In the following weeks of establishing their relationship, Sasuke and Sakura had settled into somewhat of a routine with each other. They ate lunch together during the work week whenever they could and they spent the weekends together or hanging out with Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Temari, and Karui.
Sakura had also begun affectionately calling her boyfriend, "Sasuke-kun" which he secretly loved but would never admit aloud.
It was Friday and Sasuke was making his way through the hospital to get to Sakura's office so they could have lunch together. He had picked them up some stir fried beef with vegetables and rice, and some dango for Sakura.
He arrived at her office and she called for him to come in when she heard him knock. When Sasuke stepped inside he was surprised to find Sakura standing in front of the large window in her office that overlooked the city, instead of sitting at her desk like usual.
"Hey, is everything okay?" Sasuke asked cautiously.
Sakura turned around before answering and Sasuke's eyes went straight to the small bundle in her arms. "Little Emiko has trouble sleeping without being held and her parents hadn't been home since she was born, so I told them to go home for a few hours while I watched her" Sakura explained, while walking over to Sasuke and taking a seat next to him.
"Ah I see" was all Sasuke said, as he started setting the food out for them to eat.
"Thank you for getting this Sasuke-kun, I didn't get a chance to have breakfast this morning" Sakura informed him, while taking a bite of the beef.
Sasuke chided her for not eating like she should but Sakura assured him that it doesn't happen often. They continued eating lunch together quietly, not talking too much due to the sleeping baby girl. Every so often, Emiko would stir and begin to whine but Sakura calmed her each time and rocked her till she settled back down.
The sight of Sakura being so motherly and gentle to the baby made Sasuke's chest ache in a way it never had before. He had never once thought about having children, deciding his childhood messed him up too much for such a thing. But right now, Sasuke couldn't help but imagine Sakura in the same position but with a baby that had black hair, or even pink hair.
Noticing how Sasuke appeared to be having some internal turmoil, Sakura spoke up, "I'm sorry I brought Emiko, I know this is supposed to be alone time for us" she fretted.
"No it's not that at all, it's just seeing you with a baby is so… I don't know" Sasuke trailed off.
Sakura frowned slightly until she had an idea, "Well do you want to hold her Sasuke-kun?" she offered.
"It's better I don't, I've never held a baby before" Sasuke admitted to her.
"I'll show you then" Sakura said and then began using her free arm to maneuver Sasuke's arms into the proper position.
Sakura then gently placed Emiko in his arms and she began squirming around at first which caused Sasuke to panic, "I knew I would just upset her" he grumbled.
"Just give her a moment to get comfortable" Sakura instructed him, while giving him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder.
And sure enough, Emiko settled into Sasuke's hold and fell back asleep. Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief, he really had never held a baby and he had no idea how to tell what they needed when they cried or began to fuss.
Sasuke thought this over before asking her, "How do you know what they need so easily?".
"Well I am a Pediatrician but it could also just be maternal instincts even though I'm not her mama" Sakura concluded, while taking a bite of dango.
"Do you want to be one though?" Sasuke asked vaguely, knowing she would understand.
"I do, I've always loved kids and taking care of others. I just want them with the right person, I wouldn't want my kids to have to go through what I did" Sakura said, emerald eyes boring into his onyx ones.
"Ah I wouldn't either" Sasuke agreed, both of them knowing the gravity of their statements.
"What about you?" Sakura asked him.
"Considering how I grew up, it's never really crossed my mind until now" Sasuke replied honestly.
Sakura only smiled a bit sadly in response, and for the rest of their lunch break Emiko slept in Sasuke's arms while Sakura rested her head on his shoulder.
The clock struck 12:30 and the couple knew that it was time to part even though it was the last thing they wanted to do. Sakura got up first and threw away the trash from lunch, while Sasuke got up with Emiko. He gently placed the baby back in Sakura's arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead as well.
"I wish we didn't have to go back to work, I was so comfy on the couch" Sakura said with a pout.
"Ah I was too, but we can sit on the couch as much as you want this weekend" Sasuke assured her with a small smile.
Sakura smiled back and got up on her tiptoes to place a chaste kiss on his lips, which he returned in full.
"I better get going, she needs to be fed and changed soon. Text me when you get home?" Sakura asked.
"Of course, I'll see you tomorrow" Sasuke promised, before giving her one more kiss and then heading out the door.
Sasuke texted Sakura later that night when he arrived home after running some errands.
Back home finally.
I'm glad, good work today Sasuke-kun!
Ah thank you, you too Sakura.
I have some exciting news!
Really? What is it?
I got invited to speak at a medical conference that's being held in Oto next month. Would you like to come with me?
Sakura...
I know Sasuke-kun. I just wanted to ask you but it's just a two day trip so I'll be okay going alone.
Can we talk about this tomorrow?
Of course, sleep well Sasuke-kun.
You too Sakura.
The following morning, Sasuke and Sakura met at the coffee shop inside the bookstore at their usual spot. Sasuke got a black coffee and a plain toasted bagel, while Sakura had an iced mocha latte and a cinnamon muffin.
"I'm sorry if I upset you last night Sasuke-kun, I should have figured you wouldn't-" Sakura tried to say until Sasuke cut her off, "No you didn't make me upset, it just caught me off guard. I'll go with you, I'm just worried about possibly seeing them" Sasuke admitted, knowing Sakura understood who he was alluding to.
"Well there is a chance we might run into them but if it happens we can do whatever you feel is right. If you want to talk to them or just leave, I'll support whatever you decide" Sakura promised him, while placing her hand over his.
"Thank you Sakura" Sasuke murmured, feeling better after talking through the situation.
Part of Sasuke really did want to see his family, his mother in particular. Mikoto had always done her best to be there for Sasuke when his father and brother weren't able to. And he knew leaving would hurt her the most, but at the same time Sasuke felt he had no other choice. So he would go to Oto with Sakura and enjoy spending time with her, but he knew he'd be keeping an eye out for his family the whole time.
After they finished their breakfast, the couple went back to Sakura's and spent the rest of the day cuddling on the couch and watching movies together. Sakura relished in the feeling of his strong arms around her waist as the ending credits of an action movie rolled across the screen of the TV. But she couldn't help but think about the question that had been nagging her recently.
"How come you never invite me to your place?" Sakura asked him quietly.
"Hn, we've just always come here so I never really thought of asking" Sasuke said, even though that wasn't the actual reason.
"Oh I see" Sakura mumbled, as she removed herself from his grasp and sat up.
Sasuke's heart sank down to his stomach as he felt Sakura retreat from him, could he have been more insensitive? "You should know better" Sasuke mentally scolded himself, as he looked at Sakura's downcast expression.
"Please don't think it's because I'm embarrassed of you, if anything it's the other way around. A woman like you deserves better than what I can offer right now" Sasuke said without holding back.
"Sasuke-kun you know that I don't have a problem with your situation, we probably wouldn't be here right now if I did" Sakura said back meekly, still feeling slightly dejected.
"How about you come over after our trip to Oto then?" Sasuke offered, trying his best to ease her mind.
"Don't feel forced since I brought it up, I don't want to push you especially since we're already going to Oto" Sakura said with a small sigh, as she cuddled back into his chest.
Sasuke wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close once more. He couldn't stand disappointing Sakura, especially considering how she was already dating him while he tried to rebuild his life. But he just didn't want Sakura coming to the Center, he wanted to bring her home to a place he was proud of.
The couple resumed their usual routine with each other until it was time to leave for their trip. They decided to leave late on Friday so Sakura could get a good night's sleep before her speech on Saturday morning. They met at the train station and boarded with a few other passengers, and Sasuke loaded their bags into the luggage compartment.
It was a two hour train ride to Oto, and Sakura found it difficult to keep her eyes open once the train began moving. Sasuke saw this and said, "Go ahead and sleep, I'll wake you when we arrive" as he placed his hand on her thigh and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Sakura didn't argue and laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her hand around his forearm, quickly falling asleep after her long day at the hospital.
Sasuke looked over Sakura's sleeping form and couldn't help but be jealous at how relaxed she was about the trip. He was grateful for the small vacation he was getting with her, but Sasuke couldn't shake the feeling that he would be seeing some familiar faces.