, I think I just had a mini panic attack there," she confessed as he put his head back on the pillow next to her stomach.
"Your mamma scares me sometimes, but I love her anyway," he said winking.
.
A few days later Sakura woke up to the smell of pancakes. She loved pancakes. On top of loving pancakes, the only real craving she had had while pregnant was wanting blueberry pancakes. So elated with the prospect of blueberry pancakes she threw off the covers and tried to jump out of bed forgetting that she was nearly full term pregnant.
She really just rolled a little to the left.
Shocked at having forgotten about the child inside her, even for just a second, she burst out laughing. She needn't have bothered, because moments later Syaoran appeared with breakfast, of blueberry pancakes, on a tray with orange juice and prenatal vitamins (Syaoran always had them. Sakura was sure he had a different bottle in each room just to make sure that she was always getting them in the morning).
"Happy Birthday!" he said, placing the tray in front of her. "Now, what would you like to watch while we take it easy before Tomoyo's grand event?" he asked, gesturing to the tv. Sakura giggled.
"It's not going to be a grand event," she teased, mimicking the way he had said it earlier. "It better not be, because I am not going to be doing anything grand in this condition and I don't want to miss out!" she took a huge bite of pancake.
The two took it easy for most of the day, planning on meeting Tomoyo and the guests around 4:00 in the afternoon at the guys' house. Tomoyo had planned the entire thing and for the first time, Sakura didn't mind. She was too busy planning a birth plan. Syaoran had a mini heart attack when Sakura started planning it- packing the overnight bag she was going to take. Mapping out the route to the hospital- even though there was only one road. Making sure Dr. Hotele knew of their wishes day of. Chris had joked that Syaoran was going to be the type of father that left Sakura at home on the way to the hospital, while Jeff mentioned that the baby would be so impatient it would be born in the car! Syaoran had paled at both notions.
Finally, four o'clock came around and Sakura and Syaoran piled into the car. It was Sakura's first time out of the house, except to get groceries, since her trip to the hospital. Sakura giggled while she remembered Syaoran actually calling Dr. Hotele and requesting permission to have a birthday party for her.
When they pulled into the driveway, Sakura could tell instantly that Tomoyo had gone overboard. Like always.
Stereotypical tiki torches lined the driveway leading to the back of the house where the patio was. As they followed the path towards the beach side, an accompaniment of streamers and balloons made their appearance as well. Finally, the porch had been magically transformed into a hodgepodge of tropical pinkness.
"Where Tomoyo gets her decor I will never know," a voice sounded to their left and the pair looked over to find JimRay starring with them at the pink porch.
"JimRay it feels like it's been ages!" Sakura said happily. "Hows school going?" she asked as they parted from their hug. JimRay had recently been accepted to the University of West Oahu and had started for spring semester. He shrugged.
"Classes are classes, but I've been talking to Amelia on cutting back some hours at the diner so I can volunteer in a lab." Sakura beamed at him.
"That is awesome!" Syaoran nodded in agreement. JimRay, despite the small age gap, was like the little brother Syaoran never had and he was proud of him to go to the University- even if it was for a girl originally. Danica, the girl that JimRay had met when Syaoran first told Sakura that he loved her, had been JimRay's girl on and off for the last eight months. Originally from France, she was an international student at West Oahu and had convinced JimRay to enroll. They were constantly on-again, off-again but JimRay seemed very serious about studying. His older sister had been going to a University on the mainland for years, and he was excited to follow in her footsteps. Currently, Danica was back home visiting family, otherwise Sakura knew the French girl wouldn't have been absent from the party. Although as Tomoyo squealed at the site of her, Sakura thought maybe absence was the right idea.
"Oh Sakura! I'm so excited you are here!" she said practically pushing Sakura into a pinkly adorned chair and thrusting a virgin piña colada at her. Syaoran slowly made his way over to his girlfriend, taking in all the pink.
"Tomoyo I think you may have over done it on the décor-" the noise of Chris clearing his throat cut him off. Syaoran and Sakura looked over at Chris and Jeff as they both made slashing motions at their throats to stop.
"Hmm? What was that?" Tomoyo asked innocently. Eriol came over and threw an arm around his girlfriend, laughing nervously.
"Tomoyo knew she couldn't throw Sakura a huge 24th birthday bash-"
"Because of the bed rest and all," Tomoyo supplied.
"- so she focused on something she could go all out on. The decorations." Eriol finished. Everyone nodded in understanding.
"They're wonderful Tomoyo." Sakura said beaming at her friend. Tomoyo smiled.
"Well, next year I am going to throw you the biggest birthday celebration Hawaii has ever seen! I mean, I couldn't through you a big one last year because while we were supposed to be in Kauai someone got sick…" she glared at the birthday girl for a moment. "And this year you are about to give birth and on bed rest!" she sighed dramatically and fell into the chair besides Sakura, grabbing a very alcoholic drink. "Life is so not fair."
Sakura stared wondrously at her best friend. Tomoyo had to be the strangest person she knew, but she wouldn't trade her for the world.
Sakura and Tomoyo had grown up together. As cousins, their moms had been family and best friends so from day one they were thrown in the playpen together. Tomoyo had been with Sakura through her mother passing away, her brother leaving for college, Sakura's strange obsession with the ocean and finally moving across the Pacific Ocean with her. Sakura had been with Tomoyo through her father leaving, her mother busy running her company and helping Tomoyo follow her dreams of being a fashion designer.
"Love you Tomoyo," Sakura said quietly, still beaming at her sulking friend. Tomoyo lifted her amethyst eyes up and smiled widely.
"I know, and I love you too. But nothing- nothing will get in my way of a huge party next year! Even if you are giving birth to another child!" Nearby Syaoran choked on his drink and Sakura blushed.
"Let's get through this pregnancy first," Syaoran said paling.
"I dunno Tomoyo…" Sakura started off deviously. "This could be you this time next year." Tomoyo and Eriol turned a very strong shade of red and the boys around them laughed loudly and Chris slapped Eriol on the back.
When Sakura had been asked by Syaoran what she wanted for her birthday, Syaoran was honestly expecting some cheesy romantic answer from her like, "all I need is you." But what he got was an incredibly happy Sakura asking for him to cook at her birthday party.
After quitting Amelia's when trying to balance a schedule between two jobs and a pregnant girlfriend got to be too much, Syaoran had been seriously lacking on his cooking duties.
He had taught Sakura a thing or two, but having Jia around had caused them to both be lazy. And even if Syaoran did decide to cook dinner, it was usually fast and quick. So a morning that started off with blueberry pancakes was going to end with Syaoran at the grill.
"If he doesn't burn the house down," Sakura murmured to an agreeing Tomoyo as the boys gathered around the grill and a very, robust, flame spurted out.
A few hours later, the house still intact- but maybe a few eyebrows singed- the group waved a very happy, tired and 24 year old Sakura goodbye.
"A lot has happened in a year," Syaoran voiced out loud as he helped his very pregnant girlfriend waddle into the house. Sakura turned around to see him smiling fondly.
"You mean falling in love with me, getting me pregnant, meeting Mike, getting sponsored, almost dying, getting back together with your mom, moving into a house and-"
"You forgot almost dying." Syaoran interrupted as they went up the stairs.
"No I didn't. It was in between joining the Quicksilver team and going to Hong Kong."
"No, I almost died twice. Once by a wave in Kauai and once seeing your brother and telling him I "knocked you up" as he so eloquently phrased it," he said getting changed for bed. Sakura giggled.
"He was not going to kill you!" she chided playfully. Syaoran's expression turned serious.
"You didn't see his face! When you went off with your dad the first day to make tea, I seriously thought our child was going to grow up without a father!" Sakura whapped his arm as they crawled into bed.
"My brother would never do that to me," she mumbled as he pulled her close. Her stomach was large enough to make him miss the nights where she could curl up at his side. He dropped his one hand down to join hers, both rubbing circles on her stomach.
"Are you ready?" she asked after a while. Her small voice startled Syaoran who had thought she had gone to sleep. He thought over her question.
"No." he answered, and she looked up at him. "And I don't think I'll ever be. Even if we had planned this I wouldn't be ready. I don't think anyone ever is." He smiled then, meeting her eyes. "But you will make a wonderful mother, and there isn't anything I can't do without you so I think we'll be ok." He moved his hand to brush her hair from her face.
"You always know what to say to make me feel better," she said closing her eyes at his touch. "But I am still so nervous. But I also know that I love you and everything will be alright!" Syaoran bent his head down to meet hers and brushed their lips together.
"I love you too. Happy Birthday Sakura."
.
April is always a transitional time for the island of Oahu. The days aren't incredibly hot, but the sun usually shines and the tourists usually waned. By the time May was approaching, the island was pretty deserted besides the locals and Syaoran and the Clan got lots of days of surfing in. Armed with a very large umbrella, lots of water and a harem of over protective friends, a very, very heavily pregnant Sakura got to enjoy the sand between her toes and a surf-God of a boyfriend. Sakura had always been comfortable with her body, and loved the curves pregnancy was giving her (so did Syaoran) but as she looked at the hard lines of her boyfriend's muscles, she couldn't help but feel…
"Like a whale," she whined to Tomoyo one afternoon. Tomoyo rolled her eyes.
"I think this bed rest is finally getting to you. Sakura you are not in any way a whale, as you so delicately put it. You are carrying Syaoran's child, and have been for nine months! You're beautiful and very soon you will be holding that child in your arms. And I will be getting to dress them daily!" Sakura laughed at the perpetual stars in her best friend's eyes. Putting a hand on her large belly she looked in awe.
"I can't believe we're going to meet our baby soon!" she said. Tomoyo looked on.
"How is Syaoran handling it? Are you nervous?" she asked, holding her friends other hand.
"Extremely." Sakura said honestly. "But Yelan and my father have been calling almost every day to check in and have been giving us lots of tips. And they'll be visiting after the baby is born to help out. And we have to go to Hong Kong in the near future. Something about introducing the heir of the Li Clan and whatnot. Syaoran told me not to worry about it until later. So it's hard to be nervous when things are already being planned around a baby that's not even born yet!" she finally finished. "Sorry, I think I needed that rant."
"Well you may be sick of me, but I'll be around to help out as much as you want! Eriol and I can also baby sit so you and Syaoran can finally have some…sexy time!" Tomoyo winked and Sakura blushed. Tomoyo was always too candid about stuff like that.
"I will definitely take you up on that," she added, blushing deeper. Tomoyo's ears visibly perked up at Sakura's admission, always on the hunt for gossip.
"Oh ho ho!" she laughed. Sakura swatted her friend's arm.
"It's not my fault! These hormones are driving me crazy! And it doesn't help that Syaoran looks like, like that!" she said, gesturing to her incredibly fit boyfriend currently surfing a beautiful pipe. As if he could hear their conversation, Syaoran looked up briefly from his ride, only to catch eyes with Sakura causing him to crash into the short wave. The girls laughed as he came sputtering up.
"I does help when he does that though," Sakura said smiling.
Now that April had come and gone, along with Sakura's birthday, it was now time for Tomoyo to focus her attention on Syaoran's upcoming birthday at the beginning of July.
Sakura had tried to remind her that-not only was July more than a month away but- the baby was going to be born before then anyway (adding that it had better be born before then with a mutter). But Tomoyo had insisted that she needed something she could plan. Sure the baby was to be born anyway, but Tomoyo seriously doubted that if she threw a birthday bash next Wednesday, that the baby would magically decide to show up then. So trying to spare Syaoran, Sakura feigned tiredness and they headed back to their separate abodes.
As Sakura and Syaoran were headed home, bright lights caught Sakura's eye from the car.
"Hey the festival is in town again!" she said, pointing it out. Syaoran smirked. "What?"
"Do you remember going last year? We had first started dating. You made us go on every ride in the place." Sakura snorted.
"Actually, what I remember is you failing to win me a prize! I had to win that toy all by myself!"
"Hey now, I love that stuffed wolf!" he said in defense. "Especially because you won it for me."
"Always the sweet talker," Sakura said shaking her head as they pulled into the house. "Do you still have that thing?" Syaoran stopped fiddling with the door and looked at her.
"Of course, it's in the nursery with all the other stuffed animals, I thought you had noticed." Sakura stopped as he opened the door for her.
"You really kept it?" she asked. Syaoran smiled.
"Of course. After all you gave it to me. It was the first time in a long time that someone had given me something like that. It's something I treasure. Here I'll go get it and show you while you put some water on for tea." Sakura barely had time to nod before he bounded up the stairs. Sakura mumbled jealously at the movement as she waddled into the kitchen.
Upstairs, Syaoran opened the door to the nursery. The scent of baby powder, clean sheets and even fresh wood from the crib assaulted his nose and instantly calmed him.
"I know I put that wolf somewhere in here…" he whispered to himself as he glanced around the room. As his eyes passed over the rocking chair in the corner, he couldn't help but envision Sakura holding a child and whispering sweet nothings, singing lullabies, reading books, kissing boo-boos. That day was quickly coming, if not right around the corner.
Lost in thought he looked at the changing table and pictured changing diapers and getting into baby powder fights. He looked at the crib- more lullabies, different size beds as their child grew up, more children, late nights, and long hours but always with Sakura.
Finally his eyes set on the wolf stuffed animal inside the crib. Walking over to it, he picked it up and examined it. It was only a year old and since he didn't cuddle with stuffed animals every night still looked pretty new. But unlike the brand new animals surrounding the rest of the room, you could tell this one had been squeezed, packed in a box, moved a few times and cherished.
The first thing Sakura had ever given him and something that would be given to her greatest gift yet- their child.
And suddenly he knew.
The door creaked open as he was forming the epiphany in his mind as Sakura caught him holding the wolf.
"Tea is ready. Everything ok up here?" she said, still panting a bit from coming up the stairs. He turned around.
"Sakura, I just had an epiphany." He said, walking towards her in a type of daze. She looked at him, then to the wolf, and back at him.
"We are not getting a dog," she said laughing, but he shook his head. Placing the wolf down on the changing table he took both her hands in his.
"Sakura," he began but trailed off as her eyebrow rose. "We talked the other day about what this past year has brought us, and yes, almost dying counts as some pretty big moments, but I can't help but be thankful that that stupid, jerk, wannabe surfer stole my wave- and that you saved me. But you saved me from more than just drowning in the ocean, I had been drowning in my own thoughts for a while before that. I would have never been the man I am today, never even known that I could have been the man I am today, without you." He stopped and looked into her eyes. They were wide as saucers.
"What are you…?" she whispered. He smiled and got down on one knee. She gasped.
"Kinomoto Sakura, soon to be mother of my children, saver of my life. I do this completely without prior thought, well not really I've been thinking of it for a while, but I just-well, I- what I'm trying to say is-is that even though I don't have a ring, will you- will you marry me?"
There was a silence after his rant that had ended with a bit of a stutter because he was sure he had messed it up at the end. He should have waited, practiced even, made it more special. Sakura was still silent, a very shocked look on her face.
"Sakura?" he asked gently. She blinked at him.
"I think my water just broke."
.
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A/N: Dun dun dun! I know, you guys are probably like "How could you not update for a year and then leave us with a horrible cliffhanger?!"
But I am here to say: don't worry! I actually already have the next-and last chapter- written and ready to go, but this was just the perfect break! You'll get the last chapter in a few days, promise!